Gone in a Flash: Day 36

[S] This is fiction (36,920 / 1,000,000)

A column from a local Chicago newspaper, The Daily Tribune:

Local Man’s Disappearance Sets Neighborhood Astir

 HYDE PARK, July 17 2022 – Authorities have closed down an area of the historic Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago last night (July 16), after the disappearance of local resident Jeremiah Hayward. Most missing persons reports are not newsworthy events, statistics show that most are resolved in the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours. However, the circumstances of this disappearance have the whole neighborhood in a tizzy. Late Saturday evening, Chicago PD dispatch received multiple, near-simultaneous calls reporting some kind of commotion. Callers describe hearing a series of extremely loud noises, accompanied by flashing lights with enough intensity to rouse them from their sleep. Editor’s Note: after studying county plans, The Tribune’s experts confirm that many of the residents who reported seeing lights had no direct line of sight to Mr. Hayward’s home.

 The neighbors are not the only ones left scratching their heads, as authorities struggle to piece together Mr. Hayward’s disappearance. The following is the background of the story as The Tribune was able to gather so far:

Mr. Hayward is a friendly and well-liked Hyde Park resident who teaches at the nearby University of Chicago, and neighbors report seeing him walk to and from the campus on a regular basis. One neighbor, an elderly woman named Elizabeth Christie, has a home directly across the alley from Mr. Hayward, and as such had the best vantage point to observe the evening’s events. On the night of the disappearance, Mrs. Christie reported seeing Mr. Hayward return to his home at precisely 7pm. Mrs. Christie is confident of this time because she had just sat down to watch her favorite television program Antiques Roadshow. It was at this time she spotted Mr. Hayward through her living room window, entering his home. Camera footage from nearby doorbell cameras confirms Mrs. Christie’s testimony.

There is little else to report for many hours. Neighbors confirm that the night was like any other, if even a little more quiet than usual. It isn’t until close to midnight that the commotion occurs. It is at that time that multiple residents nearby to Mr. Hayward’s home report being awoken by loud noises and bright lights. One of our reporters interviewed Mrs. Christie in her home, as she was the closest to the scene – below is her unedited testimony.

Tribune Reporter: “Can you please tell me what happened that night? What woke you up?”

Christie: “Yes, oh yes, I’ll tell you. The- the damn lights are what woke me up first.”

Tribune Reporter: “So the lights came first, can you describe them?”

Christie: [makes a face] “They were lights! Flashing and dancing so bright I could see them through my eyelids. So bright I could see them in my damn sleep! That man had to have been up to no good, I always thought that Jim was too chipper… probably cooking up some crystal heroin or whatever. I saw on TV that… [unintelligible muttering].”

Tribune Reporter: “So you were awoken by the flashing lights, but then you reported hearing noises. Can you please describe those for me as well?”

Christie: “Yes it was banging and clanging like you’d never believe. One time, I was watching my grandson Oscar - he’s cute as a button and smart as a whip. But anyways I was watching my grandson-“

Tribune Reporter: “Mrs. Christie can you tell us about the banging you heard coming from Mr. Hayward’s-“

Christie: “Dammit that’s what I’m doing, don’t interrupt your elders. Anyway, I was watching my grandson Oscar, he was maybe three or four years old at the time – oh how I miss those years. Well, I was busy folding clothes in the living room while I was watching The Wheel of Fortune, and the little rascal found his way into my pots and pans. You would not believe how much of a ruckus a toddler with some pots and pans can make. That is what it sounded like coming from Jim’s house, a toddler with some pots and pans – or maybe an elephant with some pots and pans!”

Tribune Reporter: “Thank you for that, Mrs. Christie. Can you tell us about how long the commotion lasted?”

Christie: “It was over before it began! The damned thing was there and then – poof – it was gone. Just long enough to wake me up, and a woman my age needs her beauty sleep.”

Tribune Reporter: “And during that time, you looked around to see what was going on?”

Christie: “What, do I look stupid to you? I’m a city girl, born and raised, I know to put my head down when I hear a commotion.”

Tribune Reporter: “But you had to look around eventually, maybe once the commotion passed? Did you see Mr. Hayward at any point?”

Christie: [nods] “I peeked around after a bit, and I saw other homes with their lights on, and people looking out their windows, too. But I didn’t see Mr. Hayward anywhere.”

Tribune Reporter: “Yes, other residents report the same thing. They didn’t see Mr. Hayward leave, but he can’t be found. Do you have an idea where he could have gone?

Christie: “No, I don’t know where the man went. I didn’t see him leave.”

The police arrived at the scene soon after, and began looking into the matter. The Tribune’s contact in the police department has refused to comment about the incident, citing an ongoing investigation. We at the Tribune are wondering what happened in the modest home of the associate professor Mr. Hayward, and how the man simply… disappeared. Keep reading The Daily Tribune to keep up to date on this story as it unfolds.