For any of you who might still be wondering:
I have done a bit of investigating.
The little open space next to the Quilting Nook, but just off the main seating area, used to have a few small bookcases and a small reading chair for those who wanted to take their drinks somewhere tucked out of the way and get on with their book. The bookcases and chair are gone.
Above the reading space, there was a small ceiling hatch, nothing special, just your average MDF pull down loft hatch, with a fold down ladder. Someone had been using the space for something. Storing something. Now the hatch is gone. The boards covering the ceiling space are matched perfectly to the existing, boarded ceiling, patina and all.
Several gerbils noticed my interest in the missing hatch, and grouped together, looking nervous. One of them went to find Glenda.
An interesting Dead Parrot conversation ensued when Glenda appeared.
First, she asked me if I needed anything, a drink perhaps? [The other gerbils seized on this gratefully: maybe this would be a normal conversation after all, no need to panic].
No, thank you, I said. Where are all the bookcases?
Bookcases? Um, what bookcases?
And the chair?
Oh, it's...uh.. around somewhere. Yes. Somewhere.
Where's the loft hatch?
Um, what, um, what loft hatch would that be?
Glenda, there was a loft hatch here in the ceiling yesterday evening.
No there wasn't.
[long, silent pause. One of the gerbils in the back lets out a tiny squeak. Another shushes her.]
There certainly was one, and you know it, and now it's been boarded over. Why is that?
I don't know what you mean, what boards, what hatch? Never was a hatch there. Was there? [all the other gerbils shake their heads. Someone giggles, probably Gemma]
Glenda, why did you need to cover up the loft hatch?
[Glenda blinks, a few times. Someone holds her breath, someone else glances sideways at the gerbil to her left]
Wellll... there's no hatch there now, maybe you saw it some other place...?
[long, silent pause]
Anyway, there's no need for one now, there's nothing up there, never was anything up there anyway, not... anymore...never was... <ahem> I'll just get back to work. Lots to do, yes, lots of...things, things to do.
[Glenda sidles away quickly, stepping carefully around the area where the bookcases had been.]
[Gemma starts to quietly, surreptitiously shoo the crowd away, back to work, then frantically poking them until they start shifting.]
Nothing to see here. Nothing. to. see. here. Hmmmm.
I think we'll have to get Gosie on the case.