Apartment of Karen Barley, 36th Street. Wednesday, March 3rd.
Olivia snapped on a pair of latex gloves, and began searching through Karen's things. Olivia had grown accustomed to the smell of latex after all the years she had been a cop. She also knew what to look for in a crime scene, anything out of place, or anything missing. Many times a crucial piece of evidence was the lack of it. There was nothing missing or out of place in Karen's apartment at first glance. There was open mail over her kitchen table, with a half written letter still on the pad.
Olivia picked it up and began reading it.
'Dear Cindy Lou Who, How's it going? I hope you're enjoying your one-year anniversary. Any word from Large Marge yet? Out of the three of us, did you ever picture her being the one to run off with a musician? I can't believe she turned out to be the flaky one. I wanted to be the flaky one. Anyway, I think I should tell you something.'
The letter stopped there. Olivia sighed, and put the letter down. If she had been raped before last night, no one knew, and if she didn't wake up in forty-two hours, no one ever would.
The bedroom door was barely on it hinges. The door handle was broken clean off the door, and was laying just a couple feet away. Olivia cautiously walked around the door, careful not to disturb anything. She inspected the bed, and underneath it. She found nothing more then dust and some old shoes. She sighed and started investigating Karen's dressers. There were pictures of Karen's daughter plastered all over her dresser, along with one or two pictures of Karen.
Olivia walked over to the small bookcase Karen had in her room. It was filled with the normal books, some classics, a few mysteries, and one or two trashy romance novels. Olivia noticed an empty space and inspected it. It was the size to fit a large book, but was empty. As she looked harder, Olivia saw a picture folded, and stuck halfway down behind the shelf. Olivia plucked it from it place and unfolded it. It was Karen as a teenager with a friend. The friend has brown hair pulled into a tight ponytail with jade green eyes, wearing a lacrosse uniform, holding a medallion and was being hugged by Karen.
Olivia's cell phone went off, causing Olivia to jump out of her skin. She picked up the phone without looking at the caller ID. "Benson."
"How did I know you would still be at it?" Elliot asked on the other end.
"This job has no quitting time," Olivia answered.
"Listen, we won't do any good if we're sleep deprived, so why don't you get some rest Liv?"
"That's just what I'm about to do," Olivia told him. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye."
SVU Squad Room, 16th Precinct. Thursday, March 4th.
"So what do we have?" Cragen asked, as soon as everyone was assembled around a pin up board.
The board had pictures of the crime scene and Karen. The board also had Karen's monthly planner plastered over it. Elliot pointed to the appointment with Jonathan Marcelo and said, "Her last appointment was with Mr. Jonathan Marcelo, and we don't think it was business."
"Have we talked to him yet?" Cragen asked.
"His secretary told us he would have an open time slot at one thirty this afternoon, and he would stop by if he had the chance," Fin said, rolling his eyes.
"Keep calling till he stops by," Cragen told Fin and Munch. He turned to Olivia and Elliot. "Try and get the ex-husband to come down and answer some questions." They nodded and Cragen asked, "What's going on with the two different fingerprints?"
"Neither of them matches anything in our databases," Munch said. "The people don't seem to exist."
"Before we hear your theory about that, is there anything else?" Cragen asked quickly.
"I was looking at the crime scene last night and noticed there was an empty space on her bookshelf. Probably enough space to have a photo album," Olivia informed them. She pulled out the picture in a plastic bag and held it up. "I think I've seen her before, but I don't know where."
Fin took the picture and examined it. He knew where Olivia had seen the person with Karen. He scowled and threw the picture on the table. Munch raised an eyebrow and asked, "What, ex-girlfriend?"
"She's a Marcelo," Fin answered glumly.
Apartment of Jonathan and Alana Marcelo. Thursday, March 4th.
Fin knocked on the door while saying to Munch, "Let me do the talking. The Marcelos doesn't like any crazy theorist who shoots their mouth off."
Before Munch could respond with one of his witty retorts, the door opened. A petite woman with light brown hair and jade colored eyes, wearing a pair of black leather pants and a red leather top with a V-neck opened the door. She glanced at the two detectives and then asked politely, "Is there something I can help you with?"
Fin held up his badge and said, "I'm Detective Odafin Tutuola, and this is my partner John Munch." Munch gave a brief smile while Fin continued. "We have an appointment with Mr. Jonathan Marcelo, is he in?"
"Oh right," the woman said. "My husband just came in from the office. Please come in, while I get him."
As the woman showed them into her living room, she introduced herself as Alana Marcelo. As soon as she had left, Munch started snooping around. He was started to inspect the bookshelves, and looked out the window. He noticed the great view of the city and that the window also had the fire escape.
"Do you enjoy the view?" a voice asked behind him.
Munch spun around to see a tall, lean, man with ultra blond hair. He face was covered in bruises and had a sharp, pointed chin with a nasty snarl. He had icy gray eyes, which burned into Munch's. Munch stared back and answered coolly, "Yes."
Fin looked away, refusing to meet Jonathan's eyes and said, "Mr. Jonathan Marcelo, this is Detective John Munch. Mind if we ask you a few questions about Karen Barley?"
Jonathan smirked gleefully and asked, snidely, "What she do, punch someone else, Detective Fin?"
"I wouldn't put it past her," Alana mumbled. "Always did have a problem with anger."
"Actually, she was attacked the other day," Munch told them.
Alana's face filled with horror as she gasped, but her face quickly became neutral again and asked, "I'm going to make coffee, would you two like any?"
"No, we're fine."
Alana nodded and briskly walked into the kitchen. Munch stared after her with a frown, while Fin told him, "We found her on March 3rd, the morning after you had an appointment with her. Mind telling us what the appointment was about?"
Jonathan laughed and said, "I was meeting her to discuss her sudden outburst at the parent teacher conference."
"How did that go?"
Jonathan grinned and answered, "Almost as bad as the parent teacher conference went."
"What exactly happened?"
"I told her I was debating on whether I should bring up assault charges against her, and something that would stop me was an apology," Jonathan told them. "The way she reacted, you'd think I was asking for a kidney."
"What time did you see her last?"
"She was waiting for me at the bar, around quarter past eight. We had our discussion and she left around eight thirty."
"What were you doing in a bar with her?" Munch asked.
Jonathan smirked at him and said, "I never do business in an office when I can avoid it. Besides, she said she didn't want me stinking up her office, so she suggested the bar. If she had an ulterior motive, trust me, I was not interested."
"Mind telling us what happened to you face?" asked Munch, glaring at Jonathan.
Jonathan's smirk dropped off his face and he answered solemnly, "I was mugged yesterday. Now if you don't mind, I'd like for you two to leave."
"We just have one more question," Fin told him. "We have to ask this, where were you Tuesday night to Wednesday morning?"
"Here, with my wife. Now leave."
"I told you to keep your mouth shut," Fin snarled as Munch and he were walking into the squad room.
Munch stopped and poured himself some tea, shaking his head. As he was stirring in some sugar he muttered, "I don't see what the big deal is. I just asked simple questions that shouldn't have been too hard to answer if he was innocent."
"John," the sound of his first name startled Munch. He looked up to see that Fin's eyes held both gravity and concern. Fin looked at him gravely and started up again. "The Marcelos don't like anyone who intrudes in their lifestyle. They will smooth out any bumps in their roads, by any means. Don't be come a bump."
Fin stalked away and answered a ringing phone. Munch stared after him, watching his partner's demeanor. Fin had his back to Munch, and refused to look back. Munch began to wonder if Fin had ever been a bump in the Marcelos' road, or knew someone who was. Before Munch could think about anything else, Fin hung up the phone and with out looking back at Munch said, "Come on, Elliot and Olivia is bringing Ron Weston in for questioning."
As Elliot showed Ron into the integration room, Olivia met with Cragen, Fin, Huang and Munch. "He's agreed to answer our questions, but we want Huang to watch him as he answers them."
"Can I get in on this?" Fin asked.
Olivia looked at Cragen, who shrugged and said, "Don't go too far. We don't want him to leave. Huang, Munch, Stabler and I will watch in the other room."
They all nodded in agreement, and turned to leave, when Cragen stopped Olivia. "Don't tell him that she was pregnant, unless it is a last resort."
Olivia nodded and joined Fin in the integration room. Ron sighed and stared up at the ceiling, with a styrofoam cup in his hand. Olivia sat down across from Ron, while Fin lingered back. Olivia politely smiled and introduced Fin. Afterwards she asked, "Where were you the evening of March 2nd to the morning of March 3rd?"
"At my house and I was alone. Hannah had to work late, and it was just easier for her to sleep on the couch in her office," Ron told them.
"So, when was the last time you saw Karen?" Olivia inquired.
"At the parent teacher conference," Ron answered, shifting slightly.
"Didn't stop by her apartment to have a chat about old times?" Fin asked mockingly.
Ron glared at him and answered, "No."
"Ever meet her anywhere?"
"No, I'm married." Ron was now glaring at Fin.
"Who says marriage has stopped anyone before?" Olivia asked, looking at Ron intently.
"Why did you and Karen break up?" Fin questioned suddenly.
"That doesn't matter anymore," Ron murmured, his face reddening.
"I think it does," stated Fin.
Olivia got up and whispered in Fin's ear, "What are you getting at Fin?"
"Just trust me." Fin put his hands on the table and leaned in close to Ron. "We got the reports from England. She filed for an annulment; stating and I quote, 'A teenager's word, who is hiked up on hormones, doesn't mean shit.' Now what could she had meant by that?"
Ron glared at him, his face looking as though he was burnt to a crisp, slowly answered, "Fine, I cheated on her. But I was a kid back then, and I grew up."
"So you weren't always the most faithful guy," Fin reminded him. "Why should we believe you're Mr. Faithful now?"
Ron went to answer him, but nothing came out of his mouth. He started breathing heavily, and kept glaring at Fin. Olivia pushed forward a couple pictures and said, "She's dying. She was beaten, raped and strangled. Did you know she had a Living Will and is going to die in about twenty-four hours if she doesn't wake up?"
"What?" Ron's face paled, so now it looked normal colored again. He looked at the pictures, and his left eye twitched.
"He was lying," Huang said.
"That was obvious," Elliot muttered.
"The parent teacher conference wasn't the last time he saw her. He didn't know about the Living Will though. His reaction was too … real," Huang noticed. He stroked his chin, while thinking. Dr. Huang, a psychologist who the Special Victim Unit called on frequently, was rather short among the tall detectives, but that never made him feel inferior to them. His deep eyes stared closely at Ron, who was observing the pictures of Karen's body the way the police found it. Huang nodded to himself and then stated, "I don't think he's our man."
"Come on, he has perp written all over him," Elliot objected.
"I observed the pattern of bruises, and I don't think Ron would have made them."
"Why not?" Cragen asked, being the only one in the room who still kept an open mind.
"The patterns indicate that the person who raped Karen wanted to inflict as much pain as he possibly could before raping her and then knocking her unconscious. I don't think, by Ron's reactions, that he could want to inflect any pain to Karen," Huang theorized.
"I disagree," Elliot said.
Munch sat in the corner, his finger lightly tapping his left temple, half listening to the interrogation and half thinking about what Fin had told him earlier. If the Marcelos didn't like cops asking simple questions, he didn't think they would enjoy a woman punching a Marcelo and then refusing to apologize for it. Maybe Huang had something.
"I agree with Huang," Munch said loudly. "I think maybe Jonathan Marcelo had his part in this."
Fin was in Ron's face as he held a picture of a badly bruised Karen. "You don't expect us to believe that she fell and did this to herself, do you?" Fin snarled.
"I didn't do that to her," Ron yelled at him.
"We found fingerprints all over her apartment, and we're thinking they're yours," Olivia informed him.
Ron's eyes narrowed at her and he challenged, "Prove it."
"Karen's an attractive woman, and you wanted her," Fin said. "You realized what you were missing out on all those years, and that made you angry. So you figured you would force yourself on her, and no one would care because you two were once married."
"No!" Ron yelled, jumping up and hitting his cup off the table. "I never forced myself on her!"
"You wanted her and you couldn't help yourself," Fin yelled at him. "And when you saw her at Parents' Day you just couldn't control yourself."
Ron shook his head angrily and said, "I don't have to take this. I'm leaving."
Before Ron reached the door, Olivia asked quietly, "Don't you want to know about the baby?"
Ron felt his heart skip a beat when Olivia mentioned the word baby. He slowly turned around and asked, "What baby?"
"Karen was five weeks pregnant," Olivia told him.
"What do you mean was?" Ron moved back towards his chair.
"She had a miscarriage."
Ron's face paled incredibly. He took a deep breath and shakily lowered himself into the chair. He looked at Olivia and asked, "She was five weeks along?"
Olivia nodded, and Ron let out a low sigh. He lowered his head into his hand and didn't say anything. Olivia pushed over a pad of paper and pen, and gently said, "We'd like to hear your side of the story."
Ron looked up at her angrily and said loudly, "I did not rape her."
Cragen open the door and said, "Benson, Fin, get in here."
Fin and Olivia walked over to the door, and before Fin left, he shot one last glare at Ron who was looking at the pad and paper.
"What's up Captain?" Olivia asked.
Cragen turned to Fin and scowled, "Ron came in here willingly, meaning he can leave any time he wants, and we don't want him to leave. Worst of all, I told you not to go too far, but you did. What were you thinking?"
"Captain, I know he did it. It's obvious, and we can't let him get away," Fin defended.
"We don't know if he did it for sure," Cragen reminded him. "And that doesn't give you the right to yell at him." Cragen paused and then added quietly, "At least not till we have hard evidence."
Fin held in a frustrated sigh and asked calmly, "Is there anything else?"
"I think we should check Marcelo's alibi," Munch said. "We shouldn't rule him out as a suspect yet."
"This case doesn't fit with the Marcelos' MO. It's too sloppy."
"Still," Huang said, "Ron doesn't fit in with my profile of the perp. From what I hear about Mr. Marcelo, I'd say he should defiantly be a suspect."
Fin took a deep breath and nodded. "Is there anything else?"
"Yeah, your prime suspect just left," Munch told everyone, pointing at the now-empty interrogation room.
Fin ran out of the room and tried to find Ron before he was able to leave. It would have been easy for anyone to spot Ron with his red hair, but his red hair was nowhere to be seen. Fin banged his fist on a desk and muttered, "Damn it."
He walked back in the interrogation room and shook his head. Olivia sighed while Cragen looked down at his shoes. Fin noticed the cup Ron had been drinking out was discarded on the other side of the room. Fin snapped his fingers and pointed to Elliot. "Get a plastic bag."
Fin picked up a pen and walked over to the cup. He bent down and picked it up using the pen. Fin smiled and said to Cragen, "He discarded this. He voluntarily threw it away, so we can use it right?"
"Yes we can," Cragen answered with a grin.
Olivia had remained silent during Fin's discovery, suddenly spoke. She had been reading a note Ron wrote before he left. "Listen to what Ron wrote. 'I was there that night, but when I left Karen was fine. We had an affair, it was consensual. I didn't rape or hurt her. And since we still have a thin line of separation of church and state in this country, you have nothing on me. Go find her attacker.'"
"Do we need any more proof? Ron did it," Fin said angrily.
"I still do not believe that Ron tried to kill her," Huang said.
"This affair does make sense," Olivia said. "She had sex twice, but it doesn't mean she was raped twice."
"And don't most rape victims feel as though they are being punished for something, and that's why they don't fight back as hard as the could?" Elliot asked.
"But she did fight back," Fin objected.
"Just go with Munch and check out Marcelo's alibi, and if it doesn't have any holes then you can leave him alone," Cragen told Fin. "Benson, Stabler, go see a woman named Cynthia Alvaro. She said she remembered something about Karen."
