A/N: Longer chapter than the others, but hopefully some payoff. It's late, so probably more typos than normal. Sorry in advance, but wanted to get it out for you tonight.
CHAPTER 7
As the squad gathered back together, Olivia read the text message on her phone, feeling a little bit of hope before turning her attention to the others.
"Tell me we have something, anything on finding Brandi and Amber," Olivia said.
"We got her on security video, later Monday morning than the last one. Pick up by a market near her place. She's walking quickly with Amber and looks like something is wrong," Carisi said.
"Ok, this is good, right?" Olivia said hopefully. Carisi didn't anything. "Right?"
"She was with a blonde," Carisi said.
"Shit," Rollins muttered.
"But, we don't know if it's Cabot," Carisi said. "It's hard to tell."
"Give me the video," Olivia said. "Do you have it?"
"Yeah, but I'm telling you Liv, it's hard to make out much," Carisi said.
"Give it to me," Olivia said.
He pulled up the video on the iPad and handed it to her. She watched it through twice, squinting her eyes and zooming in a couple of times.
"It's not her," Olivia said. "I don't know who it is, but that woman isn't Alex."
"You sure?" Carisi said.
"I am certain," Olivia said. "For one, this person is shorter than Alex."
"Yeah, but there's no heel on those shoes," Carisi said. "Alex wears heels a lot so it makes her look taller."
"She's tall, even without the heels," Olivia said. "And two, Alex would never be caught dead in those shoes. They're beat up and just not Alex."
Carisi gave her a funny look.
"She's right," Fin said. "Girl loves her shoes."
"I know it's not much, but I promise you, that woman is not Alex," Olivia said. "The body is all wrong." Olivia had, intentional or not, had studied Alex's body a lot.
"Look, I also got a tip that Andrea has had other issues with women who she was friends with – a woman she became a little obsessed with at her old job," Olivia continued. "Maybe she was jealous of Alex. If Brandi rejected her too, she could have snapped. She doesn't have to have wanted a romantic relationship with Brandi to have wanted her companionship – perhaps even to an obsessive level."
"That's true," Carisi offered. "People become obsessed with celebrities all the time – in love or not."
"Hold up," Fin said. He pushed a few buttons on a tablet and pulled a document up on the TV screen. "Turns out Jerry had a life insurance policy on Brandi taken out in the past few months."
"Why?"
"Insurance guy told me he wanted to have a safety net to care for his daughter in case something ever happened to Brandi," Fin said. "They payout goes to the daughter, of course, but it's still a helluva motivation."
"How's his finances?" Olivia asked.
"Looks clean.," Fin said. "He's a pastor of some church – it's a little extreme – but they seem to take care of most stuff for him – house, car, that stuff."
"How extreme? Extreme enough to have an issue with Brandi's sexuality?"
"I don't know yet," Fin said.
"Ok, we have good leads," Olivia said. "We'll still follow up on the security video, but we need to go back to Andrea and Jerry with this information. Make sure they know they're no longer just witnesses and if they want lawyers, they'll get them. We can't afford to screw this up. I'll have Stone work on some warrants."
"So, we still don't know who did it? If it was any of them," Carisi said.
"Yeah, but at least have more than one suspect now," Olivia said.
A young officer walked up to where they were at the table, anxious to ask a question.
"Central booking said you had a perp you needed to bring over? A VIP?" he asked. "You want me to take 'em on over?"
Everyone turned to Olivia, who took a moment before answering.
"We…have more questions for the suspect," Olivia said carefully. "We've had some new developments so when we're ready, we'll bring the person over if necessary."
The officer nodded and left the squad room.
#
Before joining the interrogations of Jerry and Andrea, Olivia made her way back over to the holding cell Alex was in. The blonde sighed when she saw Olivia. It was time for her to be booked and face the embarrassment of a public mugshot.
"I suppose you're here to take me to my photo shoot," Alex said with a defeated tone.
"Actually, we have a few other things to follow up on," Olivia said. "Can you take a look at this for me? Or well, I guess I should call Rita. I don't want you to feel like you have –."
Alex cut her off. "Just show me," she said, reaching for the tablet. "I trust you're not trying to trick me."
Olivia handed her the iPad and played the video for Alex.
"You think that's me?" Alex said, looking up. "That's not me."
"I know that's not you," Olivia said. "But the average person…"
"Or jury," Alex added.
"Right, the average person may not believe it's not you, given the other evidence," Olivia finished.
"Hm, show them my shoe collection," Alex said. "I'd never wear those shoes."
Olivia smiled. "I know," she said, grinning. "And the body is all wrong. Your boobs are less saggy, too."
Alex smirked and looked up at Olivia. "So, you been checking out my boobs and body, detective?"
"Anyway," Olivia said. "I know it's not you, but someone wants us to think it is. Any ideas?"
"I really don't, Liv," Alex said. "If I could think of anything, I would."
"How much do you know about Andrea?"
"I know her and Brandi were friends," Alex said. "Brandi would get frustrated with her sometimes but I mean, it seemed to just be a normal friendship. Maybe a bit closer than most."
"You ever meet her?"
"Oddly enough, no," Alex said. "I offered many times. I wanted to, especially before … well, before I planned to propose." Her voice grew quiet and she paused for a moment. "Anyway, anytime we were supposed to meet, she always had to work late or had some emergency."
"Why would Brandi get frustrated?"
"Oh, you know, she wanted to spend time with Brandi and she'd be busy and couldn't, or just tired," Alex said. "Or Andrea would complain about someone at work and Brandi would get tired of it; though, in my experience, it seems they both used each other as a sounding board."
"Do you think Andrea was jealous of your relationship with Brandi?" Olivia asked.
"If she was, Brandi never told me or gave me that impression," Alex said. "I'm sorry I can't help more."
"Jerry?"
"Ugh, Brandi didn't like him," Alex said. "He'd try to give her money for Amber, sometimes large amounts, which she never understood because he's like a preacher or something. Anyway, I think she avoided talking to him as much as she could. She never really seemed to give him the time of day or talk about him much."
"He ever make any comments about Brandi's sexuality or her relationship with you?"
"Brandi never said that, but there was one night, she made a comment about 'some people' still not being accepting of LGBTQ people," Alex said. "I don't know who she was talking about, but it could have been him. I think he'd called a few days before that. I know that she would tell Amber not to tell her dad everything about us on the few occasions she'd talk to him, but I just chalked that up to her not wanting Jerry to know everything about our relationship."
"Tell me again about your conversation that last night," Olivia said. "You told me you had closure. What did that mean?"
"We talked about our breakup," Alex said. "I proposed a couple of months before we broke up and well, things just weren't the same after that. She turned me down, said she wasn't ready, needed more time. When she broke up with me, she just abruptly ended it. That's why we fought. She wasn't willing to tell me why, just that it wasn't working, wasn't fair to me to keep me waiting."
"What changed between the breakup and the last time you saw her?" Olivia said.
"She was honest with me," Alex said, sighing. "She … told me that she didn't love me. That she wasn't sure she ever did. It hurt, but she explained that she wanted to. That I made her happy and that Amber loved me and she really wanted it to work for Amber's sake, but that we just wanted different things out of life. She also told me she cheated on me."
"She what?!" Olivia said. She couldn't imagine anyone ever cheating on Alex Cabot.
"She'd made a connection with someone shortly after rejecting my proposal and started spending time with her and I guess, sleeping with her. That was another reason we fought leading up to our breakup. I suspected she was cheating and was just untrusting. So anyway, after the break-up, when I saw her over the weekend, she apologized and told me she had hoped I'd find out so I'd break up with her. That she made it obvious, but I just didn't see it."
"Wow, all of that must have hurt," Olivia said.
"Actually, yes, it did, but it was also kind of freeing," Alex said. "It wasn't something I did. It really was that she just never truly loved me. She didn't like some of the fancy events I have to go to, so really, the thought of being married to someone who may run for DA someday, was a big turnoff to her.
"In the end, we both agreed, like I said, that it wouldn't have worked. That we worked better as friends and she promised to still let me spend time with Amber from time to time because I took more interest in her than her dad," Alex continued. "By the end of the night, it felt like a weight had been lifted."
"And the person she dated?" Olivia said.
"I guess that ended shortly after she broke up with me," Alex said. "Said she felt bad for how it all went down and ended it. It didn't sound like she's had any contact with her sense. I have a name, if you want to track her down, but to be honest, it sounded a lot like a short-lived fling."
"Thank. We'll follow up," Olivia said, handing Alex a pen to write the name down. "Alex, why didn't you just tell me all this to begin with?"
"Tell you – the woman I spent years infatuated with before I realized I was infatuated with you – about how the woman I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with cheated on me and told me she never loved me?" Alex said. "I was embarrassed. Even if I know it wasn't my fault, it still sucks to acknowledge it to other people. Besides, I knew I was innocent, and that the best detective I know would figure that out soon enough."
Olivia blushed, both at the infatuation comment and the part about her being the best detective Alex knew.
"Do you mind hanging out here a little longer?" Olivia asked. "I can't let you go yet and say you're not a suspect. I mean, I'm sure Rita would argue otherwise, but…"
"Go find Brandi and whoever did this," Alex said, waving her off. "It's not the first time I've spent a few hours in a holding cell."
Both women laughed, thinking about the time Judge Petrovsky held her in contempt and locked her up to teach a lesson.
#
When Olivia returned to the other, she saw Rollins going at Andrea though the window to the interrogation room.
"Just admit it, Andrea, you're in love with Brandi. You were jealous of Alex!" Rollins said.
Carisi filled Olivia in. Rollins rattled Andrea with the knowledge of her other relationship and once she accused her of hurting Brandi and Amber, Andrea started talking.
"I'm not in love with her! I'm asexual!" Andrea said. "Yes, I love her, but as a friend! I'd do ANYTHING for Brandi and Amber. I want to protect them, not hurt them!"
"What did you need to protect them from?"
"I told you, she was being stalked – probably by Alex!" Andrea said.
"So you were jealous?"
"You're damn right!" Andrea said. "She spent so much time with her, but had no intention of marrying her. She didn't love her! She just wanted Amber taken care of."
"So she was using Alex for her money?" Rollins asked.
"No, it's not like that," Andrea said. "Alex cared about Amber. Brandi thought she'd be a good mom and partner."
"So, tell me why you think a woman who would be a good mom would stalk the woman she loved?" Rollins said.
"I…I don't know," Andrea said. "I guess…"
"I guess you were jealous and wanted to blame Alex," Rollins said.
"OK, fine. I was jealous. I didn't like her," Andrea said. "And I don't have a good reason, but I would NEVER hurt Brandi and Amber. Everything I did was to protect them!"
"Everything you did?" Rollins said, pausing and leaning over to Andrea. "WHAT did you do?"
"I want a lawyer."
#
Over with Fin, who was interrogating Jerry, things were going equally as well.
"Listen, man, my boss just wants me to clear up why you needed such a large insurance policy on Brandi," Fin said. "Just looks weird, ya feel me? Once we get it cleared up, we can get you out of here."
"I told you, in case something happened to her – and you never know with her lifestyle – I want to make sure Amber is well taken care of," Jerry said.
"Ok, but you have a good job. I mean, the church takes care of you, right?" Fin said.
"Yeah, but … well, they don't exactly know about Amber, OK," he said. "Brandi was … well, a mistake, a moment of weakness. She was always wanting more, tempting me, you know?"
"Yeah, I know," Fin said. "Women these days are a lot more aggressive than they were when I was young. Of course, I wouldn't have minded it too much back then."
Jerry nodded and Fin continued.
"What'd you mean when you said – you never know with her life style – she involved in dangerous stuff?" Fin said.
"Well, I'm sure you know," Jerry said.
"Know what?"
"She's a dyke," Jerry said. "Homosexuals … well, there's just a lot of sin and deviant behavior. I mean, they started the whole AIDS thing back in the day."
"You know straight people can get HIV, too, right?" Fin said. He hated this guy, but still had to keep his feelings in check.
"Yeah, but…" Jerry said.
"So, I take it you didn't approve of her relationship with Ms. Cabot?" Fin asked.
"Alex?" Jerry said. "Yeah, I didn't like it around my kid. She tried to hide it from me for a long time, but I knew."
"How did you know?" Fin said.
"Uh, well, I mean, Amber would tell me things when I'd talk to her," Jerry said.
"I didn't think you talked to her very often," Fin said. "I mean, did she ever come see you?"
"No not really," he said. "Like I said, my church didn't know and well, maybe it was wrong, but I wanted to support her. I do love my daughter. I just don't want her raised in sin."
"Why'd you leave Brandi when she was pregnant?"
"I was afraid. I was working my way up through the church and I was afraid they'd kick me out," he said. "I should have just made her marry me."
Made her marry me. It took everything Fin had not to knock the SOB out.
"Tell me about her relationship with Alex," Fin said. "I mean, that must have sucked to have your ex move from you to some chick. Especially letting your little girl around that."
"It's disgusting," Jerry said. "I tried to tell Brandi that. Told her I'd make an honest woman of her and we'd be a family."
"You wanted to marry her?" Fin said.
"It was only right – after I ran out on her years ago," he said. "Besides, I'd have given them a better life than that Alex could. I mean, sure, she's got a lot of money, but can you imagine how confusing that must be for Amber? To see her mom sleeping, playing house with another woman."
"Alex live with her?" Fin asked.
"Well, I … I don't know. I think she stayed there a lot," he said. "Amber told me."
"Amber said, huh?" Fin said, making a note. "Ok, well, it must have really made you angry when Alex proposed."
"That bitch," Jerry said. "Thinks she's going to take my daughter? Brandi thinks she's going to just forget I exist. I'm pretty sure I was able to give her something no dyke ever could."
"You mean a child?" Fin said.
"Yeah," Jerry said. "I wasn't going to let them get married. Not and keep Amber, anyway. Brandi tried to tell me they broke up, that she wasn't going to marry her, but then I know they still saw each other."
"Oh yeah? You think they were still together?" Fin said.
"I saw them together, right before Brandi went missing," Jerry said. "You ask me, that Alex did it cause Brandi wouldn't marry her."
"When did you see them together?" Fin said.
"What?"
"You said you saw them together right before Brandi went missing?" Fin said. "What day was that?"
"Uh, I don't know, Saturday, Sunday?" Jerry said. "I can't remember. I was just out and saw them at a bar."
"You were at a bar?" Fin said.
"I was just … you know, helping a friend. He needed a ride," Jerry said.
"Ok. I might need his name, you know, just to get you all cleared," Fin said. "What were they doing in the bar? Where was it?"
"O'Connors," he said. "They came in while I was there, had some drinks. Brandi was pretty drunk and they seemed like things were going well. Laughing a lot you know. I think they went home together."
"Why do you think that?"
"They got in the same cab," Jerry said. "I wouldn't be surprised if that Alex took advantage of her. I mean, if she was drunk and she had sex, isn't that rape? Or that's what I'm told. If it were a man, he'd be charged with rape, but we seem to have different rules for the gays."
Fin just nodded. "We'll check into it when we find Brandi," he said. "So, you're sure you don't know where she is?"
"No a clue," Jerry said. "But I want to find my daughter more than anything."
"You know what I think?" Fin finally said. He was done playing. Jerry looked at him, looking for agreement.
"I think you took Brandi and Amber," Fin said. "And I think you set up Alex to make it look like she did it."
"What? No!" Jerry said. "Why would I take them?"
"Well, you gave me a whole lot of reasons," Fin said. "You didn't like her relationship with Alex, or any other woman. You were afraid Alex was going to take your family. The family YOU made.
"So you took them. You got the life insurance policy, so you take care of Brandi and you and Amber are free to live how you want, teaching her about all the perils of homosexuality," Fin said.
"No," Jerry said. "But if I could take Amber away, I would. And the life insurance is in Amber's name. It's all for her."
"Sure, but I bet it could also pay off some of those gambling debts you have," Fin said. "You church know about that?"
Fin had his suspicious confirmed while he was talking to Jerry, when one of his informants sent him a text. Jerry was well-known in the gambling circle. "The preacher" they called him.
"I want a lawyer," Jerry said, sitting up straight.
"Suit yourself," Fin said. "But if something happens to either of them … well, given your opinion on the gays, you may not like your future."
"I didn't hurt that bitch," Jerry said. "But if you ask me, people like her are going to meet their fate someday anyway. 'If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act. They must both be put to death…'"
"I call your lawyer," Fin said, getting up to leave. "By the way, my son is gay. I dare you to tell me that out on the street."
#
The squad met up after Fin was done. Both suspects lawyered up and they still had no idea which of them took Brandi and Amber.
Just then, Rita Calhoun plowed through the door.
"Why is my client still here if you haven't arrested her?" she said to whoever was listening.
"Rita, we're still figuring things out," Olivia said. "Central booking was backed up."
"So I hear, but they've been cleared for about an hour now," she said.
"Let me get this straight, you want us to arrest Alex?" Rollins asked.
"Of course not, but you can't hold her forever," Rita said. "If you have another suspect, you need to let her go."
Olivia pulled her into her office, away from everyone else.
"Rita, it's ok," Olivia said. "I talked to Alex. She's fine. She gave us some helpful information. She wants us to figure this out, too."
"I bet she's still in the cell, though, huh?" Rita said. Olivia nodded. "Listen, I don't care what Alex told you. I don't care what God himself told you. I speak for Alex and you know better than to talk to her without me. At least let me talk to her before she lets you sweet talk her into talking."
"It wasn't like that," Olivia said.
"I'm sure it wasn't, but I want to see her now and I want you to arrest her or let her go," Rita said. "So, what's it going to be?"
"We'll release her," Olivia said. "But …"
"Don't worry, she's not going anywhere," Rita said.
#
Search warrants were executed on every piece of property Jerry had. Nothing. No sign of Brandi and Amber, but there was a blonde woman that looked a lot like the woman on the video. It was enough to bring her in and pit her and Jerry against each other.
"And?" Olivia asked when Fin came back.
"She said Jerry planned to take them. And that she went there Monday morning. She's the blonde, but she swears Brandi got away from her and ran off," Fin said.
"What?"
"She said Jerry told her she was abusive to Amber and so she thought she was doing something good. That he was going to help Amber and try to make Brandi see the light," Fin said.
"Good God," Olivia said. "Do you believe Brandi ran off?"
"I don't know," Fin said. "She's been pretty straight. Jerry still won't admit to anything."
"Amanda, what was it Andrea said? Everything she did was to protect them?" Olivia said.
"Yeah," Rollins said.
"So, if someone tried to kidnap you and you got away, I mean, you probably wouldn't go home – who would you call?" Olivia said.
"Your best friend," Rollins said. "Who would do ANYTHING to protect you, even hide you."
"Go," Olivia said. "Get Andrea to tell us where Brandi is."
#
Midnight.
"Liv, you need go to home," Fin said, popping his head into Olivia's office after a long day and night of searching for Brandi and Amber before finally bringing them home safely.
"I know, but I know Noah is asleep and I just want to make sure we have everything together," Olivia said.
"You've had a hard week, Liv," Fin said. "Finish it tomorrow. Brandi and Amber are safe. They went home with her mom for a few days and Jerry and his friend just finished booking for attempted kidnapping. It's done, Liv."
"Is it?" Olivia asked.
"You worried about Alex?" Fin said. Olivia sighed. "You knows you were just doing your job."
"But I should have known…"
"You did know, Liv," Fin said. "Deep down. Look, you and Cabot have been through it. I've seen you all fight more than anyone else around here."
"I know, but I think I hurt her this time," Olivia said.
"She's tough," Fin said. "Teflon, remember?"
Olivia smiled remember Munch's nickname for Alex.
"By the way, how's Elliot?" Fin asked.
"Huh?" Olivia said.
"The 'tip' you got about Andrea – from her old workplace? I know that had to come from Kathy. Those nurses leak as much as 1PP," Fin said.
Olivia smiled again. "He's good. They're good," she said. "They want me to come by this weekend."
"You should go," he said. "Tell him I say hello. But that I don't really miss him that much."
Olivia laughed. "I'll be sure to tell him."
Fin left and Olivia gathered her things to go home finally. Before she left, she pulled out her phone.
O: Are we going to be ok?
Olivia waited for a minute. She saw dots and then they disappeared. Then more dots, then gone. It made her nervous waiting, wondering about the book Alex seemed to be writing.
A: Yes.
That was it. Olivia was confused why it took so long and so many dots for that. It worried her. Then she got another text.
A: We still going to get that dinner?
O: How about Saturday breakfast with Noah and me? Chocolate chip pancakes are on the menu.
A: See you then.
Olivia felt relief. She was looking forward to clearing the air with Alex on Saturday. Then she got one more text.
A: By the way, I would have arrested me, too.
A/N 2: One more chapter after this. But no worries, I'll write some other things.
As always, your reviews are appreciated. Love it, hate it, have ideas? Let me know with a comment or on twitter -rileyclocks!
