Chapter fourteen is set in the Christmas month of December as Gary wanders off after a stranger tricks him and the terrified Detective Chief Inspector must find his little boy around Manchester's high street. This is also the first time we know of Gary's imaginary friend, introduced five years ago in 1973, aged eight. Let me know what you're thinking as you read, reviews and follows add to the experience!
December 1978 - Younger children and sometimes people with disabilities had strong spirited imaginary friends as confirmed by Dr. Landon Prose during a consultation. So DCI Gene Hunt would listen in through the nursery door and whenever he thought Gary was just babbling to himself. He wasn't as Gary was using his developmental leaps with his imaginary friend.
Gary was actually holding conversations with "Cody Puzzler". He laughed, sang, answered and asked questions. This was an unusual imaginary friend clearly influential on the little boy - Gene assumed it would be just a normal run of the mill one - no it wasn't as this lasted for three years on the trot constantly. Cody Puzzler a penguin who loved to solve code; never got in the way of Gary's life; when it was time to focus, do lessons or talk to anyone else; he would do so without quibble. In fact the MENCAP autism support playgroup forum and direct contact made his speech better over time. And more noticeably too. Gary now used pronouns to refer to himself - using first person reference for quite a while now: I, me, myself (etc.) DCI Gene Hunt at thirty five was proud of his son, even though the tantrums still existed; he found Gary getting better with his Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The tiny teenager clung to his father's hand as they made their way around Manchester City Centre in Market Street. It was incredibly packed with Christmas shoppers pushing everyone to do their preparation before the big jolly guy in red comes to town on 25th December. Gene looked down, reaching over to pull the boy's small hat down over his ears "Cold, baby?" he asked. Gary replied "I am warm." Gene guided him into a McDonalds in Arndale, apart from the London one opening four years ago in 1974. "Mmmmmmm!" hummed Gary as the Golden Arches were still exotic on British soil since eating out without cutlery was frowned upon. The warm enticement of fast food with delicious apple pies, Big Macs, milkshakes and fries wafting through the air made Christmas on the High Street more enjoyable.
DCI Gene Hunt grinned down at him with the promise of visiting Father Christmas's grotto as Gary had been so well behaved while he had a list of people of buy for. "Can you go sit at a table for me? Can you wait for Daddy over there?" pointing to an empty table and asking realising the McDonalds hamburger bar had a long line of people queuing; since fast food restaurants weren't grab and go affairs in those days; he knew Gary would tire of standing (which would accidentally begin a tantrum). Gary nodded "Okay, Daddy." Gene was putting in their burger orders and waited in line to get burgers including fries with cash upfront. Occasionally he'd check on Gary by glancing back and saw that his little boy is sitting quietly; looking around the brand new McDonalds restaurant.
An elderly woman approached Gary and began lying "I just approached your father and he told me you have to wait outside as children don't belong in restaurants, so sit outside on the steps and he'll be out in a few minutes." sickeningly sweet to trick a Detective Chief Inspector's autistic child on.
"Daddy says I shouldn't talk to strange people..." Gary said shyly.
"No, I'm not a stranger because I spoke to your Chief Inspector father. I'm just giving you a message from him."
"Yes, miss."
"Run along, you little tyke!" she scolded.
The little boy ran off from the Arndale branch of McDonalds, before his father had a chance to stop him.
A middle aged woman looked up from her quarter pounder. "You shouldn't have done that." she said to the ignorant sixty odd year old woman that had sent Gary away. She was snappy "those psychotic children shouldn't be in restaurants, ought be out of sight and out of mind!"
"That child wasn't all there, why would a young child be seated whilst queuing if there wasn't something wrong with them?"
"He could hold a conversation, no excuse he's just shy!"
"That DCI's child never made eye contact, he couldn't speak correctly. You have irresponsibly sent a kid that can't take care of himself and collect his thoughts out in the High Street without a responsible adult!" she responded harshly.
Where was Gary?
DCI Gene Hunt scanned the entire McDonalds restaurant, starting to believe his gut instinct getting nervous about something suspicious happening. The McDonalds order queue had been that long - Gary wouldn't had time to run away. "Have any of you seen me son?" he asked. The Italian woman who also witnessed the incident unfolding, joined by her husband "A woman shooed him outside." he stated "She told him that you asked him to wait outside and you'd collect him, once you ordered."
"WHAT?!" shouted DCI Gene Hunt "Why? I should have put Gary in his Maclaren Major special needs pram, if I knew this would happen." he muttered "Today of all days!"
DCI Gene Hunt was frantically searching around the Manchester City Centre in his Ford executive saloon thinking where would his son go to or think of visiting, his blue eyes filled with panic and occasionally calling the little boy's name outside toy shops. "Gary?!" he shouted peering into every shop window and car window on foot, if he had to park up. Oh where was his baby boy? Gene scrubbed at his face with his patented black leather driving gloves, maybe one of the police stations in Central Manchester found Gary and had the wandering child waiting there.
Desk officer Phyllis Dobbs asked DCI Gene Hunt "Come inside this station here, we need to talk to you about something." she sternly asked as it looked liked she dreaded 'A' Division officers from Greater Manchester Police, sucking on oranges with black coffee as Phyllis was busy sifting through old casenotes.
Thank god Greater Manchester Police actually had Gary Hunt. Phew! What a relief.