Lyrics from "Cop Killer" by Ice-T/Body Count

I've got my black shirt on, I've got my black gloves on, I've got my ski mask on, this shit has been too long
I've got my twelve-inch sawed off
I've got my headlights turned off
I'm 'bout to bust some shots off
I'm 'bout to dust some cops off!
-gun shots-
I'ma cop killer, better you than me
Cop killer, fuck police brutality!
Cop killer, I know your family's grievin', fuck 'em
Cop killer, but tonight we get even
Got my brain on hype
Tonight'll be your night
I got this long ass knife, and your neck looks just right!
Now my adrenaline's pumpin', I've got my stereo bumpin'
I'm out to kill me somethin'
A pig stopped me for nothin'!

Munch pulled his rental car into a parking space and shut off the engine. He mentally collected his thoughts, trying to get his story together. After a nearly two hour long plane ride and a thirty-minute drive, he was sitting outside of the Lewiston Police Department. Flipping up the collar on his signature black trench coat and donning his black fedora, he climbed out of the car and headed inside.

The place looked just like a small town police station should. Small space, cubicles, donuts and coffee galore, and about six pairs of curious, yet mistrusting eyes trained his way.

Munch flashed his badge. "I'm looking for Sheriff Loren," he said by way of greeting. "I'm Detective John Munch, Manhattan SVU."

Long pause. "I'll get him," said a deputy who looked way too overweight to be a cop. Munch waited patiently as the remaining five pairs of eyes continued to study him.

"This has to be the quietest squad room I've ever been in," Munch deadpanned. "Who died?"

Silence.

"Detective Munch?" He turned at the sound of his name and was greeted with another surprise. Sheriff Tony Loren was a young woman in her mid-thirties. Surprise, surprise.

"Please follow me back into my office," she said pleasantly. Munch tipped his hat to the deputies and followed the sheriff into her immaculately kept office.

"Please have a seat," she said motioning to a plush chair. "I have to say, I can't imagine what business would bring a Manhattan sex crimes detective to sleepy Lewiston."

"Actually, I'm here in more of an 'off-duty' capacity," Munch said, in a conspiratorial tone. As he predicted, the sheriff leaned in, eager to hear more. "A friend of mine used to live in this town and he asked me to come and look into the murder of his father." Munch had no idea if Elliot still had ties to the place, and he knew he was taking a huge gamble. He had done some research and had found that he no longer had family in the area, but still the risk was great. He was betting on the assumption that if Elliot lied about the place meant that he had written it off.

"Who's your friend?"

"Elliot Stabler, his father-"

"Oh, Elliot!" she exclaimed, recognition coloring her face.

"You know him?"

"Of course," Loren said, flipping her hand. "My younger brother used to run with him in high school, they were in the same class. They were two classes behind me. How is he? What's he up to these days?"

"What a coincidence," Munch said. "He's a teacher….middle school Geography and coaches wrestling. I can't believe you know him."

"Well, that's how small towns work Detective Munch," she said smiling. "We're all connected in some way, and everyone knows everyone. Where are you from?"

"Baltimore, originally. So, you remember his father's death I presume?"

"Well, I was actually in college down in New York City at the time," she said, scrunching her face up in recollection. "Paul and Elliot were seniors then. It was really tragic, I remember coming to visit for a weekend, and the town was pretty shook. We weren't used to cops getting killed back then. We still aren't."

Munch nodded, digesting this. "But they never found who did it?"

"No, it's still an open case," she said earnestly. "So, that's why you're here? To try and solve the murder? Cop killers get the death penalty in this state as you know."

"Hopefully," Munch said. "I would like to see the case file."

"Sure, give me two seconds."

Munch waited in her office as two seconds turned into twenty minutes. Hastily, she re-entered the room, a manila folder in her hand. "I'm sorry, our filing system isn't exactly efficient. Here you go, I'll leave you alone."

"Thanks," Munch said, his fingers itching in anticipation. "Can I come find you if I have anymore questions?"

"Of course," she smiled, on her way out.

Munch flipped open the folder and perused the file. On the night of April 1, Deputy Stabler received a personal phone call at the station. He reported to the sheriff at the time that his wife was in need of assistance and that he would need to clock out for a couple of hours. Permission granted, Deputy Stabler left the station at 8:09 p.m. and never returned to his shift. His body was found three days later. He had suffered two stab wounds and a gunshot to the head, which was the official cause of death. The medical examiner also determined that he had been tied up and beaten prior to the gunshot.

The Sheriff's office had six suspects at the time of the investigation, all six subsequently cleared. The wife was never considered a suspect because she was in the presence of 20 other members of a Women's Book Club at the time of the bogus phone call. One suspect was a shop owner whose ongoing feud with the police officer was famous around town. Two suspects were known hooligans that had had a run in with Stabler earlier that evening after he caught them attempting to tag the side of a store. One was reported as threatening to kill "the pig" that had confiscated their paint.

Then there was Elliot and his 15-year-old brother, James. James had missed his track practice after school that day, but it was later determined that he was at a friends house engaged in activity with "illegal narcotics." Elliot was also MIA during the time of the murder but was given an alibi by his girlfriend, who the police also questioned.

Munch's heart stopped as he read through the interview notes with the girlfriend. It wasn't so much what was said, but who was saying it.

Olivia Benson.

Munch shut the file and sat back. It couldn't be a coincidence. He let this shocking information sink in. The attitude and palpable animosity on Elliot's part when Olivia became his partner. The way they sometimes looked at each other as if some unspoken communication was transpiring between them. It couldn't be a coincidence. But like a good cop, he would double check.

He stood up and looked out the door. Catching Loren's eye, she immediately came over to her office.

"Find anything pertinent?" she asked.

"Actually I wanted to ask you to jog your memory. Did you know an Olivia Benson?"

Loren leaned against the corner of her desk. "Yeah…I knew of her, yeah, she dated Elliot for a little while," she slowly nodded. "Olivia was one of those tragic girls."

Munch's ears perked up. "Excuse me? 'Tragic'?"

Loren colored. "Well," she said, embarrassed, "her mom was one of the town drunks and she slept around quite a bit. It was rumored that she was sleeping with a married man, but I think it was just a rumor. I didn't know Olivia very well, she was a loner but very smart. I had a chemistry class with her and she could really get the stuff. She missed a lot of school though."

Munch went in for the closer. "What was her mother's name, do you remember?"

"…Sam…Serena…yes, Serena," Loren said, sure of herself. "Olivia and Serena left town not too long after Elliot's father was killed. Paul told me that Elliot had a rough time of it, I guess he really loved her even if they hadn't been dating that long. That, plus his father being murdered, took a toll on him."

Munch thanked Loren for her help and left the sheriff's office. He promised to say hello to Elliot for Loren. It was all he could do to contain his excitement as he climbed into his car and punched Jeffries' number into his cell phone.

"Lo?"

"Mo? It's John?"

"What's going on," she asked in a sleepy voice.

"…What time is it? It's almost three o'clock, why are you still in bed?" he asked, pulling out of the parking lot.

"Late night," was all she said. "Where are you?"

"In Lewiston."

Silence.

"Mo, I got something big."

"John, I told you. I told you to stay away from this…" Even as she said it, her own curiosity got the best of her. When she had warned John to mind his own business it was simply because she didn't think anything would really come of it. But the excitement of John's voice in the receiver had her on edge.

He told her everything he had found out, leaving the big surprise for last. "…and you know who his girlfriend was? Olivia Benson."

"Who…what? Our Olivia Benson?"

"The one and only."

"Get the fuck out."

"Now, my question is this: Why hasn't Olivia stepped forward and admitted that she knew Elliot was lying? And why hasn't she volunteered that they knew each other, dated each other even, back then?"

Monique took in a sharp breath. "Because she also has something to hide." She concluded. "John, go back to your hotel and stay put until I can get a flight out."

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