Caroline tapped at her laptop somewhat apathetically. The latest lead in the case she had been assigned was growing stale, and her report reflected her frustration. Yellow light from the streetlamp filtered through the dust covered blinds into the dark room where she made station. A third of a cigarette – Natural American, mind you, because she was health conscious you know – burned its gray trail onto the dinner plate by the keyboard. Upset and feeling heavy, she was ready to call it a night.

But the phone rang. Normally, when she would see her boss’s number pop up, she’d roll her eyes, silence it, and continue with whatever it was she was doing. Not tonight though. It might be important. She answered.

“Write this down.” Her boss ordered. “Detective Lee over in Twin Pines got an anonymous tip that seems like it might unpeel the killer’s manifesto a little more.”

Caroline straightened her spine as she drew open the drawers of her desk in search of a notepad. Admittedly, she wasn’t very hopeful, but she was curious.

“You know the line where he says something about ‘culling the flock to make way for the strong’ and whatever else? Well, that’s a line in a book published in 1830 which, by my source, also states the location of some witch-type ritual location.”

Caroline felt a twinge of freshness as he spoke. “You think the killer left some kind of evidence at this location?” She asked.

“Exactly!” He said. “But there’s a catch. This book, Flight of the Goodland Guard, is believed to be the only one remaining in the public domain, and the source says it may be at the Stieg Library in the locked and gated rare book section.”

With a deep sigh, she slumped back into her chair ran her hand through her hair. Many past investigations had already taken her to the Stieg Library with varying degrees of success, so she was already aquatinted with the library staff. She only knew of the gated rare books section as somewhat of a local legend, but she was aware that any librarian there would deny its existence to anyone of the public. For good reason too. Security was tight and there had to be a way to protect those precious scripts from being mishandled or lost.

“Well, that’s another dead end.” She said.

“No! It’s not.” Her boss replied. “Reviewing my notes, on a past case from the 90’s, I learned that there’s a password one can speak to the library staff which will allow you to access the gated rare book section.” He paused to let his words marinate in the mind of his unbelieving co-worker.

“Go on.” Caroline insisted, the ash from the cigarette in her mouth hanging precariously from its unburnt mount.

***

In the night, with rain pelting her helmet visor, Caroline rode her motorcycle across the lighted cityscape. Eventually, she came upon a magnificent marble-columned building with what she imagined were three stories of stairs leading to the entrance of this grand establishment. It was the Stieg Library.

Inside, she marveled at the beautiful cathedral-like central hall of the main area. Two levels of sky-high bookshelves lined either side of the hall and a vaulted ceiling of stone capped the silent room. A tall black-haired man greeted her. “Ma’am, do you know we’re closing soon? Are you aware of what time it is?”

“Yes.” She stated. “But I need access to the gated rare book section.”

His faced changed, then he cracked a smile. “I’m sorry but are you aware that the so-called ‘gated rare section’ doesn’t exist? Did you know that it’s simply a fun legend in the local area-“

“No!” She said louder. She pulled the folded and torn notepad from her jacket pocket, flipping to the last page she wrote on during her conversation with the boss. Cigarette ash blotted the page. The black-haired librarian cocked his head as she cleared her throat. “Everything you need for a better future and success has already been written.”

Long pause. Intense eye contact. He squinted first. It was the password.

“Would you mind following me this way please?” He asked.

After three descending flights of stairs and a walk down a long hallway, they arrived at a place which Caroline hadn’t expected. Instead of the locked wrought iron gate like she had pictured in her mind, the black-haired librarian slid a card key down a beautiful modern glass door to a wonderful brightly lit room. Stacks of leather-bound tomes lined tall oak shelves. The collection was nothing short of spectacular.

And after a brief search through the dusty books, she finally found it, ‘Flight of the Goodland Guard’. Rifling through the pages, she eventually found the passage in question.

“Aha!” She yelled.

----------------------

WC: 800