Broken Song (12 page)

She tilted her head like she was digesting something.  Then asked as if to clarify it, “Did
THEY
tell her that specifically?”

I shook my head.  “Not that she told me.  She said that they were getting hurt in the long drawn out divorce proceedings and she didn't want them hurt anymore, so she gave in to every demand.  Now her ex won't let her talk to them and says they didn't want anything to do with her.  She wrote letters to them every day for months and they never responded once.”

Jane squinted an eye.  “What about email?”

I shook my head. “No she says they kept their kids off of email and social networks because of her fame and how it could ruin their lives.”

Jane had a predatory look in her eyes.  “So it all comes down to the father not allowing calls and his word that the girls don't want to talk to her.”

My eyes went wide when I finally realized where she was going with this.  “He wouldn't do
THAT
would he?  Nobody is that cruel!”

I was met with sad apologetic looks from both women.  My God!  People can be so... petty and evil!

Then I stood.  “I'll get Leo on it.  Please call if you hear anything.  Jane, you're smart, when it is time... to call the police, will you let me know?”  I fought back tears at that thought and was engulfed by warm hugs from both girls.  I felt so safe and protected.

Jane pulled back and smiled. “Of course I will.  You keep us informed too San.  And you know what?”

I shrugged and she grinned hugely. “I love you Sandra Callahan.”

Crystal nodded. “Me too San.”

I did start crying now, they are so wonderful!  “I love you two to pieces!”

They walked me to the door and stopped.  I was scared to ask something and they saw it.  Jane just tiled her head in question and I said, “She wanted me to try to get my foundation going.  Would you... I know I wanted to be able to do it myself, but it is so confusing.  Would you help me with the paperwork?  I'll make her proud of me, then maybe daddy would be proud of me too.”

There was the “duh” look again.  Coming from both of them this time.  Jane just cutely said, “It's about time you finally asked.  I would...”  She looked at Crystal. “...we would be deeply honored to.”

I gave them both kisses on the cheeks and with a tiny wave I left and made my way back to my car like a woman on a mission.  First stop, home to walk my fuzzy minions before they explode.  Then Leo.  I can combine the two.  This is Saturday so he'll be over on fifth behind the apartment complex. Trash day is Monday so the dumpsters will be close to full.  After noon he'll be near seventh scoping out that new freshie woman that Ralph texted me about yesterday, I had asked him to task Leo for me.

My mind went off on one of its own romps through the land of randomness as I remembered that Friday is Leo's birthday and I still don't know what to get him.  I'm thinking a nice knitted cap in his favorite color, yellow.  I shook my head and got back on task.

My puppies were troopers, they did their thing in the park right away so we could go out in search of Leo.  We went behind the apartment complex and I heard noises inside the dumpster.  I knocked on it and said, “Sup Leo.”

It was silent for a second then his voice echoed out, “Sup Dandelion.”

I leaned against the dumpster.  “I need your help Leo.”  I held two twenties over the rim of the dumpster and felt him tugging at them.  I giggled to myself, this was the game we played.  “Penny has gone missing and I'm afraid she is going to try to hurt herself again.  Can you hit every shelter and mission you can possibly reach today and get the word out on the street that I am looking for her?  We need to cast the net far and wide.”

He responded slowly, “I saw her leaving your place at four in the morning.  An Emerald Express cab was in front waiting for her, she looked almost lost.”  I let go of the bills.  “I'll get the word out Dandelion.  Has she connected with anyone else but you in Seattle?”  I grinned, he was being all smart and police-y, not many people realize what he did before the incident that drove him to the street.  My Leo is awesome with a capital A.

I shook my head to myself as I replied, “Not that I am aware of.”  Again I had that nagging suspicion that it wasn't quite true but I couldn't put my finger on it.

He replied, “OK, lil one.  I'll get the eyes on the street workin' for us.”

I nodded to myself.  “Thank you Leo.  You are a good friend.  I love you bunches.”

There was a long pause then he said, “Solid Dandelion.”

I almost started crying again.  “Solid.”  Then I headed home with the furballs.

At home I sat and tried to figure out where she would go, but all I could figure out was her children.  It frustrated me because we talked almost nonstop about her life for a day and that was all I could think of?

I jumped online to see if maybe there was some clue about her life there that was missing in the overall impression I got from her.  I remember every article I ever read about her.  Well every article I ever read about any person, just like I can remember every word anyone has ever said to me.  I seem to be able to remember things when it comes down to people.  I just wish I could do the same for math or science or other important topics that require smarts.

I paused when I saw a video link when I Googled her name.  “Penny Franklin, angel of the ward.” I clicked on it and there was a video from the impromptu concert in the burn ward I had conned her into. I was shocked, almost three hundred thousand... no... I counted the number places... almost three million views!  One of the parents had posted this right after she sang, they made sure to be careful not to have any of the children in the camera's view.  I giggled because I was sitting next to her in the video.

Gawd she did sound like an angel and the songs were upbeat and fun, not like her Leather and Heels stuff that were edgy and sex filled.  I think I like this Penny better than the Leather and Heels Penny.

The comments were all over the board with some people writing it off as a publicity campaign for the return of Leather and Heels and thought it was shameful they thought she'd use sick children for that.  But the preponderance were either praising her for making those children smile or commenting on the new songs she was singing and wondering when she would be releasing them.  They seem to have coined “The New Penny Franklin” to the wondrous woman in the video, comparing her to Mandy Fay Harris.

Then there was a related link to a different video, “Lost track from Leather and Heels?”  I clicked that and there was a shaky video that someone must have shot from their cellphone at the Ballyhoo last night.  It showed Penny singing Searching for Me.  Wow.  I forgot how sweet and fun that one was too. I could tell it was about rediscovering herself for her daughters; already over a million views!

Something was tugging in my brain, but I had to finish my research.  Jane taught me to focus on one thing at a time.  I hit some local news links with her name tagged in them.  They had titles like, “The mystery of the new Penny Franklin tracks,” or “Penny Franklin is back!” or “Shameful self plugging by Leather and Heels in children's ward.”  For the most part it came down to people going crazy over her new music and nobody can seem to find her or the “mystery girl” she is with.  I giggled, I didn't feel mysterious as I looked at the grainy photos of me beside her.

One that I tilted my head at was, “Who is Penny Franklin's new love interest?”  It was picture of me in the story.  It was a frame taken from the video in the burn ward.  I melted; if only.  Gawd, I'd die happy if I were her love interest!

The happy feeling faded almost instantly when I remembered what I was doing.  None of this was helping.  Where could she be?  She couldn't go home anymore. 
HOME
!  I called Jane as fast as I could.

“
Hi Jane.  How can I find an address for someone from years ago?  What if she went to her childhood home?  What?  No, I'm not a genius.  Crystal knows a guy?”  I giggled.  “OK, I'll wait by the phone.  Thank you.  Love you, bye.”

I stared at my phone.  There was something about my phone and one of those links online.  I tried to make the connection.  It was so confusing.  I played through it all in my head again.  She was singing about her daughters in those songs... my phone. 
NO
!  Her phone!

I ran to the coffee table and grabbed her cellphone and looked at the address book.  There were only six contacts in it?  I thought she was like uber famous.  Was this why she seemed so... alone?  Then I shook the thought off since I didn't have any contacts in my phone either, I just remember every phone number anyone has ever given me.  I found what I was looking for under “Victor - Asshat”.  I pulled up the record and wrote the phone number down, no way I was calling her ex with her phone.  There was another entry that didn't look all business-y and junk like the last four.  Missy Hannigan on speed dial two, it was a local Seattle number.  I wrote that one down too even though I know I had already committed them to memory.  I was just unsure of myself right now.

I called the shelters and hospital I was supposed to visit today and let them know something important came up and I'd have to postpone my visits until next week.  I responded to the plethora of text messages for help organizing things through all the shelters and let everyone know I was going dark until Monday.  I felt so guilty.  Who was going to help my people?

Then I stared at the piece of paper with Victor's name.  I stuck my tongue out at it and crossed out his name and wrote instead Brandye and Lessa.  I felt so bad being mean and crossing his name out, but Kimi told me that sometimes it is good to be bad.  I imagined little devil horns on me then giggled.

I looked at the paper again and then closed my eyes and took a deep breath. 
One, two, three.
  Then opened them and dialed their number on my cell.  I almost hung up because I didn't know the time zone that LA was in.  I pictured a map in my head and drew a line down the coast to California.  Same one! Pacific time.

A woman answered.  “Hannigan's residence.”  Was that right?  Crap.  I didn't know her married name, only her maiden name she used in the band.  Maybe it was Hannigan, I do not remember a single article I have read that had it.  That's the same last name as that Missy Hannigan in her contacts.

I said nervously, “Hello, may I speak with Brandye or Lessa please?”  There was a long pause then a perturbed man was on the line.  “Who is this?”

I decided to roll with it under the assumption this was her ex and he was screening the calls.  But who was the woman?  “Hi Victor, may I speak with Brandye or Lessa please?”

There was a pause, I'm sure he didn't recognize my voice and was probably trying to place it since I used his first name like I knew him.  “Who is this?”

I chirped out as innocently as I could.  Everyone tells me I sound like a teenager on the phone so I'll play it up for once.  “Gee, you don't recognize my voice?  This is Sandra.”  Then I giggled out of nervousness but I hope it just sounded ditzy like people think I am.

He said, “Ummm... yes.  Of course.”  What a maroon! I grinned at my own Bugs Bunny joke.  Then he said,  “Just a minute.”  I heard rustling like he put his hand over the receiver.  Now I'm not smart but I'm smart enough to know that if you do that, it is dumb to yell.  I heard him yelling, “Brandye! Lessa! Phone!”  Then I barely caught him saying, “Where are those worthless girls now?”  I wanted to reach through the phone and slap the man.

Then I heard a click and a girl said loudly, “Got it Victor.”  Huh?  They call him Victor and not dad?  I didn't hear a second click so I started talking like I knew her.  “Hi!  You will never guess what I found at the mall today!” Then I heard another click.  Good, I hoped that would get rid of him.  I learned that trick when I was young, growing up with an eavesdropping stepmother and brother.

The girl asked, “Who is this?”

I steeled myself then said, “Is this Brandye or Lessa?”

The girl responded, “Brandye.”

I nodded to myself and grinned.  “You have a musical voice like your mother.  I just started spewing the mall stuff to get Victor off the line.”

She spoke cautiously, “OK.  Mission accomplished mystery girl.  So um, lets try this again.  Who is this?”

I took a deep breath.  “Please don't hang up.  This is Sandra... a friend of your mother's.”

There was a long pause then, “You have five seconds to let me know why I shouldn't hang up now.”

Crap!
  I panicked and said probably the stupidest thing I had ever said in my life.  I never would have said this to her and betrayed her mother's confidence, but I blurted in a tumbling rush, “She has cancer!”

The line was silent and I wanted to kick myself.  Then Brandye's voice was a little quieter, “Wh-what did you say?”

I hung my head.  I felt like crap.  “I shouldn't have shared that with you.  I panicked when you threatened to hang up.  But yes.  Your mother has cancer.”

Again the silence was almost deafening for a really long time.  Did she hang up?  I didn't know what to do so I started talking again.  “I know you girls don't want anything to do with your mother, but I'm scared for her right now.  I'm looking for her and needed to know if she contacted you.”