“What the hell is going on?”
“This your son?” Jesse said.
“Yes. What do you think I’m doing
here?”
“We’ve arrested him for possession of a controlled substance
with intent to sell, with resisting a lawful order, assault on a police officer, and maybe possession of obscene photographs.”
“Photographs?”
“That’s just a maybe,” Jesse
said.
“Lemme see the photographs,” Marino said.
“Nope,” Jesse said.
“I got a right to confront my accuser,”
Marino
said.
Jesse took in some air and let it out.
“Explain it to him, Abby.”
“Let me see if I can help with this, Mr.
Marino.”
“The bitch sprayed me with Mace,” Bo said.
“Shut up,” Marino said.
Jesse smiled at Abby and didn’t say anything.
“You can release Bo to his father,” Abby said.
Jesse shook his head. “We’ll hold him overnight and take him
over to district court in the morning.”
“Jesse,” Abby said.
“He’s seventeen. He has no previous record.
At most, in this instance, he’s guilty of a few minor lapses in
decorum.”
“He’s a tough kid,” Marino said.
“He stood up for himself like I
always taught him. Nobody pushes me around, I told him. Don’t let
nobody push you around, I told him, don’t take crap from nobody.”
Jesse nodded pleasantly. He was leaning back in his swivel chair, one foot up on the open bottom drawer of his desk, his hands resting motionless on the desktop.
“You’re looking at a fucking police
brutality suit, I’m telling
you that right now.”
Jesse picked up the phone and spoke to Arthur at the front desk.
“Molly still here? Good. Send her in.”
In a moment Molly opened the door and came in.
“This is the cop that roughed up your little boy, Mr.
Marino.”
Marino looked at his son and shook his head disgustedly.
“Jesus Christ,” he said.
“Mr. Marino,” Abby Taylor said.
“It might go better if you let
me talk.”
“Broads,” Marino said and shook his head again.
“Thank you, Officer Crane,” Jesse said.
“You’re welcome, Chief Stone,”
Molly said and turned and left
