She smiled at me and lowered her eyes, as if waiting for more shit to be dumped on her head. I knew she had no idea of the evil being generated in her home. In fact, I was amazed I hadn’t felt anything. Usually when I stepped into a threatening atmosphere, I could feel a strange tension in the air, or lately, in my wounds. Here I felt nothing. It was clean.

“Things have been terrible around here, what with all the deaths. Poor Billy has been so depressed,” she sighed. “Frankly, I’m worried.”

“Well, that’s why I’m here, Doris,” I said in my best soothing voice.

“I know, I know. It’s about the Wayside Cemetery, isn’t it? I caught him sneaking in late last night and he told me where he’d been. I gave him what for and he promised me he’d stay away from there once and for all.” She ended with a sip and smile, leaving a red ring on the rim of the mug.

Wayside Cemetery.

That had to be where Sam’s body was stashed.

I pretended to sip the hot swill. “Well, Doris, it sounds like you have things well in hand here. Is Billy home by any chance?”

She gave me the “go on” gesture. “Yes. The little bugger caught himself a devil of a cold last night. He’s asleep upstairs, so if it isn’t absolutely necessary, I’d prefer it if we just let him be.”

“I guess there’s no reason to bother him,” I said, standing. “Just make sure he stays out of that cemetery, okay.”

I smiled and gave her a wink. Big mistake.

She hurried after me and tried to block my way out. “I didn’t catch your name, Mr. . . .”

“McDonald, ma’am. Cal McDonald.”

“Is there a Mrs. McDonald?”

I sidestepped her and tried to smile, but she had me cornered. “No, there isn’t.”

She smiled and poofed her hair net. “Maybe you could stop by again for something a little stronger than Sanka.”

I bowed my head. “That would be nice, Doris,” I offered weakly, ducking out of the house like a cat on fire. I had to wave back at her fifteen fucking times before she finally closed the door.

Back in the car, I updated Sam, and we waited half an hour for Doris to leave for Denny’s. As soon as her car turned the corner and disappeared I went into action. I went to the back door of the house and jimmied the sliding glass door, then crept down a narrow hall until I saw a door with a “No Humans Allowed” sign.