"Look, you're my best friend. This is what best friend's do, so stop complaining and answer the question."
Jake Cohen sighed heavily as he watched Malinowski model what seemed like the hundredth dress in a half an hour.
"You know the last time we did this, you found the dress in less than twenty minutes," he retorted as his eyes scanned the rack that was almost full of the dresses his friend had already rejected.
"That's because last time I was a size six and anything looks good on me when I'm a six. Besides, beforeI married Sam I'd spent three months skimming the bridal magazines. I knew what I wanted when I walked in here with you. Now seriously Jake," she said as she looked at herself critically in the full length mirror beside him. "Does the flared skirt make my ass stick out?"
"Not that your ass isn't an attractive one, but I think you're right. Try the yellow suit."
"I don't know. The skirt is satin and it looks tight-"
Cohen glanced at his watch as he gave Malinowski a push towards the dressing rooms.
"Try it. The color's going to be great on you and it's got an A line skirt. Now go. We only have forty five minutes before I have to be back in court."
Cohen ran his hands absentmindedly over the top of the rack of suits and cocktail dresses as the door to the bridal shop opened.
"I was right," Malinowski said through the dressing room door. "I can't even get it to lay right. What do you think about the beige tea dress?"
"By all means," Cohen said as he smiled patiently at the attractive African American woman who was talking to the counter girl. "Let's see the beige number."
"Listen, Jake. What about the royal blue one?"
"The one with the lace," he asked with exasperation, as he pointed it out to the woman who was walking towards him. "I told you it looks like a prom dress."
Anita Van Buren pulled the dress out and nodded with a grin.
"Well, the beige washes me out and I'm running out of choices here."
"Listen," the lieutenant said softly. "I need to talk to your boss and you look like you'd rather be anywhere but here. You mind if I take over for you?"
"And here I thought angels were just in heaven," Cohen said with a wink. "I don't know who you are, but I owe you, lovely lady."
"Afraid, I'm just a blue angel from Manhattan," Van Buren replied as she handed Cohen the card she removed from her jacket pocket.
"Ah lieutenant," Cohen responded as he offered his hand. "I've heard both Brooke and Jack say someone wonderful things about you. You're the one that taught Brooke how to make tamale pie that is actually edible. Obviously, I'm leaving her in good hands."
"Jake are you still out there," Malinowski demanded. "Ask Lori to pull some more dresses in a size ten."
"Give me a minute, Brooke," Cohen called from the door.
Van Buren met the sales girl half way and the pair went through a rack of suits and semi formal gowns. Van Buren frowned. Malinowski's problem was immediate;y clear to the homicide chief. Most of the dresses were either too ornate or much too young for a middle aged bride.
"This is it? This is everything you have, "she asked the sales girl.
"Ms. Malinowski said she didn't want anything too formal or anything floor length," the girl explained. "If we'd had even a week's notice, we could have ordered something from our catalog or checked another store but, with her needing it by tomorrow…"
"Humm…what about those," Van Buren asked as she pointed at a rack across the room. "Those look nice."
"I just finished putting those out while she was in the dressing room. They're mostly bridesmaid dresses that just came in this morning."
"Well, let's take a look," Van Buren replied.
While her original intent was to fill the EADA in on her concerns about a verdict that was sure to come down Friday on the Manning/ Steele case, Van Buren found herself drawn into the search for Malinowski's wedding attire. As a middle aged woman herself, Van Buren could sympathize with the challenge to find something not too young, yet not too matronly. It was a challenge Van Buren found herself determined to rise up to.
"Come on Jake I have to meet with Jackowicz at one fifteen. At this rate I'm going to be wearing a potato sack when I walk down the aisle!"
Van Buren studied the pale green dress carefully.
"Jake are you still out there?"
"Hold your horse's counselor," Van Buren responded as she slipped the garment above the dressing room door. "No one's going to let you walk down the aisle in a potato sack."
"Anita," Malinowski stammered as she peaked out from the dressing room. "What are you doing here?"
"Right now, I'm helping you find a wedding dress. We'll talk after you try that one. If it doesn't work for you, I may have to have some uniforms raid Macy's bridal department and use their lights and sirens to get some more dresses out here."
A few minutes later, the pair stood in front of the full length mirror, both nodding approvingly. The sleeveless satin dress had a V-neck that was supported by a chiffon pleated bodice. The bolero jacket gave the knee length dress a sophisticated look.
"You throw in a pill box hat with an eye length veil and I think you're set," Van Buren commented.
"You know Anita, I think you're right," the future bride said softly, still staring at her reflection.
Van Buren gave her a knowing smile as she slipped an arm around the other woman shoulders.
"Jack's going to be blown away when he sees you. You look beautiful, Brooke."
"Thanks, Anita."
"You know the best part, right," Van Buren asked as the EADA looked at her blankly. "Not only do you look gorgeous, the sea foam green will go perfectly with grey."
A burst of laughter escaped from both women's lips, as Malinowski turned to find the sales girl.
After making arrangements for a hat, matching shoes, and a clutch bag, the two women started the short walk back to Malinowski's office.
"When your secretary told me where to find you, I was surprised. I had no idea you and Jack were planning to get married this weekend," Van Buren said as they started across the intersection.
"You know Jack. He tends to keep his personal life to himself," Malinowski replied. "Although, I'm sure he planned on telling you so soon as we got back, Anita. I know Jack thinks of you as a friend – a close one- at that."
"When you two get back Don and I will have to have you both back out to the house to celebrate."
"We'd love that Anita, but I know you didn't make the trip across the bridge in the middle of a work day for social reasons. I know I've been distracted this week. Do we have a case in common that I'm not remembering?"
"Not the way you mean," Van Buren reluctantly began. "You know Cutter is giving his closing in the Manning/Steele case this afternoon?"
"Jack mentioned it. Things seemed to have moved faster than anyone expected with this one. He thinks they may have a verdict sometime Friday."
"Brooke, the police commissioner has the riot squad on standby all ready," Van Buren confided. "I talked to Jack this morning and we're meeting at the courthouse as soon as word comes down that the jury's reached a verdict."
Malinowski stopped in front of the steps leading into her building.
"I told Jack the mayor might have shut the city down."
"I told Jack if there's any way he can get Cutter to offer a deal…to head this thing off …he better do it fast,"Van Buren countered; her reason for coming to see Malinowski becoming clearer.
"Anita, I know Jack respects your judgment. If he thought a deal could be made, he'd order Mike to make it."
"Well, I wish I was as sure as you are."
Malinowski studied Van Buren's troubled face and frowned. She and McCoy had vowed not to interfere in each other's professional lives, no matter how tempting it might seem at times. They had already had more than their share of conflict without adding work related conflicts into the mix.
"Anita, if you're here to ask me to talk to Jack about this, I'm afraid I can't do that."
"Can't or won't?"
"Anita," Malinowski gasped. "Sounding like Jack isn't going to make me change my mind. This is an ongoing trial. Jack can't discuss it with me beyond generalities. He isn't going to let me tell him how to do his job any more than I'd listen if he-"
"If you really want to marry him Saturday, you better hope that jury as enough sense to convict Gretchen Steele or you better talk some sense into Jack."
"This isn't about what's convenient for Jack and me."
"You're right. It's about the city turning into a riot zone if that jury doesn't have the backbone to do what's right."
Malinowski could see the desperation in the other woman's eyes. She knew Van Buren was right. The city would be a mass of violence and destruction if the system failed and Gretchen Steele went free…especially if Manning was convicted instead.
"If I thought for a second what I had to say would change Jack's mind," Malinowski began as her cell phone started to ring. "Sorry, Anita. Just a second."
Malinowski sighed as she checked the number of the incoming call and opened her phone. She marveled at McCoy's timing and pondered letting the call go to voice mail. The look in Van Buren's eyes immediately made her ashamed of even thinking about taking the easy way out.
"Jack, any word on the Manning/Steele case," she asked with bluntness that surprised not only herself, but the woman beside her. "…because it's been on my mind. You said Mike was closing this afternoon? …I see," she replied as she smiled at Van Buren. "What did Anita want?...So are you offering a plea? …Really?... Look, I'm due in with Jackowicz any minute now, so can I call you back?... I love you, too."
The two women stood silently for a moment, each waiting for the other to speak. Malinowski slipped her phone back into her jacket pocket. Finally a mildly annoyed Van Buren raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I guess I have my answer. You're obviously not going to change your mind about talking to Jack."
"Anita, if I didn't know you were happily married I'd be beside myself with jealousy right now," she said wistfully. "You don't know how much influence you have with that man. Seems he's already spoken to Cutter and had him set up a my meeting with defense counsel. His exact words were 'Van Buren's right'. Now, you tell me, how often does anyone hear that from Jack McCoy?"