Chapter 139
Cassidy was looking more uncomfortable by the minute, until she finally let out a loud sigh. “I really didn’t want to do this in front of everyone,” she muttered as she dug into her massive purse and pulled out a document. It consisted of five pages, stapled, and she held them in her hands for a second before speaking at a normal volume. “This is a court order, signed by a judge, that allows me to remove Vivian from your custody, starting immediately.”
“What?” Samuel demanded, taking a step forward and holding out his hand. “Let me see that. What possible reason did you fabricate for this to be approved?” Document now in his hand, his eyes meticulously scanned each page.
Vivian watched her father’s expression darken with each passing second. At first she’d wanted to laugh at her case worker, thinking this was all some kind of joke — even though Cassidy didn’t have much of a sense of humour — but now she was beginning to worry it might be real. What was going on?
“What allegations of abuse are being brought to your attention?” Samuel demanded once he finished reading the last page. “It isn’t specified.”
By this point, a number of the guests had gathered in nearby doorways to listen in. Vivian closed her eyes for a few seconds and breathed, trying to gather her thoughts. None of this was making any sense. What abuse? None of them had ever raised a hand to her, let alone their voice.
“You will be given the full details, later,” Cassidy told him, tone curt and dismissive. “As for right now, Vivian needs to come with me.”
“No,” Vivian replied, startling the case worker.
“…what…?”
“Those ‘allegations’ are false.”
“That’s for the court to decide, Vivian. Until a full investigation is done, you’re to be removed from Samuel Devreaux’s custody, and placed with a trusted alternative.”
“What trusted alternative?” Her father demanded as he pulled out his phone.
“I’m not at liberty to tell you that,” Cassidy quipped. “Now, Vivian, you need to come with me.”
“She will not be going anywhere until my lawyer reviews this document,” Samuel interjected. “You’re welcome to wait right there until then.”
Cassidy frowned. “That’s not how this works, Mr Devreaux. She needs to come with me. Now. Vivian?”
“Excuse me,” came Sunny’s voice as she entered the foyer, a gentle smile on her face. “Hello there. I’m Sunny Lamont. You are…?”
“Cassidy Everett,” the case worker replied with a nod. “I’m just here to take Vivian with me. I have a court order.”
Sunny glanced at the papers in Samuel’s hand, smile suddenly just a bit wider. “Is that why there are three police officers outside? And one blond woman who, if I’m guessing correctly, is the source of whatever allegations are in that document?”
Everyone’s eyes were on Sunny as she held up her phone to show the camera feed from just outside the front door. There were, indeed, three police officers waiting outside, just to the sides of the door, and one well dressed blond woman a bit further back.
“That’s not something to concern yourself with,” Cassidy replied, hand clutching her purse until her knuckles turned white. “And, when taking a child out of someone’s custody, it’s protocol to bring officers with us to prevent the situation from escalating. Vivian? Come here. We need to go.”
“She won’t be leaving with you,” Sunny informed the woman, smile still bright and voice cheerful. “And if you try to remove her from my home by force, I will gladly call the police.”
“The police are just outside,” Cassidy retorted with a frown.
“Yes, however, the woman just outside? That is Patricia Lamont, Vivian’s aunt; she isn’t permitted to step foot on my property. Her being here violates the restraining order a number of us have been forced to place on her over the years.”
“What? There are no such restraining orders on file. I checked. Yesterday. She has no record to speak of, including R.O.s or even traffic violations.”
“Now that’s rich,” Sebastian chuckled as he came to stand just behind Vivian. She glanced back at him, and he gave her a reassuring smile. “Auntie Pat had to be hospitalized for her mental health after Mom disappeared, and since then she’s been anything but stable.”
“That’s impossible. I literally checked all of that yesterday, and there are no such records.”
A knock sounded at the door, drawing everyone’s attention. Cassidy spun around and took the three steps to close the distance to the door, opening it. “Come in.”
“Do not step foot in my home,” Sunny barked, but the officer who’d knocked was already halfway through the door. “I said out. Now. Unless you have a warrant to enter my home, what you are doing is illegal, and I will press charges.”
“The court order allows us to enter the premises in order to secure Vivian St Peters. Please don’t interfere,” the officer explained as his eyes fell on Vivian and she felt a chill crawl up her spine.
“I’m not leaving with you,” she told the officer, taking a step back into her brother. Sebastian placed his hands on Vivian’s shoulders, and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
“You don’t have a choice,” the officer replied, beginning to close the distance between them.
The moment the officer began to move, Sunny gave a high pitch whistle, which was followed by the sound of paws thundering against the floor. Arlo, in his excitement to respond to his master’s call, slid halfway through the foyer. Legs unable to stay under him when he’d tried to come to a stop, the dog starfished across the floor before scrambling back to his feet.
Sunny pointed to Vivian and said in a commanding voice. “Arlo, wall.”
Wall? What kind of command is that? Vivian wondered as the dog moved to stand between her and the officer, who’d stopped in his tracks the moment Arlo had appeared. The dog flopped down, mouth hanging open as he panted, tail thumping against the ground, as he turned those big brown eyes of his to watch the officer.
For his part, the officer hesitated, then took another step forward only to be met with the scariest growl Vivian had ever heard. Arlo had barred his teeth as he unleashed a rumbling noise that would make anyone second guess their choice to take him on.
The officer took a step back, and the growling subsided, Arlo’s tongue dangled from his mouth as he returned to panting.
“Good boy,” Sunny muttered before turning back to the officer. “You do not have permission to be in here. Until I see a search warrant that allows you access to my residence, you need to leave. Now.”
“The court order…” Cassidy began, but was interrupted by Samuel this time.
“The court order specifies my home, not Sunny’s. The fact the officer entered without receiving permission from someone who lives here, means there is just cause for her to file a complaint with the commissioner and, if this… officer… isn’t an idiot, he’ll know what that means.”
“What does that mean?” Vivian whispered to Sebastian, who leaned in a little to better catch her words.
“They’re always trying to pin something on Dad so, if they do anything not by-the-book, it will be held against them the next time they try their luck. He’s basically telling the officer he just fucked over anyone attempting to make a charge stick.”
“Oh. That’s useful.”
Sebastian chuckled, giving her shoulders another squeeze as the Law & Order theme song began to play.
Samuel answered the phone, saying nothing for a dozen or more seconds before a cold smile crossed his face. “According to my lawyer, there is no court order in place for Vivian to be removed from my custody, Ms Everett.”