‘It was at the request of the State Senator. He remembered you after you uncovered the assassination plot on the President. He hasn’t heard about your mishaps since, but I wasn’t going to be the one to tell him.’
‘Isn’t this a case for the FBI, sir? If it’s a national case…’ Darnell probed.
‘Do you want this case or not?’
‘Well, what does it involve?’
‘I will tell you but first you need to sign this.’
Out of his briefcase, Hill took out a form, which had Non-Disclosure Agreement stamped across the top. The contract was titled Project Oak Ridge; enclosed was a list of people who had signed it and thus with whom the case could be discussed. There were only a handful of names on the sheet, with only his manager’s name which he recognised. Darnell took a pen and signed the bottom of the page.
‘Right, well now the admin is over, let’s get into the detail of the case. Basically there was a break-in at Oak Ridge Cemetery in the early hours of the morning. A body was exhumed and has been missing since.’
Darnell wrote notes on his pad as he took in the detail, but stopped as soon as he considered the thought of a rotting corpse being removed from its grave. He shivered.
‘That’s fine, sir, albeit an unusual case, but why is this case top secret? And why is the State Senator involved?’
‘Because it is the identity of the body which brings us the real problem. It could cause a national outcry if this gets out.’ Hill took a deep breath before revealing more to his colleague. ‘The body which is missing belongs to Abraham Lincoln.’
Chapter 2
Darnell Jackson had visited Oak Ridge Cemetery numerous times in his lifetime. As a child, his school had brought him to the site on educational trips as they followed the story of Abraham Lincoln. Springfield, Illinois was a diamond for American history as Lincoln’s former home, state office and law office all resided in the state capital. A museum, biographical trails and actors all told the story of the man who was generally seen as one of the greatest presidents that the United States had ever seen.
On a more personal level, Darnell had brought his own family to the site, but his reasons for ensuring that his offspring knew of Lincoln’s story went far beyond the educational benefits which his biography carried. He had a far deeper relationship with the former president than most people knew about, instilled in him from his great-grandfather whose grandparents had been slaves. His grandfather three times removed, Abram, was killed in the civil War, fighting for the civil rights of his family and descendants. His wife, Sojourner, was left pregnant, but she was widowed a free woman as Lincoln led the Union army to victory.
Thanks to Lincoln, as well as other historic figures, Darnell’s whole family had enjoyed full free lives and he praised the former leader every day for his impact on their civil rights. The detective made it his life’s work to ensure that those surrounding him knew of the miracles that the former president performed. He had broken down barriers and opened the doors to equality which Darnell enjoyed today.
The grave itself was constructed of granite, with a rectangular base surmounted by an obelisk. A statue of Lincoln stood proudly before it. A circular concrete wall surrounded it, and spiral steps led down into an underground tomb where further headstones for the wider Lincoln family stood.
As he stood before the obelisk, Darnell was hit with the reality of what had occurred earlier that morning. He was joined by Vanessa Jamison who had recently been made detective despite only being in the force for four years. She had fast-tracked her career and jumped up the ladder faster than a monkey climbing a redwood. She was of average height, had dark red hair which flowed down to her shoulders and freckled youthful skin. A bright red polka-dot dress with a blue jacket was wrapped around her curvy figure and showed off her ghostly white legs. Red lipstick was applied further than her lip-line and her fake eyelashes curled up towards her eyebrows.
Darnell shook his head as he was introduced to the woman whom he’d been paired with on the case, wondering how this dolly bird, twenty years his junior without any prior police experience, could possibly offer any useful support to finding their former leader’s body.
‘How did you end up on the case?’ Darnell asked, trying to sound interested rather than judgemental.
‘My dad works in the White House and knows President Obama,’ she replied. She lifted out her bag and glanced into her pocket-mirror, rubbing the lipstick off her teeth. ‘How about you?’
‘I once saved the President’s life. Money and connections won’t get you everywhere in this life, Vanessa,’ Darnell sneered.
‘Well no, but my degree in American history, my Masters in criminal psychology and my PD in the American Civil War might just come in handy,’ Vanessa replied with a smug smile. ‘What is it you bring?’
‘Well first of all, thirty years of experience. The CCTV doesn’t show anything suspicious, which indicates that whoever did this knew the park and where the cameras were. I want the two gentlemen on security that night grilled and background checks on all security past and present.’
‘How far do you want to go back?’ Vanessa quizzed. ‘It was built in 1855. Three quarters of their former employees won’t even be alive anymore.’
‘Well how long do you think we’ve had security cameras for? That might help. Honestly all you young people today, you might have your degrees but you have little sense. That comes with experience.’
‘I might not have your experience, Detective Jackson, but I hoped I’d bring some fresh blood and ideas to the
