A/N: This picks up right where the last part left off. My apologies if I woke anyone up during this one. I got a little flustered when Elliot kissed Dani. I think the "WHAT?!" I screamed at the TV is still echoing somewhere. Sorry about the delay between posts. I lost my muse for this story. This one's a little slower. Just a warning.
"I haven't walked in ages. It feels so good to be out in the fresh air." Olivia stuck her hands in her pockets and glanced over at Elliot.
"Yeah. Pretty soon it'll be cold and miserable." He grinned as she rolled her eyes.
"Ever the optimist. Are we close?" Olivia nodded toward the paper in his hand.
"Should be. Oh, wait…no….yeah, there." Elliot folded the map and pointed straight ahead at the aged, brick building. He thought about a time long ago when he'd been young. He'd grown up and never looked back.
"Are the twins close? I always wondered what it was like being a twin." She had signed up for a psychology class in college but had to drop it.
"Sometimes. It comes and goes, really. When they were little, they were inseparable. Then, they got to the point where they had their own friends and couldn't stand when their lives crossed. Lately, they're getting closer again. Guess it goes in cycles. I hope they'll always be close, to some extent." He had a picture in his wallet of the trip they'd taken to Coney Island. Lizzie had been running and had fallen and Dickie had gone to the bathroom to get paper towels to wipe off her chin. Elliot had never forgotten that day. Busted lip and all, Lizzie had never looked happier beside her brother. His arm had been around her shoulders, protectively. It was still his favorite picture.
"The twin thing could be far-fetched, but if it isn't, where does the sister fit in here? Lisa Parker was the victim, not her sister." She saw the slight grin on Elliot's face and made a mental note to ask him what he'd been thinking about.
"I don't know. Maybe it doesn't tie into anything. Look at the facts, or the lack thereof. We've a victim who's waited some time before coming forward. Doesn't have much information on her attack. We've narrowed it down to the area surrounding NYU. Could be a classmate, scorned lover, the possibilities are endless. A college that large, someone's got to know her. If she doesn't go here, then the sister that may have just come into the picture. This case is already a thorn in my side." He glanced down at his watch and quickened his pace. They had a lot of ground to cover, and it was still early.
"Yep." She nodded, deep in thought. He was right. The questions outweighed the answers by far. They had nothing to go on, other than the area Elliot had narrowed down.
"You ever go to class with your mom? Sit in on anything?" Elliot often wondered how Olivia's relationship had been with her mother as a child. He'd had bits and pieces of information, none of which created a big enough picture for him to get a feel of anything. He did know one thing for sure: the emotional scars ran deep from her childhood.
"Once or twice when I was sick. She had the luxury of picking which classes she taught, so she was usually home when I was. She didn't have anyone to watch me if I couldn't go to school, so she'd set me up in the back of the room with a book." She remembered fondly how she'd grasped the attention of everyone in the room.
"I bet that taught you not to be sick." He chuckled before noticing the fake smile plastered on her face.
"Wasn't sick enough." She blew out a breath of air and looked away. She hadn't spent nearly enough time with her mother.
"Computers are all foreign to me. I'm lucky if I can use the mouse. It amazes me that people can write these complex programs." He picked up the change in her demeanor and shifted to the case once again.
"I learned a little about the coding and whatnot. It's kind of interesting to learn what a JFrame is. I thought java was a type of coffee before Computer Crimes." She laughed as Elliot took on a perplexed look
"You mean it's not?" He rolled his eyes and snorted.
"Smartass." She shook her head and jogged up the steps with him in tow. She scanned the display on the wall, looking for the right floor.
"Think it's any coincidence that one of the advisors has the same last name?" Elliot tapped the glass covering with his finger.
"Could be. Wouldn't hold my breath, though, if I were you." She grinned and pushed the button to the elevator. She liked exercise, but seven flights of stairs was a bit much.
"Where's your sense of adventure?" He wiggled his eyebrows and leaned against the railing as the elevator lurched.
"At home, where my ass should still be." Staring down at the faux marble floor, she stifled a yawn.
"Headache gone?" He noticed her eyes looked more clear and the paleness of her face had gone away.
"Yeah. The fresh air woke me up, I think. Felt it a little this morning but not so much right now." Olivia waited for the doors to open before letting Elliot lead the way.
"Looks like he's in." Elliot tapped on the door and waited for the balding man on the other side to let him in.
The pudgy man made his way to the door and within a matter of seconds let the two detectives in.
"Mr. Parker, my name is Detective Stabler. This is Detective Benson. My partner and I would like to ask you a few questions." He showed his badge and gestured to Olivia as she did the same.
"Sure. I'm sorry for the clutter. I'd say it's never like this, but unfortunately it's always a mess." The portly man grabbed an extra chair from a nearby computer and scooted it over to join the one on the other side of his desk. He waited for the detectives to take a seat before sitting down.
"What can you tell us about a Lisa Parker?" Olivia watched the man grow pale and glanced at Elliot.
"Well, Lisa is my daughter, so I guess I could tell you a lot." He scratched his beard and crossed his arms over the desk in front of him.
"Do you know why we're here, Mr. Parker?" Elliot watched the man's face redden.
"Of course I do. I told her to report it. My wife begged her to but she wanted to wait. I should have taken here down there the moment she told us. She's my baby girl. They both are." He wiped his eyes before the tears fell and sniffled.
"Both? Sir, do you have twin girls?" Olivia felt her heart race as the man nodded. She had been right.
"Laura and Lisa. Lisa's always been the more outgoing one. Laura followed in my footsteps. Wrote her first program before she could even drive a car." He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a stack of Kleenexes before wiping his nose.
"Does Lisa come here often?" Elliot waited for the man to steady his breathing.
"Uh…not really. She goes to school during the day and works at night in Midtown near school. She rarely has time to visit but she stops by occasionally. It was my fault she was here that day. She stopped by before her Movement class. She attends the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. We had breakfast and she was running late to pick up the Subway." He mumbled the last few words, clearly feeling guilty.
"Mr. Parker, does your daughter have any enemies? Anyone that would want to see her hurt?" Olivia leaned forward in her chair. All eyes were on the distraught father.
"Not that I know of. You'd have to ask her sister. Laura's been so great. She took a week off classes to be with her. She's the one who finally convinced her to say something about it. She would know more than I would." He dabbed at his eyes and set the Kleenex down. His hands shook as he fought for control of his emotions.
"Do you have a number we can reach Laura at?" Elliot uncapped his pen, prepared to write.
"Yeah. Her cell phone number. She doesn't use a house phone. Says it's cheaper that way. She has class until three. What'd you say your name was?" He searched his desks for a piece of paper and pulled out a sticky note.
"Detective Stabler. Call this number if you think of anything. We really appreciate your help and we're sorry to come under these circumstances." Elliot shook the man's hand and patted him on the back.
"Thank you. Please, find the monster that did this." Mr. Parker repeated the handshake with Olivia and looked at her with pleading eyes.
"We will do everything in our power to do so." She smiled and waited for Elliot as the door slipped shut.
"We've got a while before the sister gets home. I think it's just a case of getting the names mixed up. The father would know. Doesn't explain how her name came up as being a student here. What do you say we do lunch? You can tell me all about these JFrames." Elliot stuck his notebook back in his pocket.
"You know that little pop-up window that comes up on your computer every time you click the right mouse button instead of the left?" She smiled at a little girl sporting a runny nose and looked behind her as the child and its mother passed.
"Yeah…" Elliot followed her gaze.
"There's your JFrame." She turned back around, still smiling.
"Whatever you say, Liv." He nudged her with his elbow and kept walking.
"Good answer. Race you to the car." She took off running, her hair blowing in the wind.
"Cheater!" Elliot followed, letting her take the lead. It was a different side to his partner; one he enjoyed seeing.
"You wish, old man." Olivia bent over her knees, panting. She heard his footsteps and looked up.
"Yeah, it's always been my wildest dream." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and unlocked the door.
"I bet. Know what mine was?" She waited for him to click the locks and got in.
"I'm afraid to ask." He started the car and pulled the seatbelt around his lap.
"I always wanted a house. Not an apartment that eats up your paycheck." She wondered how Elliot managed after his separation.
"It's not all it's cracked up to be. If the pipes break at three in the morning, you don't have a super you can call to fix it." He thought of the countless times he'd had to call a repairman to fix the leaky faucet or the busted furnace that drained their savings.
"Yeah, well, I guess I'll have to marry a rich doctor or lawyer. Know anyone with padded pockets?" She flipped down the visor and fixed her hair.
"Nope. A buddy of mine drives a trash truck, though. They make pretty good money. Takes some getting used to, the smell." He glanced over his shoulder and changed lanes. As he approached the diner, his stomach grumbled.
"What are you having?" She smoothed the wrinkles in her shirt and brushed off her pants before getting out.
"Same thing I always get." He walked around the front of the car and grabbed her arm as a truck came barreling through the parking lot.
"Asshole. Order me a coffee?" Seeing him nod, she made her way to the back of the diner. She saw the fading handprints on her arm as she closed the stall. Within seconds, they had disappeared altogether. The reminder of his actions remained. The instinct that she was walking into path of an oncoming car. The protective urge as he pulled her to safety. As she washed her hands, she gazed into the mirror. For a brief moment, she saw a little girl with hopes and dreams of getting married and settling down. She opened the door to the bathroom and saw him standing on the other side with a coffee cup in hand.
"So, tell me about this friend of yours." She linked her arm in his and walked to the table in the corner. She accepted the menu, although she already knew what she wanted. They both did.
"Forget it. He's not good enough for you." He watched her peruse the contents as if she'd decide on something new. She never did. He knew her that well.