BooksBarbecue
Back The Library
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. THE LIBRARY
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. Questions for your Book Club
  55. Acknowledgements
  56. About the Author
  57. Become an Aria Addict

Tom huffed and slumped against the window. Maggie quite liked it when he behaved like a teenager. He’d had to grow up too fast after losing his mum and everything that had happened recently with his dad, so it was good to see him acting his age.

He perked up when the bus pulled into Compton Mallow. His head was on a swivel. She knew who he was looking for, but there was no sign of Farah. Tom slunk inside the library and switched on the PCs.

‘Is he all right?’ asked Christine.

‘Girl trouble. How are you?’

‘I’ve been looking for new jobs.’ Christine gave a weak smile.

‘But we’re fighting for your job here.’ Maggie tried hard not to show her frustration.

‘I know but I think I need to keep my options open. They’re closing two other libraries in the area and both of their staff have already got other jobs.’

‘That’s playing into the council’s hands.’ Maggie straightened her shoulders. Sometimes it felt like she was fighting the closure single-handedly.

‘Hmm,’ was Christine’s non-committal response. ‘I’ve not applied yet but I’ve got all the forms. It’s for an administration assistant at a company in town.’

‘Right. Well, let’s consider that your backup plan. Plan A is to save the library. Yes?’

‘Oh, of course. I made more posters this week.’

Heaven preserve us, thought Maggie, as she feigned interest in the bland A4 sheets Christine waved excitedly under her nose. What they needed was something to grab the headlines. The piece in the local press had generated a couple of letters to the editor in support but had soon become lining for cat litter trays all over town, taking the local reporter’s hopes of hitting the big time with them. Maggie needed to have a think.

The council had gone very quiet, which worried her. Her suspicious mind had conjured up all kinds of theories but she had no way of investigating if there was any dodgy dealing going on. That would be her prime angle to blow the whole thing open and save the library in the process. But that would only work if there was something juicier than the council trying to save money. She suspected they were simply biding their time until the twelve weeks were up and then they’d swoop in and close them down anyway. Well, not if she still had a breath in her body.

33

TOM