"The state calls Detective Olivia Benson," said Alex.

Olivia let go of Gavin's hand. "I'll be back in a sec, okay?"

The little boy nodded and Olivia stepped up to the witness stand. She sat down.

"Detective Benson," began Alex. "When did you first meet Gavin Carlisle?"

"Two days ago," she replied.

"What happened?"

"His parents had called and filed a runaway report. We located him at a subway station. I took him back to the station. He was reluctant to talk at first. He was frightened because his parents had always told him how bad police officers were and it took a bit of time for him to trust me, but eventually he told me about this 'punishment cage' that his parents put him in when he misbehaved. He told me that he didn't run away, but his father had been angry with him for doing something every five-year-old does. He hadn't wanted to finish his vegetables at dinner, so his father wanted to put him in the cage. He refused and so his father dropped his five-year-old son off and Central Park and told him if he couldn't take his punishment like a man he would have to leave."

"What happened then?"

"Gavin was tired. He asked me if he could spend the night at my place. I agreed. In the middle of the night, I woke up and found him crying. Gavin was in the laundry room, washing his sheets and pajamas. He'd wet his bed and was cleaning up. When I walked in, he put his hands over his head and started screaming for me not to hit him. He was afraid of me. At first, I thought he was just dreaming, but it was more than that. He was terrified of something. In the end, he explained to me what happened when he wet the bed at home. Apparently, his parents told him that wetting the bed was for babies and he had to be punished every time he did it. He told me how they spanked him – with belts, their fists, even an electrical cord! He told me how they locked him in the basement, how they fed him soap and hot sauce, for the littlest things! I asked him where they hit him and he said everywhere. Then he started crying. He was scared that his parents would find out he'd talked and beat him again. That was it."

"Did you see any of Gavin's injuries?"

"Yes. There were huge red welts and bruises all over his body, in various stages of healing."

"Thank you, Detective," said Alex. She turned to the defense attorney, Roger Kressler. "Your witness."

Kressler approached the witness stand. "Detective Benson, could you say for sure that Gavin's injuries were inflicted by his father?"

"Well, that's what he said, and most abused kids don't lie."

"Gavin Carlisle has a history of acting out and making things up for attention."

"Like that his father beat him?"

"He also accused his father of sexual abuse a year ago. When CPS came to interview him, he denied the claims."

Olivia's heart jumped and she stared at Gavin.

"Detective?"

She found her voice. "Many victims of abuse deny it when confronted because they're scared of what their abuser will do."

"So you're saying that Mr. Carlisle did rape his son?"

"I'm saying that you can't say with certainty that Gavin made this up and acting out is a common characteristic of abused children, so your 'evidence' means nothing. Four-year-olds don't generally lie about sexual abuse."

"Exactly. That's precisely my point. This is proof how emotionally unstable the boy is."

"Objection!" said Alex, standing. She had been watching this tennis match with interest, but now she'd had enough. "Is there a question there?"

"Withdrawn. No further questions."

"The state calls Medical Examiner Melinda Warner," said Alex.

Dr. Warner sat down in the witness stand.

"Dr. Warner, did you examine Gavin Carlisle?"

"Yes," she replied.

"What were your findings?" asked Alex.

"There were red welts on his back, bruises on his ribs and stomach, and bruises on his back. I have never seen a worse case of abuse in my life. They were in various stages of healing – yellow, black, purple, blue."

"Thank you, Dr. Warner. Your witness."

"The defense has no questions for this witness."

Olivia squeezed Gavin's hand and smiled to herself. Obviously even Kressler, the slithering snake, realized how undisputable the forensics were.

"The state calls Gavin Carlisle."

Gavin turned white. "Olivia, I don't want to do this."

"You can do this, Gavin," Olivia assured him. "Just like we practiced."

"But Mommy and Daddy are here!"

"They can't hurt you now," she reminded the little boy. "How's this? You just look at me, okay? Pretend your mommy and daddy aren't even there. There's just me and Alex. You remember Alex."

"Yes," replied Gavin reluctantly. "She's nice."

"She is. Now you go on up there and show me what a big boy you are."

Gavin let go of Olivia's hand and made his way to the witness stand. Alex lifted him up into the chair. "Hello, Gavin," she said.

"Hi," he whispered.

"How old are you, Gavin?"

"Five."

"Do you go to school, Gavin?"

"Yeah. I'm in kindergarten."

"Gavin, can you tell everyone why you ran away?"

He glanced at Olivia. "Daddy was mad at me because I was bad and he wanted to put me in the cage, but I didn't want to go. So he told me to get out. He dropped me off at Central Park."

"What's 'the cage'?"

"It's where I go if I'm bad. It's a cage like you put doggies in."

"A kennel?"

"Yeah."

"Did your parents ever hurt you, Gavin?"

He looked right into Alex's eyes. "Yes."

"Could you tell the court what happens if you wet the bed?"

"I get spanked."

"How do your parents punish you if you misbehave?"

"They make me have soap or hot sauce sometimes. Or they spank me. Or they put me in the cage or the basement."

"Thank you, Gavin. No further questions."

Kressler walked up to the little boy. He shrank back. "Gavin, do you know the difference between a truth and a lie?"

"Yes."

"Is what you told Detective Benson about your father a truth or a lie?"

He hesitated. "The truth."

"Was what you told your teacher about your father touching you the truth or a lie?"

Gavin looked at the ground. "The truth."

"Are you sure about that? Because then what you told to the social worker was a lie."

"I don't know."

"Did your father touch your penis, Gavin?"

"Yes."

"While you were in the bath?"

"Sometimes."

"Did he bathe you?"

"Yes."

"That's normal, fatherly behavior," said Kressle.r. "So you just misinterpreted your father's intentions, is that it?"

Gavin began to cry. "I don't know!"

"No further questions."

"You may step down," said the judge.

The little boy jumped off the stand and ran toward Olivia. He climbed into her lap and she stroked his hair comfortingly. "It's over, sweetie. You're safe. It's okay now. You did a good job. You were very, very brave."

He sighed and buried his head in Olivia's chest. "Can I stay with you again tonight?"

Olivia held him close. "Of course."