Double Life

25

Patrick

I arrive at the police station at exactly 8am and so does everyone else. We all compose ourselves before heading in to tell them exactly what's been going on. The sheriff takes everything we say very seriously which I'm so grateful for.

As soon as the sheriff had everything written down and the address of the house Riley's phone was seen at is found, they assemble a team and we all go to find her. We are advised to stay outside with some other police officers but I beg them to let me go with them, eventually they let me.

I stay at the back preparing myself for anything and everything as we go room to room, we quickly cover the ground floor finding nobody so we start to make our way upstairs. The first bedroom we walk into has a middle aged man fast asleep in bed, i recognise this man but I can't put my finger on why I do. Two officers stay in his room restraining him while we search the rest of the house.

There's only one more room left to search, I pray that Riley is behind this door. We walk in to find it empty apart from a painting being hung on the wall. One police officer goes up to it and takes it down revealing a locked door behind it.

It takes us some time to get this man to talk to us and tell us where he kept the key but as soon as he did the sheriff rushed back over with it in his hand. Him unlocking the door felt like he was doing it much slower then what he actually was. I hear a few gasps come the strangers stood beside me but it isn't until they clear a path for me to see that I truly realise what had happened.

Riley is laying there unconscious in torn up clothes, bruises covering her wrists and ankles where the metal chains where restricting her movements including multiple injuries all over her body.. how someone can do this to a child is completely beyond me. This man managed to do so much damage in just under 3 days I can only imagine the pain Riley must be in.

My mind goes completely blank and before I can comprehend what I'm doing I'm already stood in front of this man demanding him to tell me why. The only thing that stops me from shouting was seeing Marie's name come up on his phone.

"You wanna tell me why my wife's name is coming up in your phone?" I shout at him tears already forming in my eyes "Shes my sister" he answers not looking up from the floor "Marie made me do this, I didn't want to do it" he continues in floods of tears. "How come I never knew about you" I ask him "Marie lies about everything, it's her favourite thing to do" he says softly making my heart drop lower and lower.

Riley is rushed straight to the hospital and I inform her friends and family what had happened. I also called Marie to let her know our marriage is over and I want nothing to do with her, 3 years wasted with some woman who I really didn't know at all.

I'm so mad at myself for letting her anywhere near my children and I honestly wish I had seen her true intentions a long time ago. Riley would never of been hurt then.

The rest of the day was a blur but I do remember the sheriff pulling me to the side and telling me the name of the man who toke Riley. He truly was Marie's brother and he's called Stephen, him and Marie are both in custody and they're going to get exactly what they deserve.