SVU #26: The Trial of Jessica Wakefield
On the cover we have Jordan and Celine in the foreground and Jessica in the background even though you'll soon see just how full of nonsense this cover is.
Jess is in the interrogation room of the Sweet Valley Police Station being questioned and accused of planning to sell 100 grams of cocaine. Nick shows up and Jess is hopeful but he hates her and takes her to a holding cell.
Liz is calling Tom and just getting his machine. He finally picks up but he has nothing to saf to her. After all, how dare Liz tell him his dad hit on her. Tom thinks Liz just can't handle being replaced. Then he says-and I quote- "You couldn't have hurt me more if you'd shot a bullet through my heart." Yes Tom, I imagine a bullet tearing through your flesh and bone and into your heart and out your back leaving a gaping hole is just like finding out you and daddy have similar tastes in women. Tom decides to let Liz meet him outside the WSVU station in 15 minutes or else it's over.
Celine Boudreaux opens the door for Jordan who wonders why she never showed up at Java Joint the night before. She was supposed to meet him there after he exchanged some secret documents for her. But she didn't show just in case he got busted delivering her cocaine shipment to Nick. But Jordan screwed up and gave the package to "some girl" who was then surrounded by cops and arrested. He thinks Celine set him up but he has the package she was supposed to receive so Celine opens it but instead of money she finds a hat and freaks. Jordan realizes it was a drug deal and freaks while she's freaking out because she owes her dealers the money and she needs to pay for the Theta room she's been redecorating. Celine tells Jordan he can't go to the police because he's an accomplice now.
Tom and Liz meet and Tom asks if she believes what she told him about his dad. She hesitantly says it's all true and he says it's over for them.
Jessica has a court-appointed attorney because he parents are vacationing in Australia. Attorney Daniel Mills tells her Steven and Billie-the-girl are in the courthouse trying to secure a bail bondsman for her bail hearing the next day. Jess gets all upset at the thought of seeing her identical-but-different twin again and tears up.
Liz gets back to her dorm room and the phone is ringing. She hopes it's Tom but it's Steven who's been trying to reach her all morning. He fills her in about Jess so Liz grabs some clothes for her and a suit of her own for court and heads down to the court/jail.
Celine is at the Theta house making conversation with Enid/Alex when her drug buddies show up and threaten her but Celine pretend the on-campus bust had nothing to do with her. They threaten her with a knife and give her 5 days to get the money.
Jessica explains to Liz how she ended up in the slammer. She wanted to know more about the mysterious Nick Fox and she overheard he was going to pick something up so she showed up instead to see if she could get the dirt on Nick but instead she got busted with cocaine. Or as she says "I did it for love!" Visiting hours end and the twins have to be pried apart.
Jess is crying in her cell that night and her next-door cellmate, Marian, tried to calm her down. Marian is in for hitting her abusive husband under an attempted murder charge and she has the horrible Judge Dodd. Jess is all scared of this judge as she cries and tries to sleep.
Tom's being emo in his dorm when Danny comes in asking if it's true about the breakup. Tom confirms and Danny is all "you could get back together" while Tom is all "She's a selfish, jealous liar." Tom says Liz accused his dad of coming onto her and so Danny asks if Tom has asked his dad what went down in case he could have confused Liz. Tom shakes in rage with his fists clenched and bellows "Is the whole world conspiring to take my family away from me?" I love the dialogue of this book.
Nick visits Jessica in jail. She tells him her version of the story and he scoffs at her "mystery man" (aka Jordan) that she got the coke from, saying no one in his sting saw anyone but Jessica. This surprises me because as we all know, the SVPD is the best there is. Nick isn't convinced of Jess's story but as a detective he feels he should at least investigate her side of the story.
Jessica is in court the next day and her lawyer dude is still wearing the same outfit as the day before, just wrinklier. Steven, Billie-the-girl Liz, Lila, Enid/Alex and Isabella are all there and of course Jessica has the evil Judge Dodd. The prosecutor says he's seeking the maximum of 12-15 years for possession with intent to sell. Her defense lawyer argues Jess didn't know what was in the package and therefore couldn't have intended to sell the coke. The judge says he'll preside over a special grand jury to decide over whether she should be indicted. That so isn't how Law & Order does it. Prosecutor wants her remanded without bail, defense says she should be remanded on her own reconizance. Judge Dodd wants to make an example of her so bail is $250,000. While a bail bondsman would put up the rest if she could put up 10%, $25,000 is too much, even for Lila. *GASP* Is Lila getting poor? Anyway, Jess is remanded into state custody aka jail and her indictment will be the next day because "In this state we're tough on drugs and in my courtroom, justice is swift." Judge Dodd is a little narcissistic.
Liz is walking on-campus all upset about Jess and Tom when she crashes into Todd. She kind of fantasizes about the "good ol' days" with Todd but remembers he's dating Gin-Yung, who'se studying abroad. They chat about Gin-Yung and Todd says he's worried about her because she's exhausted lately, her grades are slipping and she's become a hermit. Liz says it's probably just stress. Liz will be proven wrong soon enough. The two end the conversation amicably and Liz floats off, thinking Todd would have believed her about his dad or something weird like that.
At the SVPD, the chief offers Nick a congratulatory cigar but Nick declines saying he has strong doubts about Jessica being the dealer. Chief says it must be a pretty girl clouding his judgment, Nick says he can't testify against Jess, Chief says he will or he'll have Nick's badge. So Nick puts his badge and gun on the desk saying he'd rather be suspended than send an innocent girl to jail.
Alex/Enid is at her drug hotline one morning and she gets a repeat caller. She recognizes the caller as the guy from the week before who was worried his girlfriend was getting him mixed up with drugs. This time he says he was right and he had passed on a boc of drugs and got a hatbox in return and because he didn't get cash, his girlfriend is threatening to turn him over to mobsters and have him killed. The guy tells Alex he's going to hide in his hometown which is a small coastal town. He hangs up and Alex freaks.
Tom goes over to daddy's and talks with his dad and siblings. His dad asks where Liz is and Tom fills him in about the breakup. Daddy dearest wants to help them stay together and then Tom tells his dad about Liz's accusation which makes daddy all pale and shaky. Tom says he just needs to hear it from his dad that he didn't come onto Liz. Tom's dad denies Liz's accusation, cries and says he'll leave Tom's life if it'll help the lovebirds but Tom swears loyalty to daddy dearest.
The Theta house is celebrating Celine's redecorating of the parlor. It's all blues and greens while Celine is in polka dots with the white hat from the drug deal. Celine hears Jess got busted for drugs and it gives her the chills knowing how close she was to being caught. Lila joins the party and freaks out over having her custom-made hat appearing on Celine's head. She thinks Celine must have picked it up even though Jess was supposed to but it was the day of the bust so Jess must have missed the pickup. Alex puts the pieces together and realizes Celine masterminded the drug deal and goes of to talk to Noah. They decide to talk to Nick.
Nick visits Liz and she tries to throw him out but finally they decide to work together to help Jess. Meanwhile, Alex and Noah go to the SVPD to talk to Nick but find out he's suspended and are unsure of what to do.
Liz visits Jess in jail and makes Jess do a play-by-play of the Coke Day. She uses her "investigative reporter skills" to help Jess remember mystery gy was wearing an SVU Engineering shirt.
Celine has a final notice from her credit card company saying they'll reposess the Theta furniture in 3 days. She tries calling her grandma for money but the butler denies her. Celine pleads "It's a matter of life and death" and the butler says, "In that case Miss Celine, let me say now, it has been a pleasure knowing you." Who talks like that!?
Alex and Noah run into Liz and they tell her they're looking for Nick and oh, Liz is too. They go off looking like they're on a yellow brick road. Noah is the lion, Alex is the tin man and Liz must be the scarecrow. That must make Nick Dorothy. They don't find Dorothy but they see Tom instead and Alex decides to go the the Theta house to invite everyone to a party because what else is there to do? The house is empty but she hears a noise and investigates and sees a figure and screams "Burglar" but it's okay, it's just Nick. Alex tells him what she heard at the hotline and what Liz got Jess to remember and how they think it might be Celine. Nick runs of to gather more info.
Liz is missing Tom and goes for a walk and runs into the other Wizard of Oz castmates. Alex fills her in on the encounter with Nick. Liz goes to the party too after seeing Tom and Danny and feeling lonely. Tom and Danny are talking about Tom's dad inviting them to the Ram's game the next day. The book was written in 1996 and I know the Rams were in St. Louis then because my dad took my brother to the game in 1995 and not me. *still jealous* Danny declines because of Jess's court date the next day, which makes no sense because court is during the day M-F and football is either in the evening or during the day on weekends. This ghostwriter is just blowing it. Either that or Danny just doesn't like Tom.
Meanwhile, there's a real burglar at the Theta houe, Celine. She finds nothing but remembers a safe downstairs that has been wired to alert the police, a little high-tech for a sorority safe. She gives up but then spies a desk where petty cash is so she checks in the drawer and bingo, she finds Lila's lost bank card in it. Celine takes it, decides to pay off her debts and buy a new outfit.
Liz is being innocent at the party and drinking punch but doesn't realize it's spiked and ends up falling over and making out with a stranger. Tom is at a party of hs own and meets a psycho and a European sophisticated slut. He decides not to hook up with either because he kind of misses Liz. Liz is at her party feeling freaked out and falls down but is saved by Todd. She kisses him drunkenly and he teases her and she snuggles in his arms.
The next morning, Nick goes to an engineering class to find out about a student who might have disappeared. One student volunteers he might know a guy. His girlfriend wears stinky perfume just like Celine. Missing student is names Jordan but no last name is known. Nick has the engineering class hack into the SVU registrar to narrow down the Jordans and they get 2 guys and their hometowns. Nick drives off to find mystery Jordan. He goes to town 1 and it's the wrong Jordan. He heads to Jordan #2's house, gets the truth, grabs him and goes to court.
Liz wakes up hungover in just a t-shirt in Todd's dorm. She can't remember the night before but then she sees Todd sleeping on the floor and realizes it was an innocent night. Liz leaves Todd's, thinking he's about to kiss her goodbye but instead he just wishes her luck at Jess's heating in just 30 minutes. Liz realizes she can't shower or change and rushes off.
Celine-as-Lila goes to the bank to withdraw $5,000 and she's treated like royalty. The banker goes to the vault to withdraw her money and returns with the money. Mr. Fowler stops by to see his daughter but says Celine is not Lila and Celine runs off with the cash.
At Jess's public grand jury (Law & Order violation) they interview one cop but not the absent Nick. The judge hears a few more witnesses and is issuing instructions to the grand jury and Jess looks around the courtroom desperately for Nick when she spies Lila's big floppy hat...on Celine's head. Jess gasps and Celine gives an evil smile. The judge tells the jury to deliberate but the foreman stands up and says there's no need to deliberate what they've all known from the beginning (LAW & ORDER, WHERE ARE YOU!?) and gets ready to announce the verdict when Nick barges in with Jordan, points his finger at Celine and pronounces Jess's innocence. Nick grabs Celine and her billfold falls open to reveal hundreds and a bank slip with Lila's name on it and Lila stands up and announces her credit card was stolen. The judge clears the court with the exception of key parties to hear the new evidence. Nick and Jordan talk to the judge and the Judge decides to make plea agreements with Celine and Jordan for the big dealers, to release Jess and to have Nick get reinstated with a commendation. The judge dismisses the charges against Jessica, Lila grabs her hat back from Celine and Nick kisses Jess. As Liz leaves, she sees Tom running away from the courtroom and has hope he still loves her. Then she heads to Todd's to share the good news and he's so attractive that she makes out with him then and there.