Author's Note: okay, it has taken way too long for me to write this chapter, and for that, I am deeply sorry. Between a brief loss of interest in this story, being a college student, and working part-time, I just haven't been able to put my focus into this fic until recently. However, I think the story is at a pretty exciting part now, and I'm super pumped to see where it's going to go from here on out, so hopefully, we can get updates out to you far sooner than we have been recently. At the very least, I'm going to do all I can to stop a six-month hiatus on this.
For Molly, morning came too soon.
The police were at the mansion by sunrise, an entire team spearheaded by a chief who intimidated the little girl from the moment she saw him down the hall Of course, neither Annie nor Pepper were allowed in the room while she was being questioned - only Oliver and Grace were given that privilege, and their presence did nothing to quell Molly's anxiety. Without Annie and Pepper, she'd have to remember the entire story on her own. Why did she leave? She was scared. Why did she come back? She kept seeing kids with their moms and dads and got jealous - Annie and Pepper's suggestion. Where had she hid? In between Hoovervilles and in dark alleys. It was all so simple, but all so much to try and keep straight, and Molly was terrified she'd mess up. If she did, then not only would she be in trouble - so would Annie.
It was a lot of pressure for a little kid.
That, though, didn't stop the interview from being conducted.
"I think I want a mama and papa now," Molly was saying, sitting up tall as she answered the question about her sudden return. "I keep seein' all these kids, all lookin' happy. I wanna be happy, too,"
"Happy," the police chief, Chief Ward, responded. "Happy in the Hoovervilles?"
"Yeah," Molly nodded." They're all loved and safe and such. I'm not,"
A look of skepticism crossed the chief's face. "What do you mean, safe?"
Molly paused, unsure of what exactly she was being asked. "They got mamas and papas," she replied, simply. "Mamas and papas keep you safe. And warm."
"Even outside in the Hoovervilles?"
Molly paused again. Was what she said wrong?
"How come nobody ever turned you in?" another officer asked. "There was a hefty reward, and people in Hoovervilles are desperate. Did they see you?"
"They saw me," Molly nodded. "But I asked 'em not'ta say anything. They were nice."
"Mrs. Warbucks says you weren't dirty when you got here," Chief Ward looked up from his notepad. "In fact, your dress and stockings were in perfect condition. How?"
Molly looked down. How was she supposed to answer that?
"There was a dress lady," she tried. "She gave me a new dress right before I came here."
"Such a fancy dress for someone in a Hooverville,"
"Oh, no, sir, she was in the alley."
Chief Ward raised an eyebrow. "The alley?"
"She had a dress shop in the alley. She helped. She was nice, too."
Ward considered this for a moment, and then nodded. Then, he cleared his throat.
"How did you know how to get here? Especially if you were bouncing between Hoovervilles, it must've been pretty hard to know where you were."
"Uh..."
Molly quickly froze up at this question. It was easy to run from the orphanage to the mansion-she'd done it before. But Chief Ward was right; bouncing between Hoovervilles would make it extremely difficult to find the Warbucks'. How was she to lie her way out of this one?
"Did you ask someone to help you?" a third officer leaned forward. "What was their name?"
"Nobody helped me," Molly shook her head. "I just... I kept walking until I got to the fancy houses. It wasn't hard..."
"You kept walking until you got to the fancy houses," Chief Ward kept looking skeptical. "But how did you know you were walking the right way?"
Molly paused.
"I knew where the fancy houses were."
"How?"
She bit down on her lip, very quickly feeling overwhelmed. Annie was the quick thinker, not her. How was she supposed to keep the story straight?
"I just..." Molly could feel tears in her eyes. "I just... knew..."
Chief Ward set his notepad down. "Molly, do you know the difference between lying and telling the truth?"
Molly nodded slowly. "Telling lies is bad, sir,"
"That, it is. Now. Are you telling lies about what happened here? Are you absolutely sure you were hiding in Hoovervilles?"
All the adults began looking at her-even Oliver and Grace. The pressure, with this, started to surmount, and Molly felt her cheeks grow hot. What was she supposed to say? They were onto her. Was it worth it to tell the truth? But, then, Annie would get in trouble...
"I'm telling the truth," Molly insisted meekly. "I was at them Hoovervilles,"
"What were the names of some of the people who helped you?"
"Um..."
We just want to verify with them, is all. Nothing to worry about."
Molly looked down again. Why couldn't she think of any names?
"I can't remember no names, sir..."
"None at all?"
"No..."
Chief Ward jotted this down. Looked between his colleagues, and then back to the little girl. "Molly... it is always best to tell the truth. Are you sure there is nothing you aren't telling us? Not even one detail?"
Molly frozen up again. And hugged her arms over her chest. Looking around at all the adults, at how they didn't believe her, she felt immensely heavier, and then suddenly burst into tears, simply because she couldn't handle the pressure.
"Okay, okay! Annie helped me! And Pepper!"
And, with this, the truth came out.