Malekeh

THE BELLS OF ATHERTON Chapter 1 The sun was setting over Atherton, North Carolina when Patrick Bell turned onto Seacrest Drive and headed for home. As the large oceanfront house he shared with his wife, Pamela, came into view, he reminded himself how lucky he was to live there. His life in Atherton was a huge step up from the way he'd been raised and he never took it for granted. He'd felt like the luckiest guy in the world since marrying Pamela six years earlier. They had moved to Atherton shortly after the wedding. It was a small town, a fisherman's paradise on the Carolina coast. He smiled as he pulled into the driveway, brought his silver sedan to an abrupt stop and bounded out of the car. "Pamela, I'm home!" he yelled as he entered the house. Pamela smiled and went to welcome her husband. "Hi, sweetheart," she said as they embraced. Patrick kissed her on the lips. "Is everything ready for opening night?" Pamela asked. "Everything's perfect," he replied. "Are you sure?" she asked anxiously. Patrick smiled. "Absolutely. We'll be open for dinner on Friday." The Bells were in great spirits having just completed plans for the grand opening of their restaurant, 'The Blue Jay Cafe'. The cafe was opening in the heart of Atherton and was the fulfillment of a long held dream for the couple. As they embraced each other in the kitchen, Pamela gave her husband a squeeze. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "Famished," Patrick replied. The table was set for two with Cornish game hens and a garden salad. "It smells delicious. Did Nina help you with this?" he asked. "No," said Pamela. "She took off a little early today." "Does she have a hot date?" Patrick inquired with a grin. Pamela laughed. "No, she's playing bingo at the firehouse. She says she's got a sure fire system for winning this time." "Well, I hope so," said Patrick. "They've taken enough of her money in the past." He pulled out a chair for Pamela. "C'mon, let's dig in before these hens get cold." They sat down and, after eating and clearing the table, retired to the living room. "I'll get a fire started," said Patrick as he began to load the logs into the fireplace. Soon the flames began to crackle and Patrick settled onto the couch with his wife. It was early March, 2017. The evening was cool and the fire made the room feel cozy and warm. They cuddled in front of the flames as they had so many nights before. It was their favorite place to share dreams and make plans for their future. They had been successful so far in their business ventures but 'The Blue Jay Cafe' was their first attempt at opening a restaurant and it was something they had been looking forward to for a long time. When Patrick turned to Pamela, she thought his expression seemed unusually serious. "You know, Pamela," he began, "the strangest thing happened when Tom and I were talking today."

ASSIGNMENT 1 - STORY STATEMENT In my book, 'THE BELLS OF ATHERTON', the primary protagonists, Patrick and Pamela Bell, must solve a crime. The crime is the murder of their friend, Robert Sanders. ASSIGNMENT 2 - THE ANTAGONIST The antagonist in 'THE BELLS OF ATHERTON' is a woman named Tara Hoffman. In all, she kills three people, shoots two others and tries to murder Patrick Bell before she herself is killed. She begins this crime spree as a spurned lover who kills her romantic rival. Her first victim is Jenny Rose Caldwell, the wife of Fred Caldwell, a wealthy man who has rejected Tara at the end of their affair. Afterwards, her crimes are all about covering her tracks and trying not to get caught. She does enlist the help of a couple of men from the town where she grew up but all the violent acts are committed by Tara. ASSIGNMENT 3 - BREAKOUT TITLE 1. THE BELLS OF ATHERTON 2. FOR BLOOD OR MONEY 3. WHEN THE BELLS RING ASSIGNMENT 4 - COMPARABLES 1. 'Florida Keys Bed and Breakfast Cozy Mysteries' by Danielle Collins 2. 'Hannah Swensen Mysteries' by Joanne Fluke ASSIGNMENT 5 - HOOKLINE The Bells' blissful life in Atherton, North Carolina is shattered by the news of their friend's murder, thus setting them on a path that will lead to his killer. ASSIGNMENT 6 - CONFLICT Patrick Bell has a great deal of inner conflict as a result of the death of his friend, Robert. His main concern is for the safety of his wife and he, therefore, does a variety of things in order to try to keep her safe. This includes practicing at a firing range and giving her a pocket pistol as a gift. A second area of inner conflict concerns Lester Wallace, a young homeless man that Robert Sanders had allowed to live on his boat before he was killed. The Bells' give him a job and he is taken in by one of their friends before being wrongfully arrested for Robert's murder. This leads to the Bells hiring an attorney to represent him. ASSIGNMENT 7 - SETTING 'THE BELLS OF ATHERTON' is set in a fictitious town called Atherton, North Carolina. Both the beauty of the Carolina coast and the way of life provided by the presence of the Atlantic ocean are extremely important in driving the story forward. The Bells also open a restaurant in Atherton called 'The Blue Jay Cafe'. A lot of characters are introduced there and one of the murders is set in motion there.