Brooklyn's on fire (Carson/Hughes AU)
For the lovebelowstairs battleships AU challenge. Not only is it contemporary, they've all moved to New York.
"King's County DA's office, how may I help you? Mr. Carson's in a meeting; may I take a message? Oh, yeah, you called yesterday. I gave
him the message. I did! He's very busy. Want to leave another? Hello? Hello?" Gwen hung up the phone. "Asshole."
"Miss Dawson!"
Great. Now she was done for. Caught cursing by Mrs. Hughes.
"Carson in?"
Maybe it was the buck she'd given the beggar outside Starbucks. She must have done some good deed to have earned Hughes ignoring her infraction. "Mr. Carson's in a meeting."
"With whom?"
"I'm not sure." Gwen turned the calendar toward Mrs. Hughes. "It just says 'meeting with D'."
Hughes snorted and started for Carson's door.
"You can't go in there, Mrs. Hughes! He's in a meeting!"
Hughes stopped with her hand on Carson's door. "D as in Daisy's Diner. His meeting is with a double meatball sub and a large order of fries." When she opened the door Gwen peeked inside, and sure enough, Mr. Carson was biting into a large sandwich. She only managed to hear him choke out a startled "Elsie!" before the door shut behind them.
*************
"At least you're making time for lunch."
"Want a bite?"
"If I wanted congealed grease, I'd go lick my car engine. But thanks for offering."
"What can I do for you, Elsie?"
"I saw you got a new case this morning. I want it."
"Why would I give you my case?"
"First of all, because you're short on staff."
"I can handle it."
"Charles, you're a one-man band. You cannot do a whole department's work on your own."
"I can handle it."
"Ethel's out on maternity leave. William's in Kings' County recovering from that gunshot wound. And let's not talk about Thomas."
"It's not his fault he got caught up in that male prostitution ring."
"Not his fault? Charles, he was caught with some two bit hustler's lips wrapped around him. It was definitely his fault. At least he went to
Manhattan for it and left the jurisdiction."
"I've still got Matt Crawley," Carson tried.
"When's the last time you saw him set foot into his office?"
Carson sighed. "But the case is arson. That's mine. Vera Bates was caught red-handed lobbing a firebomb into the Daily News lobby. Said some reporter paid her for a story and then wouldn't print it."
"Did you read the file?"
"Not yet. I'm a little short handed."
"That's what I said. Look, Bates is a domestic case. I've hauled her and her husband and her hubby's little girlfriend in front of more judges than you could shake a stick at. Threats, extortion, spousal abuse, public drunkenness, you name it. I have a feeling that whatever this story was, it's part of all that. I know the woman and I've got plenty of staff. Let me handle it."
"If you get a conviction, I want the credit."
"I'm willing to share. Look, this is an open-and-shut case. I want her put away once and for all. I want to see her in Singer Correctional so bad I can taste it. Come on. Please?"
"I hate it when you look at me like that and wring your hands."
"I know."
"You'll take the case yourself? Don't go giving it to that new girl you hired. Something just seems wrong with her story."
"I'll take the case personally. Look, you want to go over the file with me?"
"I thought you said I had no time."
"So not in the office. We can do it over dinner. Ever been to Patmore?"
"Patmore? On an assistant DA's salary? You crazy?"
"I won a case for Mrs. Patmore's nephew back when I was a public defender. I go there at least once a week for a free feed. I'll meet you here at 5:30?" She opened the door and had one foot out when he answered her.
"Do you think she'll have those Crepes Suzette? I read about them in the Times."
"We can special order."
"Working dinner, not a date, right?"
Elsie walked out, throwing her answer over her shoulder. "I don't date in the office."
"I was afraid you'd say that." The only one who heard Charles's sigh was the closed door.
"King's County DA's office, how may I help you? Mr. Carson's in a meeting; may I take a message? Oh, yeah, you called yesterday. I gave
him the message. I did! He's very busy. Want to leave another? Hello? Hello?" Gwen hung up the phone. "Asshole."
"Miss Dawson!"
Great. Now she was done for. Caught cursing by Mrs. Hughes.
"Carson in?"
Maybe it was the buck she'd given the beggar outside Starbucks. She must have done some good deed to have earned Hughes ignoring her infraction. "Mr. Carson's in a meeting."
"With whom?"
"I'm not sure." Gwen turned the calendar toward Mrs. Hughes. "It just says 'meeting with D'."
Hughes snorted and started for Carson's door.
"You can't go in there, Mrs. Hughes! He's in a meeting!"
Hughes stopped with her hand on Carson's door. "D as in Daisy's Diner. His meeting is with a double meatball sub and a large order of fries." When she opened the door Gwen peeked inside, and sure enough, Mr. Carson was biting into a large sandwich. She only managed to hear him choke out a startled "Elsie!" before the door shut behind them.
*************
"At least you're making time for lunch."
"Want a bite?"
"If I wanted congealed grease, I'd go lick my car engine. But thanks for offering."
"What can I do for you, Elsie?"
"I saw you got a new case this morning. I want it."
"Why would I give you my case?"
"First of all, because you're short on staff."
"I can handle it."
"Charles, you're a one-man band. You cannot do a whole department's work on your own."
"I can handle it."
"Ethel's out on maternity leave. William's in Kings' County recovering from that gunshot wound. And let's not talk about Thomas."
"It's not his fault he got caught up in that male prostitution ring."
"Not his fault? Charles, he was caught with some two bit hustler's lips wrapped around him. It was definitely his fault. At least he went to
Manhattan for it and left the jurisdiction."
"I've still got Matt Crawley," Carson tried.
"When's the last time you saw him set foot into his office?"
Carson sighed. "But the case is arson. That's mine. Vera Bates was caught red-handed lobbing a firebomb into the Daily News lobby. Said some reporter paid her for a story and then wouldn't print it."
"Did you read the file?"
"Not yet. I'm a little short handed."
"That's what I said. Look, Bates is a domestic case. I've hauled her and her husband and her hubby's little girlfriend in front of more judges than you could shake a stick at. Threats, extortion, spousal abuse, public drunkenness, you name it. I have a feeling that whatever this story was, it's part of all that. I know the woman and I've got plenty of staff. Let me handle it."
"If you get a conviction, I want the credit."
"I'm willing to share. Look, this is an open-and-shut case. I want her put away once and for all. I want to see her in Singer Correctional so bad I can taste it. Come on. Please?"
"I hate it when you look at me like that and wring your hands."
"I know."
"You'll take the case yourself? Don't go giving it to that new girl you hired. Something just seems wrong with her story."
"I'll take the case personally. Look, you want to go over the file with me?"
"I thought you said I had no time."
"So not in the office. We can do it over dinner. Ever been to Patmore?"
"Patmore? On an assistant DA's salary? You crazy?"
"I won a case for Mrs. Patmore's nephew back when I was a public defender. I go there at least once a week for a free feed. I'll meet you here at 5:30?" She opened the door and had one foot out when he answered her.
"Do you think she'll have those Crepes Suzette? I read about them in the Times."
"We can special order."
"Working dinner, not a date, right?"
Elsie walked out, throwing her answer over her shoulder. "I don't date in the office."
"I was afraid you'd say that." The only one who heard Charles's sigh was the closed door.