Chapter 5
Leonie, David and Eloise sat in a room in a huge office complex. A tearful David comforted a tearful Leonie. Eloise sat by herself, tearful but looking awkward as she was not the one comforting Leonie. A police chief entered the room and Eloise was the first to see him and got up saying "Have you any news?". "Are you the mother?" asked the police chief. "The nanny!" replied Eloise regretfully and sitting down. "And where can I find the mother, Leonie?". "Eloise is a member of our family!...she is like a sister!...and a second mother...anything you can say to me you can say to her" said Leonie. Leonie held out a hand to Eloise. Eloise took it and came to sit next to Leonie. "And your the mother, I take it?" asked the chief looking at Leonie. "I am" she replied. "Chief Hilban, Did you get...?" asked David. "I did...I have the finished document here and now I just need the mother's signature and two witnesses...you two will be perfect" replied the chief. "What's going on?" Leonie asked worried. "Can I look at your arms please, Leonie?" the chief asked. Leonie suddenly flung her arms behind her back reversing away from the kind police chief. "No!...why do you want my arms?...what is going on?!!" she demanded. "Can I see your back?...your ribs?...the top of your head?" asked the chief. "No!!!!!!...what is going on?" she demanded. "It's o.k, Leonie I told him...he wants to help!" David said. Leonie froze. "How could you?...it's wasn't your business to tell!!!" she screamed. "What is that?" Leonie asked. The police chief read it out "It says...I, Leonie Mary". "Yes, I know my name!...what is it???". David butted in "It said Richard is violent towards you and you fear he may be violent to your daughter....We have hospital and medical proof, police incident reports, etcetera...". Leonie freaked screaming "No way!!!!!...It's a lie!!!!!!...He'd never lay a finger on her!!". The chief replied "It doesn't say he has it just said he could...and the smallest possibility of him hurting her means...". David butted in with the answer "the police....well, the state!...will pay for a bigger search!!!!!...a nation-wide!...quicker one!...helicopters and cars!...and media coverage!". "We don't need media coverage we own a major tv channel and a newspaper between us!". "We can only span the New York area, Leonie...I'm talking nation-wide coverage!" David replied. "I'm not lying!!!!!!!!" screamed Leonie. David, Eloise and the chief spent ages trying to convince Leonie until she finally screamed at David "How could you?...If I sign that then my personal life will be splashed across all the news...and what's worse is my daughter will find out!". "She doesn't know?...But how?" the police chief inquired. Leonie laughed replying "It's quite amazing what you can do with lies and sleeping pills" Leonie smirked. "You drugged her!!!!" exclaimed the chief. Leonie paused and then said sentimentally "She adored him...how could I tell her what he was really like?". A long silence hovered the room, no one knew what else to say to convince her. David gave one last attempt "Pleaseee!...My son and my wife are on the road with a complete maniac!...and they don't even know it!...who knows what he's capable of?...she may have left me and she may have taken my son, but that doesn't mean she deserves for him to hurt her!...please!...whether they're in danger or not!...I want them home...we'll both get our kids back!!!!...this is the easiest and quickest way!". The concept tossed and turned in Leonie's mind - each way people would get hurt. "There's one thing you haven't considered" Leonie said amidst the silence. Leonie burst into tears. She tearfully explained "What happens when they are found?...You can't arrest them for anything, can you?...And then you lot will bugger off and leave me with that bastard!...and how do you think he'll react to my exposing to the whole country that he is a mad evil psycho?...Can you even start to imagine what would happen?...I know!...and what's more! - unless he's in prison, I know where he'll end up....right back where we started - with me!...because I won't have much bloody choice!...because the police don't give a bloody damn!...and don't bother trying to lie, Chief Hibilan" Leonie tearfully admitted. "And what exactly do you expect us to do when you refuse to press charges?" replied the chief. "I know there's no bloody point because it wouldn't make it to a court!". "I think you underestimate the power you have Madam...have you checked how powerful you are in this city, lately?". Leonie was lost for words. The chief carried on, "For a start!...No one will know what you've signed...Everyone will think you've paid for the expansion of the search...but when we do find them!". "If!" butted in Eloise. The chief continued "Then I promise you we will find a charge!...and if you need protection we will have armed police at your door 24/7...We won't leave you!...I promise!". "Why?" Leonie asked. The police chief paused and then gave his answer systematically "Because you are Leonie Merteuil....you and your husband own 'Merteuil television'...and he is David Valmont...him and his wife own the 'Valmont news' paper....But your other halves aren't here...so you both own it solely!...and because you both have such media influence...well, together!...together you practically own this entire city!!!!!!!". There was silence as every thought, worried and decided. Then David broke it with one last plea, "Please Leonie!...this can work!...I just want my son back!...don't you want your daughter!". Leonie paused, thought and grabbed the pen signing the document. She was convinced. The search was given the thumbs up!.
Leonie, David and Eloise sat in a room in a huge office complex. A tearful David comforted a tearful Leonie. Eloise sat by herself, tearful but looking awkward as she was not the one comforting Leonie. A police chief entered the room and Eloise was the first to see him and got up saying "Have you any news?". "Are you the mother?" asked the police chief. "The nanny!" replied Eloise regretfully and sitting down. "And where can I find the mother, Leonie?". "Eloise is a member of our family!...she is like a sister!...and a second mother...anything you can say to me you can say to her" said Leonie. Leonie held out a hand to Eloise. Eloise took it and came to sit next to Leonie. "And your the mother, I take it?" asked the chief looking at Leonie. "I am" she replied. "Chief Hilban, Did you get...?" asked David. "I did...I have the finished document here and now I just need the mother's signature and two witnesses...you two will be perfect" replied the chief. "What's going on?" Leonie asked worried. "Can I look at your arms please, Leonie?" the chief asked. Leonie suddenly flung her arms behind her back reversing away from the kind police chief. "No!...why do you want my arms?...what is going on?!!" she demanded. "Can I see your back?...your ribs?...the top of your head?" asked the chief. "No!!!!!!...what is going on?" she demanded. "It's o.k, Leonie I told him...he wants to help!" David said. Leonie froze. "How could you?...it's wasn't your business to tell!!!" she screamed. "What is that?" Leonie asked. The police chief read it out "It says...I, Leonie Mary". "Yes, I know my name!...what is it???". David butted in "It said Richard is violent towards you and you fear he may be violent to your daughter....We have hospital and medical proof, police incident reports, etcetera...". Leonie freaked screaming "No way!!!!!...It's a lie!!!!!!...He'd never lay a finger on her!!". The chief replied "It doesn't say he has it just said he could...and the smallest possibility of him hurting her means...". David butted in with the answer "the police....well, the state!...will pay for a bigger search!!!!!...a nation-wide!...quicker one!...helicopters and cars!...and media coverage!". "We don't need media coverage we own a major tv channel and a newspaper between us!". "We can only span the New York area, Leonie...I'm talking nation-wide coverage!" David replied. "I'm not lying!!!!!!!!" screamed Leonie. David, Eloise and the chief spent ages trying to convince Leonie until she finally screamed at David "How could you?...If I sign that then my personal life will be splashed across all the news...and what's worse is my daughter will find out!". "She doesn't know?...But how?" the police chief inquired. Leonie laughed replying "It's quite amazing what you can do with lies and sleeping pills" Leonie smirked. "You drugged her!!!!" exclaimed the chief. Leonie paused and then said sentimentally "She adored him...how could I tell her what he was really like?". A long silence hovered the room, no one knew what else to say to convince her. David gave one last attempt "Pleaseee!...My son and my wife are on the road with a complete maniac!...and they don't even know it!...who knows what he's capable of?...she may have left me and she may have taken my son, but that doesn't mean she deserves for him to hurt her!...please!...whether they're in danger or not!...I want them home...we'll both get our kids back!!!!...this is the easiest and quickest way!". The concept tossed and turned in Leonie's mind - each way people would get hurt. "There's one thing you haven't considered" Leonie said amidst the silence. Leonie burst into tears. She tearfully explained "What happens when they are found?...You can't arrest them for anything, can you?...And then you lot will bugger off and leave me with that bastard!...and how do you think he'll react to my exposing to the whole country that he is a mad evil psycho?...Can you even start to imagine what would happen?...I know!...and what's more! - unless he's in prison, I know where he'll end up....right back where we started - with me!...because I won't have much bloody choice!...because the police don't give a bloody damn!...and don't bother trying to lie, Chief Hibilan" Leonie tearfully admitted. "And what exactly do you expect us to do when you refuse to press charges?" replied the chief. "I know there's no bloody point because it wouldn't make it to a court!". "I think you underestimate the power you have Madam...have you checked how powerful you are in this city, lately?". Leonie was lost for words. The chief carried on, "For a start!...No one will know what you've signed...Everyone will think you've paid for the expansion of the search...but when we do find them!". "If!" butted in Eloise. The chief continued "Then I promise you we will find a charge!...and if you need protection we will have armed police at your door 24/7...We won't leave you!...I promise!". "Why?" Leonie asked. The police chief paused and then gave his answer systematically "Because you are Leonie Merteuil....you and your husband own 'Merteuil television'...and he is David Valmont...him and his wife own the 'Valmont news' paper....But your other halves aren't here...so you both own it solely!...and because you both have such media influence...well, together!...together you practically own this entire city!!!!!!!". There was silence as every thought, worried and decided. Then David broke it with one last plea, "Please Leonie!...this can work!...I just want my son back!...don't you want your daughter!". Leonie paused, thought and grabbed the pen signing the document. She was convinced. The search was given the thumbs up!.
