williamkgao/bookcorpus100mb · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 1 797
`` we 'd just like to know if faith baldwin 's name is still on locker 811 . ''
`` did you say 811 ? ''
his voice perked up suddenly .
`` yes .
it 's on the key if you 'd bothered to- ooomph , '' ryan grunted as zoe nudged him in the ribs .
`` does that number sound familiar to you ? ''
she asked sweetly .
`` another man was here asking about that locker number around lunchtime . ''
ryan took the man 's words like a punch in the stomach .
`` can you describe him ? ''
zoe asked before ryan had had a chance to catch his breath .
`` tall , gray hair , wearing a suit . ''
he rolled his eyes .
`` he looked like any businessman with money who comes through here every day .
what do you people want from me , anyway ? ''
zoe patted his hand reassuringly .
`` you 're doing just fine .
now can you tell us if you keep old paperwork on file from people who 've rented lockers in the past ? ''
`` i 'll tell you what i told the other guy .
he said it could have been rented as long as seventeen years ago , and that 's too long a time for us to keep anything we might have found in that locker . ''
the description along with the time frame cemented the fact that uncle russ had been here asking questions about sam 's keys .
he was involved in something and had an agenda , just as zoe had thought .
disappointment churned in ryan 's gut , but he reminded himself that he did n't know why his uncle had interest in the keys .
maybe there was a plausible explanation .
`` what did the gentleman say to that ? ''
`` stormed off , angry . ''
now that sounded like his uncle when he did n't get his way , ryan thought .
zoe shook her long hair so it fell onto the counter , an obvious attempt to keep the clerk 's attention .
`` well i 'm a little more patient and i 'd like to know if you have any old records we might be able to peek at . ''
the other man looked into her green eyes , which she fluttered ever so nicely , and reached down to his keyboard .
`` we 're computerized now .
did n't used to be .
so things are n't always accurate .
let 's see .
nope .
we only go back five years , then we wipe the files clean .
of course there 's a storage room with old records .
it 's a dusty old place that nobody likes to go into . ''
`` yes ! ''
zoe said .
ryan felt the excitement ripple through her .
`` and if i were to make it worth your while , would you please let us into that old storage room ? ''
she asked .
`` you see , our sister took that locker after she ran away all those years ago , and if there 's any way of tracing her whereabouts , even from that long ago , we 'd be so grateful . ''
the man looked from ryan to zoe , then down to the counter , where ryan realized zoe was slipping a twenty-dollar bill his way .
the guy snatched the cash and gestured with a nod of his head .
`` this way . ''
he led them down a long hall to a back room .
unlocking the door , he let them inside .
`` you wo n't be disturbed .
nobody wants to go back to the archives because of the dust , '' he said laughing .
`` and you did n't tell the other man about this room ? ''
zoe asked .
the guy shook his head .
`` he did n't ask about it . ''
ryan stifled a laugh because his uncle 's temper and impulsive nature had worked against him , whereas zoe 's patience and smarts , not to mention feminine wiles , had gotten them one step farther .
zoe turned back to the other man .
`` by the way , what happens to the old contents of a locker ? ''
`` we try to contact the owner and if nobody shows up for it , it goes into lost and found for a while .
then we give the stuff away to shelters or dump it if it 's garbage .
if you 're lucky , somebody will have written info rmation down on the card that was filled out when the locker was paid for .
good luck , '' he said and shut the door behind him .
ryan took in the old cardboard filing boxes piled one on top of the other all around and groaned .
`` well , might as well get started , '' he muttered and started walking toward the back of the room .
`` ryan , wait . ''
he turned to see zoe lingering near the door .
`` what is it ? ''
she shrugged .
`` i do n't know .
i 'm sorry , maybe ?
i know i said it before , but i am .
i 'm sorry that my hunch was right .
i 'm sorry that your uncle was here looking for something that involved your sister and did n't tell you about it . ''
`` maybe he had his reasons . ''
he could only hope .
she nodded , obviously not wanting to pick a fight on this subject .
`` what month and year did faith run away ? ''
she asked instead .
`` march 1988 . ''
`` at least that 's a start .
now we just have to pray these boxes are in some sort of chronological order . ''
she started looking at one end , then walked to another section , then another .
he wanted to help her .
but now he had something to say first .
`` zoe ? ''
she peeked her head up above one of the boxes .
`` yeah ? ''
he met her gaze .
`` thanks for not saying i told you so . ''
she grinned and got back to work .
it felt like ages before they 'd narrowed things down enough to start digging through a select group of filing cartons .
even so , it took hours to sort through the individual boxes and papers .
the man had n't been kidding about the mess .
zoe 's eyes were tearing and her nose was running from all the rising dust that flew around each time they touched something that had n't been disturbed in years .
`` oh my god !
i found something , '' ryan suddenly said , clearly stunned .
zoe left her box and scrambled over to where he sat holding an old , yellowed paper .
`` what is it ? ''
`` the card faith filled out when she rented the box .
it 's dated march 15 , 1988 . ''

`` we 'd just like to know if faith baldwin 's name is still on locker 811 . ''

`` did you say 811 ? ''

his voice perked up suddenly .

`` yes .

it 's on the key if you 'd bothered to- ooomph , '' ryan grunted as zoe nudged him in the ribs .

`` does that number sound familiar to you ? ''

she asked sweetly .

`` another man was here asking about that locker number around lunchtime . ''

ryan took the man 's words like a punch in the stomach .

`` can you describe him ? ''

zoe asked before ryan had had a chance to catch his breath .

`` tall , gray hair , wearing a suit . ''

he rolled his eyes .

`` he looked like any businessman with money who comes through here every day .

what do you people want from me , anyway ? ''

zoe patted his hand reassuringly .

`` you 're doing just fine .

now can you tell us if you keep old paperwork on file from people who 've rented lockers in the past ? ''

`` i 'll tell you what i told the other guy .

he said it could have been rented as long as seventeen years ago , and that 's too long a time for us to keep anything we might have found in that locker . ''

the description along with the time frame cemented the fact that uncle russ had been here asking questions about sam 's keys .

he was involved in something and had an agenda , just as zoe had thought .

disappointment churned in ryan 's gut , but he reminded himself that he did n't know why his uncle had interest in the keys .

maybe there was a plausible explanation .

`` what did the gentleman say to that ? ''

`` stormed off , angry . ''

now that sounded like his uncle when he did n't get his way , ryan thought .

zoe shook her long hair so it fell onto the counter , an obvious attempt to keep the clerk 's attention .

`` well i 'm a little more patient and i 'd like to know if you have any old records we might be able to peek at . ''

the other man looked into her green eyes , which she fluttered ever so nicely , and reached down to his keyboard .

`` we 're computerized now .

did n't used to be .

so things are n't always accurate .

let 's see .

nope .

we only go back five years , then we wipe the files clean .

of course there 's a storage room with old records .

it 's a dusty old place that nobody likes to go into . ''

`` yes ! ''

zoe said .

ryan felt the excitement ripple through her .

`` and if i were to make it worth your while , would you please let us into that old storage room ? ''

she asked .

`` you see , our sister took that locker after she ran away all those years ago , and if there 's any way of tracing her whereabouts , even from that long ago , we 'd be so grateful . ''

the man looked from ryan to zoe , then down to the counter , where ryan realized zoe was slipping a twenty-dollar bill his way .

the guy snatched the cash and gestured with a nod of his head .

`` this way . ''

he led them down a long hall to a back room .

unlocking the door , he let them inside .

`` you wo n't be disturbed .

nobody wants to go back to the archives because of the dust , '' he said laughing .

`` and you did n't tell the other man about this room ? ''

zoe asked .

the guy shook his head .

`` he did n't ask about it . ''

ryan stifled a laugh because his uncle 's temper and impulsive nature had worked against him , whereas zoe 's patience and smarts , not to mention feminine wiles , had gotten them one step farther .

zoe turned back to the other man .

`` by the way , what happens to the old contents of a locker ? ''

`` we try to contact the owner and if nobody shows up for it , it goes into lost and found for a while .

then we give the stuff away to shelters or dump it if it 's garbage .

if you 're lucky , somebody will have written info rmation down on the card that was filled out when the locker was paid for .

good luck , '' he said and shut the door behind him .

ryan took in the old cardboard filing boxes piled one on top of the other all around and groaned .

`` well , might as well get started , '' he muttered and started walking toward the back of the room .

`` ryan , wait . ''

he turned to see zoe lingering near the door .

`` what is it ? ''

she shrugged .

`` i do n't know .

i 'm sorry , maybe ?

i know i said it before , but i am .

i 'm sorry that my hunch was right .

i 'm sorry that your uncle was here looking for something that involved your sister and did n't tell you about it . ''

`` maybe he had his reasons . ''

he could only hope .

she nodded , obviously not wanting to pick a fight on this subject .

`` what month and year did faith run away ? ''

she asked instead .

`` march 1988 . ''

`` at least that 's a start .

now we just have to pray these boxes are in some sort of chronological order . ''

she started looking at one end , then walked to another section , then another .

he wanted to help her .

but now he had something to say first .

`` zoe ? ''

she peeked her head up above one of the boxes .

`` yeah ? ''

he met her gaze .

`` thanks for not saying i told you so . ''

she grinned and got back to work .

it felt like ages before they 'd narrowed things down enough to start digging through a select group of filing cartons .

even so , it took hours to sort through the individual boxes and papers .

the man had n't been kidding about the mess .

zoe 's eyes were tearing and her nose was running from all the rising dust that flew around each time they touched something that had n't been disturbed in years .

`` oh my god !

i found something , '' ryan suddenly said , clearly stunned .

zoe left her box and scrambled over to where he sat holding an old , yellowed paper .

`` what is it ? ''

`` the card faith filled out when she rented the box .

it 's dated march 15 , 1988 . ''