Sheriff Matthews smiled kindly at Ginny but asked bluntly if she would mind taking a look at the body, for a second, added identity. His smile lit his golden-brown eyes and Ginny was taken aback at the question...but finally agreed.
On the way to the morgue, Ginny wondered if she could do it and stay stable. Lacey, sniffling into a tissue, walked with them.
As they approached the doors Damien was suddenly there, like an apparition. It was an awkward moment and they all halted.
“Where did you go? Better yet, where did you come from?” This is from an astonished Lacey.
“Yes,?” questioned the confused Sheriff. “We have put out a BOLO and sent inquiries to a statewide number of agencies - and you just...materialize?”
“Sheriff, please...don’t be melodramatic. I went to visit my sister Julie in Salem. She just had a baby and I wanted to be there for the birth.”
“Well, you might as well come in and give us your yes or no, if it’s Eric or not” Sherrif Matthews wore a stern expression as he led them through the morgue doors. He kept a close eye on Damien as the morgue attendant presented the stretcher.
What lay on the table was horrible to see. It did not even resemble a human being but looked more like a dog that had been run over by a semi on the highway. Lacey raced to a sink and lost her stomach contents. Ginny had to suppress a scream of horror. Damien shuddered but kept his eyes on the body.
“So, tell us, Sheriff, how did the poor fellow die? He was sassy and fine when we were at The Corral.”
Something about the way Damien asked the question seemed to irk Matthews. “Well, Damien...say, that is a bit of an odd name. Not American, surely?”
Ginny saw Damiens fists tightly curl as he answered, “It was my Grandfather’s name, and his grandfather before him. We are a very old family and rich from wine trade.”
Sheriff Matthews looked at the man as if he had tasted something unsavory. “Didn’t ask you anything about your ‘wealth” son.”
“And I asked you,” Damien purred, “how the ‘victim’ died and you did not answer.”
Both girls could feel a nasty situation brewing, so Ginny said, “Sheriff Matthews, how did Eric
die, Sir?”
Damien suddenly took hold of Ginny by the shoulders, “It looks like Sheriff Matthews has everything under control here, and I must get back to Salem.”
Bending to Ginny, he whispered I will never leave you, little one.” He was out the door and gone in a flash.
Lacey said,” I thought he wanted to know - what happened?”
