Cindy Thomson - [Ellis Island 01]

by Grace's Pictures

  “Mr. Parker agreed?”

  “He did. School is canceled for the day. So many families preparing for St. Patrick’s Day in the neighborhood, I suppose. The weather looks lovely, and the children are already chattering about it.” She smacked her hands together.

  “Did he say where we could go? It’s the eve of the parade uptown, being that the saint’s day is on Sunday this year, and I’m told we should not go to Central Park. Oh, I’m so amazed, Auntie. Are you sure you heard him right?”

  Auntie Edith’s smile spread across her chubby face. “I did indeed, Grace. I spoke to him about an hour ago before he left for the office.”

  “But did he say where we could go?”

  “Oh yes. I tried to get him to go with us, but he said he always tries to stay out of that part of town. Sunday mornings are the sum of his visits to the old neighborhood.” She jittered her head. “Wish I knew why it’s so painful for him to be down there.”

  Well, with the parade and all, they did have to stay south toward the immigrant wards. Grace thought she knew why Mr. Parker scoffed at coming. Because he didn’t want to face the fact that he was a slum tenement owner.

  Edith put a plate she had been drying on the pantry shelf. “My brother says he will allow you and me to take the children to the aquarium this afternoon.”

  “The aquarium? Well, I suppose if we go soon.” Rabble-rousers slept late, Grace figured. If they got there early in the day, they’d be less likely to encounter anyone like Smokey Davis. And Owen had said she was safe enough. Besides, she would not be alone, so perhaps it would be all right. “I hear there is a new octopus there. I would love to see it. I could bring my camera, take pictures of us all. The prints are small, but I’ve done fairly well with them thus far. Even took a photograph of the children and their mother before . . .”

  “Bringing the camera is a wonderful idea, Grace,” Edith said. “Can you take photographs indoors?”

  “Only if the sun is bright through the skylights. But we can always get some shots before we go in. Wouldn’t Mr. Parker adore photographs of his children at the aquarium?” Perhaps it would help for him to see the delight on their faces and know they’d been safe while on an outing. He’d probably looked at the ones she’d taken earlier, but more couldn’t hurt.

  “Surely. Now telephone your mother. We’ll stop over and get her on our way.” Auntie Edith raised the baby to her shoulder. “After this one’s nap, of course.”

  The woman was upstairs with Douglas before Grace could say boo. She’d rather go now, this very minute before Mr. Parker could change his mind and before any thugs might enter the park. She hurried to the playroom to collect what they would need: hats, a bag to carry formula for the baby, and some crackers in case Holly and Linden got cranky.

  Linden was waiting for her. “Miss Gracie, Miss Gracie, we’re going to see the fish!” He hopped from one foot to the other.

  “We are. Where are your sisters?”

  “Getting dressed. Look, I got ready all by myself.”

  Grace stopped what she was doing to look at the lad. She stifled a laugh. His shoes were on the wrong feet and the buttons of his shirt were fastened but misaligned. “You did a fair job, Linden. Just let me help you a wee bit.”

  He grimaced as she removed his shoes and put them on his feet correctly. When she was done lacing, he wiggled like a worm while she unbuttoned and rebuttoned his clothes.

  She checked off a list of what she needed to bring along. She had the things she’d come upstairs to gather, and her camera was in a bag she’d left downstairs.

  When everyone was ready and Douglas was awake enough, they met up at the front door to take an inventory and to urge the children to visit the bathroom before they left. “Oh, diapers.” Grace started to go upstairs, but Edith stopped her.

  “Right here, child.” She held up the bag Grace had put the canned formula in. “I stuck the nappies in here and even thought to bring extra pins. The formula was a good idea just in case. The things for the older children I put in your bag with your camera. You don’t mind?”

  The woman was so organized. “I do not mind. Thank you.”

  “I think we are all set. Come along, children. Promise Auntie you will be perfect angels on the trolley.”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t take the baby,” Grace wondered aloud. “The baby is too young to enjoy it, and one of us will have to look after him and keep him out of drafts. And won’t he get heavy?”

  The woman cuddled him under her chin. “My dear, no. We aren’t taking Douglas to the aquarium, just across the street to Mrs. Wallace.”

  “Oh. Mr. Parker agreed?”

  “He listened to me, Grace. He’s going to have to accept more help now, and the neighbors are hospitable.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. George said it would be fine, so long as we are not gone too long. And I spoke to the neighbor this morning. She is delighted to look after him.” Edith slung the baby’s bag of things onto her free arm. “You needn’t worry, Grace. The wet nurse knows to visit and the midwife is at home should Mrs. Wallace need anything. I checked.”

  “All right.” Grace grabbed her bag and suspended it from her elbow. She took Linden’s hand and then Holly’s. Hazel followed behind. “Off we go.”

  When they got to the boardinghouse, Grace’s mother was ready. “Such a pleasure to meet you,” she said to Edith, extending her hand.

  “And you, my dear. I think you will enjoy the outing.”

  “Any outing with my daughter is sheer delight.” She gave Grace a hug.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to bring Paddy, Ma?”

  “No, no. Miss Hall will look after him. I’ve left a bottle. I’ve had to leave him overnight at the hospital before. I know he’ll be fine.”

  The trip on the trolley was delightful. The children, not used to outings, were quiet and well-behaved.

  “Let’s get off early,” Grace suggested to Edith. “The weather is so pleasant and the children and my mother would enjoy seeing some of the sights.”

  “Fine idea.” The woman pulled the cord, and when the trolley halted, they got off and trotted up the sidewalk.

  They paused in front of St. Paul’s Chapel, where Edith told them President George Washington had worshiped. “He even took his oath of office here, right out front,” she told them.

  Only Hazel was impressed, having studied about America’s first president in school.

  They continued up Broadway, dodging pretzel vendors and lads as young as Linden hawking trinkets. When the Bowling Green was finally in view, Grace scrambled them all to a trot. So many people had bundled up and ventured out to Battery Park, where the trees were beginning to bud and the grass was greening up nicely. Businessmen spilled out of their towering office buildings to inhale the open air like swans seeking blue water. Several groups of families also populated the park. As they entered, she led the children to the bench where she had once sat and admired the statue she had since learned was inventor and engineer John Ericsson. “Sit right here. I’m going to take your picture.”

  Only Hazel’s legs were long enough to reach the ground. The others dangled their feet.

  Grace held her camera at her chest. The sun was so bright she wasn’t sure she had them centered in the finder, but as soon as she got their attention away from someone selling flags and whirly toys, she shouted orders. “Chin up. Now, when I count to three, I’m going to hold my breath to keep the camera steady and you all look right at the box. Ready?”

  “Ready, Miss Gracie,” Linden replied.

  “Now, don’t say anything or the image of your face will come out fuzzy. One, two, three.” She clicked the shutter and then released them from their pose.

  So easy, as they said, that a child could do it.

  40

  WHEN OWEN MET JAKE at the park entrance, he realized that on a fine early spring day like this, hordes of people came out to enjoy the weather. He pulled Jake to the side of a
passing crowd of giggling girls. “I don’t think it was a good idea to meet Dasher here.”

  “You said the kid told you he’d be here. Said to meet him at the penguin pool.”

  “I know, but do you know how many people are going to be crowded into that place?”

  “I’ll say. But what choice do we have now?”

  “Let’s just try to get him outside, all right?”

  They smiled and greeted mothers with babies and ladies in silk gowns and Gibson girl hairstyles waving paper fans in front of their faces. The last thing Owen wanted to do was create panic. No one must know they were meeting a former Duster gang member in a place so popular with children.

  Jake took a stand near the penguin pool while Owen stood on the opposite side of the spacious hall. A fish with oversize eyes swam by, wiggling his head from one large-eyed side to the other.

  “Is there trouble, Officer?”

  Owen jerked his attention from the fish tank. A fellow in a light-gray set of clothes wearing a cloth cap, the uniform of aquarium workers, stood next to him with a broom. He did not make eye contact.

  “Not at all. Carry on.”

  The man didn’t move.

  “You should get back to your duties,” Owen told him.

  The fellow grinned with tobacco-stained teeth and nudged his cap upward. “I will when you do. What kind of detective are you, anyway?”

  “Taggart?” Owen glanced in Jake’s direction, but he was no longer there. “Excuse me one moment. I need to get my partner.” Owen started toward the middle of the hall when Jake caught up to him.

  “In disguise? That rascal.” Jake tugged Owen back in the direction of the janitor. “So you’re Dasher?”

  “Hush.” The man turned his back on them and headed for a rear hall.

  Jake and Owen followed. When they were away from public ears, Jake let him have it. “We are not here to play tricks. Now just tell us what we need to know.”

  Dasher pushed the bill of his too-big cap with the handle of his broom. “I’d like nothing more than to see Knox get locked up, but I value my life. You think his toughs don’t hang out here once they wake up from their stupors?”

  “I know they do.” Owen did his best to glare at the man. He’d seen that low-life Smokey at the aquarium before. “But they’re usually too wasted to cause much trouble.” He stared into the man’s eyes. “Is that your problem, fella? Come on, Jake. He’s got nothing.”

  The bluff worked. Dasher apologized and begged them not to go. “The only reason I led you here is because he’s coming. You can catch him today.”

  “In here?” Owen motioned toward the center of the aquarium, filled with people.

  “You don’t think he’d make his deals where he could be easily snagged, do you? He figures no city cop would risk the lives of well-to-do children to catch him.”

  Endangering kids was not in the plan. Owen would have to think of a way to either get the criminals out or force the civilians to leave. The foolish man should have given him warning so they could have more police at the ready.

  “Stay here,” Owen ordered. “I’m going to check out the exits.”

  Just beyond a wall of embedded water tanks, he noted a locked door. One had to weave around the tanks to get to the front exit. He was trying to imagine all the scenarios that could go wrong when he heard a familiar voice.

  “We can’t stay too much longer, children,” Grace called out.

  “Have to see the penguins,” Linden said as he bobbed along the whale tank railings.

  “All right. Then that’s the last thing,” Edith said.

  They’d been in the aquarium almost an hour, the happiest hour Grace had spent since coming to America.

  “Let’s get another picture outside the door.” Grace gathered up the hands of her charges. “This one with everyone.”

  “Auntie Edith too?” Linden asked.

  “Oh yes.”

  The woman huffed. “Don’t need a photograph of me.”

  Linden broke from Grace and embraced his aunt. Then he reached for Ma’s hand and stood between the two women. “Everyone! Everyone!”

  Grace laughed. “All right, so. Let’s find the right spot.”

  She steered the children toward the harbor. While the water would make a nice backdrop, she needed the sun at her back for the light to be right. She had them stand under the budding trees but then changed her mind. “Let’s try to get one of the boats in the edge of the photograph. Stand right here.” She stood in the spot where she wanted them to assemble.

  Edith pulled Linden up against her and placed one hand over each of the lad’s shoulders. The girls stood next to him, and Ma took her place behind them. Perfect.

  Grace peered into the viewfinder. Just a smidgen to the left would get a bit of the boat into the picture, just to show where they were. She nearly gasped when she noticed the lettering on the side of the boat. Just in case it might help Owen later, she moved her camera just a hair more to make sure she got it in the picture.

  She held her breath.

  Ready.

  Click.

  “One more,” she called out to the group. This time she’d actually get them all in the shot. She wound the film, aimed, and clicked.

  What was that?

  She had the impression someone else had gotten into the background. “One more. I don’t think I got it—” Someone gripped her shoulder from behind. Her body jerked and she turned around. His large, warm brown eyes bored into her. “Officer McNulty, what a pleasant surprise.”

  He wasn’t smiling. “Take the children home now, Grace.”

  “Oh, I’d like you to meet my—”

  “Can’t talk now. Take them home.”

  He’d never spoken to her like that before. “What’s wrong?”

  “Grace, move along, please.”

  “We were just going.”

  He snatched the Brownie out of her hands. “But I’ll need this. I’ll return it.”

  “But—” She wanted to mention the boat, but he hurried off toward the aquarium.

  “What’s wrong, Miss Gracie?” Hazel asked. “Why did the policeman—?”

  “Everything’s fine. He’s just . . . borrowing my camera.”

  “Did you get his name or his badge number?” Edith asked.

  “No. ’Tis all right. I know him. You met him when he stopped by the house right after Mrs. Parker . . .”

  “Oh, I remember that young man. He was so polite.” She worried her lip. “I think we should follow his instructions.”

  Ma held on to Grace’s arm. “Well, so. We should do as he says now and get along home.”

  “Uh . . . aye, let’s go.” There could be people about they should avoid for sure. “Hurry. Let’s go now.” Trying not to look behind them, Grace heard a scuffle as they headed toward the Bowling Green.

  Then some cursing.

  “Faster! Come along!”

  She glanced back at her mother and Edith, who wobbled along, trying to keep up. Grace had to make sure the children were safe. She rushed them into a trot. Too many people wandered about, crossing their path this way and that.

  “Hold Holly’s hand tight, Hazel.”

  “I don’t wanna . . . ,” the younger girl wailed.

  Grace hoisted Linden on her hip and reached out for Holly. “Don’t argue, lassie.” Her hands grasped air as the child wiggled away.

  “She won’t let me hold her, Miss Gracie.”

  Grace turned. The older women were too far away. They would have to wait for them. Please, hurry!

  A group of men approached from the side and then stood in the path in front of them.

  “This way,” she called, weaving a path to the right.

  The black-coated men mirrored her detour.

  Her stomach knotted.

  The park is crowded. No need to worry. No one would bother their small party. No one was after her.

  But Owen’s warning rang in her ears. “Take the children home now.�
��

  A face appeared among the gaggle of folks just as all the others faded. Smokey!

  He stepped toward her. “When I saw that copper talking to you, Rosie, I knew you had to be in deep. Didn’t I tell you to mind your own business? Didn’t I give you fair warning? Goo Goo don’t want his photograph taken, and you did it anyway, Rosie. Just like you did with Middleton.” He nearly growled his words.

  “Is he talking to us, Miss Gracie?”

  “Hush, Hazel.” Grace pulled the rebellious Holly closer. “I only photographed the children. Leave me alone. I’m not involved.”

  “Oh, but you are. See, my boss don’t like the cops knowing what he looks like. Don’t even have his photograph up on that wall at police headquarters.” He scratched his head. “What’d they call it? Oh yeah, Rogues’ Gallery.” His voice took on a mocking tone. “He’s not on there. It’s my job to make sure no one knows what he looks like. Middleton, he only wanted me to rough you up, teach you to mind yourself. But Goo Goo, that’s another story entirely.”

  “What’s he talking about, Miss Gracie?”

  “Hush, Hazel.”

  Smokey turned his beady eyes toward the girls as he spoke, sending shivers down Grace’s spine. “And you with your box camera. Think you can take us on? Well, we can’t have that.”

  He raised a shoulder to his face and rubbed his nose while he gripped a metal pipe in both hands. “I warned you plenty, Rosie, like I said.”

  She yanked the children behind her. “I was taking photographs of the children, I tell ya. That’s all.”

  “Gimme that camera.” He thrust his chin out.

  “I . . . I don’t have it anymore. Officer McNulty took it from me.” She drew up her strength. “He’s going to run you out of here. If he finds out you were threatening us—”

  Smokey turned abruptly toward his punks and began bobbing his head up and down. “That’s a swell idea you just gave me, Rosie. McNulty’s as soft as any cop we ever knowed. He’ll give the contraption back to us with a . . . trade.”

  The children began to sob. Please, God, don’t let me show my fear.