Title: 5 Bobby Gorens who never happened to …
A/N: Disclaimer and other info. in the first chapter. Thank you very much to everyone who left feedback.


2. … Lynn Bishop

People often mistake her mixture of enthusiasm and confidence for a kind of arrogance, but that's because they don't understand her drive. Her record speaks for itself, though. She's one of the youngest to reach Detective First Grade in NYPD history, and she's earned her place on the Major Case Squad. She knows that someone has confidence in her abilities, because she's been given this interrogation on her own. Captain Deakins, ADA Carver and Mike Logan, her partner, are behind the glass, but she's the one facing down an accused killer. She knows the man's guilty and knows she has the evidence to prove it. They don't need a confession, yet they'd like to avoid a trial if they can.

But there's a problem with what should be a fairly straight-forward case.

The problem is not the man with the soulless eyes for whom she doesn't need a psych eval. to tell her he's a sociopath. It's the impeccably dressed man sitting next to him. It's her first encounter with him, but she knows his reputation. What was it that Carver said about him? Something about him being one of the most formidable defense attorneys he's ever come across. She's heard other things about this lawyer – that he's unstable and combative. But she's not afraid. A little curious, but not afraid.

She fixes her target with a hard look. People are often taken aback by her demeanor, especially her supposedly icy stare. But she knows it's not ice that comes through in her eyes; rather, it's a look that's uncompromising when necessary, and it's necessary now.

"Come on, Harris," she says, a finger stabbing at an evidence photo. "We know you killed her. We have the murder weapon with your prints, your DNA at the scene, eye witnesses who can place you in the building at the time of the murder and security camera footage placing you in the hallway. It's over."

"If it were over, Detective Bishop," Robert Goren says, "we wouldn't be here."

As he sits, Goren holds his body still. But it's as if the stillness contains a tension that could explode at any second. His voice is disarmingly soft, almost a purr. She feels herself frown slightly before collecting herself. Goren shifts in his chair, and she knows that he's seen her reaction.

"Do your client a favor and suggest he make it easier on himself and confess," Bishop says.

"That wouldn't be a favor," Goren says, cocking his head so he's almost looking at her sideways. "A favor will be when I poke so many holes in your case in front of a jury that they'll be falling over themselves to acquit him."

"Harris has confirmed motive, means and opportunity."

"Oh, yes," Goren says with a smirk, "Crime fighting 101. Really, Detective, give me enough time, and I'll have the jury thinking you did it. All I need is one crack. One mistake. And there's always a mistake."

Goren abruptly picks up and zips the brown leather binder he's had open on the table. He stands up and gestures for his client to do the same.

"Unless there's anything new here, we're done."

As they leave, Harris turns to Bishop and leers. Her eyes narrow, but she says nothing. When they've cleared the door and Harris has returned to the custody of the uniformed officers who accompany him back to the holding cell, she steps into the observation room to talk with her colleagues.

Carver is the first to speak.

"A confession would have been nice," he says, "but we have an airtight case. In spite of that little display of bravado, even Goren isn't going to be able to beat this one."

"Yes," Deakins says, sounding everything like a proud father. "The two of you did well."

Bishop nods, but says nothing. She looks over at her partner and knows that his thoughts are similar to her own. They have constructed a solid case. But they also know that evidence isn't always what interests a jury. Attorneys less competent than Goren have swayed juries before.

It's these thoughts she remembers during the trial when he's cross-examining her and it's only her drive and dedication that let her hold on to the certainty that she did her job. Goren keeps his promise and hammers holes into their case. But they're not real holes, just things she knows the jury will perceive as enough to let them find reasonable doubt. And she hates him at that moment. Hates him because she knows Harris will walk. Hates that his verbal tricks make her and her department look incompetent, because she knows they're not.

When she sees Harris' leer again as her collar walks free, it's only a small comfort to know that she's done her job in the best way she knows how. She catches Goren as he walks down the aisle behind his client to face the waiting press.

"How does it feel to know you helped a murderer walk?" she asks him quietly enough that she knows only he can hear the question. "You know he'll kill again."

He stops and turns back to look at her. He moves into her personal space, and she has to resist the urge to step back away from him. He tilts his head and stares at her for a moment before answering.

"Your sanctimony is amusing, Detective. But I'm just as important a part of the system as you are. You did your job. I did mine. I just did mine better."

She frowns, and again knows he's seen her reaction when he throws her a mirthless grin before turning to leave.

"Forget it, Lynn," Mike Logan says, walking up behind her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "We can't win them all."

She nods but knows that neither she nor her partner will forget – or rest easy – with Harris back on the streets.


A/N: The "what ifs" are: What would Bishop be like if she had a little more experience? and What would Bobby be like as a defense attorney? (Inspired by a comment Carver made about Bobby in an episode. I can't remember the title off hand). I think he'd take that role as seriously as he takes being a cop.

Up next … Frances Goren.