Page 53 of Made of Steele
She concentrated on her screen, the light cutting though the shadows of the hazy day. The tip of her tongue poked out the left side of her mouth, and she looked as adorable as a cute puppy. He felt a chill inside from finding the graves, circle, and sword that the heater would never warm, but seeing her adorable look helped. And seeing her dangly earrings with tiny Christmas tree lights reminded him of the real Christmas and to trust God in this and every situation.
“There.” She tapped the screen and looked up. “Sent.”
“I wish everyone in law enforcement could afford Nick’s services.”
“He would be stretched way too thin, and then you’d have the same problems of delays as you already face.”
“Yeah, it’s just.” He shrugged. “Like so many professions right now, law enforcement is struggling to find qualified workers.”
“Makes me feel guilty that I left, but I had no choice after Thomas was murdered. As the oldest, I was the most likely one to take over the company. Not that Londyn is much younger. But she loves being a detective, and I didn’t love it as much.”
Her phone sounded a sharp ding. “It’s Nick. He’s on it.”
Drew nodded. “We can’t leave this up to him. We have to try to figure it out too. We have four graves. A sword. A circle. Maybe the burial has something to do with the Contis’ and Rossi’s Italian background.”
She swiveled to face Drew. “Italy’s still mostly Catholic, right? So wouldn’t funerals be the same as in the States?”
“Pretty much.” Memories from his childhood came back in vivid clarity. “When I lived there as a kid, I saw a lot of funerals. Or at least I saw the mourners walking behind the caskets to the grave site. Which, by the way, are nothing like ours.”
“How so?”
He let his mind wander back to the first day he’d trailed mourners at a distance with his buddy Jamie. “The country has a space issue, so when a person dies, they aren’t embalmed. Helps the body decompose faster. They’re laid to rest in the family mausoleum and stay there for seven to ten years. Then their casket is opened, and if their bodies are sufficiently decayed, their bones are transferred into a small bone box and placed in a smaller porthole.”
“Wait, what?” She gaped at him, her long lashes blinking fast. “They take the bones out of the casket and put them in a smaller place? Really?”
He nodded. “I know it sounds odd, but it’s part of their culture.”
“You mentioned being decayed enough.” She shuddered. “What if they haven’t?”
“The coffin is resealed, and they’re left for another three to five years. The process is then repeated, and a small service is held for the family at each instance.”
Teagan shook her head. “Sounds so odd. Can you see how that has anything to do with our situation?”
“Not really,” he said.
She pursed her lips. “What if the circle has to do with the antiquities?”
“We’ll have to check that out for sure.” He looked out over the field, thinking of their next move. “Gutierrez should be here soon. After we meet with him, we should go to dinner to further cement our dating relationship for the Contis. I’m not going to let them or Rossi get away with murder.”
Her eyes widened. “Food is one of the last things I want to think about, but I can fake it.”
A movement ahead caught his attention, but it was only Ainslie lumbering toward her van. He couldn’t imagine doing her job, and doing it while so pregnant? That took dedication. Would Teagan work while pregnant or afterwards?
So much he didn’t know about her, but he wanted to learn more.
He turned back to her. “After dinner, we’ll have time to look into the circle and cross before my meet-up with Rossi. We could search the internet at your place. If the Contis are watching me, they’ll just think you invited me in. That is, if it’s okay with you. You might not want me around your family, and I totally get that.”
“We’ll have to dodge some questions from whoever’s home, but I’m fine with it.”
“Great.” He wanted to search for leads, but he also liked the idea of spending time with Teagan at her house. Even if it meant he had to try not to go off on personal tangents all the time.
Her phone chimed. “Text is from Kelsey. She’s ready to see us.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Drew turned off the engine and climbed out of his vehicle. He stood near the hood in the cool breeze and soft mist to wait for Teagan. The air smelled of fresh rain, belying the ugly site waiting for him. For them.
He took a long look at her to assess her mood. “Ready for this?”
She peered deep into his eyes. “Is anyone ever ready to see man’s inhumanity to man?”
