Free Itchcraft by Simon Mayo Page A

buys them
. One to Didcot, three to Cornwall. Two were for doctors, one for a man with lots of letters after his name.
Professional
– he nodded to himself.
Exactly the type to have encyclopaedias. Classy
. The addressee of the last one was a strange name he’d never seen before. He’d seen every name under the sun; characters he recognized from
Star Trek
,
Star Wars
and sometimes
Twilight
. He thought he’d seen everything, but he’d never seen a name like this one.
    ‘
Itchingham Lofte
 . . .’ He shrugged and placed it in the pile for CORNWALL / OVERNIGHT .
    ‘Oh well. Enjoy!’ he said.

8
    Itch woke Chloe at six a.m. It was a few seconds before she realized that he was already in his uniform.
    ‘Itch, what’s wrong?’ She sat up, alarmed.
    ‘When does the library open?’ he said.
    ‘You what?’
    ‘When does the library open?’
    She flopped back onto her pillow. ‘I heard what you said – I just couldn’t believe you’d said it, that’s all. Itch, it’s six o’clock in the morning. Go away.’ She closed her eyes, but when Itch didn’t move, she opened them again. ‘What is it?’
    ‘I’ve been reading the mining book.’
    Chloe waited for him to continue, but he just sat on the edge of her bed. ‘And?’ she said at last.
    ‘I think I know what Watkins is being secretive about. There are two passages about miners getting a sickness – a
vomiting disease
– and dying. Watkins had underlined them and written
Need to cross-check with FLOW
. But I don’t know who or what FLOW is. Obviously it isn’t Flowerdew . . .’
    ‘Maybe it’s something he wrote . . .’ Chloe sat up again. ‘You mean, he thinks it’s the 126? But the book’s about stories from hundreds of years ago, isn’t it?’ Itch nodded, and she pulled her T-shirt over her knees. ‘Wow.’
    When she was dressed, Chloe crept into Itch’s room. He showed her the underlined passages and the
FLOW
sections. ‘Maybe
FLOW
is the other book,’ he said. ‘The one we couldn’t find. When’s the library open?’
    ‘Itch, you’ve asked me that three times already and I have no idea. Look it up maybe?’ she suggested.
    ‘Have done. Can’t find it. We’ll just have to be there when it opens.’
    ‘Excuse me . . . why?’
    ‘Because if we get there before they put those returned books back, we might find the FLOW book.’
    ‘Might not be a book at all,’ said Chloe. ‘Might be a person. Even if it isn’t Flowerdew. Member of staff or someone.’
    Itch shrugged. ‘Maybe. But I’d like to be at the library when it opens. I’ve messaged Jack and Lucy. Come on, let’s get some breakfast.’
    They were outside the library by 8.30.
    Itch read the sign on the door and kicked the wall. ‘Opens at ten?’ he said, exasperated. ‘What kind of useless operation is this? How can it only open at ten?’
    Chloe laughed. ‘Itch, until yesterday you’d never been inside. You’re not even a member . . .’
    ‘I joined online this morning. While you were getting dressed. Can you see the trolley?’
    They both peered through the glass of the front door, their breath steaming it up. ‘I think it’s in front of the desk,’ said Chloe, wiping the condensation away with her hand. ‘All piled up . . . But you can’t wait till ten – registration is in fifteen minutes.’
    There was a shout, and Jack arrived, running. She was flushed from the cold and her exertions, sweat running from under her beanie hat.
    ‘Hey. Just saw your message at breakfast. What’s up?’
    Itch told her about his night-time reading and pointed at the returns trolley. ‘I need to be here at ten.’
    ‘We’re in English, Itch. Think the Brigadier will notice if you just disappear to go shopping.’
    They walked back up the hill, as Lucy arrived at full speed, braking hard as she drew alongside the others. ‘Hi! Came as quickly as I could!’ She got off her bike and removed her crash helmet, trying to flatten her hair at the same