“Do you ever feel like something’s watching you back here?” Tabitha “Bitty” McAdams asks casually, passing Austin a handful of dusty, old library books. The library employees have been taking turns shifting all week, to make room on the shelves for new books - sweaty work, even in the freezing cusp between winter and spring. Bitty and Austin have both already shucked the layers they came to work in over the past half hour, and their work is flagging in favor of conversation as lunchtime (and the promise of Channery coming to relieve them) creeps closer.
“Something?” Austin asks, carefully fitting the stack of books onto the shelf just above him. “What kind of something?”
“Well - oh, it’s silly,” Bitty says. She turns away to grab more books, or maybe to hide a blush. “I just feel like I’m being followed sometimes, walking through the stacks. Like something’s right behind me, or just the next row over, but whenever I turn around there’s nothing there. And I thought, since you helped the police with that haunted lake house, maybe -”
“Maybe I could check it out for you,” Austin finishes for her.
Bitty nods, looking a little mortified as she passes him more books. Austin turns the idea over in his head. Most of the other library employees know what he does on the side, because he made the mistake of telling Channery in confidence after getting out of the hospital. And that’s all well and good. They don’t make fun of him, at least. But he had been wondering when they would start coming to him and asking for help with their ghost problems - or “ghost problems”, as the case may be.
But Bitty is one of the nicest people he works with, albeit a little gossipy, and she keeps inviting Austin to dinner with her family ever since he came back to work. So maybe he kind of owes her one, if not only for providing him with the best home-cooked meals he’s had in recent memory (sure, Otter cooks, but Otter isn’t a Southwestern housewife). And Austin can’t deny that he’s felt something off in the library on occasion, when he’s there in the dark, early mornings or walking through the stacks on a particularly dead day. There’s a presence sometimes that he’s sure isn’t either Mac or Richard, and like Bitty says, whenever he turns around, nothing’s there.
Maybe it’s worth looking into.
“I’ll do it,” he says quietly.
“You’ll do what?” Channery asks from behind him. Austin yelps, jumping and nearly dropping the books he was absent-mindedly slotting into place. Bitty hides a laugh behind her hand.
“Austin’s going to look into our library ghost,” she tells Channery.
“Only if you stop sneaking up on me like that,” Austin grumbles, his heart still going a mile a minute.
Channery grins at him. “Sorry, Austin. I actually came to tell you two that you can break for lunch whenever you want. Are you really going to ghostbust the library?”
“I’m at least going to check it out. Am I the only one who was out of the loop about this library ghost?”
“People have been saying this place is haunted for years,” Channery says, shrugging. “But no one’s been able to prove it. Still, might be worth a shot if people are still feeling creeped out over it. Why don’t you stay after hours tonight and see what you can find? Maybe something’ll show its face after everyone’s headed home for the day.”
If there is anything here at all, Austin thinks. Some buildings that people think are haunted just end up being, well, creepy buildings. It’s impossible to tell at first glance if there’s a ghost hanging around someplace, particularly if the ghost doesn’t want to be seen. But I’ve worked here for months. If there’s anything supernatural here, I should have seen it by now.
“Okay,” he agrees, wiping his dusty hands on his jeans. “Thanks.”
“Just be safe,” Bitty interjects, putting a hand on Austin’s shoulder. He flinches a little - he’s never been a fan of people touching him familiarly without permission - but lets it go without comment.
“I’m off to lunch, then,” she adds hastily, taking her hand off of Austin and waving at him and Channery as she pushes past them. “See you in an hour!”
“You should eat, too,” Channery tells Austin.
“Yeah.” He nods.
He grabs the cart he and Bitty have been using to load books onto, and steers it back out of the stacks, over to the information desk where it won’t be in anyone’s way. The library’s tiny break room is nearby - Austin makes a pit stop there to grab the plastic-wrapped cold pizza and bottle of soda he brought for lunch before starting the search for an isolated table to eat at. He hardly ever leaves the library for lunch. It’s more convenient just to pack food and stay there, even though the diner is within walking distance. He does still go to the diner sometimes, but he’s tried to limit himself since Landis started working there. With the whole arrangement with the Department, Austin doesn’t want Landis to feel like he’s under heavy surveillance. Even if they do live together now.
His usual table, tucked away with the sheet music and opera books, is empty. But Austin’s barely sat down before someone behind him says “Hey,” to try and get his attention.
“I’m on break,” he says, unwrapping his lunch without bothering to look over his shoulder.
“Obviously. Why else would I have come over to bug you?”
The familiar drawl gives Austin pause, and he looks up to see Walker sitting down across from him. Austin’s eyebrows shoot up. They haven’t seen each other since Walker came to visit him in the hospital, which was admittedly unexpected, and more than a little weird. He didn’t even know Walker was still in town. Is he still living at the motel? He’s been here for months.
“Oh,” Austin says, trying not to show his surprise. “Hey. What’s up?”
Walker shrugs, tipping his chair back onto two legs and resting his feet on the table. “I was going to ask you the same. Things have been so fucking boring lately, I actually came looking for something to read before I remembered you work here.”
Did I ever tell him I work here? Austin chews thoughtfully on his pizza. He can’t remember. But everyone else here likes to gossip - maybe Walker heard it through word of mouth. It wouldn’t be surprising.
“Well,” he says, swallowing, “did you know this place is haunted?”
“Really?” Walker sounds genuinely interested for once. “No shit. Like with a real ghost?”
“I don’t know if it’s real or not. My boss is letting me stay after hours to figure that out.”
“Well, shit,” Walker says. “I hope you’re at least getting paid for overtime. You think it’s dangerous?”
“Like I said, I don’t know if it’s even real.” Austin says through another mouthful of pizza. If it isn’t, I’m in for a boring night by myself. Actually -
“Do you want to check it out with me?” he asks Walker. “If there really isn’t a ghost, I don’t want to sit around here by myself like an asshole all night.”
Walker gives him a look - Austin can’t tell if it’s an excited look or an are-you-fucking-kidding-me one - and sets his chair back down on all four legs. “Seriously? I mean, yeah, sure, I’ll come. Should I bring a proton pack or something? I’ve never been to a ghost stakeout before.”
“Just...bring yourself,” Austin says, tired of reiterating the point that there might not even be a ghost to stake out. “If there’s really a ghost, I’m pretty sure I can take care of it. Anything haunting a public library can’t be too dangerous.”
He makes a mental note to call home and let Otter know he won’t be back until late tonight, probably tomorrow morning. And to ask Channery about getting paid for overtime.
hey walker do you wanna go on a date--i mean a ghost stakeout?