"Secrets" Chapter 3

-Girl Talk-

Kathleen meets Olivia outside on the steps. She is sitting there looking at a yearbook from her school when Olivia walks up. Kathleen shuts the yearbook and looks up at Olivia. Olivia sits on the step beside her.

Olivia: "Hey there. Is that from this year?"

Kathleen: "Yeah. I thought this might help for some reason."

Olivia: "Is she in there?"

Kathleen: "I don't know. I had just sat down here and opened it when you came around the corner."

Olivia: "She was in the 10th grade?"

Kathleen: "Yes. She was in advanced math and AP English classes."

Olivia: (shaking head) "You know anything about her?"

Kathleen: "Only that she was really strange. She only had guys as friends and when any of us would talk to her she totally ignored us. So, we stopped. The guys, they loved her, said she was 'easy' to be with. You know?"

Olivia: "OH…yea I know. Ever hear anything about where she lived?"

Kathleen: "No, not really." Pause. "Wait! Maybe I do know. We followed her one day,not intentionally though, we were going to the mall, and we saw her go into this building that looked deserted. I never really thought anything of it until now."

Olivia: "Deserted? Wonder why she went in there? Hmm…Where was this building? Was it an old storage building, a house or what?"

Kathleen: "Slow down, Liv. I can only answer one at a time. (laughs) It was over near the old food court. It was a house but maybe wasn't always, the one right next door to the food court, near the mall."

Olivia: "The house that old lady Rogers lived in?"

Kathleen: "Yeah! That's it. Wait, didn't Ms. Rogers die in there last year around the end of spring? Didn't they say that there was a young girl, unidentified, called 911 about it?"

Olivia: "Yes, Kathleen, they did? They had a name but no record. The name was Bernice Rogers. I bet that was Denise Pickering."

Kathleen: "So, now she is a murderer!?"

Olivia gets out her phone. She needs to call the captain, and she needs to call Elliot. She stands up and looks at her phone, then dials three numbers.

Kathleen: "Are you calling my dad?"

Olivia: "Not this call. I have to call the Captain. Then I will call Elliot."

A woman's voice from inside the house: "Kathleen!?"

Steps come toward the door inside. Kathleen stands up. The front door opens. Kathy peeps out the door and sees Olivia and Kathleen standing on the steps. Olivia is on the phone and Kathleen is upset, almost in tears, about the news of Denise.

Kathy: "What is wrong Kathleen?"

Kathleen: "Nothing mom God!"

Kathy: "Don't you take that tone with me! What did Olivia say to you?"

Olivia: "Thanks Captain." She looks at Kathy, "Me, you think I said something to upset her?"

Kathy: "She is shaking Olivia, you must have?"

Kathleen: "No Mom, She did not. Why are you upset at Olivia?"

Olivia: "I going, Can I take the yearbook to Captain Cragen for him to see this?"

Kathleen: "Sure Liv. Don't go though. I wanted to tell you something else about Denise."

Kathy: "Denise…that little strange girl at your school…is she hurt?"

Kathleen: "Mom?!"

Olivia: "I can not discuss the case with anyone except Kathleen. I am sorry, Kathy, that she is upset, but she wants to help."

Kathleen: "I am okay."

Kathy: "Ok then."

Kathy stomps up the three steps and slings the door open. She turns and looks at Olivia and peers at her for a minute before speaking.

Kathy: "Seen El?"

Olivia: "Daily."

Kathy: "Tell him to come by again tonight when you guys wrap this up. If he can."

Olivia: "Ok, sure."

Kathy: "Thanks Liv."

Olivia: "No problem, it did him some good to come over the other night, other than his little spat with Kathleen."

Kathleen: "He told you??!"

Olivia: "Yes."

Kathy: "Everything?"

Olivia: "I suppose, just not why Kathleen was upset with him."

Kathy: "Oh….well, make sure you tell him and tell him he doesn't need to call this time either. I know he is coming.", and shuts the door.

Kathleen: "What I wanted to tell you was that Denise had these charms she gave to guys, if they were lucky, so the guys say."

Olivia: "Charms?"

Kathleen: "Yes, they are little silver numbers you can get them in the craft department anywhere. I saw them there a while ago. Anyway, she gave this guy in my class one, it was a 2 and a 6. She had him put them on a chain, as in 26 like the number. She told him that was the day they met. But it wasn't, that's just it. Charlie said they met on the 15th of last month. They slept together for the first time on the 21st.

Olivia: "So, why the 26 charms?"

Kathleen: "I don't know. Unless, it is how many guys she has been with?"

Olivia: "Oh my goodn…." Her cell rang and interrupted her.

It was Elliot.

Olivia: "Kathleen, its Elliot. I have to take this. Thanks for all your information. If you think of anything else let me know ok?"

Kathleen: "I will. (laughs) Liv? The juice?"

Olivia: Laughs. "Oh, here you go. Bye."

Olivia turns, answers the phone and heads back towards the precinct.

Olivia: "Benson."

Elliot: "Liv, anything?"

Olivia: "Oh yea, big news. I am on my way back now."

Elliot: "Me too. Meet you back there."

Olivia: "Ok, then."