Chapter Two
The task force was officially formed. All the detectives had brought their case files and notes with them. They left McCoy's office and reconvened in a conference room down the hall.
"So, who goes first?" Lenny asked the room.
"You have two of them, why don't you go ahead." Alex answered.
"Alright. Uh." Lenny pulled his notebook out of his jacket. "From the first scene, victims, Allison Sparr and Chelsey Sharpe. Allison's roommate said she never heard of Chelsey. Allison was a dancer, been in the city for a couple of years. Chelsey was a student, NYU. Just started last fall." Lenny flipped the page of his notebook.
"One of ours went to NYU." Benson commented. "Kaitilin Anthony, history major."
"Chelsey was taking accounting courses. Not much chance they'd have been in the same class." Green supposed.
"What about your other victim?" Eames asked Benson. "Any connection to Kaitilin?"
"Not that we could find." Stabler answered her question. "Bridgette was from out of town. She and the cousin she was visiting went to a club that night, Club Jones." Elliott consulted his own notes. "The cousin said they walked in together, made their way to the bar. He lost track of Bridgette after that." When Stabler mentioned Club Jones, Briscoe and Green glanced at each other, each began to page through their notes, looking for something. Goren noticed them.
"Club Jones ringing bells?" He asked.
"Our first two vics, they were both seen at Club Jones the night they were killed. The two girls from the second scene had never mentioned the club to anyone we interviewed." Green answered.
"It's as good a place as any to start." Goren said, and stood up. "Eames and I are headed to the ME's office regarding our vics from yesterday. Someone want to go to this Club Jones and check it out?"
"We will." Fin volunteered, nodding his head to Munch, then standing.
"All of us will need to know the details of all the scenes. I'd like everyone to make copies of everything they have. All interview notes, everything, and send the copies over to Major Cases. We'll combine it all into one file, and everyone will get a copy. Benson and Stabler, go talk to Dr. Huang, start working up a profile of this guy." Goren picked up his notebook, signaling an end to the meeting.
*****
Green slid behind the driver's wheel of the sedan as Brisco pulled the seat belt around him. "Three girls snatched from the same club." Ed said aloud, but was mainly thinking to his self.
"Two of them at the same time." Lenny gestured with his left hand, hold it out toward Ed as if offering a tangible opinion. "Either he did it one at a time, or he somehow got them to leave together."
Green started the engine, but left the gear in park. "Maybe slipped something into the first girls drink? Helped her outside when she started to feel sick. She passes out, he goes back inside for the second."
"This would be a lot easier if the club had video."
*****
"Who put him in charge?" Munch and Fin were making their way across the parking lot.
"Who? Goren?" Fin asked.
"Yeah. Who died and made him Detective Detective?" Munch asked.
"He's Major Case. He's earned the right to be there. Give him a break, Munch. Give us all a break and don't start your crap."
"Ok, ok, just asking."
*****
"Hey Margaret, it's Olivia." Benson was on her cell phone with Dr. Huang's office. She and Elliott had reached their car, stopping by the trunk before getting in. "Elliott and I are on the way over. Can he see us? We need his help." Olivia paused, listening. "About fifteen minutes. Great, thanks." She punched a button, ending the call. "He'll be free in twenty, he can spend the lunch hour with us." She said to Elliott. They climbed into the car. Elliott in the drivers seat, started the car, still not having said anything. "What?" Olivia asked.
"Nothing." He answered, brushing off the question. "That's not a bad idea. The books, I mean."
"Elliott." Olivia said.
"What?" He turned in his seat and faced her. "Nothing. It's nothing." Answering her unspoken question. "It's just." he paused, knowing the words, but not wanting to sound like an ass.
"It's just that Goren's in charge." Olivia finished his sentence.
"I'll get over it." Elliott stated, more for his self than for her.
*****
Bobby, too was on his cell. "Yeah, it's Goren, let me talk to Kindra, please." While he waited to be transferred, he turned toward Alex. "Not the alphabet."
"Not his name, either." She replied, and pulled out into traffic.
Kindra, Major Case's administrative assistant spoke into Bobby's ear, and he turned his attention back to the phone. Explaining the case briefly, and about the books he wanted created. Finishing his conversation, he hung up and turned his attention back to Eames. "Why would two girls, strangers to each other, agree to leave a club with the same man, also a stranger?"
"Either they were drugged, or stupid." Alex answered . "Or looking for an adventure." Bobby turned toward the car window, staring at the passing scenery, his thoughts on the killer who was taunting the police.
*****
Club Jones was a hole in the wall; blink and you'll miss it. Hours weren't until 9pm, but Munch and Fin saw activity inside when they banged on the door. A short woman with red hair answered the banging. Peeking out the side window, she hollered, "We're closed" and began to turn away.
"You're open." Munch told her, holding up his badge. The woman glanced at the badge, at Munch, then at Fin. She disappeared from the window, reappearing at the door. She opened the door, standing back, allowing the detectives to walk past her, into the club.
Fin already had the ME's photos of the three victims last seen at the club out and handed them to the woman as he spoke. "This girl," he pointed at the photo of Bridgette Kearns, "was killed last Tuesday. She and her cousin were here right before she disappeared. We need to talk to the staff, see if anyone saw her, or the other two, talking to anyone."
"Place gets kind of busy at night, you don't really pay any attention, ya know?" She took the photos from Fin, looked at them for a moment, then handed them back. "I'm sorry, I don't remember seeing them. Just like I didn't remember when the other cops asked."
"We're going to ask everyone again, and we'll need a list of employees who aren't here, their phone numbers and address'." Munch told her. The woman sighed heavily. Both detectives had the urge to grab her by the shoulders and tell her a serial killer was on the loose. But citywide panic was the last thing they needed.
She loosely waved her hand toward the bar area, where a few other people were standing around. "You can ask, maybe someone will remember something. But I doubt it." She walked off in the other direction, leaving the detectives to fend for themselves.
"You here about those girls?" The man who must have been the bartender, asked as they approached.
"Yeah." Fin handed him the photos. "You remember them?"
"Just this one." He pointed to the photo of Bridgette. "She's kind of the type I look at, know what I mean?" He grinned at the detectives, they only scowled back. "Uh, well. Yeah, I remember her, she came in with one of our regulars, he said he was her cousin. He ordered a beer, she asked for a Cosmopolitan. Said her favorite show was Sex in the City, and she wanted to be like them."
Munch was getting frustrated, "Did you see her after you made the drink?"
"Yeah, I was keeping my eye on her. I was trying to figure out what she went for, know what I." he stopped short when he saw their expressions. "I saw her hook up with a guy. They were dancing, last time I saw her."
"Describe him." Fin said, pulling his notebook out of his pocket.
"Average. Normal guy." The bartender again saw the scowls from the detectives, so he tried harder. "White guy. About my height. Average build. Around 25, I guess. Short hair, black or brown. Dressed nice."
"Did you see his face?" Fin asked, still writing, not looking up.
"Not very well."
Munch handed the bartender his card, "Call us if you see him in here again."
*****
Detectives Green and Briscoe entered the semi familiar bedroom of Allison Sparr. Her stripped bed was covered in cardboard boxes. Most marked THRIFT, fewer marked FAMILY.
"I packed up her things. I thought it might be easier if her parents didn't have to do it. I found her diary." Allison's roommate told the detectives as Lenny approached the bed and pulled a box marked FAMILY toward him. He put his hand down on top of the bits and pieces inside. He hated to intrude on the dead girls privacy, and he was stalling.
"We have some other victims," Green began, flipping thought his notebook where he'd written down the other girl's names. "Did Allison ever mention these names to you?" He handed her the pad. The roommate read the names, shaking her head.
"No. Sorry. None of them are familiar. Did the same man kill them as well?"
"We think so." Ed trailed off, not wanting to tell the girl more than she needed to know.
Lenny interrupted, "Alright if we take these with us?" He held up the diary and an address book he'd found in the box.
"Yeah, I'm sure her parents won't mind." She looked back to Ed, and waited for him to continue.
"There are commonalities, we don't know for sure if it's the same guy." He finally told her.
*****
"I can't really tell you anything you don't already know." Dr. Huang sat at behind desk, studying again the crime scene photos in front of him. Olivia and Elliott sat facing him from the other side of the desk.
"Doctor. This isn't your run of the mill murder/rapist." Elliott told him.
"No, of course not." Huang leaned back into his chair. "Ok." He thought for a moment. "He's taunting you. All eight murders were premeditated, he didn't just come up with the 'ha ha' on the spur of the moment. You're looking for someone calculated, but charming enough to get these girls alone with him, at least long enough to subdue them. The standard answers apply. 25-40 years old. Probably white. Loner, but not obviously. He's probably convinced his co-workers he has a busy social life. My guess is that he has a good job. 9-5 type. He's smart, probably good looking, dresses well."
Olivia interrupted "He'd almost have to be, to get all these girls to trust him."
"Exactly. He almost certainly feels betrayed by the police, this is his revenge for that betrayal."
"You think he's been arrested?" Elliott slid up in his chair, leaning against the front of the desk.
"Maybe, maybe not. More likely, it was someone he cared about who was effected by the police. Or at least, he thinks they were."
"So this betrayal, it may not have really happened?"
"Something happened. It just may be a bigger event in his mind than in reality."
Elliott and Olivia thanked the doctor and headed back out to their car.
"How the hell are we supposed to find an incident, that happened to someone, sometime, that may, or may not be any big deal?" Stabler asked. Olivia didn't answer. She was wondering the same thing.
*****
After leaving the ME's office, where all they got was confirmation of what they already knew, Goren and Eames headed back to OPP. Bobby stopped at Kindra's desk on the way to his to check on the progress of the task force books.
"I've got Detectives' Munch and Fin's notes running through the copier now. They're in the captain's office waiting for me to finish. Captain Cragen from SVU and Lt. Van Buren from the twenty seventh, are in there as well." They spoke a few more moments on how the books should be organized, then Bobby thanked her and headed toward Captain Deakins office.
Giving a short double rap on the glass, Bobby opened the door and stepped in to the office. Alex had went in while he was talking to Kindra, she was now seated in one of the chairs facing Deakins desk, as was Lt. Van Buren, who stood when Goren walked in.
"Detective," she smiled as she walked over to him, extending her hand, "it's good to see you again."
"L.T." Bobby said, shaking her hand, glancing at Fin "this is getting to be a Narcotics reunion."
"Munch and Fin were filling us in on their interview with the Club Jones bartender." Deakins said, getting back to business.
Before the interview rehash could continue, there was another short knock on the door, and Detectives Green and Brisco came in.
"We gave the girl our notes." Lenny told Goren jerking his thumb toward Kindra's desk. Bobby noticed Benson and Stabler were there, handing everything over to Kindra. Lenny had kept Allison's address book with him. He held it up shaking it lightly at Goren. "We've got Allison Sparrs' address book, none of the other vics are in here."
Benson and Stabler came into the office. "Kindra said it won't be long until we'll have our notes back." Olivia reported, walking further into the office, and pulling up the chair next to Alex.
As they waited, each set of partners told the rest of the group what they'd learned since that morning. The newest information came from the profile suggestions Dr. Huang had offered Benson and Stabler. Eleven of New York City's finest discussed the case while a few feet away, the copier droned.
The task force was officially formed. All the detectives had brought their case files and notes with them. They left McCoy's office and reconvened in a conference room down the hall.
"So, who goes first?" Lenny asked the room.
"You have two of them, why don't you go ahead." Alex answered.
"Alright. Uh." Lenny pulled his notebook out of his jacket. "From the first scene, victims, Allison Sparr and Chelsey Sharpe. Allison's roommate said she never heard of Chelsey. Allison was a dancer, been in the city for a couple of years. Chelsey was a student, NYU. Just started last fall." Lenny flipped the page of his notebook.
"One of ours went to NYU." Benson commented. "Kaitilin Anthony, history major."
"Chelsey was taking accounting courses. Not much chance they'd have been in the same class." Green supposed.
"What about your other victim?" Eames asked Benson. "Any connection to Kaitilin?"
"Not that we could find." Stabler answered her question. "Bridgette was from out of town. She and the cousin she was visiting went to a club that night, Club Jones." Elliott consulted his own notes. "The cousin said they walked in together, made their way to the bar. He lost track of Bridgette after that." When Stabler mentioned Club Jones, Briscoe and Green glanced at each other, each began to page through their notes, looking for something. Goren noticed them.
"Club Jones ringing bells?" He asked.
"Our first two vics, they were both seen at Club Jones the night they were killed. The two girls from the second scene had never mentioned the club to anyone we interviewed." Green answered.
"It's as good a place as any to start." Goren said, and stood up. "Eames and I are headed to the ME's office regarding our vics from yesterday. Someone want to go to this Club Jones and check it out?"
"We will." Fin volunteered, nodding his head to Munch, then standing.
"All of us will need to know the details of all the scenes. I'd like everyone to make copies of everything they have. All interview notes, everything, and send the copies over to Major Cases. We'll combine it all into one file, and everyone will get a copy. Benson and Stabler, go talk to Dr. Huang, start working up a profile of this guy." Goren picked up his notebook, signaling an end to the meeting.
*****
Green slid behind the driver's wheel of the sedan as Brisco pulled the seat belt around him. "Three girls snatched from the same club." Ed said aloud, but was mainly thinking to his self.
"Two of them at the same time." Lenny gestured with his left hand, hold it out toward Ed as if offering a tangible opinion. "Either he did it one at a time, or he somehow got them to leave together."
Green started the engine, but left the gear in park. "Maybe slipped something into the first girls drink? Helped her outside when she started to feel sick. She passes out, he goes back inside for the second."
"This would be a lot easier if the club had video."
*****
"Who put him in charge?" Munch and Fin were making their way across the parking lot.
"Who? Goren?" Fin asked.
"Yeah. Who died and made him Detective Detective?" Munch asked.
"He's Major Case. He's earned the right to be there. Give him a break, Munch. Give us all a break and don't start your crap."
"Ok, ok, just asking."
*****
"Hey Margaret, it's Olivia." Benson was on her cell phone with Dr. Huang's office. She and Elliott had reached their car, stopping by the trunk before getting in. "Elliott and I are on the way over. Can he see us? We need his help." Olivia paused, listening. "About fifteen minutes. Great, thanks." She punched a button, ending the call. "He'll be free in twenty, he can spend the lunch hour with us." She said to Elliott. They climbed into the car. Elliott in the drivers seat, started the car, still not having said anything. "What?" Olivia asked.
"Nothing." He answered, brushing off the question. "That's not a bad idea. The books, I mean."
"Elliott." Olivia said.
"What?" He turned in his seat and faced her. "Nothing. It's nothing." Answering her unspoken question. "It's just." he paused, knowing the words, but not wanting to sound like an ass.
"It's just that Goren's in charge." Olivia finished his sentence.
"I'll get over it." Elliott stated, more for his self than for her.
*****
Bobby, too was on his cell. "Yeah, it's Goren, let me talk to Kindra, please." While he waited to be transferred, he turned toward Alex. "Not the alphabet."
"Not his name, either." She replied, and pulled out into traffic.
Kindra, Major Case's administrative assistant spoke into Bobby's ear, and he turned his attention back to the phone. Explaining the case briefly, and about the books he wanted created. Finishing his conversation, he hung up and turned his attention back to Eames. "Why would two girls, strangers to each other, agree to leave a club with the same man, also a stranger?"
"Either they were drugged, or stupid." Alex answered . "Or looking for an adventure." Bobby turned toward the car window, staring at the passing scenery, his thoughts on the killer who was taunting the police.
*****
Club Jones was a hole in the wall; blink and you'll miss it. Hours weren't until 9pm, but Munch and Fin saw activity inside when they banged on the door. A short woman with red hair answered the banging. Peeking out the side window, she hollered, "We're closed" and began to turn away.
"You're open." Munch told her, holding up his badge. The woman glanced at the badge, at Munch, then at Fin. She disappeared from the window, reappearing at the door. She opened the door, standing back, allowing the detectives to walk past her, into the club.
Fin already had the ME's photos of the three victims last seen at the club out and handed them to the woman as he spoke. "This girl," he pointed at the photo of Bridgette Kearns, "was killed last Tuesday. She and her cousin were here right before she disappeared. We need to talk to the staff, see if anyone saw her, or the other two, talking to anyone."
"Place gets kind of busy at night, you don't really pay any attention, ya know?" She took the photos from Fin, looked at them for a moment, then handed them back. "I'm sorry, I don't remember seeing them. Just like I didn't remember when the other cops asked."
"We're going to ask everyone again, and we'll need a list of employees who aren't here, their phone numbers and address'." Munch told her. The woman sighed heavily. Both detectives had the urge to grab her by the shoulders and tell her a serial killer was on the loose. But citywide panic was the last thing they needed.
She loosely waved her hand toward the bar area, where a few other people were standing around. "You can ask, maybe someone will remember something. But I doubt it." She walked off in the other direction, leaving the detectives to fend for themselves.
"You here about those girls?" The man who must have been the bartender, asked as they approached.
"Yeah." Fin handed him the photos. "You remember them?"
"Just this one." He pointed to the photo of Bridgette. "She's kind of the type I look at, know what I mean?" He grinned at the detectives, they only scowled back. "Uh, well. Yeah, I remember her, she came in with one of our regulars, he said he was her cousin. He ordered a beer, she asked for a Cosmopolitan. Said her favorite show was Sex in the City, and she wanted to be like them."
Munch was getting frustrated, "Did you see her after you made the drink?"
"Yeah, I was keeping my eye on her. I was trying to figure out what she went for, know what I." he stopped short when he saw their expressions. "I saw her hook up with a guy. They were dancing, last time I saw her."
"Describe him." Fin said, pulling his notebook out of his pocket.
"Average. Normal guy." The bartender again saw the scowls from the detectives, so he tried harder. "White guy. About my height. Average build. Around 25, I guess. Short hair, black or brown. Dressed nice."
"Did you see his face?" Fin asked, still writing, not looking up.
"Not very well."
Munch handed the bartender his card, "Call us if you see him in here again."
*****
Detectives Green and Briscoe entered the semi familiar bedroom of Allison Sparr. Her stripped bed was covered in cardboard boxes. Most marked THRIFT, fewer marked FAMILY.
"I packed up her things. I thought it might be easier if her parents didn't have to do it. I found her diary." Allison's roommate told the detectives as Lenny approached the bed and pulled a box marked FAMILY toward him. He put his hand down on top of the bits and pieces inside. He hated to intrude on the dead girls privacy, and he was stalling.
"We have some other victims," Green began, flipping thought his notebook where he'd written down the other girl's names. "Did Allison ever mention these names to you?" He handed her the pad. The roommate read the names, shaking her head.
"No. Sorry. None of them are familiar. Did the same man kill them as well?"
"We think so." Ed trailed off, not wanting to tell the girl more than she needed to know.
Lenny interrupted, "Alright if we take these with us?" He held up the diary and an address book he'd found in the box.
"Yeah, I'm sure her parents won't mind." She looked back to Ed, and waited for him to continue.
"There are commonalities, we don't know for sure if it's the same guy." He finally told her.
*****
"I can't really tell you anything you don't already know." Dr. Huang sat at behind desk, studying again the crime scene photos in front of him. Olivia and Elliott sat facing him from the other side of the desk.
"Doctor. This isn't your run of the mill murder/rapist." Elliott told him.
"No, of course not." Huang leaned back into his chair. "Ok." He thought for a moment. "He's taunting you. All eight murders were premeditated, he didn't just come up with the 'ha ha' on the spur of the moment. You're looking for someone calculated, but charming enough to get these girls alone with him, at least long enough to subdue them. The standard answers apply. 25-40 years old. Probably white. Loner, but not obviously. He's probably convinced his co-workers he has a busy social life. My guess is that he has a good job. 9-5 type. He's smart, probably good looking, dresses well."
Olivia interrupted "He'd almost have to be, to get all these girls to trust him."
"Exactly. He almost certainly feels betrayed by the police, this is his revenge for that betrayal."
"You think he's been arrested?" Elliott slid up in his chair, leaning against the front of the desk.
"Maybe, maybe not. More likely, it was someone he cared about who was effected by the police. Or at least, he thinks they were."
"So this betrayal, it may not have really happened?"
"Something happened. It just may be a bigger event in his mind than in reality."
Elliott and Olivia thanked the doctor and headed back out to their car.
"How the hell are we supposed to find an incident, that happened to someone, sometime, that may, or may not be any big deal?" Stabler asked. Olivia didn't answer. She was wondering the same thing.
*****
After leaving the ME's office, where all they got was confirmation of what they already knew, Goren and Eames headed back to OPP. Bobby stopped at Kindra's desk on the way to his to check on the progress of the task force books.
"I've got Detectives' Munch and Fin's notes running through the copier now. They're in the captain's office waiting for me to finish. Captain Cragen from SVU and Lt. Van Buren from the twenty seventh, are in there as well." They spoke a few more moments on how the books should be organized, then Bobby thanked her and headed toward Captain Deakins office.
Giving a short double rap on the glass, Bobby opened the door and stepped in to the office. Alex had went in while he was talking to Kindra, she was now seated in one of the chairs facing Deakins desk, as was Lt. Van Buren, who stood when Goren walked in.
"Detective," she smiled as she walked over to him, extending her hand, "it's good to see you again."
"L.T." Bobby said, shaking her hand, glancing at Fin "this is getting to be a Narcotics reunion."
"Munch and Fin were filling us in on their interview with the Club Jones bartender." Deakins said, getting back to business.
Before the interview rehash could continue, there was another short knock on the door, and Detectives Green and Brisco came in.
"We gave the girl our notes." Lenny told Goren jerking his thumb toward Kindra's desk. Bobby noticed Benson and Stabler were there, handing everything over to Kindra. Lenny had kept Allison's address book with him. He held it up shaking it lightly at Goren. "We've got Allison Sparrs' address book, none of the other vics are in here."
Benson and Stabler came into the office. "Kindra said it won't be long until we'll have our notes back." Olivia reported, walking further into the office, and pulling up the chair next to Alex.
As they waited, each set of partners told the rest of the group what they'd learned since that morning. The newest information came from the profile suggestions Dr. Huang had offered Benson and Stabler. Eleven of New York City's finest discussed the case while a few feet away, the copier droned.