- 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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