You Can't Stay Here

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"Lieutenant Garrison I am sorry to disturb you and I know you must be very busy so I will get right to the point. I've taken care of a number of children since the beginning of the war. It seemed so difficult to find places for these little ones coming to us from across the channel. I suppose it is because it's so hard to make ends meet here at home with all of the shortages the conflict causes. Most people feel pressed to care for their own and the children of their own countrymen that have need of help, they simply don't have anything left for total strangers. And it seemed so unfair to let them languish in the children's society home or in those awful refugee camps… So, as you know, I've taken as many of them in as I could and sheltered them while I worked to find families who could be persuaded to take one or two into their homes for the duration. My family traveled the continent when I was a girl, Lieutenant, and I continued to do so as a young woman. I speak the languages and have a fair understanding of their own culture, of the land that they've left behind them." Mrs. Reid stopped studying her hands and looked up. She knew she was rambling a bit, taking too long to come to the point. "I feel I understand them far better than this one angry little boy. When your call came, when I found out what had happened it didn't take a moment to decide to help but now I'm afraid I've made a terrible mistake."

She saw him opened his mouth to try and reassure her but waved him into silence. She was finally at the crux of the matter and feared any interruption would shake her resolve.

"Some of the other children are troubled. They've been torn from their homes and separated from their families. Some of them don't have families to return to and they know it. Some of them have even been witness to their parents' deaths… There's no shortage of nightmares and emotional problems. Somehow I've managed to cope, but not this time. I'm afraid I've had trouble with this young man from the very beginning."

"He doesn't seem to fit in with the other children… Well he wouldn't would he? He doesn't speak the languages they speak. He isn't able take his lessons with them so I arranged for him to go to school in the village. I walked him to his classes the first few days until he got used to the routine and could make the trip on his own. Then I made a great deal of fuss over him for being so mature and sent him on his way alone and turned back to the task of teaching the others. When he came home with a bruise on his cheek and cuts on his knuckles it really wasn't a surprised. A little scuffle with the local boys in the school yard. It was to be expected. But when it happened again the next week, and then the next I asked him why he was having so much trouble. He didn't answer me Lieutenant. He just stood in front of me glaring down at his feet and dug a hole in my carpet with the toe of his shoe."

"A few tall tales from a child Charles' age is to be expected but I've caught him in a several outright lies…. And he's becoming more and more accomplished. Now I've had a report from the local constable…. The child is stealing, Lieutenant Garrison. He's taken things he can't possibly need from the shop keepers in town. I fully understand that all of this can be related back to what has happened to him, but when I try to help him, to talk to him about it he merely tells me he's not in need of my assistance. When I found him trying to scale the back wall of the house to sneak into one of the dormitory rooms I finally realized I wasn't able to handle him any longer."

Mrs. Reid worried her hands in her lap a moment before taking a deep breath. "Unless you agree to help me I don't believe there's anything else for it. I shall be forced to turn him over to the Children's Society."

Garrison watched the woman for a moment. He'd known her for several months now and knew how hard she worked for the children in her keeping, how much she cared about them. He also knew that, until now, she'd never given up on one. In fact if there was a child she couldn't place she kept them at the house with her so the more permanent members of her growing household needed even more of her attention than the ones that were there on a more temporary basis. "I can understand the difficulties you're having Ma'am. And I want you to know, again, how much we all appreciate you for coming to his rescue but I'm afraid I don't know what kind up help you expect from us."

"Lieutenant, I've spoken with one of the teachers that has Charles at school. She tells me the other boys have been telling him quite a lot of stories about you and your men." She let that sink in for a moment. "I believe Charles is beginning to mimic Rodney. Since he idolizes him because of what he did in court he is emulating him, or at least trying to. Ordinarily I would encourage such behavior but…"

"You don't really need a pick pocket in the house."

"I can't afford to have him injure himself scaling a drainpipe!"

Garrison let his gaze travel around the room as he thought. He'd gotten her into this after all. When he called her she dropped everything to go pick the kid up, he had to find some way to help her out. "What do you want us to do?"

"I believe that Charles needs a male figure in his life, especially now, but … Well with what happened he can hardly be expected to relate to a stranger. Could you arrange for Rodney to come down and spend more time with him? Perhaps he can find a way to talk to him about his current behavior… I certainly haven't been very effective."

"I'll have to get permission." He'd have to present the request just right too, to get that permission, but his skills as a con artist hadn't suffered by his association with Actor. Garrison smiled reassuringly, "I think we can come up with something."

"Thank you Lieutenant Garrison." She got up and extended her hand. "Anything you can do would mean so much to the boy."

As he walked her out to her car Craig promised. "I'll find someway to get Goniff down there tomorrow. Maybe we can even give you a break and take the boy off your hands for a few days."

Mrs. Reid turned and placed her hand on his as he held the door to the car open for her. "That would be wonderful. But I'll let Rodney bring it up to him, shall I? I'm afraid at this point if he thought the idea came from me he'd reject it out of hand… No matter how much he wanted to do it."

As Garrison watched the car move down the drive and stop at the guarded gate he wondered just what he was going to tell Colonel Reynolds. Occasional short social visits with the children Mrs. Reid had in her keeping was one thing, Reynolds encouraged all his men to be 'socially responsible.' But prolonged contact with a 'known criminal' might be a bit harder to sell, both to the Colonel and the local constabulary…. He had Casino to fall back on as an example though. He could use the reports social services had done before they released Jeannette to his family to show the relationship could be a very positive one.

But before the arrangements could be made official, before Reynolds returned his call, before he'd even had a chance to tell the men what was in the wind, Eddie had taken things into his own hands and had slipped away from Mrs. Reid's and headed right back to the estate.

"Warden." Chief leaned in the doorway to the office and waited for Garrison to look up from his ever present stack of reports. "We got an intruder."

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When he opened the door to the gardener's cottage the boy scrambled to his feet and sprinted out the window at the back of the room. The sounds of a brief scuffle outside preceded his reappearance as Chief lifted him back through the window. The child was suspended from the young man's hands by his collar and the seat of his pants and quickly gave up squirming to glare first at one then the other of them as he hung there.

Garrison crossed his arms on his chest. "Alright turn him loose." He easily blocked the boys rush to the door and watched as he retreated back into the middle of the room. The door to the back rooms of the cottage was closed and within steps of the window where Chief stood guard, he wouldn't be getting out that way. "Well, you're here a little sooner than I'd expected, but … Welcome back, Eddie."

They'd marched him up to the house and into Garrison's office. Chief stood guard while the Warden made a call down to town to leave a message for Mrs. Reid letting her know where her runaway had ended up. The next call went out to Colonel Reynolds to report the breach in their security… and let him know just who'd breached it.

The Warden rested the receiver back in its cradle and stood considering their captive a moment. He reached out and flipped a switch on the intercom. "Sergeant Major would you round up the men and send them to my office please, … Chief's already here."

"Yessir. Right away, sir."

"And Sergeant, I'll need you in here as well."

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They could hear the men in the hall talking together as the Sergeant Major herded them towards the office. "Come along you three the Lieutenant's waiting on you."

"Blimey it can't be nuthin' important. He ain't gone off to any meeting with Colonel Reynolds now has he? And Actor here ain't fit to go off on another mission yet."

"Yeah. See, so there's no reason for us to rush."

"Bein' called is reason enough for you lot. Now get on in there or I'll have you all down on the obstacle course!"

"Surely you don't mean to make me run the obstacle course with this cane, Sergeant Major?"

"Back on the firing range then! And don't think I won't do it…"

As soon as the door opened Eddie rocketed off the sofa. Neither Garrison or Chief made a move to stop him, they knew he wasn't bent on escape this time. Goniff, who was the target of the small human projectile, was taken totally by surprise. He'd turned back to counter Rawlins' threat with a sarcastic remark of his own when the boy hit him full force, wrapping his arms around his hips in a vice-like grip.

"Hey! Well, blimey! Lookit this." Peeling the little boy off his side he dropped down in a crouch so he could deliver a proper hug. "How ya doin', mate? What brings you out here, then?" But the only answer he got was a near strangle hold as the boy flung his arms around his neck and buried his face on his shoulder.

"It looks like you have a protégé, Goniff."

"You mean he's got in here again, all by hisself?" The second story man managed to croak out. "He's a natural!" The look on the Warden's face told him he hadn't exactly meant it as a complement but before he could explain that hisself the phone on his desk rang and Goniff took the opportunity to slide his fingers up and loosen Eddie's grip a bit. By the time the Lieutenant finished up with the phone a bit of the blood had drained back out of his face again.

"That was Mrs. Reid, she's on her way." Craig watched as the boy clutched at his pick pocket. Goniff was having enough trouble right now, he turned his attention on Rawlins. "Sergeant Major would you like to explain how a nine year old got through your security measures…. again?"

The stern look Rawlins gave them didn't stop the men's laughter as he searched for an answer. Gill wasn't used to being the one who had to come up with an explanation for some short fall or misstep… especially with this lot around. "I have no idea sir… But I'll see to it straight away." He snapped to attention and fired off a salute and stood there waiting for his dismissal.

Garrison let Rawlins stand a moment before he raised his hand and released him. Turning back to Goniff and their guest he smothered a smile at the way the cockney burglar's eyes were starting to bulge and the slight wheeze that had crept into his breathing. "Alright Goniff. You and Eddie find something to do until Mrs. Reid gets here." He watched as his pick pocket had to put his hands up and let the others help him to his feet…. Eddie hung limply down the front of him. "See if you can get our little escape artist there to tell you how he got in here so we can plug the leak." And as the knot of men turned to leave he called out. "I want you to stick close… I think you'll all be interested in this."

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"Well, uh… sure I'd, uh,,, I'd like Eddie to take a holiday out here with us." Glancing up he caught Casino's black scowl. There were plans to go down to the Doves already made. Casino had found a new girl in town, but she didn't wanna risk goin' with him all on her own so she'd insisted on doubling up. He was s'pose to make up the fourth with a friend a hers… it was all arranged. "I think that'd be, uh… That'd be just swell."

Reynolds' call had come in while they waited for Mrs. Reid's return. He'd given his permission for the boy to stay at the mansion. Actor was still recovering and the chance of a mission was slight.

"Thank you Rodney, I'm afraid Charles isn't listening to any of my reasoning. I believe the only one he will listen to is you."

"Me? … Bloody Hell!" Goniff cringed and ducked his head. "Oh! S'cuse me!"

"Do you have any idea why he took off this time?"

"I'm afraid I do, Lieutenant. As soon as I walked in the door I was met by my serving girl and a contingent of the other children. It seems Charles managed to scale that wall after all, while I was gone, and he's made off with a rather impressive collection of things that don't belong to him." She turned from the American officer back to face the man who'd apparently become so important to the boy in her charge. "The girl's younger brother is at school with Charles and I'm afraid he's carried the tales she's told about you to the other children. Rodney, Charles knows what you've all done in the past and I'm certain the other children have worked up all manner of stories about what you are doing for the military now. Some of them live out here close to the manor and it doesn't take much imagination to turn the extra security around the estate into an attempt to keep you all locked up here."

They'd gathered in the parlor on the ground floor. Everyone was sitting around all comfortable like, sippin' tea and nibblin' biscuits. Normally he'd a got tucked right in, and while there was a cup in his hand and a little plate in his lap he couldn't bring hisself to give the food its proper due. With every word the knot in his stomach grew a little bit tighter, a bit bigger. He thought of the little tyke down in the kitchen sittin' at the table with one a the Sergeant Major's men standing guard on him sos he couldn't slip away from the place. "Well, uh.. Sorry for askin', but what'd am I s'pose t' do again?"

Mrs. Reid sat her cup aside and leaned forward resting her hands in her lap. "Talk to Charles, Rodney. Try and explain that what he's doing is wrong. I'm sure he'll listen to you. I'm depending on you to help him. You know as far as we've been able to discover Charles is all alone now. He already looks on you as a friend, Rodney, but along with your friendship Charles needs your guidance."

Goniff looked at the cup in his hand and then the plate of biscuits, it didn't seem at all appealing now. He swallowed hard and sat them on the low table in front of him.

"It's a big responsibility, Goniff."

He never wanted to be responsible… it wasn't in him. But there was Ms Reid thinkin' he could do it, … And there was the Warden. … And then there was Eddie. "Well… first off…."Uh, … I think he'd like to not be called that. B'cause ya see, … Well, uh… that was the vicar's name. C. Bradford Milton. Callin' 'im 'Charles'… that was just somethin' private with 'im and his, his, … uh…his special boys."

The Warden had been right. Once they picked the bugger up and started lookin in to all a his doin's they'd found more than just him, more than just Eddie. So far there were five, and the prosecutor said he expected more. All of 'em were older than Eddie, one of 'em even older than him. And once they'd found out what he'd done at the hearing the prosecutor said the men might be willin' to stand in the dock and talk, to save the little kids from it.

The room had gone quiet. The only sound was the slight clatter of china as the tea things were set aside. Goniff glanced up at Mrs. Reid where she sat with her fingers up at her lips. "S' not your fault. There weren't no way for you to know… 'ee only ever told us."

"But Charles…. But Edward tried to tell me and I just didn't understand." She plucked the napkin off her lap and dabbed at her eyes as she sat silently remembering the day she'd gone to collect the child from the matron at the hospital where'd he'd stayed from the time the local police picked him up at the mansion until after the hearing.

"Edward Charles Weston…. Well that's a grand name." She stooped and picked up the satchel that sat on the floor next to the child and reach a hand out for him. "You just come along home with me Charles. I could use the help a stout young lad like you could give me."

But instead of reaching out and taking her hand, instead of being glad of having a place to go he'd just shoved his fists into his pockets and glared at the ground.

"I ain't Charles. I'm Eddie."

"Well I'm afraid I already have a boy called Eddie living at the house. He's quite a bit younger than you are and I don't believe he'd understand if I took to calling him by another name. Surely you can see the sense in using Charles for you." She smiled down at the top of his head. "I can hardly call you Mr. Weston." Placing a hand on his shoulder she gently propelled him towards the door. "Come along Charles, you'll soon get used to the change."

"Why don't you fellas see Mrs. Reid home. Sergeant Rawlins will arrange a jeep." Garrison didn't bother figuring out the arrangements he left that up to the men. He was sure Actor was more than capable of comforting the lady through her tears but even though the others had backed Goniff up, even gone with him to the hearing they had that slightly uncomfortable look about them that let him know they were looking for a way out after hearing the newest bit of information.

Goniff scrambled to his feet and handed Mrs. Reid up from her place on the sofa. She looked up and gave him a rather soggy smile. "You see, Rodney, that's exactly why I know you will be able to do this." But before he could do more that just stand there with his mouth open Actor'd swept her in his arm, taken her other hand and kissed her knuckles and was escorting her out the door with the others trailing after him. Goniff had half a notion of runnin' off after them, but instead he reached down to the side of the sofa and took hold of the little satchel Mrs. Reid had brought with her. He stood there a moment and picked at the loose stitching on the handle before turning to face his commander.

"Where is he?"

"Oh I set him up in the kitchen with a bite and a cuppa… He'll be there awhile."

"How are you going to handle this?"

"I dunno. I … uh, I sorta thought you'd tell me."

"I can't do that Goniff. ……….Mrs. Reid thinks you can do Eddie some good, and so do I… But it has to come from you. You can't just go in there and spout off stuff I tell you to say… Besides what do I know about dealing with kids?" Garrison cut him off as the English pick pocket grinned and opened his mouth… "and you and Casino do not count."

"But what am I s'pose to say to him? What kinda difference is somebody like me gonna make?"

"Goniff, the doctor treated Eddie, he knows what happened to him physically… But you're the only one who knows what he's feeling right now. You went through it, and because of that you're the best one to try and reach him." Garrison could see his pick pocket didn't have the same opinion of himself as he did. "Look, don't sell yourself short! You're important to that kid. You understand what happened to him and you stood up for him and stopped it. You're going to help put that vicar away and he knows it. He's found out what you did to get here Goniff and he's copying you. He can hear it's wrong from everyone in the village and he isn't going to believe it until it comes from you."

"So I gotta turn m'self into a worse mugger so he won't wanna be like me?!"

"Not on your life." Garrison rubbed at the back of his neck. "You just have to tell him what it's really been like for you, and convince him that you want something better for him."

Well that sounded simple and all 'cause he did want better for Eddie than he'd had hisself… But he didn't know if he could find the words to use to make the kid understand. 'But…'

"Just talk to him, Goniff…. But mean every word you say."

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"You finish all that stuff up?"

Eddie felt a little guilty for having polished off the food that had been set in front of him. When his folks were alive there wasn't much money and food always seemed in short supply. Then there were so many mouths at Mrs. Reid's and usually some littler kid standing right at his elbow when her back was turned looking on when he ate, begging for a portion of what he had with huge eyes that followed every morsel of food he put in his mouth… He'd got to where he couldn't stand it and turned most of his meal over to the others. That's what got him started nicking stuff, he'd made off with a little something from the grocer's stand and gotten away with it. Pretty soon he was doing it regular, and had moved from feeding a hungry belly to feeding a growing thrill at putting one over on the fella.

Goniff saw the look and cringed inside… First thing outta his yob and it was the wrong thing. He wandered over to the cupboards and pulled another tin of biscuits down, then turned to brewing up another round of tea for them to share. "Here," he said as he shoved the tin across to Eddie after he'd taken a few for himself. "Growin' lad like yourself needs all he can get. I still can't seem to get filled up." He broke one of the biscuits and dipped it in the tea and caught Eddie doing the same out of the corner of his eye. Bloody Hell! He didn't even know to be pleased or worried by that! The Warden and Mrs. Reid must be balmy to turn Eddie over to him to straighten out. …. Him who couldn't even straighten hisself out.

"That Mrs. Reid, she says you took some stuff from the other kids…. That right?"

Eddie's biscuit dropped into the tea and he spent a little time mopping up the spill on the table and then trying to fish the soggy mass out with his spoon. Finally he gave it up as a bad job, nodded and looked up. "You can hit me if you want, Goniff. I won't tell no one."

"I ain't gonna hit you Eddie, …"

Goniff's own father hadn't seen it that way when Old Bill brung him home the first time after he'd been caught trying to shift some stuff he'd pinched to one a the shopkeepers round the corner. His old man had finally come out of the stupor he'd been in since Bertie died and he'd stripped off his belt and given him a right good hiding… Not for what he done, and not for getting' caught at it neither, but for tellin' who he was and where he belonged and bringin' the law home with him.

His old man didn't make a living by strictly legal means even when he was healthy enough to hold down a regular job. When he got sick enough he couldn't work he took to fencing stuff fulltime and Goniff had been unlucky enough to pick one of his partners to sell his own takin's to. Once he got started he'd taken all his grief over losin Bertie out on him in that beatin'. Ignorin' his cries and pleas to stop he kept on until Goniff just curled up and laid there and took it until he'd worn himself out. When he finally stopped and seen what he done he went half crazy, telling Goniff it was his own fault, that he brung it on hisself by getting caught and all… It was just like it was with the vicar as he pleaded with him not to tell his Mum what happened, and then threatened him with what he do to him if he did….

Goniff took a deep breath and sighed. "I ain't gonna hit you Eddie, that wouldn't be right." He sat his cup of tea aside and studied his hands a moment before looking up. "But you and me.. We're gonna have a long talk, we are."

"Look, Eddie, I think you mighta got somethin' wrong 'bout me. See I done some stuff in the past, stuff that got me in big trouble… And Mrs. Reid, she says you'r doin' some a the same… And, … Well I don't want you to turn out like I done."

Eddie listened as they sat there over their tea and Goniff talked, but the cat burglar could see it wasn't sinkin' in. He told him about getting picked up by the constables and havin' to face his old man…not the beatin' part, but the other… How disappointed his Mum had been when she found out what he'd been up to. He even told him about the turn he done in reform school. When the only thing the kid had to say to it all was he'd just had a run a bad luck and he must a got over it cause he kept up doin' all a them things and then went and got really good at it .... Well when he heard that he just sounded retreat and picked another topic a conversation.

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Once Goniff took his first fling at counseling he knew he couldn't handle the mission alone. So instead of telling hisself he'd done all he could, patting hisself on the back for his effort and sweeping the problem under the rug like he usually done he took it to a higher authority and asked for help.

"He's just not hearin' what I'm tryin' to tell him Warden." Goniff stuffed his hands deep in his pockets as he leaned against the desk. "And then he looks up at me with them eyes a his and, .. Well, I know it's not right, … but, …if I just keep tellin' him stuff it'll make him disappointed in me."

Garrison watched his pick pocket work out what he wanted to say. It was tough. He knew the guy had probably never had anyone who looked up to him before. Maybe it was wrong to expect him to give that up. He found Goniff looking up at him, trusting him to come up with some kind of a plan.

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"Alright gentlemen here it is…." He'd gathered them around the table just like any other mission planning session. They had an objective and a target and this was one job that wasn't going to end up a failure… not if they could help it. "Mrs. Reid has identified the problems and each one of you can help in the solution."

"What do you want us to do?"