Couples
Chapter 110
The young man in the cheap suit extends the hand that's not holding his briefcase, to Larry Naismith. "I'm Pernell Weisselberg, your lawyer." Larry rattles the chain holding him to the table, reminding the arrival that he can't shake. The attorney colors. "Oh, sorry. Um, Detective Beckett told me that you have been informed of your rights. Is that correct?"
"She read the card," Larry acknowledges.
Pernell nods. "As your counsel, I would advise you not to say anything without discussing it with me first."
Larry shakes his head. "Forget that sh*t! We all know I'm in trouble here. Either I agree to talk, so the cops protect me, or the Lorenzos have me taken out. The family's probably got a hitter at the Tombs right now. " He turns to Kate. "What do you want to know, Detective Heat?"
Inwardly wincing, Kate smiles. "I'm glad you enjoy the Nikki Heat books, Mr. Naismith, but it's Detective Beckett. As for what I want to know: everything you've found out about the Lorenzos. But let's start with your attempted robbery of the Atterbury home. Who planned it and gave you your assignments?"
From the look on Rick's face when she fills him in at home, Kate can tell he's disappointed. "You didn't have to pull any of your brilliant interrogation maneuvers at all?"
"No," Kate admits. "If Naismith had been any more ready to spill his guts, he would have needed a barf bag. As it was, L.T. had to take him to the bathroom three times. His lawyer went along to make sure his client didn't say anything he didn't hear."
"Very conscientious," Rick observes. "It sounds like he'd make a good T.V. character, the idealistic young attorney willing to go the extra step, even for weak-bladdered defendants. Did he get Naismith a good deal?"
"All Naismith wants is protection. We would have given him that anyway. Dead witnesses can't testify in court."
"Perlmutter might disagree with you on that one," Rick points out. "So, when is the dragnet going out for the Lorenzos?"
"We can't jump on that too fast. Naismith doesn't know which of the Lorenzos killed Calista Ford, but he knows who she might have talked to at Momentous Mops. It's a Lorenzo soldier named Steve Scalisi. We have him in custody already. We arrested him with the rest of the robbery suspects. But none of the people we rounded up has any idea we're trying to tie the company and the family to murder. I'm going to let Scalisi stew overnight and grill him tomorrow."
Rick wiggles his eyebrows. "Two different forms of cooking, outstanding. But speaking of cooking, I picked up some excellent rib eyes on the way back from the Atterbury manse. Ready to wrap your mouth around some great meat?"
Kate presses herself into his body. "Always ready for that."
Before the morning session of court convenes, Lana and Eli join Judge Markway in his chambers. Lana's ski buddy and best friend since high school, Bridget Nichols, stands at her side. Roy Montgomery flanks Eli, double-checking his pocket for the ring the groom gave him to hold. Lana clutches a small bouquet of anemones and roses.
Markway straightens his robe. "All right, let's get started. Lana, Eli, you've both agreed to the standard vows, is that correct?"
"Yes. We've already made our personal promises privately," Eli responds.
Markway looks at Lana. "You go along with that?"
"Eli and I put our thoughts in letters to each other."
"Good idea. Always helpful to have things in writing. The ceremony I'll be conducting is an adaptation from the Book of Common Prayer," Markway explains. "Lana Springer, will you take Eli Douglas to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?"
Lana smiles up at Eli. "I will."
"And will you, Eli Douglas, take Lana Springer to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?"
Eli returns Lana's smile. "I will."
Do you have rings?" Markway asks.
Montgomery hands Eli what he's been nervously guarding, and the bride trades her flowers for a ring from Bridget. "Please exchange them," Markway instructs and waits until gold bands are on fingers. "Then, by the power vested in me by the State and City of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Eli, kiss that beautiful woman, and let's get the paperwork signed before the jury gets restless."
"Yes, Your Honor," Eli agrees and takes Lana in his arms.
Montgomery and Bridget both snap pictures on their phones.
Rick studies the images Kate forwarded to him from Montgomery. Booyah! Eli and Lana did the deed. It's time to get to work on the celebration. You can't get a much more law enforcement couple than a cop and a D.A.- elect married by a judge. He'll have to weave that theme in somehow, but he is under strict orders to keep the festivities toned down.
With Kate as the enforcer, much as it goes against his grain, Rick will have to be subtle. At least he'll have to be subtle for him. That means no shiny badge decorations or the "Law and Order" donk-donk sounding every time someone opens or closes the door. But he can have table covers and napkins the color of an N.Y.P.D. uniform. And he can call the drinks things like 'gavel drop.' He frowns, picturing Kate's reaction to joke beverages. Maybe he should pass on the clever names. But whatever he calls the liquid offerings, they'd better be delicious.
Occupying a holding cell is anything but a pleasant experience for Steve Scalisi. He's always flown below the radar without so much as a parking ticket. When necessary, others got their hands dirty. He even double-gloves on jobs. Scalisi doubts the police have ever found one of his prints. And he's made sure his D.N.A. isn't in the system.
Steve's kicking himself for his decision to supervise the Atterbury operation personally. The whole setup was a little too convenient, with both Simon Atterbury and Kingsford out of town. He should have been more careful. But it's too late now. He tried to get help from the consigliere, but the Lorenzo family doesn't want to show its hand. Some mainstream criminal lawyer will be coming, but no one Steve knows.
He's invoked the fifth amendment, so the cops haven't asked him much. They've barely paid attention to him at all. But even that's making him nervous. Detective Beckett, who organized the arrests, is a homicide cop. If she's pursuing a robbery case, she has to be after something more significant. Steve's afraid he knows what that is. It was a lousy idea to plant that conniving bitch, Calista Ford, in a dumpster. They should have weighted the body and left it in the river, or better still cremated it. But the Lorenzos wanted to play it cute and frame Gina's boyfriend. Stupid!
Somehow the cops, probably Beckett, must have made the connection between Calista and Momentous Mops. And they swept Steve and his people up like crumbs off linoleum. So now what? If the Lorenzos can get him off the hook, Steve will stay loyal and keep his mouth shut tight. But if they can't, well, he has to watch out for number one."
Steve spots the two cops who locked him up, coming toward his cell. The one called Esposito opens the door. Your lawyer is here. So we're all going to have a nice little talk."
"I told you," Steve insists, "I'm asserting my right to remain silent."
"Then," the other cop responds, "you'll be spending a lot of time listening."