I Love Her and I Mean It

CHAPTER 5

Later on the beautiful Sunday, the Reagans filled the home doing tasks all over. Erin and Henry stood cooking in the kitchen, while Danny and Linda's sons sat at the table doing their homework with Erin's daughter Nicky. Frank and Jaime were sitting in the sunroom having one of their normal conversations, but when it ended, Frank turned his attention to his eldest and his wife sitting in the living room, having what looked like an intense conversation. He could see how tense Linda was and how Danny was trying to comfort her with every word. And he could hear the words, and they were even making him nervous.

"I know you'll be safe and I know that you'll be surrounded by a bunch of cops," Linda stated, "But you're still baiting yourself to a killer. No matter who he is to me, you're trying to get a killer to kidnap you just so you can find out where his secret hide out is."

"I know it's a crazy risk," Danny said in a soft, soothing voice, "I know it, my partner knows it, I've heard it from everyone."

"And they're still letting you do this?" Linda questioned in disbelief.

"Yes, because it's really our only option right now," he pushed, "I know you don't like this idea. And I know the risk I'm taking. But I gotta do this. I'll be careful. I promise." She sat silent for a moment looking deep into his compassionate hazel eyes, and felt a part of her settle. She knew he'd be careful, and she knew that he would do everything to get home safe to her. But she also knew he would do anything for a case, even if that meant putting himself in harms way and being okay with a few bumps and bruises or worse. Which didn't help her calm down at all.

"How do you even know this is going to work?" she asked, trying to hold together her faith amidst her fears.

"We're gonna work everything out before we do anything when I go back to work," he soothed, "It'll be okay." Just before anyone could say anything else, Erin walked into the area and summoned them all to the dinner table. Soon every Reagan was sitting at their place at the table, passing the food around and enjoying their meal with light conversation filling the room. Just then the topic of conversation was changed by Jamie's hand.

"So Danny, did you find anything more on your suspect?" Jamie asked innocently.

"No," Danny answered with some slight hesitation in his voice, "He uh took them all to an unknown location, and then dumped the bodies somewhere else so we don't have any weapons, or any witnesses."

"Then how do you know he's really your guy?" Nicky asked innocently.

"He has connections for every single victim, all for the same reasons," Erin stepped in, "Plus he was caught breaking into a couple's home who fit the patterns of the other couples he went after."

"He knows their schedules, where they live, where they work," Danny continued.

"He has motive and opportunity," Erin finished.

"Okay so what's missing?" Henry asked them.

"We can't get him to confess," Danny told his grandfather.

"And without the weapon the evidence is just circumstantial," Jamie spoke up again, "And that kind of evidence won't hold up in court."

"You know how you're gonna get it yet?" Erin asked her older brother.

"We have some form of an idea."

"Oh yeah and what idea is that?" Frank spoke up, despite already knowing part of what Danny's plan entailed.

"We were planning on tracking him to the location," Danny explained, not knowing that his father already knew where it was going.

"And how would you do that if you don't even have a description of the car?" Erin questioned, with little faith in the idea.