57. Report #2
I take a deep breath and explain. I tell them how my parents were acting strangely since Friday night, leading up to Tuesday.
Then I tell them they had perhaps drugged me Monday night, and I overheard my parents talking about moving Tuesday night.
I tell them about Dad stalking me at school and stealing my phone so I couldn’t call anyone.
I tell them I was afraid for my life in the morning, so I tried to run when I thought I saw an opportunity. If I escaped, I would’ve gone to Conner’s home.
Then, as the tears flow down my face, I explain what Dad did to me. The way his hands gripped around my throat to the extent that I thought my neck was about to break. I told them Mum tried to get him off me when he hit her.
“Why did he stop?” the male cop asks.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “I guess what I said caught him off guard.”
“Do you often call your dad that?”
I shake my head and say, “The last time I called him daddy, I was three years old. Around there, I think…”
The woman nods. “Go on. What happened after?”
I explain that I had gouged one of his eyes out, and as I tried to run to the door, he grabbed my leg, catching me off guard. My face slammed into the tiles, and that’s how I got a broken nose. I told them Mum put a knife to Dad’s throat while I crawled to the door.
“Um… I can’t remember what happened after that,” I answer. “I think Mrs Crawford showed up, but I was pretty out of it.”
“Has your dad hurt you previously?” the woman asks.
I bite my lip, recounting every time Dad put his hands on me. “Yes.”
“Do you have any evidence?” the male police officer questions, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Any pictures on your phone? Recordings of him doing anything violent.”
The woman glares at him before turning back to me. “Josh, you know how John used to get at work. It was the reason I fired him. That and his reckless drinking habits.”
Josh’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t retaliate.
“Josh, perhaps you should wait outside while I finish the interrogation.” The policewoman grabs a chair leaning against the wall, moves it towards the bed, and sits down.
She waits until the police officer goes outside before she speaks.
“Is there anyone besides Mrs Crawford and your mum who witnessed John—your dad’s violent behaviour? ”
“Um…” I clench the sheets and tug them up, settling them over my chest. “There’s a worker at the service station near my home. His name is James. They banned my dad there because…”
I bite my lip, remembering Dad gripped my hair while he dragged me into the service station. James, horrified, watched as Dad forced me to grab the six-pack of beer and head to the counter.
“It’s okay,” the policewoman says reassuringly. “You don’t have to persist if you don’t feel comfortable.”
“There’s also my friend, Andy,” I say.
Conner goes rigid. The policewoman flickers a look at him and then back to me.
“Ex-friend, sorry. He used to live near me when we were younger. He knows and might talk to you… although I am not too sure.”
She writes in her notepad. “Could you give me his number?” Knowing Andy’s number by heart, I tell her, and she writes it down. “Is there any other evidence I can use against your dad?”
“Uh… yes.” I look at Conner and whisper, “I’m sorry.
” Turning back to the policewoman, I take a deep breath and say, “Not too long ago, there was a photo that went around the school of my body. A few days before that photo was taken, Dad beat me because work didn’t pay me until a few days later, so it declined when he tried using my card.
The photo shows my bruised, naked body. I’m sure you could find that photo easily. Almost everyone h-has it at school.”
The policewoman brushes at the tear under her eye before writing in her notepad.
“I think that is all we need for now.” She takes out a folded stack of papers and hands them to Conner.
“There’s a significant amount of evidence that your dad tampered with and worked with another police officer on the night shift.
I’d like to say sorry, the phone calls Mrs Crawford made never went through due to the individual’s involvement with your dad after I fired him. ”
“W-when did you fire Dad?” I ask. “If you don’t mind my asking.”
“Eight months ago.”
My stomach drops, and I feel sick. All this time… all this time, Dad wasn’t working. It makes sense why I had to pick up the slack with most of the bills. He must have been drinking all day and night, stumbling home like a fool.
“I don’t want to give you any false hope, but he will go to jail even if you don’t file a report on him.
Dealing with drugs, domestic violence against your mum that she’s reporting, and tampering with evidence is damning.
So, if you feel uncomfortable writing a report, you don’t have to.
” The policewoman takes a deep breath. “You are a strong, brave, and incredible girl, Noya Dawn Taylor. No matter your decision, I will personally make sure he can never be in the same city as you again. You have my word.”
Looking down at the papers on the edge of the bed, I know what I want before she even asks.
“I just want to be free,” I whisper. “Thank you, but I won’t be filing anything against him. I…” I take a deep breath. “I just want to leave all this behind me.”
“Where are you going after you leave the hospital?”
With a smile, I face Conner and answer, “Home.”