Chapter 38- Angela Markham and Buried Secrets
Reese and Brandi had just arrived at Gates's house that night when the doorbell rang. Reese pulled Brandi up to a wall partition where whoever it was couldn't see them. "I'm sorry, your honor. But your nanny, Christina Rojas, was found dead in her apartment," someone who sounded like a cop said.
"Someone killed Christina?" Gates asked a little too calmly in Brandi's opinion. "She wasn't here when Sam came home."
"Sam?" The cop questioned.
"My son. She wasn't home when he came home from school. So he called me. I came home to be with him. He's upstairs playing now," Gates said.
"Thanks for your time, Judge," the cop said. Gates closed the door and walked past Reese and Brandi.
"Christina was...uh...she was, uh, with us the night that Elizabeth died. She was so good with Sam. She was just a kid," Gates said, his voice trembling slightly.
"Hey, he's alive, okay? As long as they need him, Sam's still alive," Reese said in a calm voice.
"You don't know that," gates said abruptly.
"We need your help, Judge. Have you ever heard of Szajka Pruszkiew SP-9?" Reese asked.
"What are you, an ex-cop? FBI?" Gates asked irritably.
"We have experience in situations like this. That's all you need to know," Brandi said.
"Yeah? Well, maybe you're not enough, girl. Maybe I should call those officers back and tell them the truth," Gates threatened.
"We know how to be invisible, the police and FBI don't. But we are going after your son, regardless. Now, have you ever heard of a gang called SP-9?" Reese asked again.
"No. Who are they?" Gates asked as the phone rang. Reese, Brandi, and Gates looked at it.
"That's them now," Brandi said. Gates walked to the phone and answered it.
"Hello?" Gates asked thinly.
"You're alone?" A man asked.
"Yes. I need proof that my son is alive. Put Sam on the phone," Gates ordered.
"Dad?" A boy's voice came over the line, sounding scared.
"Sam. Are you hurt?" Gates asked worriedly.
"Dad, please, I wanna go home," the boy said, his voice raising before Static came on the line, revealing this to be a recording.
"Sam? Sam?" Gates asked, gripping the phone tightly.
"Relax, Your Honor. Your son is just fine. He's a good boy. Smart like you," the man said, his tone mocking Gates.
"How much? I'll pay anything you want," Gates said.
"See? Smart. But fortunately for you, we don't want your money. We want your help. There's a case in your court right now. the People vs. Angela Markham. The People are going to lose," the man said.
"What? Gates asked shocked.
"Throw the case, judge. Angela Markham walks or your son dies," the man said and then the line went dead.
"Angela Markham? She mowed down some guy in a parking garage. Detectives Finch and O'Bryan from Queens arrested her. It's a simple hit-and-run from their report," Gates said, not noticing Brandi's face turning chalk-white. Her mother had arrested Angela Markham?
"Well, now she's become the key to finding your son," Reese said as he and Brandi walked out the door.
"Uncle John, my mom arrested her," Brandi said in a numb voice as she gripped Reese's arm to stop his walking.
"I know, kid. We can find out more about Markham. Your father and the judge can tell us more. Brandi, if SP-9 knows about your mother, you know they can't see you, right?" Reese asked.
"I know, Uncle John. My mother was Angela's arresting officer. She told me a few years ago that SP-9 is very thorough when studying their enemies. They probably know Mom...that she...died. Hence, they know all about me," Brandi said, feeling an icy chill in her stomach.
Finch looked up as Brandi entered the library and sat next to him. She flung her arm across the desk and buried her face in her forearm. "Tired?" Finch asked, stroking her hair gently. She turned to look at him.
"Sort of, Dad. At least I didn't get shot at by SP-9 like Uncle John did," Brandi said.
"Well, that is good to hear. C'mon, let's get you to bed. If I don't move you to your bed now, I never will," Finch said dryly, wrapping his arms around Brandi's thin shoulders.
"Wait. What about Angela Markham? Don't we wanna know about her?" Brandi asked, burying her face in his chest.
"Can you stay awake, Sweetheart?" Finch asked, raising Brandi's head so he could look in her eyes.
"As long as you can, Dad," Brandi said. Finch smiled, kissing Brandi's forehead.
"All right. But as soon as you start nodding off, I'm putting you to bed," Finch said.
"Well, let's see what skeleton is in Angela Markham's closet, besides Mom arresting her six weeks ago. 3 to 1 she was sleeping with someone in SP-9," Brandi said, typing furiously on Finch's computer.
"I will refrain from asking how you know that. But please, I beg of you, don't say that again," Finch said sternly.
"Yes, Sir. Don't be mad at me," Brandi said, keeping her eyes on the computer screen.
"Brandi, I'm not mad at you. Just think before you say anything. I can't stop what you already know, but I can teach you to think before speaking. Think how it will sound when you open your mouth," Finch said, touching Brandi's hand with his fingers lightly.
"I'll try, Dad," Brandi said.
"I know you will. Just remember that I wouldn't get on to you if I didn't love you," Finch said.
"I know that. I love you too, Dad," Brandi said.
"That's my girl. Now, let's see what we can find," Finch said, changing the subject.
"Doesn't really look like a whole lot. Judge Gates may know more. He knew Mom and Uncle O.B. arrested her," Brandi said, looking at the screen as she clicked the mouse through information.
Finch ran his fingers through his daughter's hair gently. "Brandi, Gates can't know that you are Kate Finch's daughter. No one who knew your or your mother can ever see you again. It has to look as if Brandilyn Finch fell off the face of the Earth. That's why I deactivated your cell phone and cancelled your Facebook account," Finch said gently.
"I know, Dad. I'm not about to tell Gates who I am," Brandi said.
"I know that too, Sweetheart. I was just making sure you knew that. Go to bed now. I'll find some stuff on Angela," Finch said, leading her to the camp cot he had brought in for her on nights like this.
"Okay. Night, Dad," Brandi said as he laid her down and removed her glasses and shoes.
"Good night, Sweetheart," Finch said, kissing Brandi's forehead gently.
Brandi and Reese went to the courthouse the next day. Gates was sitting in a booth, his back to them as he handed Reese a file. "Angela Markham is an account exec at a tech company near the Trade Center. Six weeks ago she got drunk at an office retirement party and hit a CPA on her way out. Charged with DWI and vehicular manslaughter. it's just a random accident. What does this woman have to do with the people who took my son?" Gates asked.
"I don't know, but it's not just Sam's life they're playing with," Reese said.
"He's right. They're planning to kill you too," Brandi said.
"How can you know that? Where are you getting your information?" Gates demanded.
"Let's just say me and the kid have a source and it's never wrong. Look, these people can't be reasoned with. They can't be trusted. If we're gonna save your son, we need to find a way to hurt them," Reese said.
"The trial resumes in 30 minutes What do I do?" Gates asked.
"Just stall. Make it look like you're cooperating. Buy him time. I'll be in the courtroom next to a man with dark, graying brown hair, a three-piece suit, and glasses. Just use your imagination," Brandi said as she and Reese got up.