CHAPTER 27
(EVA)
I can't believe what Megan did, I always knew she was a bit odd but the lengths she went to today and her reasoning behind what she did have totally shocked me. As we are walking the short distance to the school, Gideon is talking to his solicitor on the phone. He is telling him what happened and asking him to liaise with the police as he wants the book throwing at Meg. I feel protected and safe at his behaviour, and his reaction to all this and it's a nice feeling.
When we arrive at the school I head over to the group of mums who spoke to me and warned me about Meg previously.
"Hi" I say carefully.
"Oh hello Eva" they all say politely.
I turn my attention to Karen, "Why did Meg show up at your house that time, what was the reason for it? If you don't mind me asking" I ask.
Karen frowns and sighs, "I have no idea, I know she had always had a thing for my partner but he knew what she was like and never encouraged her. To be honest he gave her a wide berth and when she came on to him he told her where to go. I think that upset her and she just wanted revenge on him for dismissing her, she seems to crave attention and doesn't like it when she doesn't get it" she says with a shrug.
This tallies with everything she said this afternoon, she felt rejected once more and needed to exact revenge on those who she perceived as rejecting her. I nod in agreement.
"Thanks" I say simply.
"Why do you ask?" Karen asks.
I sigh and outline what happened, how she broke into our home and how we found her naked on our bed. I add that she had told me that Gideon had given her a key and had been with her all morning which was a total lie.
"She's clearly deranged, as I work with Gideon and he was with me all morning" I say, I know I am stretching the truth a little as today we weren't actually at work but they don't need to know that.
The three women stand their mouths hanging open as I describe what happened earlier.
"Oh my god!" Karen says clearly shocked by what I just said.
"Yeah, Gideon called the police when we got home and discovered someone had broken in, I heard them still inside moving about and we went in and there she was, stark bollock naked. The police came and arrested her so I don't know what is going to happen now, her kids are in an after-school club but I don't know who will collect them when that finishes, if she is still at the police station" I say.
I am distracted by Gideon joining me, he slips his arm around my waist and pulls me close.
"Hi, what's happened?" I ask.
Gideon glances at the women who are waiting and hanging on our every word, but I want them to hear as I want them to know we are taking this seriously.
"I've spoken to Charles and he is going to liaise with the police on our behalf, as far as he is concerned, she should be charged with breaking and entering, and with harassment and stalking as what she has been doing satisfies the criteria for all those charges. Our recording wouldn't be admissible as evidence but we will need to go to the police station to make formal statements and there is nothing stopping us from using the recording to describe accurately what she said and did, the photographs I took are admissible and Charles is confident that she won't get away with it. I need to go to the police station to make my statement I have forwarded the recording to your phone as you will have to make a statement as well".
I nod, "What do you think will happen to her?" I ask.
Gideon shrugs, "It depends, Charles said the maximum is six months in prison and/or a level 5 fine which is £5,000 so she is in big trouble, but it depends on the magistrate. As this would be a magistrates court offence and consideration would be taken in to the fact she is a single mother etc" he says.
"What about the fact she has done it before – many times?" Karen asks suddenly.
Gideon looks at her, "Have the police been involved previously?" he asks.
Karen nods, "Yeah they have but when she did it to us she was let off with a caution" she says bitterly.
"I see" Gideon says, "Well I'll be sure to mention that when I make my statement" he says.
Our attention is diverted to the doors which are opening and I watch as my daughter appears and runs towards us.
"Mummy!" she squeals as she flings herself at me.
She turns to Gideon, "Daddy!" she says and I feel my heart lurch as she says it. Gideon sweeps her up and sits her on his shoulders and she giggles loudly.
As we are walking back I have an idea, "Shall we go now to the police station, gran wouldn't mind taking care of Maisie for a short while?" I say quietly.
Gideon nods "Ok fine" he says easily.
When we arrive at gran's she looks surprised to see us, "Oh hello come in" she says.
We quickly outline why we are here and what has happened and gran doesn't hesitate to agree to take care of Maisie for us while we go to the police station. She is shocked that Megan has gone so far but she also knows about some of her previous behaviour.
I notice Gideon is on the phone again as I leave the small living room after telling Maisie that we won't be long and that she is staying here with gran for a while.
"What's up?" I ask as he ends the call and pushes his phone away.
"Nothing, I'm just arranging for Charles to meet us at the police station" he says grimly.
"Why?" I ask.
"Because I don't want her getting away with a caution again" he spits.
"Oh ok" I say, I am actually quite surprised at the level of bile in that short sentence but I don't say anything and once more I feel a warmth spread through me. A nice feeling of being protected and loved.
oooOOOooo
"Thank you for coming and making your statements" the police officer says to me. I nod as I read through what has been written and I look at the man sitting beside me for guidance on what to do next. I had been introduced to Charles Freer when we arrived and he has been nothing but kind to me, walking me through and explaining everything. I wish I'd had someone like him helping me when I was dealing with Nathan.
"Are you happy that is exactly what happened Eva?" he asks me gently.
I nod again, "Yes" I reply.
"Ok, then you sign and date it and then that's you done" he says with a smile.
I smile weakly and put my signature at the bottom of the page.
"So that's it?" I ask looking from Charles to the police officer in front of me.
"Yes that's everything, thank you for your co-operation in this matter" the police officer says.
"No problem, I felt violated when I found her in my home" I say.
The police officer smiles at me sympathetically but doesn't say anything. As the police officer gathers the paperwork together I see Gideon's statement and much to my surprise printed copies of the photographs that Gideon took of where Megan broke in, and it hits me that she is in real trouble for what she did today.
"What will happen to her?" I ask.
"She will be charged with aggravated trespass along with the additional charges of harassment and stalking" the police officer says.
Charles leads me from the room, "What he didn't say was that because she has previously received a caution for similar behaviour and I have discovered that she also has many other complaints against her for harassment which were not pursued due to lack of evidence. So, I am certain there will be a push for a conviction now there is such overwhelming evidence including her admitting to breaking into your home and her reasons why, which could be construed as an obsession".
"She admitted it to Gideon but that's different to admitting it to the police" I say.
"She has done, she has admitted everything to the police. She is under the impression that she will just be given a slap on the wrist and sent on her way again" Charles says and I gasp at the realisation of what she has done.
"What is aggravated trespass?" I ask wondering why she has been charged with that.
Charles sighs, "Because she didn't actually cause any damage breaking in, because she picked the lock and there was no intention to steal. She just wanted you to find her and she wanted to cause trouble, so because of that the police don't think they could secure a conviction of breaking and entering. But she did gain access to your home without your permission, so she was trespassing, now trespass is a classified as a civil matter not a police matter. But aggravated trespass escalates that offence to a police matter and they believe they can secure a conviction of that as she satisfies the criteria for that offence. That a. she unlawfully gained access and was trespassing in your home and b. she was Intentionally obstructing, disrupting, or intimidating others from carrying out 'lawful activities'. Which she was, she was in your home preventing you from going about your daily business because she was there".
I nod understanding what he is saying, "Yeah she was there - Stark bollock naked on our bed!" I say.
Charles smiles, "Exactly" he says.
"What is the punishment for that?" I ask.
"The maximum penalty is 3 months imprisonment, or a fine of £2500, or in some cases both. Essentially, the police will determine whether it's Trespass or Aggravated Trespass. One gets you a telling off and the other gets you a ride in a police car, they have decided to pursue Aggravated Trespass so along with the additional charges of harassment and stalking she is in serious trouble and looking at a hefty fine and possibly some prison time as well. If it was her first offence she could be treated more leniently, for example a lesser fine and/or a suspended custodial sentence".
"But it's not her first time" I say, "She has done this before" I add.
"And the police are aware of that, previously it was just dealt with as trespass and the police let her off with a caution, this clearly sent her the message that she could do as she pleased and face no consequences" he says.
"But not this time" I say.
Charles smiles, "No Eva, not this time".
"What will happen to her kids?" I ask.
Charles shrugs, "Social services will get involved and if she gets a prison sentence they will be placed in the care of family members or foster care".
"She already has a social worker, Tasha, my social worker is also hers" I say. "Will this have any effect on Gideon adopting Maisie?" I ask.
Charles shakes his head, "No, not at all it's irrelevant" he says. "Do you have any more questions Eva?" he asks.
I shake my head, then a question I have had rolling around my head pops out, "I do but it's not with regard to this, it's a question I have about Maisie's adoption, am I allowed to ask that now?" I say.
Charles pulls me to one side and gives me his complete attention; I put my head down and look at my fingers as I feel as though I am betraying Gideon by voicing this concern.
"Will… will Gideon's past count against him?" I ask nervously.
Charles' face softens and he smiles kindly at me, "I assume you are talking about the fact he has an uncle who is a convicted paedophile and due to what he went through as a child and his mental health issues history" he says.
I nod, "I couldn't say anything to Gideon, but it did cross my mind" I say.
Charles nods, "I totally understand, now I won't lie to you as it will be taken into consideration but the fact Gideon has no contact with his uncle and now lives in a totally different area of the country will be considered positively. His previous mental health issues where he attempted suicide will also be taken into consideration, and he may be asked to undertake a psychological evaluation to determine if he is a danger to either you or Maisie".
"He's not, he loves us!" I exclaim.
"I know that and you know that, but these people are just looking at Maisie's welfare and all they know is what is written down in front of them" he says.
"Does Gideon know all this?" I ask.
Charles nods, "He does and he is fully prepared to co-operate and do whatever it takes".
"So, they could say no, they could say Gideon can't adopt Maisie?" I ask as my mind immediately flies to the worst case scenario.
Charles nods again and places his hand on my arm reassuringly, "They could, but that can happen in any case, but we are working tirelessly to prevent that outcome. Gideon is aware that the court may decide not to grant an adoption order as this does happen and for many reasons but honestly, I can't foresee any real problems as long as we co-operate fully with the authorities, which we are doing".
"What happens if they do say no?" I ask.
"We would appeal the decision and then if that fails the only other option would be to legally change Maisie's surname. She would then have Gideon's surname and you would all privately consider him to be her father but he would in the eyes of the law still be classed as her step father".
I nod as I take all this in, "Ok" I say eventually.
Charles squeezes my shoulder, "Is that all?" he asks and I nod.
"Yeah, thanks" I say.
"Not at all, now come on, Gideon will be wondering where we have got to".
We head out into the shabby reception and Gideon immediately stands. He looks worried and I realise that is because we have been gone so long.
"Where have you been?" he asks as he pulls me close and presses a kiss to my head.
"Sorry, we were just talking about what happens next, I had a few questions" I say vaguely.
Gideon relaxes and smiles then holds out his hand to Charles, "Thank you for dropping everything and coming here this afternoon" he says gratefully.
"No problem, always happy to help. As I am here in Stoke anyway it's no big deal, if I was up in Manchester it would have been another matter" he says easily.
"You are from Manchester?" I ask.
Charles nods, "I am also Gideon's father's solicitor and I also deal with any company matters for Cross Industries. But at the moment I am down here in Stoke working from our Stoke office due to the legal work I am doing for Gideon on the re-structuring of Cross Industries and of course I'm also handling his adoption request… and now this as well, it seems" he says gesturing around him at our surroundings.
"And I'm sure your monthly bill will reflect all the work you are doing" Gideon says wryly.
I stare at the two men; all this talk makes me realise that they are both so far out of my league it's unreal and once again my insecurities try and invade my mind but I ruthlessly push them out. Gideon loves me he wouldn't be doing any of this if there was any doubt in that fact and that is when it hits me. He is restructuring a company, he has uprooted and moved to be with me. He has bought a house for us, everything he does is with me in mind and I pause for a moment as that realisation crashes down on me, and I just stare at Gideon with a stupid grin on my face.
He sees me and his eyebrows rise in question, "Ready to go Angel?" he asks.
I slip my hand in his, "Yeah, I'm ready" I say.
oooOOOooo
The next day…
"Evie!"
I look up from the order form I am pouring over and straighten at the voice calling me. I see Kelvin walking towards me with purpose.
I straighten and put the items I have just picked into the box and drop the order form and scanner on top.
"Hey Kelv, what's up?" I ask although I have a good idea what this is about.
"I had a phone call yesterday afternoon" he begins.
"Oh yes" I say not giving anything away but I fold my arms defensively waiting for what he says next.
"From Nathan" he adds.
I snort, "Well, there's a surprise and let me guess he told you I'd been to see him and I was everything that's bad because I didn't fall for his lines and come to heel" I say sarcastically.
Kelvin smirks at me, "Yeah pretty much" he says. I can tell he is uncomfortable about this, but to be fair it's really none of his business and besides he said that he had disowned Nathan.
"So…?" I say and wave my hand signalling him to continue.
"So, he said you were getting married and that Gideon was looking to adopt Maisie?" he says.
I nod, "That is right and just out of interest how is any of that your business?" I ask a little more sharply and defensively than I had intended.
Kelvin holds up his hands "Hey I'm not the enemy, I am happy for you I really am. You deserve it after what my arsehole brother put you through, and I told him as much. I told him he only had himself to blame for everything, and I pointed out that I wouldn't talk to you for him because as far as I was concerned you were better off without him and I reminded him that I wanted nothing more to do with him either and told him not to call me again, I'm on your side Evie" he protests.
My defensive stance softens immediately and I smile at Kelvin, "I'm sorry" I say.
"No, don't be. I can understand you'd think the worst as soon as Nathan's name is mentioned" he says sadly. "It's just…" he pauses.
"What?" I ask.
"I need to know, this adoption thing… where does this leave mum? You know she still wants to see Maisie, and I get that you are reluctant to allow it after what she did before and some of the stunts she pulled but she thinks that if Gideon adopts Maisie that she won't be able to even see her supervised, not that I personally think she deserves to anyway" he says.
I am surprised by that comment considering how he previously asked on behalf of his mum for me to allow her to see Maisie. I take a deep breath, this is going to be hard as Gideon had explained the law and what would happen if he is granted an adoption order.
"If Gideon succeeds it would mean he legally becomes her dad and basically Nathan and all his family get cut off" I say as I inwardly cringe at how blunt that sounded.
Kelvin shrugs, "I thought so, I did say as much to mum and I told her that she only had herself to blame. After all what she did was unforgiveable, she knew Nathan wasn't allowed near Maisie after social services got involved and when you let her see her that time and she threw it back in your face she not only let Nathan see her but they both took drugs in front of her. Well you know what I thought about that" he says shaking his head.
I nod, I will be forever grateful to Kelvin for what he did that day. I had allowed Nathan's mum two hours with Maisie alone at her house. She had assured me Nathan wouldn't know and that she was clean. Kelvin had turned up at his mum's house and found Maisie hiding while Nathan and his mum were both off their heads on drugs. He had immediately got her out of there and brought her to me and told me what had happened. Nathan had gone ballistic and come round to try and take Maisie back to his mums and Kelvin had called the police and told them everything. It was not long after that that Nathan had finally tried to kill me.
I sigh, "Look I know that whole thing was the wake-up call your mum needed and she got herself straight and clean after that, but I just don't trust her Kelv. She promised me faithfully that she wouldn't let Nathan see Maisie she knew he wasn't allowed near us, yet as soon as she had Maisie in her house she called him and told him she was there, I'm sorry" I say.
Kelvin nods, "I know I've said the same thing to her, listen I'm not going to fight you on this, as far as I'm concerned you are both better off far, far away from my fucked up family and you have a real chance now to start a new life with Gideon. Maisie doesn't really know me, as apart from that day when I got her out of there I deliberately kept my distance from her because I knew Nathan would try and use me to get to her and you, and to be honest with you mum doesn't deserve any contact either, because…" he shakes his head, "I'm pretty certain she's back on the drugs again, when I came to you before and asked you if mum could see Maisie, I was certain she was clean then but in the past few weeks, well, let's just say all the signs are there again" he says sadly.
"Oh Kelv!" I say.
He shakes his head, "No, don't feel sorry for me, like you I managed to get out of it. I have my own place, I have my job and I have my girlfriend and… I'm going to be a dad too. Julie has just found out she's pregnant" he says with a proud smile.
I squeal and hug him tightly, "Oh congratulations!" I say sincerely as Kelvin returns the hug awkwardly.
"Thanks, and the idea of it well it put a lot of things into perspective for me. I wouldn't let my kid near my mum the way she is. She was never the best mum to us, I mean you know what me and Nathan went through as kids, in and out of foster care, it was bad. But if I don't want her near my kid then there's no way on earth I could justify trying to help her see your kid especially after she fucked you over the way she did" he says.
"Thanks Kelv" I say and I hug him again.
"What's going on here?"
I turn and see Gideon and I smile widely at him. "Kelv is going to be a dad, his girlfriend is pregnant" I say brightly.
Gideon smiles but I notice it's a tight smile which doesn't reach his eyes, "Congratulations" he says and holds out his hand to Kelvin.
Kelvin accepts the handshake and thanks Gideon politely, "Look I'd better get on" he says glancing at Gideon once more and then he leaves us alone.
"Did you need something?" I ask turning my attention to Gideon.
He is watching Kelvin walk away and he seems lost in thought, "Earth to Gideon" I say and I nudge him gently.
He looks at me and smiles genuinely, "Sorry, erm… yes, the order for Taylor Bros has it been picked yet?" he asks, I look down at the sheet in my box and point at it.
"Here, I'm doing it now" I say.
"Aah good, can I have it?" he asks.
"Yeah sure, why what's up?" I ask.
"Nothing we've done, they called us in a flap because someone screwed up their end and they wanted to cancel the current order and resend a new one" he says.
I roll my eyes, "Fair enough, I'll just put all this stuff back" I say.
"Is that all Kelvin wanted?" Gideon asks carefully.
I turn and shake my head, "No, Nathan called him yesterday after my visit, and he was just letting me know he thinks I did good. He is happy that I'm marrying you and that you are looking to adopt Maisie. His exact words were and I quote; 'as far as I'm concerned you are both better off far, far away from my fucked up family and you have a real chance now to start a new life with Gideon', he also told me that his mum is worried that she will be cut out of Maisie's life and he was warning me that she doesn't deserve to be there as he thinks she is back on the drugs again" I say.
I watch as Gideon's eyes widen and surprise fills his face.
"So basically, I think he was giving us his blessing" I add.
"I see" Gideon says, he looks down at the paper in his hand which he holds up, "Better get on" he says, and after giving me a brief swift kiss on the lips he turns and leaves.
I return to the order station and pull the next order to be picked, and George comes up beside me.
"Everything ok Evie?" he asks.
I grin at him, "Yep, everything is perfect" I say confidently.