Back at his appartment, Bryce had been usy in his efforts to try to reach his father, and running up his long-distance bill in the process. Since he had arrived home, he had called every relative he had in Alaska, his Dad's home phone number and any available contact he could find in the area his dad was headed to.
On a whim, he decided, once more to call the store, thinking perhaps someone there would know how to contact him. Bryce was suprised when his own father's voice greeted him with a "Hello"
"Dad?" Bryce asked.
"Son," replied Geoff pleasantly. "This is certainly a nice suprise." For some strange reason, the man didn't sound suprised at all, more like he expected this call.
"Well, dad, I think that we've been fighting long enough," began the photographer.
Geoff spoke up before his son could finish. "I couldn't agree more, my son, all is forgiven."
Bryce blinked. Wow, that was easy, he thought. "What exactly put you in such a good mood," he asked his father.
"Son, I've just made the biggest archeological find of my career."
"Really?" Bryce asked intruiged. "What did you find." Something in the photographer's gut was telling him that something was off.
"It's a small wooden box, ornately decorated, and it had a keyhole on it, but I haven't found the key yet. Noone I;ve shown it too seems to have one that will fit either." he paused for a moment. "You wouldn;t happen to know anyone in your area with a knowledge of such things, would you?"
The feeling in Bryce's stomach began to grow. At this point he decided not to give his dad all the details untill he knew what was going on. "You know, I just might," he answered.
"Well if you can help me, it would be great, and if you can, please come home," Goeffrey said. "I'd really love to see you again, and Smokey too, of course."
"I'll sww what I can do." The two exchanged goodbyes and hund up. Bryce took a moment to sort through the confusion. He knew that that was his Dad speaking to him, but something was a little... off about him. And how come he was at the store whan the clerk, Marie, told him that he wasn't expected back for another day or so?
Shaking his head, Bryce dialed up the Luna foundation to let them know that he had contacted his father, as he had promised.
***
The Demon that now inhabited the form of Geoffrey Markham grinned to himself as he walked past the corpse of the young woman who was the clerk of the store. That foolish boy would lead The Walker right into his hands...
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