Chapter 3
Amanda tentatively stepped into Olivia's apartment. This was the place where the brunette detective had moved in with Brian Cassidy. She let her eyes wander around the living room and quickly realises that it was decorated to Olivia's taste. Spacious and bright, the apartment provided a stunning view over the city. Amanda felt a sharp pang of unexpected pain when her eyes came to a rest on a silver photo frame with a picture of Olivia and Cassidy inside.
"Make yourself at home, there's soda in the fridge!" Olivia shouted from the bedroom.
Amanda listened as Olivia stumbled around in the other room. She heard drawers open, the creaking sound of a door. She didn't sit down. Instead she stood somewhat clumsily in the living room with her hands in her pocket, staring at one of the painting on the wall. After a few minutes she heaved a sigh and slowly turned on her heel and walked into the direction of the bedroom. She leaned against the doorframe.
The walls in the bedroom were painted crème with one darker wall painted in a light shade of brown. The bed stood against that, the wooden headboard a sharp contrast against the dark background. The sheets were simple yet elegant; white with brown accent cushions. The lamps on the nightstands were white and silver. Black and white framed photos of flowers decorated one of the crème coloured walls. A black mirror hung on the opposite one. The room breathed comfort and warmth.
From where she stood she could watch Olivia. Dressed in a pair of black slacks that clung to all her curves in the right places, Amanda couldn't take her eyes off the older woman. She'd been guilty of this before but she couldn't help herself even though she knew she shouldn't be doing this. Olivia seemed oblivious to the fact she was being watched. Her baby blue sweater fell loosely around her body. She folded a couple of her shirts, picked up the book she'd been reading the night before and added it to the small pile of clothes.
"How long you reckon we're gonna be in Atlanta for?" Amanda asked and Olivia looked up. She hadn't even heard the blonde woman walk into her bedroom.
"Couple of days, no more," Olivia answered with a smile. She zipped up the small travelling suitcase and pulled it off the bed. There was a glint in her eye when she looked back at Amanda. The sight of the blonde leaning against the bedroom doorframe somehow did something to her but she didn't know what it was. Amanda has folded her arms across her chest and appeared distant. Olivia's eyes trailed over the younger woman's frame. "Why, you don't wanna be stuck with me?"
Amanda averted her eyes. "I don't wanna be stuck in Atlanta."
Olivia opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the sound of her phone vibrating. She picked it up off the nightstand and checked the message. She then looked at Amanda. "Our flight leaves in three hours from La Guardia Airport. We can pick our tickets up at the gate." She slipped the phone into her pocket and her eyes fixed on Amanda. The blonde hadn't been herself since Cragen instructed them to go to Atlanta. "Hey, Amanda, you ok?"
"Yeah," Amanda lied and forced herself to smile. It wasn't just the prospect of spending two days with Olivia that made her feel uneasy. It was the fact she was returning to her home town; a place she had tried real hard to run away from. She turned around in the doorway without meeting Olivia's eyes and started down the hall back into the direction of the living room. "We'd better get goin'."
The sound of a key turning in the look made Amanda look up. Behind her Olivia emerged from the bedroom with her suitcase just as the door to the apartment opened. Cassidy walked in carrying two bags of groceries and he instantly laid eyes on Amanda and Olivia. The younger woman felt her heart sink and turned slightly to look at Olivia behind her.
"Hey," Cassidy smiled as he walked into the room. He took one glance at Olivia's suitcase and arched an eyebrow in amusement. "You leaving me?"
"It's work stuff," Olivia answered before pecking him quickly on the cheek. From the corner of her eye she watched Amanda walk to the door and she looked from the blonde back to Cassidy. "I gotta go to Atlanta for a couple of days with Rollins."
"OK," Cassidy answered and leaned in to kiss Olivia on her lips. "I'll see you when you get back."
She smiled her goodbye and wheeled her suitcase towards the door. When she stepped out of the apartment she found Amanda down the hall waiting by the elevator. She had already pressed the buttons and the doors swung open as Olivia walked up to her. Neither of them spoke as they got in and the doors slowly slid shut. Suddenly they were alone and Olivia gave the younger woman a sideways glance.
When the elevator made it down into the lobby both detectives got out and crossed the room. Once outside Olivia hailed a cab and the driver jumped out and opened the trunk for them. Amanda insisted on putting her own suitcase in before climbing into the back of the cab. Olivia joined her a few minutes later and joined her in the backseat. Her hand brushed against Amanda's as she put on her seatbelt and she nervously smiled.
The cabbie got back behind the wheel and turned around. He smiled, exposing a set of teeth that were in desperate need of a visit to a dentist. "Where to, ladies?"
"La Guardia Airport," Olivia answered. "Please."
"You two going on vacation?"
Amanda didn't answer but she cast a quick glance at Olivia. The older woman didn't answer either and instead she looked out of the window and ignored the question. Outside New York City flashed by. Grey clouds had packed together in the sky. It was cold outside. Winter was really here. Amanda sighed and turned to her own window, taking her eyes off Olivia. It seemed that neither of them was willing to answer exactly what it was they were planning to do in Atlanta.
~()~
It was early in the afternoon when they landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. They collected their bags from the baggage belt and joined the endless flow of passengers making their way through the airport into the direction of the exit. Amanda subconsciously found herself taking the lead, knowing the airport well and effortlessly cut herself a way through the crowd. Olivia was closely behind her and heaved a sigh in relief when they stepped out of the arrivals terminal and found they were standing outside car rentals.
"What you do want to do?" Amanda asked as they walked up to the car rental. "We haven't booked anywhere to sleep tonight. You just want to get a car, track down our victim, talk to her and find a motel for the night?"
"Okay," Olivia answered. She slid her hand into her pocket and pulled out the address she'd written down before leaving New York that morning. She gave it to Amanda. "You know where this is?"
"Yeah," Amanda answered. "I'll go grab us a ride and I'll meet you back here."
Olivia nodded and watched as the younger woman stepped inside the car rental place. She heaved a sigh once Amanda had disappeared from her sight and stared down at the floor. She couldn't put a finger on the reason why she felt so strange. She had known Amanda for several years now but it was only now that she was so aware of the other woman's reluctance to be here that she realised it wasn't just Amanda who wasn't happy to be in Atlanta.
Fifteen minutes later Amanda emerged from the car rental place clutching a set of keys and a smile.
"What are you smiling at?" Olivia wanted to know as they started walking in the direction of the cars.
"Nothin'," Amanda grinned.
Olivia eyed up the row of cars lined up ready to go. She suspiciously glanced at Amanda. The blonde's smile suddenly seemed to make a little sense. "What car did you get?"
"The only thing a person should be driving round here," Amanda grinned and pressed the unlock button on the car keys she held in her hand. A set of lights flashed and Olivia groaned as Amanda walked up to the dark blue vehicle. "A truck."
Fifteen minutes later the airport was behind them and they had joined the busy traffic going into Atlanta. The city's skyline was impressive and Olivia took in the sight. She had lived in New York all her life and although she had travelled, she had never been to Georgia. The radio played quietly. It was the only sound in the car. Since leaving the airport Amanda hadn't spoken and whenever Olivia looked at her she noticed how the features of the younger woman's face had hardened even more. Eventually she reached for the radio and turned it off. The sudden silence seemed to snap Amanda out of her thoughts.
"What happened?" Olivia softly asked, her hand coming to an unexpected rest on Amanda's knee. Amanda didn't make eye contact but kept her gaze firmly fixed on the road. "Listen, Amanda, I remember what you told me. That something happened to you."
"I don't want to talk about it," Amanda said dismissively. She crossed lanes and drove into the direction of the East part of town. She reached for the radio, turned it back on and cast Olivia one sideways glance. The look in her eyes was cold and distant but inside she was suddenly seething with raging emotions, all disturbed by Olivia's hand resting on her knee. She willed the older woman to move it but Olivia took her time. When she finally retreated Amanda released the breath she'd been holding.
"Well, that doesn't look good," Olivia said as she pointed at some of the dark clouds that appeared to be rolling in from the other side of town. It looked like they were in for some serious rain. She turned to look at Amanda who had also seen the clouds. "You get many thunderstorms around here?"
"Some of the best you'll ever see," Amanda replied with half a smile. The Southern drawl in her voice somehow seemed far more noticeable now. "My daddy's cousin got struck by lightnin' once."
They talked about the weather for the remainder of their journey and by the time they had reached the address they'd been looking for the first drops of thick rain had landed on the hood of the truck. The sky was almost black and the wind had suddenly picked up. It rustled the leaves on the trees and when the two detectives stepped out of the truck, Olivia huddled a little deeper into the jacket she was wearing. Although the temperature in Georgia was far more pleasant than back in New York, the wind still made her shiver.
The apartment building they had pulled up at looked relatively new. Amanda informed jer that this part of town had been a building site when she left, with planning permission to build thirty new condos. It appeared they had been finished and went the two women stepped into the lobby they were glad to be out of the rain. Olivia pressed the button for the elevator and they got in. It took them to the top floor where they got out and walked down the hall to number 30. Once there Amanda knocked and they waited.
The door opened after a couple of minutes and Olivia recognised Lauren Jones immediately. Her hair had grown a little and she had died it from blonde to brown but it was her. She was dressed in a pair of light blue jeans with a tear across the knee and an Atlanta Braves jersey. Lauren blinked a couple of times before recognising Olivia. Her eyes widened and her expression changed from surprise to sadness.
"He's done it again, hasn't he?"
"Lauren, may we come in?" Olivia asked softly. When she saw how Lauren looked at Amanda she quickly introduced her. "This is Detective Amanda Rollins. She works with me and we would really like to talk to you, if that's ok?"
Lauren hesitantly stepped aside and invited the detectives into her apartment. She closed the door behind them and followed them into the living room. The room was bright and airy, with windows that overlooked the streets below. In the distance the Atlanta skyline could be seen. The television was on, showing rerun of daytime television soap operas. Lauren sank down onto her couch and Olivia sat down beside her whilst Amanda chose one of the arm chairs.
"You're here," Lauren said as she looked at Olivia. "You came all the way to Atlanta." There was a tremor in his voice. "He's done it again. He's raped someone else."
Olivia swallowed hard. "It looks that way, yes," she answered. "Which is why we came to talk to you."
"We were wonderin' if there's anything else you may have remembered? Somethin' that maybe you didn't think mattered before?" Amanda asked. She cocked her head a little. "Or maybe just tell is what you do remember?"
Lauren took a deep breath. "I moved back to Atlanta because I wanted to forget what happened in New York. But now he's followed me here." Tears glistened in her eyes. "He's never going to leave me alone. He'll always haunt me."
Amanda felt her throat constrict and her gaze dropped into her lap. She had left Atlanta and moved to New York to forget what had happened here. It didn't matter how far she tried to run. It seemed the demons from the past would always catch up somehow.
"I know and I'm sorry you have to go through this again," Olivia said soothingly. Her eyes briefly flashed in the direction of Amanda and noticed how she didn't look at her or Lauren. Worry began to settle in her chest and reluctantly she tore her eyes away from the other detective and looked back at Lauren. She had to focus on what Lauren could tell her if they wanted to close this case. "But anything that you can tell us may help us finally catch this guy."
"I was walking home after watching a friend play with her band," Lauren replied. Her voice was shaky and her eyes flashed around the room nervously as if to make sure nobody was about to hurt her. "She'd offered me a ride but I said I was fine on my own. I wanted the fresh air. I took the subway and walked the last three blocks to my apartment. I don't know where he came from but suddenly he was behind me. I heard his footsteps and I started walking faster but he did too. Then suddenly…" Her voice trailed off.
"You described the scar on his hand," Amanda said and showed the picture of the sketch on her phone. Lauren nodded. "Do you remember anythin' else about him?"
There was a pause. The silence only lasted a few seconds but in those few seconds it felt as if everything changed. Outside the heavens opened and the rain suddenly lashed against the apartment windows relentlessly with a sound so deafening it made all three women look up. In that same moment Olivia's eyes found Amanda's; an unguarded moment in which she suddenly got to see hurt flicker in those baby blue eyes.
"I remember his smell," Lauren said over the sound of rain and the two detectives looked at her, severing their own eye contact. Lauren's voice was hoarse, like she had been shouting for hours. Her hands were shaking and quiet tears slid down her cheek. "At first I didn't realise it but after a few days I remembered." She looked up at Olivia. "I remember the smell."
"The smell?" Olivia asked. "What kind of smell? Like alcohol or cologne?"
"Cigarettes." Lauren felt her stomach turn and the bile in the back of her throat rose up. "He smelt like cigarettes."
Olivia and Amanda stayed at Lauren's apartment for another hour, carefully helping her go through the events that had changed her life. With Olivia holding her hand she was able to describe the attack into great detail, telling the detectives that she been able to catch a glimpse of his head when she tried to look at him. For the first time since the start of the investigation one of the victims was able to tell them that the rapist's hair was black.
It was still raining when they left and when they climbed into the truck they were soaking wet. Amanda rested her head against the window. Strands of blonde hair stuck to her forehead and water dripped from her coat.
"Where are we gonna go now?" Olivia asked as she looked up at the sky. In the distance the thunder rumbled. She had never seen a sky get this black. It looked like the end of the world out there.
"There used to be a motel a couple of miles down the road from here," Amanda answered as she turned the key and the engine began to roar. "Don't know if it's still there but if it is, it will be nearest place with a warm shower."
Olivia brushed the wet hair out of her eyes and sighed. "I'll take anything right about now."
The roads were quieter now. It seemed most people had sought shelter from the rain. A bright flash of lightning lit up the sky and was followed a few seconds louder by a loud, threatening rumble. Amanda looked at Olivia sitting beside her. "Looks like the thunder is a few miles away still. When it comes, we'll know."
Olivia rolled her eyes. "I can't wait."
A few minutes later Amanda pulled up in the small parking lot of the motel she had mentioned to Olivia. Before getting out of the car she quickly looked around, as far as the heavy rain allowed her to see. The 'vacancies' sign was on but the car park was full of cars. She turned to look at Olivia. "I'll go see if they've got a room. If not, I'll call an old buddy of mine. He owns a place on the other side of town."
"You want to drive in this?!" Olivia asked, pointing at the torrential downpour outside. "That's practically suicide!"
Amanda opened the car door and jumped out. She turned around, a quirky grin from ear to ear. "Welcome to Georgia."
She disappeared into the small office building and Olivia turned up the volume of the radio. Amanda had chosen a country station, much to Olivia's surprise. Although a Southern girl, she hadn't pegged Amanda to be the type to like Vince Gill, Reba McEntire and Tim McGraw. She couldn't deny that hearing some of the classics was soothing and she had even found herself humming along to Dolly Parton at some point.
Her mind drifted back to the look she had seen in Amanda's eyes only half an hour earlier back at Lauren's apartment. For the first time she had seen just how fragile the other woman looked. Something deep inside Olivia stirred as she thought of the blonde detective and she was snapped out of her thoughts when the door on the driver's side of the truck opened and Amanda appeared. She was drenched.
"We've got a problem," she said, looking somewhat crestfallen. "Guy inside says he's only got one room. We either take it or drive further to find somewhere else but he warned that the next place suffers flooding when it rains like this."
"I don't mind sharing if you're ok with it?" Olivia asked and Amanda shrugged.
The older detective got out of the truck and they walked through the endless rain towards the end of the site. Amanda stuck the key card she'd gotten from the owner into the lock and the door swung open. Both women shivered and heaved a sigh of relief as they stepped inside, out of the rain. Amanda switched on the light and now that the room bathed in a soft golden glow they encountered the next problem. A neatly made king size bed was the only sleeping arrangement in the room. She slowly turned to look at Olivia and pointed at the small, dated couch.
"I'll take that. You can have the bed."
Olivia just smiled. "You want the first shower then?"
Amanda nodded and crossed the room. She stepped into the small bathroom and closed the door behind her. The first thing she saw was her own reflection in the mirror. Run down and wet, with tired eyes and pale skin. She rested with her back against the door as she heard Olivia stumble around in the room. She heaved a sigh, her heart pounding in her chest.
This was going to be a long night.