Chapter 6
I apologize for the extreme delay in another chapter for this story. I actually had to watch "Annie" again for inspiration. This is still going to be a little different from Annie. There may be some similarities, but my plan of how this is going to play out will be different. Thanks for reviews and follows.
Disclaimer: Don't Own Anything
Patrick decided there needed to be something done for Charlotte's friends at the girls home. So, he decided that morning to come into talk to Miss Flynn. Teresa had taken Charlotte around town. Even if nothing could be done to find her parents, he believed she may appreciate her friends getting new clothes. He looked at at the door before him and saw the sign, Sacramento Home for Girls. He knocked on the door and soon a tall, woman with short hair and tight dress answered, who he assumed to be Miss Flynn.
"Oh, Mr. Jane, right? What can I do for you?" Miss Flynn flirtily asked.
"You're Miss Flynn?" Patrick asked and then read her. "You manipulate people to fit your needs. You're in a job you really don't like." He could tell she hated taking care of children and was only doing it for the money.
"Yes, in a way I do manipulate but you're wrong about me hating my job. I adore these girls. You may call me Erica. What can I do for you?" Miss Flynn smiled flirtily.
"I heard from Charlotte that this home doesn't provide new clothes for the girls here." Patrick said ignoring her flirting.
"Come, let's talk in my office." Miss Flynn led him to her office and Patrick followed. "Why, Patrick, if I may call you, I care for these girls as my own." Miss Flynn elaborated as she sat in the chair behind the desk and he sat in the guest chair provided. Patrick observed the lying woman. He read that she didn't really care for the girls as she said she did and hated the job which didn't suit her elegant personality.
"Sure you do." Patrick sarcastically said. "Then how come they don't have new clothes? Certainly you can buy clothes with donations in particular given by me."
"Clothes tend to be expensive." Miss Flynn said snarkily.
"What did I just say about the clothes? That's what my donations are for." Patrick reminded her seriously.
"Well, certainly you understand being too busy." Miss Flynn complained.
"Of course, if you're busy I could help by buying the clothes myself. I'm sure Charlotte's friends would appreciate new clothes." Patrick admitted. "It is Christmas Eve the day after tomorrow after all. This is a perfect time for new clothes."
"How is Charlotte? When I saw you come, I thought you grew tired of her and decided to give her back." Miss Flynn confessed.
"No, she's a delightful girl. A pure joy to be around."
"Oh, I thought she would have annoyed you." Miss Flynn said snarkily.
"No, but since we're on the topic of Charlotte, she mentioned she wanted to find her parents. Do you know anything about them?" Patrick asked. Patrick figured maybe he could learn some more from Miss Flynn even though she appeared to care less for the girl as the other girls. She didn't seem to fit the part of caretaker.
"I wasn't here at the time she was found. Miss Johnson found her, bless her soul, on the doorstep with a locket. I assume you've seen it?" Miss Flynn explained.
"Yes. Was there anything else with her at all?" Patrick asked.
"No, I'm sorry." Erica stated. Patrick then observed her and right away knew there was more to her story she wasn't telling him.
"You're lying, Miss Flynn." Patrick stated and looked at her seriously waiting for her answer to tell the truth.
"Fine, there was a letter with her." Miss Flynn relented.
"Has she seen it? Don't lie to me." Patrick looked at her again.
"No, she hasn't." Miss Flynn admitted.
"What! How could you not show her that important link to her parents!" Patrick exclaimed frustrated.
"Miss Johnson didn't show it to her." Miss Flynn confessed. "It wasn't my fault."
"But you haven't shown it to her! You could've. You know it's important to her." Patrick stated.
"Mr. Jane, her parents are not coming back. I assume they are dead. That's more likely than anything." Miss Flynn confessed.
"I hope you don't tell her they're dead." Patrick worried.
"No, but I tell her they're not coming back. I don't give her false hope. I care enough to do that." Miss Flynn explained.
"Fine, I want to see that letter." Patrick asked.
" No names or address are listed on this letter. It's not going to do much good. And it's typed." Miss Flynn explained sorrowfully.
"I want the letter now!" Patrick yelled.
"Fine, I'll give it to you." Miss Flynn pulled her drawer out and searched through and finally pulled out a file that had Charlotte handwritten on the side. She set it on her desk and took out a letter typed written.
Please take care of my dear child, Charlotte. I am unable to take care of her at this time. Maybe I will be able to return for her someday. I leave with her a half a locket that will remind her that she is loved.
He took the letter. "She deserves to have this." Patrick stated as he started to get up.
"Come again, Patrick." Miss Flynn right away got up as well and soon went close to Patrick. She put her hands on his chest. He flinched. "Maybe we can go to dinner sometime." Miss Flynn said flirtily. He took her hands off him. "I don't think so. Thank you for the letter and I'll be seeing the girls here get new clothes." He turned around and left toward the door and opened it and left slamming it behind him.
After Patrick finished at Miss Flynn's visit, he looked at the letter. He thought about that maybe he could go to the human services to see if he could find out information about Charlotte. Certainly there would have to be something. He got back in the car and settled in the seat.
"Where are you off to, Mr. Jane?" Mr. Minnelli asked from the driver's seat.
"I would like to go the human services office, Mr. Minnelli." Patrick stated.
"Of course, Mr. Jane."
Mr. Minnelli drove to the Sacramento Department of Human Services. He came to the front and let Patrick out. Patrick opened the door to the brick building and entered. The office was busy with people in the waiting room. Patrick went to the desk. "May I help you, sir?" The clerk asked.
"Yes, I am interested in finding out about a girl in the girls home."
"You'll have to talk to our director, Madeline Hightower."
"May I go see her?"
"I'll check to see if she's available. Your name?"
"Patrick Jane."
"Ms. Hightower, there's a Patrick Jane wanting to talk to you."
"Yes, I'll send him in." The clerk hung up the phone. "Mr. Jane, she'll see you."
"Thank you."
Patrick saw the door with the name Madeline Hightower engraved in it and then he opened the door and entered the room. He saw a tall African American woman with her hair up in a bun in a business suit. "Hello, Mr. Jane. How may I help you?" She pointed to a chair in front of her desk. "Take a seat."
"Yes, I want to find out about a girl from the girls home." Patrick took a seat in the chair provided.
"Which girl would that be?" Hightower questioned.
"Charlotte. She's staying with me for a couple of weeks." Patrick admitted.
"What do you want to know about her?" Hightower asked.
"Well, she wants to find her parents." Patrick stated. He might as well state the true reason he came to the office.
"Look, Mr. Jane. It's an impossible feat." Hightower stated seriously.
"Yes, I realize. I just came from speaking to Miss Flynn and she showed me this letter." Patrick explained taking the letter out of his jacket pocket.
"Yes, I know about the letter. I can't tell you much." Hightower said seriously.
"Certainly you can do a DNA test and find fingerprints."
"Yes,that's a possibility, but you're not her guardian."
"She's staying with me right now."
"You're not an official guardian. She's a ward of the state."
"What exactly has the state done for you?"
"They've provided shelter and food for her."
"What about finding her parents?" Patrick asked.
"As far as I know, there are no parents." Hightower noted.
"Didn't the state bother to find the source of the letter?" Patrick asked.
"Yes, it was taken in account. The authorities tried to search. You can only do so much searching. Why exactly do you care so much about find her parents? How long has she been with you exactly, Mr. Jane?"
"A couple days."
"You want to find parents for a girl you barely know?"
"Yes, I do. I want to help her in any way I can. What is the process of becoming an official guardian?" Patrick asked.
"You have to fill out paperwork and the state conducts a home visit. I will give you a name of a private investigator I know. He's a friend of the family's." Hightower stated writing down on a post-it note. She handed it to Patrick and on there revealed the name Kimball Cho and his number.
"Thank you, Ms. Hightower. I appreciate this very much."
"Good luck, Mr. Jane." Hightower said getting up..
Patrick got up from the chair and shook Hightower's hand.
"Good luck, Mr. Jane."
Meanwhile Teresa and Charlotte had gone back to the ice cream shop in the mall they didn't have a chance to go to the day before. Charlotte picked out the chocolate chip cookie dough and Teresa was having a strawberry ice cream. They were sitting at the tables in the food court. "What's Mr. Jane doing today?" Charlotte asked taking a lick of her cone.
"He's working and he's talking to Miss Flynn." Teresa admitted. She knew he had decided he wanted to talk to Miss Flynn about some things and that he wanted to help out with the other girls getting new clothes. She was really surprised how he was getting involved with all of Charlotte's life including helping the girl's friends. It seemed so unusual for him considering the years she knew him he just went to work and had her arrange meetings.
"What for? He better be careful." Charlotte warned.
"Why?" Teresa questioned confused. She had talked to Miss Flynn just fine. She wasn't exactly the most easiest woman to get along with, but she knew how to deal with her.
"Miss Flynn likes to keep men hostage in her office."Charlotte stated with a grin.
"Why? What do you mean?" Teresa looked concerned. She wasn't going to get jealous at this revelation. She knew the type of woman Miss Flynn was. The type of women that seduced and manipulated for their gain. She seemed to be a woman that men would find attractive and she could easily convince to fall for her.. It probably wouldn't be any different for Patrick. She wasn't worried about him since, he hadn't dated or seen any women at his place that he would bring home. She shouldn't even think about this. This was ridiculous, she was his assistant, nothing more. He would never see her as men would see a sexy, beautiful. She shouldn't think of this. Mr. Jane was her boss.
"I don't know. When they come out their clothes look all messed up. She doesn't let them leave. She begs them to stay. What does he want to talk to her about?" Charlotte asked.
"I think he'll be safe. He won't let her take him hostage." Teresa smirked. "He wants to get your friends new clothes for Christmas. Would they like that?" Teresa asked taking a lick of ice cream.
"Yes, they would love it! They've never gotten Christmas gifts before. What are we doing for Christmas?" Charlotte said excitedly.
"Well, we are going to a party. Mr. Jane is friends with Mayor Mashburn and he invited us to come." Teresa explained. Walter Mashburn, the ladies man mayor, she remembered. Everytime she saw him, he had a different woman in his arms. The times she came with Patrick to meet with him, Walter would try to flirt with her. She never liked those type of men.
"What's the party going to have?" Charlotte asked.
"Lots of food, a live band for dancing. The women dress up in fancy dresses and the men wear suits. It's a really big party." Teresa explained.
"Who's going to be there?" Charlotte asked again.
"I don't know all the people. Mayor Mashburn, obviously and mostly politicians, judges, lawyers, cops. Just really important and big people." Teresa described. The kind she really didn't like to have conversations with at parties.
"We can find our dresses here then, since we're here at the mall." Charlotte excitedly said.
"Alright, let's find our dresses, Charlotte." Teresa admitted.
Feedback is Appreciated. I'm going to to try to update this story. It may be a while before another chapter.