41 Frank's Arres

"Some of you may remember the case of the community coming together to help a small cafe that had been vandalized. Well… after an altercation with one of the cafe's owners, the offender, Frank Salemme, was apprehended by officers with the assistance of a passing local.

"Frank was due to be charged with vandalism, assault, and potentially even attempted murder, but that may have changed. The attempted murder charge will likely not be pursued, and the justice department is expected to reduce the sentence they're pushing for.

"Since being arrested two days ago, Frank has undergone numerous medical checks, and he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, which includes symptoms like a decreased understanding of reality, false beliefs, and confused thinking.

"It is also often seen alongside other disorders like anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, and according to our exclusive source, Frank did suffer from—alcoholism.

"Here's what the arresting officer had to say…"

…

In Night Cafe, Jade was busy reassuring everyone, "I'm fine, I'm fine."

It had been two days since Frank confronted her and kidnapped her, and she had been recovering at home since this. This was her face day back at the cafe.

"Are you really ok?" Harriet asked. "How's your leg?"

Jade smiled. "It still stings a little, but I can walk well enough on it now. Bed rest does a world of good."

Still full of plenty of questions, Harriet opened her mouth to speak. "Did…"

But Jade interrupted her. "Ergh, shall I just tell you everything that happened? If you have any questions after that, you can ask them then."

Harriet, Bernie, and the few other customers around them nodded for her to go on.

"I lost my phone, so I went back…"

"… stench of alcohol. I backed away…"

"… tripped and fell on some glass. The cut was deep, and I couldn't put any weight on my leg…"

"… carried me into the cafe for a 'date'…"

Jade filled the others in on what had happened, and the crowd's reactions were mixed; some were more understanding than others.

"He wanted a date? What a weirdo."

"Hey, the man has schizophrenia, a mental condition; he can't help it."

"So what? Just because he has a reason doesn't mean we should forgive him easily. A condition doesn't give him the right to do that to Jade."

…

Not wanting the conversation to derail, Harriet asked, "So, how did you get away from him? Who is this Parker?"

"After Frank left to prepare the coffee for our 'date', Parker tore through the cardboard with his penknife.

"He asked if I was okay. When Frank came back, Parker stayed by my side. The police arrived shortly after, so I assume he called them before entering.

"Weirdly, Frank recognized Parker. Apparently, Parker evicted Frank and was one of the reasons he went over the edge… I don't really know about all that. I'm just grateful he helped me.

"As for who he is, I don't know exactly. After he gave his statement to the police, he quickly left."

"He left, just like that?"

A regretful look lingered on Jade's delicate features. "Yes, I didn't even have chance to say thank you."