“I don’t need some half-assed PI on this. Sorry, no offense.”

I gave her a quick smile to let her know I had a sense of humor, but said, “Offense taken.”

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

IT TOOK MUCH longer than I expected to get through the Newburgh police red tape and see my brother in his holding cell. First, I sat in a room at the front of the station for thirty minutes. Then they moved me back to a visitors’ area near the holding cells.

I’m a big guy at six two and 190 pounds, yet all the Newburgh cops in uniform made me look like a scrawny teenager. I thought back to the offer of a job from Mike Tharpe. Maybe taking on that career would be more of a challenge than I assumed. I could see that the station was bustling. Newburgh in the winter. It was a wonderland.

While I was waiting at the counter by the holding cells, the policemen walked a few prisoners through the hallway behind the counter. Most of them looked like younger Hispanic men and I recognized some of the tattoos on their bodies that told me they might be gang members. Most walked quietly, but there were two that were barking the whole way and pushing back against the cop who was trying to lead them to their holding cell.

Finally, a middle-aged black man in a neat uniform with sergeant stripes stepped out of the hallway and behind the counter.

He said, “You Mitchum?”

“Yes, sir.”

He broke into a genuine smile. Not one like the employee from the electric company gives you when you pay your bill. It made me like the guy instantly.

“My name is Bill Jeffries. Pleased to meet you.” He stuck out his hand. This was the friendliest Newburgh cop I had ever met.

I shook his hand and said, “Do you think I can talk to my brother for a few minutes?”

“Normally you’d have to wait until he’s booked at the county jail before you can visit him. We don’t really have the facilities to allow face-to-face contact. But in your case I can make an exception.”

I was starting to think Lise Mendez was one hell of an attorney. But then the cop said, “I know your mom, Elaine, from the hospital. She’s a good lady and she’s always talking about you boys. She’s awfully proud of both of you.”

“Even Natty?” I didn’t mean for it to come out that way.

The man looked at me and put his hand on my shoulder. “Son, one day you’ll realize a good parent only knows pride. It takes a lot for any boy to alienate his mother.”

I realized this guy had been around, but more important, he knew my mother pretty well. Either way, he was doing me a big favor and I appreciated it.

Chapter 11

Chapter 11