the move when he tugged on his coat and scarf. He had mittens in his inner pocket, but chose to forego them until he was on the train. Slipping them on and off would only slow him down.
As usual, the train was late and he bounced uncomfortably on the platform as he waited. The frigid air blew daggers against his face, a sure sign that more wicked weather was on the way. By the time he boarded and found an empty seat, he was already a good half hour late for meeting Alexandra and Samuel.
He wasn’t overly concerned. It wasn’t like Alex and Samuel couldn’t talk for hours and hours about their respective work. More than once he had listened to them talk about things that made no logical sense to him. He was a learned man, but they had been talking about the supernatural for years, so much so that the two of them developed shorthand that made anyone not familiar with the ins and outs of the creepies and the crawlies they dealt with feel left out. Joshua tried not to be jealous of the bond between them. In the early days of his relationship with Alex, Joshua had not been as understanding, especially once she shared the darker side of the family business. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that it scared him at first; sometimes it stilldid, but not enough to chase him away. He loved Alexandra and if that meant dealing with ghosts and goblins or angels and demons, then that was just what he would have to deal with. The alternative, not having her at his side, was not an option.
There were still days, however, when he wished they led more normal lives.
Granted, there were fewer of those days than there used to be.
The discovery they had made in the tower had occupied her thoughts since she discovered the secret they held. Both she and his soon to be father-in-law had talked of little else. She was like a kid with a new Christmas toy.
With luck, they would be so deep into discussion that they wouldn’t even notice he was running behind.
Although he was no stranger to the Office of Angel Guides, Joshua still found it odd how nondescript the place truly looked to the outside world. Before he met Alexandra Holzer, he must have walked past this place dozens, if not hundreds, of times and never once gave it so much as a first glance, much less a second one. Now, he couldn’t set eyes on the place without wondering why everyone else on the street did not stare as they passed.
It wasn’t the building itself that stood out. Like every other building in the area, it was of older design, broken down in places and then refurbished with each new owner. The outside of the building was red brick, but over the years the colors had dulled and faded to form a sort of patchwork look that Joshua felt suited the place.
There were only four floors. A deli took over most of the ground floor while the OAGI filled the second. As far as he knew, the other floors were either vacant or were also in use by Samuel and his people.
With buildings of that vintage, there were no elevators so getting to the office on the second floor meant a trek up the stairs, which he didn’t mind, especially after spending the day cooped up in the law library with his nose in one book after another. He took the stairs in a trot and made good time.
The stairwell opened into a hallway that led to the door leading into Samuel’s office. There were other doors and they all fed into thesame suite of offices, but he knew they would all be locked from the inside. There was only one way into the OAGI, straight through the front door.
The sound of a bell jingling over the door greeted Joshua when he arrived at the Office of Angel Guides.
“Anybody here?” he called as he stepped inside.
The place looked empty, which wasn’t as odd to him as he had once found it. If not for the fact that he had met one or two others here on prior visits, Joshua sometimes wondered if Samuel was the only one who worked there on a regular basis. The unkempt liaison between the Holzers and
As usual, the train was late and he bounced uncomfortably on the platform as he waited. The frigid air blew daggers against his face, a sure sign that more wicked weather was on the way. By the time he boarded and found an empty seat, he was already a good half hour late for meeting Alexandra and Samuel.
He wasn’t overly concerned. It wasn’t like Alex and Samuel couldn’t talk for hours and hours about their respective work. More than once he had listened to them talk about things that made no logical sense to him. He was a learned man, but they had been talking about the supernatural for years, so much so that the two of them developed shorthand that made anyone not familiar with the ins and outs of the creepies and the crawlies they dealt with feel left out. Joshua tried not to be jealous of the bond between them. In the early days of his relationship with Alex, Joshua had not been as understanding, especially once she shared the darker side of the family business. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that it scared him at first; sometimes it stilldid, but not enough to chase him away. He loved Alexandra and if that meant dealing with ghosts and goblins or angels and demons, then that was just what he would have to deal with. The alternative, not having her at his side, was not an option.
There were still days, however, when he wished they led more normal lives.
Granted, there were fewer of those days than there used to be.
The discovery they had made in the tower had occupied her thoughts since she discovered the secret they held. Both she and his soon to be father-in-law had talked of little else. She was like a kid with a new Christmas toy.
With luck, they would be so deep into discussion that they wouldn’t even notice he was running behind.
Although he was no stranger to the Office of Angel Guides, Joshua still found it odd how nondescript the place truly looked to the outside world. Before he met Alexandra Holzer, he must have walked past this place dozens, if not hundreds, of times and never once gave it so much as a first glance, much less a second one. Now, he couldn’t set eyes on the place without wondering why everyone else on the street did not stare as they passed.
It wasn’t the building itself that stood out. Like every other building in the area, it was of older design, broken down in places and then refurbished with each new owner. The outside of the building was red brick, but over the years the colors had dulled and faded to form a sort of patchwork look that Joshua felt suited the place.
There were only four floors. A deli took over most of the ground floor while the OAGI filled the second. As far as he knew, the other floors were either vacant or were also in use by Samuel and his people.
With buildings of that vintage, there were no elevators so getting to the office on the second floor meant a trek up the stairs, which he didn’t mind, especially after spending the day cooped up in the law library with his nose in one book after another. He took the stairs in a trot and made good time.
The stairwell opened into a hallway that led to the door leading into Samuel’s office. There were other doors and they all fed into thesame suite of offices, but he knew they would all be locked from the inside. There was only one way into the OAGI, straight through the front door.
The sound of a bell jingling over the door greeted Joshua when he arrived at the Office of Angel Guides.
“Anybody here?” he called as he stepped inside.
The place looked empty, which wasn’t as odd to him as he had once found it. If not for the fact that he had met one or two others here on prior visits, Joshua sometimes wondered if Samuel was the only one who worked there on a regular basis. The unkempt liaison between the Holzers and
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