She barely made it.

 

Sliding into her customary spot on the last bench in the back of the courtroom, Olivia watched the bailiff walk out and announce that court was back in session.

 

Alex heard the courtroom door swing shut and turned, rolling her eyes when she caught sight of the detective. 

 

Olivia would have been worried if she hadn’t seen the corners of the ADA’s mouth turn up slightly in a smile she couldn’t quite suppress.

 

“The People call Detective Olivia Benson.”  Alex kept her gaze impassive as the brunette walk by her on the way to the witness stand, but she had to admit… it was hard.  Olivia was dressed in a snug black skirt and matching jacket over a crimson shirt. Not for the first time, Alex took note of just how good the detective looked in black and red. Glancing down, her eyebrows rose slightly when she saw that Olivia was wearing heels.  Their height clearly outlined the muscles of her calves and the blonde found herself wondering if the skin covering them was as soft as it looked.

 

Realizing that the bailiff was done swearing Olivia in, Alex mentally shook herself, her lips thinning in surprise when it took longer than it normally did to refocus her thoughts.  She glanced at the jury before moving to stand before the detective who was now looking at her with a pleasantly curious expression on her face.

 

“Detective Benson, can you please describe the events that transpired on the afternoon of June 24^th of this year?”

 

Olivia’s voice was warm, her manner open as she addressed the ADA and the jury.  “At approximately two forty-five that afternoon, my partner and I were at 236 Stewart Street speaking with a witness involved in another case.  As we were leaving the residence, we were approached by a neighbor who informed us that Tabitha Neal, a fifteen year old girl who lived across the street had run out of her house in tears earlier that morning.  The girl had been bloody and bruised and was calling for help.  Her father, Victor Neal came out of the house and grabbed her by the arm, dragging her back inside after threatening the neighbor with violence should she call the police.”

 

“What was the neighbor’s name?”

 

“Allison Montgomery.”

 

“Did Ms. Montgomery report the incident?”

 

Olivia shook her head sadly.  “No she did not.  She was worried that Mr. Neal would follow through on his threats. He is known throughout the neighborhood for his quick temper.”

 

The defense attorney shot to his feet.  “Objection, Your Honor!  Hearsay!”

 

Alex looked up at the judge over the tops of her glasses, causing Olivia’s heart to skip a beat.  “The comment was directly stated to Detective Benson and is being presented to explain the neighbor’s state of mind, Your Honor.”

 

The Judge looked at Alex sternly.  “Then I suggest your witness restate her answer.”

 

The ADA arched one eyebrow and looked at Olivia expectantly.

 

The detective sighed.  “Ms. Montgomery stated that she was well aware of Mr. Neal’s temper, having witnessed him strike another neighbor over a dispute involving a dog defecating near the steps to his home.  In addition she had seen Mr. Neal react violently in numerous other situations.”

 

The defense attorney frowned and sat back down.

 

Alex’s smile was imperceptible to anyone but Olivia.  “Please continue Detective Benson.”

 

She nodded.  “We knocked on the door to the Neal residence and presented our identification, announcing who we were.  Before we were able to ask any questions, we heard someone call out to us from inside the residence.  Mr. Neal proceeded to try and shut the door in our faces, but my partner managed to subdue him while I entered the home.”

 

“And what did you find inside?”

 

Olivia glared at the defendant.  “We found his daughter tied to a bed upstairs.  She was naked and had been badly beaten.  When I removed the strip of cloth she was gagged with she informed me that her father had raped and beaten her several times.  She was taken by ambulance to Bellevue where a rape kit was done.  Semen was found inside of the victim.”

 

Alex pursed her lips.  “And that semen belonged to?”

 

“According to the DNA results it was an identical match to Victor Neal.”  She tried to keep her eyes from following Alex’s hand movements but the long fingers that alternately waved in the air and gripped the banister between them were hard to resist.  When the ADA extended her index finger and pointed at the floor as she asked her next question, Olivia had to struggle to hold back a smile.

 

“And what was the defendant doing while you were freeing his daughter, Detective Benson?”

 

This time she did smile.  “He was yelling from the street.”

 

“Yelling what?”

 

“That ‘The little bitch deserved it!’  and that she ‘Put out for the whole neighborhood!’.”

 

The defense attorney was back on his feet.  “Objection, Your Honor!  My client had not been properly Mirandized at that point so any comments he may have made are not admissible!”

 

Olivia could see the feral look that flashed through Alex’s eyes.

 

“The People maintain that said comments were made in the heat of the moment, Your Honor.  No questions were asked, the defendant’s admissions were given freely and with malice.  They qualify as an Excited Utterance and should be allowed.”

 

“I agree.”  The judge looked sternly at the other attorney.  “Overruled.”

 

“What happened at that point Detective?”

 

Olivia shifted as Alex’s attention returned to her, still heated by her recent victory.  “My partner arrested Mr. Neal and took him into custody while I accompanied Tabitha to the hospital.”

 

“And what occurred at the hospital?”

 

“During the course of the examination and the collection of the rape kit it was discovered that Tabitha Neal had been a virgin at the time of her father’s initial attack.”

 

Alex graced her with a small smile and nodded slightly.  Olivia could read her expression easily. 

 

Let’s see them try and blame it on the victim now!

 

“No further questions.”

 

She watched Alex return to the Prosecutor’s table, enjoying the slight swagger in her step so much she almost missed the first question from the defense.

 

“Ms. Benson-“ 

 

She shifted her attention to the attorney standing in front of her, taking in the expensive suit that did nothing to hide the slime that showed through from underneath.  “Detective Benson.”  She leaned back in her chair, her posture easy but her eyes hard.

 

He blinked, a slight flush the only indication of the anger he felt at being corrected.  “Detective Benson,”  The derision in his voice was clear and she noticed Alex’s tiny grin from across the room.  Nothing like insulting the savior of a fifteen year old rape victim to kill your rapport with a jury!  “You stated that when my client opened his front door, you heard his daughter call out for help, is that correct?”

 

“No.”

 

He blinked again.  “I can have the court reporter read that part of your testimony back to you.”

 

She leaned forward again, her eyes turning to bits of ice.  “And if you did, you would hear that I stated Tabitha Neal called out to us.  I never said she called out for help.  That would have been difficult, considering she was gagged at the time.”

 

He swallowed; a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.  “So you are stating that you could just tell that she needed help?  Is that some kind of sixth sense cops have?”

 

Olivia shook her head; smiling softly.  “I think it went something like this…”  She covered her mouth with her hand and proceeded to scream, startling the jury, causing most of them to blink and sit up straighter as the defense attorney turned a strange shade of white.

 

From the Prosecutor’s table, Alex looked down at her lap and pressed her lips together to keep from laughing out loud. 

God, I love you Olivia.

 

            *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *          

 

Fin looked up as Olivia sauntered into the bullpen, his wolf whistle loud in the empty squad room as he took in the outfit she was wearing.  He was awarded with a deep flush.

 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever!”  Olivia poured herself a cup of coffee.  “Don’t forget I’ve seen the suit you wear to court, Pimp Daddy.”

 

“How come you only ever dress up for Alex?”  He grinned at her glare.

 

“I’m dressed this way for court, thank you!”  She looked around.  “Where is everyone?”

 

“Kathy called.  Dickie’s sick and she’s stuck at work so he took off a little early.  Munch is down at the mail forwarding place that Tate has listed as her address on her license.  The owner didn’t want to give up her address on record but he threatened to get a court order to go through every package in the place and he coughed it up pretty quick.”

 

She looked at her watch.  It was past five.  She hadn’t realized she had spent that much time at court.  “Anything else going on?”

 

“Yeah.”  Fin handed her a folder.  “Daddy dearest came by.  Seems he remembered the name of that book store after all.  He dropped off the info along with a statement about every negative bit of info he had on Serra Tate.”  Fin frowned.  “Funny how he forgot to mention all that to you when you talked to him.”

 

Olivia flipped through the folder.  It was filled with candid shots of Serra in various city locales along with some very in depth information about her personal and financial history.  “Some of these reports are dated months ago.”  She raised her eyebrows.  “And they look pretty official.”

 

“If you ask me Wainscott had a P.I. on our girl.”

 

“My thoughts exactly.”  She saw him grab his jacket.  “You out of here?”

 

“Yeah, I got a date.  You should take off too.  Elliot said he’d do the rounds with you on the home and work in the morning.  Have a good one!”

 

She wandered over to her desk and sat down, going through the file more slowly.  She wasn’t aware of how much time had passed until Cragen’s door opened some time later.

 

“Olivia!  What are you still doing here?”  The Captain looked at his watch.  “It’s almost seven.”

 

“I just got caught up reading through the info Judge Wainscott dropped off.”  She closed the file quickly and stood, stretching to get the kinks out of her neck that her intense concentration had caused. 

 

“Well, we have a new development.”  He tossed the evening edition of the Times on her desk and she groaned as she saw the headline on the front page.

 

Socialite Found Dead In Uptown Apartment.

 

“How bad is it?”

 

Cragen shrugged.  “Not as bad as it could be.   The name is still being held ‘pending notification’ thanks to Warner, but someone leaked the missing face.  No mention of the S&M angle as of yet.”  He sighed heavily.  “I guess we should be grateful we got two days on this without it splashed all over the city.”

 

“Have we heard from Huang?”

 

“Yeah he called this afternoon.  He’s still at his conference in Miami but he got the pictures and Warner’s summary that we fedexed him.  He’s going to start going through them but he won’t be back until Monday.”

 

She nodded tiredly and he seemed to take notice of her outfit for the first time. “How did it go in court?”

 

“Pretty well I think.  No news yet though.  Alex was supposed to call me…”

 

Cragen laughed.  “Knowing her she’s buried under a mountain of paperwork in her office and can’t reach the phone.  The two of you are like matching bookends.”  He pushed her gently towards the door.  “Go home.  Get some rest and come back to this fresh in the morning.”

 

Nodding wordlessly she slid on her jacket and followed him out the door.

 

            *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *

 

Her fourth floor apartment was dark when she entered, stuffy from being closed up all day and far too quiet for her liking.  With a sigh, Olivia cracked open the window and allowed the cool early winter air to wash over her; it smelled like the city, like the rain and snow that would be coming soon.   She slowly slipped off the jacket she was wearing and draped it over a chair.

 

Unbuttoning her shirt, she wandered into the bedroom.  She undressed in the dark, pulling on a pair of boxer briefs and a t-shirt, knowing that she would be cold but looking forward to curling up under the quilt that lined the back of her couch as she went over everything that had happened that day in her mind.

 

It was her little ritual; a way to unwind and sift through her thoughts until she was tired enough to sleep.

 

As she settled herself into the corner of her sofa and pulled the blanket over her however, she found herself haunted by bright azure eyes.  The way they had seemed to surround her in court, how they had held her safely as she recounted the horrors she had found in the house on Stewart Street.  After a brief inner struggle she gave up trying to control her own thoughts and allowed her mind to piece together Alex’s face.  First it was the smooth, peach colored skin, then the high cheekbones, followed by full red lips, the bottom one swollen slightly, as though she was pouting…or had just been thoroughly kissed.

 

In her mind’s eye, Alex’s head tilted back slightly on the long, leonine neck; her eyes rolling back and then closing as the blonde licked her lips, one word dropping breathlessly from her mouth… Olivia…

 

The shrill ringing of the phone snapped the brunette out of her fantasy and her jaw dropped open slightly as she realized that her hand had slid under the blanket to gently cup one of her breasts.  Pulling it away as though it were on fire, she shook her head violently.

 

“Jesus, Benson!  Get a friggin’ grip!”  She reached out and plucked the phone from it’s charger on the end table, barking into it a little more roughly than she intended to.  “Yeah?”

 

There was silence on the other end for a moment.  “Olivia?”

 

The detective’s eyes closed and she groaned quietly as her softly spoken name did things to her that even her own hand hadn’t accomplished.

 

“Are you ok?”  Alex asked, concern threading her voice.  “Are you hurt?”

 

“What?”  Olivia reigned in her thoughts.  “What?  No!  Why would you think I was hurt?”

 

“Well you kind of… groaned.”  The voice at the other end of the line became slightly amused.  “Or am I interrupting something?”

 

Olivia didn’t think she could be more embarrassed than she was at that moment.  “No!”  She stammered. “No!  I’m alone!”

 

“Still not an answer to my question…”

 

She had been wrong.  Her cheeks bright pink, she could only stare at the phone in her hand.

 

Alex’s voice dropped an octave and suddenly the cool air coming from the window seemed to have no effect on the room temperature whatsoever.  She tossed away the blanket.  “Do you need me to let you go…”

 

“Alex!”  She growled.

 

“Ok, ok!”  The ADA’s laughter was bright and cheerful.  “I’m sorry.  I couldn’t resist.”

 

“You don’t sound very sorry.”

 

“I plead the fifth.”

 

Olivia smiled.  “You’re in good mood.  Did the jury come back?”

 

“Not yet.”  She could hear Alex moving around in the background.  “We’re adjourned until tomorrow morning but I don’t expect deliberations to take very long.  Not after your testimony.”

 

The detective shrugged but couldn’t help the smile that graced her lips.  “Any time.”  She heard the sound of a cork being pulled from a bottle.  “Where are you?”

 

“I’m at home.  I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier but I got stuck at work.  Got back to my office to find a tower of case files on my desk.”

 

“I figured.” Olivia stretched, unaware of the slight whimper that escaped her as her muscles loosened.  “So what are you going to do now?”

 

Alex was quiet for a moment. “Well, I was going to see if a certain SVU detective wanted to meet me somewhere for drinks, but you sound pretty happy right where you are.”

 

The brunette looked down at herself with a rueful grin.  “I’d love to but I’m already in my pajamas.”

 

She could almost hear the blonde’s eyebrows arch.  “You wear pajamas?”

 

Olivia’s mouth went dry.  Alex was being…playful? 

 

“You saying you don’t?”  She grinned in victory at the unmistakable sound of liquid being expelled through laughter.

 

“Olivia!”  Alex growled.  “I’ll have you know this is a wonderful Shiraz and you just made me waste it!”

 

The detective laughed.  “I’d say that was a victimless crime.”

 

“Tell that to my dry cleaner.”

 

“Are you going to answer the question?”

 

“I think that would be classified as privileged information, Detective.”

 

“I believe you opened the door to this line of questioning, counselor.”  She smirked.  “You can’t un-ring a bell.”

 

Alex’s gentle laughter made her heart ache.  “I do believe you have been spending way too much time around me.”

 

“Not possible.”  Olivia clamped her hand over her mouth a second too late, her eyes widening as she realized she had spoken her thoughts out loud.

 

There was silence from the other end of the phone for a few long seconds.  When Alex finally spoke, Olivia could hear the smile in her voice.  “Well, we could still have a drink together.  Give me a few minutes to change and I’ll meet you on my couch.”

 

The brunette took a deep breath.  “Change into…?”

 

“You’re impossible!”  The blonde laughed.  “Do you have something to drink?”

 

“Not at the moment.”

 

“Well go and get something.  I’ll be right back.”

 

Olivia heard her set the phone down and dashed to her kitchen, returning to the couch with a bottle of Merlot and a glass.  She had just pulled the cork free when she heard Alex call her name.

 

“I’m here.”  She tucked the receiver between her ear and her shoulder and poured herself a glass of wine.

 

“So what did you find?”

 

“ 1997 Beringer Bancroft Ranch Merlot.”

 

There was a soft whistle.  “You opened that to talk to me on the phone?  I’m flattered.”

 

“When I bought it, the guy at the store said it was meant to be consumed slowly, so that you could truly appreciate the flavor.  I guess this will have to be a long conversation counselor.”

 

“Be careful what you wish for, detective.”

 

Olivia smiled.

 

 

*           *           *           *           *           *           *

Friday 08:57 AM

 

Elliot squinted into the morning sun as he climbed out of the car.  Walking around to the passenger side he opened the door, rolling his eyes as he took in the sight of his partner.

 

Olivia was sound asleep, her head tilted back against the headrest. She had been that way since they had gotten on the expressway forty five minutes earlier.  He half wished the drive had been longer; maybe then she would have drooled on herself.  That alone would have been worth the long drive spent in silence.

 

“Olivia!”  He shook her shoulder gently.  “Hey!  Wake up!’

 

Slowly, Olivia stretched, raising her arms over her head as she purred deep in her throat.  A slow smiled eased its way across her lips until she opened her eyes and saw him standing over her, then it faded quickly to a confused frown.  “Elliot?”

 

He snorted.  “Hey, I know I’m not your idea of Princess Charming but you don’t have to look at me like I’m a Sasquatch.”

 

“You forget I’ve seen you changing your shirt in the crib.”  She yawned.  “I KNOW you’re a Sasquatch!”

 

“Ha ha.”  He slammed the door after she had climbed out, watching as she arched her back until it popped.  “What is it with you this morning?  Another late night with Cabot?”  She got a strange look on her face but before he could question her further she shifted into business mode, the gentle laziness and easy manner gone in a millisecond.

 

“So, what’s the address?”

 

He blinked at the rapid change but flipped open his notebook.  “Twelve forty-one.  It’s the second one up on the right.”

 

Olivia stopped at the curb and studied the small duplex in front of her.  It was a run down building in a run down section of town.  Definitely not someplace anyone with money would want to live.  “Who owns this place?”

 

“It’s a rental.” Elliot looked down at his pad.  “The mail forwarding facility that Tate had on her license lists this as her home address, but it isn’t in her name.  Lease is under the name Shelly McManus.”

 

Olivia shrugged.  “Maybe she rents a room?”

 

“Or maybe she’s trying really hard not to be found.”

 

The brunette frowned but didn’t say anything.  Walking up the steps, she hit the bell, waited ten seconds and then hit it again.

 

The door flew open to reveal a pretty redhead in her early twenties with an extremely irritated look on her face.  Elliot held up his badge.  “I’m Detective Stabler, this is Detective Benson.  We’re-“

 

“I know what you’re doing here.”  She snapped. 

 

Olivia’s eyebrows rose.  “You do?”

 

“Yes, and Serra isn’t here, so go and look somewhere else.”  With that, she slammed the door in their faces.

 

“That went well.”  Elliot shook his head as they walked back to the car.

 

“No kidding.” She chewed on her bottom lip.  “It doesn’t make any sense.  How would she know we were here for Serra and why would that make her so angry?”

 

“No clue and that statement sums up our track record with this case.” 

 

“Well, we’ve still got her job to check out.”  Olivia flipped open her notebook reading the information she had gotten from Fin.  “She works at a book store on E street called Ink, Inc.”  She laughed under her breath.  “That must have taken a lot of thought.”

 

“Let’s go give it a shot.”

 

It was late afternoon by the time they got there, and the store was fairly crowded.  A young brunette wearing a name tag that said ‘Mary’ walked up to them with a smile.  “Welcome to Ink.  What can I help you with?”

 

“Some information.”  Olivia flashed her badge.  “Can we speak to the manager?”

 

“Oh,” Her eyes glanced over Elliot’s shoulder.  “Jodi’s at lunch.  I’m the lead, can I help you?”

 

“Maybe.”  Elliot smiled.  “We’re trying to locate an employee of yours.  Her name is Serra Tate.  Is she working today?”

 

“Uh... Serra?  I’m not sure.”  Her eyes flicked away again.  “Why don’t you come back to the office and I can check her schedule?”

 

Olivia frowned.  “Something interesting going on over there?” She glanced over her shoulder to the cashier.  The young man behind the counter flinched visibly as he tucked a walkie-talkie into his pants pocket.  A moment later, a fire alarm went off at the back of the store.

 

“Elliot! Take the front!”  She pushed him towards the door while she ran for the back.  She made it to the alley just in time to see a silver Lexus speed around the corner.  “Damn it!” 

 

Elliot jogged towards her from the street.  “Anything?”

 

She shook her head.  “Dealer plates.  But that was one hell of a car for someone that works part time at a used book store.  Whatever is going on, she’s definitely running from us.

 

He nodded as he caught his breath.  “Now we just need to find out why.”

 

Olivia smiled darkly.  “Well, I can think of two people who better have some fucking answers.”

 

            *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *          

 

Captain Cragen sighed as he watched the young man through the two way mirror, frowning when Elliot and Olivia walked in; both of them with irritated looks on their faces.

 

“She wouldn’t give you anything?” He asked.

 

Olivia shook her head.  “Apparently Mary Ferguson is pre-law.  She knew we didn’t have anything to hold her on.”  She ran her fingers through her hair.  “So, short of staking out her work and her home round the clock, which I don’t think would do us any good at this point, our last avenue of information on Serra Tate is sitting right there.”  She nodded to the young man sitting in the gray room looking nervous.  “Do we have anything we can use for leverage?”

 

Munch held up a thin file.  “Danny Todd, below average student at Brooklyn Junior College.  No criminal record but thirteen outstanding parking tickets.”

 

Elliot rolled his eyes.  “If he was willing to piss off the cops I doubt threatening him with a fine is going to sway him.”

 

Cragen looked at the young man thoughtfully.  “Then go in hot.”  He said finally with a small shrug. “Throw everything you can think of at him and hope he isn’t pre-law too.”

 

Elliot glanced at his partner.  “Top or bottom?”

 

“Like you even need to ask!”  She smirked.

 

They walked into the room one at a time, Elliot leading the way.  He set a cold soda in front of Danny before leaning against the wall behind him.

 

Olivia, on the other hand, bulled into the room like she had to physically push the air out of her way.  Picking up one of the metal chairs, she slammed it down backwards, straddling it as she looked at the young man pointedly.

 

“You’re in a lot of trouble, Danny.”  She growled.

 

To his credit, the kid managed to hide most of his fear.  “You don’t have any thing to hold me for.  I want a lawyer!”

 

“You’re not entitled to a lawyer.”  She leaned forward, laying her forearms on the chair so that her hands dangled in front of her.  “You haven’t been arrested… yet.”

 

“Yet?”  His voice held a tremor of anxiety and the detective smiled inwardly.

 

Nope, not pre-law.

 

“At the moment, Danny,” She continued softly, but with unmistakable steel threading her words.  “We’re trying to decide just how many charges to file against you.  So far you’re looking at obstruction of justice, interfering with a police investigation…”  She paused for a moment and then thought ‘what the hell’.  “Maybe even accessory to murder.”

 

“MURDER?”  Danny’s voice cracked.  “What are you talking about?”

 

“I’ll ask the questions.”  Olivia grabbed up the soda and popped it open, taking a long drink.  “Tell me about Serra Tate.”

 

He looked at her warily.  “What do you want to know?”

 

“Why did she run from us?  Why did you warn her we were there to talk to her?”

 

“I did it for Mary!”  Danny’s shoulders slumped.  “She and Serra are really good friends and she told me that Serra was getting harassed.  That if anyone came looking for her, that I should give her a heads up.”

 

Olivia looked at the boy sarcastically.  “We identified ourselves, Danny.  We aren’t just two Joes off the street.   We’re New York City police detectives.”

 

He sighed.  “Mary told me it didn’t matter who it was.”

 

“So who was harassing Serra?”  Elliot asked quietly, almost gently.

 

Danny responded eagerly, turning in his chair to look at the other detective like he would somehow save him from Olivia.  “Some rich chick…”  He scratched his head.  “They were a pretty hot item for a while, but something happened and Serra got scared.  She bolted and this chick would not leave her alone.  Jeez what the fuck was her name…  Walltrim?”

 

Olivia rolled her eyes.  “Wainscott?”

 

“That’s it!”  His eyes brightened.  “She had money and some kind of influential family.  Serra wouldn’t talk about what happened but apparently it was bad.”

 

She glanced at Elliot.  “How bad?”

 

Danny sighed.  “Bad enough to make her run from anyone she didn’t know.”

 

Elliot pulled out a chair and sat down next to the young man, placing a hand on his shoulder.  “We need to talk to Serra, Danny.”  He smiled reassuringly.  “We need to find out what happened between her and Samantha Wainscott.”

 

“Why?”

 

The two detectives looked at each other.  Olivia shrugged.

 

“Because Samantha Wainscott is dead. She was murdered in her apartment early Wednesday morning.”

 

“The woman in the paper…”  Danny’s mouth opened, then closed, then opened again.  “I…  I didn’t know.”

 

“But now you can see the severity of this situation, can’t you?”  Olivia leaned back.  “Unless you want to be charged as an accessory after the fact, I suggest you start talking.”  She watched as all the color drained from his face.

 

“I don’t know where she is…”  He whispered.

 

“Fine!”  Olivia stood and slid the chair back under the table.  “Then we can’t help you.”

 

“Wait… wait!”  Danny jumped up, only to find himself restrained by Elliot.  “I don’t know where she is now… but I know where she might be later.”

 

            *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *

 

“So what do you think?”  Cragen asked as his detectives left the interrogation room.

 

“He’s telling the truth.”  Olivia rubbed the back of her neck.  “At least as much as he knows of it.  He’s too terrified to be lying.”

 

“I agree.”  Elliot nodded.

 

“And the tip?”

 

“Couldn’t hurt to check it out.”  Elliot frowned when his partner sighed heavily.

 

“Olivia?”  Cragen looked at her pointedly.

 

“I dunno, Cap.  If Serra was so terrified of Samantha that she was jumping at shadows why the hell would she go to her apartment at all?”  She sighed.  “But I don’t deny that we need to talk to her.  Just seems like a stretch that she would go there after running from us all afternoon.”

 

“Not if she thinks you two were just more of the same harassment she was subject to before, whatever that might be.”  He looked thoughtful for a moment.  “This is the best lead on her location at the moment.  You two take Munch and Fin and make it happen.”

 

“Are we going to call Alex in on this?”  She asked.

 

Captain Cragen shook his head slowly.  “The DA’s office wouldn’t be too happy about an undercover operation to find a ‘person of interest’.  We don’t even have enough to arrest Tate.  I think the less said to Cabot, the better, at least until after we find her.”

 

“What about him?”  Elliot jerked his thumb towards the window.

 

Don sighed.  “We can hold him for twenty four hours without charging him.  We’ll keep him here until morning.”

 

The detectives went back to their desks, each of them making phone calls and sending emails to prepare for the coming night’s activities.  Olivia reached out and grabbed the handset to contact TARU just as the phone rang.  The warm tone on the other end of the line took her by surprise for a moment.

 

“Hey Liv.”  There was a pause when she didn’t answer.  “Olivia?”

 

“Uh…yeah.  Hey Alex.”  The activity in the squad room stopped as everyone turned to look at her.  “What’s up?”

 

“Nothing, amazingly.”  She could hear Alex smile through the phone line.  “I was thinking about the offer you made me last night and I wanted to know if I could take you up on it.  I find myself unsurprisingly available this evening and in the mood for some really good Italian food.”

 

Olivia couldn’t believe Alex would be available any night of the week, let alone a Friday and closed her eyes in frustration.  “I’d really love to, but I… I have plans tonight.”

 

There was a pause and the voice that finally responded was quite a few degrees cooler.  “Of course, it’s Friday, I don’t know why I thought you would be free.”

 

“Can I get a rain-check?”

 

“Sure… whatever, Olivia.”

 

The detective closed her eyes and sighed, turning her back to her squad mates who were watching her with raised eyebrows.  “Alex… I’m really sorry I can’t go.

“Hey, no need to apologize.”  She heard the blonde sigh.  “Some other time.”

 

“Definitely.”  Olivia hoped she sounded adamant, without sounding overly eager.  She didn’t want to scare Alex off… or have to explain the conversation to the men behind her.

 

She hung up the phone and quickly dialed TARU, not giving Elliot time to ask her anything at all.

 

 

*           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *

 

Chapter Four: Right Place, REALLY Wrong Time…

Friday 09:30 PM

 

Olivia slid into the back of the taxi cab, sighing as she tried for the tenth time to get the cleavage escaping from her dress to behave.  “Why am I doing this?”

 

In the front seat, Elliot picked up his pad and read over his notes.  “Because according to reliable sources, Serra Tate makes an appearance at this bar every Friday night between 10 p.m. and midnight.”

 

“No, I get that part.”  She gave up and leaned back into her seat.  “What I want to know is why I’m the one all dolled up for this.  There are a hundred female cops that would kill for the chance to go undercover.  I’m the one that thought this was a bad lead remember?”

 

He cleared his throat as he hit the meter and carefully pulled out into traffic.  “You fit the profile.”  He mumbled quietly.

 

“What profile?”

 

Elliot sighed.  “The victim’s profile, Liv.  You’re the same height, same body type, same…”

 

Her eyes narrowed.  “Same what?”

 

“Age…range.”  He grinned when she glared at him.

 

“Great!  Serra Tate is twenty-two years old.  I’m going to end up looking like a chicken hawk!”  She grabbed the top of her dressed and tugged, trying to get it to stay in place.

 

“Stop fidgeting, you look great.”

 

OIivia glanced into the rear view mirror of the cab, frowning at the reflection of Eliot’s eyes looking back at her.  He was her handler tonight.  He would drop her off in front of the club and then park around the side, switching off his ‘In Service’ light so that he could monitor her audio feed undisturbed.   Munch and Fin would be stationed in a second car a block over.

 

“That’s easy for you to say.”  She grumbled, straightening the two-way transceiver that was hidden in her cleavage.  “This thing is so tight my boobs are reading the numbers on the volume dial by Braille.”

 

Elliot laughed from the front seat as he raised his head to take in more of his partner’s appearance.

 

The dress was a traffic accident waiting to happen.  Black and strapless, it looked like it had been painted on, barely covering her body from the area right above her nipples to just below her thighs, the silk straining to contain her breasts, which had been pushed up and enhanced by the harness necessary to hold the surveillance equipment in place.

 

Not that they need much enhancement.  He thought to himself, wishing he could see her legs.  There was just something about a gorgeous woman in knee-high black boots…

 

Olivia cleared her throat and Elliot’s eyes jumped back to her face.  He grinned unrepentantly at her scowl.

 

“You’re married, and you’re like my bother, El!”

 

“Hey,” The big man shrugged.  “Nothing wrong with admiring the scenery.”

 

She sighed. “Tell me again why I’m dressed like this?  Most of the lesbian bars I’ve ever been to didn’t require much more than shirts and shoes.”

 

He raised one eyebrow in the rear view mirror. “And just how many lesbian bars have you been to?”

 

Olivia flushed.  “Shut up, Elliot.”

 

Stabler laughed quietly.  He was going to be living off of this one for weeks.  “Fin said this isn’t your typical lesbian bar.  Apparently it’s the high end muckity-muck variety.”

 

“And how would he know?”

 

“I didn’t ask.”

 

She picked up the tiny black purse that was resting on the seat beside her and opened it, pulling out a small earpiece to hold it in the palm of her hand.  “How did we rate the top of the line stuff tonight?”

 

Normally, the earpiece would be attached to a transparent cable that wound over the back of her ear and then ran down the side of her neck.  What she held in her hand now was one of only four new wire devices the city had graced them with earlier in the year.  Its base was flat, no larger than a dime, with a thin rubber coated wire that held it snuggly behind her ear.  There was no piece that went directly into her ear canal and she looked at it skeptically.

 

“With that dress?”  Elliot shook his head. “A wire running from your ear down into your chest might draw a little bit of attention.  Your breasts will get enough as it is.”  He mumbled under his breath.

 

Ignoring him, she activated the unit and slid it on, laying her palm over her other ear to block out the sound.  “Say something.”

 

“Something.”

 

Both of her eyebrows shot up.  “Huh… clear as a bell.”  She closed her bag and sat back.  “So what is this place called again?”

 

“Velvet.”

 

Olivia rolled her eyes.  “Subtle.”

 

“Ok, we’re here.”

 

She slid over to the door and looked out, her forehead furrowing in confusion.  “This can’t be right.”

 

Her partner looked at the address written on his notepad.  “1655 Park West.” He glanced out the window as well.

 

There were no neon lights, no signs of any kind.  Nor was there a line of people waiting outside to get in as there would be at most clubs by this time on a Friday night.  The building was nondescript, but very well cared for; not a single inch of ivy covered the bricks.  People considered ivy to be romantic, but true New Yorkers knew the amount of damage it could do to a buildings exterior.  The only incongruous elements to this place were the pristine white door set into the center of the deep red brick and the well dressed doorman standing beside it.

 

“Uhm… Elliot?  Just how exclusive is this club?”

 

“Dunno.”  He switched on the radio sitting on the seat next to him and began to fiddle with the dials, finally satisfied when the signal spiked. 

 

“How do we know I’ll even be able to get in?”

 

Her partner turned to look at her through the plastic shielding that separated them.  “You’re joking right?”  He shook his head.  “Liv, you look incredible-“

 

“Yeah but do I look like a high-class lesbian?”

 

Elliot strangled on his laughter.  “Only every day of the year.”

 

“Thanks a lot!”  She scowled at him and opened the car door.

 

“Trust me, it’s a compliment!”  He called after her as she slammed the door and walked away.  He watched her as she strode confidently up to the doorman, her hips swaying slightly, her backside accentuated by the heels of her black boots.  “Definitely a compliment.” 

 

“May I help you ma’am?  The doorman asked her politely.

 

She smiled.  “Velvet?”  

 

His eyes traveled over her slowly, but it felt more speculative than lecherous.  “Color?”

 

 Shit!

 

Elliot’s voice whispered in her ear.

 

“Red.”  She nodded slightly.

 

The doorman smiled and slid his key into the ornate lock on the door.  Pulling it open, he bowed slightly and waved her forward.  “Have a wonderful evening, Ma’am.”

 

Olivia stepped into the well lit hallway, her eyes immediately going to the artwork that adorned the walls on either side of her. “Damn…”

 

“What?”

 

She smiled at the tenseness in his voice.  “Are you sure this is a lesbian bar and not a museum?”  She walked down the hallway towards the elevator at the other end.  The doors opened as soon as she approached and one eyebrow quirked in confusion.  Stepping inside, she noticed that all of the call buttons were dark and pressing them had no affect. 

 

The doors slid shut as the light next to the ‘P’ button illuminated and Olivia shook her head in wonder as she glanced up at the ceiling, easily locating the camera that she knew she would find there. 

 

“This place is something else, El.”  She whispered, not knowing how powerful the camera was and not wanting to look like she was talking to herself.  “Dedicated elevator service.”

 

“Tell me again why you always get the part with the drinking and the pretty women and I get the part where I sit in the car trying to stay warm?

 

“Kathy bribes me with sex.”

 

“And you never let me watch?”

 

Olivia laughed.  Her partner might be a pig sometimes, but he was her pig.  “Ok, I’m almost to the top.  Going silent.”

 

“Knock ‘em dead, slugger.”

 

She was still smiling when she stepped off the elevator only to feel the grin fade as her jaw dropped slightly.

 

The penthouse was huge, spanning the entire top floor of the building.  One corner was occupied by an elaborate DJ booth and a large marble dance floor, while the rest of the space was filled with tables covered in fine linen and crystal glasses.  The only light came from small fixtures set discreetly into the ceiling, the candles glowing softly in the center of each sitting area and the gas lamps that lined the wall across the top of the bar.

 

It was beautiful in an extremely elegant and understated way.

 

Closing her mouth and lifting her chin, she surveyed the room.  The last stool at the bar was unoccupied and it would allow her a perfect vantage point while keeping a wall to her right, thereby lessening the risk of anyone seeing the earpiece that her short hair did not even begin to cover.

 

As she walked to her desired location, Olivia’s eyes slid around the room, taking in the women who moved about the place as though they owned it.  Slim and leggy, all of them model beautiful, she suddenly felt like the bastard child at a family reunion.  More than once she had to keep herself from stopping to stare as she recognized some of the individuals present.  A senator’s daughter, a prominent Doctor, and a popular actress were among the faces that turned to look her up and down as she moved past.  Feeling self conscious, she quickened her pace.

 

When she finally settled onto the stool, she laughed quietly at herself.  These women were probably just shocked to see someone her age here. 

 

Hell, if anyone did notice the earpiece she could always tell them it was a hearing aid.

 

Glancing up, Olivia saw her reflection in the mirror behind the bar and could not stop her hand from reaching up to play with the curls lying wildly across her forehead.  She had gone to see her stylist earlier in the day, making him squeal in delight when she asked for something that would make her look a little more approachable.  What she had ended up with was two hours sitting in foil and curlers as he turned her easy to care for style into a tribute to hairspray and mousse.

 

Sighing in frustration, Olivia tugged at a particularly rebellious lock of hair, trying to make it lie down and behave.

 

“Don’t bother. It would be a wasted effort.”

 

The detective’s eyebrows shot up as she turned to look at the woman standing on the other side of the bar.  She had short blonde hair, a peaches and cream complexion and deep blue-gray eyes that held more of her smile than her lips did.  “I beg your pardon?”

 

The bartender leaned down to look directly into her eyes.  “You can’t improve on perfection.”

 

Olivia flushed, feeling absurdly pleased by the compliment.  “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

 

“Maybe,” The blue eyes sparkled mischievously.  “But I don’t often get to mean it.”  She held out her hand.  “Name’s Zoey.”

 

“Hello, Zoey.”  She took the proffered hand, a small frisson of… something… traveling down her spine when the woman’s fingertips grazed across her palm in the process.  “I’m Olivia.”

 

“Olivia.”  The younger woman smiled as she pulled out a tall glass and tossed several sprigs of mint into it, using a long, thin fork to crush them against the sides.  “I haven’t seen you in here before.”

 

“No I’m… I’m new.”  She watched the bartenders hands move with an easy grace as they added sugar and lime juice, followed by ice, rum, and finally club soda.  Olivia smiled when Zoey looked around like she was about to do something naughty, only to see her throw in a shot of razzmatazz and several fresh raspberries. 

 

“Well then,” She slid the drink across the bar towards the detective.  “Allow me to buy you your first drink, A Velvet Mojito.”  Zoey waited until she took a sip, watching intently as the deep brown eyes closed in appreciation. 

 

“Thank you.”  Olivia smiled.  “It’s very good.”

 

“My pleasure.”  A wide grin spread across the younger woman’s face. “I somehow doubt that I’ll get another opportunity.  I think your dance card is going to be very full.”  She winked and wandered off towards the other end of the bar.

 

“She sounded hot.”

 

Olivia felt a flush creep into her cheeks.  “Perv.”  She whispered quietly.

 

“What does she look like?”

 

“Twenty-five, blonde hair, blue eyes, runners body… Your basic wet dream.”

 

“Wanna switch places?”

 

“Somehow I don’t think you’d blend.”

 

An hour and a half later, Olivia sighed heavily as she stared into her glass.  She had switched to club soda after the first Mojito; a small smile in Zoey’s direction enough to bring the bartender running whenever she needed a refill. 

 

“Want another?”

 

Olivia looked up into blue-gray eyes and smiled.  “I suppose so.  Guess you were wrong about me, huh?”

 

“Oh, no I wasn’t.”  She chuckled.

 

The detective shook her head.  “I haven’t had a single bite all night.  I think I’m a little past my prime in here.”

 

Zoey set the club soda down and leaned on the bar in front of her, lowering her voice like she was sharing state secrets. “The idea of youth as a symbol of beauty is a male concept.  Eighty percent of the women in here are dying to come over and talk to you.  The other twenty percent are trying hard to ignore you so that their girlfriends don’t drag them home.”

 

“So why am I sitting here alone then?”

 

Zoey grinned.  “Let me tell you something about my patrons.  Every woman in here is posh, privileged, and pampered.  What they are not is stupid.”

 

Olivia’s smile vanished.  She knows I’m a cop?

 

“There’s money, there’s power, and there’s class, Olivia.”  The bartender continued.  “Most of the women who come here have two out of three.  And when a three for three locks her sights on someone, you can rest assured that the others are not about to block her view.”

 

The detective blinked in confusion.  “I don’t understand.”

 

“You’re spoken for.”  Zoey chuckled.  “Back corner; near the DJ booth.”  Without another word she turned and walked away.

 

Olivia took a deep breath and casually turned around, her eyes moving across the dance floor until they intersected a thin strip of empty marble.  Following it, her view fell on a pair of expensive black heels.  Slowly, her eyes traced up a delicate set of calves to pass over firm thighs that disappeared beneath a dark gray skirt.  Above that was a trim waist, followed by slender torso covered in peach silk.  When her gaze finally landed on a pair of pink, bow shaped lips, she felt her heart start to beat double time in her chest.  Above those lips were…

 

“Oh my god...”

 

… a pair of sky blue eyes flashing at her from behind thin dark framed glasses.

 

“What’s up,Liv?”

 

“Uh…”  She watched as Alexandra Cabot uncoiled from her chair, her body a study in grace as she began to move towards her, the dancers on the floor sliding out of her way as she walked through them.  “Elliot, I’m pulling the mic.”

 

“What?!?  Why?

 

”Just…trust me on this.”  She whispered.  Turning her back to the advancing woman, she slid her finger over the outside of her bodice, quickly pressing the button to mute the outgoing feed.  That done, she fixed her eyes on the mirror across from her, unable to stop herself from watching the gorgeous blonde settle into the chair next to her.  For several long moments they just listened to each other breath. 

 

Finally, Alex broke the silence and the brunette could hear the smile in her voice.

 

“Detective.”  She said softly.

 

Olivia closed her eyes, swallowing against the dryness of her throat as she tried to control the flood of heat that pounded through her veins.  How anyone could make three syllables sound so damn sexy was beyond her.  She felt her cheeks grow hot and couldn’t stop the small grin that tugged on her lips as she answered.  “Counselor.”

 

The blonde leaned one elbow against the bar as she studied Olivia’s profile intently.  “This is somewhat… unexpected.”

 

“Yeah.”  Olivia snorted.  “I’m a little out of my league here.”

 

Alex moved in closer, stopping only when she was well within the older woman’s personal space.  “That’s not what I meant Olivia.”

 

The detective turned her head slightly, careful to keep her right side hidden.  She could feel the warmth of Alex’s skin and caught the scent of jasmine and vanilla, a combination that made her head swim dangerously.  “What did you mean?”

 

Alex tilted her head down, letting her eyes rest for a moment on Olivia’s bare calves before slowly sliding them up the other woman’s body.  Their progress paused at three distinct locations; once on Olivia’s hips, again at her breasts, and finally on her lips, which she stared at for several long seconds before tearing her gaze away with what looked like a concerted effort.  Finally, deep blue eyes connected with her own, the heat in them strong enough to affect Olivia like a physical blow to her midsection.

 

“I mean… That’s one hell of a dress, Detective, what there is of it anyway.”  The blonde’s voice was low, husky in her ears and Olivia felt massive jolt of desire course through her, leaving her pulse racing and her fingers trembling as she dropped her eyes to the counter. 

 

Alex’s lips curved into a gentle smile as she saw the effect she was having on the older woman.  Leaning down, she caught her eyes again.  “What are you doing here, Liv?”

 

“Looking for a woman.”  She swallowed.  Hey, it was true.

 

The blonde smiled briefly at Zoey as the bartender sat a short glass in front of her before moving off towards the other end of the bar.  The liquid in it was clear and the ice clinked against the fine crystal as Alex raised it to her mouth.

 

Olivia watched in rapt fascination as those perfect, pink lips closed on the edge of the glass; her eyes following the line of Alex’s neck to her throat, watching it move gracefully as the blonde swallowed.  She felt her breathing go shallow and she realized she was biting down on her bottom lip.  Hard.

 

When Alex set the glass back down on the bar it was empty and her fingers played gently against its side, rubbing away the frost in long, smooth strokes.  “What kind of woman?”  She asked.

 

“A blonde.”  Olivia swallowed, wondering inanely where all of her saliva had gone.   “With blue eyes.”

 

A wicked smile slid across the ADA’s lips as she leaned in to breathe into the detective’s ear.  “I had no idea…”

 

Olivia shuddered, the warm breath in her ear causing a corresponding warmth in other areas of her anatomy.  The statement was familiar and this time her brain immediately disengaged as her mouth took over.  “Would you like to?”  She whispered as she locked gazes with the blonde.

 

Alex swallowed; her pulse racing at the desire clearly present in the soft brown eyes.  Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand and placed it gently on the back of Olivia’s neck. 

 

“Liv!”  Elliot’s voice cut through the desire induced haze. “Tate just stepped out of a cab.  She’s talking to the doorman now.”

 

Olivia blinked.  Talk about shitty timing. She opened her mouth to speak but Alex stopped her by moving in closer and pressing soft, slightly hesitant lips against her own.

 

“Liv!”  Her partner’s panicked voice shouted in her ear.  “Answer me or we’re coming in now!”

 

Olivia thumbed the mute button as she tore her lips away.  “No!”  She growled into her chest.  “Don’t do that!”

 

She killed the feed again before looking back up, her heart freezing as she took in the expression on Alex’s face.

 

The ADA was staring at her, her cheeks flaming bright red and her eyes shiny as the mask she wore everyday in the courtroom came slamming down, hiding away the vibrant woman who had been sitting at her side only a moment earlier.  “I’m…  I’m sorry, Detective.”  Alex’s managed to get the words past her clenched teeth.  “I obviously misread the situation.”  She turned to go and Olivia stood, grabbing her by the arm.

 

“Alex!”  She whispered fiercely.  “Wait!”

 

“Let go of me, Olivia.”  The blonde’s voice was low, her eyes dangerous.  “I think you have made yourself quite clear.”

 

“No… I…”  Olivia shook her head in frustration.  “I wasn’t talking to you.  I…“ She stopped when she realized that Alex was staring at her, her mouth hanging open slightly.  With two fingers, the ADA reached out and turned Olivia’s head to the side, bringing the ear piece fully into view.

 

“Oh my god.”  She whispered.

 

“Alex, it isn’t what you think.”

 

“Not what I think?”  Only years of proper upbringing kept her voice from rising above the level of normal conversation.  “What I think is that you sat here and played me while your partner and god only knows who else was outside laughing!”  She felt panic, cold and hard slip through her.

 

Olivia looked as though she had been slapped.  “God, Alex… no.”  She glanced over the blonde’s shoulder as the elevator opened and Serra Tate walked into the bar.  “Look, I promise I will explain myself.  But right now I need you to tell me off and storm away.”

 

Alex laughed bitterly.  “Oh I can assure you that will be absolutely no problem!”  She turned to leave only to find herself wrapped up in Olivia’s arms.  Her body reacted instantly, her breath becoming more rapid as her heart tried to pound its way out of her chest.  Angry and embarrassed by her reaction, she began to pull away.  “Take your hands off me!”

 

Olivia winced at the anger in the words but nuzzled her face into the blonde’s neck anyway, whispering, “Not that way, Alex.  You can’t leave through the front. Trust me.”

 

“Trust you?”  Alex sneered.  “I doubt that will ever happened again!”  Pushing the older woman away she headed towards the restrooms at the back of the bar.

 

Olivia watched her go, shaking her head sadly.

 

Well… Fuck.

 

Somehow the word didn’t really seem to cover it.

 

The only upside was that Serra Tate was watching her from the other end of the bar, a look of cautious interest apparent on her face.  She caught Zoey’s eye and beckoned her over with a slight inclination of her head.

 

When the bartender was standing in front of her, Olivia said softly.  “Do you see that woman at the end of the bar?  I want to buy her a drink.”

 

Zoey glanced over her shoulder and then gave the detective an incredulous look.  “You’re telling me you let Cabot walk so you could buy her a drink? What is she, like ten years old?  Are you insane?  Did you come here tonight on a little yellow bus?”

 

Olivia sighed.  “It isn’t what you think.”

 

“You know what I think?”  Zoey crossed her arms over her chest.  “I think you’re going to be regretting what you just did for a very long time.”

 

The detective laughed bitterly.  “You have no idea.”  She palmed her badge from her handbag and then slid it towards the younger woman.  “Do me a favor would you?  Put this behind the bar, and then take her a Velvet Mojito.”  She held up her hand to forestall any further comments.  “Please?”

 

The bartender shook her head.  “Yeah, fine.  Whatever.”

 

She watched Zoey make the drink and take it over to Tate, waiting until she was out of earshot before turning on the feed and mumbling quietly, “Five minutes, Elliot.”

 

“Copy.”

 

She watched the young woman accept the drink with a smile, sipping it casually before sliding off her stool and walking over to stand next to Olivia.  “That scene looked a little…uncomfortable.” 

 

The brunette flashed a lopsided grin.  “Yeah, well.  Sometimes they just can’t take the hint, you know?”

 

Serra leaned in a little.  “What hint might that be?”

 

Olivia studied her closely.  She was just as petite as she had seemed on her driver’s license photo, with a slim, swimmers body, a flawless complexion, thick blonde hair and bright blue eyes.  Her features were delicate and lovely.  All in all, Serra Tate was someone that would have definitely turned her head in another time and place.

 

And for all the wrong reasons.

 

She shrugged.  “That no one owns me.  I don’t care how much money or power they have.”

 

Serra nodded.  “I can commiserate.”  She ran the tip of her finger along the detective’s bare arm.  “So… is it safe to assume that you bought me this drink for a reason?”

 

Olivia raised one eyebrow as she ran her eyes over the other woman’s body suggestively.  “I’d say it’s pretty safe for you to assume just about anything you like.”

 

“You want to get out of here?”

 

The detective glanced back the way Alex had gone for a moment and then smiled.  “Definitely.”  She wrapped her arm around the smaller woman’s waist, ignoring Zoey’s disapproving look as they walked out of the bar.

 

Outside, she raised her arm, waving at Elliot who pulled around the corner to stop at the curb in front of them.  As she opened the door, Serra leaned into her, nuzzling close to her left ear as she whispered, “So what did you have in mind?”

 

Olivia held up the badge she had hidden in her hand.  “I was thinking we could go to my place.” 

 

The blonde took a step backwards, colliding with Munch and Fin as they walked up behind her.  She looked back and forth between them.  “What’s going on?”

 

“We were hoping you could tell us, Serra.”  Olivia glanced towards the door.  A small group of women had exited the bar and stood watching them. “We’ve been looking for you.  We have some questions we need you to answer downtown.”

 

“And if I refuse?”  Serra raised her chin stubbornly.

 

Olivia nodded at Elliot, who was still sitting inside the taxi.  “You can either get in the back of this cab with my partner willingly, or I can have the men standing behind you cuff you and put you in their car.  You have five seconds to decide.”

 

The younger woman frowned, her eyes filling with rage as she slid into the back of the cab.  Olivia closed the door behind her.

 

“Take her in, El.”

 

Her partner looked at her curiously.  “Where are you going?”

 

“I forgot my purse.  I need to go grab it.” 

 

Elliot snorted.  “Guess you’re not used to accessorizing, huh?”

 

“Shut up, Elliot!”  She growled.

 

“You want me to wait?”

 

“No.”  Olivia shook her head.  “I’ll grab a real cab, one with a driver that knows how to keep his mouth shut.”

 

            *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *          

 

Olivia shifted impatiently from one foot to the other as she rode the small elevator back up to the top floor.  When it came to a stop she slid through the doors before they were completely open and headed straight for the back of the penthouse.

 

“She’s gone.”

 

The detective stopped, turning to glare at Zoey who was drying glasses behind the bar, a deceptively benign look on her face.  “Where did she go?”

 

“You mean after you tossed her aside for the Tater Tot?”

 

“Tater Tot?” 

 

“Yeah,” Zoey set down the glass she was holding and leaned on the bar.  “That’s Serra’s nick name around here.  She’s barely old enough to get in legally and if she hadn’t been the guest of a long time client at one point, she never would have made it past the doorman.”

 

Olivia slid onto one of the barstools with a heavy sigh.  “Please tell me where Alex went.”

 

“She ducked out the back.”

 

“We’re twelve stories up!”

 

“There’s a freight elevator behind the restrooms.  We use it to move stuff back and forth.  She went down to the basement and then took the stairs up to street level.  Comes out on the other side of the block.”

 

“Great.”  Olivia dropped her head into her hands.  “Just great.  She took the shot of whiskey Zoey placed in front of her and downed it, but shook her head at the offer of another.  “Can I get my bag?”

 

“You want to talk about it?” The blonde asked as she retrieved Olivia’s purse.

 

The brunette sighed again.  “I truly wish I could.  But that’s something I just can’t do right now.”

 

The bartender looked at her closely for a moment.  “You care for her?”

 

Olivia nodded dejectedly.

 

Zoey smirked and turned around; pulling a small key from the pocket of the vest she was wearing.  The detective watched her unlock a cabinet at the back of the bar and pull out a tiny drawer.  Nimble fingers grabbed something from inside of it and tossed it in Olivia’s direction. 

 

She caught the object in midair, looking at it curiously as it dangled from her fingertips.  It was a keychain, made of finely wrought delicate links that at first glance she mistook for silver.  But there was no mistaking the weight in her palm, or the PLAT stamped in discreet letters on the inside of the key loop.  The other end of the chain ended in small pink crystal attached to a tiny silver labrys.  “What’s this?”

 

“The key to heaven.”  Zoey winked at her.  “I know class when I see it, Olivia.  And power… it’s pretty obvious you knew Cabot before you came in here.  That means law or politics.  Either way, you’ve got at least two out of the three, which means you qualify.  That will get you in here any day of the week.”  She started to walk away and then turned back, her lips quirking into an odd grin.  “But if you’re looking for Cabot, I’d stick to Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.  She’s never had much interest in the rest of the week.”

 

Olivia nodded absently, tucking the keychain into her pocket as she headed for the door.

 

*           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *                      

 

Chapter Five – Objects In Motion

 

Olivia stepped into the observation room, stopping short when she saw Alex and Cragen standing in front of the two way mirror.  The blonde was still dressed in the same peach colored silk blouse and charcoal skirt she had been wearing earlier at the club, which meant the Captain had caught her on her way home.

 

Oh goody.

 

She noticed that the ADA’s color was high, her cheeks flushed, causing the blue of her eyes to stand out even more clearly.  For a moment, she simply stared, transfixed as thoughts of Alex flushed and sweaty, whimpering softly as she moved beneath her flooded her mind.

 

Then she realized that the Captain was flushed too, and that the body language between the two of them was, at best, adversarial.

 

“What’s up?”  She asked cautiously.

 

Both of them turned to face her and for just a moment, she saw a flash of heat beneath the anger in the blondes gaze.  Then it was gone.

 

“’What’s up’ is that I’m leaving.”  Alex announced as she gathered her briefcase and jacket.

 

“What?”  Olivia met her halfway across the room, blocking her exit.  “What are you talking about?  You’re not going to stay for the interrogation?”

 

“There isn’t going to be an interrogation.”

 

“Alex,” The captain said evenly.  “If you would just listen to us for a minute…”

 

“Listen to what?”  The ADA turned on him quickly.  “That you gave the go ahead for an unauthorized operation during which your detectives used subterfuge as the means to remove a private citizen from a private establishment for the purpose of unlawful detainment?”

 

Olivia couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  “Alex, the fluids on those sheets came from two women.  According to Samantha’s father, this woman is not only her girlfriend, but sole heir in a will that was changed one week before the victim died.”

 

“Circumstantial.”  Alex straightened her back and looked down at Olivia, remembering how much it used to frustrate the detective when they first met.  Seems like old times.   “You have no proof and no trace of Tate in the victim’s apartment.  If they had been lovers, don’t you think there would have been some sign of her there?  All you have is the word of a grieving father who couldn’t see past his daughter’s lesbianism when she was alive and is now trying to blame her death on the woman he believes to have been her lover.”

 

“And the fact that she’s been avoiding our attempts to question her for the last two days?”

 

Alex chewed her bottom lip as she studied the woman in front of her.  Olivia was still in the little black dress that had taken her breath away.  Somehow that seemed unfair.  “We can’t compel DNA.”  She said flatly.

 

“But we can ask right?”

 

The ADA sighed.  “Fine, you can ask.”  She pointed at the brunette in frustration. “But the first inclination she shows that she wants to walk, you open the door.  Otherwise you’re going to tank any action we may want to take against her in the future.”

 

“Deal!”  She draped a lazy smile across her lips as she watched the other woman walk away, only calling out to her once she was almost through the door.  “Alex?”

 

The blonde turned, looking at her impatiently.

 

Olivia allowed her emotions to show as much as she dared as she locked her gaze with the angry ADA.  “Thank you.”  She whispered.

 

“Be careful, detective.”  Alex’s voice was low and dangerous.  “Those eyes will only get you so much.”