Part 1
May 2002 - Air France
Dixie stood in the airport terminal, she looked like a different
person, her hair was straightened, making it look a bit longer. A
scarf covered her head and she wore a pair of dark sunglasses.
She began to nervously pace the floor, holding her boarding pass
in one hand and the baby carrier in the other.
Katie was sleeping soundly, her tiny mouth gaping. As the
announcement for the flight came over the loudspeaker, Dixie
watched as the baby stirred slightly.
"Shh, shh." She lightly bounced the carrier.
"Please don't wake up, sweetie. Just sleep until we get
to California." Dixie breathed a sigh of relief when Katie
stayed sleeping. She made her way to get on the plane.
"Ticket and passport," Dixie heard once she got to the
front of the line. This was it, she thought as she handed them
over. Dixie removed her sunglasses briefly as the woman looked
down at the passport and then up at Dixie. "Have a nice
trip, Miss Carver."
Dixie smiled, taking her passport back and boarding the plane.
"Here we go, Katie," Dixie said as she looked for her
seat. "Excuse me," she said to a young man in the seat
beside hers.
He stood, allowing her to get to the window seat. Dixie removed
Katie from her carrier, letting the baby continue to sleep,
leaning against her chest.
"She's a beautiful baby," the young man said.
Dixie smiled. "Thanks," she looked down at Katie.
"She's a little angel." Dixie extended her free
hand. "I'm Jessica Carver."
He took her hand. "Trey Kenyon." He smiled. "So...
are you getting off in New York or California?"
"Oh I'm going all the way to California." she
said. "What about you? Are you a West Coaster?"
"East Coaster actually," Trey said. "Pennsylvania.
A little town called Pine Valley... you probably haven't
heard of it."
Dixie swallowed hard. "Can't say I have," she
lied, looking him over. "You seem like the professional
type. Were you in Paris on business?"
"Sort of..." Trey said. "I'm an attorney. I'm...between
cases now."
"A lawyer, huh?" Dixie said. "Sounds like
fun."
"Well, what do you do?"
"Before I had Katie here... I used to be a teacher. I love
the kids."
"It takes a special person..."
Dixie smiled as the baby stirred, letting out a tiny moan.
"Oh, honey, don't cry," she said. "Please don't
cry. Shh." She gently rocked Katie. "Shh." The
baby began wailing. "I'll just walk her to the back of
the plane. She'll be fine. Excuse me."
Trey stood and let Dixie out, and watched as she walked to the
back of the plane with baby Kate.
May 2002 - American Airlines, New York
Trey stepped out into the lot, his briefcase in one hand and his
luggage in the other. He looked around for a moment before
spotting the car and approaching it.
"You really didn't need to come all the way up
here," Trey said getting in. "I could have ordered a
car or something." he paused. "But I appreciate this
David."
"Don't mention it," David said. Trey smiled.
"No, I really mean it. I'm supposed to be in Pine
Valley, remember."
"My lips are sealed, I swear." Trey said. He leaned
forward. "Is this today's paper?" he asked.
David was silent for a moment as he started driving. "Hot
off the presses." he said. "Damn media can't sit
on a story."
"Pine Valley woman dies in car crash in Switzerland,"
Trey read the headline aloud before moving his sights to the
photo. "I know her," Trey said.
"Dixie?" David said. "There's no way. She
left town about a month before you showed up."
"It's an amazing resemblance, then," Trey said,
continuing to scan through the article. "Except the woman
who I saw, her hair was straight." he paused. "She sat
right next to me on the plane from Paris. Her and her
newborn."
David stopped the car. "Her newborn?" he said. Trey
nodded. "What was the woman's name?"
"Uh, Jessica something..." he thought. "Carver.
Jessica Carver. She was making the full trip... to LA."
"Did all the passengers get off the plane in New York?"
David asked him.
"Yeah, there was a switch over, Why?"
David turned the car around and headed back toward the airport,
checking his watch. "We might still be able to get back
there before the plane takes off," he said. "If she
really is Dixie Martin, Trey, I need to know." He paused.
"And I'm going to find out."
