Chapter 4.
Max sat in the car with his younger brother who was driving them both to the police station. "Joey and Lauren?" Jack asked, not for the first time since Max had arrived on his doorstep.
"Jack..." Max growled, now wasn't the time for jokes.
"Well, it seems Joey can do something other than throw his fists... He really is a Branning..."
"Jack, please..." Max sighed softly, sudden very tired.
"What?"
"That's my daughter you're making jokes about." Max reminded him, "And they've both been living under my roof for the last couple of weeks." He added, staring out of the side window as they moved through the streets.
"Typical Derek though, right?" Jack saw his brother look at him sharply, "Okay, staying quiet now." He said, motioning as if zipping his mouth shut. He parked the car once they got there and Jack followed his brother into the police station.
"You arrested my daughter earlier this evening. Lauren Branning." Max said to the officer at the front desk.
"Take a seat, Mr Branning. An officer will be out shortly to speak to you."
Max and Jack sat in the chairs; Max impatiently waiting while Jack tried to keep him calm.
*JL*JL*
"Miss Branning, my name is DCI Marsden. I'm here to question you regarding the car crash you were in earlier this evening. You told the officers at the hospital earlier that you were driving, is that right?" Lauren nodded. "You need to answer for the tape recording."
"Yes, that's right," Lauren whispered after glancing at the solicitor who'd been assigned to her when she arrived.
"I'm a little confused, Miss Branning..."
"Lauren..."
"I'm confused, Lauren because we have several statements that conflict with what you said to my officers."
"It was me." Lauren said.
The DCI looked through the paperwork in the file in front of her, "Then why did a Joseph Branning tell the officer exactly the same thing at the scene of the crash? A statement backed up by his father."
"Joey did it to protect me." Lauren whispered. "He knew I would get in trouble because I'd been drinking."
"So Joseph lied to the police?"
"His dad made him do it and Joey was only trying to help me."
"Derek Branning made him lie to the police and then lied to us as well?"
"Yes."
"Why would he do that?"
"I was in trouble with the police a few years ago. And I'd been drinking. He said I would end up in prison. Joey was trying to protect me; keep me safe." Tears ran down her face and she wiped them away quickly.
Marsden looked at a second file she had, "Ah, yes. It's seems you have regular problems with driving cars, doesn't it, Lauren?"
"I was upset..."
"And you ran over your father."
"It's nothing like what happened tonight..." she sobbed.
"Tell me what happened then, Lauren."
The solicitor leant over and spoke softly to Lauren, advising her to tell the truth. Lauren glanced at the woman in front of her, "Joey and I were leaving Walford. We were running away together." Lauren started softly.
"Why?" Marsden asked.
"What?"
"Why were you running away together?"
"We're in love." Lauren whispered, looking down at her hands that lay clenched together on the table.
"Joey is your..." she started as she looked through the paperwork before her.
"He's my cousin." Lauren brushed more tears from her face, "Can I have a tissue?" she asked softly.
Marsden nodded to a policewoman who left the room, "Constable Murray has left the interview room." The room is silent for a couple of minutes while they wait for the Constable to return; the ticking of the clock on the wall the only sound audible. The door to the room opened and Constable Murray walked back in with a box of tissues and a plastic cup of water. Both items she placed in front of Lauren.
Lauren grabbed a tissue and took some time to blow her nose and wipe away the tears while DCI Marsden stated Constable Murray had re-entered the room for the tape.
"So you were telling me about your relationship with Joey?" Marsden prompted once Lauren had composed herself.
Lauren nodded then remembered she needed to speak, "Yes. We began a serious relationship just over a month ago, I guess." She took another sip of water, "Joey only came to Walford about five months ago. Before that we didn't even know each other. We didn't even know the other existed. There was this instant attraction between us but we denied it for quite some time. Then a few weeks ago we couldn't stop it. I nearly killed him tonight and that thought hurts."
"So you're in this clandestine relationship with your cousin. Why did you choose to run away last night?"
"Derek found out about our relationship and he threatened to expose us to my parents. He threatened me so Joey and I decided we had to leave."
"And Derek let you take his car?"
Lauren shook her head, "No. Joey borrowed the keys."
"So he stole the car?" she clarified.
"Derek saw us leaving. He knew we'd taken the car. I take it he didn't report it stolen?" Lauren said, her voice strengthening as she realised Joey could potentially get in trouble.
"You're right, he didn't." Marsden said. "So once you left Albert Square, what happened?"
"We were just driving through the streets. We were laughing and enjoying the freedom of not having to hide from anyone anymore. I guess I lost concentration for a second and the car clipped a parked car. I swerved and caught the kerb and we ended up crashing through the window. It all happened so quickly."
"So you were driving your uncle's car?"
"Yes."
"And you aren't insured to drive it?"
"I guess not." Lauren admitted.
"At the hospital you were breathalysed. Is that correct?"
"Yes. It was positive."
"From the test they did you were almost twice the legal limit." She consulted her notes again, "I understand you consented to a blood test being taken before you left the hospital?"
"Yes."
"This test will be used as evidence in your case. It is unlikely the reading will come back as a negative result. Do you understand that, Lauren?"
"Yes." She whispered.
"How much had you had to drink today?"
"I went to the pub after Derek threatened me. I was shaken up and I needed to calm down. I had some vodka."
"How much?"
"Two or three." She admitted, "They were doubles."
Marsden stared at her for a minute or two, "Why did you drive the car if you'd been drinking?"
"I forgot I'd had them. I was stressed from the whole day and I just wanted to get away. I didn't even think about it." She placed her head in her hands, covering her eyes, "I wish I had. I wish I could take it all back. Change it so it never happened." She started to cry as she spoke.
"I'll give you some time to compose yourself, Lauren." Marsden said, seeing the remorse on the young girl's face and in her stature. Marsden stood up and stated she and Constable Murray were leaving the room and the recording would be stopping.
Once Lauren was with just the solicitor her crying became much stronger.
A/N: I wrote this chapter in January 2013... while I was watching the final of the Australian Open Tennis... this may have influenced the naming of one character. As I've been finishing this story I found myself watching the final of the tennis again this year... unfortunately with the same result. Anyway, let me know what you think and send me a review. Back tomorrow...
