Just excuses, or possible explanations? REWRITE
Julia insisted that she didn't know any Jack Lewis. And never had spoken to him. With no phone to prove it, she could deny being this "Bree" person all she wanted and they had to let her go. Technically being found with Rick wasn't a crime.
Although it should have been.
Frank warned her and friends to stay away from Horatio and his family, his in-laws included. As much they wished being Rick Stetler's girlfriend was a crime that they could locked Julia up for, they had to release her from custody. Jack Lewis only knew "Bree" as a voice on the phone. He hadn't seen her in person so he couldn't identify "Bree" as Julia if that were the case. But Julia definitely had every motive.
During her brief questioning though, that although she was adamant she had nothing to do with the crime, Julia didn't hold back about her hatred for Aimee Caine, either, or her wish that something "terrible" happen to her and her baby.
"That slut stole my kid," she said. "No matter what some judge says, he's not hers!"
That attitude was enough for a judge to issue an emergency protection order along with the one previously issued by the family court. The punishment for violating this order was more severe. And furthermore with this order, Julia was not permitted on the grounds of Dade Elementary school where Kyle attended kindergarten. She couldn't be near Kyle and she had no other justifiable reasons to be on the grounds.
When he was questioned further, Jack said he now realized he wasn't a murderer. He had thought that he could commit the crime he was hired for. But he could never harm a child, born or unborn, or kill a pregnant woman. No one had told him that Aimee Caine was expecting; he was told to stab her both in the stomach and chest to "make sure" she bled out, though his true motivation for the abdominal wounds was to kill the unborn Caine baby. Even if Jack couldn't kill a pregnant woman, Rick hoped Jack would have stabbed Aimee before he noticed Aimee's condition. Jack was about to continue his attack when he noticed her belly.
Kyle was inconsolable and sobbed till he shook when he heard something happened to his mommy. Being the natural father he was, Eric took care of his godson, staying at the Caine residence, knowing that Aimee's parents and brother were dealing with enough. Eric had told Horatio to call him the moment there was any change in Aimee's condition. When the phone rang at 3:35am Eric was definitely startled but extremely relieved to hear Aimee was awake. Kyle was asleep next to his godfather. He had cried himself to sheer exhaustion. The doctor had said Aimee wouldn't be released for several days at least, but Kyle could come and see her in the morning. Horatio's wife was complaining of a mild headache and some pain from that lingering in her neck and shoulders. But importantly, she didn't have any pain near or in her back or abdomen. Horatio shook in anger upon hearing who was arrested for attacking his wife. He felt blinded by rage hearing Julia was found with Rick but she had to be let go. He knew she had to be involved somehow. Aimee's adoption of Kyle was finalized just five days ago, Horatio knew Julia had to have found that out.. To ensure the safety of the family a police cruiser was stationed outside the home 24-7. He didn't want to alarm Kyle but Horatio was honest with him, telling him someone had hurt mommy. But Horatio assured him he was safe and that school was safe. Kyle wasn't going to find his birth mother was allegedly involved in the attack on the woman he call "mommy ."
Due to the charges filed against him, Rick Stetler was under suspension with the department, on the verge of being fired. His desk had been cleaned out and he would not set foot in the police station again, as an employee anyway. It was safer for him this way. Most people now had valid reason to want to tear him to pieces. Horatio was on "indefinite" family leave. Even employees not on his shift right now believed that Horatio shouldn't be away from his family at the moment. If anything, he needed to be with them now, given Aimee's current condition especially. Even if his family leave expired, there was line-up of employees waiting to cover his shifts so he would still get paid. Aimee was going to medical leave from her job once she was released from the hospital. After that her maternity leave would start.