Bret grabbed one arm and Georgia the other. “No,” they both said simultaneously.
A mutinous expression crossed his face, then he shut down, lapsing into blank eyes and no expression.
“Jake, you’ll be in the way until Dr. Jackie sees her. You can go later.” Tom shouldn’t have made the promise without asking Georgia, but if it settled the boy so they could ask more questions, he’d pay the price.
“Chief is on line one.” Norah’s frown was an anomaly for a dispatcher who kept neutral. “They aren’t wrong. It was getting pretty ridiculous.”
She disappeared, and Tom stepped across the hall to the detective office to take the call.
“Chief.”
“Brief me.”
“Mia, Jake Cara, and Daniel Leonard are our culprits. Santa’s been returned. Slade won’t press charges.”
“I thought Mia was helping you?”
“I haven’t questioned her about that yet. She’s on her way to the hospital.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Difficulty breathing. She has pneumonia. We’ll wait for Dr. Jackie’s assessment.”
“The other two?”
“Sitting here with parents.” One of them anyway. Daniel’s grandfather wasn’t mobile, and his dad was sometimes missing in action.
He’d have it sorted before the Chief read the report.
“Do you need me?”
“No. Problem solved. Only the reports to write.”
“We’ll talk tomorrow. Good night.”
Tom glared at the receiver as the man disconnected. When did he ever not come in and take a personal interest? What was going on? Tom rolled his neck and hung up the phone.
Lifting his cell, he texted Summer he’d be late. The heart emoji took the edginess off his mood.
He walked back to the interrogation room. “Boys, chairs. Georgia have a seat. Daniel, do I call your grandpa or try to find your dad?”
The teenager shrugged. “Grandpa, I guess.”
Jake leaned over and whispered to his mother.
She grimaced, staring from boy to boy. “I’ll act as his attorney until he gets an adult here.”
Bret leaned against the wall and stayed out of it. When the suspect was his brother, it was for the best.
Tom pulled out a chair and sat across from Georgia. “We can work with that. Slade isn’t pressing charges. So other than Mia lying to me, I’m going to informally recommend some serious community service for these two. Mia’s will have to go to the judge.”
Georgia frowned. “Why?”
“She’s still in a restitution phase for blowing up a mailbox last year. It’s not yours to deal with. I’ll get with her mother and the judge. Does this work for you?”
“Yes, but I’d like some say in their community service.”
“I’m open to suggestions.”
