Bagsy Beetlehorn and the Vampire Affairs (The Bagsy Chronicles 4)

Hidden Records

Bagsy put as much space between herself and Philip as she could. 'Sorry to have caused you trouble,' she said, then walked quickly to the entrance. 'See you all later!' She grabbed her cloak, threw it over her shoulders, and rushed out.

Her cloak didn't want to sit right, as if it was catching on something, and kept shifting on her shoulders. In the end, feeling annoyed, she had to hold it shut with her hands as she moved back to the castle.

Mezrielda wasn't the first person she went looking for.

'Paloma,' Bagsy said once she'd burst into the Hufflepuff common room, throwing her cloak on one of the seats in annoyance, determined to check what was wrong with it once she got back.

'Yes?'

'Where's Maisy?'

'She's having a study session in the library right now,' said Paloma, sounding bitter. 'I offered to study with her, but she said an older student was going to help her as a one off.'

'Great, thanks.' Bagsy turned back around and ran to the library, even forcing a little thaumaturgy into her legs. Just as she was approaching the double doors of the library, the smaller door set within pushed open and Maisy ducked through it, carrying a heavy burden of books.

Maisy blinked through her rose-coloured glasses at Bagsy. 'Hello there.'

Almost breathless, it took Bagsy a second to speak. 'What... was her name?' she gasped out, holding her side.

Maisy frowned. 'Who's name?'

'Your sister. You said she went missing. What was her name?' If Maisy said the same name, then it couldn't just be coincidence. Two people could have the same surname and if Bagsy just came out and explained what she'd found, and asked Maisy if her sister was called Perdita, Maisy could easily say yes to back up what could still be a complete lie. It was far more of a coincidence, however, for someone to have the same first and last name as Maisy's sister and to have interacted with the acting troupe.

'Bagsy, what are you on about?' Maisy asked. 'I don't have a sister.' Shaking her head as if she'd gone mad, Maisy walked down the corridor, muttering about silly speculation.

Bagsy stared after her, breaths slowing with her sense of reality.

She didn't understand what was going on.

That was when she sought out Mezrielda. She was, of course, in the library nook.

In a rush, like one of the waterfalls at Quolldron college, Bagsy told her everything that had happened, all the while a look of mounting alarm spilled into her friends widening eyes.

'Something is very disturbing about that troupe,' Mezrielda fretted, tapping a finger against her chin in thought. 'There's an obvious explanation about Perdita.'

'Please. I'd love to hear it.'

'Maisy was lying.'

'Why would she change her tune?'

'I don't know,' said Mezrielda. 'But it's more likely she changed her tune because she didn't want to be caught in a lie.'

Bagsy was unconvinced. 'It's just a coincidence someone who worked for the acting troupe has the same last name?'

'Look,' said Mezrielda, standing. 'Maisy doesn't have a sister. I can show you.' She walked out of the library.

'Where are we going?' Bagsy asked as they entered a stone corridor. It was pitch black outside the windows and she could see gleams of light in the distance. She guessed it was Zotova and Mephit continuing their work on the fence. They were supposed to be finished by the end of this term, which wasn't far away.