Couples
Chapter 69
Lorne closes the last folder from his stack. "I concur with you on all of these except one."
"Which one?" Lanie asks.
"Wylie Backstrom, the man who put his car into a tree."
"But everything indicates suspicious circumstances," Lanie points out. "It was a one-car accident. There was no fog or rain that day. The roads weren't icy. And no drugs were detected in his system."
"The lack of drugs is the problem," Lorne insists. "Wylie's parents reported that he had a history of strange behaviors. As a youngster, he'd hit other children in his class for no reason. It got him suspended a few times. He didn't take psychedelics, yet he made the assertion that "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was an accurate description of what John Lennon saw. What would make a person believe a thing like that?"
Lanie presses her fingers to her lips. "A scintillating scotoma. He saw sparkly colors himself as an aura to a migraine."
"Right," Lorne agrees. "But sometimes auras never progress to the actual headache. One might just have made him feel a little sick afterward. And his unexplained violent behavior as a child could have been the result of undiagnosed psychomotor seizures. You put all that together, and you have neurological anomalies that might have been too subtle to command diagnosis and treatment. But the effects could have worsened to a complete loss of consciousness. Even if he was only out for a second or two, it would have been enough to cause an accident. I wouldn't peg Wylie's death as a homicide, except, perhaps, by a too incurious medical community. Putting him on an anti-seizure drug might have averted the accident, and possibly his problems at school as well."
Lanie can't figure out if she's staring at Lorne in love, awe, or both. "If you're right, the medication might not only have prevented his death; it could have changed his whole life. You'd make one hell of a detective, Lover."
"I am a detective, and so are you," Lorne suggests. "We simply use another toolkit and ask different questions than the police do. And you and Detective Beckett managed to reach the right conclusion on all those other cases. You both did an incredible job. We could have some interesting things to talk about on Saturday night."
"Don't you even think about talking shop at our engagement party!" Lanie warns. "Rick went to the trouble of lining up lightsaber battles so you could have escapist fun." Her head bobs from side to side. "You will have escapist fun."
Lorne reaches out to stroke her cheek. "Escapist fun it will be."
"Got it!" Kate announces triumphantly to Ryan and Esposito. "Roan disguised it through two of those online forwarding services, but he was the owner of the emails used by both Merdebutte and Willie Green. I have a documented connection between him and the body found at the Bulova Boutique."
Esposito turns to Ryan. "Let's go get the sonofabitch!"
Ryan points to a jelly donut in Esposito's hand. "Finish eating that first. I don't want powdered sugar all over the unit."
Shaking his head, Esposito stuffs the rest of the pastry in his mouth.
As soon as the elevator doors close on the two detectives, Kate picks up her private cell. "We've got Roan nailed!" she trumpets when Rick picks up the phone. "Ryan and Espo are bringing him in now."
Rick gazes at a corral occupied by two racing toddlers and numerous toys. "Wow! I wish I could come to watch you turn him on a spit, but Meryl is uptown pitching a new series, and I've got both girls."
"Roan will be on camera. As a police consultant, you can watch the recording on your laptop."
"To experience the full impact of your interrogative efforts, I'll project it on my big screen," Rick replies.
"I'll put it on a drive and bring it home tonight," Kate promises.
"And I will make popcorn with extra butter. Better yet! Hot dogs and milkshakes. We can appreciate your genius while we share an iconic American meal."
"I hope there's something to appreciate," Kate responds. "But this whole thing started while I was eating a Nathan's frank. I never got to finish it. Somehow it makes sense to get my mouth around one again."
Rick chokes at his sudden mental image. "Um, right. I'll have everything ready and waiting."
"I'm availing myself of my Fifth Amendment right to have an attorney present during questioning," Roan announces as soon as Kate enters Interrogation.
"Detectives Ryan and Esposito informed me that they already gave you access to a phone to call your lawyer," Kate responds. "We'll wait for your counsel together."
"I'm also asserting my right to remain silent," Roan adds.
"Not that I've noticed so far," Kate observes, "but fine. You're a member of the bar. You're aware that the law doesn't provide you with the right not to listen. And I have a few things to tell you. First of all, we have evidence from multiple sources connecting you with a homicide victim discovered at the Bulova Boutique. As we speak, my people and criminalists from CSU are executing search warrants at your domicile and workplace. The smirk on your face tells me that you don't expect they'll find anything. New York correctional facilities are full of convicted felons who held the same belief. Conspiracy to commit a crime or, in your case, multiple crimes, is as bad as pulling the trigger yourself. I'm sure you know that. You arranged for Celia Bulova to find a dead body in her place of business. Whether you killed that victim or enlisted someone else to do it is irrelevant. You're just as guilty either way.
"But I think you also know that body is only the tip of the iceberg. You've arranged many fatal "accidents" for more than a decade. You're on the hook for a lot, but you're not at the top of the food chain. I had a great conversation with A.D.A Douglas while Detectives Ryan and Esposito were bringing you in. I'm sure you know who Douglas is. He's taken out two major New York crime families from the head, on down. To him, the big fish pulling your strings are only a mid-sized catch – but one he plans to put on ice. And he wants them enough to be willing to negotiate. So when your attorney arrives, you tell him that. But A.D.A. Douglas is a very busy guy. If you take too long to come to an agreement, he'll take what he can get and move onto the next case. You tell your counsel that too. I'll leave you here to wait."
"So how long did he have to cool his heels before his lawyer got there?" Rick asks when Kate's recording reaches its conclusion.
"Four hours. Attorney-at-Law Alan Kirschenbaum was in court and had a business lunch before coming in for Roan. They were head-to-head for the rest of the afternoon, so we'll get to part two tomorrow. I already gave Eli an update. He's prepared to start horse-trading to get Kushman and Flatt, but Roan is going to have to offer some very high-class horses."
Rick sighs. "Meryl is taking Belle to a well-baby check and a swimming class tomorrow, so I'll be with Lily the whole day. Record the fun for me again?"
"I'll have to get Eli's permission for the time he's there, but I'll see what I can do." Kate sucks up the last of her milkshake. "After her day with Belle, Lily looked like she was out like a light. I doubt anything we decide to do after this will disturb her."
"She should sleep like a baby," Rick agrees. "Do you have a particular adult activity in mind for the rest of the evening?"
Kate winks, offering her hand. "I have several."
Rick springs from the couch. "Lead the way."