Disclaimer: As set forth in the previous 36 chapters to this story.
CHAPTER 37:
Jamie and Erin entered Erin's office, to find Frank, Danny and Joe waiting for them.
"Close the door." Frank ordered, where upon Jamie complied.
"I want an explanation as to just what you think has been going on here." Frank directed as his youngest offspring.
"I have a theory, and the evidence to support it, that I want to play out during this trial."
"And what theory is that Jamison, because if I am thinking the same thing you are, I don't like it one bit." Frank responded, to the confused looks of his other children.
"Is this where you swallow that piece of the puzzle you slipped into your pocket Jamison?" Erin asked, causing her father and elder two brothers to look at her.
"As the senior ADA on this case, I've been wondering exactly where you are steering it, and I've given you a good deal of latitude because I trust you as my brother, and as one who knows your capabilities better than anyone else, but now I'm beginning to feel left out in the dark, and I don't like it. Especially as my career is on the line here." She stated.
"Kid, what are you up to, just tell us." Danny requested.
Joe folded his arms and stared at his little brother. "Out with it. Now."
"Sorry, but I can't. You'll just have to wait until I've connected the final dots." Jamie replied.
"That is no longer an option Jamie. I'll bench you and take over myself." Erin warned.
"Shit. Just cut me some slack on this, please?" He asked.
"One, you've just earned my washing your mouth out with soap, and two, not negotiable." Erin firmly stated.
"Fine, but this stays between the five of us. I don't want anyone running off trying to make their own connections unless I ask them to, are we agreed?" Jamie asked.
"Yes." They all replied.
"Joe, I asked you to check on some information for me. Did you get it yet?" He asked.
"I'll have it by tonight." Joe answered.
"The missing piece of the puzzle. In fact, it's the exact center piece, the one the remaining pieces are built around to form the true picture. If I'm right, and Joe brings me what I think he will, then this entire conspiracy goes back over five years, and puts the final nail in the coffin of the Blue Templar." Jamie informed them, watching as four jaws simultaneously dropped.
Jamie presented his case, as if it were his closing summation. He spent 40 minutes referring to physical evidence, time lines, and historical accounts, and listed the names of key people. Then he informed them what he expected Joe's FBI connections to uncover. When he had completed his story, his father and siblings were astounded, shocked, and thoroughly pissed off.
"My God, I never would have imagined." Frank said.
"None of us would have Dad." Danny joined in.
"Am I still benched?" Jamie asked Erin.
"No, you aren't, though I am going to wash your mouth out as promised." She stated.
"Fine, it was worth it." He snickered.
"How do you want to proceed with this afternoon's session? She asked.
"The same as I intended to. They'll cross examine dad for most of the remainder of the day and then I'll call Tony Renzulli as to the incident at Potter's church. That should take us to 4:30 and put us off until Monday, which gives Joe the entire weekend to get that information and for us to verify it." He answered.
"Jamie, I am proud of you and I understand your reluctance to withhold this information from us at this time, but we had an agreement after the Blue Templar incident, that you would never do so again. I'm disappointed that you didn't elect to go to one of your siblings with this, especially Erin as she's your co-counsel on this matter."
"Erin has a career here. I don't. If I make the wrong accusation on this, it's on me, not her. That's why I kept her in the dark." He answered. "As for the rest of you, this is who I am and how I do things, so you'll have to learn to accept it, because I'm not changing." He stated.
Court reconvened at 1:30 p.m. and Jamie was still quietly tying up the entire case in his head. It all made sense.
Defense counsel proceeded to cross examine Frank Reagan, and on a few occasions, Jamie or Erin objected, which were usually sustained as they involved badgering the witness, but for all intents and purposes, Frank Reagan held up as well if not better than Carter Poole had, especially as Frank now had a personal score to settle in this matter.
As there had been no mid-afternoon break, the judge recessed for the day at 4:00 p.m. as by the time a break was taken, there would not be sufficient time remaining for the examination of another witness.
Jamie would lead off with Renzulli, followed by Abigail, Danny and Joe on Monday.
He packed up his briefcase, and walked out of the courtroom without even saying goodbye to his sister, before heading up to his office to grab what he needed for the weekend.
Erin was in his doorway before he could escape.
She closed the door and pointed to his chair. "Sit." She stated.
How deep do you intend to take our case before resting?" She asked.
"At least through Tuesday. I want to lead off with Danny, Abigail and Joe, and finish with Orlando. The only other witness may be the person Joe provides me with."
"Okay then, let's plan on the defense having the case by Wednesday. Allow for them to have it for a week, and then closing summations and then the judge's instructions and it goes to the jury by two weeks from Monday." She stated.
"Sounds about right." He replied.
Tonight was date night, and Erin and Jack headed out while Nicky once again remained at Frank's. She could almost comfortably sit again, and by Sunday dinner, the pain and bruising would be gone.
She had been reflecting on her great-grandfather's comments, and while she knew that he had made some valid points, she wanted to check them out with the one person in whom she confided, and trusted the most. Her favorite Uncle.
She called and asked if he had time to see her for a long heart to heart.
As he had planned on seeing all of the kids on Saturday, he told her that he would meet up with her in the morning, and spend an hour with just her, before they headed out with Jack and Sean.
At dinner that night, Erin and Jack mostly discussed Nicky, their marriage, and their secondary partners.
"After hearing the number you did on Nicky the other night, I'm going to take a pass on your offer." Jack smiled.
Erin nodded with a half-smile on her face. "I kind of figured you would."
"Sorry, but I'm just not into that kind of pain and trust me, you wouldn't enjoy the other half of the deal, so let's just keep what we have and farm the other areas out." He noted.
"I can live with that." Erin replied.
"Now, about Nicky." Jack stated.
"Nicky's had some time to reflect upon many things, which was the purpose of her punishment. As she has limited mobility, she spent the time she would normally spend on her computer, or Skyping, or hanging out, lying on her stomach and contemplating what type of a person she wants to be. I'm hoping this straightened her out. If not, I made it clear to her that until she moves out, that's her only form of punishment from now on." Erin concluded.
"And I support you on it. You've mostly raised her so it's your call, but sometime soon we should sit down with her and make sure she knows she's not an outcast. She's paid her debt on this one." Jack said.
"I agree, and I don't want her hating me anymore than she has for the past five years, and maybe that's the reason that I finally spanked her. There didn't seem to be any other way to get through that thick head of hers that I'm not her enemy." Erin replied.
The next morning Nicky and Jamie sat outside at Frank's having a heart to heart talk about Erin.
From Nicky's perspective, it was unfair as to what her mother had done, but after talking to Pops she could understand that she had been unfair and unkind over the past few years.
"Nicky, let's be honest here, okay? You've been a big mouthed, disrespectful, brat to your mother and I'm surprised she didn't blister your butt years ago, because she should have. You manipulated her and put her through so much pain for something that wasn't even her fault, and on top of that, she still went out of her way to protect you and to give you the best home and the most love she could." Jamie finished.
"You're right, and I feel so bad right now. I love her and she's everything to me, but she's having an affair. How do I deal with that?" Nicky asked.
"By staying out of it. You're parents have the right to do what makes them happy and it isn't taking anything away from you, so zip your lip and go about your life, and let your parents live theirs. We already have one person in this family butting into everyone else's business, so don't go and become another Danny." He informed her.
"Pops said that growing up, while grandma Mary and great grandma Betty spanked Mom, Joe and Danny, that they never did it to you, but that my Mom did. Can I ask why her and not them?"
"Normally I would tell you no, but considering what you just went through, maybe this can help you understand. As you know, I'm five years younger than Joe. The other kids are within five years of each other. Guess who was the unplanned surprise?" He smiled.
"You?" Nicky asked.
"Me. Anyway, face it. Joe, and Danny in particular, were enough to wear anyone out. Throw in your mother's constant whining, complaining, tattling, and other assorted antics at her brothers, and you're grandma Mary was worn out by the time I was in kindergarten. She had her hands full with all the trouble Danny would get in, plus he dragged Joe into most of it." Jamie laughed.
"So Mom ended up taking care of you." Nicky surmised.
"Yep. She's more like a second mother to me than an older sister, and in a lot of ways, I am the person I am today because of her." Jamie admitted.
"She told me that the last time she used that hairbrush was on your butt when you were 15 and lied to her." Nicky repeated.
"And she straightened me out good, because I was going to be another Danny, or worse. Remember, by the time I was 15, I was living here alone. Danny and your mom were married and Joe was off on his own, so I had all kinds of time to get into trouble with nobody watching me, except your Mom, but at some point, she had to go home so that's when I'd sneak out and go to parties, and drink, smoke, fool around." He recalled.
"Then you did that at Mom's house and she caught you." Nicky noted.
"Yeah, and she told me I had two choices. Get over her lap and endure the pain I had caused her, or she was out of my life, because I had lied to her, and put her at needless risk by my actions. She said I had one minute to decide and all I could think about was hurting the person who loved me most, and not having her in my life anymore, so I took what she gave me, which only lasted about 90 seconds, and as much at it hurt like hell, because as you know, your mother knows how to give an effective beating, the real pain was in my heart for making her do that to me, just like it hurt her to have to resort to using that brush on you for the first time in your life." Jamie finished.
"Message received." Nicky shamefully said.
"Let her know how much you love her Nik. She deserves to hear it. She needs to believe it." He said, as they stood to head out and pick up the boys.
"I will." Nicky promised. "Hey Uncle Jamie, if you and Mom weren't brother and sister, would you go for a woman like her?" Nicky tossed out.
"I already have." He smiled, referencing Casey, as he hugged his precious niece.
That night when Nicky returned home, she found her mother sitting on the couch. "Where's dad?" She asked.
Erin looked at her watch. "By now he should be arriving at the Tombs trying to bail out a client." Erin remarked.
"Good. I have something to say to you and I would appreciate it if you would come with me." Nicky said, heading off towards Erin's bedroom.
Erin shook her head, and followed Nicky into the dressing room where she pulled out Erin's chair and asked her to sit.
Erin did and looked at her daughter.
Nicky then opened up her mother's drawer and removed the wooden hairbrush, which she placed in Erin's right hand, before pulling her pants down and laying over her mother's lap. Erin felt Nicky grab her left ankle and squeeze.
An astonished Erin could not believe what was happening.
"Nicky, what are you doing?" She asked.
"I've been a real shit to you for the past five years, when all you have tried to do is love me, protect me, and make me happy. I've been insulting, disrespectful and a bitch, and through all of that you've always been there for me and loved me, when all I did was make you miserable in return." She cried, "So go ahead, I deserve another 30 smacks. Make it 50."
Erin smiled as she put the hairbrush down, and then placed her left arm under her daughter and lifted Nicky off her lap, as her right hand pulled Nicky's pants back up.
"Sweetheart, the fact that you understand all of this and admit it, proves that I don't need to spank you. Come here", and she sat Nicky in her lap, just like when she was a little girl, and Erin held Nicky tightly as she cried.
"Last week, I said to myself that I never wanted to get near your lap again, even to sit in it." Nicky cried. "But now, it's feels like the best place in the world." She sniffled, as her mother rubbed her back and soothed her.
"And it will always be there for you to come snuggle up in sweetie." Erin cooed.
Nicky proceeded to relay her conversations with both Pops and Jamie.
"He really loves you Mom." Nicky noted.
"I know sweetheart, and that's why he's so special to me. Because I raised him, just like I raised you."
"I'm sorry Mom, and I really do love you and I'll be a better daughter from now on." She promised.
"Thank you Nicky, that means a lot to me." Erin smiled, as her own tears began staining her face.
Later that night, after Nicky had headed back to Skype, Erin made a telephone call.
"I just want to tell you, that you are the most special person there is." She stated.
"She just needed to hear the truth from someone else's perspective. What shocked her is when I said that you should have used that brush on her years ago." Jamie laughed.
"You know, if we weren't brother and sister, I'd scoop you up for myself, you are so sweet." Erin replied.
"Nicky asked me if we weren't related, would I go for a girl like you. I told her that I already had." He chuckled.
"Casey." Erin grinned.
"Exactly. See you tomorrow Sis, and hey, I love you too." Jamie stated as he disconnected.
"And I love you more baby brother." Erin replied to a silent phone.
The next evening, Joe came up to Jamie after Sunday dinner. "Let's take a walk."
Once outside, he placed a folded envelope in Jamie's hands. "Wait until later to read it, but you were 100% on the mark, as usual." Joe advised.
"I can't believe it Joe, I mean, all this just because he was pissed off?" Jamie asked.
Joe put his arm around his little brother. "Sometimes Jamie, anger makes a person do incredibly stupid things, we see that every day. Just because this person held a nicer job, and lived in a nicer home, and all that, doesn't make things any different than for the poor guy living on the streets."
"Dad is going to go through the roof." Jamie observed.
"As will Danny and Erin." Joe noted. "In the meantime, how about us Conor's find an efficient way to crucify this son of a bitch.
Court reconvened at 9:00 a.m. Monday morning.
As Jamie was preparing to examine his next witness, detectives from the NYPD and agents of the FBI were in the process of making an arrest.
Joe and Danny would interview the suspect as soon as he was brought in, and whether the arrestee would testify in Jamie's present trial as a witness for the prosecution, remained to be determined.
Jamie began with Tony Renzulli, and went through the incidents at both Potter's church, and the Bitterman Projects. Renzulli was the first to arrive on the scene subsequent to the shootings.
After the defense cross-examined Renzulli, Jamie called Abigail Baker who testified to the financial trail of the money being laundered through Dexter St. John, and how it originated from Potter, and was returned to Potter to be apportioned in part to Horatio Slade's campaign for state senator, and as to how the rest went to support Potter's lifestyle, his illegal business activities and occasionally, to help the less fortunate.
This took up the rest of the morning, and defense counsel cross examined Baker most of the afternoon.
Jamie finished off the day with Santana Reyes, and how Potter's man, known as Earring, whom he identified as Nathan Bradley, and Potter's bag man, Dexter St. John, would provide orders and payment for Los Lordes to perform specific tasks, such as what transpired at the Bitterman Projects and the Town Hall Meeting. Potter's distribution network also supplied Los Lordes with drugs which they sold within the Bitterman and surrounding area.
Jamie concluded at the end of the day. Cross examination of Santana would begin in the morning.
He went upstairs to his office and called Joe. "Any news?" He asked.
"Oh yeah, we're just getting it all on paper baby brother, so keep your shorts on. We'll be downtown in an hour." He said before hanging up.
Erin walked in to see the smile on Jamie's face. "They came thorough" She smiled back.
"They'll be here in an hour. Getting a written statement as we speak." He grinned.
Jamie kept piling on the wood to the roaring fire he was building beneath the wooden stakes that Slade and Potter were presently tied to, as he examined Santana Reyes, and elicited all the details surrounding Los Lordes's involvement in the Bitterman and Town Hall Meeting events. By the time he had finished with Santana, the defendants were looking more than concerned.
Defense counsel spent the rest of the morning trying to impeach Santana's credibility, but to no avail. He admitted what he was, where he now lived (in prison), and his shortcomings. "Why is it you think that someone like them comes to someone like me? None of those do gooder Reagans are going to do your client's dirty work." He replied to Potter's attorney.
Erin noted that the jury was more than attentive, they were captivated.
After lunch, Jamie called his oldest brother to the witness stand.
"Please state your name, employer and occupation for the record." He requested.
"Daniel Francis Reagan, The New York City Police Department, Detective, First Grade." Danny answered.
"And for the record, our relation to one another?" Jamie asked.
"You are my youngest sibling." Danny proudly answered.
Jamie then ran though the Dexter St. John murder, and the turn that case took leading to Otto Jackson, Nathan Bradley and finally down to the defendants. He also covered as to how Danny had initially met Otto Jackson, after Jamie and Renzulli had been tossed down the stairs at the church.
After he had covered all the relevant material, Jamie asked the following:
"Detective Reagan, did there come a time this past November, when you were arrested?" Jamie asked, totally shocking Danny, Erin, and Frank who was observing the proceedings.
Danny looked at Jamie, wondering where this came from.
"Yes." He answered.
"What were the circumstances surrounding your arrest?" Jamie asked.
"I had gone into a bakery to order a cheesecake for our weekly Sunday family dinner. After placing my order, I left the bakery, got into my vehicle and was pulling away when an NYPD highway patrol unit stopped me. He asked to look in the cargo area of my vehicle where two kilos of cocaine was discovered." Danny answered.
"Did the cocaine in question belong to you?" Jamie inquired.
Danny shot his brother a look that said if he could, he'd stand up and clock him one.
"No, it was not mine." Danny angrily answered.
Jamie smiled. "I wouldn't think so." He stated.
"Objection." Slade's attorney shouted out.
"Withdrawn." Jamie replied, knowing that the dumbass behind him just reinforced his point.
So did Erin, because she was smiling and shaking her head.
"What was the final outcome of that incident?" Jamie asked.
"I had been looking for a murdered bookie's black book, and it turned out the Captain of the Internal Affairs Bureau was in it. He had me pinched because I wouldn't stop looking for it, and he didn't want me to discover that he was in for over a hundred grand in bad bets." Danny answered.
"So you were cleared of all charges." Jamie asked.
"Yes, I was." Danny self satisfyingly informed the jury.
"What was the bookie's name? " Jamie asked.
"Alan Greer." Danny answered.
"And when was he murdered?" Jamie asked.
"September 19, 2013." Danny replied.
"No further questions. Thank you Detective." Jamie stated as he yielded the witness.
Jamie let Erin make the objections pertaining to Danny's cross-examination, while he reviewed witness list and how he wanted to bring this case together.
He had two crucial testimonies to still get into the record. Orlando Reyes, and the person Joe had located, but he wanted maximum impact, but he also didn't want either one to get assaulted or worse while in custody.
Unbeknownst to Jamie, another set of eyes had observed him that day, and they belonged to a woman he had once loved.
Sydney could hardly believe it, there was Jamie Reagan, NYPD detective, trying his first case outside of the confines of Harvard's moot court and he was very very good. While she no longer held the romantic feelings toward Jamie that she once had, she still wondered what it may have been like had history taken a different path and they had both entered the practice of law together, as they had originally planned.
Casey and Alex had dropped by from time to time, even sitting as an extra chair with Erin as Jamie put the master puzzle together for the 12 jurors and 4 alternates, who every day, seemed to grow more captivated with the young ADA.
Every night Casey took him to bed with her and acted out her love of seeing this side of her fiancée, while Erin beamed as the proud mother hen she was when the female ADA's, paralegals and secretaries would fawn over her little brother as he walked to and from his office in the Lefkowitz Building.
After the other side had finished its cross examination, Jamie decided to call Joe.
"Joseph Conor Reagan, New York City Police Department, Detective, First Grade." He responded to Jamie's foundational question.
"And our relation?" He asked.
"You are my younger brother." Joe smiled.
"And your relation to Detective Daniel Reagan?"
"He is my older brother." Joe answered.
"Are you and Detective Daniel Reagan presently partnered up?" Jamie asked.
"Yes, we have been paired working together since December of last year." Joe asked.
Jamie went through the Dexter St. John murder once again, but this time he concentrated more on the links connecting the defendants, as Joe was better than Danny at elaborating the minutia as Danny had the attention span of a gnat.
Where Danny was the big picture guy, Joe was like Jamie and enjoyed putting the small pieces in place.
Once all of this testimony was in, Jamie asked him.
"Detective Reagan, did there come a time in May of 2009, when you were alleged to have been murdered?" He asked.
Joe looked at his little brother, knowing where this was heading, so he smiled.
"As far as you and the rest of our family knew, from May 15, 2009, until Thanksgiving day last year" he paused. "I was dead." He answered, astonishing the courtroom and causing both defense counsel to jump up with objections, as the judge banged his gavel, while calling for order in his courtroom.
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