154 The Funeral

Stonegate Cemetery was a low-key graveyard in suburban Springfield where the middle-class and lower families buried their dead. It was characterized by small gravestones, tall grass, and overgrown hedges. The place was also where the Damone ancestors lay.

A crowd gathered around a freshly prepared grave. The morning had seen a light drizzle, and moisture still clung to the soil and the mourners' umbrellas.

The coffin was slowly lowered into the grave, and the attending priest said his prayers. He ended the session on a high note, urging Victor's loved ones to move on.

It was a peaceful, closed-casket funeral. Therefore, the mourners could not see Victor's face. However, the priest urged them to say their final words to him.

Haley B was the first to step forward. Her face was covered in a netted veil to prevent ordinary people from recognizing her. The last thing they needed was a crowd of fans disrupting the funeral.