After Dark: Chicago Fire (Science Fiction Anthalogies Book 2) (2 page)

Chapter
3

The evening with Tara was everything
that Jeremy had hoped and perhaps even a little more. No sooner home and he
concentrates on the extended evening ahead. He focuses on John Mason, the
retired Police Sergeant that investigated the Chicago fire. Jeremy focusses and
is soon walking down Dawson Parade Lincoln Square. He stops at a very modern
apartment block and stares at the directory. Mason, John; Penthouse Tower 1 it
reads. The security door opens, as it has on many occasions before for Jeremy,
and he knocks on the door after walking from the lift. ‘Hello, I am John’, a
welcoming voice offers as he opens the door. Jeremy is invited inside and is in
disbelief. The spacious penthouse overlooks a park, and the view looking further
out through the large glass windows is picturesque with a light show of colour
and buildings.

‘Wow’, Jeremy bleats, clearly
impressed with the view and the beautiful penthouse. ‘Yes, it is nice isn’t
it?’ John softly adds. ‘Mind you, the novelty wore off pretty quick. I am here
alone, never married and well, I suppose a home is what you make of it, no
matter where it is.’ John plays down the opulence of where he lives and almost
sighs as he talks. ‘So John, you moved in here when the development finished?
Jeremy enquires. ‘Yes that’s right’, John quickly and bluntly replies. ‘Must
have been a big retirement cheque?’ Jeremy adds half laughing as he again looks
around admiring the penthouse. John plays down Jeremy’s question and mumbles
under his breath ‘It was alright!’

‘Tell me John, the great Chicago fire
would have been some investigation to be involved in before you retired?’ John
again sighs and adds, ‘Yes, I suppose it was but hardly the highlight of my
career.’ ‘Oh okay, I suppose you would have seen a lot of significant crimes.’
Jeremy acknowledges. ‘Yes, I was involved in many investigations. This was just
one of them’ John offers. ‘John, it’s hard to understand why three businessmen
would up and leave after the fire. What do you believe is the rationale behind
that and can I ask what did your investigations conclude?’ Jeremy was
struggling, but it seemed like a fair question. John paused and sat at a small
table in the dining area, for the first time since he invited Jeremy in. ‘He runs
his hand over his head of thinning grey hair then adds, ‘Well I suppose you
would have to ask them that question wouldn’t you? As far as the conclusion of
our investigation……well.’ John pauses for a second and then adds,’ it could
never be proved that the fire was deliberately lit so the insurance company
paid the three of them out for their insured losses.’     

‘But John do you believe there was any
real agenda for the developer? I mean do you think that there may have been
some scandal behind the fire and a big flashy development going up?’ Jeremy
pauses and then adds, ‘I mean look at this.’ He waves his arm around in a wide
circle as he tries to use John’s penthouse as an example. ‘John it would seem
easy to believe that there was a lot to be gained by some people to
remove….demolish an old industrial site and replace it with a lucrative
shopping centre, retirement home and large very upmarket residential area.’ John
looks at Jeremy sternly before adding, ‘I suppose it is easy for people to see
a scandal in a lot of things, but as a senior police officer I learnt a long
time ago that you look at facts, not scandal every time something progresses.
Yes, there were lots of theories running around back then…….I should know I was
there.’ He is almost defiant in his statement and Jeremy can see that the old
man is not interested in entertaining anything different.      

Jeremy has spent some time with John
but is frustrated and decides that it is time to move on. ‘Thank you John’ and
saying goodbye he finds his own way out, takes the lift down to ground level
and wanders the grounds before walking back down Dawson Parade. Jeremy looks up
at the impressive tower and John’s penthouse that remains well-lit before
focusing on Larry Charlesworth, the Insurance assessor. No sooner in his mind
and Jeremy is walking down a narrow road that quickly brings him to the door of
a small home in a relatively modest inner Chicago suburb. The door opens before
Jeremy has time to consider knocking and he is greeted by a very broad smiling
Larry Charlesworth. ‘Hello Jeremy. Do come in. My wife and family are down the
other end of the house, but we can chat in here,’ gesturing with his arm in the
direction of a small and somewhat messy sitting room just in from the front
door.

‘Thank you Larry’ Jeremy smiles as he
acknowledges Larry. ‘So still working Larry? The great Chicago fire must have
been early in your career then?’ he asks. ‘Yes, it was one of my first big
assignments and not long after I got a promotion in the company,’ Larry proudly
replies. ‘It’s hard to fully understand why Stevens, Walker and Sunderland
would all decide to move on. You know I remember them all way back then, and I
wouldn’t really have thought they would do that, but they must have consciously
decided that was what they wanted.’ Larry answers. ‘What makes you come to that
conclusion? A bemused Jeremy asks. ‘Well the insurance monies were collected so
that would suggest that they collectively decided it was what they wanted’,
Larry again quickly replies. Jeremy is taken back, pauses and ponders his next
question briefly before asking, ‘So they all collected the monies before leaving
Chicago?’

‘Well not exactly like that. In fact
because the fire was such a large claim it was subject of a Police
investigation and the Police insisted that the monies were firstly handed over
to them. But shortly after all three cheques were negotiated and paid. ‘John
explains. ‘So Larry you do not think there was anything untoward?’ Jeremy
pointedly asks. Larry shakes his head, smiles and adds ‘NO. NO, I would have no
reason to think there was anything untoward. I mean when three men receive
cheques amounting to several million dollars and you consider that they were
young men, and all had similar relationship problems……….NO, I do not consider
anything untoward.’ Jeremy looks at Larry and can see that behind his broad happy
go lucky smile, Larry genuinely believes that what occurred was simply what was
publicised.              

After bidding good night to Larry,
Jeremy decides that it is time for him to retire to bed also. It has been a big
night and he is content with his discussions with both John Mason and Larry
Charlesworth. He is starting to get a picture of events and already starts to
harbor views as to what transpired. He needs to research more.

Chapter
4

Jeremy’s day starts like most others
although today is to be a busy one, and he is distracted as he goes about his
routine. A quick trip to the Corner Store where he picks up his paper and chats
briefly with James Walter, and then he hurriedly walks over to the Old Coffee
Stop where he hopes to see Tara. Sitting just inside the door is Tara and she
smiles as she gives Jeremy a quick kiss on the cheek. Sorry Tara, Jeremy
quickly adds ‘I can’t stop for coffee and have to be on the run as I have a big
day at work.’ ‘I was hoping you would come over tonight and we could have
dinner……nothing flash, but just a curry and say a bottle of wine? ‘Tara
excitedly offers as she looks into Jeremy’s eyes. ‘Sure. What time?’ Jeremy
asks. ‘See you around 6.00?’ Tara asks. Jeremy nods and says, “I’ll look
forward to it.’ And with a take-away coffee in hand he quickly rushes out the
door and heads to the office.

Jeremy organises his work station and
prepares for his scheduled meeting with his boss Matthew Warren. Today is the
big day and hopefully their organising skills will pay off. They go over notes,
equipment and catering in readiness for the presentation to the firm by
Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department Ryan Golding.  They have been planning
the meeting for weeks and Matthew is clearly nervous. He goes over things
several times and Jeremy tries to be as understanding as he can and ignores the
fact that his boss is being repetitive. 

The firms’ lawyers are the first to
file into the large conference room, followed by partners and Senior Partner
Brian Topping who leaps forward to welcome Superintendent Ryan Golding. Matthew
is centre stage and after everyone is seated he welcomes everybody and gives an
introductory overview of the Superintendent’s resume and purpose for his
presentation. He is nervous and Jeremy looks on knowing that what has taken
three weeks to plan will be over in less than an hour or so before the luncheon
platters are brought in. He can see that Matthew is nervous but considers he
does a pretty good job for his first assignment as a new partner of the firm.

The presentation goes smoothly and as
the other partners and lawyers file out of the conference room Jeremy and
Matthew share some small talk with the Superintendent. Jeremy is taken back how
easy it is to chat with Superintendent Golding, and they exchange some light
banter and share discussion around basketball, as Matthew excuses himself to wrap
up matters with other partners. Matthew smiles as he looks over at Jeremy
entertaining the senior policeman. Superintendent Golding hands his business
card to both Matthew and Jeremy and thanks them for the courtesy of being
invited to present to the firm.

It has been a rewarding day and Jeremy
is keen to meet with Tara. He rushes home showers and excitedly hurries down
the road towards Tara’s apartment. As always Jeremy is early but he knows that
Tara won’t mind. He knocks on the door and a beaming Tara greets him and
invites him inside. He is taken back and with a look of surprise, smiles and
says ‘Hello, Mrs. Dooley…….I um wasn’t expecting to see you here.’ He adds.
Tara interrupts before the old lady can barely greet Jeremy adding, ‘Grandma
wasn’t doing anything tonight Jeremy and I knew you wouldn’t mind her joining
with us for dinner.’ Jeremy smiles at both Tara and Mrs. Dooley. He doesn’t
mind, he really doesn’t as he likes Mrs. Dooley and is genuinely pleased that
Tara and her grandmother have united. Mrs. Dooley smiles and adds ‘Thank you
Jeremy, I am delighted to be able to join you both, and was excited when Tara
invited me over.’

Jeremy pours a glass of wine for the
three as they sit around the small dining room table. Tara occasionally hops up
to tend to the curry that is gently simmering on the stove top. She starts the
conversation ‘I have been thinking more about visiting my real father in
prison.’ She looks at Mrs. Dooley and then Jeremy for support. ‘What do you
both think?’ Mrs. Dooley thinks long and hard and pauses as Jeremy and Tara
look on knowing that she is about to speak. ‘I never thought that my son would
end up in prison, although I always feared that he was involved in the
jewellery heist. I will come with you Tara, when you go to visit your father.’
Both Jeremy and Tara were surprised to hear of Mrs. Dooley’s willingness to see
her son, and Tara’s father but Tara nonetheless couldn’t hide her excitement
that her grandmother would join her.

Dinner is wonderful and the
conversation continues around visiting Tara’s real father Tony Draper. ‘I would
be quite nervous!’ Tara adds. ‘Apart from the court case where we talked very
briefly, I really have never known him. It’s funny in some ways given that I
always thought that my father was Michael Tsari and he was imprisoned for ten
years whilst my real father roamed free. Ironically, I really have never known
either of them.’ Tara is sad and both Mrs. Dooley and Jeremy look at each
other, before Jeremy gets up and hugs Tara before giving her a soft kiss on her
forehead. ‘Cheer up. We can’t change what we can’t change. Look on the positive
side Tara, you now know who your father is and besides you have the company of your
grandma as well.’ Jeremy smiles as he puts his spin on things and Tara looks up
smiles and rubs Mrs. Dooley’s arm acknowledging her.

It was a good evening and Jeremy
decides that he will accompany Mrs. Dooley home as her apartment is not out of
his way, and the two say farewell to Tara and slowly walk the well-lit street
to retire for the evening.            

Chapter
5

Jeremy is not long home and he
focusses upon the evening ahead. There remain a number of things that don’t
quite make sense and he is determined to get to the bottom of things. He
focusses and thinks of Scott Dawson the Property Developer who eventually
developed Lincoln Square following the fire. As he had done many times before
he focusses hard until he finds himself walking down a familiar street. He
looks up at the street sign. It reads Dawson Parade. Not far from the retired
Police Sergeant John Mason’s penthouse, but a more humble home just off from
the adjoining tower is Scott Dawson’s house. The house stands alone from the
development of units and apartments and a barking Rottweiler can be heard as
Jeremy approaches.   

Jeremy knocks on the front door as the
Rottweiler continues to announce his presence. The door opens and Jeremy is
greeted by a smiling Scott Dawson. ‘Hello Jeremy, how are you?’ Scott asks.
Jeremy replies politely ‘I am fine Scott, thank you for meeting with me.’ Scott
invites Jeremy in and the pair sit down in the lounge area that overlooks a
dimly lit park area. Jeremy is impressed with the house which is modern, albeit
that it is now some twenty years old, but he can’t help but think that it is
not as impressive as the retired Police Sergeant John Mason’s penthouse.

‘Scott the Lincoln Square development
took place immediately after the great Chicago fire. Was it opportune for you
to develop it or was there a lot of pressure upon those that owned the
allotment?’ Jeremy was direct and wasted little time directing his questions.
Scott paused and looked almost through Jeremy as he replied, ‘I suppose
everything is opportune for a developer. That is what you do. You make the most
of the opportunities that come along.’

‘But I am led to believe that the
sellers, the land owners were reluctant to sell? Did you have to persuade them?’
Jeremy asks. Again Scott pauses, ponders and almost seems to calculate his
reply. ‘It’s not uncommon for a seller to be reluctant to sell. But often and I
suppose as was the case here, eventually they come around to seeing the merits
in a sale and the monies that can be made when they sell.’ Scott replies.
Jeremy can sense that Scott is not overly receptive to the line of questioning
and he senses too that he is defensive.

‘Scott it must cost an awful lot of
money to fund a project as big as Lincoln Square. I mean that allotment spanned
some twenty acres, so the cost to purchase and construct would have been
considerable.’ Jeremy asks. Scott is quick to respond and merely adds in a low
tone, ‘Jeremy all developments are costly. And I have been doing this for many
years. My Bank Manager takes me out to lunch regularly so I dare say he must
like that I borrow from the bank a lot. And my overdraft will tell you that any
developer needs to have deep pockets too.  With some projects I will have investors,
sometime partners, so again it’s what a developer does. If I was scared of the
cost ….well, Jeremy I would be in the wrong business wouldn’t I? ’ Scott’s face
has a little more emotion and he laughs as he again stares down Jeremy.

‘What do you believe happened to
Thomas Stevens, Richard Walker and John Sunderland? Jeremy nervously asks. He
thinks that it is a bold question but also knows that most individuals he
summons will always provide honest answers. Well until now that has been the
case. It is almost as if Jeremy is anticipating the response and nervously
looks at Scott. Scott Dawson shrugs his shoulders ‘How would I know. From what
everyone tells me, the three of them decided to count their winnings and leave
town. What do you think happened to them?’ Dawson bluntly replies and asks of
Jeremy. ‘I don’t know. I really don’t. It does seem odd though that three
businessmen would suddenly leave town.’ Jeremy adds. Still staring at Jeremy,
Scott laughs as he adds, ‘Well I would have said the same, but my missus
decided that she would leave town with the local Realtor, so don’t be too
surprised!’ 

Jeremy decides that it’s time to move
on and he is keen to meet with Ron McIntyre the Sergeant of Police that took
over from John Mason, before it gets too late. He says good night and Scott sees
him to the door and bids him farewell. As Jeremy walks down Dawson Parade he
looks up and can see the well-lit penthouse that John Mason owns. He is in awe
of the property and the views that it commands. He focusses his attention on Ron
McIntyre and almost in a blink of an eye lid he is walking down a street that
is near Chicago River on the northwest side of the city. He soon faces a door
attached to a neat home. He knocks and the door is quickly answered. He is greeted
with, ‘Hello. Jeremy. I am Ron McIntyre, how are you?’ Jeremy smiles and
replies ‘I am good thank you,’ as Ron ushers him into the large home and they
sit down in the sitting room.

Jeremy wastes no time and immediately
begins his line of questioning. ‘Tell me Ron, what was it like to take over as
Sergeant, shortly after the great Chicago fire? It must have been a real
initiation into your new role, after taking over from John Mason? ‘Yes, well in
some ways, but then again I had worked under Mason for over five years.’ He
then laughs as he adds, ‘I suppose I was the one that was fixing up his
mistakes, keeping the troops happy when he couldn’t, and I was being groomed to
take over ultimately so I had a fair bit of flexibility in what I did.’ He adds.
Jeremy is surprised and asks, ‘So are you saying that John Mason was not
popular?’ ‘Not popular! Not popular!’ Ron laughs loudly as he adds quickly,
‘Let’s just say that he was overdue to retire, well overdue! He kept to himself
and left me to deal with the station and personnel and had as much personality
as a goldfish.’ 

Jeremy is quite shocked at what he is
hearing. ‘So how much did he have to do with the Chicago fire and do you
believe that everything came out that should have?’ he asks. ‘Well he was the
Sergeant in charge, so if anything was bumbled he would be the one to do it.’ Ron
again laughs. ‘There was a lot at stake when you consider that three
businessmen go missing and a new development emerges, despite their strong
opposition to it and reluctance to sell.’ Jeremy almost enquiringly adds. ‘Well
quite often people resist but are eventually persuaded to sell. Besides Mason
seems to have landed on his feet with his flash pad.’ Ron again laughs as he
throws more dirt on his predecessor.   

‘It is funny, in some ways but in
other ways hardly surprising that he decided to retire early and immediately
after the fire,’ Ron adds. ‘Funny? What do you mean funny?’ Jeremy asks
enquiringly. ‘He was due to retire in December but said the fire investigation
drained him so he decided to retire immediately after. He surprised everyone
and retired in the July immediately after the fire which was in the June. As I
said I was doing most of his work anyway so the transition was hardly an issue,
I think it suited the troops who were more respectful of me by that stage,’ he
boasts. Jeremy nods and smiles not really knowing what else to add.

Jeremy thanks Ron, bids him farewell
and then slowly wanders home, walking along the river as he contemplates the
events of the evening. He cannot help but think of Stevens, Walker and
Sunderland. If he could summon them and question their motives for leaving town
then he would glean a better insight into what took place. He focusses on
Thomas Stevens as he had done previously, clears his mind and focusses hard.
Jeremy opens his eyes and again looks around at the familiar surroundings of
his own apartment. He ponders. He thinks he knows the answer and decides to
focus on Richard Walker. Jeremy again goes through the same routine of focusing
on his subject………but nothing. He remains in his apartment. He decides to do the
same, this time focusing on Tony Sunderland. He believes that he knows the
answer but nonetheless focusses on his subject. He focusses but again when he
opens his eyes he is still in his own apartment and is unable to summon the
three men. He is hardly surprised. Jeremy thinks long and hard. He says out
loud………’they are dead. That is why I cannot summon them.’ Jeremy ponders the
powers he has been gifted and in his mind he rationalises that he can enter the
dream of someone living, but clearly if someone is deceased then that would not
be possible. Jeremy is convinced that Stevens, Walker and Sunderland are dead.