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Chapters (50)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  4. DEDICATION
  5. CONTENTS
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Two hours later, Nick stepped into the Endor Regional Library and looked around. Not exactly UVA, he thought—but then, to be fair, it wasn’t designed by Thomas Jefferson. The library was empty except for a handful of hyperactive after-school kids furiously flipping through picture books in the Juvenile section. He spotted Agnes behind the circulation desk; the old woman seemed to keep turning this way and that, as though she couldn’t decide which direction to head first.

Nick approached. “You seem to be in a hurry today.”

“She’s coming,” Agnes said solemnly.

“Who’s coming? Where?”

She looked at him in wonder. “You don’t know?”

“I’m working for the government—we’re always the last to know. What’s up?”

“Victoria Braden—she’s coming here—to Endor!”

“No kidding. When?”

“In just a couple of days. Imagine—our own little Victoria is coming home!”

“You’re in for a surprise,” Nick said. “She’s not so little anymore.”

Agnes looked around the library in desperation. “There’s so little time and so much to do.”

“You’d better polish the altar and fire up the incense burners.”

“I’m sorry, Nick, I just don’t have time to chat with you today—can you come back another time?”

“I just have one quick question: Remember the grave registries I was looking for? You said you’d ask around for me. Has anything turned up yet?”

“I’m sorry—there’s just no trace of them.”

“Because I asked at UVA, and they told me that the regional library would be the best place to look.”

“It is—but I’m afraid we just don’t have them. If anyone would know, I would. Now if you don’t mind—”

“Sorry, I’ll let you get back to your preparations. Don’t forget the sacrificial ox.”

But Agnes was already scurrying off.

20

20

Nick left the library and looked across the street, where Ralph and Edna Denardo were busy draping the lampposts in front of the Skyline with patriotic red-white-and-blue bunting. He looked to his left; in the parking lot behind the Resurrection Lutheran Church he saw Gunner Wendorf’s white Chevy. He crossed the street and entered the church. The Gothic arched door stood wide open, though no one was anywhere in sight. It figures, Nick thought. Theft probably wasn’t much of a problem in a town the size of Endor—after all, there wasn’t much to steal.

He stepped through the narthex and into the sanctuary, where he heard the sound of an electric drill and spotted Gunner kneeling by a pew near the chancel. Nick stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked down the aisle; Gunner had just driven a Phillips head screw into the side of a pew and was tapping in a hardwood plug to conceal the hole.

“You look like you know what you’re doing,” Nick said.