Chapter 6: Starting Points

Heather stands outside her son's school at the end of the school day waiting for him.

"Mommy look!" Quinn's happy excited voice sounds as he comes running up with an envelope in his hands and holds it out to his mother "It's a birthday party!"

"With an actual paper invitation." Heather impressively notes as she takes it and opens it up.

"Can I go?" Quinn inquires "Please!" he begs "I want to go."

"Hang on let me read it first!" Heather laughs before her face scrunches up a bit "Nathaniel Meretti." She states before looking back down at her son "I've never heard you mention you had a friend named Nathaniel Meretti."

Quinn shrugs "Whole class got invited. Pleeeeeeeeease?" he then dramatically begs again.

"The whole class?" Heather repeats in a bit of surprise as she mentally notes the kind of cost that would involve.

Quinn nods.

Heather sighs "Okay let me talk to your father and see if he knows anything about these Meretti's before we say yes okay?"

And even though a frown appears on Quinn's face he half heartedly accepts "Okay." as his Mother looks back down at the invitation

"Please bring invitation with you." Heather then reads "And present upon arrival for access."

Heather looks up confused "Geez what kind of party is this?"

…..

Caitlin sits at her desk in the precinct filling out paperwork when her Lieutenant – Lieutenant Walker walks up to her desk "Reagan, why am I receiving complaints that you are harassing the Detectives?"

Caitlin looks up and frowns "I was not harassing them." She rejects "I was asking them in they had any new leads on my parent's case and was wondering if they looked into…"

"Stop." The Lieutenant commands as he raises a hand in a stop motion "You are not a Detective." He reminds her "We all want to find who did this to your parent's Caitlin but you need to let the Detectives do their job and stay out of it."

"How can I stay out of it?" Caitlin protests "They were my parents and so far no one else has come up with anything – it's been 2 years so I've been doing some investigating on my own time and…"

"Officer Reagan!" The Lieutenant commands "You will cease and desist understand me? You will stop looking into your parent's case immediately. Not only is that a conflict of interest but you could jeopardize any further progress."

"But…"

"That's an order Officer!"

Caitlin clasps her mouth shut and takes in a deep breath of air "Yes Sir." She finally accepts.

"Good." The Lieutenant accepts before his face softens "Look Caitlin, your Dad was a friend of mine. I promise we will catch who is responsible."

"How?" Caitlin presses "No one has any leads."

"Just leave it to the Detectives." The Lieutenant reiterates "You let them do their job and you do yours." He adds as he gestures to the paperwork in front of Caitlin before turning to walk away.

Disgruntled and unhappy, Caitlin begrudgingly turns her attention back to the forms in front of her.

…

Meretti walks out his front door with Joe behind him to see Jamie and Eddie pull up in The Chevelle and he whistles in approval "Wow, you weren't kidding Joey! That's a great car!"

Joe leans over to Meretti as the car come to a stop "He rebuilt it himself."

"Really?" Meretti impressively notes as he watches Jamie and Eddie get out "You rebuilt this car yourself?"

"He looooooooves working on cars." Eddie sighs out "It's his favorite thing – beside me of course." She arrogantly adds.

"Very true." Jamie agrees as Meretti laughs.

"What's it running?" Meretti asks.

Seeing Larissa walking out the door to join them Eddie cheekily replies "An engine?"

"Oh my god!" Larissa laughs in pure amusement at hearing that "I love that answer. You Eddie Conners have my kind of humor!"

"Boys and their toys right?" Eddie prompts.

"So true." Larissa agrees "You should see what this one…" She adds as she knocks her thumb at her husband "…has in the garage."

"Unless it's a massive walk in closet..." Eddie rejects "I'm not interested."

"I'd be interested." Jamie eagerly pipes up.

"See!" Eddie laughs.

Larissa walks up to Eddie and loops one of her arms through Eddie's "Then let's leave these boys with their toys and go have our own fun!"

"Yes please!" Eddie gratefully accepts and as she lets Larissa begin to lead her away she raises her free hand into the air and waves backwards "Later Boys!"

"Oh boy." Meretti laughs "Those two together are quite the handful."

Jamie lets out a heavy sigh "Yeah."

Noticing the sudden shift in Jamie's tone, Meretti eyes him curiously "What's with the heavy sigh?"

Jamie immediately tries to cover and shake it off "Nothing." He deflects.

Having gone through Jamie's phone and knowing about the money issues, Meretti continues to eye him "You sure?" he presses as a test.

"Positive." Jamie reassures him as he plasters a fake smile on his face.

"A car like this costs a lot of money to maintain." Meretti notes.

"It does." Jamie agrees "But enough about my car. I want to see this NOT walk in closet!"

Meretti can't help but laugh "Come on." He instructs as he leads the way. The trio of men enter the garage and Meretti flicks the light on.

"Whoa." Is all Jamie can honestly get out at the sight of many expensive and classic cars – it really was like a dream playland for him…

A second later Jamie turns his head to look at Meretti "Don't tell Eddie, but I think I'm in love."

Amused, Meretti pats Jamie on the shoulder "Ooo leverage." He honestly revels.

And just like that Jamie saw the first real glimpse of how Anthony Meretti operates.

"But you gotta be honest with her man." Meretti continues on "If you start lying, that's when the problems start and things go off the rails. If you are honest, you gain their respect and as long as you have those two things - honesty and respect - life can be good. Real good." He reiterates.

Jamie eyes Meretti "I feel like we're talking about more than just women and cars here."

Meretti smiles at Jamie then glances at Joe "He's very preceptive isn't he? Leave us alone for a minute would you Joey?" He requests of Joe.

Dutifully, Joe gives a slight tip of his head in acknowledgement "I'll be right outside boss."

Meretti and Jamie watch Joe disappear and then Meretti turns to Jamie.

"The other day when you left your phone here I went through it." Meretti honestly admits.

A look of shock appears on Jamie's face "You did what?"

"You're in financial trouble."

"Look that's none of your business!" Jamie tosses back in agitation.

"You aren't here angling for work then?" Meretti presses in a test.

Jamie's face crinkles up in absolute rejection "What? NO! Look, maybe and Eddie and should just leave." He decides as he starts for the door.

"What if I offered you a job?" Meretti adds.

Jamie immediately stops walking and slowly turns to look back at Meretti "I don't need charity."

"It wouldn't be charity." Meretti counters.

Jamie sighs "Look Eddie and I like this friendship we are developing with you and Larissa – It's good to see Eddie happy again…" he tacks on "That's all I was ever trying to do was keep her happy and if I worked for you that would add a layer of weirdness to things."

Meretti nods in acceptance of that reasoning "I can see that." He agrees "So that's why you did the things you did huh? The money laundering. The ponzi schemes, to keep Eddie happy?"

Jamie looks up at Meretti in surprise.

"I did my homework." Meretti admits before looking around at his garage and cars "You don't get to be here surrounded by all this without doing your homework and taking a little initiative." He reasons out "And yes sometimes there will be setbacks but you learn from that, pick up the pieces and move on."

Jamie huffs out a sarcastic laugh "Yeah like don't get caught?"

Meretti chuckles "See I knew you were smart."

Jamie sighs "Look thanks for the offer but I've got this okay. Like I said, I don't want to take advantage of our growing friendship."

Meretti shrugs "Okay but don't say I didn't ask."

….

"I have to say Eddie…" Larissa gushes "…I love the outfit you have on!"

"Thank you." Eddie accepts "When Jamie told me we were coming over again tonight I just HAD to run out and get a new outfit! I mean it's not the one I really wanted to buy…" She adds with a hint of sadness "…but it's still nice."

Larissa looks curiously at Eddie "What do you mean?"

Playing it like she just realized she said too much, Eddie tries to deflect "Oh you know what?" Eddie dismisses with a nervous little laugh "Forget I said anything."

"No, no." Larissa insists "Tell me!"

"No." Eddie rejects as she plasters an obviously fake smile on her face "It's really fine."

Larissa walks up to Eddie and takes both her hands in hers "Eddie…" She begins in true concern "It's okay. You can tell me anything."

Eddie looks at Larissa as if struggling to decide what to do "I just wish things could go back to the way that they were." Eddie finally sighs out in defeat.

"Come." Larissa insists as she guides Eddie to a couch "Sit. Tell me everything."

….

"Here." Heather states the second she sees her boyfriend / partner enter their house "Quinn got this at school today." She adds as she swipes up the birthday invite and holds it out to him "Apparently the whole class got invited." She explains as she watches Alex open it up "I thought throwing a birthday party for 10 was expensive so I can only imagine how much one for an entire class costs."

"The Merettis?" Alex states in shock the moment he reads the name.

"You know them?" Heather inquires.

"Well yeah." Alex begins "They are one of the…" But for a brief moment Alex's voice trails off and he only finishes that sentence in his head "…biggest crime families."

...But suddenly his head is thinking this might be a good way to get in the front door and have a look around...

"…Richest families around." He finishes instead.

"Figures." Heather admits.

"I'll take him." Alex suddenly just offers.

Heather eyes him suspiciously.

"What?" Alex defends "It's a Saturday."

"Hmmmm." Heather muses "I know that look Alex – there is something you are not telling me."

Alex smiles sweetly at his girlfriend but Heather crosses her arms and gets a very unamused look on her face "Spill. Now." She demands.

The smile drops from Alex's face "Okay so maybe the DA's office has been trying to build a case against Meretti for a while now…"

A very unimpressed look appears on Heather's face "For what?"

"Oh you know." Alex tries to just dismissively deflect.

"No." Heather rejects "I don't know. That is why I'm asking."

"It's confidential." Alex states.

"Sure it is." Heather challenges.

"Hey." Alex defends "You got HIPAA, I got attorney / client privilege."

"You work for the DA's office." Heather reminds him.

"Same rules still apply." Alex points out "Look don't worry about it, I'll take him – I'll even help him pick out the gift!"

Heather shakes her head as she turns to walk away "Yeah, that's so not helping to alleviate my worry."

"Hey!" Alex calls out in defense of himself "I'm a good gift giver!" which causes Heather to abruptly stop walking and turn to stare at her boyfriend.

At seeing the look she is giving him, Alex starts to second guess himself "Aren't I?"

"Let me put it this way…" Heather offers "You're lucky I love you." She finishes before just turning to again walk away.

"Ouch." Alex mutters before changing gears "QUINN!" he calls as he heads off in search of his son "HEARD YOU GOT INVITED TO A PARTY!"

…..

Caitlin walks into her house, drops the mail and her bag and heads straight for the dining room. She walks up to the table and looks at all the paperwork and files and research she has complied on her parent's case and a look of determination appears on her face "The hell I'll stay out of it." She decides before once again sitting down and getting to work.

…

With smiles on their faces, Eddie calls "BYE!" before she and Jamie sink into the seats of The Chevelle and shut their doors. They continue to smile as Jamie starts the car and pulls away and it is only once Meretti and Larissa are out of view that the smiles drop from their faces.

"How'd it go?" Jamie prompts.

"Exactly as planned." Eddie replies "You?"

"Meretti offered me a job."

A look of surprise appears on Eddie face.

"It was a test." Jamie reveals "I turned him down."

"Ah." Eddie notes "Well hopefully Larissa is trying to sweet talk her husband into making a real offer – by the way, you know anything about throwing kids birthday parties?"

Jamie glances at his wife with a curious and confused look on his face.

"Nathan's Birthday is coming up." Eddie explains "Larissa got a phone call from her party planner while we were talking. Not sure exactly what happened but Larissa clearly did not like something they had to say – they had words and then Larissa fired them."

"O…kay…" Jamie slowly states trying to figure out where his wife is going with this.

"So I offered to plan it." Eddie reveals "Told her I used to plan parties all the time before, well… you know we had no money."

Jamie's mouth falls slightly open as he again glances at his wife with a 'why would you do that' look on his face.

"Hey!" Eddie defends "I AM a good party planner – threw some great ones back in my high school and college days!"

Jamie shakes his head "So not THAT kind of party." He points out.

"I know." Eddie agrees "That's why I'm asking you if you have any experience – I mean Nicky and the boys must have had countless birthday parties right?"

"I attended them." Jamie corrects "I didn't plan them."

"Well just dig back in those memories of yours, tell me what you saw and using that I can work backwards to recreate it."

"Our parties were never extravagant Eddie." Jamie points out "They were just your standard…"

"Jamie." Eddie interrupts "I understand that. I'm just looking for ideas I can build upon – trust me I know I'll need to amp it up to the Meretti's standards."

Jamie's takes in a deep breath of air "Okay well there was this one time…"

…..

Larissa frowns and sighs "Oh come on Tony Baby!" She pleads to her husband.

"Larissa Honey, I offered him a job. He turned me down."

"Because he's too proud!" Larissa counters "Look Eddie said the other night they went out to eat and the credit card got declined. She was soooooo embarrassed. She says she loves him but admits things like this can put a strain on a marriage and I just don't want to see them break up over this because they are so perfect together."

Meretti shakes his head and chuckles a little at his wife "Always the romantic."

"Come on please! For me?" Larissa begs with her best puppy dog eyes "You must have SOMETHING around here he can't say no to - I mean what about your cars? He loves working on cars right?"

Meretti sighs. "Look I love you, you know that but I can't force him to take a job – besides I already have a mechanic."

Around the corner listening in, Joe furrows his brow in thought at hearing that "Hmmmm well what if you didn't have a mechanic…." He wonders to himself.

….

Next we see a collage of Joe setting Meretti's car mechanic up to make it look he is spying on Meretti and his wife by discreetly borrowing the mechanic's phone that is just lying on the tool tray while he is busy under a car making repairs and using it to take multiple photos of the couple. He then arranges for Meretti to 'accidentally' see the photos on the mechanic's phone causing an outraged and now dangerous looking Meretti to confront a confused and pleading mechanic but Meretti doesn't buy the 'it wasn't me!' act and gesturing for Joe to take him away…

Now truly in need of a mechanic, Meretti calls Jamie.

…

Driving when his phone starts to ring, Jamie pulls it out and hands it to Eddie in the passenger's seat.

She hits answer and puts it on speaker.

"Hello?" Jamie answers "And be warned, you're on speaker because I'm driving."

"Hi!" Eddie chipperly greets.

"Noted!" A back to being pleasant Tony laughs "Hey Jamie listen, I know what we talked about before but I truly do have work to offer you. I just had to get rid of my mechanic. Are you interesting in replacing him?"

Jamie glances at Eddie and Eddie looks at him at the use of the words 'get rid of'…

"Seriously?" Jamie inquires.

"Seriously." Meretti reiterates "Look you would actually be doing me a huge favor because I don't let just anyone work on my cars so if you decline I have to go through a very tedious and long process of finding someone else."

Jamie again glances at Eddie and raises an eyebrow.

Eddie looks at Jamie then blurts out "He'll take it!"

"Jamie you sounded a little strange there." Meretti humorous notes.

"Well the wife heard the offer." Jamie notes "So I guess I can't say no now."

"Definitely not saying no." Eddie reiterates.

"Great." Meretti accepts "Start tomorrow?" he inquires.

"Being a Monday." Jamie notes "Sounds like a plan."

"Great. Bye." Meretti accepts before disconnecting from the call.

For a moment Jamie and Eddie just sit in silence as Jamie continues to drive.

"Seems a little suspicious the mechanic's job suddenly just opened up." Jamie finally admits.

Eddie ponders her husband's statement "Joe?" She queries in thought.

Jamie sighs "Guess we'll find out."

….

Joe arrives for Sunday Dinner and barely gets a foot in the door when Jamie demands "What did you do?"

"Nice to see you too." Joe tosses back as he steps into the room.

"Answer the question." Jamie demands.

"Yes sir." Joe immediately but a bit mockingly replies "However could I first ask what exactly the question is that you want me to answer?"

Eddie rolls her eyes "Play nice." She warns as she walks to the table with potholders protecting her hands from the steaming hot pan of her Mother's lasagna she is carrying.

"Why did Meretti have to suddenly 'get rid of' his mechanic?" Jamie clarifies.

"Oh that." Joe dismisses as Eddie picks up a knife already on the table "I set him up."

An unhappy look of disbelief appears on Jamie's face "You set him…" he begins but then just skips right to the real question "How?"

"I swiped his phone..." Joe begins to explain as Eddie begins to cut the lasagna "…took some photos of Meretti and his wife and made it look like he was spying on them – you're welcome by the way."

Jamie squeezes his eyes closed tight "And how exactly did Meretti 'get rid' of him?" he demands through gritted teeth.

"He ordered me to off him." Joe simply replies.

"Damn it Joe!" Jamie barks out in the ultimate frustration.

"Oh it's not like I went through with it." Joe dismisses.

"What did you do?" Eddie simply questions as she begins to dish out lasagna onto plates.

"I convinced him to turn states evidence and handed him over to ATF."

Jamie looks at his nephew absolutely floored "Without telling me?" He counters in frustrated exasperation.

"Us." Eddie mutters to herself as she sits down "But whatever." She adds before clearing her throat "Boy this lasagna sure looks good." She declares out into the room in a much louder voice.

Taking the cue, both Jamie and Joe move to take their seats at the table.

"Look I'm not going to apologize for what I did." Joe tells his Uncle and in his distracted state he reaches to pickup a fork and jam it into the lasagna as if to begin eating but a second later he stops when Eddie's hand springs out and lightly slaps his hand away from the fork.

"Grace." She simply reminds him before clasping her hands together then bowing her head.

"Sorry." Joe apologizes as he retracts his arm then follows his Aunt by clasping his hands and bowing his head too.

"Wow." Jamie sarcastically notes as he too clasps his hands together "It's not that he doesn't know how to apologize, he just doesn't want too." He tosses out before also bowing his head "Bless us oh lord…"

And so as Jamie continues to say Grace, Eddie lifts her head to look between the two men at the table and she heavily sighs.

...