The Usual Suspects Ch. 03

Today there was a ton of free cupcakes for visitors. Timmy Austin, who with Davie Marsdon had shown Rudistan the secret passage into First Baptist Church, had already sampled a couple of the cupcakes. Susie Haskins had, more politely, eaten only one... so far.

The room itself was very large. Velvet ropes were sealing off the walls, keeping people towards the middle, and the tables that were set up. In the very back, near where the restrooms were, three tables were set up slightly angled, as if they were three sides of an octagon. That got my curiosity up, though I didn't know why.

Just past the hallway on the left, facing the main room on the wall, was the portrait of the person for whom the Community Center had been named. It was a photograph of Mrs. Veasley in her wheelchair, and had been morphed into what looked like an oil painting, the wheelchair becoming a regular chair, and a blanket over Mrs. Veasley's legs, her octagonal glasses and relatively short haircut also a part of the picture.

Cindy and Dr. Eckhart were looking at the portrait and the plaque beneath it, and Cindy was feeling some emotion as she and Dr. Eckhart remembered Mrs. Veasley.

"I'll always remember how she called me 'Child', as if it was my name." Cindy said. Eckhart chuckled.

"She called many of our young people at The Vision that." he said. "It meant she liked that person, and I know she had tremendous love and respect for you, my dear."

Susie Haskins came up. "Officer Ross, can I get a picture of you with Mrs. Veasley's portrait?" the little girl asked.

"Sure." said Cindy, stepping over the cordon.

"Why don't I take one you with Captain Ross." said Eckhart. "Mrs. Veasley thought a great deal of you, young Susie."

Susie was speechless as she recognized the famous leader of 'The Vision' self-help group. "Doc... Doctor Eckhart? You're here? But you're famous!" Eckhart laughed heartily at that.

"Yes, my young friend, I am." said Eckhart. "And Mrs. Veasley was a very good friend of mine, as she was a friend of yours."

"Is Dr. Eckhart your friend too, Officer--- I mean Captain Ross?" Susie asked breathlessly.

"I daresay." Cindy said, smiling. "He's my father." Susie's eyes widened like saucers, but Cindy's words had greater effect on Dr. Eckhart himself.

Photos were taken, one of Cindy and Susie on either side of the portrait of Mrs. Veasley, then with Dr. Eckhart, who then graciously allowed his picture to be taken with the portrait and other Senior Citizens. The picture of Cindy and Susie would make the weekend newspaper, the Town & County Examiner. A copy of that picture, in full color would find its way into Susie's possession, and would remain a treasured possession of Susie's for the rest of her life.

Meanwhile, to the left side of the building as one walked in, I noticed a collage of photos on one wall, surrounding one of my 'Crowbar Crew' medals in a frame. The photos showed various Senior Citizens, and included the awarding of those medals the previous summer.

"Mrs. Boddiker, is this your medal?" I asked as Mrs. Boddiker came up to me.

"Why yes it is, Commander." said Mrs. Boddiker. "I have been privileged to be able to help your Police Force on occasion, and I do not need this for myself. So I have asked for it to be shared with all of our citizens."

"That is very kind of you, Mrs. Boddiker." I said. A photograph of me and Mrs. Boddiker with the framed medal would also make the newspaper.

And last, but not least, I saw why the tables in back were arranged as they were. Several old men were setting up chessboards, including old Mr. Davis and Fire Chief Emeritus Gillem.

"Commander," said Chief Griswold loudly, "you have been challenged." Everyone got sort of quiet.

"I can hardly resist that." I said. "Choose your color, gentlemen, and let's get started."

So I played simultaneous chess with all six players. Everyone watched with great interest as I would go from board to board, watch each player make his move, then I'd make mine and move to the next board. Some of the players were not all that good, though they likely would've destroyed me in checkers, and I fairly soon had four wins, including over Chief Gillem.

Old Mr. Davis, however, was a tough player. "I learned how to play chess in Europe, during the war." he told me as we played. "They're pretty good over there."

"And you're pretty good over here." I replied. Soon the game was dead even, and I offered Mr. Davis a draw. He accepted, and we shook hands. The last game also ended in a draw, though I was doing slightly better.

While this was going on, Timmy Austin had come over to watch, and he was totally fascinated. "Mr. Crowbar, will you teach me how to play chess?" he asked.

"I will!" said Chief Gillem. "You come here on Saturdays, and we'll teach you how to play chess, okay?"

"Better take him up on that." I told Timmy.

Timmy Austin would take him up on that. Timmy would learn chess, and learn it well. And Timmy Austin would improve. Timmy would study chess with a driving, relentless passion. And two decades later, while Davie Marsdon's military career was taking off, Timmy's chess career would reach its pinnacle... he would become an International Grandmaster.

After a couple of hours, the party died down, and I was able to gracefully exit. As I did, I thought about how Dr. Eckhart had set things up as a Charitable Trust, with me and Cindy as Trustees. The State and Federal Constitutions required that 'just compensation' be made for any property taken by eminent domain. And it was a quirk of State Law that properties in Charitable Trusts were deemed to be of 'inestimable value'. That meant that 'just compensation' would be 'infinite', and therefore unable to be paid, ever.

Thomas P. Cook had been forever stymied with regard to this property. Now if only defeating the other Usual Suspects were as easy...

Finis.