As Fin drove Munch to his apartment, he stole glances at the older man and finally decided he'd have to ask John questions to get him started talking.
"What's up bro'? You're awfully quiet," he ventured.
John glanced over at Fin as though he'd almost forgotten he was there. "Sorry, I was a bit lost in my thoughts. The last," John glanced at his watch, "God, has it only been eight hours, well whatever it's been, it's been like an emotional roller coaster. I want to protect Gwen, take all her pain away, love her again, but I'm so eaten up with anger and guilt…"
"Guilt, what have you got to feel guilty about?" Fin asked truly bewildered.
"I just saw the sketch of Gwen's attacker. He bears a striking resemblance to that slime ball Gordon Pratt, the guy who shot my partner and two other Baltimore Homicide detectives I was working with on this simple arrest warrant about ten years ago." John explained to Fin in an agitated manner.
"Now I know it can't be him, because somebody put a 9mm in the back of his head after he was released because we didn't have enough to book him on those three shootings. A lot of folks, including my old pal and fellow owner of the Waterfront Bar Tim Bayliss, thought I was good for Pratt's murder."
Munch finished his explanation, just as they arrived his apartment building. As they got out of the car and headed for the buildings entrance, Fin remembered something from early in their partnership, something about how John couldn't handle the 'Karmic heavy lifting anymore'. He briefly wondered if John was indeed 'good for it' but quickly shoved the thought aside as not matching the man he knew.
"You didn't do him, did ya?" Fin asked in a tone that said he wouldn't believe a confession if John made one.
"No, but not because I didn't want to, I just showed up too late." John stopped Fin by putting a hand on his arm. "But what if this guy believes I killed Pratt?"
"And he's taking his revenge out on you by raping and beating Gwen," Fin finished the thought for John.
"Yeah," John said dejectedly, as he keyed opened his apartment door.
Back at the SVU squad room Cragen, Stabler and Benson were kicking around the same idea.
"So Munch says this guy looks like Gordon Pratt, the guy who shot three Baltimore Homicide cops?" Cragen asked Olivia.
"Yes, only John says he knows the guy is dead, probably killed by someone revenging the three cops. This Pratt was an only child, so John can't quite figure out what's going on," Olivia answered.
"Well let's get the picture on out to the cops in Maryland and the states between here and there and see if this guy's mug rings a bell with anyone, and then lets look up some of the cops John worked with in Baltimore for background information. See if any of them remember anything that might help us out with this case," Cragen ordered.
"You know what I don't get?" Elliot asked rhetorically.
"No, but I'm sure you'll fill us in," Cragen said trying for a little humor to lighten the tense situation. Elliot and Olivia each gave him a slight smile.
"Say someone is pissed off with John because they think he's the guy who took out Pratt," Elliot paused and Cragen nodded indicating he was with him so far. "Well, how would this person know that attacking Gwen would hurt John so much? I mean some guys couldn't give a rat's ass what happens to their ex-wives, in fact, I'm not sure an attack like this would have mattered as much to John if it had been on one of his other ex-wives." Elliot suggested.
"I don't know about that Elliot, underneath that cynical exterior John's got a very tender heart. I'm sure it would have bothered him for any of his ex-wives to be attacked like this," Olivia argued.
"Sure, but Elliot's got a point, Gwen is special to John, how would this rapist know that?"
"Or does he?" a new voice asked.
The three of them whipped their heads around to notice that Brian Cassidy had entered the squad room.
"Brian, what in the world are you doing here?" Captain Cragen asked.
"I heard about John's ex being raped and thought I'd come over and see if I could help out. Where's the old man? Still with Gwen at the hospital?" Brian answered Cragen's question and added a few of his own.
"He might be, although Fin was suppose to get him to go home and get some rest. How'd you learn about this case?" Cragen asked.
"I'm dating a nurse at St. Vincent and she's heard me mention John Munch often enough to know I'd be concerned. So she called me and filled me in as much as she could. I'm on an RDO so I'd be glad to help," Brian offered.
Elliot and Olivia looked at the Captain expectantly. "Sure why not, maybe that way I can even convince Munch to steer clear of the case," Cragen said, though the latter wasn't said with any great conviction.
"I'm going to take a shower. You mind making some coffee?" John asked.
Coffee? You just had coffee with Elliot," Fin said somewhat argumentatively.
"Yes, Coffee," John replied while struggling out of a pullover shirt. "I got about 4 hours of good sleep last night, but I still need some caffeine to keep me going," he explained.
"OK, I'll make coffee, but you only get it if you eat some real food too," Fin countered.
"OK Suzy Homemaker, suit yourself. I'll eat whatever breakfast you can come up with out of that kitchen," John yelled from the bathroom.
"Suzy Homemaker, my ass. I oughta slip something in his damn coffee," Fin grumbled under his breath as he rummaged around John's kitchen to find the makings of breakfast.
John emerged from the bathroom about ten minutes later, a towel wrapped around his waist, briskly toweling dry his hair. "Something smells good," he said.
"Yeah, breakfast. Now go put some clothes on, before staring at your scrawny body makes me lose my appetite," Fin barked.
"Why the hell you staring at my scrawny body, anyway? Pervert!" John yelled from his bedroom teasingly. Fin was glad to see his partner was coming out of his funk and getting back to his usual self.
"These are really good," John said with a note of surprise in his voice after sampling the scrambled eggs Finn had prepared.
"You're just really hungry," Finn replied and smiled at his partner.
"Probably. Hey, I had a brainstorm when I was showering. You know my kid brother Bernie"–
"Not personally," Fin said.
"Shut up," John said with a laugh. " As I was saying, my brother doesn't look that much like me, takes after my Mom's side of the family, and I look a lot like my Dad, but I've got a cousin looks just like me"–
"Poor guy, is he a skinny smart ass just like you?" Fin asked.
"Very funny Tutuola, as I was saying before you interrupted again, this guy who raped Gwen, is probably Pratt's cousin," John concluded.
"Could be, at least it's a good place to start. You know I was wondering a couple of things. What took this guy so long to come after you? And how's he know going after Gwen would be such a good way to hurt you?" Fin asked thoughtfully.
"Maybe he's been out of commission for a while," John said in a wondering tone. "Come on let's get down to the stationhouse. By the way, did you find out when they're going to release Gwen be?" John said picking up his dish and putting it in the sink
"They said between 2 and 3 pm, depended on the doctor's schedule," Fin answered as he added his dish to the sink.
"Good that gives us a few hours to work on this at the squad before I need to go pick her up. I need to find out who has her new keys too," John said sort of thinking out loud as he put on his gun holster, and then grabbed his keys. "Let's go."
Fin and John arrived at the squad room to find Stabler, Benson and Cassidy all working hard. Brian was sitting at Fin's desk.
"Brian what are you doing here?" John asked.
"I heard about what happened to your ex and I wanted to help out," Brian said standing up to shake the older man's hand and give him a hug.
"You know this kid?" Fin said, giving Brian a hard time.
"Yeah, I taught him everything he knows about being a detective. How do you know him?" John asked.
"We worked a few Narc cases together. How you doing Brian?" Fin asked the other detective.
"I'm OK. You watching the old man's back now, huh?"
"Yeah, and vice versa," Fin said.
"Say, hate to break up old home week here, but I got a couple of questions for John," Elliot said.
"Sure, and Fin and I were kicking around a couple of ideas. Maybe this guy is Pratt's cousin or something. We were also thinking that the big lag between when Pratt was shot and when Gwen was raped, might mean this guy was serving time," John explained what he and Fin had been talking about.
"Yeah, we were thinking along the same lines. I was hoping with your experience in Baltimore and the Pratt case in particular you could help us shortcut a few things we need to research," Elliot explained.
The squad plus Brian Cassidy worked on the various ideas, working through a lunch that was carried in and by 1pm they had discovered that Gordon Pratt did indeed have a cousin who resembled him, one Percy Howell. Howell had been serving hard time in Hagerstown for a variety of felonies he had committed and had been paroled a month earlier
"Where's the mug shot that Maryland DOC sent? Let's get a six-pack together and see if Gwen can pick him out, and then, if he's really our guy, we'll set up a search for him," Cragen barked out orders. Elliot nodded and turned to find Munch staring at the picture of the suspect. John's face was blank, but Elliot was sure John was seething inside. Elliot nudged John out of his reverie and they began preparing the six-pack.
"Captain, John promised Gwen he'd pick her up from the hospital and take her to her apartment when they released her today at 2pm. I'll go with him, and show her the six pack then, if that's alright with you," Fin suggested.
"OK, sounds like a plan," Cragen said.
"Captain," Fin said and stepped inside the Captain's office, closing the door behind him.
"Something bothering you, Fin?" the captain asked.
"Yeah, if we're right that this guy Howell is going after John through his ex, don't you think at some point, he's going to go after John directly?' Fin asked.
"He may have tried already, that bomb he put in Gwen's purse may have been meant to take them both out," Cragen suggested.
"Maybe," Fin said dubiously, "Although he may have meant that just to scare her more. What I'm wondering is, don't you think we should have a detail on John?"
"That's not a bad idea, but I suspect John's not going to like it, and it's not like we've got a lot of man power for a babysitting job."
"Yeah, well I think Cassidy would be willing to help me watch John's back, and I suspect there's a couple of other former SVU copss who would be willing to help watch his back." Fin suggested.
"Now that's a good idea. You and Brian go with him to the hospital, and show Gwen the six pack, and then you two baby-sit John. Meanwhile, I'll call Jeffries and Briscoe, see if they can't spare some time to play guardian angel to Munch," Cragen responded.
Fin nodded and headed back out into the squad room.