[Arraignment, District Court, Wednesday, November 27]
The bailiff announced the next case. "Docket Number 131938, People vs. Alexander Luthor."
ADA Southerlyn looked across the aisle. Lex had a team of six attorneys - all famous in their own right as lawyers for celebrities and sports icons.
Judge Fitzwater peered over his reading glasses. "And how will your client plea?"
Lex stepped forward. "I plead not guilty, Your Honour. I'm innocent - and this trial is a mockery."
"Might I remind your client, Mr. Goldstein," the judge began, "that it would be advisable that he keep his mouth shut until the trial."
"Yes, Your Honour," Goldstein replied. "I also request that Mr. Luthor be released on his own recognizance. He is a leader of the business community. Due to Lionel Luthor's recent accident, tens of thousands of Luthor Corp. employees rely on Lex's guidance and management on a daily basis."
"Your Honour," Southerlyn interjected, "Chelsea Saunders had her throat slashed! Due to the extreme violence of the crime, the people expect Lex Luthor to be remanded into custody without bail. We also ask that Mr. Luthor surrender his passport. Luthor Corp. holds many properties around the globe. He's a definite flight risk!"
"Lex Luthor may be a captain of industry, Mr. Goldstein," the judge remarked, "but he's also charged with a heinous first-degree murder! Mr. Luthor, you are hereby remanded to Sing Sing Correctional Facility without bail until your trial. You must also surrender your passport."
"This is farce!" Lex shouted. "I'm being used as a sacrificial pawn for my father's Cold War sins. I'm innocent!"
The judge pounded his gavel. "Mr. Goldstein, restrain your client or I will have both of you charged with contempt of court. I will have order in this courtroom! Order!"
Before the bailiffs dragged Lex away, he leaned towards Southerlyn. "I hope your boss intends to do his job, not vilify me to fast-track his chances in Albany and the governor's office." Lex struggled as the bailiffs shoved him down a hallway.
Southerlyn stepped outside the courthouse - and faced a throng of reporters.
"Ms. Southerlyn, is the D.A. office seeking to pursue the death penalty for Mr. Luthor?" "The Luthors have powerful friends in Albany ... and Washington. Aren't you taking a risk by pursuing his course of action?" "What do you know about the mysterious package that was reportedly found in the Park Ave. condo?" "Will you subpoena Lionel Luthor as a witness?"
A petite, middle-aged woman shoved her way through the mob. She pushed a photo in Serena's face.
It was a graduation photo of Chelsea Saunders. Piercing green eyes. Honey blonde shoulder-length hair.
"My daughter," Mrs. Saunders sobbed, "she graduated at the top of her class at Hudson U. Luthor Corp. was to be her dream job. Now, Lionel's bastard of a son took it all away! Look at her, counsellor! This is my daughter. She was murdered to protect Luthor Corp. She is what this trial's about. Not Luthor's billions!"
Southerlyn held her hand up to her mouth in horror. They would surely lose this trial, she feared, if they allowed Luthor's celebrity to suffocate the truth. Chelsea Saunders was the victim. She's the one they should be protecting.
The mob of reporters cut off her path. The glare of camera lights and bulb flashes was relentless. Suddenly, two detectves barged through the masses.
"Shove that camera in my face again, and see what happens!" Briscoe snarled.
Green escorted Southerlyn to their sedan. They screeched away from the courthouse, pursued by cameras.
"You alright, counsellor?" Briscoe asked.
"I'm fine, Lennie," Southerlyn caught her breath. "I think we may have underestimated the public interest in this trial!"
"Where to, Serena?" Green inquired, as he stopped at a red light.
"I need to talk to Captain Cragen," Southerlyn replied. "McCoy wants an update on Munch and Fin's investigation in Smallville."
"You've got the conspiracy theorist and the ex-narc digging up dirt on Lex?" Briscoe exclaimed. "I don't know who to feel bad for ... Lex Luthor or the people of Smallville."
"Well, you're gonna have to set aside departmental rivalries for this one, Briscoe," Southerlyn added, "Jack's planning a full court press on Lex and Luthor Corp. We're finalizing paperwork this afternoon to subpoena Lionel Luthor. That package you found is hot property. We just need to unravel it."
"Don't tell me you'd rather be pounding the pavement in Kansas than good ol' New York, Lennie" Green joked. "Just be glad McCoy didn't ship your butt out to the boonies. Not that I wouldn't mind a break from your looking at your mug."
"See the grief I hafta put up with, Serena?" Briscoe shrugged, "I thought I gave up nagging when I got divorced."
Southerlyn howled in laughter.
[Special Victims Unit, One Police Plaza, Wednesday, November 27]
ADA Cabot walked up to Det. Benson. "Assemblyman Connors' attorney filed a motion to suppress his employment records from his teaching days. So much for establishing a pattern of abuse."
"Without that," Benson declared, "the defense will just carve up our witnesses on the stand ... bringing up their personal history, drug convictions."
Stabler cursed. "So we're just gonna let that son-of-a-bitch walk?"
Cragen interjected. "No, we aren't Elliot. The assemblyman worked on Wall Street before getting elected. Maybe he has some skeletons. Stabler, why don't you rattle the pinstripes down there and find out. Benson, that Nichols girl still won't talk?"
"She's absolutely devastated," Benson stated, "She refuses to press charges. The memories are still too painful."
"Ask her again. Please." Cragen pleaded. "Be a sympathetic ear. She's the best chance we've got to keep that scumbag off the streets."
Southerlyn approached the Captain. "I see you've got problems of your own."
"Those problems could be lessened - if I had two more detectives back on the job." Cragen complained.
"And we'll have John and Fin back at the SVU once we've gathered the evidence we need," Southerlyn replied. "McCoy wants an update on their progress in Smallville."
Cragen sighed. "Lionel Luthor refuses to cooperate, which speaks volumes. Lex had some run-ins with local authorities in the past, but those amount to little more than road rage. He's got a buddy in Smallville: Clark Kent. I'm waiting to hear from Munch in an hour about their progress."
Southerlyn seemed intrigued. "Lex may have confided in him. By the way, D.A. Carver is looking over those questionable shipments. If they originated from our port, we may have a lever to use against Luthor Corp." "Lt. Van Buren brought me up to speed on the Saunders case," Cragen replied, "I could care less about McCoy's political aspirations or city hall's spin doctoring on this case. If the evidence pans out, you tell your boss to nail Luthor to the wall. Lending extra investigators puts me out on a limb. If this thing blows up in Arthur Branch's face, I don't intend to be the sucker left without a chair when the music stops."
ADA Cabot waved. "About this motion to suppress ...?"
Cragen grumbled. "Great. Another lawyer. A word of advice, Serena. Protect your own butt. I knew a guy on the vice squad of Metropolis P.D. He dared to investigate Lex during his wild teen years."
"What happened to him?" Southerlyn wondered.
"He became the fall guy. The D.A., the police chief, even the mayor turned against him. 'The detective was out on some personal vendetta', they claimed," Cragen paused. "He got so depressed, he hit the bottle. He blew his brains out with his service revolver about a year ago."
"My god," Southerlyn gasped.
"My experience has been that, if Jack McCoy's prosecuting a high-profile case," Cragen declared, "he'll settle for nothing less than 110% from anyone. That means he'll either destroy Lex and tear Luthor Corp. apart at the seams, or plunge every one of us into a no-win media circus if he loses big-time. If my guys get caught up in some McCoy-Luthor firestorm, I promise you, there will be hell to pay." He marched off to see Cabot.
"Crap hitting the fan with the Luthor investigation, eh?" Det. Stabler remarked.
Southerlyn frowned. "Wait till we get this case to trial ..."
[Clark's 'fortress of solitude', Kent farm, Smallville, Wednesday November 27]
"So I see you're an amateur astronomer, Clark," Munch pointed at the telescope beside the window.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Clark replied. "You guys wanted to talk to me about Lex?"
"We just want to know if Lex said anything that might seem, well -" Tutuola began, "of interest to our investigation."
"When did he leave for New York?" Munch asked.
"Lex called me from his car just before I left for school," Clark replied, "That was about quarter to nine in the morning on Monday of last week. He was on his way to Metropolis International."
"And how long did he say he was gonna stay there?" Tutuola added.
"Lemme check my email," Clark suggested, "He wrote me from Luthor Corp.'s offices on Wall Street." Clark clicked his computer's mouse a few times.
"There it is, detectives," Clark pointed on the screen:
'Hey Clark,
I haven't had much sleep since I got here. End-of-year financial statements to our accountants and such. Anything new on your front?
Oh, by the way, tell Lana she could send The Talon's end-of-month statements to our office here. I should be here for the better part of the week. Cleaning up a problem.
With the likely contraction of the Montreal baseball franchise, maybe I should swing by the MLB offices and make a bid?
See ya next week, Lex'
"The Talon?" Tutuola inquired.
"Lex is a silent partner in The Talon," Clark replied, "Lana tells me you stopped by there before."
"Yes we have," Munch nodded, "They have great coffee. Although if you ask me, your pal Chloe is a piece of work. Is she always that antsy?"
"I know Chloe can be aggressive whenever her reporter's instincts are switched on," Clark replied, "but her heart's in the right place."
"Has Lex sent you a lot of email this past week?" Tutuola asked.
Clark immediately closed his mailbox. "Look, I know where you guys are headed. You think Lex had something to do with the Chelsea Saunders murder. He's not like his father. He's a really good guy deep inside. You just have to get to know him better."
"Your email correspondence is evidence," Munch stated. "I realize you don't want to betray your friend's confidence, but this IS a murder investigation. Ms. Saunders' throat was slashed. From ear to ear. She lost her chance to defend herself. Your emails may very well prove that Lex Luthor is guilty - or innocent. The FBI has a computer lab at their field office in Metropolis ..."
"You know that, if you refuse to cooperate willingly," Tutuola warned, "we can ask a judge for a warrant and we'll take your computer anyway."
Jonathan Kent stepped into the loft. "Is there a problem, Clark?"
"Uhhh, Dad," Clark mumbled, "This is Detective Munch and Detective Tutuola. They're from the NYPD."
Jonathan shook their hands. "I'm Clark's father. You're looking into the Saunders murder?"
"Lex Luthor has been charged with her murder," Munch declared, "We would like your son's help. Specifically, the email he's been trading with Lex in New York."
"Well, I'm sure my son is willing to cooperate with you, detectives," Jonathan stated. "Clark ..."
Clark stood up. "No. Lex is my friend. He would never kill someone. He just wouldn't! I'm sorry, but I'm not about to betray his friendship. You can do whatever you have to, to force me to cooperate. I know he didn't kill Chelsea Saunders."
"Clark! You are going to help these detectives!" Jonathan exclaimed.
Tutuola stepped closer to Clark. "The best thing you can do to help Lex is let us take your computer up to the FBI's lab in Metropolis. Like John says, your email could even help exonerate Lex."
Clark hesitated. "You think my email could get Lex out of this mess?"
"Right now, all fingers point to Lex as the murderer," Munch replied, "That's why we need all the evidence we can get. To have a clearer picture."
Clark relented. "I don't like this." He unplugged all the computer cables.
Tutuola picked up the hard drive. "You did the right thing, Clark. We'll get your computer back to you as soon as possible."
"He's right," Jonathan patted Clark's shoulder. "The best way you can help Lex is to help them get all the facts straight."
Clark frowned. "Then why do I feel like I've sold out a friend."
[Office of Executive D.A. Jack McCoy, Wednesday November 27]
McCoy skimmed through the files. "What did Munch and Fin find out about this Clark kid?"
Southerlyn reviewed her notes. "Cragen says Clark voluntarily surrendered his computer to the detectives. He thinks he's sold out his friend."
"He may very well have," McCoy remarked. "If you ask me, Sing Sing's a fitting place for a cold-blooded murdered."
"Alleged murderer, Jack," Southerlyn remarked, "Innocent until proven guilty, remember?"
"So, this Clark Kent character was reluctant to cooperate with us, eh?" McCoy pondered. "Who were the other Smallville students associated with him?"
Southerlyn handed over the file. "Lana Lang, a partner with Lex in a joint venture: The Talon. Pete Ross, Clark's best buddy - and someone with no love of the Luthors. Chloe Sullivan, editor of the school paper The Torch."
McCoy reviewed the file. "Munch says Chloe sent Lex an email inquiring about Lex Corp's official stand on greenhouse emissions, etc, etc.. She objected to the request for her laptop?"
"She flat out refused to cooperate," Southerlyn stated. "Not surprisingly, she invoked freedom of the press. She has no love for Luthor Corp., but she's committed to her principles. 'This isn't 1938 Berlin', were her exact words."
"I value free speech as much as the next guy," McCoy argued, "but Ms. Sullivan's right to a free press does not override the Chelsea Saunders family's right to have justice. Or even Lex's right to have access to information that might even exonerate him. "
McCoy spun around in his chair.
"Jack?" Southerlyn inquired.
"Forward the necessary papers to Topeka," McCoy announced. "I want sworn affidavits from Lana Lang, Pete Ross and Chloe Sullivan about their communications with either Clark or Lex over the past two weeks. Issue a search warrant for the Torch offices. I want Chloe's laptop, interview files ... anything Lex-related ..."
"You think the Kansas A.G. will appreciate these heavy-handed tactics?" Southerlyn warned.
"That's just tough," McCoy muttered. "I'm tired of pussy-footing around potential witnesses. They've known Lex for over a year now. They know how Luthor Corp. twists the law to serve their own ends. They know things that could either set Lex free, or put a lethal injection in his arm. I'll have Branch put in a call to the governor's office if there's any friction."
Southerlyn gathered her files and began to leave.
McCoy peered through his window. "One other thing, counsellor. Prepare a subpoena for Clark Kent. I intend to put him on the stand. My hunch is he knows more than he's letting on."
"I hope what you're looking for is justice," Southerlyn replied, "not a crucifixion."
The bailiff announced the next case. "Docket Number 131938, People vs. Alexander Luthor."
ADA Southerlyn looked across the aisle. Lex had a team of six attorneys - all famous in their own right as lawyers for celebrities and sports icons.
Judge Fitzwater peered over his reading glasses. "And how will your client plea?"
Lex stepped forward. "I plead not guilty, Your Honour. I'm innocent - and this trial is a mockery."
"Might I remind your client, Mr. Goldstein," the judge began, "that it would be advisable that he keep his mouth shut until the trial."
"Yes, Your Honour," Goldstein replied. "I also request that Mr. Luthor be released on his own recognizance. He is a leader of the business community. Due to Lionel Luthor's recent accident, tens of thousands of Luthor Corp. employees rely on Lex's guidance and management on a daily basis."
"Your Honour," Southerlyn interjected, "Chelsea Saunders had her throat slashed! Due to the extreme violence of the crime, the people expect Lex Luthor to be remanded into custody without bail. We also ask that Mr. Luthor surrender his passport. Luthor Corp. holds many properties around the globe. He's a definite flight risk!"
"Lex Luthor may be a captain of industry, Mr. Goldstein," the judge remarked, "but he's also charged with a heinous first-degree murder! Mr. Luthor, you are hereby remanded to Sing Sing Correctional Facility without bail until your trial. You must also surrender your passport."
"This is farce!" Lex shouted. "I'm being used as a sacrificial pawn for my father's Cold War sins. I'm innocent!"
The judge pounded his gavel. "Mr. Goldstein, restrain your client or I will have both of you charged with contempt of court. I will have order in this courtroom! Order!"
Before the bailiffs dragged Lex away, he leaned towards Southerlyn. "I hope your boss intends to do his job, not vilify me to fast-track his chances in Albany and the governor's office." Lex struggled as the bailiffs shoved him down a hallway.
Southerlyn stepped outside the courthouse - and faced a throng of reporters.
"Ms. Southerlyn, is the D.A. office seeking to pursue the death penalty for Mr. Luthor?" "The Luthors have powerful friends in Albany ... and Washington. Aren't you taking a risk by pursuing his course of action?" "What do you know about the mysterious package that was reportedly found in the Park Ave. condo?" "Will you subpoena Lionel Luthor as a witness?"
A petite, middle-aged woman shoved her way through the mob. She pushed a photo in Serena's face.
It was a graduation photo of Chelsea Saunders. Piercing green eyes. Honey blonde shoulder-length hair.
"My daughter," Mrs. Saunders sobbed, "she graduated at the top of her class at Hudson U. Luthor Corp. was to be her dream job. Now, Lionel's bastard of a son took it all away! Look at her, counsellor! This is my daughter. She was murdered to protect Luthor Corp. She is what this trial's about. Not Luthor's billions!"
Southerlyn held her hand up to her mouth in horror. They would surely lose this trial, she feared, if they allowed Luthor's celebrity to suffocate the truth. Chelsea Saunders was the victim. She's the one they should be protecting.
The mob of reporters cut off her path. The glare of camera lights and bulb flashes was relentless. Suddenly, two detectves barged through the masses.
"Shove that camera in my face again, and see what happens!" Briscoe snarled.
Green escorted Southerlyn to their sedan. They screeched away from the courthouse, pursued by cameras.
"You alright, counsellor?" Briscoe asked.
"I'm fine, Lennie," Southerlyn caught her breath. "I think we may have underestimated the public interest in this trial!"
"Where to, Serena?" Green inquired, as he stopped at a red light.
"I need to talk to Captain Cragen," Southerlyn replied. "McCoy wants an update on Munch and Fin's investigation in Smallville."
"You've got the conspiracy theorist and the ex-narc digging up dirt on Lex?" Briscoe exclaimed. "I don't know who to feel bad for ... Lex Luthor or the people of Smallville."
"Well, you're gonna have to set aside departmental rivalries for this one, Briscoe," Southerlyn added, "Jack's planning a full court press on Lex and Luthor Corp. We're finalizing paperwork this afternoon to subpoena Lionel Luthor. That package you found is hot property. We just need to unravel it."
"Don't tell me you'd rather be pounding the pavement in Kansas than good ol' New York, Lennie" Green joked. "Just be glad McCoy didn't ship your butt out to the boonies. Not that I wouldn't mind a break from your looking at your mug."
"See the grief I hafta put up with, Serena?" Briscoe shrugged, "I thought I gave up nagging when I got divorced."
Southerlyn howled in laughter.
[Special Victims Unit, One Police Plaza, Wednesday, November 27]
ADA Cabot walked up to Det. Benson. "Assemblyman Connors' attorney filed a motion to suppress his employment records from his teaching days. So much for establishing a pattern of abuse."
"Without that," Benson declared, "the defense will just carve up our witnesses on the stand ... bringing up their personal history, drug convictions."
Stabler cursed. "So we're just gonna let that son-of-a-bitch walk?"
Cragen interjected. "No, we aren't Elliot. The assemblyman worked on Wall Street before getting elected. Maybe he has some skeletons. Stabler, why don't you rattle the pinstripes down there and find out. Benson, that Nichols girl still won't talk?"
"She's absolutely devastated," Benson stated, "She refuses to press charges. The memories are still too painful."
"Ask her again. Please." Cragen pleaded. "Be a sympathetic ear. She's the best chance we've got to keep that scumbag off the streets."
Southerlyn approached the Captain. "I see you've got problems of your own."
"Those problems could be lessened - if I had two more detectives back on the job." Cragen complained.
"And we'll have John and Fin back at the SVU once we've gathered the evidence we need," Southerlyn replied. "McCoy wants an update on their progress in Smallville."
Cragen sighed. "Lionel Luthor refuses to cooperate, which speaks volumes. Lex had some run-ins with local authorities in the past, but those amount to little more than road rage. He's got a buddy in Smallville: Clark Kent. I'm waiting to hear from Munch in an hour about their progress."
Southerlyn seemed intrigued. "Lex may have confided in him. By the way, D.A. Carver is looking over those questionable shipments. If they originated from our port, we may have a lever to use against Luthor Corp." "Lt. Van Buren brought me up to speed on the Saunders case," Cragen replied, "I could care less about McCoy's political aspirations or city hall's spin doctoring on this case. If the evidence pans out, you tell your boss to nail Luthor to the wall. Lending extra investigators puts me out on a limb. If this thing blows up in Arthur Branch's face, I don't intend to be the sucker left without a chair when the music stops."
ADA Cabot waved. "About this motion to suppress ...?"
Cragen grumbled. "Great. Another lawyer. A word of advice, Serena. Protect your own butt. I knew a guy on the vice squad of Metropolis P.D. He dared to investigate Lex during his wild teen years."
"What happened to him?" Southerlyn wondered.
"He became the fall guy. The D.A., the police chief, even the mayor turned against him. 'The detective was out on some personal vendetta', they claimed," Cragen paused. "He got so depressed, he hit the bottle. He blew his brains out with his service revolver about a year ago."
"My god," Southerlyn gasped.
"My experience has been that, if Jack McCoy's prosecuting a high-profile case," Cragen declared, "he'll settle for nothing less than 110% from anyone. That means he'll either destroy Lex and tear Luthor Corp. apart at the seams, or plunge every one of us into a no-win media circus if he loses big-time. If my guys get caught up in some McCoy-Luthor firestorm, I promise you, there will be hell to pay." He marched off to see Cabot.
"Crap hitting the fan with the Luthor investigation, eh?" Det. Stabler remarked.
Southerlyn frowned. "Wait till we get this case to trial ..."
[Clark's 'fortress of solitude', Kent farm, Smallville, Wednesday November 27]
"So I see you're an amateur astronomer, Clark," Munch pointed at the telescope beside the window.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Clark replied. "You guys wanted to talk to me about Lex?"
"We just want to know if Lex said anything that might seem, well -" Tutuola began, "of interest to our investigation."
"When did he leave for New York?" Munch asked.
"Lex called me from his car just before I left for school," Clark replied, "That was about quarter to nine in the morning on Monday of last week. He was on his way to Metropolis International."
"And how long did he say he was gonna stay there?" Tutuola added.
"Lemme check my email," Clark suggested, "He wrote me from Luthor Corp.'s offices on Wall Street." Clark clicked his computer's mouse a few times.
"There it is, detectives," Clark pointed on the screen:
'Hey Clark,
I haven't had much sleep since I got here. End-of-year financial statements to our accountants and such. Anything new on your front?
Oh, by the way, tell Lana she could send The Talon's end-of-month statements to our office here. I should be here for the better part of the week. Cleaning up a problem.
With the likely contraction of the Montreal baseball franchise, maybe I should swing by the MLB offices and make a bid?
See ya next week, Lex'
"The Talon?" Tutuola inquired.
"Lex is a silent partner in The Talon," Clark replied, "Lana tells me you stopped by there before."
"Yes we have," Munch nodded, "They have great coffee. Although if you ask me, your pal Chloe is a piece of work. Is she always that antsy?"
"I know Chloe can be aggressive whenever her reporter's instincts are switched on," Clark replied, "but her heart's in the right place."
"Has Lex sent you a lot of email this past week?" Tutuola asked.
Clark immediately closed his mailbox. "Look, I know where you guys are headed. You think Lex had something to do with the Chelsea Saunders murder. He's not like his father. He's a really good guy deep inside. You just have to get to know him better."
"Your email correspondence is evidence," Munch stated. "I realize you don't want to betray your friend's confidence, but this IS a murder investigation. Ms. Saunders' throat was slashed. From ear to ear. She lost her chance to defend herself. Your emails may very well prove that Lex Luthor is guilty - or innocent. The FBI has a computer lab at their field office in Metropolis ..."
"You know that, if you refuse to cooperate willingly," Tutuola warned, "we can ask a judge for a warrant and we'll take your computer anyway."
Jonathan Kent stepped into the loft. "Is there a problem, Clark?"
"Uhhh, Dad," Clark mumbled, "This is Detective Munch and Detective Tutuola. They're from the NYPD."
Jonathan shook their hands. "I'm Clark's father. You're looking into the Saunders murder?"
"Lex Luthor has been charged with her murder," Munch declared, "We would like your son's help. Specifically, the email he's been trading with Lex in New York."
"Well, I'm sure my son is willing to cooperate with you, detectives," Jonathan stated. "Clark ..."
Clark stood up. "No. Lex is my friend. He would never kill someone. He just wouldn't! I'm sorry, but I'm not about to betray his friendship. You can do whatever you have to, to force me to cooperate. I know he didn't kill Chelsea Saunders."
"Clark! You are going to help these detectives!" Jonathan exclaimed.
Tutuola stepped closer to Clark. "The best thing you can do to help Lex is let us take your computer up to the FBI's lab in Metropolis. Like John says, your email could even help exonerate Lex."
Clark hesitated. "You think my email could get Lex out of this mess?"
"Right now, all fingers point to Lex as the murderer," Munch replied, "That's why we need all the evidence we can get. To have a clearer picture."
Clark relented. "I don't like this." He unplugged all the computer cables.
Tutuola picked up the hard drive. "You did the right thing, Clark. We'll get your computer back to you as soon as possible."
"He's right," Jonathan patted Clark's shoulder. "The best way you can help Lex is to help them get all the facts straight."
Clark frowned. "Then why do I feel like I've sold out a friend."
[Office of Executive D.A. Jack McCoy, Wednesday November 27]
McCoy skimmed through the files. "What did Munch and Fin find out about this Clark kid?"
Southerlyn reviewed her notes. "Cragen says Clark voluntarily surrendered his computer to the detectives. He thinks he's sold out his friend."
"He may very well have," McCoy remarked. "If you ask me, Sing Sing's a fitting place for a cold-blooded murdered."
"Alleged murderer, Jack," Southerlyn remarked, "Innocent until proven guilty, remember?"
"So, this Clark Kent character was reluctant to cooperate with us, eh?" McCoy pondered. "Who were the other Smallville students associated with him?"
Southerlyn handed over the file. "Lana Lang, a partner with Lex in a joint venture: The Talon. Pete Ross, Clark's best buddy - and someone with no love of the Luthors. Chloe Sullivan, editor of the school paper The Torch."
McCoy reviewed the file. "Munch says Chloe sent Lex an email inquiring about Lex Corp's official stand on greenhouse emissions, etc, etc.. She objected to the request for her laptop?"
"She flat out refused to cooperate," Southerlyn stated. "Not surprisingly, she invoked freedom of the press. She has no love for Luthor Corp., but she's committed to her principles. 'This isn't 1938 Berlin', were her exact words."
"I value free speech as much as the next guy," McCoy argued, "but Ms. Sullivan's right to a free press does not override the Chelsea Saunders family's right to have justice. Or even Lex's right to have access to information that might even exonerate him. "
McCoy spun around in his chair.
"Jack?" Southerlyn inquired.
"Forward the necessary papers to Topeka," McCoy announced. "I want sworn affidavits from Lana Lang, Pete Ross and Chloe Sullivan about their communications with either Clark or Lex over the past two weeks. Issue a search warrant for the Torch offices. I want Chloe's laptop, interview files ... anything Lex-related ..."
"You think the Kansas A.G. will appreciate these heavy-handed tactics?" Southerlyn warned.
"That's just tough," McCoy muttered. "I'm tired of pussy-footing around potential witnesses. They've known Lex for over a year now. They know how Luthor Corp. twists the law to serve their own ends. They know things that could either set Lex free, or put a lethal injection in his arm. I'll have Branch put in a call to the governor's office if there's any friction."
Southerlyn gathered her files and began to leave.
McCoy peered through his window. "One other thing, counsellor. Prepare a subpoena for Clark Kent. I intend to put him on the stand. My hunch is he knows more than he's letting on."
"I hope what you're looking for is justice," Southerlyn replied, "not a crucifixion."