A/N: Sorry this is so late. I will make up for it however as later this week I will update again. Thanks for sticking with me. :)
Chapter 22
The three men had plodded over to the diner across the street which was twenty-four hours and ordered some coffee to warm themselves up. While Munch and Elliot got a table and the coffee, Nick headed to the pay phone that was outside to make the call. Price wouldn't talk right away and the body would decompose in the basement without anyone finding it before the evidence was lost.
He made sure to leave his gloves on and wiped the change required down so that his prints wouldn't be on it. Then he quickly placed a call to the local dispatch. He didn't give his name and tried his best to disguise his voice. The local cops hadn't heard him speak but he couldn't take the chance that he would be discovered in case IAB came looking. The diner didn't appear to have any security cameras and given that they were from out of town, the chances of the witnesses being able to describe them later were fairly low; especially since the diner got travelers in all the time. The added bonus was that everyone who had been forced outside by the robbery had made their way to the diner and their little group would not stick out.
"So how does it look out there?" The waitress asked as Nick slid back into the booth.
"Looks like we'll be needing refills on that coffee," Nick smiled. She nodded and headed off to find the coffee pot.
"So are we all set?" Elliot asked.
"Made the call. I think first thing in the morning we should get out of here," Nick said.
"Agreed. The longer we're away the trickier it'll be to hide how long we've been gone back home," Munch nodded. The waitress came over and filled their coffee cups.
"Thanks. Can we get some menus?" Elliot asked.
"Sure thing cutie," she smiled and was off.
"Remind me to tell Olivia that someone called you cutie," John chuckled.
"Don't even go there," Stabler gave him a look.
"I'm sure she'll find it fascinating," Munch pressed. Elliot didn't get a chance to respond as the waitress was back with the menus. She dropped them off and the three men perused their choices at this early in the morning.
Meanwhile, the Beacon police had sent one car out to check out the house. The officers didn't even do a cursory search once they smelled the decomposing body that was in the basement and called for backup and forensics. Sirens wailed and the silence of the country night was once again interrupted. It wouldn't be until later in the morning that a call went out to the FBI, which deemed their presence necessary. They took Martin Price into custody and all the evidence from both the robbery and the murder scene.
"Good morning everybody," Elliot announced his arrival around nine am, upon entering the apartment. The bugs had been removed and the local precinct had been in charge of keeping surveillance on the place so Olivia felt better about letting the kids back into their home. Calvin was already off to school and Olivia was just about to take a shower when he entered the apartment.
"Good morning. So you have a successful trip?" She asked as he scooped Charlotte out of her play pen.
"Well yes and no. Something is definitely off about our main suspect but the FBI has to handle it from here on out. I expect we'll have company later. Probably not the FBI but IAB might be back," Elliot explained.
"You guys get caught?" Olivia asked, slightly afraid of what he meant.
"No, but Tucker did give me the tip. Anyway, why don't you shower and I'll fill you in when you get out?" He suggested.
"Sounds like a plan. There is much to discuss about Rollins' situation as well. I just hope that everybody still has a job after this is all over," the way she rolled her eyes, made him nervous.
"IAB getting all worked up about Rollins and Fin's little medical arrangement?" He wondered.
"Oh that is just the half of it," she said as she headed back down the hallway.
To Be Continued…