| The investigation continues, a confession is made, and Lennie gets a very special phone call. Tuesday afternoon 9/18/2001 |
| Office of Karen Salerno, PHC �Detective, I�m short two people as it is thanks to this situation. I don�t have time to waste with you people. Get to the point.� Ed stopped to take a deep breath. This Salerno woman was seriously getting on his nerves. �Look, Ms. Salerno, one of your employees is dead and the other may or may not be involved. And it�s starting to look like this may affect your work. We think that Blake was involved in an insider trading scam; that�s what Kate Michaels says they were arguing about last Thursday.� Salerno glared at him. �That�s not possible, Detective. I run a tight ship here; if there was any funny business going on, I�d know it. Besides, I told you, it was a lovers quarrel.� Ed shook his head. �No, ma�am, it�s pretty clear that they were not lovers. So we�re going to need a list of all the clients Blake worked on, so we can compare that to records from his broker.� �If I give them to you, will you get out of here and let me get back to doing three jobs?� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back at the 27, Lennie was buried up to his eyeballs in Rella�s files. There were three accounts that showed parallel activity on a particular stock � Andrews Industries. Now if he just knew if that was one of Blake�s accounts � Ed and Ana came in. �Hey, Lennie, you looking for this?� He handed Lennie the list of clients Blake had worked on. A grin spread across Lennie�s face. �Just what I wanted. Andrews Industries. That�s the account.� He showed them the three almost identical portfolios. �They all bought and sold Andrews Industries stocks in large volumes at the same times. Just the RIGHT times to make a boatload of money. Somebody knew what was going on before the market knew.� Ed grinned. �All RIGHT Lennie! You the man!� Anita came over to see what the excitement was about. �OK, Rella at least was involved in this, he handled all the trades. But is there anything linking it to Blake?� Lennie shook his head. �I need to track down these three names � I�m betting they�re all false, one of them has to be Blake�s. I wonder who the other two are?� �One of them is probably Rella himself, and the other is the one who�s providing the info?� asked Ana. Anita nodded. �That makes sense. OK, Lennie, work on those names. I�ll get Serena to get a warrant to search Rella�s place.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The afternoon had gotten quite hot, so Jack and Kate headed back to the apartment and the air conditioning. �Thanks, Dad, that was fun!� She handed him the helmet and let him park them on the top shelf of the closet, then turned toward the kitchen in search of cold drinks. Jack smiled, glad that they had this time together. �Yeah. Hey, grab me one too, OK?� She came back to the living room and curled up in the side chair. Jack sat on the couch, looking somewhat pensive as she handed him the soda. �Kate? Can I ask you something personal?� �Sure.� He paused, not quite sure how to proceed. �How did you figure it out?� She realized what he was asking. �That I�m gay?� He nodded. �It�s just, I realize my whole experience wasn�t exactly �normal� �� �Dad, in this game, there is no such thing as �normal!� That�s the whole point!� He laughed. �OK, you�ve got a point there. I guess I was just curious �� �It�s OK, Dad. Really.� She took a long drink of her soda. �When I was about 15, I realized it wasn�t going to happen. Boys just never got that interesting. And most of the girls were so into hair, and makeup, and fashion. I really didn�t care � I guess I was kind of a tomboy. And it drove Mom crazy. I had lots of guys who were good friends, but I really didn�t want it to turn into anything else. So I started thinking maybe I was gay. But like I said, most of the girls were just so into the whole image thing, I really wasn�t interested in any of them either. So I just bided my time. Didn�t really date through high school; Mom actually MADE me go to the prom.� Jack had to laugh at her expression. He could just see Sarah looking forward to her daughter�s big day and not taking no for an answer. �Tough life.� She smiled and shrugged. �I just tried to stay out of her line of fire most of the time. At least I got good grades, she couldn�t fuss about that. I read a lot, spent a lot of time online. Found some really interesting sites, if you know what I mean?� He blushed, knowing exactly what she meant. �She didn�t stop you?� �Nah.� She shook her head. �I covered my tracks well. But I definitely found out what kinds of things turned me on, and none of them involved boys. So I decided I had to get away from home for college, preferable to San Fran.� �So that�s why you picked there.� She nodded. �The scholarship helped sell it to Mom, but I would have gone anyway, even if I�d had to pay my own way.� Jack sighed. �If I�d have known, I�d have helped you, Katie.� She squeezed his arm. �It�s OK, Dad. You�re helping now, when I really need it.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lennie, Ed and Ana had spent the afternoon trying to trace back the three names. Not surprisingly, all of them were false, leading nowhere. The money from the sales had been deposited in offshore accounts. They called Serena to get her to add a subpoena for the offshore records to her to-do list, and got the good news that the judge had agreed that there was enough evidence of Rella�s involvement in the trading scam to issue a warrant to search his home. It was almost the end of the day, so they decided to wait until Rella got home. Ed and Ana took a CSU team to Rella�s house, and waited outside until he drove up around 6PM. As he was unlocking the door, Ed�s long stride ate up the ground and caught up with him. �Evening, Mr. Rella.� He handed him the warrant and blocked the door open with his body, waving the team in. Rella was furious. �What is the meaning of this?� Ed glared at him. �You and David Blake were playing games with Andrews Industries stocks, Mr. Rella. Do the names Thomas Smith, Jane Isaacson, and Anthony Marucci ring a bell?� Rella looked like he was about to pass out; there was no doubt he recognized the names. Ed grinned at him. �Thought so. Is that why you killed David Blake? To keep your little secret safe? Or was he breaking up with you?� �Detective, I protest! I�ve told you I�m not gay! And I didn�t kill David!� Ed shook his head. �We�ve seen your credit card records, Mr. Rella. We know where online you shop.� Rella�s complexion got even paler. Ed pushed him in the door and started wandering around the living room. �What am I gonna find in your bedroom, Mr. Rella?� �All right, all right. We were lovers. But I wouldn�t kill him, I loved him!� A uniformed officer came out of the study carrying a laptop computer. �Detective? I think this is what we were looking for.� Ed grinned. �Is that your computer, Mr. Rella? What kind of information about our friends Smith, Isaacson, and Marucci are we gonna find on it?� �I want a lawyer!� Ed got right in his face. �You go ahead and call one, Mr. Rella. You�re going to need him.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jack and Kate were in the kitchen cooking dinner when the door opened and Lennie came in. �Well, isn�t this just the perfect domestic scene?� He chuckled and came into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around Jack from behind as his lover stirred something on the stove. Kate grinned. �No, NOW it is!� Jack just couldn�t resist; he put down the spatula and spun around in Lennie�s arms, pulling him into a 5-alarm kiss. That got an all-out laugh from his daughter. �OK, you two, give it a rest already! You don�t want to burn our dinner!� Lennie let go with a sigh and flopped down at the table. �I don�t want to get anybody�s hopes up, but this very minute Ed and Ana are searching Rella�s apartment. If they find what we think they�re going to find, he�ll be charged with the murder. We may get the charges against Kate dropped tomorrow.� Jack and Kate looked at each other then in unison they came to Lennie and wrapped him in a group hug. When they finally let go, Kate sniffed the air. �Uh, Dad �?� Jack spun around and quickly shut off the burner, checking the contents of the pan. �A little overdone, but salvageable. Sorry about that!� Lennie laughed. �I could have waited to tell you. But I�m glad I didn�t.� Kate hugged him again. �Me too.� Jack poured a little water into the sauce to thin it, then turned to Lennie. �So why are you home so early? I�d have though you�d wait for them to get back?� Lennie rolled his eyes. �I was going nuts waiting. Van Buren threw me out, said I made HER nervous. I�d be happier being out there with Ed where I belong. But she promised me they�d call when they had something �� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interrogation room, 27th Precinct Ed, Serena, and Anita watched Blake from the one-way glass looking in to the interrogation room. Ed shook his head. �Man�s not saying anything, Lieu. Guess we wait until his lawyer shows up.� �That would be me. Ronald Bell, representing Mr. Rella. May I have a few moments with my client?� Anita ushered him into the interrogation room. They waited outside with the sound turned off until Bell indicated they were ready to talk. �Is there a representative of the DA�s office here?� Serena nodded and introduced herself. �Good. What exactly are the charges against my client?� �Criminal fraud and murder in the second degree.� Bell shook his head. �My client did not kill David Blake. Drop the fraud charges and we�ll give you the murderer.� Serena�s turn to shake her head. �He talks first, then we�ll see about a deal.� Rella looked at his attorney; Bell shrugged and nodded. Rella sighed and started talking. �David and I had been seeing each other for a couple of months when he came to me with a proposition. He said one of the accountants in his office was �cooking the books� for a big client, manipulating the financials to make the company look good. He said he accidentally caught her switching the numbers after hours one night. She was apparently involved with somebody at the company who got nice big bonuses when the profit margins were high, so she got her payoff from him. David threatened to expose them, so she offered to share the �cooked� numbers with him ahead of time so he could make a killing in the stock market with inside information. In fact, she wanted to make a quick hit herself just in case her sugar daddy ever got tired of her. She wondered if David knew a cooperative broker who might help them.� Ed nodded. �I knew it! It�s that Salerno woman, isn�t it?� Rella shook his head. �Karen Salerno, his boss? No, it wasn�t her. Somebody named Cheryl, Shana, something like that.� �You don�t know the name?� �Detective, how many people work in that department? Surely this is enough to narrow it down.� �So you think this Shana girl killed Blake?� �He was a loose link. He knew about her scam. Who else would?� �So how did you come to have his notebook?� Rella again looked at his lawyer. �Go ahead, Howard. You have to tell them.� �I was there that night. I was the one who called 911. I went to see him and found him dead. I panicked, knew you�d think I�d done it especially if you found the notebook and found out about the trading scam. So I left and called 911 from a pay phone.� Bell jumped in. �I realize you have nothing but my client�s word right now. All we�re asking is that if this leads you to the killer, the fraud charges be lowered to a misdemeanor.� Serena looked at the cops, saw no objection, so she nodded. �All right, Mr. Bell. You�ve got a deal.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Over dinner, Lennie filled them in on the details of the trading scam and Andrews Industries, then they moved on to more pleasant topics. Lennie and Kate got into a lively discussion of 40�s era mystery novels, specifically the classic American icon, the detective story. Not surprisingly, Lennie was partial to the hard-boiled cops, Dashiel Hammett and Sam Spade types, whereas Kate preferred the more brain-teasing stories of Ellery Queen. Jack just sat back and watched the two of them, feeling almost buzzed on the high of relief over Kate�s impending exoneration and the sight of his family coming together in a way he never imagined possible. They were still going at it when the phone rang, so Jack got up to answer it, expecting Ed with some good news. �Hello?� A female voice spoke. �Uh, hello, I guess this is Jack?� �Yes, and you are?� �Oh, sorry. It�s Julia. Lennie�s daughter. Um, he emailed a photo of you this morning. I gotta say, I don�t think I�ve ever seen him so happy. I�m glad you two found each other.� Jack was touched by her response. �Thanks. Me too. I guess you want to talk to him?� �Is he around?� �Sure, just a minute.� He put his hand over the mouthpiece. �Hey Lennie. It�s Julia.� Lennie spun around, staring at the phone. �Well, are you going to take it or what?� Jack finally had to prod him into moving. Lennie shook himself and got up, eagerly taking the phone from Jack, who went back to the kitchen table with Kate. �Who�s Julia?� Jack couldn�t help smiling. �His daughter. It�s an epidemic.� �Huh?� Jack explained the situation. �I don�t know what caused it, but it seems like it was raining daughters last week!� He caught her hand. �Whatever the reason, I�m glad.� Lennie picked up the phone. �Hey kiddo!� �Hi, Dad. I got your email this morning.� �You get the picture? Did I do it right? I�m still kind of new to this computer stuff.� �Yeah, no problems. I was just telling Jack, I don�t think I�ve ever seen you look so happy. He�s good for you. He sounds really nice, too.� Lennie felt something tighten in his chest. Her acceptance meant more to him than he expected it to. �Thanks, sweetheart. That means a lot.� �Listen, dad, there�s somebody here who wants to talk to you.� He heard the shuffle of the phone changing hands, then a child�s voice. �Grandpa?� That something tightened even more. �Tommy? Is that you?� �Uh huh. Mommy says you�re her daddy and that makes you my grandpa too.� He couldn�t stop the tears that came at the sound of that precious voice. �Yeah, Tommy, that�s right.� Luckily the boy wasn�t the sort of child who had to be prompted to speak. He jumped right back in, since Lennie couldn�t get any more words out. �Mommy showed me a picture of you on the computer this morning. You and your friend Jack.� Lennie took a deep breath. �Yeah, he�s my best friend. My very special friend.� �My best friend is Ricky Sanchez. We play together all the time. His daddy is a policeman. Mommy says you�re a policeman. Do you have a badge?� Lennie had to laugh at the way the boy suddenly changed the subject at just the right time. �Yeah, I do. In fact, it�s a very special one. It�s gold. That means I�m a detective.� �De tek tive?� The boy struggled with the new word. Lennie had to laugh. �It means I get to go after the worst bad guys.� �Wow! Can I see it someday?� �Absolutely. I don�t know when, though. But soon, I promise you.� �Mommy wants to talk to you again. Bye, Grandpa� He got all choked up again. �Bye, Tommy.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jack and Kate were sitting at the kitchen table, trying to give Lennie some privacy, when a chirp came from Lennie�s suitcoat, hanging over the chair he had fallen into earlier. Jack fished out the cell phone and answered it. �Hello?� �Jack? That you?� �Yeah, Ed. What�s up� �Listen, I just tried to call you guys, and the line was busy.� Jack smiled. �Lennie�s on the phone with his grandson.� Ed laughed. �Damn. You two have had one hell of a week, Jack.� He sighed. �Tell me about it. More importantly, tell me you�ve got good news.� �Yup. We�ve got Rella under arrest. He admits to being there Thursday night, but he says he�s the one who found them and called 911. But he confessed to the trading scam, and gave us the inside contact. We�ll check it out tomorrow. But either way, it�s obvious that Kate was set up; this murder was about the money, not a lover�s quarrel. We�re dropping the charges against her tomorrow.� Jack felt a weight of about a million pounds lift from his shoulders. �Thanks, Ed.� He found he couldn�t say anything more just then. He reached out and grabbed Kate�s hand, smiling, tears stinging at his eyes. Ed heard the relief in his voice. �Look, man it�s late. I�ll fill Lennie in on all the details tomorrow, OK? I�m gonna call it a night.� A deep breath. �Yeah. Thanks for calling. Good night.� Jack flipped the phone shut and smiled at Kate. �You�re cleared. Charges will be dropped tomorrow.� They just sat there, holding hands across the table, not needing to say anything else. Finally, Jack shook himself out of it and turned to look over at Lennie. His partner�s hand was shaking as he hung up the phone. Jack got up and went to him. �Lennie? You OK?� Lennie looked up at him, blinking back tears, but smiling. �Oh yeah.� Jack sat beside him on the couch, reaching to caress his face. Lennie sighed. �My grandson.� Jack nodded. �I know.� He gently kissed Lennie�s forehead, pulled him into a tight embrace. Kate watched them from the kitchen table, wishing she could disappear; it was obvious that they needed some time alone together. She quietly slipped back to the study and closed the door, borrowing Jack�s computer for some of her favorite online distractions. Jack just barely registered that Kate had left them alone, and made a mental note to thank her tomorrow. His crisis had been taking priority for much of the last week � it was well past time for him to put Lennie first. He held Lennie close, gently rubbing his back, until finally he let go and looked up. �You know, if there was a plane to Miami tomorrow, I�d be on it.� Air travel was still a shaky proposition after the terrorist attacks a week ago. Jack gave a soft laugh and slipped his arm around Lennie�s shoulders. �You�ll get your chance, Lennie. They�ll get this mess sorted out soon enough.� Lennie nodded and leaned against his lover. �But I want to be there NOW!� He laughed as he realized he sounded like a whiny child himself. Jack chuckled and lifted Lennie�s face for a gentle kiss. Lennie sighed and settled back against Jack�s shoulder, grateful that they finally had some quiet time together. �Do you remember the first time you held her, Jack?� �Of course. Who could ever forget that?� �Julia was so tiny. So perfect. I couldn�t believe I could have helped make anything so beautiful.� Jack chuckled and ran his fingers through Lennie�s hair. �I know, love. I felt the same way.� He felt a deep sigh from Lennie. �I never got to hold Tommy. It was my own fault, being so damned stubborn. Six years, Jack. Oh god, when I heard his voice �� Lennie�s voice trailed off, choked by a sob. Jack pulled him closer, gently kissing his head. �Shhh, it�s all right, Lennie. Just think of all the times yet to come, now that we�ve got them back.� Lennie took a deep breath and nodded, not quite finding his voice yet. Jack smiled. �You may yet get to hold a grandchild, Lennie. Kate wants a family. And she promised we�d be part of it.� Lennie sat up, looked into Jack�s eyes. // our grandchild? // It sounded kind of funny in his mind, but in a very, very good way. He couldn�t help smiling. �I�d really like that.� Jack kissed him. �Me too, Lennie. Me too.� Continue on to Daughters Ch 8 Send me some feedback Back to the Story Index Disclaimer: These characters belong to Dick Wolf and NBC. I'm just borrowing them for fun, not profit. |
| Daughters Chapter 7 |