Cragen and Penn waited in the reception room of the commissioner's office. Neither one spoke. Penn scanned the room nervously. With each pass she would pause at the door to the left. Double glass doors with the NYPD seal on one and the commissioners seal on the other.
As time passed Penn grew more anxious. Cragen didn't seem to take notice he just kept checking his watch. Penn had enough and was about to step outside for air when the doors to the hallway opened. In walked the police commissioner surrounded by his staff. Cragen immediately got to his feet while Penn sank back into her chair. As the commissioner passed he barley glanced at Cragen but came to a dead stop when he saw Penn.
"Well if it isn't Detective Rhoades the newest member of the Manhattan SVU. How have you been?" Penn had no choice but to stand up and shake his extended hand.
"Doing well sir." Penn answered.
"Getting along with everyone? Fitting in? Happy?" the commissioner asked.
"Yes sir. Everyone has been very excepting and friendly." Penn answered.
"Good. What brings you here today?" the commissioner asked.
"My captain and I are here to ask deputy commissioner Gains some questions regarding a case we are working." Penn answered cautiously. The commissioner glanced at Cragen then back to Penn.
"Ah yes, the school yard fight his boy was in. I am glad to know the right people are on the case." To the right an office door opened and out stepped Dawson Gains.
"Dawson. These detectives are from Manhattan SVU here to talk with you about the fight your son was in." the commissioner said. "Make sure you give them everything they need to sort it all out. Rhoades you call if you need anything at all and don't be a stranger, stop by on occasion."
"Thank you sir and will do." Penn said with a smile. They shook hands again and the commissioner and staff entered into the office on the left with the double doors.
"Captain Cragen, please." Dawson said pointing towards his office. Penn fell in behind the two men as they entered the office.
It was a very grand office. NYPD memorabilia mixed in among the wall-to-wall bookshelves. The walls were lined with rich, medium toned mahogany. The back wall was nothing but windows over looking the street below.
"So I wasn't aware there was a full scale investigation going on." Dawson said seating himself behind his desk. Cragen took one of the chairs directly in front of the desk while Penn sat in the back corner unnoticed by either man.
"We are just crossing our T's and dotting our I's." Cragen said.
"Yes of course. Have you determined anything?" Dawson was calm and relaxed seemingly unbothered by their presence.
"We're still interviewing people and gathering evidence, sir." Cragen answered. "You understand of course I can't discuss specifics with you. "
"Of course. Fire away." Dawson said invitingly.
"Dose Hanley have a history of violence? Does he get into fights? Exhibit aggressive behavior towards his siblings?" Cragen questioned.
"No he isn't a violent kid. He has always got along with his other siblings. He fights with my seven year old, Avery, from time to time but nothing violent just boys being boys." Dawson answered right away.
"How about at school? Any behavior or discipline problems?"
"No. Well not usually." Dawson answered.
"Not usually?" Cragen asked pausing from his note taking.
"There was one incident at school. Him and another boy playing around, the school over reacted a bit but my wife and I agreed to move him to a different school. PS 118 is only temporary, next year he'll go to Eagle Brook Academy in Connecticut."
"Is that where your other children attend school?" Cragen asked.
"No. They attend The Dalton School on the Upper East Side. That is the school we removed him from." Dawson answered.
"One last question and I am sorry I have to ask this but it is a standard question. Are you the father of all four kids?" Cragen asked cautiously. He was not totally honest with his reasoning for asking and hoped that the deputy commissioner wouldn't notice.
"Yes I am." Dawson answered very quickly and without hesitation. This did not go unnoticed.
"Sir I will ask that you forward copies of their birth certificates to my office, just for conformation." Penn caught the flash of fear cross Dawson's face but he kept his cool and recovered quickly.
"I will have my assistant fax them over first thing tomorrow."
"Thank you for your co-operation and time commissioner. I assure you we will get this all sorted out as quickly as possible." Cragen stood from his chair and extended his hand. Dawson did the same.
"Appreciate your dedication to this captain."
"Your welcome sir." The men released their handshake and Cragen turned towards the door. Penn, who was already waiting at the door, opened it and allowed Cragen to exit following closely behind.
Neither of them spoke until they reached the parking garage.
"You were awfully chummy with the police commissioner back there." Cragen said as they approached the car. "Is that what you meant by being useful to have along?"
"I didn't intend to run into him. Dawson knows who I am and knows my relationship with the commissioner. I figured if he saw me he would keep things on the up and up. It worked two don't you think?" Penn answered.
"Define relationship? Because he seemed to want to know everything about what has been going on with you. Not to mention the "call me if you need anything" comment." Cragen said. Penn paused as they reached the car. She made her away around to the passenger side.
"He helped me out when I was a kid. Ever since then he has been a mentor, a male figure in my life. We stopped talking as frequently when I went undercover. I haven't reconnected with him until now." Cragen was surprised to hear all this and wanted to know how the commissioner had helped her to create such a lasting bond but knew now was not the time to ask. Once inside the car Penn made a request to Cragen.
"Captain I want to assure you my relationship with the commissioner is a non issue. I will never ask him for a professional favor, ever. Personal maybe but never professional. I don't operate like that. If you could keep this from the squad I would really appreciate it. They already think I am some kind of ass kissing rat belonging to the mayor." Cragen looked at Penn recognizing the pleading in her eyes. She looked desperate; like this encounter would bring up a lot of questions she did not want to answer.
"I don't see any benefit in telling them." Cragen answered. Relief replaced the desperation on Penn's face.
Meanwhile Fin and Munch arrived at the Gains brownstone.
"Why don't you take the lead on this one? Rich stay at home wives erk me." Fin said. Munch glared at him.
"And I specialize in talking to women? Did you forget I have been married four times?" Munch asked.
"No. I didn't forget. You had to have spoken to them to get them to marry you." Fin said with a grin. Munch had no response to this. The two reached the double front doors of the brownstone. Munch knocked on the door and stepped back. With in minutes the door opened revealing a pretty blonde woman in her mid-fifties.
"Can I help you?" The women asked.
"Detectives Munch and Tutulola." Munch announced showing the women his badge. "Are you Mrs. Gains?"
"Yes I am. You must be from Manhattan SVU. Please come in." She stepped back away from the door and allowed Fin and Munch to pass. Once inside she closed the door and showed them into the front sitting room.
"Please have a seat. My husband called and mentioned someone would be coming by. Your looking into the fight at school? Was there something more two it then boys being boys?" She sat down in one of the plush armchairs. Munch set himself down on the couch across from her while Fin remained standing, preferring to pace rather then sit.
"Mrs. Gains we do apologize for the inconvenience. This really is routine. We just need a few questions answered." Munch said reassuringly.
"Are the kids here?" Fin asked.
"No. They are out with the nanny." Mrs. Gains answered.
"How would you describe Hanley?" Munch asked. Mrs. Gains watched Fin as he paced around the room.
"He is a happy, healthy, playful boy. He occasionally gets into it with his siblings but nothing out of the ordinary." She answered.
"Does he fight with a particular sibling?" Munch pressed on.
"Hanley and Avery tend to fight the most but they are the closest in age so it is perfectly normal." Mrs. Gains spoke as if she were trying to convince herself on this fact.
"How often are the kids with the nanny? And are they ever home alone?"
"I work from home mostly so I am here but the nanny looks after the kids after school and when there is no school." Mrs. Gains answered.
"We spoke with the nanny service and you seem to go through them at a good pace. Can you explain that?" Munch asked.
"I have four kids twelve and under, two girls and two boys, my husband is a cop who works all the time and I myself am trying to maintain a career. My family and I demanded a lot from our nanny and many cannot handle the pressure." Mrs. Gains sat up very straight in her chair. Her face dropped and her brow stiffened.
"Of course. Why supply your children with a stable environment when you can hire someone to watch them for a small price." Munch spoke with a harsh tone, anger quickly growing in his voice.
"We should go. We have taken up enough of your time." Fin grabbed Munch by the collar and pulled him to his feet. "We apologize for the intrusion." Fin steered Munch out the front door and down the front steps.
"What is your problem man?" Munch demanded. Fin released Munch's collar.
"Going off on the brasses wife? Questioning her parenting skills? You let the situation get to you!" Fin said.
"Letting strangers raise you kids is no way to do it. These rich parents thinking they have it perfect. Make the baby, give birth to the baby, use it to show off to their friends then hand it off to someone else to raise until they become useful members of society. It's just so wrong." Fin allowed Munch to continue his rant as he got into the car. Fin was used to these rants and knew it was best to let him go until he ran out of steam, which he finally did when the elevator doors opened at the squad room. Olivia, Casey, Penn and Cragen were all gathered around the layout board.
"How was the commissioner's wife?" Cragen asked.
"Hiding something." Munch answered. He sat down at his desk and retrieved a small squashy ball from the top drawer then proceeded to kneed it with his right hand.
"Why so worked up Munch?" Casey asked.
"Wannabe parents ruining their children." He answered. Olivia and Casey looked to Fin who mouthed don't ask behind Munch's back.
"Did the wife offer anything useful?" Cragen asked.
"She said Hanley is a normal kid. Only sibling he fights with is the second child, Avery, but cap there was something odd about that house. The only pictures are of the youngest girl Mia and they're everywhere. I'm talking baby pictures right on up to this years school picture." Fin described.
"Not a single picture of the other three?" Casey asked disbelieved.
"Only one. The three oldest kids by themselves at what looks like some kind of sporting event." Fin brought up a picture of the picture on his phone and showed it around.
"Get that to T.A.R.U and see if they can doing anything with it." Cragen ordered. "Olivia did any of the nannies have anything to say?"
"We could only track down three. The first was hired by the Gains to help during Julia's pregnancy and then to be a part time nanny once the baby was born however Julia had a miscarriage and she was fired. The second nanny worked for them for two years before simply disappearing. According to the agency the Gains reported her as a no show for several days then they requested a new nanny. The third nanny was fired three days ago for unknown reasons. She showed up for work as scheduled, the commissioner was there, told her she was terminated and never to contact the family again. She did say there was something odd about the three oldest kids. She knew the second nanny, they went through training together, and she mentioned something about how she felt unnerved by the amount of rules she had to follow and having to work with kids she had never met. Several months into the job the two got together for lunch. Nanny number two said she had been at the house for several weeks without the kids. She went shopping for clothes, kids furniture and toys with Julia then when she was thinking about quitting the kids suddenly showed up. The Gains told her they had been away at their grandparents, which she thought as odd because it was the middle of the school year. She could tell the kids were not comfortable with their new surroundings and had never been to that house before." Olivia answered.
"Casey what is your take?" Cragen asked
"The Gains are hiding something." Casey answered.
"Just to play devils advocate here maybe the Gains had just moved to a new house. New house, new furniture. The kids could have stayed with the grandparents so they could start school and move in when the house was ready." Munch said.
"So now you're on the Gains side?" Olivia asked him. "Five minutes ago you were ranting about how they are ruining their children."
"My not supporting their parenting style doesn't mean they are murders and kidnappers."
"Well I thought the same thing so I pulled property records for the Gains and found nothing. No properties owned, rented or anything else. Confused by this I pulled records for Julia using her median name and found the house they are currently living in. The house is deeded to an Orville Wineman, Julia's great-great grandfather. She inherited it when she was a teenager but never lived in it until three years ago." Casey walked over to the board and taped a piece of paper to it pointing to several highlighted lines on the paper.
"So the Gains moved into the house around the same time the case goes cold. Do we know where the Gains were before that?" Cragen asked. Everyone looked at him with confused looks.
"Can I take that as a no?" he asked
"I will subpoena his personal records. Doing that will mean we are officially investigating the deputy police commissioner though." Casey said.
"I guess we are at that point." Cragen answered without any hesitation. Casey gathered her papers and left the group. Cragen turned to the board lost in thought. Penn was first to speak.
"Captain dose it make any since to look into this detective from Oregon? See if he is credible or maybe he left something out of his notes that would help us." She suggested.
"I guess if the investigation is official we should do it right. Lets gather everything we can on detective Beck Stryker, Julia Gains and any family history or personal info we can get on Dawson Gains." Cragen instructed. The team immediately got up and returned to the bullpen below. Cragen held up a hand to stop Penn.
"We may need that connection of yours for this one." He said quietly. Penn looked up at him with a calculating look. Only a week as a detective and she was staring down the possibility of showing the only card she held. Cragen read the uncertainty and added. "Lets call it plan Z." Penn smiled as relief washed over her.
"I'm good with that." She responded. Cragen put his hand down allowing her to pass. He watched as she returned to her desk and sat behind it.
"Everything ok." Olivia asked.
"Ya. All good." Penn answered. Olivia looked from Penn to Fin who had a similar look of suspicion on his face.