Free Gray (Book 3) by Lou Cadle Page B

don’t know, but we were lucky we lost so few. I miss Alec.”
    “How are people fed?”
    “In one of the central cafeterias. We’ve converted what equipment we could to wood-burning and pulled in every wood-burning stove we could salvage. Most of those are in the kitchen. We eat two meals a day now, communally.”
    “Then with the fatalities, could it have been salmonella, or something with food? Some food that only fourteen of them ate?”
    He was shaking his head. “We don’t think so. Everyone around them was questioned, too. They weren’t all out on a salvage team, they weren’t all at the same table, they weren’t all working in a closed room together. None of that.”
    Coral was stumped, too. With this weather, after six or seven weeks, the bodies still might have a tale to tell her. “Were they buried?”
    “It’s too cold to dig. We’re burying people in a mausoleum across town.”
    She filed the information away. “How much work will there be for me? In this clinic or wherever?”
    “Levi didn’t say?”
    “It was a quick meeting.”
    “I’m not sure if I should.” But he obviously wanted to.
    Coral simply waited, thinking he’d cave to his own inclinations.
    “There are three hundred and four of us left. There were over four hundred at the start. But some died. Some wandered off, trying to find friends or relatives. A couple have died, of accidents. You two take us back up to three hundred and six.”
    Coral saw Benjamin through an open door, standing still, clearly eavesdropping.
    “How many of those are children?”
    “Not many. About forty. A lot of people lost their kids.”
    “A lot of grieving people, I imagine,” Coral said.
    “We have a counselor, Victoria, who runs a bereaved parents’ group. You’ll meet her soon, I’m sure.”
    The front door opened. Coral had automatically tensed and was backing away when a tall woman in a fur coat and purple scarf stepped inside. She was brought up short by the sight of Coral, but then her eyes landed on Doug and she smiled and went to him. They hugged and rested their foreheads together.
    Coral backed away, trying to give them privacy. It had been so long since she saw two people sharing affection, she was embarrassed at it. She’d have been less shocked, she realized, had someone walked in and shot Doug dead.
    He let go of the woman and turned to Coral. “I want you to meet my wife, Abigail. Ab, this is Coral. We found them yesterday.”
    “Hi.” The woman unwound her scarf and came to offer Coral her hand. Fumbling her glove off, Coral shook it.
    “And Benjamin,” said Doug, waving Benjamin in from the kitchen.
    Benjamin took a step, looked away shyly, and stopped at the doorway.
    Abigail strode over and picked up Benjamin’s gloved hand in both of hers. “Welcome. It’s so good to have new people.”
    Benjamin muttered something Coral couldn’t hear.
    This shy side of him was a surprise to her. He hadn’t been like this with the people who found them. Maybe it was being a guest in someone’s home that had him acting bashful.
    Abigail seemed to be taming him, though. It was like watching a bear-tamer, the way she dropped her voice and coaxed him along.
    Coral was caught between confusion and amusement. Finally, Benjamin and Abigail were both seated on a sofa.
    “The furniture,” Coral said. “How did you save this much stuff?” The living room was sparsely furnished, but there was a sofa, and a folding metal chair.
    Doug said to his wife, “I told you how thoroughly burned the countryside is.” He turned to Coral. “All the concrete and brick in town kept the fire from being quite as bad here in the city. Enough stuff survived in basements and storage facilities that everybody has a little something.”
    “Except for wood,” said Abigail. “That’s fuel.” She tsked. “They’ve been burning some gorgeous antiques.”
    “And books,” said Doug.
    “And books,” Abigail echoed.
    Coral pointed to the folding