The funeral party began to disperse as the burly men who had dug the grave came forward to lower the coffin and finish the job of placing the deceased in the ground and shoveling dirt on top.
And Baronville would be Frank Mitchell’s final home for eternity.
That thought nearly made Decker sick to his stomach.
He walked back tothe rental alone while Jamison joined her two other sisters, who had formed a protective ring around Amber and Zoe.
“Hey, Decker?”
He looked over to see Kate Kemper standing next to a black SUV parked at the rear of the line of cars that had been part of the funeral procession.
She walked over to him.
“Didn’t expect to see you here,” he said.
“I didn’t know them, but a young guy dies and leaves behind a young widow and a kid? I just thought I’d come to pay my respects. At least from a distance. I didn’t want to intrude.”
“Nice of you.”
“I lost my father last year. My mom passed away when I was in college. I’m an only child. So I’m next at the turnstile.”
“I think you have a ways to go,” noted Decker.
“Tomorrow is guaranteed to no one, especially in our line of work.”
“No arguments there.”
“Last time I saw you, you were heading out with the bartender from the Mercury Bar.”
“I remember,” he said.
“So, anything to report?”
Decker leaned against his truck. “How about you enlighten me on one point first.”
“What would that be?”
“You never told me what your agents, Beatty and Smith, were doing in the area.”
“Yes I did. They had gone rogue.”
“According to Randy Haas’s dying declaration?”
“Yes. I told you that too.”
“But before they wentrogue, where were they assigned?”
Kemper said, “Why?”
“I’m investigating the case. I need information to do that.”
“Okay, there was some work to do in this area. Not in Baronville specifically, but in the general vicinity of northwestern Pennsylvania.”
“What sort of work? Feel free to be as specific as possible.”
Kemper looked around. “In my truck.”
They walked across the road and climbed into her SUV.