For the People Chapter 23

Every so often a few protestors showed up at the Women's Health Clinic near Morningside Park. It had been a fixture in the neighborhood even before New York was one of the first states in the 1970s to legalize abortions through the first 24 weeks. The clinic provided free exams and cancer screenings, as well as contraception. It also provided support for young mothers just learning how to care for a baby. While threatening letters had arrived in an unsteady stream over the years, handing them over to the authorities had become routine. The staff rarely worried about them, and for the most part, patients felt safe and secure – until the fire. After a late-night explosion, flames erupted in an inferno hot enough to practically incinerate the entire structure. Firefighters managed to save adjoining buildings, but the clinic was a total loss. Worse, Fiona Morgan, a volunteer doctor who came in late to review records and set up for the next day, was killed. Lanie Parish was only able to identify her by the serial number on a titanium screw of a dental implant.

The hunt for the perpetrator didn't take long. In fact, no hunt was required. Linwood Pernell Duffy turned himself into police, claiming that he was the hand of the Lord and the world should know how God commanded the purification of evil by fire. Protestors both supporting him and decrying his actions gathered around the courthouse for Duffy's arraignment.

Gidon Shapiro checks the ZNN feed on his phone, showing the crowds outside. "This is going to be a rough one, Beckett. Under the circumstances, I'll understand if you want to step back. Duffy's supporters will claim that his prosecution by a pregnant woman is a stunt to discredit his beliefs."

"Sir, we both know that Duffy setting fire to the clinic had nothing to do with his belief in anything but the almighty dollar. He's scamming the people out there who sincerely believe in their cause. I owe it to them as much as anyone to expose Duffy for the lying murderer he is. And by the time I'm through, they'll know it's no stunt. I've got my protective detail, and my husband hired extra security at our loft, too. I'll be fine. We just need Judge Willis to put Duffy's trial on the docket ASAP."

"I doubt we'll be the only ones pushing for that, Beckett. Duffy's supporters are screaming for a speedy trial as well. They don't want their cause to fade from the spotlight or the news cycle. Can you be ready?"

"I have thick files of all the evidence that the NYPD, the FDNY, and CSI gathered. And Rick put me in touch with one of his consultants. I'll be ready. If Duffy's counsel demands an immediate trial, it will work against him. He won't have time to cope with the mountain of paper he'll receive in discovery. And if he back peddles and asks for a delay, the press and Duffy's supporters will demand to know why."

Shapiro's brown eyes light behind his wire-rimmed spectacles. "And as the trial proceeds, they'll find out."

"Yes," Kate agrees, "they won't like it much, but they will."


"So, did you find talking to Vinny Sprecklemeyer enlightening?" Rick inquires when Kate returns to the loft for the day.

"I did," she reports. "That man knows the ins and outs of arson better than any FDNY investigator I've ever met. What I don't understand is why he's not in prison. No one could know that much about a criminal activity without participating in it."

"Vinny was a consultant for my Storms, not the Heats. So I suppose," Rick offers, "that whether what Vinny did was criminal or not would be largely a matter of point of view. From the angle of the United States, if they acknowledged his activities, they would have been in service to his country. Some less than friendly powers might have seen them differently. However, in any case, the man knows whereof he speaks. So, I'm delighted that you found him helpful. I promised him a delivery of Beluga caviar. At some point in his adventures, he developed a taste for it."

Kate's shoulders rise with the wrinkling of her nose. "I tasted caviar during my semester in Russia. Ugh! He can have it!"

"And so he shall," Rick declares. "But what would bring joy to you and your little passenger?"

"Blini. I couldn't stand the caviar, but I loved the blini."

"Otherwise known as silver dollar pancakes, very popular with toddlers exploring finger food. Alexis used to love them too. So I guess we're starting out her sibling early. I know caviar's out. Choice of other accompaniments? Smoked salmon perhaps? Peanut butter and jelly?"

Kate sticks out her tongue. "Not the fish. Too much of a flashback to caviar. But peanut butter and jelly sounds wonderful."

"Peanut butter and jelly it is. Hopefully, unlike with Alexis, I won't have to get it out of your hair."

Kate fingers her pregnancy-thickened strands. "I hope not."


"The trial of Linwood Pernell Duffy, accused of setting the fire that destroyed a clinic and killed Dr. Fiona Morgan, begins today," announces early morning news anchor Viveca Chambers. "Protestors began assembling last night, camping out in Court Square Park, across from the courthouse. Nealon Becker, the spokesman for the NYPD, stated yesterday that as long as protests remain peaceful, the department has no intention of making any arrests. Violence, however, will be dealt with swiftly before any escalation can take place. Court is scheduled to begin at nine am with Judge Jeremy Willis on the bench. This is not Willis's first experience in the public eye. He presided over the Alfred Baird trial, in which prosecutor Katherine Beckett was also involved. However, while ZNN carried much of the Baird trial live, Willis has barred cameras from the courtroom for Duffy's, to avoid sparking possible violence. ZNN will have a reporter in the courtroom whenever the trial is in session, and we'll offer regular updates."

Holding a glass of fresh-squeezed juice, Kate shakes her head at the screen. "As if protestors won't react to ZNN updates. They'll probably watch them on iPads. The NYPD could have their hands full, especially if Duffy's lawyer says something incendiary. And he just picked up a new one, Mace Kudrow."

"Isn't he the lawyer who defended the guy in Michigan who shot the abortion doctor?"

"Yes, he is," Kate confirms. "And he turned that trial into quite a circus. His father's a preacher, and he inherited the oratory talent as well as the religious zeal. Aside from Duffy's supporters, he's got followers of his own. They may be stirring the pot."

"I had plenty of opportunity to watch Judge Willis at work during the Baird trial. I can't see him letting Kudrow or any lawyer start giving sermons or playing to the gallery," Rick offers.

"Yes, but Willis can't control what Kudrow says to the crowd outside – unless he issues a gag order. And that could just piss everyone off more. He's going to be treading a very thin line."

"So are you, discrediting Duffy's claims without sounding like you're slamming religion."

"The last time I checked, the religion Duffy claims to follow doesn't sanction murder. But I don't want to make that argument, just expose Duffy for the thief and fraud he is. The evidence is on my side. I just have to make sure the jury sees and hears it."

"They will, Kate. Go tell 'em!"