A/N– I don't own any of these characters. Even though I wouldn't mind owning an Ed Green, Jack McCoy and Abbie Carmichael of my own. ;)

This will eventually be Jack/Abbie, I just wanted to actually have a plot for once.

As for the rating, I just wanted to be safe in case things got..interesting

"I can give you a ballpark time of death" The ME said, slowly pulling a sheet over the pretty, twenty something brunette lying pathetically in a corner of the large, well kept apartment.

"Enlighten us, please" Lennie drawled sarcastically.

"I'd say anywhere between midnight and two am" The coroner said, pulling off his rubber gloves.

"And as for how she died?" Ed asked, his notebook and pen at the ready.

"Well, she was unconscious for most of it, as far as I can tell." The ME sighed, rubbing his hands over his hair.

"Unconscious for what, exactly?" Lennie asked.

"She was brutally raped before she died. There's seamen everywhere. It looks like he strangled her when he was done."

The two detectives exchanged glances and nodded to the coroner. "Thanks man" Ed said, slapping him on the back.

"I guess a murder weapon is out of the question." Lieutenant Van Buren said, looking over the case files.

"Yeah, but the dude left seamen everywhere, so once we get a suspect it shouldn't be too hard to match him with DNA." Ed said, thoughtfully tapping his pen against his chin.

"If, we get a suspect," Lennie reminded him. "He may have disappeared."

"Was there any ID on her?" Van Buren asked, sitting at her desk.

"It was her apartment, registered to a Carrie Ann Burecroft." Lennie said reading from a scrap of paper.

"Well, start there" Van Buren said. "Ask around the building. See if she had any unwanted male visitors hanging around."

"Carrie? Aw, no way. That's a real shame." The portly Italian man said, shaking his head at the picture presented to him by the two detectives. "She was a sweet girl. Always helping me up the stairs when my knee gave out." He patted his left knee, smiling faintly.

"Any chance that you wanted a little more than help from Carrie? If you know what I mean" Lennie asked, smirking slightly.

"What? Oh no, no. She was a pretty girl, but.." He trailed off as a large woman appeared at his side, yelling at him in rapid Italian, shaking a sauce covered wooden spoon at him. He raised his voice to be heard over all the yelling. "As you can see, I don't get out much" He nodded to the detectives and closed the door.

Lennie and Ed stood there, stunned. Then Ed shrugged, and they headed towards the next apartment.

"Think papa Italiano was lying?" Lennie asked.

Ed shook his head vigorously. "Nah man, I once dated an Italian chick, and she was all over me, asking where I was every second of the day, going though my stuff... If he was having an affair, the old lady would know."

Lennie laughed and knocked on the next door. "Thank God for your history with women"

The door opened and a girl in her mid twenties with long, dark curly hair looked at them questioningly. "Can I help you?" She ventured timidly.

"We're hoping so Miss." Ed said, reaching in to his inside jacket pocket. "Did you know a Carrie Ann Burecroft?" He asked showing her the picture of the girl on the morticians table.

The girl's eyes widened and then filled with tears. "Oh my god." She whispered. "Is she...dead?

"Afraid so."Lennie said gruffly. "Do you mind if we come in and ask you a few questions?"

She shook her head. "No, not at all." She opened the door wider so they could come in, and led them to a sofa. "Please, sit down. You'll have to excuse the mess, I just got back from Mexico."

"What's your name, and your relationship to Miss Burecroft?" Ed asked, reaching for his notebook.

"My name is Michelle Maco. I met Carrie about six months ago at a mutual friend's party. We realized that we lived in the same building and were pretty close friends after that. I've been meaning to call her, but I just got back and I've been trying to get reorganized. Not that it would have mattered, right?" She said softly, her lips twisting into an ironic smile, but her eyes filling with tears. She sniffled as the tears began to fall.

Ed handed her a tissue, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Michelle, I'm sorry to have to ask you questions at a time like this, but did Carrie have any persistent male suitors?"

Michelle dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "I don't remember her complaining about any male problems. But she did have a boyfriend, Brian Featherson. They split a month or two ago. But I don't think Brian would have done anything to her. The break-up was mutual, from what Carrie told me."

"Well, we're gonna need the name and address of this Brian character anyway, Miss Maco." Lennie said.

"Yeah sure." She agreed, and scribbled down a name and address.

"One last thing, do you know where she worked? We searched the apartment and it looked more like a hotel room than a young woman's apartment." Lennie asked as they stood to leave.

Michelle smiled wistfully. "Carrie was studying to be a lawyer. She worked at Phearson and Steinhoffer. She was married to her job. Working late nights, leaving as soon as the sun came up. It was a wonder I got to see her at all."

The two detectives nodded. "Thanks for your help Michelle. If you think of anything, call this number." Ed said, handing her a white business card.

"Brian Featherson?" Lennie asked the tall, dark-haired young man. The man nodded, and Lennie and Ed flashed him their badges, and led him to a bench by the side walk.

"You know a Carrie Ann Burecroft?" Ed asked, cutting right to the chase. He pulled out the picture and flashed it in the young mans face.

"Yeah, what...is she dead?' He grabbed the picture out of Green's hands and stared at it, shaking. "How did this happen?" He asked, his voice trembling.

"We were sort of hoping you could tell us" Lennie asked, crossing his legs.

"You thought I did this?" Brian looked shocked.

"Well, we heard that you two broke up..." Ed said, trailing off.

"What makes you so sure it was a guy?" Brian asked. "Was she...raped?"

"Bingo." Lennie drawled.

"It wasn't me, I can tell you that much. Our break-up was really mutual."

"So we hear," Ed said. "Care to elaborate?"

"We didn't really...have much of a ...sex life anymore." Brian admitted, looking sheepish.

"Is that why you had to rape her Brian? So you could get laid?" Lennie asked, leaning toward him and raising an eyebrow.

"No man! It wasn't like that." Brain said, beads of sweat breaking out on his face. He bit his lip and started fixedly at his shiny black shoes.

"Then how was it Brian? "Cause, you're not really giving us many convincing arguments here," Ed smirked.

"The reason we broke up was...because..I'm...I'm gay." Brain said, staring determinedly at Green.

"You're gay?" Ed said disbelievingly.

"Yes. Carrie had known for years, and I was afraid to come out to my parents, she was offering me some help by agreeing to come to family functions with me, office things. Then people just sort of got the idea that we were together, and I never did anything about it. Carrie put up with it for a while, then she got sick of playing my fake girlfriend. So, like I said, we broke up, mutually and have just been friends since."

Lennie shot a look at Ed. Ed shrugged and nodded, and the two stood to leave. "Hey Brian, just for kicks, where were you Thursday night?"

Brian sighed. "I was at my parent's house in Connecticut. I finally came out to them, and they weren't happy. Let's just say I'm very glad to be back."

"We're gonna need their number anyway, just to confirm your story." Brian nodded and fished out a scrap of paper and scribbled a name and address on it. Ed slapped him on the back. "Good luck man."

He smiled halfheartedly. "I'll be fine. Just try to get the bastard who did this." The detectives nodded and headed back to the two-seven.