Chapter 1: The Arrival

Jennifer Fletcher's car pulled up outside the quaint little house, situated near to the town of Cabot Cove. She had just arrived in town, after getting quite a surprise in a will. Jennifer had inherited the house from her aunt Jessica, who had been living in the house most of her married life, through good times and bad. Jessica's late husband Frank had passed away in the house, and Jessica had herself died within its walls.

Jennifer brushed back a strand of her sandy blonde hair, and got out of her car. Although she had never met Jessica, Jennifer knew that her late aunt must have been a wonderful woman. Jessica's sister Genevieve had not spoken to Jessica in years, despite many tries by Jessica to resolve the friendship. Jennifer had never been told the entire story, but knew that it involved Frank.

Looking up and down the street on which the house was situated, Jessica knew that she would be happy in this small town. Suddenly she noticed a man who looked to be in a bad state running towards her. A police officer in his late twenties or early thirties was in pursuit, but wasn't able to keep up to the man.

"Stop him." the police officer shouted at Jennifer, as he continued his chase. Jennifer didn't know what to do and looked around for something which could help the situation. An idea popped into her head and she turned and grabbed one of her bags. The man being chased tried to avoid the bag by running close to the fence, but Jennifer tripped him up using her foot. He had not noticed her foot in all the commotion.

Jennifer immediately sprung into action and leaped onto the man, slightly dazed after hitting his head on the sidewalk. The man started to move, but Jennifer held him down. The police officer finally arrived and slipped handcuffs onto the man after Jennifer got up.

A police car came around the corner and sped up the street to where the man was being read his rights. Jennifer regained her breath as she stood behind the police officer. After the man was arrested he was placed into the police car.

"You were very helpful there. I thought he was going to get away." The officer who had been involved in the chase said. Jennifer looked up and smiled.

"Well, I suppose" she said. "I haven't done that for a while."

"You were a cop?"

"Yes, I left the force almost three years ago. I left it to look after my children."

"What ages are they?" the officer asked. "I am Chris by the way."

"I am Jennifer, Jennifer Fletcher but please call me Jenna. The twins were two and a half."

"You speak in the past tense?"

"Yes, my children died in an automobile accident six months ago with my husband Craig."

"Oh, I am sorry." Chris said.

"Don't be, it wasn't your fault."

"So were you related to the famous Jessica Fletcher?"

"Yes, she was my aunt, although I never met her." Jenna said. "Did you know her?"

"Well I didn't read her books, but she helped us out on many cases before she was murdered."

"Murdered?"

"Yes, didn't you know?"

"I thought that she had died of old age."

"No, she was murdered. I thought that all her family had been told."

"I was told that she had died, and assumed that she had had a natural death. So have you solved the murder?"

"No, we seem to be at a dead end. There are so many suspects. Although she was a nice woman and liked by most, she had a famous sense of being able to solve murders. She put many people in jail. Most have been released now, and we are sure it was one of them but we don't know who."

"How did she die?"

"She was bludgeoned to death using baseball bat. She would have known who her attacker was."

"It happened in her home did it?" Jenna said turning to look at the house.

"Yes, almost three months to the day. Are you okay?" Chris asked.

"I am fine, it was just a shock."

"I honestly thought that you knew."

"You say that you think that it was one of the people she put behind bars, but is there any evidence of this?"

"Well no, but it does seem to be the likeliest answer."

"But could someone have broken into her home and been caught in the act?"

"I suppose they could, but there was nothing taken that we know of. Not many people had been in the house recently, because Jessica had been working on her last book. She hated interruptions while trying to write."

"Was there anyone who had a grudge against my aunt, other than those she had put in jail?"

"Their families I suppose, but other than that."