Blood Country Read Online Free Page B

the makeup. The smile stayed on her face after it had died off her lips. “Why, I just brought a little something over to Landers. Is he in?”
“I’m sorry to have to inform you, Mrs. Anderson, but Landers has passed away.” Claire hated using the euphemism “passed away”—after all, didn’t one pass kidney stones? But, especially in the country, it wasn’t thought polite to say someone had died.
“What?” Darla blinked hard.
Claire wasn’t sure what Darla hadn’t understood, but maybe she was digesting the information. “He appears to have fallen in the garden and maybe had a heart attack.”
“Landers? He’s in the garden?” Darla moved to step around Claire, but Claire took hold of her arm and turned her away from the yard.
“I think it would be better if you not see him.”
‘Why?”
Good question, Claire thought. “He has been there overnight, I’m afraid.”
“I need to see him.”
Now it was Claire’s turn. “Why?”
Darla drew herself up and handed the cake tin to Claire. “We were related by marriage. I’m family. Doesn’t someone in the family have to see the body?”
“Only if the identification of the victim is in doubt.”
“Victim?”
“I meant that loosely.”
Darla pressed her eyes with her fingertips. The better not to smudge her mascara, Claire thought “My poor Landers.”
“I am sorry, Mrs. Anderson.”
“Claire, you know me, you can call me Darla.”
“I like to stay professional.”
“Oh, so you’re here as a police officer?” Darla looked at Claire’s gardening outfit.
“Well, not really. I mean, yes, as it turns out, I am. I was going to help Landers garden, but when I found him, I called the sheriff.”
“Well, I need to see him.”
“Why?”
“To see if he’s really dead. I was a nurse, you know.” Darla shook Claire’s hand off her arm and sailed past her. Claire went after her, still carrying the cake pan.
“Stay on the path,” Claire asked as she came up behind Darla.
“I never thought he’d die. I thought I’d die first.” Darla shook her head while staring down at Landers. She made no move to touch him. “He doesn’t look so bad. He only looks a little dead. I’m not surprised. He was a walking heart attack the last few years. Ever since his wife died. Now what are you going to do with him?”
“Mrs. Anderson—Darla—can I ask you to go back out to your car? We really can’t have anyone in here, just in case we need to check the grounds.”
“He would have liked to die in the garden. He spent so much time here.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
Darla reached over and took the cake tin from Claire’s hands, then she dropped it on Landers’ chest and turned and walked away. Claire reached down and picked up the cake tin and slid back the cover. A whole pan full of yellow squares with powdered sugar dotting them filled the tin.
“Lemon bars!” Darla shouted. “He liked lemon bars. Even if I made them.” She got in her car and drove away.

4

C laire found herself standing in what she guessed was an old classroom in the basement of a church. The church had been desanctified, the sheriff had explained, and the upstairs converted into a clinic by a doctor. Sheriff Talbert said that the doctor was a soft touch, and he said it with a slight sneer. “I don’t mind he takes care of the kids and the old folks, but when a grown person who can get a job mooches off of him, it gets my goat.”
The room held the cool air that settles in basements. She guessed that they didn’t heat it much at all, especially when it was being used as the morgue in Durand. Claire didn’t quite know where to stand. The coroner, as he was called in this county, was ignoring her, setting out his instruments. Sheriff Talbert had curtly introduced them when he dropped Claire off. Dr. Lord hadn’t said much of anything to her, just led her down to the basement.
So she had time to study him. To Claire, he appeared to be aging well. His balding hair was cut short, no