🌙 Rita Logan and the Dark Tower: The Case of the Silent Chimes
Chapter Three: Whispers in the Library
Rita stood in the hallway, watching as Kyle and Lane trailed behind Principal Grayson like two kids being marched to the guillotine. Her gut twisted. She knew they were only trying to help, but rules were rules. And if the council found out about the break-in, it could mean more than detention—it could mean losing the tower altogether.
She tugged Georgia’s sleeve. “C’mon. We’ve got to figure out a way to help them.”
“Help them?” Georgia echoed, exasperated. “Rita, they broke into the tower. They could get expelled. And you want to help them?”
Rita nodded. “Exactly. We need to prove they weren’t trying to vandalize anything. And I have a feeling…” Her eyes drifted toward the old library wing. “There’s more to this tower than we think.”
Georgia sighed. “I knew you’d drag me into this.”
They ducked into the library, weaving between the rows of dusty shelves. Rita beelined for the Local History section, pulling out a thick, crumbling book titled The Carillon: A Town’s Timeless Treasure.
Flipping through, Rita’s fingers paused on an old, faded photograph: the Carillon under construction in 1928. Beneath it was a note:
“Dedicated in honor of Thomas Carlyle Sr., benefactor and founder of Carlyle Industries.”
“Wait a second…” Rita murmured. “Carlyle? As in… Kyle’s family?”
Georgia leaned in. “So his great-grandfather helped build the tower?”
“Looks like it.” Rita flipped the page—and gasped.
There was a second photo, hidden beneath a loose scrap of paper. This one showed the tower’s bell chamber, but in the corner of the picture, almost too faint to see, was a symbol etched into the wall: a small, swirling design that looked like an old-fashioned keyhole surrounded by ivy.
“What is that?” Georgia asked, pointing.
“I don’t know.” Rita’s mind raced. A secret symbol… an old family connection…
She carefully folded the loose paper and tucked it into her backpack. “But I’m going to find out.”
Just then, the library doors creaked open, and a familiar voice whispered from the shadows.
“Rita. Georgia. We need your help.”
It was Kyle, breathless and pale. “Something’s wrong with the bells.”
🔎 Clues for the Reader
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The Carlyle family connection to the tower—could there be an inheritance or hidden responsibility involved?
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The secret symbol in the bell chamber—what might it unlock?
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Kyle’s urgent message—why are the bells acting strange?
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What does Tommy, the homeless man, know about the tower’s secrets?
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