Chapter One: Llywelyn's and Laughter
Anna Haversham could no longer stifle her laughter. It hadn't been five minutes since her brother had taken the stage at Llywelyn's Pub and she had just managed to keep herself together through his karaoke rendition of "Slow Ride." But when Andrew queued up Prince's "Kiss," she lost it. The more she tried to keep from laughing, the harder it got. The more her big goofy brother glared at her, albeit with a lopsided grin, the harder it got. By the time he started into the chorus, her face was red, her eyes were brimming with tears and she was sputtering. As he finished the line "I just want your extra time and your KI-ISS," she gave up and let go. Andrew finally finished and descended to their table, giving his sister a light hearted poke in the ribs for her "betrayal" before dissolving into his own deep throated chuckles. The siblings toasted one another as they waited for their meal.
Detectives Robert Goren and Alexandra Eames had had enough. They had been stuck in court since 9 o'clock that morning, listening to a cold blooded, money hungry murderer make all kinds of excuses and accusations to try and get out of the Murder One charges they had worked hard to secure. They had airtight evidence: forensics, motive, and financials, everything except a confession. And the only thing that had stopped them from getting that from the schmuck was the speedy arrival of his attorney at One Police Plaza after they had arrested him. When they had left A.D.A Ron Carvers office just after six, they had looked at each other with the same thought: "God, I need a drink." Alex had suggested the elegant, yet rustic pub that was a couple of blocks from the courthouse. Bobby was fond of the place himself and couldn't think of any reason to disagree.
Llywelyn's benefited greatly from its prime location near New York's judicial landmarks. The Federal Courthouse, at 100 Centre Street, was just two blocks away, bringing in everyone from rookie A.D.A.'s and legal aid lawyers stressed out and looking to unwind, to judges and city officials doing deals and brown nosing, One Police Plaza was a bit farther away, but still brought in it's fair share of chiefs and detectives. And those who didn't have time to sit and enjoy the warm and friendly atmosphere often took their food to go, grateful for the kitchen that was open until midnight. Friday nights were always busy, but when owner Tommy Hagrid had decided to put a small stage and a karaoke machine in the back, the place had nearly become a fire hazard. The bar area was packed and there were only two two top tables left by 6:30. Tommy had just returned from cleaning them off when he noticed two of his favorite patrons coming through his door. "Hey Bobby, hey Alex!" he hollered towards the front, gesturing them back to the open tables.
"I can't believe you have the nerve to try to talk your way out of this one," Andrew said to his still amused sister. "I was trying to impress that redhead over there." "Oh, Drew, I'm sorry, but what on Earth were you thinking?" Another giggle slipped from her mouth as she added, "I mean Prince, for chrissakes?" Andrew couldn't help but enjoy the sound of Anna's laughter; it had been far too long since his big sis had some really good fun. "Okay, okay, so it wasn't the best choice, but I was trying to make a point…" Anna sipped her merlot and took in the rest of the mildly entertained audience. Definitely a lot of lawyers in here, she thought to herself, and quite a few cops as well. This was her first visit to the place Drew had been begging her to accompany him to. She didn't really hang out in bars, preferring instead to patronize the coffee shops and cafes that were close to her office and apartment near New York University. She preferred quiet places where she could read or do needlepoint while sipping her favorite Tazo hot tea. But this place wasn't so bad and the fact that her little brother was comfortable enough here to make a fool of himself in front of professional, educated women was definitely worth the trip.
"Here you go guys," Tommy said, placing their menus on the table. "You want your usual poison?"
They answered "Yes" in unison and took a seat as Tommy headed back towards the bar to fetch Bobby's Molson and Alex's Margarita. Bobby removed his jacket and turned to hang it across the back of his chair, his long arms bumping the chair of the patron behind him as he did so.
"Oh… please excuse me…" was all he got out before his breath was literally taken away.