Disclaimer: I don't anything from Law & Order: SVU.
The angry sound of his phone pierced through the aging detectives' dark dreams. It didn't take him long to roll over and pick up the noisy phone on his bed side table. He'd done it so many nights before, it just seemed normal. Normal, ha! He smirked at the thought of using the word normal in his life.
As he answered the phone he was already getting out of bed, collecting clothes and heading to the bathroom. "Munch."
"Benson. D.O.A. Female. 30 to 35…"
No pleasantries, just the cold hard facts. But what did he expect? It was 2:54 in the morning and he was writing down the location of a dead girl.
After he'd hung up the phone he stared silently at the address he'd just written down. In less then an hour he'd be there, looking at the body of a young woman. Was she a wife? Mother? He didn't have time to theorize. As he turned the shower on he quickly dialed his partner and recited the same information he'd just been given. It was already burned into his memory.
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In less time then he'd thought Munch was getting out of the car and heading towards the yellow crime scene tape. A crowd had already formed "Have a good look, it's not like you've anything better to do" he said to no one in particular. Tutuola held up the tape for him and started reeling off what he'd just been told by a uniform "DOA. Street kid called it in said he was just looking for somewhere to crash."
"I.D?" he knew it was optimistic but he had no ask
"None. They found a bag nearby but no wallet. Examiners late so you haven't missed too much."
"Yay" He said it with the dry humor he found helpful.
As they got closer to the body Munch spotted Olivia talking to a young boy 15 maybe 16, too young to be sleeping in an alley.
She turned around and headed towards the pair while they were taking in their scenery. It was a basic alley with unglamorous rubbish bins and puddles. But the smell wasn't just the alley; he'd worked too long to be that naïve.
"Stabler and the coroner are on their way. CSU started about 15 minutes ago and child protection's going to pick up the kid."
"There's a 24 hour grocery store across the road. I'm thinking they could have a camera showing the entry?" Fin suggested
"If it's working" Munch replied to Fin as he jogged off to question the store manager.
Before Munch had a chance to get a closer look at the victim Benson greeted someone over his shoulder causing him to turn around.
"Warner, how nice of you to join us on this beautiful morning. Just out on a stroll?" Munch teasingly asked the approaching coroner.
"Hmmm I wish. This is my third this morning and I just got a call for a gun shot vic 6 blocks over." The medical examiner crouched down, removed the sheet covering the Vic and started giving the detectives her basic assessment. "30 to 35. Caucasian. Brunette."
"Save us the obvious and get down to the grit"
"Ok. Looks like Blunt force trauma to the back and front of the head. She's got some bruising on her wrists and jaw. Maybe in a fight? Her nails are broken but it looks like she could have gotten some of her attacker."
Munch was getting confused "How's this Special Vics?"
Benson looked down at her shoes as the medical examiner pulled the sheet further down. "Sorry Munch but it's a Special Vics case. Stab wounds. Can't tell how many but it looks like she was dead before it happened. Thank god."
AN: I'm feeling kind of nervous about this one so please read and review.