Long Black Veil Read Online Free Page A

these.”
    “Well, I’m glad someone is finally taking an interest in their history, even if it is just for a scholarship.” Mrs. Welbourne leaned over the desk. “All we usually get in here are title searches and land grants. Just follow the signs down the hall. They’ll lead you right to it.”
    Devon nodded and took off down the main hallway, turning left down a side hall where the sign indicated. She passed a couple of doors, finally coming to a stop in front of an open one. The Records room was a large square, bisected by a long counter. Behind it were filing cabinets; they lined the walls of the entire room. A computer sat on the counter. Two wooden chairs sat sentinel on either side of the door.
    She laid her bag down on the counter, then leaned over it, trying to see if there was anyone working. The computer monitor’s screen saver was on. “Hello?”
    “Hang on!” a male voice called from the back of the stacks, followed by a collection of thumps.
    “Everything okay back there?” She craned her neck to get a look.
    A tall young man walked between filing cabinets to join her at the front. He wore jeans and a polo shirt. Devon recognized him; he was Brock Cutler, the captain of the varsity basketball team, popular, good looking, former boyfriend of Skylar Preston, and son to one of the richest families in town. The town golden boy. Devon had had a couple of classes with him when they were underclassmen, but when she started taking mostly AP classes, their schedules diverged. But she knew him on sight—heck, everybody did.
    “Hey, sorry it took so long.” He looked at her bag on the counter. “What do you need?”
    Devon slid her bag back over her shoulder, suddenly unsure. Why on earth was Brock even back there? “Mrs. Welbourne said she was calling an intern.”
    “Uh huh. That’s me.”
    “Seriously?” Devon thought an intern would have been someone, well, more like her. Someone who needed the credit on their transcripts or the paycheck, if there was one.
    He crossed his arms over his chest, frowning a little. “I can’t be an intern?”
    “Oh, no. That’s not what I meant. I mean, I just wouldn’t have thought…” she trailed off, watching as his mouth set into the beginnings of a scowl. “You know what? Let me try that again.” She shook her body like a dog shaking off water. “Hi, I need some help with the archives, please.”
    He laughed suddenly, a bright and shocking sound. “Sure thing. Whatcha got?”
    Devon pulled out her file folder and thumbed through the contents. “I need proof of residence for the last five generations of my family. Birth certificates, death certificates, land records—that kind of stuff.”
    He whistled. “That’s gonna take a while. Like more than one day, awhile.”
    Devon nodded. “I figured. I thought I would start with the most recent—my parents—and move backwards.”
    Brock walked to the end of the counter and flipped it up so Devon could pass through. “Come on back.” He gestured her through. “You know the years you’re looking for?”
    “Some of them, yeah.” She slid through, feeling like she was breaking the rules. “Should I even be back here?”
    He nodded and pointed to the computer. “Oh yeah, no problem. I have some shelving and requests to find so as long as you put everything back where you found it, we’re good.”
    “Um, okay.” She looked around. “Is there a copier around here I can use?”
    “Yeah, it’s in the back. Just keep a list of the copies you’ve made and you can pay at the front desk.” He turned and showed her how to search the database to find the filing cabinet or archive shelf where the records she needed were. When he was sure she understood what to do, he began to walk away. “I’ll be down in the basement archives if you get stuck.”
    “Okay. Sure. Thanks.” Devon pulled out her notebook and a pen and sat in the high swivel chair in front of the monitor.
    Brock cocked his head and