"We're back to square one," Olivia said to the team. Elizabeth Stabler's rapist was not Brad Carlson and another suspect on our list, Ross Rinato, was murdered last night, another stabbing in his apartments." She stood in front of a screen that displayed pictures of Lizzy, Rinato, and Carlson.
"Great, so we have rape suspects becoming murder victims and a serial killing vigilante on the loose," Carisi noted.
"Where do we even start?" Amanda asked.
"We start by researching our other suspects," Olivia answered. She tapped a keyboard and a list of five other suspects appeared on the screen. "We've got to find this guy quickly. I don't know if we should be worried about more rapes or more murders at this point."
"THE HELL AM I DOIN' HERE? I WAS CLEARED!"
She would recognize the angry Brooklyn accent anywhere. Elliot was being escorted by uni's into the precinct. She stepped away from the meeting to explain what was happening.
"Elliot…"
"Olivia!" he growled. His face was beat red. "Tell these scum bags I was cleared of these charges!"
"Elliot, calm down."
"No! Not until you tell them to let me go!"
Olivia took a breath and suppressed a smirk. The moment reminded her of the hundreds of times she had to calm Elliot down when he got into fits of rage. She turned to the uni's who had cuffed him to bring him in. "Guys, it's okay, uncuff him. I'll take it from here."
The cops removed the handcuffs and Elliot snatched his arms away as soon as he was able.
"Thank you," Elliot said, his voice still forceful.
"You can't leave though, Elliot," Olivia said.
Elliot's face contorted as he looked at her in shock. "Why the hell not?"
There have been some new developments," she explained. "Come talk to me in my office, okay?"
She could tell he was still furious and confused, but he nodded his head with a clenched jaw and followed Olivia. She shut the door behind them after letting him into the office.
Elliot was rubbing his wrists from where he was cuffed as he looked around the room. "Wow," he said. "I mean I knew you were captain now but this is surreal."
Olivia smiled as she walked past him to her desk. "Yeah, tell me about it," she chuckled. "I still feel like I'm faking it. And I'm realizing how big a pain in Cragen's ass you and I were."
Elliot laughed and sat across from her. "We got away with way too much, that's for sure. It's a wonder how he never forced us to split up."
Olivia shrugged playfully. "He didn't want to do without us! We were the best!"
He met Olivia's eyes, loving the easy banter. "Maybe we still would be if it wasn't for Tucker and his rat squad," he said quietly.
Olivia's face fell immediately and she could tell that Elliot noticed. She looked around her desk for a distraction before remembering the reason she brought him in.
"El, um… Elliot," the nick name slipped out so easily, but as soon as it did, she felt she wasn't ready for it. "Brad Carlson didn't rape Lizzy."
Elliot's back straightened and his vision focused as he listened.
"His wife alibied him and our detectives found surveillance of him at a little league game at the time of the rape."
"Lizzy saw him…" he began.
"And you know how unreliable a quick glance can be in the middle of a trauma," she reminded him.
Elliot inhaled deeply and rubbed his hand over his face.
"There's more…" Olivia said.
He looked back at her. "Great," he said sarcastically.
"Another man on the suspect list for the College Prof Rapist was murdered last night."
After a beat, Elliot caught on. He leaned forward. "You can't possibly think that I did this."
Olivia closed her eyes briefly before addressing him again. "Me? No," she said. "But you know how these things go. You're still the only lead we have. You were found at the scene of the first murder and honestly, your alibi wasn't that solid."
"So, what do I need to do, Liv?"
"I need to know where you were yesterday between leaving the precinct and coming to my apartment."
"Do you have enough evidence to hold me?"
Olivia eyed him, wondering what game he was trying to play. "Yes," she lied.
Elliot smirked and Olivia knew he was calling her bluff. "No, you don't. And it's a good thing because I don't have an alibi. I was at my apartment alone."
"Your girlfriend wasn't there?" The question flew out of her mouth more aggressively than she meant for it to. "I mean, she can't alibi you?" she added, trying to cover up her previous tone.
"No," he answered simply.
Oliva looked past Elliot and noticed Fin and Amanda watching them through the window. Once they met eyes with her they quickly looked away. Olivia stood and went to the other side of the office, turned the blinds so they closed.
"Look, Elliot, I can't help you here if you don't help yourself. Throw me a bone. Give me something that can officially clear you. You're our only suspect right now."
Elliot stood and walked toward her. "I don't know what you want me to say, Liv. I didn't do this. You know I didn't."
"I do know that. But you've got to help me out here."
Elliot sighed. "What time was this guy murdered?"
"Around 1am."
He eyed her curiously. "I was at your place by 2. Did I seem disheveled, distracted? Anything suggestive of having just killed a man an hour earlier?"
"No, but…"
"Did you tell them I was with you at 2am?"
"That's not when the murder occurred," Olivia argued
"But it's close." He stepped closer as he spoke, leaving a mere foot between them.
Olivia huffed in frustration. "No. I didn't tell them you came to my apartment."
"Why not?" he asked, his voice low.
"It looks suspicious."
"For two old friends to catch up?" he asked. He was leaning in now, his arm resting on the wall behind her, he was practically towering over her. When she didn't have an answer, he continued. "Who is it that you don't want to find out?" he asked. "Who would be upset with you for spending time with me?"
His closeness brought back a million memories of tension and protection. She could practically taste his breath as he spoke and she wished she could take more of his breath through his lips. She swallowed and straightened up before taking a step to the side, a little further away.
"It looks suspicious for the captain of a precinct to be meeting with a suspect at 2am, Elliot… Look. It's not that big a deal," she said. "I'll tell them now, if I need to. You know I like to keep my personal life personal. That's all it was."
He nodded lightly and they stared at one another for a few more moments before she came to her senses. "You're free to go," she said, opening the door without losing eye contact. The opened door made her feel a little safer from her own thoughts and from the residual sexual tension from years past. "I'll walk you out."
They walked through the precinct and Fin caught Olivia's eye, raising his eyebrows in a silent question of did you get anything? Olivia oscillated her head subtly to tell him no. She then noticed William Dodds at the meeting table and couldn't help but to roll her eyes. She turned her focus in front of her just in time to avoid slamming her body into Elliot's.
"Shit, El!" she said as she put her hands out to stop from running into his back.
He chuckled. "Good to know you still use my nick name when you curse," he joked. He pointed to the board. "Those are the suspects?" he asked.
"Yes, now let's go," she said.
But Elliot was already making his way toward the board. He stood in front of it, hands on his hips as he read the names.
"Damn, if this isn't déjà vu I don't know what is," Fin commented.
"Elliot, come on, you need to go so we can work," Olivia implored.
"Shane Mills," Elliot said as he pointed to the name. "We know this guy, Liv."
"Who are you?" Dodds asked.
Elliot turned to the Chief. "Elliot Stabler," he said, taking the man's hand to shake it. "Retired SVU detective of fourteen years, twelve of those were partnered with Lieutenant Benson."
Olivia rolled her eyes. Of course he'd only call me Lieutenant when he's sucking up, she thought.
"I see," Dodds said. "And you remember this suspect?"
"Yeah. Shane Mills. It was… 2007 or 2008? He was a teenaged sex addict," Elliot explained.
Olivia's eyes narrowed as she remembered the case. "God, you're right. I can't believe I didn't put that together," Olivia said. She stepped up to the screen and typed his name on the keyboard. "He's on the suspect list because a bystander saw him leaving a classroom around the time of one of the rapes, but he has no record. How is that possible?"
Elliot stepped up next to her. "Because Novak cut him a deal if he did probation and stayed on his meds. His record was expunged."
Olivia's eyes widened. "But he's back at it. It all fits. It makes sense."
"You two want to fill us in?" Amanda asked.
The partners turned back to the team. "Shane Mills pled guilty to raping his teacher when he was fifteen years old," Elliot said.
"But his defense said that he was a sex addict. That combined with the fact that his age didn't allow for a fully-developed prefrontal cortex, and therefore no impulse control, led to a deal that eventually got Shane's record expunged. He could be off his meds and showing that he still has a thing for teachers."
"And who better to lead the case than the two detectives who handled it back then?" Dodds cheerfully added. "Good work detective."
"Oh, no sir," Olivia cut in. "Elliot retired five years ago, I don't think—"
"Nonsense!" Dodds said. "Cops return all the time when their cases are reopened. Why should this be any different? What do you say Detective Stabler?"
Elliot stood with a scheming smile, one he knew would drive Olivia crazy. "Nothing would make me happier, Chief," he decided.
"Wonderful," Dodds said. "Lieutenant, find Elliot a shield and I will have him temporarily reinstated by this afternoon. Now get to work."
Olivia was at a loss for words as she watched Chief Dodds leave the bullpen.