Chapter 8

The courtroom was crowded; the blog had ignited a media frenzy involving a member of the Reagan family.

"Jackals, every single one of them," Henry Reagan whispered.

"Yes, he stirred up a frenzy; fortunately, the Mayor insisted that Eddie appear via video link," Maria replied.

Erin sat silently beside Jack at the defence table as they awaited the judge's arrival to commence Eddie's sentencing hearing.

"All rise," announced the bailiff.

As the judge took his seat, Eddie appeared on the screen in the courtroom, dressed in her orange jumpsuit from the Department of Corrections. She was shackled to a table, and two corrections officers stood behind her. Her eyes still looked reddened and hideous.

"Mr Boyle, I believe you have reached an agreement with the district attorney?" inquired the judge.

"Yes, Your Honour, my client has accepted the terms of the D.A.'s plea agreement," Jack replied.

" ADA Patterson, are the people happy with the specifics of the plea deal?" Asked the judge

"Yes, Your Honour," replied ADA Lisa Patterson.

"Reagan, could you please confirm if you accept the terms of the deal?"

Eddie managed to stand as her handcuff chains permitted. "Yes, Your Honour. I fully comprehend the terms of the agreement from the district attorney's office. I also confirm that I do not wish to be placed in protective custody," Eddie confidently stated to the judge via the video link.

A few gasps could be heard from the courtroom over her speaker.

"Order, order! I shall not tolerate interruptions," commanded the judge as he struck his gavel.

"Very well, Edit Marie Reagan, I hereby sentence you to twenty-five years in accordance with your agreement with the District Attorney's office for the second-degree murder of Candy Harrington. I urge you to reconsider accepting protective custody while serving at the Rose M. Singer Centre. Your previous role as an NYPD officer places a significant target on your back," announced the judge.

"All rise,"

Maria and Henry stood as the judge exited his courtroom. In just ten minutes, Eddie had thrown away twenty-five years of her life. The unauthorised live feed had quickly turned into a sensation across various multimedia platforms.

"Commissioner Reagan, do you have a quote for us?" shouted a journalist.

"Is your son intending to retire, Commissioner?"

"How does it feel to have a convicted murderer in the first family of the NYPD?" another journalist asked with a smirk.

Maria and Henry ignored the crowd of journalists clamouring with their incessant questions. "Just ignore them, Maria," Henry whispered as he steered her through the gauntlet of press waiting for them outside the courtroom.

BB

"That was worth every penny, Erica. It won't bring my Jake back, but seeing her shackled to the table in her orange jumpsuit was a source of comfort. Have you made arrangements for her welcome to the general population?" Martha remarked. "I need her to endure every indignity my Jake had to suffer while he was held at Rikers."

Erica loathed being micromanaged; her planning had been meticulous, and everything had gone according to her master plan. The two fools at the prison had nearly ruined things. With a bonus of $3000000.00, she had been persuaded to remain for a while longer to ensure everything proceeded as intended.

"We're sticking to the plan, Martha. Now that she has refused protective custody, we can maintain the pressure. We have easier access, and being in general population makes her an easy target. The guards will keep her safe. We can't afford to have her killed. I believe the inmates have developed a game," Erica explained.

"Good,"

"The months ahead are the most treacherous; I am confident Commissioner Reagan is conducting his investigation alongside the rest of the Reagan family. Particularly you, Lorraine, have you disposed of the clothes you wore while pretending to be Reagan?" She warned everyone

"Burnt and buried like instructed, I shredded all documents and driving licence. Everything I used to pretend to be our convict has been disposed of as per your instructions, Erica." Lorraine confirmed

"Rebbeca, Melody, Have you disposed of everything?" She asked the two remaining ladies

"Yes, all done as you instructed," both women confirmed

BB

Maria slid into the driver's seat of her car; she had just finished speaking with the courier who had delivered the spare Porsche keys.

"What does this mean, Maria?" A confused Luis asked as he took his seat

Frank had sent them a copy of the camera feed outside the 12th precinct. Frozen on the screen of her mobile phone, Eddie stood beside the courier, dressed in her NYPD patrol officer uniform.

"Why did she need a spare set of keys? Both sets are accounted for," Luis asked.

Maria had tuned out. She focused on the image of Eddie attempting to find something to prove that this wasn't Eddie. By adjusting the size of the image, she carefully searched for anything to disprove the identity.

Damn it," sighed Maria, downcast. She couldn't find anything to disprove the woman's identity on the screen outside the 12th precinct.

"That is Eddie," she confirmed. Why…..the…extra..." Maria spoke slowly as she tried to piece things together.

The Apple AirTag she had attached to her car keys captured her attention, and the fog clouding her mind seemed to lift.

"Could you check with Jamie to see if the police have requested the AirTag information from her car?" Maria asked.

Luis took out his mobile phone and called Jamie. Maria logged into her iPhone and opened her Find My iPhone app. Eddie and Maria both loved their cars, which had fitted mounts for the AirTags they used. Maria accessed Eddie's tag history and selected the date of the murder.

"That's not good." Sighed Maria

"No request has been made. Jamie didn't believe they would; they haven't asked him about the Airtags." Luis replied, "Why, Maria, have you found something we can use?"

She nodded. "I have, but it doesn't help us; it merely adds more nails to her coffin lid," Maria replied uneasily. "Her AirTag tracker from her Porsche places it in the vicinity of his murder, and she drove directly to the Hudson, where the bag was recovered from the river. All this confirms she was present at both scenes at the right time," admitted Maria, loathing herself for having to say it now. "I need to inform the detectives about the AirTags and show them the data. I have no choice, as much as this makes her appear more guilty. We cannot withhold this; it could compromise anything else we uncover," Maria confessed, despising herself for what she was about to do. It felt as though she were about to stab her friend in the back.

"What about the fingerprint from the glove fragment found with the Glock body?" Maria asked her temporary partner.

He checked his notes to refresh his memory: "Standard issue, non-latex, freely available at any NYPD precinct. The print from the torn fingertip is confirmed to belong to Eddie. Some trace was found on the underside of the slide; the chemical analysis indicates it originates from the hand cream Eddie uses. He picked Eddie out from a photo lineup, confirming she purchased the Glock." Luis double-checked his notes before continuing, "He retrieved the Glock body after witnessing Eddie dispose of it so he could sell it again." Luis briefed Maria.

"What do we know about Best?" Maria asked as she pulled away.

"The detailed wrap sheet indicates that widespread theft has infiltrated the black market for firearms in recent years. This issue is on our radar, as well as that of the ATF. He struck a deal to reduce his prison sentence by identifying Eddie, realising he could negotiate further. I examined his finances and found nothing amiss. His sister, Nattalie Best, won a tri-state lottery, receiving prizes that included a house, a car, and $100,000. She has entered the lottery for the past five years. No red flags were found," Luis explained.

Both recognised that nothing they had uncovered helped to prove Eddie's innocence; if anything, it had only served to strengthen the ADA's case against her.

"What now, Maria? We are helping to convict her instead of trying to prove her innocence. I feel utterly useless; my partner and friend is in prison, and we can't do a bloody thing about it," asked an irritated man.

Maria echoed this sentiment; it would take a miracle for a jury to acquit Eddie of first-degree murder. Every piece of evidence pointed to her guilt. Even with her extensive experience as an investigator, Maria was uncertain how to proceed, as sticking to the evidence would not be effective in this case. Whoever had framed Eddie had executed it remarkably well. She detested it, but they needed to regroup and think outside the box.

"We must reassess our way ahead. Back to Bayridge," sighed Maria, feeling discontented.

BB

Eddie walked behind the correction officer carrying her meagre possessions.

"Welcome to the general population, Princess Reagan," chuckled the corrections officer as she opened the gate.

As Eddie walked into the communal area, a deafening roar erupted from the gathered prisoners. Anticipating a hostile reception did little to prepare her for the sheer animosity from the assembled inmates. It felt as if every inmate was present.

"All your fans have gathered to greet you, Reagan. Are you quite sure you still do not wish to accept the offered protective custody?" asked the second guard, escorting her.

All the guards had heard about the game the inmates had created.

"Could you please take me to my cell, ma'am?" Eddie inquired, sounding more confident than she truly felt. She needed to do this; it was her penance for killing Candy Harrington and leaving her daughter an orphan.

"Here we are, Reagan, the finest suite on the island, fit for a princess," chuckled the guard. "Meet your cellmate, Luna Rojas, or perhaps you know her better as the Moon Panther, the enforcer for the Sinaloa Cartel."

Luna Rojas surveyed her new cellmate from head to toe, much like a predator assessing the worth of its prey. The Sinaloa cartel enforcer embodied evil. The tattoos visible on her neck showcased a record of her malevolent actions committed on behalf of the Sinaloa cartel.

Eddie felt a shiver run down her spine as she gazed at the Moon Panther. Determined not to betray her fear, she willed her legs to support her. Eddie realised she was in trouble. Maintaining eye contact, she walked confidently to her empty bunk, careful not to rush, as she did not want to reveal any fear.

Placing her possessions on her bunk, her hands shook.

"Reagan," Luna Rojas's cold voice inquired.

Eddie turned to face her cellmate. "Yes, I'm Eddie Reagan. Nice to meet you," she replied, making an effort to sound confident.

"Mmhh, Reagan..." she paused and smirked, "So, Daniel Reagan is related to you?"

"Yes," replied a concerned Eddie, recalling something about the Mexican cartels and Linda's death. Danny had taken down something significant.

Cogs in several cartels had even taken a hit on him. Fortunately, the plot had been uncovered, and some strategically placed ballistic plates were in his charger doors; Maria had saved him.

"I'm going to enjoy you, Reagan," Luna chuckled, striding out and giving Eddie a playful slap on the backside as she passed by.

To be continued