White Picket Fence
(Chapter One: Little Girl Lost)
Elliot reached down to turn up the radio in the patrol car as the call came across. He flipped the car around nearly causing a pile up in downtown traffic, instantly recognizing the address the woman repeated for a second time. It was Olivia's address and the call was for a 10-54, meaning that a dead body had been found. Elliot flipped on the lights and sirens, feeling a huge knot in his throat and wasn't quite sure he wasn't going to have to pull over and vomit.
His breath caught in his throat and his fingers fumbled as he skimmed through his phone contacts to dial his former partner's number. After the third ring she picked up.
"Olivia?" he cut her off before he she could speak.
"Elliot?"
"Where are you? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. I'm at work, I'm about to go into court," she replied tipping her watch to look at the time. "What is going on?"
"Nothing. Thought I'd just give you a call," he lied and prayed she couldn't hear the fear in his voice.
"Just giving me a call? Elliot, it has probably been about three weeks since you just gave me a call. Why don't you tell me what is really going on?"
"You're right. I guess we have kind of lost touch lately. We should get together and have coffee sometime," he said making small talk so she couldn't sense he was freaking out.
Elliot knew he needed to better understand what was going on at her house before he could tell her anything. There was a good chance this was all a mistake. Or maybe dispatch got the numbers in the address or even the code wrong, it wouldn't be the first time.
"Coffee, sure."
"Listen, Liv, I'm gonna have to call you back later, alright?" he said and he hung up the phone.
"Okay, I guess," she replied with a look of confusion as she studied the phone in her hand.
"Liv, we are going to be late," Casey said stepping into the office for a moment.
"I'm ready," Olivia replied picking up a briefcase and a stack of file folders from her desk as she combed her fingers through her hair.
She stepped out of the office and walked quickly with Casey down the hall as they reviewed the most important details of their case.
Elliot hit the breaks and slammed the car in park as the front wheels of the navy sedan rested on the sidewalk. He jumped from the car and made his way toward the house, raising his head only for a moment to study the brick house, his house, at the end of the street.
"What is going on?" he asked flashing his badge to the uniformed officer as he lifted the crime scene tape and walked up the front steps of the beautiful two story home.
"A neighbor saw her through the window. He called it in. We found her in the upstairs bedroom," he replied leading Elliot up the stairway.
Elliot paused for a moment bracing himself and staring at the purple letters on the door spelling out Ryleigh's name. He felt his heart pounding and tears beginning to fill his eyes as he drew a deep breath and prepared himself for what he might find on the other side of the door.
"Teenaged female. Appears to be about sixteen years old."
"She's fourteen," Elliot corrected the man as he choked the words out. "What happened?"
"Apparent 10-56."
Elliot turned his head to study the man's face.
"Suicide?" he asked in disbelief.
"It looks that way."
"There is no way," Elliot replied shaking his head as he pushed the bedroom door open.
His eyes scanned the room for a moment with no sight of Ryleigh. The first thing to draw his attention was the bedroom curtain blowing in the breeze.
"The neighbor saw her through this window?" Elliot asked walking over to look outside.
"The windows line up. He can see straight into her bedroom from his."
"And he saw her lying on the bed?" Elliot asked still in a state of shock as he turned and looked at the mess of blankets on the bed.
Something didn't seem right, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Focus, he thought to himself closing his eyes then opening them once more to get a new perspective.
"No, sir. He saw her over there," the man pointed. "She was hanging in the closet."
Elliot felt his heart pounding as he turned to look into the closet behind him.
"She was already dead when the paramedics arrived?" Elliot asked remembering seeing the ambulance pull away when he arrived.
"Yes, Detective. They pronounced her upon arrival."
"Then why did they move the body before the room was processed? They could have destroyed viable evidence in this case!" he snarled at the man. "Who cut her down?" he shouted.
"I…I did," the man stammered.
"Why may I ask would you do that? Why would you touch the body? You know you have contaminated the scene, right?"
"Yes, sir. I am aware of that. But I had to cut her down…"
"Had to?" Elliot glared at him demanding an explanation. "Why did you have to cut her down?"
"Because we were still getting a fetal heartbeat. It was faint, but it was there. I am sorry we contaminated your scene, but I cut her down so that the paramedics could get her to the hospital and try to save the baby."
"Baby? Ryleigh was pregnant?"
"Yes sir. She didn't look to be very far along, but there was a belly."
Just then, Elliot heard Olivia's panicked voice downstairs. He made his way down the staircase as she pushed past the men at the front door.
"Where is she?" she asked with tears streaming down her face as she looked up at him. "They said Ryleigh is dead. They came into court and pulled me out into the hall to tell me that my child is dead. And now they wont even let me up there to see her," she said unable to make sense of anything that was going on around her.
Olivia broke free of the officer and made her way toward the staircase as Elliot stopped her.
"She isn't up there, Liv."
"Where is my daughter?" she asked looking at the room of strangers around her.
"Medics took the body, ma'am," one officer said as Elliot shot him a dirty look. "I'm sorry," he replied dropping his head and disappearing into the crowded room.
"They took her to the hospital," Elliot replied wiping tears from her cheek. "I'll drive."
Moments later Olivia sat silent in the passenger's seat staring out the window as they headed to the hospital across town to get some answers.
"You okay?" Elliot asked squeezing her hand in his as he watched her carefully.
"Do you remember that dance recital the girls were in when they were eight?" she asked without looking at him.
"I do," Elliot replied with a smile.
Olivia laughed for a moment.
"Ryleigh practiced night and day for months. She wanted me to make her tutu. It had to be purple, not pink like the other girls. I didn't even know how to sew, but I stayed up until two in the morning the night before the recital making it. I still remember that night. She wanted it so badly, then when the time came to go onstage, she refused."
Elliot smiled.
"That sounds like Ryleigh. Everything on her own time."
"Stage freight, I guess. I had to bribe her to get her to go out there and perform. She said 'but mommy everyone will see me'. She was so afraid she would make a mistake. I reminded her that everyone came to see them. And that as long as she gave it her very best everyone would be so proud of her. Maybe I put too much pressure on her," she whispered softly as Elliot squeezed her shoulder.
"Ryleigh still has the picture of her and Emily from that recital in her room," Elliot noted.
"Her in that damn purple tutu," Olivia laughed nervously.
"And Emily in her pink," Elliot added.
"You knew, didn't you?" she asked looking at him with sad eyes. "When you called me this morning, you already knew."
"I heard the call over the radio. But I didn't know anything for sure. I turned the car around and headed straight there. I called your phone on the way. When you answered I was relieved, but my heart sunk half knowing that something bad had happened to Ryleigh. I'm so sorry I didn't say anything then. But I didn't even know for sure what was going on yet. I didn't have any details to give you, I didn't even know if they had the right address."
"But they did. Did you see her, El?" she asked softly. "Did you see Ryleigh?" she gasped as she drew a staggered breath.
"They had already taken her away when I got there."
"So it could still be a mistake, right? Maybe it isn't her."
"Liv, it was Ryleigh. A neighbor saw her through the bedroom window and called the police. I didn't see her, but I did see the pictures they took of the scene before they moved her. I am so sorry."
"Oh God," she whispered as she began to cry once more.
Elliot watched as she sunk into the seat of the car and rested her forehead against the window staring outside and she cried once more.
At the hospital a doctor escorted Olivia back through two large double doors to talk to her in private. Elliot, however, was not the girl's immediate family, so he was stuck in the waiting room feeling helpless. He paced the floor for several minutes, then pulled his cell from his pocket and called his wife.
"Kath, listen, something horrible has happened….Ryleigh is dead. I am at the hospital with Olivia right now and I might be late getting home."
"What happened?"
"It looks like suicide, but we don't know for sure yet. Listen, I know Emily likes to walk home, but I was thinking maybe you could pick her up today. You don't have to say anything to her right away, we can tell her together tonight."
"Do you really think she is going to go that long without calling Ryleigh or wanting to go over to their house?"
"Just, keep her busy. Take her shopping or something, occupy her. Just until I can find out what happened and I know what to tell her. Right now Olivia's house is a circus of police and media and I really don't want Emily finding out that way. I know it is going to be hard on her, but I want her to hear it from us."
"I'll pick her up now. It is early, but I have some errands in the city, that will keep us busy for a while. Why wasn't Ryleigh at school?"
"I don't know, Kathy. I don't really have a lot of answers right now. What I do know is she is dead. And I really do not want to believe that Ryleigh would be upset enough to take her own life and no one around her even noticed. If this was a suicide, I cant help but feel like we really let this kid down."
"How is Olivia holding up?"
"I think she is still in shock, denial. Neither of us have really seen Ryleigh yet and I know she is still hoping that somehow is all a mistake. So am I, really. I feel horrible for Olivia and for Emily. Those girls have been best friends since they were five years old."
"You be there for Olivia. I will take care of Emily and we will see you for dinner tonight, right?"
"Give me an hour or so then call me. I will meet up with you back at the precinct and we can talk to Emily there. I really don't want to risk taking her back to the house and her finding something out before we are ready to discuss this with her. I know she is going to be upset and she's going to have questions, I just want to be able to offer up some kind of answers to her."
"Alright, I will call you in an hour."
Elliot put his phone back in his pocket as Olivia walked back into the waiting area.
"Are you alright?"
"No," she said softly as she shook her head. "They are getting her cleaned up now, but they want me to ID the body," she said softly. "I don't know if I can do this."
Elliot hugged her tight as she sobbed for a few minutes.
"I don't understand how this could have happened. She was fine when I left for work this morning. I told her goodbye and she hugged me, like she always does. Then I left."
"You didn't see her leave for school?"
"No, we had this huge case today. We have been working on it for months, I know I have been a little distracted, Elliot, but I swear I had no idea she was considering killing herself. Ryleigh was happy almost all of the time. She was a good student and spent a lot of time in her room doing homework. Or talking to Emily on the phone."
"Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt her?"
"You don't think this was a suicide?"
"I don't know. But it doesn't hurt to ask. Was there anyone who didn't seem to like Ryleigh? Or anyone or anything that was bothering her? Was she being bullied maybe?"
"I don't think so. This first year of high school has been a little tough on her, but she has had the same friends since she was in kindergarten. She is plays soccer and runs cross country, she is a cheerleader. Or was a cheerleader. Surely if someone was bullying my baby I would know it."
"They're not babies anymore, Olivia. They are high school students now. Teenagers. And teenagers don't tell their parents everything that is going on in their lives. It isn't cool. What was her boyfriend's name? Maybe she was having trouble with him."
"She didn't have a boyfriend. She was fourteen years old, Elliot. I didn't let her date."
Elliot stood there biting his tongue. That baby was proof that Ryleigh had at least once had contact with a guy.
"Ms. Sumner, we are ready for you now."
"It's not Sumner anymore, it is Benson. I took my maiden name back when David and I divorced. Ryleigh kept his name," she corrected the police officer said as they stood to follow the nurse to the small room in the back.
"You watch the monitor there," she said before disappearing into the next room.
"Thank you for coming here with me," she said staring into Elliot's eyes as she began to tear up again. "I don't know how I would get through this without you."
She hugged him tight and buried her face in his chest as she took a deep breath. She turned to face the television screen and watched as a woman pulled back the sheet revealing her daughter's face.
"Oh my God," Olivia gasped, turning to hide in the comfort of her best friend's arms once more as she sobbed. "My baby, she's really gone."
Elliot watched as the woman covered Ryleigh back up and turned off the monitor. He held tight to Olivia and walked her back down the hall to the waiting area where he handed her a cup of hot vending machine coffee.
"I am so sorry, Liv."
"Thank you," she whispered looking up at him through tears. "I don't even know what to do next. Make funeral arrangements, I guess. I don't even know who to call."
"Would you like me to call David?"
He watched as Olivia shook her head.
"David hasn't seen Ryleigh since she was five years old. When we split up I moved back here, he promised her he would keep in touch. He called her a couple of times and I think he sent her one birthday card. Then we never heard from him again."
"You divorce your wife, not your kid."
"Some people are not cut out to be parent's, Elliot."
"I guess not."
"Ryleigh and I did pretty well on our own. I thought we did anyway."
"I can get a list of numbers for you, if you'd like. I would be glad to help out in any way that I can, but there are some decisions that only you can make for her."
"I want purple flowers, not pink," Olivia clarified staring at him through tear stained eyes.
Elliot pulled a small notepad from his pocket and made the notation.
"And I want to bury her in the cemetery where my mother is buried. The rest of the details, I'm not really picky about."
"Okay," Elliot agreed with a nod, "I'll take care of it."
"I feel like I'm gonna be sick," she said taking a deep breath.
Elliot stood and walked with her to the ladies room. He waited outside the door for her as his cell phone rang.
"Captain, tell me you have something on this case?"
"The case isn't even ours, Elliot. I was calling to check on Olivia. How is she holding up?"
"She's falling apart. She just found out her child is dead. And what do you mean, not our case?"
"A suicide is not our department. I am sorry, but it is out of our hands."
"A pregnant fourteen year old girl sounds like a special victim to me! Ryleigh was not old enough to even consent to sex. That is statutory rape. And she was Olivia's kid, that makes her a very special victim. Look you know if this case goes across town it will just be chalked up as another teen suicide and she will never get the justice she deserves. Olivia will never have closure."
"What if it is just a suicide? A pregnant teenaged girl, she wouldn't be the first."
"I know this kid, Cap. I have practically helped raise her. She was a happy kid, this is totally out of character for her. I'm not asking that you put everyone on this case, all I am asking is that you let one of our guys take a look. Just to make sure that it was just a suicide. Olivia has all of these questions about the circumstances surrounding the death of her child, as her friend and as a parent, I just want to help answer those questions for her. Please?"
"Alright, I will have Fin take a look. But if we cant prove any kind of foul play we are going to have to turn the case over. And we will need Olivia's consent to order an autopsy."
"Yeah, I will talk to her about it."
"You get that in order and I'll be glad to help."
"Thanks, Cap."
When Elliot got off the phone he looked up to see Olivia step into an elevator with one of the doctors. He followed them up the fifth and past the nursery window. He walked past several work stations and machines to a darker part of the hospital where Olivia stood in front of a Neonatal Nursery window.
"Liv?" Elliot asked as she turned to him and he realized exactly where they were.
It was obvious to him now that this doctor had broke the news of her grandchild.
"He said to wait here," she whispered still holding a look of confusion in her eyes.
"Ms. Benson, we are ready for you," the doctor said as she slipped her hand in Elliot's and they followed the man to a was station.
"We ask that all guests scrub down and gown up before going inside," the doctor said handing them each a paper gown and mask.
Toward the back of the room was an incubator and inside laid the tiniest baby either of them had ever seen. The words on the incubator read 'Baby Boy Sumner' in blue letters.
"Ms. Benson, I'd like you to meet your grandson," the doctor said clearing his throat and trying not to cry himself.
"Grandson?" Olivia asked. "There must be some kind of mistake. My daughter was only fourteen years old. She's….she is dead. She wasn't here to have a baby."
"Ma'am, your daughter was Ryleigh Sumner, correct?"
"Yes."
"She was only 28 weeks pregnant. The first responders detected fetal heart activity and they rushed her here. I performed an emergency cesarean in an attempt to save the fetus. It is still pretty touch and go. He is just over an hour old."
"What kind of mother doesn't even know her fourteen year old child is pregnant?" Olivia asked staring at the newborn. "Is he going to be okay?"
"He is very early. Survival rate for babies born at 28 weeks is favorable, but he could possibly suffer any number of long term effects. Right now we have the tube in his nose to help him breathe and we have to regulate his temperature. He weighs two pounds seven and a half ounces and his heart and lungs are tiny, but seem to be working well. We will know a lot more over the next 24 hours."
"Thank you doctor," Olivia said softly kneeling to peer through the glass.
"I will give you guys a little time to get acquainted. If you need anything just ask the nurse at the station."
Elliot shook the man's hand and nodded in appreciation as the doctor walked away. Some how, by the grace of God, in the midst of this tragic nightmare this tiny little miracle had managed to survive.