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Rocco’s phone rang, breaking the silence.
His work phone.
I hadn’t heard it ring in eleven days, and the sudden sound sent a shiver down my spine.
“And so it begins,” Imogen sighed, her tone resigned.
“What?” Mace asked, confused.
Rocco pulled his phone from his pocket and answered the call. “Brooks Mortuary and Cremation,” he greeted, his voice steady and composed.
“It’s showtime,” Imogen remarked with a wry smile, a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes.
“Not even five minutes and the phone rang,” I mused, exchanging a glance with Imogen and Mace. “Neither one of you said the Q word, did you?”
Mace furrowed his brow, clearly puzzled by my question, while Imogen nodded in understanding. “What’s a five-letter word that starts with a Q and means not a lot of sound?”
“But don’t say it,” I hissed, shooting a warning glance in their direction. “If you do, you’ll jinx us.”
Mace tilted his head to the side, pondering the riddle. He opened his mouth to answer, but Imogen plastered her hand on his mouth.
“Don’t say it out loud,” Imogen cautioned, her expression serious. “If you do, you’ll jinx us,” she repeated.
Rocco ended the call with a resigned sigh, his expression weary. “Body will be here in an hour,” he announced.
Yup, it was back to the grind.
“Is it weird that I’m kind of excited?” Imogen asked, her eyes shining with anticipation. “Not because someone died, of course, but because I’m back to work?”
“Which is only because someone died,” Mace quipped, his tone dry.
Imogen rolled her eyes, but there was a playful glint in her gaze. “Well, what can I say? I love my job.” She clapped her hands together. “I’ll be in the basement, waiting.”
“My pregnant woman will be in the basement waiting for a dead body.” Mace shook his head. “I don’t think I will ever get used to this.”
Rocco clapped him on the shoulder. “You’ll be used to this in no time. Hell, maybe you can help out around here since you won’t be in Sacramento anymore,” he suggested.
“As much as I like you, Rocco, I can tell you with every fiber in my being that I will not be helping you out with anything to do with a dead body. Ever.”
“Can’t blame me for trying,” Rocco laughed.
Chapter Thirty
Dorothy
Imogen smiled wide as she put on latex gloves. “I really did miss this,” she remarked, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
I couldn’t help but laugh at her eagerness. “You might not want to sound so happy, Imogen. People might get the wrong idea.”
She chuckled. “It’s just you,” she said, her tone teasing. “As weird as it may seem, we both love our jobs.”
I nodded in agreement. Despite the somber nature of our work, being a funeral director was undeniably rewarding. “Did I tell you while you were gone, I did all of the embalming?” I asked, a hint of pride in my voice.
Imogen tilted her head to the side. “But I thought you hated embalming, and Rocco said he was going to do it.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “Rocco was watching a YouTube video about embalming for idiots. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had embalmed. It was best I took care of it,” I explained, a sense of satisfaction settling over me. “And you know what? I realized I actually enjoy it.”
Imogen raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Does that mean I’m going to have to deal with the families now?” she joked, a playful glint in her eyes.
