I had an idea from an episode of 'Barter' where a woman is killed but she was not the intended target. In a scene, Briscoe is sitting in a convertible and Curtis was talking to a car dealer… This is a quick one story of what if Briscoe actually took a ride in that convertible a few years later after he went to the DA's office and Green was once his partner.


August 2005

Lennie retired from the NYPD to join the DA's office since he found out he had cancer. There were things he had always wanted to do to capture some precious time and couldn't do those things as a police officer or a detective.

He golfed one day with Det. Munch at the Forest Golf course and beat him, just like he beat Munch at a game of pool at a bar. He had wanted to drive a convertible around town since he sat in one during a case of a woman who was mistakenly killed that he and his former partner, Rey Curtis investigated. While Rey talked with the owner of the car dealership, Lennie was offered to sit in the car then was asked what he thought of it. He told the guy he wished he could afford it and really wanted to drive it around town.

Because of department regulations, he was not allowed to drive it around even though he wasn't afraid of Lieutenant Van Buren finding out somehow even if Rey didn't say anything. Since he found out he had cancer, he wanted to spend more time beating it as well as doing the things he has always wanted to do or even enjoyed doing. Lennie found out a friend of his was going out of town on business. Lennie asked if he could drive the convertible around to which the friend said yes.

He wore a short sleeve shirt, jeans, and had his sunglasses on since it was a hot, cloudless and also sunny. He listened to a bunch of songs from the musicals while the wind blew through the open part of the car as he sang. Today he was having a good day and felt for a drive around town since he would have to have chemo again next week which he wasn't looking forward to. The streets he drove on were not too busy.

He also drove around the parking lots of Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden and Shea Stadium.

After driving around like a racecar, he noticed a black car driving down the ramp with a white hand putting the siren on the driver's side then the siren started to wail.

"Hehehe, this will be fun!" Lennie said to himself aloud.

He put the car in motion and drove around with the detective's car following him. He looked in the review mirror to see his former partner in the passenger side and his present partner on the driver side. Both cars made quick turns then as Lennie suddenly stopped, the police car stopped in front of him.

"Hey, what do you think you are doing?" Ed yelled when he began to get out and Fontana was just about to step out while turning to face the car.

Lennie then backed the car away, driving off, Ed stayed out of the car while Fontana drove off after Lennie. Lennie again drove around the stadium lot then drove past a light post, turned around then saw his former partner about fifty yards in front of him, Fontana was a hundred yards away and stopped. Ed walked towards his former partner while Fontana watched with worry.

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" Fontana asked then started to drive slowly.

A few minutes later the convertible drove towards then made a sharp turn away from Ed then drove off, Fontana picked up his partner and they followed Lennie.

"Let me call him," Ed said while he picked up the phone and dialed.

"Should have done that in the first place," his partner said while chuckling.

"Hey Lennie. Is that you driving that convertible ahead of us? What are you doing bro?"

"Nothing, just driving around town since I have always wanted to drive a convertible since I sat in one while investigating a case a few years before you were my partner," he told him.

"Does your friend know you are driving it around like a maniac?"

"Well he knows I'm driving it around but not like a maniac," he said.

"Well buddy, knock it off or you will end up wrecking it," the goateed detective replied in an authoritative tone.

"Oh alright, you mean fun hatin' fool," Lennie said sarcastically.

"Smartass," Ed said.

"Later bro." Lennie said while he hung up and left the parking lot.

Ed and Joe also went to a scene of a homicide after Lennie left the parking lot.

"That was Lennie, huh?" Joe said.

"Yeah. I think the cancer has made him want to do things he has wanted to do or loves doing since he doesn't know if he will beat it."

"I'm sorry that he was diagnosed," Joe said sympathetically.

"Thanks."

Lennie drove down the Long Island Expressway with the wind ruffling his hair, sun beating on him. He'd never drive away from his problem, but right now, for this short moment, life seemed just about perfect.