Storytime by Papa D – Eye of the Storm Part 2: No Accident

Eye of the Storm – Part 2: No Accident

As Hurricane Katrina barrels toward the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Tina Collins finds herself fighting for her life inside a Pascagoula hospital.

What began as a mysterious illness has quickly become something far more serious. As doctors struggle to find answers, Tina's family fears they may be running out of time.

Meanwhile, outside the hospital walls, the approaching storm is creating a different kind of crisis. Evacuation orders have been issued. Emergency personnel are leaving the coast. Time is running short.

As Tina's condition worsens, a series of events unfolds that will forever change the lives of everyone around her.

Was it simply bad luck?

Or was it no accident at all?

Based on true events.

Storytime by Papa D brings real-life stories, unforgettable characters, and extraordinary moments to life through cinematic storytelling.

🎙️ New episodes released regularly.

#StorytimeByPapaD #EyeOfTheStorm #NoAccident #TrueStory #HurricaneKatrina #Mississippi #Pascagoula #HospitalDrama #NarrativePodcast #Audiobook #StormStories #InspiringStories #Storytelling

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:01

Previously on Eye of the Storm, Tina and Peter had recently purchased life insurance after the birth of their son Jamie. But when Tina discovered Peter's policy seemed to be missing, questions began to surface. Questions Peter didn't f seem to feel comfortable answering. Then, on Halloween night, their apartment caught fire. Trapped upstairs, with smoke filling the room, by herself, alone with her baby. Tina made a desperate choice to save her young son's life. Now recovering in the hospital, Tina can't shake the feeling that the fire may not have been an accident. Good evening friends. I'm Papa D. Welcome to Storytime by Papa D. The stories you are about to hear are inspired by real life, real people, real experiences, and sometimes pure imagination. Some names, locations, conversations, and details have been changed, both to protect the privacy of real people and allow the stories themselves to unfold in the best possible way. Some parts are remembered exactly as they happen, some parts are reimagined through the lens of storytelling, and some parts belong only to the storyteller. But whether the stories come from truth, memory, history, mystery, adventure, or imagination, each one has something worth discovering. So settle in, relax, and welcome to the world of story time by Papa D. Tonight's story comes from my book, Starley's Legacy, Tragedy to Triumph. It's available on Amazon and through booksellers everywhere. Tonight's episode is called No Accident. It's part two to the Eye of the Storm series. Watching television from her hospital room is when she first heard the news reports that three people had indeed not survived the apartment fire. These were people who lived in her building. She probably saw them on a fairly regular basis, but she didn't really know them. She hadn't made any friends in the apartment complex. But she kept thinking, wondering which who was it? And then she thought about how close of a call it came to it being her and Jamie. And then she got mad about the fact that Peter wasn't there to rescue them. He showed up in the hospital in his Halloween costume, a Batman outfit. She thought, yeah, some hero. He'd have been a real hero if he'd have been at home to take care of me and Jamie and save us from the fire. I might not have had to jump out the window. But anyway, she had all sorts of random thoughts. When Peter arrived and first saw Tina lying in the hospital bed, he rushed over to her dramatically and asked if she was okay. Tina calmly explained that she was mostly okay, just a torn ligament in her ankle. Jamie appeared unharmed, but the doctors wanted to keep them both overnight for observation. Peter gently rubbed her leg just above the injury and told her that he was thankful that they were safe. Tina admitted that the experience had terrified her, and then quietly added that after seeing the apartment building, she was certain that they had lost everything they owned. They didn't own a lot, but it had taken a lot for them to accumulate the little bit that they did have, and it was everything they had. With unusual compassion, Peter told her that possessions could always be replaced, and reminded her that they really hadn't owned much to begin with. The following morning, Tina's father Paul, and her sister Liz arrived at the hospital in time to take Tina and Jamie back to the apartment complex so they could retrieve Tina's car. Peter followed behind on his motorcycle after spending the entire night there at the hospital with Tina and Jamie. Paul had raised five children and had become the kind of man who prepared for almost every contingency in life. He could fix just about anything. He was good with his hands, and he was a problem solver. Thankfully, he brought a spare set of keys to Tina's car, which he had, which had survived the fire untouched. Tina hugged her father sincerely and thanked him for thinking ahead because her purse, along with her car keys, had been left inside the apartment during the fire. Paul then shifted his attention toward Peter and asked what their plans were now that the apartment had burned. Peter admitted he didn't really have a plan. So Paul proposed a solution. Since Peter still had school and work obligations in town, Paul suggested that Tina and Jamie temporarily move to Pascagoula with him while Peter stayed behind with friends until they figured out what to do next. Peter agreed that he had buddies who would let him stay for a while, and that settled the matter. Paul instructed Liz to drive Tina and Jamie to Pascagoula and Tina's car while he followed behind. Before they left town, Peter wanted a few minutes to go through Tina's vehicle and retrieve anything else inside that might belong to him. At the same time, Paul turned his attention towards the smoldering apartment building and announced that he wanted to search through the debris to see whether anything might still be salvageable. Liz immediately warned him to be careful because the wood was still hot and smoke was still rising from the ruins. Tina and Liz watched nervously as their father stepped cautiously into the charred remains of the smoldering apartment complex. Paul used his foot to stir through the blackened debris, searching for anything worth saving. Investigators quickly noticed Paul stepping past the police tape and walked toward him. Liz urged her father to come back, reminding him that nothing in the debris was worth getting hurt or arrested over. Paul reluctantly agreed that the search was probably a waste of time anyway, and a police officer instructed Paul not to disturb the area because it was now considered an active investigation scene. Paul respectfully apologized and explained that his daughter and grandson had lived there and that he was only hoping to recover something salvageable from the wreckage. Then Tina asked the question that had been bothering her ever since escaping the fire. Was the fire set deliberately? Peter quietly moved closer, listening carefully for the officer's answer. The officer admitted that they still didn't know for certain, but because six people had died in the fire, investigators were treating it as suspicious until they learned otherwise. The death count had risen. Then the officer began questioning both Tina and Peter about how long they had lived there and where they had been before and during the fire. Tina explained what had happened from her perspective. Peter claimed that he had been at a frat party. After leaving the apartment complex, Paul treated everyone to lunch at the local favorite restaurant before beginning to drive south towards Pascagoula. As planned, Liz drove Tina's car while Paul followed behind in his own vehicle. During the drive, Tina opened up her prescription bottle, swallowed one of the her pain pills, and washed it down and with water while Liz asked her how her ankle was feeling. Tina admitted that it hurt like hell. Liz told her how thankful she was that Tina and Jamie hadn't been seriously injured or killed in either the fire or the escape from the apartment. Tina quietly agreed. A short time later, as Liz exited Highway 98 and merged southbound onto Highway 63 towards Pascagoula, she mentioned something that felt strange about the brakes. Tina asked what she meant. Liz explained that she had to press the brake pedal much harder than normal during the previous turn. But Tina dismissed the the concern, reminding her that Paul had checked the brakes recently and suggesting that Liz is was simply just wasn't accustomed to driving her car. Liz agreed that Tina was probably right and changed the subject by offering her extra clothes once they arrived home. Tina jokingly accepted the offer, sight unseen, saying beggars couldn't be choosy. The sisters then began discussing the apartment fire itself. Liz wondered aloud what could have caused it. Tina admitted that she didn't know. Since it had been Halloween night, she assumed perhaps someone had accidentally left a candle burning. She couldn't imagine someone setting the fire intentionally. Liz commented on how tragic it was that so many people had passed away. Tina explained that she and Peter rarely interacted with their neighbors because Peter stayed busy at work and school. And Tina had been one of the only residents there with a baby. This was the college town, not a family town. Then Tina suddenly announced that she was desperately in need of a bathroom. Liz laughed and told her they were already traveling 75 miles an hour and that she would stop at the next door they passed. Highway 63 stretched straight and flat ahead of them for many miles. In the distance, Liz could already see the only signal light between Highway 98 to the north and I-10 to the south. She asked Tina whether she wanted to stop at the upcoming store. Tina said that she could wait. A few minutes later, the signal light ahead turned red. It's such a flat, long highway that you can see way far in advance when the light is going to be red, and a lot of times you can even judge it and know that it'll turn green again before you get there. But Liz, having lived there all her life, she knew that she was going to have to start pressing the brake pedal, so she did. Then she suddenly interrupted herself mid-sentence while she was talking. Something was terribly wrong. Tina noticed Liz pumping the brake pedal repeatedly, but the car wasn't slowing down.

SPEAKER_06 12:23

Oh my god, the brakes are out. Call Dad and ask him what to do.

SPEAKER_02 12:28

Tina immediately instructed Liz to stay calm and to shift the car into neutral. That might allow them to coast safely through the intersection. As Tina searched frantically through Liz's purse for her cell phone, both women suddenly realized that there were cars actively crossing the intersection ahead of them. Liz panicked and warned Tina that if they were going to reach the intersection at the exact same time as the crossing traffic, that it would be bad. Tina turned around to make sure Jamie was strapped securely into his car seat. Liz screamed, asking what should she do? Both sisters knew the highway well. There was nothing in the median except for grass and a drainage ditch. But beyond that stood a dense wall of pine trees on both sides of the highway. Tina made the only decision she could. Liz began blasting the horn and swerving wildly between lanes, trying desperately to warn the drivers of crossing intersection. She was terrified. Can you imagine? Within seconds, both women realized there was there was nowhere safe to go but the median. And at roughly 60 miles an hour or more, they veered off the pavement into the grassy center divide. The rough terrain caused the car to bounce violently. Then suddenly the vehicle began to roll and it rolled over multiple times before finally coming to rest upside down. After the sound of crashing and glass breaking, Tina opened her eyes to the shattered glass in complete silence. It was the strangest thing. She didn't hear a thing. Then, after a few seconds, she did hear something. She heard a hissing sound. And then she heard Jamie crying. Still hanging upside down inside the vehicle. Tina looked back and saw that Jamie remained strapped safely in the car seat. She glanced towards Liz, who was slowly regaining consciousness. Then there was the smell of smoke. And if you'd like to help grow this channel and support future stories like this one, please take a moment to subscribe, like this video, and especially leave a comment below. Those simple actions really do help more people discover this channel and allow me to continue creating meaningful stories for you. Now back to our show. Fearing the engine might catch fire, Tina immediately sprang into action. By then, strangers had already begun rushing toward the scene to help. Tina desperately tried to open the car door to reach Jamie, but it wouldn't budge. Thankfully, one of the Good Samaritans was a volunteer firefighter who carried rescue tools in his truck. He pried open the damaged door and rescued Jamie and Liz from the wreckage. Another person who stopped to help was an off-duty nurse who instructed all three of them to sit still while she examined them for injuries. The firefighter handed the girls their cell phones, and Tina immediately called her father. Paul had stopped for coffee and fallen behind during the drive. He arrived at the crash scene shortly afterward. Though visibly shaken, he forced himself to remain calm for the girls' sake. For the second time within 24 hours, Tina was in an ambulance. On her way to a hospital after escaping a life-threatening event, life-threatening to her, but also threatening to Jamie. Think about that for a minute. Tina did, but she thought about it for more than a minute. This time they were taken to Singing River Hospital in Pascagoula. They were scratched and bruised, but miraculously they had no serious injuries. They were still in the hospital emergency center's waiting room when Liz's phone buzzed. It was Paul calling from the crash site. He had remained there, hoping to learn the cause of the brake failure. After holding the phone to her ear for a couple minutes, Liz handed the phone to Tina.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

Tina, are you sitting down?

SPEAKER_00 17:46

No, I'm standing. Why?

SPEAKER_01 17:48

I want you to sit down. Where is Jamie?

SPEAKER_00 17:52

He is here with me in my arms. Why? What is the matter? Hand Jamie to Liz and tell me when you're sitting down. Shout. Dad, you are scaring me. What is it? Do it. Okay, I am sitting down. Now what do you have to tell me?

SPEAKER_01 18:06

The sheriff's investigation into your car accident revealed that your brake line was cut intentionally.

SPEAKER_02 18:14

There was a pause for her to process his words, but once she realized the meaning of his message, Tina dropped the cell phone in her lap. She was in shock. Hours later, they were all reunited at Paul's home. They had not fully recovered from the shock when Paul asked Tina, Who would want to harm you? He could not bring himself to say kill or dead, and he suspected Peter right away, but he didn't want to be the first to suggest that. If Peter was innocent, their relationship would be forever damaged if he accused him of attempted murder.

SPEAKER_00 18:50

How can we be certain that someone does?

SPEAKER_01 18:52

Your brake line was severed intentionally and you were nearly killed in an apartment fire last night. I think that we are pretty sure that someone is out to get you. The question is, who has a motive? Tina's heart sank. She knew the answer.

SPEAKER_02 19:05

The beneficiary of her life insurance policy has a motive. He had been so adamant about her getting a policy, too. At first, she applied for a million-dollar policy based on Peter's recommendation, but the insurance company refused to sell her more than a quarter million dollar policy. She wasn't ready to tell her father that she suspected Peter because she was afraid that her father might go into a rage and do something that could get him hurt or in trouble. She needed to be 100% certain before she accused Jamie's father of such a heinous crime. Paul had never liked Peter from the beginning. Tina realized at that moment whoever was trying to kill her was also trying to kill Jamie. Paul could not hide his suspicions any longer or his anger. He paced the floor, thinking of what to say next.

SPEAKER_01 20:44

He then turned to Tina and said, Give Peter a call. Let him know that you made it home safely. Then tell him that you miss him already and want him to come here tomorrow to be with you and Jamie.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

Dad, what are you planning? Please don't do anything. Let the police handle this. I could not bear to have you go to prison on my account.

SPEAKER_01 21:02

I won't do anything that will land me in prison, but I want to see if he is willing to show his face around here. If he won't, then he is guilty as hell. If he shows, I plan to trap him into saying something incriminating. One thing is certain, you will cancel your life insurance policy as soon as possible.

SPEAKER_02 21:19

Tina used Liz's cell phone to dial Peter's number. He didn't answer, but Tina left him a voicemail message.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Hey honey, I just wanted you to know that we all made it to Dad's house safely, and I miss you. Please call me back on Liz's phone.

SPEAKER_02 21:33

She tried to sound as natural as possible, but feared her voice betrayed her. Paul called the officers investigating the apartment fire in Oxford first, and then he called the deputy that he spoke to at the crash site in Jackson County where the car crashed. He shared his reasons for suspecting Peter of being the culprit in both cases. Everyone involved agreed that. Not to let Peter know that he was a suspect until more evidence against him could be obtained. Liz's cell phone rang. It was Peter. Liz handed the phone to Tina, but held her head against the backside of the phone to hear the conversation. Paul leaned in to listen as well.

SPEAKER_04 22:20

Hi, sweetheart. I'm glad y'all made it to your dad's house safely. How is your ankle?

SPEAKER_02 22:25

Peter tried to act like everything was normal. But Tina detected caution in his voice. She thought he sounded guilty, but it's way too early to show her cards. She sounded convincing to Paul and Lisa, but not so sure that Peter was buying it.

SPEAKER_04 22:53

I miss you too, but I can't drive my motorcycle down there. My tag is expired and my brake light is out. You should bring Jamie with you to Oxford for the day tomorrow.

SPEAKER_00 23:03

I can't drive because I'm taking pain medicine. Maybe you can get one of your friends to bring you.

SPEAKER_02 23:08

Please. It was against Tina's nature to plead, and she hadn't mentioned having any trouble with her brakes, so this may have alerted Peter to her suspicions.

SPEAKER_04 23:19

We will see. I will let you know tomorrow. Bye for now.

SPEAKER_02 23:24

Not surprising, Peter didn't call the next day, which was Sunday, and Tina didn't try to call him either. She was getting angrier by the hour and doubted she could fake being happy another minute. The following day was Monday, so Tina called the insurance agent who had sold them the life insurance or sold her the life insurance policy and instructed him to cancel the life insurance policy immediately. He said, sure, I'll cancel, but you've already paid the premium for the month, so you still have some coverage until the end of the month. Plus, there's an additional 30-day grace period. Paul was listening to the conversation and instructed Tina to change her beneficiary immediately. The agent explained, Yes, I can do that. You just need to cite a form and have it notarized. And back in those days, they faxed things. I'm not sure if our listeners even know what a fax machine is these days. But anyway, Tina followed the agent's instructions. And upon receiving the form, he had her signature notarized and mailed it to the agent and all that good stuff. But a day later, she received the confirmation that her father was now named the beneficiary. But right after that, the agent called her back and said, Miss Tina, that's how Southern people talk sometimes. I just wanted to inform you that I received a call from your previous beneficiary that he wanted to change the mailing address of your policy. I explained to him that the only person who could make any changes to the policy is the policy owner, you. However, I thought you might want to know.

SPEAKER_00 25:22

Thank you, Mr. Thomas. I appreciate the information. By the way, what address did he want to change it to?

SPEAKER_03 25:28

We didn't get that far. Once I explained he couldn't make the change, he hung up on me.

SPEAKER_02 25:33

Tina immediately called Peter.

SPEAKER_04 25:42

Hello.

SPEAKER_00 25:44

Hi, Peter. I just got a phone call from my life insurance agent. He said that you wanted to change the mailing address. What is that all about?

SPEAKER_04 25:52

I thought it best to change the address to my mother's address now that the apartment is burned.

SPEAKER_00 25:57

Oh, I see. Well, I think it's best to have my mail come to my daddy's house since I am here, and not at your mom's house, so I changed the address to this one. By the way, what is the name of the company that issued your life insurance policy?

SPEAKER_04 26:10

Liberty Life or something like that. I will have to look.

SPEAKER_00 26:13

Please do and get me the policy number while you are at it.

SPEAKER_04 26:18

Okay, but why do you need it?

SPEAKER_00 26:22

I want to know where to collect my money when something happens to you.

SPEAKER_04 26:26

When something happens to me?

SPEAKER_00 26:28

Yes, you son of a bitch, and I've changed my beneficiary to my father so you can stop trying to kill me.

SPEAKER_02 26:33

Well, the phone call ended abruptly when Peter hung up hearing those words.

SPEAKER_00 26:37

Well, so much for not letting him know that he is a suspect. I'm sorry, I just couldn't restrain myself. The thought that he was willing to kill Jamie also is too much for me to keep inside.

SPEAKER_02 26:47

That was the last time that Tina or anyone in her family, or anyone that she knew for that matter, saw or heard from Peter. His cell phone was disconnected. His mother swore that she had no idea of his whereabouts. The FBI searched for him, and they couldn't find him anywhere until two years later. But you're going to have to tune in next week for the next episode to find out exactly when and where and that was. And that's kind of an interesting story, all in its of its own. I sincerely hope you enjoyed tonight's episode of No Accident, and will let me know in the comments. But the story is far from over. Next week on Storytime by Papa D, everything changes. As Hurricane Katrina bears down on the Gulf Coast, Tina finds herself trapped inside a hospital while terrifying new secrets begin to unfold. Meanwhile, Paul races against time through the growing chaos as one of the deadliest storms in American history closes in. The next chapter is called the Storm. And trust me, you don't want to miss it. Until next time, thank you for listening. And God bless you.

SPEAKER_06 28:17

Hey friends, do you know that Papa D writes books too? Some of his books are for adults, like Starley's Legacy, which is the basis for many of the storytime by Papa D episodes. And he's written a historical fiction called Unlucky Double, which is about an unlucky fellow who looked just like Lucky Luciano. But my favorite books are his children's books based on the Me and You and Kalamazoo series.

SPEAKER_05 28:46

Take it home, the Me and You and Kalamazoo picture books are now available. Five exciting stories, each one straight from season one, distributed by Ingram Spark. You can find them at bookstores everywhere or online at Amazon.com.