A/N: A shout out to my anonymous reviewer. Glad you liked it. :)
Chapter 17
Nick saw Olivia go white and he immediately grabbed her before she fell over. Helping her into a chair, he checked her over.
"Liv, you ok?" Her former partner wanted to know. He didn't know who the lady was that Elliot mentioned but he knew that it couldn't be good.
"I just…" she shook her head and looked to Elliot who had not been fast enough to react when she almost fell. He had collapsed into the chair next to her. The strain of everything was getting to both of them and Nick worried that one or both were headed for an early grave.
"We'll figure this out. Obviously they didn't have enough evidence to remove Calvin, they certainly aren't going to get any now," Elliot tried to reassure her.
"Who is Vivian Arliss?" Nick asked.
"Calvin's biological mother," Olivia filled in.
"Ok but she didn't show up at the hearing. If she had cared, she would have. It sounds like she just wanted to put you through the wringer. You said she disappeared though right? Well her name would be part of the record when the first custody issue flared up. Anybody could get their hands on it. She could not even be really behind the petition," Nick told them.
"He's got a point. The only way to mess with the whole squad was to get at Olivia and she isn't part of the Force anymore. The best way to hurt her would be to go after Calvin," Elliot nodded.
"All things that Officer Simpson had access to at one point or another. He definitely is our link to the killer. The question is, has he been a willing participant or just a pawn," Nick wondered. The Captain walked back over after closing his phone and they quickly brought him up to speed. Then he said,
"Well they ID'd the body anyway. Seems our killer just wanted Melinda to have to use DNA. The last victim was in fact Officer Simpson. They took his DNA when they arrested him."
"The killer knew that otherwise he would have been more careful," Nick said.
"I agree, this is no slip up," Elliot nodded.
"All right then what are we missing? It's safe to say that the two men who abducted Rollins were our killer and Simpson. We know Simpson is dead. To what point and purpose? Why involve Simpson and then dispose of him so publicly?" Cragen wanted to know.
"Simpson is another embarrassment. The Feds are called in after bodies pile up making Special Victims Unit and the rest of the NYPD look stupid. Then a former officer, who was a pot dealer, and publicly arrested, is killed. Our guy is a sick twisted individual who gets off on not only the kill but the thrill of the chase. The rape of the victims ensured our unit's involvement until we were removed from the case," Nick said.
"Perhaps the killer was embarrassed by us and now wants to return the favor. Who would have had access to Simpson in jail though? He wouldn't have been in with gen. pop.," Elliot pointed out.
"No, but that doesn't mean he didn't meet someone else in the segregated unit," Cragen got on the phone again to contact the prison.
"So we're probably looking for someone who was paroled around the same time. Once we get the list of guys who were in the segregated unit, I'll run down the parolee's," Nick said.
"Good idea," Elliot nodded.
"In the meantime, who this same person is had Mindy bug our apartment. She wouldn't just do that unless there was a very good reason. Do you think she was threatened by someone? I mean why else would she not reveal who she was working for?" Olivia piped up.
"I'm all over that," Elliot started but never got the chance to finish the thought as the Chief of Detectives walked into the waiting room followed by two men in suits who no one recognized.
"Don," the Chief said as he stared him down. Quickly, the Captain told the person on the other end of the phone to contact Major Case and hung up. Then he moved over to the group.
"Detectives I don't need to remind you that you are officially off the case," the Chief of D's stared them all down.
"Sir, with all due respect, this guy is someone we've arrested before. My unit may be the only one who can figure out what is going on," Cragen spoke up.
"Your unit has a mole who helped the now deceased Officer Simpson get access to information he should not have had access to. Now there are multiple homicide victims and one of your own who is in serious condition, right here in this hospital. Tucker is working hard on your fellow unit members with their union reps and it seems that the detectives had managed to skirt him. Well no more. Stabler, Amaro, you two are to go with FBI Agents Howard and Wiley. They will escort you to Tucker. You will tell them everything and you will officially be off this case. If I find out you've been doing any more work behind my back, suspension will be the least of your problems. Is that understood?" The Chief asked.
"Yes, sir," Nick nodded.
"Yes, sir," Elliot practically growled but Olivia put her hand on his arm.
"Good now go," the Chief ordered. He then turned to Cragen and said,
"You're coming with me. Tucker will be here later to question Detective Tutuola, as I understand he has to make medical decisions for his partner."
"He does sir," Cragen nodded.
"We'll discuss that later as well," the Chief said and just like that the group was dissolved leaving Olivia alone with Charlotte. The little girl was still all smiles despite what was going on.
"Come on baby girl , we have to go warn Uncle Fin," Olivia carefully stood back up and realized that having to push the baby stroller and walk at the same time was going to be difficult. One of the nurses noticed her trying to figure out what to do and quickly came to the rescue.
"I will be so glad when I'm free of these crutches," Olivia said.
"I bet," the nurse smiled as they walked down the hall. The nurse opened the door and Calvin was on his feet in a second to help. Once inside the room, he scooped up his sister and made a face.
"Somebody needs a new diaper," he said.
"Oh no wonder she was smiling," Olivia rolled her eyes, she should have known better.
"I got it," Calvin winked and he quickly disappeared out into the hallway with the stroller and headed for the bathroom. Olivia looked at Fin and he asked,
"We're in trouble aren't we?"
To Be Continued…