Thanks to the people who have reviewed all the stories I have put on. So kind of you to take the time to leave a review it means so much when people leave reviews.
Alison so glad you like last chapter hope you like what's coming up.
CHAPTER SIX
Weeks had passed by since the incident with Angela, and Danny was back working through his case load, trying his best to juggle work and getting home each night in time to see his boys before bedtime. The last couple of nights he hadn't been so successful at doing this and he was missing seeing the boys. He was trying to clear up paperwork from his desk with the solemn promise to himself that he would be home no later than 1700 hours tonight. He was going to enjoy a family dinner and be there to put his boys to bed.
Jackie smiled to herself as Danny made his plans known, imagining what the perp Danny had just locked up would make of his view on family time, after Danny had just put the guy in a headlock and threatened to throw him out of a sixth floor apartment window whilst arresting him on suspicion of murdering his wife in front of their two young boys.
Danny was just about to put his coat on and head home when his cell rang. Linda's name flashed up and Danny's face lit up as he answered the call. "Mrs Reagan," he smiled down the phone. "I'm leaving now, promise I will be home for 1700 hours tops babe." Linda was glad to know Danny was coming home and decided what she rang to tell him could wait till after he was safely home and had enjoyed time with the boys.
Dinner was Pot Roast, Danny's favourite and after hearing all the news from Jack about how well he was doing in the baseball mini league, Danny sat with Sean on his lap while going through his spellings that had been sent home from school to learn for his test the next day. Linda stood in the doorway of the kitchen watching how her boys were so glad having their Daddy to themselves and couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty at how lucky she was to have her family around her. The footage she had seen on the news earlier that day made her even more aware how lucky she was to have her Danny and the boys.
After the boys had spent time having rough and tumble with Danny, who seemed to enjoy it more that they did, Linda started getting the boys ready for bed and after supper, Danny climbed the stairs with Sean stuck to his back and Jack trying to swing off his neck. After bedtime stories and kisses goodnight, Danny emerged looking more tired than the boys were. "Don't know what takes it out of me more, arresting a crook or putting the boys to bed, I must be getting old!" He laughed as Linda poured them both a glass of wine.
"Do you remember when all that stuff was going on with my mom and I told you about that boy Alan?" Linda said looking on edge. Danny picked up on the tension in her voice and immediately jumped up. "Has he done anything to you Linda?" Danny couldn't help hide the worry in his tone. "Not to me no, it was on the news earlier. I couldn't believe it as first so I rang Jan's mother to check if it was true. Danny you're not going to believe it but he has killed his wife. Jan is dead, he came home from a night of drinking and strangled her…" Her voice broke and then she said with tears in her eyes, "But worst of all, he did it in front of his two boys." Have you heard anything in work, who is on the case because from what Jan's mother told me, he isn't like the boy I knew, he is into drugs, women, gambling and more besides. I wouldn't mind being on the jury for that one, I don't mind telling you. What kind of a sick animal would do that to his own wife in front of his own children?"
Danny was about to tell Linda it was his case but something stopped him. He didn't want her worrying he might do something to Alan after what she had told him, so he thought about it for a moment then said, "South Precinct picked up a murder today, it must have been him," not daring to tell his wife he had only hours earlier been stopped from hurling Hudson from the sixth floor window after nearly breaking his neck.
The next day Danny and Jackie were about to approach the interview room to start more questioning with Hudson, when their Sergeant came out of his office. "Curatola, you're needed in Booking In, they need a female officer present while they search a female for drugs, and guess what, you are the only female available so…." The sergeant waves his hand towards Booking In, gesturing for Jackie to follow him. Jackie frowns as Danny smirks and says "Have fun," as she walks towards the door leaving Danny heading into the interview room alone.
He pulls out a chair and sits opposite Alan and starts to open the file. "So Mr Hudson, you say you came home from work at 23.00 hours and found your wife lying on the kitchen floor and you dialled 911, is that correct?" Alan nods but doesn't answer. "For the tape Mr Hudson, if you could answer the question," Danny requests. "Yeah I've told you, are you deaf as well as dumb?" Danny can feel his temper rising and he sits on his hands to avoid the temptation of dragging him over the desk and finishing what he started the previous day.
"Ok Mr Hudson. The call to 911 was timed at 23.45 and there are three separate calls made in the meantime from neighbours to report your wife screaming and shouting for help, before she fell silent at around 23.40 which is just before you rang 911. So can you tell me about the time in between you getting home and her being found dead on the kitchen floor?"
Alan shrugged his shoulders. "What time is my lawyer getting here?" Danny looked at the clock. "He is in court until 14.00 hours so you will have to make do with me till then ok?" Danny said, with a fake smile before standing up. "I'd sooner make do with your wife.." Hudson said smirking. Danny froze to the spot as he processed what had just been said, but before he could react Hudson continued. "Oh but that's right, I already have done her before you even knew her, age has done nothing for her, your welcome to her now." Danny was about to pull Hudson over the table as the door opened and Jackie entered the room. Sensing Danny was about to kill Hudson, Jackie pulled Danny out of the interview room. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked Danny. Do you know this guy from some old case or something, because this is the second time in two days I have had to stop you from trying to kill this guy? What gives Danny?" Jackie asks Danny, not prepared for him to leave her out of the loop. "You got some beef with this guy I need to know about?" she continues. "You know I will cover your ass but you need to start talking to me Reagan." Danny runs his hand over his face and turns away before looking back to Jackie and taking a deep breath. "No I don't know this guy Jac, I just hate the fact he could kill his wife and leave them two kids with no mom, they are the same age as Jack and Sean."
Jackie nods. Danny never really coped well with family murder cases, especially when there were kids involved. She grabbed hold of Danny's arm. "Ok but I will lead the interview ok, you have just got the last suspension taken off your record, let's keep it that way hey. I hated the partner they dumped on me the last time you took a three day wrap so just think of me before you bust the next perps head please?" Danny offers Jackie a smile. "Ok I'm sorry, I won't punch this ones lights out I promise!"
Before they can restart the interview Hudson's lawyer turns up with a large file containing his notes. "I've come to collect my client. He can only be held for twelve hours without you charging him and you have no evidence to prove he did anything so till you do I want him released on bail, thank you."
Before Danny can argue, his Sergeant is outside his office. "Reagan, cut him loose now!" he shouts, in a tone Danny is all too familiar with. Danny slams the desk before telling Jackie "Go let the animal out of its cage." While Hudson was being released on bail, Danny sat seething in his seat. Unable to take it any longer he grabs his coat. "Jackie, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you, I have an appointment with that therapist they make me see when they let me back off my last suspension. I should have been there twenty minutes ago, will you cover things here. My dad will kick my ass if I miss the appointment?"
Jackie smiles as she watches Danny rush out of the door but twenty minutes later when she got up to do some filing, she notices Danny is still in his car in the car park. She thinks at first he was maybe trying to force himself to actually go and see the therapist, as it was his dad who made him book the sessions which was part of the terms of him being allowed back to Major Cases. Just as Jackie was satisfied that this is what he was doing, she notices Hudson get into his car after being released on bail and Danny starting his engine to follow him. "No Reagan…" She mumbles to herself as she heads to the lift trying to catch Reagan.
By the time she gets to the car park Danny and Hudson are long gone. She drives around for a few blocks trying to locate them all the time ringing Danny on his cell which goes straight to voice mail. After leaving ten messages on Danny's cell phone she decides to head back to the office and get the address for Hudson, at least then she could camp outside his house and wait for Danny to show up and then she can stop him from doing something stupid.
Danny is sitting across from Hudson's address when he pulls up. Danny waits for him to go into the apartment block then gets out of his car and heads up the steps. He rings the first bell on the board and tells the voice that answers he is from NYPD making enquires about the death of Mrs Hudson. The occupant of the apartment presses the buzzer and lets Danny inside. He jumps the stairs two at a time till he gets to apartment 274.
He knocks on the door and waits for Hudson to open it. Before Hudson can shut the door Danny pushes it hard with his shoulder and slams into the hallway, his gun sticking in Hudson's throat. "So you're a big tough guy I hear, like pushing sixteen year old girls around, so let's see how tough you are when they grow up and their husbands come for payback!" Danny says pushing the gun into the side of his neck. "Now I'm gonna say this slow, so you get it, if you ever come anywhere near my wife, before I get your sad murdering ass locked up, this gun is going to blow a big hole in that sick head of yours."
Hudson gives a smirk that sends Danny over the edge and he punches Hudson in the stomach before kicking him in the groin. As Hudson slumps to the ground, Danny grabs his hair and starts to pound his face. When Hudson is almost unconscious Danny hears his cell ring and stops beating him to look at the screen. Jackie's number is flashing and he answers breathless. She bypasses any formalities and tells him, "You have one minute to get out of that apartment and start driving before I turn into Hudson's Street. Don't make me have to come and get you Danny and I suggest you put some ice on your hand before you head back to work after your therapy session." "Thanks Jackie," is all Danny says before leaving Hudson in a heap on the floor.
Danny heads to a bar to cool off and waits a while before daring to call his partner. She answers after just one ring and Danny doesn't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. "Where are you?" Is all she says, so he thinks it's a bad thing. "Malone's Bar," he replies and the line goes dead. He orders another whisky chaser and has drank it by the time Jackie arrives. He nods to the bar tender for the same again and orders the same for Jackie who knocks if back in one shot before looking at Danny.
"I don't care that you were gonna go after this punk Reagan, I care you lied to me when I asked you if you had a beef with him!" Danny looks down but before he can answer, Jackie continues. "You don't trust me Reagan, that's fine, but we are done." Danny almost falls back off the stool when he hears what Jackie just said. "No Jackie, no no no! You have got this all wrong!" Danny pleads with Jackie. "Yeah, well from where I'm standing, I asked you a question and you lied to me. So how can you be my partner if I can't trust you anymore?"
Danny grabs Jackie around so she is looking straight at him. "Jackie I trust you with my life everyday as you trust me with yours. I just didn't want you getting dragged into an IA if anything went wrong with what I needed to do. This guy Jackie, he dated Linda way back when they were kids. He tried it on with her when she was just sixteen. I only found out about it when she got back in touch with her pop and next thing he is in an interview room on a murder charge. I wouldn't have even known it was him, only Linda saw it on the news and told me. So yesterday, when you went to Booking In he starts going on about how he had Linda, he was vile Jackie. I just wanted him to know that I was on to him and if he came after Linda I was gonna be ready for him this time. I didn't tell you because if he files a complaint, then you don't get dragged into it. I'm sorry, I should have told you but please don't ever think I don't trust you. Hell Jackie, it would kill me if you didn't want to ride with me again."
Jackie took his whisky and drank it back in one gulp before grabbing his hand. "Next time you want to play John Wayne you tell me, so I can cover you. Do you hear. That's what partners do right?" She tells Danny and he nods.
Danny was still a bit sheepish the next day facing Jackie. It really threw him when he thought his partner wouldn't work with him again. He and Jackie were more like family than partners. He loved her like a sister and the thought she didn't want to work a case with again was more than he could bear. He knew he had been out of line and needed to make it up to her. He was never one for making grand gestures, not even to Linda, but when he was wrong he was wrong and he was the first to try and put things right. So armed with a bouquet he entered the office and left them on her desk, relived that he was in before her for a change.
Jackie smiled as she saw the flowers and milking Danny for all this was worth enquired, "Who are these from?" Danny knew she was making him sweat but knew he was in no position to argue. "Some dumb ass that took his partner for a mug yesterday and is truly sorry," Danny said, meaning every word. Jackie walked around the desk and planted a kiss on Danny's cheek. "Not necessary but very much appreciated, tell the dumb ass!" She smiled. "So we are sweet?" Danny asked, still a bit unsure if his partner could forgive him. "Yeah Reagan, we're sweet." Jackie smiled. Danny got to his feet and hugged his partner to him. "Good, cause I hate being wrong," he laughed.