Nica’s notoriety was sealed by the mysterious death of Charles “Bird” Parker in her hotel apartment on March 12^th 1955. When the press found out, the story made headlines.

Why was Parker in her apartment? Why wasn’t the death reported immediately? Why was his body mislabeled and Parker’s age given as nearly twice his actual age of 34 years, by Nica’s own physician? Why wasn’t an ambulance called? Is there any truth that he was killed by a blow from Nica’s close friend Art Blakey? Did a thunderclap ring out around New York the second after he died?

Piecing together contemporaries’ accounts, Bird’s death certificate and Nica’s own description, the wild rumours will be finally put to rest and the truth will be established.