Call

by Bret Nelson

To: Talbot, Walcott, and McKinnon - Attorneys at Law

From: Ruby Kendall, Private Investigator (License #67395)

Report date: April 19, 1975

Re: Harcolm case

Please accept my apologies as this writeup is a week late. It summarizes my five-day (April 7-11, 1975) investigation of recent solo car accidents in Chicago, Illinois.

To be honest, I don’t know if I’m going to send this draft to you. But I’ve got to put everything on paper, even if I sound crazy.

As you know, the Harcolm family hired your firm on March 24, 1975. They are well known, wealthy, and facing several lawsuits stemming from a traffic accident involving patriarch David Harcolm (age 71) on March 10th.

According to the police report, David Harcolm drove in slower-than-usual traffic on the Edens Expressway that morning. For reasons unknown he stopped his Cadillac DeVille (purchased late last year) in the middle of the second lane.

A gap formed between his car and the dump truck in front of him. Then, according to witnesses, Mr. Harcolm accelerated from a dead stop and rammed the truck. His impact speed was estimated at 45 mph. There were no skid marks. He did not brake. His car was crushed and a portion of the truck’s load of gravel buried it.