(Editor's note: This is part 4 of a multi-part short story.)

Chapter 4: The Discovery

It was the day before the auction and Amy had been worried about her husband, he had seemed exceedingly nervous as the auction approached. He had spent the last couple days sitting at the desk in the study and staring blankly out the window. Deciding to try to cheer him up Amy cooked her husband's favorite breakfast with the intention of surprising him in bed. However, to her surprise he was already getting dressed when she returned to the bedroom.

"Where are you going?" she inquired.

"I've got to meet someone," he replied while putting his shoes on.

"You have to stay for breakfast. I made pancakes and eggs, your favorite."

"I'm sorry honey," he said distractedly. "I'm meeting someone for breakfast."

As he finished getting dressed he didn't see the sadness in his wife's eyes. It wasn't like her husband to get up and leave and not tell her what he was doing. She couldn't help but feel like there was something wrong.

"Is everything ok?"

"Everything's fine Amy, I just need to take care of a couple things."

"No Jerry," she said slowly. "Are we ok?"

Stopping what he was doing he walked over to her and pulled her close to him. Rubbing his hand down her arm he lovingly looked into her eyes.

"I'm sorry I've been distant lately," he whispered. "I love you more than anything; you are my reason for living."

"More than a farm," she half-joked.

"More than ten thousand farms. I couldn't live without you. I promise everything will be better tomorrow," he said as he leaned down and tenderly kissed her on the lips.

"I'll tell him later," she murmured to herself as her husband departed the room.

O'Malley's

The dining room attendant looked intently at the patron in front of him. He was wearing a black overcoat, even though it was already 70 degrees outside. It looked as if he hadn't shaved in a week or two and it made his face look more bloated than it actually was.

"How many will be in your party?"

"Two."

"Follow me."

"I want a table outside," the patron barked out.

Turning around, the attendant gave his customer a look of disdain. It was only 9 in the morning and he already had his first rude customer.

"Fine, come with me," he said curtly while walking him back outside.

The patron sat and waited for the other member of his party to arrive. His stoic countenance added even more to his foreboding presence.

"You're late," he growled at the person who finally joined him.

"I'm sorry," replied Jerry. "Traffic was brutal."

"Well let's get to business shall we?"

"Will you finally tell me who you are?"

"At another time I was Dr. Mason."

"And how can I save the farm?"

"I knew your parents," the doctor continued. "I was one of the doctors that treated your mother."

"I barely remember them," reflected Jerry. "They died when I was six."

"They are dead, yes. But they didn't die when you were six."

Jerry had already had his doubts about this meeting. He had figured the doctor was a nutcase, and this last statement only solidified his belief.

Furling his brow Jerry started to get up, "I don't know why I wasted my time here this morning."

"Sit down," the doctor snarled. "Let me explain."

"Well," thought Jerry, "I'm already here, what's another five minutes?"

"Fine," he replied.

"I was there twenty-three years ago when you were born. I was working the emergency room with Doctor Henry Thompson."

Jerry's ears perked up at the mention of this name, his father's name.

"Bill Johnson," the doctor continued, "ran in screaming that something was wrong with his wife. It turns out she was having complications with childbirth. We worked for hours to try to stop the bleeding, but there was nothing we could do so we turned our attention to trying to save the child."

"I've heard this story before."

"You know nothing!" screamed the doctor. "It wasn't easy," he whispered, "the umbilical cord was wrapped around the infant's neck, strangling him in the process. Finally, after all our hard work, the child came out healthy."

Seeing the surprise on his guest's face the doctor smiled, "Yes, I said the child was alive. It was at this time that Doctor Thompson turned to me and said he had an idea. An idea that would make us rich in due time. Henry knew that this child would be the sole heir to the Johnson Farm so he decided to claim the child as his own and asked me to go along with it. Of course, he agreed to give me half the estate for my silence. Now all we had to do was tell Old Johnson that his wife and child had died, and with any luck he'd commit suicide over the grief he felt. Unfortunately he never did take his own life, but that doesn't matter now."

"What does all this have to do with me?" asked Jerry.

"Are you so dull?" replied the doctor. "You're Old Johnson's son. You're the sole heir."

"You're crazier than I thought," said Jerry with a look of disbelief.

"I figured you wouldn't believe me so easily so I brought proof," the doctor said while taking an envelope out of his overcoat and setting it on the table in front of his guest.
"The original deal I had with Henry was fifty acres, but I don't want to be greedy," he said with a raspy laugh. "Just give me five acres and we can part ways forever."

Looking at the contents of the envelope Jerry thumbed through blood match tests, newspaper clippings regarding the death of Mary Johnson and a picture of the doctor with him as an infant.

Rising from his seat, the doctor glanced down at Jerry who appeared to be in shock, "I've given you everything you need to save the farm. All I ask is that you give me my fair share. I'll be at the auction tomorrow, waiting for you."

Jerry looked up and watched as the doctor walked down the street, slowly disappearing into the surrounding landscape.