Page 26 of X-Ray in the Xanth (Lovely Lethal Gardens Rewind #3)

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A nd, with that, Doreen headed back out to her car.

She sat in the car for a moment and tasted her coffee, surprised that it was still warm.

It wasn’t hot, but she still wanted her coffee.

So she sat here and drank it for a moment, before starting up the car and heading home.

Except home wasn’t where she ended up. Somehow she found herself heading up to Rutland and right back to the same park again.

She walked toward the crime scene tape, except most of it had been removed.

Just a little bit of it still blew in the wind.

She stared at the surroundings and shook her head, wondering why the heck she’d come back here again, yet couldn’t seem to help herself.

It always bothered her to think of somebody stuck here all these years and how nobody even knew.

I mean, as a hiding place went, it wasn’t bad.

It had taken how many years before anybody knew about the body?

And that just made it all that much worse.

As she sat here on a park bench with a sigh, staring around, she realized that some animals had been digging away at the site. She winced. It needed to be filled in and quickly. She called Mack.

“Hey, Doreen,” he answered. “What’s up?”

“It’s more of a question.”

“Of course it is,” he muttered in a wry tone. “What can I do for you?”

“I was just wondering when the hole in the park would be filled in,” she replied, “the grave site, I mean.”

“As soon as I have the clearance to do it. I believe we have to set up something with the city.”

“Because it seems to me that animals are digging into it a lot more.”

“What do you mean?”

“New evidence of digging is all around it.”

“Is there?” he asked, sounding distracted. “When did you last see it? And has it been since then?”

“Yes,” she confirmed. “I saw it yesterday. Yesterday or the day before, but this is definitely new since then.”

“Interesting,” he murmured. “Do you have Mugs with you?”

“No, I don’t. I came straight from the library. I thought I was going home, then suddenly found myself out here.”

“Of course you did. We’re all working on the case, you know?”

“I know. I know, and we’ll get there.”

“Let’s hope we get there,” Mack said pointedly. “At times we just can’t solve everything.”

“I understand,” she murmured. “I just don’t want to see this left like it is. Not only is it more of a hazard for any kids coming to this park but it’s hardly how I would like to see anybody’s grave treated.”

“I’ll talk to the city today.”

“Good enough,” she said, ending the call, wishing she had Mugs with her.

She walked over to the grave, sad to see that it was just such a desolate and lost place to leave a loved one, somebody tossed away as if not worth a proper burial.

As she stared, she caught sight of something very small, very white.

She jumped into the depression and leaned forward for a closer look.

And then swore. She immediately phoned Mack back.

“You need to come where I am,” she exclaimed, trying to keep her voice from getting too anxious.

“And why is that?” he asked. “You know I’m at work, right?”

“You’re at work, yes,” she snapped, gritting through her teeth, “but I think I see a finger poking out, near Eli’s grave.”