Disclaimer: I hereby incorporate the usual disclaimer set forth within the previous 37 chapters to this story.
CHAPTER 38:
"Quite, or I'll clear the courtroom." The judge said.
Then he faced Jamie. "That was quite the introduction to your witness. It will also be the only time during this trial that I will allow such a surprise revelation." He warned, before turning to defense counsel.
"Objections overruled, sit down." He ordered.
Erin smiled inwardly thinking that the judge had no scope of the antics her two younger brothers could pull.
"Detective Reagan, please inform the jury as to your duty assignment the night of May 15, 2009." Jamie asked.
"I was assigned to the warrants squad." Joe began. By the time the Q&A session had ended, the jury, and everyone else present, knew Joe's story and his "murder" at the hands of the Blue Templar.
"After you disappeared, what was your assignment?" Jamie inquired.
"I was detailed to the FBI to investigate the Templar, and to determine what the activities of its members were." He replied.
Joe proceeded to explain everything he had told his family back in November of the previous year, including that Alex Bello of IAB was the day to day operations manager for the Templar, but he was only the Number 2 man in the organization. Joe had never learned who the actual leader was. Sonny Malevsky had taken that answer to his grave as he was the only officer who dealt directly with the Number 1 bad guy.
Joe laid out how the Templar was funneling drugs, weapons, and cash into the inner city, to foster an uprising of the minorities, and that his investigation as an FBI agent had determined that a majority of the illicit contraband was finding its way through the good Reverend Potter's hands, where it was laundered as previously testified to by Detective Baker.
Finally, he stated that he had withdrawn from the FBI prior to any charges being filed because he had elected to come back to his family after four and half years, though his sources at the FBI admitted no arrests had been made regarding Potter and his people, because it was a DEA and NYPD issue, and neither agency appeared ready to move in on the good Reverend as both were determining if international terrorism aspects were involved.
Jamie passed Joe off to the defense who spent the next 90 minutes trying to break his story, to no avail.
When Joe stepped down, Jamie crossed another name off the list of building blocks he was using to fashion a wall around the defendants.
When Court recessed for lunch, Jamie went with Joe to meet up with Danny.
Back at Midtown North, he was good naturedly razzed by the other detectives, who made sure only to refer to him as ADA Reagan. Even Sgt. Gormley got one in by asking if the future held for him only having to supervise two Reagans.
"Not on your life Sarge. I'm back here as soon as the jury renders its verdict, and the judge slaps down his gavel dismissing us." Jamie smiled.
The three brothers sat together and went through what Jamie had requested they dig up.
"I think you've put it all together kid." Danny stated.
"Now we just need to figure out how to tie in the one missing person." Joe opined.
"Try this one on for size." Jamie remarked, and by the time he finished his theory, both of his brothers were dumbfounded and in awe.
"I don't know where you got that chip in your head, but put me in for one." Danny said.
"Me too." Joe seconded.
Jamie laughed. "Only if you let Erin program yours like she did mine." He countered.
When court resumed that afternoon, the first witness was Orlando De Jesus.
After the preliminaries, Jamie went through the activities of Los Lordes. Orlando testified as to how Earring would show up to deliver messages from Potter, and St. John would come by after the job was performed to pay up. He also spoke of the relationship between Los Lordes and Potter on Potter's side businesses, and how the cash funneled back for drugs, weapons, and other illegal contraband.
The Town Hall Meeting was covered, with Orlando admitting that he had forgotten to tell Hector to shoot at the ceiling, never dreaming he'd hit anyone on the stage. "That was a freak accident." He explained.
Santana had already tied Potter into sending Nathan Bradley to give Los Lordes its instructions to disrupt the meeting and turn it into a three ring circus so that the NYPD would storm troop the place, which didn't happen, even after the Mayor was shot.
Finally, Jamie covered Vinney Cruz's death and his own shooting.
"I'm really sorry about Vinney, it wasn't supposed to happen like that." Orlando stated.
"How was it supposed to happen?" Jamie asked, barely containing his anger.
"I shot you first. Vinney stepped in front of you, so I put one in his shoulder to drop him, and then I took another shot at you, and the bullet hit the concrete wall and bounced into Vinney's neck."
"So you had no intention of killing Officer Cruz?
"Hell no, Vinney was one of us, from the Bitter End." He answered.
"But he was a cop." Jamie responded.
"Hey, we left him alone and he left us alone. If he came in on cop business, that's how it was, but when he wasn't in uniform, he was skinny Vinney. Orlando replied.
"Then why did you shoot him at all?" Jamie asked.
"You don't get it do you?" I dropped Vinney to get at you. He was what you call, collateral damage. You were the target Reagan. I had a contract to kill you." He announced.
Erin's head popped up from her notes and she looked at her brother.
Jamie stammered. "Who put a contract out on me and why?" He asked.
"Objection your honor, relevance." Slade's attorney objected.
"Overruled. The witness may answer."
Orlando smiled. "Reverend Potter did. He gave me twenty five grand to take you out. Santana didn't even know about it until after. Potter didn't completely trust him, and he knew I was looking to make my way up."
"Did Mr. Potter send someone with your instructions and money?" Jamie asked.
"No, he came himself. Said you were always in car number 7554 and that he was going to be sure you were in the area that day, and that I was to set something up to get you to where I could take you out. He paid me the Twenty five large and told me what day to make it happen." Orlando concluded.
By now Jamie's head was swimming and Erin could sense it. She stood up and motioned for Jamie to come over. "Your honor, I'll be continuing with this witness." She said.
"Let's take a ten minute break. My chambers." He said, and the four attorneys headed into the back.
Jamie was visibly shaken as it hit home, that his partner and friend had died in his place.
Once in Chambers, the judge poured Jamie a shot of whiskey and handed it to Erin who slowly sat her brother down. "Drink it Jamie." The Judge said.
He did, as Erin rubbed his back and hugged him, but he wanted to throw it back up. "Vinney died in my arms that day." He softly said.
"I'm sorry." The judge said. "Can you continue, or would you like to adjourn for the rest of the day?" He gently asked.
"No, I'll finish. I owe it to my partner." Jamie said as he stood up.
"I'll allow it, but any sign of you becoming upset or distracted, and I'll put your sister in, okay?" The judge gently asked.
"That's fine. I understand." Jamie answered. "Thank you for the drink."
"Let's head back outside." The judge informed everyone.
"Were you ever informed as to why a contract was put out on me?" Jamie asked.
"No, just that Potter wanted you dead." Orlando answered.
Jamie looked at Erin. She shook her head no.
"No more questions at this time, but the People reserve the right to recall this witness." Jamie stated.
The defense spent the rest of the afternoon tag teaming Orlando, and attempting to look like he was ratting out Potter, only to save his own skin by way of immunity for all crimes he had committed.
He did admit that he had never seen Potter and Slade together.
Erin handled the re-direct examination and repaired most of the damage the defense had tried to inflict, and their re-cross did little to effect that.
By 4 p.m., Orlando was finished and so was court for the day.
Joe and Danny were waiting in Jamie's office, having heard of Orlando's admission, and they were visibly upset.
"Where are we on our missing link?" Jamie asked with no preamble or greeting.
"He's in the wind, but the FBI and Homeland are working it. Our other witness however will tie it all together." Danny answered.
"I want to put on Nathan Bradley and Otto Jackson tomorrow. Tie up St. John's murder and then focus on the conspiracy." Jamie noted, but his voice was faltering and Joe could see the emotions Jamie was trying to hold back.
"Got ya." Joe replied.
"Jamie, what can we do for you right now?" Erin concernedly asked, seeing this for herself.
He sadly smiled and led his sister over to the couch and when she had seated herself, he sat down in her lap and leaned against her, and cried as she held him.
Danny and Joe left the office, and waited outside, knowing that the only person right now that could console Jamie, was Erin, as she always had.
When Frank showed up, his sons held him back.
"How is he?" Frank demanded.
"Right now, he's in the best place he can be." Danny answered.
"With Erin." Joe stated.
After ten minutes, the door opened and Erin came out.
"How is he?" Frank asked.
"He'll be fine." She replied.
"What happened?" Frank inquired.
"Remember how when he was little and hurt, he'd crawl in my lap and cry?" She gently smiled.
Frank looked at Danny and Joe who nodded. "He feels safe there, and always has." Danny remarked.
Frank nodded. "This proves his theory." He informed them.
"And now he's going to expose it all, once and for all." Joe concluded.
"The puzzle is now complete." Erin noted.
The door opened and Jamie came out. "Ok, now that I got that out of my system, I'm really pissed. I want to wrap this up within the next two days." He stated, and his family could see the anger in his eyes and knew that a storm was coming, because when Jamie blew a fuse, everyone felt the shock.
That evening, Jamie went to meet with the witness that Joe and Danny had located, and procured his full statement. The witness was granted immunity, because he was the only one who could tie it all together, and had corroborated Jamie's thesis to the letter. Now all that was left was to find the one final link in the chain.
The next morning at trial, Jamie led off with Nathan Bradley, who testified as to the shooting of Dexter St. John, and all of Darnell Potter's other activities. He told the same story he had back in the squad room several months earlier, and came across as sincere and truthful.
He tied in Horatio Slade to Darnell Potter, and that both were present at St. John's murder.
Finally, he testified as to how the entire conspiracy worked with funneling money to Slade's campaign, and how they wanted to get rid of Carter Poole, so that Frank Reagan would be out of office as well, and that a new mayor would appoint a friendly Commissioner who would tone down policing Potter's illegal activities.
"Mr. Bradley, the jury has heard of many incidents over the past three years, that involved the community around Mr. Potter's church and the Bitterman projects. Please explain why so many crimes occurred." Jamie asked.
"Staged, so that the police would think these were very high crime rate areas, and more police would be sent in and Reverend Potter could claim police harassment and racism, and blame it all on the mayor and his police commissioner." Bradley answered.
"So these incidents were manufactured to cause the police to do the very thing Mr. Potter wanted, and then later complained about." Jamie queried.
"Yes, and he got himself more press that way too." Bradley responded.
By the time the lunch break came, Jamie had completed his examination, and when they returned, the defense would begin its cross-exam.
After the mid-afternoon break, Jamie put on Otto Jackson. The only thing he wanted was for Otto to talk about the shooting, but he gave him much, much more.
Otto had been one of Potter's minions for years, but he also had spent time working for Slade, including the night of St. John's murder.
"Why did you shoot Mr. St. John?" Jamie inquired.
"I shot him because he was running away from me. I was supposed to get him somewhere quiet and then kill him, but when he took off, I just ran up to him and shot him." Jackson admitted.
"Why were you supposed to kill him?" Jamie asked.
"Because he wasn't laundering as much money as he should have been and Mr. Slade wasn't getting the cash he needed to fund his campaign, so Reverend, I mean, Mr. Potter, the phony preacher,
"Objection." Potter's attorney stood up.
"Sustained." The judge ordered. "Please answer the questions and keep your personal opinions to yourself."
"Sorry judge." Jackson apologized.
"Please continue." Jamie directed.
"Potter had told Slade that Dexter wasn't moving the money like he usually did. Slade had me go around to find out why, since Dex and I used to work it together for Potter. I found out that most of the money he was washing was from his own deals, and not from Potter's."
"And did you report back to Mr. Slade?" Jamie asked.
"I sure did, and he called Potter and said we needed to meet, and to have Dexter there. This needed to be settled." He said.
"When were you ordered to kill Mr. St. John?" Jamie asked.
"When we were in the park. He started going off on Slade and Potter about how he had moved as much of their money as he was going to, and he was now looking out for hisself. When he started to walk way, Slade whispered to me to take him somewhere quiet and kill him, that he was now a liability."
"And when you went up to Mr. St. John?" Jamie asked.
"He told me to get lost and started to make a phone call, so I slapped the phone out of his hand. He told me to fuck off, sorry judge, and picked up his speed, so I just aimed and fired." Jackson answered.
"Are you right or left handed?" Jamie asked.
"Left."
"After you shot him, what happened?" Jamie inquired.
"Potter and Slade started yelling at one another and one of them, I think it was Potter, told Earring and me to dump Dex in the river." Jackson answered.
"Which river?" Jamie inquired.
"The Harlem River, right there at the end of the park. We picked him up like he was drunk and crossed the Esplanade around E. 87th Street and just set him in the river, and walked back. I left with Slade and Earring left with Potter."
"Earring is who?" Jamie asked.
"Nathan Bradley, from the church. Worked for Potter. Threw you down a flight of stairs so I heard."
"Objection, hearsay." Potter's attorney called out.
"Sustained."
Jamie had Otto identify the gun which had later been located on his person, along with the silencer. Ballistics had confirmed it as the weapon used.
"No more questions." Jamie concluded.
The defense began its cross examination, but time expired for the day. They would pick up with Otto Jackson in the morning.
Jamie went to meet with the next day's key witness.
He spent the next four hours going through the testimony and when he walked out of the location where his witness was being held, by those personally loyal to Frank Reagan, Jamie was drained, tired, angry and sad. And he now knew who was responsible and why.
He called Erin to inform her so that she would be prepared.
"How are you holding up?" She asked.
"I may need your lap again." He joked.
"It's here anytime you need it my little pumpkin." She cooed, using her nickname for him from when he was a little boy.
"See you tomorrow Beanpole." He teased before signing off.
Jamie went home to Casey. Joe would follow shortly as he had been present for the interview and went back to the station to process out for the night.
When Jamie told Alex and Casey the story he would tell the jury, they were astonished.
"Still sure you want to marry into this family?" Joe asked.
"Hell yeah, it's a lot more excitement than we've ever had." Alex replied.
"You Reagans certainly aren't a boring bunch." Casey remarked.
After the midmorning break, Jamie called his final witness.
"The People call Mr. Warren Bell." He announced.
Frank turned around to see a familiar face enter the room and all he could do was to hold himself back from pulling his weapon and shooting the bastard.
Bell took the oath and was seated.
"Please state your name for the record." Jamie directed.
"Warren Alan Bell." He replied.
"What is your present occupation?" Jamie asked.
"I'm a consultant for the government." Bell replied.
"Which government would that be? " Jamie inquired.
"The United States government." Bell answered.
"Would there be a particular agency that you consult for?" Jamie asked.
"There would be, but I prefer not to reveal it." Bell answered.
Everyone got the idea. Bell was a spook, and the man at the CIA Joe had previously alluded to.
"Prior to your present employment, where were you employed and in what capacity?" Jamie asked.
"I was the Chief of the Department for the New York City Police Department, from January 2007 through March 2009." He replied.
"And before you were Chief of the Department, did you hold any other positions?" Jamie asked.
From March 2005 through January 2007, I was the Chief of Detectives. From February 2002 through March 2005 I was the head of the Intelligence Division and before that I was the Inspector who oversaw the Internal Affairs Bureau.
"When you were Chief of the Department, who was the Police Commissioner at the time?" Jamie asked.
"Francis Reagan." Bell replied.
"And when you were the Chief of Detectives, who was Chief of the Department?" Jamie inquired.
"Francis Reagan." Bell responded.
And when you were the Inspector in charge of the Intelligence Division, who was the Chief of Detectives? Jamie queried.
"Francis Reagan." Bell once again answered.
"Is it fair to say that you're last few postings have been to replace Francis Reagan as he climbed the NYPD's ladder?" Jamie asked.
"Yes, that would be a fair assessment." Bell replied.
"And based upon that assessment, would you have been a likely candidate to succeed Commissioner Reagan in his present position?" Jamie inquired.
"At one time I had hoped that to be so." Bell responded.
"Based upon your rise within the NYPD, why did you leave the department in March 2009?
"Because I was terminated from my position." Bell answered.
"By whom?" Jamie queried.
"Francis Reagan." Bell replied.
"And the circumstances surrounding that termination?" Jamie asked.
"Commissioner Reagan believed that I was insubordinate, and that I was politicking within the rank and file for his job." Bell answered.
"And would there be any truth to that?" Jamie inquired.
"Yes, there would be." Bell said.
"Please elaborate why?" Jamie asked.
"I came up through the NYPD in primarily administrative positions. Francis Reagan came up through the department as a street cop. They are two different disciplines and sets of qualifications, such as in the Marine Corp, in which both Commissioner Reagan and I once served, though not together. We both achieved the same rank, which is E-9, the highest enlisted rank. Commissioner Reagan was a Master Gunnery Sergeant, which is a technical specialist and one who leads and trains his men, while I was a Sergeant Major, which is an administrative position. In short, within the NYPD, the Commissioner's career track was working the streets where mine was working the bureaucracy." Bell concluded.
"Is there a difference of administrative philosophy between the Commissioner's career track and yours?" Jamie asked.
"Yes. In short, Francis Reagan was, no that isn't fair." Bell paused. "Frank Reagan is an excellent cop and detective. He's an efficient administrator, as evidenced by his service record as Chief of Detectives and as Chief of the Department. Even in those roles, he still got his hands dirty by investigating cases, or riding in a patrol car in order to keep current on policing practices, skills, and how his officers interacted with the people we were sworn to serve and protect. He liked to supervise the rank and file while in action, and not rely solely on reports. He was, and remains, exceptionally popular with the 35,000 sworn officers of the NYPD. However, what Frank Reagan is not, is a politician, and the skill set that I believed I would have brought to the Commissioner's office put me in a better light to have held that role." Bell concluded.
"Were there others who agreed with you?" Jamie inquired.
"Yes, though not among the rank and file of the NYPD, who believe that only one of them could comprehend the job while protecting the sworn men in blue. Among others, it was felt that a street cop was booted up to the fourteenth floor of One Police Plaza and was not politically qualified for the position." Bell answered.
"If Commissioner Reagan was believed not to be qualified, why was he appointed to his present position?" Jamie inquired.
"Because at the time of that appointment, there was significant unrest within the rank and file due to the previous two Commissioners who had based their policing policies on quotas, which were set and evaluated by CompStat. The men and women of the force demanded a change on the fourteenth floor and that one of their own be inserted. Not only was he Chief of the Department, but Frank Reagan was the rank and file's poster boy for the perfect cop. Overachiever, outstanding morals, family oriented, brutally honest, exceptionally fair, conservative in his approach and above all, a true and just man. I once heard that he was the only person that both the NYPD and FDNY could agree upon to umpire their annual baseball game. He also looked like the top cop to many. They demanded him and they got him." Bell concluded.
"What about those who were less generous with their praise?" Jamie asked.
"There were many politicians, both local and state level, that felt Frank Reagan was shoved down their throats, and did not feel a more conservative view of policing was the right way to handle a city that based its population and politics upon immigration, minorities, and diversity, though the NYPD itself is very diverse in its manpower." Bell responded.
"Did there come a time when it was decided that a different approach was required from atop One PP?" Jamie asked.
"Yes, within six months of Frank Reagan taking office, rumblings began that he had more power than the Mayor, and that the men and women in blue would serve his interests ahead of those of the administration. In time, his popularity grew to exceed that of the Mayor, and all other public officials within New York City, and his popularity and presence expanded beyond the NYPD to include the citizens, many of who wanted him to run for Mayor, and still do." Bell smiled.
"Did this pose a problem for the administration?" Jamie asked.
"Yes, though Frank Reagan doesn't have a political bone in his body, and has gone on record as saying so. He's a cop's cop and justly proud of it and wants to run the best police department in the world and not the city of New York, and many believe him, however, there were, and are officials that do not believe Commissioner Reagan's veracity on this matter and thought he was preparing to sandbag them and seek higher office, so they wanted him out, but there was one catch." Bell stated.
"And that was?" Jamie inquired.
"You don't unceremoniously boot a man like Frank Reagan out the Fourteenth Floor window without the worst case of Blue Flu ever recorded hitting this city. It would have paralyzed the police department. At the same time, his oldest son was an immensely popular and successful detective and his middle son not far behind. His daughter was also a rising star within the DA's office. His father Henry, had served in the same capacity and got a raw deal so that a former Mayor could save face. Henry Reagan was also immensely popular in his day, and cops have a long memory, and the NYPD an even longer one. Finally, the Reagans are seen as New York City's first family of law enforcement. The only missing piece at that time, was you Detective Reagan, though most believed you would join your sister as an ADA as you were attending Harvard Law School at the time. In short, your father had a tremendous amount of political capital, whether he elected to expend it or not, but more importantly, and dangerously, it could be used by those loyal to him, to protect him, if the need ever arose." Bell stated.
"Were there methods discussed to removing him from office?" Jamie asked.
"Yes. There were three. The first, would be to kill him, not very practical as if it were discovered as an inside job, the ire of the rank and file would not be survivable, and we do pride ourselves on being the best police force in the world in solving crime, so that option was quickly discarded. The second, would be to disgrace him by framing him for a crime, but again, too many in the department would see that for what it was and the blow back would be tremendous. Finally, you force him to resign by causing such an emotional cataclysm that he no longer wants the job. In short, you break his spirit." Bell answered.
"And how does one accomplish that?" Jamie asked, knowing the answer.
"You destroy that which means the most to him." Bell answered.
"Which is?" Jamie asked.
Bell turned to look directly at Frank Reagan, who returned his look with unbridled hatred.
"His family."
-30-