ST. ANNE'S MEDICAL CENTER
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
THURSDAY, JULY 24
The corridors of the hospital are busy, with nurses and doctors in their white outfits, as well as patients in various types of clothes, moving around.
Among the visitors to the hospital are New York Police Detectives Odafin Tutuola and Sam Bullard of the Manhattan Special Victims Unit, a unit that investigates allegations of sex crimes. They are both dressed in suits.
The two detectives reach a room identified by a sign titled "Maternity Ward". There are visitor seated in the waiting area, some of them mothers with newborn infants. Posters adorn the white walls, all providing advice on how to care for newborn infants.
Fin shows his badge to a white-clad nurse sitting behind a desk at the nurse's station. The nurse leads the two detectives to one of the rooms, after they all wiped their hands with hand sanitizer from one of the dispensers mounted on the wall.
A blond-haired woman, clad in a casual blouse and knee-length skirt, stands by the door.
"Heather Fitzmaurice," she says as soon as Tutuola and Bullard show their badges. "Director of the Angels Pediatric Nursing Center."
"Could you tell us what happened?" asks Fin.
"It's a bit complicated. I run a nursing facility for severely disabled children. We do our best to alleviate their suffering, but sometimes we lose. We..we lost Claire Duffield maybe an hour ago." Fitzmaurice wipes a tear from her cheek. "It's just so sad when someone dies at such a young age. But I happened to feel something moving in her stomach. Itwas a baby. We managed to get her here…there was an emergency C-section. He was a boy. A perfectly healthy boy. He's with his grandparents."
The two detectives look through the door and see a couple, the man sporting red hair and the woman dark hair, both appearing to be in their late forties to early fifties, cradling an infant.
"And you don't know who the father is," says Bullard.
"No. Claire wasn't able to go out on her own, and the boys living in the center were in no position to go and sneak into her room on their own either. I think she was raped."
"Listen," Sam says to Heather in a soft tone, looking into her eyes. "You did your best. There's no doubt you are dedicated to those kids. Now let us do our best so we can catch the pervert who did this."
He and fin enter the room to talk to the Duffields.
"We're sorry for your loss, Mr. and Mrs. Duffield," says Fin. "I have a son myself."
"And I lost my boy three years ago," says Sam.
"Claire's passing was peaceful," says Mrs. Duffield. "We did our best to make her comfortable,. It was the only thing we could do for her for her entire life."
"Why was she in the nursing center?"
"Claire had disabilities since birth. She could not walk or talk, and had to be fed through a tube. There was no hope of her getting better, no hope of her having a normal life."
"I understand," replies Detective Bullard. "We all want the best life for our kids."
Mrs. Bullard holds her grandson. "At least a part of her still lives on. Maybe he will have a better life than his mother ever could."
"Did Claire have any visitors aside from the staff?" asks Detective Tutuola.
"Just us," says Mr. Duffield.
Fin walks out of the room and speaks with Fitzmaurice. "We'll need copies of Claire's medical records, as well as the names of those who would have had access to Claire in the past year or so."
"I'll be happy to cooperate," replies Fitzmaurice.
Ooooooooo
ANGELS PEDIATRIC NURSING CENTER
Fin and Sam walk through the corridors of the nursing center. The lobby had a waiting room with plush leather seats, magazines and newspapers on a table, and a vending machine with various drinks. The nurse's station looked similar to that of the ones in St. Anne's. The place, while clean, does not have as antiseptic a feel as the hospital.
The two SVU detectives walk past a young man in a tan short pushing a cart packed with canisters. Heather Fitzmaurice leads them to an office. It looks like a typical office, with desks and file cabinets and various office equipment, such as computers and monitors and printers.
"Here is where we do all the paperwork needed to keep this place running," says Fitzmaurice. "Jackie, could you make copies of the staff and volunteer files for the two detectives here."
"Sure, it'll take a few minutes" replies Jackie, a woman in her early twenties wearing a short skirt and blouse. She goes to a computer on top of one of the desks and soon a laser printer at the far end prints out sheets of paper.
"Here are the files for all of the staff as well as registered volunteers," says Jackie, taking the papers from the printer and handing them to Detective Bullard. "The staff files have full information including employment history and address; the volunteer files only have names, telephone numbers, dates of birth, addresses, and expiration dates."
"We require volunteers to register," says Heather. "We require names, phone numbers, even fingerprints. We do not allow volunteers convicted of sex offenses nor domestic violence. We require reregistration after one year, to do a background check and see if anything new comes up."
Minutes later, Fin and Sam walk outside towards the Ford Crown Victoria that they use on official business.
"Any thoughts on your first deployment?" asks Fin.
"Still trying to get used to it," answers Sam. "I want to help kids. Ever since my son died, I'm trying to find a purpose. I hope that me being with SVU helps that."
"I can't imagine how it feels."
"Anyway, we do have little baby Duffield. If we ran DNA on all staff and volunteers, we can at least exclude them, if we don't find the culprit among them."
Oooooooooo
NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT PRECINCT 16
SPECIAL VICTIMS' UNIT SQUAD ROOM
"And that is everything," says Fin. "Every staff member, every volunteer. The database returned about three DUI's and one ten-year-old conviction for misdemeanor petty theft, but no sex offenses, not even peeing against a wall."
"All we have to do is get DNA from all male staff and volunteers," says Bullard.
"That could be a bit difficult," says SVU commander Sergeant Olivia Benson, sitting at a table inside the quad room with the other detectives from the Special Victims Unit. "I can call Barba for a warrant. Then again, there are so many people to test and even if we get the perp's DNA, he might be halfway across the country by the time testing is done."
"Sergeant, we got to catch this predator," says Sam. "He preyed on defenseless kids!"
"Sam," says Fin, "I agree. But you and I both agree that we would rather see him in Rikers than on America's Most Wanted.
"Detective Bullard, if you can come with me," says Benson.
The two of them enter a private office which has a desk and some file cabinets. The detective sergeant sits down behind her desk.
"I know about what happened with your son," she says. "Angels was where your son was cared for."
"They cared for him all his life, helped me and Donna with the burden," replies Sam. "That was where he died, peacefully, with those who loved him.
"Heather Fitzmaurice is a living saint. She dedicated her life to my son and those other children, making sure they don't suffer. And now what am I hearing? Some creep hurt one of these defenseless children? How long has he been doing this? What if…"
Detective Bullard contemplates the past week. He had transferred to SVU as a temporary replacement when a detective position in the unit became open. He recalls his first meeting with Sergeant Benson.
"I can't make any promises," the sergeant had said, "but it looks like we might keep you."
"I'll do my best," said Bullard.
The detective looks at the SVU squad leader. "I know that my judgment might be clouded in this case," he says.
"Don't worry. You have Fin for a partner."
"By the way, I heard about you taking in a foster son."
"Noah. His name's Noah."
"You're like Heather-someone who wants to relieve children's suffering. I think I'd like to work with your team."
Oooooooooo
ANGELS PEDIATRIC NURSING CENTER
SATURDAY, JULY 26
"Some of you must be wondering why you all had to come here for an emergency meeting, especially on a Saturday," says Heather Fitzmaurice.
Over three dozen people, some in nurses' outfits, others in casual clothes, are all gathered in a large room on the first floor. The room is used as a community center for the patients. Movies are often shown on a large television set. A shelf contains children's books. There had been birthday parties in this room, a practice expected to continue.
"A patient of ours was raped," continues Fitzmaurice.
She stays silent for a few seconds to let those words sink in. Confused murmurs quickly arise from the staff and volunteers gathered in the room.
"I promised full cooperation into this rape investigation. I invited the NYPD here to swab your cheeks for DNA. I have been assured there will be no legal repercussions for if you refuse to comply. If any of you do not want to provide a swab, the police will not stop you.
"But if you refuse to provide a swab, you will no longer be welcome here."
New York City Police Crime Scene Technicians, clad in black pants and black T-shirts and latex gloves, use cotton swabs to swan the mouths of each person in the room, carefully recording the names and taking pictures with smart phones. Detectives Tutuola and Bullard keep watch.
When that is done, the two SVU detectives walk through the facility. Bullard leads Tutuola to a room. The open door reveals a small room with a bed and a table with a stuffed bear on top.
"That was where my boy died," says Sam. "I wish I could have done something better."
"I'm sorry," replies Fin.
"I can only hope where he is now, he is laughing and running and playing."
"That was also where Claire Duffield died," says Fitzmaurice, joining the two detectives. "At least we saved the baby."
Oooooooo
BULLARD RESIDENCE
QUEENS, NEW YORK
Sam Bullard lies in his bed, shrouded in darkness. Memories of his first case with the Special Victims Unit still play.
He had, of course, been told of what sort of cases that the Special Victims Unit handles. He had excellent performance evaluations, which without a doubt was the reason why he was reassigned to SVU as a temporary replacement- with the possibility of a permanent assignment. He recalls his first meeting with Sergeant Benson, and being introduced to Detectives Tutuola and Rollins.
And yet…
"Anything wrong?" asks his wife Donna.
"My first case with SVU took me back to Angels. I still miss him."
"We have to be strong for our living children," says his wife.
More memories surface. Memories of doctor's visits, memories of being told that his son would never walk, never talk, never eat, require constant care. It was as if he had been born at the end of his life. Sam was glad that the boy was able to spend one of his final days in Central Park with parents and brothers and sisters.
Tears flow down his cheeks as he closes his eyes.
oooooooo
SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT SQUAD ROOM
MONDAY, JULY 28
"Miss Fitzmaurice called our office and told us that they were requiring their volunteers and staff to provide DNA samples to us," says Sergeant Olivia Benson. "In no way did we coerce her. In fact, she was eager to cooperate."
"It could still put us in a precarious position," says Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba. "If the DNA from one of these people is matched with the Duffield baby and I prosecute, the defendant could have a plausible case of a 4th Amendment violation and get the DNA evidence thrown out. You did not have warrants."
"We did not force them to provide the samples," says Amanda Rollins, a detective with SVU. "They were free to leave. Their employer was making them do it, not us."
"And a defense attorney would argue that you pressured the nursing center to require the employees to provide the DNA samples," Barba points out. "It will be a messy suppression hearing."
"I doubt all of the volunteers were there Saturday," says Benson. "Some former volunteers must have ceased volunteering for various reasons."
"There was a nurse on staff who wasn't there," says Fin. "And for good reason. He's a lieutenant in the Navy Nurse Corps Reserve and was deployed in a sub two months ago. I did contact NCIS and told them we'd be sending a DNA sample from the Duffield baby to compare with the lieutenant's DNA on file."
"Good work, Fin," says the SVU sergeant. "Make sure the Navy runs that test." She speaks to the rest of the squad. "In the meantime, let us take a closer look at the registered volunteers who didn't show up, as well as the visitor logs for the past year."
Oooooooo
THURSDAY, JULY 31
"Crime lab has confirmed," Detective Tutuola announces to the others in the squad room. "None of the samples could have come from the father of the Duffield baby."
"The trail's gone cold," says Detective Bullard. He recalls hearing that NCIS came up with a negative match for the DNA sample sent to them.
What's next?