“Pretty in Pink” First Installment - A Mystery by Fran Joyce
“There’s no easy way to say this, Ms. Adams. My client believes you are her granddaughter.”
The sound vibrations echoed in Madison’s ears. She heard everything, but the words themselves became merely a whisper too absurd to trust she’d actually heard them or understood Mr. Greene correctly. She looked up as Ethan covered her hand with his and gave it a gentle squeeze.
The mahogany table in the conference room of Burnett, Williams, and Kohlmeyer seemed ridiculously large for three people. Fifteen extra chairs sat empty, but it was the only room available to afford them some privacy.
Rain with flashes of lightning followed by rumbles of thunder continued to blanket the city skyline. Madison flinched. The thunder seemed too near.
She watched as Ethan poured a glass of water from the carafe on the credenza and placed it in front of her. After she took a sip, she managed to speak.
“What?” It was only one word, but it took every ounce of concentration she could muster to utter it. Madison took another sip of water letting her emotions battle it out while her brain struggled to retake control of her ability to speak.
“I know this is difficult.” Greene barely got the words out before Madison interrupted.
“Do you? Is this some sort of joke? I was left at a fire station when I was a newborn twenty-five years ago. The note said I had no other living relatives, and my birth mother couldn’t raise me on her own. If I had a grandmother, wouldn’t she have looked for me before now?”
“Mads, It’s okay. Let’s hear him out.” She started to protest, but she trusted Ethan to ferret out the purpose of this obviously fabricated claim.
“Mr. Greene, who is your client, and why does she suddenly think there’s a family connection with Ms. Adams?”
“My client’s name is Emilia Watkins. She’s an innkeeper in upstate New York. Her daughter Grace gave birth to a baby girl twenty-five years ago. A week after the birth, Grace and her boyfriend Kurt Thompson disappeared with the child. Mrs. Watkins filed missing persons reports and hired private investigators to search for them, but they seemed to have vanished without a trace. She took a second mortgage on the Inn, but eventually it became too expensive to keep searching.”
“So, my birth mother, this Grace person, and my birth father got as far as Pittsburgh before they dumped me at a fire station and lived happily ever after?”
Madison was shaking.
“How old were they?” Ethan seemed to be looking for any extenuating circumstances to excuse what her birth parents had done.
“Seventeen, juniors in high school. Grace wanted to study to become a nurse and Kurt was planning to go into his family’s plumbing business. They’d only been going out for a couple of months when Grace learned she was pregnant. Kurt’s parents refused to believe he was the father.”
This was not making her feel better.
“You still haven’t explained why Emilia Watkins thinks I’m her missing granddaughter.”
“About three months ago, repairmen working in the basement of the Inn opened a wall and found the remains of Grace Watkins and Kurt Thompson wrapped in heavy duty plastic. They didn’t find a baby. Mrs. Watkins had always been searching for the three of them or for Grace and the baby. She never believed Grace would give up her child or allow anyone to take her. She contacted our firm to begin searching for her granddaughter.”
Madison got up from the table and ran from the room barely making it to a bathroom stall before she vomited. Afterward, she rinsed her mouth at the faucet and splashed cold water on her face. Madison stared at her reflection. She recognized the face staring back at her. That stolen baby couldn’t be her.
This can’t be true. It must be a mistake. Poor Mrs. Watkins.
Madison felt sorry for the woman, but those people couldn’t be her birthparents. Of all the scenarios she ever dreamed up about them and why they chose to abandon her, being murdered and shut up in a wall had never been a possibility. Derek and Teresa Adams were two of the most loving and giving people in the world, and Madison felt blessed they chose her to be their daughter after her birth parents abandoned her.
It seemed incomprehensible that her birthparents might have wanted her… that she might have been loved. What if Grace and Kurt were her birthparents and they had loved her and wanted her? Didn’t she owe it to them to find out?
She didn’t even know what they looked like, and yet she’d formed a mental picture of the two young lovers holding their child.
She walked back to the conference room clinging to a thin veil of composure.
Ethan and Mr. Greene rose when she entered.
“Are you okay to continue?” Ethan seemed ready to shut down the meeting to protect her.
“I’m okay. What do we do next, Mr. Greene?”
“We need a DNA sample from you. Our client has already provided one and the coroner’s office collected samples from the victims to identify them. Mr. Kohlmeyer can make the arrangements. Mrs. Watkins gave me some family photos, but if you’d prefer to wait until the results come back, I completely understand.”
Madison thought about it. If she looked nothing like the people in the photos would it be a relief? Would she grieve for them anyway?
“Yeah, I’d like to see them.”
“Are you sure? Photos don’t prove anything.” Ethan was giving her an out, but something wouldn’t let her take it.
“I’m sure. I’d like to see them.”
Mr. Greene opened his attaché case and removed a manilla folder. He slid it across the table.
“The photos are identified on the back with names, dates, and locations.”
With trembling hands, Madison opened the folder and began to examine the photos.
The first photo was one of Mr. and Mrs. Watkins with their newborn daughter Grace. There were a few photos of Grace at different ages. The hair and eyes were brown like Madison’s. Brown hair and eyes were probably the most common combination in the world. It didn’t mean anything. Except the shade of her coppery brown eyes was unusual.
She looked at a photo of five-year-old Grace running through a sprinkler in a two-piece yellow swimsuit with a heart-shaped birthmark on her right side just like the one on Madison’s lower back. That could be a coincidence.
There was a photo of Grace and Kurt at a Homecoming dance. Kurt was handsome, tall, and blonde with light blue eyes which surprised her. They looked happy and very much in love. It made Madison smile.
There were a couple of photos of Emilia and Grace, posing with her baby bump, at a family baby shower. Grace looked so young, but happy and confident. Emilia had kind eyes.
There was a picture of a newborn baby with a scrunched-up face waving a fist in the air.
Madison turned over the photo.
Stephanie Elise
Daughter of Grace and Kurt
June 9, 2000
6 pounds, 7 ounces
20 inches long
“They named her Stephanie.” Madison closed her eyes for a moment.
The final photo was of Grace and Kurt posing with their daughter outside the hospital about to take her home. Madison gasped as she looked at the pink crocheted blanket wrapped around the child. It looked exactly like the blanket she’d been swaddled in when she was found at the fire station. The blanket she kept in a cedar lined chest at the foot of her bed. Her only connection to her birth family.
She looked at Ethan. When they first moved in together, she showed it to him. By the look on his face, he also recognized it.
“It could be a coincidence, Mads. It could have been mass produced. Thousands of babies might have had that blanket.”
Greene pointed to the blanket in the photo.
“Mrs. Watkins told me she crocheted it for her granddaughter when she first showed me the photo.”
*****
“Pretty in Pink” Second Installment - A Mystery by Fran Joyce
Madison opened the lid of the blanket chest. The warm, woody scent of cedar filled her nostrils, reminding her of a freshly sharpened pencil. With trembling hands, she sorted through her collection of quilts and crocheted blankets until she found it. She placed the tiny blanket across her lap. It seemed so much larger when she was a little girl. She smoothed her hands over the pillowy rows of yarn.
Is this the blanket Emilia Watkins lovingly crocheted?
She lifted it closer to examine the crafter’s handiwork. Madison didn’t have the patience to crochet or do other needlework. She marveled at the precision of each stitch, the scalloped edges, and the softness of the yarn against her cheek. Like everything in the chest, it smelled slightly of cedar though she wanted it to smell like her birthparents. If Grace and Kurt were her birthparents, she couldn’t smell a photograph.
She knew how her parents, Derek, and Teresa, smelled. Her dad smelled of soap and fresh starch. Madison still loved hugging him and burying her face in his collar. Sometimes her mom smelled like vanilla and cinnamon from working at the bakery. Other times, she smelled like the combination of fresh lemons and tangerines in her cologne. Madison had read that babies could identify their parents by smell. She took a deep breath. Immediately, she felt guilty for wanting that connection with two dead strangers who may or may not be her birthparents.
She was immersed in thought and didn’t hear Ethan come in the room.
“Mads, are you okay?” Ethan touched her on the shoulder. “We need to leave for your parent’s house soon, or we’ll be late for dinner. If you aren’t up to it, I can text and say you’re not feeling well.”
She smiled when she looked up at his concerned face. As far as she was concerned, she’d won the boyfriend lottery. Ethan was kind, thoughtful, and dependable. Though he was still a junior associate at Burnett, Williams, and Kohlmeyer; he was a Kohlmeyer. The law was in his blood. He loved it, and he was a skilled negotiator on track to become a senior associate soon and eventually partner.
“No, they need to know what’s going on. They’d be so hurt if I kept them in the dark.”
“I’m sure they’d understand if you waited until after you take the test and know the results.”
Madison shook her head.
“I can’t do that. My dad’s the one who found me at the fire station that day. He used to cradle me in his arms and tell me that was one of the greatest days in his life. The best day, he claimed, was the day they were approved to adopt me. They’ve always been honest with me. I have to be honest with them. Give me ten minutes to freshen up. I’ll meet you at the car.”
***
“Madison!” Her dad grabbed her in a bear hug, lifted her off the ground, and set her down inside the sprawling ranch house. “I missed you, honeybunny!”
“Missed you, too, dad.”
She kissed his cheek and inhaled deeply. Even though her dad was recently retired, he still liked his starched collars.
“Good to see you Ethan!” He clasped Ethan’s hand in a firm handshake and patted him on the back.
“Nice to see you, too, Derek. How’s retirement treating you?”
“Well, we have the cleanest garage in Pittsburgh and the best kept lawn.” Madison’s mom, Teresa, laughed and came over to hug her daughter and Ethan. Derek shrugged and feigned innocence. “I’m afraid Derek will never get the hang of relaxing. He’s already volunteering at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club and the Senior Center teaching fire safety and CPR classes.”
Madison high-fived her dad. “I’m so proud of you.” She patted his stomach. “Still doing your sit ups and crunches I see.”
“I have to. Your mom’s permanently attached to that Peloton when she’s not at the bakery.”
“You try spending fifty hours a week surrounded by pies, cakes, cookies, and bread. If I didn’t have that Peloton, I couldn’t keep the girlish figure you fell in love with.”
“Well, you both look terrific, and something smells great. What are we having?”
Madison peeked in the oven and smiled. “Chicken pot pie, my favorite.”
Madison watched as her mom stopped midway to the kitchen, tilted her head, and looked at her.
“Is something bothering you, honey? You seem stressed.”
Madison didn’t look at her mom. “Just hungry, I guess. Let me help you set the table.”
Teresa chewed the inside of her cheek. Madison could tell her mom wasn’t buying it.
***
Over blueberry cobbler, homemade vanilla ice cream, and coffee, Madison tried to muster up the courage to talk to her parents. Her mom was growing impatient and spoke first,
“Okay, we’ve had a lovely dinner. What’s going on Madison? Do you and Ethan have something to tell us?” Teresa looked to her husband for support. “You can tell us anything, and we promise not to judge you.” Derek nodded in agreement.
Madison took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“First of all, Ethan and I are rock solid, so there’s nothing to worry about relationship wise. I’m not pregnant, We’re both healthy, employed, and not in trouble with the law.” She saw her mom’s shoulders relax, and her dad let out a sigh of relief. “Mr. Greene, a private investigator from upstate New York contacted me. We met in one of the conference rooms at Ethan’s law firm this morning.”
Judging by their blank stares, Her parents were thoroughly confused. Then, Derek’s face contorted into a mixture of concern and suspicion. His lips seemed to disappear, as the blank stare was replaced by a scowl. His hazel eyes narrowed as he alternated his gaze between Madison and Ethan
“I thought you said you weren’t in any legal trouble.”
“I’m not dad. Mr. Greene thinks I might be his client’s granddaughter.”
Derek’s response was adamant.
“That’s impossible! The note said you had no living relatives.”
Teresa wrapped her hands protectively across her chest. “What did he say about your birthparents?”
Madison’s voice faltered, and she looked to Ethan for help. He finished recounting their meeting with Mr. Greene.
“Oh Madison, how awful for you. I know you’ve always wondered about your birthparents. It’s perfectly natural. Your dad and I have always tried to fill that void.”
Derek reached for Teresa’s hand.
“A part of me wondered what happened and why they didn’t want me, but there was never a void. You’re my parents, and I wouldn’t be who I am without you. It’s not about needing them. If Grace and Kurt are my birthparents someone killed them and took me. I owe it to them to find out why. I didn’t want to do anything without telling you, first, but Ethan and I are going to the lab tomorrow and I’m having the tests.”
***
“Pretty in Pink” Third Installment by Frances Joyce
Madison sat in Ethan’s office clutching the envelope in her hands.
“Do you want me to open it for you?” Ethan reached into his desk for the letter opener.
“No, I just need a moment.”
Madison closed her eyes and thought about the ramifications of what she was about to do. Once she opened the envelope and read the contents of the report, she couldn’t unsee it and pretend it never happened. If Grace and Kurt were her biological parents, someone murdered them and left her at a fire station hundreds of miles away. If so, she had to find out why. If they weren’t, a murderer might have raised the real Stephanie Elise.
With trembling hands she reached for Ethan’s letter opener and slid it into the small gap at the top of the envelope lifting the handle upward. The paper separated easily revealing the enclosed letter and test results.
Madison read it several times.
“No, no, no… this can’t be right.” She looked at Ethan with tears in her eyes shaking her head.
She handed the papers to Ethan.
According to the test results, she was definitely Grace’s daughter, but Kurt Thompson was not her father.
Madison had so many questions and emotions swirling around in her head. Finally she spoke.
“His parents were right. He’s not my father. I wonder if he knew. Did Grace know? Did she hoodwink him into thinking I was his child? Did it end up getting him killed?”
She felt Ethan’s arms encircling her holding her tight.
“It’s okay. Everything’s going to be alright: I’ve got you. We’ll figure this out together, Madison.”
“I’m not even Madison. Ethan, I don’t know who I am anymore.”
She rested her head against his chest and wept. When she felt as if she had no more tears left, she spoke.
“I need to go to New York. I have to see my grandmother and figure this out. I need to find out the identity of my biological father. He might be a murderer.”
“We don’t know that for a fact. I’ll contact Mr. Greene, and let him know we’re coming. I can clear my schedule for a few days. How about you?”
Work. Madison hadn’t even considered what to do about work. If she took her laptop, she could work remotely for a week or so with no issues, but Ethan…
“You can’t miss work, Ethan.” Madison didn’t want to jeopardize his promotion.
“You aren’t the only one who knows how to work remotely, you know. Besides, I have some vacation time saved up. If I don’t take it soon, I’ll lose it. If something comes up I can fly home. I’m not letting you go through this alone.”
Madison realized she had indeed won the boyfriend lottery. Whatever happened next wouldn’t change that.
***
The flight to Albany departed and arrived on time. Ethan entered the address for the Secom Inn in Shahomedy, New York into the navigation system of the rental car. Two hours later they were sitting in front of the Inn.
Madison paused for a moment taking in the tranquility of the wooded setting. The white porch wrapping around the exterior looked freshly painted. The front flower beds exploding with reds, purples, pinks, and yellows were meticulously maintained. The historic placard in front stated the Inn was built in 1799 by Hesychia Secom and his wife Jane. She hadn’t bothered to look it up online although she knew Ethan had. It was larger than she imagined.
She nodded to Ethan. They walked up the stairs and entered. Madison stopped in her tracks, as the woman at the front desk gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. She recognized the women as her grandmother from the photos.
Mr. Greene was sitting in a winged back chair in the small lobby. He stood and walked to Emilia taking her arm and easing her toward Madison and Ethan.
“Stephanie, I never thought I’d see you again.” Madison flinched as Emilia wrapped her arms around her and wept. She tentatively patted Emilia’s shoulders, not sure how to react to this stranger hugging her and calling her Stephanie.
“It’s Madison. My parents named me Madison. The parents who raised me.”
Emilia dropped her arms and backed away slightly.
“Of course. I’m so sorry… Madison. This is all such a shock, and you look so much like your mother. Grace and Kurt loved you so much. You need to know that. Emilia couldn’t seem to stop staring at her. “I’m sorry, Where are my manners?” She turned to Ethan and extended her hand. “Im Emilia. It’s nice to meet you Ethan. I’m usually a much better host than this.” She laughed nervously.
Madison watched as they shook hands. She looked around the lobby at the antique furnishings. It felt cozy. Modern conveniences like electric lighting and the elevator were tastefully incorporated into the design.
“We’ve reserved two rooms for you on the second floor. You probably want to freshen up before lunch. Mr. Greene and your Aunt Laura will be joining us if that’s alright. She’s in the kitchen making lunch for our guests. After lunch, I can show you around and we can talk. We have so many years to catch up on.”
“Ethan and I live together. One room will be fine, but thank you. Are you sure about this? We have a reservation in town. We don’t want to impose.”
“This was supposed to be your home… Madison. It would mean a lot if you both stayed here as our guests.”
Madison looked at Ethan and he squeezed her hand.
“I’ll call and cancel our reservation.”
Emilia smiled.
Every time she saw her smile, Madison felt a little less awkward.
***
Madison looked around the room taking note of all the homey touches.
Ethan was more vocal.
“Wow! This room is even nicer than I imagined. I’m glad they have suites, and we don’t have to share a bathroom with the other guests like we did at that B&B in Vermont. We’re supposed to meet everyone in the dining room in half an hour. I can unpack for us. Do you want to take a bath? This tub’s so big we could both fit.”
Madison knew Ethan was trying to lighten the mood, so she decided to play along.
“If we both get in that tub, there’s no way we’ll be dressed and downstairs in half an hour.”
Ethan laughed.
“Point taken. I would say challenge accepted, but when I get you all to myself in that tub, I will take my time with you, and you will thank me. I love you so much, Madison. Thank you for letting me be here for you.”
She put her arms around him and kissed him.
“I’ll take a raincheck. I didn’t know Emilia had another child. I wonder if there are more Watkins aunts and uncles out there. Maybe some cousins. I wonder how mom and dad will feel about this.”
Ethan thought about it for a moment.
“They love you, and they know you love them. It’s going to be an adjustment for everyone. You don’t have to figure this out today. We have the rest of our lives to adjust.”
We. She liked the sound of that. She liked the sound of the rest of our lives, too.
She opened her suitcase and put her hanging clothes in the closet and her other items into drawers. Ethan did the same. Madison took her toiletries into the bathroom and freshened up while Ethan called to cancel their reservation at the hotel in town.
****
Laura served lunch family style with heaping dishes of roast chicken, vegetables, yellow rice, and freshly baked bread. She looked like her mom and her sister, but her hair was strawberry blonde. She was tall and thin and walked with the grace and ease of a runway model. She and Emilia told stories about Grace as a child and Grace and Kurt as teenagers in love.
Madison was beginning to think Mr. Greene hadn’t shared the entire report with them. They seemed oblivious to the fact that Kurt Thompson wasn’t her father. Finally, she couldn’t bare it any longer.
“I’m curious, did you see the complete report from the clinic?”
Emilia and Laura looked confused. Mr. Greene shuffled nervously in his seat.
“Ethan and I need to speak with Mr. Greene in private for a moment. Would you excuse us?”
“Cordell, what is Madison talking about?” Madison knew his first name from the card he gave her, but it was still a shock hearing Laura use it with such familiarity.
Greene blew out a big breath of air.
“Emilia, can we use your office?”
“Of course. Katie at the front desk will unlock it for you.”
***
“What’s going on, Mr. Greene?” Madison stood between him and the door with her arms folded across her chest. Ethan stood directly behind her.
“We ran into a small glitch. Kurt Thompson’s parents retired to Tampa a few years ago. After the police released their son’s remains, they had him cremated and went to Ireland to scatter his ashes. They were supposed to be back yesterday, but they decided to stay another week. My associates thought it would be best to wait until we could notify them in person before we shared the findings with the Watkins family.”
“So, they don’t know, and the Thompsons don’t know? Didn’t you think it would come up once I got here?”
“I’ve been out of town working on the case. In addition to finding you, we’ve been hired to look into the murders. Emilia isn’t convinced the police are trying hard enough to solve a twenty-five-year-old double homicide.” Greene wiped beads of sweat off his forehead with his handkerchief. “Look, I arrived shortly before you, and there wasn’t time to tell them. Finding Grace and Kurt has been a shock for Emilia, and Laura. They loved Kurt and embraced him as one of the family despite the awful things his parents said about Grace. Imagine what it’s going to be like for them to learn Kurt isn’t your father.”
“What would you have me do, Mr. Greene? Should I sit there and let them tell me more stories about this wonderful man who may or may not have known he wasn’t my father?
***
In celebration of Mystery Month, I will be announcing additional installments of this mystery throughout the months of May and June on This Awful Awesome Life’s Facebook page and updating the original story on the website.