The Gravedigger, Kacie Clement [surface ebook reader TXT] 📗

God, Kamira, your dress is stunning, you're beautiful,” Keisha stated.

Kamira smiled at her image as she heard the door open. Turning, she found Father Chestfield from the town’s catholic church entering the Sunday schoolroom.

Father Chestfield gasped at the sight in front of him and said, “Kamira, you are a vision of perfection. I wanted to let you know I was here and apologize again for the church not being available on your wedding day. The Ladies Bazaar is the biggest fundraiser of the year.”

Kamira smiled gently, placing her white-gloved hand on the priest’s arm. “It’s fine, Father, all that matters is that this day is perfect.” Turning toward Keisha, she said, “I think I am ready to get married, Keisha. Will you find Terrance? I don’t want him getting lost on our wedding day.”

Keisha smiled broadly and rushed to the sanctuary finding Terrance, Jack Thomas, and her husband Billie talking with Willie Mae. “Gentleman, the bride is ready if you could move to the front of the church. Jack, join me at the sanctuary door. The priest is talking with Kamira now, and she should be at the doorway momentarily. Then it will be time for you to walk her down the aisle."

Billie grinned at Terrance. “Ready to get married?”

“More than ready,” Terrance replied. He smiled and winked at Willie Mae.

As the four-piece quartet played quietly in the background, Terrance and Billie moved to the church’s front. Terrance held his breath in anticipation to see his bride walk down the aisle towards him and their future.

Back in the Sunday schoolroom, the pastor of the Shadowbank Baptist Church entered the room. Kamira smiled, ready to thank him again for the use of the church. Just as she spoke, she saw that the pastor’s face was white as a sheet.

The pastor, his hands shaking, said, “I am sorry, Kamira, for interrupting your time to prepare for your most important day. But there is a problem in the basement. A week ago, we had a water pipe break, flooding the basement. The plumber is downstairs finishing his work, tearing the drywall out of the room where the leak began.

Kamira, if you could take a minute and wouldn’t mind coming downstairs. The plumber needs to see you. I have to insist you come downstairs, Detective.”

Kamira looked at him quizzically, feeling deep in her gut that her perfect day was about to hit a snag. She carefully removed her veil, gently laying it over the table. Lifting the front of her gown, she released her Sig Sauer handgun from the holster attached to her leg.

The pastor, eyes going wide, said, “Why on earth are you wearing a gun to your wedding?”

Kamira laughed, “I do not go anywhere without being prepared. If you and Father Chestfield could hold the train of my dress up while we go downstairs, I would appreciate it."

The two ecclesiastics carefully picked up the train of her wedding dress. The pastor gave Kamira verbal directions on where to go in the basement.

 As she followed the pastor’s direction, her mind raced. Not today, not on my wedding day. What in the world is so essential a plumber needs to see me?

Kamira spotted the agitated plumber who was pacing up and down the hallway.

The plumber stopped dead in his tracks, seeing a woman in a wedding dress holding a handgun.

Assessing the situation quickly, Kamira lifted her dress, replacing the handgun into the holster. Smiling as she did so.

Kamira looked directly at the plumber, smiled, and said, “Good afternoon, I am Detective Kamira Jackson, the bride. There is a problem you insisted I see you about?”

Silently, the plumber pointed to the wall at the end of the hallway.

Kamira carefully walked down the hallway, filled with sheetrock debris. Standing in front of the hole in the wall, Kamira sucked in a quick breath as she gazed inside. My wedding day is perfect, and there is a skeleton buried in the wall in the church’s basement. Can this day get any better?

Kamira turned to the pastor. “They are waiting for me upstairs. Could you go up and find Terrance, my groom-to-be, and tell him I need my work bag out of the trunk of my car?”

Turning back to the skeleton in the wall, she shuddered, remembering her three months of captivity. Pulling her thoughts back to the scene before her, she noted that there was duct tape over the remains of the skeleton’s mouth, and someone had bound the bony wrists with the duct tape. They placed this man in the wall alive and left him to die. She pulled out her phone and immediately started photographing the remains.

Keisha and Willie Mae were at a loss. They couldn’t find Kamira anywhere. They had been searching for ten minutes with no luck.

Willie Mae, flustered, said, “Now, where do you think Kamira has gone? The wedding was supposed to start fifteen minutes ago.”

Hearing a noise, Willie Mae turned to find the pastor coming towards her. “What is going on, Pastor? Where are Kamira and the priest?”

“Willie Mae, there is no time now for questions.” The pastor, looking in the sanctuary, saw a nervous Terrance and Billie standing at the altar awkwardly. “I need to speak to Terrance and Jack.”

“Oh, dear god, what kind of trouble could that girl found herself into today?” Willie Mae asked.

“I will get them.” Keisha walked purposefully down the aisle, looking firmly at Terrance. Suddenly stricken with panic, Terrance wondered, did Kamira change her mind about getting married?

Keisha whispered to Terrance. “The pastor needs to see you both- you and Jack.”

Terrance nodded. Looking at Jack, he said, “The pastor needs to see us.”

Terrance, Jack, and Keisha walked back up the aisle and out of the sanctuary to hear Willie Mae barraging the pastor with questions.

Seeing the pastor’s frustration, Jack looked at Keisha and asked, “Could you please seat Willie Mae in the first pew with the Bellow sisters?” Looking at Willie Mae, he continued, “Now Willie Mae, let me and Terrance handle this. Your job is