Chapter 6 – Extry, Extry

"Whoa, look at this headline," Snoddy said as he pulled the paper to show Pie Eater and Bumlets. "Murder in Queens! Officer Found Dead! This one's gonna bring in some dough."

"Read it out loud," Snipeshooter said.

"Officer Charles Benson found dead and decomposing in his apartment in Queens. He suffered injuries to the head. The weapon of choice: a skillet-" Dutchy began. "Hey, this one's gonna be a real seller!"

Kate's face turned white as a sheet. She felt her breakfast coming back into her throat. Pushing her way through the sea of newsies, she found a vacant area and vomited.

"Ugh! That's disgusting! Gross! Whoa!" the newsies all commented.

David ran to her. "Kate, are you alright?" Kate shook her head "no."

"Hey, Dave, you might not want to kiss her after-" Mush started to say jokingly. For all the opportune times to make jokes, this was not it.

"Shaddup, ya bum! Have some respect for the lady," Race said smacking Mush in the face.

"Les, you stay with Boots, and I'll meet you at Tibby's," David said to his brother. "I'll take you home, okay?" he said gently to Kate.

Kate nodded her consent, and went up to Snoddy. "Can I-" she tried to say, but there was still acid and mucus caught in her throat. She coughed, and in a very unladylike manner, spit on the ground which got a response from the newsies. "Can I have one of those papers?" she asked, her voice was a bit husky.

"Sure," Snoddy said giving her a curious looking, but thinking nothing of it.


"You're sure you don't want me to stay?" David asked. "I don't like leaving you in the house alone," he added. At present, Mrs. Jacobs was at a quilting circle with friends.

"The headline is much too interesting for you not to use it to your advantage," Kate said. Surprisingly, she wasn't panicked about the situation. She had been forming a plan ever since she had reached the Jacobs' home.

"Headlines don't sell papes. Newsies sell papes," David said, then kissed her on the cheek.

"Then buy a million and sell them all for me," she said putting on a fake smile.

"Only if you promise to get well," David said giving her a wink and heading out of the door.

Kate's smile faded as soon as he left. She was thankful that she had the house alone. Going into the bedroom, she sat on the bed and opened the paper. She read:

Officer Charles Benson found dead and decomposing in his apartment in Queens. He suffered injuries to the head; the weapon of choice: a skillet. His daughter, Katherine, is suspected as the murderer. Benson was discovered by The Queen's Apartments land lady, Minerva Jackson. From the decay of his body, medical examiners believe he has been dead for nearly six weeks. Why hadn't authorities searched for him before Jackson's discovery? Fellow officer Henry Fredricks says, "Charlie was irresponsible. Sometimes he wouldn't show up to work for weeks. We weren't worried. We just figured he'd be back."

And what of the murderess? Former employer, Deborah Saunders said, "Many days, Katie would come to work with bruises or black eyes- some kind of injury. She seemed like a sweet girl, but I guess we all got a breaking point. Maybe she just lost it." Sixteen year old, Katherine Benson is of medium height and weight with blonde hair and brown eyes. She may be dangerous, and was seen headed toward Manhattan. If you have any information about this young woman, help keep New York City safe, and report her to authorities immediately.

On the next page, there was a sketch drawn, looking similar to her own face. She put the paper down. She had read enough. What should she do now? Neighbors of the Jacobs could be reading the paper at this very moment. She could easily ruin every good thing they had. One thing was sure: she had to leave.