86. Fatherhood

Chapter 1

The telephone jangled harshly, or at least that was how it sounded to Terry. She glanced at her watch. It was too early for the men to be on their way back from the sub base. With a frown, she picked up the phone in Garrison's office.

"Hello," she said.

"Terry?" It was Kit from the Blue Fox. "You need to call that boarding school Julie's at. The headmistress called here and said Julie ran away from the school. They haven't been able to locate her yet."

That got Terry's attention. She dropped into the desk chair. "She ran away?" repeated the girl in disbelief. "How long ago?"

"Don't know," replied the red-head. "This morning they found her bed with pillows and a blanket under the covers to look like she was still in bed. That's all I know."

Terrific, thought Terry. "Okay, I'll call right away. Keep your eye open for Julie. She may go straight to my flat."

"Can she get in?" asked Kit. "Did you give her a key?"

"No," replied Terry drolly. "But she knows where your key is hidden, and she knows where you keep mine in your flat."

"Oh, yeah," said Kit rather guiltily. "Guess I should move them again."

"Might be a good idea," agreed Terry with only a hint of sarcasm. "Call me if you hear from her. I'm going to call the school."

Terry did not wait for an answer before hanging up. With a frown and a sigh, the girl pulled open the top right hand drawer of Craig's desk and dug inside for the little address book. Finding it and thumbing through it, she found the telephone number for Milton Keynes School for Young Ladies and placed the call.

It took several minutes to go through, but finally there was an answer.

"Milton Keynes School for Young Ladies. This is Miss Knowles."

"Betty? This is Teresa Garrison, Julie Borghese's godmother. I was just informed Julie has gone missing. May I speak with Headmistress Landers, please."

"Mrs. Landers isn't here right now," said Betty. With the office empty, she was able to speak more freely. "Terry, I don't know what is going on. They think she left sometime during the night. We don't know how she got out, when, or where she went."

"What does her roommate, Mary, say?" asked Terry.

"She said she didn't hear her leave. All she says she knows is Julie has been upset about something, but she doesn't know what."

Sorry, thought Terry. Twelve year old girls talked to their girlfriends about their troubles, real or imagined. Mary is hiding something. Trying not to sound too exasperated, Terry asked, "If she has been missing since this morning, why am I just now being notified?"

Betty's voice did not quite hide her disapproval. "Mrs. Landers wanted to find her so you wouldn't have to be notified."

I'll bet, thought the Garrison woman. "What's been done so far?"

"Well," began the secretary, "the constabulary was notified. They checked the train station. She did not board a train, at least not under her own name."

Terry shook her head. Twelve years old and well versed as Maquisard. "Please keep Miss Gallagher at the Blue Fox informed. She will notify me. We will keep you informed if she shows up here."

"Of course," said Betty. "Is Mr. Borghese there?"

"No," replied Terry, "but he is due back sometime tonight. I'll let him know."

"Thank you," Betty said. "I'm sorry this has happened."

"I'm sorry too," said Terry. Unfortunately she had thought from the beginning something would happen with Julie and that school at some point.

They hung up and Terry went into the kitchen to make something up for the men to eat when they returned. She had just finished putting it in the warmer drawer when the telephone rang again. She wiped her hands on the dish towel and trotted out to the phone in Craig's office. It was Kit.

"Terr, I just now got away from the bar to come home. Malinda is bartending right now. I think Julie is in your flat," said the red-head.

"Well, go in and check," said Terry in exasperation.

"I can't," said Kit. "My hidden key is where it belongs, but your key inside my place is missing. I don't want to knock and scare her off."

"Okay, just stay there. I'm coming. I don't want her to leave again if she hasn't already," said Terry.

They hung up. Terry pulled a piece of onionskin paper from Craig's desk drawer. She took his pen and wrote "Send Actor to my flat immediately! It's a family issue." She signed her name, folded it in half and retrieved the little blue and white "Scotch" cellophane tape can from the top drawer, cut off a piece of the tape and put the can back. She went out the office door, closed it and taped the folded note to it.

Terry grabbed her purse and trotted down the outside steps to her MG. She jumped in and started it up, taking off with a roar. On the way into Brandonshire, Terry berated herself for not leaving the guys on their own and going in to check her apartment for herself. Kit was a great friend, but she wasn't reliable. She hadn't gone to check the flat for two and a half hours.

Fifteen minutes later, Terry swung her car to the curb behind Kit's car, in front of her flat. Getting out and locking the car door, the girl strode through the outer door to the atrium and went inside. Bounding up the stairs to the second floor where she and Kit lived, she found the Gallagher girl sitting on the floor in the hallway, across from Terry's door.

Terry unlocked her door and went inside. Kit got up and peeked in the apartment.

"Julie?" called Terry. "Are you here?"

"Yes," came a timid call back. The young girl stepped out of the spare bedroom and stood, looking at her godmother apprehensively.

Kit backed out in the hall, and silently closed the door. Terry still heard it but did not turn around. Instead. She beckoned the girl to come into the living room. Julie lifted her head and closed her expression, just like her father.

"Are you all right?" asked Terry quietly.

"Yes," said the equally quiet voice.

"I don't suppose you would care to tell me how you got here from Milton Keynes?" asked Terry, trying not to put her hands on her hips in anger. "We'll get to the why in a bit."

Julie looked at the floor. "I didn't want to come straight here. I took a train to London, and from London to Bristol, and from Bristol to Southampton and then from there to Brandonshire."

Terry stared at her. "Just how did you pay for four train tickets?"

The girl shrugged. "Papa sends me money each week in a letter. I don't give it to Headmistress Landers. So I had it hidden in my room."

Terry walked over and sat down in a chair by the fireplace. She wouldn't be surprised if the child had Garrison or DiCaldo blood in her somewhere. She was exactly like Kelly Garrison at that age, hoping a train out of Midvale to go to see a movie in Great Falls and then coming back. The difference was Kelly hadn't bought tickets. Instead, he had hopped a freight in both directions. She looked at the girl in curiosity. "Didn't the ticket man question you about your age?"

"Umm, no," replied the girl. "I borrowed Mary's make-up and made myself look older. I used a different name and paid for the tickets in cash."

Actor's daughter. No question about it. Julie was Actor's daughter.

"Have you eaten?" asked Terry, a bit kinder in manner.

"No," replied Julie in a tiny voice. "I had enough money for the trains. I didn't have money to eat with."

Terry thought she might as well make dinner. She would probably have to feed Julie, herself, and Actor, if and when he arrived.

GGGGG

The five men were disappointed when they pulled into the car park after a long return by sub and car from their mission in Marseilles and found Terry's Tickford was gone. They were hungry and had been looking forward to some of the girl's good home cooking.

"So much for eating," said Casino grumpily as he got out of the back seat of the Packard.

"Perhaps she left something we can heat up," suggested Actor.

Casino wasn't so optimistic, "Yeah, and perhaps she didn't."

"Is that all you can do, Mate?" asked Goniff. "Complain?"

"Look here Limey . . .," the safecracker began.

"Knock it off," said Garrison firmly, with a tired voice. It seemed like that was all he ever said to the man.

Chief was out of the car and up the steps already. Not that he was in a hurry to get into the empty house, but he was trying to get away before the grumpy cracksman turned on him. He wasn't afraid of Casino. He just didn't have the patience today and was afraid he'd use his blade on the mouthy man. Being the first inside, he was able to smell a hint of chicken. He also spotted the large, folded piece of paper stuck to the Warden's office door.

Actor was the next one to enter the house, looking as exhausted as the rest of them.

"I think she cooked," remarked the scout.

That bit of information brought raised eyebrows and a change in direction from the con man. Food came first and sleep next. Actor headed for the kitchen. His optimism was furthered by the place settings at the dining room table, minus anything in front of Teresa's chair.

Garrison entered the house next, with Goniff and Casino on his heels.

"Food," said Chief.

The two miscreants went in the direction of the kitchen. Garrison set the two large kit bags on the floor by the coat tree. He looked at Chief, who was still standing there.

"You're not going to eat?" asked Garrison.

"I am," replied the scout. "Not sure you are." He pointed to the office door. "Looks like Terry left you a big note."

Garrison looked at the door and frowned at the folded typing paper stuck on it. Now what? He walked to the office door and pulled the missive off. Opening it, he made a face of frustration.

"Trouble?" asked Chief.

"Maybe," said Garrison, folding the paper back up and heading for the kitchen.

Actor was placing a large, covered dish of what smelled like Mushroom Chicken on the table. The con man glanced at Garrison's arrival and did a double take at the expression on the officer's face. He straightened cautiously and eyed the paper that was held out to him with wariness. That could not be good news. He accepted the paper, unfolded it and read it. A family issue? Had something happened to Julie? With a short glance at the covered dish he would not be partaking of, he looked back at the Lieutenant.

"May I take the Packard?" Actor asked.

Garrison nodded and the con man moved around him and Chief to head for the door.

"Call if you need anything, and let us know what's going on," said Garrison.

The con man nodded as he went out the door.

"What is going on?" asked Casino, sitting down at the table.

"I don't know," replied Garrison. "She didn't say in the message. Just to send Actor."

GGGGG

Actor backed the car up and drove down the driveway to the road. It was too bad they had not been told before they left the coast. They had just driven through Brandonshire. They could have let him off there.

Turning onto the road back to the village, Actor allowed the worry to seep in. It's a family issue, said the paper that was now lying on the seat beside him. It had to be Julie. Was she ill? Had something happened to her? The still unfamiliar worry for the child, his child, made him drive faster. It was dark by the time he reached Teresa's apartment. He parked the Packard behind Teresa's MG, got out, locked the door and went inside the building.

For some reason he did not question, Actor moved noiselessly up the stairs, unlocked the apartment door with his key, and let himself inside. He did not call out. Listening, he could hear the murmur of female voices from down the hall. Teresa and Julie. Walking silently and cautiously, Actor moved down the hall until he could make out the talking from the spare bedroom. What was being said stopped him cold.

GGG

Terry was sitting on Julie's bed. The girl had a troubled look on her face. Julie had refused to divulge what had sent her running from the school to her father and her godmother.

"Can I ask you something, Mama?" the girl asked.

"Sure, Sweetheart." Terry still got goosebumps when Julie called her 'Mama.'

"I don't know what to do," began the girl slowly.

"About what?" asked Terry.

The woman instinctively knew Actor was in the apartment, though she had heard no sounds indicating he had entered.

"Hilary and Louise, were in Headmistress's office and there were some papers on the desk. Headmistress had gone out, so Hilary looked at the papers. She told the other girls they were Army papers. They were Papa's. They said Papa was working for the Army now, but he had been in prison and there were a bunch of different names he goes by."

Terry and Actor both froze.

"And?" Terry prompted.

"Well, they all started calling Papa bad names. They said he was a criminal, and he didn't have any class." Julie was frowning.

"What did you do?" asked Terry carefully. She was very angry but didn't want Julie to know that.

"The first time, I cried, and they all laughed at me."

In the hall, Actor squeezed his eyes shut in pain. He had been afraid his past would catch up with his daughter. That was why he had been brutally honest with her about his past. He turned away. He could not and would not con his daughter and he did not know how to handle this. He was so afraid Julie would be ashamed that he was her father. And he had never before been afraid or ashamed of who he was. Class? Those brats had no idea what class was.

Terry, still not totally certain of Actor's presence in the hall, continued to feel the girl out. "You said the first time. I assume they didn't stop with that one time."

Julie shook her head.

"So what did you do when they did it again?" asked Terry.

"I punched Hilary."

Good girl, thought Terry careful to keep her expression neutral.

"Mama, how can they say such bad things about Papa? They don't know him. They don't know what a wonderful, kind . . . nice Papa he is!"

"No they don't, Sweetheart. But slugging Hilary is not the best way to handle it. Did you get in trouble?"

"Yes, Headmistress said that it just showed that I was as un – uncouth as Papa."

Terry gave an un-ladylike snort. Her first instinct was to yank Julie out of that school and put her somewhere else. But the same thing would happen in a new school. Better to stop to it here and now. Besides dealing with an obvious security breach.

"Hilary and the others are just showing how bullying and poorly brought up they are. The best thing to do is not show them it bothers you when they say those things. It just gives them satisfaction when they see they are upsetting you and they will do it more." Terry thought about it a second and smiled with a slight touch of malice aforethought. "Watch your Papa when he does the 'haughty' thing."

"You mean like in the restaurant with Major Schaeffer?" asked the girl.

"Exactly." Terry put a thoughtful look on her face. "Now that's not something you use every day. But there is a time and place for it. I've done it myself a time or two. The next time they say something like that about your Papa, just think of them as the ill-bred, rude little brats they are. They aren't worthy of your time or consideration. Just give them that 'SS' look and walk away. If they follow you, just keep on going, slowly, sedately, like you don't have a care in the world."

"What about Headmistress?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about Headmistress." She and Actor would take care of that old bat. And find out who had given her the information on Actor. That was classified information. Terry smiled. "Go to sleep now and don't worry about it. The important thing is you know your Papa and what a good man he is, right?"

"Right." She scrunched up her face. "Should I pray for them?"

"That would be a good thing to do," said Terry. Heavens, a lightning bolt was going to get her one of these days.

"Good night, Mama. Thank you." Julie rolled over and snuggled into her pillow.

"Good night, Julie. You're welcome."

Terry walked quietly out of the room and shut the door. Damn, she was mad, but she did not dare let Actor know. She put a smile on her face before she entered her living room. She came to an abrupt stop when she caught sight of Actor, sitting on the edge of one of her armchairs, elbows on knees, head in his hands. Crap, he heard it, she thought.

Actor looked up at her presence.

Terry approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough," said Actor. "Merda, Teresa, I never wanted her to be hurt by what I was . . . what I am." The hand moved to rub soothing circles with fingertips on the back of his neck.

"What you are is a wonderful father and a good man, Vittorio," said Terry firmly "She knows that. She's more concerned about you than herself."

Actor's head leaned back, and his fists clenched. "I want to go to that school and . . . and . . .!" for once he was unable to articulate.

"Yes," said Terry soothingly. "But you're not going to."

He turned his head to look at her, "Someone has to talk to the headmistress. Something has to be done about those . . . children!"

Apparently, he hadn't heard the part about the headmistress. Good thing. "We will go to the school tomorrow," promised Terry. "Try to let me handle some of it. It's a woman to woman thing. Okay, caro?"

Actor nodded. His face showing his weariness, the con man watched Teresa walk to the desk and telephone. She picked up the phone and dialed. It was a little wait before there was an answer on the other end.

"Hey, Brother," said Terry. "Listen, Actor's as exhausted as you sound. I'm not comfortable with letting him drive back to the Mansion tonight."

"I am perfectly capable," the Italian objected, even if he wasn't.

"Basta," said Teresa quietly. "I want him to stay here tonight." There was a pause as she listened to what had to be an objection. "It's like this, Craig. I could drive him back, but the Packard would still end up here. And I don't want to leave Julie alone right now." There was another pause. "It's too long of an explanation. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Now listen. Here's my plan. I will move Julie into my bedroom and my bed. I'll put Actor in the guest room, and I will sleep in my bed with Julie. I will be well chaperoned." The last bit was said with a touch of sarcasm.

"Teresa, stop," Actor said in Italian. "I will go back to the Mansion. I am fine to drive."

"You know you aren't," objected Teresa firmly. "What?" She turned her attention back to her brother. "Thanks, Craig." She listened and a smile came to her face. "Aw, come on. Hasn't Actor told you a number of times what a good confidence man you are? I'm sure by morning you will have figured out how to handle it. And if not, Actor or I can deck him when we get there." She laughed impishly. She listened again. "He can't. Goniff taught me well. I have the keys to the Packard."

Actor gave the girl a startled look and both hands slapped his jacket front. The keys were gone. He glared at Teresa. She was holding up the car keys with her thumb and forefinger.

"'Night, Brother." She hung up the phone.

Actor shook his head as he received that big, wide, insincere Garrison smile from the woman. "Casino?"

"Most likely, don't you think? I doubt the other two care what you and I do together." Teresa walked past him, keys firmly in the opposite hand. "I will get our sleeping arrangements in order," she said. "Try to stay awake. I can't carry you and it probably wouldn't be a good idea if I undressed you."

GGG

Actor glared at her back as she went down the hall. Once she was out of sight, the corner of his mouth turned up a grin. Pazza. The woman was crazy. In a good way of course. He leaned his head back against the chair and wished to be in bed. His stomach growled loudly in protest. That reminded him of the Mushroom Chicken that the other four men had probably eaten all of.

Julie stepped into the hall in her nightgown. Terry had told her Actor was in the living room. She walked tentatively forward, now afraid of his reaction to her running away.

Actor looked up and saw the fear in the girl's eyes. Great, now she was afraid of him. He levered himself out of the chair and held his arms out. The girl ran into his embrace and hugged him hard.

"I'm sorry, Papa," she said. "I didn't know what to do."

"Hush, Child," Actor said soothingly. "We will discuss it in the morning and come up with a plan." If that didn't sound like a mission, he didn't know what did, he thought wryly.

"Are you very angry?" Julie asked in a small voice.

"Not angry," said Actor, "Just concerned."

Terry stepped into the hall now and stood watching the father and daughter. A smile came to her face.

"Your bed is ready, Vittorio," she said.

"Thank you, Teresa," said Actor, over his daughter's head.

Julie stepped back and looked up at him. He smiled at her with affection.

"Why don't you go back to bed now. I will still be here in the morning. We can talk more then."

"Okay, Papa." She gave him a tentative smile. "Good night."

"Good night, My Julie," he replied.

The girl turned and walked into Terry's bedroom. Teresa reached for the doorknob. "I'll be there in a minute." She shut the door.

Actor watched her approach him.

"Did you eat?" Terry asked.

"No," replied Actor. "Your note said to come immediately. I came immediately."

"I'm sorry," apologized Teresa. "I wasn't sure what to do. Would you like something to eat before you go to bed?"

"Is it Mushroom Chicken?" asked Actor not expecting it to be.

"No," said Terry. "I'll make you some more soon. Sandwich?"

"If it is not Mushroom Chicken, then no," said Actor with exaggerated dejection.

Terry grinned up at him. "I'll make you a good breakfast in the morning, and I have the moka pot."

"Espresso would be delightful," said Actor.

"I'm sorry, caro," repeated Terry. "I'm kinda new at this godmother stuff."

Actor pulled her up against him and wrapped his arms around her. "We will figure it out together, cara," he assured her.

They exchanged a kiss and went to their respective bedrooms.

10