Morgue

August 28, 2011 5:00pm

(Melinda's POV)

"Please tell us you have some good news for us" Fin pleaded with me. I knew this was coming, but I was hoping to have a little more time to prepare what I was going to say. How could I betray her like this? I kept running the tests, hoping that I had done something wrong. It was sort of like a person in denial of being pregnant… I thought if I did enough tests, something would change… but it wasn't going to.

"Your vic was shot with a 9mm…" I trailed off, unsure of what to say next. "This wasn't just a shooting either. There was rage involved. Your vic has stab wounds all over his body, measuring different lengths and widths. The stab wounds were inflicted pre-mortem. The murderer wanted him to suffer…"

"Is that all?" Munch asked. I knew what he was looking for me to say. He wanted me to say that there was DNA that would save Liv… or that it was impossible for her to have done this. Unfortunately, I only had more bad news.

"Whoever killed him… cut off a vital… they cut off his penis… It was post-mortem, so it probably wasn't to prevent him from raping again… but whoever killed him definitely wanted to make a statement." I felt a tear run down my cheek as Munch and Fin looked at me with pleading eyes, knowing that I had nothing good to follow this news with. "O'Halloran's still running tests on the bullet fragments and all the other evidence he found at the scene… maybe he'll find something better for you. I know you have a job to do, but I still want to give Liv the benefit of the doubt." Looking around the room, I realized that we all did.

Cragen's Office

August 28, 2011 6:00pm

(Cragen's POV)

"I know this wasn't what you wanted to hear, but you have to keep pushing for answers" I said to Munch and Fin.

"Ok, so we'll go to see Liv now?" Fin questioned.

"No. That's my job. You guys go home and get some rest. I've got to go find Liv's guns, so that they can be excluded." I had to get rid of them. All I wanted to do was reach for a good, strong drink, but then I remembered how hard it was to get sober and thought better of it. I grabbed my keys and headed over to Liv's."

Apartment of Olivia Benson

August 28, 2011 7:30pm

(Olivia's POV)

I was asleep on the couch when I heard the buzzer. I slowly got up and checked to see who was there. I was expecting Elliot's voice, so I was shocked to hear Cragen on the other end of the intercom. I buzzed him up, not knowing that what happened next would change life as I knew it.

"Detective Benson," Cragen began. I was wondering why he was being so formal, but thought better than to ask him. "This is awkward for me, and I don't really know where to begin." He was really starting to scare me.

"Is El ok?" I asked, petrified of what his answer would be.

"Everyone's fine. I have some questions I need to ask you." He replied. I was sure I looked shocked. He took a deep breath and continued. "Where's your gun, detective?"

"What?!" What did he think I'd done? "It's right…" with shock, I realized that my gun was gone. The look on Cragen's face said it all. He thought I'd done something horrible… the only problem was, I didn't know what I was supposed to have done.

"Olivia," Cragen began, looking at me like a criminal, "can anyone vouch for your whereabouts last night?"

"You can," I responded. "You know I've been home sick with the flu for days."

"We both know that isn't true" Cragen replied. I was shocked! Since when was I so untrustworthy? "I know Alex told you he was out and I know you needed time to figure things out. You're not sick. Olivia, I need your help."

"Captain…" I began, then stopped myself. I wasn't sure how to continue…