The Prophecy

postmark had been

Still wearing gloves, he turned the envelope over and was surprised to see the flap completely intact. Whoever had opened it — probably Ashley — had done so carefully, possibly steaming it open to prevent any damage. If so, had she known what it contained before she had taken it? Or had she been planning to return the envelope before anyone knew it was missing?

They were all good questions, but Jones didn’t have time to answer them now. Instead, he focused on the task at hand. He needed to make sure the letter was inside.

With a delicate touch, he tapped on the bottom of the envelope and emptied its contents on top of a nearby box that he had brushed clean. Two pieces of cardboard, attached with clear tape that had been broken on one side, formed a protective shield around a single sheet of parchment yellowed with age. Although Jones was no expert, the letter appeared to be quite old. At least a century, probably more.

Next, his eyes drifted to the body of the letter. A grin quickly surfaced on his face. He was confident that he was staring at the original. The

Payne knew there was trouble as soon as the meathead cop waved his partner inside. A minute later, they were greeted by an elderly man who had a gigantic set of keys dangling from his hip. The cops handed him a sheet of paper, which he studied intently before he started fiddling with his key ring. Whether he was a janitor or the building’s superintendent, it was pretty obvious that he had been summoned to give the police access to some part of the complex.

The only question was: would they be going up, or down?

Just to be safe, Payne called Jones before the officers had revealed their decision, hoping to give him as much notice as possible. He answered on the second ring.

‘I found the letter,’ Jones announced.

‘I’m glad, because the cops just produced a warrant.’

‘That’s not good. Which way are they heading?’

‘I don’t know yet. They’re standing in the lobby with someone who looks like the Keymaster.’

Jones smiled at the Ghostbusters reference. ‘We

‘Actually,’ Payne said as he watched them from afar, ‘you need to worry now. They’re heading towards the stairs, not the elevator.’

‘Shit!’

Both men realized the police wouldn’t trudge up six flights of stairs to Ashley’s apartment, but they might walk down one flight to her storage unit in the basement.

‘What’s wrong?’ Megan asked from the hallway.

Jones hung up the phone. ‘The cops just showed up. We have to clear out.’

The colour drained from her face. ‘What can I do?’

‘Tuck this under your shirt,’ he said as he handed her the envelope. ‘I’ve gotta move these boxes.’

It didn’t take him long to carry the two boxes inside. Their placement wasn’t important, so he tossed them against the others without rhyme or reason. The only thing that mattered was turning off the light and closing the door before he was spotted in the closet. The moment the lock clicked shut, Jones figured they were in the clear.

At least he thought they were — until he met the meathead.

39

Rocky films.

In recent years, a population shift had occurred in South Philly, one that had been the source of racial tension among some of the locals. A few of the smaller sections — most notably Grays Ferry, Point Breeze, and the areas closest to Center City — were no longer white neighbourhoods. For most people, racial diversity isn’t a problem, but it didn’t sit well with Vinnie and his racist friends. Ultimately, that was one of the main reasons Vinnie had become a cop after a two-year stint in the Marines. In his mind, it was an opportunity to clean up the city he loved.

Wherever Vinnie went, Paul followed — whether he liked it or not.

Because of Payne’s warning, Jones knew the cops were taking the stairs to the basement. Grabbing Megan’s arm, they hustled to the opposite end of the corridor, hoping the elevator would arrive before the cops did. But it wasn’t to be. Vinnie threw the door open with a bang and marched down the corridor like he owned the building. The Keymaster, the elderly complex manager, was directly behind him trying to keep pace, and further back was Paul.

‘Stay calm,’ Jones whispered as he studied the trio out of the corner of his eye. ‘We’re not doing anything wrong. We’re just waiting for the elevator.’

Vinnie saw the two of them whispering in the distance and was sickened by the sight. A gorgeous woman like her had no business being with a guy like him. In Vinnie’s mind, it went against the laws of nature. In his old neighbourhood, their coupling would’ve resulted in a brutal beat-down that would’ve left blood on the street — something he and his friends had done many times before. It was their way of keeping the mulignans off their turf.

‘Where’s the closet?’ Vinnie demanded.

The Keymaster pointed ahead. ‘Up there, on the left.’

‘Open the door. I’ll be there in a minute. I need to check on somethin’.’

‘Where are you going?’ Paul wondered.

‘Don’t worry ’bout it,’ Vinnie growled. ‘Go with him.’

Paul nodded and followed the Keymaster towards the storage unit. Meanwhile, Vinnie marched towards the elevators.

‘Hey,’ he called from a distance, ‘what are you ladies doin’ down here?’

‘Stay calm,’ Jones warned her. ‘Let me handle this.’

‘Okay,’ she whispered.

Jones responded. ‘Megan lives here. She was giving me the tour.’

‘Of the basement? Why show him the basement?’

‘I’ve got a lot of stuff. I need somewhere to put it.’

Vinnie stared at Jones. ‘Was I talkin’ to you? No, I was talkin’ to her.’

‘Sorry,’ Jones apologized, hoping the elevator would hurry.

‘So?’ Vinnie growled as focused on Megan. ‘Why are you down here?’

‘I’m just giving him the tour. He might move here.’

‘Great, that’s all we need. Let me see your ID.’

‘Why?’ she squeaked. ‘We haven’t done anything wrong.’

‘That’s for me to decide. Let me see your ID.’ He glared at Jones. ‘Yours, too.’

Both of them fished their IDs out of their pockets and handed them to the cop. He barely

‘Against the wall and spread ’em,’ he told Jones. Then he looked at Megan and said, ‘Stand over there, Jungle Fever, and don’t move.’

Jones rolled his eyes and turned away from the elevator as its doors opened with a clang. Unfortunately, cops had pestered him a few times over the years, so he was familiar with the procedure. Hands on the wall, legs wide apart, no back talk of any kind. If he played by the rules and stayed cool, the meathead would probably let him go. If Jones fought back or did anything stupid, the cop would have him in cuffs before the elevator doors closed.