Chapter Four
Armed with Sam’s description of the woman that he had given her earlier, Star spent the afternoon scouring the news archive in the two storey library of Benson Rapids. Three hours and two cups of coffee later she still had zip.
There was no mention of a suicide happening at Angel Crest, no mention of death what so ever which Star found weird in itself. Even a Backwater dying by natural means would have made it into the local papers, they were the closest thing to royalty that the village had.
“Found anything useful?” The soft feminine voice of the librarian Tess Brooks gave Star a good excuse for a break.
“Nope, I swear I’ll still be here when I’m sixty.” Tess chuckled and leaned against the cheap desk that the computer monitor rested on.
“Star…Sam hasn’t called me back yet.” Star tensed up not sure how to answer. Tess was way better then Nancy and she had hoped that when her brother had asked Tess out on a date, the pair would get together. All it led to was a movie and a million voicemails from a confused Tess on the office answering machine.
“He’s been pretty busy lately.” She answered carefully. Tess stared at her and Star squirmed uncomfortably.
“So he’s not giving me the brush off?” Star forced a smile.
“Of course not, you know how he is…” she trailed off hoping Tess wouldn’t press. Sam was dark and dangerous and Star knew that meant irresistible to most of the female population, but after what they been through Sam had closed himself off, afraid of hurting like that again and now only indulged his…bodily needs shall we say. Plus he felt bound to protect her, afraid that Star would leave him too. It was no way to live but she had faith that with time he would get over it.
“Thanks Star, I really like him you know.” Tess’s words brought Star out of her thoughts.
“Just give it time Tess. He’ll call.” The smile on her face widened.
“Well I’m going to close up now; you know the drill just lock up after you leave.” Star nodded and accepted the key Tess pressed into her palm before vanishing back down the aisles. This wasn’t the first time Star had stayed up all night researching a case.
Star went back to searching the Backwater’s history as the sky darkened. Outside the streetlamps slowly warmed up, illuminating the dimness of the library. Sucked into the paper clippings on the monitor she didn’t realize how late it was, and didn’t hear her cell ringing because she had switched it onto silent upon entering the stacks.
“Star…” A low whisper that called to her stopped her dead. At first it was so faint she dismissed it, but then it came again…louder. Swivelling in her chair Star’s almond eyes swept the library.
“Tess…?” Of course it wasn’t Tess, she had left …Star looked at her watch that had stopped at 5.p.m. She swallowed hard and urged her heart to stop hammering against her ribs. She had come face to face with things that went bump in the night, but this wasn’t your average ghost, this was more. She could feel it.
Star had tried not to be alone when it got dark because that’s when he came: the man in black. The man Sam couldn’t see.
Hurrying to her feet Star grabbed her rain coat and keys, in her hurry to leave she upset the chair, it thumped onto the floor and she stooped to pick it up. That was when she heard it. Footsteps. They banged across the wooden floor loud enough to wake the dead.
Star took off in the opposite direction.
Running through the stacks to the entrance she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. The lamps that rested on the scattered work desks went out, plunging her into absolute darkness. Star knew the library well enough to fumble her way forward. Yanking out the cell from her coat pocket the display lit up telling her that she had missed eight calls from her brother.
Star was just about to call him when the lights returned, bringing with it the noise of books being hurtled from their shelves. Turning slowly her heart sank as every book in the row of stacks behind her emptied, hitting the floor with a booming thud.
Then blackness came…
*
“Where the hell have you been?” Sam yelled as his sister walked into the office. “I’ve been ringing you for an hour!”
“Sorry.” She mumbled shuffling over to the torn leather couch that lay against the far wall, throwing herself down onto it.
“You okay?” Star glanced at him with dazed eyes.
“Huh?” A panicked dread formed in the pit of his stomach and he went over, his eyes running over her looking for any signs of injury.
“What happened?” Star blinked rapidly and with each flutter the confusion in her eyes abated.
“Nothing…I just spooked myself.” Sam threw her a sceptical look. “I was in the library with my cell on silent searching for something on these bloody ghosts!” She shot. “I didn’t realize how late it was and…”
“And what?” Sam prodded when she trailed off. She raked her fingers through her long dark hair and Sam saw something on her wrist, he grabbed her arm and pushed her sleeve up more. A bluish- black bruise circled her wrist, like someone had dragged or bound her. “What’s this?” He asked in a tense barely contained tone. She looked down at it silently.
“Who did this to you Star?” He shouted getting to his feet.
“Sam…”
“Don’t dare Sam me!” He told her. “I’ll kill them!”
“Sam…” He was pacing the floor like a caged wolf.
“Was it that…Damon guy? The one that came onto you a few weeks ago in Benny’s?”
“No…Sam please!”
“Then who?” Star sighed tiredly.
“I honestly don’t know.” She said quietly. “I woke up on the library floor with it.” The rage on Sam’s face turned to concern.
“What were you doing on the floor?” He asked totally confused by her explanation.
“I…don’t remember.”
“Okay, grab your coat. I’m taking you to Doc Parsons.” Star stayed where she was.
“There’s nothing wrong with me Sam, don’t be silly.”
“Silly? Star you woke up on the library floor with a nasty looking bondage bruise on you wrist! And you don’t remember anything about it! That’s not normal.” He exclaimed grabbing the keys to his Chevy.
“And what about our life is normal Sam?” He exhaled deeply.
“Star anything could have happened to you, you were as dazed as hell when you walked in here. You could have been ruthied.” She gaped at him.
“Ruthied? You think I’ve been raped is that it?” She said absolutely gob smacked.
“Star.” He breathed. “We don’t know. This could have nothing at all to do with the supernatural, I’ll feel better once we get you checked over.”
“Sam look at me! Did my would be raper dress me afterward? You’re being ridiculous!” He gave her the evil eye and she didn’t have the strength or inclination to stand here arguing with him. “Whatever! I’m going to bed.”
“What’s that?” She rolled her eyes and slinked away to the door that led to the house.
“I said I’m tired, I’m going to bed.”
“No I mean that in your coat pocket!” Star looked down and sure enough there was a sheet of paper peeking over the helm of her pocket. Frowning she took it out and unfolded it. Her mouth dropped open as she read it over. “What is it?” Sam asked, unable to find the words Star handed it to him.
“Hattie Jamieson,” he read, “was reported missing today by her mother Gladys.”
“Look at the picture.” Star instructed and watched his eyes widen.
“It’s her!” He exclaimed excitedly. “The girl I saw at the Backwater’s lake! It’s her! You found it!” He beamed walking over to the desk. Star shuffled to the house, knowing damn well that she hadn’t found a thing…