The blackmail case ended on Friday. It was...wow. One of those times where you wonder what separates what the good guys do to win from what the bad guys do...but in the end, we're stopping the bad guys, right?


...right?

Friday, January 15

Celebrity, blackmail and murder -- all before lunch? It's a little too much. We don't have an indictment for murder yet - just for blackmail - but hopefully it won't be long.




OOC: Yep, this is based on tonight's new L&O episode, "Blackmail." Feel free to have your characters have seen the news or heard through the grapevine about the murder of CitySmear.com "journalist" Megan Karrick, the blackmail of TV show host Vanessa Carville, and/or the arrest on blackmail charges of Karrick's boss, Dennis DiPalma (...who looks strikingly like Kevin Mulrooney, 'cause they're both played by Raul Esparza... Or, you know, Connie can just fill people in....

The holidays and the beginning of the new year seem to have flown right by.

I'm still here, albeit buried under a ton of paperwork at the moment.

In case you didn't hear, Michael and I got a surprise right before Christmas Day -- I'm pregnant. We're both still getting used to the idea, but we're definitely happy.


[Private]

I've always wanted kids. As soon as I knew Michael was the one, I knew I wanted kids with him. Our families and friends are excited and happy for us... I am, too. I guess I'm also overwhelmed. Silly as it sounds (and I'm sure Alex will tease me about it), getting pregnant a month after the wedding wasn't what I had planned, and it's throwing me for a loop in some ways. Michael's being sweet about it, but I know it's not what he'd expected, either. I wouldn't change it...I just...worry...

Same disclaimer that went along with Millie's and Alex's.

Along with everyone's gift, there's a Christmas card that says "Happy Holidays, From the Cutters - Michael & Connie." There's a picture included, from their wedding day, of the two of them smiling at the camera right at the end of the first dance.


For the Pelusos: A plate of homemade cookies, along with movie passes for the three of them.

For Jeff Bennett: A plate of homemade cookies and a New Orleans Saints paperclip holder.

For Casey Novak: A plate of homemade cookies, along with a Blackberry case.

For the Eames-Dresdens: An ABBA coaster set and a plate of homemade cookies. For Ellie, a crocheted beanie and matching purse set.

For Cole & Max Hayes: A plate of homemade cookies, along with St. Louis Cardinals checkers for Cole and two books for Max.

For Jack McCoy: a plate of homemade cookies and a bottle of quite nice Scotch, along with a book on Bobby Kennedy.

For Olivia Benson, Cyrus Lupo & Kevin Bernard: plates of homemade cookies.

It's over.

Rafa recanted everything he told us at Rikers and the judge dismissed all the charges.

I could've smacked the smug look off of Marcus Woll's face.


[Private]

I'm upset that Rafa was so intimidated, but I can't say that I blame him. I'm pissed that the case was thrown out, but...truth be told, I'm also relieved. The police detail will continue for the rest of the week, out of precaution, but the NYPD is pretty sure that the cartel is satisfied enough with the outcome of the trial to leave me alone.

I don't want to know what could've happened had Rafa continued as planned, had we made our case and won it. In the heat of the moment, I was willing to put myself on the line, but when reality hit, I didn't want to die or have to look over my shoulder the rest of my life.

No, no, no, no. No.





Dammit.

Note: The first part of this, up to Connie leaving Jack’s office, is basically taken from the episode itself (Boy Gone Astray) - fictionalized as best as I can recall the scene, but also incorporating current game canon into the reactions of the characters and done more from Connie’s point of view. The rest is complete game canon, ficced from RP…hope that makes sense! Comments/feedback most appreciated!



“There’s been a development.”

Jack’s grim statement echoed in Connie’s head as she stood in his office, Michael beside her, waiting to hear the latest news on their already-precarious case. The fact that Lieutenant Van Buren was in his office, an equally somber look on her face, did not bode well. Van Buren took a moment to explain that a tape had been received at the precinct. Someone, Connie wasn’t paying attention to who, pressed play on the tape deck that had appeared on Jack’s desk.

The first strains of a narcocorrido began to play. It was similar to the one that Los Guerreros had written about their victim, Nina Wilshire, except that it was rougher, unprofessionally produced. And the subject of this death ballad was…the dark haired lady lawyer. Her.

( Read more... )

Thursday, December 10.

For the first time all week, there seems to be an upside. Small victories, right?

Wednesday, December 9.

I thought the first part of my day was bad enough. Michael and I visited my old high school boyfriend, Jonny Cortez, at this club he now works at as a DJ. We needed some insight into these songs that this band, Los Guerreros, puts out. The songs are called narcocorridos - basically, they glamorize the lives of druglords and their wives. Los Guerreros put out a song detailing the murder of our victim. It was an uncomfortable morning, mostly because Jonny kept calling me 'baby' and bringing up old times in front of Michael.

It got a lot worse than that.

A couple hours after we returned to the DA's office, we got a call from the cops.

The band - Los Guerreros - was gunned down by the cartel.

They were all killed.

The crime scene was...

...how the hell is any of this glamorous?

Monday, December 7. Evening.

After having a restful weekend, we found ourselves dropped into the middle of a rather complicated case first thing Monday morning.

A Mexican drug cartel used teenage boys to viciously murder a woman.

Child soldiers here in New York City.

You expect that sort of thing in third-world countries. These kids are high school aged and younger. Their arraignment was this afternoon. They plead not guilty. Their cheerfully smarmy defense attorney is someone I worked with years ago, who used to be an ADA.



[Private Thoughts]
Woll looked at me like he knew me, tried to act amiable after court. I'm not who I was back then and I'm embarrassed that I ever let him get that close to me.

Mulrooney was found guilty on all charges.

Taking the weekend off.

If you want me for anything, too bad.

...or just leave me a message and I'll get back to you eventually.

Michael keeps reminders in his office - not post-it notes, but pieces of old trials -- a rock that a woman used to bash her husband's brains in, for instance. The case should've been a slam dunk - there was the rock with DNA evidence and a confession. He lost.

Keeping the rock in his office is a note-to-self to keep on his toes, to remember that even simple cases can take unexpected twists and that nothing is ever guaranteed. You can't rest, even with an 'easy' case, until the verdict is in.

Still, we have to believe in ourselves and believe in the system we work in. It's a precarious balance.

Michael's parents invited my parents and sisters (...and in turn, part of the Enslow family) out to Long Island for Thanksgiving. It was crowded and loud and sometimes ridiculous, but fun.

Mulrooney trial starts today. Hopefully it'll be short and sweet.

The weekend was exhausting, but very productive. I forgot how much there is to do when you're first chair, even when the case is an easy one.

Between work and getting settled in to married life, I can't remember when I last saw my sisters. I definitely need to give them both a call.

The Mulrooney case is shaping up - we have strong evidence - but he's determined to make it hell every step of the way. Honestly, I'm looking forward to seeing him in court - I'd love to make him squirm on cross-examination.

( Private )

Yankees won the World Series. I was there. Well, still there, actually. The BlackBerry - it's a beautiful thing.

...I'm just happy that Michael is so happy. So, so, so happy.

[Note: This is set for Monday evening, after events from 20x04 "Reality Bites" - specifically, after Connie is approached by Artie Kramer about appearing on "Larry Plus Ten" and is subsequently told by Jack (and more indirectly, Michael) that she has to appear on the show in order to get the information the DA's Office needs to secure their case. Dialog in italics are direct quotes from the show.]

Monday evening, October 26.

"Why don't you go on camera?" Connie raised her brows at Michael.
"Well, he didn't ask me." Michael's retort was too amused.
She shot him a glare and he went quiet.

Later, when Jack went back to his own office, Michael tried to reassure her. "It won't be that bad," he said.

"You're not the one whose face is going to be plastered on millions of TV screens," Connie glared again. "And we still don't know that it won't come back to bite us in the ass."

"That's true," Michael said. "Our job does require us to do unpleasant things from time to time."

Connie put up a hand. "I'm doing it, aren't I?" She paused. "I went to school with Artie Kramer - I didn't trust him then and I don't trust him now. Let me be clear on that."
"All right," Michael said. He looked back down at the work he was going over. "I've still got a lot to do - some Executive Council stuff to catch up on from when we were gone..."
Normally, she might have offered to stay or found an excuse to wait around for him. "I'll see you at home, then." Connie grabbed her briefcase.
Michael glanced up and gave her a smile.
Despite her mood, she gave him a quick smile back before leaving his office.

Once she was out the door, Connie looked through her BlackBerry address book. After a moment, she dialed Alex Eames.

New case going to trial next week - Larry Johnson, lately of the reality show "Larry Plus Ten." More like, Larry plus greed equals murder. ...I have got to stop hanging around the guys from Homicide so much. My jokes are getting cheesier.

It also turns out that the reality show producer, Artie Kramer, is this jerk I went to college with. He's decided not to make anything easy for us.

I have a feeling this is going to be a stay-late-at-the-office weekend. Ah, wedded bliss. At least we'll be there together...