Page 63 of Overstaying His Welcome

Just then, Tank’s phone rang. I approached from behind. “Is Stabler psychic?”

The room tensed as if everyone was holding their breath. Tank answered the call, then immediately put it on speakerphone.

“Stabler? We were just talking about you.”

“I wish I was calling with better news, Tank,” the man said in reply.

There was remorse in his tone. I could hear it, and I suspected the others could too. Except it made no sense why he would have bad news for us. All the men were here. Everyone was accounted for, and unless there was more we didn’t know, it didn’t add up.

“What’s going on? Why are you calling?”

“Because when they tried to call you, I stopped them. I had to be the one to tell you. FUCK!” he bit out the word, hissing over the line as he took quick breaths. “Dammit, Tank. Something happened.”

And that’s when he told us what he knew.

Murdered.

Chelsea and Brock.

In their home.

Violent attack.

Neighbors called it in.

Similar to other murders.

Suspected serial.

Cases reopened.

“And your partner? Where is he?” I asked when everyone else remained frozen. “Archie said he called you. He said you didn’t have time to talk.”

“Yeah, he did. Things aren’t going well with my partner. He wasn’t happy with some decisions the director made. Took an emergency leave earlier today right before the call came in.”

“You think there’s no way he could have done it?” Memphis asked.

“No. He was with us in the office at the time of death. Can someone explain why you suspect him? He’s an asshole, but he’s not a serial killer.”

Tank sat silently as the rest of the team took over explaining the connections between Pratt and the case. Stabler admitted that wasn’t his partner's name, though Memphis argued that he could have changed it.

“There’s no telling what all transpired before he got assigned to work with you. All we know is that facial recognition matches. We can all tell it’s the same person. The fact that he took leaveright before this case came to light, and only shortly after Tank left there…” Ronan spoke.

“You were here today? We wondered why your business card was left out on the table. The way it was positioned… Let's just say it made it clear the card was important in some way. How do you know the Linds, Tank?”

“They were my parents,” he answered in a neutral tone. “Today was the first time I’d seen them in decades. It was the last —”

I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his neck as I comforted him. Fuck anyone who expected him to keep it together right now.

How could he? He found out the couple who wanted to adopt him, the people who loved him enough to try to track him when he ran away, were murdered by someone out to get him.

I doubt anyone would be ok with the news.

“The scene is not something you want to see then. I can reach out to Memphis to get him the photos if you guys want in,” Stabler commented.

Memphis hummed. “I want all the files you have, Stabler. Everyone on these serials. If what I think is going on is true, this is bigger than you think.”

“Don’t fucking tell me it’s the damn Gilded Ones again?”

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