A/N... I like Casey and Alex both, but Casey and Lake were on SVU when the story started, so they are in this too. Not sure what prompted the pairings you'll hear about here, but it's mostly to help the story along. It'll make sense a little later.
Monday September 22th, 2008
1:40 pm - Office of ADA Casey Novak
Music drifted faintly through the computer speakers into Casey's office as she flipped through some pages of notes.
Relieved not to be in court that afternoon, she could put her energy into the hours of work she knew lie ahead for her. She picked up some lunch and settled in to eat and work at her desk. On her agenda was preparing one case for retrial and completing closing arguments on another.
On the Collins case, she needed to re-examine some of the crime scene photos and CSU reports, and possibly bring in another witness to testify. She knew she could count on Fin or Olivia who had worked that case, to help her fill in any gaps she had. She was certain she had that one in the bag.
The Aggler case, on the other hand, wouldn't be quite as simple. The defense wrapped up that morning, and closing arguments were scheduled for tomorrow. This case had been a struggle from day one. The defense threw every type of monkey wrench into her case that they could find. Furthermore, she knew she had extended her limit on leniency with Judge Petrovsky this time, but the victim was fragile.
This type of case required a level of tolerance and patience that, even with her 'I'm-a-big-girl,-I-can-swim' attitude, she didn't used to have.
In the past, any stress she had over the testimony of one witness or the admissibility of some evidence, would hover over her like a storm cloud. Any fears; whether she lost a crucial piece of evidence, a testimony was thrown out, or she lost the case; would keep her awake at night. Or sometimes it led her to the bar after work where she'd have a few drinks, talk to colleagues and worry relentlessly about what could have been done differently.
Things were different now.
One day, from somewhere within, she found a way to get it all back under her control and began to see a lot of things differently.
Worry kept her motivated, but she didn't let it keep her from winning the case. She began to believe in what she could find or do to get the guilty verdict rather than fret over what she didn't already have.
Things in her life were looking up.
And then one day, unexpectedly, they really began to take off.
One night she was having drinks with an old friend from law school, and in walked Detective Mike Logan from Major Case Squad. They'd bumped into each other periodically at the courthouse and knew each other by name, but they hadn't really talked.
When he saw Casey, he came over to their table and joined them. Casey's friend left a little later, but she and Mike continued talking for hours. The connection between them was instant. They knew, even before the night ended, that they would be setting up a time to get together again.
When they began a relationship, the biggest hurdle was their unpredictable jobs and finding time to spend together. Mike was often called out on a case during their dates or Casey would be stuck in court or called in elsewhere until late. Either way, one of them usually had to cancel or reschedule.
Although they each understood the other's responsibility to the job, it still made them question how they would survive as a couple.
They each handled things differently.
Mike apologized profusely whenever he had to leave the date or couldn't make it. He tried to reassure her, but often wondered if he was just making it worse.
Casey tried to pretend like it was no big deal. She knew her job would always come first and anything in her personal life, second. She believed that whomever she dated, even other lawyers, could only handle so much before breaking it off. That was always her way out of a commitment because she hadn't expected it to last beyond a couple of months.
But this was different.
Casey liked who she was when she was with him. She liked that he accepted her independence and her devotion to her job. She knew she would not have to change who she was to be with him. With Mike, it felt like she had found the best of all worlds.
Everything from what they liked to do, to what they talked about, to how comfortable they felt around one another just seemed right.
Still, things were new between them, and as with any relationship, there were bound to be shake-ups every so often. In their line of work, it was far too easy for one of those shake-ups to occur and start a new couple on a downward spiral toward an inevitable split.
Early on, she began to worry if any one case would be the final straw that brought their relationship to a grinding halt. Soon, their often-interrupted dates became more a matter of inconvenience than a matter of things not working out. A few months into their relationship, longer than many others had lasted, Casey knew it beyond all reasonable doubt.
She was falling fast.
x x x
4:00 pm – Upper Manhattan, NY
That afternoon, Olivia and Elliot joined Munch and Fin as they canvassed the area surrounding Tyler Elementary School. Combined, the four managed to speak to several of the residents that happened to be home at the time; however, they still didn't have any leads.
The detectives stood near Elliot's car and updated one another on what they had gathered earlier. Frustration and fatigue had already set in. The temperature had reached a record-breaking 83 degrees that afternoon and they felt as though the sun was bearing down on top of them.
"Wanda said she last saw the kids between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm last night when she fed them dinner, but then fell asleep around 8:00 pm. So sometime between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm last night they disappeared," Munch recounted after he heard Fin's update on Wanda.
"If Wanda didn't lie about when she fell asleep," Fin remarked, rolling his eyes.
Olivia looked over at Fin. "We have one witness who saw Wanda with the kids around 3:15 pm. Said they were leaving the park."
Fin nodded.
"Where the hell was everyone? It's a Sunday night and it's been like summer outside. I'd expect more people would be outdoors," Munch pondered.
"One person Liv and I spoke to mentioned a funeral for someone that everyone around here knew. Might account for where some of them were," Elliot suggested. He appeared to be mulling over the conversation as he spoke.
Fin's cell phone rang. "That's Lake," he told the group as he read the display, and then stepped aside to take the call.
"Do you think there's any way possible to link this one to Kaleb's disappearance?" John asked Elliot.
Elliot shrugged. "I don't know. It rules out Varick at least. He didn't go anywhere last night."
A minute or so later, Fin rejoined the group. "Lake checked out the background on Wanda's boyfriend and another friend who was there last night. No priors on either one," he reported.
"Do they have alibis for last night?" Olivia asked.
Fin nodded. "The boyfriend went to work, he worked the graveyard shift and left at 5:00 am. His friend was at a bar most of the night. He got into a fight with this other guy, saying he owed him money, and the bartender
called the police. So the friend spent the night in jail."
Olivia nodded.
"Lake also pulled the list of sex offenders in the area. He's checking to see if any of them have a connection to the school, the kids, or the area," he added.
They each mulled over what Fin reported.
"Fin and I will go check out two more possible witnesses who the neighbors think were home, and may have seen the kids that night. Next stop, is to talk to Wanda's boyfriend to see if he might have more to add," Munch suggested. He received various shrugs and nods from the others.
"Munch, you talk to the neighbors, I'll go talk to Wanda's boyfriend. I think he may be more open with only one of us there," Fin offered.
"Sounds good, Fin," Munch agreed.
"Okay, Liv and I will head back and give Lake a hand," Elliot decided. "See you back at the house," he said as they left.
Elliot tossed his keys over hood of the car to Olivia. She caught them and got into the driver's side.
She got inside, started the car and quickly adjusted the mirrors and seat to her liking. She waited for a moving truck to pass by and then pulled away from the curb.
"Has Rita Knight contacted you today?" Elliot asked when they got on the road.
"No," she replied. A long sigh escaped. "I don't think it's a good sign either."
x x x
5:45 pm - SVU
That night Munch followed up on a possible lead from one of the neighbors who claimed to have seen Wanda with the kids at the park.
Munch returned and reported to Cragen and the others that the neighbor confirmed the kids had returned from the playground, and he saw them play outside on the front lawn until about 5:00 pm. The neighbor said he saw the kids go inside but didn't see them again after that.
Wanda's boyfriend reported to Fin that he saw the kids when he first arrived at the Morrissey's. All seemed okay with them. He said they were served dinner and he heard the backdoor close sometime before 6:00 pm, indicating that they may have gone back outside to play when they finished eating.
Elliot, Olivia, and Fin each looked into names of past sex offenders from the list that Lake had retrieved.
One name in particular stuck out for Elliot. It was from the Braddsen case, that he worked alone, where the primary suspect was released on a technicality. The suspect, Jon Demour, now lived a few blocks over from where they had canvassed earlier. Elliot placed a few calls but had to wait to hear back on most of them.
Elliot leaned back in his chair with his feet on the desk, while he looked over some notes from the case. His wrist rested low across his forehead covering his eyes, as if to block out the bullpen's florescent lighting that magnified his growing headache.
"Hey Liv, did I ever show you what I got from that interview with Mirona?" Elliot asked, referring to one of the witnesses for the Braddsen case. He moved his forearm and looked at her for a response.
"No. You mentioned you would, but I still haven't seen it," she replied without looking at Elliot. She studied two profiles on her computer monitor.
"Here you go." Elliot leaned forward, picked up a notepad on the edge of his desk, and tossed it across to Olivia's desk. The notepad collided with a stack of papers Olivia had organized and set aside, which caused those papers to fly off of her desk and scatter between her desk, and Fin and Lake's desks.
"Elliot! You couldn't have walked those over?"
He just chuckled. "Sorry, Liv. My aim is usually better this late in the day."
"Late in what day, Elliot? You've never had good aim," Fin teased.
"I've got a good dunk shot, just ask Dickie," he responded in defense.
"In another year, Dickie will probably give you a lesson or two," Olivia said with a grin, as she stood up to gather the fallen papers.
Elliot laughed. "You're probably right. But I taught him well."
Elliot's desk phone rang. "Manhattan SVU. This is Detective Stabler," he answered.
Minutes passed without Elliot saying a word to the person on the other line.
Curious about her partner's prolonged silence, Olivia glanced up from the notepad in her hand to Elliot. She figured he had been put on hold although he typically busied himself while on hold. He'd continue reading something or talk to the other detectives. But this time Elliot hadn't moved at all.
He suddenly sat up in his chair and leaned his elbows on the desk, while he continued to listen. It was then that Olivia noticed his face had lost color.
"El?" Olivia attempted to get his attention, but Elliot just stared down at his desk.
A few more minutes passed and Elliot finally spoke. "Okay, um-. Just- Okay, I'll-. Listen, I'll- deal with-." Elliot's fragmented responses meant that he was constantly getting interrupted. He exhaled slowly as if he surrendered any hope of completing a sentence.
He was quiet for several minutes before he spoke again. This time it was louder, he was determined to be heard.
"Kathy. No!" He paused for a minute and listened. Then he spoke up in a louder tone. "Okay, you know what? Fine! You do that," he responded, bitterly. He shifted in his chair once again; any trace of patience long since gone at that point.
Another pause came, but it didn't last too long.
"I – I – can't….. Fine. Goodbye," Elliot dropped the phone back into the cradle.
He kept his head pointed down toward his desk, with his hands rubbing at the base of his neck. He stayed that way for a moment and then brought his hands toward his face, slowly rubbing at his eyes with his palms. He appeared to be struggling with whether or not to let the conversation go. Finally, a long sigh escaped his mouth and that appeared to be the end of it.
Elliot sat back in his chair, propped his feet up on his desk, and picked up another page of notes.
It was just like that. While the conversation may have stressed him to no end, he intended to disregard it like it never happened and focus his attention on what was in front of him. It was as though he swatted at a mosquito on his arm, scratched where it bit, and then went back to whatever was going on.
This was part of the 'changed Elliot' that Olivia was still trying to adjust to although it wasn't the first time she heard a one-sided phone conversation of this nature. The thing that worried her most was that she knew he would eventually reach a breaking point on the entire matter.
His desk phone rang again.
"Manhattan SVU-, this is Detective Stabler," he answered. A slight hesitation in his voice showed anyone in earshot that he already knew who it was.
He leaned forward once again, propped his elbows on his desk and rubbed at his temples, with the phone cradled between his left ear and shoulder.
He listened for a while before he lifted his head and finally spoke up. "I told you I can't do this right now, Kathy. Goodbye," Elliot said firmly, before he hung the phone up again.
Elliot decided he wasn't going to wait for a third round. He stood up quickly and with enough force to slide the desk chair back several feet behind him. Without a word to anyone, he turned and walked out of the bullpen.
x x x
Olivia knew where he was headed.
As soon as he left, she stood up and followed him. When she reached the door to the rooftop, she opened it and saw him standing at the railing. His arms were folded as he hunched over the metal bar, using it to support some of his weight.
"El? Everything okay?" Olivia asked. She held the door to the roof open, and waited for his reply.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he responded irritably.
She watched him for a minute or two, hoping he'd say something more or walk over to her, but he didn't.
After a few more minutes, he shifted his stance. He straightened up and gripped the railing with both hands while he continued to look down at the street below. He looked more lost than angry. She didn't know exactly what was going on and doubted there was much she could do.
Although he may not have wanted company, she figured it might be okay to be there, as long as she hadn't pushed him to talk about it.
Olivia stepped out onto the rooftop and a sudden gust of wind hit her head-on, causing the door to slam shut behind her. She walked up and stood to the right of him, but didn't say a word.
While she stood there, she gazed out at the horizon or at the street below, as she picked out random objects to focus on. Bumper to bumper traffic could be seen anywhere she looked. Three blocks off to her right, horns blared at a broken-down UPS truck. Further off in the distance, she watched a helicopter as it sank down low in the red-hued sunset sky until it safely landed on its helipad. Then, she briefly glanced up at the sky. Rows of thin clouds lined up above her head to where they resembled the pattern of mackerel scales. The air was thick and it was windy, but still warmer than average for this late in the day.
They stood for about 10 minutes without saying a word to one another. Finally she noticed that he had turned his head to look in her direction.
She glanced over at him and smiled. He smiled back shyly.
He took a step toward her, reached out and rested his right hand on her left shoulder before he turned his gaze back to the city. "Thanks Liv," he said softly. He took a deep breath and expelled it slowly, before giving her shoulder a light squeeze, removing his hand and dropping it back down to his side. The distant look in his watery blue eyes remained.
"Sure, El."
She noticed her eyes had just begun to tear up a little from the tiny dust particles and other chemicals flying through the air. She blinked a few times trying to cleanse them a bit. She reached one finger up attempting to swipe at a tear that seeped out.
"Want to go get some dinner?" he asked her. Without looking, he reached into his pocket, removed a clean, folded handkerchief and handed it to her.
She took it from him and blotted the corners of her eyes a bit as more tears seeped out. "Thanks, El. And yes, that sounds good," she replied.
They stood there, side by side for a few minutes longer, without another word spoken. A light breeze wrapped around them as the temperatures settled to a pleasant nighttime high in Manhattan. The silence between them, like the warm autumn air, was comforting and just what they needed as their thoughts drifted about. Moments later, they headed out to eat.
x x x
8:45 pm – Office of ADA Casey Novak
Olivia peeked through the gap in the door to Casey's office. She sat at her desk and flipped through a few pages of the file in front of her, while she jotted down a few quick notes on a yellow legal pad.
Casey glanced up at the door when she sensed someone was present.
"Hey, Olivia. Come on in," Casey greeted her. She set aside what she was working on so they could talk.
Olivia pushed the door open a bit further and took a step inside. "Hi, Casey,
I got your message on Collins and I think this is what you were looking for," Olivia said as she handed her a thick manila envelope which contained notes from the ME, pictures from CSU, and a few pages of notes from both her and Fin.
"Thanks, Liv," Casey replied. She opened the folder and glanced through a few of the pictures.
"I remember most of the case, so if there is anything in here you have questions on, let me know."
"Okay," she replied. Casey sat the file down and looked back at her. "How's the Tyler School case going? Any news?" Casey asked. She was informed of the case earlier that day when she called and spoke to Munch on a separate matter.
Olivia sighed. "No, not really," she answered. She updated Casey on what the squad had done that day.
"I see. Something will turn up," Casey replied, supportively.
They were quiet for a moment, then Olivia changed the topic.
"So what's new with you, Case?" Olivia asked.
"Not a whole lot," she replied.
A smile slowly surfaced on Olivia's face.
"What?" Casey questioned.
"I heard about you and a certain Detective recently. That true?" she asked.
Casey grinned, rolling her eyes. "Yeah," she answered.
"That's great, Casey! How's that going?"
Casey sat back in her chair as she spoke. "Good. Things are good. We're both busy so finding time isn't easy. He's in Philadelphia right now. It's a high-profile case and jurisdiction was transferred there," Casey told her.
"So, is it serious? Planning to elope soon?" Olivia teased.
Casey laughed. "I wouldn't say that!" She smiled. "Work always makes it tough to carry on a relationship."
Olivia rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yeah, I know a little about that myself," she remarked.
"Anyone new since Kurt?" Casey posed.
Olivia shook her head.
"That's okay. I didn't date much after Garrett and I broke it off. Lawyers…" she laughed, slowly shaking her head as she began. "Just too many complications."
Olivia nodded and smiled. "And now you've moved on to Detectives? I thought you said you didn't want complications," she joked.
Casey laughed. She was quiet for a moment. "You're right, but I've dated a detective before," she corrected.
"Really?" Olivia looked straight at her with an arched eyebrow, surprised by the news.
"Yeah, about two years ago."
"Anyone I know?" Olivia inquired.
Casey sat up at her desk and making direct eye contact, she nodded slowly.
"Oh…" Olivia's eyes widened as she calculated the time frame and realized who it was.
"Yeah, it was just after he separated from Kathy. We had drinks one night after court, and he asked me to have dinner with him. We went out for a little while. I don't know, a couple of months or so, then he broke it off," she recalled.
"Well…," Olivia responded. Not knowing what to say, she attempted a smile instead. Olivia glanced at her watch and got up out of her seat. "I'm sorry, but I'd better be going." She took a few steps backward toward the door. "Just wanted to make sure you got that," she said, as she gestured to the file she brought by.
"Thanks again, Liv."
Olivia paused at the door. "No problem. Bye, Casey." Olivia smiled, before she walked out of her office and closed the door.
"Bye."
Casey glanced at the stack of files in front of her. The distinct buzzing of her cell phone on top of the pile caught her attention.
She glanced at the display and smiled. "Logan, hey."
"Hey, Case. Did I catch you at a bad time?"
"Oh no. Just finishing up a few things here. How's the case going?" Casey sat back in her chair and tuned out everything but the sound of his voice.
"Okay, but I'm ready to go home," he answered. He had been there a week and a half already.
"Yesterday you mentioned something about it wrapping up soon," she recalled.
"The defense now has two or three more witnesses they want to bring in. No idea when closing arguments will start."
"I see…," she said, sounding disappointed.
"Yeah," he agreed. A tone interrupted his train of thought. "Oh…sorry, Case-. Looks like I've got another call. It's Captain Ross, I've gotta take this. I'll call you soon," Mike said, hurriedly.
Before she could form the words to say something, the line had gone dead.
She held the phone in her hands for a little while as she looked through the folder Olivia brought her, figuring he'd call her back after he'd finished up with his captain.
After a minute or so had passed, she gave up and tossed the phone back down on the desk.
x x x
9:40 pm – Benson Residence
Olivia walked through the door of her apartment, dropped her keys on the table, and quickly headed for her bedroom. Despite the unseasonably warm outside temperatures, with the poorly-ventilated bullpen she had gotten too cold at her desk.
When she searched her locker, she had realized she didn't have anything warmer and decided to stop by her apartment on her way back to the station. So she returned quickly to her apartment to change into jeans, a long-sleeve shirt and as an afterthought grabbed the gray hoodie out of her closet.
Just as she was about to put on her shoes, the buzzer sounded.
"Who is it?" she asked, when she pressed the intercom button.
"It's me. Can I come up?" Elliot's voice came through the speaker.
She pushed the button which allowed him to enter the building. The knock at the door came about a minute later.
"I was about to head back," she told him, when she opened the door to let him in. "Find out anything?" She perched on the arm of the couch to put her shoes on.
"New amber alert. Three more kids missing," he replied, somberly. Elliot paced in front of her, lost in his thoughts.
"Where are we headed?"
He finally looked up at her. "First stop is the Morgan's. Missing kids are Andy and Derek Morgan. Parents are divorced, father lives in an apartment across town, but he'll be meeting us there."
She heard the name and froze just as she was about to put on the other shoe.
Morgan.
The teacher she and Elliot spoke with earlier that day had mentioned her concerns about Andy's father.
His eyes drifted around Olivia's apartment, while he waited for her to put her shoe on.
"You said three amber alerts, El. Who is the third?"
Elliot was quiet for a moment. His eyes drifted to the floor as he released a deep breath and answered her.
"Trinetta Guthrie."
Olivia sighed just as deeply as him and shook her head. They had seen the little girl just hours ago. She stood up when she finished tying her shoe. "Let's go."
At the car, Elliot started the engine as Olivia got inside. When the engine turned over, warm air shot through the vents, and the car stereo came on.
They rode in silence, their thoughts on the missing kids, while a news announcer's voice came through the speakers.
x x x
"…More evacuations have been ordered for Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Cape Fear, North Carolina as Lilith is expected to make landfall there in the next 24 to 48 hours. New warnings have been issued for beaches along the North Carolina shoreline.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami, reported that as of 9:00pm EST tonight, the Hurricane Lilith was upgraded to a Category 3 storm..."
Next chapter: Wind Gusts