Morning, Noon, and Night by Sidney Sheldon

“I don’t understand what you’re asking me to do.”

“It’s really very simple,” Tyler informed her. “A doctor will take a skin sample from you to compare with our father’s. If the DNA molecules match, it’s positive proof that you’re really his daughter. On the other hand, if you’re not willing to take the test…”

“I…I don’t like it.”

Woody closed in. “Why not?”

“I don’t know.” She shuddered. “The idea of digging up my father’s body to…to…”

“To prove who you are.”

She looked into each of their faces. “I wish all of you would—”

“Yes?”

“There’s no way I can convince you, is there?”

“Yes,” Tyler said. “Agree to take this test.”

There was a long silence.

“All right. I’ll do it.”

The exhumation order had been more difficult to obtain than anyone had anticipated. Simon Fitzgerald had spoken to the coroner personally.

“No! For God’s sake, Simon! I can’t do that! Do you know what a stink that would cause? I mean, we aren’t dealing with John Doe here; we’re dealing with Harry Stanford. If this ever leaked out, the media would have a field day!”

“Marvin, this is important. Millions of dollars are at stake here. So you make sure it doesn’t leak out.”

“Isn’t there some other way you can…?”

“I’m afraid not. The woman is very convincing.”

“But the family is not convinced.”

“No.”

“Do you think she’s a fraud, Simon?”

“Frankly, I don’t know. But my opinion doesn’t matter. In fact, none of our opinions matters. A court will demand proof, and the DNA test will provide that.”

The coroner shook his head. “I knew old Harry Stanford. He would have hated this. I really shouldn’t let…”

“But you will.”

The coroner sighed. “I suppose so. Would you do me a favor?”

“Of course.”

“Keep this quiet. Let’s not have a media circus.”

“You have my word. Top secret. I’ll have just the family there.”

“When do you want to do this?”

“We would like to do it on Monday.”

The coroner sighed again. “All right. I’ll call the funeral home. You owe me one, Simon.”

“I won’t forget this.”

At nine o’clock Monday morning, the entrance to the section of Mount Auburn Cemetery where Harry Stanford’s body was buried was temporarily closed off “for maintenance repairs.” No one was allowed into the grounds. Woody, Peggy, Tyler, Kendall, Marc, Julia, Simon Fitzgerald, Steve Sloane, and Dr. Collins, a representative from the coroner’s office, stood at the site of Harry Stanford’s grave, watching four employees of the cemetery raise his coffin. Perry Winger waited off to the side.

When the coffin reached ground level, the foreman turned to the group. “What do you want us to do now?”

“Open it, please,” Fitzgerald said. He turned to Perry Winger. “How long will this take?”

“No more than a minute. I’ll just get a quick skin sample.”

“All right,” Fitzgerald said. He nodded to the foreman. “Go ahead.”

The foreman and his assistants began to unseal the coffin.

“I don’t want to see this,” Kendall said. “Do we have to?”

“Yes!” Woody told her. “We really do.”

They all watched, fascinated, as the lid of the coffin was slowly removed and pushed to one side. They stood there, staring down.

“Oh, my God!” Kendall exclaimed.

The coffin was empty.

Chapter Fourteen

Back at Rose Hill, Tyler had just gotten off the phone. “Fitzgerald says there won’t be any media leaks. The cemetery certainly doesn’t want that kind of bad publicity. The coroner has ordered Dr. Collins to keep his mouth shut, and Perry Winger can be trusted not to talk.”

Woody wasn’t paying any attention. “I don’t know how the bitch did it!” he said. “But she isn’t going to get away with it!” He glared at the others. “I suppose you don’t think she arranged it?”

Tyler said slowly, “I’m afraid I have to agree with you, Woody. No one else possibly could have had a reason for doing this. The woman is clever and resourceful, and she’s obviously not working alone. I’m not sure exactly what we’re up against.”

“What are we going to do now?” Kendall asked.

Tyler shrugged. “Frankly, I don’t know. I wish I did. I’m sure she plans to go to court to contest the will.”

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