| The case begins to unfold, and Jack and Kate find an unexpected bond Monday 9/17/2001 |
| �Morning, Lennie.� He looked up to see Ed settling in at the desk opposite his. Lennie couldn�t help rubbing it in. He looked around to see if she was in sight; the coast was clear. �Morning, Eddie,� he said in his best imitation of Ana. Ed grimaced. �You are enjoying this too much, partner.� Lennie laughed. �Hey, she�s your partner now; I�m just a deskbound researcher.� Ed just rolled his eyes. Ana came over, smiling at her new partner. �Hi, Eddie.� It sounded so much like Lennie�s imitation it was all he could do to keep from laughing. Luckily, just then Van Buren waved them into her office. Nobody said anything when Lennie tagged along. �So what did you and Ana find out Friday afternoon, Ed?� �Turns out they both worked at PHC for a woman named Karen Salerno. Man, this woman is an ice queen. Nasty. She said everybody knew Kate and David were lovers; he recommended her for the job, she lived with him, rode to work with him. Karen says she heard them arguing Thursday afternoon. One of the accountants, girl named Shari, says she heard Karen on the phone with someone named �Andy,� sounded kinda intimate, figures that was what they were fighting about.� He shook his head. �Doesn�t look good for her, Lennie.� �No, that can�t be. Kate told Jack that David was gay, deep in the closet. He was using their �relationship� as a cover. Gave him the name of David�s lover, hang on, let me get it.� He dug out his notebook where he had jotted down a few things he�d picked up from Jack over the weekend. �Howard Rella. Stock broker. Wait a minute � Kate also said something about that argument. She thinks David might have been involved in an insider trading scam. This Rella character might be involved as well. And if she and Blake weren�t lovers, there�s nothing incriminating about her being �intimate� with this Andy guy.� Van Buren nodded. �Good point. OK, you two track down Rella. Lennie, get the LUD�s on Blake and Rella, see what you can put together.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jack and Jamie met at the coffee shop across the street from the DA�s office. Jamie could tell he was nervous � he hadn�t touched his sweet roll. �You OK, Jack?� �I don�t know, Jamie. This whole situation is so unbelievable. I barely know her, and I�m putting $20,000 on the line for her. Bringing her into my home. Which means somehow I have to tell her about Lennie. I think I�m more nervous about that than anything.� He had to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. �Jack, for what it�s worth, I do believe she�s telling the truth. Overall, I�ve spent more time in defense than I did with you; I�m pretty good at reading which ones are faking innocent. And as to the other, she lived with a man she says was gay. I don�t think she�ll have a problem with you and Lennie.� He sighed. �That�s the only thing that�s keeping me from climbing the walls, Jamie.� She laughed and squeezed his hand. �I won�t say �don�t worry,� I know better, but I believe everything will turn out OK.� He covered her hand with his. �Thanks, Jamie. I�m really glad you�re with us on this.� She nodded, smiling, then got serious. �So did you pass the info about David�s boyfriend to the cops?� �Yeah, Lennie will take care of that this morning.� �OK, then. Let�s head over to the courthouse and get this arraignment out of the way so we can get her home to you.� They slipped into the back of the courtroom, waiting their turn. Finally, the clerk called their case. �People vs. Katherine Michaels, murder in the second degree.� Seeing her, dressed in the typical prison jumpsuit, handcuffed, led in by the guard, was almost more than he could take. Serena stood at the podium for the state, Jamie got up to stand with Kate. The judge looked at Jamie. �Ms. Ross. How does the defendant plead?� Jamie nodded at Kate. �Not guilty, your honor.� �Ms. Southerlyn, what do the people ask for bail?� Serena paused. �$200,000.� The judge did a double take. �Ms. Southerlyn, isn�t that rather low for a murder case?� Jamie spoke up. �If I may, your honor. The defendant is the daughter of EADA Jack McCoy, an officer of this court. She would be released into his custody.� The judge spotted McCoy sitting in the gallery. �Mr. McCoy. You accept this responsibility?� Jack quickly stood to address the court. �Yes, your Honor.� �All right, bail is set at $200,000 on the stipulation that she be released into the custody of Mr. McCoy.� The gavel banged, and the guards took Kate away. Jack sighed and walked out of the courtroom with Jamie. Out in the corridor, he leaned against the wall, feeling drained. Jamie laid her hand on his arm. �It�s OK, Jack. You�ll have her home soon.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Offices of Stevenson & Ryan, stockbrokers. �Mr. Rella?� Ed stepped inside the cubicle, followed quickly by Ana. �I�m Det. Greene, this is Det. Cordova. Can we ask you a few questions?� Rella turned toward them. A huge bear of a man, easily 6�2�, barrel chested, he just gave the impression of BIG. Curly reddish-brown hair added to the impression. �Yes?� �Are you familiar with a man named David Blake?� �Yes, he�s a client of mine. Why do you ask?� �I�m afraid he�s dead.� �Oh dear!� Rella looked up at them, shocked. �I�m terribly sorry to hear that. What happened?� �Someone bashed his head in with a brass lamp in his living room.� �My word! We�re not even safe in our own homes anymore!� Ed sighed. �Do you know a young woman named Katherine Michaels?� Rella thought for a moment. �I believe that may be David�s new lady friend. I think he said something about her having just came out from the west coast.� Ed�s eyebrow cocked. �Ms. Michaels seems to think that YOU were David�s lover. She says they were just friends.� �Me? Hardly!� Ed and Ana looked at each other. Rella�s hands fidgeted nervously � they didn�t buy it for a minute. �Well, we�re trying to figure out why somebody would want him dead. Could we get copies of his investment records?� Rella hedged. �We�re not supposed to give that kind of client information out. I�m sorry.� Ed was getting irritated with this guy. �We can come back with a subpoena.� Rella reluctantly printed out Blake�s portfolio, and they left. Back in the car, Ed shook his head. �That was one nervous dude. Not a happy camper. He knows more than he�s telling.� Ana nodded. �He�s gay, I�d bet money on it.� Ed turned to look at her. �How could you tell?� �For a big man, he�s an awfully sharp dresser. And did you see his hands � perfectly manicured. Most guys that hairy have something sticking out somewhere, ears, nose. Not him. He pays too much attention to detail. And you�re right, he was nervous the whole time, but got REALLY nervous when you mentioned he might be gay. Did you notice how loud his denial was? He wanted everybody around to know that he�s not gay.� Ed laughed. �So did you have Lennie pegged before he came out?� �OK, no. But then that�s different. Even HE didn�t know. This guy knows.� Back at the station, Ed filled Lennie in on Rella�s denial, and their doubts. �Here�s Blake�s investment record. You find anything in the LUD�s?� �Lots of calls back and forth, some definitely at odd hours. But nothing that proves anything.� Lennie suddenly got thoughtful. �I�ve got an idea. Kate says he�s in the closet big time, right? So I�m guessing he doesn�t go down to the red light district to buy movies. Maybe he orders them online? I�m going to pull his financials.� Ed grinned at him. �Because of course you know all the online places to order stuff like that?� Lennie laughed, but couldn�t help the tinge of red climbing up his neck. �I�ve ordered a few things, yeah.� �What IS the world coming to? A year ago you wouldn�t touch a computer.� Lennie shrugged. �You know, they say porn was what made VCR�s a success; same goes for the internet.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After the arraignment, Jack and Jamie had headed to the clerk of court�s office to post Kate�s bail. It seemed to take forever, but finally the guard brought Kate out. She was wearing the clothes she�d been wearing last Thursday, but at least it wasn�t the prison jumpsuit. They looked at each other for an awkward moment, then Jack pulled her into his arms. Finally, she pulled away to look up at him. �Thanks for getting me out of there.� He just nodded, not quite trusting his voice. Jamie cut in. �I hate to break this up, but I think we should head over to my office and see where we stand.� Jack took a deep breath. �You�re right, Jamie. Kate?� �Yeah. Let�s go.� They had just gotten settled in Jamie�s office when Jack�s cell phone rang. He checked the incoming number � Lennie. �Yeah, Lennie, what�s up?� �Just wanted to let you know, Ed and Ana just got back from talking to Rella. He denies that they were lovers, but they don�t buy it. He was much too nervous. I�m digging into his financials to see if there�s any other evidence of his preferences.� �What did they get from the boss last week?� �Says she heard them arguing. Another co-worker says she heard Kate on the phone with some guy named Andy, sounded intimate. Thought that�s what they were arguing about. Of course, if they weren�t lovers, there�s nothing wrong with her making nice with this Andy guy.� �OK, I�ll find out what it was. Thanks, Lennie.� He closed the phone and told Kate and Jamie what Lennie had passed on. Jamie pursed her lips, interested. �Kate? Who�s Andy?� Kate sighed. She really didn�t want to get into this right now. Jamie saw her hesitation. �Jack, would you mind stepping outside? I think Kate and I need a moment.� Jack started to protest, but the look Jamie gave him froze him in his tracks. He nodded and got up, leaving the two women to talk. �OK, Kate. He�s gone. Who�s Andy? Your boyfriend?� Kate shook her head. �Not A � n � d � Y. A � n � d � I, as in Andrea. And yeah, she�s my lover.� Jamie sat back, the picture coming into focus. She tried her best to swallow the laugh. �Kate, trust me on this. Jack�s not going to have a problem. Can I bring him back in?� Kate studied the look on Jamie�s face. This was a good friend of her father, and she found this amusing. A smile teased across her lips as she realized her earlier instincts may have been right after all. �Yeah. Um, can you give us a minute?� Jamie smiled at her. �Sure.� Jack came back into the office, his curiosity driving him crazy. The smile on Jamie�s face told him everything would be all right, he just wondered what was so funny. �Kate?� �Andi is short for Andrea.� She watched for his reaction. Jack shook his head, not quite making the connection. �OK, a girlfriend.� She rolled her eyes. �Yeah, Dad. My girlfriend. As in romantic.� �Oh!� Jack couldn�t help the grin that spread across his face. �OK, now I know why Jamie was all but laughing when she left.� Kate cocked her head to one side. �You too? That old cop, your friend Lennie.� Jack starred at her. �How did you know?� �Dad, I�ve lived in Frisco for years. My gay-dar works pretty good. When they arrested me, he was right there for you. He knew about me and mom, so you two had to be pretty tight. And there�s a tan line on your ring finger, like you took it off so I wouldn�t see it.� He felt the heat rising up his neck as he looked down at his left hand, shaking his head. // All that nude sunbathing we did on the honeymoon � // he mused. He chuckled as he fished the ring out of his pocket and put it back on. �Guess I can�t put one over on you, huh?� She smiled at him, shaking her head. �But I�ll tell you this � I liked your reaction better than Mom�s.� �I take it she wasn�t happy?� �This doesn�t fit in with her �perfect� clone image, no. She all but threw me out when I moved to Frisco. Good thing I already had the scholarship. Haven�t been home since.� Jack shook his head. His ex was by definition not the highest person on his list, but she dropped a few more notches. �Kate, I�m sorry.� �Don�t be. Not your fault. I�m just glad I finally found you. That was one of the reasons I came to New York, you know.� �Oh, Katie �� He pulled her close, finally feeling a real bond with his daughter. With a tap on the door, Jamie stuck her head in. �You two OK now?� She smiled, seeing the tender moment. �Yeah, we�re fine,� Jack said, grinning at his daughter. Jamie went back to her desk. �Is there anything else you can think of, Kate, that might help us track this down?� She shook her head. �David all but admitted he was involved in insider trading, but he was going to tell me about it when we got home. He never got the chance to.� Jack�s instincts took over. �Somebody didn�t want him telling you. The question is, who?� �You said his lover was a stock broker � do you think he�s involved?� Kate�s look was the classic �duh!� expression. �Of course. But he�s just the mechanism, what I want to know is where was David getting his inside information to start with.� �Somebody inside your company, or from the client?� Jack wanted to know. Kate shook her head. �I don�t know. Although with Karen keeping such a tight rein on everything, it�d be pretty damned hard to get anything past her. I�d think she�d have to be involved.� �Don�t like your boss?� �Dad, that woman has to be a seriously suppressed dyke. I�ve never SEEN anybody so unhappy with everything about her life. I really don�t think she knows what fun is.� �OK, I�ll have Lennie send the detectives back to talk with her. In the meantime, he�s checking Rella�s and Blake�s financials to see if there�s anything suspicious.� Jamie smiled. �It�s nice to have the police working FOR my client for a change!� Jack grimaced. �Jamie, you know they always just want to find the truth. They�re just maybe a little more motivated this time.� �So what do we do now?� Kate asked. �Well, we let them do their jobs. And I think you and your father could use some time to get better acquainted.� Jamie smiled at them. As they left Jamie�s office, Kate asked if they could stop by David�s house so she could get her things. �I guess I won�t be going back there after this is over.� �We�ll figure something out, honey.� She opened the door with her key. CSU had been over the place with a fine tooth comb, looking for any evidence. The place was a mess. She went back to the guest room to pack her things, leaving Jack to wander around the place, thinking. When she came out with two large suitcases, Jack was looking thoughtful. �Kate, they tore this place apart looking for clues, but is there anything they might have missed? Did you know about any �secret� stashes? If he was dealing on the sly, he must have some record of his accounts somewhere.� �Not really. Did they get his computer?� �I guess. The desk is empty.� �No, he used a laptop. It�s not here?� �I�m not sure. I�ll have Lennie check it out.� She grinned at him. �Must be nice having such an inside track.� �Well, he�s technically off the case, but his Lieutenant knows better than to try to keep him in the dark.� �So you two are out? It�s not just close friends like Jamie who know?� �Yeah, although some people still don�t believe it. It�s been an interesting ride, Katie. Come on, I�ll tell you over lunch.� They caught a cab back to Jack�s place, and he fixed a quick lunch while Kate took a welcome shower. Finally, they sat across from each other at the kitchen table. He told her how they had become roommates years ago, and how everything had changed when he was attacked last November. �You know, it�s funny. It�s like our friendship had grown into something entirely different while we weren�t looking, but it took something that serious to make us see it.� Kate smiled at him. �I�m glad you found it.� Jack�s fingers almost involuntarily played with his ring. He grinned back at her. �Me too.� �So, some people still think you�re just roommates?� �Yeah, and some won�t believe that we ever were. I stopped caring about what other people think a long time ago. But when it came out, I was worried for him. Cops aren�t exactly the most gay-friendly types, at least when it comes to other cops. But Lennie�s got good friends there; especially his partner, Ed, and their boss, Anita Van Buren. They protected him.� �Good friends count. Sometimes more than relatives.� �You can say that again. But then, sometimes relatives surprise you.� He reached out and squeezed her hand. They spent the rest of the afternoon talking, getting to know each other. Her life at the University of San Francisco, and working for PHC. His life in the DA�s office, how lonely he�d been after Claire died, until he found Lennie. How crazy the past year had been, up to their impromptu �marriage� at the end of July. He didn�t realize how late it had gotten until the phone rang; Lennie was on his way home, wanted to make sure he didn�t just walk in on them if Jack hadn�t told her yet. Lennie opened the door, suddenly nervous about �meeting� Jack�s daughter. Yeah, technically, they�d �met,� but as cop and suspect. Not family. It was unsettling enough to find Julia back in his heart. Not in a bad way, but still unsettling. And not knowing for sure what had happened to David Blake � // Don�t go there, Lennie. // he told himself. // No matter how that turns out, she�s still his daughter. // But as he walked into the apartment and saw them sitting at the kitchen table talking, he realized none of it mattered. Jack had his Katie back. �Hey,� was the only thing he could think of to say. Jack chuckled and got up to greet him with a kiss. �Hey yourself.� Kate watched them; their bond was obviously very strong. She suddenly found herself liking this old cop who protected her father. Lennie let go and turned to her. �Uh, hello Kate.� �Detective.� �Please, just Lennie. We�re family, right?� That got a chuckle from her. �Yeah. Much nicer than the one I left behind in LA.� They ordered out for dinner, and spent the evening relaxing in front of the TV. Kate smiled, watching how they curled up together on the couch. // Mom would have a fit if she could see this! // She was glad they didn�t try to play down their relationship in front of her. It looked perfectly natural to her to see her dad leaning against Lennie who had an arm wrapped around him. It made her feel oddly at home, almost like she was back in San Fran with her �family� there. Finally, Lennie yawned and announced �Some of us have to go to work in the morning. I�m calling it a night.� Jack had to admit he was exhausted too; it had been a draining day. �Me too.� �Jack, you don�t have to.� He took Lennie�s hand. �I�m beat too. Kate, feel free to stay up.� He grinned. �No curfew.� She laughed. �I�ll probably crash soon too. �Night.� Back in the bedroom, Jack was rummaging through a drawer. Lennie cocked an eyebrow at him, curious. �Jack? What are you doing?� He finally turned up a pair of the surgical scrubs he used to wear to bed before clothes in bed became an annoyance. �Looking for these.� �Oh, geez. Pajamas? Just when I finally got used to not wearing them?� Jack looked shocked. �Lennie, she�s my daughter!� Lennie just had to laugh. �Relax, already. I�m teasing you.� He wrapped his arms around his lover from behind, kissing his neck, then letting go and digging for his own pajamas. Like Jack, he compromised on just the pants. They crawled into bed, and after turning out the light Lennie again wrapped his arms around Jack, glad at least he could feel the warmth of skin. �So. Sounds like everything went well.� Jack sighed. �Yeah. Um, something surprising.� �Related to the case? Or personal?� �Both, actually. Andy is spelled with an I, short for Andrea.� �She�s gay?� Jack laughed. �Seems to run in the family. Although apparently Sarah was less than pleased.� �Damn. Did you get her info? I�ll have Ed check her out tomorrow.� �I�ll call you when we get up, ok?� Lennie kissed him. �OK.� He snuggled close, one hand sliding down over Jack�s hip as his tongue traced the silver chain at Jack�s neck. Now that Jack wasn�t a giant bundle of nerves � Jack sighed, wishing he could let Lennie continue. �Lennie, stop. Not with her just down the hall. I can�t.� It was Lennie�s turn to sigh. Nothing was going to happen as long as Kate stayed with them. He brought his hand back up over Jack�s chest and squeezed. �OK. As long as it�s still OK for me to hold you?� Jack covered Lennie�s hand with his own. �Always, love. Always.� Continue on to Daughters Ch 6 Send me some feedback Back to the Story Index Disclaimer: These characters belong to Dick Wolf and NBC. I'm just borrowing them for fun, not profit. |
| Daughters Chapter 5 |