"Lacey, why did you hit her? She's dead, how could you hit a dead person?"
I gritted my teeth, glaring at the two of them huddled together.
I pretended to be heartbroken, my hands continuously moving.
"I told you to go home, but you didn't listen and ended up in Sanford's car. See? If you had listened to me, you wouldn't be dead."
Feeling guilty, Sanford grabbed and held onto me tightly.
"I just happened to run into Alice on the way. Please, don't be sad, my dear."
His guilt made him try to appease me.
He just let me hit Alice.
"Don't be too sad. Alice wouldn't want to leave you like this," Sanford said.
I stopped and looked at Sanford.
"I told you to take care of my best friend, but you let her die. Why don't you die instead?"
Using my rage, I hit him and then felt much better.
He touched the blood on his lips, angry but silent.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled out my phone and called the nearby hospital.
Sanford quickly tried to stop me.
"What are you doing?"
"This clinic isn't legitimate. Can its death certificate be trusted?"
A doctor hiding in the back immediately jumped out.
"Of course, it's legitimate. We have proper credentials. My certificate is valid."
This guy was one of Sanford's buddies. He was lazy and just hanging around the clinic.
Hearing his assurance, I nodded. Just as he was about to relax, I turned and called the funeral home.
"We need someone for a cremation here."
Sanford rushed to stop me but, seeing my determination, quietly sent a message on his phone.
The funeral home workers arrived quickly, eager not to miss the business.
I pretended to arrange everything for my best friend.
"She's my best friend. Don't spare any expense. Do everything at the highest standard. Did you bring the shroud?"
I glanced at Sanford.
"She's been dead for hours. If we don't take her to the funeral home soon, the body might spoil. How will I explain to her family then?"
The funeral home workers were thrilled to get such a big job and moved to change Alice's clothes.
Sanford hurriedly stopped them.
"Lacey, let Alice's family handle this. It's not right for you to do it."
I slapped him again.
"Alice's been staying at my place. Her family lives far away. If we wait for her mother, she'll start to decompose. Let me handle it."
The workers praised me for being a faithful friend, but Sanford wouldn't step aside.
He was afraid the professionals would discover that Alice wasn't dead.