Friday 21st November
Major Case Squad Room
Captain Daniel Ross managed not to roll his eyes and, late on a Friday afternoon, grabbed a spare chair and straddled it to sit beside the two desks.
"Just run that by me again will you Alex?"
"We want to ask all precincts and squads across the city to run a check on their homicides, solved and unsolved for the last six months. To see if they fit the pattern for these two"
"The pattern being one where one or more elements fit a play by Shakespeare" he was looking at Goren when he said that. "And you think they'll recognise them?"
"We'll give them some guidance" Bobby shrugged. "Like on method? No one is shot with a gun so it's stabbings and poisonings mainly. Though I would include drug overdoses in that as the modern day equivalent and one or two other more unique examples. Though in some of the plays the deaths are not actually shown such as…"
Ross waved his hand. "I get it. Method. And?"
"Names and locations" said Eames. "Julius is pretty obvious but with Willard it was the name of the street"
"How many Macbeth's are there in the New York phone book and if you answer that Goren I'll…I'll…and you don't think this could be a Greenwich thing? Both occurred there"
Goren had not checked on Macbeth's or Macduff's but he was sure there was a character called Ross in that play.
"We did check the sixth precinct Captain" he said quietly. "Nothing matched"
"But it was the time it took us to go through all the original reports. The data base only captures certain basic fields can be searched against and would mean us putting in hundreds of variables" said Eames. "This will be quicker"
Ross loosened his tie. "I will agree the trouble gone to in these cases indicates something more than random killings. Like the number of wounds on the first victim. And with fifty plays…"
"Thirty-seven" said Goren automatically and without thinking. "Though about half were comedies so…so…"
He trailed off seeing Ross' face. A mixture of mild annoyance at his contradiction and Ross thinking, not just being obstructive or dismissive. He might "ride" him especially at times, but the Captain kept pretty much up to date with their reports. Would know they were no closer to motives and work out such a trawl might eliminate or confirm two possibilities.
That they really might have a serial killer on their hands and that if there were others fit this pattern, that it was not just seniors, specifically males who were the victims. Past repeat killers often got away with it as long as they did, especially ones who varied "means" or other factors, because it was so long before the underlying theme or pattern was recognised. And whilst additional victims were not desirable, the primary one turning out to be young and female would eliminate "older men" as being targeted for some reason.
Eames and Goren had been in total agreement that Arthur Willard because he lived on the corner of "Horatio" was the primary target in that instance. Poor Doris Bunker was almost a prop. An extra. Recruited because of her age and ethnicity to arrange an "Ophelia" to Willard's "Polonius" and because she was in a profession made her easy to get to the location. Not like grabbing any young black woman off the street or needing to trick or stalk her for too long.
"Okay" said Ross. "Send it out under my name. If nothing else it will help us focus. And include State and New Jersey. Might as well cover all the bases"
"And the Feds?"
"Why not Bobby. You still have that contact there?"
"Yes sir"
"Go to it then" he stood up. "Coming for a drink later?"
"Yes" said Eames
"Not this week" replied Goren.
He turned to his terminal and began to click for the action memo format.
Saturday 22nd November
Vestry Street, Soho
Still in her bathrobe, Eames yawned as she emptied the dishwasher waiting for the coffee to finish making. Then idly flicked on the TV. It was the local news report.
"…and our sources say that the District Attorney, Jack McCoy may be planning to break with tradition by making an appointment from outside his office. And now over to Ken for assessment of the Giant's chances tomorrow"
She turned it off. Thinking someone wasted no time after Jack broke the news to the senior staff yesterday none of them were getting the job. She had no idea what news media paid for that sort of tip but if it were one of them, maybe it would be some consolation.
"Hungyaah" McCoy yawned and stretched coming through the door.
"You made the news"
"Huh? What for this time?"
"Best dressed man in New York" Eames replied thinking few men looked at their best in old t-shirt and shorts.
And wondering when would be the best time to give Jack the bad news called "Christmas Shopping"
Special Victim's Unit (Manhattan)
Finn Tutuola read the memo from Major Case down at 1PP and taking in, though it was under Captain Ross' name, it was really an enquiry from Bobby and Alex. An unusual one and good luck to them with that.
But it was re-reading the part about taking "drug overdose" as a contemporary version of medieval or ancient poisonings made him think. Not to go back to his list of old cases, but one of those he was working right now.
Tutuola switched to the net and typed in a name that stuck in his mind because initially it had been spelled differently and wrongly, when he and Benson were assigned to work it. Ten minutes later he knew a great deal more about a certain play than he ever did.
Had an "itch" about that he knew was in part because he and Liv had a different "take". It was not a perfect fit but the memo said not to expect that and some elements did work. He sipped coffee thinking how a stranger could have achieved the same outcome as their current suspect.
There was only one way came to mind and being Sunday tomorrow there was a chance of checking that out. An hour or so extra off the clock would not hurt and he could run it by Benson on Monday.
Sunday 23rd November
Barnes and Noble, Fifth Avenue
Goren felt as if he had achieved a minor victory as they turned into the section where the "baby books" were. Though it had been at something of a price more in terms of time and shoe leather than actual cash, as he and Caro had several shopping bags between them.
As well for the Reece family system of setting a strict cash limit on gift spending and organising things between the various adults for the children. And he would not disagree with the other thing Caro did. Check out with maternity at Bellevue the titles they would recommend.
He got quite a shock seeing how many different ones there were on the shelves. They had just collected the three they were looking for, when his cell phone rang. Hard to say who gave him the worst look. The heavily pregnant lady, the shifty looking man you wondered what he was actually doing or Caro.
"Sorry" he said softly to her and finding an out of the way corner near the stairs to take the call.
It was and hence leaving the thing on, from Clay Walsh, a contact he had in the BSU at Quantico. One he had run a few ideas by on Friday evening. And because Walsh was in the office today he could check their database.
Twenty minutes later, Clayton had confirmed there was nothing similar outstanding on the FBI's case files and he and Caro had reached an amicable agreement on what seemed the best book to get. And they were in something of a long line to pay.
That was when she suddenly grabbed the book off the top of the small pile included items for several of the kids and his cousin Alan.
"Fancy seeing you here" said Jack McCoy also laden with bags.
"It's a bookshop" shrugged Eames. "Where else would Bobby be? Hi Caro"
"Hi Alex. Jack?" said Caro. "If I let him? Asleep on the sofa but claiming he's watching football"
"Or got the flu and should really stay home so he's okay for work tomorrow?"
"Thanks Alex" said Goren. "I never thought of that one"
"Forget it Bobby" said McCoy. "Women have an instant cure for sudden flu. It's usually something worse than what they planned for you to do in the first place"
By the time they reached the head of the line, Alex and Jack had gone off towards "cookery" and the book they did not want them to see had re-appeared from behind Caro's back. They had not disagreed on the decision to say nothing about the baby for the time being. The first scan they were booked in for would not identify all possible problems. There was nothing really could do that in advance for you. But it was a significant point they felt they wanted to clear before the breaking the news to anyone.
And him turning into a worrywart would not change anything either.
To be continued…