K. Janssen - Hampton Manor

During the night, the police were busy controlling the gawkers. A crowd of several hundred had gathered in the street and remained until the early hours of the morning. This spectacle was the most exciting thing that had happened to Old Brooking in several years. Clergymen of several faiths were in the crowd in case they would be needed. They prayed for the victims of the fire as they waited patiently for the flames to die down.

Channel 36, a 24 hour a day news station from New Haven, was covering the fire. The police allowed them to set up their equipment just inside the unopened gate. One camera was fixed on Hampton Manor as it slowly burned to the ground. Dreams of award winning footage danced in the head of the cameraman. A mobile unit, complete with a field reporter, was engaged in interviewing some of fire watchers that were eager to have their “moments of fame.”

The first interview was with a neighbor, Debra Waterton, who had returned to the scene. “I was walking Gunther, my miniature Schnauzer, around 9 o’clock I heard a popping noise that sounded like an explosion and then I saw flames in the windows. Then I heard a second pop that sounded the same as the first. I called 9-1-1 immediately, picked up Gunther and went home. I gave a statement to the police. They took my name and address in case they need to talk to me again.”

The reporter inquired, “ Did you know the Hamptons?”

“I met Adam the second, several times at charitable events in town, but I ever met his son. They kept to themselves, mostly. I never saw any women living over there, but I’ve only lived in town three years.”

“Well, thank you, Miss Waterton. I appreciate you taking time to speak to us.”

“You’re welcome. I just wish that 9-1-1 had responded faster, but I guess with the water supply out, it wouldn’t have made much difference, anyway.”

The reporter waved to the cameraman and moved to a teenager holding a skateboard.

“Did you ride over here on that board?”

“Yeah! Chris and me got here around ten o’clock,” he answered pointing at the young man standing to his right. “Is this gonna be on TV?”

The reporter answered, “I intend to submit it, but it may get edited. No guarantees.”

“That’s cool”, one of them said as he playfully poked his buddy in the back.”

“Have you ever been to a fire as big as this?”

“We were over at the Parker Brothers warehouse fire a while ago. It was awesome, but nothing like this. They couldn’t put that one out either. All they could do is hassle us for wanting to get up close. What a bummer.”

“I can imagine.”

“This is like Rome burning. You know, Nero and all that stuff.”

“Well, let’s hope not.” Thanks for speaking with us,” the reporter said as she stepped back and went on camera “There you have it, the neighbor the fire and the view from a young listener. This is Meredith McKenzie broadcasting from Old Brooking at the scene of a tragic fire at Hampton Manor.”

At 12:30, as the fire continued to burn out in the rear of the East Wing, a six man crew entered the Manor through the hole that was once the main entrance. The charred remains of Neil Gilbert were immediately discovered and removed by several men from the Rescue Team.

The crew approached the wall of the West Wing. The three foot thick concrete wall encasing the section was intact. They used a door rammer to knock down steel door leading into the reception area. As the firemen entered the room they found the charred remains of Bootsy and Flopsy, the family dogs, and several feet away the skeletal remains of a man decapitated by the initial blast. The door rammer was ineffective against the second door which was reinforced with tempered steel. A circular saw was used to cut a hole large enough for a fireman with equipment and an air bottle to crawl through. The first two inside removed enough debris to open the door about three feet. The grim job of the investigation team began. Two more bodies would be found in one of the rooms.

Kane Masterson, watched as walls began to crumble. He and Marcia remained long after most the crowd had dispersed, giving him an unobstructed view of the fire. He could hardly control his jubilation. The expression on his face showed concern, while his heart was jumping for joy.

Lauren and Daniel watched for about an hour in utter dismay as to what was happening. They did not speak to each other, preferring to ponder the situation and how it could be connected to their actions of previous days.

Evelyn Littleton heard the news on the radio and decided to avoid the crowds she was certain would congregate outside Hampton Manor.

The next evening Channel 36 ran an in-depth follow-up piece on the fire.

“This is Meredith McKenzie, continuing the report we brought you late last night from the tragic fire that completely destroyed Hampton Manor in Old Brooking. Earlier today, the Old Brooking Police Department confirmed that nine bodies were discovered in the charred ruins of the mansion along with the remains of the two family dogs. Forensic testing will be required to determine the identities of six of the victims, however, two of the bodies, identified through dental records, were those of Adam Hampton II and his son, Adam Hampton III. A third body identified as Megan Porter, a chef’s assistant hired only last week was identified this afternoon by her mother Mrs. Mildred Porter a long time resident of Old Brooking.”

As she spoke the screen was filled with footage of the conflagration showing Hampton Manor as it was slowly reduced to a pile of charred embers. In the upper left corner was a small picture of the Manor as a reminder of its past splendor.

“Fire companies from three towns battled the fire for over five hours with only a short supply of water, due to the town’s water supply being cut off earlier in the day by a severed water main. While the cause of the fire is still undetermined, Fire Marshall Edward Nelson has declared the fire to be of suspicious origin. A witness at the scene of the fire reported hearing several loud noises which she described as sounding like an explosions. The site has not been certified safe enough for the Fire Marshall to complete his investigation. A spokesman for Hampton Industries has declined comment. One thing is for sure, the town of Old Brooking has been shaken by the loss of two of its native sons.”

Channel 36 will be following-up on this story as it unfolds. For now, this is Meredith McKenzie with News at Eleven .”

Chapter 46

A distraught Evelyn Littleton stared at the morning paper.

HAMPTON MANOR LEVELED BY MASSIVE FIRE.

Nine bodies were removed from the rubble. No identifications have been released by the Coroner’s office, but, two of the bodies are believed to be those of Adam Hampton III and his father Adam Hampton II.

What an awful way to die. As much as I hated both of them, I would never wish that on them. And all the others, I hope they identify them soon so their families can have closure.

She sipped her coffee as she thought about how this tragedy would impact Kane’s legal claim to the Hampton fortune. She looked at the kitchen clock. 9:30 shouldn’t be too early to talk to the attorneys . She dialed the offices of Lawton, Jennings & Barth.

“Wayne Jennings, please. Tell him Evelyn Littleton is calling.”

Several minutes later Jennings was on the line, “I bet I know why you’re calling.”

“Am I correct that if both Adam II and III are deceased, the way is clear for my son’s claim as the only living heir to the Hampton Estate?”

“I wish it were that simple. If Adam III died intestate the way would be clear for Kane’s claim as the sole remaining heir to Adam II’s estate, but If Adam III, left a will, Kane could only claim a half of the estate. That’s all based on the assumption that the Coroner will determine that the father, being older, succumbed to the fire first. I don’t see how he could do otherwise with a disaster of that magnitude, but stranger things have happened. This probably sounds confusing to you; all this legalese.”