Elliot buttoned his coat against the wind as he stepped out of the McDonald's where he and Fin had just eaten with the local sergeant. Across the street, uniforms patrolled the now empty crime scene, occasionally accosted by reporters demanding statements.
The sergeant, Babson, said, "We're gonna keep a visible presence in the area over the weekend, so if anyone remembers anything or comes forward as a witness, you'll be the first to know." He shook hands with both Elliot and Fin before striding purposefully toward the cordoned-off area.
The two SVU detectives walked in the other direction, toward their car. When he judged they were out of earshot, Elliot said, "So do you think he meant he'll actually call us first, or we'll be the first to know after he's done briefing the local NBC affiliate?"
Fin let out a snort of laughter. "You see the way he was almost droolin' when he found out Cragen wasn't here to do the meet n' greet? Man, these future police commissioners live for these kinda crimes." He paused. "Sick bastards."
"Too bad that some of 'em are on our side," Elliot replied, unlocking the car doors. He turned on the engine and cranked the heat. His cell phone rang just as the airflow changed from cold to lukewarm. "Yeah?" he answered, more abrasively than he'd intended.
He was taken completely off guard when Lizzie's voice greeted him. "Dad, can I go to a sleep-over at Jenny's house tonight? Mom said I had to ask you before she'd say yes."
"Sweetie, why are you calling me at work for something like that?"
"Mom said I couldn't go unless you said it was all right! So, can I?"
Elliot wondered why his wife was suddenly seeking his advice. He tried to call up an image of Jenny, of her parents, but was unsuccessful. He decided to take the safe route. "Let me talk to mom."
Lizzie sighed dramatically, but her shout echoed through the phone as she called for her mother. Elliot heard her distant voice saying, "Dad wants to talk to you."
A moment later, Kathy was on the line. "Hi."
"Hi. So what's up?"
"Oh, Lizzie's friend Jenny asked her if she wanted to sleep over tonight and I told Lizzie it was okay as long as you said it was okay."
"Uh-huh. That's it?"
"That's it," she repeated.
His police logic suddenly kicked in. For some reason, Kathy didn't want Lizzie to go to Jenny's, but she didn't want to be the bad guy, so she was making him be the one to say no. He felt a flash of anger, but quashed it by bringing up legitimate concerns. "Is there some reason she shouldn't go? Bad neighborhood, untrustworthy parents, that kind of thing?"
"Elliot, her parents are Mike and Lisa…they go to our church, live a few blocks away…"
As Kathy went through her checklist, he gradually remembered the family. He couldn't see a reason why Kathy wouldn't want Lizzie spending the night at their house. He interrupted, saying, "Yeah, I remember them. They're nice people."
"Of course they are."
"Then why are you telling Lizzie to call and get my permission?"
"Because you're her father and I think you should be involved!"
Elliot was struck by the emphasis placed she placed on 'involved,' and suddenly saw how deeply he had misjudged his wife's intentions. She was including him in parental decisions to make him feel how distant he was from them. He felt the anger he'd worked to quell earlier in the conversation seeping into his tone. "Do you think I like being away from you all the time? That I enjoy spending Friday night at work instead of …?"
Kathy cut him off, "We're not having this fight. Not now and not over the phone. A simple yes or no for Lizzie will be fine for now."
He held his temper, not allowing his frustration to affect his voice any more as he answered tersely, "If it's fine with you, it's fine with me."
"Good. I take it we shouldn't be expecting you tonight?"
For someone who didn't want to start a fight, she was certainly trying to bait him. He didn't nibble. "I don't know. It depends on how the case goes."
"Well, good luck with that."
"Kathy…" He knew she was fishing for an apology. She was fast becoming the most manipulative person he'd ever met. Or maybe it just seemed that way because she was manipulating him. And the night before everything had seemed to be all right… He sighed, resigning himself to whatever was going to come, mountain or molehill, from missing another night at home. "Kiss the kids for me. I love you. Goodnight."
She responded almost mechanically, "I love you too." The dial tone that followed contained more emotion than her voice. He snapped the phone shut and shoved it roughly into his coat pocket.
Only after he had done this did he remember that Fin was sitting in the car with him. Turning sheepishly, he was relieved to find that his colleague was facing away, talking on his own cell phone. "Yeah, we'll see you there in a little bit then. Thanks, Olivia."
"What's up?" Elliot asked after Fin hung up.
"Everybody's goin' to the morgue. We're meetin' 'em there."
"Right." Elliot shifted the car into drive and made a u-turn in the street. Clicking on the radio, he found a news station. They rode in the company of a report on the rising rate of car thefts in the five boroughs.
After a few blocks, Fin interrupted a debate on the war in Iraq to ask, "Everything okay? Uh, with your family, I mean."
"Um…" Elliot began, unsure of what to say. What was going on with his family?
Fin seemed to take the lack of response as an accusation. "I wasn't tryin' to eavesdrop, but it ain't exactly a giant car…"
"No, I just don't really know what to say. It just seems like every time I talk to Kathy I'm trying to avoid a fight. Or something." Elliot was grateful that Fin didn't pursue the conversation further.
The arrived at the morgue a few minutes later. Elliot parked next to Eckerson's Suburban, feeling the slightest twinge of satisfaction when he threw his door open and it collided with the side of the SUV, leaving a barely noticeable mark.
He shivered as he pushed open the door to the morgue, having only a moment to contemplate the lack of temperature difference indoors and out before he heard shouting. Indistinct words echoed through the frozen halls in a familiar voice. Elliot increased his pace, rounding the corner in time to see his partner and Eckerson disappear in Warner's office behind a slamming door.
He glanced at the stunned faces that greeted his arrival. "What's going on?"
No one managed to answer, but Cragen pointed to a piece of paper on a table. The gesture produced a vague recollection of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come pointing to Scrooge's own grave in the play Elliot had attended at the twins school just before Christmas break.
He remained impassive as he read the note, willing himself to wake up in familiar surroundings with his family safely contained around him. When no such thing happened, he calmly removed his phone from his pocket and dialed.