Chapter Twenty-Two:

Alex

It's been almost three weeks since you've been back in New York. Almost three weeks since your dinner with my mother. Every time I think about it I shake my head in amazement. You refused to tell me exactly what information you found on mother's companies, telling me it was a bluff… but the tone in your voice, and my mother's reaction tells me it's not. I've spent three weeks training Cass, and she seems ready to handle the job on her own. I take a few days off to do some research of my own, making sure both Cass and Williams know where to reach me at all times in case of a problem, but I have every confidence that Cassandra can handle the job on her own at this point. She's lost a bit of her original pep-squad attitude, and seems to be getting a feel for talking to victims. I don't anticipate any problems as I head out to the library on a Wednesday afternoon.

Reaching the information desk at Lewis and Clark's main university library I ask for the start-up assistance I'll need to get into their research programs, far more expansive than anything I can access from my own internet surfing at home. I've found hints of what you may have discovered, but to get more in depth information I need wider access. When the grad student saunters away to help a term-paper panicked freshman, I click into the university-wide system, looking first at newspaper clippings, and then moving onto financial pages. I end up with a lot of supposition, but no real facts. I don't know how you found whatever it is that you have against my mother, but I know one place where I can get it for myself, although I'm loathe to do so.

Three hours after I set out on my quest I'm back at home, and picking up my phone to make a call I'd rather avoid. Unfortunately Trevor is the only one who might be able to clue me in.

"Langan and Langan, how may I direct your call?"

"Elisha, it's Alexandra Cabot, is Trevor in?"

"Miss Cabot, let me check. Actually he's out of court and should be in his office, let me connect you."

There's a brief pause, and some canned music but I don't have to wait long,

"What is it Alex?" The voice on the other line is strained, and clearly annoyed.

"Hello to you too Trevor."

"Make it quick counselor."

"Trevor… come now. After all of our history that's all I am to you?" I'm aware that I'm laying it on a bit thick, but I really need him on my side for this.

"What do you want Alex?"

"I need to know what you know about mother's companies."

He scoffs, "what do you mean, 'What I know?'"

"Come off it Trevor, I know that your father's firm is the exclusive legal counsel for Cabot Investments. I want to see the files."

"Confidential information counselor, I'm sure you understand that financial investments are a delicate privileged issue. I'm afraid I can't share that information without a warrant."

"I'm family. Technically, the investments are mine too. It's my name on those forms as well Trevor and you know it. What are you hiding?"

"Actually Alex, your name isn't on those papers. Your mother came to see me last week. Aside from the trust fund that your father set up at your birth, you are not eligible to receive any dividends from Cabot Investments. You are no longer the heir to the fortune Alex. I'm not sure what you did exactly to get cut out, but it also means you no longer have legal access to those files."

It takes me a moment to recover. I can't say I'm surprised, but it does make things seem a little… final. I don't have time to be upset right now, I need information.

"Trevor Alistair Langan. You know damn well what I did to get cut off. I want to know what's going on, and I want to know now." I throw in Trevor's middle name, knowing how much it annoys him.

"What are you going to do Alex? Break my heart? Oh wait-- you already did that."

"Bullshit Trevor. In order to break someone's heart, they have to have one to begin with. Something about Cabot Investments isn't on the up and up and I want to know what it is. What did your father get my mother into? Money Laundering? Gun running?" I realize I sound irrational, but I can't help the way Trevor makes my hackles rise. Even before I knew I was gay he repulsed me.

"My father has nothing to do with it Alex. He handed over the legal work of Cabot Investments ten years ago, when he thought you and I were going to get married. He decided it would be wise to keep it in the close family. I suppose he figured I'd want to be able to defend my wife if something happened."

"Look, Trevor. I'm not sure where you got the idea that I would ever have been willing to marry you. Probably from my mother, but as you know she's not exactly the most reliable source when it comes to what I want from life. But if you, or your father have in any way jeopardized those companies, or put my mother's finances and reputation at risk, I will find a way to link you to it, and then I'll find a way to detain your legal counsel while my detectives treat you to a 'special tour' of New York. SVU style."

"Feisty, feisty Alexandra. Anything untoward that's mixed up in your mother's business is just that-- your mother's business. Any holes that have been dug she dug herself. And since when are you concerned with your mother's reputation? In fact, when did you start being concerned with anything regarding your mother and her well-being? Seems to me if you were all that concerned, you wouldn't still be playing house with the alkie lesbo-cop."

"Listen up Langan. I'm going to find out what you're hiding from me. I'm going to find out exactly what it is that no-one wants me to know about those companies. And if I find out that you were in any way involved, I'll have your law degree and bar certification on a silver platter. I suggest if you'd like to avoid that, you send me anything in those files I might find of particular interest. That way, when the shit hits the fan, I might be able to haul your ass out of fire. Just a little something to consider, counselor."

I slam the phone back into its cradle and get up from the couch, pacing the living room. I'm frustrated, and fed up, and as angry as I am at my mother I'm a little worried about what exactly she's gotten herself into. Trevor's right about one thing, I've given alarmingly little thought to the family's business ventures. I can't exactly ask mother about it, and you clearly aren't going to share your information. There's only one other person I might be able to ask. I'd like to hold off on calling Uncle Bill just yet. Getting him involved if he doesn't already know what's going on could bring a certain spotlight of attention to the whole matter that I'd rather not flip on right now. If Uncle Bill pokes around and finds something, his familial obligation is to my dead father, not to my very living mother. As angry as I am, I'd rather not bring the Department of Justice down on her. At least not until I have a better handle on whatever it is that's going on.

Olivia

The last three weeks have been fairly typical. Same cases, same vics, same struggle. I keep reminding myself that Casey is only going to be here until February, and then you'll be back, kicking butt and taking names. In the meantime, I try to remember that Casey is a friend-- sort of, despite her relative incompetence in a courtroom. And, with you in Oregon and Serena in DC, we do have something in common. Still she has a unique ability to make me nuts, and sometimes it's hard to separate her everyday personality and her courtroom persona. As nice as it's been to have someone around who understands, I'll be glad when she's shuffled up to DC and away from our cases. It's time to start winning again, on something other than a technicality.

You've spent a good chunk of the last three weeks trying to get me to tell you what exactly I've found out about your mother's companies, but I still think it's best you don't know all the details. It's not gun running, but it's not something I want you wrapped up in either. I've left all the pertinent information in my safe-deposit box in case I actually need it, but anything that didn't go in the box, or that ended up double-copied got shredded and pitched. I don't want you anywhere near your mother's business, and for once I'm glad she's shut you out. I should have turned that information over to the Departments of Finance and Revenues like I threatened, but I think for now it's a good idea to have a little something over your mother. That, and I know that you don't want to see your mother go to jail, even if you are angry.

I sigh, pushing thoughts of your mother's future troubles out of my mind, not wanting to dwell on something I can at least hope will never happen. I watch Casey make her closing arguments, nudging Elliot as she lurches towards the jury box. He leans towards me and I can't resist a conspiratorial whisper,

"Ready to have the glasses of justice back?"

He stifles a chuckle, "Anything's better than the lurch of doom."

Petrovsky shoots us a look and I pull away from my partner and try to look dignified. The case Novak's finishing was fairly cut and dried, plenty of evidence and I'm convinced even she can't lose this one. Within an hour of the deliberations start, the jury is back with a guilty verdict. I wish Casey didn't look so pleased, that "I told you so" smirk is too much to take. Elliot and I hang back to talk to our victim as Casey lurches out of the courthouse and back to her office.

Once we hit the car and head back to the courthouse to gather our things I decide to raise a hypothetical, feeling like I need another opinion about this whole Cabot Investments thing.

"El, I have a… scenario I could use some feedback on."

"Well I'm strictly against any kind of combination last name. Pick one or the other, and none of this making up new last names…" He's teasing, but quickly loses the smile when he realizes I'm serious.

"I've found out some things-- about Cabot Investments."

"What kind of things Liv? Is this the sort of thing I'm going to wish I don't know later on? And why exactly were you snooping around your fiancée's financial affairs?"

"I needed to be armed for dinner with Mrs. Cabot a few weeks ago."

"I thought you said it went well."

"It did, I mean, I guess it did. She's agreed to leave us alone. But she only agreed after I--" I stop, not wanting to admit that I stooped to her level, "after I threatened her with a trip to the Department of Finance, and a call to the IRS."

"Jesus, Liv… what the hell did you find?"

"That's the thing El, I'm not really sure what I found. You know I've got a head like a rock when it comes to money and numbers. It didn't make any sense to me, but the commentary I found when I was digging around was pretty suggestive, so I ran with it. But Elliot, when I saw the look on her face when I mentioned it. I mean, I thought it was a bluff, that's what I told Alex, but El… Juliana was terrified. I don't know what I've found but whatever it is, it's bad."

"So what's the question Liv? Are you asking me if you should dig around more or what? Because I have to say… I mean-- do you really want to be involved in whatever this is? Mrs. Cabot's agreed to leave the two of you alone, so does it really matter anymore?"

I nod. "What do I tell Alex?"

Elliot sighs, "I don't know Liv. I can't tell you what you should or shouldn't tell you fiancée. Alex is smart, she's probably figured out by now that you haven't told her the whole truth about it. She's not the type to let it fall to the wayside. Do you want her to find out on her own-- or would you rather tell her what you know, tell her what you found, then let her decide if she wants to know more?"

"But it's Alex. If she finds something… I mean if this is as bad as I think it is, don't you think this might be a little conflicting for her? She's a lawyer El, you of all people know that she's first and foremost a lawyer. She finds out her mom's involved in some sort of dirty deals, is she going to be able to live with herself if she doesn't get involved? Will she be able to live with herself if she does?"

"Knowledge is power Olivia. Right now, you have it."

"But I don't know anything."

"Maybe you should find out."

No. Just… no. "No, I don't want to know anymore than I already do. I feel slimy just looking at that paperwork, and I don't even know what most of it means."

"I guess you just leave it for now. It's nothing that can't stay on ice till Alex is actually back in the city right?"

"Yeah, you're right. At the very least she doesn't need to worry about it now."

We stride into the station house and before I get to my locker to collect my bag a woman walks in covered with dried blood, her eyes glazed and her clothes torn-- so much for getting home early.