Chapter Two
Brooklyn
1970
The high-pitched scream is heard through the walls of the old apartment building. Vic Appleton, in apartment 302 frowns at the familiar sound, raising the volume on his television set. Nancy Carter, in apartment 306, picks up the phone with protest from her husband Doug. "Nancy don't, it's none of our business."
"It's none of our business Doug?" She begins to dial, "You're wrong it is our business," she frowns at her husband of ten years. "I must say that I am surprised at your reaction. He's just a little boy one day those screams will end," she pauses listening. The screams have ended. "She's gone to far this time and I don't know about you but I will do what I can to avoid that end."
The police arrive within 10 minutes and it is, as Nancy feared, the second and third degree burns on his arm have stopped the crying, the little boy is unconscious.
The Next Day
Another Brooklyn Residence
"You selfish, self serving son of a bitch," the woman screams.
"Calm down, you'll wake up the whole neighborhood."
"Don't tell me what to do," she tosses the ashtray in her hand and it misses his ear by less than half an inch.
"Frances, I said calm down…." He says commanding, the sudden banging on the door cause them to turn their attention away from one another.
"Police," the banging continues, "Open the door."
"Goddamn nosy neighbors," he turns away from her, "You can't…." he stops dead in his tracks at the sight of the boy on the kitchen floor, blood flowing from the back of his head.
The banging continues, "Open the door, now!"
"You...." he wags his finger at her as he lifts his sons head on to his lap. "Look what you did. Just don't stand there, open the door."
April 2003
He stands next to the door of the basement waiting for his employer, John Keller, to arrive. He watches and listens, the two Detectives, Munch and Fin, unusual names for cops that's for sure, he thinks, are asking questions of everyone in the lobby. They have spoken to him, he did not hesitate with his responses, he admitted that he bumped into her, literally, yesterday, but does not know her personally. Both are true statements, they asked why he was here, he answered to clean out the basement, someone started a fire down there last week and he and his employer, Mr. Keller, have been hired to clean it up. They thanked him and moved onto the next person.
He leans up against the side of the closed door, Keller has the key or he would have begun working. He is forced to stay on the outside of the door, so he watches the two detectives asking questions about Claire Olsen. He doesn't feel a sense of pride for what he did, he feels relief.
The voice, the mannerisms, yes, she was just like his mother. Since his release from prison, he has only seen Lois Schroeder once and once was enough. He was hoping for a change in her attitude toward him and life itself but it is as it has always been, she is still a mean and bitter woman. Within five minutes of his visit, she went on a rant about him, if it hadn't been for him her life would have been better, more productive. He walked away from her and never looked back, that was 13 months ago.
He is grateful that Keller has given him a job, its a dirty one but the money is good. After his release from prison he was as, most ex-cons, worried that employment will be hard to obtain. He spent 18 years behind bars, for murder in the second degree, never received parole he served every day of his sentence. 18 years for offing that prick. He deserved it as well, as if I was even interested in his slut of agirlfriend. I showed him. Usually the alcohol and the drugs would keep him composed but not that night. He couldn't hold in the anger anymore, once he let it out he couldn't stop himself. He has stayed away from any form of mind-altering drug since his release, he has found something else to alleviate the anger and the stress, lifting weights, which he began in prison and he jogs for miles everyday but yesterday the anger resurfaced, he wonders will he be able to contain it.
He rarely got into trouble in prison, because he was on mediation most of the time, medication that stifled his feelings. Borderline personality disorder, he has heard it so many times. Year after year and doctor after doctor would tell him this, Todd is very unstable in relationships and in his decision making and his moods, he is prone to be impulsive and insecure. Insecure, he chuckles to himself, yes because throughout my life I always had someone to give me the confidence to be the best I could, yeah right, thanks Mom.
He watches as the detectives enter the elevator. He has not moved from the basement door, he stands still looking calm, patiently waiting for John Keller. His mind once again wanders, he suddenly has a strong desire for a drink, he shakes his head to chase that thought from his mind. He hears the words of Doctor Justin Oliver, drugs and alcohol never solve the problem they enhance it. Doctor Oliver had another diagnosis that was put into his file, Todd has the characteristics of a person with avoidant personality disorder, he is hypersensitive to any rejection and social withdrawal is the result, though he has, as all human begins, a strong need for love and acceptance.
The Next Day
John Keller is a short, stout man who spent a few years of his life behind bars. He started the debris removal company 12 years ago and always employees ex-cons. Each job, depending on the size can employee at least six men, him included. Today the job is huge and all of his employees are working together. "This is going to take at least a week to clean up this mess; we have to sort the shit."
"Sort, what are you nuts?" Lonnie Brewer asks.
"We sort it Lonnie, we make more money."
"Fine with me," Lonnie says as he puts on a pair of work gloves.
"OK let's split up into teams of two, one to sort and one to dump." He scans the area, "Todd you're with me, Lonnie you and George and of course that leaves Chris and Walt." He claps his hands once, "Alright guys lets get to work."
A Few Days Later
A little after 12 p.m.
Lunchtime for the workers of the Keller Waste Removal Company, a great deal of chatter is heard from the men. Sitting off to the side, slowly consuming his second Big Mac and fries is Todd.
"Hey Todd," Lonnie calls to him, "It's Friday, want to join us for a beer?"
He sits up as he wipes his mouth with the paper napkin, "Sure," he says excitedly as he smiles, he immediately sits back, feeling a bit embarrassed about his juvenile reaction, "Thanks."
Murphy's Bar
Brooklyn
The neighborhood bar, well it's in Lonnie's neighborhood is dark and full of music and laughter. "What the hell happened to Todd?"
"I don't know, that guy is definitely weird," Walt says.
"So are you," Chris interjects then takes a swig full of beer.
He stands on the sidewalk looking at the house that he once occupied many years ago. The house has been abandoned, Lois moved out two years ago, actually, she just got up and left. No sweet memories inside the two-bedroom Cape Cod house, only anger and cruelty, he can almost smell the pungent odor of alcohol, cigarettes and pot.
The night air is crisp and he sucks in a lungful as he continues to stare at his old house. He often wondered, as a kid, how his mother could afford a house. Easy, he came to find out later, prostitutes make a lot of money. The men would come and go, hour after hour and day after day. They were all his Uncles, Uncle Pete and Uncle Ted, they were regulars, married men who needed and wanted another woman to satisfy their needs.
Needs, his needs, he has needs too and once again he feels an aching in his groin, he returns inside the house and makes his way down to the basement. He stands still in the middle of the stairway, she is tied to a table, has been for most of the day, her eyes and mouth are covered. The relief he felt when he entered her, yes he needs to feel that way again.
She pretended to like him but it was a lie, once he approached her to ask her to dinner, she brushed him off. Yes, he was good enough to do favors for her but not good enough to keep company. He takes another step down, he hears her sob, he walks at a slow gait toward her as he unbuckles his belt, he tries to ignore her sobs, no one listened to his cries in the night, no one but....the urge he felt only moments ago has passed. She would visit him every night in the hospital when his dreams were scary and he would wake up crying. Her concern for him, he was a stranger to her, he never received care and concern from his mother that way.
He buckles his belt, searching his memory for her name, none. He shakes his head as he returns upstairs, no name because he never knew her name, in fact he can't remember what she looked like, weird, he thinks.
He exits the house and once again, his thoughts are toward days long past, his mother and her friends who every once in awhile sought out his attention, he spits on the ground and runs his fingers through his hair to erase that memory. The blare of a car horn, breaks his thoughts, he checks his watch. "I wonder if the guys are still at the bar." Before he turns to leave, he sprints up the pathway to the house and checks the front door, it is locked, no one will ever know that she is here.
One Police Plaza
Major Case Squad
"We have a missing person," Captain Deakins exclaims. "Marcia Hirsch, last seen exiting the Hirsch Real Estate Company. Her assistant said she left the office about 4 o'clock, for a dentist's appointment, she never showed."
"Who called it in?" Alex asks.
"Her boyfriend a one Scott Pulaski has been calling her cell all afternoon, no answer." He hands a piece of paper to Bobby, "Scott is waiting for you."
Kings County Hospital
Brooklyn
1970
"Look you stupid fat bitch get out of my way I want to see my son."
"Janice call security, I've told you repeatedly Mrs. Schroeder…."
"Mrs?" The hand slaps her face, "It's not Mrs."
"Sorry, Ma'am you are not allowed to visit him."
"Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?"
"You practically burned his arm off, he is under the custody of children's services now, not yours and you have no right."
"He fell into the stove."
He tries not to cry, that only make her angrier, he moves his uninjured arm and his hand covers his face, "Go away, please go away," he says in-between sobs.
He feels a soft touch on his hand, it feels warm and he lowers his arm, "She is leaving now," his attempt at not crying has failed, he rubs his eye with his uninjured hand. "It's alright to cry." She wipes his tears away; her voice is soothing, not harsh and angry like his mother's and her touch is gentle. The only touch he receives from his mother leave bruises on his body. The urge to cry is gone and the feeling of loneliness has faded. She caresses the side of his face, "You have nothing to fear now, Todd." Her words were simple but her sweet yet authoritative way of speaking them, he believed her, he knew he would be all right, for a little while anyway.
A/N: Well....what do you guys think? Still interested?
Chapter three coming soon.