As she approached the fence, she noticed something else very colorful popping out against the white fence.
Was it a red flower? Jennifer squinted to try to figure out what it was. It was kind of an odd shape to be a flower. It was more of a dark brown than red, and it was oddly shaped. Gah, I need glasses! As she drew closer, she turned on the flashlight on her cell phone to get a better look - it was blood. There was blood splatter on the fence. She now noticed that there were several barely visible specks of blood, and one long drip that was barely dry at the tip of the fence.
Jennifer froze and didn’t quite know what to do. It’s probably nothing, she thought. Maybe Sarah cut herself, or maybe one of the kids did. Maybe it was a fireman or woman … Maybe it was a fire … person. Should I tell the police? she wondered, and looked around to see if anyone else was there.
Little pieces of what Jennifer considered to be evidence were coming together to support her psychopath theory. The fast fire, the open window, and now the blood. She decided to take a look inside the broken window to see if there were any accelerant patterns on the floor. She wasn’t quite sure what accelerant patterns looked like. However, she knew from watching an Investigation Forensics episode (the case of Molly Sampson, a young single mother trying to start a new life away from her abusive ex) that arson was suspected. The first clue was the accelerant patterns.
Jennifer decided to snap a picture of the living room through the open window and compare it to arson pictures on the web to see if there was evidence of accelerant. It probably wasn’t going to be just that easy, but it was worth a shot. If she noticed anything remotely suspicious, she would have enough evidence to bring to the police. Evidence of what? She had no idea where the police were on this or what they thought had happened. She decided to take a picture anyway. Just in case.
As Jennifer crept up to the window, she heard the voice of her neighbor, Jerry Parsons, calling out to her. Since Springville, the town Pembury Acres was built in, was so small, their fire department was volunteer. Jerry, the fire captain of Springville, had been running for the position unopposed for the past 25 years.
“It’s a damn shame, isn’t it?” he said.
Startled, Jennifer turned around to see Jerry standing by the gate. He was holding the fence dangerously close to the blood, and she didn’t want him to contaminate anything, so she walked back towards the street, hoping he would let go of the fence and follow her.
“Uh, hi, Jerry. How are you?” she asked as she scurried back to the street. Jerry turned around to face her. Her plan had worked.
“I’ve been better,” he said somberly. “I’m just so damn torn up about little Sarah.”
“Little Sarah?” Jennifer asked. She was confused. Had Jimmy gotten it wrong, and the kids had been harmed? It dawned on her at that moment that she didn’t even know their names.
“Oh, that’s what I call her,” he replied. “I’ve known the family since Sarah and her sister were babies. She was the cutest little thing. Her girls look just like her.” Jerry paused for a moment, stifling tears. “One of the worst moments in my life was answering the call to the fire at her house this morning. My heart about dropped when I heard the address.” Jerry’s bottom lip was quivering as he talked. He inhaled sharply to recover.
“Oh, I didn’t know that you knew her,” Jennifer replied bashfully. She’d lived in Pembury Acres long enough that she should know things like this. “As a matter of fact,” she continued, “I don’t know much about how all of the families here are connected.”
Jerry looked at her somewhat incredulously and said, “You got 15 years? I might have it all explained by then.” He paused for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. “Say, aren’t you friends with Suzanne? She’s Sarah’s cousin. They weren’t close, but they’re related.” Before Jennifer could react to that bombshell, Jerry continued, “I’m sure you’ve heard by now what happened.”
Jennifer hesitated to answer. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. “I actually don’t,” she said. “I’ve kept to myself most of the afternoon.” She kept to herself most afternoons. This wasn’t anything new.
“Well … ” Jerry began, “I don’t know how well you knew Ethan, but he had somewhat of a past before he met Sarah. He was big into gambling, but he supposedly stopped all of that. I guess he started up again, because they were having money troubles.”
Jennifer wanted Jerry to stop. She sensed she knew what was coming next. On one hand, she wanted desperately to know what had happened, but on the other, she felt like Jerry was going to tell her that Ethan was involved, and that she didn’t want to know.
Jerry continued speaking, but Jennifer’s thoughts were so loud that she couldn’t quite concentrate on what he was saying. She willed herself to focus and tuned back in to what Jerry was saying.
“He left a note,” Jerry continued. “I don’t know what it said, exactly, but suffice it to say, that bastard killed little Sarah and then himself. I’m presuming that he set the fire to try to cover everything up so the kids would get his life insurance money. Damn coward couldn’t even do that right.” Jerry’s jaw clenched, and his veins pulsed at his temple.
Jennifer was extremely uncomfortable. She didn’t know whether to hug Jerry, pat him on the back, or run. She always felt awkward when people around her showed strong emotion.
“He set the fire?” she asked a bit too eagerly. “Why would he leave a suicide note and then try to cover things up?” She knew it had burned too fast to be accidental.
“There are telltale burn patterns across the living room floor,” Jerry said. “I’ve seen a lot of fires, and I know when they start by accident, and when they’ve been set purposely. Samples of the rug have been sent to the city lab to confirm, but on top of what I’ve been told by Chief Fitzgerald, the evidence will back up my initial findings. They’re going to hold a press conference here tomorrow. As far as the note goes, he wasn’t the brightest bulb, I guess.”
“A press conference is being held tomorrow? Isn’t that a little soon?” Jennifer asked.
“This is big news in little towns like Springville, and even bigger news in the little Pembury Acres community,” Jerry said. “It’s causing a bit of a ruckus. Springville PD have been inundated with calls all day, and the chief just wants it settled. Thankfully, it’s fairly cut and dried.”
Jerry wasn’t kidding. The effects of this tragedy would ripple through Pembury Acres for years to come. Jennifer felt oddly relieved that her psychopath theory was holding water. She hadn’t known that the psychopath would be one of her neighbors, and definitely not someone who at one time had shared beers with her husband.
Jennifer and Jerry stood awkwardly for a moment. Clearly, the discussion had run its course, but neither of them knew what to say to wrap it up. The sun had officially set, and William was probably just finishing up his bath.
“Jerry,” Jennifer began, “I’m so sorry to hear about what happened to Sarah. I’m in shock.”
“Me too, Jen,” Jerry said.
“I’d better get going,” Jennifer said. “It’s my son’s bedtime.”
“Squeeze William extra tight tonight,” Jerry said sadly.
It warmed Jennifer’s heart that Jerry had remembered William’s name. She felt another twinge of guilt that she couldn’t recall Jerry’s wife’s name or the names of any of the Ashton children. If this event had taught her anything, it was that Pembury Acres was a close-knit community that she actually wanted to be a part of instead of feeling like an outsider looking in.
“Good night, Jerry. Please give Carol our best,” Jennifer said. It rolled off her tongue so quickly. She did know Jerry’s wife’s name, and it was Carol.
She felt a bit better, but she still had a lot of changes to make. She also had a lot to process, and she needed to have a long talk with Suzanne. However, that would have to wait until tomorrow. Jennifer had a date wit
h Goodnight Moon and a sweet, sleepy little boy.
Chapter 5
The morning sunlight crept in through a hole in the blinds that William had made when he broke one of the slats. The bright burst always hit Jennifer directly in the eye, blinding her in the first few moments of being awake. She rolled over, facing her side table to check the monitor. As her eyes adjusted, she noticed that William was still sound asleep in his crib. It was a rarity that she awoke before William, and she wanted to take full advantage of the situation. She lay in bed for a moment, thinking about all of the wonderful possibilities. Maybe she would read, maybe she would take a leisurely shower, maybe she would make her own coffee this morning and make breakfast for Peter.
At most, she was going to have a half an hour to herself, but she was going to make the most of it. She decided that she was going to start the coffee, take a shower, and listen to an audio book for 10 minutes while breakfast cooked. She was going to do it all.
She cursed at the thought of pre-baby Jennifer, who would waste morning after morning, leisurely waking up and doing whatever the hell she wanted. If childless Jennifer had been half as efficient as Jennifer with a child, she could have been president.
She was lost in thought, and then it suddenly hit her - Sarah and Ethan. In the ‘waking up before William’ bliss, she had almost completely forgotten about the events that had taken place just the day before. Thinking about the murder took the wind out of her sails, but she decided to forge through the day because she had been blessed with another day. So she forced herself out of bed and made her way down to the kitchen. Peter was currently in the shower, and she hoped he’d save her eight minutes’ worth of hot water.
She wasted two minutes of shower time thinking about the past and getting hit with the present. In true morning zombie fashion, she bumbled through making a pot of coffee and headed down to the bathroom. As she was walking, her phone buzzed in her hand, startling her. It was a message from Suzanne, and it read: “Can’t walk this morning. Sorry.”
Jennifer had her doubts about Suzanne’s odd reaction to the fire yesterday, but she’d just waved them off as nothing. However, yesterday’s behavior combined with the fact that she had found out that Suzanne and Sarah were family, and now her canceling her morning walk, all made Jennifer very suspicious of and very worried for her friend. She needed to talk to Suzanne, and soon.
Jennifer decided to take William for a walk without Suzanne, and it felt odd. In fact, everything had felt different since yesterday morning. Jennifer wondered if things were ever going to feel the same again, or if she was going to adjust to this odd feeling and it would be her new normal.
Her big morning plans had quickly faded after the text from Suzanne. She had managed to take a quick (and cold) shower and throw in some toaster pastry for Peter before he left for work. It wasn’t a total failure, but not the fried eggs, bacon and toast she had been envisioning. Peter was grateful all the same. In fact, he likely preferred the toaster pastry, and he was happy to have coffee made for him for a change. Jennifer made a note to do that more often.
At least walking alone is giving me more time to think and sort my life out.
She was on her second lap when she once again passed the Ashton house. Everything had been quiet and empty the first time she went by. However, this time it was full of bustling activity. News vans lined the street, and reporters were practicing their lines while cameramen tested their equipment. Several police cars were present, and there was another crew of some sort setting up a podium and some sound equipment.
Were they really holding the press conference on the lawn of the Ashton family home, with the burned remnants of the house as the backdrop? The media was really milking this story for all it was worth. Jennifer thought this was all highly dramatic and a bit distasteful.
As she continued walking, she noticed Jimmy standing next to Chief Fitzgerald’s SUV. He looked nervous and a little green in the face.
“Jimmy, what’s wrong?” she asked. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m just a little nervous,” he said, and there was a slight tremble in his voice. “The chief wants me to, uh, stand behind him when he gives his statement. I was one of the first to arrive, and he wants the responding team present. I just don’t know what to do with myself while I’m standing there. Do I look at him? Do I look at the reporters? The house? Do I cry or look emotionless? I don’t want to direct any attention to myself. I also don’t want to become a meme or a gif. What should I do? Didn’t you used to work in the movies?” Jimmy was rambling.
“I worked in the publicity department,” Jennifer replied. “Not on set. However, I’ve dealt with a lot of pushy reporters, so you’ve asked the right person.”
Jennifer’s back straightened. She looked Jimmy directly in the eye, and her voice took on a more official but calming tone. “First, before the cameras start rolling, you want to take a deep breath and relax your shoulders. Second, you don’t want to move around too much, but you also don’t want to appear stiff. I think the ‘at ease’ position would work best for you. Get the rest of the team on it. Feet slightly more than shoulder width apart and hands behind your back. Elbows pointed.”
“I, uh, know how to do that,” Jimmy interrupted. He already sounded slightly less nervous.
“Of course you do,” Jennifer responded sheepishly. “When the chief is talking, look directly at him. Relax your face and try not to think too much. Focus on what Chief Fitzgerald is saying and forget about the cameras. Everything will fall into place, and you’ll just react naturally. The second you tense up or try to act a certain way is the second you’ll become a meme. Does that help?”
“Yes,” Jimmy replied as he exhaled. “Thank you, Jennifer.” He nodded at her assuredly and headed towards the rest of his team.
Jennifer felt a bit more perked up herself. It felt good to use her brain again and to implement something she had learned in her past life. The neighbors had all started to gather around to watch the announcement as if they all didn’t already know what had happened. Jennifer wasn’t interested in watching what she considered to be a spectacle, and she started to weave through the people to go home. Besides, she needed to feed her chickens and collect the eggs.
Just as she was about to break through the crowd, she looked up and locked eyes with Suzanne. Suzanne looked tired and a little less put together than she usually was. Jennifer didn’t quite know what to say. She had never seen her friend this way before.
Suzanne started to speak, but she was interrupted by the sounds of microphone feedback and camera clicks. Chief Fitzgerald stepped up to the podium and began to speak.
Jennifer felt uncomfortable leaving now, since the once-lively crowd had gone silent. She pulled out a packet of emergency goldfish crackers, opened them up and gave them to William. She hoped they would keep him quiet and occupied while the press conference went on.
She moved closer to Suzanne and grabbed her hand. They looked at each other, and Jennifer said, “We need to talk.”
Suzanne looked down at the ground and whispered, “I know, after.” The two women then turned their attention back to the chief as he was about to give his official statement.
Chief Henry (Hank) Fitzgerald looked up at the crowd and cleared his throat. He looked down at the note cards he was holding and began to speak. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, citizens of Springville, Pembury Acres, and to all of you watching from home. Thank you for coming.”
Jennifer thought that sounded like the beginning of a best man speech. It wasn’t the chief’s fault, really. When was the last time he had to give a press conference?
“As most of you know, on the morning of October 12, 2017, at 8:07 AM, police, the fire and rescue squad, and local paramedics all responded to this address at Pembury Acres. Unfortunately, the coroner was also called to the scene. The bodies of Sarah and Ethan Ashton were found inside this ho
me, that, as you can see, was on fire. The evidence we have right now suggests that the occupants did not succumb to the fire but from what we have deemed a murder/suicide. I cannot say much more at this time, as this is still an active investigation. We anticipate that this matter will be closed soon. While the official coroner’s report has not been filed, our initial observations indicate that Mr. Ashton had what appears to be a gunshot wound to the head, and Mrs. Ashton expired due to strangulation and asphyxiation. Further information will be provided and confirmed once the autopsies are complete. In addition, a note was left behind, but I cannot disclose what was written. That’s all at this time.”
The crowd erupted with a sea of questions from the reporters and cries from the neighbors, but the chief refused to answer and had already left the podium. The rest of the team fell in line with Chief Fitzgerald. Jimmy was last, trailing a bit behind everyone else. They made their way to the squad cars that awaited them.
Once the reporters realized they weren’t getting any further information from the chief, they went after Jimmy, the rookie, who seemed to be an easier target. The reporters rushed the stage, blocking him from the rest of his squad, and started hitting Jimmy a barrage of questions.
“Did the note give a reason?”
“Where are the children?”
“What started the fire?”
Beads of sweat started to form on Jimmy’s forehead, and he started looking around like he wanted someone to rescue him. He locked eyes with Jennifer, who was now making her way to help. Jimmy froze, went right back into the ‘at ease’ pose, stared straight ahead, and remained silent.
“You’re barking up the wrong tree, guys. He’s a rookie,” Jennifer shouted at the reporters. “The chief would have his behind on a platter if he talked to you. He knows it, I know it, and so do you. Leave the poor kid alone.”
Red Picket Fences Page 3
