Chapter 50
Francesca understood because she'd had things come up in her business as well that had prevented her from doing something that she wanted, when she wanted, as well. Then AJ smiled at Miranda and told his daughter that he'd met a very special lady that he wanted her to meet soon. Francesca sounded very pleased at the news and told her father that she was looking forward to meeting his ladylove.
AJ hung up with a smile on his face and told Miranda what had been said during the call. They discussed that for a while and then AJ turned the conversation back to Miranda and her abilities. "Miranda, I need to know that the emails that my lawyers have been getting are going to stop," he told her as kindly as he could.
"But I understood from Mac that they had been helping…"
"Yes they did, but it can't continue. We can't have someone out there helping in that manner. I checked your file when I finally put it all together and I am wondering why you stopped working for the CIA and FBI? It would seem that both of those positions would have been better suited to your gifts that a position on the bench."
"I know that they were, but I was getting so burned out on that work," she sighed.
"Does the Navy even know what it is that you do?" AJ questioned.
"I don't think that it has ever been spelled out to them. Why?"
"Well I may be off base here, but I was just thinking that you might be of quite some help to Tom Boone in his anti-terrorist work," AJ suggested.
"That's not a bad thought at all!" she exclaimed and then grinned as she added, "But it would mean I wasn't in the same building as you are any longer…"
"And if things progress the way I think they are going to, the Navy might see that as a good thing. Why don't you let me put in a call to the SECNAV on Monday and see how the wind blows about you working for Tom?"
"AJ I think that is a wonderful idea!" she leaned over and kissed his cheek.
"It was you that sent Josh to the park Thursday night to catch Navakolf in the act wasn't it?" he questioned as she returned to her chair.
"Yes, but he was supposed to get there a bit sooner. I couldn't pinpoint the spot or he could have kept the rape from happening all together. But I felt so guilty when he was beaten up by the Ensign's roommates!"
"That wasn't your fault!" AJ started to protest.
"I know, darling. Tom set me straight on that one! He made me see that we got three scumbags off the street instead of one. Had you heard yet what they found when they went to arrest Carlisle and Grant?"
"No, what did they find?"
"It seems that the rapes were just the start of the crime! Navakolf would video tape what he was doing and then Carlisle would edit the tape, and Grant was in charge of selling it on the internet."
AJ shuddered and said, "To think there are people out there that would buy something like that."
"Apparently quite a number of them. They also found a duffle bag of cash hidden in their closet. It seems that they were raking in the money!"
"Then Tom's right that it's a good thing those guys are off the street," AJ sighed. Then he noticed a sudden change in Miranda, her face went blank as if she were far away, and then her head dropped into her hands as she began to cry. "Miranda?!" he asked going down on his knees in front of her chair and wrapping his arms around her. "The plane?"
All he got in response was a gulping gasp as she nodded her head. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the living room where he sat down with her in his lap on the couch. AJ just let her cry it out. Several minutes later when she could pull herself together enough to talk she sobbed, "All those people! Oh AJ if there had only been some way to keep them off that plane!"
To Be Continued….