My Daughter's Teacher Pt. 04

The phone rings in my ear while I look around anxiously. I'm now dressed in a standard orange uniform, standing in a sparse hallway by the phone. "Hello?" A voice of a man answers the phone.

"Hey dad, I don't have much time. I'm in county right now, don't know why exactly. I need you to come get Jess please, and see if your lawyer friend could look help me out"

There's a hesitation on the other side of the line as the impact of the conversation sank in. "Yea, be there in an hour. I'll get Ed headed your way. Stay safe"

"I will, thanks." I'm about to end the call when I think of something else. "Oh dad, if you can help out the young woman who was with Jess, I'd appreciate it. I'll fill you in later"

"Yea, love you son" The phone clicks dead and I hang up. I turn around and I'm lead into a small cell. Before I turn around I head the door shut.

My heart rate spikes at the realization of where I am. There's no one else in the cell right now, but there are beds for another the people. No privacy, no amenities, nothing else. I walk and sit on the edge of one of the beds.

I replay everything in my mind. Was there someone in the crowd who could help me? Maybe they got it on video. It was no use. I hadn't played attention to the people in the crowd. I lay down, calming myself.

Closing my eyes I began to rest. My thoughts drifted back to the look on Cass' face. Not at the fight, but from months before when we had been talking at the bar.

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Cass sat in a warm room alone at the police station. She was still in her bikini top and Jean shorts. Someone had been nice enough to give her a blanket to keep warm in the cruiser and the station. She wasn't sure what was happening, but there was a cold pit in her stomach. Her instincts told her that Nate was behind this.

After Jeff had been arrested, both Cass and Jess had been cared for and taken to the station. There were no questions answered, most likely because none of the officers had answers to give. There were many sympathetic looks sent her way. Sure had been taken to a room where her bruises were documented. She was kept warm, comfortable and safe the entire time. Still, she remained anxious at the entire situation.

The door opens and two men walk in the room. They carry themselves with a serious manner, but they cordial to Cass.

"Miss Lawson, I'm detective Boone and this is my partner detective Carmichael. We are investigating the incident that happened today, as well as any previous incidents. Before we start is there anything we can get for you?"

Cass just shook her head. "Why'd you arrest Jeff?"

The detective doesn't miss a beat. "There were reports of assault and kidnapping from multiple sources." Cass' face scrunched up as she processed that information. "He was found with you and his daughter in the car, fleeing the scene of an assault. The bruises on her face and you reinforce the reports so here we are. Now understand that you're safe, that you don't have to worry about him hurting you again. "

"Again? I don't understand" Cass said. Then it clicked. "You think he did this?" Cass says pointing to her face and arms. She saw the two men exchange a look. She could tell it was doubt, weather it was of her statement or their entire view of the situation she couldn't tell.

"Mr. Dayton has been nothing but kind to me. These are from Nate" She looked at the detectives, now their looks did show who they doubted, and it was her.

"Ms. Lawson, I want to make sure you understand that we're here to help. Your friends are letting us know you need help. Please, you can be honest with us. Nate Russo says he's noticed a change since you went away. He said that he thinks you're being controlled by Mr. Dayton. He just didn't have a name before now"

Cass shrunk back in on herself. She didn't know what to expect when she got in the car with Jeff. Her hope was that Nate would let her be, but that wasn't in his nature. She never thought that he would go to such extreme lengths to keep her from being happy. But here she was, in a police station while her hypothetical knight in shining armor was accused of abusing her, his daughter and assaulting who else.

"Now tell us, what happened today"

Cass talked about what happened, only the moments when Jeff and Jess were at the beach. Cass waited in silence, her body shaking. She thought about telling these two detectives what Nate had done. Would they believe her? Instead of the burden of being doubted, she held it in.

"That's it Ms. Lawson? Nothing else?"

She shook her head while looking at the table. She didn't know what she could say, so she stared blankly ahead.

"Okay, if there's anything we can do, let us know. We'll arrange for someone to take you home."

Once again Cass nods in a zombified state. The door closes and she's alone again. What could she do?

Then the thought came to her. She had recognized a couple people while she was walking to Jeff's car. She took out her phone and tried to contact a couple.

After a couple minutes there's a ray of hope. One of the other parents she knew had reached out to her through her school email. They had noticed what was happening, started to record the incident and stepped towards them when Nate had struck her. She watched the video of it all. Jeff getting hit twice while she was still in the ground, then Jeff's final strike.

It kept recording after Cass, Jeff and Jess had left. Nate was furious, his anger directed at his two 'buddies' that had stood there while Cass had 'escaped'. The parent had keep rolling more discretely while Nate called the cops and reported her kidnapping.

Cass thanked the parent and requested an email with the file attached to her personal email. She sent an email to Jeff's email with the video as well just in case Nate was able to access her personal email. Now she at least had a small hope that she would be believed.

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"Mr. Dayton" a voice called from the bars of his cell. It was a guard. His keys clinked against the bars at his cell was unlocked. I stand up, getting ready for another round of interrogation. Or maybe my lawyer was here already and wanted to talk.

I'm cuffed then lead to the front of the police station. I'm back at the window where I was not more than an hour ago.

"Mr. Dayton" a voice from the window ushered me forward.

"What's going on?" I say completely caught off guard by this turn of events. In front of me were my clothes and personal affects.

"You're being released."

But how? There was no evidence that I had provided. And my story wasn't strong. What could have changed the minds of the detectives so quickly? I don't know, but I'm not complaining.

I'm lead to an area where I change back into my clothes. I'm lead out to detective Boone. "Mr. Dayton, I'm sorry for the confusion. I understand it was stressful. I saw what happened and let me say we're sorry. There was a false report filed, one serious enough we had to pursue. Your car will be released from the impound at no cost, all charges are dropped. If you'd like to press charges against Mr. Russo, give me a call when you can."

I take his card and pocket it. The tone shift was marked. Someone must have come forward to correct the story. I step out of the station to see an older man, in his mid 50s, suit and tie. He was standing next to an excited 10 year old.

"Dad!" Jess says, the relief and joy palpable in her voice. She rushes over to me and gives me a hug. Her face is buried in my chest. As I told her she begins to sob. I touch her hair.

"It's okay. I'm okay." I say to reassure her. Finally she releases her grip on me. "Thanks dad" I say to the old man. He waits and I give him a hug. "Let me get my car and we can go home." He nods.