she shuffled towards the casket, tried to push the lid open, bExclusive content from .
but it refused to budge.
The funeral director gestured at two of his staff, who stepped forward to help. Whin the lid was fully removed, Kirasbertather's lace first Serene in Death
It had a rosy, lifelike hue, almost as if Leland was just taking a nap.
His muscles were relaxed.
His face was serene.
He looked better than when he was in a coma.
In a moment of delusion, Kira thought he might open his eyes, sit up and sinile at her.
She touched his cheek with a trembling hand.
His skin was ice-cold..
She threw herself on her father's shoulders and cried.
Austyn stood by her side, his heart filled with rage and grief.
His father took away hers.
Austyn vowed silently, he would not rest until he brought Henry McCarthy to justice.
He'll Never Rest In Peace
Kira cried for a long time.
she cried so hard, she was gagging and gasping for breath
She refused Austyn's help to steady her.
Kira took a deep breath before she unbuttoned Leland's suit.
'Kira, don'tl'Austyn shot out a hand to stop her.
But she already saw it.
Leland's chest had been cut open and closed with stitches,
The job was done in a hurry, perhaps because the doctors were eager to get his organs to their recipient.
The suture lines had timed dark, the colour of soot.
They started in the middle of his chest and ran all the way down to his abdomen, resembling the shape of an ugly, magnified centipede. Kirahad run out of tears. She glimpsed a tiny scar above her father's left clavicle.
She was responsible for it,
In his job as an electrician, Leland was often called away at odd hours.
When Kira was four or five years old, she was entrusted to the care of a neighbour,
But Kira didn't like the neighbour, who was a portly, loudmouthed housewife who spent more time on her phone than babysitting.
Kira wanted her mother
She was too young to understand the concept of divorce.
She demanded to see Helen and threw a tantrum when Leland couldn't comply
He tried to placate her by buying her presents.
He even built her a rocking horse out of planks and scrap wood.
Kira loved the toy at first.
But she soon grew tired of the monotony of having just one toy to play with.
She wanted to go to the amusement park, but Leland was simply too busy to take her.
One night, he came home late again, and Kiraexploded
She pushed the rocking horse its side, botherfoot got caught in the frame.
Il teland hadn't dived in front of her in time, Kira would have been struck by a nail in her face
The mosty mail piensed Leland's skin and left an inch-long scar above his clavicle.
He had to get twenty stitches.
After they left the clinic, aver thewa tantum at her father again
She leaned down and ran a hand along Leland's cold, marble-like skin.
The smelled formaldehyde permeated the room.
From that day onwards, Kira developed a severe adverse reaction to the chemical.
she would theow up any time she smelled the embalming fluid.
For her, that smell was inextricably linked with Ber father's death Kirtouched Leland's chest.
The abominable Y-shaped incision left an indelible sear in her memory.
She would ever forget the way a corpse alte cold, stir, lifeless,
The past twenty years of reached before herepes
Kies recalled the list of restaurants and greasy spoons she'd recorded in her diary.
She had warned to bring Dad to act them once he up
She thought it was only a mattered time.
The possibility of never talking to her father again was
spushed to the back other pa
Kira had buried her head in the sand for so long, she forget what enality lopland like
She herdina happy, self-created delusion, coconthat shielded her from the old, hand trach the thui resman wad gone now, ripped to funds by Hen
Kiratraced the rigid outline of her father's face, committing it to memory.
She was nome truly alone in this world.
No one would ever love her as much as her father did.
Kira collapsed to the floor.
She buried her face in her hands and walled bitterly.
She banged her forehead against her knees, hoping it could wake her up from the nightmare.
This had to be a nightmare.
It couldn't possibly be true,
Dad couldn't possibly be dead.
Austyn stood beside her, facing Leland's casket.
His bloodless lips were pressed into a thin, tight line.
He bent at the waist, and then he bowed to his father-in-law three times
"No!" Kira shoved him aside.
She stared at him. "You don't have the right to mourn him!"
Her red and putty eyes were filled with venom.
Austyn swayed on his feet.
He turned to face her.
Kira jabbed a finger in his face. "You don't have the night'
Austyn bore the attack.
He clenched his fist...
Kira, I know how much you must hate me right now.'
He reached for herhand.
She pushed lum back
But the most important thing right now is to put Leland-
'Don't use his name!" Kira screamed 'You can't use his name!!
Austyn took a step back, holding up both palms in a gesture of surrender.
'All night, I won't. But Kira, it's time to let your father rest in peace."
peace?" Kica laughed bitterly through her tears. "How can he rest in peace? He was murdered by your family! He was butchered like an animal! He will never be able to rest in peace until his murderer dies!! "Kira 'Austyn was seized by an excruciating pain in his heart.
He wanted to draw her into his arms, to shield her from the agony and grief, to make her forget all about the hurt, but he knew he couldn't
He went up to her anyway.
Kira headbuted him in the chest.
She let out a piercing scream. "Don't you dare touch me!!
She was now half-crazed, on the verge of a complete breakdown
Her face was equal parts rage and despair.
Herrejection stabbed right at his heart.
Austyn's shoulders sagged
The funeral director had long cleared out everyone else.
it was just the two of them in the room, along with Leland
Austyn slowly sank to hikes
He bowed his head.
"Kira, I'm sorry, Words can't tell you how sorry I am. It's my fault. I falled to protect your father."
Kira glaced at him through her tears
if the had a gun in her hand right now, she would pull the ingger
A Pile Of Ashes
Austyn looked up, imploring with his eyes. "You can hate me as much as you want. I deserve it. Please, just give me some time. I swear to god, I'll make the murderer pay!!
Kira refused to listen.
She didn't hear a word.
All she could see was her father's lifeless face.
His soul had departed this world,
The last time she heard his voice was two years ago.
Kira doubled over in pain and clutched at her stomach.
'Kim'Austyn shot to his feet.
He took her by the elbow. Are you okay?"
Kira touched her belly.
The baby bump was barely noticeable.
In another eight months, she would bring a new life into this world.
But her father would never get to see it.
He would never get to hold his grandchild in his arms, or make a rocking horse for them, or to sing lullables to them like he used to do for Kira,
'I swear I'll make Herry pay to what he did' Austyn's solemn voice was right next to her eat,
Herpeated the vow over and
Diver a
ragain.
Kira's chaotic mind was slowly brought back to the present
She blinked and seemed to have just registered Austyn's presence.
She shivered.
Austyn tightened his arms around her.
She slowly withdrew from his embrace
Hetores were blank
can't let Dad stay here.'
It was so cold in the room.
Dad hated cold weather.