Chapter Eight—Interruption

"So, I looked up the perp's DNA in the system, and…." Melinda said, showing us the info on the computer. It was only Olivia, Elliot, and I in the lab. Munch had gone home, demanding us to call him if anything else had happened. Cragen had also given Groxton's DNA to Melinda, and she said it would be ready in the morning.

"Nothing." Olivia finished. "This guy has a clean record."

"Or he changed identities," I chimed.

"Guy, though, he has X chromosomes." Melinda muttered.

"But why Alessandra? What made her so important?" Asked Elliot.

"I don't know. We need a pattern, sadly." Said Melinda. I could tell right there in her face that she had a little one of her own.

"There was something unusual about her, though." I said. They all turned their attention to me. "What?" Elliot asked for the group.

"She had two different colored eyes. One was my exact shade of blue, the other was a dark, forest green. She looked like a normal seven year old, besides that." I said.

"Oh yeah," said Olivia, recollecting. "I noticed that, too."

"You think it's eye color?" Melinda asked.

I shrugged. "Maybe. But I think it has to be noticeable, because, for example, I have a small, streak of yellow in my right eye. And no one ever notices it until I point it out to them." All three of them looked at my eye, and nodded.

"So maybe that's one thing that turns him on."

"Maybe that's the only thing," Elliot responded to Olivia.

Just then, Olivia's phone started to ring. She walked out of the little circle that we were making around the table, and answered her call. "Benson,"

"So you think that's it?" Elliot asked.

"Well, different colored eyes, and young girls."

"But why do you think—" Elliot was cut off by Olivia.

"Another victim. 272 Forest Ridge Lane, Manhattan."

"Am I rolling with you guys?" I asked.

They nodded. "I'll drive." Elliot said.

I sat in the back, letting Olivia sit up front. I didn't mind, honestly; more leg room. Also, I wanted to catch their looks at each other from a slight distance. I had forgotten what they had said, but at one point, they were staring so deeply into each other's, eyes you would have thought it was a really cheesy romance movie.

We had finally arrived at the house, which had two police cruisers guarding it, and yellow crime scene tape. My stomach flipped.

One police man stood outside. Olivia did all the talking. "You called? Special Victims Unit." We all flashed our badges. "What's up?"

"Dead body. You guys might want to check it out." We nodded our thanks, and headed inside.

I nearly toppled over when I saw the tiny, little, seven-year old body covered in blood. "Jesus," I breathed. Olivia looked over to me, concern dancing in her eyes. I shot her a look as if to say, "It's okay, I'm fine," through my eyes, and she looked back at the body.

"Look at this," I said, pointing to her neck. "Strangulation marks. And it looks like she was hit with something…" I had to literally fight back tears as I examined the little body lying limp on the floor.

"Like this?" Olivia asked, holding a bloody lamp.

"That would do it," I said, quietly.

After saying these things, I noticed that Elliot remained quiet. I stood next to him, pretending to examine the body as Olivia poked around the house more. "You okay?" I asked in a low whisper, so low that only he could hear.

"I'm fine," he said, softly, in the same tone.

I knew he wasn't a man to talk about his feelings, so I just simply said, "Okay," and patted his shoulder. I caught up with Olivia, who was in the girl's room.

"Wow," I said, entering it. Everything was pink; the bed, the walls, the blinds, even her bureau frame was pink. The only thing that wasn't, though was her white, four-post bed with a cloth-material "roof" over it. She also had piles of stuffed animals, neatly arranged in different positions.

"I always wanted a room like this," Olivia admitted.

"Oh. I always wanted a room with sports-car posters plastered all over it. I made it work, though." I said, sheepishly.

She smiled, and began to examine the pictures in the child's room. "Alec," she said, motioning for me to come over. She picked up a pictured of the girl, and her mom.

"Look at her eyes," she said, and pointed to them.

"Different colors. One light brown, one dark blue." I muttered.

"Yup." She shook her head in disbelief.

"Do you know if there is anyone here we can question?" I asked Olivia, who was beginning to tear up. I pretended not to notice.

"Um, the mother, I think." Said Olivia.

"Okay. Let's go." I said softly, and I patted her back.

I waited for Olivia to get up, and wipe her eyes. She nodded, and we headed out the room.

We walked down the corridor, to find Munch and Elliot questioning the mother.

"…here when she was murdered?"

"No!" The mother exclaimed, bursting into tears and burying her head in her hands. I tapped Elliot's shoulder, and said, "May I?" he nodded, and I took the spot where he was sitting in.

"Hi, Mrs…?"

"Eichenburg." She finished, and wiped her eyes with her sleeves.

I nodded. "I'm sorry if my partners intimidated you, they were only trying to figure out who killed your daughter." I said, softly.

"I know, I'm sorry." She looked up. "It's just so hard!" She buried her head in her hands again, and Olivia rubbed her back.

"We understand," Olivia cooed softly. "But we need to ask you a few questions."

Mrs. Eichenburg nodded. "Okay," her breathing was hard and short, from lack of breath between sobs.

"Breathe, please." I said, and wrapped my business suit around her shoulders; she was shivering. It took about a minute or so, but when her breathing returned back to normal, Olivia asked the first question: "Did you see anything?"