Chapter 4
~**~**~**~
Olivia woke up not particularly early that morning, but nonetheless, she still had a little while before her alarm clock would go off. She had been awaken to the sound of a door shutting, not slamming though, it was very discrete. Elliot most certainly didn't plan on waking her up, but her years as a detective have made her wise to such things, she'd wake up to a door shutting in the apartment either above or below of her. She was susceptible to things like that. It was quirky in a way, paranoid in another.
Wondering what Elliot was doing she slipped out from under her warm covers and regretted it the instant her feet came in contact with the cold hardwood floor. She winced at the icy sting on the soles of her feet. She searched for her slippers and finally found them underneath her bed, she slide them on, feeling much better in the process.
She walked into her living room, and was surprised--but not entirely so--when she saw the folded up cover placed onto of the pillow that lay idly on her couch. It dawned on her that the door that had been shut had been her apartment door. Elliot had already left, but why so early? He really didn't need to go home to change, he always kept a spare change of clothing in his car and she would've been happy to let him use her shower. She shrugged it off and went into her kitchen to make a pot of coffee. Well, enough for a cup.
She yawned as she scoped the coffee out of it's tin and rolled her neck so that it would pop. She cracked her knuckles as well…it was her most unhealthy habit, but a habit nonetheless. Plus, her neck would be stiff otherwise. She turned so she could go and get a shower while the coffee was making and stopped when she saw the letter on the island in her kitchen. She picked it up.
It read;
'Liv,
I had a few things I had to do before work, I'll see you at the station.
El'
That was it, no explanation as to why he had come to her apartment the night before--or rather early that morning. Just, I had some things to do, see you at work. But, she figured that he would tell her on his own accord, no use trying to push it out of him. Elliot was stubborn that way. She'd worked with him enough years to know that.
She put the note back in it's place and headed off for her shower.
~**~**~**~
Elliot had wanted to write more in the note, but couldn't find the right words, and he didn't exactly have the time, he had to get to his lawyers in enough time to where he wouldn't be late for work. He figured he'd tell Olivia about what he had seen the night before after work, or sometime during.
His lawyer had drawn up the papers, and he had instantly signed them, not wasting a moment thinking about his decision. But, although this part of the process was extremely easy, he knew that the next part was going to be worse than a root canal without the pain killers. He had signed the papers, now the tough part was getting Kathy to do so.
Although, with what he witnessed the night before, he didn't think it was going to be so hard. That is, depending on how she felt about her little 'friend'.
He pulled into the station 5 minutes before he would be officially late. He knew that the day would be long, they're case was a tough one, and on schedule for the day was talking with the neighbors of the two victims. Seeing if they heard or saw anything out of the ordinary. Although, from experience, most neighbors weren't actually forthcoming.
He had to practically run so that he would make it to his desk before it was 9. When he did so Olivia looked up at him for a second, then went back to her work.
"We've got to go to the victims apartments today." She said while looking down at the papers on her desk, "Are you ready?"
"Yeah. Let's get going." He said while standing back up.
They took Elliot's car and drove to the first victim's apartment complex. The first person they went to talk to was the super. Forthcoming was the last thing he was. Drunk maybe, forthcoming? Not even close.
"Mr. …"
"Jenkins, Matthew Jenkins." The man slurred.
"Alright, Mr. Jenkins, the night before last, did you notice or hear anything out of the ordinary?"
"You mean the night the girl from apartment 12 was rapped?"
"That girl has a name, Nicole."
"Yeah, well…no. I heard nothing, saw nothing."
Olivia rolled her eyes, "Thank you Mr. Jenkins."
"Whatever. Are we done now?"
"Yes, we're done."
"Good." The man shut his door and Olivia and Elliot walked towards apartment 11.
~**~**~**~
So far, they had talked to 4 people and nobody had heard, nor seen, anything unusual. They were on their way to apartment 16 at the moment and Olivia was getting a little perturbed. A woman is screaming her head off and nobody hears? Funny how it always seems to work out that way.
But, somebody had to have heard something. Somebody did call the police, the only question was who?
Elliot knocked on the door and they waited for a moment before a young woman, around 26, opened the door.
"Can I help you?"
"Hopefully. I'm detective Benson, this is my partner detective Stabler. We're wondering if we could ask you a few questions…about the other night."
She tenses up immediately, "Sure. Come on in." She leads them into the house and instructs them to sit down on the sofa. "What is it you're wanting to know?"
"The night before last, did you see or hear anything strange, was there somebody you had never seen before walking around the complex? Did you hear any noises? Things like that."
She thinks back for a second, "At almost 3:25 in the morning I woke up abruptly. Which is strange, because I'm as heavy a sleeper if they come. But, now I'm not sure if I heard it exactly, but it sounded like somebody was screaming, I listened for a while, more than 15 minutes in fact. I didn't hear anything else, I went back to sleep."
"And did you see anybody?"
"No. I was asleep by 12 o'clock, and before that I was glued to my computer. I'm in med school, I was researching for a paper. I wish I could tell you more, but that's all I know."
"Ok. Thank you, you've been very helpful." Elliot hands her a card, "If you remember anything, don't hesitate to call."
"Alright." She says, then she shows them to the door.
"Well, if she did in fact hear screaming, we've got a timeline." Olivia said as they went to the next apartment.
3 hours and many apartments later they had talked to everybody in the complex. A few others had said that close to 3:30 they were awaken to what they thought was screaming, but then heard no other noises, so they went back to bed. Olivia figured that that was when their perp hit her in the head with whatever object.
"On to the next building." She said with a slight cringe.
"Oh joy."
~**~**~**~
a/n: I'm thinking he'll tell her about the whole incident in the next chapter, if not, the one following. I hope you're liking this story, please review and tell me how I'm doing. And thank you to those who have already.
~**~**~**~
Olivia woke up not particularly early that morning, but nonetheless, she still had a little while before her alarm clock would go off. She had been awaken to the sound of a door shutting, not slamming though, it was very discrete. Elliot most certainly didn't plan on waking her up, but her years as a detective have made her wise to such things, she'd wake up to a door shutting in the apartment either above or below of her. She was susceptible to things like that. It was quirky in a way, paranoid in another.
Wondering what Elliot was doing she slipped out from under her warm covers and regretted it the instant her feet came in contact with the cold hardwood floor. She winced at the icy sting on the soles of her feet. She searched for her slippers and finally found them underneath her bed, she slide them on, feeling much better in the process.
She walked into her living room, and was surprised--but not entirely so--when she saw the folded up cover placed onto of the pillow that lay idly on her couch. It dawned on her that the door that had been shut had been her apartment door. Elliot had already left, but why so early? He really didn't need to go home to change, he always kept a spare change of clothing in his car and she would've been happy to let him use her shower. She shrugged it off and went into her kitchen to make a pot of coffee. Well, enough for a cup.
She yawned as she scoped the coffee out of it's tin and rolled her neck so that it would pop. She cracked her knuckles as well…it was her most unhealthy habit, but a habit nonetheless. Plus, her neck would be stiff otherwise. She turned so she could go and get a shower while the coffee was making and stopped when she saw the letter on the island in her kitchen. She picked it up.
It read;
'Liv,
I had a few things I had to do before work, I'll see you at the station.
El'
That was it, no explanation as to why he had come to her apartment the night before--or rather early that morning. Just, I had some things to do, see you at work. But, she figured that he would tell her on his own accord, no use trying to push it out of him. Elliot was stubborn that way. She'd worked with him enough years to know that.
She put the note back in it's place and headed off for her shower.
~**~**~**~
Elliot had wanted to write more in the note, but couldn't find the right words, and he didn't exactly have the time, he had to get to his lawyers in enough time to where he wouldn't be late for work. He figured he'd tell Olivia about what he had seen the night before after work, or sometime during.
His lawyer had drawn up the papers, and he had instantly signed them, not wasting a moment thinking about his decision. But, although this part of the process was extremely easy, he knew that the next part was going to be worse than a root canal without the pain killers. He had signed the papers, now the tough part was getting Kathy to do so.
Although, with what he witnessed the night before, he didn't think it was going to be so hard. That is, depending on how she felt about her little 'friend'.
He pulled into the station 5 minutes before he would be officially late. He knew that the day would be long, they're case was a tough one, and on schedule for the day was talking with the neighbors of the two victims. Seeing if they heard or saw anything out of the ordinary. Although, from experience, most neighbors weren't actually forthcoming.
He had to practically run so that he would make it to his desk before it was 9. When he did so Olivia looked up at him for a second, then went back to her work.
"We've got to go to the victims apartments today." She said while looking down at the papers on her desk, "Are you ready?"
"Yeah. Let's get going." He said while standing back up.
They took Elliot's car and drove to the first victim's apartment complex. The first person they went to talk to was the super. Forthcoming was the last thing he was. Drunk maybe, forthcoming? Not even close.
"Mr. …"
"Jenkins, Matthew Jenkins." The man slurred.
"Alright, Mr. Jenkins, the night before last, did you notice or hear anything out of the ordinary?"
"You mean the night the girl from apartment 12 was rapped?"
"That girl has a name, Nicole."
"Yeah, well…no. I heard nothing, saw nothing."
Olivia rolled her eyes, "Thank you Mr. Jenkins."
"Whatever. Are we done now?"
"Yes, we're done."
"Good." The man shut his door and Olivia and Elliot walked towards apartment 11.
~**~**~**~
So far, they had talked to 4 people and nobody had heard, nor seen, anything unusual. They were on their way to apartment 16 at the moment and Olivia was getting a little perturbed. A woman is screaming her head off and nobody hears? Funny how it always seems to work out that way.
But, somebody had to have heard something. Somebody did call the police, the only question was who?
Elliot knocked on the door and they waited for a moment before a young woman, around 26, opened the door.
"Can I help you?"
"Hopefully. I'm detective Benson, this is my partner detective Stabler. We're wondering if we could ask you a few questions…about the other night."
She tenses up immediately, "Sure. Come on in." She leads them into the house and instructs them to sit down on the sofa. "What is it you're wanting to know?"
"The night before last, did you see or hear anything strange, was there somebody you had never seen before walking around the complex? Did you hear any noises? Things like that."
She thinks back for a second, "At almost 3:25 in the morning I woke up abruptly. Which is strange, because I'm as heavy a sleeper if they come. But, now I'm not sure if I heard it exactly, but it sounded like somebody was screaming, I listened for a while, more than 15 minutes in fact. I didn't hear anything else, I went back to sleep."
"And did you see anybody?"
"No. I was asleep by 12 o'clock, and before that I was glued to my computer. I'm in med school, I was researching for a paper. I wish I could tell you more, but that's all I know."
"Ok. Thank you, you've been very helpful." Elliot hands her a card, "If you remember anything, don't hesitate to call."
"Alright." She says, then she shows them to the door.
"Well, if she did in fact hear screaming, we've got a timeline." Olivia said as they went to the next apartment.
3 hours and many apartments later they had talked to everybody in the complex. A few others had said that close to 3:30 they were awaken to what they thought was screaming, but then heard no other noises, so they went back to bed. Olivia figured that that was when their perp hit her in the head with whatever object.
"On to the next building." She said with a slight cringe.
"Oh joy."
~**~**~**~
a/n: I'm thinking he'll tell her about the whole incident in the next chapter, if not, the one following. I hope you're liking this story, please review and tell me how I'm doing. And thank you to those who have already.