Page 94 of Mortis
Arlo leaned back in his chair and elegantly crossed one leg over the other. He twirled a strand of his shoulder-length dark hair around his finger. “Not unless he’s nipped out here for a cup of tea and a chat about which coffin he’d prefer.”
“I’m not messing around, Arlo!” Teddy snapped.
Arlo’s eyes widened. His hand stilled. I tensed beside Teddy. The two of them teased each other relentlessly. They traded insults I had initially mistaken for genuine hostility, deliberately irritated one another for entertainment, and seemed to derive enormous pleasure from making the other threaten bodily harm.
But I had learned the rules. If one was truly upset, the teasing stopped immediately. In all the time I’d spent with them, I had never heard one raise their voice at the other. Their relationship fascinated me. They could insult each other with startling creativity one moment, then offer comfort without hesitation the next. Just last night, Arlo had poked fun at Teddy for the bright red bite mark on his neck, and the bruises shaped by my fingers that were thankfully starting to fade, accusing me of wanting to eat him.
He didn’t realise how close that was to the truth.
But despite their teasing, Teddy still slept in Arlo’s bed every few nights, even after everything we’d shared. All so his friend wouldn’t have to spend the night alone in the dark. I understood that fear intimately, so I would never begrudge Arlo the comfort of the person who made darkness feel less frightening.
“Sorry,” Arlo said, his voice much quieter than before.
He uncrossed his legs and straightened in the chair, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear. His gaze dropped to the hands fidgeting in his lap. “Um . . . What’s going on?”
Teddy sighed and scrubbed both hands over his face. I reached out and curled my fingers around the nape of his neck, giving it a gentle squeeze. Some of the tension left his shoulders, followed by a long, slow exhale.
“I’m sorry, Lolo,” he replied, sounding genuinely remorseful. “It’s just—I can’t find Mr Simpson’s body.”
Arlo’s hands immediately stilled. “What do you mean?”
Teddy waved his hands around in exasperation. “It’s like he got up and walked off. I put him away yesterday before I left. The fridge was closed, the embalming room was locked. Everything was secure.”
“Was it locked this morning?”
Teddy nodded, the movement sending his glasses sliding down his nose. He pushed them back into place with one finger.
“Yes. Everything was exactly as I’d left it, except, well . . .” He trailed off with a helpless shrug.
“You don’t think it’s got anything to do with all the strange shit we’ve been dealing with, do you?”
Teddy glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “No,” he lied. “I don’t think so.”
Arlo tilted his head, scratching thoughtfully at his chin.
“Moz didn’t say anything about moving a body.” He pointed towards the door leading to the viewing rooms. “And it’s still only Ms Brewster and Mr Syed in there.”
Teddy groaned and reached into his pocket for his phone. “I’ll give Grandad a ring.”
Arlo nodded and turned back to the computer, refreshing the page. Teddy tapped Maurice’s name and lifted the phone to his ear. Before the call could connect, Arlo shot out of his chair. He snatched the phone from Teddy’s hand, ended the call and dropped it onto the desk.
“Lo, what the—”
Arlo turned the computer screen towards us and pointed at a line of text. Teddy went still beside me. I froze too.
Body found in town square dressed in funeral garb.
For several seconds, none of us spoke. Then Arlo scrolled further down the page. His breath caught, and Teddy noticed immediately.
“What?” he demanded. “What is it?”
“Someone, um.” Arlo swallowed, and when he spoke again, his voice shook. “Some sicko’s uploaded a photo.”
Teddy swallowed. “Show me, Lo.”
“A-are you sure? It might not—”
“Show me,” Teddy repeated, cutting him off. “I need to know if it’s Mr Simpson.”
