The Mystery of Chad Harris: Fate Delivers Us, Chapter Eleven
 
 
 

" Hey Sam.", George says as he enters the Harmony Police Department.

" George. How are you?"

" Fine. Got my envelope?"

Sam placed an envelope on the table. " There it is, the list of known criminal element that Crystal hung out with in Boston."

" Thanks. Been doing some research on my own."

" Find anything interesting."

" Nothing too particular. Did find out that she’s a southern girl, originally."

" Really?"

" Yep. Picayune, Mississippi. I’m going to take a trip down there."

" What do you expect to find?"

" Nothing. But, you never know when luck will shine."

" I know. Nature of the job. Well, if you need anymore help, let me know."

" Thanks, Sam. I will."

George left the Harmony PD, and sat down on the bench across from the offices. He opened up the envelope and read the report that Sam had compiled. It was nothing that he hadn’t already read about Crystal, which only added to his curiosity about her apartment in Paris.
 
 

Chad and TC looked for the number of the office. When he got to it, Chad knocked on the door.

" Come in."

" Professor Tibideaux? I’m Chad Harris, and this is T.C. Russell."

The man in casual attire and short dreadlocks shook both their hands before offering them seats.

" So, Mr. Harris. You’re the one with the coin?"

" Yes, Sir."

" I’d like to see it. Mrs. Bennett’s photos were very clear, but, I wanted to see it for myself."

Chad took out the Medallion and gave it to him. He put it under a magnifying glass, and studied it. He was still looking at it, when , after a few minutes, there was another knock on the door.

" I hope you don’t mind, but, I asked another expert to come and check out your Medallion.", the professor said to Chad. " Come on in, Louis."

An elderly gentlemen, finely dressed, with a cane, walked into the room. " Chad Harris, T.C. Russell, this is Louis Sterling."

They shook hands. The professor got up from his desk, and let Louis sit there. He looked at the Medallion under the magnifying glass, and then, he took out a knife and took it to the Medallion. Chad was about to say something, but, the Professor motioned for Chad to be quiet. All three watched as the man began picking at the Medallion, and flickers of a paint came off the Medallion. The man studied it some more, and, then, wrote down some notes on a piece of paper. Once done, he looked up at Chad.

" This belong to you?", he asked Chad, and Chad nodded.

" Where you from?"

" Los Angeles, from what I can remember."

The man looked at Chad with a curious look in his eyes and then T.C. spoke up. " Chad was adopted. His adoptive family was from Los Angeles. He doesn’t know about his biological family."

The man nodded and looked at Chad and asked, " You always have this?"

" As long as I can remember. Earliest concrete memory of it, I guess, is when I was five, and I had to beat up three kids who wanted to take it from me."

Louis smiled at Chad. " You a tough guy?" , and then he laughed.

" Well, from what I can tell, this is superior craftsmanship. Twenty to twenty-five years ago, there weren’t a lot of people who would do work like this. It would be five to ten names at the most. Here’s the list." , he said, handing Chad the piece of paper he had written.

" This Medallion is pure gold with a copper overlay. That itself, honestly only makes the first five names on t hat list a real possibility. "

" It’s real gold?"

" Yep. "

" Mr. Sterling, how can you be sure that this list is where Chad should look next?", T.C. asked.

" Mr. Russell, is it? The Professor here, and I have been working together for 30 years. When no one was interested in slave artifacts, he was. I don’t have no Ph.D., but, I know slave artifacts. And, I know these Medallions. In the Islands, these were done by skilled craftsman. That is a piece of art, and those craftsman took pride in their designs. The level of detail in that Medallion tells me who it could be. The time in which it was produced, also tells me. Nearly all the people on that list are still alive. Even if they aren’t, their family would more than likely still have records. They kept meticulous records, because their customers on the Islands, if they needed replacements, of wanted a ‘family’ Medallion, would want one that was unique to the family’s specifications. The Professor here, asked me for my help…if you don’t want to believe me.."

" No..No….thanks, Mr. Sterling. I appreciate everything that you’ve done. You too, Professor. "

" No problem, Chad." Chad and TC shook both the Professor’s and Louis’ hands, and left.

As they walked on the campus, Chad turned to TC, and asked,

" You believe him?"

TC took a long breath and said, " Yes, I do. That Medallion means something, Chad. It’s not a coincidence that you have it."

" I don’t think so either, Coach. "

" Why don’t we swing by my mother’s restaurant, and have us a fantastic lunch?"

" Sounds good to me. I couldn’t eat anything cause I was so nervous about this meeting."
 
 

Chad and TC entered the restaurant.

" Theodore..Chad…you’ve come here for lunch?", Madelaine says as she greets both of them with a kiss.

" Yes, Mama. "

" Well, you two sit right down here, and, I’ll send a waitress over."

They sat down in the booth, and before they knew it, a waitress with a pitcher of iced tea was by. She placed the pitcher and the two glasses before them.

" Hi, T.C."

" Well, Stella. How are you?"

" Doin’ just fine. Wife treatin’ you right? Cause, if she ain’t, Stella can take care of you."

TC laughed. " Sorry, Stella. My wife is still her ‘perfect’ self."

" Mmm-mmm. A man who thinks his wife is ‘perfect’. I gots to find out her secret.", She places the menus in front of them. " I be back in a few for your order."

" Thanks.", TC said as she walked off.

Chad takes out the Medallion and studies it again. " You know, ever since Mrs. Bennett gave me the 4-1-1 on this thing, I haven’t been able to get it out of my head."

" I know. Neither have I. I think it’s time that I voice what I think everyone’s been thinking: it’s not a coincidence that you have that Medallion, Chad. I think that it’s a real link with your past. Someone wanted you to have it. Someone who was there, more than likely, when you were born. That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?"

Chad nods." Yeah, Coach. That’s what I’ve been thinking. But, all this symbolism of the Medallion. This isn’t just something that you pick up at the corner drugstore. Someone GOT this for me, Coach. They wanted me to have it. "

" Who?"

" I don’t know. All I have to go on in my life, is that I was given to people who shouldn’t have raised rats, let alone a child. How did I get there, with them? Why would anyone go to the trouble of giving me THIS, and then, shove me in with garbage? "

" I don’t have the answers for you, Son. I wish I did."

Stella came back and took their order, and then TC heard his cellphone ring.

" TC Russell. "

" Hey, TC. It’s George."

" George. What’s up?"

" Well, I’m on a plane, down to your part of the country."

" Really? Why?"

" I got a lead on Crystal. She was born in Mississippi. I’m going to visit her hometown."

" Chad’s here with me. You want to talk to him?"

" Sure."

TC hands the phone to Chad. " Hey, Mr. Alexopoulos."

" Hi, Chad. I was telling TC that I got a lead on Crystal, and that I’m coming down there. I’m calling from the plane. "

" You gonna stay in New Orleans?"

" Nah. I’ve got a rental car waiting for me, and I’m going to drive to Mississippi tonight."

" You want some backup?"

" No thanks, Chad. I go solo on cases."

" Well, the offer still stands. Coach Russell and I talked to the Professor today."

" What did you learn?"

" Well, he had this man there that’s an expert on artifacts like that, and this guy gave us a list of folks who could have made my Medallion."

" How long’s the list?"

" Ten names. They’re nearly all in the Caribbean, except for one in New Orleans."

" Well, you keep that list. I should only be a few days in Mississippi, and then, I’ll come to New Orleans."

" Sure."

" Can you put TC back on the phone."

" No problem. Thanks for your help."

" You’re my client, Chad. No need for thanks until the job  is done."

Chad hands the phone to TC.

" George?"

" Chad told me about the list of possible vendors. You get a positive vibe from the Professor’s friend?"

" Yeah. I think he was on the up and up."

" Good. Well, I’ll see you all in a couple of days."

" Thanks, George."

" Bye."

Just then, Madelaine walks up. " Theodore, who were you talking to?"

" George Alexopoulos."

" George? Is he still with the FBI? How’s his wife? Maggie, wasn’t it?"

" Maggie’s fine, Mama. George retired from the Bureau. He’s working a case."

" And, he called you? How odd?"

" Not really, Mrs. Russell. He’s working on my case. He’s trying to help me find my parents."

" Oh, really, Chad. Theodore, you didn’t tell me this."

" I never got to it, Mama. I called George, and asked him to come meet Chad. Once he did, and heard the merits of the case, he decided to take it."

" What merits, dear?"

" Things that don’t add up. I knew that George was the man for the job, and he’s already proving it. He’s following up a lead right now. You remember the young woman I told you that was murdered recently? Well, she knew something about Chad’s past. George is looking into her past right now. He’s on his way to New Orleans as we speak."

Madelaine lost her balance and nearly fainted, but,  TC caught her in time. " Mama. Mama?" TC eased her into the booth with him.

" I’m sorry, Theodore. My years are catching up with me, and I don’t believe I’ve eaten anything today since breakfast."

" Mama, you eat breakfast before dawn! You have to take care of yourself. You know that."

" I do, Darling. But, sometimes, one gets busy. Now, you and Chad enjoy your lunch. I’ll go eat something right now. " Madelaine gets up and walks over to Piccola, who has observed Madelaine and her ‘spell."

" We need to talk. Let’s go to the garden."

Madelaine and Piccola walk out into the garden.

" I’ve just heard some distressing news."

" I could see that by you almost fainting."

" Theodore has a friend, who was in the FBI. This person is helping Chad, and he’s on his way to New Orleans."

" Why?"

" Theodore said it had something to do with Crystal."

" That’s all? Something to do with Crystal? Madelaine, fainting was not a good move."

" Don’t you think I know that? But, I was shocked. I thought that Chad was just ‘trying’ to find out about his parents. I thought he would find random things, but, that he would never connect them. Chad won’t. But, Theodore’s friend WILL connect the dots."

" No. He will try. But, he won’t. There is no proof, Madelaine. None. He will have a number of clues that will lead nowhere. YOU have to keep it together. We’ve come too far for the truth to be revealed now. Do you understand, me?"

" Yes, M’am. I do."