Post by Bex on Feb 1, 2011 12:14:58 GMT -6
“Something is wrong with this town…”
On the surface, Haven Park seemed to be the perfect picture of Americana. Nestled in the heart of Wyoming, its 517 residents were close knit, hard working and God fearing people. The city had never known major scandal, and the last violent crime committed was over ten years ago. Normal, right and honorable were upheld and all seemed to be quite harmonious…until the night of July 4, 1966, when the walls came closing in and the secrets could not be kept any longer.
It started with a murder. Carol Mathison, a lifelong resident and the only daughter of retired police chief Stanley Rogers, was found strangled in the park on the morning of July 5, leaving the community stunned. By all accounts, Carol was vibrant, well liked, outgoing and cheerful – making her murder all the more senseless. However, as the days drug by, more and more began to be revealed about Carol’s darker side…and the many, many people who might have wanted her dead.
The killer is closer than they know…
Shane Marcette, with the Haven Park PD, has been faced with quite the challenge: putting his personal feelings for the victim aside to focus on her killer. Immediately, his suspicion went to Carol’s philandering fiancé, ne’er-do-well Jeff Howard. Jeff, a charming small-time conman, vehemently proclaimed his innocence, despite the fact he’s been unable to come up with a credible alibi.
Terri Englund, Carol’s best friend from childhood, has also raised some eyebrows, especially given the company she keeps. Openly cheating on her husband Lance with drifter Lucas Brady, she butted heads with Carol on her lifestyle choices on more than one occasion. In addition, Lucas didn’t appear to be a very big fan of Carol’s either, and when told of her death, he hardly seemed moved.
“She had an opinion about everything, including you and me. She was too involved in other people’s affairs for it to not come back to her at some point.” –Lucas, Chapter 2.
Postman Evan Blake, a man haunted by dark secrets of his own, has also come under suspicion through his strange behavior. Evan’s obsession is his late wife Francine, a woman many are convinced he killed over ten years ago. As the anniversary of her mysterious death draws nearer and nearer, more is revealed about their relationship…and the manner in which she died.
“It’s positively moving, isn’t it?”
An unseasonable chill pierced the air as the words escaped her lips. She stood with her back to him, arms outstretched to the open water before her. She looked so beautiful…so free…so alive. A few steps behind her, he only looked on, as this was something he’d witnessed a million times before. For her, it was the very first time – and it was nothing short of magical.
The last, fleeting glimpses of sun danced over the water, while her blue and white polka dot dress swayed gently in the breeze. She raised a hand to stop her blonde hair from whipping about, and the giggle she let out resonated for miles. So carefree. She turned around to face him and smiled. “It’s time to go,” she announced abruptly. For a moment, he was puzzled by that statement. Go where? Back to shore? Home?
Before he could question, however, she took a deep breath in and pivoted back toward the water. His heart sped up, and in an instant, he knew precisely what she was about to do. “No!” he cried out. He wanted to leap forward. To grab her. To hold her in his arms and keep her safe….but he couldn’t move. He couldn’t do anything but stare helplessly as she turned to face him one last time.
Her smile was gentle, her expression pleasant. “I’m already dying,” she said simply.
And then she was gone. It wasn’t a dramatic or purposeful jump, as far as he could tell. It was more as though she just casually stepped backwards off the boat…and he couldn’t do anything to stop her.
Frozen in shock and terror, he studied her face carefully as she fell, searching for any clues as to why…but suddenly, it wasn’t her face anymore. It was Carol Mathison’s.
I’m already dying… –The opening scene of Chapter 6.
Even the upstanding moral leaders of the community are not immune to deadly vengeance. It has been revealed that at the time of Carol’s death, her fiancé Jeff was cheating on her with Julia Woodward, a pillar of the community and a very married woman herself. Her husband Brett, the pastor of First Baptist of Haven Park, now knows all about this affair, as does his secretary (and Jeff’s one-time girlfriend) Marnie Blake. On the day she died, Carol confronted Marnie on her apparent feelings for Jeff, letting the secret of his affair with Julia out of the bag.
Marnie shook her head, as though doing so could shake off Carol’s disgusting allegations. No doubt, this was just another one of her desperate bids for attention…and Jeff was going to hear about it. –Interlude: Fireworks (part one).
What’s next?
Just five days after the community was sent into a tailspin over Carol’s seemingly senseless murder, another victim has been discovered in Haven Park…broadening the pool of suspects and heightening the tension.
Brinks was almost too late in advising that, and Shane narrowly avoided a collision with Lance Englund’s bloody hand as he opened the door. Immediately, he took a step back, surveying the damage. Lance was lying on his side, his arm stretched out toward the door. His eyes, cloudy and vacant, appeared to silently plead for help and stared poignantly through Shane as he stood there. He shook his head sadly. It was easily the most horrific thing he’d ever seen, but strangely, it didn’t move him in the same way that seeing Carol’s body had. More than anything else, Shane just felt sadness that it all had to end this way, in such a brutal, bloody fashion. –Chapter 14.
Immediately, suspicion for the crime went to Lucas, who whisked a clueless Terri to Casper, Wyoming on the night of the murder. However, with more and more being revealed with each chapter...how long until the truth rises to the surface?
Behind the scenes:
About to embark on its third arc, Independence Day is expected to run for an estimated fifty chapters, which is quite a long way to go before we discover what’s really going on in Haven Park. Twenty chapters have been posted thus far, along with a prologue and three interludes. If the backlog seems daunting, be sure to check out the recaps section to catch up quickly.
Included on the site are chapters, recaps, character information, a town overview and history page, a trivia page (containing several bonus features, including arc by arc score charts to help you keep track of the suspects and motives) and a contact page. New chapters are posted every other Wednesday. Also updated bi-weekly is the Insights from the Author feature, which can be found at our Facebook fan page: facebook.com/havenpark.
Intrigued? Eager to figure it out? Check out bcd.sitesled.com/haven-park and dive right in.
On the surface, Haven Park seemed to be the perfect picture of Americana. Nestled in the heart of Wyoming, its 517 residents were close knit, hard working and God fearing people. The city had never known major scandal, and the last violent crime committed was over ten years ago. Normal, right and honorable were upheld and all seemed to be quite harmonious…until the night of July 4, 1966, when the walls came closing in and the secrets could not be kept any longer.
It started with a murder. Carol Mathison, a lifelong resident and the only daughter of retired police chief Stanley Rogers, was found strangled in the park on the morning of July 5, leaving the community stunned. By all accounts, Carol was vibrant, well liked, outgoing and cheerful – making her murder all the more senseless. However, as the days drug by, more and more began to be revealed about Carol’s darker side…and the many, many people who might have wanted her dead.
The killer is closer than they know…
Shane Marcette, with the Haven Park PD, has been faced with quite the challenge: putting his personal feelings for the victim aside to focus on her killer. Immediately, his suspicion went to Carol’s philandering fiancé, ne’er-do-well Jeff Howard. Jeff, a charming small-time conman, vehemently proclaimed his innocence, despite the fact he’s been unable to come up with a credible alibi.
Terri Englund, Carol’s best friend from childhood, has also raised some eyebrows, especially given the company she keeps. Openly cheating on her husband Lance with drifter Lucas Brady, she butted heads with Carol on her lifestyle choices on more than one occasion. In addition, Lucas didn’t appear to be a very big fan of Carol’s either, and when told of her death, he hardly seemed moved.
“She had an opinion about everything, including you and me. She was too involved in other people’s affairs for it to not come back to her at some point.” –Lucas, Chapter 2.
Postman Evan Blake, a man haunted by dark secrets of his own, has also come under suspicion through his strange behavior. Evan’s obsession is his late wife Francine, a woman many are convinced he killed over ten years ago. As the anniversary of her mysterious death draws nearer and nearer, more is revealed about their relationship…and the manner in which she died.
“It’s positively moving, isn’t it?”
An unseasonable chill pierced the air as the words escaped her lips. She stood with her back to him, arms outstretched to the open water before her. She looked so beautiful…so free…so alive. A few steps behind her, he only looked on, as this was something he’d witnessed a million times before. For her, it was the very first time – and it was nothing short of magical.
The last, fleeting glimpses of sun danced over the water, while her blue and white polka dot dress swayed gently in the breeze. She raised a hand to stop her blonde hair from whipping about, and the giggle she let out resonated for miles. So carefree. She turned around to face him and smiled. “It’s time to go,” she announced abruptly. For a moment, he was puzzled by that statement. Go where? Back to shore? Home?
Before he could question, however, she took a deep breath in and pivoted back toward the water. His heart sped up, and in an instant, he knew precisely what she was about to do. “No!” he cried out. He wanted to leap forward. To grab her. To hold her in his arms and keep her safe….but he couldn’t move. He couldn’t do anything but stare helplessly as she turned to face him one last time.
Her smile was gentle, her expression pleasant. “I’m already dying,” she said simply.
And then she was gone. It wasn’t a dramatic or purposeful jump, as far as he could tell. It was more as though she just casually stepped backwards off the boat…and he couldn’t do anything to stop her.
Frozen in shock and terror, he studied her face carefully as she fell, searching for any clues as to why…but suddenly, it wasn’t her face anymore. It was Carol Mathison’s.
I’m already dying… –The opening scene of Chapter 6.
Even the upstanding moral leaders of the community are not immune to deadly vengeance. It has been revealed that at the time of Carol’s death, her fiancé Jeff was cheating on her with Julia Woodward, a pillar of the community and a very married woman herself. Her husband Brett, the pastor of First Baptist of Haven Park, now knows all about this affair, as does his secretary (and Jeff’s one-time girlfriend) Marnie Blake. On the day she died, Carol confronted Marnie on her apparent feelings for Jeff, letting the secret of his affair with Julia out of the bag.
Marnie shook her head, as though doing so could shake off Carol’s disgusting allegations. No doubt, this was just another one of her desperate bids for attention…and Jeff was going to hear about it. –Interlude: Fireworks (part one).
What’s next?
Just five days after the community was sent into a tailspin over Carol’s seemingly senseless murder, another victim has been discovered in Haven Park…broadening the pool of suspects and heightening the tension.
Brinks was almost too late in advising that, and Shane narrowly avoided a collision with Lance Englund’s bloody hand as he opened the door. Immediately, he took a step back, surveying the damage. Lance was lying on his side, his arm stretched out toward the door. His eyes, cloudy and vacant, appeared to silently plead for help and stared poignantly through Shane as he stood there. He shook his head sadly. It was easily the most horrific thing he’d ever seen, but strangely, it didn’t move him in the same way that seeing Carol’s body had. More than anything else, Shane just felt sadness that it all had to end this way, in such a brutal, bloody fashion. –Chapter 14.
Immediately, suspicion for the crime went to Lucas, who whisked a clueless Terri to Casper, Wyoming on the night of the murder. However, with more and more being revealed with each chapter...how long until the truth rises to the surface?
Behind the scenes:
About to embark on its third arc, Independence Day is expected to run for an estimated fifty chapters, which is quite a long way to go before we discover what’s really going on in Haven Park. Twenty chapters have been posted thus far, along with a prologue and three interludes. If the backlog seems daunting, be sure to check out the recaps section to catch up quickly.
Included on the site are chapters, recaps, character information, a town overview and history page, a trivia page (containing several bonus features, including arc by arc score charts to help you keep track of the suspects and motives) and a contact page. New chapters are posted every other Wednesday. Also updated bi-weekly is the Insights from the Author feature, which can be found at our Facebook fan page: facebook.com/havenpark.
Intrigued? Eager to figure it out? Check out bcd.sitesled.com/haven-park and dive right in.