EVIDENTLY, Simon Arthur Purcell, aka The Chatterbox Killer, is quite a man. An ex-Marine Special Forces with survival training, he competes in Ironman Triathlons invariably placing in the top five. In two thousand twelve, he qualified in season four as an American Ninja Warrior traveling to Las Vegas for a chance to challenge Mount Midoriyama for the first time ever on American soil, and to compete for a grand prize totaling five hundred thousand dollars. Along with fellow finalist Brent Steffensen, The Chatterbox failed on the Stage Three obstacle, the Hang Climb.
At the local gym where he works-out, The Chatterbox has been known to bench-press over four hundred pounds. He is known to swim distances of ten miles non-stop in choppy, frigid water. He competes in the Boston and New York City Marathons. He rock-climbs in Utah and admits to illegal Base Jumping in Yosemite National Park. I half expect to be told he is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
It’s no wonder we were all over-matched, The Uke included.
As for Danilenko, he is alive and kicking and resting back at Otter Lodge. He was discovered next day washed up on the rocks at the opposite side of Elk Lake. He’d taken a slug, been beaten, tossed by The Chatterbox into the lake, and left for dead. When found he was suffering hypothermia, but no serious loss of blood or permanent damage.
In the hours following the incident at Elk Lake, the Police Commissioner had demanded McGowan request the assistance of the FBI.
In weeks to come, The Chatterbox’s Escape from Elk Lake will elevate Simon to the status of legend, just like the guys who escaped from Alcatraz, but who authorities claim died in the attempt. No one at the NYPD is reckless enough to claim The Chatterbox died during his own attempt.
A squadron of Feds descend on Midtown North and 1PP to re-evaluate evidence, re-interview detectives working the case, and to re-examine the forensics. They discover what we already know: assumptions were made, mistakes committed.
Heads roll, but not Gabby and me. We are insulated. Gabby is a media darling for having survived the abduction where others before her did not. Me, because I risked not only a confrontation with the deviously deranged killer psychopath The Chatterbox, but defied my own superiors to go after Gabby and Mel alone. To the press, it’s a real love story. We, of course, deny, deny, deny.
As for the Feds, they add only one thing: The Chatterbox remains at large and has not left the country. Not, at least, as far as they know.