Always Home for Sunday Dinner

F is for Follower

"We will adjourn tomorrow for the final verdict," the judge said and those final words put a smile on the face of the woman fighting for justice. A.D.A Erin Reagan stood proudly on her side of the courtroom knowing very well what the end verdict would be. And it would mean another win for her and justice was served once again. She collected her things to leave the courthouse, when she turned to the defendant and saw the man being placed in handcuffs giving her an icy glare. But it didn't deter her nor would it throw her from pushing for a maximum sentence in the matter. She simply shrugged it off and sauntered out of the courtroom, only to be met by Detective Anthony Abetemarco, investigator for the DA's office.

"I'm guessing by that smile you won," Anthony said, greeting the proud ADA upon her exit.

"Well the verdict hasn't been laid down yet," she told him, "But I think it's pretty safe to say that we got this one in the bag."

"That's good to hear," Anthony said.

"Well it was all you," Erin praised with a smile, "You did good work building the case."

"Well I never hear that one," Anthony said, to which Erin simply rolled her eyes while a smile spread across her face, "You heading out?"

"Not yet still got some lose ends to tie up back at the office," she explained.

"Until tomorrow then," Anthony said, before the two headed their separate ways. Erin bid ado to her partner and headed in the direction of her office. As she stepped off the elevator with files in hand, she spotted a familiar face standing by the secretary's desk who was without a doubt waiting for her. It was Detective Danny Reagan; her older brother.

"Danny, what are you here for this time?" she said greeting the older man.

"What I can't just come to say hello?" Danny said cheekily.

"You never just say hello," she shot back.

"Well today I'm feeling friendly," he defended.

"And?"

"Okay and maybe I wanted to see the progress on the Stilari trial," he confessed, which was no surprise to her.

"And there it is," she said.

"So how'd it go?" he asked her.

"Hold on Danny," Erin told him as her receptionist walked in with an orange envelope in hand, "What's this?"

"Someone left this package for you," her receptionist informed.

"Did they say who it was from?" Erin asked her.

"Just said it was a gift," she said before leaving the room and heading back to her desk.

"Someone you know?" Danny asked, but never got a response. He watched as his sister opened the envelope and froze in shock at its contents. But what it contained was still a mystery to him.

"Erin what is it?" he asked her, suddenly growing concerned by her reaction.

"This isn't a gift it's a message," Erin said, her voice stifled by fear, "From Nick Stilari's crew."

"You sure?" Danny questioned.

"Look," she said showing him the package. Inside of it were photos of Erin outside her house, and outside the office. Coupled with the photos, was a death card and a note written across in black ink saying simply, 'You'll regret this'.

"No one else would send that," she said her hands practically shaking. Danny himself could feel his own anxiety begin to rise within him at the very sight at the threat given to his sister.

"Okay," Danny began, as his mind began racing, "He most likely got one of his goons to do it. This building has camera's right?"

"Yeah why?" Erin asked, still distraught over the frightening package.

"I'll check the cameras and see who came in and dropped off the package," Danny said as he headed out of the room to get started, "I'll get on it sis."

The rest of the day Erin sat working at her desk, completing paper work and filling out files, or at least trying to. Her mind still stayed on the message she has been sent by the gang members. She couldn't help but think about who could've been watching her and who could've been trying to threaten her. Her mind raced at the idea of how far these threats could go; because the last thing she was going to do was drop the case. Would they follow her home again? Stake out her place? Would they do the same to Nicki? Just then her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing on her desk. She lifted it, and her stress was lifted slightly at the sight of the brother's name flashing across the screen.

"Danny," she answered, "What'd you find?"

"Well it definitely one of the Stilari boys that delivered that package to your office," Danny began, "We looked at the camera footage from outside your building. The guy who dropped off the package was just a messenger, but we tracked it back to Stilari's right hand, Marco Sandari."

"So you're gonna arrest him?" Erin asked.

"No we don't have enough," Danny enforced, "But we do have enough to surveil him, so we're gonna tail his car and see where he goes."

"Okay," Erin said, "Keep me posted."

"Will do," Danny said, concluding the conversation. When the night had ended, Erin grabbed her things and left her office, not forgetting to bring her gun along with her. She got into her car and headed down on home. Little did she know that there was a dark SUV creeping down the road behind her. She drove the entire way home, sadly without suspecting a thing, and began to walk up to her apartment. She entered the building and had only managed to place her bag down on the couch, when her follower forced himself into her home, pulled a weapon and grabbed her from behind. He wrapped his arm around her neck, pulling her in close and placed the blade he held next her neck.

"This is a message from Nick Stilari," the man sneered.

"I already got a message from Stilari," Erin said, shaking in the man's arms.

"Consider this the more direct approach," he said, fully intending to use the knife on her. But they never got the chance. For out came Danny Reagan and his partner Maria Baez, who had been sitting outside of Erin's house, predicting someone would've done what he did.

"Police!" Danny yelled, "Drop it! I said drop it!" The man froze in shook at the two detectives behind him. Knowing he was stuck, he raised his hands in surrender and dropped the blade to the ground. Danny moved forward, grabbed the man by the arm and pulled him down to the ground before pulling out his handcuffs and placing them on his wrists.

"You okay?" he asked looking up at his sister.

"Yeah," she practically whispered, still shaken up by the whole ordeal.

Later, her apartment was almost swarmed by officers gathering what they could for evidence in their new case.

"Well Stilari was definitely the one who put out the order," Danny said walking over to his sister, "We're gonna work on rounding up the rest of them, and now you have one other charge to add to his never ending wrap sheet."

"Good," Erin replied, "And no I'm not backing off of this case,"

"I knew you'd say that," Danny sighed, "Just be careful okay? We'll have a patrol car placed outside your apartment to keep an eye out for yeah."

"I don't need a babysitter Danny," she pushed, but the look in his eye was one of worry that only siblings would have for each other. And then she caved.

"Okay fine," she gave in.

"Good," Danny said before heading out with the rest of the officers.

"Hey Danny?" she called after him.

"Yeah," he said turning back to look at her.

"Thanks," she told him sincerely. And with a smile, the older man took off.