Notes: This "story" is finished, technically. I'll post a bit at a time. I'm in the process of proofing the entire thing and looking for continuity screw-ups/details I need to fix. Listen to me, it is novel length, and it goes off the rails. I guess I'll put trigger warnings on individual chapters. Patience and forgiveness. Brain exploded in process of finishing. There might be typos.

Chapter Twenty

Victoria Blaylock was the third victim. The sixteen-year-old was the older sister of a boy on Alan Caper's soccer team - again connecting him to the case. The only problem was that both of his parents provided his alibi and the uni they had keeping and eye on the Caper home also stated that none of the Capers left the house during the timeframe that the crime occurred. This pretty much eliminated him as a suspect and caused all of the SVU detectives to lose their shit.

"She was killed by another precisely placed cut to her femoral artery," Warner said. "It looks like the same perp as Lindsay Borden, but not of Amelia Francis. Eyes removed premortem, tongue after...lots of scars and signs of prolonged abuse."

"DNA?" Stabler asked her, his voice pleading.

She looked down and shook her head dejectedly.

Huang had joined them around the evidence board. He looked tired, his brow furrowed and his hands deep in his pockets. He rocked back on his heels and then said, "Mind if I go out on a limb?"

"Go for it..." Olivia muttered.

"Let's say that Alan Caper is involved. He's not the ringleader. Maybe he's even who screwed up with Amelia. Whomever our leader is...whether it is a cult or just a teacher-student sort of relationship between him and Caper. I'm sure he knew we were looking at Caper and chose tonight to drop our newest vic to take our attention from Caper."

"How many girls could they be abusing right now? Why would our leader, or teacher, pick someone close to Alan again?" Munch questioned.

"Maybe they're all close to Alan? Maybe she was the last one they had left? That isn't something I can answer," Huang told him. "Honestly, I think we're being screwed with."

"What do you mean, man?" Fin then asked.

"I can't help but feel that this group...whomever or whatever they are...is trying to send a message."

"That section of Matthew from the Bible doesn't mention the tongue," Munch added.

Warner had a bit of input, "What about the basic 'see no evil, speak no evil' business?"

"Is this some sort of message about sin?" Elliot asked.

"What does Casey have to do with it?" Olivia reminded all of them.

"Casey is the only one who has received any direct messages, so maybe they want to talk to her, but why?" Huang mused.

Stabler piped up again, "Borden?"

Everyone was quiet for a moment and Huang broke the silence, "What's really confusing is the age differences of the victims."

"Everything about this is confusing," Stabler put his hands on his hips and began to pace.

"It's what really points to this being a group activity. The people involved have different preferences."

"Next a boy is going to turn up with his eyes scooped the fuck out," Elliot then grumbled, his voice absolutely seething.

"I wouldn't be surprised."

"Come on, Huang..." Fin groaned at the psychiatrist.

"I'm serious-"

"We know you're serious, that's why I want you to just shut up. One thing at a time. I don't wanna think about shit that hasn't happened yet," he rubbed his head and collapsed at this desk.

Cragen skulked out of his office at about the same time and said, "The media has definitely got ahold of this case..."

"Great. Just great," Olivia let out a loud sigh.

"The whole city is going to know the three murders are connected and they'll also know about the MO..." Munch said quietly, "Maybe this can end up in our favor..."

...

Waking up at her normal hour in her Upper West Side apartment, Casey completed all of her morning rituals, including her pilates. She sipped her coffee and gathered all of her documents she had brought home, putting them safely in her briefcase. As she did so, she listened absently to the morning news in the background. It was all abuzz with news of a third murder, which was certainly connected to the two previous murders. She found herself staring at the screen, gripping her coffee mug tightly.

She shook herself out of the trance and realized the SVU detectives probably didn't sleep a wink the night before. She felt guilty having any of them come to taxi her to the DA's office and briefly considered taking a cab. She pulled her cell phone out and apprehensively dialed Olivia.

"Benson," the detective answered, not sounded exceptionally tired, which was unexpected.

"Hey, I just saw the news. I can get a ride with the uni parked outside of my building if it would be easier for you guys. I don't want to take anyone away from the investigation..."

"No, no," Olivia responded quickly. "Elliot is already on his way."

"Oh, if that's the case, nevermind."

"I've got to get back to work. Let me know if you need anything, Casey."

Novak hung up and looked at her phone for several seconds. Just as she briefly thought about taking a cab, she briefly thought about texting Alex. She had nothing to say though, which made it utterly pointless. She ended up taking the remainder of her coffee and sitting on the couch, waiting for Stabler to arrive.

...

Stabler stopped to get coffee for pretty much everyone in the precinct. Even house coffee from the cheap coffee joint between the precinct that Novak's apartment was better than the coffee from the decade-old coffee maker that the team used in the precinct. Shortly after he dropped Casey off outside of the DA's office and checked to make sure the uni was stationed where she was supposed to be to keep an eye on the place, he made his way back to the precinct and handed around the coffee.

The phone were ringing off of the hook with potential leads and various members of the unit dispersed to check them out. Cragen was hoping something would pan out from one of them and that the media getting ahold of the case wouldn't be a complete disaster. A news crew was posted up outside, but some other valiant members of the NYPD were keeping them at bay.

No one had been expecting Jordan Borden to come plowing through the doors that morning looking disheveled. "SVU. SVU," he kept saying. "I need someone from SVU. Anyone."

Olivia looked up from her desk where she had been jotting down a few notes from a phone call. She squinted at him and said, "Mr. Borden?"

"De-detective Benson," he stammered. His normally well-kept hair was a mess and his suit was severely wrinkled. He made his way over to her desk, dropped his briefcase and put his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

Benson turned in her swivel chair to face him and still maintained the same confused expression.

"Listen to me," he said. "I think I know...something."

"Do you want to sit down?" She got up and grabbed a chair, placing it near him beside her desk, "Have a seat."

The man sat down and then said, "I have to...I have to wait for Kressler. He told me that...I had to wait for him."

She looked at him, still baffled. All of the other detectives had slipped out to pursue leads. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Cragen on the phone in his office. She then looked back at Borden, "Can you tell me what this is about?"

"Your killer...or killers. Whatever. But I-"

"You have to wait for your lawyer, I know," she nodded.

"I saw the news this morning and...and I realized something."

"I really hope you're not going to waste my time, Mr. Borden."

He looked up at her and swallowed forcefully, "I am not going to waste your time. I want you to catch the fucking sicko who killed my fucking daughter." He looked around, hoping to see that Kressler had arrived. "He said he'd meet me here. Have you seen him? Kressler."

"Nope."

"I was ten minutes away. He said he'd be right over...I rushed. I thought he'd be here."

She shook her head, "I've been here all morning. It's been a bit chaotic, but I haven't seen him. Do you want to call him?"

He hadn't seemed to have thought of that and he nodded his head and then reached inside of his crumpled jacket for his cellphone. His hands were shaking as he dialed and then continued to shake as he held it to his ear. He stared off behind Olivia and waited then he shook his head and tried again. "I called his office...got his machine. I'll try his cell..."

The results were the same and Borden looked increasingly concerned. Olivia thought it odd that Kressler would go missing, especially when needed by one of his wealthy clients. It was a bit more than odd actually. She said, "I can just take your statement if you want."

"No...no...I need Kressler." He fidgeted with his phone and then tried again. "I just talked to him!"

"Are you confessing? Are you implicating yourself?"

"Yes. No. I don't know!" He shouted then calmed himself and straightened his tie before trying to call his attorney again. "His cell phone is going straight to his voicemail now..."

Olivia rubbed her chin. "Where was he when you spoke to him?"

"He was at Starbucks up the block. He was on his way to his office. He said he'd swing by here first and meet me."

"When was this?"

"About ten minutes ago."

"Stay right here, Mr. Borden." The detective got up and put on her jacket then went to Cragen's office.

The Captain looked up and said into the phone, "Can I put you on hold for just one moment?" He did so, sat down the receiver and looked at Olivia, "Yes?"

"Mr. Borden is here and something weird is going on. I'm going to run out and up the block for a second. Make sure he doesn't leave. I think he knows something, but he won't talk to us without Kressler."

"Alright. Fill me in when you get back."

She nodded and then returned to Mr. Borden. She said, "Don't go anywhere. I'm going to go find your lawyer if I can."

He nodded back to her in response and tried his phone again. Olivia had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She didn't like Kressler, but it was extremely unlike him to be late and to not answer his phone. Upon stepping out onto the sidewalk she heard the sirens.

She moved at a brisk walk and glimpsed the two police cars and the ambulance. Traffic was backed up and horns were honking. People were starting to cluster just outside of the coffee chain. She pulled out her badge, held it up and shouted, "Police! Let me through!"

People parted and she had to bump forcefully into other onlookers, moving faster and faster through them. She got to the point where she could see the accident and quickly surmised what happened - at least part of what happened.

Approaching one of the officers on the scene she asked, "What happened here?"

"Not entirely sure. Some people are saying a man came up and pushed that attorney right in front of that taxi."

"Where did the man go? The pusher?"

"No one knows."

"Is he alive?" She nodded toward the man being loaded into the ambulance a short distance away.

"Yeah. At the moment as far as I know. He was yelling a bit ago that he had somewhere to be."

Olivia thanked him and then pulled out her phone to call Cragen. Her gut told her that someone didn't want Kressler to get to the precinct because they didn't want anyone to find out what Borden knew.