Wildfire

Confession Time

I'm back. Not feeling great. Sulfur intolerance is a killer. Why did I eat so many deviled eggs? Because they were good! 

~~~~~~~

Elliot growled to himself one more time before tossing the last piece of paper out of his notebook. He wadded it extremely tight and threw it rather hard into the trash. He sat back and rubbed his face with a heavy sigh. "I'm out of ideas. I've run into at least one road block for each of my theories for the Hannigans and Rodriguez," he said exasperated. 

Liv had been digging as far as she was legally allowed to without causing a lawyer involved. Elliot glanced at Fin and Munch who'd started their paperwork for the interviews they did today.  Liv groaned and leaned back. She'd been hunched over the desk writing several of her own theories. Elliot watched her get up and take a small stroll around the office before going to sit back down. 

"You okay?" he asked softly so that Munch and Fin wouldn't hear. 

She nodded softly. "Just hunched over too long."

"In there please," Cragen stated as he came in with the Hannigan's, pointing them to an interview room. "Mr. Hannigan, please follow me to the other room."

Mark looked taken aback at the thought of being separated from his wife, but didn't object. Cragen gave Elliot, Fin and Much a look as he disappeared in the room with Mr. Hannigan. Elliot followed Cragen while Fin and Munch went to the room where Ethel was walking around the room slowly. 

Elliot took in a deep breath as he watched Cragen and Mr. Hannigan interact for a few moments before he entered. "Hello again, Mr. Hannigan, sorry to bring you back in, we just have more questions for you and your wife."

The man looked sternly at Elliot. "That's fine, but why aren't we allowed to share an interview room? It would save you all the manpower."

Cragen exchanged a look with Elliot. "True, but it's easier for everyone if we get you and your wife separate so stories don't get mixed up."

Elliot sat down beside Cragen and opened up the folder with all the information they've gathered. "So, your daughter gets raped in the park by a man that you let live in one of your houses and just so happen to have adopted their child two and a half years ago. Which you and your wife never mentioned the now missing three year old and don't even seem upset about her missing. I'm just fascinated at all the facts of this case."

"I never wanted the girl," Mark said automatically. "My wife and Maria were old friends from her teenage years. Maria came to Ethel and said that they were taking their daughter away from them for neglect and drug abuse by Jose. Pleaded with her to keep her safe. We adopted her and then sent her to my parents in New Jersey. They missed out on a lot of Annie's life and missed having a baby in the house. Best of both worlds. The baby gets a loving home and my parents get to help raise a 'grandchild'."

Cragen and Elliot exchanged more looks. He was coming clean very quickly. "Why not come clean when Detective Benson asked you and your wife about it earlier?" Elliot asked with a confused shrug. 

Mark sighed. "My wife wanted to keep the money from the little girl. So she told Maria that her little girl died a few months ago. She even planted a Lily on a 'freshly dug grave' as a 'proof' that a baby was under there. My parents are retired stockbrokers. They know how to invest money and savings accounts are many with them. They never asked for anything for the baby. My wife wanted the money."

"But you all have several houses and renters. You own a rental company for the entire New York area," Cragen stated, leaning forward just as confused as Elliot. 

Mark shrugged. "The market crashed and a lot of the houses lost value. The tenants offered to buy the houses for more than what they are worth at this time, but less than what we paid, so we took it. We didn't want to loose anymore money. We only still own our own house, and three others, including the Rodriguez's house. We even are talking of selling the rental company since it's not profiting us much right now. We could use the money the government is giving us for Georgina."

"Did you ask Jose to rape Annie?" Cragen asked as Elliot gripped his pencil tighter. Mark noticed and scooted back, shaking his head. 

"Never, I love my girl. When I realized that it was Jose, I told Ethel and she asked Maria. Maria said that Jose 'knew her baby Gina was still alive' and they 'wanted the girl back'. He would rape Annie, me, and Ethel, until they got their daughter back."

Elliot took in a deep breath. "So your wife risked your daughter for money?"

Mark refused to say anything else, so they left him. Cragen knocked on the window of the wife's room and a few moments later, Munch and Fin came out. "Mark is saying that it was all Ethel that wanted the money and gave the baby to his parents. It was Ethel that caused Jose to rape Annie," Cragen said. 

"Ethel says it was Mark and Maria that had an affair and that Georgina is really Mark's daughter, that's why she's with his parents. That's also why Jose raped Annie, to get back at Mark for taking his 'daughter' away from him." Munch repeated. 

Fin rubbed his face and left. "I'm out for now. This is too clusterfucked for me."

"Fin's right. Let's turn this over to the appropriate people. We found the rapist, so get Casey on it and have them do what they do best. The children's division will take care of the rest," Cragen said as he walked away.

Elliot and Munch looked at each other. They didn't want to leave things this way, but it was getting too confusing and tiring for them. They had other more pressing rape cases that had to be solved. This rape case was technically solved. As much as it was against Elliot's nature, he closed the file and put it in his pile to to had to Casey.

"El, another case came in," Liv said as she hung up the phone. 

He grabbed his coat. "Text me the address, Munch you're with me!"

~~~~~

I know its been a minute. Sorry. I hope this sort of makes up for it. 

I don't know what happens with money and adoptions. Let me know if I have to make a revision or if this can stay for the sake of the story. I'd really rather it stay.