Spectral Desires

The Good, The Bad, and the Unexplained

Hailey arrived and after verifying the two had the house to themselves, except Catherine who was reading, brooding, and journaling upstairs, the short haired woman grinned impishly. "I have some information but steel yourself that it will bring up more questions that you'll have to find the answers for yourself."

"Okay, that's not forboding at all." He said in a monotone voice but his brown eyes twinkled slightly. 

"First off, oh can I see that?" He extended his wrist to her without removing it. "Not sure where it got off to before but I don't intend on taking it off again." She turned it around slowly as she admired it. 

"So this mystery girl Catherine gave you this? I mean I'm not girly girl but even I can tell that everything about this is the real deal, an appraiser would probably offer you a small fortune just for the stones. Wait, what does that say under it?"

"Hm?" He turned it to the side. "It looks like initials, C. E. B. Catherine never told me her last name but it might be her intials or an ancestor's."

Hailey's grin grew almost feral in its intensity and promise of knowing something he didnt' know yet. "That's interesting. And where's this road sign or whatever?"

"Ah, here." He said removing it from his pocket. 

She took it from him and turned it over gingerly. "This is old as fuck. Byron, interesting how that keeps coming up." 

"What's Byron? Hailey." He said a bit sternly.

"Okay!" She slammed her hands on the table. "So, I wasn't able to find a ton out about Catherine but I did find some stuff that might be interesting to you."

He sighed, "I really don't care to go on an unsolved mystery wild goose chase right now. I'm just trying to keep my sanity intact."

"No it is likely related, trust me." She winked. "So this is from the church archives."

"And we care because?"

"Yvette Eclesia Smithton, better known as Yvette S. Byron after getting married was one of the founders of the church your grandparents attend."

"Great. I think I've seen an old black and white photograph of the founders. My grandma has one in the house in fact." He looked unamused.

Recognition passed over him. "Although the name Byron. Okay, so that was someone's last name and likely either a street or a family name displayed on property, the piece I found, I mean."

"Try both." Hailey's eyes narrowed. "The Byrons were incredibly wealthy in their hayday though after the tragic death of their child, they moved away never to be heard from again. They had a giant farm, oodles of land, and a gorgeous mansion. Parts of it still stand to this day on-"

"On Cypress Avenue." Alexander finished thinly.

"You should ask your grandparents to see that picture of the founders later."

"No, I know where it is, we can look at it right now." He sounded nearly angry.

He found the picture and with shaking but careful hands he and Hailey persued it until they found the individual, though older and very grainy due to the times, she was a dead ringer for Catherine. He wordlessly went upstairs and brought one of the books she'd loaned him down. The two peered at the inscriptions. "To my dearest Yvette, from Sylvester Byron, your adoring husband."

He closed it and set it down before he could erupt in confused anger. "This is impossible. It's truly-There's no way, Hailey."

"But isn't this a better possibility than her not existing?" She queried pointedly.