FanStory.com - Spirited Justice Chap 20by Begin Again

"Finding anything?" Matthew tossed a folder onto his desk, glancing at Danni as she rifled through files.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, yet." Danni sighed, her brow furrowed. "It's beyond me why a highly intelligent, well-to-do student would stoop so low as to attack someone."

Donatelli nodded, leaning back in his chair. "I never can figure them out. You've got the world at your fingertips, but you want to cross the line for something else."

"It can't just be about the girl, can it? With his looks and money, he could have anyone."

"Yet, he traveled to the United States to go after this one."

"Do you think he knew her before? Maybe he thought she'd be easier prey away from home. That's sick."

Donatelli shook his head. "I don't know what he's thinking. He's clammed up, demanding to see the consulate. But I'm about to give it one last shot before we get bogged down in all the bureaucracy."

"You think he could walk out of here?" Danni's eyes widened in surprise.

"Not if I have anything to say about it. Keep digging. There's got to be something we can use as leverage."

Danni nodded, though as Donatelli closed the door behind him, she muttered, "Keep digging? Like I'm a dog looking for a bone!"

*****

As Donatelli rounded the corner toward the interrogation room, his eyes locked on the woman inside, speaking with Johan. His jaw clenched, and irritation surged through him. The sound of his fury seemed to reverberate off the glass partitions as he shouted, "What is she doing in my interrogation room with the suspect?"

Before he could storm in, Eleanor materialized in front of him, blocking his path. His dark eyes and flushed face stopped mere inches from hers.

"Get out of my way, Eleanor. You've gone too far this time."

"She just needed a moment with him," Eleanor said, her tone calm but firm. "Two minutes. That's all I ask."

"Ask? That's rich," Matthew snarled. "Get her out, or I'll throw her out myself." He tried to push past her, but suddenly, his body froze as if time had stopped.

Inside the room, Hilda stood before Johan, her body trembling with fear and uncertainty. Her voice was a mere whisper. "Johan —"

The young man stared at her in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to understand why you did this. My parents —"

"They didn't send me. I came on my own. I don't even know them."

Hilda gasped, "So, you lied. Why would you trick me like that? You rescued me only to hurt me?"

Johan's expression softened for a fleeting moment, then hardened again. "It was planned."

"Planned?" Hilda's voice wavered as the realization hit her. "Your kindness, your concern — it was all fake."

"I'm sorry." Johan turned away, unable to meet her eyes. "I didn't think it would be this hard."

"So, all those questions about my research — you never really cared about me, did you?" Hilda's eyes glistened with tears. "I see."

"You don't understand," Johan muttered, his voice barely audible. The weight of his actions seemed to crush him, and his shoulders slumped. He stared at the handcuffs binding him to the table.

Hilda shook her head, the depth of her naivete sinking in. "If any part of you regrets what happened, please — tell the truth."

Her plea hung in the air, raw and desperate. Johan looked up at her again, his resolve wavering, but he remained silent, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Hilda, fighting back tears, turned and walked out of the room just as Eleanor released the spell on Donatelli.

"Hilda, what the hell were you doing in there?" Donatelli's voice was sharp, slicing through the tension in the room.

Hilda jumped, then turned to face him. "I — I was just trying to help," she stammered. "I thought maybe he'd talk to me."

"Without my permission?" Donatelli's eyes narrowed, his frustration evident. "This isn't a game, Hilda. You shouldn't have been in there."

He looked furious at Eleanor and brushed past Hilda, entering the interrogation room and slamming the door behind him.

Johan met Donatelli's gaze and muttered, "I'm waiting for my lawyer."

"So," Donatelli began, his voice cold and unyielding, "you think a lawyer's going to swoop in and save you from this mess?"

Johan's eyes shifted uneasily, the brief moment of connection with Hilda still lingering in his mind. But he quickly hardened his expression again, as if clinging to his last shred of defiance.

A knock on the door startled them.

Matthew snarled, "Now what?"

A uniformed officer opened the door and stepped in. "Sorry to interrupt, sir, but the man on the phone said it was urgent."

"Who is he?"

"I believe he said he was from the German Consulate, sir."

Donatelli glanced at Johan and then pushed his chair away from the table. "Transfer the call across the hall." His back stiffened, preparing for a fight, as he left the room.

*****

"Detective Matthew Donatelli speaking."

Thank you for taking this call, sir. The Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany has asked to speak with you."

"Put him on."

"Yes, sir. One moment."

A voice at the other end of the line spoke, "Detective Donatelli, it's my pleasure to speak with you. Thank you for taking my call."

"No problem. We're both busy men, so let's cut to the chase. When will your representatives arrive to take over my case?"

Not accustomed to such abruptness, the Consulate General cleared his throat. "I believe you misunderstood the nature of this call. We have encountered an issue at our end. There will not be any action, including legal representation, by us at this time."

Donatelli frowned. "Let me get this straight. You are telling me he has no legal representation right now?"

"That's correct. Nor do we expect any change in the future."

Unprepared for what he heard, Matthew quickly thanked the gentleman for his time and hung up the phone.

*******
With a grim expression, Donatelli returned to the interrogation room. Johan looked up, anxiety etched on his face.

As Matthew reclaimed his chair, he stared at Johan momentarily and spoke, "There's been a development with the German Consulate. It seems there will be no lawyer available. You're on your own."

Johan's face paled. He gulped, fighting back the panic that was threatening to engulf him. "There must be a mistake. They can't do that." His hands began to tremble.

Matthew shrugged his shoulders. "I guess they can. I just got off the phone with the German Consulate, and he said they had no one available. Do you have someone else to call?"

Johan's mind raced to Jose and the men who had brought him to do the job, but he immediately realized they hadn't given him any contact numbers. He was on his own.

Matthew knew he had Johan second-guessing his situation. "This is your chance to make things right."

*****
Danni rubbed her tired eyes and stretched, feeling the hours she'd spent staring at the computer screen without results. She wanted to stop — every muscle screamed for rest — but she knew she wouldn't. She had a job to do, and there was no way she'd let Matthew think she was a quitter.

Leaning back in her chair, she sighed in frustration. "What am I missing? Nobody's background is this squeaky clean. There has to be something."

She closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind. Then, faintly, a voice whispered, "Start from the beginning."

Danni's eyes snapped open, and she scanned the room. "Eleanor, was that you?"

Silence. No one answered.

"Great, now I'm hearing things," she muttered, half-expecting Eleanor to materialize. But the room remained empty.

With a shake of her head, Danni turned back to her computer, the words "Start from the beginning" echoing in her mind. She frowned, and then it clicked. "What's the beginning of someone's life? Duh, their birth!" She had never verified Johan's nationality.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she sifted through digital files. Suddenly, she froze, her breath catching as the document she needed appeared on the screen — the birth certificate —clear and undeniable.

Johan was born in the United States. His family moved to Germany a month later. He was an American citizen.

Her heart raced. Donatelli would be ecstatic.

Relief flooded her, but uncertainty quickly replaced it. Should she call Eleanor and let her deliver the news, or did she need to do this herself?

Arguing with Donatelli was one thing; arguing with herself was another. She knew she'd break all the rules if she walked into that interrogation room. She'd been reprimanded for minor infractions before, but this was different. The consequences could be severe.

She hesitated, weighing her options, but deep down, she knew what she had to do. This was her moment. Steeling herself with a deep breath, she printed the document and made her decision. She would deliver it personally.

With the certificate clutched in her hand, she headed for the interrogation room, her heart pounding with nerves and determination. As she pushed open the door, Donatelli looked up, surprise evident in his eyes.

For a fleeting moment, Danni wanted to turn and run. Whispering, "This is the moment!" she took a deep breath and entered the room.

Donatelli’s eyes widened as he read the document, understanding the significance immediately. He turned to Danni and said, “Fantastic job, Detective Armstrong.” He pulled out the chair beside him. “Would you like to join us?”

Beaming from ear to ear, she slid into the chair, in full view of Johan, or anyone else who walked past. She asked herself, “Is this worth it?” Her answer was a definite yes!

She glanced around the room, suddenly sensing a coolness. Eleanor’s ghostly figure shimmered against the wall behind Johan. She gave two thumbs up and then disappeared.

Donatelli turned to Johan, holding the certificate in his hand. “Thanks to some fine investigating work by Detective Armstrong, we’ve — she’s discovered some crucial information.” Matthew slid the document across the table to Johan. “This official document shows you were born in the United States, which means we have jurisdiction. You, my friend, are as American as apple pie.”

Johan paled as he studied the certificate. He swallowed hard, “How can this be?”

Matthew motioned to Danni. “You want to tell him?”

Danni nodded. “I discovered that you were born here in the U.S. and then moved to Germany before you were one month old.”

Donatelli smiled, his voice calm but firm, “I’m sure this is a lot to take in, Johan. But here’s what this means for you: As a U.S. citizen, you’re fully subject to U.S. law. There’s no embassy stepping in to help you. No diplomatic protections. You’re just another guy in a lot of trouble.

“But — I thought —”

“I know what you thought. You figured the people you worked for would protect you if things went south. Maybe they even told you they would. But here’s the thing — they won’t stick their necks out for you now. You’re too hot. They’ll cut you loose and deny they even know you.

Johan was visibly shaken.

Donatelli continued, “Look, Johan, you’ve got a choice to make. You can sit here and say nothing, wait for a lawyer, and hope those people don’t hang you out to dry. Or you can start talking to me, help yourself, and maybe we can work something out that doesn’t end with you rotting in prison for the rest of your life.

Johan’s voice trembled, “I — I didn’t know. About any of this. My whole life — I thought I was just — my parents — they never said.” His hands trembled as he gripped the edge of the table.

“I get it. This is a shock. But you can make it right, Johan. Tell me what you know and who’s involved, and we can figure this out together. It’s your move.”

Johan took a deep breath, visibly wrestling with his decision. Finally, he looked up at the two people sitting across from him, his expression one of resignation.

Defeated, Johan quietly mumbled, “Okay, I’ll tell you what I know.”