Elliot and Olivia returned to the station not too long after Munch and Fin had. They were surprised to find Lenore not at their desks, and even more confused when they were ordered into Captain Craigen’s office on the double.

“What’s going on, Captain?” Elliot demanded, as him and Olivia closed the office door behind them.

“It seems we may have a lead,” Captain Craigen answered. “You may want to sit down for this Elliot.”

“I’m fine standing, thanks,” Elliot replied, though he was wondering just what the heck it was they’d found out.

“It seems Lenore hasn’t been very truthful with us from the start,” Captain Craigen began. “We’ve been informed that she’s been in that area quite a bit recently and hanging out with the gang, when not bragging about being a cop’s kid.”

“She what!?!?” Elliot exclaimed, looking none too happy.

“Captain, are you sure?” Olivia asked. “I mean, is this source reliable?”

“This source is the only one talking,” Captain Craigen replied. “I’m sorry, Elliot. But it seems she’s gotten in with the wrong crowd.”

“She wouldn’t dare!” Elliot stated, not wanting to believe what had been said for a minute. Lenore wouldn’t – she knew better – didn’t she?

“Elliot, she would and did,” Fin piped up. “Why else would she be trying to hide everything and not tell you exactly what happened? She knows how things work around here, and definitely knows how you feel about lying.”

“I’ll kill her!” Elliot growled, turning to go out the door.

“Elliot,” Olivia said, grabbing hold of his arm. “That’s not going to help any.”

“Liv, she knows how I feel about that part of town!” Elliot riposted. “And if scaring her and making her cry is the only way to get her to talk, then dammit, I’ll do it!”

“Elliot, she’s just a kid!” Olivia argued.

“A very dead kid,” Munch muttered aloud.

Elliot turned to glare at the man who had spoken. “Well what the hell do you want me to do? No matter how I ask her about this, it’s guaranteed she’s going to cry, and I’m going to lose my temper – so we might as well just get it over with!”

“He has a point,” Captain Craigen stated. “No matter who questions her, she’s going to cry, because she’ll realize Elliot’s going to know and that she’s in more trouble than ever before. She’s in way over her head and we need to get her out of there, before they take her out – permanently.”

With that said, they all left the office – Elliot and Olivia headed to talk to Lenore, and Munch and find headed to their desk to plan their next point of strategy. Captain Craigen stood in his door way, to make sure things didn’t get too out of hand. Yes, Lenore was technically Elliot’s kid, but because she was his kid, that just may cause him to lose his temper way quicker and way more than ever before.

“Now, where is she?” Elliot wondered aloud, as they neared the desk, only to find that Lenore still wasn’t there.

“Elliot, her knapsack’s gone,” Olivia pointed out. “She wouldn’t have taken it to the bathroom with her if she was headed there.”

Elliot glanced down at his desk and spotted the note - Gone to Ashley’s,

“She’s going to run!” Elliot exclaimed. “Dammit! I’ve got to get home!”

Olivia quickly hurried after Elliot, as he ran out the door fast as he could. The two of them jumped into the car they used while at work, and sped off towards the Stabler household.

Meanwhile, Lenore was at home, throwing things into a suitcase, despite the pain in her ribs and wrist. She was in a hurry, though she was on the phone.

“Ashley, I’ve got to get away from here. Are you sure it’s okay that I come there?”

“Yeah, it’s okay,” Ashley assured her friend. “My Mom said you’re welcome here anytime.”

“And she doesn’t mind paying for the plane ticket?” Lenore checked.

“No, she doesn’t mind,” Ashley replied. “She’s glad you’re coming, so she can finally meet you and maybe I’ll be too busy hanging out with you to talk about you to everyone.”

Lenore laughed. “Well, I talk about you too. I just don’t think Elliot ever pays full attention though.”

“Are you sure he won’t mind you coming out here for a bit?”

“Ashee, don’t worry about me,” Lenore told her friend. “I know how to take care of myself.”

“Okay,” Ashley answered. “But hurry! We can’t have you missing your plane, ‘cause then you wouldn’t be able to come here!”

“You’re lucky I like you,” Lenore teased. “I wouldn’t get on a plane for just anyone.”

“I know,” Ashley smiled, though her friend couldn’t see. “I feel like a Backstreet Boy, ‘cause I know you’d fly anywhere for them.”

Lenore giggled. “But of course! I mean, who wouldn’t fly anywhere for them?”

“True…” Ashley trailed off, agreeing whole-heartedly though. “Does anyone know you’re coming here?”

“Felicia does,” Lenore responded. “And I left Elliot a note, so he knows I’m with you.”

“He doesn’t know where I live though, does he?” Ashley accused.

“No….” Lenore admitted. “But if he did, I wouldn’t be able to visit for very long.”

She glanced at the clock and gave a little shriek. “I’ve got to go Ashee! I’ma miss my flight otherwise! Eep!”

“Gah!” Ashley exclaimed. “We can’t have you miss it! Hurry Lenni! Hurry!”

“I’m hurrying, I’m hurrying,” Lenore muttered, finally throwing her favourite stuffed animal into her carry-on bag. “Okay, see yah soon!”

“Yup. See you soon1” Ashley chirped excitedly. “Love yah!”

“Loves yah! Bye!” Lenore replied, quickly hanging up and grabbing her bags. Once she had her bags, she quickly ran outside and booked it on down to the bus stop, where the bus headed for the airport had just arrived.

“Wait for me! Wait for me!” Lenore screamed, running fast as she could with a knapsack and suitcase. Needless to say, she just barely made it. She’d just taken her seat, when she saw Elliot and Olivia drive by.

“Oh, crap,” she muttered, slouching down in her seat, so as not to be seen. “They’re catching up!”

Elliot and Olivia sped past the bus and quickly pulled into the driveway of Elliot’s house. The two of them jumped out of the car and ran on inside, after having had unlocked the door.

“Lenore! Lenore, are you here?” Elliot called out frantically, as he ran about the house searching for her. “Lenore! Lenore Jolene Parker! You get out here right now, Young Lady!”

“Elliot, she’s not here,” Olivia informed him, coming out Lenore’s bedroom. “Her suitcase is gone and so are a whole bunch of clothes. Did she say how long she planned on staying at her friend’s?”

“No,” Elliot muttered. “All she said was she was going to Ashley’s.”

“Don’t you know where Ashley lives?” Olivia questioned.

“If I did, don’t you think I’d be half way there by now, Liv?” Elliot snapped. “Dammit!

“Well, you don’t have to snap at me!” Olivia snapped back. “I know you’re angry, but you have to not let it control you, Elliot. Especially not right now. Lenore’s life is in danger, and she’s foolishly taken off, just to avoid the consequences of her actions.”

“Which could turn deadly if we don’t find her!” Elliot said angrily. “I know Liv! I know!”

Olivia sighed. “Well, did she ever talk to you about Ashley? Have you even met this girl? Heck, is it even a girl to begin with?”

Elliot groaned. “I don’t know. She rambles all the time, and usually I end up just smiling and nodding because my mind’s on other things.”

“You mean, you never listen to anything she says?” Olivia queried.

“I listen, Liv. Just not one hundred percent all the time,” Elliot replied. “Though, I’m sure she mentioned something about Ashley and some other girl….oh, what was her name. Frannie? Alicia? Lisa? Felicia!”

“Felicia and Ashley?” Olivia repeated. “And let me guess, you’ve never met either of them.”

“No,” Elliot admitted. “I’m usually at work, or we’re arguing about something.”

Olivia shook her head. “And yet, you get mad at all the parents we meet who don’t listen to their kids.”

“Enough, Liv!” Elliot yelled, slamming his fist down upon the kitchen counter. “Now, just let me think a minute.”

Both were silent, as they tried to figure out what Lenore had done before running off to see her friend.

“Now, she would’ve come in, in a panic,” Elliot began. “So she would’ve been just throwing things into her knapsack and suitcase – because that’s how she packs unless I make her re-pack. Not that we’ve gone away anywhere recently, I just know that from past experiences.”

Olivia nodded. “Okay…So she’s panicking, but maybe she called her friend? Maybe her friend didn’t even know she was comin until last minute.”

Elliot quickly moved to check the phone’s caller ID, frowning when he saw that no-incoming calls were displayed, but one. “Liv, isn’t this, the area code for where that kid Lenore saw killed, was found?”

Olivia looked and nodded. “Yeah, I think it is.”

“Shit!” Elliot said. “This is not good! If they know where I live, they could very well be trailing Lenore, without her knowing it!”

“Elliot, we need to find out where Ashley lives first, before we go out after the perps who are more than likely trailing Lenore,” Olivia reminded him. “We find Ashley, we find Lenore.”

Elliot handed the phone to Olivia. “Call the station, and see if there’s anyway we can find out about all the calls made to and from my house in the past two days. She had to have planned this for more than a day.”

Olivia nodded, and called the station to see what she could find out. Elliot, meanwhile, went to search Lenore’s room for more clues the panicked girl had probably left.

“Now, I know I’ve heard her talk about Ashley and Felicia before,” Elliot mused, as he began to sift through papers on Lenore’s computer desk. He glanced at each one casually, stopping when he finally found one with two names and two phone numbers on it. “Liv! I think I’ve got something!”

Olivia came in, the cordless phone to her ear. “I think I’ve got something too.”

“I got phone numbers,” Elliot stated, holding up the scrap piece of paper. “For Ashley and Felicia both.”

Olivia paused, listening to whoever was on the other end of the phone for a minute, then spoke. “And I’ve got locations.”