Tarnished
Chapter Eight
1-6 Precinct
SVU Squad Room
Interrogation Room 1
12:37 PM
The sun was high in the sky, but none of the brightness came into the interrogation room. Josephine sat, playing with the cap of her bottle of water, trying so hard not to believe that her husband was capable of murder.
"Josephine," Olivia began after a long moment of silence. "Why did you and Marissa exchange so many phone calls? If you weren't supposed to be speaking to her, why continue?"
"Because she was my friend," Josephine sighed. "Like I said before. We just talked a lot."
"Yes, but, six calls in one evening?" Olivia rationalized softly. "Josephine, I think you know more about that night than you're letting on. You have to start talking. Because you could have very well been the one in that car, strangling her."
"No," Josephine cried. "I wouldn't' hurt anybody. Please, just leave us alone. Christian had nothing to do with Marissa's death. She was my friend and I'll miss her-"
"If she was your friend, then why won't you help us?" Olivia asked. "Your husband doesn't care what happens to you. He beats you, Josephine, degrades you, controls you. I can see it in your eyes. You're afraid of him. We can help you if you help us."
The distraught woman rubbed over the bruises on her wrists and bit her lower lip.
"Men like Christian don't ever change," Olivia said, trying to get Josephine to talk. "Yes he may have shown you love and respect today, but what about tomorrow? And the day after that? Why put yourself through that hell everyday? If he killed Marissa, what makes you think he's not going to kill you?"
Josephine shook her head as she began to cry hysterically.
"Oh God," Josephine cried.
"Think about your children," Olivia said. "Think about them."
Josephine covered her face with her hands.
"I knew that Christian was having an affair with Marissa," she cried. "I wasn't mad at her and I thought that perhaps if Christian got it out of his system, that he would change. But then she told me that she was pregnant and that Christian had paid her to have an abortion, but at the last minute, she couldn't do it. I didn't kill her. She was my best friend, and I loved her like a sister. I wasn't mad at her because she was trying to help me."
"Were you planning on leaving your husband?" Olivia asked.
Josephine nodded. "But I couldn't because I love him so much. I told Marissa that she should quit and that I would help her with the baby. I didn't know at the time what Christian would have done."
"Where was your husband the night Marissa Barlow was killed?" Olivia asked.
"That night, I went to the bar to have some drinks with some friends," Josephine explained. "When I got home, he uh…he pushed me into the door and he-he-"
"Did he rape you?" Olivia asked.
"Yeah," she choked out. "And that was at about nine thirty or ten when he finished and left. He didn't come back until early the next morning."
"So, you can't account for your husband's whereabouts that night?" Olivia asked.
"No," Josephine said. "But I know in my heart that he didn't do this."
"Josephine, Bianca Lewis was found dead along with her two boys in her home," Olivia revealed.
"I know," Josephine said. "I saw it on the news. Christian and I were still at the hospital when that happened."
"All night?"
"No, until about twelve o'clock when they discharged me," Josephine explained. "I'm not lying. Detective Benson…my husband may be a lot of things to a lot of people, but he's not a murderer."
The door to the interrogation room burst open and a man looked at Olivia sternly.
"Not another word Josephine."
"Randall, what are you doing here?" Josephine asked. "I didn't call you."
"Your husband did," James Randall, the Sadlers' attorney said. "Now, I think you've had quite enough."
Mr. Franklin Sadler and his wife Shelby Sadler stood at the entrance to the squad room, fuming. They were an elegant couple, and his wife was spoiled. Olivia wondered what price she had to pay for the things she was wearing on her back. Franklin had wavy gray hair and a smug face which was bloated from weight. He had a huge round belly. His tux covered up most of the weight. His wife was at an okay weight for her age, and she had her gray hair elegantly done into an upsweep. She had on a formal gown and a beautiful jacket.
Where the hell is Casey? Olivia asked.
As if by magic, Casey came trotting in bearing the warrant just as Christian emerged from the other interrogation room.
"Sorry I took so long with the warrant," she said.
"Saved by the DA," Ed said as he ushered Christian back into the room.
"A warrant, for what?" Franklin asked.
"For your son's DNA," Elliot explained.
"DNA, for what?" Shelby asked. "This is ridiculous, Franklin-"
"Sit back," he commanded and Shelby looked down.
Ah, it runs in the family, Elliot thought. No wonder his son grew up to be a sick bastard. Thank God Casey got here in the nick of time.
Casey rushed into the interrogation room and served Christian with the warrant.
"Sit tight, our resident ME will be here to swab you in twenty," she said before walking out.