The following April Jolene
joins Erin and Violet at Erin’s Cut and Curl salon on a sunny Monday morning.
She finds Pam in Erin’s chair getting her haircut. There are no other customers
so she says, “Good morning to The Cut and Curl Detective Society. I read Mary
Jane Bloom’s article in yesterday’s Weekly Journal. David Wellborne’s been
convicted of Carson’s murder and he got 20 to life in Jackson prison. He
narrowly avoided life for premeditated murder. I guess the judge figured his
hot temper caused him to kill Carson without planning. Anyway, I’m glad that’s
done with. I have some other news. Probate of Carson’s estate is finally over.
Paul Waters gave up delaying it when I refused to sell him the property for
half price. He couldn’t figure out how I was getting along on what I earn
cutting hair. He thought I would get desperate for money and have to sell to
him. Maybe I should have told him about Carson’s life insurance. No matter, I
have all of Carson’s estate in my name now. I have a plan for the Wellborne
beach property I want to share with the three of you. You helped make it
possible by proving Jake and me innocent and helping the sheriff get Wellborne
for Carson’s murder. After all the grief that property caused I didn’t want to
own it. I want our villagers to be able to continue to use that beach and I
want them to gain some of the benefits they would have gotten if Carson had
been able to develop it. I negotiated an agreement with the State of Michigan
while I waited for the probate court to finish. I am donating the property to
the State. It is to be named Pineville State Park. Other conditions are
that the beach remains free to access for locals via a footpath from the
village. Also, the Art on the Lake exhibit can continue using the beach every
4th of July as before if we want. The State surveyed the property and they say
it can support 30 or maybe 35 campsites without cutting any trees. They also
agreed to hire Peter Brown to do the plumbing for two buildings with toilets
and showers. It’s not as much as he hoped for but it’s the best I can do. The
park will stay open all year so hunters can use it in fall and snowmobiles in
winter. A snowmobile trail will be developed from the park to the National
Forest west of town. What do you think, ladies?”
Pam, Erin and Violet are
speechless at first. Then Violet runs over and hugs Jolene. She says, “That’s
wonderful, Jolene. I couldn’t dream of a better solution. No houses close to
the beach and no big trees will have to be cut. Wait until I tell my activists
friends. They’ll be as thrilled as I am.”
Erin follows with, “Oh,
Jolene. I am delighted and the Chamber will be delighted. That many campsites
and being open all year means as much or probably more new business than we
would have had with 20 new cottages. Wow!”
Pam adds, “We’re proud of
you, Jolene. It’s a big sacrifice giving away that valuable property.”
“Not as much as you think,
Pam. My cousin the banker says I’ll get a tax break that will eliminate most of
the taxes I would have owed on Carson’s life insurance. Now, some personal
news; Jake is going to college on-line. He’s sure his PTSD will be better by
the time he finishes his business degree. He hopes to get a job with our local
bank or the credit union. And finally, Fr. Joe Penny is marrying Jake and me on
the beach on the first Saturday in June and you’re all invited of course. It’ll
bring back memories of when we used to have sex at night on the deserted beach
the summer after high school.”
That brings laughter as they
all hug Jolene.
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