He turned on the ignition and pulled away from the curb just as Ollivias cell phone went off. She shuffled in her pocket awkwardly, because of the lack of space in the car.
"Benson." she said quietly into the phone. A long pause followed, "Hello?"
Elliot looked away from the road and toward her cocking his head in question. She shrugged and snapped the phone shut. Just as it shut the ringing began again, this time the sound was blairing out of Elliots phone. He reached into his packet and brought it too his ear not turning his attension away from the traffic ahead of him.
"Stabler." he barked into the phone, more forcefully then he had intended. Silence followed. He looked over at Olivia and frowned. "Hello?"
Olivia sat up straight in her seat and looked at him curiously, now interested.
He snapped the phone shut as she had done recently while stopping at a light. "Weird."
Her ringing phone drew their attension once again. Olivia reached for it but Elliot stopped her. "No. Let me."
"It's my phone Elliot." she said crossly swatting his hand away and grabbing the phone. "If this is a joke I'm not amused." she alf shouted into the phone.
"Don't be so aggrivated, Det. Benson." a voice replied, unnervingly calm.
"Who is this?" she demanded into the phone. Elliot stared intently at her, wishing she had just let him awnser the phone.
"Tell me who this is!" Ollivia shouted angrily into the phone.
"Olivia." Elliot said, reaching for the phone. She snapped it shut and shoved it into her pocket.
"They hung up." she said simply.
"Who was it?" he interrogated her.
"How would I know Elliot." she replied irritably.
"I'm sorry." Elliot said, touching her shoulder gently. A loud horn from behind him brought his attension back to the road and the green light ahead of him.
"Oh my god, Elliot!" Olivia exclaimed, rising from her desk and stepping into his personal space. "It has nothing to do with this case! It was just a prank call, let it go!"
Elliot stepped forward further into her personal space and got into her face, "He reffered to you as Det. Benson! It could be our perp and he could be after you! I-"
"ENOUGH!" Cragen bowled over Elliot and Olivias yelling. "Elliot, I agree with Olivia. It's probably just a prank."
"Then why did he call my cell phone as well?" Elliot demanded walking away from Olivia and sitting down at her desk.
"That's not enough to assume it was our perp trying to scare Olivia." Cragen rolled his eyes and looked at Olivia. "Don't worry about it."
"I'm not." she stated, glaring at Elliot. "It's only Stabler who is worrying."
Elliot threw his hands up in the air. Anticipating another argument, Cragen interupted. "Ligman's in the interrogation room."
Both detectives perked up, their attension dropping from eachother, for the moment.
"Does he have an alibi?" Olivia asked.
"Not that we know of, so far." Cragen replied, looking over the both of them. "Olivia, I'm pairing you with Munch to interrogate him."
"What!" Elliot demanded, angrily. He didn't trust Munch with his partner.
"Thats fine with me." Olivia said with a shrug looking over at Elliot, who carried a hurt and angry look upon his face.
"Good, Munch is already with him."
"Ah, Det. Benson!" exclaimed Ligman, leaning back in his chair. "How've you been since our last encounter?"
"I've been good," Olivia said slyly, "And I see you havent been doing very well at all."
Ligmans brow furrowed as he folded his hands behing his head. "How so?"
"Another girl." she shook her head pitifully and gave him a tiny smirk. "It's too bad. No alibi this time?"
He grinned at her seductively, leaned forward resting his elbows on the table and his head on his hands. "And what've you got on me, Detective?"
She smiled sweetly back at him and spoke evenly, "That's not something I'm going to discuss with you."
Munch cleared his troat and walked up beside ligman crouching down to his level, "So, where were you last night at 10:30, Cory?"
"At home, drinking a beer, and watching television." he said cooly looking away from Olivia and at Munch, he furrowed his browed and smiled, "Where were you, John?"
Munch flinched slightly at Ligmans use of his name but hid it gracefully, but Ligman caught it and smiled victoriously. "I was here going through these." Munch threw several pictures in front of Ligman. "Your 'works of art.'" He stood and stepped back.
Ligman smiled at him and looked down at the pictures, grotesque pictures of the four women who were diced into peices. "Those are discusting." Ligman said, his smile never fading as he pushed the pictures to the center of the table. "What reason would I have to kill those women." he paused, "Are they women? I couldent tell."
Olivia stoop up from her place across from him and walked around to squat beside him and put her lips near his ear. "Oh, come on. Don't you remember. You had you fun with them," she paused her voiced raised, "Before you cut them up!" she exclaimed slapping the pictures one by one in front of him.
He shrugged and looked over at her, bringing his face uncomfortably close to hers. He smiled sweetly and said simply, "I didn't do it."
Elliot watched through the glass into the interrogation room. His jaw was painfully clenched and his anger was only growing. He should be in there with her. He watched as Olivia walked over to Ligman and put her face close to his whispering in his ear something he couldent hear. Although he had no right or reason to he felt a pang of jeleousy.
He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He needed to be in there with her.
"Calm down, Elliot." Cragen said from behind him placing a hand on his shoulder, "Its only temperary."
"I want to be in there." he replied, shaking off his captains hand. "I need to be in there."
Cragen sighed, "She's fine without you-"
Elliot whipped around and stared at Cragen angrily, "Don't say that!"
"Why not, Elliot?"
Elliot deflated, and turned away, back to watching Olivia and Munch interrogate Ligman. He heard Cragen sigh and walk out of the room.
"Because I'm not without her." Elliot whispered to himself after Cragen had left.
"He's good." Olivia said. "He's damn good."
"He's composed." Huang said. "You have to break his composure. Make him feel uncomfortable."
Elliot rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, "That's what we've been trying to do."
"And we can't make him uncomfortable because he has the ability to walk at any minute." Olivia cut in, irritated.
"Okay." Huang paused, thinking. "Then try doing the opposite. Make him feel comfortable."
"That's stupid!" Elliot quipped. "Why would we want to make a cerial killer comfortable?"
"Make him comfortable and he'll break." Huang approached Olivia, "He likes you. Flirt with him, make him feel like he has a chance with you, get him to gloat about the murders."
Olivia opened her mouth to speak but Elliot cut her off.
"Absolutely not." Elliot near shouted, standing up, and drawing the attension of everyone.
"Oh, and why not, Elliot?" Olivia said, irritated. She walked up to him and poked him hard in the chest. "I'm not one of your children. You dont have a right to tell me what I can and can't do!"
"Liv, he's a fucking cerial killer! I don't- You shouldent be in that situation." he stuttered, matching her stare with the same intensity.
"Fortunately, you dont have that choice." Olivia stated, simply. She looked over at Huang, "Tell me how to get him to break."