Page 4 of The Forsaken
“Not quite.”
“Well, it’s what I meant. I refuse to use the kitchen until that thing has been removed. It’s gruesome, son. The police unearthed enough of it to make coming into the kitchen simply out of the question.”
“I’ll leave tomorrow morning,” Gabe promised. “Please don’t disturb the grave any more than it has already been tampered with.”
“I’m not touching anything. Haven’t you heard me? I won’t go into the kitchen.”
“How will you manage?” Gabe asked, worried that his mother had declared a hunger strike, but Phoebe was too practical a woman for such nonsense.
“I’m going to stay with Cecily Creston-Jones for a few days.”
“Mum, did Peter replace the pipe?”
“No, the police advised him not to touch anything until they’ve had a chance to examine the scene.”
“Did he turn the water off in the entire house?” Gabe asked.
“No, just the kitchen. There’s clean water in the upstairs bath.”
“All right. Good.”
“Why? What does it matter?” Phoebe asked.
“It matters because it takes time to excavate a burial site properly, and I will need water if I’m to stay at the house.”
“You?” Quinn asked. “Don’t you mean ‘we’?”
Gabe’s eyebrows rose unnaturally high in surprise, but he finished the phone call with his mother before addressing Quinn’s comment. “If you think, for just one moment, that you will be working in the kitchen with me, you have another think coming, Mrs. Russell. You can come with me, if you wish, but you will march upstairs on arrival and rest, as per doctor’s orders, while I deal with the situation in the kitchen.”
“Like hell I will,” Quinn retorted.
Gabe folded his arms and stared her down until Quinn conceded.
“All right, I will not do any physical excavating, but I will not be sent to my room like a child. I will assist you in spirit.”
“Fine,” Gabe agreed. “It was worth a try.”
“What about Emma? Should we ask Sylvia to mind her for a few days?”
Gabe shook his head. “No, not after what happened last time.”
“But it was a misunderstanding, and Emma loves spending time with Logan and Jude. Besides, she might be frightened by the skeleton.”
“Quinn, with us as parents, she will have to deal with human remains soon enough. She’s coming with us. We’ll just keep her out of the kitchen.”
“Deal,” Quinn agreed and smiled broadly.
“You’re excited about this, aren’t you?” Gabe asked, grinning back at her.
“You know something, I really am. Nothing cheers me up as much as unearthing a skeleton.”
“Me too,” Gabe confessed. “This should be interesting.”
“I’m just glad to know that I’m not the only one with skeletons in the cupboard,” Quinn joked.
THREE
JULY 2014
