When Jack and his mother arrived at the Police Station, they found Judge Ormerod sitting in the waiting room. They didn’t know him but instantly had an awkward feeling about him. What was such a well-dressed man doing at a police station? Who would have dared cross a scary-looking man like him?
“Good day to you, madam,” Judge Ormerod said to Jack’s mother. He ignored Jack completely, like some grown-ups often do.
“Good day,” Jack’s mother answered.
“It’s a beautiful day today, isn’t it? And it would be a beautiful world were it not for all the wrong-doers we have to live amongst,” Judge Ormerod said. “forcing us to come to places like this. I’m here to report a robbery,” he lied. “And you?”
Jack’s mother was crying by this time. She’d held all the worry and anxiety inside her for long enough. But now she knew deep down inside her that Betty had been kidnapped, perhaps even murdered and her body was out there somewhere in the cold. Jack’s mother had read about lots of cases of missing children never to be found.
Sobbing all the time, she told Judge Ormerod why they were there and how worried she was about her daughter.
“Don’t worry, Mrs Tirel. Oh, I’m sure you’ll soon find her. She’ll be alright,” he tried comforting her. “Come, I’ll help you report the loss. Let’s go together.”
In her sorrow, she didn’t notice that this man already knew her family name.
Mary Tirel was so grateful to have found such a nice and well-to-do person help her out in a moment of need. It was so comforting. She let him accompany her when they were called and helped her report her missing daughter.
So now he knew everything about the case. Where Betty had gone missing. Who had seen her last... and about Jack’s role in all this.
The policewoman filling out the report also comforted Mary Tirel. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. Probably at home when you get back. Anyway, we will investigate this and let you know if there is any news.”
Jack’s mother thanked the lady very much. She was sure that the police would start searching for her little Betty. They both went back home.
“I’ll take that,” Judge Ormerod said to the policewoman, snatching the form from her. She didn’t argue. He was, after all, a Councillor, an important person, and a scary one. He was much more important than her.
He folded the form up, put it in his pocket. As he rushed out of the office, he turned round and said to the policewoman in the coldest voice: “I’ll deal with this myself. I’ll go to the head of police right now. You are not to get involved, do you hear?”
With that, he slammed the door, threw the form away in the next rubbish bin and went straight back home.