Chapter 18

“What was it like? Why didn’t you wake me?” I started out quietly but the last part sounded harsh. “I’m sorry! I don’t mean to be mean.” Shit, now I was crying.

“There’s nothing there,” Chris growled. Gene took her back in her arms, glaring at me. Jay took me in his arms. This was getting ridiculous. “It’s all black and ashes and a few pieces of wood sticking out.”

Gene nodded. “I told you so. Those are called ‘beams’ honey. And the concrete wall around the crawl space, that was where it was all walled off with those screens. The police were still there working. The cadaver team and the coroner’s office were—”

Chris howled, muffled against the pragmatic Gene’s chest.

Jay said, “Jesus, Gene! They knew those people. That was their mother they were digging up, oh sorry,” Jay added when both Chris and I glared at him.

“WAH!” Chris actually cried out, like a baby doll, before going off again.

Now Jay was saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, okay? Jesus!”