Chapter 26
Amelia
After my meltdown a few weeks ago, I’m enjoying the Christmas break catching up on schoolwork, spending time with Elsa and finding my new way in life.
I knew it was going to be hard but so far, it’s been bearable.
I’m a little behind with my schoolwork but every moment Elsa sleeps, I hit the books.
Tomorrow is Christmas and my father has invited Darius and his family over for dinner.
Catherine has been baking and preparing for the last couple of days.
And I’ve been trying hard not to go overboard with presents for Elsa-Marie.
She’s far too young to understand what’s going on and she really doesn’t need anything.
Darius is staying over tonight and picking his family up in the morning.
He wanted to be here in the morning to share her first Christmas.
I stare at myself in the mirror and run my hand over my stomach.
I’ve lost a lot of the baby weight, but I’ve still got a little pouch and I’ll be sad if it goes. I miss being pregnant in some ways.
“You don’t have to hide up here all night. Elsa’s down for a while at least, we could watch a holiday movie or something.”
I jump at his voice and turn around to find him hovering in my bedroom doorway.
“You want to watch a holiday movie?” I mutter.
He shrugs his shoulders. “Have you ever watched a holiday movie?”
“Nah, but it’s what you people do at Christmas, isn’t it?”
I can’t help but laugh.
“Sure why not. I’ll pick since you don’t know the good ones.”
Down in the living room, I take the armchair, and his brow arches.
“What? Do you want to cuddle or something?” I snort, reaching for the television remote control.
“I wasn’t thinking that, Amelia. I’ll take the couch.”
Picking a movie, I say, “You do that.”
This is going to be torture.
My phone rings making me jump from the intrusion breaking the silence. Answering quickly as not to wake Elsa-Marie, I don’t catch who’s calling.
“Amelia?”
Clare?
“Yeah?”
I haven’t seen her in months, not since I picked her up from the old train tracks after Tariq left her after a fight. She never called the next day and hasn’t returned a single text.
“I need your help.”
There are no hello’s, no apologies for essentially dropping me out for a guy. Nothing.
“Are you still there?”
“I’m here. What do you need?”
“Tar left me…”
“You’ll have to call a cab, I’ve got an essay to finish, and Elsa-Marie is asleep.”
“Please, I wouldn’t call if I wasn’t desperate.”
“Do you realise you only call when you’re desperate?” I grind out.
“I know, I’m so sorry. Everything is so messed up and I should’ve…”
I sigh. She babbles on with a bunch of excuses, but I don’t want to hear them.
“Where are you?”
“I’m on Crescent Street, out front of the diner. Please, I wouldn’t ask but it’s an emergency.”
“I’m on my way.”
And I plan on either cutting our friendship completely off or getting to the bottom of what’s going with her these days.
She hasn’t even met my daughter yet. Not even a card or anything when she was born. Checking on Elsa, she sleeps peacefully, and I head down to my dad’s office.
“Dad, Elsa is asleep. Can you just watch her for half an hour?”
“Where are you going to at this hour?”
“Clare called, she needs picking up from a diner on Crescent Street. I won’t be long.”
“Okay, drive safely.”
I hate having to leave my daughter, but it doesn’t take me long to drive across the city and find Clare where she said she was.
She jumps in the car, and I can’t believe what I’m seeing. She’s all skin and bones and greasy hair. She looked like shit the last time I saw her, but this is on another level.
“What happened this time?” I ask once she’s belted.
“I can’t say.”
“Are you messing with me? I’ve just left my baby to come help you and you can’t give me a reason as to why?”
“Me being your best friend should be reason enough,” she snaps, and I scoff.
“You’re not being serious. You don’t call anymore, you don’t come around, you haven’t even met my daughter and you still think we’re best friends?”
“What are you doing here if you feel like that?”
“I have no fucking idea,” I mutter, then more clearly, “But this is the last time you get to call me… for anything.”
“It’s like that, huh?”
“How else would it be? Who are you now?”
She refuses to look at me and stares out of the window, clutching her backpack like it’s holding all the secrets in the world.
Blue lights flash in the darkness and I see a cop car behind in the rearview mirror.
“What do they want?” I murmur more to myself than Clare.
“Don’t stop. Keep going.”
Ignoring her shit advice, I pull over and lower my window.
“You shouldn’t have stopped.”
“What else am I going to do? Go on a fucking car chase,” I snap, having lost all patience with her.
“Good evening, Miss, are you aware your taillight is out?”
“No, sir.”
“Licence and registration please.”
Opening the glove compartment to grab my documents, Clare is trembling. Frowning, I wonder what her problem is?
I pass them over to the officer, but he’s noticed Clare’s appearance and flashes his torch through the car.
“What’s wrong with your passenger?”
“She’s had a fight with her boyfriend, I’ve just picked her up to take her home.”
Clare’s neck nearly snaps as she looks to me so fast and I’m getting a headache trying to work her out. What did I say that was wrong? It’s all the truth.
“I’d like you both to step out of the car, please.”
He opens my door and I unclip my seatbelt and slip out. Clare doesn’t move quick enough for me to wonder if she’s going to move at all. She climbs out, leaving the bag on the seat.
The officer’s partner joins him and stands with us while the officer looks through my car.
“I know I didn’t know about the taillight, but I can assure you the rest of my car is up to code.”
I don’t understand what is going on. Is this normal for a routine stop?
Clare doesn’t take her eyes off the officer as he unzips her bag and then she begins crying.
“She made me hold it. It’s all hers. Please, I need you to help me, she forced me…”
Her cries become heavy sobs and the officer draws his gun and points it at me. Taking a step back in shock, his partner comes up behind me, yanks my arm and twists it up behind my back.
He forces me forward and pushes me against the side of the car. The officer brings the bag around and dumps it on the hood. My eyes bulge when I see what’s inside.
Blocks of white powder.
Cocaine.
A shit load of it.
And Clare’s just told them it’s mine.
My heart hammers in my chest, and a hot tear rolls down my cheek.
“That is not mine. I swear, I was just picking her up to take her home… Clare, tell them the truth.”
The officer who has a hold of me, pulls me back and slams me forward against the car, pain jolting through me.
“I’m so glad you stopped her, I was so scared.”
Her tears double and she continues to shake. How can she do this to me?
“Amelia Haynes, you are under arrest…”
I drown out his voice, the sound of metal cuffs taking over. My so-called best friend has just sold me out and even though I don’t have much knowledge in the drug world, I do know the amount in the backpack is a damn lot.
Taking a deep breath, I tell myself I just need to call my dad and he’ll get this sorted out.
The officer shoves me toward their cruiser and Clare shoots back as I pass. What does she think I’m going to do to her? This is ridiculous.
Sat in the back of a cop car is terrifying. The officer who first approached us rubs Clare’s back trying to soothe her and I just can’t believe this is happening.
It’s not long before another cop car pulls up and Clare is led into the back. The officer who pulled us over sighs heavily as he climbs in behind the wheel.
“I don’t know what the heck you thought you were doing running around with that amount of sniff on you, little lady, but I wouldn’t make any plans for the foreseeable if I were you.”
My heart sinks listening to the officer and before I can open my mouth to ask questions, he’s talking to his partner and the car is moving.
I can plead my defence once I get to where they’re taking me. This is a misunderstanding and I’m sure it’ll be cleared up as soon as I can talk with my dad.
I should be at home, finishing my schoolwork, checking on Elsa-Marie and tucking myself up in bed. I open my eyes and the car is pulling in through the gates to the county jail.
I’m numb as I’m led through the back door. The bright lighting attacks my eyes and it takes a minute to adjust. I’m stood before the front desk.
The arresting officer’s voice blurs in my ears and then I’m nudged.
“Stand on the line.”
I stare to where he points, and a female officer joins us.
“Feet apart,” she says.
I do as I’m told, and she pats me down, searching me. She doesn’t find anything. I only took my keys when I left the house and they’re still in my car.
“Go stand by the wall, hands behind your back.”
I follow her instruction and clasp my hands together behind my back. The wall is cold against my skin and it’s a stark reminder of where I am.
“This way.” I walk behind the female officer, and I try to keep up with everything she tells me. She proceeds to take my picture, a DNA swab in my mouth, and takes my fingerprints.
“I need to call my dad.”
“We’ll let you know when you make a call. This way.”
I try to take in as much as I can of my surroundings until she opens a scratched up white painted metal door.
A holding cell.
“You’ll wait here till I return. There’s a phone inside, you can call your dad.”
I go to thank her, but she shoves me inside and slams the door closed as soon as my feet are over the threshold.
An older woman sits in the corner and cocks her brow as she eyes me up and down. I spy the phone on the wall and make a call I never thought I’d make.