Bailed Out (The Anna Albertini Files #2) - Rebecca Zanetti Page 0,67

no way Krissy Walker won’t press charges.” I didn’t want to think what she was doing with the pictures right now. My mother would be mortified if she ever saw them.

The door down the long hallway opened, and soon Detective Grant Pierce came into view. His hair was mussed, his clothing casual, and his eyes pissed. “It’s two in the morning.”

It had taken a while to shower. “Why are you here?” I asked. There wasn’t a big mystery right now.

He ran a hand through his sandy-blond hair, ruffling it. “For some reason, I get called in when you find yourself in another situation like this one.” He angled his neck to see better. “Did you wash off all of the dead people?”

Clark grunted again, but this time he sounded pained.

“Yes,” I said. “I don’t suppose it’d help if I told you we thought somebody might be in danger before we entered the premises?

Pierce glanced at Clark, who nodded vigorously. “It normally would not help.”

I frowned. “Isn’t there some law against storing cremated remains at the funeral home?”

“Actually, the law says the opposite. In Elk County, crematoriums have to hold unclaimed remains for up to ten years, and they have to make an effort to find family members. After ten years, they can petition the county to have a burial,” Pierce said.

I looked at Clark. “Did you know that?”

“Of course not,” Clark muttered. “Who would know that? Honestly. However, I do know what the sentence is for criminal trespass as well as malicious mischief to property. I’m not sure what kind of charge messing with and commingling the remains of the deceased carries, however.”

I winced. “Pierce? What are we being charged with?” I didn’t want to know, but as soon as I did, I could start thinking of a defense. It was my first charge and no doubt Clark’s first offense as well, so hopefully we could plea bargain something down. However, we were both lawyers, and often the law needed to make examples out of us. It couldn’t look like we were being granted favors from the state. My stomach lurched. “Grant? How bad is it?”

“It should be terrible,” he said, no sympathy on his suntanned face. “However, for some inexplicable reason, Krissy Walker has chosen not to press charges.”

My heart leapt while my chin dropped. How was that possible? She’d obviously been irritated with us, and she’d called the police right away. “That’s odd. Why would she do that?”

Pierce lifted one muscled shoulder. “I don’t know. It’s a gift horse, and you should take it.”

“Yeah, but…” I stood and grasped the cell bars. “It’s weird, right? The only reason she’d want to drop charges is to let this thing die and not bring attention to the funeral home. Something is going on with her and that Rich Pucci. This is interesting.”

Pierce took a step back and eyed me warily.

“What?” I asked.

He didn’t say anything.

Or, for goodness sakes. “I got all of the ashes and bone fragments washed off, Pierce.” Although my skin was still crawling a little bit. Then I looked over my shoulder at Clark, who still slumped against the wall. “Why do you think Krissy is being nice?”

Pierce coughed. “I wouldn’t say she’s being nice.” He pulled his phone from his back pocket and held it up to show me the screen while still remaining feet away. “Her first call was to one Jolene O’Sullivan at the paper, and the online article has already gone live. You really did take a long shower.”

The picture of Clark and me in the closet covered in ashes covered the entire screen. “Oh, crap,” I murmured.

Pierce nodded. “The print version will come out tomorrow morning, and you know Friday morning is often the biggest news of the week here in our little county.” He looked down and scrolled through. “There are several pictures in the online version, anyway. What were you doing at that sink, Bunne?”

Clark groaned.

I tried to drum up righteous anger. Or irritation. Or anything. Nope. Just mortification. “Krissy isn’t trying to stay too far under the radar if she sent the story to the press.” So why did she let us off the hook?

Pierce unlocked the door and swung it open. “While I’m of a mind to let you two spend the rest of the night in here, there are no charges and I don’t have the energy right now. Get out.”

I hurried out with Clark on my heels.

Pierce stepped away. “Bud is waiting to escort you back