Felony: Steeling Part 1/3
Date: Thursday, April 20, 2000
Sue Hantak <hantaks@mtco.com>

This story is a crossover between my favorite shows and characters. I have a new- found appreciation for Law and Order. The A&E reruns are my latest obsession. This will probably offend and enrage many on this list, but I find Sam Waterston/Jack McCoy to be the best actor and character found on TV. I particularly enjoy the seasons he was paired w/Claire Kincaid. For those who do not know, they had the greatest affair on television that was never seen. I can direct you to great websites expounding all the theories. Jack and Claire were together from '94-96 so this story takes place about 10 years after the end of the RS run as we know it. Special thanks to Linda for editing and encouraging me on.

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LAW & ORDER

FELONY: STEELING Part 1

Midtown Manhattan

Sept 30th 4:42 PM


Laura stood under the awning near the entrance of an upscale co-op. A uniformed policewoman asked her to move back while they secured the crime scene, but requested that she stay until the detectives arrived so they could question her as a witness. Detective Lennie Briscoe introduced himself and his younger partner Rey Curtis then began, "Miss? I understand you saw the victim before he was shot."

Laura was still a bit stunned. Even though she had seen more than the average citizen's share of crime, she never actually saw someone killed in plain sight like that. She pulled her coat closed and attempted an answer.

"He, um... He seemed real nervous. He asked me for the time. When I fumbled with my bags and went to look at my wrist, he said something like 'oh shit' and started running. The next thing I saw was a car race toward him and shoot him."

"Did you happen to notice the make? model? anything about the car," the younger detective asked hopefully.

Laura methodically answered, "Black Honda Accord EX, 4 door, Jersey plates PB04 25SZ ."

Briscoe and Curtis looked at each other astounded.

Laura then explained, "I'm a private detective from Los Angeles, I notice those things."

Briscoe replied, "Would it be possible for you to be our witness on all of our cases?"

Curtis interjected, "Where can we reach you for anything further, Miss? Mrs?"

"Laura" she corrected, "Laura Holt"

"Sorry, Mrs. Holt, where are you staying? We would like to see if you could sit down with an artist to make a composite of the driver of the car"

"Actually I'm not married. I'm visiting my mother in Connecticut (203)986-1214. I just came into the city to do some shopping."

Lennie extended his hand, "Here's my card if you think of anything else."

Laura heard the crime scene investigators mention the victim's name when they extracted his wallet from the body.. She scribbled down the name and the license number on the back of the business card so she too would remember it.

As the detectives walked away, Lennie of course, couldn't resist the opportunity to make a comment about an attractive woman. "Pretty.... Smart.... I think I need to get out to LA more often."

"She's looks involved Lennie. Didn't you notice the package under her coat?"

"What do you guess, Rey? Five maybe six months along?"

************************************************************

Office of Lt A. Van Buren

Oct 1 11:00 AM

The officers were giving her the rundown, "The vic was John Newby, middle management Fidelity Federal worked in the Delinquency/Asset Management department, you know, foreclosures. He typically didn't deal with customers, though, he handled title problems. Noone at the bank thought there was any particular file that raised any suspicion. We lucked out with our witness, very astute lady got a car description and license number. We are tracing it"

Van Buren offered her direction, "Ask Kincaid to go through his files more closely, there may be something there worth killing for. Let me know what the plate turns up. Wasn't there a similar MO on a driveby shooting of another professional last month in the 5-5? Drivebys are usually a gang thing and I don't think either of these are gang related."

They met with Officer Thompson who gave them the file of their open homicide. The victim in their case happened to work for Union Title Company, an underwriter. Until now they did not suspect that his occupation had anything to do with his homicide. In his case there was a paroled bystander who was thought to be the target and Mr. Jacobs was considered to just be in the wrong place at the wrong time.



Home of Abigail Holt

Oct 1 3:00 PM

"Laura, you could have been killed. I told you not to go into the city, especially in your condition."

"Mother my condition has nothing to do with anything. Pregnant women no longer sit around with their feet up knitting baby afghans."

"Remington and the boys should be with you"

"You know he had to stay at home. Evan's got school and someone has to work. I thought you were glad I made the trip before he's born" Laura replied patting her abdomen.

"A husband should be with his wife when she's pregnant. Evan could have missed a few days of kindergarten. You said HE, does that mean I'm going to have another grandson?"

"Well as far as the ultrasound reveals....and by the way mother, we are not married, no matter how many times you tell your bridge club."

"Would it be so terrible to get married? You have three children together. I just don't understand you. You ARE going to tell him about this murder thing aren't you?"

"Mother, I just told the police what I saw. I don't think anything more will come of this."

"As long as you don't try to get involved investigating it."

Actually the investigator in her did cause her to be curious about the crime, but she wouldn't admit that to her mother and certainly not to Mr. Steele. Her mother was right though about telling him. If nothing else, she'd probably lengthen her visit a few days.

(That evening on the phone) "Hi it's me"

"Glad to hear your voice, Laura"

"Something has come up and I need to stay a bit longer"

"Are you alright? Is it the baby?"

"No, no nothing like that. I witnessed a murder". Her tone was so calm and matter-of-fact, like she was ordering a sandwich.

"I'll be on the next flight out."

"That's really not necessary, there's nothing you can do"

********************************************************

Apartment of ADA Claire Kincaid

Oct 5 8:00 PM

"What the hell is all of that?" Jack McCoy inquired as he let himself into her apartment. Claire was sitting at her dining table with files and papers covering it as well as the adjacent chairs.

"Briscoe brought me this mess from the Newby/Fidelity Bank investigation. I'm looking for any irregularities that might provide a motive. How up to speed are you on title searches and real estate law?"

"Claire, I've been in the prosecutor's office for 19 years, besides I didn't come over here to work." he said with a sly smile and cocked eyebrow.

"Did you come over here to give me a neck rub?"

"Well we could start there" He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders while his thumbs rubbed small circles on the back of her neck. She tilted her head languidly from side to side. He seized the opportunity to ply small kisses along her jaw. Claire enjoyed the tender side of Jack. At work he was so intense and businesslike. They kept their affair quiet. One scandal already threatened her career. The history of his relationships with his past assistants alone was more than enough incentive to keep a lid on what they had.

Trying her best to ignore what he was doing to her, she straightened up and reached for the next file on the stack. "Van Buren seems to think the motive might be somewhere in this" She raised the file in her hand and placed it near her shoulder, inches away from his face. "You know the drill; motive, means and opportunity. "

"Must I?", he whimpered.

"Do I have to bring up all the times I've stayed in your office working late?"

They worked in relative silence. Just as Claire was about to call it quits, something caught her eye as she closed one of the files, "Jack, look at this!" She slid a title policy across the table to him.

"What am I looking at?"

"Schedule A, property description"
"He flipped to the attachment and started mumbling, "A certain parcel particularly described and bound as follows.... Claire, what? it's the metes and bounds legal description of a piece of property?"

"Now look at this one" she shoved another in his direction.

He flipped to the corresponding page and started reading. Claire in the meantime was backpedaling through the files she already dismissed to the pile on the floor. "Jack, they are all the same. Different owners, different properties, different amounts, but all with the same legal description and they are all Union Title policies. "

"Add 'em up Claire, just with the several here, I'd say we are looking at fraud in the millions"

"I'll call Anita".

************************************************************

It was killing her, not knowing. Ever since she had some complications carrying Evan, she made a reluctant compromise with Mr. Steele that she would stop working halfway through each pregnancy. At twenty-three weeks she was already past the cutoff, she reasoned, however, that this really wasn't "work". Laura looked at the business card, debating with herself whether she should call or not. She finally picked up the phone and dialed.

"Detective Briscoe," Lennie stated into the receiver of his desk phone.

"Detective? Hi this is Laura Holt from the driveby shooting incident."

"Oh, yes, Miss Holt is there something else you remembered?"

"No, I was just wondering if you have any more information on the case."

"I'm sorry Miss, I can't say... you understand... since its an open investigation."

"Certainly, sorry to have bothered you." Laura hung up the phone, resigned to the fact she was going to have to do this the hard way. She turned the business card over and dialed Mildred.

"Mildred, it's me, Laura. I need you to do me a favor. Oh, and please, please don't tell Mr. Steele I called about this." Laura relayed the Honda information to Miss Krebs to get into the New Jersey DMV. She also requested any information she could unearth about John Newby.

Just as Mildred said, "sure Miss Holt," Remington came out of his office. He knew. He had been with Laura for close to fifteen years. He was actually surprised she waited even this long to get involved. He looked into Mildred's guilt-ridden face.
 
"You can just give me any information when you get it. I'll take it to her myself." He started to walk back to his office, when he added, "Oh, and I'll need one airline ticket on the first available flight to LaGuardia or Kennedy."
 
End Part 1
To Part 2
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