Interlude – The Two-Seven
"Siddown," snarled Ed Green.
"You must be joking," said the suspect. He ran a hand smoothly through his hair.
"Does he look like a funny man to you?" said Lennie.
Van Buren tapped on the two-way glass and Ed followed his partner to the battered interrogation room's door. "You better hope she has good news," he said, letting his eyes bug out slightly. He slammed the door for good measure.
"He's not flinching," Lennie told his lieutenant. "Maybe a little legal pressure would get the ball rolling," he added.
Ed glanced around the small observation room. "Where's Southerlyn?"
Anita folded her arms and gave her detectives that steely look that could mean so many things. "I just got a call from the DA's office."
"What's going on?" asked Lennie, his chest involuntarily tightening in response to Van Buren's tone.
"Serena Southerlyn was attacked last night."
"What the hell," Ed murmured to himself. "Is she…" He made an odd face.
"She's alive. SVU is handling the case," said Van Buren neutrally.
"SVU," Lennie repeated. He made the connection. "Oh my God." He dragged a hand over his weathered face.
"In the meantime, we have a temporary replacement to lean on your guy," said Van Buren, motioning. A preppy-looking young man poked his head around the doorframe.
"Is that my cue?"
"Ed Green, Lennie Briscoe, meet David Schuster."
Schuster marched into the room, shook hands briskly with both detectives. "Hi, David Schuster. Mr. Branch set me." He studied the scruffy man leaning perilously in his chair in the interrogation room. "Whaddya like him for?" Schuster asked.
The three cops exchanged oh-boy looks. Behind Schuster's back, Van Buren held her hands up in a gesture of patience. "I'll keep you posted," she said, and left.
"He's a murder suspect," Lennie brusquely informed the much younger man.
"Right, right. Who do you think he killed?"
"You mean you don't know anything about the case?" asked Ed.
"No one's told me anything, no. Just walk me through it and we'll, uh, I don't know…make a deal." Schuster shrugged.
"A deal?" Lennie barked. He crooked a finger at the prosecutor. "Let me have a word with you in private, champ."
"Lennie, Lennie, Lennie," said Ed. Lennie blew a derisive puff of air from his nose, but backed down. Ed put a friendly arm around Schuster's shoulder and led him a few steps away, facing the wall.
"Wow, he's…"
Ed stuck his finger in Schuster's face. "Listen, kid, I didn't just bust my hump collaring this guy so you could play Let's Make A Deal. Get your act together before you step in the middle of my interrogation, or you'll be answering to this precinct, not the District Attorney. You get me?"
Schuster nodded, his head flopping enthusiastically. Ed gave him a healthy shove back into the light of the squad room, away from the suspect.
"Come on, Southerlyn, don't leave us in the lurch," Lennie muttered.
