A/N: We know basically nothing about the upcoming April episode Sunk Cost Fallacy with Cabot's return other than a woman and her daughter is abducted. So, based on those details alone, here will be the eqivalent of an episode over a handful of chapters.
With SMarch returning for the episode, I'm newly inspired. So I'm starting here and want to get a couple other outstanding stories completed. Hopefully this is the inspiration I need.
ABDUCTION
"So, how long has this woman been missing?" Olivia asked her team as they gathered around the table with a case file on the table and a driver's license photo on the TV screen.
"At least two days," Rollins said. "Her boss called after she didn't show up to work for two days straight at the hospital. I guess he sent another worker over to her place because it was unlike her to not show up. She's been out sick for a couple of days with her daughter, so when she didn't show up on the first day back, they figured maybe her daughter was still sick and she had called and the message didn't get to the right person. They tried calling, but I guess just once.
"Apparently she's worked as a lab tech for over 10 years, never missed a day of work until her last year when her daughter got real sick. Sounds like they've been real supportive of her and genuinely care about her," Rollins continued.
"Do she have any friends there?" Olivia asked. "Someone who may know where she goes? What about the child's father?"
"No one she's too close with, at least one outside of work," Carisi said. "And the girl's father apparently took after shortly after Brandi - our vic - found out she was pregnant."
Olivia put her hand over her chin as she did while she was thinking.
"Look, we've checked with neighbors, everyone we could think of," Rollins said. "Same story. They all loved her, saw her frequently. She was friendly. Never said a hateful word about anyone. Lived in her apartment for at least 7 years. But...she kept to herself mostly."
"She had been seeing someone last year, lasted for several months, a year maybe, but her co-workers seemed to think they broke up before Christmas," Carisi said.
"Got a name?" Olivia asked.
"No. Like Amanda said, she kept to herself," Carisi said. "She usually only talked about her daughter. In fact, the only reason her co-workers even knew she had been dating someone was because of the flowers she'd sometimes get at work."
"Any other family?" Liv asked.
"A mother upstate," Fin finally chimed in. "I'm trying to track her down, but the number Brandi listed on her emergency contact is disconnected, of course, it hadn't been updated in 10 years. But I have a name, so I got some locals up there checking on her."
"I don't like this," Liv said. "I mean, maybe she just went to visit her mom or something. But with a sick child and no trace of her..."
"I know," Rollins said. "I got dispatch checking on any calls from her neighborhood, and we've already checked other hospitals. She's just gone."
"Money problems? Dating problems? Drugs?" Liv said. "Anyone been threatening her."
Rollins shook her head. "She had a good job, at least made enough to support herself and her child and money in the bank. Nothing unusual in her bank records. Doesn't seem to be in any major dead, just a small balances a credit card. Even the relationship seemed to end amicably and hospital drug tests at least yearly. Never failed one and none of her co-workers or neighbors have ever seen any unusual behavior. Also, no reports of anyone threatening her."
"What about her apartment?"
"Waiting for the landlord to get back this afternoon. He was out of town," Carisi said. "Supposed to be able to get in this afternoon."
"Ok, well, the sooner, the better," Olivia said. "There has to be something there that tells us where this woman and her child is. And Fin, keep trying with the mother. Maybe Brandi talked to her about her life."
"Sure thing, Liv," Fin said as everyone left the table to go back to their desks and get on the phones.
Liv headed back to her office when a patrol officer came in.
"Here's the stuff from the locker at the hospital you asked for," the young officer told Rollins, handing her a bag of items and left.
The detective emptied it on the table while Liv joined her.
"Brandi's stuff?" Liv asked and Rollins nodded while digging through the items.
A set of scrubs. Gum. Midol. Packaged peanut butter crackers. A card that looked like it came from flowers. A scrap of paper with a phone number. Photos of her daughter.
Olivia picked up the paper with the phone number and dialed the number. Rollins opened the card envelope.
"Anything?" Rollins asked after Olivia hung up the phone.
"Voicemail full," Olivia said with an eye shrug. "What do you have on that?"
"Honestly, I have no idea," Rollins said. "Bon anniversaire! XOXO. There's a little squiggle doodle under the hugs and kisses, too … Happy Anniversary?"
Rollins handed Olivia the card.
"Happy Birthday. It's French," Olivia said.
Rollins gave her a weird look. "I didn't know you spoke French."
"There's a lot you don't know about me," Olivia said. "Besides, as little as I've used it, I'd hardly say I spoke it."
Rollins nodded.
"Check with TIRU on this phone number," Olivia said.
"Got it, boss," Rollins said.
#
That afternoon, Fin finally got ahold of Brandi's mother and Carisi found out that Brandi's landlord was almost back, but stuck in traffic.
"The mom lives about two hours from here, but is visiting a friend about an hour away," Fin said. "She doesn't drive though and was more than a bit panicked when she found out her daughter was missing. I couldn't get much out of her on the phone. She was a mess."
"Can she come down? Someone drive? Maybe she can help," Olivia said.
"She said she doesn't have anyone to drive. She took the bus to her friend's house. I guess she doesn't drive either. Both older women," Fin said. "You want me to tell her to get on a bus?"
"How about you and Rollins go get her?" Olivia said. "That way you can you can use the time back to see what she may know."
Fin and Rollins nodded.
"Carisi, where's your landlord?" Olivia said.
"My landlord?" Carisi said.
"Not YOUR landlord," Rollins said. "Our vic's landlord, dummy."
"Oh, he's uptown. I guess there is a pileup and he's trying to make it back down," Carisi said.
"How about you go to him. Maybe some lights and sirens will get you around the pile up a little easier and get that key," Olivia said. "Until we talk to Brandi's mom and get into her apartment, we have zero to go on."
"Except for her French lover," Rollins said.
"Well, I could have written that for all we know," Olivia said. "Who knows how many people in this city speak enough French to fake it, or at least Google it to impress a girlfriend."
"Fair enough," Rollins said.
"Carisi, go get the landlord or just the key, I don't care," Olivia said. "I'll head over to her apartment and see if I can get anything else out of the neighbors."
#
Half an hour later, Fin and Rollins were on their way to pick up Brandi's mother, and Olivia arrived at Brandi's apartment building, looking for anyone coming in or out that she could talk to. After seeing no one, she turned the handle to Brandi's door. Locked. She then knocked on the door adjacent to Brandi's apartment.
"Can I help you?" an elderly lady said, barely cracking the door.
"Hi. I'm sorry to bother you. I'm Lt. Olivia Benson with NYPD," Olivia said holding up her badge so the lady could see it through the crack. "I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about your neighbor, Brandi."
"Oh, of course," the lady said, closing the door enough to undo the latch and let Olivia in. "Is she ok?"
"Well, that's what we'd like to find out," Olivia said. "Did she ever have any visitors?"
"Not too much," the lady said. "I'm not very nosy, but Brandi was quiet. I mean, sometimes Amber, her daughter, I think that's her name, would get a little loud, but Brandi would always come over and apologize or bring flowers or something if she thought she disturbed me."
"Did it ever disturb you?" Olivia asked.
"Oh, heavens no," the woman said. "Besides, when anything gets loud around here or outside the window, I just turn this down." She pointed to her hearing aid. "To be honest, I probably keep my TV louder than my neighbors would like." She smiled shyly.
"So, in the 7 years or so she lived here, she never had visitors?" Olivia said. "Did her mom visit? Any friends? Boyfriends?"
"Oh, I've never seen a man over there. Her mom used to visit more often, but I think, like me, she's getting up there in age," the woman said. "She had one friend who used to come by quite a bit, but I haven't seen her in a while."
"Do you know her name?" Olivia said. "To be honest, we're having a hard time finding many people that knew her outside of work. We do have her mom coming down today."
"I don't know her name," the woman said. "She was very beautiful. Dressed very nice, too."
"When did you last see her, this woman?"
"Oh, it's been a few months. Maybe two or three," she said. "Actually, wait. When did they have that music show? The awards."
"The Grammys?"
"Yes, I think that's it," the woman said.
Olivia pulled out her phone and checked the date. "January 28 this year?"
"That sounds about right," the woman said. "I stayed up later than normal because I love music, even I don't much understand what they're saying in the songs these days. But I watch just so I know what to talk to my granddaughters about. Anyway, I remember that was on because I turned my hearing aid up a bit so I didn't have to turn the TV up louder – I was afraid I'd disturb the neighbors. But, I think they had an argument. I've never heard Brandi so much even raise her voice, but there was definitely an argument then."
"Between Brandi and this woman?"
"I think so. I saw them come in earlier with Amber," she said. "And when I went to check the lock later that night, I heard some voices outside the door, quieter, so I opened it just to see who it was. They were talking quietly at the door and then the blonde lady left."
Olivia took some notes. Adding more detail about the woman – blonde hair, pretty, well dressed.
"I never saw the woman after that," the lady said. "To be honest, and I'd never want to start rumors, but if not for her daughter, I would kind of think she was … well, you know, likes women better than men."
"Oh," Olivia said, already wondering about the relationship between the women. "Why do you say that?"
"Well, like I said, I never saw any men around here. And I guess early on, when she first moved in, there were a few women that would come around, but only one at a time, and just for a few months or so. Of course, what do I know," she said. "But, it just seemed … seeing these two together, that maybe there was something. But I guess she did have a husband or boyfriend at some point cause she has a daughter."
"Well, you may be right. I mean, sometimes it takes people a little longer than others to figure out what they prefer," Olivia said. "Do you know anything about Amber's father?"
"No," she said. "I asked once, early on, and she was kinda short with her answer. Just that he wasn't involved. Never saw anyone, never heard her mention it. Probably hard on the girl though, growing up not knowing your dad."
"Yeah, I can imagine," Olivia said, internally taking a bit deeper of a breath.
"When was the last time you saw Brandi?" Olivia continued asking questions.
"It's been a few days," the woman said. "I teased her and asked if she was going on a date. She was in a very pretty dress."
"What did she say?"
"Just that she was having dinner with an old friend," the woman said. "I guess that was three days ago."
"Where was Amber?"
"I think the young mom across the hall kept her," she said. "Occasionally they watched each other's kids. Though, I think Brandi watched Megan's kid more than Megan watched Amber."
Olivia looked down at a text message from Carisi: Heading up now with the key.
"Well, you've been very helpful, Ms….?"
"Peters. Margaret Peters," she said. "Will you please let me know when you find them? I've worried myself sick since I heard they were missing. Both were just the sweetest girls."
"I will," Olivia said. She smiled, motioned for Margaret to stay seated. She showed her way out and caught Carisi as he got to the top of the stairs.
Carisi pulled out the key and put it into the lock, turning it back, then forth. He scrunched his face and looked at Olivia.
"What?" she asked.
"I think it was already unlocked," he said.
"I checked it when I got here, probably half-hour ago," she said. "Just in case."
Carisi put his hand on his and gun, and the two of them slowly opened the door.
"NYPD. Is anyone here?" Carisi said.
From the bedroom, they heard a thump like a book closing and then silence for a moment.
Olivia looked at Carisi and whispered.
"Someone's here," she said.
It's Tuesday night (late), so I'll do my best to get chapter 2 up by Thursday evening.
As always, your reviews are appreciated. Love it, hate it, have ideas? Let me know with a comment or on twitter -rileyclocks!