41: A Warning

We should have been relieved. It should have felt like a burden lifted; but, we were like a busy bee hive that lost it's queen. We were buzzing and flitting with nothing to do. Our outrage at what had just happened in court was becoming overwhelming the more we discussed it. Angelo told Matt that cops do what they did to Frank when they really want to get a guy. They pick them up on a warrant on a Friday afternoon and by the time they get to the police station and they get their phone call, it's too late to post bail so they have to stay the weekend. Maybe that's all they intended but by the nice local cop calling me, giving me time to get there to post bail, I spoiled their plans for Frank's weekend stay so they had to deny bail. I don't know though. Vincent was coming down from New Hampshire to visit this weekend. We had to call him and let him know so he didn't make that long drive and not see Frank. He was always closest to Frank and took the news pretty hard. Maybe it's worse hearing bad news from far away when there's nothing that you can do. It's one of those things that the more you think about it, the more victimized you feel, so late that evening, feeling helpless and desperate to help Frank, Vince sent an email to Frances and Eric, Frank's kids, via Facebook. It was a plea for them to help their dad, that he was really sick and needed their help to get back home. There was nothing wrong, it didn't place blame, just letting them know that Frank was in a bad situation and asking them to help him.

Saturday morning, the next day, at 8:00, the phone rings. Caller ID says it's Delaware County Police. "Now what", I'm thinking. I answer the phone. "Hello, is Vincent Layton there." the caller asks.
"Uhh, no. He doesn't live here." I answer, confused.
"This is Officer McCreedy with the Delaware County Police. We have information that he was visiting you this weekend."
I am still confused about what this guy wants now, it's the cop from the courthouse yesterday.  "Uhh,no. He was coming to help us take care of Frank this weekend, but since you arrested him, we told him not to come." I said sarcastically.
"Oh, okay. Well, he sent an email to Frances and Eric and their mother wants you to know that if you ever contact them again she will consider it harassment and press charges." the cop tell me.
"Oh, really. And why would you be telling me this, since I didn't try to contact them?" I want to know. He begins to answer me, but I interrupt him, ". . . and furthermore, they're the ones always contacting us. They've called my children and contacted them on Xbox many times . . . and Eric's Xbox ID is 'bluntblazer', I didn't even know what that means but my son told me it means he smokes pot, so you tell her that I don't think she's done such a great job with them." I added that just in case Kat was standing right there next to him listening in while he did this as a favor for his neighbor.
Officer McCreedy continues, "yeah well, they were very upset at his email and she just wants you to know that she does not want you to contact them."
"Well, they should be upset. They don't know how unwell he is, but maybe they should." I said.
"Yeah, I was the one who arrested him yesterday, he didn't look too good." the officer stated.
"I know, I spoke to you yesterday." I informed him. There's a pause; he's thinking I guess.
"That was you?" he asks like it's some great revelation. I wonder why he's so astonished. Is it because Kat painted us as monsters and his impression of me didn't fit the illusion she painted, or is it because he was surprised that Frank's family was able to make it to the arraignment even though they gave us no notice. I'm left to wonder.
"Yes, that was me, I'm Matt 's wife. You know Frank has dementia and we've been working really hard taking care of him. We just got him stabilized on meds after being in the hospital for three weeks and now it's all ruined." I took this opportunity to vent.
"They'll take good care of him, he'll be just fine." he dismissed my worry.
"You know, Frank was a good dad and he hasn't seen his kids in six years.  I don't know if you're a father, but if he has to take that hit just to look at his own child's face once in a while, I don't blame him; I'd do the same thing." I said angrily.
"I hear ya. I'm a divorced dad and I have custody of my kids. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have them." He said honestly.
I continued my ranting, "And you know what else? I could not believe the level of disrespect in that courtroom. There is a man standing in front of you in shackles, with his life in ruins, and you were all laughing and having a great time like it meant nothing at all to you. It made me sick."  I was so glad I had the opportunity to get this out.
"Hey, we do this every day, it's nothing to us, we have to try and get through the day too." He tried to excuse the behavior.
"Exactly, it's nothing to you, but it's something to everyone that comes in there, and that should be respected. And what's with that judge? It looked like he just came in from mowing his lawn. He can't dress a little, maybe put on a tie before he shatters someone?" I observed.
"No, he came in on his day off just to do this, he's a good guy." the cop says.
"Well, maybe he should dress the part, you know, look like he came prepared at least." I said.
Instead of getting angry though, he seems happy to continue making small talk with me, and oddly, doesn't seem ready to end the conversation.
"Well, I have no plans to contact Kat or the kids, so  . . . is that all you wanted?" I ask.
"If I could just get Vincent's number . . ." he asks.

Vincent is freaked out. "What the hell? I had a cop call me this morning!" Vince called Matt after he got off the phone with McCreedy.
"Yeah, he called us too, and we didn't even talk to them." Matt replied.
"I was upset about Frank getting arrested . . . and I might have had a little too much to drink too, but I don't think I said anything wrong though." Vince sent Matt a copy of the email he sent to the kids. It sounded like he was a little emotional, but not angry or crazy or anything, he just asked if they could help their dad. They might have been upset because there was a time when we were close and he was funny Uncle Vince, and now they feel like the bad guys. Especially Eric, because he was the one who claims to have seen Frank at their house, and as a result of that, Frank was arrested, sealing his fate.
"Can she do this? I mean, I didn't do anything." Vince is upset.
"No, don't worry, just don't contact them again." Matt says. "Susie's cousin Angelo is going to send him a letter telling him not to call us again and if he has anything else to say he should contact him."

Angelo was outraged. Matt called him right away and told him what happened. "Are you kidding? What's with this guy. He's going to warn you not to do something just in case you were thinking of it? A cop wouldn't do this. This is personal for him for some reason. I'll take care of it." Angelo fumed.

"Oh, believe me, I won't send any more emails." Vince said assuredly.