Participants:
| Scene Title | Put It On My Desk |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Coren finds out that Terry has recovered a piece of evidence for the Red Hook mugging case. |
| Date | May 1, 2009 |
The New York Police Department Head Quarters is an old stone building, renovated many times over the years. The plaster walls are not as cracked and in need of repair as the various Precinct buildings around the city. The fluorescent lights give the room a rather sterile glow. Old posters, civic reminders, duty rosters and newspaper clippings are tacked up on the walls, rustling every time one of the doors opens. A high, wooden desk sits on the north wall, manned by two clerks, who records all visitors and arrests.
The way out to the street lies to the south, while doors to the offices of the Head Quarters lie to the northwest.
"The lab got back with a mitochondrial DNA profile from the those hairs they found on the victim's clothes. There was no match in the system, unfortunately, so we will have to find an exemplar to match it to." Detective Shelby hangs up his phone after leaving a voice mail with his partner. The whole pulling double-shifts thing might work easily for him, but most others actually need some sleep every now and again. Telephone calls done with for now, the Englishman goes back to his paperwork, which has fallen behind.
Sitting nearby at his new desk, Terry has a wallet in front of him, recently emptied. Scattered around the desk are a wide array of plastic cards, ranging from credit cards, to a health insurance card and a license. He's typing away determinedly at his keyboard, and occasionally peering at the screen. The screen shows a face that should look familiar to Coren, and then shortly afterwards the directory page for a case file.
The appearance of a wallet and a number of cards is enough to draw curiosity from Detective Shelby, who detests paperwork. It also draws a certain level of concern, and he's quick to stand and come over, his eyes peering down from his upturned face. "I do hope you've worn gloves while handling that, unless it's your own wallet." Then his eyes peer at the cards, "Although it would appear you've recovered evidence in a case I've been working. That must be the wallet that was stolen."
Terry smirks, and says, "wasn't evidence until about two minutes ago." He glances over his shoulder now, and considers Coren for a long moment. There's a hint of tiredness hanging around Terry's eyes, as if he was working double shifts himself. "But you won't find my prints on it, anyways." He twists his chair around to face Coren more fully, and then leans back in it. "You don't look much like a 'Cassidy,' so I'm guessing you're Detective Shelby?" He doesn't wait for an answer, and instead gestures over his shoulder, and says, "that was handed to me down in Red Hook Park."
"I am." Despite being remarkably short for a man, Detective Shelby can still appear quite imposing. It's with great care, however, that he pulls out an evidence bag (which he carries on him at all times), gloves already on his hands, and begins collecting the contents of the wallet, before the wallet itself. "Always assume it's evidence," he advises, "Because if often is. It's always good to make certain assumptions in order to preserve chain of custody in the event that the assumption is true." He says it with a certain air that comes from decades of experience.
Terry nods his head a couple times over the course of the lecture, and keeps his mouth shut. He raises an eyebrow at the last bit, and then slides his chair out of the way, letting the other Detective gather up the assorted bits of the wallet. He folds his arms in front of himself, and looks like he's getting comfortable, watching the other man work.
Once all the items are in, Coren seals the evidence bag and pulls out a permanent felt, with which he dates and signs the bag. "You said the wallet was given to you in Red Hook Park?"
Terry waits for a couple seconds after Coren seals the bag, and then says, "I did. Elderly gentleman handed it to me, said he found it by the water." He shrugs his shoulders, and then says, "I have contact information for him, if you want it." With that he falls silent again, and waits for an answer.
"Put it on my desk," Coren says, "I'm going to take this to the lab. You may just have found the piece of evidence we've been looking for. Well done." On that point, the detective takes the evidence bag and stalks off to the forensics lab.
Terry smirks, and then nods. "Of course," he says, and watches the other gentleman stalk off. He looks thoughtful for a long moment, and then chuckles and shakes his head. He pulls open one of the drawers in his desk, and extracts a notepad, and then takes a pen out of the coffee mug. He scribbles down a name and address, but no telephone number, belonging to the finder of the wallet. He walks over to Shelby's desk, and then tears off the piece of paper, placing it on the desk, before going back to his work.