Disclaimers: Gary Hobson, Chuck Fishman, and Marissa Clark are not mine,
are property of Columbia/Tristar Pictures and CBS productions. No
infringement intended, so don't sue (please???).
Summary: Saving Sarah Stevens was just a typical day for Gary Hobson.
Saving her twice was just a coincidence. Three times could just mean she's
accident-prone. But four times seems to be pushing it. Is she just an
accident waiting to happen or is there something more?
If you want the season this story takes place, well, I wrote it a while ago, so I'll
just say this: Chuck's still there.
"An Accidental Coincidence"
By Jen(jenr13@aol.com)
4:45 p.m.
The streets were lined with traffic as Gary scanned the crowd.
Where is that girl?he thought to himself as his eyes darted across
the sidewalk. He glanced down at the newspaper.
"Six-year-old Sarah Stevens was hit by a car and killed outside
Wrigley Field at 4:51 p.m. after the afternoon game. Police speculate
that she wandered out toward the street when she accidently lost the
grip on her balloon. Before anyone could stop her a Lexus hit her
dead on. The driver claimed he did not see her and after questioning
some bystanders, the police dismissed the incident as a accident,"
Gary read to himself as he wandered the street looking for a girl with
a ballon.
Unfortunately the whole crowd of children he spotted all had
balloons. "Of course they would all have balloons!" Gary murmured as he
checked the paper once again to see if it held any more information he
could use to find the girl. It didn't. He was becoming frantic as he
glanced at his watch. It read 4:48.
All of a sudden he spotted a little brown headed girl at the edge
of a crowd. She had a red balloon and was perched very close to the
curb. He stood there wondering if she was the one when he saw a black
Lexus coming down the street. Just then the child lost her balloon.
Gary didn't even stop to think. He ran across the street, grabbed the
girl, carried her to the sidewalk, just seconds before the black Lexus
crossed their path.
"Thank you mister, " the little girl said to Gary as he put her
down.
"Don't mention it. Just stay away from the curb," he said just as
the girl's father came running toward them.
"Sarah, what were you doing so close to the street?" he cried as
he ran. He reached Gary and held out his hand, "Thank you so much. . ."
"Gary. Gary Hobson," Gary said as he shook the man's hand.
"Well, thank you Mr. Hobson. Very much."
"You're welcome, " Gary said, then glanced down at the paper and
said "I have to get going."
"Wait a minute, " the man called as Gary ran down the street, "How
can we thank you?"
"Don't mention it." Gary shouted as he hurried off to stop another
incident from becoming tomorrow's news.
***************************************************
6:30 a.m.
"Meow."
Gary turned over as he heard the familiar sound.
"Meow."
"I'm coming. I'm coming," Gary said as he rolled out of bed. He
got up and walked toward his front door and stopped momentarily before
he opened it. The cat stood on top of the paper, as usual. Gary stood
there for a second and looked down at the cat. "Can't you be late for
once?" he said. he cat growled and walked inside. Gary bent down and
picked up the paper. He had had it in his hands for no longer than a
minute when an article caught his attention.
"MILLIONAIRE'S DAUGHTER KILLED BY FREAK ACCIDENT" the headline
read.
"Millionaire John Stevens's daughter, Sarah, was killed at 3:23
p.m. last afternoon when a brick fell off of a window ledge of the
Stevens' apartment building. The brick was on the ledge because of
work being down on one of the apartments, but the reason that the brick
fell is unknown." Gary thought that the name looked familiar as he
scanned the article for the address and then it clicked.
"Didn't I help her yesterday?" he said aloud to no one in
particular, "Why is she in the paper again?"
Gary wondered about the article as he got dressed and still
wondered about it as he walked down to McGinty's later that morning.
He was still looking at the paper as he walked by Chuck.
"Aren't you going to say hi?"Chuck asked as Gary passed him
without saying a word.
"Oh. Hi," Gary said without looking up from the paper.
"What in that paper has got you so preoccupied?" Chuck asked and
this time Gary looked up.
"This." Gary pointed at the article.
"Millionaire's daughter killed by freak accident, " Chuck read,
"What's strange about that?"
"The name, Chuck, the name."
"Sarah Stevens. What's so different about that?"
"Sarah Stevens is the name of the girl who was going to be hit by that
car near Wrigley Field, remember?"
"Oh, yeah. The one that lost her balloon. So what?"
"This is the same girl. Twice in a row. That's never happened
before, unless...."
"Unless what?"
"Unless.....someone was trying to kill her."
Chuck sighed. "Gary, I think that paper is getting to you. It
says here that it was an accident. It is just a coincidence."
"Do you really think it could be a coincidence?"
Chuck nodded.
"Ok, maybe you're right. Maybe I'm overeacting." Gary sat down.
Maybe the paper was getting to him. It wouldn't be the first time.
***********************************************************************
3:15 p.m.
The streets were surprisingly empty as Gary approached the
Stevens' apartment. He got there just as they were leaving. Gary
checked the windows and spotted the one that held the brick that
would hit Sarah. Just as she stepped under it, the brick started to
wobble. Gary saw it and pushed her out of the way just before the brick
tumbled to the ground. The surprised girl got up and turned around and
starred at the brick.
"Thanks mister, " she started to say, but when she got a good look
at Gary she cried, "You're the one that pushed my out of the way yesterday!"
Sarah's father looked up then after recovering from the fact that
his little girl had almost been hit by a falling brick. "Yes, you are.
I never really got to thank you, but now I guess another thank you is in order.
Hobson, right?"
"Yes, but call me Gary."
"Well, Gary, I don't think we were properly introduced. I'm John
Stevens and this is my daughter, Sarah. We're very grateful to you. I
don't know how to repay you."
"Like I said yesterday, don't mention it."
"What you did is a big deal, Gary. I would like to repay you. "
"Not neccessary." Gary glanced at his watch and then at the
paper. The headline about Sarah had changed, but now it read
"MILLIONAIRE'S DAUGHTER KILLED BY STRAY DOG." Gary worriedly
looked down the street and saw a black, collarless dog sprinting down
the street. The dog got close to Sarah and Gary shouted, "Watch out,
dog!"
Sarah turned around to see the dog and jumped up on stairs and ran
behind the door as fast as her little legs could carry her. The dog ran
toward the door, but Sarah shut it in time. The dog, losing it's scent,
ran off at the sound of a whistle.
"Is it safe to come out?" Sarah asked with the door open a crack.
"Yes, the dog is gone," Sarah's father replied. Then he turned to
Gary,"I can't thank you enough."
"It's no problem." Gary replied, glancing at the paper, relieved
to see the headline read "TRAFFIC TIES UP CITY FOR HOURS." Then glancing
at his watch, realized he was going to be late meeting Chuck and Marissa.
"I really must be going," Gary said to the Stevens as he started
walking.
"But we really must thank you....," John Stevens started but Gary
interupted, "Like I said before, don't mention it."
And before the Stevens could respond Gary was already out of
sight.
****************************************************************************
4:00 p.m.
"So he wanted to find a way to thank you, and you disappear out of
sight?" Chuck said incredibly.
"Yeah, so?" Gary answered, knowing that Chuck won't understand.
"Gar, the guy could have given you something incredible and you
just walk away," Chuck shook his head.
"Not everything is about rewards, Chuck," Marissa put in.
"I know, but what I don't understand is that every day you save
people and you're lucky if half of them even mumble a word of graditude,
and then when one does and even offers to thank you further, you turn it
down. Don't you want the thanks?" Chuck asked.
"Of course I appreciate that fact that he's grateful, but let's not
go overboard, Chuck," Gary said.
"He's right, Chuck," Marissa said.
"I know. It's just the guy was rich. But I know the high life
isn't for Gary. I mean he could have had it already." Chuck smiled.
"Anything in the paper for this evening?" Marissa asked.
"Well..." Gary flipped the paper open, careful not to expose to any
of the restaurant patrons. He scanned it, and was satified it held nothing
important untill a small article on the second page caught his eye,
"MILLIONAIRE'S DAUGHTER CHOKES ON HOT DOG."
"Not again," Gary said out loud.
"Not again, what?" Marissa asked confused.
"Millionaire John Stevens's daughter died last evening around 4:30
p.m. from choking on a hot dog at a local restaurant, McGinty's," Gary read
aloud.
"McGinty's?! As in here??" Chuck asked almost choking on his drink.
Gary nodded.
"Well you have to stop it!" Chuck said a little too loudly. People
turned around from their tables.
"What I don't understand is how this girl gets in so much trouble.
This is the fourth time. There has to be something going on here," Gary
said, wondering.
"I still think she's just an accident-prone kid," Chuck said,
more worried about that fact that this incident was to take place in
McGinty's.
"Four accidents? That is a lot," Marissa commented.
"See, Chuck? I'm not the only one that thinks so."
"Gar, I honestly don't think that someone is out to get a six-
year-old girl."
"But how else could you explain it?" Gary glanced around the
restautrant for a sign of Sarah and her father.
"Just a coincidence, Gary. Just a strange coincidence," Chuck
answered.
"See, even you just said a strange coincidence," Gary said,
still scanning the restaurant for Sarah.
"Strange and murderous are two different words, Gary."
Gary was about to respond when the door to the restaurant opened
and Sarah and her fatherentered the restaurant. They stopped by a
waitress and asked her something before sitting down. Another waitress
approached them and took their order. Before she left he asked her
something and she shrugged her shoulders.
"Hey, Gar, what are you staring at?" Chuck asked and Gary turned
around and said, "There she is."
"There who is?" Marissa asked.
"Sarah Stevens."
"Sarah Stevens? As in the one that going to choke on her hot dog?
Gary go over there and stop it." Chuck turned in his seat to get a
better look.
"Relax, Chuck. She hasn't even gotten her food yet." Gary
wondered what they were doing here. He would have thought they would
have gone somewhere else.
"I wonder why they came here. I mean McGinty's isn't exactly
what you call gormet cooking," Chuck commented.
"So, what? Maybe they were just hungry, Chuck," Marissa said.
Gary wasn't paying attention to them, he was turned toward
Sarah's table and watched them carefully. The waitress came over with
their food, and Gary got up from the table as soon asSarah picked up her
hot dog. She had had about two bites when she suddenly she gagged and
turned to her father. Gary didn't waste any time, he got up walked over
to their table and picked up Sarah and performed the Heimlich Manuever.
Sarah spit out the hot dog and looked up at the man who saved her and said,
"Look Dad! It's Gary, again!"
John Stevens looked from his daughter to Gary. He had a
grateful look on his face, but it was also mixed with a puzzled look.
"Don't get me wrong, Gary, I am very grateful, but I'm wondering
how you knew," John said looking even more puzzled.
"Knew what?" Gary proceeded to ask, even though he knew what he
meant and what questions would follow.
"How Sarah was going to choke on her hot dog, and how a brick was
going to hit her, and how a car was going to hit her."
"I was just in the right place at the right time," Gary said,
knowing from experience that people tended not to believe that statement.
John looked at him, not knowing if he should believe him, when
Chuck came toward them. Gary gave Chuck a grateful look as he
approached.
"Everything all right?" Chuck asked.
"Everything is fine, thanks to Gary," John answered.
Sarah tried to look up at the adults, but finding it difficult,
she got up on her chair.
"Daddy, can I have another hot dog?" Sarah asked in the mist of the
confusion.
"Another hot dog? I don't know....." John started, when Marissa
walked over with Spike.
"Oh, Doggy!" Sarah shouted, losing interest in her hot dog and
running over to pet the dog.
"Thanks for the distraction," John said to Marissa with a sigh of
relief, "And you are?"
"Marissa Clark."
"And you?" asked John turning to Chuck.
"Chuck Fishman. Marissa and I are friends of Gary," Chuck
answered extending his handtoward John.
John took it and said, "I'm John Stevens."
"John Stevens. Isn't this the guy you were telling us about
earlier, Gar?" Chuck asked turning to Gary.
Gary shot Chuck a look and answered, "Yes."
Before anyone else said another word, Sarah stood up on the chair
again and said, quite loudly, "Daddy, we are going to be late for my
gymnastics class!"
John looked at his watch. "You're right. I'm sorry to cut this
meeting short, but we must be going." Then turning to Gary, "I still don't
know how you knew about Sarah," he said shaking his head.
Gary stood there thinking of what to say, when Sarah tugged on her
father's shirt.
"Come onnnn! Daddy!!" Sarah whined.
"Ok, Sarah. I'm sorry we must really get going," John said as Sarah
pulled him towards the door.
"Bye, Gary!" Sarah called from outside.
Gary watched them walk out. "Whew! That was close! They were asking
those questions," Gary said with relief.
"Well Gary, you got off this time, but what if they come back? What
will you say then?" Marissa asked.
"I don't know." Gary stood there in thought. What would he say if
they came back? He glanced down at the paper, glad to see the headline
changed, but he couldn't help wondering if this would be the last time he
saw Sarah and her father.
*****************************************************
6:30 a.m.
"Meow."
The sound seemed to echo the room as Gary reluctantly got out of bed.
He opened the door, let the cat in, and picked up the paper. He was back
inside for no than two minutes, when a headline caught his eye.
"MILLIONAIRE'S DAUGHTER KILLED" the headline read. A smaller headline
read "Police suspect foul play."
"Again?" Gary said. He read quickly over the article. "Millionaire
John Stevens' daughter, Sarah was killed at 7 p.m. last evening outside of
her apartment when a stray bullet hit her in the stomach. Parmedics pronouced
her dead at the scene. First suspected as just a stray bullet, police now
suspect that the shooting was no accident."
"Not an accident? I knew it!" Gary shouted, as the cat circled his
ankles. Gary looked down at the cat, knowing when it did that it wanted him
to look in the paper.
"I already found the article," he said to the cat, but it continued
to circle. "Alright, I'll look again," Gary said, giving in to the cat.
He scanned the paper and was about to give up when a smaller article caught
his eye.
"VP FIRED FROM J R&S INC. FOR EMBEZZLEMENT."
"Huh?" Gary seemed puzzled as he read the small article. "The long-
time vice president of J R&S Inc. was fired yesterday. According to the
company, VP Joseph Robinson was caught embezzling almost 2 million dollars
from the customers accounts. Reports say he was fired shortly before the
shooting death of the daughter of the company's founder and owner, John
Stevens. How he was discovered embezzling is not known, but sources say he
was caught red-handed by an unexpected person. With no real concrete
evidence the police couldn't charge Robinson, but that didn't stop the
company from terminating him."
"Sarah?" Gary repeated puzzled. He wondered about that connection
as he got dressed and went down to the restaurant.
"Morning, Gar," Chuck said as Gary walked in, "What's the paper hold
today?"
"Something strange." Gary told him about the article and the other
article the cat had presuaded him to read. When Marissa walked in he told
her the same story.
"That is a little strange," Chuck admitted, "It looks like she may
have been targeted after all."
"I thought she wasn't just accident prone, but what I can't understand
is that article about Joseph Robinson." Gary paced back and forth, thinking.
Then an idea hit him.
"What if," Gary started, "Sarah spotted Robinson in a tight situation.
Maybe she caught him with money and didn't know what to do. Maybe Robinson
frightened her, telling her not to tell, but in the end out of fear tried
to kill her to silence her." Gary looked toward his friends.
"But why he would kill her after he got caught?" Marissa questioned.
"I don't know.....It doesn't make sense." Gary went back to his
pacing.
"Maybe it doesn't have to make sense. I mean, Gar, the girl is
going die, isn't that the thing you have to worry about?" Chuck asked,
seeing the worried look on Gary's face.
"I guess you're right, but I don't know why, but I still have
this feeling that tonight Robinson wants to be on target." Gary answered
looking out at the street.
********************************************************
6:30 p.m.
Gary started down the Stevens' street, when Chuck suddenly
appeared.
"What are you doing here?" Gary asked.
"You think I'm going to let my best bud go off to stop a killer
alone, did you?" Chuck said.
"As a matter of fact, I did," Gary said, "This wouldn't have any
thing to do with the fact that Sarah's father is rich and grateful,
would it?"
"Why what do you mean?" Chuck asked innocently. Gary sighed and
said "All right, you're here and I'm going to need help. We need to find
Joseph Robinson. The paper said he cleaned his desk out at 6:30 and left
the building in a huff." He opened the paper to double-check.
"Why do we need to find him?" Chuck asked, puzzled.
"Because if he does have to do with Sarah's death, we have to stop
him."
"But, Gary, you don't even know if he does."
"Why else would the cat want me to read that article?" Gary
turned around and found himself starring toward a big building with the
name "J R&S" on it.
"Here we are." Gary announced.
"Now what?" Chuck asked.
"It says the paper that he left through the main entrance." Sure
enough a tall, brown haired man in a gray suit stormed out of the building,
making a scene as he did it.
"I can't believe this. There's no evidence!!" the man shouted as ran
down the stairs.
"That must be him," Chuck said as the man passed them and walked
toward a pay phone. Gary motioned with his hand they proceeded to walk toward
Robinson.
"What are you going to say?" Chuck asked as they neared him.
"I'm not sure," Gary admitted. He had to come with something, he
usually did. It turned out Gary didn't have to come up with anything to say.
As they reached Robinson, they overhead his conversation on the phone.
"Yes, I still want the hit. The kid could incriminate me. The
damn girl already got me fired. If only she had stayed out of daddy's
office like she was told, we wouldn't have to deal with her. I told you.
7 o'clock. Make sure her daddy's in sight. I would hate for him to miss this."
Robinson hung up the phone and then turned around. Gary and Chuck had make
the mistake of standing too close.
"What did you hear?" Robinson said to them.
Chuck backed off and Gary said, "Nothing, we didn't hear anything."
"Well, I'll make sure off that," he said, pulling out a gun,
" 'Cause you two are coming with me."
Robinson pointed it at them and Gary and Chuck had no choice to
follow.
"What are we going to do now, Gar?" Chuck said in a whisper.
"I don't know." Gary whispered back, as Robinson shot them both a
look and they quieted down. As they led them down an alleyway Gary
glanced around for an escape. Then he saw it.
"Look Chuck," Gary whispered, pointing to a dog in the alley, "Kick
it."
"What?!" Chuck said a little too loudly, and Robinson pushed the
guncloser.
"Just do it," Gary said, crossing his fingers.
"Okay." As they passed they dog, Chuck kicked it as hard as he could.
Thedog jumped up and started barking and growling. It seemed to think
that Robinsonhad kicked it and jumped for him. Robinson lost control of the
gun and it clattered to the ground. Gary picked it up and gave it to
Chuck.
"What are you giving it to me for?" Chuck said, not wating to
hold it.
"Keep Robinson here and call the police," Gary answered.
"You can't be serious." Gary nodded. "Well, where you going?"
"I have to stop the guy Robinson hired from shooting Sarah."
"Oh sure, leave me here with this guy," Chuck said as Gary run
down the block.
Gary vaguely hear Chuck call out something about leaving him there
withthat guy as he run down the street toward the Stevens' apartment. He
glanced at his watch. It read 6:55.
as he neared the apartment.
Gary reached the apartment as Sarah hopped down the steps with her
dad toward their car. He saw a car parked no so far way with a dark man
seated in the front. Gary didn't doubt for a second that was the hit man in
that car. He ran toward Sarah and a second before the shot was fired, shoved
Sarah out of the way. Gary narrowly escaped the shot himself. Next thing
they knew the dark man in the car he pulled away and a police car had arrived
and Chuck got out of the it.
"Gary, we got him! Gar!" Chuck saw him on the sidewalk. "Gary, all
you alright?"
"I'm fine," Gary answered realizing he was. He looked at Sarah. "What
aboutyou?"
"I'm fine," Sarah answered getting up. Sarah's father rushed over
toward her. "Are you alright?" he asked Sarah.
"I'm fine, Daddy, " Sarah said again. She turned to Gary. "Thank you,
again!" Sarah said, giving Gary a hug.
"Yes, thank you, again. Are you alright?" John asked Gary.
"I'm fine." Gary got up.
"Gar, the police got him. That Robinson guy is going away for a
long time," Chuck said after Gary got up.
"Robinson? The Robinson I fired this morning because of suspected
embezzlement?" John said in disbelief.
"Yes. He tried to kill your daughter." Gary said.
"Sarah? But why?"
"Because she caught him in the act of embezzlement." Gary said.
John turned to Sarah. "I caught him signing something I knew he shouldn't sign,"
Sarah said looking at the floor.
"Why didn't you say anything?" John asked.
" 'Cause he said he'd hurt me." Sarah looked up at her dad.
"Oh, Sarah." John hugged his daughter tight. Then he turned to Gary.
"How did you know?"
"Chuck and I overhead him at the payphone outside of the office
building."Gary answered and Chuck nodded in agreement.
"But why where you there?" John asked.
"Right place at the right time, I guess." Gary said shrugging.
John looked at him in debelief and started to open his mouth, but
Sarah opened hers first.
"Daddy, leave Gary alone," she pouted.
John Stevens closed his mouth and Sarah turned to Gary. "Thank you
very much, Gary," Sarah said, giving Gary another hug.
Gary smiled. "Don't mention it." He turned to Chuck and they
went to talk to the police.
"The End"
-This is my first fanfic and I didn't know about the ending, so
that is what I came up with.
Let me know what you think- jenr13@aol.com