Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own, Chapter Four
"That's really good, Kelly, you're helping me and Elliot so much," Olivia said gently to the small girl sitting up in the hospital bed. Olivia was leaning forward, elbows resting on her knees, hands clasped gently around Kelly's, with the nine-year-old's parents standing a short distance away from the detective - far enough so as not to hover, but close enough to be at their daughter's side if anything went wrong.
Kelly stared at Olivia before giving the detective a small smile, which disappeared soon after its appearance. "I'm glad I can help," she said.
Olivia smiled back and squeezed Kelly's hand. "Well, I just have one more question for you, okay? And then you can rest and take it easy. How's that sound?"
Kelly nodded.
"Okay, great. Kelly, do you know the man who did this to you?"
Kelly's eyes immediately darted to her father and mother, who nodded encouragingly. "It's all right, darling," Mrs. Johnson reassured, and Kelly looked back at Olivia and nodded slowly.
"Yeah," the girl said softly, so softly that Olivia almost didn't hear.
God, thank you for this child, Liv thought. "That's going to help us tons, Kelly, you're doing so well. Detective Stabler's waiting for our friends over at the station to fax over a picture of who we think the man is; would it be okay if we showed you the picture, and you told us if it was the man who hurt you?"
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"We got a positive on Taylor," Elliot announced as he and Olivia strode through the squad room doors.
"Good work, you two," Cragen acknowledged, standing next to Elliot's desk, his hands in his pockets. "The stakeout is authorized - who knows when Taylor will be there, so get ready quick."
Nodding, Olivia reached for her desk telephone and quickly dialed Alex's office. "Hey, it's me," she said. "We're staking out the rec centre tonight. Kelly gave us a positive ID on Howard Taylor."
"That's great news," Alex replied, smiling at the lead the detectives had finally gotten. "You know to call me if you get anything from him."
"Yep," Olivia confirmed. "We've got to get organized fast, so I gotta get going. Just wanted to keep you updated."
"All right. Hey, Liv," the ADA said just as Olivia was about to hang up, "Don't forget - we still have this week's lunch date outstanding."
Olivia grinned into the receiver. "I'll make it up to you, don't worry. Have a good night, Alex."
She saw Elliot smirking at her, again, and she narrowed her eyes at him as she replaced the phone in the cradle. "Don't you have a stakeout to get ready for?"
"Didn't say anything," Elliot replied flippantly, giving Olivia his best shit-eating grin. She rolled her eyes at him and got up to fetch her coat from the rack, remembering the way Alex had looked earlier that afternoon after their questioning of Doug Preston. Olivia couldn't really remember the last time the ADA had looked so adorable, besides that time when Alex had been cracking up because Olivia broke her chair.
She shook her head to dispel the pleasant thoughts and stopped them from crossing the line into an even more pleasant place. God, I need to get laid.
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Later that night at the stakeout, Olivia and Elliot sat in the car, waiting patiently for Howard Taylor to show up at the rec centre. "So Doug's been taking her to the rec centre after school?" Elliot asked, referring to what Kelly had told them that afternoon.
Olivia sighed and nodded. "She says he doesn't do anything to her like Taylor did. She's too young to be left alone after school and so he looks after her at the centre and then takes her home when Mr. and Mrs. Johnson get back from work. They corroborate it; Doug's never left Kelly at home unsupervised."
Munch's voice came over the radio. "Two-to-one, man's coming your way. Looks like he's got a bonier ass than I do."
Elliot rolled his eyes and depressed the button on the side of the radio. "Ten-four, and get your eyes checked, Munch. It's a physical impossibility."
A few minutes later Olivia spotted a lanky young man hop lithely onto the sidewalk towards the rec centre. He reached the door and seemed to just stand there. "What's he doing? Waiting for someone?"
Elliot raised the binoculars to his eyes. "He's reaching into the windowsill… where are the sensor lights for this building? Looks like he's getting the key."
Not long later, Howard Taylor slipped into the building. Olivia and Elliot stared at the building impatiently. "He's using a torch. Sneaky bastard… come on, come out with something," Elliot muttered, peering into the binoculars once again. "I can't see anything without the lights," he said finally, resigned. "Didn't look like he was armed, though."
"Just hang tight… he's gotta be there to get something. We'll get him when he comes out," Liv replied. But she, too, was losing patience. They needed a lead on the case, a solid one, and Howard Taylor was their only hope at getting something Alex could use.
Alex. Ugh, what was with the tangential thoughts when it came to the ADA? Olivia forced herself to concentrate but found herself wanting. A few days after missing their weekly lunches and it was like she was suffering withdrawal symptoms. Plus she hadn't had the time to frequent her usual haunts to pick up a random woman off the bar stool to take to bed. She had been able to stave off the imbalance most of the time, since having the job take up so much of her time was a normal thing - it wouldn't be normal if things were quiet, unfortunately - but as of late, Olivia realized she was missing Alex more and more.
"All right, he's coming out," Elliot said, breaking Olivia out of her musings, "Keep an eye out; get ready…"
"Taylor's coming out," Olivia said into the radio. "Cover us if he makes a break for it. We don't know what he's capable of."
"Roger that," Fin replied.
Taylor carefully shut the door and was replacing the key in the hole in the windowsill when Elliot and Olivia approached him on the sidewalk. "Howard Taylor?" Elliot questioned, out of propriety and to make sure they didn't make a mistake even though the mug shot had been clear.
"What the-" Taylor whirled around, almost dropping the package he held, and then started to run. Olivia, who had been anticipating it, quickly stepped through to block the gap between the rec centre and Elliot as Taylor tried to sprint away from them. Her hand snagged Taylor's collar and the man stumbled, losing his balance and almost regaining it until Olivia smartly stuck out her foot and tripped him.
"Howard Taylor, you're under arrest for the rape and brutal assault of Kelly Johnson, and the rape and murder of Michelle Lee," Olivia began to recite as Elliot handcuffed the prostrate perp. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Taylor snarked. "I haven't done anything wrong. I want a lawyer."
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