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Imbruglia said, “I‘m sorry,” treating Sandra just as rudely as Sandra had treated her, “but I‘m afraid your daughter Geraldine has been Baker-Acted.”
Sandra was so upset that she got off her bed. “What the fuck are you talking about? There‘s no reason to do that to Geri!” Peter became upset when he heard this, got off the bed as well, and walked closer to his wife and started rubbing her shoulders in an effort to get her to quiet down. “Geri has never gotten violent with anyone!” Sandra screamed as Peter said, “Shhh…”
“Geraldine got violent with us, ma‘am.”
“Either you stop being an insupportable, heinous bitch, or I‘m going to hang up on you, you fucking tommyknocker!”
“Sandy, please!” said Peter.
Imbruglia was shocked. She realized she‘d taken the ‗I treat the way I‘m treated‘ approach a little too far this time.
“Knock it off, you fucker!”
“Sandra, you‘re talking to a cop!”
“I don‘t fucking care!”
“What‘s going on, Imbruglia?” said Blanc, in front of her, with both hands on his hips. “Nothing, nothing,” she said, “nothing, I‘m just… it‘s not a big deal, ok?” “Are you sure?”
“Sandra, you‘re talking to a policeman. Don‘t act like that,” said Peter, as calmly as he could as he caressed her cheek. “He or she will press charges, sweetheart.”
At least now I know who she got her bipolar disorder from. “Listen, Mrs. Costas, I am sorry I was rude to you. Fighting with me won‘t change the fact that your daughter is on her way to a psychiatric ward right now, just, please…”
“I‘m not going to Baker Act the poor woman‘s mother for being upset with you for calling her after ten o‘clock at night and then being a total bitch to her, Imbruglia,” warned Jenkins. “Just letting you know…”
“Jenkins, it‘s ok. I‘m going to go over to her house, and…”
“Not, uh,” said Jenkins, saying no with his index finger, “you‘re not making things worse.”
“I‘ll go with her,” said Nate.
“No, I‘ll go to the Costas home. Imbruglia, it‘s a long night, and you‘ve got better things to do than to try to make peace with a woman whose night you‘ve just ruined.”
Profoundly preoccupied, Imbruglia asked, “Will this cost me my job?” This situation had gotten out of control, all because of a little bitchiness.
Officer Jenkins just ignored Officer Imbruglia and walked out the door.
“No,” said Nate, patting Imbruglia on the shoulder. “Don‘t worry about anything. I will intercede for you before Geri‘s mother. Everything‘s going to be ok. You‘ll see it.”
Nate followed Jenkins while Imbruglia just stood there, crying. Suddenly, Nate‘s twin, Norman walked into the house, having appeared out of nowhere. While Imbruglia cried, he suddenly placed his big, strong hand on her shoulder. Imbruglia turned around and looked him in the eyes. “Mr. Rivers?”
“No, I am not Mr. Rivers. I am Mr. Smiley,” he said, looking her in the eyes sweetly, smiling.
“Mr. Smiley?” she asked stunned.