Commentary: Human Landscapes, Part Two
2.
Dani didn't know how her mother would take to Karen. Normally, wives don’t take too well to their husband’s blond young female friends or so she’s been informed by various magazines, talk shows and soap operas. More importantly, Karen was her father's partner he spent more time with her than with his family. Dani knew, as a cop's kid, that a bond between partners was sacrosanct.
Dani grew-up in an environment of cops and as a cop's kids she knew more than anything else about the concepts of belonging *and* the bond partners share with each other. I think the roots of Dani's intense loyalty grew from living in this sort of environment.
A place where there is an 'Us', as a unit, as partners, as cops and 'them'. There was a quote in The Closer where Commander Taylor says something like: There's a thin blue line when you cross this building. And I think Dani found that appealing, that sense of belonging and loyalty.
Of course, now after what she's been through even as a cop she doesn't feel like she was one of them. At least, not as much as she once did.
When Karen and Leyla finally met, Dani expected... She didn't know exactly but she didn't expect her mother greeting Karen with smiles and open arms.
One of the things I like about this show is that the relationships are not reduced to pettiness. I liked that Dani and Constance weren't at each other's throat. The introduction in Let Her Go had more to do with making Charlie squirm.
And then I liked in Dig A Hole, Dani was amused by Constance but not put off, that together they seemed to enjoy needling Charlie. I would think Mrs. Reese meeting Davis would have been something and I like the idea that Mrs. Reese defies conventions and opens her arms to Davis. After all, Karen does spend every Wednesday night dinner with the Reese family.
"You should come have dinner with us," her mother said, holding Karen's hands. "Jack, you should have invited her sooner!"
"I see her 24 hours a day already," her father grumbled, "I have enough women around me."
Karen laughed, "You're a cranky bastard, Jack."
Dani's eyes widened. No one spoke to her father that way but to her surprise he laughed. Dani stared at him, as if he’d grown another head.
These are one of the things that surprised Jack about Karen, I’m thinking. Karen’s irreverent towards him and it used to rankle at him but they’ve settled into a pattern. This would, of course, amaze Dani and more than anything this is what made Karen into Dani’s role model that she could give Jack crap and get away with it. In this story at least.
"Dinner," her mother insisted, "tomorrow evening. I insist."
“Alright,” Karen said, “it’s not everyday a lowly cop gets invited in for a free meal.”
Later, on the way to their car her mother said, "I like Karen." She turned a smile at Dani, "She'll be good for our little one."
Dani scowled, "I'm not little."
"Karen's a good cop, she'll go far," agreed her father and turned a sideways glance at Dani, "You would be lucky to be half as good as Karen."
"Jack..." her mother began.
Complimenting someone to hounding her in one breath didn’t surprise Dani; the fact it took him almost half an hour to do so, did.
Dani knew this was coming, she’s used to it. Doesn’t mean it still doesn’t sting.
"No, let me talk." He stopped, faced Dani, "I saw your grades."
Dani stuck her chin out. "My grades are fine."
"'Fine'?" Jack repeated, "I expect 'better', I expect 'excellent'. I do not expect ‘fine’ not from my daughter. You’ll do well to remember that ‘fine’ will get you nowhere in this world.”
‘Good’ is not good enough for Jack. Especially when it comes to his daughter. He would constantly want to push her, be better because she is his daughter. That alone should mean that she should be better.
"Jack," her mother pulled at his arm, "let's go."
He stared at Dani. "I want better grades, Dani, do we understand each other?"
She glowered, she wanted to tell him where to take his 'understanding' what she said instead was, "Yes, sir."
"Good, get in the car."
-/-
Reese watched the black BMW park from across the coffee shop and just by looking determined the BMW violated at least 3 traffic laws. Out of habit Reese mentally took down its plates. She scraped the bottom of the yogurt. Beside her, Crews said something inane about frogs. She was used to Crews enough to know he was talking just for the sake of talking.
She may say she doesn’t understand Charlie but she already kind of does. There’s some things about Charlie she’s already figured out and the inane babbling is one of the things Dani’s figured out from day one. The difference being is that she’s a lot more patient with him now.
The yogurt Crews gave was, to no surprise, fruit flavored and despite its lukewarm temperature still tasted great. The things money could buy.
Davis called a few minutes earlier. Since she had yet to update Davis it unnerved Reese that the Lieutenant had someone checking up on her. She didn't like thinking about it. She'd been paranoid before and didn't care for the feeling.
"Is this going to be a problem?" Davis asked half concerned, half measuring.
"Its meth," she answered by explanation then added as the silence stretched. "It wasn't my drug of choice."
"It's still drugs, Dani."
Davis would have someone looking up Dani, both as a precaution and concern for Dani’s safety.
The ‘drug of choice’ comment came directly from one of the recovery boards I stumbled upon (if someone checked my browser history I think I’d be thrown to either the crazy farm or rehab). Someone mentioned how despite having a hardcore addiction to Heroin and crack, meth was never his drug of choice. I think Dani’s addiction is of a similar make-up, her choice of poisons run more towards cocaine and alcohol and maybe heroin?
Honestly, I just hope I got this right.
Crews balanced two cups on one hand and a fruit package in the other.
"Crews is here."
"Alright."
Reese signed off as Crews offered the coffee. "Davis is going to pass by."
"We'll be up by then," he assured her then sat beside her and started talking about frogs.
Charlie has freaky knowledge about frogs.
A few minutes after watching two more cars commit various traffic violations and enduring Crews' frog talk Reese had enough. "Let's go."
The air in the apartment was clear but the bodies remained untouched. The victims, according to their license, were Alex Sullivan and John Jackson dropouts from USC turned small time dealers.
They had a different address on their license.
"Just like Farthing and Gale." Crews observed.
"I doubt they're anything like Farthingale." Reese put up the licenses, "This place is where they operate but I'm guessin' this address is where they lived."
I wanted this to be Reese’s Farthingale episode. Too often we’ve seen how Crews solves a crime because of his unique perspective on criminals by having these murders directly relating to drugs Dani would take the primary on this case.
After years in Narcotics and her own experience with drugs she’d have insight to the drug trade that Charlie wouldn’t have. Also, it’s a good springboard to exploring Dani and her past.
"White boys playing at dealers." Reese heard Juarez say, contemptuous. As far as Reese was concerned, dealers were dealers. It didn't matter what color their skins were, as long as their product was good and their supply lasted.
This is true. An addict wouldn’t care about skin color, drugs was drugs was drugs was drugs.
"The question we should ask," she told Crews, "is whose toes they stepped on. An operation like this, it's bound to step on a couple of toes."
"They were also suppliers, right?" He was still munching on the taffy apple. "Maybe a few dealers would come by for--"
"A re-up?" Reese mulled this over then shook her head, "something like this would already be out on the street. Dealers would change their routine, only people that would show would be junkies."
Another thing I took away from The Wire.
"You know an awful lot about the drug trade." Stark remarked.
Crews frowned, "Bobby--"
"I was a narc cop before I turned homicide." She said flatly, "Don't you have doors to canvass?"
He sketched a sarcastic salute, "Yes, ma'am."
Oh, Bobby, you’re such an ass.
Reese didn't bother to respond. He wasn't worth the effort. "First order of business, we have to determine whose territory this area is."
Crews looked to Juarez, Juarez looked back blankly. "What?"
"Do you know?" Crews asked.
Juarez was tall, good-looking, dark haired exactly the type of guy Reese would hook up with in a bar. But in uniform and light of day, he was exactly the type of guy that annoyed her.
From what I’ve seen of the men she’s hooked up with (blurry guy in the background, married guy in the second ep and the Detective in Powerless) Juarez is totally Dani’s type. Dani’s very aware of her issues and her problems, the problem is getting Dani to admit it to anybody else.
"I think this is Cinco territory."
"'Think'?" she repeated, incredulous, "isn't this your beat?"
It’s unthinkable to Dani that a cop isn’t familiar with all aspects of his beat. Of course, not everyone had the level of immersion as she had but it’s still unthinkable to her.
"It was, detective--"
"Either it is or it isn't, officer."
His face flushed red, Reese raised her eyebrows, dared him to say something that could have him writing tickets for a month. "I'll find out."
"You do that."
-/-
Everybody knew about the Bank of LA shootout. It was hard to miss when it was all anyone- the media, her friends, her teachers-- wanted to talk about. The story was everywhere. It was the ultimate in the long line of surreal and crazy Los Angeles stories, a cool action story to be told and retold until all the facts changed depending on the storyteller.
This is a direct riff from Stark’s Bank of LA story. Its only logical that different versions of the story will emerge, the shootout has become one of the urban legends of LA. I also like how the truth evolves and obscures through time.
For Dani, it was a different thing all together.
The shootout was nothing but an endless source of conflict and tension around the house. No one mentioned the incident without one or both of her parents tensing up and starting one of their many low voiced arguments.
Sudden closed doors and arguments punctuated the months following the shootout. Men in suits would arrive in their house leaving her father more forbidding than before, her mother grim and silent.
Dani remembered the morning of the shootout. It was an ordinary day and her father told Leyla he would be gone the rest of the week because of his SWAT team’s training maneuvers.
When the news about the bank hold-up came in her mother turned white and fell boneless on the couch and when the dust settled and the news heading changed from ‘hold-up’ to ‘shootout’ Leyla’s hands turned cold.
Dani sat next to her to comfort her mother. Leyla didn't cry but the grip on Dani's shoulders tightened.
At first, even with all the money lost, her father and his team were hailed as heroes. It became one of the most talked about cop stories anywhere.
But whatever accolade was given came with a price. Scrutiny and suspicion was leveled on her father’s team, IA came and went but the investigations seemed routine over and done with with a few amicable pats on the back. A few months after the shootout IA closed the case. A week after the investigation was closed two of her father's friends came to their house. They talked behind closed doors, Dani remembered her mother bringing in food and then appearing moments later with the strangest expression Dani’s ever seen. Dani never knew what happened but as soon as Jack’s friends left, Leyla re-entered the room and began shouting at her father.
Dani hid inside her room until the fighting was done.
It was the longest fight Leyla and Jack ever had. Dani found herself hyperaware about everything every whisper and gesture could mean anything.
She would lay awake at nights wondering if this was it, the night one or both of her parents would come in and announce their separation. Dani tried imagining how it would happen. She stared at the ceiling and listened to her breathing and tried to ignore the very conspicuous silence.
In the end, nothing came of the fighting. They fought until they stopped fighting, until the fighting slid into the background. Another thing they let slip and let go but never forgotten. Somehow, her father managed to win her mother over or very probably it was because their religion forbade it.
The Catholic Church forbade divorce.
Dani didn’t know if she should feel relieved or angry, her parents were together but Dani couldn’t understand how religion could force a person to stay in a relationship that was clearly broken.
Contrary to Charlie’s analysis of her loss of faith, I don’t think, and Dani confirms, it was because of her junkie lover or the drugs. It helped but it wasn’t just the reason for her loss of faith.
I think it was moments like this that started it all.
-/-
"He's a good kid," Mrs. Jackson clutched Reese's hands, “he just lost his way! He'd never did this before he met that boy!"
Reese hated this part of the job: the denials, the pleas; stages of grief. She loved other aspects loved puzzling over bits of clues left over a scene, loved asking questions that made suspects sweat, love how it can all come together beautifully that the arrest was just icing.
This part, she didn't love.
This is very much a mirror to Dani talking to John Gibney’s mother. I can only imagine how difficult it is to speak to a grieving parent and its something Homicide detectives have to do regularly. I don’t think even a hardened detective is immune to the grief of a parent who just lost their child.
She lowered her voice and asked, carefully, quietly, "Do you know anyone who'd like to hurt your son?"
"We haven't spoken in a year," and from the catch in her voice Reese understood it was this admission that broke down the denial and the next words came out in a sob, "My baby boy..."
Reese looked on helpless then caught Crews' eye. He was staring at one of the photos on the mantle, mind miles away. She wondered if he did that because he was as uncomfortable as she was or it was just another thing prison taught him. He put down the picture and approached Mrs. Jackson, touched her shoulder. She looked up, still sobbing.
"We're very sorry for your loss." And he meant it too. He always meant it.
"You know what Davis would say about this?" They were back in the car, much later after the Jacksons and the Sullivans. They were going nowhere. Interviewing Jackson and Sullivan’s crew was just as futile. The people they hang around with were posers, hanger-ons. They all had the same thing to say about Jackson and Sullivan:
“They were okay, got money and knew how to get well, y’know.” They always end up with an eyebrow waggle and Reese would always return with an expressionless, unimpressed stare.
There really is nothing those kids could say and do that would surprise or impress Dani. As Sarah Shahi said in an interview, she’s forgotten more tricks than criminals put together.
There was only one other place to go before hitting the-the places where-- Before going some place else.
"Drugs and money," Crews said, obliging. "Hey, Reese."
"Mmm?"
"When you were doing drugs, how did your parents take it?"
The only reason why she didn't swerve off the road was because she expected something like this. "You mean my dad?"
She’s familiar with some of Charlie’s tricks, Dani knows he’s filing these things away so he could quiz her later. She pretends not to but I think, she knows. The scene in A Civil War where Charlie asks about her reaction to the Bank of LA shootout seemed too calm and measured. It was like she partly expected Charlie asking.
"I meant your parents, your mother."
Reese glanced at Crews, they've come a long way but she wasn't sure she was ready to tell all. If she would ever be ready.
"It broke her heart," she said, after a moment, and left it at that.
And it did.
3.
She read somewhere that all happy families were alike and all unhappy families were unhappy in different ways. Dani never finished reading the book but the line stuck with her.
The line from Anna Karenina would stick with Dani, the book is her mother’s and she opened the book out of curiosity one afternoon. It’s a thick book with small letters and she’s never going to finish it not when she has a lot to do but that line would forever be burned in her mind.
She looked at her family and couldn’t really say what category her family fell into.
I think it bothers Dani that she can’t properly identify which category her family falls into.
Everyone loved Jack Reese. The cops in the station, his superiors, the partners he had over the years, the SWAT team he led. Everyone loved Jack.
Her mother loved her father despite disagreeing with his methods and Leyla would constantly tell Dani stories about her father and it was like looking at Jack from a distilled mirror. Charming, kind and happy.
Leyla told Dani about the times they lived in one of the small apartments making do with whatever they have on hand, struggling to make ends meet but happy. Dani had vague recollections of those moments, sitting on her mother’s lap as her father performed sock puppet shows. It felt like a dream, like it happened to someone else.
This is my idea of Jack Reese, he’s a man of his generation and I think, to begin with he wasn’t evil or harsh. He started out as a good man, an idealistic, traditional good man. He started out as a cop working the beat and with a family that wasn’t during that time traditional.
In order to provide for his family Jack started to do some things he’s never done before, maybe follow orders of a dirty watch commander and was rewarded from there it’s a slippery slope. What’s right, what isn’t right all becomes blurry until he’s so far over the edge he couldn’t tell the difference. As long as he can justify things he can continue doing it.
Jack ran his family like he ran his unit; he held his family in a steel grip, someone who wanted things done his way or not at all. He didn't like the idea of his daughter acquiring an accent nor did the idea of standing out appeal to him and forbade her mother to speak her native language.
This is the traditional Jack, the one who wanted to conform. He married a foreigner, an Iranian woman, an unpopular choice considering what happened in 1979. Added to that, he had a daughter with that woman the consequence of that is Jack trying to hold his family in a firm grip, control them possibly in a misguided attempt to protect his daughter and wife.
Maybe he thinks that it would be better for his wife and child not to display anything that would remind other people that they’re different.
Her mother, modern as she was for her time, was still a traditionalist. She obeyed her husband in his presence but taught Dani Farsi in his absence.
Here is the start of Dani learning to lie, lying by omission. She perfected it undercover but she’s learned to lie all her life because of the way her family lived. Like Larson said, they were all liars.
Her father’s job often took him out of the house and it gave Dani and her mother the opportunity to bond. There were even days they could speak Farsi without interruption, trading stories from boys to whatever gossip her mother culled from her friends. It was their secret, an unspoken understanding shared by mother and daughter. It made Dani feel special, like some sort of secret agent on a mission.
This isn’t really a foreshadowing to Dani’s undercover life but it could be one of the reasons why Dani accepted the UC assignment.
But all things considered her life, while not idyllic, was better than most. She had places she could go to, away from the silent sort of tension that permeated the house whenever her father was home.
Her life wasn’t perfect but it could be worse, she might be unhappy with her life but I don’t think it was always bad. Dani’s police academy picture made me think that all the crap and the bad things and the baggage she has happened during her undercover assignment. The thing with her father was only part of it. Like Dani said: ‘It was a lot of things.’
She excelled in school but not for the reasons her father wanted. Dani discovered she didn’t like feeling second best, it irked her something fierce and more than anything she wanted to wipe the smirk off Bianca’s superior, smug face.
Young Dani struck me as a very competitive person, she isn’t going to let somebody else best her.
Best of all Dani had friends, not the fleeting fly by night acquaintances she seemed to have growing-up but people she could count on. It wasn’t that she lacked for friendly faces but there were certain things, rules she learned growing-up especially if you’re a kid of a white man and a Persian woman. She wasn’t exactly shunned but neither was she always included in, not that she was ever interested in joining in.
There are times that Dani firmly believes that denial is a river in Egypt.
Dani was athletic enough to get into groups but was sometimes a little too stand-offish to ever be considered popular. Also, Dani was known as a cop’s kid and that meant other kids thought she’d narc on them.
I read in one of the police community boards that one of the reasons their kids were shunned was because of the belief that their children would ‘narc’ on other kids. Dani isn’t the type to do. Dani would only do so if its clear that something bad would happen but not many kids in her school would know her enough to realize that about her.
It wasn’t until Dani met Sheila and Rick that Dani realized what she was missing and that ‘best friends’ meant more than friends you meet on occasion. Sheila was easy to befriend, she was a transferee from San Francisco and Dani was impressed with the beads threading her hair and a little envious of her long legs and olive skin. Rick, on the other hand, took longer for Dani to warm up to. He was lanky and tall and could have joined the basketball team if he had the inclination to (rumor had it Coach McKay cried when Rick flat out refused).
Just as Dani was known as, for better or worse, as the cop's kid, Rick was also known as the Preacher's son. This made Dani wary of Rick. She had enough of religion at home.
It took a failed prank (an incident involving cats they will never, under pain of death, speak of again) to solidify their friendship.
Rick and Dani had a complicated relationship, reminding me a little of Xander and Buffy’s relationship. Dani’s friendship with Sheila is a lot more relaxed, where Sheila would often want to bop Dani on the head because she’s a little dense about some things sometimes (re: Rick).
It also helped Rick hardly talked religion.
She also knew Rick had a crush on her, it couldn’t be helped, he was a guy. She knew as soon as she hit puberty that she was attractive. It was hard to miss when she’s around guys. It made her feel self-conscious and she had her work cut out glaring at the more obvious oglers.
I would imagine this would be an awkward and frustrating time for Dani, especially considering her parents. I would think Dani’s mother wouldn’t be comfortable talking about Dani and her body. I also think Dani would rather jump off a cliff than discuss something like this with Jack.
Dani liked Rick but never let on she noticed and personally thought Rick would be better off with Sheila.
Sheila doesn’t care for Rick that way and can’t understand why Dani kept pushing Rick on her especially when Sheila suspects Dani likes Rick. It’s a tangled web.
Rick ended up moving to somewhere else and Sheila moved back to San Francisco for college (art school) but Sheila’s been trying to stay in contact with Dani, unfortunately because of what happened during her undercover days Dani lost touch of her.
Her father noticed, of course.
“Who’s that boy who's always hanging out with you?”
Ooh boy.
Dani dropped her bag on the table, raised her eyebrows. “What boy?”
He twitched the curtain open Dani peered through and saw Rick start the car and Sheila waved at her. “You mean Rick?”
“Who else would I mean?”
“He’s a friend.” Dani said, “He’s been here lots of times, him and Sheila. Mom knows him.”
Rick and Sheila have been to the Reese home a lot of the times but it’s always when Jack isn’t home. Unfortunately for Dani, this is the one time Jack’s home and paying attention.
“Are you dating him?”
“He’s a friend.” She repeated, a little louder.
He narrowed her eyes at her. “I don’t want you to go out with him.”
Dani’s teeth snapped together, she crossed her arms, “Why, ‘cause you said so?”
“Yes, because I said so.”
“You can’t just say that, I’m sixteen I can date whoever I want to date-“
“You’re sixteen, you’re too young.”
“Too young?” She repeated, incredulous. “Other people my age have been dating since they were fourteen!”
“That’s because they don’t have me for a father!”
“That’s right, because they don’t have you as a father!”
He pointed at her. “Don’t take that tone with me, Dani.”
“What tone would that be?”
“As long as you live under my roof,” He growled, practically spitting fire, “you’re going to live by my rules. If I say you’re not dating that boy, you’re not dating! Are we clear, Dani?”
Dani’s matter a fact response to Charlie’s question about Nate’s dad not allowing him to date interested me and this is the result.
He glared at her. Dani narrowed her eyes and all but bared her teeth. “Crystal.”
Also, this is the moment on TV where the audience goes ‘uh-oh’ because anyone familiar with a stubborn character would know that this isn’t Dani agreeing. Not by a long shot.
The next day, after school, Dani approached Max one of the boneheaded jocks who kept asking her out. Dani waited until he wasn’t surrounded by his leering pack, she approached the locker next to Max’s and leaned against it and waited for him to turn.
“Dani." He sounded surprised.
Dani looked him up and down, crossed her arms. “Pick me up at eight.”
He looked at her. “What?”
“You wanted to go out with me, right?”
He nodded.
“Pick me up at eight.” She repeated then walked away.
After dinner Dani went straight to her room, she glanced at her watch and peered in the living room and saw her father was on the couch, reading on some paperwork he brought back home and her mother was adding some finishing touches to something she’d been working on.
Dani sat in the hall, pretending to study.
The doorbell rang at 8:10.
“Were we expecting company?” Dani heard her father ask, she glanced at his direction and saw him put down his pen.
“Not as far as I know.” Her mother answered with a confused shrug.
The doorbell rang again and her father stood-up and opened the door. Dani stood-up and saw Max's face before he was obscured by her father. “Hi, is-“
“Who the hell are you?”
“Um, I’m Max-“
“Max what?”
“Max Cole, I’m-“
“You’re that jock.”
Max mistook Jack's tone because he said, "Yes, sir I am--"
Poor guy, he doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into…
"What are you doing here?"
It seemed to suddenly dawn on Max that her father was less than pleased to see him. "I-- uh, well, your daughter--"
"What about Dani?"
Dani once snuck-up in one of the observation rooms and saw her father interrogate a man considerably larger than he was but in no time flat Jack Reese had reduced him into a crying mess. He was using the same tone of voice now.
I can see this happening.
It was probably time to intervene. Dani shrugged out of her jacket and grabbed her bag. “Hi, Max.”
Max barely nodded his head, fixated as he was with her father looming over him.
“Dani, what-“
“Didn’t I say, dad?” She said, deliberately sliding close to Max, “I have a date tonight, Max meet my father, Jack Reese.” She pushed Max out the doorway, “C’mon, let’s go.”
“Dani-“
“Only following your orders to the letter, sir. I’m not going out with Rick.” She walked backwards to better appreciate her father’s furious expression then sketched a sarcastic salute in his direction. “Don’t wait up.”
Go, Dani! Also, this was influenced by Dani’s sarcastic salute at the prison guards in ‘What They Saw’.
-/-
"Nice digs."
Reese nodded to the landlord then looked at Crews surveying the apartment with a slow 180-degree turn, looking really impressed. Furniture’s were modern and chrome, a flat screen TV on the wall. Nothing special. "You own a mansion."
This is one of the things about Charlie she doesn’t understand. He has a mansion, what’s so impressive about apartments like this?
"But this is still nice." He gestured to the floor to ceiling window. "And look at the view. It must really look good at night, all the lights."
Reese looked over the mail. "Just a bunch of junk mail here."
"Dealing drugs is a really lucrative business." Reese raised her eyebrows at this statement. Crews scrutinized the computer. "When I was their age I was still struggling with the mortgage and other..." he trailed off at her impatient stare.
"You done?"
He straightened and flattened his tie looking chastened. He reminded Reese of the annoying kids she used to babysit. She went babysitting twice and that was twice too much already.
She looked at the shelf next to the TV. “The Godfather trilogy, Goodfellas, Reservoir Dogs, Donnie Brasco, Blow, Las Vegas. All gangster movies.”
“I like The Godfather.” Crews said and frowned. “Or I think I liked The Godfather, it’s been a while.”
“I liked the first movie.” She remarked.
Dani and Charlie would like the classics, I think. But I think between the two of them, its Dani who’s a lot more of a snob when it comes to movies. Dani would love the controlled version of Al Pacino’s character better than the shouting, showy Don he became.
She snapped gloves on and pushed the DVDs out of the way, felt for a hidden compartment but the wall was just a wall.
"You should move, Reese." Crews walked to the kitchen. "Some place with a view. Like this place."
"Yeah," she said, not even attempting to hide her sarcasm, "because I have that much money on me." Reese moved to the center and for a second she thought she caught Crews watching her but when she turned he was opening cabinets.
See there? That’s plot right there! One of the things I took away from Buffy was an advice from Joss: The focus might shift from Buffy but the writers always took to account what Buffy felt during the whole thing. This might be happening in Dani’s POV but Charlie’s story is still ongoing.
This happened after Serious Control Issues, meaning, Charlie’s actively investigating Jack Reese, which meant in a way, Charlie is testing Dani.
Charlie’s trying to figure out if Jack had something to do with the Bank of LA shootout, what happened to all that money? Did Dani benefit from the windfall?
The answer is: No. Or at least not in ways she knows about and the answer is a relief to Charlie. Of course the other reason why Dani doesn’t have that much money is: It is never a good thing for a recovering addict to have a lot of loose cash on hand.
Reese narrowed her eyes but he kept on opening and closing cabinets.
"Nothing incriminating here." His voice was muffled, head stuck inside one of the cabinets.
"We're going to take the computer." She told him. "But if they were smart they'd have nothing here. Most smart dealers don't use or bring their product home."
Crews pulled his head out of the cabinet and bounced to his toes, "Let's hope they weren't smart."
"Let's hope so."
Reese entered one of the rooms the bed was unmade, shoes untidily splayed next to a cabinet. Typical bachelor pad. She glanced around and saw Sullivan's picture together with his mother.
"I don't think they were so smart," Crews said and entered the room with a sheaf of papers in his hands. Reese glanced at him then continued staring at one of the night tables and then moved forward and pulled the drawer open.
This is what I consider Dani’s ‘Have you asked the dog’ moment. I’m sure Charlie knows a little about the habits of addicts considering prison is a bedrock of drugs and where hiding things is the norm but this is a habit Dani’s intimately familiar with. She has a gut instinct with this sort of thing.
There was a needle, a rolled dollar bill and a small bag of coke. Underneath the coke was a portable hard drive. Reese kept her hand on the handle and cocked her head at Crews. "Yeah, not so smart at all."
Jackpot and yet, another temptation right there.
-/-
After the initial rush everything went downhill from there. They went out to the movies and a dinner. The movie was okay, she enjoyed it but dinner was awkward and boring and when Max brought her out at the popular make out point, she raised her eyebrows and waited curiously for his next move. He kept clearing his throat and kept repeating, ‘So…’ Dani didn’t say anything and let him sweat it out.
He eventually offered her beer he kept in his backseat, the beer was warm and stale but it was something to drink and fill the awkward silence and then Dani felt Max’s arm slide over her armrest to her shoulders. She turned her head, stared at his hand and said, “I think my dad will be looking for me now.”
It was like saying she had herpes or something, he quickly pulled away his arm and started the car. “I think I should bring you home.”
“Maybe you should.” She agreed and sipped her beer again.
The next morning her father glared at her over the kitchen table and her mother let out a breath, shook her head before passing Dani a big cup of coffee. Dani ignored her father and smiled at her mother. Dani knew Jack will find a way to make her pay but now she let him stew in his anger.
Jack is biding his time and Dani knows this but for now he hasn't done anything. Yet.
School, on the other hand, was different. Dani sat on the steps and waited for Rick and Sheila to appear. Rick appeared first and Dani waved to say ‘hello’ but he blew past her.
Dani doesn’t count on her date affecting her friendships or how much of a big mouth Max is.
“What the hell’s his problem?” Dani demanded as soon as Sheila appeared.
“You know what his problem is.” Sheila said, looking down at her with an expression Dani didn’t like. “How come you didn’t tell me you were going out with Max?”
“News travels fast, that was only last night.”
“Well, Max has a bigger mouth than you do.”
Dani scowled. “That jerk.”
“Rick actually saw you guys enter the movie house last night.” Sheila crossed her arms at Dani’s flabbergasted expression. “Do you have any idea how long I had to listen to Rick gripe about that? All the boys in the school, you chose to go out with Max?”
Dani looked away. “That isn’t any of his business. Anyway, we’re not dating, what does it matter who I date?”
“Girl, I love you, but sometimes I think you’re just plain stupid.” Sheila sat on the steps and pushed back her sunglasses and stared at Dani.
Dani pulled at her bags, looked up at Rick’s retreating back then shook her head, tugged at Sheila’s hand. “He’ll get over it.”
“Yeah, sure he will.” Sheila agreed, “Just sayin’, all the guys, you had to pick Max.”
“He’ll get over it,” Dani repeated.
Teenage soap, Dani Reese style.
-/-
“I know nothin’.” The tweaker's name, according to Jackson's notes, was Brody, a DJ for one of the clubs they used to frequent. Brody wasn’t much of a DJ now.
This is one of the things that’s changed over time, not a lot but just in the details. It was brought to my attention that an ideal client for drug dealers are people who have money rather than the people who were already burned out. Considering John and Alex’s background that also seemed like a logical thing. Brody was a DJ before he got too hooked with meth. The story is something Dani’s too familiar with.
He rubbed one hand over one scrawny arm he twitched, looking restless and anxious. Reese kept her hands in her pockets, 23 months clean and she could still feel a sympathetic shake in her hands.
I wondered how Dani would react if she came across a full blown addict. Would she remember how she used to be?
“We’re homicide detectives,” Crews said, “We don’t care about the drugs.”
Reese stared at the space above the tweaker's head.
Charlie’s statement is only true for one of them. It’s certainly not true for Dani.
Brody looked at them, wary then eyed her and smiled. His mouth looked terrible rotting teeth and blackened gums. If there was anything she could be thankful about, it was not getting hooked on meth. Track marks healed, a mouth like that…
I’ve seen pictures and its really not something I’d like to have. Not that I’d want Dani’s problem too.
She took out a photo of Jackson and Sullivan, “These boys your dealer?”
“I don’t know,” he sniffed, nervous. Usually that meant guilt, for addicts short on drugs, it was only par for the course. “What happened to ‘em?”
“They were murdered,” she passed the picture to Crews and took her hand back to her pocket. It smelled like sweat and piss in the room. She’d smelled worse, lived in worse. Reese ruthlessly crushed that line of thinking. “Did you kill them?”
“Hell, no!” It was the first sure thing out of his mouth.
“Are you sure?” Reese gestured towards him, “I mean, looking at you I can tell you haven’t been on anything for a while, maybe you got desperate, maybe you went to their home and-“
“No, no, no, no!” each word louder then than the last. Crews moved forward and Brody cringed and whimpered.
“But do you know who’d like to kill them?” Crews asked picking-up her thread. Back when they first started Reese thought they’d never agree on anything, that interrogating with Crews would be impossible, now they had a rhythm, a movement. He could drive her crazy at other times but he could read her mind as easy as breathing and vice versa.
“You tell us and we’ll walk out of your door and you can go back doing,” she gestured at the table. The one she wasn’t looking at, the one with the empty capsules, broken needles and bent spoons. “Whatever.”
Pretty detailed for someone not looking.
“Just like that?” He looked dubious, “You ain’t gonna bother me anymore?”
“If you got nothin’ to do with the murder, we’re not going to bother you.” Reese modulated her voice, the one junkies heard as trustworthy.
I think she knows how to do that, she’d have to to be able to convince dealers.
“There were these guys,” Brody rubbed his arms, “I heard them hassling JJ and Sully.”
“Which guys?” Charlie asked.
“Them guys, y’know, the spics,” he crossed his arms, tried to disappear into the woodwork, “there, I told you.”
Reese frowned. “Can you describe what they look like?”
“I wasn’t looking at them." He sniffed, looked at the floor, "I was looking at my stash, y’know?”
Crews shrugged and Reese nodded in turn. “Alright, we’re gone but if you remember anything call Detective Crews.”
If Crews was surprised at Reese for volunteering his number he didn’t show it, he pulled out a business card and passed it to the junkie. They turned and headed for the door.
“Hey, hey!”
They stopped.
“Look, since we be givin’ numbers and all, maybe you can spare a dollar? I’ll pay you back,” he grinned at them, flashing his rotten teeth. “I just need to buy food I haven’t eaten in three days…”
“I have fruit,” Crews replied and pulled an apple from his jacket, Reese stared at it.
“What, man?” Brody looked completely taken aback. Reese knew the feeling.
“Fresh fruit can fill your stomach,” Crews placed the apple in the junkies’ hand, “but laughter and peace can fill your soul.” He clapped the man by the shoulders and beamed, “Good day.”
Crews turned, beamed at Reese too and walked out. Reese caught Brody’s flummoxed expression, she realized she wore the same expression as the junkie’s and followed her partner out.
I'm sure she doesn't like the fact that she had something in common with Brody.
She was going to take a long shower when she got home, the crack den smell clung to her she might even have to scrub her jacket.
Dani's walking on a tight rope right now, with all of these reminders and triggers, even with almost two years being drug free something has to give.
Reese started the car, rolled down the window and turned to Crews. “You’re whacked, you know that?”
Crews nodded, still and peaceful. “So you’ve said a hundred times.”
-/-
The worst thing about Jack Reese was as much as he was a bastard; as much as he was a controlling asshole the worse were the times when he wasn’t.
This is what I think - there has to be a reason why Dani’s mother is still married to Jack and something more than because religion forbade it or love.
“A picnic?”
“In Santa Monica.” Leyla said with a nod.
“When was this decided?”
“Monday.”
“I wasn’t here Monday.”
Her mother raised her eyebrows, “And whose fault was that?”
Her father appeared, “Are we ready?”
“Apparently our little one was not informed of this excursion,” her mother said with an amused nod in her direction.
Dani opened her mouth to tell her to stop calling her 'little' but said instead, “I have plans you know, things to do.”
“Yes? With Rick and Sheila?” Her mother continued and she had that look, the not quite stern expression she manages to mix with sympathy that always, always made Dani feel guilty. “Going to the mall? Or the track for practice?”
“Fine.” Dani sighed. “I’ll call Sheila.”
Dani turned to leave and her mother let out a low laugh. She paused and glanced behind her. Jack had his arm around Leyla’s waist, whispering something to her, something that made her laugh. Dani watched Jack take one of her mother’s hands and pressed a kiss on one her hand. Dani shifted her eyes away and caught her reflection in the hall mirror-her face unreadable even to herself.
Halfway to Santa Monica, the car broke down. It was one of those things that happened either by accident or neglect but neither option was an excuse Jack accepted, the car stuttered and sputtered until it died. Dani leaned away slowly and watched her father, bracing herself from her father’s inevitable outburst. She could see her mother’s shoulders tense.
Jack turned in his seat, she could see herself reflected in his aviators. He was smiling. “Looks like we’re in trouble now.”
“I guess so.” Dani said, wary.
They got out of the car and he popped the hood, a cloud of steam hissed out. He took off his jacket and waved it around the smoke. He went on a running dialogue about the car and told Dani to listen, pointing out things she should and shouldn’t be doing.
Her mother sat nearby and watched them work. “Perhaps we should call for help?”
“No, I think, Dani and I can handle it.” Jack elbowed Dani’s shoulders. “Right, Dani?”
Dani looked down at her tank top, the one she bought the other day, now stained with grease. “Whatever you say, dad.”
Dani had her arms deep in the cars guts when a patrol car came by, Jack straightened from where he was supervising and wiped his hands on the oilcloth and winked at Dani. “Watch your old man handle this.”
Dani watched him approach the patrol officer, held out his hand they shook hands then he stuck his hand into his jacket and offered the patrolman his badge. In less than five minutes in, he turned and waved at her and her mother. “Officer Hendricks is offering us a ride.”
Her mother laughed, put an arm around Dani’s shoulders as they approached the patrolman. Dani self-consciously tried to rub the grease from her hands.
“Hendricks,” her father said, “my wife, Leyla, and this,” Jack put a friendly hand on her head like she was six and not sixteen and ruffled, “is my daughter, Dani.”
“Hi,” Hendricks greeted and Dani returned with a smile that was a little strained. "See you were trying to help your dad get your car going. Most girls wouldn't even want to approach a mile of anything greasy."
Hendricks laughed at his joke.
"Are we going anytime soon, Hendricks?" Her father said.
The patrolman straightened noticeably at the tone of his voice. "Yeah, this way, sir. I'll have the rig over to pick-up your car."
Jack gave a swift pat on his back. "Good."
All through the ride her father regaled the officer with his war stories. She watched as the patrol officer, who had nothing to look forward to but the endless monotony of the road and traffic violations, fall in love with the life her father painted.
Dani didn’t want to be a cop, but the way her father told the story made her understand why other people would. She asked Karen about it once and Karen simply answered, because she’d like to see criminals behind bars. Dani sat back and watched the sun glint off the waters and listened.
They made it to the beach just as the sun was setting and there, leaning over the railing, watching the sun go down with her parents beside her she could pretend they were always like this.
This was the reason why her mother stayed and Dani craved his approval because, on occasion, Jack Reese could be kind and charming. The man her mother married and the father Dani always wanted him to be. He made them expect it would always be like this and never what he usually was.
And there it was. The whole rhyme and reason why they stay, why Dani still valued his opinion, why her mother stayed. This idea actually came from reading one of Sarah’s interviews and she mentioned her parents and then she said something about her father being a charming man for her mother to have married him.
I was struggling with Jack’s character and then I read the interview and then I had a lightbulb moment. Of course, this was why. And another piece of the puzzle fell into place.
Dani hated it. It was at this moment Dani decided this was her father at his most cruel.
-/-
Jackson and Sullivan didn’t work corners they took advantage of their ability to blend in and enter clubs, selling to people who wanted to party but like any business enterprise. They got greedy and wanted more and expanded to other areas, specifically, the more disreputable side of LA.
The first version of this had Jackson and Sullivan working the corners (ala, once again, The Wire) in Skid Row but according to my betas there’s been some improvement in that area and also, it isn’t profitable that to sell to already washed out junkies.
I’m forever grateful to denynothing1 and 15lbpurebunny for helping me locate my story in LA and not just a place masquerading as LA.
According to Jackson's notes they wanted to start small, with two or three kids slinging for them. They had big dreams. They'd sit in luxury while the kids worked the corners, haunting Echo Park and slinging their product with the others. This was the move that could have gotten them killed.
“Amateurs.” Reese said, disgusted after scanning through Sullivan’s notes. She felt oddly affronted at Jackson and Sullivan’s little operation. “They really thought they were living the mafia dream. Kept referencing the Godfather and the Sopranos I think I even saw a heart drawn around Quentin Tarantino’s name.”
Dani’s kind of offended that these kids had a successful drug business, operating the way they were. Lightweights. It’s kind of a pride thing for her too. She used to be she used to come after real drug lords. Yeah, pride is a weird thing.
“Who was the Godfather and who was the consigliere?” Crews asked.
“Looked like Jackson called the shots.” Reese rubbed her eyes, studied the crime board. “I don’t know how they manage to get as far as they got with the way they ran their operation.”
“Just when I thought I was out,” Crews said in a raspy voice, “they pull me back in!”
Reese glanced at Crews. “Guess that means you saw the Godfather again.”
“I liked the third movie.”
“Really?” Reese wrinkled her nose, “I think it sucked.”
Heh. See, she’s a classic fan. It’s the Godfather for her and nothing else.
“It wasn’t as good as the first two but I still liked it,” Crews stood up and massaged his neck, “We have to drop by Echo Park.”
“Yeah,” Reese said, “I know.”
They deliberately saved Echo Park for last. Echo Park wasn’t exactly off the beaten path but from the way she and Crews have been ferrying across LA, it might as well be.
“Boy,” Crews said looking at the establishments, “this place has changed.”
Reese glanced at Crews, took in his wide-eyed stare at a couple of hipsters walking their dogs.
“I remember chasing after a perp here, got a bruise this big,” he put his palms together then pulled them away indicating the size of the bruise.
“Hit a wall?”
“Garbage can, wind knocked out of my sails. Bobby laughed about it for a week. Hey, maybe we can get coffee there later.”
Reese glanced at the coffeehouse Crews pointed out. Hipsters in all their ‘cooler than you’ glory littered the front step. “No, thanks.”
Reese would have absolutely no patience with hipsters, I’m thinking.
“I was here a few weeks ago.” He said, “Early morning sun and there was even an ice cream vendor and two old men arguing. I don’t know why I didn’t notice these before.”
I believe it was 15lbpurebunny who speculated that the scene where Jack Reese and Ames were arguing was actually located in Echo Park. And this is me tossing that thing in.
When she looked at him again he was looking at her but Reese wasn’t sure if Crews was seeing her. There was a speculative look in his eye and then his eyes slid away from her. “Jen and I used to go here when we were feeling adventurous, we used to rent pedal boats.”
Crews has some questions about Dani, about her father and he can’t ask it. Not yet, somehow, deep down I think Dani knows this.
Reese eased her car on the side street, turned off the ignition but her hands stayed on the wheel.
“Ready?”
“Ready.” She said and for good measure, repeated, “Ready.”
Crews opened his door and Reese followed. The lake glistened even from this distance. Echo Park had changed but not all that much amidst the new restaurants and coffee houses there were still places people don’t venture to.
Some of the dealers working the park (kids, teenagers) vanished as they spotted Reese and Crews walk the path. Down the street Reese could hear shouts of, “Five-oh! Five-oh!”
Another The Wire reference.
They canvassed the doors and the homeless on park benches. It would have been faster if they split up, save time but Reese didn’t suggest splitting up and neither did Crews. A group of Latino kids hung around a car, watching them, music keyed up high. They could just be kids hanging out or part of an avenue gang in this area.
“How’s your Spanish?”
Crews adjusted his sunglasses, “Good enough.”
“Okay.” Reese ran her tongue over her teeth. There were some broken capsules crunching under her boots. “Witnessed a lot of dealings in Pelican Bay?”
“You’d be blind not to but after the law cracked down on AB they became-“
“A lot more discreet?”
Crews hummed his answer.
Fun fact tidbit, I stumbled on to a documentary on the Aryan Brotherhood, a white supremacists gang operating in Pelican Bay. They had a huge drug trade going on in Pelican Bay and several prisons across the US when everything went down for the AB, Charlie was still in Pelican Bay. He’d have witnessed the riots. I wonder though if the AB ever approached Charlie or was his being a cop enough of a stigma in Pelican Bay that even the AB wouldn’t want anything to do with him?
…Okay, I hope I didn’t bored y’all too much.
“We ain’t gonna talk to no cops,” announced the kid in the bandanna, he had a neck tattoo. Reese couldn’t make out if there was a number five hidden in the tattoo.
“We’re not interested in talking about the drugs,” Reese said, flexed her fingers and watched.
“No shit,” the kid in the black wife beater snickered, “you lookin’ for those two white boys.”
“You recognize them?” Crews asked.
“They been around.”
“They dead right?” Another kid said, he was tall and Reese was reminded how far from tall she was. She frowned.
“How’d you know that?”
One of the kids scoffed. “Cops flashing pictures about two white boys here? ‘Course they dead.”
“Anyone in particular want them dead?” She asked.
“They in our place, ‘course we want ‘em dead.”
Crews looked at her as a round of jokes went around, none of the kids were interested in helping. It was a bust, something Reese suspected from the start. Crews ended the interview with an advice about sunblock. This prompted one of the kids to shout, “You loco, man!”
One of the junkies sitting on the sidewalk stood and stumbled forward, waved a shaky hand at her. “Hey, don’t I know you?”
Uh-oh.
Reese faced him, he was scrawny and looked like he was a hit away from an overdose. “I don’t know, do I?”
He frowned, confused, muddled. “I don’t know, I-“
“Would you know these men?” Crews pushed the picture forward. Reese slipped on her sunglasses.
Even Dani doesn’t know where the guy knew her from, as an undercover cop or… during her dark time when she was just like one of them.
“Can’t say I do.” He shot another confused glance at Reese. Reese kept her face neutral, looked down at the street. There were broken capsules beside her feet and some residue of-
“Thank you for your time.” Reese heard Crews say. She looked up, saw the junkie muddle away. She pulled her keys from her jacket.
“We missed our midday meal.” Crews said as he settled in his seat.
Reese started the car and pulled off the sidewalk.
“I think ice cream would help.” He went on, “Mango and strawberry and maybe a little chocolate. What do you think, Reese?”
I’m *so* glad Dani has Charlie for a partner, he knows when to step in to help, to get Reese to breathe a little from the suffocating wall she’s trapped herself in.
Reese waited for the lights to change color an SUV was trying to over take her. She slowed down. It took off, engines roaring. “I think ice cream’s fine.”
Dani didn't know how her mother would take to Karen. Normally, wives don’t take too well to their husband’s blond young female friends or so she’s been informed by various magazines, talk shows and soap operas. More importantly, Karen was her father's partner he spent more time with her than with his family. Dani knew, as a cop's kid, that a bond between partners was sacrosanct.
Dani grew-up in an environment of cops and as a cop's kids she knew more than anything else about the concepts of belonging *and* the bond partners share with each other. I think the roots of Dani's intense loyalty grew from living in this sort of environment.
A place where there is an 'Us', as a unit, as partners, as cops and 'them'. There was a quote in The Closer where Commander Taylor says something like: There's a thin blue line when you cross this building. And I think Dani found that appealing, that sense of belonging and loyalty.
Of course, now after what she's been through even as a cop she doesn't feel like she was one of them. At least, not as much as she once did.
When Karen and Leyla finally met, Dani expected... She didn't know exactly but she didn't expect her mother greeting Karen with smiles and open arms.
One of the things I like about this show is that the relationships are not reduced to pettiness. I liked that Dani and Constance weren't at each other's throat. The introduction in Let Her Go had more to do with making Charlie squirm.
And then I liked in Dig A Hole, Dani was amused by Constance but not put off, that together they seemed to enjoy needling Charlie. I would think Mrs. Reese meeting Davis would have been something and I like the idea that Mrs. Reese defies conventions and opens her arms to Davis. After all, Karen does spend every Wednesday night dinner with the Reese family.
"You should come have dinner with us," her mother said, holding Karen's hands. "Jack, you should have invited her sooner!"
"I see her 24 hours a day already," her father grumbled, "I have enough women around me."
Karen laughed, "You're a cranky bastard, Jack."
Dani's eyes widened. No one spoke to her father that way but to her surprise he laughed. Dani stared at him, as if he’d grown another head.
These are one of the things that surprised Jack about Karen, I’m thinking. Karen’s irreverent towards him and it used to rankle at him but they’ve settled into a pattern. This would, of course, amaze Dani and more than anything this is what made Karen into Dani’s role model that she could give Jack crap and get away with it. In this story at least.
"Dinner," her mother insisted, "tomorrow evening. I insist."
“Alright,” Karen said, “it’s not everyday a lowly cop gets invited in for a free meal.”
Later, on the way to their car her mother said, "I like Karen." She turned a smile at Dani, "She'll be good for our little one."
Dani scowled, "I'm not little."
"Karen's a good cop, she'll go far," agreed her father and turned a sideways glance at Dani, "You would be lucky to be half as good as Karen."
"Jack..." her mother began.
Complimenting someone to hounding her in one breath didn’t surprise Dani; the fact it took him almost half an hour to do so, did.
Dani knew this was coming, she’s used to it. Doesn’t mean it still doesn’t sting.
"No, let me talk." He stopped, faced Dani, "I saw your grades."
Dani stuck her chin out. "My grades are fine."
"'Fine'?" Jack repeated, "I expect 'better', I expect 'excellent'. I do not expect ‘fine’ not from my daughter. You’ll do well to remember that ‘fine’ will get you nowhere in this world.”
‘Good’ is not good enough for Jack. Especially when it comes to his daughter. He would constantly want to push her, be better because she is his daughter. That alone should mean that she should be better.
"Jack," her mother pulled at his arm, "let's go."
He stared at Dani. "I want better grades, Dani, do we understand each other?"
She glowered, she wanted to tell him where to take his 'understanding' what she said instead was, "Yes, sir."
"Good, get in the car."
-/-
Reese watched the black BMW park from across the coffee shop and just by looking determined the BMW violated at least 3 traffic laws. Out of habit Reese mentally took down its plates. She scraped the bottom of the yogurt. Beside her, Crews said something inane about frogs. She was used to Crews enough to know he was talking just for the sake of talking.
She may say she doesn’t understand Charlie but she already kind of does. There’s some things about Charlie she’s already figured out and the inane babbling is one of the things Dani’s figured out from day one. The difference being is that she’s a lot more patient with him now.
The yogurt Crews gave was, to no surprise, fruit flavored and despite its lukewarm temperature still tasted great. The things money could buy.
Davis called a few minutes earlier. Since she had yet to update Davis it unnerved Reese that the Lieutenant had someone checking up on her. She didn't like thinking about it. She'd been paranoid before and didn't care for the feeling.
"Is this going to be a problem?" Davis asked half concerned, half measuring.
"Its meth," she answered by explanation then added as the silence stretched. "It wasn't my drug of choice."
"It's still drugs, Dani."
Davis would have someone looking up Dani, both as a precaution and concern for Dani’s safety.
The ‘drug of choice’ comment came directly from one of the recovery boards I stumbled upon (if someone checked my browser history I think I’d be thrown to either the crazy farm or rehab). Someone mentioned how despite having a hardcore addiction to Heroin and crack, meth was never his drug of choice. I think Dani’s addiction is of a similar make-up, her choice of poisons run more towards cocaine and alcohol and maybe heroin?
Honestly, I just hope I got this right.
Crews balanced two cups on one hand and a fruit package in the other.
"Crews is here."
"Alright."
Reese signed off as Crews offered the coffee. "Davis is going to pass by."
"We'll be up by then," he assured her then sat beside her and started talking about frogs.
Charlie has freaky knowledge about frogs.
A few minutes after watching two more cars commit various traffic violations and enduring Crews' frog talk Reese had enough. "Let's go."
The air in the apartment was clear but the bodies remained untouched. The victims, according to their license, were Alex Sullivan and John Jackson dropouts from USC turned small time dealers.
They had a different address on their license.
"Just like Farthing and Gale." Crews observed.
"I doubt they're anything like Farthingale." Reese put up the licenses, "This place is where they operate but I'm guessin' this address is where they lived."
I wanted this to be Reese’s Farthingale episode. Too often we’ve seen how Crews solves a crime because of his unique perspective on criminals by having these murders directly relating to drugs Dani would take the primary on this case.
After years in Narcotics and her own experience with drugs she’d have insight to the drug trade that Charlie wouldn’t have. Also, it’s a good springboard to exploring Dani and her past.
"White boys playing at dealers." Reese heard Juarez say, contemptuous. As far as Reese was concerned, dealers were dealers. It didn't matter what color their skins were, as long as their product was good and their supply lasted.
This is true. An addict wouldn’t care about skin color, drugs was drugs was drugs was drugs.
"The question we should ask," she told Crews, "is whose toes they stepped on. An operation like this, it's bound to step on a couple of toes."
"They were also suppliers, right?" He was still munching on the taffy apple. "Maybe a few dealers would come by for--"
"A re-up?" Reese mulled this over then shook her head, "something like this would already be out on the street. Dealers would change their routine, only people that would show would be junkies."
Another thing I took away from The Wire.
"You know an awful lot about the drug trade." Stark remarked.
Crews frowned, "Bobby--"
"I was a narc cop before I turned homicide." She said flatly, "Don't you have doors to canvass?"
He sketched a sarcastic salute, "Yes, ma'am."
Oh, Bobby, you’re such an ass.
Reese didn't bother to respond. He wasn't worth the effort. "First order of business, we have to determine whose territory this area is."
Crews looked to Juarez, Juarez looked back blankly. "What?"
"Do you know?" Crews asked.
Juarez was tall, good-looking, dark haired exactly the type of guy Reese would hook up with in a bar. But in uniform and light of day, he was exactly the type of guy that annoyed her.
From what I’ve seen of the men she’s hooked up with (blurry guy in the background, married guy in the second ep and the Detective in Powerless) Juarez is totally Dani’s type. Dani’s very aware of her issues and her problems, the problem is getting Dani to admit it to anybody else.
"I think this is Cinco territory."
"'Think'?" she repeated, incredulous, "isn't this your beat?"
It’s unthinkable to Dani that a cop isn’t familiar with all aspects of his beat. Of course, not everyone had the level of immersion as she had but it’s still unthinkable to her.
"It was, detective--"
"Either it is or it isn't, officer."
His face flushed red, Reese raised her eyebrows, dared him to say something that could have him writing tickets for a month. "I'll find out."
"You do that."
-/-
Everybody knew about the Bank of LA shootout. It was hard to miss when it was all anyone- the media, her friends, her teachers-- wanted to talk about. The story was everywhere. It was the ultimate in the long line of surreal and crazy Los Angeles stories, a cool action story to be told and retold until all the facts changed depending on the storyteller.
This is a direct riff from Stark’s Bank of LA story. Its only logical that different versions of the story will emerge, the shootout has become one of the urban legends of LA. I also like how the truth evolves and obscures through time.
For Dani, it was a different thing all together.
The shootout was nothing but an endless source of conflict and tension around the house. No one mentioned the incident without one or both of her parents tensing up and starting one of their many low voiced arguments.
Sudden closed doors and arguments punctuated the months following the shootout. Men in suits would arrive in their house leaving her father more forbidding than before, her mother grim and silent.
Dani remembered the morning of the shootout. It was an ordinary day and her father told Leyla he would be gone the rest of the week because of his SWAT team’s training maneuvers.
When the news about the bank hold-up came in her mother turned white and fell boneless on the couch and when the dust settled and the news heading changed from ‘hold-up’ to ‘shootout’ Leyla’s hands turned cold.
Dani sat next to her to comfort her mother. Leyla didn't cry but the grip on Dani's shoulders tightened.
At first, even with all the money lost, her father and his team were hailed as heroes. It became one of the most talked about cop stories anywhere.
But whatever accolade was given came with a price. Scrutiny and suspicion was leveled on her father’s team, IA came and went but the investigations seemed routine over and done with with a few amicable pats on the back. A few months after the shootout IA closed the case. A week after the investigation was closed two of her father's friends came to their house. They talked behind closed doors, Dani remembered her mother bringing in food and then appearing moments later with the strangest expression Dani’s ever seen. Dani never knew what happened but as soon as Jack’s friends left, Leyla re-entered the room and began shouting at her father.
Dani hid inside her room until the fighting was done.
It was the longest fight Leyla and Jack ever had. Dani found herself hyperaware about everything every whisper and gesture could mean anything.
She would lay awake at nights wondering if this was it, the night one or both of her parents would come in and announce their separation. Dani tried imagining how it would happen. She stared at the ceiling and listened to her breathing and tried to ignore the very conspicuous silence.
In the end, nothing came of the fighting. They fought until they stopped fighting, until the fighting slid into the background. Another thing they let slip and let go but never forgotten. Somehow, her father managed to win her mother over or very probably it was because their religion forbade it.
The Catholic Church forbade divorce.
Dani didn’t know if she should feel relieved or angry, her parents were together but Dani couldn’t understand how religion could force a person to stay in a relationship that was clearly broken.
Contrary to Charlie’s analysis of her loss of faith, I don’t think, and Dani confirms, it was because of her junkie lover or the drugs. It helped but it wasn’t just the reason for her loss of faith.
I think it was moments like this that started it all.
-/-
"He's a good kid," Mrs. Jackson clutched Reese's hands, “he just lost his way! He'd never did this before he met that boy!"
Reese hated this part of the job: the denials, the pleas; stages of grief. She loved other aspects loved puzzling over bits of clues left over a scene, loved asking questions that made suspects sweat, love how it can all come together beautifully that the arrest was just icing.
This part, she didn't love.
This is very much a mirror to Dani talking to John Gibney’s mother. I can only imagine how difficult it is to speak to a grieving parent and its something Homicide detectives have to do regularly. I don’t think even a hardened detective is immune to the grief of a parent who just lost their child.
She lowered her voice and asked, carefully, quietly, "Do you know anyone who'd like to hurt your son?"
"We haven't spoken in a year," and from the catch in her voice Reese understood it was this admission that broke down the denial and the next words came out in a sob, "My baby boy..."
Reese looked on helpless then caught Crews' eye. He was staring at one of the photos on the mantle, mind miles away. She wondered if he did that because he was as uncomfortable as she was or it was just another thing prison taught him. He put down the picture and approached Mrs. Jackson, touched her shoulder. She looked up, still sobbing.
"We're very sorry for your loss." And he meant it too. He always meant it.
"You know what Davis would say about this?" They were back in the car, much later after the Jacksons and the Sullivans. They were going nowhere. Interviewing Jackson and Sullivan’s crew was just as futile. The people they hang around with were posers, hanger-ons. They all had the same thing to say about Jackson and Sullivan:
“They were okay, got money and knew how to get well, y’know.” They always end up with an eyebrow waggle and Reese would always return with an expressionless, unimpressed stare.
There really is nothing those kids could say and do that would surprise or impress Dani. As Sarah Shahi said in an interview, she’s forgotten more tricks than criminals put together.
There was only one other place to go before hitting the-the places where-- Before going some place else.
"Drugs and money," Crews said, obliging. "Hey, Reese."
"Mmm?"
"When you were doing drugs, how did your parents take it?"
The only reason why she didn't swerve off the road was because she expected something like this. "You mean my dad?"
She’s familiar with some of Charlie’s tricks, Dani knows he’s filing these things away so he could quiz her later. She pretends not to but I think, she knows. The scene in A Civil War where Charlie asks about her reaction to the Bank of LA shootout seemed too calm and measured. It was like she partly expected Charlie asking.
"I meant your parents, your mother."
Reese glanced at Crews, they've come a long way but she wasn't sure she was ready to tell all. If she would ever be ready.
"It broke her heart," she said, after a moment, and left it at that.
And it did.
3.
She read somewhere that all happy families were alike and all unhappy families were unhappy in different ways. Dani never finished reading the book but the line stuck with her.
The line from Anna Karenina would stick with Dani, the book is her mother’s and she opened the book out of curiosity one afternoon. It’s a thick book with small letters and she’s never going to finish it not when she has a lot to do but that line would forever be burned in her mind.
She looked at her family and couldn’t really say what category her family fell into.
I think it bothers Dani that she can’t properly identify which category her family falls into.
Everyone loved Jack Reese. The cops in the station, his superiors, the partners he had over the years, the SWAT team he led. Everyone loved Jack.
Her mother loved her father despite disagreeing with his methods and Leyla would constantly tell Dani stories about her father and it was like looking at Jack from a distilled mirror. Charming, kind and happy.
Leyla told Dani about the times they lived in one of the small apartments making do with whatever they have on hand, struggling to make ends meet but happy. Dani had vague recollections of those moments, sitting on her mother’s lap as her father performed sock puppet shows. It felt like a dream, like it happened to someone else.
This is my idea of Jack Reese, he’s a man of his generation and I think, to begin with he wasn’t evil or harsh. He started out as a good man, an idealistic, traditional good man. He started out as a cop working the beat and with a family that wasn’t during that time traditional.
In order to provide for his family Jack started to do some things he’s never done before, maybe follow orders of a dirty watch commander and was rewarded from there it’s a slippery slope. What’s right, what isn’t right all becomes blurry until he’s so far over the edge he couldn’t tell the difference. As long as he can justify things he can continue doing it.
Jack ran his family like he ran his unit; he held his family in a steel grip, someone who wanted things done his way or not at all. He didn't like the idea of his daughter acquiring an accent nor did the idea of standing out appeal to him and forbade her mother to speak her native language.
This is the traditional Jack, the one who wanted to conform. He married a foreigner, an Iranian woman, an unpopular choice considering what happened in 1979. Added to that, he had a daughter with that woman the consequence of that is Jack trying to hold his family in a firm grip, control them possibly in a misguided attempt to protect his daughter and wife.
Maybe he thinks that it would be better for his wife and child not to display anything that would remind other people that they’re different.
Her mother, modern as she was for her time, was still a traditionalist. She obeyed her husband in his presence but taught Dani Farsi in his absence.
Here is the start of Dani learning to lie, lying by omission. She perfected it undercover but she’s learned to lie all her life because of the way her family lived. Like Larson said, they were all liars.
Her father’s job often took him out of the house and it gave Dani and her mother the opportunity to bond. There were even days they could speak Farsi without interruption, trading stories from boys to whatever gossip her mother culled from her friends. It was their secret, an unspoken understanding shared by mother and daughter. It made Dani feel special, like some sort of secret agent on a mission.
This isn’t really a foreshadowing to Dani’s undercover life but it could be one of the reasons why Dani accepted the UC assignment.
But all things considered her life, while not idyllic, was better than most. She had places she could go to, away from the silent sort of tension that permeated the house whenever her father was home.
Her life wasn’t perfect but it could be worse, she might be unhappy with her life but I don’t think it was always bad. Dani’s police academy picture made me think that all the crap and the bad things and the baggage she has happened during her undercover assignment. The thing with her father was only part of it. Like Dani said: ‘It was a lot of things.’
She excelled in school but not for the reasons her father wanted. Dani discovered she didn’t like feeling second best, it irked her something fierce and more than anything she wanted to wipe the smirk off Bianca’s superior, smug face.
Young Dani struck me as a very competitive person, she isn’t going to let somebody else best her.
Best of all Dani had friends, not the fleeting fly by night acquaintances she seemed to have growing-up but people she could count on. It wasn’t that she lacked for friendly faces but there were certain things, rules she learned growing-up especially if you’re a kid of a white man and a Persian woman. She wasn’t exactly shunned but neither was she always included in, not that she was ever interested in joining in.
There are times that Dani firmly believes that denial is a river in Egypt.
Dani was athletic enough to get into groups but was sometimes a little too stand-offish to ever be considered popular. Also, Dani was known as a cop’s kid and that meant other kids thought she’d narc on them.
I read in one of the police community boards that one of the reasons their kids were shunned was because of the belief that their children would ‘narc’ on other kids. Dani isn’t the type to do. Dani would only do so if its clear that something bad would happen but not many kids in her school would know her enough to realize that about her.
It wasn’t until Dani met Sheila and Rick that Dani realized what she was missing and that ‘best friends’ meant more than friends you meet on occasion. Sheila was easy to befriend, she was a transferee from San Francisco and Dani was impressed with the beads threading her hair and a little envious of her long legs and olive skin. Rick, on the other hand, took longer for Dani to warm up to. He was lanky and tall and could have joined the basketball team if he had the inclination to (rumor had it Coach McKay cried when Rick flat out refused).
Just as Dani was known as, for better or worse, as the cop's kid, Rick was also known as the Preacher's son. This made Dani wary of Rick. She had enough of religion at home.
It took a failed prank (an incident involving cats they will never, under pain of death, speak of again) to solidify their friendship.
Rick and Dani had a complicated relationship, reminding me a little of Xander and Buffy’s relationship. Dani’s friendship with Sheila is a lot more relaxed, where Sheila would often want to bop Dani on the head because she’s a little dense about some things sometimes (re: Rick).
It also helped Rick hardly talked religion.
She also knew Rick had a crush on her, it couldn’t be helped, he was a guy. She knew as soon as she hit puberty that she was attractive. It was hard to miss when she’s around guys. It made her feel self-conscious and she had her work cut out glaring at the more obvious oglers.
I would imagine this would be an awkward and frustrating time for Dani, especially considering her parents. I would think Dani’s mother wouldn’t be comfortable talking about Dani and her body. I also think Dani would rather jump off a cliff than discuss something like this with Jack.
Dani liked Rick but never let on she noticed and personally thought Rick would be better off with Sheila.
Sheila doesn’t care for Rick that way and can’t understand why Dani kept pushing Rick on her especially when Sheila suspects Dani likes Rick. It’s a tangled web.
Rick ended up moving to somewhere else and Sheila moved back to San Francisco for college (art school) but Sheila’s been trying to stay in contact with Dani, unfortunately because of what happened during her undercover days Dani lost touch of her.
Her father noticed, of course.
“Who’s that boy who's always hanging out with you?”
Ooh boy.
Dani dropped her bag on the table, raised her eyebrows. “What boy?”
He twitched the curtain open Dani peered through and saw Rick start the car and Sheila waved at her. “You mean Rick?”
“Who else would I mean?”
“He’s a friend.” Dani said, “He’s been here lots of times, him and Sheila. Mom knows him.”
Rick and Sheila have been to the Reese home a lot of the times but it’s always when Jack isn’t home. Unfortunately for Dani, this is the one time Jack’s home and paying attention.
“Are you dating him?”
“He’s a friend.” She repeated, a little louder.
He narrowed her eyes at her. “I don’t want you to go out with him.”
Dani’s teeth snapped together, she crossed her arms, “Why, ‘cause you said so?”
“Yes, because I said so.”
“You can’t just say that, I’m sixteen I can date whoever I want to date-“
“You’re sixteen, you’re too young.”
“Too young?” She repeated, incredulous. “Other people my age have been dating since they were fourteen!”
“That’s because they don’t have me for a father!”
“That’s right, because they don’t have you as a father!”
He pointed at her. “Don’t take that tone with me, Dani.”
“What tone would that be?”
“As long as you live under my roof,” He growled, practically spitting fire, “you’re going to live by my rules. If I say you’re not dating that boy, you’re not dating! Are we clear, Dani?”
Dani’s matter a fact response to Charlie’s question about Nate’s dad not allowing him to date interested me and this is the result.
He glared at her. Dani narrowed her eyes and all but bared her teeth. “Crystal.”
Also, this is the moment on TV where the audience goes ‘uh-oh’ because anyone familiar with a stubborn character would know that this isn’t Dani agreeing. Not by a long shot.
The next day, after school, Dani approached Max one of the boneheaded jocks who kept asking her out. Dani waited until he wasn’t surrounded by his leering pack, she approached the locker next to Max’s and leaned against it and waited for him to turn.
“Dani." He sounded surprised.
Dani looked him up and down, crossed her arms. “Pick me up at eight.”
He looked at her. “What?”
“You wanted to go out with me, right?”
He nodded.
“Pick me up at eight.” She repeated then walked away.
After dinner Dani went straight to her room, she glanced at her watch and peered in the living room and saw her father was on the couch, reading on some paperwork he brought back home and her mother was adding some finishing touches to something she’d been working on.
Dani sat in the hall, pretending to study.
The doorbell rang at 8:10.
“Were we expecting company?” Dani heard her father ask, she glanced at his direction and saw him put down his pen.
“Not as far as I know.” Her mother answered with a confused shrug.
The doorbell rang again and her father stood-up and opened the door. Dani stood-up and saw Max's face before he was obscured by her father. “Hi, is-“
“Who the hell are you?”
“Um, I’m Max-“
“Max what?”
“Max Cole, I’m-“
“You’re that jock.”
Max mistook Jack's tone because he said, "Yes, sir I am--"
Poor guy, he doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into…
"What are you doing here?"
It seemed to suddenly dawn on Max that her father was less than pleased to see him. "I-- uh, well, your daughter--"
"What about Dani?"
Dani once snuck-up in one of the observation rooms and saw her father interrogate a man considerably larger than he was but in no time flat Jack Reese had reduced him into a crying mess. He was using the same tone of voice now.
I can see this happening.
It was probably time to intervene. Dani shrugged out of her jacket and grabbed her bag. “Hi, Max.”
Max barely nodded his head, fixated as he was with her father looming over him.
“Dani, what-“
“Didn’t I say, dad?” She said, deliberately sliding close to Max, “I have a date tonight, Max meet my father, Jack Reese.” She pushed Max out the doorway, “C’mon, let’s go.”
“Dani-“
“Only following your orders to the letter, sir. I’m not going out with Rick.” She walked backwards to better appreciate her father’s furious expression then sketched a sarcastic salute in his direction. “Don’t wait up.”
Go, Dani! Also, this was influenced by Dani’s sarcastic salute at the prison guards in ‘What They Saw’.
-/-
"Nice digs."
Reese nodded to the landlord then looked at Crews surveying the apartment with a slow 180-degree turn, looking really impressed. Furniture’s were modern and chrome, a flat screen TV on the wall. Nothing special. "You own a mansion."
This is one of the things about Charlie she doesn’t understand. He has a mansion, what’s so impressive about apartments like this?
"But this is still nice." He gestured to the floor to ceiling window. "And look at the view. It must really look good at night, all the lights."
Reese looked over the mail. "Just a bunch of junk mail here."
"Dealing drugs is a really lucrative business." Reese raised her eyebrows at this statement. Crews scrutinized the computer. "When I was their age I was still struggling with the mortgage and other..." he trailed off at her impatient stare.
"You done?"
He straightened and flattened his tie looking chastened. He reminded Reese of the annoying kids she used to babysit. She went babysitting twice and that was twice too much already.
She looked at the shelf next to the TV. “The Godfather trilogy, Goodfellas, Reservoir Dogs, Donnie Brasco, Blow, Las Vegas. All gangster movies.”
“I like The Godfather.” Crews said and frowned. “Or I think I liked The Godfather, it’s been a while.”
“I liked the first movie.” She remarked.
Dani and Charlie would like the classics, I think. But I think between the two of them, its Dani who’s a lot more of a snob when it comes to movies. Dani would love the controlled version of Al Pacino’s character better than the shouting, showy Don he became.
She snapped gloves on and pushed the DVDs out of the way, felt for a hidden compartment but the wall was just a wall.
"You should move, Reese." Crews walked to the kitchen. "Some place with a view. Like this place."
"Yeah," she said, not even attempting to hide her sarcasm, "because I have that much money on me." Reese moved to the center and for a second she thought she caught Crews watching her but when she turned he was opening cabinets.
See there? That’s plot right there! One of the things I took away from Buffy was an advice from Joss: The focus might shift from Buffy but the writers always took to account what Buffy felt during the whole thing. This might be happening in Dani’s POV but Charlie’s story is still ongoing.
This happened after Serious Control Issues, meaning, Charlie’s actively investigating Jack Reese, which meant in a way, Charlie is testing Dani.
Charlie’s trying to figure out if Jack had something to do with the Bank of LA shootout, what happened to all that money? Did Dani benefit from the windfall?
The answer is: No. Or at least not in ways she knows about and the answer is a relief to Charlie. Of course the other reason why Dani doesn’t have that much money is: It is never a good thing for a recovering addict to have a lot of loose cash on hand.
Reese narrowed her eyes but he kept on opening and closing cabinets.
"Nothing incriminating here." His voice was muffled, head stuck inside one of the cabinets.
"We're going to take the computer." She told him. "But if they were smart they'd have nothing here. Most smart dealers don't use or bring their product home."
Crews pulled his head out of the cabinet and bounced to his toes, "Let's hope they weren't smart."
"Let's hope so."
Reese entered one of the rooms the bed was unmade, shoes untidily splayed next to a cabinet. Typical bachelor pad. She glanced around and saw Sullivan's picture together with his mother.
"I don't think they were so smart," Crews said and entered the room with a sheaf of papers in his hands. Reese glanced at him then continued staring at one of the night tables and then moved forward and pulled the drawer open.
This is what I consider Dani’s ‘Have you asked the dog’ moment. I’m sure Charlie knows a little about the habits of addicts considering prison is a bedrock of drugs and where hiding things is the norm but this is a habit Dani’s intimately familiar with. She has a gut instinct with this sort of thing.
There was a needle, a rolled dollar bill and a small bag of coke. Underneath the coke was a portable hard drive. Reese kept her hand on the handle and cocked her head at Crews. "Yeah, not so smart at all."
Jackpot and yet, another temptation right there.
-/-
After the initial rush everything went downhill from there. They went out to the movies and a dinner. The movie was okay, she enjoyed it but dinner was awkward and boring and when Max brought her out at the popular make out point, she raised her eyebrows and waited curiously for his next move. He kept clearing his throat and kept repeating, ‘So…’ Dani didn’t say anything and let him sweat it out.
He eventually offered her beer he kept in his backseat, the beer was warm and stale but it was something to drink and fill the awkward silence and then Dani felt Max’s arm slide over her armrest to her shoulders. She turned her head, stared at his hand and said, “I think my dad will be looking for me now.”
It was like saying she had herpes or something, he quickly pulled away his arm and started the car. “I think I should bring you home.”
“Maybe you should.” She agreed and sipped her beer again.
The next morning her father glared at her over the kitchen table and her mother let out a breath, shook her head before passing Dani a big cup of coffee. Dani ignored her father and smiled at her mother. Dani knew Jack will find a way to make her pay but now she let him stew in his anger.
Jack is biding his time and Dani knows this but for now he hasn't done anything. Yet.
School, on the other hand, was different. Dani sat on the steps and waited for Rick and Sheila to appear. Rick appeared first and Dani waved to say ‘hello’ but he blew past her.
Dani doesn’t count on her date affecting her friendships or how much of a big mouth Max is.
“What the hell’s his problem?” Dani demanded as soon as Sheila appeared.
“You know what his problem is.” Sheila said, looking down at her with an expression Dani didn’t like. “How come you didn’t tell me you were going out with Max?”
“News travels fast, that was only last night.”
“Well, Max has a bigger mouth than you do.”
Dani scowled. “That jerk.”
“Rick actually saw you guys enter the movie house last night.” Sheila crossed her arms at Dani’s flabbergasted expression. “Do you have any idea how long I had to listen to Rick gripe about that? All the boys in the school, you chose to go out with Max?”
Dani looked away. “That isn’t any of his business. Anyway, we’re not dating, what does it matter who I date?”
“Girl, I love you, but sometimes I think you’re just plain stupid.” Sheila sat on the steps and pushed back her sunglasses and stared at Dani.
Dani pulled at her bags, looked up at Rick’s retreating back then shook her head, tugged at Sheila’s hand. “He’ll get over it.”
“Yeah, sure he will.” Sheila agreed, “Just sayin’, all the guys, you had to pick Max.”
“He’ll get over it,” Dani repeated.
Teenage soap, Dani Reese style.
-/-
“I know nothin’.” The tweaker's name, according to Jackson's notes, was Brody, a DJ for one of the clubs they used to frequent. Brody wasn’t much of a DJ now.
This is one of the things that’s changed over time, not a lot but just in the details. It was brought to my attention that an ideal client for drug dealers are people who have money rather than the people who were already burned out. Considering John and Alex’s background that also seemed like a logical thing. Brody was a DJ before he got too hooked with meth. The story is something Dani’s too familiar with.
He rubbed one hand over one scrawny arm he twitched, looking restless and anxious. Reese kept her hands in her pockets, 23 months clean and she could still feel a sympathetic shake in her hands.
I wondered how Dani would react if she came across a full blown addict. Would she remember how she used to be?
“We’re homicide detectives,” Crews said, “We don’t care about the drugs.”
Reese stared at the space above the tweaker's head.
Charlie’s statement is only true for one of them. It’s certainly not true for Dani.
Brody looked at them, wary then eyed her and smiled. His mouth looked terrible rotting teeth and blackened gums. If there was anything she could be thankful about, it was not getting hooked on meth. Track marks healed, a mouth like that…
I’ve seen pictures and its really not something I’d like to have. Not that I’d want Dani’s problem too.
She took out a photo of Jackson and Sullivan, “These boys your dealer?”
“I don’t know,” he sniffed, nervous. Usually that meant guilt, for addicts short on drugs, it was only par for the course. “What happened to ‘em?”
“They were murdered,” she passed the picture to Crews and took her hand back to her pocket. It smelled like sweat and piss in the room. She’d smelled worse, lived in worse. Reese ruthlessly crushed that line of thinking. “Did you kill them?”
“Hell, no!” It was the first sure thing out of his mouth.
“Are you sure?” Reese gestured towards him, “I mean, looking at you I can tell you haven’t been on anything for a while, maybe you got desperate, maybe you went to their home and-“
“No, no, no, no!” each word louder then than the last. Crews moved forward and Brody cringed and whimpered.
“But do you know who’d like to kill them?” Crews asked picking-up her thread. Back when they first started Reese thought they’d never agree on anything, that interrogating with Crews would be impossible, now they had a rhythm, a movement. He could drive her crazy at other times but he could read her mind as easy as breathing and vice versa.
“You tell us and we’ll walk out of your door and you can go back doing,” she gestured at the table. The one she wasn’t looking at, the one with the empty capsules, broken needles and bent spoons. “Whatever.”
Pretty detailed for someone not looking.
“Just like that?” He looked dubious, “You ain’t gonna bother me anymore?”
“If you got nothin’ to do with the murder, we’re not going to bother you.” Reese modulated her voice, the one junkies heard as trustworthy.
I think she knows how to do that, she’d have to to be able to convince dealers.
“There were these guys,” Brody rubbed his arms, “I heard them hassling JJ and Sully.”
“Which guys?” Charlie asked.
“Them guys, y’know, the spics,” he crossed his arms, tried to disappear into the woodwork, “there, I told you.”
Reese frowned. “Can you describe what they look like?”
“I wasn’t looking at them." He sniffed, looked at the floor, "I was looking at my stash, y’know?”
Crews shrugged and Reese nodded in turn. “Alright, we’re gone but if you remember anything call Detective Crews.”
If Crews was surprised at Reese for volunteering his number he didn’t show it, he pulled out a business card and passed it to the junkie. They turned and headed for the door.
“Hey, hey!”
They stopped.
“Look, since we be givin’ numbers and all, maybe you can spare a dollar? I’ll pay you back,” he grinned at them, flashing his rotten teeth. “I just need to buy food I haven’t eaten in three days…”
“I have fruit,” Crews replied and pulled an apple from his jacket, Reese stared at it.
“What, man?” Brody looked completely taken aback. Reese knew the feeling.
“Fresh fruit can fill your stomach,” Crews placed the apple in the junkies’ hand, “but laughter and peace can fill your soul.” He clapped the man by the shoulders and beamed, “Good day.”
Crews turned, beamed at Reese too and walked out. Reese caught Brody’s flummoxed expression, she realized she wore the same expression as the junkie’s and followed her partner out.
I'm sure she doesn't like the fact that she had something in common with Brody.
She was going to take a long shower when she got home, the crack den smell clung to her she might even have to scrub her jacket.
Dani's walking on a tight rope right now, with all of these reminders and triggers, even with almost two years being drug free something has to give.
Reese started the car, rolled down the window and turned to Crews. “You’re whacked, you know that?”
Crews nodded, still and peaceful. “So you’ve said a hundred times.”
-/-
The worst thing about Jack Reese was as much as he was a bastard; as much as he was a controlling asshole the worse were the times when he wasn’t.
This is what I think - there has to be a reason why Dani’s mother is still married to Jack and something more than because religion forbade it or love.
“A picnic?”
“In Santa Monica.” Leyla said with a nod.
“When was this decided?”
“Monday.”
“I wasn’t here Monday.”
Her mother raised her eyebrows, “And whose fault was that?”
Her father appeared, “Are we ready?”
“Apparently our little one was not informed of this excursion,” her mother said with an amused nod in her direction.
Dani opened her mouth to tell her to stop calling her 'little' but said instead, “I have plans you know, things to do.”
“Yes? With Rick and Sheila?” Her mother continued and she had that look, the not quite stern expression she manages to mix with sympathy that always, always made Dani feel guilty. “Going to the mall? Or the track for practice?”
“Fine.” Dani sighed. “I’ll call Sheila.”
Dani turned to leave and her mother let out a low laugh. She paused and glanced behind her. Jack had his arm around Leyla’s waist, whispering something to her, something that made her laugh. Dani watched Jack take one of her mother’s hands and pressed a kiss on one her hand. Dani shifted her eyes away and caught her reflection in the hall mirror-her face unreadable even to herself.
Halfway to Santa Monica, the car broke down. It was one of those things that happened either by accident or neglect but neither option was an excuse Jack accepted, the car stuttered and sputtered until it died. Dani leaned away slowly and watched her father, bracing herself from her father’s inevitable outburst. She could see her mother’s shoulders tense.
Jack turned in his seat, she could see herself reflected in his aviators. He was smiling. “Looks like we’re in trouble now.”
“I guess so.” Dani said, wary.
They got out of the car and he popped the hood, a cloud of steam hissed out. He took off his jacket and waved it around the smoke. He went on a running dialogue about the car and told Dani to listen, pointing out things she should and shouldn’t be doing.
Her mother sat nearby and watched them work. “Perhaps we should call for help?”
“No, I think, Dani and I can handle it.” Jack elbowed Dani’s shoulders. “Right, Dani?”
Dani looked down at her tank top, the one she bought the other day, now stained with grease. “Whatever you say, dad.”
Dani had her arms deep in the cars guts when a patrol car came by, Jack straightened from where he was supervising and wiped his hands on the oilcloth and winked at Dani. “Watch your old man handle this.”
Dani watched him approach the patrol officer, held out his hand they shook hands then he stuck his hand into his jacket and offered the patrolman his badge. In less than five minutes in, he turned and waved at her and her mother. “Officer Hendricks is offering us a ride.”
Her mother laughed, put an arm around Dani’s shoulders as they approached the patrolman. Dani self-consciously tried to rub the grease from her hands.
“Hendricks,” her father said, “my wife, Leyla, and this,” Jack put a friendly hand on her head like she was six and not sixteen and ruffled, “is my daughter, Dani.”
“Hi,” Hendricks greeted and Dani returned with a smile that was a little strained. "See you were trying to help your dad get your car going. Most girls wouldn't even want to approach a mile of anything greasy."
Hendricks laughed at his joke.
"Are we going anytime soon, Hendricks?" Her father said.
The patrolman straightened noticeably at the tone of his voice. "Yeah, this way, sir. I'll have the rig over to pick-up your car."
Jack gave a swift pat on his back. "Good."
All through the ride her father regaled the officer with his war stories. She watched as the patrol officer, who had nothing to look forward to but the endless monotony of the road and traffic violations, fall in love with the life her father painted.
Dani didn’t want to be a cop, but the way her father told the story made her understand why other people would. She asked Karen about it once and Karen simply answered, because she’d like to see criminals behind bars. Dani sat back and watched the sun glint off the waters and listened.
They made it to the beach just as the sun was setting and there, leaning over the railing, watching the sun go down with her parents beside her she could pretend they were always like this.
This was the reason why her mother stayed and Dani craved his approval because, on occasion, Jack Reese could be kind and charming. The man her mother married and the father Dani always wanted him to be. He made them expect it would always be like this and never what he usually was.
And there it was. The whole rhyme and reason why they stay, why Dani still valued his opinion, why her mother stayed. This idea actually came from reading one of Sarah’s interviews and she mentioned her parents and then she said something about her father being a charming man for her mother to have married him.
I was struggling with Jack’s character and then I read the interview and then I had a lightbulb moment. Of course, this was why. And another piece of the puzzle fell into place.
Dani hated it. It was at this moment Dani decided this was her father at his most cruel.
-/-
Jackson and Sullivan didn’t work corners they took advantage of their ability to blend in and enter clubs, selling to people who wanted to party but like any business enterprise. They got greedy and wanted more and expanded to other areas, specifically, the more disreputable side of LA.
The first version of this had Jackson and Sullivan working the corners (ala, once again, The Wire) in Skid Row but according to my betas there’s been some improvement in that area and also, it isn’t profitable that to sell to already washed out junkies.
I’m forever grateful to denynothing1 and 15lbpurebunny for helping me locate my story in LA and not just a place masquerading as LA.
According to Jackson's notes they wanted to start small, with two or three kids slinging for them. They had big dreams. They'd sit in luxury while the kids worked the corners, haunting Echo Park and slinging their product with the others. This was the move that could have gotten them killed.
“Amateurs.” Reese said, disgusted after scanning through Sullivan’s notes. She felt oddly affronted at Jackson and Sullivan’s little operation. “They really thought they were living the mafia dream. Kept referencing the Godfather and the Sopranos I think I even saw a heart drawn around Quentin Tarantino’s name.”
Dani’s kind of offended that these kids had a successful drug business, operating the way they were. Lightweights. It’s kind of a pride thing for her too. She used to be she used to come after real drug lords. Yeah, pride is a weird thing.
“Who was the Godfather and who was the consigliere?” Crews asked.
“Looked like Jackson called the shots.” Reese rubbed her eyes, studied the crime board. “I don’t know how they manage to get as far as they got with the way they ran their operation.”
“Just when I thought I was out,” Crews said in a raspy voice, “they pull me back in!”
Reese glanced at Crews. “Guess that means you saw the Godfather again.”
“I liked the third movie.”
“Really?” Reese wrinkled her nose, “I think it sucked.”
Heh. See, she’s a classic fan. It’s the Godfather for her and nothing else.
“It wasn’t as good as the first two but I still liked it,” Crews stood up and massaged his neck, “We have to drop by Echo Park.”
“Yeah,” Reese said, “I know.”
They deliberately saved Echo Park for last. Echo Park wasn’t exactly off the beaten path but from the way she and Crews have been ferrying across LA, it might as well be.
“Boy,” Crews said looking at the establishments, “this place has changed.”
Reese glanced at Crews, took in his wide-eyed stare at a couple of hipsters walking their dogs.
“I remember chasing after a perp here, got a bruise this big,” he put his palms together then pulled them away indicating the size of the bruise.
“Hit a wall?”
“Garbage can, wind knocked out of my sails. Bobby laughed about it for a week. Hey, maybe we can get coffee there later.”
Reese glanced at the coffeehouse Crews pointed out. Hipsters in all their ‘cooler than you’ glory littered the front step. “No, thanks.”
Reese would have absolutely no patience with hipsters, I’m thinking.
“I was here a few weeks ago.” He said, “Early morning sun and there was even an ice cream vendor and two old men arguing. I don’t know why I didn’t notice these before.”
I believe it was 15lbpurebunny who speculated that the scene where Jack Reese and Ames were arguing was actually located in Echo Park. And this is me tossing that thing in.
When she looked at him again he was looking at her but Reese wasn’t sure if Crews was seeing her. There was a speculative look in his eye and then his eyes slid away from her. “Jen and I used to go here when we were feeling adventurous, we used to rent pedal boats.”
Crews has some questions about Dani, about her father and he can’t ask it. Not yet, somehow, deep down I think Dani knows this.
Reese eased her car on the side street, turned off the ignition but her hands stayed on the wheel.
“Ready?”
“Ready.” She said and for good measure, repeated, “Ready.”
Crews opened his door and Reese followed. The lake glistened even from this distance. Echo Park had changed but not all that much amidst the new restaurants and coffee houses there were still places people don’t venture to.
Some of the dealers working the park (kids, teenagers) vanished as they spotted Reese and Crews walk the path. Down the street Reese could hear shouts of, “Five-oh! Five-oh!”
Another The Wire reference.
They canvassed the doors and the homeless on park benches. It would have been faster if they split up, save time but Reese didn’t suggest splitting up and neither did Crews. A group of Latino kids hung around a car, watching them, music keyed up high. They could just be kids hanging out or part of an avenue gang in this area.
“How’s your Spanish?”
Crews adjusted his sunglasses, “Good enough.”
“Okay.” Reese ran her tongue over her teeth. There were some broken capsules crunching under her boots. “Witnessed a lot of dealings in Pelican Bay?”
“You’d be blind not to but after the law cracked down on AB they became-“
“A lot more discreet?”
Crews hummed his answer.
Fun fact tidbit, I stumbled on to a documentary on the Aryan Brotherhood, a white supremacists gang operating in Pelican Bay. They had a huge drug trade going on in Pelican Bay and several prisons across the US when everything went down for the AB, Charlie was still in Pelican Bay. He’d have witnessed the riots. I wonder though if the AB ever approached Charlie or was his being a cop enough of a stigma in Pelican Bay that even the AB wouldn’t want anything to do with him?
…Okay, I hope I didn’t bored y’all too much.
“We ain’t gonna talk to no cops,” announced the kid in the bandanna, he had a neck tattoo. Reese couldn’t make out if there was a number five hidden in the tattoo.
“We’re not interested in talking about the drugs,” Reese said, flexed her fingers and watched.
“No shit,” the kid in the black wife beater snickered, “you lookin’ for those two white boys.”
“You recognize them?” Crews asked.
“They been around.”
“They dead right?” Another kid said, he was tall and Reese was reminded how far from tall she was. She frowned.
“How’d you know that?”
One of the kids scoffed. “Cops flashing pictures about two white boys here? ‘Course they dead.”
“Anyone in particular want them dead?” She asked.
“They in our place, ‘course we want ‘em dead.”
Crews looked at her as a round of jokes went around, none of the kids were interested in helping. It was a bust, something Reese suspected from the start. Crews ended the interview with an advice about sunblock. This prompted one of the kids to shout, “You loco, man!”
One of the junkies sitting on the sidewalk stood and stumbled forward, waved a shaky hand at her. “Hey, don’t I know you?”
Uh-oh.
Reese faced him, he was scrawny and looked like he was a hit away from an overdose. “I don’t know, do I?”
He frowned, confused, muddled. “I don’t know, I-“
“Would you know these men?” Crews pushed the picture forward. Reese slipped on her sunglasses.
Even Dani doesn’t know where the guy knew her from, as an undercover cop or… during her dark time when she was just like one of them.
“Can’t say I do.” He shot another confused glance at Reese. Reese kept her face neutral, looked down at the street. There were broken capsules beside her feet and some residue of-
“Thank you for your time.” Reese heard Crews say. She looked up, saw the junkie muddle away. She pulled her keys from her jacket.
“We missed our midday meal.” Crews said as he settled in his seat.
Reese started the car and pulled off the sidewalk.
“I think ice cream would help.” He went on, “Mango and strawberry and maybe a little chocolate. What do you think, Reese?”
I’m *so* glad Dani has Charlie for a partner, he knows when to step in to help, to get Reese to breathe a little from the suffocating wall she’s trapped herself in.
Reese waited for the lights to change color an SUV was trying to over take her. She slowed down. It took off, engines roaring. “I think ice cream’s fine.”