Vital-Vittles

Chicago, 1957 It was one of those searing July days, so mercilessly hot that most of the local folk had retreated inside, leaving only those who could not afford the relief of even a slow-whirling fan. Only the most determined old men on their creaking rockers sat vigil on this afternoon of viscous blacktop and the panting cats that sought refuge under any available porch or car. This was one of those days where the silence felt as oppressive as the heat; a heavy quiet blanketing all of the community of Forest Park. The tangible silence made it all the more shocking when Jack Frauenhoff, a reputable businessman and considerate neighbor, en