I will try my best to get another chapter up before the actual episode but I think I'll fail in my attempt to get the whole thing out before the ep actually airs :/
There's some foul language down below, not my words (well my words in a sense) but the words of a cliché disgruntled former cop ;)
Happy reading!
Chapter 5
"You are confined only by the walls you build yourself" ~ Andrew Murphy
Liv cringed as she saw Patton walk in with defense attorney John Buchanan by his side. The scumbag rapist lawyer that she'd faced off with in court many times over the last five years or so. He could be slick, he definitely knew what he was doing but Liv had beat him in the past and would do so this time. She had to.
Patton looked as arrogant as ever, sharply dressed and delivered his shiny smile at anyone who gave him a glance like he had no worries in the world.
"So nice to see you again sergeant Benson," he smiled when he was by her side, "Are you sitting in today?"
"Bet your ass I will," Liv said and Patton played a little shocked.
"Language sergeant, one would think you are biased in this case," Patton said with a smirk but then lost his face for a second before Dodds directed the party further down the hall. Liv felt pleased she'd been at least able to rattle him a little bit.
Dodds and Liv had a seat opposite Patton and Buchanan. Fin, Nick and Carisi sneaked up to the window the moment the door was closed. Fin wasn't really sure where Amanda was hiding, she'd been around earlier.
"Make the slimy bastard sweat," Carisi whispered and gave words to what both Nick and Fin was feeling.
Inside the room Dodds let Patton knew they were taking the case further. The evidence they had so far had been deemed sufficient enough and they were waiting for a court date. As suspected Patton didn't move, his smirk might have weakened for a moment but soon he had his superior look back on his face. Also as suspected Buchanan wanted a speedy trial so his client could go back home as soon as possible. It was an inconvenience for him to be in NY apparently.
Dodds did most the talking, Liv getting the time to observe Patton for any slight crack she could see on his face. Dodds let Buchanan know that as a sign of courtesy they were willing to make the arrest tomorrow so Patton wouldn't have to spend the night in jail, and the arraignment could be held within the hour. Liv hated the fact they were giving Patton special treatment but she could see Patton gritting teeth as he learnt he was being arrested and it was at least a little reward.
Dodds didn't like it but Liv had talked him in to letting her ask Patton about the photos found in his phone. As they reached the ending of their meeting Liv opened up the thin folder that had rested in front of her the whole time. She'd wanted to provoke Patton, to unnerve him a little but it backfired. As she placed the photos in front of him his smile only got wider and he picked up one of the photos to have a closer look at it. Liv fumed seeing his eyes violate the photo.
"Do you want to explain why you had these photos on your phone?" Liv asked through a clinched jaw.
"They're nice photos right? She's very photogenic don't you think?" Patton smirked.
"Why do you have them on your phone? They belonged to a case, should've been destroyed," Liv said feeling like ripping the photo out of Patton's hands.
"Is this part of the case against my client?" Buchanan asked and had a closer look at the photos on the table. Liv gathered them up, all but the one Patton was still holding on to. Dodds just nodded at Buchanan.
"Another charge?" Buchanan questioned.
"His character," Dodds said a little uncomfortable.
"My character?" Patton asked with a sharp chuckle, "You are surely gripping at straws aren't you."
"Why did you have these photos on your phone?" Liv asked more firmly. Patton stared her down for a while but then let his eyes go down to the photo again.
"Educational purpose," he said calmly.
"Educational, are you kidding me?" Liv asked with disbelief.
"I kid you not sergeant," Patton said putting on a serious face but still with a slight smirk. He tilted the photo down a little so Liv could see him run his fingers over it.
"This was a… brilliantly conducted operation that took down a really bad, bad man," Patton said laying it on thick, "And she was more than willing to pose for them. She does it so well don't you think? You could almost think it was her day job. Like she had that slutty side down to a T. Such an asset to have on your team right."
"And what did you do with these educational photos?" Liv asked not able to hide her irritation.
"Well I showed them around of course. To anyone who wanted to see them, and there was a lot of people who wanted to see these photos," Patton said and took a pause before he continued, "For educational purposes of course."
"Of course," Liv echoed trying to mimic Patton's smirk. Patton took one last look at the photo and then slowly handed it over to Liv. She immediately put it down with the other photos and closed the file shut. It was not how she wanted that to play out.
Dodds walked Patton and Buchanan out a little later, passing the hostile looking detectives in the hallway. Liv walked out with a grim face over her face. No one said anything as they watched the men walk out.
"Where's Rollins?" Liv asked Fin once the weasel was gone.
"She was here just a while ago," Fin said with a shrug. Liv just nodded, she didn't blame Amanda for keeping clear from Patton but she worried about her slightly.
"Will you find her for me?" Liv asked Fin and he walked off. Carisi walked away after him but Nick waited until Liv moved.
"Those photos," he said, "What was that about? Are they of Taymor?"
He hadn't really been able to see from the window but he was really curios.
"Let's just leave it for now okay," Liv said with a smile, hugging the file tight to her chest. Nick couldn't do much but nod.
Amanda peeked in to Liv's office a little later.
"Did you want to see me?" she asked.
"No, I mostly just wanted to know where you were," Liv smiled.
"Okay, we're heading out then," Amanda said.
"Amanda," Liv said calling her back, "I'm going to Atlanta tomorrow, maybe you heard?"
Amanda gave her a vague answer, something like a shrug or possibly a nod.
"If there's anything, like… I dunno but just call me okay?"
"Why would I need to call?" Amanda asked uncomprehending.
"Just know you can," Liv said.
"Okay, bye," Amanda said and ducked out.
Liv sat behind her desk for a while. She put the folder with Amanda's photo down in the one drawer in her desk that she could lock and then decided to go home to pack a bag for her Atlanta trip. She would spend the night cuddling up to Noah, trying to soak up as much of him as possible. Tomorrow would be the first time she would be away a whole night from him and she wasn't looking forward to it. But she had to go to Atlanta though, things were buried there and she would bring them up.
Liv took the first flight out from JFK. She would get picked up by detective Jonathan Sawyer from IAB at the Hartsfield-Jackson airport. She'd never met him, not even talked to him on the phone. She was worried he would be something like Tucker but he gave a good first impression at least. He didn't seem that talkative at first, was polite though and offered to carry her overnight bag out to the car but Liv said she had it covered, she carried light.
Out in the car he handed her a thin folder, let her know it contained what he'd been able to dig up on the eight women she'd named in the confidential mail she sent him yesterday. She had a look at the information as he drove them away from the airport. She got a little disappointed to see that Angela Morris now lived out of state, she just felt as she might have been her safest bet to get someone else to testify against Patton. One of the civilians seemed to have dropped of the earth and the other one had quite the criminal record. It was nothing that would make Liv believe her less but she knew how the court worked.
"You think it will be hard to find someone that will talk?" Sawyer asked having heard Liv sigh.
"I was hoping for Angela Morris but I guess we won't be able to see her today," Liv said and gave him a weak smile.
"I've tried calling but she's not picking up," Sawyer said.
"We'll just keep trying," Liv said and tried to think positively. She looked out the window for a while, took in the change of scenery. This was her first visit to Atlanta, to the state of Georgia actually. It wasn't hard for her to picture Amanda in these settings, not that she didn't fit in in NY but the open spaces and nature just seemed like it would fit the active and somewhat free spirited detective.
"So you set up in the federal building?" she asked Sawyer after a while.
"Yes, the Atlanta PD does not want us here, better give you a heads up from the get go," Sawyer said and shot her a smile before he focused back at traffic.
"Yeah I heard it can be a bit of a boy's club, I'd figured they'd close rank around Patton," Liv moaned.
"You have a detective from down here right?" Sawyer asked after a brief pause.
"Yeah," Liv answered.
"Amanda Rollins right?" he asked and Liv shot him a suspicious look.
"Yeah why?" she asked but Sawyer shrugged slightly.
"I've just… heard her name somewhere," he said but Liv could tell there were more to it.
"Where? From whom?" she asked trying to not sound too defensive. Sawyer shot her a look, he didn't know the sergeant and didn't know just how candid he could be yet.
"Tell me," Liv asked trying to soften her tone.
"It was said in a less flattering way or circumstance," Sawyer admitted. Liv nodded, she could figure it out.
"Thrown in there with Reese Taymor," Sawyer added, "The boy's club doesn't moderate their words. I had no idea turnips could be used with a swearword so efficiently. And apparently I have a face uglier than homemade lye soap."
Liv had to laugh. She got a feeling working with Sawyer wouldn't be a problem.
"Well they can call my face ugly however they like, I'm going to prove what a scumbag chief Patton really is," Liv said once she'd quiet down.
Sawyer took them to the room that had been set up for them in the federal building in the heart of Atlanta. There were photos of the few items confiscated at his house, Sawyer admitted it was bleak and not much of evidence. He also let her know they'd found records of a storage lot in Patton's name but gotten there too late. Security cameras showed two men carrying out three boxes in the middle of the night. They drove off in a 2004 Honda Civic with covered license plates. Sawyer apologized that they hadn't found it earlier. When Patton would be asked about the storage lot he'd answer that there must've been a break in, and adding with a smile, that he would report it to the police as soon as he got home.
Sawyer had made an extensive map of the department Patton ran so she could get an overview. They had already talked to the people working closest to both Patton and Taymor. Many had been very reluctant to speak to them at all, been forced to sit through it but said very little. The ones that weren't tightlipped spoke praises of Patton and, Sawyer excused his French, slutshammed Taymor. According to her record she'd done nothing but been an idle police and detective but yet all of a sudden everyone had errors and mistakes to point out.
It was nothing Liv hadn't come upon before but it was harder to digest as this was her lively hood, this was her people and she felt embarrassed for them.
They decided to head over to the station as there wasn't much they had to go on and time was valuable as Liv had to head back to NY tomorrow. It was all the time Dodds had given her. Sawyer had not been kidding about the hostility, Liv could feel their glares and she even thought she heard a 'bitch' under a cough. They started with a brief meeting in Sam Reynold's office. He was short but polite offering them coffee which they accepted. He introduced Liv to a few people. Everyone shook her hand but obviously knew why she was there and kept standoffish.
Sam had to go something and left them alone in his office for a while. His office was a fishbowl and Liv looked around the room just to get away from the preying eyes glaring in through the glass.
"You can feel the warmth right?" Sawyer said under his breath and Liv let out a chuckle just as she thought she spotted someone familiar in a photo on the wall. When she had a closer look she could see she'd been right. They were at what looked like a baseball field and Amanda held a trophy, big smile on her face and dressed like she'd just played a game of rough. She was framed by all guys, Liv spotted Sam to her left with his arm around her. Amanda looked happy in that photo but Liv wondered just how difficult playing with the boy's club had been for her.
When Sam came back Liv asked if she could see Patton's office. She wasn't sure why she wanted to see it and didn't really have a good answer when Sam asked her why. He mentioned that Sawyer and his guys had already gone through it but Liv persisted and Sam let out a sigh but then lead the way.
The Atlanta station house was very different from her own. It was only two storage high and lacked that old and impressive feeling she always felt walking up to her station. The building wasn't tall but she realized it was wide as they went down a long corridor, with similar fish bowl offices on each side which at least made the interior light from all the daylight shining in. She saw suits and what she figured was plain clothed detectives in the offices but as they turned a corner they came to a much darker and murky looking corridor.
Liv read interview room 1 on one of the first doors. There were another few interview rooms that followed and then came supplies, they apparently had a copy room and then a recreational room. Liv had to ask about it.
"Oh it was our old break room, it moved down in the cellar a few years back, now it's mostly used for storage," Sam let her know.
"So what's in your recreational room downstairs?" Liv asked just as Sam stopped in front of a door that had Patton's name on it.
"Pool table, a bar, dart…"
"A bar? In your station house?" Liv asked surprised and cut him off. She gave him a look.
"Yes, helps with team building," Sam said nonchalant.
"For your boy's club?" Liv couldn't help but ask. Sam just gave her a look, ignored her question and opened the door to Patton's office.
They stepped in to a rather regular looking office but perhaps a little big for just one person from what she'd seen the others being cramped in to. There was a desk, a chair, a table and another few chairs, a shelf with thick books, a big globe in one corner.
"So Patton's the only one with an office down this way?" Liv asked and got an affirmative answer from Sam.
"Why's that?" she asked and had to look around when she got no answer. Sam shrugged again.
"He likes it that way," he said when Liv kept looking at him for an answer.
"And Patton gets what he wants right?" Liv suggested.
"He's highest rank in this building," Sam said casually.
Liv walked around the room, went behind the desk and had a look at what Patton saw as he sat in his seat. She took a closer look at the globe and wasn't that surprised to see that it opened up and held a liquor bottles. She walked back over to the big window behind his chair as she'd spotted picture frames and wanted to have a closer look. She found various photos of Patton shaking hands with well-dressed men she had no idea who they were but the one she found interesting was one at the very back and she picked it up. She knew all three people in the photo. Again Amanda was squeezed in in the middle but this time her smile wasn't as grand, more like awkward, and she looked a little dolled up. On her right captain Reynolds sported a big smile, also looking a little dressed up, and on her left Patton fitting right in. Liv couldn't really tell where they were but Amanda looked younger. She held the photo up so Sam could see it.
"When was this taken?" she asked when he just kept looking at her. Sam sighed.
"It was a few years after Amanda joined our squad," he said casually.
"Where?"
"A conference," Sam said, "down in Houston."
Liv hummed and had another look at the photo.
"I hope no one was found unconscious at that conference," she said and gave Sam a look before she put the photo back down.
Sam looked unimpressed, Liv didn't really care but knew she had to cool down a little, she felt in a combative mood and she knew she had to be on game right now. She had another look around the office, let her fingers run over his wide desk as she stepped back around it. She didn't like this room, it gave her chills and she let Sam know she wanted to know where she could find detective Hazel Larkin at homicide.
Sam showed them the way after he made sure Patton's door was closed behind them. They'd reached the glass doors that declared they were at the right section but before Sam left them he pressed a piece of paper in Liv's hand.
"Can you meet me there at two?" he whispered while his eyes darted around. Liv figured the paper held an address and she nodded at Sam.
"Okay, good luck," he said and walked away.
Sawyer had seen and heard the exchange and looked a little excited at Liv as they stepped through the doors. She checked the note and then handed it to Sawyer. Liv wasn't sure what to think, she just couldn't get a good read on Sam. For all she knew he could lure them to a place where they'd be lynch mobbed. But he had given them all those names, good leads, the only leads, in a tough case. And right now they asked for one of those women Sam had mentioned.
Hazel Larkin was in her mid-forties Liv estimated, her blonde hair cropped short and her dresscode leaning towards tomboyish over a little heavyset frame. Liv asked if she would mind talking to them and suggested they went outside.
"I'm not going anywhere with you, I know what you want," Hazel answered though.
"Is there somewhere we could just sit down then?" Liv suggested sensing Hazel's dislike to be seen with them. Hazel looked very reluctant but looked around and then guided them towards an empty desk in one of the corners. She refused to sit down though and just remained standing by the desk. Sawyer took a chair though while Liv just leaned down against the desk.
"So you know why we're here I take it," Liv said calmly and kept her voice low, "Deputy chief Patton is being charged with rape back in New York on one of your fellow detectives."
Larkin looked very uncomfortable, crossing her arms across her chest very defensively.
"We want to know if you have some information that could be of value to us?"
"About what? I've been here all weekend," Larkin spat out.
"You've worked close with Patton. What's your take on him?" Liv tried.
"What's my take on him? He's my boss, I just follow orders. Look I got work to do," Larkin said defensively.
"Just tell me if he's ever approached you? If he's ever done anything to insult you?"
Larkin shook her head with disbelief, looked around the room a little before she took a step closer to Liv.
"Look, I've got to work here. I got to run in to him in the hallways and the fact the man's a dick doesn't make that any easier but I can't be of any help to you. I love this job, I need this job and I've learnt what I have to do to protect myself and one of them is to not fraternize with his enemies."
Larkin gave Liv one last look before she walked away. Liv let out a deep breath and then shot Sawyer a look. He raised his eyebrows slightly at her before he stood up.
"I don't blame her, he seems to have this entire station whipped," Sawyer said quietly.
"Let's hope we have better luck with the transfers though," Liv said and took lead out of the station house.
They went by zone 4's station house first, asked for officer Charlene Loren and learnt she was out. The desk sergeant was nosey, asked what they wanted with her and acted like it was very inconvenient to call her in if they couldn't even tell him what it was about. They had to wait about half an hour before officer Charlene Loren finally walked in. Again they met a blonde police officer, this one in blue uniform with her long hair pulled in to a low ponytail. Liv asked if they could step outside for a few minutes and Loren looked to her partner to see if it was okay. He said he would get a coffee meanwhile and catch up with her outside in a few.
"So I understand you used to be a detective?" Liv asked.
"Yeah…" Loren answered suspiciously.
"Pulled by deputy chief Patton?" Liv asked and Loren immediately tensed up.
"I got nothing to say," she said as she started to look around if anyone was watching them.
"Please Charlene, he raped a detective, he belongs behind bars," Liv tried.
"I can't help you put him there," Loren said quickly.
"But you know something?" Liv had a hunch. Loren looked hesitant but her face eased a little.
"I knew I had to get away from there," she finally said.
"From there? The station house or from Patton?"
"Patton," she answered swallowing hard.
"What did he do?"
"I'm not testifying to anything, I never reported him and I don't want to get fired."
"Okay, just tell us," Liv pleaded.
"It was fine at first, I mean he was very physical but I didn't think much of it but then it started to get a little… annoying. Like he'd put his hand at the back of my neck, start to rub it a little but he could do it in public too so I thought it couldn't be so wrong you know? He doesn't have kids you know and he could tell someone that I was like the daughter he never had. I felt a little flattered I guess but then as he… well when we were in his office you know or alone somewhere and he started touching me it just felt wrong. He started asking me very personal questions too and he knew things about me," Loren said frowning.
"How do you mean?" Liv asked.
"Well like my mom fought breast cancer a few years ago, she made it through and I never talked about that but he knew somehow. I guess he has the means and connection to find out anything in this town," Loren said shaking her head a little.
"Did he try and use that information?" Liv asked.
"I dunno about use but he said he'd been through something similar and knew how hard that could be and he said that if there was anything I ever needed or wanted to talk about I could come to him."
"What happened that made you finally leave?" Liv asked and Loren took a deep breath.
"It was down in that recreational room," Loren said with a slight eyeroll, "He was always so determined we all should hang out and get together, he said it would make us work better as a squad if we hung out and got to know each other. It would've been all fine if he wasn't around. He kept wanting me to drink but… well both my parents are drunks, I don't want to touch that stuff. So then he takes me outside, tells me I need to open up, to be a good sport. Says something about how he really roots for me, want me to get somewhere within the department but that I need to give a little back. And then…"
Loren's face crumbled slightly and she squirmed, looking back towards the station.
"I know it's hard Charlene but you have nothing to be ashamed for," Liv said comforting.
"It really was nothing, he just tried to kiss me, or my neck rather, he'd started rubbing it and then tried to kiss it. I stepped away so he grabbed my wrist, pulled me back and pressed me up against the wall. He was really… strong, and it just felt like he knew how to… restrain someone like that. Someone walked out and Patton stepped off, I didn't see who it was, I didn't stick around to find out and I asked to be transferred the day after. I knew it wouldn't end there. He's… not a good man."
"No, no he certainly isn't," Liv said, "Is there any chance Charlene that you could reconsider…" Loren had already started shaking her head, "…and give a statement about…"
"No. No way and if you cite me I'll lie," Loren said firmly.
"Okay, do you know anything that can help us though? Have you heard any rumors? Anything Patton has done to anyone else maybe?"
"Except for detective Taymor you mean? Everyone has heard about that by now."
"Yeah, anyone else? Anything that can help us?" Liv said and Loren seemed to think hard about it.
"I mean it seems he likes blondes, like someone told me while I was a detective. Someone got a little drunk and joked about how I was Patton's latest blonde. I asked about it but someone else said it was just a stupid rumor and that I shouldn't listen to it."
"Who was that, the one that got drunk?"
"His name was Lauren, like my last name but spelled with A-U, he was going to retire, they were planning a retirement party for him just before I left. I think his first name was George but I'm not really sure. He wasn't really one of the ones I hanged around with."
"We can look that up," Liv hurried to say, "Anything else? You didn't learn the name of any other of those blondes Lauren hinted to?"
"No," Loren said shaking her head, "but he has that photo in his office, of some blonde detective that transferred up to New York right?"
"What about her?" Liv asked, immediately getting very interested.
"Well he showed me the photo, said she was his little shining star and how he'd helped her transfer to the big city. He seemed to be really proud of her and said I could be just like her if I just stuck with him. He said I could come with him to a conference too if I played my cards right."
Liv felt sick to her stomach. Patton clearly had a pattern.
"Look, my partner, I got to go," Loren said as she cocked her head towards the station house where her partner had walked out with a to go cup in his hands.
"Okay, thank you Loren, if you change your mind please give me a call," Liv said.
"Thanks but I won't, I want this job," Loren said and refused to take the card Liv extended towards her.
They watched Loren walk away towards her partner. Liv gnawed her lip a little, they needed a witness, someone that could back up Taymor and help them win this case.
"So is your detective testifying?" Sawyer asked behind her back and Liv spun around.
"Yeah," Liv said with her thoughts a million miles away, "Yeah she is but I'm not really sure to what just yet."
Sawyer gave her a look but Liv just shook her head.
"C'mon let's go see what corrections or state patrol can give us," Liv said and walked over to their car.
Within the next two hours they got a door slammed in their faces and an intoxicated woman spitting after them. Correction officer Catherine Dourdan slammed the door in their faces the moment after they'd told her why they were there and when Liv tried to plead to her through the door all they got what a row of curses, one of them including turnips, to get the hell off her property.
The drunk woman was former detective Mona Asbury, who'd left the station almost fifteen years ago and no longer looked anything like her former self. They caught her in a bar even though the hour was still early, she did pay Sawyer a little attention at first but when she couldn't talk him in to sitting on his lap she lost interest in him as well. She clearly held a grudge against the police department and wanted nothing to do with them. When she spat by Liv's feet they decided it was time to go before they had to arrest her.
It was a little discouraging. They contemplated trying to catch Asbury tomorrow to see if she'd sobered up. They decided to get lunch and try to track down former detective George Lauren while they ate. They learnt he was still in the city and decided to try and find him after they'd met up with Sam. The location Sam had given them was a small shack in what looked like a bit of a shady part of the city. They found a parking spot nearby and wandered in.
They had a few minutes to spare but Liv spotted Sam at the very back. Actually Sam had spotted them first and waved them over to his booth. As they got closer Liv saw that he wasn't alone. Tucked in close to the wall sat a woman in her forties, nervousness displayed all over her face as they approached.
"Have a seat won't you?" Sam said and hinted to the seats opposite the woman, "You want something to drink?"
"Coffee?" Liv asked as she could see the woman had a cup in front of her. Sam nodded and then gestured to the waitress. Liv and Sawyer had sat down, both throwing curios look at the mystery guest at the table that Sam still hadn't introduced and she did not look keen to tell them who she was either. Sam sat down next to the woman. No one said anything until the waitress had left them again.
"This is Angela Morris," Sam said then and Liv felt like kissing the man.
"You're Angela Morris," she said a little shocked and the woman nodded. Liv couldn't see much more than her face as she was still wearing a hat over her head and an oversized scarf around her neck. Liv had seen her photo but she would've never had been able to recognize her. Maybe it was that she'd aged or that her face was plagued with distress.
"No one but her mom knows she's here okay and we like to keep it that way," Sam explained.
"Okay, of course," Liv said, "Can you tell me what Patton did to you?"
They learnt about how Angela's son Charlie had become really sick after she'd worked about a year as a detective. The father was out of the picture and it had been really stressful. Patton had paid her some attention before but it escalated as her son got sick. He would show up at the hospital, brought teddy bears for Charlie and flowers for her mother. He'd been really charming and actually kind but it changed eventually. He seemed to want some affection back and when she'd turned him down he'd started getting aggressive and nasty, calling her out on things in the squad room in front of the others. He managed to blame her for a few mistakes that had been made in a case but she had nothing to do with. All while he'd kept solicit her behind closed doors. So she'd reported him. Unfortunately the supervisor she'd reported it to and that had signed the claim that later disappeared had died a few years back. Heart attack. She had no idea what happened to the report.
But that wasn't the worst of her story and this part not even Sam had heard before. What had made Angela finally leave the department was an incident that occurred in her own home. Charlie had been released from the hospital but still needed special care. Patton had come over, seemed remorseful and brought gifts for little Charlie. She'd been very reluctant to let him in but he'd managed to talk himself inside. He'd brought food, poured some soda in glasses for them and since she hadn't eaten she'd been stupid enough to have some. She'd finished her glass of soda as well and passed out just minutes later. She had no recollection of what had happened after that but woken up to her son crying by her side a few hours later, her clothes disturbed but no evident marks on her body. Patton nowhere to be seen and their glasses washed and cleaned on the counter.
Sam looked as though he could pass out while Liv asked a few follow up questions. Liv then asked if she would be willing to testify but Angela was reluctant. She admitted she was still scared of Patton and her son was on the transplant list for a new set of lungs. Even though she lived out of state she feared Patton would have connections that could cloud things. She couldn't risk her son's life. She had already exposed him to great danger that night she'd been drugged, it could not happen again.
Liv could relate, Noah had issues with his lungs as well and she wouldn't want to risk his health either, but she needed someone to stick up for Reese Taymor. Liv asked her to just give it some thought and Angela accepted Liv's card and she promised to think about it. Liv asked her to not take too long, Patton would surely push the trial date to not give them time to prepare or find more victims. Angela and Sam had to take off, he was driving her to the bus that would take her back home, a trip that took her several hours and Liv greatly appreciated she'd done for them.
She stayed behind for a while with Sawyer just letting it all sink in. With everything they knew Patton could fry but with no witnesses it was useless. They looked up Tara McCormack next, formerly a detective for APD but now working state patrol. She was working but had some time to spare for them. The news of Patton's predicament in New York had reached her as well. She wasn't surprised that he'd kept up his game. She'd heard rumors about how he claimed his blondes if they didn't give it up freely. Tara had given it up freely though, once, something she regretted immensely. When Liv dug a little though they learnt Tara had been in a little bit of a slump when Patton preyed on her.
Her partner had been severely injured on the job and she felt at blame. Patton had been there to comfort her and after a few too many drinks she'd let him talk himself in to her bedroom. After that one time she'd said no more and that's when Patton had turned nasty, shouted her out in the squad room and tried everything to pin things on her. She'd finally just had enough and decided to leave. It wasn't like the guys at state patrol were any better than the boy's club at the station but at least they took no for an answer at her new job. She would not testify against Patton and nothing Liv said would change her mind.
Liv felt as time and the case were slipping through her hands. They tried Catherine Dourdan again, but got the same result as their last visit.
The day was coming to an end but thankfully Sawyer was willing to go on. They still had the civilian to talk, Liv had realized they wouldn't find the second civilian since she was no longer listed, but Liv was a little more eager to find this retired cop. She was hoping he would have some more names or some truths to tell them about Patton.
They only found his wife at home and she directed them to a bar if they wanted a word with her husband. She seemed mildly amused about her husband being there, Liv got a sense it was a recurring event.
They found the bar and have no problem singling out Lauren, he was by the bar talking loudly with his drinking buddies. Liv and Sawyer introduced themselves and immediately found out what the man thought of them as he loudly introduced them to the entire bar as some fancy pants from New York.
"Could we just get a word with you in private sir?" Liv tried to ask kindly. Lauren shot her a amused look.
"Sir?" he said next and started chuckling loudly. He quiet down quickly though as Sawyer got in his face.
"If you have a word with us I'll pay off your bill at this joint and I'll also leave a hefty sum that will at least cover you for the week," he said. Lauren's eyes narrowed slightly as he took in the offer.
"Step in to my office," he said as he got off his chair, grabbed his beer and took them to the nearest empty booth.
"So what can I do for you two lovely people," Lauren said with played politeness.
"Do you keep in touch with your old friends at Atlanta PD?" Liv asked.
"My friends? Never had any at that stinking place," Lauren said as he took a big gulp of his beer.
"May I ask you what your feelings for deputy chief Patton are?"
"You may," Lauren said with a chuckle, "He's a piece of shit. Biggest phony I've ever come across."
Liv tried her best to conceal her joy over finally finding someone who wouldn't hold back on Patton.
"Have someone finally caught his fingers in the cookie jar?" Lauren smiled.
"You could say that yes," Liv answered, "What can you tell me about him?"
"Not much, he's good at covering things up. Bastard gets away with everything," Lauren grunted.
"You know he has a liking for blondes right?" Liv asked.
"So that's what finally got him caught," Lauren said with a liking, "Yeah I know he likes blondes, too bad for his wife."
"Do you know of any blondes he hurt?"
"Hurt? I dunno some took benefit from it, I'm pretty sure some were more than willing to accept the benefits of screwing the old fart. You know some women get off on being a little abused here and there."
And just like that Liv lost all respect for the man but she did her best to hold it in since she needed to know what he knew.
"Well he drugged and raped a detective during a conference up in New York this weekend," she said.
"Drugged? Sweet..." Lauren swallowed whatever he was about to say but recovered quickly, "Oh those conferences, that they never learn all crazy shit goes down on them," Lauren said shaking his head, "My wife never let me go on any of them but don't think I wasn't tempted. To be able to have some of that fun."
"So Patton is going down for rape," Liv hurried to say as she didn't want to hear what Lauren ruled as fun, "but we could benefit from finding more women he might have abused, can you give us some names?"
"Well I dunno, would it buy me more beers?" Lauren smiled and looked to Sawyer with a big grin. Sawyer didn't move a muscle and Lauren realized he better talk or any beers would be off the table.
"They came and went so quickly you know. It was that one that transferred to homicide, Larken something," Lauren tried to remember.
"Hazel Larkin?" Liv asked.
"Yeah yeah, you seen her? She went all dyke on Patton I think, certainly looks like a dyke but she didn't back then. She looked perfectly normal then. Maybe screwing Patton turns you, you know? Like a vampire," Lauren chuckled and Liv found it hard to not curse him out.
"So you think Larkin had something going with Patton?" Liv asked instead.
"I know she did," Lauren said, "I saw them head out one night, he had his arm around her, she looked a little tipsy, more than tipsy actually."
Liv glanced Sawyers way. So Larkin had been one of Patton's victims. Liv asked a little more but Lauren couldn't remember the date, was even a little hazy on the year but he knew when the affair had ended as Larkin suddenly was in the hot seat getting cursed out and got blamed whenever a case went haywire. He mentioned some of the other women they'd already talked to, or tried to talk to. He didn't have much of value though, nothing they could use if the women wouldn't testify.
"And then there was that Rollins chick," Lauren said and Liv's heart missed a beat.
"What about her?" Liv asked eagerly when Lauren just smirked to himself.
"Well she must've gotten some benefits from banging the boss, she got all the way to New York you know," Lauren said as though Liv had no idea.
"So she was sleeping with Patton?" Liv hated asking it but knew she had to.
"I dunno what was going on there but Patton surely had a liking for her, but so did her captain," Lauren said with a smirk.
"Captain Reynolds?" Liv asked, leaving a gasp in her throat.
"Yeah, married men, not able to keep it in their pants, weaklings," Lauren said shaking his head.
"Is captain Reynolds anything like chief Patton?" Liv asked but Lauren shook his head.
"No, captain wasn't all that bad, never seen him go tizzy like that over a skirt but he sure did. Some rivalry there."
"How? What happened?"
"Well speaking of conferences," Lauren grinned, "When they came back from that one in... Houston I think it was, Patton surely was in a foul mood, well fouler than usual, and then rumors about Reynolds and Rollins sharing a room, you had to connect the dots."
"They shared a room?"
"That's what the rumors said."
"So it was just rumors?"
"He had a liking to her, she kept her head down, Patton was jealous, I would say that's more than rumors," Lauren smirked and finished his beer. He looked to Sawyer and he got up and walked over to the bar to get a refill.
"But you don't have any solid proof about an affair?" Liv asked not wanting to believe rumors.
"Hey lady, you came here and wanted to talk to me, I'm just telling you what I know to be the truth. Patton pulled another hot blonde in, kept her on his hip and then during a weekend away she switched hips. All of a sudden she's buddy buddy with captain Reynolds and Patton is looking all gloomy like some silly high school fight over a girl," Lauren moaned and sat back as he glanced over at the bar looking for that beer he expected.
"So she might have had something with captain Reynolds, but what about Patton? What happened between them?"
Liv had to repeat the question as Lauren only had attention on Sawyer walking back with his beer. He let out a burp before he answered.
"Patton strutted around angry for a while but I could see him trying to get to her whenever captain wasn't around. Sly one that one."
"So did he? Get to her?" Liv asked.
"How would I know, told you he's sly," Lauren shrugged.
"But did you see anything that looked inappropriate? Something he did that he shouldn't?"
"He had his hands on her a lot, he never touched me like that. Thankfully," Lauren let out a chuckle.
"Hands on her like how?"
"Want me to show you sweetheart?" Lauren smirked and didn't stop when Liv glared at him.
"Oh don't you worry, my wife is plenty enough for me, always have been," Lauren said and had another taste of his beer.
"I don't know, hand on her back, rubbing on her neck. On her thigh like if they were sitting next to each other. God knows I would've get slapped with a reprimand if I went around like that at the station touching the ladies. But Patton, you know he could get away with most."
"Did he curse her out in the squad room? In front of you?" Liv asked, she was getting a sense of Patton's pattern now.
"Yupp he surely did, she could take it though, have to give her that. Took it with stride which only pissed Patton off even more, it was kinda fun to see actually," Lauren said as his inside rumbled with subdued laughter.
"Did it happen often?"
"I dunno, more towards the end. Maybe it was his way of letting her know he would miss her? Who knows with him? He'd laid off her for a while though, didn't even look her way but then it was like turning a switch and all hell broke loose."
They didn't get much more out of George Lauren but that was okay cause Liv was eager to have another talk to Sam Reynolds. She gave him a call and learnt he was still at the station so Sawyer drove them there. The place had emptied out quite a lot but it could've been packed, Liv wasn't watching her words for anything.
"I want to know what you and Rollins had together. I want to know what happened in Houston."
She'd more or less burst in to his office and he looked a little stunned. His eyes went out over his squad room and he looked very bothered.
"Come with me," he said biting down hard and walked out. Liv stomped after while Sawyer mostly just tagged along fearing a little what would go down and wondering if he should be present for it or not. Sam took them down the corridor and in to interview room number one that they'd passed earlier that day.
"I don't know where to place you Sam," Liv started the moment she stepped in to the room, "One moment you act all indifferent and the next you do me a huge favor. I think you have my back in this case, have Amanda's back but then you act like… Patton."
She wasn't sure where she was going or what she wanted to say. She just wanted someone to tell her the truth and stand by their word. Sam didn't look happy to be compared to Patton.
"Where you and Amanda a couple?" she said as she calmed down slightly.
"No," he said like it was the most outrages thing in the world.
"You had something," she just said, wanted to lure him to say something. Sam glanced over at Sawyer, looking a little flustered, maybe embarrassed.
"If it would've been up to me yes," he said reluctantly, "There was something there, between us, I'd like to think she would admit to that as well but I was married and Amanda… she would never go there. Her parents… let's just say she'd seen enough of what infidelity can do to a marriage and she would never go down that path. She's righteous whatever you might think of her."
"What do you mean? You don't think I find her righteous?" Liv blurted out a little offended. Sam just shook his head at her though and went back to the previous subject.
"No there has never been anything between me and Amanda."
"So why did you share a room at the conference in Houston?"
Sam sighed loudly and stirred a little where he stood.
"That was a rumor…" he mumbled.
"So you didn't share a room?" Liv asked confrontational.
"We did okay, I let her in my room. She was on the couch though, nothing happened," he tried to explain.
"Why was she in your room?"
Sam looked reluctant to talk again, rubbed his head with his hand.
"C'mon tell me the truth Sam, stop lying to me," Liv spat out getting fed up by him beating around the bush.
"I'm not… lying," Sam spat right back, "I'm… trying to protect her."
"Amanda?" Liv asked to make sure and Sam nodded.
"Why do you need to protect her?"
"I don't want to rat her out, you have to ask her," Sam said putting his hands in his sides.
"I'm asking you and you're going to tell me," Liv said with her demanding tone, "Why did she sleep in your room?"
"She was scared of him okay? She was scared of Patton," Sam admitted reluctantly.
"Why was she scared of him?"
"You know why," Sam said a little annoyed.
"You tell me," Liv answered though.
"Amanda got the same treatment as the others, she was no exception."
"She got groped, harassed, drugged, raped, and you let that happen?"
"No," Sam said loudly but quiet down as he worried someone would overhear them, "I didn't know all of that. I would've never let that go on, to anyone, had I known that it was so… severe."
"So it's okay to get a little sexual assaulted you mean? By a superior officer nonetheless," Liv asked flabbergasted.
"That's not what I'm saying. Amanda could take care of herself, she was… special."
"But the others before her, they weren't? They deserved what they got?"
"That's not what I'm saying, you don't get it," Sam said and took a few steps away from her shaking his head.
"That's cause you're not telling me the truth Sam," Liv said angrily, "Tell me the truth!"
"Look, yes this is a boy's club," Sam said turning back around, "There's a certain… order. I'm not saying it's right, or even okay, but it is what it is. Patton is my boss, someone put him in that position and you deal with it. Make the best of the situation. I tried to empower these women, let them know they could talk to me if they needed to, told them… to toughen up."
Liv let out a huff and rolled her eyes.
"Yeah yeah I know that's not the way you would've handled it but you don't work here sergeant, you haven't grown up around these people, everyone here has and we've adapted."
"You should stop adapting and grow some balls instead. Change your ways," Liv challenged
"That's not as easy as you make it sound sergeant, balls are the problem here. Too much testosterone and narrow-mindedness."
Sam quiet down and took some deep breaths as Liv tried to calm down as well.
"So what did Amanda had to suffer through?" Liv finally asked, "And let me tell you, you're not protecting her by keeping quiet. This needs to come out."
Sam did not look willing to talk though.
"What happened at the conference?" Liv tried a direct question to get him talking again.
Sam took his time but then finally started talking.
"He kept up his usual game, pranced her around, kept his hands on her. I knew she didn't like it but she dealt with it best she could. I dunno exactly what happened but she banged on my door later that night, agitated, asked if she could come inside. She never did tell me what happened or who she was afraid of but she didn't have to tell me that part, I knew it was Patton. It didn't look as though he'd… touched her though."
"But you're not sure?"
"I'm pretty sure, her clothes were… in place and her hair up. I mean I had no idea Patton was capable of… well of that. He charmed and seduced and I hoped she wouldn't fall for it. It looked as she hadn't, that she didn't want to be with him and… I was… happy she'd turned to me."
"Please tell me you didn't try anything," Liv said and huffed as she caught the answer on Sam's face.
"Great so she runs from one creep and she ends up in the room of another," Liv burst out.
"Oh shut up," Sam mumbled but he was clearly ashamed, "I'm not like Patton. I would never force myself on her, on anyone."
"But you didn't think Patton was capable of that either right? Your friend Angela was raped and you had no idea?"
"I didn't, I swear," Sam said looking a little distraught and Liv took some pity on him.
"I'm sorry but I have a really hard time trusting you right now," Liv said though.
"Look at least Amanda came to me," Sam said, "she came to me that night to get away from him and she came to me a few weeks later and asked me to take her on so she could get away from Patton."
"She give you a reason for that?"
"She didn't have to give me a reason, she wasn't the first one that had asked to get away from him."
"Right, you just let innocent blonde young cadets get ruined under his command," Liv moaned.
"Patton brought them in, there was nothing I could do."
"Right," Liv said. There was a silent pause where they just looked at each other.
"But something did happen right? Something you know about cause you called in a favor to Cragen, you got her transferred. Why?"
"It was nothing like that okay?"
"Like what? Like getting raped?"
"No she wasn't," he said immediately but then looked gloomier as he continued, "As far as I know."
Liv tried to just breathe through the nausea that suddenly rushed over her.
"So what did happen?" she asked once she was pretty sure she could hold it in.
"I can't tell you."
"Damn straight you can and you will," Liv said charging him, having no problem fuming instantly.
"No I'm not," Sam answered though, challenging the glare she was giving him.
"If you want to find out what happened to her you have to ask her."
"Don't you think I've tried? She's not talking."
"And that's my problem?" Sam asked malicious.
"You say you care for her well then prove it, help her now," Liv said.
"I am, she asked me not to say anything and I'm keeping my word to her."
Liv gave him a grim look, underneath which Sam calmed slightly.
"She trusted me enough to come to me back then, if not with the entire story at least with parts of it," Sam said, "I'm not going to betray her and if she's not talking to you I'd say that's your problem sergeant. Maybe you should take a closer look at why she doesn't trust you."
And with that Sam walked out leaving Liv with that sickening feeling and a bit of guilt gnawing at her thoughts.
Liv didn't say much during the drive over to the motel, and neither did Sawyer. She had a lot of thoughts rolling around in her head. One of them was that all she really wanted to do was to call home and check in on Noah. Hoping he would be up by some slim chance and maybe want to gurgle some sounds in her ear. But not even that made her able to completely turn her thoughts of this case.
Amanda had worked for Patton for six years. Six years. What was the chances that she'd been able to escape the fate all these other women had succumbed to?
Back in New York Amanda had walked in to the station after a sleepless night. The brawl with Nick had been on her mind, feeling stupid for acting like such a child and for probably just making the situation between them even worse. She solved it the same way as she'd done many times before though, just kept her head down, pretended it never happened and just did her best to focus on work.
Liv had left Nick in charge with luckily kept him busy most of the day. Amanda had managed to go about her day, her and Fin taking another stab at the new year's case, that was until Nick came over and told her to take a call from Reese Taymor.
She was calling for Liv but Nick wanted Amanda to take it in her absence. Amanda had questioned why her, was it just because she was a woman but Nick had calmly said it was just cause she was the only one who'd spoken to Taymor before. Amanda felt a little embarrassed as she finally picked up the phone.
She'd only spent a few minutes on the phone with her, not really sure what to say but Taymor mostly just wanted to know what was happening with the case. She wanted to leave to go home to Florida but Amanda told her she had to stay put for a while. She let her know Liv was in Atlanta gathering more evidence. Amanda found herself saying things like her sergeant would find evidence, she would find others that would testify and Reese wouldn't be alone. She felt like the biggest hypocrite ever as she hung up.
Liv being in Atlanta scared Amanda. She was afraid of what she would dig up, what dirt would surface and what secrets she'd learn. Amanda didn't trust a single soul, not even Sam, maybe least of all Sam. She wanted to help Taymor though and hoped it would be enough with the little she was doing. The guilt was gnawing on her though. She was a fraud, a chicken, a wuss. But she couldn't testify to something that had never happened right?
They'd taken a little break from the case after lunch, Fin stating they needed to step away for a while to get a clearer picture. Amanda rubbed her temples, closed her eyes for a few second as Fin literally stepped away from his desk. She wanted to nail this new year's perp. She wanted him desperately. Just to be able to do something good. It didn't take long though until Patton sneaked in to her thoughts. She had to opened up her eyes again as scary images started to surface in front of her eyes.
She squirmed a little in her chair. Nothing had happened. Everything was fine. But things weren't fine and she got on the computer. Without really thinking about what she was doing she opened up a window and typed in something at the search engine. She browsed the search result and clicked one of the links. Her eyes skimmed the page and then went back to click another link. She got so caught up she didn't notice Fin coming back.
"Hey I thought we were taking a break," Fin said over her shoulder.
"Oh yeah I just..," Amanda said and scrambled to close the window down.
"Ketamine?" Fin questioned having spotted what she was looking at.
"Yeah I just…" Amanda felt embarrassed having gotten caught but wasn't sure what to say.
"That's what Patton used right?" Fin said as he sat down by his desk. He looked at her from underneath his big eyebrows.
"Whatever, okay so can we ask chief Nick if he'll let us play outside for a while?" Amanda asked. Fin chuckled.
Fin decided they didn't need Nick's approval and they headed over to the victim of their new year's case to see how she was doing, he hoped for his partner's sake that the victim was doing a little better since they last saw her. Their victim, Nathalie, was at least home from the hospital now. She was doing pretty well, her injury healing but she got very upset as she learnt they still hadn't make any breakthroughs to catch her assailant.
Amanda was silent in the car on their way back to the station, Fin let her be. He let her take another run trying to get those surveillance tapes from the business across the street and he tried to sit quiet as she cursed out whoever was on the other side of the line. When Nick started to hover around Fin offered his services to whatever Nick needed help with. Fin knew his partner just had to get something out of her system and if it was screaming at some deadbeat that stalled their investigation he had no problem with it. Rather that than getting in a fight with Nick and Fin could see that on the horizon if he didn't intervene.
Hours later Fin convinced her to let it go, to check out for the day and come back with fresh eyes in the morning. Amanda hated when he was right but she was also dead tired. She had her car and declined both a ride and a drink as Fin offered it. She said she wanted to get home to Frannie.
She usually took Frannie for a walk the moment she got home but she felt in need of a shower and it became dark before they went out. There was a GA meeting tonight but she just didn't feel like going. Sharing didn't feel like something she wanted to do right now. She didn't go her normal route tonight but headed down towards the water. It was really cold and not much people out. She felt safe with Frannie by her side though.
Once down by the water Frannie started to pull on her leash. Amanda found it a bit odd, Frannie usually walked very well on a leash. She told Frannie off but it didn't take long until she started pulling again. Amanda tugged at her leash and sat down by her side.
"C'mon Frannie, why are you being like this," she mumbled, stroking Frannie behind her ear a bit.
Amanda almost fell backwards as Frannie let out a sharp bark. When she barked one more time Amanda turned her head to follow where it was aimed at. She spotted a single car on the other side of the road, parked where it shouldn't be and a figured standing right by it. He was in the shadows but it was definitely a he and Amanda got to her feet. Her heart was beating out of her chest and she scrambled to her feet quickly.
"C'mon," she said to Frannie and pulled her along in the opposite direction. Amanda threw a glance over her shoulder and saw that the figure was gone. She gasped slightly when the engine on the car got turned on though and she pulled Frannie along faster. The car started rolling down the street and Amanda pulled Frannie with her down further towards the water and away from the road. As she got down to the water she started running best she could in her unsuitable shoes and the bulky jacket. Frannie helped her along by pulling ahead.