Part II - Chapter 5: TO ADD TO THE COLLECTION

Chapter 5

To Add to the Collection
(Ó 2009)

 

David looked to the clock on the dashboard of his car which now displayed that it was 11:47 PM; he had been sitting now for over fifteen minutes in the soft glow of the streetlamps by his home. Fifteen minutes since he arrived, sitting there in the front seat of the car, in his carport, thinking of all of the events since Noel came to him in the park the day before. On his lap was his briefcase, which supported his hands that held the notepad; and on the notepad was all of the annotations that he had written since early that morning, starting with the initial investigation at the home of the gang chief known as “Gem P”.

However, the last portion of adrenaline that his body had manufactured for the day was running its course, and the effects of that were now combining with the lack of sleep from the night before. David was close to numb exhaustion. He yawned deeply and rubbed his eyes, looking to his house, he saw that the light in his den was on, as well as the living room and that of the stairwell that led to the bedrooms. His family were all asleep, even the boys much to his surprise. David then slipped the notes into his briefcase and exited his car.

The summer air was warm, humid and silent. David drew in a deep breath to help himself stay awake for the short time he needed to get into the house, shower and then go to sleep. He then drew in another deep breath through his nostrils, held the air in for a second, and then slowly exhaled. As he did so, he looked straight up into the clear night sky and saw the few stars that were bright enough to see through the “light pollution” from not only the street lamps, but also from the entire city of Chicago. He closed his eyes with his head still held in that upward position, and he began to meditate in the silence and darkness around him, listening to all of the background sounds that broke the silence.

He remained in this position for some seconds, relaxed and breathing slowly through his nose … until … something. David’s eyes burst open, because there was … something. He brought his head down quickly and then slowly began to look all around him … because … he felt … something. He then stepped slowly to the back of his car, still looking in all directions. He then stepped out to the sidewalk in front of his home, again looking in all directions. Because David felt … something. Moreover, what he sensed was a bit uncomfortable. Whatever it was that this “something” could be … he felt that it could be … right at this moment …that it was … watching him.

David now peered down on the left side of him, looking down the street of his neighborhood. He meticulously looked at every shadow, every dark spot, letting his eyes adjust from the light and vice versa. He even concentrated on where the streetlamps were making a glare in his eyes, creating a blind spot.

“Are you out there you bastard?” David whispered to himself almost inaudibly. “Huh? You there? You watching me right now? I feel ya. I feel ya doing it.” He slowly turned his head looking at every possible place where someone could hide and be watching him. Trees, rooftops, between houses, bushes and shrubbery, he scanned down to his right side and the down to the other end of the street. He strained to see if anything was the slightest different from what it should be, it there was anything that would be moving, or standing in any of the thousands of shadows.

Then suddenly, as he stood there alone on the sidewalk looking slowly back and forth … the feeling that “something” was watching him … vanished.

He looked around himself, then realized that he was all alone on the sidewalk in the middle of the night, and he began to feel somewhat foolish. “Shit.” he whispered to himself, “I must be going crazy.” He then turned and stepped back to his car, there he retrieved his briefcase along with his new set of notes, locked his car and then went to the front door of his home. He placed the key into the lock of the front door and before he unlocked it, he turned around to look to the darkened neighborhood. “Damn,” he whispered again to himself, “get in the house will ya?” He then opened the door and entered his home.

Once inside he felt the sheltered tranquility of his home. He was cautious to not make any noise that would wake his family. He quietly made his way to his office in his den. Once there, he closed the door behind him. The first thing that he noticed was that Miss Todd’s class had been in session sometime earlier that day, because a couple of her “students” were left behind on the sofa. David smiled when he saw this and placed his briefcase with the notes on his desk. He then went over to the sofa, picked up the doll “students”, and placed them on the desk with his briefcase. He then sat down in his chair, picked up his new notes and began to read them over. After doing so for a few minutes, he opened the drawer to retrieve the large file on the man he and his partner nicknamed the Spinal Tapper. He opened it and placed the contents on the desk. He looked at the separate file on each of the vigilante’s “victims”, and placed the notes on top of them.

“There,” he said to himself in his solitude, “three new files I have to make. Three more to add to the collection.” He then stood up and began to feel an anger coming over him, an anger that was with him ever since the attack of Gregior Divic. He developed this anger towards the vigilante because David found himself, and his partner, now had something in common with the Spinal Tapper’s targets. That the Tapper was now inside of their heads as well. He and Noel became consumed by him. David at one point beginning to actually believe that maybe, just maybe, that this vigilante was not even human. That he was some sort of ghost, or some type of being from the supernatural because no matter what there was no physical trace of him left behind. 

Except for his victims of course.

In addition, that there was no physical trace of him ever … until this morning. David kept to himself the vast sensation of relief that yes, the vigilante was indeed human and something of this earth.

David then picked up Nadine Rose’s dolls and was just about to leave his den when … he turned and looked to the windows of the room. He stepped over to the windows, which were covered now by the drapes, and he placed his fingertips in the slit that separated the drapes and opened them slightly. He just had to have one more glimpse outside to see if there was anyone there watching the house. He peered out onto the street, yet with the same result, nothing, or rather nobody was there.

“You son-of-a-bitch.” He said to himself, “You had to come back didn’t you? Couldn’t just go away could you? No, now you’re back to drive me fucking nuts again. What is it? What is it you want this time? What the fuck is it that drives you? Damn it.” He caught himself growing angrier; he then closed his eyes to calm himself. He felt himself clenching the dolls in his hand and looked to them. He then took a deep breath, sighed it out, and then relaxed his grip that he had on his daughters’ dolls.

Once relaxed he said to himself, “This ain’t doing me any good, I gotta go to bed.” He then stepped to the doorway of his den and then turned the switch that shut off the lights. He then quietly crossed the living room and then made his way upstairs to the bedrooms where his family was all sleeping. There was a set of light switches at the base of the stairs where he switched off the living room lights., then made his way upwards.

Once at the top of the stairs he peeked into his daughters’ room to check on her. There he saw Nadine Rose sleeping on her left side holding her Teddy Bear. Her sheets were only covering her knees and her bare feet stuck out from the bottom of them. David stepped over to her bed to cover her up. He gently pulled the bottom end of the sheet over her feet and the top end up to her shoulders. He then bent over and kissed her on top of her head. Nadine Rose then squirmed and turned herself onto her other side, all the while staying asleep.

David then stepped lightly to her bedroom door and then into the hallway. He closed her door slowly and left it slightly ajar so that the hall light would act as a night light for her. David then went over to the next bedroom where his sons’ room was. He heard voices speaking from inside their room that was coming from their television. He opened the door to find both boys fast asleep, each in his own bed. The television was on to show the late report on a Chicago sports station. David stepped over to the television and switched it off. He then turned to look at his sons. E.W. was lying on his back, his arms out to his sides with his hands on either side of his head. His mouth was opened and he was snoring slightly. David Jr. was on his stomach lying on the edge of his bed. He had one arm and one leg hanging over the side of his bed. David the went over to him and slowly turned him onto his back and placed him in the middle of his mattress. He then gave his son a gentle caress on the top of his head.

David then stepped over to E.W. and shook his shoulder gently. E.W.’s eyes opened slightly and he said, “Huh?”

“Turn over on your side there champ.” David said to him, “You’re snoring a little.”

“Uh … okay.” E.W. said as he turned on his side and went directly back to sleep. David also gave his other son a loving caress to the top of his head. He then stepped to their doorway and then turned to look at the both of them. He watched them both sleeping for a few minutes, then stepped out into the hallway and shut their door.

David then stepped over to the master bedroom and saw that the door was slightly ajar. He peered through the opening and saw Regina asleep in their bed. She had set the lights of the room set to be lit dimly as she slept. He was just about to open the door when he stopped himself, for at that moment while she slept, she looked so beautiful to him. So beautiful that David just wanted to look at her at this moment. She was on her left side and David watched as her chest rose gently up and down with her breathing. He watched her for almost five minutes before he quietly entered the room, taking extra caution to not wake her. Simply not to disturb her; no, he wanted to continue to watch her sleep.

He stood there just watching her, this woman, this woman whom he has loved since high school, really loved her. There were no others since the day she smiled at him when her locker was next to his. He began to have a thousand memories of his life with her, how he would watch her walk away in the hallway in high school. The day he completely missed catching a pitch during a game when he saw her in the stands. Going to the prom. How she stood by him while he was at the police academy and the look of pride on her face on his graduation day. The day he went to Big Earl to ask him to marry Regina, and then asked her. Their wedding. The births of their children, and thousands more.

He then thought of all she has given him. Her devotion, her unconditional love, their home and their children.

David then realized just how much he truly loved Regina as he stood there in their room, watching her sleep. He then also realized that the anger that he felt some short time ago was gone, it had flowed away from him. He stepped closer to her as she slept and he knelt down beside the bed to see her face closer. He seemed amazed with her, he felt how much she meant to him.

Then … a thought came to him that literally made his heart jolt. For the first time ever since he has known Regina, he thought … what would he do without her? Another thought then shot through his mind. Something that he just talked about with the others in his office that day. Something about the vigilante, which he discussed with, and had discussed to him several times, from Noel, and from FBI Agent Chris Wren. He heard the voice of Chris Wren tell him - - -

- - - “He may have had someone that he cared for very much hurt or maybe even killed by some sort of criminal element” - - -

Those words made him have a thought that actually scared him. What if somebody did that to her? What if somebody hurt Regina? What would he do? How would he react if that happened?

Then another thought came to him that was even more frightening. What if somebody … and he stopped his thought … however … the thought kept trying to come to form … and David actually found himself fighting the thought.

What if somebody …? David actually found it extremely difficult to even think the words, but they managed to slip into his mind anyway. What if somebody … killed Regina? What if somebody came along and in one swift motion, took away the love of his life. The actual air he breaths. Just … what if?

The simple fact that he was only thinking this caused him to shiver. He felt a great despondency come over him thinking of his life without Regina. Now not only if … somebody did something, but also if something else were to happen. What if she were to get sick? What if there was a terrible accident? For the first time ever, David was thinking about the mortality of Regina. What would he do? How could he live or go on with life without his Regina in it?

Of course, he must do so for the sake of his children, however he knew that he would be alone for the rest of his life, because there could never be any other after Regina. He actually now felt a pain in his throat and tears starting to form in his eyes. He moved his hand up to touch her face and gently caressed it. Her cheek felt so soft in his hand and she then slowly opened her eyes.

“David?” she asked sleepily.

“Yeah.”

“You just get home baby?” she yawned.

“Yeah, just a few minutes ago.”

She then saw the expression on his face and asked, “You okay sugar?”

“Regina?” he whispered.

“Yes baby.”

“I love you.”

Regina then smiled and took his face into her hands and said, “Oh baby I know you do, I love you too.” She then kissed him long and slow on his lips, and then set herself back down on the bed. “Now come to bed and show me.”

David then stood and went to the bedroom door to shut and lock it. He then turned off the lights to the room, undressed, then slipped under the blankets next to Regina and embraced her.

They then made love.

Afterwards, David was holding Regina close to him, her back against his chest, and both his arms around her. She had just fallen back to sleep; he felt the rhythm of her breathing against him and her warm breath through her nose on his forearms. He was kissing her hair and then pressing it against his cheek.

He then thought about the vigilante. He thought, “Is this what you lost? By chance … is this ... what was taken from you?” Now, the anger towards the Spinal Tapper had now begun to transform to sympathy. If he had someone in his life like David had Regina, and they were just snuffed out by someone else. He could understand the vigilante’s rage. Could David himself ever be filled with such a rage that he could commit the same types of attacks on another human being as the Tapper had?

After some long moments he concluded, depending on the situation, David thought to himself that if someone took Regina from him in some terrible way. Well the answer would be … yes. That he supposed that he could be driven that insane from his rage. Yes … he probably would do that same - - -

- - - He knew that he sensed him, he thought to himself as he continued to walk briskly, the man David Todd, he knew that he sensed him as he was watching him some thirty minutes ago. He was impressed with David Todd, sensing himself being watched, and considering the distance he was from David Todd, he was indeed impressed.

However, he then saw him act as if he were in denial, as if what he sensed was not real.

“These people,” the elders would tell him, “they will never trust all their senses, they only trust what they can only truly see or what they can only hear; only what they can smell, taste or touch, they never trust their own inner senses. They deny the power of their own inner spirit. They have separated themselves from it for so long that they know not that they even have it. And if it ever grows strong in them, they think it is because they are crazy.”

He continued now with his stealth walk, making sure that he would be seen by no one. He thought to himself, “He should now be sleeping with his beautiful African wife.” He remembered the day he watched them from afar when he was with the other man, Noel Jaworski, were with their families. He saw the expression on David Todd’s face whenever he looked at his African wife …and hers whenever she looked at back to him. Yes, there was that deep love for each other, unconditional love. He knew it was there between them.

“Don’t lose that.” He whispered to himself as he now walked faster. “Whatever you do … don’t lost that. Give your life to protect that if you must.”