Chapter 50
Maggie Rae Dasher was nobody’s fool. Still, she ended up murdered in her basement, while her children were sound asleep upstairs. They did not hear the gun because it had a silencer and was muffled even more by the pillow—the fibers were found clinging to her lifeless body. None of the neighbors in the small town of Cumberland Creek, Virginia, heard the gun, either. Nor would they have ever suspected a murder in this quiet neighborhood—or the secret life this young mother of four was living.
“I didn’t know her that well,” says 80-year-old Beatrice Matthews. “It turns out that nobody did—not even her husband.”
Robert Dasher, her college sweetheart, who was the number one “person of interest” in the murder investigation, is a tall and almost painstakingly thin man. A long-distance runner turned accountant shortly after college graduation, and a quick marriage to Maggie Rae, he thought he knew her, too. They’d dated all through college—she enjoyed a good football game, came from a good Southern family, and was a brilliant writer, given scholarships and awards for her writing, but she always wanted a large family of her own. She grew up with just one sibling—a sister—and she’d always wanted more, so they started on the family early on, even though Robert had misgivings.
“She was always sort of fragile,” he said.
Which would be in line with the suicide verdict handed down shortly after her death. But things didn’t add up, according to Detective Adam Bryant. The placement of the gun in her hand—very few guns would stay in the hand like that after shooting oneself. And the angle at which the bullet entered Maggie Rae’s heart made it nearly impossible for it to be a self-inflicted wound. Besides, Maggie Rae was left-handed and the gun was in her right hand.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence statistics, nearly one-third of female homicide victims that are reported in police records are killed by an intimate partner. In 70 to 80 percent of intimate-partner homicides, no matter which partner was killed, the man physically abused the woman before the murder. Had Maggie Rae been abused?
Maggie Rae’s papers, which included cards from her husband, apologizing for abusive behavior, would suggest that is the case. Robert Dasher denies these allegations and maintains his innocence, even when the papers are in front of him.
“These cards are personal,” he said. “Hurting doesn’t mean beating.”
If Robert Dasher was abusing his wife, he wasn’t the only one. Maggie Rae had a legacy of abuse in her family. She had never known another way.
Maggie Rae was labeled a “bad girl” from early on—even by her mother, then her stepmother, who saw her flirtations with her new husband (Maggie Rae’s stepfather) as a competition and could not wait for her to go off to college, and didn’t pay much attention when she was away from home for days doing God knows what. Her fears were well founded. Because Maggie Rae was abused by her stepfather, and she could not end it—even as an adult. If she thought moving to Cumberland Creek would prevent it, she was wrong.
Maggie Rae’s sister always suspected her sister and stepfather were involved. Once she asked her sister about it, and Maggie Rae said she hated every minute of it, but yes, she confirmed it. Tina Sue was shocked, frightened, and felt perplexed. He’d never so much as kissed her inappropriately. What was it about Maggie Rae that invited men to help themselves to her?
Though Tina Sue loved her sister, she could not imagine why she’d slept with their mother’s husband, even up until the week before she died. “I was more than a little agitated with her when I found out. Why would she let it continue? Why didn’t she stick up for herself? I’ll never understand it.”
Then, of course, the agitation became fury when she found out that her sister had also been bedding her own husband off and on for years. “I’ve never judged her for her ways. I’ve always supported her. Stuck up for her. Then to find out...”
The confrontation between the sisters came during early-morning hours, after Bill Ledford had left the premises.
“What are you doing here?” Maggie Rae asked her sister. “It’s three in the morning.”
“I’m here to ask you if you’ve been sleeping with Zeb.”
“Now, Tina Sue, let’s go downstairs and chat. I don’t want to wake up the kids.”
The sisters tiptoed into the basement, where Maggie Rae’s writing office was, as well as her own bed, where she’d entertain her lovers. The next room over was her children’s play room.
“Now, Tina Sue, you and I have talked about the way I feel about sex.”
“Now, that’s true. But how about the way I feel about sex, Maggie Rae? How about the way I feel that it’s only good between married partners who love one another? A couple that is true to one another,” Tina Sue said, her voice shaking. “It’s a sacred bond.”
“It can be,” Maggie Rae said. “But it can also be a lot of fun without those bonds.”
“Fun? You are changing the subject on me. Did you sleep with my husband?”
“Yes, sweetie, I did.”
And that, says Tina Sue, is really the last thing she remembered before scrubbing blood off herself.
“I may have piled the scrapbooks and boxes on the corner. I can’t say for certain, but Beatrice Matthews says I did, I guess I did. It makes sense. I wouldn’t want anybody to know what kind of life she was living. Not only was she sleeping around with strange men, but also our stepfather and my husband. That would bring shame to the family.”
But then again, so would a murder—especially committed by your only sister.
—Annie Chamovitz
“Damn, I really like that ending,” Sheila said as she slid the photo cutter across a picture.
“Me too,” Vera agreed as she took another bite of the lemon poppy seed muffin. “Ironic.”
“Thanks,” Annie said.
“Great article,” Paige said, placing her scrapbook on the pile of scrapbooks they would be delivering to the Dasher family later.
“Poor Tina Sue,” DeeAnn said, changing the subject while cutting a pink velvet ribbon. “I mean, I know she killed her sister, but who knows how any one of us would react to that situation?”
DeeAnn wrapped the bow around her fingers and created loops—to be formed into a great big bow to be placed on the package of scrapbooks.
“It wasn’t just that situation,” Annie said. “It was a lifetime of humiliation and embarrassment brought on by her sister. She claimed she was okay with her lifestyle, but Tina Sue was boiling with resentment for many years.”
“So when she find out about her husband ... it was inevitable,” DeeAnn said.
“She still claims she doesn’t remember a thing, until after she did it. But she figured it out pretty quickly,” Annie said.
“But she does remember my mother that morning,” Vera said.
“Yes.”
“And she remembers stabbing her?” Sheila asked.
Annie nodded, then flipped Ben’s scrapbook page over to a blank one. Which picture or event to focus on next? His birthday? Hanukkah?
“And she’s the one who placed the doll on your mother’s porch.”
Vera rolled her eyes. “My mom told me nothing about that. And how creepy is that? Why would a grown woman do something like that?”
“It’s freaky,” DeeAnn said. “She probably wanted to scare Bea.”
“Shows she never knew Bea,” Sheila said, and laughed.
“That family picture still freaks me out. Why would Maggie Rae change that picture?” Vera said, holding out a stack of paper like a deck of cards. Shades of purple and pink.
“Just a sign of how disturbed Maggie Rae was,” Annie said.
“Now we know why she never filled those scrapbooks,” Sheila concluded.
“We do?” DeeAnn asked as she wrapped a ribbon around the stack of scrapbooks. Six scrapbooks were stacked neatly on the table—books chronicling the lives of Maggie Rae’s children, her own, and her family’s. All wrapped up neatly for them to flip through and remember.
Annie hoped it brought them all some measure of comfort—even Robert, whom she had almost forgiven for his odd behavior. Besides, he was working with a caseworker, who was helping him along with the children, and she’d heard that he’d started going to Alcoholics Anonymous. She gave the man credit for trying to turn his life around.
“I know why, at least. There’s something permanent and celebratory about scrapbooks. She came from a family that didn’t really believe in taking pictures. She could go as far as taking pictures, but not placing them ... in the book for everybody to view,” said Sheila.
“That, and I thought maybe she was, in her own strange way, honoring her biological father,” Annie said. “After all, it was his death that brought chaos to that family—and her stepfather, I gather, tried to erase any memory of her dad. They weren’t even allowed to mention him.”
“Maybe she remembers her real father in an idealized way. But that’s not how I remember him,” Paige said, placing her zigzag scissors down. “He was a harsh man as well.”
“So you knew him?” Annie asked.
“Yes,” she said, picking up the scrapbooks as all of the women filed in around her. It was time to visit the Dasher family. “I grew up right outside of Jenkins Hollow. I remember him quite vividly.”
The mention of Jenkins Hollow made Annie’s stomach churn. She didn’t care to ever go back. She sighed, thanking the universe she would probably never have another reason to venture into that hollow again.
Harsh fathers led women to harsh husbands, and gave them children caught between. Annie said a prayer to herself that she and Mike could continue being decent parents. Tempers flared and children internalized it. She was eager to get a glimpse of Maggie Rae’s children today, hoping for some clue, some psychic knowledge that they would be okay.
The women walked silently down the sidewalk of their Cumberland Creek neighborhood. Maybe they were all thinking similar thoughts with their arms full of colorful scrapbooks tied with ribbons—Maggie Rae’s life was pieced and bound in each of them.
Glossary of Basic Scrapbooking Terms
Acid-Free:
Acid is a chemical found in paper that will disintegrate the paper over time. It will ruin photos. It’s very important that all papers, pens, etc., say acid-free, or eventually it can ruin cherished photos and layouts.
Adhesive:
Any kind of glue or tape can be considered adhesive. In scrapbooking, there are several kinds of adhesives: tape runners, glue sticks, and glue dots.
Brad:
This is similar to a typical split pin, but it is found in many different sizes, shapes, and colors. It is very commonly used for an embellishment.
Challenge:
Within the scrapbooking community, “challenges” are issued in groups as a way of motivation.
Crop:
Technically, “to crop” means the cutting down of a photo. However, a “crop” is also when a circle of scrapbookers gets together and scrapbooks. A crop can be anything from a group of friends getting together, or a more official gathering, where there are scrapbook materials for sale and there are games and challenges and so on. Online crops are a good alternative for people who don’t have a local scrapbook community.
Die-Cut:
This is a shape or letter cut from paper or cardstock—usually by machine or by using a template.
Embellishment:
Embellishment is the enhancing of a scrapbook page with trinkets other than words and photos. Typical embellishments are ribbons, fabric, and stickers.
Eyelet:
These small metal circles, like what’s used on a shoe to thread laces, are used in a scrapbook context as a decoration and can hold elements on a page.
Journaling:
This is the term for writing on scrapbook pages. It includes everything from titles to full pages on thoughts, feelings, and memories about the photos on a page.
Matting:
Photos in scrapbooks are sometimes framed. Scrapbookers mat with coordinating papers on layouts, often using colors found in the photos.
Page Protector:
These are clear, acid-free covers that are used to protect finished pages.
Permanent:
Adhesives that will stay are deemed permanent.
Photo Corners:
A photo is held to a page by slipping the corners of the photo into photo corners. They usually stick on one side.
Post Bound Album:
This term refers to an album that uses metal posts to hold the binding together. These albums can be extended with more posts to make thicker. Usually page protectors are already included on the album pages.
Punch:
This is the tool used to “punch” decorative shapes from paper or cardstock.
Punchies:
The paper shapes that result from using a paper punch tool are known as punchies. These can be used on a page for a decorative effect.
Repositionable Adhesive:
Magically, these adhesives do not create a permanent bond until dry, so you can move the element around on the page until you find just the perfect spot.
Scraplift:
When a scrapbooker copies someone’s page layout or design, she has scraplifted.
Scrapper’s Block:
This is a creativity block.
Strap Hinge Album:
An album can utilize straps to allow pages to lie completely flat when the album opens. To add pages to the book, the straps are unhinged.
Template:
A template is a guide to cutting shapes, drawing, or writing on a page. They are usually made of plastic or cardboard.
Trimmer:
A trimmer is the tool used for straight-cutting photos.
Vellum:
Vellum is a thicker, semitransparent paper with a smooth finish.