Disclaimer: Credit to Jonathan Nolan, Greg Plageman, and the POI writing team. Bolded sections are straight from the episodes.
QUEENSBRIDGE PARK
Chapter 11: end of, after Nothing to Hide
"Nothing comes up on his record," Officer Carter (formerly Detective) tells Finch over the phone as she looks up their latest Number in the NYPD database.
"Well, thank you for checking," Finch says from the Library as he feeds Bear. "I understand you're back on the day shift."
"Yeah, but I'm giving up something."
"What's that?"
"My patience."
"Good morning," her new partner greets with a smile before getting into the passenger seat of her squad car.
"We'll see," she answers noncommittally.
"Before we roll, I just want to say I'm really looking forward to working together and —"
"Um, Laskey?" she says, reading his nametag. "One, I didn't want to be an FTO, but it beats being a vampire. Number two, when I tell you to do something, just do it, no questions. And number three, don't touch my radio. Got it?"
He nods. "Yes, ma'am."
She closes her eyes in irritation. "Carter. Just Carter," she corrects as she starts the car and pulls out of the precinct parking lot.
The next afternoon, Elena opens her front door and finds Michael Laskey standing on her porch in full police uniform. They stare at each other before he remembers his manners and whips off his hat.
"Hey, Ellie."
"So you're really a cop then." There's a hard edge to her voice.
He swallows and nods at her hand resting on the door frame, blocking him from entering. "So you're really engaged then," he says, tone softer than hers.
She crosses her arms tightly against her chest, no longer blocking the entry but not inviting him inside either
"I thought I said I never wanted to see you again if you put on that uniform." She covers it up well, but there's a bit of a quiver in her voice.
"I thought I said you could go to hell." He nods at her ring again. "Didn't think you actually would."
Something that had been winding up tighter and tighter inside Elena ever since Ken had gone down on one knee snaps. She flies at her oldest friend, not quite sure what she wants to do other than put a few wrinkles in his stupidly crisp uniform.
Mike, to his credit, doesn't step out of the way but accepts her advance with open arms, wrapping them around her until she's only feebly landing a few blows on his back.
Bailey watches apprehensively as Mike walks her back into the house, shutting the door behind them and maneuvering them until they're sitting in her living room.
"I'm sorry," she says, her anger disappearing as quickly as it had come. "Did I hurt you?"
"I think I deserved it, or at least some of it," says Mike, and he looks so serious and grown-up that Elena doesn't know how to deal with the man she's known all her life as a boy. "I know you hate that I'm a cop now, but it's just something I have to do."
"Why, Mikey?"
"It just is." He gestures down at his uniform. "I can't take it back, but I would like my best friend back."
"And I would like my best friend not to have the same job that got my dad killed."
"Come on, Ells. We've known each other our entire lives. You can't stay mad at me forever."
"I can try," she says half-heartedly.
He calls Bailey over to him. The golden retriever bounds over, leash in mouth.
"Traitor," Elena mutters.
"Come on, Ells," Mike says, putting on Bailey's leash. "Let's go to the park."
Ten minutes later, they're sitting on a bench in Queensbridge Park. Not the bench, just a bench. Bailey is amusing himself with some geese.
Mike reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a folded copy of the newspaper with her and Ken's engagement announcement.
"Ellie, you're really going to marry Parker?"
"Mikey, you're really going to be a cop?"
He flashes his badge. "It's a bit late for me to back out now."
She flashes her engagement ring. "Same."
He makes a sound of disbelief. "Ells —"
"I know you never liked Ken, but he's a good guy. We've been together for years —"
"I didn't know you had to get married after a set amount of time."
"— he's got a promising career, comes from a good family —"
"Never took you for a gold digger."
"— he's nice—"
"You're gonna marry him because he's nice?"
"Oh my God, I wish people would stop questioning why I'm marrying Ken!"
He gives her a sharp look. "Who else has been?"
John from the park.
It sounds ridiculous, even in her head.
"I've made my choice, Mike. I'm marrying Ken. So show up at the wedding, drink the free booze, dance with me, and wish me happily ever after."
"Are you going to be happy with him?"
She meets his gaze steadily. "Yes."
Slowly, Mike nods. "Okay, fine. But, Ellie, it's never too late to back out for you. Not now. Not when you're walking down the aisle. Not even after you've said 'I do,' and have five kids, and are fat and old."
She punches him in the arm.
"Also, if he hurts you, I'll kill him," Mike adds quietly. "I mean it, Ellie."
"Always got my back, huh? Well, now that's settled, what's your problem?" She gives him a small smile. "I know you didn't just wake up today thinking we should talk again. What's wrong?"
"It's my new partner, she doesn't like me," Mike admits.
"Everyone likes you," Elena contradicts. "Just turn on the old Mikey Laskey charm. Smiles and compliments, and she's all yours."
"I saw my first body today." Elena blinks. "I threw up. In front of her," he adds.
She gives him a look of disbelief and dismay. "Oh, Mike," she laments. "Rookie mistake! You won't hear the end of it for weeks, years maybe. They'll talk about it at your retirement party."
He groans. "Gee, Ellie, you know how to make a guy feel better."
They look at each other and burst out laughing. And for a minute, everything feels all right in the world.
"But that can't be the reason why your partner doesn't like you," Elena finally says, when they've calmed down.
"Her name's Carter," Mike supplies. "Officer Joss Carter."
Elena pauses. The name is slightly familiar. Hadn't Lionel's partner also been named Carter?
"I still think a compliment will go a long way —"
"She's not like that," Mike says. "She's ... she's different. She's not bent, like every other cop we know, Ells. That's why I paired up with her."
"Hey!" she objects. "I happen to know a lot of good cops."
Mike made a noncommittal noise. "All I'm saying is, Carter's about as likely to take a compliment as she would a bribe."
"Then go with the truth, Mike. If she's as good as you say she is, then that's the only way to get through to her, isn't it?"
He considers. "Yeah, I suppose," he says uncertainly.
Elena rolls her eyes. "Well, at least try it. Worst that could happen is it doesn't work, and you'll be in the same place: one day away from being assigned a new partner."
Laskey is already waiting in her patrol car when Carter walks out to it the next morning.
"Back for more?"
"I need to say something."
"Can it wait until after you buy me coffee?" Carter asks.
"I know you had to take a partner to get back on days. But did you know that two other rookies were supposed to be in this seat before me? And both requested to be reassigned."
"If you want another FTO, just say the word," Carter says, going to start the car.
"No, that's the point. I didn't ask to be reassigned. Because I chose you."
"Chose me?" Carter repeats, surprised. "Why?"
"In the Academy, I heard about you. Your work with the Homicide Task Force, and how you took down those corrupt cops. I thought, 'Someday, that's what I want to do.' That's why I jumped at the chance to train under you. But I don't get the sense that you want to train anybody. And if that's the case, then I'd prefer it if you just cut me loose."
Carter faces him, but just as she's about speak, a call comes over the radio.
"3-Adam-10, we got a report of a 10-53 near Morris and 149th."
Carter picks up her radio to respond, pauses and then offers it to Laskey.
He stares at her in shock for a minute before he takes it.
"Roger, dispatch. 3-Adam-10 responding."
For the second time in as many days, a police officer rings the doorbell of Elena's house.
"Elena Cassidy?" the officer asks when she opens the door.
"Yes, that's me," Elena says. "Is there something wrong, Officer?"
"I'm here to ask you a few questions about Officer Laskey."
"Mike?" Elena says in confusion. "Is he all right? Is he hurt?"
"He's not hurt. May I come in?"
"I'm sorry, Officer, you are ... ?"
"Officer Joss Carter."
Elena's eyes widen. "Mike's partner?" She hesitates for a moment before she steps aside and gestures Carter inside. "Please come in."
Maybe it's because she's been subsisting on the awful brew provided at the station, but Carter is pretty sure the cup of coffee Elena Cassidy hands her a few minutes later is the best coffee she's ever had.
"You know Fusco?" Carter asks, pointing out a photo on the mantlepiece of Lionel helping her blow out her birthday candles when she turned twelve.
"Yeah, I grew up knowing him. He was my father's partner. My dad was a cop, a homicide detective in the 51st."
Carter nods, looking up at the framed memorial on the wall. That checks out with what she's been able to dig up about Elena Cassidy.
"You know Lionel, too, don't you?" Elena asks.
"Yes, he was my partner when I was a detective," Carter acknowledges. She gestures down at her uniform. "Not anymore. But it's my new partner I want to talk about. How would you describe your relationship with Officer Laskey, Miss Cassidy?"
Elena frowns. "We grew up together. We're best friends."
"But you haven't had any recent contact with him until yesterday?"
"No, we ..." Elena pauses. "What is this about, Officer? Is this official police business, or are you digging for dirt on Mike so you don't have to be his FTO?"
"Do you have dirt on 'Mike'?"
"I have the right to remain silent, don't I?"
Carter sits back, sizing her up. "Okay, Miss Cassidy. No, this is not official police business. And no, this is not about kicking Laskey out of my squad car. This is about an organization called HR. Do you know what that is?"
Elena's brow furrows. "Yes, some corrupt cops and politicians who was arrested last year. It was all over the news."
"They were brought low, not brought down. And now they've returned with a vengeance."
"Okay," Elena says slowly, "but what does that have to do with Mike? Or me?"
"I think your friend is just the type of person HR tries to recruit."
Elena shakes her head. "Mike would never —"
"No?" Carter points at the photo of Lionel. "Do you think Fusco would never?"
Elena's gaze grows cool. "What are you saying, Officer?"
"Fusco's not a bad man, not now anyway. But he used to run with a bad crowd. At first, it was just little things — take a little bit of cash here, help a little bit with a coverup there. And then they had enough dirt to blackmail him into staying on their payroll. Then they started threatening his kid so he'd continue to do their bidding."
"What?" Elena says in disbelief. "Why didn't he ...?" she trails off, realizing the answer to her half-asked question.
"Why didn't he go to the police?" Carter finishes the question for her. "Who do you go to when the police are the problem?"
"But Lionel ... Lee ..."
"Fusco's free of them now. But he was lucky, he had some outside help. I'm not so sure about Mike."
"And you think I can help?"
"I need you to let me know if he begins acting differently — stressed out, angry, making excuses, hanging out with new people."
"So you want to me to spy on my friend?"
"It's for his own good."
Elena looks out the window, trying to figure out her response. "Why should I trust you, Officer Carter? You said this isn't official police business. How do I know you really want to help Mike, that you don't work for HR?"
Carter seems to debate with herself for a moment before she pulls out her phone and pulls up a photo. Elena recognizes the man from the front pages a few weeks ago.
"This was Detective Calvin Beecher. Cal. He was killed by HR. He was a good cop, and he was my friend. And I want more than anything to bring his killers to justice."
Elena studies Carter for a long moment before she slowly nods.
Carter stands and hands her a burner phone. "My number is saved in there, call or text me anytime. But only on that phone."
"Just one more question, Officer," Elena says as Carter moves toward the door. "Why me? Why tell me all this? Why trust me?"
"Because you grew up with Laskey. Because you've known Fusco your entire life and look after his son sometimes."
Elena can't hide her surprise at how much Carter knows about her.
"And because you're the daughter of Tommy Cassidy, who testified against corrupt cops in his own precinct in 2000. Some say that's the reason why he 'accidentally' took two in the back later that year."
Elena's gone quite pale, but her voice is steady. "Those were always just rumors."
"Your dad worked in the 51st. That's where HR started out."
Elena is glad she's holding onto the front door, because her knees go a bit weak at that revelation.
Carter pauses halfway out the door. "You work at City Hall, don't you?"
"Yes, I'm a receptionist in the chief of staff's office." She gives Carter a look. "But I'm guessing you knew that already."
Carter gives her a smile for the first time. "I'll be in touch, Miss Cassidy."
"Hey, Queen E, what's up?" Fusco answers his phone as he stirs creamer into his coffee at the precinct.
"I have a quick question for you, if you have a minute?"
"For you? I have two."
"So I was talking to Mikey yesterday."
"Laskey? You two talking again?"
"Yeah, since yesterday. He said he was having some trouble with his FTO, Officer Joss Carter?"
Fusco laughs. "Carter got saddled with a rookie? Oh, man."
"Should he be worried?"
"Nah. If Carter's his FTO, Laskey's in better hands than everyone else in this department. I should know, she was my partner once. So don't you worry either, Ellie. I know you hate that Laskey joined the force, but she'll take care of him. Carter — she's one of the good guys."
"Aren't you one of the good guys, too, Lionel?" Elena teases.
But she can feel her heart beating faster when he doesn't answer right away.
"I haven't always been," Lionel finally answers, uncharacteristically serious. "But I'm trying."
