On A Mission Of Search And Rescue
Thomas McIlhenry begins his investigation of Marcus Houston’s trial
The transcript of Marcus Houston’s murder trial arrived at Thomas McIlhenry’s doorstep in the Saturday mail and though Saturdays were usually his special time with Anna, when he would take her to the park to ride her bicycle or play on the swings, he decided to take an hour in the afternoon to skim through the thousand-page document to see if anything struck him in his first glance. It wasn’t a long trial with just three days of testimony and seven witnesses, including the police officers. As he read the opening arguments of both prosecuting and defence attorneys, he realized immediately the prosecutors were more skilled than Marcus’ court-appointed attorney, a man named Davis Needleman. As he read the transcript, in an inexplicable way these words became real to him as though he were sitting and watching the trial firsthand.
He could picture in his mind’s eye all the witnesses, from Officer Knox to Detective Peterman, to the young woman named Margaret who first saw the killer. He could even imagine their subtle diction, the way they spoke their words, the rhythm of their voices. Then his daughter Anna interrupted him, “Daddy, are we going to the park today?” she asked him.
“Of course, we are, just a little longer.”
“We can swing again,” she told him.
“I love to swing,” he told her.
“What are you doing?” she asked him.
“I’m reading something to try to find a way to help a man.”
“Is he a good man?” she asked.
“A very good man.”
“Then I can wait.”
He read for a few more minutes and seeing his daughter’s expectant eyes, he finally decided to take her to the park.
His wife was working in the kitchen when he and Anna hand in hand began to leave the house.
“Where are you going?” she asked them as they departed.
“We’re going to the park, Mommy,” Anna answered.
“How long will you be gone, Tom?”
“An hour, maybe two,” he answered.
“Should I go get my ball, Daddy?”
“Sure,” he answered.
Anna ran upstairs to get her ball.
“I looked over those papers this afternoon. I don’t know that I’m the one who can help this man,” he told her. “I hope I haven’t promised something I can’t deliver.”
“We just pray, Tom, that God will help you find a way.”
“Sometimes it doesn’t matter how smart you are, what great intentions you have, things just can’t be fixed,” he acknowledged.
Anna came downstairs with a small basketball.
“I’m ready to go,” Anna announced.
“Let’s go have a great time,” Thomas encouraged.
He kissed his wife on the cheek and then they left. The neighborhood park was eight blocks away with a basketball court, a playground and swings. It was usually crowded on Saturdays and he had to search a few minutes for a place to park. Anna sat behind him in his minivan and she fidgeted a little with her long blonde hair.
“I just have to straighten the car out and then we’ll be on our way.”
“Can you carry my ball for me?” she asked him as she exited the car.
“Of course,” and he carried it while he held her left hand.
When they entered the park, she began to yank his arm.
“Can I go to the playground?” she asked.
“Of course, just wait a minute.”
When they were within twenty yards of the playground, he let go of her hand and she ran to the playground to join the other children. He walked the remaining distance and found a bench to sit down on. Holding the small basketball on his lap, he watched her play.
He pondered as he often did in these moments while he watched her play, so innocent and gentle with her beautiful smile, what kind of world she’d find and as much as he tried to protect her, to fill her life with love and joy, he knew that life was not a child’s game and he could not protect her from everything. Then another man with a daughter about the same age asked, “Can I join you here?”
“Of course.”
“I just wish I had the energy that my daughter has,” he told Thomas.
“As do I,” Thomas answered.
They sat beside each other and watched their daughters and said very little for nearly an hour until finally the stranger asked Thomas a question.
“You look familiar to me, have we met somewhere before?”
“I get this all the time,” Thomas answered him. “I think I have one of those faces, which has archetypal features.”
“No, I think we’ve met somewhere before, where did you go to school?” he asked.
“High school? College? Law School?”
“So you’re an attorney,” he commented. “If you don’t mind college.”
“I went to Rice University in Houston Texas,” Thomas answered.
He shook his head and answered, ”No.”
“I went to high school at Samuel Clemens and University of Wisconsin Law School.”
“Are you a member of any fraternal organizations?” the man asked.
“No. I’m pretty busy with my practice,” Thomas answered.
“That’s the oddest thing you know when you think you know someone, but you can’t pin it down.”
“I’ve had this happen to me several times,” Thomas explained.
“I’m sorry about all the questions, but I’ve been sitting here a while trying to figure out where we’ve met. My name is Dennis Allerby. I’m sorry I bothered you.”
“Thomas McIlhenry. It’s no bother.”
“Daddy, I’m at the top,” Dennis’ daughter shouted as she climbed to the slide.
“Be careful, Joanna,” he shouted back at her. “She’s a handful. Her mother died last year of leukaemia. It’s been quite a turmoil.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh, it’s been tough. But we’re getting through it. What’s your daughter’s name?”
“Her name is Anna, after my grandmother,” Thomas answered.
“Have you ever felt like you were in a holding pattern, waiting for a runway to open up?” Dennis asked.
“Yeah, I’ve had that feeling.”
“You know, that’s what I do every day, I’m an air traffic controller, I juggle planes to keep them from running into each other,” Dennis told him.
“I’ve heard that’s a stressful job,” Thomas acknowledged.
“It has its moments,” he replied.
“So who takes care of Joanna when you’re working?” Thomas asked.
“My sister, Brenda. She has two kids of her own. Were you at St. John’s hospital about a year ago?”
“Yeah, I think I was, with my mother. She passed at about that time,” Thomas answered.
“That’s maybe where I saw you,” Dennis affirmed. “I was there a lot.”
“So was I,” Thomas acknowledged.
“It’s funny how people’s lives cross each other, just like the aeroplanes,” Dennis observed.
“Look, maybe there’s not much I can do for you. But I am an attorney. Here’s my card.”
He reached into his pocket, removed his wallet and retrieved a business card which he handed to him.
“I’m beginning to think that there are no accidents in life,” Thomas told him. “Please call me if you need anything even if it’s just to talk. I see my daughter is getting a little edgy. I promised I’d swing with her.”
He picked up the ball and walked toward her.
“Are you ready to go and swing?” Thomas asked.
“Yes,” she said emphatically.
“Then come.”
He sat the ball down on the ground, she climbed onto a swing, and he climbed into a swing beside her. Both began to swing.