Chapter 21 Chapter Eighteen

Massachusetts, Boston Thursday, June 8, 2006 1:15 in the afternoon Magazine?asked a young woman who looked like a waif.Jack thought she was ninety pounds at the most, but she had several dogs, big and small, on her leash, from a gray Great Dane to a petite bichon frize.A roll of clear plastic poop bags peeked out of her jeans pocket.After lunch, Jack walked through the residential area of ​​Beacon Hill along the way he came, and was going back to the underground parking lot to pick up his car.He wanted to buy some newspapers and magazines in case the backhoe didn't show up and the wait was boring.

Let me think about it, when a woman thinks, her facial features are involuntarily squeezed together.Seems like there are a few newsstands on Charles Street. Just one place. There is Gary's Grocer on the corner of Charles Street and Mount Vernon Street.There should be newspapers and magazines for sale. Going in this direction?Jack asked.He was on Charles Street at the moment, walking towards the park and the underground car park. Yes.It's just another block away without crossing the street. Just as Jack was about to thank her, she was pulled away by the impatient dogs. Gary's Grocery is a true mom-and-pop store, a little cluttered but gracious.The entire storefront is about the size of the toiletries section of a chain grocery store, but the sparrow is small but has all the internal organs.On both sides of the aisle are two rows of sky-high shelves, which contain everything from vitamin tablets to cold medicine and notebooks.The newspaper area is at the end of the store, close to the cashier, with a wide variety.

After the trial, Jack agreed to have lunch with Alexis and Craig.The atmosphere of this meal was extremely dull. It felt like attending a mourning ceremony and being forced to talk with the dead.Craig was still angry.He hated the system, hated Tony.Fasano, hate Jordan.Stanhope, but he hated himself most.He knew he had performed poorly, and despite hours of rehearsal with Randolph the night before, he had screwed up.Alexis asked him why he couldn't control his emotions when he knew it wouldn't do him any good.Craig blew up again, and had a small argument with Alexis, who spoke harshly.Then he sat at the table, sullen and silent.Alexis and Jack wanted to talk, but Craig was so angry that everyone was on edge.

After lunch, Alexis wanted Jack to go back to court with them.Jack tried his best to refuse, saying that he wanted to be at the cemetery before two o'clock, hoping that Percy would be there.Garrade can help his buddies dig the sewers ahead of time, so that the coffin can be opened as soon as possible.At this time, Craig angrily asked Jack to give up the autopsy, saying that the lawsuit is irretrievable anyway, so don't ask for trouble anymore.Jack replied that this matter has already involved too much manpower and material resources, and it would be a pity to give up now. Jack bought a few magazines and a copy of The New York Times, walked to the underground parking lot, took out his battered Accent, and drove west.At first he couldn't find the way into the city that morning, but eventually he recognized a few landmarks before he was sure he was on the right track.

At ten past two, Jack drove into Pike.Maidow Cemetery, next to a Dodge minivan parked in front of an office building.Into the office, he found the woman and Walter.Strasser was still where he was, not much different from when he had left that morning.The woman was typing on the computer, and Walter was still sitting icy at his desk, his hands still folded on his stomach.Jack suspects that he has nothing to do all day because there is nothing on his desk.Both looked up at Jack, but then the woman went on working without saying a word.Jack walked over to Walter, whose eyes followed him. Has Percy been here?Jack asked.

I left this morning and never came back. is there any news?Jack asked.He felt that if Walter hadn't blinked his eyes now and then, and moved his mouth when he spoke, it would have been impossible to know whether he was conscious or not. No. Is there a way to get in touch with him?I made an appointment with him to gather here at two o'clock.He agreed to take Patience this afternoon.Stanhope's body exhumed. If he had said so, he would have come. Do you have his cell phone number?I forgot to ask him. No.We communicate with him by e-mail.Then he came to the office to see us. Jack took out one of his own business cards and put it on Walter's desk.If you can get in touch with him and ask when he can start digging Patience.Stanhope, I would be very grateful.It has my cell phone number on it.I want to go to her grave first.can you tell me where

Gertrude, show the doctor the location of the Stanhope family grave on the map. The wheels on the office chair creaked as Gertrude stood up.She didn't speak, just clicked the corresponding location on the map with her index finger.Jack looked at the map, judging from the marked contour lines, it was at the highest point of the hill. Pike.Best view in Meadow Cemetery, Walter commented. I'll wait for you there, Jack said and walked out. doctor!Walter yelled.Now that it is decided to open the coffin, it involves the issue of cost, which must be settled before excavation. Jack ordered Walter a fair amount from a pile of twenty-dollar bills, and drove up the hill.At the bend at the top of the hill, he found an ivy-covered gazebo with a bench in the shade.He parked the car in the shade and walked in the direction of the Stanhope family cemetery.The cemetery is on the top of the mountain, and there are three identical granite tombstones, which are quite simple.He found Patience's tombstone and glanced at the epitaph in passing.

Jack took out newspapers and magazines from the car, walked to the bench, and sat down comfortably.The weather is much better than in the morning.The sun was shining directly, with a fierceness that was not there a few days ago, as if to remind everyone that summer is coming soon.Jack felt so blessed to be sitting in the ivy-covered gazebo in this almost tropical weather. Jack looked at his watch.It was unbelievable that he was going to be married in less than twenty-four hours.Of course, he also acknowledged that there could be unforeseen problems, such as him not being able to make it to church in time.He thought about it for a while.On a dogwood tree not far away, a blue jay called viciously at him.Jack shook his head vigorously, trying to forget the thought of not being able to make it to church in time for the wedding.The chances of this outcome happening are nearly nonexistent.But the thought reminded him that he had to call Laurie.But until now, he still couldn't tell when Patience's body would be dug up, so he still didn't call after thinking about it.

Jack himself couldn't remember the last time he was left alone with nothing to do.He found that no matter whether it was work or exercise, he had to keep himself busy so that he could stop thinking about it.Laurie had patiently and gradually weaned him off the habit over the past few years.But that was when the two were together, now he is alone.But he found that he was not indulging in the memories, but was content to think about the future, unless Jack shook his head again, trying to get the thought out of his mind.Then he picked up the newspaper and started reading.The sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and it is very comfortable to read the newspaper.He didn't see anything wrong with sitting in the cemetery at all.On the contrary, it suited his slightly sarcastic sense of humor, and he thought it had a twist.

After finishing the newspaper, Jack started to read the magazine again.After reading several long, amusing articles in The New Yorker in a row, Jack's satisfaction began to wear off.Then he found that the sun was shining directly on him.He looked at his watch and cursed.It was three forty-five.He stood up, stretched himself, and packed up the newspapers and magazines.He was going to find Percy anyway and force him to book an opening time.He knew that the last flight to New York left at about nine o'clock, and he would never catch it.Looks like one more night in Boston, unless he drives back to New York, and he has a million reasons not to do this crazy thing.He figured he'd either stay in that hotel near the airport, since he didn't want to go back to the Bermans' house without Alexis and the kids.Although he sympathized with Craig, Jack had had enough of his bad temper this afternoon.

The passenger window of the Hyundai was shattered, just from where Jack threw newspapers and magazines into the car.He was about to go around to the cab when he heard the sound of a backhoe.Shading the sun with his palm, he peered through the trees and saw Percy's yellow backhoe driving up the winding cemetery road, its dump bucket folded in the back like a grasshopper's legs.Jack immediately dialed Harold.Langley's phone call. It was almost four o'clock, and Jack told him that the coffin would be opened soon, Harald complained. That's all there is to it, Jack said.So I paid a lot of money to buy Percy off.Jack did not dare to say Walter.Strasser also took his money. Well, Harold had to compromise.I'll be there in half an hour.I want to make sure nothing goes wrong.I might be a little late, don't touch the tomb until I come!I repeat, don't touch the roof of the tomb unless I'm there!I'm going to check the coffin to make sure I haven't mistaken the chamber. I understand, said Jack. Percy isn't here yet, Pike.The pickup from Maidow Cemetery arrived first.Enrique and Kaiser jumped out of the car and unloaded various tools from the car.The two were very efficient in few words, and in a short while they found Patience's grave, inserted the marker pole, shoveled away the turf, and spread the tarpaulin that Jack saw this morning, and rolled up the edge of the tarpaulin. The place is pressed well. By the time Percy arrived, everything was ready for excavation.Percy waved to Jack, but instead of stepping out of the cab, he adjusted the position of the backhoe before jumping out of the cab and adjusting the outriggers. Sorry for the delay, Percy called out to Jack. Jack just waved at him.He wasn't in the mood for chatting, he was only thinking about digging out that damned coffin. Percy went over all the procedures and got to work.The soil layer above the tomb was relatively soft, and the dump bucket was inserted deeply into it, then pulled in, and then lifted up, the diesel engine of the excavator roared.Percy turned the boom the other way and dumped the soil onto the tarpaulin. Percy seemed to be very good at it, and in no time he had dug a wide trench with almost right-angled walls.When digging about four feet deep, HaroldLangley showed up in the hearse of Langley Pearson Funeral Home.He made a three o'clock turn, parked the car on the side of the wide and deepening trench, and then kept his hands on his hips, watching the progress of the digging. Almost there, Harold yelled at Percy.slower. Jack didn't know if Percy hadn't heard or if he was ignoring Harold on purpose, but he kept digging down like Harold didn't exist.It didn't take long for the bucket to plunge into the soil at the bottom of the pit about a foot deep, and the iron teeth at the front hit the concrete on the top of the tomb, making a screeching sound. Harold was going crazy.I tell you to slow down, he yelled, waving frantically for Percy to lift the bucket up from the pit.Jack chuckled to himself.As soon as he left the funeral home, Harold seemed out of place with the surrounding environment.In sunlight, his somber dark suits and pale complexion recall punk rockers.A few locks of black-dyed hair, pomaded, were carefully combed over the partly bald top of the head and fell to the other side. Despite Harald's desperate wavings, Percy ignored him and continued to pull the bucket up.The iron teeth of the tipping bucket dragged along the concrete roof of the tomb, making a sharp scratching sound. In desperation, Harold rushed to the cab of the backhoe and slammed on the glass door.Only then did the tipping stop and the roar of the diesel engine die down.Percy opened the door and looked at Harald in a rage, innocently confused. You either broke the top cover or broke the rope buckle, Harald roared, unable to think of a suitable word to express his anger at Percy for a long time.He was too angry to speak. Jack was so happy that the two went to quarrel, he got into the car and prepared to make a phone call.He figured that even if Percy started digging again, the car would be quieter, the roar of the diesel engine much quieter.The co-pilot's back faces the cemetery. Although a piece of glass is missing, the impact is not great. Jack called Latasha.Dr. Wylie's phone call.This time, she actually picked it up herself. I got your message, Latasha said.Sorry for not calling you back.We have a regular meeting every Thursday, which is equivalent to a big rounds. It's all right, Jack said.The reason I'm calling you is because they've started exhuming the bodies now.It took me a lot of effort to achieve this step, so there shouldn't be any problems.I reckon that if all goes well, I'll be at Langley Pearson Funeral Home for the autopsy around six or seven o'clock.You promised to help.Does it still count? You're spot on, Latasha said.Count me in!I just got my bone saw set up and I'm heading out the door. I hope you didn't miss out on more interesting things. There was supposed to be dinner with the Pope, but I could ask him to change the time. Jack smiled.Latasha's style is very close to him. Then say yes, I will wait for you at the funeral home around 6:30, Latasha continued.If you can't make it in time, just give me a call. should be no problem.May I treat you to dinner after the autopsy is over? As long as it's not too late.I'm in for a beauty sleep. Jack hung up the phone and found that Enrique and Caesar had jumped into the pit, and shovel after shovel of floating dirt was flying up.By this time Percy had started attaching the wires to the tipper teeth.Harold also returned to the edge of the pit, staring into the pit with his hands on his hips.Jack didn't expect him to be so dedicated, and he was very happy. Jack turned his attention to the phone, wondering if he should contact Laurie.He knew that the worst result mentioned on the phone yesterday had happened, and he would definitely not be able to go back tonight.At this point in the matter, he could only leave Boston and return to New York tomorrow morning, the morning of the wedding.As much as he wanted to delay the call until after the autopsy, he also knew in his heart that it was best to make the call now.That wasn't the only problem. He had to decide whether to tell her what had happened on the Massachusetts highway that morning.He thought about it for a while and decided to tell her anyway.He felt her compassion would trump anxiety.He could tell her that Franco was recuperating right now, and he would not appear again for at least a few days.Of course, Antonio, whoever he is, cannot be forgotten.Jack remembered the man standing behind Franco during the confrontation at the basketball court on Memorial Avenue.This morning he sat in the gallery of the court again.Jack didn't know what role this man played in Fasano's team, but he couldn't forget this man ever since Percy started digging Patience's grave.At that time, Jack subconsciously touched the revolver in his pocket, just to make sure that the gun was still there.Since they can threaten the child with that method, it is entirely possible that they will suddenly appear in the cemetery and obstruct the opening of the coffin. Jack took a deep breath, emboldened himself, and called Laurie, hoping to get through to Laurie's voicemail.Unfortunately, such a good thing did not happen.Laurie answered the phone quickly. Where are you?That's what Laurie came up with. The bad news is I'm in a cemetery in Boston.The good news is I'm not dead yet. At this time, you are still in the mood to tell a joke. sorry!I can not hold it in.I'm in a cemetery.The coffin is being opened. The silence was uncomfortable. I know you're disappointed, said Jack.I've tried everything I can to speed things up.I also want to go back now.But things are not that simple.Then Jack went on to describe the entire encounter with Franco that morning, down to the bullet holes in the windshield brackets, without missing a single detail. Jack goes on to talk about how he bribed cemetery wardens and backhoe drivers, and how Craig's testimony was abysmal.Laurie was completely dumbfounded. I don't know if I should be angry or worried now.I'm so confused by you. If you're asking for my opinion, I tend to worry. Please, Jack.I'm not kidding you!Be serious. After the autopsy, I will definitely miss the last flight tonight.I will stay in the hotel at the airport.There will be a flight back to New York around 6:30 tomorrow morning. Laurie sighed heavily.I'm going to my parents' place early tomorrow morning to make preparations, and I'm already gone when you go back to the apartment. don’t worry.I can wear a tux myself without your help. You come to church with Warren? I thought so.He finds a place to park every time and it's just amazing. Well then, Jack.See you at church.She hung up the phone by herself. Jack sighed and turned off the phone.Laurie wasn't too happy, but at least he was done with the tricky business of talking on the phone.For a while, he felt that nothing in the world was simple and clear. Jack put the phone in his pocket and got out of the car.As long as he was on the phone with Laurie, the most critical part has been carried out here.Percy was back in the cab of the backhoe, and the diesel roared again.The bucket was placed directly above the tomb, and the steel rope on the iron teeth stretched into the pit. It was obvious that something heavy was falling, and the steel rope was stretched tightly. Jack walked to the grave and joined Harold.When I got closer, I found that the steel rope was tied to the rope buckle on the roof of the tomb. What is this for?The diesel engine roared, and Jack had to yell. Harold yelled at him as he was about to open the top cover.Not easy.The joints are coated with something like asphalt to waterproof them. The backhoe roared with all its might, then stopped, then started again. What if the top cover won't open?Jack asked. Then we have to change the time and let the people from Tomb Company do it. Jack cursed under his breath. Suddenly, there was a popping sound from the pit, followed by a breathing sound. Oh thank God!Harold started bobbing his arms up and down as he spoke, signaling Percy to slow down. The roof of the tomb was slowly lifted.When it reached the edge of the pit, Enrique and Caesar grabbed hold of it to keep it from wobbling so that Percy could slowly move it out of the pit.He carefully placed the roof on the lawn and got out of the cab. Harald glanced into the tomb. The inner lining was made of stainless steel like a mirror, and there was a platinum metal coffin inside.The coffin was placed at least two feet from the chamber walls on each side. Looks good, right?There was a religious solemnity to Harald when he said this.It's the Huntington's Sleep Forever, and few people can afford it.Truly a work of art. What Jack was more interested in was that the inner walls of the tomb were very dry.How to take out the coffin?he asks. As soon as Jack finished speaking, Enrique and Caesar climbed into the tomb, and tied wide cloth belts on the bottom of the coffin and the four handles.The backhoe's diesel engine squeaked again, and Percy pulled the dump box back over the pit, lowering it a little more so the two could tie the cloth straps.Harold opened the back door of the hearse. Twenty minutes later, the coffin was placed on the hearse, and Harold closed the door. Are you going to the funeral home right away?Harold asked Jack. Yes.I want to do an autopsy right away.There will be a medical examiner to help.Latasha.Doctor Wylie. Okay, Harold said, getting into the cab of the hearse, backing the car onto the road, and accelerating down the hill. Jack stayed to settle the bill with Percy, and gave him most of the remaining twenty-dollar bills.He also gave Enrique and Caesar a few cards, and then got into the car and drove down the mountain.He felt very comfortable in his heart.There were so many troubles before, I didn't expect the opening process itself to be so smooth.And Fasano and Antonio didn't come to disrupt the situation, let alone Franco.Now all that remains is the autopsy.