Tuesday 2nd March

Conference Room, 1 Hogan Place

"Morning Ron"

McCoy breezed into the room and set down a small bundle of papers.

"Jack" he nodded and hesitated a second.

"Everything...you know...okay at your check up?"

Jack got his head into gear and said quickly "Oh yes fine...just had to switch it because of a diary thing"

It was possibly a little wicked to tell a lie and make out the appointment was for him, but it was far too early to be telling anyone Al was pregnant and certainly not before the wedding. Simply to avoid all the extra nonsense that would result. So as far as anyone was concerned it had been an "oncology" visit for him, not one to the ob/gyn for her.

He'd done it once before. With his first wife for the first visit and it turned out to be just as uncomfortable as he remembered. Guessed it was for all men, not that you ever really shared such stuff and he was determined it would be and could be different this time. The important thing was that Al was fine.

McCoy's brain switched back to what had the potential to be a difficult meeting with the senior ADAs. It was no secret in the office that he and Ron had been reviewing the various workloads across the various bureaux. And looking at certain individuals were either doing well or struggling.

"I've been thinking on the way here, Ron" he said "How about I take them through the first part and the general proposals?"

Carver looked up a little startled "If you want. You know there's some will hate it and you"

"Mostly the ones who hate me already" McCoy shrugged "No I'll be the bad guy and then you can step in as Mr Reasonable and smooth the feathers. You're better at that than me. Everyone knows it"

Ron laughed. It was true either the Irish or something in McCoy got his dander up on occasions and it did not always pay to be in range when he was like that.

Interview Room 1, SVU, Manhattan

Any apparent "delay" in Eames seeing Father Pool again was unavoidable. She had been waiting for Captain Chater to have the opportunity to see Richard Pike and that had been dependent on a medical clearance. It had turned out to be a fruitless exercise since he had invoked his right to silence on everything. Including the charges relating to Jesus Castillo. Not in either of their opinions the best option and it would seem, not the preferred strategy of his lawyer.

The other reason was that under his bail conditions Pool was staying at some church facility upstate, needed the approval of the court to go further than a prescribed distance and that all had to be fitted with the availability of his lawyer and Monsignor Miller. He was acting both in a "pastoral" role and as the Bishop's eyes and ears on developments.

Eames sat the three of them down and first took them through the events in Phoenix. Inevitably some word had got to them via the Church network, but she wanted them to get it first hand and have the chance to see the letter Pike wrote.

"It doesn't entirely help you Father Pool" she said "But I spoke with the ADA after we and Phoenix did some extra checking. We will not be adding any murder charges to the indictment"

"I should hope not" growled the lawyer.

Eames' look told him he was not helping.

"However" she went on "They do intend to proceed on all the other charges which you have already admitted to"

"We assumed so Lieutenant" said Miller.

"Which is where you come in Monsignor. We have in his own hand Richard Pike's admission to murder and so far he's made no attempt to retract that. I take it that releases you from that part of any obligation Father Pool?"

"Yes it does" said the priest "I can now make a statement or whatever to that...that he told me in a confession he killed two boys...Andrew and Juan. But what I cannot do is add to what he has written...tell you anything else he said...any details or of any other crimes he might have committed"

Eames almost felt sorry for the man and she had no idea of the sort of confessions priests usually heard. But she doubted few, if any, had to sit through the things Mark Pool must have heard that day from his mentor.

"A question I must ask. Did you have any idea of what Pike had done before he told you?"

Pool looked to Miller before he answered.

"None at all Lieutenant Eames. When he asked for confession, which he had done once or twice before, I expected much the same sort of thing. Nothing like...not the things he said to me...and after that he asked me, begged me to help him"

"You feel he tricked you into complicity"

"On reflection? Yes. And please believe me when I say I urged him to go to the authorities. Used every moral and religious argument I could"

"You could have walked away Father Pool" Eames said quietly.

"I'm not sure it's your job to pass comment like that" said the lawyer.

"Maybe not but I have no doubt it's something a judge will consider when it comes to passing sentence"

"I know that" said Pool "But thank you Lieutenant. I am prepared for that and don't expect...don't deserve any consideration"

At the end she was left thinking it was one of those you would have to let go without being sure you ever really understood. And, unlike Goren, Eames had never found that too difficult.

Monday 8th March

Vehicle Inspection Area, CSU, Manhattan

The three trainees watched and listened as their instructor demonstrated and passed on things he had learned over the years when it came to finger printing a vehicle. The kind of practical experience which was not in the manual. He gave them two hours and then left them to it.

Firstly they divided it up between them and concluded that since the Town Car had not been positioned over an inspection pit, they need only concern themselves with what they could reach. Then they set to with soft brushes and powder.

Wednesday 10th March

St Luke's Place

It was the first time that year it had been warm enough and light enough when Goren got home for he and Joel to play in the garden for a while before dinner.

Caro watched them fondly from the kitchen. The leg of Daddy's pants was a favourite thing for their son to use for his attempts to stand and walk and, unlike some others, not as potentially dangerous. The trouble was, without one of them to hold his hands; his legs would not yet do what he wanted them to. Would turn at all angles instead of moving forward and inevitably he took the occasional tumble that scared him into a brief wail. But she did not think it would be long before he got the standing part right at least.

Rob had come home with the news of an offer from the Academy for him to continue after his secondment was over. Subject to him passing the exams and approval for Lieutenant they expected him to complete by July. The first part should be no problem, whatever he said. Nor would they make an offer like that unless they knew the confirmation was already lined up and would go through.

That he was going to turn it down was no surprise at all. Caro was sure his little adventure with Alex had only confirmed what was right for him to spend his life doing.

She knocked on the window and when they both looked over, she held up five fingers. Daddy knew what it meant and Joel just gave her a wave back. They really were so alike at times it was scary. And the realisation for her earlier that day, that another playmate for them would be a little longer in coming, was no bad thing.

Friday 12th March

NYC Police Academy, E 20th Street

Danny Ross slid into the back of the room, hoping not to be seen and knowing he should have checked with Goren first. But since he was here he might as well sit through one of the occasional lunchtime talks open to all cadets.

At the front, Goren was full of that ill at ease twitchiness Ross had seen before with large groups and if months at the Academy had not cured him of it, he guessed nothing ever would. It was that nervousness or maybe self consciousness meant he turned to the wrong board and diagram and probably explained why he tapped the wrong key on the laptop. Treating the whole room to a picture up on the screen of Goren Jnr at the beach.

"Aaaw he's so cute" said a woman at the front.

"I...um...yes...thank you...but moving on and if I can...okay then as you see from this slide..."

From then he was away and running. No question knew his stuff, spoke without notes, encouraged questions which he handled without losing the thread and soon held everyone in the palm of his hand. Even Ross would have been willing to admit he both learned something and was strangely charmed by the guy.

Not a feeling Ross could say he'd had many times before, when Goren's mercurial side could drive him completely nuts. As much his own fault for listening to gossip, believing Bobby needed to be actively led and thinking himself the man for that job.

Ross waited for most of the room to clear before making his way to the front.

"Oh hello Captain"

"Good talk Bobby"

"You heard it?"

"Uhuh. What seems to be your problem?"

"Can't get this thing to shut down"

"Here let me have a try"

It took them three combined attempts and one minor panic they had erased all the pictures of Joel, before they succeeded. But they both learned something.

For Goren, that it was possible for Ross and he to get something right together.

And for Ross, that being alongside Goren might be a whole lot easier than trying to lead the man.

"Come on Bobby. I'll buy you lunch. Something I want to talk to you about"

To be continued...