The Santa Incident
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of LO:SVU or any other show mentioned here. I don't own the rights of the songs either. I'm making no money out of this whatsoever. Don't sue me, I have no money.
4
When they reached the pool hall, the streets were not covered with brown mud of snow but with a firm white layer.
"We should try and make this short and sweet," Olivia said before they entered. "If this becomes heavier we'll be glad if we'll make it back to the precinct in time to knock off."
"If this will turn into a storm we'll probably have to stay here."
"I can live without that…"
He opened the door and both stepped inside. The place was dimly lit. Only above the pool tables in the back of the big room stronger lights shone. Everyone present turned the head at the strangers blown in by the wind together with swirls of snowflakes. Except of the landlord no one seemed to be older than mid-twenty. As a matter of fact the waitresses appeared to be younger than twenty.
The atmosphere became icy. If they would have come into another bar with at least half of the guests being possible suspects, the detectives would have expected such a greeting, but with students?
Slowly Olivia and Elliot crossed the room until they came to the pool tables. From the photos they'd seen at the dean's office they identified Cornwell and Davis among a group at the far wall. Now they saw for themselves why Cornwell was on the verge of being expelled from Columbia. He slouched in the corner, enthroned on a chair, holding court like a king. The small corner table was filled with glasses and some stuff the colleagues of Narcotics would probably be interested in.
"Detectives," Cornwell greeted cheerfully. "Brian told me that you would come to talk with me."
"Oh, really. Mr. Cornwell, I'm Detective Benson, this is Detective Stabler. We'd like to know what you've been doing yesterday evening."
"May I ask you why?"
"A fifteen year old girl has been kidnapped and raped. So where have you been? Tell me."
"Ho, ho, ho! Cool down! - I was working. Currently I'm on tour as a Santa. As are most of my fellow students."
Olivia and Elliot knew that was not true. The agency did not accept him because of his trouble history.
"When did you finish?" Olivia asked.
"Around eight pm. I met with my friends here later."
"Well, as you were never accepted to work lately because you're known as trouble-maker, this cannot be true. So, were you in East 112th Street around half past nine?"
"No. I was already here again."
"You were not. Your van was seen in the street the girl was kidnapped."
"My van. One of my friends had my van."
"Who?"
"I don't know. Everyone of them can borrow it whenever they want." Cornwell got up to stroll over to one of the pool tables. He picked up a cue. "Can she identify her attacker?"
"You left your DNA."
"Oh yes? Well, prove that she did not invite me to leave it." He somewhat leaned on the cue, rocking forward and back, so that the wood was gliding through his folded hands with the movement.
"She definitely did not," Olivia said, ignoring the obscene gesture.
"That's what she's telling now… Sounded differently the evening previous. Am I right, guys?!"
The whole group was cheering.
"She was hot… and very keen on pleasing all of us." Cornwell leaned forward. He could smell Olivia's female scent. "With all of them witnessing, even a quickie the both of us share would be consentient," he whispered.
Olivia could not tell if Elliot might have heard that. For a second she was stunned. She realized that her partner did in fact hear Cornwell's words when the giant was pushed aside, against the pool table. Cornwell tried to punch his attacker but Elliot was faster. He had Cornwell's right arm in a firm grip before the guy knew what was happening. Elliot pinned him face down on the table with his right and already had the cuffs in his left. Cornwell screamed with rage.
"You're under arrest!" Elliot yelled. "For threatening a police officer and attempted bodily injury!" The cuffs closed around Cornwell's wrists. Olivia laid her hand on the butt of her gun and scanned the group for further resistance.
"You have the right to remain silent," Elliot recited. "Anything you say will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney during interrogation; if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. You got that, scumbag?"
Cornwell grunted. Elliot took this as a yes and pulled him back.
"Let's get his butt to the precinct," Olivia said and grabbed one of Cornwell's arms as Elliot got hold of the other. Together they led him out of the pool hall, closely watched by the crowd.
Sharp wind blew in their faces when they stepped outside. It wasn't snowing very much right now but the wind whirled up the snow from the ground. They went to their car and pushed Cornwell into the backseat. Olivia entered the passenger's seat in the front to guard him while Elliot cleaned the windshield and the lights. She also contacted the precinct, reaching Fin, telling him what had happened.
"It's becoming heavier again," Elliot said when he sank in the driver's seat. "We will need a long time to get back to the precinct."
"We could stop at another precinct. The next to our position is East 119th, right?"
"This would be the 25 Precinct. The one in charge here will be 26 Precinct at West 126th Street." Elliot glanced at the rear-view mirror. "We're not the only ones leaving."
Olivia looked over her shoulder and watched three of Cornwell's comrades pass by. Elliot ignited the car and slowly drove up to the next corner. The men climbed into three different cars, one a dark van, another a big jeep with massive protective rods.
"Yeah, try to get back as long as you can," Cornwell teased from behind.
"Shut up," both detectives said.
"Or you do what? Knock out my teeth? My lawyer would be pleased. I'll walk free and you two will be sentenced for excessive force against a suspect."
Olivia saw Elliot grit his teeth. Firmly his fists closed around the steering wheel. Cornwell chuckled.
Still the snowfall increased. Contours blurred. If it would not have been for parked cars the street would have passed into the pavement invisibly.
"We surely will be two of the last idiots who are still outside," Elliot mused.
"Well, our cases disregard blizzard warnings," Olivia replied. "Go to the 26 Precinct."
Elliot was driving very slowly and carefully, because the fresh snow was slippery and he had to take care not to steer too much.
In the rear-view mirror headlights blinded him.
"Hey!" Elliot frowned. "That's a bit too close."
Another car tried to overtake him on the left side. He glanced out and recognized the van.
"What do they want?" Olivia asked.
"Guess what!" Cornwell grinned.
The jeep fell back again.
"Your friends won't do something stupid, will they?" Olivia wanted to know but Cornwell lacked an answer this time.
A motor roared when the car was accelerating.
"Damn!" Elliot cried out when the jeep hit the bumpers from behind.
Their car jumped forward. On the snow it broke out to the side. Then it was hit again. Elliot jammed on the break but it blocked and the car slid and turned. It hobbled over something and then skidded down a slope spinning round its axis.
"Elliot!" Olivia screamed.
With a brutal impact the car smashed against something solid and everything went dark.