VCTF Headquarters: same day
Nathan walked to Bailey's office with a big grin on his face. "Hey," He said happily opening the door and poking his head in. "I just got word from Atlanta P.D. they're picking up Patrick O'Doyle at the airport as we speak, he'll be here in 20 minutes."
"Good," Bailey said, but he wasn't so sure it was a good thing as he thought about John. "Set him up in an interrogation room and call me...oh and tell Sam too. I want her there."
"Sure thing, chief." Nathan left Bailey's office and went to the command center where Sam, John, and George were going over the files from Boston. "Hey, O'Doyle will be here in twenty minutes...Bailey wants you with him in interrogation Sam."
Sam looked immediately at John but his eyes never left the file he was looking at. "Um...yeah, sure." She pushed her hair behind her ear nervously. Her eyes never left John.
John could feel Sam looking at him and it was making him shift in his seat. He finally stood up, not meeting her gaze, and walked towards the bathroom.
Sam followed.
"This is the Men's Room Sam." He told her pointing at the sign on the door, then walked in.
Sam followed him in any way.
"What?! What do you want?" He shouted angrily and started to pace in front of her.
"I just wanted to know if you're okay...obviously you're not. It's okay to be upset about this John, he's your father-"
"I know who he is Sam, believe me, you don't have to remind me."
Sam reached out and touched his arm so he would stop pacing. "When was the last time you saw him?" She asked gently trying to calm him.
"When I was nine...look Sam I appreciate the concern, I really do, but I'm not gonna do this with you right now. I'm fine." He walked past her towards the door. Turning back around before he opened it, he said. "Do me a favor and pass that on to everyone else around here...I'm fine...no 'poor John' pity parties, understand?" With that said he turned and walked out.
Sam followed him out and watched him as he headed towards the elevators. She noticed he punched the third-floor button. The gym was on the third floor. 'He's going to hit something for a while.' She said to herself. 'Not the way I'd prefer it, but he needs to get his feelings out.' She waited for him to get into the elevator, then walked back to the command center.
Interrogation Room
Patrick sat at the table with Robert waiting for whoever was coming to talk to them. He took off his jacket and leaned back in his chair.
"Like he's at home, on the couch, watching a ball game," Bailey said as he, Sam and Nathan watched through the two-way glass from the next room. "Where's John?"
"Last time I saw him he was headed for the gym. Bailey, he doesn't need to be here."
"I know Sam. I'm just worried about him."
She nodded. "Shall we?"
Bailey opened the door to the interrogation room. "Nathan wait out here in case John shows up." He told him as he and Sam walked into the room to meet the infamous Patrick O'Doyle.
"Patrick O'Doyle," Bailey said as he sat down in front of him and opened a large file. "I'm Agent Malone, this is Samantha Waters...and these are why you're here." He pulled a stack of photographs from the folder and spread them out in front of Patrick.
Patrick looked at the crime scene photos. He recognized the photos of his men immediately and he had to control the anger that was welling up inside him. "Some of these are my men." He said looking up at Bailey.
Bailey nodded. "And the others?"
Patrick looked down at them again. "Don't know. They could be from the neighborhood."
"Could they be people you've loaned money too?" Bailey asked sarcastically trying to bait him.
Patrick just grinned. "I can't be sure Agent Malone...I've given so much to so many." His grinned faded and he leaned forward towards Bailey. "Besides I can't get back borrowed money from a corpse."
"Is there someone maybe angry with you...trying to force you out of business," Sam asked trying to read the expression on Patrick's face.
"I have more enemies than most Ms. Waters, so I've thought about that, but there's no one that comes to mind."
"Or no one you want to mention?"
"Exactly." He smiled at her.
Sam cringed. She thought of John when he smiled and it occurred to her how much he and John looked alike. She looked him in the eyes. There was definitely no John there. They were the same color as John's but they were colder and expressionless where John's were softer, usually dancing with his happy-go-luckiness. He was as tall as John, maybe taller, and they had the same dark, wavy hair. She could see John in Patrick but not Patrick in John and she was thankful for that.
"Well until you can come up with someone you are our prime suspect. We have enough information based on your knowledge of six of the victims to obtain warrants to search your home and your businesses." Bailey informed him matter-of-factly.
"Now wait a minute," Robert who had been silent up until now, spoke up suddenly. "Being the employer of six victims does not make him a suspect."
"It does when it comes to his line of work."
"Okay, I've heard enough-"
"Easy, Bobby, easy. Let them do what they need to do." Patrick looked at Sam and Bailey and grinned. "I have nothing to hide."
Observation Room
"How's it going in there?" John asked walking in the observation room where Nathan was watching Sam and Bailey question, Patrick. "Are they getting anywhere?"
"Not really." Nathan looked at his friend and could see the anguish in his face as he looked through the glass at his father. "John you don't need to be here...or hear what's going on."
"I'm okay, Nate...and yes I do," John said quietly never taking his eyes off Patrick.
Interrogation Room
"Look, If you plan on keeping me here I'll need to call my daughter. She doesn't know where I am and I don't want her staying in Boston alone."
Both Sam and Bailey looked at him, shocked expressions on their faces when Patrick mentioned having a daughter. John never mentioned having a sister. "You have a daughter?" Sam asked confused.
"That's what I said, isn't it? And I'll need to call her."
Observation Room
"You have a sister?" Nathan asked John. "How come you never mentioned her?"
"Because I don't have one," John said angrily and went for the door of the interrogation room.
"John you can't-" But it was too late, Nathan couldn't stop him. "This should be interesting."
Interrogation Room
Bailey jumped up when John came bursting through the door. "What are you doing John?"
"Johhny!" Patrick smiled happily. "I was wondering if I was gonna get to see you. Too bad it's under these circumstances."
"You said you have a daughter!" He shouted. He was trying to squirm away from Bailey, but he had a tight grip on his shoulders. "You have NO daughter. I would've-"
"Oh, on the contrary Johnny-boy, I do have a daughter. Her name is Jessie." He looked at Bailey. "I thought you people in the FBI knew everything."
"Nathan!" Bailey shouted and when Nathan ran in he threw him an angry glance for not keeping John out of there. "Jessie O'Doyle. Have George run a check on her. I want it yesterday!"
Nathan left and Bailey tried to push John out the door behind him. "C'mon John..out."
"No Bailey, I'm staying."
"C'mon Agent Malone let my boy stay-"
"I'm NOT your boy!" John's face was red with anger and Bailey could feel him trembling.
"John sit!" Bailey practically threw him in the chair next to Sam. "Don't get up."
"You have a daughter! How can you have a daughter!? How could you of all people bring another child into the world!?"
Patrick winced. His feelings hurt by John's outburst, but only Sam noticed. "Johnny, I'm not-"
"Stop calling me that! The name's John. John Grant."
"Okay, that's it. Sam take John out of here." Bailey stood up and went to reach for John's arm, but was distracted when Nathan walked in. "Well?"
"Jessie Morgan O'Doyle. Age 21. Born in Boston on September 22, 1985, to Carolyn Morgan and Patrick O'Doyle. Carolyn Morgan was killed in a car accident in 1997 along with Travis John O'Doyle. Age 6. There are a couple of misdemeanor drinking and substance charges, but that's it."
"Another car accident to get rid of another wife!" John shouted. "Bet you didn't expect your son to be in the car."
Patrick stood up and angrily started to unbutton his shirt. He pulled it off and threw it on the table. He watched their faces when they saw his upper body. It was covered with scars. The skin on his arms, chest, stomach and left side were raised and twisted with 3rd and 4th degree burn scars. "I was in the car when the accident happened!" Patrick shouted at John, then more quietly. "Just Jessie and I survived it." He picked up his shirt and started to put it back on. "Can I call my daughter now, please?"
"Nathan get a speaker-phone in here," Bailey ordered.
"I didn't kill your mother John...no matter what you think, I didn't do it." Patrick tucked his shirt back in and sat down.
John shook his head. "I don't believe you. You found out we were at Ben's and you killed her for leaving you."
"I knew where you were six months after you left! Your mother called me and told me where she was going. She said she was tired of running. She said if I loved her...if I loved YOU...I would let you both go. I didn't want to and it hurt like hell, but I did it. I sent money every month and your mother called when she got the check to tell me how everything was going and how you were doing." He sighed remembering it. "I couldn't stand living in the house anymore...not without the two of you, so I sold it. That's when I met Carolyn."
John's mind was racing he didn't want to believe anything Patrick said because now there was a moment of doubt. Could he have been wrong all these years? "Why didn't you come for the funeral then?"
"I wanted to. I wanted to come and take you home with me. But, when Ben told me how devastated you were and how you were convinced that I had killed her, he thought it best that I leave you with him. I figured I had hurt you enough and I owed you that much...to stay away."
"Here ya go," Nathan said walking in with the speaker-phone. He looked around at everyone, the room was awfully quiet. "I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?"
"Nothing important," John answered.
Bailey set the phone up in front of Patrick. "This isn't going to be a private call." He told him. "Press 9...when you hear the tone...dial the number."
Patrick did as Bailey told him. He didn't care that they were listening, he had nothing to hide. Despite everything that was going on he couldn't help but smile when he heard her voice.
"Hello?"
Patrick could tell in her voice she didn't recognize the number he was calling from. "Jessie, it's me."
Jessie's voice perked up immediately. "Hey guess who one in the 5th today?" She said happily and answered before he could. "Yep, my buddy Blue. I told Sal he wasn't ready to retire yet. You should have seen him, Dad, he was awesome."
"You made Sal pay up of course?"
"Nah, he lost big on his other races, but he says he's never gonna doubt me again." She paused a moment. "Hey, where are you? We went by Ray's but he said he hadn't seen you all day."
"I'm in Atlanta. There's a special FBI task force here that's been assigned to the murders that are happening there. They needed me to answer a few questions."
"Everything's okay though?"
Patrick heard the worry in her voice. "Absolutely." He reassured her. "But, I may be here another day or two so I've made arrangements for you to fly here first thing in the morning."
"Okay."
"Where are you now?"
"The Harbour Breeze."
"Who's with you?" He asked and when she hesitated to answer him, he got angry. "Jessie.."
"I know, I know...I'm sorry, I just needed a break from-"
He cut her off. "Dammit, I told you with everything that's going on I didn't want you going anywhere alone!" He tried to keep his voice calm, so he didn't upset her, but it wasn't working.
"I know." She said quietly. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay." He said taking a deep breath and matching her tone. "I just need to know you're safe."
"Are you mad?"
"No, I'm not mad, Jess."
"Promise?"
Patrick smiled hoping it would change the tone of his voice and it did. "I promise. Now, would you do something for me?"
"Of course."
"Call Joey and have him meet you there, then go home and pack up a few days worth of clothes and stay with Sal until your flight tomorrow. Joey will pick you up and get you to the airport. You won't be able to call me, but call Robert when you get home and then when you get to Sal's apartment."
"Okay, I will"
"Good. I'll see you in the morning then. Try to get some sleep...at least on the plane. You sound tired."
"I'll try. I'll see you tomorrow."
There was a long silence and Patrick thought she had hung up, but then he heard the worry back in her voice.
"Dad, I really am sorry."
Patrick wanted to kick himself for shouting at her earlier, she hated for someone she cared about to be angry with her. And if she thought Patrick was angry with her, she was crushed. "I know, Jess. Honey, I'm not mad though, honest. Please don't think about it anymore."
Jessie was quiet for a moment, then. "Dad, are you sure you're okay there?"
"Yes, I'm fine, I promise. Robert's here too. He'll look after me until you get here, so don't worry about me."
"Okay. I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, Jess. I'll see you tomorrow. Please be careful."
"I will. Bye, Dad."
"Bye, Jess." Patrick hung up when he heard the dial tone again and sat back in his chair, rubbing his forehead. After a moment he turned to Robert. "Call Sal now...find out why Jessie was left alone...let him know Jessie's staying the night. Tell him to call you as soon as she gets there."
"I'll take care of it." Robert knew how angry Patrick was and it was better not to say anything else, so he just got up and left.
"We'll send someone to the airport tomorrow to pick her up." When Patrick just nodded at him Bailey continued. "We need to ask her few questions too."
"Fine." Patrick was too angry with Sal, for Jessie being left alone, and too worried about Jessie to argue with him. "Just don't show her those photos."
"Why? You don't want to show her what Daddy's job is all about?" John's voice was pure venom.
Patrick ignored him and looked at Bailey. "I don't want her to see them."
"Understood."
"Thank you, Agent Malone. Can we take a break? I have a headache and I would like to use the restroom."
Bailey nodded. Looking at the older man he actually felt bad for him. He looked drained. "I'll have someone take you down to a holding cell for a couple hours. We'll get you something for your headache and you can rest." He stood up to leave. "Sam, can you wait here with him? John, you're with me."
John opened his mouth to speak but he could tell by the look on Bailey's face nothing was open for discussion, so he stood up and followed him out.
Patrick shook his head after John left. "My boy really hates me...not that I can blame him much...after everything I've done." He looked at Sam. "I'm not the same person I was with him and his mother."
Sam didn't know what to say. Patrick looked so sad. She had noticed when he was talking to Jessie that his whole demeanor had changed. The mobster persona had completely disappeared and was taken over by a loving father. He had that same look now. "Maybe you should tell him."
"I think it's best I leave him be." Patrick gave her half a smile.
Tbc.
