Tuesday 16th March
SVU, Manhattan
"Got a moment boss?"
Eames looked up to see Tutuola laden with as many different things as she had often seen Goren.
"Sure. What case is this?
"The Giambi murder" he told her re-arranging some papers.
"Got a call from CSU this morning. They did a routine process of a stolen limo found in New Jersey. They got a hit on three sets of prints. Two were a couple of female city employees but the third was one of the sets of the unknowns from Lydia's apartment"
Eames sat up "The ones from the kitchen or the bedroom?"
"Bedroom" replied Finn "Now the print was found in the rear, consistent with a customer and the Lincoln is only three months old"
"So you talked to the limo company and did some checking..."
Finn shrugged a little coyly and handed over a list where he had whittled down the potential numbers. Eliminated all the women to start with and all customers whose home addresses were out of state and were trips to and from the airports. Some, Eames could see by his notes, were set aside because of other factors. Two quite elderly men and one who records revealed was in jail at the time Lydia Giambi was killed. She could not fault the assumptions he'd made.
"This is really good Finn but..."
"Look at the name top of the second page and think movies"
Eames grinned "I see what you mean"
"Not just that Lieutenant, our buddy Luke used the phone while he was in the car for most of one afternoon. He called three numbers. His home up in Riverdale, his swanky real estate office on the Upper West Side and Lydia's extension number at Gibbs and Hardy"
Tutuola handed her a photograph from the bar mitzvah which identified a man in the background as "Luke Hardy". He also gave her a copy of a driver's licence. No question it was the same man but a different name.
"So which is his real name?" she frowned.
"The one on the licence. He's Andrew Hardy's step-son. Has been since he was three years old. But his name was never changed"
Eames nodded "And whoever identified him in this picture from the hotel lobby either didn't know that and assumed he was legally Hardy, or it was a... habit to refer to the boss's kid by that name. Have a cup of coffee while I call Novak and we arrange to have his Riverdale ass hauled in here"
Wednesday 17th March
Office of The Captain, Major Case
Ross frowned and looked up to see what was causing the sudden noise, including some whistling, outside in the bullpen. Then he saw Goren's head above the rest and concluded he should have known.
Half of those who were not tied up were rising from their desks to renew old acquaintance like he'd come back from the dead, whilst the other half were studiously ignoring him. Nothing new there then.
And by the time he reached Logan's desk, Ross understood the reason for the whistles. Goren was in his full "dress" blues.
Ross rose to break it up and gesture him in.
"Have you got...um...?"
"Yes" said Ross waving to a chair "On your way to a parade?"
"Er...yes"
He watched Goren sit down unsure where to put the cap which had been under his arm. The man had still not decided by the time he spoke again.
"And this" he gestured to the uniform "Is why I'm here...one of the reasons"
"And why you turned down permanent assignment to the Academy?"
"You heard huh?"
"Yes Bobby. One reason I'm sitting behind this desk"
Goren's mouth twitched "I know you wanted the answer by the end of the week so as I was passing..."
Ten minutes later Ross stood up, they shook hands and Goren went to leave.
"You're forgetting something Goren"
The Captain tossed him the cap and as Bobby left, wondered how long it would be before that weasel Mac Oliver found a reason to drop in on some pretext.
Bridal Dreams, 75 West 29th Street, Manhattan
As Jean Paul zipped up the side of her gown, Eames was just glad their wedding was only three days away, not three months and they had opted for Spring not Summer.
"Juth a moment" said Jean-Paul "Before you look let me pin your hair up a little"
She waited while he did so and fussed the skirt a little more.
She turned and looked at herself imagining her hair as it should be.
"It's lovely, just what I wanted" she said.
"My pleathure" he replied dabbing his eyes with a tissue.
The Bona Fide, Meade Street
McCoy and Carver had avoided the lunchtime rush at a popular dining spot and watering hole for the legal community. Had they not done so, their "working lunch" would have suffered a steady stream of interruptions. People wanting to speak to the DA or his Executive Deputy about some case or other they rarely knew anything about anyway.
Some offering invitations to events neither man would probably wish to attend. Others promising they must "catch up" for some ill defined purpose and, in a few cases, seeking to impress colleagues. Demonstrating that Ron, Jack or both knew them and their name. They had honed their skills at pretending they did very well.
McCoy sleeves rolled, shrugged in response and chewed. And idly wondered just how many pairs of cufflinks Ron owned as a pristine white shirt sleeve, fastened at the wrists, reached over to pour them both more iced water. In a sartorial contest Ron would win without trying every time and Al maybe had a point when she once said "some men can wear clothes Jack, you can't".
"If Ben wants that in exchange Ron, let him have it if that's what it takes. We done?"
"Yes" said Carver slowly.
He was not in disagreement with any of the concessions and compromises they had made to drive through their plans. It represented a very significant re-structuring of the office and been achieved without internal uproar or external interference.
"You look...puzzled somehow Ron"
"I'm just trying to work out how you kept certain forces out of this. Whether you got them onside or just didn't tell them"
"Bit of both" winked McCoy "And I could not have done it without you...really I couldn't"
"Thank you Jack"
"And look at it this way, if I don't run next time or you run against me and beat me, you will have Hogan Place the way you want it too. Win-win"
"McCoy!" called a voice in a not too friendly tone.
"Oh hello Andy" said the DA.
"Never mind hello Andy. Would you mind explaining to me why that cop you are marrying wants to interview my son?"
"Yes"
"Excuse me?" snapped Hardy.
"Yes I would mind explaining if I had the faintest idea what the hell you are talking about. Which I don't"
"Are you telling me..."
"Andrew" said Carver quickly getting to his feet "You are telling this whole room your business. Now simmer down and if you want to continue this conversation, lower your voice"
Hardy stared at him a moment, hissed that he would probably report McCoy to The Bar Association and stomped off.
Carver and McCoy looked at each other a moment.
"Do you know what he's talking about?" asked Jack.
They had long since removed his "executive" powers in relation to all SVU cases anywhere in the city to Ron's ultimate decision and Hardy, or someone at his firm, should know that. But it didn't mean there was not an assumption of "pillow talk". And his and Al's in recent weeks had been wedding, baby, more baby and most recently, that he was to get his haircut and before...the wedding.
"Not a clue" replied Carver "And I'm sure Andrew has two sons, neither of whom are lawyers. I take it..."
"Course not" muttered McCoy "Only thing Al has been asking me for days is where I booked our honeymoon"
"Where have you?"
"Safer you don't know. She carries a gun remember"
To be continued...