Location: Cressley Falls Rehabilitation Center.
Munch and Fin pushed open the large double doors of the Cressley Falls Rehabilitation Center and entered into the lobby. They walked up to the receptionist's desk and flashed their badges.
"I'm Detective Munch," Munch introduced himself and Fin. "And this is Detective Tutuola. We need to speak with one of your patients."
"Sure," the receptionist spoke politely. "May I have the patient's name?"
"Her name's Vivian Arliss," Fin replied.
"Okay," the receptionist typed away at her computer. "Just give me a second to pull up her information. And...according to our file, Vivian Arliss is indeed a patient here. However, she missed curfew Wednesday night and hasn't returned since."
"Just two nights before Calvin and his grandparents came to the city," Fin uttered to Munch.
"And before Sorenson was killed," Munch uttered back
"Has anyone reported her missing?" Fin asked the receptionist.
"I'm sorry," the receptionist apologized. "But I'm afraid I can't answer that. Please hold on a moment while I call the director for you. She'll be able to give you more information." She put the phone receiver to her ear and pushed a button. "Director Cressley, the police are here to speak with you...Uh huh...Ok, I'll let them know. Thank you." She hung up the phone and once again faced the detectives. "You may speak with her in her office. It's down that hall on your right, second door on the left."
The detectives thanked her and made their way to the director's office. They knocked on her door, which immediately opened revealing a red-haired woman in a business suit.
"Good day, detectives," she greeted them with a smile. "I'm Elaine Cressley, Director of Cressley Falls. Please come in and have a seat. Can I assume you're here about Vivian Arliss?"
Fin and Munch entered the office and sat down in two comfortable-looking chairs. Cressley sat down at her desk and faced the two detectives.
"I see your receptionist has already informed you," Munch commented.
"Well, yes," Cressley explained. "But you should know I reported her missing Wednesday night when she didn't return at curfew. And then again at the twenty-four hour mark."
"Did any police officers respond?" Fin inquired.
"Yes," answered Cressley. " Two officers came around after I called the second time. I gave them all the information I could. My staff and I cooperated in every way possible. The officers told me they would let me know if they found anything. This is the first time I've heard back. I thought maybe you found her."
"You seem very concerned," Munch observed.
"I take my job very seriously," Cressley declared. "I care for all my staff and patients. We strive to help patients better themselves and reclaim their lives."
"Is letting patients run around unsupervised part of that package?" Fin questioned.
"No," Cressley replied in a serious tone. "Patients are escorted off the premises in small groups with a nurse and a group leader for activities such trips to the museums,walks in the park, or shopping trips. Here at Cressley, we believe exercise and fresh air are key components in recovery. Along with medication and therapy, of course."
"If that's the case," Munch asked. "Then where was Vivian when she disappeared?"
"According to the chart," stated Cressley. "Vivian's group was on a shopping trip."
"Shopping trip?" Fin repeated. "To where? The mall? And what chart?"
"No," Cressley responded. "Once a week, patients are taken on a shopping trip to buy necessities such as food, clothing, and hygiene products. And our activities chart contains a list of activities, along with the dates and times of which group is at each activity. I made a copy for you as well as a copy of the incident report from that day."
"Incident report?" repeated Munch.
"Yes," Cressley continued. "Whenever an accident, misconduct, or incident of this nature occurs, a report is filled out and sent to me, as is standard procedure here. Then I review the report and take necessary action. In this case, I questioned Vivian's nurse, group leader, and entire group. Then I contacted the police."
"We're gonna need to question them as well," spoke Fin.
"Of course," Cressley looked over her copy of the activities chart. "They're doing group counseling in the conference room down the hall. Please let me know if you hear anything."
The detectives stood up to leave.
"We will," Munch promised her. "Thank you for your time."
Fin handed Cressley a business card. "And please call us if you think of anything else."
"I will," Cressley took the card from him and opened the door.
She led them down to the conference room. Inside were seven women sitting in chairs in a circle. Cressley politely interrupted their counseling session and introduced the detectives.
"They're hear to help find Vivian," Cressley explained. "So please give them your full cooperation." She turned to Munch and Fin. "Jayma can assist you from here."
With that, she turned and left the room. One of the women stood up and motioned for Munch and Fin to come near.
"I'm Jayma, the nurse in charge," she introduced herself, then went around the circle introducing everyone else. "And this is Sadie, the group leader. And this is our group, Tawny, Nancy, Fiona, Monique, and Claudia."
"We're not here jam you up," Fin spoke up. "We're just looking for any information on Vivian. We want to make sure she gets back here safe and sound."
Everyone remained silent and stared forward as if trying not to give anything away. Except for Jayma. She stepped forward.
"How about we do this?" Jayma suggested. "Each of us will talk to the detectives one at a time. I'll go first. Sadie, continue leading the session."
Sadie nodded and continued with the session. Meanwhile, Jayma followed the detectives to a secluded corner of the room. There they spoke in hushed voices.
Munch began the interrogation. "Was there anything unusual about Vivian's behavior on Wednesday?"
"Well," Jayma said, thinking back to that day. "Yes. It was strange because she had been doing very well lately. And that day she started out okay, I guess. She had individual counseling that morning, and I didn't see her till that afternoon. When we left for our shopping trip, she was talking and laughing with Nancy. But then later at the grocery store, she became distraught and anxious. I asked her if she was alright. She said she'd be fine. She just needed to use the bathroom. And that was the last we saw of her."
"And which one is Nancy again?" Fin inquired. "Was Vivian close with her?"
"Nancy is the brunette with the snake tattoo on her arm," Jayma pointed out. "She shares a room with Vivian. They became pretty friendly. You should definitely talk to her. I suspect she might know more than she's letting on, but she's afraid of getting herself or Vivian in trouble."
"If Vivian isn't in trouble already," commented Munch.
"That's exactly what Sadie and I were thinking," Jayma nodded apprehensively. "We fear she may have relapsed. And...well, you know where that leads."
Fin and Munch looked at each other and nodded. For they knew exactly what Jayma had meant.
"I think we're done with you," Munch informed her as he handed her a business card. "But please contact us if you think of anything else."
"Will do," Jayma put the business card in her pocket and walked back to her group. "Nancy! You're up!"
Nancy stood up slowly and nervously walked over to the detectives.
"So Nancy," Fin began gently. "We understand you and Viv are roommates."
Nancy spoke not a word, but stared straight ahead.
"We hear you two became pretty close," Munch spoke softly.
Nancy didn't falter. She kept her silence.
"Look," Fin tried again. "I know you feel like you're betraying Viv by speaking to us, but we want to help her. We think she might be in trouble."
"Viv can take care of herself," Nancy finally broke. She stared down at the floor. "She went back to save her kid."
"Calvin?" Munch questioned. "Why?"
"Yea," Nancy nodded. "He called her that day. That's why she was freaking out. She said they were hurting him."
"You mean his grandparents?" Fin assumed.
"I don't know," Nancy shrugged. "Viv just said 'they.' I guess whoever has her son. So I helped her sneak away. I went with her to the bathroom, then snuck her out the back door. She was supposed to call me when she got a chance, but she never did."
"Do you have any idea where she was going?" Fin asked.
"No," Nancy shook her head. "She was supposed meet up with them on Saturday. But she was gonna hide out till then."
The two detectives exchanged worried glances.
"Saturday was two days ago," Munch informed her. "Where would she be now?"
"I don't know," Nancy replied. "Um...still hiding out, I guess."
"Yea, we got that," Fin was getting annoyed. "But do you know where?"
Nancy thought for a moment. "No idea. Sorry."
"Thank you for your time," Munch said, also becoming annoyed. "You may go."
As soon as Nancy walked away, Fin and Munch looked at each other.
"Two down," Fin muttered. "Five more to go."
"This going to be a long day," Munch grumbled.
"Tell me about it," Fin spoke. "I just hope Benson and Stabler are having better luck."
Location: Sing Sing Prison.
"So, how should we do this?" Elliot asked, looking at David Drecker through the two-way mirror.
David sat at the the table in the interrogation room wearing the standard prison orange jumpsuit. His cuffed hands rested on the table in front of him and a solemn expression upon his face.
"Let me at him," Olivia glared at David through the mirror.
"Calm down, Liv," Elliot warned her. "If you go at him fired up, he may not talk. And we need to find out what he knows."
"How can you expect me to remain calm?" Olivia snapped. "When he let Vivian put Calvin in that home, knowing damn well what would happen to him?
"Well, playing 'place the blame' won't help Calvin," he reasoned with her.
"You're right," she realized. "I'm sorry. I just..."
"I know," he understood how she felt. He'd probably be reacting the same way if it was his family. "It's okay."
"Thanks," she said, watching David through the mirror. "I say we give it to him straight and play on his reactions.
Her partner nodded in agreement. Then together they entered the interrogation room. They sat down at the table opposite David and stared him down for a moment.
"I remember you two," David spoke. "You're the cops who-"
"Sorry to cut the trip down Memory Lane so short," quipped Olivia. "But we're not here to reminisce."
"Then what do you want?" David asked. He paused for moment. Then he spoke again. "Is Calvin okay?"
Olivia and Elliot exchanged suspicious glances.
"Why do you ask?" Elliot inquired.
"Well," David explained. "I've been locked up in this shithole for the past year, so I know I didn't rape or murder anyone. I figured it must be something to do Viv or Calvin. And since Viv is in rehab, I'm guessing it's Calvin. Did something happen to my son?"
"Your son is in the hospital," Olivia told him flat out as she stood up. She circled the table, stopping next to David. "He was beaten into a coma."
"And you think I had something to do with it?" David exclaimed. "I've been here!"
"For the past year, we know," Elliot finished his sentence. "But you let Vivian ship him off to your parents in Vermont."
"Where you knew damn well what would happen," Olivia glared at David.
"Because the same thing happened to you, didn't it?"
"It was Viv's idea," David confessed, sobbing. "I didn't want her to do it. I tried to warn her, but she wouldn't listen."
"Tell us exactly what happened," Elliot instructed. "And maybe we won't charge you with reckless endangerment."
"Vivian came to see me," David explained. "After I got arrested. She was livid. She begged me for my parents address and phone number. She said she wanted to get back at the bitch cop who wouldn't let her see Calvin. She said that bitch put Calvin in an abusive foster home. And the only way to get him out was to send him to live with my parents. I told her it was a bad idea. I tried to tell her what would happen. But she was still pissed at me for killing Sarah she wouldn't listen."
"Why didn't you tell her about your parents before?" Olivia questioned. "You two were together for quite a while. Didn't it ever come up?"
"I told her they died in a car crash," David continued. "But Viv found out the truth when she came to my arraignment. My parents were there. I don't know how they knew."
"What did they did to you?" Elliot asked.
"They beat the crap out of me on a daily basis," David went on. "But that wasn't even the worst part. They were always drunk or high. Sometimes both. I had to learn to take care of myself or else I would've starved to death by the time I was ten. And...um...whenever we went out as a family, which was usually to score more drugs, my dad would make me carry the drugs."
"Cops are less likely to search kids," Olivia commented.
"Exactly," David nodded. "Mom and Dad were tired of getting hassled by the cops. But one time, I had a hole in my jacket pocket and the drugs fell out. We didn't get caught, but he beat the crap out of me anyway. He said he wasn't gonna get arrested because of a screw-up like me. That continued for several more years. When I was sixteen, I ran away. And the rest is history."
"For the record," Elliot stated. "Vivian lied to you. Calvin was never in any danger until he went to live with your parents."
"I wish I never listened to her," David sobbed. "Will Calvin be alright?"
"The doctors say he has a good chance," Olivia informed him.
"That's good to know," David breathed a sigh of relief.
Olivia's phone rang in her pocket.
"Excuse me a minute," Olivia said. She pulled out her phone and answered it. "Benson."
While Olivia spoke on the phone, Elliot took over the interrogation.
"It looks like your story checks out," Elliot told him. "So we won't be charging you."
"Thanks," David spoke quietly. "Could you keep me updated on Calvin's condition?"
"I'll see what I can do," Elliot said.
"Thanks. Bye," Olivia ended her call and turned to Elliot and David. "That was Munch and Fin. They went to pay Vivian a visit. Turns out she's been missing for five days. Do you know anything about this?"
"No," David shook his head. "I swear. The last time I talked Viv was the day she asked me for my parents address."
"My colleagues talked to her roommate," Olivia explained. "She said Vivian left to save Calvin. But she never got to him. Her roommate thinks she might be hiding out somewhere. Do you have any idea where she could be hiding?"
"I don't know if they're still standing," David replied. "But there was some condemned buildings we used to sneak into to get high."
He gave Olivia the addresses as she wrote them down.
"Thanks, David," Olivia told him. "You've been very helpful."
"One more question," Elliot spoke up. "Have your parents visited you recently?"
"No," answered David. "Why?"
"They disappeared after Calvin was beaten," Elliot informed him. "We're trying to track them down."
"Hope you find them," David said, angrily. "I want them to pay for what they did to Calvin."
"So do we," said Olivia, somberly.
Elliot and Olivia realized then that they got all the information they could from David. They thanked him for his time and went on their way. As they exited the prison, Elliot's concern for Olivia grow.
"Are you okay?" he asked her.
"Not really," she responded. "Could you drop me off at Mercy Hospital on your way back to the precinct?"
"I'd be happy to," he told her.
"Thanks," she said.
Location: Mercy Hospital. Intensive Care Unit.
Olivia quietly crept down the hall of the ICU, making her way to Calvin's room. She stepped inside the room to find a doctor examining Calvin as he lay unconscious.
"How is he?" Olivia asked in a soft, gentle tone.
"He's doing well," the doctor replied. "The swelling went down and his vitals are strong. I expect he'll wake within the next twelve to twenty-four hours."
"That's great!" Olivia was relieved. "Is it alright if I visit with him? Or should I come back later?"
"Of course you can stay," the doctor told her. "I was just leaving. I have to check on my other patients."
As the doctor left the room, Olivia thanked her and then sat down in a chair next to Calvin's bed. She watched him resting peacefully, attached to machines. His left arm lay at his side in a hard thick cast from his hand all the way up to his shoulder. His other arm was covered in bruises. Olivia was positive that underneath the cast, his left arm was also covered in bruises. Calvin's face had a deep purple bruise beneath his right eye and a cut on his forehead that was bandaged.
Olivia gently took his hand in hers, taking great care not to move his arm. She couldn't hold his entire hand because of the cast, but she managed to hold his fingers.
"I'm so sorry, Calvin," she spoke softly, gently stroking his fingers. "I should've never let them take you away from me."
She continued talking to him, hoping he would open his eyes and say something back. And when she ran out of things to talk about, she leaned back in her chair and watched Calvin sleep. Olivia must not have realized how tired she was. For she eventually drifted off to sleep.
Olivia found herself standing in the middle of the squad room. She couldn't believe what she saw. She watched in utter shock as she saw herself sitting at her desk watching Elliot and Calvin play "Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!" It was so surreal. It was like watching a home video of her life.
"See?" Calvin smiled as he played. "I have fun here!"
"So do I!" Olivia heard herself laugh.
It was such a wonderful moment. Olivia had never been happier. And happiness was so rare in her life. She missed moments like this. Unfortunately, this moment would not last. Olivia wasn't sure she wanted to relive what happened next. But it didn't look like she had much of a choice.
"Detective Benson?" called a voice.
Entering the squad room was a bald, African-American man with a mustache. Olivia recognized him as the Child Services case worker who took Calvin away. She watched herself walk away from her desk and towards the case worker. Behind her, Calvin and Elliot stopped playing to see what was going on.
"Yes?" Olivia spoke. "Can I help you?"
"I'm here about Calvin Arliss," the case worker informed her.
"Oh, yes," Olivia nodded. "I'm his legal guardian."
"Not anymore," He handed her a letter.
As Olivia watched herself read the letter aloud, Vivian entered the room and approached Calvin. Olivia, forgetting she was on the outside looking in, flew at Vivian in a fit of rage.
"You bitch!" she screamed. "Get away from him!"
She lunged for Vivian's neck, but Olivia's hands, along with her body, went right through Vivian as if she were thin air. Olivia fell to the floor, momentarily stunned. She brushed herself off and stood up in time to see her other self lunge at Vivian as she and the case worker tried to escort Calvin out of the precinct.
"Vivian, you did this!" Olivia shouted, as Elliot held her back. "You talked to David! And you're the one shipping Calvin off to Vermont!"
"It was always temporary," Elliot spoke in her ear, while still holding her.
"I want to stay with Olivia!" Calvin yelled out as his mother and case worker forced him out of the squad room.
He tore away from Vivian and ran to Olivia, who broke free from Elliot's grasp and threw her arms around Calvin, hugging him tightly. As Olivia watched from the outside, she wished more than anything that she could hold him like that again. But she knew her hands would only go right through him.
Vivian and the case worker came up behind Calvin and ripped him out of Olivia's arms and dragged him away.
"It's okay, Calvin," Olivia uttered in tears as she watched them take him away. "It's okay."
"Olivia!" Calvin cried. "Help me, Olivia! Save me!"
Olivia watched from the sidelines, remembering how painful it was to watch him being dragged out of the squad room, calling for her to save him. And knowing there was nothing she could do to stop it. She had never felt more powerless in her life.
Suddenly, the scene changed. The squad room disappeared, along with Elliot and her other self. Calvin still remained, but Vivian and the case worker were replaced by George and Evelyn Drecker. Everything became dark and sullen. The only light poured out from the doorway of a silhouette of a house that appeared before her. Calvin, still crying for Olivia, was dragged toward the doorway by his grandparents.
"Calvin!" Olivia shouted. "Hang on! I'm coming!"
She tried to run, but her feet wouldn't move. She looked down. Her black boots were melting into the ground beneath her. Olivia looked back up at Calvin. George and Evelyn had dragged him inside the house and the door slammed shut behind them. Through a silhouette of a window, Olivia could see their shadows. They raised their hands and brought them down, beating Calvin.
"NOOOO!" Olivia shrieked.
She struggled as hard as she could to move, but couldn't. She pulled her feet out of her boots and sprinted toward the house.
"Calvin!" she cried out. "Hang on! I'm coming!"
Olivia was almost to the house when she felt herself slowing down. She looked down again. This time her feet were sinking into the ground. She yanked her feet up and continued moving forward. But with each step she she took, her feet sank farther into the ground. Soon she was knee deep. But she refused to give up. Calvin needed her. She had to rescue him.
"Hang on, Calvin!" Olivia screamed. "I'm almost there!"
The door was just beyond her reach. Even though she was now waist deep, she still pushed forward. Inside, Calvin's cries intensified, becoming louder, resounding all around her. As she reached for the door knob, she suddenly began to sink faster.
"No! No! NO!" Olivia cried, tears streaming down her face.
She stretched her hand up as far she could, but know she was chest deep in the ground. She could no longer reach the door knob. Instead, she knocked and scratched on the door frantically. She fought as hard as she could to get to Calvin, who was still screaming inside. But she continued sinking. She was in up to her neck now, but still refused to give up. Even as the ground swallowed her head, Olivia still called to him.
"Calvin!" she screamed. "Hang on! I'm coming!"
Olivia sat up with a start. She was back in the hospital, sitting in her chair, shaking. Calvin lay sleeping on the bed before. She closed her eyes as she caught breath, grateful that it had only been a dream. She stood up and went to the bathroom where she splashed some cold water on her face. As she looked at herself in the mirror, Olivia thought about her dream and Calvin. She promised herself that she would do whatever it takes to keep him safe. She would never be powerless again.
She stepped out of the bathroom and back into Calvin's room. She started walking back to her chair when she saw that Calvin's eyes were open and staring at her. Could he really be awake?
"Olivia," he called softly, his voice raspy.
"Calvin!" Olivia exclaimed. "How are you feeling?"
"My head hurts," he said. "And my arm hurts."
"I'll tell the nurse to bring you some medicine," Olivia smiled at him. "But first, I need to know what happened."
"I don't want to talk about it," Calvin shook his head.
"I know, sweetie," she stroked his hair. "But if I'm going to help you, then you need to tell me."
"Okay," he sighed. "The night we drove into the city, they killed a guy. I think he was a cop. He had a gun. I told Grandpa I felt sick, but he didn't believe. And when I threw up in the car, he pulled over. He dragged me out of the car and hit me again and again. That's when the cop showed up. He and Grandpa started arguing. Then Gram snuck up behind the cop, took his gun and shot him. After that we went to the hotel."
"Then what happened?" Olivia inquired.
"When we got to our room," Calvin continued. "I started getting ready for bed. But when I pulled out my pajamas, my wad of cash and the envelope with your address fell out. I saved up my allowance and whatever else I could. I was gonna sneak out and come see you. But Gram and Grandpa saw the money and asked me about it. They wanted to know how I got it and what I was gonna do with it. But I wouldn't tell them. That's when they beat me. And the next thing I remember is waking up here."
Olivia was afraid to ask, but she needed to know.
"How long have they been hurting you?" she asked.
Calvin swallowed hard. "Soon after I moved in with them. I can't remember exactly when it started."
Tears flooded her eyes, flowing down her cheeks.
"Why couldn't you ever tell me?" Olivia cried.
"I was scared," he said, tears filling his own eyes. "I was afraid they would hurt you. Or worse. Kill you like they did that cop."
Olivia held him in her arms as she kissed his forehead.
"You never have have to be afraid anymore," she hugged him. "I will always rescue you."
Stay tuned! More to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!