Case Closed

Title: Case Closed (4/?)

Author: Master F&M

Fandom: Law and Order: SVU

Rating: Mature Audience

Summary: Captains Tutuola and Stabler join forces, and departments, to close a case that affects
Fin personally. Runs within the timeline of Infinity.

Disclaimer: Law and Order: SVU and all its characters belong to Dick Wolf. I just get to play
with them.

Author’s Note: Sam is a character that does not exist on the show.

Feedback: Please give some. For entertainment purposes only.

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CHAPTER 4

            “Just what the hell were you thinking?”

             Captain Stabler was more than a little annoyed that Fin had, for all intense purposes,
taken over the Gemstone case. For the record, he made a point of keeping Elliot informed of
what was going on, but only after he’d already acted on the decisions he’d made. Elliot had
come over to Narcotics to discuss the issue with him.

            “This is SVU’s case. Not yours. You should have come to me as soon as you found out
about this. Hell, you should never have snatched our witness out of that club in the first place.”

            “I did that to protect her. Vega don’t exactly like to keep people who name names alive
and breathing.” Fin leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his head.

            “Besides, she gave us the niece, didn’t she?”

            Fin’s order to hide away SVU’s witness from Club Indigo had worked out better than he
had hoped. Not only had he managed to keep her alive, but because she was down in Homicide,
she had incorrectly assumed (an assumption Fin did little to dispel) that she was being held as a
suspect in the murder investigation instead of as a material witness. In her eagerness to show
her cooperation with the police, she had told them that despite the paper trail that led to a
corporation, the club was in fact owned by Maria Santos- the niece and only living relative of
Antonia Vega.

            “That’s beside the point.” Elliot still wasn’t excusing Fin’s actions. “I should have been
in on this from the get-go.”

            “There wasn’t time to clear it with you. I ain’t wanna take the chance on Vega finding
out that we knew about her. As soon as we did, we brought her in.”

            “No,” Elliot corrected him, “you arrested her. In front of her busy club and with as much
fanfare as you could. You wanted to humiliate her, and you wanted Vega to know about it.”

            Fin shrugged and chuckled. “You say tomato . . . ”

            Elliot stared at him for a moment. “This is funny to you? Do I have to remind you that I
have three dead victims whose murders I’m trying to solve?”

            “Man, what do you want from me?”

             Fin dropped his arms down to his desk and leaned across it. “You know damn well who
killed those girls.” He found it difficult to keep the rancor he felt out of his voice. He respected
Elliot, enough so that he wouldn’t be explaining himself to anyone else, but he was getting a little
fed up with the conversation.

            “Seems to me I’m the only one who’s trying to do something about it.”

            “By arresting his niece?”

            “If that’s what it takes. Just keeping an eye on him wasn’t getting us anywhere.” He
leaned back again.

             “Anyway, last I looked, prostitution was still illegal. She ain’t squeaky clean. Even if
she wasn’t actively involved in it, she sure as hell promoted it by allowing it to happen in her
club.”

            “And is that also why your unit is only going after who you think are Vega’s people?”

            Fin’s street cops, led by Sandoval, had let it be known that they might, for a short while,
be willing to look the other way if they came across anyone who wasn’t doing business with or
for Vega. As a result, many a dealer had jumped ship and Vega’s business was beginning to
flounder. It was the biggest ‘hello’ Fin could think to send him.

            “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

            Elliot shook his head. “That’s not how I do things.”

            “Then maybe it should be.”

            Fin got up and walked around his desk. “Perps are getting bolder all the time. You can’t
just do things by the book anymore. It’s too covered in red tape.”

            Elliot drew his head back and squinted at him. “You’re beginning to sound like Munch
more and more every day.”

            Fin frowned. “Ain’t no need to get nasty.”

            Both heads turned at the knock at the door to see Sandoval wearing an anxious grin. He
was joined by Kenny who, having walked over with Elliot, had remained in the squadroom to
wait for him. Mike spoke to his captain.

            “Guess who’s here to see you?”

            “Right on schedule.”

            “And without his lawyer.”

            Fin nodded, then moved toward the door. Elliot stopped him.

            “Wait. Why without his lawyer?”

            “No lawyer, no witness to hear whatever he’s going to threaten me with to get me off his
case.”

            Elliot looked worried. “I’ll talk to him.”

            “No offense, but he ain’t here to see you.” Fin made his way out of the office with the
others on his heels.

            “But I’m sure you won’t mind if we sit in on it, right?”

            Fin chose not to argue with him. He instead followed Sandoval into the interrogation
room where Vega was waiting. He took great pleasure in the sight of Vega looking less than his
usual smug self. By arresting his niece, the police had gotten closer to getting to him than they
had ever gotten before.

            Vega addressed Fin while ignoring the others. “Ahh, Detective,” he deliberately referred
to Fin by his old title. “It’s good to see you again.”

            “I think you’re confused.” Sandoval couldn’t let the slight pass. “This is Captain
Tutuola.” He joined Elliot and Kenny against the back wall, leaving Fin to sit alone with Vega at
the table.

            “But you already knew that.”

            Vega nodded as if just remembering. “Yes, I think I did hear something to that effect.
Congratulations.” He gave Fin a meaningful look.

            “I trust Detective Giles has faired as well also?”

            Fin’s pulse quickened, but he refused to take the bait. “You know the answer to that
since you’re the one who put him in the ground.”

            Vega feigned surprised. “He’s dead?” He looked around the room, then back at Fin.
“I’m genuinely sorry to hear that. Was it an accident? I hope no one was responsible for it.”

            Fin understood the implication, but was growing impatient with the game. “Is there a
reason why you wanted to see me?”

            “My niece, Captain.” Vega was suddenly just as serious. “You had her arrested under
false charges. I demand that you release her.”

            “Alright.”

            Vega was shocked into silence, then began seething when Fin laughed. He watched as
Fin gestured toward Mike.

            “Yeah. Why don’t we just run right over and do that . . . because he says so?” He
laughed again at how ridiculous it sounded. Kenny and Sandoval found Fin’s laughter infectious,
and couldn’t hold back their own small laughs. Vega continued to seethe.

            “I find no humor in this. I believe my niece is in danger here.”

            “What makes you think that?” Elliot pushed off the wall and moved closer to Vega. “I
can assure you your niece is being afforded the same care and consideration as anyone else we’re
holding.”

            Vega snorted. “Is that supposed to comfort me? I know how I’m viewed by your police
department. It would be very easy for any one of your officers to harm her to get back at me.”

            “I guess you would know.”

            Fin stared at him. Vega stared back.

            “Then you know that my concerns are not unfounded. Even as we speak, she could be
being beaten. Or worse; tortured or raped.”

            Fin narrowed his eyes at the statement, unsure where Vega was going.

            “It is not something I like to imagine happening to someone I care for. I’m sure you
understand. What if it were that lovely wife of yours?”

            Fin went still as he registered the veiled threat. Forcing himself to stay seated, he
clenched his jaw as his eyes filled with anger.

            “You touch my wife,” he spoke slowly and deliberately, “and I’ll kill you.”

            Vega laughed, enjoying Fin’s reaction. He looked to the others for understanding. “Why
would he say such a thing? Why would I harm a woman I don’t even know?” He turned back to
Fin.

            “Besides, if she were to get hurt, there’d be no one to look after and protect your beautiful
daughter. That would be a shame, now, wouldn’t it?”

            Fin was on him before any of the others could react. Leaping up, he grabbed Vega out of
his seat and slammed his head against the wall. His right fist connected with Vega’s jaw,
snapping his head to the side, while his left hand held Vega up to receive more of the same. Fin
thrust his face to within inches of the source of his rage.

            “You go anywhere near my kids, you piece of shit, and I’ll blow your fucking head off!”

            Barely reaching him in time to stop Fin from landing another blow, Elliot and Kenny held
onto his arm as Mike helped to restrain his captain.

            “Fin!” Elliot yelled in an attempt to get through the fog of Fin’s fury. He tried to
position himself between the two men. “That’s enough!”

            “Listen to him, Captain.” Mike was breathless from the effort of holding back the bigger
man. “This is exactly what he wants: To get you off the case.”

            Fin slowly reigned himself in, but continued to glare at Vega. He snatched his arm from
Elliot’s grasp then took a few breaths before speaking, his eyes still locked on their target.

            “I mean it. Anything at all happens to them, and I’ll run your ass down no matter where
you go. There ain’t gonna be nowhere you can hide from me.”

            Vega wiped a trickle of blood from his lip, stared at it, then looked up in mock surprise at
Fin’s warning.

            “Now is that any way for you to talk? I mean, aren’t you suppose to uphold the law? The
police shouldn’t go around threatening to kill people. They might end up in prison themselves.”

            “You think that’ll stop me?” Fin spat out. “You really think I’ll give a damn?”

            “Okay, alright,” Elliot intervened once more by putting a hand on Fin’s arm when he
moved toward Vega again.

            “We’re done here. Sergeant,” he said to Mike, “show Mr. Vega out.”

            “Gladly.”

            Vega looked around the room. “So no one is going to do anything?” He spoke directly to
Elliot.

            “You’re not going to do anything about him assaulting me?”

            Elliot paused to think about his own family and about how he’d feel if he was in the same
situation. His newest grandbaby, Lizzie’s daughter, was only five months old, too; the same age
as Fin’s Terry. He shrugged off the question.

            “I didn’t see any assault. Briscoe, you see Captain Tutuola assault this man?”

            “No, Sir, I didn’t.”

            “Mike?”

            “Nope.”

            Sandoval walked over to the door and held it open. “But I did hear Mr. Vega, a suspect
in three murders and under suspicion for drug trafficking and slave trading, threaten the captain’s
family.”

            Elliot faced Vega and shrugged again. “Seems to me you should quit while you’re
ahead.”

            Vega stared at them for a moment, before laughing sarcastically. “The self-righteous
NYPD . . . ” He took a handkerchief from his pocket and held it to his lip for effect.

            “I guess I should be going then.” He went to the door, then turned to Fin before leaving.

            “This isn’t over.”

            Mike sucked in his breath as he closed the door behind him. Big mistake. Vega had gone
too far. Most people may not have known a lot about Captain Tutuola, but everyone knew not to
mess with his family.

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            A quieted Fin led the group back into the squadroom a little while later. He waited for
Elliot to finish up his phone call before asking.

            “So you’ll take care of it?”

            “It’s all set.” He gave Fin’s shoulder a confident squeeze.

            “We’ll have uniforms staked outside Dorian’s and your sisters’ places, as well as your
folks’. Vega won’t get anywhere near them.”

            “Good. What about Munch?”

            Elliot smiled. “I’ll keep him here at the stationhouse. Maybe I can put him to work again
lighting a fire under the rookies.” He gave Fin’s shoulder a final pat, then started to walk away.

            “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. We’ll go talk to the niece together. Between the two
of us, we’ll get her to tell us what we need to know. Then we’ll put Vega away for a long time.”

             Fin nodded as Elliot and Kenny left, then turned to Sandoval. “I’m gonna take Sam and
the kids up to the cabin in the morning and leave them there until this is over. They need to be as
far away from all this as possible.” He stopped to take a breath.

            “I want you to stay on top of things here until I get back. If anybody calls or comes
looking for me, just tell them I’ll be in later.” He gave Mike an intense look.

            “I need you to take care of this for me, alright?”

            “Don’t worry, boss,” Mike reassured him, “I got your back covered.”

            “That’s what I wanted to hear. Now, let’s go check out what’s on my schedule.”

            As Fin led the way to his office, Sergeant Gaffney looked up from the file he’d been
quietly reading in the corner. He watched as his superior officers continued on, and waited until
they’d closed the office door behind them before moving. He then made his way out of the
squadroom and kept going until he found a deserted stairwell. Ignoring the ringing of his
department-issued cell, he pulled out the phone given to him by his other employer. He punched
in a number and waited for the other party to answer.

            “Yes.”

            “Change of plans. I’m not going to bother hitting the penthouse; they won’t be there.
He’s taking them up to their cabin in the morning.”

            “Fine. Do what you have to, but handle it. I want them all dead. Except for the woman.
Bring her to me.”

            Gaffney closed the phone after the line went dead and slid it back into his inside jacket
pocket. He took a quick look up and down the staircase to ensure that no one had overheard him,
then headed back to the squadroom. He needed to start laying the groundwork for calling out
sick in the morning.