Page 137 of Them Bones

“Shane,” Cary said, looking at him. The hair on the back of Shane’s neck stood up, his gut screaming a warning, but he swallowed it down as he thought about what Cary had just tried to do for her. He nodded once, stepping aside.

Shane moved to the doorway as the other paramedic poked her head back in the room.

“Kim,” she said, “procedure… you need to call it.”

Kim blinked, her skin the colour of sour milk, but her training seeming to take over because she snapped on a latex glove with efficiency and moved towards Nick’s body.

Shane couldn’t look away from Cary.

He was squatting beside Laney, his hands on her bed on either side of her, looking at her like… like he loved her.

His stomach churned, the warning in his gut screaming in his blood.

Kim pressed her gloved hand to Nick’s neck.

“Why did you do this,” Laney whispered, her eyes locked on Cary.

“You know why,” Cary said.

Something passed between them, the room growing strangely tense. Kim looked up at them with a twisted expression on her face, like she might be sick, before she stood up and went out into the hall.

“Time of death, 23:59,” she said from outside the room, her voice shaking.

Laney and Cary were still staring at each other.

“I love you, Little Laney,” he whispered.

Shane felt goosebumps rising all over his skin.

And then Cary bent his head and kissed her.

The Interview

DOI: 25 DECEMBER 1999

[TRANSCRIPT - CONT'D]

[Marr]

Okay, Jay, You ready for this?

[Ruta]

Yes.

[Marr]

So… Let’s just do it.

[Ruta]

I entered the room, and there were three people inside. Two men and a woman. Well, girl.

[Marr]

[papers rustling] Laney Hawton, her brother Cary Hawton, and the girl’s boyfriend, Shane Mathers.

[Ruta]

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