BLOOD AND CONTRACT

5: The F

sket that supposedly held my father, my throat raw from crying. The mahogany wood glimmered u

avily sedated and barely keeping her eyes open. Dr. Martinez had insisted on the medicati

om down the street whispered as she pa

ewhere far away, suffering, while we mourned a lie. But I didn't know that yet; all

died in the air. If God had a plan, why did it take away the one pers

He had moved from his seat in the second row besid

of death march. The November wind cut through my black dress like a knife, yet I barely fel

my heart along with the father I was never going to see. Grace was sobbing freely; her shoulders sh

ed and thanked them, playing the part of fateful daughter, while my mind screamed with questio

d rested on my shoulder whenever I swayed. "You're doing b

d of what? For me falling apart? For

owd had dispersed. Her eyes were s

," she whispered. "He was

t broken. "I don't know ho

ook at me. "You have me, you have Grace, you ha

her eyes. She was my age, equally lost as I w

me; I hate to do this now, but we need to discuss some lega

back, her voice harsh. "S

but firm undertone. "The thing is, we just can't afford t

someone was being level-headed, making decisions on my behalf when I

want me to

er mourners still congregating. "Come by my off

ed me get her settled for the night, after which we sat in the living room surr

ing to do?" Gra

h. "Richard says there are legal things to handle.

ace sounded

e. Dad's work friends, looking older and more tired than I remembered. His construction

y ca

had assumed it was because of the car accident

Dad was dead. I'd already seen the police report,

er: "The truth is buried deeper than the gra

was making an extremely cruel joke. People are cruel during

my head. Why hadn't I seen the body? Why hadn't

erve, the next morning I

father," I said

hat do y

body. I need to kno

t, that's not possible. He's

for a closed caske

gently. "I didn't want you to have to see hi

are. I nee

f are really normal. But you have to accept that he is gone

would soothe me when I was upset. Maybe he was right. Ma

oon," I said finally, "to d

his is hard, but you're going t

n the desk, cold long ago. His reading glasses rested alongside yest

hour later crying over

ed. "I keep thinking I hear

. "I keep wanting to call hi

ttle did we know their Dad somewhere, perhaps not far, was also pondering on u

and occurrences of financial reality. The life insurance would cover funeral costs and one mont

expression as I stared at the numbers. "But I do ha

ge thing,"

successful, kind, respectful. He needs a good wife to secure hi

s in

ly. "Izzy, your father spent his whole life creating some

lf to death-literally-on this for us. And now I was bei

this Damian w

a good man who's had a lot of loss.

ind of

ago. Eleanor. She was young and beautiful and fun to

name that creeped me out, but I shoved the feeling a

e to think

Mr. Blackwood has other options, and

eral that morning. About the empty casket, and the dirt thrown

lready waiting for me; her lapt

to your father's accide

please

line just does not add up. And there is something else. She swung the lapt

rom two years ago: "Owner of Constructi

; I was bewilde

re highway. There were no witnesses. A closed casket funeral. The family left in massiv

Richard...what? Kil

a pattern, and you

milarity to my Dad, but the circumstances were hauntingly similar. Same lawyer

crazy," I

as grasping my hands. "What if your fa

t if that text was real? What if Dad was out

ll the police

le about another person? They'll

g. I just could

do you want

rd gives you. And whatever you do, don't ma

es on his desk. Us at the beach last summer. Grace's high school gra

if he was somewhere, possibly hurt,

hone and ca

cision," I said

nd

o marry Dami

e in a voice warm with pleasure. "I think you're doin

o I mee

worry about the details-

low-eyed, desperate, defeated. But something was building beneath my despair: resolve. If Dad

ne being

ghts. I opened it to find a del

lla Ca

es

is for

yet classy, just my size. No card. No explanation. Just a dr

nt, I think I could smell lilies-the same

wn number: "Some brides wear white to their