Previous chapters of the Vista Falls story:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

How should the story continue? Voting is open on the current chapter!

Last time, Mr. Dinello spotted a guest at the wedding reception he hadn’t seen before. She was a tall, pale woman with red hair and, unlike the other guests, she seemed very sad. Mr. Dinello wondered who she was. He talked with Mr. Jaquith about her. Mr. Jaquith encouraged Mr. Dinello to talk to the woman. When he went up to the woman to talk with her, he found that she wasn’t eager to answer his questions. She said her name was Margaret Pipkin and that she was only there because she was with her mother, a woman named Evelyn. When Mr. Dinello asked for more information, Margarent rudely declared that she was bored and walked away. What did Mr. Dinello do? Here’s what you decided.

Chapter 2: Portrait of Jenny…and Sam
By Joseph Crisalli

“Aren’t you full of questions?” Margaret answered.

“And, aren’t you full of mystery?” Mr. Dinello smiled.

Margaret did not smile back.

“Excuse me, please.” Margaret frowned again. “But, I’m terribly bored.”

With that, she walked away.

Mr. Dinello stood with his mouth open and watched as Margaret walked away.

“How incredibly rude.” Mr. Dinello muttered. He wanted to follow Margaret and tell her that she was being very rude. But, would that be rude, too?

Mr. Dinello shrugged and suddenly felt that the room had become warm. He remembered that Mr. Jaquith had gone out into the courtyard to join Vera, Ward and Kate by the reflecting pool. Mr. Dinello decided that he could use some fresh air and went out to join them.

Coming down the grand stone steps from the museum, Mr. Dinello saw his friends by the reflecting pool. Vera was seated on the concrete wall, looking at her reflection in the still water while Ward and Kate stood next to her, enjoying the shimmering of the candles. In his wheelchair, Mr. Jaquith looked contented in the cool, evening air.

“Jeff!” Mr. Jaquith waved their friend over. Join us! How did your conversation go?”

“Not very well.” Mr. Dinello shrugged.

“Sorry to hear that.” Mr. Jaquith frowned.

“Is something going on that I should know about?” Vera perked up.

“You don’t have to know everything about everything.” Ward laughed.

“You’re mistaken.” Vera winked.

“It’s nothing really.” Mr. Dinello shook his head. “I just was talking with someone I hadn’t met.”

“That woman with the red hair.” Vera raised her eyebrows.

“Yes.” Mr. Dinello said. “How’d you know?”

“Because I’d never seen her before.” Vera answered. “She and the older woman that came with her are the only two people in the room that aren’t familiar to us. Besides, she sort of stands out.”

“What Vera means is that since she and Lucy are the only two girls in Vista Falls with red hair, she noticed the competition immediately.” Kate teased her cousin.

“Oh, you make friends with Blaine and suddenly you’re just full of witty comments.” Vera smirked.

“Where is Blaine?” Mr. Dinello asked, hoping to change the subject.

“He’s with his mother. He’s going to join us for the picnic tomorrow.” Kate asked.

“Is he doing okay?” Mr. Dinello asked, knowing that Blaine had just had a very upsetting problem in his family.

“Pretty well.” Kate nodded.

“Okay, enough about that. Tell us about this red headed woman. What’s her name?”

“Margaret Pipkin.” Mr. Dinello answered, knowing that Vera wouldn’t let up until she knew every detail.

“Where’s she from?” Vera asked.

“I don’t know.” Mr. Dinello answered. “All I know is that she is here with her mother, Evelyn, and she’s never met Sam or Jenny before.”

“How awkward to be at a wedding where you don’t know anyone—not even the bride and groom. I feel sorry for her.” Kate said.

“Don’t feel to0 bad for her, Kate.” Mr. Dinello smiled. “She seems to be able to take care of herself. She was rather rude to me.”

“Probably because she felt self conscious and shy. I feel that way sometimes and people think I’m being rude when really I just don’t know what to say.” Kate explained.

“I think that happens to all of us,” Ward agreed.

“Could be.” Mr. Dinello said. “Maybe that’s all it was.”

Before they could say anything else, they heard someone shouting to them.

“Hey!”

Immediately they recognized TJ’s voice. TJ, Rick, Delia and Vera’s twin, Lucy, came out of the museum.

“There you guys are.” Rick said. “We’ve been looking all over for you.”

“What’s going on?” Mr. Jaquith asked. “The four of you look frantic.”

“You’ll never guess what we just found!” Lucy said.

“It’s the strangest thing.” Delia added.

“What?” Mr. Dinello asked.

“Yes?” Mr. Jaquith asked.

“It’s a painting.” TJ answered.

“A painting?” Mr. Jaquith asked. “What’s so strange about that? This is a museum, after all.”

“Yes.” TJ nodded, “But, this is a painting of Sam and Jenny Colbert!”

“Oh, it must be a wedding gift. Maybe the DeLorcas commissioned a painting as a gift for the bride and groom.” Mr. Dinello said.

“No.” Delia said nervously, “Nobody would give this as a gift. It’s…”

“It’s creepy.” Lucy said.

“Huh?” Mr. Jaquith asked.

“I think we’d better look at it.” Mr. Dinello said. “Where is it?”

“In the hallway at the back of the reception hall—hidden by the service entrance. We went out there to bring some dishes back to the kitchen for Mrs. Conn. We took a wrong turn and saw it just leaning against the wall.” TJ explained.

“Show me.” Mr. Dinello said.

“Do you think we should get Chief Colbert?” Vera asked.

“Not on his wedding day. Let him enjoy the party.” Mr. Dinello shook his head.

“I think he’ll want to see this.” Delia said softly.

What should they do?

Go look at the painting alone?
Get Chief Colbert to join them?
Just go back to the party and forget about it?

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