Page 23 of The Lady on Esplanade
I glanced up the elegant staircase with its turned wooden spindles.It was none of my business why Camille was upstairs.But that didn’t stop me from wondering.My only excuse was that I’d inherited my author father’s curiosity and his propensity to question everything.Except he was a writer, so that kind of odd behavior was understandable.I had no excuse.But I couldn’t stop myself from climbing those stairs any more than I could tell my eyes to stop being blue.
I put my foot on the bottom step, telling myself that I was just doing as Mimi had asked, letting Camille know that it was time for supper.I’d barely made it halfway up the stairs when I heard the sound of a door closing, the latch clicking into place with slow deliberation.I stopped and waited, hoping it was someone who should be upstairs—like, a living, breathing someone.
Camille appeared at the top of the stairs.She pressed her hand against her chest when her eyes locked on mine.“You scared me.”
“Sorry.I was sent to tell you that supper’s almost ready.I thought you were in the powder room.”
A small, pale hand grasped the banister.“It was occupied, so I used the hall bathroom upstairs.I spent a lot of time here when I lived in New Orleans, so I knew where it was.I didn’t think Mimi would mind.”
“No, of course not.”
Her gaze settled on the doll.“Is that yours?I was wondering why it was left on the steps.”
“Not exactly, but I did bring it to show Mimi.”
Camille nodded.“Mimi’s always been an expert on all things antique.Adele so admired her.”She was looking at me oddly, as if I had food on my cheek.I rubbed my face with the back of my hand just in case.
“Mimi has so many talents, doesn’t she?”Camille’s gaze traveled to the doll again, then back up to me.“I think she calls it psychometry, right?Is she still doing that?”
Mimi’s psychic talent wasn’t exactly a secret, so I wasn’t surprised that Camille would know about it.
“Yeah.Occasionally.”I held up Pussycat.“But that’s not why I brought this over.I was hoping Mimi might know if it’s valuable.I found it in an armoire in a house Beau and I are getting ready to renovate.”
“Oh, right.For the murder-house-flip show.Mimi was telling us a little bit about it before you and Jolene arrived.”
“Well, it’s not a show yet.Right now we’re just making an episodic series on our YouTube channel, but we’re hoping to get it picked up by one of the home-improvement channels.Beau and I will be using the Esplanade house for the first project.”
“That’s so cool.”Camille smiled, transforming her face, and I wanted to tell her that she should do it more often.Her gaze drifted back down to the doll.“I remember there was a room up here where Mimi kept the personal effects of missing people and murder victims that she’d gotten from clients who wanted to know what had happened to their loved ones.I was hoping there might be something from Buddy and Adele, something that Mimi could use to find them.But I’m sure she’s already tried, right?”
“You’ll have to ask her about that, but I do know she used psychometry when we were trying to find Sunny.”
“Oh, yes.Sweet Sunny.I remember her so clearly.She was truly a ray of sunshine to her family.It broke my heart when I read that she’d been found but that she’d chosen to continue living in New York.Mimi said that they’re talking on the phone at least, but it’s not enough, is it?”Her lips turned up in a sad smile.“It’s why we came back, you know.That news article.I subscribe to theTimes-Picayuneonline so I can keep up with what’s happening in my favorite city, and I never expected to see an article about Sunny.It hadn’t occurred to me that Adele and Buddy might still be missing after all this time.Thinking that the Ryans were once again all together helped me sleep at night, I guess.What we don’t know can’t hurt us, right?”She pressed her lips together like a person who hasn’t been given many opportunities to talk and finds themselves with a willing listener.
“I’m curious, Camille—why did you stay away so long?”
Her mouth twisted.“The memories, I suppose.Of New Orleans.I could only imagine how much the storm had changed what we remembered and loved.We’d only called it home for a short time, but I’d never really felt attached to a place like I did here.I thought it would be too painful to come back.And now that I’m back I realizeI wasn’t wrong.Mostly, though, I didn’t think Mimi would want to see me again.”
“Why not?Because of what you thought was your role in what happened to Adele?I hope you listened to what Mimi had to say.There is no blame.Adele would have gone looking for Buddy and Sunny even without your suggestion.Mimi knows this.And you need to accept it, too.”I grimaced.“I know.Easier said than done.If my parents could hear me now, asking someone to take my advice without question, they’d probably die laughing.”
I was rewarded with one of Camille’s rare but beautiful smiles.“You’re right.I do think Mimi is glad I’m back.Who knows?Maybe Henry and I can help her find Adele and Buddy.I realize that many people have been searching since they disappeared, but sometimes it just takes a new perspective.”
“Very true,” I said.“And I know that Beau and Mimi will appreciate the help.There’s just…one thing you might want to know.It’s not my place to tell you, so you’ll have to ask Mimi.”
She closed her eyes briefly.“About Adele?Mimi already told me how everyone believes that she’s dead.”Camille shook her head.“I just refuse to believe it.Maybe that’s what Mimi and Beau need to accept so they can sleep at night, but I can’t.”She pressed a small fist to her chest.“I’d know it—right here.And until I have positive proof that she’s no longer alive, I have to have hope.”
Now I looked away, unable not to imagine the dying hope in the eyes of the storm’s survivors as the waters receded and the seasons changed and time passed with no news of loved ones who were no longer there.
Camille took a deep breath.“Maybe if we focus on finding Buddy, he’ll know where Adele is.Because wherever he is, I know that Adele won’t be far away.”
She said it with such conviction that I had to believe her.I thought of Madame Zoe, and of the fortune teller’s message to Beau about his father.I opened my mouth to tell Camille but stopped.It wasn’t forme to share—assuming there was anything to share.After I eventually dragged Beau to see Madame Zoe, I’d suggest that he share any findings with Camille.Like Camille had said, sometimes answers could be found if the puzzle was looked at from a new perspective.
I appreciated her optimism.“Well, then.Let’s focus on finding Buddy.We can ask Mimi if she gleaned anything from Buddy’s possessions.Maybe something will spark an idea she hadn’t considered.”
“That’s a good plan.I can ask Mimi in the morning.Henry and I will be happy to do the legwork, since you have your hands full with the new YouTube project and your own house renovation.”
“Oh, I don’t mind.I’ve somehow managed to include several extracurricular activities around my real job.”I kept a straight face as I recalled my ill-fated dates with Michael Hebert, the endless procession of restless and unfriendly spirits I had to deal with, the Barbie-head makeup-and-hair instructions from Jolene, and a visit from my family, to name just a few.
“Yes, well,” Camille said, “we’ll see.Henry and I don’t have jobs yet, so we might have more time than you.But it’s good to know we can rely on you if we need help.”
