around in a circle. Am I in the right spot?
He was not. Eddie had driven to the back of Adrienne Hall, not the back of the Admin building. He scratched the back of his head, genuinely confused.
I know I wanted to park at Admin. Why didn’t I?
You have something to do for me, a voice said.
Eddie straightened up. The voice was familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Then he remembered the movie Finding Nemo, which he had watched with his nephew, and he grinned.
Are you my conscience? he asked, snickering.
The stranger in his head laughed pleasantly. Far, far from it, my young, inebriated friend. Merely someone who needs your assistance.
“What do you need?” Eddie asked. “I can do anything.”
I’m positive you can, the voice replied. Now, listen closely.
Eddie did so. In a short time, he knew what needed to be done. He used his key to get into Adrienne Hall. He turned on a hall light, staggered to the front, and discovered an open door. An archery trophy, which someone had left in the middle of the floor, nearly tripped him, but Eddie managed to catch himself.
He hummed and chatted to the silence as he pawed through shelf after shelf of books until he found what was required, an old, well-read copy of The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. The cover had been torn off and the cheap yellow paper that the book was printed on felt dry and brittle beneath his fingers. Eddie held onto it as he picked up the trophy, exited the room, and traveled along the same hall back to the rear entrance. He made sure to turn the lights off before he started to walk towards his car.
No, the voice said, bringing him up short. You need to bring those to the library for me.
The library? Eddie asked. The one downtown?
No, the stranger said, sighing. The Weiss Library. Here, on campus. Do you remember?
“Yes,” Eddie said because he certainly did remember the Academy’s library.
And then he remembered something else. The room with the secret panel. The cubby hole behind the wall where he had placed a picture.
Oh, Eddie thought. You want these in there too.
Well done, Eddie, the voice said. Yes, put them away for me, please. Hopefully, there will be more for you to place there tomorrow.
Okie Dokie, Eddie thought, snorting out a laugh. With a spring in his step and his brain still dulled with Southern Comfort, Eddie walked to the library. He stumbled along merrily, and he sang a little song to himself as he went. He wondered, dimly, why the stranger’s voice was so familiar to him.
Chapter 30: The Northfield Memorial Park
Brian sat on a bench, lit a cigar he knew he shouldn’t be smoking, and looked across Washington Street at Northfield Free Academy. From Main Street, he heard the bell in the steeple on City Hall chime six. A few hours earlier, Mitchell had called him and told him the police had requested he close the school for the remainder of the week.
Doubt it’ll happen , Brian thought, exhaling a cloud of smoke into the evening air. He hoped it would, especially since there were at least two spirits wandering around the grounds.
He had seen Gregory Watson, the man who had come out of the letter in the Admin building. Brian had also caught sight of Nathaniel Weiss. The old man had been walking the paths between the buildings, pausing now and again to examine something.
Weiss was back where Brian could see him, heading towards the library. The old man glided up the steps and passed through the door.
What’s he doing? Brian wondered. Is there something he needs?
Brian’s question was answered several minutes later when Weiss reappeared. He was accompanied by two other people. They, too, exited the building without using the door and drifted easily down the stairs. The three of them were speaking to one another, and Brian couldn’t quite make out the conversation.
When they reached the border of the grounds, Brian looked at a Ford Mustang as it went by. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he kept watch
He was not. Eddie had driven to the back of Adrienne Hall, not the back of the Admin building. He scratched the back of his head, genuinely confused.
I know I wanted to park at Admin. Why didn’t I?
You have something to do for me, a voice said.
Eddie straightened up. The voice was familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Then he remembered the movie Finding Nemo, which he had watched with his nephew, and he grinned.
Are you my conscience? he asked, snickering.
The stranger in his head laughed pleasantly. Far, far from it, my young, inebriated friend. Merely someone who needs your assistance.
“What do you need?” Eddie asked. “I can do anything.”
I’m positive you can, the voice replied. Now, listen closely.
Eddie did so. In a short time, he knew what needed to be done. He used his key to get into Adrienne Hall. He turned on a hall light, staggered to the front, and discovered an open door. An archery trophy, which someone had left in the middle of the floor, nearly tripped him, but Eddie managed to catch himself.
He hummed and chatted to the silence as he pawed through shelf after shelf of books until he found what was required, an old, well-read copy of The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. The cover had been torn off and the cheap yellow paper that the book was printed on felt dry and brittle beneath his fingers. Eddie held onto it as he picked up the trophy, exited the room, and traveled along the same hall back to the rear entrance. He made sure to turn the lights off before he started to walk towards his car.
No, the voice said, bringing him up short. You need to bring those to the library for me.
The library? Eddie asked. The one downtown?
No, the stranger said, sighing. The Weiss Library. Here, on campus. Do you remember?
“Yes,” Eddie said because he certainly did remember the Academy’s library.
And then he remembered something else. The room with the secret panel. The cubby hole behind the wall where he had placed a picture.
Oh, Eddie thought. You want these in there too.
Well done, Eddie, the voice said. Yes, put them away for me, please. Hopefully, there will be more for you to place there tomorrow.
Okie Dokie, Eddie thought, snorting out a laugh. With a spring in his step and his brain still dulled with Southern Comfort, Eddie walked to the library. He stumbled along merrily, and he sang a little song to himself as he went. He wondered, dimly, why the stranger’s voice was so familiar to him.
Chapter 30: The Northfield Memorial Park
Brian sat on a bench, lit a cigar he knew he shouldn’t be smoking, and looked across Washington Street at Northfield Free Academy. From Main Street, he heard the bell in the steeple on City Hall chime six. A few hours earlier, Mitchell had called him and told him the police had requested he close the school for the remainder of the week.
Doubt it’ll happen , Brian thought, exhaling a cloud of smoke into the evening air. He hoped it would, especially since there were at least two spirits wandering around the grounds.
He had seen Gregory Watson, the man who had come out of the letter in the Admin building. Brian had also caught sight of Nathaniel Weiss. The old man had been walking the paths between the buildings, pausing now and again to examine something.
Weiss was back where Brian could see him, heading towards the library. The old man glided up the steps and passed through the door.
What’s he doing? Brian wondered. Is there something he needs?
Brian’s question was answered several minutes later when Weiss reappeared. He was accompanied by two other people. They, too, exited the building without using the door and drifted easily down the stairs. The three of them were speaking to one another, and Brian couldn’t quite make out the conversation.
When they reached the border of the grounds, Brian looked at a Ford Mustang as it went by. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he kept watch
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