They belong to DW and NBC.

Thanks Slidell; for your help I really appreciate your effort. Thank you.

Author's note: see previous (chapter 7)


Chapter 9

Confrontation

--

Two hours later, after their first encounter, three detectives and a still apprehensive girl were in one of the interrogations rooms. They were looking at books of pictures with possible suspects and Amanda was looking through them, Olivia always by her side.

"Are you sure he had a scar on his face?" Detective Stan asked, kind of irritated.

Amanda cowered and shrunk not looking at him but at Olivia; an expression of annoyance on her face..

"I told you he had a scar on the left side of his face like this" Amanda made a zigzag sign. "And a tattoo of a snake with red eyes on his arm."

Turning to Olivia she whispered, "I don't like them and they don't believe me, why do we even bother, it's just like the doctors Mrs. Spencer used to take me to. They didn't believe I didn't hurt myself, just like they don't believe me now...can we go.. please?"

Olivia took a moment to answer.

"Is not that they don't believe you honey, it's just that they are really worried about more people getting hurt by these men they are looking for and they want to get them pretty soon."

Amanda looked into Olivia's eyes and scrunched her little nose and then nodded accepting the excuse.

"Ok what about a little break? Do you want some juice or some cookies?" Taking the girl by the hand Olivia exited the room without saying anything to dumb and dumber, after a minute she returned without the girl.

"Detective Benson would you be so kind to tell us what the h…" Olivia stared down at Monroe and interrupted him mid sentence.

"Let me tell you something, you two, I don't know how you work over at your Department and I don't even want to know, but here; we treat our witnesses and victims with respect and dignity, and we don't question or second guess every answer they provide." Olivia said in a strong voice.

"This girl has gone through enough in her small life for her to have to put up with your sarcasm and rudeness. So what I want to know is, are you willing to give her a chance and let her take her time to look at the pictures and be patient with her Or Am I going to have to ask you to step out and I'll conduct this investigation?"

"You don't have the authority to do that!" Monroe reproached.

"Yes I do, and as I see it, she is putting up with you two just because I'm still here, if you want to test my theory; I can step outside and see who's right and who's wrong. But I can assure you detective, that this only is going to make you lose more time" Olivia finished her last statement, hitting the table in front of her.

Stan looked a little concerned and then, putting his hand on his partner's shoulder to calm him down, responded.

"We are sorry, it's just that this case has gone from bad to worse and the Commissioner is breathing down our Capitan's neck, so we are feeling the pressure too. But you are right, can you still help us?"

Looking from one to the other, Olivia didn't believe the sincerity of his words, but she knew that he was telling the truth about the pressure they were under. It was the same they were put under when a case took too long to get closed or resolved.

"Ok, let's try this again."

With that she left the room again, no sooner she had left than Monroe turned to his partner and ask enraged.

"What the heck are you playing at? We don't need her! And why do you have to be apologizing for me! I'm doing my work just like you; we don't need to be sucking up to her!"

"You are wrong, or maybe you haven't noticed how attached that girl is to Detective Benson! If she is not here, we aren't getting a peep out of her, so you better get a hold on your temper and play nice 'cause I don't want to be the one explaining to the Captain that we screwed up the investigation because of your ineptitude on how to treat little girls, do you understand?"

Olivia and Cragen were listening to the conversation on the other side of the two way mirror, they shared a look of acknowledgement and Cragen nodded with his head giving his full support.

"Okay, your stunt worked, now it's in your hands to get what information that little girl has so they can get their hands in those people."

"I know Captain, and I'm working on it. It was just a little tense for her in there, so let's see how things work out now; she just needs to feel comfortable with them; if not she is going to close up, even to me."

"I know; we have seen that happen before, so let's hope they see that."

Another hour had gone by and Amanda was still looking at the pictures, and just as Stan was about to say something to complain, Amanda beat him to it.

"That's him!"

Olivia and the two detectives gathered close to see the man Amanda had identified.

The angry brown eyes of a man around his thirties with a long scar crossing his left eyebrow and going down his chick stared back at them with dark curly hair.

"OK, and who's this?" Morrow asked looking closely at the picture, Amanda moved out of his way to stand next to Olivia.

"His name is Brian Lancaster, 29. He was a guest at Sing Sing a year a half ago, this is his latest address, and look at that rap sheet, petty thief, robbery, drugs. You name it he has done it, well except for sexual assault and murder." Stan said out loud.

"But there is no tat on his arm, the girl said he has a tat on his arm" Monroe notice seeing the picture on Brain's from.

"And? For all we know he could have had it done last week" Olivia point it out.

"Or maybe this girl is been lying about what she really saw." Monroe turned to Amanda. "Is that it little girl? Are you just lying to us?" Monroe tried to grab her arm and she pulled herself closer to Olivia, moving to her other side.

"No. That's him! That's him! I'm telling you the truth, that's the man that ran into me yesterday, he had a black cap, and a jean jacket, and he had a gun tucked in his pants..Via I told you that yesterday!" She looked at Olivia pleading with her eyes for her to believe. "That's him! I swear that's him...I'm not lying!" She was about to cry.

Olivia kneeled by her side and gave her a hug, "I know honey I believe you, don't worry ok, I believe you, thanks to you, now we have a name and a face to look for."

"But he said that..."

"Don't worry about what he said, we are going to find him, and I'm sure he has that tattoo in his arm." Olivia looked at Monroe and Stand with a furious look in her eyes, "Don't be worried ok"

"Ok."

"Amanda; you think that if a sketch artist asked you some questions, you can give them a description of that tattoo?"

"Maybe but…"

"It is just going to be you, me and the sketch artist no body else, would that be ok?"

Amanda nodded her head and wiped at her tears. Standing up, Olivia looked at the two detectives.

"Well you have what you came here for, now if you'll excuse us, we have things to do"

"But we haven't finished; we need to be sure that..."

Turning around violently, Olivia said pointing a finger at Monroe.

"If you say one more time that you don't believe her, let me help you there, I believe her and she is not going to say anything more to you two, so I suggest you run your suspect's description by your computers and start looking for him. You will have the drawing of that tattoo by tomorrow morning." Olivia was at Monroe's face by now and Stan had an agitated look on him. Before Monroe could say anything else the door to the room opened and Cragen walked in.

"Detectives, your captain just called, it seems that your suspect has struck again, this time the outcome was worse, this is the address" Cragen handed Monroe a yellow note and the two of them walked out of the room, before Stan was out he turned to Olivia.

"Detective Benson, what ever information you can get from her, it will be appreciated and thanks for your help." He was about to go but stop and walking back to where Amanda was he kneel in front of her and said, "Amanda…I know we haven't make this easy for you, but we do appreciate your help" he stood up and walk off.

The room was quiet for a little until Cragen asked Olivia to step out of the room.

--

"Well, that went well."

"Captain they kept doubting her, for all we know he could have had that tattoo done last week"

"I know Olivia, but this is their investigation, and you are stepping into it, just make sure you don't start a war between our departments?"

"I won't. And they will have their sketch tomorrow, right now I just want to take her somewhere to eat and then home so she can rest"

"Home?"

"Well you haven't found her a place to take her and she is not staying in the cribs, and I'm off work so, she could stay with me and I can keep an eye on her."

"I could call Social Services, I'm sure they'll find a place for her, you know this could complicate things right? This is out of procedure."

"Don, she is not our witness in any case, there won't be any complications. I just want her to feel secure and that she can still trust someone" Cragen look at Olivia and then at the little girl in the room, taking a second to make up his mind.

"Okay, take her home with you and remember to bring her in tomorrow. I'll have the sketch artist here by nine in the morning… and Olivia; try to remember that she is not here permanently, eventually we are going to find her a place to stay."

Olivia nodded "I know captain, I know." with that she walked back into the room.

--

"Okay kiddo, what do you say… you and me get out of here and go get something to eat?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah! Can we go back to McDonalds?"

"Well I was thinking of something more nutritious"

"Nutri.. What?"

"A more real meal, like chicken or Beef with veggies and all."

"Ah Okay!" She sounded disappointed

"Via? Where Am I going to stay tonight?" Amanda asked, looking at Olivia while they were walking out of the room.

"Well what would you said, if I told you, you are my roommate for the days ahead?"

"Really! Are you for real?" When Olivia nodded Amanda started to jump up and down squealing happily.

Cragen watched them go by, a small smile on his face, but he couldn't suppress the sadness in his eyes.

He knew this coincidental meeting was affecting his detective already, and it wouldn't be in a positive way once Amanda was to be sent away and he could only wish for Olivia to keep her heart guarded. But for what he had just witnessed, he knew that wish was futile, she had already handed her heart to Amanda on a golden platter.

"So Via uhm? Why that name?" He heard Olivia asking the girl, and the response was lost to him when they got on the elevator.


Next chapter may take some time for me to up load it. I'll be out of town, so if you like to check back after the 16th I may have two chapters up...sorry about this.