Detective Bilko ran downstairs as quickly as he could to answer the door. He opened it and saw a young girl with short brown hair wearing a striped hoodie and carrying a suitcase. A rolling suitcase sat next to her on the porch.
"Oh, I forgot you were arriving today," Bilko said. "Welcome, Caitlin. Your Mom just drop you off? Not even going to say hi?"
"Mom's been kind of a pill lately. I think she's going through menopause or something," Caitlin said.
Bilko chuckled. "She's too young for that but that would explain our last telephone conversation."
"So has anything fun moved to town since my last visit?" Caitlin asked.
"We have a new swimming pool but that's about it," Bilko said as the phone started ringing. "Hello?"
"Ed? This is Frank. I'm at the cemetery visiting the Overlook Man as I do on the first of every month and I think you need to get down here," Frank said.
"Why?" Bilko asked.
"Because he's gone!"
"I'll be right there," Bilko hung up and began heading upstairs.
"Ooh, where are we going?" Caitlin asked.
"You're not coming. This is work related."
"Then I guess I will just stay here and call Mom and say I'm bored then she'll come pick me up and take me home to where all my stuff is," Caitlin said.
Bilko pursed his lips and squinted. "Are you sure? We're going to be looking for a dead body."
"Is that supposed to keep me from going because that sounds awesome," Caitlin said.
"Exhumed"
Bilko and Caitlin arrived at Tontzville Cemetery and walked to where the Overlook Man was buried and where Frank, Katie and John were standing and waiting.
"Thanks for coming so quickly," Frank said then noticed Caitlin. "And who's this?"
"This is my daughter Caitlin. She's visiting for the summer," Bilko said.
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Frank York. And this is John Garner and Katie Anderson. We run the Rock Creek Township Historical Society."
"Yeah, that's cool. So we're looking for a dead body?"
"She is gung-ho," John said.
"I don't think it's a dead body. John is under the assumption that the Overlook Man was never really dead but in a hibernation-like state and then dug his way out from six-to-eight feet underground," Frank said.
"There is a possibility that he really was dead and is now a zombie," John interjected.
"I think the body was stolen," Katie said.
"Why would someone steal a dead body?" Caitlin asked.
"The person who killed him. When we first discovered the body we couldn't find a cause of death," Frank said. "I say a couple of us go back to the Society and a couple of us go out to the Overlook and..."
"The Overlook? Why would the killer take the body back to where it was found?" John asked.
"I don't know. What else can we do?" Frank yelled.
"Wait," Caitlin said. "Were you done with the body?"
"You mean, like, with autopsies and such?" Frank asked.
"Yeah."
Frank nodded.
"Then why would the killer exhume the body when it would probably never see the light of day anymore?" she asked.
Everyone was silent.
Katie turned to Frank. "Let's just all go back to the Society."
Frank nodded.
The five of them arrived back at the Society and noticed something odd. "Why is the door unlocked?" Frank pushed the door open and they slowly entered. Frank looked into his office and saw a man sitting in a chair wearing a tan overcoat and a tan fedora.
"Hello?" Frank said.
"About time. I was wondering if you would ever return," the man said.
"Is that...?" Katie asked.
"Looks like it," John said.
The man stood up. "Bernard Boicourt. Or as you know me, the Overlook Man."
"You're alive?" Frank asked.
"Since 1805. I was the founder and namesake of Boicourt and I participated in the End Road Massacre."
"But you'd be 206 years old. You can't be..." Detective Bilko began but was interrupted by Bernard.
"Standard laws of Earth and time do not apply in Stanton County. You, of all people, should know that. I stopped aging at age 65 and gained magnificent strength. The only downside is I do occassionally die but after awhile, I come back to life. I just wanted to let you know that I was the one to give you the book. What you were--are--doing is admirable. People need to know about the tumultuous history the county has had. Don't give up," Bernard stood up and walked past and opened the front door. "I'll see you around."
"Wait. How did you become immortal?" Frank shouted.
Bernard chuckled then left, closing the door behind him. Everyone just stared at the door.
"Should...Should I go after...?" Bilko began.
"What the hell is wrong with this place?" Frank sighed.
"This is going to be an awesome summer!" Caitlin smiled.
Next:
John and Katie take Caitlin around Stanton County.