Read Embrace the Grim Reaper for Free Online

really is.”
    Thomas. The director. “And you’re in his play…why, exactly?”
    A smile flitted across his face, and he ducked his head toward the street. “Let’s just say it’s penance, and leave it at that.”
    Penance. Casey breathed in the cool night air. “Well, I hope what you did to deserve it was worth every moment. Penance like this would cover a lot.”
    “It better.”
    They sat quietly, and Casey eased her head back, her face toward the sky. “What happened? With Ellen? The notice at the bus stop said she died suddenly.”
    “Yeah. She did.”
    Casey brought her head down at the pain in his voice. “You knew her well?”
    He shrugged. “We were in the play together. She would…she and her kids came to eat supper at the hall.”
    Casey studied his profile. “There was no husband in the picture?”
    He looked away. “It was just her and the kids.”
    “Were her children there tonight? At dinner?”
    “No.” He leaned forward, his hands in prayer position between his knees. “They’ve gone to stay with their grandparents. Ellen’s folks. They don’t live in Clymer.”
    Casey nodded, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she had to force herself not to jump at the sight of Death, who sat on the other side of Eric, picking fluffy buttered kernels of popcorn from a paper bag and chewing them with gusto.
    “How did she die?” Casey asked.
    Death shrugged, looking at Eric with interest.
    Eric’s face remained averted. “They say she killed herself.”
    Casey sucked in her breath.
    Death made a face.
    “Was she…did she have an illness?”
    Eric gave a sad laugh. “Not unless you call unemployment being sick.”
    “Oh. She got laid off from HomeMaker.”
    “Right before Christmas. In the first wave.”
    “And since then?”
    He sat up again, still looking at his hands. “She was doing odd jobs, where she could find them. But there aren’t a lot here. No one else in Clymer is in the position to hire a cleaning lady or an extra hand at a store. The Burger Palace at the edge of town was about it. Not that she could support herself and her kids with that.”
    Casey shook her head slowly. A sad story. A painful story.
    Death stared at Casey with wide eyes, obviously wanting her to ask Eric more questions. But about what?
    Eric’s face was pale, his lower lip sucked in, like he was trying not to cry.
    Casey nodded. “You…cared about her.”
    “What? Of course I did. I care about all—”
    “But she was special.”
    Eric closed his eyes. “I thought maybe…even with the kids…maybe partly because of the kids…we might…” He stopped. “She was such a strong person. I never would’ve thought she… But I guess all that doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”
    “Of course it does.” She looked at Death. “Just because someone dies doesn’t mean she isn’t still important to you.”
    Death tossed a popcorn kernel in the air and deftly caught it and ate it.
    Eric turned his face toward Casey. “You sound like you’ve had some experience.”
    Casey grimaced. “Exactly what Thomas said.”
    Eric gave a small laugh. “Please, don’t compare me to him.”
    “Sorry. Didn’t mean to make you nauseated.”
    He smiled, and glanced at his watch. “Well, it’s getting late. Want to go somewhere for something to eat? Or get a drink?”
    The two full meals Casey had eaten had more than filled her up. As for the drink…
    It had been just before her last birthday. The party with Reuben’s colleagues. They’d closed a huge deal and were celebrating. Reuben’s boss was happy, standing rounds for the whole crew. Casey had stuck pretty much to the champagne. Reuben to his usual Corona, with lime. Not too much. Nothing excessive.
    She’d caught her husband’s eye across the room, where he was held captive by one of his team, a loud-talking IT expert, who believed the world would be a better place run entirely by computers. Reuben had tolerated the ideas because the kid knew