I got another email from The Ex. He wrote: �You're right, I hadn't read most of your email on grieving when I last emailed you. I have now. I don't mean to minimize your loss of your brother or suggest that you shouldn't mourn, or even try to tell you how to accomplish that. I may have been presumptuous and heavy-handed in my prior advice, but I was concerned about you and am trying to remind you of the brighter things in your life, in the hope that will help you avoid becoming overwhelmed by your present sadness. You will find your own way.�

Will wonders never cease. You could knock me over with a feather right about now.

Another thing that has me astonished (although not in a good way) is the fact that no one seems to know where Mark�s personal belongings are being kept. After the autopsy, a detective who was present for the procedure called my brother, Mike, to inform him of the official cause of death. She also said, �Mark�s watch and wallet (with a substantial amount of money in it) are here.� By �here,� we assumed she meant the hospital where the autopsy was performed.

Because we were so distraught, and preoccupied with making arrangements for the cremation and services, we didn�t get around to looking into claiming Mark�s belongings until recently. Today, I spoke to someone from the Medical Examiner�s office. He, too, assumed that the hospital was in possession of Mark�s watch and wallet, but, when he called them, they knew nothing about those items.

The only other possibility we could come up with is that Mark�s belongings are at the Sheriff�s Department. I�ll try to call somebody there tomorrow. If they don�t have the watch and wallet (with the cash), and can�t direct me to somebody who knows where those things are, heads are going to roll.

I'm really not in the mood for this.