Chapter 2

"What the hell!" Demanded a furious Jamie. He stood so quickly his chair fell over. "No way Eddie is a murderer," Jamie repeated.

"Jamie, please sit down and control your temper. Save it for when it's needed," Frank calmly told his youngest son. Erin and Maria helped the distressed Jamie return to his seat.

Sid walked into the commissioner's office, his cell phone to his ear, "How much do you want to know officially?" He asked as he ended his call

"Officially nothing, Sid; I have to allow the system to work, as we all need to keep our fingers away from this case," Frank warned everyone. I could not be seen to interfere. It wouldn't help Eddie.

Sid turned to Maria and said, " I have no choice, Sergeant Reagan. I need your weapon. You are suspended for one month without pay for insubordination." Sid held out his hand for Maria's service weapon.

The two Reagan brothers jumped, prepared to attack Sid. However, Erin stopped them and pushed both of her brothers down. She realised what Sid was doing; he hadn't taken her shield away. This was their father helping subtly.

"I think it might be advisable to get Eddie an attorney. They have Eddie's DNA on the victim's body and clothing." Sid warned,

"I asked Jack to represent her little brother. Regardless of our opinions about him as a person, he is an excellent defence attorney and will ensure that Eddie is not railroaded," Erin smiled.

"Thanks, Sis, I owe you," Jamie told his sister

Frank remained quiet as he calculated what to do: "Everyone, back to Bayridge. We need to discuss this away from 1PP. I must tell Pop before he marches down to the precinct to demand her immediate release."

Sid sighed. "Boss, what do you want Garrett to do? Should I get him to write a press release so we can get ahead of the press?" Frank nodded

BB

Eddie felt violated. She had never experienced this side of being arrested and processed. After stripping, she dressed in her paper suit and placed her pyjamas in the evidence bags. Eddie shivered as she stood, having her fingerprints scanned, unsure if her shivering was from the cold or her anxiety.

Her hands were cuffed, and she was led into the interrogation room.

"Sorry, Officer Reagan. I have my orders." Her escort apologised as she secured her cuffs to the table.

Eddie nodded, still reeling from her arrest for the suspected murder of someone she had never met. Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of two detectives.

"Officer Reagan, can you confirm you have been read your rights and understand them," asked the detective as he took his seat

"I have, and I do," Eddie replied robotically.

"I am Detective Jim Broadbent, and this is Inspector Nyall O'Day. Can you confirm your whereabouts between 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM on Sunday, Officer Reagan?" Detective Broadbent asked.

"I was ill in my apartment for three days after swimming in the Hudson. My husband can confirm that." She answered, her head still feeling fuzzy from her cold medication

Both seasoned interrogators recognised she was feeling the adverse effects of her cold, but she had agreed to continue. "When did you last fire your service and off-duty weapons, Officer Reagan?" Asked the inspector, changing tact

Eddie pondered momentarily, trying to remember, "End of last month, I fired them both at the range.

"Do you know a Simon Beresford?"

She shook her head. "The name doesn't ring a bell. Should I know him?"

Inspector O'Day placed three photographs of the deceased on the table. Eddie moved them closer for her to examine. "No, don't recognise him," she confirmed

'Oh, how do you explain your DNA being present on his clothing and body? If, as you say, you didn't know who he was?" Detective Broadbent asked. "That places you at the crime scene with the victim. Would you like to tell me why you met with him and then killed him? Did you have an altercation with him?"

"No, I didn't know the man, let alone kill him. My DNA could have been planted. What motive did I have to kill him?" snapped Eddie. Usually, she would have held her tongue, feeling awful that her usual control over her emotions was slipping; they were getting to her far too quickly.

"Remember Her Officer Reagan?" Inspector O'Day asked, placing a picture in front of Eddie

She recognised her old partner, Rachel Witten, but she needed to determine her involvement. Looking across the table, she waited for him to continue. This was leading somewhere.

Detective Broadbent placed a series of pictures on the table. They were from the aftermath of a shoot-out she had with her partner at a factory where Rachael had shot and fatally wounded the perpetrator after he opened fire at her with an automatic assault rifle. It had been Rachael's first kill in the line of duty. Inspector O'Day placed an additional picture on top of the pile of Eddie screaming in the face of Simon Beresford.

'Oh shit,' she thinks, remembering how she went all mama bear on some idiot blogger who got in Rachael's face and hassled her about excessive force. She honestly didn't remember the face. She was too concerned about her partner.

"I remember the incident when my partner saved my life. I recall going ballistic at some foolish blogger. I didn't remember the face, so I wasn't lying. I don't recall Beresford." She honestly told them

A knock on the door interrupted the two interrogators. She remained impassive as Detective Broadbent took the note handed to him. He quickly read it and then passed it to his partner.

Detective Broadbent checked his iPad and scrolled back to review something. She sighed internally at the tactic; she had learned interrogation techniques at the academy and understood what he was trying to do.

"The end of last month was the last time you fired both weapons at the range. To check, Officer Reagan?" He asked

"Yes, The 30th, I think; I will be on camera if you want to check," she answered.

"We Will, Officer Reagan. Could you explain why your pyjamas tested positive for gunshot residue?" Eddie could feel their eyes locked on her face, looking for her reaction,

"It's impossible. There's no way I can have gunshot residue on my pyjamas; it must be a false positive." She was reeling. Things weren't going well for her, but the evidence started stacking against her.

"Gentlemen, I need time to talk with my client, Jack Boyle. I have been retained as counsel for Mrs. Reagan." He smiled at Eddie as he confidently walked into the interrogation room and placed his attaché case on the table.

"Thirty minutes," Inspector O'Day smiled.

Jack smiled as he watched the men leave the room. "Erin asked me to represent you, Eddie. Do you need anything before we talk?" he asked.

She nodded and replied, "No, thank you, Jack."

BB

Luis Badillo turned around, uncertain whether to continue. He stood on Harbor View Terrace, gazing at the colonial-style brick house that belonged to the police commissioner.

"This is for Eddie. I need to man up," he muttered, trying to find the motivation for the final few feet.

"Officer Badillo, it's warmer in the house; trust me," Henry Reagan chuckled. "I couldn't take your pacing much longer. We have been taking bets on how long it would take you to persuade yourself to knock on the front door."

Luis bowed his head in shame, mortified that he had been seen being so indecisive. "Sorry, Sir," he said.

Henry shook his head and smiled at the uncomfortable man, "Are you here for your partner, Luis?" Henry asked

"Yes sir, she is not a murderer," He confidently told the former commissioner.

Henry smiled at Eddie's partner, proud of the officer's complete confidence in her. "It's Henry. Come on in, and let's get you warmed up."

BB

"Thanks, Maria," Luis took the offered coffee.

Frank smiled at his officer. " What are you so conflicted about, Officer Badillo,"

He took a long slurp of his coffee before starting to talk. "A witness came forward at the scene, reporting strange activity by the river. She noted seeing a blonde woman driving a Porsche Boxster who quickly pulled up, tossed a bag into the river, and drove away. The description of the perpetrator is as follows: blonde, between 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 125 to 130 pounds and wearing black pyjamas. The partial license plate she provided matched Eddie's Porsche. I overheard that they intended to send divers to search for the bag that was thrown into the river."

"What is going on?" Jamie asked in surprise

Erin returned, putting her cell phone in her pocket, her face filled with concern. "That was Jack. Eddie's clothes tested positive for gunshot residue. Her weapons are at the crime lab being test-fired. Eddie confronted the victim after her former partner fatally shot a suspect. She exploded at Beresford, who was just a blogger at the time." Erin paused to look around the room

"Out with it, Sis," Danny prompted

" Jack is concerned with the evidence they have so far. They are close to having enough to charge her with murder in the first degree. They have sixty hours left before they have to charge or release her. " she told the group.

"What do you think, ADA Reagan," Frank asked his daughter.

I agree with Jack. The evidence places Eddie at the scene, and the DNA confirms their case. They found gunshot residue on her clothing, which she cannot explain. The eyewitness who came forward described Eddie. I would have her participate in a lineup to see if she can be identified. It is almost at a level I would be happy to charge Eddie with first-degree murder. The ballistic results will tip the case over the edge if they match the rifling on her weapon." Erin concluded, looking regretfully at her little brother

"Sorry, Jamie, the scales of justice are weighed against Eddie. We need her weapons to be discounted at the crime lab." Erin hated the hurt she could see on her brother's face.

Luis Badillo stood nervously in the commissioner's house, feeling far outside his comfort zone. He wanted to offer his help, thinking, 'I have to do this for Eddie." Commissioner, sir, I want to help. I can take some leave to assist. My partner is not a murderer," he finally said, voicing his offer.

"Thank you, Luis," Jamie smiled at his wife's partner.

Frank smiled, thinking he was a good fit for Eddie as her partner. "Thank you, Officer Badillo."

BB

Inspector O'Day smiled as he took his seat. "Ready to continue, Officer Reagan?" He asked

Eddie nodded her head, "Good, now let me tell you what happened, Officer Reagan." Detective Broadbent told her

Eddie nodded, feeling a bit annoyed by all the theatrics. Jack had warned her to tone down her sarcasm and not to torment her interrogators.

"Good. You arranged a meeting with Simon Beresford. Once he arrived, you lured him to the place where you executed the man with two bullets in his chest. You camly policed your shell casings and removed his cell phone. You walked away. Returning home, you were supposedly too ill to attend the weekly dinner at the commissioner's house, which all of you Reagans must attend. How did I do, Officer?" Detective Broadbent finished his speech.

Eddie raised her eyebrows. "How did I manage to lure him?" she asked, ready to poke holes in his theory.

"You sent him a text message," answered Inspector O'Day.

"How I didn't have his number. If you check my phone, you won't find any messages." She instantly challenged

"Do you have his cell phone?" Jack asked

"No, counsellor, your client disposed of his cell phone. We have a copy of his calls and text messages provided by his cell provider. TARU has done their magic. Do you recognise the highlighted cell number?" Inspector O'Day asked, sliding across a sheet of paper.

"That's my cell number," answered a shocked Eddie. "Check my phone; I never sent that message. That's wrong," she commanded.

"Your calls and text messages, Officer," Inspector O'Day said as he placed the call log on the table.

"No! That's impossible!" gasped Eddie as she looked at the highlighted text. Jack took the sheet. "No, no, this must be an error," she said, shocked that this was happening.

Detective Broadbent adjusted his tactics to keep the suspect off balance. "We have an eyewitness who saw you and your Porsche Boxster by the river, throwing a package into the water. Additionally, we have a partial license plate that matches your car, and divers are searching for that package. I am guessing that package contains the victim's cell phone and the shell casings you picked up."

"Is there camera footage of my client doing this?" Jack asked

"Unfortunately, your client chose a location where the camera was not operational as it was awaiting a spare part to be ordered. However, we plan to have a lineup to see if our witness can identify your client," explained Detective Broadbent.

"Time for a break, gentlemen. I need to chat with my client," Jack said.

To be continued