The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event.
("Emotional Rescue" - The Rolling Stones)
September 23, 1980
Driving in small blue Buick GNX, Drew O'Rourke drove into the designated parking of the campus of Rosemont College. Sitting in the car's passenger seat was Drew's son Daniel. The twenty year old was a striking younger version of his father, short dirty blonde, blue eyes and round button noses. The one difference was that Daniel didn't wear glasses like his father. Daniel unbutton two of the upper white buttons on his light green shirt as his father stopped near the sidewalk.
"Do you have everything this time?" asked Drew as Daniel reached for his white-gray backpack
"Yeah Dad." Daniel answered with sarcastic-looking smile "That was just one time I forgot, can we please get over it now?"
Drew chuckled "Course, but you can't blame me for being cautious, son." and with that he patted his son's head.
Daniel began walking into the wide building in front him as Drew drove away off campus. As he walked in, he heard girls laughing meanly from the floor above him, he looked up to see three pretty-looking walking to the right while laughing, he could also hear a girl scream tearfully.
"Hmph!" He huffed in disgust and walked down the hall.
As Daniel walked down the hall, a short girl with red hair wearing glasses smiled shyly at him and waved, Daniel then waved back. Through the hall he saw many students of both gender. As he made to door to outside, a hispanic-looking plus size girl was walking in, she smiled at him and waved, prompting Daniel to wave back.
Outside, Daniel began to walk left when he heard a voice.
"Danny Dan D! What's Up?!"
Daniel turned around to see a smiling boy about his age with medium brown hair wearing glasses, a bright orange collared shirt and gray jeans running up to him. Once he was close enough, he and Daniel shook hands firmly.
"Hey Johnnie." said Daniel while smiling "How are ya?"
"I'm great!" Johnnie answered "Been working on Big Boys, I'm almost done with the fourth story! How bout you?"
Daniel shrugged and shook his head "I've wanted to get back to them but I've had a lot happening. Kristi's birthday, Grandparents visiting, Dealing with that jerk Professor Gottifried."
"Tell me about it. Dick doesn't know when to quit." Johnnie said without a smile for a brief moment before quickly shaking his head "Oh by the way! I finally asked Donna out!"
Daniel raised his right eyebrow "The girl from the Ice Cream Parlor?"
Johnnie nodded "I asked her if she wanted to watch My Bodyguard with me earlier this month, and she said she'd loved to!"
Daniel could only nod. He couldn't help feeling a teeny bit jealous though. Johnnie then gave him a mischievous smirk
"You know Danny, if you'd want I can arrange you a blind date with one of Donna's girls. Or maybe with someone here in.."
"Oh! no thanks!" Daniel back away "You know what I've been taught about dating and the future.."
"I know, I know." Johnnie's smile disappeared " 'In the end, True Beauty is on the Inside', I've heard that before Danny."
"And if you haven't noticed Johnnie, half the girls here are mean-spirited she-snakes with pretty faces. While the real nice ones have to put on mean masks."
"Come on, Danny." Johnnie shrugged "I know you wanna be a dad like your Pop. And so do I. You gotta date if you want that to happen..."
"And I will." said Daniel became more hesitated "I will when I find the right girl, but I'm looking a kind one. Now come on, we're gonna late for class."
With that Daniel began walking towards the next building. As Johnnie began to follow him, he couldn't feeling a little stunned from what his best friend just said.
Outside Rosemont's campus, Daniel's lifeless body was laying in between the sidewalk and the grass. On his back, blood was pouring out of bullet wound.
The plus-size female detective walked down the stairs carrying a white box marked O'Rourke, D. She frowned as she placed the box on the bottom shelf with the others, feeling guilty over not bringing justice for the boy's family.
Nick walked into the office as Lilly, Kat, and Scotty sat down at their desks.
"Hey" Lilly called out to Nick as he passed her desk. He promptly walked over.
"Yeah?"
"Scotty here's been talking, you been toying with men?"
Nick shook his head and turned his "Where'd he get a thing like that?
"He said he saw you at the bar with some big guy with ."
Nick began to grumpily stutter "Look, that's not what you...he isn't...he's just a someone I see every other time there.
Kat smirked as she overheard the two "Oh really?"
"Really, I...Okay, maybe I know him but I don't know know him. I don't even know his name."
"Sure." Scotty said sarcastically
"Hey! I mean it!" Nick said in an upset "I..."
Unable to come up with anything to say, Nick grumpily walked away while the three smirked while trying not giggle. As Nick walked further away, he noticed a build man in his early sixties with blackish-grayish sitting in the rows of chairs next to the exit, he was holding a piece of old paper in his hands. Nick promptly walked up to his seat.
"Do you need help, sir?" he asked
The man answered and stood up "Yes, um...My name is Baker Vinton. Are there detectives here who look into old thrown-away cases?"
"Yeah, I'm one of them." said Nick as he shook the gentleman's hand "Detective Nick Vera."
"And I'm Detective Lilly Rush" said a voice walking up to them, prompting the two men turn around, it seemed that Lilly overheard them "You have something on an old job?"
"I might." Baker started "I used to be night security guard at Rosemont College until two years. Back in the late 70s to the early 80s my daughter Candy was a student there. My wife and I were cleaning our house when I found this in the desk in her old room."
He then handed over the piece of paper to Nick. It was a short handwritten poem, Nick read it out loud.
"Ignore the cruel things they say
Stay strong and they will regret one day
Don't let their words tear you apart
For you are the moonlight for my lonely heart
Forever yours, Daniel O'Rourke"
"Sounds like a love poem." said Lilly solemnly
"Is your daughter a cold job?" asked Nick as he took his eyes the poem and onto Baker, who then answered
"No, this "Daniel O'Rourke" boy is. They found him dead on the campus on September 29th 1980. Someone...shot him in the back and ran off."
Lilly was briefly lost in thought about the poem before looking up to Baker "Mr. Vinton, you know this doesn't really give us enough information to investigate."
"I figured." answered Baker without a smile "But at the same time, I sacrificed a lot of pride to raise my six children."
Lilly felt as she wanted to relate to what he said, as she knew her sister Christina was going to the same raising her daughter, Lilly's niece.
"My youngest child Candy had childhood obesity. Pretty much her whole life she was a bullied outcast, kids would treat like crap and call her awful names. During two of her four years at Rosemont, she practically an emotional wreck because of that."
"Sounds brutal" said Nick
"It was for her. But she really didn't ever tell me or my wife that she was ever in love with anyone before she met the boy who's now my son-in-law. But if this Daniel kid was really in love with my Candy, then I'd do anything to give justice for the poor boy's family. All I ask of you is to think about it?"
Nick took a glimpse at the older man before he turned to take a quick look at Lilly.
"Sure" Lilly smiled and nodded as she finally answered "We could think about looking."
Baker smiled "Thank you Detectives."
Smiling, the older man turned and walked out of the office. Nick began to look at the handwritten love poem with a confused look.
"You think this creative work really could be enough to look back in this boy's case" he asked with a grumpy voice.
"Not sure." answered Lilly not looking at him before she turned to him "But there can be a safe bet that means something."
Finishing her sentence, Lilly took another look at the love poem.
ROLL INTRO
