Chapter 47- Catching Keller

Brandi held her father's arm as he got off the phone with Zoe at the hotel dining room where they were meeting Keller. "Well?" Brandi asked anxiously.

"Clever girl. Reminds me of you a lot," Dad said as his phone rang again.

"Finch," Reese's voice came over the line, filling Brandi with relief.

"We've been trying to get you for two hours. Keller's involved. He and Lawson worked it together up to and including Dana's murder," Dad said, absently stroking Brandi's hair.

"I know. Keller blindsided us, and so did Zoe. She's about to hand over the copy of that trial data to Lawson," Reese said.

"You should be more trusting, Uncle John. Zoe just sent us her destination. Naval Yard. Sound familiar?" Brandi asked.

"I'm on my way," Reese said disconnecting the line and a waiter led them to a table where Keller sat waiting. Keller stood as the waiter pulled out chairs.

"Mr. Keller. Sorry we're late," Dad said as Keller shook his hand.

"I'm sorry I started without you, Mr. Partridge, but when you're as old as I am, you can't waste a minute. What's your poison?" Keller asked after they laughed.

Brandi tried not to gag on the orange juice Dad ordered for her. For one thing it was tart and for another eating with Keller was enough to twist her stomach into knots. "Is the orange juice not good, Miss Partridge?" Keller asked in a friendly voice. Dad turned to look at her.

"It's okay. A little sour though. I'm used to Tropicana and Minute Maid," Brandi said.

"I understand, little lady. My little girl doesn't like sour orange juice either," Keller said in a grandfatherly voice.

"Thank you," Brandi said in a soft voice. Brandi looked down as her father picked up her hand on the table and squeezed it gently in his large hand. She smiled at him briefly.

"I can see you love your daughter and she loves you," Keller said.

"Yes, we do. I have loved her long before I ever adopted her," Dad said, looking at her affectionately.

"She's not really your daughter? She looks just like you," Keller said.

"There is a reason for that. My older brother was her father. She looks like me and her father," Dad explained.

"So, I guess when her daddy died, you took her in, raising her as your own," Keller said.

"Not so much when Peter died. I took her in almost two months ago when her mother died. My brother died on 9/11 when Brandi was three years old. She has no one else. I'm all she had," Dad said.

"You picked a perfect time to join us, Mr. Partridge. Once Sylocet goes on the market, you'll never have to invest in another company again," keller said, changing the subject to why they were having breakfast.

"Is the drug really that good? Does it really work?" Brandi asked, taking a sip of orange juice.

"Yes, ma'am, but you are too young for headaches," Keller said.

"Not really. When I was five, I used to have headaches, followed by nosebleeds. That was when I got my first pair of glasses," Brandi said as the waiter came with the bill.

"Anyway, pleasant as it is to talk, the board and I do need to know what your intentions are now that you own 5 percent of Virtanen," Keller said as Brandi's cell phone beeped. Brandi nearly sighed with relief as Reese's message that he got the FDA report came on the screen.

"Actually, I've sold my shares in Virtanen. I had a tip that the price is about to take a nosedive," Dad said, looking from Brandi's phone to Keller.

"A tip? What tip?" Keller asked in a stunned voice.

"That senior management was about to have some very serious legal problems. In fact, I took my initial investment and I shorted your company to the tune of half a billion shares," Dad said.

"If you're betting against me, you clearly don't know who you're dealing with," Keller said, seeing need to give on feeble threat.

"No, I know exactly what kind of man we're dealing with. I'm just a cop's daughter who was raised in Queens. And I know you don't care who you hurt to get what you want. And I know the only thing you do care about is money," Brandi said, putting Dana's picture on the spot where Keller's bill was so he could see it.

"So that's what me and my daughter are going to take from you. Your money. All of it. You were right, Mr. Keller. Thanks to you, I will never have to invest in another company," Dad said, laying money on the tray, grabbing Brandi by the wrist, and getting up, Brandi tightly gripping his arm as they left.

"Dad, we did it. We got justice for Dana and the six people who died because of his drug," Brandi said.

"Yes, we did, Sweetheart. Putting the picture down was good," Dad said, kissing her forehead.

"Well, like you said, we stopped them from hurting anyone else," Brandi said, pressing her face into his large chest.

"We did indeed. Let's go home. You've been up all night. You need to take a nap," Dad said, smoothing her hair gently.

"Sounds good. I do feel tired," Brandi admitted as Dad took her out to his car and they drove home.