Chapter 14
"Death resulted from an overdose of liquid nicotine mixed into her food; the spicy dish masked the slight bitterness of the nicotine," the chief Marshall explained.
Frank Reagan's gut was in turmoil; his mind was racing. It seemed like they were making progress with the arrest of Rebecca Lowes. The sudden silencing of Stacey Wilson was very disturbing. This murder was not a cartel hit; it was too subtle for them.
"Ready, Frank? This is her dying declaration," the deputy marshal asked.
Voice recording
"This is the dying declaration of Stacey Wilson," announced a weak voice. "Daisey and William McCree paid for a baby girl…[Cough]… illegal adoption…[Argh]… not good people… sex offender… [Argh]… woman facilitator, redhead, first name Erica… besties with …[Cough]… Edna Ritch, chief guard …not know last name; check camera footage from unit… [Argh]… ordered beatings… [Argh]… "
End voice recording
After listening to her dying declaration, Frank jotted down a few ideas: " The McCrees, who is dealing with them?" he asked, a hint of disgust in his voice. He detested anyone who messed with children; babies made his blood boil.
"FBI, I asked a friend in the Crimes Against Children division to take them into custody. They are in segregated custody under assumed names. The baby will be placed into care until the courts decide on her placement. Agents are questioning them, and they face serious federal prison time. Kidnapping and transporting a minor across state lines for sexual purposes carries a minimum of ten years alone. They will break," the deputy marshal explained.
Everyone in law enforcement disliked child exploitation cases; those involving infants were the most unsettling.
" What do we know about the red-headed facilitator? Is she known to you or the FBI?" Frank asked, referring to his notes.
The deputy marshal shook his head. " The FBI is aware of a freelance facilitator operating for various sides. Until yesterday, we didn't even know their gender; they excel at remaining hidden. It is understood that they are ruthless, as many people have died if the accounts are accurate. The ASAC will contact you later today; they are interested in this new information."
"Thank you for your assistance; I appreciate it," Frank said genuinely.
" Semper Fi, Frank."
"Oorah," replied the former Marine.
BB
Rebecca Lowes spoke with her lawyer during a break in her interrogation. Jamie Reagan monitored her every movement closely, paying particular attention to her body language. Her subtle cues revealed everything the Reagans needed to know; she appeared outwardly calm but behaved like an indifferent woman.
She had a slight tick just above her left eyebrow that worsened with increased stress; it acted like an indicator light.
"Jamie, I think we need to use you as our trump card once we tell her we know about this red-headed facilitator called Erica and see what we get. We can use the death of Stacey Wilson; we can allow her to think about her safety and how easily they got to Stacey Wilson even though Marshalls protected her. A full-frontal attack won't get us anywhere," Maria suggested
Danny smiled at his wife. "Careful, Sergeant Reagan; you're channeling me so well."
" I agree; she hasn't told us much. She seems too comfortable at the moment. It's time to shake things up a bit. She is not the mastermind, yet she faces all that jail time, and the possibility that her life could be in danger might get us what we want. I agree, Maria," Jamie said, never taking his eyes off her.
" What do we do about the other things from her dying declaration?" Danny asked.
"No, let's stick with our plan for Lowe's. We can discuss everything later; we can't rush into anything without thinking carefully."
BB
Eddie was reading on her bunk when she heard what she thought were
Muffled cries from her call mate echoed. This was not the Sinaloa Cartel enforcer she remembered; she didn't allow her emotions to surface.
Luna Rojas was an incredibly intimidating woman. Eddie had always felt wary around her, even after she took the hit for the SIM card so she could still visit her twin daughters.
"Are your girls all right?" Eddie asked softly.
Initially, there is complete silence. Eddie is about to return to her reading, thinking she isn't going to answer. " No, the girls are fine; I overheard a guard." Luna paused and swung her legs down. " A guard who was kind to me before you arrived was killed. She was killed somewhere down south. She lost her way and became addicted to drugs. They said she was arrested after breaking into a pharmacy in Monticello, Tallahassee." Luna Rojas sighed, her eyes reddened.
Eddie remained silent, allowing her time to gather her thoughts. It was evident that the woman was upset, trying hard to keep her composure.
" She treated me like a regular person. She warned me about the DEA's plans to make my life difficult here, attempting to prevent my daughter's visits. She was not as pure as driven snow; she worked for the Tijuana Cartel. Once she became addicted to the drugs, they forced her to transfer out," Luna explained, looking down at Eddie for the first time since they started talking.
Her instincts as a cop surged; being imprisoned for murder didn't deter her. Her gut told her this woman had been silenced for something she had done or knew.
"Could I ask you some questions?" Eddie asked. Although she was no longer a cop, turning that part of herself off was challenging.
Luna observed Eddie, attempting to discern her intentions. Was she trying to provoke an incrimination?
" Convicted murderer, remember: it's hard to switch off my inner cop. My gut tells me she was silenced for some reason. What did she do for the cartel?" Eddie asked. She couldn't believe how easily she fell back into her 'cop' mode after everything that had happened to her.
Luna Rojas believed that Eddie had rescued her from solitary confinement and prevented her from missing her twin daughters' visit. Although she typically wouldn't talk with cops, this blonde former officer was different. She protected her without asking for anything in return, not even protection from the other inmates. She should not be in the general population but securely locked away in the special unit.
Luna Rojas may not fully trust the former blonde cop, but she realised she did want to help if possible. Prison was filled with endless boredom. "She was responsible for distributing drugs. Unfortunately, she became addicted to her products. She was forced to transfer or lose her job."
" Could the Tijuana Cartel have ordered the hit to stop her from informing on them?" Eddie asked
Luna shook her head. " No, the cartels rule by fear. They make examples of anyone who becomes an informer. That means it has to be made public, and it is excruciating." Luna paused as she recalled some of the lessons she had taught. " From what I overheard, it was too subtle for it to be a cartel enforcer."
Eddie internally groaned, 'Damn it, Reagan,' she chided herself.
"Could you find out more about her death from outside?" Eddie asked, uncertain if she was asking for too much.
Luna dropped down to the cell floor and carefully studied Eddie's face
"Yeah, it will take a little time." She explained
The two women returned to their bunks, and their cell fell silent.
"You're a convicted murderer and a former cop. Why are you helping me? You're not even asking for protection from me?" Luna asked from her bunk.
Eddie pondered this for a moment before answering, " I don't know. I don't think I can ever switch off my inner cop. I might be a convicted killer serving time. It's just ingrained, I suppose. " she answered, the two women returned to their thoughts Luna seemed satisfied with her cell mates answer.
BB
Erica let herself into the apartment with her lockpick, needing to see inside Rebecca's place. The three NYPD cars parked discreetly around the block made her uneasy. Rebecca's cell phone went straight to her messaging service.
The unsanctioned hit on Stacey Wilson had been extremely risky, especially if the Tijuana Cartel discovered she had ordered it. That alone didn't concern her; it was a calculated risk. She couldn't imagine how the cartel could find out.
Rebecca's radio silence was causing her significant concern. She had utilised Rebecca Lowe's services numerous times over the years. She needed to find her, and if she had been arrested, she needed to know whether she was speaking to the police and what she was telling them.
"Damn!" she grunted, watching the NYPD officers search her apartment. Several evidence bags were visible as she scanned the scene with her monocular scope. Even at full magnification, she could not discern the contents of the bags.
'Need to meet ASAP, usual place one hour.'
She sent her message, needing to burn another contact. Usually, she would ask Rebecca to locate all things blue using their computer system. Never having so many things go so wrong so quickly, she wondered whether this job was worth the pay day.
" Find Rebecca, and then I will know how much damage control I need to do," she told herself as she relocked the apartment door. She needed to get to her meeting across the city.
BB
"Do you know this woman?" Maria asked, sliding across the gruesome picture of Stacey Wilson. Maria had picked the worst of the batch and used this for its shock and awe. She was also gambling on her lawyer protesting.
"Detective, that is out of order." Objected her lawyer
Danny looked across and communicated silently with his wife. Her lawyer had just assisted; it felt as if they had planned it together. Both Reagans were secretly grinning.
"We are using this to show your client how much danger she is in," Maria replied, pausing for a moment." Her name was Stacey Wilson, and she had been arrested like you. She provided us with information to reduce her prison time. She worked as a guard at Rikers Island, at the Rose M. Singer Centre for Women," Maria explained, observing her.
Her inability to maintain a poker face betrayed her when the Rose M. Singer Centre for Women was mentioned. 'She took the bait; time to reel her in.' Danny thought Maria tapped his foot under the table
It was now time to see if these puzzle pieces would fall into place. "You see, Rebbeca, Stacey Wilson knew too much about Erica and her little mission at the Rose M. Singer Centre." Danny paused, pleased to see her tick appear. He wanted to remain vague, allowing her to wonder how much they knew.
" I wonder, detective, does our redhead know we have arrested her yet? I believe we can protect her better than the Marshalls," Danny nonchalantly told Maria.
"What do you mean by protecting me better?" Rebbeca asked
"He's getting old; his memory isn't what it used to be," Maria tagged in. "The Marshal service was escorting her back to New York for questioning. Her food was poisoned, resulting in her gruesome and painful death.
"Detective, I warn you, stop trying to intimidate my client," the lawyer warned the two detectives.
" No intimidation intended, Councilor. I merely wanted Rebecca to understand how much danger she is in. News of your arrest as an NYPD auxiliary officer who has accessed the police computer system for your nefarious purposes will make great headlines for us as we clean house of corrupt officers. Imagine all those secrets you have stored away in that brain of yours. I wonder if any are bigger than those Stacey had?" Maria asked, tapping the picture of Stacey Wilson.
"Can I have a minute to speak with my client detectives?" she asked.
They made sure not to block Rebecca's view of the interrogation room door, opening it to reveal Sergeant Reagan.
"Top trump played," Danny whispered, leaving the room.
Maria turned to the two Reagan men, smiling. "Oh, she remembers you, Jamie. "
"Coffee? She can stew for a bit before we see how shaken she is," Danny added.
To be continued….
A/N
A short recap: Remember, the plan to frame Eddie has been a five-year, $5,000,000 endeavour. All evidence has been destroyed, so our intrepid Reagans must chip away at the edges until everything unravels. Think of my story as a movie rather than a 45-minute show. Don't worry; we will include a few time jumps in the upcoming chapters. Remember that knowing their innocence and proving it are two different matters. Even our first family cannot simply pull the necessary evidence out of thin air.
Don't worry, Eddie fans; she will be released. I have already written those chapters. The third part of this story details her time after her release.