Chapter 4 - Carisi

"Nice closing, Carisi." Olivia Benson had come to watch the closing arguments for what had been a lengthy court case. He was feeling pretty good about it as they headed out of the courthouse into the late afternoon sunlight, and it was in the jury's hands now. He'd managed to keep his head in the game despite his concerns about Henry, but now they were front of mind again.

"Thanks, Lieu. I'm guessing there's no news?"

"It's like he's disappeared into thin air."

"I probably shouldn't say this out loud, but maybe he'll turn up dead. He was in a car accident, after all."

"I can't blame you for feeling that way. If that's the case, he'll turn up. In the meantime, it's out of my jurisdiction. No rapes have come in with a perpetrator that fits his description. Homicide's on the case. Plus, with Rollins being a target, it's probably best that we're not involved."

"How's she doing?"

"She's doing an excellent job of pretending everything is fine," Olivia replied wryly.

"She's good at that." The two of them parted company, and Carisi gave Amanda a quick call to check in as he walked back to his office. She was breezy and cheerful as she reported that the girls and her mom had made it safely to their hotel and were having a great time in the pool.

"Whatever problems she and I have had, Mama's a doting grandmother."

"Maybe she's making up for lost time," he offered. "Hey, how does phad thai sound for dinner?"

"Sounds amazing," Amanda agreed. "Billie would turn her nose up at that, so it's perfect. Look, I've gotta go. I love you."

"Love you too."

Carisi thought of his own mother, so different from Amanda's. She'd always been in his business and always would be. Her grandchildren received much the same treatment, except she spoiled them rotten.

Reaching his office, Carisi settled in at his desk to do some paperwork. There was a stack of mail, and on the top was a small parcel from a local courier with no return address. Everything that came through their building was scanned for hazardous materials, but Carisi still felt leery as he reached for it. The bubble envelope was light, and he carefully opened it, sliding the contents onto his desk. His heart sank as he took in the items before him, as it put to rest any doubts as to whether or not Henry had his sights on Amanda. Carisi reached for his phone, dialing Olivia's number.

I would love to know what you think of this story and if you would like me to continue posting it here.

-Tina