Answers?
Ronnie drove through the London streets in silence. He knew Angie finding the name and address of the car dealer was the best lead they had in a while. He just couldn't shake the thought that something was being missed. He knew the American woman next to him felt the same way, he had heard as much when she was calling her colleagues back in New York. The dark haired woman remained silent.
"You ok, Luv?"
"I'm fine." She paused as he drove through the traffic. "I'm not convinced your friend going missing is related to our case."
"No?" Ronnie was genuinely keen to hear her answer. A fresh pair of eyes might be just what they needed to remain rational. James Steel was a big part of their team, as the original Crown Prosecutor assigned to their cases he had become as much a colleague and friend as any of the serving police officers.
"I mean, James Steel doesn't fit the profile."
"True."
"He's in his late 40s. Married, to a woman, a father. Heterosexual and in full time employment. All things which this psychopath's victims aren't. I can't really picture him on dating sites of any kind."
"No, its not his thing. He's bloody good at what he does though."
"So, could have made other enemies."
"Very likely." Ronnie smirked as he thought of his friend. James was not exactly the most endearing of men. He sometimes wondered how Alesha and Bea tolerated him at the best of times. "Thing is, why now? If he has been abducted and it is nothing to do with you and Stabler being ere and nowt to do with the case then why abduct him now? I don't get it."
"Just a theory." She sighed as she realised Ronnie was just trying to put his thoughts in order. He hadn't dismissed her theory outright but he wasn't going to accept it without any thought either. He pulled the car into the parking lot at the side of the car dealership, noticing that the man they had wanted to talk to was already waiting on the door step of the portacabin that he used as an office. Killing the engine he turned to Benson.
"Ok, I accept that. Now, lets see why our friend ere seems so keen to land two of his employees in it up to their necks." He left the car, giving her no choice but to follow him.
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Matt groaned as the mobile phone on the coffee table sprung to life. Alice and Cameron were finally asleep. He grabbed it before the ring tone could wake the little boy or the new baby just as Alesha joined him. Raising an eyebrow she remained silent as he took the call.
"Yeah?" He looked over to his wife who just held his gaze. He concentrated on the call as Alesha slumped back on the sofa exhausted. "Who is this? How did you get this number?" He scowled as he listened to the caller. "No, you listen." The call ended as Matt was left listening to the dial tone.
"Matt?"
"That was probably a wrong number." He tried to reassure himself as well as his wife. Alesha knew him too well to be calmed as easily.
"Really?"
"Alice ok?"
"She's sleeping like a baby. Which is good because she is one. Don't change the subject. What did they say? Whoever it was."
Matt sighed, looking at the phone as if it might explode.
"James is missing."
"Our James?"
"Yeah."
"Oh my God. Since when?" She was immediately back in work mode. "Do Jake and Kate know? George? Henry?"
"I don't know."
"I'll call Kate." Alesha decided, finding her own phone behind a cushion on the sofa. Matt nodded, knowing she considered James to be some sort of older brother figure. He squeezed her hand as she turned to you.
"Lesh, I think I just spoke to the kidnapper. I am going to have to go back into work."
"Yeah, ok." Alesha was only half listening. "I don't want to leave you alone here with the children."
"We will be fine." Alesha smiled slightly. Matt nodded, not liking the idea of waking the children but reluctant to leave them behind. He looked at his hands for a moment before turning back to her.
"If they know about James, if he can be taken from the car park where you work do you think they wont know about you?"
"I'm still on Maternity Leave."
"Whoever this is doesn't care about that. I think he got my number from James' phone which means he has yours and the other's too. Its not safe here. Lesh,."
"You are really worried." She touched his face. "Aren't you?"
He nodded.
"If anything happened to you or the babies." He closed his eyes, unable to finish the sentence. Alesha nodded.
"Police station then. You get Cam and I'll get Alice." She got to her feet as Matt stated he was probably just being paranoid. "Maybe, but James is my friend and you are needed on the investigation into the internet killings. Its safer there." She kissed him before heading back into the bedroom to collect the children. Matt sighed, hoping he was wrong.
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"I'm DS Ronnie Brooks, this is Detective Olivia Benson." Ronnie held up his warrant card as the older man frowned.
"CID? For a nicked motor?"
"No, actually Major Incident Team and Special Victims Unit." Olivia answered. "I think your missing Ford Cortina is relevant to a case we are working on."
"Come in, come in." Mr Stockwell shook his head. "Sit down. I'll help as much as I can but really?"
"It was used in at least one abduction." Ronnie paused, checking his notepad he recited the registration number on the trade plates he had seen earlier. Mr Stockwell swore.
"That's my car."
"You said you had two new employees?" Olivia paused as the older man nodded.
"Yeah, yeah my son did the interviews. Don't think I'd have given either of them a job but Josh did. Stupid boy." He began searching a filing cabinet. "Its online but I prefer pen and ink,"
"Don't we all." Ronnie smiled as the names and addresses of their only suspects were handed to him.
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"Absolutely not!" Natalie snapped. "That may be the way you operate in the NYPD but not 'ere! Not on my manor." Natalie snapped as Matt and Alesha entered the room. Stabler shook his head angrily.
"Its the only way."
"I disagree." Sam joined in. "There has to be another way."
"A honeytrap? This monster is out there targeting young gay men! He's killed, along with his friend in America six young men. SIX! Now James is missing and you want to add a police officer to his list of conquests."
Alesha leant against Joe's desk as Matt put Cameron on the old battered sofa in the corner of the MIU office. "I spoke to the bloke that has James. Twenty minutes ago, states he is the same man who killed those guys on the dating site."
"What?" Natalie spun round to him, barely containing her language as she realised the children were present.
"Apparently he has my number. Also, I don't meet him tomorrow night at 7 he says he's going to diversify."
"Meaning what?" Stabler asked. Joe swore as Sam shook his head.
"Killing straight men too, like James."
"What does he want you for?" Natalie hated the idea of any of her team walking into a trap. "Matt?"
"I don't know. I think it was just a random number in James' phone but." He shrugged.
"You aren't going." Alesha kept her voice low and calm as Ronnie and Olivia rejoined. them.
"No, son you aren't. Not without me with you anyway." Ronnie stated firmly, having heard more than the others realised. "I reckon we put a wire on Matty and we go after this idiot with everything. Get CO19 there, full works. Time is running out. And if what Mr Stockwell tells us is right we have to stop him, now."
Natalie and Alesha stared at them as Angie swore. It was time they got some answers, but at what cost?
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A?N Please review