Chapter 231
At the police station, Penny was hauled into an interrogation room, and that was when the nerves really set in.
Previously, the cops had given her nothing more than a verbal warning for the abuse sheâd inflicted on Pattie, given the fact that Penny had a son to look after. But it was pretty clear that those actions hadnât done squat.
Sitting on the cold hard chair, facing two cops, Penny was scared out of her wits. âOfficers, did I break the law? I just hit my daughter, is that a crime now? Kids need discipline, right? Was my method of parenting wrong?â
One of the cops grilling Penny was a woman, a mother herself, and was boiling mad over Pennyâs actions. She tossed a picture of Pattieâs injuries in front of Penny.
âWhat kind of mother beats her kid like this?â she snapped. âThat childâs in critical condition, and sheâs just a little girl. How could you have the heart to do this to her?â
âI didnât mean to, I just couldnât control my strength. Thatâs just my temper.â Penny feigned concern. âHowâs Pattie doing? Has her fever gone down?â
âYouâre only asking about her now, Penny?â another cop, a man, joined in. âHereâs the hospitalâs medical report. Pattieâs injuries are severe. Youâve committed serious child abuse. Our countryâs law dictates that for child abuse of this severity, youâre looking at jail time.â âWhat, prison?â Penny was terrified and started bawling her eyes out. âI canât go to prison, I have a son to look after. Pattie was just being too naughty, I lost my temper and hit her, thatâs all. You have to believe me.ââ
The female cop said coldly, âPattie isnât your biological daughter. You adopted her two years ago, and youâve severely violated the adoption agreement. Penny, you abused Pattie, and youâre going to have to face the music.â
âI didnât abuse her.â Penny sobbed. âYou canât pin this on me. Even though Pattie isnât my own flesh and blood, Iâve always treated her like my own. I sent her to school, gave her milk every day, and even bought her new clothes. I didnât abuse her.â
The male cop rapped on the table. âCalm down. This is a police station. Weâve checked with your neighbors about you abusing Pattie. This isnât up for debate anymore.â
While Penny was in full denial, Leoâs case was a different story. Facing the copsâ grilling, Leo was way more cooperative. He said, âWhen Pattie first came to us, we were both thrilled. My wife was kind to Pattie, buying her new clothes and toys. But after we had our own child, my wife changedâ¦â
Leo described Pattieâs ordeal but tried to play it down. âMy wife has a temper and would occasionally hit Pattie. I work a lot, so I wasnât fully aware of what was going on. Officers, I promise, weâll make amends. Weâll treat our child well, and I wonât let my wife do this to her again.â
âLeo, take a look at this report on Pattieâs injuries, the photos, and the testimonies we got from your neighbors.â The cop handed him the documents. âPattieâs just a kid, and you guys were beating her with a stick. Thatâs against the law.â
Hearing this, Leo went pale. After reading the report and looking at the photos, he was filled with shame. He knew Penny had been beating Pattie with a stick, and yet he did nothing. His silence was just as bad.
Everyone in the neighborhood knew about Pennyâs abuse. That was a fact.
Leo was silent for a long time before he asked, âOfficer, is there any way we can avoid jail? My wife is just an ignorant woman, and she still has to look after our young son. I need to work. If she goes to jail, our family will fall apart. Youâre the police. Youâre supposed to help us through our hardships in life.â/