The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 193

Lavinia dragged her suitcase around looking for her assigned dormitory. The housing department sent her to an office to pick up her keys.

She pushed the door open, but before she could even take in the room, the door slammed shut behind her.

Three female staff members surrounded her.

The leader was a heavyset woman clutching a ring of keys. Her gaze swept from Lavinia's face down to her suitcase, then back up again.

"Open the bag." It wasn't a request. "Routine inspection."

Lavinia tightened her grip on the handle. "Inspect what?"

"Campus policy. All new employees must have their luggage searched to ensure no contraband is brought in."

Another woman, tall and thin, crossed her arms, looking impatient. "Hurry up. Don't waste our time."

Lavinia crouched down and unzipped the suitcase.

Her clothes were neatly folded, her toiletries tucked into the side pockets, and her skincare products stored in a travel pouch.

The heavyset woman squatted down, picking up her clothes one by one and shaking them out, then rummaging through the side pockets to examine each item.

The tall woman unzipped her toiletry bag, popped the cap off her face wash, and squeezed a little onto her fingers, rubbing it together.

"What's this?" The heavyset woman pulled a small, square box from a hidden compartment at the bottom of the suitcase.

Lavinia's heart leaped into her throat. It was a pinhole camera she had asked Scott to get for her.

If they discovered it, she was in serious trouble.

Just as the woman was about to pry the box open, the door lock beeped.

The fingerprint scanner flashed green. The door was pushed open, and a man walked in.

Lavinia turned her head and froze.

Charley stood in the doorway, wearing a crisp white lab coat with an ID badge clipped to his chest. He looked clean-cut and sharp, like a young university professor.

The three women froze, too.

The heavyset woman stood up, looking him up and down. "Who are you?"

The tall woman chimed in to help. "Yeah, it's just the rules. We can't leave a paper trail for this kind of check, which is why there's no official form."

Charley glanced at Lavinia. She looked at him nervously.

"Fine. Finish your inspection," Charley said neutrally.

The women breathed a sigh of relief and crouched back down to look through the bag.

Perhaps because a manager was watching, they were suddenly very anxious and only did a superficial check.

The heavyset woman even opened the small cardboard box to peek inside. It was completely empty.

"That's the case for my contact lenses. I was in such a rush, I forgot to put them inside," Lavinia explained quickly.

The woman shoved the box back in, helped Lavinia repack her things, and zipped up the suitcase.

"All right, you're clear. You can go."

Lavinia grabbed her suitcase and calmly walked out of the small room.