It happened in the office of DA Jack McCoy. He and his assistant Serena Southerlyn had gotten a visit of James Taylor who had a burning question for them.
“Mr. McCoy, to get life someone must have done something terrible, haven’t he?”, asked James.
“Yes, why?”, Jack asked amazed.
“Because I díd get life and I was framed. I would almost kill one or two for it to get my freedom back”, the visitor replied.
“Mr. Taylor, if you indeed commit those 2 murders you get a personal invite for prison for life”, reacted Jack.
“Mr. McCoy, you can never give me life”, said James Taylor.
“And why not?”, the DA asked amazed.
“Because I already have life”, was the answer of James.
Jack and Serena looked amazed at the suspect.
“How come that you already have life?”, asked Serena.
“Because I am married to bitch of a woman”, said James.
“But you can get a divorce, can’t you?”, asked Jack.
James thought for a second.
“Well Mr McCoy, if you put it that way, a divorce is always better than to go to the nick for a double murder”, said James.
“Which double murder?”, asked Serena.
“That at my wife and mother-in-law”, the suspect explained.
Then the door went open. Mary Taylor and her mother Francis Clark came in.
“James, what are you discussing?”, asked Mary.
“How I can rid of you and your mother”, he replied.
Both women looked at him.
“I want my freedom back so I file for divorce. Then you only have life”, James said determined.
Mary looked bewildered at her husband. James got up and gave Jack and Serena a hand.
“Thanks Mr McCoy, Miss Southerlyn. You have saved me from prison”, James said after he walked away.
Francis turned to Jack and said, “Mr McCoy, why did you allow that? He had signed a contract which said that he would stay by us forever!”
“He self said that he rather had a divorce than he had to go to prison for killing you and your daughter. So then I cannot do much about it too. Would you like to leave now because my assistant and I have more to do”, said the DA.
The ladies left at once because they knew that they had lost.
“So, hopefully we don’t see them back again”, Jack said smiling.
They went back to work.
Outside Francis stood still.
“Mother, where are you thinking of?”, asked Mary.
“Have you seen that motor bike helmet in the office of that arrogant McCoy?”, asked her mother.
“Yes, and?”, Mary asked unintelligible.
“If that helmet lies in his office, then he rides of course on a motor bike. Are you coming to the garage? Then we give that motor bike a checkup”, Francis said laughing mean.
“And so we get revenge on McCoy and James. He of course gets the blame for my divorce”, Mary said who had seen the light.
So said, so done.
Soon they had found the BMW motor bike of Jack and the ladies were tinkering with it.
“So. Now McCoy is going to catch it. This was his last working day in New York or where ever else”, laughed Francis.
Quickly they went away.
By evening time Jack decided to go home. Like usual the DA walked to the garage and he started his motor bike. A moment later he rode away. Suddenly when Jack wanted to turn left he slipped with his motor bike. It took a few minutes before Jack had come to his senses but then he felt the pain in his left arm. Bystanders helped him and the motor bike up and Jack got up but now he went to the nearest hospital.
Detectives Lennie Briscoe and Ed Green came to the DA who had just left the First Aid.
“Arm wrestling Jack?”, Lennie asked teasing.
“If I may do it with my right arm yes”, Jack replied witty.
“How did it happen?”, asked Ed.
“I just rode home on my motor bike when I suddenly slipped. Someone must have tinkered with it. There is no other solution”, replied Jack.
“Any idea who might have done it?”, asked Lennie.
“No, it was a quiet day. I only got a visit of a certain James Taylor who asked my advice about life. He wants to get rid of his wife and I suggested that it was better go have a divorce instead of killing her and her mother. The mother-in-law is called Francis Clark and her daughter is Mary Taylor”, replied Jack.
“You should have become marriage advisor instead of DA”, Ed remarked.
“Jack, first we take you home, give your motor bike a check up and we go after those people”, said Lennie.
Jack agreed.
So said, so done.
The detectives took Jack home after the motor bike was collected by the forensic force.
“Good luck Jack. We keep you up to date about the enquiry”, Lennie said at the house of the DA.
Jack nodded and went inside.
“First we go to the precinct”, said Ed.
His partner nodded.
At the precinct lieutenant Anita Of Buren was looking very strange when she saw Lennie and Ed coming.
“I thought that you were free”, she said amazed.
“We were. But somebody had tinkered with the motor bike of Jack McCoy. Someone called us after McCoy had gotten an accident”, said Lennie.
“How is he?”, Anita asked worried.
“He only has broken his left arm and wrist. We have given the task to let his motor bike check by the technical force. There are a few suspects. McCoy was paid a visit by James Taylor who had asked him advice to get rid of his wife and mother-in-law. The ladies had also visited McCoy”, said Ed.
“Then I would question them first”, advised Anita.
The detectives went away again.
In the meantime James had made a radical decision to get rid of his wife and mother-in-law. In the hall were standing a few full bin bags.
Mary saw them standing and asked suave, “Darling, what are those bin bags doing there?”
“Your clothes in it. I put you on the street and a divorce is on the way”, replied James.
He pushed her to the hall so that Mary had to pick up the bags anyway.
Her mother said strict, “You don’t put me on the street!”
“You go away as first!”, said James.
He opened the door and dragged his mother-in-law outside. Mary followed with the bags. Satisfied James closed the door.
“Good riddance”, he said smiling.
“We go to my house. James won’t be alive for much longer”, said Francis.
She also grabbed a few bags and went away with Mary.
Some time later Lennie and Ed knocked at the door of the apartment of James.
“Who is there?”, asked James.
“Police”, said Ed.
The door went open and James saw the detectives standing.
“Mr Taylor? May we come in for a moment?”, asked Lennie.
“Come in”, said James said who let the men in.
“What can I do for you?”, James asked in the living room.
“It concerns an inquiry about a motor accident which happened to DA Jack McCoy. You have paid him a visit this afternoon”, said Lennie.
“That’s right but I know nothing about an motor accident. I asked Mr McCoy only advice about a life term punishment. Probably my wife Mary and mother-in-law Francis Clark know more about it. The ladies like to wreck other one’s property”, replied James.
“Didn’t Jack mention those names at the hospital?”, asked Ed.
“He did”, replied his partner.
“The creeps came in when I was talking to Mr McCoy and Miss Southerlyn”, said James.
“You and your wife are having a divorce?”, asked Ed.
“Yes, and I have put her on the street. She is probably at the house of my mother-in-law. She lives at 231 62nd avenue”, said James.
The detectives noted everything and thanked James for his co-operation.
“How is Mr McCoy?”, James asked while he let the detectives out.
“He only has a broken arm and wrist”, said Lennie.
The detectives went to the apartment of Francis Clark. Ed knocked at the door. Francis answered the door nervously.
“Mrs Clark? May we ask you something?”, asked Lennie.
“You are coming very inconvenient. My daughter is almost ready with supper”, replied Francis.
“It is urgent. Where were you this afternoon with your daughter?”, asked Ed.
“We were home the whole afternoon. Why?”, asked Francis.
“So you haven’t paid a vist to Jack McCoy?”, asked Lennie.
“Jack McCoy? Who is that? We don’t know him at all. Good day gentlemen”, Francis said laughing while she slammed the door.
“What a fun person. No wonder why James Taylor wants to get rid of her and his wife”, Ed remarked.
The next morning Jack was at work like nothing had happened. He was looking through some papers when his boss Nora Lewin came in.
“Jack, what happened to your arm?”, she asked worried.
“An accident with my motor bike. It happened yesterday on the way home. I have only broken my arm and wrist”, replied the DA.
“Does the police already know?”, asked Nora.
“Someone called Briscoe and Green. They came to look me up at the hospital and took me home. The technical force are examining my motor bike due to the accident”, said Jack.
“It is a good thing that you aren’t left handed”, his boss said teasing.
“Nice. Briscoe already wanted to arm wrestle with my left arm”, Jack said Jack who could appreciate it.
Then Serena came in. She too saw that something had happened to Jack.
“I slipped yesterday with my motor bike and broke then my left arm and wrist”, said Jack said before his assistant could ask a question.
“Any idea who has done it?”, asked Nora.
“Perhaps one or two of those women who came to visit us yesterday afternoon when Mr Taylor was with us ons”, said Jack.
“Or both. They were quite angry with you. But then to sabotage your motor bike”, said Serena.
“If they have done it they will get the bill of the repair of my motor bike. And maybe a whole lot more”, replied Jack.
At the Technical Force.
“The brake cables have been pulled loose. Hereby McCoy has slipped”, said Kevin Jones.
“Pulled loose?”, asked Lennie.
“Pulled loose indeed. And women do that usually instead of cutting through”, said Kevin.
“Lennie, I know for sure that those ladies Clark and Taylor have done it”, said Ed.
His partner thought the same thing. They went to Center Street to bring McCoy up to date about his motor bike.
“Jack, you must have the regards of your motor bike”, Lennie said smiling.
“Nice detective. Do you have news for me?”, the DA asked amused.
“The brake cables have been pulled loose. The technical force knows for 100 % zeker that one or more women have done that”, said Ed.
“The ladies Clark and Taylor. Just throw them in the nick”, said Jack.
He wrote two arrest warrants. After receiving them the detectives went away again.
Meanwhile Francis and Mary were deliriously glad that they were well known because they were mentioned in the news paper.
“Child, we finally have fame. It is just a pity that McCoy has survived the accident”, Francis said triumphant.
“We are innocent anyway. Yippee”, said Mary.
She threw the newspaper into the air of joy. Then there was a knock at the door. Francis answered it and saw again Lennie and Ed standing.
“Morning Mrs Clark. Is your daughter Mary Taylor there too?”, asked Lennie.
Francis nodded amazed and let them in.
“Mrs Taylor and Mrs Clark, You have the right to remained silent. You have the right to an attorney If you can’t afford one one will be provided to you. Everything you say can used against you in court”, Ed said while he and Lennie put different arm braces by the ladies.
Francis and Mary were so amazed that they didn’t anything to say anymore. Their joy of festive was right away swept from earth. The detectives took the ladies down to the 27th precinct.
The arrestants got placed into a interrogation room. While they sat there with Lennie and Ed Jack and Serena came to Anita.
“That’s them”, said the DA looking at the women through the window.
He didn’t like them at their first meeting but now they had tinkered with his motor bike Jack really found them dreadful annoying.
He went inside and asked, “Why have you tinkered with my motor bike?”
“We don’t know anything about that. Can you prove that we have done it?”, asked Mary.
“I don’t even know what a motor bike looks like”, said Francis.
Jack and the detectives looked at each other and they knew enough. Then detective Tony Profaci came in with a paper.
“Their finger prints are the same as those on the pulled brake cables”, he said.
Tony gave the paper to Jack who quickly checked it and passed it then on to Lennie. Here after Tony went away again. Mother and daughter realized that they were caught ardent.
“We did it because you gave my husband the advice to divorce me”, snapped Mary.
The DA went away and the women got dragged away.
Suddenly the door went open and Sheila Cooper came into the office.
“Jack McCoy! Why are you charging two poor women for attempted murder and sabotage?”, she asked sharply.
“That’s my job. They have pulled the brake cables of my motor bike loose whereby I slipped and broke my arm and wrist. Besides, they have confessed”, was the answer of Jack.
“Here a request for dismissing the case. Mrs Taylor and Mrs Clark were framed”, said Sheila.
Jack shrugged his shoulders. Insulted by the refusal Sheila left the office of McCoy. Serena came in with the record of the rapport of the technical force.
“Jack, here is the record of the technical force. The photos of the motor bike are included”, she said.
Jack looked at the record and asked after that, “There is camera security in the garage, isn’t there?”
“Yes, why?”, asked his assistant.
“Then those women must be on it too while they tinkered with my motor bike”, said the DA.
He called Briscoe and Green who came straight away and wrote then the order for seizure.
“I want that you pick up the video tape. And from the moment that the ladies Clark and Taylor came into the garage until they left. Here is the order for seizure”, said Jack.
“What time was that yesterday?”, asked Ed.
“Between 3 and 4 o’clock”, replied the DA.
Lennie grabbed the order and said, “Just made the video player and popcorn ready for use.”
He and Ed went to get the video while Jack called Anita to come and watch too.
At the garage Lennie said, “We come to pick up a security tape. It concerns the tape of yesterday afternoon between 3 and 4 o’clock. Here is the order to seizure, written out by DA Jack McCoy.”
The doorman was so amazed that he gave the tape right away.
In the office of McCoy everyone looked at the security tape. They saw indeed that Francis Clark and Mary Taylor were sabotaging the motor bike.
“Let them make clear photos from it. I am going to try to get the tape in as evidence”, said the DA.
So said, so done.
In the office of judge Peter Jackson.
“Your Honor, I demand that that video tape is excluded”, Sheila said nervous.
“And why?”, Peter asked interested in the answer.
Sheila kept silent because she knew that she surely would lose this case.
“What is on the video tape”, asked Peter.
“The evidence that Mrs Clark and Mrs Taylor have tinkered with my motor bike whereby I slipped and broke my wrist and arm”, replied Jack.
“Show me”, was the proposal of the judge.
The video tape got watched on the spot.
When the judge had seen the pictures he said, “The video tape is in.”
At the hall Sheila said, “Jack, the ladies do each 25 years to life and they pay you claim damage.”
“Plus the bill for my motor bike”, said Jack.
“Alright then. That too”, Sheila agreed reluctantly.
“Have a nice day”, the DA said smiling.
Sheila went away angry and insulted.
While they walked to the elevator Nora asked Jack, “When your arm and wrist are better again you are not going to ride on your motor bike again, are you?”
“Of course I do. When you fall off something you must get on it again”, was the answer of the DA.
“I already thought that you would say that”, said Nora said smiling.