Until Proven Innocent 🤍 Net/James

Chapter 18 ~ being brave ~

"my dad died when I was a baby, it was a hit and run, my mum told me when I was a bit older that it was a drunk driver and one of the officers who came to our house was Renpassaroot, he used to drop by often after that and he helped my mum with different things, he seemed like a nice person,

he would come over for dinner, take us places, stuff like that but then I heard them arguing one night after I went to bed, he wanted my mum to marry him and she wouldn't, she wouldn't even date him because she still loved my dad, she told him that she just saw him as a friend,

anyway, he got angry and hit her and when she threatened to call the cops he laughed and said they wouldn't believe her, after that he started beating her regularly and she just took it because there was nothing else she could do"

Man and Gunny looked at each other then back at Noel, Man's heart ached for Noel and he wanted to take him in his arms and hold him but he had to remain calm for Noel's sake.

"go on" he prompted

"mum used to make me go in my room when he came over but one night he came over and was beating her up, I just snapped and I couldn't take it anymore, I can't remember how old I was,

I confronted him, when thinking back it was a pretty stupid thing to do, I mean he was a full grown man and I was just a kid but I wasn't going to let him keep hitting my mum, then he started hitting me and the beatings just got worse,

they accused my mum of doing it and we couldn't say anything or he would beat us more and no one would believe us, she talked to me about selling the house and moving away but he would have known if she put the house up for sale,

I remember him making her sign some papers after that but I don't know what they were, I just know he beat her until she signed them.

the last time he beat me my mum tried to drag him off and he beat her too before pushing her down the stairs but she didn't move, she didn't get up,

he pinned me against the wall and said if I ever told anyone he would come for me and that he would be watching me then he left and I managed to crawl down to my mum but she wouldn't wake up,

I called an ambulance and when they came they took her and separated us, I never saw her again and they accused me of killing her then the judge said it was self defense because she had been beating me but it wasn't true and I couldn't say anything or he would come and get me,

after that they took me to a children's home and I just kept my mouth shut, I didn't trust anyone by then, I just did what I was told to do and kept a low profile and luckily up to now I've never seen Renpassaroot again and that's it, there's nothing more to tell,

I want to earn enough money to buy a small house in the countryside where he can't find me and live out my life there, away from everyone" Noel said looking at Man with tears in his eyes.

Now was not the time to contradict Noel's plans for his future, the main thing right now was to get this case solved once and for all and it seems that Noel was in some way involved.

"Noel, do you think you could come with us to our office and write an official statement of everything you just told us?" Man asked him

"didn't you hear anything I just said, if I talk, he will come and get me" Noel said becoming agitated.

"Noel, I will be with you every step of the way and so will Gunny, you can trust us, my other people Lam and Mina will be there too and they will not harm you, I swear" Man said.

Noel began crying and Man stood up and went to him.

"I'm scared Man" he wept as Man took him into his arms.