Page 104 of Vanish From Sight
“I think we should have informed the rector about our arrival,” Callie said.
“By the sounds of the previous interaction, I’m not sure he would be too happy to see us again.”
As they threaded their way through a sea of students, they noticed that many were eagerly devouring their meals, while others were lost in conversation with their peers. A few caught their eye, muttering to one another. A uniform always garnered a different response. Shock, smiles, a weary glance.
Their attention locked on to the teenage boy who they’d been directed to by a staff member. He was sitting by himself at a small table in a corner of the hall. It was hard to tell how tall he was but it was clear he wasn’t very imposing. He had a lean and lanky build that suggested he didn’t spend much time on sports or physical activity. His dark hair was styled in a messy but modern tousled look with a little too much upfront. Noah noted the typical preppy attire with neatly pressed khaki pants and a collared shirt. His shoes were polished and well-maintained, and he had a book open on the table while he ate, indicating he took studying seriously.
“Charlie Delaney?” Noah asked.
He glanced up with a suspicious expression. “Who’s asking?”
“Investigator Sutherland from State.”
“Why aren’t you in uniform?”
Noah glanced at Callie then back at him. “Because she is.”
That wasn’t the reason. BCI investigators wore plainclothes.
“You here about Katherine?”
“That among other things.”
“What do you want from me?”
“Just to talk.”
“No one told me you were coming.” Charlie shifted nervously in his seat, he glanced across the room to a table where a group of older teenagers were talking and eyeballing him. Noah noticed two of them were the same boys he’d seen in Hawthorne’s office on the first day when he arrived.
“No one needed to,” Noah replied. “Is there somewhere else you’d feel comfortable chatting?” Noah could sense Charlie’s unease and noted the constant glances at the others.
“And give them more reason to talk?” He glanced off to his left again toward the same table before he got up. “Why not? It’s not like it can get any worse.”
As the three of them made their way out of the busy dining hall, they passed through a long, brightly lit hallway. The walls were lined with lockers and there were a few posters hanging sporadically, and a white banner crossing the hall with the words: Academy Dance – Get Your Ticket.
The sound of chatter and laughter faded away as they turned a corner. They passed multiple classrooms. Charlie shifted his book bag over his shoulder, glancing at them out the corner of his eye before leading them through a set of doors into a library. As they entered, the scent of old books and polished wood filled their nostrils. It was quiet with only a few students scattered throughout, browsing, studying or reading quietly.
The first thing that caught Noah’s attention was the vast collection of books that filled the shelves and lined the walls. The library was spacious, two floors with high ceilings. Charlie led them down an aisle past sections devoted to every genreimaginable. He eyed rows of textbooks, biographies, fiction, non-fiction, reference books and many more. The aisle was wide enough to accommodate several people at once.
Callie raised her eyebrows, noting how far back Charlie was leading them.
The lighting above them was subdued with soft yellow lights that cast a warm glow over wooden tables and chairs arranged throughout the room. There were a few reading lamps set strategically for those who wanted to read with more light.
Dotted over the walls were posters that were informative, displaying the Dewey decimal system, the hours of operation and inspirational quotes or book recommendations. A few had photographs of authors and advertised events that were coming up at the school.
“This should do,” Charlie said, taking a seat at a table.
“You have many friends, Charlie? A girlfriend, perhaps?” Noah asked.
“What kind of questions are those?” He wiped food from the corner of his lips with his hand. Despite his smart appearance, Noah got a sense that he didn’t have much luck with girls and that he was awkward in social situations by the way he blushed and stumbled over his words.
“Just curious.”
“Um. I do okay.”
Noah nodded, a smile dancing at the corner of his mouth. “I get a sense you aren’t like the others. You carry yourself with a degree of respect.”
He shrugged.
