Chapter One
Tuesday mornings in suburbia are all the same. Wives trying to get their children ready for school, husbands straightening their ties before heading out to work, the newspaper boy on his hurried round.
But this Tuesday was different.
Maggie Brown was just trying to convince her four year-old daughter Lizzie to put on her shoes (pink with a flower motif), when a knock on the door interrupted the daily challenge. Her husband Noel was long since out of the house, having risen at five to leave for his small building company.
"Lizzie, put on your shoes, be a good girl," Maggie said, fondly ruffled the stubborn child's curls, and crossed the kitchen to get the door. Opening it, she was met with the sight of her neighbour Serena Shields, all wide eyes and big belly. "Serena! Bit early, isn't it? Everything okay?" It wasn't like Serena to come knocking while still wearing her pyjamas, especially not since Serena's belly had grown too big for her to close her bathrobe. Maggie instinctively reached out to touch her friend's belly, relieved to feel the baby kicking with a vengeance.
"You haven't heard then. Oh my God, Maggie, you will never believe it." Maggie hustled her inside, closed the door, and gave her friend a brief hug. Serena, seven months pregnant, was getting bigger every day. "Haven't heard what?"
Remembering just in time that a child was present, Serena shot Lizzie a bright but fake smile, and then leaned as close to Maggie's ear as possible. Little Lizzie made use of her mother's distraction and promptly hid her shoes in one of the cupboards. But the truth was, she could have hidden them in the fridge and Maggie Brown wouldn't have noticed because right now, all she could focus on was Serena Shields, and what her friend was whispering in her ear.
"Molly Baker was murdered in the Crown Café last night."
Yes, this Tuesday was very different indeed.
News travel fast in the suburbs, and certainly faster than the paper boy on his early morning round. Long before the boy had reached the cul-de-sac that was at the end of Wisteria Lane, half the street had heard the news about Molly Baker. Serena had told Maggie, and Maggie had immediately called Ami. Mrs. Mizuno informed the young mother that Ami had already left the house, but the two women then exchanged what little was known about last night's horrible events. Someone had killed Molly Baker, one of the Crown brothers had found her while opening the café and then called the police, who in turn called the Mizunos. Mrs. Mizuno hung up with the promise to let Ami know Maggie called.
Serena (hovering next to Maggie by the phone) then left, probably to try to weasel some more information out of her husband. Little Lizzie Brown finally put on her shoes and was walked to kindergarten by her mother. While listening to her daughter wonder whether it was better to be a princess or a fairy, Maggie Brown was trying to wrap her mind around the news. Who on earth would kill Molly? It just didn't make sense. This was a good neighbourhood, friendly and peaceful. The worst thing that had happened here that she could remember was that one time when the paper boy had accidentally smashed a window of the Parker-Evans' house. And why would Molly have been in the Crown Café after opening hours in the first place? It just didn't make sense, it wasn't right.
On her way back, Maggie stopped by Mina Hill's house, only to find her already on the porch, drinking coffee with Raye and old Mr. Melvin. Their subdued faces told Maggie that they already knew. Dressed in a blue track suit with no make-up and her long blonde hair in an unruly ponytail, Mina's appearance was a far cry from her usual perfect look.
"Morning," Maggie offered and climbed the steps, smiling feebly, heart beating a little too fast in her chest. By stopping here, she was putting off calling Noel, telling him about Molly, and Maggie rather not wanted to investigate why the idea of telling her husband that their neighbour had been murdered set her teeth on edge. Of course, Molly Baker was not just another neighbour to her husband, but that was another thing Maggie preferred not to think about.
"Morning, dear," Mr. Melvin answered. Mina offered Maggie her own deck chair and disappeared inside her house, no doubt to fetch more coffee. "So you heard," Maggie said, and took a seat. Raye, immaculately dressed in a beige cashmere jumper and pearls, nodded. "The police came to inform Mr. Watson shortly after Molly was found." Maggie felt a bit stupid then. The house Molly Baker and her fiancé lived in was framed by Raye's on the right, and by her own house on the left, and yet, she hadn't heard anyone, hadn't seen the police knock on her neighbour's door to deliver the bad news. "When was that?" she asked while trying to re-trace her steps to find out how she could have missed something like this.
Raye took a sip from her coffee. "I got up at six, and the police arrived just as I watering my roses. So it must have been around six-thirty." Six-thirty. Maggie was still asleep then, her alarm set to ring at seven.
"How did he take it?" Mr. Melvin asked. Mr. Melvin always looked a bit like an owl with his huge, thick-framed glasses. The likeness was further emphasised by him leaning a little forward in his chair, sticking his head out. At 71, he was one of the oldest inhabitants of Wisteria Lane, having lived there all his life and knowing everyone and everything that went on here. Maggie didn't know whether there had ever been a Mrs. Melvin. When she herself had moved onto the lane almost five years ago, he had already been alone. Mr. Melvin, while horrifyingly curious and perhaps the worst gossip in all of Fairview, was a pleasant person to live on the same street with. He always took in his trash cans as soon as they were emptied, had a tidy front yard, and never minded giving people a hand. Lizzie flat out adored him, partly because Mr. Melvin had two cats, a black and a white one, and had promised Lizzie that next time they'd have kittens, she could come and pick one out. Noel had been less thrilled by the prospect of adding a pet to their house, but like most fathers, hadn't quite figured out to resist the wide, guileless, and pleading eyes of his only child.
It was then that Mina re-appeared, quietly handing Maggie a mug of coffee. Accepting it gratefully, Maggie gave her friend a smile, but Mina failed to reciprocate in kind. She looked like she had just cried, and Maggie put the mug down to give her friend's hand a quick squeeze. Of course the news would affect her, Maggie thought. Molly and Mina had been friends. Along with Raye, the three of them had gone to yoga together, and the sight of Molly and Mina jogging together was not uncommon.
Raye cleared her throat. "He invited them into the house, so of course, I couldn't really see." Mr. Melvin nodded, and leaned back in his chair. "Must have been such a shock. The poor thing, still so young."
Mina, now perched on the arm rest of Maggie's chair, shook her head. "Who would want to hurt Molly? I just don't understand it." Her eyes flitted to Raye, and Raye gave a little shrug. "I don't know. Do we know how she was-... do we know what happened?" Raye rephrased tactfully.
"Serena came over earlier. She knew because Ami called Darien to take over her morning appointments," Maggie contributed and picked up her mug again. Mina collected mugs, and this one, blue swirls with pink roses, had been a birthday gift from herself. Lizzie had helped Maggie pick it out, her daughter's predisposition for everything pink once again showing.
"Right, I always forget that little Miss Mizuno is the county's coroner," Mr. Melvin said thoughtfully. "I still remember when she was a little girl, hiding from other children behind my rhododendron." Mina sat a little straighter; it was clear that she was afraid of what news Maggie might have to share and not really interested in how Ami Mizuno behaved as a child. "Did you talk to Ami?"
"I tried to call her, but she was already out. Mrs. Mizuno didn't know what exactly happened." "Did Serena say whether Darien knew something?" Mina insisted, but Maggie was already shaking her head. "No, all Darien knew was that Ami was called to the Crown Café because of Molly, but that's it."
"Such a shame," Mr. Melvin sighed. "It seems just like yesterday that the two of them moved here. Just remember how happy she was, moving into that house." Maggie watched Raye and Mina exchange a glance, then Mina's eyes started tearing up and and she excused herself to once again disappear into the house. Raye looked down at her hands, primly folded in her lap.
*** One Year Ago ***
Raye Charles was standing at her kitchen window, watching the newcomers arrive. Right now, the man was carrying two boxes inside the old Willoughby house, while the woman was unloading a torchiere from the U-Haul. She was quite pretty, Raye thought, reddish-brown curls and an easy smile. She herself had never looked like this, this carefree and happy. Well, at least not as far as she could remember and lately, her memory wasn't so good. Perhaps it was the pills. Ever since she started taking them, the world had become dimmer somehow. Maybe she should talk to Dr. Bailey about it, ask her whether she could switch her medication to something less numbing.
The phone began to ring, ripping her out of her reverie. Raye reached over and picked it up, eyes still fastened on the woman moving in next door. She was wearing faded jeans, a bright green sweater and yellow flip flops. What inappropriate footwear for moving, Raye thought and spoke into the phone. "Raye Charles."
"Raye, it's me. So, what do you think?" Mina's voice was excited, and Raye did not need to ask what she was talking about. "A couple, about our age. Horrible taste in lamps." "Not everyone can afford those pretty little Tiffany lamps you favour," Mina teased and laughed. Mina had the talent of even sounding pretty over the phone, and it was something that despite knowing the bubbly blonde for over a year, still astounded Raye. "Well, you certainly can," she responded with fondness and moved away from the window to fix herself some tea. Earl Grey? Peppermint? Or the orange lavender rooibush Mina had given her? Pushing the latter towards the back of the kitchen cabinet, Raye reached for the earl grey. A classic, always a good choice.
"Do you want to go say hi, introduce ourselves?"
Flipping on the electric kettle, Raye had to wonder at her friend's inconsiderateness. "Mina, do let them arrive. They drove onto the street not even twenty minutes ago. They haven't even unpacked."
"Well, twenty minutes and they haven't met a single neighbour! What a shame, what a pity! They'll think they moved into a hostile neighbourhood! I'll be right over, Raye, don't go say hi before I get there!" And with that, the line went dead. Carefully replacing the receiver on the base station, Raye wondered if Mina would ever stop behaving like a teenager. Probably not. But then again, Mina would probably never have to resort to taking pills to get herself out of bed in the morning or to get through the day.
She moved to the window again. She might chide Mina for her curiosity, but the truth was that these people now lived right next door. Best to gather information early, it would help her find out whether she ought to bring them muffins or the rulebook of the Homeowner's Association as a welcome gift. It was a pity that the Willoughbys had moved to Florida; they'd been perfect neighbours.
Just as the tell-tale click of the kettle told her that the water was now ready, a face appeared in what Raye knew to be the kitchen window of the newcomers' house. It was the man, looking out with a curious expression. When he saw her (too late to step away from the window now, Raye thought with a bit of chagrin), he broke into a smile, and waved. Raye lifted her hand, and waved too, feeling more than a little silly. He made a few gestures back towards the street, grinned, and stepped away. Raye knew that Mina would be anything but pleased, but made her way outside regardless. Anything else would be rude. As she walked down her front steps, the smell of the roses hit her, rich and sweet. Flowers were so rewarding: give them the right care, and they would forever offer you beauty and predictability.
He was already walking towards her, the woman nowhere to be seen. Probably carrying another hideous lamp inside, Rei thought, and then she didn't quite think anything at all because he was in front of her, outstretching his hand. His blue eyes crinkled and the sun shining on his head made his blond curls look positively aglow and for the first time in years, Raye Charles felt really, properly, indisputably alive. "Hi, I'm Jack Watson, I'm your new neighbour."
*** The End ***