The Cool Room by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 69

The funeral home was greeted by a gentle rapping at the front door. It was Sunday and the family of the young girl was eager to say their goodbyes. But to their dismay, there would be no answer. No one would be coming to the door that day or any other day. With Frank lying dead on the floor of the cool room, and a stranger’s lifeless body lying on the floor outside Frank’s office, there was only one person who could show the family in. That person, however, was indisposed having retreated to the cellar. With great concern, the father of the deceased girl called the police to report the odd matter and within minutes a car pulled up in front of the funeral home. Circling the house, the officer noticed what looked like a body lying on the floor of the hallway and being trained to assume the worst called for backup.

Two additional cars soon arrived and, circling the house again, decided that forced entry was needed. As all doors and windows were locked, the police were forced to shatter the beveled crystal window that had for so long adorned the front door and making a cautious entry began sweeping the house, searching room by room. Their first discovery was the body of the man who had identified himself as Sam. In fact, his name was Thomas Young, wanted for suspicion of murder and drug trafficking. While there was no clear evidence against him, he was on the list of those wanted for questioning. Of course, that no longer mattered. His body would be photographed by the police and transferred to the medical examiner’s office. As part of the investigation, his body would undergo an autopsy, where his cause of death was determined to be the result of a fractured hyoid bone. Death had come swiftly for Thomas Young.

Continuing their search, investigators found Frank’s body lying in a pool of congealed blood, as well as the trocar on the floor nearby. Frank’s cause of death was recorded as a traumatic perforation of the cardiac muscle. With the rapid outpouring of blood, death was merciful and hasty. The body of the young girl had been violated in more ways than one. With the gaping hole in her abdomen and heavy leakage of fluid congealing between her legs, her remains were sent off to a funeral home across town. There, the damage would be repaired, and the service scheduled to take place that day would be set for a different date. Told of the need for the delay for their daughter’s service, the family was sent away in tears. They had prepared themselves for a final farewell. Now, they were forced to undergo further trauma induced by the necessity of waiting until they heard from the funeral home that would soon be in possession of her remains. Having become a criminal case, no details were provided.

Searching the rest of the house, the police finally entered the cellar where an unusual sight awaited. On one side were four cots, equipped with pillows and blankets. In the middle of the room sat a rectangular table with supplies spread out for the weighing and packaging of cocaine. Its total street value was estimated to be in the millions. With the furnace still operating, police called for a mortuary technician to shut it down. Once this was accomplished, Jonathan’s ashes were retrieved for study and identification. Unfortunately, no information could be provided.

In the next room, caskets lay stacked in their shipping containers and conducting a thorough search police found Cole curled up in a corner. He sat with his knees up, his hands covering his head and in a near catatonic state. He had assisted in pushing Jonathan’s unconscious body into the furnace but his lack of experience in such matters left him close to psychological collapse. Death had always eluded him but working amongst the dead and involving himself in a murder seemed to be enough to tip him off the edge. Taking him by the arms, the officers lifted him off the floor of the cellar and took him into custody. He was the only person who could tell the police what had happened. But in his state of mind, it would be quite some time before he would be able to provide and accurate statement.

Evidence was collected and the cocaine confiscated. In time, as information of Jonathan’s murder came to light, his wife Iona was informed. Her grief would burn in her soul for the rest of her life. Naturally, the funeral home was closed and remained so for several years until opened under new ownership. As funeral homes go it would operate as its predecessor had. But there would be one important change – its name. No longer ‘Frank’s Funeral Home’ it would be known as ‘Fulton County Funeral Home’. Its new owner, Emily Brooks, being more than familiar with its history as well as the gentlemen who previously staffed it would go out of her way to make sure trouble like that never again befell it again.

End