The Dust Jacket

CHAPTER 24

"Thank you! If it weren't for you, the show would have not gone smoothly. Lea, one of Melody's friends, was supposed to be the one but she couldn't be contacted. I don't know if you have met her." Elizabeth expressed.

While all guests and performers were at the buffet area having dinner, Elizabeth and Eric were left alone sitting on the edge of the stage. It was the chance that Eric waited for so long. It was the moment where he could ask all the things that kept on bothering him especially about the daughter..

"It was nothing. In fact, I'm used to it." Eric smiled. "It's what I do for a living." He added.

"If there's anything we can do for you, just let us know. We're indebted to you for what you have done for us."

Eric held his bag with both hands tightly. He recognized that it was now or never. "Actually, there's something I wanted to you ask you about."

"What is it?"

"Well, the real score why I came to Bremerton was to find someone." He puffed out intensely. He knew it was no turning back. This was the chance that Eric couldn't afford to miss, to talk with the possible Lizzy herself. "Do you know, by any chance, someone with the name Miriam Longely?" As part of his search, he knew that the expressions of people he was dealing with were important. By means of analyzing their reactions, he could have the answers he was looking for despite the words that he would hear from them.

Elizabeth just stared at him. She shilly-shallied if she would be answering him. She already gained the idea that Eric was from the same place as Mr. G. C. and Mr. Clements. It came to her when she met Eric yesterday as they were preparing the hall for the event. He called her Lizzy, which was only used by Mr. Clements and when she mentioned the name of Mr. Clements, Eric wasn't able to conceal his reaction. "Were you sent by Mario, Mr. Mario Clements?" She boldly asked, as she couldn't keep it a secret anymore. If she had her way, she would want to leave everything behind and just see Eric as Melody's friend. Nothing more. Nothing less.

"No! No! I have met him before but I came here on my own volition." Eric clarified as he reached on his sling bag and brought out the dust jacket book, which contained the letter of Mr. Clements. "I came here for this." He handed it out to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was hesitant to accept it. She knew that books were precious with Mr. Clements as she recalled that it was one of the things they were similar with. Both of them loved books especially those with dust jacket. She knew there was something important clipped with it as she was acquainted with Mr. Clements writing things on his books.

When Elizabeth noticed that Eric was insisting for her to accept it, she uncertainly received it. However, she didn't browse it.

"What is this about?" Elizabeth worriedly asked.

"Well, there's something in there that is for Ms. Longely. I have to give it to her. Moreover, the only people that I know who is with such family name is your clan." Eric recognized that if he wouldn't be blunt in asking Elizabeth, he would never find the answer. "Is Melody and Miriam one and the same person? I hope you could enlighten me." He desperately solicited.

"Well, I had a hunch that you knew Mr. Clements the first time that we had talked." Elizabeth breathed out intensely. "The answer to your question is yes. They are one and the same person." Elizabeth's eyes started to be watery. If only she has a choice, she would bury the memories of their past. "I never wanted to open this topic again but for your sake, I would explain everything for you." She added.

Elizabeth started to narrate what Eric had found out with Mr. Clements. She told him about how she had met Mr. Clements in Winnepeg, their amorous moments together and their struggles in between as well as in the end. He didn't interrupt her although he had heard it before. Instead, he allowed her to express it with her own words, the beginning until the end.