Life in a Northern Town Ch. 07

"I want to speak to Mr. Garland!"

I shouted in the tiny interview room, staring into the shiny two-way glass and daring those behind it to come and shut me up. At my estimation, since they'd taken my watch, it had been three hours since Peter had been arrested and we'd been unceremoniously hauled to the police station. The female officer that had accompanied me kept trying to convince me that Peter had kidnapped me and I kept telling her that she was full of shit. Obviously, she didn't believe me and I was put into this room, with the same officer performing mastiff duties while I screamed at the glass.

Finally, the door opened and every bit of blood in my body sank to my toes. My mother, Esther strode into the room, her Jimmy Choo's clicking on the broken linoleum. She pulled her bifocals off, letting them hang on their golden chain between her huge breasts as I sat frozen like a child expecting a monumental chastisement. She glared at me, dropping her Prada purse onto the table.

"I'm so glad you've been rescued."

"I didn't need rescuing,Mother." I trembled at each word I delivered, knowing full well that I had never talked to my mother like this before. I turned to the officer. "I want to see a lawyer. This is a farce."

"A farce?" Esther barked, pulling a chair out, eyeing it distastefully, then sitting down. "What are you talking about?"

"Kidnapping is always a farce when it's the result of trumped-up charges. How could you do that?"

"How could I do what? You left so suddenly and your father and I had no idea where you were. We weresure that you'd been kidnapped." She smiled like a triumphant swan. "That's why I'm so glad that you're safe."

I glanced at the female officer who beamed back at my mother and immediately knew that Peter was in trouble. "I want to use my telephone call." I barked at her. "Now." The woman just grinned at me until I started kicking the door, screaming."NOW!" My crazy behavior scared her and she dashed out of the room.

When I turned back to my mother, she was just glaring at me like a boil about to burst. "He's no good for you."

I shook my head, staring at her. "You told him about the baby."

"I did not!" She huffed in a self-righteous fashion, drawing herself up. "I wouldn't bother callingthat."

"Yes, you would." I paused in thought. "And that makes me wonder ... "

"About what?"

"The letter that I got after we left." I watched my mother's face and knew that I'd stumbled onto something. "Peter got one from me and I got one from him, each making excuses as to why we were breaking up with each other. You wrote them, didn't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. You arranged that just like you arranged this. I can smell your shit a mile away."

"Don't youdare talk to me like that!"

"Don't worry, you won't ever hear me again."

The female police officer came back in. "You can make your call now."

"She doesn't need to use the phone." I glared at my mother, then turned my back on her, heading for the open door. "Who are you going to call?"

I thought for a long moment, then looked at her with a smile. "Daddy."

The blood drained from her face and she tried to jump out of the chair. "No!" The door closed behind me and I followed the officer to the phone. The call to my father was by turns emotional and stoic on my part but I was happy to hear that he was finally going to do something about her. Within an hour of my call to him, Peter and I were released, my mother was held on false report charges and Daddy reserved two rooms at the Hilton.

"I'll be up there tomorrow, okay? You and Peter get a good night's sleep."

"Thanks, Daddy. I really appreciate it."

"I love you, Taylor. Don't worry about a thing. We'll talk when I get there, okay?"

"Okay."

I hung up the phone and Peter was coming out of the other interview room. I rushed over to him, sobbing with relief when his arms went around me. "Hey, why are you crying?"

"I thought you'd be mad at me."

"Not a chance." He whispered softly. "I knew your mother did this." I told him about my talk with my father and he was glad to hear that Esther would not be bothering us tonight. We left the station and once outside, he tilted my head up, catching my mouth and kissing me until I'd forgotten everything else. "Shall we take up where we left off?"

"Yes." I murmured against his lips. "Yes."