Coffee’s For Closers: 9

therandomfics:

Sonny drove you to LaGuardia CC and walked with you to your office, patiently waiting for you to let him in so that he could follow chain of custody when taking in evidence. He called Lt. Benson and enlightened her to the new information, then promptly drove you down to the station. Because the information was on a device not found in the apartment, you were required to offer it up as evidence. You did as such, and waited while TARU and the SVU team reviewed the footage that was apparently hidden deep within your tablet. 

“So, tell me again why this is on your tablet?” Detective Rollins asked, arching a curious brow in your direction. She wouldn’t explain what it was that they’d found, just that it was lewd. 

You stared at her from across the desk incredulously. Was she really implying you may have had something to do with it? “As I’ve told Detectives Carisi and Tutuola, my roommate – Emma – wanted to borrow my tablet. She told me that her laptop was damaged and I didn’t really ask a lot of questions because I didn’t care. She had it for about three months before I took it back, because I needed it for presentations.” 

“And you never thought to ask her why she needed it?” 

“No. Like I just told you, I didn’t care. She’s my roommate. If she needs something, I let her borrow it. That’s just the kind of give and take we had. She didn’t ask questions when I asked to borrow her Valentino pumps,” you said with a dismissive shrug. 

“Y/N, can I speak to you?” Lt. Benson interrupted, giving you a much needed departure from Rollins. Benson waved you into her office and you obliged, shutting the door behind you and taking a seat at her desk. “So I’m going to ask you some questions and they might seem a little obscure, but they’re important to learning more about Emma’s attack.” 

You nodded and chewed on your thumbnail idly. 

“Did Emma invite people over often?” 

You shook your head no. “I’d never seen her have a guest over.” 

“How long did she have your tablet?” 

“About two months, over the summer. But then I needed it back, and she wasn’t home. So I took it back. She ended up getting the computer that you guys took from the apartment so she probably didn’t miss it,” you explained and continued the destruction of your nails. 

“I’m going to show you some screen caps of the videos we found on your tablet. Tell me if you recognize any of the men I show you, okay?” She pulled out her own tablet and began slowly shuffling through the photos. Unfortunately, a majority of the men had on masks of some sort. 

“That’s Kenny,” you said after seeing an image of Emma’s ex-boyfriend. He was wearing a half mask, but you knew his face. 

Benson continued on, showing you a total of ten pictures. “No one else?” 

“No, I’m sorry.” 

“Okay, I want to do something a little more unorthodox. I want you to listen to the voices on the recordings from the videos, and tell me if you recognize the voices at all.” She took the tablet back and faced it towards her, exiting the gallery to pull up the footage you’d handed over. You listened for a few minutes and tried to focus on the voices and not the words being said, the noises in the background, but it was distracting. 

“Let loose.” The voice was familiar but not in an intimate way for you. It wasn’t too familiar. You knew it, but from where? 

Benson paused the video and looked at you with concern. “What is it?” 

“I know that one. I.. I can’t place him but I know that voice.” You scowled at your own lack of remembrance. “I’m sorry.” 

Benson turned the tablet around and showed you the clip. Thick built, brown hair, and that familiar voice. “Do you recognize him now?” 

You shook your head. “If I did, would it really help? That’s just one of ten.” 

“This is the last video recorded on your tablet. It’s also the most violent,” Benson explained with a small frown tugging at her lips. “It goes on. It ends with Emma crying and begging him to stop. The established safe word was called out at least half a dozen times before he finally stopped. He berated her and left her tied to the bed. We don’t know how long she was there. The video dies, but we don’t think that he knew she was taping the session.”  

“Let me think about it, Lieutenant. If that’s okay?” 

She nodded and turned the device off. “Call me if you think of anything, alright?” 

“Thank you, I will.” 

Sonny poked his head in and looked to his superior with optimism. “Anything?” 

“Maybe,” she answered and stood up, prompting you to do the same. You walked over to Sonny and slipped past him, heading through the squad room intent on going home. 

Sonny met you outside on the sidewalk and reached for your hand, which you accepted and let him pull you closer. “You okay?” he asked, walking with you towards the car. 

“Yeah, I guess. I’m just confused,” you admitted with a shrug. “I didn’t know she was into all of that. I’d never seen any of those guys in the apartment except for Kenny, but they were dating; that was normal. I just don’t know how she did it for so long and I never knew. She must have done it when I was on campus studying, or working. It’s just a lot to process.” 

“It is,” he agreed and squeezed your hand. “When we get back home, I’ll make sure you feel better.” 

That night, you fell asleep in the bathtub, soaking in bubbles that covered your head. Sonny woke you up sometime past midnight and helped you into a robe before carrying you to bed and tucking you in. He kissed your forehead and asked if it was okay for him to lie down beside you. You reached for him in your state of delirium and pulled him down onto the bed near you. 

“Mine,” you murmured and closed your eyes. 

“Yours,” he replied, and pulled you against his chest as you slept. 

Headaches weren’t uncommon for you – stress of school, work, trying to have a social life – but this one was different. It was less stress and more frustration at the fact that you knew the voice you’d heard, but you couldn’t place it. You’d been thinking about it for several days and had yet to come up with a conclusive answer. It crossed your mind at work, at school, at home, in your sleep – everywhere. 

“Y/N, can I see you in the office?” Adam, your supervisor at the cafe was calling out to you. 

You nodded and walked to the back of the store and into his office – which was really a small part of the store room that wasn’t used for supplies. “What’s up?” you asked as you sat down on a large box of napkins. 

“Our new employee, Austin, has filed a complaint against you,” he stated flatly. 

“He what?” 

“He said your boyfriend threatened him and that you did, too.” 

“Indeed.” 

“What? It happened?” he gasped, eyes widening in shock. 

“It did. I’m not sorry. Austin’s a creep.” 

“You’ve always handled inappropriate comments from customers well.” 

“This isn’t the same. Customers don’t touch me. Customers leave. I don’t see them for 5 to 8 hours a day.” 

He shook his head and sighed. “Tell me what happened?” 

You groaned and rubbed your temples. “Austin was hitting on me, telling me he wanted to take me out and show me a good time.” You stopped and stood up, taking your phone out and walking out of the office. 

“Y/N? Can you please come back in here? NOW?” Adam yelled beyond the door you’d just closed. 

“Lt. Benson, I know the voice. It’s my co-worker. Austin,” you whispered on the phone. 

“Are you at work? Is he there with you?” Benson asked quickly. 

“I’m at work. He’s here. He’s here until 3.” 

“Don’t say anything, Y/N. I’ll have someone there in ten minutes.” 

From behind you, Adam approached and took your phone, hanging up on Benson. “You can’t just walk out of a meeting, especially a disciplinary action meeting, Y/N.” 

“You’re right. It was an emergency. I’m sorry,” you lied, and walked back into his office to wait. The next ten minutes would be agony.