Page 7 of Disturbing the Dead
He leans over the hand, close enough that I can smell the beeswax and almond oil of his hair pomade. Annis might tease me about her brother but if my heart gives a little patter when he’s that close, it’s mostly because I’m seeing a secret side of Duncan Gray, one I’ve earned, damn it. Not just the relaxed version, but the enthusiastic one, so eager to dive into this mystery that he forgets to keep a proper degree of physical space between us.
“I found it in a shop,” he says. “They were selling it, which is quite illegal, obviously, but they were claiming it was not an actual hand. With it being so shriveled, I understand why it would seem fake, so I will not accuse them of knowingly trafficking in human parts. On closer inspection, I do not think it is as old as it appears. It seems to have been…”
“Pickled?”
“Precisely. Pickled and then dried, so that it might be handled. Then there is something dripped on it, which appears to be—”
“Wax!” I say. “I know what it is. A Hand of Glory.”
“A hand of…?”
“Glory. Don’t ask me why it’s called that.” I lift the hand. “If this is a proper one, it was harvested from a hanged man, preferably a murderer who committed the crime with this particular hand. It’s chopped off, pickled and dried and then used to hold a candle between the fingers.”
Gray’s expression says he’s insulted that I can’t even attempt to devise a more credible story.
I continue, “The hand—with the candle—is then used by thieves.”
“Thieves…”
“Now, if I’m remembering correctly, there are various explanations for what it’s supposed to do. Some say the candle will flicker out if anyone in the house wakes, warning the thief. Others say it will keep everyone asleep. For a thief, though, either way it’s…” I wave the appendage. “Handy.”
His eyes narrow.
“I’m serious,” I say. “Look it up. It’s folk magic.”
“Which you know because, in the twenty-first century, thieves run around using pickled hands to rob houses.”
“Sarcasm does not become you, Dr. Gray. I know what this is because, when not dreaming of ponies, I was a ghoulish little brat who thrived on the macabre. In this case, I read about it in a novel, and I was annoyed with the author for making up something ridiculous. So I did my research, and found it’s a real thing. And, being so bizarre, naturally I remembered it. You found yourself a Hand of Glory, which you have now given to a thief. Well done, sir.”
He shakes his head. “I suppose with that mystery solved, I ought to dispose of it.” He sounds so disappointed that I feel a pang of guilt for having accidentally robbed him of his puzzle.
“I think we should still dissect it,” I say. “We don’t know how it was prepared, which could prove interesting. Also, I think we should discover where it came from, in case someone is…” I waggle my brows. “Grave robbing.”
He sighs with the slightest roll of his eyes. “You are far too interested in grave robbing, Mallory.”
“Oh, I’m not the only one.”
“It was a misunderstanding,” he says with a mock glare. “But yes, we will put this aside for further examination. However, on the topic of human remains…”
“My favorite topic.”
“Even if they are wrapped in bandages to be unrolled at a party?”
I make a face. I don’t mean to—seeing Isla’s excitement, I’d decided to keep my thoughts on mummy unwrapping to myself. I quickly hide the reaction, but Gray catches it and exhales.
“So I am not the only one who finds such a thing in poor taste?” he says.
“You are not.” I wave at the hand. “This is different. You rescued it from a shop, and it’s only a hand. You’ll treat it as a scientific specimen and dispose of it appropriately when you’re done. I know they’re having a surgeon unwrap the mummified remains and calling it science…”
“It would be science if it were the first mummy unwrapped, or if we had reason to believe it was unusual in a way that would prove useful. Experts have already dissected mummies. We understand how the process was accomplished. Now the dead should be left in peace, as that was the intended purpose of mummifying them in the first place. A person who lived thousands of years ago died, expecting to rest for eternity as their religion dictated.”
He pauses, looking abashed. “That was a lecture, wasn’t it?”
“If so, it was to an appreciative audience. I understand that graves were robbed to advance medicine, and thankfully that’s no longer necessary. I agree with exhuming a body if it means catching a killer. But people have the right to have their beliefs respected. So there’s my lecture.”
“Then we are agreed that an unwrapping party is not an event we wish to attend.”
I shrug. “I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t be fascinated. Same as I’m fascinated by this.” I wave at the hand. “Even as an adult, I still have a macabre turn of mind, as you well know.”
