The Body In the Vestibule by Katherine Hall Page

Author:Katherine Hall Page
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2012-02-09T05:00:00+00:00

Absorbed in hearkening back to the strife of the Middle Ages, Faith had almost forgotten the present turmoil, but on the way to the garderie the next morning she was still startled by innocent events: a dog racing across her path as she walked down the street, a sudden squeal of brakes, or raised voices from a doorway. She was definitely getting too schizy, she told herself, and longed for Michel Ravier’s return or their trip to Carcassonne—whichever came first.

Ben was going to his beloved friend Leonard’s house for lunch and an afternoon of blissful play. Leonard, at four, was a year older and Ben worshipped him. Leonard’s mother, Chantal, lovingly referred to the young amis as the “two naughty boys” of the garderie and seemed more than able to cope with them, despite her diminutive size. There was no question that Chantal could have taken on tigers in the zoo or anywhere else—staring them down like Madeleine, her compatriot, and saying, “Pooh pooh.”

This left Faith with a large block of time and she decided to get all their clothes in order for the trip, which meant the real thing—a visit to the lavomatique, the laundromat—and not a tub wash.

Laundromats were as scarce as peanut butter in Lyon, neither having captured the French imagination, unlike microwave popcorn, nor did they promise an elevation in a quality of life that placed pate de foie gras well within the reach of the average citizen. After consulting the telephone directory and asking friends in vain, Faith had finally spied behind a storefront a telltale row of washers and dryers on rue Chapeaux, not far from the Place des Jacobins. The laundromat was usually deserted except for some of the prostitutes who frequented the area and squeezed in a load of wash between clients. The first time Faith had ventured in, she had not brought nearly enough one-franc pieces—it took almost a laundry bagful to pay for the washer and dryer—and after unsuccessfully asking at the bar/tabac next door, solicited help from some of the girls, who were only too happy to oblige. It seemed to be her lot in Lyon to frequent the same neighborhoods as her otherwise-employed sisters. She had also made the mistake of trying to obtain some monnaie, change, from a man passing by. At first, he could not believe the low price she was offering, then once the mistake was explained, he did not know whether to be angry or amused. He chose the latter and Faith had the distinct impression he would be dining out on the story for months—the belle Américaine who wanted monnaie to keep her clothes clean but would do nothing for the favor. There were also a number of clochards in the area and Faith could see they had plenty of change, yet she was loath to approach one.

The faux clochard had disappeared from the front of the Eglise St. Nizier and apparently no one else wanted to take his place too soon. Remembering the violence of his temper, she didn’t blame them.

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