Change of events (gxg)

Chapter 49

A couple of days later the officer called again, saying John left a message and showed up on the precinct, but refused to speak English. They needed Steffie to translate. However, she was still in recovery from the past events. After a few conversations with her healing doctor and assisting nurses she was allowed to leave the hospital a week before her original release. Once her discharge papers were signed an officer picked her up and immediately drove her off to the police station.

Steffie POV

"Do you have any idea at all why he's doing this?" the officer asked me. "I'm sorry ma'am, but like I told your colleague a couple days ago, I have no clue. I've known John for a while, but I never thought he was capable of doing something like this" Slumping back a bit in my seat I asked the female officer what would happen to John and Rick when Naya would sue them. "Well Mr Johnson is looking at a jail sentence from at least 5 years, they can go up for 25. As for Mr Ambers, that'll depend on what the judge says, but technically he's looking at the same sentence" I only nodded in response, I didn't want John to end up in jail, but I can't stop the law.

Arriving at the precinct I saw John standing outside with the other officer. John seemed pleased to see me, but I didn't return his smile when I got out of the police car. Honestly I just wanted this all to be over and get some proper rest. A little nod was all I could muster as a greeting. I might have told Naya I was okay with seeing him, but facing him now, all the past events came flooding back. Me dragging Rick off set, them pushing me in a car, a gun pointed at my head and then that little high located window in the creepy dark room...

It took me a while before I realised John was talking to me. "Hey, het spijt me echt, ik het was nooit the bedoeling dat dit ging gebeuren. Ik had, nee, heb het geld dringend nodig. Echt ik had geen idee dat Rick dit ooit zou doen" ('Hey, I'm really sorry, this was never supposed to happen. I had, no still need the money. I really had no idea Rick would do something like this') he pleaded, but I didn't believe him, he could have done all of this differently. He could have asked family or friends for a loan or even a bank. "Je kon een lening gevraagd hebben bij de bank of andere mensen of weet ik veel maar niet op deze manier!" ("You could have asked for a loan at the bank or asked people for money, or I don't know what else, but not like this!") I got interrupted by Officer Riley, "Excuse me Miss Vanmuysen, but can you keep the conversation in English, after all that's why we brought you here" "Right, sorry about that" I repeated what John said, this time in English. "But I said he could have just made a loan at the bank"

"No, I couldn't! I'm not a white guy. No my dad is from Morocco so they don't trust him or me. I do have a job, but I get paid less than others, just because he's from Morocco" John ranted while walking alongside Officer Riley into the interrogation room. "I did all this because I saw no other way out!" he screamed, tugging his hair, frantically looking around, suddenly looking at me. "J-Jasper, he's sick and I need the money to take care of him" he begged me. I knew it, something was driving John to do all of this, but still instead of kidnapping me, he could have asked me for the loan. Even though I wasn't ready for a child back then, I still cared for Jasper, he was a sweet little kid. "What's wrong with him?" I heard myself ask. "He's diagnosed with diabetes, I have no idea how bad it is, but I cannot pay for the really expensive treatment. Not with the money I have to pay his mother as well because she can't provide it herself due to her illness" he was pleading again. "Please help me?" I was about to give in when suddenly my phone went off. "Eh, Officer Riley? Can I take this?" she nodded, leading me out of the interrogation room. "Put it on speaker though, even if it's miss Rivera" she added when I didn't answer my phone right away.

"Hey Naya!" I answered, "I'm putting you on speaker, Officer Riley is with me" I added before she could say anything. "Hey baby and Officer Riley" she replied, "I was calling because I wanted to know what John wanted from you exactly" After a quick glance at Riley I told Naya what John had told me, plus the fact that I was willing to loan John some money to help him out. "Honestly Steffie? You shouldn't do that. Even if it's true, I'm sure you can get enough medical care in Belgium, even if you're from Morocco. And I'm sorry, but after everything that happened, Demi and I decided that it's best to take the both of them to court. Even if Jasper's mother isn't capable of taking care of him. I'm sure there are other family members that are capable, diabetes or not. By the way Demi just informed me the medicines aren't even that expensive" "Excuse me miss Rivera, but how does she know that?" Officer Riley butted in, posing my unspoken question. "Because her best friend Nick has diabetes and he's had it for years. Basically all he needs to do is watch what he's eating and have regular check-up" "So what are you saying, Nay? That John is lying to me about all of this?" I asked her. "I'm sorry Steffie, but he must know your weaknesses. You're too kind in most situations. He's just trying to get some money out of you"

I looked at Riley with a questioning look. "Is this true? Could we possibly check this?" I asked her. "By the way if it's true, I don't want to see him ever again, and you can do whatever" Riley nodded, while turning on her heels, checking the given information with her colleagues.

Meanwhile I turned my attention back to Naya, putting the sound of the phone back on normal. "Hey babe" I said, slumping down in a nearby chair. "Hey baby, are you alright?" "I'm fine, it's just, I don't like knowing I've been played with. Riley is checking the right now, maybe she'll need me to translate some more things though. But if this all is true and he just wanted me for the money...then I really don't care what happens to him anymore" "You'd let me sue him?" Naya asked dead serious, but her question ended with a chuckle. "Whatever you think is the best solution babe. I have to go now though, Riley is back" "See you later baby, I'll come and pick you up, just don't forget to call me when you're done" "I won't, bye beautiful" I ended the call, just when Riley reached me.

"Okay, so we found out that Jasper's mum indeed is incapable of taking care of him, but Jasper isn't sick at all. It appears Mr Ambers has some debts due to gambling. He's lent the limit at several banks in Belgium and even Morocco..." "So Jasper is alright? He doesn't have diabetes?" I interrupted her. "As far as we know he's in capable hands, he's with his mother, but she's been taken care of her family and a nurse. They don't mind taking Jasper in as well, since that's what they've been doing for a few years now. As for Mr Ambers earning less money than others because he's from Morocco, that's not true, he's having the same payment as his co-workers" I'd heard enough, if he was using his child to cover up his own mistakes... "I'm sorry Miss Vanmuysen, he's been trying to use you to pay his debts with your money" I just nodded as a response. "Do you still need me here? I'd like to go home if I'm not needed any longer" "We'll call you if we do need your help again, miss. For now we need to interrogate Mr Ambers, we need to make him confess about his debts and maybe he can tell us something more about Mr Johnson's whereabouts. Do you want me to drive you home?" she smiled warmly at me. I was starting to like her, she's been really nice to me, so I agreed. "Sure, that'd be nice, but you'll have to take me to Miss Rivera's apartment. She was going to pick me up here, but I suppose this is faster. I'll send a quick text, letting her know you're taking me"

Five minutes later we sat in the car, listening to some songs on the radio, Riley singing along, so did I when I knew the lyrics. "Don't forget to give me your number, we called the hospital last time, but I'm sure you won't be there next time we need you" Riley said, parking at the apartment. "Want to come in?" Riley followed me, greeting Naya as she opened the door. "Good afternoon Officer Riley, hey beautiful" she smiled, pulling me closer to her. "Is there something wrong Officer?" she asked, closing the door behind us, leading us into her living room. "Well, we now know for sure that John is lying. Officers are interrogating him as we speak. We need him to confess about his debts and hopefully get some information about Rick's whereabouts, since we have no idea where he is. By the way, if you can think of anything that'd help our investigation, we'd gladly get the information, anything, even if you think it's nothing" Naya turned to me, but I showed no emotion, not wanting her to worry about me. "Can you take my charges now? I suppose you're allowed to do this on your own, right Officer?" Riley nodded, taking out her pen and notepad. "Of course, want to sit down for this? Might make things easier" Naya gestured to her couch, making herself comfortable.

"First of all, Miss Vanmuysen, do you agree with Miss Rivera doing this?" "Yes, I've said this before, if he was lying, and he is, I don't care what's happening to him anymore. And by the way call me Steffie" Riley smiled, focussing back on Naya. "Ready when you are Miss Rivera" I took a seat next to Naya on the couch, laying my head in her lap. While Riley was taking Naya's statements, she played with my hair, soothing me.

Just as Riley was about to head back to the precinct I remembered something. "Excuse me Officer, but is there by any chance a TV-series recorded back at your station?"