Sheridan Road Pt. 2

So I’m walking towards the groups of detectives at around 1 a.m. outside a building where a serial killer may have struck twice. And it is because of this that there isn’t a single squad car light flashing or police tape around any section of the building.

I just put my press pass around my neck in plan view of CPD’s finest, hoping that they would be willing to talk to a wet-nosed reporter trying to confirm that someone was murdered in an apartment one floor above another murder scene that was barely a month old.

Such things can be expected when working for a 24-hour newswire service in Chicago. After the 10 o’clock news broadcasts, myself and other City News reporters had free reign to any mayhem that took place until about 4 a.m., when the day began again and other reporters began competing with us again.

One detective sees me coming and lets the others know. All look in my direction and they try to casually disperse. I identify myself (standard procedure) but each one ignores me. They walk back to their hibernating squad cars and then drive off, one by one.

No other cops talk to me but then I spot another guy just standing near the building. He’s not huddled up with anyone and I guess that he’s somehow involved with the building. He’s the landlord/handyman. He’s upset because now people will move out and no one will want to live in the building. I eventually ask him about what happened in the apartment the CSIs are looking through with flashlights.

I’ve seen people covered in what look like surgical gowns, along with shoe covers, coming in and out of the building. Make me wonder what it looks like inside there if everyone has to suit up like that.

Yes, the landlord/handyman says. Somebody was killed. His name was this. I didn’t know him too well. He was in apartment 3D or something like that. Yes, about a month ago someone else was killed in 2D.

Bingo. That makes it a story. I get the handyman’s name, thank him for his time and try to empathize with him, in spite of my excitement that I was able to turn a tip into a pretty good news story.

And months later, I was talking to the people at the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office and they mentioned in passing that serial killer on Sheridan.

“The one on the 7300 block of Sheridan?” I asked, astonished and excited.

“Yeah. Oh wait,” they said.