MCA #3, Thursday Morning
Alex Cabot had been spending entirely too much of her free time at the local bar. Then again, all Alex had any more was free time. It was hard to gear down from the frenetic pace of court cases in NYC to ... well, here. Trying to recover, trying to take things slowly, trying to find work.
Alex didn't need to work -- the Cabots had money. It was how she'd managed an Upper West Side apartment on a prosecutor's salary. And the rent here could make a hardened New Yorker weep. She had a full-sized apartment, one with a bedroom and a study. It was ridiculous, considering what she was paying. You couldn't get a closet for that, in Manhattan.
But Alex missed the courtroom like a phantom limb. Someone else was trying her cases, in Centre Street. Someone else was demolishing witnesses. Someone else was filing motions. Maybe they were missing key points of evidence. Maybe they didn't push the suspect hard enough, on the stand. She had had an astonishing closure rate, for sex crimes. She belonged there, with her squad.
There didn't see to be a courtroom on this island. But she had an office, now, and she had three quite capable employees. The rest would follow. Or so she hoped.
She sighed and fired up her laptop. There was no reason for her to still keep the ABA Journal and Harvard Law Review bookmarked, except that they served as her lifeline. She would return to prosecution one day. And in the meantime, she was going to stay on top of her game.
Her government-provided e-mail was gone. She itched to check it. At least she still had her personal accounts. The more professional-sounding one used her real name as a login, so it was probably too dangerous. The other, however ...
There was only one message in her Inbox, besides a few weeks' worth of spam.
From: elizabeth.donnelly@da.ny.us
To: habeusblondeus@hotmail.com
Subject: information requested
Caroline:
I will not ask you again. I have sent four e-mails requesting the necessary research on the Baker case, the Jenner case, and the Rosenthal hearing. If your office can't provide the necessary information, the DA will take its business elsewhere. In the meantime, make yourself useful and dig up the relevant caselaw.
Liz Donnelly
Alex stared at the message in confusion for a few seconds before bursting out laughing.
Liz Donnelly was one of the few people who knew Alex was still alive. She had been Alex's boss, at SVU. The message explained itself easily in that light: Liz was swamped, and Liz had to realize Alex was bored out of her skull not practicing law. This was a hotmail account, one that didn't have her name attached, so it was probably safe. Especially if Liz referred to her as 'Caroline,' apparently.
Legal research wasn't all that exciting, but it was something Alex could do without setting foot in a courtroom. And it was still the law.
Make yourself useful. Alex intended to.
From: habeusblondeus@hotmail.com
To: elizabeth.donnelly@da.ny.us
Subject: re: information requested
Liz --
Sorry, my laptop was shot to hell. It's been recovering, but it seems to be in good condition now. I'll get right on your caselaw. Expect an e-mail with updates soon.
Caroline
"Caroline" would probably need a last name at some point, and Alex wondered vaguely if she was supposed to be an underpaid intern or law student or what. It didn't matter. She'd pick it up as she went.
More importantly, she had to head down to the office.
(Mostly establishy/linkdroppy, but can be open if anyone wants to catch her on the way out!)
Alex didn't need to work -- the Cabots had money. It was how she'd managed an Upper West Side apartment on a prosecutor's salary. And the rent here could make a hardened New Yorker weep. She had a full-sized apartment, one with a bedroom and a study. It was ridiculous, considering what she was paying. You couldn't get a closet for that, in Manhattan.
But Alex missed the courtroom like a phantom limb. Someone else was trying her cases, in Centre Street. Someone else was demolishing witnesses. Someone else was filing motions. Maybe they were missing key points of evidence. Maybe they didn't push the suspect hard enough, on the stand. She had had an astonishing closure rate, for sex crimes. She belonged there, with her squad.
There didn't see to be a courtroom on this island. But she had an office, now, and she had three quite capable employees. The rest would follow. Or so she hoped.
She sighed and fired up her laptop. There was no reason for her to still keep the ABA Journal and Harvard Law Review bookmarked, except that they served as her lifeline. She would return to prosecution one day. And in the meantime, she was going to stay on top of her game.
Her government-provided e-mail was gone. She itched to check it. At least she still had her personal accounts. The more professional-sounding one used her real name as a login, so it was probably too dangerous. The other, however ...
There was only one message in her Inbox, besides a few weeks' worth of spam.
From: elizabeth.donnelly@da.ny.us
To: habeusblondeus@hotmail.com
Subject: information requested
Caroline:
I will not ask you again. I have sent four e-mails requesting the necessary research on the Baker case, the Jenner case, and the Rosenthal hearing. If your office can't provide the necessary information, the DA will take its business elsewhere. In the meantime, make yourself useful and dig up the relevant caselaw.
Liz Donnelly
Alex stared at the message in confusion for a few seconds before bursting out laughing.
Liz Donnelly was one of the few people who knew Alex was still alive. She had been Alex's boss, at SVU. The message explained itself easily in that light: Liz was swamped, and Liz had to realize Alex was bored out of her skull not practicing law. This was a hotmail account, one that didn't have her name attached, so it was probably safe. Especially if Liz referred to her as 'Caroline,' apparently.
Legal research wasn't all that exciting, but it was something Alex could do without setting foot in a courtroom. And it was still the law.
Make yourself useful. Alex intended to.
From: habeusblondeus@hotmail.com
To: elizabeth.donnelly@da.ny.us
Subject: re: information requested
Liz --
Sorry, my laptop was shot to hell. It's been recovering, but it seems to be in good condition now. I'll get right on your caselaw. Expect an e-mail with updates soon.
Caroline
"Caroline" would probably need a last name at some point, and Alex wondered vaguely if she was supposed to be an underpaid intern or law student or what. It didn't matter. She'd pick it up as she went.
More importantly, she had to head down to the office.
(Mostly establishy/linkdroppy, but can be open if anyone wants to catch her on the way out!)