Title: "Liar"

Author: Nicole Berman & Celia Stanton

Feedback: tamakesareborn@aol.com; xfilesdiva@excite.com

Series: sequel to "Gone"; 2nd in the Emma Cabot series

Classification: Benson/Cabot adventure/F-F romance/Angst; Pre-SVU

Rated: R for adult themes

Summary: The good news: SVU detectives think they know who kidnapped Emma Cabot. The bad news: They can't find him.

Disclaimers: SVU and its characters belong to Dick Wolf and NBC. We don't own 'em. We just borrowed 'em.

"How do I know you're police?"

Munch rolled his eyes. "See the badge?" He held it up to the peephole again, muttering to Elliot, "If just one of those damn 'sightings' had been real, we wouldn't be here talkin' to this nutjob again."

"I have pepper spray," Mrs. Samuelson warned, as she unlocked her door. From her barely five-foot perch, she looked up at Munch and Stabler. "Why are you back here again?"

This time, Munch only pursed his lips, rather than groaning audibly. "Ma'am, we just need to ask you some more questions about Emma Cabot."

"She's still missing," Mrs. Samuelson said, sitting on her couch. "She was a nice girl, though. Very nice."

Stabler chose a chair across from the older woman and nodded solemnly. "Mrs. Samuelson, do you remember the last time you spoke to Emma?"

"The day she left, I suppose," the woman replied, stroking the tabby cat sitting in her lap. "She had gotten some of my mail again, and dropped it off. Then she went back to her apartment, to visit her brother."

"What time was that?" Stabler asked, taking notes.

"Well, her brother arrived about seven o'clock, I think. Emma came home about eight-thirty. I went to bed shortly after, and only got up when I heard the ruckus in the hallway. That's when I called you - when I heard her screaming."

Munch nodded, figuring the old woman's poor eyesight led to her misidentification of Mark Miller as Emma's brother.

Stabler glanced at Munch, concurring with the unspoken thought. "Miller?" he murmured aloud.

Munch nodded. "Mrs. Samuelson, do you remember anything else about that night?"

The old woman shook her head. "I've told you everything I know, dear. But if you want me to repeat it for you again, I'd be happy to."

"No, that's okay." Stabler stood and handed her a business card. "If you think of anything else, please give us a call."

Mrs. Samuelson nodded. "I certainly will." As she moved to rise from the couch, Munch shook his head. "We can let ourselves out, ma'am."

They headed to the door, and the woman called after them. "I'll be praying for her."

Munch offered a smile and shut the door behind him. They walked down the hall towards the elevator. As he punched the button, Munch asked, "How'd they get her out of here, with the doorman downstairs?"

Glancing around, Stabler spied the door leading to the stairwell. "Took the stairs to the parking garage?" he surmised.

"Escape route of champions," Munch agreed, pushing the door open. When the stairs ended, the small hallway led to the back of the building, rather than to the underground garage. Munch stopped and sighed. "So much for that idea."

Stabler peered around the door to the alleyway backing the sprawling apartment building. "There's enough room for a car back here, easy."

Munch stepped up next to him and looked around the enclave. "Would it be too much to ask to find a security camera?"

"Probably." As Munch held the door, Stabler stepped out into the alley, craning his neck to see in every direction. "We have a winner!" he declared, stepping back into the stairwell. "Let's go next door and have a little chat with the proprietor."

They stepped through the foyer of Emma's apartment building and a hundred yards later, the two entered the tiny bookstore. The bored-looking girl at the cash register looked up, popping her gum. "Can I help you?"

Munch again flashed his badge. "We need to talk to whomever owns this fine establishment."

The girl shrugged. "Ma!" she called over her shoulder.

A forty-ish woman stuck her head out of a back office. "Can I help you?"

"Detectives Munch and Stabler, NYPD. Is that your security camera around back?"

The woman nodded. "Sure is."

"Ma'am, we're going to need to take a look at some of your security tapes; in particular, we need the ones from the night before last." Stabler kept his voice even and neutral.

"Sure," the woman replied easily. "Cheryl, go in the back and get what the Detective asked for."

"Mom..."

"Cheryl," her mother warned. "March."

The teenager went back where her mother had come from, and the older woman smiled at the detectives. "Do I get to know what this is about?"

"We think your tapes may shed some valuable light on an investigation," Munch replied.

Cheryl returned with the tapes, handing them to Elliot. Her mother smiled again, placing a business card on top of the cassettes. "If you need anything else, we'd be more than happy to help."

******

Munch slung his jacket over the back of his chair, grabbing his coffee cup and refilling it. Taking a scalding swig, his mouth contorted and he regarded the ceramic. "Tastes like shit," he reported no one in particular. He waited until Elliot got off the phone with his ball 'n' chain, and motioned with his head towards the incident room. "Movies of the week are ready for your viewing pleasure."

"All right." Elliot grabbed his own mug full of fresh coffee and followed Munch into the little glassed-in cage. He proceeded to fast-forward through eight hours of normal foot traffic to midnight, which was the earliest they'd estimated Emma could've been snatched.

Munch leaned back in his chair, wrinkling his nose. "Ten bucks we see five whizzers up against that wall." They watched a few cars pass through the alley between the buildings, but it wasn't until a dark van pulled through and stopped in the alley that Munch perked up. "What time is it on the tape?"

Elliot peered at the tiny green numbers. "One thirty-six."

"Does that fit your timeframe?" Munch leaned forward as well, trying to make out the license plate.

Elliot crouched down next to the television. "Perfectly. Is that an 'H'?" he asked, squinting through the gloom at the tiny van, captured in time on the grainy videotape.

"Definitely New York plates," Munch said. "Looks like H, and then maybe a '3' or an '8'. Make and model?"

"I definitely see the word 'Dodge'. That look like a Caravan to you? Wait, I bet Narc'll know." He grabbed the extension and dialed Narcotics. "Hey, Diana, we need a car IDed. Can you come up for a sec? Thanks."

"How do you get them to jump like that?" Munch wondered. "Can we get a visual on the driver or Emma?"

"I pay well," Elliot joked. "Sure, I don't see why not." Picking up the receiver again, Elliot quickly had a team of techs standing by. "As soon as she IDs the car for us, I'll send the tape to Tech and they can enhance it for you. I've gotta call Olivia and check on the Connecticut angle."

"The other ball and chain," Munch replied. "I'll see what my old eyes can do first, let you know if they find anything."

Elliot stood, eyeing Munch. "Oh, stuff it," he said offhandedly. "She's the best partner I've ever had." With that, he disappeared, passing Diana in the hall. "Hey, Munch's in there," he told the detective. "See if you can verify the model and then pass the tape along to Tech."

"Got it." She disappeared with a mock-salute.

Elliot sank down at his desk and reached for the phone.

Olivia answered breathlessly on the fourth ring. "Benson."

"Hey. How's Connecticut?"

"Fairly exciting," Olivia bantered dryly. "You missed a real bust."

"Yeah?" Elliot leaned back in the chair. "Did the DA give good back-up?"

Chuckling softly, Olivia leaned against the side of Alex's SUV. "Yeah, she's handy with a baseball bat," she teased. "We busted the stepdad mid-coitis with a preteen," Olivia informed him, a hint of distaste in her voice.

"Oh, Jesus," Elliot replied. "Anything to link him to the abduction?"

Olivia shook her head, tipping her head back to stare up into the bright blue sky. "Nothing that I know of yet. But we're sure gonna get a full warrant outta this. How 'bout you, any luck with the canvassing?"

"Munch and I talked to the neighbors again, nothing new there. But the building next door has a security camera around the back, and we're reviewing the tapes of the night of Emma's abduction. There's a van that's interesting us."

"Yeah?" Olivia's ears perked up. "We have to find something soon," she confided in Elliot, though he already knew. "The 48-hour deadline is comin' fast."

Elliot nodded. "I know, Liv. But everyone's workin' this one. And with you, me, and the wunderkind ADA, my gut feeling's that we're gonna break it open soon."

"God, I hope so." Olivia stared at the pedophile handcuffed in the backseat of the car.

Elliot nodded to Munch as he emerged from the room with Diana. "Keep in touch, Liv. I'm gonna go run and see what tech found for us." He turned to Munch. "Any luck?"

"She got us a partial offhand, H3R K. It's a black Dodge Caravan, between '98 and '01. She started talking about how the bumpers were different or something; I don't know. She's taking the video; should get back to us later this afternoon." Munch sat on the edge of the desk. "We'll start running the partials."

"Fantastic." Elliot quickly told him about Kelleher's arrest, finishing with, "So they're gonna go back and search thoroughly after he's booked."

Munch shook his head. "This job never gets easier."

******

"Roger." Olivia hung up with Elliot and glanced back at the house, wondering where Alex was.

Alex emerged from the house after securing her niece with the summoned trauma team. She walked heavily to the car and leaned against it, a few inches from Olivia, studiously keeping her gaze away from her stepfather.

"Okay, we've gotta get him downtown," Olivia began the litany of tasks facing them, her gaze on Kelleher. "And get him booked. Once that's done, we can go back and search the --" She finally saw Alex out of the corner of her eye and broke off. "What's wrong?"

Alex cleared her throat, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "Son of a bitch was raping my niece when you found him."

Olivia's face paled, stricken to an ashen hue. "Alex..." She rested her hand on the ADA's shoulder. Taking a deep breath, Olivia shook her head; the guilt clouded over her, swirling around any coherent thoughts. "I should've known."

Alex drew her mouth in a thin line. "It's not a bad thing that I have this overwhelming desire to knock his teeth down his throat, is it?"

Olivia stifled a laugh and shook her head. "No," she said, her hand still resting on Alex's shoulder. "It's perfectly normal. Just don't do it, or I'll have to book you, too."

Alexandra offered a slight smile. "Half of me is arguing that it'd be worth it." She patted Olivia's hand and stepped towards the front of the car. "The ambulance is going to take her to the hospital. Caroline's been notified; she's on her way up. I've got a call in to Leila for a wider search warrant, and she's going to messenger it over to the jail. We can come back with local PD to exercise it."

"Alex..." Olivia began. "Maybe you oughta...step away?"

Alex turned back, putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head slightly. "I can't, Olivia. Not from Emma. I know there is evidence in that house tying him to her disappearance, and I'm gonna find it, with or without you."

"I'm just saying maybe you need to take a break. This is a lot to deal with, especially when you're not used to it," Olivia bargained, a plaintive note to her usually strong voice.

"And what would you have me do, Olivia? Sit on my hands? Go back to Westchester?" She took a step forward, towards the detective. "I promised you at the beginning of this that I wouldn't screw with your investigation. If you honestly think I'm doing that, then I'll step away." Alex risked a
look at her stepfather, still sitting in the back of the vehicle. "But I can do this, Olivia. I have to."

"Okay, all right." Olivia reached out, gently rubbing Alex's arms for a split second. "I hear you. If it were my sister, I'd want to be involved, too."

"Thank you," Alex replied, offering a gentle smile. She took a deep breath before continuing. "We get him to lock-up, and then come back here for the execution of the warrant, right?"

"Yeah, that's the plan."

******

"You guys so owe me dinner for this," Diana interrupted Munch and Elliot scanning DMV registrations an hour after she had run downstairs.

"Why? What'd you find?" Munch eagerly turned away from the console, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes.

Diana opened a file folder and showed them a series of grainy photos. "We blew up your tape and enhanced it as best we could. We're still working on spiffing it up, but we have a clear shot of the driver here. More importantly, see this sticker on the lower lefthand bumper?" She didn't wait for either detective to answer before moving to another photo, which was a larger print of the previous one. "It's a rental car sticker. Lariat, by the looks of it."

"How sure are you?" Munch asked. He was sick of wild goose chases.

"95%. Like I said, we're still cleaning it up, but it's better than nothing."

"Definitely." Elliot took the pictures with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Di. I'll bring you a burger tomorrow."

Diana chuckled. "Good luck."

Munch returned to the computer, pulling up locations for Lariat Rental Cars. "It's a small company," he informed Elliot. "A lot at the airport, and one on West 64th."

"Which one do you want?" Elliot asked as he stood.

Munch grabbed his coat. "I'll go to LaGuardia. Maybe I'll find a couple of nice Swedish stewardesses."

"Yeah, you haven't been slapped in a few days."

******

Elliot used his considerable charm, flashing a long-forgotten smile with his badge, and quickly had the clerk in the palm of his hand. Explaining what he needed, Elliot peered at the clerk's nametag as he said, "Can you help me out here, Jessica?"

Beaming at the detective, Jessica nodded, starting a search on the computer. She frowned as she perused the screen in front of her. "You said it's a black Dodge Caravan?"

"That's right. Somewhere between a '98 and 2001," Elliot repeated, frustrated with Jessica's pace, but grateful for her help.

Her tongue peeking out between her lips in concentration, Jessica's eyes flicked over each line on the log. "Here's one! Two, actually. We rented both our black Caravans, one on Friday and one on Saturday."

*Either one could be him,* Elliot thought. "I'll need the name, address and any other information you have on each renter."

"Okay," Jessica chirruped, pressing 'Print'.

She handed Elliot the pages with a 'thank-you-for-choosing-Lariat' smile. "Anything else I can do for you, Detective Stabler?" Jessica asked with a syrupy tone, ignoring the line of customers tapping their feet impatiently.

"If there is, I'll give you a call. Thanks again." Elliot took off, nearly at a run. Suddenly, he remembered why he'd gotten married so young.

Munch exited the LaGuardia location with a sigh. He dialed Elliot's cell, and when the answer of "Stabler." entered his ear, Munch replied, "Nothing but bullshit this end. How'd you make out?"

"Two hits. Jeremy Rogers of Brooklyn and Huey Chen of Queens."

Munch climbed back into his own sedan. "All right. Give me Mr. Chen's address. Since I'm out this way, I'll pay him a visit. See if he stopped by Greenwich Village over the weekend. I'll meet you back 'home' later."

Elliot rattled off the street address, then set out for Brooklyn.

******

Olivia waited impatiently in the hallway. The sinking in her gut reminded her that she knew how the bail hearing would go. Bridgeport was a tiny town, and Peter Kelleher was a 'fine, upstanding citizen', according to the chief of police. They'd release him on some ridiculously small bail, if not on his own recognizance, freeing a pedophile to prey on the children of their town once more. And Emma was still missing.

Inside the courtroom, Alex was fuming. Her white knuckles sat in her lap, and her leg bounced continuously, an old habit from childhood restlessness. She stared at the back of Kelleher's head as he stood charmingly behind the defendant's table.

"Bail, Mr. Donovan?"

"People request $3 million, cash, Your Honor."

The judge started slightly. "Excuse me, Mr. Donovan?"

"The defendant maliciously raped his twelve-year-old granddaughter, Your Honor. Two officers of the law caught him in the act. It is the people's opinion that he is a danger to the community, and a flight risk."

"Mr. Donovan, while I appreciate the heinous nature of the crime, you have never argued for bail in that amount for any crime. What's the fishing expedition?"

Donovan hesitated, looking back slightly at Alex. "The People are currently investigating the defendant for other crimes, Your Honor."

Judge Mitchell shook her head. "Until he's charged with other crimes, Mr. Donovan, I'm only holding him on the rape and assault charges. Bail is set..."

Alex leapt out of her seat. "I'm sorry, Your Honor, but I must object."

The judge leaned forward. "Who are you?"

"Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot, representing the people of Westchester County, New York, Your Honor."

"What business do you have in my courtroom, Miss Cabot?"

Alex walked up to the bar, standing near Donovan. "Your Honor, the victim in this case is my niece. More importantly, however, Mr. Kelleher is currently the prime suspect in my sister's abduction. The people of New York are in agreement with Mr. Donovan in believing that Mr. Kelleher is a flight risk. Should he run, we may never find my sister."

"Miss Cabot, I appreciate the severity of your situation. Unfortunately, as you know, the law is clear in this. To punish Mr. Kelleher before he is charged with involvement in your sister's case would be tantamount to double jeopardy. Not to mention the fact that you have no grounds to object in this case. Mr. Donovan represents the people here, not you."

Alex opened her mouth to protest, case law springing to mind, but was cut off by Judge Mitchell. "Miss Cabot, I've allowed you to address my courtroom, something highly unusual. But I've made my decision. Bail is set at $100,000 cash. Next case."

Alex flinched as the gavel sounded, sighing. Kelleher would make the bail easily. "Damn it," she muttered, grabbing her coat. She pushed through the doors and saw Olivia, shaking her head. "One hundred thousand," she reported. "He'll be out in an hour."

Swearing under her breath, Olivia nodded, reaching for her cell phone. "Cap'n," she said when Cragen answered, "he's out on bail. We need -" she cut off, nodding to herself. "Yessir, one car oughta do it until we find a way to get him back to the city." Hanging up, she turned back to Alex.
"Cragen's going to call Bridgeport PD and officially have Kelleher tailed. You and I will start the search of the house, then we have to haul ass back to HQ and figure out a way to get your stepfather to Manhattan - legally."

Alex nodded, starting towards the parking lot. "Well, let's go."

They returned to the house with a team of technicians, heading straight back to the office. Taking the offered latex gloves from Olivia, Alex started pulling apart the desk, sifting through file folder after file folder of cases Peter had worked on. Finding nothing of use, she started searching the
desk's surface again, cursing under her breath. "Olivia," she said, breaking the lone sound of papers shifting. "I found this this morning, and with the whole Kirsten thing, forgot to give it to you." She held out the post-it, explaining as Olivia handled it carefully. "It's a list of banks in the
city, right?"

"Looks to be." Cell phone in hand, Olivia called Information and got a number for the first one on the list. When she reached someone, the detective asked if there were any accounts there under the name of Peter Kelleher. Receiving a negative reply, she frowned. "None," Olivia mouthed
to Alex, before she was struck by an idea. "Do me a favor? Check under 'Cabot'. Alexandra or Emma, probably." She paused, listening. "Got it!" she murmured. "When was the last activity? Uh huh. Thanks." Olivia hung up and grinned at Alex. "I should make you an honorary detective. There were three accounts with your last name. Any guesses on the first name?"

"Caroline?"

"We have a winner."

"Shit," Alex barked, offering an apologetic smile as the other crime scene techs looked in her direction. "He must have gotten her to set them up, and then taken over." Alex tugged another drawer open, pulling out yet more folders. "Maybe he gets the bank statements sent here; if we can match up his Connecticut financials with deposits to the New York banks, we can file for a subpoena in New York. He'll have to come to answer to the charges."

"Maybe, if we're lucky, he's got Emma somewhere in New York. If we're *really* lucky, he'll lead us to her. It's a long shot," Olivia added as Alex met her eyes, "but it's worth a try."

******

Munch parked his car in front of the tiny house, tilting his head back against the seat. This Cabot kid's case was a real pain in the ass - and the bladder. He climbed the steps to the rickety porch, and banged loudly on the front door. "Mrs. Chen?" he asked the small Chinese woman who opened the door.

"Yes?"

Munch flashed his badge. "Detective Munch, NYPD. Does Huey live here?"

"Yes. What you want with him?"

"I need to talk to him. Is he home?" As he said it, he looked past the small woman in front of him, meeting eyes with the twenty-something, who promptly ran through the kitchen and out the side door.

Munch jumped off the porch and ran down the side of the house, grabbing Huey's leg as his jeans caught on the chain-link fence. Munch threw him down on the grass. "Sorry I have to interrupt your afternoon run, there, Huey," Munch said sardonically, slapping some cuffs around the boy's wrists.

"Care to tell me why you were running?"

Chen said nothing, and Munch sighed, leading him back to the front of the house and his car. He unhooked the right cuff and slung it through the outer door handle. Huey fought against it for a minute before spitting at Munch. Munch, who was by now a good ten feet from him, watched the spittle hit the ground. "Weak, boy. You need to project from the back of your throat."

Huey continued to struggle, and finally uttered, "Man, I didn't do anything! Let me go!"

"Sure will. As soon as you let me know why you rented that black van Saturday night."

"My car's in the shop," Huey replied, looking past the detective.

"Which one?" Munch pulled out his pad.

"The one down the street," Huey said.

"So how was your visit to the Village?"

Huey cocked his head in arrogance. "What the hell you talkin' about?"

"You visited an apartment building near NYU, didn't you, Huey? I mean, we've got you on tape, puts you at the scene of a crime."

Huey stopped fidgeting and looked Munch in the eye. "What crime?"

"District attorney's sister was kidnapped. We can put you at the scene in that van you admitted to renting. Security cameras saw the whole thing, so you're screwed. District attorneys stick up for their own. No deal for you, compadre."

"Hey, man, I didn't have nothing to do with no kidnapping. I just drove."

"Who was it, Huey?" Munch stepped closer. "I can help you, man. You just gotta tell me where the girl is."

"I ain't sayin' nothin' else without my lawyer."

Munch shrugged, unhooking him from the car. Refastening the cuff around his wrists, he guided the young man into the cruiser.

"Stabler."

"I think I got our guy, Elliot. I'm heading back from Queens so we can chat."

"Nice work." Elliot hung up with Munch and made about a dozen phone calls, to everyone who would possibly need to know. By the time Munch arrived, Huey Chen in tow, he had a assembled a nice crowd to applaud his catch.

Munch couldn't contain a small smile as he led the suspect into the interrogation room. He unhooked the handcuffs and emerged back into the hallway. "I called the rental car place on my way back. They matched our partial plate definitively to the one Chen rented. Tech's sending a team up there to see if they can find anything. It's a long shot, though, since the car's already been thoroughly cleaned."

Cragen emerged from his office, joining Elliot and Munch in the hallway. They watched Chen stir for a moment before Cragen interrupted. "One of you needs to run this guy's background, see if we can tie him to Emma."

"I'll do it," Munch volunteered. "I need a pee break anyway."

Elliot eyed his superior. "You wanna join me at the grill?" he offered.

"Wouldn't miss it." Cragen entered the interrogation room, sitting across from their only viable lead thus far. "Where's the girl, Huey?"

Chen looked at him. "I told that other old dude, I didn't have nothin' to do with that."

Cragen opened the newly delivered tech file and pointed to the top photo. "That's you driving, isn't it? Puts you at the scene, brother. Makes you look good for this."

Chen looked from Cragen to Stabler and back again. "I didn't do anything, I swear to God."

"So you said." Elliot rested his hands on the table, leaning toward Chen. "And I'm tempted to believe you. You seem like a nice kid," he said, shrugging his shoulders as if it didn't matter to him one-way or the other. "But you gotta understand, we've got pictures of you in the van you rented,
outside the kidnapped girl's apartment at the time she disappeared. Like my friend here said," Elliot inclined his head toward Cragen, "makes you look *real* good for it. Maybe if you gave us something, anything..." He trailed off. "I don't know, maybe a name? Then maybe we could help you." Elliot straightened, crossing his arms over his chest.

Chen started squirming again, licking his lips uncomfortably. Finally, he sighed and leaned against the back of his chair. "I need a deal."

Cragen nodded agreeably. "We'll talk to the DA, depending on what you give us."

Chen regarded the two men in front of him. He cleared his throat and said, "I just got a call saying I should be in that alley at twelve forty-five."

"Call from whom?" Cragen pressed.

"Just this dude. He said there was 50 G's in it for me if I drove him."

"We need a name, Huey, if you want a deal." Cragen warned.

Huey hesitated for a minute, then shook his head. "No talking until I get my lawyer."

Cragen groaned inwardly. "Huey, we just need to know where the girl is."

Huey shook his head. "Nothing until my lawyer gets here."

Cursing silently, Elliot shook his head. "Asshole," he said aloud, "there's no way you're gonna get a deal if you stall. Think about it."

Chen shrugged. "Look, I just drove. I don't know any details or nothin'. You want anything more than that, you get my lawyer in here."

Cragen stood up, knocking the metal chair against the hard floor loud enough to make Chen jump. "If she dies, Chen, you're going down for murder one. I promise you. I will crucify you myself."

"Cap," Elliot muttered quietly, trying to get the man's attention without embarrassing him, "we gotta let 'im make the call." Striding out of the room, he came back with a phone, trailing a long wire. "G'head," he said, setting it down in front of Chen. "Call your lawyer."

Chen dialed the number, watching the seething detectives guarding him like a hawk. "The cops picked me up. No, I'm in the city. 16th Precinct. Fine." He hung up the receiver and looked back at Stabler. "He has to drive in. He'll be here as soon as he can."

"Enjoy your free time," Elliot quipped as he held the door for Cragen to exit. "It's the last you'll have for about twenty-five to life." The door slammed behind him.

"Jackass," Cragen muttered, turning to face Stabler outside the door. "Have we heard from Benson lately?"

"Not in the last couple hours. She and Cabot were gonna search Kelleher's Bridgeport place." Elliot sighed softly, scrubbing at his eyes. "I swear to God, Cap'n, I wanted to rip his heart out. The only *fucking* lead we have and I can't get a thing out of him." Glancing around, Elliot searched the room for Munch.

"I know," Cragen replied succinctly, before searching the space for his other detectives. "Munch!" Cragen called across the bullpen. "What've you got?"

"Huey Chen, aged twenty-six. Did a couple of stints in Rikers for assault. Nothing major."

"Did he give you anything during the ride over here?" Cragen asked, leafing through the jacket.

Munch shrugged. "Just said all he did was drive. He shut up for most of the way."

"Seems to have a real talent for that," Cragen muttered. "Either way, we need to nail this guy. Go through his jackets, see if we can link him or any of his prison friends to Emma, or even Alex, for that matter."

Elliot took half of the files from Munch and sat down at a desk across from the other detective. They scanned the papers silently, each one searching for any connection between Huey Chen and the Cabot sisters. "Hey, Munch?" Elliot asked after half an hour of fruitless searching. "I'm not seein' anything, how about you?"

Munch shook his head. "Nothing here. He was represented by the same attorney the first four times he was brought up, Caroline Whitney. The last time, he had a public defender."

Elliot sighed, nodded and continued his search. After a moment, he glanced up. "Caroline Whitney?" he repeated. "Maybe..." Elliot grabbed the phone. "Liv, it's me. Didn't Alex mention a third sister?"

"Caroline, why?" she replied immediately.

"What's her last name?"

Olivia tilted the phone down, turning to Alex, who was driving. "Alex, what's your sister's married name?"

"Whitney," Alex replied, not taking her eyes off the road. "She married Kevin about three years ago."

"Whitney," Olivia repeated.

"Thanks. That's our connection," he told Munch as he disconnected. "His attorney is Kelleher's oldest stepdaughter."

"Great, a family affair. Maybe Caroline introduced this guy to her family, and stepdad jumped at the chance to involve an ex-con, make him take the fall."

"Wouldn't be above him. At least we'll get to meet the third Cabot," Elliot said, turning in his seat as the heavy oak door creaked open. "She oughta be here any time now."

Munch turned and followed Elliot's gaze to the well-dressed man lingering in the doorway. The man walked over to the two detectives and extended his hand. "I'm Peter Kelleher, Mr. Chen's attorney. Are you the two who picked him up?"

Fighting the urge to throw the man against a wall and demand he tell them where Emma was, Elliot simply nodded. "Detectives Stabler and Munch," he introduced them. "Your client's in the interrogation room."

"Thank you," Peter replied kindly.

"How's the family these days?" Munch called after him, causing Kelleher to pause. The two exchanged a long stare before Peter chuckled. "Just fine, Detective. How's yours?" He turned on his heel and headed into the interrogation room.

Growling low, Elliot slammed his desk drawer hard. "Dammit, Munch, we've gotta get this one. He thinks he's a slick sonofabitch. Let's prove him wrong."

******

Alex parked the SUV in front of the precinct, pausing to stretch her back and rub her eyes before following Olivia inside. "How long has it been?"

"About twelve hours since we got called in," Olivia replied, holding the door for Alex.

Alex shook her head. "And we're no closer. Damn it."

Munch saw the two women enter, and nudged Stabler. "The fur's gonna fly," he said under his breath.

"Shit." Elliot hurried over, stalling the pair in the doorway. "Liv, Miss Cabot," he acknowledged each with a nod. "How'd it go?"

"I told you once, it's Alex," the blonde replied gently. "I don't think there's doubt in either of our minds that my stepfather was involved in this. But since he made bail, he magically escaped the tail Bridgeport PD put on him." Her tone, tired but still biting, relayed the fact that it was no
accident her stepfather had slipped past the authorities.

"Well, in that case," Elliot said, "I have good news and bad news. The good news is we know where Kelleher is."

"Where is he?" Alex leapt in before Olivia could reply.

"Well, that's kind of a long story. Munch picked up a guy in Queens today, Huey Chen. Turns out he was the driver of the van that whisked your sister off." Before Alex could interrupt, Elliot hurried on. "He called his lawyer, who, it turns out, is none other than Peter Kelleher."

Alex's mouth dropped open, and she looked between Olivia and Elliot. "Oh, you have to be kidding."

"Unfortunately, I'm not. He's in with Chen right now; Cragen's keeping an eye on 'em through the two-way."

"Let's go." Alex headed towards the interrogation room, opening the door and moving slowly to the window, standing next to Cragen. "Anything?"

Cragen shook his head, taking a minute to note her haphazard appearance. "They've been whispering in each other's ears. I guess they know they have company."

"Wish you were ADA *here*," Olivia commented dryly. "I'd love to see you go up against Kelleher."

"I'd knock his teeth down his throat," Alex replied lowly. "So is Chen our getaway guy?"

"Looks like it," Cragen affirmed.

"Did he give you anything before he lawyered up?"

"Just that he got a call from 'some dude' telling him when to be in the alley behind Emma's apartment building," Elliot informed her.

"Anybody else want to venture a guess that 'dude' was my stepfather?" Alex sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "We need to beat Emma's location out of one of them."

Olivia felt the role reversal as she reminded Alex, "Not without getting the entire potential case thrown out of court."

"There's a part of me that just doesn't care anymore. I just want her back." Alex replied. "Have you talked to the DA about a deal?"

Cragen nodded. "He'll knock it down, if Chen can give us a name or a place."

Alex nodded. "Go to them with that, see what you can get. Clock's ticking."

Cragen nodded, motioning to Benson and Stabler. "You two try. Alex and I will try to find something else."

Benson opened the door, stepping into the interrogation room with a wary expression. "Good afternoon, boys. Who's ready to play 'Twenty Questions'?"

"Detective Benson," Kelleher replied. "What kind of deal have we worked out for Mr. Chen?"

"DA will go for aiding and abetting, rather than a conspiracy charge," Elliot replied. "If Mr. Chen lets us know where he drove to the night Emma was kidnapped, and who told him to drive there."

Chen sighed. "I dropped them off by the East River, between 56th and 57th."

"On whose orders?" Olivia demanded, risking a glance at the mirror and hoping Alex hadn't taken off before hearing that.

"This guy I know, Max. He called me, asked me to meet him there, and bring the van. I got there, waited twenty minutes, and he came out."

Frowning in confusion, Olivia said, "So this guy, Max, called and gave you your orders? Where'd he get 'em from?"

Kelleher shook his head. "Sorry, Detective Benson. Mr. Chen has satisfied the requirements for his deal."

Olivia slipped closer to Kelleher, her brown eyes darkening to a ferocious mahogany. "Not until we verify Max's existence. Until then, your *client*," she spat the word at him, "has no proof of anything he's claiming."

"Man, I ain't lyin'!" The fury in the detective's eyes was starting to worry the young Chen. "Look, Max keeps with this girl in Chelsea. Her name's Aisha Johnson. He called me from her place Saturday afternoon, said he needed the van. He told me to meet him in that alley at twelve forty-five. He didn't tell me nothing else, I swear to God."

Kelleher placed a hand on Chen's arm. "That's enough, Huey." He risked a look at Olivia, straightening his shoulders as he did so. "That should satisfy your DA."

"I guess we'll find out." Olivia turned on her heel, making eye contact with Elliot on the way out, muttering, "Keep an eye on him while I talk to the DA, willya." She stepped through the door to face Alex and Cragen.

Cragen shook his head as he leaned against the small shelf underneath the two-way mirror. "He's got that kid locked up tighter than a liquor store on Sunday." He looked at Alex, who was staring at Kelleher, her eyes narrowed in an anger he hadn't seen in her in a long time. "Do you have anything in your bag of tricks?"

Alex said nothing for a moment, but finally turned and faced Cragen and Olivia. "Tell them the DA won't go for the deal unless we have a specific address for Max. And also tell them Huey will be charged as a co-conspirator if we find out he's holding out on us."

Cragen looked at Olivia for a moment, and then back to Alex. "That's not your call."

Alex threw him a patented look. "They don't know that."

Olivia waited a long moment before speaking up. "She's right. Carmichael'd go for it," she mentioned the acting A.D.A. in charge of SVU, "but we don't have time to track her down." Olivia fell silent, waiting for the Captain's okay.

Cragen shrugged, finally motioning back to the room. "Work your magic. But stay close to shore; I'd rather not have OPP screaming at me on the horn, saying we lied to a suspect."

"No deals are guaranteed unless they're in writing. The terms can change under the circumstances," Alex replied easily. Turning to Olivia, she continued. "When you think you can't get any more out of him, have him sign his statement, but inform him of the penalties of perjury. Something tells me that even if Peter's sitting right next to him, an additional five years might scare him into giving us a little more."

Nodding in understanding, Olivia opened the door and crossed the room in four steps. "No deal," she informed them easily, tucking her hands in her pockets. "Tell us where to find Max, or the D.A.'s gonna charge you with conspiracy to kidnapping."

"You can't threaten him like that," Kelleher replied.

"She just did," Elliot bit back. He leaned across the table, looking Huey straight in the eye. "I think you're a good kid, Huey. I think you just got caught up in something. This is your chance to get out of it."

Huey looked at the three pairs of eyes on him, looking at Kelleher last, trying to stop his face from crumbling under the pressure. "Aisha's place is on Glen Street. 145 Glen Street, apartment 6A. If Max ain't there, he's either at Stan's Pub or Pete's Garage. Both of them are, like, a block away
from Aisha's place."

"What happened when Max met you in the alley?" Elliot asked.

Kelleher slammed his palm on the table. "You can't ask him that! The deal was for the location only, nothing more."

Huey leapt up from the table. "Man, shut up! Just shut *up*! This is my ass, not yours, you rich, arrogant shithead." He turned back to Olivia and Elliot, scared tears running in his young eyes. "He came out of the apartment, carrying this chick. He said she was high or something, just
needed to sleep it off. He put her in the back seat, and told me to get the hell out of there. I did, and he told me where to drive. When we got to the river, he got out. She was kind of awake, but he still had to kind of drag her out. He told me to wait five minutes, and then leave. He said he'd get me my part of the money later, and then he started walking her down the water. Man, I swear I didn't see where they went. That's all I know, I swear to God."

Kelleher closed his briefcase. "This interview is over. And I want to talk to your captain."

Olivia shrugged complacently, gesturing toward the door. "Not my fault your client wants to save his ass. He's a smart kid." As Kelleher turned toward the door, Olivia added in a hushed undertone, "We're gonna get you, Petey."

Kelleher swiveled on his heel, fire in his eyes. He opted to say nothing, instead throwing the door open and storming halfway into the hallway, stopping when he saw Cragen. "God, I should have known."

"Yeah, you should have, counselor." Cragen's mouth was set, his tone icy. He took a step closer to Kelleher, the quietness of his words not hiding his seething anger in the slightest. "She's right, you know. Your ass is mine."

Kelleher chuckled smugly. "If there was anything to prove, Donald--and I'm not saying there is--but don't you think I would have cleaned it up by now?"

It took every ounce of self-control Cragen had left within him not to deck the smug jackass standing in front of him. "Get out."

Kelleher stepped back and around Cragen. Before he reached the door, he turned and grinned at Cragen. "Take care of Alexandra for me, would you? I have a feeling she'll need comforting arms tonight."

Alex waited until she saw Kelleher disappear before opening the door and exiting the viewing room. "I'm gonna kill him myself."

"Not if I beat you to it." Cragen took several heavy, deep breaths before looking at the lawyer. "We ready to move on Max?"

Alex nodded. "I think Olivia and Elliot are verifying Huey's statement right now."

Cragen nodded. "I'll check in with the teams canvassing the river, and get Munch and Cassidy ready to go look at the apartment. I'm assuming you want to ride along?"

Throwing him another look, Alex chuckled. "If you're going, I'm going."

"As soon as Stabler and Benson are done, we roll."

"Abbie? Olivia. Yeah, hi." Olivia's face broke into a little smile as she spoke to the ADA. Explaining the situation, minus a few details, Olivia ended by saying, "So if you could bring down a sworn statement form and ... yup, thanks, Abbie." The detective hung up and said to her partner, "As soon as the ADA gets here, we're on our way."

"Perfect," Elliot replied. He looked at Huey again. "You did good, kid."

Huey shrugged. "I ain't goin' down for something I didn't do."

"Is there anything else you need to tell us?" Elliot pressed.

Huey looked away for a moment, apparently thinking hard. "You know, I remember seeing headlights in my rearview mirror as I was driving away. Maybe Max had somebody meet him there."

"That's real good, Huey," Olivia said encouragingly. "Anything else? Maybe the kind of car it was?"

Huey shook his head. "I was pretty far away by the time they turned on. But they were those really bright lights, um...halogen," he supplied. "The kind only on real fancy cars."

Smiling genuinely now, Olivia nodded. "The D.A.'s gonna be real nice to you, I guarantee it," she said, patting his shoulder.

There was a brief knock at the door, and Abbie Carmichael stepped inside. She smiled at Olivia and Elliot, and sat down across from Huey. "Have you waived your right to counsel?"

Huey nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Abbie nodded, pulling the affidavit out of her briefcase. Before explaining the procedure to Huey, she looked at Olivia and Elliot. "Cragen wants you outside."

"A'right," Olivia said, glancing from Huey to Abbie. "You okay with this if we take off, then?"

Both Abbie and Huey nodded. "I hope you find her," Huey said quietly.

Elliot patted the young man on the back. "So do I." He followed his partner into the hallway, where Cragen and Alex were talking to Munch and Cassidy. "Nothing yet from the teams on the River," Cragen informed them.

"Our boy Huey reports there may have been another car involved, Cap," Elliot replied. "May want to widen the search area."

Cragen nodded. "I'll tell the teams. As for right now, Carmichael brought a search warrant with her to toss Max's place. We find him, we get him and the girlfriend to turn on whoever this mastermind is. Nothing less. Got it?"

The detectives nodded. Elliot looked at Alex. "You still with us?"

Alex nodded. "I'll let you drive this time."

Olivia glanced from Elliot to Alex. As the rest of the crowd dispersed, she rapped Elliot on the arm. "Makin' friends with the live wire now?" she teased.

"As a wise detective once told me: 'shut up'." Elliot headed back to his desk, grabbing his jacket.

****

Alex stood well behind the team as they prepared to bash the apartment door in. "Police! Open up!" Cragen hollered. He was preparing to give the signal when the chains on the door started to hurriedly unlock. A young black woman opened the door, her eyes wide. "What the hell?"

"Are you Aisha Johnson?" Elliot barked, gun still drawn.

"Yes!" she replied, hurriedly grabbing the white shorthair before he escaped down the hall.

"Where's Max?" Cragen asked.

Aisha stepped out of the way at the storming team. "In the bedroom! Oh, my God!"

Elliot and Cragen parted like the Red Sea, allowing Olivia room to get through. They all had a stake in the outcome, yet there was a silent acknowledgment that this was *her* bust.

Olivia kept her back against the wall, arms bent, gun cocked and ready. Her heart pounded in her chest as she sidled along the wall toward the bedroom silently. Without turning her attention from the closed bedroom door, Olivia beckoned the rest of the team closer. "Max!" she called. "This is the police. Come out now and we can do this the easy way." Her head cocked, listening for the telltale sign of a window being pushed open. Olivia held a hand up, three fingers upraised. She lowered one, then another, finally the third, gesturing toward the bedroom. Throwing her shoulder against the door, Olivia heard the distinct crack of the frame as she stumbled through, gun level.

"Hands in the air! Hands in the air!" Cragen snapped. Max continued his attempts to force himself through the bathroom window and out onto the fire escape until Cragen grabbed him by the waist and threw him down onto the tile. Max howled in pain, looking up at the six guns drawn in his face. "What the hell is this?"

"Emma Cabot. Where is she?" Cragen ordered.

"Emma who?" Max replied, yelping again as Stabler hoisted him onto his feet by his underarms. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hold him, Elliot," Olivia snarled, pressing herself up in Max's face. "Her!" she said, brandishing a wallet-size picture of Emma that Alex given her. "The college kid you snatched Saturday night," the brunette detective growled at him. "Tell me where she is." The venom in her voice was palpable as a hush fell over the cops.

"I don't know, I swear." Max's face was soaked with sweat. He grimaced as Elliot bent his arm awkwardly behind his back.

"Try again," Stabler hissed in his ear.

"I picked her up, and drove her down by the river. Then I dropped her off in some Lexus, and the guy peeled out of there. I don't know where he took her."

"You gotta give us more than that," Olivia said in a syrupy-sweet voice, tucking Emma's picture safely away. Her hand reached out, closing loosely around Max's throat. At that point, she didn't care what might be thrown out of court a month later because of alleged police brutality; she just wanted to find Emma. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Olivia was aware that Alex had come up behind her, although she was still well back from the action.

The heat in the tiny bathroom was stifling, and Olivia watched the sweat start to trickle down the faces of Elliot and Cragen as she tightened her grip slightly on Max's neck.

Max struggled to speak, and Alex started to panic somewhat as he started to turn blue before her eyes. She placed a hand on Olivia's back, saying, "We need him, Olivia."

Max nodded, sputtering. "His...name..."

Jumping slightly at the contact, Olivia reflexively released her chokehold on Max. Her hand still cupped his throat, ready to resume the pressure.

"Give us a name, Max," Cragen warned. "Or I'll let her keep going."

Max wheezed for a minute, wiping his face on his shoulder as best he could. "Brian," he said. "His name was Brian."

His heart pounding in his ears, Cragen took a step closer to Max, cornering him between Olivia and Elliot. "Brian what?"

"I don't know, I swear to God," Max replied quickly. "He never told me. He said we had mutual friends, and that he needed a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Elliot pressed.

"Said he needed to get rid of some bitch who was causing him problems. He said there was fifty grand in it for me."

"How'd he contact you?" Cragen's tone quickened with impatience.

"He called me on my cell twice. Told me where she was, how to get in. Told me to get to the river, and he'd meet me there."

Releasing him, Olivia fell back with a weary sigh. She threw over her shoulder to Alex, "We'll need a warrant to dump his cell phone." Eyeing Max, Olivia shook her head. "Let's get this piece of shit downtown."

"What did he do after he met you there?" Alex asked Max, watching Cragen and Stabler manhandle him.

"He put her in the trunk of his car," Max replied, fighting against the two men. "Watch your hands, princess."

"What kind of car?" Alex pressed, moving backwards into the hallway.

"Lexus sedan. Connecticut plates."

Cragen and Alexandra locked eyes across the small bathroom. "Get him out of here," Cragen ordered, and two uniforms hauled Max to the waiting car.

Elliot looked between the Captain and the ADA. "Tell me Peter has a Lexus sedan."

"Brand new," Alex replied. "Put Kelleher's face in a photo lineup, see if Max can ID him."

"All right, you three toss the place," Cragen said, indicating Olivia, Elliot and Munch. "Cassidy's back downtown with me for the lineup." He turned to Alex, handing her a small pad and pen from his back pocket. "Do you know the license plate of Kelleher's car?"

"4GR 7L6," Alexandra recited. As perplexed looks covered the faces of the detectives still cramped in the bathroom, she shrugged. "It was parked in the driveway while Olivia interviewed him. I had a long time to stare at it."

******

"Thank you, God," Munch muttered under his breath. He nodded to the uniform who had joined him in the interrogation room with Max, and said, "You can take him to holding."

He exited the room and strode like the cat who ate the canary, flopping the viewing book down on Elliot's desk. "You'll find our guy on page three."

Elliot immediately flipped to the recommended page, and grinned when he saw Peter Kelleher's ugly mug staring up at him. "Max ID'd him as Brian?"

Munch nodded. "I'll go ask Cap for an APB on the car."

"In New York and Connecticut," Elliot reminded, heading towards the rack. He knocked lightly, and stuck his head in, finding Alex cross-legged on the cot. After they had returned from searching Max's apartment, the ADA and Cragen had gotten into an animated argument on how shitty she looked. She agreed to try and rest for a few minutes, and from the looks of her, it hadn't worked. Elliot cleared his throat, causing Alex's tired eyes to meet his own. "Max ID'd Kelleher as our guy."

Alex tilted her head back, resting it against the concrete. "Thank God for small miracles. APB?"

"Already sent out," Elliot replied.

"Good. What do we do now?" Alex asked. She knew she wanted to go down and search by the river, but Cragen had told her there was no way in hell she was going; she was already too involved as it was.

"Well," Elliot hedged gently, "Have you eaten lately?"

Alex regarded him for a moment, then shook his head. "You sound like Cragen."

"Go grab some food, take a walk, clear your head. There's nothing to do yet." Elliot turned, heading back into the hallway. Passing his partner, he caught her arm gently. "Grab ten minutes when you can, Liv."

"What's going on?" she asked, immediately alert.

"Kelleher's definitely our guy. Max picked him out of the book." Elliot lowered his voice, as they were still fairly close to the resting room. "I don't think he's left the city, and there's a part of me guessing he's probably heading to Emma now. He's not going to give her up without a fight."

Olivia's stomach heaved and she fought to maintain control. "You're right," she agreed in a low voice. "Think Cragen'd have a problem if I took Alex's mind off this for a little while?"

Elliot shook his head. "He just had me try. Maybe you'll have better luck."

"'Kay." Olivia wandered off toward the rack, distraction coloring her unfocused gaze. "Hey," she said, leaning around the doorframe. "Didja eat yet?"

Alex couldn't contain a chuckle at the thinly veiled attempts to get her out of the detectives' hair. "No," she replied. "You?"

"Nope. I'm not very hungry, but Cragen ordered me to eat, so either I try or get fired. Wanna join me?"

Alex rubbed her face with the palms of her hands, and finally assented, pulling on her sneakers. As they passed by Olivia's desk, she grabbed her wallet out of her bag, and followed the brunette into the fading afternoon sunshine. "We're getting close to the twenty-four hour mark," she commented quietly.

"Yeah," was all Olivia could say for a minute. They walked side-by-side in silence until she added, "It's okay. You know forty-eight's the real deadline. So we're only halfway there."

Alex offered a slight smile and nod. She rubbed the back of her neck, trying to relieve the tension. "Do you think she's already dead, Olivia?"

Hesitating just a moment too long, Olivia said firmly, "No. We're gonna find her, Alex."

"Oh, I know we're going to find her. I'm just starting to worry about her condition when we do." She stopped in front of a Chinese buffet, and indicated it with a slight raising of her hand. "Does this work for you, or did you want something lighter?"

"This is fine." Olivia found herself struggling to keep from falling into a pit of negative thoughts surrounding Emma. They *had* to find her, they *would* find her, and she *would* be fine.

Alex expelled a deep breath as they were seated, looking over the buffet selections. She couldn't contain a smile when she read one of the dishes. "Emma and I ordered Chinese food all the time when we lived together. We tried a new place once, and she had their moo shu pork. She hated it so much that she called up the place and told them to rename it 'moo shit' pork." Alex shook her head at the memory, basking in it for the split second it lasted. She found it nice to break away from the tragedy of the past day and think of happier times in her sister's life; there hadn't been many. "She was always the brazen child, openly defying everyone. I always admired that about her."

"She probably got it from you," Olivia said, fingering the napkin lying on the table.

Alex smiled, but shook her head. "No, I think it was probably the other way around. I saw how comfortable she was with herself, her take-charge attitude, and after I passed the bar, I kind of assumed that persona. But underneath, there's still a little introverted, shy middle-child lurking,
threatening to come out." She took a sip of the offered water. "I think you've seen it, actually."

"But do you think that's really you now?" Olivia argued quietly, pausing to give her drink order to the waitress who had appeared. When the woman left, she continued, "I think maybe you've become that woman you were pretending to be - or you pretend *really* well, *all* the time."

Alex leaned back in her chair and regarded the detective. "Are you shrinking me?" she queried, with an air of teasing. She bit her bottom lip slightly before answering Olivia's question. "I think, with the affirmation of my successes in the courtroom, I have learned to be more forward, take more chances. I doubt you would have seen me leaping up and objecting in a non-jurisdictional court, right after I passed the bar."

Half-smiling, Olivia nodded understandingly. "I have a psych degree," she explained, "so I tend to look at everything in a psychoanalytic light. Sorry."

Alex shook her head. "As long as you don't tell me I'm still caught in the anal stage, we're good to go."

Olivia tilted her head back and laughed aloud. "I won't, I promise. The guys tease me all the time about Freud and shit - stuff," she corrected, lowering her voice. "Munch seems to think I'm in a perpetual phallic stage and that's why I can't 'find a man', in his words."

Alex joined in her laughter, liking the freedom it brought. "Oh, because he seems like the long-term relationship type." She chuckled, taking another sip of water. "I love the social stigma, though; I mean, you could break half of the men in New York City with your bare hands, and here they all are, telling you you're still suffering from penis envy." She ran a hand through her unruly blonde hair. "It's a crock, if you ask me."

Misunderstanding the word, Olivia's eyes widened. "What'd you say?"

"What?" Alex watched the change in Olivia's face. "No, no, no. Crock, Olivia. With an 'r'." She couldn't contain a bit more laughter. "Okay, we really need to stop talking about crazy Austrian psychologists now."

The relief was evident in Olivia's eyes. "Oh, jeez, sorry. Guess you can tell where *my* mind is." Her face turned a deep shade of burgundy.

Alex chuckled and patted Olivia's hand briefly. "It's okay. It's been a long day." Although part of her really wanted to ask Olivia exactly where her mind was, Alex instead motioned to the buffet. "I guess I'll grab something while we're here."

"Yeah." Olivia followed Alex to the line, quietly gathering a plate full of food; suddenly, she was starved.

Hoping the buzzing of the heat lamps covered the rumbling of her stomach, Alex made her way back to the table, spearing a piece of sweet and sour chicken with her fork. She caught the excess sauce with her tongue, and wiped her mouth, the lasting impression of her mother's "Alexandra Cabot, you will not eat like a heathen," dictatorial tone ringing in her ears. "I hate it when Cragen's right," she said after a few minutes. "I was hungry."

"He's usually right," Olivia grumbled good-naturedly, digging into her lo mein. "We just don't tell him - don't want his head swelling up."

Alex chuckled, trying one of the crab rangoon pieces. "Any more than it already is," she amended. "He's always had that attitude, though--I doubt it'll go away."

Glancing up, Olivia crooked an eyebrow, a forkful pausing on its way to her mouth. "You know Cragen? I mean, before now?"

Panicking slightly, Alexandra finally nodded. "Yeah, he and I met about six years ago, when Emma came into the city. She has a civil restraining order against Peter, and through the Full Faith and Credit act, it's good wherever she goes. I went with her to file one in the precinct where she lived, and he happened to assist us that day. We stayed in touch."

Noticing a different expression on Alex's face, Olivia hoped she wasn't crossing a line when she said, "Really? Hard to imagine it ending there. Cragen's got a good eye for intelligent women."

It was Alex's turn to raise her eyebrow. "Yes, he does." Somewhat reluctantly, she continued. "We...were close for about three years, until I got the ADA job in Westchester. I moved, he got transferred to SVU. We're still tight, but not in any particularly..." she let the word roll off her
tongue as she thought of the appropriate word, "romantic way, I guess." Alex watched Olivia's face. "Are you two...?"

"No." Olivia shook her head emphatically. "Not that I don't appreciate him." She smiled enigmatically, adding, "I have eyes, after all. But he's not ... my type."

Alex nodded in understanding. "What, you like them emotionally available or something?" She took another sip of water, faltering on how to continue the conversation. "Must be hard maintaining a social life, though, with the hours you carry. I mean, you've been working almost twenty-four hours straight on one case."

"Emotionally available is a plus," Olivia grinned. "Yeah, this isn't really typical. Lots of my days are nine to five, weekends off. It's just when something needs immediate attention that we stay on 'round-the-clock." She finished another bite, then added, "I'll tell you, though, if I were in the mood to date, it'd be someone like Elliot." Brandishing her fork, Olivia threatened belatedly, "Don't tell him I told you that."

Alex crossed her heart. "Your secret's safe." She grabbed another bite of chicken before teasing, "You could easily have Cassidy, though. Those puppy-dog looks he gives you are hysterical."

"Oh, God." Olivia rolled her eyes, munching for a second. "He's a sweet little *boy*, but I like having a lover I don't need to potty-train." She paused, giving Alex a thoughtfully perusing look. "Definitely, if I had any inclination, I'd want someone energetic, intelligent, not too overbearing. You know," she finished quickly, "kinda like you."

Alex's responding chuckle was swallowed by her half-embarrassed grin. "Thanks," she replied. She sat back in her chair, pensive. "I need somebody independent, strong, but who also has that caring streak for the moments when I show my weaknesses." Matching Olivia's contemplative gaze, Alex smiled gently. "You've done an exceptional job on the latter two over the past days, Olivia. I owe you my thanks - and probably my sanity."

"Ehn," Olivia shrugged noncommittally. The return of the compliment made her squirm internally. "I haven't seen much of this 'weakness' you're talking about."

"Trust me when I say you've seen a hell of a lot more than I normally allow myself to show others," Alex replied. "And don't shrug me off. I don't thank people - or apologize - all that often."

"A'right," Olivia defended, holding her hands up in defeat. "Thank you, and you're welcome for whatever you think I did."

She had just opened her mouth to speak again when the waitress approached, holding a cordless phone. "Are you police?" the woman asked in nervously broken English.

"Yes," Olivia replied, noticing the phone. "Is there a call for me?" Her brow knit in confusion.

"Yes, yes, phone." The waitress shoved the cordless into Olivia's hand and took off.

"Benson."

He cleared his throat off of the receiver for a moment before replying in a higher pitch. "Hi, Detective Benson. I'm calling from the Westchester DA's office. I'm trying to reach Miss Cabot."

"Oh, sure, hold on." Olivia passed the phone to Alex. "Someone from your office."

Alex's brow crinkled as she put the portable to her ear. "This is Alexandra Cabot."

There was a pause and a shuffling on the other end of the phone, and Alex bent her head to try and hear better. "Hello?"

"Allie!" Emma's voice screamed in her ear, and Alex straightened, panicked eyes meeting Olivia's.

Olivia saw the shift in Alex's eyes and immediately knew what was going on. It was confirmed when she heard Alex say Emma's name. Grabbing her cell, she dialed Elliot and briefed him, even as Alex battled tears across the booth from her.

"Emma?" Alex replied, trying to stay calm and not alert the other diners. "Emma, are you all right?"

Her sister sniffled, her breathing broken and her words whispered. "Al, you gotta find me, please. He's gonna kill me."

Alexandra took in a shuddering breath. "No, baby, he's not. I'm gonna find you, I swear. You just gotta hang on, okay? Tell me where you are, Em."

"I'm sorry, Allie. I love you." There was more shuffling, and Alex heard Emma cry out in pain. Tears started slipping down her face as her stepfather's voice filled her ears. "You don't think you're going to find her alive, do you, Alexandra?"

"You son of a bitch," Alex seethed. "I'll kill you if you lay a hand on her."

"Too late," Kelleher replied, and Alex heard Emma scream again. "Put the lovely Detective Benson on the phone."

Alex set her mouth. "You don't get to call the shots here, Peter."

There was another sharp yelp and Emma came back on the line. "Allie," she pleaded. "Please do what he says. He's got a gun."

Alex's face crumbled slightly, and she tried to hide behind her hand. "All right, here's Detective Benson." She handed the phone to Olivia, curling her hand into a fist, trying to keep the tears in.

Olivia was up out of the booth and around the other side in a split second. Her arm went around Alex automatically, welcoming the other woman to take comfort if she wanted it. Her left hand held the phone to her ear. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice the model of controlled fury.

"I wanted two things, Detective. Or may I call you Olivia?" Without waiting for a reply, Kelleher continued. "I first wanted to thank you for taking such good care of my Alexandra. She hasn't had as good a friend as you in quite some time. Secondly, I wanted to introduce you to the body you'll be finding. Say hello, Emma."

Emma's voice was quiet and even. "Tell my sister how proud I am of her. And make sure she knows this isn't her fault, and how much I love her. And - and tell her to remember that if it isn't fresh, it isn't legal!"

Emma's voice drew further away as Kelleher pried the phone out of her hands. There was a scuffle and a loud thud on the other end of the phone before Kelleher came back on the line. "Good day, Detective."

THE END
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