Chapter 7: In the library
„So what do we do now?", Scully asked while driving down this old, washed out street which was supposed to be the main street of the little town. The grungy houses in this quarter reminded her of the motel they stayed in. They passed the book store Mulder had been to.
"I don't know. You are the one who gave in immediately", Fox Mulder taunted and watched her, waiting for the response.
"Well", Scully defended herself. "You are the one who caused Mr. Stamp to freak out."
Mulder's mouth dropped open. He pretended to be outraged about that. "What? I didn't do anything. I told you we just talked."
"Sure", Scully answered and looked out of the driver's side window.
"Whom do you believe?", Mulder wanted to know. "Some crazy, old author you've never met before or your partner you've known for years?"
"Hmmmm", she said pretending to really think about that. "What was the first option?"
For a second Scully remained serious. Then she smirked mischievously.
"Ha, I got you!"
"No you didn't", Mulder argued. "I knew you weren't taking this seriously."
She stopped smirking. "Oh I do! I meant that. I really think you said something that made him mad."
"I just…", Mulder was taken by surprise. "I didn't. We talked."
He looked helpless.
Scully enjoyed that for a moment.
"Got you again!"
"Ok, stop that!", Mulder said.
For a few minutes nobody said anything. Scully just had a huge smile on her face.
Then Mulder spoke.
"The library. Drive us there."
Scully looked puzzled. "The library? What are we going to do at the library?"
"I want to look something up. Research, you know."
"Mhm, okay. Where is the library?"
Mulder looked out the windshield.
The area they were in now looked better, with stores and a baseball field where kids were playing. But nothing close to a municipal building.
He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not even sure if they have one."
Half an hour later they had found the library. And the city hall. And the post office.
The library was an inconspicuous building of medium size. Only a sign indicated that this was the county library.
"There we go", Scully said and drove up.
The interior wasn't much more remarkable. There were a few students sitting at tables and a nice looking librarian behind a counter. She was busy reading a book. Mulder approached her.
"Excuse me", he said.
The woman looked up from her book and quickly took off her glasses in order to hide them under the counter as she saw Mulder.
"Hello, Sir!", she responded. "Can I help you?"
Mulder nodded. "I would like to see everything you have about parapsychology."
The librarian rushed over to a computer on the other end of the counter and typed something in.
"Hmmm", she uttered after a few seconds, then typed in something else.
Scully waited at the door and watched the whole thing sceptically.
"Okay", the woman behind the counter announced and made some notes on a piece of paper. "Just follow me".
Mulder waved Scully to come with them.
They walked down three long aisles until the librarian finally stopped and pulled out some books. She did the same in another aisle and in the end Mulder held eight books in his arms.
"That should be it", the woman said.
"Thank you", Mulder responded.
The woman nodded and rushed back to the counter.
"Let's sit there", Scully said and pointed at an empty table.
The two agents walked over to that table and began to work.
They had books about extrasensory perception, prophecy, telepathy and other phenomena.
"What are we looking for?", Scully asked, having a look at the first book.
"Anything that matches John Stamp's situation", he explained, looking at a book himself.