Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Murder, She Wrote. This is just funness! Also, any likeness to any persons living or dead is scrictly coincedental, except when it's not!
As always, send your comments to Lizzie Bapst: welovedrseth@yahoo.com
Upon entering the terminal in a
She walked directly to the lounge‚ where‚ she'd
been told‚ she'd find her great-niece‚ Christine Magnall.
The last time she'd seen Christine was 17 years ago‚ on Christine's first
birthday. She'd kept in touch‚ of course‚ as she did with all her nieces and
nephews‚ but hadn't seen much in the way of pictures of Christine. She wasn't
sure how she'd recognize her‚ but she was told that Christine would find her.
In fact the reason she was visiting‚ instead of staying in Cabot Cove for a
white Christmas with Seth‚ was because of a phone call she'd received from
Christine. The details were still a bit shaky to her‚ but she was hopeful that
her arrival would calm Christine down enough that she could get some more
details of the ordeal.
An ornately decorated sign stating "Please
seat yourself" was waiting at what would be the
receptionist's podium‚ and Jessica‚ following her instructions‚ found a table
for two near the back of the busy restaurant. She'd just gotten settled in when
an over-loaded waitress came bounding through the doors behind her‚ and‚ before
Jessica could say anything‚ tripped over the wheels of Jessica's suitcase‚
spilling three glasses of water‚ mostly on herself‚ and breaking two others.
"Oh dear!" Jessica cried out‚ quickly getting out of her chair to
help the poor girl clean up the broken glass and dry the water with a towel
hanging from the waitress' shoulder.
"Oh‚ you don't have to do that‚ Aunt Jessica‚
I can get it‚" she said‚ losing her balance and falling directly into the
puddle of water.
"Yes‚ I can see that‚ Christine‚"
Jessica responded‚ holding out a hand for the young woman.
The girl looked up at Jessica with wide blue eyes‚
her peaches and cream complexion reddening. She was dressed simply‚ in her
uniform for the lounge‚ a white shirt with black pants‚ vest and bow tie. Her
blonde hair‚ held back in a simple ponytail‚ was dripping with the water she'd
just emptied from the glasses. Surprisingly‚ she looked somehow more
intelligent than expected after witnessing her spill. Yet‚ there was a sparkle
in her eyes that seemed to suggest a certain youth to her character. Her eyes‚
though sparkling‚ seemed old‚ tired‚ and too wise for their years‚ a problem which
Jessica planned to remedy in her great-niece.
Taking Jessica's hand‚ the girl stood and told
Jessica‚ "Well‚ thank you‚ but I'm not Christine."
Jessica was puzzled. The young woman had called
her "Aunt Jessica"‚ hadn't she? Jessica's own sparkling blue eyes
reflected her confusion and prompted a chuckle from the waitress.
"I'm Christine's friend‚ Kelly
Phillips‚" she added‚ shivering. "She's been talking about you so
much‚ I feel like you're MY great-aunt Jessica! It's absolutely a pleasure to
meet you. Christine will be out soon‚ I'm sure."
"Well‚ it was nice meeting you‚ as well.
Would you like to join us?"
"No‚ I really have to be getting back to
work. Besides‚ I've got this mess to clean up. Whose idea was it to put
suitcases on wheels‚ anyway?"
As Kelly finished her question‚ a beautiful young
woman with brown‚ tightly curled hair and burdened dark blue eyes‚ wearing
nearly the same uniform as the former‚ came bursting through the double doors
leading to the kitchen‚ her expression changing definitively from contentment
to frustration‚ and finally to anger in a matter of mere seconds.
"KELLY! Not again!" she nearly screamed‚
walking quickly over to the drenched blonde‚ not even noticing Jessica.
"That's the third time this week you've toppled your tray. I can't keep
covering for you!"
"It was my fault‚ really‚" Jessica broke
in‚ unable to watch the young woman sit in silence to be reprimanded. "I
shouldn't have had my luggage in the aisle."
The brunette‚ turning to Jessica‚ gasped at the
first glimpse of her face and threw her arms around Jessica's neck.
"Aunt Jessica! You're here!" Christine exclaimed‚ close to tears.
"I said I would be‚ didn't I?" Jessica
told her‚ hugging her.
"Of course! But I just…well‚ I just…" she stopped short.
"Just what?" Jessica prompted.
"Oh‚ it doesn't matter. You're here‚"
she replied‚ finally letting loose of Jessica. "And I'm so glad!" she
added‚ a sadness in her eyes that Jessica couldn't overlook.
"So‚ uh…I hate to interrupt‚ but‚ you were
about to yell at me‚ Christine‚" Kelly interrupted with a smile.
Christine gave her friend's arm a playful jab‚ to
which Christine responded by wincing‚ and told her to finish cleaning up her
mess and then join the two at the table Jessica had chosen.
"I need you to help me tell Jessica the whole
story."
"The whole story?"
"Yup."
"Wow! Some undertaking! You sure you want to
go through all that again?"
"No‚ but I know that Jessica can help. And if
she can help---it's completely worth it."
"All right. I'll be there as soon as I can‚" Kelly replied‚
lightly half-hugging Christine. "It'll be fine. I'm sure Aunt Jessica can
figure it out." Winking at Jessica‚ who in turn smiled warmly at her‚ she
saluted Christine and returned to her work as Jessica and Christine each took a
seat at the table.
"She seems nice‚"
Jessica started‚ after a few awkward moments of silence.
"Oh‚ she's wonderful‚" Christine
replied‚ staring blankly into nothingness.
"Christine?" Jessica
asked‚ calling the young woman's attention back to her.
"Sorry‚ Aunt Jess. I'm a little pre-occupied."
"I noticed. Christine‚ I realize I've never
been your closest Aunt‚ geographically‚ but you've shared a lot with me in your
letters and e-mails. That doesn't have to stop because I'm sitting in front of
you."
"Oh‚ I know‚"
Christine responded‚ staring again into nothingness. "It's just…still hard to talk about."
Jessica reached across the table and put a hand on
Christine's own shaky‚ fidgety hands.
"Start at the beginning."
"The beginning…" Christine sighed.
"It seems so long ago. Everything was easier then. We didn't expect it to
happen to us¡Xnot us. Not here. We were so safe‚
here." She paused for a moment‚ staring silently into empty space again.
Dragging herself from her reverie‚ she continued‚ "Sorry‚ Jess. I guess
I'm getting side tracked."
Jessica put her other hand on Christine's
trembling hands‚ and looked compassionately into her teary‚ blue eyes.
"Take your time."
Christine nodded.
"It really started about three months ago
when one of the teachers from a middle school around here somewhere was
found--- dead in an alley somewhere. We didn't really think anything of it at
the time. After all‚ this is
"I can take it from here‚
Christi‚" Kelly replied‚ sliding into the booth and placing an arm around
Christine's shoulders. Christine nodded.
"Anyway‚ about a month ago---the pattern
apparently shifted---from teachers to students."
Jessica's horror had finally bubbled over the top‚
but‚ left her speechless. After all‚ what could be said?
"Obviously‚ because we're students at
Roosevelt‚ we were concerned about that. We did everything we could to avoid
it‚ too¡Xstayed inside‚ never went anywhere alone‚
were very cautious‚ very careful. That is‚ until one of the girls from our dorm
disappeared."
"I was furious. She had the room directly to
the right of ours. I can't tell you what she meant to me---to both of us‚
really. She was always there. She was a constant. Someone we could always go
to---always talk to. She understood everything. And suddenly‚ this…this
horrible man just took her away from us. I didn't know what to do---except to
help look for him‚" Christine interjected‚ her anger clearly showing
through. "And that's when it happened." Both girls were silent.
"What happened?" Jessica questioned.
"He came after me‚"
Christine whispered‚ barely audible above the buzz of the busy restaurant.
"What?"
"He obviously didn't kill her---" Kelly
began. "But that's only because Christine had called the police a half an
hour before to tell them where she'd be. They tried to stop her‚ but---"
"But I'm stubborn‚" Christine broke in‚
softly. "I couldn't let him get away with all that he'd done‚ Aunt Jess.
You understand that‚ don't you?"
"Well…"
"Anyway‚ the police got there just in time‚
but the creep escaped‚" Kelly interrupted.
"And so did I---with
only a few bruises‚ a slap on the wrists from the police and small dents in my
walls of pride and confidence. Thank Heavens for Tae Bo in PE‚" Christine
added.
"I don't understand‚ Christi---what is it
that you want me to do?" Jessica queried.
"Help them. Help them get this guy‚"
Christine pleaded.
"Me? I'm not a detective¡X"
Jessica began.
"Oh‚ Aunt Jess‚ don't
kid yourself---you might as well be with all the sleuthing you do!"
Christine replied. "Face it---you're the only one who can get this
guy."
"I'm sure the police are doing their job to
solve this."
"Yea‚ the problem is‚ they're idiots‚"
Kelly added‚ rolling her eyes.
"I'm sure it's not that terrible."
"You don't know these guys‚ Mrs. Fletcher.
Most of them are from the sticks. Things have gotten really bad in our
precinct. Nobody wants to be a cop. So‚ we get the losers from the sticks who
can't tell Stephen Sondheim from Jerry Herman!" Kelly exclaimed.
"You're a musical theatre major‚ aren't
you?" Jessica questioned.
"Absolutely! What else is there?" Christine replied with a wink.
"I still don't understand what you think I
can do about this! There are no clues---no suspects---there's nothing with
which to start! Even Sherlock Holmes needed a clue!" Jessica told the
young women.
"Just check into it. Please?" Christine asked‚ her forehead creasing‚ eyebrows curving and lips
turning pouty. "You're going to be here
until Christmas‚ anyway. That's two weeks away! Surely you can accomplish
something in two weeks! Please Aunt Jessica?"
Jessica looked at the girls' pleading faces‚ their
big eyes sad and teary‚ and couldn't refuse.
"All right. Two weeks. I'll help. I'll do what I
can‚" Jessica said‚ a reassuring smile.
"Great!" Christine
said‚ jumping up from the booth. "Let's go home and get you settled
in. Mom and Dad are jumpy about you coming‚ too."
Jessica could only hope Christine's parents‚ John
and Amanda‚ weren't jumpy because they too had a mystery for her to solve.
"Aunt Jess!" sounded a familiar voice as
Jessica and Christine arrived at
"Amanda!" Jessica
replied‚ stepping out of the car and hugging her.
"How are you‚ Jessica?" came another
voice from the front porch.
"I'm just fine‚ John. You?
How's school coming along?"
"Better than expected. The students at least
have some respect this year‚" he told her‚
grinning‚ as he walked down the slippery porch steps to help with Jessica's
luggage. "Be careful on those steps. Even with salt‚
they tend to get quite slick."
Jessica heeded his warning and carefully eyed the
steps before tentatively finding her footing on the first frozen step. She did
the same with the next step. And the next. Christine
came up quickly behind her‚ but passed her on the steps‚ jumping up one and
then another as quickly as she could. She reached the top‚ the fifth step‚ lost
her footing and slid all the way down to the bottom‚ sending her purse and it's contents flying across the snow-covered front lawn.
"I'm fine!" she said‚ laughing‚ sitting
still on the ground.
"Christine!" Amanda called. "Be
careful. You've broken your wrist once. I don't think we need any more broken
bones in this family!"
"Of course you would say that‚ mom. You're a
nurse."
Amanda's pale checks colored at that remark‚ the
effect seeming to darken her already brown hair and bringing out her blue eyes.
"I just want you to be careful‚" she
said‚ extending a hand to Christine.
"Thanks‚" Christine
said‚ grabbing her mother's hand with a grin and pulling her mother onto the
ground with her.
"Christine Beatrice!"
"Oooh! The middle name! I'm in trouble‚ now!" Christine
added with a wink at Jessica.
Amanda‚ who had her back turned to the others‚
took this opportunity to throw the snowball she'd been forming at Christine.
Christine reciprocated with a snowball of her own‚ and the snowball fight
began.
"Come on‚ Jessica‚" John said quickly
afterward. "These maniacs can make anything exciting. Let's get you inside
before you freeze watching the two of them." He led her inside their
modestly decorated home and up the flight of stairs‚ adorned with gold
Christmas garland and pictures of Santa's sleigh and each of his reindeer. To her right‚ on the wall‚ hung pictures of family. John's parents‚ Amanda's parents‚ cousins‚ aunts and uncles and
several of Christine and her brother‚ John Jr. At the top of the stairs‚
Jessica spotted a familiar picture of Frank and herself.
"Oh my! Amanda kept this?" she asked John‚ a smile crossing
her face.
"Oh‚ absolutely‚" he told her.
"She'd never let go of that. It's her favorite. She always loved going to
visit you and Frank in Cabot Cove and that picture of the two of you by the sea
was a reminder for her."
"Yes‚ we loved having her there‚ too‚"
Jessica said‚ gently straightening the picture on the wall‚ gazing lovingly at
Frank.
"You still miss him‚
don't you?"
"Everyday‚" Jessica
replied‚ unable to take her teary eyes from the picture.
"I'll just set this in your room. It's the
first door on the right. You can check it out whenever you feel like it. If you
need to switch rooms‚ just let us know. We can do that with no extra cost to
you‚" John told her jokingly as he carried her luggage up the stairs and
to the room he told her was hers‚ leaving her to her memories.
"So‚ what do you want to know‚" Amanda
asked‚ coming into Jessica's room late that night in her red plaid pajamas.
"About?" Jessica
asked‚ closing her book and removing her reading glasses.
"Whatever it was you said you wanted to ask
me about at dinner‚" Amanda replied‚ curling up next to Jessica on the
bed‚ her head in Jessica's lap.
"Fill me in. Just like you
used to do."
"That was years ago‚
Jessica. I was a little girl‚ then."
"Well‚ we could all use a bit of nostalgia
just now‚" Jessica told her solemnly‚ running fingers through Amanda's
hair.
"True. What do you want to know?"
"I don't believe you ever told me how you and
John got together. Start with that‚ we'll see where it goes from there. We used
to talk all night."
"Ahh‚"
Amanda sighed‚ wishfully. "I guess
I miss it more than I thought. Could you ever be persuaded to move to
"Could you ever be persuaded to move to Cabot
Cove?"
"Well‚ in light of recent events‚ I'd give
anything to be transferred there---as long as there was something open for
John‚ too. You know‚ he jokes a lot‚ but he really adores teaching. Actually
that's how we met. He was my English teacher in high school."
"What?"
"Yea. That's why there's such a huge age difference between us.
Then‚ I graduated high school and was working in customer service---remember? Oh‚ how I hated that job. Anyway‚ he was really sweet about
coaching me for an interview---he was interested‚ which thrilled me down to my
toes‚ because I was majorly crushing over him…"
They continued talking well into the early morning
hours.
Meanwhile Christine lay
awake‚ staring at the ceiling. Jessica was right. There were no clues; how
could she help? Christine hadn't even gotten a good look at the man. She was
only certain that it was in fact‚ a man. Beyond that‚ she had no idea how to
describe him. Christine's thoughts started running together and the
glow-in-the-dark stars on her ceiling became a blur as she drifted off to
sleep.
Christine found herself standing off to one side
on a dark side street. She saw two figures running towards her‚ one behind the
other. She felt she should know them‚ but it was just too dark. The second
figure began to catch up to the first one as they ran by Christine‚ spraying
her with dirty water from a puddle. As they passed‚ Christine got a good look
and instantly recognized them. That was him! The one who had attacked her! And
the girl...that was... Christine sat bolt upright in bed and screamed‚
"KELLY!"
John and Amanda were instantly awaked and running
to Christine's room‚ but it was Jessica who got there first and held a fragile‚
weak and scared Christine in her arms. Amanda and John both tried to help
comfort Christine‚ but the young woman pushed them away each time‚ clinging to
Jessica. Amanda and John looked on helplessly‚ hurt by the actions of their
daughter. Jessica looked at them‚ her eyes filled with concern‚ and motioned
for them to leave the room.
When they had gone‚ Jessica‚ still holding tightly
to Christine‚ began to rock back and forth with her as though she were rocking
a child to sleep.
"Shhh…"
Jessica began. "It's all right. It was just a dream. Kelly's fine. Want to
tell me what happened?"
Christine lifted her head to meet Jessica's eyes
with her own teary ones‚ but it wasn't to talk about the dream.
"I don't think Kelly is fine‚ Jessica. I just
know something's happened." "Why don't you call her and find
out?"
"I…I can't…" Christine stammered‚ and
Jessica realized she was much too shaken and exhausted to be doing anything but
sleeping.
"Tell you what. In the morning‚ we'll go see
her. Right now‚ just rest."
"In the morning? But…what if she's…"
"Would it make you feel better if I called
her now?"
"Yes."
But as Jessica started to get up to get the phone‚
Christine didn't let go.
"No. No‚ I…I guess we'll have to wait until
morning. I mean‚ you're right; it was just a dream. She's probably fine."
The words were coming out of her mouth‚ but she
didn't believe them.
"I'm sure she is. She's at home right now‚
asleep‚ like you should be."
"Will you stay with me‚ Jessica?"
"Of course. I'll stay until you fall asleep."
Christine lay her head on Jessica's lap‚ as her
mother had done hours before‚ and slowly drifted off to sleep‚ Jessica gently
running her fingers through Christine's hair to calm her.
John and Amanda waited for Jessica
in the hallway outside their daughter's room. When Jessica came
out‚ they walked with her down the hallway to her room.
"What happened‚ Jessica?" Amanda asked
as a look of panic crossed her face.
"She'll be okay. She had a nightmare. I can't
say that's at all unexpected after what she's been through."
"Are you sure she'll be okay? Should I go sit
with her?"
"She's asleep‚ now‚ if you go in‚ you risk
waking her up again. I think she'll be okay¡Xbut I'll
make you a deal---if she wakes up again---you'll be the first one in
there."
"Why wouldn't she let us help?" John
asked‚ obviously hurt.
"I'm not sure‚" Jessica told him.
"She's tired. She's frightened. She wasn't thinking clearly. Don't take it
too hard or too seriously. I'm sure she won't even remember doing it‚ and if
she does‚ she'll feel bad enough for all of us."
"I just don't know what to do‚" Amanda
stated quietly‚ tears filling her eyes.
Wrapping his arms around her‚ John kissed the top
of her head and suggested she go back to bed.
"Come on. Let's let Jessica get some sleep.
Jerry Herman wrote lyrics for Dear World that say
"your perfect day starts each tomorrow morning". Let's go to sleep
and wake up later this morning and hope it works‚ anyway‚" he told her‚
putting an arm around her waist and leading her toward their room.
"Goodnight‚ Jessica‚" he whispered over
his shoulder as she closed the door of her room and plopped on her bed. She was
asleep nearly the moment her head hit the pillow.
"Wake up sunshine!"
Kelly called late that morning‚ plopping onto Christine's bed and shaking her
awake. "It's today!"
"Light the candles‚" Christine tried to
sing‚ her voice hoarse‚ a wide grin crossing her face.
"Get the ice out! Roll the rug up!"
Kelly cooed.
"It's…"
"TODAY!" they shouted together‚
Christine sitting up brightly in her bed.
"So‚ you ready to show your Auntie Jessica
how to open a new window?"
"Oh‚ I think she already gets that‚
Kelly."
"Well‚ I was just trying to stick with the
same musical‚ okay? I could've said to show Jessica a little priest‚ but it
wouldn't have been nearly as exciting‚ now would it?
"Well…" Christine
replied‚ exploding with laughter. "Actually‚ the idea of showing her
a little priest is rather intriguing."
"Oh‚ hush‚" Kelly
said‚ throwing a pillow at her.
"Your Aunt Jessica is waiting for you downstairs. She says we can start
investigating today if you wish."
Christine's ears perked up.
"I'll be down in a moment!" she
declared‚ scrambling across the bed and falling off of the edge‚ prompting
laughter from them both.
"Take your time‚ quicksilver."
"Did you just call me a horse?"
"Sounds like a good time up
there‚" John said‚ finishing his bowl of cereal.
"I wish we were privileged enough to get in
on it‚" Amanda said under her breath‚ but not low enough to avoid being
heard.
"I'm sure she didn't do anything to
intentionally hurt you‚ Amanda‚" Jessica reiterated her earlier
statements. "She's shaken up. You all are. Why don't you come with us
today to do a bit of investigating?"
"Me? Investigating?"
"Well‚ I told Kelly‚ who will hopefully tell
Christine‚ that we'd be investigating today‚ but I mostly have it in my plans
to relax today and have a good girls day out. I'd be
thrilled if you'd join us‚" Jessica bargained.
"Okay‚" Amanda said after a moment's
thought.
"Have fun‚" John told them‚ putting on
his suit jacket and grabbing his briefcase.
"Oh‚ I'm quite sure we will‚" Jessica
told him‚ winking at Amanda.
"Keep my favorite girls out of trouble‚ will
you‚ Jessica?" he replied‚ a twinkle in his eye‚ before kissing his wife
goodbye and heading out the door.
"Ready‚ Amanda?"
"I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever
be." Then‚ turning toward the stairs and yelling up the staircase‚ she called‚ "Girls‚ hurry up‚ there aren't that many
hours in a day‚ you know!"
"Oh! Look at this‚
Kelly‚" Christine said‚ lifting a pair of earrings from a rack.
Kelly flicked the bright blue furry balls on the
ends of the silver chains that comprised these "earrings" and made a
face as though she'd just munched on a fried calf's liver.
"Those are great‚ Christi‚" Kelly said‚
completely straight-faced. "If you're planning on going fishing and short
a lure or two."
Christine shrugged and put the earring back on the
rack‚ looking out the store front at the people passing by‚ their holiday
packages weighing them down.
"Kelly! Look!"
"What?"
"Look who's here!"
"Who?" Jessica finally asked‚ coming over to
the girls and looking out the big picture window.
"It's Sargent Malin‚" Kelly told her. "There---in
uniform."
"Oh? Who's Sargent Malin?" Jessica asked‚ genuinely confused.
"He's the Sargent
assigned to the murder cases‚" Amanda said‚ her eyes following the Sargent. "He gives me the creeps‚ Jess. There's just
something about him."
"Well‚ he is a Police Officer. He's been
around a lot of crime that most of us couldn't even dream would happen‚"
Jessica offered.
Amanda shook her head. "No‚ I mean‚ there's
just something about him." She shivered and her arms filled with
goose-bumps. She shook her head. "I'm probably just being silly and overly
dramatic‚" she finished‚ nervously chuckling.
Jessica wasn't so sure Amanda's hunches should be
over looked so quickly‚ and watched through the window as the uniformed officer
walked around the corner to pass the front of the store in which they were
standing. All four women looked at the racks of earrings and bracelets in front
of them‚ glancing up to follow the officer and not be seen‚ but in vain. Sargent Malin had seen them
staring through the window and waved as he came into the store‚ greeting them
cheerily on his way.
"Good afternoon‚ ladies‚" he said‚
bowing at the waist.
"Good afternoon‚ Sargent
Malin‚" Christine greeted him.
"Hey‚" Kelly said‚ her eyes fixed upon
the man.
"Good afternoon‚" Amanda mumbled‚ her
fists clenched‚ her shoulders stiffened‚ and Jessica nodded in acknowledgment‚
watching Amanda's reaction to the man's entrance.
"Well‚ I don't believe I know you‚
ma'am‚" he flashed his pearly white smile in Jessica's direction.
"I'm Jessica Fletcher. I'm Amanda's
Aunt."
"Ah! Here for a visit‚ then?"
Jessica nodded.
"I hope you enjoy your stay in our fine city‚
Miss? Fletcher." His eyebrows raised
when he asked if her title had been "Miss‚" suggesting an interest
and Jessica's disgust nearly surfaced.
Instead‚ she smiled politely and replied‚
"It's Mrs. Fletcher‚ actually."
"Oops! My apologies! Well‚ a man can dream‚
can't he? I'm sure‚ madam‚ you have one lucky husband‚" he replied
smoothly‚ taking her hand and planting a kiss on it.
"Actually Uncle Frank…" Christine
started to say‚ but was interrupted by Jessica.
"Thinks the same thing‚" Jessica quickly
finished for her‚ shooting her a glance which seemed to tell her to avoid
letting the Sargent know about Frank‚ that went
unnoticed by Sargent Malin.
"Well‚ have a great day of shopping‚
ladies‚" the Sargent said‚ as he turned and left
the store‚ continuing his route‚ whistling down the hallway.
Amanda sighed and made a conscious effort to
unclench her fists.
"I don't know what it is about that
man…" she began.
"He seems a little too…smooth…to be a Police
Officer‚" Jessica finished her thought.
"Exactly."
"Well‚ I have run across a few officers who
felt they were above the law‚ Amanda‚" Jessica told her. "But that's
no reason to assume that of all of them. I haven't seen anything yet that's
told me he's anything but a concientious officer of
the law." Jessica gave Amanda a reassuring smile after she'd spoken‚ but
there was still a flicker of doubt in her own mind that couldn't be
extinguished.
A few hours later the quartet was
seated in the food court of the mall‚ eating from each other's plates and
laughing heartily when Sargent Malin
again interrupted.
"Ladies‚" he greeted.
"Sargent Malin!" Christine exclaimed‚ her eyes wide‚ as she
shifted in her seat to face him. "I didn't get to ask you earlier‚ what's
new with the murders?"
"We're still looking into finding
connections. Sure‚ they were all teachers‚ but‚ what did those teachers have in
common?"
"Were they all part of the same teacher's
union?" Kelly suggested.
"It's
possible‚" Sargent Malin
replied.
"Don't you know?" Christine asked‚
frustrated.
"Not yet. I have some people looking into
that sort of thing."
"And what about the
student?" Kelly asked.
"Remember Carrie Lewis?"
"She was studying to be a teacher‚ was she
not?"
"Yes‚ but how do you explain me‚ then?"
Christine reminded him.
"You‚ my dear‚ baited a trap for the man‚ and
are quite lucky that nothing worse happened to you."
"Sargent Malin‚" Jessica interrupted. "Why is it that a
homicide investigator is moonlighting as a mall cop?"
"Ah! Dear lady‚ you have very great powers of
perception‚" he intended it to be flattery and smiled insinuatingly at
Jessica‚ who in turn kept a straight face. "All of us down at the precinct
take a turn monitoring the activities here at the mall‚ regardless of our
department."
"I see‚" Jessica replied skeptically.
"Isn't that rather unusual?"
"Perhaps unusual‚ but‚ nonetheless
safe‚" turning to the Christine and Kelly he responded with‚ "This is
Monday‚ you know. We'll see what happens tonight." He turned on his heel‚
bidding them good day as he did‚ and continued his routine walk through the
mall.
"Do you have enough clues‚ now‚
Jessica?" Christine whispered to her. "You know‚ to
start your investigation?"
"Enough to start. But we'll have to do some research ourselves. It seems as
though Sargent Malin is
going to be dragging his feet throughout this entire investigation."
"Hello‚"
John said‚ taking the phone from the receiver. "Jessica? No‚ she's not here. Can I give her a
message?… Of course she's alive. Why wouldn't she be?…Hello?…Hello?" he hung up the phone‚ shrugged and
went back to his dinner preparations.
"Mort‚ I'm fine‚ I
promise…really…Who told you that?…How would Seth
know?…What did it say?…That's absurd!…Well‚ tell everyone that I'm fine-- Still
kickin'. All right. I'll see
you in a few weeks. Bye." Jessica hung up the phone to face the
questioning‚ wide-eyes of John‚ Amanda‚ Christine and Kelly. She walked calmly
over to the table to join them for dinner and began nibbling on the salad that
had been set at her place at the table.
Christine dropped her fork in her plate‚ causing a
loud clang‚ which made everyone jump.
"What's going on‚ Aunt Jess?" She
practically screamed from anxiety.
"Well‚ it seems that the Cabot Cover rumor
mill has been working overtime‚ that's all."
"And?" Amanda asked nearly as excitedly as Christine had‚ her
cheeks blushing.
"And…well‚ to quote Mark Twain‚ ¡¥Rumors of
my death have been greatly exaggerated'."
"Your death!" Kelly exclaimed. "What a rumor mill!"
"It's a small town‚" Jessica told her‚
grinning.
"Still‚" Amanda began. "Most of the
time the rumors start from something." And as she finished‚ they were all
interrupted by a knock at the front door.
"Who could that be?" John
asked‚ pushing his chair back and rising to get the door.
"I'm not looking forward to finding
out‚" Christine said‚ frozen at the table. "What if it's the ki--…"
"It's not‚" Kelly told her‚ calmly.
Jessica rose and followed John to the door. As he
opened the door‚ her eyes widened to see a shouting‚ newspaper waving‚ angry
Seth.
"It's bad enough that this reached your
Boston reporter friend without being truthful‚ but that you didn't have the
decency to call and let us all know that you were all right just appalls me‚
Jessica‚" he shouted‚ coming through the door and handing her a once-wet‚
tattered newspaper with a head shot of her underneath the headline‚
"Mystery Writer Murdered‚" covering page one.
"Seth‚ I didn't know‚ and you needn't shout!
I'm fine‚ and my hearing is just as good as it always was."
"How could you not know you were dead?"
he questioned‚ his hands flying to his hips‚ defiantly.
Jessica shrugged before replying‚ "I'd like
to think I'll have more important things to worry about when it happens‚"
she said with a grin‚ causing Seth more anxiety before he finally gave in‚
exasperated.
By the time Seth had finally finished snacking on
the foot he'd so conveniently brought to put in his mouth‚ Amanda‚ Christine
and Kelly had all gathered to watch‚ hearing the shouting from the kitchen.
Meanwhile‚ Jessica had unfolded the paper and
begun reading the article.
"You said Haskell knew about this?"
Jessica directed at Seth.
"Who?" Seth asked.
"Haskell Drake. My
¡¥reporter friend' from
"Oh‚ him‚" Seth snorted. "Yea‚ he
called your house while I was there checking in on things."
"I'll have to call him and let him know I'm
fine‚" Jessica responded. "Where are you staying‚ Seth?"
"He could stay here‚ couldn't he‚ Mom?"
Christine questioned Amanda.
"Absolutely! Come on upstairs‚ Doc‚ I'll show you to your room‚"
Amanda told him.
"Oh‚ I'd appreciate that‚ but you don't have
to…" Seth told her.
"Come on‚ you can help us investigate‚"
Amanda told him.
"Investigate?" Seth
asked‚ looking to Jessica‚ his voice rising in volume and inflection.
"Of course! Jessica's helping us investigate the murders‚"
Christine blurted out‚ not catching Jessica's pleading glance to keep Seth in
the dark.
"Murders?" Seth questioned. "Jessica…"
"Yes‚ Seth?" Jessica asked‚ calmly.
"Murders?"
"Yes‚ Seth. Murders. Are you staying? Let me
take your suitcase‚" she told him‚ grabbing his suitcase and following
Amanda up the stairs and to his room‚ him huffing and puffing behind them all
the way up to his room about murder investigations and danger.
"Seth‚ you know‚ you can't follow me
everywhere I go‚" Jessica said‚ sitting on the bed in his room later that
evening.
"Jessica‚" Seth said with mock offense.
"I came here to make sure you're still alive."
"Okay‚ you know I'm alive‚ but you insist on
staying. Why?" she questioned‚ trapping him in a proverbial corner.
"Jessica‚ you find yourself surrounded by
danger more often than not. As your friend‚ I feel like I should be there for
you when you do."
"Seth‚ where's the danger?"
"Don't say that‚ Aunt Jess‚" Christine
said‚ leaning against the doorframe. "You'll jinx it."
"I knew we should've closed the door‚"
Seth remarked.
"Seth‚" Jessica reprimanded him.
"Well‚ I'm just saying…" Christine told
him‚ slightly offended. "I'm not the one that followed my crush halfway
across the country just to see her for Christmas‚" she added slyly.
"Which‚ I might add‚ is about the second most romantic thing I've ever
heard of‚" she finished‚ turning lightly and walking door the hallway to
the bathroom to brush her teeth‚ faintly hearing Seth's snort as she did.
"Oh‚ you know I'm just saying what you're
thinking‚ Doc‚" Christine yelled from the bathroom.
"What are you saying?" Amanda asked‚ walking into the bathroom to brush her teeth as well.
"That Doc has a crush on Aunt Jess."
"You noticed too?" Amanda
asked‚ loud enough to be heard by Seth and Jessica. "I've been
wondering for years when the two of them would figure that out about each
other‚" she grinned at her daughter before lifting her toothbrush to her
mouth and brushing her teeth vigorously.
"I am much too old for crushes‚" Seth
told Jessica‚ gritting his teeth.
"Oh‚ I didn't say a word‚ Seth‚" Jessica
grinned back at him.
"Incidentally‚ why did you
follow me halfway across the country?"
"I…I…came because I heard you dead‚ remember‚
Jess‚" Seth stuttered.
"Is that the story you're going to stick to‚
Seth?" she questioned‚ her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Woman‚ would you get off
my case?" Seth retorted.
"In that case‚ you can give me a hand‚"
she started.
"Oh‚ no you don't‚ Jessica‚" Seth
interrupted. "It's not your job to go investigatin'
murders." He crossed his arms and stuck his chin in the air‚ as though his
words had any effect on Jessica's investigating.
"Seth‚ please. It's only for a couple of weeks‚" Jessica told him.
"There's no possible way that I can get into any kind of danger if you're
by my side. Which is where I want you to be this time."
"Aww‚"
Christine said‚ coming to the door again.
"It's so sweet. I'm so happy for the two of you!" she hugged them
both‚ said her goodnights and went to bed‚ the rest of the household following
suit.
"Sure I can introduce you‚
Jess‚" John said as the two of them walked into his classroom at
"I got up early this morning to escape Seth's
watchful eye and went to the library. Thankfully‚ it opened early today. I
looked up all I could about the union‚ and found out that there are some college Professors at Roosevelt‚ who used to be part of the
same Union you here at
"Boy‚ when you're left to your own
resources---" John chuckled.
"I know‚" Jessica replied‚ grinning‚ as
they heard a knock on John's door.
"Heard you had a famous writer visiting your
classroom today‚" a woman dressed as a librarian‚ complete with
half-glasses resting on her nose‚ tied to a string around her neck and a head
of gray hairs pulled back into a bun said‚ coming into the classroom. "I'm
Charlotte Plank‚" she said‚ extending a hand toward Jessica. "I'm the
Home Ec teacher here at Lincoln High. No need to introduce
yourself‚ J.B. Fletcher."
"Good morning‚" Jessica replied‚
surprised‚ shaking the woman's hand.
"How'd you hear about Jessica?" John
asked. "She's only been in town a couple of days."
"High Schools are like small towns‚
John‚"
"It's even worse when it's a high school
inside a small town!" Jessica told them‚ recalling her own days substitute
teaching in
"So‚ what brings you here‚ Mrs.
Fletcher?" the gossipy‚ Charlotte Plank inquired.
"Just thought I'd look around‚" Jessica
said‚ casually. "Soak up the atmosphere."
"For another book?"
"Well‚ no. Just for…me‚ really."
"Oh?" another voice‚ heavy with a
Russian accent‚ came from the hallway.
Jessica looked up to see a well-dressed‚ thin‚
middle-aged Ukrainian man standing in the hallway.
"Mikale
Tsukerman‚" the man said‚ coming to her and
shaking her hand. "I teach
Algebra."
"Nice to meet you‚ Mr. Tsukerman‚"
Jessica replied‚ politely.
"Are you sure you're not here to solve dee murdehrs?" he
questioned. "All dee sleuthing you do‚ surely
you can…well‚ make progress on our murdehrs‚
here."
"Oh‚ I assure you‚ Mr. Tsukerman‚
I'm leaving the crime solving to the professionals."
"Too bad‚" the man replied. "The
professionals surely are not capable of solving such a complex case."
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Jessica
asked‚ her eyebrows raised‚ her curiosity aroused.
"Oh‚ don't pay any attention to him‚ Mrs.
Fletcher‚" Charlotte Plank interrupted. "He had a brush with
immigration shortly after arriving here in
"Not true. The Officers were kind
in…uh…dealing with my papers‚" the Russian said. "I simply do not
think‚ from what I observed‚ that the Policemen are capable of handling such a
case."
"What makes you say that?" Jessica
inquired.
"Check with their Internal Affairs. They will
tell you‚" he said‚ leaving the room and heading across the hall to his
own classroom.
John and Jessica exchanged glances that seemed to
convey the messages each meant to convey. Jessica's that she had a new avenue
to explore and John's that the wheels in Jessica's head were obviously running
rapidly.
"Personally I let the Officers do their
jobs‚"
"Oh?" Jessica asked‚ again letting her
curiosity lead the conversation.
"Well‚ dirty cops and such. Happens a lot here in
"What makes you say that?"
"He's got a Grandfather in the Mafia. He's a
cop. The cops have been trying to shut down the Mafia for years. Still haven't
succeeded."
"I'm sure it takes more than that to shut
down a whole organization‚" Jessica smiled.
"It's still pretty fishy‚ don't you
think?"
Jessica sat in one of the desks in front and
rested her head on her hand‚ staring into the distance. Mob
connections? Mr. Tsukerman and Miss Plank were
the second and third people to express their concerns about Sargent
Malin‚ but so far‚ Jessica had only seen a kind‚
considerate side of the debatably good Sargent.
"What are you thinking‚ Jess?" John asked‚ sitting at his desk and taking a chocolate candy bar
out of the top drawer.
"I'm just trying to fit pieces together. Although there aren't many pieces to fit together‚ yet."
"Chocolate?" John asked‚ holding out a Hershey bar
for Jessica.
"Well‚ why not?" Jessica asked‚ taking the candy bar and
carefully opening it.
"So‚ what else do you need?" John asked‚ taking another bite of his candy bar.
Jessica took a bite and savored the chocolate.
"Well‚ I definitely need to speak with Emma Donnovan‚" Jessica told him.
"Hello!" came a
friendly voice from the doorway.
Jessica looked up to see an attractive‚
red-headed‚ young woman of what Jessica judged to be about 27‚ her slim frame
stopping to lean comfortably against the doorway.
"I heard my name!" she said‚ walking to
Jessica and extending a hand. "Emma Donnovan. Head of the Science Department."
Jessica shook her hand and introduced herself.
"I heard that you're the spokeswoman for the
Teachers'
"Yes. I wasn't at the meeting to elect the
spokesperson. When that happens‚ they tend to elect whoever didn't
attend‚" she said‚ grinning. "It's a lot of extra work‚ but it keeps
all of us safer and better paid."
"Of course‚" Jessica replied. "Do
you hold any authority position in the
"Vice President. I missed that meeting‚ too‚" she said‚ winking at
Jessica.
"Who's the President?" Jessica asked.
"One of the Professors at
"Oh‚ I think I remember Kelly and Christine
talking about her‚" John spoke up‚ crumpling the wrapper from his candy
bar and dropping it in the trash can to the right of his desk. "Her class
is a bear‚" he winked.
"She certainly doesn't make things easy for
her students‚" Emma added. "But that's good. She's making them
learn."
"Anyone else I would know involved with the
"Ann Collier is a new Professor at Roosevelt‚
and she's the Secretary‚ but I wouldn't think you'd know her. You could
probably get together with her if you wanted. She doesn't have many classes
this year‚ with it being her first year and everything. Besides she teaches
U.S. History---how many classes of U.S. History can you have?" she
guffawed.
"I take it your impression of Miss Collier
isn't the highest?" Jessica asked‚ her curiosity again
getting the better of her.
"Well‚ it's just that I suspect she's got
connections at Roosevelt‚ and that those connections are probably the one and
only reason she's teaching there. I really haven't seen any evidence of her
having much knowledge of History. She's got a degree‚ of course‚
but…still‚" Emma left it at that. "Anyway‚ it was great seeing you‚
Mrs. Fletcher. I've got to prepare for the day's classes. If you need anything
else‚ don't hesitate to ask." Having said that‚ she turned and left to
room‚ walking toward her own classroom down the hall.
"That gives you a few more pieces‚ doesn't
it‚ Jess?" John asked.
"A few‚" she told him. "It sounds
like I need to make a visit to
"Amanda's waiting for you in the
office."
"Great! Have fun in your classes today‚"
Jessica said with a wink‚ folding the wrapper of her Hershey bar over the
remaining pieces and sticking it into her purse.
"I'll try‚" John smiled. "Make sure
you're ready to update me when I get home from school today. I might need some
excitement after the drudgery of Freshman basic
English and Senior Advanced English."
"I'm sure it's more exciting than it sounds
to a normal person‚" Jessica responded on her way out the door.
"Whoa!" Amanda said‚ coming through the
door as Jessica was leaving. "Sorry Aunt Jess. I was just coming up to get
you." Turning to John‚ she said‚ "I'm going
to take Jessica around town today. Sort of show her the sights through the eyes
of a
John chuckled in response.
"Love you‚ Amanda."
A smile crossed her faced as she led Jessica out
the door. "Love you‚ too‚ Johnny boy."
"I still don't think I
understand‚ Jess‚" Amanda said‚ pulling into a parking space at
"I just want to talk to a few of the
Professors‚" Jessica told her.
"How are these Professors related to the
murders?" Amanda asked‚ confused.
"Well‚ I'm not sure‚ Amanda. Hopefully we'll
soon find out."
"Aunt Jess?" Christine
asked‚ spotting her mother and aunt from where she was walking on the sidewalk.
"What are you doing here?"
"What a lovely welcome for your aunt!"
Amanda interjected.
"Well‚ I didn't mean it that way‚"
Christine said‚ rolling her eyes.
"It's all right‚ Christine‚" Jessica
told her. "I need to speak with a few of the Professors here."
"Oh? Which ones?"
"Eileen Williams…"
Christine groaned. "Well‚ I just got back
from physics. Here‚" she said‚ handing Jessica a test
paper.
"C?" Amanda asked.
"If my name started with a Z‚ I'm sure she'd
have given me that grade‚" Christine observed. "It's just because
we're doing stuff with all these equations and she's being a Physics Nazi and
making us memorize all of them."
"Christine‚" Amanda
said‚ reprimanding the girl.
"Well‚ I speak the truth. She's a physics Nazi."
"Nonetheless‚ I'd like to speak with
her‚" Jessica said.
"Well‚ here‚ let me take you. Maybe I can get
brownie points for taking you. Showing a visitor around the campus‚"
Christine suggested.
"Lead the way‚" Jessica told her.
"No. That's not it at all.
Didn't you take physics in High School? Velocity is a vector‚" Eileen
Williams was taking questions after a lecture as Jessica‚ Christine and Amanda
arrived in the Science building of
Whether the students were afraid to ask for fear
of the arrogance of the Professor or simply didn't have any other questions‚ no
one bothered to ask any other questions regarding the lecture and the Professor
dismissed them. Christine led the way in‚ Amanda and Jessica following closely
behind.
"Ahh‚
Christine. Great job
on that exam‚" Eileen said‚ looking up and spotting the young student.
"Thanks‚" Christine
replied‚ smiling. "This is my
aunt‚ Jessica Fletcher. She wanted to speak with you‚ so I told her I'd show
her the way."
"Showing visitors the campus‚ huh?"
Eileen asked.
"Well‚ it's just my aunt."
"Still very
admirable."
"Thanks‚" Christine responded.
"I'll just be going‚ now. Have a great chat."
As she left‚ Eileen extended a hand to Jessica.
"I'm Eileen Williams. You're…Jessica
Fletcher? Sounds familiar."
"Aunt Jess is a mystery writer‚" Amanda
spoke up.
"J. B. Fletcher‚
right?" Eileen asked.
"That's right‚"
Jessica said‚ shaking her hand.
"I've read a few of your books. Can't say
that I'm a fan of mysteries‚ but for their genre‚ it was nice
entertainment."
"Thank you‚" Jessica said‚ raising an
eyebrow at Amanda. "Actually‚ I came here to ask you about the teacher's
union."
"Interested in joining?" Eileen jested‚ an expected mood change.
"No‚ not this time‚" Jessica responded‚
caught off-guard. "I was just wondering if you could tell me a little
about it‚ the people involved in it‚ anything at all‚ really."
"I'm the President. Basically‚ my job is to
organize strikes‚ if it ever comes to that. Until then‚ I negotiate salaries
and benefits‚ chair the meetings and check in with the superintendents and Principals
to make sure the deals are being upheld. Pretty simple‚
really‚" Eileen said‚ beginning to become annoyed. "What's
this about‚ Mrs. Fletcher?"
"I'm just curious‚" Jessica replied.
"The murders that have been occurring have all been people involved with
the union‚ haven't they?"
"Are you suggesting something sinister is
going on in the union?" Eileen asked‚ now becoming
angry.
"Not at all."
"That the others in the union could be in
danger‚ is that it?"
"Not necessarily."
"Well‚ listen‚ Mrs. Fletcher. If you can find something going on in the union: great.
I've been trying to figure out where our funds have been going for years‚"
she said‚ returning to a civil attitude.
"What do mean?" Amanda asked.
"I mean that the funds have been disappearing‚"
Eileen whispered. "Not very much at a time‚ but anyway‚ I've had several
accountant friends of mine trying to figure it out for five years. They've been
monitoring the bank accounts of the union members‚ with the help of a few PI's I know. They haven't been able to figure it out‚ yet.
Although I got a call from one about a month ago that they might be getting
close. They had to interview a few union members‚ but they said they'd get back
to me soon. Like I said‚ though‚ it's been at least a month."
"Isn't that when the murders began?"
Jessica asked.
"I guess it was about that time‚" Eileen
said. "I never really thought of that."
"Did anyone else know about your
investigation?" Jessica inquired.
"Not that I know of. I've tried to be very secretive about it. I've not told
anyone."
"You haven't told anyone. Does that mean that
there's some way they could have found out without you having told them?"
"I suppose that's always a possibility. If
one of the union members found out about their bank accounts being monitored
and got together with another of the members…well‚ word could've spread quickly
if they'd been observant and the PI's not very
good."
"So‚ someone could've found out?"
Jessica suggested.
"I guess so‚" Eileen replied carelessly.
"The people who were murdered---how were they
involved with the union?" Jessica asked.
"Well‚ some of them were the ones I was
asking to help me figure out where the money was disappearing to. Economics teachers and such."
"That makes sense‚" Jessica said‚ absentmindedly.
"How about the others?"
"One of them was helping the detectives trail
some of the other union members. He had his daughter helping‚ as well‚ who was
also murdered."
"Christine and Kelly's friend‚ Carrie‚"
Amanda offered.
"Yes‚ I think that was her‚" Eileen
replied. "Are you going to figure this out‚ Mrs. Fletcher?" she
asked‚ turning sarcastic in mere seconds.
Amanda gestured to Jessica that they should be
leaving.
"Well‚ thank you very much for your
time‚" Jessica said. "We have to be going‚ now. We have another
appointment."
"Let me know what you find‚ Mrs.
Fletcher‚" came Eileen's sarcastic response.
When Amanda and Jessica had gotten into an empty
hallway‚ Amanda spoke up.
"No wonder no one likes her. The woman's skitzophrenic!"
"Maybe we caught her at a bad time‚"
Jessica suggested.
"Maybe insanity runs in her family!" Amanda said‚ unable to bring herself from her conclusion.
"All right‚ Amanda. I get the point‚" Jessica said‚
hoping to end the discussion.
"What if she's the one who's been taking the
money from the accounts and she murdered all those people‚ but she doesn't know
because she has multiple personalities and one personality did it‚ but the
other personalities don't know‚ because‚ obviously‚ they couldn't be there at
the same time?" Amanda suggested‚ talking as fast as a
California Valley Girl.
"I think it's a little too soon to be drawing
conclusions‚" Jessica said calmly.
"Well‚ it's just an avenue to explore‚"
Amanda said. "I could really get into this sleuthing thing. "It's so exciting to face the prospects of collecting
clues and fitting them together! But‚ how could anyone ever make up clues like
this? How could anyone's imagination ever rival real-life?"
"It's not easy‚" Jessica replied‚ solemnly.
"It takes a lot of planning and rewriting. We won't even discuss the
problems some writers have inventing all the names to use for their
stories."
"Oh my! That's certainly something to consider. Just think about
all the people involved. I mean‚ there are…what…12 members of the union who
aren't even regular meeting attendees. The meeting attendees usually number
around 12‚ four of them being the ¡¥Officers'. At least‚ that's what John tells
me."
"John's part of that
union?" Jessica asked‚ her eyes wide‚
eyebrows raised.
"Yes. Didn't he tell you?" Amanda asked.
"No. No‚ he didn't."
"He just joined after the murders started
happening. I thought it was a good idea at the time‚ because if it was teachers
who were being murdered---it had to be a good idea for them to stick together.
But now…" her expression turned to fear. "Now he's in danger‚ isn't
he‚ Jess?"
"Well‚ he could be in danger if he attempts
to leave the union‚ as well. Because if he leaves the union and the murderer
actually is involved in the union‚ he or she could think that John knows more
than he does. But we don't even know for sure that that's the case‚ Amanda.
Let's not put the cart before the horse."
"But…"
"John will be fine‚" Jessica told her‚
putting an arm around her shoulders. "He's quite capable of taking care of
himself."
"Jess---I have to make his peanut butter
sandwiches."
"Well‚ you know what I mean. Besides---are
you sure he doesn't just think your peanut butter sandwiches are better? You
always did make one heck of a peanut butter sandwich!" Jessica said as
they arrived at the car and Amanda began to unlock the doors. "I could go
for one about now‚ actually. What do you say we head back to the house? John
should be getting home about now‚ maybe you can double the batch of peanut
butter sandwiches."
Jessica winked and plopped into the front seat of
the car‚ her eyes twinkling all the way to
"Jessica‚ you're going to do
something dangerous again‚" Seth grumbled when Amanda and Jessica arrived
home and filled him in on the events of the day.
"Absolutely not‚" Christine chimed in‚
also home between classes. "She's just doing what I asked her to do. And
if I haven't already said it‚ Jessica‚ thank you!"
"Well‚ you're welcome‚ Christine‚ but it's
really gone beyond that‚ now. Now it's about proving to people that the police
officers in this precinct are obeying and upholding the law."
"What do you mean?" Amanda
asked‚ closing the jar of peanut butter and handing John a sandwich.
"Everyone is so focused on Sargent Malin and his mob
connections that they're not looking past that. I don't think he's
guilty."
"Really?" Amanda asked. "But he's so…obviously the type."
"If there's one thing I've learned through
all these years of being involved in murder‚ it's that there is no ¡¥type' that
a killer fits into. Well‚ at least‚ they don't all fit into the same one. Rich people‚ poor people‚ middle class. Employed‚
unemployed‚ living on the streets. It doesn't matter."
"If I'm not mistaken‚ I think you're on to
something‚ Jessica‚" John spoke up in between bites.
"Maybe. I know the possibilities. I just need to talk to some
people again."
"Well whatever you do‚ avoid that nut we
talked to at Roosevelt‚" Amanda told her.
"Mrs. Williams?" Christine asked.
"I think she's got multiple personalities. Or she could be
manic-depressive. She was never big on re-writes."
"Jessica‚ I'm not sure I like this‚"
Seth said‚ getting up from the table and going to her side.
"Seth‚ I'm fine. What harm is there in
talking to people?"
"I hate it when you ask questions like
that‚" Seth commented.
"Like what?" Christine wondered aloud.
"Like ¡¥What harm is
there…?' and ¡¥What's the worst that could happen…?'‚ because
that's generally when there is harm and the worst does happen‚" Seth
explained‚ crossing his arms.
"Oh‚ Seth‚ don't over-react‚" Jessica
began‚ starting to walk around him‚ until he stood in her way.
"Seth‚" she continued after a moment. "You can't protect me from
everything."
Seth went to the table‚ a hurt expression crossing
his face and had a peanut butter sandwich of his own.
"Trouble in paradise‚"
Christine said‚ smiling at Jessica.
"Christine‚ I don't think that's
necessary‚" Amanda said.
"Maybe I can help you‚ Jessica‚" John
spoke up after sitting all that time in thought.
"How so?" Jessica asked‚ eyebrows raised.
"Well‚ there's a union meeting tonight‚"
John began.
"John‚ don't do anything dangerous‚"
Amanda spoke up‚ her voice mirroring her fear.
"Don't worry‚ dear‚" John said‚ going to
her and hugging her. "I can just keep my eyes and ears open extra
wide‚" he finished‚ still holding her.
"I wouldn't want you to do anything
dangerous‚" Jessica told him.
"Nah‚ I'll be fine. I promise to call right
after the meeting is over so you know that I'm fine. And I'll keep my cell
phone on the whole time‚" he directed this statement at Amanda‚ who was
still trembling in his arms‚ her face pressed into his chest.
"I mmmm mmmm ew‚" Amanda said‚ her
voice muffled.
"What was that‚ my girl?" John asked‚ everyone chuckling with him.
"I can't lose you‚" Amanda said‚
bringing her head up‚ beginning to laugh.
"Oh‚ well‚ when you put it that way…"
John laughed. "You're not going to lose me‚" he said as she laid her
head back into his chest. "I'll be around for a long‚ long time."
"But I can't take that chance‚" she
said‚ hugging him tighter. "Jessica‚ please tell him not to do anything
stupid."
Jessica opened her mouth to speak‚ but was
interrupted when John spoke.
"I'll be fine. I'm not going to do anything
dangerous."
He wrapped his arms around her and felt her take a
deep breath.
"John‚ I don't like this‚" she said
after closing her eyes for a few moments and resting in his arms.
"I know‚" he told her‚ grinning.
"But it'll be fine. You just worry about having peanut butter sandwiches
ready when I get back."
"Is everyone here?" Eileen Williams said‚ standing and banging a gavel on the table at
the union meeting that evening.
"What's this meeting about‚ anyway?"
someone asked from the far end of the table.
"It's about all the murders that have been
happening‚" Eileen replied. "And keeping the rest
of you alive. As you all know‚ tonight is exactly a week from the last
murder. Which means that there could be another one tonight‚
if the killer continues to follow the same pattern and schedule."
"So you decided to keep us out later by
ourselves---good plan‚" someone replied sarcastically from the end of the
table.
"It's
reasonable‚" Charlotte Plank spoke up in defense of their President.
"I agree‚" Emma Donnovan
added. "It might help us to be aware of what's happening."
"I have some information to share with you
all‚" Eileen said‚ to quiet the room. "While this may not be the time
to air out the union's dirty laundry---I've been taking a look at our budget‚
and we're doing to have to cut way back this year. The money's just not there
this year."
"Why?" John chimed in. "Hasn't
everyone been paying the union fees?"
"Well‚ yes‚ I…I guess so‚" Eileen
stammered.
"So‚ where'd the money
go?" John asked.
Murmurs were heard throughout the room.
"Whos access to dee books?" Mikale Tsukerman asked when the din had died down.
"Eileen does‚" someone mumbled from the
back.
"So does Charlotte‚ she's the treasurer for
goodness sakes'!" came another voice.
"
"What about Emma? She's not exactly known to
be a Saint‚ and she's the Vice President; she's got access‚" Another
person was in on the debate.
"Please!" Eileen
interrupted‚ banging the gavel hard on the great‚ oak table.
"Please. There are people already investigating this. Let's leave this to
professionals. Please‚ just take care of yourselves.
Protect yourselves from this murderer‚ who seems to be after all of us."
"Well‚ it could be important‚ Eileen‚"
John added. "What if‚ whoever the murderer is also is the person dipping
into the funds?"
"But who?" Emma asked.
The meeting was adjourned‚ but the Union members
sat in silence‚ staring at each other.
"Christine‚ did you say that your friend‚
Carrie was also a musical theatre major?" Jessica asked‚
moving her rook to block Seth's queen from her King.
"Aha!" Seth said‚
stealing her unguarded rook with his queen. "Check."
"No‚ Carrie was our English Ed major‚"
Christine said‚ drying her hands‚ wet from washing dishes.
"English Education?" Jessica asked‚ her eyes growing wide.
"No one told me that." She sacrificed a knight to Seth's black pawn.
"Yeah. Her mom was an English teacher in some itty bitty
hick-town in
"Was she doing any research as to what her
teaching career would be like after college?" Jessica
questioned‚ sacrificing another piece.
"She was checking into the
"What about the
"Jessica‚" Seth prompted. She mindlessly
moved a bishop into the path of a hungry Rook.
"Well‚ she was going with her dad to the
union meetings‚" Christine said. "She mentioned something about doing
some work for Mrs. Williams."
"Some work? What kind of work?" Jessica asked‚ moving another knight to be devoured by one of
Seth's.
"I don't know. She wouldn't say. She was
really onto something‚ though. She had a meeting with someone the night she
disappeared. I assume it was someone from the union. That's all she'd devoted her
life to in those past few weeks. The union and that odd-ball work she was doing
for Mrs. Williams."
"Check-mate‚" Seth
announced‚ smugly‚ folding his hands over his belly.
"Are you sure she didn't say anything at all
about the work she was doing for Eileen Williams‚ Christine?"
"I don't know. She might have‚"
Christine thought for a moment. "No‚ I don't think so."
"Would she have written anything down
somewhere?"
"Like what?"
"Any clues as to what she might be searching
for?"
Christine shrugged. "No idea. She always
wrote down all her appointments‚ though‚ on this huge desk calendar she hung in
her dorm. I'm pretty sure it's still up if you want to see it. Her room-mate
will let us in. She and I know each other from some of our classes."
"That would be great‚" Jessica said‚ her
brain already whirling with the possibilities.
Amanda came into the room and placed a hand on
Jessica's shoulder.
"Aunt Jess‚ it's getting pretty late. John
should've been home hours ago."
"I'm sure he's fine‚ Amanda."
"Maybe you should have gone with him. You'd
have been considerate enough at least to call! I hate waiting for a call from
him! It's as though he doesn't know how to pick up a phone and dial!"
"He's always hated the phone‚ Mom‚"
Christine spoke up. "Jessica's right‚ he's fine."
Yawning‚ Seth stood and announced that it was past
his bedtime and that he would be heading up to bed‚ leaving the
"womenfolk" to their own devices.
"I can hardly wait to talk crushes!"
Christine had joked.
"Jessica‚" Amanda said‚
knocking on Jessica's door at an insanely early hour of the morning.
"Amanda?" Jessica
asked‚ rubbing her eyes and glancing toward her clock. "Come
in."
"I'm sorry to wake you‚ Jess…"
"It's fine‚ Amanda‚"
Jessica interrupted‚ patting a vacant spot next to her.
"Oh! I see Christine's in here‚ too‚
eh?" Amanda asked‚ seeing Christine asleep on the chest
that was set near the window.
"Yes‚ we were talking late. I think she's
finally asleep."
"Jess! You're talking behind my back!" Amanda jested.
"Oh‚ but you're still my favorite‚"
Jessica responded. "Come. Sit down. Tell me what's wrong."
"Does there have to be something wrong?"
"You're coming into my bedroom at 3 in the
morning and you don't think I'm going to pick up on the fact that there's
something wrong?"
"John's still not
home‚" Amanda said‚ sitting on the bed and drawing her feet up under her.
"Where is he?" Jessica asked.
"I wish I
knew‚" Amanda replied‚ biting her lip to fight back tears. "I knew he
shouldn't have gone to that Union meeting…"
"I'm sure he's fine‚ Amanda‚" Jessica
told her‚ placing a hand on Amanda's shaky ones. "We'll wait until about 7
and then‚ if he's not home‚ we'll go see Srgt. Malin."
"I'm just so scared‚ Jess. I don't want to
lose him‚ now. I'm not ready to."
"You're never really ready to lose someone
you care about."
"Oh‚ I know that. It's just…John is…he's what
makes me feel alive. Being alone…that's not necessarily alive. And John---he's
so marvelous. He's hilarious. He always knows exactly when to make a joke and
when to be completely serious and comforting. He's perfect. He's my white
knight."
"You know‚ your Uncle Frank was exactly the
same way. There aren't many of them out there‚ but boy when you find a guy like
that‚ you hold on to him."
"Exactly. It's just like…if he wasn't there‚ I…I wouldn't exist. I
would just sort of…disappear into ether."
"And yet‚ every moment it's as though you
can't breathe‚ because you want to freeze that moment in time forever and
you're afraid if you breathe‚ it will ruin the picture you're trying to
keep---the feeling you want to hold onto."
The two sat in silence‚ each lost in her own
private thoughts‚ when they were each smacked with a pillow from behind.
"What's a slumber party without a pillow
fight?" Christine asked‚ another jab at each of them
with a pillow.
"Oh‚ and I suppose you think you're going to
win‚ don't you?" Jessica asked‚ her eyebrows raised‚ a
sparkle in her eyes.
"Who else?" Christine asked.
Amanda and Jessica glanced at each other before
simultaneously bringing up their pillows and bombarding Christine with them.
"Sargent Malin‚ I'm trying to help you!" Jessica exclaimed in
the Sargent's office the next morning. "And to
do that‚ I need a list of the murder victims."
"I just don't see what you can do‚" he
told her‚ digging through some papers on his desk.
"Finally! Someone who agrees with me‚" Seth said aloud‚
exasperated.
"Seth‚ you're not helping‚" Jessica
whispered to him.
The Sargent dropped a
file of papers and they scattered across the floor.
"Treguna
Mekoides trecorum Satis dee!" he yelled‚
pointing at the papers. When everything
in the room stood still‚ he shrugged and began picking up the papers. "It
worked for Angela Lansbury‚" he mumbled under
his breath. "Mrs. Fletcher‚ I just don't have time to share these things
with you. I'm dealing with 6 murders that we believe are connected‚ and I've
got 51 other cases that are‚ as of yet‚ also unsolved."
"The names‚ Sargent‚"
Jessica remained steadfast in her request.
"Okay‚ there was‚ uhm…Carrie…what's her name? You already know about her---her dad was a Professor at
Roosevelt‚ he was uhm…Richard‚ something…"
"The list?" Jessica asked.
"Here!" Sargent Malin
said‚ frantically grabbing at a piece of paper from the floor.
"Here‚ take it. Keep it. That can be your copy. Just go."
"Thank you‚ Sargent.
This is more helpful than you know."
"Sargent! What are
you doing?" Amanda said‚ bursting into the room.
"My husband is missing‚ could be dead‚ and you're…searching through
garbage!"
"Your husband's missing?" he asked‚
straightening immediately.
"Yes. He left last night for a union meeting
and he's not yet come back‚" Amanda replied‚ more calmly.
"I wondered when the next one would show up.
I'll get a team out looking for him. That's all I can do‚ Mrs. Magnall."
"Well‚ will you let me know if you…"
"We'll call you as soon as we find him‚ not a
moment later."
"Ready Amanda?" Jessica asked‚ taking her arm.
"But…John…"
"They'll call you when they catch up with
him. In the meantime---what if he calls? Or goes home? Someone's got to be
there to meet him‚" Seth suggested.
"Seth's right‚" Jessica said‚ Seth
coming to her side. "Let's go home."
The three walked out of the Police station arm in
arm‚ Seth's arm a little tighter around Jessica's than usual.
"Seth‚ I want to thank you‚" Jessica
said‚ meeting Seth in the living room when they'd arrived back safely to the
house on
"For what?" Seth inquired.
"Coming to make sure I was all right. Keeping me out of trouble. The
usual." Jessica shrugged.
"Jessica‚ did it ever occur to you that I
came to
"Did you?" Jessica asked.
"I…No‚" he finally
admitted‚ Jessica coming to sit next to him on the couch.
"Oh‚ Seth---Christine is so upset about the
murders. John is missing; Amanda's lost without him. How can anyone involved in
all this have a merry Christmas?" Jessica asked‚ her eyes growing misty. "Christmas isn't
suppose to be ruined by murder."
Seth reached a stubby arm around Jessica and
pulled her closer.
"Don't you remember what Frank said‚ Jessica?
Christmas should be a reminder of what COULD BE‚ not what is."
"Thank you‚ Seth‚" Jessica sat‚ resting
her head on Seth's shoulder and looking out the window conveniently resting in
the wall before their eyes. Large snowflakes fell softly onto the already thick
blanket of crisp‚ even snow on the ground outisde.
"Wouldn't Frank have loved this Christmas? Look at all that snow. Every
year Frank insisted that we go outside after the first snow and make snow
angels. Every year. Well‚ until that
last Christmas when he was sick. He still wanted to go out‚ but I
wouldn't let him. I told him he'd be able to… 'next
year'. He made me go out by myself and make a snow angel that he could see from
our window."
"Ruth hated the snow. She'd rather have lived
somewhere with less snow than Maine‚ I think‚ but she never complained. She
never suggested going anywhere else to live."
Thus the conversation went‚ until there was a
knock at the door.
"Mrs. Fletcher! Hello!"
Emma Donnovan greeted, her
usual cheery self. "Is John here?"
"No, I'm afraid not," Jessica told her.
"Oh? I thought for sure he'd be here. Where is he?"
"I haven't a clue."
"Did he come home last night?"
It was then that Jessica saw a bit of a green, knitted
stocking cap in the bushes-one she thought she'd remembered seeing before.
"Of course! Why wouldn't he have?"
"Just checking. As Vice-President of the
"Of course. Yes, he's fine…just out."
"Well, could you have him call me when he gets in? I have to talk to him
about Union business."
"Of course."
"Thanks!" she called behind her, getting into her car.
Jessica stepped outside into the crisp, cool air, Seth following suit, holding
her coat should she get cold. When Emma Donnovan had
driven out of sight, Jessica walked over to the bush, bent over it and began to
move the branches as though she were gardening.
"John," she whispered.
"Jessica," answered the bush. "Make sure there's no one around
but you and Seth, so I can finally make it in the house to Amanda."
Jessica carefully searched the premises for little hidden eyes, even something
as simple as the house across the street with open curtains. If John had been
hiding in the bushes all night, there was a reason, and if he felt he needed to
hide, he could be in danger.
When she'd made her way back to the bush, she continued her conversation with
John.
"All clear," she whispered, still pretending to be adjusting the
bush.
"Thanks, Jess," he whispered, and slowly
crept behind the line of bushes to the porch and through the design in the
railing of the porch, then crawled to the door. Seth, standing on the bottom
step, nearly missed John until he heard the door creak closed behind him.
Moments later, Seth and Jessica were sent hurrying inside, hearing Amanda's
scream.
"John! Good Heavens, John! You're alive!" They heard Amanda's voice
from the kitchen.
Nearly frozen, with a rudolph-red nose to prove it,
John got up from the kitchen chair and went to her, holding her tighter than he
ever had before. Jessica and Seth made their way back to the living room to
give the couple some privacy.
"John, I…I thought you'd been killed," Amanda said, a single tear
rolling down her cheek. "And I'm not ready for that." She hugged him
tighter.
"Hey, what's this?" he asked her, pulling away and wiping the tear
from her cheek. "I told you I'd be back, didn't I?"
"But you didn't call; you didn't come home. What was I suppose to
think?"
"I know. But I couldn't."
"Why?" Another tear rolled down her cheek.
"Are there any peanut butter sandwiches left?" John asked. "I'm
starving."
"John…what happened last night?" A few more tears joined the one that
had fallen to the floor.
"Amanda," he cooed, wrapping his arms around her again. "I'm
here. And I'm fine. Let's not worry about last night. He would have moved to
the counter himself to open the plastic bag with the leftover sandwiches, but
Amanda clung to him, not willing to let go. "Everything's fine." He
kissed the top of her head. "I love you."
Amanda looked up at him.
"I love you, too. That's why you can't keep doing that. I worry about you.
Not knowing if you're dead or alive…I…"
"Good thing I'm not a secret agent," he interrupted. "Or am
I?" he teased, raising his right eyebrow.
"Stop it," Amanda replied, pulling away and giving him a playful jab
in the arm. He pretended to be in pain while Amanda retrieved the leftover
sandwiches.
***
"Seth, I can't stand it, anymore. I have to go ask John about the union
meeting," Jessica anxiously informed Seth, but he took her hand and held
onto it. "You know that's not helping," she said after a few moments,
her grin growing wider.
"Do you mind?" he asked, mischievously.
"Not too much," Jessica replied, laying her head on his shoulder.
"What do you make of all this, Seth?"
"It's dangerous, that's for sure."
"Oh, Seth."
"I'm not finished, woman. It's dangerous, and there's no way that
I'm going to allow you to jump into something dangerous with your eyes
closed."
"Seth, I'm not..."
"Jessica. I think you're going about this very wisely."
"Seth---did I just hear that come out of you?" Jessica asked, her
eyes growing wide.
"As much as it pains me to say that, Jessica. I
think you've been keeping yourself safe. Up to this
point."
"I knew there'd be the equivalent of a 'but' in there,
somewhere."
"Jessica, it's getting more dangerous by the minute. Why can't you let the
Sargent do his job and come back to Cabot Cove for
Christmas? The snow's beautiful this year, and they've
got the lights hung in town. Everyone's feeling Christmassy."
"Seth, I would, you know that. But Christine asked me to come because she
wanted me to help. I can't go back to Cabot Cove without doing all I can to
help."
Seth, overcome by a feeling he couldn't describe, was compelled to embrace
Jessica, and did so. Jessica, shocked at his sudden forward actions, could do
nothing but wrap her arms around his neck and let his embrace soak up the
over-whelming emotions the current events were forcing to bubble inside her,
and a tear spilled from the crystal pools in her eyes.
Christine and Kelly, arriving home from a day of shopping,
passed Seth and Jessica in the living room and found John and Amanda in the
kitchen.
"Did this house suddenly become a motel! The four
of you are all over each other!" Christine exclaimed dramatically.
"Christine!" Kelly interrupted, then looked
at Christine to find a wide, Cheshire cat grin crossing her face.
"Excuse me," Jessica said, coming into the kitchen, Seth in tow.
"Oh, Jess, I was just kidding," Christine told her.
"What's in the bag?" John asked, pointing to the bag Christine was
holding.
"My last Christmas presents, thank you very much. And NO I'm not
telling---one of them is yours." She stuck her tongue out and him and
disappeared upstairs.
"Getting anywhere in this case, Mrs. Fletcher?" Kelly asked, not
following Christine upstairs.
"I'm afraid not," Jessica replied. "Know anything that would
come in handy?"
"Eileen Williams is missing."
"She's what?" Jessica asked, stunned.
"Missing. No one can find her."
"I knew I shouldn't have…" John stopped mid-sentence.
"What?" Amanda asked. "What shouldn't you have done?"
"I'd rather not talk about it right now, girlie. However, I do have to run
out for a bit."
"Where are you going?" Amanda asked desperately.
"Trust me," John replied, squeezing her hand and planting a light
kiss on her lips. "I'll be back. Don't worry about me."
"How are you going to 'go out' and hide at the same time?" Jessica
asked.
"No idea. But I have to risk it."
"Why? Why do you have to risk it? I don't see the wisdom in trading your
life for hers. I see the nobility, but not the widsom."
"Amanda, she could be hurt, or dying. It's not fair of me to know where
she is and not go help her."
"You know where she is?" Jessica's eyes widened.
"Yes," John answered casually, putting on his coat. "Doctor
Hazlitt, would you be kind enough to come with me? As I said, she could be
hurt---or dying. She may need medical attention."
"I'll go get my bag." Seth moved quickly up the stairs.
"Where is she?" Jessica asked. "And how do you know?"
"I can't tell you, just yet. Trust me, it's
better that you don't know. Then, if anyone comes looking for her, you can
answer truthfully." Just as John finished putting on his coat, gloves, and
stocking cap, Seth came down the stairs, fully clad in his own winter apparel
and carrying his black Doctor's bag.
"I don't like not knowing where you'll be," Jessica began. "It's
dangerous. Anything could happen."
"It'll give you a taste of your own medicine, Jess," Seth chuckled,
giving her a hug.
"Seth, this is serious. You're the one always complaining about me putting
myself in danger, and now here you go, off to heaven knows where to put
yourself in danger!" she fired back, but held onto him a little tighter.
"This could be the difference between catching the killer and letting him
or her go free," John spoke up.
"But it's not your job!" Amanda and Jessica both said at once.
"We'll be fine," Seth told them both. "We're men." He
kissed Jessica on the cheek one last time before heading out the door with
John, into the cold,
"Like that will do them any good," Kelly snorted, turning to go
upstairs.
"Kelly!" Amanda called for her, when she'd gone halfway up the
stairs. "You can't tell anyone anything you've just heard. Especially not Christine. She doesn't know anything about
this, and I don't want her to."
"Sure thing, Mom."
"Kelly! Where are you?" Christine called down the stairs.
"I need your help!"
"Gee, I'm popular today!" Kelly said, running up the stairs.
* * *
"Jessica, I'm not sure I like this," Amanda told her, as they were cleaning
up in the kitchen.
"I know the feeling," Jessica replied, taking another dish to the
sink to be rinsed. "But, they are quite adept at taking care of
themselves, and I'm sure that they know what they're doing."
"Are you saying that for my benefit or yours?"
"Both."
"Haul out the Holllllllyyyyyyyy! Put up the tree
before my spirit falls again! Fill up the stocking! It's time we hung some
tinsel--on that...hmm hmm hmm
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!" Christine was singing on her
way down the stairs, carrying her newly-wrapped packages to go under the tree.
"Mom, you're insane, you know that?" she said, coming into the
kitchen.
"Oh? Why's that?" Amanda asked jokingly.
"Because you have NINE presents under the tree," Christine teased.
"I guess somebody loves me," Amanda said smugly.
"I guess it's Dad!" Christine exclaimed. "Speaking of
whom---where is the genius?"
"He went out with some friends," Amanda replied, turning back to her
dishes. She got a nudge from Jessica.
"Why? It's five days before Christmas! We should
be together as a FAMILY!" Christine gestured dramatically and hugged Kelly
while she was speaking.
"All right, I dunno what you're doing, but get
off me," Kelly mumbled, her head buried in Christine's brunette hair.
"Just funnin'," Christine bubbled. "I
love Christmas! It's so happy! Families get together, you get presents, you put
up lights, you SING! Oooh! Christmas should happen everyday! Especially this one! Aunt Jess, it's so
awesome that you're here! It makes me feel so much more...secure. Safe. Almost like nothing can touch us! You're our guardian
angel!"
Seeming to act as an omen, the star fell from the top of the Christmas
tree as the doorbell rang.
"I'll get the door," Jessica said, handing the star to Amanda.
"You work your magic with the star."
"Mrs. Fletcher," Charlotte Plank greeted as Jessica opened the door.
"How are you?"
"Fine, thank you. Come in, Miss Plank."
"Thank you, but I don't have much time. Is John around?"
"No, I'm afraid he's not. Can I give him a message?"
"Well, I suppose it's safe to tell you,"
"Absolutely. Come in," Jessica stepped aside
and closed the door behind
"I wouldn't want to be accused of being a gossip,"
"Oh? How much?" Jessica asked, her eyebrow raised.
"Two and half million,"
"Have you told anyone else about this?" Jessica questioned.
"Not yet. John advised me not to tell Eileen Williams or Emma Donnovan, at least. But I think I'll let a few others in
the union know. Mikale. A few of my friends there."
"Could you do me a favor?" Jessica asked sweetly.
"Sure,"
"Undoubtedly. Could you do me the favor of not
telling anyone else in the union how much money has been taken?"
"Why? I mean, what would it hurt?"
"Well, right now, the only people who know how much money has been taken
are you and the person who took it. The thief may make a mistake that we can
catch. But, we can only know that if you keep the exact total to
yourself."
"Oh, I see what you mean. How about if I tell them a wrong amount? Say,
one and a half million instead of two and a half million?"
"That could work, too. Just make sure you don't tell anyone the real
amount stolen."
"Right. You got it, Mrs. Fletcher. I hope this
works!"
"Me too, Miss Plank. Me too," Jessica said, opening the door.
"Oh, call me Charlotte," the woman replied, smoothing her hair back
into the tight bun it had been in before.
"Only if you call me Jessica," Jessica replied, shaking the woman's
hand and closing the door after her, turning the lock.
"Who was it Aunt Jess?" Christine asked, coming in from the other
room, bits of garland stuck in her hair.
"Charlotte Plank," Jessica said casually. "What happened to
you?"
"The Christmas tree and I got into a fight. I won."
"That's good. I think."
"It is. We got the star back up!"
"Good!"
The two of them heard a light knock on the door.
* * *
"Dad!" Christine screamed, opening the door.
"'Scuse me, Jessica," Seth said, carrying
John through the door with the aide of Eileen Williams.
"Dad! What happened?" Christine cried,
leading the way into the living room.
"I'm fine, Christine. Go on upstairs with Kelly."
"But Dad…" Christine complained.
"Come on, Christi, let's go watch the Tony Awards from '86. Isn't that the
year Angela Lansbury and Beatrice Arthur performed
Bosom Buddies?"
"Yeah. I guess that'll be all right."
"All right?" Kelly questioned, nearly
dragging Christine up the stairs with her. "Are you kidding? What could
possibly be better?"
Her voice faded as the girls finally made it up the stairs.
"Jessica?" Amanda asked, coming into the kitchen. "Who..."
"Hey girlie," John grinned, sliding his left leg under the table.
"John, what happened?" she asked, walking to him and kneeling next to
him.
"I'm fine," he assured her, motioning for Seth to do the same.
"Oh, yeah, he'll be fine in a few weeks," Seth spoke up.
"Seth, what happened?" Jessica whispered.
"Patience, woman. All in good
time."
"Oh, forgive me," Amanda said, noticing Eileen Williams.
"You're...Mrs. Williams, aren't you?"
"Yes. That's fine; I understand. Please, don't mind me. I don't want to be
any trouble."
"No, it's no trouble. Would you like anything to eat? Anything
to drink?" Amanda offered.
"Maybe just some water," Eileen Williams replied hesitantly.
"Are you sure? We've just made some soup, and I can tell by your bright
red cheeks that you're cold," Amanda continued.
"Well, maybe just a little bit," Eileen conceded.
"Good," Amanda said smiling. "We can all have a nice bowl of
soup, and the two of you can explain to me what's going on!"
* * *
"So, tell us what happened," Jessica began after everyone was seated
at the table with a bowl of soup in front of them.
"Not much to tell," John replied, sliding a spoonful of soup into his
mouth.
"Not much my foot!" Eileen Williams responded. "You know, you
have one incredible husband, Amanda."
"I know," Amanda smiled. "Or at least...I used to. Excuse
me," she said, rising from the table and making her way up the stairs.
John sighed. "I screwed that up, didn't I?"
"Maybe it was my fault. I probably shouldn't have said anything,"
Eileen suggested.
"I think that there's just a lot going on right now. She just needs a
little bit of time to adjust, to know everything's fine," Jessica told
them, smiling comfortingly.
"I hope so," John said, tasting some more soup.
They three sat in silence until John put down his spoon and began talking.
"After the union meeting last night, I got the feeling Eileen might be in
trouble. I've had a bigger role in all of this than I've let you in on,
Jessica. I hope you understand, though, that it could be dangerous for Amanda
and Christine, and especially you, if I'd told you anything more than I have so
far. I've been one of the ones helping her look into the disappearing act going
on with the union funds. With a minor in Accounting, I was one of the ones
going over the books. After the murders started happening, we were all very
careful. But somehow---they still got to us. We're always very careful to let
only people we trust know where we are when we meet to compare notes and such,
but somehow..."
"They always found us," Eileen finished, sadly.
"Right. Last night, we were suppose to meet up
privately after the union meeting, but when we got to our normal meeting place--it's
a deserted office building on the other side of town--everything was amiss and
we didn't want to risk anything. So, we agreed that we all needed hiding
places. It sounds rather childish, I know, but whoever this killer is, Jessica,
knows everything that's on file with the union---our families, our addresses,
everything." John had picked up the tale. "So, I helped everyone
hide---I'm sure that at some point I was being followed, but I think that I
successfully escaped from the brooding eye of our tail. Anyway, we all arranged
to meet up with each other today."
"That's why he was so concerned about me," Eileen added. "I
couldn't get out of my spot this morning. I hid across the street from the
office building, and I saw flickers of light occasionally in the window. Well,
obviously, I couldn't risk anyone seeing me, so, I stayed put."
"I think I can finish it from here," Seth spoke up.
"You, Seth?" Jessica questioned.
"Yes. Remember, I did enter the story about this time," he replied
smugly. "Anyway, John took me to find Eileen, as you know. But when we got
there, found Eileen and checked to see that she was all right, John didn't
check before stepping out into the open..."
"And I was shot," John finished. "It was my own fault. And the
only real problem is that we didn't see who fired the shot. As Seth said, I'll
be fine in a week or two."
"Assuming you stay off that leg," Seth barked. "It can't heal
properly if you're hobblin' around on it."
"And you can't go to the hospital because whoever is after you might find
out," Jessica keenly demised.
"However, they could also know that I'm here," John added,
devastation mirrored in his voice.
* * *
"Dad, why do you have to go?" Christine questioned,
holding tightly to John, who struggled to stay balanced.
"Christi," John began, kissing the top of her head. He paused
for a great while, seeming to want to say something, but holding back. With a
sigh, he added, "I'll be back before you know it.
"I don't like this idea, John," Jessica said, her turn to give
him a goodbye hug.
"I know, but it's for the best."
Seth came and slid an arm around Jessica's waist.
"You've been awfully quiet," John added, turning toward Amanda.
"You've heard what I have to say about this, John," Amanda
replied angrily. "You're not taking that into consideration at all."
"Amanda," John again spoke, hobbling over to her on his
crutches. "I am taking it into consideration. That's why I'm
leaving."
Amanda threw her arms around his neck, her eyes over-flowing with the
tears that had been stinging her eyes.
"Shh. It'll be fine," John reassured
her, running his fingers softly through her hair.
"I just can't help it," she wimpered,
still holding tightly to him. "If you don't come back..."
"I'll be back in a few days to check on you and the girls. That's a
promise."
Christine looked away, embarrassed at her parents' long kiss in the
middle of the family room.
"Get a room!" she jested, tossing a pillow from the couch at
them, but purposely missing by several feet.
"Okay, okay, I'm leaving!" John laughed.
Then, kidding Amanda's forehead, he wobbled out the door and into a
taxi.
* * * *
"...then someone grabbed me from behind, and you guys all showed
up to save the day..."
Jessica was reading the statements the police had taken from Christine.
"See, Mrs. Fletcher, there's nothing unusual there. There's nothing to go
on," Sargent Malin
told her, frustrated.
"Maybe there is, Sargent," Jessica
replied, straightening her reading glasses, and re-reading the sentence aloud.
"Then someone grabbed me from behind, and you guys all showed up to save
the day."
"So? What does that tell you? That we got there in time to save
her." Sargent Malin
leaned against the back of his chair.
"No, it tells me that Christine wasn't sure at the time if the
killer was a man or a woman."
"What?"
"She said, 'someone,' had grabbed her from behind. Not 'a man'. Not
'a woman'. Someone."
"So, what? We should...start over? Mrs. Fletcher, this is
not the only case to come across my desk."
"Maybe we don't have to start over completely, Sargent,"
Jessica suggested. "Do you by any chance have a way of obtaining
information about all the members of the union?"
"What kind of information?"
"The normal. What kind of car they drive. Income. What grade or grades they teach. Family
members. Any of them have connections to each other?"
Sargent Malin stared
in Jessica's general direction for what seemed to her like an unnecessarily
amount of time, staring blankly into nothingness. Surfacing from his thoughts,
he sighed and acquiesced. "I'll have my partner do some checks."
"Oh, thank you, Sargent Malin," Jessica smiled widely at him.
After a shorter pause, he added. "Don't make me regret this, Mrs.
Fletcher."
* * * *
"So, Christine, what made you decide to go into Musical
Theatre?" It was Seth's voice to float across the kitchen to her.
"Rather than, say, become a doctor."
"Oh, but, see, if I go into musical theatre I can PRETEND to be a
doctor," she told him with a grin.
"Aunt Jess you want anything to eat while I'm over here?"
"What?" Jessica asked, looking over the top of her reading glasses
from the files she'd been studying. "No, no, thanks."
"Come on, Jess, you have to eat something. Keep your strength up,"
Seth interjected his expert, but unwelcome advice.
"Seth, I can't help put think that I'm over-looking something!"
Jessica told him, frustrated.
"You can't solve all the world's problems, Jessica."
"I know that."
"Do you? Sometimes I wonder."
"Seth, you don't understand. Christine asked for my help. Amanda's nerves
are in shambles! This is more than trying to solve a murder so that people can
walk around Cabot Cove in peace. This is my family."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down, Aunt Jess," Christine interrupted,
setting a plate in front of Seth and setting down a cup of tea for herself.
"I didn't ask for your help so you could get all stressed out."
"I'm sorry, Christine. I only want you, Amanda and John to be out of
danger."
"Aunt Jess, we know that. But we also know that you can't protect us from
the world."
"I just want to help."
"And you have," Christine hugged her great Aunt and smiled.
"Love you."
"Love you, too," Jessica replied.
"So, what have you gotten from these files?" Christine asked, sitting
down to her tea and taking part of the stack of papers from Jessica.
"Well, not much, other than what we already knew," Jessica responded,
dismayed.
"Well, we'll just have to take another look, then, won't we?"
Christine asked, handing some of her papers to Seth. "Here, Seth, take a
look at these."
"But I…I… But…" Seth stammered. "I
don't know what I could learn from these…"
"Just read them. They're great reading material," Christine told him.
"Don't you ever hang around the gossippers in
Cabot Cove?" She was joined in laughter by Jessica.
Seth and Christine exchanged pleasant grins and continued jesting.
Jessica’s face turned sullen, and in the midst of a friendly embrace, Christine
and Seth watched her as she finished reading a piece of paper.
“What’s wrong, Jess?” Seth finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
“Nothing, yet.”
“Then why the long face?” Christine queried.
“Well, I need to go visit some people again.”
“Now?” Christine asked, surprised.
“Yes. Right now. Christine, could you give me a lift?”
“Sure,” Christine shrugged, tossing a confused glance at Seth. “Where we goin’?”
“To interrogate the suspects,” Jessica told her, walking out the door.
Christine gave her a mock salute and followed her out to the garage, hearing
Seth’s chuckle behind her all the way.
* *
“I don’t understand, Aunt Jess. It can’t be Eileen Williams, can it? I mean,
she was the one Dad went out to save. Why would Dad do that to protect a
murderer?”
“No, I think we can eliminate Eileen Williams from our list of suspects. Watch
out!” Jessica cried out as a silver Mercedes pulled
out in front of Christine into the street.
Christine slammed on the breaks just in time to avoid a collision with the
Mercedes. Seth, in the back seat, was grumbling the whole time about teenagers
and their driving habits.
Jessica, while placing her hands flat on the dashboard of Christine’s older
Mercury Topaz, kept her head and examined the license plate. 491
3236.
“Idiot,” Christine mumbled after they were riding smoothly again. “It doesn’t
happen very often, but every time it does, it makes me feel like such a
horrible driver—like I’m not watching out like I should be. Sorry, Seth. Aunt Jess.”
“That’s perfectly all right, Christine,” Jessica encouraged. “You’re
doing just fine.”
“If I knew that twit, I’d give him what for!” Seth spoke up.
“Funny you should mention that,” Christine said. “It looked like Miss Donnovan’s car.”
“Miss Donnovan? The one that works
with your father?”
“And is Vice President of the teacher’s union.”
“Christine, do you know where she lives?”
“Yeah, it’s only about 10 minutes from here.”
“Would you mind driving us there?”
“Sure. But I have to get gas, first. This thing gets pretty good gas
mileage,” she said, patting the dash. “But I do have to fill ‘er up once in a while. I just hate to think the chunk it’s
going to make in my paycheck,” she added, playfully wincing for effect.
* *
“Jessica,” Seth began when they’d reached the nearest BP station and Christine
had climbed out of the car to pump the gas. But he didn’t continue.
“What is it, Seth?” she questioned.
“Be careful.”
“Seth, I’ll be fine.” The tone of her voice sounded to Seth as though it
contained a hint of annoyance.
“Jessica, I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I know that, Seth. And I appreciate it. But nothing’s going to happen just to
talk to people. I’ve done this a few times before.”
“I know nothing’s going to happen to you. Because I’m going
with you.”
“You’re what?” Jessica’s eyes grew large.
“That’s right. Going with you.”
“Seth, I know you want to protect me, but the fact is---you can’t. Not from
everything.”
“But I can try.” His position on the matter seemed never to waiver, so Jessica
offered her last excuse.
“How am I suppose to explain your presence? I mean,
you can’t be a brother---we’re too close in age.”
* **
Christine pulled up the circle drive to a large victorian house, a silver mercedes
in the grass. The license plate was missing.
"Oh, I love this house!" Christine said, driving slowly around the
circle to the front door. "It's so beautiful!"
"I wonder what a nice two-story Victorian costs these days," Jessica
commented.
"A small fortune," Seth offered, trying to follow her train of
thought.
"Okay, let's go," Christine said, gently guiding the car into park.
"Let's go?" Jessica asked.
"Yeah. Let's go," Christine unbuckled her seatbeat and began to get out of the car when she felt
Jessica's hand on her arm.
"No. You have a different job. You need to come back to pick us up in a
half an hour. Meanwhile, I need you to go hunt down Sargent
Malin. He should be at the station."
"But Aunt Jess! This is so exciting! Interrogating
suspects!"
"I know. But we need a driver, too. So you'll have to settle for
the less exciting job."
"Oh, fine. Good luck, Aunt Jess. Be careful. You too,
Seth."
"Not to worry. We'll be fine," Jessica said, getting out of
the car.
"See you in a half an hour!" Seth told her as they turned around to
walk to the door.
"I'll just make sure you get in all right. Signal me or something."
"All right," Jessica told her. "But then you have your job to
do."
"I know. I know."
* * *
"Mrs. Fletcher," Emma Donnovan greeted
cheerfully as she opened the door to find Jessica and Seth. "And who is
this?" she gestured toward Seth.
"Him?" Jessica asked,
a desperate attempt to buy time.
"I'm Frank," Seth stated calmly. "Frank Fletcher."
"My husband," Jessica added, feeling Seth's hand encouragingly
squeeze her own.
"Oh?" Emma questioned "That's funny. I thought John mentioned
you were widowed."
"WEll, we thought we lost him once. It's a long
story," Jessica offered.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Forgive my manners! Will you come in?"
"If it's no trouble," Jessica began. "We'd love to."
"No trouble at all. It's a big house. I actually get a little lonely,
sometimes. Please, follow me."
Jessica looked at Christine, waiting in her car in the big circle drive
and waved her on. Jessica watched as the white Mercury Topaz drove away and a
gray cloud bloated above the old victorian.
"I appreciate this opportunity to speak with you," Jessica said,
closing the door behind Seth.
"That's perfectly all right, Mrs. Fletcher. I've been expecting you,"
came a male voice from the shadows.
Jessica and Seth heard the latch of the door lock as thunder rang out above
them.
"Hey girlie---tomorrow's
Christmas," John said, hobbling over to where Amanda was sitting.
"Seems like a hollow promise this year, don't you think?" she replied
from her spot by the window.
"Not at all. We've got each other. We've got
beautiful children. Aunt Jessica is here and the good Doctor. What more could
you need?"
"John, I want to understand," she told him, but stopped short and
continued her trance, watching the snow fall softly outside her window.
"Amanda, I'm trying to make you understand, but I don't know what you want
to hear."
"I just want to know why you're putting your life at risk like you are. I
want to understand why you're so willing to die and leave Christine and I here to mourn you." She turned her head away from
John and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I can't lose you, John. I don't
know what I'd do. I don't know how I'd pick up the pieces of my life and move
on, because I don't think there would be any pieces left. I love you." Her
face was moist from her tears when John sat next to her and cradled her in his
arms. She clung to him.
"I love you, Amanda. More than anything. But I
can't sit back and allow others to get hurt. It's not because I have a death
wish, or because I want to leave you. You can understand that, can't you? You
wouldn't sit back and do nothing if Jessica were in trouble, would you? I do
love you, but I'm not going to leave you anytime soon."
Amanda slowed raised her head to look him in the eye, a single tear rolling
down her left cheek. "Promise?"
He gently tilted her chin up and drew her into a loving kiss. She wrapped her
arms around his neck and returned the kiss, content and safe in his arms.
"Mom! Dad!"
Christine's voice floated up the stairs.
"Well, is that why we had children? I wasn't good enough at ruining the
moment, eh?" John asked, grinning.
"Mom! It's Aunt Jess! I think she's been
kidnapped!" Christine said, running up the stairs and stopping at her
parents' open door, gasping for air.
* * *
Jessica awoke and found herself in a large, dark room.
"Seth?" she asked, her voice shaky. She
couldn't remember many of the events that led her to this moment, but she was
sure that she had remembered Seth by her side, and she knew that if he had
tried to play the gallant soldier, as he was apt to do, he may have been hurt
in whatever it was that had found her in this particular room.
"Seth, are you there?" she called out again, this time summoning
enough of herself to call out louder. She heard a ruffling sound to her right
and then what sounded like the squeaking of mice. "I don't suppose one of
you is named Seth," she remarked, more to herself than the critters she
knew were keeping her company in the room.
She sat up straight, blinking in an effort to adjust to the darkness. Instead,
she found herself staring into a black ocean of nothingness. "Come on,
woman," she told herself. "What have you gotten yourself into this
time? Where are you?"
The answer came from a stack of cardboard boxes falling, almost on top of her,
revealing a bit of a small, dirty window. The window, though caked with dust,
allowed for a pool of light to bathe the room, as if it were a soft summer day.
She walked over to the sliver of light, careful not to trip over anything that
might be in her path, and removed a box from it's
place on top of an old wooden chest. Though the window was merely half a foot
long and half a foot wide, the small room was then filled with light, allowing
Jessica to recognize the objects with which she'd been occupying the room. An
old wooden rocking chair sat in the corner pile, amidst other bits of old
furniture probably made for pennies when originally crafted, but now worth
thousands of dollars.
"Of course!" she said aloud. "The attic!
But still no sign of Seth," she worried.
Continuing to search the room while trying to adjust to the minimal
light, Jessica spotted what she thought must have been the attic door. Or at
least, hidden behing a terrible large stack of giant,
heavy boxes, she assumed would be the door. But there had to be another way in
and out---for how could someone stack the boxes there and still leave the room?
Or maybe they hadn't LEFT the room at all. Jessica suddenly became chilly and goosebumps started to appear on her arms.
* * *
"She's WHAT?" Amanda nearly screamed, startled for both herself and
her Aunt.
"She told me to drop her and Seth off at Emma Donnovan's
and then go visit Sargeant Malin
and pick her up in a half an hour. I did that, but when I went back, I waited
for nearly a half an hour before I realized something HAD to have been wrong!
There's a terribly scary looking cellar door not far from where I parked my
car. I went investigating over by that and I heard noises coming from inside
the cellar. They could be there," Christine said most of this quickly, and
without breathing, requiring her to stop and take a few deep breaths afterward.
"What are we going to do?" Amanda asked, half to herself, half to the
other two in the room.
"YOU are not going to worry about it," John spoke up. "We'll
call Sargeant Malin and
tell him all that we know."
"Are you sure?" Christine asked. "I mean, what if Jessica KNEW
that Sargeant Malin was in
on it, and that he wouldn't be in his office?"
"He wasn't in his office?" John questioned.
"No."
"Well, that doesn't necessarily mean he has anything to do with
this," John told them.
"But it means that he COULD," Amanda spoke up. "I never liked
him and his...his...sneaky-ness!"
"Calm down, Amanda. We don't know anything,
yet." Turning to Christine he added, "Do you know if Jessica kept any
notes on this?
"Probably not, but I've been eavesdropping a lot, lately. What do you want
to know?"
"Christine!" Amanda scolded.
"Well, how else am I suppose to find out what
goes on around here? Nobody ever TELLS me!"
"Okay you two, enough," John interrupted. "Now, what do you
know, Christine?"
"Well, for starters, Charlotte Plank stopped by the other day to tell you
how much money had been taken from the union accounts. Jessica asked her not to
tell so that if anyone DID know the exact amount, we would know who to
investigate further. Although, I guess now we know, anyway..."
"Do you remember the amount, Christine?"
"Yeah, two---"
"No, no. Don't tell me," John interrupted. "Just remember
it. I'll call a meeting of the union members."
"Emma Donnovan's not going to be there..."
Amanda suggested.
"She will if she doesn't want to be
suspected."
"But what do we do between now and the meeting?" Christine asked.
"Something could happen between now and then!"
"We'll look for anything Jessica may have written down or alluded to--maybe she did something without even
knowing," John said, starting to get up.
"Oh, no you don't," Amanda said, gently sitting him back down.
"You sit tight. Christine and I will look around."
"Amanda, I--"
"YOU, are going to sit there and recover. Christine and I are quite
capable of searcing for anything Jessica may have
left behind."
"Hey, what about all the stuff I've heard?" Christine asked.
"You stay here with your father and make sure he sits there," Amanda
said, turning to leave.
"Amanda---,"John started.
She turned to face him.
"Thank you."
She smiled a sparkling white, ear-to-ear smile at him and hummed her way down
the hallway.
* * *
A groan from the direction of the door landed on Jessica's ears.
"Who's there?" she tentatively called out.
"In you go," a voice said as the door opened, despite the heavy
boxes, and a figure was pushed into the room, falling on the floor and
remaining still. The door slammed shut, and Jessica jumped. The figure on the
floor simply lay there, unsurprised and unaffected by the loud banging of the
door and the key turning in the lock.
"Seth?" Jessica asked, frightened, making her way toward the figure.
No response.
"Seth!" she called out, falling to her knees at his side. "Seth,
what have they done to you?" Clear pools collected in her eyes, and she
had to force herself to focus. She gently rolled him over and lay her head on his chest, listening for a heartbeat and
trying to keep the tears from spilling onto her cheeks. "I shouldn't have
let you come with me. Now both of our lives are in danger."
The pools in her clear, blue eyes over-flowed and spilled, making multiple
paths down her cheeks and creating a few large, wet spots on Seth's, now
tattered and torn, shirt.
* * *
"Now, if I were Jessica, how would I hide clues?" Amanda asked
herself aloud, making her way to Jessica's room.
But a search through Jessica's belongings proved fruitless.
"There has to be SOMETHING," she continued,
another glance toward the closet.
* * *
"Sargent Malin!
Where have you been?" John asked, the telephone
receiver to his ear.
Christine sat, silently, eyes wide, staring at her father, trying to listen.
"Why can't you be like Grandma and have the phone turned up so loud I can
hear it across the room!" she whispered to her father.
John gestured to her to be quiet, and she quickly calmed down.
"Jessica's been kidnapped," John said calmly into the phone. A short pause. "Sometime this
afternoon. Christine dropped her off at Emma Donnovan's
and when she went back to get her, she never came out...well, no she didn't go
in and check; she's got more sense than to confront a criminal by herself!...I
really think you need to get your people on this...Her salary? Probably the same as mine...No, no it's not much. What are
you getting at, Sargent?...Jessica
asked about it?"
"The mercedes!"
Christine shrieked. "Dad! It HAS to be her!"
"One minute, Sargent," John said, pulling
the phone away from his ear. "What are you talking about, Christine?"
"Emma Donnovan and her new mercedes!
Even with your salary added to Mom's we could never afford that! And that huge
Victorian she has---it had to have been expensive. Where did she get the money?
Where else? The union funds! Jessica decided last minute that she wanted me to
take her there! Right after a silver mercedes almost
ran into us!" Christine was speaking quickly again, and this was the first
chance she had to take a breath.
"Sargent do you and
your men have plans for this evening, say, around 8?" John said, picking
up the phone again.
* * *
"A ha!" Amanda exclaimed, pulling a folder
from it's place on the shelf. "The police
files..." She skimmed over them in search of anything Jessica may have
made notes next to. "Why can't you EVER make notes, Jess?"
"Mom!" Christine said, jumping onto the bed.
"Did you find anything?"
"No. I'm afraid not. Any ideas?" Amanda
questioned.
"Well, we figured out whodunnit. Emma Donnovan. But then, I guess that was pretty obvious.
Anyway, that's where all the money's been going. But now she's got Jessica. Do
you think she'd...?"
"I don't know, Christine. You know, I'm not too sure about her. I mean, I
believe she could take the money. But theft is one thing. Murder is quite
another. I'm wondering if maybe she didn't have an accomplice."
"But who?"
"I'm not sure."
A moment of silence passed between the two.
"Did you find anything there?" Christine asked, indicating the files
Amanda was holding.
"No. I was hoping Jessica would have made notes or something."
"Where's the other one? I'll help."
"What other one?"
"The other folder. I'm pretty sure Sargent Malin let Jessica bring
home two folders of information about everyone in the union."
"That's the only one here," Amanda said, rummaging through the other
things on the shelf.
* * *
Jessica still sat in the attic, Seth's head resting in her lap, tears
rolling down her cheeks.
"Seth, can you hear me?" she whispered, desperately, again. He seemed
to move, but, she was unsure of whether he had actually moved, or if it was
just a hopeful hallucination. "Seth, please. You've just got to wake
up!" She slight shifted her position and leaned against one of the heavy
boxes piled against the wall, oblivious, now, to the rats and other creatures
sharing the house.
* * *
"What do you mean, 'That's the only one here!' There's GOT to be another
one. It had all the information about the teachers from Dad's school in
it!" Christine told her mother, excitedly. "It's probably
important---it's GOT to be there!"
"It's not here, Christine. Calm down, though. We'll find it. It's got to
be around here somewhere," Amanda suggested.
A short ring of the phone caused both Amanda and Christine to jump, and then
stand in the middle of the room, frozen.
"Who could that be?" Amanda asked.
"What if it's Jessica?" Christine said, turning to run to her
parents' room, Amanda close at her heels.
"What if it's Sargant Malin telling us that they FOUND Jessica..."Amanda
suggested, and they both stopped, frozen in the hallway.
"Hello," they heard John answer, "Magnall
Residence."
"Who is it?" Amanda asked, as they entered the room to see John on
the phone.
"Shhh!" Christine
suggested, cupping a hand to her ear.
"Why, yes, Doctor Savage, he's staying here...he did?...No,
he's not here right now. Can I take a message for him?...oh?...Well,
yes, I will have to report that...How did you?...Oh, well, I couldn't ask a
magician to reveal his secrets. Thank you, Doctor Savage; I'll let him
know." John hung up the phone and glanced up to see the puzzled expressions
on the faces of his wife and daughter.
"I suppose you want to know what that was all about," he grinned.
"No, not all," Christine suggested sarcastically.
"Doctor Savage? Is it about Jessica? Is she all right?" Amanda asked.
"No, now, girlie. Those are all very good
questions. I'm just trying to decide whether or not I should share this
information with you."
* * *
"Jess?"
Jessica awoke to a voice that sounded familiar, but distant.
"Jess, are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Seth asked, looking at up
her.
Jessica thought for a brief moment that it had all been a dream. That horrible
"Seth! Seth, you're all right!" she cried, now fully awake, and
gently kissing his forehead. "I'm so sorry! Not just that I fell asleep,
but...but that you've been drug into this, and you're obviously hurt terribly,
and I feel as though it's all my fault and I..." Jessica's run-on
sentence, a rare occurence, prompted a response from
Seth.
"Shhhhhh. Stop," Seth told her, holding his
hand to her mouth, as though she needed a gesture as well. "Woman, do you
honestly think I'd let you go through all this alone?"
"But I didn't THINK before I just drug you into something dangerous...it
was terribly irresponsible and I..."
"You didn't drag me into anything---except the city of
"But I..."
"Could you STOP talking and listen to me for five minutes?" Seth
asked her, struggling to sit up. "I chose to come with you. I chose to
protect you. I chose to fight back. You, even as stubborn as you are, couldn't
have stopped me. They were after YOU, Jessica. I had to do something."
Seth, sitting up, painfully, by this point, leaned against one of the heavy
boxes and pulled Jessica close to him, where he held her.
"How could you do that for me, Seth? Look at you! You...you've been nearly
killed! There's no excuse for that!"
"I didn't do it for you, Jessica. I did it for me. Because
if I hadn't, they would have killed you. And if they'd have killed you,
I would have had to have begged them to kill me, too. I couldn't get out of
here without knowing you were at my side."
"Oh, or I Seth!" Jessica cried, gently
hugging him.
"I love you, Jessica," he told her, kissing the top of her head,
which was now buried in his dislocated shoulder.
"I love you, too, Seth," she replied, her tears forming more dark
spots on Seth's shirt.
* * *
“Then he has to be the accomplice!” Christine practically screamed when John
had finished relating to them the information he received during the phone
call. “We have to find him!”
“Whoa, calm down, Christine,” Amanda insisted. “Where would
we start?”
“Well, we can’t just SIT here!” Christine wailed.
“We could start by calling Sargeant Malin,” John interjected.
“Well, let’s do it, then!” Christine suggested anxiously.
“Are we sure he’s not involved, though?” Amanda added. “I mean, how does all
this happen under his nose?”
The three sat in silence for a moment, debating the possibilities on their own.
“We’ll have to chance it,” John finally declared. “He’s our only hope.”
* * *
“What do we do from here, Jess?” Seth asked when she had finished crying, and
his hands were tightly holding hers.
“I don’t know, Seth,” she answered sadly. “I just don’t know.” She laid her
head on Seth’s shoulder, again, her forehead creased in thought.
“Come, now, Jess, cheer up.”
“I can’t help it, Seth. What are we going to do? Why isn’t anyone looking for
us? And if they are looking for us, how are they going to know where to look?
Christine left us here, of course, so it would be logical to look here, but
what if they already have and since they didn’t see us, they assumed we’d gone
somewhere else on our own?”
“Calm down, Jess. They’ll find us,” Seth said smugly.
“How do you know, Seth? How can you be so sure?”
“Don’t think I haven’t learned anything from you, Jess,” he grinned.
“Seth! What have you got up your sleeve?” Jessica asked, the sparkle returning
to her eyes.
“How else do you find someone?” He paused to give Jessica a chance to answer,
but she merely looked, wide-eyed at him, her eyes becoming brighter by the
minute. “I left clues, of course!”
* * *
“Did you check Emma Donnovan’s?” Sargeant
Malin asked, as Christine, Amanda, John and he were standing around in Jessica’s room.
“Are you insane? They could just take us all as prisoners and we’d just vanish
from the face of the earth!” Christine exploded, rather loudly.
“Calm down, Miss Magnall. We have to start
somewhere.” The Sargeant turned to Amanda. “Would she
have left any clues as to her train of thought? Written anything down
anywhere?”
“I’m not quite certain, Sargeant. I mean, she was
usually investigating on her own, and I don’t think she took notes. She has a
wonderful memory.”
“What about the guy who came here with her? Doctor…Hazlitt?”
“Seth!” Christine interjected. “He had all those files, remember? I wondered
why Aunt Jess didn’t have them! What if he was making notes in the margins or
something? We shoul---“ but
her last few words were lost to them as she left the room, presumably moving to
Seth’s room. The tiny contingent that was left followed her down the hallway.
“Have you looked in his room, yet?” the Sargeant
inquired.
“Well, yes,” John replied. “But we didn’t find anything. Actually, the girls
were in the process of doing that when I got the phone call I told you about.”
“Ah, yes!” Sargeant Malin
interrupted. “My guys should be apprehending Mr. Tsuckerman
as we speak. How was it exactly you come across the information about his green
card?”
“Well, it was the strangest thing. We got a call from Doctor Savage. Apparently
he did his residency under Seth, and so Seth called in a few favors of him. One
of those favors was to see if he had patient files for Tsuckerman.
Anyway, when Doctor Savage typed the name into his computer, well, he got the
alert about the non-existent green card.”
“So, would it be fair to say that Doctor Hazlitt suspected him?” the Sargeant asked.
“I don’t know. It’s possible,” John suggested. “But not having a green card and
being an accomplice of a murderess gone kidnapper isn’t exactly the same thing.
The two could be completely unrelated.”
“So, you’re saying they may have been doing checks on everyone and…that’s just
the only problem they found?”
“It’s possible.”
“Jessica’s very thorough,” Amanda finally spoke up. “She wouldn’t leave out
anything.”
“Then where’s all the information?” Malin asked.
“And specifically the missing file…” John mentioned.
“It’s not like there are THAT many hiding places around here, Dad,” Christine
added.
“And where has he been in the house that he would know well enough to hide
something?” Amanda asked them all.
“No where, really,” Christine began. “I mean, he and Jess spent most of their
spare time here playing chess!” She stopped immediately after the word,
“chess”, and froze in place. “Of course! The chessboard!” She turned on her heels and ran toward the
stairs.
“Christine!” Amanda called after her. “Where are you going?”
“To retrieve the missing file!” she called, running down the stairs.
* * *
“Remember the file we had that led you to the conclusion about Emma and her
accomplice?” Seth asked Jessica.
“Yes. But how…?” Jessica stuttered.
“I made notes in the margins,” Seth declared.
“So now what?” Jessica asked him, relaxing a bit.
“Now, we wait,” Seth told her, kissing the top of her head and then leaning his
head back against the wall, his arm still tightly around Jessica.
* * *
“Christine what on earth are you talking about?” Amanda asked after catching
her breath when she finally arrived downstairs.
“Remember how Aunt Jess wrote me that letter about the chess board she bought
for Seth at some…auction?”
“That auction in
“Right!” Christine sat next to the chessboard and
pulled it onto her lap, examining it. “It was when I was reading that Nancy
Drew book, remember? The one with all the secret passageways
and hiding places?”
“Every Nancy Drew book ever written,” John mumbled.
“Anyway, she told me that she had bought Seth a chessboard
years prior to that in
“Didn’t they find some sort of hidden papers or something?” Amanda asked,
trying to recall the story.
“I don’t remember. It’s not important,” Christine responded. “The important
part is HOW did they get it open?”
“Well, how do you know that’s the one?” John asked.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Christine asked him. “She said it’s
Seth’s favorite.”
“She’s got a point,” Amanda added.
“But how did they get it open?!” Christine yelled, frustrated.
* * *
“Perfect,” Emma Donnovan said into her telephone.
“Yes, they’re still up there. I don’t think they’ve realized yet that they
could get out if they just looked around…Have you heard anything, yet?…You will
NOT!…Because if you do, I’ll turn you into the police. Don’t think for a moment
that I won’t. You stay there and mind the phone! And notify me the minute you
hear from them!” She slammed the phone into its cradle. “Now,
to head to that union meeting.”
* * *
“Is there a button on the side or something?” Sargent
Malin asked, crowding in with the others around the
chessboard.
“What about tapping a series of spaces?” Amanda suggested.
“It would take all day to figure out which spaces!” John told her.
“And what order to tap them,” Sargent Malin.
“Would you all just BACK UP?” Christine yelled, frustrated. But as she said it,
she grabber the chessboard by the King’s spaces and a drawer popped out. Amanda
gasped, and Christine stood there, dumbfounded.
“Looks like you found it, Christine,” John chuckled.
“What’s in it?” Sargent Malin
asked.
“It’s some kind of…note…” Christine said, digging in the drawer for the piece
of paper.
“What kind of note?” Amanda asked.
Christine silently read the note and dropped both the note and the chessboard
to the floor.
“What, Christine?” John asked.
“What is it?” Sargent Malin
spoke up.
“It’s…a ransom note,” Christine told them.
“A random note?” Amanda asked, concerned.
“From whom?” John added.
“The point of a ransom note is for it to be anonymous,” Christine told her father, in a tone that told him he should have already known
that.
“Of course, but, who COULD it be from?” he asked her.
“Well, I DID leave her at Emma Donnovan’s…” Christine
said.
“Is that too easy?” Amanda asked. “I mean, it seem like it would have to be
someone else. She’s not THAT stupid, is she?”
“She’s trying to keep Jessica and Seth hostage. I’d say she pretty much
qualifies for idiot of the year,” Christine told her mother.
“All right. Enough,” John looked at his watch. “Listen
up. Here’s what I suggest…”
* * *
“
“No idea, Emma,”
“I heard it was because they’re going to accuse the murderer,” Eileen Williams
interjected.
“That’s ridiculous. One of us?” Emma asked.
“It’s go to be!”
“Know what?” Emma asked, after
“I’d better not say,”
“Where’s Tsukerman?” Eileen asked. “Shouldn’t he be
here, too?”
“Oh! He called me,” Emma explained. “He’s tied up. He can’t make it.”
“Tied up, huh?” John said, entering the room on his crutches and taking his
seat, Sargent Malin behind
him.
“Yes,” Emma said arrogantly. “He’s flooded with grading finals. He’s put it off, again, and so he has to get it done.”
“But tomorrow’s Christmas! Surely he’s not planning on working, then?”
“That’s why he has to work tonight,” Emma explained, smoothly.
“Are you sure it’s homework he’s working on?” John asked. “He’s not…guarding
prisoners?”
“And just what are you suggesting, John?” Emma asked him.
“Only that Jessica Fletcher and Seth Hazlitt are missing, and they were last
seen going into your house.”
“Well, yes, there were there this afternoon, but, they left shortly after they
arrived. They called for a taxi and drove God knows where.”
“I don’t think so,” John said. “I think you know exactly where they are.
Because I think they’re somewhere in your house.”
“Well, you’d be hard pressed to prove it,” Emma stared coldly at him.
“Is this why we’re all here?”
“No,” John told her. “Actually, we’re here to discuss how much money has
been stolen from the union funds.”
“Are we still on that,” Emma mumbled. “That two million is old news.”
“Who has it?” Eileen asked.
“Where is it?” Charlotte Plank asked.
“Wait a minute,” John began. “Those are all very good questions. But I have one
for you all, first.”
“What?” Eileen asked.
“Does anyone, besides
“Wasn’t it 400,000?” Eileen asked.
“That’s what I heard!” Someone else added.
“Me, too!” came another voice.
“No,” Emma said. “It was two million.”
“Good guess,”
“It was you all along, wasn’t it?” Eileen asked Emma.
* * *
“Seth, are you all right?” Jessica asked after she had paced the floor for a
while.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked her, but she
could tell it was laborious for him.
“Seth, you’re lying to me.”
“Jessica,” he paused for a breath. “I’m…perfectly fine. Why don’t you take a
nap? Pass the time faster.”
“Seth, I don’t want to take a nap. I want to make sure you’re okay. Is there
anything I can do?”
“I can’t ignore that fire in your eyes, Jess,” he admitted. “Truth is, I may
have broken a rib or two.”
“Oh! Seth, and you’ve been holding me for hours. I
must have been leaning right…”
“Jessica, not another word,” he told her, again putting a finger to her lips.
“Do you really want to help?” Jessica nodded. “Good,” Seth chuckled. “Then come
over here, sit down next to me, and go to sleep.”
But just as she was sitting down, they heard loud yells coming from downstairs,
and soon banging on the door to the attic.
“Jessica?” Amanda called.
“Aunt Jess?” she heard Christine say. “Seth?”
Christine popped her head up through the floor of the attic and saw the pair
leaning against one of the boxes and motioned for her mother to follow her up.
“I didn’t think we’d make it in time!” Amanda said, finally making her way up
to the attic.
“Did you bring a doctor?” Jessica asked.
“Why? What’s wrong?” Amanda asked, concerned.
“It’s Seth,” Jessica told her. “He might have a broken rib.”
* * *
“Oh, don’t be so naïve, Eileen,” Emma told her. “We’re all in the same boat,
here. We’re all teachers. We all work for peanuts. I’m not going to do it,
anymore. It’s too much work for not enough money. And being under appreciated
by those ungrateful little brats! We spend our entire lives working to give them
an education. To help them succeed. And what do we get? Nothing.
Barely enough money to live on and the piece-of-crap
satisfaction of knowing we’ve ‘helped a child learn’. I’ve had it. I’m
out of here.” She got up to leave the room and was met at the door by Sargent Malin.
“We found your prisoners about a half an hour ago. And that Tsukerman
guy was more than ready to talk to us, and it’s all about you. I don’t imagine
it’ll be long before he tells us how it was all your idea and you forced him to
co-operate.”
* * *
“I’m so glad you were able to handle it, Amanda,” Jessica said, giving her
niece a hug once they had gotten home and Seth’s rib taken care of.
“I’m happy to help. That is why I became a nurse,” she chuckled.
“Still,” Jessica told her. “It’s extra nice that we don’t have to spend the
rest of Christmas Eve huddled around Seth in a hospital room.”
“Christmas Eve?” Amanda asked. “Jessica, look at that
clock!”
“12:05,” Jessica said aloud. “Merry Christmas, Amanda!”
“Merry Christmas, Aunt Jess,” Amanda told her through a yawn. “You sure
you’ll be all right staying up for a while? You’ve been through a lot, you
really should go to bed.”
“Oh, I’ll be fine, just a bit longer. I’m still quite awake from today’s
scare.”
“Well, don’t stay up too late. We’ll have to get up early to open presents.
Christine has come into my room every Christmas since she was 3 to wake me up
and tell me to open presents.”
“Aww! That’s so sweet,” Jessica said.
“Until you find out that she jumps on the bed screaming at 4 AM, insisting we
open the presents.”
“Well, perhaps this year, she’ll give you an hour or two respite,”
Jessica chuckled.
“Nice thought, but I highly doubt it,” Amanda joined in her laughter. “Good
night, Aunt Jess.”
“Sweet Dreams,” Jessica said, hugging her niece.
“Pleasant nightmares!” Amanda yawned, walking to her
room.
* * *
“I’m glad you let Aunt Jess sleep, Christine,” Amanda told her daughter as
Christmas ripped open another present.
“Well, I figured she’d been through enough. Besides, she was asleep in a chair
next to Seth’s bed, holding his hand, so I didn’t want to disturb them.” She
paused after she said this. “What do we do with their presents?”
“We could go leave them at the foot of Seth’s bed,” John suggested.
* *
“How ya feelin’, Seth?”
Jessica asked, seeing Seth awake as she walked back into the room after her
shower that morning.
“Just fine, Jess,” he told her, starting to sit up.
“No, don’t get up,” she told him, rushing to his side.
“Woman, give it a rest. I’m fine,” he restated, sitting up.
“Merry Christmas, Seth,” Jessica grinned.
“Merry Christmas, Jess,” Seth said, taking her hand.