The Bitter Truth by Jane Gorman

Author:Jane Gorman
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780999110010
Publisher: Blue Eagle Press

25

Adam straightened up at the sound of a tractor passing by on the street. He’d been squatting in front of a bookcase, reading the spines without touching anything. He’d done his best over the past hour not to touch anything, acutely aware of the need to leave as little evidence of their search as possible. The sound of the tractor moved away and Adam let out the breath he’d been holding.

Elise didn’t seem to have the same concern. She flipped over pillows on sofas and chairs, pulled books off of shelves, even dug through the kitchen cabinets.

Thomas Lefebvre’s house was an old family farmstead, with generations of Lefebvres posing in pictures that covered walls and surfaces in the home.

Siblings, cousins, children, laughing and smiling. Parents and grandparents. Then older pictures, beautiful sepia-toned prints, with unsmiling French men and women. The earliest photos seemed to be from the century before last, before the violent upheavals of the twentieth century. Women in long skirts looked sternly at the camera, men with farm tools adopted bold poses.

“These are his ancestors, right?” Adam asked as Elise paused beside him.

“They are. I understand from Thomas that they worked on a farm not far from here, just two towns over.”

“They were farm laborers?”

Elise nodded. “Something like that, yes.”

“He’s come a long way, then. Now he owns the farm and hires others.”

Elise shrugged. “It happens. I believe in his family’s case their fortunes improved dramatically during the war.”

“Because they supported the regime?” Adam asked.

“Perhaps. And because others didn’t, and those people lost what little they had.”

Adam shook his head as he continued his search.

In the kitchen, he saw only a few dishes, the most basic of cookware. “Thomas not much of a cook?”

Elise laughed under her breath. “Definitely not. He relied on the generosity of the village women.”

“They took care of him?”

“Hm.” Elise wagged her head. “So to speak. Every now and then someone would stop by with a dish for him, something she’d made special that week, maybe she had leftovers.”

Adam considered this. The local women taking care of the town’s bachelor? Or was this something more? “Was there much competition over Thomas?” he asked.

“Over?” Elise shook her head in confusion.

“For his affections. You know, it’s a small town, a small eligible male population.”

Elise laughed out loud. “Definitely not, no.” She laughed again. “Thomas was not that kind of man. Plus there was that family history …” her voice trailed off.

“Camille liked him well enough,” Adam pointed out.

“That’s true …” Elise let her eyes roam over the kitchen. “She has … unusual tastes in men though.”

Adam followed Elise’s gaze. Two cups stood drying in the rack next to the sink.

“Two cups?” Adam asked, stepping forward to look at them without touching, though they’d clearly been washed.

“Makes sense. Andrew was here early. Thomas would have offered him coffee.”

Adam looked around the kitchen once more then stepped out to the main hall. He didn’t know what he was looking for, not really. Anything obvious would have been found by the police, any evidence of a burglary would have been identified.

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