A/N: Thanks Stress & Dizzy for letting me know the right spelling of Hearts ^_^

Disclaimer: See other chapters.

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Slash's face turned to shock, "Dead? But.. what, who? How?" She asked.

"I don't know." Diamonds replied softly, quickly wiping away a tear daring to roll down her cheek as she spoke. The sea of faces stared at her, all wondering what had happened.

"Why'd anyone wasn't ta kill Prairie? She didn't do anything." Lit'l Bit knitted her brows, "It ain't make sense."

As if on cue, Blise strode happily up to the girls, whistling cheerfully. His mood contrasted with the girls, like day to night.

"Good to see you all again. I hope I can get some good pictures." He smiled, fishing for the cloth used to cover the top of the camera in a small briefcase he had been carrying.

A silence greeted him, he stared around almost nervously.

"I.. What seems to be the matter? Is something wrong?" he queried, concern crossing his face, but it seemed feigned. His face a mask of nothing.

Poem cocked her head at him; there was something strange about him today. He seemed too jolly, too joyous.

"Perhaps I should come back another time." He mumbled, ready to make a hasty run. The girls inched closer slowly, a pack of lions.

"It was him." Diamonds said. Her voice expressionless as if she recognized murderers daily.

The others who had been able to hear her nodded. It was painfully obvious that Blise had had something to do with Prairie's death.

Diamonds lurched forward to run after Blise who had realized what the girls had figured and ran into the distance, but Smudge held her back.

"We ain't have any evidence, except.. well, Denton knows something about Blise, or so he says anyway. We oughta talk to 'im." She advised, Diamonds sighed but agreed. They would have to find Denton tonight.

"Da rally is cancelled! We ain't stickin' with da strike until the moiderer is behind bars. Freedom shouldn't cost us lives." Diamonds announced to the crowd, a nervous whisper floated about.

Diamonds and Smudge took off running towards Denton's apartment, a mere ten minute journey.

Smudge knocked loudly on the thick door, a moment later it opened slowly, Denton's face appeared looking tired.

"Smudge. Diamonds. What are you doing here?" He inquired, searching in his pocket for his pocket watch.

"We cancelled da rally. For now. Prairie's been moidered, and we t'ink Blise did it." Smudge replied, barging into his apartment and taking a seat at a table.

Denton nodded sadly, "Let me tell you something about Blise. Prairie knew it all along. Blise isn't a journalist, he works for William Hearst, and you know him obviously. Old Bill." Denton chuckled slightly, "After the strike against Pulitzer, Hearst felt Pulitzer had gotten more recognition than he deserved. He hired 'spies' so to say; to keep an eye on the newsies to ensure nothing like that would ever happen again, it was bad for business. When he heard about your strike, he went ballistic. Angry that you would dare to rise again."

Diamonds interrupted him, "But da strike ain't have anyt'ing ta do with da journal."

"No, it has plenty to do with The Journal. Another strike means another achievement for the newsies, making The Journal look bad regardless. People are becoming more aware of women's rights, and with your strike, Hearst got scared that the public would turn on him for letting discrimination happen. And so, he sent Blise to take a look. He wasn't pleased with what he saw. But, I don't believe he would have ordered Blise to kill Prairie. This is where Hearst's main 'spy' comes into the picture. Marcus Finnigan, eager to please Hearst and become his assistant. Finningan would do anything to move up and gain power." He stopped and cleared his throat, wiped his eye and continued,

"Blise and Hearst devised a plan that at the rally tonight Blise would call the police and have most of you arrested, and anyone encouraging the strike. Finnigan knew the plan, and found out from numerous sources that Prairie had a suspicion about the plan. Thinking it would please Hearst, he was probably the one to murder Prairie."

"How'd you find all dis out?" Smudge asked, eyeing a notebook on Denton's desk. "Research. And a little snooping, I waited around The Journal's office building and found out a few things. Strange characters there." Denton answered, rubbing his hands together, shoulders sagged with sadness.

Diamonds sniffled loudly and took a deep breath, "So, how do we get da bulls involved? I mean, we gotta get Finnigan an' Blise and dem arrested, right?"

"Yes, but they're powerful people. Under Hearst's wing they have the law on their side. It won't be easy." He said, "Listen give me some time to think of something. We can beat them if we try. Come back tomorrow evening and bring the others."

They nodded and headed out the door, Diamond turned back towards Denton,"Denton. Thanks."

He nodded curtly and continued scribbling in his notebook.

`*`*`*`*`

"Poem? Do you think Prairie is sellin' papes with da angels in heaven?" Selley asked, sitting next to her near- idol on the fire escape.

Poem clenched her jaw for a moment; the tears that once stained her cheeks had left a red track behind them, invisible in the dark of night, "Nah. She's probably laughin' at all of us cryin' over her. She was always like that. Probably has everyt'ing she evah wanted."

"She's an angel, right?" The small girl asked hopefully, scared of the answer.

"Coise she is." Poem hit Selley's cap lightly, and smiled.

`*`*`*`*`

Hearst threw a small brass statue in the direction of the door, his ears a flaming red.

"You did WHAT? You disgusting, blithering.." Hearst stuttered out of anger, "Fool. You will rot in hell I'm sure!"

Finnigan shivered slightly, cowering against the office door, "But.. But.. Sir, you said you were going to get rid of them, I assumed.. I assumed you meant.." His voice faltered.

"Assuming made a fool of you. I shall have you arrested tomorrow. Murdering, a child. A goddamned child!" Hearst shook with rage, his mind a tempest of anger. He picked up the picture of the blonde girl and shoved it in Finnigan's face.

"Do you see this? Do you? Look at it. That is my daughter, who ran away from home years ago. What if you had killed her instead of the orphan you did?" He shook his head as if trying to clear his mind, "It doesn't matter who it was. It shouldn't have been anyone. Fool! Damned bastard."

Hearst motioned for the guard standing solemnly nearby to take Finnigan away, his face pure disgust. Finnigan begged and pleaded, near screaming by the time the guard had dragged him roughly down the stairs towards a carriage waiting outside.

Hearst stroked the picture frame, still shaking with anger, "Liesel. Where are you? Why are you against me? Come back one day." He sighed. The picture was placed carefully back into the drawer, Hearst took one last glimpse around his office before shutting the door behind him.

`*`*`*`*`

Sobs and sniffles were the only sound at the lodging house that night. Everyone had finally come to face the fact that Prairie was gone, the future looked bleak.

Diamonds sat on her bunk, staring across the aisle at Prairie's empty bunk. It seemed like a tomb looming darkly in the gloom, the sheets folded carefully as always. Prairie was never messy; she always made her bed much to the delight of Mrs. Norren.

Selley and Poem had returned from the fire escape before Diamonds and Smudge had arrived back from their visit to Denton's. After a long talk about what they had found out, nobody would be able to sleep peacefully.

Selley seemed to be the only one not crying, she looked at Diamond's face. Diamonds didn't notice, she continued staring.

A hand landed softly on Diamond's back, startled, she looked up. It was Selley.

"Prairie's an angel now. She's happy." Selley stated, looking at Diamonds with a hopeful gleam in her eye.

Diamonds giggle softly at the thought of Prairie in heaven trying to pick fights with the other angles, "Yeah. A ragged angel. A happy, ragged, newsie angel."

She quickly hugged Selley and sent her back to her bunk, "We'se have a tough time ahead of us, Selley."

Selley answered with a silent nod and quiet snore.



--From Derby: I can see clearly now, the rain is gone! Things are starting to clear up a bit I think, thanks to Denton lol. I know it's kind of hard to follow and sort of a weird plot, but bear with me, it's hard to write. Anyway, next chap soon.