“Suit yourself.”
“You don’t seem surprised to see me, or Jack, for that matter. Why is that?”
He mulled her question before saying, “I’m the Secret Keeper for a reason. Beyond the obvious definition, I keep apprised of the goings on in my town. I knew you were coming because I have access to the cameras set up all over Suspicion. It wouldn’t do for me toeverbe surprised.”
“Fair enough. Do you know why I’m here?”
“I do, now that you’ve identified yourself as the Paladin Courier.” He pulled open a drawer of his desk and pulled out a small, ornate metal box the size of a square carton of tissues and placed it on the desk.
The top of the box had what looked like an old-fashioned keyhole, with an oval indentation about the size of a thumbprint directly below it. Each of the four sides had a unique design embossed in the metal like it had been hand-crafted long ago. It was beautiful. “Here is the package,” the Secret Keeper said.
She reached for it but he held his hand up. “I have several instructions I need to tell you before you collect this item.”
“Okay,” she said, relaxing a notch. “What are the instructions?”
“First, I have a question. Why did you bring Jack Grey with you?”
She narrowed her gaze. “Because I trust him. I thought bringing him was my best chance for entrance into this office to meet with you. I also know there are fairly strict rules regarding strangers showing up in your town and demanding an audience.”
“Fair point, but as the Paladin Courier, you would have been granted an audience.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for my next dire, world-ending errand,” she said. He was right. She hadn’t needed Jack to accompany her. She’d just wanted him to. How long would she beat herself up over that unforced error and all the unfortunate, soul-crushing baggage that came with it?
The Secret Keeper smiled. “Still, it did keep you from being arrested and detained for an undetermined length of time the instant you crossed over the county line, before Imighthave eventually granted you an audience. So, youreffort in bringing Jack with you for an expedited meeting wasn’t wasted.”
Madelaine narrowed her gaze. Had the Secret Keeper just read her mind? That was unclear, yet suspicious. “Good. I’m glad we got off on the right foot.” What else could she say? “What were those instructions?” she asked, hoping for a sooner-rather-than-later end to this odd meeting.
“You need to take this box back to Alienn, Arkansas, and retrieve a key to open it. There will be instructions inside the box regarding your next task.”
“A key? Where is this key?”
The Secret Keeper reached into the drawer he’d pulled the metal box from, retrieving something small. He extended his hand, placing whatever it was next to the square metal box. It was a key. However, it definitely would not fit into the keyhole on top of the package.
“So I take this key to go get another key that opens this box that has instructions within?”
“Correct.”
“What about the oval beneath the lock? Is that where I have to put my fingerprint?”
“No. You will have to place yourthumbprintin the oval as you turn the key to get it open. The oval indentation is a sophisticated bio-lock imprinted to your unique genetic signature.”
Madelaine smiled. “That’s right. My thumbprint.” She knew that. And now she knew that the Secret Keeper did, too.
His eyes narrowed and he pushed the key closer to her. “This key opens a safety deposit box in the hilariously named Tractor Beam Credit Union in Alienn, Arkansas.”
She quashed a smile, trying to be professional—which was what a Paladin Courier was supposed to be at all times. A professional. “Understood. What’s the number of the box?”
“One eighty-eight. And you must be the one to open this safety deposit box. When you go inside the bank, ask for the bank manager. He or she must be the one to retrieve the box for you. Once you give the manager the number of the box, it will signal the importance of your visit without you having to identify yourself in a public forum.”
“Got it. Are there any more instructions?” she asked, pocketing the key and reaching for the metal box.
The Secret Keeper held his hand up once more. “Yes.”
Madelaine put her arms back down and stifled a grunt of frustration. He reached into the drawer again and took out what looked like a standard flip-phone. He placed it on the desk next to the box she hoped to eventually take possession of.
“What’s this for?” she asked, not daring to reach for anything.
“Once you retrieve the key that opens this box and read the instructions, I’d like for you to give me a call on this phone. Mine is the only number saved in it.”
