On the Way to Find Angela

There hadn't been sirens or flashing lights that usually accompany the rush of the police cars, instead they came quietly in the early hours of the morning. They moved slowly up to the front door of the Bradley home and were ushered in without ceremony. A young girl had gone missing in the middle of the night and the ripple effect would soon reach Beatrice's front door. As she helped with the search to find Angela, Beatrice would discover the runaway and throw away children that also needed her help. Her second act was about to begin and nothing in her past could have prepared her for what was about to happen 'On The Way To Find Angela'!The sounds of her footsteps crackled in her ears as she maneuvered down the dimly lit street. The pavement beneath was uneven and riddled with potholes making the journey even more precarious. There was a steady stream of dirty water and cigarette butts flowing alongside in the gutter and the scent of illicit drugs being smoked that permeated every alleyway she passed. Muffled sounds of hurried acts wafted through the air, never clearly discernable, but Beatrice knew exactly what was going on in the doorways of the abandoned buildings. Under normal circumstances, Beatrice would never walk these streets in the bright light of day, and yet here she was in the middle of the night keeping a slow but steady pace and quite alone! It wasn't the first excursion down this path either. This was one more in the long line of dark and damp nights that Beatrice would find herself here on the mean streets of Los Angeles. Caring for the family while searching for missing Angela was a daunting task but with the help of her nephew Aaron and the strength of Luke who ran the Hope Street Center for the local street children, nothing would stand in their way. While the police worked their case, sometimes there's no substitute for street smarts and combined there just may be hope for this young girl and the family that loved her so much.