Disclaimer: Not only does SVU not belong to me, but I missed last night's episode! I did, however, watch the original "Law and Order" reruns. They were quite good. I 3 Jack McCoy.

CHAPTER EIGHT

DOINK-DOINK

"Maria, I'm so sorry to be pushing you like this, but you really need to think back as best you can. Is there anything – anything else you can remember?"

"I've told you before. I have no idea. All I know is that he put something over my face, raped me, and left. I don't remember anything else."

"You said he spoke to you."

"Yes. He said 'Good thing you can't scream'."

"What did his voice sound like?"

"Angry."

"I mean…did he have an accent? Did it sound gravelly or anything? High? Low? What can you give me?"

"Why are you pushing this so hard?"

"I'm sorry. Let's try again. Was his voice high-pitched?"

"Not really."

"Did he sound young or old?"

"I guess young."

"Accent?"

"I don't think so…but it all happened so fast…"

Caroline sighed and put down her notepad. Maria blinked back tears.

"I'm sorry," said Maria. "It's just so hard to remember."

"I know," said Caroline, putting an arm around her. "I just want to catch this guy."

"I know. Thank you so much."

Maria finally let herself cry. It didn't sound like natural crying because of her throat problems. Instead, her tears came in short, wet gasps. Caroline held her close and stroked her hair like a mother would her little girl.

"I remember something," said Maria. "He had a watch. It was gold…very big…and it had something like a diamond on the side of it."

"How did you see that?"

"Just before the bag or whatever it was came over my eyes."

"Okay. Maria…listen to me. I promise you that I'm going to do everything I can to take care of this. But you have to promise me that if you remember anything else, anything at all, that you'll call me, okay? I don't care if it's three in the morning. You need to tell me or any of the other detectives," said Caroline, giving Maria her cell phone number.

"Okay. I promise."

DOINK-DOINK

Munch knocked on the door. A woman opened it and peered at him curiously.

"I'm Detective John Munch," he said, showing her his badge. "I need to talk to Amy."

"Okay," said the translator. She let Munch in. "She's lying down, but she's awake reading."

Munch looked over to see Amy lying on her bed, looking at a magazine. Her translator got her attention and signed something to her, then indicated Munch, who gave an awkward wave. Amy's face brightened to see him.

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine. I need to ask you again about Tuesday night. Is there anything else you haven't told us yet?"

Amy started to sign while her translator spoke. "I don't think so. All I remember is going into the bathroom, seeing her lying there, and going out to get help. Then they held me there and wouldn't listen to a word I said."

"What about before you went into the bathroom? Were you at the reception?"

"Yes. I was there for about thirty minutes."

"Do you remember seeing anything unusual there?"

"No. Everyone seemed fine."

"Had you seen Maria Sedivi before then?"

Amy thought for a second. "Yes. I saw her talking to a man by the banquet table. I remember liking her skirt."

"Do you remember anything about the man? What he looked like?"

"He was tall – but then, everyone's tall when you sit down all day."

Amy smiled. Munch hesitated before smiling back.

"What about hair color?" he asked.

"Dark. Dark brown. And he was wearing a black suit."

Munch took out the pictures they'd arranged in an array.

"Is he one of these men?"

Amy studied the picture. "It could be," she said in her own voice. "I was far away, but it looks like him."

Munch noted that she'd pointed out Daryl Sedivi and put the picture away. He and Amy exchanged a silent look.

"You doing okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she signed.

"Give me a call sometime. Let me know how you're doing."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Amy said with a half-smile.

Munch returned the smile as soon as he realized what she meant and realized his mistake. As he walked out the door, he heard Amy call him back. He looked back in.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I hope you get to arrest him."

"Me too."