Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of its characters, Disney does. I own Grace and Lillian 'Lily' Snyder, Lucinda AKA Pretty, and Arthur.
(A/N: Rule 1: An Effective Detective Never Falls In Love fanfiction trailer is up on Youtube. You can also go to my profile page for the link there.)
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The long walk to the refuge went normally. Women chatted in the marketplace, some greeted her and commented her new dress. The only thing abnormal was the quietness of the streets. She had looked around while she walked: there was not a newsie to be found. No newspapers were raised in the air; no shouts were echoing off the walls of buildings; no yells were piercing the ocean of city noises. She clutched her hands a little tighter around her parasol's handle. The streets seemed suddenly eerie without the friendly shouting of a newsie.
Lily soon observed she was not the only one feeling this way. Two women rushed past her, one carrying a wicker basket filled with different colored threads and yarns; the other carried a baby in her arms.
"The streets are almost frightening," commented the woman with the baby.
"Hearing the newsies and knowing they are near is a comfort," agreed the other as they walked ahead of Lily.
"I know many newsies are thieves, but many are not and have morals. One time my purse was stolen and a tall newsboy dressed as a cowboy pursued the thief and returned my purse to me. He took no money from me what so ever."
"How gentlemanly," commented the other woman, "Did you reward him?"
"Oh yes, I gave a nickel."
"That's an awful lot of money to be giving away."
"It was only a small price to pay compared to what I could have lost. Besides, he looked happy when he saw it was more than a penny."
The two ladies walked around the corner and Lily continued on her walk. A few minutes later she walked through the gates of the refuge. The police officers tipped their hats and gave a short and polite greeting. She walked into the lobby of the refuge, which also served sometimes as an orphanage. There were no excited parents waiting on the room's comfortable red couches today.
Lily lowered her parasol and placed it into the tall vase, which was made for holding canes and umbrellas.
"Good afternoon, Miss Snyder," smiled Officer Danvers, a tall blonde guard with sea green eyes and a smile that could melt any icy heart.
"Hello, Officer Danvers, how are you this fine day?"
"I am doing well miss. However, I do miss the shouts of the newsies, hearing the headlines helped me pass the time," he smiled.
"I hope this strike-business ends soon," Lily replied. She missed the shouts of the newsies; however, she wanted them to win their strike, no matter how long it took.
"As do I, miss," agreed the guard before he stepped in front of her as a short red haired boy raced past her.
"You do not need to shield me from the children."
"From that little devil I do," Danvers replied with a scowl, "He's put a tack on your father's chair once."
"Oh dear," Lily replied. Good, he earned a pain in the bottom, she thought to herself. Then continued up the stairs to the second story. The hallway was empty, but she could hear the sounds of the younger and older children in the 'classroom' of the refuge. The so-called classroom was really a large room with uncomfortable wooden chairs. A guard stood at the front of the room, another beside the door. A strict and hefty woman named Iris taught the children good 'morals and manners.' But any time the children dared whisper to one another or raise their hands to be excused to the bathroom a ruler would be slapped across their knuckles so hard they could barely move their fingers the next day.
She walked quickly past the classroom and knocked on her father's office door.
"You may enter."
Lily opened the door and smiled, "Good afternoon, father."
"Lillian, sit down and shut the door behind you. I don't care to hear the sounds of those meddlesome brats," he snapped.
"Yes, father..." She shut the door behind her and quickly sat, "How is your day-"
Snyder held his hand up, "What have I told you about speaking out of turn?"
Lily went quiet and lowered her face, she clasped her hands together and fear gathered within her. She glanced behind him and at the tiny closet in the corner of his office. Her stomach twisted, she knew that tiny space all too well. Anytime she would anger her father he would stick into the closet. Inside the storage space was spiders, rats, and once she even heard the squeaks of a bat. He would unlock the door and let her out hours later, at times she would have spider bites all over her face, arms, and legs. Once she was bitten by a rat, another time a small black spider had made it's way into her boot and bit her right foot so many times it swelled the point she could not stand on it.
However, since she became a grown woman and did what she was told, she was not shoved into the closet.
Snyder capped and put down his pen a moment later before looking up at her and clasping his hands together, a smile grew on his face, "How was your day?"
"It went well, father....The newsies are rather silent."
"It's this rumor of a newsboy strike," he scoffed, "That will never happen. I like your dress, where did you get it?"
"I went shopping today, father. It was one of the dresses I bought along with my wedding dress. I wish to look my best for Alexander."
"You bought a wedding dress?"
"Yes, it is waiting inside my wardrobe at home. It is most beautiful."
"I see," he nodded, "I have finished my lunch, but the maid will bring yours here in a few minutes. I need to be off....I have business downtown," he commented before he grabbed his black bowler hat from the hat rack and placing it atop his head. He nodded to her and walked out.
Lily raised her eyebrow and waited for her lunch. She knew her father, he would test her by leaving his office or room to see if she would remember what he taught her. When she was certain he was gone after eating her lunch, Lily began looking through his desk drawers. Most drawers were filled with records of each child in the refuge; another drawer was filled with newspapers; and the last drawer, the largest of them all, was locked. She frowned and tugged at it once again to make sure it was locked and not stuck.
Lily paused and walked to the door, she opened it just enough to see out and glanced around the hallway; it was empty besides for the two guards standing at each end of the hall. She clicked the door shut and walked back to the drawer and grabbed the bobby pin from her hair. The bun uncoiled and her hair fell around her shoulders, she pushed it behind her shoulder and knelt down and picked the lock.
She was helping a newsboy escape from the refuge a year ago, he called himself 'Brooklyn' and he picked the lock to the entrance's doors. She had watched his every movement, then tried it when she returned home. It took weeks for her to quickly and successfully pick a lock.
Lily pulled open the drawer and smiled, "Bingo."
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Lucinda pulled her cap back onto her head and panted, her heart pounded, and excitement coursed through her. Jack, David, and Boots had returned from Brooklyn with Spot's answer: he would not join in or agree to the strike until the Manhattan Newsies proved to him they were serious. The newsies had been close to giving up, Jack looked as if he were about to strangle someone (until disappointment won over). Then David had begun to sing, which led the others to join in and begin dancing. Now that spirits were high all the newsies (minus Skittery) were ready for the strike.
When they arrived at the distribution center the beginning of the strike was rather civilized, until Skitts climbed down the ramp with an armful of papers. Minutes later everything was chaos: newspapers were being torn and shred; a cart was being pushed over; and fruit was being thrown. She grabbed hold of a tomato and watched the Distribution office's door bang open and smirked; she threw the tomato and laughed when it landed on Morris's face.
The older Delancey turned towards her with a sneer. Lucinda wasn't overly concerned, her employer (her father's best friend) had taught her how to fight. He taught all of his detectives how to fight.
"Dat was great!" Jack laughed as he walked over to her, he grabbed hold of a handful of newspapers and ripped them into shreds.
"Too bad we'se can't go off rippin' up Weasel, eh?" She questioned, trying to form her accent into a Manhattan-Irish-ish accent. The fact that it sounded slightly more Irish than Manhattan-ish helped to collaborate her 'history' better. Then, moments later loud piercing whistles sounded, David was behind Jack a heart beat later tugging at his shoulder and pointing at the police and shouting.
"Cheese it! It's da bulls!" Jack shouted a moment later. All the newsies, including Pretty, ran off. She glanced behind her and guilt gathered when she saw the Delanceys dragging Crutchy off. Great. Another innocent victim went to the spider's web. When Lucinda met with Lillian tonight she would be sure to ask her to keep an eye on the tall handicapped boy. He was such a sweetheart and he'd never do anything to harm anyone.
It was then she made a promise to herself: She'd let nothing get in the way of her mission of rescuing Crutchy and the other victims of Warden Snyder's. As she ran down the street she thought to herself: You had better keep your end of our deal, Lillian!
Lucinda was a good judge of character, and from what she had seen Lillian was all too ready to help put her father behind bars.
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Patrick Sullivan scowled and crossed his arms as he watched the large group of newsies run past. He only cared for one of those brats: his son. His chest swelled with pride at seeing his boy was the leader of the unruly group of kids. That boy had potential, now only if he could draw it out of him.
He stepped further into the alley way when Lucinda ran past, a cruel smirked stretched across his thin lips and his beady eyes narrowed. Lucinda may have had everyone convinced she was a newsgirl named 'Pretty,' but he knew who she was. He also knew there was nothing 'pretty' about her. She was friends with Arthur Rascott, one of the head Pinkerton Detectives for the Manhatan area. The man who had thrown him in jail and stole his son from him. He would pay, so would his little girly-detective, along with anyone else who got in his way.
He turned to walk away when he caught his reflection in a glass bottle: his face was long and narrow; his nose crooked from being broken in many prison fights; he trimmed his hair so it revealed the shape of his skull, making his appearance even more frightening. A large and jagged scar went down the side of his face and ended on his left shoulder. The prison docs had said it was a miracle he had survived. Oh yeah, it was a miracle alright, since he had done the damage to himself and knew just how hard and far to cut.
He paused and turned to watch Lucinda again, she was nearly out of his eye sight. Earlier she had visited the home of Warden Snyder. The girl she had talked too was freckle faced and was rather brave to try to put her own father behind bars; that took guts. Whether she had guts or not, he didn't want her around his son. His son had to have no distractions. When he got his Francis back they'd both travel out west together (which Francis seemed intent on doing, anyway) and join Patrick's newly acquired friends. A small group of outlaws who had once been rumored to be part of the James Gang. Whether the rumor was true or not, he didn't give a damn. The men would serve their purpose.
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Lillian had looked through every file in the drawer. Every piece of paper had incriminating evidence written upon it: the amount the state of New York had given him for each child that came into the refuge. And the amount of money he took for himself. Only a tiny portion was left over for the guards' pay, and an even tinier portion for the occupants of the refuge.
But it was one folder that had gotten her attention. It was white and had her mother's name scrawled on the outside of it.
Lily opened the folder and stared in shock at the photographs of her mother and father; a few of her sister and herself. The picture that caught her attention the most was the one of her father when he was younger standing behind her mother holding a baby in their arms. She turned the picture around: Daniel and Emmaline Snyder with Amanda Hearst.
Her eyebrows rose and scrunched together. Who in the world was Amanda Heast? She had no idea if the newspaper giant had children or not. She flipped the picture again and stared at it closer. Her father was younger and actually quite handsome. His hair was longer than it was now, though not by much, and it appeared to be much more stubborn since he had a cow lick. On his face was a shy and somewhat goofy smile.
Her attention focused on her mother, she felt her heart pang in sadness. How she missed her darling and loving mother so. She forced herself to get her emotions under control, she had a job to do. Her mother was smiling in the picture, it was the closed lip small and sweet smile she had always given. Her face was round and narrowed towards her chin. Her hair was in a tight bun at the base of her neck.
Lily's attention then focused on the baby. The baby was in her father's arms; she was probably a few months old judging by her hair and height. Lily paused and opened the top drawer of her father's desk and grabbed his magnifying glass, she held it over the baby's face and froze. The baby's face was filled with freckles, and her face was covered in them! Could she be...? No! She mustn't think of such nonsense, she was Lillian Snyder. Warden Daniel Snyder was her father.
She reluctantly put the picture back into the folder and closed it, then grabbed it and prepared to put it back when an old yellowed piece of paper slipped out. She frowned and carefully picked it up, her heart skipped a beat. The paper had her mother's name on it.
She quickly read it, her heart stopped for a moment. She read it again in disbelief, the words still remained the same proving she hadn't read it wrong.
Snyder, I know you assisted the Pinkerton Detectives in taking my life and my boy from me. Know that when the time comes, I will return for my boy. Then for you. We'll see how you like your life taken from you. Perhaps I should take one of your darling daughters from you as well? If you are still searching for your wife's murderer.....Know that you're reading the note he wrote.
~You Know Who~
Under the note Lily recognized her father's handwriting with the name: Patrick Sullivan scrawled under it. Lily swallowed, her father had always told her and Grace their mother died of illness. Her stomach churned with disgust, fear, shock, and grief. Her mother had been murdered by Francis Sullivan's father. Now she understood why her father wanted Francis Sullivan behind bars so badly. He wanted a bargaining chip to use again Patrick Sullivan.
But, it was no excuse for hunting the poor boy (he didn't seem to be involved in her mother's murder). And it did not excuse her father's treatment of the children in the refuge, nor his treatment towards herself and Grace.
She shoved the note back into the folder and looked at the one piece of paper she would take with her to give to Lucinda. The notepad her father wrote on had the imprints of his last information, she had carefully torn the piece of paper out and used the side of a pencil to reveal the writing. She folded it and tucked it into her skirt's pocket before shutting the desk's drawer and using her bobby pin to lock it once again. She stood and hurried out of her father's office. On her way out of the gates she saw one of the newsboys she had seen the previous day being drug into the refuge. He was kicking and struggling.
"Oscar, please, let him go!"
The younger Delancey turned, "No can do! He helped da oddas wreck da Distribution Centah, Crutchy heah is a criminal. An' criminals get punishment," he snarled before the two brothers, along with the struggling newsie, walked through the gates together never looking back.
Lily walked away and vowed she would put her father behind bars. For a moment she found herself wishing the state would make a woman the warden of the refuge. But she knew that would never happen. She was halfway home when she passed a group of newsies heading towards Tibby's, and one of them was Jack Kelly. She looked over at him and smiled, he didn't appear to notice her. Instead he was talking to a tall girl with light brown hair. She was clutching a pink shawl and her eyes were sparkling.
Lily felt a pang of jealousy travel through her. She then decided to follow Lucinda's rule: Not to fall in love. Especially not with a boy who didn't know she existed. She had a job to do.
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Jack glanced up over Sarah's head and spotted Lillian Snyder, she was turning and walking away from him.
"Jack?"
"Huh?"
"I was asking about the menu," Sarah smiled as she gave a smile and batted her eyelashes.
"Oh yeah, dat....Uh yeah...Deys got real good food, uh.....Too much ta remembah, it's on da chalkboard inside." He stammered as he held restaurant's door open for him, she giggled as she glanced at him and walked in. The hair on the back of his neck began to rise, someone was watching him. He turned but found himself facing an empty street.
