Chapter Two
Saint Andrew's High School
8:03 am
"So you found her?"
"Actually, she found us," explained Olivia.
"Oh thank the lord," said the headmistress of Saint Andrew's High School. "She is an extraordinary girl. Gets A's in all her classes and I never had to speak with her. It's a shame that she was taken advantage of. She most definitely did not deserve it."
"Bad things happen to good people," said Fin.
"Could you tell us who her friends are?" asked Munch. "We'd like to ask some of them a couple of questions."
"Yes, she's very good friends with Francie Durden and Brenda Indo. Would you like me to call them down here?" asked the headmistress.
"Do it one at a time, that would be wonderful, sister," said Munch. "And could you also call down Tina Steele. We'd like to speak with her as well."
8:09 am
Munch sat in the empty cafeteria with Francie Durden. She was a brunette who was very pretty. She had a dark, natural tan. She fiddled with her uniform skirt when she discovered that Munch was a detective from the Special Victims Unit and constantly did so throughout the questioning.
"So could you tell me about Tina Steele's partylast Friday?" asked Munch.
Francie, who Munch could tell would not be able to lie to save her life, shifted in her seat. "Sure. Tina had a party and invited a lot of kids from the school. A lot of people came because she was popular. She's the prettiest junior and she was the homecoming queen."
"Well that's sure to go to her head," said Munch.
"Yeah," Francie stumbled out. She realized what she had said. "I mean no, she...well, she's always been nice to me."
"Tell me about the party," said Munch.
"Well we didn't want our parents knowing, Brenda, Alexa, and I, so we had Alexa's parents drop us off at the mall and then two seniors gave us a ride to the party."
"What are their names?"
"Brad Belluck and Tony Pizzeria."
"So what did you do at the party?"
"We had pizza and we danced to music." Munch could read her like a book.
"Really? Well I heard that there was some alcohol at the party. Was there?"
"I didn't drink any of it, I swear! I promise! Please don't tell my parents, they'll..."
"Don't worry. Now tell me what happened with Alexa."
"Brenda handed her a beer and told her to drink it. Alexa drank it and then had another. She got drunk and her speech was slurred when I talked to her and told her to stop. She didn't listen so I avoided her. Then I saw her pass out on the floor. That's when Kurt Steele walked in."
"The singer?"
"No, he's an actor."
"Same difference, go on."
"He lifted her from the ground and carried her upstairs. All the girls got jealous, especially Brenda. After a long time he came back down and began flirting with other girls. He and Brenda made out a lot. Soon afterwards I saw Alexa coming down the stairs. I came up to her and saw that she was crying. She told me that she had been raped."
"Why didn't you call the police?"
"Because I didn't want people to hate her. If she called the cops and they came and saw that everyone was drunk and doing drugs they'd all be arrested. Nobody would ever talk to her again."
"So you risked her safety to protect her reputation and popularity?"
"I know it seems dumb but I thought it was the best thing. I'm sorry. I mean, she was flat out drunk. She could barely talk. In the back of my mind, I thought she was lying."
"When you were first asked by the police about Alexa's whereabouts what did you say?"
"I told them I didn't know where she went. I wasn't lying. I saw her leave and I tried to follow her but she yelled at me and told me to stay away from her. I told Brenda what happened and she said that Kurt would never do something like that even though she had just met him that night. She said that Kurt wouldn't waste her time on girls like Alexa. Brenda was too drunk to understand anything. I walked home after that."
8:33 am
Fin now sat in the empty cafeteria with Brenda Indo. She was thin and through a brief conversation Fin discovered she was on the school's soccer team. Her hair was unnaturally blonde and her dark brown roots were visible. She wore an excess amount of makeup and she constantly snapped her gum.
"So tell me about Tina Steele's party," said Fin.
"What's there to tell?" asked Brenda.
"Was it a fun party?" asked Fin
"It was alright, nothing exciting," Brenda casually answered. She was not as overt with her emotions as Francie. It would take some effort by Fin to crack her open.
"Did you have drinks there?"
"Soda, yeah." She took a look at her nails as she inflated a bubble with her gum and popped it.
"Was there alcohol at the party?"
"I don't know."
"Really? Well your friends Francie and Alexa both claim there was."
"I told you," said Brenda who had lost her temper quite easily, "I didn't see any alcohol. I didn't drink any."
"Well both Francie and Alexa claim you handed Alexa a beer. Is that true?"
Brenda looked appalled. "No. Beer's gross anyway."
"So you've tasted it?"
"No. But it looks gross."
"Let me tell you something Miss Indo. I don't believe any of that bullshit coming out of your mouth. It's two stories against one so why don't you admit that you gave Alexa a beer."
Brenda crossed her arms and turned away from Fin. "Alright fine, I gave her a beer. But I didn't give her a second one or a third one, she chugged those herself."
"Well Alexa has you to thank for being raped," said Fin.
"Oh please, she wasn't raped. She's faking it."
"Yeah and I'm sure to make it seem more real she ran away for three nights and lived on the streets with barely any food. She lost about fifteen pounds."
"Good, she needed to shed some of her belly fat."
"You're a terrible friend. What makes you not believe her? That actor boyfriend of yours? Does he even talk to you? Or was your whole date at the party a one night thing?"
"Shut up! I don't care what you think he did not rape Alexa. She's an attention whore who needs all the sympathy she can get!"
"So what do you think Mr. Steele and Alexa were doing upstairs during that whole time, huh? You think they were just hanging out?"
"She passed out," Brenda told Fin. "He was probably making sure she didn't swallow her own vomit."
"So you didn't ask him?"
"No. It didn't and still does not matter. She wasn't raped."
"I'll be the one to personally tell you she was after her rape kit is done."
9:53
Tina Steele seemed like an exact replica of Brenda. They both chewed gum and wore pounds of makeup. Tina had light red hair with blonde streaks in it. She had on a fake orange tan. She glossed her lips several times while Olivia got information about her.
"We found Alexa," said Olivia.
"Really?" exclaimed Tina in the most heedless way possible. She clearly did not care but she attempted in sounding like she did. "That's good, tell her I said "Hey"."
"Wouldn't you like to know how she is?" asked Olivia. "Weren't you two friends?"
"More like acquaintances. We talked occasionally in Spanish and History. She's really pretty."
"Tina did your parents know that you were throwing a party when they were gone?" asked Olivia.
"Of course they did. Besides, the neighbors would have told." She might have been terrible at displaying false concern but the girl was quick on her feet.
"Did they know that there was going to be alcohol and drugs at the party?"
"There wasn't alcohol and just a couple of friends were smoking," explained Tina who crossed her legs.
"Alright, just making sure because the two other detectives I work with are heading to your house to talk with your parents." Tina's face dropped but she quickly removed the grimace and took out a mirror. "They are also getting bed sheets from the guest room on the second floor of your house."
"Why?" asked Tina.
"Well, Alexa was raped in the guest room," Olivia explained.
"What!" Tina turned away from the mirror and leaned in as if Olivia just uncovered a piece of the best high school gossip. She did not seem bothered with the fact that someone was raped in her house. She just wanted names.
"Alexa claims your cousin Kurt raped her."
"Are you serious?" asked Tina doubting what Olivia had said. She sat back and looked back in her mirror, quickly losing interest in the matter. "Don't get me wrong, Alexa's really pretty and all but Kurt wouldn't go after her. Her boobs are too small and she barely has an ass. Besides why would Kurt need to rape some one. Every girl wants him. He could just ask instead of forcing someone."
"So you think Alexa's lying?" asked Olivia.
"Of course." She put her mirror back in her purse.
"Francie Durden disagrees."
Tina waved her hand as if disregarding Francie's beliefs. "That girl will believe anything she hears. You could probably tell her Alexa grew a third arm too and she'd believe you. Seriously, Alexa's lying. She wasn't raped. Besides she was too drunk to..." Her voice trailed off and she muttered a "Shit" underneath her breath.
Olivia raised her eyebrows. "Oh, so there was alcohol."
"Not a lot," said Tina. "As I was saying, she would be too drunk to remember anything anyway. She could barely say her name let alone remember if someone raped her. She's lying, that's all there is to it."
The Residence of Mr. And Mrs. Steele
23rd Oak Avenue
10:00 am
"What do you mean someone was raped in our guest room?" asked Mrs. Rebecca Steele alarmingly.
"Your daughter had a party last Friday while you were away," explained Munch.
"That's absurd," exclaimed Mr. Charles Steele. "Our Tina would never do such a thing. She's responsible."
"Sure doesn't seem like it," said Fin. "There was underage drinking at the party along with illegal drugs."
"This is an outrage!" said the distressed Mrs. Steele who sat down at a couch in the living room. "I cannot believe this." Mr. Charles Steele sat beside her and attempted to comfort her by placing his arm around her.
"We're very sorry, officers," said Mr. Steele. "This is not like our daughter."
"Don't worry about it. We would just like to take your bed sheets from the guest room on the second floor."
"Go right ahead," said Mr. Steele. Mrs. Steele began wallowing and she placed her head against her husband's chest. "Oh, detectives," he called before Munch and Fin left the room. The two turned around. "Who...who was the victim?"
"Alexa Stewart. She goes to school with your daughter," answered Munch.
"And who raped her?"
Munch inhaled. "Your nephew, Kurt." Mrs. Steele, who had stopped crying for a moment began wailing furiously. Munch and Fin retrieved the bed spread and placed it in a safe container and left the Steele residence.
Special Victims Unit
10:18 am
Alexa Stewart was sent to Medical Examiner Melinda Warner for a rape kit along with the clothes she was wearing the night of the party. The bed sheets were sent to CSU for further investigation.
Olivia was sitting in the precinct at her desk. Her partner Elliot Stabler had exited from the Captain's office. She wasn't expecting him to be there.
"When's the graduation?" asked Olivia.
"It's at six," explained Elliot. "I decided to stop by. Captain told me about the rape case. Hopefully I'll be back in time to help."
"Don't rush over here when it's over," Olivia said. "Enjoy some time with your daughter."
"I will," said Elliot. "So what do you think about the case?"
"I believe her. She can't fake something like that," said Olivia. "Unfortunately for her this is going to be all over the news and it'll be the on the front page of every newspaper in the United States."
"Yeah," said Stabler. "My younger daughter watches his show. He has quite a fan base."
"It's going to be rough," said Olivia. "This is going to be one of the most difficult cases we've ever faced."
"Are you worried?" asked Stabler.
"I'm worried for her. She's going to have reporters at her house. She's going to get email threats from Kurt Steele fans, from classmates. Her life is going to be hell. I want to do whatever I can for her."
"You will," said Stabler. "We both will."
Olivia smiled at him. "Go spend some time with your daughter. She only graduates from high school once."
"See you soon," said Stabler as he exited.
"I hope not," called Olivia to him. He turned around and grinned before exiting the precinct.
Now Olivia just had to wait for the evidence from the M.E. and CSU. It was unlikely that she would receive any evidence from them today. Quite possibly, the examination would be done tomorrow. She hoped that the case would run more smoothly than it sounded. Unfortunately, her hopes would do no good and the case was going to be more troublesome than she expected.
Anne's Pastries and Coffee House
221 Adams Street
6:03 pm
The rest of the day had been uneventful which Olivia was grateful for. Her morning had been quite enough for her for one day. She decided to take this case one day at a time rather than attempting to do everything all at once. It tended to get difficult and stressful that way.
Olivia headed back to Anne's and walked in. It was dark and only a few of the lights were still on. It still smelled of freshly brewed coffee. Nobody was in there except Pattie who was cleaning up tables with the news on. Thankfully the news had not discovered Alexa's allegations on Kurt Steele. She knew it would eventually it be on every news station.
"Why good evening," greeted Pattie. "I didn't think you'd show up."
"Neither did I," said Olivia who took the same seat she sat in that morning.
"Was it a rough day?" asked Pattie.
"A rough morning. The rest of the day was quiet," said Olivia. "I was sent home early and I decided to stop by and see if you'd still be able to make me some of that tea."
"Of course I can," said Pattie who made her way behind the counter to start up the stove. "I rarely get customers at this time. Heck, I rarely get them at all nowadays with those other stores across the way."
"Well I'll always come here rather than those other stores for coffee and tea."
"Thank you. So what occurred this morning?"
"I really not suppose to talk about it. A girl claims she was raped at a party, that's all I can really say."
"Do you believe her?"
"I do. She ran away after she was raped and she was missing since Friday night. I don't think a teenager would fake something like that. Yet again, I might be wrong."
"Well, go with what your heart tells you."
"I try."
"I don't mean to pester you with more questions but does the girl know who raped her?" asked Pattie after some silence.
"She does. The medical examiner is going over her rape kip and clothes. If his semen is found, we'll arrest him. It's unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor at least."
"It's a shame," said Pattie.
"It is." Another silence remained between them briefly but it was far from awkward. Both were lost in their own thoughts that they almost forgot the other was there with them until the tea kettle whistled. Pattie came over to it and turned off the stove. She poured the hot water into a Styrofoam cup along with a tea bag. She added some sugar for flavor and then covered the cup and handed it to Olivia.
"Thank you," said Olivia.
"Your welcome. Rest well," Pattie said.
"I will." Olivia exited the store and got back into her car. She drove home to her apartment.
Olivia's Apartment
Tuesday, May 6th, 2006
12:08 am
Olivia had become drowsy after she had drank the warm tea when arriving home. She showered, barely awake, and then threw herself onto her bed. Within minutes she was asleep dreaming.
At 12:08 the phone rang and awoke Olivia instantly. She was a light sleeper and the faintest sounds woke her. She opened her eyes and saw her room in a blur. She didn't bother to rub her eyes to regain her sight she just reached for her cell phone. After searching around for it for a couple of seconds on her end table, she grabbed it and answered it.
"Hello?" she said into the phone.
"Detective Benson?" said a voice.
"Yes?"
"It's Joseph Stewart, Alexa's father."
Olivia sat up quickly.
"Is Alexa alright?" asked Olivia, concerned at the tone of his voice.
"Physically, yes. Could you please come over here."
"Of course."
"I called your Captain, he's coming too."
"I'll be there as soon as possible." Olivia hung up and got dressed. She made a slight attempt to brush her hair and did not put on any makeup. She rushed out the door with her car keys and headed over to the Stewart Residence.
The Stewart Residence
108 Todd Drive
12:15 am
When Olivia had reached the Stewart Residence, Captain Cragen was already there with the family. They were all sitting in the living room where Alexa explained to Olivia and Cragen what happened and why the sudden phone call.
"I came home and took a shower and had some lunch and dinner. After dinner at about six o'clock I went on my computer to check my email. I found... threats...about thirty of them," explained Alexa.
"They were horrific," said Mrs. Stewart. "I couldn't believe that kids her age would say things like that to her."
"We've gotten phone calls too," said Mr. Stewart. "The phone's been ringing since seven and it stopped just recently."
"What did some of the emails say?" asked Cragen.
"I printed a few out," Mr. Stewart told Cragen and Olivia. He handed pieces of paper to the Captain who handed one to Olivia. They were printed directly off the screen. Olivia read:
You stupid slut. Stop being such an attention whore, Kurt Steele would never rape an ugly-ass-bitch like you. You better not show up in school or your ass will be beat.
"We can trace who sent these emails," said Olivia.
"Don't bother," said Alexa. "They'll just hate me even more."
"Alexa, these people should be punished for these threats," said Olivia. "This isn't right and they shouldn't get away with this."
At that moment the phone rang. Mr. Stewart picked it up.
"Hello?" he said into the receiver. "Please stop calling my house," he said after a short pause. Cragen took the phone from Mr. Stewart.
"Hello?" he said into it and then he paused for a brief moment. "Before you go on your rampage of insults, I want to let you know that this is the police and we have this call traced. If you ever call this house again I'll have you arrested, you hear me you..." The other line hung up. Cragen put the phone back down.
"Alexa, you don't deserve this," said Olivia. "You know it. Now, if you really don't want me to, I won't take your computer. But, if this happens again then I'm going to have to. What these kids are doing is rude and they should not be allowed to do this without being punished. Do you understand?"
Alexa nodded.
"I don't think she'll be going to school tomorrow," suggested Mrs. Stewart.
"No, Mom," said Alexa. "I want to go. I'm going to have to face them all sooner of later. It might as well be sooner." Olivia admired Alexa's courage and she knew that this bravery would help her through the case. But this was only the beginning.
"Are you sure, honey?" asked Mrs. Stewart.
Alexa nodded.
"Fine, but if you ever want to come home you can call me at work."
"Thank you detectives," said Mr. Stewart.
"If anything happens, make sure to call," said Cragen.
"We will."
End Note: I'm glad to see a positive response from many of you. Thank you all for the reviews and Mrs. Detective Billy Martin, I didn't mean to write "Manhattan", thank you very much for pointing it out. I will eventually fix it.
I promise that Olivia's father will show up in the next chapter. These first two chapters were just suppose to be an exposition. Next chapter will be the beginning of the rising action. It will get good. Again, thank you all for the reviews and I will update as soon as possible.
