Page 48 of Promise Keeper

She stacked the invitations and opened a binder to tuck them inside. A wood handled iron tool rolled onto the floor. I scooted my chair back and picked it up. "What is this?" I asked her. It was small and had a circular metal end, the size of a nickel.

"A signet to stamp the sealing wax," she said, "for the medieval invitations." Mom took out a squared-off stick of wax in glittery burgundy with a wick sticking out one end like a candle. "Let me show you what it looks like."

She lit the wick and let the wax drip on a piece of paper. When a quarter-sized puddle accumulated, she pressed the stamp into it. "There. That would seal the envelopes."

"I like the glittery burgundy color," I said, "but the initials aren't right. The F for Finch should be last, not second."

"Carl's middle name is Anthony," she said, "so it's correct. CFA." She took in the confused look on my face. "Cameron, you do know that it's a monogram, right? And a monogram is first initial, last initial--the biggest letter in the center, and then middle initial."

"Oh, right, a monogram." I did know that, but for some reason my mind had forgotten the order of initials on a monogram. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Many signets have monograms."

A monogram.

A monogram on a signet ring.

"I need to talk to Ben!"

I dredged my phone from the depths of my handbag and called, but didn't get an answer, so I sent a text.

Not James Adkins. It was a monogram. I'll explain later.

JLA wasn't the mystery man's initials. Well, they were his initials, but not in that order. His initials were JAL, not JLA.

This changed everything.

* * *

I backedout of the castle's driveway onto Route fifty-two, lost in spinning thoughts of surnames that began with L. Lefferts was the last name of my friend, Brenda. Lancaster was Roy's last name. There was Steve Longo, and Phillis Landow owned a farm in town. Evelyn Lister was who my sister bought her house from.

I could cross off Roy, he would've told me if he had any missing relatives. Same for Brenda.

I turned into the lane leading down beside the canal. Landow was Phillis's married name, but she might be able to tell me something about her deceased ex-husband's family.

A tour bus cut me off, and I slammed on my breaks. Ever since Steve set up that tenttrafficwas circus.

Circus... The J.A. Longo & Friends Circus. JAL!

I turned my wheel and my tires threw up gravel making the turn. This was it, the moment when all the clues came together. The bones had to belong to Joseph A. Longo.

I parked by the grist mill and crossed the lane to the tent beside the canal. Steve was welcoming his guests as they exited the bus. Andy was helping him today and sitting at the entrance to the tent at a small table with a cash box. I decided I'd wait with Andy until Steve had a free moment.

"Why aren't you at work?" I asked Andy.

"I'm on my lunch break. I told Steve I can only stay another ten minutes. The tour bus was late."

"Oh, I can take over for you. I need to talk to Steve anyway."

He cocked an eyebrow. "What are you up to?"

"Solving a mystery," I said. "I think I know who the bones belonged to."

"Who?"

"I'll tell you after I talk to Steve."

He looked at the time on his phone. "I better get going. I was pushing it staying another ten minutes. Thanks for taking over."

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