Chapter 152 Section 1

The big house of the Peterson family is well-known in the area of ​​Forest Hills, because it is big—the house is big, the swimming pool is big, the garden is bigger, and it is luxurious. The house was built in 1940 and was known as the John Brennan Estate until it changed hands to Mike Peterson in 1992.The main entrance of the manor was on Side Street, but the house was not really visible from there, except for a winding drive which turned a corner deep in the woods and disappeared.The Petersons rarely use the driveway, though, preferring to park directly into the garage from the back door on Kent Street.Older design, garages are all in the back.

There is only one house. From the outside, it looks like three different buildings close together.The inside is completely integrated, and there is no sense of separation in space or difference in shape. The house is large, with a construction area of ​​10,000 square feet, or 930 square meters.In addition to the "open area" or "public area" such as the kitchen, dining room, two living rooms, a large living room and several small living rooms, there are a total of 14 rooms of various sizes.There are three staircases in the house: the large and grand oval circular staircase at the front of the main building, the small staircase behind the kitchen or the "back staircase" as the Peterson family often calls it, and an old-fashioned elevator that has been left unused.

The house is luxurious, with polished hardwood floors and siding, exquisitely crafted built-in curio racks, exquisite crystal chandeliers, and elegant marble fireplaces.When Mike Peterson bought the house, it was at the height of John Brennan's fame. In 1990, a Hollywood director chose this place as the main scene of the comedy "The Handmaiden".At that time, the entire estate was priced at US$1.2 million, which was an astonishing figure in Durham, North Carolina, where the majority of blue-collar workers lived, but Mike Peterson didn't even frown when he signed the contract.Mr. Peterson was also in the prime of his fame. The 1990 novel "A Time for War" not only made him a New York Times bestseller, but also brought him a lot of money.Not long ago, his agent sold the unfinished book "Peace and Reparations" for him at a high price.

There were seven people living in the big house of the Petersons, the Petersons and their five children.Mr. Peterson's current wife is Catherine, a senior executive of the Northern Telecom Company, a professional woman with both talent and looks.Five children have three different surnames: 27-year-old Clayton and 25-year-old Ted are named Peterson, the two sons of Mike Peterson and his ex-wife Padisia; Catherine's daughters from ex-husband Fred Alvart; Margaret, 20, and Martha Ratley, 18, are orphans adopted by Mr Peterson. After the children grow up, they go to other places to study or move out to live alone.Except for the second son Ted, who is not far away, who "often goes home to visit", the big house of the Peterson family has become the "empty nest" that American old people laugh at themselves.

On Sunday, December 9, 2001, at 2:40 a.m., Mary Ellen, a 911 operator in Durham, received an emergency call from the Peterson home. "Durhan 911, where is the emergency?" "1810 Seaside Street. Oh, come on!" "What's going on?" Mary could hear the heavy breathing of a man on the other end of the line. "My wife had an accident, but she's still breathing." "What happened?" "She fell down the stairs, but she's still alive. Come on, please!" "Is she still awake?" "what?" "Is she still conscious?"

"No, no, she's unconscious. Please hurry up." "How many stairs did she fall from?" "what?" Mary held her breath and repeated word by word: "She—from—a few—stairs—stairs—to..." "Back stairs." "How many stairs?" "Oh, ah, ah..." The other party's voice trembled with every syllable. "Don't worry, sir, speak slowly." The panting stopped suddenly: "Oh, level 15, level 20, I can't tell." Then he said hysterically: "Please send someone right away, hurry up, please!" "OK, someone is already dispatching an ambulance while I'm talking to you." The 911 call was simultaneously connected to the dispatch center.

"My home is..., in Forest Villa, OK? Hurry up, hurry up." "Yes, sir, the ambulance will be here shortly. Is she awake now?" "Oh my God!" "Hello?" "I don't, um..." A series of indistinct murmurs rolled across the man's throat. "Hello?" "Breathe. Oh God... breathe..." The phone hangs up suddenly. Dispatcher Elizabeth Poole, who answered the same call at another extension, cut the corner and told Mary Ellen that a Level 5 ambulance with two EMTs had pulled out of the nearest fire station to Forest Heights. .In most states in the United States, first aid and fire protection are part of the same system.Level 5 ambulance is the category of first aid for fall accidents.

At 2:46, Mary Ellen's phone rang again. "Durhan 911, where is the emergency?" "Why haven't they arrived yet? I'm 1810 Seaside Street - they... she seems to have stopped breathing. Please, please, can you hurry up!" Dispatcher Linda Gantt immediately pressed the button marked "Code 5" upon hearing this, which meant that someone might die and the police should be dispatched immediately. "Sir?" Mary Ellen called into the microphone. The man's voice raised an octave: "Can you hear me?" "Sir? Sir?" "Ok."

"Calm down, they'll be here. Now tell me, are you sure she's stopped breathing?" Mary heard a click. "Sir...? Hello...? Hello...?"