I would like to thank Julie Demers. Especially for the help with the ideas for Kristy, Alan Gray, Jenny, and Abby. Pizza toast!
Suspicions
Dawn helped Mona clean up from the meeting. It had felt really good to see so many of her friends again. She couldn't wait until Kristy came back! She would have a fit with everything going on: her and Bart, Alan Gray, Karen's wild lifestyle. That got Dawn thinking about the SHS football class ring.
"Mona, what high school did you go to?"
"SHS. It was in the 60s. It was after the chemistry sets had already been banned. I was never good at science, either. I was too busy having fun! Karen reminds me, the way I was back then. But you do too a little bit."
"Do you remember my and Mary Anne's parents?"
"Oh yes! We were only acquaintances. I was in a few classes with Richard and Sharon. Everyone wanted to be your mother. She was so beautiful and popular. And she was nice to everyone."
There was a ring at the doorbell. It was Bart. They decided to have some wine out on the patio and order a pizza. While they were waiting for it to be delivered, they sat around and talked.
"Bart, why was Alan going to the Prezioso house?'
" Oh. I'm not exactly sure but I have an idea about it. See, Alan used to be a pretty successful guy. After high school, he won some money on a trip to Vegas. He bought the lighthouse. He lives there now. He was also being paid by the city to man and maintain it. It frees him up to also pursue other endeavors. But a few years ago without warning, they decided to automate the lighthouse and put Alan Gray out of a job. Even though he owns the property, there is some sort of grandfather clause on the lighthouse and tower. I'm not sure."
"Poor Alan. But what does that have to do with Jenny Prezioso?"
" Well, that's the insane part. You know how Jenny married Derrick Masters when she was 16 or 17 and tried to use him as a stepping stone to get into the industry. It didn't work after the divorce and she came back here all washed up. She's still as self-absorbed and attention-seeking as ever. She tried different avenues to seek attention. Rumor has it her latest one is to be the youngest and First Lady Mayor of Stoneybrook. I figure Alan has been grilling her on getting his position back at the lighthouse. In the meantime, I hired him to help out with landscaping and maintenance for the parks. Either way, it's the City of Stoneybrook writing his paychecks."
"Wow! That is crazy. Makes me feel like I'm back in California, not Stoneybrook. Mallory and Claudia also found out something strange. They were researching the Stoneybrooke book. There was a lady named Abigail Grey that might be related to Alan that used to live in Morbidda Destiny's house. And they found a floorplan of her house in another book and it looks like it has a secret passage."
"Wow! That's wild! What do you think the secret passage was for?"
"The lady was an abolitionist and stationmaster during the Civil War. It sounds like the Underground Railroad to me."
"Wow! That's so cool!"
Bart knew he couldn't wait any longer and needed to tell Dawn exactly what he knew. He grabbed her hand. "Dawn, we've known each other a long time right?"
"Yes," said Dawn skeptically. She was enjoying seeing Bart but didn't feel like getting too serious when she lives in California.
"Dawn the other day I had to turn in the other bags with the chemistry sets into the authorities. They also made the Porter connection to Morbidda, but they also have other suspects."
"Well, that's wonderful! Who are they?"
"Dawn. It's you. And your mother. Isn't your mother's maiden name Porter, isn't it?"
"What?! Well yes, it is. I hadn't thought about it though. She was always Mrs. Shafer and then Mrs. Spier to me. Oh my God, I better get Logan and Mary Anne down here. Logan will know what to do."
"Dawn I'm sorry. I never meant to get you in any kind of trouble. I know you wouldn't do something like this. But remember this is Stoneybrook. They don't like outsiders. And you haven't been back in a very long time."
"Bart I don't blame you. And I'm glad you told me. Let me go get Mary Anne and Logan. They can help me." She turned and ran up the stairs. "Mary Anne!..."
Meanwhile Claudia and Mallory we're headed back from their interview with Alan. They had masked their intentions by saying it was for the Stoneybrooke book. Claudia took her camera along to document everything on film. Alan had confirmed that Abigail Grey had been his relative. Some family members had changed the spelling of their name from Grey to Gray after the Civil War to try to disassociate themselves from getting into trouble with authorities for being part of the Underground Railroad. Claudia couldn't wait to edit the footage. She was starting to get into this project and wanted to interview more people.
"Hey, Mal why don't we plan to interview some of the school principals tomorrow for the project? We could get some of our research done and work on the uranium case at the same time?"
"That's a great idea! We will write up a list when we get home of schools and principals. We should probably call ahead of time."
They couldn't wait to get started.
Kristy and Abby sat side by side in chairs on Kristy's boat.
"This was a good idea!"
"Yes, now that I have this boat we should make more visits to Stoneybrook more often."
"I agree. I can come to see Anna and check on the store," said Abby.
"You know Anna has some audition for the symphony in New York coming up. I'm going to stay behind and run the store while she goes."
Abby owned two joke shops, one on Rhode Island and one in Stoneybrook that her sister Anna helped manage between music gigs. The store sold whoopie cushions and rubber chickens as well as some kitchen items like Elvis commemorative plate sets. They were doing very well. Abby also enjoyed being a clown, Easter bunny, Christmas elf, the tooth fairy, and other various characters for kids parties in her middle-class neighborhood.
"Hey, Abby when we get back, do you want to organize a baseball game with Sam, Charlie, David Michael, Logan, Robert, and other kids from the neighborhood?"
"Kristy, do you always think about baseball?"
"That's my job."
Kristy was a minor league baseball coach for Rhode Island. They were doing pretty well. She wasn't going to get to stay long, only for Watson's party before she would have to get back for a game. But she bought this boat for more relaxing travel to Stoneybrook but also for games along the coast.
"I can't wait to get back home."
"Me either," said Abby.
"We haven't been back together in a long time."
"I wonder what Dawn is doing. I bet she is already knee-deep in a mystery."
"I bet so too."
They clinked their glasses of wine together and drank them down in one gulp.
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