For the People Chapter 14
Prelude
Ryan rushes across the waiting room to find his partner. "Javi, what happened?"
"I don't know, Bro. I got the call from the 33rd that my abuela had been brought to the hospital. One of their cops is waiting to talk to her when the doctors clear it. Someone found her on the sidewalk by an ATM and called 911. The cops were able to identify her because she still had her receipt in her pocket, but no money. A nurse said a doctor would tell me how she is but no one's come yet."
Ryan puts a hand on his partner's shoulder. "God, I'm sorry, Man. Sounds like someone mugged her after she got her money."
"Yeah, but I saw the look on the face of the nurse in the ER. I think there's more to it than that. My mother should be here any minute. I want to know so she can hear it from me, not some stranger."
Ryan points to an approaching figure. "That looks like a doctor now."
Dr. Juanita Garcia strides past a line of scarred plastic chairs. "Mr. Esposito?"
Esposito lunges forward. "Yes, how's my abuela?"
Garcia's eyes flick to Ryan. "Mr. Esposito, you might prefer to hear this privately."
"It's Detective Esposito, and this is my partner Detective Ryan. He can hear anything you have to tell me," Javier insists.
"All right," Garcia agrees. "Detective, your grandmother was attacked and beaten. She was also – raped. But she's stable now."
"Why not just take the money? What sicko would rape an old lady?" Ryan demands.
"Detective Ryan, as a police officer, I would think you'd know that it happens more often than the public realizes," Garcia responds. She turns to Esposito. "We were able to get a rape kit. So the police investigating the case should be able to identify your grandmother's attacker."
"I'll track the sonofabitch down and drag him in by his f*****g p***k," Esposito swears.
"No you won't, Bro," Ryan cautions. "Even if Montgomery would allow that, which he wouldn't, some lawyer could make the case that you planted evidence or something to get the guy. You know how hard it is to make a rape case. The collar's got to be by the book, so the prosecutor has something to work with. Plus, you'll need the right ADA. And we both know who that is."
"Yeah," Esposito agrees. "If Beckett could nail Baird, she should be able to nail this scumbag."
"Hey, I see your Mom coming in. You take care of her. I'll go talk to the cops from the 33rd and see what they have."
"Thanks, Bro."
"Partners, right? You just take care of your family."
"You look grim," Rick notes as Kate drops her briefcase by the front door of the loft. "Something happen besides your usual parade of lowlifes?"
Kate sinks down on the couch. "I got a call from Esposito. Mariel McDonald, a detective from the 33rd, arrested a suspect in his grandmother's assault."
Rick's clap echoes through the loft. "It's about time. It's been weeks. I'd think that would be good news. So why the wrinkly brow?"
"The suspect, Lowell Lazeroff, hired Alan Wittenbros to defend him."
Rick lets out a low whistle. "Wittenbros. He's even more high-powered than Hiram Kaplowitz – and more expensive. How does a guy who steals money from old ladies at ATMs afford representation like that?"
"I don't know," Kate admits.
"Wait a minute!" Rick exclaims snapping his fingers. "Did you say the suspect's name is Lazeroff?"
"Yes."
"That rings a bell. I researched the Russian Mafia, the Bratva, for a Storm."
"Mmm, I remember that one. Derrick had a buddy who went into deep cover and hooked up with them for a while."
"And ended up dead when a double agent blew his cover," Rick adds. "Storm took some interesting vengeance."
Kate almost smiles. "I remember that too. It was very creative. But what does that have to do with Lazeroff? I don't remember a character by that name."
"Because I didn't write one. I ran across that moniker while I was gathering background info. Ivan Lazeroff was one of the higher-placed members of the Brotherhood. Rumor had it that Ivan arranged for certain of Putin's adversaries to get too close to open windows. Lowell Lazeroff could be a relative. With a name like Lowell, he might have an American mother, from Massachusetts maybe. But the Bratva would still take care of its own. It might be picking up the tab for Wittenbros, which could also mean that Mariel McDonald or any witnesses against Lowell could be in the crosshairs. The prosecutor in the case might be as well."
"Esposito wants me to try to get the case, Rick. He saved my ass – and yours – more times than I can count. If Shapiro is willing to let me have it, I can't turn Esposito down."
"I know you can't, Kate. And I wouldn't even try to convince you to. I was just hoping we'd be past all that when you left the NYPD. If you do get the case, can you get protection?"
"I think so. ADA's under threat have gotten it before. And I haven't forgotten how to use a gun, Babe. But one step at a time. Shapiro may not even want me on the case."
Rick shakes his head. "I have an uncomfortably familiar twist in my gut that tells me he will."
Wittenbros paces back and forth in the interview room. "This isn't like the other crap I've gotten you out of, Lowell. Your people can scare witnesses, but I can't see them getting near that old lady. Did you have to pick the grandmother of a cop? His pals lined up to keep a watch on her. So we're going to have to go at it another way. I can shed doubt on her eyesight, her memory, all of that. And fortunately, you were out of camera range from the ATM. But you should have shaved and worn a condom. The DNA is damning. Unless we get a total science-denier on the jury, they'll convict you on that alone."
"So, what can you do?" Lowell demands.
"Create confusion. The evidence may not be nearly as well guarded as the witness. If your people can get someone in there to switch a couple of labels, or better still, hack the computer used to report the results, that would do it."
"There are hackers in St. Petersburg who can get into any computer, even the ones at American power grids," Lowell asserts. "My uncle has connections. But you'll need to talk to him. They'll record anyone I talk to in here except you and the priest, and he's not good for anything."
"All right," Wittenbros agrees. "You just sit tight. I'll delay as much as I can until I know we've got what we need."
"I'm assigning you to the Lazeroff case. Ms. Beckett," Gidon Shapiro announces. "After Baird, Lazeroff shouldn't be much of a challenge."
"Are you going to first chair again?" Kate asks.
"No, I have confidence you can handle this solo. With the evidence we have against Lazeroff, most defense lawyers would plead this out. But I guess at $500 an hour, it's worth it to Wittenbros to go on with the charade that he has an innocent client. But he hasn't got a leg to stand on."
"I hope you're right, Sir. But Wittenbros is known for pulling rabbits out of hats."
"He has to have a hat first. Just hand him his, Beckett."
"Yes, Sir, I plan to."
