Lay Me Down

Part 25

Everything stopped around us. I collapsed into Simon and there just happened to be an officer behind him that he fell against. The officer tried his best to hold us up but we all ended up on the ground with our screams being the only sound heard. Several officers and detectives came over to try and calm each of us but they couldn't. Once they realized that we had seen the bag they hurried to remove it as to not draw a bigger crowd. My whole body felt numb and I kept shaking my head hoping it was all just a nightmare. A nightmare I couldn't wake up from no matter how hard I tried. Simon was in shock and just kept screaming out but when I went to try and comfort him I couldn't. After awhile an officer came over to us and sat on the ground, 'Kate is asking for you. She's right over there.' He said pointing in the direction of the ambulance. 'She's refusing to go to the hospital until she sees you.' I looked up and at him and then back at Simon and then again at the officer. 'Okay.' I whispered and he helped me up. As I got closer to where Kate was I tried my best to gather myself together because I didn't want her to think any of this was her fault. 'Kate? Are you okay?' I asked climbing in the back of the ambulance. She looked terrified and as much pain as I was in I wanted to be there for her too. 'I'm so sorry. I never saw it coming and I...' I stopped her and leaned down to hug her. 'It's not your fault. You're okay and that's all that matters right now. You did what you were suppose to do and now I need you to let them take you to the hospital.' She turned away from me and nodded. I squeezed her hand one last time and then got out.

How could this have happened? Why did this happen? I think I was still in shock because I just froze and didn't know what to do. I looked around and saw Simon being wrapped in a blanket and a bunch of officers around him. I didn't move. I just stood in the middle of the parking lot watching police cars drive in and out, officers swarming everywhere and the chaos of what was happening. I felt like I was in some movie. 'Adele? Adele? Adele?' The sound of my name brought me back to life. 'I know this is a rough time and we're doing everything can but I really need to ask you a few questions.' A detective said when he walked over to me. 'Go ahead.' I responded closing my eyes to try and get my mind to calm down. 'Can you walk me through your day from the moment you woke up?' He asked pulling out a pad and pen. 'I woke up around half past six because I heard the baby crying and then I went to wake Georgie up for school. Went downstairs to start making breakfast and Simon was out walking Louie and Kate was preparing Georgie's breakfast because we were running a little late and needed to leave by 7. Simon came back and once Georgie was ready they left. Kate watched the baby while I went to wash up and then I did a few things around the house before I had to go collect Georgie. She got out around eleven so after that I treated her to lunch, just the two of us and then we returned home. Before her, Kate and Patrick left for a function she came to me and asked about safety. She said a man was looking at her funny earlier at school and didn't feel safe. She wanted to make sure that Patrick would protect her. I reassured her and then they left.' I could feel my heart pounding so fast it was almost about to burst out of my chest. 'And Patrick was your new hired security, is that right?' He asked. 'Yes, that's correct. He was referred to us by both of the other security guards who stay with us.' I told him trying my best to stay focused. 'May I ask what led to you adding more security?' He questioned as he wrote more in his notebook. 'Georgie's birth mother had threatened us and to be safe we added someone that would be able to stay with her whenever she was out with anyone. We also put in more cameras around the house.' He gave me a concerning look. 'So there is a definite possibility that she could be connected with this?' I couldn't speak I just nodded. The detective waved an office over and showed him something he had written down then the officer walked off dispatching an order. 'What's going to happen?' I asked with my eyes overflowing with tears. 'Right now we're going to find Carla and bring her in.' He reassured me.

I made my way back to Simon. ''My baby. My baby. My baby.' He kept repeating. I didn't know how to comfort him because as badly as I needed him, he needed me more. Together we sat there in silence and then it was like a switch was turned on inside of him. Simon jumped up and ran to the detective that had just interviewed me. 'You have to do something. That's my daughter. That's my baby. You have to fix this.' He screamed. I ran over there and tried to push him away but he just kept yelling. 'It's my fault. It's all my fault.' He sobbed into my hair. 'It's all my fault.'