Disclaimers: This is strictly a story suggestion. The main "L & O" characters are owned by Dick Wolf, and are only borrowed for this story suggestion. Where I have names of actors listed for characters I created, those actors would be my first choices to play such characters unless it's the character the actor listed has previously played (and therefore is the property of Dick Wolf and borrowed for this suggestion). This story is in part ripped from the situation involving the alleged murder of Natalee Holliway in Aruba by two teenagers.
The story opens on a seasonable, clear early Friday evening in early August with (it still being daylight outside and) a touch football game going on at the Great Lawn of Central Park (around 82nd-85th streets). A (mid-20ish) woman with long blonde hair (named Colleen Murphy) is catching a pass thrown at her with a man with short, dark hair and a beard (named Richard Bowman) playing defense trying to catch her before she can score. He dives in the hope of touching her leg to prevent her from scoring, which he does, but winds up accidentally grabbing her left leg enough to pull down one of a pair of UGG boots she was wearing (with a long-sleeved t-shirt and denim miniskirt, he was wearing a t-shirt, jeans and running shoes).
"I thought this was touch football, not 'try-and-pull-the-boot-off-my-foot'-ball", said Colleen to Richard as she kicked the boot that was pulled down off her foot, giggling quite a bit afer she said it and smiling to him.
"You know I didn't mean to do that", said Richard.
"I know you didn't", replied Colleen, giggling again.
While Colleen picked up her boot, both saw what appeared to be a man with a baseball bat a bit ahead of them at the northern end of the lawn head towards a bench where a woman was sitting. Sensing something was wrong about this (given the way the man was dressed, with a black turtleneck and pants and turning out to also be wearing a gloves and a ski mask that could not be seen from as far back as they were at that point), before Colleen could get her boot back on, both began walking quickly towards the bench, but it was too late to stop the man from swinging it twice at the woman's head, hitting her squarely in the head both times and killing her instantly, then running off before anyone could catch the man, who threw the bat at those chasing him (with no one getting hit by it) and running off into a part of the park where it was impossible to see where he was going.
"Name is Chara Fenstien, 48.", said a uniformed officer to Joe and Ed on their arrival at the scene.
"Mother of one of the boys who supposedly murdered a girl in South Florida in March, but with no evidence or body they couldn't hold the kids", said Joe to the Officer.
"I remember that case. Some think the body is somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean", said Ed to Joe.
"Or the Florida Keys", replied Joe as Colleen and Richard came up to the Detectives, introducing themselves.
Colleen explained what was going on to the Detectives: "We were playing touch football over there (pointing to the great lawn), and it was after he (then pointing to Richard) prevented me from scoring and accidentally pulling down my boot that we saw what appeared to be a normal scene at first. It was only after I kicked off my boot and was about to put it back on that Richard and I saw someone who had a baseball bat and ski mask come over and whack that poor woman twice in the head. We had actually started over before he did it, but we were too far away", then pointing to everyone who was playing the game as she said, "We all then took off after the man, but he threw the bat he used to kill her at us as he ran that way", pointing to a heavily wooded area of Central Park where he could not be easily seen, with Colleen then adding, "He seemed to be 6' 5", I would have to guess around 250, maybe closer to 300, he looked like a big guy. Richard and others then basically repeated what Colleen said, with those closer to the wooded area noting he ran into there before any of them had a chance to catch him, including his wearing what appeared to be a pair of work boots.
Joe, Ed and uniformed officers then follow the path and indeed see footprints that suggested the suspect was in fact wearing work boots. The path took them in Central Park up to the exit at 96th street and Central Park West, where they then notice prints of the boots in dirt on the sidewalk continued in a pattern that suggested he at least crossed 96th street. That would be confirmed when they head to the lobby of an apartment building on Central Park West between 95th and 96th streets, where they find a woman (named Sarah Joyce) who was sitting on the couch in the lobby, wincing in pain, holding her left foot that had been stepped on.
"He came out of nowhere. I had just gotten off the bus at 97th and was at the corner on 96th, having just missed the light when this man was running like he was being chased. He stepped on my foot really hard, enough so to break my shoe", said Sarah, then showing Joe and Ed the shoe that had been on her left foot, a dark brown, high-heeled loafer with a tassle that (was squished and) had the heel severely bent backwards (that she was wearing with a beige, knee-length skirt suit and an open-collared blouse that matched her shoes and her dark brown hair up) before adding "I should be lucky it was only this. Anyway, he then went running into the subway station, while I then just got up and limped over here, amazed I could put weight on my foot after that", with Joe and Ed noticing she was still wearing the other shoe.
"Do you know what he looked like?", said Joe, with Sarah replying, "Somewhat. He was big, I would have to say about 6'5", maybe taller and I would say based on how hard he stepped on my foot somewhere between 250 and 280."
"Do you remember what he was wearing?", then asked Ed, with Sarah responding while taking off her other shoe, "He was dressed a bit odd for this time of the year, a black turtleneck and very dark pants. I assume he was wearing work boots as that's what it felt like when he stepped on my foot, and there are marks on my foot that suggest that's what it was."
"Those do look like prints of a workboot. Your foot took a really hard shot when that happened based on the imprints", then said Ed.
Sarah replied while looking at her foot, "Like I said, I'm lucky I'm not in an ER having it checked out, as my toes would probably have been broken if I had been wearing sandals, that's how hard he stepped on my foot. I assume you're going to need these for evidence?", then handing over her shoes to the Detectives.
"Yes. We think whoever stepped on your foot committed a murder in Central Park. Do you mind if we take a picture of your foot?", asked Joe.
"Not at all, especially given this may be evidence. Given everything, I would not be surprised if that's why whoever did step on my foot didn't stop", then said Sarah.
A uniformed officer with a camera then comes by and takes a picture of Sarah's foot that is then sent to the 2-7. After getting back her phone Sarah then gets up and walks to the elevator with a noticable limp while a uniformed officer who comes by takes the shoes back to the 2-7 as they were possible evidence.
"You know a lot about the law, don't you?", then said Ed before they left.
"Dad's been a defense attorney for 30 years, and I'm a lawyer myself", then said Sarah with the Detectives then leaving.
Joe and Ed then head into the subway station, where they talk to the token booth clerk who was on duty when this appeared to happen. The clerk (named Larry Styles) said he did in fact see something suspicious.
"Two people almost got knocked down the steps by that man, who came barreling in here like someone was after him", said Larry, pointing to the steps leading to the station entrance/exit that on street level was right next to where Sarah had her foot stepped on.
"Did you see him after that?", then asked Joe.
"No. An uptown train came in at that point that I could see, and I assume he got on that", then said Larry, with Joe noticing there were a few steps that led to the uptown platform.
"We're going to need the tapes from cameras here, and at other stations north of here", then said Joe to the clerk, with his calling into the precint on his cell phone noting he will also need the tapes of other stations north of 96th street.
With that, Joe and Ed then decide to ride the train one stop north to 103rd street, as they realized that was the last stop going northbound of the way the subway on Central Park West was set up (on two levels with uptown trains on the upper level and downtown trains on the lower level), that after seeing small specs of dirt that suggested he did get on a train that came in, rode one stop to 103rd street and then headed downstairs once there. Joe and Ed don't see anything at that point, but felt that could prove to be the case later as they headed for the morgue.
"That bastard who thought our son killed that woman probably did this!", yelled Chara's husband Joseph upon seeing his wife's body at the morgue.
"Who are you talking about?", asked Joe.
"Gary Donnellan. You know his daughter Marcy was the one presumed killed in Florida by allegedly our son", then said Jospeh.
"I know, but there was no proof your son did that", then said Ed.
"You and I and the police in South Florida know that, but the Donnelans are convinced our son Ben killed Marcy, even though there is no proof he did, other than the fact he was in the last place that girl was seen alive in South Florida. He and two others were cleared on all charges", said Joseph.
"And where is your son?", asked Joe.
"Somewhere well secluded, where those people who think he is responsible can't get to him easily. He's gotten death threats as did my wife and I over what happened in March. I can't believe anyone would follow through and kill my wife, however", then said Joseph, who then started to break down with Joe and Ed called in by M.E. Rogers.
"Whoever did this had to be really strong. It appears the first blow actually killed her. He didn't even need to do the second swing", said Rogers, pointing to where the first shot landed, right on a spot on the skull that cracked it wide open and killed her instantly, with Ed then getting a call that confimed the blood on the bad was Chara's.
Joe and Ed then head to the apartment of Gary Donnellan on 8th avenue and 23rd street. He was there with his attorney, Charlotte Swan.
"As soon as I heard what happened to Ms. Feinstein, I knew you'd be coming over. That's why my attorney is present", said Gary upon seeing the Detectives.
"I've seen you before Ms. Swan.", said Joe as Charlotte came over.
"Oh yes, when you came with that other Detective to Helen deVries' home and my client was subsequently murdered!", then said Charlotte.
"You know that wasn't our fault. Det. Falco and I were just doing our jobs", then said Joe.
"I know, but it doesn't hurt any less", then said Charlotte before briefly pausing to clear her throat and then continuing, "Anyway, my client just got back from Philadelphia, and he was on the train to Penn Station when this happened if as I understand it the time of death was around 6:00, 6:15?
"6:40 according to witnesses", then said Joe.
"Then there's no way I could have been in Central Park when it happened. I got back to Penn Station right around 6:30. Even if I got the "C" train uptown right away, I would still not have gotten to Columbus Circle until around 6:35-6:40 at the earliest, and then it would have been another three stops to 86th street, the closest stop to the Great Lawn where this happened if I'm not mistaken?", then said Gary.
"Yes, that's where it happened", then said Joe.
"Then there really is no way I could have been there. You can ask the doorman, he saw me come in around 6:45, and there are others who saw me. As much as I think Mrs. Feinstein's son killed my daughter, and I would like to see justice, I would not kill her. I would not have even known she was in the park when she was, let alone the exact location", then said Gary.
"You know you make sense. We'll still have to ask them", then said Joe.
"Of course", then said Gary, with Joe then asking where his wife was, and Gary repsonding, "She's in Florida, where she's working with a private investigator. She's been down there on and off for the past four and a half months since this happened."
After that, Joe and Ed leave the apartment and ask the doorman in the lobby, who along with others confirm that Gary had come in around 6:45 PM as he said he did.
"That sure eliminates him", said Joe as they walked out of the building onto 8th avenue, with Ed recieving a call on his cell phone that tells them the tapes from the various subway stops were ready with police technicians going after it.
When Joe and Ed look at the tapes at first, they realized their first hunch was right: Whoever did this did in fact get on the train at 96th, rode uptown one stop to 103rd street and then went downstairs and as they realized only rode back two stops to the 81st street station, getting out there. Blowing up the pictures further gives them a startling discovery.
"That's Joseph Feinstein!", said Joe and Ed, seeing what they realized was the same man at the morgue, who on the tapes was wearing the same turtleneck and pants that was noted by earlier witnesses, with the key being his nearly knocking down two people at the entrance, with further camers showing the rest. With that, Joe and Ed call Alexandra Borgia, who is then able to get a warrant, then meeting Joe and Ed at Joseph Feinstein's apartment on 81st street and Central Park West.
Upon showing up (wearing a dark, denim jacket and above-the-knee skirt set with a white, sleeveless collared shirt underneath the jacket and a pair of black pumps), Alexandra said to the Detectives in a not-so-pleased tone, "You're very lucky I was one, in Manhattan and two, dressed to where I could go see a judge at this hour and not have him think I was a hooker!", handing the Detectives the warrant and then taking off her left shoe and holding it where the Detectives could see before saying in a clearly teed-off tone, "These shoes were not made for chasing down a warrant at two in the morning!", then taking off her other shoe, unhappy about having to go see a judge at the hour it was on a Friday night-early Saturday morning as she was grimicing in a bit of pain from her feet as well. She then apologized for her rant, saying to Joe and Ed, "I'm sorry I snapped like that, I was at an exhibit in the Village when you called and I've been on my feet all night", with Joe and Ed realizing she was not expecting to have to see a judge at such a late hour. Joe and Ed then head for Joseph's apartment with Alexandra waiting outside, sitting in a squad car that was parked on the curb.
"What the hell? At two in the morning!", said Joseph to the Detectives as they came over, showing them the warrant to search his apartment, with their coming in along with several uniformed officers.
"We have a warrant to search your apartment", said Joe to Joseph.
"Can't this wait until the morning? There are people in the building who are sleeping that will be very angry that they are awakened by this", said Joseph.
"And they can all blame you", then said Ed, with a uniformed officer then calling over the Detectives to a closet in the apartment.
"Look what we have here. A pair of workboots that matches the description of what we were told the person who killed Mrs. Feinstein was wearing, and I'll bet we'll find dirt from Central Park nestled underneath the boots", said Ed, who also saw a pair of gloves near the boots that had also been said the man who killed Chara was wearing. With that, Joe and Ed arrest Joseph for the murder of his wife.