Chapter 95: Interrogations and Mediations
"Just in here please sit," an officer directs an angry and disgruntled-looking man into the private interrogation room. Several detectives and even the captain are doing their best to keep the crowds of media and spectators back. The tycoon's wife has been personally escorted to the chief's office for safety and privacy. The men of the law have not even thought about questioning a woman. How could she be of help to them?
"This is absolute nonsense," the man snarled before stepping into the room. "Nothing but a smear campaign of the Hockley name and business."
The officer does not reply to the comments. "Please feel free to take a seat and an officer will be with you shortly." Before shutting the door.
Nathan Hockley stares at the bare metal chair that he was expected to sit on. He scoffs at it, thinking of all the felons, robbers, criminals, and other low lives that had sat in that chair. He would never sit there… never.
At least his wife got to sit in decent chairs in the chief's office.
The door opens and in enters Joel.
"Mr. Hockley," Joel says, coming into the room. "I am Officer Anderson. Won't you have a seat?"
"Certainly not."
"All right then, let us begin."
"This is absolutely absurd and a complete waste of time," the elderly man snaps. "It's nothing but a stunt to smear our family name!"
"I'm afraid it isn't Mr. Hockley because as of two days ago, your son Caledon is considered a fugitive. He is also considered armed and very dangerous. Were you aware of any of this?"
"I was not and why would I be? My son would never do anything so heinous. He was raised to be a proper man. Also, he is a grown man and it is none of my business what he does every day except when he's at the office or the plants."
"You were not aware that he was using your mansion here in the city to house a pregnant woman that he had kidnapped?"
Nathan pauses when he hears this and continues to stare daggers at the officer.
"Surely, you've seen the papers?"
"Of course, I have!" he snaps. "I'm not an imbecile! I know that she was my son's former fiancée but had become pregnant out of wedlock and was going to marry another man before leaving him at the altar." Nathan ensures to emphasize these words strongly.
"I'm afraid that's not how it happened…"
"I do not give a damn what you say or what the rags say. It's all sensationalized for the sake of selling more and because of this… our family's name is being sullied by those people. The woman is whore and slut for betraying my son... And to birth a child by another man. I have so many words to describe her, but I will not for then I would have to go to confession. I always knew she was bad news; her, and her mother. I always suspected that their fortune had been lost because of the poor business deals made by that fool Bukater and how willingly that woman was to match my blue-blooded son to her harlot daughter. She practically got on her knees in desperation for me to approve the match. Fortunately, Caledon did take a shine to her, even if I told him that she was nothing but trouble and it was clear that I was right…"
Joel attempts to control himself, hating how snobbish and bad-tempered this man is. Nathan continues his rant without noticing that the officer had stopped listening. He completely demeaning and scorning a woman who had been kidnapped. While it was scandalous that Jack and Rose conceived a baby out of wedlock and he didn't fully approve of their choices, Joel Anderson would always be professional and the fact that they were getting married made sure the baby was seen as legitimate in the eyes of the law. He did not take kindly to this self-centred man destroying an innocent woman like this. There was also the assumption that Mr. Hockley was in denial that his son would do such a thing.
"Regardless of your opinions Sir," Joel cuts him off. "With all due respect, there is evidence that your son was still involved and the proof was all over your house that he kept her hostage there."
"THERE IS NO SUCH THING!" Nathan shouts, pounding his hand on the table, keeping a straight face to avoid showing how much it hurt doing such a thing. "FURTHERMORE, YOUR STATION MUST BE PREPARED FOR A LAWSUIT. I AM SUING THE ENTIRE CITY FOR THE UNLAWFUL INTRUSION OF MY HOME AND DAMAGE TO MY PROPERTY!"
"Mr. Hockley please be calm."
"HOW DARE YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO! I AM YOUR SUPERIOR! I PAY YOUR SALARY AND I HAVE MADE SUBSTANTIAL DONATIONS TO YOUR FORCE FOR MANY YEARS NOW!"
Joel groans and wishes this was over. They were not going to get anything from this man, he believed that it was beneath him. Perhaps he could convince the chief to interview the wife, she might be much easier than him.
…
Susan Hockley was still in a deep state of shock. She couldn't comprehend what had been happening for what felt like an eternity. She and Nathan had been in Philadelphia living their lives as normal while Caledon was in New York to spend time with his fiancée, Rose Bukater. Or at least, that's what he had told them. They then learned several days later that Rose had been abducted at the gala they had been attending and he was staying to find him. There was also a stint where their son ended up behind bars because he attempted to beat up possible conspirators in Rose's kidnapping. Fortunately, a co-worker in the New York branch of Hockley Steel had bailed him out and charges were never filed, though both of them gave him a stern talking to over the telephone. Then Susan remembers hearing Ruth DeWitt Bukater leaving to go to the city in search of her daughter. All of it had been "a fool's errand", according to Nathan and several times had ordered his son to cease this pursuit and let the woman and her family be lost. She was too much trouble and not worth anything to them. On the telephone one night, Susan suggested that Caledon try to find another wife, there was a young daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Boston who was looking for a husband, but he stubbornly refused.
That was all they had heard of him and that is where their son remained for several months, helping run the New York branch and staying in one of the family mansions that they owned there while also putting up Ruth in one of their apartments. Nathan would stay there any time he was in town for business and often the entire Hockley group would stay there in the summer as it was close to Long Island and the scenic beaches were never a disappointment.
However, when the news broke that Caledon was suspected in the abduction of Rose DeWitt Bukater and another man… Dawson, if she can remember correctly, both of them travelled to New York. Sadly, they were not prepared that they would become the centre of a hurricane. The press had a substantial interest in the story and were outside their mansion, asking for any information and confirming or denying rumours about their son. This left Nathan outraged and swearing profusely at them to leave them alone and stay off their property. Sadly, even the gates could not keep them out and the flashes of flashbulbs and the calling of voices kept them up at all hours of the night. The two were essentially prisoners in their own home, which had also been wrecked as the police had called it a "crime scene." The whole thing was highly embarrassing and left poor Susan in bed for days. This trip to the station had been their first outing since coming into the city.
Susan fanned herself due to the chief's office being stiflingly hot and no one had offered her any refreshments. Despite winter slowly approaching, perhaps she should not have worn her dress with woollen lining. She also continues to cry silently and wipes her eyes with her handkerchief.
It couldn't have been Caledon. They had raised him to be a good and honest man with a strong mind for business. He was a gentleman, polite and their shining star of a son. He deserved the world, but itself had seemed to have turned against him. Why were they saying these horrible things? What had he done when they were in Philadelphia? How could he jeopardize their reputation like this? How much would it cost to cover this up? Why had he left the mansion like that? Why had he continued to pursue Rose?
Susan is so distressed that she lets out a sob and fans herself as hard as she can to keep herself busy and these dreadful thoughts out of her mind.
…
"Full House," Molly announces.
Holly, Carl, Emma, and Peter sigh in frustration and put down their hands of cards.
"How are you able to beat everyone?" Holly grumbles.
"The Old Brown luck as my grandfather used to say," the heiress says jovially.
Gin Rummy did not last very long as there were not enough cards so they settled on a few rounds of poker, even if they weren't betting anything. Ruth refused to play as it was immoral to gamble… despite nothing being at stake. She attempted to keep Sybil happy.
However, the toddler was becoming restless and squirmed a lot more. Ruth had difficulty keeping her happy.
Eventually, Sybil let out a shriek and then began to cry.
Emma knew her sister had to get some air and a chance to move.
"Come on Sybbie, let's get some air and give Auntie Ruth a break," the older sister says.
She lifts her sister into her arms.
"Want to play the next round, Ruth?" Molly offers, causing the one being addressed to scowl in disapproval.
"Just be careful outside Emma," Carl warns.
"Yes, if either Nathan or Susan recognizes you from the papers, it could be very bad," Ruth agrees.
"I will. I don't want to leave until Joel comes back but…"
Sybil begins squirming and pushing her sister.
"I'm trying to save all of us from a headache."
Everyone nods in agreement. Peter kisses Emma on the cheek before she exits the room.
…
Susan stands in the hallway of the station, drying her eyes profusely and still fanning. The office had become quite stuffy, and she needed some air. With going out the front, not an option, a kind officer had shown her out the back and had offered to stand guard in case any reporters found the back entrance. The air did allow her to gather her thoughts a little, but she still felt overwhelmed and hot. Her fan could only do so much. She wishes that her husband was out so that they could leave all of this. It was too much for her.
Once back inside, the heiress leans against a bench, feeling light-headed.
"Come on Sybbie," a voice can be heard.
Susan looks toward the voice. She notices a young brunette woman holding a small child's hands, attempting to get her to walk on her own. The heiress cannot believe that the police station would allow children in here! The kinds of dangers it might encounter. And where was the nanny for this child?
"Come on Sybbie, you're so close," the girl continues, smiling proudly.
Sybbie? What kind of name was that? It was a nickname, Susan supposed; like how many people called Caledon "Cal" for short. She never understood the need for terms of endearment like that unless a name was complicated and required it for signing documents or addressing them at dinner parties.
Susan scoffed and sat down, the heat still not leaving her and her head swimming.
The tiny child falls to the ground but does not cry. The older girl picks the young one up and begins to kiss her cheeks many times. Another grotesque display in the wealthy woman's eyes.
"I'm so proud of you! You're growing up so fast," the woman coos. She then tickles the child under the chin and causes the toddler to squeal with laughter.
At first, Susan cringes at the sound and wishes that it would stop for the sake of her head, but slowly, the sound makes her feel happy. It was a purely joyful laugh; one of innocence and bliss. The careless laughter of a child was something to treasure. She longed to hear those sounds from her grandchildren, but sadly Caledon had not produced any yet.
The thought of her son causes her breath to quicken, and she fans herself again. The heat and distress cause her to lean forward and grasp a few times.
The noises of the station around her begin to become muffled and the pattern on the floor multiplies and blurs in and out of focus. She uses her damp handkerchief to wipe her brow and attempts to remain conscious, but it seemed impossible. Tears streamed down her face and she no longer seemed to care if anyone saw them.
Suddenly, she feels someone place something in her hands.
"Take a drink," a far-off voice says.
Susan does not question it and consumes the cool liquid. It helps her come back to her senses and the world comes into focus. She drinks the cup until it is empty and then she receives another.
"Sip this one more slowly," the same voice instructs.
The heiress does as she is told and she manages to look over to see the woman and child sitting next to her on the bench.
At first, she wants to demand that they leave as they were a lower class than she, but she's too tired to do so and it also pops into her mind that this woman just helped her.
"Perhaps you should take off your hat to cool down further."
"It… it is not proper to do so," Susan mutters, taking another sip.
"Suit yourself, but the fact that you were going to pass out shows me that you were overheating."
"What do you know? Are you a doctor?" Mrs. Hockley snaps rudely.
Emma is ready to go. She originally did not want to help this woman at all because she suspected that this high-class woman was Cal's mother, but with the way she was about to faint and how distressed she looked, she knew she couldn't do that. Her parents had always taught her to help other people in any way possible. So, she did so, despite knowing that she would likely be dismissed due to her class. Cal had to get the snobby, entitled, and judgemental attitude somewhere, and no doubt it came from his parents. However, kindness was an olive branch, and everyone deserved some, no matter the circumstance. Plus, the press that likely mobbed the Hockley's was enough punishment for now. Emma had to tell herself that they were not directly responsible for their son's actions, even though they raised him.
"No, just someone who's trying to help," Emma answers through gritted teeth.
Susan continues to drink the water and ignores the two… people sitting next to her.
However, suddenly, she feels a strong jolt next to her head.
To her horror, the child is trying to pull off one of the ribbons of her hat and causing it to slide off her head.
She lets out a shriek of fear and pain.
"Sybil!" Emma says, pulling her curious sister back. "I'm so sorry, she just likes to grab things."
Mrs. Hockley is prepared to let out a tirade of anger and hatred while attempting to fix her hat, however, she looks into the blue eyes of the tiny, blonde-haired child and the smile on the girl's face, and she can't bring herself to do that. To yell at someone so young and who didn't know any better.
"That is… quite all right," Susan says, readjusting her hat. "I suppose she does not know any better."
"No, but I think she likes the flowers on your hat and thinks they are real," Emma says, bouncing her sister in her lap.
"Well… my stylist does do amazing work," she says.
They fall into silence until Susan realizes that it was cooler without her hat on and decides to remove it.
Almost instantly, Sybil begins to make noise and points at the hat, wanting to grab it.
"No Sybil, that's not yours," Emma tries to explain to her squirming sister.
However, the toddler continues making noises, which become louder and higher-pitched the longer she is without what she wants.
Susan's headache is returning and knows that keeping the child quiet is best.
She allows one of the ribbons to drop down and go close to the little girl. Immediately, Sybil is pleased. She grabs the ribbon and begins to examine it in her hands.
Susan and Emma watch as the little one seems to stare at the ribbon extremely hard as if she were trying to decide what it was and what to do with it.
Sybil looks at the lady with the pretty hat and smiles. She hands the ribbon back to her.
"Thank you," Susan says, taking it. Her distaste softened just a bit.
Before her sister can stop her, Sybil reaches over and grabs the woman's shoulder. She then uses her to prop herself up. She then reaches for the woman's necklace.
"SYBIL!" Emma says, ready to grab her.
But before that can happen, the toddler loses her balance and flops into the woman's lap.
Despite the pain, Susan can't help but find the whole thing extremely amusing, the way the tiny one just fell over. She begins to laugh, before helping the child into a sitting position, no longer worrying about her dress.
The laughter shocks both women, but Sybil just smiles and reaches for the woman's necklace again.
"Sybil come here," Emma mutters.
"No, it's okay," Susan says abruptly, holding her hand up to stop the older sister. "You cannot say that she does not have good taste in accessories."
This takes the lawyer aback; the woman was happy and okay with a drooling baby being in her lap. She was even… making jokes? That was a first for her.
Susan then offers the child her gloved finger, which she grabs eagerly. Sybil's blue eyes focus on the lace of the gloves and feel the pattern of them.
"Curious little thing, isn't she?" Mrs. Hockley muses.
"Yes." is all Emma could say.
She watches the heiress bond with her sister, seeing a side of the Hockley family that was probably very rare. Maybe kindness didn't need to be the olive branch to get some information, but an unbiased mediator in the form of an innocent toddler. Maybe this is what they needed to find out where Cal had taken Jack and Rose.
A/N: Please follow and review