BEECH 1900 FLC EXPERIENCED NMAC WITH CHEROKEE WHILE IN CLASS D TFC PATTERN.

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WE WERE ENRTE BTWN MIE AND LAF IN GOOD VFR CONDITIONS AT NIGHT. AT APPROX 8 DME E OF LAF WE INFORMED THE ZAU CTLR THAT WE HAD LAF IN SIGHT AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 10. AT THIS POINT WE WERE ALREADY DSNDING FROM OUR CRUISING ALT OF 8000 FT THROUGH ABOUT 5000 FT. THE CTR CTLR HANDED US OVER TO THE TWR ABOUT 2 MI LATER. AFTER ADVISING US THAT 'RADAR SVC TERMINATED OR LOST.' WE CONTINUED THE DSCNT AND SET UP FOR A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 10. THE TWR CTLR GAVE US LNDG CLRNC ON RWY 10. AT NO TIME WERE WE ISSUED TFC INFO FROM THE LAF TWR. THE FO WAS FLYING AND ENTERED A NORMAL L DOWNWIND ABOUT 2 MI OUT. JUST PRIOR TO TURNING BASE (L) THE OTHER ACFT; A CHEROKEE; APPEARED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE L WINDSHIELD APPROX 30 FT AWAY AND 5 FT HIGHER THAN EYE LEVEL. OUR HDG WAS 280 DEGS AND ALT WAS DSNDING THROUGH 2400 FT. CHEROKEE'S HDG WAS ABOUT 30 DEGS FURTHER NW. BOTH THE FO AND MYSELF PUSHED FULL FORWARD ON THE FLT CTLS AND WE BOTH HEARD AND FELT A PRONOUNCED 'BUMP' COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE ACFT. VISUALLY THE CHEROKEE WENT OVER THE TOP OF US AND SLIGHTLY L BY A MATTER OF FT. BECAUSE OF THE 'BUMP' WE IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT WE HAD MADE CONTACT WITH THE CHEROKEE WITH OUR TAIL. I TOOK THE ACFT AND ELECTED TO LAND IN THE PARTIAL FLAP CONFIGN AS THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE FLYING NORMALLY. THE FO CONFIRMED THE LNDG CLRNC AND ASKED THE TWR ABOUT THE OTHER ACFT. TWR THEN INFORMED US HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT ANY AIRPLANE IN THAT VICINITY. WE HAD THE TWR CALL RADAR TO TAG THE CONTACT SO WE COULD FIND OUT IF HE WAS LNDG SOMEWHERE; ETC. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT DEPLANED OUR PAX AND HAD MAINT CHK THE ACFT OVER FOR A POSSIBLE CONTACT AS PER THE COMPANY DIRECTOR OF OPS AND CHIEF PLT. NO EVIDENCE OF CONTACT WAS FOUND. UPON TALKING TO TWR; WE DISCOVERED THAT THE CHEROKEE HAD INDEED DEPARTED LAF RWYS BOUND FOR LANSING; IL; AND HAD BEEN RELEASED TO CHANGE FREQS. THE CTLR THOUGHT HE WAS OF A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE ARPT. THE CTLR WAS ABLE TO SUBSEQUENTLY GET THE CHEROKEE ON HIS RADIO AND ITS PLT AGREED IT WAS A CLOSE CALL AND THAT HE DIDN'T TOUCH US. WE SURMISE THAT THE SOUND WE HEARD WAS BAGGAGE HITTING THE CEILING IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ELEVATOR HITTING THE STOP. I FEEL THAT WE FOLLOWED PROCS PROPERLY WITHIN THE SCOPE OF COMPANY AND FAA REGS. WE WERE KEEPING A VIGILANT EYE OUT FOR TFC. I FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN A TA. ADDITIONALLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY TCASII WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS. OUR ACFT HAVE BEEN FITTED WITH THE WIRING BUT THE COMPANY WILL NOT INSTALL THE CTL PANEL UNTIL THE DEADLINE BY THE FAA WHICH CONTINUALLY IS PUSHED BACK.