Latest / Slice of Crimes | Serial Crime Story & Audio Drama / Heartbreak in Hartville Episode 1: The Heart of Perfection

Transcript

Heartbreak in Hartville Episode 1: The Heart of Perfection · Slice of Crimes | Serial Crime Story & Audio Drama

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Music.
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Hello, all you sleuths out there. Infinite thanks for being here.
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I'm KC, your resident slice sleuth, here to introduce another brand new original crime story.
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Okay, without further ado, let's cut into the next slice of crimes.
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This story is titled Heartbreak in Hartville.
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It will unfold in seven episodes and an epilogue.
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Episode one, the heart of perfection.
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Hartville, South Carolina A place where history runs deep And where the lives
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of its residents are intertwined with the town's rich past Today,
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we're stepping into the world of the Hart family A family that,
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on the surface, seems to have it all,
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But, as we'll soon discover, even in the most idyllic of settings Darkness can linger in the shadows.
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The morning sun is casting its golden light over the Hart family ranch,
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a sprawling piece of land nestled just on the outskirts of town,
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a town founded by the Hart family and where the family has continued to reside
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generation after generation.
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The ranch, established in 1902 by Duke Hart's ancestors, is more than just a home.
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It's the cornerstone of Hartville, woven into the very fabric of the Hart family's
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legacy and, indeed, the community itself.
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The ranch, rich in history, is still famous for its lush pastures dotted with lively goats.
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It's here that Duke Hart, his wife Maggie, and their daughter Daisy have carved
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out a seemingly idyllic life that many would envy.
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Inside the farmhouse kitchen, Maggie Hart, always up before dawn,
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moves with the practiced ease of a woman who knows her kitchen well.
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She's at the stove flipping the bacon just the way her opinionated daughter Daisy likes it.
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Crispy, but not burnt.
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Maggie, with her chestnut hair casually pulled back in a ponytail,
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is the glue that holds the family together.
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She wasn't born into the Hart family. She married into it, but she's as much
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a part of this place as the oak trees that line the drive.
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Her roots in Hartville run through her great-grandmother, Peggy,
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known affectionately as Gigi Peggy.
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Maggie's parents died tragically when she was just a baby, and it was Gigi Peggy,
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along with Maggie's grandparents, who raised her on this very ranch working
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as caretakers for 30 years.
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Gigi Peggy was the Queen Bee of Hartville, always welcoming townsfolk and travelers
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alike to her porch, where sweet tea and gossip flowed as freely as the breeze through the magnolias.
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Duke Hart enters the kitchen, his presence warm and reassuring.
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He's a tall, broad-shouldered man with the kind of quiet strength that comes from years of hard work.
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Duke's lineage is deeply tied to Hartville. The ranch, the town, even the schoolhouse.
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Down the road, all bear the mark of the Hart family.
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After graduating from Clemson, where he rode crew with his best friend Dane
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Marks, Duke married Maggie.
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Theirs was a romance that had transcended all.
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Having met as children and never really ever being apart, the best friends grew to be soulmates.
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They supported each other's dreams.
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Duke became a police officer while Maggie attended law school at the University of South Carolina.
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Eventually they returned home to Hartville, as was their destiny to live on
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the family ranch and fulfill their vision to grow the family business.
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Duke is a man who works with his heart as much as his hands and built his family's
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goat cheese business from the ground up.
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He always says the land gives back as much as you put into it.
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And for the Harts, that's been true. So far.
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The heart of the Hart family, however, is their four-year-old daughter,
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Daisy, with her auburn curls and boundless energy.
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Daisy was born right there on the ranch, welcomed by all who loved her.
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Named after her mama, she was called Daisy, fitting for a girl whose personality
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bloomed like all the daisies in the field behind the farmhouse.
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The moment she entered the world, she had an infectious joy about her and was
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the nearly constant companion of her great-great-grandmother,
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Gigi Peggy, until her passing six months ago.
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Daisy was particularly close to Gigi Peggy, who taught her the importance of family and tradition.
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Daisy would gladly sit on the front porch swing, sipping sweet tea and absorbing
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the gossipy tales being told.
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Gigi Peggy adored Daisy. She called her the little gal with the old soul because
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her character seemed to echo the legacy of the women who came before her.
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Her daddy, Duke, called her Sweet.
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A play on their last name, Heart, and a sweetheart she was through and through.
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Breakfast together, just the three of them was a time they all cherished.
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Maggie's mind was not yet distracted by her work as a lawyer,
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and Duke wasn't tired after a day outside on the ranch. And Daisy?
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Well, she was her usual rambunctious son.
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Curiosity and wonder about everything around her.
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Her natural desire to learn is what led them to starting her in school after Gigi Peggy's passing.
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She loved being around kids her own age after her early years surrounded by mostly adults.
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It's true starting school is when Daisy really began to blossom.
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Her independent streak showed up virtually overnight and her parents were both
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proud of her and a little worried at the same time.
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She was no longer the cautious child she had been as a three-year-old.
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Her wisdom didn't always match her confidence.
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And that had led to some sticky situations.
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Like the time she decided to get up in the middle of the night and crawl into
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their dog, Sunshine's Doghouse, because she was suddenly certain she was lonely
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and needed cuddles. The only problem?
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Sunshine's Doghouse was outside. and when Daisy crawled in to cuddle her she
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fell deep asleep scaring her parents to the brink of a heart attack when they couldn't find her.
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Luckily sunshine led them straight to her.
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Another burst of independence occurred when she tried to climb up a tree to
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visit the baby bluebirds in their nest.
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She was fine going up but then found herself stuck afraid to climb back down. Daddy to the rescue,
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Even at the breakfast table, she asserted her independence, insisting upon pouring
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her own milk in her big girl cup.
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No more sippy cups she had recently announced.
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This led to some giggles when she learned the real meaning behind the saying,
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don't cry over spilled milk.
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After breakfast, it's time for Daisy to head to school.
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Mary's mini schoolhouse, a bright red, one-room schoolhouse,
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has been a part of Hartville since it was built in 1902.
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Originally the one and only public school in Hartville, it was shuttered in
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the 1940s, but remained standing and cared for as an historical landmark.
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With the encouragement of Maggie and Duke, the school was reinvented as a private
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preschool and kindergarten, now run by Mary and Dane Marks, Maggie and Duke's
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best friends from college.
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Mary and Maggie were Pi-Fi sorority sisters, while Dane and Duke shared a bond
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through their time rowing crew together at Clemson.
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It fulfilled Mary's dream as an early childhood education major,
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and also allowed the couple to live near their closest friends.
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For Dane, moving to Hartville and running the school was more than just a career move.
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It was a chance to create the stable,
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nurturing environment he never had growing up in the foster system.
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He and Mary have built a life here that stands in stark contrast to the stormy
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past Dane left behind, and that is a tremendous relief to him.
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Duke and Maggie load Daisy into the family SUV, and Duke double-checks her booster seat.
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She just switched over from a car seat last week, and he still wasn't convinced
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of its safety, despite Maggie's numerous reassurances.
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As they wind through town on the way to Daisy's school, Hartville slowly comes to life around them.
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Main Street is bustling, with shopkeepers preparing for the day ahead.
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The town's transformation from a sleepy southern hamlet to a tourist destination
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has been nothing short of remarkable.
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The main road, a charming street lined with small shops and cafes,
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has been revitalized in recent years. The hearts have been at the heart of that
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change, helping turn Hartville into more than just a stop on the map.
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The ranch, rich in history, has seen significant changes in recent years.
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Changes that have woken up this once sleepy town where travelers would once blackout.
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And now put it on the map as a go-to destination.
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Hartville has uniquely managed to maintain its quaint southern charm,
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historical roots, and down-home hospitality while transforming into one of the
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top 50 trendiest destinations in America, according to U.S. News & World Report.
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What started as a modest goat cheese operation has grown into the G-O-A-T Cheese Company,
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the greatest of all time, a destination that draws foodies from far and wide
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and produces award-winning goat cheese that sells internationally.
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And the basis for Hartville's boom.
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Hartville is the kind of place where everyone doesn't just know each other's
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name, they actually know each other.
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Gossip flies freely, mostly harmless, sometimes juicy, occasionally accurate.
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Regardless, it's a place where secrets don't stay hidden for long.
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Maggie and Duke are the most well-known in town because they grew up there,
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of course, but more so because they are the hearts.
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In a town like Hartville, they are considered celebrities, but when it comes
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to being famous, these two aren't just low-key and private, they are humble.
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The gossip that floats in their direction doesn't get passed along,
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and they pretty much count everyone as a friend.
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The perfect couple in a perfect town? If that's achievable, they are it.
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Their love is true, their friendship's solid, and their daughter is their absolute
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world. What could go wrong?
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As they drive through the town, Maggie glances at Duke,
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just a fleeting moment of connection, like something unspoken hangs between
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them maybe it's the subtle anxiety that every parent feels dropping off their
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child or maybe it's something deeper.
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Whatever it is, it's gone as quickly as it came, replaced by the everyday rhythms of life.
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But they both felt it and both burst out laughing.
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Maggie tells Duke, we're going to be helicopter parents if we don't ease up.
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He looks confused, so she explains, overprotective and overinvolved.
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Duke sees nothing wrong with that.
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Helicopter parent it is, he vows to himself. There's nothing he wouldn't do
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to protect Daisy, just as there's nothing he wouldn't do to protect Maggie.
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Nothing could ever change that. When they arrive at Mary's mini schoolhouse,
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Daisy is eager to join her friends.
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Duke unbuckles her seatbelt and swings her down to the ground,
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her skirt and hair swishing around her as she lands.
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Duke will always take an extra hug, a longer squeeze, one more kiss from Daisy,
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and today is no different.
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But of course she begins to squirm and roll her eyes in pretend exasperation.
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Her daddy is so silly, but she adores him.
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She's eager to join her friends. Before she can escape her loving parents,
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she has to get a kiss from Mama who hands over her school bag.
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She clutches her little backpack ready for the day ahead.
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Maggie and Duke watch as she skips off confidently toward the schoolhouse.
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She just mastered skipping. Last week was galloping.
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Daisy is full of energy.
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There's a glow in her eyes as she waves back to her parents.
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Bye-bye, Daddy. I love you, Mama. Love you, Daddy. See you later, alligator.
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But as Maggie watches her daughter disappear into the cluster of children,
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there's a shadow that passes over her thoughts.
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She can't shake it, though she quickly dismisses it as nothing.
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Just nerves, she tells herself.
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Duke, always calm and steady, places a reassuring hand on her shoulder before they drive away.
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And so, the hearts leave Daisy at school, unaware that this perfect morning
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will be the last they ever spend together as a family.
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As they drive off, the sun climbs higher, casting long shadows over the red
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schoolhouse, and shadows are where the darkness lingers.
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Not everything is bright and sunny today, though everyone in Hartville,
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South Carolina goes about their day, blissfully ignorant of the storm on the horizon.
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That's it, Sleuths. Episode one is done. Living in Hartville sure seems like
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living in the heart of perfection, don't you think?
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It's true, though. Nothing is ever exactly as it seems.
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And sometimes, the perfect life is just a heartbeat away from unraveling.
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Join me next time as I delve deeper into the mystery that will shake this town
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of Hartville to its core. Infinite thanks.
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How do you feel after an episode of slice of
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crimes one step closer to the truth if
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you haven't cracked the case yet no worries you're not alone but before you
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go remember the mystery doesn't end here enjoyed this episode show some love
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share slice of crimes with your friends family or even that neighbor who's a
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little too interested in true crime oh wait that's probably you.
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Your five-star ratings and killer reviews help keep these investigations coming,
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and I couldn't do it without you.
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Got your own theories, burning questions, or maybe a case you think I should
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tackle next? I'm all ears.
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Send your ideas and suggestions my way. The more you engage,
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the sharper my sleuthing gets.
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So until next time, fellow sleuths, keep your wits about you.
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Stay curious, stay sharp.
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You never know what the next slice of crime will serve up. And trust me,
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you won't want to miss it.
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Infinite thanks for listening today and for tuning in next week.