Captain Heart
The little girl was terrified. That much was obvious. So afraid in fact that she refused to even look up at anyone who approached her. Even Olivia was unable to get through to her. She just curled up in a ball on the bench of the Special Victims Unit bench and stayed there. She didn't respond to words, food, drink, or enticements of any kind and touching sent her into such spasms of fear and terror that they just left her alone and called an ambulance. She couldn't have been more than six or seven years old.
Don Cragen was keeping a close eye on her. His phone rang and he picked it up. Someone had reported a girl missing and the description fit this little girl as close as they could tell. The woman was on the way up with a civilian escort.
Elliott Stabler was the detective who'd drawn the case. The girl was the only one who'd seen the incident and she was completely shut down emotionally. He was frustrated. The only one who could give them a description of someone who could be getting away or going after someone else was sitting just feet from him and too terrified to even look up.
"Elliott, help is coming. They think they've located someone who can get through to this girl. She's on the way upstairs now."
"Good. We need to catch that prick." He said relieved.
Don Cragen noticed the tightening of the girls body when Elliott spoke. So she could hear but not respond. Or wouldn't respond. The elevator doors opened with a ding and a civilian man escorted a woman into the squad room. The woman word a T-Shirt with horses running across it, jeans and cowboy boots. She looked like she spent a lot of time outdoors. She strode into the room like she'd come to take on the world. Self confident and capable.
She looked over at the girl and seemed to relax a bit. She spotted Cragen and came over to him, extending her hand. "You must be Captain Cragen. My name's Karen. I see you found Katie. Thank you."
"You do know her then?"
"I do. Katie lives with me and several other kids at my place. What's going on may I ask?"
"Step into my office, please. Stabler, in here."
"Please." The woman asked.
Don glanced in surprise at her. "Please." He added.
Cragen stepped around to stand beside his desk. "Have a seat please, Ms."
"No, Ms. My name's Karen Wesson. I run a foster care home for troubled children. Katie is one of my girls. She got away from her partner at the department store and wandered away. We've been looking for her for three hours. I'm wondering how you found her and brought her here."
Cragen looked at his detective who picked up the ball. "She was found at the scene of a rape and murder hiding in a pile of boxes. We think she saw who did it and we need her to tell us what she saw."
"And you are?" the woman asked.
"Detective Elliott Stabler."
The woman cocked her head for a minute studying at him then nodded as if satisfied about something. "I'm guessing you're the one who first tried to talk to her?"
"Yes."
Karen nodded. "I can't guarantee that we can get anything out of her, but we can try. Do you have a room we can talk to her in private?"
"We have an interview room with toys…."
"Too many distractions. Some place simple but not austere would be good."
"We'll use room four. It has windows for light."
"Good choice." Karen went back out to the bench. Katie had not moved. Karen crouched by her and ran the top of one finger up the little girls bare shin. She lifted her head fearfully, saw Karen and launched herself at the woman. Karen barely stood up in time to catch the little girl who slammed against her. If Elliott hadn't been behind her to catch her, she would have slammed against the desk, painfully.
Katie wrapped both legs and both arms around Karen and buried her face against her neck. She was making noises similar to speech. The girl was impossibly long legged and Karen had to brace herself with the weight. "Okay, sweetie, it's okay. I have you. You're safe. It's okay. Let me breathe, sweetie. Relax, I have you. Lead the way, please." She told Elliott. "Air, honey, I need air."
With the girl attached to her like an oversized monkey, Karen carried her to the room Elliott opened up. Karen held her hands wide for a moment so Elliott could see that she wasn't holding onto her at all then put her arms back around Katie. Elliott pulled out a chair for the woman who sat down gratefully.
He shut the door and sat down. "Can you talk to her?"
"In a minute. Let me make eye contact first." She tried to pull the girls arms down, but she kept putting them back up. "Katie, stop that. Talk to me." The girl made a gesture with her hand and grasped her again. "Do not tell me to shut up. You know better than that!"
"She's deaf?"
"No, stubborn, scared, ornery, but not deaf. Sit up here and talk to me." She pried the girl off her front and made her look at her. "I'm here and you're safe. Do you understand that?"
Katie nodded reluctantly.
"Can we have another chair?" Karen asked.
Elliott slid his around to her and went outside to get another one. When he came back, Karen had gotten Katie to sit on her own chair but she was curled up in a defensive position but her face was at least visible. She had some scars on it from what appeared to be knife wounds. Katie cast a glance at him and turned away from him toward the window without losing track of Karen or moving off the chair at all.
"How do you communicate with her?"
"Katie can hear just fine when she wants to, but she uses American Sign Language to talk back. And she will talk back." It was a command to the girl.
"I need to know what she saw in that alley." Elliott said.
Katie made some furious gestures, emphatic and wildly. "She says she didn't see anything and you should leave her alone." Karen translated.
"I can't leave her alone. Someone died a horrible death in that alley and I think she saw it. I need to know what she knows." Elliott insisted.
Katie made more emphatic gestures. She was busy with her fingers so fast that Elliott wasn't sure which sign was which.
"Slow down. You're repeating yourself. Katie, stop. I'm not going to look if you don't stop that."
"What's she saying?"
"Just a minute, sweetie. If you don't let me get a word in edgewise, he can't ask questions. Oh, I don't think so. I will not repeat that and neither will you."
Karen caught Katies hands. Katie slapped Karen and Karen slapped her back. That caused Katie to stiffen in shock and start to tear up.
"Don't do that!" Elliott barked at the woman.
At his shout, Katie leaped off the chair and ran off to the corner of the room, cowering in it. This was impossible! The girl was either terrified or belligerent by turns and he was no closer to finding out what he needed than he was before.
Karen sighed and gave him a long suffering look. "So far all I've been able to find out is that she's petrified of you and your temper. She's swearing at you and wants you to go to hell. She wants me to repeat that. I told her no. Katie has severe emotional difficulties and almost no impulse control when she's angry which is most of the time. You are correct. She saw something, but she won't say what. She's afraid you'll throw her away in jail and she'll never get out."
"She's just a little girl."
"She's older than she looks. And she's been through a lot. Did you see the scars on her face? Those are from her father. She doesn't talk because she can't. He cut her tongue out. She can't handle male figures and ones in power send her into withdrawal. And your badge doesn't help."
"My badge?"
"Her father was a cop, he's the one who did this to her. You are angry, your focused and you're an imposing presence. She's all but shut down. She's also hysterical, that's why she slapped me and I slapped her back, because she can't be allowed to do that. I deal with severely emotionally disturbed individuals and she is one. She can be dangerous when she really gets going. It has to be stopped at the onset or she has to be tranquilized."
"Why is she out in public then?"
"Because she is a little girl. I can get you the information you need but you have to appear non threatening to her."
"Whoever did this could be getting away as we speak."
"True, but terrorizing her won't help that at all. Do you have children, Detective?"
"Yes, but what…."
"Let's talk about your kids for a few minutes. If you appear to care for your own kids she might react to that. Your body language means everything to her."
"Alright."
"So how many kids do you have, Detective Stabler?"
"Four."
"Four? All boys?"
"Three girls and one boy." Karen made continuing motions with her hands and he hesitantly made small talk about his kids. He saw Katie listening from the corner. Karen took over and swapped stories about her charges. She told a story where Katie had done something wrong and Elliott made a mild comment about it, not showing anger at all.
Katie came over and stand behind Karen, though she was keeping her guardian between her and Elliott. "So tell me what you know about this crime scene." Karen said.
Elliott told her what he knew while Katie listened intently. When he made a supposition based on something that was wrong, Katie tapped on Karens shoulder and used sign to correct him. It was slow frustrating going, but they were getting somewhere at least. "I just don't know anything else. I was hoping Katie would be able to help me with it."
"So what do you think, Katie? Can you help me?" Elliott asked the girl.
Katie shook her head sharply and retreated from the direct question. "See Katie is very smart for her age. She knows things she doesn't tell. Some day she's going to be one of the first non speaking people ever to hold public office." Karen said. "She's going to be able to help people like herself. She's already decided to go into public service. She helps out a lot at the house and she's really good with other kids. I'm sure she'd help if she could. She doesn't like anyone to get hurt like she is either."
"I sure was hoping to find out who did this. If I can find him, I can stop him."
Katie made a gesture to Karen. "Are you sure?" she demanded. Katie "said" something else. "You may have to rethink your issues, detective. Katie saw the perp and it was a woman."
"A woman? She's sure?"
"She's sure. She saw her well."
"Can she give me a description?"
"She will."
Using sign language was a slow process. Elliott got as much information as he could and went to get a sketch artist to make a drawing of the suspect. Hopefully a woman artist. When he came back, Katie was signing up a storm to Karen. Karen was nodding and listening intently. Captain Cragen came up beside him at the one way mirror. "What's going on?"
"I'm not sure. I have a description of a sort. I have an artist coming, but all I could get is a man so it might be slow going. Katie is petrified of men. She's talking up a storm now to Karen so I'm waiting hoping she's remembering more and can tell me more when I go back in. I'll go back in when the sketch artist comes up."
"Keep me posted."
"Will do. Here comes the artist now."
The captain nodded and went back to his office. Elliott opened the door and pretended not to see the apprehensive looks Katie gave the two men when they entered. Karens lips tightened just a shade and that was all the change she showed. "This is Rob, he's going to do a sketch for us from what Katie remembers."
"Good. Then I need to ask you a question."
"Go ahead and ask." Elliott said.
"Not until Katie gets done with this. Then we'll ask." Katie made some urgent gestures. "No, I told you. If you don't cooperate, I won't ask. We made a deal." More gestures. "I don't care. We made a deal and you're going to do your part. Go ahead and ask him yourself."
Elliott watched the powerplay. He couldn't understand what Katie was asking for but he recognized the attempts at manipulation from his own children. Katie wanted to ask something in the worst way but she just couldn't bring herself to trust him to ask him herself. She shrugged and gave in turning her attention to Rob. Using Karen as an interpreter they managed to get a view, but it hit a snag at the age. When Rob asked about how old Katie indicated "OLD". Karen laughed.
"What's so funny?" Elliott asked startled.
"To Katie anyone over the age of 15 is OLD." She grinned.
That was funny. Katie didn't think so. "Sweetie, we are OLD. We're entitled to laugh." Karen told her. "How old? My old, Rob's old or older like a grandma? Really? Are you sure?"
"What's she saying?"
"She wants to see Captain Cragen. I'm not sure why. She's been insisting for a bit now."
"I'll go get him."
Elliott went to find Cragen. "Do you have a minute, sir?"
"What's up?"
"Katie, the little girl, wants to see you. I don't know why, but she's insisting."
"I'll be right there."
Katie was cautiously trying to see what Rob was doing on the sketch. She was fascinated, but leery of the man. She motioned to Karen. "She wants to use your pencil."
"Uh, sure." Rob gave it to her and put the pad on the table, backing away.
Katie curled up over the pad and busily used the pencil to make lines on the drawing. "Katie, what is it? Don't mess it all up." Karen said.
But Katie wasn't listening. She sketched happily for a few minutes then dropped the pencil and came over to attach herself to Karens arm. Rob reached over and moved the pad around toward him. "This is good. Is this who you saw?" he asked Katie.
Katie nodded. She signed something. "She was wearing a purple hat, dark purple with an emblem on it, she thinks it was a bird, like a peacock."
Rob doodled a hat. Katie shook her head, that wasn't it. She got frustrated when the ones that he also drew weren't right. Karen had him pull a sheet off his pad and give Katie his pencil again. She drew a hat that looked all out of proportion. Rob looked at it and nodded. "May I?" he asked.
She nodded, but didn't move away quite as far from him. He took the idea and drew a hat. She nodded vigorously. He drew a bird with huge tail feathers on it. Katie took the pencil away from him and corrected the angle, then pointed to the womans head.
"That is good, Katie. You did really well. Here's your drawing, Detective, compliments of Miss Katie here."
Elliott took it and smiled at the girl. "You did a good job, Katie. Thank you. Would you like something to drink?"
Katie nodded drawing one finger down her throat. "She's thirsty. Do you have an orange soda?" Karen asked.
"I think we do."
"I'll have someone bring one in. Bye, Katie. Thank you for the help." Rob said with a smile.
Don Cragen was heading for the interview room when the orange soda was en route and he brought it in with him. Katies eyes got wide when he brought it in and set it on the table. "So, I understand I was requested?" he smiled at the girl.
"Katie wanted to say something." Karen said. Katie made a sign. "No, sweetie, he's not your grandpa. He's Captain Cragen." Karen signed the name.
Katie kept signing the same thing over and over, no matter how many times they told her it wasn't. Finally Elliott asked her. "He looks like your grandfather?"
Katie nodded vigorously. She offered Cragen a shy smile. "Well, that I've never heard you say." Karen said to the girl. "Do you know where you're grandfather lives?
In the ground? He died?" Katie nodded and leaned against her. "I think I need to take little Miss Muffet home now. She's tired. Are we done for now, Detective Stabler?"
"Yes. Thank you, Katie, for your help." Elliott smiled at the girl.
Cragen opened the door for the two and they left. He looked at Elliott. "That was a good job with her. We need to get that out on the bulletins."
"That's my next move." Elliott said.
The two men exited the room. Karen and Katie had not left the squad room yet. Karen put Katie back on the bench and told her sternly. "Do not move, understand?"
Katie nodded, firmly.
To Cragens surprise, Karen approached him. "May I speak to you for a moment in private?"
"Is in my office alright?"
"That would be fine." Karen glanced back at Katie before proceeding him into his office and positioned herself so she could watch out the door. "I would like to know if I can have a meeting with you sometime away from here, where we could talk."
"Can I ask what it's concerning? If it's something Stabler has done…."
"No, he was wonderful with her. Both of your officers were excellent. Katie can be quite the little handful. This is something else entirely. Could we meet say somewhere for coffee, when you're done for the day or something? In a public place, naturally."
"I don't see why…"
"It's something I'm still going over in my mind, so I don't want to say too much too soon. Please."
"I guess we could have some coffee. When do you want to do it?"
"Tomorrow evening? I have someone coming in on Tuesdays to stay with the kids so I'm free for whenever you can get off."
"Unless something explodes tomorrow, I can make a meeting about 6:00? There's a coffee shop down around the corner that serves a mean cup and has a good pie."
"Then it's a date. Oh, sorry. Bad choice of words." She smiled.
Don grinned at her. "I'll see you there, Karen. It's called Callies."
"I'll be there, Captain."
"Don."
"See you tomorrow night at 6:00 unless I hear from you otherwise, Don." She smiled and left his office.
"Is everything alright, Captain?" Olivia asked coming back into the squad room.
"Yes. I have a date for tomorrow night." He grinned and went back into his office and closed the door.
TBC