Page 116 of The Last One to Let You Down

“That’s delightful.” Cypress snorted. “Anyway, yeah, sorry I didn’t get up with you. There are actually two remotes, one for the TV and one—”

“I’ve gotta go to work,” Tom suddenly blurted out. “Uh, so, don’t worry about the TV stuff. I’ll figure it out.”

“Whoa, whoa! Work? As in the funeral home? The last place you need to be right now?”

“Something happened, and Mr. Lundy’s face got messed up,” Tom replied urgently. “I have to go fix him. No one else can do it.”

“Tom.” Cypress sounded serious. “Fox told you to stay away from there. I talked to him a little bit last night when he came by to pick up the watch. You were already asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you.”

“What is it?”

“They’ve put a warrant out for Junior’s arrest. As soon as they can find him, he’s going in cuffs.”

“Shit.” Tom made a face. “I thought they didn’t have enough evidence or whatever?”

“Fox didn’t give me details, but they’re definitely going after him for the burglaries. I don’t know about the murder—”

“Look, I’ll be so quick,” Tom cut in. “It’ll take me like thirty minutes tops.”

Cypress sighed.

“I know it sounds crazy, but I have to do this. It’s not the family’s fault my crazy ex-boyfriend might be after me. They deserve to see poor Mr. Lundy looking peaceful and happy, and I’m the only person who can fuckin’ do that.”

“All right, little tiger,” Cypress said, still sounding none too pleased. “But you’re waiting until I can be there with you.”

“Just tell me a time. He’s not being viewed until tomorrow.”

“After I finish here, I’ve got…” Cypress paused for a moment. “Two more deliveries downtown, so I can meet you at the funeral home at like eleven or so.”

“Okay.”

“Wait for me, okay?”

“I will, I swear.”

“This is really stupid. Like, splitting up in a horror movie stupid.”

“I know,” Tom groaned, “but this is important to me.” He immediately thought about his mother, hoping Cypress would understand. “If there’s something I can do, anything at all, to help that family, I’ve gotta do it.”

“I understand,” Cypress said quietly. “I get it, but this is it. After this, no more funeral home until Junior is arrested.”

“Deal.”

“Lock up when you leave. I’ll give you my house key when we’re done. I’ll see you in a little bit.”

“Okay. Bye, Cypress.”

“Bye, babe.”

Tom smiled at the pet name as he ended the call, looking down to find Mister Doodles staring up at him. “Yes, I know. Your Daddy is gonna go do stupid things, but it’s for a very good reason.”

She did not look convinced.

Even though he was going in on what was meant to be a day off, Tom got dressed in his scrubs like normal. He finally figured out how to work the TV, but he couldn’t change the channel. He was stuck mindlessly watching a documentary about sharks before it was time to go.

After taking Mister Doodles back out, he was ready. The drive to work was tense, and he was having trouble holding onto all the good feelings he’d cultivated last night. Reality was crashing back in, and he was nervous about what might happen when he walked into work.

Gerald was going to somehow know about the missing formaldehyde and have him arrested, or maybe Junior would pop out from around a corner and attack him, or maybe sweet Miss Edie would reveal herself to be the true villain all along like some crazy Scooby-Doo plot gone wrong.