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“These dogs often retire to live with their handler, as you well know. Harold was retired for several years before his owner was killed in the line of duty. The man was a...very good friend, and Harold already knew me well. So the department let me keep him.”
Nathan watched her turn the SUV around in a parking area at the other end of the park, then drive past and head up the street toward her apartment.
She’d handled his questions calmly, considering that she’d just been through the emotional trauma of finding a body in the woods. Everything she’d said seemed logical and believable.
So why did Nathan still get the feeling that there was a whole lot about Sara Hanrahan that he didn’t know?
CHAPTER TEN
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, he’s been cremated?”
“Just what I said, lady.” The voice on the other end of the line sounded bored. “We’ve got the documents right here—prepaid services signed by the deceased back in 1974 and notarized. I sold him the plan myself.”
“But the man was just found yesterday,” Sara said, trying to curb her frustration. “He died under suspicious circumstances. There should have been an autopsy.”
“The body was brought in and nobody said nothing. He was ID’d as Earl Samuel Stark, and I did what we were paid to do. End of story.”
“But isn’t there a law—”
“Look, everyone knew the old guy had a heart condition and was a heavy drinker. If you found him in the woods, I’m sure that upset you a lot, but all that means is that his ticker finally gave out. He signed a document saying he didn’t want a funeral or any kind of services, he just wanted to be cremated.”
“What about the coroner’s report?”
“Lady, I don’t know who you are, but—”
The pencil in Sara’s hand snapped. “I’d like to talk to the owner of the funeral home, please.”
“You just have.” Click.
Sara held the cell phone away from her ear and glared at it, then ended the call.
Expectations of natural death in the elderly probably hid more wrongful deaths than were ever discovered, but until now she hadn’t dealt with the situation firsthand.
Perhaps Earl had died of a heart attack. However, the timing, coupled with his fear of being seen with her, seemed suspicious.
She’d told Nathan about her failed meeting with Earl and claimed she was after information about her late father.
