Chapter 14
"They've been in there a long time," Fin said as he spoke up to Rollins who was anxiously checking her phone every thirty seconds.
"Yes they have," she swallowed hard.
"What do you think they are arguing about? It seems as though the judge would either allow it or he wouldn't right?" Amaro asked.
"Perhaps Hardgrove is bucking for a mistrial," Munch said.
"Due to Alice being brought up in the testimony, I suppose it's possible," Fin shook his head. He wasn't happy at that prospect and leaned forward, putting his hand on Olivia's shoulder. She turned her head and gave him a smile.
"You know he's going down right?" He asked.
"I know I just hope that Alice will get some justice," she heaved a sigh.
"I know. I can't believe you're not coming back. It just doesn't seem right," Fin said.
"Don't think it gets you off the hook for kids' birthday parties and late night video games," she chuckled. He was surprised by her lightheartedness despite everything but then again Olivia was never one for self-pity.
"Oh I will not miss out on those ever," he smirked.
"Besides there will still be a Stabler in the unit," Elliot turned around and could not help the grin on his face.
"What are you talking about?" Fin asked. Elliot didn't get the chance to answer as the judge and the attorneys reentered the courtroom.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, you are excused for today. We will pick this back up tomorrow at nine a.m. sharp," with that the judge banged his gavel and Olivia gave a look to Elliot who looked at the row of detectives behind him. They all looked confused as well.
"What just happened?" Olivia asked. Elliot shrugged and watched as Barba walked over to them.
"We need to talk," he said.
"Your office?" Olivia wanted to know.
"We have an hour, at which point I have to go and talk to Hardgrove and her client down at the Tombs," Barba told them.
"All righty, let's go," Elliot said.
"We're needed back at the precinct. Keep us in the loop?" Munch asked.
"Of course," Olivia smiled and nodded. The detectives quickly filed out and Elliot and Olivia exited the bench and followed Barba to the elevator.
"I'm going to call a cab, care to share?" Barba wondered.
"Sounds like a plan," Elliot smiled.
"You're really worrying me," Olivia said.
"Well sometimes I worry myself," the ADA gave a tight smile. The rest of the trip was mostly silent and that made Olivia even more worried. Once inside his office, Barba shut and locked the door.
"Here is how things are going," he paused.
"You're killing me, you know that right?" Olivia asked.
"The judge will not allow Alice's case to come into the trial. Hardgrove made an excellent argument that I could really not refute. He gave us the rest of the afternoon to come up with some sort of evidence but he's really leaning toward making a deal with Lewis," Barba knew that Olivia would be unhappy but there was nothing he could do about it. They knew going in that trying to get Alice as evidence of prior bad acts would be a stretch.
"Getting Alice admitted to the case was the only way to get justice for her. Now she will never get it even if I do," Olivia said.
"It was weak from the get go. We had to give it a shot," Barba told her.
"So you're meeting with Hardgrove to try to pound out a deal?" Elliot asked.
"Yes. She has said that she has made it abundantly clear to her client that even if evidence of Alice's death wasn't let in, they were for an uphill battle," Barba explained.
"So what are you going to deal with? If he is convicted of attempted murder of Olivia he could get up to life in prison," Elliot said.
"That is true. It is a Class A-1 felony and he could get a maximum of life however without prior bad acts I can't make the life sentence stick. He could get twenty years for the kidnapping and forcing Vanessa into helping him. I could tell him instead of asking for life, we would give him sixty years," Barba told them.
"Forty years for the attempted murder and twenty years for the kidnapping?" Olivia asked.
"Yes. Right now if we let it got to the jury, he could get life but sixty years is pretty close," the ADA said.
"I will only offer it, if you are ok with it. Otherwise, I'll have to finish the trial without Alice," Barba continued. Elliot looked to Olivia. Ultimately it was her decision. Personally, he'd like to take Lewis out to the woods, shoot him, and bury him where no one would find him but the law was something he respected too much along with his family to jeopardize everything now.
"No less than sixty. I want him to be a very old man when and if he ever gets out," Olivia said.
"Good. I'll see what I can do," Barba smiled.
To Be Continued…