Page 32 of Tommy Gabrini: All Fall Down
The chief looked out of the window too. Then he frowned. “Ain’t that Tommy Gabrini?” he asked as Tommy stepped out of the car.
“Look like it to me,” said the sergeant.
“What’s he coming here for?”
“His wife was arrested.”
The chief looked at his sergeant. “Arrested? For what?”
“Resisting without violence. I told you about it.”
The chief’s anger and voice rose. “You didn’t tell me she was Tommy Gabrini’s wife for crying out loud! Are you nuts? He’s deep-down in that Mafia shit. You think I want that Mafia shit on my back?”
Tommy walked in and hurried to the front desk.
The chief quickly pivoted and smiled. “Hello there. How can I help you?”
“My name is Tommy Gabrini.”
“Yes sir, I know who you are.”
“And you are?”
“Chief Riley. I’m the boss around here.”
“My wife has been arrested.”
“Yes, sir, I just found out myself. Go get her,” he said to the sergeant.
The sergeant nodded to the officer and the officer hurried toward the back as the chief looked at Tommy. “No charges will be filed, sir.”
That gave Tommy little comfort. He was tired of these hicks harassing his family simply because their skin tone was darker than his. “Why was she arrested in the first place?”
“They claimed she resisted, sir.”
“Mywife? That’s utterly ridiculous!”
“I agree. And whoever did it will be dealt with.”
“And why wasn’t she allowed to phone me herself? Isn’t that her constitutional right?”
“It’s just protocol for our department that we make the phone calls on our prisoners’ behalf. That way we avoid anybody from telling their loved ones to hide evidence or to obstruct justice in any way. I know that doesn’t apply to your wife, but we have a blanket policy that we make the phone calls for everybody.”
Tommy hated those hick outfits because they always did it their way to the detriment of their citizens. But he didn’t give a shit at that point. He just wanted Grace.
When she came out, he could see the relief on her face but great concern too. He rushed to her and she ran to him. “Where’s TJ? Is TJ alright?”
Tommy frowned. “TJ? I thought you dropped him off in Redmond for his game and was on your way back to Seattle when this happened.”
“No, Tommy. We didn’t get there. They arrested both of us on our way going. You don’t know where TJ is?”
Tommy’s heart dropped. He looked at the chief. “Where’s my son?”
“I have no idea,” said a confused chief. He looked at his sergeant. “Sarge, you know?”
“They took him to Juvie is all I know.”
As the sergeant was speaking, a patrol car drove up and TJ got out. When Tommy and Grace saw him, he was already walking into the police station and the patrol car had driven off.
