Chapter Thirty-Seven
The third late call of the night took place at the Stepney household. Two policemen had arrived and were waiting to arrest Maya, she broke her conduct. Henrietta had told her to hide in the shed again. So with a rather nervous feeling, she made her way to the front door and opened the door...
"Maya Stepney?" one of the policemen questioned.
"No, that's my daughter"
"Okay and where is she? We need to take her in for questioning, this is a very serious matter as you well know"
"Yes I know and I know what you think but it's not how it looked. The two children she took were not strangers and it wasn't kidnap. Despite what David and Priya think...Look, her court case was suppose to be yesterday"
One of the officers took out some folder before looking back up and saying...
"Yes and she signed a form didn't she? I believe you're a legal barrister, Miss Stepney?"
"That's right so I know the rules and I know what you're thinking but this is purely a domestic case"
"A domestic case or not...I need to take your daughter in for questioning. So if you just let us past, it will be a lot easier"
John standing behind her now as well. He was actually drinking right now, making things look even worse. With a slight pause, Henrietta turned back towards him and gave him a dirty look. He wasn't helping!
"It's only a beer, we all need a beer; isn't that right, lads?" John asked with a slurred laugh.
"Please move out the way Miss, we have the right to search these premises" the second officer spoke up. Time for small talk have passed.
Henrietta just gave a rather large sigh as she finally moved out the way. Letting the policemen in, one of them already going up the stairs to search. The second officer began to look downstairs.
"This is very silly you know...It's been under twenty-four hours. Maya is the mother of one the girls as you well know. The only crime she has committed is breaking her contact rule for a few hours" Henrietta then spoke up; following the second officer around the house.
"So you know it's a crime?"
"Of cause I do...It's a domestic issue which I deal with all the time, Maya is a very difficult one. She always has been officer, you can't put her away for spending time with her own daughter though"
"She took another child, Miss"
"Her daughter's sister, yes. That was an error...Look, I will go and get her. She can explain you everything at the station with me. I'm her barrister and so I can stay with her in the interview"
"Okay"
That firm 'Okay' was enough to get her worried, they weren't taking this lightly. Maya would be going back inside for a bit. So with a slight pause, the woman made her way into the back-garden with the said officer following behind. She opened up the shed door and quickly informed her...
"You have to go to the station"
"Mother, you promised"
"I know but I'm going to defend you-"
Their chat was interrupted as the officer gently shoved her to one side. Pulling Maya up as he cuffed her, giving her the usual Miranda warning. She didn't think she would be here again so soon after last time...
"You got this wrong" Maya insisted to the officers.
"You can tell us everything at the station"
They led her to the police car parked outside. Putting her in and shutting the door, the usual. Henrietta giving them a slight look, the first officer looked towards her again as he further explained...
"You can follow us to the station, Miss...Maya doesn't have to talk to us without you there"
"Okay thank you"
"I would suggest you get a lift from somebody else however"
He was referring to the tipsy John, the woman just replied with..."Yes, of cause". John still drinking his beer can as he sat on the front garden fence. Once again, she can't go a day without her family bringing shame to her door.
...
David fell asleep in the Sharma household, his daughter Erica in the pram still with a blanket wrapped around her. He was awoken up by the sounds of a kettle, Rishi was making a cup of tea. Priya was still upstairs, she fell asleep by her daughter Amba; she refused to leave her all night. Those last twenty-four hours were awful for sure, David forced himself up. Checking on Erica being the first thing he did. She was fine, just sleeping away. Thank goodness she had no concept of anything yet. Rishi walked over towards him as he passed him a cup of tea...
"Cheers and I'm sorry for all this" David spoke up.
"Well, both girls are back now so we have to be grateful for that. I told your father on the phone by the way, so he knows"
"Thanks...I'm not letting her out my sight after this and I will be seeing Amba a lot more now"
"I think she would like that very much. I'm just happy they are safe, Maya will surely get locked up for a long time now. That woman caused you too much aggro, Jai told me you are banning her parents from seeing Erica which I'm pleased to hear"
"Well I can't trust them, can I?"
"You're preaching to the choir here"
"Yeah...I erm...I'm still going to go round later. Just to tell them what's going to happen but no, they aren't seeing her properly again"
"Let's hope they listen"
...
The first police interview was in the middle of taking place, Maya had spent the rest of the night in a cell. Her mother Henrietta sitting besides her in the interview room, this was only going to go one way it seemed. They were both trying to water down what happened, putting emphasising on the fact Erica was her daughter. They really were trying to avoid a long prison sentence. Despite that being only what she deserves, those giving the interview were not impressed.
"It was nothing more than a long day out, she was desperate to see her child. She brought them back because she understood the severity" Henrietta began.
"That may be but a long day out or not, she two young children out without the permission of the legal guardians. Not to mention she already has a record and a caution to not go near any persons under the age of 16. That's the law" one of the two given the interview elaborated.
"Yes and if you remember, the parental agreement is not yet officially signed into law. The court has not yet declared it. As for Amba, she's the half-sister of Erica"
"The law doesn't take family members into account, Miss Stepney"
"Okay, Maya as you know has never been charged with child abuse. The text messages were a different thing" Henrietta paused slightly slightly; oh she was so disgusted with the whole thing and she wishes she wasn't her mother...Though the woman carried on regardless as she further explained...
"The charge was sexual communication"
Maya just shook her head, even she knew that her crime was disgusting. The one she was charged with was bad enough on it's own. The woman has barely said a word, she just let her mother do all the talking. She couldn't even look the officers in the eye anymore, she felt shame at last.
"Yes I'm aware of the previous conviction, Miss...Okay. I think we should suspend this interview for a little bit"
"No wait...Listen, just put us out of our miseries and tell us the charge" Henrietta pleaded.
With a slight pause, the officer announced the interview was over. The recording was thus over. The officers excused themselves, leaving mother and daughter alone together again. Henrietta was besides herself, she just looked at Maya and wondered why the Hell she was giving up seeing her granddaughter for her. She's been nothing but trouble for years and years.
"I'm going back to prison aren't I?" Maya asked in a sad tone of voice.
"Looks like it, they aren't letting up. No matter what I say. I don't even think I should be helping you, Maya. You keep hurting people and I just can't take it for much longer, I feel like if I tell you to go then you will do something else"
"I'm sorry...I know I been stupid but I just wanted to spend time with my daughter. I thought taking her sister with us would be fine"
"You wanted to hurt David and me, didn't you? That's the real reason"
"David ruined my life"
"No, you ruined your own life when you took up with Jacob. What were you thinking? He was a student in your history class, Maya!"
"I know but I really cared about him"
"Maybe you did but that doesn't excuse anything. Ethan did the same thing to you, whether you want to hear it or not. You remember my reaction? I look at you the same way I looked at him"
"I'm not that bad"
"Why not? Hm? How is what you did any different?"
"Because I waited didn't I? Jacob was sixteen. Ethan didn't wait for me like that, he just...did it anyway"
"What do you want? A medal?!"
"No, I'm just trying to explain to you what happened. Besides, I deserved it, didn't I? I pestered Ethan for weeks, I worn him down. You should have just let me go to him after prison, mother. Then we wouldn't be in this mess"
This just made her mother shake her head. She's trying to use her past as an excuse but it was working on her. All this talk of letting her down and blaming her for ruining her life still stuck a chord twenty-six years later. It was like a black cloud that never goes away, it hung over them.
"Fine...After prison, you go back to Ethan" Henrietta uttered; letting tears fall down her cheeks. Ethan finally won.
"Thank you"
Henrietta was just thinking how it might be the only way to prevent further damage. If she stays with Ethan, she won't be interested in going after Jacob again. That was flawed logic maybe because as Maya was clearly disturbed herself and would still have sick ideas about the future. Though it was worth a shot and that broke her heart, to think the best solution for her daughter is to go back to that creature. For Maya may be messed up but she had an obsession with that man; she would likely go and stay with him for a long time.
"Okay fine...Look after Auntie Rosa for me" Henrietta remarked, trying to hold back tears.
"Like old times"
"Yes, just like old times. You promise me you won't go near Jacob or Erica again?"
"No, I won't need them after this. I do feel bad for what I have done but if I go back there. Everything will be okay, I won't have those stupid thoughts, will I? I will be back with the man I always loved"
Her mother was trying so hard not to cry. This is what abuse does, it messed people up beyond repair and makes them forget what's right. This was just a sad long-term effect of it, Maya was still deluded. The truth was she always will be now, she was still an awful person though. Damaged all the same however.
"Okay...Excuse me, I going to see what's taking them so long" Henrietta managed to speak. Not wanting to look at her.
As she gave a small knock on the window, making the officer open it. She asked to be let out for a few moments and he agreed. She just wanted out so Maya couldn't see her crying as she stood against the wall, wiping away tears the moment they fell. She partly blamed herself for this but it wasn't her fault of cause. Though she still did regardless, she kept thinking about how she let her down. She just caved her into at last and basically gave her her blessing regarding Ethan. Though Maya was a grown woman now and she thought it be the lesser of the two evils, either let her stay with Ethan or not know what she was doing. That was her choice.
...
"Jacob" David called over; making the lad look towards him. He noticed he was pushing Erica in her pram.
The girls were back then.
"What?" Jacob asked in a huff.
"We found the girls which means Maya will be arrested again. You know that?"
"You bragging or something? How about you do one?! All you do is hurt her and all because she loves me and not you"
Jacob really did believe that too. He was sadly deluded as well however he still had a choice thankfully, he still had time. David felt like he was back at the start again, when would he see? He has been to see a counsellor and yet it seemed to have done nothing...
"She took my daughters away...Is that not enough for you to see how messed up she is?" David questioned.
"Of cause she's messed up, look what you all did to her!" Jacob hissed.
Purposefully shoving past him, barely able to look at the baby. David giving a big sigh as he muttered..."God" under his breath in total despair.
...
TBC