Better than myself Part 10
(Sequel to As a Man)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I'm not making any money, and all the wonderful characters belong to the lovely JE. I would steal them if I could, just to make Stephanie make a choice.
Disclaimer: for language and subject matter
Eddie Gazarra's POV
I am still trying to process everything Stephanie told me about Joe. Everyone was fooled into thinking he was a great cop, a great, but misguided boyfriend and a good guy.
I could tell from the way Steph was telling me, that she didn't really want to do this to him. I think she was at the end of her rope with Morelli and this was her last resort. Joe just wasn't taking the hint, he wouldn't take no for an answer. She told him that she was done with him so many times, but he wasn't listening.
He tried to influence her family into having her committed, like she was crazy because she chose someone else. I might not understand her choice, but it doesn't mean she shouldn't be able to make one. He started digging into Ranger's past, trying to contact his family for any information they would share with him. All he found while digging there was a sealed juvy record and the recent death of his mother, which wasn't any kind of information to spread around, but he told everyone. Researching Rangeman and trying to find out where all the money and the cars came from, even going as far as trying to get the DEA involved, and getting so pissed when they told him that Ranger is untouchable. And that anymore digging could constitute a breach in homeland security.
He has been showing up every place that Steph as went, just trying to get a second alone with her. All of Ranger's men have 'talked' to him, but he wouldn't give up.
I have tried to sit him down and tell him he just needs to take the break up like a man. He is not the first man to be dumped and won't be the last. But he keeps insisting that she has been brainwashed and being held against her will. From what I have heard around town, Ranger has been gone for almost a month now. So whatever decisions Steph is making, it looks like she is making them on her own.
Before my chat with Steph, I was going to tell him that all he was succeeding in doing is ruining his career, his reputation and driving her further away. But now with the information I have, his career is ruined anyway. He is going to lose his freedom and everything he holds dear.
Bobby just dropped off the entire file Rangeman has on him. It just backs up all of the things that Stephanie told me and even more.
Videos of him accepting money from the Grizolli family and meeting with Terry. (There is no way of being partially in bed with the mob)
Sex while on the clock with hookers from Stark Street, he could have had an entire file from just the times he did that.
He was pictured at several illegal underground gambling games.
Busting drug dealers, but only turning in half of the drugs found. He passed the rest to the "families" for a percentage of the profits.
I am shocked by all he has done, by all of the evidence that Rangeman had on him, they must have been following him for a long time. I wonder how long Stephanie has known and why she kept going back, if she knew he was this dirty.
There will be no way for Joe to sweet talk his way out of this. He was operating with zero moral code. We swore to uphold the law, but he was just spitting in the eye and laughing and everyone who considered him a friend on the force.
How is the public supposed to trust and support the police, if one of their most celebrated and decorated officer is also one of the dirtiest? How would they not think that we all aren't like that? The phrase one bad apple spoils the bunch is especially true in these cases.
Now my only debate is if I want to wake up the Chief at this time of night. But I know that Joe needs to be off of the streets now, before he does anything else and causes anymore damage.
I call the Chief and he tells me to come over now. It only takes me 15 minutes to get there and a half hour later there is a warrant issued for Joe Morelli's arrest.
As most of the Trenton PD arrives at the station, no one wants to be the one to execute the warrant. We are all standing around looking like we just lost our best friend. And I think most of us did.
Finally Robin Russell step up and says that she will do it. I am not sure that was the best thing, I know some of Robin and Joe's history, but at least it gets the ball rolling. No one is going to let Robin go alone, so it is quickly decided that Carl will go with her to pick up Joe.
The arrest goes without a hitch, he doesn't resist at all. He just goes quietly and sits in the holding cell. Everyone, me included, was expecting him to fly into a rage, to show his typical Morelli temper, but nothing. The quiet is more disconcerting. He doesn't ask for a lawyer, he just asks for Stephanie.
I call her and ask her to come up here; she sounds very irritated, but agrees to come. I am not sure what Joe expects to gain from seeing Steph, but he smiles when I tell him that she is coming.
She arrives quickly, with Tank in tow. If I didn't know better, I would think that they were an item. They were practically joined at the hip lately. Something happened to make them so close, but it really isn't my business to pry.
Steph looks tired and not happy to be there, "Are you ready?" I ask. "I don't know what he wants with you, he has been very quiet."
She just sighs and nods, I lead them into the holding area. Joe stands up and says, "Only Cupcake and Eddie, the other one has to leave." Steph just looks over at Tank and he leaves, huh, she has become a master at that non verbal ESP thing that all of Rangeman has.
Joe goes on to try to blame Stephanie for all of his crimes. Telling her he has only ever loved her and everything he has done was to try to earn money because he was not in the financial position to compete with Ranger.
Steph looks at him a long time without speaking and when she finally does speak¸ she asks if the freebies from the girls on Stark Street were because he loved her?
I do agree that none of it really makes sense, it sounds to me like a case, of once you break the small rules, it's just a matter of time before the big ones are next.
Joe is still speaking about how she just tied him up in knots because he KNEW she was cheating on him with so many men. Men don't just do anything for free. She had to be doing something for them in exchange for all of the help she was getting. Doesn't Joe get it, some people are just nice and can just be friends without getting anything in return.
Steph looks sad and says, "Joe, I am sorry it has come to this, I have told you that I take some responsibility in leading you on. But you did this to yourself. I made a choice; all you kept telling me is that I needed to make a choice. So, when I did, you didn't like it and didn't want to accept it. I did what you asked and because you didn't get what you wanted, you told my mother that I needed to be committed. You tried to get my friends arrested; you dug into a backyard you had no business digging in. Do you think all of Trenton needed to know that Ranger's mother just died of cancer?
I told you Joe, you keep screwing with me and mine, and I was going to put your business on the street, since that is how you wanted to handle our break up. I gave you what you forced me to do.
It wasn't a competition, I am not a prize, you never loved me, you just wanted to own me. You never did."
She walks out without a look back.
I watch as Joe sits on the floor, I am looking at a broken man. I think he thought he was invincible, we all did. Once this hits the papers in the morning, everyone will know about the misdeeds of their favorite son.
Things that are done in the dark always have a way of making it into the light.
All I want to do now is go home and hold my wife. Tonight will be the only calm before the coming storm.
A/N: Well this is where I was led. I hope everyone likes Joe's comeuppance. As always any feedback or suggestion is adored. Thanks everyone for encouraging me, your encouragement is helping this story move right along. It is getting closer to Ranger coming home!
