“It's all right. I'm sure he won't stay long.”
Five minutes later, Samantha opened the door to the smiling face of Bobby Rooney. She had to admit he was even better looking than he'd been in high school. He had just a hint of graying at the temples. She imagined he'd have a full head of white hair by the time he was forty-five.
“Bobby, or should I call you Bob?”
“Most people know me as Bob, but you can call me anything you like. You look wonderful, Sammie. I didn't think you could be more beautiful than you were at sixteen, but I was wrong.”
“I heard you were considering a political career, Bob. With that kind of flattery, you will be very good at it,” she laughed.
“I'm glad to hear you talked about me, I was afraid you'd forgotten about us now that you're getting married.”
She wanted to tell him that she hadn't given him much thought in years and she'd forgotten about “us” long ago.
“Can I get you a glass of iced tea? coffee? a drink?”
“Nothing, for now, I was hoping I could take you to dinner.”
“That's nice, but no thank you, Bob. I'll be dining with my folks and soon to be in-laws this evening.”
“I heard you were coming to town and I was hoping to get together with you to reminisce about the old days. I always thought we were meant to be together. Are you sure you want to marry this detective guy? I can offer you the life you deserve in the city.”
“Are you out of your mind? After all these years, you think we could take up where we left off? We were kids back then. We talked about being together forever but forever didn't last long for one of us.”
“I know I hurt you, but I want to make it up to you. You won't be sorry, I have the most beautiful penthouse apartment overlooking the city. I know many prominent people and my social life is full. I want to share that with you, Sam.”
“Are you saying you need a wife to make you look like a better political candidate? The little woman who hangs on your every word?”
“Of course, that's part of it but I thought of you when my manager told me it would be better if I married.”
“And, what would I do with my fiancé? Dump him to run off to New York with you?”
“That sounds terribly harsh; you could let him down easy.”
“I have no intention of letting him down at all. Not that it would mean anything to you, but I happen to love that detective guy. You can take your New York apartment, your snooty friends, and your social life and... well, never mind what you can do with it. Now, get out of here. I won't wish you luck in your run for Congress because we don't need your type running the country.”
Colleen heard the door slam behind Bobby Rooney and shouted, “Good for you, Samantha. I never really liked that boy, your father thought he was arrogant even back then.”
“Can you believe the gall? Thank heaven he was out of my life years ago. Now, I will grab that Nancy Drew book and forget about that absurd man.”
Chapter Five
“Thank you for bringing me home, Samantha. I could have taken a cab,” said Patsy the following morning after she was discharged from the hospital.
“Don't be silly, it's no problem at all. I wanted to talk to you about those letters and the accident anyway. Has Allison been back to question you again?”
“She called just before you arrived at the hospital. The nurse told her I was being discharged and she should see me at home. I haven't heard from her but suspect she will be here shortly.”
As predicted, Officer Jennings arrived within five minutes.
“Ms. Burke,” she said in her official voice, “Our mechanics examined the brakes of your vehicle. They have determined there was some manipulation of the brake lines, however, the evidence is not conclusive enough to call for further investigation. I must say, I find it curious that, if the lines were cut, the cuts were not enough to cause your brakes to fail and result in bodily harm to you. Old Gus identified you as the person who paid him to return your purse to the newspaper office. Those are two reasons that I'm suspicious of you and your motives. As far as I can tell, you have not committed a crime. I would suggest you stop trying to cause turmoil in this town by bringing up old accidental deaths.”
“Believe me, ma'am, I don't wish to cause turmoil if it's all the same to you, I'd like to forget the whole thing.”
Officer Jennings nodded to the two women and left Patsy's apartment without further conversation.
Samantha wondered what had happened in Allison's life to make her change so drastically. Allison was the clown of the group, she talked about wanting to be an actor. She was a member of the drama club and had a beautiful singing voice.
“Allison just isn't the same person as she was back in high school. I'm finding out how many changes there have been in my old friends.”
“Allison is having problems with her daughter, Bella, that girl is a handful.”
“How could I have forgotten. Mom told me she adopted a child of a friend who died a few years ago.”
“Yes, it's a very sad story, the girl was only five-years-old when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her husband couldn't deal with his wife's illness and took off. Poor little Bella was left in the care of her grandmother who was busy caring for her ill daughter. After Bella's mother died, Allison offered to take the girl in and she officially adopted her. Bella has had problems recently, she's ten-years-old now and rebellious. The last I heard, the child ran away and was gone overnight. Dear Patsy would recommend counseling if only she were asked.”
“You know something you're not saying, I can tell.”
“You are a good detective, aren't you, Samantha? It's only speculation on my part. Do you remember my saying I observed more than you girls probably knew about each other?”
“Yes, I remember, what do you know that we didn't?”
“Do you remember when Allison put on a few extra pounds back at the end of the sophomore year?”
“Yes, I remember, we were all on a health kick and got after her for cheating on her diet. You aren't saying...?”
“That's exactly what I'm saying. Didn't you notice her face filled out and she had no waistline? That summer she went to visit her aunt in California.”
“She was gone until school started again. Are you saying she had a baby? Why would she keep that a secret from us? She wasn't the only girl in our class to get pregnant.”
“I don't think it was her, from what I hear, her father would have thrown her out of the house and her mother insisted she hide her condition from everyone.”
“Where did you get this information? It's hard to keep something like that secret, especially in a small town.”
“Being a small town makes it easy to get people to talk. Nobody tells the whole story but adding up bits and pieces helps to reach a conclusion that makes sense. Also, Bella Jennings is the perfect likeness to C J Sinclair.”
“Oh, come on, you can't be serious.”
“Oh, I'm serious all right. You see, Allison didn't go to California at all, she went to Evandale, gave birth to her baby, and gave the child to a couple in an open adoption. When it was clear Bella would be alone after her mother's death, Allison claimed she was a close friend and she would be adopting the child. Six years after giving birth to her daughter, she was able to claim her as her own.”
“Allison's father died when we were still in high school, why did she keep silent?”
“That's a good question, to my knowledge, she hasn't told the truth even now, she would benefit from counseling too. You have a strange look on your face, Samantha, what are you thinking?”
“You have me starting to believe C J's death wasn't an accident after all. Is it possible Mr. Jennings found out about Allison's pregnancy and took matters into his own hands? He was a big man, as I remember; he could easily have overtaken C J on the cliff.”
“There's another suspect we can add to the list. I hadn't thought about that possibility before.”
> “Another suspect? Who else is on your list?”
“Jody Logan and Erin Shaw were not on speaking terms because of C J. It could have been either one of them. He was on a cliff; after all, it wouldn't take much to cause him to lose his footing.” Patsy thought for a moment and then continued, “C J's death gave Nick Turner the opportunity to become the star quarterback on the football team, Bobby Rooney never liked C J, he always thought you two had the hots for one another. I suppose half the school could have been jealous of him.”
“You didn't mention me, maybe I had a secret passion for my old pal.”
“No, all your passion was for that loser, Bobby Rooney. I hope your new guy isn't anything like him.”
“They are nothing alike,” Samantha assured her. She told Patsy about the conversation she had with Bobby the day before.
“I can see him as a politician; he's always been a smooth operator.”
“Samantha, have you seen the shrine they put up in the high school for C J a few years ago,”
“I heard about it, he was a hero, and his death only made him more so. Did his old teammates have something to do with it?”
“His teammates and everyone else in town. Nick Turner collected money and had a statue made in C J's likeness. I haven't seen it, but I suspect there is a halo around his head.”
“I'd like to see it, maybe I'll stop by the school and see if they will let me check it out.”
“I'll go with you, I can use my press pass. Unbelievably, they give Dear Patsy one of those. If you don't mind, you can drop me off at the car rental. I feel lost without wheels.”
“Shouldn't you be resting? You just got out of the hospital.”
“I've rested enough. Shall we go?”
Chapter Six
Samantha hadn't been back to her old alma mater since graduation day. It looked smaller than she remembered. Memories came flooding back to her as she drove up the winding road. The building hadn't changed much except the ivy that always grew on the walls seemed to envelop the entire façade. Summer classes were in full swing which meant fewer students roaming the halls than during the regular school year.
Mrs. Winthrop, the school secretary, recognized Samantha when she walked into the front office.
“Samantha Degan, I was hoping I'd get a chance to see you.” The woman eagerly reached into her desk and pulled out a copy of the Memoirs of Professor Stonehill. “I hoped you’d sign my book. I have told all my relatives scattered around the country that a famous author was one of my students.”
Samantha didn't remember Mrs. Winthrop teaching a class but there wasn't any harm in her claiming the students as her own.
“I'm not sure how famous I am, Mrs. Winthrop, but I will be happy to sign your book.”
After chatting for several minutes, Patsy asked about seeing the display honoring C J Sinclair. Although she thought of it as a shrine, the school called it a display.
“Oh yes, we are very proud of our display. C J Sinclair is sorely missed to this day. The young man had such promise and his life ended much too soon.”
The older woman reached for a tissue and dabbed her moist eyes.
“We keep the doors locked during the summer. However, I do believe Coach Hartman is in his office. I'll call to see if he is available to unlock the doors.”
Coach Ryan Hartman was deep into planning practice plays and welcomed the distraction. He walked into the office and held out his hand.
“Hello, I'm Ryan Hartman, I'll be happy to show you the sports department and all the displays, including the one honoring C J Sinclair. Did you know C J?” he asked.
Patsy had a difficult time catching her breath. She'd heard Amber talk about Coach Hartman but never expected him to be so handsome.
“Hello, Coach Hartman, I'm Samantha Degan and my friend here is Patsy Burke. We were classmates of C J, it's nice of you to give us a tour.”
“Please call me Ryan.”
He led the way down the long corridor. Patsy tried to compose herself during the walk. What was wrong with her? She was a grown woman, and this man took her breath away. Samantha was enjoying the scene and noticed Coach Ryan Hartman's eyes were on Patsy too.
Samantha gasped when she saw the life-size statue of C J. “It's almost as if he is standing there, it looks just like him.”
“I'm sorry Samantha, I didn't consider how painful this would be for you. I shouldn't have suggested we come here today.”
“No, I'll be fine; it's just a bit of a shock. You see, Ryan, C J and I lived next door to each other, we played together as children. We weren't as close in our high school days, but he was still like a brother to me.”
“I'm sorry for your loss, Samantha. Let's go to my office, I just made a pot of coffee and I could use some help drinking it. I tell my guys not to drink caffeine, but I don't always practice what I preach.”
Patsy was finally able to speak coherently, “Ryan, how long have you been coaching at Ashville High?”
“Not long at all, this is my first coaching job. My dreams of having an NFL career died when I broke my arm during a scrimmage. I was on the practice squad and couldn't be of much use to the team after that, so they cut me.”
“That's too bad, so you took the coaching job because that was all that was left to you?” asked Patsy.
“To tell the truth, I wasn't good enough to play professionally. I coached Pop Warner in my off time and found coaching was something I liked doing. Coach Beardsley has a reputation for being one of the top high school coaches in the state and I'm glad for the opportunity to learn from him. Are you a reporter? You have a knack for getting someone to open up about themselves.”
“My field of study was journalism, but I haven't done much with it. I write an advice column in the local paper.”
“Dear Patsy?”
“Yes, that's it, don't tell me you read advice to the lovelorn?”
“I started to after Mrs. Winthrop kept quoting you. You're funnier than the Peanuts comic strip. What does Mr. Dear Patsy think of your column?”
“There is no Mr. Dear Patsy anymore, he and I divorced before Dear Patsy came into being. He was a sports hack and there wasn't room in his day for a wife.”
“There wasn't room in my marriage for me when my ex discovered she hadn't married a football hero after all.”
“I'm sorry, Samantha, we're ignoring you,” said Ryan.
“Don't worry about me,” she laughed, “I'm enjoying the conversation.”
“It's close to lunchtime, let me take you both to lunch,” suggested Ryan.
“That sounds wonderful, but I really should get home, I'm supposed to be planning a wedding. Why don't you and Patsy go to lunch and I'll see you later.”
She rushed out before Patsy could think of a good reason to stop her.
Fletch can't call me a matchmaker in this case. It's obvious they are perfect for each other and they aren't going to fight it. She had a smile on her face all the way to her car.
Chapter Seven
Colleen Degan and Sandy Fletcher were busy tying a lavender ribbon around mini champagne bottles adorned with a photo of the bride and groom. Samantha resisted the temptation to remind the mothers that she and Fletch wanted a simple wedding. The wedding favors had already been purchased and Samantha couldn't deny they were a nice addition.
“Samantha dear, you look happy. Are you enjoying being with your old friends?”
“To be honest, I'm enjoying my new friend, Patsy Burke. Mom, what do you know about Allison Jennings?”
“Not much, her mother never joined in any of the activities you girls were involved in when you were in school. I've heard her husband wouldn't allow her to have a social life. If I remember correctly, Allison wasn't permitted to do many of the things the other girls did.”
“Her father wouldn't let her try out for cheerleader because the outfits were too skimpy, and they weren't skimpy at all. Some of the girls were less covered up on a normal school day, do you remember the
summer she went to visit an aunt in California?” Samantha asked.
“Yes, you were envious of her spending the summer in California. I was a little envious of a vacation like that myself.”
“Apparently, the trip wasn't anything to envy after all. According to Patsy, Allison was not in California. The aunt she was visiting lived in Evandale and that's where she gave birth to her child.”
“Is the child Bella?” Colleen asked.
“Why do you say that? Do you know something about Allison?”
“No, I don't know anything, and I probably shouldn't mention it, but I always questioned the adoption story. Allison was supposedly friends with Bella's mother. As far as I know, except for that summer, Allison rarely left Ashville for more than a weekend. She attended the community college and then entered the police academy here in town. I don't know when she'd have met this woman and become such great friends that she would adopt her child.”
“Have you seen Bella, Mom?”
“I have, and I know what you're going to ask me. Yes, I do believe Bella is C J's daughter. Not so much now, but when she first arrived in town, she looked exactly like him at that age. I don't know if anyone else could see the resemblance, but I remember C J very well. You two played together all the time, he was like one of the family.”
“Mom, why didn't you ever mention this to me?”
“I guess I didn't think about it when you were in town. If Allison wanted the truth to be known, surely, she'd have told her best friends. The old man was dead by the time she brought Bella home, and didn't present any problems for her mother anymore.”
“Has that grapevine of yours ever suggested C J's fall might not have been accidental after all?”
“What are you saying; do you think someone killed him? Oh Samantha, after what happened to you in Lancashire, I wish you wouldn't get involved in these mysteries.”
“I'm perfectly fine, Mom, there is no need to worry. I'm here to marry my best friend and not to stir up trouble. I'm beginning to wonder how I could have been so fooled by my old friend C J. He wasn't a very nice guy, was he?”
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