Nevermore

Chapter 22

L U C A

The biggest challenge was finding Nancy's home address, but nothing was impossible when it came to the five boys.

    The next day, after their classes came to an end in the afternoon, Isaac and Arthur went up to the library as they had planned. Using their badges as the university's official newspaper editors and journalists, they managed to convince the librarian to give them access to the students' files. All they had to do was lie about how the Scriptores newspaper was going to do a study on which cities did the students at the university come from.

    After finding Nancy's old files in the archives and writing down her address, the two boys left the library and walked down to the copy room to join the others in their parlor. To their luck, Nancy's house wasn't too far from the university.

    "We should go now," said Shawn, immediately getting up to his feet and already prepared to leave. "There's no use in waiting."

    "Actually..." Nicholas began nervously. "I was thinking that maybe only Luca and I should go."

    "Why?" Arthur asked casually, cleaning the inside of his pipe. Although it looked as if Shawn had taken it personally, his dark eyebrows furrowed.

    "Because Nancy's mother might freak out if she sees five strangers coming at her door in the middle of the night, asking about her dead daughter," said Nicholas, now looking directly at Shawn to make him see reason. "Besides, you're incapable of thinking before speaking, Isaac gets too nervous around new people, and Arthur hates talking to new people."

    "Fair enough," said Arthur, observing the city's map which they had laid on the table to search for the exact whereabouts of Nancy's house.

    "Then why does Luca get to come with you?" Shawn raised a brow at Nicholas.

    "Because Luca was the only one of us who was actually friends with Nancy and knew her. It makes sense," Arthur answered instead, and Nicholas nodded in agreement.

    "Fine." Shawn grumbled, dropping him back down on the armchair and lighting his pipe for the second time.

    Luca wished he could tell Shawn how much he wanted him to come along with them, but he swallowed the words and locked them in the chest of his heart. A part of him felt offended, however, that Shawn didn't think Luca was capable enough to go on this quest.

    "Okay, that settles it, then." Nicholas clapped his hands together in a deciding manner. "If things go well and Mrs. Green collaborates, we'll meet you here before ten o'clock to tell you everything."

    "And if things don't go well?" Arthur asked. "What then?"

    Nicholas pursed his lips together. "I haven't really thought that far."

***

Nancy's old home was somewhere out of town, far away from any sign of streets or other houses. Therefore, knowing that they couldn't find a cab on their way back, Nicholas and Luca rented two bicycles from a store near Berrington and hit the road at twilight.

    The night was misty and the sky was slowly wavering to black. Riding their way out of town, Luca could feel his nose freezing as the harsh wind gushed across his face, and his fingertips had gone completely numb with cold.

    Along their way, they had to stop twice to ask for directions, but after a certain point, there were no more humans in sight, no more stores or houses, and no more streets; just an uneven dirt road, soaked by last night's rain.