Fox Island (25 page)

“You think it was Jessica who actually broke
her legs, not Jill?”

“Perhaps.”

“Maybe the newspaper got the account wrong.
I imagine identical twins could have all sorts of mix-ups like
that.”

“That’s what I was thinking. She never told
Barbara about breaking her legs and she let us believe the mistaken
article.”

“It wouldn’t be the first one this
summer.”

“Right. But here’s what’s keeping me up.
Cherry’s mother, Patsy Mitchell, who came over with that writers’
critique group, insisted she rode to school with Jessica while Jill
stayed at home with broken legs.”

“I thought Jessica said she stayed home
too.”

“Mrs. Mitchell insists that wasn’t so.” Tony
closed his eyes and slurped his coffee.

“So, Jessica broke her legs. But why does
everyone, including Jessica, say it was Jill? What if, for some
schoolgirl reason, after the ferry accident the girls decided to
switch names for a while?”

“Yeah, maybe. But remember, Mom and Dad
Davenport were still alive then. Parents can tell twins apart, even
when others can’t. And Mrs. Mitchell said their personalities set
them apart.”

“If Jessica broke her legs, instead of Jill,
what does that tell us, besides she’s been covering it up all these
years?”

“Hang on to your hat, kid....”

“I’m not wearing a hat.”

“Well, get ready for this.” Tony sipped
coffee and held the warm mug against his cheek. “What if … it
really was Jill who broke her legs?”

“Wait a minute, you just said the x-ray
proved it was Jessica.”

“No, my dear Dr. Shadowbrook, I said the
x-ray may prove it was Melody’s grandmother whose legs were
broken.”

“Why do I feel like I’m in the middle of an
Abbott and Costello skit? Melody’s grandmother is Jessica.”

“What if … Melody’s grandmother … is really
Jill, not Jessica Davenport?”

“Are you saying the twins switched their
identities sometime after their folks died? When did they do that?
And why?” Price shuffled to the stove and poured another cup of hot
water.

“That’s what I’m trying to solve.”

“What are you looking for in the files? A
diary or something?”

“Perhaps. Or maybe a death certificate.”

“From the accident? Good heavens, Tony, are
you inferring it was Jessica who died in that Iowa car wreck, not
Jill?”

“That thought has been haunting me all
night.”

“But that means...” Price’s mouth dropped
open.

“It might mean that Mr. Bennington is
Barbara’s father and Melody’s grandfather.”

They sat still in the stunned silence.

“Do you think so?” Price finally
whispered.

“It’s all speculation. But what if a
pregnant, unwed Jill Davenport were to come home in shame to this
closed little community of 1942, and suddenly find her newly
married identical twin sister dead? The sister’s husband was off
fighting in Europe, and might not survive the war.”

“So she switches identities on the way home
to explain her pregnancy. None of the family is left to identify
her, and she fools her friends.”

“But what about Reynolds?”

“They had only known each other for a couple
months before they got married, and then he goes off to war for
three years. When he returns, his wife is different. He’s different
... and … they have a daughter.”

“But if she fooled him, why did he blackmail
the navy and leave?”

“Perhaps he didn’t really love her. He loved
the real Jessica. Remember, Mrs. Mitchell said their personalities
were different.”

“So you think he could have deserted her and
the baby because he didn’t like the changes and he didn’t know
there had been a switch?”

“Could be. Divorce or desertion wasn’t
popular in the forties.”

“But what about the child? I’d think little
Barbara would keep him close.”

“Unless...”

“…
he discovered something that proved
Jill deceived him?”

“Therefore, Barbara wasn’t his daughter.
What would he have found to prove that?”

“Let’s say, some sort of document. For
instance, what if there was a death certificate from the Iowa
coroner stating it was Jessica, not Jill, who died?”

“She surely would have destroyed such a
document.”

“Not necessarily. She might not have known
if she could pull off the ruse. If it came out in the open, or if
she changed her mind when she got here, she’d have the evidence of
what really happened.”

“Maybe she was going to play the charade
until Reynolds returned. But by then, it was too late.”

“Perhaps.” Tony retreated to the stove for
another cup of instant coffee.

“If that’s true, it helps explain why
Melody’s grandmother lost knowledge of art. She wasn’t the
painter.”

“She was just the reflection.”

“And the change in personalities? She didn’t
change if she’s Jill.”

“And she became reclusive so she could
continue to hide her actions.”

“And it might explain why she was so stunned
and upset to hear the name Bennington after all these years. It
would certainly justify her ‘hah.’”

“Hah?”

“When Melody told her about the flowers at
the grave, she just said ‘hah.’”

“The grave!” Tony slapped the palm of his
hand on the table. “J Davenport. Melody said her Grandma Jessie
only put J Davenport on the stone because she didn’t want to see
her sister’s name up there. She didn’t want to see her own
name.”

“And if she ever got discovered, she could
have the stone completed with Jessica’s name, instead of her
own.”

Price and Tony gaped at each other until she
broke the spell. “Mr. Shadowbrook, is it true that it’s extremely
late at night and you haven’t had any sleep?”

“Yes.”

“Is it true you spend most of your life
writing fiction?”

“Yes.”

“Could it be we’re way off course here and
plotting a new novel series or something? Maybe we’re missing a
perfectly logical and obvious explanation.”

“Yes.”

“Why don’t you come to bed, and we’ll see
what it looks like when we’re both awake?”

“I can’t. I have to finish looking in those
files. I want to put all the stuff back before Melody uses the
downstairs bath.”

“Should we tell her any of this?”

“Not a thing until we have more proof. This
would be a horrible emotional ride if I turned out to be wrong,
especially after dumping the other news tonight. If I can’t find
that death certificate, I’ll call the coroner’s office in Iowa and
see if I can get a copy of the original.”

“Let’s suppose you gather all the evidence,
what do you do then? Tell Melody? Tell Barbara? Do you confront
Jessica? She’s liable to have a stroke or something.”

“You’re right,” he mumbled, “you’re very
right.”

She grinned. “About chapter five?”

“No, about looking at it more clearly after
we’ve had some sleep. I’ll go down and shove those papers back. I
can continue the search tomorrow night.”

“You promise you’ll come to bed this
time?”

“Yeah, but I won’t promise I’ll get to
sleep.”

Chapter 10

Lila Acheson taught at Fox Island’s Benbow
School in 1910. Later, she moved to New York and married Dewitt
Wallace. They pioneered a new type of magazine, which became fairly
successful as the journal Reader’s Digest. Fox Island housed the
famous (Spencer Tracy vacationed there) and the infamous, such as
Tacoma’s girls of the night, who R&R’d at the Longhouse at the
west end of Kamus Drive. Dixie Lee Ray, Washington's first and only
woman governor, spent her childhood years exploring Fox Island from
the family campsite. The Island became her permanent home when she
retired from politics in 1981.

Fox Island still offers its charms to the
renowned and nefarious.

“And I say we can’t tell her yet,” Price
insisted. “We’ve got to have an objective piece of concrete
evidence. This is shattering news if it’s true, and a cruel joke if
it isn’t.”

Tony flopped the large, hard sided Samsonite
onto the unmade bed and unfastened it. “So, you think we should
just hop on the plane and fly away from it all? I think Melody’s
tough enough to handle this. And how about Barbara?”

“I don’t know.”

“I think we should tell Melody first. How
about you?”

“I think we should wash the linens and
towels and replace them before we make the bed.” Price stared at
the closet. “Are you sure we can fit all this into four
suitcases?”

Tony pulled on his chocolate brown cowboy
boots and tossed his wooden bootjack into the open suitcase.
“There, I’m packed.”

“Very funny.”

“Honey, I’ve stewed over this all week. We
have to tell Melody. We’ve got to be honest with what we think we
know. It’s eating away at me. At least we can show her what we
found. She could trace it down further if she wants.”

“We’ve gotten so close to her. Maybe we
could write it in a letter and have her decide.”

“You know I couldn’t do that. I’ve got to
look ’em in the eye when I talk to them. And if we try to ignore
it, the summer will seem incomplete. I know it will be tough on her
at first. It would be devastating to anyone.”

Price stood straight in front of her
husband, clothed in slip and hose, a full foot shorter. “We do have
one thing complete.”

“What’s that?”

She hugged him tight. “We have finished a
very fine book.”

He held her close and kissed her hair that
smelled squeaky clean and fresh, like she washed it with baby
shampoo. “Yep. ’Course, it did take us until midnight last
night.”

“And we still have to deal with the
celebrated chapter five.” She backed away and pulled on her denim
skirt and fringed white blouse.

“I told you. We’ll settle that on the plane
ride home.”

“I pity those who sit around us.”

“Babe, now don’t say that. It’s really not
that complicated. I know it’s going to work out.”

“I don’t know how you can be so confident.
Are you planning a sneak attack, an ambush when my guard’s
down?”

“Anthony Shadowbrook is a straight shooter,
ma’am,” he drawled.

“Yeah, so far, but you haven’t made it to
the end of the trail yet, buckaroo.”

The phone ring simultaneous with a shout
from the kitchen: “I’ll get it.”

“Melody’s here?” Price gasped.

“Did she hear what we said?”

After a minute Melody shouted again, “It’s
Kathy... and I’ve about got breakfast fixed for you.”

“Melody’s cooking?” Tony whispered.

Price picked up the tan Princess phone near
the bed. “Hi, Kath, what’s up, honey?”

“It’s going to be so great having you home.
And don’t worry. Everything’s real clean.”

“Except for the backyard behind the tool
shed.”

“Kit?”

“I’m on the other phone.”

“What’s this about the tool shed?”

“That’s where I’m keeping Pugie.”

“Pugie?”

“The calf Pop and I rescued. I named him
after Puget Sound. The animal shelter didn’t have room, so they let
me keep it until they locate the owner. Don’t worry, it hasn’t been
a problem.”

“Except once,” Kathy corrected.

“What do you mean, once?”

“I’ll tell you what happened at the
Greenwells’ when you get home.”

“Our neighbors, the Greenwells?”

“Mom, it’s no big deal. Trust me.”

Price let out a deep sigh. Trust me? Did
they learn that from their dad?

“Mom, we wanted to tell you,” Kathy
continued, “Josh is going to pick you guys up at the airport
instead of me and Kit.”

“That’s fine, but is something wrong? Are
you two getting along?”

“Hey, it’s cool, Mom. Really. Kath has been
a big help with the Linc thing. She is so smart when it comes to
men, you know?”

“Oh?”

“Good old Linc had the nerve to call the
other day and try to apologize. Kathy answered the phone. Man, she
tore him apart up one side and down the other. Practically had him
begging for his life. It was so excellent. He wouldn’t dare ever
call me again. She’s a bulldog, Mom.”

“I’m glad you two are working things
out.”

“Kit and I wanted you to know about the
welcome home party for you guys tonight. Mark and Amanda are coming
up. They can spend the night, can’t they?”

“Sure. It’ll be great to see you all.”

“And Mark says he has something important to
talk to you both about.”

“What?”

“How would we know? Big brother doesn’t tell
little sisters anything, but I have my guesses.”

“Well, don’t work too hard on a party. We’ll
be delighted just to be together.”

“That’s why Josh insisted on picking you up.
He wanted to make sure we had time to get things ready.”

Josh insisted on giving them a ride from the
airport? The son who didn’t like waiting three seconds for
anything? Something was going on. “Tell Josh that Paul is welcome,
too.”

“Yeah, well,” Kit added, “we sort of wanted
just family, you know?”

“That’s great, girls. I’ll tell your father.
We’ll see you tonight.”

“Bye, Mom. Could you put Mel back on?”

“Mel? You mean Melody?”

“Just for a minute.”

Price was sorely tempted to listen, but she
didn’t. She dabbed on makeup, slipped on her liquid silver jewelry,
and packed toiletries. “Might as well get done early and maybe have
time for a walk along the shoreline.”

“Sounds great, darlin’.”

“What do you think about these feathered
earrings?”

“Ravishing.”

“I don’t know why I even ask you.”

“Because I give you one man’s honest
opinion.” He winked.

Price rolled her eyes. “I’ll see if Melody
is really cooking breakfast.”

“Are we going to tell her about the
x-ray?”