Participants:
| Scene Title | She Lives Here In Manhattan |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Abigail comes when called, to retrieve some unexpected information that springs from a request made of Cardinal. |
| Date | November 2, 2010 |
Outside the front door, Jeans, boots, oh so sweet shirt covered up by a long wrap sweater, a phonecall had been left the day before after leaving Delilah's when it occurred to her that she could very well start by asking cardinal to look into finding the boy - possibly a man now - that Caliban didn't know whether he was his or not.
A message left for her to swing on by at her convenience surprised her. She expected to be told that he couldn't find anything or that it was all over in England and much harder to do anything. Cake in a box to be dished out to the actual employee's of Redbird, her shop closed since the morning run is over and everyone's preparing for the lunch open. Tired, pushing through the front door, she's off to see the shadow not holding out hope.
The receptionist waves her right through, having become familiar with the young woman, and there's nothing impeding her en route to Cardinal's office.
The head honcho of the company is settled in behind his desk, poring over some printouts from his employees' work that was done on Abby's behalf. As she steps in, he looks up, a tired smile curving his lips, "Abigail."
"Richard" She lifts the box. "I come bearing goodies. Well, I mean, I always come bearing goodies. There's an extra pastry tucked into the side for Luther, and a business card, so that, you know, he can come around and get some stuff if he likes. The scruffy.. homeless guy who's hanging around here. How are you?" Delve into the niceties. Both rings are on her hand now, the cross sits alone at her neck. "How goes saving the future?"
"I need to get him on payroll, maybe as a janitor or something…" Cardinal drops the page he was reading down, and leans forward with a slow shake of his head, "…thanks for the goodies. Anyway, I got the background check back." No mention about saving the future.
'Richard Cardinal, saving the homeless population one man at a time" The box placed to the corner of his desk, she takes up the seat in front of the desk. "I didn't ask for a background check Richard. I was just hoping that maybe I could find the second child of Robert's former wife"
A faint smile tugs up at the corner of Cardinal's mouth. "At least I can help someone," he says quietly, leaning back then and offering a wry smile, "That's what a background check is you know. You do some searching back to find marriage records — I mean, it wasn't a full background check, that would've taken longer. We found the wife, no second son, though." A pause, "I've got the wife's address, though, if you want to talk to her. She lives here in Manhattan."
The inside of her eyebrows pull down just a fraction, then back up, repeatedly. Confused and surprised all there in little micro-expressions as she tries to parse what Cardinal just told her. The former wife, late son, no second child born to the woman. She lives here in Manhattan. As if quite possibly something he said doesn't match up with what she knows, what she's been told. One thumb taps against the other on her lap.
"Well?" Cardinal raises both brows, holding up a piece of paper, "Address? Ella Caliban."
"There's a second child. Born within maybe seven or 8 months of the death of the first child, Thomas" He told her as much. Ella Caliban. She still goes by his last name, lives in New York. "Thomas was the first child, he had her, by Ella, and she gave birth to a second child after they were divorced. She refused to tell him whether he was his or not" Slightly babbling, looking at that piece of paper. "No second son? Could.. could she have given him up for adoption? Would that show?"
"If there is…" Cardinal shrugs one shoulder, "…it's been buried somehow. Maybe they never reported it to the hospital and government, or— it should show up for adoption, but I don't know. It might not."
"well…" Well. This Just wasn't what she expected. "Hello Ms. Caliban, my name is Mrs. Caliban, I want to ask you about your supposedly existent non-existent son you had after your first son passed away" Abigail mutters, looking at the piece of paper. "Sorry for how awkward this is, I just want to know if I'm a step-momma and maybe see if my husband wants to meet him"
"I could put someone on a deeper dig," Cardinal suggests, scratching under his chin thoughtfully, "It'd have to wait until after the eighth, though, there's a lot going on between now and then…"
'No, no" Abigail shakes her head, reaching over to carefully take the paper from Cardinal and turn it over, look at what he managed to produce. "No. It would upset Robert, I think. That I didn't just come to him. If I'd known that what I was asking for was a background check I don't rightly know whether I would have done it. Thank you Richard, for this. I appreciate it, really I do. I was expecting she'd be in England or some place out there and not.." She looks. "Living right here in New York" Does he see her? Meet her for dinner?
"Oh, I didn't do a full background check— I still could," Cardinal admits, "It was just part've one, enough to find his wife, that's all." The page is handed over, "Let me know if there's more you want me to do."
"If I do Richard. I need to think.. on things. She's here, in New York Richard…" She's still in some shock at that and Abigail looks up from the piece of paper to Richard. "I really thought, you know, that I might find the son, see if he really was Richards or not. He talked about it. About the second kid. I thought I might find him, see if he might actually be Roberts son and then.. let him know where he was, in case he might want to actually meet him"
The paper is folded carefully in half, then half again, slide into a pocket once it's small enough. "What do I owe for this Richard?"
"Continue the supply of pastries," Cardinal replies easily, "You keep us fed, so… I'm not about to complain."
"I can do that." There's the weak lift of the corner of her lips into a smile. "I can do that. How's liz south? When's she supposed to be back to be with you again?" She knew the woman was in Annapolis. "Have you tried convincing her to stay down there instead of here? I don't know if she saw anything but it might be safer all around"
"She'd lose her job," says Cardinal with a slow shake of his head, "There's no way that they're not going to have every member of FRONTLINE on full active duty… I just hope that we've done enough to ease the impact."
"I'll be in Jersey, with Delilah. We're going to head out there so we're out of the area, and she can have the baby safely. Not in a store or back of an ambulance or who knows whats. Walter may be born on an auspicious day, but at least he'll be born safe." The former healer reaches over to take Richards hand. "Try not to burn the city down will you?"
As she reaches out, Richard's gloved fingers close over hers in a firm squeeze, and he tries to smile a little for her. "I'll try," he says quietly, "We'll do our best. I just hope… it ends up alright."
'We'll find out soon enough right? Maybe I'll luck out and I won't see the rest of y'all in jail when they get around to my case huh" She lets go, the brief contact enough for her and turns, heading for the door. "I'll tell Brenda you say Hi. She misses you"
"Give 'er my best," Cardinal offers as he leans back, "Make sure she knows to keep safe, alright…? Her and the other girls."
"I will" There's a wink and the blonde is gone, out of view, back to do her thing.