New Leads*
24 HOURS EARLIER…
Violet had the window rolled down as she drove her very first truck down the hillside, enjoying the breeze, even if it wasn't very sunny outside. She still couldn't believe this truck was hers. It was old and battered, but she loved it all the same. Then she loved it even more as she realized she wouldn't have to take the school bus anymore. She could drive wherever she wanted to go.
She drove a few miles, following the winding road through the pine trees, enjoying the freedom, until she drove through town.
People with umbrellas and heavier coats were walking about, going from one shop to the next. She drove around town, getting familiar with the streets and the stores, the stoplights, and the streetlamps. At one point, she slowed as she passed by a flower shop on a street corner.
"Half off," she noted the sign out in front. "Hope they got tulips."
Then Vi pulled the truck into a parking space in front of the public library. A group of teenagers eyed her in the old truck as they walked past. A few snickered as a blonde boy must've said a joke. Narrowing her eyes, Vi stood a little taller as she got out of the truck, reminding herself she was allowed to be here.
It was a public space. No one was going to jump on her.
Unless they wanted a broken nose.
The library looked a lot like a courthouse; big, white, and imposing. A long staircase ascended from the manicured lawn to the tall, mahogany, double doors. A white, marble statue of a woman with long robes stood on a gray, stone pillar on the lawn.
The place didn't seem particularly busy. A few people were out walking about, coming in and out. People chatted amicably with each other.
Still, Vi knew she stood out.
Reason one: the pink, pixie cut hair. Reason two: she was a new face. Reason three: she had no idea where she was going.
Vi climbed the stairs and stepped through the doors of the old building, smelling musty paper, and glue, and a hint of ink. There were two floors, she realized, which surprised her because the library in her hometown was barely bigger than a classroom.
Here, the layout looked very modern. There were tables and comfy armchairs for people to read or study. Even individual lamps for each seater! Rows and rows of bookshelves broke up different sections of the library. A giant, brass globe sat in the middle of the foyer; at different angles it looked like the different continents of the world.
"Can I help you?" asked an old lady behind the counter.
Vi blinked in surprise. The woman seemed friendly enough, but feeling called out, Vi shook her head.
"Uh, no… no, I'm good, thanks," Vi said, backing away and diving behind a row of bookshelves like she knew where she was going.
Damn it, Vi! Pull yourself together! She chastised herself. You could've handled that better. Just find the book and leave.
Vi walked around the library like a hedge maze, passing row after row of all the different books that weren't the one she was searching for. She passed other kids that looked like high schoolers but didn't engage them. If anything, she tried to fight the instinct to look aggressive. Although she wasn't sure how successful she was. Until at last, she thought she might be in the right book section.
"Mary Shelley… 'Frankenstein'… 'Frankenstein'… Where are you?" she mumbled to herself.
Then her eyes flashed.
There it was! A blue book with a lightning bolt across the cover!
Vi reached up to grab the spine, but the book seemed stuck. Confused, Vi pulled harder and realized there was another hand also holding onto it. In the next moment, she realized someone else was standing on the opposite side of the bookshelf. A girl about her own age. She was wearing a royal blue, plaid skirt, and a white, summer blouse that looked more expensive than Vi's entire wardrobe combined.
When their eyes met, they both kind of froze, flustered.
Her hair was long, straight, and dark navy blue, hanging past her shoulders. Her eyes were turquoise, like robin eggs.
"Oh, pardon me! I didn't realize – sorry!" the girl said with a British accent.
"No, hey, it's fine, just take it," Vi said, trying to hand the book to her through a narrow slit in between the books and the shelf that was barely big enough for her hand.
The hardcover copy dropped suddenly from her hand and fell to the floor with a sickening thump that no librarian likes to hear. Heads of other student readers turned and stared.
Both girls froze like deer in headlights as the librarian's head jerked in their direction and she squinted her eyes threateningly at them before returning to work.
Trying not to knock over any more books, Vi pried her hand out of the shelf, rubbing her sore wrist.
"Ouch… are you okay?" the girl hissed sympathetically, coming around the corner.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Vi brushed it off, "Wouldn't be the first time I've upset a librarian."
When Vi looked up, she saw the girl standing in front of her, holding out the copy of the book to her. Before Vi could shake her head to refuse, the girl cut across her.
"For your wrist. I could've saved you the trouble," she said with a warm, inviting smile.
Vi found herself smiling back just a little. "Thanks… You sure?" she asked, turning over the book and reading the back.
"I've read it already," the girl admitted with a sheepish shrug, "'Frankenstein' is my favorite. I just thought I'd grab one before they were all gone. Mr. Heimerdinger made a long list to read this summer."
Vi's eyes flicked up from the book. "You're… You're in Mr. Heimerdinger's class?"
The girl's eyes lit up like fireworks as she nodded. "Yeah! Wait, are you too? I don't think I've seen you before! Are you new?" she asked, her excitement growing.
Put off by her rapid questions, Vi hesitated to reply, tucking the book under her arm. Without looking at her, she answered halfheartedly while walking past her, "Yeah, arrived a few days ago."
The girl followed her as Vi headed toward the checkout desk.
"I practically live here. T-The library, I mean. It's the only place I could study without my mum watching over my shoulder," she said with a smile that flickered for a moment before brushing it off. "So, where did you move in?"
Vi didn't know what to say, so she just replied, "Outside of town."
"Wait, from the Pink Palace?" the girl asked, stopping in her tracks, her eyes widening.
Vi cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah…? Why?"
The girl almost dropped the brand-new, expensive-looking, bookbag from her shoulder. It nearly gave Vi a heart attack as the girl stumbled to catch it, clumsily. A few people looked up and were staring again.
"S-Sorry, I… I didn't expect you to say that," she said a bit breathlessly. Her hands fidgeted nervously as she readjusted her bag. When she composed herself a bit better, her smile came back, and she stuck out her hand. "I'm Caitlyn. Caitlyn Kiramman."
Vi uneasily shook her hand. "Vi," she answered, "Violet Lane."
Caitlyn brushed the hair out of her face. "I, uh, I know the owner, Ms. Lovat!" she said cheerfully.
"Oh. Okay…" Vi replied.
"She's my neighbor, actually. She's like a grandmother to me. I practically grew up with her grandson, Ekko."
"Oh, you know Ekko?" Vi asked, relieved to find a common topic. "He's nice. My sister is… Well, she's trying to make friends, so having him around is… nice."
When Vi looked up from smiling at the floor, she was surprised to see a flicker like fear in the Caitlyn's eyes, but it was gone as quickly as she saw it, hiding behind her smile.
Maybe it was nerves?
"That's great!" Caitlyn said, enthusiastically, as though nothing happened. Then she looked a little worried. "I hope he's not bothering you, too much. He's always been one to wander off by himself."
Vi laughed a little, "Sounds like my sister!"
Then Caitlyn lost her smile completely, clutching her bag's shoulder strap tighter. "Sorry, I… I don't mean to be rude. I… This is going to sound mad, no matter how I put it."
"What?"
Caitlyn leaned closer, nearly whispering, "Ekko isn't… He's not going inside the Pink Palace, is he?"
"Excuse me?" Vi eyed her.
"I only ask because his grandmother… she would get so angry if she knew he was visiting the tenants."
In the corner of Vi's peripheral, she spotted a few students at a table, bowing their heads together and laughing at them. It didn't take much effort to see the other high schoolers were staring at the two of them. Especially at the one that stood out, the pink-haired outcast.
"Why would that be a problem?" Vi asked coolly.
Caitlyn blinked.
"What? No, I –" she took a quick breath as though she needed to start over, "I just wouldn't want him to get in trouble…"
She riffled in her bag and took out a notebook. "I'm an investigative journalist. Well, I mean, I'm not yet, but I want to be," Caitlyn chuckled awkwardly, "Could I maybe interview you?"
Vi took a step back. "I'm sorry, back up. Interview me for what?" she asked.
"About the Pink Palace disappearances," Caitlyn answered.
Vi's eyes went wide. "What?"
"Y-You don't know?" Caitlyn stuttered, as though a hole opened up beneath her.
"Know what?" Vi exclaimed.
Caitlyn looked apologetic, her eyes filling with pity.
"Well, I-I… I probably shouldn't be the one to tell you…" She glanced around the foyer and took Vi's arm, leading her a little further away. She lowered her voice, "I don't mean to scare you, but that house is over a century and a half old. The oldest in town. It's got quite a history. You see, it's a town legend for ghost stories and disappearances–"
Vi shook her head and backed away. "I don't think I can help you."
As she turned to walk away, Caitlyn chased her. "W-Wait! Please! I won't waste your time. I just want –"
"I know what you want!" Vi snapped, glaring her in the face. She didn't care if she was loud enough the whole building could hear her. "You want an excuse to make fun of the freak-show family that moved into your town's haunted house. I don't have the time to sit around and gossip behind peoples' backs. So, keep your stupid high school drama far away from me and my family!"
And Vi took her book, checked out, and left the building without a word.
…
Outside the library, it started to rain again. Too frustrated to care, Vi ignored the rain as she descended the stone staircase. She threw open her truck door and slammed it shut as she got in.
Vi sat in her truck for a while, her head laying against the wheel. She didn't want to drive yet. She didn't know where else to go anyway. She didn't want to go home and have her family see her face upset.
Then, beneath the pitter-pater of the rain, Vi heard a tiny knock on her window. She scoffed as someone else joined her, standing outside her window with a red umbrella canopied around her.
"I'm so sorry, Violet," Caitlyn said slowly, "I didn't mean to insult you or your family. I…" She squeezed her umbrella handle a little tighter. "I know I have my family's privilege, but the truth is… I don't have any friends, so I still have a lot to learn about people… But you are wrong about me. I don't like gossip, either. I want the truth."
She paused for a moment, but Vi didn't reply.
Caitlyn pursed her lips. "If you want to talk, I'll be inside," she said.
Then she seemed to think for a moment and chose to close her umbrella. Vi stared as Caitlyn left the umbrella on the hood of her truck and walked back into the library without looking back, getting wet in the process.
Vi watched her go all the way up the library stairs and close the door behind her. Then Vi stared at the steering wheel for a long time.
…
Inside, Caitlyn was sitting alone at a table near the Frankenstein bookshelf from earlier. She was reading, but her mind didn't seem to be focused on it. She looked up with a start when she saw Violet standing there. She was silent for a while, hands in her pockets, before she set the red umbrella on the table. She didn't sit down.
"I need to know something," Vi said, with a scowl.
"O-Okay?" Caitlyn asked, tentatively.
"Why are you so interested in the Pink Palace?" Vi replied with a glare.
Caitlyn slowly closed her book, frowning at the table. "I personally know Ms. Lovat..."
"The owner," Vi supplied for her, watching her.
Caitlyn nodded, almost guiltily. Her shoulders sagged heavily. She glanced around, making sure they were alone.
"Ms. Lovat is an old family friend and my neighbor," Caitlyn started again, talking in a low voice. A tiny smile tugged at her lips. "She's a tough but sweet old lady. She's the kind of person that brings you cookies and lemonade in summer. Checks up on you when you're alone. Makes you feel welcome, even if you don't fit in… or don't have many friends…"
Caitlyn wrung her hands in her lap.
"I remember when I was a kid, she forbade me from ever going near the Pink Palace, like her grandson. But Ekko and I didn't understand why. Nobody did. When she… developed dementia, Ekko moved in with his uncle, Benzo. Then, last year, I was helping put the groceries in her house, when she suddenly seemed lucid for the first time in years. She opened up and told me the reason was because…"
Caitlyn had to stop a hitch in her throat. Vi watched her steadily but her eyes softened.
"I know it may not be haunted," she continued, "but something happened over there, sixty years ago. Something that made Ms. Lovat's twin sister go missing when they were children and never be found again. Something that still scares her a lot…"
Vi measured her for a moment. "You're really into this stuff, aren't you?" she said.
Caitlyn's eyes grew stern, taking Vi's tone as more of an insult than a casual comment. "Look, I know I'm not as well connected as a real PI, and I've been ignored by the police. I know I'm just a kid trying to solve a cold case, but… it would be nice to give Ms. Lovat even an ounce of closure if I could…"
Vi measured her with a level gaze... then she sat down across the table.
"I can answer your questions," Vi said, "But I have conditions."
Caitlyn's face brightened. "Okay."
Vi leaned forward, keeping her gaze stern. "I will need to see anything you write about me or my family before you publish or whatever you do."
Caitlyn nodded as though that were obvious. "Of course!"
"And…"
"And?" Caitlyn waited.
Vi bit her lip, glancing to the side and back at her. "Got any advice for finishing the book?"
Caitlyn looked shocked for a moment only to smile at her. "Only if I can show you something first," she said.
…
Getting up, Caitlyn left the table and led Vi deeper into the library were there were less people. Following, Vi thought they would go to the brand-new computer wing, but instead, Caitlyn passed it and turned down into a much older wing.
They passed rows of shelves with older and older looking books. Then the books suddenly stopped and were replaced with old technology. DVDs, cassette tapes, CDs, VHS tapes. Then they came to a dim room with file cabinets and a few machines that looked like old computer monitors, but bulkier.
Vi then realized the room was a microfiche lab, where the library stored small reels of film with each individual frame being photographs of the pages of old newspapers. It was easier and lasted longer than storing physical copies of the issues of newspapers.
Caitlyn went to a desk in the corner and used a small key from her bag to unlock the desk drawers. She hesitated a moment, looking over her shoulder at Vi.
"My family made, uh… generous donation to the library's new computer wing, so when I needed a place to study, or to just get away from my parents for a while, the librarians gave me this spot," she said, shyly.
Then Caitlyn pulled out a large, wooden, bulletin board set on wheels from a slot in the wall. It was covered with a large map of the town, with colored pins and red string tying locations together. The spot where the Pink Palace stood was circled in red marker. It seemed all the leads ended up pointing back at the house.
Copies of newspaper articles from the microfiche were highlighted and tagged on the sides of the board. People's names were crossed off from a list... All of them. There were no more suspects or people to question.
No wonder Caitlyn's desperate, Vi thought.
"This is one large conspiracy board you got," Vi teased, leaning back against the desk, admiring the board with her hands in her pockets.
"Evidence, not conspiracies," Caitlyn retorted.
Vi smirked. "So, please, enlighten me, cupcake. What is so special about my house?" she asked.
Caitlyn frowned. "All I know is sixty years ago, Ms. Lovat's twin sister suddenly went missing. They were both nine years old. I interviewed Ms. Lovat, privately. By the way, you're sworn to secrecy about this," she said seriously, "Not even Benzo knows I'm doing this. He's… He cares, but he doesn't want to upset Ms. Lovat."
Vi drew a line across her mouth. "Mum's the word, cupcake."
Caitlyn looked a little confused, but just sighed, refocusing, "Okay. Well, from Ms. Lovat's recollection, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She remembered she and her sister had arguments. Played around the house like normal. But then one day, she just… disappeared."
"Is it possible she ran away?" Vi asked, trying not to make it sound like an accusation.
Caitlyn didn't seem offended. "That day, no one saw her in town. No one saw her leave the house, which is even stranger," Caitlyn replied, flipping through her notes.
Vi thought about the meadow and the hill behind the house.
"There is an old well on the hill back here," Vi said, pointing at the map. "Maybe she fell in?"
But Caitlyn shrugged. "It's possible, but the search dogs didn't find her scent there. They just circled the house."
Vi pursed her lips. "Nothing to report on the parents?"
Caitlyn shook her head. "Police thought that too, but nothing came up. And I believe Ms. Lovat when she says they were good parents. Just terrified about their missing girl…" Caitlyn sighed, biting her lip in anger, "The police didn't seem to care enough to pursue it beyond town."
She crossed her arms and backed away from the board, taking it all in.
"I know the answer is staring me right in the face. Just somewhere…" she muttered as she glared back at it as though it were a staring contest.
Standing beside her, Vi thought Caitlyn looked pretty cute with her dark eyebrows scrunched together. It felt oddly nice to watch someone care so much about someone else, a stranger, even if the odds were hopeless…
"Well, I'm sorry to tell you I haven't experienced anything spooky," Vi said, "Other than what normally happens at old houses. They break and get water damage when you least expect it."
Caitlyn nodded, but a flicker of disappointment shined in her eyes. "Alright then," she sighed, "If only walls could talk, right?"
Vi nodded, pursing her lips.
She almost wanted to admit the spookiness of Powder's dreams, but she held herself back. They were Powder's dreams after all; they weren't hers to tell. And besides, she just met Caitlyn. Powder deserved a chance to let others know her for herself.
"Sorry, I couldn't be more help," Vi said.
Caitlyn shrugged. "Rome wasn't built in a day," she sighed, stretching her arms. "I know it'll come to me when I least expect it."
She then turned and shook out her body as though shaking a cloud off of her. When she was done, she looked to Vi and smirked.
"So, how far are you into 'Frankenstein'?" she asked.
Vi chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head.
/
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