“Samuel probably took it back to the company’s head office in New York City,” Liam replied. “It could be stored in an archive somewhere.”
Chloe took out her cell phone and snapped a photo of the image in the book. “I’ll send this through to my friends at the Smithsonian and tell them about the painting. They might be able to cross reference the photo with others on our database and check for any landscapes Eleanor might have created.”
Percy, the Chairperson of the Heritage Protection Society, joined them at the table. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’ve found something I think you’ll find interesting.”
Chloe smiled. Percy loved a good mystery, and he’d been excited when she’d told him about the sketchbook they’d found. “What is it, Percy?”
He placed a photocopied sheet of paper in front of them. “I was thinking about Eleanor and where she might have stayed in Sapphire Bay. A boarding house or another respectable establishment would have been appropriate for a young, single woman in the 1920s. According to the records we have, there were only two boarding houses that took in unmarried women. Luckily, we have the guest registry for one of those businesses.”
Chloe’s mouth dropped open when she read the entries on the sheet of paper. “You found where Eleanor was living.”
“Only for twelve months,” Percy said quickly. “Look at what it says beside her name.”
Chloe looked back at the entry. “She paid for a suite with two rooms.” She looked at Liam and Percy. “Do you think Samuel stayed with her?”
Percy shook his head. “Impossible. If Samuel Hartman wanted a rendezvous point with Eleanor, he wouldn’t have made it through the front door. During the 1920s, societal norms and expectations were strict, especially concerning relationships between unmarried men and women.”
Liam looked over Chloe’s shoulder at the sheet of paper. “The second room could have been her studio.”
“That makes sense,” Chloe agreed. “She would’ve needed space to work on her art.”
Percy nodded thoughtfully. “It’s possible. Artists often rented extra space for their work, especially if they were working on larger pieces.”
Just then, Chloe’s phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw a text from her lawyer:
Hi Chloe, it’s Laura. Please call me when you get a chance. It’s important.
A knot formed in her stomach.
Liam must have noticed the shift in her expression. “Is everything okay?”
She forced a small smile. “It’s my lawyer. She wants me to call her.”
Percy glanced at each of them. “I should get back to the front desk. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thanks, Percy,” Chloe said as she put her phone away.
Oscar tugged at her sleeve. “Mom, look at my drawing!”
She knelt beside him. He’d sketched Eleanor and the man from the pictures standing next to a train, with a big sunshine above their heads.
“That’s wonderful. I like how happy they are.”
“They’re going on a train trip, just like we did,” Oscar said excitedly.
Chloe’s heart warmed despite her anxiety. She couldn’t imagine her life without Oscar, but that might be about to change.
Liam rested a hand on her shoulder. “Do you want to call your lawyer now? I can stay here with Oscar.”
She hesitated before nodding. “That might be a good idea. I won’t be long.”
“Take your time,” he assured her.
Chloe stepped out of the library and found somewhere quiet to talk to Laura. As she dialed her number, Chloe’s fingers trembled.
“Thanks for calling back,” Laura said when she answered the call.
“Hi, Laura. What’s happened?”
