Title: Instant Karma, Chapter 7
Author:
Sorsha711
Fandom/Pairing: JM/OFC; Involves the entire Law &
Order universe
Rating: M, for language and references to violence;
some adult content
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to
Dick Wolf. Munch isn't mine, except in my dreams! Sigh!
Summary:
A series of random bombings reunites Munch with the woman that has
haunted his sleep for years. In the midst of tragedy, can some much
needed good karma open the way for true love delayed? JM/OFC
Instant Karma, Chapter 7
Pulling out his cell, John keyed Ed Green's number. "He probably has this information already, but… Ed. John Munch."
"Thanks, but I'm not calling for an update on our rescue. My companion just remembered something that might be of interest to the investigation."
"No. Sydney works up on 16 at one of the University's research institutes. She remembered an incident from two Saturdays ago involving the elevators."
"Yeah, so you know…"
"What? That's doesn't jibe with her story. Syd says they closed down the entire bank of elevators that night for a system overhaul."
"Yeah, the whole system."
"She had been focused on an incident with the workers themselves. I stopped her before she told me the whole story… figured you needed to hear it too and I wanted you to hear it fresh. She may be able to give you a description or names of some men she encountered. Hold on… let me put you on speakerphone."
Pulling the phone away from his head, Munch pressed the button to activate the speaker. "Ed? Can you hear me?"
His fellow NYPD detective's voice joined theirs in the elevator. "Yeah, John. Introduce me to your companion."
"Det. Ed Green… Dr. Sydney Riley. Syd, start over and tell us what happened that night," Munch instructed.
"Hi, Det. Green. As I was telling John, I worked late that Saturday night trying to finish a paper. It was shortly after 11 when the security guard from the lobby called me and suggested I get ready to leave. Zed said they had been having trouble with one of the elevators that day and University Maintenance was shutting down all the cars so they could find the problem. I got ready and left my office within five minutes," she repeated.
"You said you spoke to a guard. What was his name? It sounded like you called him Zed," Green asked.
"I did. His name is Paul Zalewski, but his nickname is Zed… the French pronunciation of the letter 'Z'. His wife is French Canadian and gave him the name. He's a retired NYPD officer. Nice guy," she supplied. "Takes his duties very seriously."
"Got it. He told you they were closing down all of the elevators for repair?"
"That's what he said."
"OK, so you were on your way down?" Green prompted.
"Yes. He and the other guard, Roger… I think his last name is Sloan, had checked on me several times that night. I think I was about the only person here besides them. They're great about things like that," she reported. "Anyway, I went to the 16th floor lobby and called down for an elevator… only two run at night. I was sorting through my bag… making sure I hadn't left anything in the office when I heard the car arrive on my floor. I started to walk in without really looking and was startled to find three men inside."
Ed Green's interest in the conversation noticeably spiked. "Three men? University maintenance workers?"
"Yes. All three were wearing the standard dark green work uniform with the U's crest on the pocket. I think I surprised them as much as they did me, but…" she hesitated.
"Tell us, Syd," Munch pressed.
Looking up into his intense stare, she admitted, "Two of the men scared me."
"Why is that, Dr. Riley?" Green demanded.
"They seemed angry to see me. One of them demanded to know what I was doing there. I told him it was none of his business and tried to get onto the elevator. I just wanted to get out of there." Reflexively tightening her hold on John, she continued. "He reached out and grabbed my arm. The second one demanded to know who I was, crowded in on me from the other side… pulled my carry-all bag out of my hands. I was getting pretty panicked when the other elevator opened and Zed appeared."
"These guys grabbed you?" John exclaimed, squeezing her to him.
"Yes. Zed saw what was happening and made a show of resting his hand on his waist next to his holster… said something like 'Good, I see you're ready to go. Let's get you into a cab.'" Shivering with remembered fear, she finished, "They finally let me go after several tense seconds… the third guy said something like, 'Ease up, man. Let her go.' I grabbed my bag back and rushed over to Zed so we could get out of there. He gave me a long lecture all the way down to the main lobby about the dangers of working late. I swore that was the last time I would! I was scared to death!"
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she continued. "He told me he would report them to their supervisor the next day. He said I would need to sign a complaint to document the incident, so I did before I left. I planned to talk to him today and see what had happened while I was out of town. Frankly, the fact that they were there to work on the elevators had slipped my mind. I was focused on their behavior. That's why it took me until now to think of it."
"Easy to see why that happened. And it's not like you haven't had a few other things occupying your thoughts this morning," Green agreed, oblivious to the full wealth of meaning in his statement. Sydney felt John grin slightly in response to the comment. "You say you were out of town?"
"Yes… I went to the West Coast for a conference and to visit family. I left that Monday on the red-eye and got back into town day before yesterday. Today is my first day back in my office since that night. I was in a meeting across town all day yesterday," she repeated.
"Can you remember names… describe these men for me?"
"Absolutely… I remember them quite well. I had seen one of them before… the third one. I think his name is Bill or Bob. He may to be assigned to this building because I've seen him around a lot." Pausing, she offered, "He's shorter than average… maybe 5'6"… sandy brown hair, wears glasses. He's stocky and has a round face. I'd guess he's in his mid-thirties."
"OK, great. What about the other two?"
"The one that grabbed me was older… mid-to-late forties. He was around 6', very muscular… a body-builder type." Thinking back, she added, "He had a beard and mustache… dark brown hair, but balding on top. Square, blocky features. Dark eyes… brown I think, but I can't swear to that. I caught his first name on his ID badge… Gerald."
"Excellent. And the third?"
"He was around the same age as the second guy, but taller… maybe 6'3" or 6'4". His hair was black. He had a muscular build, but not to the extent of the other one. He might have been good-looking except… he had cold eyes. They were pale blue… reminded me of dead fish eyes. He had a dark tan and it made his eyes stand out…. look wild." Shivering with the memory, she concluded, "He looked a little like Tom Selleck, but he was… menacing for wont of a better description. I didn't see his badge, so I don't have a name for him."
"Dark skin or was it a tan?" John asked.
"Tan. His skin had that weathered look of someone that spends a lot of time outside in the elements," she clarified. "The other guy… Gerald, did too."
"You have a remarkable memory, Dr. Riley," Green observed.
"I'm just Sydney, Detective. I tend to remember details and those two scared me," she replied.
"Sydney has a near photographic memory, Ed. You can trust her descriptions," John inserted. "If she was unsure, she'd tell you."
"I take it you two know each other," he asked, clearly fishing for details.
"Your skills in detection are showing, Eddie! We hadn't seen each other in years before this morning, but… finding Sydney again is the one amazing and wonderful thing to happen in the midst of this tragedy, my friend." Hugging her close, he asked, "This give you anything?"
"Maybe. Sydney, did any of them have an accent?" Ed asked.
"Not a foreign accent if that's what you mean. They all had New York accents… Brooklyn I think, but I'm still too new to the City to be sure I got that right," she cautioned. "They were local is the best I can swear to."
"That narrows the field. I take it none of them looked Middle-eastern?"
Shaking her head, she replied, "No, all three appeared to be of European ancestry."
"I had to ask given the rumors going around down here… legacy of 9/11."
"I understand, Det. The possibility that it was a terrorist attack occurred to us too," she admitted.
"Sign of the times. You said they were wearing uniforms and University ID badges? Were you wearing yours?" he questioned.
"They were all dressed alike in the work uniforms the maintenance crews wear and they had their badges hanging around their necks," she replied. "I wasn't wearing mine since it was Saturday. It was in my bag."
"Would you willing to sit with a sketch artist and help us put a face on these guys if we can't run them down?" Green inquired.
Sydney fixed John with a worried look. "Do you suspect they aren't University maintenance workers?" she asked.
There was a noticeable silence on the other end of the line. "University Maintenance has a work order on record for a repair to one of the elevators in this building on the day you had this encounter, but their records indicate it was nothing more than a short in the panel that their man… Bob Perkins, repaired before he went off-duty at 5. There is no mention of the entire bank being taken off line for the night for a system overhaul nor is there a mention of three workers being paid for overtime that night. We had dismissed the incident as low priority, but it now jumps to the top of our list."
Staring up at John, Sydney asked. "What does that mean, Det.?"
"It means I need to talk to Bob Perkins immediately about the discrepancy between his report and what you were told. I'd also like to talk to the two security guards to see what more they can tell me about that night." Ending the call, Green added, "I've just been told that FDNY should have the cable ready to attach to your car within the hour. Hopefully, you'll be out of there shortly. Hang in there… and thanks for the information."
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