Piercing the Darkness (81 page)

NATHAN DUCKED FOR
the letter.

A black, taloned foot caught him in the chest and propelled him as high as the ceiling. Two more spirits closed in on him. He spun, sword extended, dividing one, catching the parry of the other with a burst of sparks.

Krioni was back, saw the letter, and went for it. Armoth covered for him, pushing two spirits backward, right into Nathan’s blade.

Krioni slipped his sword under the letter and flipped it into the air.

AL DIDN’T SEE
Krioni punching two demons out of the mail clerk’s way, but he did see the letter just coming to rest on the floor, address
up. “Oh, hey, Bernice!”

The door was just about to close behind her. She heard him call and turned back, opening the door again and reentering the lobby.

GOOD! NOW THE
warriors could concentrate on the demons. There shouldn’t be too many more—just the biggest and strongest.

AL HANDED BERNICE
the letter over the counter. “Kinda thick. Might be a card in there or something.”

Bernice’s heart almost stopped when she saw the return address: S. B. Roe.

IN BACON’S CORNER,
Kate handed Marshall the phone. “On your toes, Marshall,” she whispered.

Ben and Bev heard that and got close. “Who is it?”

Marshall spoke into the phone, “Yeah, this is Marshall Hogan.”

“Mr. Hogan,” said the voice on the other end, “this is Debbie Aronson. I work at the Post Office with Lucy Brandon. I need to talk to you.”

THE POST OFFICE
lobby filled with red smoke as Triskal shot sword-first right through two spirits and through the wall to the outside, shaking the dissolving spirits from his shoulders and wings.

Bernice tore the letter open and found a Post Office box key inside. Box 203. Here? In this Post Office? She quickly scanned the letter from Sally Roe.

She may not have noticed, but she began to bounce up and down on her toes.

MARSHALL GRABBED A
pen while Kate got him some paper, and he sat down at Ben and Bev’s dining room table. “I’m glad you called, Debbie. I’d be happy to talk to you.”

“Well, I don’t have that much to say. I’m on my break, over at
Don’s Wayside.”

“Can we get together somewhere, sometime?”

“No, I don’t want to risk being seen with you. Listen, just let me tell you what I know, and then we’ll pretend I never talked to you, all right?”

“All right.”

BERNICE FOUND BOX 203.
She could see a large stack of mail through the glass panel. She put the key in the lock, and it fit perfectly, turning the latch.

“LUCY’S BEEN INTERCEPTING
some mail; she’s been forwarding letters that I’m sure aren’t supposed to be forwarded. I’ve seen her doing it for weeks now, and I think Sergeant Mulligan is scaring her into doing it.”

Oh man, oh man, oh man. Lord God, is this it?
Marshall tried to keep his voice calm. “Okay. Do you know who the letters are for, or who they’re from?”

BERNICE OPENED THE
mailbox door. What were these? Manila envelopes, smaller envelopes, a plain brown package, a little box wrapped in paper.

“THEY’VE ALL BEEN
addressed to Tom Harris . . .”

Marshall could feel his eyes getting big.

“. . . and they’ve all been from that woman who’s supposed to be dead . . .”

Marshall kept from saying the name. Debbie had to say it herself. “What woman, Debbie? Do you know the name?”

“Um, that Roe lady. Sally Roe.”