I Know This One
Chapter 6--Attack
A/N: Okay I know I haven't updated since…forever, but something terrible happened. It's called college. The workload has been crazy, I got a new roommate, and life has been all together hectic. But I did manage to write another chapter between classes and studying and working and studying. Enjoy!
Special Victims Unit Squadroom
16 Precinct
Olivia walked into the precinct the next day with a look of worry on her face. She hadn't slept well the night before because she kept replaying that moment in her kitchen over and over again. 'How could I have been so stupid? This is going to screw everything up! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!' While she was mentally beating herself up, she hadn't heard Cragen calling her name numerous times.
"Olivia!" he finally yelled causing his three other detectives to turn and stare.
"Sorry," she apologized.
"Can I see you in my office please?" Cragen asked with a not-so-happy tone. He turned on his heel and trudged back to his office, knowing that Olivia was not far behind. "Close the door," he said once they were both inside. "Now, are you gonna tell me what's wrong with you?"
'I spent the night having crazy sex with my partner while we were supposed to be working on a case,' she wanted to scream but she didn't want to give Cragen a heat attack. "It's nothing," she lied. "Just didn't get too much sleep." 'That's not completely a lie.'
"Look if it's something about the case, you know you can always call me," he offered with a fatherly smile. "Or Munch or Fin or your partner. Hell, call Casey if you have to."
Olivia laughed, "I don't think she'd appreciate me calling her at three in the morning. Casey doesn't strike me as a morning person."
The captain joined her in a laugh, "Yea me either." Then he turned to Olivia a bit more serious, "But you need to deal with this. I can't have you working the street in a daze."
"I know," Olivia sighed. "I promise it's just this once. I'm fine…really." Cragen nodded and she quickly excused herself from his office.
"Got something for you," Elliot shouted as he hung up the telephone.'
I bet you do,' she thought and then mentally scolded herself for having such thoughts at work. "What's that?"
"I just checked with the faculty that runs the chemistry labs at Hudson. She said that the labs are open until 10 p.m. on weeknights but the only ones there other than students are the cleaning staff. It's be pretty easy to sign yourself into a lab until nine, but leave before that."
"We need to find something that tells us he wasn't at that lab," she said snapping into detective mode.
"Elliot, Olivia," Cragen called as he came out of his office. "Warner just called. Said she needs you down at the morgue."
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Medical Examiner's Office
"What d'ya got for us doc?" Elliot called as he and Olivia stepped into the sterile smelling room.
"Well I've got your cause of death on your Banks case," she said holding out a manila folder to the detectives. "She was poisoned."
"That would explain why there were no marks on the neck," Olivia said eyeing the file.
"And none of the other marks were deep enough to cause her to bleed out," Melinda added. "I found traces of nearly ten different chemicals in her bloodstream. The sheer mixture of these chemicals was enough to kill her."
"What kind of chemicals are we talking about?" Elliot asked as he took the folder from Liv and looked over the report. Melinda rattled off the names of several chemicals, all of which sounded German to Elliot.
"Who would have access to these chemicals?" Olivia asked.
"They're commonplace in most laboratories, so students, teachers, cleaning staff," Melinda said before noticing the shared look between the detectives. "You got someone in mind?"
"Yeah," Elliot said handing the file back to the doctor. "A mouthy little chemistry major."
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Special Victims Unit Squadroom
16 Precinct
"Are we still hooked on this Brian kid?" Cragen asked. All four detectives including the captain and Casey were gathered around the evidence board listening to the newest details of he case.
"Well we know he had a motive," Olivia explained. "He admitted to pursuing a relationship with the vic, which she said 'no' to more than once. He was also angry about Melody's obsession with Nathan."
Elliot took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions at the mention of his eldest daughter's boyfriend. "We also have a connection with the cause of death. M.E. said she was poisoned with chemicals that can be found in the University labs."
"But they can also be found at any high school chemistry lab in the city, plus it's possible for anyone to get their hands on that stuff," Casey pointed out. "It's circumstantial at best. Not enough for a warrant."
"But no one else had the connection," Olivia pointed out. "You should have heard the way he talked about her. Like she had really pissed him off."
"Bring him in for questioning," Casey said gathering her things. "But until you get something a little more concrete, we can't touch him."
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Special Victims Unit
Interrogation Room
"I don't want that guy questioning me!" Brian yelled as Munch led him past Elliot and Olivia's desks. "I still have you on police brutality!"
"What is he talking about?" Cragen asked.
"No idea," Olivia said squarely eyeing her partner. Their eyes met and Elliot mouthed a 'Thank You' to which Olivia just smiled. "I'll question him."
"So Brian," Olivia said as she took a seat across the table from him. "Why don't you run me through what you were doing the night that Melody was killed."
"I already told you," he said with disgust.
"I know but run it by me again."
"I was working in the lab until 9, then I stopped by the Student Union for some food and then back to my room."
Olivia nodded and thought for a moment. "Well you see the problem with your story is, there's no one to alibi you for the time you spent in the lab."
"I signed in at six and signed out at nine," Brian offered.
"But who's to say that you didn't sign in at six, leave at seven but write down nine?" Olivia asked with a quizzical tone. "So you see the problem."
"Look I don't know what you're thinking but I was there all night!" he shouted jumping up from his chair and slamming his fists down angrily. "And unless you have something else, I think I'll be heading home now."
Olivia said nothing but watched him leave the interrogation room, following him out. "He's got nothing to hide," she said sarcastically to Elliot and Cragen who were watching from the observation room.
"We need a witness," Elliot sighed. "We need someone that can place him in or around the crime scene."
A knock on the door interrupted the meeting and Fin stuck his head in the door. "Elliot, your daughter's on the phone. She sounds upset."
Elliot excused himself and charged to his desk to pick up his line. "Maureen?"
"Daddy! Daddy you've got to help him," she said close to hysterics.
"Help who sweetie?"
"Nate," she said on the verge of tears. "He was attacked."
Elliot felt his stomach hit the floor as his daughter's words floated through the line into his ears. He'd tried so hard to keep the things he saw everyday from affecting his family; he'd tried to keep them separate. But it always seemed like no matter how hard he'd tried it was never enough. "Where are you Maureen?"
"We're at Mercy General," she explained, her voice cracking with emotion.
"Listen to me sweetie," Elliot tried to keep his voice as calm as possible. "We'll be there as soon as we can. I need you to stay calm Maureen."
"I'll try Dad," she took a deep breath before continuing, "Please hurry."
"I promise we'll be there soon." As much as he didn't want to hang up on her he knew if he was ever going to get out of the station house he would have to. As soon as the receiver hit the base he was swinging his jacket onto his shoulders, digging in the pockets for the keys to the sedan.
"Where are you going?" Olivia asked. The look on Elliot's face told her he was deeply worried about something.
"Mercy General," he said pulling the keys out of his left pocket.
"What happened?" Liv asked shrugging her coat on and falling into step next to him as the pair made their way to the elevator.
"Nate was attacked. Maureen's at the hospital with him."
"Oh my God, is he okay?"
"I don't know," Elliot sighed.
The wheels of Olivia's mind were beginning to spin, causing all kinds of thoughts and theories to run through her brain. "Do you think this was related to Melody in anyway?" she asked suddenly.
Elliot stopped and looked at her. He really hadn't thought about it, but it was possible there was a connection. "I guess we'll find out."
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