The candlelight shone on the bookshelves, which contained numerous first editions.
Just like in this witch’s house, my curiosity grew, and I walked around the solid oak desk with its velvety emerald green armchairs and the dark-brown leather office chair on the other side. Everything looked so classy, almost antique and yet in good condition.
I stroked the covers.
Of course, they were classics that everyone must have heard of. Middle March by George Elliot or Bleak House by Charles Dickens. But other, lesser-known works by authors I hadn’t heard of before also immediately caught my eye.
Tack.
I glanced at the door, where a clock was hanging, which suddenly began to play a soft melody. The hands of the clock showed me that it was already midnight.
The candles flickered and cast far too large shadows through the dim office.
As if it wasn’t ironic enough to be searching for student files in an old building at witching hour, I could hear a wolf howling in the distance.
I felt woozy, so I tried to focus on the mission to get out of here as quickly as possible. And as long as Larissa was out there, I shouldn’t worry.
My eyes fell on the large desk.
Come on, Bayla, where would you put the student files if you were a professor?
I pulled the first drawer.
It was locked.
“God...”
The one underneath was open, but only filled with elegant pens and quills, as well as countless inkwells.
I was fascinated by the professor’s aesthetics. That immediately gave him a sympathy point on my list, because in the age of cell phones and throwaway pens, who still wrote with quill pens and ink?
However, the minus point came for the next closed drawer.
I pulled out my cell phone to text Larissa to come in and do her job, but she didn’t answer.
This girl was always on her cell phone, and right now she wasn’t responding.
I sighed.
A low whistle, accompanied by a breeze, made me glance around. The windows here were definitely not completely airtight.
I quickly pulled the nearest drawer. With success. A row of files came into view and I pulled the drawer out further until its entire length was touching the bookshelf.
Wow, I wanted a desk like that.
Second sympathy point for Professor Copeland.
I read the little labels that stuck out. When I read the dates, I knew I was in the wrong place.
1960 to 2000. I was unlikely to find Julie’s mysterious admirer there.
I pushed the drawer back into its holder with a crash and squinted.
“Damn!” I cursed as quiet as possible.
Why did old things always have to make so much noise? Larissa was probably wondering if I was taking the professor’s office apart.
I hurried to get to the other side of the desk without tearing anything off the table, and pulled out the bottom drawer.
Perfect. Also, files. Up-to-date ones this time.
I searched for the year, then our year. A little overwhelmed by all the files, I sat down on the floor, but immediately regretted it, because a terrible creaking sound rang out underneath me.
My eyes fell on the black dividers between the years, which on closer inspection were not dividers but entire files. I pulled out our year’s. Sports courses and leisure activities. Jackpot!
I didn’t have to browse for long before I found what I was looking for. Quickly, I took a photo of the football team list with my cell phone.
Now let’s get out of here.
I pushed the file back into its holder and closed the drawer. Then I straightened up.
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
I looked around, caught off guard, and swallowed hard when I saw a dark shadow standing in the doorway. As he quietly closed the door behind him, more candlesticks and the chandelier on the high ceiling illuminated the entire room, bathing the walls in a brighter, albeit dimmed, light.
Professor Copeland...
“I...” I started, trying to talk my way out of it, but he raised his hand.
