AN: I own none of the characters. Except Taylor. I do own her!
"I ran the name from the card. Four matches. One belongs to the owner of the card, and the other three are just partial matches.
"What's our girl in the system for?"
"Taylor Emerson. 17. She got emancipated last year. No criminal record, she's only in the system because of the emancipation, but this isn't our victim. Emerson is Caucasian and just moved to New York three weeks ago …But Elliot, we may have a bigger problem." Warner slid the lab results to the detective.
Elliot skimmed the document. "She's…."
"Looks like it. Where's Olivia?"
"She left ten minutes ago to collar that Mathews guy. Melinda…are you absolutely sure?"
"Well, one could be a coincidence, but all three? When did Marsden get out of prison?"
"18 years ago. This is..wow. I need to go talk to the Captain."
Elliot left the medical examiner's office confused. Late last night a young college student was found dead, raped and bludgeoned to death. There was nothing on the girl, not a stich of clothing, but in her mouth was a black visa card. Not only did the card not belong to the victim, it was registered to a girl whose DNA matched Simon and Paul Marsden, and Olivia Benson.
Elliot explained everything to the Cap., who just shook his head.
"Alright. I want you and Munch to go pick up this Emerson girl. Bring her down here and see if she can tell us why her credit card was in the mouth of a rape victim. When Liv gets back, see if she knows anything about this."
"Cap, I'm sure she –"
"She knew about Simon, and didn't tell you. How do you know she didn't know about this girl? Ask her. And you better pray that your partner didn't help another fugitive."
"Miss Emerson?" A young girl stood in the doorway and nodded, a soft smile playing on her lips. Her chocolate brown eyes widened at the sight of the detectives' badge. Elliot's heart almost broke. He felt like he was looking at America's Sweetheart. There was no way this girl was capable of murdering another person. "I'm detective Stabler and this is detective Munch. We're investigating a homicide in the area. "Can you tell us where you were around 11:00 last night, Miss Emerson." The girl looked alarmed, and then smiled.
"I was here last night."
"Do you recognize this girl?" Munch pulled a photo of the victim out of his jacket. The girl gasped and darted her eyes away.
"No."
"Well, then maybe, you can tell us why your visa was found stuffed in her mouth."
The girl frowned but didn't answer the question. the two detectives looked at each other
"Ma'am we're going to need you to come down to the station" Munch took her by the arm and led her out of the apartment.
"I told you. I lost my card when I moved here. She must have found it" The girl was adamant.
The Captian and Cabot watched Elliot and Munch interrogate the girl.
"She hardly looks like a killer" Cabot eyed the girl.
"You moved here three weeks ago, correct?"
"Yes"
"And that's when you lost your card?"
"Yes."
"Then why'd you only report it missing two weeks ago?"
"I….I thought it would turn up. I figured it was in one of the boxes or something. I'm not the most organized person, I lose things all of the time. I wasn't worried when I couldn't find it at first."
"Black Visa. How does a young girl like you afford that?"
Emerson's cheeks reddened and she looked down.
"Hmmm? Where'd you get all of your money?"
"It's old money. Family money."
"Right. And this girl, steals it from you. She needed to be punished."
Emerson looked up and locked Stabler in a steely glare. "Yes, but I hardly think murder is the appropriate punishment." Emerson's eyes softened, the hint of a smile returning to them, "This is really different than I expected."
Stabler looked at Munch, he seemed equally perplexed. "What?"
"This," the girl waved her hand, motioning the interrogation room, "Is a lot different than what they show us in the movies. It's kind of a letdown actually. I didn't even get my Miranda Rights."
Munch scoffed, "Those are only read once you're under arrest."
"Ah. Well. This has been fun, but unless you're going to charge me with the murder of this girl, I'm going to leave" Emerson rose and walked towards the door.
"Ah ah, sit back down; we're not done with you yet. It says here," Munch indicated to the girls' record, "That you've had a recent name change."
"I changed my name over a year ago…"
"Why?"
"I changed it when I got emancipated."
"Why is that? What was wrong with your old name?"
"I wanted my mother's name."
"What was wrong with your father's?" The girl looked straight at the door. All signs of amusement now gone.
"Why'd you change your name? Huh, Taylor? What were you hiding? What were you planning?" Stabler got uncomfortably close to the girl.
"I-I Just wanted..my mother's name, I never knew my father." The girl was flustered. She could feel her face and neck heating up and wished she were anywhere but the interrogation room. She began to drum her fingers against the table. She swallowed, and her stomach growled. She'd only been there fifteen minutes but she felt that it had been days. "I..can I go?"
"Get up. Let's go" Stabler stood the girl up and cuffed her.
"Wait.." Taylor jerked away from Stabler. "What did I do?"
"You tell us." With that Stabler marched the girl out of the small room and into the tombs.
"You can't leave me in here…" The desperation in the girls voice was almost enough to make Stabler un cuff her and deliver her back to her apartment. Almost. The detective locked the door and made his way back to Munch, who was in a rather heated discussion with Cabot and the captain.
"You go and unlock that girl, immediately" Cabot snapped at Elliot.
"Alex we caught a suspect! Her visa lodged in the victim's mouth!"
"The only thing you caught was a lawsuit. That girl you just locked up is a straight A AP student from Texas. She knows nothing more about the murder than you do. Now, if you want to avoid any more trouble than you're already in, I suggest you go unlock her."
"Alex, no. Have you seen the photos of that girl? We can't let a possible suspect free."
"Possible suspect? The only evidence you have is her old visa card. Her prints weren't even on it. She lost it weeks ago, and reported it missing, just like she told you. Do you have any idea how much money this girl has? She can afford to have all of our asses handed to us on a silver platter. Go let her out. Now.
Stabler was fuming, but obliged.
Olivia watched the girl walk out of the station. She couldn't help but notice her dark eyes, so much like her own. She couldn't believe she had another half-sibling. She almost didn't believe it, but the everything matched. 18 years ago her "father" was released from prison. The month afterwards there was a rape reported in El Paso, Texas. The MO and the women's description of the attacker fit Marsden to a T. Unfortunately, the women was a drug addict, a crack whore, and was unable to testify. Marsden had a solid alibi, and there was no way the jury was going to believe this boozed out, drugged up woman who had a rap sheet four feet long. So, there was no trial, and no justice. Benson's thoughts were interrupted, "Liv, there's been another murder."