Linda Saxon was just finishing off the last of the paperwork that she seemed only to find time to do after the library was closed. The man stepped through the old dark oak double doors, causing long shadows to reach across the lobby to Linda’s desk. As everyone in town knew that the library closed at 5.30, she was startled by the unexpected visitor. With the low summer evening sun almost directly behind him, it gave the stranger an almost angelic aura. She couldn’t make out the man’s features but she could immediately tell that he was tall and broad. She realised she had been holding her breath. Regaining her composure and trying to sound as calm as possible, she asked, “Hello, can I help you?” The man took a large step forward as the heavy doors closed behind him, cutting off the outside light and stepping into the incandescent lights of the government building. She could now see that the man looked to be just a little older than Linda herself, she guessed he was early to mid-fifties. In the few seconds that it took the man to walk to Linda’s desk, she saw a strong, handsome face, the shape of his broad shoulders and the slight paunch of his stomach that amusingly disappeared as he came closer. And for some reason she didn’t yet understand, she knew that she liked him. The warm smile that started on his lips and crept up to his clear, blue-grey eyes melted away any apprehensions that Linda had initially felt towards the stranger.
“Yes, er, I’m sorry, I guess you are closed but I was hoping you might be able to help me.”
His warm, deep voice matched his easy-going manner and although almost ready to lock up and leave for home, the librarian felt compelled to answer positively.
“Yes, of course, if I can. I’m Linda by the way, Linda Saxon.”
The man’s smile widened as he stepped up to her desk and offered his hand.
“Thank you so much Linda, my name is Ed, Ed Saunders, I am looking for some information, maybe from an old copy of a local newspaper.”
As his eyes grew accustomed to the dim interior lighting, it was Ed’s turn to be taken aback. Life held few surprises anymore but he was not expecting the vision he saw standing behind the tall desk. The elderly relic with stiff grey hair and bifocals perched on a sharp nose that he had expected, was replaced by a tall, elegant woman in her late thirties or early forties. Long hair the colour of midnight framed proud features of high cheekbones, a strong jaw and high fore line. Her nose was straight but slightly flared at the end, her dark skin and matching dark brown eyes gave the librarian an almost Hispanic or Indian look. A single darker brown mole or beauty spot sat just above her full lips.
“We have copies of every Ludlow newspaper going back a hundred years. Was there a particular event or date you were interested in?” she asked as she walked around from the main reception desk and over to a row of computers. As Ed followed Linda, he couldn’t help but notice the long shapely legs and slim figure wrapped in a tight black pencil skirt and seamed stockings.
“Well?” she prompted as she sat down in front of one of the computer screens.
“Oh, er, sorry, yes, the early sixties, anything you have on the disappearance of a little girl.”
“Oh, you must mean Grace Benjamin! She disappeared in the summer of 1962”. Ed seemed surprised at how knowledgeable the librarian was on the subject. Linda caught the look on Ed’s face and explained, “When I first started here I had to scan all of the hard copies we have onto disc, her story was one of the few I remember because it was so sad, and her father still comes in here once in a while. She disappeared on her 11th birthday and was never seen again.”
While the librarian searched the newspaper database, Ed took a quick look around the library. The dark oak doors appeared to be the only old fitting that remained; the rest of the library including the rows of bookshelves and high desk were all done in what he thought of as ‘modern cheap anonymous hotel’ style, the light faux-wood matching the laminate wood flooring. Linda tapped on the keyboard for several seconds then proudly pronounced, “Here we are, Monday, July 23rd 1962, it’s the front-page headline.” Ed leaned over the librarian to get a closer look at the computer screen, catching an intoxicating breath of the woman’s perfume. He thought of orange groves and fruit punch, he liked it. He glanced down at the screen and all thoughts of fruit orchards disappeared as he looked into the eyes of the little black girl from his dream. Although he had only seen her for a few moments, Ed was sure it was her. The picture of the little girl in the newspaper had been taken in happier times and showed a bright, smiling face, hugging her parents in a family snapshot. Ed’s stomach did a quick somersault as he muttered “God damn, how……?
“How what?” asked Linda. “Hey, are you okay, you look a little peakier than when you walked in.”
“Can you blow this up, enlarge it?” he asked as he stared closer at the screen.
“Of course, look”. Ed stared at the girl, making sure it was her, then realised he recognised the man standing next to the girl too. There was no mistaking him, he was looking at the black guy that had been getting a hard time from the teenagers outside of the malt shop in his first dream, and as Ed’s stomach did another somersault he also realised he was looking into the ageless eyes of the gas attendant. “That’s Buster!” he murmured.
“Yes, that’s Buster Benjamin, he works at the gas station on Main, he’s Grace’s father. Look, what’s going on, why do you want to know about Grace Benjamin?”
“Well, it’s hard to explain, and I doubt that you would believe me if I told you. Anyway, it looks like you were getting ready to head on home when I came in. I don’t want to hold you up any longer, your husband’s gonna come looking for you pretty soon.”
The subtle enquiry about her marital status was not lost on Linda and her growing discomfort at the enquiries about the Benjamin disappearance withdrew a little. Trying to hide a smile she replied: “I wouldn’t worry about that too much, I’m my own boss, but I do have to get home and get supper ready for my son, Joshua”. The news that she had a son confirmed Ed’s suspicion that she was much too good looking to be single. He had instinctively checked her left hand for any rings while they had been talking at her desk and had seen none, but he also knew that not all married women wore wedding bands. More than a little disappointed, he said, “Okay, well look, I don’t want to take up any more of your time. Is there any way that you can print this front page off for me so I can read it later? Then I’m out of here”.
“Yes, I can do that, the printer is still turned on I think, let me check”. As she walked over to the next low table and leaned over the printer she asked, “So what are you doing in Ludlow? I know you’re not from around here. Are you just passing through?”
“I could have just moved in.” he replied.