Shallow Graves

does Shinkawa arrive?“
    Fagan looked to Puriefoy. “I dunno.“
    Puriefoy said, “Maybe two, three minutes after I got back. Larry, he rings the bell, we let him in.“
    “Who lets him in?“
    Fagan said, “I do.“
    “By buzzer?“
    “Yeah.“
    “Then what?“
    I listened again to the same “birthday suit“ sequence everybody had already told me.
    “Sinead, what did you do after Shinkawa came running back downstairs?“
    “I went to my bag and got the key Mau give me to her place.“
    “Do it.“
    “What, now?“
    “Yes.“
    Fagan went into the kitchen and fetched the key from a handbag that looked like a leather descendant of Davy Crockett’s powderhom. “Awright?“
    “You all rushed upstairs then?“
    “Yeah.“
    “Let’s go.“
    “What?“
    “Let’s go upstairs, like I’m Shinkawa and we’re going up there.“
    Fagan said, “This is getting too weird,“ again the word coming out “we-id.“
    I said, “We’re almost done. Promise.“
    She didn’t look convinced, but Puriefoy said, “Let’s get this over with, huh?“ and went out to climb the stairs. I let Fagan precede me.
    Even walking at just normal speed, it didn’t take long to get to the third floor. At the door, I said, “Hold it. Position yourselves like you were that night.“
    Puriefoy said, “We can’t, man.“
    “Why not?“
    “Larry, he was in front, but you’re too big for all of us to be here at once.“
    “Okay, simulate that.“
    “Say what?“
    “Just make like I’m in front of you. Who did what?“
    “We pounded a little, Sinead started to work the key.“ Fagan said, ‘Then Larry took it away from me ‘cause he was closer on the door.“
    ‘Then the door opens?“
    “Yeah, but the chain’s on, so you can’t see much.“
    I said, “Unlock the door, but don’t open it.“
    Fagan stopped. “Unlock...?“
    “Use the key in the lock, but don’t open the door itself.“ She did.
    “Okay, now stand back a little.“
    I moved in front of them, turning the knob and cracking open the door. I moved it to two inches, then three, then four. At three inches I could see the corner of the futon couch, at four probably a quarter view of where Mau Tim’s body would have lain.
    I said, ‘Then you broke through the chain?“
    “Oz did.“
    I pushed the door all the way open.
    Fagan trembled. “Jesus Mary.“
    I said, “What is it?“
    “It’s just... it’s like I was gonna see her all over again.“ She turned and started downstairs.
    “Sinead?“
    “Fuck you. I ain’t going in there.“
    As Fagan left us, I looked at Puriefoy. “Was there music on in here?“
    “Music?“
    “Or television. Anything?“
    Puriefoy said, “No, nothing.“
    Same as Shinkawa. “How about the shower?“
    “That was off, too.“
    “What did you all do then?“
    Puriefoy said, “I don’t like being here either, man. Not at all.“
    “What did you do?“
    He walked into the apartment, but gingerly, like he wasn’t sure the floorboards had been nailed down. “I bent over by Mau, see if I could get a pulse or anything, but she was gone.“
    “Shinkawa?“
    “Like I told you at my place, he took off for the bedroom, saying he heard something.“
    “You didn’t go with him?“
    “Shit, no. You think I’m a hero?“
    Not so far. “Then what?“
    “Sinead, she’s screaming, and I’m trying CPR.“
    “Even though you thought Mau Tim was dead?“
    “In the class I took, they said try it anyway.“
    “All right. Then what?“
    “I tell Sinead, ‘Call the 911,’ but she’s like hysterical, man. Larry, he comes back in from the bedroom and says he didn’t see nothing. I tell him to help me move Mau a little so I can work on her better. Then Sinead finally goes and calls the ambulance.“
    “From where?“
    Puriefoy pointed to a Princess phone on a shelf of the home entertainment wall. “That one there.“
    “The three of you stay together here all that time?“
    Puriefoy said, “All what time?“
    “Till the ambulance arrived.“
    “Uh-huh.“
    “Anybody leave the room for anything?“
    “No.“
    I walked into the kitchen and pulled on the drawer nearest the faucets. Next to a pair of tongs was an odd, pimpled key like the one Ooch had used on the second-floor apartment door.
    I came back into the living room. Puriefoy was squatting at the corner of the couch.
    “Anything else you can tell me about what you all did?“
    “Larry, he saw this piece of necklace under the futon here. I think he