Cheers to Sars and Wendola. Big props to the writers and Tracy Pollan for doing kick-ass jobs of explaining and portraying what rape victims go through. This recap was emotionally draining, but that means they did their jobs well.
A graphic tells us it's 11:17 PM as the show opens. The camera pans past an unmade bed, and we see a pissed off-looking, flannel robe-wearing blonde woman with wet hair sitting in a chair. She takes a long drag off a cigarette, picks up a cordless phone, and very slowly and deliberately dials 911. As the operator asks what her emergency is, she turns so that we see her left cheekbone is all bruised and swollen. A little choked up, she answers, "I've just been raped." Well, in another universe her husband's the Deputy Mayor, so she should have no trouble here. Not.
Cut to a shot of a beeper going off in a pile of clothes on the floor by someone's bed, and a pair of male hands grabbing the pants to which the beeper is attached. The hands belong to shirtless Cassidy, who's in bed with -- naked Benson! He's got some ugly paisley sheets and a bull tattoo like The Rock on his right shoulder. Woo hoo! Benson's all, "Oh, that's me," gives him a peck on the lips, and pushes him aside to get out of bed. Cassidy's all, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, where you going? Heyheyhey!" He lays back, smiles, and proclaims, "That was incredible." Benson ties a robe around her and kind of laughs, "Don't get used to it." The woman has clearly gone insane. Credits.
After the break, it's 12:42 AM, and Benson is approaching the desk at a hospital emergency room. She flashes her badge and says she's "looking for the ten thirty-four." The clerk wants to know which one. "Um, twenty-nine-year-old female; white." "I guess that's me," says the blonde, still in her robe, sitting back by the wall. At least her hair's dried and brushed. Benson goes over and introduces herself, and the victim extends her hand for a strong handshake. "Harper Anderson. It's nice -- um, not, it's not really nice to meet you." Benson is sympathetic and asks how long Harper has been waiting. About forty-five minutes. Benson also wants to know where the officer who brought Harper to the hospital is. Harper sent him to the cafeteria because he was getting on her nerves. Benson tells Harper, "I'm gonna ask you for a formal statement later, but in order for us to do the exam now, Miss Anderson --" "Harper. Please, just talk to me," Harper interrupts pleadingly. Benson just needs for Harper to describe the assault, and takes out her pen and notebook. Harper nods and gives the Cliffs Notes version: "He, um, he grabbed my ankles. He grabbed my wrist. He hit the side of my face." Benson asks if she lost consciousness; she did not. Benson asks if he penetrated her. Harper nods, her eyes welling up, and replies, "Vaginally. That's it." He didn't use a condom; he ejaculated on Harper's stomach and then wiped it off with one of her shirts. He also made her take a shower, but she hasn't showered since then. Benson goes off to tell a doctor she needs a rape kit done. The doctor makes "head-on MVA" noises, but Benson ascertains that those patients are stabilized, so Harper's .
Polaroids are taken of the wounds on Harper's face, wrists, and ankles. At 1:03 AM, Harper, in a hospital gown, is swabbing the inside of her mouth with two of those giant Q-Tips they use to take throat cultures. The very sight of them makes me gag. How very Pavlovian. Benson and the doctor are putting all the swabs and things in marked envelopes, and both are wearing gloves. At 1:16 AM the doctor scrapes under Harper's fingernails, and she winces in pain. At 1:47 AM, Harper is in the stirrups. Benson is running down the list on her clipboard: "Oral swabbing, fingernails, you combed her pubic hair, took vaginal swabs and did blood work." The doctor hands her a swab to catalogue and she gives him a new one as she goes on, "I'll bag this and we need to do a UV on her stomach." "A what?" "We need to do a UV light. Check for semen on her stomach." The doctor tells her they don't have one, so Benson describes the apparatus to him. The doctor KNOWS what it is, but the hospital doesn't have one. Like he said. Jeez, Benson, take one of those Q-Tips (an unused one) and clean out your ears. Harper lets out a growling wail, with her jaw clenched, eyes closed, and fist pressed against her forehead. Benson tells the doctor to "just forget it. He made her take a shower anyway."
At 2:11 AM, the doctor gives Harper the morning-after pill and tells her to take two more in twelve hours. Her STD and AIDS tests will be back within twenty-four hours, and she'll have to be re-tested after three and six months. Huh. I thought doctors recommended rape victims get re-tested after twelve months, too. Maybe not in New York. Harper asks who's paying for all of this. The state is. Harper wants to know what else she has to do. Benson says she has to take a formal statement, but if Harper's too tired to do that now, she can go back to her apartment first. Yeah, I'm sure that's exactly where she wants to go. Harper: "I just want this to be over with." Benson says they'll go to the station right now if she's ready. She is.
Out in the hall, my boyfriend, Detective Elliot Stabler, is talking to the doctor. The doctor tells Stabler he found "no real signs of trauma. The blow to her face could have been much worse. The guy used the least amount of force possible. He ejaculated on her stomach and then made her take a shower, so our DNA chances are -- " "Slim." A young, somewhat doughy but still cute uniformed cop comes around the corner, drinking a soda from the cafeteria. He asks if Stabler and the doctor are there about the stranger rape. The doctor leaves and the officer continues, "I was in the cafeteria, and when I came back -- " "You left her?" Stabler asks as he squints in derision. "She asked me to," protests the young whippersnapper. "I figured she'd been through enough." Stabler shakes his head and schools him: "I don't care if she pushes you away. You don't leave a rape victim." Young Cop looks like he's going to protest some more, but Stabler just stares him into submission. I love that skill in a man. Moving right along, Stabler asks about the crime scene, and Young Cop states that it is secured, that "[they] just need to know what to look for." Stabler tells Young Cop that he and Benson are taking the victim to the station for a statement, and asks Young Cop if he can voucher the rape kit. Young Cop nods and assures Stabler that he'll take it straight to the M.E.
It's 3:45 and we're in the conference room at the station. Stabler brings Harper a cup of coffee and offers to get her something to eat, which she declines. Harper's statement begins: "There was a street fair that night. I guess that would be last night. Which is still tonight. It was loud so I put earplugs in. I couldn't hear anything. I woke up and there was this guy standing there, staring at me, holding one of my shirts in his hand. He told me to shut my eyes. He told me he had a gun. He got on top and jammed his knees on either side of my legs to keep them closed. It happened so . . . slowly. But I looked at the clock. The whole thing took [searches her memory for a second] forty-two minutes. He, um, took my nightgown and shoved it over my head. My arms got tangled in it. He took my ring. The gown was over my face, over my eyes. He had stretched it tight over my eyes. He kept pushing it up, so the bottom half of my face was showing. Then he tried to kiss me. I jerked away; that's when he hit me. I should have kicked him. I should have run away!" Benson tells her, "If he had a gun, you didn't have a chance." Harper seems to accept this, and continues: "I heard him unzip his pants. When he was ready, he moved hard. Five times. He said, 'Is this the way you like it?' and he ejaculated on my stomach. He told me I was going to have to take a shower, so he got off me, he zipped up his pants, he told me to get up. And then he said. He said, 'Please.' So I got up, I walked across the room. My arms were still over my head in my gown. I was cold. He ran the water. He asked me if it was too hot; it was. So he adjusted it till it was just right. And then he gently took off my gown so I could see to get in. And then he washed me. He told me I had pretty hair. He touched my stomach; he, um, he touched everything. He handed me a towel. He handed me the robe. He told me to get on the floor and look away, count to twenty. He said he wasn't going to insult me by asking me not to call the police. Thoughtful, wasn't it?"
At 4:36 AM, we learn that Harper doesn't live with her boyfriend. He doesn't have keys to her place, but she does to his. Ooh, relationship disparity is a bad, bad thing. Stabler asks for details about the rapist's gun. Harper didn't see it, but he held it to her head when he caught her looking at him in the shower. Stabler asks what he looked like. He's tall, thin, and white, with sandy hair. She remembers his eyes as "cold." When Stabler asks her "How tall?" she specifies by saying, "I don't know -- tallish." Whoa, thanks for the clarification. Harper thinks the rapist is about her age, "like someone [she] would know, someone [she'd] hang out with." But she definitely didn't know him. Stabler, who's squinting throughout this exchange, wonders if anything unusual has happened in the last few days, like strangers hanging around the neighborhood or odd phone calls. Um, it's a trendy area of Manhattan. Wouldn't like ninety percent of the people she saw be strangers? I'm just saying. Harper says no. Stabler asks if the rapist was nervous; he was not. Benson asks what he smelled like. Harper thinks on this for a bit, then answers, "He was wearing cologne -- subtle, not cheap." Stabler asks if she could identify him in a line-up. Harper sets her prominent jaw and doesn't hesitate: "Absolutely."
At 5:01 AM, Stabler asks Harper to describe the ring her attacker took. She's obviously very tired, but draws a sketch of the ring while describing it: "It's very rare. Platinum. It has a small branch with diamond leaves curling over the band. It was my grandmother's." He also took her wallet. He did not leave behind the shirt he used to wipe her stomach. We learn that said shirt had Rosie the Riveter and the "We Can Do It" slogan on it. Ooh, irony. Or something.
5:49 AM. Sunlight is starting to peek in through the blinds as Harper answers some question with, "Near the restaurant where I wait tables." Stabler asks her what Laundromat she uses, and she just exhales deeply and puts her head down on the table. Benson asks if she needs anything; Harper says no.
At 6:13 AM, Benson puts her notebook on the table, announces that they're done, and thanks Harper. Harper runs her hands through her hair, exhales in a way that denotes gratitude, and asks, "What now?" Stabler says they can drive her to a friend or relative's house. Harper doesn't have any family in town, and will go to her boyfriend's place. Benson asks if Harper has called the boyfriend yet. Benson, you've been with this woman non-stop for like six hours. Think before you ask stupid questions. Anyway, Harper didn't call him because "[she doesn't] know what to say."
At 7:01 AM, Benson and Harper arrive at the door to the boyfriend's apartment building. Benson tells her that she's on her way to meet Stabler at Harper's apartment. Harper removes the coat she's wearing, hands it to Benson, and tells Benson to thank Stabler for the coat. No freaking comment. Benson warns Harper that her apartment will be a mess when the cops are done with it, but they'll be done soon. Also, the state will pay for a locksmith to change her locks, which is standard procedure, and a counselor will be calling Harper to set up an appointment. Benson gives Harper her card, writes her pager number on it, and says she's available to talk any time, day or night. Benson then offers to come up with Harper and talk to the boyfriend, but Harper says no. Benson says okay and walks away. She stops and turns around. Harper looks up, smiles at Benson, turns her key in the lock, and opens the door. Benson smiles back and goes on her merry way. Detective and Victim have Bonded. Detective is Emotionally Involved In Case. Detective needs to adopt victim's minimalist approach to makeup.
Cut to a profile shot of Cassidy, standing in Harper's apartment. Benson comes in, putting on gloves, and slows when she sees him. She's kind of annoyed, in addition to being surprised, but sucks it up and says hey. Cassidy's not being overly friendly as he says hey back. Stabler's over by the bed with his tie tucked into his shirt, and explains that he called Cassidy in because he didn't know how long Benson would be. Benson kind of nods her assent to this and asks Stabler if they've found any prints. He and Cassidy both answer no, but Cassidy's all quiet, like he doesn't know how to talk to Benson. Poor Cassidy. Benson asks Stabler how the attacker got in, and Cassidy wearily answers, "Window off the fire escape." Stabler opens and closes the window by the bed to demonstrate that it "doesn't lock, and by the looks of things, it hasn't for a while. Afterwards, he lets himself out through the front door." Stabler starts the Crime Timeline: "Okay, so, he comes in through the window, sees her sleeping." Cassidy very rudely interrupts to ask Benson, "You said he pushed her nightgown up?" Benson doesn't make eye contact as she replies, "Yeah. And?" Cassidy wants to know how Harper saw the clock. Benson and I both say, "Before. And. After." Duh, Cassidy. Stabler walks over to the dresser and continues, "He takes her wallet, then he grabs one of her T-shirts." Cassidy takes a roach out of an ashtray sitting on the dresser and as Benson sniffs it says, "Maybe she gets high?" Stabler posits that maybe the rapist was high. Benson thinks he didn't have time, and besides, "Harper didn't mention him smoking anything." Stabler points out that she didn't mention the pot at all. Ten points to Elliot. Benson bags the roach to have it checked for saliva; maybe there are two types of DNA. Stabler's back to his reenactment: "At this point he immobilizes her, he takes her ring and rapes her." Cassidy notes that they still haven't found the underwear Harper was wearing. Who ever said she was wearing underwear? Nobody, that's who. Benson and Stabler think the rapist may have taken the underwear as a trophy. Benson continues where Stabler left off. "Then he takes her to the tub," and we go into the bathroom, where Harper's nightgown is still on the floor. Benson checks the shower curtain, and it's still wet. Cassidy checks the soap, and it's not. Benson says, "No. I know where you're going with this." Cassidy says that women who stage rapes will wet the shower curtain but forget the soap. I'm pulling my hair out because it's been, like, nine hours since the attack, so NOTHING should still be wet in that bathroom, unless it's hermetically sealed. Benson protests that Harper did not stage the rape. Cassidy bends down, picks up a curling iron that's lying on top of the nightgown, puts his arm around Benson's shoulder, holds the end of the wand to her temple, and asks, "What's this feel like to you?" Benson doesn't want to play this game and answers, "A curling iron," and walks out of the room. Cassidy says it could feel like a gun. Benson denies this. Stabler joins in the fun: "Okay, look. We have no seminal fluid, no vaginal trauma." Benson wonders if the boys think Harper made all of those bruises herself, too. Cassidy suggests that maybe Harper was high and got paranoid, or something freaked her out. Benson's in his face with, "Yeah, and this morning she said it felt like it never happened. Is that what you want to hear?" Cassidy thinks this might just be the truth. Benson shakes her head and goes back in the bathroom as Stabler just looks at her.
After the commercials, we're back in the squad room, where Cassidy is leaning on someone's desk, taking a piece of candy from a plastic jack-o-lantern basket. Benson's all, "I can't believe you!" To which Cassidy casually responds, "It's my job to question the hell out of a situation. Recreate how a crime occurred, IF a crime occurred." Cragen tells them there's not enough evidence to suggest nothing happened, which prompts Cassidy to point out that "there's not much evidence at all" as he goes and sits at his own desk. Cragen says it's still an open case, so they need to proceed with the investigation. The fact that the rapist came in the window indicates that they should be looking for a stranger, someone who doesn't have access to the building. Cassidy and Benson tell the Cap'n that there are no fingerprints and no DNA, so he asks for a profile of the guy. Benson tells him, "White, thirtysomething, sandy hair, approximately five-eight." Hold the phone. I'm five-eight. No man my height could be described as tall, or even "tallish." Average, maybe. Short, probably, especially if you're talking to my relatives. Tall, never. Anyway, Stabler says that since the rapist hit Harper on the left side of her face, he's probably right-handed. Cassidy the Skeptic says, "Narrowing our suspect pool down to, what -- eighty percent of the population?" Benson the Annoyed takes a deep breath to keep herself from strangling him and says, "She said he smelled subtle, which means expensive," so our heroes deduce that it's probably not a junkie. The guy took the best jewelry and was careful not to leave any evidence, so he's either been planning or had a lot of experience. Cragen thinks this guy would match other open MOs, unless, as Benson points out, Harper is the first victim of his to report a rape. Cassidy mentions eight robbery-rapes on the Upper West Side, but the Upper West Side guy doesn't talk to his victims. Stabler reminds them, "This guy tried to kiss her, wanted to know if she liked it, said please. I mean, in his fantasy world, he's the perfect gentleman." Hey, what a coincidence -- in my fantasy world, Stabler's my perfect husband! Back on point, Cragen notes that Harper lives at 101 Moore Street, and that there was a Halloween parade going on right under her window. Cassidy's going to check the licenses of all the vendors to see if anyone had any priors. He also mentions that if the guy went up the fire escape, there may be witnesses. Munch will check the pawnshops for the ring. Cragen tells Benson she has to ask Harper about the drugs, and Cassidy hollers from his desk, "Uh, the pot makes me nervous!" Well, dude, that happens to a lot of people. My suggestion is that you quit smoking it. Oh, wait, he means Harper's pot. Benson gets snotty again, saying they're not going to bust Harper on the drugs. Cragen tells her to "canvass the neighbors, talk to the super, and ask about recent break-ins and gentleman loiterers, but first talk to Harper. If she's lying, [Benson will] know." Is Benson psychic? Will there be a Sweeps crossover event with The Others? Then Cragen caps off this little pep talk as he reaches into his Bag O' Cliches and pulls out "gut feeling is your best guide." Whatever.
Chung-chung! At the apartment of Benjy Dowe (300 St. Marks) on November first, Harper's short, somewhat scruffy boyfriend i
s telling Stabler and Benson that he's "going to kill whoever did this." Stabler tells Benjy to stay calm for them, and ascertains that Harper and Benjy have been going out for a while. Benson assures Benjy that the SVU is doing everything they can in their investigation, and when Benjy starts playing What If, saying he knew Harper should have moved in with him, Benson tells him that what Harper needs from him is unconditional support, about everything. Benjy tells them that Harper couldn't sleep, so she took a shower and went to work.
So we hop on the Chung-chung! Express, stop: Le Poeme, on Prince Street. Benson is asking Harper how much pot she smoked last night. Harper, in an absolutely hideous red and orange turtleneck sweater, is all defensive: "Why? You think I got paranoid? Lost it?" Stabler says they're just wondering why she didn't mention smoking the joint, and Benson assures her that it's routine to the investigation. Harper's all worked up: "Smoking pot is not part of my routine! I had a job interview -- I was just trying to mellow out. Nothing that happened last night is part of my routine." Benson tells her they just have to be thorough. Harper snarks, "Great. THANK YOU for all your hard work!" and heads back inside. Now we see that the back of the sweater is even worse than the front. Holy 1991-era J. Crew stripes, Batman! Benson remarks, "That went well," as she and Stabler head over to . . .
. . . Harper's apartment at 101 Moore Street, where a locksmith is giving the super a set of keys, and Benson tells the super that the cost of changing the locks will be taken care of. The super's all, "Nothing like this has ever happened as long as I've been here. A few domestic incidents [except he says "incidences"], a dead body in the Dumpster that one time, but nothing, never like this." The super hasn't noticed anyone hanging around who doesn't belong, and suggests the detectives talk to the tenants, which leads us to . . .
. . . this week's installment of New York Stereotype Theater. And older lady is leaning on her windowsill pillow, telling Stabler and Benson that she didn't see anything, but she knows who did. She points across the street and indicates the second window on the left. Stabler and Benson turn to see a guy watching them from the other building, and the peeper drops the curtain when he sees them seeing him.
Cut to Stabler looking at the doorbell box of the peeper's building, pointing at "S.A. Lardner." Benson hangs up the Cell Phone of Plot Advancement and tells her partner that Sam Lardner has three collars for trespassing. Inside the apartment, Shifty Sam says he doesn't know Harper Anderson. Stabler mentions that she's single and lives alone as Shifty stands to the TELESCOPE by the window and moves the thick black curtain aside. He points and says that Harper lives in that building, to which Lardner responds that he hardly knows the people in his own building. Benson's all conversational, "Really? It's a great apartment, with red walls. It's just there on the third floor." "Uh, second," corrects Lardner. Busted! Stabler says, "So you do know it." Lardner tries to recover by saying that they just described it to him. Benson asks if he was watching Harper last night; he says no. Stabler asks if he got tired of watching, and hands off to Benson, who asks Lardner if he "took a stroll across the street." Lardner finally catches his snap (tm gwen) and says, "No. Wait, wait, wait. I was here and I saw everything." He wonders if he needs a lawyer before answering questions. "What, for being a Peeping Tom?" asks Stabler. "No, just a good shrink." Word, honey. Lardner walks toward the window as he tells is story. "I saw this guy climbing the fire escape. The tenant had broken the lock on the window. She was laying there, asleep. Then she woke up, and he pulled the gown up over her eyes. Um, she . . ." "She what?" prompts Benson. "She doesn't wear underwear when she sleeps." At this, Benson and Stabler give each other "well, DUH" looks, like they just realized that Harper must have gone away to college and gotten the Freshman Dorm Female Hygiene Lecture. Lardner continues, "He raped her. On the bed. Then he took her into the bathroom." Stabler asks why Lardner didn't call the police, but Lardner just shakes his head like he doesn't know. Benson asks what happened , but Lardner couldn't see. Fine, what did he look like, then? Lardner insists that he really didn't see the guy. Stabler gets in his face. "You can see a broken lock, you can see a nightgown, but you can't see the rapist's face." Lardner's all ashamed: "I wasn't looking at him. Not at him. What are you gonna do to me?" Benson says, "The same thing you did for her," and she and Stabler leave. Ooh, burn! Not.
Back at the cop shop, "Research" Jeffries makes a cameo appearance to tell Stabler and Benson, "I've been cross-checking Harper's CSAAT, you know, looking for victims who use her hair salon, grocery store, dry cleaners." There are victims at each place, but none of their attacks are similar to Harper's. See ya week, Jeffries. Cragen comes out of his office with a piece of paper and asks Stabler if Harper strikes him as "the kind of woman who would buy $500 worth of hand-packed meats?" Hee hee! Someone used Harper's credit cards, and Munch and Cassidy are bringing the suspect over from the two-seven (Briscoe!).
In the hallway, Munch is walking with a blond guy in cuffs, introducing him to Stabler: "This is Ron Johnson." Stabler notes that the guy's reputation precedes him: "Yeah. Meat lover." HA HA HA HA!! Behind them, Cassidy catches up to Benson and stops her to very discreetly give her watch to her, saying she left it behind at his place. She thanks him and starts walking again, but he tells her to wait, that he wants to see her again. Aw, he's so puppy-dog cute in this episode! Benson's annoyed with him, and lays it out for him like he's either very young or very slow: "Um, Cassidy, we went to Maloney's [Meloni's?], we got drunk, and I wanted it to happen as much as you did. But that's all I wanted to happen." Is she insane? She must be. Cassidy thinks he understands her motivation: "This is about what happened at Harper's apartment, right? No, my doubting -- not doubting -- but my questioning you and questioning Harper. That was just the job; that wasn't personal!" "You know what?" asks Benson. "Neither was last night," and with that she leaves him standing there, open-mouthed. Bummer.
Over at the lockers, Stabler is putting stuff away as Benson opens her locker and asks, "Where's the meathead?" He's in the interrogation room, of course. The partners chitchat about what else someone would spend a free $500 on, and we see that Stabler has pictures of his kids in his locker and an American flag sticker on the front. What a guy. Seemingly out of nowhere, he asks, "How long you been sleeping with Cassidy?" Benson is so caught, but stutters, "Uh, I'm not." Stabler: "Your stomach just dropped two floors, Olivia. The unconscious doesn't lie." "I'm not lying," she protests. "Not much." Stabler's all therapist: "Mmm hmmm." Benson wonders if it's that obvious. Stabler's all, "I'm your partner, for better or worse [swoon!]. Look, everybody knows too much about everybody else in this office anyway." Benson tells him that she broke a personal rule, and now Cassidy wants to see her again. Stabler asks if she can blame him. Uh, not that you asked me, but I can. Benson whines, "I can't do it right now. I didn't mean for this to -- I mean, I guess you never do." Stabler's way wise and says, "Sometimes you do. Be nice to him, maybe even over-nice. He'll be cold, but he'll get over it. It happens." Benson: "Really?" Stabler: "Really. Cragen's waiting for us." I have to say, as much as Benson's whining annoys the hell out of me, this scene was really well done and went a long way in demonstrating the friendship that exists between these partners. The fact that it portrayed my boyfriend as the world's greatest friend, looking out for both Benson and Cassidy, didn't hurt my opinion of it either.
Outside the interrogation room, Stabler is reading Ron Johnson's rap sheet, which "reads like a how-to on robberies, from five-finger discounts to B&Es." "Which escalated to rape," Cragen says. Stabler thinks this happened because of boredom and opportunity. Benson says Johnson fits the description of Harper's attacker (he totally does not; he's towheaded, not sandy-haired), and Harper is on her way to the station to make a positive ID.
Now we're inside the interrogation room, where Benson is at the table with Johnson, and Stabler is back by the window. Johnson got up around eleven and then "had a bowl of cereal, took a shower, then, you know, kind of walked around." Stabler: "Where'd you 'kinda' walk around?" Johnson: "You know. Around." Then he "hung out." Ah, sounds like the life of an MBTV staff member. Well, except for the showering part. ["And the 'walking around' part." -- Sars] Benson asks what he did last night. Johnson wants to know what the big deal is. Stabler walks over, sits on the table, and tells him, "The big deal is that last night, a guy who looks an awful lot like you --" "-- who also had nothing better to do," interrupts Benson, "broke into a woman's apartment and raped her." Johnson bugs out and insists he didn't rape anybody, even if he was using her credit cards. He's done a lot of things, but never that. Stabler just stares at him, like he does so well, and Johnson admits that he was in a holding cell last night. Stabler stands up and almost laughs at this. Johnson was being held for jumping a subway turnstile and didn't get out until 1 AM. He found Harper's wallet in a garbage can on the corner of Moore Street. It was "picked clean" of cash. He admits that he took the wallet, but insists that he "never, NEVER raped anyone."
Cragen and Benson are over at Stabler's desk, where he's on the computer reading the latest recaps at MBTV and preparing to post about how fabulous I am. Benson is holding a two-page document and smiling, saying, "His arraignment's not here." Cragen looks at his watch and asks what time she got the printout. "5:30; why?" "Because they update the records every day at 6 PM." Stabler logs out of the MBTV forums and his computer beeps, so he points at the monitor and says, "There it is." Benson throws the paper over her shoulder in exasperation and says, "Damn. That was the best lead we had." Stabler's equally frustrated: "No DNA, no fingerprints; that was the ONLY lead we had." Cragen goes back into his office; Stabler very wearily says they're looking at a dead case. Off-camera, Harper calls Benson's name. Benson turns and sees her, and goes to talk to her. Harper's anxious, tapping her fists together, and wearing a hideous coat. She looks around and asks, "Where is he?" Benson says they don't have him. She apologizes for being wrong. Harper does more of that loud exhaling and is visibly disappointed. Benson tells her that they changed the locks on Harper's apartment, and hands her the new keys. Harper, stunned, says, "So he's still out there." Benson, looking very ashamed of herself, just nods.
NBC, you can use Nicole's theme song, "Easy (Like Sunday Morning)" in your Snap.com ads all you want, but she's still gonna hate Third Watch. You can even do a Third Watch promo spot of the fire station, using her other theme song, "Brick House," but it won't change anything either. That show sucks so hard it makes me lactate.
After the break, we come back to a title card that reads "SIX MONTHS LATER." It's night in the squad room, and Benson is all dolled up, walking back to her desk and zipping up her makeup bag. Cassidy sits at his desk and watches her over his shoulder. He tells her she looks nice, in a tone that makes it obvious he wishes he were the one going out with her. She thanks him for the compliment and goes around the desk to use Stabler's computer monitor as a mirror while putting on her lipstick. Five years later, when she's done applying the last coat, Cassidy asks her if she's going out; she is. He immaturely remarks that she didn't have time for a relationship six months ago. She's all, "Oh, come on, Bri. It's not you." Cassidy doesn't believe her, so she explains, "No, it's a personal policy. You don't fall in love with the people you work with, no matter how good the sex was." Is this woman insane? Has she LOOKED at Cassidy and Stabler lately? For these two, you make exceptions. I mean, really. Cassidy asks if she means that she's now in love. She laughs that if she's lucky, she is. He says she'll be bored; she says she'll still have her job. He's got a point to make, though: "Yeah, well, whoever you marry --" "-- IF I get married," she interrupts. "Whatever, you will," he continues. "As long as you have this job, your marriage will be an affair." Benson gives him a "whatever" look as he walks away. Cragen calls her into his office because he has something he thinks she'll be very interested to hear. Inside his office, he introduces her to a Detective Halligan from the Robbery squad of the three-one. Halligan just told Cragen that four days ago, a guy broke into an apartment and found a woman there alone. He was wearing a mask and told the woman he had a gun. He hit her a few times and pushed her down onto the bed, but he said "please" and things like that. Benson straightens at this bit of information. Turns out the woman had a gun hidden under her mattress, and when she pulled the gun on him and turned on the light, she saw that what he was holding was actually her curling iron. "It's Harper's guy!" says the Great Lipsticked One. Cragen pisses in the bowl of Corn Flakes he's just poured for her: "Maybe." Benson tells Halligan about Harper's case, and asks if the latest victim shot the guy. Nope: "She froze up. The guy stumbles down the stairs; last she sees he's limping down the street. That when we picked him up." Benson asks if the vic could ID this guy. Halligan shakes his head. "We even had her close her eyes, had the guy saying, 'Please.' Nothing." Benson asks where the guy is now. "Out," says Halligan. "Out?" Benson repeats. Cragen tells her as he hands her the case file that the guy they picked up didn't have any gloves on him, but he does have great lawyer. "That's just it," says Halligan. "This West Village guy has enough money that he has a lawyer on a retainer. Why the B&E?" Benson's looking at the file and pointing out the similarities to Harper's case: "This is the same neighborhood as Harper -- TriBeCa -- same MO, he came off the fire escape, used a curling iron instead of a gun, said 'please.'" Cragen mentions the mask; the guy's getting better. Halligan reminds them that he didn't rape this woman, Jane Tyler. Benson knows "in her gut" that it's the same guy. Halligan points to the guy's address in the file. Cragen says they'll need a positive ID from Harper, but before they bring the guy in he wants Benson to get a statement from Jane Tyler to make sure the MO matches up as much as they think it does, especially since there is no forensic evidence. Benson nods and goes to get the statement. Cragen tells her it can wait till morning, but Benson figures Jane Tyler isn't sleeping anyway and leaves.
Chung-chung! We're at the apartment of Jane Tyler, and it's May third. Jane is a pretty woman with curly blonde hair and a nasty shiner on her left eye and cheekbone. She's in the middle of her statement: "And I'm sitting there holding this gun on him, and I can't -- even after everything he did to me, I can't pull the trigger." Benson tells her it's okay. Jane tells her that he took her father's watch. Her father's name, Leo, was engraved on it. Benson says that wasn't in Jane's police report. Jane says, "I know. They got here and I couldn't talk." Benson asks what else Jane left out of the report. Jane bursts into tears and puts her head in her hand. Benson sits to her on the couch and asks if she was raped. Jane nods and sobs. He didn't use a condom, but Jane can't bring herself to say what we all know, so Benson asks, "Did he ejaculate on your stomach?" Jane answers in the affirmative and tells the rest: "Then he made me take a shower. I told the police I'd just gotten out of the shower when I found him." Benson asks why neither the rape nor the stolen watch is in the report. "The police were touching everything, looking for fingerprints, and I wanted them gone. It was so embarrassing. He kept saying, 'Isn't this the way you like it?' when he was -- pushing inside of me. I bought that gun for self-protection, and I didn't even --" She can't continue and just shakes her head in disappointment at herself. Benson knows what's up: "Jane, you did the one thing you're supposed to do when somebody threatens you: survive." WORD. Jane just cries some more.
The morning, Stabler and Benson are walking up the front steps of a swanky townhouse. Benson rings the doorbell and a nicely dressed brunette in her thirties answers the door with a big smile and "Hello?" Benson flashes her badge and tells the lady they're looking for Kenneth Cleary. Mrs. Cleary -- because I can, I'll say her name is Beverly -- calls to Kenneth. He comes to the door, dressed in a nice suit and tie, with a little blond boy. As expected, Kenneth is tallish, in his thirties, with sandy hair. As Stabler introduces himself and his partner, Benson interrupts, "Elliot. Her ring." Beverly Cleary looks at her platinum ring, and then to her husband, who just looks smarmy and guilty.
In the interrogation room, Cleary is saying that he's a klutz, that he stepped off the curb and his ankle just gave way. I know that sounds like a flimsy excuse -- and in this case it is -- but it's actually happened to me. Twice. Sober, even. You want embarrassing? Explain your crutches and air cast with that. Stabler asks Cleary what he was doing on Leonard Street at 2:45 AM. Cleary says he was "clearing [his] head. [He's] got a couple of accounts that are wearing [him] down." Benson points out that Leonard is eighteen blocks from where Cleary lives. Cleary states that they're really big accounts. Mama Bear shrieks, "He is such a wimp! I can't believe he's MARRIED!" I bust a gut but contain my laughter in time to hear Stabler ask Cleary if he tried to clear his head in Jane Tyler's apartment. Cleary's all, "I'm sorry -- who?" Stabler very casually explains, "Beautiful woman; blonde. Six months ago you did someone else?" Cleary looks up at Benson and lets out a snotty, "Oh, please." Benson leans in real quick and sniffs Cleary, and he flinches. Hee! She asks what kind of cologne he uses. He doesn't know, he just wears whatever his wife buys him and doesn't know the names. What a knob. Benson asks where he bought the ring, and Stabler leans in for Story Time With Uncle Pervert. This should be good. Cleary looks from one to the other of his interrogators and says he should wait for his lawyer for that one. Benson tells him to spill it because his lawyer's on the way. With really badly faked embarrassment, Cleary says, "I probably shouldn't say. I knew it was probably hot, but I bought a Rolex from that guy before, so . . ." Benson asks about his watch. Cleary says it's been in the family for years. Benson politely asks to see it. He reluctantly gives it to her and she examines it. She asks who Leo is, and he quickly answers that it's his astrological sign. Benson pretends to accept this and hands the watch to Stabler, who asks Cleary who his "jeweler" is. Cleary says it's a black guy named T.J. who sometimes hangs out between Mott and Canal. Stabler gets that "gotcha!" grin on his face as he says, "Canal and Mott intersect. You can't BE in between Canal and Mott." Cleary just makes like a goldfish at this. Stabler throws down the gauntlet: "Tell you what. Why don't you just diagram it out for us, where this 'T.J.' is." Cleary very nervously makes with the map drawing.
Over in Cragen's office, Benson tells the Cap'n that Cleary smells expensive. Cragen: "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I ask you to smell the defendant." Stabler and I both laugh at this, and my boyfriend asks how many rapists Cragen knows who smell expensive. Cragen thinks it depends on where they shop. Stabler argues that the watch and ring are trophies from the victims, but Cragen cuts him off with, "Victim. See, we don't have two victims here because only Harper reported her rape and only Harper reported anything stolen." He goes on to say that even though Jane Tyler reported these things to Benson, they're not going to re-open the Tyler case because of the lack of forensic evidence and Jane's inability to ID the guy. He goes on, "No jury will convict him. Look, Cleary's wife was wearing Harper Anderson's ring, so right now we might be able to get him for possession of stolen property, but without Harper's corroboration we don't even have him on that." Benson's convinced that Harper will ID the ring, but "more importantly, she said she can ID Cleary as her rapist." Cragen tells Benson to get Harper down to the station ASAP, because Cleary "has the right to a speedy arraignment, which in New York, thanks to a few very expensive lawsuits, means twenty-four hours. And that twenty-four hours started at 9AM." Oh, blah, blah, blah, whiny litigious defendantcakes to you too, Muppethead.
Chung-chung! We're back at Harper's apartment at 101 Moore Street, but now the super lives there. Turns out Harper never spent another night there, she moved so fast the super still has her security deposit (in New York? That's insane), and she didn't leave a forwarding address.
So our heroes head over to Benjy's place, where he's taking out the garbage and telling them, "I tried to be understanding, but it got to the point where I couldn't work anymore." According to Benjy, Harper stopped eating and lost her job because she hardly ever slept. At first she would only sleep during the day, and when she finally did sleep at night, she had to have all of the lights on. This, of course, made in impossible for Benjy to sleep, and his boss was on his case. Harper also became an exercise freak and started dressing differently. She always wore her running shoes, even when she was sleeping. Benjy figures she thought that if she had them on the night of the attack, it could have helped her in some way. Benson asks if Harper ever saw a therapist. "She never shed a tear," he says by way of answer. "We never had sex again. A few months ago she broke up with me." Aw, poor Benjy. Stabler hands Benjy his notebook and asks where Harper moved. Benjy very sadly tells them, "New job, new place; all new Harper."
Cut to Benson banging on the door of Harper's new apartment, calling to her and identifying herself. Harper opens the door and is wearing a gray suit and a bobbed hairdo. She's not very receptive to visitors, to say the least: "I don't care what you want. Don't ever come here again." And with that, she shuts the door and our stunned heroes walk off into a commercial break.
We're back in Cragen's office with Benson, the Cap'n and ADA Abby "The People's Girlfriend" Carmichael. Cragen's telling Abby that Beverly Cleary was no help because she remembers her husband sleeping straight through the nights in question. Abby asks if Munch and Cassidy found out anything about T.J. of Mott and Canal fame. Benson tells her that there are five guys named T.J. who hang out there, and they all deal in electronics. (Note to self: When save up enough cash for bigger TV and DVD player, head to TriBeCa and ask for T.J.) Anyway, none of these guys knows anything about Kenneth Cleary. Benson asks about the possibility of a warrant: "We'll search his place, maybe come up with other trophies." Abby bursts her bubble by reminding her that there are no other victims. Benson's sure there are, but the cops just don't know about them. "Exactly," says Abby. "So you don't know what to look for, so I can't get you a warrant." Duh, Benson. Benson's not backing down: "Isn't there some legal way we can compel Harper Anderson to talk? What about outstanding parking tickets or moving violations?" Yeah, a waitress in Manhattan would need, let alone be able to afford, to keep a car. "Olivia!" Cragen yells in a tone that implies he's about to take away her playground privileges. Abby very firmly lets her position be known: "I'm not going to rape her a second time, Detective." Benson says that's not what she meant. Abby lays it out for them: "As it stands right now, we have no forensics on either rape, and as far as the state's concerned, Jane Tyler's rape never even happened." Cragen mentions the ring. Abby says he's got no priors and a great lawyer who will plead out the possession charge. Benson's still determined and imploringly addresses Abby, "Six months ago, Harper Anderson told me that she could absolutely ID her rapist. Now she won't even talk to us." Abby, Queen Ass-Kicker, tells Benson, "Then you'll have to use your own powers of persuasion, Detective, because I can't help you." Benson looks all pissed that she can't hold her own on her own show. Abby apologizes to them both and leaves. Cragen, whose eyebrows are up with the Hubble Telescope, sits to Benson and tells her that Stabler is trying to dig up anything he can on Cleary while Munch stalls in the interrogation room with the lawyer. He instructs her to get a picture of Cleary in a photo array and take it to Harper. He also tells her to take Cassidy with her, and then as she's going reminds her that it's almost midnight and they'll have to let Cleary go soon.
In the interrogation room, Cleary is telling Munch that "aggressive accounting" isn't illegal, and goes into some spiel about what he can do for Munch. Somewhere in Chicago, Wendola screams at the thought of another financial subplot. Fear not, dear readers -- Detective Elliot Stabler busts in with some papers to save the day! "You're a Cancer, not a Leo," says he. Cleary recovers pretty quickly for a man in his situation: "All right, it was a nickname." "For whom?" asks Stabler. Cleary's lawyer advises his client that he doesn't have to answer that. Cleary says it's his grandfather. Stabler looks at the report and says, "No, his name's Percy." Cleary's all, "Wouldn't you prefer that to Percy?" Um, hell no. Cleary starts his Munch money crap again, but Stabler gets down in his face to ask him, "You get to TriBeCa a lot?" Attorney: "You don't have to answer that!" Stabler turns so he's now in the lawyer's face and asks what questions Cleary does have to answer. Matters of public record, according to the attorney. He then demands to know what his client is being charged with. Munch tells Stabler, "You don't have to answer that." Stabler and I both laugh.
Benson and Cassidy are back at Harper's apartment. Benson's banging on the door, saying they really need to talk to Harper, and that they'll stay there all night if they have to. Cassidy gets philosophical: "I almost prefer homicides to rapes." Benson commiserates, "Yeah, you don't have the relentless pain of the victim." Cassidy says it's "awful," and Benson bangs on the door again, yelling to that she (Benson) is just as stubborn as Harper. We hear many locks turn. Harper opens the door and yells, "FINE!" like a petulant teenager. Benson walks in and tells her, "We picked up a guy who raped a woman almost exactly the same way you were raped. Only this time he wore a mask, so she couldn't ID him." Harper's getting agitated as Cassidy tells her they just need her to look at the picture and see if it's her rapist. She shrieks, "I don't ever want to see him again!" Benson tries to calm her as Cassidy asks, "What about he other woman that he raped?" Harper doesn't care! Benson goes the guilt route. "You are the only eyewitness we have on this guy. Other women -- and there are other women -- either haven't come forward or haven't been able to ID him." Cassidy says that without her, they don't have a case. Harper wonders what good that's supposed to do her. Cassidy spells it out for her: "Well, we could put him away, for starters." Like, duh, Harper. Harper goes ballistic. "Is that gonna change anything for me? Is that supposed to give me some sort of CLOSURE? Because I've already made peace with what's happened to me. I already did the one-on-one therapy, the yoga, I cut my hair, I lit a candle, and guess what? I'm over it!" She walks away and Benson quietly says to Cassidy, "What a mess." Cassidy's no dummy and he's not giving up, so he not-so-quietly says to Benson, "I don't know. Maybe he's not the guy who did her." "DID ME? The guy who DID me?" Harper's back in a flash! "He RAPED me, you ass!" "Then why don't you do something about it?" is the challenge from Benson. Harper says she did everything she was supposed to, and Benson says she's obviously still not fine. Harper asks what the hell it is to Benson if she's okay or not. "Because closure is a myth," says Benson. "I've heard survivors -- " "That 'survivor' stuff? It's CRAP!" Harper interrupts. Benson is undeterred. "I've heard them say this is something you never get over." Harper insists she has gotten over it. Benson isn't having it: "You think you're back to normal? Then tell me, when was the last time you slept in your bed without wearing running shoes?" Harper just looks at her, stunned. Benson's turn to wax philosophical: "The truth is, everybody changes every day. And some things are more devastating than others. But we are never the same. And there are two ways to deal with these changes: you either accept them, or you fight them like hell all the way." Harper's eyes are welling up as Benson continues, "Now, please. Come back with us to the station and just take a look at this guy. It's gonna help you more than you know." Harper doesn't want any more help. Benson says to do it for the cops, then, and promises that she'll be with Harper the whole time. Harper takes a deep breath, nods, and says okay. The big tear finally falls. Okay, that scene wiped me out. Both of the actresses kicked ass on that dialogue.
Cellos bring us to the line-up room, and five sandy-haired guys in their thirties walk in. Kenneth Cleary, smug as all get-out, is Number Four. Cragen asks them each to say, "Is this how you like it?" The camera closes in on Cleary's mouth when it's his turn, and he's SO DAMN CREEPY when he says it! Benson is watching Harper intently, like she's sending telepathic messages or something. I guess it didn't work, because Harper just shakes her head. Benson asks if she's sure. Harper's positive he's not there.
Back in the squad room, Benson leads Harper to her desk and they sit down. Harper's hugging her stomach and rocking back and forth. Benson opens a drawer and tells Harper she has something to show her. A very relieved Harper says, "I am so happy he wasn't in there," but stops rocking when Benson holds up the ring. Her eyes get really big and she asks Benson where she got the ring. "From a man you couldn't identify." With an incredibly pained expression, Harper asks, "He was in there?" Benson says she thought so. Harper's face just crumples as she starts to sob. "I always thought that I would recognize the man who did this to me. My mother died a horrible, long death, and I always thought that because of that, you know, that nothing else bad could ever happen to me." She sobs loudly. Benson hugs her and we see that she too is starting to cry. Fade to credits.