Detective Badass

Pete Sorentino (2)

After lunch we were called back into the station, Liv, Fin, and Rollins had brought in the two other suspects for questioning. We were in Liv's office watching her interrogate her guy.
"Our guy called for a lawyer right away," Fin came into the room.
"The other guy isn't talking," Liv walked in. "Rollins and Fin go work this guy. Carisi come with me."
I took this time to myself to answer a few messages and see if I had any emails.
Cole had messaged me with next week's session date. Wear heels, he added with a wink.
Damn it. We just had one and whenever we have back to back heel sessions I end up getting blisters. I could already feel them start to form.
"Who ya textin?," Carisi came in to the office.
"A friend. What's up?"
"We gotta go check out an alibi."

"Yeah, Stan was here yesterday," we were interviewing a stripper named Lila.
"Do you guys have security cams set up?," Sonny was close to me in this place. His ears were pink and all, from the cold he says.
"Yeah in the back. I'll show you," we walked over with her and she introduced us to Steve who was working the cameras. "Show us yesterday night's vids."
"You got it."
Lila was eyeing me as we waited for the guard to bring up the tapes. I looked back at her.
"You dance," she said this as an observation added with a smile.
I smiled at her but didn't answer because the guard had our tape up.
He was there all night just as he said he was.
"Anything else I can do for you officers?," Lila asked us after the video stopped.
"That's all. Thank you so much," we headed out.
"What was that she asked, you dance?," Sonny asked with a smirk.
I shrugged my shoulders and got into the car.

"So his alibi checks out too?," back at the precinct we were all gathered at the briefing room while Liv talked about our next move.
"Yeah, he was there from eight to two," Sonny confirmed.
"Our guy checked out too," Rollins huffed.
"Nothing else popping up in the system?," Liv persisted.
"Nothing," Fin answered. "We even checked security footage and nothing showed us the perp."
Liv took a deep breath. I wasn't gonna be the one to say it but looks like we hit a dead end.

After the meeting we went back to desk duty. Filling out paperwork and sitting in silence. What could we do? There wasn't enough evidence, the suspects alibis check out, what was there to do?
I was still looking through different cases hoping something would pop up but there wasn't anything coming up. I set an alert on my phone to let me know if there were any attacks like this one. I wanted to be the first to know.

"So that's it?," Peter was in disbelief. I had showed up to his house to let him know what happened.
"We're still gonna keep an eye out for him. Don't think we've given up."
"But it sounds like you have."
"Peter, we've looked into every suspect, heard every possible report that matched your claim, we've done everything we can."
He didn't say anything for awhile until he stood up from his chair. "I'll walk you out, detective."

I felt guilty. But I know I shouldn't because I did everything I could. It made me angry that that bastard got away with hurting Peter and the other vic. It's bad enough that men don't want to admit they were raped, it has to stop.
I couldn't go back to my apartment and go to sleep so I went to a bar.
I ordered a drink without too much alcohol. I didn't want to drink too much.
"Detective Garcia?," Liv showed up with a handsome older gentlemen by her side.
"Uh, Lieutenant Benson," I stood up.
"No need for formalities. Please. This is Ed Tucker."
"Call me Ed," he shook my hand.
"I see your taking this case a bit hard," Liv talked to me while Ed went to a table.
"Yeah. I guess I am."
"Don't beat yourself up too much. There was bound to be a closed case sooner or later."
"Yeah but I was hoping for later."
She smiled softly. "We can't win every case. Be careful driving home."
She walked over to Ed and that was all. I downed the last of my drink and paid.

Back home I was more at ease. I had the case file in the living room with a notebook beside it. I wanted to learn everything about this case and the past one. Our guy was still out there, after dinner I'll stay up late if I have to going over the notes.
I was cooking up some meat for tacos de asada when I heard a knock at my door.
I looked through the peephole to see a smiling dork.
I swung the door open. "What are you doing here, Sonny?"
"I know you were feeling bummed out about not catching our perp so I came over to check on ya."
I sensed he wanted to talk some more so I let him in. "That was nice of you."
"What's cooking?"
"Tacos! You want some?"
"Do I? Lay em on me. It's nice to have someone cook for me for a change. I spend my evenings with Rollins sometimes taking care of Jesse so I always cook."
I was heating up tortillas while I talked. "That's nice of you."
He grinned. "I love kids so I don't mind it. Nice place by the way."
I nodded as he looked around. "Thanks."

I laid the tacos out on a plate with a side of rice for Sonny. "So I made a green salsa and a red one. There's chopped onion and cilantro to put on top of them too."
"Wow. A whole nice set up you got here. Which ones less spicy?"
"Green one but the red one tastes the best," I replied with a shake of my head.
"I'll try both," he nodded to me.
He bit into his first one and his face lit up. "These are amazing!"
"I'm glad you like them."
Sonny and I talked about the case and I let him know how I was feeling. He understood all of it.
"We will catch this guy eventually, Maia," he nodded to me.

"Thank you for the tacos. They were really great," Sonny was saying as he was getting ready to leave.
"Any time."
"Hey, if you come over by my apartment I'll cook you a meal too."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Alright. Have a good night, Maia."
"You too, Sonny. Text me when you get home."
He smiled. "I will."

Later that night while I was getting ready for bed my phone chimed. The sun emoji with Sonny's face popped up on my phone.
Sonny: made it home👍
Me: that's good. Get some rest, Sonny
Sonny: you too