Chapter 19

Alex and Bobby approached Carver as he sat in a chair outside of the Judge's chambers.Carver looked up at their approaching footsteps. "Detectives," he said with a suppressed look of satisfying sneakiness.

"Hello, Ron," said Bobby.

"Eames, where's your cast?"

"Got it off yesterday," she said.

"Well, we'll have to make due," said Carver. He turned and knocked on the door. He heard a "Come in," and turned the knob. Judge Aaron Weber was a plump man in his 50s. He had been on the bench for so long, that he found most crimes to be funny- it was the only way, he argued, to keep himself from going crazy.

"Your Honor, I'm Assistant District Attorney Ronald Carver. This is Detectives Eames and Goren, who were investigating the case." Carver motioned a hand towards Alex and Bobby.

"Goren? Eames?" said the Judge Weber, giving the two detectives a suspicious glance. "The two under investigation for…"

"I can assure you those allegations are completely false and the investigation-" began Carver, but Weber cut him off.

"Stop right there, Mr. Carver," said the judge.

"Say no more," said Ron pleasantly, and he took the seat next to Alex. Bobby retreated to the corner and began to examine Weber's bookshelf.

"Have the accused and his attorney arrived yet?" asked Weber.

"Not that I am aware of, but we are a little early." Just as Carver finished his sentence he turned around to a knock on the door. "Ah," he said.

Weber called out a second "Come in."

Peter and his attorney entered the room. Alex and Bobby exchanged a tense look between themselves, then between them and Peter. "Ah! Mary," said Weber as he rose from his chair grinning. "Back again? Are you out to set a record?"

"You should know better than that, Your Honor- I defend people whom I believe to be victims of the system. You know that as well as anybody else," she said, caught between amusement and business.

"Your client's funeral," he replied mildly as he sat back down. "Now that everybody is here, shall we start?"

"I'd love to," began Peter's attorney. "This is a motion to suppress the confession, based on my client's psychiatric condition." She handed Weber a blue piece of paper. "This is a motion to drop the charges against my client for a murder in which there is no murder weapon, body, or evidence what so ever-"

"Besides the confession," interjected Carver.

"-Which was obtained by two detectives under investigation by the Internal Affairs Beurua."

"Which has nothing to do with their ability to fulfill their duties. And they were obviously on the right track seeing as how your client shot them and abducted Detective Eames to avoid capture," said Carver tensly.

"Enough," said Weber. "Anything else Ms. Norman?"

"No, Your Honor."

Weber turned to Carver. "Anything you'd like to add Mr. Carver?"

"The People file a motion to have the IAB investigation excluded from all evidence or mention during the trials. Detectives go under investigation all the time and the law states that a person is innocent until proven guilty-"

"That's a bit of a stretch Mr. Carver. I do not believe that an IAB investigation is comparable to a criminal trial."

Carver sat in silence, contemplating his words. To argue further might actually work in favor of the defense. He thought carefully. "That being said, Your Honor, we do not feel that it is relevant to the case. The Detectives are on official suspension, so they will not be further involved in these proceedings. All evidence and information they obtained was done so lawfully. There is no reason to drag their private lives into this trial."

Weber sat silent, thinking. "Ok, Ms. Norman. The confession is in, but I am ordering your client to undergo a state Psychiatric evaluation. You can skew the results all you like. And, since the confession is in, so is the trial. However, I would suggest a plea agreement. Mr. Carver, I will rule on the IAB investigation after the defendant undergoes his Psychiatric evaluation."

"Thank You, Your Honor."

"Your Detectives are here, Ron. Anything they would like to add?"

"No sir."

"Very well, see you at trial."

Ron Carver's Office

Norman and Peter sat down at the table in Carver's office. Alex was sitting at Carver's desk and Bobby was standing right behind her, leaning against the wall. "Let's talk deal, Ron," she said.

"I will offer Murder 2 for the murder of Sam Engal, with the appropriate term served in an appropriate facility once your client has undergone his evaluation. And if your client offers up the body and the murder weapon, I might be able to chop that down."

"You don't have any evidence my client committed these crimes. You have nothing."

"We have the e-mails, we have the DSL number linking your client to that e-mail account on the exact date Mr. Engal seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth. We have your client's assault on two detectives, and, oh yes, we have the confession." Carver sat relaxed in his chair, his leg across his lap.

"Which was obtained by two detectives who are under investigation, as I said before."

"Their investigation has nothing to do with their abilities to investigate crimes. Your client's little 'press conference' was nothing more than a ploy to contaminate the jury through the media, bring scrutiny to the NYPD for doing its job, and smear the two detectives who are about to put your client in jail. It was an unfounded act of desperation," replied Carver. He paused. "Murder 2."

The lawyer turned to Peter, spoke, then turned back to Carver. "Man 1 for the location of the body and the murder weapon."

"Only if he pleas out for the assaults as well."

"Not gonna happen. My client was not in a right state of mind when he assaulted those officers."

"They deserved it," spat Peter, who had not said a word through all of this.

"Peter, be quiet," spat Norman at him. Peter relaxed and sat back in his chair. Mary continued. "Man 1 for the body and the weapon," she said simply to Carver.

"Very well," said Carver.

Norman and Peter got up and left the room, Peter talking animatedly toher once the door was closed behind them. Carver turned the Alex and Bobby, who might as well have been sitting in the same chair for the amount of space between them…

"Well detectives, it seems now the ball is in your court. I will go talk to Captain Deakins. Good Luck," he said simply and he left them alone in his office.

Alex turned to Bobby. "Good luck for what?"

"Our evaluations…"