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If I wanted to be an assistant, I’d wrap up this case and head back to the station to the pile of filing I’m guessing is reaching critical levels by now.
I’m so incensed it takes me a moment to realise my phone is vibrating angrily in my pocket and with a sigh, I pull it out to see a caller who dampens my mood even further.
“What now?” I bark into the phone, not caring that I’m blunt and to the point as always, expecting my sister to admonish me like she usually does, but instead I’m a little stunned when she says tearfully, “Thank God you answered. I need your help, Jess.”
“What’s happened?”
This isn’t like Sally, and my heart lurches when I picture one of the kids hurt, or in pain.
“I’ve been arrested.”
What the…
“Excuse me. For a moment there, I thought you said you’d been arrested.”
“You heard right.” She sniffs. “I’m allowed one call and you were my best option.”
Stopping in my tracks, I lean against the wall and try to make sense of what she’s telling me.
“Where are you?”
“Sutton police station.” She lowers her voice. “They put me in a cell and only let me out to call you.”
“The cell! What on earth is going on, Sally? Why were you arrested?”
I can’t even begin to comprehend any reason in the world why she would be and I’m so angry that she would involve me in something obviously illegal. What if it got out that I was related to a criminal? I could lose my job, or worse, go back on the beat.
“Burglary.” She sobs and my head is spinning with disbelief.
“Burglary!” I peer around in the vain hope that nobody heard me and just see a surprised expression on one of the cleaner’s faces.
Turning away, I whisper, “Tell me what happened.”
“I feel so ashamed.”
“It’s not about you now, Sally. Tell me what you did because if I am incriminated in any way.”
“Shut up, Jess. This has nothing to do with you. God, I wish I’d called Dad. He would have spared me the lecture and actually asked if I was ok.”
She sounds hurt and I check myself, because of course I’m being insensitive, but now we have a criminal in the family, I’m struggling to understand what that will mean.
“Start at the beginning.” I keep my voice measured, but inside I’m all over the place and she says with a quiver to her voice. “It’s all a mistake.”
Now we’re getting somewhere, and I sigh with relief.
“Good. Then it won’t take a court case to release you.”
“Can you do me a favour, Jess?”
“What?”
“I need you to pick the kids up from school and, well, stay with them until I get this sorted.”
She could have asked for anything, but I wasn’t expecting that, and I say in horror, “You’re joking, right?”
“I have no one else to ask.”
“What about mum?”
