Finding Jaime

Chapter 38

Pete POV

"He what?!" I shouted into the phone. I listened to the person on the other end of the line as they described what Jaime was accused of and where he was.

I was pissed. I'd trusted him to just hang out with his friends. I did not expect a phone call from LAPD telling me they had my son in custody.

I grabbed my car keys and headed to the door.

"Pete?" Meagan asked as I stormed out of the kitchen. "What's up? What's wrong?"

"Jaime is at the police station accused of stealing hubcaps," I said. "I am going to get him and when I do I am going to kill him myself."

"Pete, listen to him first."

"Meagan, he and his friends were trying to steal my hubcaps the night I got Tanya's letter.  This is not some mistake of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Just hear him out before you say something you might regret," Meagan said. I frowned as I was leaving. What excuse could he have for this?

I got into my car and called my lawyer to see what I might need to do if Jaime was going to be charged with anything.

Then I called Patrick, and vented at him. He managed to calm me down a little bit. But, as soon as I pulled up to the police station, my anger returned.

I took a couple of minutes to compose myself before heading inside to get Jaime.

"Hi," I said to the officer at the desk inside. "I'm here to pick up my son, Jaime Clarke."

"Right. Just have a seat and someone will be with you in a minute."

That was not the answer I was hoping for. But I sat down and fumed.

Maybe ten minutes later, an officer came out to the front and called my name. I got up and introduced myself.

"Right this way Mr. Wentz. Jaime's just back here."

I followed him to the back. Jaime was sitting beside a desk, brow furrowed, arms crossed across his chest and he was slouched in the chair, his crutches leaning on the side of the desk.

I stood in front of him, my own arms crossed.

"Alright, Jaime," the officer said. "Your dad is here."

Jaime looked up frowning.

"Is he charged with anything?" I asked.

"No. We're letting him off with a warning," the officer said.  "He doesn't have a record and he didn't actually steal any hubcaps. He was the look out apparently. And claims he didn't know what his friend was doing that he needed to be a lookout."

I frowned at him because I did not believe that in the least.

"Get up," I said tersely.  "Let's go."

Jaime stood up, put on his backpack and grabbed his crutches. I couldn't wait to hear his excuses. I was going to give him a piece of my mind. But in the car.

I signed him out and we went outside. Jaime got in the car and I climbed into the driver's seat. I pulled out of the lot and headed towards home. I didn't say a word.

Jaime sat silently as well. I don't know if he was waiting for me to start in on him or if he had something on his mind. But finally, I couldn't stay quiet anymore.

"What the actual fuck, Jaime.  I trusted you. You were going to hang out with friends. I didn't think 'hanging out' was a euphemism for committing crimes."