"Tell me again why we're having the DA and his lady over," Don Van Buren said for the third time since getting up that morning."How many times did you come home from work fussing and fuming that Jack McCoy was a hardhead son of..."
"Listen, if I wanted an instant replay of everything I said about Jack McCoy over the last fourteen years, I'd have the kids show me how to use the recorder on my cell phone," Anita countered in a tone her husband knew not to question.
"Come on, Nita," he continued, changing his tactics, as he helped her gather the miscellaneous pariffenailla that had gathered throughout the week on the oak coffee table."I run a hardware store; McCoy's runs the DA's office. What am I going to say to the man all afternoon?"
"You're both father's, you're both Bull's and Bear's fans," she said as she deposited the pile in her arms into the plastic bin in the hall closet.
"The way the Bear's are playing this season, we'll be done in five minutes."
"Well then talk about whatever it is men talk about when their wives and girlfriends are only a room away… tell him about how to make a marriage last longer than five minutes," she shot back impatiently, as she gave the room on last apprising scan, before heading towards the eat in kitchen."The man was about to start a third marriage when his bride was kidnapped. I'm sure Jack would appreciate some advice from a man who got it right on the first try."
Before Don could answer his wife's 'I dare you to top that' look, the couple heard the sound of a motorcycle approaching the drive way. Don gave her a quizzical look as he went to the picture window in the living room and Anita made one a quick straighten the afghan on the living room sofa.
"That's him," a stunned Don asked as he stared at the couple walking towards the house."The guy in the old coat and dunce cap? That's McCoy?"
Anita shot her husband a dagger look as the doorbell rang.
"His daughter gave him the coat and his girlfriend made that cap. So if I were you, I'd play fashion diva later," she hissed before opening the front door and giving McCoy a warm smile."Jack, I hope you two didn't have any trouble finding the house?"
McCoy started to reply when he glanced politely his host and suddenly did a double take. Both women looked at McCoy expectantly, just a Don Van Buren spoke up.
"You're him, "Don said giving McCoy a friendly slap on the back.""You're the guy?"
"You're Don," McCoy replied eagerly extending a hand. "The Don, of Don's Hardware?"
"Man, I see you in the store on 28th and Broadway every time I go in there to check inventory," Don Van Buren said, as he shook the offered hand and turned to his wife."Nita, this guy's one of my best customers. Over the last six months he's bought enough merchandise to pay for that pool we want to put in next summer."
"Lieutenant, you told me your husband was in the hardware business, but you didn't tell me he was 'The Don'," McCoy said accusingly, as if being 'The Don' was a kin to being Frank Sinatra.
The two women exchanged amused looks as Anita motioned for them to come into the living room.
"Well gee Jack, now that you know I'm married to 'The Don', maybe you'll back off the next time you think one of my detectives has done a sloppy interrogation," she deadpanned.
"By the same token," Malinowski added with wink."now that Don knows his big customer is the DA, maybe he'll cut us a deal when we start renovating again and we redo the kitchen counters?"
Don gave Malinowski's shoulder a friendly squeeze that she inadvertantly made her jump, before replying.
"For the 'Fedora Guy'? Well, I guess now I'll have to change that to Pino..." Don began pointing at the cap on McCoy's head, before Anita shot him a warning look that made him pause."Honey, I'll make you two an offer even John Gotti couldn't refuse."
"The 'Fedora Guy'," Anita repeated. "Honey, I know you're not one of my detectives, but didn't you ever look at the name on the credit card when your best customer made a purchase?"
"Cash customer," both men said at once.
"Jack," Malinowski said with real concern."The last purchase was over $6000.00, you know, when we started the kitchen cabinets. You walked around Manhattan with that kind of cash? What were you thinking?"
"My fault," Don interjected apologetically."Cash customers get an automatic 10 discount."
"Which is why they call him 'The Don' of hardware," McCoy added with a satisfied smirk that made everyone burst into laughter.
"Listen," Anita said to Malinowski, once the usual formalities were completed."Since 'The Fedora Guy' and 'The Don' seem to want to catch up on the cost of dry wall, maybe this is a good time for us to head into the kitchen."
Malinowski nodded as she handed Anita the round Tupperware container she had been holding.
"I know it's not a Mexican dessert, but Jack tells me your boys have been known to enjoy a slice of key lime pie, on occasion."
Anita took the container and smiled politely as she thought about the blandness of the tamale pie she'd sampled weeks before. As if reading her mind, Malinowski touched her sleeve and leaned towards Anita's ear.
"I know what you're thinking. Yes it's homemade, but I swear I used a family recipe from Georgia that calls for fresh squeezed lime juice and plenty of zest. Bland, this isn't."
Anita smiled back as they entered the kitchen decorated in blue gingham. Malinowski smiled at the hand made soap dish and snoop rest she assumed had been made by Anita's sons.
"Jack didn't tell me you had family down south," Anita replied as she handed Malinowski an apron.
While Malinowski discussed the extensive exposure eight out of the thirteen years she'd been married to Sam Prescott had given her to southern cuisine, the pair began peeling and dicing the vegetables required for the meal they were about to prepare.
Anita listened, feeling almost ashamed about her secondary motives for reminding McCoy of her standing invitation. During the hand full of exchanges the two women had prior to this one...the first during the Samantha Weaver mess, then next when ADA Jake Cohen had been shot...Anita had found Brooke Malinowski Prescott to be sharp both in wit and mind.
While she hadn't formed a solid opinion, she'd felt a good vibe regarding the woman. The ADA wasn't pretentious or high handed and based on the rumor mill, the woman seemed to hold her own with the current DA. When McCoy's engagement became public knowledge Anita had believed the couple had a fighting chance for happiness. A belief that had grown stronger after a night holding Jack McCoy's hand, while his fiancée was held captive.
McCoy's devotion had been apparent that night, which was what made the scene Anita had walked in on that much harder to take.
As Malinowski talked about her marriage, Anita noticed the affection in her words and description of Sam Prescott. There was no bitterness, no petty sniping…no sophisticated banter about trying to stick it to him in their settlement. None of things Anita had grown accustomed to hearing whenever a friend or colleague's marriage fell by the way side.
She seems like good people, Anita told herself as she pulled her glasses out of her sweater pocket and began reading the recipes next step out loud.
"...and next we need to measure the dry ingredients," Anita said as she reached across the counter for the measuring cups and bowls.
"You know Anita, this is a great kitchen," Malinowski said as picked up a bowl and measuring cup."Would you mind telling me who did the design work for you?"
"Don's got a gal at the 28th street store that is amazing," the other said woman replied."If you two think you're ready to see her, I can have her give you a call Monday," Anita said as she took the cup in Malinowski's trembling hand, and gave the other womans hand a squeeze."Brooke, I know I'm just a friend of Jack's to you, but I've worked a lot of kidnappings. Seen a lot of victims that survived, a lot that didn't. How are you doing?"
Malinowski squeezed the hand that held hers. She had wondered how long it would take a veteran cop to pick up on the signs.
Hell, Anita probably nailed me at the door when Don touched me…she reminded herself.
"Good days, bad days," she said as lightly as she could."I stop playing internet law and go back to the office Monday. Routine will be good…you know the drill."
"Sure do," Anita said with a sigh."Jack tells me it looks like the Canadians will get the first bite of the apple, you okay with that?"
Malinowski shrugged, as she reached for the box of cornmeal that Anita politely, but firmly took from her hands and replaced with a jar of chili powder.
"Sorry Brooke, the excessive corn meal is what got you sentenced to an afternoon with me," Anita said with a grin."So, are you good with going back to the Falls for trial?"
Malinowski nodded.
"Got to face going back there sometime. I mean, we were supposed to get…"Malinowski paused; realizing neither herself or McCoy had yet to discuss the ill fated wedding.
Staring at her bare ring finger, she blinked hard and turned her back to the other woman.
"Listen Anita, what's another trip to the Falls? If it weren't for Mike Logan and the rest of your people charging in to save the day, the only trip I'd be making would be to the morgue."
"Yeah. About that, Brooke," Anita began uncomfortably."I was the first CO on the scene that day at Jack's building…listen…there's no easy way to say this so I'm just going to say it: I saw you in Mike's arms when I went down to secure the scene. I had to almost tie Jack down on top of a squad car to keep him from going in with me. If I hadn't been there, it would have been Jack that saw what happened between the two of you."
Anita could see the confusion in the other woman's face as Malinowski looked back at her with puzzlement.
Anita knew if she prompted the other woman and Malinowski wanted to, she could end Logan's career with a sexual misconduct complaint and Anita would have no choice but to back her up.
As much as she wanted to smack Logan herself, the two weeks unpaid suspension he'd stubbornly taken for insubordination when he failed to answer her when she confronted him about his actions that day, was as far as Anita wanted to punish Logan professionally.
"Anita, what are you asking me, really," Malinowski said at last.
Setting down the box, Anita gave her guest the same soulful look she used when she wanted a suspect to know the time for games was over.
"I know Mike Logan doesn't always think before he acts, but I can't believe he'd force himself on a victim of any crime' much less a sexual assault victim whose engaged to Jack McCoy ," Anita sighed, shaking her head."Girl, I know that man is as far as you can get from being a saint, but I also know how much he cares about you. You can tell me to mind my own business and I'll say no more, but Brooke, I have to ask: What is goin' on between you and Mike?"
Malinowski shook her head as the events of that day flew through her mind…the soup…the rape…her determination to…
"Anita, I was trying to kill myself when I heard Mike," Malinowski said as nervously ran a hand through her hair."I'd just been drugged…. and raped. I was so stunned when I heard him…first, I didn't think he was alive after they threw him in. Then he opened his eyes and he called Green…"
Anita watched as Malinowski paused, wiping her eyes and trying to collect her thoughts. From what she was seeing, Anita suspected it was the first time Malinowski had tried to talked about the sequence of events, other than during her statement to Green or in a controlled environment like Olivett's office.
"Go on Brooke, what happened after Mike called Ed?"
"I was hurt and Mike tried to help me," she said more to herself than Van Buren."He covered me…put the blanket around me. After he got the door open, I couldn't walk, or maybe I just…I don't know. I was so relieved and so tired…"
As she thought about being in Logan's arms…her words… she met Van Buren's steady gaze and started shaking her head…
"I think someone else was supposed carry me over a threshold."
"Yeah," Logan replied."Ed tells me you two went to the falls to tie the knot. Gotta tell ya Brooke, if this isn't a sign McCoy isn't the right guy for you, I don't know what is."
"You're just jealous because I didn't get a chance to invite you," she retorted as she fought to keep her eyes focused."You missed out on kissing the bride. Not that anyone would want to kiss this face now."
"I wouldn't bet on that, counselor," he said as his lips carefully met hers…
"It's not what you think, Anita…God that sounds like crap but it's not," she said pleadingly."Mike's a friend and nothing more. I started talking about the wedding…kissing the bride…stupid, stupid incoherent babble…"
"Brooke, Mike's been a cop a longtime. Long enough to know better, no matter what you..."
"Anita, he kissed me. Once. It wasn't…he wasn't coming onto me…God I looked like something the dog dug up … how can you think...,"she threw her hands up, frustrated at her own inability to articulate her thoughts."Oh God, you saw that? You were his commanding officer? What did you do?"
"Two weeks unpaid leave," she said without apology."It's in his file as insubordination, nothing more. I made sure the paperwork didn't get put into the case file. Jack has no idea what happened and I have no plans to tell him."