GUILTY 34

Detective Gerald Sullivan Sunday May 21,2016 It’s quiet in the car, the only sound being the intermittent updates coming in from our radios. If we can find this Teddy guy, then we can find the kids. I just pray they’re still alive. Once we get on the intersection, I park the car beside the curb and instantly spot the phone booth. We walk over and examine the surroundings. Robbins begins to check for any possible prints while I walk around the outside to see if there’s something that can point me in the direction of Teddy. It’s a standard industrial area, shopping centres, Government buildings, Banks. I lift my head and my eyes connect with a 'Cash Savers Store' directly across the street. There’s a security camera just above the sign. ‘Stay here.’ I shout to Robbins. ‘I’ll be right back.’ I hustle across the busy street. Once inside the store, I walk up to the counter. A petite brunette is working, mid - thirties perhaps. She has light wrinkles under the eyes. I flash my badge. ‘Are your cameras out front working?’ ‘They are.’ ‘I need to see the footage, immediately.’ She leads me behind the counter to a room in the back, containing two computer screens with multiple different live images flashing. ‘Rewind it to this past week. I need to see if there’s a recurring pattern at all.’ She clicks away at the keyboard, and the screen plays out in front of me. After sitting in the chair and watching the tapes for over seven minutes, I still don’t see anything. ‘Can you keep rewinding it back over the past month?’ I ask. She nods her head, and eventually we’re watching the entire month of footage. Finally I see something, a pattern. Twice a week, a black Nissan pulls up slightly in front of the phone booth, stays there for five minutes or so, then drives off. I ask the woman to slow down the tapes so I can get a license plate. Could this be our guy? Why else would someone come to a pay phone twice a week for over a month? It has to be him. I call the Chief and recite the license plate, FC6 BH1 GP, registered in Gauteng. I end the call, thank the woman for her help, and head back across the street to Robbins. Now all we have to do is wait. Not an hour after we arrive back at Rosie’s home, I get a call from the station saying they’ve tracked down the car, which is registered to a Theodore White. Yong is watching CCTV footage as we speak, trying to piece together a time line. I race out the front door and straight to the cruiser, Robbins, Ashby and the Big Chief Lieutenant following close behind. Frank gets in front and starts the car. A few officers remain at the crime scene, but the rest of us take off in unison. We all want to be there for this. Holden radios in and tells us that they’ve spotted the car at a residential home just off of Division and 2nd Avenue. SAPS Tactical Response Team is already on scene, waiting for the go - ahead. The chief tells them to wait for us to get there, we’re five minutes out. We pull up out front and I see the SAPS armed and ready to enter the home. It’s a small, shabby - looking place. The windows are covered with curtains from the inside and the roof looks as though it’s about to cave in. Definitely somewhere to come to if you’re hiding abducted children. I assume. The chief walks towards Holden who hands him a vest and removes his gun from his holster. ‘You coming in?’ he asks me. I nod and slip on a vest as well. ‘We believe the vehicle has been here since this morning,’ Holden says as we walk towards the SAPS Tactical Response Team. ‘We’re unsure if the suspect is inside the house or not, but we’re taking extra precautions if he is because he’ll have the kids with him.’ I nod, look down and remove my gun. It’s time. -------- Danny Waters Sunday May 21,2016 I’ve been waiting around the house for hours, pacing back and forth, biting my nails. It’s almost three o’clock and I Haven’t heard from anyone in the past two hours. After Gerald came over earlier to speak with Winston and me, he left in a hurry without telling me what was going on. Winston locked himself in the bedroom and wouldn’t talk to me either. I know something happened. I thought they might have found Emerald. But Winston said that they didn’t. I have no idea what to think. My parents are in the kitchen, working together to prepare a Sunday night dinner for us all. I tried to explain to them that they didn’t have to do that, but of course, they insisted. Dad ran out to the grocery store to stock up the fridge and cupboards. It’s been so hectic these past couple of days that food has been the last thing on my mind. I’ve been barely scraping by, eating soup and crackers whenever I feel my stomach growl. But honestly, how can one even think about food in a time like this? My mother puts on one of my old aprons and stands in the kitchen, boiling pasta and cutting up vegetables. I’m glad that she’s putting the effort in. With everyone here especially. It will be nice to eat together as a family. Liam is in the other room taking a phone call. He and Collin have been talking and catching up all morning. It gives me hope that they can work things out and perhaps find some common Ground once again. These past few years of mutiny have been unbearable on our family. Perhaps today will change that, it will be ‘More than Ground.’ Clayton fell asleep watching a movie on the couch with Collin, and Sophie is on the floor putting together a Barbie puzzle. Lianna and Jade sit at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and discussing home décor. And then there’s me, standing here, anxious and falling apart. I can’t deny that having everybody together makes me happy, but we’re still missing a piece to this puzzle. I need my daughter. When I hear the doorbell, my heart sinks further into my chest. My hands are quivering and when I bring them together to stop the shaking, I realize that they’re ice cold. I stand up and make my way to the front door, praying that it’s someone who can tell me what is going on. Everyone else watches as I make my way over. When I open the door, all of the tension in my body falls to the ground. Am I dreaming? Did I fall asleep on the couch again? My bottom lip parts from the top and I stand there, stunned. Gerald gives me a small smile and turns to Detective Robbins, who is holding my baby. I scream for my husband as I fall forward, grabbing Emerald from Detective Robbins. Behind me I hear the sound of doors opening and multiple feet rushing towards me. The tears are streaming down my face and I’m sobbing into Emerald’s tiny neck. I hold her tightly. As though if I ease up my grip, she will be taken away from me again. When I turn around and open my eyes, my entire family stands there, completely awestruck. Winston looks as though he’s witnessing a human resurrection. Face pale, eyes wide. The tears come for him, then, as well. He reaches forward and together we meet and hold Emerald between us, loudly sobbing for everyone to hear, But it doesn’t matter that I’m being loud or crying like a fool. I don’t care. Not one little bit. Because she’s here. She’s back. And we’re finally together again. Emerald makes her rounds being passed around, receiving hugs and kisses from all of her family. Only six months old and she already has more love than some people have in their lifetime. Once my baby is back in my arms, we sit in the living room, talking quietly amongst ourselves. We’re all in a state of shock, really. These past few days have felt like a nightmare. A foggy haze of wandering aimlessly. But now my compass is facing True North again, and rightfulness has been restored. I invited Gerald and Detective Robbins - who told me to call her Claire - to come inside and sit with us. The news anchors and TV crews are beginning to pile in our front yard, all yearning for the first footage of the baby’s return home, the first interview from the parents. They’ve commoditized her abduction, monetized our tragedy. I let them wait a while. I don’t care what they want right now. All I want is my baby. Gerald turns to me. ‘Listen, I just wanted to apologize-----’ ‘Don’t,’ I smile and hold up a hand. ‘It’s fine, really. You were just doing your job.’ ‘I know, but I wasn’t fair to you. I treated you like a criminal.’ ‘You had every right to. I understand. I’m just glad that you brought my baby home. I can’t thank you enough for that.’ Claire turns to me, her eyes revealing sympathy rather than suspicion. She doesn’t say anything, just gives me a small smile. I know that’s her way of apologizing as well. But she doesn’t need to. She helped bring my baby home and that’s all that matters. It’s quiet again, and I can see Gerald looking at Winston, then back at me. He speaks up. ‘I don’t want to interrupt this moment, but do you mind if I speak with the two of you for a moment?’ We look at each other, and I can almost feel the tension and unease. I hand Emerald to my mother and stand slowly. Once we make our way down the hall and into the office, Gerald closes the door behind us. Our first moment alone since she’s returned. Winston turns to me and I notice he’s on the verge of tears. ‘What’s wrong?’ I step closer, bringing my hands to his face. ‘I’m so sorry, Danny. I’m so sorry,’ he starts to cry. ‘This is all my fault.’ I reach forward and take him into my arms. ‘What are you talking about? What happened?’ I hold him with one arm and stroke his hair with my free hand. I wait patiently as he sobs into my neck, trying to gather himself. Finally, he looks up and meets my eyes. ‘I don’t even know where to begin.’ Gerald speaks up, then, ‘Why not from the beginning?’ TO BE CONTINUED….