PART ONE
THE INVESTIGATION
Sarah could not wait for class to learn if any of the other students had found pertinent information concerning the Glass Is Us / Glorified Glass topic. In fact, she was so anxious to continue searching information; she contacted Sandy before leaving home for her first morning class.
“Sandy, it’s Sarah; what classes do you have today?”
“I have a full schedule today,” she responded, more as a means to bow out of further research than a feasible explanation.
“I only have morning classes; I thought I might go to County Hall to see if I could locate any other information.”
“Don’t you think we have enough?”
Sandy’s words struck Sarah like an unexpected blow. She had been partnered with someone who was more interested in passing a class than actually participating in a
full blown investigation, just her luck. “Well, I’m going downtown to see if I can find out anything else. I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”
****************************************
Sarah’s mind had wandered during her morning classes; she would be taking notes during a lecture and the next thing she realized was that the notes were directly associated with her investigative journalism course. Despite her multi-tasking brain set, in which she could watch a television show, read a book and listen to a radio station so that she could enter the most recent contest; all the while being able to give a full discourse in everything that were occurring in both book and movie; the information she had located yesterday afternoon captured her attention, refusing to let go.
By the time her last class had concluded, Sarah had developed a log dictating information located, hypothesis gathered and further information necessary to prove the hypothesis. She had even noted a list of possible sources for the information. Exiting the campus building, she headed to her car, destination the Buffalo and Erie County Central Library.
Luckily, all of the information Sarah was seeking was rather recent, 1992 and later. The library kept a computerized database of all Buffalo Evening News articles beginning in 1992, eliminating the time consuming necessity to scroll through hundreds of rolls of microfilm, in search of information. All she would need to complete was a keyword search and a list of articles containing the keywords would miraculously fill the monitor.
List in hand, she scanned the information she had previously located. Highlighting all words in heading or body search preference, she typed Crystal Cunningham into the search box. A list of five articles was retrieved; Sarah clicked onto the first article: Bee stings kill women in own bed. Entering a print command, Sarah made a copy of the article which had initiated the present investigation. It was much better to have a copy of all pertinent information then notes concerning the pertinent information.
Returning to the search page, the curser exacted over the second article, Sarah clicked, retrieving an article entitled; Womanfocus To Honor Area Women. Scanning the article, Sarah’s eyes eagerly searched for mention of Crystal Cunningham, she had nearly reached the end of the article before finding the treasure she was seeking.
“Finally, Womanfocus will be honoring Crystal Cunningham,
owner of Glorified Glass for her dedication to women in transition.
Cunningham, former Division Manager of Glass Is Us, took her knowledge of
the auto glass industry a step in the right direction when Glass Is Us declared bankruptcy. Securing a private loan, Cunningham was able to
purchase tools, supplies and office equipment at the public auction of
Glass Is Us. Retaining the services of former Glass is Us CEO, Grant Barker
As consultant, Cunningham’s new business; Glorified Glass became a huge
Success.
Cunningham not only brought new jobs into the Western New York
Area, she brought jobs to women in transition. Marketing the newly created
Jobs, typically filled by men to women was a daring move on Cunningham’s
Part. Marketing those jobs to women who had recently been divorced, shoved
Into an unknown workforce or downsized by another company geared
Towards animation or leaving the United States was extremely courageous.
Cunningham added services such as stress management, anger
management, depression support groups and classes in building self-esteem for her new employees. The women now employed by Glorified Glass are not only extremely happy with their present position; they are an extremely loyal crew.”
Sarah read and reread the exert, something about what had been written bothered her, but she could not quite put her finger on what it was. Pushing the print command, she held the paper up in front of her eyes, once again rereading the brief expose. Shaking her head, she laid the page on top of the first page she had printed. Using the back button on her browser, she returned to the page of links; her eyes wandering again to the article she had just printed.
The third link indicated Law and Order. Skimming through the list of police reports and court cases reported or held within the Crittenden Town boundaries, Sarah finally found what she was looking for. Two simple sentences indicated: "Crystal Cunningham, District Manager for Glass Is Us reported a break-in robbery at the company’s Crittenden remote location. An undetermined amount of cash and merchandise was taken."
Automatically, Sarah’s finger clicked the mouse button as it approached the print button; yet her eyes returned to the last article, still at the top of the information
pile she was planning on building. As the present page printed, Sarah retrieved the last article, rereading it an additional time.
What was it that had bothered her; something in the article, but what? Removing the third article from the printer, Sarah laid it on top of the pile she was building. Clicking on the browser’s back button, her eyes again wandered to the pile of articles. Reaching, she pulled the second article from the middle of the pile, placing it again at the top of the pile.
The last two links lead to inconsequential articles; both of the keywords were present within the article, but not in connection to one another. Scraping the first search, Sarah entered Grant Barker into the search boxes without making any changes to her search preferences.
A solitary result lit the screen, ’CEO of Ill Fated Glass is Us Found Dead.’ Sarah clicked on the link, once the page had completed its download; she immediately pushed the print command; her eyes scanning the words of the article.
“Neighbors, reporting strange noises followed by an eerie
Silence, alerted police to problems at 112 Cycle Street Friday
Afternoon. Forcing their way into the apartment of Grant Barker,
CEO of the ill fated Glass is U, dead.
“The apartment was a mess,” noted Patrolman Wallace Cleans,
“It appeared that a struggle had ensued.”
Toxicology reports indicated otherwise, large amounts of
PCP were found in Barker’s system. Officials theorize that Barker
Used PCP to commit suicide rather than face a sealed Federal
Indictment which had been handed down just hours prior to the
Discovery of Barker’s body.
Pulling the page from the printer, Sarah reread the short article. Reaching over, she retrieved the article commending Cunningham. Her eyes flickered between the two articles, when suddenly an idea formulated in her mind.
Laying the pages aside, she reached into her backpack, pulling out a
highlighted. Pulling the cap off with her teeth, Sarah highlighted the words, sealed Federal indictment, in the most recent article. Pulling the article about Cunningham forward, she highlighted; Securing a private loan, Cunningham was able to purchase tools, supplies and office equipment at the public auction of Glass Is Us. Retaining the services of former Glass is Us CEO, Grant Barker As consultant. Scanning the page, she highlighted; they are an extremely loyal crew.
Replacing the cap on the highlighter, she grabbed a pen, jotting a note in the margin of the Cunningham article: where did she get the loan, why did she buy Glass is Us equipment, why would she hire her old boss, and how loyal were these employees? In the margin of the Barker article she scrawled; Federal Indictment?
Returning to the search screen, Sarah typed in Glass is Us and clicked on the search command. A few moments later, her screen was filled with several matching articles, the newest listed first. Finding repeated articles, Sarah quickly skimmed the list, finally clicking on a link titled; Former Western New Yorker Found Dead in Florida.
‘Tampa, Fl; June 5, 2001. Former Western New Yorker, Carl Brian
was found dead in his RV at the Tampa Fair Grounds last week. Foul play
was ruled out, when an autopsy report showed that Brian’s RV had somehow
been infiltrated by the North American Brown Recluse Spider. Brian’s body
showed signs of several spider bites.
Brian had been traveling a show circuit in the south east; where the
Spiders apparently took up residence in the RV.
Brian is originally a resident of Buffalo, NY, his most recent employment in the area being his involvement with the notorious Glass Is Us company. Locals speculate that Brian took the Glass is Us theme on the road once the original company had been closed due to bankruptcy. Federal investigators had recently
Named Brian as a material witness in an investigation regarding the ill fated Glass Is Us company.
Brian is the third of three potential witnesses essential to the
Federal investigation that have been found dead. Federal sources are denying
That the deaths are suspicious in nature.
Across the top of the newly printed article, in giant capital letters, Sarah wrote: Federal Investigation; three victims. Had she been onto the right track yesterday? Was it possible that Barker was somehow involved in these deaths? Why would federal agents dismiss such a theory?
Before she concluded the day’s research, Sarah would be convinced that these deaths were more than natural accidents.
