We walked across the bridge toward Manhattan. Man, this was my third time in a week headed over there. Was it really only six days since I had run across in the rain on nothing but a cryptic message from Boots and a lot of hope? It felt like longer. I glanced over at Katja beside me and her dog trotting contentedly at her feet. It had been a good week.
It seemed awfully soon to be seing Muriel again. I doubt she's had much of a chance to settle in over the course of the last 48 hours. Heck, it will take her that long to get to know the names of most of the boys, and she probably doesn't have a job yet. She may even still be at the boys' lodging house. But it couldn't be helped if we were all going to move forward. Maybe it could help her achieve the same sense of closure that I hoped Katja would find. We might-
Something was wrong. I have no idea what, but I sensed something wasn't quite right. I stopped in the middle of the bridge and swung around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I didn't see anything suspicious. But something was making me uneasy. It was a warm day that spoke of the heat of the summer to come, but I felt a chill. I looked down at Katja, who was looking up at me with frank curiosity. Then I noticed the dog. He was looking at me with an expression that telegraphed his unease, and the hair on his back was standing up. I know that dogs can feed off of our emotions, but in this case I didn't think so. I was pretty sure it was the other way around. I have spent years honing my senses so that I can pick up on things that are not quite right-and something about the dog's behavior had made me uneasy.
I promise I am not crazy. I could just tell that all was not right with the world. I could also tell that standing here wasn't going to fix anything. Katja was still looking at me, wondering why we had stopped in the middle of the bridge.
"Sorry, Cat. Just thought I heard something," I said, trying to put her at ease. But not myself. No, I stayed on high alert the rest of the way to our destination. That feeling never left me, and I am pretty sure that Jimmy noticed something, too. But no matter. By the time we reached the World building, the Manhattan boys were headed to pick up their afternoon papes. We found the boys waiting in the plaza for the circulation bell.
"Heya, Spot," Dutchy said, and I grinned at him.
"What's rollin'?" I asked, stepping forward toward him.
"Not much. What brings you to Manhattan?" he asked, and I explained that we were looking for Muriel.
"Ah, the Mouse. Ask Snoddy. They've been glued together ever since you brought her here. He's pretty protective of her," he said. I raised an eyebrow at that, and Dutchy faltered under my gaze. "I mean, he hasn't tried anything or anything like that. She trusts him, and he looks out for her is all. She sticks near him and he . . ." he broke off, trying not to say anything that would get his friend in trouble with me. I let him squirm even though I believed him. Hey, I have a reputation for a reason, you know.
"Where are they now?" I asked coolly, looking around the plaza for a sign of the duo.
"Probably on their way. They're usually here right as the bell-" As if on cue, the circulation bell rang and the gates to the office opened. As the boys filed up the ramp, I hung back, Katja mostly close behind me. I wondered at first why she stuck so close, but then I realized that she was simply staying in the shade my body provided. Haha! Cute. Anyway, it wasn't long before Snoddy walked up, Muriel close beside him. She saw me and stopped cold, her face paling. Well, that wasn't a promising start. Instantly Snoddy was on alert, looking for the source of her discomfort. Good boy. He saw me and tensed a bit, but he walked gamely forward all the same.
"Spot," he said warily.
"Snoddy," I said, spitting in my hand and offering it to him. He relaxed a bit and returned the gesture. I turned to the girl at his side.
"Muriel," I said.
"Hi," she said nervously.
"Relax, kid. Katja and I just wanted to run some things by you is all," I said, and she looked over my shoulder and spotted Katja for the first time.
"Katja," she said, her voice shaking.
"C'mon," I grabbed Snoddy's arm and walked him a few paces away, allowing the girls to talk.
"How is she?" I asked, keeping my eyes fixed on the two as they shyly conversed.
"Nervous. And shy. But the boys like her. They call her Churchmouse. I think she's starting to trust a few of them, too. But she seems stuck to me like glue."
"You looking out for her?" I asked, a hint of menace in my voice. I have to hand it to Snoddy. He didn't flinch.
"You know I am," he said.
"She tell you anything?"
"Some. That her boss was abusing her and that he threatened her. That you brought her here for her safety and that she had nobody in Brooklyn. I know there's more to it, but that's what she told me. Nobody else knows, though."
I nodded. I was glad she had someone to trust, and Snoddy is a good guy. I wouldn't call him effeminate by any stretch, but he was the kind of guy who had read Pride and Prejudice. It wasn't surprising she would choose to trust him. He was also strong and a good fighter, so I guess she could do a lot worse in a protector and confidante.
The girls had overcome their initial shyness now and were conversing rapidly. Their voices were very low, but I could see the intensity on both faces and knew that Katja was explaining our reason for being here. Muriel blanched. Snoddy saw it, too.
"Mouse?" he called, moving forward. I put my cane out to block him as she turned back to hear what Katja was saying. They went back and forth for a few more minutes, and I could feel the tension in Snoddy.
"Look, I know you're worried about her, okay? But let them talk this out. It's important," I said, and he looked at me.
"She's just starting to settle in. I just don't want anything to upset her," he said.
"It's not up to you. Your job is to be there when she needs you. But she has to know about and then deal with this issue, and Katja's the best person to help her do that," I said. "And this one is time sensitive."
"I don't have to like it," he grumbled, but I could tell that he accepted that he had to let this conversation play out.
A few more minutes passed and most of the boys headed out to sell their afternoon papes. The plaza gradually emptied, and still the girls were talking. Finally, they came over.
"You think this is the best course?" Muriel asked me, and I nodded.
"I do. But you'd have to tell at least some of the guys here, and we wanted to give you that opportunity so you aren't caught off guard."
"Do I have to do anything?" she asked.
"Not yet," I answered. "And maybe not ever. We'll see. For now, though I think it would be best if you told Kloppman and Snoddy here, and maybe a few others."
"I can tell Snoddy, but I don't think I can tell anyone else," she said.
"You can have him do it," I said, and she nodded.
"What am I doing?" Snoddy asked, confused as he followed the cryptic-to-him conversation.
"Whatever the lady asks," I said.
"Well, sure, but can you be more specific?" Snoddy said, looking at Muriel.
"She needs you to inform a few people of some things. You two have some talking to do. Then you can help the lady spread the word as the two of you feel is necessary," I said. I turned to Muriel. "We're good? You don't need anything else from us? Boys are treating you well?"
"I'll be okay," she said, looking at Snoddy with complete trust. "They're good to me. You okay?" she added, turning to Katja.
"Fine," Katja said, looking at me. Oh boy. I hate when she looks at me like that-like I'm some sort of savior or something. "Thanks for everything."
"No. Thank you," Muriel responded, turning to Katja and clasping her hand.
"We'd better get going," I said to Katja, leaving Snoddy and Muriel to talk. Jimmy arose from the shade of the statue and trotted dutifully ahead toward Brooklyn and home.
Before we'd left I'd instructed Ace to make sure all the boys were back at a reasonable hour that night. I intended to make sure they were all in the loop tonight. That would give them a day to decide if they wanted to sell the paper running the story. I know Katja would encourage them to sell, and I intended to do the same. The headline would be good, and I was understating the situation when I told her it would be good selling. As we headed down the Manhattan streets towards the bridge, I told Katja what I had planned to discuss with the boys. We talked about how much they should know and about how they would react. We decided to tell them in groups by age and maturity-the youngest would get a softer explanation, while the older ones would get a frank and factual briefing.
As we got close to the lodging house, I could see her get increasingly nervous. She began fidgeting, and her eyes moved wildly around at the boys hanging out near the end of the bridge and playing stickball or marbles in the street in front of the lodging house.
"Hey," I said, grabbing her hand and turning her to face me. "It'll be okay."
"I know," she said. "And I haven't changed my mind or anything. I'm just nervous."
"Do you want me to postpone?"
"No. But is it okay if I go upstairs and stay on the roof until you're done?" I asked.
"Of course," I said, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. "But you should eat something first."
We grabbed some dinner from downstairs and ate in the lounge. She was picking at her food again. Eventually she gave up and headed upstairs. I followed, concerned about her lack of appetite.
"You didn't eat," I said.
"I didn't?" she seemed surprised.
"Cat, I know this is hard," I began, but she interrupted me.
"It is. But I'll be okay. I'll just go out on the roof or something," she said.
"You want the dog up there?" I asked.
"He can't climb the ladder."
"I could bring him up," I said. She laughed.
"Sure," she said, and I heaved the confused animal onto my shoulder. He stiffened, his legs sticking out at an awkward angle, as I squirmed out of the thankfully large window and began climbing the ladder to the roof. Katja was laughing behind me. I set the bewildered creature down, and he looked up at me, offended. Katja climbed up behind me, blanket over her shoulder, slingshot in her sash, and book in her hand. Jimmy went straight to her, clearly not happy with me. I chuckled.
"Let me know when you want me to come get him," I said, heading down the ladder with the sound of her laughter following me.
Once downstairs, I gathered most of the older boys, the ones in charge of the groups of younger boys. Even Goldie was there to represent the girls. Good. I would need their help to ensure the message was understood and communicated properly.
"What's up, Spot?" Flex asked, curiosity lining his face.
"You've been busy lately," Silver added. His voice wasn't accusing-just curious.
"We need to talk. I need your help to make sure all the guys know the deal," I said, knowing that I would have their attention without needing to look at each face. "First off, it's about Katja." I saw a few nods, but nobody interrupted me. They are pretty well trained. I took a breath and continued.
"When she disappeared, her boss took her back to his apartment." I held up a hand to stave off the inevitable question. "I know we staked it out and even searched it, but there were two apartments. He kept her pretty well hidden. It's obvious he had planned everything out and knew what he was doing." The murmer of surprise died quickly. They really do know when it's important to listen. "I'm sure you have already realized what that man did to Katja for the six weeks she was with him. She had a rough go, and she split. She wandered the streets of Manhattan for a few weeks. And if I know any of you, you're wondering how the creep is still breathing." There were nods of assent now. I figured as much.
"Without wanting to go into too many details, let's just say Katja and I are pursuing legal action. Not Newie Justice. Everybody got it?" I glared at the boys to make it clear that nobody was to exact their own vengeance. If I could restrain myself, so could everyone else, and for this to work legally, we had to do it right. I saw nods, if not acceptance, from everyone. Okay, we'd come back to that.
"She's obviously a bit fragile about this, but we're going to be filing a report tomorrow. That means on Monday it will be a big headline." I could see everyone tense up at that. They realized the issue. "Katja decided she would rather have you all know about the issue and have a great selling day. She wants you to sell. I agree with her and think it's a good idea. But it will be up to each of you." I could see nods of comprehension and looks of indecision on most faces.
"The important thing now is that we all move forward. Especially Katja. She wants you all to treat her the same. She's pretty nervous about that part. She probably won't want to talk about what happened, so no questions. I know it's a tall order, but you have all night to process everything."
"But she's safe now," Trug asked, and I could tell he was wondering about Muriel. Right now he was the only one who knew about her, so his question made sense.
"As far as I know, but it never hurts to be vigilant. And she's a young woman in Brooklyn, so there's always some risk," I said. The boys nodded.
"I need you to fend off the younger kids. See to your boys. Field any questions and direct them to me. Not to Katja. Got it?"
"So why not just get the guy?" asked Pike. Fair question.
"Believe me, I would love to personally rip him apart," I growled, and I could hear the sympathetic answering rumble from several throats. "But what do you know about jail?" Many of the boys nodded their understanding, but others looked at me blankly. "In jail they have their own internal justice. People who abuse children face that justice at the hands of the other criminals. For the duration of their time." I saw a light of approval in the eyes of many of the boys as they realized that this would be far worse than any soaking we could provide. "I don't want the younger boys to know that part, though. And there's one other reason." I could have heard a pin drop as the boys leaned in to hear what I had to say. "There is at least one other victim, probably more. This way means there won't be another victim. And it means justice for all the victims. There is no need to tell the youngers any of that either," I added the last bit in an "is that clear" voice. "All they need to know is that nobody touches the man without permission or direct and immediate threat.
"Any questions?" I asked, crossing my arms and giving the boys a few minutes to take in all I had said.
"Not for now," Silver said after a few moments of silence. "We just need to take some time to figure out what we's gonna say to our boys."
"Okay, then," I said. "Make sure they know-nobody touches him. Everyone stays clear. Send the youngest boys to me. I'll tell them. Then I'll take house tonight. Any volunteers for night watch? I don't want to make it an order tonight," I said. Brown, Greasefoot, Silver, and Pike quickly volunteered. Good boys.
"That's it, then. Have a good night," I said. Ace immediately sought me out. I knew what this was about and held up a hand to preempt his question.
"She told Ingrid this morning. It went well. Ingrid's parents don't know," I said, and Ace nodded, saying nothing as he turned to find his boys. I watched each of the older boys gather their kids. Some were taking the time to work through what they wanted to say-I saw Silver muttering to himself, rehearsing his script in his head. Trug came up to me as I was surveying the room.
"Was it Muriel? The other girl?" he asked.
"Yes," I said.
"She safe, too?"
"Should be. Snoddy knows, and they're telling most of the boys there tonight or tomorrow since it'll be in the papes. But only the ones who need to know."
"You went over there today?" he asked, mildly surprised.
"Yeah. Katja and I had to tell her," I said. He nodded.
"Manhattan boys gonna find out about Katja?" he asked, and I shrugged.
"Katja said it was okay, but I think only the boys who know about Muriel will be told-so probably only a select few."
"Okay, then. Let me know if anybody needs anything." Trug was a relatively quiet guy, and often too earnest. This time, though, I appreciated it.
"Thanks," I said sincerely. As he stepped away, Red moved over to join me. He'd been strangely quiet while I'd been talking earlier.
"I thought as much. About Katja, I mean," he murmured.
"Yeah, I could tell. You have a good sense for these things," I replied. He shrugged in acknowledgement.
"I also saw her panic the day she came back, remember? Nobody else saw that. Big clue, that."
I didn't say anything, but I did sigh slightly at the memory.
"I'll take house tonight. You should be with her," Red offered.
"I don't know if she wants me around," I said. Honestly, other than getting Jimmy off the roof, I didn't think she'd really want to see me. She seemed pretty content to be left alone with her thoughts earlier.
"Maybe not. But she should have the option. You shouldn't have to work tonight," he said.
"There'll be a lot of nights like tonight," I warned him.
"We'll cover those, too. You think these boys don't know what you do for us every day? You think they don't want to help? We're all a bit in love with her-always have been. Remember how we used to draw lots to come to her bench or to walk her dog? She's good for you, too. We like how happy she makes you. We're all ready to step in for you-and for her. Just thought you should know," he said.
Now how was I supposed to react to that without being soft? Luckily, Red seemed to anticipate that, too. "Anyway, take tonight off. Soak me tomorrow for usurpin' yer authority, but it's an order." I grinned at him at that.
"You have some nerve," I said, but my smirk took the threat out of my words.
"Yeah, I do. She's like a sister to me," he said. He clapped my back, then moved to gather his own boys.
A few minutes later most of the youngest boys were sitting grouped on the floor. I looked at their faces, looking at me with such faith and adoration. Mostly they were quiet, waiting for me to speak.
"Alright, guys, So you all remember when Katja was missing?" I asked. Serious little faces nodded.
"Yeah, you was lookin for her all the time," said Dash with an air of wisdom. I fought back a grin at his know-it-all tone and focused instead on what I had to say.
"Well, while she was missing a bad man did bad things to her," I said. "So the police are going to arrest the man."
"Did you save her?" asked Pip, his blond hair flopping into his eyes. He was a cocky kid, but still so young and innocent. He reminded me of me, actually.
"She saved herself. I just went and got her to bring her home," I explained. I didn't need them thinking Katja was helpless and that I was some hero when in fact I had been unable to find her and she had been forced to take care of herself.
"So did you get the bad guy?" asked Tyke. He was so young. Oh, if it were only so simple.
"That's why we're here. Tomorrow the police are going to get the guy. Then it will be in your papes. Katja wants you to sell lots of papes that day so everyone knows they got the guy."
"What if he gets away?" asked Tommy, sounding a bit nervous.
"Then I'll get him," I said firmly, and the boys smiled.
"Yeah. Spot can get anyone!" said Pip.
"So the bad man can't hurt Katja," put in Roller, sounding satisfied.
"Yeah," Dash added.
"Boys, Katja is very sad about what happened. She doesn't want you to talk about it except to sell the papes, okay? But she wanted all the boys to know."
Pip looked confused. "But how do we know if she's okay? Are we allowed to ask her about the bad man?"
"You can always ask her how she's doing, but I'm the only one who is going to ask her about the bad man," I explained. "If you have questions, talk to your group leader or to me, okay?"
"Okay," Dash said. "Can we go play now?"
Kids are great. They heard what was going on, they accepted it, and then they moved forward. I grinned at them all.
"Sure. As long as you've done your lessons," I said. A few of the boys looked guiltily up at me. I glared at them, and they scrambled to grab their school things from the shelves. The rest of them headed up or back outside to play. Tyke, however, came up to me. He seemed nervous. I didn't know Tyke or his story just yet. He had appeared just two days before Katja's return, so I hadnt had the chance to get to know him. I'd assigned him to Red's group. I made a mental note to check in with Red about the kid later. He looked like he wanted to ask me something, but he was afraid to speak.
"What's happening, Tyke?" I asked casually. He looked at me with big eyes.
"Are you going to marry Katja?" he asked. Well, that was unexpected.
"She's too young to get married," I deflected the question gently.
"My mommy said that after the bad man hurt her, nobody wanted to marry her," Tyke said. "But I hope you still want to marry Katja even though a bad man hurt her."
Hell, yes, I wanted to marry her. Nothing anyone did to her would ever change that. But all I said out loud was, "We'll see when she's older if she wants to." Tyke nodded sagely to himself.
"My mommy would have liked getting married," he said.
"I'm sure she was happy just to have you," I said. He smiled.
"That's what she said," he grinned.
"Go finish your lessons," I shooed him off.
"Yes, sir, Mr. Spot," he said, running off. Huh. Mr. Spot. I couldn't help but remember when I'd first met Katja and she'd called me that. I turned and headed out to the roof to my girl and her dog.