Cloned

Chapter 17

Liv POV

I grabbed my bag of stuff and threw it in the car, blood pounding in my ears. Hannah had sent me a text saying that she was being called in for questioning and that I should run. I took one last look around the heavily decorated room which I had spent so long on. Parts of the room looked like a teenagers dream whilst others looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. I grabbed my keys but left my phone. That was traceable. I had deleted my entire hard drive earlier and there was no way they would be able to get it back. The last copy was on a memory stick which I had kept safe somewhere where nobody would be able to find it. I ran out to my car and jumped into the front seat moving empty gum wrappers and a long coffee cup out the way. I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror: white and terrified. I started the engine and began to drive away. Where to, I had no idea. Maybe the Scottish highlands as nobody would come looking for me there.

I had started on the motorway and my pulse had calmed down a bit. It's just a holiday Liv, no big deal. A few days off to somewhere new. I continued to drive but every time I saw a police car my heart skipped a beat. Nobody took any notice of me but it still felt like everybody would turn around and yell that I had broke the law. I did but for the right reasons. James still had a functioning mother because of Maddie. How was what I did so wrong?

Hannah POV

I was sitting in my living room with a bowl of cereal and Netflix for company when I saw the police come to my front door and knock. Liv had told me but I didn't think that Dr J would actually go to the police.

I originally thought it was Andy. He had asked me out for a date but I had declined because I had felt awful. I got a high temperature and felt sick. I told him this so that hopefully another date might come up. When I heard the knock on the door I thought he had been so kind as to come by and series watch House MD with me but unfortunately it was a rather good looking police man who looked like he was being forced to do this job.

“Dr Hannah Mreese, you are being taken in for questioning on the illegal cloning of Charlotte Brown-Worth. You have the right to remain silent for now.”

“Am I under arrest?” I stammered. I hugged my blanket around me.

“Not for the moment but you do need to come with us.” he looked at my checked pyjamas, wolly blanket and dinosaur slippers. “We will give you a few minutes to get dressed but we must ask you not to run” He added. He then motioned to the blonde haired woman leaning against the car. She followed me inside and I could tell that she was checking the place out. I went to my room and pulled on some jeans and a shirt. I was still sweating from my fever and really didn't want to leave but the detective really wasn't giving me a choice. I went into the bathroom where she couldn't see me and texted Liv telling her to leave as soon as she got the chance.

I followed the detective who I now knew as Detective Michaels to the car. She got into the front seat alongside the man. His name I learnt was Arnold. They drove me too the police station. Each time they went around a corner my stomach swirled and I really had to struggle to not chuck up the contents of my stomach. DC Michaels helpfully handed me a bag. I closed my eyes and focused on not throwing up as well as what I would say during questioning. I saw Maddie being taken away and another wave of nausea hit me. I almost threw up but managed to hold it down but by now I was looking distinctly green.

We arrived at the police station and I was taken through to the interrogation room. It was a little disappointing however it made it a little less intimidating. She pressed play on the recorder and began to ask me questions. DC Arnold stood in the corner watching his hands clenched around a costa coffee cup.

“So Hannah, how did you know Charlotte Brown-Worth?” She asked as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“She was my niece. She died in a car accident almost 10 years ago. My sisters daughter...” I fumbled for words.

“and your sister is Emily Brown-Worth?”

“yes.” I nodded although unsure of where this was heading. I watched as she wrote something down on a clip board. Arnold looked up and began to watch with more interest.

“Madeline Brown-Worth was born almost 10 months after the accident and consequently Charlotte's death. So how was it that she could have gotten pregnant when she was divorced and has no known sexual partner? She was grieving and had no known close male friends that could have comforted her in that way.” I hated what she was insinuating. She made it seem like my sister was a woman who went and slept around when she still had a seven year old son at home. I glared at her.

“My sister didn't sleep around.” I interjected hotly. Nobody makes fun of my sister like that.

“Yet Madeline was conceived less than a month after Charlotte's death. As well as Madeline looking almost identical to Charlotte and you working in a Genetic Research Centre. It seems to coincidental for it to not be related.” Dc Arnold had now clipped in. It was practically there on paper. I sat there in silence. No way could I say anything more. They already knew what Maddie was and had practically got my confirmation for it. Just now to try to keep my best friend out of it.

“Hannah, if you don't answer us then we can't help you.” I stayed stubbornly silent. “Hannah, we know what happened and you not answering doesn't help you. Do you understand what will happen to you if you hinder our investigation?” I shook my head but had a fairly good guess. “10 years in prison. If you were actually involved then it will be much longer.” I looked up. Then opened my mouth and vomited all over the desk and started shaking again. This wasn't happening to me. This doesn't happen to people who spend their time studying and whose favourite evening past time is to sit in front of the TV instead of getting off my face in the local pub. Why would this happen to me? I put my head in my hands and tried not to cry. DC Michaels stopped the recorder and said to me. “Hannah, we know this is hard for you but you have no easy way out now. You just surrendered that.” I nodded and continued to cry. DC Arnold and DC Michaels got up and left the room. I sank down against the wall and sobbed but I resolved to never say anything and protect my friend.