Santa Clauses Are Coming To Town

LO:SVU

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of LO:SVU. I'm making no money out of this whatsoever. Don't sue me, I have no money.

A/N:

7

Lion's den

When they reached the pool hall, the streets were not covered with dirty slush but with a firm white layer of impacted snow.

"In the East Coast area north of Washington D.C. heavy snowfall is expected. Hurricane force winds are likely here," the weather forecast announced on the radio.

"We should try and make this short and sweet," Olivia said before they entered. "If this becomes heavier we'll be glad if we make it back to the precinct in time to sign out."

"If this turns into a blizzard we'll probably have to stay here."

"I can live without that…"

He opened the door and both stepped inside. The place was dimly lit. Only above the pool tables in the back of the big room stronger lights shone. Everyone present turned their heads to look at the strangers blown in by the wind together with swirls of snowflakes. Except for the bartender no one seemed to be older than their mid-twenties. As a matter of fact the waitresses appeared to be barely legal.

The atmosphere became icy. If they would have come into another bar with at least half of the guests being possible suspects, the detectives would have expected such a greeting, but with students?

Slowly Olivia and Elliot walked across the room until they came to the pool tables. From the photos they'd seen at the dean's office they identified Cornwell and Davis among a group in the back. Now they saw for themselves why Cornwell was on the verge of being expelled from Columbia. He slouched in the corner, enthroned on a chair, holding court like a king. The small corner table was filled with glasses and some stuff the narcotics squad would probably find interesting.

"Detectives," Cornwell greeted cheerfully. "Brian told me that you would be coming to talk to me."

"Oh, really? Mr. Cornwell, I'm Detective Benson, this is Detective Stabler. We'd like to know where you were yesterday evening."

"May I ask you why?"

"A fifteen year old girl was kidnapped and raped. So where were you? Tell me."

"Ho, ho, ho! Cool down! - I was working as a Santa. Same as lot of guys I know. It's easy work, and some of the younger moms are really hot."

Olivia and Elliot knew that was not entirely true. The agency did not accept Cornwell because of his trouble history.

"When did you finish?" Olivia asked.

"Around eight pm. I met with my friends here later."

"Well, now, the people at the university's agency said they never sent you on any jobs. So, are you lying to us because you were on East 112th Street around half past nine?"

"No. I was already here again."

"Are you sure about that? Your van was seen in the street where the girl was kidnapped, and think hard before you answer. You don't want to lie to us again."

"My van." Cornwell pretended to contemplate his answer. "One of my friends had my van."

"Who?"

"I don't know. Every one of them can borrow it whenever they want." Cornwell got up to stroll over to one of the pool tables. He picked up a cue. "Can she identify her attacker?"

"You left your DNA."

"Oh yes?" He did not intend to fall for the lie. "Well, prove that she did not invite me to leave it."

"So you admit that you had intimate contact with her?"

"Lady, I don't even know who you mean! But I tell you what. I had sex last weekend. And I will have sex again." He chuckled softly. "It's possible that I slept with her. I just can't tell for sure. The girls practically beg me to ride them." He somewhat leaned on the cue, rocking forward and back, so that the wood was gliding through his folded hands with the movement.

"She definitely did not," Olivia said, ignoring the obscene gesture.

"That's what she's saying now… certainly sounded different when we were together. Am I right, guys?!"

The whole group was cheering.

"She was hot… and very keen on pleasing all of us." Cornwell leaned forward. He could smell Olivia's female scent. "With all of them witnessing, even a quickie the both of us share would be consentient," he whispered.

Olivia could not tell if Elliot might have heard that. For a second she was stunned. She realized that her partner did in fact hear Cornwell's words when the giant was pushed aside, against the pool table. Cornwell tried to punch his attacker but Elliot was faster. He had Cornwell's right arm in a firm grip before the guy knew what was happening. Elliot pinned him face down on the table with his right hand and already had the cuffs in his left. Cornwell screamed with rage.

"You're under arrest!" Elliot yelled. "For threatening a police officer and attempted assault!" The cuffs closed around Cornwell's wrists. Olivia laid her hand on the butt of her gun and scanned the group for further resistance.

"You have the right to remain silent," Elliot recited. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during interrogation; if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you at no cost. You got that, scumbag?"

Cornwell grunted. Elliot accepted that as a yes and pulled him back.

"Let's get his butt to the precinct," Olivia said and grabbed one of Cornwell's arms as Elliot got hold of the other. Together they led him out of the pool hall, closely watched by the crowd.

Sharp wind blew in their faces when they stepped outside. It wasn't snowing very much right now but the wind whirled up the snow from the ground. They went to their car and pushed Cornwell into the backseat. Olivia entered the passenger's seat in the front to guard him while Elliot cleaned the windshield and the lights. She also contacted the precinct, reaching Cragen, telling him what had happened.

"Cap is in a meeting," she said when Elliot put the ice scraper back into the door's pocket.

"It's snowing harder," he replied and sank into the driver's seat. "It's going to take us long time to get back to the precinct."

"We could stop at another station. The next to our position is East 119th, right?"

"That would be the 25th Precinct. This neighborhood is in the 26 Precinct. Their station house is on West 126th Street." Elliot glanced at the rear-view mirror. "We're not the only ones leaving."

Olivia looked over her shoulder and watched several of Cornwell's comrades approach their car. They were chanting about them being pigs and harassing their friend. One pounded the hood while another shoved snow from the car's roof onto the windshield.

"Hey! You bastards!" Elliot reached for his gun and was about to get out again when Olivia stopped him.

"Elliot, don't! Let's just get back to the station, okay. They're already backing off."

"He hit the car!" Elliot burst out. "That's an attack. You want to let them get away with that?"

"He was blowing off steam. They're gone now."

Olivia was on the radio, calling headquarters, while Elliot ignited the car and slowly drove up to the next corner. The men climbed into three different cars, one a dark van, another a big jeep with massive roll bars.

"Yeah, try to get back if you can," Cornwell teased from the backseat.

"Shut up," both detectives said.

"Or you do what? Knock out my teeth? My lawyer would love that. I'll walk free and you two will be suspended for using excessive force against a suspect."

Olivia saw Elliot grit his teeth. Firmly his fists closed around the steering wheel. Cornwell chuckled. Now Olivia finally realized that Elliot had been right, because Cornwell's friends were following in their cars.

Still the snowfall increased. Contours blurred. If it would not have been for parked cars the street would have passed into the pavement invisibly. Elliot was driving very slowly and carefully because the fresh snow was slippery and he had to take care not to over-steer the car.

"We definitely will be two of the last idiots still outside," he mused.

"Well, our cases don't care about blizzard warnings," Olivia replied. "Go to the 26th Precinct." Once more she called headquarters, asking for support. She frowned when she did not get a response.

In the rear-view mirror turned up headlights blinded Elliot.

"Hey!" Elliot protested. "That's a bit too close."

Another car tried to overtake him on the left side. He glanced out and recognized the van.

"What do they want?" Olivia asked, reaching for her cell phone.

"Guess what!" Cornwell chuckled, grinning smugly.

The jeep fell back again.

"What's wrong with the radio?" Elliot asked.

"Don't know," Olivia told him. "Your friends won't do something stupid, will they?" she turned to Cornwell, who lacked an answer. She was about to dial when the motor of an accelerating car roared behind them.

"Damn!" Elliot cried out when the jeep hit the bumpers from behind. Olivia dropped the cell phone.

Their car jumped forward and lost traction on the snow, breaking out to the side. Then it was hit again. Elliot jammed on the breaks but just then the other car hit them again and they spun around in the street and turned. Their car hobbled over something and then tumbled down a slope spinning round its axis.

"Elliot!" Olivia screamed.

But there was nothing her partner could do. The car bounced, throwing them into the roof and back into the seats. Then it smashed against something solid with a brutal impact and everything went dark.

tbc…