Chapter 12: Learning New Information
Jamie stands watching Meretti look over all the receipts and invoices he created.
"Well I'm impressed." Meretti admits as the puts the folder of paperwork down and picks up a black bag "Time to make your first deposit." He instructs as he holds the bag out to Jamie "Joey." Meretti then instructs "Go with Jamie, make sure things go smoothly."
"Sure thing boss." Joe accepts as he and Jamie start for the door but a moment later Meretti reaches out and holds Joe back "Keep an eye on him." He quietly prompts "Make sure nothing in that bag mysteriously disappears."
"On it." Joe again accepts.
….
Jamie and Joe walk out of the Meretti house and head towards The Chevelle parked on the other side of the courtyard.
"Wanna hear something funny?" Joe suddenly but quietly queries to his uncle.
Jamie gives Joe a quizzical look.
"Meretti is sending me with you…" Joe explains in amusement "…because he doesn't trust you not to skim a little off the top for yourself."
Jamie tries to contain his smile at the irony of that "But he trusts you." He points out.
Joe arrogantly smiles "Apparently."
"I will be on my best behaviour." Jamie amusingly promises before breaking off from Joe a bit so he can head to the driver's side of his car.
Joe abruptly stops walking "Still not going to let me drive huh?"
Crinkling his face in rejection, Jamie also stops walking and turns to face his nephew "It's my car."
Joe shrugs then moves to the passenger's side so Jamie continues to the driver's side.
Silence as they both open their car doors and sink into their seats with Jamie also throwing the bag of money into the back seat.
They both close their doors and it's only then that Joe continues "Used to be my Dad's car though."
"So?" Jamie counters as he sticks his key in the ignition.
"I'm just saying…" Joe continues on as Jamie starts the car "Had things played out differently maybe this would be my car now."
Ever so slowly Jamie turns his head to glare at his nephew "Well it didn't." he reiterates annoyed before shifting into drive and turning his attention out the windshield as he pulls away.
Silence.
"So how exactly did you crash her anyway?" Joe suddenly inquires.
Jamie takes in a deep breath of air and just continues to drive.
"Hey." Joe defensively tacks on "You said that was in the big fat file of things I didn't know well how am I supposed to know if no one tells me?"
Jamie let's out the breath of air "Fine." He relents "I was investigating the Blue Templar. I thought I could finish what your Dad started and in response, the Templar cut my brake lines. I had to crash her into a cement barricade to stop her."
"Oh." Joe quietly notes.
"I was lucky to get out alive." Jamie adds.
"This Blue Templar…" Joe begins "I know bits of the story…"
"Look…" Jamie interrupts "Can we not talk about this now? We both really need to focus on that bag of money in the backseat."
"How did you even know how to do all that stuff back there?" Joe queries "Creating fake receipts and invoices?"
"Learnt from an expert." Jamie replies.
"Expert?" Joe questions.
Jamie nods "Yup."
Joe crinkles his face up as he looks at his uncle "What did you just call up a previous collar of yours out of the blue and say hey can you teach me how to launder money?"
"He wasn't a previous collar." Jamie counters "He was in Fort Dix for a bit though." He admits as he thinks back "But ended his sentence at Otisville and I didn't just call him up out of the blue…" he corrects "…I had Eddie called him up and invited him and my mother in law over for dinner."
"Wait…" Joe slowly begins "You mean… Eddie's Dad?"
Jamie nods "Yup."
"Wow." Joe notes "That must have been some evening."
"It was… interesting." Jamie admits as he thinks back.
FLASHBACK – Jamie and Eddie's apartment back in New York
Jamie, Eddie, Armin and Lena all sit around the table eating.
"So Mom. Dad." Eddie begins "Jamie and I didn't just invite you here out of the blue – we have a favor to ask."
"Yes." Jamie confirms as he puts his fork down and looks directly at his father in law "I need you to teach me how to launder money."
Eddie silently eyes her Father and Mother waiting for their reactions but at first both seem a little speechless and even confused by the request.
"I'm sorry…" Armin finally and very slowly begins "You want me to what?"
"Teach me how to launder money." Jamie repeats.
Armin and Lena just continue to stare at Jamie in dumbfounded shock causing the corners of Eddie's mouth to start curving up into a smile "It's for a case." She helpfully tacks on in explanation.
Armin's eyes drift to his daughter then back to Jamie looking for confirmation of what she said so when Jamie nods his head yes, Armin and Lena both let out breaths of air in pure relief.
"You really should have led with that." Armin chides "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"YOU?!" Lena barks out "That was NOT funny!"
"Sorry." Jamie apologizes even though a smile of his own is starting to creep up on his face.
"It was a little funny." Eddie corrects "The looks on your faces was priceless."
"Well can you blame us?" Lena bites back.
"Oh come on!" Eddie laughs "You couldn't possibly think Jamie really wanted to launder money for personal gain – I mean Hello! He's JAMIE!"
"Well I didn't think your father would either until he did." Lena grumbles out.
"Okay." Eddie awkwardly concedes "Good point."
"How about we just get back on track here okay?" Jamie suggests in an attempt to curb the growing uncomfortableness in the room "Eddie and I have agreed to go on an undercover assignment that will quite possibly require me to… 'fit in' as a money launder so I need someone to teach me the ins and outs – and I mean all of them."
"Well now isn't this the perfect father / son in law bonding moment." Lena laughs out in disbelief.
Armin shoots his wife a frown before looking at his daughter unsure "And you're sure you're okay with me doing this? Really?"
Eddie shrugs "We're trying to catch some really bad guys Dad. This will help us."
Armin shakes his head a little in awe "Okay." He agrees.
….
Eddie standing in the kitchen washing dishes while Lena sits across from her sipping wine at the counter but both women's attention is focused on the kitchen table where Jamie sits with his laptop in front of him typing while Armin sits in the seat next to him.
"You mean like this?" Jamie questions as he turns the laptop around to show Armin.
Armin looks at the screen and reads "Um, yeah. Exactly like that." He replies thoroughly impressed "Boy, you sure are picking this up quick."
Back at the counter, Eddie snickers "Well he is a Harvard law graduate."
Lena gets a longing look on her face - she loved her son in law, truly she did but man, the life she (and of course Eddie) could have had if he had continued on that path.
Seeing the look on her Mother's face, Eddie immediately knows what she's thinking so right as Lena opens her mouth to speak, Eddie reaches across the counter and gently moves the glass of wine in Lena's hand towards her Mother's lip stopping her.
"Just drink your wine." Eddie instructs.
Lena throws Eddie a look but Eddie gives her one right back so begrudgingly Lena brings the glass to her lips and takes a long, drawn out sip in an attempt to refrain herself from saying what she is really thinking.
End of Flashback.
"Harvard?" Joe questions in disbelief "5 years I've known you. How did I NOT know that?"
Jamie shrugs "Big fat file." He reiterates as he pulls into a lot to park.
Joe blows out a breath of air still trying to process the information be just learnt about his uncle.
Reaching into the backseat to grab the duffel bag, Jamie notices the look on Joe's face "Hey." He prompts "Focus." He instructs as he pulls the bag forward towards him.
"Yeah." Joe immediately agrees so they both open their doors and get out.
…..
Jamie and Joe are heading in the direction of the bank when they hear a woman call out "JAMIE!"
Immediately recognizing Caitlin's voice, Jamie freezes and then for a brief second scrunches his face up in a cringe as if in pain while silently cursing the timing of her seeing them "Great." He mutters out before plastering a smile on his face and whipping around to face the younger Reagan "What are the odds?"
"I know right." Caitlin happily agrees before looking over at Joe "Hey other Reagan."
"It's Hill." Jamie deadpans out - again revealing information to this woman causing Joe to ever so slowly turn his head and stare at his uncle floored.
"It's Joe." Joe finally introduces as he slowly turns his attention back to the woman "And you are?"
"Oh right!" Caitlin laughs as she extends her hand out "Caitlin Reagan. Nice to officially meet you Jamie Reagan and Joe Hill."
"Please stop calling me that." Jamie hisses out in annoyance.
"Right." Caitlin accepts "Jamie Conners." She corrects with a wink.
Joe again looks at Jamie floored "YOU TOLD HER?"
Realizing no one is taking her hand, Caitlin retracts her arm.
Jamie heavily sighs "She figured it out on her own."
"How?" Joe wonders causing Jamie to start laughing.
"Oh you'll love this one!" Jamie begins as he lifts a hand and points at Caitlin "She's a rookie cop."
Joe looks at his uncle in a bit of surprise "Get out." He rejects.
"No it's true." Caitlin pipes up as she moves her jacket out of the way to show she shield clipped to her waist "See."
"Yes." Jamie suddenly agrees "And I think one day she'll make a really good Detective." He admits before looking at his nephew "Maybe she could give you some pointers." He needles.
Joe glares at his uncle.
Caitlin looks back and forth between the men "What am I missing here?"
"Nothing." Joe promises at the same time Jamie says "Never mind."
"Wait." Caitlin realizes as she looks at Joe "Are you a Detective? You must be some kind of cop if the three of you are working an undercover case."
Jamie flips his hand out towards Caitlin in an arrogant 'see told you.' gesture.
"Cool!" Caitlin quips "If only my brother were a cop too we'd be all set but noooo he had to become a lawyer for the DA's office!"
At hearing that, Jamie and Joe both just slowly turns their heads to stare at Caitlin.
Finally Joe leans slightly towards his uncle "Is she kidding? She has to be kidding… right?"
Jamie again scrunches his face up but this time in thought "Something tells me she's not… wait is his name Alex?"
Caitlin looks up in surprise "Yes!"
"Okay." Joe admits as he replays Alex trying to snoop around in Meretti's house and him approaching the table in the restaurant in his mind "That all makes a bit more sense now." He reasons out.
"Yes it does." Jamie agrees.
Not following, Caitlin again inquires "What?"
"Nothing." Jamie and Joe reply.
Caitlin narrows her eyes at the men "You two are annoying."
Jamie leans slightly into Caitlin and looks her square in the eye "So I've been told." He repeats back to her.
"Hey!" Caitlin chides "That's my line!"
"No." Jamie rejects "Actually it was mine first – I'm older." He adds before simply turning to walk away.
A little confused Caitlin watches Jamie leave then slowly turns to look questioningly at Joe.
"I have no idea." Joe admits before quickly adding "Gotta go. Bye." as he starts to head off after his uncle but Caitlin's arm reaches out to stop him.
"Wait!" Caitlin protests "Is Hill your real name or undercover name? What should I call you?"
Joe looks at the woman and just like Jamie, finds himself telling her "Phillips. Call me Joe Phillips."
"Hill real..." Caitlin then deduces in understanding as Jamie turns to look back and realizes Joe isn't following him "…Phillips UC – got it!" She continues as Jamie rolls his head slightly in exasperation as he starts back for the pair "Jamie and Eddie Conners and Joe Phillips – but you are a Reagan though right?"
Joe again just stares at this woman and her persistence but having heard the question as he walks back up Jamie just replies "Yes but it's complicated. Now we need to go." He tells his nephew "Come on."
Joe again looks at his Uncle "Why do you keep telling her stuff?"
"Because it's just easier." Jamie explains "Otherwise she'll just be annoying and dig and dig until she finds out anyway."
Caitlin nods her head in complete agreement with Jamie "That sounds about right." She confirms.
"At least this way." Jamie adds as he turns to Caitlin and gives her a disapproving look "I can control the narrative and avoid any unnecessary extra attention her actions might attract."
Caitlin slightly rolls her eyes.
"But can we trust her?" Joe asks.
Jamie eyes Caitlin, takes in a deep breath and lets it out "Something tells me yes." He admits.
Slowly the corners of Caitlin's mouth curve up into a great big smile.
Jamie shakes his head at Caitlin then looks at his nephew "Come on." He instructs before guiding him away.
But on instinct, Caitlin runs in front and blocks their path "Oh no." She rejects "You are not doing that to me yet again."
Jamie and Joe both stop walking and heavily sigh.
"What?" Jamie just demands in exasperation "What already?"
Caitlin looks at the men before her trying to come up with an actual reason for her spontaneous actions of stopping them "So what's in the bag?" She just blurts out, out of the blue.
Jamie and Joe again just stare at her.
"Gym clothes." Jamie suddenly replies.
"Yup." Joe immediately agrees "Gym clothes."
Now suspicious of what she is hearing, Caitlin looks down at the bag then up at the two men before her so Jamie locks eyes with her and with a piercing stare reiterates "Gym clothes."
Slowly realization dawns on Caitlin "Gym clothes." She repeats with an up and down nod of her head.
"Yes." Jamie confirms as he also nods his head "Gym clothes."
"Got it." Caitlin accepts.
Silence.
But wanting to make absolutely sure she is reading Jamie and the situation correctly, Caitlin leans slightly forward and whispers "But that's not really gym clothes though right?"
Slowly Jamie closes his eyes and takes in a deep calming breath of air. God she truly was annoying...
A moment later Jamie simply opens his eyes and turns to look at Joe "Let's go."
"Yup." Joe agrees as both men then side step and move around Caitlin to continue on their path forward.
In response Caitlin mentally kicks herself "Smooth Reagan." She mutters out as she turns to walk in the opposite direction "Real smooth. Of course it isn't gym clothes" she mocks to herself in disgust "What a stupid question to ask. Gym clothes." She again huffs out as she also walks away.
...
A/N: I can't remember if there was ever a scene onscreen where Joe found out that Jamie went to Harvard and used to be a lawyer so for the purposes of this story Joe didn't know.