And another update~ Thanks for the reviews, they really made me want to update! ^_^
"I didn't do it! Feliciano panicks when he's under pressure, I don't know why he would think I'd do it." Ludwig insisted; the officers had allowed him to remain at his home, as he picked at figurines on the mantle, turning them ever so slightly every once in a while, as if he simply couldn't get them turned just right...
Stabler frowned.
"You're gay; maybe Antonio found out and you had to keep him quiet."
Ludwig scowled.
"Do you really think I have anything to fear from other students? I am much stronger than most of them."
"But your boyfriend would have something to fear, wouldn't he?" Benson charged.
Ludwig turned another figurine slightly, jaw setting.
"He's Antonio's cousin; no one would hurt him."
"Don't you think Antonio would be even angrier over his cousin being gay than just a student he happens to know?" Stabler replied, crossing his arms.
"He doesn't know about it. No one does. There's no way they found out." Ludwig replied.
"But I think they did; and you panicked." Stabler replied.
"I have an alibi; I was at a wrestling meet on the day Antonio got attacked." Ludwig replied, pausing to adjust a trophy from said sport.
"Go ahead, check it out with my coach."
Coach Bismarck was the very definition of German; it was probably why Gilbert and Ludwig had joined the wrestling team as opposed to another sport. Having a coach who spoke your native language was comforting when you were far from home, even if he was yelling obscenities.
Stabler approached the man, flashing his badge. The coach frowned at him.
"If this is about Gilbert, I was already interviewed. I'm glad you caught the bastard."
"This is about Antonio Hernandez, actually." Benson replied, crossing her arms.
"He wasn't on my team." Bismarck replied flatly.
"Was Ludwig here at about 10:15 last night?" Benson replied, and at that, the coach's nostrils flared ever so slightly.
"Yes. He was. And if you think for a minute that a good kid like Ludwig attacked Antonio, you're wrong!"
"And is there any other proof that might verify this?" Stabler replied, frowning.
"The camera up in the corner would've recorded it; check it for yourself!"
Ludwig's alibi had checked out, so they were back to square one. Feliciano had clearly just thought that Ludwig had done it...he didn't actually know it. This didn't stop someone from spray-painting Ludwig's dorm room door with obscenities (considering that half of them were in Italian, the detectives were fairly certain that Lovino had done it.)
This meant more questioning.
"Feliks, are you certain you don't know of anyone who would've attacked Antonio?"
Feliks was fidgeting badly, looking about the interrogation room anxiously.
"C-can't Juan be in here with me?" He pleaded, gripping the edge of the table.
"No, he's busy being questioned. Now, you were the one who found out their identities first; you told Juan, who told Roderich, who told Ivan. Do you know of anyone else who might know?" Benson questioned.
Feliks avoided their eyes, instead studying the floor.
"I don't know!"
"Feliks, if you're lying to us, you could be charged with obstruction." Stabler reminded him. Feliks fidgeted further, glancing anxiously towards the door.
"Can I just see Juan first?"
"No. Tell us who it is, Feliks, before someone else gets hurt!" Stabler demanded, crossing from leaning against the wall to towering over Feliks threateningly.
Feliks hunched his shoulders up, shutting his eyes.
"Sh-she won't hurt anyone else!"
Benson looked to Stabler, raising an eyebrow.
"'She'?"
Feliks quickly looked down, trying to keep from giving anything away. Stabler leaned in.
"Feliks, who is she? This is very important, do you understand?"
"...I won't tell you..."
"Feliks, we will arrest you for obstruction! And you know what? Juan could tell any minute; who knows how bad that will make you look in this situation? We might have to jail you under suspicion of conspiration..."
Feliks went pale, swallowing thickly.
"...Katarina...Braginsky..." He admitted. Benson blinked, surprised. She had seemed like too much of a cry baby to do anything like this...
The second Feliks and Juan were let go, Feliks clung tightly to Juan, who glared at the detectives.
"Shh, mi amor, it's all right..."
Stabler met his glare, staring back as if he really didn't care the kid was scowling at him.
"If you both had cooperated, we wouldn't have had to do this." He reminded him. Juan's eyebrows furrowed farther.
"I told you to talk to me if you had any more questions! Look at him! He's shaking! What did you say to him?" He demanded furiously, grip tightening on Feliks. Feliks simply buried his face in Juan's clothes.
"Can we just go home...?" He pleaded.
Benson walked forward, arms crossed.
"I'll walk you out."
Juan sighed, giving in to Feliks' request and following the detective, though when he reached the door, he looked back at Stabler.
"If you did anything to hurt him, I will make you regret it."
Stabler rolled his eyes, leaning back against his desk. As far as he could tell, this kid was more bark than bite.
Katarina had not stopped crying since she was brought in. It had been twenty minutes of unintelligable babbling, before they finally calmed her down enough to speak.
"Y-yes...I did it! H-He was o-one of the people wh-who drove my b-brother crazy! H-he shouldn't h-have to g-go to pr-prison!"
Benson sighed, taking a seat near her.
"Katarina, what you did was wrong. I know you were very upset over what happened to your brother, but you could've killed Antonio!"
Katarina looked away miserably, blowing her nose again.
"I-I just...after a-all that I watched h-him go through...I-I couldn't just let him..."
I realize I took a lifetime to update, but here it is! Review, please?
