AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Maddie nods.
"I was just explaining to your friend here that normally he'd have to leave a statement right away, but we've gotten as much as we can from him now. He's done a statement of sorts, but he's under the influence, so we will have to question him further tomorrow."
"I understand. Any specific time?"
"Let's say ten."
"Sure. We will be there. Thanks for coming out tonight."
"Only doing my job, ma'am. Wish these kids would learn to behave. I'm sorry your brother seems to have ended up on the wrong end of it."
"Me too." Maddie signs the form, and we get back into the car together. By some miracle, Carmen is still fast asleep. I can't believe it. She's only barely stirred, opened her eyes, looked at me, and fallen back asleep this whole time. And she's been on two car rides and slept in a bed that's not her own!
We start driving back toward Maddie's apartment again.
"Tell us what happened," Maddie prompts her brother gently, her hand resting on his shoulder.
"Daniel and I went to meet some friends," he begins, his voice shaky. "And they took us to see their friends. Some guys that have this, like, art studio, but they sort of pretended it was some sort of youth club. Anyway, at first we thought it was cool. They make really nice art and stuff. Then they gave us some soft drinks and snacks and we thought nothing of it. They said the soft drinks were a new kind of energy drink. We just found things a bit funnier after drinking them. Then they played music, lots of girls showed up, we drank more of the drinks, and when you called, someone just snatched the phone out of my hand, turned it off, then handed it back, telling me to have a good time. Then, later, I got tired and fell asleep. Erin says they might have put something else in our drinks, but I don't know." He finishes the last sentence sounding confused.
"Jesus," I mutter under my breath, clenching my jaw.
"Did anything else happen?" Maddie asks, her voice tight with concern.
"No, not really," he reassures her. "Just... felt weird."
"Thank God," I murmur, my shoulders relaxing slightly. Maddie's gaze meets mine as I turn around, and I offer her a small, reassuring smile. "It'll be OK. We've got him now."
"Thanks, Roland," she says softly, her voice thick with gratitude. To Damien, she says, "Damien, I understand you didn't think anything bad could happen, but you need to always let me know where you're going, especially when it involves new friends. I thought you were going to basketball practice. Had I known where you were, I could have come sooner."
"Sorry, Maddie," he mumbles, staring down at his lap.
"It's OK, you're safe. Just don't do it again. Even when you're older and allowed to party, I need to know where you are."
As the car pulls up in front of Maddie's apartment building, I can't help but notice how eerily quiet and still the night is. The moon casts a silvery glow over the surrounding buildings, and the soft hum of the engine is the only sound to break the silence.
"Thanks again, Roland," Maddie says, unbuckling her seat belt. Her voice is soft, almost apologetic. "I'm so sorry about all this."
"Hey, it happens," I reply, trying to brush off her concern. It's not like I haven't had to deal with stuff before–but not with Damien, and not with Maddie by my side. "Just make sure you get some rest tonight, OK? And take tomorrow off to sort out Damien, I'll have Gina look after Carmen."
"Thank you," she whispers, her tired eyes meeting mine. A faint smile tugs at the corners of her lips–one that speaks of gratitude and relief.
"Good night, Roland," Damien chimes in from the back seat, rubbing his eyes sleepily.
"Night, kid," I respond, offering him a reassuring nod. "Take care of yourself, got it?"
"Got it," he agrees, opening the door and stepping out onto the sidewalk with Maddie. They exchange a few words before disappearing into the building, leaving me alone with Carmen in the car.
"All right, sweetheart," I say as I change places with Maddie, taking the seat she had. "Let's get you home and tucked into bed."
As we ride through the quiet streets, my mind starts to race with thoughts about the night's events. It's hard not to worry about what could have happened to Damien–or what might happen in the future to Carmen if she'd do anything like that.
I shake myself. Carmen is turning four, not thirteen. I'll have plenty of time to lecture her on how to deal with strangers. What's more, with my financial situation, I fear she'll be tagged by bodyguards wherever she goes, which is another issue. No kid should have to deal with that.
I pick up my phone. I have to inform my assistant I won't be in before lunch. If I don't get any sleep, I'll be worthless in the office.
Then I sit back again, wondering what will happen next. Two weeks ago, I was annoyed I couldn't find the perfect nanny. Now... now I have the perfect nanny whom I appear to be, if I'm honest, falling in love with and a custody case I need to win. It's true that love complicates everything, but the thought of being without Carmen makes me shudder. Sometimes love is worth the hurdles we have to go through.
Chapter twenty-one
