SHOT IN THE DARK (Chapter 1 revised)

1

         Sarah rubbed her eyes and neck as she reached for her desk lamp.  The preliminary drawings were ready, and the client would be there at ten the next morning to approve or disapprove the designs before she went into the final stages of the drawings for their home.

         She heard footsteps approach her office, and a head poked in.  “Working late Miss Whitaker?”

         “Hi Harvey.  Yeah, the client will be here to look over the specs tomorrow.  There have been so many changes since they came in, that I didn’t think I would get finished on time.”

         “Perseverance, something you seem to have in abundant supply.  You’re not thinking about walking through the park on your way home again are you?  I worry about you every night when you leave here.”

         “That’s sweet of you Harvey.  It’s the shortest route home.  The long way would take an hour, and I couldn’t do that to Sophie.  She looks forward to her walk every night.”

         “I daresay it will be too late for a walk tonight.  It’s after nine, and dark.  You know Jefferson Park is nothing but trouble this time of night.”

         Her shoulders slumped when she looked at the clock.  “You worry too much.  I’ve lived near the park since I started here three years ago.  I’m fine.”

         “You were lucky.  I should have Mr. Belden take you home.  I’m sure he won’t mind.”

         “I would.  No thank you.”

         “At least let me walk you to the edge of the company parking lot.”

         “If I say okay, will you stop pestering me?”

         “Pestering you is my prerogative.  So if you’re ready to leave, I’ll walk you out.”

         “Yeah, I’m ready.”  Sarah grabbed her purse, flipped the light switch off, and walked out with Harvey.  “So how’s the family?”

         “Growing like weeds and very happy school’s out.”

         She laughed.  “I remember when I was just as happy to have school out for the summer.  My parents were surprised when I went to college.  They expected me to get a job at the five and dime.”

         “I haven’t heard that term in years.  Not since I was a young boy, playing hooky from school.”

         She looked at him wide-eyed.  “You Harvey?  I never would have guessed.”

         He leaned to whisper to her.  “Don’t tell anyone.  My wife thinks I’m as near perfect as they come.”

         They laughed as he unlocked the door and walked out.

         “Hey, wait for me.  I’m calling it a night too.”

         They turned as one to see the man they had been talking about running towards them.  “Mr. Belden.  It looks like it’s a late night for a few people,” Harvey said.

         “Heavy schedules tomorrow.  I wish it were Friday instead of Tuesday.  Wednesday always seems to be the big day around here,” Mr. Belden said.

         “I was telling Sarah you could give her a ride home.”

         “No, please,” Sarah said.

         “I really can’t.  I’m already late.  I’m on the county board, and the meeting started an hour ago.”

         “What’s on the agenda tonight?” Harvey said.

         “Gang violence is the number one topic.  The number of gangs has grown in the past six months.  The hospitals are as busy as the police and juvenile officers.”

           “The precise reason I asked you to take Miss Whitaker home.  She always takes the route through the park,” Harvey said.

         “I said I will be fine.  I go through the park everyday on my way to and from work.”

         “When was the last time you went through the park at nine at night?” Harvey said.

         She hesitated.

         “I can see it’s been a long time.  Ice and Snow, an interracial group, claims the park.  They recruit throughout the city.  Another group, the Devil Lords, also wants a piece of that neighborhood.  Mostly Nordic, they’ve been recruiting hardcore as well,” Harvey said.

         Sarah looked at him surprise on her face.  “How do you know so much about it?”

         “I know because my kids are old enough to know gang members and that scares me.  Even with their mother home taking care of things, I have her call every hour.  We don’t live near the park, but that doesn’t mean my kids aren’t affected,” Harvey said.

         “The county board is working on ways to alleviate the gang crime in the city as well as the parks,” Mr. Belden said.

         “I heard a news report on the way to work this morning that a woman was raped and murdered in the park just last night.  There is talk she was part of Ice and Snow and one of the Devil Lords did it,” Harvey said.

         Sarah looked at him a horrified look on her face.  “Last night?  I live right by the park, I didn’t hear anything.”

         “Didn’t use a gun, she was raped and strangled to death.  If you go through that park on the way home, you could be the next victim.  I don’t want to see that happen.  Snow and Ice isn’t going to sit idly by and let the Devil Lords get away with murder.  There will be war there tonight, or I miss my guess,” Harvey said.

         Sarah looked up at the clear star dotted night sky with its full moon.  “I’m not going to worry about gangs and violence tonight.  I’m going to relish the fragrance of the flowers even if I can’t see them.  I’m going to listen to the ducks splash in the pond, and I’m going to snuggle with a good book or watch TV, and promise Sophie a walk tomorrow.”

         “Don’t be foolish Miss Whitaker.  If I were you, I’d take the long way around.  You said yourself you never went through the park this late at night,” Harvey pleaded.

         “What time did that happen?”

         “It was late, going on midnight, but that doesn’t mean nothing will happen at this time.  Gang wars don’t have a time clock.”

         “I would listen to him,” Mr. Belden said.

         “I wish you would give her a ride home.”

         Sarah looked from Mr. Belden to Harvey.  “That’s not going to happen.”

         Mr. Belden looked at his watch.  “I can’t anyway.  As much as I don’t want to see you get into any kind of trouble, and I think you’re right, the trouble usually doesn’t start this early.  I have to get to that meeting at City Hall.  Gangs and violence is the major topic of the meeting.  See you tomorrow,” Mr. Belden said.

         Sarah watched him get into a late model Saturn, as she continued to walk across the parking lot.  “It’s a beautiful night for a walk.”

         “What do you have against Mr. Belden?”

         Sarah turned to face him for a moment before she looked up at the night sky.  “I’ve heard talk by several coworkers, none of it good.  I’d rather take my chances going through the park than with him for a ride home.”

         Harvey looked thoughtful as he walked across the parking lot to the edge of Willard Architect.  “I wish you would go around and not through.  I know you won’t listen to me.  Just don’t stop for any reason.”

         “I won’t, I promise.  See you tomorrow.”

         “I’ll be glad to see you tomorrow.”

         Sarah left him at the property line as she continued down the dark tree lined street with streetlights every three or four houses.  She thought briefly about going around as Harvey suggested, but it was late.  Sophie would be anxious.  It was on nights like this that she was glad the back door was a pet door.

         Jefferson Park lay in front of her.  Indecision wrinkled her brow as she thought about taking the long way.  She just couldn’t.  She was already later than usual.  With a sigh, she crossed and started down the path through the park.  The soft night air was fragrant with many varieties of flowers, as she drew in a deep breath of the heady fragrance.  The lights represented the bygone era of gas lamps and cast a solemn glow on nearby trees and flowerbeds.  Ghostly specters of swings, play systems with slides, tunnels, and bars, merry-go-rounds, and other dark objects met her vision.  She walked past the chain link fence, which housed the small zoo.  She could hear the animals walking around.  A family of ducks quacked their way across her path as they waddled to the pond in the center of the park near the pavilion.

         As she neared the center of the park, she saw the pavilion illuminated by the moon, which also glimmered off the pond just beyond.  It was quiet.  She heard the sounds of crickets in the grass, inhaled the pungent aroma of the pond, and felt the stress of her day disappear.

         The dark shapes of trees stood like giant guardians throughout the park.  They provided the best places for children to hide as they played hide and seek.  Those same children had long gone inside to the safety of their homes.  She could hear Harvey’s admonition that it was where she should be as well.

         Shouts came from a group of nearby trees.  “Hey, Georgie, get yer ass out here man, we’re coming afta you.”

         “You ain’t got nothin’ on me!” Georgie shouted back.

         “Fuck you!  My little sister’s dead because of you!”

         “You can’t prove it was me or any of my homies.”

         “Fuck you, I got plenty of proof.  She made comments about going with you last night.”

         “And if I did?  I left her plenty early enough she would have been home by ten.”

         Sarah listened to the shouting, afraid to move or taken for a gang member and end up dead like the girl they talked about.

         “This here is Ice and Snow turf, and no Devil Lord is going to come near what belongs to my homies and me.  You took something from me and my family, and yer gonna pay.”

         “Let’s get it on then,” the others said.

         “Show ’em your shivs and shooters.  We’re going t’ take some down with us,” Georgie said.

         All Harvey’s admonitions came back to her in a flood as she faced imminent danger as two lines formed out of the trees.

         “Get ’em!” they each yelled at the same time.

         Shouts, screams, and gunfire sounded between the two gangs as guns went off with Sarah in the middle.