Murder in Hillsboro Read online

  Murder in Hillsboro

  A Molly Ryan Mystery

  By: Jane T O’Brien

  ISBN: 13-978-1537435800

  ISBN: 10-1537435809

  This book is fiction. All characters, events, and organizations portrayed in this novel are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons –living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright 2016 by Jane T O’Brien

  All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

  Books by Jane O’Brien

  Bristol Falls

  Glenwood Hills

  Cumberland Heights

  Murder in Forest Glen

  The Mystery at Shelby Lake

  The Mystery of Waverly Island

  Murder in Pinewood Bluff

  Camden Corners Collection

  Camden Corners Book One

  Camden Corners Book Two

  Camden Corners Book Three

  Samantha Degan Series

  Murder in Stonehill Manor

  Murder in Lancashire

  Murder in Ashville

  Murder at Seabrook Shores

  Molly Ryan Series

  Murder in Hillsboro

  Murder in Kincaid Towers

  Murder in Evergreen

  Murder at Coventry Hill Inn

  (Introducing Cassandra Cross)

  Cassandra Cross Series

  Murder on The Isabella

  Murder at Channel Two

  Murder in Newcastle

  Murder at Cranberry Creek

  Rebecca Snow Series

  Murder in Oakwood Park

  Murder on Bradbury Hill

  Murder on Applewood Circle

  Finian Frog Children’s Series

  Fabulous Finian Frog

  Finian Frog Falls in Love

  Finian Frog and Farley’s Wishes

  Finian Frog and Froglet Freddy

  Hennessey Hound Tales Children’s Series

  Happy Hennessey Hound

  Hennessey Hound and the Bully

  Prologue

  The wind howled outside the comfortable home of Albert and Beverly Ryan. It was the Sunday before Christmas and their two young boys, Teddy and Mark, were looking forward to their Sunday school class performing in a Christmas pageant that stormy morning.

  “Look at the snow boys,” said their mother; “I don’t think Daddy will drive through the snow. We don’t want to get stuck in a snowbank, do we?”

  “We’ll be fine, Bev,” said Al, “the boys have talked about the pageant all week, we can’t disappoint them.”

  Beverly recognized many of the cars in the parking lot when Al pulled the car into an empty spot in the lot. Most were parents of the children in the Sunday school class. Beverly was happy they came.

  The stage was set for the show. Reverend Barker planned a short sermon for the day because of the weather and because he didn’t want the children to become restless before their performance.

  Beverly and Al sat in their usual pew in the second row of the church. After the choir led the congregation in song, prayers were offered, and Mr. Kelso read verses from the bible in his monotone voice, it was time for the pageant to begin.

  Mrs. Hanson, the Sunday school teacher held her daughter’s baby doll in her arms. She walked toward the cradle and was heard saying in an agitated, booming voice: “Whose baby is this?” She frightened the sleeping infant and the little baby cried.

  The children were giggling, and Mrs. Hanson was sure Butch Smithfield was the instigator of the prank.

  “I’m sorry, Reverend Barker, I don’t know where this baby came from, but I wish his mother would come up here and take him away,” she glared toward the audience.

  “Mrs. Hanson, this little beauty is wrapped in a pink blanket, she’s a little girl.” The minister bent to pick the baby up in his arms and she stopped crying. She was a tiny thing, he wasn’t an expert on babies and he guessed she was only a few days old.

  “Whose baby is this?” he asked, “I’d say she needs her mama.”

  When no one answered, Beverly Ryan stood up and said: “I’ll watch over her, Reverend Barker.” She walked to the sanctuary and when she took the baby in her arms, her heart skipped a beat.

  The pageant went on without a hitch. Five-year-old Teddy had four lines to say and after practicing all week his performance was flawless. Mark only had one word and stood proudly speaking his one-word line.

  Beverly worked as a nurse before she and Al started their family. She had seen many newborns in her time at the hospital and guessed the baby was only a week old. Where is the child’s mother?

  “Beverly, I’ll call the authorities, I don’t know who abandoned this baby. I don’t think they will come back for her.”

  “I understand, Reverend, I would like to take her home, if that would be all right, I’m sure the little girl is hungry. Al will stop at the drug store after he drives us home, he’ll buy formula, bottles and diapers and anything else she needs.”

  “I don’t know if the sheriff will agree but you are my first choice to take care of this baby. I’ll call him and explain the situation. We can’t leave her here in the church; she’s better off with you.”

  Sheriff Cooper’s reaction was exactly as the reverend predicted. After calming him down with his gentle voice the sheriff finally agreed that the baby being with Beverly Ryan was the best choice. “I’ll report this to social services in Hillsboro, I hear they are sticklers about following the law.”

  “Amos, I have faith you will convince them the infant is safe with the Ryans,” the Reverend said while looking to the heavens.

  Weeks went by and the baby’s mother didn’t come forward. The social worker from Hillsboro visited the Ryan family once a week, she was a caring person and knew little Molly was well cared for. The Ryans were named as her foster parents and chose the name, Molly. Al knew his wife’s heart would be ripped out if Molly’s mother showed up wanting her back. He knew how she would feel because he would feel that way too.

  Time passed quickly, Molly was still living at the only home she’d ever known two years later. The Ryans adopted the toddler, knowing they might have to give her up if the birth parents returned for her.

  Beverly and Al were honest with Molly when she was old enough to learn the truth. “That’s all right Mom and Dad,” she said, “My real mom wanted you to have me.” Her birth family was seldom mentioned again and through the years, most of the town had forgotten that Molly Ryan had been left in a cradle at the church the week before Christmas.

  Chapter One

  Beverly and Al Ryan sat at their kitchen table in their now empty nest on Wisteria Lane in Newberry. Molly, their youngest, moved to her own apartment the day before.

  “We knew this day was coming, Al. We’re lucky Molly lived at home until now. I should be grateful for all the years we had with her and the boys instead of feeling sorry for myself.”

  “You go right ahead and feel sorry for yourself, I must admit I miss those days when we had the kids and their friends underfoot. Now, it’s the two of us, we should plan a vacation, how about a cruise or a week in Hawaii?”

  “That sounds wonderful, let’s talk about it when we’re sure Molly is safe and settled in her new place.”

  “Bev, Molly is twenty-five years old and perfectly capable of taking care of herself. You can stop worrying about her now.”

  “I’ll never stop worrying about her or the boys. It’s one of my gre
atest pleasures in life,” Beverly laughed.

  There hadn’t been a day that had gone by in the last twenty-five years that Beverly didn’t fear Molly’s birth mother would appear at her door to take Molly away. She shuddered to think what might have happened to the girl if she had followed her instincts and stayed home from church that day in December so many years ago. She would be forever grateful to Al for insisting they get the boys to church for their performance in the Christmas pageant.

  The telephone rang, startling Beverly out of her daydream. “Teddy, how nice to hear your voice, how’s Melinda, is she still suffering from morning sickness?”

  “She’s better, she says you were right, as soon as she hit the three-month mark, she felt human again. We thought we’d stop over around lunchtime. Mel is craving an Italian sub from the deli, we’ll pick up one for you and Dad if you will be home.”

  “You are a sweetheart, Ted, we’d love to see you two. It will help me stifle the urge to call Molly every two minutes to make sure she doesn’t need me.”

  “We’ll always need you, Mom. We’ll be there at noon; do you have any chocolate syrup? Melanie is craving chocolate milk too. I’m glad she can keep all this stuff down.”

  Beverly felt better after the phone call. She remembered going through the same loneliness when Ted and Mark left home. Mark was in the Navy and stationed in San Diego. His stint was ending, and he would return to Newberry before Thanksgiving. Beverly suspected he wouldn’t return alone. When she talked with him on the telephone the name, Leah, came into the conversation often. Beverly was happy her boys had found love and were both making Newberry their home.

  Molly felt a sadness she never expected to feel. She knew it was past time for her to be on her own. She loved the comfort of her home on Wisteria Lane. Molly loved flowers, and it seemed only natural when she took over as manager of the only flower shop in Newberry. They specialized in weddings and Molly hoped one day to be arranging bouquets for her own wedding. She didn’t have a groom in mind but that didn't stop her from dreaming.

  At a florist convention held in Hillsboro, Molly met the manager of Buds and Blooms Floral Emporium, the largest floral shop in Hillsboro on the first floor of the impressive Kincaid Towers. Molly impressed him with her knowledge and skill and he offered her the job as his replacement after his upcoming retirement. Molly was flattered but told him she had no intention of leaving Newberry. Before the three-day convention was over, he persuaded her to try it. She signed a six-month lease on a small furnished apartment and moved her belongings. Now she sat on the cheerful bright blue couch in her new digs and felt miserable. I’m such a mama’s girl, she thought aloud, I’m twenty-five years old and the only one of my friends who still lives at home. If it weren’t for this job, I’d be living there today. Molly fought the urge to call her mom and dad, she knew it would turn on the tears and she didn’t want her mother to know how sorry she was that she took this stupid job.

  There was a knock on the door. She remembered her father’s cautionary words to check the peephole. “No telling who is behind a closed door, you can’t be too careful in a big city like Hillsboro.”

  She saw a blonde smiling on the other side of the peephole holding a bottle of wine and two glasses. “Hello, neighbor, I’m not a rapist, I promise.”

  Molly opened the door and said, “You and your friend, Chardonnay, are welcome. I’m Molly Ryan, I’ve never lived on my own and I want my mommy. Do you still want to welcome me?”

  “A little homesick? I remember that feeling even though I experienced it five years ago. I’m Brooke Hartley, I live across the hall. It’s not a bad place to be if you’re single, there are a lot of guys here, with your looks, you won’t be lonely for long.”

  “Come in, Brooke, I know I have a corkscrew in here someplace. I saw it earlier and wished I had a bottle to open.”

  “Now you do, I brought my own if you didn’t imbibe.” Brooke opened the bottle like a pro.

  “Are you a bartender?”

  “No, I like my wine, I’ve opened way too many of these things,” she laughed.

  Molly knew she would like her new friend, the loneliness disappeared when she took her first sip of the perfectly chilled wine.

  “Molly, if you aren’t doing anything Saturday night, would you like to go with me to my co-worker’s wedding? I received an invitation three weeks ago, and it included a guest. I was involved with a guy and I accepted for two. Last week we knew the relationship was going nowhere anywhere and now I’m stuck finding a date. Would you be my date? I hate going to these things alone and there will be single guys there. Brad Carpenter, the groom, has a bunch of cute friends; I’m guessing you aren’t seeing anyone special.”

  “I’m not seeing anyone at all. I could use a night out watching two people madly in love sailing off into the sunset,” Molly said with a sigh.

  “Hey, girl, you need to get out and have fun. Sounds like Newberry is a real drag. Do they have any single guys living there?”

  “Not too many but I can’t blame the town for my lack of a social life. I buried myself in flowers after a painful breakup with the guy I thought I’d be with forever.”

  “Sounds like you need a refill on the wine, would you like to talk about it?”

  “I’ll take the refill, but I don’t want to talk about me, tell me more about Brad and his cute friends.”

  Molly liked Brooke, she helped to get her mind off her loneliness. A clean break from Newberry was what she needed. Tad made it clear he didn’t love her and they would never be together. Molly knew, in her heart, that he wasn’t the one for her. They were in a comfortable relationship but there was no real passion. She asked her mother if there was ever a time when there were fireworks between her mom and dad.

  “Molly, sometimes, after all these years, I look at your dad and I can’t stop smiling. Our life is usually routine but the routine things make my heart skip a beat. I love seeing his reaction to a football game on television or watching his expression change when he’s reading a captivating book. I don’t know if I’d say there are still fireworks maybe sparklers would be more like it.”

  One day I’ll thank Tad for breaking it off, I’m not ready for that yet but I will be and maybe I’ll be lucky enough to find those fireworks.

  Chapter Two

  Molly looked forward to her first week at Buds and Blooms Flower Emporium. The store was twice the size of the flower shop in Newberry and sold many decorative items. The week passed by quickly, she only called her folks twice during the week. Brooke invited her to join the other tenants for their weekly girl’s night out at the local pub. Brooke was right about men, there were several, all interested in the new arrival. Molly thought a new living arrangement and a new job were as much as she wanted to take on for the time being and discouraged the admirers. Brooke told her the pluses and minuses of most of the guys leading Molly to believe Brooke had an interesting love life.

  Saturday at the florist shop was busy until closing. Molly hurried home to change for the wedding. She grabbed cheese and crackers hoping it would tide her over until the reception. She was flushed when Brooke knocked on her door.

  Brooke wore a shimmering blue dress with a hemline several inches above her knees. Her long blonde hair was piled on top of her head with tendrils surrounding her face. Sparkling earrings dangled from her ears reflecting off the light in Molly’s apartment.

  “Brooke, you look fabulous, the bride won’t compete with you.”

  “We competed, and she won the prize,” Brooke said with a sad smile.

  “Don’t tell me you had a thing with the groom?”

  “No, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. He thinks of me as a buddy. I’ve never met his bride, but I don’t like her already.”

  “Why did you accept the invitation to his wedding? Do you like torture?”

  “If I watch him promise to love another, I will know it’s time to move on. I cannot be happy with anyone until I get Brad Carpenter out of
my mind and my heart. Enough of my sad story. You look fabulous, you clean up well, Molly. Did you find that dress in dreary Newberry?”

  “Newberry isn’t dreary, and we have fine clothing stores. Despite what you think, we don’t whip up dresses on our grandma’s sewing machines.”

  “I’m sorry, Molly, I shouldn’t make fun of your little town. I’m sure it’s a nicer place than Podunk Hollow where I grew up.”

  “You told me you are from Wilton; I’ve been there, and it’s far from a Podunk Hollow.”

  “You were on the right side of the tracks; I’m from the wrong side. It makes a difference.”

  “You’re here in Hillsboro now and we will be late getting to the wedding of your dream guy, let’s go.”

  All eyes were on Brooke and Molly when they walked to the pew on the groom’s side of the church. All eyes except Brad Carpenter’s as he waited in anticipation for his bride. The flower girl and ring bearer walked gingerly down the aisle followed by the bridesmaids. The organist played the wedding march, and all eyes turned to the bride. She was beautiful in a full-length gown covered with pearls, the cap sleeves accentuated her smooth shoulders. She held her father’s arm as he guided her slowly down the aisle. The audience, especially on the bride’s side of the church clapped as they passed by. Brooke let out a slight gasp when she saw a wheelchair being pushed behind the bride and her father. It took a while before she realized a strap was around the bride’s waist and behind her was a young man holding her upright while she struggled to move her feet. When she finally reached the altar, Brad kissed her on the cheek and helped her into the wheelchair.

  There wasn’t a dry eye in the entire church including a tear that fell from Brooke’s eye. “I didn’t know,” she whispered.

  The ceremony was beautiful; the songs spoke of courage and hope. When it was over, Brad held his wife’s hand while he pushed her chair up the aisle.