***DOINK!DOINK!***

Chapter Three: Love and Litigation

The law office of Nelson Bryce

Queens, New York

Tuesday November 24

As Lupo and Bernard made their way up to Bryce's office—

"Isn't this the guy with the cheesy firm commercials?" Lupo muttered, smirking.

Bernard chuckled.

"I think so," he murmured.

When they reached Bryce's office—

"Detectives!" Bryce greeted them in a pompous, cheery tone. "How can I help out New York's finest?"

"We're here in regards to one of your clients—Lucinda Carlisle," said Lupo.

"Oh yes—talk about a heated case," said Bryce. "And seeing as how I specialize in divorces, that's saying something. Thank God there aren't kids involved…"

"Well, Counselor, let's just say your workload just got lighter—Lucinda Carlisle is dead," said Bernard. "Someone choked her to death in her apartment."

"What the hell?" said Bryce, taken aback. "Wow…God damn…"

"Yeah," said Lupo.

"We were wondering if you could tell us more about the Carlisles' divorce," said Bernard. "We heard from Mrs. Carlisle's parents that it was bitter. You seem to agree. You mind telling us just how bitter 'bitter' is?"

Bryce sighed.

"Well, Lucinda filed for divorce in the first place because she found out her husband was cheating," he said. "Not to brag, but I've got quite a reputation for being a real shark—getting my clients exactly what they should get. She told me she'd seen my commercials, so that's how I ended up taking her case."

"I take it she was asking for as much as she could possibly get," said Lupo.

"She was, yes," said Bryce.

"How much were you two asking for?" said Bernard.

Bryce went over to his desk, took a pencil and a piece of paper from a memo pad, wrote down a figure, and then handed the paper to Bernard, who whistled in surprise when he read it.

"That's definitely enough to piss somebody off," said Lupo, reading the figure.

"Yeah, no doubt," said Bernard. "Well—that sure would get to lover boy, wouldn't it?"

"Definitely," Lupo agreed.

"Hey—I was just doing what Lucinda told me to do," said Bryce.

"Not what you persuaded her to do?" asked Bernard.

"Hey, she sought me out," said Bryce. "She told me everything that rat bastard put her through, and she said she really wanted to get him. We just happened to be on the same page is all. I do what I believe is in my clients' best interests. Believe it or not, a lot of them agree with me! She told me, and I quote, that she 'hated the bastard for what he did to her' and that she 'really wanted to get him and make him pay—literally'."

"All right," said Bernard. "So just to be sure and cover our bases, where were you last Thursday night between ten and eleven?"

"Whoa—why would I kill Lucinda Carlisle? What'd she ever do to me?" said Bryce.

"Well, that's what we're trying to find out—why anyone would want to kill her," said Lupo. "So—your whereabouts, Thursday night between ten and eleven."

"Well, you guys know how it is—thirsty Thursday and all," said Bryce. "I went out for a drink with the guys—this bar called Brass Monkey."

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Bernard said, clapping Bryce on the arm.

As he and Lupo turned to leave—

"Oh—Detectives?" said Bryce.

Lupo and Bernard stopped and turned to him.

"I should tell you something else Lucinda said to me. Something else that's a testament to how much spite there was between her and her husband," said Bryce.

"Yeah?" said Bernard.

"She told me to, quote, 'milk the son-of-a-bitch for everything he's worth," said Bryce.

***DOINK!DOINK!***

Brass Monkey

55 Little West 12th Street

Manhattan, New York

Tuesday November 24

Lupo and Bernard approached the counter, where the bartender was rinsing some glasses.

He looked up when they arrived.

"Hi. What can I get you guys?" he asked.

"Hopefully some information," said Bernard.

"N.Y.P.D.," said Lupo, as he and Bernard showed the bartender their badges. "Have you seen this guy in here? Was he here last week?" he added, holding up a photo of Nelson Bryce.

The bartender chuckled.

"That divorce lawyer with the cheesy firm commercials? Yeah, he was in here. He and his buddies are in here every week," he said.

"Do they come here every week on a certain day, or does it vary?" asked Bernard.

"Oh, they're always in here on Thursdays. That's when we have what we call our Thirsty Thursday Special. All domestic and imported beers are half price from open to close," the bartender elaborated.

"You remember what time they were here?" Lupo asked.

"They were here late…um…let's see…I think it was ten-fifteen, ten-thirty. It was some time after ten—I don't quite remember," said the bartender.

"All right—thanks," said Lupo.

***DOINK!DOINK!***

N.Y.P.D. 27th Precinct

One Police Plaza

Manhattan, New York

Tuesday November 24

Lupo and Bernard were at their desks when Lt. Van Buren came up to them.

"How's it going?" she asked them, obviously referring to the case.

"Well, Shyster McGee is off the hook—his alibi checks out," Lupo replied with a snicker.

Bernard chuckled.

"What'd he say about the divorce?" asked Van Buren, traces of a smile on her face.

"He reaffirmed what Lucinda's parents said. Things were pretty hostile between Lucinda and her husband," Bernard answered. "He told us that Lucinda 'hated' her husband for cheating on her, that she 'wanted to make him pay—literally', and that she wanted Bryce to help her 'milk the son-of-a-bitch for everything he's worth'."

"Happy times," Van Buren commented sarcastically.

"No kidding," said Bernard. "Here's how much she and Bryce were asking for," he added, taking out of his pocket the piece of paper on which Bryce had written Lucinda's desired settlement amount and handing it to Van Buren.

"Damn," said Van Buren after reading it. "Maybe I should've hired this guy," she half-joked.

"I'm liking the husband for this more and more," said Lupo. "I mean, think about it—the courts usually side with the wife in divorce proceedings, and this guy wasn't doing himself any favors by cheating on her. Plus, if Mr. Big Shot's as good as he says he is, Lucinda was gonna pick the guy's pockets. Add to all of that the animosity between them, and you've got one hell of a motive."

"Well then, you'll like this," said Van Buren. "The CSU reports are in. You know that window in Lucinda's apartment that's near the fire escape? Well, CSU managed to lift some prints off the sill. Some were matched to the victim, and some weren't in our system, so we'll get to those later. But there were some prints that are in our system. And guess who they belong to?"

Lupo nodded, catching on, a satisfied smile on his face.

"And you'll like this," Bernard said to Van Buren.

He held up some documents that were paper-clipped together.

"These are Lucinda's phone records. Guess who she was arguing with over the phone the day she was murdered?"