“Yes sir, were all the way to the southwest side just as you said.” Noel said into his phone. When Noel was paused, David could here the sound of the voice from the man on the other end. “Uh, it’s Section C. Yes. Hold on a sec.” Noel then looked around the parking lot while holding the phone to his ear. He spotted what he was looking for on their right, another three spaces over. It was a large silver Ford Van. “There it is. Yes sir, it’s a few spaces from us. What’s that? Right there? Sure, yes sir. We’ll meet you right there. Two minutes? You got it. See ya then.”
Noel closed the flip phone shut. David asked, “So what’s the deal?”
“He’s on his way up,” Noel answered, “he said he’ll be here in a couple of minutes. He wants to meet us by his van over there.”
Both men got out of their car, locked it, then began to make their way the short distance to the van. “Man, what is it with all this secrecy bullshit?” David said, “I mean ‘make sure we’re not seen’ and ‘go through the back way’. I feel like Woodward and Bernstein on our way to meet ‘Deep Throat’.”
“I know what you’re saying. Ever since we left, and now this,” he said holding up his phone, “my ‘suspicion meter’ has been pegging the needle.”
They now both stood next to the van, and began to wait with anticipation. The wait was not to be long. David was looking to the northeast side of the parking lot where there was a top floor entrance to the hospital. David saw a large man in a dark blue suit come out from the doorway and look straight to their direction. The man then began to immediately make his way towards them.
“I guess that must be him.” David said.
“Shit, when he said two minutes, he meant two minutes.”
The large man was soon within a distance where they could see his face and hear his voice in a normal speaking volume. “Sergeant Jaworski? Sergeant Todd?” He asked with a deep New York accent. Their names came out as Jaw-WHAR-skee and TAHD. He wore a big smile and extended his hand to them both.
“I’m Jaworski.” Noel said as he shook the mans hand, “This is Todd.” Then the man, who was in his forties and distinguished looking shook hands with David.
“Lieutenant Arthur Hatton, Kenilworth Police. Nice to meet you both.” He said in his extremely noticeable accent. “Your pictures from the papers don’t do you guys any justice.”
“They never do,” David said, “so what gives in there sir?”
“Well, the kid is still in surgery. His old man had some hot shot neurosurgeon from downtown come in and take charge of the whole thing. As soon as they’re able, and the kid is stabilized, they’re gonna transfer him to Northwestern downtown.”
“Are they doing a spinal fusion?” Noel asked.
“That’s what I’ve been told,” the Lieutenant said, then motioned to the van, “come on get in.”
“Where we going?” David asked.
“I’m going to take you to the Bartholomew estate. Let you take a look for yourselves.” He took out his keys and unlocked the doors, “I need you both to stay in the back. Don’t let anyone see you back there until we get to the house.”
David and Noel did not say anything, they just obeyed. Both of them felt some reluctance to all of the secrecy, but went along with everything just the same. They both climbed into the back seat of the van and noticed that there were curtains on the windows in the back and all were drawn closed. Lieutenant Hatton then climbed into the drivers seat , shut the door and started the engine. He then pulled out from his parking space and then began to make his way down the ten flights of parking floors.
David and Noel sat quietly in the back. They said nothing until they were finally out of the parking lot and on there way to the Bartholomew estate. Soon they were at the traffic light where the van turned left going northward along Sheridan Road.
David then broke the silence. “Not from around here, are you sir.”
“How can you tell?” Lieutenant Hatton asked with a small laugh.
“The accent is still strong sir.” David answered, “New York City?”
“The Bronx to be exact.” He said, “I had a basketball scholarship at Illinois State. I met my wife there. She’s from here in Chicago, so I stayed here with her.”
“Basketball huh?” Noel asked.
“Yep, I was a guard.”
David then interceded, “Begging your pardon sir, but I have to ask. What’s with all the secrecy here? I mean with all these, for lack of better words, ‘covert tactics’ and such, with us not being seen? What’s going on?”
“It’s the way Mr. Bartholomew wants it, the kids dad. He’s a good friend of the Chief’s, and let’s face it, he’s well connected. I’m baffled by it myself, but this is the way he wants everything right now.”
“That seems strange to me,” Noel added, “his son just had his spine snapped, and he’s worried about what people are going to know.”
“Seems strange to me too Sergeant. I’m giving him some slack though, after all, he was the one who found the kid.”
“Where in the house did he find him” David asked.
“He wasn’t found in the house, rather he was found lying face down in the back yard. He was there for a few hours from what I understand. You both will see everything when we get there. It’ll be just another couple of minutes.”
David and Noel looked at each other, they felt each others suspicions grow. Already they were skeptical of many things, however as with everything else, a little patience and some time would bring everything into light.
Soon they were drawing near to the Bartholomew estate. Across the road from the front gate were all the news vans from all around the city waiting for the latest news to broadcast. Lieutenant Hatton turned to both David and Noel and said, “I need you both to scrunch down, we don’t want to have any of those people see that you are with us.”
David gave the Lieutenant a skeptical glance, “With all due respect sir, but what!?”
“Please Sergeant, I too am under orders.” Lieutenant Hatton seem to plead. “I’d appreciate it. It’s all just bullshit politics. You all should know about that by now.”
“Sure sir.” Noel said. “C’mon Dave, let go along.”
David and Noel moved to the far back of the van. The curtains drawn on all the windows would conceal them perfectly from the prying media across the road. The van then slowed down and made a quick turn right then came to a stop at the front gate of the Bartholomew estate. There guarding the entranceway were two uniformed Kenilworth Police officers. They both recognized Lieutenant Hatton and waved him through. In a couple of seconds he turned and said “OK guys, come on up.”
When David and Noel came back to there seats they both were amazed by what they saw. The shear size and beauty of the Bartholomew estate.
“Jesus, look at the size of that house.” Noel said looking to the left side of the van.
“That’s just the guest house,” David said, noticing that some of the lights in the guest house were turned on, “Look straight ahead.”
“Da-yum!” Noel exclaimed, “This place is bigger than my high school! Playgrounds and all!”
The Lieutenant then said, “I park in front of the main house with your door to the front. Nobody out front will see you as we go in.”
Soon they were stopped directly in front of the enormous house. Lieutenant Hatton turned of the vans engine and quickly exited. He opened the side door to let both David and Noel out, “OK guys, were here. Let’s get inside quickly and I’ll fill you in on all the bullshit.”
David and Noel stepped out and quickly entered the home of Mitchell Bartholomew. Once the passed the front door they all stood in a giant foyer with white marble floors and pillars.
“Holy shit,” Noel said gasping, “now this is just fucking incredible.”
“Beautiful,” was all David could add.
“Let’s go straight through to the back.” Lieutenant Hatton said. He led them from the foyer to the large living room. As expected it was furnished impeccably. There was a large glass sliding door that led to the outdoor patio. It too was of white concrete and marble. Lieutenant Hatton paused with them both there.
“OK, here’s the way it is guys,” the Lieutenant began. “When the 911 call came in early this morning, our Chief was informed. As I said before, he’s a good friend of Mitchell Bartholomew, as well as the Mayor of Kenilworth, and as is the Mayor of Chicago. Being the Chief of police of Kenilworth, he of course is up to date on all well documented crimes in the area. When he first learned of our young Mr. Bartholomew’s attack, and of the injury he sustained, the first persons he thought of were you two guys.”
“I don’t know if we should be flattered or not.” David said.
“Anyways,” the Lieutenant continued, “The Chief wants to know if your ‘Dark Man’ may be involved in this, considering the similarities. What can you tell me about him?”
“I’ll answer that with a question sir,” David said, “what can you tell me about him?”
“Why nothing of course.”
“Then that makes three of us,” David continued, “all we know if that he’s a big man. But considering that he may have been wearing a bulky sweat pants with a hooded sweatshirt, and that the girl who saw him was traumatized, his size may have been over exaggerated. But, his strength wasn’t. The teenage rape victim whom he came to assist told us that he tossed her assailants around with one arm like rag dolls. Also, he has a deep soft spoken voice.”
“That’s it?” Lieutenant Hatton asked.
Noel answered, “Totally it. He left no trace of himself behind. It’s like he was never even there.”
“This could all be a copy cat too sir,” David said, “because it seems that the ‘Dark Man’ has just disappeared. The media doesn’t even discuss him anymore, they haven’t in months.”
“Which is one reason for all the secrecy Sergeant,” Lieutenant Hatton said, “If they pick up on the injury of the Bartholomew kid, and the fact he was attacked in his own home, there’s gonna be a feeding frenzy here.”
“Can we take a look around?” Noel asked.
“Sure thing,” Lieutenant Hatton answered, “let me show you where the father found him.”
Lieutenant Hatton escorted both men down the steps of the patio to the area of the lawn where Jared Bartholomew was found by his father early that morning. Yellow police tape had cordoned off the area, and the impression of Jared Bartholomew’s body was still visible in the well manicured grass.
“He was found right here,” the Lieutenant said as he presented the area to them, “as I said, he was here for a few hours.”
“That’s why you can still see the outline his body left,” David said, and then began to scan the area behind him, “His weight pressing down on the lawn for that length of time.” David scanned the patio, then proceeded to the far end of the back lawn. There he found another cement stairwell that led to a swimming pool area that overlooked Lake Michigan. The pool had been drained for the upcoming cold weather. He turned and faced the mansion, He looked to the area of the large house to his left where there were trees and bushes. He then looked to the house from his right at the landscaping there. Both area led to front of the home and the open area to the front gate. He saw how that if the attacker left in that direction, he would never be seen from the street or the other homes because of the high wall and trees.
He then looked down the stairwell to the pool. Again, with the darkness it would be almost impossible for anyone to see any intruder, even if someone were on the beach because there were a thousand places to conceal oneself.
He then turned to make his way back to Noel and Lieutenant Hatton. Both men were surveying the area around where Jared Bartholomew was found by his father.
“See anything?” Noel asked as he approached.
“Just a million ways to get out of here if I did it,” he answered, then asked the Lieutenant, “was Jared conscious when his father found him?”
“I believe he may have been, that a little cloudy area also.”
“Meaning sir?”
Mitchell Bartholomew has been tight lipped about this whole ordeal. He won’t tell us hardly anything about what he found or saw. As I said before, I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt because of everything.”
Noel then interjected, “Begging your pardon sir, but Dave and I? We never give anybody the benefit of the doubt. May I explain?”
“Please do Sergeant.”
“You just told me that the back door was open when Mitchell Bartholomew came home, correct?”
“Correct.”
“Also, that the position that Jared was in, flat on his face with his arms out?”
“Again, correct.”
“Well sir, if I just found my only child in that strange position, not yet knowing what was wrong? Well, I would have a little sense of panic, and would want to rush to him and turn him over.”
David then said, “I see where your going.”
“Yes,” Noel continued, “in order to prevent him from doing so, it would have to have been Jared telling him to not move him. With a spinal injury like this, more damage could have been caused, maybe even death.”
“You sure picked up a lot from Dr. MacDonald from the last time.” David said.
Noel then continued, “Then we have to add in a hysterical mother, and she made the 911.”
“And a hysterical mother would have to be calmed down, maybe even forcefully.” David added.
“I can see your point,” the Lieutenant said, “are you two always this suspicious of everyone.”
“Yes sir,” David said, “We first suspect everyone, then work to weed them out. I’m not saying though that Mitchell had anything to do with his sons accident. That’s not what is making me apprehensive of this whole thing.”
“Then what is?” the Lieutenant asked.
“It’s why him?” Noel said, “Why Jared Bartholomew? You also just told me that nothing was taken from the home. It was untouched.”
“Well,” David said, “people like the Bartholomew’s? They got more enemies than friends. That black tie affair they were at last night? I can guarantee you that most those guys he was schmoozin with? As they were patting him on the back looking for the soft spot.”
“Agreed there,” the Lieutenant said, “the price of power.”
“And,” David said, “If by some slight chance this is the ‘Dark Man’, again, you gotta ask ‘why?’ Why would he want to travel all this way to attack Jared Bartholomew? In his own back yard? To go from a couple of scum bags, to him? What makes him so special. That’s what makes me think that this may be a copy cat.”
“But it’s still a loose end,” the Lieutenant said, “a loose end that we hope you two can help tie up.”
“We’ll do what can sir,” Noel said, “but if this is like the last time, it’s gonna be a little time before we can talk to Jared. He’s the only one that can help put this all together.”
Then David added, “And with all this covert action? With his father running the whole show? Is he going to help or hinder us?”
There was a pause of silence for a few seconds, then the Lieutenant said, “Well then, let me get you guys back to your car then. Like you said, were on hold until we can talk to the kid. But until we are able to talk to him, we’re going to have to continue with the covert action as you call it. Let’s get back to my van. You guys don’t let yourselves be seen as we leave. Keep a lid on this until we’re able to interview the kid, understand?”
“Yes sir.” Noel said.
“Sure thing sir.” David added.
“Let’s get back then.” The Lieutenant said, and then began to make his way through the house and back to his van. David and Noel entered the van from the side doorway again and sat all the way in the back . The Lieutenant placed himself in the drivers seat, shut the door, and started the van. He then began to drive slowly on the driveway making his way back to the front gate. As they drove past the guest house, David again saw that the lights of the house were turned on.
As the van made its way back onto Sheridan Road, David made another mental note concerning the lights of the guest house, and added it to his cerebral list of all the suspicions he now had of the entire ordeal that dealt with the attack of Jared Bartholomew.
