“Do you see what one little pussy can do to a man? You’re in a hot mess. How far do we go back? I got this.”
“Yeah, but you had a chance to get the older one and he made it.”
“George, we are talking about killing cops not squirrels. It’s not easy. They are trained to survive. Donny messed that up and he is paying the price. Relax. I’m in control of this family, not Donny or anyone else. Don’t worry about Kepler. They’ll never find him. Are you eating? I’m starving over here.”
“Yeah, call that snooping broad over here. Her eyes haven’t left this table.”
“Do you want to tag team her? She’s got a great pair of tits. Come on, for old times’ sake.”
“No!”
“Okay then. Louise!”
Chapter Thirteen: Please Gimme Some Truth
September 3, 2007
Early Monday morning, Franny and I take a surveillance position outside the Chase bank and watch the bank employees arrive for work. The sun is blinding from every angle inside the Chevy Impala. The dark tint on the windows helps a little but it is still almost unbearable. I’m able to observe the bank manager help a little old lady inside by holding the door open. That makes me smile, knowing there are still good people in this crazy world.
It seems like I’m always waiting on Franny for something. The little prima donna is inside the Chase bank on Main Street, causing a line at the ATM. He’s afraid of identity theft, so he uses his whole body to block any attempt to see his pin code. After he’s done, he waits until the machine is ready to accept a new card. Hitting the cancel button a few times is also common for my kid brother. Franny’s money is spent before he earns it. It’s almost like the cash would burn a hole in his pocket if he held onto it for too long. I become impatient; my hunger pains are starting to cry out. Franny is going to pick us up breakfast. To make matters worse, I can see my brother in the bank window using hand signals to communicate a message.
“Is this little prick for real?” I say out loud. “Is he really playing fucking charades?” I’m becoming more irritated, until I notice that same little old lady walk calmly out of the bank, and turn right onto Park Avenue. Then she starts sprinting like she’s on fire.
“What the fuck?” I say, as I get out of my car. Franny is hot on her tail, gun drawn and screaming, “Police, don’t move!” I jump into the driver’s seat as I pull the shifter of the car into drive, praying this little whale will come out into the roadway so I can bump her a little. No such luck as I get boxed in by another old lady making an illegal U-turn. After securing my vehicle I jump out and start to run, getting more pissed off every twenty yards. As I make it to the sidewalk, I race past what looks like a dead animal, then a green jacket, eerily similar to the old lady’s. Finally, in the distance, I can see Franny rolling around with a dude. I throw all my weight onto this son of a bitch, all two hundred and thirty pounds of me, landing squarely on his back. I hear something crack underneath me. Franny is up now and kicking field goals off this asshole’s face.
“Ah, you broke my nose,” screams our new friend. I’m able to cuff this little piggy up.
“Stop running, you dick, and don’t wrestle with cops. You’re gonna get hurt,” Franny says, catching his breath.
“Why am I chasing this fat pig?” I say to my brother, trying to control my wheeze.
“He just robbed the bank. I watched the whole thing.” Franny is so excited, which makes it even harder for him to breath.
My radio begins to hum on my belt. “Headquarters to Cars One, Two and Three, head down to the Chase bank, on Main Street at Park Ave. That’s a bank robbery. Suspect is an elderly white female, heavy-set, wearing a green jacket.”
“Thirty-one to Headquarters, be advised, suspect is in custody on Park Ave. Thirty-three is on scene. He is the primary. Have those units respond with caution,” I say.
“Thanks, Matt. This is mine?” Franny asks, smiling from ear to ear.
“Of course, bro. You saw the crime occur. Outstanding job.” I’m so damn proud of this kid.
“Franny, what the hell were you doing inside the bank? I couldn’t make out what you were trying to say. I thought, maybe, the Delmonico girl is inside.”
“She is. Poor thing is the one this dork passed the note to.” Franny is still smiling.
“I guess you’re the best one to interview her; but, Franny, please don’t bang the witness. It complicates things.” I know damn well my last statement falls on deaf ears.
The first patrol car turns onto Park Avenue almost on two wheels, lights and sirens screaming at full blast. I can smell the brake pads from where I’m standing. Before I can even tell them to slow down, the car screeches to a halt directly in front of me. Officer Chris Finley jumps out with his black gloves on, ready for action.
“Matt, Franny, you guys okay?”
One thing about Finley, he is all about his brother officers. He came balls to the wall from headquarters.
“Hey, Chris, can you transport this garbage up to headquarters for us? Call out the mileage,” I say, making sure everything goes perfectly.
“Sure, Matt, no problem.” Chris left, driving at a slow pace reminiscent of an old lady walking to church.
Franny and I enter the bank. Immediately all eyes are upon our every move. Finding Theresa Delmonico is simple. She is “hot as balls.” Her dress wraps around her figure perfectly, leaving very little to the imagination. Her face stands out the most. She is stunning, and visibly shaken by the entire ordeal. The branch manager, Barbara Lappi, is comforting Ms. Delmonico.
“Good morning, Barbara. Never a dull moment,” I say, taking my scratch pad out of my back pocket.
“Matthew and Francis, always comforting to see Hutchville’s brothers in blue. How are Mom and Dad?” Barbara stands up to exchange hugs. She is an old family friend. Barbara went to high school with our mother. She would always offer us extra candy when we were little at the drive up banking window.
“They’re both doing well. Retirement has been a welcome change to their normal routines. So who was the lucky recipient of that animal we captured?” Franny says, never taking his eyes off Ms. Delmonico. I’m pretty certain Franny would have mounted this doll right in front of everyone given the opportunity.
“I was. I thought at first she was a nice old lady, until I realized it was a man. He just had the weirdest smile the entire time he stood at my window. He kept, uhm, sticking his tongue out at me. I was petrified.” Ms. Delmonico’s nipples are erect and pointing right at me. A chubby begins to form within my pants, just from gazing at this most desirable creature. The truth is, I don’t hear a fucking word she says. I’m so mesmerized by her tits and ass, her account of the bank robbery never makes it into my consciousness. Franny must have seen and gently taps me on the shoulder.
“Hey, Matt, do you have a witness statement for Ms. Delmonico?” I am busted by my bro. I just hope nobody else saw.
“Yeah, in the car. I’ll get one. Be back in a sec.” I can’t wait to get out of the bank. I need some air. This Delmonico chick is hot and juicy, just like her namesake steak.
“Wow!” I say to myself. I quickly locate the victim statement as Franny exits the bank.
“Matt, are you alright? You looked like you wanted to drag her into the vault for more than a banking session.”
“I know. Sorry, Franny, but that girl is ridiculous. That’s every man’s fantasy right there. She’s built for taking multiple deposits, and I don’t mean the paper kind.”
“She was digging you. Why don’t you ask her out? Oh yeah, I forgot. You’re whipped.” Franny is right. I would never cheat on Cynthia; but that Delmonico girl is insanely hot.
“Nah, Franny, she’s all yours. Get it on video so I can live vicariously through you.”
After finishing the investigation at the bank, Franny and I head back to headquarters. It’s worth obtaining a confession from this moron even though Franny witnessed the entire bank robbery. Luckily, this loser wasn
’t packing anything other than a paper note.
Our arrival at headquarters is slowed by the local news van, jamming up the parking lot. Franny swerves and drives on past, parking directly at the back door of headquarters. I have to trust my brother on this interview. It’s his arrest. I plan on riding his coattails.
“Hey, Franny, this is your interrogation. Don’t fuck it up,” I say, hoping to energize Franny’s proficiency. P.O. Chris Finley is waiting inside the small rectangular interview room. I can only imagine the conversation that transpired between Chris and our bank robber.
“So, Officer Finley, what’s our new friend’s name?” I ask, hoping at least Chris got some much needed pedigree.
“Detective Longo, he has a New York Driver’s license. It says his name is James Winston out of the Bronx, N.Y.” Chris’ facial expressions always kill me. His serious look always brings a smile to my face.
“Thank you, Officer, that will be all for now. I’ll be in touch.” Franny is busy in the back room setting up the video recording machine. I wait until Franny enters before I say anything. As Franny struts into the room, there is a familiar shadow with him and I know instantly the freak show is about to get under way.
“You came to my town to rob a bank? You’re an asshole!” The captain never holds anything back. I sit in my chair knowing this tirade may be one for the record books.
“What kind of moron robs a bank with a cop inside, you shitbag! How does twenty years in state prison sound to you?” Captain Grassio continues. “I’ll even let you keep the women’s jacket and wig so you can dress up for the cons. Now, things will go a lot easier on you if you tell my detectives what you did at the bank, otherwise I will come back in here and beat you with your shoes. It’s that simple, you stupid ass.” I don’t know why the captain loves shoes. I often wonder if his obsession is a sexual fixation.
Captain Grassio leaves the interview room. I look up at Franny. “We’re going to need a new tape.” I couldn’t help but giggle.
After inserting a fresh tape into the machine, Franny sits next to me. His questions are right on: “Name, Date of Birth, Address.” It’s always good to get the personal information out of the way; you want to make the suspect as comfortable as possible. Franny’s natural ability with interrogations is obvious. He is a skilled investigator. His experience almost trumps my own, with the many druggies he took down while working in narcotics. He always rises to the occasion, no matter the challenge.
“James, please tell me what happened this morning.”
“You broke my freaking nose. I ain’t saying shit. Call my lawyer.”
“No, sir, I tackled you when you failed to stop running from the bank you just robbed. You landed on your face. Had you stopped running your nose would be fine. Are you sure you don’t want to talk?” I’ve got to give Franny credit. He tried, but I knew what was coming. I quickly got up to turn off the video recorder.
“Okay, we are done here,” I say, exiting the interview room and heading towards the video recorder. I can hear the boots stomping down the hallway. I retrieve the tape just as the detective door is kicked open. Captain Grassio doesn’t speak; he just picks up one dirty sneaker that belongs to our bank robber, walks calmly into the interview room and goes to town on our suspect. Franny walks out laughing his ass off. I watch from the television screen. James tries desperately to put his arms up to deflect the rubber soles. There is no talking except for the occasional “mother fucker.” Within two minutes the barrage is over and Captain Grassio walks out, never once looking at Franny or myself. Captain Phil Grassio has a monitor in his office. He watches the interviews live. I knew that and now Franny does too.
“Alright, I’ll talk, Detectives. I’ll make it right. Don’t let that crazy guy in here again, please.”
Franny motions towards the monitor. “Another tape. What do you do with the other ones?”
“I keep them. Personal mementos.”
An arrest of this magnitude takes time to process. The hours dwindle quickly towards the end of my day. I leave Franny in the detective division with Judge Michael Strombone, preparing arraignment for James Winston. Judge Strombone is a pro-police judge who respects the hard work of the Hutchville Police Department. He takes care of the people within our community, but has zero tolerance for major crimes. P.O. Benny Triano is present to assist in the transport, so I’m not needed. James will be remanded to the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla. Once again, I’m alone to reflect on the past month. But only for a second, as I can see a familiar face heading towards me.
Chapter Fourteen: A Happy Hour
I make my way out the front lobby of headquarters and bump into my pal and paramedic, Scotty Franks.
“And where were you Friday night? I could have used yah. I drank too much.”
“Sorry, Matt, I had a date. It’s not often that happens to me.”
“Was he better looking than me?”
“Well you’re not my type, especially after I saved your life. Every time I look at you all I see is blood.”
“Oh, I’m not your type. I know you’ve had the hots for me since kindergarten.”
“Whatever, dude, how’s Cynthia?”
“She’s good. Gonna be gone the next few days on an assignment. Damn F.B.I. is affecting my love life.”
“Where are you going now?”
“Uhm, well, hah, want to grab a beer?”
“Let’s do it, but only a couple. I got work tomorrow.”
“Okay, big guy.”
Scotty drives an old ’89 Ford Bronco II that’s in mint condition. He bought if off eBay a few years back and I took the drive to Maryland to pick it up. We stopped at the Baltimore Harbor for lunch and caught the Yankees at Camden Yards. It was an awesome weekend. Spending the night in a hotel with Scotty made me a little uncomfortable. It was the first time since he came out that we slept in the same room. The Hilton only had one room left with a king, but we would have fared better with a couple of queens. Scotty told me not to get too close or he would “pork me.” We were so bombed from the baseball game, I never made it to the bed. I ended up in the bathtub because of the proximity of the toilet. When I woke up the next morning, I found that Scotty had me covered with a blanket. He’s always so considerate and that’s why he is my best friend.
“So, Franny caught a bank robber. What the hell? Cop shot, girl raped, bank robber. What’s next, aliens?”
“Scotty, I don’t know. The world is changing. It’s becoming more dangerous and why should our little town be any different?”
“I understand that, but it’s Hutchville. We grew up here and now I’m feeling a bit uneasy.”
“Scotty, you played offensive tackle at Syracuse. Who the hell is gonna mess with the likes of you?”
“A gun is no match for anything, Matt. You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for your Kevlar vest.”
“I thought you saved my life?”
“Shut up, yah prick.”
That night still bothers Scotty. He hasn’t gotten over seeing me covered in blood; neither have I. Scotty would believe me about Donny being the shooter. He never cared for him; he could tell that Donny had a problem with his sexual orientation. But out of respect for me, Scotty never said anything. I want to tell Scotty the truth but where would that get me? Could I be putting Scotty in danger if I disclosed too much? I can’t take that chance.
The best thing about happy hour on a Monday at O’Neil’s is the ten cent wings and two dollar Miller Lite drafts. Monday Night Football is also a huge draw for the place. I can feed myself and get bombed on a twenty dollar bill. Scotty and I, since our college days, have a favorite table in the bar area, but tonight it’s occupied by a couple of attractive females. We take the table across from them, within ten feet of theirs, so I can enjoy the view. I instantly break Scotty’s balls.
“I guess that table is only for my wandering eyes?”
“What makes you think I couldn’t pull one of those fine looking ladies from th
at table? Don’t you know a gay man is more fun to be around than a straight dude?”
Scotty walks over to the bar to order our beers. I take the opportunity to stare at the women. One of them in particular is stunning. She reminds me of Cynthia, except she is a brunette while my amour is blonde. Then it hits me like a brick: Ms. Delmonico from the bank. Her stare is hypnotic. I find myself having difficulty looking away. Scotty returns with our brews. Luckily, my eyes shift to him.
“I saw you checking out that babe. Even I’m having trouble looking away. She’s ridiculous.”
“Scotty, that’s Theresa Delmonico. She works for the Chase bank. She was the unlucky teller who had to deal with that psycho this morning.”
“No shitszah. Go talk to her, Matt. See how she’s doing.”
“Scotty, she gave me the biggest boner before. I don’t think I can. Besides, Franny is going to bang her and make a sex tape.”
“Matt, I think you might be making that movie. I gotta use the shitter.”
Scotty makes a quick exit and heads towards the bathroom. The big bastit is right; here she comes, right towards me. What a beautiful minx.
“Detective, can I talk to you?”
“Sure, Ms. Delmonico, how are you doing?”
“Please call me Theresa. I’ve been better.”
“So sorry you had to meet that mutt this morning. You can call me Matt.”
“I filled out the deposition Detective Francis gave me. Should I bring it to headquarters tomorrow?”
“Sure, you can drop it off to my brother Franny in the detective division. He’s going to want to speak to you again about what happened. This is his investigation.” I try my best to pass the buck.
“Is it okay if I speak to you, Matt? I’m really scared.”
“Theresa, he is on his way to jail. There’s nothing to be afraid of, I promise.”
My eyes keep moving from her lips to her breasts and back again. Before I know it my beer is empty.
Back In Town (A Small Town Series Book 2) Page 10