The Cragen residence, 10:30AM, Monday morning
While Johnny and Maddie fought with Super Soakers1 outside and Andrew put stamps on baby shower invitations inside, Marge took a phone call in the kitchen.
"Hello, Mother! How are you?" Marge smiled as her nephew, apparently having overheard, dashed out the back door with the obvious intention to fetch the younger children.
"Well, since I spoke to your brother yesterday, not too well," the older woman admitted, sighing. "Of course, I flew in late last night and have been in Staten Island since half past midnight. And frankly, I'm quite appalled and disappointed in Vanessa."
"So are we, Mother," her daughter replied quietly, glancing at the kitchen door. "But remember: she's hurting worse."
"If she had been a faithful wife, it wouldn't have happened!" Meredith declared scathingly.
"Mother---"
"Well, it's true! After all, how many 'other men' have had their way with you, Marjorie? But I didn't call to debate the point," she quickly went on. "We're coming over this evening. Please tell Don not to be late--- we will eat around 6---and I'm providing dinner, so don't worry about preparing anything."
"Can I talk to Grandma?" "Me first!" "Is she comin' to see us soon?" Racing through the door, all three youngsters spoke with excited anticipation.
Handing the receiver to Andrew, Marge thought forebodingly: Why do I feel like things have already worsened?
Olivia's apartment, 12:15PM
Returning from Vanessa's first counseling appointment; Olivia answered her cell's summons as she closed the door behind her and her aunt. "Benson," she said, locking up as the older woman continued to her bedroom. (Though cathartic, the session had left her feeling a bit weary.)
"Liv, it's Ken," the detective said. "We met with the assistant manager, Connie, and she is talking. She confirms Vanessa's presence and says she one of several women who have had relationships with this guy, only to abruptly stop showing up to the bar at some later point."
"I smell a pattern," Olivia broke in.
"So did we," Ken continued, "which is why the captain assigned more people to help us track down and interview the ladies. Gates is toast anyway; he hasn't made bail and the DNA results---they came in this morning---prove he's the guy, but---"
"If he's guilty of other rapes, he should answer for them!" the ADA finished for him.
"Excellent point, Liv; I couldn't have said it better myself," Ken laughed. "Oh, and remember your question about him jumping from sexual harassment to rape? Well, my partner and I spoke to the vic, and it seems like she's holding something back. We left our cards; hopefully she'll come forward later."
"Yes," Olivia agreed. Especially if she realizes that she's not alone!
After thanking Ken and hanging up, Olivia effected her plan. First, she gave a quick check on her aunt, whom she found napping in "Maddie's" room. Second, she went into the study and retrieved her St. John University alumni directory from the desk. Finding the right contact, she grabbed the nearby telephone and punched a number for The New York Ledger.
The Cragen Residence, 7:30PM
While the children watched Mrs. Hamilton's gift---a Disney movie---in Maddie's bedroom, the adults gathered in the living room. Don and Marge sat on the couch, Meredith took the matching chair, with her son standing by her side nursing a cola, and Olivia perched lightly on the arm of the couch. It was apparent that an announcement was about to be made.
"I've spoken to the manager of the store where I shop for groceries---he's a former schoolmate of Douglas," Meredith said, "and he's agreed to interview Theo for a full-time stock clerk position. If he works out well, he may get a promotion to assistant grocery manager. Also, there are other opportunities for part-time jobs, and I've already looked into larger condominiums."
Mother Hamilton, what have you orchestrated now---as if I don't know! Don controlled his emotions---and his tongue, even as Marge tightly squeezed his hand.
"So you're going to move Uncle Theo and the boys down to Florida near you?" An astonished Olivia gave voice to her parent's thoughts.
"After all that's occurred, it's the only logical course of action," her grandmother replied crisply.
"Theo?" Marge looked inquiringly at her sibling. "Is this really what you want to do?"
"No, I don't, not by a long shot," he said, frowning. Sighing, he took a long swallow of his beverage before continuing. "But what are my options? Everything has been going downhill since my arrest---my finances, my marriage, and my career options. All I have left is my family---the boys, Mother, you, Don, and Olivia. Since I can't get things together here, a fresh start seems to be the only answer."
Olivia carefully inquired: "And Aunt Nessie?"
"She has her family in Connecticut---they call almost weekly to speak to her---and in the meantime, she has you, Olivia," Meredith answered for him. "You're more suitable for her situation than even your father."
That's my mother-in-law. Don rolled his eyes.
"We can take Andrew and Johnny home tonight," the older woman continued, "after their little picture show upstairs. Of course, we won't tell them the move is permanent until after Theo is employed. Until then, it's 'a long vacation.'"
Tuesday, 11:55AM
Olivia was in the kitchen preparing lunch when her cell beckoned her attention. She smiled with anticipation as she reached for it. It's probably Ken.
"Hey, Liv, it's Ken," the detective said. "I guess you know why I'm calling."
"Then I guess you really are a good detective," she replied lightly.
"I could say the say thing about you," he answered, "because the former assistant dropped by the precinct earlier---after she'd seen that front page story on Gates. Turns out, she had been in financial dire straits when he began harassing her. Of course, she was afraid to lose her job, so she kept silent. Then one night after work, he gave her a choice: have sex with him in a basement stockroom or lose her job. Afterwards, she began keeping a diary of his actions. After a few weeks she reported him. But she never said anything about the sexual assault.2"
"So from there he would become acquainted with his vics so that they would be reluctant to act!" she broke in. "And they were probably married!"
"Easy, Liv, I was just getting to that!" Ken sounded only half-amused.
"I know; I'm sorry." She lowered her voice. "It's just that my uncle is planning to move to Florida with my grandmother. And she doesn't know yet."
"Oh, man, that's too bad," he sympathized. "I'm sorry it went that way, Liv."
"And the irony is that when she say today's Ledger, she cried happily," Olivia continued. "I know it's early, but it gave me hope. Now…"
"All I can tell you is to take it one step at a time," Ken said gently. "Look, I have to go; I'll update you later."
"All right, thanks."
"Thank you, 'Detective Cragen!'"
1 Super Soaker is a registered trademark.
2 In an early episode of Law & Order, it was established that if someone uses a serious nonphysical threat to force submission, it is rape. In the case of that episode, an influential man threatened to cut funding of his teen victims foster care facility (orphanage).
