Pretty Poison

(Chapter Eighteen: Misconception)

It had been three long days since Olivia had been abducted and Elliot had not slept at all. Every time he closed his eyes the vision of her bloody hand flashed into his mind. He had to find her and bring her home safe. And if he didn't do it before too awful long he would be completely out of milk for Noah.

Kathy had been keeping the baby the last few days so that Elliot could help Munch and Fin lead the team on Olivia's case. She and the girls would bring him by each day for an hour or so for Elliot to see him and hold him and feed him a bottle.

"We got the report back on the car that was stolen from the hospital. The samples of blue pain we took from the car. Perfect match to Olivia's and the damage matches up as well. This was definitely the vehicle that tried to run Liv off the road," Fin said tossing a file onto the desk in front of Elliot.

"The car was dumped and wiped free of prints, but we have a face on the security video as it is leaving the garage. I have been showing it around to the hospital staff. This man," he said laying the photo from the security tape down in front of Elliot on the desk, "is Carl Madigan. He's been working as a janitor for the hospital. Madigan is a thirty eight year old parolee. Went to prison several years ago for killing his pregnant girlfriend when he found her in a hotel room with another man. He shot the man also. David Abrams, suffered two shots to the chest but survived. Madigan has been out of prison for just over a year now," Munch said.

"Just in time to start raping these women," Elliot said.

"His address on file is a P.O. box. The people at the mail service say they have no information on him. The box was set up for him when he got out of prison. He used to stay at this halfway house. The address his parole officer has on file is for an apartment that is now empty and has been for months. He has never been late for an appointment or caused any trouble so they didn't realize that he wasn't living there. Now one knows where he is staying now. But I've got someone on it. Next meeting with his parole officer is tomorrow afternoon."

"We need to be there. Wait for him and follow him back to where ever it is he is keeping her," Elliot suggested.

"There's more," Fin said. "The bloody finger prints from the wall at Olivia's apartment match the prints on file for Madigan. Problem is they are smeared up and not really clean. I don't think they would stand in court, not alone anyway. But he was definitely in her apartment."

"We have got to find this guy. We find him, we find Liv. God help him if he hurt her," Elliot said looking up at the guys.

That afternoon they followed Carl Madigan from his parole officer's office to a farm house fifteen miles outside the city. They watched and waited for any sign that this was where he was holding Olivia, but they had nothing.

"We got enough to take him for breaking the conditions of his parole. But that is it," Fin said holding the phone to his face. "Casey says if we can find something that proves without a doubt that this is where he is holding her then we can get a warrant to search the place."

"If we take him now for breaking parole we can't do the search?" Munch asked.

"We don't have enough to link him. Even with the fingerprints, there are no witnesses that put him in the apartment. We showed his photo to witnesses who saw the man enter her building with flowers, none of them could ID Madigan. We have to play this out just right or he stands a chance of getting off on a technicality. We have to be sure we have enough to take him down for her abduction and the rapes before we move in or we could blow the case against him. We get proof he is holding Olivia, we have our case."

Elliot stared into the house with binoculars. "If he has her in there and we jump the gun and move in too soon or tip him off, he could hurt her. He has already killed one woman, that is not a risk I am not willing to take. Lets keep a couple of uniforms on the place until we can move in."

It killed him to say it and to have to leave that place not knowing for sure if she were inside or if she was even alright. But he had to get back and find something to like Madigan to Olivia. Something more than a smeared handprint.

Olivia opened her eyes as she heard the boards above her head creak. The room was dark and she could hear the foot steps as someone walked down the stairs into the cellar where she was being held. She sat up on the cot and pulled her knees to her chest as she sat in the corner of the room as far as she could get from the door.

The door basement door made a harsh creaking as the man stepped inside. Olivia listened to the sounds of men's shoes as they walked in her direction across the concrete floor. She took a deep breath and could feel the pounding of her heart as the footsteps got closer and the door to the little room pushed slowly open.

"I brought you some food," the man said as he entered the room, "you must be starving." He stood in front of the door holding a plate and a bottle of water as he turned on a light.

Olivia shifted and stared blankly ahead.

He looked at her and sat the plate on the end of the bed in front of her.

"You should eat. Don't worry, it's clean. I didn't drug it or anything."

He reached out to touch her face, but she jerked away. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up to him stopping only inches from her face as he stared into her eyes. Olivia could feel her heart pounding and was scared to death. He raised is other hand to touch a bloody gash on her forehead.

"What do you want?" Olivia asked him.

His eyes were wild and his grip on her strong. Olivia had never been easily intimidated, but something about this man really scared her.

"I told you Jess, I just want to see my son."

Olivia wrinkled an eyebrow and looked at him. "Who's Jess?"

"Baby, don't be this way. I told you when you came to me and told me about the baby that I would take care of you. I love you. I want to take care of you both."

Olivia shook her head. What the Hell was going on here?

"I saw him. In the store with you while you were shopping. He's beautiful Jessie."

"I think you have me confused with someone else. My name is Olivia. You attacked me at my apartment."

"I am sorry. I would never do anything to hurt you Jessie, you know that. I just want to see him. He is my little boy."

"My son is my fiancé's baby. But if you will just let me help you….maybe we can find Jessie and your little boy. What is Jessie's last name?"

The man laughed and walked across the room. He leaned against the wall and watched Olivia. "I made that sandwich special for you. Turkey on wheat, lettuce and tomato. Your favorite, Jess. I even cut the crust off for you. It's good, try it."

"Thank you," she said picking up half the sandwich from the plate. She raised it to inspect it then took a small bite.

"I still have the picture you gave me," he began. "before you left, when you told me we were having a baby." He fumbled around in his pocket pulling out an early sonogram picture. "I had a feeling the baby was going to be a boy."

"Yeah," Olivia said softly.

"After you left, I searched for you. I even went back to our place. Our bar, in the hotel. I waited for you. I thought I saw you a few times, with one of your boyfriends. I would talk to her and she would smile, your smile. I have missed you so much. I wanted to find you. To see you and tell you how much I love you. But those men…. I was trying to protect you."

"You wanted to help Jessie?"

"Yes, I only wanted to keep those men from…. from doing those things to you. So I put the stuff in his drink."

"But you drugged the women, too."

"Jessie," he said grabbing her wrist, "I had to. I was trying to help those women from the things those men were about to do to them. Just like that man did to you. I walked in and he was…. on top of you, hurting you. Jess, I never meant to hurt you. I was trying to stop him."

"Jessie was raped?"

"The gun just went off baby, I swear."

"You were trying to stop the man raping her and you shot her?"

Olivia looked at him and saw the pain in his eyes.

"I thought you were dead, Jess. Until I saw you there. In our hotel. Sitting on the stool at the bar. You looked so beautiful. That man followed you back to your room, he was going to…. I gave him the drugs. But it didn't stop him. I couldn't stop him. I watched him do those things to you. I brought you here to protect you from him, Jessie and now you are safe. And we're going to be a family. You and me and the baby. Our baby, our little boy."

"Let me help you," Olivia offered.

"Where is he?"

She tipped her head and looked at him.

"Our baby boy, Jess. Where is he?"

"He's…." she thought for a moment and decided to try and spin this to her advantage, "with a friend. I should call and check on him."

"I can bring a phone down. You really should call and check on…. What's his name Jess?"

"Umm…." Olivia thought for a moment, there was no way in hell she was telling this man about her son. "Joey. His name is Joey. I really need to check on him. He is probably so scared."

"I'll go get the phone."

Ten minutes later the man returned handing her a cell phone. "Call and make sure Joey is alright," he said with a warm smile.

"Yeah," Olivia replied smiling back at him. She flipped open the phone and dialed the station house number. "Could I speak to Det….Elliot Stabler, please?"

Olivia waited patiently praying this would work. Minutes later she heard his voice come over the phone. "Detective Stabler," he said.

"Elliot," she gasped over the phone. "It's Liv….Jessie."

"Olivia? Are you okay? Baby, where are you?"

"I only have a minute," she said. "I was calling to check on the baby. How is Joey?"

"Olivia, try to stay on the line so I can get a trace."

"Is he okay?" She asked with tears in her eyes.

"He's good. He misses you. But he's alright. Honey, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said softly afraid to say too much. "I just want to come home," she whispered softly.

"I'm gonna bring you home sweetheart, just hang in there."

"Jess, it's using up daytime minutes."

Olivia cleared her throat. "I will be there as soon as I can to pick him up," she said as she stared at the stranger. "I have to go," she said as she laid the phone down beside her on the bed.

Elliot listened for a few more minutes as he waited for the trace to give them a location on the cell phone. But after about two minutes the phone lost signal and disconnected the call. What in the world was she caught up in?

"I got a location on that cell number Olivia called from," Fin announced as he rushed into the room grabbing his jacket. He nodded his head. "I told the uniforms to stand down until we get there. We got him. Location on the cell trace puts her in that house somewhere when the call was placed. I imagine that is why she called here instead of calling you cell."

"Easier trace and she knew the call would be recorded," Elliot said as he stood to follow fin out the door.

"Elliot, I don't think you need to be in on this." He turned around to see Cragen standing behind him. "I know how badly you want to find her, but you are too far inside this one. You should stay here. Let John and Fin take this."

"I promised her I would bring her home and I intend to keep that promise. I want to be there when she is found and make sure this freak pays for the things he has done to her and those other women."

"That is exactly what I am talking about, right there. You are too close to this. Not that I blame you, we all want to protect her and bring her home safe. It is just too dangerous. I cant have you losing your temper and harming this guy. We need him to prosecute. And your son needs you here."

"My son is with Kathy and the kids. He is being well taken care of and right now he needs his daddy to go and bring his mommy home. Noah and Olivia are my first concern, always. This is where I need to be. Let me do this. I love her and I need to be there for her. I can control my temper, just please let me help her."

"Alright. But I want your word, you control yourself and wont abuse the suspect. We need him in one piece. Shooting him on the spot may make you feel better but it wont bring justice for all of the other women he attacked."

"You have my word."

"Get going and bring her home safe."

"I intend to," Elliot replied as he walked out the door.