“There’s no law that says a victim can’t kick an assailant’s ass once in a while. Why don’t you come with us and we’ll straighten this out?”

“Come where?”

“To our station. There’s someone there who wants to talk to you.”

“But I…”

The big cop grabbed me by the arm and spun me. I could have resisted. He was strong, but I was fast and better trained. No way I wanted to hurt a cop. Especially one who was just doing his job. I felt handcuffs across my wrist almost instantly.

He said, “You have the right to remain silent and I hope you have the ability to remain silent for your own good.”

Ten minutes later, I found myself in a holding cell in the same area where my brother had been the night before. I understood what the big black cop had meant when he told me to keep quiet. There’s a time to be a smart-ass and a time to shut your trap and listen. So far I hadn’t heard anything of value, but I hadn’t antagonized anyone, either. That was sort of new for me. I was starting to think these two cops were working outside their job description.

When they dumped me in the cell and took the cuffs off, the cop said, “Someone will be here in a few minutes to talk to you. I suggest you listen up.”

Then I found myself alone on a hard bench, confused about what the hell had just happened.

I sprang upright on my bench when I heard the lock on my cell turn about fifteen minutes later. I wondered if these cops were bold enough to give me a beating right here in the cell. My whole body tensed at the idea.

At least the gash in my head had stopped bleeding; one of the cops had given me a Band-Aid for it. A big Band-Aid. I considered rushing whoever came in the door and trying to escape. But I knew no one would ever buy the idea that I was arrested on bullshit charges. Come to think of it, I hadn’t actually been arrested. I guess you’d call it taken into custody. That started me thinking about why I’d really been picked out like this. Could there be a rat in the police?

I felt myself lift off the seat slightly, getting ready to charge. But when the door opened my whole body relaxed back onto the bench. Standing in the doorway was my mom’s friend, Sergeant Bill Jeffries.

The sergeant gave me a smile and shook his head. “You Mitchum boys have stirred up a lot of shit in the last couple of days here in Newburgh.”

“Are you the man I’m supposed to talk to?”