later that afternoon, elsewhere

Berenice was tucked comfortably into a dim, leather cushioned booth near the front of Rafael's. Several small tapas plates littered the table, as well as a linen napkin lined basket of crunchy bread, rubbed with garlic and fresh tomato pulp. The glass of wine (her third, it must be noted) glowed plumily beside the small candle on the table, the flickering light making it feel for all the world like a cozy evening rather than the rainy late-afternoon it was.

Simon, her sexually ambiguous peer, had invited her to duck out of school early and seek refuge from the tedium of 'office hours.' Berry had a work commitment tonight, but Jim had been delighted when she asked him to pick up the girls.

With the patter of rain on the windows, the candles and the warm wine, she was feeling wonderfully free. And just a little drunk already.

"Do you think we get what we deserve in this life, Simon? Meaning, I mean, do you believe in karma?"

Simon circled the base of his wine glass with a fingertip, eyebrow arched.

"I do. At least, in that sort of 'reap what you sow' way. Not in the more metaphysical sense. Certainly, I don't buy the repayments of debts accumulated in past lives part."

Berenice nodded. "Right." She took a sip of her wine. "That's good because I'm fairly certain you'll have wracked up some pretty big bills in your former incarnations."

He grinned wickedly. "Not you though, hmm? Good as gold throughout the ages?"

Her eyes fell to her hand where her wedding ring glinted in the low light.

"More or less. Sins of omission. Nothing worse."

"What, specifically, are you worried about? Karmically speaking?"

Berenice laughed lightly. "Oh, it's silly. I was just thinking about the... you know, the situation in my backyard. Do you know, it's already cost us fifteen thousand dollars? The first ten for the landscaper deposit, now another five to keep them on hold for a few weeks. They were going to move on to another job, but..."

"What, you had to pay them not to work?" Simon gaped.

"Ridiculous, isn't it? Of course, Berry's dad is having a field day with it. Extortionists, he calls them. But how much longer could the investigation possibly take? It's been a week now since they carted the... thing off. But they've been very clear. We're not to start work up again until they give the all-clear."

"All clear of what?" Simon asked, glancing darkly at the handsome waiter who, Berenice couldn't help but notice, was glancing darkly back.

"Clear of... I don't know. Suspicion?" She sighed and tore a piece of bread in half.

Simon brought his eyes back to her. "You're not seriously a suspect? Not my Bee?"

"No, no. I don't think so. It was under the deck, and the deck was there when we bought the house. I think they just need to confirm the age of the scene for some reason. Record keeping and the like."

"Ah," he replied, then eyes widened, he reached across the table to clutch her wrist. "Oh my god... do you remember a few years ago? The house on Winchester? New owners found a dead baby wrapped in old newspapers inside their walls? Remember?"

She shuddered. Awful story. "Whoever this bone belongs to, it wasn't a child."

"No, but all the same. After that couple found the baby in the wall, the police ended up tearing all the walls in the house open. And they found another two mummified corpses. But the point is, they had to look." He paused to make sure she understood. "One bone means more bones, which you haven't found yet. What if they want to keep looking? Find the rest."

Berenice looked at him. Her cheeks felt heavy with realization. How could she not have considered that? You don't find a single bone and move on. Simon was right.