Sarah decided to take the kids for a short break.  During her routine sessions with Meg and Daph and in a telephone conversation with Val, she asked how best to cover her tracks where dirty dealing Greg was concerned.  She was advised that it’d be a good idea to offer him some extra contact before she went as that would be a fair and generous thing to do and, more importantly, to get Greg to sign a letter detailing their agreed arrangements.  The message loud and clear was that she and Greg had to stop involving officials and legal process in their plans for Jason and Jessica.  It was a message that she’d heard many times before but hadn’t so far been able to convince anyone that she was happy to abide by the rules but that the same could not be said for Satanist Gregory potter.

            Non-the-less, she gave it a go.  Two weeks before her due departure date of Monday 5th May, she said to her ex, “I’m going on holiday....”

            Before she got any further, he finished the sentence for her.  “Yes, I know.... You’re going to Butlins for four days.... You’ll be back on Friday and you’re taking the train....”

            Startled, she said, “How the hell did you know?”

            “I told you.  I know everything that you do.  I know your next move before you’ve even thought about it.  You can’t keep any secrets from me, my love. You forget; those are my kids.”

            “Well, ok, fine,” she spluttered.  “Do you want to see them for a few hours before we go?  Say a morning or afternoon; you decide.... You choose a day.”

            “I’ll think about it.  I’ll let you know,” smiled the wolf, affably.  “But remember, keep your bloody boyfriends away from my kids.”

            But over the next few days he kept changing his mind.  Finally he decided to have the extra contact on the Sunday afternoon before their departure. 

            “We need to get this in writing so that we’re both covered,” said Sarah to the snake.

            “I’ve already spoken to Meg,” he replied.  “She said that because of all the problems that I’ve had with you in the past, any different arrangements to the court order need to be stated on paper and signed by you.”

            She let it ride.  “And signed by you, Greg.”

            “You write the letter and you sign it.  I’ll sign it when I bring the kids back on Sunday evening cos you can’t be trusted.  Knowing you, you’ll just stop me seeing them on Sunday.”

            “You know that’s not true, but if that’s when you want to sign it, that’s fine by me.”

            As it happened he decided not to see Jason and Jessica then after all.  He made up some excuse about something else cropping up.  He informed her of this on the Saturday 3rd May.

            “Ok, but we still need something in writing, about the holiday; showing that we are both aware of next week’s change in the court order,” Sarah asserted.

            “Stuff your bloody letter.  I’m not signing anything.  I’ll see you off on the platform.  What time does your train leave?”

            “You tell me,” she hissed and slammed the door.

            Luckily he wasn’t at the railway station.  She soon forgot about him and all the problems he’d caused and for four blissful days she was relaxed, happy and carefree.  And so were the kids.

            But there was no way it was ever going to last.  On their return she couldn’t get in the door for the mountain of mail that had accrued.  Much of it was from her solicitor.  There were Royal Mail notices too, telling her to pick up her recorded mail from the sorting office. 

This was serious.  She knew Greg would do something underhanded but she didn’t know just exactly what lengths he would go to.

            As she was about to sit down with a cuppa and her mound of mail, the doorbell shrilled.  He was standing there with a face as black as the ace of spades.  Wagging his finger, he growled:

            “What the hell are you playing at?  Where have you bloody been?  You were supposed to be in Court last Tuesday....”

            “You know very well where I’ve been.  You told me where I was going....” she replied calmly.

            “Bollocks.  Were you hell - you’d better contact your solicitor.... and quick.”

            By now he was lunging towards her.  Shaking like a leaf, she grabbed the door and slammed it shut.  He booted it then stormed off, screaming:

            “You’ve got some explaining to do, bitch.... See you in Court again slapper….”

She read the letters.  Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.  Burkes solicitors had “felt it necessary to attend an emergency court hearing in Cupping” sixty miles away, last Tuesday.  Greg and his mate Kelvin Boor had taken out an “urgent Ex-Parte Order” banning Sarah from leaving the country.  The words danced on the pages.  She read that Greg felt “she was intending to do a runner to her birth country – USA.”  He was “so sure that this was her plan because she hadn’t told him she was going away and her house looked abandoned.”  Also that “neighbours had seen her carting bin bags full of clothes to a secret location.”  Burkes are demanding that she “hand in her passport to the police” or her solicitor. 

            Various letters said that their client “is very concerned about the respondent’s state of mind.  He feels the children are not safe in her care and he feels it necessary that he has regular, substantial visitation to keep matters on an even keel.”

            Much was stressed about the ‘At Risk’ registration and the fact that Greg Potter and Kelvin Boor were “extremely concerned that she failed to make the children available for contact on Monday 5th May, such that the Court Order was broken.”  Burkes stress that they “will effect service upon all the appropriate authorities in view of the terms of the order.”

            Other letters from Boor stated that his client had found out through Meg at social services on the Wednesday that Sarah was on holiday.  However he also “heard via a third party that Jason and Jessica were seen being pushed around in a pram in Caroline Bay.”  A letter stated “my client felt it irresponsible that she would take her older children away and leave the youngest with someone she hardly knows.”  Burkes stated that “all the worry and confusion” has caused their client “great distress and upset.” 

            Further letters from her own solicitor instructed her to “attend Cupping Crown Court on the following Tuesday 13th May” to defend her actions.  She read that “failure to do so would have serious repercussions as the Court has the power to make orders for costs and it can make orders regarding your children without first informing you.”

Sarah was stunned.  What levels would that worm sink to?  And what an utterly low-life money grabbing maggot Kelvin Boor must be.  Some pillar of society!  Didn’t Boor think it would’ve been a smart idea to tell his client to consult police on the MONDAY?  Considering the fact she was supposed to be abducting her children, police would’ve been morally obliged and it would have been their duty to try and trace the ‘runaway mum’.  And didn’t good ol’ kel question his client as to why he left it to the Wednesday to check with Meg?  Of course he didn’t.  The greedy grubby little old man saw a nice little earner for himself - much too lucrative to miss.

She wondered at what point Greg and his mate Kel had schemed such a swindle.  She could just picture them huddled together in some darkened room sipping on brandy and whispering seedy little plans.  She wondered how much Greg had pocketed from the deal.  He always did have stacks of cash at his disposal. She was beginning to see how.  It certainly didn’t come from his incapacity benefit cheque! 

            Joe Public would be reeling it he knew where his taxes were really going.  It wasn’t the same for Sarah though.  Oh, no.... She was going to be OUT of pocket to the tune of all day nursery fees totalling thirty odd quid, plus the train fare for her and her older two totalling around thirty pounds.  There were no pennies in the deep black bottomless pit to cover her expenses, needless to say.  She had a good mind to take the babies with her into court.  They could cry and wail and maybe throw up through Boor’s holier-than-thou speech about the ‘At Risk’ registration.  That’d teach him!

            She phoned Meg and as the conversation progressed, she began thanking her lucky stars that at last the social worker was on her side [regarding this latest incident at least.]  Meg found the whole story suspicious and was questioning Greg’s motives.  Apparently Meg had repeatedly asked him if he was sure that Sarah hadn’t told him about her holiday.  He had repeatedly denied it.  She had stated that she knew Sarah had gone to lengths to cover herself re her holiday plans because she would never risk the legal proceedings. 

            Incredibly it became evident that slips of paper had been shunted here there and everywhere between various offices - and all to do with Sarah’s ‘mystery’ disappearance.  The court’s ‘Ex Parte Order’ had been sent to the police, social services and the court welfare officer.  The phones had glowed red and letters had changed hands between Burkes solicitors, Harris & Co solicitors and even Social Services’ solicitors.  Even Meg’s boss Embie had got in on the act, receiving and responding to letters from Boor re the “concerns about the welfare of Jason and Jessica” due to her “unexplained absence.” 

            It was now clear that Meg believed that whatever Sarah did she was damned and that if Greg seriously wanted to see his children, he wouldn’t’ve made excuses about not seeing them on Sunday last.  She said that Greg would have to face some serious questioning in court next Tuesday.

No sooner had Sarah finished her phone call to Meg when the doorbell buzzed. A messenger stood at the door smiling and waving a crisp white envelope at her.  It was a Court Summons.  ‘Welcome home, Sarah,’ she murmured as she smiled sardonically back at the bringer of bad news. 

            She said to herself, ‘Surely I’m entitled to some compensation for undue and intolerable stress?’  Then she gave herself a kick up the backside to remind herself of her lowly place in the scheme of things.  ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ she scolded herself, ‘Compensation isn’t a word that the government recognise - not where women are concerned at any rate.’

Attempts to stop the ‘Ex-Parte’ proceedings failed and Sarah found herself with Davina Harris and her barrister Annie Parry once again in the frosty building of lies, deals and machinations.  She looked around at the respectable looking gentlemen in smart suits - the Honorary pillars of Society.  Pah!  They looked more like undertakers as they spoke in hushed tones as if in the presence of corpses.

            She learned that evil scheming Gregory Potter had filed a new statement.  It was a statement that she and her legal team termed an afterthought.  He stated that he had alerted the police on Monday morning.  Yeah right!  He claimed that they were “rather unhelpful.”

            However, horror of horrors, the judge would not utter one word of criticism at her hideous ex.  Instead he kept the well-practised, institutionalised ‘neutrality’ stance and began banging on about the need for both parties to get along together for the sake of their very young children.  They both had to make more of an effort to see eye to eye.  They both had to stop accusing each other and rubbishing each other’s opinions. They both had to stop behaving like squabbling children.  They both love their children, don’t they?  Well then they must both set an adult, responsible, example. 

            And greasy Kelvin Boor had the audacity to bring up the ‘At Risk’ registration.  Five times he said it; the slimy toad!

            ‘Holy hell’, Sarah muttered, under her breath, looking down at her feet.  ‘If I’d taken out an unnecessary Court Order and wasted everyone’s time and money, strictly for my own selfish, malicious reasons, I’d be dead meat by now.’

            She looked at the worshipful judge - a strong, sturdy middle-aged character with carefully combed back, dyed, dark brown hair.  His thick-rimmed spectacles perched on the end of his nose as he read out a damning piece aimed at both of them from a recent court welfare report.  Straight-faced, she stared incredulously at him and slowly shook her head.  Her insides were tearing apart and yawning wide open and voices in her head were screaming blue murder.  Then the thudding and banging began.  It was as if Snow White’s seven dwarfs had climbed into her brain with their hammers and picks.  But these guys weren’t singing.  Injustice, it seemed, was something that some people were doomed to suffer, no matter what they did or didn’t do.  But it can kill you in the end.  It is cancerous and will gnaw away at every living tissue, cell and molecule of your being until it defeats you.  Emotionally Sarah was dying.  But no one in the courtroom gave a damn.  That was the plan, you see - the complete and utter annihilation of insignificant, unfortunate, sorry Sarah Hawthorne.  They couldn’t get away with physically blowing up her brains with a gun so they did it subtly, slyly and sagaciously.  They were masters of skullduggery. 

            Sarah   fainted.  Everything had come to a head and it had all got too much for her.  Davina and Annie and the clerk of the court milled around, fanning her face, sponging her brow and offering sips of icy cool water.  Annie tried telling her not to get uptight.  She said it was to her credit that, throughout everything so far, Sarah had kept her cool and had respected the court orders.  She explained that everyone knew Greg was telling lies and causing trouble but that the judge had not wished to inflame matters between them at this stage in the legalities and she stressed that everything would come out in the wash at the trial.  Sarah was not convinced but had given up the fight to protest.  As far as she was concerned the judge was weak and pathetic.  He had a duty to acknowledge in front of everyone the situation for what it really was and he was duty bound to rebuke the slime ball sat next door but two to her on the bench.  Annie added with a grin that Greg had withdrawn his Prohibited Order application.  So that was alright then, was it?

            In the waiting room David put a consoling arm around his mother.

            “You’ll win eventually,” whispered her little rock.  “God will see to that.  I told you that lots of bad things will happen before any good can come of it.  But things will change for the better.  You’ll see.  I don’t know when, but be prepared, worse things have to happen first.”

            What would she do without her stalwart son?

            At home she was reassured also by her pal Lol.

            “Hey, come on.  Don’t fall apart.  Don’t give in to the bastards.  Your children are looking to you for guidance and support.  They need you to stay strong.”

Sarah decided to report the incident to the police.  She knew that it wouldn’t get her anywhere but it was important that it was documented for future reference.  This was a clear case of harassment by anyone’s standards.  Up until now various inspectors had visited her and had sat in their smart uniforms with their immaculate hair dos and expensive ballpoints and perfect little note pads.  And they had explained in wishy washy terms that she hadn’t got a case for harassment against Greg but that if anything else happened she was to contact them immediately.  Sarah also wanted to know if Greg did report her missing to police on Monday 5th May.

Sergeant Higgs showed up unexpectedly to tell her that he didn’t know if Greg had contacted police and that in any case he couldn’t tell her.  As for Greg’s actions, they are not criminal, it is not the police’s business and it doesn’t constitute harassment.

            Sarah stormed, “The accusation is that two tiny children were being removed from this country and in the doing a Court Order was broken.  If that had been true it would’ve been illegal and it would’ve been a matter for the police.  However I have proved that Mr Potter has made these accusations without good reason and with malicious intent.  Mr Potter has admitted his guilt by withdrawing his legal proceedings of preventing me from removing my kids from the jurisdiction.  Therefore his actions were criminal and they do constitute harassment.” 

            The officer said nothing. 

            “Would you like to tell me what you do term harassment then?”

            “Writing letters, making phone call, ringing on the door bell.... That type of thing,” he breezed.

            “Gregory Potter has done all that and worse - as you well know,” she lambasted.  But the sergeant just sat quietly with a ‘couldn’t-care-less’ look on his face.  He promised to confirm his visit in writing.

            But another few weeks had to slip by before she actually got a letter.  She’d been forced to work for it though.  Higgs wrote:

I am unable to give you any information regarding whether or not Greg Potter had contacted the police on Monday 5th May of this year as such information would be subject to the Data Protection Act and a breach of client confidentiality.

            Hah!  Proof they were shielding their ‘client’.  In Sarah’s opinion criminals should not be protected by the ‘Data Protection Act’.  There shouldn’t even be such an act.  It is there for one reason only - to protect THE CRIMINALS.  She read on:

The second issue concerning the taking out of a Prohibited Steps Order is a matter of Civil Legal Process. 

            Maybe, but when taking such action is unnecessary and a waste of public funds it IS criminal, it IS harassment and it IS a matter for the police.   It ended:

As regards the issue of alleged harassment, contacting the Police, engaging in legal process and making reports to Social Services are not courses of action which would constitute harassment under current legislation.

So there you have it.  How did they define harassment where she was concerned?  Well, obviously, when the person committing the offence is one Gregory Potter, a member of the ‘club’ then there is no such offence!