Moments In Between
Pairing: Alex/Olivia
Disclaimer: I still own nothing.
Note: Here are the next few chapters. There will probably only be a couple more. As always, let me know what you think. Thanks!
Chapter 15
For the third time in two days, Olivia found herself in Bellevue Hospital's busy halls. She and Elliot had been interviewing all the hospital staff in connection to Monica Kramer. As she rounded the corner, she spotted the person she was there to see.
"Dr. Hagen.... Dr. Hagen, do you mind if I had a word with you again?"
"As a matter of fact I do." The doctor said sighing. "I'm kind of busy and I told you everything that I know."
"I just have a few more questions.... unless you have something to hide." Olivia knew that would get her attention.
"Fine, but let's at least do this in the cafeteria. I haven't eaten all day and I don't know when I'll get the chance to again."
Olivia sat at the table while the doctor purchased a sandwich and soda. She joined her at the table. Olivia waited patiently for a few minutes as the doctor ate her meal. She shook her head. It surprised her how young these interns looked. This girl could easily have passed for twenty-one, even though she was probably only a few years older.
"So what do you want to know?"
"The other day when I questioned you, I got the feeling that you didn't like Dr. Kramer all that much. Was I right?"
The doctor smirked. "You're good."
"Does that mean you didn't like her?"
"I didn't particularly care for her, no."
"Why?"
"Look around, Detective. You see very many females wearing white coats around this place? That's because there aren't many. I graduated third in my class from Johns Hopkins, but I still have to prove that I'm smarter and better than the guys that barely made it out of medical school."
"And what does any of this have to do with Monica Kramer?"
"Let me put it this way. Monica Kramer made it harder for the other woman around here. Sure, on the surface, she looked like the perfect little intern."
"But?"
Dr. Hagen sighed. "Look... I don't want any trouble. I've busted my ass and worked too long to get here. I'm just an intern myself. Things could be made really difficult for me if word got out that I was talking to the cops."
Olivia's interest was peaked. "This is just me checking up on a possible lead. No one would have to know what you tell me."
The doctor stared at Olivia for a moment before speaking. "Monica was sleeping with one of the attending physicians and god knows who else."
Olivia glanced down at her notes. "That would be...."
"Dr. Charles Felder." Hagen supplied. "He's one of the primary attending physicians that we work with."
"Did anyone else know about this affair?" Olivia asked while she wrote the information down.
"I don't know. The only reason I knew was because I stumbled upon them together in the doctor's lounge one night. They never saw me."
"So you didn't care for her because she was sleeping with your boss?"
"No. She could have been screwing the Pope and I wouldn't have cared. I was bothered because she got preferential treatment because of it."
"How so?"
"Shift changes and request... days off. She got chosen to scrub in on the best procedures with the chief. You know... things like that. Not only that, but the fact that she was sleeping with him put the rest of us in a bad position. How are we supposed to be taken seriously if the men around here think that we're willing to sleep our way to the top?"
Olivia nodded fully understanding what it was like to work in a predominantly male profession. "I know I've already asked you this, but you know of anyone who might want to see Dr. Kramer dead?"
The doctor seemed to hesitate. "My name stays out of this, right?"
Olivia nodded. "I'll keep you out of it as much as I can."
"I had a late shift one night a few weeks ago. I went up to the roof to take a smoke and I saw them arguing... Monica and Dr. Felder. I guess word finally got back to Monica that Dr. Felder was getting married to some rich lady. I could hear him telling Monica that they couldn't see each other anymore; that he couldn't risk his fiance finding out about the affair. Monica got angry and slapped him and said that she wasn't going to let it be over. I was going to walk away and mind my own business, but he hit her back. He looked pissed... like he might hurt her so I let the door bang shut and hid. He pulled away from her and he ran off. She yelled after him... saying something about going to the chief with sexual harassment charges."
Olivia was so busy taking down all the information, she didn't think. "Who is this chief you keep referring to?"
"Dr. Pearce Delong. She's the chief of the surgical unit and she oversees all the surgical interns. She's a real hard ass. I've seen her make grown men cry."
Olivia raised a brow and smirked. She thanked the doctor for her help and immediately tried to track down her good friend, Pearce. Finding that she was in surgery, Olivia called back to the station to share her new information with Elliot. It looked like they finally had a suspect.
Elliot listened intently as Olivia recalled her conversation with Dr. Hagen at the hospital. He was already putting the same theory together in his mind as Olivia finished giving him the summarized version.
"So the first thing we need to do is find out where this Dr. Felder was at the time of the murder then talk to your friend Pearce. She might be able to give us more insight into this guy." Elliot said grabbing his jacket. "I'll meet you down there in a few minutes."
"You read my mind."
"Hey, Elliot. You might want to talk to this guy before you leave." Munch said. "This here is Rusty. He says that he lives just off 37th street. He also says that he saw a woman being attacked in an alley there a few nights ago."
Elliot stopped dead in his tracks. "Hold on a sec, Liv." He covered his phone with one hand and turned back to the older man. "You saw it? You're the 911 caller aren't you?"
The man nodded his head nervously. "I didn't leave my name because I got scared. I didn't want anyone to think I did it."
"Why would anyone think that, Rusty?" Fin asked skeptically.
"Hey, I'm not a saint. I've had a little trouble with the law before but I never did anything like what I saw that guy do."
Elliot put his phone back to his ear. "Liv, Felder is going to have to wait. I need you back at the house now."
"Why?"
"Because our 911 caller just showed up. We've got ourselves a possible witness."
"I'm on my way."
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"You want a warrant based on that?" Alex asked the two detectives standing in front of her. "Have you two ever heard of probable cause or even a little thing called motive?"
"The doctor was having an affair with the vic. He couldn't get rid of her. That's motive." Olivia said.
"Allegedly... allegedly having an affair." Alex countered. "That information is hearsay unless you have proof."
Olivia leaned across the desk and placed her palms against the dark wood. "One of the interns saw and heard them arguing on the roof. She saw Felder hit the victim."
"An intern that you admitted had a dislike for the victim as well as this Dr. Felder. Any decent defense attorney will say that she was jealous of the two and made the entire thing up."
Olivia sighed. "Just consider it for a second. Felder has this affair, then he wants to break it off before his high society fiance finds out. Monica Kramer doesn't agree and threatens to cry sexual harassment to get back at him."
"So he rapes and mutilates her in an alley risking his freedom and career?" Alex asked with skepticism. "That's a stretch, don't you think?"
"Felder knew that accusations like that would ruin his career; a career he spent years building." Elliot jumped in.
Alex leaned back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap. "Does he have an alibi during the time of the murder?"
"Yes...but I think he's lying." Elliot quickly added.
"So he does have an alibi?" Alex implored.
Elliot grunted. "He said he was working a twelve hour shift at the hospital that night."
"Counselor, I talked to this guy. It's obvious that he's hiding something. I think he did it. I know he did." Olivia interrupted.
Alex looked at Olivia. "Detective, you know that I trust your instincts, but I'm going to need more than just your gut on this one."
"Alex, think about it. Warner said that the mutilation was done by someone with medical experience and right handed. Our witness said that he saw a man with dark hair running from the alley."
"Your witness was also across the street and unable to see the perp's face clearly in the dark. Not to mention that I'm quite sure that there are at the very least a hundred workers at Bellevue that would fit the description of a man with dark hair."
"Dammit Alex! Are you working with us or the defense!" Olivia shouted.
Alex took a deep breath and swallowed the irritation growing inside her. The office went completely silent and Elliot prepared himself for World War III.
"First of all, that was unnecessary Detective."
Olivia sighed heavily. "You're right. I'm sorry."
Elliot blinked and looked at his partner with amazement. "Well I'll be damned. She never used to back down from Cabot before. She must be whipped."
"Secondly, if you want to go after this doctor, you're going to have to disprove his alibi and tie him to the scene somehow."
Olivia ran her fingers through her hair and growled in frustration. She looked at Elliot who only shrugged. They both turned back to Alex.
"A little help from our favorite ADA would go a long way." Olivia said with pleading eyes; a look she knew Alex was weak for.
Alex shook her head. "No. Don't even look at me that way. You know my hands are tied. I cannot get you a warrant based on what you've got."
Olivia looked a little dejected. She was hoping that Alex would cave, even if only a little. "So what do you suggest we do then?"
"Go do a little digging into his life. Talk to his bosses and coworkers. Find out what kind of man Dr. Felder really is. See if he has any suspicious bones in his closet. If so... bring him in for routine questioning and try to rattle his cage."
Olivia and Elliot nodded and headed out. Before Olivia left, she turned back and looked at Alex. Alex could tell that she was about to apologize again, but waved her off.
"It's okay. You're just doing your job." She smiled softly. "Be careful."
"Always, Counselor."
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After leaving Alex's office, Olivia and Elliot decided that the best person to start questioning was the Chief of Surgery, which just happened to be Pearce Delong. Luckily for them, she was coming out of surgery when they arrived.
"Pearce."
"Hey." Pearce smiled with surprise. "What are you doing here? You're not here to drag me out for another run, are you?"
Olivia smiled. "Not this time."
Pearce noticed Elliot standing nearby. She smiled and waved. "Hello again, Detective Stabler."
Elliot couldn't help but smile. Even though he knew Pearce wasn't the slightest bit interested in his gender, he still had the biggest crush on her which made her the perfect woman to star in his daydreams.
"How ya doing, Doc?"
"Very well and you?"
Elliot blushed slightly under her gaze. "I'm great now."
Olivia shook her head and rolled her eyes. Is there anyone this woman can't charm?
"So what do I owe this lovely visit from two of New York's finest or do I even need to ask?"
Pearce was already aware of the sudden death of one of her interns. She knew it only be a matter of time before she was questioned.
"Is there somewhere we can talk privately?" Olivia asked.
"Sure. We can go to my office."
Pearce allowed them inside and closed the door. "Please. Have a seat." She took the scope from around her neck and took a seat at her desk. "So what can I do for you?"
"You knew the intern, Monica Kramer, pretty well didn't you?" Elliot asked.
"Well enough. She was smart, took instruction well. I think she was on her way to being a really good surgeon. It's a shame what happened to her."
"Do you know if she was seeing anyone or if she was having problems with a boyfriend?"
Pearce shook her head. "No. That's sort of a rule around here. We don't bring our personal lives to work. When they're here, they have to be focused."
Olivia nodded. "And that rule applies to the attending physicians as well?"
"It applies to everyone on staff... myself included."
"Was Dr. Charles Felder the main attending physician that Kramer worked with?"
"Yes. She worked with Dr. Wade and with me on occasion, but mainly Dr. Felder. Why do you ask?"
"Just a routine question." Elliot supplied.
"It doesn't sound routine."
Olivia nodded. She decided that the direct approach would be best. "Could Dr. Kramer and Dr. Felder have been involved in more than a professional relationship?"
"You mean an affair?" Pearce asked with surprise. "You think they were having an affair?"
Elliot nodded. "We have a source that has led us to believe that they were. We can't be sure thought."
Pearce shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose it was possible, but they would have certainly gone out of their way to keep it from me."
"Why is that?" Olivia asked.
"Because I would have reported Felder to the Chief of Staff and I would have removed Kramer from the program without hesitation. We have a strict policy that residents cannot be involved with an intern in the same program. It helps to prevent law suits based on sexual harassment and accusations of preferential treatment."
Olivia perked up. "So you're saying that Felder stood to lose a lot if anyone found out about the affair?"
Pearce shrugged her shoulders again. "I guess. It wasn't a secret. We made sure everyone was clear on what the policy was. As far as what he stood to lose. He could have lost his position and privileges here. He would have been in a lot of hot water that's for sure."
"How long have you worked with Dr. Felder?"
"Six or seven years, if I had to guess."
"How well do you know him?"
"Well enough to work with him, which I keep to a minimum."
"You don't like him." Elliot noted reading her body language.
"Not particularly, no."
"Is this dislike personal?"
"I don't know him on a personal level, just professionally. We've butted heads more than a few times about patients." Pearce leaned back and crossed her arms. "Don't get me wrong. He's a talented physician. But... he can be a bit abrasive at times. He's a little too impulsive for my taste."
"Meaning?"
"His ability can't back up his ego. He can be reckless. He likes performing surgery... a lot. In my opinion, he performed a few procedures that weren't really needed. When I called him on it, we had words. He made it very clear that he did not appreciate a woman being in a position to tell him what to do. In return, I let him know that I was his superior whether he liked it or not and that if he screwed up again in any way that he'd be fired and I'd report him to the medical review board."
Olivia and Elliot glanced at one another thinking the same thing. There's our motive.
"Felder says that he was here working a twelve hour shift the night Kramer was murdered. Is there any way he could be lying about that?"
"You think he did this?" Pearce was genuinely surprised. Sure she didn't like Felder, but she never thought he was a murderer.
"We don't know. We're looking at all the possibilities." Elliot answered.
Pearce thought for a second. "I don't know. I was here that night too. I saw him once or twice in passing. I can't say for sure that he stayed for the entire time. We're basically on our own in between procedures or emergencies. But... we do keep a log. We have to sign in and out."
"Can we see the log?" Elliot asked hopefully.
Pearce gave him a dimpled grin. "For you, Detective...absolutely."
Elliot smiled bashfully and Olivia rolled her eyes. Just then, her phone rang. "Benson.........yes....... when?......... sure, we'll be right over."
Elliot looked at her expectantly. "That was Monica Kramer's mother. She said she found some things of Monica's that she thinks that we should see." Olivia turned to Pearce. "How soon can we get that log, Doc?"
"I'll make a call and you can get it on your way out."
"Thanks Pearce. I owe you one."
Pearce laughed. "You owe me several, Detective."
"You're right. I do and I plan to pay you back sooner than later."
Chapter 16
"Can I ask why I'm here... again?"
"We just need to ask you a few more questions, Dr. Felder."
"Where's my lawyer? I don't think I should talk to you again without one."
"I'm sure he'll be here shortly. We can wait for him if you'd like, but we just need to clarify a few things. That's all." Olivia said as she sat down across from him.
"Fine. Let's just hurry this along. I need to get to work."
"Sure."
Elliot walked in and handed Olivia a file. They had decided that Olivia would handle the questioning knowing Felder hated women with authority.
"Dr. Felder, when we asked you where you were on the night of October 4th, you said that you were in surgery. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"And you didn't leave the hospital at any time that evening?"
"No."
"See... that's funny because we looked at the logs supplied by the hospital and it says here that you did leave... around 10:30 and you didn't return until around 1 am."
His shoulders tensed a little and he sat up straight. "Oh yeah... I forgot about that. I did leave. I went down to the deli. I couldn't stand the thought of more hospital food."
"So you admit that you were away from the hospital between the hours of ten and twelve?"
"I went to get a sandwich."
"Two and a half hours is a long time to get a sandwich."
"So I went for a walk for some fresh air. There's no crime in that."
"It certainly isn't."
Olivia and Elliot looked up and saw Trevor Langan strolling through the door with his over priced suit. They both rolled their eyes.
"Why is my client here, detectives?"
"We just needed to clear up a few things. You're more than welcome to stay." Olivia said smoothly.
"Oh you bet I'll be staying."
Olivia gave him her best fake smile and continued her questioning. "Dr. Felder were you having an affair with Dr. Kramer?"
"Of course not. I'm engaged to be married."
"So you weren't sleeping with Monica Kramer?"
"Asked and answered, Detective or did you not understand the response?" Langan said arrogantly. Olivia ignored him.
"No. I was not sleeping with Monica Kramer." The doctor responded.
"I don't think that was the correct answer, Dr. Felder." Elliot and Olivia smiled as Alex came into the room.
"Who are you?"
"Alexandra Cabot, Assistant District Attorney." She glanced at his attorney. "Trevor."
"Alex, what are you trying to pull? Is there a reason for dragging my client down here for more random questions?"
"I plan to charge your client with the rape and murder of Monica Kramer. Does that clear things up for you?" Alex said matching his arrogance.
"What? That's ridiculous. You can't even tie him to the crime."
Alex remained quiet, her eyes trained on the doctor. He squirmed under her icy glare.
"I didn't murder anyone."
"Charles, don't say anything. They have nothing on you."
"You've been lying to us, Dr. Felder. You lied about your affair with the victim and...."
"I wasn't having an affair with her!" He yelled slamming his fist on the table.
Olivia quickly stepped forward. "You either calm down or I'll do it for you... and it won't be nice."
Alex waited until Felder sat back down. "You stated that you were not having an affair. That's strange because these photos say otherwise."
Alex placed the photos that the detectives had taken from Kramer's home in front of both of them. The photos showed the two in very intimate acts.
He was momentarily stunned. Langan looked irritated for a moment. "So... my client slept with her. That doesn't prove anything."
"It proves your client is a liar. He lied about this and I'm sure that he's lying about other things as well."
"I was weak. I made one mistake. That doesn't mean that I killed her."
"An affair does not equate to rape and murder. You know this, Alexandra." Langan said.
"You're right. It doesn't, but it does give him reason to commit it."
Alex opened another file and placed several letters in front of them. "These were also taken from the Kramer residence. We also have e-mails taken from Monica Kramer's computer. These prove that you had an on-going relationship with the victim. It also proves that she threatened to sue you for harassment if you tried to break things off. The detectives spoke with your superior. You were already on thin ice with her. You knew that if Monica Kramer exposed your affair that your career at Bellevue would be over."
"This is all circumstantial. You have no physical evidence linking my client to this crime. This interview is over." Langan moved to stand.
"You weren't as careful as you thought, Dr. Felder. The ME found traces of DNA under the victim's fingernails as well as fluids." Olivia glared at him. "You had to have her one more time, didn't you? You couldn't help yourself."
"You're a doctor. What do you think the odds are that your DNA won't match the DNA found on the victim?" Alex asked.
"Don't say anything more, Charles. They're reaching."
Alex smirked. "You never give up, Trevor. That much I will give you. But that isn't enough. We have means, motive, and opportunity...not to mention his DNA. I'm going to send your client to jail for a very long time."
"We'll see what a jury says about that."
"Yes and what do you think the jury will say when they see what your client did to that pretty young woman with so much promise. What will they say when they see how he mutilated her body with the very tools he was teaching her to use?" She pinned Felder with an icy glare. "What will they say?"
"I cannot go to jail! Do you have any idea who I am?!"
"You mean besides a rapist and a murderer?" Alex shot back.
"You bitch!"
Before anyone could react, Felder had leaped from his seat and lunged toward Alex. She quickly moved back. Olivia and Elliot responded quickly and threw Felder up against the wall. Langan stood between his client and a shaken Alex.
"Are you alright, Alexandra?"
"I'm fine, but your client is now number one on my shit list." Alex said managing to hide the shake in her voice.
"You don't know who I am! I'll shut you up just like I shut that whore up!"
Elliot pinned him down and cuffed him. "Sounds like a confession to me."
Alex was standing against the far wall trying to calm her nerves. "Arrest him." She said as calmly as she could.
"Charles Felder, you are under arrest for the rape and murder of Monica Kramer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney...."
Elliot's words drowned out and all she could hear was her own heartbeat. Olivia waited until Felder and Langan were lead out of the room before she approached her.
"Hey. You okay?"
"I think he just shaved a year or two off my life, but I'm fine. I didn't expect him to lose it like that."
Olivia nodded and pulled Alex towards her. Alex finally relaxed into her arms. "What about our pact?"
"Screw the pact. I need to hold my girlfriend."
Chapter 17
In between prepping for the Felder trial and Olivia's crazy hours, Alex and Olivia barely saw one another let alone plan a dinner. Luckily, Felder finally took the deal that the DA's office was offering.
It was over a month before Olivia and Alex were able to coordinate Serena and Pearce's schedules enough to have a free night. Alex told Serena that she wanted her to come to dinner so they could catch up since they hadn't seen one another lately. Olivia had managed to convince Pearce that she wanted to thank her for all the favors that she owed her. Finally able to get both parties to agree to come over, they now prayed that their little plan wouldn't blow up in their faces.
"Liv... have you seen my blue sweater?"
"No."
A few moments later, Alex came down the hall wearing a black skirt and her bra. She saw Olivia sitting on the sofa watching a game on television.
"Are you even paying attention to me, Liv?"
"Yes." Olivia answered never taking her eyes off of the 52 inch HD plasma flat screen.
"I'm beginning to think that you love my television more than you love me."
"Uh huh." Olivia mumbled.
Alex huffed and placed her hands on her hips. She marched over and stood in between Olivia and the television, blocking her view.
Olivia blinked and finally focused in on the half dressed blonde. "Wha...." She swallowed hard then slowly smiled. "What was the question?"
"Have you seen my dark blue sweater? It's almost seven. They will be arriving soon and I'm still half dressed."
"I think you should wear that. You look great."
"Liv." Alex warned.
"Okay... Okay. I think your sweater was in with the clothes that I took to the dry cleaners for you."
Alex pouted slightly. It was one of her favorites. She liked the way she looked in it and most importantly, she liked that Olivia liked how she looked in it.
"Why don't you wear my red one. I left it here a while back. It's in the closet." Olivia tossed the remote aside and stood. "Or... like I said... you could just wear this. I already told you. You look hot this way."
Alex saw the look on Olivia's face and started backing up. "Oh no you don't. You're the reason I'm still half dressed in the first place."
Olivia grinned. "Are you saying that you didn't like sharing a shower with me?"
Alex was still backing up. She held up her hand between herself and Olivia. "No. I'm saying that out of the forty-five minutes that we spent in there, we only showered for five."
"I don't remember hearing you complaining...although you were rather noisy."
Alex glanced around and found herself back into a wall with Olivia mere inches away. She swallowed hard knowing she could never resist the brunette. Olivia was about to lean in when the doorbell rang.
"I guess you're saved by the bell, Counselor."
"Lucky me." Alex grinned.
"Lucky would have been if one of our guest would have been a few minutes late."
Alex shook her head and moved down the hall. "I'm going to finish getting dressed. Why don't you let our first guest in?"
"Yes dear."
Olivia waited until Alex was back into the bedroom before she opened the door. She smiled. "Hey you. Glad you could make it."
TBC...