Head To Head To Head.

Squad room

SVU

16th Precinct.

5.30pm Thursday 2nd November 2006

McCoy stopped in the doorway of the SVU Squad Room, watching the detectives at work. They'd set up a board at one end of the room with photos of the main players and key pieces of evidence pinned up – an organisational luxury the homicide detectives of the 2-7 would have envied.

Briscoe and Green break plenty of cases with notebooks and file folders, McCoy thought, feeling an obscure loyalty to the two detectives. Good, old fashioned policing. Still, he had to admit, the resources of SVU made it easier for multiple officers to work the same case.

At the moment, there were five people standing in front of the case board. Captain Cragen was talking, and Detectives Stabler and Benson were listening. John Munch was showing something to a strikingly attractive black woman McCoy recognised as one of the M.Es. And Casey Novak was standing a little aside, reading through a stack of papers.

McCoy walked up to her and took the papers out of her hand before she realised he was there.

"Summary of wiretap transcripts case four-three-nine Walters," he read off the title page. " Casey, what are you doing with these?"

"Reading them, Jack," Casey said, and took hold of the papers to pull them back. McCoy refused to let go, and after a brief tug of war she planted her fists on her hips. "You are such an adult."

McCoy tossed the papers onto the nearest desk. "I told you that you were off this case."

"You told me you were going to get Arthur Branch take me off this case and I haven't heard from Arthur."

"Goddamn it, Casey, I didn't think I needed to get you reprimanded in – "

" Mr McCoy," Cragen said. "If you and ADA Novak have professional matters to discuss, maybe you'd like to use my office."

"No need," McCoy snapped.

"I think Mr McCoy and I know exactly where we stand," Casey said, glaring at him.

"What I'd like to know," McCoy said, "is where we stand with the case against Walters."

"We have two potential witnesses," Stabler said, "but we haven't been able to locate or identify them yet."

"A man and woman seen going in to the building at around the time we know Mary arrived home," Benson added. "They haven't turned up in the canvas and nobody in the building can ID them, but we're still looking."

"Sounds like a big pile of nothing, detectives," McCoy said.

"We have some DNA results," Munch said. " Melinda tells me that there is a thirty percent match to Walters."

"Thirty percent?" McCoy said. "I can't get a conviction – I can't get an indictment on thirty percent."

"That's actually as good as you'll get with this method." Warner said. "We had very little to work with, we're trying to make a match off sweat traces and skin flakes. To give you some indication, we can tell the DNA isn't Mary's because the match to Mary is less than five percent."

"Defence will still argue that there's a seventy percent chance it's someone else – or that Walters' sweat and skin brushed off on Mary in the courtroom when he spoke to her."

"The first is possible but improbably. The second is more problematic. " Warner said. "If I come up to you like this – " She stood close to McCoy and put her hand on the back of his neck, "and lean into you so, I am probably going to leave about as much DNA on you as Walters did on Mary – if I'm a sweaty guy with dry skin."

"I need more," McCoy said. "I need more, dammit! It's been a week, Captain. What are your detectives doing?"

"Working around the clock, Mr McCoy," Cragen said. "We're watching Walters, the wiretap is still in place, if he did it, we'll get him."

"If he did it – are you losing confidence in your case, Captain?" McCoy asked.

"We're pursuing all lines of inquiries," Cragen said. "As we always do until we're able to charge somebody. And that is an operational decision that I make, Mr McCoy."

"Dammit," McCoy snarled, knowing Cragen was right. He rubbed his forehead, a dull throbbing pain starting behind his left eye.

"C'mon, Jack," Casey said. "You heading home? I'll give you a lift."

"I'm going back to Hogan Place," McCoy said.

Casey shrugged. "I'll give you a lift there," she said.

McCoy hesitated, considering arguing further. They're going to let him get away. They're going to leave him loose out there … Pain stabbed through his eye.

Not much more than twenty four hours since the last migraine, and another was starting. This time last year he considered himself unlucky if he got more than one in six months.

" Jack?" Casey asked softly, her hand on his arm.

"Yeah, thanks," McCoy said, giving in. I'm just too tired for this today. I can't fight them all. Not today.

Just one decent night's sleep, that's all I need. One night.

Without dreams. Without dark hair and duct tape – green bloody carpet and red hair – bruised face in hospital bed flashing in front of his eyes as he lay staring sleepless at the dark.

One night.

McCoy let Casey draw him towards the door, her hand in the crook of his arm. In the corridor he pulled away at the water fountain, quickly swallowed two pills and washed them down. He stood up to see Casey looking at him with concern. "Headache," he explained.

"You look exhausted, Jack," she said.

"If I spent less time trying to make sure my ADAs did as they were supposed to, I might get more sleep," McCoy retorted.

"I am doing as I'm supposed to do," Casey said. "I'm just not doing what you want me to do. There's a difference."

"We'll see if Arthur Branch thinks that," McCoy said. He thumped the call button for the elevator with a clenched fist.

"You aren't going to go to Arthur," Casey said.

"Don't be so sure!" The elevator doors opened and they got in. "I don't want you to end up with a reprimand on your file but - "

"Bullshit!" Casey interrupted. "You know Arthur would never put a permanent black mark against my name for doing my job." She folded her arms and stared him down, her pugnacious air typical Casey Novak: jaw set, chin forward. Joelene Lewis, McCoy sometimes called her when they were on easier terms.

He sighed and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. "Don't fight me on this, Casey. You know it's for your own protection."

"Oh, you're going to protect me now?" Casey flared.

"Goddammit!" McCoy thumped the wall. "Will you just for goddamn once stop?"

Casey stuck her jaw out further. "You should know by now I won't be bullied into anything. And you're wrong. I should be second chair on this case and I'm going to keep working it until you realise that."

"Oh really?" McCoy said, taking a step towards her.

"Oh really." Casey said firmly, not backing away.

They glared at each other for a moment until the elevator chime announced their arrival at the car park. The doors opened, and began to close again. Casey stuck out her hand to stop them, gaze still locked on McCoy's.

He looked away first.