"You'll both be called upon to testify as to the scenes, and evidence found, and also as to the interview with McCoy."
Connie had come to the two-seven, partly to get away from Randy and partly because she wanted to be the one to speak to the detectives. She had the feeling that her fellow ADA would only piss them off and that was not what she needed to happen.
"If you think we're really going to help you put him away," Ed started, but Connie shook her head.
"That's not what I'm looking for," she said. "I swear to you, that's not what I'm looking for. All I need is for the two of you to tell what you know. Whatever happens, happens."
The two detectives exchanged glances. That definitely didn't sound good. Neither of them needed to have been to law school to know that evidence alone could convict someone, never mind a confession.
"Has he said anything?" Nina asked, finally, "To the District Attorney's office, I mean?"
"He and his lawyer met with ADA Holloway and myself yesterday," said Connie. "Holloway tried to offer a plea bargain."
"Idiot," said Ed. "Did he really think it was going to work?"
"As a matter of fact," said Connie. "I figured it was just him trying to show that he has some measure of decency, though you'd never know it by looking at him. Jack wouldn't take it."
"Because of whoever's representing him, or because he really doesn't want to take it?" asked Nina.
"Both," said Connie. "I don't like this any more than you guys do, but we've all got our backs against a wall here. It looks like this is going to trial."
"Is McCoy still at Rikers?" Ed asked. Connie shook her head.
"No, and thank heaven for it," she said. "His attorney got him out on bail. I don't know how she did it, but she did."
"When does the trial start?" Nina asked, and Connie sighed, drumming her fingertips on the surface of the other woman's desk.
"We're waiting for a trial date," she said. "We're hoping it'll be soon. I'm thinking that all of us want this to be over as soon as possible."
Ed gave a derisive snort and shook his head. "You can say that one again," he said dryly. "The sooner we can move on, the better. This is starting to remind me of SVU's last high-profile case."
"The reporters are probably going to be around until this is over, I'm afraid," said Connie, apologetically. "I know you guys don't like it, but we don't have any grounds to get them to back off. They haven't crossed any lines yet."
"Maybe we should find a way to make them," said Nina, mildly. "I swear the minute one of them walks into this precinct…"
"Try not to cause any trouble, will you?" Connie asked. "The last thing we need right now is for the defense to put you on trial."
"They've already got one of us on trial," said Ed. "The hell would they want me and Cassady for?"
"You're the one who brought up SVU's last high-profile press case," said Connie. "Think about it."
The reporters had disappeared from his apartment building. Apparently, they'd decided they had better things to do. Anna used the key she'd gotten from the superintendent of the building to get inside, and walked up to Jack's apartment. The door was unlocked, so she stepped inside.
"That you, Anna?" Jack's voice drifted from the back and went on before she could answer. "You know where everything is; make yourself at home."
She bit her lip to keep from laughing at this. "You just get out of the shower or something?" she asked.
"That's for me to know and you to figure out later," came the reply, and then there was Jack, looking better than he had two days ago. "What brings you here?"
"Other than the fact that I'm set to defend you in a murder trial, you mean?" Anna asked dryly. "Figured we could go over a few things. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"
Jack shook his head and wandered into the kitchen. "No," he said, "I don't. You want anything to drink?"
"Coffee would be great; I haven't had any this morning, and I'm almost dead on my feet," Anna replied.
"Did you not sleep last night?" Jack asked, sticking his head out of the kitchen to look at her. She shrugged.
"No big deal," she said. "I don't sleep very well when I've got a case like this on my hands."
"Maybe that's the key to winning, then," said Jack, "If it can work for you, then it can work for anyone."
"I don't think it'd work for you; I've known you long enough to know what you're like when you haven't slept." Anna said mildly. "They've already got what they need to nail you. What we have to do is figure out how to get the jury to believe that it's a setup."
"I don't see that happening, honestly," Jack remarked. "Why would they believe it's a setup when they have everything they need?"
"Because that's what we're aiming for," said Anna, "The only way you're screwed over is if I can't prove that someone's trying to set you up to take the fall for them."
"Do you have any idea how many people out there would be willing to try that?" came the reply, and Anna rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I'm aware of that," she said. "I'm also aware of the fact that you and I are not going to just sit here. Right now, you don't exactly have a choice but to cooperate with me, now do you?"
"Suppose we do manage to prove what you're aiming for," said Jack, coming out of the kitchen with two mugs in his hands, "Then what?"
"Then everyone will be forced to leave it all alone, because there'll be nothing else for them to speculate about," said Anna. "Neither of us can know for sure that you'll still have your job, but at least you won't be disbarred."
"Some comfort," Jack said dryly. "I won't be disbarred, but I might not remain a prosecutor, either."
"You could always try my side of the aisle, you know. It's really not that bad."
"I think I'm too used to playing the prosecutor to want to turn defense so late in the game."
"Yeah, I figured." Anna trailed off and sighed. "Shall we get started, then?"
It rained. Somewhere along the lines, the weather had decided to turn the way everything else had: for the worst. Even so, it didn't mean their job was over. Another anonymous tip had come in.
"If this doesn't lead to anything, then we're being played," said Nina, frowning slightly. "Which would mean the key to breaking this case is to find out who's playing us."
"I don't think there are going to be any more murders," said Ed. "It would only prove that McCoy hasn't done anything."
"Either that, or he's got someone hired to do it," said Nina. "Either way, it'd be enough to revoke bail."
"If they could prove he actually had something to do with it," said Ed, but he didn't sound convinced. "What exactly did this anonymous informant of yours tell you?"
"That we'd find something buried here," said Nina. "That would explain why CSU's digging around."
"Got something over here!" said one of the techs, and the two detectives exchanged glances as they walked over. The tech held up a small plastic storage bin.
"Thanks," said Nina, "We'll take it from here."
The tech walked off. She looked at her partner and sighed. "Here's to hoping this is good news," she said.
"Any news right now is good news, unless it's a conviction," Ed said dryly, and moved the umbrella so it was over the bin Nina held, as well. "Might as well open it."
"Think we ought to open it at the precinct, so the lieutenant can see what's in here?" Nina asked. Silence, for a brief moment, and then Ed nodded.
"Yeah, that'd probably work," he said. "Come on, let's head back to the precinct."
He reached into his pocket for the keys, and they left. The bin sat in Nina's lap on the way there.
"We're gonna have to hand this back over to CSU once we're finished looking through it," she remarked. "It's been in here; we'll probably be able to get some sort of forensics from it."
"Unless our guy is smart and used gloves and whatnot," Ed pointed out. "I don't think it's any use keeping fingers crossed at this point."
"Sure it is," said Nina, but didn't sound all that convinced. "The District Attorney's office can't possibly want to convict one of their own."
"True, but it's not like they can make it look like that. They might not want to convict him, but if they have to, then they'll sure as hell try to."
They'd reached the precinct. Walking inside, Nina eyed the bin she still carried and sighed.
"Why do I get the feeling that this isn't going to turn out well?" she asked, and Ed looked over at her.
"Because it probably won't," he said. "The last time we got one of these anonymous tips, we went to the wrong person."
Nina made a face. "Don't remind me," she said. "If we'd just looked harder, we could've stopped that last murder, but no…"
"A move to make us look incompetent, you think?" Ed asked, and knocked on the door to the office.
"It's open," came the reply, from inside. He pushed the door open and Nina walked in. He followed and closed the door behind him.
"Anonymous tip came in," said Nina. "Said we'd find this in a lot near the precinct."
"Have you opened it?" Anita asked in reply, but Nina shook her head.
"No. Figured we'd do it here," she said, and put the bin down on the desk. "We'll hand it over to CSU once we've determined what's inside it."
"Which would be?" Anita asked.
"We weren't told," said Ed. "All that was said was that we'd find it, and then nothing."
"Shall we, then?" said Nina, and when Anita nodded, she pulled the lid off of the bin and pulled on a pair of gloves before taking out the contents.
"A book," said Ed. "What the hell does that have to do with any of what's happening now?"
Nina ignored him and opened it. Out fell a bunch of papers. She looked over them and then handed them to her partner, frowning.
"A hit list," she said. "The first four names are scratched off."
"If this is a hit list, then why is McCoy's name on it?" Ed asked, motioning to the last name on the list. "Either this isn't his, or…"
"Or he means to kill himself when it's all over, before a conviction," said Nina, slowly. "Either that, or before it got to this point in the first place."
"DA's going to have to present this as evidence," said Anita. "Hand it over to CSU, have them look over it, and then send it to the DA's office."
And that was that. The two detectives exchanged glances and walked out of the office, looking slightly disgruntled.
"I don't think that list is his," said Nina. "I really don't. Other than the obvious and the reasons we can think of, why the hell would he put his own name on it?"
"We could always have it looked over by someone who knows handwriting," said Ed. "That could prove something."
"Yeah, it could prove that either he wrote it himself, or someone's damn good at mimicking people's handwriting," said Nina, reluctantly, and then, "I suppose it's all we have left."
"This is the first time we've ever had a reason to work for the defense," Ed remarked, as they left the squad room to head for the crime lab.
Nina gave a derisive snort. "Hell of a reason, no?"