Promise from the heart

Chapter 4

On the other side of the open glass, a man in his forties sat, and he looked very tired, but he seemed kind enough. He had wrinkles around his eyes, so he must had smiled a lot in his life, and there were grey hairs around his ears and hairline. The man looked a bit startled to see a young boy there, but he smiled warmly anyway.

"Well, what can I do for you, son?"

Charlie took a deep breath. "I'd like you to arrest my stepmother."

The police officer frowned and his smile faded.

"Arrest her for what?" His tone was now firm and protective.

The boy went quiet as he thought about it. He then realised Ezra wodul soon wake up and he couldn't leave the children alone for too long. "Just look at this please," he said, as he gave the man his USB. "This should provide you with all the evidence you need."

The police officer sat up straighter and looked at Charlie with concern in his eyes. "Son, are you in danger?"

The boy nodded. "Please. Just look at it. I can't leave my siblings alone for too long. They're too young and they are in the waiting room alone."

The man smiled a sad smile and reached over to pat the boy's hand. "Why don't you go get them, and I'll see if I can't find some tea and biscuits for them. Then you and I can sit down and have a chat, while we look at this," he said and held up the USB.

"Okay," Charlie agreed and started to walk to the waiting room. "A-as long as they don't see," he turned around and added quickly.

The police officer nodded solemnly. "My colleague Heidi can look after them while you and I chat, how's that?"

Charlie nodded and went to fetch his siblings.

Julian looked at his brother unsurely as Heidi, the female police officer approached and reached out her hand for him to take. She had dark skin, darker than Julian's, but she too had embraced her natural curls, and she had big brown eyes that looked ever so kind.

"It's alright, you can go with her and play," his brother reassured him.

Julian nodded and gave Charlie's hand a squeeze before letting go and taking Heidi's hand. Her dimples showed as she smiled widely at him. She loved children and while no one in the office knew yet, she was expecting. Subconsciously she rubbed her still flat abdomen, and Charlie noticed. He bit his lip unsurely.

"Heidi?" The boy ran up to her and motioned for her to crouch down. She did and he moved forward to whisper in her ear, one hand on either side of his mouth so one else heard. "Congratulations. You'll make a great mama."

"H-how did?" She asked shocked but Charlie just smiled warmly and patted her cheek gently.

"Everything alright?" The male police officer asked as he saw Heidi's expression.

"Yup," Charlie said and went back to follow the police officer, leaving Heidi to stand there flabbergasted.

After Heidi composed herself she took Julian's hand again and walked away with the kids.

Charlie followed the male police officer into what looked like an interrogation room. The older man had however attempted to make it less frightening, by adding some tea and biscuits, and a small teddy was placed cutely on one of the chairs.

The police officer was tall, much taller than the boy had imagined when he had been sitting down, and he was quite muscular. He looked strong, but there was something about him that made the boy trust him.

As they sat down, the police officer opened the laptop and placed it so both of them could see it and put the USB in the port.

"My name is Lucas Winter," he said and held out his hand.

"Charlie Greensage," the boy murmured and took his hand. His little hand drowned in Lucas's large one, but it was warm and it made the boy feel safe. Surely these hands weren't used for hitting children, he thought.

"Now then, why don't we look at what we have here?"

The boy started to nod but then remembered and shook his head instead. "I need to show you something first." He said in a quiet voice.

Lucas frowned a little bit smiled a half smile. "Sure son, anything you need."

Charlie looked up and met Lucas's eyes. They were hazel and whatever it was the young boy saw in them, it gave him the courage he needed to continue. He stood up and swallowed nervously. He knew he had to, but he was still embarrassed to let anyone see.

Lucas's eyes widened as the young boy removed his sweater that was much too big for him, and his trousers that hung loose on his hips. Around the trousers, the boy had tied a thin rope so he wouldn't drop them. They were several sizes too large.

Clearly this boy isn't cared for, Lucas thought sadly.

When he stood in front of him with only his underwear on, and feeling beyond vulnerable, Charlie looked away from the floor. Lucas was clenching his fists and his eyes were wet. He was frowning and the boy winced, feeling scared even though he knew that he wouldn't hurt him. He could see that Lucas was a good man.

Lucas watched the small boy in front of him. Far too thin for a boy his age, an eleven year old with the body of a tall six year old, and with eyes that had seen far too much. So much so, that they looked not like the eyes of a child, but the eyes of someone who had been to hell and back. Someone who was at the end of their long life, not at the very start of it.

They were beautiful, but there was no sparkle in them, no joy. Reluctantly, he looked at the boy's body again, and the more he saw, the angrier he became. Almost every inch of his body was covered in bruises in various stages, scars, cigarette burns, scratches, and seeing all of it, Lucas's heart broke. His lip trembled and he looked away briefly to wipe away a tear that had escaped.

"You can put your clothes on now, s-son." Lucas's said in a quiet voice, relieved the boy didn't notice it cracking. Pity was clear in his eyes as he watched the boy put on his much too big clothes again, tying the rope around his tiny waist, making him look smaller still and ever so fragile.

When Charlie was dressed and had eaten some biscuits, Lucas played the video. The video showed the boy's stepmother screaming at him, slapping him. Another video showed her mistreating the young ones, calling them names and tugging at their arms pulling them from one part of the room to another. Lucas saw how the boy tensed and from the damp look in his eyes, this was news to him too. There were videos from the kitchen where the woman and her friends were shooting up, and many clips of them abusing the boy. Lucas didn't miss that there were no videos of anyone caring for Charlie. He cooked, cleaned and fed both himself and his brothers. And there wasn't much for him to cook with in the first place.

After they had watched all the footage, Lucas swallowed loudly and walked around the table. He looked at the boy. He had to will himself not to cry, because this boy needed his strength.

He put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it.

"I am so sorry for what you and your siblings have had to go through. I promise you that she will never be able to hurt you again. What she has done is not okay, in fact it is illegal, and even if it wasn't, no one should ever treat another human being that way. You have been so brave coming here today, and I am amazed with how clever you have been recording this and caring for your siblings."

Charlie's eyes started to tear up. He had promised himself not to cry anymore.

"You've been struggling, haven't you, son?"

Lucas wrapped the small boy in his strong, warm embrace and kissed his hair gently. "No need to be strong anymore. It's over now. You're safe now. I'm so sorry you ever had to go through this."

The boy was so relieved that he couldn't help himself and the dam broke. He cried and cried against Lucas's chest, and Lucas didn't mind in the slightest. He did however, look forward to the moment he got to throw all of those people in jail, and he would make sure they didn't get out any time soon, if ever.