The Mystery of Chad Harris: Fate Delivers Us, Chapter Twenty-One
 
 

Chad couldn’t sleep. He had tossed and turned all night long. He couldn’t get the image of the man talking about his mother out of his mind. Every word he had said about her, was burned into his memory.

‘ That Holiday. She could make ‘em cry with that song about the baby. Especially when she would sing it being pregnant.’

His mother sang while pregnant with him. Was this why he loved music so?
 
 

‘ That caramel skin, the eyes that could stop a man in his tracks across a crowded room. A skin smooth as silk, like porcelain. She could stop traffic. And, then, when you heard her sing, you realized that you didn’t even know her. How could you, when she had all that to give in her music. That voice…’

Details about his mother. Real details from someone who KNEW her. Flesh and blood. He knew her.
 
 

He also didn’t forget his description of his father.
 
 

‘ Real rat. I don’t know what she saw in him.’
 
 

Chad felt his blood pressure begin to rise. What COULD she have seen in him that nobody else was able to see? WHY did she get together with him? What made him special?

Chad put on the CD. He had to hear her. This was as close to her as he had ever gotten. As the song played, Chad closed his eyes and got real still. He tried to imagine her pregnant singing the song. Abandoned. Alone, except for Crystal. Wondering what she would do. Everyday her stomach pertruding more and more.

He could FEEL the pain in her voice. The sadness that comes from pure pain. Was she in pain because she was pregnant with him? How could his father have hurt her like that?

Chad got up and looked at himself in the mirror. He wondered what part of him was from his mother. What part from his father. Could HE ever treat a woman like the way his father had treated his mother?

He shook his head.

" NO! I do NOT dog out women! I know better. I’m a better man than that. "

He would be a better man than that. And, he had plenty of men that he knew that treated women right: Chief Bennett, Luis, Coach Russell. Those were men to look up to. These men knew how to treat a women, and Chad would follow their leads. They would never abandon a woman that they got pregnant. They would accept their responsibilities as men.  And, so would Chad.

If he does two things in life, they will be: respect the woman in his life, and NEVER abandon his child. No matter what, he is going to be a father to his child, whatever it takes. However hard it is. He will NEVER leave his child, no matter the circumstance.

Chad knows that he won’t sleep, so he pulls out a deck of cards, and begins playing solitaire.
 

Chad is downstairs in the restaurant thirty minutes before they are to meet the sketch artist. George comes in, and goes immediately to the buffet, gets his plate and sits down with Chad.

" I see that both of us are a bit anxious.", George jokes as he eats his muffin.

" I didn’t sleep."

" I didn’t think so. I didn’t think you would. I get that way at the end of a case. When I believe I’m about to crack it."

" That’s how you feel now?"

" Yep."

George ate his breakfast in peace, and twenty minutes later, and redhead walked into the restaurant carrying a portfolio. George got up, and went over to her and brought her back to the table.

" Angel Wiggum, Chad Harris." They shake hands.

" Dominic called me and said you needed a sketch artist. I do freelance for the Scottsdale PD, as well as the Arizona FBI branch."

" I know. I told him to send me the best he had. The guy we’re talking to today has Alzheimers bad. We don’t know how long his coherence is going to last. I hate to put you under the gun."

" Don’t worry. I’ve worked in worse circumstances. I’m ready to go."

" Good.’, George said, and they all left for the car.
 
 

Chad couldn’t say anything, as he listened to George and Angel compare odd cases that they had worked on. Angel just wasn’t a sketch artist, she was also a forensic reconstruction specialist. She could take a skeleton and provide you with what the person looked like.  They were in a ‘zone’ with their ‘shop talk’, and Chad just thought it best if he kept his mouth shut.

Sooner than later they arrived at the Nursing home. The car was barely stopped when Chad got out of it and began walking towards the Home from the parking lot.

" Anxious fellow.", Angel commented.

" He’s entitled. He’s waited his whole life for today."

They all get inside, and ask if Mr. Fiori’s granddaughter is there. The nurse nods yes, and asks them to wait. After a few minutes, Natalie comes out. She has a sad look on her face.

" I’m sorry." , she says to George.

" Your grandfather is out of it? Had an episode? We have to come back? Ok. Just tell us when."

" No…I’m sorry. My grandfather passed away about an hour ago. I’m sorry."

George nods in understanding, and then turns to look at Chad, who begins to shake. Before he knows it, Chad is out the door. He sees a garbage can outside, and begins to kick it violently, knocking it over, but, Chad doesn’t stop. A nurse comes outside, but, George shoos her back inside.

Chad stops, and then, sits on the ground, his knees in his chest. He’s sobbing hard, and George goes over to him and holds him, letting him cry.

After a few moments, Chad whispers to George, " I’m ok."

George lets Chad go, and sits down on the ground next to him.

" I can’t believe it’s over."

" Chad, I…."

" Naw, Mr. A. Please stop. Let’s be real. We followed the leads, and came up short. Happens. I just wanna go home now."

Chad got up and walked to the car. George thanked the sketch artist, and they drove back to the hotel. Feeling the way that Chad did,George called and found out about a flight that night back to Harmony, and they took it. When Chad got on the plane, he just put on his headphones, turned towards the window, and began staring out the window.

George called Maggie.

" Hey."

" George, what’s wrong?"

" I feel like shit. How could I do this to him? He’s just a kid."

" He’s a young man, but, hardly a kid. He had a right to be involved in the search. You promised him a thorough search. And, you’ve done that."

" I’ve had unsolved cases before. Why does this upset me so?"

" Because, you’re emotionally involved with Chad. He gets to you. He gets to me. You WANT him to succeed, and now that you’ve encountered some bumps, things are getting discouraging."

" Discouraging? Maggie, the last lead I had died a few hours ago, the picture of Chad’s mother inside of his dead and rotting brain."

" You’re feeling self-pitying, George. Sorry about this, but, I know you. You’ll find a way."

" How can you have such faith in me. If you could see him right now, Maggie. It breaks my heart."

" I know. But, it will be alright. I’m sure of it. Everything works out according to God’s plan. I believe that. I have to. It’s the only way a Law Enforcement Officer’s wife makes it through the long nights."

" Love you."

" I know."

Maggie hangs up, and George opens his laptop to input in all the details of the past couple of days. He’s trying to remember all the words Fiori had said about Chad’s mother and father. And, then, he put on his headphones and listened to what he thought Chad was listening to: the CD of his mother.

Eventually they arrived back in Harmony, and George drove Chad back to the Russells in silence. Chad went up his private entrance to his apartment. George went around the front and found TC going over some paperwork for school.

" George. You’re back! How was the trip." TC looked at George. " That bad?"

" Yeah. That bad. We hit a brick wall. Got close…but,  that doesn’t count. "

" You giving up?"

" No. I’m not. I’m on this case until it’s solved. But, it might go backburner, until something pans out."

TC nods. " I understand."

" TC, Chad’s having a bad time of it. Watch out for him, will you? I think he needs someone to lean on right now."

" Enough said. I’ll look after him. " TC extended his hand. " I knew I called the right man."

" TC, I failed."

" No. You didn’t fail. You did the best you could, and you care. That’s all I could ask for. I’ll talk to you later, George."

" Thanks, TC."

George left, and TC went outside of the house. He could see that Chad’s light was on, and decided to go up. He knocked on the door. Chad opened it.

" Hey Coach."

" Chad. I won’t bother you. I’m here if you need to talk. You want a game of pickup. Anything."

Chad nodded. " Not now, Coach. But, thank you."

" Anytime, Son."

TC watched Chad close the door, and shook his head. He would help Chad through this. He wouldn’t let him down.