Coercion

Christine's water broke in the middle of the night. She had gone to the bathroom to pee again at 3:00 am and woke me with the urgency that it was time. I had been primed to be prepared to go at any time and got her to the hospital making good time with the wee-hour traffic. Although a first-time experience for both of us, her doctor had prepared us well for what to expect and deal with once she went into labor. I wish I could say it was an easy labor but her daughter seemed reluctant to make her entrance into the world. I wore the surgical gown and did the whole daddy thing as Christine had asked. There were many stops and go-s along the way. Finally, at 4:27 am on Saturday morning, Rita Anne Rierson was born. Rita after her grandmother, Anne after mine. Christine insisted, so I didn't object.

Abby called ahead before she visited the hospital. I arranged to be in the cafeteria during her visit. Thankfully, Justin never showed his face. He'd have his baby full-time soon enough. One thing I greatly appreciated, little Rita Anne was the spitting image of her mother. Mother and daughter both were doing so well, the doctor sent them both home with me late Monday afternoon. I did everything in my power to ensure that the little tyke's stay was the best it could be. I offered to help Christine with the baby but she wanted every possible second with her and I wasn't about to deny her a single moment. Christine napped a few minutes here and there but during every waking moment, if it was possible for a mother to impart a lifetime of her heart and soul into a child inside of a week, she gave it a damn good try.

We'd had Rita Anne with us for five full days. The attorneys advised us that they had all of the adoption papers ready to make everything legal. They were waiting on Christine to set the day and time of the appointment. It was left to her discretion. I appreciated that. I'm sure she did too. I returned to work at Christine's insistence. She didn't want me to think that she was trying to ingratiate the baby to me in hopes of changing my mind. I knew she would be true to her word and give the baby up after her week had passed. Perhaps she wanted some completely alone time with Rita Anne. I didn't blame her a bit for wanting that. She was the cutest baby I had ever seen.

The mail was sitting on the kitchen table when I arrived home from work. I had stopped to pick up some food on my way home, Christine's favorite. I wanted the last day or two to be as perfect for her as possible. A FedEx envelope caught my attention. I wasn't expecting anything to be delivered that I could recall. There was no return address. When I ripped it open, there was no note or paperwork of any kind. It simply contained one red non-descript USB flash drive. I had no idea who had sent it, nor what could be on it. I was wary of it initially because I suspected that it could contain some kind of hacking or virus utility designed to separate me from my money. Christine asked me what I was doing as she ate holding the baby. I told her I wasn't sure what it was or who it was from but I was curious why it would be sent to me. Not wanting to take the risk of infecting my home desktop PC, I pulled out my old laptop computer that still worked but hadn't been used in nearly a year. I would scan it first on the laptop, then try to open it without the benefit of the laptop being connected to the internet. This way, the only potential viral damage that could be inflicted would be to my old laptop.

The expired antivirus on the laptop was no longer up to date but detected no threats when I had it scan the flash drive. As I viewed the directory on the flash drive to check its contents, it revealed two .MP3 audio files. One was named, 'me1st.mp3' and the other 'duplicate.mp3'. I figured that I wasn't risking much to listen to the music files on that laptop, so I decided to start off listening to the smaller 'me1st.mp3' file.

I heard the voice of a young man perhaps in his late teens speaking. There was no music, it was a voice recording. As I listened, it sounded as if he was reading from a prepared script.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Rierson. My name, and who I am is immaterial. The purpose of your being sent this flash key is to reveal how badly you two have been betrayed and deceived by both Justin and Abby Sinclair. The other audio file on this flash key is a copy, a duplicate of an original conversation recorded many months ago between two people discussing the demise of Deshawn Bodega. I'm sure it will be of great interest to you. Rest assured that both Justin and Abby Sinclair will be arrested and prosecuted for their crimes against the two of you as well as others. You have been sent this evidence a day before the Police will actively pursue it so that you will know what's coming. I'm sure the Charlotte PD will be contacting and questioning both of you very soon to corroborate their evidence against the Sinclairs. Though you might be tempted, please do not attempt to contact either Justin or Abby Sinclair for any reason. Tipping them off and allowing them to run before being charged wouldn't help your case against them."

I replayed the recording I'd just listened to, for Christine. Then we both listened to the second, longer recording together of the conversation in the bar discussing Deshawn. We heard Justin, in his own words recount the sequence of events whereby he and Abby had used Christine and me to achieve their perverted goals. It nearly made both of us vomit. Christine wanted to kill both of them. She was not alone. The only thing that appeased us was knowing, even before they did, that they would be brought to justice for their depraved actions. We figured out what the mysterious plan-B was. It had to be the pregnancies. Christine relentlessly sobbed in my arms at the betrayal of those she considered her very best friends. She profusely apologized to me for allowing them into our lives, saying she wished she'd listened to me when I suggested we cut ties with them before all this started. There's no way in hell we would ever allow any adoption to go forward with them now. I knew it and she knew it but neither of us said it. Only time would tell how all of this would play out.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Three weeks earlier......

Detective, Eric Rudolph, of the Charlotte PD had received a hot tip from a reliable informant that a drug deal was going down within the hour at an abandoned warehouse location on the east side of town. He grabbed his coworker/partner and they quickly rushed to the scene calling for local PD backup and instructing all units to roll in on the scene silently. Using the element of surprise, the two detectives, backed by local PD officers entered the warehouse and disrupted the deal as it was going down after taking crystal clear video of the transaction. As they rushed the two young males carrying out the transaction, shots were fired from nearby concealed locations. The officers killed one defender. Three or more others escaped the scene via a preplanned route chosen to elude capture. However, the two young men conducting the transaction were apprehended and properly arrested. They were read their rights, properly booked and processed, and held in confinement for disposition. Since neither of the accused had any I.D. on them, their mug shots were compared against known databases for comparison.

Luckily they got a hit. One of the young men was identified as Brodie Walker. The other was Calvin Listler. Detective Rudolph's partner was Detective Justin Sinclair. Only after the two offenders had been properly identified, did Justin realize that Brodie was none other than the eighteen-year-old son of his third cousin, Arlen Walker. Justin had a deep sinking feeling as he realized that Arlen was going to be very unhappy about this sudden turn of events. The district attorney reviewed all the evidence and procedures followed before the bust had been made. It was a good bust with airtight procedural methods. The syndicate's attorneys wouldn't be able to lift a finger to help either one of the offenders. There were collectively twenty pounds of drugs being sold and thousands of dollars in cash to make the purchase. It was an open-and-shut case but what was so gut-wrenching for Justin is that he was cited to receive credit as one of the arresting officers/detectives.

Justin frantically looked for any possible loophole or case defect that Brodie's attorneys might be able to exploit to get Brodie off or at least a reduced sentence but found nothing. He contacted Arlen to let him know that he tried everything he could think of to help Brodie get clear of the charges but his hands were tied. Arlen released a fury of expletives that Justin took very seriously. The attorneys couldn't even arrange for bail. The judge hearing the bail request after the arraignment was a conservative hardliner one of only two remaining on the bench. Arlen was understandably infuriated that Justin had not been able to deflect attention away from his son and concerned at the same time that his son might be bound for prison for an indefinite number of years.

Arlen fretted over his son's circumstances. His wife, Eileen was on his case constantly for him to do something, anything to protect their son from the slammer. Arlen might be a cold-hearted killer but he dearly loved his wife and son. The judge allowed no delays. He pressed for the case to proceed as quickly as possible to clear the streets of these thugs. Finding himself in an intolerable situation, Arlen, for the first time in his entire life, considered the unthinkable. He could see no other way out. He didn't feel like he was between a rock and a hard place, he felt like he was between two enormous anvils coming together to crush him and his son. He felt as though he had no other choice. He made the call.

Chapter-22

To keep his son out of prison, Arlen offered to turn state's evidence against his syndicate boss, head of a two-billion-dollar per year drug operation. However, the only circumstances in which he would testify would be with a written plea agreement that all charges against his son, Brodie, past and present be permanently dropped. The second item of his plea deal required an agreement for the same immunity for him, for all possible crimes past and present, including the death of Deshawn Bodega. The third element of his plea deal required that his family be placed in a secure location within the witness protection program. He didn't want the family syndicate's new enforcers coming after him. Last but not least, Arlen wanted Justin Sinclair to pay for the ruination of his life. He would provide the PD with the recording of his meeting with Justin where Justin had unknowingly confessed to committing many felonies and crimes.

Arlen also wanted Nolan and Christine Rierson to be apprised of what was going down before it happened so they could be mentally prepared for the flurry of activity that would soon surround them.

The FBI couldn't agree fast enough to every one of Arlen's plea deal terms. Brodie was a small fry and would likely never commit a crime again within the confines of the witness protection program. They had no problem allowing him to skate. Arlen could land them the big shark. They arranged everything for the safety of Arlen's family in an undisclosed safe house. All charges against Brodie were dropped and struck from the record. Deshawn's murder investigation was permanently marked as unsolved.

= = = = = = = = = = = = =

Justin and Abby were charged and arraigned for framing an innocent for murder, accessory to murder - before and after the fact, obstruction of justice, providing false evidence, infliction of bodily harm by drugging Christine twice while committing a felony, conspiracy, kidnapping, blackmail, duress, collusion, sexual battery, manufacturing of -tampering with- withholding- and destruction of evidence, and coercion.

Of course, they both pleaded the fifth and invoked the spousal privilege to preclude being compelled to testify against one another. Even so, the combination of Arlen Walker's convincing testimony coupled with the voice-recorded confession sealed their fates. They were both convicted. Justin was sentenced to a combined sentence of thirty-five years without the possibility of parole. Abby's sentence was a little lighter since the jury surmised that Justin was the mastermind. She received seventeen years with the possibility of early release for good behavior.

It was after the sentencing phase that I received Abby's phone call before their sentences were carried out.

"Nolan, we, I'm so sorry for everything that happened. Well, two things I will never regret. I'll never regret spending the time you and I had together, and the other is our baby, Garrett Nolan Sinclair. Yes, I insisted that he have your name. I know you've never met him but he has many features from you and me both. He's adorable. That's why I'm calling you. Justin and I are asking if you can Christine can take care of him until I have served my time. There's no doubt in my mind that you'll make wonderful parents for him. We'll sign over special guardianship papers until I get out. Could you see your way clear to do what's best for our son, Nolan? If you don't take him, he will end up in foster care somewhere. No one wants that, not even you, I'm sure."

I knew they would have to do something with their boy. We had tentatively set up for the adoptions to take place before all hell broke loose on the Sinclairs. There's no way they could take Christine's daughter now. Everything was up in the air.

"Abby, I realize you two are in a bind. I don't want you to think that I don't care about my son, our son but I'm afraid guardianship is inadequate. There's no way we could raise him as our own for as long as you may be in prison, only to let him go many years later. It wouldn't be fair to him or us. Go talk with Justin again. I feel certain that Christine will agree to both her and I adopting Garrett if I can also adopt Rita Anne. If Justin will sign over his parental rights to Rita Anne, and you agree to sign over your parental rights in perpetuity to Garrett, then we will adopt both children and be the best parents imaginable to them both. On that, you can rely. If you both are willing to do what's truly best for these two innocent children, then you know in your hearts that allowing us to adopt them is what's in their best interests in the long run. Let us know what you decide but if you don't decide soon, he may already be consigned to foster care. Discuss it with him and let me know."

Two days later I received a conference call from an attorney. It was the one we'd planned on using for Christine to allow The Sinclairs to adopt Rita Anne. Apart from me and the attorney, he had both Justin and Abby on a conference call. They were being held at different facilities now as their processing was underway.

"Nolan, I'm Stanley Wainwright, with whom you've spoken before."

"I remember you, sir," I said.

"Great, is your wife, Christine there with you?"

"Yes, she is sir, in the other room."

"Excellent, can you go to her and put this call on speakerphone so both of you can hear everything at once?"

"Yes, sir. Give me just a moment."

"I'm here," Christine sounded when I urged her to announce herself.

"Perfect," Stanley stated.

"Justin, are you and Abby still with us?" Stanley called out.

"Yes, we are," they both chimed simultaneously.

"Good, this call is a formality to solidify the expressed desires of all parties involved. Normally this conversation takes place in my office but these are extenuating circumstances. Before I make specific legal arrangements for the adoption of the two children involved, it is incumbent upon me to confirm the precise intent of each of the four of you. Do all four of you understand that?"

"Yes," we all said together.

"Good. Now as to adoption number one. Justin Sinclair, is it your formal request that I prepare legal instruments that will terminate all of your parental rights in the case of Rita Anne Rierson, even though you have been proven to be the biological father?"

"Yes sir, regretfully that is the case. It is my wish that you make that happen," Justin sadly offered.

"Now to you, Nolan Rierson. It is your wish and intent to follow by adopting Rita Anne Rierson as your adopted daughter, making you her legal father and parent?"

"Yes, sir," I firmly answered.

"And Christine Rierson, do you also consent to Nolan Rierson adopting your daughter, Rita Anne Rierson, making him her legal father and parent?"

"With all my heart," Christine enthusiastically confirmed.

"Fine, Mrs. Pearson, will you go ahead and begin preparing those documents for me please?"

"Now as to adoption number two. Abby Sinclair, is it your formal request that I prepare legal instruments that will terminate all of your parental rights in the case of Garrett Nolan Sinclair, even though you are the natural biological mother?"

"Unfortunately, due to present circumstances, yes sir. It is my wish that you make that happen," Abby, steadfastly confirmed.

"Again to you, Nolan Rierson. It is your wish and intent to follow by adopting Garrett Nolan Sinclair as your son, making you his legal father and parent, as well as his biological father?"

"Well, I'm already his biological father, why would I need to adopt him?" I inquired.

"You are correct. Since you are Garrett's biological father, there is no requirement to adopt him. Once Abby relinquishes all claims to the child, he is legally your responsibility in every way. At his birth, he received the last name of his mother, Sinclair. There are only two circumstances under which that name can be changed. One is if the child becomes eighteen years of age, he can petition the court to change his name to anything he wishes. The other option is upon adoption, you may elect to legally change his last name to your own. It's up to you, Nolan." Stanley advised.

"I see. Thank you for the explanation. That being the case, yes, I do wish to legally adopt Garrett Sinclair, and upon adoption, have him assume my last name in place of Sinclair."

"Now, once again to you, Christine Rierson. It is your wish and intent to follow in Nolan's steps by adopting Garrett Nolan Sinclair as your son, making you his legal mother and parent?"

"Yes, sir. Nothing would please me more," she confirmed.

"Excellent. Now there is the formal matter of settling the estate. In as much as Justin and Abby Sinclair have already entered into a financial agreement with Nolan and Christine Rierson, my firm is to become the trustee for the liquidation of the Sinclair properties and possessions. To induce the Riersons not to file a civil suit against the Sinclairs for damages which would then become a matter of public record, the Sinclairs both agree to the liquidation of all of their worldly possessions and have directed that my firm convey all monies from said liquidation to the Riersons. This unusual concession initiated by the Sinclairs serves both as restitution to the extent the Sinclairs are capable, as well as preventing public records from ever detailing the events leading up to these adverse circumstances. The children will then never learn of any of these details. Do all four of you understand and agree to these conditions?"

"Yes," echoed all four at once.

"Very well, by all parties' agreement and consent, I will complete all the necessary documents, get them to the Sinclairs, and follow up with the Riersons. Once all documents have been notarized and duly recorded, all official records of the two children will be updated by the State of NC to reflect the agreed-upon changes. Thank you all for your time."

Justin quickly asked, "Mr. Wainwright, before ending this call, would it be possible for Abby and me to have a few last words with the Riersons? I promise we won't take long."