After Death

CHAPTER 3- TWO WEEKS LATER: AFTER MOURNING, WE BURY FRIENDS AND WIVES

The alarm clock beeping happened all in a blur. Steve was already seated up on his bed staring into space. Today was the day he was going to bury his wife and best friend.

He was burying three people on the same day. His wife, his best friend and his unborn child. Someone he didn't get the chance to show love to.

"Steve?" Mrs Freda Reynolds called outside her son's door. "I know you can hear me and you're awake. Get prepared. You'll have to look good and get ready for us to go to the cemetery." She said and sighed when she got no response before walking away.

At least she knew her son very well to know that he wouldn't attempt suicide despite losing his wife.

The older Mrs Reynolds never for once liked her daughter in-law. Everyone thought it was the mother not wanting to let her son marry complex, but Mrs Reynolds knew there was something about Ada that wasn't to be liked at all.

Her son loved the woman and she was in no position to argue, not as long as her son was happy.

Three hours later they were out of the house. Steve, his mother, father in-law and mother in-law. Riding in a limo brought by his mother in-law all the way from where they stayed.

The silence that filled the car was thick and dreaded. The thick cloud of sadness hung over all their heads as no one said a word.

Mrs Raelynn Green sat pressed against her husband's shoulders as she wept.

While Steve and his mother sat on the seat opposite the older couple, showing just how much of the drift was there and was getting wider by the seconds.

Mr Green was no issue as he was very fond of Steve but Mrs Green was another issue entirely.

"I warned her but she wouldn't listen." Mrs Green kept saying repeatedly as she wept and blew into her handkerchief.

If she was trying to get a rise out of Steve? He was too drained to give her any reaction. He dared not raise his head or speak to anyone till they got to cemetery.

He was only going to deliver his speech and return to being mute.

He didn't trust his mouth to say anything healthy nor his dead looking eyes hidden away behind his sunshades.

The acidic words forming in his head were corrosive to anyone's ears and were violent and filled with vulgar curse words.

For now he kept his mute as his limo followed behind the ambulance and a long convoy of black and white cars behind them.

------

Blonde hair fell down her arms to the table. The steady rise and fall of her breathing was observed.

Detective Drummond was finally asleep.

Seated on the comfortable swivel chair as the upper part of her body lay on the table. Files littered on the table to every end and a reading lamp was on, for God only knows how long.

For now she was making no progress and it was frustrating her and her poor eyesight.

The door creaked open and the sound of heels hitting the wooden floor resounded softly as their owner approached the table.

Once the intruder held Adeline's upper arm, they weren't ready for what happened next.

The hand was roughly grabbed and twisted to the back. A gun was hoisted to the ribs of the intruder before Adeline looked up and paled.

"Mom!" She cried in horror. "I would have put a bullet through you."

Maisie Drummond let out a small laugh as she straightened.