Unfortunately, Hannah was still tied up in New Jersey. As mentioned before, financial fraud cases, while not particularly dangerous, required a significant amount of time and energy. Even under the best circumstances, the sweet girl would need at least another week before returning to New York.
Hannah complained quite a bit over the phone, but there was little she could do. Gaining experience in a variety of cases was important, and it also helped bolster her personal résumé. She had joined the FBI a year before Jack and was currently a senior agent. Hearing about Jack's imminent promotion had stung her pride a little, which was why she volunteered to take on financial crime cases.
The FBI's most-wanted list wasn't exclusively for violent murderers. There were also plenty of high-IQ criminals specializing in financial fraud, forgery, and counterfeit art or antiques. In fact, the FBI had a dedicated White-Collar Crime Division to combat such offenses.
After soothing his somewhat frustrated girlfriend over the phone, Jack was about to get in his car and head to Eileen when he spotted Danny storming back toward him, visibly upset.
"Start the car! That son of a bitch didn't go home—he went straight to the Manhattan courthouse!"
"Eileen, are you still at the office?" Danny fumbled with his phone, calling his sister as Jack activated the police lights and siren.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office was housed in the New York State Supreme Court building, a massive structure resembling a Greek temple. The courthouse, also known as the Manhattan Criminal Court, was located at 100 Centre Street, right next to Columbus Park.
This courthouse was only a couple of blocks from NYPD headquarters—less than a kilometer away. For Jack's Dodge Hellcat, it was just a press of the gas pedal. By the time Danny finished his call, Jack had already slammed on the brakes.
Before the car even came to a full stop, Danny flung the door open and bolted out.
A small crowd had already gathered near the side steps of the courthouse. In the middle of it all, a white girl with two ugly scars on her face was screaming hysterically while grappling with Dick Reed. Eileen stood nearby, looking unsure of what to do.
With a roar, Danny charged forward, locking his arm around Reed's neck and pulling him off the girl. He slammed Reed against the wall, pinning him down. Jack quickly stepped in to shield the scarred girl and Eileen, escorting them back inside the courthouse.
"What are you looking at?" Jack snapped at the two security guards who were standing dumbfounded on the steps, as useless as decorative statues.
Startled back into action, the guards reached for their batons, but it was unnecessary. Danny had already cuffed Dick Reed.
Jack brought Eileen and the scarred girl to her office, poured a glass of water from the desk, and handed it to the girl. She was visibly shaken, trembling uncontrollably even as she curled up in the chair as if trying to make herself as small as possible.
Jack noticed she flinched at his presence and avoided physical contact, especially with him as a man. Sensing her discomfort, he handed the water to Eileen instead and let her take over in comforting the girl.
It took a long time for the girl to come down from the adrenaline rush and start crying, her emotions finally breaking free.
Eileen sighed, called in a female assistant to sit with the girl, and then stepped out into the hallway with Jack. "She's Becky Swartz. Just ten minutes ago, she came to me voluntarily and said she's willing to testify against Dick Reed in court. Now everything's a mess."
Jack nodded, understanding the weight of her words. For a victim to willingly testify in a case like this was no small feat. Defense attorneys would do everything they could to provoke the witness's emotions, forcing her to repeatedly relive the traumatic details during a lengthy trial.
Moreover, it was common practice in sexual assault cases for defense attorneys to dig into the victim's past, trying to tarnish her reputation in front of the jury by painting her as someone of questionable character.
"Getting Dick Reed taken care of is just a matter of time. There's no need to put this girl through more suffering," Jack said, his voice steady. "But I think you should be more worried about yourself right now."
Eileen looked puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"
"Dick Reed went straight to the courthouse after getting out of prison. He couldn't have known Becky Swartz would be there, so who do you think he was planning to harass?" Jack said with a trace of exasperation. Was this woman so sheltered by her father and brothers that she couldn't see the obvious?
A flicker of panic crossed Eileen's face. "No wonder when he saw me earlier…"
"He said something inappropriate to you?" Jack asked, putting the pieces together. Eileen might look slightly older for her age, but she had a good figure and a professional demeanor. It wouldn't be surprising if a psychopath like Reed fixated on her. Frank had been right all along.
"Promise me, Jack," Eileen said suddenly, grabbing his arm with a tense expression. "Don't let Danny find out about this. He's too impulsive. I'm afraid he'll do something irrational."
"Then you need to promise me something too," Jack countered. "From now on, I'm your driver. Anytime you leave your home or office, you must call me in advance. This is also what your father wants."
To be honest, Jack's first impression of Eileen during the Reagan family weekend dinner wasn't great. At nearly 41, with a teenage daughter, she still carried an air of entitlement. She also had a whiff of liberal idealism about her, constantly harping on about police brutality and seemingly oblivious to the darker side of society despite being a prosecutor.
However, after spending more time with her, Jack realized she wasn't as insufferable as he initially thought. On the surface, she seemed like an independent, modern woman, but deep down, she held onto the traditional family values characteristic of Irish-Americans.
When her family was threatened, she didn't hesitate to set aside her so-called principles and do whatever was necessary to protect them.
"Don't worry about Danny," Jack reassured her. "And remember what I said." He repeated his warning before leaving the District Attorney's office.
Jack still held firm to his earlier belief: rather than constantly guarding Eileen, it would be better to take care of Dick Reed directly. If it weren't for the media closely scrutinizing the release of these criminals, Jack wouldn't have minded playing vigilante for once and making the psychopath disappear.
Back at NYPD headquarters, Jack entered the same interrogation room where the surveillance cameras were conveniently "out of order." Inside, Danny was silently sitting across from Dick Reed, neither of them speaking.
"Looks like you two are getting along great," Jack quipped as he pulled up a chair next to Danny.
"A new face. Who are you supposed to be?" Dick Reed asked smugly, his lips curling into a smile. It was the kind of smile that made one's skin crawl—a perfect match for his psychopathic nature.
"I'm the guy who deals with scum like you," Jack said, not answering directly. He turned to Danny. "Did he ask for a lawyer?"
Danny shook his head. Before he could speak, Reed sneered, "I don't need a lawyer."
"Threatening a witness in public—are you so eager to go back to prison? Are you sure you don't want me to call a lawyer for you?" Danny said, narrowing his eyes.
"That was just a coincidence. You can't prove anything," Reed replied slowly, his tone smug and deliberate. "I was going to the courthouse. Even I was surprised to see her there. Looks like God's smiling on me. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket."
The deliberate pace of his speech, combined with the self-satisfied expression on his face, only made him seem more insidious.
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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