I sit up with a start. It’s the librarian from before, the one I
was kind of rude to. She doesn’t seem to remember. Her smile
is warm and genuine.
“I don’t think so,” I say. “I’m just having trouble finding what
I’m looking for.”
She nods knowingly. “It’s difficult. Like trying to find a
needle in a haystack?”
“Took the words right out of my mouth.”
She glances at the stacks of microfilm boxes piled around me
and then lifts one. “All nineteen twenty-five. Are you looking
for something in particular that happened in that year?”
“Well, more something I think might have happened.”
“Have you considered checking a year behind or ahead?”
Maybe I’m delirious from hours of eye-crossing tedium, but
I could swear I see a lightbulb snap on over her head. I must be
wearing my emotions on my face because the librarian gives me
a smile. “Good luck.”
I make a beeline to the drawers of microfilm. Drawing in a
breath, I close my eyes, make a circle, and point to a drawer.
March 1, 1927–May 1, 1927.
The first box yields nothing. Despair threatens again, but
I swallow it down. The second one is also useless. But then,
finally, in the third box, I have a breakthrough.
It’s a newspaper article discussing the arrest of several key
executives at none other than Cooper Enterprises. My pulse
quickens as I skim the text. This is significant. It has to be.
Granted, it says nothing about murdering an innocent teenage
boy, but they’re obviously a corrupt company, and this proves
it. Who knows what they’re capable of?
I sit back in my chair, suddenly overwhelmed. The day has
taken a toll on m. I feel exhausted but also deeply relieved.
I need to talk to Lawrence, to tell him to look into Cooper
Enterprises too. I gather up my makeshift campsite around the
microfilm projector with shaking hands. My heart soars. Thank
you, librarian lady.
I speed all the way home. As I pull up to the house, however,
I notice a red car in the driveway.
Brandon. I push my forehead against the steering wheel.
“Just perfect.”
Any hope of sneaking in unnoticed vanishes when I open the
door. Mom and Brandon stand in the kitchen, directly in my
line of sight. Mid-laugh, they both notice me.
“There she is,” Brandon says with what I’m sure was intended
to be a suave smile. “Feeling better?”
Mom’s expression cools. “Where on earth have you been?”
“The library,” I say, dropping my bags in a pile on the floor.
“Like I said this morning.”
“The library and…?”
“That’s it,” I say. “I went straight there and came straight back.”
Mom folds her arms and raises an eyebrow. “You expect me
to believe you’ve been at the library for eight hours?”
I sigh. Maybe I could make a run for the beach. I’ll hide with
Lawrence until my family decides I must have drowned and go
back to Ohio.
“Maybe I don’t want to know,” Mom says. “I can’t imagine
what could possibly compel a teenager to spend all day in a
library during summer break.”
“Ask the librarian if you don’t believe me.”
Mom reprimands my by narrowing her eyes. “Well, lucky for
you, Brandon here has convinced me to let you two hang out,
instead of grounding you immediately.”
This night keeps getting better and better.
“I brought that movie I was telling you about,” Brandon says,
holding up a DVD case.
This entire conversation is the last thing I need. My brain is
fried and my nerves are frayed. There’s no way I’ll miss seeing
Lawrence tonight. He’s probably waiting for me as we speak.
Brandon and his stupid movie are not going to keep me from
that beach.
“Great,” I say, forcing a smile. “I’m looking forward to
it. Should we start in about an hour? You can go and…get
Slurpees or something.”
“Cass,” Mom says, disapproval thick in her voice.