Chapter 25
"That effing shriveled hag of a woman said what?" Wilson barked as he and Eddie sat in their patrol car during a day tour the following Monday morning. "Is she crazy? No wonder you look like you've just lost your best friend." He frowned at that unfortunate choice of words and then continued. "I'm sorry, Janko, that was a really crappy way to put it. Reagan's a smart guy, he must have a plan for dealing with her."
"He does," she admitted. "But it means that we have to stay away from each other for the most part while he handles it."
"Well that sucks. He could just order that Michael's kid at the 3-5 to run her down in an RMP the next time we call her out to a scene," Wilson griped. "At least he'd even the score and take out someone to make the world a better place this time. I'd talk to him myself to keep your hands clean in it all." He paused with his joking as he looked at his sullen partner. She had been so spunky for the past few weeks and now they were back to the gloom and doom. He hated that. "I thought you had big plans for this coming weekend. I mean the shoulder's healed, it's the big 3-0, sounds like the perfect time for you two to finally knock some…"
"Wilson!" Eddie interrupted. "Please don't go sayin' that again!"
"C'mon, she can't have eyes on you all the time! What is she, the KGB? I'm just looking out for my partner," he grumbled. "What does the family say? I'm guessing it was a big topic at dinner yesterday."
"There's not much to say," she admitted. "I mean they were all nice when they heard about my dad being down at Fort Dix, but I'm sure there was talk later… there always is when people find out what he did."
"Eddie, you can't carry guilt for something that was out of your control. You were just a kid for crying out loud."
"Yeah, a kid that went to an expensive boarding school and wanted for nothing because my dad was busy stealing hard-earned money from all of our friends… a kid whose daddy gave her a flashy sports car for graduation just before he was busted and we lost everything. That's exactly the kind of kid I was. And now because of me a little girl that had nothing might lose the best possible thing that could have ever happened to her. Don't be so quick to say that I don't have any responsibility in this. It's not like I turned down all the stuff they gave me and donated it to the poor. I'm no Mother Teresa."
"Janko," Wilson said with a heavy sigh. "Don't go doing anything dumb or that little girl is not the only one that's gonna lose something she deserves." Any further conversation on the matter was interrupted as Central radioed in to report a traffic accident on 8th and Eddie hit the lights and siren while he pulled the car away from the curb. A full contingent of calls kept them busy for the rest of the day and Eddie mercifully had little time to think about her predicament or how the plans she had made for a special evening with Jamie would need to be cancelled now.
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Jamie, on the other hand, was feeling equally depressed during his first tour back on full duty, but George was so happy finally to be out of the office and away from the paperwork he didn't dare ask his sergeant what was wrong. The pair spent the entire morning walking up and down the streets in their assigned area checking in with local shop owners and scanning cars for registration violations before being called out as backup on yet another 10-20 as the smash and grab armed crew hit another jewelry store after having remained under the radar for the past several weeks.
Renzulli and his rookie Evans were already on scene and rolling out the caution tape when Jamie and his partner drove up. It was a familiar location from his time at the 12th and he looked on with dread after hearing the call for the coroner and CSU come out for a male victim. This time an elderly storekeeper had resisted and paid the ultimate price, striking his head on the jewelry case when he was pushed down. Now the crew had escalated to homicide and Jamie knew his brother would be feeling a renewed pressure to close the case. Thus far there had been no credible leads or breaks to help them.
"So it's poor old Mr. Hooper, huh?" he asked his old TO after getting out of the car.
"Yeah," Renzulli replied with disgust. "You know how he was... too stubborn for his own damn good. He'd of never let them walk out of the place without try'in to stop them."
"What was he even doing here?" Jamie asked. "I thought he retired last year and let his daughter take over the store."
"EMS has her over at the ambulance," Renzulli confirmed. "She was in the back office when it happened… says dad only comes in on days when there's big deliveries to help unpack and take inventory. By the time she got to the front he was laying on the floor with his head split open and two cases had been smashed and emptied. TARU is pulling the surveillance footage, but it's the same deal I'm sure, masks and hoodies disappearing into a white van. We never get anything on them."
"Damn, I knew it was something like that," Jamie swore. "Always days when the shipments come in."
"Yeah, well that doesn't do much to narrow it down, kid, these places get deliveries all the time. You better not let your brother catch you playing detective, or there will be hell to pay," he said as he nodded towards Danny and Baez who had just pulled up in their unmarked. "We've got company. How often do three precincts roll on one call?"
"Here we go," Jamie muttered under his breath as he watched his older brother get out of the car. Things had remained strained between them for the past two weeks since the fated birthday party. He had an idea about how to track down the people responsible for these crimes but he was loathe to share it at the moment since it had been dismissed once before and involved a heavy dose of George's special talents. Maybe it would be better to give it a go first and pass anything they discovered on later. Danny couldn't be mad if he ended up handing him the case on a silver platter right? Of course he could, he was Daniel Reagan after all, but Jamie felt he owed it to Mr. Hooper and his family as well as the next innocent victim to give it a try.
Renzulli raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips after he watched Danny walk by, offering only a brusque "Sergeants," as an acknowledgement without even meeting his brother's eyes as he and Baez ducked under the tape. She offered a half-smile and shrug with a soft "Afternoon," at least.
"Cripes, kid," he muttered as he looked as his old boot. "What d'ja do to him? Piss in his cornflakes this morning? I'd be watching my back if I were you. Speaking of which," he added as he turned around and puffed out his chest. "What's this I hear you put together a team for the tournament? What? You trying to come after me? You think you've got what it takes, Reagan?" he challenged gruffly but in good nature.
"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, Sarge," Jamie grinned. "Don't tell me the king is worried about a little competition."
"Well, I'm not losing any sleep over it, Harvard, if that's what you think. I've seen the cops in your platoon. You just remember that when we wipe you off the bases. Damn upstart, kid. Put your money where your mouth is… loser buys a round for the whole team afterwards?"
"You got it, Sarge. Name the time and place," Jamie laughed. "And I'll be sure the 3-5 will be there to collect."
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"There she is!" Erin exclaimed from the driver's seat as she nudged Linda's arm and the pair quickly exited her car that was parked across the street from the 12th precinct. They hurried to catch up with Eddie as she left work and made her way down the street towards her vehicle and another lonely dinner for one. She was a little startled when the two called her name before rushing up on either side and locking arms with her, gently changing her direction and guiding her the opposite way down the street towards the local cafe where she and Erin first had coffee just weeks before.
"Wait... What is this?" she laughed. "Am I being kidnapped?"
"Not quite!" Linda admitted before the three entered the establishment and were seated at a table. "But we've got a plan to do a little of that if you're game," she continued.
"What is she talking about?" Eddie asked as she shimmied out of her coat and eyed the two woman. Despite their rocky start, Erin had proven to be a good friend in recent weeks and Linda had been very kind despite the continued tension between the two Reagan brothers.
"We were chatting after you and Jamie left the house yesterday," Erin admitted, "about how unfair it is that you had to cancel your plans with him for his birthday because of everything going on. We want to make it right," she added with a bright smile. "The best present I could ever give my little brother is to see to it that the two of you get to enjoy his big day together… you know, alone… without any company," she added suggestively. "It's for his own good," she insisted. "The boy's gonna stroke out if he has to wait much longer, anyone can see that."
"But how?" Eddie asked as her heart started thumping a little at the implication. She had given up hope for a first romantic night at any point in the near future and was overwhelmed that Jamie's famously Irish Catholic family would play such an active role in setting something like that in motion, especially with a person like her. "Is it safe? I don't want to screw up anything up if that Adams woman is still on the warpath."
"Don't worry, you just leave that to us," Linda assured. "We've both been around cops for long enough now to be able to plan a little undercover mission," she laughed. "If you catch my drift."
"Linda!" Eddie exclaimed. "I can't believe you two!"
"Believe it," Erin assured. "And leave it all to us. Don't breathe a word of this to Jamie… just have your bags packed on Friday ready for an overnight to a nice resort and dinner… someone will pick you up here after work and we'll make sure everything is taken care of. My dad's volunteered to take care of Kaylin for the night and he'll get Jamie where he needs to go."
"Your dad!" Eddie gasped, not quite believing that the New York City Police Commissioner would be involved in planning a secret tryst for his youngest son.
"Who do you think came up with the idea?" Linda laughed. "Honey, you've got a lot to learn about this family. Frank's had a few rendezvous of his own the past couple of years so he knows how to plan them, and he's no prude. I've got the Mohonk Mountain House on speed dial for whenever Danny really screws up. That's far enough out of the city so the two of you won't have to worry about that woman. There's a suite booked under our name... you just go and enjoy yourselves, they have tons of fun activities and the food is out of this world, but it's up to you whether you come out of the room or not," she added with a grin.
"Remember, not a word to Jamie," Erin warned. "Now where's that dessert menu? No one's planning anything like this for me and suddenly I feel the need to drown my sorrows in some double chocolate cheesecake!" she smirked and rolled her eyes. "Anyone care to join me?"
Eddie beamed. Suddenly she felt like she might just fit into the Reagan family and things would work out after all.
Next up, a little progress is made on the robbery case and Jamie suddenly finds himself in hot water with his father, or so he thinks...