Murder in Ashville

by Jane T O'Brien

  “I don't know. Those football players always took good care of their bodies.”

  Patsy and Ryan arrived with Coach Beardsley and his wife. Marian.

  “Sorry we're late, Samantha, nothing can interfere with a coaching meeting.”

  Samantha knew Patsy was controlling her temper. Everyone thought Coach Beardsley was such a wonderful man although he worked his players and Ryan way too hard in her opinion.

  The men gathered around Coach and Ryan to hear their predictions for the upcoming football season. Marian Beardsley saw some of her friends from the hospital auxiliary and joined them giving Samantha and Patsy time to talk alone.

  Samantha filled Patsy in on the argument the Turners had before Samantha and Fletch interrupted them. She told her about the old Bible on Kate's coffee table and Fletch's theory about partial bible verses on the letters Patsy received.

  “That does make sense, doesn't it but how would we prove it was Kate who sent them? If Nick is involved in a murder or a cover-up; why would she want to call attention to C J's death?”

  “I'd like to talk to Kate in private, but I don't know when I can with the wedding tomorrow.”

  “I'm sorry I got you involved in this, maybe we should leave it alone. Whatever we find out won't bring C J back and we could be destroying lives in the process.”

  “I agree with you but then I look over at George Sinclair. He lost his son and deserves to know how he died.”

  “Who's that with Allison? She looks happy.”

  “That's the new Mrs. Sinclair's son, Matthew. He's had a busy afternoon, he saved Bella from falling off the cliffs and into the ravine and he is responsible for the smile on Allison's face. Things are turning around for her. Her mother seems better and her father is no longer a suspect in C J's death. Best of all, she told Bella the truth about her birth and the little girl has made a complete transformation. George Sinclair took one look at Bella and fell in love with his granddaughter. He told my dad he wants Allison and Bella to move to North Carolina. She would if she didn't have to worry about her mother.”

  “You show up in town and everyone is falling in love. I saw Erin with your old beau, Bobby Rooney. Now that's a match made in heaven,” Patsy laughed. “Wouldn't it be nice if they married and she moved to Washington with him? Jody might have a chance at happiness if Erin isn't around to spoil things for her.”

  “Did I hear my name mentioned?” Chimed Jody.

  “We were just saying what a nice couple Erin and Bobby make,” said Samantha.

  “I agree, wouldn't it be nice if they married and she moved to Washington with him?” replied Jody.

  “That's what Patsy said.” They all laughed.

  “What's so funny?” said Erin who was obviously on her third or fourth martini. Your new guy is very cute, Samantha, you'd better watch out or I might grab him. I don't mind your leftovers.”

  “You are welcome to my leftovers, Erin but Detective Fletcher is mine and I'm not sharing him.”

  “We'll see about that,” Erin said as she sauntered to him. “Hello big fella, I'm Erin, remember me?”

  “Come on Erin, it's time to go,” Bobby said.

  “But I'm having fun Bobby, just one more drink.”

  “We'll have it at the hotel.”

  He dragged her to his rental car. He'd marry her on the condition that she sticks to wine from now on. How could he win an election with a drunken wife?

  The party continued into the early evening. Samantha looked around at the empty plastic cups and plates.

  “Mom, it's a mess and we have a wedding tomorrow.”

  “Your father hired a clean-up crew. He promises me they will have the yard back in shape quickly. Almost everyone is having a good time. Poor Erin, I've heard she likes her vodka a little too much. She might be more than Bobby Rooney can handle. I do feel bad for Kate and Nick Turner. Nick was always a nice boy, I have never seen anyone change so drastically. He hasn't been the same since high school.”

  “I'd almost forgotten what Nick was like before C J died,” said Samantha. “We thought the change was because he lost his friend. Do you suppose it's more than that?”

  “What are you saying? Do you think Nick might have caused the accident?” Asked her mother.

  “It's possible any one of my classmates might be responsible for C J's death. Still, it could have been nothing more than a tragic accident.”

  Samantha watched as Fletch and Ryan were in a deep conversation about football with Coach Beardsley. Samantha couldn't remember Coach's first name, although she'd heard it before. He was referred to as Coach even by those who never touched a football or baseball bat in their lives.

  Samantha wondered when Coach's hair turned snow-white, maybe he was older than she thought, or maybe he was simply aging prematurely. Amber, his daughter, was old enough to hold down a part-time job working for Patsy on the newspaper. She thought about C J's funeral and how Coach's wife consoled her husband whose emotions had gotten the better of him.

  She could feel her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. She wasn't expecting calls but turned her ringer off. She thought it might be Megan verifying the time she and Matt would be arriving in Ashville the next day.

  Samantha was surprised when the caller ID showed Kate Turner's name.

  “Hi Kate, is everything all right?”

  “Samantha, I know the party is still going on but is it possible you and Fletch can break away to come here for a few minutes.”

  Samantha knew by the sound of her voice that something was wrong.

  “We'll be there in five minutes, Kate.”

  Fletch didn't ask any questions, he and Samantha drove to the Turner house without an explanation to the party guests who kept on partying.

  Kate opened the door. It was obvious she was crying.

  “I'm sorry to take you away from your party. Nick has something he wants to tell you. He and I can't live with the secret any longer.”

  Samantha and Fletch walked into the living room. The antique white Bible was on the coffee table. Nick was staring into space. His eyes that sparkled as a teenager were moist and dull, he had the look of despair on his face and his shoulders slumped.

  He looked up and said almost in a whisper. “C J committed suicide and it's my fault.”

  With that confession, he broke down and sobbed. Kate held him in her arms while nine years of tears he'd bottled up spilled out.

  Samantha and Fletch sat in silence until Nick regained his composure.

  “Suppose you tell us the story, Nick,” Fletch said sympathetically.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “C J and I were like brothers. My folks moved to Ashville when I was eight-years-old. It wasn't easy being the new kid in school. I hated my father for making us move, I missed my friends and hated my new school. Most of the kids just stared at me that first day. I wanted to sit at my desk during recess, but the teacher made me go outside. I stood by the fence and watched the other kids play and never felt so alone. C J walked up to me and asked if I wanted to play ball with the guys.

  “C J was only a kid and already he showed promise of being a great ball player. We played football every day after that. In the spring, we changed to baseball, I was good at both, but he was better.

  “I know the kids thought I was jealous of him although I wasn't. In so many ways he made me a better player. He was certain to win a scholarship to Stanford or Southern Cal or any one of the best football colleges in the country.

  “The week he died, we were in the biggest game of the year. We were playing East Hamilton High. Their team won the national championship the year before and almost every one of their players were juniors and returned to the team as seniors. C J and Coach were well-known and expected to pull off a victory. It was only a high school football game but the interest was wide-spread.

  “After practice one day that week, I waited for C J in the parking lot. He usually went to the cliffs to walk and calm down after an intense practice.
I wanted to ask him about a play he and Coach were talking about.

  “A couple of guys drove on the lot, they approached C J when he walked out the door. I thought they were going to mug him and I walked toward them. There were several teacher's cars and trucks in the parking lot and they didn't see me coming. When I walked closer, their voices became clearer, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. They handed C J an envelope and he took it. I tried to tell myself it was meaningless, yet I knew, in my heart, C J had taken a bribe to throw the game that week.

  “I waited until the goons pulled out of the parking lot before I confronted C J. He didn't deny he took money to fix the game. He showed no remorse and said it was only a high school football game and it was easy money.

  “I struggled all night debating whether to tell Coach about the money or protect my friend from his own greed. I told myself I was morally obligated to tell Coach the truth. It also meant C J would be off the team making me the starting quarterback.

  “I was still debating my dilemma when I ran into C J the next morning. He walked down the hallway with a defiant swagger almost daring me to tell his secret. I took him up on that dare and went directly to Coach's office.

  “I saw the crushed look on Coach's face. He insisted there was another explanation for the exchange of money. I didn't think Coach believed me and was sorry I told him.

  “C J was in the habit of walking on the cliffs. He had done it many times before and knew the rocky path very well. I don't believe he fell accidentally, I think he jumped because of what I did.”

  A sense of relief came over Nick, he buried his head in his hands. Kate held him close as she spoke.

  “Samantha, you guessed I was the one who wrote the letters to Dear Patsy. I had no idea Dear Patsy was the mousy girl from school. Ever since C J's death, our lives haven't been right. Nick was a carefree teen until then, at first, I thought the change in him was simply grief over losing his friend. Not that I expected he would get over C J's death but after a time he should have come to grips with it because life does go on. It wasn't until after we married that he told me his part in the incident. No matter what I said, I couldn't convince him that C J was the one who decided to take a bribe and ultimately jump off the cliff.

  “The guilt has taken over Nick's life. He blames himself and it's getting worse, he admits to drinking too much, too often. We planned to have a couple of kids by now, but I can't bring a baby home to a father who refuses to get help for his depression.

  “The Bible sits here on the coffee table and I found myself looking up passages about truth. In desperation, I wrote those bible passages hoping Dear Patsy would print them and bring the sordid mess out in the open.”

  “Do either of you know anything about Patsy's mishaps?” asked Fletch.

  “I know about the accident, I've heard the authorities suspect someone tampered with her brakes,” answered Kate. “Nick didn't know anything about the letters and I can assure you, I didn't rig her brakes. I wouldn't know how to do it.”

  “Did you know she was knocked down and her purse taken with the letters inside? Patsy was on her way to the police station when it happened. Her purse was returned to her with everything intact except the letters.”

  “Dear Patsy took me seriously?” cried Kate, “my instincts were right about her.”

  “You didn't change your mind and decide to retrieve the letters, did you, Kate?” Fletch asked firmly.

  “No, Fletch, I swear I didn't. I only mailed a handful of them and thought they were ending up in the trash, so I stopped sending them altogether.”

  “You and Patsy were the only two people who knew about the letters,” said Samantha. “You didn't mention them to anyone?”

  “No, I felt foolish; it was a childish thing to do.”

  “We'd better get back to the party, I hope we will see you two tomorrow,” said Samantha.

  “What are you thinking, Fletch?” Samantha said on the drive back to her parents' house.

  “Nick Turner has needlessly tortured himself all these years. He was no more responsible for C J's death than I am. My gut tells me C J didn't kill himself. I've known guys like him, they think they are superior to the rest of us and wouldn't think about depriving the world of their existence. I don't buy the accident theory either. Nick said he knew those cliffs well and I believe it. I'd like to talk with Coach Beardsley and ask him if he talked to C J about the bribe. Was C J suspended from the team and probably from school?”

  “Good idea and I'll ask Patsy if there is a possibility someone might have seen those letters.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The party was still in full swing. Samantha smiled when she saw Allison and Matt together, they made a nice couple. A long-distance relationship might not be ideal, but it wasn't impossible.

  Bella was happily playing with all the children. Samantha marveled at the change in the girl in just a few days. Finding out the truth about her father had made the difference. She would do what she could to find out how C J died.

  Fletch found an opportunity to speak with Coach Beardsley. Coach was reluctant to talk about C J and Fletch noted he became agitated with is questions.

  “It was many years ago, son, let the boy rest in peace.”

  “Do you remember Nick Turner telling you he saw C J take a bribe?”

  “Of course, I remember but it wasn't true. C J had an opportunity to attend the best schools leading to a future with a professional team. After his career as a player ran its course, he had the brains to succeed in any profession he chose. He would never risk it all for a mere five-thousand-dollars.”

  “Is that how much they gave him?” asked Fletch.

  “They didn't give him anything. Nick Turner tried to get C J in trouble because he wanted to play himself. As it turned out, C J's death gave him the opportunity to do that. Why aren't you talking to him about his part in all this?”

  “You're saying you never spoke to C J about the accusation of accepting a bribe. Don't you think C J would want to know what his friend told you? Wouldn't he want to offer a defense or deny the charges?”

  “Look, this is a party; I'm not going to discuss the subject any further.”

  Coach Beardsley turned his back and headed directly to the bar. The party won't go on forever, Coach. We will talk again. Fletch thought to himself.

  Meanwhile, Samantha drew Patsy and Ryan away from the crowd.

  “Is there anyone who might have seen those letters with passages from the Bible?”

  “Amber, my assistant, often helps me with the mail. She sorted them according to the subject. I can't imagine why she would tell anyone about those letters. They wouldn't make sense to her, they didn't make sense to me either.”

  “Maybe they didn't make sense to you, but they alarmed you enough that you intended to take them to the police,” said Samantha.

  “Samantha,” said Ryan, “you don't think Amber Beardsley hit Patsy on the head and took her purse, do you? She is one of the nicest students in Ashville High.”

  “I'm not saying she did any of those things to Patsy but maybe she told someone about the letters.”

  “Who would she tell?” asked Patsy, “her friends were all little kids when C J died. Unless you're thinking of Coach Beardsley?” said Patsy.

  “Samantha, you're making a mistake if you suspect Coach Beardsley of hurting Patsy. He's a tough coach but he would never cause anyone harm,” said Ryan.

  “I'm not accusing anyone Ryan; I'm just trying to find out who wants to harm Patsy. Taking her purse and throwing a rock through her window is bad enough but she could have been killed when they tampered with her brakes. I think you will agree, it's important that we investigate every possibility.”

  “I understand, Coach has been good to me and I feel a loyalty to him. You are right, we do have to check him out. Here's Fletch, is that why he was talking to Coach?”

  Fletch joined them and said Coach was hiding something. Ryan looked toward the bar and
saw Coach glaring back at him. Maybe he wasn't innocent after all.

  The party was winding down and the guests began to leave.

  “I can't believe these people will all be together tomorrow for the reception. I never dreamed the party tonight would go on so long,” said Samantha.

  “Okay, you two. Say goodnight,” said Sandy. “Fletch, we'll drive you back to the hotel for the night. Samantha will stay here.”

  “I still think it's a stupid rule? They should call it torturing the groom,” Fletch winked.

  He gave Samantha one last kiss before reluctantly leaving with his parents.

  Samantha slept fitfully that night and it had nothing to do with marrying Detective Joseph Fletcher. She knew it was the best decision she'd made in her life. Her sleeplessness had to do with C J and his untimely death.

  Nick Turner was certain C J committed suicide when he was caught accepting a bribe to throw a game. Because Ryan was the one who spilled the beans to Coach, he suffered from regret since the day his friend died. Samantha couldn't imagine C J killing himself under any circumstances. She thought back to when they were children. No matter what mischief he got himself into, he could wiggle his way out of trouble. He thought he was invincible and would never have given up on his dreams. He'd often talked about his life after football. He thought he would go to Hollywood and become a movie heart-throb. C J's ego wouldn't allow him to jump off that cliff.

  Samantha wondered what Coach did about Nick's accusations. Did he confront C J? Everyone knew C J hiked the cliffs often. Did Coach follow him there? Would he put Patsy's life at risk trying to stop her from investigating C J's death? It didn't make sense. Coach was tough and expected only the best efforts from his players, but she couldn't see him risking the life of another person.

  She fell asleep thinking about Coach's daughter, Amber. Amber had access to the letters Dear Patsy received. Is it possible she mentioned them to her father? Coach and his family will be attending the wedding, she thought aloud, I'll have a talk with her tomorrow.