Chapter 9
Danny never made it back to his apartment. Maka and his new partner who was a brand new detective and Danny never got his name caught up with him shortly after Danny had left the hospital. Danny was pissed at himself for not getting rid of Sheldon's phone fast enough. He still had the phone on him when Maka searched his pockets.
Everyone in the precinct couldn't believe their eyes when they saw Maka come through the doors with Danny Messer in cuffs. A few had to admit that they weren't surprised. Danny was taken straight to central booking and held until his arraignment later the next day so until then, he found himself in a cell jus sitting there until then.
* * * * *
Two days later
The courtroom was relatively quiet when Danny was escorted in and took a seat by his lawyer. He noticed the DA along with Mac sitting at the other table but not Lindsay. "Where's Lindsay," Danny asked his lawyer. The lawyer shook his head, "I don't know."
As they waited, Danny noticed Don, Jess, Kendall, Maka, and Stella enter the courtroom everyone took there seats behind Mac right away except for Stella she walked up to Mac and Alex Cabot and spoke quietly to them once the conversation was over she joined the others just as Bailiff announced the arrival of the Judge.
After the judge arrived and the usual necessities were done with they got down to the case at hand.
"I understand that Ms. Monroe is asking that the protective order be extended," asked the judge.
"Yes your honor," spoke up Alex Cabot. "The District Attorney's office is also asking that the protective order be extended as well considering Mr. Messer violated the order two days ago."
The judge looked over at Danny and then back at Cabot. "I see. Is Ms Monroe present here today?"
"No your honor, under advisement from her doctors she was ordered not to attend since she is still recovering from injuries she sustained in an attack a few weeks back." As Alex spoke she got up and handed Danny's lawyer a letter and walked over and handed a copy to the judge. "This is a letter from her physician. Ms Monroe has asked that Detective Taylor attend on her behalf."
"Detective Taylor, you alright with this," asked the judge.
"Yes your honor," spoke up Mac.
Everyone noticed Danny speaking tersely with his lawyer he wasn't happy about the situation. The judge turned his attention to the two. "Mr. Hager, do you have anything to say before we continue?"
"One moment your honor," as he continued talking with Danny. Once the conversation ended, he stood and spoke. "I'm sorry your honor, but my client was hoping to face Ms. Monroe in court today and he is objecting to the fact that Detective Taylor is here on Ms. Monroe's behalf."
"I see no problem with Detective Taylor being here on the plaintiff's behalf."
"Yeah but I do," spoke up Danny. "First off he's our boss and it poses a conflict of interest."
"No it doesn't," spoke up Alex. "Since Detective Messer has been suspended from his job pending criminal charges related to the violation of the protective order and from what Detective Taylor informed me moments before the hearing, Detective Messer is being reassigned out of the crime lab as well."
"That's news to us," spoke up Hager.
Danny sat there in his chair stunned. He was out of the crime lab.
Mac stood, "Sorry your honor but those decision were made this morning and I was informed just before this hearing began so there had been no time to inform Detective Messer or his lawyer."
Danny and his lawyer both began protesting this unexpected news. But the judge would hear none of it. "See yourself informed Detective Messer."
"Yes your honor," replied Hager. "But we do ask that this proceeding be postponed until Ms. Monroe is well enough to attend."
Fat chance! Thought Don.
Over my dead body! Stella was saying to herself.
No way in hell! I'd kill him first. Said the voice in Jess's head.
Good luck on that one. Maka was thinking to himself
The lab would come up with a thousand ways to keep him away without leaving any evidence. Kendall was saying to herself.
"Your honor it is obvious that Mr. Hager is trying to stall these proceedings till after the Protective order expires," speaks up Alex.
"So noted Ms. Cabot,' replied the judge. "We will continue these proceedings since the expiration date is fastly approaching."
"But your Honor," Hager nearly shouted.
"Sit down Mr. Hager," ordered the judge. "Ms Cabot does have a point."
With that, the proceedings continued for the next several hours.
* * * * *
Lindsay was sprawled out on the couch reading a book. She had turned the tv off sometime ago after getting bored and not really finding anything interesting to watch. With really nothing much to do, she raided the books on Stella's bookshelf and found a Dean Koontz novel. As she read, she found herself lost in another world and just blocked everything out.
She had completely lost track of time not even realizing that it was mid afternoon when she heard the knock at the door. Placing the book down on the table in front of her, she grabbed the cane next to her and slowly walked over to the door. Arriving at the door she asked, "Who is it?
"It's me Jess," came the voice from the other side. Looking through the peephole she saw her friend waving to the door and unlocked the door. Opening it, Jess walked in. "Hey how you doing?"
"Great now that I'm not alone," Linds said. "I didn't realize how quiet it gets around here when you're the only one around."
"Well problem solved, your not alone anymore," Jess said mischief in her voice.
The two headed over to the couch and took a seat. "So how's the temporary roommate?"
"Calleigh, she's great," said Jess. "We've been busy swapping recipes and stories. "I've never been to Florida and this is her first time to New York."
Lindsay's eyes rose, "Oh."
"But what really surprised her was our crime lab,"
"I bet," said Lindsay. "I remember when I first started we had just moved in to our current space and I was surprised."
"Well unlike you who stayed, she's only here temporarily."
"Uh huh," Lindsay said.
The two continued talking.
It was a long while later when Stella and Mac walked into the apartment to find Lindsay and Jess in full conversation mode. "Yeah we're going Jogging on Saturday morning," Jess was explaining. "She asked me about some good running routes the day she got here so we're doing one of the most popular routes around Central Park."
"I think I know which one," said Lindsay knowing full well which route. She used that route often on her own runs through the park on her days off.
"Hey you two," spoke up Stella.
"Hi Stel, Hi Mac," the two woman said noticing them for the first time.
"How are you doing Linday," asked Mac
"Fine, considering I really can't do much but sit around and try not to get bored." She said.
"I'm going to change and get dinner started," said Stella heading for her room.
"I'll give you a hand Stella," spoke up Jess.
A short time later they were all seated at the dining table dining on Greek salad and pasta.
"So has Jess told you anything about the hearing earlier," asked Mac.
Shaking her head Lindsay said, "No, the only thing she would tell me was that Danny was not happy I wasn't there." Eyeing Jess
"So I guess I have to tell the rest of the story then, huh," said Mac taking a sip of his tea.
"Come on Mac the suspense is killing me," said Lindsay who then took another bite out of the pasta.
"Well just before the hearing, we got word that the Chief had not only suspended Danny but had ordered that he be moved out of the Crime Lab," spoke up Stella.
Lindsay's jaw nearly dropped at the unexpected news. "You're not kidding right."
"Nope," said Jess. "You should have seen the looks on both Danny and his lawyer's faces when Don walked up and collected his service weapon and badge and handed them to Mac right there in front of the judge."
"And nobody got pictures," Lindsay nearly exclaimed. "That would have been a sight to see."
"Yeah it was, it wasn't long before all of CSU knew about it courtesy of Kendall," said Stella.
"Remind me to thank her later," said Lindsay.
"And thank Don while your at it," said Mac. "It wasn't long before he and Maka had spread the word to all the detective and beat cops."
Lindsay nodded. "Okay now what about the rest of the hearing."
So Mac began filling her in. Lindsay was happy when the judge agreed not to postpone the proceedings. She really couldn't stand to be in the same room with Danny right now anyway. "Well," Mac was saying. "The judge extended the order for another 120 days, and also reaffirmed the no contact section and, also included that Danny not have a cell phone or use anyone else's cell phone.
"I think he could have just about freaked out with that one," said Jess.
The judge also added the following," as Mac handed Lindsay her copy of the order. "Besides no phone calls, letters or trying to contact you by way of friends or family, he also added that Danny not use any electronic means of communication.
As Lindsay read on, she noted what the judge had added. No email, IM, social networking, and web pages. She was smiling. She liked this judge.
"I just have one question," said Lindsay as she thought of a possible loophole. "What about after his suspension is over and he returns to work. Won't he need a cell phone?"
"He's going to be reassigned to a desk job for now." said Mac. "Until the protective order comes up for review, plus, IAB is now investigating.
"So did you all ever figure out how Danny got a hold of Sheldon's phone,' she asked.
The other three nodded. "Early Tuesday morning, both Sheldon and Sid were in the morgue putting a body in the freezer from a case they got at two in the morning," Mac was explaining. "Both of them placed their cell phones in the cubicles outside of autopsy before entering."
Lindsay knew the routine. Because of all the machines and equipment in autopsy, everyone had to put their cell phones in one of the little cubicles set up outside of autopsy. If you needed to make a phone call or someone needs to reach you, you had to use the land line phone there.
"While they were there, another body came in from a car accident and to everyone's horror, the vic from the accident was still alive," Mac continued. "So while an assistant called for a bus, Sheldon and Sid were busy trying to treat the kid and stabilize him until paramedics arrived. Sheldon went to the hospital with them since they were having trouble trying to stabilize him."
"So, when Sheldon went with the patient and medics, his cell was left behind," spoke up Lindsay.
Mac nodded. "And Sid was demanding answers as to how the kid could have been pronounced dead at the scene."
"How's the kid doing," asked Jess.
"He's still critical and in ICU," said Stella. "The family was thankful that Sid and Sheldon discovered that he was still alive and are wanting answers as to how he could've been pronounced dead in the first place."
Lindsay shuttered at what Stella was saying. She said a small prayer for the kid hoping he makes it. "So this happened while Danny was still on his shift then."
"Yes and anyone who was in the lab when the incident happened in autopsy was aware of it," said Stella. "Danny's explanation in court this morning was that he saw Sheldon's phone in the cubicle and was going to return it to him,"
"Yeah well, we all know he didn't," said Lindsay. "He used it to call me."
"Well the judge was not happy about that. But Danny was insisting that he wanted to hear it from you and his big mistake was calling you and not even realizing that the phone was on speaker and that Kendall, Jess and I heard him." said Stella.
"Yeah and Don and I explained how we caught him trying to get to the hospital the week before too." Said Jess. "The Judge was not happy one bit.
"Well Danny and his lawyer put up a fuss about the cell phone to the point that Hawkes had to be called in," said Mac. "Once the judge heard Sheldon's side of events, the judge was not amused one bit. So he not only extended the order he also ordered that Danny stay one thousand yards away from you. If he has to come within that distance for work related matters, then he needs to notify the Chief of D's, IAB and me ahead of time."
Lindsay nodded happy about the details of the Protection Order. "So where is Danny now?"
"Still in lockup, he hasn't bonded out yet," said Mac. "His lawyer's trying to get him out on a reduced bond."
"Good, maybe that will give him sometime to think about," said Stella.
Changing the subject Stella asked Jess, "So How's Calleigh doing?"
"Great," said Jess. "I got some recipes from her that I've got to try out."
"I'm in on that," said Stella. "I wonder if she's got some good southern ones."
"Count me in too," spoke up Lindsay.
"She's wants to meet you Linds," said Jess.
The four continued talking for awhile while Jess and Stella cleaned up and Lindsay and Mac sat around until about eight o'clock when Mac and Jess finally decided to leave and head home.
You are welcome to R&R.
