by John Stone
“Sir, I didn’t mean to offend you,” she said, before thinking that she hardly said anything to be offended about. “Sir, I really need to know. Do you remember anything? Any piece of information could help.’’
“Emily, what’s this all about? Shouldn’t you be concentrating on your work? You seem to have too much on your plate lately. Don’t take on more than you can’t handle,” he warned.
Emily didn’t look pleased by what Mr. Mitchell was saying. “I’m genuinely concerned about my friend. She’s been missing. I know what I’m asking for”, she said with determination, “so please tell me. I know that you know something, Sir, so please…just tell me.”
Mr. Mitchell nodded his head and Emily thought for a second that he was going to say something useful. However, he simply stared at her for a moment more. Then, he clicked on his computer and opened the register. Then, he told Emily without looking at her, “Yes, I can see she was here, two days ago. She came here at noon. It was exactly twelve noon. She asked me for a book on criminology and I informed her where it was on the shelf.” He paused and it seemed that he was thinking of something else. Then, he went on to say, “Grace, your friend, came up to me and asked, 'If there was a book or any source through which she could find someone who was a student at the university or possibly worked here in the past?' I asked her to check a few books in Section D. Over there,” he motioned with his hand. “She remained there for some time and then came up again to tell me not to say that she was here, as she didn’t want to be disturbed.”
What did Grace get herself into? Emily thought. She turned around to look for Section D and then she turned back toward Mr. Mitchell. “Did anyone ask about her?” The suspense was too much for Emily to bear.
“Yes, someone did ask for her,” he admitted, “but it’s not my responsibility to keep secrets. So, I told them where to find her,” he said.
“But she asked you not to,” Emily blurted out. “Then why did you do it? And who was looking for her?”
The tone of Emily’s voice elevated slightly higher than Mr. Mitchell would have preferred. He gave her a pained expression. Before she could get an answer from him, Sarah and Jesse came in to the library. They were looking for Emily.
“Here you are!” the red-haired girl exclaimed. “We searched all over for you. Professor Jacob sent us here to look for you, and he wants everyone in class today.” The two classmates looked at Emily skeptically. “You weren’t even picking up your phone.”
Professor Jacob taught her second class of the day, and he was well-known for his strict truancy policy. The girls waited for Emily to come immediately with them, and she was torn about what to do. She was just about to get some answers from Mr. Mitchell, but now she would have to wait for another opportunity to arise. She was already off to a bad start this semester and decided to rush over to her next class.
“I’ll come back and talk to you later, Mr. Mitchell, I promise,” Emily whispered, and without waiting for a reply, she left with Jesse and Sarah.
The class with Professor Jacob seemed to last an eternity. Emily found it hard to concentrate. She couldn’t wait to go back to the library and inquire about who was looking for Grace.
What was she looking for that was so important that she would lie to her best friend? Can I trust Mr. Mitchell? Will he lie to me? She mumbled under her breath.
As she waited for the class to be over, Mr. Jacob said something about an assignment. Emily didn’t hear it and barely managed to stay awake the whole time. As soon as he left the lecture hall, she excused herself from the class. On the way out, she asked Sarah to inform her if Mr. Paisley, their next teacher, was giving out any homework.
The walk to the library seemed to take forever, and it reminded Emily of her dreams. The mere thought of it made her shiver a little. She picked up the pace just to break the monotony of the moment. She pushed open the library door, but Mr. Mitchell was not there. Instead, there was someone new sitting at a chair beside his desk. To Emily’s surprise, Mr. Mitchell’s chair was empty.
“Where is Mr. Mitchell? I was supposed to meet him,” Emily told the younger attendant. She clearly looked distraught, and the person she was facing didn’t look familiar.
The man in question replied, “Mr. Mitchell was called out. I am just filling in for him. I am Mr. Kourim and will be assisting him more regularly from now on.”
Emily stood there like a statue and didn’t say a thing.
So to break the silence, Mr. Kourim said, “What is your name? And do you have a message for him?”
“Mr. Kourim, do you know who called him away?” Emily asked. She was reluctant to give away her name.
“What is your name?” he asked again, and then said, “Is there a book you need? I can help you out.”
“No, Mr. Kourim, I need to see him. It is important,” she replied and at that moment saw Mr. Mitchell walking in through the door.
He had the appearance of someone who was just interrogated and for a split second, Emily felt pity for him. Yet, Mr. Mitchell passed her without giving her a second glance. He actually looked right through her. Emily looked down because she didn’t know what to say. This was never how Mr. Mitchell behaved before. He was always eager to speak with her. He helped her out with finding books and giving information, but this time around, he looked ill at ease. It was clear that something was troubling him. A younger student walked past her to complete the formalities of borrowing a few books and Emily stepped aside. She waited for the process to be completed, but with every passing moment, she was getting more and more impatient.
She went up to Mr. Mitchell when the younger student left, but she wasn’t comfortable enough to question him in front of Mr. Kourim. She flipped through a magazine to bide her time. When Mr. Kourim went out to take a drink, it was the perfect opportunity for Emily to get the unfinished answer to her earlier question.
“Mr. Mitchell,” Emily called out and he looked up to her. “Oh! It’s you again.” Emily nodded.
“Mr. Mitchell, who was it that called Grace that day? You said someone called for her,” she asked.
“Of course, someone called for her and I showed him the way to where she was. It was your professor, Mr. Gallagher.”
“Mr. Gallagher?” Emily was taken aback; of all the people she had expected, she didn’t expect it to be Mr. Gallagher.
“Mr. Gallagher!” she exclaimed. “He came looking for her? But why would he do that? We just had our classes before that and he never even…” She left her thought unfinished and then mumbled, “There was no reason for him to call her.”
Grace was never inclined towards Mr. Gallagher lectures. She was much fonder of Mr. Paisley. Therefore, any interaction between them was highly unlikely and even more so if Mr. Gallagher was looking for Grace to ask her something. It just didn’t make much sense. Emily turned toward the door without even realizing it and slowly started to walk away.
“Emily!” Mr. Mitchell called out.
He had pity in his eyes and Emily could see that. Perhaps he could sense her inner turmoil. It was obvious that something was bothering her and the lack of sleep for the past two days had left her looking almost gaunt.
“I think your friend was searching for a person,” he said very quietly, as if he didn’t want anyone around him to hear him say that.
“She was looking for someone in the criminology section?” Emily questioned back with an exasperated expression plastered on her face.
“After that she went over to where the year books and old college magazines are stored,” he went on to say. “When Mr. Gallagher came looking for her, I directed him toward where Grace was, but soon after, I followed him to see if they needed something,” he said in one breath.
“And you heard them talking? Please tell me something, Mr. Mitchell. Grace has not been home for two days and I am rightfully worried.”
“Well, it was not right for me to pry, but as I went near, I heard Grace say that she was looking for someone. Mr. Ga
llagher said that it was not important or something in those lines.” He waited for Emily to say something, but continued on, “I think they saw me and stopped talking. I shouldn’t be saying this to you; it is not my business.”
“Mr. Mitchell, I cannot thank you enough. I won’t tell anybody that you told me,” Emily assured him and left.
She headed back to the dorm to take lunch and ponder this new information. She debated if it was right to confront Mr. Gallagher directly, but what would she ask him? “It could be nothing and I might just be thinking too much into this, but what if it is something to worry about? Should I keep quiet about it?” She questioned herself aloud and paced the bathroom floor. Emily tried to frame the right questions in her mind that would be appropriate to ask Mr. Gallagher. There were so many questions piling in her mind and she could sense a mild headache rising in the back of her head. The only thing that would make her feel better was getting to the bottom of this whole matter once and for all.
Mr. Gallagher was absent in class that day, so that implied that Emily would have to go looking for him elsewhere. She couldn’t delay it anymore. She inquired about him to a few students and teachers, but everyone said that he was absent that day and probably resting in his quarters.
It was getting near five thirty p.m. and a day wasted again, Emily thought. Who was Grace looking for?
Emily couldn’t sit without doing anything, so she went back to the library again. She had to see if there was something she missed. She went to the section where the criminology books were placed. If there was something strange going on, then those books knew it. How Emily wished that they could speak. The books were a silent and motionless spectator, but held so much information. She shifted to the section where the old magazines and the year books were stored. She started scrambling through the magazines and tried to see if there were any year books that were left out in the open. Emily saw that there was a thin layer of dust settled on the top shelf of the books and from there, one of the books was missing.
Could it be a coincidence that Grace had taken it? Or is it just my imagination?
It was indeed a yearbook that was missing from the row of books. It was her good fortune to find it and now she was closer to resting all the questions that were bubbling inside her. She tried reaching for the top shelf, but fell short of it. Then, she climbed up the ladder and reached up to see what was there. She looked closer and saw that there was another book that was missing from the row. Emily dusted off a layer of grime from the top of a book. Then, she took out the first book from where one of the books was missing. It showed the batch of 1972. She flipped through the pictures and didn’t see anyone that she knew of, and then she flipped again. She saw nothing.
Who was she looking for?
She sighed and then turned towards the section where another book was missing. She took out the book on the left, and it was the class of 1966. Hence, she concluded that her friend was looking for someone from the years 1973 and 1967. That’s assuming that Grace was the one who took those books out.
Who was it that Grace knew from 1967 and 1973?
Emily stood motionless on the ladder for a moment and was puzzled beyond doubt. She saw Mr. Mitchell walking towards her and she had a feeling that he would probably know. After all, he worked in the library for so many years and must have some idea if anyone significant studied here during those years.
“Mr. Mitchell,” she called down to him. “Did Grace take the year books from the batch of 1967 and 1973?” she asked.
“I have to check that, but I came by to ask you if you needed something,” he replied.
“I just need to know which books she took with her,” Emily asked.
“I’ll check,” he responded and went back again.
Emily didn’t stop looking herself; she searched the entire rack to see if there was something that she had missed. Mr. Mitchell came back and informed Emily that Grace didn’t borrow any books the other day. Emily looked disappointed. She seemed to be moving further away from the answers every time she came within reach. Either that or someone had changed the evidence.
“Grace didn’t take them?” she asked. “But two of the year books are missing. Someone must have borrowed them. Can you look for the person who took them?” Emily pleaded.
He went off to the front desk again and came back with a glum face. Then, in his usual tone he said, “It was your professor, Mr. Gallagher. He took them, but not on that day. He took the yearbooks out yesterday.”
Emily came down from the ladder and stood there looking at Mr. Mitchell with a confused stare. Her puzzle pieces didn’t fit. The why, who, when and where didn’t make sense at all. She was going around in circles and coming back at the same spot. She just couldn’t understand it. Someone knew something she didn’t know about the parcel which arrived at her door and Grace’s disappearance. She felt totally dejected and inferior as an investigator. There was no other way that she could go from here. The situation was just like her dream and she was stuck in the mire of her own imaginings.
Even though she knew that it was Mr. Gallagher who questioned Grace, and it was him who took the year book, she still didn’t have a clue as to why. She needed to ask him directly, but she didn’t know how to approach Dr. Gallagher. With Grace still gone, Emily knew she had to find a way very soon. If she couldn’t confront her professor, then the only way to find out more about him was through the students. This place was a gossip farm. Nothing could be kept hidden within the premises of the university. Even if there was a slight rumor, it spread like wildfire. So if there was something odd about the aged professor, it would be known by someone. Just going about getting that juicy tidbit of information could be difficult. Stalking around campus asking about a professor’s whereabouts could come off as creepy, and if caught by the dean, could almost guarantee punishment.
There was a lot of planning going on in her mind: whom to ask or what would be the right source. She could ask Keisha to help her, but then she didn’t want Denise or Mia to know. Things were already getting a bit out of hand, and Emily didn’t want to make matters worse.
It was getting late and the campus was starting to shut down for the evening. The chill in the air had returned and she hurriedly walked back to her dorm. Emily wasn’t feeling all that irritated anymore, but still wanted to pursue the matter further. She knew that if she tried, the answers would soon become more apparent. The only regret she had was that she was unable to concentrate very much in class. Her mind drifted away from academic matters and she was already falling behind. She liked going to the classes, listening to her teachers speak, but the recent turn of events was providing too much of a distraction. It displeased her greatly and she wanted things to go back to normal as soon as possible. She wished that strange anonymous parcel had never arrived, but there was no use dwelling on what couldn’t be changed. All that was left for her to do was sigh and run over the details again.
Keisha was standing in front of her door when Emily arrived home. She was pushing a fairly large box in front of her door, but stopped short when she saw Emily coming towards her. She looked out of breath and Emily hurried over to help her.
“Someone left this for you. It was in front of our door so I took it in, but it is addressed to you,” Keisha explained.
Emily didn’t take the box inside right away. She took her pocket knife out and cut the tape that secured the packaging. Keisha watched eagerly over her shoulder. There inside the box lay more books on spirits, souls and evocation. Emily harshly pushed the box away and separated herself from it. She almost tripped over her own heels in the narrow hallway. It was just the opposite of what she wanted.
At that moment, there was no peace for Emily, but she desperately craved it. The fact that someone was anonymously sending books to her address gave her the creeps. The incident occurred twice in a row, and Emily didn’t want to take the incident very lightly anymore.
Someone knows where I live and they’re doing it on purpose
to freak me out. And she was sure of that.
Keisha stood there the whole time and saw firsthand the ordeal that Emily was going through. A layer of clear discomfort was on Keisha’s face upon seeing the way Emily separated herself from the books. She wanted to help. Keisha knew that Grace wasn’t in the dorm and Emily might need someone there to support her. So Keisha invited Emily into her place.
“Leave them be. You don’t need them I suppose,” she said and Emily didn’t contradict her.
Once inside, she saw that Denise wasn’t there and Keisha informed her that she was out with her friend. There were so many things that Emily wanted to tell her, but she started with the basics. She confided in Keisha about the anonymous delivery of the first parcel, the missing criminology books, Grace leaving and about Denise and Mia. As part of the promise, Emily omitted the part about the library and what Mr. Mitchell told her.
Keisha listened to her very patiently. Emily could see there was a change in her expression when she mentioned the growing closeness between Denise and Mia, but she didn’t add anything to it.
“Yes, Mia is my friend and she takes interest in this stuff, but that is all I know.” That was the only thing Keisha said, and then she paused for a few moments. Then, she asked Emily again, “Did Denise return those books to you?”
Emily kept silent and Keisha knew what the answer was. All the while, Emily practiced in her head ways in which she could inquire about Mr. Gallagher in a discreet manner without arousing Keisha’s suspicion. Keisha on the other hand seemed more concerned about the anonymous delivery of the packages. She questioned Emily more about the details of the arrived packages. She shook her head solemnly after Emily examined the details of their arrival.
Keisha said, “There are crazy people out there. It’s never too late to be safe.”
All of a sudden, Emily asked, “Do you know anything about the teachers? I mean, do you know if any of the professors has a secret?”