Chapter 11 – I'm here about Olivia
May 28, 2010 10:01 am
It was a good thing he was a cop, because he had no future as a criminal.
The concrete wall of the dank holding cell was cold and uncomfortable against Elliot's back as he sat motionless, listening to the quiet buzz of activity around the police station. He could not believe he got busted. Rubbing his eyes, he cursed his ineptness quietly. Even after years of getting into the heads of criminals, Elliot couldn't pull off a simple break and enter.
Resting his head against the unforgiving cement, Elliot listened absently to the complaints of a sobering drunk in the next cell. Through bars built high up into the wall, he could see the sun streaming in. It would have been a beautiful day to be at the beach, soaking up sunshine and admiring Olivia's fantastic body covertly from behind his sunglasses as she tanned in her bikini. Instead, he had been sitting alone in a small holding cell for the last three hours. The irony did not elude him. He came to Aruba to escape the whole judicial scene, and here he was, wrapped up in it so tightly he could barely breathe. He would never hear the end of it from the guys, if he ever made it back to New York.
Sighing, Elliot reached into his pocket, fumbling for the only thing keeping his spirits up at this point. He pulled out the thin silver bracelet, rolling it around in the palm of his hand with his index finger. A potential clue to the mystery visitor, or maybe not. Who knew how long the bracelet had been pinned there, trapped in limbo. It could belong to a guest from 10 months ago for all he knew. Or maybe it was Harmony's. This delicate piece of jewelry could be nothing at all, but it was something. Something that gave him hope there may be an end to this nightmare.
That end would not come as long as he was sitting in the damn cell though. Standing suddenly, Elliot began pacing the floor. He had yet to be charged, but he figured it was coming. He had been caught red-handed, and Maduro was looking for any excuse to lock him away. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What had he been thinking, breaking into that room? Deep down, he knew he needed to solve this case to save his relationship. As a result, he had acted without thinking, without considering the consequences. He was good at that. Now, he was stuck. He desperately wanted to get back to the resort, question the staff, see if anyone recognized the bracelet and could direct him to its owner. Maybe Olivia was back by now. Maybe they could talk, work this out. He wouldn't blame her if she just grabbed her passport and took off on the first flight back home though. He had been a total jerk.
Hearing footsteps in the corridor that led to his cell, Elliot shoved the bracelet into his pocket, seconds before Maduro appeared in front of the bars. He looked pissed.
"Where's your girlfriend Mr. Stabler?" Maduro peered at him in the dim light, eyes dark and dangerous.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Elliot broadened his stance defensively. "I told you. She must have stayed in another room in the hotel last night. We had a fight."
"All is not well in paradise I see." Maduro altered his posture to mirror Elliot's. "I spoke to the desk staff at the resort. Miss Benson did not approach the desk last night or ask for another room. The clerk on duty didn't recall even seeing her."
Pressing his lips into a thin line, Elliot felt a chill go up his spine as Maduro continued. Something was seriously wrong. "Surely she wouldn't be stupid enough to disappear when she is a suspect in a serious crime. Or did her police training teach her nothing? You and I both know this looks extremely suspicious. It is very important we talk to her."
"Believe me, I wish I knew where she was." Elliot's stance softened just a bit and he sat down on the small rickety cot. "I'm worried about her." As much as Elliot hated it, he needed Maduro's help. While he was locked up, he couldn't look for Olivia.
"Look, it isn't like Olivia to disappear for this long. Something must have happened. She could be hurt. Please, you need to go out and look for her. Check the hospitals."
"Don't tell me how to do my job Mr. Stabler. We are looking intently for Miss Benson. We have searched the entire resort and I personally wasted several hours patrolling the beach," Maduro hissed, moving closer to the bars. Elliot could smell his frustration; a frustration he knew well. "When we do find her, you can bet we will have a lot of questions. And she WILL answer them."
Elliot felt his hackles rise at the veiled threat. He stood back up and walked over to the bars, looking menacingly into Maduro's eyes. "If I see any marks on her after you or one of your men question her, you will have to answer to me. And it won't be pretty."
Maduro didn't flinch, meeting Elliot's eyes calmly despite Elliot's size advantage. "Don't threaten me Mr. Stabler."
The intense stare down continued for several moments before Maduro finally pulled his eyes away and nodded to someone standing outside of Elliot's line of sight. There was a sudden buzz, and the cell door opened. Maduro stepped aside and motioned for Elliot to exit the cell.
"You are free to go. The hotel has decided, foolishly, not to press charges against you. They claim nothing is missing, and do not wish any more bad publicity from besmirching the reputation of a decorated, albeit law-breaking, American police officer. But I will be watching you. You stay away from that room and everything else related to this investigation." Shoving his hands into his pockets angrily, Maduro backed up to let Elliot pass. "We consider obstruction of justice a crime in Aruba too Mr. Stabler."
As soon as he was a block away from the station, Elliot took off at a run in the direction of the resort. The sun was the hottest it had been since they arrived and he was soaked in sweat after just a few blocks. Disoriented, he kept getting turned around in the meandering streets and had to backtrack more than once, his mind on Olivia and the case, not on where he was going.
Half an hour later, he slowed to a walk when the resort came into view. Panting, he stepped quickly through the halls, eager to get back to his room and change before heading out to continue his investigation. His mind was whirling, and he was conflicted on where to start. He wanted to go out and find Olivia, but he didn't know where to look. The police could do that more efficiently. He needed to solve this case and clear her name. That was the only way he could think of to make it up to her, to convince her to forgive him. His first stop would be to the front desk, where he could ask about Olivia AND flash the bracelet.
As Elliot approached his room, all his senses went on high alert. The door to his room was standing open. Heart thumping, he suddenly felt light. Olivia must be back. Breaking into a trot, he closed the distance as quickly as he could, eager to see her. As he rounded the door frame, he crashed directly into a housekeeper's cart. Towels and bottles of cleaning chemicals went flying, eliciting a startled shriek from the housekeeper who stood by the bed, clutching a pile of sheets.
"Sorry," Elliot grunted, bending down to scoop up the scattered articles, piling them back on the cart.
"It's okay." The housekeeper smiled pleasantly, tossing the used sheets in the laundry hamper and picking up the last misplaced bottle. "I won't be long."
"Don't hurry on my account." Elliot noticed with sadness that other than the fresh towels and linens, the room was the same as he had left it. Olivia had not been back. The heavy feeling that was pressing against the pit of his stomach suddenly got heavier.
Turning to head to the front desk, Elliot suddenly had a thought. Pivoting to face the housekeeper, he plastered what he hoped was a charming smile on his lips. 'Excuse me? Do you normally clean this room?"
An uneasy look spread across the housekeeper's face, undoubtedly expecting a complaint. "Yes." Her voice was tentative as she raised her eyes to meet his.
"I found this in my room yesterday night, " Elliot lied, holding out the bracelet for her to see. "It yours?"
Frowning, the housekeeper shook her head. "No sir."
"Hmm. Do you recognize it at all?"
Again, the housekeeper shook her head. "If you want, I can take it with me to the lost and found. It may belong to a previous guest. I assure you, things like that are not normally missed, we clean everything thoroughly, it must-"
Elliot held up a hand to stop her. "It's okay. Thanks for the offer, but I am heading up to the front desk right now. I can take it." Elliot stood there for another moment, acting pensive, and flipped the bracelet over in his hands. "Hmm. It's engraved on the back with the initials "M.G." Maybe that will help the front desk staff figure it out."
"M.G?" The housekeeper inched forward, taking a closer look at the cursive engraving. "There is a front desk clerk here with those initials. Maria Geerman. But she wouldn't have been cleaning this room though. She doesn't clean rooms anymore. She has moved to management, handles the scheduling and deals with housekeeping-related complaints."
"Maria Geerman." Elliot felt his adrenaline start to pump. Potentially a lead. He smiled at the housekeeper. "Thank you for your help. I'll stop at the front desk, see if they have any more information or can find Ms. Geerman."
Turning on his heels, Elliot walked quickly out of the room, heart pounding with excitement. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he almost bowled over a short, older man standing in the hallway, peering into the room. He was dressed in a brown tweed jacket despite the heat, a pair of grey pants, and a scuffed pair of loafers. On his head sat an old-fashioned bowler hat. His face was scruffy with grey stubble and his eyes were kind.
"Excuse me," Elliot mumbled, skirting the man, in a hurry to get to the front desk.
"Are you Elliot?" The man's voice was gravelly and heavily accented.
"Yeah, that's me." Elliot stopped in his tracks and raised his eyebrows, shoving the bracelet back into his pocket. "Can I help you?"
The man shifted his weight uncomfortably, removing his hat and twisting it in his hands, running his finger absently along the brim. Glancing down the hall, he lowered his voice.
"I'm here about Olivia."