regretted that Hannah was still in New Jersey. As mentioned earlier, while those financial fraud cases were relatively low-risk, they required a significant amount of time and effort. Even under the best circumstances, it would take at least a week for the sweet girl to return to New York.
Hannah had complained quite a bit on the phone, but there was nothing she could do. Gaining experience in a variety of cases was important, and it also helped to build her resume.
She had joined the FBI a year before Jack and was still a senior agent. The news of Jack's upcoming promotion had somewhat spurred her on, prompting her to offer to work on these financial crime cases.
The FBI's most wanted list wasn't just for the most vicious murderers; there were also numerous highly intelligent criminals skilled in financial fraud and counterfeiting antiques and artwork. The FBI even had a dedicated White Collar Crime Unit dedicated to combating these crimes.
After comforting his somewhat irritated girlfriend, Jack was about to get in the car to find Irene when he looked up to see Danny return, his expression somewhat exasperated.
"Drive! That son of a bitch didn't go home, he went straight to the Manhattan Courthouse!"
"Erin, are you still in the office?" As Danny frantically called his sister, Jack activated his police lights and sirens.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office is also located in the Greek temple-like building of the New York State Supreme Court. This courthouse, also known as the Manhattan Criminal Court, is located at 100 Central Avenue, right next to Columbus Park.
The courthouse is only about two blocks away from NYPD headquarters, less than a kilometer as the crow flies. For a Dodge Hellcat, this is a simple matter of pedaling the accelerator. So, before Danny could finish his call, Jack had already slammed on the brakes.
With the screech of brakes, Danny impatiently opened the car door without waiting for it to stop.
A crowd had gathered at the steps of the courthouse's side entrance. In the crowd, a white girl with two ugly scars on her cheeks was grappling with Dick Reed, screaming shrilly. Beside them stood a bewildered Erin.
Danny roared and lunged forward, grabbing Dick Reed by the neck and separating them, pinning him against the wall. Jack stepped forward to protect the scarred girl and Irene, escorting them back to the courthouse.
"What are you looking at?" Jack glared back at the two stunned guards standing on the steps. "What's the difference between them and wooden stakes?"
The guards, waking up from their reverie, drew their batons and charged forward, only to discover they were no longer needed. Danny had already handcuffed Dick Reed.
Jack escorted Irene and the scarred girl back to the office, pouring a glass of water from his desk and handing it to the girl.
The girl was clearly terrified, shaking all over, and even in her chair, she felt like curling up in a ball.
Jack noticed she was resistant to his touch—more accurately, to any contact with the opposite sex. He turned and handed the glass of water to Irene, asking her to comfort her first.
It took a long time for the girl to recover from the adrenaline rush, and she finally burst into tears.
Erin sighed, summoning a female assistant to accompany the girl, and then she and Jack walked into the hallway. "She's Becky Swatch. Just ten minutes ago, she came to me and said she was willing to testify against Dick Reed. Now everything's over."
Jack nodded in understanding. It wasn't easy for a victim to testify voluntarily in a case like this. Defense attorneys would try every possible means to incite the witness, making her recount every detail of the assault during the lengthy trial.
The tactic of exposing the victim's past, even digging into her private life, in an attempt to portray her as a prostitute to the jury was common in these types of sexual assault cases.
"It's only a matter of time before Dick Reed is dealt with. There's no need to subject this girl to further suffering. I think you should be more worried about yourself than about her."
Jack's words surprised Erin. "What do you mean?"
"Dick Reed came straight to the courthouse right after being released from prison. He couldn't have known Becky Swatch would be here, so who do you think he's harassing?" Jack was speechless. Was this young lady too well-protected by her father and brother?
Irene's face flickered with panic. "No wonder he just saw me."
"Did he say something rude to you?" Jack realized. Although Irene looked a little older, she had a nice figure and a professional demeanor, so it wasn't surprising she was targeted by a pervert. It seemed Frank had been right.
"Promise me, Jack," Irene suddenly said, grabbing Jack's arm with a nervous expression. "Don't let Danny know about this. He's too impulsive, and I'm worried he might do something irrational."
"Then you have to promise me one thing too. From today on, I'll be your driver. Whenever you leave the house or office, you must call me in advance. That's what your father wants," Jack said, offering a trade-off.
To be honest, Irene's first impression of Jack at the Reagans' weekend dinner wasn't very good. She was nearly forty-one, and even though her daughter was already grown, she still had a somewhat spoiled personality.
Furthermore, her words and actions radiated a strong White Leftist tone, constantly accusing the police of excessive brutality. Despite being a prosecutor, she seemed to have little exposure to society's darker underbelly.
However, as Jack got to know her better, he gradually realized that this young lady wasn't so unpleasant. While she appeared to be an independent, modern woman, she still held onto traditional Irish family values.
When her family was threatened, she wouldn't hesitate to abandon her principles and do whatever she could to help.
"Don't worry, Danny. And remember my words," Jack warned again before leaving the District Attorney's office.
He remained steadfast in his belief that rather than constantly guarding Irene and protecting her, he would have been better off dealing with Dick Reed. If it weren't for the media's continued focus on these released criminals, he wouldn't have minded playing vigilante and making this pervert disappear.
Back at the NYPD, he was in the same interrogation room with the permanently disabled surveillance system. But when Jack opened the door, he saw two people sitting silently across from each other.
"It looks like you guys are having a good chat." Jack teased, pulling up a chair and sitting down next to Danny.
"New face, who are you?" Dick Reed looked fearless, with the corners of his mouth raised. He was obviously smiling, but this smile made people feel cold in their hearts. He looked completely perverted.
"People who deal with people like you." Jack did not answer him directly, but turned to ask Danny, "Didn't he ask to see a lawyer?"
Danny shook his head. Before he could speak, Dick Reed sneered and said, "I don't need a lawyer."
"You threatened a witness in public. Are you reluctant to leave the prison or something? Are you sure you don't need me to call a lawyer for you?" Danny narrowed his eyes slightly.
"It was just a coincidence. You can't prove it at all. I went to the court. In fact, even I was surprised to meet her there. It seems that God is really good to me. I should go buy a lottery ticket."
Dick Reed spoke slowly with a bit of pride on his face.