CHAPTER TWELVE

Elliot rolled over in bed as his phone rang. He groaned and groped around for it, noting the time on the alarm clock as he did. It was 2:13 in the morning.

"Stabler," he said hoarsely.

"Elliot," the voice of his faithful partner sounded strange over the phone. "They got Jason Harroway. He's going to be charged with raping Rivky."

"Okay, good," said Elliot. "And Kohler's going to jail. And Rivky gets to stay with her sister…so it's all okay, then?"

"Not totally," said Olivia. "There's something else…Bethany Crawford was shot earlier and died."

"Who's Bethany Crawford?"

"Rivky's girlfriend. She failed to mention that she's a lesbian."

Elliot couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "Rivky's what?"

"She's a lesbian. After Bethany was shot she told us that the two of them had been dating ever since she and Jason broke up."

"So who did it?"

"Turns out that it was Jason. Homicide was already working on it and the ballistics tied the weapon back to Jason the day before we found out he and Rivky had dated…it's just crazy."

"Okay, I'm going to run all this through again. There's an Orthodox Jewish girl who was raped in the classroom of her school. We thought it was her dad who has been horribly abusing her and her sisters, but it wasn't. We find out it's her ex-boyfriend. Now her girlfriend has been killed? And it was her ex-boyfriend who did it out of jealousy? I got all that right?"

"Yes," said Olivia. "Look, it's weird to me, too. A fourteen-year-old girl who already knows she's a lesbian, that can't be easy."

"But a fourteen-year-old girl who's as religious as she is…"

"I know, El, I know. Look…I'm not going to be able to go in for the next few days. I'm sick as a dog…you need to take over."

"What's wrong?"

"I think I have the flu or something. I'm running a temperature and I'm throwing up left and right. You'll work with Munch and Fin, whoever's available. I'll be okay."

"You need anything?"

"No. Go back to sleep. I'll see you around."

Elliot hung up and rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. This case was bizarre, more bizarre than most of the one's he'd ever worked. His heart went out to Rivky. The poor kid was probably so confused about men that she found women to be her only comfort…which made sense, considering that the only kindness she'd ever really received was from the women in her life. He hoped she could find happiness by whatever means.