The Girl With No Past by Kathryn Croft Read Free Book Online Page B

could live in this moment forever, that we didn’t have to worry about school or parents or boys or anything. Why can’t it always be like this?
    Eventually Imogen gets tired and curls up in her duvet, leaving me alone in the dark to worry about what is wrong with me.

SIX
    It was inevitable that things would catch up with me, but still I wasn’t ready to face up to them. My life had ticked along for years without any interference from anyone, but now it was clear someone wanted their presence felt.
    I could ignore the card, but it was impossible to forget I’d been sent that newspaper story. Impossible to see her name without shuddering, and without being right back there again. And her face. Her haunted eyes silently accusing me.
    Thankfully, the library kept me busy as usual, allowing me to shove all other thoughts to the back of my mind. But I was fully aware the distraction would be temporary. And that I’d eventually be forced to confront the intrusion.
    It was Maria’s day off and an influx of students from the university flocked in just before lunch. They were noisy and unruly, more like primary school children than young adults, and I glowered at them until they eventually calmed down and set about the research project they’d been given. It was only later I discovered their own library had been flooded so they’d been forced to descend on us.
    At two p.m. they finally drifted out and then Sam appeared, apologising for leaving me alone. She offered to cover me for a late lunch break, but just as I grabbed my bag, wondering whether to brave the weather and sit outside to eat, I felt someone behind me.
    Spinning around, I found myself face-to-face with a thin man wearing glasses. He looked about my age and didn’t seem to notice I was trying to leave the front desk. Removing his glasses, he began explaining he had several boxes of books to donate to us. ‘I wanted to check you’d take them before I hauled them in from the car,’ he said.
    I looked over at Sam, but she had already walked off to help someone on the computer, so I knew I wouldn’t be eating soon.
    Turning back to the man, I asked him how many boxes he had, dreading the answer he would give me.
    ‘Five. Is that okay? Will you take them?’
    Stretching my face into a smile, I nodded and put my bag back behind the desk. Whoever this man was, he was doing a kind thing and I was grateful to him. Our funding was always being cut so we depended heavily on donations. Even if he told me he had a hundred boxes I would still help him unload.
    He chatted as we walked to his van and I learned that his name was Ben. He told me he worked for the RSPCA and pointed across the car park. ‘That’s why I’ve got the van,’ he said, waving his keys in front of me. ‘Lucky, really. I’m moving house in a few weeks so needed to have a huge clear-out.’
    I couldn’t understand how anyone could get rid of books – I would sooner throw out furniture – but I didn’t want to seem ungrateful by criticising him.
    Ben did most of the talking, and I was in awe of how comfortable he was conversing like this with a stranger. He seemed nice enough, but I still squirmed inside, anxious for the task to be over so I could say goodbye. But he was in no hurry, chatting as if we were old friends, and by the time the boxes were neatly stacked by the counter, I had forgotten my hunger.
    ‘Oh,’ he said, standing back to appraise the neat stack we’d created. ‘I’ve just realised how much extra work I’ve given you.’
    I told him not to worry, dipping my hand into one of the boxes and pulling out a thin hardback book. I turned it over so I could see the front cover. Whatever the book was would tell me more about Ben than anything else could. Staring at it, I was surprised to find it was Of Mice and Men , one of my favourite books. And the edition I held in my hand was the same version I’d read at school. I couldn’t help my outburst. ‘I adore this book, you