CHAPTER SEVENTY EIGHT – ABOVE THE LAW

The next few hours passed in a blur. Paramedics arrived, loading a battered Larry into an ambulance. Police officers swarmed the area, taking statements from Joan, Zoe, and the numerous bystanders who had witnessed the attack. Joan felt numb as she recounted what had happened, leaving out any mention of the Fratelli family's true nature. When she finished, she noticed the two officers exchanging a significant look. "Ms. Keppler," one of them said gently, "we'd like you to come down to the station with us. There's someone who wants to speak with you." At the police station, Joan was led to a small, windowless room. A few minutes later, a grizzled man in a rumpled suit entered. "Ms. Keppler, I'm Chief Benson," he said, sitting across from her. "I understand you've had quite a day." Joan nodded, unsure of what to say. Chief Benson leaned forward, his voice low and serious. "I'm going to be straight with you, Ms. Keppler. We both know who Vito Fratelli is, and what his family is capa