Monday, March 7, 2011

Cathedral of Reims

Lawrence had gone home to his apartment in town after his meal at the food-hall and had sat at the table and drank coffee while deep in thought. 
'So,' he said to his dog, Cliff, 'Paintings go missing, main suspect dies of a heart attack, suspects' daughter takes a painting from the cemetery. Maybe her accomplice, if she has one, had hidden the painting in the cemetery for Hart to find... but, Cliff, the painting that Hart took was NOT one of the missing paintings... so maybe we have two separate cases?' his dog looked at him quizzically and got back to it's food. 'Okay, hang on, why would Hart need to steal that painting? Wouldn't she already have enough money given to her from her granddad in his will? Or maybe she didn't get any money, and so she has to steal paintings to get some? Oh, I don't know.' Lawrence said and gulped the remaining coffee down. Lawrence took out his laptop and looked up old French architecture. He scrolled through various photos of old castles and towers until he came to a photograph of Reims Cathedral, an amazingly decorative cathedral with beautiful stained glass windows, arched window frames, flying buttresses and two two hundred and sixty-seven feet high towers on either side. Lawrence's eyes light up and he took out a photocopied picture of one of the paintings. The building in the painting and the one on his computer screen were identical. 'I found it, Cliff, its the Cathedral of Reims.' he spoke excitedly to his English terrier. 
Returning his laptop to the table he googled Reims Cathedral and read up about it. Deciding to go and check it out Lawrence refilled Cliff's water and food containers and locked up his flat and drove over to the Cathedral. Plodding around the cathedral for many hours Lawrence finally found something of  possible great importance. In the west wing was a plaque that read L'arlesienne: Madame Ginoux 1848-1911 L'arlesienne was the name of Jules Hart's mansion in the country side. Madame Ginoux... who was she? Why did Jules name his mansion after her? Still in deep thought Lawrence took a photo of the plaque on his iPhone and looked up Madame Ginoux. His eyes scanned the wikipedia page and he soon discovered that Madame Ginoux was Van Goughs' girlfriend. So why would Jules Hart name his house after her?
Thoughts flooded through Lawrence's confused mind as he left the cathedral and drove his car to his apartment in silence.

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