Throughout It All

9 | Our Journey Begins | July 20, 1914

So this takes place a year after Kid Blink got buried in the cemetery in Queens. Wow.

Like Sara Bareilles' song Chasing the Sun: 'In the cemetery / In the center of Queens.'

I love the plan I came up with for this chapter. I didn't even know I was going to write it until I wrote the first sentence haha.

Enjoy! :)

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Everyone had agreed that the best course of action was to see if they can find old newspaper records of the death of McManus. Of course, since it was in 1905, they highly doubt anyone would have newspapers from nearly 10 years ago just lying around. Especially since it's old news.

But it wasn't old news back then. It was big. And so everyone wanted to write about it. Including, they reasoned, The New York Sun.

And true, it's been years, but they have confidence that their man Denton is still doing what he loves: writing for a paper.

David remembers where Denton's apartment was. Maybe it's a long stretch that he would still be there, but it's their best bet right now.

And so they follow David.

"I've been doing this a lot lately, haven't I?" Jack mutters as he knocks on Denton's door--if it's still Denton's.

"Yes you have," David tells him unhelpfully. "First my door, and then I had to watch as you went to find all our old friends."

I've been visiting old friends more in the past two days than I have in the past decade. Jack swallows. He wants to do better than that.

He doesn't have any more time to think on it, because the person inside the apartment--whoever it is, really--opens the door.

And there he is.

Bryan Denton.

He's aged well, and he looks healthy.

And once he recognizes them, he looks happy to see them.

He smiles. "What brings you here?"

Jack sighs. "It's a long story."

"Good thing I have a lot of time," Denton tells him. He motions into his apartment. "Come on in."

It's exactly how David remembers it. 

"So, what can I help you with?" Denton asks after he closes the door behind them.

"We were wondering if you have access to papers from other years," Jack tells him.

Denton tilts his head inquisitively. "Oh?"

This is going to take a while. Jack nods nervously. "From 1905."

"That was the year The Tribune covered the story of Dutch Johnson," Denton comments softly.

Jack swallows. "Yep."

"I remember wanting to help you guys out, but The Sun had sent me out of state covering a different story before I could."

Jack remembers.

But that's not what they're here to talk about.

"We're here for something else."

"So what happened in 1905 that you want records of?" Denton asks curiously.

Jack exchanges glances with everyone. They all nod encouragingly.