But she felt as if she’d been wired and charged.
Someone had been dead on the property for days now, and they had just discovered the body. What had happened to him? She felt it highly unlikely that anyone could have decided just to walk down to the Merlin property to die of natural causes.
At last, Liam came back into the house.
Involuntarily, she took a step back from him. He reeked.
He winced. “I’m heading up to the shower.”
“Who was it? How did they die?” she demanded. “Did you know him?”
He nodded. “Not real well, but he was a Key West character. Gary White. He was a part-time musician. I don’t know how he died.” He hesitated. “The body is in very bad shape.”
“Yes, but—I watch TV,” she said. “They have ways—”
“Yes, they do. Franklin Valaski, the medical examiner—”
“I know him,” she interrupted curtly. “You mentioned he checked out Cutter, and he came when my mother died.”
Liam nodded. “He’s taking him back to his morgue. He’ll conduct the necessary autopsy and tests. We’ll know what we can soon enough. I don’t believe he’s been dead more than a week—I saw him then—but when he was killed after that, I don’t know. Because of the situation with the water and the marshy ground, mangrove roots, birds…crabs…it may be difficult to pinpoint the time of death very clearly.”
She jerked a nod at him. “I noticed the smell when I got here,” she said. “I kept thinking that it was something…left behind by Cutter.”
“That would be natural,” he said softly. “I’m running up.” He moved toward her as if he would touch her, comfort her, but then stepped back. “Sorry. I’ll be fast. Is there time? Maybe you should go ahead.”
As he spoke, they heard the heavy brass knocker bang at the front door.
Kelsey jumped.
“I’ll get it,” Liam said. He shook his head. “No, you get it. Hey, look out the peephole first.”
“Right,” she said.
Liam went by her, flying up the stairs. She walked to the front door and looked out. She opened the door quickly.
David Beckett, Katie, Jonas and Clarinda were there, all dressed nicely for the services, the two men in jackets and Katie and Clarinda in dresses and low heels.
“We thought we should bring some support,” Katie said.
“And find out why the yard was filled with cop cars and an ambulance,” David said flatly.
“Liam found a man named Gary White dead on the property,” she said, opening the door farther to let them all in.
“Gary White!” Katie said with surprise.
“Oh, that’s so sad,” Clarinda said.
“Sad, but he was a bum,” Jonas said.
“He could play his guitar. He just found drugs instead of ambition,” Katie said.
“What happened to him?” David asked, frowning.
“The medical examiner is going to have to figure that out,” Kelsey told them.
Katie looked at her gravely and nodded. “We were at Jonas’s place and saw that you two were still here. And, of course, all the stuff going on. And we knew nothing had happened to either of you, since we saw Liam out there with the officers and you out there earlier. But I knew you’d want to get to the church for the services, so…”
“So here we are,” David said. “Why don’t you four go on, and I’ll wait and come with Liam.”
“That’s the best plan,” Clarinda said. She looked tired, weary and, Kelsey thought, oddly worried.
It was probably just exhaustion. She worked an awful lot, and Sundays could be busy with the tourists who thought they’d be clever and stay the Sunday night while others were headed back for work on Monday morning.
“Let me just run up and tell Liam,” she said. “And thank you.”
“We’re happy to be here with you,” Katie told her.
“Yes, that we are,” Jonas said.
Kelsey nodded, ran up the stairs, tapped on the bathroom door and stuck her head in to tell Liam what she was doing. He called back that he’d be another two minutes, but, yes, she should get going with the others.
David had brought his car, an SUV, and they all fit comfortably. The church, like almost everything in Old Town, was easily reachable, but under the circumstances it did seem prudent to drive. She hadn’t asked for a car or a limo of any kind, knowing that she’d rather be with friends.
When they arrived, the reverend was there, quick to take her hand and sympathize, and bring her to a front pew. Cutter’s coffin was there, draped in purple. She was afraid the bucket of tears she could shed for the years gone and the lives lost would come to her when she saw the coffin; she felt numb. Thoughts of Cutter raced through her head, but they were dislodged by the thought of a dead man rotting for days on the property.