BooksBarbecue
Back THE MAILMAN Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. DEDICATION
  2. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55

“I don’t care if it’s likely or not,” Doug said, an edge of exasperation creeping into his voice. “That’s exactly what has happened, and there are many witnesses.”

“Well, there’s nothing really that I can do, but I can fill out a complaint form for you if you wish. Once the complaint is processed, an investigator will be sent out to look into the problem.”

“That’s fine,” Doug said.

Westwood asked his full name, address, occupation, and other personal information that he supposedly wrote onto the complaint form. “Now do you happen to know the carrier’s name and number?”

“His name’s John Smith. That’s all I know.”

“John Smith. John Smith. Let me check.” Doug thought he heard the soft clicking of computer keys. “I’m sorry, but we have no John Smith working in Willis. I have listed here Howard Crowell as postmaster, and Robert Ronda, carrier.”

“Ronda committed suicide over a month ago.”

“I’m sorry. We have no record of that here. It’s not listed on our computer.”

“Well, he was transferred here from Phoenix. Could you just see if you could find any John Smiths working in the Phoenix area?”

“Just a minute. I’ll browse by name instead of zip code.” There was a pause. “No, Mr. Albin. There is no John Smith working for the post office anywhere in Arizona.”

Doug said nothing.

“Did you hear me, Mr. Albin?”

He hung up the phone.

25

The town was unusually subdued for the Fourth of July. Fewer than a third of the people who usually came to the annual Picnic in the Park showed up this year, and even the Jaycee’s fireworks display was sparsely attended. Doug made Trish and Billy stay for both the daytime celebration and the fireworks, though neither of them wanted to, and while he pretended to have a good time for their sakes, he noticed a definite attitude change among their attending neighbors and acquaintances, and it unnerved him more than he was willing to admit. People he’d known for years, even other teachers and ex-students, seemed cold and distant, almost hostile. No one seemed to be having a good time.