Alan wasn’t surprised by Judith’s return to the office; he’d expected that since the case revolved around the painting on the-the wall there. What did surprise him was the level of preparation she’d made before her arrival. Given the case was more than a hundred years old, he’d anticipated she would want to observe the painting, maybe take some note - but she arrived with a complete panoply of preparations.
Judith was carrying a camera case and tripod in a case over her shoulders, a box of books that seemed to all have to do with painting and art, and piled on top was a white sheet. The look the Sheriff gave her clearly showed confusion, and she deduced it was probably the sheet that drew the look.
“Ambient Backlighting for the photo analysis. It’s from my house; all of this is.”
Behind her, Daniel came in lugging a two-step ladder, a box that appeared to be a tackle box with bedazzled rhinestones all over the outside and a second tripod. Alan’s look continued, and Daniel smiled, also getting the reasons for the confusion.
“Camera filters and tools and the tripe’s for the light bar. Don’t worry; remember, I’m a professional. Don’t try this at home, kiddos.”
After the pleasantries had been out of the way – the Sheriff knew Daniel by sight, and the two men shook hands in greeting – Judith began to set the stage for what she was here to accomplish.
“Now that I am familiar with the background to the case, I believe the real evidence of not only what happened that fateful night, but also the whereabouts of Frances Deveraux, the identity of this lovely young lady, and the final disposition of the Deveraux fortune, lies in this image. So, with the help of my art expert” – she pointed at Daniel with a smile – “I think we can put this case to rest finally.
They set about the scientific processing of the painting; painstakingly going over every detail. They used the cameras and lighting to isolate various portions of the painting for easier point by point analysis. Daniel wrote copious notes about perspective, proportion, and positioning of every aspect while Judith worked to capture the nuances and details that even the best photography would not catch. As they worked, Alan would pop in from time to time, make some joke about taking the case too seriously, then once again disappear, leaving them to the work.
Around the end of the day, just when the Sheriff needed his office back for concluding some of the day’s paperwork, the duo officially concluded the rough investigative work, packed it in and prepared to leave.
Daniel looked completely exhausted; his sleeves rolled up and his eyes red from squinting at the oil painting all day. Despite herself, Judith smiled, and couldn’t help but comment on his appearance as they walked to the car, laden with all their gear.
“My goodness, but you are a fright! You look like you’ve been run through the wringer.”
Daniel, feeling as bedraggled as his appearance let on, offered up a wan smile, shrugged, and adjusted his load, to open the trunk. His response was a mixture of sarcasm and cleverness.
“As you may know, an artist considers his work was more an expression of his will pressed onto the canvas than physical labor; now that I ‘ve experienced this more menial tasking. I have to say it was at once invigorating and tedious. While I wouldn’t want to engage in your kind of work every day, I must say I am quite pleased with myself, and with all that we’ve accomplished.”
As he lumped the bags into the trunk, taking care to place them so they would not be damaged or disturbed on the trip home, he added, almost under his breath, but clearly enough for Judith to hear.
“And that will be the last time I volunteer... I am pooped!”
Despite his physical exhaustion, Daniel couldn’t help but realize how amazing it was to watch Judith in her element. The precision of her thought process was amazing, and as they had spent all those hours meticulously cataloging and annotating the photos they took of the painting, his appreciation grew.
They drove home in relative silence, save for the standard discussion of what they would have for dinner; in the end, they opted to get home directly and to put together a light salad and sandwich combination while they planned out the next stage of the work. While Judith began putting the simple meal together for them, Daniel remained the pack mule for a bit longer, bringing all the gear and research materials in from the Blue Bee, Judith’s work vehicle she’d received in the aftermath of her previous case. The SUV had proven a wonderful replacement for her previous vehicle, and its service as a work vehicle continued to prove itself every day.
In the time it took for them to down their sandwiches and salad, Judith brought Daniel up to speed on the drama and excitement she’d discovered in Frances Devereaux and the particular romantic angle that seemed to play a key part in the mystery. She shared her initial theories that the painting was a message of some sort intended for a compatriot, a partner in the crime. In her ardor to explain the details of the missing bootlegger’s son, she described in detail the relationship between father and son, and how it was clear that Frances was seeking a way to get out of the life of crime, and to make a name for himself in some other way. They agreed, at length, that the story of Frances and his disappearance suggested foul play, and that somehow it might have to do with a deep betrayal or even murder.
After their meal, the duo went to work, pulling out all of the images from boxes, and categorizing the images by location on the original painting. As they rebuilt the painting piece by piece, the began to puzzle through the details to try and discover what the message of the Mason Jar Madonna might be.