Disclaimer: Dick Wolf, Yo!

Title: Hurricane Katrina

Chap. 17 - Show Time

Genre: Humor/Angst

Characters: Goren, Deakins, Logan, Barek

Rating: M (this chapter); sexual content; violence.

Reviews welcome.

Summary: Goren and Katayeva turn up the heat on Nicole Wallace in the interrogation room.

Friday morning, Major Case Squad Room

"OK, you two, it's show time," said Deakins, "I got the call from downstairs. Nicole Wallace just passed through security in the lobby."

Goren and Katayeva looked at each other.

"Break a leg," she mouthed to him. Goren nodded.

The plan was to let Nicole think she was observing them without their knowing it. Nicole would be given a glance of them together on her way to the interrogation room. Everything had to be subtle. Nothing obvious, nothing blatant.

Goren was his usual perfectly Armani-attired self; Katyeva had stepped up her look for the occasion. Little black dress with a jacket. The jacket was off. Her shoulder holster on her right side. Katayeva was ambidextrous and could shoot with either hand. She deliberately gave the impression she was left-handed today. She had rolled out of bed extra early this morning, so she could spend time blowing-out her curly hair. Now it was straight and swingy, parted to one side, kind of falling over the left side of her face. A little more makeup than usual. Kat was attempting a look that would be guaranteed to add to their strategy against Nicole.

Mike Logan was situated over by the elevators. He rang Goren's phone twice to alert them that Nicole was now on the 11th floor.

Goren and Katayeva were standing near his desk. They were far too close to each other for normal conversation. They were chatting, smiling at each other. Katayeva did a lot of that downward glance thing. She was holding open a manila file folder. Goren's left hand was on her bare arm, unconsciously slowly stroking up and down. They were, allegedly, oblivious to Nicole's passing through the area.

It was Barek's job to watch for Nicole's reaction as she passed through the squad room on her way to interrogation. Wallace walked through quickly, but missed nothing. Nicole was now sitting alone in the interrogation room.

Barek spoke with Deakins and the two detectives.

"At first Wallace was surprised. Eyebrows raised. Then the evil grin took over. Kat, you are on her radar, like it or not. And, Bobby, she's pissed at you."

"Looks like you were right, Katayeva," said Deakins, "Now let's spring the trap and hope she jumps right into it. Logan, Barek and I will be observing."

"Let's go," said Goren.

They walked into the interrogation room. Goren had opened the door for Katayeva, allowing her to enter first. They had decided earlier that Goren would be the dominant one. Goren introduced Katayeva to Nicole. The anger he saw in Nicole's eyes surprised him.

Goren and Katayeva sat side by side. Closer than two detectives might normally sit in such a circumstance. Kat was to Goren's right. She took notes with her left hand. Per usual, she wore no wedding ring, so Nicole had no clue if she was married or not.

Nicole made some snide remark about Eames' maternity leave. Goren winced inwardly, but maintained his outward façade. Wallace asked Katayeva if she was married. Kat blushed slightly.

"My marital status isn't relevant to this investigation."

Goren grilled Nicole on issues old and new. Almost every time he spoke with Katayeva during the interrogation he put his hand lightly on her arm or her shoulder. Kat, on the other hand, looked up at him with great deference. Almost adoringly. Nicole Wallace was not a happy camper. She tore into Goren with her usual vengeance. The two of them did their tit-for-tat routine, which scorched each emotionally, but resolved nothing.

Katayeva thought that Nicole needed another little nudge. Kat put her pen down on the legal pad. She casually placed her hands in her lap. Goren kept up the chatter with Nicole. Both of his hands were on the table or gesturing. Katayeva kept her eyes forward, but moved he left hand onto Goren's right thigh.

Jeez, I knew Kat was going to do that, but it still gave me a jolt. Hopefully I disguised it enough. And Nicole saw it enough.

Nicole caught it. Recognized it. And she didn't like it. Then she tore into Katayeva. Called her a slut…a whore. Made an obscene comment about Katayeva's hand on Goren's thigh. Accused her of cheating on her husband. Made crude remarks about her being a better lay than Eames was. Ridiculed Goren for being enamored of both her and Eames. Said Goren couldn't keep it zipped. Screamed disparaging commentary on his sexual prowess.

Goren was nothing if not surprised. Katayeva was enjoying Nicole's performance, but watching her very carefully. Kat didn't trust her as far as she could throw her.

Goren added his own little nudge to Nicole. He told he how good Katayeva was in bed. How she came down on him. Gave great head. Nicole looked near ready to blow a blood vessel.

Katayeva was hypervigilant. Goren had pushed pretty much every button that Nicole had.

Wallace sneezed, or at least pretended to, so she could get a tissue out of her purse. Kat's right hand tightened. Her left arm was pulled back, waiting to strike, if need be.

And then she needed to. Nicole was concealing something in her tissue. Her arm was moving backwards, as if to toss or throw something. Katayeva gave Goren's chair a powerful shove with her left hand that sent him sprawling onto the floor. Meanwhile her right hand fired the weapon that she had been holding in her lap since they had sat down. As Kat was shooting, Nicole was throwing. But it was too late for Nicole Wallace. Katayeva's shot went straight through the middle of Wallace's forehead. Katayeva rolled off her chair and to her right. The vial of acid that Nicole tossed smashed against the glass behind where Goren and Katayeva had been sitting seconds before.

Deakins, Barek and Logan rushed the door, but it was already all over by the time they set foot in the room. Goren was now sitting upright on the floor. He looked at the acid running down the glass and the wall below it. He looked at Katayeva, also on the floor, a few feet away from him. And he looked at the dead body of Nicole Wallace.

"Kat, your….your weapon is uh…still in your shoulder holster," pointed out Goren.

"Yep. I used my second weapon," she replied, holding up the gun, "Removed it from my leg holster as soon as we sat down. Kept it on my lap. The shoulder holster was a fakeout."

"Pretty damn good one, too," said Deakins, "Are you both alright? I take it that was acid she flung at you. Did any of it hit either of you?"

Several drops had sprayed onto Goren's suit jacket. He took it off. Katayeva had caught a couple of drops on her leg from the splashback. Mike Logan had already grabbed the water pitcher that was on the table and kneeled down next to Katayeva's as he poured the water on her leg to dilute the acid.

Barek was already on the phone with the lab to send techs up to determine what Nicole had tossed at Goren and Katayeva. Logan helped Kat to her feet. Goren got up on his own.

"Katayeva, those burns on your leg need medical attention right now. Logan, get her to the ER."

"I…I can go with her, Captain," said Goren.

"You're not going anywhere. You have paperwork to fill out, Goren. Katayeva, your know the rules, please give me both of your weapons."

Kat was already placing both guns on the table. Before Logan could hustle her out the door, she walked up to Goren.

"Good job….partner…. We're both still alive."

Goren nodded. Put his right hand out to shake hands with her. Then changed his mind and pulled her into a bear hug.

"It's the least I can do…. now that… uh… everyone thinks we're having a …steamy affair," he whispered into her ear.

Katayeva just smacked him on the arm.

"OK, Logan, let's hit the ER."

Logan escorted Katayeva out the door, while Goren just stood there, shaking his head.

"I never…never saw it, Captain. Both Katayeva and Eames…both of them picked up on Nicole's crush on me. I had no idea."

"Goren. Listen to me," said Deakins, "It wasn't a crush, it was an obsession. It sent her right over the edge. And how the hell did she get past security with the damn vial of acid?"

Goren was examining Wallace. "She had a pocket sewn inside her blazer, Captain…. There's a second vial in here. It's not metal. That's how she got it through security."

"Goren, you cannot investigate a crime in which you were a victim. Please back a way from the body."

"Uh…right, sir."

"Goren, you must have some other clothes in your locker. Go change. Take a shower if you want. Come back up here when you're ready. We'll need to take statements from you and Katayeva. You know the drill."

"Sure, Captain." Goren set off for his locker.

Goren is never wrong, hates to be wrong. And he was wrong about Nicole. Christ, I never want to see a session like this one ever again. Lucky my two detectives came out of it relatively unscathed. Except for Goren's ego. That took a bigger hit than Katayeva's leg. The way he drove Nicole right over the edge….And Katayeva suppressed her equally big ego to let Wallace go ballistic on her. She never blinked no matter how raw Wallace got. And where the hell did Goren get that other stuff he said about Katayeva? I hope he's just got a real good imagination. We'll be filling out paperwork for a week on this, but we are now rid of Nicole Wallace. Fair tradeoff, as far as I'm concerned. And I'd better talk to the Chief of D's about security in this building.

Logan drove Katayeva to St. Michael's Medical Center. He was friends with a couple of the nurses there. That would help speed them through the process.

"You're awfully cool considering you just shot and killed somebody, Kat."

"Logan, you can't see my stomach at the moment," replied Katayeva.

"Tell me, how did you know Wallace had the acid?"

"I read every file on her. She generally used unconventional weapons, rarely guns, occasionally knives, drugs, poisons. No metals would get past the detectors. So, I figured she'd have some other trick up her sleeve. I just can't imagine how she thought she was going to walk out the door after flinging acid at us."

"Maybe she didn't plan on walking out."

"Really?"

"If she had one vial, she might have had two. Or she could have something else. They'll be going over her with a fine tooth comb."

"I wasn't thinking ahead, Logan. God….I was so focused on making her react to Goren and me…..Shit."

"Hey! Don't beat up on yourself, Kat. The Commish will be giving you a medal, for crying out loud, for removing this evil woman."

Katayeva just sighed. Thank god we've arrived at the ER.

True to his word, Logan's nurses got Katayeva through the system in just over an hour. The ER doc praised Logan's quick thinking, washing off the acid. The doc cleaned it again, applied some goopy stuff, gave her a prescription and sent her on her way.

It was only a fifteen minute ride back to One P.P., but Kat managed to doze off in the car. Logan just looked at her, shook his head. I wonder how much of this her husband will actually hear about. 'Oh, honey, I shot and killed someone at the office this morning. She threw acid at me. And would you pass the mashed potatoes?' Never mind the conversation she and Goren had with Nicole. Oh, yeah….I'd love to see her husband's face when he heard some of that. Maybe we can rent out the tape? I'm not sure which was more interesting. What Nicole had to say or what Goren did. Wonder if Goren and Katayeva actually...Nah…I don't think so.