by Leena Clover
“She does look like the Gardiners at first glance,” Finn nodded. “But you’ll notice how much she’s like Pearson if you look closely.”
“So you thought Sharon and Pearson had a child and that child was Alison?” Gino didn’t look convinced. “That sounds like quite a stretch, son.”
“That’s what I thought two days later after my big aha moment.” Finn looked sheepish. “But I decided to see it through. I got some samples from Alison and Edward and sent them to a lab for analysis.”
“I’m guessing you did this without their knowledge?” Anna raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“Don’t ask me how I did it.” Finn shrugged. “But it was all for nothing. I never got a look at that report.”
Anna was trying to make sense of everything she knew.
“I found an empty envelope with that peculiar logo in your storage shed, Finn. And this report contains the same logo so it must have been in that envelope at some point.”
“That report went missing,” Finn told them. “This is the first time I’m looking at this.”
“According to this report, Alison cannot be Edward’s granddaughter,” Anna mused. “She’s not a strong match so she can’t be his son’s daughter. But she does share some DNA with him. She could be Sharon’s, I guess.”
“None of it matters now,” Finn sighed. “Ruth’s gone. So is Edward. Alison is not keen on my staying here.”
“You have a long life ahead of you.” Gino placed his hand on Finn’s shoulder. “It’s time to plan your next steps.”
They said goodbye to Finn and walked back to Gino’s truck. Anna had a strong hunch. She tried to curb her excitement and took Gino’s arm in hers.
“Can you talk to the police chief again? I want to look at the stuff they brought back from the main house.”
“What are you thinking, Anna?” Gino humored her.
“I might be on to something. But I’d rather confirm it before I say anything out loud.”
“Can this wait?” Gino smiled. “I was thinking of taking you to that taco place for lunch.”
Anna’s pained expression said it all. Gino caved and soon they were back in the tiny conference room at the police station. Anna looked for the box that had come from Edward’s study. She rifled through the papers until she found one with the now familiar logo.
“I knew it!” she exclaimed. “This has been tormenting me for days.”
Gino quickly read the paper Anna held.
“This is the same report we just gave Finn. But this looks like a copy.”
“Don’t you see?” Anna’s eyes glittered. “This means Edward knew the truth about Alison.”
Gino’s mouth tightened as he processed what Anna said.
“Question is, who told him?”
Chapter 26
Anna placed her lunch order and looked around her in dismay. The Yellow Tulip Diner was bursting at the seams.
“We can’t talk here, Gino,” she cried.
“Good.” Gino gave his own order to the waitress and handed her the menu. “You’re buzzing like a bee, Anna. You need to calm down. Take a break from your sleuthing.”
A group of ladies waved at Anna and she reluctantly waved back, pasting a fake smile on her face.
“I forgot all about the cookie exchange,” she moaned. “I think I’m going to miss it this year.”
She fired off a couple of messages.
“Meg has to go somewhere. She sounded very mysterious. Maybe Cassie or Mama can step in.”
The waitress set a platter of steaming burgers and crisp crinkle cut fries before them, along with Anna’s root beer float.
Anna took a bite of the burger and found she was hungry. She didn’t come up for air until she had finished it. The fries came next. Anna was dunking a bunch of fries in ketchup when she realized Gino was smiling at her.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.
“You’re adorable.” Gino grinned. “What do you want for dessert?”
They decided to share the berry pie.
Anna ignored the looks they got and held Gino’s hand as they walked out of the diner.
“So Mr. Police Chief,” Anna teased. “Where do you think we are going next?”
Gino scratched his head and beamed at her.
“The Gardiner mansion, to meet Sharon.”
“Bingo!” Anna laughed.
Gino cranked up the radio on their way back to the Gardiner estate. Anna sang along with it, in a good mood. She felt she was close to discovering what had happened to Edward Gardiner.
“Let’s hope Sharon isn’t out shopping.”
“Do you think she’ll own up to what happened all those years ago?” Gino asked.
“Edward’s gone,” Anna pointed out. “And so is Pearson. Sharon should jump at the chance of reuniting with her daughter.”
Sharon opened the door herself. If she was surprised to see them, she didn’t show it.
“Hermes is having a big sale in the city,” she told Anna as they sat in the living room. “It’s invite only. Starts in three hours.”
“This shouldn’t take long, Sharon.” Gino took the lead. “We came across some surprising information today. Something you have been hiding for many years.”
Sharon’s green eyes blinked.
“How did you find out?”
Anna gave her a brief account of what they had learned from Finn.
“We are trying to establish how the DNA report reached Edward. Did you give it to him, Sharon?”
Sharon laughed mirthlessly.
“Why would I do that? I kept Alison’s parentage secret for so many years, I almost forgot she was my own daughter.”
Anna sensed she wasn’t done.
“Did Pearson know about her?” she asked gently.
Sharon’s eyes glistened.
“He didn’t. I hid it well, you know. Neither Edward nor Pearson had an inkling. That’s why George was so mad when he found out.”
“Did he steal the report from Finn?” Gino asked.
“George went over to the cottage with a message for Finn. The envelope was lying right there. He saw it was from a DNA lab. Curiosity got the better of him.”
“But the report doesn’t say anything about you,” Anna pointed out.
“The report said Alison was not Edward’s granddaughter.” Sharon stifled a sob. “George came to me with the report because he thought I might be able to make some sense out of it.” Her eyes begged them to understand. “You see, I was the one who brought Alison home all those years ago, just after her parents were killed in an accident.”
“No one suspected you?” Gino asked.
Sharon shook her head. “I could have lied again. Told George my nephew adopted Alison. Steve and Suzie had talked about adoption a lot.”
“But you’d had enough.” Anna finished for her. “You wanted the truth to come out.”
“I did George a grave injustice. The guilt had been eating at me for years. I told him everything.”
“Did you expect him to keep it quiet?” Gino looked thoughtful.
Sharon blew her nose in a tissue.
“I didn’t think that far. But his reaction surprised me. He was mad at me, of course. We had a big fight. Then he copied the report and gave it to my brother. He wanted to rub it in.”
“Edward always had good things to say about Pearson.” Gino twirled his mustache. “He boasted about how loyal the butler had been to the Gardiners.”
“When George and I wanted to get married, Edward opposed us with all his might. No one knew I was pregnant. George and I went away, presumably in a sulk. George worked two low paying jobs in another town while I stayed with Steve. We didn’t even see each other during that time. Then Edward and George reached some kind of truce. When I came back with the baby, George treated me like a stranger.”
“That must have been hard on you,” Anna commiserated.
“Frankly, I was in a daze. I handed the baby over to m
y sister-in-law and went back to being a ditzy socialite, someone who only cared about parties and pretty dresses.”
“You and Pearson never rekindled your feelings for each other?” Anna was surprised.
Sharon blushed.
“Not for a long time. Edward was always present as a deterrent. Two years ago, I asked George if we could be friends again.”
Anna could guess what Sharon was leaving unsaid. Unfortunately, with Pearson gone, her story would never have a happy ending.
“What happened when Pearson told your brother about Alison?” Gino tried to steer the conversation back on track.
“Edward was in shock. George told him it was poetic justice. He had kept us apart cruelly but ended up raising our daughter as his own.”
“Was this the big announcement Edward kept referring to?” Anna asked. “He must have decided to cut Alison off.”
“On the contrary,” Sharon chuckled. “Edward sought me out. He told me he would always love Alison as his own. She was still the heir to the Gardiner fortune. Nothing would change that.”
“So what was the surprise he kept alluding to?” Gino asked urgently. “I strongly believe it got him killed.”
“He wouldn’t tell me.” Sharon was looking tired. “He just said it was a miracle worthy of Christmas.”
“Does Alison know she’s your daughter?” Anna watched Sharon’s reaction.
Sharon shook her head. She had a yearning look in her eyes.
Gino stood up and gave Anna a knowing look.
“We need to talk to Alison, Sharon. Where can we find her?”
The doorbell rang at that moment, startling them. Sharon stood up and stalked out of the room. Anna followed her after a split second. Gino was right behind.
The massive front door was wide open and a middle aged couple stood outside. Sharon’s face was white, her mouth hanging open in shock.
The man came forward when he saw Gino and offered him a hand.
“Are you Gino Mancini? You used to come around here a lot with your papa.”
Sharon’s knees buckled at that very moment and Gino caught her deftly before she hit the ground.
An hour later, Gino steered his truck out of the Gardiner estate while he drove Anna home. Anna was trying to come to terms with the bizarre turn of events.
“My mind’s reeling,” she sighed. “I can’t even imagine what Sharon’s feeling right now.”
The mystery couple had turned out to be Steven and Suzie Gardiner. Edward’s son and his wife had narrowly escaped losing their lives. They had been on their way to some remote place in Africa to work as aid workers. Steven and his wife met someone they knew and accepted a ride with them. As fate would have it, the bus they were supposed to travel on met with an accident. Not a single body had been found and they were declared dead based on the passenger list.
“Why did they never get in touch with the family?” Anna asked Gino.
“Steven had no interest in the family business. He dreamed of working with indigenous tribes in Africa and South America. Edward’s attitude toward Sharon and Pearson shocked him. Sharon was more a sister to him than an aunt. He decided to cut the cord and disappear. He says he mailed a note telling the family where he was going, but I don’t think Edward ever got it. When Steven didn’t hear back from him, he thought Edward had disowned him or something.”
“What about Ruth?” Anna’s eyebrows shot up. “She was their daughter, right?”
“They knew the jungles of Africa were no place for a child. He trusted his mother to take care of her.”
“Why come back after all these years?” Anna quizzed. “Ruth’s gone anyway.”
“Steven didn’t know that when he contacted his father. He wasn’t sure if he would be welcome.”
“The old man must have been overjoyed.” Anna thought of how ecstatic she had been when she first met Meg.
“Edward wanted them home for Christmas.” Gino sounded sad. “It would have been a big surprise for everyone.”
“Do you believe Steven didn’t know about Edward’s death?” Anna asked.
“They were traveling on a cargo ship for the past few weeks.” Gino shrugged. “No one knew they were coming so who was going to tell them?”
“You know what this means, Gino?” Anna expelled a deep breath.
Gino’s face was grim.
“I’m going to meet the police chief as soon as I drop you home, Anna.”
Chapter 27
Anna tucked into the olive and red pepper omelet she had cooked for breakfast. The three cheeses she had added gave it a robust flavor.
“The smoked gouda tastes really good, Anna,” Sofia praised.
Meg and Cassie murmured their approval. Their faces were lit up with megawatt smiles.
“What’s up with you two?” Anna picked up her avocado toast.
“Cassie’s happy because Bobby arrives tomorrow. She can’t wait to get all the latest Hollywood gossip from him.”
Cassie elbowed Meg and made a face at her.
“Meg’s grinning like a cat because she had a hot date last night.”
“Date?” Anna and Sofia chorused.
“Are we still talking about Phoenix?” Anna teased. “Or did you go out with someone else?”
“Phoenix and I made up,” Meg said shyly.
“And how did that happen?” Sofia wanted to know. “Did that boy admit to spying on you?”
“He wasn’t spying on me, Nana.” Meg was sheepish. “I told him why I was mad at him. He said he started coming around to the café because he couldn’t stop thinking of me. The Lights contest had nothing to do with it.”
“And you believed him?” Cassie smirked.
“He said he would do anything to convince me otherwise. We went to Blueberry Falls. I met his mom. She was very nice to me.”
“The girls and I ran into her,” Anna nodded. “She is quite friendly.”
“Phoenix showed me their plans for the lights and even took me to the beach. He let me peep under the displays.”
“No harm done,” Cassie remarked. “You weren’t going to replicate them in a day.”
“All he wanted to show me was their display was nothing like ours,” Meg said stoutly. “And it isn’t. In fact, they couldn’t be more different.”
“The contest was kicked off yesterday, Meg. I don’t think either town can make any changes now. So you should stop worrying about the lights.”
“You’re right, Anna.” Meg giggled. “I thought the same. Phoenix and I strolled around Blueberry Falls, taking in their display. Then we came here and checked out the Coastal Walk.”
“So you’re giving him a second chance,” Anna smiled. “That’s kind of you, Meg.”
“Phoenix is fun to hang out with,” Meg began. “But I’m not sure I feel anything more for him.”
“That’s okay, kid,” Cassie said. “That’s what the first few dates are for, getting to know each other.”
“The cookie exchange was a big success,” Sofia declared. “Everyone loved your cranberry white chocolate cookies, Anna. Mary and I drove to the children’s home and handed over the ones we collected for them.”
“I did some last minute shopping,” Cassie shared. “I think I’m finally done.”
The kitchen door flew open, bringing in a few drops of rain. Gino wiped his feet on the mat and came in. Anna was glad he had stopped ringing the doorbell and was finally using the back door like her friends.
Anna could barely hold her excitement.
“She did it, Anna.” Gino looked crushed. “Alison confessed to both murders. She killed Edward and Pearson.”
A collective gasp went up through the room.
“Was Rupert involved?” Meg jumped down from her stool and stared at Gino. “He never hid how happy he was about Mr. Gardiner’s death.”
“He wasn’t,” Gino told her. “Alison did it all by herself.”
“But why?” Sofia cried. “Why would that girl kill her grandpa?”
>
“He wasn’t her grandpa, Mama,” Anna said. “We found that out yesterday.”
“Wait a minute, Mom.” Cassie held up a hand. “This is too confusing. Why don’t you let Gino tell us everything from the beginning?”
Anna fixed a breakfast plate for Gino and watched him eat a few bites.
“Anna and I had quite a day yesterday,” he began.
He told them about the DNA report and the truth about Alison’s birth. There was another gasp when he told them about Steven and Suzie.
“I went and talked to the police chief after I dropped Anna home last night.”
“What made you suspect Alison?” Meg asked, wide eyed.
“Unfortunately, she was the only one left.” Gino sighed. “It had to be her by the process of elimination. Edward and Pearson were gone. The evidence against Finn was shaky and I didn’t believe his motive was strong enough. The same applied to Sharon. She might have borne a grudge but we saw how she broke down yesterday. She’s the biggest victim in this whole saga. And Pearson was too, I guess.”
“What was Alison’s motive?” Cassie questioned.
“Alison is hungry for power and money. She wanted total control of the Gardiner empire. She was capable of anything if her position was threatened.”
“Is that why she did it, Gino?” Anna asked quietly. “Did she own up to it?”
Gino pushed his plate away and took a sip of orange juice.
“Alison learnt everything the wrong way. She almost walked in on Pearson and Edward when they were talking about her birth. It shattered every belief she had. Being the butler’s daughter meant she had no claim on the estate.”
“But she was Sharon’s daughter too!” Anna exclaimed. “With Ruth gone, she was the next of kin anyway.”
“She didn’t know that,” Gino explained. “Sadly enough, she never heard the part about Sharon being her mother. She was already on edge when Edward started talking about the big announcement. Alison was sure he was going to cut her out of his will and give everything to Finn.”
“So she was already plotting something at the time of the holiday party?” Anna remembered how much Edward had doted on Alison.
