COLD CASE:

CARE GIVERS

A woman opens up old wounds for two families when she asks Lilly and the cold case unit to reinvestigate her brother’s death—originally ruled a suicide.

PREVIOUSLY ON COLD CASE:

Vera and Jeffries were out walking the street. “You said your yearly physical is next week?” asked Vera.

“Don’t remind me. Talk about a pain in the ass, literally,” Jeffries replied.

“Well, I wouldn’t bring it up at all, except I could have sworn your yearly physical was last month. Is something going on?”

Jeffries stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. “Nobody else knows, but I have to go in for more tests. The doctor found something on my chest x-ray; it’s probably nothing, but at my age they like to be cautious. I say I’m already old; why waste the time I have left?” They started walking again. “I don’t want anyone else to worry, so don’t say anything.”

“Have it your way,” said Vera.

“Nick, I’m serious. I don’t want anyone to know until I know what I’m facing,” insisted Jeffries.

Read more: http://coldcase2.proboards.com/thread/7060/cold-case-8-care-givers?page=1#ixzz5wQmvykUT


1

The following story is fictional and
does not depict any actual person or event.

But seriously Jennifer, this one is for you.

The Rembrandts
“I’ll Be There for You”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzQWmAwNNCw

September 21, 1995:

Mitchell Davis, standing somewhere around 5ft. 9in. and wearing his usual denim jeans and blue sweatshirt, turned to the girl next to him on the tan sofa. “I don’t know, Quinn. I just don’t see Ross and Rachel getting together,” he said in reference to the premier of the second season of ‘Friends’ playing out in front of them.

“Please, there clearly into each other,” Quinn Jennings insisted. Quinn was almost as tall as Mitchell and was dressed in a red skirt and white blouse with a strategically opened top button.

“Yeah, you can tell by the way he’s with another girl right now,” Mitchell fired back.

“You are so naïve; they won’t last,” she said as she turned to him. “They’re nothing like us.”

Mitchell ran his hand through Quinn’s ebony curls and down the side of her face. He leaned in for a kiss when they heard footsteps from upstairs. “I knew it! I knew this punk-ass fool was down here poisoning my little sister!”

“Let me guess, Terrance. Dad’s working the late shift at the restaurant again, and he asked you to spy on us. I’m almost 18. You have to accept that my boyfriend is going to kiss me,” insisted Quinn.

“I wasn’t talking about that. I’m talking about how only idiot white boys watch ‘Friends’,” said Terrance. Terrance Jennings, usually referred to as ‘T. J.’ was wearing black jeans and an Eagles shirt. He reached for the remote on the mahogany coffee table, but Quinn’s left hand pulled it away from him.

Friends Episode 201: “The One With Ross’s New Girlfriend” www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ4blIn0684

“Let he who doesn’t still have a crush on Kelly Bundy change the first channel,” insisted Quinn.

Mitchell laughed briefly and then kissed Quinn. “Mitch, are you really letting her…”

“Yes T. J., because the idiot white boy’s girlfriend is right. I’ve seen your room; you still have the Christina Applegate poster on your wall,” Mitch explained.

Mitch and Quinn kissed again as Terrance shook his head. “Whatever.”

They watched in moderate silence until the show cut to the end credits. “Good. End credits, I can finally go to the little girls’ room,” said Quinn.

Mitchell chuckled. “’Little girls’…’ Why do you still call it that when you’re in your own house?”

“Because that’s what it is, and I’m trying to remind T. J. of that. You have your own damn bathroom; stop using my damn shower every morning,” Quinn replied. She propped herself up with one hand and slowly rose to her feet; the motion caused a small, metal cane standing next to the sofa to fall to the floor. Terrance and Mitchell both jumped to their feet, but Quinn just waved them off. “You don’t have to hit the ceiling. I can see it.” She slowly went to where the cane fell dragging her right foot as she walked. They watched as she bent down to retrieve the cane, balanced it in her left hand, and slowly walked toward the steps.

“Are you sure you don’t need my help with the steps?” asked Mitchell.

“Do you want to follow me into the bathroom too? I make this trip at least three times a day; I think I’m good,” Quinn replied as she limped her way up the steps.

Terrance walked up to Mitchell. “Seriously, do you really want my crazy-ass sister for a girlfriend? She’s the one you love; the one you just can’t live without?”

Mitchell shook T. J.’s hand. “You know it, T. J.”

Cold Case Soundtrack: “Yo Adrian” www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6dXxjfWTeI

Mitchell Davis’s body was found next to a silver Nissan on a trail in East Park with two stab wounds to the chest.

Nearly all of the homicide division was watching as a blonde woman slowly guided an Afro-American woman through the narrow spaces between desks. The pair approached Detective Nick Vera. “I’m looking for Lilly Rush. A John… Stillman said she would be in today,” said the blonde.

“Yeah, she’s just over that way,” Vera said pointing to his right.

The blonde woman pointed to a folded white cane hanging at the other woman’s side. “Quinn is going to need more specific instruction.”

“Oh… turn around and… go two desks up… and then one desk… to your right,” replied Vera. The two ladies turned around. Vera got up to follow. “Great. It’s going to be the school for the deaf all over again.”

The group finally reached the desk of Lilly Rush. John Stillman was already there. “Detective Rush, meet Nora Davis and Quinn Jennings,” John announced.

“They told me this unit deals with old murders. I was hoping you could help me regarding my brother Mitchell,” Nora asked.

“Right, John showed me the file. It says your brother’s death was ruled a suicide,” Lilly explained.

“That’s just it; I never really bought that. I’m a professional nurse, and he was my brother who was staying with me at that point. If he was suicidal; I would have seen it. Plus they said he didn’t leave a note,” insisted Nora.

“They don’t always leave notes, and they don’t always show signs either,” Nick replied.

“Yeah well, after talking to Quinn, there’s a few other things that don’t add up,” Nora explained.

“Quinn, you knew Mitchell?” asked Lilly.

“Yeah, boyfriend/girlfriend for more than a year before he died,” said Quinn. “That’s what brought us in here.”

“We stayed in touch after Mitch died. Quinn is getting married in a few weeks, and she made me her maid of honor,” Nora explained.

“Congratulations,” Nick mumbled. John turned in his direction. “What? Just because my marriage went to hell doesn’t mean hers will.”

“Anyway, through the course of planning this wedding, we started talking about Mitchell again. And that’s when we realized a few things that didn’t make sense. For one, where the body was found,” Nora explained.

“It says he was found next to a silver Nissan on a nature trail in East Park; a lot of young kids use those trails as a lovers’ lane,” Vera informed.

“He never took me there,” insisted Quinn.

“I know this is difficult, but could there have been another girl?” asked Lilly.

“Well, when he wasn’t in school, he spent most of his time at my house. So, I doubt he had much time for a second girlfriend,” Quinn explained.

“I highly doubt there was another girl. Mitchell never really dated much, so he fell pretty fast for Quinn,” Nora added. “Even so, he still would not have taken her to East Park. My brother was a lot of things; an outdoor lover was not one of them.”

“Maybe he fell too fast. They didn’t find a note at the scene, but they did find a small, velvet box containing a ring in Mitchell’s pants pocket. The theory at the time was he proposed, his girl, which would have been Quinn, rejected him, and he stabbed himself in the heart,” said John.

“I’ve heard that too, and that’s another thing. He never proposed to me. I didn’t even see him the night he died,” Quinn informed.

A smirk ran across Vera’s face. Stillman sneered at him again. “What?” asked Vera.

Lilly rose from her desk and faced John. “The file says a park security guard called 911 when he found the body. There was nobody else around,” John explained.

“Alright, let’s play out the original theory. Mitchell proposes to Quinn, Quinn rejects him, Mitchell kills himself, … and Quinn bolts without even calling for help? I may have just met her, but I don’t buy it,” Lilly insisted.

“They came to me first; I don’t think that girl is ‘bolting’ anywhere. But that doesn’t prove it wasn’t a suicide,” John responded.

“Did they find the weapon?” Lilly asked.

“Actually yes, it says they found a pair of hedge clippers next to the body… but there were no fingerprints on them. So, the guy plans to commit suicide if his girl turns him down, and puts on gloves first? Have you ever heard of that before?” asked John.

“I don’t think so, plus he’s not wearing gloves in any of these photographs. Besides, shouldn’t there be a lot more blood here?” Lilly replied.

“East Park wasn’t the crime scene; it was the dump site,” added John.

Lilly studied the picture for a moment longer. “It’s ultimately your call, but I say we reopen this one. Other girl or not, somebody did not want these two to get married.”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaw9Vpa0JDM

2

Will Jeffries, Scotty Valens, Kat Miller, and John Stillman were huddled over the file. “Mitchell Davis, age 19, son of Colleen and Eric Davis, and sophomore at Temple University where he was an English major. The body was found in East Park on December 9, 1995,” Miller read from the file.

“Where are the rest of us?” Scotty suddenly asked.

“Rush was on the phone last I saw,” Jeffries informed. “As for Vera, turn around.”

Scotty turned around to see Vera walking blindfolded straight into a desk. “Damn it!”

“What the hell is he doing?” asked Scotty.

“Do you remember that case a few years ago about that school for deaf kids, and how some of them gave him crap about his sign language? Vera says he wants to know what it’s like to be blind like Quinn Jennings so he won’t seem to be such an idiot around her,” Jeffries explained.

Vera headed slowly in the direction of Will’s voice, but not before tripping over a waste basket. “Son of a bitch!”

“Yeah, there’s definitely no danger of that happening,” insisted Miller. “Vera, take that thing off so you can look at this file!” Nick approached Kat and removed the blindfold.

“Here’s what I don’t get; who kills themselves by stabbing their chest?” asked Scotty.

“The girl he loved supposedly turned him down. At the time it was viewed as a symbolic thing,” Kat explained.

Suddenly Lilly appeared on the scene. “Okay, first the bad news. I tracked down the security guard who found the body, but he’s not talking. He died of a stroke four years ago,” she told them. “The good news is I spoke to Quinn again, and we may have another lead. Jake Asher, a kid who worked in the Temple student union. She said he used to give Mitchell a lot of grief regarding the two of them being together.”

“Well, it’s a slim lead, but it’s something. Miller and Vera, see if you can track this guy down,” John commanded.

“I’ll be ready in a few minutes,” said Vera as he placed the blindfold back over his eyes and walked off.

“I guess I’m driving,” said Miller as she followed him.

“Jeffries and I will start trying to put together some kind of paper trail for this kid. Rush and Valens, the file says Mitchell’s father was deceased at the time, but his mother was still living; find out where she is and let her know we’re looking into this again,” John ordered.

“Great, nothing I love more than pissing off old ladies,” said Scotty as he left with Lilly.

Along the far wall of the office, Vera was about to go through a door when Miller called out, “Nick!” He stopped as Miller caught up with him. “You’re about to enter the ladies’ room. Turn around, follow the wall the other way, … and take that blindfold off before you liquefy your shoes!”

Nick and Kat arrived at Big Dan’s Used Cars where they spotted a dark-haired man washing cars. “You sure your eyes are adjusted to the sunlight again?” asked Kat.

“Yes, so let’s do this. Jake Asher!” Vera called.

The car washer turned around. “Who wants to know?”

“Philadelphia P. D.,” said Vera as the pair flashed their badges.

“Crap. Look, I just need time to get the money together, but I swear I’m going to pay those parking tickets,” insisted Jake.

“We’re not here about that. We’re actually here about Mitchell Davis; a kid who’s body was found in East Park back in 1995,” Miller explained.

Jake froze for a moment. “Yeah, I think I remember that, but what does that have to do with me?”

“We’ve been speaking to Quinn Jennings, Mitchell’s former girlfriend,” Kat explained.

“She says you used to hassle them a lot; that you liked to give them crap about the black/white thing,” Nick explained.

Jake shook his head. “Okay, as you can tell, I didn’t exactly make the grade in school. My parents cut me off, and that’s how I ended up cleaning floors at the student union.”

“And that explains the racism?” asked Miller.

“I was a pissed off moron; I did a lot of dumb crap at that time,” Jake replied.

“Was killing Mitchell Davis part of that ‘dumb crap’?” asked Vera.

“Killing! … Look, I had some arguments with Mitchell, but I didn’t kill him! Believe me, he had a lot bigger sharks than me coming after him!” Jake insisted.

“Like who? Give us a name,” Miller demanded.

“Off the top of my head, I’d be looking at that girl’s father…"

Montell Jordan
“This Is How We Do It”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hiUuL5uTKc

“I was doing my rounds mopping the floor of the student union when I saw them seated at a table; it was Mitchell, that girl Quinn, and some other black guy they kept calling T. J. As I moved closer I could hear them a little more. I think Mitchell said something like, ‘So girl, you’re turning 18 next week. What would you like for your birthday, and keep in mind I’m not exactly rich?’

“’Don’t bother, I’ve been asking about that for the past two weeks,’ that T. J. guy said.

“’Like I told T. J.; I’ll be happy if I get a piece of cake this year. You know, as opposed to those doughnuts he bought me last year that I couldn’t eat,’ Quinn said.

“’For the last time, I didn’t know they were all filled with strawberry jelly,’ T. J. yelled back.

“I was coming closer to the table with the mop, and when I got there Mitchell just about backed over me with his chair. ‘Next time look out, spade lover!’ I yelled.

“Like I said; not my finest hour. That set Mitchell off; he stepped up to me saying ‘If you have a problem with me, okay, but back off my girlfriend or I’ll back you off!’

“You didn’t see the look in his eyes, but I did. He would have gone twelve rounds for that girl, so I backed up saying ‘Easy, I… I didn’t mean nothing! Look, it was stupid, okay! I’m sorry!’

“’You better be, because if you come at us again with that stuff I won’t be so forgiving!’ he shouted.

“Then the main doors busted open and another big black guy charged past everyone until he got to T. J., ‘T. J., I thought I told you to keep your friend away from Quinn!’

“’Mitch is cool, dad!’

“’Dad, I’m about to turn 18; that means I can date whoever I choose, and I choose Mitchell!’ Quinn shouted.

“’Look Quinn, I have to get to class anyway. I’ll call you tonight,’ Mitchell said.

“Then he tried to leave, but that girl’s dad just kept making it difficult. ‘Mitchell, I’m saying this for your own good, find another girl and stay away from Quinn!’.”

“Then Mitch left and psycho-dad followed,” Jake finished.

“You are a first class piece of work, Jake. You can be damn sure we’re going to check this story out,” insisted Miller.

Nick and Kat parked their car in front of Al’s, a restaurant in North Philadelphia. “Jeffries said this was the place. Let’s hope the owner is in,” Vera said.

The two entered the restaurant when they heard a man call out as he was running, “Yes Shirley, that’s why I have an assistant manager, to run this place when I’m out! I have to meet my daughter at the wedding planner!”

“Are you Alfred Jennings?” asked Vera.

“Yes, but I don’t recognize you,” insisted Alfred.

The pair showed their badges. “Detectives Vera and Miller, Philadelphia homicide, we’d like to talk to you about Mitchell Davis.”

Alfred froze briefly as if trying to remember. “Mitchell Davis, I haven’t heard that name in sixteen years; I remember when they said they found his body on the news. My daughter fell apart; he was her first real love.”

“We’ve heard that. We’ve also heard that you weren’t too happy with the match,” insisted Vera.

“We heard something about you threatening him in front of half of Temple University one day. Tell me, what is it about a mixed race couple that scares everyone?” asked Miller.

Alfred reached into a pocket and retrieved his wallet. “Do you see this picture? This is Quinn and her new fiancé who you will note is white; so you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“Then point us in the direction of the right tree, Mr. Jennings,” Vera said.

“It wasn’t a race thing; it was an age thing. When they met, Quinn was still 16 and Mitchell had just turned 18. He was barely a year older than her,” Alfred explained.

“But that’s old enough; a mature adult man meets an innocent young lady. Believe me, I have a daughter, and I understand the need to protect her. A jury probably would too; if you come clean with us now,” insisted Miller.

Alfred took a step back. “I didn’t kill Mitchell,” he said. “Plus I don’t think you do fully understand the situation. How much do you really know about Quinn’s condition?”

“You mean the fact that she’s blind?” asked Vera.

“The blindness didn’t come until later, but the partial paralysis on her right side was practically there since birth. Quinn was born with a birth defect; they call it congenital hydrocephalus. It’s a condition that causes excess spinal fluid to build up in the skull and puts pressure on the brain. They had to do surgery on her to put a plastic shunt in her head that would allow the excess fluid to drain out of her skull. We didn’t know if she would make it,” Alfred explained.

“You’re right, I don’t know what that’s like,” Miller added. “But whatever your true concerns were, the end result is still the same; ‘for your own good, find another girl and stay away from Quinn.’. You’re not even original.”

“I didn’t mean that as a threat. I meant it. I wasn’t just trying to protect Quinn; I was trying to protect him too. I thought Mitchell was a well-intentioned kid who got in over his head and didn’t even know it,” Alfred informed. “At least, that’s what I thought until I spoke with Terrance.”

“Your son, how did he change your mind?” asked Vera.

“He told me about what happened before I showed up; he told me how Mitch stuck up for Quinn. After hearing that, I figured I at least owed Mitch an explanation regarding why I flipped out the way I did,” Alfred explained. “So I found his address and went to see him the following day. Then when I got to the house I saw Mitchell had his own mess to deal with, and she was a lot harder to handle than Quinn…”

Soul Asylum
“Misery”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLQ2TIul8pI

“I parked my car at the far end of the driveway and started to walk up to the house. As I walked up to an archway created by some trees, I saw what looked like a white Labrador retriever barking its head off in the front window. But they must have been used to that, because they seemed to pay it no mind. They were too fixated on an argument they were having over how to fix a broken fence.

“’Damn it Mitchell, I told you! You have to hold it straight or I can’t tighten the bolts!’

“’And I told you that when you bang on the damn fence with the wrench, it throws me off! It’s basic physics; if your side of the fence moves so does mine!’ Mitch said.

“’You understand basic physics, but you don’t understand ‘hold it steady’!’

“’Mom, what do you want from me! I’ve told you how many times that I am not good with my hands! Dad was the contractor, not me!’ Mitchell shouted. I only got a glance at Mitchell’s mother, but she looked like she was a darker shade of blonde. She had on old torn jeans and a sleeveless white shirt that looked like it had seen better days.

“’No kidding! Maybe if you had spent five minutes with him instead of that computer, we could have fixed this thing an hour ago!’ she yelled.

“’Don’t start, because trust me, nobody wants this stupid fence fixed more than I do right now!’ Mitch yelled.

“’Let me guess, you made another date with her!’ she sneered.

“’Actually no, I do not have a date with QUINN! I do however have to get her birthday gift yet!’ Mitchell replied.

“’Why do you continue with this relationship? She is not the girl for you!’ his mother replied.

“’Really, what’s today’s reason?’ Mitchell asked. ‘You know, I don’t even care! I’m tired of listening to you rip apart my girlfriend, so if that is where this is going then I’m out of here! Fix your own damn fence!’ He dropped the piece of chain link they were working on and started down the driveway.

“He didn’t notice me until he turned the corner. ‘Mr. Jennings. You’re a little late; my mom already chewed me out about Quinn.’

“’I’m not here to chew you out. Terrance told me what you did yesterday, and I appreciate you defending my daughter,’ I told him. ‘I don’t think you’re a bad person; I just don’t know if you understand the risks involved with Quinn. That plastic shunt in her head may have saved her, but it can also be like a time bomb. We never know if it might malfunction, or the damage it could cause if it did. It could leave her a lot worse off than she is now; it could even kill her.’

“’I may be young, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand suffering. My dad passed away two years ago from lung cancer. My mom’s been trying to hold it together ever since. If watching her struggle on her own has taught me anything; it’s that I want a girlfriend. I don’t want to be alone forever and I wish my mom would move on too. I can handle anything Quinn can dish out,’ Mitch explained.

“He was being honest with me, so I figured I had to tell him my story. ‘When T. J. was five and Quinn was three, my wife Stella went into kidney failure. Dialysis worked for awhile, and we tried for a transplant but that never came through. All I could do was watch her get worse and worse every day. I guess that’s why I’m a little overprotective; my kids are all I have now,’ I told him. ‘Why don’t we check out the mall and look for Quinn’s birthday present together? I’ll even pay; it’s the least I can do after what you did.’ We got in my car and drove off.”

“That day I realized Mitch and Quinn were a lot more alike than I thought. At the time I figured he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon,” Alfred said.

“What kind of car did you drive back then?” asked Vera.

“I’d have to go through my photo albums to make sure, but I think it was a blue Pontiac,” Alfred informed.

Across town, Scotty pulled the squad car up to the Davis residence. Lilly was finishing up a phone call. “Okay well, we just got here so we’ll call back when we’re done here,” she said as she hung up. “That was Vera with some interesting information. It seems that mom did not approve of her son seeing Quinn.”

“So you were right. There was another girl, but do you really think she killed her own son?” asked Scotty.

Lilly turned to him and said, “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
 

3

Colleen Davis had aged somewhat since her son’s death. Lilly looked around the green walls at the pictures of Colleen’s younger days and then back to Colleen. Her face had a few more lines on it now and her hair was starting to go gray. “I still remember having to go down and identify the body. Mitchell wasn’t always happy here, but I never figured on him killing himself,” explained Colleen.

“That’s why we’re here. New details have come out that suggest that it wasn’t a suicide,” Lilly responded.

“Are you going back to school?” Scotty asked when he saw an NYU brochure sitting on the glass coffee table.

“Oh no, that was Mitchell’s. It was his first choice school. He got accepted, but then his father passed on and he ended up at Temple. I guess I still have a lot of Mitch’s stuff scattered around this house,” Colleen explained.

“How was your relationship with Mitchell?” asked Lilly.

“All parents and children argue, but it didn’t get really strained between us until my first husband died,” insisted Colleen.

“First husband?” asked Scotty.

As if on cue, a white-haired man in trousers and a plaid sweater appeared from the adjacent hallway. “Honey, where’s the damn flashlight? I’m trying to fix your ceiling fan, but I’m losing the sun… oh, I thought I heard other people.”

“Harry, these are detectives with the Philadelphia P. D. They say they have new information about my son. As for the flashlight, try the kitchen where you were using it last,” Colleen informed.

“Oh right, from fixing the dishwasher last week. Thank you, babe,” said Harry.

“Anyway, after my son died, I realized it was just me. My husband was gone, my son was gone, my daughter had her own life, and so I started dating again. I remarried six years ago,” Colleen explained.

“Let’s just say on my tombstone it will say ‘GOD BLESS VIAGRA’,” insisted Harry.

“Our first time was long overdue for me too; me dating again was a sticking point for me and Mitchell,” Colleen added.

“What about Quinn Jennings? Was that another sticking point?” asked Rush.

Colleen let out a long sigh. “Many fights lead back to that girlfriend of his. If I ever get nominated for Mother of the Year, that time period will not be on the highlight reel.”

“Did any of these fights ever go beyond words?” Scotty asked. “Mrs. Davis—“

“It’s ‘Logan’ now.”

“Mrs. Logan, there were bloody hedge clippers found next to your son’s body, and, judging from the flower bushes and vegetable plants I saw in the front yard, I’m guessing you do a lot of gardening,” Scotty insisted.

Colleen stood up from her chair. “I never hurt my son!”

“You think she did this! On our first date, I brought up the subject of my children, I asked her about hers, and I had to pull the car over for 30 minutes when she broke down in front of me! She did not kill her son!” Harry yelled.

“Well, from what we’ve heard, Mitchell could get pretty aggressive when it came to protecting Quinn; maybe you didn’t really mean to kill him! Maybe he came at you and you stabbed him in self defense; in which case you have nothing to fear!” informed Lilly.

“That isn’t what happened! My son never threatened me… at least not with violence,” Colleen replied.

“What do you mean?” asked Lilly.

“We had another famous argument about Quinn; I think it was around the time of her birthday. Looking back, I should have seen that we were just moving in two different directions. I was too busy looking back, and he just wanted to move forward…”

Tracey Chapman
“Give Me One Reason”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL1NNW5RWWw

“It was about midday on a Sunday as I recall. I was asleep on that very couch you’re sitting on. I was woken up by the front door opening and then closing. After I cleared the sleep from my eyes I saw that it was Mitchell in the same jeans and Temple sweatshirt he had worn the previous day. ‘You’re a little late.’

“’Quinn’s party ran longer than I thought it would. It was late and I didn’t want to drive your car home, so I stayed at Quinn’s,” my son said. Then he looked down at the coffee table. ‘Why is the Scrabble board out?’

“’It’s out because you said you would be home by 10:00 and I thought you were going to give me a rematch. You could have called me,’ I said.

“’I said I would most likely be home at 10:00. I didn’t know for sure,’ he said.

“’You still could have called me,’ I repeated.

“’How was I to know you would be waiting up for me? I’m 19, you can’t exactly enforce a curfew on me anymore,’ he said.

“’You could still give me some courtesy; maybe I thought we had plans,’ I replied.

“’You never shared this ‘plan’ with me,’ he said.

“’Saturday night is family night. We always play a board game,’ I said.

“Mitchell backed up. ‘Saturday night used to be family night, and yes when it was the four of us I liked Scrabble! But it’s not the four of us anymore! Maybe I’d rather be with Quinn then playing lame board games all of the time!’ he shouted.

“I took a few steps toward Mitchell and yelled back, ‘First of all, I’m well aware of the fact that it isn’t the four of us anymore! You don’t need to remind me of that! Secondly, what did you end up getting her anyway; something from the ‘I’m Settling For You’ store at the mall?’

“’Mom, it’s been a year! Give it a rest; I love Quinn and she loves me! Accept that fact and everything will be so much easier!’ he shouted.

“’You love her! How can you possibly love her? There is no future with a girl like her! She’s dead on one side!’ Harry will tell you. I can be pretty bitchy when I first wake up.

“’Shut up!’

“’Mitchell, be practical! How much can she possibly… do with you?’ I asked.

“’I don’t know! We haven’t crossed that bridge yet!’ Mitch insisted. Then he picked that NYU brochure off the table. “Do you have any idea how badly I wanted to go away to NYU? But I took a year off and then I started commuting to Temple every day instead because I felt I had a responsibility to be here for you after dad passed. I’m not saying I regret that; after all I wouldn’t have met Quinn if I had left. But I can’t keep living in the past like you. I have to move on, and I wish you would too. You need a man in your life again whether you’re willing to admit it or not, and Sir Barkley doesn’t count,’

“’Not this again…’

“’Do you know what it’s like to watch you every night? You sit on this couch and stare at that picture of dad for hours on end sometimes!’ he said pointing at the frame behind you. ‘I can’t watch you sit here pining for a ghost after all this time; it’s like you’ve given up on love! Well, I haven’t!’ All I could do was shake my head. ‘I love you, but I’m making this simple. You can either accept Quinn, or I can look into moving on campus next term.’ Then he went back to his old room.”

“He looked into campus housing and saw how expensive it was, so then a few weeks later he packed some bags and moved in with Nora,” Colleen added.

“I don’t get it. Mitchell wanted you to find someone else?” asked Valens.

“Like I said, me backward, him forward,” insisted Colleen. “By the way, if you want to know about somebody who owned hedge clippers; start with her brother.”

“Terrance Jennings? How do you know about him?” asked Rush.

“I hired him. His name was on a flyer I found in the city; it turned out he was working his way through school as a landscaper. That’s ultimately how Mitchell met Quinn,” Colleen informed.

“Are you satisfied now detective? She’s answered all your questions,” said Harry.

“Just one more question; what kind of car did you drive back then?” Scotty asked.

Colleen turned away in thought. “When my son wasn’t borrowing it, a green Mazda.”

Back at the station, Vera was walking the halls blindfolded again when he stopped suddenly. “What the hell… Who’s trying to be funny?”

“Fool, what are you talking about?” asked Miller.

Vera pointed down. “This garbage can that just brushed against my leg; it wasn’t here two minutes ago.”

“Cleaning staff came through and emptied them and brought them back,” Miller explained.

“Oh well, … give me some warning next time,” Vera insisted. He sat down at a desk and removed the blindfold.

“He hasn’t given up; I’ll give him that,” Jeffries added. “So I ran local DMV records for the fall of 1995. They confirmed both Alfred and Colleen’s stories: blue Pontiac and green Mazda. Then I tried it the other way searching for someone who actually did own a silver Nissan back then. Guess whose name came up,”

Vera looked over the documents that Will handed to him. “Well, looks like sis is today’s big winner.”

Vera and Jeffries were in their car on their way to see Nora Davis. Jeffries was driving; Vera was blinded. “Who’s cooking hotdogs?” Vera asked.

“The… hotdog stand… five blocks ahead of us. How did you…”

“I can smell them from here. It’s weird, but ever since I’ve been in the dark it’s like my other senses have kicked into overdrive. It’s like a whole other way of seeing,”

“Well, unless your new found senses can tell why Nora Davis lied to us; I take the blindfold off,” insisted Jeffries.

Vera removed the blindfold and turned to Jeffries. “Have you heard anything yet?”

“Talk about being in the dark. No, it’s been two damn weeks and I’m still waiting on my test results,” Jeffries informed as he slowed the car to a stop. “This is where Quinn said they would be.”

The pair entered Lynn’s Bridal Fashions in North Philadelphia when they spotted Quinn. “We’re coming up behind you, Quinn,” said Vera.

“Detectives, we’re about to get fitted for our dresses. What can we help you with?” asked Nora.

“We were just curious; how does that old poem go? Something borrowed, something blue, something old, something new. Is that about right?” asked Vera.

“Something like that. Why exactly are you here?” asked Nora.

“Quinn told us you would be here, and I was just thinking if she still needed something old you could give her the keys to your old Nissan: your old silver Nissan,” Jeffries replied.

“We ran the DMV records, Nora. The car found next to Mitchell’s body was registered to you,” Jeffries explained.

“Oh yeah, I guess it still would have been in my name,” said Nora.

“’Still’,” Vera added.

“That car wasn’t hers anymore,” insisted Quinn.

“What do you mean?” asked Jeffries.

“She gave him that car. Nora, how could you possibly forget that night?” Quinn asked.

“Tell me about it; that was the night I caught you two…”

Toni Braxton
“You Mean the World to Me”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB5FxcI7Pyw

“I had just come home from my shift at the hospital. I walked into my apartment and saw a light on in the back room where Mitchell was staying. But I was more interested in what I was hearing; as usual Mitchell was in the back bedroom blasting his music. I walked back to his room saying, ‘Mitchell, there is a noise clause in my lease. If the other tenants complain… WOAH!’

“Now, from what I remember seeing, I think they were actually done by the time I walked in, but nonetheless I still saw a lot more of my brother than I ever wanted to see. ‘Crap! Nora, … I… didn’t think you would be home… this soon!’ he shrieked. He was really freaked; he jumped off that bed and started rummaging through clothes like someone possessed.

“I on the other hand was too busy covering my eyes to make conversation. ‘Oh … gees … bad timing! But you … could close the… door now!’ He closed the door and I ran to my living room.

“Two minutes later a fully dressed Mitchell and Quinn came out of the room. ‘I’ll be down in a minute to take you home,’ he said as he kissed her on the cheek. Quinn limped out the door on her cane and Mitch turned to face me. ‘Okay, I didn’t realize how late it was. Quinn said she wanted to; I thought we had more time…’

“I put my hands on Mitchell’s shoulders. ‘Mitch, you’re 19 and you have an apartment to yourself. I assume you might bring your girlfriend here, but the red blouse she just left in was mine.’

“Mitch shook his head. ‘You still haven’t moved all of your old clothes out of there. I must have given it to her by mistake.’

“’So that’s Quinn. Pretty girl, I can see why you would fall for her. Just answer one thing, do you love her?’ I asked.

“Mitch leaned back against my wall. ‘Yeah, I do, and yes, six years of your nursing school lectures must have gotten in my head. I did cover it—‘

“’Yeah, I… saw that. My point is that if you say you’re in love, then I’m not going to judge. I’m not mom,’ I said. ‘How did you get her here anyway?’

“’She took a bus to campus, I met her there, and we took another bus back to here,’ Mitch explained.

“I shook my head; I never did feel safe on the city buses. That’s when I reached for my purse on the floor. ‘I have a better idea. As you may have seen, I just bought a new car, so I think it’s only fitting that you take my old one.’

“Mitch nearly stumbled over his feet as he moved toward me. ‘Seriously!’

“’A college kid needs some way to get around,’ I said.

“’Thank you, I really do appreciate that!’ he said. Then he hugged me and left shouting, ‘Hey Quinn, you’ll never guess!’.” “That reminds me; I never did get that blouse back,” she added turning to Quinn.

“It never occurred to you to transfer the title to Mitchell?” asked Jeffries.

“I didn’t think about that at the time. We just had an understanding; my old car was his,” Nora explained. “The new car I purchased was a red Ford; check your DMV records for that.”

“We checked; in the fall of 1995 Nora Davis was the proud owner of a new Ford. She was telling the truth,” insisted John Stillman.

“Well, if Nora gave Mitchell that car, then that means anyone could have gotten to him. We’re back to square one,” insisted Miller.

“Maybe not, I looked at bank records from 1995; Mitchell Davis had a savings account. At least he did until he transferred all $1,500 from it on November 21, 1995 to a checking account. Three days later, he makes a check out to KAY Jewelers for that same amount,” John explained.

“The engagement ring, but we already know about that,” insisted Scotty. By now the whole team was huddled around Stillman.

“Did they get any evidence off of that ring?” asked Lilly.

“Just the prints on the box that they matched to Mitchell,” explained John.

“Well, we have newer technology now. Maybe we should run the ring through again,” Lilly added.

“That ring isn’t exactly in evidence anymore. They returned it to his mother when she claimed the body,” said John. “My thinking is this; who just wakes up one day and decides to move everything around like that? He had to have thought about this for some time; maybe he told someone his plan.”

“Probably not his mother, at least not right away; Quinn’s father would have also been risky. Nora, maybe?” asked Lilly.

“Or T. J. Maybe that’s what did it,” Scotty spoke up. “Think about it. The weapon of choice was hedge clippers, and we know he worked as a landscaper. I say it’s time we find him and ask him how he felt about being a brother-in-law.”

4

Rush and Valens waited outside Jennings Lawn and Garden Center. Terrance stepped outside. He hadn’t changed much from the pictures they had seen apart from the fact that he had a mustache now. The pair flashed badges. “Are you Terrance Jennings?” asked Rush.

“My assistant said you wanted to see me?” asked Terrance.

“Detectives Rush and Valens, Philadelphia Homicide; we have a few questions about Mitchell Davis,” said Scotty.

“My sister said you were asking questions about him; this wedding has us all turned around,” Terrance insisted.

“I see you’re still in the landscaping business. We’ve heard that’s how you worked your way through school,” added Lilly.

“I guess I just took to it, and then years ago I started my own company. It’s been tougher these past few years, but I still do okay,” insisted Terrance.

“How did you get along with Mitchell?” asked Scotty.

“We were tight; he was my best friend at that school,” Terrance informed.

“Were you still tight when he started dating your sister?” asked Lilly. She took a quick look at Scotty and said, “I’m just asking because a guy I know dated my sister once and I wanted to strangle him. I figured it was my best option since I didn’t have any hedge clippers handy at the time.”

Terrance threw up his hands. “I didn’t kill Mitchell; he was my friend.”

“I’ve been doing this a long time, and in my experience friendship goes out the window when one guy finds out the other guy is doing his sister,” insisted Scotty.

Terrance shook his head. “Was I thrilled when I found out about that? No. But you never saw Mitchell and Quinn together. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought he was the girl.”

“What do you mean?” asked Scotty.

“He was like a mother hen around Quinn; always trying to help her with the simplest things because of her condition. He was more protective of her than I ever was; he would not have done anything Quinn did not want to do,” insisted Terrance. “Trust me, if I thought he hurt her; I would have kicked his ass.”

“So maybe you reserved the ass kicking for when your friend wanted to become family?” asked Lilly.

“What are you talking about?”

“We know about the engagement ring. Dating your sister was one thing; marrying her was something else entirely,” Scotty added. T. J. looked flustered. “Is that how it went down? He pissed you off when he told you what he was planning, and then you ran him through!”

“Wait a minute, he didn’t tell me jack! You have to believe me; I didn’t know about any engagement ring! … Son of a bitch, that must have been what he wanted that night!”

“What night?” asked Lilly.

“The night I kept getting busy signals…”

Seal
“Kiss From a Rose”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7y19ED6Vrk

“Back then people weren’t exactly glued to their cell phones like they are now, so I had to call him from a pay phone in the lobby. I called him once, and the line was busy. I waited five minutes, tried again, and again the line was busy. This went on for about an hour; I had to keep going back to the change machine for quarters.

“I was down to my last dollar bill when I finally got through. ‘Mitch, what the hell are you doing? I’ve been trying to reach you!’

“’I’ve been trying to reach Quinn! What’s going on?’

“’That’s why I’m calling; it’s about Quinn!’ I said.

“’What do you mean? What’s happening?’

“’Remember when I told you how Quinn was getting headaches and feeling dizzy two days ago. I figured she just caught that flu that’s been going around. Then today I come home from work, and I see Quinn sitting on the couch slapping herself silly,’ I explained.

“’What?’

“’She said she’d been doing it all day and she couldn’t seem to control it. Then she went to stand up and… that’s when she… fell!’

“’Fell!’

“’She just collapsed on the floor! I followed the ambulance here; my gardening tools are still in the back seat of my car!’ I yelled.

“’Ambulance! ... Where the hell are you?’

“’I’m in a lobby at Jefferson Hospital. They ran some tests, and it looks like her shunt broke down. She’s in surgery now,’ I explained.

“’Where is your father?’

“’Still at the restaurant; I left three messages there too!’ I said.

“’Okay, … did you say Jefferson?’

“’Yeah.’

“’Okay, I’m on my way! Meanwhile, find a receptionist and ask for Nora Davis! My sister is a nurse there and she’s on call tonight! Maybe she can tell us what’s going on!’ Then I hung up the phone.”

“I came home later and found the answering machine blowing up with messages for Quinn,” Terrance added. “That was also the night Quinn lost her sight; the pressure from the fluid buildup in her skull destroyed her optic nerve.”

“Exactly what night was this?” asked Lilly.

“December 7, 1995; it’s the date on all the medical records,” insisted T. J. “Besides, it’s hard to forget the night you get robbed.”

“Robbed?” asked Scotty.

“You’d think a hospital would be safe, but when I went back to the parking lot I found my back seat windows were busted in and someone had stolen my tools,” T. J. explained.

“We can check that out, Terrance,” insisted Scotty.

“You said Nora was there that night?” asked Lilly. Terrance nodded and Lilly turned to Scotty. “She never told us that.”

Stillman and Jeffries walked around the table in the interview room where Nora was seated. “The next time I have to go to Jefferson Hospital, remind me to request that I don’t get you for a nurse,” said Jeffries.

“What is that supposed to mean?” asked Nora.

“Well, you have such a bad memory. You forgot to tell us that you gave Mitchell your old car, and you neglected to mention that you were the nurse on call the night Quinn went in for surgery,” Jeffries added.

“I didn’t think it mattered,” insisted Nora.

“You didn’t think it mattered/” asked John leaning over the table. “We know Mitchell went to the hospital to see Quinn that night! So here’s what I think happened: Mitchell arrives at the hospital, he finds you, you break the news about Quinn, and he takes it badly and tries to kill the messenger!”

“No! I didn’t find out anything until her brother did! Quinn was a close acquaintance of a relative; hospital procedure took priority! As soon as I saw that it was Quinn they were operating on I had to recuse myself! I didn’t know anything more than he did!” Nora explained.

“So you told him that and he didn’t believe you and decides to kill the messenger! Either way you two end up fighting in the parking lot, Mitchell gets aggressive, and so you broke into T. J.’s car and stabbed him with the hedge clippers you found!” Stillman responded.

“I never touched any hedge clippers! Print me if you don’t believe me!” Nora exclaimed.

“There were no prints on the weapon; which only makes me doubt you more!” insisted Jeffries.

“Rubber gloves in a hospital isn’t that much of a stretch,” John informed.

“Quinn’s surgery was two days before my brother was killed,” insisted Nora.

“Or two days before the body was found,” said Jeffries.

“Once again, a nurse knowing how to handle a corpse isn’t that big of a stretch,” explained Stillman.

“I came to you with this! Why would I do that if I was guilty?” asked Nora.

“Because you’re guilty. I’ve worked cold jobs a long time and I’ve seen it before; people who want to confess but don’t know how,” informed Will.

“Well, I can’t confess to something I didn’t do! I never broke into T. J.’s car; I wouldn’t have even recognized it to do a break in! Until that night, I barely knew who T. J. was!” Nora yelled. She folded her hands and put her head down on the table. Then she looked up. “Alright, I do know something, but I swear I don’t know what happened after that something.”

“Start filling in the gaps, Nora, or we’ll have no choice but to fill them in ourselves,” insisted Will.

Nora sighed. “Mitchell came to the hospital to see Quinn that night, and someone else came there to see him…”

Sheryl Crow
“Strong Enough”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Df30fBLII

“I was in between rounds that night, and since I wasn’t allowed anywhere near Quinn I figured I would head for the lobby and see if my brother had shown up yet. I got off the elevator and saw Mitchell at the reception desk. ‘Finally, front of the line. I’m looking for Quinn Jennings…’

“’Mitch!’ I called out. He turned around to see me.

“’Nora, what are you doing down here? Is Quinn out of surgery? Is she okay?’ he asked.

“’I don’t know; it’s like I told your friend. I’m too closely acquainted with Quinn, and…’

“’And so you can’t assist with the surgery. I guess I didn’t think that through. Damn it!’ Mitchell yelled shaking his head. ‘What about Terrance? You said you met him.’

“’I did meet T. J. He is on the third floor waiting area; I can take you to him,’ I said. That was the first time I had seen T. J. and I had been somewhat surprised. From what Mitchell had described I was expecting someone taller.

“We took the elevator to the third floor and then Mitch spotted T. J. in one of the green chairs. ‘Mitch!’ T. J. called out as he jumped up.

“The pair hugged briefly before Mitchell finally asked, ‘Have you heard anything about Quinn?’

“’Quinn made it; she’s been out of surgery for about an hour. But I’ve been waiting for you because I have to tell you…’

“’Where is she?’ he asked.

“’ They put her in room 322, but I … Mitchell, wait!’ T. J. yelled. But Mitch was long gone.

“When we did catch Mitchell he was outside Quinn’s room having a conversation with another nurse who was trying to deliver a tray of food. ‘I think it’s a simple question; does or does this fruit cup not have strawberries in it?’

“’I think it does. Why?’ she asked.

“’Quinn is allergic to strawberries; are you trying to get fired?’ he asked.

“’Are you sure?’ she asked.

“’I’ve known the girl for over a year now, so yes I think I’m sure,’ Mitch said.

“’Well, according to this chart… for Jenna Quincy. It seems the assistant gave me the wrong file,’ the nurse replied and took the tray away.

“’Yeah, find your assistant and take that poison with you! I hate hospitals!’ Mitch yelled back.

“’You didn’t have to do that; I wasn’t exactly going to eat it right now anyway,’ Quinn said suddenly. That’s when my brother turned around and got a good look at a then bald Quinn. He reached out to touch her bare scalp. ‘They shaved me.’ He slowly pulled his hand away. ‘I wasn’t expecting you to come tonight.’

“’T. J. called me,’ Mitch said.

“’And now you’ve seen me bald. Thank you T. J.’ Quinn said.

“Mitchell lifted Quinn’s hand. ‘Quinn, I love you, and I’m here now. So just tell me what you need.’

“’How much has T. J. told you?’ asked Quinn.

“’Well, he told me where you were and I … kind of just bolted. But T. J. and Nora are both behind me now,’ he told her.

“’They are?’ she asked.

“’Yeah. What, you don’t see them? How could you not notice T. J.’s ugly face?’ he asked.

“’Well, I can’t,’ she replied.

“Mitchell seemed to lose his breath. ‘What exactly are you…’

“’That’s what I wanted to tell you. The fluid buildup destroyed Quinn’s optic nerve. She can’t see us,’ Terrance explained.

“The room went dead silent for a time until the other nurse came back with the tray. ‘A strawberry-free dinner is served.’

“’Thank you… nurse’ Mitchell said as if he had just come back to life.

“’Mitchell, I told you I’m really not hungry right now,’ said Quinn.

“’Maybe not, but you should at least drink the water,’ Mitch insisted. ‘I’m putting the tray on the left side table, and the water is right on the edge of the tray.’ Quinn felt along the edge of the tray until she knocked the cup of water to the floor. ‘Okay! That’s … perfectly fine! That’s the thing about cups; they can be refilled.’ Mitch retrieved the cup from the floor and refilled it at the sink in the room. ‘I guess this time I’ll just give it to you. And you’re losing half your blankets; I can fix that.’ He handed her the cup and started to fix the bedding.

Cold Case Soundtrack: “A Good Death” www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiWEbcmX504

“As it became clear that I was no longer the real nurse in the room, I figured I should get back to my regular rounds. I turned to leave, and that’s when I saw her. ‘Mom, what are you doing here?’

“’I’m here for Mitchell. Quinn’s father left a message for him on my machine; apparently he forgot that Mitchell lives with you now. I called and he explained the situation,’ she explained.

“’You called our home?’ T. J. asked. My mother nodded. ‘So he’s home! Unbelievable! I’ll be back; I have to make another phone call!’ Then he stormed out of the room.

“Mitch pulled our mother out into the hall. I left to return to my regular rounds, but I could still here the conversation. ‘If you came here to tell me to give up—‘.

“’I didn’t come here for that; I came because I heard what had happened and I thought I could help,’ she said.

“’Quinn already has help: she has Nora, she has T. J., she has me. She doesn’t need anyone else.’ Mitch replied.

“’I’m just saying I have a little more experience in this area than you do,’ my mom explained.

“’I’ll admit I just had a bomb dropped on me, but I’m doing what I can,’ Mitch insisted.

“’I did see some of that attention as I was coming up the hall, and now I’m really curious as to where all this care and devotion was when your father was sick?’ she asked.

“’Oh, I should have known! I should have known that you would start playing that song again; I didn’t help enough with dad!’ Mitchell yelled back.

“’You came to the hospital once and sat on the sideline most of the time; you didn’t exactly fuss over him!’

“’Dad didn’t need me fussing over him; you and Nora were already doing that!’ Mitch replied.

“’You abandoned him!’

“’Do you think I just sat on my ass the whole time dad was sick? Let me ask you something! While you were taking care of dad, who took care of you? I did! I’m the one who prepared your bills every month, I’m the one who kept the house from falling apart, I’m the one who walked that stupid mutt every damn day, and I’m the one who answered all the calls from hysterical relatives! Everyone said I was doing a good job helping out; everyone that is except you! So, if you will excuse, I have to be there for Quinn now!’ he shouted. Then Mitchell went back to Quinn’s room and mom walked back down the hall.”

“I went back to my normal rounds at that point. Mitchell stayed with Quinn most of the night; I swear I don’t know where my mom went after that,” insisted Nora.

Rush and Valens were listening in the observation room next door. “So mom went to the hospital and had another fight with her son. Funny how she never mentioned that,” said Lilly.

“Yeah, and I’m guessing that, unlike Nora, she would have known T. J.’s car to see it,” Scotty insisted. “I hope we can fight the husband off long enough to bring her in.”

5

“I guess you weren’t kidding when you said you weren’t Mother of the Year material, Mrs. Logan,” insisted Scotty in the interview room.

“This is beyond belief! You still think I know what happened to my son!” Colleen shouted.

“Lady, your own daughter is in the other room giving you up!” Scotty replied.

“Nora? What could she have given you?” Colleen demanded.

“She told us how you went to the hospital on the night of Quinn’s surgery, and that you and Mitchell rang the bell for the next round,” Lilly replied.

“Of course, another personal highlight of mine,” insisted Colleen.

“I’ll just bet. I’ll bet Mitchell pissed you off that night, didn’t he? So much so that you found T. J.’s car in the lot, stole his hedge clippers and waited for him to come out!” said Scotty.

“You were losing him. No matter how hard you fought he just kept going back to Quinn. So maybe you figured if you couldn’t have him anymore, then neither could she,” insisted Lilly.

“That’s not true! I went home after that argument!” yelled Colleen.

“Where you lived alone at the time. Not much of an alibi,” insisted Lilly.

“Well, it’s the truth. Mitchell’s words stayed with me after that fight. I went home to think about what he said for awhile,” Colleen responded.

Scotty threw down a picture of the ring box in front of her. “Do you recognize that?”

“That’s the ring that they found on the body. I still have it actually,” informed Colleen.

“Did you know he was planning to propose?” asked Lilly.

Colleen shook her head. “Every time I think I’ve moved on.”

“What happened, Colleen?” asked Lilly.

“I went to see Mitchell … that day. When I showed up at Nora’s place, that’s when I first saw the ring box,” Colleen explained.

“And you had another argument?” added Scotty.

“No, just the opposite! After our words at the hospital…” Colleen stopped to catch her breath. “I went there to tell him I was done fighting; I went there to let him go…”

Madonna
“I’ll Remember”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkMnqdmytz4

“I knocked on the door to my daughter’s apartment and Mitchell answered. I could tell he was on his way out because he was wearing the white coat I got him for his birthday three years earlier. He seemed surprised that it was me. ‘Mom. If you’re here for Nora—‘

“’I’m actually here for you,’ I said.

“’Alright, I’m sorry for the fight. It was a stressful night, I was tired, and to top it all off I have finals next week,” he added.

“’Actually, I’m here to—‘ That’s when I noticed the velvet box in his hand. ‘Is that what I think it is?’

“’It’s an engagement ring; I moved my money around and bought it a couple of weeks ago. Quinn just came home today; I’m actually on my way to see her now. And before you try to talk me out of this—‘

“’Mitch, I’m not here to fight. I actually came here to apologize to you,’ I said.

“’You?’

“’What you said at the hospital may have been blunt, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t true. I never realized how much I’ve relied on you these past few years. You have done a good job taking care of me and I do appreciate it,’ I admitted.

“’Well, thank you. I appreciate you telling me that,’ said Mitchell.

“’I can’t fault for wanting to move on; who knows I might even be able to do it myself some day. So if Quinn is what you want, I won’t stand in your way anymore.’ I told him. ‘But I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t tell you this is not an easy path you’re taking. You’re still young, marriage is tough at any age, and a girl like Quinn is going to have a lot of issues.’

“’That’s why I’m doing this. I want Quinn to know I’m never going to give up on her,’ said Mitchell.

“’That’s another thing; don’t be surprised if she says no. Given everything that’s happened to her she might not be ready for an engagement right now,’ I added.

“’That’s a chance I’ll have to take.’ Mitch insisted.

“’You’re mind is made up it seems. Then I’ll wish you the best of luck,’ I told him. He actually hugged me before he left. I wasn’t expecting that.”

“It’s funny, after all these years I’ve never seen the actual ring. I didn’t even think to open the box after Mitchell passed, and every time I’ve looked at it since has just reminded me of how much we fought toward the end,” Colleen explained.

Lilly pushed her hair back. “You swear you never touched that ring. Well, there’s one way to verify your story; bring the ring in and have us print you.”

Colleen and Harry came back later that day with the ring. They stared across Lilly’s desk directly at her. “It shouldn’t be too much longer,” said a nervous Lilly.

A few minutes later Vera and Stillman came up to Lilly’s desk. “The test results are back on the ring. Do you want the good news, the bad news, or the screwy news?” asked Vera.

“Somehow, I think screwy will cover all three,” Lilly added.

“Apparently the cops back in 1995 only tested the box, and when they only found Mitchell’s prints on it everyone jumped on the suicide theory,” Vera explained.

“What do you mean they only tested the box?” asked Mr. Logan.

“They never tested the ring. We found a print on the stone setting for the engagement ring; the good news is that it does not match the prints for Colleen,” Stillman explained.

“Are you happy now? My wife did not kill her son, and you’ve been harassing us for nothing! You will be hearing from my lawyer…”

“There’s something she should know!” yelled Stillman. “The print didn’t match the prints we have on file for Mitchell either. Someone else touched that ring.”

Vera shook his head. “I’ll be damned; the blind girl bluffed us.”

“Well Quinn, I could tell them to put you in the dark, but I don’t think that would phase you,” said Vera as he sat across from Quinn in the interview room.

“I’m getting married in a few days, and I’m still putting the wedding together. Why am I here?” she asked.

“Because you lied to us.”

“Like hell I did.”

“Quinn, we know you were with Mitchell the night he died. We know he proposed to you,” Vera replied.

Quinn’s voice cracked. “He did not!”

“We have the ring! It has a print on it that I can only assume belongs to the old girlfriend!” Vera added.

Quinn’s voice cracked again. “Take all the prints you want; I never touched that ring!” The room fell silent for a minute. “This is partially paralyzed; it only bends about half way. Even with my good hand I can’t exactly move at light speed. Do you really think I killed him?”

“When you put it that way, I guess not. Yet I still don’t think you’re telling me the whole story,” Vera insisted.

“Please, like you would really understand my story!” insisted Quinn.

Vera stood up and reached into his coat pocket to pull out the blindfold. “Probably not, but I’ve been trying to,” Vera walked to Quinn’s left side and put on the blindfold. He took her hand and touched it to his face. “This is an old sock that I’ve been using as a blindfold. I’ve been trying to experience what you must deal with everyday. I won’t lie; I’ve tripped over my own shoes more times than I can count But I have adjusted to some of it; for one my other senses have gotten stronger. Like right now, I can hear your voice getting caught in your throat, I can hear your heart beating a mile a minute through your chest, and I can sense the elevated smell of sweat in the air—all signs of somebody with something to hide. If you truly loved Mitchell, you need to do him justice now. What happened?”

Quinn shook her head. “What happened was I was young and sick, and when more stuff starts going wrong you start doing math in your head: I was born with paralysis, 18 years later I went blind, and I figured by 36 I’d probably be dead. At the time I didn’t figure anyone could love a girl that was falling apart, and I also knew that Mitchell would never break up with me. So when my father told me Mitchell had just pulled up; I told him to send him away. Then I heard … shouting. I couldn’t make it all out, but it was something like ‘he doesn’t care you stupid bastard!’.”

“Something about that doesn’t add up. Are you sure you remember that right?” asked Vera.

Just then there was a knock on the door. It was Jeffries with a piece of paper in his hand. “Vera, there’s something you need to … see.”

Vera removed the blindfold and followed Jeffries into the hall. “What is it?”

“I finally heard back from Burglary Division. This is the theft report for December 7, 1995.”

Vera took the document and looked it over. “Are you sure this is all of it?”

It was Kat Miller and Will Jeffries’ turn in the interview room now. “You really had some bad luck in December 1995 didn’t you, T. J.?” asked Miller. “First your sister goes blind, then the robbery, and then your friend dies.”

“It wasn’t exactly a merry Christmas for any of us that year, but what exactly is your point?” T. J. asked.

“I’m just saying it must have been tough: broke college student, working your way through school, and taking care of your sick sister almost singlehanded with your father out of the house so much,” Miller replied.

“Well, my father worked a lot,” said T. J.

“Yeah, but to not even show up at the hospital after Quinn’s surgery? To me that just sounds cold; almost like he didn’t care,” insisted Miller.

“Yeah, that was frustrating. But I’m struggling on my own now too, and now I understand his exhaustion. I couldn’t even imagine having a sick kid on top of it all,” added T. J.

“Well, you’re more forgiving than me,” Miller responded.

“What does any of this have to do with Mitchell?” asked T. J.

“He’s right, Kat,” said Jeffries. “Let’s talk about that robbery. What exactly was taken?”

“All my landscaping stuff: my water cans, my shovels, and like I said my hedge clippers,” T. J. informed.

“It seems like odd stuff for someone to steal,” insisted Jeffries.

“Well, those tools get expensive,” said T. J.

“Must not be that expensive if you never bothered to report the theft,” said Jeffries. He opened a file and showed T. J. a piece of paper. “That’s a record of all burglaries reported on December 7, 1995. None of what you said is in here. You never filed a theft report, Terrance.”

“Why bother? I knew I wasn’t getting that stuff back,” insisted T. J.

“Your car was on your dad’s insurance policy; you have to have some insurance to drive in this state. Why not file a report just to get some money back?” asked Jeffries.

Terrance shook his head. “Fine, you got me. There was no break-in. I was an idiot and forgot to lock my car doors. I didn’t report it, because quite frankly it was embarrassing.”

“Here’s the thing. Changing your story like that makes me wonder what else you’re keeping from us,” said Jeffries. “I think there was no theft. We know Mitchell came to your house that night. I think he came there to break up with her,”

“No, you’ve got that backwards. Mitch loved my sister.”

“Maybe he did, but losing her sight changed all that!” said Jeffries.

“No, you’re wrong about him!”

“You found out your friend was about to break your sister’s heart, so you got pissed and stabbed him with the clippers!” Jeffries shouted.

“Mitch didn’t come to my house to break up with her! If anything he was more determined to stay with her than ever! He was going to ask her to marry him that night; I saw the damn ring!” T. J. shouted pounding a fist on the table.

“I thought you didn’t know about Mitchell’s plan. That’s what you told the other detectives,” said Miller. T. J. froze; it looked like he was about to swallow his tongue. Miller pulled a photograph of the ring from the file. “Whoever killed your friend left a print on this ring. There’s one way to clear yourself; let us print you.”

T. J.’s head fell to the table. “You don’t need to do that; I touched the ring. Look, could you just tell Quinn… I never meant to hurt him. I just wanted him to get out of my way.”

“What happened, T. J.?” asked Miller.

“It was poetic really. Mitch took care of his mother, he took care of Quinn, he protected everyone but himself…”

Cold Case Soundtrack: “8:03 AM” www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbAGfuOoaHQ

“I was in the yard trimming some branches when I heard Mitchell’s car pull up in the driveway. He rang the doorbell and my father answered. ‘I’m here for Quinn,’ he said.

“’Quinn just came home today. She’s not really up for anything right now,’ my father answered.

“’Look, I understand if she’s not up for going out right now, but if I could just stay…’

“’Quinn is not really up for visitors right now,’ my father interrupted.

“’I won’t stay long. I just… need to see her…’

“’Mitchell, try to understand this. She’s not the same girl anymore. Quinn needs rest and time to adjust to this,’ my dad explained.

“By this point I’m boiling. How could have known what she needed when he wasn’t even there when it happened. ‘Will you let him in for five minutes? Like you’re the expert on what Quinn needs anyway!’

“My dad stepped around Mitchell and yelled back, ‘What the hell does that mean, Terrance!’

“’It means where the hell were you when all this went down! I can’t even remember how many times I left messages trying to reach you and still you never showed! I get that you work a lot and that’s why I’m home with Quinn most of the time with Quinn, but you didn’t even come to the hospital for your own daughter! Mitchell did! He was there the whole night with her and he did it again the next day! So if you ask me he should be allowed to see her because he obviously cares more than you do!’

“’SHUT UP!’ he yelled.

“’Yeah T. J., what are you doing?’ asked Mitch.

“But my father didn’t hear him. He just kept yelling. ‘You think you know it all! There’s a reason I work so much! We need money! We got something in the mail from Jefferson Hospital today, and it sure as hell wasn’t a thank you note! It was a bill; $25,000 for a two night stay! Even with insurance I’m still on the hook for $5,000! If I can’t pay for what Quinn needs what happens then? … Yeah, silence! Talk about a few more things you know nothing about!’ Then he stormed back into the house.

“Looking back I get it, but at the time I just couldn’t let it drop. I went for the door, but Mitch blocked me. ‘Get out of my way!’

“’T. J., just take a breath. You’re saying things you don’t even mean.’

“’No, I’m on your side here! You were there and he wasn’t! He doesn’t care!’ I yelled.

“’He cares, it’s his daughter! Look at least put the clippers down!’ he said.

“Clippers? What clippers? I couldn’t even register what he was saying I was so angry. ‘No, get out of my way! He doesn’t care!’ Then I put my hands out to push him aside, and that’s when I realized what clippers he meant; they were the ones sticking out of his chest. I swear I completely forgot they were even in my hand. Mitchell fell back against the side of the house bleeding from his chest. ‘You stupid bastard!’ I cried out. I’m not even sure if I was yelling at him or myself.

“Then I heard a voice. It was Mitchell gasping for breath. ‘Q-uinn.’

“I just ran to him without thinking. ‘Quinn’s not here. It’s T. J.’

“He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out this box. ‘Quinn… will… you… maaaahhhhhh…’ And then all his strength was gone. The box fell to the ground popping open and the ring fell on to the grass.

“I stepped around the body and bent down to pick up the ring, but I had some trouble getting a grip on it with my gloves so I took the gloves off. I turned the sparkling object in my hand a few times before dropping it in the box. ‘You’re not dead. I need you. Quinn needs you. You can’t be dead.’

“But he was gone, and when I realized that I guess survival instinct kicked in or something. I dragged his body to his car, dumped him in the trunk, found the car keys in his pants pocket, and drove away. I can’t deny my guilt in this anymore, but I swear… I never meant to kill him.”

Counting Crows
“A Long December”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrsSbjcKCBg

At the station John Stillman and Nick Vera loaded Mitchell’s file box onto the shelf and marked it CLOSED.

At the Logan house Lilly and Scotty were explaining the final moments leading up to Mitchell’s death. When Lilly explained that she believed that T. J. never intended to hurt Mitchell; Colleen asked what would happen to him.

Quinn was hearing the same explanation at the chapel from Kat Miller and Will Jeffries. As officers they had to charge him. They explained that they would make a case to the D. A., but it was his decision as to charge him with murder or manslaughter.

A preacher motioned for everyone to come inside; it was almost time for the ceremony. But they still had some time, so Jeffries pulled Nora Davis aside and asked her a few questions.

Inside the church Quinn stood at the altar between her father Alfred and her new husband. As the man turned to face Quinn, Nora saw past him to the ghost of her brother as he faded from sight.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHd7937I7SQ

Audio PowerPoint slides now available.

So, it seems demand for these audio presentations is not exactly skyrocketing. Let me state here once and for all that I do not charge for these presentations. I make no money off of the Cold Case Virtual Season 8; I never intended to make money off of this. This is just a passion that I have had for several years because I thought the show deserved a better ending. Even if I wanted to make money off of this, I would most likely face serious copyright claims due to the amount of music and background audio that I use.

The audio presentations consist of my slightly adlibed narrations of the five acts of each episode. Flashback sequences also play featured music just like in the show or I use selections from the Cold Case Soundtrack. I also treat listeners to a brief commentary after each episode. I suppose I could just post those After the Show segments here as messages, but I just thought the audio component would be a nice addition.

I thought about learning how to post these presentations on YouTube, but, once again, copyright laws.

AFTER THE SHOW

Truth time, this was a tough one to look back on. First, I think you need to know something about me that will explain some of these characters along with some characters going forward. I am what they call legally blind; I have been this way since suffering a lack of oxygen practically at birth. Legal blindness means that a person can see but not as well as someone with full sight. Legal blindness can take many forms; in my case it takes the form of tunnel vision and extreme nearsightedness where I also rely on magnification software and magnifying glasses for reading. This episode came out of a time in my life when I was out of work and filled some of my days by going to lunches and support groups sponsored by my local blind association. That is also how I met the girl that Quinn Jennings is based on.

So you might be wondering where truth deviates from fiction. This episode is based on a time of a lot of highs and lows in my life. I had lost my father to a lung condition much like Mitchell Davis in the story and I saw what grief did to my mother. For a long time after that, i had hoped that she could find a way to move on and find someone else. About a year after that I met the girl that Quinn Jennings is based on who had also lost a parent years ago and was in fact completely blind as a result of being born with the same condition. Congenital hydrocephalus is a legitimate medical condition where excess fluid builds up in the skull and can put pressure on the brain. The condition can be managed by surgically inserting a plastic shunt and tubing into the body to drain the fluid out of the skull.

So Quinn Jennings was true and Mitchell Davis losing his father was true. The racial incident in the school student union was not true; the base girl was also Afro-American, but that never happened. The fights that Mitchell Davis had with his mother were partly true; they were not based on the Quinn Jennings girl but rather another girl who we fought over. The scene where Mitchell's sister catches him with Quinn is not true; I would have to have a sister for that to have happened. The way Quinn lost her sight is true. Mitchell buying an engagement ring is not true. It will be the biggest could've/would've/should've question in my life. The Quinn Jennings girl and I were together for nearly 8 years, but I never had the guts to buy a ring. The one thing I knew a condition like hers required was money, and at the time I was on disability and going through lengthy periods of unemployment and underemployment. Then, when things started to look better for me, they got worse for her. She had another bad fall that, combined with the "rehab" she received, severely limited her mobility; it got to the point where she could barely move around the downstairs floor of her sister's apartment and they had her drugged to the point where she could barely speak a lot of the time. The last time I tried to speak with her, her phone was disconnected, so I can't even say for sure where she is now.

Regarding my book-end songs, I chose The Rembrandts's "I'll Be There for You" because, much like Mitchell Davis, I was full of hope at the beginning and I too learned what "I'll Be There for You" really entails. Let's just say I now get why my mother has not remarried; they say you only really fall in love once. I went with Counting Crows's "A Long December" at the end because it wound up being a long December for the Jennings family. Everything went down hill for Quinn that December, and the family was still dealing with the consequences of that.