Murder at a Funeral

One Hour Earlier

Adeline and Briar were seated in the center of the front row, Gabriel and his fiancé, Laurel, seated beside Adeline, and next to Briar sat their father. Richard was nearing sixty but somehow managed to remain looking younger than he actually was. Perhaps it was the way his piercing green eyes still had that glow. Or how he continuously dyed his hair jet black in order to eradicate any gray that came his way. With his dark hair, stubbly beard, and subtle mustache, Richard Yates could have easily passed for fifty.

His mother and father, who were in their mid-eighties now, were seated next to him. The Yates emigrated from Scotland in the 1940's and had lived in Manchester, New Hampshire ever since. Gregory and Eileen Yates raised their only son, Richard, in a rural suburban neighborhood just outside of the city. Since Richard grew up an only child, it was the only life he ever really knew. He didn't have anything else to compare it to. No let downs or sadness regarding the solitude of not having any siblings. Instead, he was content by himself. With Richard being an only child, he was spoiled rotten. The Yates came from old money, so finances were never an issue. Anything that Richard wanted was his for the keeping.

A life alone. Some may say that changes a person. Teaches them independence, shapes them into the adult they become. Perhaps this was the reason why Richard had always kept to himself. He was used to being alone. It was also why he had always been persistent and expectant; as though he was some Godly figure and the world owed him everything. No matter what Richard got in life, it was never enough. Not even Olenna and the children. He was always wanting more.

The minister was a tall man with salt and pepper hair. He walked solemnly to the front of the church, rows and rows of mournful people in front of him. He turned on the microphone to project his voice.

"We have come here today for a number of reasons," he began. "To pay tribute and respect to a woman of God; a friend; a sister; a daughter; a mother: Olenna Prescott.
"People have congregated and brought this community together to pay respect to Olenna, the loving mother and friend that she was. To know her was to love her. We are here today to show our love and support for both the Prescott and Yates families, who have lost a key element to their family structure.
"Not only have we felt our own personal feelings of loss over Olenna's passing, but our hearts have been drawn toward her, and will continue to be with her. Finally, we are here today to seek and to receive comfort. We acknowledge that we have come here today trusting that God would minister to our hearts, and give us strength as we continue in our walk with Him. It is our human nature to want to understand everything now, but trust requires that we lean and rely heavily on God even when things seem unclear. Proverb 3:5 says, trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not into thine own understanding."

Adeline went up to speak next. She stood there in her dark dress, black nail polish and eye shadow to match, hands shaking. She had practiced this speech twenty times in the past day, staring at her own reflection in the mirror, trying to conjure up as much tears as humanly possible. She needed the tears. They made it more realistic, more believable.

She took in a deep breath and began to speak. "I'd like to say thank you to everyone who came out here today. I know my mother would greatly appreciate it." She paused momentarily as she smiled gently, gazing at the wide-eyed stares that faced her across the room. So many people.
"For those of you who knew my mother, you would know that this is exactly what she would want for a funeral. She planned every single detail of her life, right down to the type of flowers and music that should be playing." A quiet laugh ensued amongst the people. "And so now, the hard part: saying good-bye.
"My mother was an extraordinary woman. For as long as I can remember, she was hard-headed, but determined. She always knew what she wanted in life, and she achieved it. A loving husband, – well, two actually – a nice house, happy and successful children. If my mother didn't have it all, then I don't know what else she could have had. She was always so happy. When we were little, she would sing to us, even when there was no music. She taught us that it was okay to cry, and that holding back your true emotions was unacceptable." Adeline paused, choking back tears of her own. She composed herself, then continued. "My mother was a great person. There's so much more I could say about her – like how she preferred Jazz music, and always craved Indian food – but we'd be sitting here for hours before I finished. So, I say thank you. Thank you for coming out here to pay respect to my mother. Olenna, you will be missed." Adeline gave a faint smile, but before she walked away, added one more thing. "And to anyone who would like to donate to the New Hampshire Alzheimer's Society, as well as the New Hampshire Heart and Stroke Foundation, there's a donation box by the door, but cheques are also being accepted as well. Thank you."