It is morning in Persephone Pointe. According to all of the weather reports, it should be a clear and sunny day with highs in the upper eighties. Yesterday was quite an eventful day for most of the residents of the seaside community. On the front page of the morning paper, there is a large banner headline that reads, Body Discovered on the DeLongpre Estate. The article talks about the dead body discovered by Pamela DeLongpre’s daughter, Rachel, at the old millpond on the DeLongpre property. Another front page story has the headline, DeLongpre Heiress Struck By Car, and talks about Katherine DeLongpre, daughter of Sumner DeLongpre, being hit by a car on the way to her father’s welcome home party. The local newspaper is filled with stories about the party, who was there, what was worn, and what was said.

On the front page of the paper’s Style Section, is the headline The King Takes A Queen, an article written by the paper’s gossip columnist about Sumner and his new bride Jory. The article was bare on details, because the columnist didn’t get to talk to either Sumner or Jory. The article was filled with the reactions from the guests at the party and speculation about what the new marriage means for the DeLongpre family.

In downtown Persephone Pointe and around the Town Square, even at this early hour, joggers and bikers are out and about getting early morning exercise. Ada’s Kitchen, has just opened for the day. Ada’s Kitchen has become a town institution and known region-wide for the excellent ‘down-home’ cooking and great service. The place is owned and managed by Ada Matthews. Not only do people come to Ada’s for the cooking, but also they come for Ada’s sage advice and no nonsense views on life, love, and the inhabitants of Persephone Pointe.

Jack Eglasca walks into Ada’s and sits at the counter. Jack is Claudia Eglasca’s brother-in-law and was recently appointed Chief of the Persephone Pointe Police Department. Ada is an older woman who never reveals her correct age. People assume that she’s somewhere in her sixties, but can’t quite pin the exact number down. Her hair is cut in a short no frills style and she is wearing a red apron with the Ada’s Kitchen logo on the front and is pouring coffee for one of seven customers that have arrived before Jack. When Ada sees Jack she smiles, tops off the cups of an older tourist couple, and comes up to him and pats him on the back.

"How’s my favorite Chief of Police?" Ada asks Jack.

"Hungry. I worked late last night and didn’t get a chance to eat. You should really consider staying open twenty-four hours Ada," says Jack.

"And when would I get my beauty sleep?" Ada asks.

"Now, Ada you’re the most beautiful woman in Persephone Pointe, why would you need any beauty sleep," says Jack.

"Obviously, you didn’t get any sleep at all last night. You're sounding delusional Jackie-boy," says Ada.

"Actually I didn’t."

"I glanced at the paper this morning," she pours him a cup of coffee and brings him the donut tray.

"Am I that much of a cliché?" He asks looking at the donut tray.

"Not at all, but there’s some chocolate in there and I know how much you like chocolate."

"You’re the best."

"So who’s body was in the DeLongpre pond?"

"Don't know. It's with Julia Collins now. She didn’t know when or if she could make an ID."

"So what do you think -- somebody crossed the DeLongpre’s and ended up at the bottom of that pond?"

"Ada-"

"What? You don’t think that bunch is capable of murder?"

"What are you saying Ada?"

"I’m saying that anything is possible, just keep your options open."

"I am -- it’s probably just some hobo or something that wandered back there, fell in, and drowned."

"Or someone who knew too much and was silenced before they could talk," says Ada.

"Now Ada, you’ve been watching too many Edge of Night reruns.

"You don’t have to be Adam Drake to know that if a dead body shows up on the DeLongpre’s front stoop, there’s more to it than meets the eye." Jack begins to take what Ada is saying to heart. "You’re a smart boy. You always have been, since you and John were running around as tykes, so I’m certain that this investigation is in good hands."

"So what about some eggs and toast with this donut?"

"Comin’ right up. Jack, I’ve been in this town a long time. There are bodies buried all over this land, bodies buried with secrets that could topple an empire." Jack is quite intrigued now. "Jack that body could very well be some hobo, some poor unfortunate soul, down on his luck — may God rest his soul. But, don’t close your mind to the other possibilities — Adam Drake wouldn’t."

"I haven’t Ada," says Jack smiling, nodding his head and about to bite into his donut.

"Good boy. Two eggs, over-easy coming up."

__________________________________________________________

Sumner DeLongpre has left his bedroom and his sleeping wife to go find his son, August. Knowing his son as well as he does, he is almost certain that August will have just arrived from his early morning run and has started his workout in the mansion’s private gym.

Sumner walks down the main staircase and into the Great Hall. He looks around the room, that he hasn’t seen in two years, and is happy that everything is just as he left it and remembers it. Last night before going to bed he and Jory talked about redecorating the master suite. He made the suggestion, because he thought it would give Jory a "project" to work on and keep her occupied while she was getting acquainted with the family and her new surroundings.

Sumner knows that Jory is going to be under intense scrutiny until the family gets used to the idea that he is married, in love, and very, very happy. Sumner walks through the double doors and down the flight of steps that leads to the basement.

The basement of the DeLongpre estate houses the gym, the security room, the vault, a large storage room, offices for the directors of the household and grounds staffs and the recently added mainframe room, where the house server is located, as well as, controls to most of the house's electrical and climate controlling equipment.

Sumner enters the state-of-the-art private gym. The room was upgraded six months ago with all of the latest exercise and fitness machines, free weights, and Nautilus equipment. There is a steam room, a sauna, a massage room, and a whirlpool spa. August is working on his abdominal muscles when Sumner spots him.

"Good morning, Son," says Sumner.

"Mornin' Daddy. Sleep well?" August asks.

"I always sleep well in my own bed -- in my own house," says Sumner.

"Well it's good to have you back," says August almost done with his final set of abdominal crunches.

"I tried to call you from the car last night, to find out about the commotion down at the pond. You didn't answer," he says.

"I'm sorry. I turned the phone off."

"So what was all that screaming about?"

"A dead body." August finishes his last set of crunches.

"What?"

"A dead body. Rachel was down there, sitting on the dock - "

"What do you mean a dead body? Who-who in the hell is Rachel?"

"Rachel. Your granddaughter? Pammy's daughter?"

"What was she doing down there?"

"She went for a walk."

"At the pond?"

"Yeah. It's not off limits."

"No, but -- So what did they find?" Sumner is visibly shaken.

"They found a body, Daddy."

"Whose body?"

"It's with Julia Collins now."

"Who's Julia Collins?"

"The Medical Examiner."

"Big woman? Raspy voice?"

"Yes."

"When did that flake become M.E?"

"Last year."

"Her Daddy was a flake and her mother was the town slut."

"Daddy, what does that have to do with anything?"

"So what did her report say?"

"Daddy all of this happened last night. She doesn't know when she'll be able to ID the body."

"Did you see it?"

"The body?"

"Yes."

"Not the whole thing."

"Was the damned thing in pieces or something?"

"No sir, it was partially covered up. I didn't have the desire to look at some hobo's dead body."

"Hobo?"

"Well Daddy what else could it be? Some hobo wandered on the property, fell into the pond, and drowned."

"Is that what Tom Waters said?"

"Tom Waters isn't Chief of Police any longer Daddy, Jack Eglasca is."

"Jack Eglasca? He's a little young to be Chief of Police, isn't he?"

"Jack and I are the same age Daddy."

"What's your point? We could always count on Tom Waters to take care of the family," Sumner says.

"Daddy, Jack is a good man and I'm sure he'll 'look out' for the family, when the family needs to be 'looked out' for, but now isn't one of those times."

"A dead body shows up on our property and there isn't cause for Persephone Pointe's finest to look out for the family?"

"Daddy I think you're making too much out of nothing. Some homeless person, wandered unto the property, fell into the pond, and drowned. Not to make light of it, but accidental drownings happen everyday and I'm sure it was just an accident." Sumner begins to fidget and sweat.

"Anything in the paper about it?"

"Front page story," says August.

"Damn. And you still don't see a reason for concern?"

"A dead body is front page news. Accidental or otherwise."

"The otherwise is what I'm concerned about."

"The last thing we need is people in the village speculating on accidental drownings and coming up with conspiracy theories and suspecting cover-ups."

" The people in the village are going to think what they're going to think and there's not one damned thing any of us can do to change that." Sumner is still fidgeting. "When the M.E.'s report comes out, everyone will know it was an accidental drowning and that will be the end of that." Sumner walks away from August and looks at some of the new equipment. "Why don't you go change and come back to try some of this new equipment."

"I'm going up to get the paper and read the article. We still own the paper don't we?"

Sumner doesn't really pay attention to last bit of information and heads for the door.

than you're giving them. They aren't going to immediately jump to the conclusion that someone from the family deliberately pushed that guy in the pond and then tried to cover it up. Daddy, we DeLongpres are a lot of things, but we aren't killers. People in the village know that." Sumner leaves the gym on that statement. When he's outside of the room, he decides to go find the morning paper.

"I'm not home a full damned day yet, and now this -- After all these years, now this," he says walking towards the stairs.

_________________________________________________________

Jory Booker DeLongpre has gotten out of bed. This is the first time since she has been married to Sumner DeLongpre that she's woken up without him beside her. She hopes that it won't be an everyday event, and makes a mental note to remind her new husband of that when she finds him.

She walks over the balcony door, goes outside, and takes in the beautiful scenery. It is a gorgeous morning and she decides that it is perfect weather to go for a quick morning run, before breakfast. She takes in a deep breath of sea air, leaves the balcony, and returns to the bedroom. She looks at the large king-sized bed, that is now half-hers and begins making it up, it never occurs to her that there are maids to handle things like cleaning the room, making the bed, and unpacking.

After making the bed, she walks into the adjoining bathroom, marvels at the size of it, noting that the bathroom is about the same square footage as her last apartment. She takes a quick shower, puts her hair up in a ponytail, and rifles through her suitcase for a pair of running shorts, a t-shirt, and her Walkman.

After getting dressed for running, she decides that she will go exploring after breakfast and try to find her way around the mansion. Before leaving, she takes one last look at her new bedroom. Sumner suggested that she redecorate the room, but she can't really see where the room needs redecorating. It is a gorgeous room, with many antiques and famous paintings and she thought it would be criminal to change one thing. She decides that she will leave the room as it is and will tell Sumner that there isn't a need to redo such a beautiful room.

Jory walks down the long hallway, trying to find the main staircase. She remembers that there was a door at the top of the stairwell leading to the third floor, but now she is questioning which door is the door to the stairway. Although the house was as large as a museum, it wasn't a museum, and she didn't have the luxury of exit signs placed on doors to help her find her way out of the maze of rooms and doors.

She takes a chance and opens a door that looks like it could lead to the stairwell, but discovers that it is a guestroom, done in blues and golds. She closes the door and decides to go back to the master bedroom and call Sumner for some directions on how to leave the third floor. Just as she's about to turn and walk back, she sees a set of double doors. She opens the doors and sees another hallway that looks vaguely familiar from last night. There is a door at the end of the corridor and she figures it leads to the main staircase. Relieved and happy she walks toward the door, certain that soon she will be running on the beach with the sea gulls.

She gets to the door, turns the knob, opens the door, and prepares to find a staircase waiting for her on the other side, instead she finds herself in another bedroom. Sunlight is pouring through the window and she looks at the large bed and sees Thad, sleeping.

When she and Thad were together, she would spend hours watching him sleep. He somehow recaptured an innocence as he slept. Sometimes, he would fall asleep with his head on her lap, and she would stroke his hair and touch his face and she would wonder if their children would have his eyes, his lips, or his little dimple. That was another lifetime, she thinks to herself and starts to slowly back out of the room.

Thad begins to stir, she stops dead in her tracks, not wanting to wake him or have him find her in his bedroom. She keeps backing up until she accidentally hits the open door, shutting it. The sound of the door shutting awakens Thad and he begins to open his eyes. Jory opens the door and prepares to leave the room when she hears, "Jory?' She stops and then turns to see Thad staring at her. "It is you." She's about to whisper go back to sleep when he slowly says, "It is you. I knew it was you. You've come back to me."

This Has Been Persephone Pointe