Big Daddy Sinatra: There Was a Ruthless Man(58)
Tony didn’t doubt his big brother for a second. He always did what he made up his mind to do. But to want to be a cop was an odd thing to want to be, in Tony’s mind. “Do they know she one of Dad’s?” he asked.
“Donnie says people have been talking around town, so I’m pretty sure some of those bozos heard it too.”
“But who is she? And why isn’t Donnie here? He lives in Jericho. You and I had to drive damn near an hour to get here, all the way from Orono to get here. Robert’s all the way in California, so he can’t help. But Donnie’s right here! Why didn’t Dad call him?”
Brent looked at his brother. “Why do you think?” he asked. “Donnie’s too young and immature to handle something like this.”
Tony smiled. “The one who’s married with a child on the way is the immature one. Talk about irony!”
“If it’s major,” Brent said, “Dad isn’t going to trust Donnie or Bobby to handle it. They’re his two youngest sons, and he loves them dearly, but they’re his problem kids let’s face it.” Brent looked at Tony. “And you aren’t much better. Dropping out of college on a whim like that.”
“Why do you keep bringing that up? I’m back in school.”
“Because Dad made you go back. Don’t act as if you went back of your own freewill. You didn’t. I know it and you do too.”
“Anyway,” Tony said, not interested in discussing his past mistake, “who is this female Dad ordered us to come and see? At first I thought he was talking about Miss Abby, since she’s been one of his ladies for years and years. But then I thought hell no. He wouldn’t call me away from school, and you too, for Abigail Ridge, Paige Springer, or any of these ladies around here. So who is this new chick?”
“Her name is all I know.”
“Jenay Franklin?”
“Right,” Brent said. “When I called Donnie on my way to town, he says Dad knocked him down just for being rude to her last week. He says she’s Dad’s new girlfriend.”
“And that’s what Dad calls her? His girlfriend?” Tony asked.
“According to Donnie, yes.”
Tony leaned back and ran his hand through his long, wavy black hair. “I don’t get it,” he said. “Since when does Dad give a toss about some female in trouble? I remember when Miss Abby was in the hospital for damn near a month and he hardly went to see her. He paid all her bills and paid the hospital bill, but that’s not the same thing as being there. But not only does he want us to be here for this particular lady, but he’s leaving a business meeting and flying in himself to be here? This doesn’t even sound like Dad. At one point I expected him to call Aunt Sprig and ask her to come to this station.”
Brent laughed. Aunt Sprig was the nickname for Jacqueline Gabrini, their father’s sister. She had been in a very bad marriage with a hot-tempered Italian, had gotten away from him and returned to her hometown of Jericho. Now she was a hopeless alcoholic who hated Charles as much as the rest of the townspeople because of his refusal to enable her bad habits. Charles and Sprig hadn’t spoken in years.
“I was disappointed when Aunt Sprig didn’t show up to Don’s wedding.”
Brent frowned. “Don didn’t invite her to his wedding,” he said, “so I don’t know why you would be upset with her. Be upset with Donnie. He’s just as moralistic as Dad. They’re both alike if you ask me. That’s why he’s always up under Dad the way he is.”
“Dad let him get away with murder,” Tony agreed. “The least thing you and I do and we get called out for it every time. But Donnie? He’s his baby. He’s his heart. He doesn’t get called out for shit.” Then Tony looked at Brent. “Speaking of being called out: word around campus is that you and Kerstin have broken up yet again. True?”
Brent nodded. “True.”
“For good this time?”
“For good this time.”
“You said that last time.”
“Yeah well. It’s for good this time.”
Yeah right, Tony thought. “But getting back to Miss Jenay. I still wonder what it is about her that’s got Dad all involved like this.”
“She must be hot,” Brent said with a smile. “That’s all I know. She must be something hot.”
They continued to sit in that stale police station, asking if they could see Jenay Franklin repeatedly, but being rebuffed every time. At one point the desk sergeant advised them to go back where they came from and try again tomorrow. They knew their father didn’t order them to this police station to leave with no results, so they ignored such advice, and kept on waiting.