Reunion

Sophia

I slammed the door of my car and sprinted across the street towards the tall intimidating building. When I got in, I quickly made for the reception when I saw Paul.

“Sophia!” he exclaimed. “Good morning,” he said with a smile on his face.

“Where is she?” I asked, ignoring his greeting.

“Come with me,” he said and led me into a hallway.

My eyes widened when I saw her small delicate features seated on a black leather chair holding her favourite blue teddy bear. There was a young dark-haired lady by her side playing with her, and Beryl seemed very excited.

“Beryl!” I exclaimed.

Her eyes shone with delight when she saw me, and she ran towards me.

“Come here, my little Princess B,” I said, grabbing her. We locked ourselves in a tight embrace, and for a moment, I forgot about all my worries and my present situation – including the missing one million dollars.

I suddenly caught sight of a young man standing towards me, having no idea when he had arrived there. I let Beryl down as Paul spoke.

“Sophia, this is Detective Liam. He’s the one helping with the investigation, and thanks to his efforts, Beryl is here with us.”

“Good morning, Mrs Cloveland,” the handsome detective said, stretching out his hand. I accepted his handshake, noticing how firm and warm his grip was.

“Thank you so much, detective,” I said. “I can’t express enough how happy and grateful I am.”

“We’re just doing our job, ma’am,” he replied.

‘Mrs Cloveland. Ma’am.' His formality made me feel awkward.

“If it’s fine with you, I’d like us to go to a more private space. There are some things I’d like to discuss with you. Jane here will look after Beryl for you,” he said, referring to the lady I had seen Beryl with initially.

“Alright, Princess B, mummy will be back soon,” I said to her, handing her over to Jane.

I followed Liam and Paul further down the hallway and into an office which had a proper mix of sleek efficiency and rugged charm. There was a large mahogany desk in the center and a large shelf of books placed against the wall.

“Please have a sit,” Liam said, before settling into the black leather chair behind his desk. Paul and I quickly occupied the two seats facing the detective.

“How did you find her?” I asked, curiosity eating me up.

“After I was informed that he had taken your daughter, one of the guesses I took was that he might decide to leave the state or the country for that matter. So, I notified all the airports.

They apprehended him this morning with your daughter,” Liam explained.

“Where’s he now?”

“We’re holding him for now, but we might release him soon,” Liam answered.

“No, you shouldn’t release him!” I rebutted. “He committed a crime.”

“It would be hard to prove that. He’s leaning on the fact that Beryl is his daughter and he wanted to take her to see a family member of his,” Liam replied.

“But we know that’s not true. He wanted to take her away from me. Moreover, he doesn’t have the right to take her without my permission. I’m her mother as well.”

“We cannot use any of that to convict him. He could argue that you guys had an argument and that was why.”

I turned to Paul. “What about the fact that he presented a fake court order to the hospital?”

“We cannot use that as well,” Paul answered.

I shot him a questioning look. “And why’s that?”

“Because the hospital doesn’t have any record of it,” Paul replied.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“I went there and, according to their statement, your husband showed them the court order and they obeyed him promptly. Afterall, he’s Beryl’s father,” Paul said.

“I am really going to sue that hospital after this,” I said.

“I understand how you feel,” Liam said, leaning forward and placing his clasped hands on the table. “However, let’s focus on what’s before us now.”

“I’m listening,” I said, urging him to continue.

“Presently, you have to focus on taking care of Beryl. We have issued him a temporary restraining order from both you and your child, pending our investigation.”

“Thank you,” I replied.

“But I would like to mention something to you,” Liam started.

“What is it?” I asked.

“As part of his statement, he mentioned that one of the reasons why he took your daughter was because you were using her,” Liam said.

“That bastard!” I sneered. “That was a long time ago. I have been clean for several years. That was back in my college days,” I explained.

“He claimed you are still using, and might be a danger to your child,” Liam said.

“Lies! Those are vicious lies. He’s just trying every means to bring me down.

“I guess you shouldn’t worry about that. He has no proof,” Paul said.

“He’s right. If he can’t prove it, then it will be shoved off as false allegations,” Liam concurred. “But don’t worry. For no, he won’t bother you or your child anymore.”

“What makes you so sure about that? You think the restraining order would be enough to keep him at bay?” I asked.

“That’s all we can do for no. Besides the fact he tried to leave the state with your child, there’s no indication he’s a threat to you,” Liam said.

“It's not enough. This isn’t enough. I don’t trust him. He went as far as forging a court document. Wo knows the extent he might be willing to go to take my daughter from me?”

“I know you wish he could be locked in here for good, but that’s not happening, Mrs Cloveland. Just ensure your daughter is safe at all times, and everything should be fine.”

“Thank you,” I said, my tone betraying the fact that I wasn’t convinced. “Anything else?” I asked, clutching my bag.

“That would be all for now. We will be in touch,” Liam answered.

I got up and Paul followed me out of the office.

“Paul, I feel scared,” I said when we were outside the office.

“I understand how you feel, Sophia, but he’s right, we can’t do much for now. I don’t think John would do anything stupid now the police are involved.”

“Alright.”

We returned to Beryl, who was deeply engaged with Jane at play. She ran to me when she saw me and I picked her up like before.

“Alright, B,” it’s time to go. “Say bye to Jane.”

Paul and I walked out of the police station and I felt my phone buzz several times. I took it out and saw a number which I hadn’t saved.

“Hello,” I said questioningly.

“There’s an issue going on, and you decide to leave the office?”

My breath caught in my throat when I heard his voice. They were as cold as steel, nothing similar to the warmth they carried while he spoke to me at his mansion.

“I…I …” I stuttered, struggling to find the right words.

“It seems you're not interested in this job any longer. You have fifteen minutes to get to my office,” he added, and the line went dead.