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Jackson sat on the closed toilet. She wanted to protect him. From the town gossip or something more?
Why was Robert Kendrick dead? And why had his body been placed at the Waverly estate? His head was spinning.
He stood up, running his hands through his hair, and turned the shower on. Stepping beneath the hot spray, he rested his forehead against the tile wall. As the hot water beat against his shoulders, his tension began to circle the drain, along with his confusion.
How could she not ask those questions? She was right. Until they knew who the dead were and why a body was found where his mother died and he was found as an infant, Liv had to ask questions. He needed to let her follow the investigation to wherever it led.
The lingering scent of Liv's vanilla bean body wash amused him, a faint smile lifting the corners of his lips. It was a small reminder of her and the night they just spent together.
Wrapping himself in a towel, Jackson inhaled deeply, steadying himself before reentering the bedroom. He needed to explain how he was feeling. He couldn’t let his fears lead him.
* * *
Liv stayed seated on the edge of the bed, holding her head between her hands. With a deep breath, she reached for her phone and dialed Molly, seeking answers. She kept the phone pressed to her ear. “Mol, please tell me you made progress with the IDs of the other bodies from the fires.”
“I've just finished some of the preliminary analysis. The body from the theater... it's not just a random victim. It was another town council member, from the time Dad and David Reynolds were involved. The DNA came back belonging to Harold Thompson. His DNA was in the system after he was accused of domestic battery in a paternity case. The weird thing is no one reported him missing.”
Liv slapped her forehead. “Another council member? Shit. What about the third?”
“The third body was also a council member from the same era. Edward Wilson. He was a former Army staff sergeant turned police officer turned council member. I was able to match the DNA from the army. His family only filed a missing person report with the Waverly Junction PD yesterday. My assistant said he was an enforcer for the council. And, Liv, they weren't killed in the fires. They were already dead.” Molly sounded worried. “All from gunshot wounds.”
Liv blew out a harsh breath. “Tell me about DNA testing back in 1980. How reliable was it for determining maternity or paternity?”
Molly grew silent for a moment, then replied, “DNA analysis wasn't used as evidence until 1986. Establishing parentage was even harder.”
“But if someone needed to confirm their parents or lineage back then, how would they do it?” She watched the closed bathroom door.
“Blood typing was commonly used, along with other methods like HLA testing. But without DNA testing as we know it today, the accuracy wasn't high. It could provide definitive indication of who was not the parent, but not definitive proof of who was.”
“HLA typing?” Liv’s head ached.
“In the early 1980s, Human Leukocyte Antigen typing was used in tissue matching for organ transplants rather than for establishing paternity or maternity. What are you thinking, Liv?” Molly spoke in her business tone.
Liv's heart pounded. Her sister's voice crackled over the phone, waiting for a reason for her curious questions about HLA typing in 1980.
“Molly, I need to tell you something... something about Jackson.”
Molly’s voice turned deep, “What's going on?”
Liv took a deep breath. “Jackson was born in 1980. There's something I found out... He was the miracle baby found beneath a dead woman at the site of the original Waverly mansion fire. She was identified as Rainey Ashcroft and as his birthmother. At the time, Chris Waverly was seeing her. He died that night too, right after he had an argument with the city council.”
“The baby found by Dad and David Reynolds?” Molly asked.
“Yes. David and Martha Reynolds adopted him. And Robert Kendrick was the adoption lawyer.”
There was a pause on the line. “Wait... Rainey Ashcroft was his birthmother? I guess it was confirmed by blood type and HLA testing?” she grunted. “Liv, are you saying Jackson might be blood-related, not just to the Ashcrofts, but possibly to the Waverlys too?”
“I don't know what I’m saying, but the pieces... they seem to be fitting together in a way that's hard to ignore. The bodies from the fires and Jackson's past... It's starting to feel like there might be a connection.”
“This is a lot to take in. Are you implying Jackson is an Ashcroft?”
“Not implying. The timing, the circumstances... they're just too coincidental. And with the information you provided about DNA testing back then, it's making me wonder.”
Molly groaned. “I understand. Liv, be careful. Investigating something like this could lead to unexpected truths. And the big problem is you’d have to find an Ashcroft. Lore says there aren’t any living Ashcrofts.”
“Thanks, Mol. And... keep this between us for now.” She hung up with a shaking hand. No, she needed more information. She stared up at the ceiling and dialed her sister again.
Molly answered after a few rings, sounding concerned. “Liv, what's going on? Something else?”
