“I believe so. She thinks I’m calling the student’s mother to tell her everything is okay. I’m worried that this is going to get worse if she isn’t hospitalised. Given the fact that we have no way of contacting her family, I think it’s best for the police to handle it.”
“Can I take her or what?” Kirsty asked, clearly aggravated judging by the tone of her voice. “Give me the phone!”
Caroline turned and held up a hand. “Just give me a few minutes. Hannah is working and doesn’t have the luxury of just answering calls from me.”
“Okay, I can hear that the assailant is agitated. The unit is a minute out and coming without sirens. Please keep a distance if you’re worried they may lash out.”
“I’m okay. And the child has gone back into the school. They’re safe.”
“You’re a fucking liar. You haven’t called Hannah!” Kirsty lunged towards Caroline, her fist connecting hard with Caroline’s breastbone. “Who the fuck are you calling?”
As Caroline considered her next move, trying to hide the fact that Kirsty had likely broken something, a police car pulled up behind Kirsty, and two officers shot out of it.
“I’ll fucking kill you!” Kirsty lunged at Caroline again, forcing her back against a garden wall. Her lower back connected with the jagged stone, and a searing pain coursed through her.
This wasn’t how she’d planned her day. And while she wanted to fall to her knees, she couldn’t. She had to take care of Edie first and foremost. She could hurt later. And boy would she hurt.
The officers restrained Kirsty, pushing her front to the car she’d been standing at since Caroline left the school premises. She didn’t know if it belonged to Kirsty, but she didn’t care.
Once she was safely in handcuffs, one officer directed her into the back of the police car while the other came to Caroline. “Are you okay?”
Caroline held up a hand, wincing. “I’m fine. I need to get back inside to my student.”
“Along with the attempted abduction, she will be further charged with assault.”
“Look, I just want someone to help her. I’m not interested in pressing charges for assault.” Caroline rubbed her palm against her sternum, puffing out her cheeks.
“Do you need medical attention?” the officer, a woman with kind eyes, asked.
“Really, I’m fine.”
“Then I need to take some details. Another officer will come by to take your statement. I’ll need your address, along with some other information…” She removed her notepad, and then looked back up at Caroline.
“Is that really necessary?”
“It is, yes.”
God, why did Caroline have to get herself into this position?
* * *
Caroline satin the reception area, wringing her hands, as Edie sat playing on her phone. The school had called Hannah once Caroline had come back inside, and now she wanted to get home and have a hot bath. She needed a moment to herself, to gather her thoughts, and then she would be good to go again.
But now she just had to explain the fact that Hannah’s ex-girlfriend had been arrested. Edie seemed oblivious to everything, which in Caroline’s book could only be a good thing. She never wanted Edie to witness violence, especially not violence directed at Caroline.
“What’s going on?” Hannah came flying through the double doors, straight towards Caroline and Edie.
“Hi, Mum.” Edie smiled. “What are you doing here? Ms Baker said she was bringing me home.”
“Don’t worry, Edie. You just sit there while I speak to your mum.” Caroline got to her feet and guided Hannah away by the elbow. Once they were alone inside an empty side room, she sighed. “Kirsty was here. She tried to take Edie with her.”
“What?” Hannah frowned, sheer disbelief in her eyes. “Kirsty?”
Caroline ran a hand through her hair, trying not to grimace as her body ached. “Yes. I was leaving school and caught her outside. Edie had no idea what was going on.”
“Hang on, you’re not making any sense. Kirsty…tried to abduct Edie?”
“It…seems so, yes.”