Kim told Olivia and Cassidy everything that had happened, but there was one thing that she didn't know much about.
Speaking to her, Cassidy said, "Kim, you had a piece of paper down the front of your dress."
"Oh, yeah." Kim said in a tone of recollecting a lost memory. "I forgot."
"Here you go." Cassidy handed her an evidence bag with the paper in it. "Does this mean anything to you?"
Kim took the evidence bag and studied the paper, impressed that it had withstood the storm. There were things written on it, but she couldn't process anything because she was exhausted.
"No," she said honestly after a minute. "But I'm just so tired."
Olivia stepped forward, speaking in a tone of wrapping things up. "We'll get out of your hair in a minute, Kim, but I have two more questions."
"Yes?"
"How did you come by this paper?"
"Sophia picked Karissa Lee's pocket, and gave me the paper to hand off. She didn't say if she knew what was on it, but she felt that all of you should see it."
Olivia held her hands out. "May I?"
Kim handed it to her, and Olivia examined the paper a little more thoroughly. The paper was water-stained in some places, but soon enough, the lieutenant had figured out what she was looking at.
Olivia spoke to the room in general when she saw everyone looked at her. "These are longitude and latitude coordinates, and equation where the final sum is fifteen-thousand dollars. There's also a division problem about splitting it up three ways… huh…"
"But…?" Cassidy prompted when he realized that Olivia was on the verge of getting lost in thought.
"But the equation is totally scratched out."
"May I see it, please?" Beth Anne asked suddenly.
"Sure."
The bag exchanged hands until Beth Anne was holding it.
"What is it?" Olivia wanted to know.
"This is Floyd's handwriting." she looked up at Olivia. "Are you saying that this is a treasure map, and that he was in it with Karissa Lee and Reagan Turner to split fifteen-thousand bucks not twice, but three times?"
"Essentially, yes." Olivia said, taking the bag back when Kim handed it back. "What are you saying?"
"Just that my ex was about the most selfish bastard I've ever met in my life. He wasn't always the sharpest pencil in the box, but there is no way that he would have ever willingly split that much money with anyone. Have you seen anything to suggest that he got married again?"
Olivia shook her head. "No. I see the wheels turning in your head because Amanda makes the same face—talk."
"The paper that Sophia nicked was Floyd's, and if one of the girls had it, that means they realized that they'd been double-crossed. Maybe this is good old-fashioned revenge."
Olivia stared.
"Just because I haven't seen Floyd alive in twenty-five years," Beth Anne backpedaled. "That doesn't mean I forgot how his mind worked."
"Well, we'll keep all that in mind. Thank you."
Olivia turned to Kim again.
"One last question, and then I promise we're gone."
"Yes?"
"Do you know the location of where you left Amanda and Sophia?"
"At an auto shop somewhere called Parker's Auto." Kim told her. "I climbed up and out through a basement window that I got open with a jimmy."
She pantomimed using a pry-bar when she realized Olivia didn't quite understand her.
When Olivia connected the dots, she said, "What did you do with it?"
"I put it in a bush beside the window. Listen—we heard one of them shoot the other and then drive away. Who died?"
"Reagan did. She was found this morning in the same area that Floyd-William was."
"Well, that's just great." Kim said sarcastically. "Karissa Lee is on the loose, and she was incredibly upset that Reagan made off with Amanda and I. She's very devious, lieutenant, and I wouldn't put it past her to move them."
"We'll keep that in mind, too. Did you see anything like a street name, or a house number?"
"No street name, but I remember that the address number is 2447."
"That's a really big help, though; thanks, Kim." Olivia told her. "We're going to go now."
The Rollinses thanked the detectives for everything that they'd done, and when they were in the hallway, Olivia turned to her partner.
"Do you recognize the number Kim said, or the name Parker's Auto?"
Cassidy nodded. "Yeah, I do. The neighborhood has been empty since The Recession, but nobody has ever torn anything down there because it's too expensive and not worth it."
"Can you take me there?"
"You bet. Let's roll."
PARKER'S AUTO
2447 TENOR LANE
BROOKLYN
Cassidy knew exactly where the auto shop was, true enough, but today the neighborhood was anything but quiet.
Parker's Auto Shop was up in flames.
The unearthly scream that ripped from Olivia's throat was what got the attention of the paramedics and LEOs already on the scene. The reached Olivia just as her legs gave out and Cassidy caught her, lowering her to the ground.
One of the LEOs, a young detective, approached Cassidy and Olivia first.
"You'll have to leave." she said. "Civilians aren't allowed right now."
Cassidy showed her his badge. "We're not civilians—I'm Detective Brian Cassidy, out of the fifty-seventh precinct. This is my partner, Olivia Benson. She's from the Upper Westside Manhattan Special Victims Unit."
"What brings you two out here?"
"We're working on a Missing Persons case, and we just got a tip that led us here. What's your name?"
The young woman pointed to herself. "I'm Detective Shayna Brookings, from the fiftieth."
"Where's your partner or CO?"
"I don't quite have either—they just sent me here from the station to help."
"Alright, then. We might have to borrow you today."
"I understand. May I talk your partner?"
When Cassidy nodded, Brookings crouched in front of Olivia.
The older woman's minds was in free fall: she was really struggling to find some kind of purchase to hang on to. Something that would tell her that Sophia, Amanda, and the babies weren't dead. That they were alive, and had indeed been moved.
Cassidy stood behind her, letting her use him as support—the last thing he needed was an irate Alex Cabot mad at him because he'd accidentally let Olivia get hurt. His presence behind her was about all that Olivia was aware of until Brookings crouched in front of her.
"Lieutenant Benson? Can you hear me?"
Olivia snapped out of it. "I'm sorry, what?"
"My name is Detective Shayna Brookings, from the fiftieth precinct. I've been talking to Detective Cassidy, and he explained what's happening. He also told me that you just received a tip that led you here?"
"Yes."
"Who are you looking for?"
"My daughter, Sophia Benson, and her half-sister, Amanda Rollins. Both of them are pregnant, and Amanda is one of the detectives in my squad."
Brookings was taking notes by this point. "When were they taken?"
"Last night, from separate locations, by someone we're already trying to track down from a separate case."
"Who gave you the tip that Sophia and your detective would be here?"
"Kim Rollins—their other sister—she was abducted, too, but she escaped and found Detective Cassidy, by chance. The others couldn't escape."
"Is anyone hurt?"
Olivia nodded. "The other day, Detective Rollins accidentally sprained her ankle, and now she uses mobility aids."
Brookings got to her feet and held out a hand.
"Come on—why don't we see if you can stand now?"
Olivia took Brookings' hand, and after a moment of wobbliness as she stood and regained her balance, she stood on her own.
"Thank you." Olivia dusted herself off. "I'm fine—physically, anyway. Can you point us to the fire chief, please?"
Brookings found him quickly, pointing him out. Dressed in most of his fire gear, except for the breathing apparatus, helmet, and face mask, it was hard to see too much of him. From what little Olivia could tell, however, he was an older white man who didn't look to far away from retirement age.
"That's Chief Wilmington, there, wearing the blue boots."
Olivia and Cassidy thanked Brookings, and asked her not to stray too far while they sought Wilmington out.
He saw them first.
"No civilians." he said, approaching them. "How did you get under the police tape?"
They introduced themselves and showed their credentials again, and Olivia added, "We would like a moment of your time, Chief Wilmington. Please."
As the fire was mostly out, the chief beckoned for Olivia and Cassidy to follow him.
They had a powwow on the other side of the firetruck, away from foot traffic.
"How can I help the NYPD?" Wilmington asked.
They explained everything.
"And now Detective Rollins and Sophia are still missing." Olivia finished. "They're both pregnant, and Detective Rollins is not as mobile as usual because she twisted her ankle recently. Sophia is also… special, for lack of a better word."
"How so?"
"She's prone to seizures when she's anxious, and there's an anti-seizure medication that she's very allergic to. She also has to wear a medical alert bracelet for it." Olivia tried her best to keep the desperation out of her voice. "Please—I just want to know if the building was empty, because there's another place we can look. They would've been in the basement."
"The building is definitely empty." (Olivia nearly wept in relief) "Where's this other place?"
Olivia showed him the paper in the evidence bag and pointed out the coordinates.
"Here." she said. "It's longitude and latitude points, but that's all we know."
Chief Wilmington examined the coordinates. "I think this is Central Park, but I know someone who will know for sure."
"Who?" Cassidy asked.
Wilmington beckoned Shayna Brookings over.
"Have you met Benson and Cassidy, here?"
"Yes, actually." The young woman said in surprise. "I responded first when they arrived."
Wilmington explained to Olivia and Cassidy, "Shayna Brookings is my granddaughter, and one of her hobbies is local cartography."
This last word caught Brookings' attention. "You have a map that needs reading?"
"More like geographical coordinates." Olivia told her. "You up for a trip to Manhattan?"
"Yes, lieutenant."
"Good. Now get on the horn with whoever sent you here and tell them what's happening. If they give you drama, give the phone to me and I'll talk to them."
When Olivia noticed Cassidy heading back in the direction of the squad car, she gave Brookings a nudge in the right direction. She'd been absorbed in scrolling through her phone contacts.
"Go on."
Brookings hurried along.
Olivia turned to Wilmington. "Sophia is about her age."
"I understand—mine and my wife's youngest daughter is Shayna's mother. We've raised one son and three daughters."
Chief Wilmington shook Olivia's hand.
"Shayna's an excellent map reader, and she's already a really great detective. She'll help you find your people. Good luck."
"Thank you, Chief. Thank you," was all Olivia could say before hurrying off.
