They spend the weekend quietly, as she wanted. He knows that Monday's gonna be a tough day, because something will happen-either Stone will decline to prosecute the bastard again or he'll try to go after him with a woman who will not be able to stand up to Melnick's questions in court. He knows she's worried about Diane's chance of survival… he is, too. And he's scared that when she goes in on Monday, all the progress she's made will just fall by the wayside as she relives it again.
So they spend the weekend quietly. They build a fire and one night they make s'mores. They listen to music and read and watch movies. They cook together. They go for a walk in the Park, around the reservoir and then up to Harlem Meer. They even, twice more, make love. She seems at peace.
On Monday he wakes up early to make her breakfast-pancakes with bacon in the middle, her favorite of his limited repertoire. As he starts to fry the bacon, he hears her wake up, hears the shower turn on, and he starts the coffee. By the time she joins him in the kitchen, wearing her robe, her hair damp, breakfast is ready for her.
She thanks him, but he can tell he's already losing her again. She's very silent, eating mechanically, and when she finishes she goes back into their bedroom to change. She wears a blouse with a high collar and her grey suit and stops in the kitchen to say goodbye.
'Here goes nothing, I guess,' she says, smiling humorlessly.
He abandons the pan he's washing and comes to give her a hug. 'I'll be home as soon as I can.'
She nods against his chest. 'I just want this to be over, Mike. Over for good. I want him in jail for the rest of his life. But the thing is… I don't want that to be at the expense of Diane's life. Even if he does it again. Is that wrong?'
'No,' he says softly, knowing that it's what she needs to hear. 'It's not wrong.'
She pulls back and looks up at him. Despite the tension in her voice, her eyes are dry and clear. 'We both know it is.'
'Lizzie…'
She shakes her head. 'All I can do is fight for her. If Stone decides to go ahead… Mike, I-I don't know what I should do.'
'I dunno,' he says. 'I wish I had an answer for you.'
'Me too,' she says softly. 'Me too. Look, I have to go.'
'Okay. I love you. I'll give you a call this afternoon.'
She nods. 'I love you too.'
When she goes, he finishes scrubbing the pan, then takes a quick shower and dresses. He has to get to work.
As he drives uptown, he thinks about what's gonna happen next. He has no great faith that Stone will hold off on prosecuting the bastard for Diane. He's not as bad as McCoy, who takes each case so personally, like his ability to get a conviction for the smallest thing is a reflection on himself, not just his ability as a prosecutor. But Stone… he's the sort of guy who he thinks of as a white knight, ridding the kingdom of a dragon, rescuing the fair maiden. Well, he failed to kill the dragon this time, so of course he'll go at it again. And as for the fair maiden… Lizzie can rescue herself. She doesn't need Stone-hell, she doesn't even need him. But he loves her, and Lizzie loves him too, so that's all there is to it. Stone can take a backseat.
He and Briscoe get the call half an hour after he gets in. He picks up the phone.
'Hey, Mike, it's Paul,' Robinette says. 'Listen, Ben wants you and Briscoe to go pick Merritt up and let us know when you're bringing him down to get arraigned. He wants to get it on the local news.'
He glances over at his new partner, who is looking curious.
'Okay. So, we'll pick him up, let him call Melnick, then get him downtown right away. No interrogation.'
'Yeah,' Paul says. 'Give me a call when you're leaving the precinct.'
'We'll go pick him up now. Is Lizzie still there?'
'Uh, yeah, she's right here,' Paul says. 'Do you want to speak to her?'
'Yeah,' he says, and there's a muffled sound as the receiver is passed to her.
'Hello?' she says.
'Hey, babe, it's me. You okay?' He catches Briscoe's interested glance but ignores it.
'Fine,' she says, though she sounds anything but fine.
'Well, Briscoe and I are gonna pick the bastard up, okay, and he'll get arraigned. I'll get home as soon as I can.'
'Okay,' she says. 'Be careful. I love you.'
'I love you too, Lizzie,' he says softly. 'See you tonight.'
'Okay,' she says, and he hangs up, looking at his partner full in the face.
'Let's go. We're pickin' Merritt up for the rape of Diane Perkins.'
To his credit, Briscoe nods and gets to his feet and waits till they're in the car to talk.
'So, you and Olivet, huh?' he asks as he turns on the car.
'Yeah,' he says tightly as Briscoe puts the car in gear.
'Wouldn't have thought it.'
'We've been together more than a year,' he explains tersely. 'And we've kept it quiet. Donny and Phil know, but that's it for around the precinct. So don't go spreadin' it around.'
'Okay, okay,' Briscoe says, shaking his head. 'So where's Merritt's office?'
'72nd between Madison and Park,' he says, and Briscoe heads downtown.
