by David McLeod
His muddled and impromptu tour took him all around the main streets of the city, and as he hung off the carriage at the top of the city, his eyes followed the long straight tram lines down the hill to the wharf and out to the Bay where Alcatraz floated near the backdrop of the Golden Gate bridge, it was an awesome sight. Having eaten at the wharf, he made his way back to the hotel where, with the window open, he went to sleep filled with the sounds and smells of the city.
The next day, Daniel awoke early and checked out of the hotel. After grabbing a quick breakfast from a small café, he walked the couple of blocks to the orphanage. Standing outside for a moment, he took a deep breath and then pushed open the door to the building.
Ever since the letter had arrived, his dreams and thoughts had been flooded with his past, and in particular, this place. It wasn’t that his memories were all bad, in fact, some of them were the best times of his life. But then there were other times, dour times, lonely times, times where, if it hadn’t been for the kindness of Sister Elizabeth, he may very well have become another faceless member of the youth suicide club.
But now, ironically, with the appearance of the package, his one and only friend from this place could prove to be the one who’d cheated him out of a proper upbringing and the family life he’d craved so much in those dark times.
Because he’d been more or less dumped there at the age of one, Daniel had no recollection of what his life had been like prior to entering the building. Admittedly, short of breastfeeding, filling diapers, and crying, there wasn’t much of a one-year-old’s life to talk about anyway. For Daniel, life as he’d known it had started when these doors had opened, and now, as they swung open again, he was going to fill in the blanks that before the package arrived, he hadn’t known existed.
Immediately, the musky scent of the old building hit him. Oak and stone, polish and disinfectant — a plethora of nostalgic aromas that had been part of his life for such a long time. He took a moment to absorb the smells as they brought a smile to his face. Slowly he climbed the foyer steps, running his hands along the glassy feel of the wooden handrail worn smooth from over a century of use.
As he walked down the corridor towards the main administration office, he thought about how much it had changed. Originally, the place had been set up as an orphanage — in the late 1800s if his memory served him well. But as times and needs changed, the orphanage introduced boarding and term schooling; then, over time, the boarders became fewer until it evolved into what it was now — a Catholic school. Daniel had been deposited there on the cusp of it evolving; he was essentially the last of the orphans to be taken in. Daniel smiled to himself when he thought about a Catholic School and the word evolution in the same breath.
They had effectively bent the rules when they accepted him. There were still some hard to place live-ins there, but over ninety percent of the kids were outsiders. Kids with money, kids with cars, kids with attitude, but worse still for Daniel — kids with families that cared.
Daniel was a misfit. Being the youngest orphan, he was easy prey for the older and more established ones there. And being a live-in, the outsiders didn’t want to know him. He was chubby and uncoordinated, so the girls weren’t interested; he had no money to be bullied for, and he wasn’t one of the brightest, so even the academics gave him a wide berth.
Now that the orphanage was a full on school, and one that attracted the wealthy, he could immediately see money had been spent around the place. But Daniel could also tell that despite the aesthetic changes, the core was the same.
Behind the glass panel, the Administration office was a well-lit open-plan area. There were several people milling around, some at their desks and others over by the photocopier; they all looked busy and by the way they dressed none of them looked to be devout Catholics. As Daniel neared the panel, a woman on the other side of the glass spoke into the microphone that was mounted on her desk; her voice boomed from a speaker on his side of the partition.
‘Can I help you?’ she asked.
Daniel looked around for a button to push so he could talk back, but couldn’t find one.
‘My name is Daniel Carter, and I’m here to see the Abbess herself, the Director of Schools,’ Daniel replied.
Daniel called the Director the Abbess because that was the way the frumpy woman used to conduct herself.
‘Do you have an appointment?’
‘Not exactly, but I have a feeling she might be expecting me.’
‘Okay, Mr. Carter, I’ll go and see if she’s available. Please, take a seat in the room next door.’ The woman frowned as she walked away.
Daniel went into the waiting room and took a seat. He was prepared for a long wait. He was pretty sure the Director of Schools would be in, and since he guessed she was the one who’d sent him the package, he assumed she’d take the time to see him.
With nothing to read, no one to talk to, and nothing to see in the vacant white-walled room, Daniel was thankful his wait was only twenty minutes. The same woman from behind the glass panel entered the room and told him to follow her.
Although the façade had changed a little, the walk was very much the same. In the years Daniel resided in the school, he’d dreaded the thought of going to the Director’s office. There were only two main reasons to go there — if you were very good, or if you were very bad. Daniel was never very good. Now, as he followed behind the administration lady, butterflies were becoming restless in his stomach, and he could feel beads of sweat form on the back of his neck.
‘Take a seat there, and she’ll be out to see you in a minute,’ she said, pointing at a line of three uncomfortable chairs. As she walked away, Daniel decided to stand rather than take a seat; he remembered the feeling of sitting in those chairs all too well from the past, and he didn’t want to add to his discomfort today.
The first time he was ever sent to the Director’s office had been for blasphemy and profanity. Some of the outside kids had told him some words and phrases that made them laugh when he repeated them, so of course in order to try to fit in, he would say these phrases as often as possible. That was okay to a point as he never actually got caught saying them out loud by any of the teachers — it was when he decided, in his infinite wisdom, to put those words, comments, and phrases down on the covers of his workbooks that the trouble started. Even now, as he thought back, some of the words he put down on the book covers made him blush; but back then, not really knowing what at least half of them meant, getting peer recognition was all that mattered.
Another time he was an occupant of the waiting chairs was when he discovered the most popular use for the Internet. Nudity and pornography was an entirely absorbing pastime for a large majority of global Internet users, but one that was probably best done in one’s own time and in privacy, not downloaded and networked through the school’s intranet.
Misdemeanors, fights, and general insubordination were usually handled by the teachers, but due to his disruptive background, Daniel was often sent to the waiting chairs for punishment at a higher level. The only person who would always be there to offer a shoulder to cry on or a word of encouragement was Sister Elizabeth. That was why this whole thing was so surreal; why would she have kept such a secret?
‘Hello Mr. Carter!’ It was such a familiar voice and a voice that even now could make him tremble. Lofty and holier-than-thou was the only way he could describe it.
‘Hello – your reverendness,’ he jokingly stammered.
‘Please, come in and sit down.’
The room was exactly how he remembered it: dark and oppressive. Her oak desk was huge, but somehow she wasn’t dwarfed as she sat behind it. Oversized oil-painted murals depicting biblical scenes adorned the dark, wood-paneled walls. Several crosses were dotted around the room, both self-standing and hanging beside the portraits. On the left side of the room was a huge open fireplace with a thick wooden surround and a deep mantelpiece besieged by carvings of the Virgin Mary and a few more crosses for good meas
ure.
Daniel took a seat opposite the Director and immediately regressed at least a decade.
‘Thanks for taking the time to see me,’ he began meekly.
‘I would assume this is to do with the package I sent you,’ she boomed.
‘Uh, yeah, I mean, Yes.’ He was doing his best to talk properly.
‘I am not sure what it is I can do to help you, Mr. Carter.’
‘To be honest, I’m not sure either. I just wanted to ask some questions about when I was left here. What I mean is, you bent the rules and took me in. Why?’
The Director steepled her fingers as she pondered the question.
‘Throughout one’s life, many choices are made; some are good and some are bad — some are made for what can only be deemed the greater good.’
Daniel had no idea what she was talking about.
‘I’m sorry, but could you please explain that.’
‘Mr. Carter, there are some things that are only available to be explained between those directly involved and the Lord himself.’
Daniel was becoming completely confused.
‘But you were involved; you were there. I’d love to ask Sister Elizabeth, but she and the Lord are probably having a good talk about it now between them,’ he said sarcastically.
‘Mind your tongue, Mr. Carter.’
‘I’m sorry, but I’m getting frustrated. Sister Elizabeth said in her letter that my mother was a bad person. Was she in some sort of trouble when I was dropped off here, or did they meet again after that? Please, help me.’
Once again, the Director considered her answer.
‘I can inform you that shortly after you were accepted here a man tried to take you from us. After that, you were protected vigilantly by Sister Elizabeth.’
‘A man? Who was he? What did he look like? Was he my father? What happened?’ The questions were flying out of Daniel’s mouth thick and fast.
‘Mr. Carter — please. This is all I can tell you. Your mother dropped you off here and left; I do not know if she ever returned. But shortly after that, a man with evil eyes entered the school and tried to take you. We never found out why he targeted you specifically, but thankfully, his attempt failed. From that time forward, you were under the watchful eye of Sister Elizabeth. I felt compelled to send you the letter and photo from Sister Elizabeth; although in life she couldn’t send it, in some strange way, it appeared to be her dying wish that you received it. Unfortunately, as I said, that is all I am able to tell you.’ Then she was silent, and Daniel was left under no illusion that there was anything more she would add.
He thanked her for her time and left her office.
Under the instruction of the Abbess, the Administrator escorted Daniel around the school as he took in the changes and reminisced about the past. Outside the building, he gave it one last look and flagged a cab to the airport to head back to LA. He now had more questions than answers.
Chapter 16
It had been a busy morning for the three of them, and Taylor was tired and grumpy. She was tired of stapling pictures of Joshua on telegraph poles; she was tired of asking shopkeepers if they would put his image in their windows; she was tired of pounding the streets; and she was uncharitably tired of Erin’s voice.
As she watched them from across the street, Malone, as usual, looked tireless and appeared to be as enthusiastic as Erin as they tag-teamed in and out of the stores and businesses that surrounded the burnt out warehouse. Taylor wished she could be more benevolent, but she was more of an organizer than a doer. On the other hand, she was happy to see Malone happy; from the moment she’d first met him in the office of her former boss, she could tell that he was a ‘get off your ass and do something’ type of guy, and that was one of the many things she loved about him — that and his unyielding sense of purpose and truth. She knew that in many ways their initial serendipitous meeting could so easily have gone sour; after all, Malone was sure her ex-boss was involved in the disappearance of his daughter. But for some crazy mixed up reason, they had almost immediately fallen in love — and that was that.
She knew he wasn’t the type of guy to sit in an office and shuffle paper — but that was where Taylor excelled. She could do so much more at a desk than out here on the pavement. It was time for her to make a stand, time for her to put her foot down and show Malone what she could really add to this missing person’s team. Taylor set her shoulders straight, took a deep breath, and strutted across the street to Malone and Erin.
‘Malone, can I have a word with you please?’ she began.
‘That’s great news,’ Erin said, snapped her mobile closed, and hijacked the conversation.
‘Guess what guys, that was Detective Rodriguez on the phone, and he said he’s got me on the afternoon news show and a rerun on the late news.’
‘That’s fantastic!’ Taylor said enthusiastically. Finally a chance to get off this damned street, she thought. ‘We should go back to your place and I’ll help you find the perfect thing to wear. Maybe help with your hair, give you a few tips on what to say and how to say it.’ Taylor was genuinely excited as the words tumbled out; coaching Erin through her interview was something she had experience with; plus, they could stop with the damn posters and the walking.
‘What do you think?’ Erin asked, looking at Malone.
‘I think it’s a great idea; Taylor’s a pro when it comes to handling the media.’
Taylor could have kissed him.
The three of them walked briskly back towards the car.
‘What did you want to ask me?’ Malone asked Taylor.
‘Nothing,’ she replied happily.
‘I think I’m going to wet my pants – I’m a bag of nerves,’ Erin said as she fiddled with the photo of Joshua.
They were sitting in the green room of the TV station. Since he’d been through this traumatic experience before, Malone tried to offer some words of wisdom, but Erin chose to take her direction from Taylor, the professional.
‘The main thing to focus on is getting Joshua to come home. You want to tell him you love him and that you’re waiting for him,’ Taylor said softly.
‘But what if he doesn’t see the show? What if he can’t see the show?’ Erin was working herself up.
Taylor moved closer to her.
‘Be strong, I’m sure he’ll be watching.’
‘We’re ready for you now,’ the presenter said as he popped his head around the door.
‘Break a leg,’ Taylor smiled.
The set was basic, just two chairs and a coffee table with a blue screen backdrop. Erin asked what the blank green wall was all about and the presenter quickly told her that during the interview, the image of Joshua, a reference and location map, and a photo of the burned down warehouse would be screened on it. She nodded, but Taylor knew she didn’t understand what he was talking about.
The interview was emotional, and Erin broke down several times. Thankfully, the presenter did his job well and kept the whole thing flowing smoothly. It ended with Erin holding up the photo of Joshua to the camera and pleading for her son to come home.
Daniel had arrived home to an empty house. His head was full of unanswered questions. Why did his mother give him up at such a young age? Who was his father? Why did the orphanage go against the rules and take him in? Where was his mother now? Who was the man with the evil eyes? Was he his father? And why did Sister Elizabeth keep this photo from him? So many questions. His head throbbed and his stomach growled with hunger, it was time to raid the fridge.
Besides getting both Malone and Daniel to take pride in their appearance by buying them decent shampoos and branded toiletries such as King of Shaves, Boss, and Ted Baker, another of the many great things Taylor had brought to the household was her fabulous cooking. Daniel was sure Taylor was one of those gifted people who was able to create a banquet out of the trash can. Salivating, he went to the kitchen and pulled some leftovers out of the fridge, ‘apricot stuffed pork loin with croquet potatoe
s — yum,’ he said as he piled the meat onto a plate and nuked it.
Today was one of those rare occasions when Daniel actually wanted to talk to someone, and ironically, no one was around. ‘Typical,’ he said out loud. Resigning himself to an evening of trawling the web and hacking databases in search of answers, Daniel eyed the microwave as he waited for the inevitable ding. However, his plan was interrupted by the ring of the phone.
‘Hi; this is Daniel.’
‘Hi Daniel, Logan here.’
‘Hi. Look Malone isn’t in, and to be honest I’m not exactly sure where he is,’ Daniel said flatly.
‘Actually Daniel, It’s you I’m after. We’ve found your mother.’
Chapter 17
As was the usual routine, Vince and Scott went to meet their contact, Mr. Tims, at the Fireman’s Lift bar to pick up their new assignment. Neither party wanted to hang around after the meeting, so after the usual pleasantries, Tims left. The thing that made this meeting different from all the others was that unbeknownst to Tims, he was followed.
Having nothing to do but wait for the next part of his mission, Elwood had decided it would be good to get to know a little more about the LA contractor he used — plus, it would be a good opportunity to hone his surveillance skills. So, he’d trailed Tims for a few hours, and by accident stumbled onto the meeting in the bar. He watched the clandestine meeting unfurl, and the envelope passing and the intermittent whispering made it easy for Elwood to figure out that Tims was meeting with two of his torches. He wondered where the dwarf was, but shrugged it off for the moment. Once the meeting finished, Elwood decided to change his focus to the two men. ‘Let’s see how good these guys are,’ he said to himself.