Chapter 7 - The Man at the Funeral HomeMr. Harlan locked the funeral home office door at 9:42 p.m.
His hands shook so badly he dropped the keys twice.
By midnight, the news had spread everywhere.
WOMAN FOUND ALIVE INSIDE CASKET.
SON SMASHES COFFIN, SAVES MOTHER.
FIANCÉ QUESTIONED.
Harlan’s name wasn’t in the headlines yet, but he knew it would be. He had prepared the casket. He had accepted Daniel’s special instructions. He had looked at Claire’s face before sealing the lid.
And he had noticed the moisture at her lips.
He told himself it was embalming fluid.
But Claire had not been embalmed.
Daniel had insisted on that.
“Religious reasons,” Daniel said.
Claire was Methodist.
Harlan knew because he had arranged her first husband’s funeral ten years earlier.
Now he opened the bottom drawer of his desk and removed a burner phone. It had only one number saved.
He pressed call.
Daniel answered on the second ring.
“You shouldn’t be calling me.”
“She was alive,” Harlan whispered.
“Yes. I saw the news.”
“You said she was gone.”
Daniel’s voice cooled. “A doctor said she was gone.”
“You told me not to embalm. You told me to seal early. You paid me cash.”
“Careful.”
Harlan stood and paced. “The police will come here.”
“Then tell them what you know.”
“What I know?”
“You received signed medical release papers. You followed the family’s wishes.”
“You mean your wishes.”
Daniel was silent.
Harlan’s pulse thudded in his neck. “I want out.”
“You were never in.”
“I kept the camera file.”
Now Daniel went quiet in a different way.
“What camera file?”
“The preparation room. You came in after midnight. You were alone with her body for eleven minutes.”
Daniel’s voice lowered. “Delete it.”
“No. I need protection.”
“You need memory, Mr. Harlan. Specifically, you need to remember that you have grandchildren.”
Harlan froze.
Daniel continued, calm as ever. “Olivia takes ballet on Thursdays. Mason rides the bus at 3:15. Sweet children.”
“You monster.”
“No,” Daniel said. “A monster would threaten them. I’m only reminding you how fragile families can be.”
The line went dead.
Harlan stood in the dark office, sweating through his funeral suit.
Then he heard glass break downstairs.
Not loudly.
Just enough.
May you like
Someone was inside.
He grabbed the flash drive from beneath the drawer liner and shoved it into his mouth just as the office door handle began to turn.
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