So Many Questions

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Chapter 2

In the conference room, a timidly bruised Laura McMasters just confessed to Carisi and Rollins that she had thoughts of shooting her husband. And the instant the words came out, she instantly regretted it.

"No, that came out wrong!" Laura looked scared again, "I didn't mean that! Of course I wouldn't shoot my husband! I-I wasn't thinking right..." she looked absolutely miserable, "Coming here was a mistake. I...should go..."

Laura began to get up.

Carisi put his hand out to delay her, "Just hoooold on, there, now,Mrs. McMasters. Let's just cool our jets a bit. We're not here to upset you, Mrs. McMasters."

"Detective Carisi is right," Amanda concurred, "Just...have a seat and let's start over again with our talk, okay?"

Laura considered their words. She then lowered herself as Carisi and Rollins both look relieved. She then decisively shook her head, "I'll stay, but... I don't want to talk about...what we just talked about. C-Can we talk about something else?"

Carisi and Rollins exchanged looks.

"Yeah, suure, we can do that..." Carisi nodded.. He next casually asked, "so, ...do you...have any kids?"

Laura seem to relax as she glanced Carisi's way and gave him a half-smile.

"Two," she stated, "Christopher, my son, is 14, and Caroline, my daughter, is 17. They'll great kids."

She then went on to talk a little about the kids, which was making Amanda impatient again. After what she felt was the appropriate time, Amanda veered the topic back to why Laura McMasters was here.

"Your children sound wonderful...," Amanda began and then added, "and did they also witness when you got that bruise on your eye?"

Laura's eye's widened. Carisi shot Amanda a look.

"I told you," Laura snapped, "I don't want to talk about that night!"

Amanda quickly put it in perspective of Laura's kids, "Look, I only asked because we need to know if your children were witness to something they shouldn't have; if you had put them in danger."

Laura's eyes were getting watery again as she stubbornly shook her head, "I would never put them in danger! Never!"

The detectives were getting nowhere with her.

"Yeah, sure, Mrs. McMasters," Carisi tried a non-accusatory approach, "Then how 'bout you answer just this one question about Jack for us? We just need to know one thing about him"

Laura took a deep breath, "Alright. Ask."

"Last night when your husband confronted you, is that the only mark he left on you? Any other bruises?" Carisi inquired and then to make it easy for her, "and if you don't want to say outloud...just point."

Laura thought about the request. She sat up, as if that would help maintain her dignity

"H-here...," she shakily indicated her shoulder with her index finger, and then she pointed to her stomach, "and here."

Carisi nodded, then cautiously questioned, "I bet it's not the first time he's done that. He's hit you before, hasn't he?"

Laura scrunched up her face as if she were trying not to cry. She nodded as new tears surfaced. It made Carisi reach into his jacket for some folded tissues and he handed them to her. Laura silently accepted them and blotted her tears.

"Thank you."

Carisi gently asked, "You know that you didn't deserve that, right?"

"Yes," she nodded. Her voice came out almost like a whispter, "I'm no fool."

"We know you're not," Carisi acknowledged, "So, what happened that caused him to hit you this last time?"

Laura shook her head. When she looked at Carisi, her tears had been wiped away and she had a defiant look.

"Does it really matter the reasons why?" she bitterly asked, "I'm sure you've heard the story of an abused wife before. The kids aren't quiet enough, the meal isn't hot tonight, or the house is always so messy..." she sniffed, "the reasons are always small but the hurtings are always big."

The detectives were definitely making headway.

Amanda then asked, "Did the kids witness any of what your husband did to you this last time, Mrs. McMasters?"

When Laura slowly turned Amanda's way, she had a defiant look.

"I told you...I don't want to involve them!"

"We understand," Carisi jumped in, "but we are trying to safeguard your children. They deserve to be protected."

For the children.

Laura McMaster guiltily looked down and mumbled her answer.

"He's never touched them that way, but they were... there... with us...when we argued last night. They saw what he did to me." Her fingers played with the crumbled up tissue in her hands, "I-I didn't mean for them to see anything."

"Of course you didn't," Carisi consoled.

I just hope.." she shook her head sadly, "I just hope that they don't hate him..for what he did to me."

"They'll recover from this," Amanda sagely stated, "Kids can love their parents even though they hate what they do. Kids are resilient that way."

"Really? And you know this for a fact, Detective?" Laura sounded harsh as she looked Amanda's way, "And how many teenagers do you have, Detective?"

Amanda didn't skip a beat, "Unfortunately, I've heard and seen enough teenagers in abused households to know that as a fact, Mrs. McMasters. You were right to come here. We can help them through an ordeal like this."

Laura didn't seem to appreciate the offering to help her children as she stiffly stood.

"I assure you there's no ordeal to deal with!" she sounded defensive, "I should just go; It'll be dinnertime soon. And Jack is always hungry the minute he steps in the doorway. I shouldn't have come here!"

She picked up her purse as Carisi and Rollins also stood.

Amanda warned, "Maybe facing your husband isn't the best thing for you to do tonight."

"Detective Rollins is right," Carisi agreed, "the situation could be volatile. Do you have somewhere else you and the kids can go tonight?"

She shook her head, "No. Nowhere."

"You and your children can go to a shelter," Amanda quickly suggested, "we have a good one that we can recommend for the three of you. There are good counselors there who can help all three of you, and your husband will never know the location. You and the kids will be safe."

"A shelter? NO!" Laura defiantly shook her head, as defiance filled her eyes again, "We do NOT need to leave the house! I knew you wouldn't understand my situation!" her eyes flashed before she calmed down again, "my husband, Jack...he's...a good man...most of the time...He p-provides for us. It's just...I should go!"

She started for the door, but Carisi had one more question for her.

"Wait! Mrs. McMasters, did you drive here?"

Laura turned back around, "Pardon?"

"I mean...you're a bit shaken up, and I wouldn't advise you to drive," Carisi spoke faster than usual, "And if you took the bus to get here, it would be a long ride home. The least I could do is to offer my services and drive you home..."

She considered his offer.

"I took the subway, but..." she hesitated but then gave him a grateful smile, "driving me home. Yes... that would be nice if you could drive me home. Thank you."

"I'll come, too," Amanda piped in.

The brightness in Laura's eyes disappeared and she mumbled to Carisi.

"I don't think I'll need two detectives."

But again, Amanda had heard it.

"Not sure your husband would appreciate you being driven home by a male officer," Amanda countered, well aware of other cases with abusive, jealous husbands .

Carisi got her point, "Maybe it's best I don't even go...perhaps Detective Rollins can just driv-"

"No!" Laura quickly interjected as she calmly added, "the two of you will be fine."

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After dropping Laura off at her home, Rollins and Carisi were driving back to the precinct. Rollins was behind the wheel while Carisi on the passenger side as they waited for the light to change.

"So what did you think about Mrs. McMasters?" Carisi asked as he looked out the window at the traffic.

"There were two things I noticed about her," Amanda observed.

"What's that?"

"One, I think she's scared, and two," she looked directly at him, "she's taken a liking to you."

It was a green light and she proceeded forward as once again, while Carisi fumbled about with a response.

"You couldn't be more wrong about the second part, Rollins," Carisi stated with certainty, "Besides, she's a married woman...with a husband."

Amanda rolled her eyes. Sometimes Carisi could be so naive.

"And your point?" she cynically asked.

"My point is..." Carisi commented, "is that she is an abused woman who needs help."

Amanda had to admit that part was certainly true.

Yet, why had it bothered her so much what Laura McMasters thought of Carisi?

"Yeah, Laura McMasters does need help, I agree with you there," Amanda concurred, "She's the type that's looking for a knight in shining armor to save her."

The implication was clear and Carisi glanced over Amanda's way with a strange look on his face, as if she were growing pineapples out of her ears. Then he shook his head.

"Rollins, I just don't get you sometimes," he announced.

Amanda was puzzled in herself as well. Ever since the appearance of that McMasters woman, Amanda has been feeling out of sorts with Carisi. The more attention the other woman paid Carisi, the more it bothered Amanda.

And so they rode in silence the rest of the way to the precinct.

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It was late at night in Carisi's tiny apartment. Although he was reading the news on his laptop, his mind wasn't really concentrating on the words.

He was reflecting back earlier at catching Rollins staring at him...it was like he was the prized pig at a fair. And then her later comments about Laura McMasters possible attraction to him had almost bordered on being jealous.

Had he imagined all that?

Buzz!Buzz!

His eyes shot over to the ringing of his cellphone. Grabbing it, he saw from the ID it was from the Lieutenant. A late night call from her was never a good thing. He pushed the button and placed the phone to his ear.

"Carisi here."

"Carisi," Olivia stated in her usual businesslike way, "I know it's late, but I'm calling about that abused victim you spoke with earlier today."

The hairs on the back of Carisi's neck stood straight up.

"Yeah, Laura McMasters," he acknowledged and then tentatively asked, "Uh, she's alright, isn't she?"

Olivia didn't mince words, "It's best you get over here to her place as fast as you can."

Uh-oh

"Lieu, is she...?"

"She's fine," the Lieutenant quickly answered, "but this call is regarding her husband, Jack McMasters."

Carisi scowled, "What about him?"

He heard a sigh from Olivia's end.

"Jack McMasters was found shot to death at his home tonight," she bluntly reported.

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