Olivia didn't know what the hell was happening, but reality was starting to sink in. SVU wouldn't be here if Josh wasn't suspected of some kind of sexual assault, but she couldn't wrap her head around it. She prided herself on her ability to judge people's character. She had enough experience on the job to be able to suss out a suspect, and Josh hadn't set off any warning bells.
Of course, she didn't really know him that well.
She started to replay the first time she'd met him and the times they'd been together, trying to think if there was something she had missed. But nothing stood out. He was a little adventurous in bed, but it hadn't been anything alarming…he'd never done anything she hadn't consented to and he'd never hurt her.
She looked around the room, but Josh wasn't anywhere in sight. They must have taken him down to the precinct already.
They would be questioning him.
In the same way she and Elliot had questioned hundreds of suspects.
They would be questioning her too…
Olivia swallowed hard as she looked at Elliot and Fin talking on the other side of the room. They'd left her just outside the bedroom door with a uniformed officer, and he was doing everything in his power not to look at her or engage with her in any way. She wished she could catch his eye because she needed answers.
Olivia had barely had time to pull her dress on before there had been pounding on the door, and seconds later, Fin had been in the room, apologizing to her silently as he had hustled Josh into the room and told him to get dressed. Josh had tried to say something to her, but Elliot had put himself between her and Josh and Fin had told him to shut up. Elliot had turned back towards her, wrapped his hand around her bicep and hustled her out of the room.
It had been another cold dose of reality as she had seen the scene playing out in the living room. Two uniformed cops were searching through Josh's things…digging through drawers and looking through the books on the shelves…and she couldn't even find her voice to argue or ask questions as Elliot pushed her firmly onto the couch.
Elliot walked away from her then and she watched him as he talked to one of the unis. She was confused and felt slightly betrayed by Elliot's treatment of her. She would like to think it was because of his confusion at the situation he found himself in, but knowing him like she did, she knew he was bound by his sense of duty. She wasn't sure, if the tables were turned, that she would have broken protocol either.
Olivia heard a commotion and saw Fin walking out of the bedroom with Josh. Josh looked confused and somewhat scared, and she pushed herself off the couch and rushed over to them, forcing Fin to stop pushing him towards the door of the apartment. "What's going on?" She asked, not really caring if it was Josh or Fin that answered.
"I don't know." Josh said, reaching towards her. But Fin batted his hands down.
"Don't touch her." He commanded before putting an arm out towards her, effectively keeping Josh away from her. "Liv. Get outta the way." He didn't touch her or push her in any way, but the message was clear.
Olivia noticed he completely ignored her question. "But…"
"Liv."
The way Fin said her name let her know he wasn't going to answer her, but he wasn't going to argue with her. The look in his eyes let her know that he wished he could.
Protocol.
The next thing she knew, Fin was handing Josh off to two uniforms that were at the door. Josh glanced back at her and the wild look in his eyes told her that he had no idea what the hell was going on. It gave her some measure of comfort; they obviously had the wrong guy.
Fin started back across the room and Olivia called out to him, but he held up a hand as if telling her to stop as he met up with Elliot on the other side of the room. She watched as the two of them started talking, heads bowed together, and she wondered if she was the subject of the conversation.
Olivia was tired of being treated like a suspect herself…of having her questions ignored. She was part of this squad. She had worked with these guys for years. She deserved better. Goddamnit…she was going to get some answers.
"Ma'am."
Olivia jumped at the voice, and saw another uniformed office standing slightly behind her. He must have noticed her intention because he held out his arm, prepared to grasp hers.
"You need to stay here."
Olivia narrowed her eyes, almost daring him to touch her. He made no move…he simply dropped his hand. "It's Detective." She said coldly.
He simply nodded, and she wasn't quite sure if he believed her…or if he really cared. Either way, it was clear that he was in charge of her, and that she wasn't going anywhere. Olivia tried to loosen the knot of anger that had coiled in her chest, telling herself that he was just doing his job. But she didn't know where to direct it. Josh? Elliot? She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, knowing she just had to let this play out.
Elliot looked over at Olivia, but she had adopted a perfect poker face. He had seen a bit of fight in her in the bedroom. He had been surprised by the shift to sudden acquiescence and the towel drop, but he knew it had been defiance at having her power stripped from her. He felt badly about his role in that, and he felt a sudden surge of protectiveness over her.
"Did you know Liv was seeing this guy?" Fin asked.
Elliot shook his head. "She never told me she was seeing anyone." It didn't surprise him that she hadn't. Olivia didn't give him any details of her personal life anymore.
And he never asked.
"Can't see her going out with some scumbag rapist." Fin said.
"People lead double lives." Elliot said. Olivia was an exceptionally good judge of character, and he was as surprised as Fin. He'd like to believe she didn't know anything about this side of Josh Graham.
"Maybe we got the wrong guy."
"Vic identified him by name."
Fin nodded, but Elliot understood. He was just concerned about Olivia and was trying to make sense of it like he was. Neither one of them wanted her wrapped up in this.
And what if this man was violent? Had he hurt Olivia in any way? He couldn't imagine her putting up with that…but…
People lead double lives.
The recklessness in her sometimes…it scared him. At times, it seemed she had no regard for her own safety…her own life. He didn't know how that translated into her personal life.
Some partner he was. Some friend.
Fin interrupted his thoughts.
"IAB's gonna want to talk to her." Fin said. "They aren't going to let you or me question her." He shook his head and they were both silent as they let that sink in. "Maybe we should have shuffled her out of here when we had the chance."
Elliot let out a sigh, thinking the exact same thing. "There was no way." He nodded towards the uniformed officers guarding Olivia.
"Yeah."
"We need to talk to Cragen." Elliot said. "Maybe he can do something…" His voice trailed off as he glanced back over at Olivia. She was shifting uncomfortably in place with her arms crossed protectively across her body. He saw something clutched in her hand, and he realized it was her panties and her bra. He knew how vulnerable she must be feeling right now…how many questions she must have. "I need to talk to her."
"I don't know if that's a good idea." Fin said. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet as he glanced over at Olivia. "If IAB gets involved…they're gonna ask about that."
Elliot knew what Fin was saying. They weren't alone with her. There were witnesses. They needed to go by the book on this one. He wished he would have taken the opportunity to talk to her when they'd been alone in the bedroom. There hadn't been much time…but he'd let his shock and surprise morph into anger and he had shut her down. He looked back at Fin. "She's my partner."
Fin nodded. He understood the weight of that word…what it meant. Especially between Elliot and Olivia. "Be careful." Elliot understood the words of caution, but he also understood that Fin wasn't going to stop him.
Olivia saw Elliot headed in her direction, and she hoped that his attitude had changed since their exchange in the bedroom. She needed him on her side right now.
"Olivia."
She turned as she heard Cragen's voice and saw him walking through the apartment door. She glanced back at Elliot, and the look on his face confirmed what she already knew. He couldn't help her now. It didn't stop him from closing the gap between them, but Cragen stepped between her body and Elliot's.
"You need to head back to the precinct." Cragen said as he held up a hand.
"Cap'n." Elliot cursed the time he had wasted talking to Fin and avoiding Olivia.
"Save it." Cragen said.
Olivia reached out and grasped Cragen's arm. "Captain. Please just let me talk to him."
Cragen turned to face her. "Olivia." He said, shaking his head. "I don't know how you're mixed up with this suspect, but you know I can't let you talk to Elliot. At this point, I don't even know if I should be talking to you. I had to notify IAB, and I'm fighting to keep this case in SVU."
"What case?" Olivia asked. "Josh…" She glanced up and noticed Elliot hadn't moved away, but she moved her eyes back to Cragen's. "He's not…" She pressed her lips together. "What do you think he's done?"
Elliot noted how her voice got quiet as she asked her last question.
Cragen sighed. "We have a victim that has identified him as the person that raped and beat her."
Elliot saw Olivia's legs give out slightly, but to her credit, she recovered quickly as she shook her head. "No. That can't be right." Her voice was barely more than a whisper, and Elliot saw the pleading look in her eyes. "He's not a rapist."
Elliot didn't know if she was saying that to Cragen or to herself. He could hear the disbelief in her voice, but he could tell she was thinking about everything she knew…or thought she knew…about the man she'd been sleeping with. He'd seen it in every wife and girlfriend of every rapist they'd prosecuted.
People lead double lives.
"Olivia." Cragen's voice was even. "We have a sworn statement. The victim…she's believable."
Olivia swallowed hard. She knew he was preparing her for what lay ahead. This wasn't a mistake. This wasn't going away. Her eyes flashed up to Elliot's, and she saw a strange look in them. She knew then that he wasn't sure what to believe.
She'd never felt more alone.
"Olivia."
She turned her attention back to Cragen. "They're going to take you down to the station now." He took a step closer to her. "Remember. You're not a suspect. You're not being arrested. They just want to know what you know about Mr. Graham."
Olivia wasn't sure she believed him because it certainly felt like she was under suspicion.
"And if I decide not to talk?" She asked.
"Olivia." Cragen said sternly. "I don't know what your relationship is with Mr. Graham, but I can't believe you know anything about this."
Olivia could hear the pleading in his voice. He was asking for her confirmation that she didn't. He needed to believe it. He needed to confirm what he thought he knew about her. She glanced up and could see Elliot nodding along with him.
"Captain. There is no way Josh did what he's accused of." She shook her head. "No way." She glanced at Elliot once more before she turned away from them and walked out with the uniformed officer leading the way.
