D Carpenter - Infertile Grounds

He turned and walked back toward his car. It was a beautiful day. The sun was high and bright. The sky blue and cloudless. As good a day as any to bury a friend. Chris was lost in thought as he approached his car and didn’t notice Arthur standing next to it until he was almost on top of him.

Arthur wore a sharp grey suit and sunglasses. “Morning,” he said.

Chris nodded as the two men shook hands.

“Why no honor guard?” Chris asked.

“Too politically charged.”

“But he died in the line of duty.”

“Nobody will ever know that.”

“That sucks.”

“It does.”

The two men watched quietly for a moment as the workers used a backhoe to rapidly fill in Pell’s grave.

“I read about Carl in the paper,” Chris said.

Arthur nodded.

“Was it as gruesome as it sounded?”

Another nod. “Horrific. Whoever did it clearly wanted to send a message.”

“Any suspects?”

Arthur took off his sunglasses, folded and slid them into his breast pocket before he let his gaze meet Chris’. “It’s an active investigation, so I can’t really talk about it.”

“So no suspects.”

“I didn’t say that. We’re working the case hard.”

Chris studied Arthur for a long moment. “But it’s doubtful it will be solved.”

“I’m afraid it’s starting to look that way.”

“That’s what I would call karma.”

“I’d say more like, just deserves.”

“Either or. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.”

The backhoe operator was out and replacing the sod on top of Pell’s grave. Arthur pulled out his sunglasses, flicked them open and slid them on. He looked up at the sky and scrunched his face, as if he were considering something very complex. Then he said, “What about Sarah?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think she got her just deserves in the end?”

Chris shrugged and said, “You’d have to tell me.”

Arthur pursed his lips and bobbed his head. Then he turned and walked away without saying a word.

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© 2016 – DB Carpenter

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Cover art by Isabelle Brault