Page 38 of Tommy Gabrini: All Fall Down
The chief looked at his deputy. “I’m on it,” the deputy chief said, and moved away from the group to make the call.
“Did Gabrini say anything to you about any problems he was having at school, or even at home?” Chief Browne asked Jaden.
Jaden shook his head. “Nothing. I mean, he was upset that he missed our soccer game on Saturday, but he knew it wasn’t his fault. He was falsely arrested.”
“Right,” said Sal.
“Then what could have been the problem if he wasn’t himself like you claim?” asked the chief.
“He also claimed that TJ wasn’t the shooter in that cafeteria, which is where all the shooting victims were found,” said Sal. “Don’t gloss over that.”
“We aren’t glossing over anything, Sal,” said Chief Browne. “We’ll investigate it. Unlike what you used to do. This is all news to us.”
“But how can it be news to you?” asked Sal. “This is one of the most elite private schools in the country. Don’t they have video all over this bitch?”
Chief Browne exhaled. “Not one camera was working. The mainframe central command of the entire school was disabled.”
Everybody was stunned. “Are you telling us,” asked Reno, “that they disabled the entire camera system in that school and you still think TJ is the one doing all this shit?”
“Can’t be,” said Sal.
“This is a set up,” said Reno. “They’re railroading our boy. They’re blaming him for shit he didn’t do. I’ll begotdamn. Get Hammer Reese on the phone!”
Tommy, agreeing a hundred percent with Reno, pulled out his phone to do just that.
“This Math ain’t Mathing!” Reno continued to yell out. “Mick was right. Something’s rotten going on up in this motherfucker. Somebody’s trying to blame our kid for what somebody else’s kids did.”
But the chief was stunned. “Hammer Reese? You’re calling THE Hammer Reese? The Director of the CIA?”
“That’s right,” said Reno, although they all knew Hammer was theformerdirector. “What you expect us to do? You’re talking like he disabled an entire command system for an entire school. I love TJ, don’t get me wrong, and he’s a very good kid. But ain’t no way in hell that kid would know how to disable a command system when his ass don’t even know what a command system is!”
“You’re talking about yourself,” said Sal, defending his nephew. “Unlike you, TJ got brains.”
“Ah fuck you, Sal!”
“I’m putting him on Speaker,” Tommy said as his phone was ringing.
“I’m still in flight, Tom,” Hammer said as soon as he came on the line.
Reno took the phone from Tommy. “Hammer, get this. They’re trying to claim TJ disabled an entire command system up in this motherfucker.”
“TJ?”
Tommy took his phone from Reno. “It’s Tommy again, Hammer,” said Tommy, taking over. “TJ’s best friend said he was in the cafeteria when the shootings occurred and there were three men who did the shooting. He says it was after the fact that they handed a rifle to TJ and told him to follow them.”
“And he followed them?”
Tommy exhaled.“Yes.”
“What did the video show?”
“There’s no video.”
“Get the fuck out of here!” said Hammer. “How can there not be any video in a school cafeteria?”
“The chief claim they have no video. None,” said Reno.
“Why not?”
