Olivia and Fin just stared at Andy in shock.
"There has to be some mistake. Elliot's not a murderer," Olivia insisted when she found her voice.
"I don't know how, but they are his prints. I'm sending the gun to ballistics. They'll be able to find out who owned the gun and the make and model," Andy swore.
"Liv, the man lost his wife and he's always had a temper." Fin pointed out.
Olivia gave her sergeant a frustrated look. "Fin, I can't believe you. You Know Elliot. He would never risk his relationship with his kids. He would never risk losing Eli."
"Yet the fingerprints point to him," Fin reminded her as gently as possible.
"Have you forgotten about what happened to me back in twenty-ten?" Olivia demanded.
Fin looked at Olivia sharply. "The odds of that happening twice are pretty low."
Olivia huffed and walked out. Fin said goodbye to Andy and followed his boss out, calling,
"Liv! Wait up!"
The woman reluctantly stopped but refused to turn around.
Fin sighed."Look, Liv, I'm sorry. You know that Elliot has a temper, and who knows what twelve years in deep under-cover did to him."
Liv's phone dinged and she checked it.
"That was Morales. He was able to get something off the phone," she told Fin barely making eye contact.
"Let's go," he said, going around to the driver's side.
Olivia got into the car and they headed to TARU.
As soon as they walked into the lab, she asked, "What did you find for us?"
Morales waved the two cops over. "Well, a blocked number made a call to your vic several times that morning. The last call was half an hour before he was murdered."
"Were you able to get the number unblocked?" Fin questioned.
"Not yet. We're still working on it," Morales admitted.
"Call us as soon as you have it," Olivia ordered.
"Will do." promised the TARU detective.
Olivia and Fin walked out.
The first part of the drive back to the precinct was made in silence. Then Olivia softly uttered, "I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier, Fin. I know someone has to keep a clear head in this, and you're just trying to do your job."
"We're good, Liv. And I don't want to believe Elliot would do this either, but right now, the evidence is saying he did. We'll have to do a lot of work to find the real perp. It's not gonna be easy," Fin replied.
It was Olivia's turn to sigh."You're right. Especially with Elliot unavailable for questioning. We can't get him back without endangering his entire family."
"We may not have a choice eventually," Fin warned her.
They had reached the station by then, so Fin parked and they walked inside.
Amanda and Kat had returned, and as soon as their bosses entered the squad room, Kat told them what they'd been able to find out.
"Alfredo is Rodrigues's son. His mother took him away when Alfredo was a boy to keep him from getting into a life of crime. As soon as Alfredo turned eighteen, he rebelled and went looking for his dad. He denied it was his son for his own protection. He changed his last name to keep his mother from ever finding him."
"So, do we know why he rebelled against his father's orders and raped Kathy?" Olivia inquired.
"All he knows is his son was a ladies' man," Amanda informed her.
Before Olivia could say anything, her phone rang. She looked at the ID and rubbed her hand over her face tiredly.
"Excuse me. I gotta take this," the captain told her team as she headed into her office. The squad watched her through her window to see her facial expressions. She did not look happy. After a few moments, she ended that call and made another. After that call, she pocketed her phone and lowered her head into her hands. The three squad members looked at each other and then Fin said, "I'll go check on her. You two wait here."
"You sure?" Amanda asked.
"Yeah. I have a feeling this has something to do with Elliot, and I've known both of them for over twenty years. I was there for most of their partnership," Fin assumed.
Amanda nodded. "Go. Take care of our fearless leader. We're here for whatever you two need us to do."
"Thanks. I know Liv will appreciate that and so do I," Fin responded, before heading to Olivia's office and knocking on the door.
He heard a soft groan and then a quiet reply of, "Come in."
"Liv? You Ok?" Fin inquired.
His friend looked up at him for a moment before shaking her head and requesting, "Close the door."
Fin did as bidden and walked over to Olivia's desk.
"Liv, what happened? Who was on the phone?" he pressed.
"The call was from Cheif Garland. I don't know how he found out who the Prints belonged to, but he did. Now he's ordered us to get Elliot back here and question him. We'll have Amanda question him. I had to call Alex," Olivia stated.
Fin sat down in a chair in front of Olivia's desk. "Wow. Is she going to get Elliot? What about the rest of his family?"
Olivia nodded. "She's going tonight. They'll be here first thing tomorrow morning. The kids are all staying where they are. We can't know where that is until we know the case is really over."
The next morning at seven AM, Elliot walked into the station followed by Alex.
Olivia walked over to them quickly. "Are the kids ok?"
"They're worried but safe," Alex assured her friend softly. Olivia then turned to her former partner.
"El, I'm so sorry. The Police Chief ordered me to get you back here," she apologized.
Elliot put a hand on her shoulder. "Liv, I know you did everything you could to protect me. I'm innocent. I'll be fine."
Olivia gave him a worried look. "El, your fingerprints were found on the murder weapon. I know you're innocent, but someone is somehow trying to frame you and doing a bang-up job of it. You should probably get an attorney."
Elliot shrugged. "I don't need one. I trust you guys to find the real perp. I'll do what I can to help."
After a slight hesitation, Olivia nodded at him. "Ok. Well, for obvious reasons, Fin and I can't be involved in the interrogation. My senior detective, Amanda Rollin's will be questioning you."
"Ok. I guess I'll see you after," Elliot responded as Amanda came forward to take him into an interview room.
"We figure you'd be more comfortable in here than in interrogation," Amanda explained, feeling slightly awkward.
"Thanks. I'll answer anything I can, though. I don't have anything to hide." Elliot replied.
"I believe you. I trust Liv's judgment and Fin's, but unfortunately, your fingerprints were on the weapon. How could they have gotten there?" Amanda asked, kindly.
Elliot sighed. "I have no clue. My FBI issued weapon is in my apartment in Virginia. Alex gave me one for protection which is at the safehouse. But she didn't give it to me until we got there. Do you have the serial number? The caliber?"
"The serial number was scratched off. It was a 32 caliber." Elliot was told by the detective.
"Mine's a 38. So is my back-up." Elliot informed her.
Meanwhile, Garland entered the squad room with detectives from another unit.
"Cheif, What's going on?" Olivia asked in concern.
"These detectives are from Organized Crime," Garland told her.
"I'm Detective Randall Johnson. This is Detective Rainey Wilson. Our Captain sent us to arrest Elliot Stabler," one of the detectives explained.
"My detective is still questioning him. This is our case. The victim was connected to a case we're currently working on," Olivia protested.
"Not anymore it's not. He was connected to a known smuggling ring. That makes it our case," Detective Wilson retorted.
Cheif Garland stepped forward."Olivia, it's out of your hands. They are authorized to run him in. It's their case, now."
"But Cheif..." Olivia began.
"That's not a request. Take them to him, now," Garland ordered.
Olivia knew she had no choice. Fighting back tears, she reluctantly led the two detectives to the interview room.
"What's going on?" Amanda asked in confusion when she saw the newcomers.
"These are Detectives Randall Johnson and Rainey Wilson, from Organized Crime. Elliot, they took over the case. They're here to arrest you," Olivia stated softly and sadly.
"What? Why? On what charges?" Elliot demanded.
"Murder. Elliot Stabler, you are under arrest for the murder of Josue Rodrigues," Detective Johnson stated.
As he was reading Elliot his rights, Detective Wilson turned to Amanda and Olivia and commanded, "We'll be needing all the evidence you collected. Send it over before the end of the day."
The two women didn't respond instead Olivia blocked their exit and put a hand on Elliot's shoulder. "We'll get you out of there soon, Elliot. I'm calling an attorney for you right now."
"Anyone but Buchannan," Elliot quipped, causing a small smile to cross Olivia's face.
"I promise. I have someone much better in mind. And less of a jerk," she assured him.
"Don't tell my kids anything yet. Please. I don't want them to worry." Elliot pleaded.
Olivia nodded at him as the two OC detectives shoved her best friend out the door. Amanda followed, but Olivia stayed back to make a phone call.
"Hey. It's Liv. Can you get over to Organized Crime ASAP? Elliot's been arrested. I know you're the best one to defend him...Murder. I don't know how to prove it, but I know he didn't do this...Thanks. Call me after he's been arraigned...Bye." After making the call, Olivia went back to the squad room.
When she saw that Garland was still there, she approached him and gave him a hard glare. "You had no right to turn our case over." Garland followed her as she stormed off to her office.
"They requested it. I felt it was the best option. You are too close to be objective. It's completely within my authority to turn the case over," he told her sternly.
"You don't know Elliot the way I do. He wouldn't do this. They just want to close the case. They won't dig deep enough. They'll just decide he's guilty because of the weapon!" Oliva told him, raising her voice.
"Well, your squad is no longer in charge of this case now. Keep working on the rape case but you are not to do any work on the Stabler case," the chief ordered. Olivia didn't respond. She knew that she would be working to clear Elliot with or without permission.
Garland sighed and said, "I'm sorry. That's just the way it is." With that, he turned and strode out of the office, closing the door behind him. Olivia let out a huff and flopped down in her desk chair. Then, she buried her head in her arms, leaning on her desk.
Meanwhile, in the Organized Crimes Unit, Elliot was being interrogated by their detectives.
"Your fingerprints were found on the murder weapon, a gun that was registered to Tony Morelli. We know that was your name when you were undercover with the smuggling ring run by the father of the victim." Detective Randall smugly informed his suspect.
"I left that gun behind when the case was over," Elliot responded.
"So you say. But your wife was murdered because of that very case. That must have made you very upset," the detective pushed.
"My wife was killed because someone was out to get me. Hell yeah, I was upset!" Elliot bit back.
"Upset enough to want revenge?" questioned Detective Wilson, slyly.
At that, Elliot's lips tighten into a thin line. "I refuse to say another word without my attorney present."
"Smart move, Stabler," stated a voice from the doorway. Elliot looked up in surprise.
"Casey Novak? What are you doing here?" he inquired.
"Liv called. She told me you needed a good defense attorney, so here I am," she explained.
"Well, if your defense skills are as phenomenal as your prosecution skills, I know I'm in good hands," Elliot said, smiling at his old friend.
Casey smiled back and sat down next to him ready to fight for him with everything in her.