Part I-Chapter 21: SHOOT THE MESSENGER

 

Chapter 21

Shoot the Messenger
(Ó 2007)

While Lt. Arthur Hatton was informing Mitchell Bartholomew of his Miranda Rights, Noel and David were by their car on the open-air tenth floor of the hospital parking lot. Noel sat in the drivers’ seat, door open with the engine running. He was on his portable flip phone talking with Captain Xiang, informing him of the day’s proceedings, what was currently happening, and of the events that were expected within the next few hours. David was standing in front of the car, which was parked by the wall that overlooked the street. He was looking down to the street where there where he estimated that there were over five hundred people gathered for that evenings candlelight vigil for Jared Bartholomew.

David peered downward to the crowd of people, slightly shaking his head back and forth while gently biting onto his own bottom lip. He couldn’t help but to think of how pathetic it all was, watching these people and their antics. Standing in the cold, lit candles in hand, eyes fixed on the window of the room where Jared was lying. Jared Bartholomew, their fallen prince. They sang songs and even prayed allowed for God to give their beloved Jared a fast recovery. They held signs proclaiming their love for him. They held photographs large and small. They came from all over the world, holding their country’s flag. One sign read, “Belgium Loves You Jared!”

David knew that this was all going to be a dismal scene within the next few hours. He heard Noel as he was finishing up with his conversation with Captain Xiang. “Yes Boss,” Noel said as he now stood up from the car and stood next to it looking at David, “we’re just leaving now. Yes. I hear ya; it is the damn-dest thing. I was there, and I still don’t believe it. Yeah, OK, were outta here on our way back. We’ll go over what’s next. The Foundation, Yeah, OK, See ya in a few.” Noel then flipped the phone shut.

David continued looking down to Jared’s worshippers.

“What’s the matter pard?” Noel asked him.

“Oh, nothing,” David answered him quietly, “I’m just looking down at all the future broken hearted down there. What did the Boss have to say when you told him?”

“He was stunned, and I mean ‘Oh Shit’ stunned. I’m talking ‘just when you thought you seen it all’ stunned.” Noel then stepped over to the wall to view the scene below for himself. “Needless to say, he wants us back at the office, right quick.”

David kept looking down to the scene below, “I can never understand all this.” He said.

“What’s that?”

“This celebrity worship thing, I can never understand it.” David answered, pointing to the people below. “I bet not one of those idiots down there has ever met or spoken to Jared, and I can also bet that he has never spoken to any of them. But, here they are, all standing out in the cold, worshipping a man who when you look at it truthfully, does not give a shit about any of them.”

“Yeah, and wait until the news about him comes out.”

“Oh, that?” David answered sarcastically, “Let me tell ya something Ski, when that happens, they’re gonna hate US!”

“For bringing out the truth of their Prince Charming?

“Precisely, you know how it is, ‘Shoot the Messenger’, they first will be in denial, and then they will condemn us, be mad at us. Every starry eyed girl, and in some cases, guys, in Chicago is gonna hate us for the next week or so. But, when reality sets in, and the story gets out, well, those people down there will be gone a few days after that. With the exception of the die-hards of course.”

Noel looked down towards the crowd and said, “Well, serves them right, it‘ll do them some good. Putting their faith in some dude like Jared. It’ll help them all grow up, see who the real important people in their lives are.”

“Their larger than life dream man,” David said, “nothing but low-life short eyes, a child molester, a baby rapist. The ladies of the world will be heartbroken; Jared had no desire for them, but did for their baby brother.” David stepped back from the wall, “Man, our boy out there? He has just created one of the biggest shit storms this city, the world maybe is gonna ever see.”

“You think so?” Noel asked, he nodded to the car indicating that they should leave.

“Are you kidding?” David asked, opening the passenger door and climbing in to the car, once Noel sat in the drivers’ seat he continued, “Not only the news story, but the scandals that re gonna follow. Then, not only the trial that will come, but the shit load of lawsuits to follow.’

“Holy shit,” Noel said as he started the engine, “he’s going to have every parent of every boy that he ever looked at the wrong way with their lawyers’ right up his ass.”

“Him, and his old man.” David said now as they began their decent down through the parking lot. “Using company money to support his son’s pedophilia, that ain’t going to go over well with the stockholders and Board of Directors.”

Both men went quiet for the next few minutes as Noel maneuvered his way down the garage. Once they came to the exit gate, they gave the attendant their parking pass and sped out. There were members of the local media around who saw them and attempted to stop them. However, David and Noel both waived them off, indicating that there was no comment coming from them. Noel not attempting to stop the car also confirmed their position of the moment.

They came to the side road and turned left, in a moment they were at the corner were the side street met Sheridan Road. They looked to their left to the crowd of Jared Bartholomew fans, still holding their candles and making their chants. Then Noel quickly turned right onto Sheridan Road to head back to the city. David looked over his shoulder to see the crowd through the rear window and said, “Well Jaworski; how does it feel to bring down a dynasty?”

Noel let out a little chuckle and answered, “Is that what we did?”

David paused for a second, thought about Noel’s question, and then sat back forward in his seat. “No. No, come to think of it, we didn’t.”