The Cool Room by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 26

Frank paced the length of the viewing room as Jonathan and Emily searched for the thing that would keep the business going for at least the next few hours. He was certain they’d return with what was needed. It was just a matter of when. On regular intervals, Frank went to the cool to check the thermometers on the coolers, only to find the temperature was slowly rising. Descending into the basement, he found the needle on the generator’s gas gauge nearing its one-quarter mark. Now, anxiety was turning to panic.

“Shit,” he whispered.

Should the temperature continue to increase, the clients he was entrusted to care for would likely begin to decompose. This could likely lead to performing what would otherwise be unnecessary work in order to bring the clients to a lifelike state. The families should not have to see their deceased loved ones in even the slightest degree of bloat simply due to a power failure. The temperature had to be brought down.

Barely an hour later, Frank heard Jonathan and Emily pull up to the front of the house and was relieved to see them unload two full gas cans. Walking down the steps, he motioned for Emily to hand off the large cans to him and, asking her to hold the door open, saw that Jonathan had entered safely. Once inside, he directed them to the cellar. Once there, he topped off the tank of the generator as Emily and Jonathan made their way back to the first floor. But on their way to the cool room, they were stopped by the repeated ring of the doorbell. Turning back, Jonathan saw a large figure through the doors’ antique glass, and the closer he got, the more anxious he became. Finally, upon opening the door, his suspicions were confirmed as he faced a member of the town’s police force. “Yes, officer,” he said. “Can I help you?” Jonathan had no reason to be anxious, but it occurred to him that the officer’s presence might have something to do with the cancellation of the afternoon’s service. Depending on the client, sometimes the procession was escorted by the police. This was common for anyone who had been a firefighter or police officer, but the clients who waited in the cool room had been neither. This left Jonathan wondering why the police had made this unannounced visit.

“Jonathan, how are you?” he asked. Due to the grim nature of his work, both Frank and Jonathan were on a first-name basis with most of the town’s police force. But there was something about his tone that brought a feeling of suspicion to Jonathan’s mind. Something wasn’t right. “Joe,” he replied. “Things are okay. Just dealing with this power failure. You know, just trying to keep things cool.”

The officer nodded, trying not to engage in unnecessary conversation. In his off time, he drove a white ice cream truck, selling sno-cones to children in various neighborhoods. Everyone knew him as ‘Sno-Cone Joe’.

“I need to talk to Frank,” Joe said. It was at that point that Emily walked up behind him, and hearing what she could have the conversation, she also heard the bells of warning ringing in her mind.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

Although they had not met, the officer already knew of Emily’s employment with the funeral home and extended a professional greeting.

“Emily, right?” he asked.

She felt a bit put off by the fact that the police seemed to know about her before any introductions were made. But she supposed that it was their business to know more than they let on. “Yes,” she replied. “Is something wrong?” She found herself being stone-walled as the officer repeated himself.

Whatever was going on, Emily decided to let Jonathan deal with it and, turning back, made her way to the cool room. But in order to satisfy her curiosity, she left the door ajar upon entering.