Pulsing red lights slashed across their faces. Hard music
blasted against their words to each other, forcing them to shout
to almost be heard. The man in the middle had an arm draped
over each of the girls, all of the giggling and sipping at their
drinks. He leaned over and whispered into the ear of the girl
under his left arm, she giggled, nodded and leaned in tighter
against his chest. He leaned the other way and whispered to the
girl under his right arm, she repeated the first girls' actions.
The three of them made their way out of club, and onto the
streets of New York City.
*****
"It's about to be torn down, engineers were comin' in to map out where to put the dynamite." The officer in uniform said as he led detectives Goren and Eames into what used to be an office building. "They're in what looks like it was a conference room, over here." He pointed toward a doorframe with no door hung on it. Inside, in what had to be the exact center of the room, two women lay together, each on her side, facing the other. Foreheads touching, hands' clasping the others elbows. "Those stab wounds are all over, arms, legs, back, stomach. They all look like they're different depths. Ligature marks on one girls wrists, we figure he had her tied up while he cut up the other one." The cops voice got a little softer, a little more disgusted, "They were alive for a long time."
*****
"They're an 'A'" Goren said, shuffling through the set of crime scene photos on his desk. "An 'A'" he repeated to himself. From her desk, Eames observed her partner, trying once again to dissect his thought process. She failed. "Why did he pick an 'A', that's the question." Shaking his finger in the air, he glanced up at Eames, "Is it his initials? One of the girls' names?" He had more examples, but Eames cut him off before he could continue.
"It could be anything."
"But it's not anything it means something to him. It has to."
"Maybe it's just the beginning, maybe he's headed down the alphabet." Eames offered.
Captain Deakins walked up to their desks, and dropped a folder on to Goren's desk. "He's not doing the alphabet. SVU has another one, two girls forming an 'A', same stab wounds. Go see them."
*****
"Major Case Squad is on the way over," Captain Donald Cragen announced to his SVU detectives. Stopping at Detective Elliott Stablers desk, he continued, addressing everyone. "We're going to take a back seat." He held up his hands, fending off the protests coming at him. "Not entirely. Our orders are to let Goren run the investigation, but we're still a part of it."
"Our scene was first, why does he." Elliott began to protest, but Cragen cut him off.
"Because that's what the Chief of Detective's wants, that's why. This wacko is right up Goren's alley, anyway."
Detective Fin got up from behind his desk and approached the others gathered at Stablers desk. "I worked with Goren a few times, when he was with Narcotics. Good guy. Good cop."
"Thanks" came a voice from behind and above Fin. Goren offered his hand to the SVU captain, "Robert Goren, this is my partner, Detective Alex Eames." Cragen shook hands with each detective, introduced himself and his SVU squad. Goren shook Fins hand, smacking him lightly on the back with his other hand. Then Goren addressed himself to Captain Cragen again. "I'd like to start by looking over your crime scene photos, any notes there may be."
Cragen stopped him in mid sentence "Detectives Benson and Stabler caught the call, they'll give you what ever you need. I'll be in my office." With a final glance around at his detectives, he retreated into his office and shut the door.
Goren watched the SVU captain then turned his attention to Benson and Stabler. Olivia Benson already had the case file in her hand and was holding it out to Goren. "Your girls positioned into an 'A'?"
"Yes. They were." Goren had taken the file from Benson and was already enthralled. To an average person, he would seem distracted as he spoke, but his partner, Eames, knew better. Goren took everything in and stored it away for later.
"Were.were your victims raped? Is that why SVU was called?" His eyes coming off the page, looking first at Benson, then Stabler and back again to the file.
"Yes, both of them had bruising and torn tissue, consistent with rape. And Kaitilin Anthony had rope burns on both wrists, we think he had her tied up while he raped and stabbed Bridgette Kearns." Olivia offered.
"Were your vics raped?" Detective Stabler asked, looking at Eames.
"We won't know for sure until the ME report comes back, but we think so." Eames answered.
"Right now, I'd like to hear opinions on what the 'A's mean." Goren again looked up from the file, but closed it this time, and glanced around at the other detectives. "We can rule out the alphabet, since he's done two 'A's."
Detective Munch broke in "Maybe he's a recovering alcoholic. You know, AA, and he thought these girls were drinking too much, headed down the same path. He saved them."
Goren listened to Munch, and shook a finger at him, "That's a good concept. Let's keep that one in mind. Anyone else?" The six detectives discussed the possibilities, bouncing ideas back and forth, some ideas leading to others. In the end they were still where they'd started.
*****
Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy poured himself a short scotch and sipped at it as he listened to ADA Carver detail that days court session. When Carver finished, McCoy asked about the girls he'd read about in the paper. "Yes, the Major Case Squad, Detectives Goren and Eames are working with the SVU detectives, Goren is heading the investigation." Carver pulled out a manila folder as he spoke, handing it to McCoy. "Ok, thanks" McCoy said, taking the file. Carver understood that was his cue to leave, said goodnight closing the door behind him.
McCoy picked up the bottle of scotch, ready to pour another, when a long past memory flashed across his mind. He put the scotch back in the bottom desk drawer and turned his attention to the file Carver had handed him. Opening the folder, the photos were the first to catch his attention. Glancing back and forth between the two sets of photos. Expect for the girls hair and clothing, the scenes were indistinguishable. He began to read the reports. Various stab wounds, evidence of one victims writs being immobilized, rape. Something about the positioning of the body's struck a chord. Searching through the piles of files and folders that cluttered his desk, he found what he was looking for. Opening the new case file, he took out two photos of two different crime scenes. Placing all four photos in front of him, he stared at them, not realizing he was playing a word game with himself. He moved two of the photos around and came up with what his mind had know was there all along. "Oh my God" he muttered to himself.
*****
Detectives Brisco and Green walked into McCoy's office. "What's up, Counselor?" Lenny greeted McCoy. "Detectives' Brisco and Green, of the twenty seven, these are Detectives Goren and Eames of the Major Case Squad, Detectives Benson, Stabler, Munch and Finn, from Special Victims." McCoy made the introductions, each detective nodding toward Brisco and Green as their name was mentioned. "We need to get started." McCoy motioned for Brisco and Green to have a seat. Making his way to the back of the room, positioning him self behind an overhead projector, McCoy began explaining why they were all there. "Ten days ago, Detectives Brisco and Green were called to a murder scene, two girls, mid twenties, raped, several stab wounds, their bodies positioned to form a letter of the alphabet. Eight days after that murder, there was a second, same exact circumstances." Goren and Eames looked at each other, then back at McCoy. "Last Tuesday," McCoy continued, "SVU was called to a new scene, same MO, different letter. Yesterday, Goren and Eames took a call, same conditions as the SVU scene, same letter." McCoy then took out the photos. Placing each picture on the projector, so that the image transferred to the screen on the wall, McCoy defined each scene. "The first murder." The photo showed two girls positioned to form the letter 'H'. "The second" McCoy continued placing the SVU photo on the projector, two girls formed an 'A' next to the 'H'. All the detectives could see what was coming. "The third and fourth." McCoy set down the last two photos. Another 'H' and another 'A'. There, on the wall, eight dead girls formed the words HA HA. "We have a serial killer on the loose, Detectives."
*****
"It's about to be torn down, engineers were comin' in to map out where to put the dynamite." The officer in uniform said as he led detectives Goren and Eames into what used to be an office building. "They're in what looks like it was a conference room, over here." He pointed toward a doorframe with no door hung on it. Inside, in what had to be the exact center of the room, two women lay together, each on her side, facing the other. Foreheads touching, hands' clasping the others elbows. "Those stab wounds are all over, arms, legs, back, stomach. They all look like they're different depths. Ligature marks on one girls wrists, we figure he had her tied up while he cut up the other one." The cops voice got a little softer, a little more disgusted, "They were alive for a long time."
*****
"They're an 'A'" Goren said, shuffling through the set of crime scene photos on his desk. "An 'A'" he repeated to himself. From her desk, Eames observed her partner, trying once again to dissect his thought process. She failed. "Why did he pick an 'A', that's the question." Shaking his finger in the air, he glanced up at Eames, "Is it his initials? One of the girls' names?" He had more examples, but Eames cut him off before he could continue.
"It could be anything."
"But it's not anything it means something to him. It has to."
"Maybe it's just the beginning, maybe he's headed down the alphabet." Eames offered.
Captain Deakins walked up to their desks, and dropped a folder on to Goren's desk. "He's not doing the alphabet. SVU has another one, two girls forming an 'A', same stab wounds. Go see them."
*****
"Major Case Squad is on the way over," Captain Donald Cragen announced to his SVU detectives. Stopping at Detective Elliott Stablers desk, he continued, addressing everyone. "We're going to take a back seat." He held up his hands, fending off the protests coming at him. "Not entirely. Our orders are to let Goren run the investigation, but we're still a part of it."
"Our scene was first, why does he." Elliott began to protest, but Cragen cut him off.
"Because that's what the Chief of Detective's wants, that's why. This wacko is right up Goren's alley, anyway."
Detective Fin got up from behind his desk and approached the others gathered at Stablers desk. "I worked with Goren a few times, when he was with Narcotics. Good guy. Good cop."
"Thanks" came a voice from behind and above Fin. Goren offered his hand to the SVU captain, "Robert Goren, this is my partner, Detective Alex Eames." Cragen shook hands with each detective, introduced himself and his SVU squad. Goren shook Fins hand, smacking him lightly on the back with his other hand. Then Goren addressed himself to Captain Cragen again. "I'd like to start by looking over your crime scene photos, any notes there may be."
Cragen stopped him in mid sentence "Detectives Benson and Stabler caught the call, they'll give you what ever you need. I'll be in my office." With a final glance around at his detectives, he retreated into his office and shut the door.
Goren watched the SVU captain then turned his attention to Benson and Stabler. Olivia Benson already had the case file in her hand and was holding it out to Goren. "Your girls positioned into an 'A'?"
"Yes. They were." Goren had taken the file from Benson and was already enthralled. To an average person, he would seem distracted as he spoke, but his partner, Eames, knew better. Goren took everything in and stored it away for later.
"Were.were your victims raped? Is that why SVU was called?" His eyes coming off the page, looking first at Benson, then Stabler and back again to the file.
"Yes, both of them had bruising and torn tissue, consistent with rape. And Kaitilin Anthony had rope burns on both wrists, we think he had her tied up while he raped and stabbed Bridgette Kearns." Olivia offered.
"Were your vics raped?" Detective Stabler asked, looking at Eames.
"We won't know for sure until the ME report comes back, but we think so." Eames answered.
"Right now, I'd like to hear opinions on what the 'A's mean." Goren again looked up from the file, but closed it this time, and glanced around at the other detectives. "We can rule out the alphabet, since he's done two 'A's."
Detective Munch broke in "Maybe he's a recovering alcoholic. You know, AA, and he thought these girls were drinking too much, headed down the same path. He saved them."
Goren listened to Munch, and shook a finger at him, "That's a good concept. Let's keep that one in mind. Anyone else?" The six detectives discussed the possibilities, bouncing ideas back and forth, some ideas leading to others. In the end they were still where they'd started.
*****
Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy poured himself a short scotch and sipped at it as he listened to ADA Carver detail that days court session. When Carver finished, McCoy asked about the girls he'd read about in the paper. "Yes, the Major Case Squad, Detectives Goren and Eames are working with the SVU detectives, Goren is heading the investigation." Carver pulled out a manila folder as he spoke, handing it to McCoy. "Ok, thanks" McCoy said, taking the file. Carver understood that was his cue to leave, said goodnight closing the door behind him.
McCoy picked up the bottle of scotch, ready to pour another, when a long past memory flashed across his mind. He put the scotch back in the bottom desk drawer and turned his attention to the file Carver had handed him. Opening the folder, the photos were the first to catch his attention. Glancing back and forth between the two sets of photos. Expect for the girls hair and clothing, the scenes were indistinguishable. He began to read the reports. Various stab wounds, evidence of one victims writs being immobilized, rape. Something about the positioning of the body's struck a chord. Searching through the piles of files and folders that cluttered his desk, he found what he was looking for. Opening the new case file, he took out two photos of two different crime scenes. Placing all four photos in front of him, he stared at them, not realizing he was playing a word game with himself. He moved two of the photos around and came up with what his mind had know was there all along. "Oh my God" he muttered to himself.
*****
Detectives Brisco and Green walked into McCoy's office. "What's up, Counselor?" Lenny greeted McCoy. "Detectives' Brisco and Green, of the twenty seven, these are Detectives Goren and Eames of the Major Case Squad, Detectives Benson, Stabler, Munch and Finn, from Special Victims." McCoy made the introductions, each detective nodding toward Brisco and Green as their name was mentioned. "We need to get started." McCoy motioned for Brisco and Green to have a seat. Making his way to the back of the room, positioning him self behind an overhead projector, McCoy began explaining why they were all there. "Ten days ago, Detectives Brisco and Green were called to a murder scene, two girls, mid twenties, raped, several stab wounds, their bodies positioned to form a letter of the alphabet. Eight days after that murder, there was a second, same exact circumstances." Goren and Eames looked at each other, then back at McCoy. "Last Tuesday," McCoy continued, "SVU was called to a new scene, same MO, different letter. Yesterday, Goren and Eames took a call, same conditions as the SVU scene, same letter." McCoy then took out the photos. Placing each picture on the projector, so that the image transferred to the screen on the wall, McCoy defined each scene. "The first murder." The photo showed two girls positioned to form the letter 'H'. "The second" McCoy continued placing the SVU photo on the projector, two girls formed an 'A' next to the 'H'. All the detectives could see what was coming. "The third and fourth." McCoy set down the last two photos. Another 'H' and another 'A'. There, on the wall, eight dead girls formed the words HA HA. "We have a serial killer on the loose, Detectives."