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Back Snow Creek Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. Books by Gregg Olsen
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Twelve
  16. Thirteen
  17. Fourteen
  18. Fifteen
  19. Sixteen
  20. Seventeen
  21. Eighteen
  22. Nineteen
  23. Twenty
  24. Twenty-One
  25. Twenty-Two
  26. Twenty-Three
  27. Twenty-Four
  28. Twenty-Five
  29. Twenty-Six
  30. Twenty-Seven
  31. Twenty-Eight
  32. Twenty-Nine
  33. Thirty
  34. Thirty-One
  35. Thirty-Two
  36. Thirty-Three
  37. Thirty-Four
  38. Thirty-Five
  39. Thirty-Six
  40. Thirty-Seven
  41. Thirty-Eight
  42. Thirty-Nine
  43. Forty
  44. Forty-One
  45. Forty-Two
  46. Forty-Three
  47. Forty-Four
  48. Forty-Five
  49. Forty-Six
  50. Forty-Seven
  51. Forty-Eight
  52. Forty-Nine
  53. Fifty
  54. Hear More from Gregg
  55. Books by Gregg Olsen
  56. A Letter from Gregg
  57. Acknowledgements

I’d never heard of anyone doing green burial and I ask him for details. Joshua tells me that the body—not embalmed—is wrapped in a mushroom-spore-infused shroud and is deposited just below the surface of the ground. It’s watered daily during dry months—which is where we are now—and as the body decomposes, it nourishes the soil. I can see the appeal, but I don’t think it would be for me. I don’t like the idea of being food for mushrooms.

Actually, I don’t like mushrooms at all.

It’s a texture thing.

“Would you like me to notify your Aunt Ruth?” I ask. “Or do you want to call? I know she would want to be here for her sister’s memorial service.”

“She can come, of course,” Joshua says, “but there’s no big service.”

The space above the sofa catches my eye.

“You got the photo reframed.”

“Just new glass,” Sarah says, shifting her gaze to the portrait behind her. Her eyes land there only a second before looking away like she’s seen something terrible. “And a lot of good that we fixed it. I’m going to burn it in the trash barrel after you leave. Can’t stand looking at our dad.”

I tell them what will happen next, how a crime technician team will be out and go over the scene with a chemical that illuminates blood.

The two exchange looks.

“I know it’s hard,” I say. “I know all of this is a shock and there will be more to come. It will get easier. That might take a long, long time.”

“We know,” Joshua says. “It just the idea—”

Sarah jumps in as her brother buries his face in his hands. “It’s the idea that our father killed our mother. Right here. All the time we were waiting for them to come home, we collected eggs, milked Noelle… all the time we were in the place where it all happened.”

“I’m so sorry. The forensic exam will give us more answers. Some of those will be painful. But we need to know what happened,” I go on. “I need you both to stay clear, all right?”

Joshua, now looking up, nods.

“Ms. Chesterfield is going to stay with you while all this is going on, then she’ll make a recommendation to the judge regarding you, Sarah.”

Bernie gives the girl a warm, reassuring smile.

I already know what her recommendation will be.

Twenty-Four