Chapter 4
"Drew! I didn't expect to see you here," Remington greeted him. "Drew, this is my wife, Laura. Laura, this fine chap is Drew Wrigley."
"Hello, Drew. I must say, you startled me. We didn't know anyone else was in the building." Laura reached out her hand. Drew politely lifted it to his lips with a soft smile.
"I was in the basement, breaking down some of the boxes in case we needed them at a later time," Drew explained. He released Laura's hand and gestured, "So, what do you think of the place? Not so doomy and gloomy as it once was, don't you think?"
"I would have to agree. It has a whole new atmosphere. Tell me, Drew, what makes you qualified to help be the full-time caretaker here?" Laura batted her eyes as she awaited his answer.
Drew looked at Remington and immediately questioned, "You didn't tell her?"
"Tell me what?" Laura's mouth dropped open.
Nervously, Remington tugged on his earlobe. "Drew is… well… Drew and I go way back. As a matter of fact, I think Drew was the first lad to give me a black eye over a quid we fished out of the gutter. Isn't that right?"
Beside him, Drew chuckled loudly. "But I wasn't the last. Actually, if it weren't for Mr. Steele, I wouldn't have survived that winter."
Laura lifted an eyebrow at her husband but remained silent.
"I had a cold… or some kind of illness… but because of our situation, I refused to get treatment from the free clinic. It wasn't until I was burning up with a fever that Mr. Steele bundled me up and dragged me to the hospital emergency ward. He carried me right up to those doors, in the cold, driving rain, and waited until someone came out to help. Then he left me there." Drew paused to clear his throat.
Laura blinked back the unexpected tears that formed in her eyes as she listened.
"He saved me that day, whether he wants to take any kind of credit for it or not. While I was in the hospital, Child Services found me, and eventually, I was placed in a loving home with an older couple on the other side of the city. I never forgot what he did for me. I went to university where I studied Child Psychology so eventually I could head back out onto the streets to try to help kids just like I was." Drew finished his story with a slight bob of his head.
"And, as luck would have it, I bumped into Drew a few months back when I was here for one of Mr. Taylor's meetings. We've been corresponding back and forth and as it turned out, Drew also needed a new flat so here we are," Remington exhaled.
Laura finally found her voice. "Do I dare ask what your specialty is, Drew?"
"She's good," Drew laughed at Remington who merely winked back at him.
"Actually, Laura, Drew has many talents, much like yourself. Only his are a full knack for reading people. He amazed me as a child and now, I'm astounded by him. We've had him sitting in on some of our interviews and it's impressive to watch, I can assure you."
"Well, I guess I should be thankful he's on our side then," Laura implied.
"I don't pick sides, Mrs. Steele. I root for the underdog, no matter what." Drew laughed again.
Remington chuckled with his old friend as he reached for the door. "Laura and I were just heading back to the hotel…" his voice trailed off as something caught his attention in the doorway outside.
A small boy, no older than ten was huddled against a scruffy-looking dog. Remington's head snapped back to Drew, who silently nodded his approval. Remington lowered his long frame to a crouching position to make eye contact with the boy. "It's a little cold out there," he offered softly.
The boy's lips vibrated slightly as his teeth chattered. He peered up at Remington, his brown eyes filled with fear.
"It's okay. Why don't you come inside and get warm?" Remington suggested.
The boy didn't reply, he simply hugged the dog closer to his body, searching for warmth.
Drew also lowered himself down and added, "You can bring your friend. We haven't opened our door officially but if you need help, that's what we're here for. We won't hurt you or call the police to come get you if that's what you're afraid of."
"What's your name?" Remington asked.
"Charlie. This is Buddy. Well, I call him Buddy. I don't know if that's really his name, but he's been following me around for the past few months so I guess he's mine now. He's scared away a few of the older boys, so it's up to me to take care of him," Charlie replied between his shivering.
"Come on inside, where it's warm," Drew encouraged. "I'll get you a blanket and if you just want to sit here on the steps, that's okay." Without waiting for Charlie to answer, he disappeared down the hall.
Charlie carefully rose to his feet. Laura gasped when she noticed the condition of his clothing and the holes in his sneakers. She turned to Remington and asked softly, "What about clothing or shoes for these boys? Has anyone donated anything?"
Remington nodded as he straightened himself up. "There's a full storeroom of all different sizes."
Charlie stepped into the foyer and rubbed his arms with his hands, Buddy padding gingerly behind him. Drew returned carrying a heavy sweater, a small blanket, and a towel. He held the sweater and the blanket out to Charlie who gladly took the items, and then placed the towel on the cool wooden floor for Buddy.
"Thank you, sir," Charlie whispered after he tugged the sweater over his head. "It's much warmer in here." He toyed with the edge of the sleeves of the sweater before he asked softly, "Is there a loo? I sort of have to…" His voice trailed off as heat infused his face.
"Right down this hallway. Third door on the right. Are you hungry? I can make a mean sandwich if you give me a few minutes," Drew offered with a gentle smile.
Charlie's chin immediately dropped as he looked at Buddy. "Can I share it with him? It's been a day or two since he's had a roll."
"Tell you what. I'll make Buddy a dish all for himself. I think I might have something that will do just the trick for him," Drew assured the boy.
"Yes, please. I promise I won't take too much of your time. I just… I saw the sign, and I didn't really know what this place was but I thought I would take a chance. My momma used to say the only chances you miss are the ones you never take." Charlie firmly lifted his chin as he spoke.
Laura smiled at the boy. "Your momma sounds like a very smart woman. Isn't she missing you?"
"No. My dad… he… well, he beat her so bad she died. I ran away so he wouldn't do the same to me." Charlie's chin began to quiver. He ran off down the hall in the direction Drew had pointed out to him a few minutes before. A door slammed loudly, the sound echoing throughout the floor.
Buddy scampered after the boy, stopped at the door, and whined until the door opened just wide enough for him to slip inside.
"That's it… that's what we are missing, Laura," Remington announced.
Confused, Laura turned her attention back to her husband. "What's it?"
"Dogs… Think about it. This boy…Buddy made him feel safe… at least for a little bit. Gave him some comfort when he needed it. It also gave Charlie a purpose. You heard him. He said it was up to him to take care of Buddy. What if… what if we do that with other boys as well?" Excitedly, Remington snapped his head to face Drew. "Could we make that work?"
"I don't see why not. There are enough stray dogs in this neighborhood alone. That's going to take a little bit to get the necessary protocols in place, but I think it'll work. And it will help the boys as well. Give them some responsibility. Yes… Mr. Steele, I think it just might be what we needed." Drew grinned widely.
Remington reached out and slapped Drew on the shoulder. "Whatever it takes, you let me know. I'll leave you and Charlie alone but if you need anything, Laura and I are only a phone call away. We're staying at the St. John."
"Splendid! Sounds like Charlie is returning, so let me get him a hot meal and hopefully settled into one of the bunks for the night. Tomorrow I'll see what I can do for him," Drew declared when the soft click of the door resonated down the hall.
"We'll leave you to it, good man. We'll talk in the morning," Remington agreed before he escorted Laura out into the cold air. He quickly flagged down a taxi and soon they were speeding back to the hotel.
"You're a good man, Mr. Steele," Laura whispered against his ear before pressing her lips to the sensitive skin on his neck.
Remington lifted his arm over her shoulders to snuggle her close to him. "What makes you say that, love?"
"Because you thought of everything. Charlie… Buddy… others like them, in the same predicament as them. How did I become so blessed to be married to such a caring man?" she explained as she tipped her head against his shoulder.
"And I could say the same, Laura. How did I get so lucky to find a woman like you?" Remington remarked before he pressed his lips to her temple.
"Do you think Charlie will be okay tonight?"
"In Drew's care? Most definitely, Mrs. Steele. Most definitely."