Chapter 4 - The Leverage
I yanked my arm away from my father just as two police officers entered the kitchen.
They had their hands on their holsters, scanning the destroyed apartment.
"Ma'am, are you the homeowner who reported the break-in?" the taller officer asked.
I looked at Ray, who was sweating and trying to hide the plastic bag behind his back.
He thought I would stay quiet out of familial loyalty.
He was completely wrong.
"Yes, officer," I stated clearly and loudly.
"This man broke down my door, stole my financial documents, and is currently holding a bag of illegal narcotics he brought to frame me."
Ray’s jaw dropped in absolute shock.
He tried to laugh it off, pretending it was a simple misunderstanding.
The officers did not laugh.
They drew their tasers and ordered Ray to drop the bag and get on the ground.
Ray cursed at me as they placed heavy steel handcuffs on his wrists.
"You are making a huge mistake!" he yelled.
"Denise already filed the emergency custody order!"
I watched them read him his rights and drag him out of my ruined home.
I explained the entire situation to the remaining officer.
I showed him the timestamped incident report from the theme park.
The officer shook his head in disgust and offered me a police escort to go pick up my son.
We drove to the theme park with the lights flashing and sirens wailing.
When we arrived at the security office, Elliot ran into my arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
I held him so tightly that my own ribs ached.
I promised him that no one would ever hurt him or leave him again.
The security manager walked over and handed me a thick manila folder.
"Your mother was here ten minutes ago demanding to take him," the manager said.
"She left this behind when we threatened to call the authorities."
I opened the folder and felt the blood drain entirely from my face.
It was a forged medical document stating that Elliot was terminally ill.
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They were not just trying to take my son from me.
They were trying to cash in on a massive life insurance policy.
