Chapter 3: The Voice

The time was nearing 6 AM when Munch entered Mercy General Hospital. This was the first time he would see his squad partner in the condition she was in since her attack. Elliot told her what floor and what room number she was in so he had no trouble finding it.

Munch knocked before going in and then walked in the room. "Sorry," he said, "Did I wake you?"

"Not really. Couldn't sleep."

Munch took a seat on the vacant chair. "When was the last time you did sleep?"

"I don't know. Been taking five minute naps every hour."

"Olivia you're safe now, there's a guard posted at your door. You need to get your rest." Olivia just stayed silent. "Liv…"

"I know John, this isn't really a social call is it?"

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"Liv I need you to tell me what happened last night."

"I honestly don't know. I got home from work late. When I went to the restroom to wash up the guy was just waiting for me."

"Did you see his face?"

"No. He was wearing some kind of mask, one of those old creepy goalie masks. I tried to reach for it and take it off. I think that infuriated him since that's when he shoved my face from behind into the mirror. We struggled a bit. I managed to push him far enough knocking my head on his forehead. I heard his head hit the concrete wall. That made him even more upset. He tossed me to the ground and I hit the carpet. I tried to get up and reach for anything but by the he was all ready hovering over me. He turned me around and punched the left side of my face."

"Did he say anything?"

"He kept repeating the phrase 'It's all your fault,' but it didn't sound like his actual voice. It sounded like he had some kind of voice changer. He was too strong and I felt a little out of it. He had me pinned down with his legs on top of mine and his hands were restraining mine above my head."

John Munch took a deep breath. Sometimes he hated this job. Today was one of those days. There were some days when the victims got to him and other times when he tried to keep his emotions out of it. He had to do that now if he was going to do his job right.

"Liv I have to ask: when he… penetrated you…" Liv blinked back tears and moved her head back in embarrassment. "Did he use a condom?"

Olivia looked at John with tears in her eyes. She hated herself for being weak and vulnerable. "No."

"How'd it go at the hospital?" Elliot asked when Munch entered the squad room.

"Remind me to thank God that I'm not a woman," he replied.

"You don't believe in God," Elliot corrected.

"Not directly no but that doesn't mean there's not some kind of cosmic energy that's controlling this crazy mess."

"Well there are still perps out there who prefer guys too."

"True but a woman's chances of getting raped are actually a lot higher than a man's."

Elliot didn't argue with Munch there. "So did she say anything?"

Munch took a deep breath and began writing some things on the board. "Yeah she talked about it. It was exactly how we described at her apartment. She gave some specifics saying that our perp wore one of those old fashioned goalie masks, the kind the hockey players wore in the 1970s. He also repeated 'It's all your fault' throughout the act."

"Please tell me the bastard at least used a condom so we can find trace evidence." Munch shook his head indicating no. "Damn it."

Fin Tutuola looked up at the two guys. "Hold up a sec," he said. "Did you just say he wore a hockey mask and said the words 'It's all your fault'?

"Yeah," replied Munch. "Why?"

"This one woman had come to talk to me a while back asking if there had been any leads on her rape which happened a little over ten years ago but there were none. The case went cold. I still looked into it just to check and in the report she had stated that he snuck up on her in the restroom, wore a hockey mask and said those exact words. Only thing was he used a condom. He must've taken it with him because there wasn't a trace of it and no pieces had been left behind. I kept the case fresh in case any possible leads came up."

"Did anything surface?" asked Elliot.

"Not for a while but just recently within the past six months two new reports came in. Same M.O. – hides in the restroom to attack his victims, hockey mask, exact words, only this time he didn't wear a condom."

"Okay so our perp rapes once," said Munch. "He stops…"

"Or more rapes weren't reported," added Stabler.

Munch continued, "And then he picks off right where he left off."

"Only why use a condom with one and not the others?" Fin asked.

"Maybe he's gotten careless," said Stabler.

Munch looked at Fin. "Do we have photos of the victims from those rapes?"

Fin pulled out the files he was looking for from a cabinet in his desk. He took the copies of the photos of the victims which he then placed on one of the boards.

"Madison Frye," said Fin, "Who was our first victim. Emily Frost was attacked six months ago as was Abigail Nash."

Elliot held a photo of his own not wanting to put it up but knowing he had to. "And now Olivia Benson. It doesn't make any sense. Our guy has pretty much the same M.O. and yet there's nothing in common with these women: Clemons works in real estate, Frost is a school teacher, Nash is a flight attendant and now we have a cop. What's the connection?"

"You might want to start paying attention to the perps words," came Doctor Wongs' voice. "He's said the words 'It's all your fault' to each of these women so maybe that's where the connection lies."

"Yeah," said Fin, "Either that or he has mommy issues and he takes out his mommy frustrations on random women."

"Both are possible but I think that there may be something more personal. The women might not have anything in common but he has something in common with them."