Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. For the past few weeks I've been sharing samples from Blue 52. So far we've learned that President Richard Lovinggood was murdered by his wife who then committed suicide. Their son Hank was raised by his grandfather Senator Henry Lovinggood. A new high speed train is coming through the cemetery where President Lovinggood is buried, and Hank has made plans to open the coffins once they are disinterred so he can see his parents. He was only 3 when they died, and he doesn't really remember them.

My heroine Kathryn Sinclair learned about this plan from her uncle who is the director of the funeral home where the president's body will go. Her employer tells her to set up a meeting with Hank after he sees his parents. Last week she said she hoped it went well so she could be in the history books and have the satisfaction of righting a terrible wrong. In today's scene, Hank's grandmother has found out that he wishes to view his parents' remains. I'm picking up where I left off last Saturday.

His grandmother whirled around so fast she almost lost her balance and coldly attacked. “The Sinclair Mortuary called today. They left a message for you.”

“Oh?”

Her face turned cherry red. “You can drop the innocent act with me, young man! Have you totally lost your wits? Your mother and father died thirty years ago! Do you think you can pop the coffin lids and see them as they were in life?”

“Grandma...”

“Don’t interrupt me. This is crazy. You don’t need to see...” She broke off for a moment as a spasm of grief contorted her face. “This is all your doing, Henry. You raised Richard to be a hawk, but you’ve raised Hank to be a damned mourning dove!”

Hank flinched as if she’d struck him with her fists instead of her words. So his grandfather wasn’t the only one who compared him unfavorably to his father. A mourning dove! 

Blue 52 is available at www.whiskeycreekpress.com and at Amazon.com