A/N: This chapter isn't as long as I would have liked but I wanted to get something posted before the holiday. The next chpater will make up for it. ;) Hope you like it!

Chapter 7

"Miss Hardgrove, I certainly hope that your client is willing to discuss with us further the details of the crimes in light of what has happened," Barba walked into Lewis' room with Munch in tow and the lawyer gave him a look.

"What happened?" Hardgrove wanted to know.

"Simply that we discovered Vanessa and Calvin. Well I guess it isn't as simple as that," the ADA told them.

"What's not so simple?" Lewis asked.

"Well we the detectives tried to take Vanessa into custody she resisted," Munch smirked.

"So you've come to tell me that she isn't talking," Lewis gave him a look.

"I'm afraid she won't be talking for a very long time. You see she forced the officers to defend themselves and well…" Barba started.

"It'll be a closed casket," Munch finished. They were hoping for some sort of reaction but they didn't get one.

"Do you suppose you could charge him with her murder?" Munch added.

"How do you mean?" Barba asked.

"Well the gun that Vanessa had certainly didn't come from thin air. My bet is that he gave her the gun to scare Calvin with, only problem was, she was so afraid of him torturing her, she rather have the police end it for her," Munch made the supposition and Barba smirked.

"I can't get him for murder but that doesn't mean I can't find something else to add. Maybe manslaughter," the ADA said.

"Gentlemen, aren't you getting a little ahead of yourselves?" Hardgrove asked.

"How so? After all, he beat an NYPD detective within an inch of her life, shot her, and kidnapped the rest of her family all at gunpoint. You don't think the jury will eat it up if I explain the tragic circumstances behind Vanessa's death?" Barba wanted to know.

"Why would they believe you?" Lewis asked.

"How can they not? Detective Benson has a spinal injury and if she can never return to her job, the jury will certainly love the fact that the brave officer in a wheelchair is giving testimony. Also she can mention your inappropriate behavior during the trial for what happened to poor Alice Parker…" the sentence hung there and Barba gave Lewis a look. The man stayed stoic and that's when Hardgrove stepped in again.

"Give me a few minutes with my client. Are you willing to plead down anything?" She asked.

"Only the kidnapping charge of Calvin, the rest would not sit well with the NYPD, my boss, or even me," he said. Hardgrove nodded and the two men left the room.

"You think it worked?" Munch asked once out in the hallway.

"I hope so, otherwise…" the ADA trailed off. Munch's phone buzzed and he quickly answered it. The conversation was brief and Barba wondered what he got out of it when the detective hung up.

"Fin says they got a lead off the pad of paper. The location is a cabin up in the woods, north of the city, inside Taconic State Park near the Copake Falls area. Local police and the team on their way," Munch told him.

"I hope there is nothing but good news," Barba said.

"Me too," Munch heaved a sigh and then scooped up Charlotte's baby carrier and headed for the nurses' station, hoping to talk to someone about Olivia's condition.

"The specialist is in from Buffalo and he's talking to Detective Stabler now," the nurse smiled.

"Can you let me know when he's done, I need to discuss the case," Munch told her.

"Of course, I'll let them know," she smiled and Munch plunked himself back down in the waiting room, hoping that there was good news all the way around.

To Be Continued…