Tuesday 16th June
The Performing Arts Suite, Hudson Academy, Lexington Avenue
Aaron Rothstein was a slender, bespectacled Jewish kid with whom John Munch felt a natural affinity and not a little sympathy. And much of what he had said so far confirmed their impression of "AR" from the diary and the boy Mrs Whiteman had described. He and the rest of the Rabbi's family lived on the same street. Aaron was the "study buddy", the kind kid took Judy under his skinny wing when they first came to New York and much at school was a mystery to her daughter.
And you just needed to have been that age once yourself, to realise Aaron had something of an immature crush on Judy she did not reciprocate. Because girls just matured and became too sophisticated, too soon for some guys. He had asked to speak with a male officer and Munch knew he had to test out the kid's honesty and the veracity of the diary, by using something Judy wrote.
"So you and Judy never dated then?"
No...not really...I mean we went to movies together and a couple of other things like Summer Petersen's brunch...but with other people"
"As a group? Not a couple?"
"Uhuh"
"Do kids date these days? I mean go steady before they make out?"
"Some do" Aaron said quietly.
"And you and Judy? Did you ever...hook up...or whatever they call it?"
The kid's Adam's apple went up and down in his neck a couple of times before he almost whispered "Yes...yes...just once...and I feel...I took advantage"
Munch waited silently as he pulled out a handkerchief, genuinely upset by Judy's death and a sense of guilt the detective knew was not just one of hindsight.
"It was a party. At Will's place in March. Judy was wasted. Upset because Will was back with Summer. She...she suggested we did it and I...and I liked her and never had and..."
He went suddenly silent.
"You thought after that maybe things would be different?" Munch sympathised. "That you would be a couple? Instead you were back to being the guy would help her out with algebra. Just a friend. And it meant nothing to her"
He watched the Rothstein boy resist the urge to ask if the same thing happened to him one time, he seemed to understand it so well. It had, but Aaron did not ask.
"Yes. And unlike some I didn't go round telling everyone"
His bitterness was palpable.
"But there's nothing I can think of and I thought a lot I can tell you, about what might have happened. I know she was seeing someone from another school or maybe a college student for a while. Never said who to me. I wish I did know something"
"Okay Aaron. You can go now"
"There...um...there is one thing sir? If you can say?"
Munch shrugged.
"Was...er...was Judy pregnant...I know I should have and my Dad would kill me but that night I never used anything and she said it would be okay" he blurted.
John faced a dilemma. There were some facts they did not want the students to know, aware that some uncertainties or doubts could encourage them to say more. But this was a boy scared half to death that something he did might have led, in an indirect way, to the death of the girl he was sweet on.
"Did she ever tell you she thought she might be?"
"No"
"Then I don't think you need to worry about that Aaron. Now get off to chemistry or whatever"
As the door closed, Munch ticked Rothstein off the list glad he did not have to drag it out of the kid somehow. And sparing him any hint of the hazy and uncomplimentary comments Judy had made about his fumblings in her diary. And from the minor panic she was having for a week until her period came.
In the room next door Elliot Stabler was doing well to contain his disdain for and irritation with, "smart ass". Will Saunders was one of those good looking rich kids almost raised to believe the world still owed them. With a casual contempt for everyone, even his so called friends, was either genuine or he worked hard to create, thinking it might impress people. Who would get into Yale or somewhere on his Dad's dollar and connections.
The casual and almost braggart way he let drop he "was banging" Summer for a while when asked to confirm his closest circle of friends. Like it was going to impress a middle aged cop? How it was through her, Judy joined "their select circle" and giving the distinctive impression he only just avoided saying "my select circle".
"What about Judy? Was she lucky enough to get your attention for a while Will?" Stabler limited the sneer.
Saunders leaned back in his seat "We might have got to third base a few times. What I mean is she..."
"I doubt third base moved far since my day" snapped Stabler. "So who supplied the drink and drugs at the parties?"
For the first time there was hesitation and the chair rocked back onto four legs. As Saunders tried to weigh up just what Stabler might already know.
"Different people. Quite a lot of us have older brothers or sisters. You know? At college or legal age?"
"You don't"
"That's true. And yes once or twice I did buy a joint or two from a guy goes to the same tennis club"
At best that was downplaying events. WS had featured quite often amongst those Judy wrote brought contraband to parties and once had apparently lifted several bottles from his parents generous holiday order.
"We understand from Mrs Whiteman she got no reply from your home Saturday when she called"
"All out and maid's day off" Will shrugged.
"So you didn't see Judy?"
"No"
"And no idea why she might have taken money from an ATM two blocks from your apartment? Across the Park from where she lived"
"No"
There was another pause.
"Hold fire there...Saturday? I guess it might have been her left a history textbook in our mailbox. I think I loaned it to her in study period on Thursday. Found it Sunday? Maybe Saturday evening"
"Why so unsure Mr Saunders?"
"Saturday was an all round fu...foul up. I'd been up late playing "Death Star"...that's an on line computer game. My parents had gone up to Westchester to play golf Saturday morning. Taken the Lexus and left by the time I got up around eleven. And...and though I'm not insured to drive it I took the old man's Porsche to go uptown. To a music store on 137th. Get some cool mixes for the dance next week? Anyway, when I came back to the car I was jumped and two Hispanics made off with the car..."
"What time was this?"
"Around twelve thirty I guess, so I was probably gone if Judy called at the apartment block around that time. And of course I called the cops and my Dad"
"Bet he was pleased"
"No shitting" muttered the kid in a mixture of insolent sarcasm and the first hint at any regret.
Regret, Stabler suspected at getting caught, not the initial disobedience and breaking of the law.
"We were at the cop shop for hours. Why Mrs W never got an answer when Judy went missing. You can check"
"We will" Stabler promised, well aware there were half truths in Will's story.
And wondering if they were about more than keeping things from his father's wrath.
In the room the other side of Elliot the door had been kept open. Finn knew why Eames had insisted he tackle "the minx" Summer Petersen. He was either to flirt the truth out of her by playing on her precocious adolescent sexuality. Or metaphorically slap it out of her. She had unbuttoned her blouse a little more, insinuated herself into the room and more or less flashed her panty gusset at him as she breathed "I'm glad it's you Detective".
That made it an easy choice for Tutuola.
He jerked out the chair the far side of the table, stood by the door he knew he was wise to leave open and snapped "Sit down there and behave little girl".
Of course Summer had retreated to the other strategy of the sulky airhead throughout. Or almost, as she was unable to control her usual modus operandi at all times. She was one of the group of girls frequented Lime Juice and conceded she, Judy and others had occasionally snuck away early from class or not gone at all. Taken the opportunity of a little extra retail therapy or to see a boy parentally disapproved of or what she alleged was some other essentially harmless teenage activity.
It was also obvious she was Judy's closest "girlfriend" and did admit something had been bugging Judy for about the last week. Something Summer put down either to PMT, somehow looking for Finn to be unaware of what that was or maybe something to do with her parents fighting over summer vacation visits? Or could be she was still smarting over Mark Franconi.
But Finn would stake next month's pay check on it being an outright lie Summer did not know who "BC" was. Got quite a nasty shock when he asked her out of the blue and mumbled about it being someone Judy knew through the "UN crowd" whose parents socialised a lot together.
For John Munch, Mark Franconi was in marked contrast to Aaron Rothstein. One of those boys who already looked like a man and not with the androgynous looks of that "smart ass" kid and certain male movie stars these days. Little wonder he was an aspiring quarterback. And was polite and helpful throughout. Almost certainly downplayed the amount of drinking and illicit substances amongst the circle of friends, but did not fear naming names on the suppliers.
Including himself could often just pass as 21 to buy liquor. But never drugs. Munch believed him, in part because he freely admitted he and Judy "did it" a couple of times. Once in his father's BMW. Franconi professing he was split from his regular girlfriend a class below at the time and his only concern she did not find out as they were now back together.
As the boy/man left Munch was tempted to say Melissa did not know "yet". But why spoil his day?
He took a moment to write up his notes and wonder what had been so important to call Alex away to 1PP.
To be continued...
