Premise; For a little over six months the squad has been dealing with the "Craig's List Killer" someone with high tech gear and can out smart the NYPD easily. After killing his fifth victim the FBI decided to step on the NYPD's toes and the return of Special Agent Porter brings a tense vibe to the squad. During this time Olivia has been seeing a wealthy man who she starts to suspect having an involvement in this case, but her suspicion might turn her into victim number 6.
Suggestive Porter/Benson and Suggestive Stabler/Benson
DISCLAIMER: In creating this story, I, the author intend it for entertainment purposes only. I do not own anything.
Chapter one; Victim number 5.
It was no shock to anyone on the squad what they saw when they walked into that hotel room. The fifth hotel, the fifth room, and the same scene, the poor tormented body of a young woman, in her early 20s. Her body was covered in bruises and cuts, scrapes, and a gash on her head. Her arms were tied up to each bed post, and a gag in her mouth. It was gruesome, and stomach turning. This had to be the work of the media named "Craig's List Killer" Through out the last few months someone had been setting meet up "massage" dates with various women through Craig's List. The four, now five women who were coming met up with a fatal fate. Each murder was different. Was he new at these? The investigation lead them to believe he wasn't he was too careful, not even a drop of evidence. And no real way to connect any of these murders other than the way each women's body was staged so tragically. One had been strangled, another was poisoned, one woman laid in her hotel room and slowly bled to death. The fourth victim, her throat was slit, and now this woman, the youngest of all them, had a gash in her head so deep and thick that her brain was in view.
The NYPD tried to hide the cases from the media but they had gotten their paws on them. They were big stories, people were afraid. Every day the headlines for the last month were bashing the Department for being incompetent. For not being able to catch this killer, none of the detectives could even get into work without being bombarded with questions every which way. It didn't help that Craig's List wasn't cooperating with the investigation.
Outside the station house reporters, camera men and protesters with signs lined the side walks. Police had put up barriers so the could get through, but just getting out of the car was hard enough. Elliot and Olivia had just come back from the hotel where the latest crime scene was, a hotel worker talked, it had already hit the news. They got out of the car, and questions were being shouted at them from every direction. Benson tried to walk past but a man stuck his microphone in her face,
"Detective Benson, can you confirm that this is the work of the Craig's List Killer again." he asked
"I have no comment." she said brushing by them.
"Do you have no comment because your department can't do it's job and keep people safe?" a woman shouted from another station.
Elliot and Olivia only exchanged glances and made their way inside ignoring the rest of the questions being shouted out at them.
"How is this guy better than us?" Olivia asked Elliot, she was truly really losing it with this case, not sleeping, hardly eating, unable to think. She thought one murder was bad enough now there was five, and it's being made into their fault.
"He's not, he's going to slip up hopefully this is the time." Elliot said making his way into the elevator. Olivia followed.
"That's what you said the first time, and the second time and third time...how many more women have to die for us to 'get lucky' for his mistake. How can this person be untraceable. It's been a month and half and we don't have one lead." Olivia frowned, this had been really hard on her, everyone was so quick to blame the police, the detectives, and she just knew that now the department heads would probably wisk this away from them since they apparently couldn't solve anything. But that wasn't the only problem she was in fear for those other women, two of those women who were murdered had children. And it was truly a terrible terrible case.
"Liv, he might be smart, but we're smarter, he might be strong, but we're stronger. We will find this guy." He said to her, trying to be reassuring, she hadn't been doubting this case until recently, and if they started doubting then really the were going to lose to him, and Elliot didn't want that to happen, no one did.
"You better hope so." Olivia said, the elevator dinged, "A lot of innocent women's lives depend on it." She added, leaving the elevator before him, officers were buzzing all over that building it was really crowded, fast pace, head ache inducing. She walked up the hall, Elliot behind her.
Olivia tilted her head when she noticed a man standing at her desk, not just any man, her boyfriend the one she maybe once mentioned a few months ago when no one was listening so she wouldn't feel guilty about not telling anyone. His name was Parker Perry, a stupid name if you asked her but she wasn't going to judge him on it, when she first met him she told him it sounded like a bad defense attorney's name. He agreed. Parker was handsome, he had dirty blonde hair that was somewhat wavy, he was casual, and would have probably made a great candidate for that show "The bachelor". He was 45, and enormously wealthy, though most of it came from inheritance, he made his own money working in the finical sector. He explained it to her, several times, but she still didn't get it, "basically," he had described it, "I take my money and turn it into more money." that she could understand, just not exactly how. What she also didn't understand was how someone who should be dating 20 year old super models, which he could certain get had even thought about her for more than a second. In fact it had been on his persistence that they started dating.
Through all this time, about six months of being together, which was a long time for her. She never moved in with him though he had asked, she spent the night a very few times, and had probably been the worst girlfriend he had ever had, and it was unusual to her why he didn't argue with her very much, and it didn't bother him when she had to blow off dates for work, or that she was working all the time. He didn't get jealous over the time she spent with Elliot, in fact almost encouraged it, and if she had the time to really sit down and mull this over, she maybe would have noticed that there was something off about their relationship. Unfortunately, it crossed her mind for all of five seconds one night before falling asleep and forgetting about it. She didn't feel like she should complain with her luck with men this was practically a miracle.
She made a face when she saw him, she actually didn't want to see him, just from what she had been through she didn't really want to see anyone.
"Hey..." She said to his back, he turned around from looking at her desk.
"Who's the model?" Elliot joked giving Olivia's arm a tug, and walking around the two to leave them alone, she turned her head to glare at him. And then brought it back.
"How did you get in here?" she asked him, it wasn't the best greeting but it made him smile.
"You don't have a picture of us on your desk." He said to her, also in the same not decent greeting mode.
"Not yet.." she answered back.
"That sounds hopeful." he smirked, he liked her sarcasm. "I brought you lunch." he said handing her a bag of take out. She tried to smile but after what she had just come back from she really wasn't that hungry she didn't know if she'd ever be hungry again.
"But...you don't look like you're very hungry." he added in seeing her expression toward the idea of eating.
"Uhm, not right now but eventually sometime in my life I will eat, and I appreciate the effort on your part." she tried to get around it.
"You haven't called me back in three days." he tried to sneak in there, he knew she would probably get upset over him bring it up but he was concerned.
"Yeah, I've been working." she said a little sarcastically and almost annoyed, clearly there was big thing going on.
"Not according to the news." he joked, offered a smirk but she didn't offer it back. Only that, 'I can't believe you said that' look.
"I know that was supposed to be funny-" she started
"I know I'm sorry, I know things are tense right now." he added "I should go now probably I just hadn't seen or talked to you in awhile." these moments were awkward even for him. But he was curious to see how close they were, and what was happening in his girlfriend's life.
"Yeah I'll call you when I get a chance." She gave him her blow off line. Even Elliot who had a good time ease dropping on this conversation knew that he'd be waiting a few good days to hear from her again. She looked down at her desk in the typical get back to work mode that her mindset had been at lately. But everyone in the unit was feeling that way. Here they were not one step closer to finding out anything. And the day was only starting.
Perry turned to leave and Elliot and Olivia exchanged looks, he gave an unamused look at her like she wasn't trying hard enough to make it work. Not that it was any of his business, but it was the face of his opinion. She rolled her eyes at him she could feel it just from the look that she should probably end that better.
She turned around, "Hey." she said Perry stopped and looked at her.
"Thank you for lunch. When I take a dinner a break we can get together. Tonight." she added in maybe making this a little bit of better situation. He smiled, he liked the idea of that. As did she but she did like the idea of food in general, so in her mind it was a win/win.
"Great." he said, Olivia nodded, and the moment was still awkward, and finally, Perry left.
Elliot held his silence for a few moments but couldn't wait any longer.
"So that was awkward." he threw out there.
"Some privacy probably would have changed that." she tossed back at him.
"I was waiting to be introduced." Elliot pointed out it. Olivia looked wide eyed at him. She couldn't even remember if the two of them had met yet.
"I thought you guys had already met." she said apologetically.
"Sorry, we sit at different tables at the rich handsome gentlemen's club." Elliot joked. She did not look impressed but did lighten up a bit sitting down at her desk opening a file then looking at him.
"See I was under the impression you had to be rich and handsome to get into those kinds of clubs." She raised her brow at Elliot he only smirked.
"Your boyfriend seems so nice why do you have to be so mean to him that way?" Elliot sneered turning the joke around on Perry. Olivia only smiled, which was the first time in the last few days that she actually thought something was kind of funny.
The day carried on, the hours were much longer than usual and it only got worse when the city head of the FBI marched into the precinct and announced his new position as head of this case. The feds were all over the building being annoying and bossy in every way possible. Actually making this job even harder. And in fact, Benson couldn't wait to leave for dinner, however it didn't look like it was happening any time soon.
Munch, Elliot, and Olivia, had been hiding from the feds upstairs in the loft area. They had their own ideas and leads that they didn't want to share, but orders were orders and at least if they couldn't find them then they wouldn't have to tell them anything.
"We could just post a bunch of fake Craig's list ads..." Munch suggested.
"Yeah but each murder has been a month or so apart. We'd have to just wait around just to hopefully get lucky?" Elliot sighed.
"And the Craig's List killer could be long gone by then." Olivia threw out there. He was probably already on the run she thought.
"Did we ever come to the possibility that he knows how to get around us because he might be one of us?" Munch added in. Olivia only frowned. There was a likely possibility of that happening.
"Five dead women and we have nothing." Olivia sighed aggravated by this, she pressed the tip of her thumb against her cheek and her finger tips along her forehead. This was so unbelievably frustrating it was giving her a headache. Her headache only got worse when she heard a familiar yet out of place voice start to speak from behind the group of them;
"Oh sorry, did I crash your party?" Porter said to the surprise of the three of them. Olivia only closed her eyes really hard, this would only get worse before it would get better.
"Ahh, the worlds classiest Fed." Munch joked.
"Okay. I'm done for today." Olivia stood up, she wasn't dealing with this right now too. She tried to walk right past Porter without even acknowledging him. She was going to dinner with Perry no matter what, especially now that Porter was here, hopefully it would be a long event.
"Actually you guys are needed for the night." Porter said lightly attempting to grab Olivia by the arm, and failing miserably as she pulled away at the very thought of it.
"Actually" she said rudely mocking him, "I have plans, and if you have a problem with that take it up with my boss."
"Actually" he mocked back at her attitude, "I am your boss." he snapped at her, and then looked at Elliot and Munch to make sure they got the message.
"Ah, well in that case I just don't care, but if you do you can just bug my phones or follow me like you usually do, you know since you're so good at it?" she huffed, then walked down the stairs irritated. She was going to leave she didn't care what he said, what did he know about anything anyway?
At dinner Olivia had hardly said anything didn't touch her food at all. Now all she could think about is how mad Porter made her. He was disappointed and had wanted to hear the details he constantly told her it was okay to open up but she rarely ever did. He wasn't about to give up, he could tell he was really close.
"You should come over." he said.
"Right now?" she asked him looking up from her silverware
"Well after we're done eating..yeah." he nodded She only looked at him for a few moments.
"I was going to go.." she started but he interrupted.
"back to work?" he finished for her.
"Yeah I have to go grovel at the feet of the stupid FBI now." she huffed.
"Do it tomorrow." he suggested she thought about this.
"Well. I think I should do it tonight while they're tired and not full of energy and ready to make an example out of someone." she said back.
"Do it tomorrow, and bring them donuts in the morning." he joked smirking at her. She smirked back.
"Feds don't eat..." she started, and realized she was going to quote Porter. "Okay, maybe. I mean I don't actually want to go back there tonight." she gave in kind of easily, she was tired, and in every relationship she had this discussion of 'you always pick work over me' which usually ended in a terrible break up, and right a terrible break up did not have room in her life.
"Wow, you are actually choosing me over your job?" He smiled jokingly asking her.
"Two times in a row." she pointed out.
[end]