Discalimer is that I don't own them, just borrowed them....this takes place during season three before Parker meets Thomas Gates. . . . .yet it came about because of a revelation in the episode "Until death" so if you have not seen the episode you may not want to read it...feedback is appreciated but not necessary and for those of you who don't like Thomas you are not alone but this story needed to be written. . . .PG Thanks to Niceole for proofing and reading this . . . .




The House That Jarod Built
1/?
by Trish






The sun was bright and the sky was dotted with fat little clouds that looked like cotton balls glued to blue construction paper. The blaring of siren sounds destroyed the calmness of the peaceful afternoon. A tall, lean man watched the arrival of the rescue squad at the old house across the street. Edging his way closer to emergency crew, he heard one of them call into his microphone that a young man was seriously hurt from a fall off the construction scaffolding. A fall that should never have happened he heard another yell.

"Can I help?" the man asked the woman dress in EMT blues," I have some medical training."

"Guess we can use the help. The kid's hysterical, not that I blame him. He tumbled six feet down. Claims that he can't feel his legs, but he won't let us collar him. Maybe you can talk to him, calm him down for us."

"I'll give it a try," the man approached the accident scene, and knelt next to the young man, smiling. Hell, he was more boy than man, "Hi, name's Jarod, yours?"

" Col. . .Cole," the boy winced," I just want to go home. This wasn't supposed to happen."

"What happen, Cole?" Jarod asked.

"The planking broke, it just split, and the hand rail wasn't in locked in place. Don't know why. It was. . . earlier. I remember checking to make sure it was secure this morning. Next thing I remember is hearing a cracking noise. I grabbed for the hand rail but it swung loose and down I . . . ." he winces in pain. . ."go. I can't feel my legs, Jarod. . . and my back's on fire. Tell me it'll be okay, tell me," his fingers wrapped tightly around Jarod's.

"Then let's get you collared and transported to the hospital, Cole. You need to be looked at by a doctor," the man's dark eyes filling with concern.

"Will you stay with me, until my older brother arrives, please?" his green eyes brimming with tears.

"Of course I'll stay?"

Jarod heard the screech of tires, the slamming of a door, and the heavy crunch of boots on the pavement. Looking up, he saw a tall, blonde-haired man exit a red pickup truck, his face set angrily.

"Braydon, what the hell happen?" the voice was full of anger, demanding answers as he made his way toward the young man that lay on the ground, "Damn it! Cole, are you all right? Alex is on his way. Just hang in there you hear me, or your brother is going to kill me."

"Thomas, the planking gave way and the handrail wasn't locked in, but I know it was. I checked it myself," the young man looked at the other man, as one of the EMTs secured a neck collar around Cole.

"We need to transport, soon. Which one of you is going with us?"

"Jarod, you promised."

"Sure, Cole, unless you want . . .was it Thomas?"

"Thomas Gates," the man stuck out his hand, which was accepted by the other man, wholeheartedly. "No, I'll wait for Alex, is that okay Cole? Where are you taking him?"

"County General," the woman replied as her and her partner lifted the gurney and began to head toward the ambulance. The dark haired man stood and watched the start of a very heated exchange between two men until the EMT informed him that it was time to transport.

"Braydon!" the younger man yelled, angrily.

"I'm right here, Gates. What the hell do you want?"

"Another accident, Braydon. I want to see the planking on that scaffolding. And what was wrong with the handrail?"

"Who the hell do you think you are, OSHA?! Get the hell off my job site!"

"Maybe this time, they'll shut you down, you son-of-a -" his tirade broken off with the arrival of an older version of Cole.

"Thomas, where's Cole?"

"On his way to County General," looking back at the man that stood on the porch of the old house, anger in his eyes. "This isn't finished, Braydon. If I have to file a million complaints against you, I will. Come on Alex, let's go."

Thomas and his companion entered the hospital waiting room, glancing around the many faces, his eyes finally settling on the dark-haired man in the beige shirt. His hands were clasped together and his fingers were steepled across his pursed lips, as though deep in thought.

"Jarod, right? Sorry I didn't catch your last name?" The voice had lost the edge that he had heard earlier.

"Just Jarod, Mr. Gates." Jarod stood, looking the man in the eyes.

"Thomas, then. This is Alex," a smile formed as he indicated the man at his right.

"Yes, Cole told me all about you on the ride here." Jarod smiled, and
took the hand that was offered, giving a firm handshake.

"How is he?" the man asked, concern written on his face.

"They won't tell me anything, since I'm not family but now that you're here…" Jarod looked past the other men's heads and saw the doctor advancing toward them. "Here comes the doctor now."

The other two men turned and watched as an older man, made his way through the crowded waiting room to where the three men stood.




Feedback please : Ractrish@aol.com

Disclaimer is in part one and there is some spoiler warnings to heed. . .this takes place in the third season but was inspired by the episode entitled "Until Death do Us Part"




The House That Jarod Built
2/?
by Trish





The news that the doctor gave the two men was devastating. Jarod watched the facial features of the men, and knew. Hell, he had known the minute Cole told him that his back was on fire and that he couldn't feel his legs. Jarod had hoped that he had been wrong but he didn't have to pretend this time. According to Cole's brother, it was Braydon's fault, yet proving it would be difficult. Braydon had connections and deep pockets.

Watching as Thomas and Alex made their way to the trauma room Cole was in, temporarily. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, letting them return to the events of that afternoon. The heated argument that had started between Thomas Gates and the man, Braydon-"Another accident...Shut you down" echoed in his brain. Heading out of the exit, a plan formulating in his mind, he was oblivious to someone calling out his name. That is until he felt the touch of a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Jarod!" The hand and voice were that of Thomas Gates. "Where are you going? I must have called you three times. The why you lit out, it’s like you are a man on a mission?"

"You could say that," Jarod said matter-of-factly.

"Look, I want to say thanks, so does Alex. Can I buy you dinner?" The man smiled and headed for his truck. "Alex is spending the night with Cole and I hate eating alone. I'll stop by in the morning, and then pay Braydon another visit. I need to look at that planking and the handrail. My guess is the wood was full of dry rot."

"And the handrail unlocking?" Jarod asked cautiously, not wanting to seem overly concerned.

"Any number of reasons..." Thomas trailed off as they reached his truck. He unlocked the door for his passenger and made his way to the driver's side. "Pizza?"

"You don't like him, do you?"

"Who?"

"Braydon"

"Is it that obvious? He's a careless and greedy sob. I didn't want Cole to work for him, but I can only hire so many workers. . .jobs are awarded according to bid."

"You're Braydon's competition?"

"I try," Thomas laughed, "but I don't take on a project unless the house speaks to me."

"Speaks to you?" Jarod asked, a confused look on his face.

"Restoring old homes----that's my business, actually it's my life. So when I walk through a house, it has to speak to me. I need to feel a sense of love in it before I'll even consider working on it. Anyone can go in and gut a house, then rebuild, but to really fix it one has to love every knot, every two by four and restore it to what it was. Listen to me, I must sound like an idiot."

"No, actually I find this quite fascinating," Jarod leaned back in the seat, and listened to Thomas talk about carpentry and life in general.




Feedback please : Ractrish@aol.com

Disclaimer is that I don't own the characters and needed to write this story. . . .
feedback is always welcome. . . . . . .






The House That Jarod Built
3/?
by Trish






They drove for about thirty minutes and then Thomas pulled the truck into the parking lot of Rosa de Pizza's Resturant. The two men alighted from the truck and headed for the resturant. They were greeted by a short gray-haired woman, wearing a tomato stained apron.

"Tomaso, it's a good to see you, my boy," she placed her gnarled hands on his cheeks and squeezed, a big, bright smile on her face,"Who's this, Tomaso?'

"A friend, Rosa. He helped Cole this afternoon."

"How is the young bambino and Alessandro?"

"It's not good, Rosa, not good. Jarod did the best he could just keeping Cole calm until Alex showed up."

"Giavonni, you are a good boy. You do your momma proud," she took hold of Jarod's chin with her pointer finger and thumb," Come, sit, and Antonio will make you a pizza pie you won't forget."

She led them to a small table hidden by a three foot brick wall covered with ivy and wicker-covered wine bottles with half burnt candles whose multi-colored wax had hardened down the side of the necks of the bottles. Rosa returned with a tray upon which sat two tall glasses of water with a twist of lemon as well as some homemade breadsticks, fresh out of the oven, tendrils of stream wafting upward.

"Thank you, Rosa," Thomas said, a smile as well as a tinkle in his blue eyes, the woman left the two alone with a promise to return with their dinner the minute Antonio took it out of the oven.

"So Jarod what brought you here to this small berg of a town?" Thomas asked, taking a sip of his water, watching the man across the table from him.

"Orginally, I was just passing through but after what happened today, I think that I might stick around awhile. From listening to you and Alex at the hospital, Cole's accident should never have happened. One of the other workers at the house said the same thing to the EMT. Any idea as to why it did?"

"Sure, Braydon's a careless contractor. Ten to one that planking was old and ready to be used for braces and such in setting up wall pans for foundation walls. He probably repainted it so that it would pass inspection. I have no clue as to why the handrail unlatched, unless. . ." his convesation suddenly cut short by the arrival of the man himself. Jarod turned slightly in his seat to catch sight of the man that caused so much anger in the man that was seated across from him.

'He's very full of himself, isn't he," Jarod said, turning back to face his dinner companion," Think that he's hiring?"

"Jarod, do you even know anything about constuction?"

"Hammer and nails, what else is there to know?" he smiled," Believe me, I'm a fast learner, once I set my mind to something. Anyway, I don't think that Braydon is going to allow you on his job site after today's near brawl."

"That's true, he knows that I want to put him out of business. He's a cheat and a liar. I've had to redo some of his so called restorations. Uses the less expensive woods and inferior materials, yet charges for the more expensive. And the accidents that have occurred on his job sites, too numerous to recount. I just wish that it didn't take a friend's legs to make me want to really see justice done. Now if you could only get Cole to accept what happen to him."

"In time perhaps, we can. If you don't like Braydon, why do you stay here?"

"Have you seen some of these older homes here, Jarod? No, of course not, you just arrived here. If you can show me a house in another town with potential, I'm out of here, but for now the work is here. "

"Thomas, my friend, be careful for what you ask. I may just surprise you with a home that not only has potential but needs you badly," he laughed, as a certain house popped in to his mind. The conversation was interrupted by Rosa, who had arrived carrying a steaming hot pan with the most mouth watering pizza seen on the face of the earth.

"Ummmm! Rosa, this looks absolutely delicious," Jarod said as he eyed the creation appreciatively.

"Giovanni, you know a good thing when you see it, don't you," she replied.

"I try Rosa, I try."

The two men devoured their dinner in record time, Jarod eating more of the pizza than Thomas. Rosa and her husband, Antonio beaming at the young man's ravaneous appetite.

"Is there a hotel around here? I need to get a room, if I'm sticking around for a while," Jarod quiered.

"Hotel, no way, my friend. Look it's not much but I have a spare room at the house that I'm restoring. I would enjoy the company and since you have decided to help me with Braydon, it's the least I can do. What do you say, Jarod? " the man's words were so sincere that Jarod could not refuse him, even if he wanted too.

"Deal," he extended his hand, which Thomas accepted with his. After paying the bill for the pizza, the two headed out to the truck and made their way through the winding streets of an older neighborhood. In the twilight sky, Jarod noticed the similarities of the neighborhood to that of a small town called Blue Cove. Pulling the truck into the drive, Thomas cut the engine, and checked to make sure the gangboxes on his truck were locked, meanwhile Jarod grabbed his duffel bag and metal case from behind his seat.

"That's it?" Thomas cocked an eyebrow at the baggage.

"Free spirit. I go where the wind takes me. I have no one to answer too."

"No family either, Jarod."

"We lost touch, unintentionally. You?"

"I lost my parents in an accident, while in college. Just been me, myself and I. Haven't had a real home in a long time. Guess I haven't found a place that feels like home to me, not yet anyway."

"Would you know it if you did?"

"I hope so, Jarod. It's a lonely existence moving from place to place. Alone, it's not a good feeling," he singled out a specific key and unlocked the door to the house. They entered a darkened hallway, and Thomas reached along the wall and flicked the light switch.

"There isn't really a bed in here," Thomas said, as he led Jarod down the hallway," It's a futon. I buy what I need when I need it and then donate it to the local charities in town."

"That's fine. I've slept on worse, believe me." Jarod took his duffel bag and placed it on the floor, as his eyes scanned the room," I really appreciate this. I just hope that I'm not inconviencing you."

"Not a chance. I can't explain it but there's something about you that . . . ."

"That what?" Jarod inquired.

"Honest. . . .it's written all over your face. I should now after working in NYC, its nice to meet someone that's looking out for others and not just themselves."

"You see all that from just looking at my face," Jarod raised an eyebrow.

"Stupid, I know, but. . . " Thomas glanced at his watch," Man, I didn't realize it was so late. I have the crew coming at 7 in the morning. I hope you don't mind but there is a deadline for completing these renovations and it's got a rather hefty bonus attached to it. Some of the men could use the extra money."

"Don't sweat it? I'm usually up with the sun. I have some things to do tomorrow anyway. Good night, Thomas," Jarod extended a hand.

"Good night, Jarod."

Closing the door behind the retreating figure of Thomas Gates, Jarod returned to where he left his duffel bag and extracted his silver case. He set in up on the futon that was located in the center of the room and quickly accessed the database regarding construction and renovations of older homes. After reading through a couple dozen websites, he came to the conclusion that whatever happened this afternoon at the jobsite wasn't an accident. The next site that Jarod visited had nothing to do with the construction end of the business but contained some background information on all the persons involved. The more he discovered, the more he liked Thomas Gates and his friends and the less he liked about Peter Braydon.

"Hey, boss," the man yelled in the front door," there's someone here to see you. Says that the union sent him. He's here to take the kid's place."

The man that Jarod had seen arguing yesterday with Thomas emerged from the interior of the house covered in white dust, a rather annoyed expression across his face.

"It's about time! Got your card," he reached out a hand and accepted the card that was handed to him,"Jarod Taylor."

"That's me, Mr. Braydon."

"Matt, show Taylor here what to do? I need that siding off before nightfall and the kid's accident yesterday threw us off schedule."




Feedback please : Ractrish@aol.com

Disclaimer is that I don't own the characters and needed to write this story. . . .
feedback is always welcome. . . . . . .






The House That Jarod Built
4/?
by Trish







Matt led Jarod over to the scaffolding that had held Cole a little over eighteen hours ago, explaining as they walked that the asbestos siding had to be removed, so that the original brick facing could be cleaned and restored. They began to climb the iron scaffolding like two monkeys and the minute his hands touched the planking, he could feel the softness. Dry-rot, his hands told his brain. Yet there was another smell that permeated the house. Neglect. Jarod scanned the exterior of the house as Matt continued to rattle on about the carelessness of young Cole. The walls appeared abnormally high. The orginal facing was dark red brick; almost chestnut in color, the roof was slate grey tiles. The windows were oak in someplaces but others had been replaced with metal, which had been painted white but had yellowed, cracked and peeled with time. The chimney was original, high, and wide with intricate brickwork, yet something struck him as odd. The roof where the chimney was situated had an irregular pitch at one end.

Later, when the rest of the crew was at lunch, he would inspect the rest of the house. There were more than renovations going on in this place, his brain told him. A trip to the local library might be in order, that is if Thomas didn't know the history of the place. Jarod had a feeling that Thomas could not only fill him in but that he was a untapped fountain of information.

****

The crew broke for lunch around 12:30, but Jarod declined to join them, offering the excuse that he wanted to complete the task given to him, knowing that they were on a deadline. Braydon snorted at Jarod's dedication and left with the rest of the crew. Prying the remaining few tiles of asbsetos from around the window frame, Jarod waited till the trucks were completely out of sight. He bent down and ran a hand along the wood, he realized that this was not the same piece from yesterday, but it to was ready to splinter. Climbing down from the yellow scaffolding, he made his way to the back of the house, there in the corner of the yard was the dumpster that housed all the scrape that was being removed and piled next to it was a pile of wooden planks. He immediately spotted the dark brown plank that had lain next to Cole's body yesterday. Taking a small metal tool from his pocket, Jarod quickly twisted it into the wood and removed a core sample of the wood. Placing the tubular piece of wood into a plastic bag, he headed into the house, slipping the bag into his tool pouch.

He entered the foyer, taking note of the room to the left, living room and across from that a very spacious and elegant dining room, both in the final stages of being completed. The kitchen which was located at the back of the house had been completed, and it was there that Braydon had set up his office. A small file cabinet, the phone and the computer sat on the metal table which was covered with blueprints, invoices, and some rather cryptic notes.

A narrow doorway led to the dining room, and he made his way through it, inspecting the workmanship. The wood trim was supposedly golden oak, but on closer inspection it was a cheaper pine, stained to give the appearance of the expensive wood. The main focal point of the room, a mahogny brick fireplace, was located on the right wall. The mantle above was supposedly made of golden oak inlaid with inch thick white and black marble. Unfortunately time was not something he had a lot of at the moment, and inspecting everything was not of the utmost importance. Finding out why Cole fell was.

Heading back to the main foyer, Jarod took the stairs that would lead to the upstairs. Entering the small landing, he found three bedrooms, one of which was untouched. It had a dormer window, which faced south, the wallpaper was stained from the damp; the ceiling was flaking; the window sills were rotten. The heaters leaked, and the limestone coated the values. A narrow flight of steps lead up to the attic from inside the room, he found the doorlatch new and locked, yet a draft could be felt coming from around the seams of the door. The smell was even fresh. Jarod stood on the steps, noting that no light showed through, so at least the roof was sound. Why, he wondered, would there be a new lock on an old door?

At exactly 1:30, the crew returned from their lunch. Jarod had finished the job assigned him and he watched as the men piled out of the two trucks. The absence of Braydon didn't go unnoticed by Jarod, so when he asked Matt where the boss was, having his head nearly bitten off indicated either trouble or a problem. Instinct told Jarod that it was a little bit of both. Trouble that maybe what happened to Cole raised a few eyebrows. At dusk, the men called it a day and Jarod headed for his temporary home.

***

Walking in the front door, he found Thomas standing on the ladder in the living room, drywall gun in hand.

"Hey, Jarod, could you hand me that box of drywall screws?"

"The 1 5/8" or the 1 1/2," Jarod said as his hand hovered over the two boxes," Any news on Cole?"

"Black 1 5/8"," Thomas answered, as he reached down and took hold of the box, "Thanks. Yes, a Doctor Redmond called Alex, earlier this evening, I let him go to the hospital. The rest of the crew got to knock off early, most of them are still shaken up regarding Cole's accident. So, it's just me."

"Thomas, what can you tell me about the house that Braydon is renovating?"

"What the old Sutterfield place? How much time you got on your hands?"

"As much time as needed, why?"

"Give me a hand with this drywall and I'll tell you the history behind the house. Once you hear it, then you'll know why I wanted to work on it."

"Deal," Jarod said as he helped Thomas position the drywall in between
the two by four studs.



Feedback please : Ractrish@aol.com

Disclaime is in part 1 and spoilers in a sense. Thanks to Niceole and Paula for urging me to finish this . . . . .





The House That Jarod Built
5/?
by Trish







"So you want to know about the Sutterfield estate?" Thomas laughed," Now there's a story that tells itself. You know that the house that you are working on isn't the main house. 'Seawyn' is located further back on the estate, where it overlooks the river below from its ... foot cliff. The house, Braydon is restoring at the moment is called "Widow's Retreat". Charlotte Sutterfield moved into it after the death of her husband, Lucien in 1945."

" 1945, huh. Killed in action," Jarod replied as he held the piece of dry wall in place for Thomas who screwed it in place at the top. Handing the screwgun to Jarod, Thomas climbed down the ladder and continued on with his narrative.

" No, he was murdered. The murder was never solved but Charlotte always believed that it was his brother, Philip."

"Why?"

" No one knows, the murder remains unsolved to this day. The family still has strong ties to the community, in fact the doctor that has taking over care of Cole is Lucien's grandson, Dr. Lucas Redmond."

"So he's restoring the estate."

" Along with his sister, August," Thomas informed him, as started to put his tools away for the evening.

"That's why the name sounded so familiar. The Hilliard/Sutterfield stainglass window that's been missing for what, almost a decade?"

" Uh huh! Lucien had it specially made from a pattern that Charlotte designed. She wanted to replace the palladian leaded glass window that overlooked the grand staircase. She had a passion for roses, her design was of two yellow roses entwined. The window is supposedly remarkable and illuminated the staircase, it's a combination of leaded and stained glass, the technique of combining them was unheard of in those days, but Charlotte was adamant. It's been on the news and in the papers. Antiques dealers have been turning the country upside down trying to find it. Rumor has it that Braydon found it, but no ones seen it."

"That's why you wanted to restore the house."

"No, it's more than that, I felt the love within the house, the minute I walked into the carved oak entrance hall, even though the house has been unlived in. Lucien had the red-brick mansion built for Charlotte as a gift. It took three years to complete. The wood work alone cost $100,000, back then, to do that today it would cost over a million dollars. Black walnut, cherry, and oak, it's a carpenter's dream. The main house really is in excellent condition. Other than locating the stainglass window that Charlotte designed, restoring the black iron-wrought balastraude around the curved patico, replacing some roof tiles and the chimneys need to have their corbeled caps replaced and there are some stain-glass doors in the library that need to be repaired. Those show scenes from the Canterbury Tales. It's the house that you are working on that's in rough shape, after Charlotte died, the house had been unoocupied and neglected for over 10 years. Some of the brick on the back of the house was covered over by clapboard siding, and needs to be removed and the red-brick repaired. The arched dormer windows upstairs add to the elegance of the home and the decorative copper gutters make the home truely remarkable, but some of them need to be replaced and the woodwork restored. Did you get a chance to check out the formal dining room, with its gold le

ad ceiling medallions and there is a truely remarkable unique glass wall made of decorative steel and brass, it opens up and there are French windows that lead to a board patio and Charlotte's rose garden, it's a copy of the room from the main house. Craftsmanship at it's finest. You don't see that nowadays."

" I get the picture, Thomas," a chuckle escaped his smiling lips as he plugged in the cord of the shop vac, and quickly vacuumed the debris that covered the floor.

" You must think I'm an idiot. Talking about houses having feelings."

"No, I don't. I know someone that feels the same way, only . . . ." he stopped.

" Only what?" Thomas inquired.

"She refuses to acknowledge it. Her feelings, that is, regarding a cottage that played a rather special part in her childhood. She's rather hard to get to know."

"That's a shame, a house needs to feel that it's loved just as much as we do. If you every want me to try and convince her of that," Thomas said, only to be interrupted by the ringing of the phone.

Jarod watched as Thomas' expression changed, radically. He finished putting the power tools away and was in the process stacking the drywall in the corner of the room.

" That was Alex. He wants me to come to the hospital. He asked if you would come to. Cole has been asking for you."

"Sure," Jarod placed the last remaining piece of drywall in the pile as Thomas pulled his keys from his pocket.

****

They walked into the messy waiting area and found Alex alone, sipping a cup of coffee. Catching sight of the two, he placed the cup on the table that held outdated magazines and rose to greet them. It was the look on Alex's face that prompted Thomas to place a hand on his shoulder.

" What's wrong?"

"Everything," he said as he ran his fingers through his hair," Dr. Redmond wants to talk to me about Cole and his injury. I told him only when you arrived."

Thomas shook his head and walked back over to the ugly orange vinyl couch, taking a seat and waited as Alex joined him. Jarod found a spot and leaned against the beige colored wall. A man entered the waiting area, dressed in surgical scrubs. He was over six feet tall and had dark wavy hair and easy air about him.

" Lucas Redmond, Cole's doctor," he said as he extended his hand to Jarod, who imagined that most people liked him immediately and felt both comfortable around him and in awe of him.

" Jarod Taylor," he responded, as they shook hands.

" So, you're Jarod. Cole hasn't stopped talking about how you helped him." Turning to the two figures on the couch, the man extended a hand to the figure next to Alex. "Thomas, good to see you again. Sorry about you losing out on the contract but the Foundation decided to award it to Braydon. Man's an ass, if you ask me. I warned them, but. . . ." he smiled.

"It's business," Thomas said, releasing the hand.

" Now about Cole. The area is still swollen and he hasn't any movement below the injury since the fall."

" Lumbar or sacral? At the accident site, he complained about not being able to feel his legs as well as his back being on fire." The voice was that of Jarod's, who had moved away from the wall and stood next to Lucas.

"It's the sacral area, but like I said the area is still swollen," he was cut off mid-sentence.

" Bottom line, Lucas, is Cole going to walk or not?" Thomas asked, clearly fustrated at the situation," the emergency room doctor wasn't very optimistic."

"I prescribed a steroid to help reduce the swelling, it'll prevent any secondary injuries, as well."

"You prescribed methylprednisolone and once the swelling goes down, you'll put him on SygenAE to see if he'll regain some movement in his legs."

" You been reading my files, Jarod? the doctor grinned, yet a perplexed expression graced his finely chiseled features, briefly.

" No, just did some research, last night, and I happen to find an article in the Medical Journal written by . . . ."

"Me. You sure you aren't a doctor, Jarod?" and Lucas patted him on the back, the smile never leaving his face.

"Not today, construction's the name of the game," the pretender smiled back.

"Well if you don't mind me saying so, you missed your calling. Cole said that if it wasn't for you. . . ." Lucas shook his head.

"I'm just glad that Jarod was there when it happened." Alex said softly," I don't know that I ever thanked you. But the question still remains will Cole walk?"

"Look I can't make any guarentees on whether Cole will walk again or not. It's to early to tell and I'm sorry that I can't. Yet with therapy and support from his family, he'll make it. It's going to be tough and he's going to want to know why him. There's a wonderful rehabiliation centre in Connecticut. The Gaylord Centre has made spinal injury research its priority."

"And I'll bet it's expensive. Look Dr. Redmond, it's just my brother and I."

"Alex, don't worry about the expense. I already contacted my sister, August, she's going to make all the arrangements. Since Cole was hurt working on a Foundation project, it'll be taken care of. As well as making sure it's investigated throughly. That was one of the reasons that I didn't feel comfortable contracting with Braydon. His accident rate was too high, too damn high for my liking."

" You sure know a lot about the business, sure being a doctor is the right profession for you?" Thomas quipped to lighten the mood.

" I get my hands dirty, so to speak. I'm still going to work with the crew this weekend or is this you're way of saying that I've been replaced by Jarod."

" Wouldn't dream of it, Lucas." Thomas laughed," I just like watching Braydon's expression when you show up on my jobsite dressed in flannel, jeans, a tool belt strapped around your waist and a hammer in hand, instead of a scapel."

" Alex, I'll have August get you the information packet regarding Gaylord, tomorrow morning. After that we wait, and hope for the best."

"Thank you," Alex said," Thomas, Cole's been asking to see you. You also Jarod."

"You two go first, I'll be there momentarily."

The two men walked down the corridor and turned left and disappeared into a room. Jarod turned and looked the other man in the eyes.

" You gave Alex and Thomas a reason to hope."

"Hope is important, Jarod. Gives people a reason to go on. Once the swelling subsides, we will know more."

"If he doesn't regain movement once the swelling goes down, he won't walk."

"That's it, basically, no movement or feeling, then no, he won't walk."

"It should never have happened."

"Then why did it?" Lucas quiered.

"That's what I plan on finding out. Now I better get in there and see Cole. Nice talking to you, Dr. Redmond."

"Lucas, please






Feedback please : Ractrish@aol.com

Disclaime is in part 1 and spoilers in a sense. Thanks to Niceole and Paula for urging me to finish this . . . . .





The House That Jarod Built
6/?
by Trish







"Okay, Lucas," Jarod smiled and gripped the hand that the man had extended in front of him," Now I better get in there before they send a scouting party out to find me. Nice to met you, I just wish it were under different circumstances."

"I wish so, too. I will see you on Saturday, won't I?" Lucas returned the grin, and at that moment his pager beeped," You'll have to excuse me, ER needs me."

"Of course. Saturday," Jarod watched as the man turned and walked away, then he too headed in the direction of Cole's room. Stopping momentarily outside the door, Jarod heard raised voices and immediately made his presence known.

" What's the ruckus about gentlemen? You know that there are patients that are trying to recover."

" Cole's trying to get out of bed," Thomas replied, a pleading look for help flashing in his blue eyes.

"Cole, my man, that is not a good move. No pun intended," Jarod said as he pulled a chair closer to the young man," You need to allow the swelling around the spinal area time to go down. Let the meds that Lucas prescribed for you have a chance."

"But Jarod. . . ."

"No buts, Cole," Alex interrupts," Jarod's right. Give the medicine a chance."

"Fine," Cole replied, sullenly, then brightens slightly," Thomas says that you're working for Braydon, is that true?. Jarod nods. "Watch out for Matt, he's Braydon's eyes and ears on the job site when Braydon's not around.

"Good to know, now, I'll see you tomorrow, then," Jarod said as he gripped Cole's hand. Releasing the young man's hand, he turned and headed for the door, once outside, a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Jarod?" Thomas said softly.

"Thomas," Jarod turned and looked the carpenter in the eyes, a smile forming," I have some research to do at the local library and I liked to get there before it closes. I'll see you at the house later tonight."

" What are you up to Jarod? And how did you know about the treatment for Cole?"

"Told you, research. So if you'll excuse me, I have somemore to do. Oh, that reminds me, the analysis on that core sample I took should be back from the lab in a day or so."

"It isn't enough to prove that Braydon's guilty of negligence."

"True but it's a start, but I think that there's more than just negligence going on here, Thomas."

"Like what?" Thomas inquired.

"I'll fill you in later. I really need to get to the library."

"I'm holding you to that. If I can do anything to help convince the law that Braydon should be shut down, I'll do it. Hell, I read the signs that passed between you and Lucas, the chances of Cole walking again are slim, aren't they?"

" Very," Jarod mumured, his hand clapping Thomas on the shoulder," Now, I'm off to the library. Later."


Jarod walked the two blocks of Main and requested to use the research library to look up not only any other accidents on jobs run by Braydon Restoration but also the Sutterfield murder. The murder had been covered nationally for weeks The periodicals index offered a whole page and a half of citations, and so he went looking for the microfiche.Most of the articles were about the family and how there were no clues as to who would want Lucien dead. Jarod photocopied and reveiwed the murder articles. Then using "Sutterfield" and "Peter Braydon" as keywords, he went back twenty years before Lucien was killed and pulled up over a dozen references, all from the Evening Star.

The first article was about the engagement of Lucien Chauncey Sutterfield III to Miss Charlotte Valentine Hilliard, daughter of Edward V. Hilliard, member of the House of Commons in Great Britain and Gwyneth A. Pierce, an American. It stated that the couple met when Miss Hilliard accompanied her mother to the States in 1926, to be an attendent for Nyssa Talbot's wedding to Ransom A. Westcott IV. It further stated that Nyssa Talbot was Mrs. Hilliard goddaughter and that Lucien was best man for Ransom Westcott. The press stated that Lucien was in awe of the young English-American beauty and when it came time for her to return home, he accompanied mother and daughter back to England, where he asked her father for permission to wed the young woman. A spring wedding is being planned which will be held in London, where Miss Hilliard resides and Mr. Sutterfield has a business office as well as here in the States. The couple will reside in London until completion of the home that the Sutterfields are building back in the states. It made mention of a unique stainglass window for the main staircase as well as the stainglass windows in the library and the leaded glass doors in the dining room. All designed by the future Mrs. Sutterfield.

Another article announced the birth of a daughter, Brenna Catherine to Lucien and Charlotte Sutterfield in October of 1930 and that the Sutterfield/Hilliard window was being returned to its niche after being taken out for some minor repairs. As to what the repairs where were not stated but there was a picture of the window in front of the house before being installed above the staircase. The article also stated that Lucien had received the news while in New York in the company of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Mr. Sutterfield was one one of many that wanted the govenor of New York to accept the Presidental nomination and help but the United States back on the financial road to recovery as well as control the unrest that was brewing in Europe.

The article that caught Jarod's attention was the one dealing with Lucien's murder in January of 1945. In the article, Lucien had been found in his study, a blow to the head was noted as the cause of death. Mr. Phillip Sutterfield, Lucien's younger brother had been home since Christmas and he announced his engagement to Sarah N. Lindley, two nights before the murder. Unfortunately, Phillip was called back to his ship that same night and he received the news of his brother's untimely death on board the destroyer U.S.S. Norman F. Scott. Also noted was that Brenna Catherine's companion, eighteen year old Jane Ehren discovered the body. According to sources close to the family, Miss Ehren was in shock at the discovery and that fourteen year old Brenna and Miss Ehren would be traveling to Oswego to help Jewish refugees for a few months and would return at a later date. Mrs. Victoria Sutterfield, Brenna's grandmother, was chaparoning the girls.

In late July of 1945, Charlotte Sutterfield was notified by the War Department that Lt. J-G Phillip Morgan Sutterfield was killed in battle. He was survived by his mother Victoria Lynne Sutterfield, sister-in-law Charlotte, widow of Lucien and mother of his niece, Brenna Catherine. A memorial service was held at the family plot and Phillip's remains were laid to rest beside his father, Lucien II and baby brother who had died in infancy. It was noted that Mrs. Charlotte Sutterfield did not attend the service nor did his niece, who was still in Oswego. The speculation regarding Charlotte's refusal to attend is that she still believed that Phillip knew or was in someway responsible for her husband's death.

The final article that Jarod read that night, was of Miss Brenna Catherine Sutterfield returning home from her extended stay in Oswego with her mother. When it was noted that the young lady's companion, Miss Ehren, had failed to return, Mrs. Sutterfield replied that the young woman had recently married a young refugee man from Germany, Dr. Sevarin W. Wolf, a pediatrician. She also said that the couple would be returning to the area, at which time Dr. Wolf would take a position with the newly established Sutterfield Home for Children. Mrs. Sutterfield said that she saw the need for a place that would protect children left alone in the world.

The last eight articles Jarod photocopied and placed in the pile along with the rest of the articles. Glancing at the clock on the wall over the desk, he noted that there were fifteen minutes until closing time. He returned the microfishe to the library with his thanks and walked the two blocks back to the hospital in the hopes of talking to Lucas Redmond.

Having inquired at the desk, Jarod made his way to the fourth floor and found the office that he needed. A sharp rap on the door was followed by it being pulled open by the man that he needed to see.

"Jarod?" Lucas said, Can I help you with something?"

"We need to talk."

"I was just going to get a bite to eat, join me."

Lucas Redmond lead the way to, a small microbrewery and restaurant only a few blocks walk from the heart of the hospital. Jarod followed Lucas through the wood-framed glass doors into a room full of booth tables layered with a thick armor of glossy varnish, and a bar lined with occupied stools.

"The vegetarian chili is their specialty, soup's good too. It's the beer that people come here for though. Best anywhere. Try it?"

"Sure."

Lucas returned to their table, Jarod sat down reaching across the table to pick up his pint of dark malty stout.

"Looks thick enough to hold up a spoon," Jarod took a sip, and raised his eyebrows and nodded his approval at the man in the sat across from him. He was about to begin, when Lucas pre-empted him.

"You're here for one of two possibilities. Concern for Cole the most obvious, or you discovered something at Braydon's job site and knowing my dislike for the man, you want help."

"I little of both, Lucas. I stumbled across something about a month ago. Something that belongs to your family."

"What would that be?"

" I know that Braydon is looking for the stainglass window that your grandmother designed, my question is would you know if its the real one or a forgery?"

"Yes, my sister and I both could tell if it's the orginial window. Why do you ask, Jarod?"

"Braydon plans on announcing that he's found it."

"I take it that you don't agree with his finding. May I ask why?"

"Well other than the fact that I found a replica of the window in the attic of the house we are working on. . . .I have the original and know its secret."

"Care to enlighten me then," Lucas replied, his curiousity peaked.

Jarod nodded.

"Of course."



Jarod gently closed the door as he let himself into the house, mulling over his plans for Braydon. His meeting with Lucas had gone better than he could have hoped. In fact, Jarod had a meeting with Lucas and his sister, August, the next day scheduled for seven in the morning. The renovations on the house Thomas was working on seemed to be moving rather swiftly, he noticed, as he made his way along the hallway to his borrowed bedroom. Fully sated from his late night dinner with Lucas, a hot shower and a good night sleep was next on his agenda. As he closed the door to his room, he thought about the last time he had managed to elude the ever tenacious Miss Parker and her minions. Thinking of his advesary reminded him of his first encounter over a shared
pizza with Thomas and their later discussions about home renovations. Reaching into his metal case, Jarod extracted a manila folder, lifting the cover and removing the photos inside. He was shuffling through them when there was a knock on his bedroom door.

"Jarod?" Thomas called from the hallway," I have fresh bath towels for you."

"Come in Thomas," Jarod replied, and watched the door swing open and Thomas entered," You will make an excellent wife someday my friend."

"Funny, Jarod, very funny. Did you find what you needed at the library?"

"Yes, I did." Jarod replied as he placed the pictures he was holding face down on the upside down plastic milk crates that that served as a desk. " I even went back to check on Cole, as well as met up with Lucas. He invited me to dinner at. . ."

"Fitzgerald's, it's his home away from home," Thomas chuckled as he walked toward Jarod, placing the towels in his outstretched hands. Mid-stride Thomas' knee caught the corner of the photos that hung over the edge of the milk crate. The photos fell and scattered across the wooden floor, some landing face up. Thomas quickly scooped down to retrieve the photos for Jarod. He glanced down and caught sight of a woman who took his breath away....dark hair, and a face that instantly captured his imagination. Then he remembered who the pictures belonged to, and he began apologizing profusely.

"Oh, Jarod! Man, I'm so sorry! I hope that I didn't ruin. . ." he stopped, his eyes still riveted to the photo he'd picked up," but you've been holding out on me, Jarod. That's quite a girlfriend."

Jarod's smile widened and there was a glimmer of something in his eyes as he looked at Thomas. Taking hold of the photo, he looked at the picture before placing it on the milk crate.

"She's a friend, Thomas. Nothing more." his expression wistful.





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