At the back of the journal, tucked inside a small pocket, Arthur found an old business card. The paper was soft and yellow at the edges. It gave a name, an address, and a phone number for Professor Emil Varga. Under the name, in smaller letters, were the words: Culinary History and Lost Recipes.
Arthur looked at the clock. It was late, but not too late. He sat beside the suitcase with the card in his hand, trying to decide what to do. Part of him wanted to keep everything. Not forever, perhaps, but for a while. The suitcase had brought color into his quiet life.
Then he imagined losing the one thing that mattered most to him. An old photograph. His late wife’s wedding ring. A notebook filled with memories. He knew what that kind of loss would feel like. So, with nervous fingers, Arthur picked up the phone and dialed.