San Francisco, somewhere between 12 and 3 in the night. At the radio station KJCM the Nighthawk Jack Killian was busy with his radio show Midnight Caller. He invited listeners to call and they all did that. Jack was well known in town and his radio show attracted high listening rates. Listeners gave their opinion and asked questions and Jack gave answers six nights per week.
So also at a certain night. Jack was talking to a listener from San Francisco.
“The next caller is Paddy from San Francisco. You are in the air. What can I do for you, Paddy?”, asked Jack.
“Jack, have to see you after the show. Is that possible?”, asked Paddy.
Jack looked amazed at his producer Billy Po and asked, “Can’t you say it now?”
“No, otherwise my life could be in danger”, answered the boy.
“Alright. You can find me after 3 o‘clock at Carmen’s”, Jack promised.
At the moment that Paddy wants to say something back Jack and Billy heard a noise and the phone gets thrown down. Quickly Billy threw in a commercial and Jack phoned his friend by the police, Carl Zymak.
Jack asked, “Carl, it’s Jack. I had just had a boy on the line whom I will meet later on at Carmen’s. He knows something which can put his life in danger. Can you be there?”
“I heard the conversation. I will be there”, answered Carl.
After his show Jack went like almost each night to Carmen’s where Carl already was.
“Hi Jack. A boy there asked for you”, barkeeper Jerardo Carmona said to the Nighthawk.
He pointed at a boy who sat at a table in a corner of the place.
“I have agreed to meet him. Come on Carl”, said Jack.
Arrived at the boy he asked, “You are Paddy? I am Jack Killian. This is Carl Zymak. Can we help you?”
“I hope so. I get mishandled by my father but nobody believes me”, Paddy started slowly.
He hardly looked at Jack and Carl. Meanwhile the friends sat down.
“What does he do to you?”, asked Jack.
Then Paddy showed his left arm and they knew enough. On his arm there were bruises and fire wounds of cigarettes to be seen.
“He just does this for fun. It gives him a kick. If he finds out that I am telling you this he kills me”, said the boy.
“What does your father actually do for a living?”, Carl asked amazed.
“You will never believe it but my father is Mr Jason Palmer, the lawyer”, said Paddy.
“Jason Palmer? That so popular lawyer? Get out of here Paddy”, said Carl.
“Yes, that Jason Palmer. In court he the nice lawyer but once at home he behaves like the mishandle. I have tried to talk to an uncle, his brother, but he doesn’t believe me either”, answered the boy.
“We believe you. Do you want to press a charge?”, asked Jack.
“I am afraid that he will kill me. But seeing that he is guilty anyway I will press a charge”, answered Paddy.
They went to the police station where Carl took the story of Paddy and made a record of it.
“Must I take you home?”, Carl asked when it had happened.
“You cannot take him home anymore now you know this? Paddy, you can sleep at my place”, said Jack.
Paddy agreed.
Arrived at the house of Jack the DJ asked apologizing, “Sorry for the mess. Isn’t your father at home?”
“No. He is away for a few days for some meeting or so. My uncle looks after me then. At least that is the excuse which my pa always uses”, answered Paddy calm.
“Why?”, Jack asked amazed.
“It seems that pa has an extra-material affair with his secretary while he leaves my mother alone”, said the boy.
“He ain’t the only one concerning those with an adultery affairs”, said Jack.
“That is so but my mother happens to be rich and that is not his fault. Though he shows that he must control the money. He really is not as great as everyone thinks”, answered Paddy.
Then the boy told the whole story.
Jack asked him after that seriously, “Would you like to tell your story for the radio?”
“I want to do it but what if pa hears it?”, Paddy asked worried.
“You will have to confront him with it any time”, was the reaction of Jack.
“I think you are right. When must I do it?”, asked the boy.
“What about tomorrow night? Come on. It time for bed for you”, the Nighthawk suggested but Paddy had already fallen asleep on the settee.
Jack put a blanket over his young guest.
The next morning Paddy first dropped by his house to pick up his schoolbooks.
Jack was with him and said being very impressed by the house, “Palmer does know how he must live though.”
“My parents are going through a divorce so they fight about me. Pa has the opinion that he can look after me as the best. Due to all those problems I get so very behind at school”, said Paddy said while he packed his bag.
“We go to your mother’s place”, Jack said calm.
He locked the door behind Paddy and himself. With a cab they came to the house of Lisa Palmer. Paddy rang at the door being a bit awkward. Lisa answered and was a bit surprised to see her son.
“Hello mom. This is Jack Killian, a friend of mine. I have something to tell about pa”, the boy said to his mother.
“Come in both of you”, Lisa said kindly to them.
In the living room she asked worried, “Sit down both of you. What is now again with your father?”
“He mishandles me each day since you are separated. Check my left arm. Besides that he has an affair with his secretary”, Paddy told upset.
Lisa checked his arm and said, “I am behind you son. All my money and belongings I leave it to you. It is all arranged in my will. Jason doesn’t know anything about this.”
Jack noticed that this didn’t really reassure the boy and asked, “You didn’t know this?”
She looked at the DJ and said, “No. Jason keeps him away from me. I only see him when his father is away.”
“Err mom, I have to go to school. I drop by later tonight”, Paddy said then.
“Alright son. See you tonight. Mr Killian, thanks for telling. If I can help let me know”, Lisa said before Paddy and Jack left the house.
Jack promised that to do.
Outside Jack said to his young friend, “Now you go to school and after that you just come to KJCM by cab.”
“Alright. I see you there this afternoon”, said Paddy.
He went to school, being watched by Jack.
When Paddy and Jack were away Lisa phoned Jason.
She asked, “I had to hear from my own son that you mishandles him. I demand that I get his custody. Why are you mishandling him?”
“I don’t mishandle him at all. He only makes that up to get attention”, answered Jason.
“Paddy is witness of it himself, isn’t he? I believe him and so do other people too. I f you do something bad to him I make sure that end up behind bars for good”, Lisa answered hurt.
“What I do with Paddy is my business and not yours”, Jason said angry and he threw the phone down angrily.
He got his strangle- wire and left his office.
On the way to the house of his ex-wife he said to himself, “Lisa, you all have yourself to blame for this. First you are dead and after that that lousy lad. I can use your money better than Paddy can.”
Arrived at the house of Lisa he rang the bell. Lisa answered and got shocked by seeing his face. She tried to throw the door shut but Jason pushed in. He ran after her. In the living room he strangled her.
After he has calmed down again Jason phoned the police.
He said, “I just came home and find my wife dead. I think she is murdered.”
“We are on our way”, said Carl Zymak.
Jason hand up and left in the hope that they wouldn’t find as the murderer of his ex-wife. He started his car and drove away quickly.
When the police had arrived and set off the area they found the front door ajar. Carl found the body of Lisa and called Jack right away.
“Jack, Carl here. Is Paddy with you?”, he asked.
“No, he had to go to school. Why?”, Jack asked amazed.
“Just come to the house of his mother. Then you can see it for yourself”, said Carl.
With a cab Jack came as soon as possible and he saw how the police carried the body of Lisa way.
“Who is that who gets carried away over there?”, Jack asked curiously.
“Mrs Palmer, the mother of Paddy. She is strangled with a strangle wire. Jason called us with the message that Lisa was found dead by him. When we came he had disappeared and the front door was ajar. The hardest thing is now: how do we tell Paddy this?”, asked Carl.
Detective Martin Slocum answered, “That lad is just the guilty one.”
Jack looked at Martin and reacted, “You really know everything to say at the right moment. You haven’t even met Paddy.”
“I am looking forward to it”, Martin answered insulted.
“Can’t you be nice to each other for once?”, Carl asked a bit irritated.
Jack just smiled.
Suddenly Paddy got hit by a car who drove on straight away and left the boy on the street. Fortunately he just could see the license plate. He was shocked when he noticed that it was the car of his father. An ambulance was soon on the spot and it took the boy to the hospital. There he got treated by nurse Sue Clancy. When Paddy laid in a room she warned Jack. He came straight to the hospital Carl and his boss Nikky Malloy.
In the room Carl asked, “Do you know who hit you?”
“It was the car of my father. I know for sure that it was him”, answered Paddy.
Jack looked at Carl and asked, “That Jason Palmer is a dangerous to life. Can’t you arrest him for hit and run, child mishandling and murder at his wife?”
“What murder on his wife? Is mom dead?”, Paddy asked upset and worried at the same time.
“Yes, we found her body in her house. Jason phoned us and said that she was murdered. But when we came there he was already gone. That was at half past 10”, said Carl.
“I got hit at a quarter to 11. The distance is about a quarter of an hour so my pa has killed my mother”, Paddy said at once.
“Boy, we don’t know that for sure yet”, said Carl.
Jack reacted with, “Carl, it is actually clear what Paddy means.”
“Jason can have an alibi. He wouldn’t drive his son to death, would he?”, exclaimed Carl.
“I am the only heir. If I die pa gets all the money from mom”, Paddy answered exhausted.
Then Sue came in and she said, “I am sorry but the patient needs rest”
“I return this afternoon again. Sleep well Paddy”, said Jack.
At the corridor Nikky said, “Carl, Jack is right. Jason is guilty as can be.”
Though it took a long time before Carl was convinced that Jason was the culprit.
That evening at the start of his show Jack did an announcement to his listeners, “This morning at half past 10 in the house of the late Lisa Palmer she was murdered by he almost ex-husband Jason Palmer. Now the police are looking for witnesses who were in he area around that time and might have seen and/or heard something. They are also looking for witnesses of a crash where by a fourteen year old boy got hit and he lies now at the hospital. I know that he listens and we wish you strength and recovery amigo. The crash took place at a quarter to 11. The driver of the car drove on after the accident.”
At the hospital Paddy listened to the show of Jack when Sue came into his room.
“Hi Sue. You are not going to anesthetize me, are you?”, Paddy asked softly.
“No, I just came to see if you were still here. So to see you area. You may go home tomorrow”, Sue said to him.
By hearing this news the face of Paddy became dark and he only said, “Nice.”
Sue noticed that something was bothering and slowly the boy told the whole story. Then the emotions came to show and Sue let him cry out. Slowly he fell asleep.
When Jack came into the office of Nikky the next morning he saw to his amazing Paddy talking to his boss.
“What are you doing here? I thought that you were still at the hospital”, Jack said to the boy.
“I was discharged this morning. Nikky picked me up. Only my left wrist is broken”, Paddy explained.
“Paddy has decided to bring his story open in public. He wants to tell it for the radio”, Nikky told her employee.
“We already have decided that, boss”, said Jack.
“You might have told me that”, Nikky reacted fierce.
Jack looked at Paddy and said amused, “You didn’t ask about it boss.”
Now Nikky looked at Paddy and she said, “Do you now know why Jack is behaving so strange sometimes? He is just that way.”
“Come, then I show you the studio”, said Jack.
Together they went to the radio studio. There Paddy got introduced to producer Billy Po. The studio made a big impression on the boy because he was speechless for a moment. Meanwhile Billy and Jack explained everything to Paddy who had many questions for them.
Suddenly Nikky came to say, “Paddy, there is someone for you.”
Paddy and Jack looked at each other amazed and with distrust Paddy goes with her. That someone turned out to be his uncle Derek Palmer, the brother of Jason.
“Hello lad. Your father asked if I could come to pick you up to go home”, Derek said to his nephew.
Distrusting the boy said, “I am not going home with you or pa. He has mishandled me for years and you don’t believe me anyway.”
“You will have to because your father has custody over you”, Derek reacted.
Then Jack came in and he said, “Paddy doesn’t want to so he doesn’t go along with you.”
“You must be Jack Killian for sure? Jason had told me already about you and your interference with my nephew”, answered Derek.
“News travels fast”, said Jack.
“Mr Palmer, you leave now this station and it is also for good!”, Nikky said to Derek.
He left the office with the words, “Paddy, your father hasn’t finished with you yet!”
When he was away Paddy became calmer. Jack and Nikky noticed that he was terrified of his father.
Meanwhile in the house of Jason.
Jason said to his brother Derek, “If Paddy tells his story for KJCM I hang. That DJ has too much influence on him.”
“What would you like to do? Shoot Killian dead perhaps?”, asked Derek.
“If I have to yes. Paddy comes to live here and gets lessons at home. I am going to kidnap him out of the hospital”, Jason reacted a bit fierce.
Derek didn’t say that the boy wasn’t at the hospital anymore.
So said, so done.
Jason rode to the hospital.
At the reception desk he asked the nurse, “Yesterday my son Paddy Palmer was attended here after an accident. Can you check where he lies?”
“I shall have a look Mr Palmer”, she said.
After a while she said, “I am sorry but we don’t have a Paddy Palmer here.”
“It has to be so. I am staying here as long as possible until you have told me where he lies”, Jason answered angry.
He did that the whole afternoon. Finally he got removed by the police.
At the police precinct Jason got questioned by Martin and Carl.
“Since when is Paddy important to you?”, asked Carl.
“He is my only son. I am worried about him”, Jason answered hypocritical.
They noticed that he was lying and that Paddy’s life was in danger
“Lock him up for today”, Carl said after a while.
When he was dragged away and Carl was alone he phoned Jack at KJCM.
He asked, “Jack, we have just arrested Jason because he did an attempt to kidnap Paddy from the hospital. Where is he by the way?”
“Carl, in his skin”, Jack answered dry.
The inspector reacted, “Very funny Jack. Now seriously for a second.”
“He is here with us. Tonight he tells his story for the radio in my show”, said Jack.
Jack started his show, “Tonight we are talking about a subject which happens a lot but there is not much talk about. We are talking about child mishandling. Here with us in the studio is a victim of child mishandling. Go head Paddy.”
First Paddy looked at Billy, then at Jack and began then to tell, “When my mother, my late mother was thrown out of the house by my father a s she later told me herself my father Jason Palmer began to mishandle me. I was 3 when it started. Now I am 14. But he never got to me. Someone who has never been mishandled doesn’t know where I am talking about. Each night my father hit me and he pressed his cigarettes out on my arm. He just did that for fun. At his work, he is a lawyer, he is known for being a very nice and helpful man. He is also very popular. So he denies that he mishandles me.”
Jack looked at him and said, “We will be right back after these commercials.”
During the break the DJ asked, “Are you alright lad?”
“Not really. Soon pa phones in and he denies everything like always. What must I do then?”, was the counter-question of Paddy.
“You have already reported it to the police and Carl always listens to this show. You know that he is on your side”, answered Jack.
Billy gave a sign that the show continued again.
“We are back in the air and still with me is Paddy. Go ahead with your story”, said Jack.
The boy continued, “A few days ago I ran away from home. I lived with my father. Yesterday when I told my mother about the mishandling she was murdered in cold blood. I got hit by a car and broke my wrist by that. The culprit in both cases is my father.”
“We shall now give the listeners the word. The first caller is Jason from San Francisco? You are in the air Jason”, Jack said somewhat amazed.
“I just call to say that Paddy has made up everything. I have never touched him with 1 finger. I also have not murdered my wife. Can you all prove that Paddy?”, asked Jason.
“That you mishandle me yes. I was there myself, wasn’t I?”, his son asked on his turn.
Jason threw down the phone down at once.
“Thank you Jason. The next is Emily”, said Jack.
After the show Jack, Billy and Paddy went to naar Carmen’s where Carl and Deacon Bridges, a reporter and friend of Jack, were. Suddenly paddy saw the newspaper and he read the article about the murder at Lisa Palmer.
“Who has written that?”, asked the boy.
“Someone from the Dispatch. Why?”, asked Deacon.
“That story is wrong from all sides. Jason Palmer is guilty as can be”, Paddy reacted excited.
Deacon looked at him and asked amazed, “How can you know that?”
“Deacon, this is Paddy Palmer. Paddy, this is Deacon Bridges, reporter of the Dispatch. Paddy is the son of Jason and Lisa Palmer”, Jack explained then.
“I am sorry about your mother”, said Deacon.
“Thanks. What do you know about Jason Palmer? Probably not that he mishandles his own son and that he has murdered his wife”, Paddy said a bit fiercer than he actually meant.
“Do you want to tell your story to me so the real story gets known? I shall write it myself”, the reporter suggested.
Paddy looked at Jack and he said, “Tell Deacon what you have told me and Carl.”
The boy did that. When he had told his story he went home with Jack.
During the funeral of Lisa Palmer Paddy noticed that his father wasn’t even there and his uncle neither. When Paddy, Jack and Nikky walked back to her car Paddy got shot at. He fell down on the ground.
Jack said, “Nikky, look after him.”
He ran after the hit man together with Carl and quite soon he was caught. It was Derek Palmer. Carl arrested him at once. Paddy was alright but realized that his life was in danger.
At the studio of KJCM Jack and Paddy got questioned by a reporter and he asked, “Paddy, what do you think of the fact that your father has killed your mother?”
Paddy looked at him and said, “Mind your own business.”
They go inside to the office of Nikky. Paddy was not very reassured and let that show clearly.
“Jack, I go to the house of my mother to sort some things out. I also want to bring my grandparents up to date”, he said after a while.
“Do you want me to come with you?”, asked Jack.
Paddy shook of no. He went away to the house of his mother to sort out some stuff. He didn’t know that Jason was there too. Suddenly the lawyer appeared in the door opening.
He said, “So you have decided to live with your father after all? I like that.”
“Not at all. I only came to sort out something of mom. I have nothing to do with you anymore. So get lost”, Paddy answered fierce.
A heavy fight started between father and son where by Paddy got the most smacks.
Jason went away and said, “You keep quiet. For the security I lock you up.”
Paddy got locked up in a complete dark room. In the evening he got released but Jason kept a close eye on him.
That evening Jack said, “The next caller is my young friend Paddy from San Francisco. You are in the air.”
“Jack, he has done it again. What must I do?”, he asked.
“Pack your bag and go to the bar where we have met each other. Someone will see you there”, Jack advised straight away.
“I will do it right away”, Paddy said and he hang up.
Exactly when Paddy wanted to leave he got stopped by Jason.
He said angry, “You are going nowhere. And certainly not to that Killian. He has nothing to do with I do with you.”
“So you admit that you are mishandling me?” , Paddy asked which gave him smacks again.
After that Paddy got locked up again in the dark room.
In the meantime Carl and Deacon waited for Paddy at Carmen’s but the boy didn’t appear.
When Jack was there too he asked amazed, “Where is Paddy?”
“He hasn’t been here. Do you think that Jason is behind this?”, was the question of Deacon.
“I know that for sure. The boy phoned up in panic and that comes only because of Jason. He is in the house of Lisa so…..”, Jack said worried.
Carl and Jack went to the house of Lisa but everything was dark. They rang at the door but there came no answer.
“Maybe he is at your house. Come, I give you a ride”, Carl said after a while.
But he wasn’t there either.
In the dark room Paddy tried to escape but it was too dark to see anything. In the meantime Jason made a plan to kill his son.
After a few hours Jason came into the room and he asked, “Are you ready to apologize?”
“I haven’t done nothing wrong, have I? You are the one who has mishandled me”, Paddy answered fierce.
Jason hit him hard. Suddenly Paddy knocked his father out and he saw chance to get away. Meanwhile it has become light and it hurt his eyes. Somehow he left the house and grabbed the first cab he saw to the house of Jack. Jack paid for the cab and took the boy inside. In the living room Paddy got a cup of coffee to get calm.
Jack asked, “Paddy, what has happened?”
“He hit me and locked me up in a dark room where I stayed the whole night. I knocked him out and with the cab I came here. My eyes hurt due to the light”, Paddy told exhausted.
“First we go to Carl and then you are going to sleep here”, Jack said calm.
So said, so done.
Carl asked, “We are going to arrest Jason right away. Do you still know where it was, Paddy?”
He nodded of yes and went along with Jack and Carl. In the meantime Jason had woken up and he noticed that his son was away. He decided to track him down and to kill him. At the moment then Paddy rang the bell Jason answered the door. He grabbed the boy tight at once, pulled him inside and threw the door shut. At least that was what he thought. Jack put his foot between the door and pushed the door open. With a hard shove Jason pushed Jack outside but Jack recalcitrance. Then Jason threw the door shut an d he held them both under shot. What Jason didn’t know was that his pistol was empty but Paddy happened to knew that.
Then Carl knocked at the door and he said loud, “Jason Palmer, you are under arrest for murder, hit and run driving and child mishandling.”
“No step closer. Or otherwise I shoot him dead!”, Jason said directly.
He held his son under gunshot. Then Paddy hit his father with his broken wrist. The pistol fell on the ground and Paddy kicked it away. Carl and Martin rushed inside and arrested Jason.
Jack received Paddy and said while Jason got dragged away, “It is over now. He won’t be free for a long time.”
“Fine. I am going to finish my school and live with the parents of my mother”, Paddy said relieved.
“By a divorce the children are mainly the victim. They can’t and don’t want to choose by whom they want to live and it makes it often worse for them when the parents fight about it. Sometimes one parent goes so far by killing the other parent. That’s why we must help the ‘victims’ and even protect them. This is your host Jack Killian on KJCM Radio 98.3 Fm and goodnight America where ever you are”, Jack said when he ended his show at 3 in the night.