. bring 'em in .

Special Victims Unit
Squad Room
Friday, July 23rd

It was Friday morning and the detectives of the Special Victims Unit were relieved to finally be able to refocus their efforts on their number-one case. Their investigation of the abducted child reported by the woman on Tuesday had ended well, with the child being returned safely and unharmed to her parents, but it had still chewed up two precious days of their week and everyone was feeling on edge as Sunday drew closer. They knew the killer would strike again and they were feeling pressure to find him and put him away.

"We've got less than 48 hours until this guy kills again," Cragen announced in the squad room although the reminder was unnecessary; none of the detectives had, or could have, forgotten the fact. "Someone please tell me we have something."

"We found a cabbie who drove a very drunk Abdullah Ali home at about four a.m. Sunday mornin'," Fin reported.

"So drunk he left an unwelcome tip in the backseat," Munch added dryly.

"What about the other suspect? David?" Cragen asked.

"We lose track of him after eight Saturday night. We have no idea where he was from then 'till when he went to work Sunday," Olivia answered.

"We talked to some people at the abbey and they said that Sister Abigail got on just fine with David and Abdullah but she and Abdullah were particularly close," Elliot piped up.

"Didn't Abdullah tell us he didn't know the sister that well?" Fin directed the question at the detective sitting across from him.

Munch nodded. "Yeah."

"What do we have against them that's solid evidence?" Cragen asked.

"Not much," Munch admitted.

"Well then, for all we know right now, they could have nothing to do with either of the murders. We need to get something more concrete." Cragen chewed on a licorice stick thoughtfully before suggesting, "How about you go and get them so we can all have a little chat down here? I think it's time they discovered how hospitable we police types can be." And, of course, it wasn't really a suggestion so the detectives dutifully stood up and fetched their coats in preparation to depart the precinct.

…

"Isn't that the guy we talked to the other day?" Fin asked his partner as they drove up to the apartment building, referring to the man standing in front of the building on the other side of the street. "He's sellin' somethin'."

Munch peered at the man through his tinted glasses and nodded. The man in question, Munch believed he said his name was Blake, was talking to another man who was glancing around with shifty eyes and although the detectives could not hear the two men, they would have bet money that they were talking in low tones.

Fin looked for a little bit longer. "Don't know what he's got, but let's go find out." They got out of the car and walked across the street just as the two men made an exchange, although of what, the detectives could not see.

"Hey boys!" Munch called out as he and Fin stepped onto the sidewalk about twenty feet away from the two men. "Blake! How's business?"

Blake was nonplussed by Munch's comment and merely stood there, smiling at the detectives politely as they approached. "How may I help you?" he asked, putting a hand on his associate's arm. The other man was looking decidedly uncomfortable with their current situation, having picked up the police vibe that the detectives' presence created.

"Just tell us what you're sellin'," Fin said.

"Helps with the paperwork," Munch added.

"Selling?" Blake shook his head, still calm. "I don't know what you're talking about, detectives."

"We saw your little business transaction," Munch said. "And don't try to tell me you were just selling the man Girl Scout cookies. I can smell those Thin Mints from a mile away."

"Just like I can smell a dealer when I see one." Fin's tone was menacing and that, coupled with his words, was the proverbial straw.

"Book it!" the other man said, taking off. This was, of course, a mistake, as Elliot and Olivia had been walking up the street towards the apartment building. As the man tried to run by them, Elliot's strong arms shot out and grabbed his jacket and used his momentum to swinging him around and smash him into the nearby wall. Shoving the man forward after he had recovered somewhat from the impact, Elliot frog-marched him back to where Munch and Fin stood with Blake, who still amazingly looked very calm.

"Check his pockets," Munch directed Elliot and then remarked to the man, "Running from the police. Bad idea." Elliot patted the man's front pocket and then reaching in, pulled out a baggy containing a small eyedropper bottle filled with some kind of liquid. Taking the baggy from Elliot, Munch turned to look at Blake. "What, pray tell, is this?"

Blake shrugged. "No idea. I've never seen it before."

"Oh really? Fin? Would you do the honors?"

"Sure thing." Fin stepped forward and checked the man's pockets. Sure enough, bottles containing the same liquid were discovered.

Munch looked back at Blake over the rims of his glasses. "Care to try again?"

"Acid," Blake answered with a slight sigh as he saw the futility of denying knowledge of the drugs.

"You ever sell any of this stuff to Abdullah Ali or David Waters?" Elliot asked.

Blake just stared at the ground, unwilling to answer.

"The DA likes cooperation," Olivia reminded the man.

"I don't rat on my clients," Blake said disdainfully.

"A dealer with morals. Never thought I'd see the day," Munch said, his tone sarcastic.

Olivia cuffed Blake. "Elliot and I'll take care of these two and get that stuff down to the labs. You guys go get David and Abdullah." Her partner was already Mirandizing the other man. Acknowledging her words, Munch and Fin proceeded into the building and up to the two men's apartment.

Abdullah answered the door after they knocked. "Detectives," his eyes were narrowed and his expression betrayed suspicion about their presence, "What brings you here?"

"We were just wondering if you and David could take a little ride with us down to the station. We've got some questions for you both and it might take a while," Munch explained.

Abdullah nodded, although very reluctantly, and let them in. He didn't seem to want any trouble with them as he said, "Wait here just a moment. I'll go get David."

…

"Where were you Saturday night?" Munch asked Abdullah who was sitting across from him in one of the interrogation rooms in the precinct.

"At the abbey, cleaning up. I told you that Sunday," he replied.

"About what time did you get home?"

He shrugged. "Late… I don't know. Three or four or something. I took a cab."

"What about Sunday night?"

"I worked until late and caught the subway and then walked around a bit before coming home."

"You walk through Central Park?" Fin asked.

Abdullah shook his head. "No, I don't like going in there at night. People do crazy things in there when it's dark."

…

"What did you do Saturday?" Elliot asked David. They were seated in one of the other interrogation rooms.

"Worked until about five, then went home. I was feeling a little under the weather."

"What'd you do when you got there?" Olivia asked.

"Called a friend and talked for a bit to make plans for Sunday. Then I went to bed."

"Who's your friend?"

"Jeff Schakowsky. We went out to a club with some buddies Sunday and then came back and crashed at Jeff's place."

"Why didn't you go back to your own apartment?" Elliot asked.

"I didn't want to see Abdullah and hear him chew me out about drinking," David said.

Olivia folded her hands on the table and asked, "Does he have something against it?"

David nodded. "Yeah, he's against polluting the body because he believes it's God's temple and all that so he won't take mind-altering substances of any kind and he doesn't like to eat foods that are full of artificial flavorings and preservatives and stuff. This is actually kind of funny to me because when he was younger, he did so much stuff that I'm surprised he doesn't talk like Ozzy Osbourne."

This surprised both of the detectives, who remembered Fin talking about the taxi cab driver who drove Abdullah home when he was too intoxicated to get himself there. "What kind of stuff?" Elliot asked.

"You know; all kinds of stuff. He liked experimenting and when he got bored with that, he started mixing old things together to create new experiences."

"What made him quit?" Olivia asked.

David shrugged. "He got religion, like they all do."

…

"So, Abdullah, tell us again about that person you saw Saturday night at the abbey," Munch said.

"I told you before; I didn't see anything distinctive about him." Abdullah's tone was weary and he fought to cover a tired yawn with one hand and still look attentive and cooperative.

"I thought you mentioned a limp?" Munch said in a querying tone. "Didn't he?" Munch looked over at Fin, who nodded in affirmation, playing the game.

"I guess I did then."

"David has a limp," Fin stated.

Abdullah didn't reply, rejecting the detective's bait.

Munch tried again. "Wouldn't that indicate him as a suspect then? He works at the abbey, you saw someone suspicious with a limp there late on the night of the murder, he knew both of the victims. Don't you agree?"

"If you say so." Abdullah's expression and his monotonous tone betrayed nothing of his feelings about the detective's needling. He looked at his watch. "When do I get to go?"

…

"I've answered all of your questions. Can I please go home now?" David pleaded. "I'm so tired and this chair is really uncomfortable."

"It's supposed to be," Elliot pointed out.

"We want you to stay longer," Olivia said, trying to keep her voice calm and soothing. "We've got a couple more questions for you."

"How much longer?" David asked. "I've been here for three hours already. It's getting kinda late and I've got work tomorrow…"

"You're going to be here for a while," Elliot said. "I wouldn't plan on going to work."

"What? Why do you want me to stay?"

"There's some stuff you might not be telling us and we need to know everything you know."

…

"Keeping me here longer is just gonna make me not want to answer any more of your questions," Abdullah said

"Your choice," Munch replied.

"This is wrong!"

"Although it might be wrong, it's legal," Munch reminded him. "We can keep you here for up to twenty-four hours without charging you with anything."

Abdullah's eyes narrowed and he growled, "Am I suspect then?"

"Nope, just an uncooperative witness," Munch answered, a statement that everyone present knew was a lie.

"Well, since it looks like I'm staying, you can either keep me here and stop asking me questions or you get me a lawyer and keep asking me questions. Your choice." His smile mocked Munch as he echoed the detective's words from just moments before.

o.o So frickin' long... I though it was too short so I decided to add the interrogation stuff into this chapter and it just kept going and going... Guess the length'll do as a little apology for getting this out so late though...