Cold Vengeance

CHAPTER 29

Plankwood, Louisiana

MARCELLUS JENNINGS, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE of Public Health for the parish of St. Charles, sat in tranquil contemplation behind his commodious desk. Everything was in order, as he liked it. Not a single memorandum was out of place in the old-fashioned inbox; not a speck of dust or stray paper clip was to be seen. Four pencils, freshly sharpened, lay in a neat line beside the leather-cornered blotter. A computer sat on the right side of the desk, powered down. Three official commendations hung on the wall, lined up with a straightedge and carpenter’s level: all for perfect attendance at Louisiana state conferences. A small bookshelf behind him held a collection of regulatory manuals and guidebooks, carefully dusted and only rarely opened.

There was a light rap on the office door.

“Come in,” Jennings said.

The door opened and Midge, his secretary, poked her head in. “A Mr. Pendergast to see you, sir.”

Even though it was his only official appointment of the morning, Jennings opened a drawer of his desk, pulled out his calendar, and consulted it. Punctual, very punctual. Jennings admired punctuality. “You may show him in,” he said, putting the calendar away.

A moment later, the visitor entered. Jennings rose to greet him, then froze in surprise. The man looked as if he were at death’s door. Gaunt, unsmiling, pale as a waxwork dummy. Dressed in a suit of unrelieved black, he reminded Jennings of nothing so much as the grim reaper. All that was missing was the scythe. He had begun to put out his hand for a shake but quickly diverted it into a wave toward the row of chairs before his desk. “Please, have a seat.”

Jennings watched as the man stepped forward and slowly, painfully sat down. Pendergast, Pendergast… The name rang a bell — he wasn’t sure why. He leaned forward, putting his elbows on the desk and crossing his capacious forearms. “Pleasant day,” he observed.

The man named Pendergast did not directly acknowledge this pleasantry.

“Well.” He cleared his throat. “Now, just what can I do for you, Mr. Pendergast?”

In reply, Pendergast plucked a small leather wallet from his suit jacket, opened it, and placed it on the desk.

Jennings peered at it. “FBI. Is this, ah, official business of some sort?”

“No.” The voice was faint, yet melodious, with mellow accents of New Orleans gentry. “It is a personal matter.” And yet the FBI shield lay there on the desk, like some charm or totem.

“I see.” Jennings waited.

“I’m here about an exhumation.”

“I see,” Jennings repeated. “Is this in reference to an exhumation that has already been completed or a request in process?”

“A new exhumation order.”

Jennings removed his elbows from the desk, sat back, took off his glasses, and began to polish them with the fat end of his polyester tie. “Just who is it you would like exhumed?”

“My wife. Helen Esterhazy Pendergast.”

The polishing stopped for a moment. Then it resumed at a slower pace. “And you say this is not a question of a court order? A police request to determine cause of death?”

Pendergast shook his head. “As I said, it’s personal.”

Jennings raised a hand to his mouth and coughed politely. “You must understand, Mr. Pendergast, that these things have to be done through proper channels. There are rules in place, and they have been enacted with good reason. Exhumation of interred remains is not an act to be taken lightly.”

When Pendergast said nothing, Jennings, encouraged by the sound of his own voice, went on. “If we’re not dealing with a court order or some other officially sanctioned request — such as a forensic autopsy due to suspicions about cause of death — there is really only one circumstance under which an application for exhumation can be approved—”

“If the family of the deceased wishes to move the remains to another burial spot,” Pendergast finished.

“Well, ah, yes, that is it precisely,” Jennings said. The interjection had caught him off guard, and he struggled for a moment to find his rhythm again. “Is that the case?”

“It is.”

“Well then, I think we can get the application process started.” He turned to a filing cabinet that stood beside the bookcase, opened a drawer, pulled out a form, and placed it on his desk blotter. He examined it for a moment. “You realize there are certain, ah, prerequisites. For example, we would need a copy of the death certificate of… of your late wife.”

Reaching into his jacket again, Pendergast produced a folded piece of paper, unfolded it, and placed it on the desk beside his shield.

Leaning forward, Jennings examined it. “Ah. Very good. But what is this? I see the originating cemetery is Saint-Savin. That’s clear on the other side of the parish. I’m afraid you’ll have to take this request over to the west parish office.”

He found the silvery eyes staring into his. “You also have jurisdiction — technically speaking.”

“Yes, but as a matter of protocol, Saint-Savin is handled only through the west parish branch.”

“I picked you, Mr. Jennings, for a very particular reason. Only you can do this for me — no one else.”

“I’m flattered, I’m sure.” Jennings felt a flush of pleasure at the declaration of confidence. “I suppose we could make an exception. Moving on, then, to the matter of the application fee…”

Once again, the pale, slender hand disappeared into the suit jacket. Once again, it reappeared, this time with a check, dated and signed, made out in the correct amount.

“Well, well,” Jennings said, looking at it. “And then there is the form of consent, naturally, from the management of the cemetery where the remains are currently interred.”

Another form was produced and laid on the desk.

“And the form of consent from the cemetery to which the body is being transferred.”

Still another form was placed, slowly and deliberately, on the polished wood.

Jennings stared at the row of paper in front of him. “Well, aren’t we organized today!” He attempted a smile but was discouraged by the grim look on the man’s face. “I, ah, believe that is everything we need. Oh — except the form from the transport company in charge of moving the remains from the old burial site to the new.”

“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Jennings.”

Jennings blinked in surprise at the apparition on the far side of his desk. “I don’t quite understand.”

“If you take a closer look at the two forms of consent, I think all will become clear.”

Jennings put his glasses back on his nose and peered at the two documents for a moment. Then he looked up quickly. “But these cemeteries are one and the same!”

“That is correct. So as you can see, there will be no need for transportation. Cemetery management will be in charge of transferring the body.”

“Is there something wrong with the current burial spot of the deceased?”

“The current spot is fine. I chose it myself.”

“Is it a question of new construction? Must the body be moved because of changes being done at the cemetery?”

“I selected Saint-Savin Cemetery specifically because nothing will ever change there — and no new families are being accepted for burial.”

Jennings leaned forward slightly. “Then may I ask why are you moving the body?”

“Because, Mr. Jennings, moving the body is the only way I can get temporary access to it.”

Jennings licked his lips. “Access?”

“A medical examiner will be standing by, fully licensed and accredited by the State of Louisiana, during the exhumation. An examination of the remains will be performed in a mobile forensic lab, parked on cemetery grounds. Then the body will be reburied — in a grave directly adjoining the one in which it had previously lain, within the Pendergast family plot. It is all spelled out in the application.”

“Examination?” Jennings said. “Is this related to some sort of… question of inheritance?”

“No. It’s strictly a private matter.”

“This is irregular, Mr. Pendergast — most irregular. I can’t say I’ve ever had such a request before. I’m sorry, but this is not something I can approve. You’ll have to go through the courts.”

Pendergast regarded him for a moment. “Is that your final word on the subject?”

“The guidelines on exhumations are quite clear. I can do nothing.” Jennings spread his hands.

“I see.” Pendergast picked up the shield and replaced it in his suit jacket. He left the paperwork where it was. “Would you mind coming with me for a moment?”

“But where—?”

“It will only take a minute.”

Reluctantly, Jennings rose out of his seat.

“I wish to show you,” Pendergast said, “why I chose you in particular for this request.”

They walked through the outer office, down the main corridor of the public building, and out the main entrance. Pendergast stopped on the wide front steps.

Jennings looked around at the bustling thoroughfare. “Like I said, pleasant day,” he observed with excessive cheer, trying to make small talk.

“Pleasant day indeed,” came the reply.

“That’s what I love about this part of Louisiana. The sun just seems to shine more brightly than anywhere else.”

“Yes. It lends a curious gilding effect to everything it touches. Take that plaque, for instance.” And Pendergast gestured toward an old brass plaque that had been set into the brick façade of the building.

Jennings peered at the plaque. He passed it every morning, of course, on the way to his office, but it had been many years since he had bothered to examine it.

THIS CITY HALL OF PLANKWOOD, LOUISIANA, WAS

ERECTED WITH FUNDS GENEROUSLY DONATED BY

COMSTOCK ERASMUS PENDERGAST IN THE YEAR OF OUR

LORD 1892

“Comstock Pendergast,” Jennings murmured under his breath. No wonder the name seemed vaguely familiar.

“My great-grand-uncle. The Pendergast family, you see, has long had a tradition of supporting certain towns in the parishes of both New Orleans and St. Charles, places where various branches of our family lived these past centuries. While we may no longer be around in many of these towns, our legacy lives on.”

“Of course,” Jennings said, still staring at the plaque. He began to conceive a rather unpleasant notion as to why Pendergast had been so particular in selecting his office for the request.

“We don’t advertise it. But the fact is, the various Pendergast trusts and charities continue to make benefactions to several towns — including Plankwood.”

Jennings looked from the plaque to Pendergast. “Plankwood?”

Pendergast nodded. “Our trusts provide scholarships to graduating seniors, help maintain the police auxiliary fund, buy books for the library — and support the good work of your very own public health office. It would be a shame to see this support falter… or, perhaps, cease entirely.”

“Cease?” Jennings repeated.

“Programs might be cut.” Pendergast’s gaunt features assumed a sorrowful cast. “Salaries reduced. Jobs lost.” He placed a certain emphasis on this last phrase as his gray eyes affixed Jennings.

Jennings raised a hand to his chin, rubbed it thoughtfully. “On second thought, Mr. Pendergast, I feel certain your request might be reviewed favorably — if you can assure me that it is of great importance.”

“I can, Mr. Jennings.”

“In that case, I’ll get the application process started.” He glanced back at the plaque. “I could even go so far as to promise you that the paperwork will be put through in a rush. In ten days, perhaps as little as a week, we can have this order approved—”

“I’ll stop by for it tomorrow afternoon, thank you,” Pendergast said.

“What?” Jennings removed his glasses, blinked in the sunlight. “Oh, of course. Tomorrow afternoon.”