A/N: A shout out to lizzard9. Thanks for your review. More is on the way about the case and the EO, promise. ;)
Chapter 3
The next morning Munch and Fin were still reviewing the video footage when Olivia exited the locker room fresh from the shower. Though she'd basically only had a four hour nap, the shower had felt good. Reaching her desk, she realized there was a fresh cup of coffee sitting there. Looking over to Elliot he smiled. She smiled back and carefully took a sip.
"Got the file on the dumpster fire. Turns out it was a little more complicated than someone lighting trash on fire," he said as he handed it over to her. Inside she found photos that showed someone had spray painted ethnic slurs on the Middle-Eastern man's exterior restaurant walls.
"Kids being stupid or a racist group trying to start something?" Olivia asked.
"Officers Henshaw and Yen seem to be trying to help the poor guy out but they have a whole area to patrol and they aren't on shift twenty-four hours a day," Elliot pointed out.
"Yeah the report says that the tagging must have happened during the day and the dumpster fire was set later. The FDNY got it out quickly but there was still some damage to the building and Mr. El-Amin had to close up for a few days while repairs were being done. This seems to be something that the detectives at our own precinct should be handling," his partner said.
"Correct. I've got an e-mail in to Detective Ron Summers. He should be in soon," Elliot nodded.
"Ok. Melinda have anything?" Olivia wanted to know.
"The body had to thaw out before she could cut into it. She promised she'd let us know as soon as she could," he explained.
"Thaw out? She wasn't out there that long," she raised an eyebrow.
"Apparently, Melinda thinks that this woman was exposed to the elements long before she was killed in them. Once she got her shoes off our victim had frost bitten toes and ligature marks around her ankles," Elliot said. Olivia frowned and was about to suggest something when Fin and Munch came out of the interrogation room and into the squad room.
"We got something," Fin said, holding up a tape.
"Just after ten we have a green car that goes through Times Square and then about forty-five minutes later it goes back the way it had come," Munch told them.
"Well this is New York City. People have to come and go," Elliot said, not seeing the importance.
"This same car got picked up twice by an ATM camera. First time was at ten-ten pm and then again at about ten-thirty-five pm, not far from the Square. Thing is at ten-ten pm, there are two people in the car and at ten-thirty-five, there is only one," Fin clarified.
"So someone got out of the car into an area where really no one lives, in the middle of winter, in the middle of night?" Olivia raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah exactly. We're taking it to TARU to see if they can clean up the footage. Maybe we can get a license plate or at least a make and model," Munch said. Elliot's phone rang and he quickly answered it.
"Best lead we have so far. Run with it. Have you guys heard from the Captain?" Olivia wanted to know.
"Not yet but he's probably dealing with the brass," Fin shook his head. She nodded and watched them leave the squad room on their way to the technical team. Elliot was still on the phone and she turned her thoughts back to the file that he partner had handed her. Somehow the pieces fit but they were still jumbled at the moment.
"Where are Munch and Fin?" Captain Cragen asked without saying hello as he walked into the squad room.
"They just headed to TARU," she said.
"We've got another victim. She's barely alive but I need someone to head to the hospital," the Captain told her.
"We're on it," Olivia nodded.
To Be Continued…