Chapter Seven – Cold Light Of Morning

Catherine peeped around the corner, doing her best to eavesdrop without looking too obvious. Dr. Oliver was working her magic on Rochelle Marr, but their voices were far too quiet for Catherine to hear. So she put into practice what Grissom had taught her over the years, watching their body language as they spoke. Rochelle Marr was beautiful, there was no doubting that. Her dead straight brown hair brushed her slim shoulders, her pretty, round face deadpan as she listened to Dr. Oliver. Her suit was an off shade of burgundy and hugged each of her soft curves, showing off her slim legs and narrow waist. She was not happy with the situation that she was faced with; Catherine didn't need Grissom to tell her that. Rochelle had her arms firmly crossed over her chest and her high-heeled foot tapped impatiently. Dr. Oliver was the absolute opposite. Her hands moved in the air as she spoke, her feet planted firmly on the floor. They spoke for another ten minutes before Rochelle moved back into the interview room with her client. Catherine slipped out from her hiding place, tapping Dr. Oliver on the shoulder. The Dr. turned, giving her a small smile.

"Miss Willow's, I suppose you heard some of that lovely exchange?"

"Call me Catherine and no I didn't. What was Rochelle so bent out of shape about?"

"I was telling her about how I wish to conduct this interview and she did not appreciate the fact that I want her client left out of the loop over what I plan to ask"

"Oh I see."

"She also resented the fact that I am not an expert on Munchausen's"

"You'll be hard pressed to find anyone who is. It's too much of a rare disorder."

"Exactly. However I've done a lot of research since you brought this case to my attention and I think I have it more then covered."

Catherine nodded before handing Dr. Oliver a thick file.

"It's the pictures that you requested as well as the medical background on Savannah herself from when she was initially diagnosed."

Dr. Oliver took the file and skimmed through it briefly, her blue eyes shifting back and forth behind her glasses.

"Thank you Catherine, this is exactly what I needed. Is Laura Barnes going to be here for the interview?"

"She'll be here shortly. Do you want me to tell you when she comes?"

"No, I'll talk to her when I've finished with Savannah. If I'm interrupted, it'll give her time to think of answers she didn't have before we started."

"Ok then, let's get started."

Catherine slipped into the listening booth that sat next to the interview room, watching as Dr. Oliver worked silently. First she silently placed pictures in front of Savannah. Pictures that documented Emmanuel's short life, the one's that came from his autopsy and the others that showed pictures of those that had been hurt and killed by Savannah previously. She then sat down; her hands flat on the table, her voice smooth, slow and steady as she finally began to speak.

"How old were you when William died?"

Savannah didn't even look at the pictures, her eyes locking onto Dr. Oliver's.

"I was seven"

"Do you remember how it happened?"

"Yes"

"Care to tell me?"

"He suffocated"

"How?"

Savannah scowled.

"I'm sure you've read the report and anything else that you need, so why should I tell you?"

"I have read the reports but I want to hear it from you"

Savannah sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"He rolled over and suffocated on his blankets"

"Did you used to hold him a lot?"

"A little, yes"

"So you loved him?"

"As much as a older sibling can love a younger."

"Did you enjoy holding him?"

"Yes. I used to pretend her was my doll"

"Is that why you shook him?"

"What?"

"Your father managed to silence many people, including the coroner who preformed the autopsy on your brother. He had a broken neck and all the classic signs of shaken baby syndrome."

Savannah's face moved from one of confusion, to a soft almost innocent look.

"He was crying so much."

"So what did you do?"

"Jiggled him like my father did. He finally stopped and I put him back into bed."

"But you bounced him too hard didn't you?"

"No I didn't. He went back to sleep. I didn't hurt him. Someone else did"

"What about little Emmanuel?"

"My son was killed by his aunt."

Catherine's beeper went off at that point and she slipped from the room, her head spinning. The cold, careless way that Savannah discussed her brother's death was terrifying.

"Catherine, how are you?"

Laura Barnes pulled Catherine into a quick hug, her face spread in a wide smile. Catherine had run into Laura plenty of times in the last few years and they occasionally caught up for coffee or dinner. Laura was the opposite of the slick, sophisticated Rochelle Marr. She was a fantastic lawyer but she also had a family and kept them as her top priority. She did heaps of pro bono work, helping those without much money in getting homes and parents in need of child support from a runaway spouse.

"Hey Laura, how are the kids and that fantastic husband of yours?"

Laura smoothed out her suit with well manicured hands.

"Bruce is fine. He's gotten a much better paying job at the new firm downtown. He's got a new Lexus and a $150,000 a year increase. Plus he gets incredible benefits that cover him as well as the kids and I"

"Wow! Nice job then?"

"He loves it! He comes home at dinner time and has time in the mornings to have breakfast with the kids, which is what he was most concerned about. He thought that his new job would take him away from home completely."

"That's great. And the kids?"

"Stella just got into the cheerleading squad, Lacey has her first boyfriend and Max has just started school. It's all go"

Catherine and Laura continued to chat as they walked down the hall and into an empty interview room.

"So what do you know about this case Laura?"

"I spent all week researching and investigating the entire case."

"So you're ready to file if Dr. Oliver decides she's faking?"

"More then ready"

Laura took off her suit jacket and Catherine realized for the first time that her friend had lost a lot of weight since she had last seen her, not that Laura had ever been big to begin with, but over the last few months, she had been dropping the weight that she had put on when she was pregnant with Max.

"You are looking good girl"

"Thank you! You don't look have bad yourself"

Catherine smiled before sitting down across from Laura and laying out the files that she had with her.

"I have come across one huge issue Cath"

"What?"

"There are only four hundred noted cases in total for Munchausen's. Considering those numbers, proving it is actual actual disorder may prove difficult."

"So what are our legal options?"

"Jail time or institutionalization"

Catherine sighed heavily.

"I don't see daddy wanting her to do jail time. If he can keep a whole town quiet as well as a coroner, I don't see him having any trouble keeping her from jail"

"I figured as much. I rung around and managed to track down a place in Canada for people like Savannah. They research disorders that are unrecognized by courts and society in general"

"Like the Vidorian Institute? All padded walls, controversial practices and doped up patients?"

"Not quite. They observe their patients. She will become a part of an ongoing experiment. I rung the institute and explained the situation. A case like Savannah Cooper's could bust Munchausen's wide open."

"As much as I want her to serve time for what she has done, how does advertising a disorder like this help? Lawyers are going to jump all over this as a way to defend their clients when they hurt their children out of nothing but malice"

"Some could be said about the baby blues. If someone had not drawn attention to that, what would happen to all the young mothers out there who have issues?"

"In a much worse state"

"Exactly. It needs to start somewhere and Savannah may be that starting point."

"What kind of time will she get for this?"

"Jail, 10-15 years, and as for the institute she may be looking at life. Another thing I learned was that people who suffer from Munchausen's are in serious denial about their actions. She will never admit to what she has done"

"This means that she's going away for a long time, regardless."

"Which is what we want"

"What about if she has more kids?"

"The court will take them away"

Catherine gnawed the inside of her cheek as she thought. It was a horrible habit she slipped into every once and awhile. If she was confused or seriously annoyed. This time, she was a little of both.

"So tell me about this place in Canada"

Laura smiled as she handed Catherine another file.

"It's called The Maccrae Institute. They have some of the most amazing cases there. Including one that you should be familiar with."

"And that would be?"

"Prada-Willi Syndrome"

"Oh yeah, the uncontrollable urge to eat. What else?"

"Pica syndrome which is when the sufferer has urges to eat things that are not food, like saw dust, paint chips and paper. Ortharexia nervosa, which is when the person wants only pure foods. They even have a couple of girls there who killed their parents while they were sleep walking"

"I thought the sleep walking thing was finally recognized?"

"By jurors but not by the court. Trials have been dismissed because the jurors have believed them but if it was to come before a judge, they would charge them properly with murder."

"Which is what will happen with Savannah"

"If Dr. Oliver can truly determine that she does indeed prove that Savannah suffers from Munchausen's, I will put forward an offer she can not refuse"

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because despite how brilliant Rochelle Marr thinks she is, all the jury will see is a dead baby and the children that proceeded him. Emmanuel is the key to locking his mother up"

"We just need to wait and see what Dr. Oliver says after the interview. Munchausen's or no Munchausen's , Savannah is going to pay for what she did to her son"

Sara kept the search warrant in her hand, not daring to put it on her pocket. She remained silent as Grissom drove, the excitement bubbling in her veins. This is exactly what they had needed to finally get a warrant for Charlie Goddard's home, a way to find the evidence that would link her to Sophia Jones death. Then there were the long standing consequences for Amy. She was shuttled into foster care because of this and Sara felt the horrible, distinct urge for revenge. She didn't normally feel this way about a case, usually it was the need for justice that drove her, nothing else. This was different though. Perhaps she felt too much about Amy, perhaps Grissom had been right in trying to pull her off the case. Either way, she needed this. So much so that it sat heavy on the back of her throat and it had the same sweet-sour tang that blood had when a scene was loaded with it, the molecules floating through the air.

"Sara, you ok?"

"Fine."

"You sure"

Sara looked over at him, doing her best to glare but she just couldn't. He was being so nice and gentle with her, treating her like a china doll. She may not need that kind of concern, she may not deserve it but Grissom was still offering it.

"Grissom, if there was a problem I would tell you"

"No you wouldn't."

Sara could not help herself, she began to laugh. It was completely true, not even remotely funny, but she laughed anyway. And it was a nice difference to the seriously grey cloud that had been hanging over her lately. After the laughter had finally stopped, she felt lighter.

"You have a nice laugh. It's a shame that you don't do it more often"

Sara turned in her seat slightly, focusing on his profile.

"Tell you what, after this case is over and done with we go to a movie marathon that I've been wanting to see. Then you'll see me laugh"

"What movie marathon is that?"

"Jim Carrey"

Grissom didn't like Jim Carrey but there was no way in the world that he was going to say no. An offer to sit in the dark with Sara, sharing popcorn and watching her laugh, that was an offer he was not about to argue against.

"Sounds like fun. When the case is over right?"

"Only when the case is over. That way I'll have a reason to laugh"

Grissom would have offered her a smile but a small frown had settled on her face and so he kept his smile to himself and concentrated on his driving. Sara didn't speak again until they had pulled up the drive. They got out of the car and collected their kits from the back and headed towards the house. Sara exchanged a glance with Charlie as they walked past her and her father. They had been shuttled outside by Brass and a couple of uniforms, and Charlie was acting as if this was no big deal. She had her iPod on, her foot tapping to the music that she was listening to. Sara shook it off and continued her stride up the path and into the house.

"I'll take her room"

"Ok. When you're done with that, do the rest of the second floor and I'll do the lower"

"Ok"

Sara headed upstairs and began walking down the hall, glancing into each room as she passed. Bathroom, master suite and finally Charlie's room. It was not what she expected it to be. For one, there was an awful lot of pink and for two it was one of the neatest rooms she had ever seen. She slipped on her gloves, placing her case at the doorway. After two hours, there was nothing to be found. No drugs, no cigarettes. Nothing out of the ordinary. That was until she saw the small white corner poking out of a small picture frame. The original picture was that of a small, fluffy Siamese kitten. She removed the back of the frame and slipped the pictures out, examining the carefully. The Siamese kitten one was completely innocent, it was the one behind it that caught her attention. The shots were those that you get from a photo booth and the focus was on Anna and Charlie. They were kissing and cuddling the way that any couple would. Except that both girls were covered in what appeared to be blood. There was no date one the pictures, just some scrawl on the back that said "The best day in the world. Charlie and Anna 4eva". Sara bagged it carefully, a small smile on her face. This could be it. They needed more but this could be enough to bring them in for questioning. She moved from the room and moved down the hall, back-tracking to the master suite. Nothing there. She moved to the final rooms in the upstairs, the bathroom and laundry room. It was when she opened the dryer that she finally hit pay dirt. The stockings laid at the bottom of the dryer, stretched and distorted. First thing she thought was that it was a little odd that someone would put stockings in the drier, the next was that they were awfully battered just for being in the dryer. She bagged those carefully, a small smile on her face.

Sara made sure that Grissom was well to the side before she started swinging. She repeatedly brought the brick on the top of the blood-filled dummies head, ignoring the blood that splattered her face and scrubs. She continued to swing, counting the strokes silently until she reached ten, only then did she stop. The single brick was surprisingly heavy and her arms thumped with the strain of swinging it repeatedly. She placed the stoking clothed brick on the table and took out the brick, placing the stockings beneath the microscope. They were distorted in the same way as the one's that they had found in the Goddard drier. The evidence was flimsy at best but they could stretch it to the best of their abilities until one of the girls cracked. Then the game would be up, justice would be served and she could finally shake the horrible feeling that had been chasing her for the last few weeks. Grissom moved closer to her, a small smile on his face.

"Did we get them?"

Sara raised her head and whipped out a smile.

"We got them"