Disclaimer: I already said I didn't own this.
I am warning you now - I am not very fond of swear words. They tend to bring about some rather righteous indignation in me (i.e. swearing makes me angry). So please do not point out my lack of any swears. I have gone as far as hinting at them, but I'd rather avoid them. I know they might make the story better, but I really don't care. It's just not my way. Thank you.
CSI NY
Ch. 2
" What?" Danny snapped, confused, shocked, and knowing good and well that he could not have heard correctly.
He was standing in Mac's office just to the right of his desk. Standing across from him, wearing a look of utter disappointment, was Detective Tom Ryan, the cop who Danny had worked with on the shooting. Tom was Danny's height, but much older and with a heavier build. His thick brown hair looked as though it did not know the passage of time (most likely thanks to hair-dye), but his face was lined in betrayal of his actual age. He was wearing his usual dark brown over coat, with his usual black leather gloves stuffed into one pocket.
Standing next to Tom was a young police woman with short blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. She had been one of the cops sent to secure Ricky's apartment to ensure none of Bruno's guys could get in and hide what they didn't want found. She was standing stiffly with her hands folded behind her back and her face expressionless, though the look in her eyes held something like accusation as she stared at Danny.
" Just what I said," Tom replied calmly, " evidence tampering. Officer Jennings believes that evidence may have been planted, and it may have been planted by you Messer."
Danny shook his head vehemently. " No, no way. I'd never do that…"
" Did she actually see him place the evidence?" Mac asked.
" It wasn't there when we arrived," Jennings said tersely.
" Are you sure you simply didn't miss it?" Mac asked next.
" No sir. There was little else in the place, and the suspect's table was the first thing I noticed. It's not a normal piece of furniture to have."
Mac nodded. " Okay then. Can the officer that was with you at the time vouch for this as well?"
Jennings nodded. " Yes. He also noticed this."
" Where is he then?" Mac directed this question at Tom.
" He was requested to testify at another hearing, but he'll be by later to make his statement."
Mac looked back at Jennings. " And you came forward with this information immediately, right?"
" I did hesitate at first since I did not see the forensics officer place the gun on the table. But I knew for a fact that the gun had not been there before, and when Mr. Messer announced that he had found something I saw him picking it up from the table to place in a bag. My only conclusion was that he had placed it there."
Disbelief and fury was making Danny's heart hammer like a fist beating his ribs. It suddenly made sense to him why he had not seen the gun so many times before. Yes, Jennings was right, the gun must have been planted, but no way had he been the one to do it.
He shook his head again, his stomach twisting in revulsion. " No, this is bull. I'd never plant evidence. Look, I didn't see the gun right off the bat, but I did find it on that table, just like I said. If somebody put it there it sure as hell wasn't me. And I wasn't the only one in there either." Danny stared hard at Tom.
Detective Ryan quirked an eyebrow. " You accusing me now, Messer?" Tom said with a slight smile. " If you recall, I wasn't in there for long, and neither was I alone. Officer Carlton was standing just behind me. And since his suspicions were also directed on you I think that means I must not have put anything down on that table for him to witness."
Tom's smug grin made Danny want to deliver a good blow across the detective's jaw. Instead, he clenched his fist and swallowed back his rising anger as best as he could.
" Still doesn't make me the guilty one," Danny said, glaring darkly at Tom.
" It does bring you under question, though," Tom said. " There's going to be an inquiry. The DA isn't happy about this and she's asked for an immediate investigation into it. So, if you're as innocent as you say Messer, then you have nothing to worry about."
Mac stepped out from around his desk to move in front of Tom as though trying to shield Danny from him and the angered gaze of the female officer.
" Whatever inquiries are made, I have to be present. Got that?"
Tom inclined his head in acquiescence. " Sure. But you'd better stay out of it."
" I also want detective Flack involved," Mac added, " if that's all right."
Tom lifted his brow. " To ask questions for you?"
" To make sure any questions asked are fair," Mac said. " I trust my CSI. I believe him. I also know how cases like these tend to get handled. Sometimes, to save face, things are done to produce a guilty party just to have a guilty party to sic the media on. I want this investigation to be unbiased is all."
Tom rolled his eyes as though bored. " Whatever Mac. Just stay out of the way. Messer won't be the only one under investigation. If he turns up guilty, this whole department's coming up for review, starting with you. So don't make it any worse for yourself."
With that said, Detective Ryan and officer Jennings left Mac's office. Mac waited until they were out of sight before turning to a fuming Danny.
" Sit down Danny," Mac said gently, pulling up one of the wooden chairs of his office closer to his desk. Danny sank slowly into it, gripping the arms until his hands turned white.
Even with Tom and Jennings gone his heart would not stop its frenzied beat. He felt drained, as though he had just run too many miles.
Mac moved back around his desk to sit down at his own chair.
" Danny, look at me."
Danny looked up and met his gaze.
" Did you plant evidence?"
Danny's jaw tightened until his teeth hurt. " No," he stated solidly as though the very word meant more to him than his own life.
Mac leaned forward with his arms resting on his desk. " You said that you didn't notice the gun until later, right?"
" Yeah. It was actually one of the last things I found. I was a little tired that day so I thought I had just overlooked it."
" A gun is a little difficult to overlook I would think," said Mac.
Danny frowned. " I know. So Jennings must be right, it was planted. But I wasn't the one who did it. You know me, Mac, I'd never do that. And besides, why would I do it now with a punk like Ricky? I've gone after dozen's of Bruno's boys, ones with more on 'em than Ricky. Why wouldn't I have done it with one of them?"
Mac sighed. " Actually, they may try to make it seem like you did. An accusation of evidence tampering has been made against you, which means that every one of your previous cases will reviewed."
Danny nodded bitterly. " And the guys I convicted may have a chance to get out, while my career, and neck, will be strung out on a limb."
Mac said nothing, then nodded solemnly. " True. But I do believe you Danny. I can't be involved in the interrogation process but I can still help. If someone planted that gun then there must be evidence of it. If there is, then we'll find it. I'll get Stella started on it as soon as I can."
Danny let out a breath of reassurance, feeling some tension lift away. " Thanks Mac."
Mac looked grim. " Don't thank me yet, not until this is over. It's only going to get worse from here."
