Stabler Residence

Glen Oaks, Queens New York

September 1

Maureen hands Elliot his dinner and his beer. He smiles and she sits beside him on the couch. The eat in total silence. Maureen is the first to break it, "You wanna know why I did it?"

"Nope."

"Bull. You're a cop; you always wanna know they why."

"And are you telling me because you feel like you should or because you think you should?"

"More like…I need to tell you. And it helps to say it out loud."

Elliot sits his dinner down and turns his full attention to her. He sighs, as if to prepare for what she has to say.

"When you and Mom first separated, I assured myself that it was just temporary; that you guys would talk and make up. But….every time you guys tried to talk….it just ended up in screaming. So, I knew the divorce was just some paperwork and time away."

Maureen puts her dinner down. She wipes away a few stray tears, gathers herself and continues, "I was so glad to be in classes, so I didn't have to stay with Mom and all. And I never you could catch you here…and sometimes, the only reason I would go to mass at all was to see you. And you always looked….sad, to oversimplify. Even though you tried to make us all not see it. You were miserable and I think I felt that more than anyone."

Elliot offers her a tissues, which she graciously accepts, "Thanks. But, uh, with you all broody and weepy…you weren't Dad. She broke you…and left you less of what you were to me. I mean, how can you DO that to someone you're supposed to love. So, I asked HER that?"

"And…what did she say?"

Maureen laughs, "She just freaked out. Went ballistic. Started screaming at me, said that this whole mess was my fault….said, uh, if I wasn't here, she wouldn't have to deal with it. That…..you guys wouldn't have gotten married…ever." She leans over and puts her head in her hands. "How could she….I watched you guys….you looked so happy together…."

"Well, maybe I'm a good actor."

"Funny. She said the same thing about herself. Which tells me you're both liars. But, anyways, in the midst of this argument….her boyfriend comes from downstairs…I was speechless. You could have punched me right in the face and got no reaction. She tried to deny it….I told her I wasn't a child or that stupid. I said I was disappointed…and ashamed to be her daughter….then, she punched me."

Elliot grabs her by the shoulders and forces her to look at him, "What."

"Yeah, punched me. Right in the face….made my nose bleed. She didn't even say she was sorry. So….I left. Went back to my dorm. My room mate noticed…I told her it was crap, nothing. But like my parents, I'm a bad liar. I told her everything….everything. She said she could help. And that night, I took my first hit of x. And to be honest…it did help. I DID feel better."

She crawls into Elliot's lap, much like a hurt child, "And after that…I couldn't stop. I was taking hits just to make it through dinner at her place….I was even high at church once, just couldn't stand it. Thank God I got caught….I knew that guy was I sold to was undercover…."

"How…no one knows…"

"Please….I can smell a cop a mile away. Maybe since I knew that I couldn't ask for help…that being punished was the only way out," She looks up, fear in her eyes, "I could have given myself brain damage using that crap…..oh, Daddy, I'm so sorry…."

She sobs quietly in his arms. He strokes her hair and searches for the words to say, but there are non. He appears to be struggling with her story himself, "No baby girl….I'm sorry. For letting you suffer….in silence."