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“What happened at the house?” Jackson asked.
“The fire was fierce. Jackson, your dad and two firefighters made their way to the basement.” Tears filled Charlotte’s eyes. “I’ve never repeated this part of the story.” She gulped. “They found the two teens in the basement. As the two firefighters escorted the kids out, David somehow couldn’t get out. He put out a mayday call. Chuck, he ran in to help. But then, something went terribly wrong. They both became trapped.” She rubbed her chest. “By the time help got to them, both were gone.”
Jackson pulled at his hair. “Could my father have been the target?”
Charlotte paused, stood and took Jackson’s hands. “Your father and Chuck were inseparable friends. Something trapped your father. Chuck wasn’t supposed to be there. The cause of the fire was never clear, though the police from Waverly Junction declared it accidental. The family who lived there were known hoarders. The town was trying to evict them. Investigators thought a candle set it off.
“The town mourned the loss of two brave firefighters that night. Your father and Jackson's father were decorated firefighters, pillars of the community. The arson detectives declared the floor collapse a tragic result of the mess and fire. But, Jackson, your father was running for re-election to the town council. Both men believed they had proof of some major criminality.
“Chuck and David suspected that certain members of the council were holding secret meetings. They were controlling everything. Embezzling money, making underhanded deals... and running those investments like a Ponzi scheme.”
“Why didn't they do something about it?” Liv was incredulous.
“Oh, Liv, they tried. But the council was too powerful; the members threatened their livelihoods. And your fathers... they wanted to protect us from all of it. Jackson, you were older, but your father didn't want to burden you with the ugliness of it all.”
“I wish he had told me,” Jackson sighed. “Maybe I could have helped him somehow.”
“He wanted you to have a normal life, free from the corruption that plagued our town.”
“But it was more than that, wasn’t it?” Jackson asked.
“Yes, more than your fathers’ jobs being threatened,” she whispered. “One day, Izzy went missing while I was shoe shopping for Ruthie, Molly and her in Waverly Mart. I thought she wandered away. I never imagined she was taken.” Her breaths grew pained. “I grabbed a salesperson. They had the doors locked, started a search, called the police.”
She closed and opened her eyes. “A sales associate found her on the loading dock, a red cord tethering her to one of the wheels. She had a new doll in her lap and was eating a chocolate bar. A note was pinned to the back of her sweater: Next time you won’t find her. She was three.”
Olivia’s hand lifted to her lips with a gasp.
“Your dad was done. When David heard what happened, he quit too. But they kept digging. And when they found something, David ran again with Chuck at his back.”
“Well, now that we know, we can't just sit back and do nothing. Dad and Jackson’s dad wouldn't want that,” Liv cried.
“Be careful. The council, those people are dangerous. Your fathers knew that better than anyone,” Charlotte warned.
“We’ll be careful, Mom, but we can't let this go. Our dads may not be here anymore, but we’ll make sure their legacy lives on. Besides, the majority of the old town council are dead, either through the recent murders or natural causes.”
“Someone killed those people for a reason.” Charlotte frowned. “The current council is filled with legacy children,” she explained, her voice tinged with disdain. “Their parents served on the old council, and now they're carrying on the family tradition.”
“Charlotte, what was the straw that broke the camel’s back and convinced my dad to run for election again?” Jackson asked.
Charlotte hesitated, her expression turning somber. “Oliver Barrett, he was twenty-five. His dad was on the council. Oliver disappeared. He was found on the bank of the Ashcroft River just over the county line. The investigation came under my jurisdiction.”
“I remember him. We played baseball together,” Jackson said. “He OD’d.”
Charlotte nodded. “He died from a narcotics overdose. His father insisted he never used or sold drugs. Waverly Junction PD provided an entire file showing multiple drug offenses. Your father went crazy. He was sure Dexter Barrett was telling the truth about his son. After a conference with Dexter, I asked the ME to test a sample of Oliver’s hair.”
Olivia dropped her head in her hands. Jackson wrapped his arms around her. “You proved he was murdered.”
Charlotte took a shaky breath and nodded. “When the results came back, I began a full-scale investigation. Dexter Barrett admitted he was under pressure to vote for a deal with a new electric company. He had been refusing. I was able to prove a known dealer gave Oliver a hotshot after a poker fundraiser for the hospital. I could never substantiate the order came from the council. We tried to investigate, but it was like hitting a brick wall. No one wanted to talk, and those who did were too scared to speak up. Dexter resigned from the council shortly after. He and his wife moved out of state.”
“Would they come after you for investigating?” Olivia worried.
“If I tied it to the council, yes. But it was more likely the letter campaign your father and David started it. As part of David’s campaign, they alleged corruption within the council, having to do with the power company.”
“And then both Dad and David Reynolds died in that fire. It can't be a coincidence.” Olivia teared up.
Charlotte knelt in front of her. “I know, Liv. It's all very suspicious, but without any concrete evidence, we're just left with questions and uncertainties.” She grew increasingly tense and hesitated, her words catching in her throat as she grappled with the weight of the truth she was about to reveal.
“There's something I need to confess,” Charlotte began, her voice trembling slightly with emotion. “I didn't investigate further to protect you and your sisters.”
