Special Victims Unit Headquarters/ December 3/ 2:38 PM
*****
Olivia was at her desk, flipping through the information that the PICU had given them about all of Melanie Pressman's recent patients. It was not exactly easy reading, especially since several of the children described were in their last days before death. One little boy had been seized by Children's Services in the last stages of fatal starvation and neglect. Three girls had been in a car accident that killed their mother – only one was ever released from the hospital. Others had been in various accidents or were suffering from awful diseases. Everything Olivia read, however, seemed to indicate that Melanie was an expert at treating their damaged bodies and comforting their grieving families, and nothing represented an obvious connection to Nina.
Next she began reading through the notes that Fin and Munch had taken during their follow-up interviews of the Pressman neighbors. They hadn't found anything concrete, but at least two people had reconsidered and reported that it was possible that they had seen a strange man running down the street at about the right time. That was at least more interesting than the 'nothing' they'd insisted they'd seen when the uniforms spoke to them.
Olivia was eager to get to the hospital and speak to Eric again, but she had to wait for Elliot to get back, hopefully in a few minutes – Captain Cragen had asked him to accompany him to the latest press conference about Nina's case.
"Hey, John," she called to Munch, who was wolfing down a sandwich at his desk. "Is there anything worth mentioning about this neighbor who said she thought she heard somebody on the fire escape?"
"She was a little nutty," admitted Munch.
Fin nodded in agreement. "One of your standard Bathrobe Conspiracy Theorists," he said laconically, his eyes sliding across to his partner.
Munch gave him a withering look. "She also reported seeing midnight meetings of the Mafia behind her dumpster for years." He cocked his head thoughtfully. "Not that she couldn't be right, since it's a well-known fact that …" his voice trailed off as he focused on something small and blonde across the room.
Taken aback, Olivia turned to follow his gaze. There, to her surprise, stood Maureen, with Tessa behind her. Olivia hadn't thought it was possible for the girls to look more nervous and uncomfortable than they had the night before, but they did today in the station. She stood up to meet them. "Hi, Maureen," she said. "Hi, Tessa. Are you guys okay? Is there something I can help you with?"
Tessa all but recoiled. Maureen took a deep breath. "Is my dad here?"
"No, he isn't. But he should be back anytime, if you want to wait –"
"No." Maureen squared her shoulders and took Tessa's hand. "Tessa has something she needs to tell, but she doesn't want to say it to my dad."
Olivia searched Maureen's earnest, upturned face and Tessa's ashen, closed features. "Well, sure, okay. Let's go somewhere where we can talk, all right?" Maureen nodded, and Olivia steered the two of them into an interview room, looking over her shoulder at Munch and Fin to make sure they knew what was going on.
Olivia sat the two girls at the table. "Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?" Both shook their heads, and Olivia slid into a chair across from them. She watched them, noting that while she certainly looked worried, Maureen was as lovely and glowing as ever under the dim lights. Tessa, though, looked pale and exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes.
Maureen touched Tessa's hand, gently. "Go on," she said under her breath. "Tell her."
Tessa inhaled, and looked into Olivia's eyes. "Last night, I didn't –" But she stopped. Olivia saw something change in her green eyes, something harden.
"You didn't what?" she prodded. But Tessa would say no more, and she simply looked at Maureen in apology, deflated.
Olivia cleared her throat. "Tessa, listen," she began. "If you have information about what happened to Nina, you need to tell us. It could make a difference in whether we catch this guy." She caught Tessa's eye again. "Tessa, I know that you care about Nina."
She looked back resolutely. "I do care about Nina," she said sincerely. "And I told Mr. Stabler everything I know about who attacked her last night."
Maureen's jaw was hanging open. "Tessa," she hissed.
Olivia took one last look at the two of them sitting before her and made a decision. "Okay, here's the deal. Maureen, I need you to give Tessa and me a couple of minutes."
Neither of them looked happy about this. "But —" protested Maureen.
"You can sit at my desk," Olivia insisted. "Or your dad's. There are plenty of people out there if you need anything."
Reluctantly, Maureen rose and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Tessa watched her go, then turned back to Olivia.
"Really," she started, "there's nothing else to tell."
Olivia leaned back. "Why don't you tell me where Mr. Pressman really was last evening while you were babysitting?"
Tessa lifted her chin. "He was at a department meeting. He's an English professor."
Olivia shook her head calmly. "No, Tessa, he wasn't."
"Of course he was. He was at his meeting and Dr. Pressman was at the hospital, working. She works a lot of nights," she continued. "That's why they need babysitters so much. Nina and Maya are really sweet kids, you know. The whole family is really sweet."
"Do you know how serious it is to tell a lie to a police officer?"
Tessa leaned forward, angry. "Yes! And I'm not lying – Professor Pressman told me he was at a department meeting, and so I'm sure that's where he was!"
Olivia tried a different tactic. "So what did Maureen drag you in here for? She said you had something to tell. What was it?"
Tessa said nothing, only crossed her arms and stared at the table.
Olivia was quite frustrated by the obstinacy of this girl, but she also remembered the genuine concern for Nina and Maya she'd seen on her face. She was certain that Tessa knew where Eric had really been, and maybe even some other relevant details, but she was also sure that her motivations for keeping her silence were not malicious. Her demeanor had, so far, been very hesitant and submissive except when she was talking about the little girls.
Olivia rested her chin on one hand. "Listen. The truth about Professor Pressman is going to come out, whether you tell me right now or not." Tessa sighed, but Olivia continued. "I know that you don't want to tell on him because of the girls."
Tessa was visibly surprised by this insight. She said nothing, but a question rose to the surface of her eyes.
"She's running a fever," Olivia answered. "It's pretty serious. But don't give up on her yet, okay?" Tessa nodded.
Olivia glanced at the door. "I need you to go out and send Maureen in. And don't go anywhere until she's finished." Tessa winced at this, but obeyed.
In came Maureen, visibly more assured than her roommate. She sat down in the chair still warm from Tessa. She scrutinized Olivia's face, boldly. "She didn't tell you, did she?" The detective didn't answer this, and Maureen expelled a huffy breath. "I hate this!"
"It's pretty tough on her, isn't it?"
"Yeah," agreed Maureen, grateful for the empathy in Olivia's voice. "I mean, think how terrible it would be to find a little girl all hurt like that, when she'd been fine just before?"
Briefly, Olivia's mind zipped through the multitudes of young, ravaged victims she'd seen over the years, and marveled at Maureen's innocence. "She cares a lot about them, huh?"
Maureen nodded. "She said they're really cute kids. They like to dance and sing and do artwork, I guess."
Olivia leaned in further. "Maureen, I know Tessa's trying to protect Nina and Maya. So I need you to tell me – where was Professor Pressman last night?"
The pretty jaw gaped. "Me?"
Olivia nodded. "I know she's told you."
"But I'm not going to betray my friend like that!"
The detective was shaking her head again. "Maureen, this is not about betraying Tessa. I know you want to be loyal to her, and you can do that by being there for her while she deals with this. But right now, you need to think about that little girl. Her father was not at a department meeting last night. Where was he?"
Maureen's throat was beginning to thicken, but she looked into Olivia's dark eyes and swallowed hard. "The bastard was with the student he's been dating."
"What student?"
"I don't know her. She's a sophomore."
Olivia pressed harder. "What's her name?"
This was Maureen's limit. "Lacey Goldstone," she choked out, and her face crumpled.
Olivia let out the breath she'd been holding without realizing it, and both she and Maureen looked up at a noise. The door opened, and in walked Elliot, his face stormy.
TBC
*****
Olivia was at her desk, flipping through the information that the PICU had given them about all of Melanie Pressman's recent patients. It was not exactly easy reading, especially since several of the children described were in their last days before death. One little boy had been seized by Children's Services in the last stages of fatal starvation and neglect. Three girls had been in a car accident that killed their mother – only one was ever released from the hospital. Others had been in various accidents or were suffering from awful diseases. Everything Olivia read, however, seemed to indicate that Melanie was an expert at treating their damaged bodies and comforting their grieving families, and nothing represented an obvious connection to Nina.
Next she began reading through the notes that Fin and Munch had taken during their follow-up interviews of the Pressman neighbors. They hadn't found anything concrete, but at least two people had reconsidered and reported that it was possible that they had seen a strange man running down the street at about the right time. That was at least more interesting than the 'nothing' they'd insisted they'd seen when the uniforms spoke to them.
Olivia was eager to get to the hospital and speak to Eric again, but she had to wait for Elliot to get back, hopefully in a few minutes – Captain Cragen had asked him to accompany him to the latest press conference about Nina's case.
"Hey, John," she called to Munch, who was wolfing down a sandwich at his desk. "Is there anything worth mentioning about this neighbor who said she thought she heard somebody on the fire escape?"
"She was a little nutty," admitted Munch.
Fin nodded in agreement. "One of your standard Bathrobe Conspiracy Theorists," he said laconically, his eyes sliding across to his partner.
Munch gave him a withering look. "She also reported seeing midnight meetings of the Mafia behind her dumpster for years." He cocked his head thoughtfully. "Not that she couldn't be right, since it's a well-known fact that …" his voice trailed off as he focused on something small and blonde across the room.
Taken aback, Olivia turned to follow his gaze. There, to her surprise, stood Maureen, with Tessa behind her. Olivia hadn't thought it was possible for the girls to look more nervous and uncomfortable than they had the night before, but they did today in the station. She stood up to meet them. "Hi, Maureen," she said. "Hi, Tessa. Are you guys okay? Is there something I can help you with?"
Tessa all but recoiled. Maureen took a deep breath. "Is my dad here?"
"No, he isn't. But he should be back anytime, if you want to wait –"
"No." Maureen squared her shoulders and took Tessa's hand. "Tessa has something she needs to tell, but she doesn't want to say it to my dad."
Olivia searched Maureen's earnest, upturned face and Tessa's ashen, closed features. "Well, sure, okay. Let's go somewhere where we can talk, all right?" Maureen nodded, and Olivia steered the two of them into an interview room, looking over her shoulder at Munch and Fin to make sure they knew what was going on.
Olivia sat the two girls at the table. "Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?" Both shook their heads, and Olivia slid into a chair across from them. She watched them, noting that while she certainly looked worried, Maureen was as lovely and glowing as ever under the dim lights. Tessa, though, looked pale and exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes.
Maureen touched Tessa's hand, gently. "Go on," she said under her breath. "Tell her."
Tessa inhaled, and looked into Olivia's eyes. "Last night, I didn't –" But she stopped. Olivia saw something change in her green eyes, something harden.
"You didn't what?" she prodded. But Tessa would say no more, and she simply looked at Maureen in apology, deflated.
Olivia cleared her throat. "Tessa, listen," she began. "If you have information about what happened to Nina, you need to tell us. It could make a difference in whether we catch this guy." She caught Tessa's eye again. "Tessa, I know that you care about Nina."
She looked back resolutely. "I do care about Nina," she said sincerely. "And I told Mr. Stabler everything I know about who attacked her last night."
Maureen's jaw was hanging open. "Tessa," she hissed.
Olivia took one last look at the two of them sitting before her and made a decision. "Okay, here's the deal. Maureen, I need you to give Tessa and me a couple of minutes."
Neither of them looked happy about this. "But —" protested Maureen.
"You can sit at my desk," Olivia insisted. "Or your dad's. There are plenty of people out there if you need anything."
Reluctantly, Maureen rose and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Tessa watched her go, then turned back to Olivia.
"Really," she started, "there's nothing else to tell."
Olivia leaned back. "Why don't you tell me where Mr. Pressman really was last evening while you were babysitting?"
Tessa lifted her chin. "He was at a department meeting. He's an English professor."
Olivia shook her head calmly. "No, Tessa, he wasn't."
"Of course he was. He was at his meeting and Dr. Pressman was at the hospital, working. She works a lot of nights," she continued. "That's why they need babysitters so much. Nina and Maya are really sweet kids, you know. The whole family is really sweet."
"Do you know how serious it is to tell a lie to a police officer?"
Tessa leaned forward, angry. "Yes! And I'm not lying – Professor Pressman told me he was at a department meeting, and so I'm sure that's where he was!"
Olivia tried a different tactic. "So what did Maureen drag you in here for? She said you had something to tell. What was it?"
Tessa said nothing, only crossed her arms and stared at the table.
Olivia was quite frustrated by the obstinacy of this girl, but she also remembered the genuine concern for Nina and Maya she'd seen on her face. She was certain that Tessa knew where Eric had really been, and maybe even some other relevant details, but she was also sure that her motivations for keeping her silence were not malicious. Her demeanor had, so far, been very hesitant and submissive except when she was talking about the little girls.
Olivia rested her chin on one hand. "Listen. The truth about Professor Pressman is going to come out, whether you tell me right now or not." Tessa sighed, but Olivia continued. "I know that you don't want to tell on him because of the girls."
Tessa was visibly surprised by this insight. She said nothing, but a question rose to the surface of her eyes.
"She's running a fever," Olivia answered. "It's pretty serious. But don't give up on her yet, okay?" Tessa nodded.
Olivia glanced at the door. "I need you to go out and send Maureen in. And don't go anywhere until she's finished." Tessa winced at this, but obeyed.
In came Maureen, visibly more assured than her roommate. She sat down in the chair still warm from Tessa. She scrutinized Olivia's face, boldly. "She didn't tell you, did she?" The detective didn't answer this, and Maureen expelled a huffy breath. "I hate this!"
"It's pretty tough on her, isn't it?"
"Yeah," agreed Maureen, grateful for the empathy in Olivia's voice. "I mean, think how terrible it would be to find a little girl all hurt like that, when she'd been fine just before?"
Briefly, Olivia's mind zipped through the multitudes of young, ravaged victims she'd seen over the years, and marveled at Maureen's innocence. "She cares a lot about them, huh?"
Maureen nodded. "She said they're really cute kids. They like to dance and sing and do artwork, I guess."
Olivia leaned in further. "Maureen, I know Tessa's trying to protect Nina and Maya. So I need you to tell me – where was Professor Pressman last night?"
The pretty jaw gaped. "Me?"
Olivia nodded. "I know she's told you."
"But I'm not going to betray my friend like that!"
The detective was shaking her head again. "Maureen, this is not about betraying Tessa. I know you want to be loyal to her, and you can do that by being there for her while she deals with this. But right now, you need to think about that little girl. Her father was not at a department meeting last night. Where was he?"
Maureen's throat was beginning to thicken, but she looked into Olivia's dark eyes and swallowed hard. "The bastard was with the student he's been dating."
"What student?"
"I don't know her. She's a sophomore."
Olivia pressed harder. "What's her name?"
This was Maureen's limit. "Lacey Goldstone," she choked out, and her face crumpled.
Olivia let out the breath she'd been holding without realizing it, and both she and Maureen looked up at a noise. The door opened, and in walked Elliot, his face stormy.
TBC