True to his word, Jim went over to the police station right after breakfast. Mr and Mrs Harrison came with him.
"Ah, Mr Harrison!" It was the nice policeman who had helped Harold a bulan yang lalu when George had first gone missing, and had seen him at the station many times since then. "We're still looking for something to turn up, I'm afraid...."
Jim stepped in. "What about that band that's running round New York playing music?"
The policeman looked politely puzzled. "Oh, you've heard about that? I don't think it's anything to do with the missing Harrison boy. It's a group of runaways...."
"My son is a runaway," Jim reminded him fiercely. "I was told he might not be in Liverpool anymore, and this band is English. Is it possible he came over to America with some other runaways and is now trying to start a band?"
Something stirred in Harold Harrison's memory at these words, and he addressed the policeman. "When I spoke to anda about George a bulan yang lalu - didn't anda say something about three teenagers who all went to New York together, without adult supervision?"
The policeman thought a minute. "Yes, I remember saying something of that sort. We'll check the records for anda again, if anda like."
"Yes, please do," Mr Harrison said. As the policeman went off to find the old records, he turned to his wife and Mr McCartney and explained: "It's just possible these three found George at the airport, isn't it? The timing is right...."
"Found him, and did what to him?" cried Mrs Harrison, sounding near hysterical. "How did they stop him from trying to get halaman awal to me? What have they done to my baby?"
The records were nearly a bulan old, so it was several hours before the policeman had found them. The three adults went to have lunch in the meantime. When they returned, the policeman had found the records, and the Harrisons and Mr McCartney read the daftar of names.
Mr McCartney sucked in his breath. So Paul had been on that flight. All month, they had been searching for him in Liverpool, but he had left Liverpool almost as soon as he had run away. He must have known no one would ever cari for him in New York. How could he go so far just to avoid his father?
Mrs Harrison was greatly disturbed oleh the name and address of the detik boy. "He lives in the Dingle, and he doesn't even use his real name in his signature? But he must be a dangerous teddy boy! He shouldn't be allowed to travel like that!"
The policeman looked apologetic. "The rules are, if the minors travelling with him vouch for him, he's allowed to escort them."
Mr McCartney looked very disturbed. "My Paul, travelling with a teddy boy? What could he have berkata to make Paul vouch for him?"
The third name meant nothing to either the Harrisons atau Mr McCartney. But both Jim and Louise were surprised oleh how familiar the address sounded. "Why does that place sound so familiar...."
Jim remembered first. "That's right near stroberi Fields, and the orphanage. We nearly looked for Paul there, but we never went into the field."
"Very few people ever do go into that field," the policeman supplied.
"Oh, yes," Mrs Harrison recalled. Then, with a sudden fear in her eyes, "Could this boy be using it as his gang hideout? Maybe both of these boys are dangerous! Maybe Paul only meant to hide in stroberi Fields for a hari atau two, but then these horrible boys found him and forced him to go to New York!"
Jim's face darkened. "I'm going to New York after him."
Harold nodded decisively. "Us, too."
Brian had told the lads to make their decision carefully, and they had had the obligatory meeting with him before making anything official, but really, their minds had been made up since he had vouched for them back at the musik store. Ringo couldn't imagine saying "no" to someone who would buy him that beautiful Ludwig drum set.
The meeting had been mostly the boys and Brian discussing their contract. Since the boys weren't making any substantial money yet, Brian suggested a system in which he was only paid when he got the band a real, paid gig, and then he would take only a small percentage as his manager fee. Everything he berkata was about what would help the band the most, and all the boys knew they had made a good choice in hiring him.
The four lads woke up the selanjutnya morning very excited. There was something about being managed that made them feel like a real, official band, and it made them want to play a concert. "I saw one of them big department stores not far from here," Winston suggested. "Let's play there today."
The band went, and they had a very happy time playing a mixture of covers they all loved and originals they had been practising. Winston had written a sweet cinta song called "Ask Me Why", and the boys tried it out on their audience for the first time today. Unfortunately, most of the teenagers were in school today just like yesterday, and so their audience was mostly adults again. There did seem to be some adults around Brian's age who enjoyed their music, but most adults seemed too distracted oleh the fact that the lads were breaking rules to notice anything else.
"Who knew it was so much harder to be a band in the fall than in the summer?" Paul whispered to his mates between songs. "We should've come here two months ago."
Winston grinned. "There's always a way, James."
Eventually, as always, the store manager marched over and told the boys to leave. When he did, there were a few disappointed sounds from the people gathered round, which the four lads took as a good sign.
"You can't throw us out of places anymore," Winston informed him.
"Oh? And why can't I?" The store manager was unimpressed.
"We're a proper band now," Paul supplied.
"Managed and all that," Ringo clarified. "Brian Epstein is his name."
The store manager frowned at them. "Why should I believe that?"
Geo frowned his calm, steady frown. "Call him and ask him, if anda don't."
Frowning at them suspiciously, the store manager took them to his office while he called Brian Epstein's. Paul was a little nervous; this felt too much like getting caught for his liking. He tried to stay calm and listen to Winston, who kept making jokes and sideways remarks about the décor to keep everyone's spirits up.
Soon Brian Epstein came through the door, and quickly smoothed things over. "Yes, those are my boys. I'll be taking them now; they won't cause anda any lebih trouble. Lads, what have anda been doing?" He had the air of a parent who has been called to school because his children misbehaved.
The store manager did not object to letting the boys go with Brian Epstein, and Paul relaxed. The boys returned to Brian's office with him, where he once again asked them what they had been thinking, playing there.
"We were just playin' a gig," Ringo answered Brian's question, blue eyes wide and innocent. "Like we always do. Being managed doesn't mean we don't need to play anymore, right?"
Brian stared at him a moment as if wondering whether he was serious, then sighed. "It's my job to find anda your gigs. anda don't need to wander round playing in all these places anda shouldn't. How will anda have time to be successful if you're always in trouble with the authorities? I don't want anda lot getting arrested before anda can make it big."
"No," Paul replied quickly, "neither do we."
Winston had a different response. "Of course we can make it big oleh gettin' into trouble. Lots of folk have. And it's been getting us a lot of attention."
"I know," Brian admitted. "I've been wanting to speak to anda about that. I think anda want to clean up your image."
"Our image?" repeated Paul and Ringo curiously, at the same time as Winston and Geo said, "What's wrong with it?"
"Your image is very important if anda want to make a good impression on the fans. Yes, I know anda do now, but there's still some room for improvement." His tone had now gone from fatherly to businesslike.
Paul listened with some anticipation; he was eager to hear what they could do to become perfect. Brian listed any number of things: the way they should act while performing, what they should and should not do while on stage, their haircuts, their clothes. "I'm going to order anda some suits," he decided. "You'll look lebih clean-cut. You'll be much lebih attractive to the fans."
The boys looked at one another. Who knew there was so many things involved in becoming a famous band besides the music?
"In the meantime, I've been checking around with local venues and it seems anda have attracted a lot of attention. I should have a proper dokar, pertunjukan for anda in a hari atau so. anda can spend your time practising for that if anda feel the urge to do something; hopefully that will keep anda out of trouble," he added with a sigh. "Why do I think managing anda lot will mostly involve getting anda out of trouble?"
Winston smiled, brown eyes twinkling with mischief. "It was your idea, Brian."
Brian shook his head, but returned Winston's smile. "I know."
And all five of them knew, as the band left Brian's office, that all of them were happy about it.
"Ah, Mr Harrison!" It was the nice policeman who had helped Harold a bulan yang lalu when George had first gone missing, and had seen him at the station many times since then. "We're still looking for something to turn up, I'm afraid...."
Jim stepped in. "What about that band that's running round New York playing music?"
The policeman looked politely puzzled. "Oh, you've heard about that? I don't think it's anything to do with the missing Harrison boy. It's a group of runaways...."
"My son is a runaway," Jim reminded him fiercely. "I was told he might not be in Liverpool anymore, and this band is English. Is it possible he came over to America with some other runaways and is now trying to start a band?"
Something stirred in Harold Harrison's memory at these words, and he addressed the policeman. "When I spoke to anda about George a bulan yang lalu - didn't anda say something about three teenagers who all went to New York together, without adult supervision?"
The policeman thought a minute. "Yes, I remember saying something of that sort. We'll check the records for anda again, if anda like."
"Yes, please do," Mr Harrison said. As the policeman went off to find the old records, he turned to his wife and Mr McCartney and explained: "It's just possible these three found George at the airport, isn't it? The timing is right...."
"Found him, and did what to him?" cried Mrs Harrison, sounding near hysterical. "How did they stop him from trying to get halaman awal to me? What have they done to my baby?"
The records were nearly a bulan old, so it was several hours before the policeman had found them. The three adults went to have lunch in the meantime. When they returned, the policeman had found the records, and the Harrisons and Mr McCartney read the daftar of names.
Mr McCartney sucked in his breath. So Paul had been on that flight. All month, they had been searching for him in Liverpool, but he had left Liverpool almost as soon as he had run away. He must have known no one would ever cari for him in New York. How could he go so far just to avoid his father?
Mrs Harrison was greatly disturbed oleh the name and address of the detik boy. "He lives in the Dingle, and he doesn't even use his real name in his signature? But he must be a dangerous teddy boy! He shouldn't be allowed to travel like that!"
The policeman looked apologetic. "The rules are, if the minors travelling with him vouch for him, he's allowed to escort them."
Mr McCartney looked very disturbed. "My Paul, travelling with a teddy boy? What could he have berkata to make Paul vouch for him?"
The third name meant nothing to either the Harrisons atau Mr McCartney. But both Jim and Louise were surprised oleh how familiar the address sounded. "Why does that place sound so familiar...."
Jim remembered first. "That's right near stroberi Fields, and the orphanage. We nearly looked for Paul there, but we never went into the field."
"Very few people ever do go into that field," the policeman supplied.
"Oh, yes," Mrs Harrison recalled. Then, with a sudden fear in her eyes, "Could this boy be using it as his gang hideout? Maybe both of these boys are dangerous! Maybe Paul only meant to hide in stroberi Fields for a hari atau two, but then these horrible boys found him and forced him to go to New York!"
Jim's face darkened. "I'm going to New York after him."
Harold nodded decisively. "Us, too."
Brian had told the lads to make their decision carefully, and they had had the obligatory meeting with him before making anything official, but really, their minds had been made up since he had vouched for them back at the musik store. Ringo couldn't imagine saying "no" to someone who would buy him that beautiful Ludwig drum set.
The meeting had been mostly the boys and Brian discussing their contract. Since the boys weren't making any substantial money yet, Brian suggested a system in which he was only paid when he got the band a real, paid gig, and then he would take only a small percentage as his manager fee. Everything he berkata was about what would help the band the most, and all the boys knew they had made a good choice in hiring him.
The four lads woke up the selanjutnya morning very excited. There was something about being managed that made them feel like a real, official band, and it made them want to play a concert. "I saw one of them big department stores not far from here," Winston suggested. "Let's play there today."
The band went, and they had a very happy time playing a mixture of covers they all loved and originals they had been practising. Winston had written a sweet cinta song called "Ask Me Why", and the boys tried it out on their audience for the first time today. Unfortunately, most of the teenagers were in school today just like yesterday, and so their audience was mostly adults again. There did seem to be some adults around Brian's age who enjoyed their music, but most adults seemed too distracted oleh the fact that the lads were breaking rules to notice anything else.
"Who knew it was so much harder to be a band in the fall than in the summer?" Paul whispered to his mates between songs. "We should've come here two months ago."
Winston grinned. "There's always a way, James."
Eventually, as always, the store manager marched over and told the boys to leave. When he did, there were a few disappointed sounds from the people gathered round, which the four lads took as a good sign.
"You can't throw us out of places anymore," Winston informed him.
"Oh? And why can't I?" The store manager was unimpressed.
"We're a proper band now," Paul supplied.
"Managed and all that," Ringo clarified. "Brian Epstein is his name."
The store manager frowned at them. "Why should I believe that?"
Geo frowned his calm, steady frown. "Call him and ask him, if anda don't."
Frowning at them suspiciously, the store manager took them to his office while he called Brian Epstein's. Paul was a little nervous; this felt too much like getting caught for his liking. He tried to stay calm and listen to Winston, who kept making jokes and sideways remarks about the décor to keep everyone's spirits up.
Soon Brian Epstein came through the door, and quickly smoothed things over. "Yes, those are my boys. I'll be taking them now; they won't cause anda any lebih trouble. Lads, what have anda been doing?" He had the air of a parent who has been called to school because his children misbehaved.
The store manager did not object to letting the boys go with Brian Epstein, and Paul relaxed. The boys returned to Brian's office with him, where he once again asked them what they had been thinking, playing there.
"We were just playin' a gig," Ringo answered Brian's question, blue eyes wide and innocent. "Like we always do. Being managed doesn't mean we don't need to play anymore, right?"
Brian stared at him a moment as if wondering whether he was serious, then sighed. "It's my job to find anda your gigs. anda don't need to wander round playing in all these places anda shouldn't. How will anda have time to be successful if you're always in trouble with the authorities? I don't want anda lot getting arrested before anda can make it big."
"No," Paul replied quickly, "neither do we."
Winston had a different response. "Of course we can make it big oleh gettin' into trouble. Lots of folk have. And it's been getting us a lot of attention."
"I know," Brian admitted. "I've been wanting to speak to anda about that. I think anda want to clean up your image."
"Our image?" repeated Paul and Ringo curiously, at the same time as Winston and Geo said, "What's wrong with it?"
"Your image is very important if anda want to make a good impression on the fans. Yes, I know anda do now, but there's still some room for improvement." His tone had now gone from fatherly to businesslike.
Paul listened with some anticipation; he was eager to hear what they could do to become perfect. Brian listed any number of things: the way they should act while performing, what they should and should not do while on stage, their haircuts, their clothes. "I'm going to order anda some suits," he decided. "You'll look lebih clean-cut. You'll be much lebih attractive to the fans."
The boys looked at one another. Who knew there was so many things involved in becoming a famous band besides the music?
"In the meantime, I've been checking around with local venues and it seems anda have attracted a lot of attention. I should have a proper dokar, pertunjukan for anda in a hari atau so. anda can spend your time practising for that if anda feel the urge to do something; hopefully that will keep anda out of trouble," he added with a sigh. "Why do I think managing anda lot will mostly involve getting anda out of trouble?"
Winston smiled, brown eyes twinkling with mischief. "It was your idea, Brian."
Brian shook his head, but returned Winston's smile. "I know."
And all five of them knew, as the band left Brian's office, that all of them were happy about it.