The Arrest
William sat with the Doctor Anderson. He intended to iron out some issues before the police came to investigate.
He knew his daughter was probably drunk while she drove and the doctor was quick to confirm his suspicion.
"Ahem!" William cleared his throat and leaned forward, looking into the doctor's eyes. "Doctor Anderson, you see, this is going to be a little of a hassle for me if the news gets out that my daughter drove while under the influence."
The doctor said nothing. His facial expression barely changed.
"But I am sure, that with your help, nothing of sorts has to come to light." He brought out his handkerchief and wiped his face, even though the room was air conditioned.
Seeing that Dr. Anderson kept mute still, exasperatedly, "Of course, you will not be doing it for free. I have noticed that the hospital is a little tight on funding. I will be more than willing to make a generous donation to this medical establishment as well as a little personal, friendly donation."
Doctor Anderson stared at the Chief Executive Officer of Taylor's Constructs for a little while and smiled. As far as there was something in it for him
"This hospital will be very appreciative of your generous donation, sir." Dr. Anderson beamed, as he sat up in his chair.
Then conspiratorially, "As for your drunk daughter, she was obviously not the one driving. The driver was the young lady that drove her here in the same car. You see, it is actually a natural reaction to veer away from danger. What I mean is, naturally, drivers, when at the cusp of collision would subconsciously turn the steering wheel in a way that their side will not directly make impact. The bi-implication of that, is that the passenger side takes the brunt of the accident. That is what we believe happened. The driver panicked, tried to veer away from danger and ended up hurting the already drunk and asleep cousin at the passenger side. Good thing she was using her seatbelt, else the impact would have thrown her out of the vehicle and killed her instantly." Doctor Anderson explained. He stared at Williams and when Williams got the message, they both grinned at the same time. A grin of agreement and kinship between two fellow crooks.
William exited the office after sending some hundred thousands as donation to the hospital and another hundred to the doctor's personal bank account.
He immediately called his friends in the police department.
"… Just do it for me. Keep it simple. Nothing complicated or implicating. You will be receiving a late birthday gift first thing tomorrow morning for sure." He said.
He gifted the nurses and the two janitors that has witnessed Caroline being moved in, instructing them on what to say if they were to be questioned. He was very thorough, ensuring that there were no loose ends or loopholes. All the time he did that, his wife, having caught up to what he was doing, created a lot of drama.
She cursed out aloud as she pretended to call an unavailable number over and over again.
"I swear I will kill you, Emma. Why in the world would you choose to move at such high speed?"
She paced up and down.
"Was she drunk? She obviously knows she's a bad driver."
She sat down, shook her head and raised her phone to her ears a she stood up again.
"Pick up the call, goddammit!"
Needless to say, the hospital personnel had a lot of trouble calming an agitated mother down that night.
******
It was twelve midnight. Emma laid on her not so comfortable bed. The only thing of reasonable worth in her room. She tossed and turned over and over, grumbling and groaning and cursing. She just could not get herself to sleep.
The accident played incessantly in her head. No matter what she did, she could not get it out. With time, her accident from sixteen years back also joined in the mix, haunting her mind to the point of insanity.
She heard a knock on the door.
It startled her. She sat up, looked at the time on her phone. Why would anyone be at her door at midnight?
"Who's there?" She asked, reaching for the metal pole she hid under her bed.
"This is the LCPD. Please open up, ma'am."
She wrinkled her brows. The LCPD? Really? Did they think she was stupid? What did the police have to do with her? What was she supposed to have done?
"How the f**k am I supposed to believe that?" She asked.
"By opening this door and finding out." The same voice answers from the other side of the door.
"And if I don't?"
There was a loud exasperated groan outside.
"Look here lady. If you don't open it, we will open it for you. And you will have to spend your own money on repairing it as well as paying the landlord for damages done."
"I'm coming." She immediately said and walked barefooted to open the door a little and peeped outside.
Two men stood outside, looking at her. They were in LCPD uniform and were not smiling. They brought out their ID and showed it to her. She came out then, and stood before them
"Good evening, miss."
"Good evening, officers. What can I do for you?"
"Are you miss Emma Taylor?"
"Um, yes. Anything the problem?"
"Yes." One of them responded. He deftly and gently grabbed her hand and cuffed it, then turned her around and cuffed the other as well.
Emma opened her mouth in shock. She did not immediately know how to feel about being cuffed so smoothly in less than five seconds. She had not even had the time to think of resisting.
"You are under arrest for the murder of Mr. Carlos Feliz Dominic." The officer explained, walking her towards their police car.
"That sounds made up." Emma tried to protest.
"But you drunk-driving a car into the pole that killed a man sure isn't."
Emma's head swung faster than a fly's. Her eyes wide open like saucepans.
"What?"