"OK," Eli nodded in agreement, walking away and pulling out his phone.
"Good," Olivia smiled approvingly. "Show him you trust him."
"Trust, but verify," Elliot held up his own phone. "I got a tracking app on his cell."
Kathleen abruptly turned on her heel. "I can't hear this."
TK laughed, and Elliot smirked. "And security cameras at home!"
Dickie rolled his eyes in amusement. "We'll meet you guys."
Owen watched the three Stabler children leave the cemetery. "God, Eli's growing up fast," he said.
"We kids tend to do that," TK reminded him.
Owen snorted. "Don't I know it."
Carlos glanced at Elliot's faraway expression. "You OK?" he asked in concern.
Elliot sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. "The last year has been a blur," he confessed. "Until Wheatley goes to trial, there's no closure."
"Nolan said that Wheatley's out of postponements," Olivia told him. "The clock is ticking."
Elliot shook his head. "Make it tick faster."
***
"Mr. Baptiste, Mr. Price, I'm denying People's motion for this evidence to be admitted at trial," Judge Ellery declared.
"Your Honor," Phillip Baptiste scowled from his position next to Nolan, the Homicide Bureau Chief sitting second to the Executive ADA instead of Sam. "Izak Bekher was Richard Wheatley's right-hand man, his bodyguard, his head of security, the architect of the bomb that killed Kathy Stabler. His taped confession is crucial to the state's case."
"And inadmissible as hearsay, as my predecessor admonished you three months ago since Mr. Bekher isn't available for cross-examination," Ellery countered.
Nolan smothered a snort. "Mr. Bekher can't make himself available because he's presumed dead, most likely at the hand of Richard Wheatley."
"The larger point remains, the state has not proved that my client, by 'violence, threats, or chicanery,' caused Bekher to be unavailable," Lisa Turner said from her place by a smirking Wheatley.
"I'm agreeing with you, Counselor," Ellery told her. "Take yes for an answer. Motion denied."
"In that case," Nolan folded his hands in front of him, "we move to set an immediate trial date."
"Actually, that won't be possible," Wheatley shook his head.
Ellery frowned. "Excuse me?"
"I need time to find new representation," Wheatley smiled pleasantly. "I'm firing my lawyer."
Lisa balked. "What?"
"Sorry, Lisa," Wheatley told her, not sounding very apologetic at all. "You're fine for motions, but you're not cut out for trial." He looked at Ellery expectantly. "My right as a defendant, if I understand that correctly?"
"Yes, that of course is your right, Mr. Wheatley," Ellery agreed. "You have one week."
***
"Just when I thought my case's webs were more tangled than normal," Nolan groused as he and Baptiste headed down the steps of the courthouse.
"Welcome to what Stone and I had to face before he was kicked off the case," Baptiste said dryly. "Wheatley's face when he saw you walk into the room was something, though."