by Laura Greene
LAURA GREENE
BEHIND
THE CRIME
THE UNCLAIMED DEAD
Copyright © 2020 Laura Greene – All rights Reserved
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Also by Laura Greene
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About the Author
Chapter 1
“Do you think we'll find it there?” says Mia over the sound of the car engine.
Jessy looks over the case files in her lap from the passenger seat of Mia's car. It is a conglomeration of handwritten notes, old newspaper articles, and photocopied maps. Turning to her friend, she grins in response. “I think we finally found it.”
“I hope so, honey. This case has been racking my brain for four weeks.”
And it has. Harlan's third case file has been a dream come true for Jessy and Mia. For once, there is no murder, no fear of death, no ominous threat on the horizon. Instead, there is just a good old-fashioned mystery. Harlan's notes refer to a famous missing necklace, one that is an heirloom to the Buford Empire. The necklace has been missing since 1926, but just five years prior to Jessy moving to New Orleans, there was new information about its whereabouts. Harlan had documented this in great detail. However, as was his way, he'd clearly redacted with black ink, and even torn out pages, to obscure the true explanation.
It is up to Jessy and Mia to fill in the blanks.
Mia has recently traded in her aging car for something with a little more pep – a red convertible Porsche. Jessy knows that the car is beyond Mia's means, but Mia has gotten used to living a more opulent lifestyle after her last divorce. She states that this is her last extravagance before having to do something about her finances.
The wind rustles through Jessy's hair, the sky blue and stark above, and Mia drives enthusiastically, perhaps a little beyond the speed limit, wearing her trademark large dark sunglasses while chewing gum. They have both followed a trail of clues laid out by Harlan over the last few weeks, each time thinking that they are close to uncovering the true location of the missing necklace. And then, each time, coming up short. But each location and each clue leads to another subsequent breadcrumb to follow. This continuing trail is just what Jessy needs.
Things are as distant with Danny as ever. To Jessy, it feels as though they are just going through the motions, playing husband and wife rather than actually being a united couple. They have been cordial, but Danny's late nights at the office have continued, and so too have Jessy's investigations. She is becoming accustomed to the life of a detective, albeit an unofficial one. Although she tries to keep this fact away from Danny as much as possible, because he is so suspicious of Harlan's notes. Jessy understands his concern. Danny is worried that something might happen to her, but the gulf between them has left a void in Jessy's life. It is a void that needs to be filled. And Jessy has been doing that by following Harlan's cases. They have, in every sense, saved her from a life of boredom and frustration.
“I think it's just round here,” Mia says. Mia has lived in New Orleans for far longer than Jessy, and so it is good to have someone who knows the area. Especially when attempting to be somewhat of an amateur sleuth.
Mia slows the car as it approaches a large plot of land in the French Quarter. Anyone who has visited New Orleans knows this mystical place. It is filled with ghosts of the past and relics from the dead. St. Louis Cemetery contains hundreds of above ground tombs. Each one is built from white and gray stone, adorned by ghastly and beautiful statues staring at the oncoming car.
Mia pulls up alongside the gates of the cemetery. She looks out at the vast number of tombs before them. “You know, this place gives me the creeps.”
“I love graveyards,” says Jessy.
“Don't put that on your resume, honey.”
Exiting the car, Mia and Jessy nervously slip between the gates and into the cemetery.
“Where to now?” asks Mia, looking around at the tombs seemingly encroaching upon the space around them.
“Let me check,” Jessy says, turning to a nearby tomb wall and placing a map up against it. The lines match the streets which lie empty, cutting between the vaults.
“They used to call this the city of the dead,” Mia says. She glances over her shoulder as if being watched. “I'm not too happy about that. I definitely wouldn't rate it on Trip Advisor.”
“Shhhh,” says Jessy. “I'm trying to concentrate.”
“Oooh, look who got up on the wrong side of bed; Danny still being a pain, huh?”
Jessy doesn't answer her friend. She loves Mia, but she doesn't entertain her friend's insults when they are geared towards her husband. Instead, she glares at the lines on the map. Finally, something clicks into place for Jessy and she rushes off along one of the graveled paths between the tombs.
Mia looks around sheepishly as her friend rushes away from her. The old tombs and their occupants lie nearby, and Mia does not feel alone. “Hey! Wait up! Don't leave me!” Mia runs after Jessy, but her friend is more nimble than she is.
Jessy weaves between the tombs. She places her hands on the stones as she passes, feeling the ancient history all around her. Graveyards have always contained a certain fascination for Jessy. A snapshot of the end of people's lives. While she still finds them eerie, there is a romance to them for Jessy. She thinks about how the loved ones of those buried there constructed these elaborate tombs as a physical representation of their care and grief. That is a beautiful thing.
Turning around a corner, her destination comes into view. It is a small tomb, not one that would be noticed. But Jessy knows it is the one. Above the door is a small inscription; she does not need to read it to know what it says. This inscription was there at the very beginning of this case. It was there in Harlan's notes, ushering her in the direction of the mystery. Harlan and his words are like an unseen guide, and each time Jessy does not know if the destination will be one of satisfaction at solving a puzzle, or a more darkened discovery that will forever change her.
Running her hands over the cold stone of the door, Jessy can feel the history coming from the tomb. The cemetery has been used for hundreds of years, and its residents are a mix of humanity; some good, some bad. Who sleeps in here? Jessy thinks, and that causes a shiver to run up her spine.
Mia is still some way back, shouting after her friend. Just as Jessy is about to call out her location, her cellphone begins to ring. Looking down at the display, Jessy reads the caller ID. Husband. It seems like a distant memory, but not too long ago, when Danny would phone Jessy, she would feel a sense of excitement. She loved to talk to her husband. Jessy wonders how such a small, precious feeling can be so easily forgotten.
Answering the phone, Jessy says, “Hello.”
“Hi, how are you?” asks Danny on the
other end of the line.
Jessy looks around the graveyard, the tombs staring silently back at her. “Oh, I'm fine, thanks. Are you having a break?”
“No,” says Danny. “I'm in our house, wondering where my amazing wife is.”
“Oh.” Jessy doesn't know what else to say. Danny rarely comes home early from work.
“I thought, for once, I would do as you suggested. So, I have come home early; let's spend some quality time together.”
Jessy says nothing. She looks at the tomb door in front of her, leading to the possible, tantalizing resolution of Harlan's third case. “I might be out for a little while…”
“Why? Where are you?” Danny sounds disappointed.
“Oh, I'm just running an errand,” Jessy says, neither lie nor the truth.
“Well, how long do you think you'll be?”
Jessy looks at the door to the tomb, seeing if there's any way inside. It seems sealed, for now. “I don't know, Danny. I might be a few hours.”
“I thought you wanted to spend time together. I thought you'd like a surprise.”
“It's lovely. But I'm caught up with something. If I had some notice…”
Danny sighs on the other end of the phone. “What's so important that you can't put it off and come home and spend some time with your husband?”
Mia finally rounds the corner of another tomb and sees Jessy standing on the phone. “There you are!” she shouts, nearing. “Next time we're in a cemetery, please don't run off and leave me standing here. This place creeps me out.”
“Is that Mia?” Danny asks. It is clear from his tone that he does not approve. Mia is someone that Danny likes, but she's quickly starting to represent the true divide between him and Jessy. Mia is on one side, encouraging Jessy to investigate Harlan's cases, and he is on the other, trying to get Jessy to go back to her wedding stationery business like old times.
“Yes it is Mia; we're just in the middle of something, Danny. I really wish you'd told me you were coming home early. I would have stayed home.”
“Then it wouldn't have been a surprise…”
“Is this the tomb?” Mia asks loudly. “How are we going to get in there?”
“A tomb? What are you two up to?” Danny asks. “This isn't another one of Harlan's cases, is it?”
“Yes, it is,” says Jessy. The last time Danny and Jessy spoke about Harlan's cases, an uneasy truce over the subject was reached. That truce is currently the status quo. “You said you understood.”
“I don't understand, Jessy,” sighs Danny, “but I'm trying to support you as best I can. Will you be home later for dinner?”
“Yes, definitely.”
“Okay, I'll cook something nice for us.”
Danny isn't a great cook, but Jessy appreciates the effort. “Thanks, Danny. I look forward to it.”
“Now, you’d better get back to your tomb. Just remember, grave robbing is a felony.”
They both laugh. Jessy feels good in the moment. It's like old times. A little ray of sunlight to part the clouds of their currently stormy relationship.
“Seriously, though. Are you in a cemetery?”
“Yeah… I'll tell you all about it later.”
“Okay... Be safe... I love you.”
“I love you too,” says Jessy before hanging up.
Mia eyes Jessy with a smile. “At least you two aren't screaming at each other over this.”
“I know. He's really trying, Mia.”
“I believe, you, honey. I believe you.” Mia turns to the tomb. “Nice. I see the inscription. Is that the same one from Harlan's notes?”
Jessy stares up at the words above the door. Carved in stone, the writing is somewhat difficult to read due to blackened damp marks brought about by the weather. But nonetheless, with a little effort, it appears to be the same thing Harlan wrote. “Harriet Sleeps Here. Do Not Disturb Her.”
“Hmm...,” says Jessy. “The name Harriet looks odd.”
“I knew a Harriet once from England. Nice girl. I hated eating in a restaurant with her, though. She'd eat each pea or piece of corn one at a time. We'd be there all night.”
“I hope you don't think the same about me!” jokes Jessy.
“Nah, you stuff your face nearly as fast as me.” Mia looks up at the writing again. “So what's strange about the name?”
“Can you give me a boost?”
“A boost? You have to be kidding.”
“Just so I can reach the inscription above the door.”
“If I must.” Mia bends over and cups her hands together in front of her.
Jessy puts her right foot into Mia's hands.
“Ewww,” says Mia. “Please tell me you didn't stand in dog poo?”
“It's just mud, you big scaredy-cat.” Jessy pushes down with her foot, grips hold of Mia's shoulders, and lifts herself off the ground. She rests her hands against the top of the stone lintel above the doorway.
“Oww! You just kneed my head,” Mia protests.
“I barely touched you! Hold on.” Jessy reaches up and rubs the dirt away from the underside of the inscription to reveal strange carvings beneath each letter in the word Harriet. They look like small crosses, one underneath each letter.
Jessy jumps down.
“My back!” says Mia, straightening up. “The next time you need a boost, call the fire department... Did you find anything?”
“There are some crosses underneath each letter. I'm not sure what they mean.”
“How do we get inside?” asks Mia.
Jessy looks at the door to the tomb and then rubs her hand over the cold stone. She pushes against it. “This is solid. It's not going to budge.”
“Maybe we should come back with a crowbar?” offers Mia.
“I'm not into desecrating the resting place of the dead, Mia. But I suspect this isn't a real tomb, at least not now... Maybe...” Jessy's eagle-eyed vision catches something.
“What is it?” Mia asks, but Jessy is now too deep into thought.
Reaching down to the foot of the rectangular tomb, she notices a small gap underneath the left-hand side wall. Weeds and grass obscure the rest, but Jessy runs her hand under the gap at the bottom of the wall. “Hmm,” she says to herself.
“What?” Mia is getting frustrated, but Jessy remains in a daze of detection. This has been happening increasingly during their cases together. One moment Jessy is in conversation, the next she is thinking deeply about a clue or event that might prove meaningful.
Jessy knows this feeling. She enjoys it. It's as if she is made for being a detective. She's increasingly feeling that being a detective is her calling.
Pushing some weeds to the side, Jessy now sees that the gap under the tomb runs along the entire left wall. Following it to the rear of the tomb, she sees that it stops about halfway underneath the rear wall. Mia tramples over the grass to join Jessy.
“I wish you'd tell me what you're thinking, Sherlock,” she says.
Jessy looks at the ground. She sees something. She turns to Mia and grins from ear to ear. Then, she leans down and pushes her fingers through the end of the gap at the bottom of the rear wall. A loud click sounds. Now, something truly surprising happens. Mia gasps and steps back, but Jessy does not move. The rear wall comes loose, opening slightly on one side like a door.
“My...”
“Don't blaspheme, Mia.”
“I was going to say 'Word', not 'God'. Honest.”
Reaching into her bag, Jessy pulls out a small LED flashlight. Switching it on, the beam is powerful for its size. With Mia's help, they both pull the rear wall open, and it is now obvious that it is a hidden door. Hesitantly, they step into the darkness, a stark abyss when set against the bright sun outside.
The tomb smells musty but it also has a strange scent to it, one Jessy can't quite put her finger on, but it is familiar. The beam from Jessy's flashlight moves from her hand, casting a circle the size of a dinner plate over the stone interior.
“Whe
re's the coffin?” asks Mia.
“This isn't a grave,” answers Jessy. “It's a hiding place. Look!”
Up ahead in the middle of the room is a glass case on a stone pedestal. Something shiny catches the beam of Jessy's flashlight.
“Is that...”
“Yes, Mia.” Jessy steps forward, bending over and peering into the glass case. Inside, a dazzling necklace sits, proudly displayed on a bed of red velvet. The necklace is solid silver, and set on it are three large diamonds, the central one as large as a bottle top.
“It's gorgeous,” says Mia. “Do you think we'll get a reward for this?”