author's note: Thanks for all the comments and encouragement, everybody. In response to a couple: these chapters seem to be turning out short, I think because I'm attempting to internalize the rhythm of the show, which is often sort of abrupt. BUT, I'm trying to balance this out by updating OFTEN! And I think maybe they'll get longer. Thanks for reading and for your support.
*****
Outside the apartment of Eric and Melanie Pressman/ December 2/ 10:02 PM
*****
Impulsively, Maureen turned to the group of guys surrounding her, her heart thudding in her chest. "Hey, you guys should go home before you get in trouble or something."
"What?" said Oliver, incredulously. "Like we're going to leave you here with all that going on?" He pointed at the zoo of police activity.
Charlie looked ready to charge into the building. "Yeah, seriously, Maureen. Let's go find out what happened to Tessa!"
Her head was, finally, becoming clearer by the second. "You guys. Look over there." She pointed to her father and Olivia, on the sidewalk by the entrance. "That's my dad and his partner."
This was enough to shut all of them up. They stared. Charlie looked up at the building, wondering which blazing windows Tessa was behind.
Maureen watched all of their faces pale underneath the streetlights. "Yeah. And they work for the Special Victims Unit, not just the regular police. Which means something seriously bad is going on."
"Bad with Tessa, do you think?" asked Hector, swallowing.
"I don't know," answered Maureen, hoping that the assumption they had all made was wrong and that it was one of the other tenants in the building who was warranting all this police attention. "But, listen. I'm going to ask my dad, but he would NOT want all of you guys to be hanging around."
Finally, she could see her logic and skills of persuasion beginning to penetrate their slightly drunken skulls. "Well …" said Charlie, starting to back away.
"Are you sure you'll be okay here? With your dad here and all?" said Oliver, and Maureen couldn't help being touched by the real concern she could hear in his voice.
"Yeah, you guys. I'll be fine. And I'll find out about Tessa." She spun away as they all began walked reluctantly back the way they'd come.
As she strode along the sidewalk toward Elliot and Olivia, Maureen took a big breath. What if Tessa was hurt? Or worse …? What if this had nothing to do with Tessa at all and she had to explain to her dad why she was wandering the streets of Manhattan at ten o'clock on a Tuesday night? This was not going to be good.
Amid the confusion, noise, and lights flashing into the darkness, Olivia spied her first. As she walked up, Maureen could see the detective's brow furrow in concern and bewilderment. "Maureen? What are you –"
Elliot was talking to a uniformed police officer. "– yeah, we just got here. Keep the parents separated if you can do that. And we'll need to talk to the babysitter ASAP."
The babysitter. Tessa.
Elliot turned to confer with Olivia, and in doing so realized who was standing there in front of his partner. "Maureen?!"
She could no longer contain herself; the panic took over. "It's the Pressmans, isn't it? What happened to Tessa? Is she okay? Dad, don't be mad –"
But Elliot was so overwhelmed with shock at seeing Maureen that he barely heard what she said. "Maureen. You cannot be here. This is a crime scene – what are you DOING here in the middle of the night?!" His voice was getting louder and his face was flushing redder. She had the distinct and familiar urge to cover her ears.
Olivia, however, had recognized the name. "Elliot, hold on. Maureen, why are you asking about Tessa? Tessa, your roommate?"
Maureen felt her throat becoming hot and thick with worry, against her will. "Yes! Tessa is the babysitter!" she choked out. "Is she okay? What happened?"
Finally, Elliot realized what she was saying, and he and Olivia looked at each over Maureen's head.
"Maureen, you need to stay here," said Elliot, his voice calmer and grave with authority. "Olivia and I were called because something has happened to one of the children at the Pressmans' apartment – we don't know much else yet, okay? We're going upstairs to check out the scene. I will definitely talk to Tessa, and we'll make sure she's okay. All right?"
Maureen was quivering, partly from cold and partly from fear, but she nodded. At least they weren't there to investigate Tessa's murder or something, for God's sake …
Another detective pulled Elliot aside just then, and Olivia turned to Maureen. "You're freezing," she said, and Maureen realized her teeth were beginning to chatter. Olivia took her gently by the upper arm and led her over to one of the uniformed cops, who was standing by his patrol car. "Maureen, this is Officer Chapman," she said, giving the man a look. He understood immediately what she was asking, and opened the door of his car so Maureen could slide into the passenger's seat. The heat was cranked mercifully high, and almost immediately her fingers began to unstiffen.
Before she shut the door, Maureen looked up at Olivia. "What happened to the Pressmans' kid?" she asked, picturing the two little girls that Tessa had described as cute, funny and imaginative.
Olivia's face darkened. "Uh, we're not sure yet," she said. "That's what we need to go up and find out." She smiled reassuringly at Maureen and walked away toward the building, but Maureen could hear in her voice that she knew much more than she was saying.
Sitting in the dark patrol car, Maureen looked out at the scene, which was alive and buzzing with procedure and conversation. The radio in the car was loud and fuzzy; she could barely understand it. Briefly, she was glad that Elliot hadn't thought to ask her if she'd been drinking – but then her mind turned back to what might be happening to Tessa, and the terrible things somebody sick might do to a little girl.
*****
Outside the apartment of Eric and Melanie Pressman/ December 2/ 10:02 PM
*****
Impulsively, Maureen turned to the group of guys surrounding her, her heart thudding in her chest. "Hey, you guys should go home before you get in trouble or something."
"What?" said Oliver, incredulously. "Like we're going to leave you here with all that going on?" He pointed at the zoo of police activity.
Charlie looked ready to charge into the building. "Yeah, seriously, Maureen. Let's go find out what happened to Tessa!"
Her head was, finally, becoming clearer by the second. "You guys. Look over there." She pointed to her father and Olivia, on the sidewalk by the entrance. "That's my dad and his partner."
This was enough to shut all of them up. They stared. Charlie looked up at the building, wondering which blazing windows Tessa was behind.
Maureen watched all of their faces pale underneath the streetlights. "Yeah. And they work for the Special Victims Unit, not just the regular police. Which means something seriously bad is going on."
"Bad with Tessa, do you think?" asked Hector, swallowing.
"I don't know," answered Maureen, hoping that the assumption they had all made was wrong and that it was one of the other tenants in the building who was warranting all this police attention. "But, listen. I'm going to ask my dad, but he would NOT want all of you guys to be hanging around."
Finally, she could see her logic and skills of persuasion beginning to penetrate their slightly drunken skulls. "Well …" said Charlie, starting to back away.
"Are you sure you'll be okay here? With your dad here and all?" said Oliver, and Maureen couldn't help being touched by the real concern she could hear in his voice.
"Yeah, you guys. I'll be fine. And I'll find out about Tessa." She spun away as they all began walked reluctantly back the way they'd come.
As she strode along the sidewalk toward Elliot and Olivia, Maureen took a big breath. What if Tessa was hurt? Or worse …? What if this had nothing to do with Tessa at all and she had to explain to her dad why she was wandering the streets of Manhattan at ten o'clock on a Tuesday night? This was not going to be good.
Amid the confusion, noise, and lights flashing into the darkness, Olivia spied her first. As she walked up, Maureen could see the detective's brow furrow in concern and bewilderment. "Maureen? What are you –"
Elliot was talking to a uniformed police officer. "– yeah, we just got here. Keep the parents separated if you can do that. And we'll need to talk to the babysitter ASAP."
The babysitter. Tessa.
Elliot turned to confer with Olivia, and in doing so realized who was standing there in front of his partner. "Maureen?!"
She could no longer contain herself; the panic took over. "It's the Pressmans, isn't it? What happened to Tessa? Is she okay? Dad, don't be mad –"
But Elliot was so overwhelmed with shock at seeing Maureen that he barely heard what she said. "Maureen. You cannot be here. This is a crime scene – what are you DOING here in the middle of the night?!" His voice was getting louder and his face was flushing redder. She had the distinct and familiar urge to cover her ears.
Olivia, however, had recognized the name. "Elliot, hold on. Maureen, why are you asking about Tessa? Tessa, your roommate?"
Maureen felt her throat becoming hot and thick with worry, against her will. "Yes! Tessa is the babysitter!" she choked out. "Is she okay? What happened?"
Finally, Elliot realized what she was saying, and he and Olivia looked at each over Maureen's head.
"Maureen, you need to stay here," said Elliot, his voice calmer and grave with authority. "Olivia and I were called because something has happened to one of the children at the Pressmans' apartment – we don't know much else yet, okay? We're going upstairs to check out the scene. I will definitely talk to Tessa, and we'll make sure she's okay. All right?"
Maureen was quivering, partly from cold and partly from fear, but she nodded. At least they weren't there to investigate Tessa's murder or something, for God's sake …
Another detective pulled Elliot aside just then, and Olivia turned to Maureen. "You're freezing," she said, and Maureen realized her teeth were beginning to chatter. Olivia took her gently by the upper arm and led her over to one of the uniformed cops, who was standing by his patrol car. "Maureen, this is Officer Chapman," she said, giving the man a look. He understood immediately what she was asking, and opened the door of his car so Maureen could slide into the passenger's seat. The heat was cranked mercifully high, and almost immediately her fingers began to unstiffen.
Before she shut the door, Maureen looked up at Olivia. "What happened to the Pressmans' kid?" she asked, picturing the two little girls that Tessa had described as cute, funny and imaginative.
Olivia's face darkened. "Uh, we're not sure yet," she said. "That's what we need to go up and find out." She smiled reassuringly at Maureen and walked away toward the building, but Maureen could hear in her voice that she knew much more than she was saying.
Sitting in the dark patrol car, Maureen looked out at the scene, which was alive and buzzing with procedure and conversation. The radio in the car was loud and fuzzy; she could barely understand it. Briefly, she was glad that Elliot hadn't thought to ask her if she'd been drinking – but then her mind turned back to what might be happening to Tessa, and the terrible things somebody sick might do to a little girl.