As the title ("Jerry e' sparito") implies, this story is a missing persons case involving a young boy named Jerry. In the course of the investigation, Julia was assaulted by Leslie Tomsich, the violent ex-husband of Jerry's mother Susan. Police officer Leo Baxter tracked Tomsich down and roughed him up, as seen on page 92. The scene of Leslie's interrogation at the police station begins on page 96:
(Julia's narration) “The next morning, apart from some bruises and a lingering feeling of nausea, I felt ready to face the day.”
(Cops interrogate Leslie, who is quite beaten up himself thanks to Baxter.) “So, do you want me to repeat the question?”
“No, I understand, but I don't know how to answer about Susan, because I loved her. We were both very young and had a lot of crazy ideas in our heads... happiness, children, a little house with a garden.”
“Then that dream began to falter.”
“Yes, almost immediately. I couldn't find a job. With the baby, the expenses increased... Susan's parents could have helped us, but she never wanted to ask them. So I started drinking a bit... Susan would leave the baby with the neighbors and stay out all day... she said she was going to look for a job. The truth is, she had a lot of suitors... she's always been a bit of a flirt... well, anyway, she was too childish to be a mother to anyone.”
“That's not a good reason not to pay her alimony.”
“I just bought a truck. I'm loaded with debt. And then... Do you want me to tell you? Well, I've always thought that Jerry wasn't my son. He doesn't look like me, and we have nothing in common.”
“To be sure, all it would take is a blood test.”
“What's the point? He already bears my name, right?”
(Another officer interrupts) “Lieutenant! We're here!”
“Come on, quickly.”
(Sergeant "Big Ben" Irving, who looks like John Goodman, asks Leslie about his injuries.) “Tell me, who did this to you?”
“Mmm, nobody. It was an accident.” (Big Ben grins.)
(Police are listening to the recording of a recent phone call between Jerry's mother Susan Sommer and somebody else.) “They talked about it on television, Ms. Sommer. It was supposed to be a private matter.”
“I... I don't know how they found out. Maybe someone from the police...”
“Well then, let them tell things as they are. That they don't know anything at all. As clueless as a flock of sheep.”
“Yes, as you wish. But Jerry... how is Jerry?”
“Fine, for the moment. But I'm not willing to accept any more deception!””
“Decep...? I don't understand. What does that mean?”
“He's calling from a phone booth in Iris Square!”
“Answer me, please!”
“You'll know at the appropriate time... CLICK”
“Calling all cars, calling all cars. Intercept a suspicious individual in Iris Square! He just came out of the phone booth!”
(Julia studies the city map on the wall.) “Here it is. They won't arrive in time, but now we know more.”
“And who knows, maybe the forensics team will get something from the phone booth.”
“What impression did he make on you?”
“He seems like a fanatic, suffering from delusions of grandeur and acute megalomania. Someone who wants to be at the center of the world, but doesn't have the courage to expose himself. In these cases, we are dealing with shy, introverted individuals, subservient to their families, who imagine grandiose events but live in a squalid routine, without the strength to break free from it. Consequently, he is a sedentary, habitual type. He has probably never gone much further than his own neighborhood.”
“A person like that doesn't kidnap children.”
“In fact...”
“But he did send the shoe. I don't think he found it by chance.”
“It doesn't fit, I know. I can't explain it. Unless he's just a mouthpiece... but even so...”
“Anyway, there's a possibility of tracking him down...”
“Yes, when he calls again, he will surely do it from a phone booth in the same area.”
“We need to know when.”
“In my opinion, soon. The situation turns him on. He can't do without it for long.”
All the other pages I own from this story (not many) are posted in this gallery if you want to see what else happens.
