DISCLAIMER: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and all characters are
property of NBC and Dick Wolf.
SERIES: This story is the second in the 'Secrets and Lies' series following Bell's Dilemma.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
The Thing You Most Desire
By Ruby
Part Five
Walking back up to the apartment Serena was concerned at Alex's quietness. Almost pushing past Liz in the doorway Alex disappeared down the hallway. "you ok?" her boss called, a puzzled look on her face directed to her partner. Receiving no response she asked Serena to make some tea, picked up the pills and made her way to Alex's bedroom door.
"Alex?"
"I'm fine Liz" a muffled voice said from the other side, "I just need some sleep."
"Right... well, you're pills are on the floor out here, let me know if you need anything." Again getting no response she went back to the living room and curled up on the couch, she would be very, very glad when this was all over.
Hearing movement, she looked up and saw Serena watching her, "are we ok?" the ADA asked, putting the tea on the coffee table.
"Well, you could have outed me to worse people," Liz grinned. She held out her hand, "Come here Ms. Southerlyn and show me how sorry you are!"
Alex, having spent a considerable amount of time staring into space, made a decision. Taking a deep breath she picked up her phone and dialed.
"Benson"
"Liv"
"Hey" the voice on the other end sounded exhausted.
"I've just seen Josh."
"Are you ok? How did he…"
"I'm fine, Munch and Serena were there. How long do you think you'll be gone?"
"Well…erm… not too much longer, the case should be…"
"Liz told me what you were doing" Alex cut in sounding as tired as she felt.
"Oh... I'll be back soon, it depends....."
"I need you here when they arrest him."
"Arrest him?"
"I'm pressing charges Liv, I'm not letting him get away with it."
"But what about your…"
"I'm not letting him come between us" she cut in, "whatever the consequences."
"I…don't do anything until I get there… promise me."
"I promise… Liv…"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Putting the phone down, Alex took off her glasses, perhaps now she'd made the decision she'd get some sleep.
It had been quite possibly the longest few days in Olivia Benson's life but finally she could see light at the end of the tunnel. "So what made you connect him to here in the first place?" Detective Roberts asked as they left the Provo City court house. Olivia explained the convoluted job trail that had led her back to an introduction letter written by Anderson Garrett. Roberts nodded, "his father, bad for business a City Attorney with his son locked up. Claimed he hadn't seen him and we could never prove otherwise…" he shrugged. "Joshua Garrett, Matthews by the way is his grandmother's maiden name, my, my, Mayor Russell will be pleased."
Olivia thought of Alex, "What happened?"
"He'd been dating Amy Russell for a few months, her father was a big shot even then. She stopped seeing him, said he was getting real possessive. He kept harassing her, she took out a restraining order. One day she left the house, Garrett followed her and rammed her car. He dragged her out and started yelling at her, then he started beating her. She resisted, a car stopped to help, he disappeared. She spent two months in the ICU, another eighteen learning to walk again, she also needed reconstructive surgery on her face."
"He comes to New York and re-invents himself with the aid of good ol' dad's money and introduction letter," Olivia felt sick.
"You say you got him in custody?"
"Not yet," she admitted, "but we know where he is."
"We've been after him for 14 years, you going to sentence him there first?"
Olivia smiled, "Believe me, he's all yours for as long as you can keep him."
Roberts smiled back, "We'll the extradition papers are waiting, you just ring me with a name and fax number when he's in custody and we'll keep him a very long time. You want to get some dinner?"
"Sure, I just need to make a phone call."
"Facing the prospect of spending yet another evening at Alex's, Elizabeth was grateful when her cell went, Alex had been better since she'd spoken to Olivia, but never being alone meant she was very tetchy. "Donnelly," Liz smiled as she heard detective Benson's voice on the other end, but waited until she was in the kitchen with the door firmly shut before she said, "tell me you have good news!"
"Tell me Alex, is ok!" Olivia replied.
"Believe me, we'll all be committing suicide long before anything happens to her." Olivia grinned, then got down to business. Returning to the living room a while later Liz handed Alex the phone before tapping Serena on the shoulder and disappearing back into the kitchen.
When Alex finally went to look for them she knocked, then gingerly stuck her head around the door. "In a better mood now?" Liz inquired.
Alex smiled softly before saying, "except for the instruction for me to do exactly as you say, yes!"
Liz grinned ferally, "Much as I would love to test that, I have to make magic and you have to pack."
"Pack?"
"Yes, you're going to stay with your parents for a few days, you'd better ring and tell them."
"I'll be fine here, you don't need to worry about my head any more and Josh won't break the restraining order, besides, Olivia will be back soon." Alex replied.
Liz wondered about the wisdom of keeping Alex in the dark as to the true extent of Josh's psychotic tendencies, but it wasn't her decision, "Olivia did tell you to do exactly what I said, didn't she?"
"Yes but…"
"Then trust us Alex, I have no intention of losing one of my best ADA's." Alex sighed and went to pack.
When she returned with a holdall detective Stabler was standing in her living room.
"Hey" he said, "heard you needed a ride."
She looked at her boss, "don't look at me," Liz said holding her hands up, "wasn't my idea."
Liz made a few more calls after they had left, well aware she'd be returning favors for ever for this. "Well I'd better get out there" she said, putting the phone down for the last time, "Am I heading over to yours when I get back?."
"Sure" Serena replied, "hopefully I'll be there, depends how long this takes though," she said waving a warrant, "he may have a bank box."
"God, I hope not, we all need for this to be over... you want to get away this weekend? We could use a break."
"I'd love to, but I've got to prep for the McKeown trial... sometimes I think you forget I don't actually work for you."
"You should you know, McCoy doesn't appreciate you."
Serena smiled, "of course, you could always give me a hand, if we got it done on Saturday we could spend Sunday in bed."
Liz raised a brow "Are you bribing me with your body?"
Serena grinned, "It's never failed yet."
"True. You've got yourself a deal, now go find me those negatives."
"So, how are you feeling?" Elliot asked as they were heading out of the city on the Long Island Expressway.
"I've been better... how's SVU?"
"Ah, same creeps, you know... which reminds me, Munch says hi." Alex smiled and relaxed into the seat, he looked across at her and grinned, he'd always thought his partner had good taste. How long had she been keeping this from him? Glancing in the mirror, he noted the lights that had been on them since they left, were still there. Remembering his conversation with Liv he was glad he was doing escort duty and almost hoped that the bastard did try something. Still, he supposed he'd have to follow instructions if he wanted either of them back any time soon. They continued for a few more miles before he saw an exit sign ahead, "Listen, you mind if we get something to eat, I kinda skipped dinner and..."
Well aware of how much she was disrupting everyone's lives she said, "I haven't eaten in a while myself." Elliot pulled off the expressway and headed onto Lakeville Road then made a right on to Northern Boulevard. He pulled up at the first place he found, "Here OK?" Alex nodded and they got out and went inside. A car pulled up near the window and the engine was switched off, the driver did not get out.
Alex was talking to the server, her back to the window, when Elliot saw the squad car pull up. Two officers got out and one knocked on the car window, shining a torch in the man's face when he lowered it. "Can I see your licence please sir," he said.
"Why, I'm not doing..."
"Your licence" the officer said cutting him off. Fishing around for his wallet he got his licence out and gave it to the officer.
"You're Joshua Matthews?"
"That's what it says on my licence" he replied, watching Alex through the window.
The officer grinned, and had Josh been looking he would have noticed that it wasn't in a pleasant way. "will you step out of the car please sir."
"What?" He saw Alex laughing at something the man with her said and his hands gripped the steering wheel.
"I said step out of the car."
Josh opened the door, "this is harassment and I'm going to..." he got out and quickly found himself against the hood.
"Joshua Matthews, you're under arrest for the violation of a restraining order. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense."
Munch peered over his glasses, "that outfit suits you so much better than sweats" he said in greeting. Serena rolled her eyes and regarded the man next to him, waiting for an introduction, she'd thought Munch would be on his own. "This is my partner, Odafin Tutuola, Fin this is Assistant District Attorney Southerlyn. Don't get on her wrong side, I hear she has a black belt."
"Sounds like you're dying to get on it" Fin replied, "Now someone want to tell me why we're here?"
Not knowing how much he already knew Serena looked at Munch. "Apartment belongs to the insect who put Cabot in the hospital" he said.
"Is he in custody yet?" Fin asked the ADA.
"If he isn't it'll not be long" she replied.
"Turns out he was trying to blackmail Alex into marrying him, since he asked and she turned him down" Munch continued, "with any luck, the evidence is in there."
"Dumbass, any one could see she was batting for the other side." Serena looked surprised, "what? You didn't know?"
"I, er... didn't think anyone besides Detective Munch knew."
Fin snorted, "It doesn't take a detective to work that out, she practically sat on Benson's lap every time she was in the office. Just figured it was no-one else's business."
Well, erm... shall we get on with it?" She asked taking the warrant out of her pocket.
"Mr. Matthews, I'm Assistant District Attorney Michael Sturtz, I believe you have waived your right to have an attorney present?" Josh nodded, "Do you wish to change your mind?"
"It's a restraining order violation" Josh replied "I don't need a lawyer to hold my hand while I pay a fine, doesn't the DA's office have anything better to do with it's time?"
Sturtz sat down and opened the file in front of him, "Very well. I have to advise you at this time, that it has come to our attention that you have outstanding warrants for felony attempted murder, aggravated battery, aggravated stalking, and the violation of a restraining order in the state of Utah. Due to the serious nature of your crimes there, the DA's office has agreed that you should be extradited immediately."
"What? I have no outstanding warrants against me."
"Well sir, you'll have a chance to challenge that at your pre-extradition hearing."
Josh looked at the one-way glass, "you hear that Alex?" he said getting up, "You think you're so smart, but you just gave me an audience... so ultimately I win."
Michael turned and looked towards the door, "Officer, can you give us a minute please?"
He glanced at Josh's still cuffed hands, told him to sit down and when he had done so, opened the door saying "I'll be just outside."
Michael waited until the door was closed before leaning across the table and saying, "Listen to me you piece of garbage. You might think you're a hard man, but really you're a bastard who likes hitting women. I've read the extradition papers and I'm going to do everything in my power to see you get back to a state with the death penalty, so I'd concentrate on that if I were you."
"I want my lawyer," Josh said.
"I'll be sure to tell the officers that" the ADA replied before he left.
Liz watched Josh's expression from behind the glass and then smiled at Sturtz as he came round to meet her. "Hey Mickey, you received the paperwork from Provo I assume?"
"Yes, it all seems to be in order. First time I've had properly filed extradition papers in my hand less than an hour after an arrest. I take it he'll fight it."
"I imagine so, but he won't win. Provo have been after him for over a decade."
"So, got time for a drink? We can discuss how much I'm going to make you thank me!"
"You're kidding right? The case is a gift."
"Yeah, and I'm the next DA, come on you can drive."
Gerald Cabot was sitting on the couch reading the paper when the phone rang, answering it he heard a man he'd been talking to a lot lately, "Mr Cabot, it's Michael Sturtz. We just got through with the pre-hearing, he's going to fight it."
Gerald sighed, "thank you for letting me know Mr. Sturtz" putting the phone down he regarded his daughter, who was sitting opposite him, book in hand, looking at him enquiringly. Coming to the conclusion that she would find out what was going on eventually and that he'd sooner it came from him, he patted the space next to him and said, "Come here kitten, I've got something I need to tell you."
"Well it's no surprise that he's fighting it" Liz said as Mickey put down the phone.
"No, but at the minute he seems too fixated on Alex Cabot to put up a decent defence."
"Mmm, I don't know whether it's a case of if I'm going down, you're going down with me, or whether he'll wake up to the fact that he's not going to have a happy homecoming and concentrate on winning. Either way, I'm glad he's not going to get the coverage of a Manhattan courtroom."
"Well let's hope he doesn't realise that, this case could end up as a gift to the media."
Liz sighed, "Let's concentrate on the fact that he's a bastard who deserves to be behind bars. You'd better get on to Utah and get a Governor's Warrant. The fingerprints at the scene will prevent him from asking for an identity hearing but he may file for a writ of habeas corpus."
Mickey nodded, "I'll lay odds on a motion to dismiss on the grounds of mental incapacity, before we're through."
"I can't see him winning either, but he's certainly going to drag this out as far as he can, the photo's and cuttings found in his apartment might help there. Listen, I have to get back to the city, you got time for lunch before I go?"
"Sure, I'll just call Provo first."
They were on their way out of the building when they saw Alex coming up the steps.
"Alex, what are you doing here?"
"I've just been told about the extradition hearing, I thought I might be able to help."
"You can't" Liz replied bluntly, then seeing that Alex was about to argue, continued, "Mickey, can you give us a minute?"
"Sure, I'll be in the car."
"Liz, look..."
"No Alex, since it's in Nassau County neither of us can be part of the prosecution team and going into court as an observer will only give him a target. Just forget him and move on."
"I can't. He nearly tore my life apart. I need to be there."
"No, Olivia did everything she possibly could to stop you from having to face him in a courtroom. I'm sorry, but I'm not letting you change your mind now she's succeeded."
"Liz I..."
Donnelly raised her hand, "Alex, she knows you love her, if you need to put your career at SVU on the line to prove it, then you'll have to find another way, but personally I'd think twice." Shifting the files to her other arm, she decided to make her position perfectly clear, "If I ever hear the slightest hint about the pair of you through official channels, I'll have you out of that department so fast it'll make your head spin. There is no way I will jeopardise a case because someone finds out the prosecuting counsel is living with the arresting detective, do I make myself clear?" Alex nodded and leaned against the wall as she watched her boss leave, she was in a corner of her own making and she had no idea how to get herself out.
To Be Continued