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It's early in the morning at corner of Macgovern & Litchdenberg, the site of Goth Haven's City Hall. The sun hasn't been up for more then an hour or so. The morning light is shining through the large glass window's of the building's main hall. There are a few security guards milling about on their rounds around the building. One of the front entrance doors is unlocked so that any City Employee might want to come in early can do so. Once such employee is that of Doctor Ezra Jones, Coroner.
The short stalky man walks through the central hall & over to the elevator. He would like to get to the basement before his night attendant leaves for the day. He has something he'd like to talk with her about. The old elevator touches down & the art deco styled doors open in a somewhat jerky fashion. The rider steps off & makes his way down the hallway. He makes a quick stop off at his office & then walks into the Morgue's waiting room.
He can see through a window which shows him the Morgue's small office, there he can see his night morgue attendant staring at her hand. She moves it back & forth a bit. Jones sighs & walks into the Morgue proper then into the office.
Once he in the door, he clears his throat. He doesn't get a response so he says "Catherine!"
This cause a response, she stops staring at her hand & then some what flustered she asks "Yes?"
"Are you high?"
"No. Why?"
"We'll I've only ever seen people star at their there hands like you were when their high & I don't need any pothead minding the morgue."
"I can assure you I'm no Pothead."
"All right." he said uneasy.
They just looked at each other for a few minutes. He with a look of distain on his face, she with a look of uneasy.
Jones broke the silence & said "Come with me to my office."
He then turned & started to walk back to his office.
Catherine called after him "Should I bring my stuff with me?"
"Your Choice." He called back.
Catherine gathered up his jacket & messenger bag. Then ran after him. He was waiting for her in his office, she walked in & he closed the door behind her. He walked over to his desk & sat down. Catherine sat down on the only other available chair. There were other chairs in the office but most of them were occupied with books, binders, piles of paper & other stuff. Catherine didn't like some in Doctor Jones' office, it always seems to cramped & small. The walls were either covered with framed photographs or over flowing bookcases & a number of filling cabinets. Also, there was no natural light to be found in there. The only light there was either the halogen light coming down from the ceiling or the lamp of Jones' desk.
"So..." He said drawing out the 'o' & then continued "how is everything?"
"Fine." Catherine replied uneasy. He had this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she was just minutes away from being fired.
"Good. Good." Jones said as he shook his head in agreement of the comment.
"You recovering well from the incident a few weeks back?"
"Yes." She lied. Catherine felt it was easier to say she was abducted with the rest of the Earth's population then to say she was on the moon at the time.
"Good. Good." He said with another series of head nods.
There were few moments of silence which seemed, at least to Catherine last to long, which had Doctor Jones just sitting there looking across the cluttered desk at Catherine.
"Your probably wonder why I've come in early today & asked you in her?"
"Yes."
"Well, I've got one question & that is are you in trouble with the Lair Legion?"
Catherine wasn't sure how to answer that question at first. "Well... uh.. um.. " She stammered.
Jones leaded back in his chair. "It's a simple question: are you or aren't you?"
"Well, as far as I know I am not."
"All right. I ask this since yesterday in the the interoffice mail among all the other pieces I receive I got this." He said as he reached into one of his office drawers & pulled out a envelope.
"It's addressed to you care of this office & up in the corner the return address is the Parody Island. Now there is only one building on that hunk of rock out in the harbor & that's the Legion's Mansion."
Catherine was going to correct him by saying there is also a lighthouse but choose not to.
"Do you know the Legion?"
"I've meet two of the members, seen one other in person & some how another one knows of me. But I wouldn't say I know the Legion."
There was a pause, then Jones said. "Oh yes, The Hatman incident."
Catherine shook her head in agreement & then there was another pause.
"Why do you think the Legion would be sending mail to people they don't know?"
"I don't know." Catherine said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Doctor Jones tossed the envelope across the desk. Catherine picked it up. The Legion's address was stamped onto the envelope where as Her name & everything else was written neatly in a black ink. Catherine thought it looked like a man's hand writing.
Catherine flipped it over & there on the back was a seal: it was two L's, they were both faced back to back. One faced to the left & the other to the right. The seal was also broken.
"You opened it?" she asked.
"Yes. It may have been addressed to you but with in care of the City Morgue & I am the Coroner, so of course I opened it."
Catherine down at the envelope & asked "So, what does it says?"
"I don't know." Jones replied.
Catherine looked up with a puzzled look on her face. "what?"
"Yes. I wasn't sure what it meant so that's why I wanted to meet with you."
"Ok." Catherine said a bit puzzled. "Was in some strange language or in code?"
"No. No, nothing like that. I just wasn't sure what the contents meant." Doctor Jones said & the looked at the clock on the wall. "Your shift is almost up & I'll not be paying your overtime to read your mail so go clock out & I'll be expecting you back here tonight, alright?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good." Jones said then turned his back to her & set about working.
This was his subtle for her to leave so she did. She clocked out & then cross the street to the Civic Center Park. She found a nice bench to read her letter on. Catherine opened up the envelope & inside was a blank piece of paper.
Catherine looked over the entire sheet, held it to the sun to see if there was an special water mark: Nothing. It was just a piece of paper. Catherine, much like Doctor Jones, wasn't sure what to make of this. Then she noticed that hand written text began to appear:
Catherine-
I hope you are well and I hope my send this to your place of work did not get you in any trouble. This was not my intention.
I am writing you to inquire if you would be willing to come to the Lair Mansion so that we may further our discussion on the "Mr. Spooky" topic. I should be at the Mansion most anytime that is baring any unforeseen occurrences that may take me away.
If this is alright with you, just come over to the mansion and say that you are there to see me that should get you in. I look forward to seeing you soon.
The letter was then signed Lenard H. Bookman, the Librarian.
Catherine set the letter down on the bench & after she did, she noticed the message disappear much like he had appeared. Catherine sat there on the bench wondering if she would go or not.
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TO BE CONTINUED...
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