Murder in Ashville

by Jane T O'Brien

  “I always intended to tell you the truth about your birth, I was waiting until you were older and could fully understand. I want you to know that I have always loved you, I didn't want to give you away, but I didn't think I had a choice. After my father died, I wanted to take you back, but by then, Trudy and Rich were the only parents you had ever known. I couldn't just take you from them.”

  Bella sat quietly. Allison wished she would say something.

  Finally, after a long silence, she asked. “Who's my father?”

  “His name was C J Sinclair, he died several years ago,” Allison answered.

  “Awesome, my dad is C J Sinclair? There's a statue of him in the high school. Sweet! Wait until I tell Marcy Lundgren, she'll flip.” Bella threw her arms around her mother. “I love you, Mom and I'm glad you got me back.”

  “Did you understand everything I just told you?” asked Allison.

  “Sure, we learned all about that stuff in school. I do know where babies come from, you know,” an irritated Bella replied.

  Dr. Remington popped his head in the door.

  “This is a happy twosome,” he said. “Would a pretty young lady like to go home, or are you having too much fun here?”

  “I'd like to go home, Dr. Remington, I want to tell everyone my real father is C J Sinclair,” Bella said with pride.

  Dr. Remington gave Allison a questioning look and smiled before he left the room to sign the discharge papers.

  “Knock, knock,” said Samantha. “I thought I'd stop by to see the patient, but it looks like she's ready to go home.”

  “Bella, this is an old friend of mine, Samantha Degan. She's the lady who's getting married this weekend. We'll be going to her wedding in the park.”

  “Hello, Miss Samantha, do you know who my father is? He's C J Sinclair. Isn't that cool?”

  “That's very cool,” Samantha replied looking in Allison's direction.

  “Mom, can I say goodbye to the nurses?”

  “Go ahead, but don't stay at the nurse's station for too long, we will be leaving soon,” said her mother.

  “Sounds like you told Bella the story of her birth.”

  “I did, and she seems to have accepted it without question. She's excited that C J is her father. I didn't know she knew about him. He has quite a reputation.”

  “This is probably none of my business, Allison, but do you think C J's father should be told he has a granddaughter?”

  “Didn't the Sinclair’s move away after C J died?”

  “Yes, they moved to South Carolina. Frances Sinclair passed away a few years ago. George remarried recently. My folks visited them last summer. The new Mrs. Sinclair has a bunch of kids and grandchildren. Mom says George is happier than he's been since before the accident.”

  “I can't just call the man and say, Guess, what, you have a granddaughter. He probably wouldn't believe me, I don't have proof that C J is Bella's father.”

  “I suppose that would be awkward. I could ask Mom to call him. She mentioned Bella's resemblance to C J the other day.”

  “Does everyone in town know the secret I've tried to keep all these years?”

  “I'm sure not everyone knows. C J was part of our lives for years, few people knew him as a kid like our family did. Why don't I give her a call?”

  Samantha walked out into the lobby to make the call to her mother. She didn't want to take a chance that Bella would overhear and face the possible rejection of George Sinclair.

  Samantha remembered Mr. Sinclair as being a congenial man who was always kind to her and the other kids in the neighborhood. Her mother would be a better judge of whether he would accept his granddaughter or not.

  “Hi Mom, your instincts about Bella Jennings were correct, she is C J's daughter. Allison is willing to tell Mr. Sinclair about Bella; how do you think he'll take it?”

  “He'll be thrilled, does Allison need his phone number?”

  “Actually, Allison needs you to pave the way. She's afraid if she calls him unexpectedly, he won't believe her. Do you think you could talk to him first? Allison is willing to have a DNA test if he needs proof.”

  “She looks enough like a Sinclair that he won't question that C J is her father. I'll call him right away and get back to you.”

  “Thanks, Mom, I knew I could count on you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Colleen Degan's hands were shaking when she reached for her address book to search George Sinclair's phone number.

  “Colleen, are you all right,” asked a concerned Archie Degan.

  “I'm fine, oh Archie, the most wonderful news. George Sinclair has a granddaughter. I suspected it was the case but now it's been confirmed. I'm going to call him right away.”

  “Hold on a minute, sweetheart, what is this all about? C J has been gone for years, who is claiming to be his child?”

  “You remember Allison Jennings, she was a friend of Samantha, the poor girl got herself in trouble in high school. It's a long story but her daughter, Bella, is C J's child. Oh Archie, if you could see that little girl, you'd know it's true. She looks so much like her daddy.”

  “Colleen, this girl might be telling the truth, but she could be fabricating the story too. George Sinclair isn't exactly a pauper. I'd like to see some proof of the girl's parentage before you get George all worked up. He's never gotten over the loss of his son and I don't want to see anyone take advantage of his vulnerability.”

  “Archie, the girl is ten-years-old, I don't want George to miss any more years in her life than he already has. Allison has agreed to a DNA test, she wouldn't be willing to do that if she was trying to swindle George.”

  “Do what you feel you should. Jack and I have a tee time at Ashville Pines. We should be finished before one if you and Sandy would like to meet us at the club.”

  Colleen picked up the phone to call her friend George. She hoped Archie was wrong, he didn't know Allison Jennings as well as she did. Not that she knew Allison as well as she knew Samantha's other friends. She was a pretty girl with a beautiful smile. Colleen suspected years ago that she didn't have a happy home life. She'd often heard stories of the ill-natured Mr. Jennings. He'd caused his share of problems with shop owners in town. She didn't think many people shed a tear when he suffered a heart attack and died.

  Colleen could hear ringing on the line indicating a connection. Her heart began to pound in her chest; what will she say? What was the relationship between Allison and C J Were they in love? Did C J know the girl was pregnant?

  “Hello.”

  It was too late; there was no going back now.

  “Sharon, this is Colleen Degan, how are you?”

  “Colleen, it's so good to hear your voice. George and I were talking about you and Archie just the other day; we hoped you were planning another trip down south. We had so much fun when you two visited us last summer.”

  “We should do that, Archie and I enjoyed that trip too. Sharon, I'm calling on another matter. Is George home?”

  “No, he's at his Kiwanis meeting this morning. They usually go out for brunch after the meeting. I don't expect him for three or more hours. I hope nothing is wrong.”

  “No, nothing is wrong. Maybe I should tell you what I'm calling about. You can tell me how you think George will react.”

  “Of course, it sounds serious.”

  Colleen proceeded to tell her friend the reason for her call. She admitted she had no proof except the girl's resemblance to George's son. When she finished, there was silence on the other end.

  “Sharon, are you still there?”

  “Yes, I'm here, I'm sorry but I'm overwhelmed with joy for George. If there is even a remote possibility this girl is George's granddaughter, he'll be elated. Is there any way you can send us a picture of Bella?”

  “I'm sure my daughter can work that out. I'll call her as soon as we hang up. Allison will, no doubt, have a recent photo of Bella she can e-mail to you.”

  Samantha offered to drive Allison and B
ella home from the hospital because Allison's car was still at her house. Bella was full of chatter on the short ride from the hospital. Allison was beaming at the change in her daughter.

  “Bella, if I'd known you were going to be this happy, I'd have told you the truth long ago.”

  “Mom, you always told me it was better to tell the truth. You said if I did, you wouldn't be mad at me, no matter what I did wrong. I'm not mad at you anymore because you told me the truth and because C J Sinclair is my father.”

  “Bella, your father wasn't perfect, no one is. He was a teenage boy who was handsome, smart and a great athlete. The town has made a hero of him since he died but he did have his flaws too.”

  “Like knocking you up?”

  “Bella, I don't want to hear you use that kind of language.”

  “Chill out, Mom. All the kids talk like that. Don't you ever watch TV? They say a lot worse than that on Grandma's shows.”

  Samantha laughed. “Two days ago, you were afraid Bella would never speak to you again.”

  “I know,” said Allison, “I've created a monster.”

  After making sure Allison and Bella were settled and didn't need anything at the store, Samantha left them on the couch watching an old Disney movie.

  She drove by Jody Logan's house. Jody was in the front yard watering her flowers.

  “Come in and have a cup of coffee with me. Will is fishing with the children. The house is so quiet without them, I could use a distraction.”

  They walked through the garage and into the mudroom.

  “I know it's silly of me, but do you mind taking your shoes off. I don't want to risk skid marks on my floor.”

  Samantha didn't mind and removed her tennis shoes. She was happy she had worn socks without holes in the toes.

  Jody led her into the kitchen, the room was spotless. The counter showed no signs of anyone living there. The cabinets were pure white, and the appliances sparkled. Samantha couldn't believe this was the home of two young boys.

  “Jody, when did you become a neat freak? Are you the same girl who never made her bed through high school?”

  “Will likes a clean house, and I don't work. I have nothing to do all day but clean and cook. Not all of us are famous authors like you, Samantha.”

  “I didn't mean anything by it, Jody and I'm not exactly famous.”

  “Have you talked to Erin since the other day when we were at your Mom's house?”

  “Yes, I did see her.”

  “I suppose she talked about me. She hates me, you know. She thinks I ruined her life because C J loved me more than he loved her.”

  “I can't believe you two are still feuding over something that happened in high school.”

  “What she did was unforgivable, Samantha. C J broke it off with me because of her. He said I was stronger than Erin and he didn't want to hurt her. He didn't care that he hurt me.”

  “Jody, you and Erin are blaming each other for being hurt when it's C J you should be upset with. He was using you both, can't you see that?”

  “You don't understand, Samantha, I loved him. I followed him to the cliffs after he told me he didn't want to see me anymore. He shoved me away, I thought I was going to fall, but he caught me and accused me of trying to get his attention by making it look like I was attempting suicide. I wanted to kill him.”

  “Did you, Jody?”

  “Did I what”?

  “Did you kill C J?”

  “What are you saying? Do you think I could kill a person? I thought we were friends, what kind of a question is that?”

  “I'm sorry, Jody but you are the one who said you wanted to kill him. He's dead and there is a possibility it wasn't an accident like the town thinks.”

  “Before you accuse me, I wasn't the only one who wanted him dead. How about your boyfriend, Bobby Rooney? Did you know Bobby started a fight with C J over you? C J got the better of him, though; Bobby had a shiner for a week.”

  “I remember when Bobby had a black eye. He said he ran into a door.”

  “Don't tell me you believed him?”

  “I had no reason not to, why would Bobby want to fight with C J?”

  “Bobby was jealous of you and C J. I swear he'd turn green when he saw the two of you together. No one in school thought you and C J were just friends.”

  “We were just friends; how many times have I told you he was like a brother to me? Maybe that's why I ignored his behavior. I still can't believe C J was such a sleaze. Shall we change the subject?”

  “I suppose you want to talk about your perfect wedding to the perfect man.”

  “Jody, why are you acting this way? What have I done to make you so hostile?”

  “For one thing, you are hanging out with Patsy Burke. She's trying to cause trouble for us, I wish she'd get out of Ashville.”

  Those are the exact words that were on the note wrapped around the rock thrown at Patsy's window. Is it possible Jody was the one who threw it? “Jody, what are you worried about?”

  “Never mind, I need to get back to work. Thanks for stopping by.”

  Samantha left her friend's house. What happened to everyone? When did her best friends become so defensive? Jody's behavior today bordered on psychopathic. She couldn't wait until tomorrow when Fletch would be here to bring calmness back into her life.

  Chapter Twelve

  Sharon Sinclair waited nervously for her husband's return. She hadn't been able to take her eyes off the picture of Bella Jennings. There was no doubt in her mind that this beautiful little girl is George's granddaughter. She is the image of pictures she'd seen of C J. She had Frances Sinclair's eyes too. Sharon never knew Frances; she met George after his wife's death. He had such sadness in his eyes the day they met at the Kiwanis fundraiser. Sharon accompanied her friend, Joan, that Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful day and the fund-raiser was an excuse to be outside and help with a worthy cause too.

  Sharon's husband died unexpectedly two years before she met George. Sharon was just beginning to get back into the world of the living after Ed's death. She and Ed were college sweethearts; they were as much in love after thirty-five years of marriage as they had been the day they met. They celebrated the marriage of the last of their five children and were looking forward to being empty nesters.

  Sharon never expected to find happiness with a man again. She and George Sinclair were both suffering from the loss of their spouses and found comfort in each other's company. Eventually, the friendship turned to love, and they married with the blessing of Sharon's children.

  Sharon heard George's car pull into the garage of their comfortable townhouse. She greeted him at the door with a kiss as she always did when he returned to their home.

  “You're nervous, has something happened to one of the children?” George asked.

  “No, it's not anything bad; I don't know where to begin.”

  “Sharon, just tell me. What you have to say can't be worth my having a nervous breakdown waiting to hear what's on your mind.”

  “It's about C J. There is a very real possibility he fathered a child when he was in high school.”

  “What are you talking about? Who told you this nonsense?” George asked.

  “Colleen Degan called this morning. Did you know Allison Jennings from Ashville?”

  “The name sounds familiar; I do remember a Jennings from there. He was a crude character. He had a wife and daughter. The wife was a timid thing; Frances always said she was afraid of her own shadow.”

  “Allison is their daughter. She got pregnant at fifteen and her mother arranged for her to leave town before she gave birth to the baby. It's a long story but the girl was adopted by a couple, the woman died, and Allison took the child back to Ashville when she was five or six-years-old. C J was little Bella's father.”

  The color drained from George's face when Sharon handed him her cell phone showing the picture of Bella. He gazed at the photo in disbelief, “It can't be!”

  Sharon watc
hed as the tears welled in her husband's eyes. Had she made a mistake showing him the picture? She held her breath until he spoke again.

  “Sharon, maybe I'm being a fool, but I believe this child is C J's. I must see her for myself; I'm going to get the first flight out of here. He picked up his cell phone. Will you come with me?”

  “Of course, I will,” Sharon said while praying that George's heart wouldn't be broken if Bella wasn't his granddaughter.

  Samantha drove by Patsy Burke's house on her way back to her childhood home. She stopped when she saw Ryan and another man lifting a glass window into place in the front of the house.

  Patsy was inside doing her best to remove the shards of glass that seemed to have embedded themselves into the carpet. She glanced toward the window and saw Samantha's VW slow down at the curb.

  “Samantha, come in.” She introduced her visitor to her neighbor, Jim.

  “The window looks as good as new, Patsy.”

  “I wish I could say the same for the carpet. Jim has a power vacuum he's going to bring over when the guys are through with the window. I'm not going to walk around barefoot for a while.”

  “Do the police have a clue about who did this? It's such a childish thing to do.”

  “They consider it random mischief. I've checked with all the neighbors and no one saw anything suspicious last night. It's not all bad, Ryan insists on staying with me tonight. I've never had someone so concerned with my safety before.”

  “He seems like a great guy, I'm happy for you.”

  “What have you been up to today, Samantha?”

  “It's been a busy day. Allison told Bella the truth. It seems she overheard her mother and grandmother talking and misunderstood the conversation. That is the reason she's been acting out. After Allison told her that C J Sinclair was her father, all was forgiven. Even in death, C J is charming women of all ages.

  “My mother was going to call George Sinclair this afternoon to tell him he has a granddaughter, I haven't talked to her to find out his reaction.”