Chapter Twelve
Joey sighed as he combed through the casefile on the latest victim. "We have to get this guy soon, Anse…this is the fifth victim now. No pattern in the victims, no specific place, the only thing connecting them is the stocking over their eyes…except…Jenna Rollins, age 12…"
"Joe, that girl is a dead end. You get a description out of her, it doesn't hold up in court." Joey tossed his pen and pounded his fist on the desk.
"Who cares about whether it holds up? If we get description, we have a place to focus and can produce evidence that will hold up. I'm calling her mother and asking her to bring Jenna in!"
Anse shook his head. He had worked SVU for years. Sometimes these disabled kids were functional enough to be questioned, but this girl…Each time they tried it ended with her screaming nonsense, flailing her arms, and banging her head on the floor. That last time they tried, she bit herself. "You want to go for it, Rookie? Be my guest."
Joey nodded firmly, picked up the phone and dialed Ms. Dennis' cell phone to make his request. "I need a day to prepare Jenna for more questions, but yes, I am willing to bring her in for you to talk to her again."
"Thank you, Ma'am," Joey replied. "Ma'am, does Jenna have a favorite food or a favorite candy?"
"Yes, she likes those little cheese bites, the ones that come with fruit," Ms. Dennis replied. "The white cheddar is her favorite."
Joey wrote that down, "And does she have a favorite color?"
"Green, why are you asking me this?" Ms. Dennis asked.
"My father worked off and on with children and young adults like Jenna when he was a detective and riding a beat. He told me he suspected, from my descriptions, that Jenna is socially delayed and engaging her with things she likes might help her focus. I hope to use some of his techniques to help her free herself of this man's image."
Ms. Dennis agreed and then call ended with a promise that she would produce her daughter for questioning at four the next day.
"Make yourself useful, Anse," Joey told his reluctant partner. "Get me like four or five of those fruit cups with the cheese and some sandwich bags, will you?"
Anse took the money and the list then left with a quick word with their Captain.
"Reagan, my office," Captain Benson called to her newest SVU detective. Joey rolled his eyes and stood up.
"Didn't I tell that I wanted you to drop this lead? That Jenna isn't…"
"Yes, you told me, but with respect, Ma'am, I don't agree with you. You have questioned vics with Down syndrome, CP, and other disabilities. Jenna is no different. She knows who raped her, Captain. She knows what he looked like and I'm going to find out and get this guy. Her mother is bringing her tomorrow for another talk."
"If you persist in pursuing this investigation from this angle against my orders…"
Joey backed up. "You make your call, I'll make mine. We have a rapist out there that's raped five preteen girls, he's going to do it again and again unless we stop him. I aim to do that." Joey turned on a heel and walked out of the office and the squad praying he could rely on his father to back him up.
Eddie smiled when she saw Linda's face at the door, "Hey, this is a nice surprise!" Eddie offered her sister-in-law a hug.
"I was in the neighborhood," Linda replied but received a raised eyebrow.
"Jamie and Danny were going for a beer so I swung by to see how you were, I know at dinners you put up a front to keep Jamie and the rest of the family calm, but I want to know so…"
Eddie sighed, "Well, none of my clothing fits right and Jamie thinks I'm going to the Policeman's ball with him looking like this…"
"Well, let's go shopping together, the four of us, you, me, Erin and Lila. We'll find your something. It's not your fault, Jamie doesn't love anything else in this world as much as you. We can help you pick out some nice clothes that you can wear and feel good about yourself. You have us Eddie, you have all of us. A lot of times you build up a wall, keep yourself private and that's okay, but we all love you Eddie. That love is strength. Use it. Lean on it…and it will see you through. Now let me help by doing Frank's medicine, you take a hot bath, Jamie will be happy to see you rested when he gets home."
Eddie smiled and offered Linda a warm hug, it did feel good to hear from another woman that it would be okay, only another woman would understand the body image problems that Eddie faces as she watched her petite frame fill out with something other than pregnancy. She would take Linda up on shopping, maybe she'd feel better about herself with a new wardrobe.
"Bullseye!" Jamie exclaimed after his dart met its mark. "I told you, stroke, glasses, and I am still the better shot!"
Danny scoffed, "Yeah, that's just because of all of the times you had to raise your game to prevent being beaten by your wife!"
Jamie sighed as the two brothers took a seat in a booth. "I hope that Linda is able to talk to her. She has been wearing my robe and boxers for a week. According to her, she is an unattractive blimp that can never be seen out of the house again."
Danny took a sip of his whiskey, "I'm so lucky that I never had to go through anything like that with Linda. I am so sorry, Jamie that you and Eddie are facing problems like this again."
"I know, we can get through it, we can get through anything we have to," Jamie replied. "I know we can. I just hate hearing her say those things."
"Well, when you go home tonight, even if you aren't feeling it, try to show her the what is it, 15 lbs, doesn't matter to you."
"It doesn't," Jamie replied. "We've both been tired, most of the time Eddie is in a lot of pain at night. She gets tired and even with Linda helping out with Dad and Molly coming over…I can't stand seeing her like this Danny."
Danny felt terrible for his brother, he reached over and rubbed Jamie's arm. "I wish I could say I understood, I don't but I'm always here to listen."
Jamie smiled, "I know, Danny. One more…Hey, are those our kids over there?"
Danny turned and looked at his two sons and Joey drinking beers. "Let's send them a round. Waiter…three for those young men over there."
"Missed you at dinner," Jack commented to Joey as the three cousins sat together drinking beers to unwind.
"Yeah, I'm buried in that serial rapist case," Joey replied. "Benson is breaking my ass about wanting to bring in the autistic girl. The guy knew she was autistic, he knew she was not able to communicate well if at all, he didn't take the precautions that he usually took."
Sean sighed, "I treated three of those girls. He doesn't take his time, he strikes hard and fast. There's a lot of damage, tearing, bruising. I'll give you any statement you need."
Jack sighed, "By the way, you need to come to 1PP tomorrow at 9 am. You'll get the official page in the morning but your command issued a disciplinary actions for violating an order so…"
Joey nodded, "Dad told me he'd back me."
"I don't know about that or not but I'll plead your case," Jack sipped his beer. "Rita had a niece that was raped at fourteen, she said she was never the same after no matter how much help she got. We have to get this guy, but Benson, she resents being behind the desk at the level she is now."
"She's too old," Joey complained. "Really, she's older than Dad, Jack. She's out of touch and too controlling. Dad hated mandatory retirement but in this case, she should go out on top of her career."
"We had a doctor at the ER like that," he replied. "He was getting too old, didn't embrace new ways new ideas…the board terminated him. I know it's not easy, but Uncle Jamie needs to do something about that."
"I'm sure he will," Jack assured his younger brother. "So, how's it going with you and Molly?
Joey blushed, "It's good, it's going really good."
"Oh," Sean laughed. "Yeah, I noticed you brought her to quite a few dinners, so you serious?"
"Molly has been a big help," Joey replied. "And she is a loving, beautiful woman and I am totally on board with getting serious. I'm going to Wednesday dinner alone but bringing her on Sunday. I need to talk to my parents, I haven't really seen my Mom since she lowered the boom on us."
"You know, kidney failure is pretty common in people on long term cancer meds and on and off of chemo. The medications are great nowadays, and there are new anticancer meds. I think that after she adjusts she'll be fine."
"I'm glad of that then," Joey sighed. "It's just hard to watch her like this. To watch her in pain and feeling weak. She's not that old and she is the best person…"
Jack nodded, "Uncle Jamie's been missing a lot of days so I think Aunt Eddie is still needing his help quite a bit. If I were you, I'd ask about her tomorrow, if he's angry at you for staying away…" Jack sipped his beer.
"I know, but Dad's not like that, he'll keep it business, but he's open to my techniques, he's even helping me." Joey poured himself more beer just as the waiter Danny had spoken to arrived with the drinks, "We didn't order these," Sean spoke up.
"No, courtesy of the men over there," the waiter pointed to where Danny and Jamie were sitting.
"Figures we would come to the same bar as our fathers," Sean laughed as the boys lifted their glasses to the older men who departed a few minutes later.
The cousins' chatter soon turned to women, sports, and other male bonding topics. They finished their beers and burgers and headed their separate ways.
In Brooklyn, Jamie climbed the stairs leaning on his cane. He was tired, but the beers with Danny helped him release some of his frustrations. He found Eddie standing naked in front of the mirror looking at what three weeks of the new medication had done to her figure.
"What are you doing babe?" Jamie walked towards her until he stood right behind her. He knew then the talk with Linda had done nothing to help her feel better. He'd have to put Danny's advice to work.
Eddie gave one more look in the mirror sighing. "Just checking what the medicine did to me. I'm so fat, how can you still love all this?" She pinched a roll of flesh around her midsection, she has put one some significant weight.
Jamie quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning in to kiss her neck whispering, "Don't say that Eddie; you are just as beautiful as the day I met you."
Eddie huffed turning her attention to the mirror. "Look at me!"
Jamie moved around standing on her left side draping an arm around her shoulder.
"Eddie, listen to me, with that beautiful body you gave us two beautiful kids. I love you even more every day."
Eddie sighed, "I'm sorry, Jamie. I tried so hard to stay in shape. You had a stroke and you still look like stud."
Jamie pulled Eddie close and led her to their bed, "Get under before you catch cold. I am too tired tonight to show you how beautiful you are, but I promise I will after I deal with our wayward son."
"He's still so mad at me," Eddie sighed. "We should have told him after we were force to tell Lila. He won't recognize me, I look like the Goodyear blimp."
Jamie slid into bed offering Eddie her nightgown, "Stop it, you are his mother, he just needed time. All he will see is beauty…you are alive and breathing and here to whine about gaining weight. You'll see. Let's get some rest now…" Jamie slid his arm around Eddie and snuggled her to him. "Good night, pretty girl."
Eddie sighed and kissed Jamie, "Good night, honey. I'm going to hold you to that promise…It's been a while…I miss…"
Jamie leaned over and dropped a kiss on her lips, "That my dear, seals my promise…"
When Jamie arrived at 1PP the next morning, Joey was already waiting for him. "How are you son?" Jamie asked, he vowed he'd be a father first and a Commissioner second, opposite of his own father.
"I'm good. I texted Mom last night and this morning but she didn't answer. I wanted to see if she wanted me to pick up Wednesday dinner tomorrow?"
"Oh, Mom dropped her cell in the toilet again but if you call the house or call me tonight, I'll let you talk to her," Jamie replied. "She's getting stronger. She hasn't had a weak spell in days and the pain is easing some. Do not say anything about her weight, she's gained almost fifteen pounds in a few weeks."
"Oh man," Joey sighed. "I'm sorry Dad…I know that's hard on her, and I know it doesn't matter to you at all."
"Her life and your kids, that's what matters," Jamie sighed. "But I have to put my commissioner hat on now, Joe. You defied your Captain yesterday and you're going against the advice of your partner as well."
"Sir," Joey began but Jamie held up his hand.
"That being said, we discussed this portion of the investigation and I am on board with it, but since you are on a limb, I insist on being present when you question your young witness."
Joey smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way. Meet me at my house at 3:30, and no tie, Jenna seems to be really upset by ties, her mom told me."
"I'll see you there, Detective. I will handle your Captain, but if you defy on any other case for any other reason, I'll sign the rip myself. Got it?!"
Joey nodded," Absolutely sir. I'll see you this afternoon."
With a bounce in his step, Joey headed back to his squad, pausing to call his mother on the way.
A/N: Shout out to JLMayer for suggesting the beers between Jamie and Danny. I did want to bring some brother and cousin time to this piece that is focusing mostly on Lila and her family's growth. There will be a lot more Danny and Linda in upcoming pieces, especially installment five, One of Our Own. Still, I do hear your desire for Danny and I will try to incorporate the older Reagan brother where appropriate. Thanks for your loyalty.
Next up: Joey breaks through to Jenna and Eddie breaks through to Joey.
