Restoration
Chapter 53
On the alert for any threat to Janet, John watches as Gor and Davit are brought into the courtroom. He's become accustomed to court procedures, paying little attention to the formalities until Gor and Davit elocute as part of their plea agreement. Much of it comes as no surprise. They attacked Lopez, an officer in the L.A.P.D. That crime led to their arrest, but Janet catches John's eye before Davit describes another offense.
"Mr. Roben and I were assigned as lookouts while an individual known to us as Haig planted money and drugs in a home. Haig informed us that the man who owned the home was an officer in the L.A.P.D. who was interfering with Serj Derian's business. We later understood that the attack on Officer Lopez concerned the same business."
John's mouth drops open. No wonder Janet told him that he'd enjoy what he heard in court. Her clients confirmed that he'd been framed. That had to be the evidence that prodded Grey and Commander West to allow John to go back to work.
"I owe you big time," John whispers as he accompanies Janet from the courtroom.
"You've been doing your job, Officer Nolan. I've been doing mine. But now that my clients' case has been adjudicated, you can buy me a beer sometime, and we'll call it even."
"I'm off duty at seven. Are you free tonight?" John asks.
"Unless something comes up in the meantime, I am. I can get a call at any time."
John nods. "That, we have in common."
On a rare day off from the hospital, with Oliver in school, Grace sits in her car, gazing up at her apartment. She has her restraining order, as well as a notice that a copy was delivered to Eric. That still doesn't mean it's safe for her to go home, or have Oliver there with her.
The boy is in no hurry to return. He loves Ben McCree's guest house. When he's not at the drawing desk John built for him, he's staring at the ocean or building sandcastles on one of their trips to the beach. But she can't impose on Ben's largesse forever. She could never afford the rent on a place like that or pay her landlord in chores the way John did when he lived there. She'll have to leave, either to come back to this apartment or find another one. She could negotiate an end to her lease. With the steady rise in rents, any real estate agent could get more for the place than she's paying. But then she'd have to find another one she can afford.
She should move back. Oliver will settle in, and she can get an upgraded security system. John could probably help with that if she asks him or she can get a recommendation from someone else on the force.
A third option pokes at her. She could leave the city. Many rural areas will do and pay almost anything to attract doctors, especially emergency doctors. She could get a bigger place with room for Oliver to play at a lower rent. She could even buy one. It would mean uprooting both of them again, but she'd spend a lot less time looking over her shoulder. She has to decide soon, but can't this minute. She needs to do some heavy research before even considering that lifechanging a choice. Her hand goes automatically to the ignition and her foot to the accelerator. It's time to get moving.
Sitting side by side with Attorney General Heifer, Botts screens the most impactful clips his staff extracted so far from Haig's reluctantly turned over video. Even that limited evidence implicates Serj Derian in enough protection rackets, drug deals, and murders to put him away for multiple life terms. Unfortunately, at this point, none of it concerns Ruben Derian. To wipe out the family business, they need connections to both brothers.
"How soon before your people have scanned all the footage?" Heifer asks.
Botts shakes his head. "Days at least. I don't have enough eyeballs to assign to this."
"I'll get you more," Heifer promises. "Taking down the Derian family will blast at least 25% of the dirt from this city. And you said that cop they tried to frame was cleared?"
"Completely," Botts confirms. "But we believe the Derians still have eyes in the L.A.P.D."
Heifer grunts. "We're going to have to keep this operation as far under wraps as possible."
"Yes, Sir," Botts acknowledges, "but we have a few officers who've proved we can trust them, starting with two who just saved my ass, the cop Serj tried to have killed, and the cop he tried to frame."
"Then we draft them for a special task force, but we do it quietly. Nothing leaks to the Derians until our team has gone over every second of that video."
Tim can't believe that he's being allowed to return to duty, even if it's for some hush-hush detail off the street. He'll have Chen with him and can continue her training wherever they are. The principles will be the same.
When the partners walk into a nondescript conference room in a hotel, they find Nolan already there. Janet had a last-minute conflict the night before, and getting down to work distracts him from disappointment. Lopez comes through the door a moment later. "Anyone know what's going on?" Nolan asks, looking around.
Heads shake simultaneously before a voice comes from the speaker in the middle of the table. "You are all here because you are among the few members of the L.A.P.D. the D.A.'s office has full confidence will not communicate with the Derian organization in any way. You will each be assigned segments of video recordings that implicate Serj Derian. However, Serj Derian is not the object of your investigation. You're looking for evidence against his brother Ruben.
"We need any mention, any reference to Ruben at all, tying him to Serj Derian's criminal activities. On the credenza, you'll find laptops each marked with your badge number and biometrically keyed to the print of your index fingers. The video is already loaded. You can use the attached restroom when you need it. Meals will be delivered to you by a hotel staff member who will knock and leave them on a cart outside. We expect you to work through the end of your shifts and return at the beginning of your shifts in the morning. Do not discuss your work with anyone outside that room. I'll need an affirmation from each of you that you will be bound by the rules and restrictions of this assignment. Answer with, 'I will. Officer Bradford."
"I will."
"Officer Chen."
"I will."
"Officer Lopez."
"I will."
"Officer Nolan."
"I will."
"Very well," the voice continues, "all of you will be moving this city toward a new and better era. Godspeed."
"Anyone know who that was?" John asks as he picks up his laptop.
"Yeah, I recognize that voice," Angela responds. "I heard him go on for an hour and a half at a lawyer's thing Wesley took me to. It was the District Attorney, Heifer. This is a big deal."
"I feel like we were just at a weird wedding, but at least no one's shooting at us," Lucy points out.
"Boot," Tim admonishes her, "never assume that you can ever let down your guard on any assignment."
Lucy sighs, taking her laptop back to her seat. "Yes, Sir, Officer Bradford."
Nyla surveys West from head to toe as he loads their equipment into her shop. Despite being Commander West's son, he's the lowest-ranked of the rookies at Mid-Wilshire. It's frustrating to be stuck with him when she should be putting the final polish on Nolan. But she'll take what she's given and do the best with it she can. At least with her golden ticket, she doesn't have to worry about pissing off her new boot's father.
