Law & Order: SVU

"Res Ipsa Loquitur”

An Original Law & Order: SVU Story

Ó2009 by Patricia L. Givens

Jadzia7627@msn.com

Summer-Fall 2009

 

Disclaimer #1:            This story is an original work of fiction set in the pre-existing universe of Law & Order: SVU.  As such, many of the characters and references used within belong to Dick Wolf and NBC.  I have borrowed them for the purpose of creating some fun and promise to return them unscathed (OK a little scathed but smiling!)  as soon as I am done.  No gain, monetary or otherwise, is expected from their use and no copyright infringement is intended or should be inferred.

 

Disclaimer #2:            All original characters and storylines contained herein belong to the author. (Like anyone else would claim them!)  This story may be archived upon request with the stipulation that it must be posted exactly as it was written, with all disclaimers intact.

 

Disclaimer #3:            The story depicts an intimate relationship between two women.  Some scenes may be graphic, so parental supervision is very ill advised.  If that bothers you, then maybe you should be rethinking your relationship with your parents!  Either that or I’m going to have to start charging you by the hour… If you are under 18, then I’m flattered you’re taking time out of your sex life to read this story!  (But then again, I’m taking time out of mine to write it!  So…let’s just call it even… moving on…)  If this is illegal where you live, then obviously your local government is taking the ‘LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-I-Can’t-Hear-You!’ approach to Obama.  Cross your fingers and maybe the fuckers will hold their breath just a little too long!

 

Who To Blame:          Thanks to Ky for continuing to be a pain in the ass just so I appreciate what it’s like to have normal friends.  A BIG thank you to Zoey for still making me kick ass graphics even though I can be a jerk sometimes.  Thanks to all the readers who put up with my drivel and pat me on the back saying “more please!”  (I do so love a masochist!)  Thanks to the women of What Comes After, IncandescentFire, The BPD and Burning City (Dammit!  Tell me what the name means!) for continuing to be some of the coolest chicks on the planet.  And thanks to all of the Alex/Olivia fans out there… because being obsessive on your own is boring…

 

This is dedicated to Sugar Frosted Corn Flakes and Pez… All the nutrients a growing writer needs to be healthy and strong! ;)

 

What’s that smell?  Why yes, it IS a sequel!!  If you haven’t read Thin Frames, be prepared to say “Who the hell is that?” a lot!

 

One Last Warning:  There are some violent images and themes contained herein.  They will be described as lightly as possible and only when needed to advance the storyline.  If you are squeamish, my apologies… but it is SVU.

 

No blonde baby butches were harmed during the writing of this story, but Olivia would have given her a good spanking if Alex had let her!

What’s nine months between friends?

To all that makes us unique!

Dax =/\=

 

 

 

 

 

 "What we risk, reveals what we value."

-Jeanette Winterson

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

It was going to be a beautiful day, she could tell that already.

It didn’t matter that the early winter breeze floating in from the open window was more than a little cold, or that the first rays of the morning sun barely chased the chill from her smiling face.  She had everything she would ever need to keep her warm.

And that had nothing to do with the blanket draped around her shoulders and everything to do with the body nestled tightly in her arms.

Olivia Benson looked down at the blond head resting against her chest and felt a flash of emotion so intense that it emptied her lungs of air.  Unable to control the tears that stung her eyes, she tore her gaze away and glanced around the room, smiling happily at the stubs of burnt out candles that lined the tables and the mantle; the empty wine glasses and full dessert plates.

Her eyebrows rose at the sight of the cream colored confections that sat uneaten, their edges now darkened by the open air.  If someone had told her that she would one day find anything she preferred over New York cheesecake, she would have looked at them like they had two heads.  But considering the alternative that had presented itself the night before, the choice had been an easy one to make.

Taking a deep breath, the New York City detective laid her head back against the arm of the couch, stretching her spine as much as she could without waking her lover.  She grinned as muscles she had long thought atrophied stung from overuse.  The passionate lovemaking that had begun as soon as the second blackout hit had gone on for hours, until they had both passed out, too relaxed and happy to even make the short trek down the hallway to the bedroom.

What that meant was that Alex had fallen asleep stretched out on top of her, perfect pale skin pressed softly against every inch of her body, long smooth legs dove-tailed sweetly with her own. 

 

Olivia knew her back would be killing her when they finally got up but oh.... what a way to fucking go. 

Yeah, it was going to be a beautiful day.

She could tell that already.

 

 

 

 

Chapter One:   And Now Back To Our Program Already In Progress

 

 

Alexandra Cabot sighed, a sweet smile etching itself across her porcelain features as she felt strong fingers comb gently through her hair.  “Mmmm… what time is it?”  Purring, she burrowed deeper into the body beneath her, one leg rubbing innocently into the heat between her partner’s thighs.  She laughed softly when a warm wetness coated her skin.  “You’re insatiable.”  She mumbled; her voice deep, husky from sleep.  She felt lips press tenderly against her forehead.

 

“How could I ever get enough of you?”

 

The softly whispered words pierced the ADA’s heart like a needle and she looked up into eyes so full of love that it caused her chest to ache painfully.  “Sweet talker.”  She whispered.

 

Olivia traced over the delicate pink mouth with one fingertip, biting down on her lower lip when she felt a gentle kiss caress the sensitive pad.  Every nerve ending in her body flared to life, quickening the blood in her veins until it flowed through her so quickly that it left her lightheaded and a little breathless.

 

She shook her head, trying to clear it; her eyebrows rising as she blinked in confusion.  This wasn’t new.  They weren’t new.  Not that new, anyway, and she should be used to feel of Alex’s lips.  They should have felt normal, comfortable; even slightly predictable.

 

But they didn’t.

 

They felt like the first time… when they had kissed at the bar and the world had stopped turning, leaving her feeling as though she had grabbed a live wire, the electricity arcing through her entire body from that one, tiny point of contact.

 

Alex smiled, recognizing the dazed look on her lover’s face.  She pulled herself up until she could feel the older woman’s breath against her cheek as she nuzzled her ear.  “Are you alright, detective?”

 

“Ye…”  Olivia swallowed hard when she felt the blonde’s tongue trace her earlobe.  “Yes.”  She hissed.  “It’s just…”  Light tremors ran through her body as Alex kissed her way down her jaw.  “We’ve been together for… oh…”  Her voice cracked when she felt long, elegant fingers close over one nipple; her back arching to deepen the touch.  “Over two months… And it hasn’t…”

 

“Lessened…”  Alex finished for her as she brought her lips up to graze across Olivia’s, her breath washing over the older woman’s mouth, making it open, drawing her tongue out to taste it.  “Did you think it would?”

 

Olivia stared into bright blue eyes, feeling the impact of the intense gaze in her lower abdomen.  “No…”  She whispered.

 

Their lips met gently at first then with mounting passion as skin slid against skin, creating a delightful friction that neither of them could resist.  Alex pulled her knee up to press more firmly against Olivia’s center while the older woman wrapped one leg around her backside, opening herself more fully to the intimate touch.

 

“Oh my god…”  Olivia groaned; her head falling back against the armrest as Alex trailed her lips down her chest to close over one swollen nipple.  At the same time, she slid her hand down the older woman’s belly, her fingers scratching playfully in the tightly trimmed hair, the tips occasionally dipping lower, into the slick warmth between her thighs.  The result was a sensory overload; an intense surge of pleasure that left Olivia’s head spinning and her ears ringing.

 

Olivia opened her eyes.  Something was ringing.

 

“Wait…”  The detective gasped, putting her hands on Alex’s shoulders.  “Sweetheart…oh my god…”  Her body convulsed when the blonde’s fingers slid firmly across her clit but she could see her phone vibrating its way across the living room table and bit down on her lip, pushing harder against the delicate body in her arms.  “Alex… sweetheart… my phone is ringing.”

 

“No…!”  The younger woman growled in frustration, pulling her mouth away from Olivia’s breasts to protest.  “You’re supposed to be off this weekend.”

 

“I know.” Alex’s fingers had stopped moving, allowing her to think again.  “Everyone else knows it too.  There’s only one reason they would call…”

 

The blonde sighed.  With a small pout, she pulled herself up, allowing Olivia to reach her cell phone.

 

“I’m sorry…”  The detective glanced at her lover, the words dying in her throat when she saw that Alex had settled her lanky frame into the corner of the couch, her arms stretched out across the back and armrest, leaving her breasts completely exposed.  She watched; her mouth dry, as perfect, dusky tipped nipples hardened in the cool morning air.  Unable to stop herself, Olivia trailed her eyes over a smooth, flat stomach to find the blonde’s legs crossed demurely, hiding the tender pink flesh she had spent most of the night worshipping.

 

Alex raised one eyebrow. “Are you going to answer that?”  She smirked.

 

Olivia blinked, looking dumbly at the phone in her hand for a moment before she flipped it open.  “Benson.”

 

“Liv!”  Elliot’s voice sounded washed out; the winter wind nearly obliterating it.  “We got another one!”

 

She closed her eyes, her stomach flipping over unpleasantly.  “Where?”

 

“Spring Street Station.”  She heard him swear under his breath.  “Lex Avenue Express.”

 

“Alright,” She tunneled her fingers through her hair.  “How much time do I have?”

 

“I’m twenty minutes out.”

 

She glanced at Alex.  “Give me thirty.  I’ll meet you downstairs.”

 

Alex leaned forward as Olivia hung up the phone.  “Another one?”

 

She nodded silently, pulling herself up off the couch. 

 

“Bad?”

 

“I don’t know yet.  I have to get in the shower.”  She leaned down, taking the blonde’s face between her hands as she gave her a long, thorough kiss.  “Stay here?”  She asked quietly.  “You can find something comfortable to wear in my closet and… I think I’m going to need something nice to come home to.”

 

Alex nodded, looking around the small apartment with a half-smile.  “I’m sure I can find something to occupy my time…”

 

Olivia laughed as she tapped her lover on the nose.  “No snooping!”

 

“Isn’t that what girlfriends do?” 

 

The older woman shrugged.  “I wouldn’t know!  Never had one…before.”  Throwing a smirk over her shoulder she strode off to the bathroom, silently willing her heart to slow; the happiness she was feeling completely inappropriate for the day she had ahead of her.

 

Stepping into the shower, Olivia flipped the temperature to hot, groaning as the warm water poured over her hyper-sensitive skin.  She braced both of her hands against the tile wall and hung her head, letting the jets pelt the back of her neck as she tried to release the energy coursing through her.   Her body was still thrumming from the feel of Alex’s fingers; still aching for them to complete what they had started and, unless she got her desires under control, it was going to be a very, very long day.

 

Silently cursing her partner and the world in general Olivia reached for the temperature control, only to look up in surprise when she felt cool fingers close over her hand.  She swallowed, her tongue darting out to lick her lips as she watched Alex climb into the tub next to her.  “What are you doing?”

 

The blonde just shook her head as she moved closer, not stopping until she had Olivia trapped between her body and the wall.

 

“Alex.”  Olivia warned regretfully, bringing one hand up to try and gently push her away.  “I don’t have time…”

 

“Olivia…”  Alex pressed a knee between her legs, using it to push them further apart.  “You and I both know it only takes you twenty minutes to get ready.”  She slid her hand up Olivia’s thigh, groaning softly at the slick warmth she found there.  “So I can only surmise…”   She brushed her fingertips firmly over the swollen bundle of nerves at the top of her cleft.  “That the extra ten minutes… are mine.  Now shut up and kiss me.”

 

The detective’s head snapped back against the tile and she gasped into the blonde’s mouth as she felt two fingers slip inside of her.  Closing her eyes, she kissed Alex passionately as her hips began to rock against the hand tucked snugly between her thighs.  “Oh my god….” 

 

Alex smiled against smooth skin as she trailed her lips down over Olivia’s jaw to bite firmly against the pulse point in her neck.  She felt strong hands come up to wrap around her shoulders as she curled her fingers deep inside her lover, using her leg to increase the pressure a little more each time she thrust into her.

 

Normally, she liked to do everything slower; teasing Olivia to within an inch of her life before reaching the tempo she had started with now.  Their lovemaking was incredible and only got better the longer it took.  Sometimes that meant all night, leaving her staggering through her workday wishing for an IV of Red Bull and coffee, but never, ever regretting it.

 

But this morning… she just didn’t have that kind of time.

 

 “God, I love being inside you.”  She whispered; her smile growing wider when she felt the brunette’s legs weaken. She twisted her wrist, increasing the angle of her fingers. “I love how you feel, how you smell…”  She flicked her fingertips.  “…how you taste…”

 

And that was all it took.

 

The toughest cop in New York City… came apart in her arms.

 

“Alex!” Olivia howled; the sound echoing off the perfect acoustics of the bathroom tiles.  Somewhere, a fist thudded loudly against a wall but she couldn’t hear it.  All she could hear was the blood pounding in her ears as her hips jerked against her lover’s fingers… the fingers that were still thrusting wildly in and out of her.  “Stop… stop…”

 

But Alex didn’t listen.  Instead she brought her thumb up to press against her clit, matching the rhythm of her fingers as Olivia felt a second orgasm, bigger than the first, tear through her like quicksilver.  It left her weak and trembling; her body boneless as she collapsed in her lover’s arms.

 

“Oh my god….”  She whispered, laughing softly when she heard Alex humming happily in her ear.  “You’re evil…”

 

“Quite possibly.”  The younger woman smiled brightly.  “But wasn’t that better than a cold shower?”

 

“Jesus…”  Olivia breathed as Alex stepped back, letting her weight settle fully onto her own unsteady legs.  She braced her hands against the wall behind her for a moment and then straightened, turning her face up into the cascading water before reaching out to grab the blonde who laughed and jumped out of the tub.  “Hey!  Where are you going?”

 

Alex grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her body as she smiled at the dripping detective.  How can someone so sexy look so fucking cute?  “You may only take a few minutes, detective.” she smirked.  “But I take a hell of a lot longer than that, and you know it.”  She pointed at the clock on the shelf next to the sink.  “You’ve got seven minutes.”

 

“Fuck!”  Olivia ducked back into the shower, grabbing the soap and rubbing it quickly over her body.  “You just wait till I get home!”  She called out loudly.  “Then you’re really gonna get it!”

 

Alex watched her through the thin, plastic curtain, her lower lip held firmly between her teeth.  “Oh…”  She whispered with a smile.  “I’m counting on it…detective.” 

 

            *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *

 

Olivia had just pulled on her socks when she heard someone pound loudly on her apartment door.  “Damn it, Elliot.”  She grumbled under her breath.  “You were supposed to wait downstairs!” 

 

Her eyes widened when she heard Alex call out sweetly, “I’ll get it!” 

 

“No!  No!  Alex!”  She hopped out of the bedroom on one foot, trying to pull her other shoe on and make it to the front door at the same time.  She groaned loudly when she saw Alex pull the door open to smile at her very surprised partner.

 

Elliot Stabler had seen a lot of things in his life, as a New York City cop and as a marine before that.  But nothing had prepared him for the sight of Alexandra Cabot, Assistant District Attorney and all around Ice Queen, standing in his partner’s apartment wearing nothing but a cut off pair of sweats and an NYPD t-shirt.

 

A very thin, very faded, tight-to-the-point-of-being-obscene, NYPD t-shirt. 

 

Without consciously willing them to, his eyes dropped down to the floor to begin their ascent at the perfectly manicured feet.  From there they traveled over shapely calves to linger almost obsessively on smoothly muscled thighs that seemed to go on forever.  When the legs finally disappeared under the tattered ends of jersey cloth, his eyes jumped up to a smooth, flat belly.  Right above which was…

 

“Okay!”  Olivia stepped in between them, blocking the evidence of just how chilly her apartment was with her own body as Alex chuckled behind her.

 

“Good morning, Elliot.”  A lazy smile draped across the ADA’s lips as Olivia spun around to face her.  “Nice shower?”  She asked innocently.

 

“Ha ha.” Olivia glanced back at Elliot before ushering the blonde into the kitchen.  “That’s the best thing you could find to wear?”

 

“You said you wanted me to be comfortable.”  Alex stretched like a cat, her long arms going up over her head as she arched her back and moaned happily, showing off a smooth expanse of midriff in the process.

 

“Jesus…”  Olivia felt the air rush out of her body as her mouth went dry.  Her fingers immediately traced down the center of the blonde’s stomach, following the dip in between her abs until it disappeared into her naval.  Swallowing, she pulled her hand away quickly. “You make me crazy.”  She whispered.

 

“I know.”  Alex leaned forward, brushing their lips together lightly.  “If it’s any consolation… you’re not alone.”  She ran one finger lightly down Olivia’s cheek.  “Now go to work, detective.  I’ll be here… when you get off.”

 

The brunette smiled.  She kissed her again quickly and then bolted, grabbing Elliot by the arm and dragging him from the apartment.

 

 

 

Chapter Two:  Some Things Never Change

 

Olivia fastened her seatbelt and settled back in the passenger seat.  She flipped down the visor and frowned at herself in the mirror as she brushed at the hair that was curling on her forehead.  It had gotten longer than she usually wore it and looked more than a little shaggy, but Alex had mentioned that she liked the length, so she had left it alone.

 

Remembering where she was, she flipped the visor up quickly; turning to look at her partner who was staring at her like she was a 5150. 

 

“What?”

 

He pulled the car into traffic, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. 

 

“What, Elliot?”  She watched him press his lips together tightly and sighed.  “Just… say it… before your head explodes.”

 

“Did you examine her briefs?”  He snickered, laughing harder when his partner groaned.  “Did she let you proceed with your ‘motions’ or did she just…. hold you in contempt?”

 

She rolled her eyes.  “It’s been over two months, Elliot.  Is this ever going to get old for you?”

 

Her partner grinned. “Nope.”

 

“You really are an idiot!”  She shook her head but couldn’t hide the smile that was trying to hijack her lips. 

 

“I’m an idiot?”  He shook his head ruefully.  “You had Alexandra Cabot… naked in your apartment and you answered your cell phone?  On your day off?”

 

“She wasn’t naked…”

 

Elliot snorted.  “It takes you twenty minutes to get ready, but you asked for thirty, both of you had wet hair and she looked like the cat that just ate the…well... the cat… so yeah, at one point very recently, that woman was naked!”

 

Olivia blushed.

 

“Ha! See?  Naked!”  He flashed a victorious smile at her before his forehead furrowed in confusion.  “So… what’s with your hair anyway?”

 

            *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *

 

The entrance to the subway station on Spring Street was already cordoned off by the time they arrived.  Jumping out of the car, Olivia slid her badge off her belt and held it up, nodding at the uniformed officer that lifted the tape to let her duck beneath it.  She glanced around quickly, taking in the condition of the street as she wrapped her leather jacket more tightly around her, the cold winter wind chilling her to bone.

 

Satisfied that nothing had been missed, she went down the stairs quickly.  Elliot followed closely behind her as she worked her way across the floor, weaving between police personnel, heading towards the public restrooms situated in the right side of the station.  She stopped at the door to grab a set of booties from the forensic kit left outside for just that purpose.  Pulling them on, she picked up a pair of gloves as well and then stepped inside.

 

The large tiled room was relatively quiet, despite the number of people working around her and Olivia frowned.  

 

That was always a bad sign.

 

She studied the layout of the room, spying Munch and Fin in the crowd gathered at the far end.  Ryan O’Holloran was there too, working with members of the forensic team as they preserved the bloody footprints that led from the handicapped stall to one of the sinks.  There were no footprints leading away from it.

 

“Bastard washed his shoes.”  Elliot bent down to stare into the drain.  “Got hair and blood here.”

 

Olivia nodded.  “Shows awareness of consequence.”  She shrugged.  “That’ll go a long way towards proving mental competence.” 

 

“If we ever catch the son of a bitch.”  Elliot’s words were bitter and understandably so.  This was the fourth attack in two months by the killer the newspapers had dubbed ‘The Subway Slasher’. 

 

His M.O. was simple.  Grab a female rider, drag her into the men’s room, rape her, kill her, and jump the next train to…wherever.  But simple or not, they had yet to discern an attack pattern; just random stations on random lines from SoHo to Midtown.  The only constants had been the handicapped stall, the knife wounds and a string of vandalized security cameras leading from the bathroom down to the platform.

 

“He’ll make a mistake.”  Olivia said quietly.  “They always do.”

 

She headed towards the group of officers at the back, her eyes trained on the floor to keep from stepping in any potential evidence.  The crowd parted when she arrived, several of the male homicide detectives refusing to meet her eyes as she pressed through them to view the actual crime scene.

 

She’d been right. 

 

The silence was a bad sign.

 

The woman was young, with dark auburn hair; her green eyes open and staring at the ceiling, a look of horror frozen on her features that Olivia was all too familiar with.  She was petite, in good shape; athletic by the looks of her stomach and upper thighs.  Her arms… She shook her head.  “Her arms are torn to ribbons.” 

 

“Defensive wounds.” 

 

She looked up into the warm brown eyes of their Medical Examiner, Melinda Warner.

 

“Glad you could join us, Doc.”  Fin snorted.

 

“It’s rush hour, detective.”  The M.E. said mildly as she snapped on her gloves and pulled out her thermometer.  “This is New York City.  Flashing lights don’t mean much.”

 

Olivia watched her slide the instrument into the victim’s liver.  “How long?”

 

“Temp is ninety-one degrees.”  She carefully lifted one arm, trying to flex it at the elbow.  “Rigor is well set.  I’d put time of death at… five to seven hours ago?”

 

The brunette looked at her watch.  “So… between two and four AM… on a Friday night?” 

 

“Shoulda been clubbers all over the place.” Fin growled.

 

“Not with the blackouts.”  Olivia frowned.  “People were warned to stay off the platforms...”

 

He looked down at the body.  “Guess she needed to be somewhere.”

“Yeah, well… I don’t think dead in a handicapped stall was really what she had in mind.”  She watched as Warner pulled the tattered skirt away from the lower half of her body.  “My god…”  She crouched down to get a closer look at the damage done to the victim’s genitals.  “He’s escalating.”

 

“I’m afraid so.”  The M.E. shook her head.  “And with the amount of blood present… I’d say she was alive for most of it.”

 

Olivia heard a snort of disgust and looked back in time to see Elliot walk away.  “Let me know what else you find, okay?”  She nodded at Warner and then follower her partner out of the restroom, watching him as she checked the cameras that led from the station all the way down to the platform.

 

“Trashed…”  He bent down to retrieve a small piece of shattered lens.  “All of ‘em.”

 

“Okay…”  She held her breath as a train thundered by on the tracks.  The station was closed but the lines were still in operation. She frowned, watching as the wind blew debris across the platform.  The forensics unit had already been down here but there wasn’t much to find.  Anything pertinent was long gone.   “So he has to do this in advance right?” 

 

Elliot shrugged.  “What does it matter?  The tapes are gonna be the same as all the others; just some asshole in a dark, hooded sweatshirt with a bandana over his face.”

 

Olivia stepped closer, tilting her head up to look into his eyes.  “You okay, partner?”

 

He shook his head.  “I’m fine.  I just…” He ran a hand over his face.  “I got daughters…”

 

“Yeah, I know.”  She put her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it through his suit jacket.  “I know.  But they don’t ride at night, Elliot. And we’re going to catch this guy before they ever have a reason to.”

 

The big man nodded slowly.  “You ever… just get tired of it?”

 

Olivia smiled sadly.  “Everyday.  That’s why we keep showing up for work… right?”

 

            *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *

 

Almost twelve hours later Olivia stumbled out of the elevator and into the hallway outside of her apartment.  Her day had gone from bad to worse as Elliot’s statement about the video surveillance turned out to be prophetic. 

 

The victim had been raped and sodomized, but there were no fluids, no usable prints on the body and no fucking leads. 

 

The bathroom itself had offered up a plethora of DNA, but considering it ranged from human to canine, with one eyebrow raising dip into the bovine gene pool, none of it could be linked to the killer or the victim.

 

They were back at square one.

 

Just like with the other three attacks. 

 

Now she was hungry and tired and she practically snarled at her cell phone when it vibrated in her pocket.  Grabbing it, she glanced at the screen.  Recognizing her own number, she quickly hit the end button, her eyes widening when she realized just how many times she had done that over the last few hours. 

 

“Damn it.”  She whispered softly.  Alex had been stuck alone in her tiny apartment all day and she hadn’t even taken five minutes to call and check on her. 

 

This whole ‘girlfriend’ thing was going to take a lot of getting used to.

 

She slid her key into the lock and turned it slowly, peeking around the door as it swung open to find the living room empty.  Frowning, she stepped inside and hung her leather jacket on the coat rack in the entryway.  “Alex?”  She called out softly.

 

“In the kitchen!”

 

Olivia took a deep breath and followed the sound of her voice, her heart skipping a beat when she found the ADA leaning against her kitchen counter wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt.  Her long, slender legs were bare and crossed at the ankles as she rested on her elbows, a glass of wine on the counter beside her.  “Hello, dear.”  She smiled sweetly.  “Did you have a nice day?”

 

“Alex…  I’m sorry…”  She raised one hand, blinking in surprise when the blonde grabbed it and used it to pull her close.

 

“Hey…Olivia…” Alex kissed her gently.  “I was just playing with you; trying to make you smile.  Cragen called.  I know exactly what kind of day you had.”  She placed her palms against the older woman’s face, warming her cheeks with her body heat. 

 

“Still…  I should have called.”

 

“Yes.” The blonde nodded.   “You should have.  And we’ll work on that next time.  For now…”  She pressed Olivia down into a chair and opened the oven, pulling out a plate covered in tin foil.  “Don’t get too excited.”  She smirked.  “It’s from the rib joint on the corner.”  She set it down in front of her and went to retrieve some utensils from one of the drawers.

 

Olivia’s mouth watered as the smell of chicken and vegetables wafted up at her. Pulling away the foil, she picked up a chicken breast with her fingers and bit into it, her eyes closing as she moaned in appreciation.

 

“Promise me you’ll wait for a fork when we have dinner with my mother.”  Alex laughed, sitting down beside her. 

 

Olivia choked slightly, gratefully accepting the bottle of water the blonde handed her.  “Your mother?”  She croaked around the food in her mouth.

 

“Yes.”  The younger woman wiped her chin with a napkin.  “She wants to meet you.”

 

“Does she…”  She swallowed heavily.  “Does she…”

 

“Know?”  Alex smiled.  “Yes, she does.”  She shrugged.  “I had to have someone to talk to about you.”

 

“Oh.”

 

The blonde stroked her fingertips across the older woman’s cheek.  “You worry too much.  She just wants me to be happy.”

 

Olivia looked down at the table, the food forgotten.  “Are you?” she asked quietly.

 

Alex moved behind her, pulling out Olivia’s chair so that she could straddle her lap.  She wound her arms around the older woman’s neck and kissed her, hard, her tongue sliding between the brunette’s lips to taste the recesses of her mouth, her fingers wrapping tightly in her hair.  When she finally came up for air, the blonde rested their foreheads together as she panted softly.  “What do you think?”

 

“I think I’m done eating.”

 

Alex grinned and stood up, taking her by the hand and leading her to the couch where she laid down and held her arms open.

 

“You know…I do have a bed.  It’s right over there.”  Olivia pointed down the hallway.

 

“Shut up and come here…”  Alex grabbed her by the shirt and yanked her down; her legs wrapping around the older woman’s waist as her hands slid up to cup full breasts.  “I’m very fond of this couch.”  She said breathlessly as she pulled at the detective’s clothes.

 

Olivia’s mouth dropped open when she felt Alex’s lips close over her nipple.  Even through her shirt the sensation was exquisite.  “You know…”  She smiled down at the woman beneath her, the smile turning to laughter when her clothes were yanked roughly over her head.  “I’m starting to appreciate it myself…”

 

            *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *

 

“Ow!”  Olivia twisted her neck to one side as the muscle cramp woke her from a deep sleep.  She tried to shift her weight and laughed softly when she realized that she was once again pinned to the couch in her living room.  Even with someone as slender as Alex, dead weight was still dead weight.

 

“Alex?”  She smiled when the blonde whined and snuggled closer.  “Alex… sweetheart… wake up.”  She shook her lover gently, her heart aching when the younger woman lifted her head to look up at her with sleepy blue eyes.

 

“Unh…”  She ran a hand through her hair before returning her cheek to the older woman’s chest.  “What time is it?”

 

Olivia glanced at the clock.  “It’s five-thirty.”

 

“Too early…”  The blonde’s voice was husky.  “Need sleep…”

 

“Yes, I want to sleep too. But I swear, if I spend one more hour on this couch I’m going to end up with a spine like a pretzel.  Can we, maybe… move this to the bedroom?  Please?”

 

There was no answer for a moment and then Alex let out a long sigh.  She climbed off of Olivia and stood up, pulling on her t-shirt before staggering into the kitchen.

 

Olivia sat up with a grateful sigh.  She turned her head from side to side, listening to the various cracks and pops before she raised her arms over her head and stretched. 

 

“Damn.”  Alex returned with a large glass of orange juice, handing it to Olivia as she sat down beside her and began to massage her shoulders.

 

“Oh my god…”  Olivia groaned, setting the glass on the coffee table as her body went limp under the blondes touch.  “That feels incredible.”

 

“I guess so.”  Alex raised her eyebrows.  “Since that’s how you sound when your about to-“

 

Olivia cut her off with a kiss.  “I’m just sore.”  She purred when Alex moved up to her neck.  “I spent the day crawling around a subway station remember?”

 

Alex nodded.  “I remember.  Maybe you should make an appointment with a chiropractor.”

 

“No way!”  Olivia turned so that the lawyer could work on the other side.  “You go one time and you end up hooked forever.”

 

“Normally I would agree with you.”  Alex pressed down on a particularly nasty knot, apologizing when Olivia hissed in pain. “But you need to take care of your body, Olivia.   Especially at your…”  She trailed off when the older woman turned to look at her.

 

“At my what?”

 

Alex smiled.  Shaking her head she picked up the glass of orange juice and headed for the kitchen.

 

“Hey!”  Olivia swiveled around, pulling on her t-shirt and boxer briefs as she looked at Alex expectantly.  “At my what?”

 

“Your…”  The blonde waved her hand in the air as she took a large drink of juice.  “…profession.”

 

“At my profession?”  Olivia’s eyes narrowed. “Right.”

 

“Maybe you need a vacation.”  Alex said quickly.  “You haven’t taken one in the whole time I’ve known you.  That has to be hard.”

 

The brunette shrugged.  “The job doesn’t stop just because I’m tired.”

 

“Yeah, but by that same logic, it won’t miss you either.”  She ran her fingertip around the edge of the glass.  “Sometimes you just have to do what’s right for you, Olivia.”

 

“Maybe…”  The detective sighed.  “But letting my engines idle has never really worked for me.  It just makes me more tense thinking about all the time I’m wasting.”

 

“It doesn’t have to be like that.  We could always take an active vacation.  Go rock climbing or sailing…”  She smiled brightly.  “What about a cruise?”

 

“A cruise?”  Olivia wrinkled her nose as she folded the blanket they had slept under the night before.  “Trapped on a boat for endless days at sea?  I never really saw the appeal.”

 

Alex rolled her eyes.  “The appeal is being able to visit a dozen different cities and only having to unpack once.  Come on, you can’t say it isn’t at least a little interesting?  Italy?  Greece?”  She sighed when the detective’s expression did not change.  “You know, they have all lesbian cruises now.  We could take one of those down to Moorea…” 

 

Olivia arched an eyebrow.  The idea of spending two weeks alone with Alex…not having to pretend they were anything other than what they were:  Two women in love?  Now that was appealing.  “Okay, maybe that last one, after I retire.  But I get to pick the destination.”

 

The lawyer shrugged. “Alright, I guess it’s only fair that you get to choose where we go since you’ll be collecting retirement about a decade before me anyway.”

 

The movement on the other side of the room stopped and Alex carefully set down the glass she was holding.

 

“What did you just say?”  Olivia glowered at her.

 

“You heard me.”  The blond taunted.  “But don’t worry, I have my own money.  I’m not after your social security checks.”

 

With a growl, the detective launched herself across the room. 

 

Alex side stepped around the couch, using it as a shield between her and Olivia as she laughed.  “Truth hurt?”  She smiled at the sound of the door chime.  “Saved by the bell?”

 

Pain forgotten, Olivia stepped up onto the cushions and vaulted over the couch, her hand just grazing the back of Alex’s shirt as the lawyer ran down the hallway.  When she reached the bedroom, the blond stopped in the doorway and turned around, wiggling her hips at the older woman suggestively.

 

Olivia snorted.  “As soon as I get rid of whoever is dumb enough to be ringing my bell at six in the morning… that ass is so mine!”

 

She pulled the door open, the laughter dying in her throat as her eyes widened at the spectacle in front of her.

 

Zoey Merrin stood on her doorstep.  Her hair was sticking out in all directions.  Smudges of dirt and grime covered her face and neck, her rust colored t-shirt marred by a long tear across the bottom where it hung out over dirty blue jeans.  The brown suede jacket she was wearing was three sizes too big and she had her hands tucked under her arms as her eyes darted wildly around the foyer.

 

“Zoey?”  Olivia stepped forward and took the blond by the shoulders, shaking her gently to try and clear the dazed, vacant look in her eyes. 

 

That’s when she saw it.  The collar of her t-shirt…

 

It was white.

 

Swallowing, she slowly pulled the bartender’s arms free, her breath catching when she saw the dried blood caked on her hands from her fingertips down to her wrists.  Opening the jacket, she exhaled a long breath as her worst fears were confirmed.

 

The once white muscle tee was blood-stained from just above her chest all the way down to the bottom edge.

 

“Zoey!”  She shook her again, a little more forcefully this time.  “ZOEY!” 

 

Haunted gray-blue eyes locked onto hers.  “Olivia?”  She whispered, her voice sounding as though it hadn’t been used in days.

 

The detective tightened her grip.  “Zoey, what the hell happened?”

 

“I don’t know…”  The young woman collapsed against her, trembling wildly as she burst into tears.  “I… I can’t remember…”

 

 

Chapter Three:  With Friends Like These…

 

Benson Residence

203 W. 89th Street

06:26 AM  Sunday, December 2

 

“Zoey!”  Olivia took the young woman carefully by the arm.  “Zoey!  Are you hurt?  Is this your blood?”

 

“I don’t…”  She blinked slowly, her hand going to the back of her head.  “I don’t…know…”

 

“Come inside.”  The detective led her through the living room and into the kitchen, snapping on the lights as she went.

 

“Olivia?”  Alex came out of the bedroom, Olivia’s robe wrapped tightly around her.  “What’s going on?”  Her eyes widened.  “Is that Zoe?  From Velvet?”

 

“Yeah…”  Olivia pressed the young woman into a chair and grabbed a clean towel from the drawer.

 

“What is she doing here?  What happened?”

 

“I don’t know.”  She ran some water over the towel, looking up in surprise when Alex grabbed her hand.

 

“What are you doing?”  The ADA whispered harshly.  “You can’t clean her up!  You need to call this in… get her to a hospital…”

 

“Alex!”  She snatched her hand away.  “Right now my priority is to make sure she’s not going to bleed to death!” 

 

Alex frowned, watching silently as the detective knelt next to the blonde’s chair.

 

“Zoey?  Look at me.  Look at me, sweetheart.”  Olivia nodded when unfocused eyes met hers.  “Are you hurt?”  She spoke very slowly, concerned that the dazed look hadn’t lessened. 

 

Zoey reached for her head again, making Olivia stand and carefully cup the blonde’s jaw.  She found a trail of dried blood that ended below her chin and followed it up to the back of her head; brushing her fingers through the gel stiffened spikes to find a wide gash that had already clotted, hiding most of the wound behind a thick brownish crust. 

 

“Well that’s ugly, but it doesn’t look life threatening.” She tossed the unneeded cloth onto the table as she finished examining Zoey’s head, sliding her hands down to run them over the younger woman’s neck and shoulders.  When she found no other injuries, Olivia crouched down to look the blonde in the eyes.  “Are you hurt anywhere else?  Were you… assaulted? ” She sighed, frowning at the blank look that was her only response.  “Zoey… were you raped?”

 

The bartender looked up at her, her eyes clearing slightly as she tried to focus, her brow furrowing with the effort.  “I… no...“  Her hands gripped her own stomach, sliding down to cover her lower abdomen.  “No.”

 

“There’s too much blood.”  Olivia pursed her lips as she rubbed at her forehead.  “Zoey, listen to me… There is too much blood.  Your entire shirt is covered in it.”  She grabbed her by the shoulders, her hands registering just how much empty space there was inside the jacket.  “Whose blood is this?”

 

The blonde looked at her helplessly, her lower lip trembling as she shrugged.

 

“Jesus.”  Alex walked out of the kitchen, disappearing down the hallway in the direction of the bedroom.

 

Olivia watched her go, pushing down the sadness she felt inside.  With a small shake of her head, she focused her attention back on Zoey.  “You need to go to the hospital.  The bleeding has stopped but we need a doctor to look at that gash.  They need to take x-rays and… we need to figure out what the hell happened to you.  Let me get dressed…”  She started to move away, looking down in surprise when the young woman grabbed her by the arm and stared at her in a near panic.  “Zoey,” She said gently.  “I’ll go with you.  But I can’t do that in my underwear.  I’ll be right back, I promise.”

 

Olivia untangled herself and rushed towards her bedroom, pulling up short when she ran into Alex in the hallway, the surprise evident on her face when she realized that the lawyer was completely dressed.  “What are you doing?”

 

“Here.”  Alex shoved a pair of blue jeans and a sweatshirt into her hands.  “I didn’t think you’d take the time to get dressed.”

 

“Thanks.”  Olivia nodded, sliding the clothes on and then running her fingers through a serious case of bed head.  “We’ll take her to Bellevue; have them do a rape kit just in case...”

 

“I’m not going with you.” 

 

Olivia blinked.  “What…why?”

 

“I can’t be here, Olivia.”

 

“But… that’s crazy!”

 

“Is it?”  Alex took her by the hand and led her into the next room, pointing at Zoey through the kitchen door.  “Look at her Olivia.”  Alex snapped.  “In all likelihood she is either the victim or the witness of a violent crime.  But you being her friend does not negate the very real possibility that she might be something else altogether.”  She held up a hand when she saw Olivia starting to get angry.  “What we think doesn’t matter.  All that matters is what we know.  And what I know is that you are questioning someone with whom you have a personal relationship in an improper setting.”  She sighed.  “Whatever she is… I cannot be here!”

 

The detective took a deep breath.  “All right.”  She tucked her hands into her pockets.  “If that’s how you feel about it.”

 

“How I feel…?”  Alex pressed her lips together in exasperation as Olivia stared down at the floor.  “How I feel about it is angry… and worried for you!”  She cupped her palm around the brunette’s cheek, ducking her head to meet her eyes.  “Olivia, I know you care about this girl.  I don’t know why but whatever the reason, it’s obvious you do; which means that you are going to let your heart lead you on this one and as much as I love you… I can’t follow.  My position won’t let me.”  She kissed her softly.  “And neither should yours.”

 

Alex left the apartment quietly, the sound of the door latch echoing in the silence.

 

 

                                    *           *           *           *           *           *           *

 

Bellevue Hospital

462 1st Ave

10:17 AM

 

Olivia yawned, frowning as she contemplated just how badly she needed a shower.  Alex had taken precedence over personal hygiene when she had arrived home the night before, and then Zoey’s dramatic appearance on her doorstep had completely knocked any thoughts of morning ablutions from her mind.  But now, after sitting for three hours in an extremely uncomfortable waiting room chair, her desire for warm water and a bar of soap was almost overwhelming.

 

“Detective Benson?”

 

Olivia jumped up; going over to meet the emergency room doctor who looked like she would be just as comfortable in Armani as she was in hospital scrubs.  Brushing self-consciously at her wrinkled sweatshirt, she nodded in greeting.   “Is Zoey ok…”  She peered at the ID badge attached to the front of the scrubs.  “…Dr. Manning?”

 

“It was a nasty laceration, but head wounds always look a lot worse than they are.”  The doctor leaned her head to one side, looking at Olivia curiously with incredible sea-green eyes.  “I don’t suppose you would know the origin of all that blood, would you?”  She handed the detective a large brown bag, sealed at the top; a manila envelope and a clipboard.  “Because it certainly wasn’t my patient’s.”

 

Olivia checked that the evidence form listed everything Zoey had been wearing and then scrawled her name across the bottom, handing the clipboard back with a wan smile as she tucked the bag and envelope under her arm.  “At the moment, I don’t have any idea.”  She tunneled her fingers through her hair.  “There’s no chance at all that it was hers?”

 

Dr. Manning leveled a sarcastic look at her. 

 

“Yeah… that’s what I figured.”   Olivia tucked her free hand in her pocket.  “So she wasn’t…”

 

“Raped?  No.”  She smiled.  “In fact, other than the head trauma she’s in perfect physical condition.”  She flipped back a few pages on her clip board.  “According to the x-rays there is a very fine cranial fracture and some swelling of the soft tissue which would account for the memory loss and disorientation.  We’re going to hold her here a few days for observation but we don’t expect any complications.  Oh… wait!”  She bit her bottom lip as she dug in her back pocket, pulling out a small, black topped vial.  “This is yours too.”

 

Olivia took the vial, holding it up to the light.  It was filled to the top with clear liquid that had two small silver flakes floating in it. “What’s this?”

 

“I believe that’s your job, detective.”  The doctor grinned at her, her tone teasing. “My job was to dig them out of the wound.”  She glanced down at the evidence slip.  “Olivia… That’s a lovely name.”  She held her hand out, grasping the detective’s fingers warmly.  “I’m Carly.”

 

“Oh…”  A light flush stained the brunette’s cheeks as she finally clued in to what was going on.  “It’s nice to meet you…uh… Carly.”  She pulled her hand away quickly.  “So… can I see her?”

 

“Of course.  But, detective?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Dr. Manning held the door open for her, watching with pursed lips as she passed through it.  “You might want to put some effort into finding whoever that blood belongs to, because right about now?  They’re walking around a couple of pints low…”

 

*           *           *           *           *           *           *

 

The hospital room was dark when Olivia stepped inside and she thought at first that Zoey was sleeping.  Until the blonde lifted her arm, waving weakly as her face contorted in pain.

 

“Why is it,” She gasped.  “That I got hit on the head but I feel it all over my body?”

 

“That’s how head wounds are.”  Olivia perched carefully on the side of the bed.  “They feel every little movement.”  She took the young woman’s hand gently.  “How bad is it?”

 

“You know… when you drink a Slurpee too fast?”

 

Olivia laughed softly.

 

“Like that, times a thousand.”

 

“Well, Carly…I mean… Dr. Manning… says you’re going to be just fine.”

 

“Carly?”  Zoey’s eyebrows crawled up her forehead.  “That was fast!”  She couldn’t keep from laughing, even as she groaned in pain.  “I’m the injured one and I couldn’t even get her to smile!”

 

Olivia felt her face flush hotly.  “I didn’t do anything!  She… flirted with me.”

 

“You didn’t do anything?  Anything like what?  Like… walking in with that little swagger in your hips and your gun bulging under your shirt?  Or anything like… tucking your hands in your pockets like some Sapphic James Dean?”  When Olivia didn’t answer she smiled and closed her eyes, mumbling sleepily.  “Didn’t do anything my ass.  Just don’t do whatever it is you’re not doing when Cabot’s around… that’s all I’m sayin’.”

 

“Hey…”  Olivia shook her shoulder gently.  “I know you’re tired but do you think you could answer a few questions for me before you pass out?”

 

Zoey blinked, trying to drag herself back from the edge of oblivion.  “I can try…”  She held up her hand, displaying the IV needle sticking out of the back of it.  “But this morphine cocktail they’ve got me on is really kicking my ass.”

 

“Do you remember anything… anything at all about last night?”

 

The blonde’s eyes narrowed.  “No… I…I remember I was at the bar!  It was late and the place was empty… so it was after closing.”

 

“Was anyone else there with you?”

 

“The cleaning crew would have been there.   But that’s more like something I know than something I remembered.”  She shrugged in frustration.  “It’s like… everything’s just blank.  I remember standing behind the bar…I remember the wind… it was cold… and then I just woke up on the subway.”

 

“What about the jacket?”

 

Zoey looked at her blankly.  “What jacket?”

 

“You were wearing a brown leather jacket when you showed up on my doorstep.” 

 

The blonde shook her head.  “I don’t own a brown leather jacket.  Both of mine are black.”

 

“I don’t think it was yours.”  Olivia patted the bag she had set down on the bed beside her.  “It was about three sizes too big for you and looked like a men’s cut.”

 

“But… why would I be wearing a man’s jacket?”  She frowned.  “That doesn’t make any sense.”

 

“Not much about this does.”

 

Zoey suddenly looked very contrite.  “I am sorry, you know… if I caused you any problems.  Alex looked… pretty unhappy… when she left.  I just… I didn’t know what else to do.  I knew I was in trouble and you were the first person I thought of.”

 

Olivia smiled. “It’s alright Zoey.  You did the right thing.  And don’t worry about Alex.  She’s just a little…”

 

“Tight-assed?”

 

“I was going to say over-protective.”

 

“Of what?”  Zoey raised one eyebrow.  “You… or her career?”

 

“You heard us.”

 

“It was kind of hard not to.”

 

Olivia hung her head slightly.  “Alex has a point.  Until we figure out exactly what happened, including whose blood is all over your clothes, we’re going to have to treat this as an unsolved… which means I’m probably going to have to turn it over to another detective.”  She held up her hand when Zoey’s eyes filled with panic.  “I’ll talk to my Captain.  I can’t promise you anything but…”  Her voice trailed off as her phone started to ring.  “Now what?”

 

Recognizing Elliot’s number, she felt a pang of guilt for not having called him to explain what was going on.  She held a finger up to Zoey as she flipped the phone open.  “Benson.”

 

“Liv…need you…”

 

“Elliot?”  She cupped a hand over her ear, trying to improve the sound.  “I can barely hear you!  What did you say?”

 

“…ucking wind!  We… got anoth… body…”  His voice broke up as the line crackled.

 

“Another one?”  Her mouth dropped open slightly. “But it’s too soon!  There’s always been at least ten days between attacks.  Elliot?”

 

“This… different…. business… man…”

 

“Elliot, just tell me where you are!”  She practically shouted.  “I’ll meet you!”  She pulled out a pad and wrote down the address.  “The station at 116^th?”  Olivia felt her stomach drop as she read the address again.  “Lex Avenue Express… I got it. I’ll be there as soon as I can!”

 

She hung up the phone, taking a deep breath to try and calm the queasiness in her stomach before turning to face the young woman in the bed behind her.

 

Zoey was staring at Olivia with wide, horrified eyes.  “A hundred….” She licked her lips.  “116^th?”

 

The detective nodded slowly.

 

“Olivia… that’s two blocks from the bar…”

 

 

                                    *           *           *           *           *           *           *

 

Olivia stayed with Zoey until the morphine finally pulled her under. To say the blonde had been upset was an understatement and she felt bad leaving her.  As a compromise, she called in to dispatch and had them send over a couple of uniforms.  Cragen was going to have her ass for the man hours, but she wasn’t comfortable leaving the young woman alone until she knew for sure that the attack had not been centered on her personally. 

 

When the patrolmen arrived, Olivia gave one of them the bag and the vial, watching carefully as he scratched his named across the evidence tape, before instructing him to leave his partner with Zoey and get all of the items checked in to the evidence locker back at the precinct.

 

The entire procedure took a little over thirty minutes and by the time Olivia was in her car and headed uptown the midday traffic was a nightmare.  At a standstill for the third time in twenty minutes, she flipped open her phone, growling when it beeped back at her that her call to Elliot could not be completed.  Frustrated, she picked up the envelope she had tossed onto the passenger seat, breaking open the seal to pull out a dozen digital prints of Zoey’s head wound.  She hissed at the ragged L-shaped laceration, flipping through the pictures quickly before slipping them back into the envelope and sliding it under her seat for safekeeping. 

 

She could hear the wind blowing hard outside, the low hum it made against the doors setting her teeth on edge as her front windshield blurred from a sudden downpour of rain.  With a frown, Olivia leaned forward to look up at the nearly black sky, shaking her head as the water turned to ice almost immediately in the freezing winter wind.

 

Flipping on her light and sirens, she began to edge her way through the rows of cars all around her, weaving into each opening that presented itself until she was close enough to pull into a loading zone and walk.

 

It was even more miserable outside than it had looked and Olivia pulled her collar up quickly, but not before a freezing crust of ice dropped down her neck, making her teeth chatter as her breath plumed white in front of her.  “Perfect.”  She grumbled.   

 

When she finally arrived at the entrance to the 116^th Street station, Fin was waiting for her outside.  His eyebrows shot up as he took in her appearance.

“Damn, Liv… you coulda taken a few minutes to comb your hair…”

 

Olivia shot him a dark look as she followed him down the stairs.  “Don’t start.”

 

“What?”  He said innocently.  “You better get your grin on now, ‘cause this one ain’t right.”

 

“Do we know who he is?”

 

Fin looked at her blankly.  “He…who?”

 

“The vic.”

 

“Ain’t no he.”  They wound their way through the myriad of police personnel that were scouring every inch of the station for evidence.

 

“Wait…”  She grabbed him by the arm.  “Elliot said… on the phone, he said that it was a businessman.”

 

Fin nodded in understanding. “Yeah, he said his phone took a dump on him.  Between the wind and the trains it’s amazing he got a call out at all.”  He nodded towards the bathroom in front of them.  “Ain’t no he…”  His face darkened.  “And it ain’t right, either.”

 

Olivia looked at him, the dread she was feeling multiplying when his eyes slid away from hers to stare at the ground.  “Just how…’not right’ are we talking here?”

 

Fin shook his head.  “See for yourself.”

 

Sighing, she pulled on gloves and booties; blinking as she stepped into the bathroom, her eyes trying to adjust to the over-brightness of the lamps set up around its perimeter.  The lamps were absolutely necessary for evidence collection in areas devoid of any kind of natural light, but they also never failed to set the blood pounding behind her eyes and she knew that an hour spent in this room would leave her with a headache guaranteed to make her miserable for the rest of the day.

 

“Jesus!”  Olivia’s mouth dropped open as she took in the condition of the restroom.

 

There was blood everywhere. 

 

Long, ragged smears of it were painted across the walls, while thick hand shaped smudges gripped the edges of every sink.  The tile was a mess of swirling patterns and foot prints leading from the door to a jagged lake-shaped mass of darkened crimson that radiated outwards from the body lying crumpled in the middle of the restroom floor.

 

A very female body.

 

Olivia moved closer, crouching down next to Elliot who was staring at the vic with his lips pursed.  On the other side of them, the ME was already busy with her case open, jotting down notes on her clipboard as a half a dozen forensic techs stepped carefully around the blood to dust and lift anything they could find.

 

The woman was lying on her back; arms stretch out to her sides with her eyes wide open and staring up at the blinking fluorescents overhead.  She was wearing a long, black jacket with wide, shiny lapels and a well pressed pair of grey striped suit pants.  Beneath the jacket, her once white shift was cut to reveal the gaping wound in her chest. 

 

One the floor next to the body was a black handled butcher knife, the blade thick with dried blood.

 

“What the hell, Elliot?”  She glanced towards the back of the restroom where the stalls were located.  The floor that far back was still pristine. 

 

Well, as pristine as any floor in a New York City subway.

 

“No idea.”  He stood up, his eyes never losing contact with the body.

 

“What do we have so far?”

“A lot of shit that doesn’t make sense.”

 

“Feel like sharing?”

 

Elliot nodded to the ME.  “Go ahead, Doc.”

 

Melinda Warner looked up with a sigh.  “We’ve got a white female, approximately one hundred and fifteen pounds; black hair, brown eyes, mid to late thirties.  Cause of death is a single stab wound to the heart which severed the pulmonary artery and resulted in massive blood loss.”  She rubbed her forehead in frustration.  “Too much blood loss.”

 

Olivia blinked.  “What?”

 

“There’s too much blood.  With that kind of damage to the heart, contractions would have ceased almost immediately.  Blood loss should have slowed… but it just poured out of her.”  She shook her head.  “Liver temp and muscle rigidity put the time of death at around four thirty this morning...”

 

“Eight hours? She laid here for eight hours?  How the hell is that possible?”

 

Elliot pointed to the door, where an ‘out of service’ sign hung on a small hook.  “We checked with maintenance.  This restroom was in service so the perp had to hang that on his way out.  The only reason we found her as soon as we did is because some jackass slipped inside and ended up tripping over the vic.”  He pointed at the tracks through the blood.  “Those are all his, we already matched them to his shoes.”

 

“Who is he?”

 

Elliot shrugged as he moved to the other side of the body.  “Just some sketched out party boy who needed somewhere private to do a couple lines of meth.  We already checked him out, he was clubbing with friends all night.  He’s not the guy.”

 

“Any ID on her?”

 

He shook his head.  “No purse, no wallet.  What you see is what we got.”

 

Olivia nodded, leaning down to take a closer look at the victim.  She pursed her lips when she saw the tag on the inside of the jacket, looking up at Warner expectantly.

 

“Balenciaga.”  The ME’s eyebrows shot up.

 

Elliot looked over her shoulder.  “What is that, some kind of disease?”

 

Both women rolled their eyes. 

 

“No, it’s a designer.”  Olivia mumbled.  “An expensive one.  Whoever she is, she had money.”  She ran her eyes over the entire body, her brow furrowing when she reached the arms.  “There are no defensive wounds?”

 

“None!”  Melinda snapped her clipboard shut.  “No bruises, no cuts, no scratches… not even a broken fingernail.  However this happened, it happened quick.  She didn’t even have time to react.”

 

“Or…”  Olivia bit her bottom lip.  “Or she knew him… which doesn’t fit the Slasher’s profile.”

 

“A lot don’t fit the profile.”  Fin growled as he joined them.  “Talked to O’Halloran.   Those blood swirls by the door?  Someone tried to clean up.  Used some kind of pre-soaked bleach wipes.”  He grunted softly.  “Gives ‘convenient’ a whole new meaning.  Anyway, they didn’t do the whole job but they did enough.  Any tracks left in that mess are long gone.”

 

“I’m done here, detectives.  Can we move her?”  Warner asked.

 

Elliot looked at Olivia.  “Seen enough?”

 

“Not nearly,” She sighed.  “But we need to get this up on the board.  We need to look at all five of them together.  I don’t think we’re going to like what we find.  What about the surveillance tapes?”

 

“We got the word out.”  Fin shook his head.  “But it’s Sunday.  Security office is locked up tight. Maintenance is trying to find someone to open it up but as of now, we got no ETA.”

 

“All right.”  She looked up at Elliot.  “You were first on.  You call it.”

 

Olivia waited as her partner gave the order to transport the body and instructed the forensics crew to start moving everything they had found to the labs, telling Ryan O’Halloran to collect the knife himself.  When he was done, she took him by the arm and pulled him aside.

 

“I need to talk to you.”

 

“About what?”  He frowned.

 

“Something happened this morning-“

 

Elliot held up his hand, cutting her off.  “Look, Liv… I don’t care why you were late.  It was your day off and trust me, if I had to choose between Cabot and this shit, I’d take my time too.”

 

“No,” She shook her head.  “That isn’t it…”

 

“Whatever it is, can it wait?”  He rubbed his temple.  “We kind of have our hands full right now.”

 

Olivia looked around the bathroom.  “Yeah… yeah I guess it can wait.”

 

“Great!”  He put his hands on her shoulders, squeezing her arms gently. “We’ll talk about it later.”

 

“Yeah.”  Olivia nodded slowly, watching him walk away.  “Later…”

 

                                    *           *           *           *           *           *           *

 

16^th Precinct Police Station

One Police Plaza

01:36 PM

 

“Okay, so thrill me.”

 

Olivia looked over her shoulder as Captain Cragen walked out of his office, joining them at the media center where they had set up the glass crime board right next to the multitude of monitors.

 

“Somehow, I don’t think he’s gonna be thrilled.”  Fin mumbled under his breath as he dropped into a chair next to his partner.  He turned to glare at the thin, dark haired man.  “And just where the hell was you this morning when I was crawling my ass around a dirty subway tunnel?”

 

“Firearms recertification.”  John Munch smiled sweetly.  “Can’t shoot the bad guys unless all the forms are filled out correctly.”

 

“And that takes all morning?”

 

“It does if you do it right.”

 

“That’s enough.”  Cragen glared at the two of them before turning to nod at Alex as she joined the group, followed by Huang.  “Counselor.”

 

“Captain.”  The blonde walked past the group to take up her usual position leaning against Olivia’s desk, crossing her legs at the ankles as she looked at them expectantly.  “So… what do you have?”  Her eyes connected briefly with Olivia’s and then moved away. 

 

“Five female victims.”  The brunette started with the first picture taped to the board, tapping each one in succession as she moved down the row.  “Janet Dixon, Leslie Peterson, Maria Comet, Whitney Mann, and…”  Her hand lingered over the last picture.  “Jane Doe.” 

 

“What’s the story with this last one?” Cragen grunted.

 

Elliot rubbed his jaw.  “Found in the bathroom at the 116^th Street station.  No wallet, no credit cards, no ID.”

 

“None of the other victims were robbed.”  Olivia pursed her lips.  “Their handbags were found within a few feet of the bodies; nothing was missing.”  She ran a hand across the back of her neck.  “We’ve contacted missing persons but they’ve got no reports matching her description and there are no hits on her prints so far.  We’re widening the search to include secondary and professional databases.  Hopefully something will hit somewhere.”

 

Cragen nodded.  “What else?”

 

“According to Warner, our Jane Doe was approximately thirty-five to forty years old.  Cause of death was a single stab wound to the chest, the perp left the knife.”

 

“Can you show me the first four attack locations?”  Huang asked suddenly.

 

Nodding, Olivia accessed the computer, bringing up each location on a different monitor.  “Janet Dixon was the first.  She was killed at the 23^rd Street Station where the SAE crosses the Canarsie Local.  Then there was Leslie Peterson at the 23^rd Street Station on the EAE, Maria Comet at Christopher Street Station, and finally Whitney Mann, Spring Street station on The LA Express.”

 

“LA?”  Munch squinted at the screen.

 

“The Lexington Avenue Express?”  Olivia rolled her eyes and pointed at the screen.  “The green line?  Right here!  How the hell do you get around this city?”

 

“The way god intended.”  He smiled.  “I drive.”

 

Olivia shook her head. 

 

“The first four attacks were all south of Central Park.”  Huang looked at Olivia. 

 

She nodded.  “I know.”

 

Cragen looked back and forth between the two of them.  “You two wanna clue the rest of us in?”

 

“Serial offenders… they stay within their comfort zones; areas and timetables that make them feel safe.”  Huang walked over to the board, studying the pictures and the descriptions taped beneath them. “The first four victims died in roughly the same area, ten or more days apart.  But this one,” he tapped the last photo.  “This attack was uptown.  It’s too far north and way too soon.  The only reason a serial would step that far out of his comfort zone is fear of being caught.  No offense, but… there hasn’t been enough movement on this case to engender that kind of fear.  Also, the first four women were all under thirty, known to frequent local hotspots, their clothes and appearance all similar.  This last woman…”  He stared at the last picture for several long seconds.  “She’s beautiful, yes.  But she’s older, professionally dressed… she’s not his type.”

 

Olivia sighed.  “There were also no defensive wounds, the only damage to her clothing was done by the knife and, most importantly, she was in the center of the bathroom floor.  All four of the others were found in the handicapped stalls.” 

 

A lab tech walked into the bull pen, gesturing to Elliot who stepped away to talk to him.  She watched as the tech handed her partner a file.  Elliot glanced at her before flipping it open to read through it.

 

“That was the one piece of information we didn’t leak to the media.”  Cragen closed his eyes, bringing up a hand to rub at his temples.  “Our hold card.”  He sighed heavily.  “So… you’re saying we’ve got a copycat on our hands.”

 

“I… don’t think so.”  Huang tapped a finger against his lips thoughtfully.  “At least, not your typical copycat.”  He pointed at Jane Doe.  “A single thrust to the chest and a victim that didn’t see it coming when she was looking right at it.  This was personal, disguised to look random.  This killer isn’t likely to repeat.”

 

“Great.”  Munch said sarcastically.  “One little murder… no harm done.”

 

The psychiatrist shrugged.  “I just meant that you probably don’t have to worry about a second serial offender.”  He frowned.  “But that also means you’re not going to get very far on this until you figure out who she is.”

 

“We just did.”  Elliot rejoined them, holding up the file.  “Her name was Francine Dicopoulos.  She was thirty eight years old and she lived on the Upper East Side.”  He handed Olivia an enlarged copy of the victim’s driver’s license.  “We got two separate hits on her prints.”

 

“From where?”  Olivia taped the copy up under the picture of the crime scene.

 

“AFIS.”

 

She turned to look at him in surprise.  “Criminal?”

 

Elliot shook his head.  “Social Services and…”  His eyebrows rose.  “International Financial Affairs.” 

 

“So, she was in the Foster Care system?”

 

“No.”  His face fell.  “She adopted a little girl about two months ago.”

 

“Oh my god…”  Olivia placed both hands on the edge of her desk, leaning forward as she hung her head.  “What’s the other database?”

 

“I don’t know.”  Elliot shrugged.  “They took her prints when she was bonded.  Apparently she’s some kind of investment banker.”

 

Olivia’s head shot up, her eyes widening.  “What?”

 

“Yeah, it says so right-” He held the file up to read from it, blinking in surprise when she snatched it from his hands, going pale as she read the report for herself.

 

“You okay, Liv?”  Fin asked.

 

Shaking her head, she slowly sank into her chair.  “Do you remember earlier…when I told you I needed to talk to you?”

 

Elliot nodded.  “Yeah?”

 

“Zoey Merrin showed up on my doorstep this morning… covered in blood…”

 

“The… the bartender from the Wainscott case?”

 

Olivia nodded.  “She had a nasty head wound.  Told me she couldn’t remember anything but waking up on the subway.  I took her to Bellevue to have her checked out.”

 

“Was she raped?”  He asked softly.

 

“No.”

 

Elliot looked at the other people crowded around his partner.  “Then… I’m sorry to sound cold but… I don’t see how it’s relevant.”

 

“It’s relevant…”  Olivia said slowly.  “If victim number five was her ex-girlfriend.”

 

TBC