The Cool Room by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 22

The days went by as they would in a funeral home. Bodies entered the side door in a state few wanted to see, and left in a state of eerie, life-like stillness. Not much happened in a town of fifteen thousand, and the flow of traffic to Frank’s business served as a good indicator of what would eventually become a ghost town. But as long as people continued to die, there would be money rolling in the door, giving his Funeral home what it needed to stay afloat. The hours were sometimes grueling with the repair of traumatic cases, but otherwise everyone was satisfied with what they had dedicated their lives to. Yet, time off was seen as being just as valuable as the paycheck they earned, and when the weekend arrived, any thoughts of death – the feel of muscles in rigor, the smell of embalming fluid – disappeared from their minds. The upcoming weekend was certainly no exception, as Jonathan and Emily anticipated the dinner that had been planned. But it was Iona who felt anxious, as she was responsible for preparing the dinner, and as with any cook, success was everything. The last thing she wanted was for Emily to have her senses turned away by a dish she was not accustomed to or a bit of food that had somehow gone bad. Iona would not allow her to leave with anything less than a full stomach and a craving for more.