Page 78 of This is a Kissing Book

He nods and follows my finger as I lower it toward plumes of smoke from the aforementioned muskets.

“Notice anything unusual?”

Linc leans closer, and I catch a whiff of his cologne along with that clean minty scent that makes me want to breathe deeper. His lean muscle tells me he could totally lift a car off someone in a dire situation. The crinkle in the corners of his eyes suggests he’s plotting something diabolical. The way his full lips hovered over mine that one time in an almost-kiss that definitely left me wanting, highlighted exactly how much he hates me.

At least this is the story I tell myself so I can sleep at night. Otherwise, I might lie awake all night pining.

Linc turns slowly to me as if detecting my sudden sensory overload. “It looks familiar.”

“It looks like many small towns during this era of history. I cross-referenced it with historical maps. This depicts a real location. A small Illinois town where Lincoln supposedly stayed overnight during his circuit lawyer days.”

His head snaps up. “You’re serious.”

“Dead serious. But here’s the really interesting part—it’s floating. There’s no foundation.”

Much like my head right now, being here in Linc’s abode, sitting so close to him might be grounds for me requiring a personal day. Thankfully, I get paid time off.

“Suggesting it’s not permanent. Not real?”

I tip my head from side to side. “Now, check this out.”

Linc’s eyes bulge as he studies the images of the lower left-hand corner, where I discovered another name under the original.

“Most buildings have a base and this artist was no stranger to that, especially considering there are some normally constructed buildings over here.” I point behind the image of the former president.

“Good point. So, do you think it could be a map like my mother suggested?”

I enhance the image on my computer. “There’s more. The signature I uncovered doesn’t match the attributed artist, Douglas Kennard. This was painted by someone else entirely, someone whose work from this period is extremely rare.”

Linc reads the original signature, Clement Marchand, that I found under the current signature, D. Kinnard.

“Unusual, right? This makes me think more than ever that this is part one of a diptych and whoever made the alterations didn’t want anyone to make the association that there was a second painting.”

He says, “So they changed the artist’s name, meaning we just need to find all artworks by Clement Marchand?”

I tap the air with my pointer finger. “It could be that the two panels will tell a complete story. The composition here suggests there should be a matching piece. See how Lincoln’s hand is extended?”

“Almost like he’s pointing to something.”

“Or reaching out. Also, the way the light falls suggests it’s either early morning or late evening—specific transitional moments. Shadows from the other painting form a link between puzzle pieces. I tried to find a connection between the various objects, but I’m thinking the ‘map,’ as you said, is found more between painting A and painting B.”

He swipes through the photos and studies the painting as if willing a connection to be made, to determine if he’s seen the match before or any other work by the artist.

Hoping to jog his memory, I say, “It could be a before and after scene. Like maybe Lincoln preparing for a speech versus giving it. Or paired portraits—one of Lincoln, another of Mary Todd, with hidden elements that align when placed side by side. The possibilities are endless, but the point is, this painting isn’t a solo piece of art. It came as a pair.”

“This is incredible work, Jules. This could be groundbreaking.” Admiration and appreciation fill his voice.

It lights a little candle inside that makes me whiskey-warm.

I incline my head for emphasis. “But they were done by an altogether different artist.”

His jaw lowers. “Oh. Wow.” He repeats the word several more times as realization dawns.

After some quick research into Clement Marchand, we learn that he only painted in pairs, confirming my diptych theory.

Linc says, “That suggests someone wanted these paintings treated as separate works.”

“But why?”