Title: When the Rain Falls
Author: Sadie
Summary: A woman is dead and there are no suspects. Then one of their own is gunned down as well.
A/N: This is my first L&O story. I don't know the characters real well because I can't find a decent L&O website (altho I did find one, it just hasnt been updated since May) and the show doesn't describe their personal lives much.
Also, I've never been to New York so the street names and/or the names of places (i.e. the hospital) might not make sense. And despite what the show does, I don't intend to use their last names first except in the case of the police, it just makes more sense that way. I only just learned Eames' first name (Alexandra, but usually Alex, for those of you who don't know either) on L&O CI because of this practice. I'm not a lawyer nor do I work for the police, I don't know how everything works within those departments.
If you haven't read Dead Line, the new L&O novel, read it! It is really good!
Disclaimer: Law & Order is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Network Television. In other words, it doesn't belong to me which I'm sure you already guessed because if it did, I probably would not be writing fanfiction.
A/N- Sorry for the long delay between chapters. I live in an area affected by Hurricane Charley and didn't have internet access until yesterday. I have actually been writing this chapter somewhat using a notebook instead of a computer as I didn't have one! So I'm typing it up and posting it now. Hope y'all like it!
I am not a doctor, lawyer or detective. What I know about medical and law procedures come from tv shows, so if you spot a mistake, it's their fault! No, really, I could actually look something up myself :) and I do sometimes.
lynn- I bought my copy at Walmart, I believe Barnes and Noble probably has it as well.
Wandering shadow- thanks for the comments, it really is nice of you to review every chapter! and you'll really like the book (altho by the time i get this posted you'll probably have finished)
Akari Van Halen- i don't know why, i just thought it was spelled that way, i've seen it both ways.
Keri- thanks so much! i took your comments into consideration as i wrote Serena's interrogation.
Stephen Collins Rocks- thanks!
"Okay, Serena. Your attorney here has graciously allowed us ten minutes. With your being an ADA, I don't see why you need an attorney unless you arranged your own shooting as well as the murder of two other women, something I find highly unlikely given your history." Briscoe started.
Jack rolled his eyes, he started to say something but he bit his tongue when Serena began talking.
"I didn't arrange this or the murders. I didn't even know about the others." she sounded so tired and worn out from the surgery, the detectives, especially Green, wished they didn't have to question her so soon after her ordeal. But time was of essence, they didn't know when or if the killer would strike again. Besides, she couldn't be treated any different then any other victim, they all were interrogated as soon as possible after the ordeal.
"I never thought you did." Briscoe told her, speaking more gently then he had in hours. "However, it is just standard procedure. Now, my partner and I are gonna ask you some questions. We need you to answer then as well as you can. We know it is hard right now but you're the only one who can really give us anything."
Serena nodded. "I'll do the best I can."
"Hurry this up please. She'll be of no use to the investigation if you don't let her rest once in a while." Jack interrupted.
"Do you know if the doctor gave the bullets to the nurse?" Green asked him. "We really need them, to take to the lab, for forensic testing."
"Yeah, yeah, I think he did." Jack answered.
"Can you arrange for us to be able to get them?"
"When the interrogation is over. I'm her attorney, I have to be present for this."
"Yes, I know that, McCoy." Briscoe told him. "All right, Serena, tell us the best you can the events of last night." he continued on with the interrogation.
She shut her eyes for a moment, trying to remember through the fog of pain medicine. Then she opened her eyes and slowly, quietly, she began to tell them what had happened barely thirteen hours before.
"It was about eight or eight fifteen when I left the office."
"That's right, you were brought into the emergency room at 8:45, admitted into surgery at 9:03." Green said.
Serena nodded, the time meant nothing as she couldn't remember what time she had been admitted, and continued, "I missed the subway and didn't have any money for a cab, I didn't feel like waiting an hour for the subway so I walked home." she stopped and closed her eyes momentarily, then went on, "I think I was about a block or two away from my apartment when I heard a bang. I dropped my bag and had to stop and pick up the papers that had fallen out. That's when I was shot the first time. It was wasn't more then a minute or so before I was shot the second time." Serena shut her eyes again.
"Come on, Briscoe. She's exhausted. Come again at a different time." Jack protested.
"We just need a few more things, all right? Then we'll leave." Green told him.
Jack grumbled about it but allowed them to continue.
"We're almost through, Serena. Hang in there for a few more minutes." Briscoe encouraged her.
Serena nodded and tried to focus on what Briscoe was saying.
"Can you tell us anything about the shooter? Did he ever speak to you?"
"No. I never saw him except when he was running away."
"All right. That's good. What did you notice about him?"
"A jacket, it was two toned. I couldn't make out the colors." Serena was obviously getting more and more tired as she spoke even more quietly and slowly then she had just minutes before.
"That's good. Great. We'll let you rest now." Briscoe and Green made a quick exit out of the small hospital room.
"Well, both an ADA and a punk agree about a two tone jacket." Green remarked as they headed toward the exit.
"Serena couldn't tell us the colors." Briscoe reminded him.
"True. But, given the history she has had as an ADA, she's less likely to lie as she has a lot to lose if she tries to protect someone."
Briscoe just gave him a Look. "She can lie just as easily. However, you're probably right. I really don't think Serena is lying."
"I still think that Simeon kid is hiding something, maybe even protecting someone."
"First on the scene is always a suspect." Briscoe replied.
"Especially when you can't get a word out of them." Green was quick to add.
Now, Mr. Simeon, we've received an update on the second victim. She remains in critical condition but was able to answer a few questions. Van Buren told the teen. Despite the efforts to keep Serena's condition out of the press, they had not been too successful. The press still hadn't got ahold of Serena's name or occuption as an ADA though, which was a good thing.
Van Buren looked at Peter carefully. He showed no signs of fear or any real emotion whatsoever. "Either this kid is a really good actor or he really doesn't know anything," she thought silently to herself, watching him.
Peter shifted in his seat, uneasy at Van Buren's scrutiny, "I've told you what I know, can't I go home?"
"In a bit. We need to be able to question the victim a little more before we can let you go." she explained to him.
"Do you have anything to actually hold him?" Whitney spoke up. "Because if you don't, he can leave, he's only here voluntarily."
Peter's mouth hung open a bit. This whole police investigation thing was all new to him, and to actually have someone who had been, just a few hours before, a complete stranger to him, stand up for his rights to this detectives who thought she was a bigshot was just flabbergasting to him.
"We don't have anything tying him to the crimes except he is the only witness to the first murder. As it stands Mr. Simeon here is one of two witnesses we have to three crimes, two of which are murders, and the only witness who can really give us anything. If he cooperates we have a better chance of getting the perp off the streets a lot faster then if he doesn't cooperate with us." Van Buren patiently explained. "I understand that. And I believe Peter does as well, don't you, Peter?" Whitney said.
"Yeah, of course." Peter kicked the table.
"But the point remains he is still here of his own violation. If you don't have anything to hold him with, then he can leave if he chooses." Whitney pressed.
"Yes. He can leave but we'll still need to be able to contact him if anything new comes up we need to ask him about." Van Buren answered, wearily. The Simeon kid was really getting on her nerves.
"Okay. I can arrange that." Whitney gathered up her notes, stuffed them in a purple backpack, and prepared to leave.
"All right. The only thing we have about the shooter is that he wears a two tone jacket." Green said. He and Van Buren were in her office, waiting for Briscoe so they could hold a quick meeting to compare notes.
"Black denim, with brown sleeves. That's what Peter said. Serena couldn't confirm the colors." Van Buren answered, shuffling through the notes.
"Okay, thank you very much." Briscoe came into the office, holding a cell phone to his ear. He flipped it shut and stuck in back in his pocket. "Well, Serena is able to talk longer and I persuaded McCoy to let me talk to her on the phone."
"Great, that's great, isn't it?" Van Buren asked. "Was she able to give you anything new?"
"Yeah, she was. Not a whole lot but some." Briscoe answered. "She isn't sure but she thinks the perp was about six three, with a two tone jacket and a cap, she wasn't able to see what kind of cap."
"Did she see the face at all?" Green asked, writing down the description.
"Nope. She did, however, ask if we had run ballistics yet because she thinks she saw two guns on the perp, one in each hand. Small guns, like pistols."
"There were two bullets in each vic, right? One in the left shoulder and the other in the upper chest, except in Serena's case. How did it miss her?" Green asked.
"She says she was standing pretty close to the street when it occurred and tried to crawl to the building for help. In the minute between shots, she managed to move far enough away the bullet only hit her upper arm. Serena is one heck of a lucky woman." Briscoe commented.
"That's for sure." Van Buren agreed, nodding her head.
"Let's go check on ballistics, see if Serena was right." Green suggested.
"All right. Call me when you get something." Van Buren told them as they left for the lab.
This chapter was, for some reason, a lot harder to write then the others. Maybe it's because I'm not writing on my computer, I don't know. Anyway, I have a question for y'all. Do any of you think I'm dragging the story too much? I'm going to answer the ballistic questions in the next chapter, and I have some ideas about what is going to go on with the investigation, but I'm not sure how long it's going to end up. I do know that I really want to try to finish this story, I've never gotten so many reviews on a story before! Thanks! Sadie