Black Tears

by Woods, Karen

  Almost immediately, the police asked who was crying and Dawn told them it was some baby her mate was minding. That was like music to the police officer’s ears and he asked if he could come inside and talk further. Dawn had been reluctant to let them in at first, but once she knew she was safe and not under arrest, she headed to the front room as they followed behind her.

  Jade had shoved Rico back inside the pram, and as soon as the door opened, she dipped her head and told Dawn she was going out. Their eyes lit up when they saw the pram and knew it matched the description of the one the baby had gone missing. They knew they had to act fast and stood in front of the pram.

  “Is this your baby,” the officer asked in a firm voice. Jade panicked and sweat rolled from her forehead as she spoke.

  “Nar, it’s my mate’s baby. I’m taking him back now. I was just minding him for a bit, as a bit of a favour.” The police officer placed his head into the pram and looked at the baby further. Once he had seen enough, he knew this was the baby who’d gone missing and grabbed Jade’s hand. As he started to place the handcuffs on her, he started to read her her rights as Dawn and Neil looked on in total shock.

  “I’m arresting you in connection with abduction. You don’t have to say anything, but if you do it might be used in evidence against you at a later date.” Jade screamed and tried to break free, but they had her twisted up in minutes and she was unable to move. Dawn and Neil were speechless and Neil started to shout at her as they took her through the front door.

  “You fucking crazy bastard. What the fuck have you done that for? Is there something wrong with you? Ya fat slag. Fancy nicking a kid, you’re fucking up it.” Dawn couldn’t speak and she thought it was some kind of mix up. Jade wouldn’t abduct a baby would she? She watched them throw her in back of the police van. The noise as they threw her in was deafening. Jade hurled abuse at them and kicked the doors from inside as they closed them behind her.

  Dawn and Neil were now questioned about the baby’s abduction and it was obvious they didn’t have a clue, what had gone on. One of the officers had taken Rico from the house and he was now being checked over by a doctor before he would be reunited with Francesca. When Francesca had been told her son was found she collapsed on the floor and needed medical attention. Tom had stood over her as she fell to the floor and really thought she was a goner. His face had looked towards the policewoman for help and she came to assist almost immediately. Shock was a terrible thing and when Francesca came round her she shook from head to toe. A cup of hot sweet tea was passed to her and she sipped at it, feeling like her head wasn’t her own.

  Once she’d got over the shock, she wanted to see her son straight away. All the questions were in her mind but for some reason her lips were frozen. Tom was the one who started to ask the questions and Francesca sat at the side of him still shivering from head to toe.

  “Where did you find him? Who had him?” The questions rolled off his tongue at incredible speed and the police officer turned her head as they headed for the car.

  “I don’t know much at the moment, but all I can tell you is that he has been taken to the hospital for the doctors to have a look at him.” Francesca screamed and pulled at Tom’s arm as he sat beside her on the back seat.

  “Why the fuck has he been taken to hospital. What’s happened to him? Oh my god! If anyone has harmed him I’ll fucking kill em?”

  Her face was white with fear and she pulled at her hair as she banged her head on the car window. The policewoman tried to calm her and told her it was procedure but the more she spoke Francesca became more annoyed.

  The hospital was crammed with patients as they walked in the main entrance. Everyone looked at Francesca as she stormed through the doors like a hurricane. The policewoman went to the main desk and after a few minutes Francesca and Tom were escorted to a small room through the waiting area doors. Francesca stood as she entered the room and Tom held her as she wriggled to break free.

  “Just leave me alone will ya. I need my son back here where he belongs. He’s my baby and I want him back.” Her eyes filled with tears, her patience had run out and she gripped Tom by his coat telling him she wanted her baby back. Now!

  The officer came over to them and she tried to calm the situation. She gently took Francesca’s hands and slowly removed them from Tom. To look at Francesca, it looked like the policewoman had hypnotised her and she now stood with a vacant look on her face. The room where they were was quite hot, and the four chairs were left vacant as they all paced the room waiting for some kind of news.

  Five minutes later a nurse came to the room and asked if they wanted anything to drink. Francesca looked at the nurse with a look that could kill and spoke in a fierce voice.

  “The only thing you can help me with is bringing my fucking child back. Do you know where he is?” The young nurse dipped her head and her face burst with embarrassment. She must have been only eighteen and she struggled for words as she edged back through the door.

  “I’m sorry I don’t know anything. I’ve just started my shift.” The nurse looked at the policewoman for help and Tom jumped in to save her from further embarrassment.

  “Francesca, as soon as they have done their checks Rico will be back in your arms. The police and doctors are doing everything they can to help us. You want to make sure Rico’s alright don’t you?” Francesca knew what he said was true and slowly back-pedalled with her attitude to the nurse.

  “I’m sorry love. My head’s up my arse at the moment and I can’t think straight. I apologise if I sounded rude.” The nurse raised a small smile and left the room. It was obvious she wanted out of there as soon as possible and accepted Francesca’s apology.

  The wait seemed like years before Rico was returned to her. The police came back to the room for another quick chat. As they entered the room, they took their hats off and placed them on the table. Both of the men looked quite young and could have only been in their early twenties. Tom now looked worried and slowly seated at the table with Francesca at the side of him. The silence round the table was daunting as one of them looked at his notes and began to fill them in on the kidnapping of her son.

  “Do any of you know a lady called Jade Harrison?”

  At first, Francesca shook her head and wondered where the questions were leading, but Tom’s face told a different story and he placed his head into his hands as he told the officers she was an old girlfriend. Francesca looked puzzled and didn’t know what the question had to do with her baby’s disappearance. However, as he continued her eyes nearly popped out of her skull and she couldn’t believe her ears.

  “Your son was found with a Jade Harrison this morning. She has refused to tell us anything about him being there. I just hope you can help us put all the missing pieces into the puzzle.” Tom began to fidget and he looked at Francesca as he began.

  “She is my ex-girlfriend. I’ve not been with her for ages. We split up on quite a bad note and I haven’t seen her in months.” Francesca listened to the words carefully, and all of a sudden, the penny dropped, and she exploded without any warning.

  “The fucking mental bastard! Is it Jade who’s taken my baby? Please tell me, because if it is God help her. I’ll fucking kill her.”

  Tom looked at the officer in hope he could tell them the truth, and by the look on his face he knew Jade was the accused.

  Francesca danced around the room and the things she was threatening to do to Jade when she got her hands on her were horrendous.

  The officers now tried to calm the situation down and told Francesca that her son had come to no harm. She was in a rage and if the door hadn’t opened at that precise moment she could have caused harm to anyone in the room and it looked like Tom was in the firing line.

  As she looked at the door, her heart melted as she saw Rico for the first time. Her heart stopped and for a moment, her legs seemed to be stuck to the floor. As the shock left her, she ran to the officer holding her baby and grabbed him out of his hands. S
he squeezed him with all her might and kissed his head hundreds of times.

  “My baby. Oh! My baby. Where have you been? I’ve missed you so, so much. I will never leave you again I promise you with all my heart.” Everyone in the room felt the emotion and the policewoman who had been with them throughout their ordeal gripped Tom and held him tight. Tom now came to join Francesca and kissed Rico on the cheeks. As he kissed him Francesca turned and snarled into his face.

  “It’s all your fucking fault. It’s your mental fucking girlfriend who’s done this to us. I hope you’re satisfied?” Tom looked gobsmacked and tried to hold them both, but she pushed him away and concentrated on Rico who was now wriggling in her arms. The police officers felt his pain and wanted to leave them alone for a moment. They could see he was already starting to break down and hoped she would calm down once they’d left.

  Francesca sat on one side of the room and Tom was left alone on the other side like a spare part. He’d been smiling at Rico and he was trying to escape to get to him. Tom left it a few minutes and walked to where she was sitting. His voice was low and he knelt at the side of her looking straight into her eyes as he spoke.

  “Francesca, please don’t blame me, for what Jade’s done. You know she’s a fucking crank. I love you and Rico more than anything in this world and would do anything to make you both happy. Please don’t block me out.”

  Francesca’s knew her actions had been wrong and she pulled Tom towards her regretting what she’d said previously. He was right. Jade was a crank and she knew that by her own previous dealings with her, she was a vindictive bitch and one buttie short of a picnic. Her family was now back together and she held them tightly in her arms, promising herself nothing would ever part them again. She loved them both so much and for now that was all that mattered.

  Francesca and Tom still couldn’t come to terms with what had happened and every time Francesca thought of Jade she cursed her and promised revenge once she’d seen her. She also felt different towards Tom and secretly blamed him for her son’s abduction, but carried on regardless letting him think everything was okay. The police officers still asked lots of questions and once they were happy with the answers Francesca and Tom returned home.

  *

  Jade shook as she sat with her knees up close to her chest in the police cell. The cell was so hot yet she felt freezing. The walls of a cell were familiar territory to Jade as she had spent many an hour sat in them after she had been caught shoplifting. This time was worse though; because she knew there was no way on this earth she would ever get bail. The doctor had been to see her and give her painkillers for her drug withdrawal but they didn’t even touch the pain she felt inside. The walls felt like they were closing in on her and she had hallucinated several times. Her screams had been checked by the officers but they knew it was just another smack head withdrawing from drugs and left her alone to deal with it. The police station had seen so many drug addicts pass through its doors and it was considered normal for someone to be roasting as they sat behind the cell doors.

  Jade had been interviewed earlier in the day and she had used the duty solicitor to represent her. To all the questions asked she replied ‘no comment’. The police were used to this and for that reason Jade was remanded until her court case was due in court. The solicitor was the one who informed her that she would have to stay in custody and she was up in arms as she tried to grab hold of him.

  “What do you mean, stay in custody. Get me the fuck out of here. I’m roasting my tits off. What am I being charged with anyway?” Her grip loosened as he pulled away from her and he could see the menacing look in her eyes and rang the bell for assistance as he told her once again.

  “Jade you have been charged with the abduction of a baby and no law in the world would allow you to walk free.” The solicitor watched her face as his words sunk in. “You will have to be patient until you appear in front of the courts and things might change,” he now spoke in a low voice trying to calm her. The solicitor couldn’t wait to leave and as soon as the door opened he flew out with a gasping breath. She was one crazy bitch, he thought and he hoped she would never walk the streets of Manchester again. He had small children himself and couldn’t believe she would put any parents through the trauma of kidnapping their child.

  Jade punched and kicked the cell door all night long and sat behind it banging her head on it repeatedly. There was vomit all over the floor of the cell and she’d shit her knickers - the stench was unbearable. All her bodily functions had shut down and she seemed to have lost all self-control. Eventually she fell lifelessly onto the cold cell floor and rocked herself as she held her stomach trying to ease the call of her demand for heroin. Her hair was caked in vomit and her eyes rolled as she stared into space.

  The future was set in stone for Jade and she knew her freedom would be taken from her for a good few years. She still didn’t think her crime was that bad and couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. After all, the baby was back with his mother unharmed. She had only wanted to scare Francesca and surely, when she told the judge that, he would have mercy on her.

  *

  Francesca couldn’t wait to get Rico in the bath once they got home. She wanted to wash every trace of Jade’s scent from him. The thought of that woman touching her son made her heave and as he was immersed in the water, she covered the sponge with soap and scrubbed his skin. Tom had started to make Rico’s bottle in the kitchen and leant on the kitchen side as he waited for the kettle to boil. He shook his head slowly as he still couldn’t come to grips with Jade’s actions. The whole situation had unsettled him and he started to think of the years that lay ahead. He knew Gordon wouldn’t be inside forever and he knew he would have to face him once he was freed. He hadn’t spoken to Francesca about any plans for the future and knew in his heart he couldn’t give her up. He felt she was changing towards him already since the abduction and he didn’t want to lose her ever. Questions rolled about in his mind and the torment of losing her sent chills down his spine. Perhaps she would revert to the Francesca he knew previously once Gordon was freed and where would that leave him? He thought about the situation more as he poured the water into the bottle. Tom decided there and then that once Rico was in bed he would talk to her about her plans. He knew the timing was all wrong and that she had other worries but the way he felt at the moment it was like someone had just tied a brick round his heart and he needed to know either way as the torment was driving him wild.

  Rico lay on the double bed and kicked his legs into the air as Francesca rubbed talcum powder all over him. He looked so clean and happy and she kissed his belly as she placed a clean nappy onto him. He seemed to look so much bigger than he had a few days ago and as she placed his babygro on him she realised he’d most definitely had a growth spurt. Rico looked so much like Gordon and his fair hair complimented his eyes. In fact, it was just like looking at a miniature version of Gordon and it freaked Francesca out from time to time just how alike they were.

  Once Rico was in bed Francesca lay next to his cot and wouldn’t leave his side. Tom had been in to ask if she was joining him in the front room but she told him straight that she was never leaving Rico alone again. Tom understood and went to join her on the bed. As he lay with her, he held her hand and squeezed it tightly. He ran over in his mind what he wanted to say and kept taking deep breaths trying to get the words out. Somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything, because in the back of his mind if she told him what he didn’t want to hear how would he ever cope. She was his world. More than that, she was his life. He snuggled deep into her breasts telling her how much he loved her.

  Tom’s drug use was nearly over now and that life of drugs was a distant memory. He was still on methadone but only needed a small amount each day. His drug worker had told him that after this last course of methadone was over he would be completely off heroin altogether. He had also told him that he would still have to come and see him regularly even if it was just for a chat. T
he drug worker was a former addict himself and told Tom that he should take every day as it came. He’d worked with so many drug users in the past and it seemed as soon as they had a trauma in their lives they searched for the comfort in the drug that nearly killed them. Tom was a strong man and the drug worker had every faith in him. He just wanted to make sure he knew he was there for him, because life could change at the drop of a hat and he didn’t want Tom to become a user once again.

  Francesca lay on the bed and watched every breath Rico took. Every few minutes she would stand up and check he was alright. Her heart seemed to be ticking at incredible speed and she couldn’t relax. Even when she went to the toilet, she made sure Tom didn’t leave the room and hurried back as quickly as she could. Tom couldn’t wait any longer and he held her tightly as he spoke.

  “Francesca, can we talk for a moment. My heads in bits and I need to set the record straight between us.” Francesca turned to face him and looked into his eyes as he spoke. His voice was shaky and his face was filled with love as he started to try to make sense of their future together.

  “Francesca I know the timing is probably all wrong to start talking about this, but after Rico went missing I’ve realised I could never lose either of you again.” Francesca never let him continue and kissed his lips softly telling him he was special. Tom now sat up and looked down at her face and continued.

  “My heart is breaking Francesca, because I don’t know what will happen when Gordon is released. I class you and Rico as my family now and if… when he comes home I’m gonna lose you I would rather know.” Francesca had thought about this question hundreds of times already and still she didn’t know the answer. She knew Gordon would come home and claim his family back no matter what and where would that leave her. She had imagined telling him several times and the outcome was always the same. She would never have the bottle to tell him the truth and the thought of it scared her to death. Tom had also thought of telling him but, like Francesca, he knew how dangerous Gordon was and feared for his life if he ever got to find out the truth.