America 1982-Chapter 498 - 94: For Justice_3
Page bit on his pipe and drove an old family sedan that was sixty percent new along the highway into this small town. With one hand on the wheel, his eyes observed the surroundings woodenly as he asked the other end of the phone, "Are you sure they live here? I don’t have much time; if I can’t find them, the time I have left is only enough to deal with you."
After receiving a positive response, Page parked the car in a residential area parking lot in the Northern District. He took out a badge of an honorary sheriff and pinned it at his waist before opening the car door to step out. Following the address provided over the phone, he walked towards a dilapidated old house with an unkempt lawn, stood in front of the door, and rang the bell twice, only to find the doorbell was broken, so he knocked on the door panel:
"Hello?"
A few seconds later, an old but alert voice sounded from inside, "Who’s out there?"
"Honorary Sheriff of Long Beach Police, Page Lohte, I would like to talk to you about the case of the murders of Brian Parker and Ginny Parker," Page replied proficiently, with the tone of a policeman making a house call.
At these words, silence fell inside. A few seconds later, the door opened, and a white-haired, stooped old man looked out at Page: "May I ask... is there news about the case involving my son and his family?"
Before Page could answer, the old man, as if fearing his hopes would be dashed, turned his head and shouted loudly, "Rachel, Rachel! It’s the police; there’s finally progress in Brian and the others’ case!"
Soon, an equally elderly woman, trembling with age, appeared in the living room, her cloudy eyes looking out at Page with disbelief and shock.
"I am sorry to say that regarding the case filed against the Miami City Council for the murders of Brian Parker and Ginny Parker by a felon who was out on vacation, there has been no progress," Page said, his voice devoid of emotion, extinguishing the small flame of hope in the old couple’s eyes.
The old couple had a son named Brian Parker, who died two years ago at the age of thirty-one. He worked as an umbrella salesman in Miami City and had a gentle wife named Ginny Parker, who also died two years ago, at the age of twenty-six. They were both killed during a home invasion by a convict who had been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a child but got a break due to the vacation program for serious offenders that Rosario Kennedy was pushing through the Miami City Council at that time, letting this man who should have been in the electric chair enjoy America’s humanitarian spirit towards criminals.
The man had the opportunity to leave prison on a recreational outing and unfortunately, Brian and his wife encountered him and became his targets, brutally murdered. Luckily, their son was on summer vacation at the time and was staying with his grandparents in Patrakar, narrowly escaping the same fate.
Although the criminal was apprehended and taken back to prison with two more life sentences added to his record, and the vacation program was swiftly canceled, Brian and his wife could not be brought back to life.
The grieving couple from Patrakar sued the Miami Council but to no avail. After submitting the lawsuit, there was little to no movement. The state court’s response was always that they were scheduling, and they didn’t have the money to hire a strong lawyer to push their case forward. They tried, reaching out to some top lawyers, saying if they received compensation, most of the money could go toward legal fees, with the rest being donated. They didn’t want money; they only wanted someone to pay for their son’s family’s death.
But no lawyers were interested. Some told them that the lawsuit had a very low chance of success as the city government had countless reasons for stalling, such as the council members who initiated the bill were elected by the people of Miami. If they sued the council, the members would say they were acting on behalf of the citizens, it was a decision made by all the people of Miami. If the state court found the council guilty, whether those members would be punished was unknown, but they certainly could stir up public opinion to attack the state judge, who would then forget about making a living in Florida for the rest of their lives.
When Page conveyed that he was not there to deliver progress from the state court, the old man’s expression changed. He sized up Page’s badge at his waist and his numb face: "What are you here for?"
"I’m here to inform you," Page took a puff from his pipe, his tone calm, "that if you want to sue a member of the House of Representatives, you might need to deliver the lawsuit personally to the Supreme Court in Washington. But I guess you probably don’t have the travel funds to go to Washington."
"Are you here to mock us? What do you mean?" the old woman joined her husband’s side, holding his shoulder, the two of them supporting each other, seeking strength from one another’s bodies.
"Mrs. Parker, you might not display any obvious characteristics, but if my information is correct, you should have some Jewish ancestry," Page observed the elderly woman as he removed his pipe from his mouth.
The old woman stared at Page, saying impatiently, "Is America going to massacre the Jews now? Are you going to take me to a concentration camp?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
"No, on the contrary. May I come in and you help me with a cup of coffee as I explain slowly?" Page gestured with his pipe towards the coffee pot inside the living room, speaking to the couple, "Otherwise, I’ll leave now, and you’ll continue standing in this little town, helplessly watching the murderer of your son board a plane to Washington, rising to become a member of the House of Representatives."
