Basement Dwellers

by Holly Copella

  “Thanks, guys,” Nathan said with little enthusiasm.

  Alpert and Newman gave him a tiny nod but were reluctant to speak as they rolled the stretcher from the morgue. Nathan respectfully covered Tracy with a sheet up to her neck then studied her face. Without an ounce of make-up, she still commanded attention. Nathan frowned and shook his head as he leaned on the slab near her face.

  “Oh, Dr. Kirby,” he said softly. “I never would have imagined you’d be here like this.” Nathan studied her a moment longer then gently brushed the hair from her face and sighed. “Still as beautiful as ever.”

  Chapter Eleven

  It was only a few minutes later when Rolan was seen pushing a stretcher along the empty hospital basement hallway. The wheels rolling along the concrete floor sounded like a freight train, breaking the silence. He had a distant look on his face and didn’t appear pleased with his current task. He paused before the morgue and tapped on the door as he opened it. Rolan backed into the morgue with the stretcher then looked behind him. Tracy’s sheet-covered body was still on the slab outside the freezer with her head still uncovered. It was an unexpected sight. Rolan looked around for Nathan then stared at Tracy’s body. It was odd that she wasn’t in the freezer. Perhaps odder still was seeing her head uncovered. It was strange Nathan would leave her like that. Nathan appeared from his office and looked surprised to see Rolan standing in the morgue with his stretcher.

  “That was fast,” Nathan announced. “They just brought her down a few minutes ago.”

  “I was wondering why she wasn’t tucked away,” Rolan said timidly while clearing his throat. “Sorry about showing up so early, but Lexx wanted to stop in and see Brandon.” He shifted with discomfort. “I think when the call came from the hospital, she freaked a little about him. I thought it best to give her some time alone with him.”

  “Yes, of course,” Nathan replied. “You could get some coffee while you wait. Although, I wouldn’t advise getting it from the waiting room. Their coffee is terrible. As if waiting around in a hospital isn’t bad enough; they could at least provide some decent coffee.”

  “Thanks, but I already had three cups,” Rolan replied and noted Nathan’s unhinged demeanor. He quickly brushed it off. “Lexx doesn’t like me overly caffeinated. She says I’m too hyper as it is.” He cocked his head to the side and gave the coroner a demanding look. “Can you believe that?”

  Nathan managed a smile and snorted a soft laugh. “No, not at all.”

  †

  It was later that morning at the Davenport Funeral Home. Lexx, who was standing inside the elevator, opened the old, gate-style door within the basement and backed out. She steered the stretcher containing the black body bag while Rolan pushed from the other end. Both wore matching frowns at their current task.

  “I noticed Carson’s car was gone,” Rolan remarked with little enthusiasm.

  “I know they only went out a couple times, but I think he really liked her,” Lexx said with an added sigh. “It has to be hard on him knowing she’s down here.”

  They pushed the stretcher toward the metal prep table. Lexx unzipped the body bag to reveal Tracy’s corpse in the hospital gown. Both looked at her and frowned. Seeing her like that was indescribable.

  “I’m a little bothered myself,” Rolan replied gently, unable to take his eyes off the dead woman. “I mean, she was just here the other day looking so alive--”

  “You need to separate yourself, Rolan. If you don’t, you’ll make yourself crazy.”

  “Too late. I’ve been crazy for years.”

  Lexx and Rolan transferred the deceased doctor’s body from the stretcher to the metal prep table. Rolan moved the stretcher out of the way while Lexx untied the hospital gown. Rolan seemed uncomfortable and immediately fidgeted.

  “Would it be weird if I took break during the wash prep?” Rolan asked.

  Lexx eyed Rolan with surprise to his question. It wasn’t like him to be tense around female clients. “A little,” she remarked and tilted her head. “You’ve helped clean and sterilize female clients before.”

  “Yeah, but not one of Carson’s girlfriends.”

  She could understand a little of what he was feeling, although it really wasn’t an excuse. If he was that uncomfortable, she wasn’t going to force him to assist in this case.

  “You’re excused this once,” she announced then fidgeted herself. “But I may ask for a return on the favor.”

  Rolan stared at Lexx and slowly nodded with understanding. “If it comes to that, I’ll take care of Brandon.”

  She didn’t even want to think about it, but it was a relief. “Go on--get out of here.”

  As Rolan scurried from the room and up the stairs near the elevator, Lexx leaned on the prep table and stared at the once beautiful doctor now void of life. She took a deep breath, straightened, and removed the hospital gown.

  †

  Rolan entered the kitchen from the basement and poured a cup of coffee. His excessive use of sugar and creamer defeated the purpose of coffee. He sat at the counter and opened the newspaper. There was a faint thump from the basement. Rolan lowered the paper and uncertainly looked to the basement door. Whatever he had heard wasn’t a typical sound. He appeared curious and listened for further sounds.

  “Rolan! Rolan!” Lexx was heard screaming from the prep room like a mad woman.

  Rolan sprang up from the counter, his cup of coffee crashing to the floor, and ran for the nearby basement door. He thundered down the steps and bolted into the prep room. He nearly collided with Lexx, who had been hastily attempting to leave at the same time. She jumped back with surprise then held her head. She was visibly shaken.

  “What is it? What happened?” Rolan gasped.

  Lexx shook her head while trembling and hurried past Rolan to the nearby desk. She grabbed the cordless phone and pressed a button. Rolan looked at Tracy’s lifeless, naked body lying on the prep table then looked back at Lexx with confusion. Whatever had happened was a mystery to him. Lexx was about ready to jump out of her skin as someone picked up on the other end.

  “Yes, this is Lexx Davenport at Davenport Funeral Home,” she said in rushed speech. “I need the police out here right away.” There was a slight pause as she listened to the person on the other end. “No, I can’t explain over the phone. Please send someone right away.”

  †

  Lexx leaned against the counter in the prep room with her head in her hands and remained distant and preoccupied. It had only been ten minutes since she hung up with the police, when Rolan was heard with the arriving officer. She could hear him on the steps speaking to the officer as they approached the prep room in the basement.

  “I’d prefer if you spoke to Lexx,” Rolan was heard saying to the officer.

  Lexx straightened and attempted to collect herself as Hill entered behind Rolan. Hill glanced at the sheet-covered body then looked at Lexx. He was obviously bewildered and possibly losing patients with all the secretiveness.

  “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” Hill finally demanded.

  Lexx took a deep breath and tried to remain calm for the sheriff’s sake. She knew he probably wouldn’t handle the news very well.

  “I started prep work on the client we’d just picked up--” She hesitated and was suddenly very uncomfortable explaining the situation to the handsome sheriff. It was an awkward conversation to begin with. “There’s semen.”

  Hill stared at Lexx with a puzzled look and didn’t quite understand the problem, although he did seem slightly uncomfortable with the current topic. Lexx groaned softly, hating to spell it out for him.

  “It’s a female client,” she gently informed him.

  Hill still appeared bewildered and raised a curious brow in question. “Okay--?”

  Lexx shut her eyes, groaned softly, and then met his gaze with a look of dread in her eyes. “It happened postmortem.”

  Hill’s expression suddenly dropped. That he understood. The world
seemed to shatter around him, and he barely got the words out. “You mean--?”

  She stared into his eyes with the answer clearly in her expression. “Yes, Sheriff.”

  Hill casually pointed across the room to the bathroom. “Is that a bathroom?”

  Lexx nodded. Hill crossed the room in no particular hurry, entered the bathroom, and shut the door. Lexx and Rolan exchanged looks and waited for the sound both anticipated. Hill was heard heaving several times. The squeamish sheriff was about to have a very bad day.

  Chapter Twelve

  Hill aggressively paced the funeral home porch with his cell phone to his ear. He was about ready to jump out of his skin despite his calm tone with the person on the other end. Lexx and Rolan leaned against the railing and watched his endless pacing. Lexx thought his color seemed better now that he’d vomited, but his anxiety was rapidly increasing by the second.

  “Yeah, I heard what you said, but it happened at the hospital,” he said into the phone and started sounding agitated. “What’s the protocol for that?” There was a long pause as the person responded to his question. “I know; I heard you say that too. You’re not listening to me.” There was another pause. “You’re damned right I don’t want to be the one to do that!” Hill groaned and continued his marathon pacing. “What I’m asking is who can I get to do it? Would the mortician be qualified--?” He was abruptly cut short by the person on the other end and instantly frowned in response to the comment from the other end. “No, she’s not a suspect.” There was another pause. His brows suddenly rose, and he seemed to get the answer he was looking for. “So a nurse or an EMT can do the test from a legal standpoint?” He awaited his final confirmation and appeared relieved while vigorously nodding. “Thank you! Thank you very much!”

  Lexx and Rolan stared at him in silent question. He didn’t respond to their looks. It was doubtful he even realized they were standing there by that point. Hill disconnected the call and immediately pressed another button. He finally stopped pacing, stood straight, and forced a smile as the call was answered.

  “Monica?” he chirped a little too cheerfully. “I need a small favor--”

  †

  Monica briskly entered the kitchen from the basement stairs while carrying a plastic bag. Her look conveyed her detest for everyone in the room. Lexx appeared from the basement stairs directly behind her with less emotion. Hill and Rolan stood by the kitchen counter and immediately jumped to attention as the two women approached. Monica handed Hill the plastic specimen bag while sneering at him.

  “I’m never speaking to you again,” Monica scoffed.

  “Thanks, Monica,” he said with an over exaggerated smile. “I love you.”

  “Prick--”

  Monica left through the back, kitchen door, slamming it for added drama. Lexx leaned against the counter near Rolan and studied Hill.

  “Your sister lacks that certain--” She considered her comment carefully then casually tilted her head while raising a devious brow. “--human quality.”

  “I don’t know. I kind of like her,” Rolan remarked while hiding his grin.

  Lexx glared at Rolan. He fidgeted and attempted a more serious expression.

  Hill exhaled deeply, glanced at the bag in his hand, and eyed both. “I don’t want anyone touching that body until I get the report back on this sample,” he informed them firmly.

  “If I can’t embalm her, I’ll have to put her on ice,” Lexx replied.

  “That’s fine,” he said. “Just make sure no one else has access to her body. It’s evidence.”

  “I think we need to get a drink,” Rolan remarked. “Maybe two or three. I’ll never understand why you don’t keep hard liquor in the house.”

  “For the first time, I was wondering the same thing myself,” Lexx announced then looked at Hill. “Sheriff? I’ll bet you could use a drink.”

  “I’d love to get silly with you two, but I’m driving this to the city personally,” he informed them. “I want this resolved as quickly as possible.”

  Hill left the house through the back door.

  Rolan straightened and sighed. “Did you want me to push the doc into the freezer?”

  “No, we won’t be gone long. Just long enough to grab a bottle from the liquor store,” she replied while holding her head. “We’ll take care of her when we get back. Just make sure you lock the door behind us.”

  †

  It was only half an hour later when Lexx returned from her trip with Rolan to the liquor store. They hadn’t even gotten one drink in when Carson pulled up and whisked Rolan away to help pick up another client. The sound of drinking alone wasn’t appealing to Lexx, so she decided she should put Dr. Kirby in the freezer. She entered the basement prep room through the open door and was immediately puzzled. She knew she had closed the prep room door after she and Monica had gone upstairs. She took two steps into the room and suddenly stopped. All color drained from her face as her heart pounded roughly in her chest. She stared at the empty prep table containing only the sheet that had covered the corpse. Dr. Kirby’s body was gone! Lexx felt fear shoot through her entire body, jolting her back to reality. She hurried to the large, walk-in freezer, opened it, and peered inside. She had hoped Carson had doubled back while they were gone and realized the body wasn’t tucked away, but that was wishful thinking.

  To her horror, the freezer was empty. Her anxiety was quickly rising to the thought of having lost a corpse. She looked back across the room, attempting to make sense of the situation, then had a terrible thought. She became alarmed and ran for her desk. Her day couldn’t possibly get any worse. As she snatched the phone from its base, she knew Sheriff Burke’s day wasn’t about to get any better either. She pressed 911 with trembling hands and waited for someone to pick up. Her only saving grace was it was physically impossible for Sheriff Burke to respond to her missing corpse call, because he was undoubtedly on the road to the city. He’d be gone at least an hour roundtrip. She didn’t want to explain to him how she possibly let this happen. A thought then occurred to her, sending terror through her. What would she tell Carson?

  †

  It was nearly forty minutes after Lexx had called the police and insisted someone come out, offering limited explanation over the phone. She didn’t need it getting around town that their funeral home lost a corpse. Lexx paced the porch for several minutes before she saw the sheriff’s blazer flying up the funeral home driveway. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw it was Sheriff Burke behind the wheel. Wasn’t he supposed to be driving that specimen to the city lab? She really didn’t want to explain to him what she thought happened. Although the lights weren’t flashing, she knew he broke a few speed laws on his way over. The vehicle came to a screeching halt just under the carport. Hill jumped out of the blazer and approached her with a concerned look on his face. He looked even worse now than he had earlier. She felt scolded before he even opened his mouth.

  “Please tell me this is just a ploy to get me back, because you missed me,” Hill announced firmly.

  “Believe me, I wish it were.”

  Lexx hurried into the house. Hill hesitated and then followed her with less enthusiasm. They headed into the basement and looked around the empty prep room. Hill stood in the doorway to the open, walk-in freezer. He groaned and turned to face her with an expression that matched hers. Lexx leaned against the prep table and shifted uncomfortably.

  “He was here, wasn’t he?” she said with concern and insecurely rubbed her shoulders. “That bastard came in here and stole her body.”

  “You’re sure you left her right here?”

  “Rolan and I left right after you,” she insisted. “I got back almost an hour ago. We were only gone thirty minutes at most. Carson pulled up right behind us, and Rolan went to the hospital morgue with him to pick up another client. I came down here to put her on ice, and she was gone.”

  Hill looked around and appeared frustrated with the entire situation. He looked back at her demandingly. �
�Was the door locked when you returned?”

  “Upstairs? Yes, I had to unlock it when I got back,” she replied.

  “It didn’t seem as if any of the main door locks had been jimmied,” Hill remarked and shook his head. “I don’t know how he would have gotten in.”

  Lexx considered the comment then suddenly frowned. “I think Carson told Nathan about the spare key so he could deliver a client once while we were away.”

  “Well, that’s just great,” Hill exploded and didn’t know whether to pace or hit something. He finally looked at her. “Carson and Rolan don’t know her body is gone?”

  “No, I called you first,” she replied then groaned softly. “That’s not really a conversation I want to have with Carson. ‘Oh, by the way, I lost a corpse’.” Lexx groaned and held her head. “Carson is going to freak.”

  “Well, at least I won’t be the only one.”

  “Is there any way we can keep this from getting out?” she asked while fidgeting and approached him. “Something like this could ruin our reputation.”

  “We have to report it,” Hill informed her. “Unless he was stupid enough to hide her in the morgue freezer, it could take time to find her body. You won’t be able to keep it from her family longer than a few hours.”

  “If he did steal her body, there are only so many places he could hide it in such little time.” She considered her own comment. “What about the hospital incinerator?” she suddenly asked. “He has access to the incinerator. It could easily burn a body. Well, most of the body.”

  “Most?” He suddenly groaned and rolled his eyes. “Terrific,” he muttered then eyed her sharply. “You and I are going on a little field trip. I’ll pick up a warrant from the judge on the way to the hospital. If he did incinerate her body, you’ll know what to look for.”