field trip! [for ada-rubirosa]

[nichols_zach_ci]

 Confused....was an understatement. He had no idea why he was going on an outing. Usually, Zach Nichols knows why he's headed to Hogan Place because as he recalled in previous days it usually meant he was in trouble. Today? He's a bit out of sorts. He knows it's important and urgent and that there's a nice place to stop for coffee on the way back

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[ada_rubirosa]

Connie looked up at the 'hello' and then listened as the lanky man rambled. She'd been at her desk going through some paperwork for an indictment when he'd interrupted. At his last sentence, she raised her brows, her 'lovely' eyes widening in surprise. "...thanks?...Detective...?"

[nichols_zach_ci]

"Nichols," he says, and he feels a little awkward now. She seems so young. Is everyone so young or did he get old while he away finding the meaning of life and pastries? Huh. "I'm sort of new."

[ada_rubirosa]

"...okay." She nodded slowly. "And you're looking for Casey. Let me give her a call and see what I can find out." She reached for her BlackBerry. "Connie Rubirosa, by the way."

[nichols_zach_ci]

"Fantastic. I forget that people over here actually use their whole names, not just last names," he smiles. "Zach Nichols."

He looks around, rubbing the back of his neck with his empty hand. "I know this is going to sound really weird, but...Jack McCoy? Is he maybe busy? We had this...debate, you see, and then I went on hiatus. He probably took that as my surrender, and I'm sure you've heard that man gloat." He shakes his head in defeat. "It was over Mets vs. Yankees. I thought I represented the Mets well."

[ada_rubirosa]

"I have heard that man gloat. Before he was the DA, I did work for a year as his assistant." She paused. "But he's at lunch, and he's got the office's biggest Yankees fan with him." Connie couldn't help but smile. "And I grew up in Queens on the Flushing line, so I've been a Mets fan since I knew what baseball was. I think you're safe."

[nichols_zach_ci]

"A Mets fan with enough patience to work for Jack? You're amazing," and now he's positively beaming. He tips the file in his hand just a little. "And you're going to find Casey, so I can help save this kid. You deserve a medal - a really shiny one."

[ada_rubirosa]

Connie chuckled, then dialed Casey's cell. She listened to the phone ring for awhile before it went to voicemail. She frowned as Casey's message played.

"Hey, Case, it's Connie. Detective Nichols is in my office, needing a warrant. I'm going to go ahead and take care of it unless I hear back from you." She couldn't help a sigh. "Call me back."

After hanging up the phone, Connie looked back at Nichols. "Looks like you're stuck with me for now. What's the warrant pertaining to?"

[nichols_zach_ci]

"Kevin," he says and hands the file to Connie. "He's a good, innocent kid who didn't do anything except get kidnapped."

He sighs, because really, the kid shouldn't be involved but now The Man with The Van has him.

"We think he's in Frank Stroup's cabin upstate. Frank....isn't exactly cooperating, especially now that he's gone and taken Kevin. We got the information from Frank's partner."

[ada_rubirosa]

"So you need a warrant to search Stroup's cabin," Connie said. "With...no solid evidence or probable cause. Just the word of his--business partner?" The look on her face was doubtful and she glanced down, looking through the file. "Hm." As she read, she realized there were some things in their favor. "There's...one judge...It might be a longshot. But she has a soft spot for child victims...and she's a friend of Jack's. Let me make a couple of phone calls."

[nichols_zach_ci]

"Jack has friends? I've only heard rumors," he really can't help but smirk. "I know Frank has this kid. He's hit that breaking point, and he wants to hurt Helen on his way out."

[ada_rubirosa]

Connie smirked back. "He's not that bad." She picked up her BlackBerry again and dialed the number of the D.A. himself.

"It's Connie," she said into the phone once he picked up. "I've got a Major Case detective in my office right now." Pause. "No, it's not Logan." Pause. "This new guy, Nichols." An even longer pause. "Yes. That Nichols." An eyeroll. "I don't know where Novak is. I wanted to run the situation by you before I go forward with anything."

Connie took a couple of minutes and explained the case to Jack. "I thought that Judge Ross might sign off on it." She nodded as he spoke, then scribbled something on the legal pad in front of her. "I'll point that out to her. Thanks." She turned off her phone, nodding again to herself.

[nichols_zach_ci]

"That Nichols? That implies I have a reputation or something," he snorted. But, it sounded like Jack didn't like the Major Case Jelly Bean Thief either - good to know for future reference.

"Jack's going to get this twisted and think I owe him or something. You get a medal, not Jack. He's eating, you're working to save a kid."

[ada_rubirosa]

"It's a work lunch, we're relying on his friendship with Judge Ross, and he just pointed out a piece of caselaw in our favor," Connie said. Her tone was teasing, though, as she reached for the paperwork necessary to obtain the warrant.

[nichols_zach_ci]

"Well," and he looked around just to illustrate his point, "you're working during lunch. I have no proof as to what Jack's doing. I see no food for you. Jack's definition of a work lunch is paying certain people for useful information with food. At least, that's what Skoda always said. Jack's never fed me, because I'm that Nichols."

[ada_rubirosa]

"Jack's at lunch with the EADA. They're working out the logistics of several pending trials," Connie smirked. "They were going to bring me back steak." She sighed as she stood. "Guess I'll have to grab something along the way." Papers in hand, she grabbed her purse and coat and headed for her office door.

[nichols_zach_ci]

"And you're expecting ste-" but he paused when he noticed The Bump. "Oh! Oh, you're expecting! If you need to eat, we can make time for food. Save my kid, feed your future kid, busy busy kid saving kind of work lunch. I bet my soon-to-be-saved kid will be starving, so there's an extra food trip."

He offered a small, awkward smile. Just the mention of food makes him incredibly happy and a tad nostalgic for his hiatus days with free time just to be a foodie.