Page 11 of Dead Rattled
“We’ve got a bigger problem than Amanda’s grave being empty,” Everly said, her eyes soft and unfocused.
“What’s that, little miss?” Ronan asked.
“All of the graves are empty, Daddy.” Everly smiled up at her father. “I checked each of them. There’s just empty boxes in the ground.”
“You’re absolutely sure?” Ronan asked.
Everly nodded.
“We’ve got to call Fitz and Cisco. This is one hell of a cold case. Fifty-seven empty infant graves. What the hell happened here?” Jude asked. “More importantly, where are all these babies?”
“All good questions.” Ronan reached for his phone. “You think Cisco’s gonna let us investigate this?”
“I think he will if we promise to keep a lid on what we’re doing. If the priests at St. Agnes find out what we’re doing, there could be trouble.”
“That’s nothing compared to the trouble that would break out when mothers like Natalie find out their children aren’t resting peacefully in this cemetery,” Ten said.
“What do you think happened?” Ronan asked Ten. “Two or three babies a year died in that house and were allegedly buried here, but there are no bodies. Where did the infants go?”
“I don’t know, Ronan.” Ten’s head was spinning. “Before we get Cisco involved, we need to figure out a plausible reason for us knowing these graves are empty.”
“Christ, I never thought of that.” Ronan shoved his phone back into his pocket.
“That’s easy, Daddy. Uncle Cisco will believe me. He knows my gift is real. You and Dad have to tell Natalie that Amanda’s grave is empty and she can ask to have it assumed.”
“You mean exhumed?” Ronan asked on a snicker.
Everly nodded. “You and Dad had a case like that last year, remember?”
Ten absolutely remembered. He had no idea Everly knew about the Masterson case or that there was a word to describe a grave that was dug up in order to remove the body. This was one of those days where it felt like Everly was seven going on forty.
“I’ll call Fitz,” Ronan said and headed toward the car.
“I’m so proud of you, honey. You did an amazing job.” Ten hugged his daughter.
“Thank you for letting me come this morning. I know you think I’m too young to be involved in cases like this, but I’m not. I want to help people not be sad anymore.”
“I know you do. I do too.” Ten wanted nothing more in his life than to use his gifts for the betterment of people’s lives. It should come as no surprise that his daughter would want to do the same thing.
“That’s why we’re such a great team.” Everly wrapped her arms around Ten and hugged him tightly.
Tennyson couldn’t agree more. Whatever steps that followed Everly’s discovery were going to have to be carefully navigated. He knew Ronan’s team would do everything in their power to give answers to the mothers whose children were not lying at peace at Angel of Mercy Cemetery. He hoped this discovery would heal more than it would hurt people.
5
Ronan
An hour later, Ronan still couldn’t believe what happened at the cemetery. He, Ten, and Jude sat in the conference room at West Side Magick waiting for Fitzgibbon and Cisco Jackson. Fitz was at a dentist appointment, while Cisco said he’d be there as soon as possible, which, as Ronan well knew, could be any time from right this second, until Christmas.
“Thorry I’m late,” Fitz mumbled as he came into the waiting room. “Damn Novocain hathn’t worn off yet. I can’t feel my tongue or my thin.” Fitz took a seat, pulled out his phone and started poking his chin in the reverse camera. “Howth Everly?”
“She was a little rattled when she realized none of the St. Agnes graves had people in them.” Ronan had never seen his daughter look so perplexed in her short life. “The empty graves felt like a cosmic shift for her. For me too.”
“I always knew you were a space cadet, Ronan!” Cisco chuckled as he came into the room and shut the door. “It’s not every day I get a message that my detectives have stumbled onto a case of such epic proportions that it could rock the foundation of medicine and the Catholic Church.” Cisco rolled his eyes. “Did I quote that correctly?”
“Rock the founda-than of meda-thin?” Fitzgibbon asked.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Fitz?” Cisco asked.
