FIVE

Present Day

Sterling, Massachusetts

    “And that was how my first European overseer assignment started,” Archie said.

    I thought about the last few wars we fought, and how long it took for the violence to quell even after we declared it over. “Germany must have been a mess in 1946,” I said.

    He nodded. “James told me that when he arrived in Nuremberg that June, the local resistance still strung telephone wires across the highways at night. They decapitated many of our soldiers before they were caught.”

    I remembered learning about Nuremberg in school. The Allies held the Nazi war crimes trials there because the city’s courthouse was one of the few to survive the Allied bombings.

    “Why would Soul Identity send an overseer to collect a deposit?” I asked. “Especially to such a dangerous place.”

    “The size of the deposit and the significance of the member,” Archie said. He frowned. “Also, I was the youngest, and I suppose the most expendable, overseer.”

    That made sense. Now on to the driver. “Is First Sergeant Little also known as James the elevator man?”

    Archie smiled. “The one and the same.”

    “After he was injured in Nuremberg,” Madame Flora said, “Archibald let him run the elevator. He rode that little box-cage up and down until he retired last year.”

    Archie frowned. “Please, Flora, your out-of-sequence comments only serve to complicate my story.”

    I hoped she’d continue. Fortunately she appeared to agree with me.

    “Complicate your story?” she asked. “You’re about to bore us with your long road trip and introduce us to each pothole James drove you through.” She pointed at him. “Maybe you’re right-Scott can help us with a thorough investigation. I’ll tell the next part.”