Weeping Willows

Moments of Weakness

Chapter 37

Elizabeth's mouth went dry as she tried to come up with a plausible reason for the painting. Everything that came to mind was either to far fetched or filled with holes. She stood there scrambling to get hold of one solid believable thought but the harder she tried the more she floundered. It would have been so much easier if it had all just been a dream. Giving up coming up with a convincing story Elizabeth was just going to have to tell them the truth and risk them all running from the house or having her committed.

"We found it yesterday in one of the boxes."

"We did?" Addison asked looking at Jan in suspicion. Jan just nodded her head standing her ground.

"You might have been in the bathroom at the time." Elizabeth supplied trying to figure out what Jan was up to herself.

"That's right!" Jan exclaimed latching on to the explanation. "We had one more box of vases when you went to the restroom. Elizabeth and I did the box figuring it was just more of the same. It was for the most part with the exception of the painting." Elizabeth nodded feebly as Addison shrugged her shoulders letting it go.

"Why is it set up on the easel with paints then." Ryan asked clearly not buying their excuse completely.

"I was cleaning it up. Once I saw it, I thought it would make a great picture itself, but I went to bed before painting it." She offered warming up to hers and Jan's lie. As they say in for a penny, in for a pound. And while she hadn't started the fib, she wasn't about to sell Jan out now, especially since she only said it to help Elizabeth out.

"What were you thinking about doing with it?" Ryan inquired going back to examining the painting. Before she could answer Jan jumped in getting her in an all new pickle altogether.

"She's was going to donate it if it wasn't ruined." Elizabeth snapped her eyes over to Jan who was clearly avoiding her gaze. Something was going on, but she had no idea what the other woman was hiding. Ryan rubbed at his chin looking it over before finally nodding his head.

"I can have it sent for testing. We would want to know when it was painted and maybe see if we could find the signature before displaying it." Elizabeth's eyes widened in horror not sure what he would find. Glancing at the painting she knew it was done but what would happen when they ran it for tests? Jan sauntered over, looking it over before pointing to the far bottom corner.

"I'm not sure who the initials belong to, but it definitely matches the stuff we found yesterday." Elizabeth moved closer to see what she was pointing to knowing she hadn't signed the thing last night. When her gaze followed Jan's finger however she couldn't believe her eyes. Written in the lower right-hand corner of the painting were the letters E.B. They had been placed in such a way that the painting nearly camouflaged them unless you knew what you were looking for. Elizabeth was shocked having no explanation for what she was seeing.

"Do you mind if I have someone pick this up today to send off Lizzy? If you weren't done with it, I can wait a day or so." Elizabeth shook her head making him smile in glee as he took out his cell to place the call. Elizabeth went over to Jan pulling her aside to talk to her privately so no one could overhear. They moved out into the hallway out of the way of curious eyes.

"Why did you tell him we found it in a box?"

"I assumed you did. I just figured you had kept working last night after we all left and didn't want Addison getting mad that you were looking through things without her." Was her response but the look on Jan's face said she was hiding something.