After the Vows
Jim Beckett's Journal
Chapter 3
Dear Johanna,
The kids have been talking about a honeymoon. As I had surmised, Katie is not free to take one right now, and Rick has some obligations to promote his books, but I think they have been indulging in some wishful thinking. As usual Rick has some very grand ideas, mostly having to do with some of the fantasy realms he loves to inhabit. I think he would love to play at being a space cowboy or a Jedi. He said something about trying to get onto the Lucas Ranch.
Our comic book reading Katie is not averse to adventure, but I think she has something more romantic in mind. From what Martha has told me, before Rick and Katie settled on the Maldives the first time, there was a lot of discussion and possibly even negotiation. I'm sure they'll work it out again. When the time finally comes, it will be interesting to hear their final decision.
I've started a new class action suit and I think you'd love it. It's all about women who have been denied promotions on the theory that they'd get pregnant and not be able or willing to work the hours required by the job. Aside from the fact that men also have many complications in their lives including childcare, making such a distinction ridiculous, most of the women involved are childless and some had even had their tubes tied, making the whole thing even more preposterous. Nonetheless, the company involved is fighting tooth and nail. If they hope that we'll run out of money or patience and give up, they're out of luck. Many of the major women's organizations in the country are giving financial support to the cause and there are many lawyers involved, many of them young. We're not going to run out of steam.
As far as my other project goes, with Pulgatti, I sat down with Katie and got the story. Now I know why Rick asked Alexis to leave it alone. It was very hard to hear and my stomach is still clenching. Years ago, there were three cops, Raglan, McAllister, and Katie's former Captain Roy Montgomery, meting out their own brand of what they considered justice. They would kidnap criminals, beat them and charge a ransom, or as they called it bail, to release them. One of the kidnappings went horribly wrong. They tried to grab what they thought was a mobster but was actually an undercover Federal agent. In the scuffle, the agent grabbed Montgomery's gun. The gun went off and the agent was killed. The death was blamed on Pulgatti, who was present in the alley where it took place. That alley, my love, was the same one where your life was taken from you.
Raglan, McAllister, and Montgomery are all dead. They can't pay any further for their crimes. I'll hasten to add that Pulgatti is no angel. He was a mob enforcer and has a lot of blood on his hands. He just didn't commit this particular crime. He pled guilty to avoid the death penalty.
Now here's the real problem, the death of that agent led to yours. William Bracken, then a district attorney, discovered what Raglan, McAllister, and Montgomery had done. He made them turn over their ransom money to him and used it to finance a congressional campaign. He eventually became a senator. When you started looking into Pulgatti's case, Bracken hired a hit man named Jack Coonan to kill you. Katie killed Jack Coonan to keep him from shooting Rick and with a lot of help from Rick, eventually put Bracken in jail, but the key piece of evidence against Bracken is an audio tape from Roy Montgomery. You may know that. You hid it in your elephants. That has been bad enough for Montgomery's family, who are very dear to Katie and everyone at the 12th. If I open up the Pulgatti case further, the scandal will descend on the Montgomery family all over again.
I don't know what to do, my love. You always said, vincent omnia veritas, and I know the truth. But that truth took you from me. It could take a great deal from a family that has done nothing to deserve it. If I can't find the bullet, there won't be enough evidence to free Pulgatti anyway, so it seems that pursuing this case would do nothing but open a Pandora's box of grief.
Alexis also told me a great deal about something of which I had no idea. Montgomery sent some materials to a friend, Michael Smith, before giving his life to try to protect Katie. The materials didn't get to Smith in time, which is why Katie was shot and I came so close to losing her too. But Smith did strike a deal with Bracken. If Bracken didn't go after Katie again, incriminating evidence Montgomery had gathered would stay buried, but there was one proviso. Katie couldn't investigate your murder. Smith recruited Rick to keep Katie away from your case. From what Alexis gathered, that was a total heartbreak for her father. Katie was unable or unwilling to give herself to the kind of relationship Rick wanted to have with her until your case was solved, but if Rick let her try to solve it she would be killed. Rick decided to sacrifice his chance of a relationship with Katie to keep her alive. I've known for a long time, maybe longer that Katie has, how deeply Rick loves her, but that revelation amazed even me. Alexis didn't know how Rick and Katie finally came together, but since Katie did manage to get Bracken, I would imagine that Rick finally told her the truth. Maybe the truth did conquer all.
I suppose my conundrum has now come full circle. Should I try to find a truth, no matter how much destruction it wreaks, or leave it buried? I am inclined toward the latter. I'm not sure I can actually do anything for Pulgatti and if I try, others may suffer. I wish there were some way you could give me some kind of a sign of what you want me to do. Maybe you'll find a way. I hope so.
Forever love,
JB