Chapter Two

Alex struggled to stifle a yawn as she shuffled papers on her desk.

"Ok, Eames?" Captain Danny Ross asked as he passed her desk.

"Nothing a few hours of sleep won't cure," she answered. "Or strong coffee, which my partner is about to supply."

Ross looked across the squad room to the coffee table; Bobby was pouring a steady stream of sugar into a coffee cup. "He made it to the scene ok last night?"

Alex nodded. "He got there about fifteen minutes after me." She looked steadily at Ross; Alex knew her captain was concerned about Bobby's possible preoccupation with his mother's condition. "He told me everything was fine…and he's certainly been acting that way."

"All right…thank you, Eames." Ross resumed his journey to his office. Alex watched as he stopped briefly to speak with Bobby, who tilted his head to listen to the captain. Bobby spoke a few words, he and Ross shared a wry smile, and Bobby continued to Alex's desk.

"There you go," he said genially as he placed her coffee on her desk. "That should have enough caffeine and sugar even for you."

"Everything ok with the Captain?" Alex asked. Relations between Bobby and Ross were still uneasy, but improving.

Bobby took a sip of his coffee before he answered. "Uh…yea…I was just telling him I managed to get a speeding ticket getting to the scene last night…He offered to help me with it…" Bobby smiled. "He claimed it was professional courtesy."

"Robert Goren," Alex shook her head. "You're the only cop I know who won't flash his badge to get out of a ticket…"

"It's usually faster to just accept it," Bobby said. "Although most of the cops from here to Carmel Ridge know me." A sad shadow crossed his eyes. "I've driven the route enough."

"How was your mom?" Alex asked cautiously.

Bobby dropped his eyes to the reports on his desk, and for a moment Alex thought he wouldn't answer. "She was," he finally said. "Pretty good…calm." He smiled wryly. "I'm just glad when she's calm."

Alex nodded and returned to her work. In the days since Thanksgiving Bobby had worked at both their professional and personal connections. He spoke with her about his mother; he comforted her when he could. But there were still moments when he raised huge barriers between them. There were days when he vibrated with anger and guilt and fear; the next day he would be stoic and gentle and resolved. It was simplest and safest to wait for his revelations, for her to ask the most mundane of questions and wait for Bobby to expand on his answers. It was a frustrating process—Alex sometimes felt that for every step Bobby took on the road to becoming closer to her, he took two steps back.

Today, however, was a good day. He was calm, collected, and, in spite of his lack of sleep, at the top of his game. By noon, the pieces of their latest case were set together; Alex and Bobby required only the M.E.'s report to confirm their findings. Bobby cheerfully offered to buy lunch, and they were on the point of exiting Major Case when Ross waved them into his office.

"You're not in trouble," the captain said as he closed the door behind them. "At least not yet. You've heard about the body found this morning a couple of blocks from here?"

"We drove by the scene," Alex answered. "Talked to Olivia Benson from SVU."

"You know her?" Ross asked.

Alex nodded. "Friend of mine…We get together once in a while for a drink or coffee…Complain about the department…"

"And their partners," Bobby added dryly.

A smile tugged at the corners of Ross' mouth.

"I'm not saying anything," Alex said lightly. "Privileged information."

"Well, it may be helpful," Ross said. "There's a "request" from the Brass…"

"We're being asked to help with the case," Bobby said quietly.

"Actually, to help with five cases," Ross said. "This morning's victim is Rosa Santello…She's a librarian at the New York Public Library…and her father is a close friend of the Mayor…She was identified quickly because her ID was found near her body…Which was also the case in these four other cases…All of the victims were between thirty and forty…all dark haired and dark eyed…all librarians or curators…all showing the same methods of torture and all killed somewhere else and dumped near a police station…There was another dumped in Manhattan…and three others in towns on State Road 15…"

Alex sensed a slight start in Bobby at the name of the road; he'd mentioned it as the best route to Carmel Ridge.

Unaware of Bobby's reaction, Ross continued. "SVU was already investigating the first body dumped in the city…"

Alex sighed. "And how many other agencies are involved?"

Ross gave her a sympathetic look. "New York State Police, two counties, two small town departments…I've spoken with Don Cragen, the SVU captain…He's not happy, but he accepts the political realities…He has a rep as a good guy, and he certainly sounded like that to me. He told me the State and others have been very cooperative. I've assured him I'm not crazy about being forced on him and that SVU will get the credit it deserves in the investigation."

"Well," Bobby said quietly. "I worked in Narcotics with Detective Finn…He's in SVU now…A good guy and cop."

"And Olivia will be glad of the help," Alex added. She frowned. "But her partner…Stabler…will hate us."

Ross studied Bobby and Alex. "You both can deal with SVU leading on this? At least officially?"

Alex shrugged. "I've always said I'm not in this job to get noticed."

Bobby nodded. "I just want to do the job."

"That's what I told Cragen," Ross said quietly. "Hand off your current cases to Logan and Wheeler and bring them up to speed. Then head over to SVU…" He raised a hand to stop them before they headed out of his office. "I know this is a political thing, and I'm sorry you have to deal with it. But there's also someone out there killing and torturing women…Cragen told me this guy is bad, very bad…Four of these women had young children…"

Alex winced; Bobby blinked.

"You're the best the department has," Ross continued. "And if you can stop this guy, the hell with the politics…"

"I'm not looking forward to this," Alex said as they walked back to their desks.

"Fin and Benson will be ok…Even glad to see us," Bobby said quietly. "And we'll probably get a chance to work with George Huang…He's a psychiatrist who works with SVU a lot…I've read some of his work…He's first rate."

"And Don Cragen does have a rep as one of the best guys in the Department," Alex said as she sat at her desk. "But the Brass will be breathing down our necks…and when the press gets hold of this story…" She shook her head. "And Elliott Stabler can be a real jerk…"

End Chapter TWO