Monday, February 6, 2012

The Robbery- Part 5 - Finally....Guilty or Not

The Back Story
Okay, loyal readers, here I will finally tell you if my son did this or not.
So I answer the phone and I am greeted by a Captain Morgan. He informs me that is is calling because he understands I had filed a complaint. Which although I did complain I did not realize it was "official." So I catch him up on the entire story about how I was treated by the redneck-asshole-guy and how I have not been contacted since and the all the stuff that had occurred in relation to this robbery and their mishandling of it. He is very nice and he tells me that he will be looking into the way I was treated by the FVPD because that is definitely not the way to handle citizens. He informs me that all calls are recorded and he plans to pull the recordings from my previous 5 phone calls and if what I said was indeed true someone's "head would roll." He explains the investigation process to me and for that I am grateful because I truly had no clue. He apologizes again for the way I was treated and assures me that he will take action. He asks if there is anything he can do to smooth things over with me. 
I tell him that at this point it had been two weeks and obviously the case would not likely get solved but that I was horribly upset and confused by my son being accused. He asks if I think he did it. I tell him no but I don't want to be that mom that thinks her kids are angels. I mean who would really think their kid robbed their family at 15?? I explain to him how hard it has been in my home not knowing if my son is innocent or guilty and at this point I don't even care if they find the culprit. I just want my son either cleared or convicted so we can move on with our lives. I tell him that the FVPD has stock in finding out if he did it as much as I do because if he did it I am sure next he would rob someone else and then they would really have a problem. I tell him if my son did do this then this would be his first crime therefore he should be easy to break.
 I suggest they come pick him up and take him to one of those interrogation rooms with the swinging light and an intimidating officer that could get him to confess.
 He explains that due to his age he cannot do that. I ask if they can administer a lie detector test to my son. Again he informs me the age is an issue. I tell him I am willing to sign something saying I do not mind if they go outside of protocol. Whatever it takes I need to know. He says again he cannot. I sigh in frustration and my voice cracks as I fight back tears that apparently I will never know if my son did this or not. There is a long pause on Captain Morgans end and he says "I'll tell you what. It is so uncommon for a mother to be so vigilant when their child is accused. Generally a mother would just defend her child even when she may know he is guilty." He commends me for that.  He said he could tell I was struggling with this and since I had been so mistreated he would do me a favor. He informs me that he is the master at making a criminal crack especially youth offenders and that although he could not come pick my son up he would come to my home and "work his magic" and give me the answer I so sought after. It is almost 10pm. He asks if I would like him to do that. I am super grateful and I reply "Yes! Yes! Please!" He says "I am on my way see you  in 10 minutes." 
Ten minutes later there is a knock at the door. All my boys are sitting at the dining room table playing UNO.(that's what happens when there are no video games) I open the door and act surprised to see the captain standing there with the original responding officer. They step inside and the captain says "I am here to see Michael Reed." My son looks like he is gonna shit himself. I point him out, "that's Michael" I say. He says all official and authoritatively "Michael I need you to come with me, Mrs Reed officer John will explain what's going on" and with that my son heads out the door with the captain. Those 15 minutes seemed like lifetime. I began to wonder if I was doing the right thing. I worried for my son. But I knew it was what I had to do. After 15 minutes or so the captain returns with his arm around my sons shoulders ( I am crying as I write this, as I visualize the memory of that sight.) He says to me "Mrs. Reed, your son is innocent. You got a good kid right here." I bite my lip to hold back the tears as I grab him and hug him. He, understandably, does not hug back. The captain explained that the prints do not match my son at all. He had previously verified my sons alibi and using his expertise in detecting guilt he had cleared my son. I honestly felt like I had won the lottery. You could never understand this until you go through something like this. In an instant I had my sweet innocent child back! I thanked the captain over and over. He told me that I was doing a great job as a mom and he wished more mothers in our town were more like me. Then he gave me his cell, his email and told me if I ever needed anything please get in touch with him. He also apologized again for the trauma that my family had endured. And with that he left. He barely made it out my driveway when I ran as fast as I could to the neighbors. It was 11pm! I banged on her door so much that I am sure I scared the shit out of her. She opened the door frazzled and I yelled "he is innocent! Michael did not do this!".......

9 comments:

  1. YIPEE. While it is exactly what I thought I am glad it is over for you and Michael. I hope someday Michael understands why you did all this. I know as a kid I wouldn't but as an adult I so get it!!

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  2. and BTW - F-K your neighbor. I don't know her but I don't like her.

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  3. OMG Margaret/Peggy/Peg! I was thinking the same thing. I do not like the neighbor. I've never liked the neighbor. Old and needy or not. I'm so glad he wasn't involved. It may take him a while to get why he wasn't initially believed, but in time he'll see that being a parent is not easy.

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  4. First, I can't imagine the confusion and relief. Not wanting to not trust your kid but having a sick feeling in your gut that something is off. This must be like a boulder coming off your shoulders.

    And the neighbor is a douche. That is all.

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  5. I know for sure I am not saying this for the first time. But your neighbor is bad news.

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  6. I agree with everything everyone else said and I am so relieved it wasn't your son. (I even cried)

    Will the police be looking into the other kid at all?

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  7. I don't think you'll ever need an official stress test since you survived this.

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  8. Ah love the end but somehow think there is an post script to this and the neighbor......

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  9. Peg- I too am super glad it wasn't him. And I think he already understands why I even suspected him. SInce my boys were mere tots I always told them how important telling the truth was. I always used the example that one day someone will accuse you of something you didn't do and you will need me to believe you. If you are deceitful that won't happen. And Michael had been caught lying to me quite a few times prior to this event so....The neighbor yeah I feel that way lots and then she does something super sweet for my kids and I give in. At least she has provided me lots of blog content.

    Arneyba- God if my neighbor ever finds this blog. Can you imagine? and let us remember she is not that old. She is in her 50's.

    Lizbeth- The worst part was not knowing. I tried to give you all a taste of that by dragging it out because that's what it felt like but on a much larger scale.

    Sundar- True.

    MysteryChick- Awe I made you cry...sorry. No, I never heard from the police again.

    Mike- And this was free!

    Mamma- so smart you are..two or three post scripts to be exact. Posting one today.

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