Chapter 44- Near Escape and the Recording
Finch and Brandi sat at his computer terminal the next morning/ Reese was driving Zoe someplace else, "Finch, it looks like Zoe's meeting with some businessmen. I'm sending you and Brandi photos. Got another guy watching from an SUV. Run a license plate for me. Greg-Henry-Oscar-seven-five-six-one," Reese said.
"Okay. Dad will check the license plate while I do facial recognition," Brandi said as both typed fast.
"I got a hit on that license plate. Registered to Sam Douglas, head of crisis management, Virtanen Pharmaceuticals," Finch said.
"Yeah and Douglas's boss is the gentleman in the car, Mark Lawson. Thank goodness for facial recognition," Brandi said. Reese didn't answer for a few minutes.
"Zoe is going to get a recording from some reporter named Sam Talbot," Reese said.
"Sam Talbot? The sleaziest news reporter in New York City? That guy makes people feel dirty just talking to him," Brandi said with a slight shudder.
"Friend of yours, Brand?" Reese asked dryly.
"Not on a bet," Brandi said. All was quiet for ten minutes.
"You're right, Brand. Talbot's a blackmailing scumbag, but hardly a threat, What about her previous jobs?" Reese asked.
"No client list in her apartment. You need to get her talking," Finch said, looking at all the information on Zoe Morgan on the glass partition.
"Easier said than done," Reese ground out.
"You know Talbot, my dear?" Finch asked, taking his daughter's hand in his.
"Unfortunately, Dad. I was doing a knowledge bowl last year for the Montessori School and he interviewed me. Apparently his editor thought he should do humanitarian puff pieces about kids who know things. He came to the interview smelling like cheap beer and cigarettes. Ugh!" Brandi said, wrinkling her nose at the obvious memory.
Finch gently pushed strands of her hair out of her eyes. "I am pleased you are smart, Brandilyn. Now, are you smart enough to finish your math homework?" Finch asked dryly with a smile.
"Darn. I was hoping you wouldn't remind me," Brandi said with a groan.
"Not happening, Brandilyn. This is not Saturday or Sunday. You still have to do your schoolwork," Finch said, pulling his daughter up and leading her to the couch and her schoolbooks that he had ordered for her.
"I guess so, Dad," Brandi said, making a face. Finch had to school his features to keep from smiling.
Finch grabbed the two short braids she had made this morning, stroking them gently with his thumbs. "You know, you make me very happy when you call me that, sweetheart," Finch said, brushing a kiss across her forehead.
"I like calling you that too. I feel a lot more comfortable calling you my dad instead of my uncle," Brandi said, throwing her arms around Finch's waist, hugging him tightly.
"I love you," Finch whispered, hugging her back.
"I love you too, Daddy. I guess I had better get started on my math. Can you correct it when I'm done since my math leaves something to be desired," Brandi asked, raising her head from his chest.
"Of course. That's what I'm here for," Finch said with a smile as Brandi sat down on the couch.
"Finch, are you there?" Reese's voice came over the computer.
"Right here, Mr. Reese," Finch said, limping over to his computer.
"Talbot gave a feed to Zoe," Reese said.
"Do you know what it is, Uncle John?" Brandi asked, coming over to the computer where Finch had sat down.
"Not sure, kid. She's meeting Sam Douglas in an alley," Reese said.
"Keep an eye on her, Uncle John. Usually back-alley deals and bank jobs end up with your brain looking like oatmeal because some idiot decides to play Russian roulette with a gun," Brandi said flatly.
"Brandilyn, do I even want to know how you know that?" Finch asked.
"Probably not, Dad, but Mom once said it when she thought I was asleep," Brandi said, sitting back down at her computer.
"Brandilyn Jane, homework," Finch reminded.
"One second, Dad. I hafta see how this goes," Brandi said, licking her lips.
"All right. But after you see, finish your schoolwork," Finch relented as gunshots filled the monitor.
"Get down!" They heard Reese yell and Zoe screamed as tires squealed.
"Guess I pay you to do more than drive," Zoe said breathlessly as the gunshots faded.
"Mr. Reese, are you okay?" Finch asked.
"Yeah. The hand-off was an ambush. Douglas tried to kill both of us," Reese said.
"Oh, thanks. I was there, remember?" Zoe said sarcastically.
"Is she safe, Uncle John?" Brandi asked.
"For now, a little shaken up," Reese said.
"Who are you talking to?" Zoe asked.
"They're willing to kill for that recording. We need to find out what's on it," Finch said.
"Brand, send me Talbot's address," Reese said sharply.
"I'm on it, Uncle John," Brandi said, typing furiously.
"Who are you?" Zoe asked.
"You could say we're in the same business, fixing problems. I had information that you might be in danger," Reese said.
"Information? Who gave it to you?" Zoe asked.
"You have your people. I have mine. We need to find the journalist who sold you that recording, find out what's on it," Reese said.
"I made a copy. I'm discreet, not stupid," Zoe said and a staticky recording filled the air.
"I can't hide it any more. What we're doing is wrong," a female voice broke through the static.
"Who's the girl on the tape?" Reese asked.
"No idea. Can barely make it out," Zoe said cryptically.
"I wanna tell someone," the voice said as it dissolved in static.
"Well, I guess we can try to figure out who the woman is. Right, Dad?" Brandi asked.
"Right. Mr. Reese, send me and Brandi a copy, please," Finch said.
By the time they got to Talbot's apartment Talbot was dead. "Stay here," Reese ordered Zoe.
"Mr. Reese? Report on the police band. Talbot is dead. Apparent cardiac arrest," Dad said, holding earphones to one ear.
"Yeah. I guess Brandi was wrong in Talbot's case about back-alley deals and bank jobs," Reese said.
"Yeah, but anyone can make a heart attack look clean if they do it right," Brandi said.
"Douglas moves fast. Killing anyone who had contact with that recording," Reese said.
"They've gone to this much trouble. They'll be coming after Ms. Morgan again. You need to stay with her," Dad said adamantly.
"That's gonna be a problem," Reese said.
"Don't tell me she gave you the slip, Uncle John," Brandi said dryly.
"She did," Reese said.
"Oh, lord. Well, at least we can try to crack the recording," Brandi said as Dad sat at his computer and began to pick through the feed Reese had sent them; a task that would take all night. Dad was finishing up as Reese came in.
"I'm working on the audio. Interference suggests that it was made on an old PCS cell network, making the recording at least two years old," Dad said as he played with the volume on the monitor.
"I didn't know static had a vintage," Reese said.
"I did manage to find a match on the woman's voice. Compared it against video from social networking sites, corporate press. Two hundred and sixty-eight possible matches, six you lived in New York, but only one who worked at Virtanen Pharmaceuticals," Dad said, going to his computer and pulling up a feed of a young brunette.
"Virtanen is more than just a pharmaceutical company. We create products that help and heal. Virtanen is a family. On I hope to be a part of for many years to come," the woman said with a smile/
"Dana Miller, Lawson's mistress, was an office romance. Nice work, Finch," Reese congratulated Dad.
"I wouldn't be so quick to congratulate me. It's not the firast time I've heard Dana Miller's name," Dad said, walking to his post-it board.
"Dad?" Brandi asked.
"Six months ago, the machine gave me her number. Brandi was safe in Queens from the feeds I had monitoring her and her mother and I had yet to track you down, so I wasn't in a position to help her. Newspaper said she died of a brain aneurysm. She was 27. As you both know, the machine doesn't see accidents," Dad said.
"So she wanted to go public with the affair and Lawson had her killed for it. Why not pay her off, Finch?" Reese asked.
"He couldn't, Uncle John. Mark Lawson is heir to the Virtanen empire. If Robert Keller ever found out, Lawson would lose everything," Brandi chimed in.
"Wouldn't it be hard for someone working in a pharmaceutical company to make murder look like natural causes?" Reese asked.
"Not quite. You use a certain drug and it can easily look like a heart attack," Brandi said.
"I thought I'd never know the truth about what happened to her. Now I also know the man responsible. We can stop them from ever giving us another number," Dad said firmly as he walked to his coatrack.
"How, Daddy?" Brandi asked.
"Get out there and defend Ms. Morgan. Every moment we don't have her is a moment Douglas can get to her. Brandi, you're coming with me," Dad said, pulling Brandi's navy blue jacket off the hook and handing it to her.
"What are you and Brandi gonna do?" Reese asked.
"I have an important business call. A recent investment of mine," Dad said as he and Brandi put on their coats and left the library.