Thursday morning, the sky was overcast, and the icy drizzle turning into sleet had me longing for the pristine snow from a few days ago. On the short way from my apartment to the bus stop, the chilly rain soaked my parka and in the crowded space in the bus, the smell of wet clothes challenged my nose. Rain made winter even more depressing.

I was glad to get off the bus in front of the library and hurried to the door. It was still locked, and I dug in my pocket for my keys, glad Marjorie had trusted me with a key the night before. At least I didn't have to wait in the cold for Conny.

With the dark clouds obscuring the sky, the interior of was still gloomy, and I hurried to switch on the lights before too many ghosts could pop up. Well, if my friend Becca was right, they should be banned from here now and haunt the hospital where Marjorie was treated. I wondered how the staff there would cope with the Cheshire Cat. Confident I wouldn't have to deal with visitors of the supernatural kind during the next weeks, I hung my parka to dry and switched on the computer terminal on the reception desk. Before I could sit down, a blue shimmer appeared beside my keyboard. I gasped and stepped back while the blue cat manifested on the desk, showing its pointy teeth in a yawn.

"Good morning, Miss Assistant Librarian."

So much for Becca's theory and my hope for the strange visits to cease when Marjorie was gone. I swallowed my shock and disappointment and dropped into the chair.

"Good morning, Sir Cheshire."

The cat licked a paw and blinked. "Cat will do. Everyone calls me Cat around here."

"Okay, nice to meet you then, Cat. My name is Lynn. How did I earn the honour of your visit?"

"I have already gathered your name." Cat stood and stretched his back, his blue fur bristling, before he sat down and folded his paws under his chest. "Well, the pleasure is all mine, Lynn. And now we're done with the proper introductions—how can I help you?"

"Help me?" I logged into the library application and leaned back while the program started. "Why would you need to help me?"

"I could answer your nosy questions or show you the ominous treasures and secrets of the library."

I wasn't sure I could stomach more secrets, not without the support of Marjorie, or at least Paco's down-to-Earth presence. Where was Conny, by the way? Once she arrived, the library would be back to normal, I hoped.

Cat's mouth twitched into his trademark grin as he seemed to read my thoughts. "Ah, I'd have taken someone as gifted as you for a tad more adventurous. But don't fret, there are no bodies hidden underneath the floorboards."

As if on cue, I stared at the polished floor. "Such a relief. But why gifted?"

"Only a few adults can see and accept my presence with such perfect ease as you, my dearest Lynn."

As much as I tried to see this as a gift, I couldn't help but tasting a sour twang in my mouth. My life had been less complicated before I began seeing ghosts. Unfortunately, this was beyond my control, and I might as well benefit from Cat's talkative mood.

"Cat, since you're the local expert and offered to answer my nosy questions—what can you tell me about Luca?"

His eyes grew round. "Fascinating. You have a talent for steering straight to the core. I must admit, you catch up faster than anyone we had visiting the library in years."

Did I? I had my doubts, since I felt I wasn't quick witted, but I had no plan to admit my insecurities to Cat. "Luca was kind of hard to overlook the other day, and since Marjorie couldn't tell me much about him, I wondered if you might."

Cat winked and twitched his tail, making a show of catching its bushy tip. "I might."

A deep sigh escaped my throat—communication with this feline could be outright frustrating. "Okay, while you think about it, I'll be doing my morning round. Perhaps I'll meet Luca and he will enlighten me himself." No need to mention I felt reluctant to brave the classic section where I risked running into the blue-eyed ghost.

Cat snorted, falling for my ruse. "Ah, you must learn to cope with a good-natured joke, Lynn. Besides, I'd be surprised if our lost boy talks to you. Listen—"

I never got to hear what he was about to tell me. The cheerful sound of the door chime announced Conny, who folded her dripping umbrella over the floor mat and shook silvery droplets from it.

"Good morning, and sorry for being late. My bus had a technical problem. They made us all disembark, and I had to walk up here from the station."

"In this weather?" It was a quarter of an hour, twenty minutes at most, and a pleasant walk on a dry day, but in the rain, this could be trying. "Yes. I swear I can't wait for spring and warmer weather."

Despite her miserable and exhausted expression, I didn't dare to ask what ailed her besides the unplanned walk. "I agree—spring and sun sound nice. But I'm grateful I still have a few weeks of work ahead until then."

"That, I can imagine. Let's have some tea to warm us up, shall we? It's a Marjorie thing, but I think we should honour it." She steered towards the kitchen and I followed her, but not without a glance at the spot where Cat had lounged a moment ago. As expected, he had disappeared without enlightening me.

While we waited for the water to boil, Conny twisted her wedding band around her finger. I had never seen her do that before and wondered why she was so fidgety today.

After a long moment of silence, she looked up at me. "You might have gathered this library means everything to Marjorie, and she often overworks herself to keep it running and attractive to a broad public. Some days, I fear she'll suffer a breakdown with all the activities she organises, and I feel bad I'm not a great help."

While I was glad Conny had given up her reservation about me, I didn't know why she told me all this. So I offered her a polite nod, but didn't answer. Once the tea was ready, she filled two cups, handed me one, and drew in a shaky breath.

"The point is, I can't work the evenings or the weekends. Danny is still at an age where he needs my attention, even if we get to spend only a few hours a day as a family. He needs these moments. And Amber—well, she's fourteen and growing into a real teenager, now. I give everything to be a good parent to them."

The way her shoulders sagged told me she didn't believe she succeeded, and I felt sorry for her. "From the little I've seen, both your kids are wonderful. I'm sure you do a great job of parenting."

"I have my doubts, and I didn't choose to be a single mother. Sometimes, Amber seems to give her best to drive me out of my skin. And Danny—I wish I knew what's going on in his head, and that he'd be more social and less withdrawn." She swirled the liquid in her cup. "It is three years today since Marcel died of leukaemia. I'm not at my best, forgive me."

"I'm so sorry." My words seemed inadequate, and I couldn't even imagine how a blow like losing her husband to a vicious illness would weigh on her and the kids.

"It is fine. I mean, it isn't, but life goes on, and we must cope somehow, right? What I wanted to say, I'm glad Marj hired you, and I hope she will allow you to stay at least part-time after her recovery."

What a change of subject, and what a lovely surprise. "That would be wonderful. Do you think it's possible?"

"I can't promise you anything, not before talking to Marj first, and she'll have to convince the committee board. The last time the higher-ups hired a part-time helper to replace her, it didn't work out. That's why I feared I'd have to run this place solo on top of all else."

"You don't. I'm here now and together, we got this."

The corners of her mouth lifted. "Thanks Lynn, I'm sure we will."

"Although the opening of the exhibition makes me nervous. I wish you could be here for that one." That I might have to do it on my own hadn't even occurred to me until she mentioned not working the evenings.

"I will, promise, but I'll have to bring the kids. At least Danny, but he won't mind. Martinez is his private hero since he repaired his broken scooter last month. I didn't know who else to ask, and he was here to fix a broken chair when Danny arrived with it. Well, Amber might prefer to stay at home. These days, I don't dare to predict her behaviour or force her to do anything."

"No one can read the mind of a teen girl, and that's for the best." My relationship with my dad had suffered during this period, despite our mutual respect. "I know. I've been there not so long ago."

A rare smile brightened Conny's face. "You're right, even if it's been much longer for me. Gosh, I am glad Marj hired you for the job and not to the person we had last time."

There seemed to be a story to her reluctant welcome the first day. "That bad?"

"Worse. The woman behaved as if the fact she owned a degree in literature and aspired to become an author made her superior to a simple librarian like me. I had to run everything on my own, the loans, the returns, and the reading hours on top of my administrative job."

I had only worked in the place for three days, but I already knew how busy it could get and how exhausting it could be to cater to the wishes of different customers during the rush hours. "That's tough."

"Yes, and she broke the final straw on the day she went home on a Thursday afternoon when we had an author's night on schedule. Said she needed an inspirational break and walked out while the first guests arrived. Her unplanned disappearance forced me to stay here while my children got stranded in front of our apartment without a key. After this, I gave both of them keys and bought Amber a smartphone, but I don't think my daughter trusts me anymore since."

I was at a loss for words again, thinking about the stress such an episode would put on an already fragile family. "That's horrible. I'm sorry."

"Thanks, Lynn." She finished her tea. "But I should get started. There is still a lot to do to wrap up my reports for the audit. Can you cope with the loans?"

"Don't worry, I got this. If I run into a problem, I'll call."

Her lips twitched. "Marjorie was right, calling you a gift from heaven."

Wow. That was perhaps the nicest thing anyone ever said about me. To think I'd feared to work with this woman only three days ago. "Are you sure? My dad used to call me a brat from hell."

Conny laughed and sat down at her desk to switch on her computer. "That's how a parent's view can differ."