Of course, with them being up in Philly and his lawyer having to come in from New York, Jon and Richie were at the police station first, ignoring the incredulous glances of just about everyone they passed as they entered the building. Each of them did, however, wonder privately how long it would take before the media were camped outside, making up their own stories for why the two main men of Bon Jovi were in a Philadelphia police station. It was a pretty fair bet, though, that not even the worst of the entertainment ‘reporters’ would come up with the truth.
Following signs to the enquiries desk, Jon spoke quietly with the desk sergeant, asking to see Detective Kellogg. After making a quick call upstairs, the sergeant looked across at his two famous ‘visitors’, curious as all hell but professionally expressionless.
“Might be best if you wait in one of the interview rooms, the detective said.” He explained, walking around from behind his desk - and his protective plexiglass screen - to lead the way. “She’ll be with you soon as she can.”
“Thanks.” It was Richie who answered. “Appreciate it.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Jon said distractedly, looking around the clean but spartan room, then realising that the fewer movable objects, the fewer potential weapons for a suspect. Jesus, is this what Jay’s sitting in? Or worse? Have they put him in a cell? My son? Locked up with a crowd of fucking criminals? For what? He didn’t do anything wrong! All he did was what I’d have done in his place. He doesn’t belong in a jail cell!
Richie saw the flicker of emotions across Jon’s face - to most people he would seem to be perfectly calm, but when you’d shared almost three decades of someone’s life……well, their moods were pretty easy to read. Clearing his throat, he gave the sergeant a friendly smile.
“Hey, there should be a lawyer coming along pretty soon - can you send him here, too?”
“Sure. His name?”
“Uhh……..Jon?” Richie looked at his friend enquiringly.
“Sorry. Vale. Thomas Vale.” He glanced at his watch. “He should be here pretty soon, I think.”
“Vale.” The sergeant repeated. “I’ll see to it.” He looked around the room as if he were seeing it for the first time, or at least seeing it for the first time as they probably saw it. “We don’t exactly have a waiting room here, so this is the best we can do.” He offered lamely, wondering why he was even explaining. Seemed like there were some things you just did, though, when confronted with international rockstars - hell, he’d been a fan himself, back in the day. Back when being a Bon Jovi fan was something a guy could do without feeling the need to hide the fact from his peers - back before they abandoned their rock roots and got, well, pretty!
“No problem.” Richie said, taking a swift glance at Jon and seeing that he was lost in his own thoughts, not really listening to a word the cop said. “Thanks for finding us somewhere to wait.”
The cop just nodded and left them there, and while Jon paced slowly back and forth, Richie perched his butt on the edge of the table. Hell, it looked more comfortable than the chairs.
“Calm down, bro.” He said softly. “You need to keep it together, Jon.”
“What I need is to see my……to see my son!” Jon hissed, pitching the last few words low. “I need……I need to know what he wants me to do.”
Richie looked at him in surprise. That, he hadn’t expected. He’d expected rage, or Jon’s usual single-minded ‘fix it at all costs’ approach to a problem. He’d not expected this sudden attack of humility, the willingness to play this how Jay wanted it to go, not necessarily how Jon wanted it to go. Maybe he wasn’t about to witness the frightening sight of two male Bongiovis going head to head. He’d seen it once or twice before - Jon against his father, and more recently against his younger brother, Matt, when he’d found out just how badly his name - the band’s name - was being tarnished through his brother’s inefficient handling of the fan club. Of course, with Matt it had been a pretty one-sided fight, since as usual Matt displayed the backbone of a jellyfish, going from arguing to apologising, then finally to virtually begging when Jon snapped that he’d had enough, that he was handing control of the fan club over to a professional company who might actually know what they were doing.
“We’ll fix it, Jonny.” Richie murmured reassuringly, but any further conversation was halted when the door opened, a slender woman walking into the room.
“Mr Bongiovi, Mr Sambora.” She said. Hell, there was no point acting like she didn’t recognise them. “I’m Detective Kellogg……..and I’m not sure why you’re here?”
“Because Jay asked for m…..us.” Jon said, swiftly biting back the ‘me’. “He’s one of our team, Detective, and we’re a close ‘family’ at the Soul.”
“Ah, so when he said to call ‘them’ that’s what he meant.” She said, almost to herself. It kind of explained it.
“Can I see him?”
The blurted-out question made her look sharply at Jon, but there was no ‘rockstar’ attitude in his posture - just a guy who, for whatever reason, wanted to see someone - a friend - who was in trouble.
“Uh, yeah.” Hell, I’ve bent enough rules on this case already, what’s one more? Lends weight to the ‘technicality’ angle. She couldn’t even figure out why she was willing to - basically - lay her career on the line for this kid. Maybe it was just something about the sleazy piece of shit they’d picked up at the same time - like the fact that she’d have loved to give him some of the same treatment herself. Maybe it was just that any rapist deserved to be handed over to the husband or boyfriend - or in this case son - of his victim while the police looked the other way. Or maybe it was because the younger sister of one of her friends used to be a Soulmate, and now she had a pretty good idea why Kirsten had quit something she loved.
Jon was waiting by the door almost as soon as she’d said the words, and she shook herself out of the reverie, looking toward Richie almost apologetically.
“I can only take one of you up there.”
“I’ll wait here.” Richie said instantly. “I’ll wait for the lawyer, bro.”
“Thanks, Rich.” Jon was itching to go, to see his son, and he was relieved when the detective delayed no longer, opening the door and leading him from the room.
Upstairs he felt a surge of relief when they approached a glass-walled room, seeing Jay sitting cuffed but safe. A uniformed officer was in the room with him, but simply standing by the door to prevent any breaks for freedom. Outside the room, Kellogg paused, turning to Jon.
“There are a few ground rules, Mr Bongiovi. I need you to stay on the other side of the table from Mr Kelsall, and I need you to not attempt to touch him.” She flushed slightly - God, some of her friends would kill to be where she was right now. “I also need to search you.”
Without even a second’s hesitation, Jon raised his arms, and the detective quickly checked for any concealed weapons. Not that she expected to find any, but she had to be seen to do it. Okay and how often would a girl get the chance to run her hands all over that body, even fully clothed?
“Thank you.” She stepped back, opening the door. “You can go in.”
“Thanks, Detective.” He looked at the uniformed cop. “Does he have to stay?”
There was a plea in his blue eyes, and the decision only took a moment.
“He can wait outside. But please remember the rules I gave you.”
“Of course.” Jon walked into the room as the cop walked out. “And thank you.”
With Jay watching him every step of the way, Jon walked across to the table and sat down facing his son, wincing as he took in the blood staining the bandages on his hands.
“Hi.” Jon said softly.
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1 comment:
Lol oh hell yeah I would love to frisk Jon. Nice to see Jon trying to control his take charge attitude and wait to see what Jay wants from him first. How is Billie doing?
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