Chapter 52

Standing at the nurse’s station, Kadie dialled the number on the card Richie had given her, hoping he’d answer. Hoping even more that Jon was still with him.

She was still reeling from the sudden chain of events, from realising the guy in Billie’s room was the asshole who’d done this, through her own automatic attack on him, to his arrest, and never forgetting Billie’s brave declaration of his guilt. Then, of course, it had all turned even more to ratshit when Billie faded back into unconsciousness, followed by the unbelievable sight of Jay - her Jay, dammit! - being cuffed and arrested. The only ray of sunshine in the last half hour was the amazing suggestion from Detective Kellogg that, just maybe, her adherence to the rules may prove to be a little lax in this instance. Well, there was one other brightness in Kadie’s mind. The memory of the wonderfully solid impact of her knee into Nick’s crotch.

“Hello?” The voice was low and guarded. “Hello?!”

Kadie jerked herself out of reverie as Richie’s tone hardened. She’d been so lost in thought that she’d not heard him answer at first.

“Hi. Richie?” There was silence on the line, making her wonder if she’d misdialled, then she realised that maybe he was just being cautious. “It’s Kadie. Uhh…..Jay’s…..”

“Kadie!” Now it sounded like Richie. “I know who you are, darlin’. What’s happened?”

In the background, she heard another voice - sounded like Jon’s - echo her name, followed by a rush of questions. Questions she just didn’t feel like answering right now.

“Jay asked me to call you. Both of you.”

“Aw, fuck, no! She’s not…….”

“No!” Jesus, Kadie, get it together! “Billie’s fi……well, okay, she’s not fine. Doctor is with her again. But it’s Jay needs your help, Richie. He was just arrested.”

“He……what?” That wasn’t anything like Richie had expected to hear.

“Jay? What? What’s happened?” Jon’s voice was panicked, and Richie raised a hand to fend him off as he grabbed for the phone. “Goddammit, Rich! Gimme the fuckin’ phone!”

“Richie! Don’t - please!” Kadie blurted as she heard Jon’s voice. “I don’t need to deal with his emotional baggage right now - I need to tell you what’s happened. Jay needs his……..his help.”

“Okay, Kadie.” Richie glared at Jon, the anger in his normally placid face enough to make even a panicked, pissed Bongiovi back off. “Just gimme the CliffsNotes, darlin’. Details can come later.”

“Thank you.” She breathed. “Okay - short version. Nick Fabian showed up here, he threatened Billie, cops showed up and Billie told them he was the one who…… Anyway, Billie passed out again - she hurt herself trying to get Nick off me - and Doctor Riviello is in there again. Jay arrived and attacked Nick.”

“Shiiiiit. Wait.” Richie frowned as his mind flicked over her words. “What happened with you and Nick?”

“Oh. I recognised the name - Billie told Jay and I earlier that he’d attacked her - and he was obviously threatening her. So I kneed him in the nuts as hard as I could.”

“Go Kadie!” Richie muttered with a grin, then turned serious again. “And Jay?”

“He asked me to call you. Actually, he said ‘them’. So he wants…..Jon…to know. He needs his help, Richie. And…..” Her words rushed out. “The cop who arrested him was female, Richie, and she forgot to read him his rights.”

“Forgot?” Richie echoed, catching the heavy emphasis she’d used.

“Uh-huh. Accidentally on purpose. So if he gets a decent lawyer…….”

“On it.” Richie snapped, suddenly decisive in a way few people ever heard him. Not that he wasn’t a man of strong will, stubborn to a fault, but he usually found persuasion a far more effective tool. Right now, though, persuasion wasn’t fast enough. “Can you stay with Billie? We’ll see to Jay.”

“Of course. But let me know what’s happening, Richie!”

“I will. Promise. Where’d they take him?”

While Kadie read Detective Kellogg’s details to Richie, Jon paced back and forth across the living room, his eyes never leaving Richie’s face. By the time Richie closed his cellphone, Jon was chewing on a thumbnail, desperate for news but also afraid of what that news might be.

Richie blew out a breath, raking a hand through his hair as he looked at the notes he’d scribbled down. He turned his dark eyes toward Jon, seeing the fear on his friend’s face, and not sure if he was about to make it better or worse, hesitating before he spoke.

“Aw, for fuck’s sake, Rich, just tell me!” Jon exploded. “You’re makin’ me nuts here. What’s happened with.…my son?”

“He’s been arrested.” Richie said flatly, and Jon’s hand dropped from his mouth as he looked at his friend in shock.

“He’s what?!” Jon frowned. “What the fuck for?”

“Fabian.” Was the simple answer, but Richie knew it wasn’t enough. “He showed up at the hospital, threatened Billie. Kadie walked in on it and kicked him in the balls, then he was trying for a little payback when the cops showed up and arrested him. Billie managed to tell them he was the one before she passed out again. Jay showed up and had a go at Fabian, so the cops picked him up, too.”

“And who forgot what?” Jon asked, his attention having been snagged on Richie’s earlier words to Kadie, his tone having made it clear something was ‘up’.

“Yeah. Seems maybe the Bongiovi luck with the ladies runs in the blood.” Richie managed to smile. “It was a female cop arrested Jay - and she ‘accidentally on purpose’ forgot to mirandize him…….if he gets a decent lawyer…….”

“Where’d they take him?” Jon was already pulling his phone from his jeans, punching a speed dial for his lawyer. He’d not been in trouble with the cops in a very long time - since he and Dot got picked up years before for an extra-curricular visit to the ice rink - but in his position it made sense to keep some phone numbers close at hand.

“Sixth district - not far from the hospital.”

“Right.” Jon walked away a few steps as his lawyer answered, his voice low but unmistakably commanding as he gave the guy the necessary information - just enough to get his ass into a car headed to Philly. The lawyer balked when Jon said he’d meet him there, that he was already in the city and would go see if they’d let him speak with Jay, but Jon was adamant, even though he couldn’t - wouldn’t - tell the lawyer why.

Common sense be damned - his son needed him and he was going to see him.