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Post by Jockey on Jan 6, 2017 12:11:13 GMT -5
"Wait, what?"
Jockey bit his lip, wincing. "He had a friend... from a different borough? I think he's from Jersey. Don't really know his name, just his face. He's pretty tall."
He stopped in front of the boys' lodge. "Don't know much about him... just rumors that he's close ta Rip."
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Post by Whisper on Jan 6, 2017 12:16:23 GMT -5
"He had a friend... from a different borough? I think he's from Jersey. Don't really know his name, just his face. He's pretty tall."
Whisper sighed, "Great... So 'e could be here, or 'e could be in Jersey. I've never been ta Jersey in my life, how are we supposed ta find 'im there?"
"Don't know much about him... just rumors that he's close ta Rip."
She began chewing harshly onto her bottom lip, slowly nodding as she opened the door to the lodge, making her way inside slowly. "Well, I guess it's good ta know now..."
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Post by Jockey on Jan 6, 2017 12:20:35 GMT -5
"Great... So 'e could be here, or 'e could be in Jersey. I've never been ta Jersey in my life, how are we supposed ta find 'im there?"
Jockey frowned, shrugging. "He comes 'ere pretty often... I think I saw 'im once at the library an' at the cemetery."
"Well, I guess it's good ta know now..."
He nodded as the entered in. "Yeah, I jus' remembered that's all."
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Post by Whisper on Jan 6, 2017 12:25:57 GMT -5
"He comes 'ere pretty often... I think I saw 'im once at the library an' at the cemetery."
Whisper frowned, although she nodded. That would make things easier, she supposed.
"Yeah, I jus' remembered that's all."
"So who's Mr. Folwell? I don't think I've ever seen 'im."
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Post by Jockey on Jan 6, 2017 12:33:51 GMT -5
[i["So who's Mr. Folwell? I don't think I've ever seen 'im."[/i]
Jockey went to the front desk. "He's the lodge owner..." He peered over the desk. "Looks like he went out on an errand." He showed Whisper the note left behind. "But the log book is opened so we can look."
He motioned for her to come behind the front desk. "Should be in here somewhere..."
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Post by Whisper on Jan 6, 2017 12:52:54 GMT -5
"He's the lodge owner... Looks like he went out on an errand."
Whisper nodded, sighing softly. Did that mean that their search would stop that quickly?
"But the log book is opened so we can look."
That was definitely a relief to hear. She moved behind the front desk, glancing over the pages for the familiar name before pointing. "Would that be 'im?"
She wasn't sure, considering handwriting for everyone was different, but it would have been convenient if she was right.
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Post by Jockey on Jan 6, 2017 13:02:06 GMT -5
"Would that be 'im?"
Jockey squinted slightly and the smudged handwriting. "Yeah... that's right. Looks like Rip signed out yesterday mornin'." He flipped to the more recent pages. "An' hasn't signed back in since..."
He frowned deeply as he closed the book. What were they to do now? He glanced over at Whisper. "Should we try lookin' for 'im?"
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Post by Whisper on Jan 21, 2017 19:12:49 GMT -5
"Yeah... that's right. Looks like Rip signed out yesterday mornin'."
Whisper nodded. If things were going to keep going like this, then perhaps finding Rip wouldn't be so hard after all.
"An' hasn't signed back in since..."
She frowned, pursing her lips. "So we know 'e's out there somewhere?"
"Should we try lookin' for 'im?"
Whisper furrowed her eyebrows for a moment. Would looking for him be a good idea? He could be anywhere...
"We've gotta try."
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Post by Jockey on Jan 21, 2017 21:18:11 GMT -5
"So we know 'e's out there somewhere?"
Jockey nodded a bit grimly. "Somewhere..." He was frowning with her. "It's possible he's at work," he admitted. "But I dunno if I wanna try askin' them."
"We've gotta try."
He nodded with determination. "Yeah... we got to."
It wasn't good not knowing where their leader was during such a scary time.
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Post by Whisper on Jan 21, 2017 22:12:20 GMT -5
"It's possible he's at work, but I dunno if I wanna try askin' them."
Whisper swallowed thickly. She knew enough about Rip and his work to know that asking would most likely be a bad idea, but what other choice did they have? They couldn't really afford to not know, either.
"Yeah... we got to."
She bit her lip, pausing for a second before looking over at Jockey. "You fast?" She asked, more so for clarification in case they got there and had to make a run for it. She didn't know if they would end up needing to talk to the gang at all, but if they did... It would be better to not push their luck.
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Post by Jockey on Jan 21, 2017 22:30:44 GMT -5
Jockey watched as she swallowed. He could tell that she probably had similar feelings about Rip's choice. But... if it came down to it, the would have to ask. He was pretty sure he knew a man who might know of Rip's location.
"You fast?"
He cocked his head slightly at her question before realizing what she was hinting at. He nodded. "Yeah, pretty fast."
If they had to make a run for it, he should be fine. That was how he didn't get soaked too bad.
"I think," he started hesitantly. "I think I might know a man who ain't in the gang, but might know where Rip is."
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Post by Whisper on Jan 21, 2017 22:32:32 GMT -5
"Yeah, pretty fast."
It was a relief to hear. Whisper nodded curtly, her teeth tugging gently at her lip as she sighed, "Good."
"I think I might know a man who ain't in the gang, but might know where Rip is."
Those words had never been nicer to hear. Whisper's eyes widened a bit, chewing on her lip before nodding slowly. If there was any way to stay away from a possible soaking, then Whisper was up for it. "Lead the way."
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Post by Jockey on Jan 21, 2017 23:06:28 GMT -5
"Good."
Jockey pursed his lips slightly. "You?"
He assumed she was decently fast, but he wanted to know for sure. He didn't want to leave her in the dust or anything like that.
"Lead the way."
He was slightly surprised that she was willing to check this man out. Jockey wasn't sure how trustworthy the man was, but he knew without a doubt that the man would most likely know where Rip was. He nodded and lead Whisper out of the boys' lodge and out into the city.
"Stay close," he advised, as they headed toward the not-so great side of town. "We won't be bumpin' inta the gangs here, but this is a rougher neighborhood."
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Post by Whisper on Jan 21, 2017 23:11:51 GMT -5
"You?"
Whisper quirked a smile, "Don't worry 'bout me."
"Stay close. We won't be bumpin' inta the gangs here, but this is a rougher neighborhood."
She nodded, making sure to stay close behind Jockey, just in case something happened. She kept her bright grey eyes scanning their surroundings, watching everyone and everything that they passed. "Gotcha. I trust you."
Whisper was surprised at how willing she was to trust Jockey. It normally took her quite a long time to warm up to people, although Jockey seemed nice enough. He hadn't tried to soak her yet.
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Post by Jockey on Jan 21, 2017 23:25:59 GMT -5
"Don't worry 'bout me."
Jockey had a relieved expression across his face as he nodded. It was good to know that she would be able to keep up in case they had to flee.
"Gotcha. I trust you."
He didn't answer, but it was good to know she trusted him. This area of Queens wasn't exactly the most welcoming of all places.
"I gotta warn you, though..." He bit his lip as they made their way to a somewhat nicer but still rough side of the neighborhood. "This man ain't the friendliest... 'specially if he's drunk."
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Post by Whisper on Jan 21, 2017 23:29:32 GMT -5
"I gotta warn you, though..."
The tone of Jockey's voice immediately made Whisper weary. What was she getting herself into?
"This man ain't the friendliest... 'specially if he's drunk."
She swallowed thickly. Would that be any better than going to the gang, who would most likely know where he was? Was it worth the risks? "I ain't scared, and I ain't runnin'. Do it for the borough." It was that same hardness that had always seemed to help Whisper get through things before, and she wasn't going to put that away now.
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Post by Jockey on Jan 22, 2017 12:51:29 GMT -5
"I ain't scared, and I ain't runnin'. Do it for the borough."
Jockey nodded, relieved she was going to stick with it. There weren't many girls who would be willing to go into trouble like this. The girls in Queens were a tough sort. Probably the toughest and roughest in all New York, but they didn't care for sniffing out trouble that didn't involve them personally.
"Man's name is Kurt. Kurt Richardson," he explained, feeling that Whisper had the right to know who they were going to see. "He's um... he's Rip's dad."
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Post by Whisper on Jan 22, 2017 12:57:39 GMT -5
"Man's name is Kurt. Kurt Richardson."
Whisper frowned slightly, although she nodded. She was willing to find and talk to him if he could tell them where Rip was.
"He's um... he's Rip's dad."
That cause her off guard. She could have sworn that her heart stopped beating for a few moments, her eyes widening. "H-his dad?" She didn't know that many of the newsies still had parents, especially when it came to the leaders. She had just assumed that Rip was an orphan like most of them were.
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Post by Jockey on Jan 22, 2017 13:44:10 GMT -5
"H-his dad?"
Jockey nodded slowly. "Yeah... Rip and his cousin used ta live wit' him way back..." He glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "Rumor has it that his dad kicked them out... but the truth is," he lowered his voice. "I think he somehow forced Rip into the gang..."
He shrugged. "Could be wrong... but he's the only person I know of who ain't in the gang that would know where Rip could be."
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Post by Whisper on Feb 25, 2017 12:00:37 GMT -5
"Yeah... Rip and his cousin used ta live wit' him way back..."
Whisper bit her lip. How had she not known about this? And how had Jockey learned about it?
"Rumor has it that his dad kicked them out... but the truth is I think he somehow forced Rip into the gang..."
Immediately, Whisper's frown deepened. She hadn't really thought of Rip being forced into anything, since he seemed to be a willing member of what he was doing. Was it really possible that she had been wrong about him all along?
"Could be wrong... but he's the only person I know of who ain't in the gang that would know where Rip could be."
"That's good enough for me," She cleared her throat, "If we don't have to deal with the gang, then I'd rather not risk getting soaked."
Of course, she knew that Rip's dad could probably easily soak her, but she didn't want to think about that.
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Post by Jockey on Feb 25, 2017 16:22:17 GMT -5
"That's good enough for me."
Jockey nodded, glad that Whisper was being willing. He was taking a liking to her as a fellow newsie who seemed to respect Rip for the most part. Yes, he clashed alot with the leader, but that didn't mean he didn't respect the guy. He just had different opinions from time to time, that's all.
"If we don't have to deal with the gang, then I'd rather not risk getting soaked."
He nodded again. "Yeah... same here. Gang stuff is real tricky." He straightened his shoulders as they passed several small rough looking houses. They were coming to a dead end that was rather dark and ominous. Jockey swallowed uneasily. "Well... here we are. The home of Mr. Richardson."
Not much of a home, but it was all most could afford. It was better than living at the poor house or on the streets. But at one time, this house had been more stable and more livable. It was obvious that Mr. Kurt Richardson did not keep up his place. The smell of alcohol only served to prove how careless the man was.
Taking a deep breath, Jockey knocked on the door. "Mr. Richardson? Are you home?"
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Post by Whisper on Feb 25, 2017 19:56:59 GMT -5
"Yeah... same here. Gang stuff is real tricky."
Whisper nodded; That was the only good way to describe it that she knew of. From what she had seen of Rip, things could get brutal if something was done incorrectly.
"Well... here we are. The home of Mr. Richardson."
It didn't look like a home to Whisper. She had almost passed right by it, although Jockey's words stopped her dead in her tracks. The air reeked of alcohol, and the air seemed to have close to a haze to it. Either way, Whisper didn't like it at all. She crinkled her nose, sneezing before getting ahold of herself, straightening herself up.
"Mr. Richardson? Are you home?"
For a long while, there was no answer. However, before Whisper could speak up and say that they should leave, the door was opened by a tall man, looking a lot like an older, more worn-out version of Rip. He had the same eyes, albeit quite dulled, and the same dark hair with gray beginning to show through. Whisper bit down on her lip in order to keep from saying anything, although the older man didn't appear to be wanting to say anything either, simply glaring down at the pair of newsies with a look that could kill.
Shooting a warning glance at Jockey, Whisper was beginning to feel just slightly uneasy. If the man attacked them, odds are it wouldn't be good, and she didn't know what to expect from him.
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Post by Jockey on Feb 25, 2017 20:22:16 GMT -5
Jockey had to admit he was a little startled as the man suddenly opened the door. He had been hoping for an answer first... but well, here went nothing.
"Um hi?" he greeted hesitantly. "We were um wonderin' if you knew where Rip-I mean Matthias-was?"
The man narrowed his eyes at them, not speaking as he gazed at the two of them. "Newsies?"
Jockey just nodded, feeling like it was wiser not to speak more than necessary.
The man grunted, obviously not interested and most definitely not thrilled to have two kids on his doorstep. "Brat ain't here. Don't want 'im 'ere. Should be as good as dead, the little monster... too much wasted poten'ial," was all he said before slamming the door in their faces. But he did say something under-breath as he slammed the door. Jockey didn't catch it, but perhaps Whisper had? "Good riddance of Frederich's son..."
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Post by Whisper on Feb 25, 2017 20:30:10 GMT -5
"Brat ain't here. Don't want 'im 'ere. Should be as good as dead, the little monster... too much wasted potential."
The door suddenly being slammed in their faces caused Whisper to jump slightly, although her gray eyes narrowed in the direction of the door. Being who she was, Whisper was the type who would sit and listen to people from afar all day, and she would learn about people through hours of doing that. It was what made her so good at selling - she could easily take selling spots from people if she had to, and she could act in a way that could make people weak at the knees.
Needless to say, her ears were highly trained when it came to listening to whispers, so the mumble that he probably hadn't wanted them to hear had been picked up without a problem.
"Who's Frederich?" Whisper asked, turning to face Jockey. "'Good riddance of Frederich's son'?"
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Post by Jockey on Feb 25, 2017 20:51:41 GMT -5
"Who's Frederich?"
Jockey gave her a confused look. "Frederich? Where did you hear that?"
He was still a bit stunned at Mr. Richardson's reactions. But then again, it was probably the alcohol. He could smell it on the man's breath... Today was a bad day to be knocking on his door.
"'Good riddance of Frederich's son'?"
He frowned. "That don't sound good... but I don't know any 'Frederich.' We might have ta ask around or somethin'," he said with a grim look. It seemed like all this Rip business may be more trouble than it was worth... but still, Rip was the leader. They had better get to the bottom of this and soon.
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