Same Day, Early Afternoon

Beaver Ridge Complex, Lobby



“Dad, I’ve got those files you wanted,” Alison Marriott said as she rushed into the lobby and over to her father’s makeshift desk. “I’ve got to warn you, though, these numbers aren’t encouraging.”

“I was afraid of that,” Andy Marriott sighed, taking the files from her and quickly scanning them. He felt his jaw begin to tighten, his sense of foreboding coming true, and he slammed the filed down onto his desk. “Damn, damn, damn!”

“Dad, it’s going to be okay. We’ll figure a way around this. This isn’t going to keep Beaver Ridge from opening right on schedule.”

“How can you say that? You’ve seen the numbers.” He raked his fingers through his hair, his mind going a mile a minute. “And with Paulson threatening to pull out…well, we’re just about done.”

“Let me have another look.” Alison picked up the file and carefully made some quick notations in the margin. “Look, I can move some of these numbers around – transfer a little bit from here to there – and I can at least make it look like were solvent. If we show that to Paulson, it could buy us some time.”

“Maybe,” Andy muttered, “but it’s not going to be enough. We don’t have enough funds or resources to make the changes he wants. If he pulls out, everyone else is going to follow right along behind him and that’s gonna leave me and John stuck with this rundown heap.” Alison’s eyes followed her father while he paced anxiously around the room. “Why in God’s name did I ever try to cut expenses by cutting those corners? Why did I let you talk me into….”

“It’s gonna be okay, Dad. Trust me.” Alison put her hand on her father’s shoulder. “We’re not out, yet. Remember, I talked John into getting on board with this. Let me talk to Paulson. I bet I can charm him into falling in line.”

“Well, if anyone can, you can. But… I don’t even think that’s gonna help.”

Alison glanced down at her watch, making note of the time. “Dad, shouldn’t you be getting home to get ready?”

“For what?”

“Meg’s funeral is today. I thought you might want to go and pay your respects. She was married to Granddad for a while, after all.”

“Don’t remind me of that disaster,” Andy grumbled. “And why the hell would I want to pay any kind of respect to that old hag. She’s the reason we’re in this mess to begin with. Damn that old woman to hell.”





Rosehill Hospital, Research Lab



“Alex, the results on those last round of tests just came in.” Dr. Tom Crawford burst through the door, charts in hand.

“And?” Dr. Alex Marriott looked up from his microscope, anxious to hear good news. “Did the tests prove our theory?”

“They proved it and then some.” Tom could barely contain his excitement. Over a year and a half’s worth of work was finally starting to come to fruition. “If these results hold, this could be the breakthrough we’ve been looking for.”

“I’m just glad I could be a part of this.” Alex stuck out his hand and gave Tom’s a firm shake. “I know that I almost didn’t get to come aboard on this one, but….”

“Old news, Alex. Old news.” Tom tried to hide his discomfort in discussing recent troubles, but when he realized he couldn’t he quickly changed the topic. “Your mother was here looking for you earlier.”

“Yeah, she found me. She came by on the way over to the church for the funeral.” He paused, reflecting on all the difficulties of the past few days. “I’m really worried about Van. I hope she can make it through all this.”

“Alex, Van is a strong woman; I’ve known her for years. She’s been through a lot in her life. If anyone can survive anything, it’s her.”



“Gentlemen,” Dr. Andrew Marriott spoke up as he stepped into the lab, “I hear congratulations are in order.”

“Damn right!” Tom beamed. “Those tests proved everything that we’ve been trying to say for months. I’m positive that with just a few more trials and some more research, we’ll really make significant progress to take to the pharmaceutical company and the FDA. This is going to help a lot of people, Andrew.”

“I’m sure it will, Tom.” Andrew couldn’t bear to look at him – couldn’t bear to tell him the awful news. “Tom, I… I have to shut down the project. The hospital simply doesn’t have the funds to continue supporting your research on this.”

“But, Granddad, I don’t understand.” Alex looked from Andrew to Tom and back again, trying to make sense of what his grandfather was saying.

“Alex, Meg’s grant was the sole source of funding for this research project. When she pulled her backing….”

“Meg pulled out?” Alex couldn’t hide his disbelief and disappointment. “Tom, you didn’t tell me she pulled out. I know she threatened to, but….” He slowly began to nod, realizing exactly what the reason was. “It was me, wasn’t it? Meg pulled out because of me.”

“Meg pulled out for whatever twisted reason she had for pulling out this time,” Tom corrected. “Everyone knows how she was. She’d get an idea into her head and no one could convince her otherwise until she did something foolish, realized she’d hurt a lot of people she hadn’t intended to, and then begged everyone to forgive her. This is no one’s fault.”

The ringing of the telephone interrupted the conversation and Tom answered.

“Hello?”



“Tom, it’s Amy,” Amy Marriott said softly on the other end of the line. “Can you talk?”

“No,” he replied casually. “I’m here with Andrew and Alex right now.” He looked at the clock on the wall and noted the time. “We should be getting ready to go to the funeral in a few minutes.”

“I know,” she sighed, “me, too. I still haven't decided whether I'm going or not. I don't know if I can put up with St. Van that long.” She took a lengthy pause. “Can we… see one another after the funeral?”

“I don’t know. That just seems so….”

“Oh, please, Tom. I need to see you.”

“Okay,” he nodded, turning his back towards Andrew and Alex to shield them from the conversation. “After the funeral.”

Amy hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair in her office. Everything had gone so much easier than she’d anticipated. Now, it was almost clear sailing.





Rosehill Church



“Oh, Aunt Van,” Vanessa Harper cried out when she saw her namesake as she walked into the church. “I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you, dear,” Vanessa Sterling said softly, her arms around her grandniece. “We’ve all lost a great deal with Meg’s death.”



“Aunt Van, I insisted on coming home just as soon as I found out the news,” Vanessa’s twin sister Megan Harper spoke up. “This is just a tragedy.”

“Yes, dear, I’m sure you did.” While Van appreciated the sentiment, she wasn’t the least bit blind to her grandniece’s shortcomings. In fact, Van couldn’t help but smile at the thought of exactly how much Megan reminded her of Meg.



“Girls, it’s so good to have you both home,” Betsy Harper took her daughters into her arms and hugged them tightly. “I just wish this was under better circumstances.”

“We’re here, Mom. We’re a family. We come together in times like this.” Vanessa held Betsy’s hand tightly, attempting to give her support and comfort. “That’s what families do.”

“Yeah, Mom, what she said.” Megan rolled her eyes slightly even though she’d tried her best to avoid it. Her demeanor wasn’t lost on her older sister Suzanne.



“Cut the act, Megan,” Suzanne Prentiss spoke up in a firm whisper. “Everyone knows you didn’t want to come back her and interrupt your little ski adventure. You don’t have the slightest interest in your family. You never have.”

“Don’t start, Suzanne.” Megan folded her arms tightly across her chest and glared at her. “I do care about this family. You and Vanessa don’t hold exclusive rights to that. Don’t you have a husband somewhere you need to annoy and nag instead of me?”

“John’s tied up outside with a phone call.” Suzanne did her best to hide the irritation caused by her husband’s preoccupation with business, today of all days. “He’s having some complications with the Beaver Ridge project, I think.”

“Probably more to do with Alison Marriott.” Megan tried to make it seem that she was muttering under her breath, but she’d really intended for Suzanne to hear her.

“Oh, shut up, Megan.” Suzanne pushed past her and stormed out of the church in search of her husband.

“Hmm,” Megan smirked. “I must’ve hit a nerve.”

Meanwhile, across the church….

“Betsy, are you all right?” Van asked with concern. “You’re not looking well.”



“How like you,” Betsy smiled. “All of this going on around you and you’re worried about me.” She paused and glanced across the room towards her husband Ben who was deep in conversation with the minister. “I’m worried about him, Aunt Van. I’m afraid that all if this is too much for him – to lose his mother like this….”

“Honey, we’re a strong family. We’re going to get through this.”

“I just hope that the police find out who killed Meg quickly. I don’t know how much of this he can take.”

“The Rosehill Police Department is one of the finest in the state, Betsy. I have complete faith that they’re going to find out who did this to Meg.”

“I hope so, Aunt Van.” Betsy paused, looking down at her hands which had torn the Kleenex she’d held into shreds in anxiety. “He’s not like you, Aunt Van. You know that. He obsesses over things. He can be like a dog with a bone. Until we find out who did this, nothing else is going to matter – not work, not the kids, not me, not even himself….” She again looked over towards her husband as she tried to keep her own fears at bay. “I’m worried about him. I’m worried that this is going to end up eating him alive….”