40. Sarah
40
SARAH
It takes three hours after Ian left with Peter for the cops to show up. During this period Lauren arrives, talks shit to her father, me, and the whole hospital staff.
No matter what she says, I ignore her, knowing engaging her won't get me anywhere.
Mandy shows up, wanting to know what the problem is. I couldn't tell her the truth because I had no idea what the truth was myself.
All I know is, Ian showed up, acted like a man on drugs, knocked Peter out, and pretty much kidnapped him.
She's sympathetic but trying to find out why I'm suddenly donating again at the expense of my baby. Since I can't tell her the truth, I try to distract her until her attention is needed and she leaves.
When I'm alone again, Lauren pounces back on me and it takes all my self-control to not drag her by the hair and teach her some manners.
Eventually, I'm informed of the cops’ presence, and I immediately try to get my head straight so I can tell them what I know without incriminating Ian.
The door to the ward soon opens and in walks two uniformed men.
“Ma'am, I'm Detective Calvin, and this is my partner, Shawn. Can you please tell us what happened here?”
I shake the hands of the men and offer them a seat, all while Lauren’s clamoring in the background that I will be held responsible if something happens to her brother.
I keep my cool.
“Please tell us what happened without omitting anything,” the detective says.
I nod, knowing there's no way I can tell them everything without incriminating Ian.
Why on earth would he kidnap Peter, anyway?
I mean, let's face it. It's kidnapping right? He came in here, knocked Peter out, and then took him away. Yeah, I think that's pretty much what kidnapping is.
“Ma’am?” the detective prompts.
I glance at him and swallow.
“Would you talk? Tell them how you had your boyfriend kidnap my brother, you terrible woman. You've always been jealous of us because our father left you for us,” Lauren barks.
Since I know she's not right, I ignore her and open my mouth to speak, but the detective beats me to it.
“Ma'am, I'd advise you to refrain from speaking if you want to remain in this room, or else we’ll have you taken out.”
“What? You can't do that! This is my father's room, and she's the intruder here who had her fuckboy kidnap my brother.”
“Yes, I can, and I am. Shawn, please escort the young woman out.”
I watch in surprise as Lauren gets escorted out, kicking and screaming, our father now long unconscious after being sedated.
“Now, tell me what happened?”
I look back at the detective and try to smile. I'm unable to. All the stress is catching up with me.
“Well, I'd just arrived when it all happened. And it all happened so fast. One minute, Peter was trying to leave the room to tell the doctor I'm here, the next he and Ian are leaving together.”
“Leaving together? Hmmm. Ma'am, according to the report we got, this Ian knocked Peter out and carried him away. Is that what happened?”
Pretty much.
“Yeah, but…”
“Yes or no, ma'am.”
“Yes. But what I'm trying to say is Ian is not a criminal. I'm sure there's a misunderstanding here somewhere.”
“Is there? Because from what I understand, this Ian is your boyfriend, and he kidnapped your stepbrother.”
“What? No. Ian isn't my boyfriend.”
“Then who is he to you?”
Good question. Who is Ian to me?
The man I love but may never get to tell how I feel or even be with as I should.
“A friend.”
“What kind of a friend, ma'am?”
How many kinds of friends are there?
“An old friend,” I grumble.
If the detective notices the attitude in my tone, he doesn't point it out.
“So, your old friend kidnapped your stepbrother. Why do you think he'd do that?”
Goodness, what on earth am I supposed to say to that?
Peter is blackmailing me, Ian probably found out and decided to turn the tables on Peter. Only he was too stupid to do it discreetly like how Peter blackmailed me.
This is bad.
“I don't know. And I don't think Ian kidnapped Peter. This is probably all just a big misunderstanding,” I lie through my teeth
“Is that so?” the detective asks, looking at me more carefully now.
He doesn't think I'm involved in the kidnapping too, does he?
“Yes.”
“Hmmm. This Ian, how long have you known him, and can you tell me if you've been romantically involved with him before?”
Yeah, he totally thinks I'm in on this, too.
Refusing to give him what he wants, which is clearly something to incriminate me, I shrug.
When he had Lauren taken out by his partner, I thought it was because he was on my side. But now that I'm thinking about it, I'm seeing it was all just a ploy to get him to trick me into confessing about a crime I know nothing about.
No way.
“Ian is a good friend,” I say.
“I'm sorry, before you said he's an old friend, now you're saying he's a good friend. Which is it?”
Shaking my head, I swallow the frustrated groan that's trying to leave me.
“Both!”
He stares at me hard enough to see through my soul, but I give him nothing.
Nodding, he starts to ask me another question, but he's cut off when his partner enters, Peter behind him with bruises on his face.
I shoot upright, surprised and ecstatic at the same time to see him. Thank God, Ian didn't kill him.
“Peter!” I say cheerfully and go to hug him. Although surprised, he hugs me back.
“You tell these people Ian kidnapped you and you can kiss goodbye to me saving your father, Kyle or not,” I hiss into his left ear.
He nods and then releases his hold on me. I step out of his touch and let him address the detective.
They shake hands. He introduces himself, and he's asked to sit.
“Mr. Brown, can you tell us where you've been in the past hours and what happened?”
“I was with my friend, Ian. He's a friend of my sister, too. We're sorry to bother you officers. It's all just a joke gone wrong.”
“A joke gone wrong?” both cops ask in surprise.
I'm as surprised as they are, but I'm not showing it. All I care about is that he's not throwing Ian under the bus.
“Yes, we're so sorry. We didn't think it'd be taken this seriously. If we knew it would go wrong, we wouldn't have tried it.”
“Peter, right? Can I call you Peter?” the second officer speaks.
“Yes.” Peter nods.
“If this really was a joke gone wrong, why do you have a swollen nose and bruises all over your jaw?”
His nose is swollen?
I didn't notice. Okay, maybe I did. I just don't give a fuck what injury he sustained so long as he's alive. It's not like he doesn't deserve it.
“Like I said officer, it went wrong. Things didn't go like we'd planned. I can't tell you anything more than that.”
“Where's this Ian guy now?” the detective asks.
“At home,” Peter responds.
“Can you give us his house address?”
Hell, no.
“Sure,” Peter says like he has it.
“No!” I snap.
Both officers look at me, and I quickly look away.
Peter proceeds to give them whatever bullshit address I know is definitely not Ian's, because I know there's no way he has Ian's house address. I've been to his house, and I don't even know his address.
Soon the officer leaves, and it's me and him again. I'm on him immediately.
“What the fuck happened?” I ask.
“You're free to go, Sarah. You don't have to save our father anymore.”
“What?” Lauren and I say at the same time. She enters just as Peter is speaking.
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
“What do you mean she doesn't have to save our father?” Lauren demands.
I ignore her and look straight into Peter's eyes. “And Olivia?”
“You won't hear from me again,” he says determinedly.
I nod, unable to believe that he agrees to this willingly.
Ian did or said something to him, and whatever it is worked. Thank God.
“Good, because I never want to see any of your faces again.”
Peter nods. Lauren instantly puts her hands on me to stop me from leaving.
“Like hell you won't! I'm not going to let you kill our father.”
Glancing down at the lower part of my body where she's holding onto to me, I look back at her face.
“You have three seconds to take your filthy hands off my body, or I'll rip them off you.”
She stares at me defiantly, calling my bluff. Just when I'm ready to push her away, Peter rips her off me.
“It's over, Lauren. Let her go.”
“What the fuck happened to you? Why are you suddenly backing out? Because her boyfriend threatened you? We can handle him!”
“No, Lauren, we can't.” The finality in his tone tells me Ian really has him by the balls.
Smiling, I walk out of the room and go straight to my car. I immediately enter and start to drive away. I'm only a few minutes into the drive when my phone rings.
Connecting my phone to the car's Bluetooth, I pick up the call.
“Where are you?” Ian's voice fills the small space of my car.
I giggle at the sound of his voice. “Ian, oh my God, I can't thank you enough! Whatever you did, it worked! Oh, thank you!” I gush, taking the road that leads to the hotel I booked earlier on my trip over.
“Sarah, I said where are you?” he asks, his voice firm and demanding.
I pause, trying to understand why he sounds this way. I thought he’d be happy right now.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“No, so tell me, where are you?”
“Um… I'm on my way to the hotel.”
“Same one you were last time?”
“Yes, why?”
“What room?”
“Ian, what's going on?”
“Tell me the room number, Sarah,” he demands in a dark tone.
Chills run down my spine. Whatever happiness I was feeling over the victory against Peter disappears.
“305,” I mumble.
“Good. You'll meet me there.”
He ends the call just as I pull into the hotel’s parking lot, my heart in my throat.
What is going on?
With shaky legs, I keep my head upright as I walk inside the building. As I pass the reception, I am informed that my guest is waiting for me by the reception. I nod and force a smile, urging myself to keep moving because I know if I stop, I won't be able to continue. I drop by the reception and Ian stands up to follow me as soon as he sees me.
Finally, we make it to the front of the room. I raw in as much breath I can into my lungs, and assure myself all will be well before I enter the room. Ian follows me, leaving the door open for me to close. I try not to say anything.
He goes to sit by the edge of the bed, looking out the window that gives a clear view of the road I just took. I close the door behind me a little loudly, hoping it'll make him turn. It doesn't.
“Ian,” I whisper.
He turns at my voice, his face void of any emotion, yet somehow, I immediately know what's going on.
He knows.
Shit.