Page 2 of Dead Serious Case 5 Madame Vivienne

I give Dusty an uneasy smile. After all, it’s not like I can answer her.

“I’ll take her back to Bruce,” Dusty says sadly as she looks at Viv. “But the truth is, we really don’t know what to do for her.”

They both disappear and I step away from the coffin, allowing Danny to take my hand again and lead me back to the front row, the row that’s usually reserved for family. Only Viv doesn’t seem to have any.

“Please all be upstanding.”

The music starts playing. It’s a song Danny picked out as we really don’t know what music she liked. The coffin begins to slide back on the rollers and disappears behind the curtain and just like that, it’s done.

I grip Danny’s hand tighter as we turn towards the doors, but my gaze snags on a tall, older gentlemen tucked right into the corner. I can’t believe I missed him during my thorough perusal of the room. Had he been there all along? He looks to be, maybe in his sixties? I’m usually pretty good at placing people’s ages given the job I do, but there’s something… timeless abouthim. His neatly groomed hair is pure white, his eyes pale green, and his pale skin only faintly lined. The black suit he wears is expertly tailored to his slim form, his shirt is crisp and white, and his black tie is in an immaculate Windsor knot.

His eyes meet mine, and unlike the unwavering gaze of Detective Byrnes, which makes me feel uneasy, this man only engenders a sense of curiosity.

“If you would like to exit the room, please, we have another service waiting.” The officiant lifts his hand and politely indicates the now open exit door, which leads directly outside.

I glance back to the strange white-haired man, frowning when I realise he’s no longer there. A quick scan of the almost empty room reveals he’s disappeared completely.

“Come on, love,” Danny murmurs, tugging on my hand to get me moving, and I can tell we’re holding everyone up.

We file out slowly into the remembrance garden, where the few measly wreaths from all of us are cobbled together and laid out for viewing.

“It’s so sad.” Chan steps up beside me and stares down at the wilting flowers. “This is all there is to show for a life lived.”

“That’s not all there was to her,” Aidan pipes up behind us. We turn. “She was pretty cool. I used to stop by the bookshop some days after classes and have a drink with her.”

“A drink?” Chan’s eyes narrow. Given Viv’s predilection for gin and the fact that Aidan is only seventeen, his reaction is probably justified.

“Just tea.” He rolls his eyes and gives a small smile. Even surrounded by all this sadness and uncertainty, it’s really nice to see Aidan settling in his own skin. He’s lost another layer of that mistrust he had when we first met him and smiles a lot easier these days.

“I should hope so,” Chan says primly. “You’re still underage.”

“Like you didn’t have a sneaky drink before you were eighteen.” He grins.

“That’s beside the point. I’m just looking out for you.”

“I know.” Aidan’s gaze softens and when he looks at Chan, I can see the love between them. Chan has become Aidan’s family in every way that matters and I’m so glad. “I promise Viv didn’t give me any of her gin. She wouldn’t have shared it anyway,” he adds with a laugh.

“That’s true,” Chan muses.

“She did give me a joint though.”

“WHAT?” Chan bursts out, so loudly that Detective Byrnes turns towards us from across the garden.

“Sssh,” Aidan hisses, eying the detective.

“Uh, you do remember Danny is also a policeman,” I say in amusement. Danny chuckles beside me.

“I-I didn’t smoke it,” Aidan stammers, looking at Danny in mortification. “I promise.”

“It’s alright, lad,” Danny says in that soothing way of his. “I’m not going to arrest you for one joint… it was just the one, wasn’t it?” He raises one brow.

Aidan nods so rapidly he resembles a bobblehead. “I didn’t know what to do. I mean, it seemed rude to turn it down, and Viv wasn’t the sort of person to just give things away.”

“What did you do with it?” Danny asks.

“It’s in my room at the flat.”

“We’ll be getting rid of that as soon as we get home.” Chan fists his hand on his hip.