His gold card accessed his reservation without a hitch at the rental agency, and he was waiting when Rowenna called to say she and her luggage were ready to go.Her directions were perfect, and they arrived in Salem with enough time before the meeting he’d set up with Brad that he offered to take her all the way home, but she assured him that Joe would give her a ride later. Instead, she offered to give him a quick walking tour of the central tourist area.He wanted to see the cemetery, and after pointing out a few of the more important weathered graves, she let him wander by himself.The cemetery stood right in the middle of the tourist track. There were a few museums nearby, and just across the street was a pedestrian mall.But despite the modern-day surroundings, he found that the cemetery itself felt intriguingly authentic.There was something about the place, something about the old stones, that was poignant and haunting. He tuned out the mothers chasing toddlers, the fathers reminding their children to respect the dead.
