Then I called.
“Hello?” His voice came through, deep and hopeful. The second he heard me inhale, he lit up—I could hear it, like sunshine poured through the airwaves.
“It’s me,” I said, suddenly nervous. “Artemis, from the Tarrytown library. I—uh—I found your book.”
There was a sharp, delighted exhale on the other end. “You did?” He sounded like I’d just told him dragons werereal. “I knew you would. I knew it.”
Compliments should not feel like live wires. My entire body flushed with heat. Compliments were dangerous. Compliments inthattone were catastrophic.
“I’ll be right there,” he said, and hung up before I could respond.
I stared at the phone.
“Right there?” I murmured. How much time is that? Do I wait for him? Does he live across town?
I was still trying to decide how to proceed like a normal human being when a call came in five minutes after I hung up with Tall, Bilingual, and Inconvenient.
I was still standing in the rare books room, holding the crimson binding like it might evaporate out of spite, when my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Unknown number.
“Artemis Ripley,” I said.
A man’s bored, nasal voice responded. “Yeah, I’ve got a delivery for the library. I’m out back.”
I blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“Delivery,” he repeated. “Books.”
“I wasn’t informed of a delivery today.”
A pause. Paper shuffling. “Says here it’s confirmed.”
“By whom?”
Another pause. “Library.”
That was not helpful.
I glanced toward the hallway. No interns. Of course. No staff. Just the low hum of the climate system and the distinct sensation that I was, once again, the only adult in the building.
“Stay there,” I said. “I’ll verify.”
I hung up and marched down the aisle, the crimson book still tucked under my arm like a prize I did not trust the universe not to steal.
Mr. Foster was in the central stacks, reshelving something with the solemnity of a man restoring constitutional order.
“There’s a delivery outside,” I said. “I wasn’t expecting one.”
He didn’t look up. “Then expect it.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
I shifted the book to my other arm. “Theysay it’s books.”
That got his attention. He glanced at the spine I was holding, then back at me. “Then go receive them.”
