A. Renee Art

They approached the playground on the way to the hunting cabin Scott stayed in before running away from Painscreek.

“Hey, this was where that kid disappeared. The one on the missing person’s flyer in the inn and the hospital,” Caylix noted.

“One case at a time, Callie,” Connor said.

“Yeah,” Merc added. “We need to use every bit of daylight we can at Scott’s cabin and it looks like Janet and Lydia are hot on the trail.”

“You bet we are,” Lydia said. “At least with answering why Scott was obsessed with Sofia’s disappearance.”

“You know why?”

“Like I said,” Janet said, approaching the cabin door, “it was the only explanation left.” She turned the key to unlock the door to the place that they felt would finally lead them to the right answers.

On the inside, it looked like any normal cabin, completely made of wood, bearskin rug on the floor in front of a fireplace, a taxidermy of a beaver, a small kitchen, a gun cabinet. A few books were piled on the only drawer in the combo living room/kitchenette next to a grey plaid patterned couch. That same drawer contained two keys, one marked “toy chest”, a hymn book, a picture of Charles and Scott in hunting gear, and a journal. On the first page was a title, “Investigations of Painscreek by Scott Brooks.”

“Here we go,” Janet said, waving the book. “Let’s see what Scott found out.”

Janet and the girls sat on the couch as the guys stood. Connor aimed his camera as she began reading.

Something is going on in the town of Painscreek and I can’t help that it has something to do with me. As a budding detective, I hope to find out what that something is.

It all started when Father Matthew, the man who adopted me, told me to stop dating Trisha. It was the first time I mentioned that I was dating her, and he looked shocked when I told him. He told me to stop seeing her. I asked why, but he wouldn’t say.

He knew I was friends with her. Why didn’t he say anything then? What changed? One way or another, I will find out.

That’s what this journal will be about, along with any other secrets I find in Painscreek.

June 22, 1993

I fought with Father Matthew when I asked him about Trisha. I figured there was something more to it. I asked him if it was because I wasn’t rich or because I’m an orphan. He then blurted out that I wasn’t an orphan.

My first clue. If I’m not an orphan, then that means my parents are still alive. And if he knew that…

I became too eager. I asked him who my parents were. He immediately went quiet.

September 5, 1993

I haven’t spoken to Father Matthew for most of the summer. Every time I try to bring up talk about my parents, he changes the subject to church matters or doesn’t answer me. Sometimes we would fight.

So I moved out of the church into the hunting cabin Mr. Roberts owns. He was fine with it, as long as I agreed to continue working as an assistant gardener. It’s one bright spot, I suppose, though I’m unsure as to how to continue my investigation.

Speaking of being an assistant gardener, Andrew was caught drinking at work again. Lucky for him, it was Bernard who saw. He told me to take Andrew home. As I was tending to him, he would call himself a sinner and utter names I had never heard before. I think I only recognized the name Magdalene. Don’t remember where, though.

September 20, 1993

St. Patrick’s Orphanage! Of course! Since I was adopted from there, that’s where I need to go to find the truth. There must be records of me there.

November 7, 1993

I returned from the orphanage with my old toy chest and found out that Father Calvin Bennett, Painscreek’s previous pastor, brought me there when I was an infant. According to a record sheet, I was born in Painscreek.

Someone I went to high school with works at the hospital now. With their help, I was able to discreetly check the hospital records to avoid being accused of privacy violations. There’s no record of me being born there. What is going on?

November 16, 1993

I’ve hit a stonewall. Out of desperation, I broke into Father Matthew’s room. I found nothing about my parents or me in there. Just a bunch of old books, journals, and woodworking tools belonging to him.

I remember the airplane he made for me after he adopted me. I wish he didn’t keep secrets from me.

November 30, 1993

Andrew had another…episode, several, in a span of a few days and every time, he apologized to someone named Sofia over and over again. I asked him who she was, and he freaked out, saying I shouldn’t go around speaking that name. Then he said he had never heard of that name in his life.

At first, I thought she might have been an old girlfriend and that she was why he was drinking. What would the rest of the town have to do with her? Why did Andrew seem so afraid of her?

Yet another Painscreek secret. Time for Detective Brooks to handle it. Or whatever my last name really is.

“He’s getting there,” Lydia said.

“Yeah,” Janet said.

“Getting where,” Merc asked.

December 2, 1993

Wanda told me that Sofia was a maid who once worked at the mansion almost twenty years ago. She was let go after a few years, but Wanda didn’t know why. She didn’t seem to care for her though and thought she was a manipulator. There seemed to be some animosity in her voice and I couldn’t help that it wasn’t just aimed at this Sofia woman, that it was for me too.

I tried asking Derrick the same question, but he’s not speaking to me. I think it’s because of Trisha. Does he like her too?

December 13, 1993

After hanging the Christmas decorations outside, I asked Bernard about Sofia during our lunch break. Surprised that I knew that name, he said that he didn’t know her well, though he was here during the same time in the early ‘70s.

I don’t know what it is about him, but even though he said less than Wanda, Bernard somehow creeps me out with his cold gaze. I did the only thing I could and excused myself and left.

December 18, 1993

While cleaning the leaves and brush from the backyard, Dorothy approached me. We chatted and I used the chance to ask about Sofia. After I told her I first heard the name from Andrew, she kindly explained that she and Sofia were close friends when she came to work here in 1972.

Unfortunately, she had an affair with Mr. Roberts while Vivian was hospitalized. She and her baby left Painscreek shortly after to start a new life.

So I guess that’s case closed on Sofia. No wonder everyone was mostly quiet about it. A politician having an affair with a maid isn’t the most original thing that happens in a small town, but it’s still a big deal.

Lydia sighed in exasperation and shook her head as if she were disappointed.

December 25, 1993

I was invited to the Christmas party at the Roberts’ mansion. Since I was no longer living at the church with Father Matthew, he couldn’t stop me from going and seeing Trisha. I couldn’t drink, so I was tasked with keeping Andrew away from the wine at Dorothy’s request. Wanda and Bernard avoided me, but the Roberts were kind, as usual. Mr. Roberts gave me a $1000 check for my college fund if I decided to go after all.

Derrick wasn’t at the party. His mom’s fighting cancer, but I also think he’s still not talking to me.

The year is ending and I found no new information about my parents. After all the looks I was getting from people weeks earlier, I wasn’t about to ask about them during the biggest Christmas party in town.

January 1, 1994

I failed to keep Andrew away from the alcohol at the New Year’s party last night. I blame myself, but I didn’t know he would bring his own flask. He asked me if it was possible to really start over. How was I to answer, I’m not even 20 years old yet. I only told him I didn’t know. Then he said that maybe some sins shouldn’t be forgiven and apologized to Sofia again.

What is it with him and this Sofia?

He asked me what my new year’s resolution was. I said I decided to find my real parents. I asked him about his resolution, but he said he didn’t have one. I told him that whoever he wronged (I didn’t say “Sofia” to keep from triggering him) he should work on forgiving himself and healing, that people always find a way to start again (like Sofia in another place, but I didn’t say that either) even if they didn’t know how.

He looked at me as if he were about to cry and said that I could be a pastor someday, and a better one than Father Matthew. I only shrugged. I didn’t want to be like Father Matthew. I don’t want to be someone who kept secrets. I wanted to solve them.

Things weren’t too sad. I got my first kiss, at midnight, with Trisha. We were in the shed. Why did I feel sick afterwards?

“Oh, ugh,” Lydia winced.

“Wait, what,” Connor asked.

March 5, 1994

Mrs. Roberts talked to Father Matthew after church this past Sunday. That explained why she suddenly told me to stop seeing Trisha. That’s two people now who suddenly don’t approve. But why would Mrs. Roberts suddenly be against me dating her daughter? She approved of me, even hired me as an assistant gardener to Andrew. She said I could still work at the mansion.

June 7, 1994

Trisha’s back from college. She told me that her mother forbid her from seeing me. I told her that her mother told me to keep away from her. Neither of us knew why, so for the summer, we decided to meet in secret in the shed where we first kissed on New Year’s. I was hesitant but agreed.

Meanwhile, Andrew has not been around lately. The garden has been out of control so far this year with the weeds and high growing grass.

September 28, 1994

I found Andrew unconscious at his place days ago when I tried to pick him up on my way to work. I called an ambulance after seeing an empty bottle of sleeping pills nearby.

The nurse told me that this was his third suicide attempt. I had no idea he tried it twice before. I decided to tend to him since he had no other friends or family in town. Unbeknownst to me, there was an interesting result—a story about Sofia.

He confirmed Dorothy’s story about her working at the mansion and that she had an affair with Mr. Roberts, which resulted in a child. Vivian found out and told her to leave, but…

On June 26, 1975, at close to midnight, Vivian confronted her behind a gated area in the back of the mansion, and for some reason, Dr. Johnson and Andrew were there with Vivian. During a fight that broke out, Sofia fell and hit her head on a nearby well. Dr. Johnson examined her and saw that her neck was broken.

Andrew said he only did what he did to protect Vivian and did what she demanded of him. He got rid of Sofia’s body and the baby. He said he gave the baby away. The three of them vowed not to say anything. God help me, I asked him what the baby’s name was.

“Vincent,” he said.

I thought…but no.

“Chotto matte,” Caylix whispered.

“How much you want to bet this other key opens the basement,” Lydia asked. She marched over to it and opened the lock. Janet continued to read as the group headed downstairs.

November 5, 1994

I was fired. Mrs. Roberts accused me of spying on her and her husband. She wasn’t wrong about that. She was also told that I had been seen with Trisha. Also true, but I think I know the real reason for my firing. Weeks ago, I had been asking around about Sofia again. When Trisha came home for fall break last week, I asked her if she had a younger brother named Vincent.

She said she didn’t, meaning she knew nothing about her father’s affair with a maid twenty years ago. She must have asked her mother if she had heard of Vincent.

I have to start offering handyman services to support myself now.

December 31, 1994

I’m at the cabin alone. No parties for me tonight. Another year, and I failed my resolution. I do know one thing, though. Mrs. Roberts is a killer. It’s for the best that I got fired. I should take Mr. Roberts up on that gift he gave me last year and leave Painscreek. I’m surprised he didn’t ask for the money back, though I offered.

Merc pointed at a blue toy chest beside a pair of large garden shears set near a washing machine and dryer. He also clocked the water heater from Moss’s picture in the corner. A wardrobe sat along the wall on the far left. Lydia opened that next and first picked up a paper, an old letter from a Sister Rachel Davis of St. Patrick’s Orphanage.

The letter, sent to Scott in February of 1994 explained how on Independence Day in 1975, Father Calvin brought baby Scott to the orphanage, where he was cared for by the nuns. Ten years later, Father Matthew, the new head priest of Painscreek Trinity Church after Father Calvin’s death, came to the orphanage to see young Scott and to leave money for whatever he needed. He later decided to adopt the boy.

The other contents of Scott’s toy chest were various old toys and a blue baby blanket monogrammed with the words “My Baby Boy” with some stars and a crescent moon, which Lydia held.

At the same time, Caylix managed to use the cross, once in Trisha’s possession, on the left side of the wardrobe, according to one of Steve Moss’s photos. There was a click.

“Someone open the door,” Connor said, his video camera pointing at it.

Merc got it, but there was nothing but a few hangars and an old switch light above. He tried pushing against the back. “There’s nothing here.”

“The light switch,” Maddie suggested.

He tried it and the back creaked open, revealing a secret bedroom. With a flashlight on, he stepped in first, followed by Connor, excited about filming the finding of a secret room. The rest carefully filed in.

It was cramped with a single bunk bed, a couple of shelves, one drawer, some boxes, and a desk, plus a group of six people. Hung above the desk was evidence of Scott’s investigative work.

“’Who killed Vivian Roberts,’” Merc read the title.

“Scott really was investigating Vivian’s death,” Connor said.

The wall had pictures of various townspeople, mainly the same ones that Janet and the teens had been investigating. Vivian’s photo read “Victim/Murderer”. Underneath, forming the base of a triangle were pictures of Andrew Reed and Dr. Johnson. The two men were marked, “Died before Vivian’s murder” and described how each of them died, the house fire and drowning in the lake respectively. In the middle of the triangle was a photo of the woman believed to be Sofia. In her arms was her baby boy, Vincent in a monogrammed blanket. Her photo was described with an index card as “Sofia Miller—Died after a fight with these three, July 26, 1975 at midnight.”

Lydia took the photo of Sofia from the wall and held up the blanket beside it for the others to see. “Everyone see this?”

Merc and the twins stood in shock as it finally dawned on them while seeing the same blanket in the photo. Maddie let out a small sigh. Janet continued reading.

February 13, 1995

I fixed Dorothy’s sink and she served me tea after I was done. We talked. She told me some old stories from working at the mansion and showed me her photo album. One photo almost made my heart stop. The moment I saw it, I realized who I was because I have the same blanket.

I now also know who my father is.

Everything makes sense now.

“The hell,” Merc said. “He…kissed his sister!”

“Holy Empire Strikes Back,” Connor exclaimed.

“Scott later visited Andrew,” Janet continued from the diary. “After telling him that he was the baby he gave to Father Calvin, he demanded to know where his mother’s body was—the well at the mansion.”

Connor and Caylix started. Janet continued.

“He recovered her body. Sofia’s buried at the cemetery next to Father Calvin—”

“Under a wooden cross,” Lydia finished.

“How did you know?”

“Maddie and I saw it while we were there.”

Maddie nodded. Janet continued.

“Scott began willfully avoiding Trisha after that. He…he said he told Father Matthew everything—about Sofia, what happened to her, who was involved, and that he was Trisha’s half-brother Vincent. Next, he wrote about Andrew’s, Dr. Johnson’s and Vivian’s deaths. He said he was questioned about Vivian’s murder—several times but not arrested. Even he marveled at that fact. He watched Vivian’s funeral and burial from far away, but mostly because he was watching Charles and Trisha. Meanwhile, he began asking around about the night Andrew died and the two weeks when Dr. Johnson was missing.

The town began shunning him. Officially, the case of Vivian’s murder stalled with no leads. He was eventually told by police that he was no longer a suspect, but it didn’t matter. The town wanted nothing to do with him. He had a fight with Derrick at the market in November—his last entry of the year.

It picks up again in February after he recovered from the stabbing. He says he knows who tried to kill him but doesn’t want to say because of the person’s connection to Vivian, so he told police that he didn’t see who it was.

Here’s his final entry:”

February 7, 1996

The whole town hates me. Despite that I’m no longer being questioned about Mrs. Roberts’s death, I’m a full-fledged suspect in everyone else’s eyes. Even Derrick hates me and I really can no longer see Trisha, not even as friends. Besides, I don’t think she’s ready for the truth—I wasn’t ready. She thinks a lot about her dad, and after her mother’s death, she might hate me for saying anything and he’s all she has now.

But she must know. Someday. I already gave her the cabin key in an envelope I left in her house mailbox. I forged the return address as it being from one of her girlfriends from school so no one else finds it suspicious and opens it. I also plan to leave the cross key behind for her with a letter in the cabin. My real father is at that mansion too, but I just can’t bring myself to see him.

I don’t know.

And Father Matthew knew about me. Why did he adopt me, knowing who I really was? Why would he do this to me? I can’t even rely on him now. The way I’ve seen him interact with people, he’s so jittery these days anyway.

As for me, I know I can no longer stay in Painscreek. There is nothing left for me here.

Goodbye Painscreek

Scott Brooks

Closer inspection of the investigation board revealed other interesting insights. Scott believed that Dr. Johnson murdered Magdalene, Charles’ mother. Pictures of her and Trisha were labeled “Grandmother” and “Half-sister” respectively. Listed as suspects for Vivian’s murder were pictures of Charles (labeled “My Father”), Bernard (“Butler, creepy”), and Derrick (“chauffeur”).

The back of Sofia’s picture simply read “Mother”.

A typewriter sat on the desktop. After finding some paper, Janet typed the word “Painscreek”. The ‘e’s appeared normal.

Elsewhere in the cabin was a TV and a box of security tapes from the mansion, assumed somehow stolen from the Roberts’ and were part of his investigation, no doubt. One of the other drawers revealed two more keys, one was an old gate key, the other grey-green and rusted, on top of a sewer map.

“Why would Scott have a key and a map to the sewers,” Connor asked.

“It’s probably how he got the security tapes,” Merc said. “See, the underground passageways Scott drew in his time capsule map as a kid was the sewers.”

“I’m also thinking it’s how he was able to sneak in and recover his mother’s body,” Janet surmised.

“That must be what the other key is for,” Connor said. “It must go to the gated area.”

In another drawer was a locket. There was no picture inside, but Madeline saw some numbers, 0526.

“Is that a date,” Lydia asked. “A birthday?”

“Sounds like it,” Janet said. “There’s an inscription on the bottom—“M to S”.

“S,” Caylix thought. “Scott?”

“Guys don’t wear lockets, Callie,” Connor said.

“Sofia then,” Janet said.

“So who’s ‘M’,” Merc asked.

“It wasn’t from Charles,” Lydia said. “That’s for sure. Who do we know with an ‘M’ name who had a personal connection to Sofia?”

“Dorothy mentioned in her journal that Sofia was Father Matthew’s cousin,” Maddie said. “Remember, she was referred for work at the mansion by him.”

She pointed at a picture of Father Matthew on the wall. His information read “Adopted me. Sofia’s cousin. Was in Indonesia when she died. ‘M’ from Sofia’s locket?”

The room suddenly became quiet.

“A personal connection,” Merc said.

“Yes, but impossible,” Lydia said. “He was away at the time, remember? At the religious conference.”

“Oh, yeah.”

They left the cabin after finding nothing else of import. They discussed a few things outside the door, including why Scott thought Dr. Johnson murdered Magdalene.

That was when Janet received a phone call from her colleague.

“Dennis,” she answered.

“Hey, Janet. I got some follow up.”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

She went back toward the door for privacy while she had her call. Off to the side, she noticed Madeline crouched at a nearby well with the lid locked on.

“I see,” Janet continued. “Actually, I got a lead on Sofia Miller. I’ll tell you when I get back. Uh huh. Thanks Dennis. See you Monday.”

Madeline saw a key in the grass nearby and picked it up. As she rejoined the others, Janet told them what Dennis told her.

“Dorothy Patterson hired Steve Moss two years ago, but she has not heard from him since. No one has.”

            They next made a short visit back to the cemetery where Janet and the twins, and Merc, this time, saw Sofia Miller’s grave for themselves. After paying their respects, the group left. As they did, Lydia noticed without saying anything, but letting out a light gasp before covering her mouth, that the fresh vase of flowers atop Sofia’s grave were gone. Her new reaction to seeing the grave was not lost on Maddie.