6/6/66

by JN Lenz

  The thud of the closing front door was quickly followed by the sound of Fred’s voice.

  “Welcome Mr. Winslow, I have not seen you since you were a small boy but you look just like your father. It’s a real tragedy to hear of him passing in such a fashion. I knew your father back when we were both kids”

  “Yes I’ve been told we bear a close resemblance, I don’t see it so much myself. Delver Winston is the name and your name sir” the voice was sharp and short as it resonated down the hallway with an authoritarian tone.

  “Fred Shackles sir, pleased to meet you Delver. Your father and I spent some time together as children, even though I had not seen him in years I still consider him a dear friend. This is such a tragedy I can’t imagine who would want to do such a terrible thing to such a pillar of society like your father”

  “Tragedy, yes indeed. I see my two brothers have yet to arrive, no surprise there” “Correct, they have not yet arrived, please let me show you back to the office Mr. Winslow. Jack the owner of the Funeral Home is ready for the family and your arrival. Could I offer you a beverage, a coffee perhaps?”

  “No I’m good I need to get this thing done, can you check the parking lot again to see if either of my brothers has showed up. When they arrive tell them to get in here so we can get this thing done.” Delver barked back to Fred.

  “Yes, of course sir. Let me…”

  “Don’t expect to see Billy period, he’s probably pissed or stoned by this time of day. Clive will be here, late most likely, go back and check anyway. First show me the way to the office”

  “Yes of course sir, right this way”

  I could sense the arrogance in Delver’s voice as I listened to the conversation from the back office; I could hear Delver snorting his responses to Fred as the pair rounded the corner of the hall which led to the office.

  “Here we go sir, Jack Delver Winslow is here. I will check the parking lot for the arrival of your brothers and have them come to the office straight away once they arrive”

  “Fine” At that response from Delver Fred turned to check the back parking lot for the missing Winslow brothers.

  “Good afternoon sir, I am Jack Smyth one of the owners of Shackles Funeral Home, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Your father was a great man and to have met such a tragic end is unfathomable.”

  I offered my hand out to greet the first of Harry Winston’s siblings to arrive, Delver was a tall man weighing well over two hundred pounds, and he was solid but not obese in any way. His dark hair was cut short and parted to the side; Delver had the look of a well-educated high end banker from his chiseled looks to the expensive tailored suit down to the expensive Italian shoes.

  “Delver Winslow, I’ve got forty minutes to get this done so let’s start off without my brothers. If they have concerns than I guess they needed to be here on time. Second thought on the beverage, I could use a double scotch no ice”

  Delver Winslow threw it out the order as if he were at the country club, taking his jacket before holding it straight out with his right arm for me to take it from him to hang it up some where

  “Of course sir, here let me get that coat for you. Please have a seat Mr. Winslow.”

  “Mind if I smoke in here?”

  “Not one bit let me get an ash tray for you along with that drink.”

  “Fine”

  “Hey Fred, after you check for Delver’s brothers out back can you go upstairs to my apartment? There is a bottle of Scotch on the hutch in the living room, bring the bottle down with four glasses and an ashtray. Thanks Fred”.

  “No problem Jack”

  “So let’s get started then Mr. Winslow…”

  “My Lawyer tells me the old man had plans to be buried here and that he has already made some arrangements in the past in regards to the services to be performed, correct?”

  “Yes that is correct Mr. Winslow, your father in addition to pre arranging his funeral here has also requested that we intern your mother in the cemetery here as well. We will retrieve her from the mausoleum in Toronto; your father included the arrangements to have your mother moved here at the time of his death. We will facilitate the move from the mausoleum where she is currently resting in the city, to the one your father had commissioned to be built when he made these arrangements several years ago here in the Largo cemetery.”

  “Commissioned? Was this commissioned by my father or thru the corporation? Has this structure been built yet? I need to know where the billing is directed here”

  “Sorry Mr. Winslow I have no idea where the cheque originated from for the construction of the mausoleum but I’m sure we can find that out. The important thing here is that we do right by your father’s wishes and here at the Shackles Funeral Home we intend on providing the quality and classy service he had requested, don’t you think?”

  “I think it is just another event that he needed to control, I will need detailed invoices of all charges for the service.” The voice of Delver Winslow’s statements continued to be sharp and blunt; he showed no outward emotion toward the loss of his father. Looks like we did this guy a favor I thought sitting patiently across from the son of the father who my business partner and best friend had just murdered the previous night. How full of confidence and entitlement this guy was, you could read it all over him. He was taking charge straight off there was no mistaking that; I could tell he was starting to get all huffy because I have not responded to his invoice comment yet.

  “Here is the Scotch and the ashtray.”

  “Thanks Fred, here just set the tray here on the desk”

  “Just in time I was about to but my cigarette into the carpet before it burnt down to my fingers, hope you are all a little more on the ball for the funeral service. What my father saw in this place I’m not quite sure.”

  “Of course Mr. Winslow, sorry to interrupt again but your brother Charles is here, said he would be inside in a moment Jack, right after he goes to the washroom.”

  “Thanks Fred”

  “Here he is here, come on in and have a seat Charles. Jack this is Charles Winslow, Charles this is Jack Smyth one of the Funeral Home owners.”

  “Pleased to meet you Charles, so sorry for your loss. Your brother and I had just been discussing some of the arrangements your father had made.”

  “Whatever father wanted and if there is something that he may have over looked please feel free to include it in the service, we want to make sure he departs in style.”

  “Feel free to include it in the service, what the hell are you talking about Charlie, he gets what he asked for, nothing more. Are you planning on paying for all the extras?”

  “Seriously Delver, get off that high horse of yours. Don’t even get started with me here.”

  “Gentlemen, set your minds at ease your father made ample and sufficient arrangements for his own funeral, there is little need to burden yourselves with these matters. Spend this time to grieve your father’s death, let us handle the details and the arrangements.

  “You never answered me on the mausoleum, has it been built yet or not?

  ”It is my understanding that everything but a special door your father had requested has been completed on the mausoleum. We have reserved a place in the existing mausoleum at the town’s cemetery; the pair will be kept there until facility is complete. It was only last year that your father had gone ahead with his plan to build a large new mausoleum for himself and your mother here in Largo. The…”

  “If the old man had not made arrangements for the best than we need to upgrade everything to that point, this family is a pillar to the fabric of this nation and we demand and deserve the best. Don’t think for a minute that means a green light to up charge for these said services; I have many associates and lawyers well versed in the appropriate costs of such a service. I trust this little establishment of yours here has the capability for such a service? This will not be a monumental failure smearing the stellar image of the family name”.

&nbs
p; Delver ended his snotty statement by turning his head up slightly once he had stopped talking.

  “I can assure you there will be no such embellishing of the invoices sir and you can expect the highest standards and attention to detail with our services and the Shackles Funeral Home can more than accommodate the importance and magnitude of your father’s funeral.. I presume there will be a number of friends, family and business associates who will be attending the services that will require reserved seating. Do you have any idea how many family and close friends may be attending?”

  My voice remained muted and cordial; I was not going to allow his bullish stance and tactics to fluster me in any way. After all I guess we had killed his father and I was planning on soaking him on the billing so I guess if I have to eat a little shit off the guy it’s the least I can do. Delver answered immediately

  “We have access to several limousines from our corporate head offices, the family and executive management will be arriving in those, plan to have my car placed immediately following the Hearse. Charles and his family will be in the next limo, with Jonathan behind that. The family and corporation will require the first three rows of the church but I fully expect those in attendance to count into the hundreds; this Funeral Home will not have the capacity to handle those in attendance.”

  “The plan had been to use the United Church in town for the service.”

  “I have my doubts that the largest church in this little town can accommodate the funeral for someone as important as my father, but it appears that was his wish. I expect a full brief on the arrangements and how you intend on accommodating all those in attendance. The associated costs need to be delivered to my offices in the next couple of days, fax them if required. Here is my business card which lists my office fax, good day sir.”

  Delver rose from the chair as he finished speaking turned without speaking to his brother Charles and left.

  “Good day sir, I will have this information to you as soon as possible”. I replied to Delver who had already made it out of the office and was making his way to the front door of the funeral home.

  Left sitting alone and yet to have added a single word to the conversation was the middle brother Charles who almost appeared lost as the now eldest statesman of the family disappeared down the hall. Fred could be heard in the distance bidding the eldest son of Harry Winston a good bye. With my back now turned to the remaining Winslow in the office he began to speak.

  “Dad would have wanted red roses on his casket and a picture of himself and mother to be present beside the casket during visitation and the service.”

  “Certainly Jonathan we will ensure that both are present, can you supply us with a suitable picture of your parents?”

  “Yes, I have a fine photo at home that I will send via courier first thing tomorrow morning.” Charles looked at his shoes as he talked, he did not hold the same demand of respect and confidence in his voice that his elder brother Delver possessed.

  “The minister should be Anglican and not United, I will also arrange for a new dark Blue suit to be sent from my father’s favorite tailor. Father always loved a dark blue power suit, that’s what he used to call them. I will have a list of family members and I will provide a few quotes my father used frequently, to use in the service. I trust I can leave the details my brother and I have not covered in your capable hands.”

  “That I can assure you Charles, should I still expect the arrival of your younger brother Jonathan today?”

  “I wouldn’t count on it; he is most likely just getting out of bed by this time.”

  “Fair enough, it’s been a pleasure meeting you Charles.”

  “You as well Jack, should you have any further questions or concerns I will leave you my business card as well, feel free to call me at any time.”.

  “I will be sure to let you both know if there are any concerns or questions, we will notify the Coroner’s office that our Funeral Home will be handling the services and to notify us once the body has been released. We can then verify the times and dates of the services at that time with the family, my suggestion is that we plan for the service next Saturday which should allow amble time for the release of your father and for two days of visitation before the service. Please allow me to show you to the front door”.

  Unlike his elder brother, Charles had not interrupted me half way through each response I had given him, I gestured towards the hall with my outstretched arm as I began to lead Charles out of the office and down the hall towards the front foyer of the Funeral Home. It would be here at the entrance to the front hall that the two of us would encounter Clyde talking with Fred, Charles was unwittingly about to greet his father’s murderer. Turning to greet us Clyde extended his hand towards Charles

  “Mr. Winslow so sorry to hear of the loss of your father, it is a real tragedy. My name is Clyde Drexler, Jacks partner here at the Funeral Home. Please let us know if there is anything at all that you need of us.” Clyde’s rugged good looks even affected how other men would react to him, it was the natural toughness and chiseled features that somehow did not offend or incite jealousy in men. It was hard to explain but it was not like he was viewed in some pretty boy good looks of a magazine model, it was more like his good looks had some earthy grittiness about them.

  “Thank you very much Clyde, I will certainly call if anything comes to mind. You have all been of great service so far and I can see my father will be in good hands here.” Charles stance straightened somewhat as he responded in a firmer tone than that of the one used moments ago in the office, I had seen Clyde do that before in the presence of other men. Similar to the way a man would suck in their stomach when a pretty woman passes, Clyde would make men want to stand up straight and measure themselves against him. Fred also added a farewell to Charles as the middle son of Harry Winslow left the Funeral Home through the front door.”

  “Well how did that go?” an excited Fred asked as all three of us walked back towards the office at the back of the Funeral Home.

  “Great, the eldest son is a piece of work but he confirmed that the service is going to be big, which is no surprise to any of us. That oldest son of Harry’s, the one by the name of Delver might be a handful. They both insist they want nothing but the best and I plan on giving them the best, along the costs associated with having the best. I thought old lady Preston’s service earlier in the week was a cash cow, this is gonna be the whole damn farm. How about you Clyde, how was your week?” I had been looking over towards Clyde searching for some hint in his eyes of how the past week had gone and hopping not to see any sign of worry or doubt, I saw neither as Clyde replied.

  “Uneventful but alright, everything went as good as can be expected. By the sound of things we are busy and you are going to need me around here this weekend”

  “Good to hear Clyde, yes we are going to need you, no question about that”

  “You fellas want a drink; I think we are going to need it. Jack are you in?”

  “Yaa Fred I could use a drink of that Scotch, Delver asked for it but never did drink the glass I poured for him, the brand was most likely not good enough for him.”

  “How about you Clyde, ready for a drink or is this too early for you?”

  “I’ll take one too Fred, it’s been an exhausting week.”

  “Sure thing Clyde.”

  Fred walked over to the hutch on the far wall where he had placed the bottle of Chivas earlier, pouring three glasses with ice and whiskey he handed us each a glass and offered a toast.

  “To Harry Winslow and the royal send off he is about to receive”

  “To Harry Winslow” both Clyde and I repeated before drinking the entire glass of whiskey in one long gulp.

  “To Harry, whose very timely death will bring us all one step closer to putting your gambling debts finally behind us.”

  “Cheers to the end of the debts, not so much coming in the form of a dead friend” replied Fred half heartily. The three of us continued to drink and
discuss the plans for the largest funeral ever to take place in the town of Largo; all three of us wanted to ensure we left no stone unturned in the services content and execution. The profits from this funeral could easily equate to the profit of three to four standard funerals if not more, Clyde the perennial hunter had bagged the human equivalent of an elderly sixteen point buck with this kill.

  All I hoped was that Clyde had not made any mistakes, or left any incriminating evidence. The three of us carried on with our discussions about the service for Harry Winslow for more than an hour. All three of us had lost track of the time and before we knew it the family was arriving to prepare for the seven o’clock visitation for the grandmother who was laying in the casket in the front room. I would have to wait for another three hours before Clyde could explain the events around the killing of Harry Winslow, that and the entire events of the week that had just past.

  Later that evening after the visitation had ended and we had ushered the last of the family members from the Funeral Home. The family would be back at the funeral home by eleven or so the next morning for the one in the afternoon funeral, with tonight being the only visitation. Clyde would explain the events of the previous week. Once we had retreated to the upstairs apartment and Fred had gone back to the garage coach house Clyde would fill in the details of Harry’s murder. Clyde would detail to me how and why he came to the final determination on a shooting assignation, reasoning that it was the safest method of killing Harry Winslow.

  The risk of getting any closer to the well-insulated Harry Winslow, Clyde reasoned was just far too risky. Just as Clyde had written each detail of his murders here in these files, so to would he explain and depict each step he had taken that prior week. Clyde explained how he had spent the week observing the mansion and ultimately how the assassination of Harry Winslow played out.