Читать книгу In Winter's Grip - Brenda Chapman - Страница 13

SEVEN

Your father lived a good life,” said Ralph Kreighbaum in a voice as solemn as...well...as a funeral director’s. At ten a.m. the next morning, I was sitting in his office facing him across a deep mahogany desk that glistened like a flat piece of ice. Every time I lifted my eyes to look at Ralph’s emaciated face, I was thrown by the gigantic portrait of his wife and two sons that hung across the better part of the wall behind him. His wife, Sharon, was as plump as Ralph was thin, and unfortunately, both sons had inherited her genes. I allowed Ralph to drone on about coffins and services for nearly fifteen minutes before holding up a hand.

“I’m sorry,” he said, while frowning at my interruption. I knew he’d been building up to lay out the burial costs. His eyes narrowed but he kept his voice friendly. “Am I overwhelming you, Maja? I know this can all be very technical for someone in your state.”

I let his comment pass, but it gave rise to the picture of a pregnant woman with the vapors. I kept my voice low. “No, it’s not that, Ralph.” Out of nowhere, I remembered sitting behind Ralph Kreighbaum in grade school and smelling Vicks Vapo Rub that his mother had rubbed into his chest every morning to ward off colds. Back then, Ralph had been a sickly kid who missed a lot of school. He didn’t look much healthier now. His skin was the colour of beach sand, a disturbing contrast to his shoe polish black hair. Maybe Sharon had taken over the role of chest-rubber. The image was not pretty, and I pushed it away.

“Jonas and I don’t want a big funeral. We’re thinking no service at all, actually. My father was not a religious man, and he wouldn’t have wanted any fuss.” I almost choked on those words. Dad would have wanted everyone in town to come out and honour him. He would have opted for the bloody parade package if there’d been one. But I wasn’t about to let him go out like a hero.

“Maja, everyone knew your father. He was such a well-liked, outgoing man. They’ll want a chance to say a proper goodbye.”

“We were thinking of just having the family attend his cremation.”

“Perhaps a small service in our very own chapel, and then the family can have a private cremation. That might be a nice compromise.”