Plumb, with Franklin-type glasses perched on the edge of his nose, showed his age as he slowly rose and extended a hand. He quickly sat back down as if the effort was too much. His movements seemed to tell Todd that arthritis had set in. Plumb had a drooping bloodhound type of face, but with clear blue eyes. A full crop of snowy white hair gave him a look of distinction. He was wearing a suit and tie, which had to be uncomfortable because it seemed that the air-conditioning in the room wasn’t working. “How can I help you sir?” Plumb asked..
“I am merely seeking information about a student you had long ago.”
“It’s beginning to seem to me that I had them all long ago. I have one more year before I can call it quits.”
“What are you going to do when you retire?”
“Read.”
“And what else?”
“Read some more. Who is this student you are inquiring about?’
“Nathan Brumfield.”
“Lately I don’t remember many students but I do remember Nathan.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, here’s an incident that probably would remain with anybody. Like today, I’m usually early for my first class. I like to settle into the room and get my brain ready. That particular day when Nathan was a senior, I opened the door to this very room and there was Nathan in the corner on top of a girl.”
“That would be a surprise.”
“Indeed. I hadn’t even known they ever talked to each other. I guess I could have stood there and watched because both people were quite energetic, but I guess I’ve never been much of a prurient person so I interrupted their party. Alas, neither person had completed what they started out to do, but I felt that was a good life lesson for Nathan. Life is full of interruptions, just like you are interrupting my reverie at the moment. I do enjoy this reverie, but not as much probably as Nathan was enjoying himself that day. I remember the girl being highly embarrassed, but Nathan was not. They got their clothes back on, left the room, and didn’t show up for the class itself that day. I had the feeling they had found another spot in which to engage each other, without interruption. However, the next day they were back in class. For the next two weeks the girl keep constantly looking at me; Nathan, on the other hand seemed to totally forget about the incident.”
“I can see why you would remember the lad.”
“Exactly. He was not a very good history student. He had a lot of trouble remembering any facts, and he mixed-up certain periods of time having Christopher Columbus, for instance, be living during the French Revolution. He was off only by about three hundred years. Nathan passed the course, but just barely.”
“I saw in the yearbook for that senior year of his, that Nathan listed you as one of his two favorite teachers.”
“That was probably because I never turned either of those two young people in to the principal for their behavior that day. I’ve never felt I was the moral guardian of the universe. His listing me was probably just for his gratefulness.”
Todd wondered if Isadore had turned in Nathan that day for punishment, would he have become the womanizer he turned out to be? Ah, well, it was useless to speculate on something like that. He avoided making the old guy feel bad by omitting why he was seeking to find Nathan on this day. Todd said only, “I have reason to want to talk to Nathan Brumfield, but he seems to have disappeared. Would you have any thoughts where he might go in the entire world?”
“That’s a large area.”
“Nathan has much money. His traveling is not limited by finances.”
“I do remember Nathan getting excited for a couple days when we were dealing with English history. He actually raised his hand and asked a couple questions, which was quite rare for him. His interest began the day I started talking about The Tower of London. He was particularly interested in the fact that the place was used as a prison. He wanted to know more about how the people were tortured in those days. Also, at the end of our section on the Tower, he responded to the part about the Crown Jewels being held there. He said something like it would be great to own all that.”
Todd was thinking that maybe the dreams of youth can come true, with Nathan himself becoming wealthy and then holding people in his own particular prison. Had Nathan gone to see where his original inspiration began? It was possible.
Todd thanked the teacher for his time.
“I hope I’ve helped. You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t get up and see you to the door. Most days, I’m just Plumb tired. He smiled at his wit, but the students within hearing range went on reading. They had probably heard his joke a number of times.
So far Todd had Paris, London, and Florence as future destinations. Before he left each classroom he asked both teachers if Nathan had hung around with anyone consistently. They named one person who was easy for Todd to find since he was currently the Principal and had been so for the last twenty years.
CHAPTER FORTY
During his own schooling Todd had never visited the Principal’s office. He did at times mess around, but he never got caught. This time waiting his turn to see Principal Welder, he actually felt a little nervous as if he were going to be reprimanded for something.
Todd was in line. Two students before him had gone in, a boy first and then a girl. Each of them had come out with a smile. Had discipline changed since Todd went to school? Is punishment more fun now?
When it was Todd’s turn, his first view of Vernon Welder was that the man did not look like a fun guy. Matted down hair, big bushy eyebrows, and a most stern expression on that pock-marked face was what leaped out. Also he was seated in a wheel chair. Now that Todd thought about it, there were many ramps in the building.
Welder leaned over the desk to shake hands with Todd. “My secretary tells me that you’re asking about a former student here during the Dark Ages when he and I went here enshrouded in our gloom.”
“Yes, Nathan Brumfield. A couple teachers I just talked with told me you and Nathan were friends.”
“Friends is an interesting word. I did hang around with Nathan, but I don’t know if we were that close. Honestly, when I was in my first homeroom on the first day of school, I saw this kid sitting in the corner with no one talking to him. For the next week, the same thing occurred. He didn’t talk to anyone either. I think I felt sorry for the guy so I made it a point to talk with him. For the next four years we did talk here and there, but Nathan was an odd bird. I told him a lot of stuff about myself, but never did he reveal anything about his life. It was always a one-sided conversation. Sometimes I would call him up on weekends to do things together. He would agree, but he never called me. He was never nasty to me or violent, but I guess my final impression after we both had graduated is that he preferred to be alone, and I should never have felt sorry for him.”
“I’m looking for the guy at the moment, and even though for a time he was easily to find here in Chicago, now he seemed to have vanished. From even your limited association with him for those four years, did he express any preference of traveling anywhere?”
“I have seen the news reports detailing Nathan’s success. I was happy for his business prospering, but I didn’t think it was because of his winning personality. Like I said he didn’t share much of his personal thoughts, but there was one recurring emotion that came out of him from time to time. During our freshman year was when the Berlin Wall was built. Yes, I’m that old. One day Nathan commented on it to me that it was a terrible thing because it prevented those people from being free. He told me everyone should be free, no limitations. I was a little floored by this sudden philosophy coming out of him. However, possibly his freedom was achieved by keeping to himself. I would have called that isolation, but he might have thought it was being liberated.”
“I’m investigating crimes Nathan has committed. Possibly he changed and stopped being concerned about other people’s freedom.”
“What kind of crimes?”
“I’d rather not go into all that. Suffice it to s
ay they are serious crimes.”
“I guess a loner can become a genius and contribute much to society, but also become a criminal and destroy. To continue with my story, after we graduated I called Nathan a couple of times and we saw movies together. He stayed in character and never called me, that is, until 1989. That’s right, twenty-five years after we had graduated. He asked if I had seen the news that the Berlin Wall was being torn down. He was absolutely gleeful with emotion. It was difficult for me to tell if his emotion was because it would free the peoples of East and West Germany, or whether it was the destruction of something that had stood for a long time. He did repeat his mantra about everyone should be free. Then he hung up, and I haven’t heard from him since. I don’t know if he ever traveled to Berlin to see the wall itself, or if he went there to see it mostly gone. However, if you were searching for this guy, go to Berlin, sir, and walk up and down where the wall was. You might find Nathan there.”
“Berlin it could be,” Todd said. “Thank you for the information. I haven only one last question. While I was waiting on the bench in the main office to be able to see you, there were two students who were ahead of me. The expressions on their faces told me there was some kind of misbehaving reason they were having to see you. However, when each of them departed from your office, they had the biggest smiles on their faces. So far you haven’t told me a lot of jokes. You might have a sense of humor, but to me you seem like a pretty serious guy. What the heck were they smiling about?”
“I’ve been in this wheelchair only this last year. When the students come in to talk to me I don’t say anything about it. They might wonder, was I in an accident recently or been the victim of some kind of crippling disease? Obviously, though, they notice the wheelchair. During the course of our conversation I make every student aware of what they have done wrong and that I will not tolerate it in the future. Then, my last sentence always has something to do with the fact that perhaps each of them can turn out to be a good person. I say, Miracles can happen, and then I stand up and stride to the door to show them out, saying something like, Look, I can walk; it’s a miracle! That’s why they’re smiling when they leave. Then I tell them to not say anything about the trick. So far, the entire school year and now in summer school every student has been surprised. The misbehaving students and I are now in a private club of secrecy.”
Todd was smiling when he left the Principal’s office.
Back at his motel, Todd looked up more articles on Brumfield’s life, again concentrating on his background before he became a wealthy entrepreneur. He was surprised to learn that soon after high school he had spent a year in the Seminary. Tomorrow Todd would make a stop at St. John de la Cruz Seminary on Western Avenue to talk with a Father Garibaldi. Todd’s phone call today to the Seminary told him that Father Garibaldi was there during the time Brumfield was.
Todd hated wasting any more time here, but what if the Seminary part was where Nathan was now? Todd had already booked a flight to London for tomorrow evening to begin his search. None of the destinations seemed any more hopeful than any other so Todd was going to take the nearest first.
Again, sleep did not come quickly. He had checked back with Brumfield’s office and the Chicago police but there was no news.
Possibly Todd had become infected with the Calypso fanaticism for repetition because before he arrived at the Seminary he stopped a McDonald’s for breakfast. He half expected to see Lulu or Clem there, but they were of course many miles away.
The Seminary was one stucco building with four floors. The priest at the entrance showed Todd down the hall to Father Garibaldi’s room, saying, “Father Xavier is expecting you.”
The room was dark with a pinpoint of light coming from a shade not pulled all the way down. There was a couch and chair. In an alcove was a small desk. Todd was led down the hallway to the bedroom. There was a dim light by the bed with a gaunt-faced man lying in it. Unlike Principal Welder, Father Xavier was not going to immediately get up and walk away.
The eyes were closed, but Todd was assured by the other priest that Garibaldi was simply sleeping. The door was quietly closed but that woke Father Xavier. He looked alarmed. “Who are you? “Where am I? Am I a prisoner?”
“No, Father, you are safe here in Chicago at the Seminary. I’m Todd Henson, a policeman. I called you yesterday for an appointment.”
Oh, yes. These days I can’t remember anything. They should just put me in the ground. They keep me around only for exorcisms because I have a special relationship with the Devil. That’s a religious joke, son.” Apparently he had laughed too hard at his own joke because he went into a coughing fit. “Hand me a Kleenex, would you? Thanks. And then that glass of water. It’s terrible to be a cripple. Do you smoke, Son?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Well, seeing me should be enough of a deterrent. Look at how I look, and I’m only thirty. That’s another joke.” More coughing.
“I wanted to ask you about a person who was here years ago for only one year. Whoever answered the phone yesterday told me you were here the longest and have the best memory.”
“That person was lying. Lately, I can’t remember diddly. Who are you asking about?”
“Nathan Brumfield.”
Todd got the first smile from Father Xavier. “To remember him doesn’t take any kind of memory. Everyone remembers a tsunami. It was like someone sent a terrorist over here.”
“Why do you say that?”
“From day one, he questioned everything I said in class. Then he would come to my room at night and question more. I finally asked him what he was doing here if he didn’t believe at all. He said he was here to mock everything we stood for. He was serious. He was a good student and did the work and didn’t cause any real trouble, so we couldn’t kick him out, but every second he was here I wished he would leave. He finally did after a year.”
“Well, I’m looking to see if I can find him. Did he ever talk about any places in the world that he liked to be?”
“He said it didn’t matter where he was because the entire world was like being in Hell. When I asked him why he said that, his response was that deep down everyone was evil but they wouldn’t admit it to themselves. I asked him if he thought the people here at the Seminary were evil, and he said yes but they’re hiding it well. He was scary because he was so unrelenting in his attack on life. One time I got tired of his ranting and asked him why he didn’t just kill himself? Maybe I shouldn’t have said something like that, but he gave me one of his infrequent smiles and said that the only thing was pleasure and he was going to get plenty of it. It was such a relief to see him leave the Seminary.”
The priest was out of breath just recalling Brumfield.
“I can’t really think of any place Nathan said he liked to be except where he could get that pleasure he wanted. Oh, wait, just a couple years ago he phoned me. It was like getting a call from the devil. I asked him what he wanted. I heard him chuckle and then he said he wanted to tell me something that he was going someday over to Rome to see St. Peter’s Church. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I though possibly this was the greatest conversion since St. Paul got knocked off his horse. I asked him why he wanted to see St. Peter’s. He said so he could spit on the floor and desecrate it for all the lies that religion had spread throughout the world. The he gave me that evil laugh and hung up. I don’t know if he was seriously thinking of going over to Rome to do that, or he just wanted to give me one more jab in my gut. I don’t know why you want to find that man, but when you do keep your distance. He’s lethal.”
Todd was going to add Rome to his itinerary, although he was of the opinion that Nathan had called Father Xavier to put the knife in him one more time.
CHAPTER FORTY ONE
It was raining hard when Todd got to the airport. He saw on the Big Board that his flight to London had already been delayed an hour due to the weather. Not a good start, but he was determined that he would find Nathan and bring
Carrie home safely. Possibly she was already dead. Swell. Not good thinking. Apparently the day had infused its gloom into Todd’s pores.
The plane finally took off rising into the dark clouds with a good deal of buffeting. Everyone on board was quiet. Five minutes later the shaking stopped, but the clouds were still dark. Now everything blended in with the total darkness of night, which actually made it better for Todd. He stopped thinking about the dark clouds because everything was dark.
Going across the ocean, he watched three movies. They even had an old Jennifer Lawrence scary movie when she was just getting started as an actress. There were twists. The crazy sister was not crazy, the sensitive brother was a maniac, and mom came through in the end. It was not a gory movie but the kind where things leaped out of the shadows at you. It took Todd’s mind completely off the fact that they were all the way up there in the sky.
The rest of the flight was without incident, ending in a smooth landing with hardly a bump. He took a cab to the Tower of London area. Actually he hoped that Brumfield was not overly fascinated with the Tower. One of the more famous prisoners there was Anne Boleyn, Queen of England and wife to the notorious Henry VIII. Seemingly unjustly accused of treason, adultery, and incest, she was put to death in the Tower by means of beheading. Would Brumfield get so enthralled with the history and decide that it was not enough to imprison Carrie within his clutches, but also it was necessary to eventually kill her? Brumfield was not too different from Henry: both felt that they were free to do anything they wished—for instance Henry defying the Pope—and they both had trouble being satisfied with one woman.
Todd for most of the day hung around the ticket-buying area, but Nathan did not make his appearance. He stayed overnight and came back the next morning with the same result. That afternoon he took the Chunnel train to Paris. Total travel time was only a little over two hours with no problems on the way. Underwater engineering like this always amazed Todd who had trouble making a birdhouse in the only shop course he ever took.
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