Ste couldn''t believe it when she realized Deanna had actually called the police. She turned her head, catching Deanna standing there with a smug look on her face.


    Ste nced at Callie, "Couldn''t you have stopped her?"


    Callie stammered, "I... I couldn''t do anything to stop her."


    Ever since Callie saw Ste take down Rachel, her feelings towards Ste had be a bit moreplicated. Her sister-inw wasn''t as useless as she''d thought. As it turned out, Ste was pretty formidable.


    Originally, she''d thought Rachel was a better match for her brother. Rachel might have been a bit of a drama queen, but she had real talent. Otherwise, why would she have been her brother''s ideal woman? Why would he have been so hung up on her?


    Callie, like Haynes, admired women with an artistic ir. She had dabbled in piano, painting, and poetry herself, but sadly, shecked the talent.


    Deanna scoffed at their exchange. "What''s the matter? Getting scared now? It''s toote for that. You can think about what you''ve done from behind bars! ying the violin well doesn''t mean a thing if no one wants a woman with a record."


    Ste was silent for a moment before turning to Haynes. "She''s getting on in years, maybe her mind isn''t as sharp. But what''s your excuse for letting her do something this foolish?"


    Haynes had been busy with Keen''s check-up and assumed Deanna was just venting. He didn''t realize she''d actually called the police.


    "Mom, why would you call the police?" Haynes demanded, frowning.


    Before he could say more, Deanna interrupted him forcefully. "Haynes, stay out of this. If she doesn''t learn there are consequences for her actions, who knows how she''ll mislead my grandson next time!"


    "Idiot," Ste muttered coldly, then turned to the police officer. "I''m sorry for the confusion, but the child left home on his own. I didn''t abduct him. Furthermore..."


    Ste paused, her voice steady and clear, "He''s my son. What mother abducts her own child?"


    The officer blinked in surprise, "You''re this child''s mother?"


    Ste nodded.


    "His biological mother?" the officer pressed.


    "Yes, that''s right."


    The officer looked skeptical but asked Ste to show her identification. Ste handed it over without hesitation. The officer scanned it, and all of Ste''s information, including her rtionship with Keen, appeared on his device.


    Seeing the data, the officer shot Deanna a puzzled look. A mother kidnapping her own son? This family was certainly something else.


    "Ma''am," the officer said to Deanna, "there seems to be a misunderstanding. This woman is the child''s biological mother and they are not yet divorced. She has every right to be with her son. There''s no abduction here."


    Deanna''s face flushed as she sputtered, "But they''re going through a divorce! She took him without a word. She''s up to no good!"


    "And look what happened when she took him away! " Deanna continued, growing more frantic. "My grandson ended up in the hospital after nearly drowning. It must be her doing, trying to harm him!"


    The officer gave Deanna a weary look. "Ma''am, what you''re saying is all spection. Spection isn''t evidence."


    "If you have any proof of child abuse," he added, "you can present it to us. If there''s truth to it, we will handle it seriously."