A Darker Past (The Darker Agency #2)(7)

“No, no,” Father Saunders replied. “This has nothing to do with the box. It remains hidden safely, along with several added measures of protection after our recent incident. No, this is about something else.”

She didn’t say anything, but Mom was relieved. No one else would have noticed, but the slightest bit of tension drained from her body. I could always read her like a large-print book. “Of course. What can we help you with, Father?”

“Nothing,” he said, pulling a cell phone from his pocket. He handed it to her and stepped back, frowning. “This time, I’m going to help you.”

Puzzled, Mom took the phone and studied the screen, and I rose onto my toes to get a better look.

“Is that a picture of…?” I tilted my head, trying to figure out what I was looking at. “I don’t get it. What’s that a picture of?” It looked like the steps outside Town Hall on an overcast day. They were covered in dusty boxes and ancient-looking furniture.

Father Saunders took the phone back. He nodded to the table a few feet away and frowned. “Some of the boxes in that picture are from the cellar at Saint Vincent’s. As you can see, for this year’s festival, the town has decided to do a Days Gone By exhibit.”

“It’s great,” Mom said. She got a wistful look in her eyes. History was like crack for the woman. “Penance has such an interesting history.”

“Indeed,” Father Saunders agreed. “However, some pieces of history are better left buried.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “The town seems to have gotten their hands on several boxes from my collection. Boxes that were never meant to see the light of day again.”

“Meaning what?” Lukas asked suspiciously.

This had disaster written all over it. Any guy keeping the Seven Deadly Sins stashed away in his cellar was bound to have other nasties lying around.

“Meaning, your ancestor, Simon Darker, left some boxes in the care of Saint Vincent’s. Things I inherited when I took over as caretaker of the church.”

I shook off a chill.

“And those would be the ones that were taken,” Mom confirmed with a sigh.

The priest nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

“If they were yours, how did the town get hold of them?” Lukas asked. He was looking a little pale. Not that I could blame him. He’d known Simon Darker personally, so he, better than anyone, knew some of the hazards his belongings could hold.

Simon had been a Monster Masher—technically the first—like Mom and me—like all the Darkers—and if he was anything like the rest of us, he’d crossed paths with some pretty epic evil in his day. There was no telling what kind of horrors might be in those boxes.

“As I said, I inherited everything at Saint Vincent’s. The items never leave the church. However, two weeks ago, I was moving things around and several of the boxes were left in proximity to those being donated to the Founder’s Day event.” He gave a sheepish grin. “I’m afraid they were put on display with the rest of Saint Vincent’s items.”

“You couldn’t just call them up and tell them they took the wrong box?” I wanted to point out that leaving them in the open was just plain careless, but bit my tongue. Shaming a priest was sure to earn me desk duty from Mom.

Father nodded. “Of course. But the festival committee had already opened the boxes and discovered several truly delightful finds. They promised to return them unharmed at the end of the celebration next week. Pushing the issue seemed unwise. It would have aroused suspicion. As the resting place for the Seven Deadly Sins, Saint Vincent’s is too important to fall under scrutiny.”

“Delightful finds,” I repeated as a large man wearing a baseball cap that said History turns me on, pushed past. He stopped and glanced back down the hall, then turned to Lukas with an odd expression before moving on to the next table. “Probably not the words I’d use.”

Mom shot me a warning glare and turned back to Father Saunders. “You did the right thing by calling us, Father. Do you know what it is they found in the boxes?”

“Trinkets. Several old photographs. Books. Nothing outwardly ominous. But we both know that nothing the Darkers stored in that church is innocuous.”

I could see the wheels turning in Mom’s head already, and I relaxed a bit. By the time we got back to the car, the woman would have a plan worked out, a flawless strategy in place to execute it, and several backup ideas ready to go. It was just how she rolled, and honestly, I idolized her for it. Mom was tough and brilliant and braver than anyone I’d ever met. I’d be lucky to end up half as awesome as her.

“You’ll need to remove the items as soon as possible.” The priest frowned. He looked to the left, then to the right. “It would be unlawful for me to suggest breaking and entering, as would it be for me to inform you that Town Hall will close later tonight. After nine. I’ll have to settle for wishing you well.”

Mom extended her hand, fighting a grin. “I think we’ll go have a look around inside. Soak in some of the history. I truly appreciate the heads-up.”

His expression warmed, and he shook her hand. “While I don’t always agree with your methods, the Darker family has done this town a great service over the years. What you do is appreciated, Klaire.”

Mom smiled, and we all started to turn away, but Father Saunders called out, “Oh, one more thing.” He came out from behind his table and closed the distance between us, fiddling with his cell again. “There was one other small, potential problem you should be aware of.”