JE may have her bevy of lawyers on retainer, but I have Jason Jamieson. He's mine, mine, mine!
Chapter 21
Eddie was waiting in the waiting room of the hospital ER for Joe to appear. He came out with a number of small bandages on his face and arms, covering the stitches.
He moved slowly to Eddie and shook his hand.
"Thanks for waiting for me. I know you are off shift and you could have gone home."
Eddie nodded at the relieved tone. He had taken the squad car back to the station, and picked up his own personal vehicle, returning to the ER to wait.
They walked out of the hospital and climbed into the van. Eddie was a true sports dad. His three boys were all heavily involved in all kinds of sports and the Gazarra van was always heading to a game, year round.
Eddie drove Joe to his house. He watched as Joe slowly stepped out of the vehicle and moved carefully to the front door, his keys in his hand. He waited until Joe had opened the door and turned on the lights before he pulled away.
Joe headed inside, readying himself to accept Bob's boisterous greeting. While he would have preferred a less rambunctious hello he was happy that there was someone to greet him at the door.
He thought of Tank with Lula, and Ranger with Stephanie. His heart ached. He had Bob.
He and Abigail had parted ways a few days prior to then. She didn't like his strange hours and his secrecy what he was doing. They fit together well and the sex was great, but there was something missing. He knew, deep in his heart that it was Stephanie, but it appeared that he had missed his final chance.
It appeared that in her eyes, he was first loser.
Joe headed to the kitchen for a cold beer. He opened the back door and Bob ran out to do his business then back in. Joe opened the fridge and took out a beer. He twisted off the top and took a long swallow. He didn't have the energy to take it into the living room to finish it but stood at the counter draining the last bit.
He put the empty bottle on the counter by the recycling bin and walked out of the room, turning off the lights on the way.
He made sure the door was locked and turned off the lights before grabbing the handrail, pulling himself up the stairs to his bedroom.
He looked at the shower on the way, but feeling too tired to do anything about it, shucked his jeans and shirt on the floor, then sat down heavily on the bed.
Bob jumped up on the bed and watched, waiting for Joe to stop moving before he settled down himself.
Joe turned off the light by the bed and pulling the covers over himself, he was asleep practically as his head hit the pillow.
He never felt Bob put his large head on Joe's leg and sigh.
~~~o0o~~~~
Morning found Stephanie sprawled over Ranger. She opened her eyes to see him watching her and caressing her very gently with his hand moving up and down her back.
She yawned in his face, then a pained expression crossed her face. Normally she would bolt to the bathroom, but her muscles were just not co-operating. Stephanie slid off Ranger carefully and grunting with the effort, tossed the covers away. She edged her way to the side of the bed and groaning stood up then moved as rapidly as her very, very sore muscles would allow, headed for the bathroom.
Ranger heard the toilet flush and the shower turn on. He grinned and vacated the bed. His shower was more than large enough for two.
He stepped in as she was standing under the hard jets of water, and reaching around her he picked up the loofah.
Stephanie started to moan and he stilled his movements. Was that pain, or something else?
She opened her eyes and taking the loofah from him, she poured the body wash on then proceeded to wash him, paying special attention to his muscular chest, then she put more on and washed lower and lower until she had to bend over to reach. She tried not to grimace but her muscles betrayed her.
Ranger gently took the loofah back from her and carefully he washed her from head to foot, taking care around any and all bruises and scrapes.
He helped to wash her hair as her arms were sore and then he turned off the shower.
Unfortunately they were both breathing heavily by then.
Ranger reached out and grabbing a towel he dried her with care, once again moving softly over and patting her sore areas.
Once they were both dry, he let her stay in the bathroom to work on her hair, and he headed to his closet to change.
By the time Stephanie had arrived in the kitchen, Ella had already come and gone and Ranger was reading the newspaper.
He pointed to an article and reading over his left shoulder, she gleaned that a number of gang and former gang members were facing charges for inciting a riot on Comstock Street.
There was no mention of any kind of a drug bust or anything to do with increased amounts of drugs arriving in Trenton. There was no mention of any kind of kidnapping.
Ranger had already finished his bagel as Stephanie dug into her bacon and eggs.
"Both you and Lula have an appointment with Bobby as soon as you are finished breakfast," said Ranger.
She nodded.
"Need I reiterate that you are not to leave the safety of Rangeman. Lula is under the same order from Tank.
Morelli has made an appointment to see Lula later this morning and our lawyer is standing by."
It was not stated out loud, but the threat of arrest hung in the air. They both knew that at some point Joe would be forced to bring her in.
Ranger stood up, walked around and gave a kiss to Stephanie in her hair, then walked out of the apartment. He had a meeting with Tank.
~~~o0o~~~
There was a meeting across town.
Looking in the room, the numbers of participants had dramatically decreased. Some were in jail awaiting a hearing on bail, and two had cashed in their chips and bailed.
June looked around.
Her two best co-conspirators were in the room.
They had taken off after the drugs had been delivered to the drop off point. They were waiting on the results of the transactions and the smell of money was making them very excited.
Jeremy, their chemist had cleared out after completing the latest shipment as he had threatened to do and had disappeared into the night. They had a contact who was keeping a loose surveillance on the family home just in case he materialized there. While he had completed his contract as he had stated, June was hesitant to just let him leave. He knew them all and all about their operation. They needed his silence, by whatever means possible.
She was furious when she had received word that Stephanie had escaped her trap and that the cop and the mule were also free.
Her eyes glared at them all and to a man, they all cringed.
"I want her back. I don't care how, or what shape she is in, but I will finish her off myself, since it appears that I cannot trust anyone else to do the job."
They nodded.
As soon as possible, they would set up another rotation keeping an eye on the building that she was once again hiding in.
June prepared to leave but she gave one more tidbit of information.
"Other than the few hiccups, the drops performed flawlessly and the money is collected. The clients are happy with the quality and they are already lining up for another shipment.
I will let you know when we get word. Until then, go about your jobs as usual, but keep your eyes open and your ears to the ground. I don't like to be surprised and someone will know if somethings going on.
I certainly don't need to remind you to watch your back. We brought in a lot of money last night and someone might think that their payout could come at our expense."
With that, she stepped out of the room, and listened as it slowly emptied.
Her two favorite lieutenants stayed back. They wanted to talk to her about something they had gleaned and didn't want anyone else to know just yet.
~~~o0o~~~
Joe waited at the front lobby. Cal had already phoned up to tell Tank that he was there to see Lula.
Tank came out of the elevator with Lula close by. She looked pale but her posture was ramrod straight.
The only sign of outward nervousness was how hard she was holding onto Tank's hand.
Tank looked at Joe.
"Did you want to talk in a conference room?"
This would give lots of information right off the bat. If they were, chances were that Joe might not be escorting Lula back with him with the lawyer following. If he had a squad car outside, chances were that the duty officers would be coming in once Joe read her her rights.
Joe nodded his head and they headed for the elevator.
The three stepped out on five and Joe could see Stephanie working at a cubicle as he quickly glanced around. Tank was leading them to Conference Room A. As they were about to close the door, he pulled out his phone and spoke.
"Cut the feeds on Conference Room A until I advise you otherwise." Tank then snapped his phone shut and put it back in its holder on his hip.
Tank let Joe choose his seat then he and Lula took chairs directly across from him.
Joe pulled out a small tape recorder and a folder.
He spoke.
"This is being taped and for the record. My name is Detective Joseph Morelli of the Trenton Police Department and I am speaking to Tallulah Jackson with...,"
He paused looking at Tank as if he thought about asking him for his first name, but reconsidered it. He spoke again.
"Tank Sherman in the room."
"Lula, In your own words, please tell me how you came into contact and became what is commonly known as a drug mule in Trenton."
Lula looked at Tank. He looked at Joe and spoke.
"I have a lawyer standing by and I would feel better if he was in the room with us."
He opened his phone again and pressed a button.
"Jason, I think we will need your presence in the room after all. We are in Conference Room A."
Joe nodded. He had been prepared in case this happened. As soon as he had brought out the tape recorder he knew that they would lawyer up.
There was a knock on the door and Jason walked in. He was carrying his briefcase in one hand. He moved along the row until he sat on the opposite side of Lula, then put his briefcase on the table and opened it, taking out a pad of paper and a pen.
He looked at Joe and nodded.
"Jason Jamieson".
Joe looked at Lula.
"Lula, as you know we are in the middle of an on-going investigation. We have already discussed at the cafe how serious this matter is and the fact that if you were to be in contact about another delivery, you were to phone me immediately."
He looked at Jason and he nodded to continue.
"Unfortunately we were both compromised when we were overpowered by the Dunkin Donut shop last evening, so my position has been moved back into administration and I am afraid that you may have been tagged."
He looked down at his notes.
"I am here to gather more information on who you delivered to, and from where. Also, I want to know the reasons that your supplier gave you. I will not lie that you could be facing a serious charge in the future, but the fact that you contacted me of your own free will, may help your case at a later date."
Joe looked at the lawyer.
Jason leaned over to Lula and whispered in her ear. She nodded and whispered back. Their muted conversation went on for a number of exchanges until they both nodded their heads in agreement.
Lula took Tank's hand in hers and squeezed it for courage.
"I was contacted by a casual friend asking for my help. He said that his delivery boy was sick and he needed a delivery of car parts to an autobody shop. He stated that the regular couriers in town were booked and could not guarantee delivery that day.
I had finished work and agreed. He had always given me good advice on where there was a good but fair mechanic in town to take my beloved Firebird so I didn't think anything of giving him a hand.
I picked up the package from his parts guy and took it there. There was no form on the package for them to sign and give back to me, so I left.
About a week later, the same thing happened. His delivery guy was still sick so I once again picked up a package and took it to another autobody shop.
This happened four times. By now I was getting suspicious because Donny paid me in cash, always thanking me and always having an excuse why he needed me to deliver it so quickly."
She stopped and sighed.
"I came to Rangeman and had lunch with Stephanie and I mentioned my fear that I thought that I had been roped into being a drug mule without my knowledge. Stephanie told me to phone Joe Morelli or she would.
I phoned you and made an appointment to see you at a little diner out of town, called 'Good Eats' and I confessed my fears."
Joe put up his hand at that point and Lula stopped.
He spoke into the recorder.
"My name is Detective Joseph Morelli. Lula Jackson called me and requested we meet. She stated that she thought she might have inadvertently broken the law.
We met at the stated restaurant and I reiterated that what she suspected she had done was to break the law and that the sentence for possession for the purpose of trafficking was severe and I was unable in any way to deflect the charge at a later date. She agreed to contact me with the details if and when she received another call asking for her assistance and she did call me twice."
Joe looked at Jason as he spoke.
"We are confident that we are closing in on the kingpins of this operation. We have some idea of a number of the operatives, but we are not completely sure of some others."
He looked at Lula.
"Would you be willing to get in touch with your contact and make some excuse that you need money and are willing to take on another run."
Jason put down his pen. He put his arm on Lula's arm and spoke.
"Lula, you have been very co-operative but this is going way over assisting the police. You may have been, and I strongly suggest that you have been compromised. What they are asking you to do could turn out to be very dangerous for you."
Jason and Tank looked over Lula's bent head at each other and each shook their heads no. They both believed that Lula was being taken advantage of with the threat of jail in her future.
Lula looked up at Joe and spoke.
"I want a deal before I even consider helping you. I already put myself and others in danger but this time if I help you, I want something in return."
Joe cleared his throat. He was used to negotiating but Lula had grown a backbone right in front of him. She had jumped in even before Jason had suggested it. He was empowered to agree to some conditions but he had an upper limit where he would have to take it upstairs.
He proceeded carefully.
"What are you proposing, Lula?"
She looked at Jason for some advice. They leaned over and whispered in each others ears. Tank sat impatiently waiting to hear what she was proposing.
They finally nodded and she looked up.
"I will help you in exchange for agreeing to simple Possession, one month served on weekends only."
Joe almost dropped his pen in surprise.
He couldn't stop his exclamation.
"Gesuz, Lula, normal sentence for this is usually 3 years and a $10,000 to $25,000 fine."
He watched as Lula sat back and crossed her arms in front of her.
Jason put down his pen. Tank noticed that once again he had rid himself of his latest habit of chewing on the ends of pens when he worked.
Jason spoke.
"Officer Morelli, may I remind you that at this time, neither you, nor the Task Force you are representing have any evidence linking Ms. Jackson to possession of an illegal substance or trafficking thereof? Ms. Jackson voluntarily came to you when she believed that she may have inadvertently been complicit in the transportation of illegal substances, but that belief has not been confirmed and she has no history of drug related charges. Our Legal and Justice System work on the basis of facts and evidence; neither of which you have. I may believe that I drove 5 mph over the speed limit on my way here; but me saying that to you does not mean you can write me a ticket for it. I suggest you consider your position."
Joe looked at Jason, then over at Tank.
Both had their blank faces on. It was her life and they would support her all they could, but it appeared that she was taking things head on.
Joe thought. He was allowed some leeway, but this was way too much.
He made a notation on his paperwork and looked over at Lula.
"I can go as low as one year incarceration, two years probation and $5000."
He sat back and watched as Lula leaned back over to speak to Jason.
Once again they whispered back and forth, with Lula shaking her head a number of times. Finally, Jason must have said something because Lula grudgingly nodded.
She looked over at Tank and smiling shakily, took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.
She looked up at Joe and spoke.
"I am willing to agree to three months then a full pardon, but that is my final offer. You need my help, Officer Morelli."
Joe considered carefully. He had to weigh the fact that she could withdraw all help and then probably they would drag it through the courts long enough that she might even walk because of being drawn in. Now, if he took it for final approval, they could have her help take down the whole operation and end it sooner and hopefully save some lives.
He looked at Lula.
"I have to get approval from higher up. If you will excuse me for a few minutes."
He looked at Tank.
Tank stood up and led him to the door. They walked out and headed for the men's bathroom. They walked in and Tank made sure it was empty before walking out and stood by the door, ensuring that Joe had the privacy he needed.
Joe was in the room for what felt like a long time when he opened the door, nodded at Tank and walked past him.
Tank followed him back to the room. They both had their blank faces firmly etched on their faces as they walked to their seats.
Joe sat down in his chair. He looked at Lula, then Jason, then Tank.
"I have been authorized to offer you the following: no jail, five years probation, curfew at 11pm and no cellphone. We also reserve the right to wire you for any conversations or meetings and the ability to access your phone records until this comes to an end."
Lula looked at Jason. She looked at Tank and his eyes said that he was behind her and supporting her in whatever she chose.
She looked at Morelli. She thought about the different scenarios. Three months closed custody but then she would be done and out, no probation, no tracking, and a full pardon.
Or.
No jail time, but five years probation and she would not be able to leave town without getting permission. No cell phone? She didn't want to think about not having a cell phone. And the hardest of it all? A curfew at 11 p.m. Lula was a night-owl. She started to really get her game on after 11 p.m.
She shook her head.
"I'm not putting my life on hold for five years. Three months and full pardon or I am through helping you. I will agree to the wire though."
Joe sighed then nodded. The Task Force needed her more than ever right now.
Lula stood up and walked to Joe. They shook on the agreement.
"OK, Officer Hottie, how do you want to handle this?"
A/N – chapters all weekend and in the interest of fan fiction rating, I am pushing this up to M tomorrow.