by C J Brown
CHAPTER 22
Monday July 8th
On Monday morning a sharp knock on their apartment door woke Alison. She opened the door to find the manager standing there holding up a small, white card.
“Sorry to wake you, Ms Turner, but the police want to talk to you.” said Mr Foley. “The officer asked me to pass on his details. Constable Ben Leeson’s his name.” He handed Alison a card. “He left his number and asked you to call.”
A few minutes later, Mia walked in with milk and a small packet of ham from the convenience store. She decided not to tell Alison what the shopkeeper had confessed about the shop losing power overnight. Mia didn’t want her mother fussing about the meat being off and unsafe to eat. Anyway, Mia was the only one who had a sudden craving for something other than vegemite on toast.
“What could this possibly be about, Mia?” Alison asked over breakfast.
“I really don’t know, Mum. I promised I wouldn’t rob anymore banks after the last time and I meant it.”
“Mia, this is serious. The police want me to bring you to the station at ten o’clock. I’d really like to be a little bit prepared.”
“Honestly, I haven’t a clue. It must be a mix up.”
“Well, let’s hope so. I’ll ring the hospital shortly and tell Mum I’ll be a bit late.”
“Do you think the prison will be as flexible with its visiting hours as the hospital, Mum?”
“Mia, stop it!”
Nothing was very far away in Clowder Bay and even though the Police Station was considered to be on the outskirts it was really only a fifteen minute walk from their hotel.
Two uniformed officers were standing at the front counter when Alison and Mia entered the station. The younger one looked up and smiled.
“Ah, I’m hoping this is Mia.”
“Yes, and I’m Alison Turner, Mia’s mother.”
“Well, it’s good you could come. I’m Constable Ben Leeson. The others are here so we can get started.
“Others? Why are we here, officer?”
“If you can just be patient a moment longer, Mrs Turner.”
Constable Leeson led them down a short corridor to a door. “See,” Mia whispered as she pointed to the sign that said Interview Room, “it’s just where they torture their suspects. Nothing to worry about.”
The officer opened the door. The first person Alison saw among those seated around the table was Kim Trang. Jimmy was beside her. Facing them on the opposite side of the table was a girl and a woman that Alison didn’t know.
“Hello, Jimmy. Hello, Savannah,” Mia was momentarily lost for a witty one-liner.
“Kim! I hope there’s nothing wrong.” said Alison.
“Damn right there’s something wrong.” The angry-looking, pony-tailed woman in a business suit placed both hands firmly on the table. “My daughter …”
“How about I do some introductions before we go too far?” interrupted the policeman.
Mia sat in the spare seat beside Jimmy and Alison sat beside her. The police officer took his position at the head of the table. “I understand most of you know each other, with the exception of the Turners.”
As Constable Leeson made his way around the table putting a name to each face, Mia noticed that Savannah was looking at the floor, the ceiling, her fingernails - everywhere except at her and Jimmy.
“I really don’t know why we’re here,” Alison shook her head. “Can you please get to the point. My mother’s leaving hospital today and I’m very anxious to be with her.”
“Well, your daughter almost put my Savannah in hosp…!”
“Mrs Lowman, please.” Leeson held up his hand as though trying to stop a speeding truck driver. “If I may start,” he said calmly.
The officer looked at the two women on his left. “Firstly, Mrs Turner and Mrs Trang, I want to put your minds at ease. At this stage we are only investigating Mrs Lowman’s complaint against your children. Nobody is being charged with anything, yet. I’m hoping we can settle this with some low-key arbitration.”
“Complaint? Charged?” Kim’s face reflected the horror she felt inside. “What are you talking about? Jimmy what have you done? Mrs Lowman, please, whatever it is I am very sorry…”
“It’s a bit late for sorry, Kim. The damage is done, isn’t it? And we have a problem, don’t we? What with me being your landlady and you being my tenant. I’m not so sure it’s safe to let this arrangement continue.”
“Ladies, please.” This time Constable Ben Leeson held up both hands and tried for a little more assertion in his voice. “It’s up to me to make a recommendation to my sergeant about this matter and it’s highly unlikely that my recommendation will be in favour of any party to these discussion that is not prepared to engage with other parties in a spirit of cooperation and goodwill.” He cast a stern gaze around the room. “Have I not made myself clear?”
Mia wrinkled her nose. “Yes, sir.”
“Good, then let’s continue.”
“I mean, yes, sir, you have not made yourself clear. I’ve never been very good with double negatives.”
Alison kicked her daughter under the table.
The young police officer clenched his teeth. “Well, what I mean is will everyone just shut… I mean, please be quiet and let me start.” Constable Leeson had originally been rostered for highway patrol and now quietly wished he hadn’t agreed to swap with his colleague who really wanted to try out the new V8 squad car.
“I’ll start by reading the details of the complaint as presented by Doris Lowman and her daughter. Once I’ve finished, Doris Lowman and Savannah will have the opportunity to make corrections to their claim then Jimmy and Mia will have the opportunity to respond. Any questions? Good.
“It is claimed by Doris Lowman that last Wednesday, July 3rd, Savannah presented herself at her home with a wound to her left arm. Savannah reported to her mother that earlier that day she had been assaulted by Jimmy Trang and Mia Turner.”
All jaws on Mia’s side of the table dropped simultaneously.
“What did you say?” Alison could hardly get the words out.
Leeson continued. “Mrs Turner took Savannah to the hospital for immediate medical treatment.” Constable Leeson shuffled though his manila folder and took out a sheet of paper. Scanning the sheet he continued. “The doctor’s reports mentions abrasion to the epidermis consistent with contact with a hard, rough surface.”
“Jimmy, I don’t believe it. You attacked Savannah?”
The officer again held up his hand. “There will be time for questions.” He returned to the statement of complaint. “Savannah reported to her mother, and later repeated her claim to me, that she and her friend, Mitchell Reynolds, were walking along the footpath when Jimmy Trang called them over to his side of the road. Savannah states that she was surprised because Jimmy has been very rude to her in recent times. However, despite her reservations, Savannah and Mitchell did join Jimmy on the other side of the road at which time, and without provocation, Mia Turner pushed Savannah onto the footpath causing her injury. Immediately following this incident, Jimmy Trang used martial arts against Mitchell Reynolds thereby causing bodily injury. The assertion that this alleged assault was deliberate and premeditated is supported by the fact that Jimmy and Mia were subsequently observed to run away laughing.”
Kim Trang wiped her eyes with a tissue and Alison looked quizzically at Mia. Ben Leeson looked at Doris Lowman and Savannah. “Would you like to add anything?”
“Yes, I most certainly would,” Savannah’s mother folded her arms. “Since I made that report it has been confirmed that Mitchell has a broken foot due to that boy,” she pointed across at Jimmy, “that … that … juvenile delinquent! I’m sure that if he were not at this moment confined to a wheelchair Mitchell would be here in person making his own complaint.”
“Yes, I contacted the hospital yesterday and I’ve also spoken with Mitch’s grandfather. They have confirmed an injury to Mitch’s foot. I’m yet to get a statement fr
om Mr Reynolds or Mitch but that is a different matter. We need to deal with this one first.”
He turned to Jimmy. “First of all, Jimmy – would you like to respond to what Savannah and her mother have said?”
“Jimmy, just apologise to Savannah and Mrs Lowman. Apologise now!” Kim dabbed her eyes again.
Jimmy’s response took his mother by surprise. “No, I won’t apologise. Savannah deserved what she got and Mitch deserved what he got. What’s to apologise for?”
Everyone looked stunned. Ben Leeson silently congratulated himself for extracting the quickest confession in the history of the Clowder Bay police. Then Mia spoke up.
“Jimmy’s right, Savannah and Mitch did deserve it. But I would like to point out that Savannah’s so-called injury was an accident.”
“So-called injury!” Doris Lowman was red-faced. “Didn’t you listen to the doctor’s report?”
It was Alison’s turn. “Yes I did, Mrs Lowman. And it really doesn’t say that Savannah received anything more than a scratch. May I ask what treatment the doctor offered or suggested?”
Doris Lowman suddenly looked uncomfortable. “He said to cover it with a band aid … but that’s beside the point. Your daughter assaulted my daughter. The extent of the injury is immaterial.”
“Mitch pushed me into her.”
“What did you say, Mia?” asked Ben Leeson.
“I said Mitch pushed me into her.”
“That’s a lie,” shouted Savannah. “You’ve had it in for me since that first day we met on the beach.”
“I did not have it in for you. I was just helping Jimmy form a team. You were deliberately excluding him.”
“If I may interrupt…” Ben Leeson again shuffled thorough his folder. “…Yes here it is. I spoke to the twins. Unfortunately, due to a family trip they are unable to be here. They did however give me a little information. Now, Ruby and Toby don’t say that either Mia or Jimmy was being overly aggressive but they do think that Mia, especially, seemed to be deliberately aggravating Savannah.” He looked at Mia. “If that’s true, Mia, then it seems that from the very first time you met Savannah you decided that you didn’t like her and that you would make things unpleasant for her.”
“If I made things unpleasant for Savannah, then I’m sorry. But my only intention was to help Jimmy."
“Help Jimmy?” Doris Lowman slapped the table. “He doesn’t need any help. Tell the officer what were you wearing when you attacked Mitch the other day. You were wearing your martial arts clothes, weren’t you? You were wandering the streets like a … like a…”
“Ninja nerd,” snarled Savannah.
“Yes, and looking for trouble, weren’t you?”
“Excuse me, Mrs Lowman.” Kim pushed her chair back and stood up. “My Jimmy was coming home from self-defence classes. He only goes to them so he can protect himself from people like your daughter.”
“My daughter is the one who needs protecting!” Doris Lowman was shouting now which caused Ben Leeson to raise his voice to get everyone to settle down.
Just then the phone on the side table rang and Leeson picked it up. “There was a moment of silence. “Okay, bring her in.” He replaced the receiver and a few seconds later the door opened and Tess entered the room.
“Mum,” Alison stood up and went over to her. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, I was ready to leave the hospital early so I got a taxi back to the hotel to surprise you. Turns out I was the one to get the surprise. What’s going on? Oh, hello, Kim.” Tess walked around the table and sat beside Jimmy’s mother.
“See, Constable?” exclaimed Mrs Lowman. “Look at them over there. These people have a pack mentality. All sitting together trying to intimidate Savannah and me simply because we are prepared to stand up for our rights.”
“Goodness me,” Tess frowned, “we haven’t even been introduced and you already think I’m intimidating. Well, I only know two things for sure, dear. Sometimes things are just not as they seem and I think we could all do with a cup of tea. Constable?”
The phone rang again. Leeson let out an audible sigh that clearly meant that he thought he should be out catching real crooks. “Really?” Leeson looked surprised. “Okay. Bring them in.”
He looked at the faces around the table. “It seems we need more chairs.”
“Well, since you’re organising that, Officer,” Tess suggested,” you might as well put the kettle on at the same time.”
“I’d really like a glass of water,” said Mia looking a little pale.