Disclaimer: No, I do not own SVU or any of the characters….yet! Dick Wolf and NBC do!
Hello there, I'm baaaaack! It's been a long time, and I've missed reading all your fantastic reviews, so I thought I'd get my act together and update. Life has been hectic, totally in the way, so it's been a long process. I've written about six chapters of this so far, and is making sense so far, but that's subject to change, lol.
It's my birthday today, so even if you don't leave a review for the story, leave a birthday message. Not only am I giving you all a present on MY birthday, but I'm also sick as a dog. So take the three seconds it'll cost you to drop me a line…or review…whatever. Also, if there are mistakes/sentences that don't make sense/random words, than my sickness is an excuse! Woo! Excuse.
To Scar and Sam for putting up with my ramblings. They're in my Favourite Author's page, so check out their sexy stories. Almost as sexy as naked Elliot. Scar, Delilah McGee will be your hoe too ok?
Enjoy this brand-spanking new chapter!
Laura
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Supreme Courtroom 3, Manhattan
Trial, Part 17
Monday, February 12
8:58am
Casey looked at her watch again. It now told her that the judge was approximately two minutes away from being late; delaying the progress of a trial that had been adjourned so many times in the past week that if it kept up, she'd be in court until she was fifty. Casey sighed loudly, watching the defendant and his attorney whispering furiously across from her. Behind her, the family of the defendant sat silently, eyes fixed on the empty chair that the Judge should have occupied well over fifteen minutes ago.
The clerk that was seated to the right of the judge's bench seemed agitated; almost in two minds as to whether or not he should get up and find the judge himself, or wait for someone to suggest it. He met Casey's gaze and she nodded, indicating he should check for the Judge in his chambers.
Casey looked over her shoulder to where the SVU Detectives would be sitting during a trial; unfortunately, their testimony wasn't needed for another week. Casey looked at her watch again, pursing her lips; then again, they might not be needed for another four.
Before she could ponder the sorts of things she could be doing instead of sitting in court all day; a strangled yell echoed down the corridor, startling the occupants of the courtroom. Casey sat stunned for a minute, before gaining her bearings and jumping from her seat and barrelling through the courtroom doors. The sound had come from the left, so she shuffled down the corridor in her heels, watching as a crowd began to gather outside the door to the Judge's chamber.
"Out of the way!" Casey ordered, pushing past the thronging group of people and through the doorway.
The clerk was standing near the Judge's desk, hands on his head as he took in the lifeless body in front of him; blood had pooled and stained the plush carpet a dark scarlet.
"Craig," Casey said, "get out of here, you're contaminating the crime scene."
Craig hadn't moved; he just stood silently, mouth agape from the shock.
"Craig, out of here now," Casey ordered firmly.
Craig finally seemed to get control of his senses, moving unsteadily out of the room past Casey.
"Shit," Casey swore, realising she was just standing there.
She made to pull out her mobile phone, but was stopped by the appearance of a couple of homicide detectives that had been in the courtroom next door, "what happened?"
Casey gestured weakly at the Judge's body behind her, "He was late for court."
The Detective nodded, moving into the room to where the judge's body lay. Casey looked on as the detective turned the Judge's body slightly. His eyes widened and he turned to look at Casey.
"What?" She asked, confused.
"You might need to call your Detectives," he replied, standing up straight again.
Casey frowned, opening her mobile, "why?" she finally repeated.
"Cause this guy's lost his package, and I don't see it anywhere around here."
Casey sighed, her phone connecting to the 1-6, "Don? It's Casey. You need to send Elliot and Olivia over to the courthouse."
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Chambers of Judge Nicholas Hall
Monday, February 12
9:27am
Elliot and Olivia moved swiftly through the intricate corridors of the courthouse, until Casey's blonde head came into view. She was in the middle of a conversation with one of the homicide detectives that had been at the scene initially; her face brightening somewhat when she noticed them approaching her.
She excused herself from the detective as they reached her, "glad you could get here," she said, slightly breathless.
Olivia shrugged, "it was only our day off," she nodded her head in the direction of the Judge's room, "what happened?"
Casey turned, leading them into the doorway, refraining from entering the room herself, "he was supposed to be in court at 9, but he never showed. I sent the clerk to get him, and then…" She trailed off, indicating the body that lay in the middle of the room.
Elliot nodded, following Olivia to where Melinda was leaning over the body. She'd obviously been in court; her dark suit a complete change to her usual attire. The Judge's body at her feet had been turned onto his back; the wound on his chest and the one in his genital region, now more prominent.
She rose, handing Elliot an evidence bag, "the murder weapon?" Elliot asked.
Melinda nodded, "two stab wounds; one in his chest, another one between the shoulder-blades," she paused, "but the one that cut off his genitals is more consistent with a knife with a serrated edge, the sort you get on top-end swiss-army knives."
Olivia looked at the knife in the bag, "is it a letter opener?"
Melinda nodded, "clerk says it was a gift for his 25th year on the bench."
Elliot let out a low whistle, "tough love."
Olivia smirked, crouching down to get a closer look, "is that a scratch?" She asked, pointing at a long red line that ran down the Judge's pale cheek.
Melinda nodded, "yeah. Ante-mortem; it started to congeal," she pulled her file off his desk, "I estimated his time of death to be somewhere around 12-15 hours ago; rigor's set in. I'll run a tox-screen and see if anything else played a part in this."
Olivia nodded, "Anything more?"
Melinda nodded, watching as Elliot made his way slowly around the room, "there were some blue fibres in the chest wound. I've bagged it and will get the analysis done by tomorrow. No fingerprints on the knife, it was wiped off. And there was no sign of forced entry to his office according to the techs."
Olivia rose from her crouching position, her hands on her thighs for leverage, "and we have no idea where his package has gone?"
Melinda shook her head, "we haven't found it yet. We're still looking."
Olivia made her way over to where Elliot was standing behind the judge's desk sifting through some papers on its surface.
"A letter to remind him to go to the dentist, some character references for a trial and a reminder that his wife called yesterday afternoon," Elliot said, rifling through the pages in his hands, "nothing like hate mail or threatening in the least."
Olivia sighed, "Somebody had it in for him," she noticed a CSU tech trying to get their attention, "what's up?" Olivia asked, heading to the door.
"We found his missing body part," he offered, pointing down the corridor to the fire exit.
"Where was it?" Olivia asked, following him to the door, kept open by a block of wood.
"In a dumpster at the back of the building," he replied, pointing at where a tech was pulling himself out of the metal container, wiping the dirt from his outfit.
"Was it in anything?" Olivia asked, screwing up her nose slightly as the tech placed the body part into a small plastic bag.
"No," he said, not looking up, "it was just lying there; on-top of some leftover food."
Olivia put her hands on her hips, surveying her surroundings, "are there any security cameras here?"
"No," a voice answered from the doorway.
Olivia turned, taking in the ashen face of the court clerk before her, "are there any at all?"
The clerk shrugged, "I'm sure there are a few at the entrance; but you'd have to ask the guy at the security desk."
Olivia smiled, placing her hand on his shoulder as she passed, "thanks."
He nodded slightly, leaning heavily against the wall.
"Check him out for me?" Olivia asked a medic that was exiting the Judge's office.
The medic nodded, "sure thing Detective."
She made her way to where Craig had remained slumped against the wall, hugging his arms to his chest tightly.
"Melinda suggested we check the front desk," Elliot's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Olivia smiled, "yeah, the court clerk recommended that too."
The crowd that had converged earlier had now dissipated; replaced now with medics and officers as well as judges that were crestfallen at the news that one of their own had been murdered in his office. They wound their way back to where they had signed in upon their arrival, and to the security desk manned by a guard who challenged Munch in the age stakes. Despite that, he was sharp and alert, which was more than they could say for the officer's doing nothing behind him.
"Detectives Benson and Stabler; SVU," Elliot said as the reached his desk, pulling out his identification.
The guard took Elliot's ID off him and scrutinised it with a wary eye. Seemingly satisfied, he handed it back to Elliot, offering a warm, albeit toothless, smile.
"I'm Nick Hoban, what can I do for you Detectives?" He asked kindly.
"Were you working last night?" Olivia asked, pulling out her notebook.
Hoban shook his head, his wispy white hair displaced at the movement, "No, I took over from the guard before me at about 2am this morning. He worked from 4:30pm yesterday afternoon."
Olivia nodded, taking down the information, "Do you have any record of those that entered the building at all?"
Hoban nodded, "after 5pm, the court is officially closed. But unofficially, the offices of the judges and attorneys still operate, so we log the names of those that come and go," as he was talking he shifted a large book out from under a pile of papers, "Sunday isn't generally a busy night, so you might be lucky to get a short list of people."
Elliot took the book from Hoban mentally calculating the timeframe they were after. Melinda had estimated his time of death to be anywhere between 6pm-12am the night before; and, according to the ledger he was reading, there were four people who had signed in at that time frame.
Olivia spoke up as he copied down the last of the names, "Mr Hoban, is there any other way to get into the building?"
Hoban chewed his lip, before stopping a woman with an oversized purse from going past him, "there's an emergency fire exit at the back of the building, but it can only be opened from the inside."
Olivia turned to Elliot, "we'll take these back to the precinct and split the names up between us and Munch and Fin."
Elliot nodded, looking at Hoban who was now searching the woman's purse, "you have any security cameras on the entrance?"
Hoban nodded, not looking up from what he was doing, "We'll send them over to your precinct by this afternoon."
"Thanks," Elliot said, replacing the book on the desk, as Olivia pocketed her notebook.
"We've got four names to try and link to this murder," Olivia said as they made their way back to their sedan, "What's the bet it isn't any of them."
Elliot titled his head, "I'm not a betting man Liv," he kicked an empty coffee cup from the curb, "but I don't like our odds."
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16th Precinct, Manhattan
SVU Squad-room
Monday, February 12
10:25am
"So who do we have?"
Cragen was sitting on the edge of Elliot's desk, taking in the four names written in capital black letters on the board in front of him. They were four names attached to the legal system in one way or another; and the chances that they would find their perp in this list was slim at best.
Elliot clipped the lid back onto the whiteboard marker, using it as a pointer to the first name, "Jarred Rous, also known as the husband of Judge Amelia Rous. He signed in at 6:12pm last night, signed out at 6:29pm," Elliot moved his pen down to the next name, "Next is Delilah McGee, District Attorney in narcotics. She signed in at 7:12pm and signed out at 7:24pm. Then we have Peter Goods and Rhett Barry. They were both signed in at 8:45pm, signing out at 9:56pm. Peter Goods is an attorney and Barry his client. There were some court clerks hanging around, but they're not logged in, and the security guy couldn't put names to a face."
Olivia sipped from her mug, "and the log isn't used for those already in the building. So our killer could've easily have been inside already."
Silence filled the room at that statement.
Cragen squeezed his bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger in impatience, "what are the chances that one of them did it?"
Elliot shrugged his shoulders, "Well we can't discount them completely."
Cragen nodded in agreement, "absolutely. But it still doesn't change the fact that there's a very slim chance one of them did it."
Olivia leant back in her chair, "Look Cap, we split the list in half, that's only two people each to interview. We'll be done before this afternoon, just in time for the tape to come through from the Courthouse."
Cragen nodded as Fin put his phone back on the receiver, "well we can make it a little easier. Just got off the phone with Casey, and she told me Goods and Barry are in Court today, and so is McGee. So if John and I head back to the courthouse, you can question the husband?"
Cragen's expression lightened, "great. Do that. In the meantime I need to figure out what we're going to do on the Tylon case."
"Wouldn't want a visit from the Police Commissioner," Elliot jibed, as they left the precinct.
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Apartment of Judge Amelia and Jarred Rous
Park Ave, Manhattan
Monday, February 12
10:49am
"Swanky," Elliot commented, as the doorman – upon providing their identification – allowed them through into the opulent foyer.
"We're in the wrong line of work," Olivia said, her face reflecting in the shine of the gold-coloured doors to the elevator.
Even inside, the elevator was layered with a plush maroon carpet, the sort you'd want to run your fingers through continuously. However, it wasn't just confined to the lift; it was also used all the way to the door of the Rous' apartment.
"Number 4?" Olivia clarified, knocking when Elliot gave her a nod in the affirmative.
"Who is it?" a voice called from deep within.
A male voice, they decided.
"Mr Rous?" Elliot called, pulling out his badge to the peephole, "We're detectives Benson and Stabler with the Special Victim's Unit. We were wondering if we could ask you some questions please."
They heard heavy footsteps and then the click and slide of a number of locks behind the door, finally opening to reveal a rather short man; a receding and greying hairline with too-small eyes. He did have a striking jaw line though, but it was outweighed by his nose; which stood out in comparison to the smaller features of his face. Thirty years younger and he may have been somewhat attractive.
"Mr Rous?" Olivia asked again.
This time she was rewarded with a small incline of his head; a yes.
"Can we come in?" Elliot asked when Rous made no movement to let them slide past him.
Rous seemed to have noticed that he had frozen somewhat, he looked furtively into the apartment before shifting slightly to the side to allow them through. The inside of the spacious apartment was just as impressive as the foyer and the corridors that led to it. It was painted a pastel blue; complementing the cream furniture that filled the numerous rooms.
Rous had finally made his way in front of them, leading them to the living room, "A drink?" He asked.
Elliot shook his head, Olivia mirroring his actions, "No thank you. We'll be very quick."
Rous nodded, sitting down awkwardly into the small armchair against the wall, "what can I do for you?"
Elliot pulled out his notepad this time, Olivia asking the questions, "We understand you signed into the courthouse last night at approximately," she leant over to read Elliot's notes, "6:12pm?"
Rous nodded, obviously uncertain as to where the line of questioning was going.
"What were you doing there?" Olivia asked, crossing her right leg over her left.
Rous shrugged, "nothing special. My wife and I had dinner plans so we met in her office where I picked her up."
Olivia nodded. She exchanged a quick look with Elliot. Rous was nervous about something, but he didn't realistically have the time to kill Hall, dump his package outside in the dumpster and clean up in time to leave within 20 minutes.
"Mr Rous, is there something you'd like to tell us?" Olivia asked softly.
Rous shook his head; too quickly.
"Your wife doesn't have to know," Olivia goaded.
Rous's eyes flickered to the room behind them, and quickly back to them. It was fast, but they were faster. It was then that Olivia realised his shirt was inside out, and one look at Elliot told her he'd noticed it too. Elliot rose off the chair he had been sitting comfortably in, and began to move to the room behind them; a moving shadow catching his attention. He turned to look back to where Rous was slowly turning white.
"Don't tell my wife. Please?" He had now begun to sweat on his upper lip, swiping at it.
"As long as you cooperate fully, there's no reason for her to become privy to your ministrations," Olivia said, her voice dripping with disdain, "but the truth will come out eventually."
Rous' face fell, "I'll cooperate. What do you need? DNA? Urine?"
Olivia nodded, eyebrow raised, "just submit yourself voluntarily to our ME's office before the end of the working day and we'll pretend that this," she indicated to the room that Elliot was standing in front of, "never happened."
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Supreme Court, Manhattan
Monday, February 12
10:53am
"I didn't do anything, I swear."
Rhett Barry had announced this fact as soon as Munch and Fin had introduced themselves to him and his attorney outside the courtroom.
Fin shared a bemused look with Munch, "we didn't say that you had. We're just conducting an investigation," Fin turned to Barry, "why, you got something to confess?"
Barry shook his head emphatically, "I haven't done anything. Are you trying to plant evidence?"
If they weren't investigating such a horrific murder, Munch and Fin might've found this situation hilarious. But the fact remained, an officer of the law had been slaughtered in his own office, and this man was acting as an obstacle.
Munch instead, turned to Goods, "You signed into the building last night at a quarter to nine, and signed out at almost ten o'clock," Goods nodded, a confused look on his face, "what were you doing for over an hour?"
Goods shifted the folder in his hands indignantly, "trying to get my client out of the hole that he and the police collectively managed to dig for him. We were in an empty office towards the back of the Courthouse."
Munch looked quickly at Fin, "as in the office down the corridor from Judge Hall's office?"
Goods' eyes widened, but Barry still hadn't connected the dots, "you don't think I'm – we're," he had turned to Barry, "are involved in the Judge's death do you?"
Barry's mouth dropped open, gaping, without saying a word.
Munch put out a hand in a placating gesture, "we just wanted to know what you were doing?"
Goods stood up from the bench, Barry looking around confused, "we were discussing the details of the case. Check the LUDs on the phone for that office. The entire time we were in a business call to my boss back at the firm."
Fin nodded, writing the details down on his notepad, "Did you see anyone around the building at all?"
Goods shrugged, "just some janitors and a couple of court clerks. The door to the office was closed."
Munch nodded, "thanks for your time," he turned to Barry, "and keep out of trouble."
Barry nodded, still obviously confused by the conversation that had just taken place. Munch and Fin turned, leaving them behind in the hallway that was growing increasingly busy as word spread on the death of Judge Hall.
According to Casey, Delilah McGee was part of a trial that involved one of the largest drug ring busts in New York. They found her out on a recess, standing to the side with a very tall, very handsome man who they assumed was her second chair. Delilah McGee's flaming red hair, sleek straight and extremely long, was flung over her shoulder as her male associate pointed out Munch and Fin's presence behind her. Her turned face revealed striking green eyes and a long line of white teeth as she approached them.
"Detectives Munch and Tutuola?" McGee asked, holding out her hand to shake.
Munch nodded, "Casey told you to expect us?"
She nodded, "She said you were looking to question me. But she didn't say what for."
Munch felt as though her eyes were x-raying him, a feature that'd make her a hell of an attorney, "I'm sure by now you've heard about the death of Judge Hall."
McGee nodded, furrowing her brow, "everyone's devastated. He was a good man."
"We noticed that you signed in last night just after 7pm," Fin said, "can you tell us what you were doing?"
McGee nodded, "I was looking to get a subpoena signed," she put her hands on her hips, "but it was too late. Judge Petrovksy had gone home, so I left almost as soon as I arrived."
Munch nodded, "Did anyone see you in the corridors or near her office to verify that?"
McGee chewed her lip in thought, "Not that I was aware of. Judge Hall's chamber is on the opposite side of the courthouse to Petrovsky's," her eyes lit up, "but I did see his court clerk wandering down the corridor as I left."
Munch wrote down the detail, smiling at McGee; who, he noticed close up, had a number of stress lines on her face. It made her look a lot older than she really was. She smiled back at him vacantly, more out of curiosity under his questioning gaze then anything else.
Fin cleared his throat, "we'll keep in contact, thanks for your help."
McGee nodded, giving a fleeting look at Munch before turning back to her male colleague who was waiting patiently against the wall.
Munch and Fin headed back down the corridor, no closer to figuring out which of those in the Courthouse at the time was a viable suspect.
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Denny's Diner, Upper Manhattan
West Broadway
Monday, February 12
1:45pm
"What happened to your diet?"
Fin was met with a hard glare from Munch, effectively ending that angle of conversation, "shut up."
Olivia snorted, stealing a chip from Elliot's plate, "what'd you guys get?"
Munch shrugged, dragging his stare from Fin to Olivia, "Big fat nothing. They all seemed to have solid alibis. But it's not like they can prove beyond doubt that they were where they said they were."
Elliot furrowed his brow, mentally deciphering Munch's sentence, "we found out that the Judge's husband we were questioning is engaged in a little extra-curricular activities."
Fin's eyebrow rose, "Younger?"
"Much," Olivia replied, watching a woman similar to the one Mr Rous had been involved with, sashay past.
Blonde, skinny and young; which equalled virile and compliant and a preferred way to spend the day. Olivia watched Elliot out of the corner of her eye, pleased to see that he was focused instead on the hand that she had rested on his thigh.
"So you think Rous is in the clear?" Munch asked, breaking the silence.
Olivia shrugged, exchanging a look with Elliot, "Well, we called the wife and she confirms that he was in her chambers the entire time. And there wasn't really enough time for him to have killed Hall. So, no, we don't think he did it," Olivia paused, popping a tomato into her mouth, "plus, he offered his DNA without needing to be asked. Generally, that's not a good sign if we think someone's guilty."
Fin nodded, considering the information, "We hit a bit of a brick wall as well."
Elliot sipped his water, watching Fin carefully, "The narcotics DA, when she wasn't making eyes with John, seemed to check out as well."
Munch began to cough, choking on the gulp of water he'd taken. Fin patted him on the back, Munch's face going red at his exertions.
"We were not making eyes," he said indignantly when he regained composure.
Fin wiped his mouth with a napkin, "well she was on the other side of the courthouse to Hall's chambers, and in the courthouse for too little amount of time."
"And the other two?" Olivia asked, stealing the last chip on Elliot's plate before he could reach it.
Munch smirked a little, "when the client wasn't paranoid about being charged for something, he stuck to the same story as his attorney that they were in an empty office on a business call. We'll check the LUDs to make sure, but it didn't seem like they were involved."
Olivia rested her chin on her hand, "well the security guard mentioned that the only other way into the building is through the emergency exit near the Judge's Chambers. But it can only be opened from the inside."
Elliot raised an eyebrow, "well his package was found in the dumpster that the door shares an alley with."
Munch nodded, "we'll call the lab now, see if they got the print analysis back on the door."
Olivia sighed, leaning back as Munch and Fin left the booth they were sharing; tossing crumpled money onto the Formica, "Who knows how many fingerprints there are on that door?"
Elliot shrugged, rubbing his full stomach, "Maybe we'll get lucky?"