Beyond a Doubt - By Felicia Rogers Page 0,55

a book from the shelf, and pull out the necessary paper. It was amazing. But as for a special paper, I have no idea.”

“So can we go back?” she asked, hoping to get her way by pleading.

“But of course. Although I hope you have several days to look. When I assembled the items in that box, I found all I could. It took days to do that much. The rest will take ages to search.”

Chapter Forty-Five

Lucy followed the two men, fretting all the way. By the time they arrived at George’s office, Lucy was distraught. George opened the door. One step inside the small office and Lucy knew exactly what had happened.

The man who’d left the office earlier, the one who’d seemed so familiar, had been the man who had followed Bryce and her in the park. The same man likely held the responsibility for ruining her home and now destroying Mr. Hampstead’s office.

The elderly lawyer tiptoed across the threshold. His eyes widened and he placed a hand to his chest as if in shock. “My office. Wh-what happened?”

“I’m sorry,” Lucy said.

“What could they possibly want? There was nothing here of any value. Nothing but old books and case documents.”

“Mr. Hampstead, let us help you clean this up,” Lucy said.

He nodded and went to the corner. Righting an overturned chair, George sat and rested his head in his hands. Bryce moved farther into the room. He picked up books, rifled through the pages and placed them back on the shelf in no particular order. Lucy picked up a book and did the same.

Depression hit a few hours later when they realized the mess before them was their only lead. The odds of finding what they sought had just become more dismal.

As they worked, George mumbled and muttered under his breath. Suddenly he stopped talking and a wail rent the air.

Bryce looked at her expectantly, but Lucy felt lost and didn’t know what to do.

Mr. Hampstead held a dried rose. He turned it over and over before offering it to Lucy. She stroked the brittle petals.

George said, “This was the first rose I ever gave my wife.”

Lucy waited. George sighed and said, “She kept everything.”

He placed the rose back in a book and continued speaking. “My wife was not perfect, mind you, but she was close to it. Almost completely blind, she was, and the physicians said they could do nothing for her. She only had vision on the sides, you see. But did you know she cared for the young children at church? Yes indeed, if a mother had more than one babe, she would go sit with them and help. Why, that woman was dear to so many hearts.”

Upon hearing those last words, Lucy dropped the book she was holding, startling the others. She grabbed the sides of Mr. Hampstead’s sagging jowls and gave him a huge kiss. Then she grabbed Bryce’s hand and ran out the door, leaving a gawking Mr. Hampstead behind. Exuberance propelled her forward.

“Where are we goin’—“

“Bryce, come on. We have to hurry.”

Bryce followed. When they arrived at their destination, Lucy held up her hand to stop Bryce. The entrance was large and foreboding. Stone lions perched like sentries above. Iron bars closed the place to visitors. A chain dangled and clanked in the wind.

A sense of solemnity overcame her. With one hand, she touched the cold metal and pushed. The chain clattered to the ground. A loud creaking rent the air.

A thin white mist covered the ground and moved aside as they walked. Perfectly trimmed hedges circled the place and filtered through the thick white veil.

Total silence surrounded them. No crickets chirped. No birds tweeted. No frogs croaked. Lucy could only hear the soft sounds of their breathing.

Each marker in the graveyard was unique. Names, dates, and designs all represented the person resting underneath.

Lucy knew the exact spot. Walking the well-worn path, she found the stone and dropped to her knees. Carved in the headstone, the words read, Laura Lombard, born 1517 as a human, taken in 1537 as an angel. The dearest to my heart. Song of Solomon 2”

She stroked the engraved letters. Why hadn’t she thought of these words before? Had this been what the lady at the ball meant?

As she placed her fingers in the deep groove, she closed her eyes. Knowing the location of the phrase didn’t help her solve the puzzle. But it was a start.

“Lucy, that word there with the number, does that come from the Bible?” asked