The Finding by Elizabeth Pilcher

Author:Elizabeth Pilcher [Pilcher, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Earth + Ether Press, LLC
Published: 2021-11-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26 – Symbolics

Washington, Louisiana, 21st Century

In the aftermath of her fallout with Xavier, Ada struggled monumentally each morning to find purpose for staying in Washington through her self-imposed deadline. She had all but decided to end the experiment and move on when Ms. Izzy came bouncing up the cottage’s driveway on her yellow bike. Ms. Izzy had heard the organization that had restored the Angel House was hosting an open house.

“Whatcha think?” Ms. Izzy asked, showing Ada a newspaper clipping of the announcement. “Maybe you could come with me? Maybe there’ll be some evidence there the coppers overlooked? Somethin’ to help.” Ms. Izzy looked so hopeful, so resolute, clutching a manila folder of other such scraps, hoarding her file.

“Are you sure you’re up for that?” Ada asked.

“Sho!” Ms. Izzy responded confidently. “I’d do anything to help set things right.”

Ada was ashamed she had let her own emotional quagmire allow her to forget the other, more important, reason she couldn’t leave yet. And what about Beau? She had ignored that lingering reason, not yet ready to upset her commitment to Tanglewilde for . . . what?

Grateful for an excuse—other than a fling—to justify her finishing out the year, Ada had agreed to accompany Ms. Izzy to the open house. Perhaps she could learn a little more about the group that had purchased it—the Uncommon Club they called themselves. Before she had been evicted from the District Attorney’s office, Ada had discovered that this club seemed to have uncanny connections and an unusual fascination with the case against Victor Latombe.

She regretted her decision to bring Ms. Izzy to the open house as soon as Jimmy was parked along the curb on Honoré Street. Ms. Izzy slowly eased from Jimmy and took slow, shuffling steps through the front gate, where a new historical marker had been planted. Her face further lengthened, without a word, up the restored porch steps.

Inside, Ada watched Ms. Izzy slump over herself, further minimizing an already petite frame, as she shuffled from room to room, oblivious to the curious chatter of the other visitors. Her hands trembled as they traced the replaned woodwork of each door’s trim and each window sash. She ran aged and knobby fingers over the replastered walls, and finally to rest, steadying, on the unadorned mantle, now stripped of its soot, grime, and love which had taken more than a century to accumulate.

Despite the obviously painful nostalgia creasing her flawless face, Ms. Izzy flashed her brilliant smile at the freshly potted mums on the front porch and the door and window trim which were still a vibrant blue. Seeing her smile, Ada relaxed. Feeling less obligated for her old friend, who led herself away to ponder the transformation of each room, Ada wandered into the kitchen, which smelled of old wood and new varnish. There she found an overfilled orange dress engaged in animated conversation with another visitor to the open house.

Clearly the orange dress was in a position of superior knowledge and therefore presented a good starting point for Ada’s investigation.

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