10:15 - 55th Precinct

Sully shifted his weight in the chair across the table from the victim, his eyes darting from her to Ty. They had been sitting in an empty interrogation room for the last twenty minutes, trying to pry information about her assailant out of her to no avail. She sat huddled under a worn thermal blanket, her shaky hands cradling the styrofoam cup of coffee he had handed her moments ago. A small compassionate frown formed on his lips as he watched her eyes close as she inhaled a tendril of steam. With her diminutive size and clothes that were far too big, she appeared even more fragile. "We can get this scum bag off the streets if you just tell us who he is." Sully urged. "Keep him from using you or some other woman as a heavy bag. At least give us your name."

She shook her head slowly. They didn't understand. Noone ever would. "Cassandra Connor. I'm twenty-nine years old and as for residence..." She let out a dry laugh. "You can put a question mark in that box."

Sully let out a quiet sigh and jotted down the first bit of information she had given them. Setting the pen down, he peered intently at her. The medics had looked her over at the scene, clearing her to go to the station. Her cheekbones boasted nasty swellings under her green eyes. The right one seemed to be the favored spot. Their perp was possibly left handed then. Her shoulder length blonde hair was dirty, her clothes had definitely seen better days, and dried blood mottled in with the grime on her face and hands. Nothing about her said hooker, so he was assuming she was one of New York's many homeless.

Ty locked eyes with Sully and jerked his head toward the door. Moments later, him and Sully stood in the corridor outside the room. "We've had her in there forever now, Sull. You think we are going to get anything else out of her?"

"She's scared, Ty. Who ever did this to her, has her spooked." Sully stated, glancing back towards the room. "I'm not giving up. Not yet."

Ty nodded and shrugged placatingly. No use getting the big guy all riled up. "Alright. I just don't think she's gonna talk. That's all I'm saying."

Sully gave his partner a reproachful scowl. "You who practically takes every troubled soul he runs into home like a stray puppy? You are calling it quits on me, Davis?"

Ty put his hands up and spread them in an apologetic gesture. "You wanna waste your time, Sully, go right ahead." Now came the look that set off warning bells. It was the look Sully gave him every time he was starting to get angry.

"Go make yourself useful, Ty. Run her name through the system and see what you come up with." Sully shot over his shoulder before stepping back into the room. He gave the young woman a reassuring smile before lifting a thigh to settle his rear on the edge of the table.

Cassandra sat there with her eyes closed after the officers left her alone with her thoughts. She took deep breaths, savoring the rich, soothing aroma of the coffee and the heat it radiated through the cup. It had been so long since she felt any real warmth. It had been so dark in the basement of that warehouse. Dark, damp, and had slow chill that seeped deep into her bones and rooted there. She dismally wondered if she would ever rid herself of that chill. The door opened and she jerked with a start, the scalding coffee sloshing dangerously over the rim of the cup. A quiet hiss of pain escaped her lips as the liquid splashed onto her hands. Turning, her eyes shot to the door fearfully. She slumped, relaxing a bit at the genuinely warm smile on Officer Sullivan's face.

"I never said thank you. I should thank you. He would have killed me if you hadn't stopped when you did." She whispered.

Sully reached out and gently patted her arm, not missing the way she flinched at the soft touch. "No problem. Just doin' my job, Ma'am." He said soothingly. He was glad Ty had been droning on about his latest sexual conquest, driving him half insane and forcing him to look out the window in an attempt to escape the uncomfortable conversation.

She was indeed lucky he had spotted the movement in the dim shadows of that alley. Damn lucky he had slowed way down and shone his spotlight into the darkness, chasing her assailant away. Not so fortunate that there had been a maze of alleys behind the one she had been in and hundreds of doors that provided the scum bag enough opportunity to elude Ty. Now, he wanted nothing more than to catch the son-of-a-bitch that did this to her. She was the fourth woman in a month who had been brutally beaten in an alley. A light rap on the long window drew him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Ty standing there motioning for him.

Sully patted her arm again and stood. "Sit tight for a sec. I'll be right back." He stepped out, gently shutting the door behind him and shook his head. "What do ya got?" He asked Ty, eyeing the paper in his hand.