Law & Order Special Victims Unit s26e14 Episode Script
The Grid Plan
1
In the criminal justice system,
sexually based offenses
are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the
dedicated detectives
who investigate these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
And as we all know,
any sexual assault
is a violation that shatters
a victim's sense of safety
and a victim's sense of autonomy.
But, there's an often
unrecognized dimension
of sexual assault,
and that is unpredictability.
A sudden crime can make
victims question everything
their choices, their instincts,
even their own memories.
Hey, didn't we just see you
coming back from a matinee
of "The Notebook" the other day?
- We did, right?
- Yeah, Megan.
- You're from Iowa.
- Good memory.
[ALL CHUCKLE]
Going to another show already?
I have seen six shows in five days.
- Get out of here.
- Ooh.
Where's your husband?
You left him home?
Coming to New York all
alone, what an adventure.
Must be some kind of special occasion.
Nope, just
Life.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
[CHUCKLES AWKWARDLY]
♪
[APPLAUSE]
Whoo.
Hi, hon.
Hey, you were gonna
call me after the show.
- How was it?
- Perfect. Magical.
Where are you right now?
Uh, at a bar off of Times Square.
By yourself?
Well, the doorman at the hotel
said that "The Lion King"
cast sometimes hangs out here.
[WHISPERING] But I
don't recognize them
without their makeup on.
- You miss me?
- Of course, I do.
Um, I'll see you tomorrow night.
Okay, mwah!
The hardest part is not just fear.
But the realization
that the world they
thought they lived in
was never real to begin with.
What was safe yesterday,
does not feel safe today.
[SIREN WAILING]
A tourist was raped in Times Square?
It's a great ad for Broadway.
The mayor's office is
already preparing a statement.
Okay, what do we
know about the victim?
Well, unis found her
purse a few feet away
from where she was attacked.
Her ID says her name is Megan Wallace
from Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Full wallet, her phone,
a playbill in her bag.
Theater usher over
there found her dazed
and clothes in disarray.
He's the one who called it in.
- So she was alone?
- Yeah.
All right, well, keep canvassing.
Check street cams.
I'll take her statement.
Hi, I'm Captain Benson
from the Special Victims Unit.
How you holding up?
Okay.
So I understand that
you're from out of state.
My flight home is tomorrow.
So it would be real helpful
if maybe you could stay in
town for a couple of days.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
I just came to town
to see some shows.
How about
How about if I, uh, ride
with you to the hospital?
Okay.
You know what? I'm
gonna ride with her, guys.
Thanks.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER HOSPITAL PA]
Hey
- How's she doing?
- Well, we gave her antibiotics.
She refused a sedative.
Well, you finished
the rape kit already?
- That was fast.
- Well, she's very organized.
She's been writing every
detail in her daily planner.
She's trying to make sense
of what happened to her.
Well, I hope this helps.
I was able to retrieve fluid,
hair, and skin under her nails.
That's a lot of evidence. Good.
Well, I'll see if she can
tell me anything else.
One more thing
She has an underlying illness.
Seems like she was just diagnosed.
All right, anything that
would complicate the case?
I think you should hear it from her.
Okay.
How you doing, Megan?
What are you doing to
find the man that raped me?
Uh, we're looking for witnesses.
- We're pulling security footage.
- I'm sorry.
I don't I don't mean to
tell you how to do your job.
That's okay. I
understand, believe me.
So is there anyone
anyone I can call for you?
Uh, my husband is in Iowa.
- Have you talked to him yet?
- Not yet, but I will.
So, uh, the SANE
nurse mentioned that you
That you've been writing
in your daily planner.
Yeah.
I wanted to make a list.
- Uh-huh.
- Notes, so I won't have to
- think about it all night.
- Okay, do you mind
Do you mind if I take a look at that?
Okay, white, 30s, brown hair.
So
So, after the play,
you went to go have a drink.
- At The Rum House.
- Mm-hmm.
Did you notice anybody at the bar
paying attention to you?
[SCOFFS]
I'm a middle-aged woman
from the Midwest, so
Okay.
Did anyone follow you out?
Not that I know of.
Um, the man who
Raped me
Uh, he must have
already been in the alcove.
I passed by.
He grabbed me.
He-he dragged me
past some scaffolding.
Mm-hmm.
I-it says here that he had luggage?
Yeah, medium-sized
black suitcase on wheels.
Okay.
Tell me, Megan, what else
what else do you remember?
Um, after he
Finished, um, he left.
And then as I was
pulling up my skirt,
he uh,
he doubled back.
- What for?
- To grab something off the ground.
Do you know what it was?
It looked like a bottle,
but, I mean, I thought he
was gonna hit me with it.
But he just took it and walked away.
Did he seem intoxicated?
I mean, maybe.
He was really well dressed.
Like a businessman?
Yeah, like, nice shirt, coat, tie.
I don't get it.
I
[LAUGHING, CRYING] I was
wearing a thick jacket.
I mean, it's not like I was dressed
to attract any sort of attention.
Megan, listen to me.
Listen to me.
Don't take that on.
Okay?
Don't take that on.
I've been doing this a long time.
And what you were wearing
or how you were walking
has nothing to do with it.
Believe me.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
Um, also, the, um
The nurse mentioned that you may have
an underlying health condition.
Is that
Is that something
that I should know about?
Um
[SNIFFLES]
Yeah.
I, uh [SNIFFLES]
I haven't told my husband.
But, um, I was diagnosed with MS
two weeks ago.
I'm so sorry.
Look, I know that I mentioned
that I'd love you to stay
in town for a few days.
But if you need to get
home to your family
No, nope.
Nope.
I think I should stay here.
Okay.
I'll be right back.
[SNIFFLES]
- Hey.
- How's our victim?
Well, she got released
from the hospital last night,
so she's back at her hotel.
Do we have anything on this guy?
Well, it's Saturday
night, Times Square,
- so it's gonna take a while.
- Okay.
They're still looking through
the cameras in the area.
Okay, well, Megan said
that her rapist was white,
30s, and had a suitcase on wheels.
That's half the tourists in Midtown.
She also said that he
went back to the crime scene
to pick up a bottle.
He raped a woman
and went back for it?
Well, maybe he's
worried about the DNA.
Well, he wasn't worried
about that when he raped her.
He didn't use a condom.
Then why a double
back for the bottle?
Well, you guys are detectives.
Figure it out, and find that bottle.
- Captain?
- Yeah.
Hi.
Captain Benson. Can I help you?
I heard people talking about
that woman getting attacked
- last night in Times Square.
- [CELL PHONE BUZZES]
- I might have seen something.
- Okay.
Uh, uh, just give me a minute, okay?
Hey, Finn.
Um, I just got a call about
a press conference at 1PP.
Find out what she knows.
So why were you
there in the first place?
I'm in the chorus of "Gypsy."
I had an after-work
drink at Jimmy's Corner.
I was walking to the subway.
- Okay, what did you see?
- Two people in an alcove
Older woman, younger guy.
- Was this the woman?
- Yeah. That's her.
What about the younger guy?
White, 30s.
Had luggage with him.
Here's the thing, though
I didn't think it was a rape.
I thought it was just
two people hooking up.
What made you think that?
They were tucked into
the corner of the alcove
like they didn't wanna be seen.
Her skirt was up.
His hands were all over her.
But
It's not like he
had her mouth covered.
She wasn't screaming.
It's Times Square.
People get drunk and
crazy there all the time.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Traffic cams don't lie.
White guy, 30s, in
a nice-looking coat,
and with a bag on wheels.
And a bottle, which he
tosses into the marquee.
Which is right up there.
Looks like you're
gonna need a ladder.
I'll call CSU.
♪
Look what I found.
♪
Let me see that label?
Emberdawn '95 Shiraz.
That's expensive.
It's Australian.
I thought they were
known for that cheap stuff.
Actually, this bottle
is about $1,000.
That explains why he went
back to the scene to get it.
Yeah, but not why he ditched it.
Well, we can't go back
to Benson empty-handed.
How about a little
old-school detective work?
Oh, yeah?
What are you thinking?
We hit every upscale
liquor store in Times Square,
see who sells $1,000
bottles of Shiraz.
We want to reassure the public
that the NYPD is taking
every precaution possible
to safeguard our streets.
Now, Broadway, on average, is visited
by 300,000 tourists a day,
making it one of the most
visited places in the world.
And we are determined
on maintaining its reputation
as one of the safest as well.
How can you call Times Square safe
when something like this happens?
Captain Benson, what
is the status of the victim?
We're not taking
questions at this time.
[REPORTERS SHOUTING]
You happy now?
That covers all the liquor stores
within a half-mile of the crime.
- But no Emberdawn '95.
- You know what that means.
He didn't buy the bottle
in this neighborhood.
Well, maybe we should be
canvassing the Upper East Side.
Well, why would a guy in a suit
buy an expensive bottle of wine uptown
and then drag it down to Times Square
to just drink on the street?
Well, there are a lot of
bars in this neighborhood.
Well, any high-end enough
to carry a $1,000 bottle of Shiraz?
There's not a big market
for upscale Australian wines.
Shouldn't be too hard to find.
Yeah, sorry. We don't
carry that type of wine here.
Okay, well, thanks.
Uh, but we did get
someone in here yesterday
- trying to sell me a case of it.
- Like a wholesaler?
A liquor rep, uh,
like her but a guy.
- How old?
- Uh, 30s.
- White guy, brown hair?
- Yeah.
Leave a card, a name?
I mean, I told him straight
up that I can't sell that here.
We mostly get tourists
from the wax museum.
Trust me, they're not spending
a grand on a bottle of wine.
You get this guy on
your security cameras?
Yeah, he-he sat
right there at the bar,
poured me a glass of
the bottle he opened.
We're gonna need your footage.
So we're looking for a wine rep
with a black suitcase full of Shiraz.
We can contact the
label and get a list of reps.
Okay.
I was assaulted here last night
by-by a man in his 30s.
- Is that our victim?
- Yeah.
What is she doing?
- Mrs. Wallace.
- Yeah?
We met last night.
We're with Special Victims.
And?
Can we ask, what are you doing?
I'm trying to find the
man who assaulted me.
We appreciate that, but
it's probably not a good idea.
I'm not worried about that.
Yeah, but our captain will be.
Um, I was assaulted here last night.
He was white, carrying
a-a black suitcase.
Can you please help me?
He raped me, and he's still out there.
Help me.
Megan is canvassing Times Square,
looking for her own rapist.
Maybe we should go talk to her,
see if she knows anything else.
'Cause we're at a dead end.
We got something.
Any luck reaching the vineyard?
No.
It's 4:00 a.m. in Australia.
The Shiraz he was selling
the company only uses
about 20 reps in the U.S.
- Well, how many in New York?
- Seven.
And, unfortunately, most of them
are white guys in their 30s.
But, we do have a security
still of one of them in the area.
All right, so you guys
keep canvassing the bars.
We know he was in Times
Square at the time of Megan's attack.
I'll see if she can make an ID.
Yeah, it looks like him.
Where is this?
It's at a bar in Times Square.
So he was there last night.
And it turns out that he's a wine rep.
Which is why he had a suitcase.
Wait.
So he's not a tourist.
That means he could
still be in the city.
He should be really easy to find.
Well, except for the fact
that we don't have a name,
- or, any other way to ID him right now.
- [SIGHS]
But, we have leads
from the company
that he works for, so
- We're gonna catch this guy.
- Okay.
I-I think I'm gonna go to that bar.
Wait up.
Wait, wait, hold on.
I thought you said that your
husband was on his way here.
He is. I just, you know,
I'll meet up with him later.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Megan, hold on a second.
Just
Let's just take a beat here.
Look, I understand why
you wanna catch this guy.
I really do.
Believe me.
But, you know, what you're doing,
it's called displacement.
And it's when you put
all your emotional energy
toward a problem that
That you can do something about
Instead of
Instead of one that you can't.
You think this is about my MS?
[SERIOUS MUSIC]
♪
So, um
My father was a rapist.
And look what I do for a living.
So I understand displacement
more than you think.
I will deal with my
illness in my own time,
on my own terms, but right now,
finding the man who raped me
is the only way that I am
gonna be able to go home.
Okay, but that's why I'm here.
So will you just let me do my job?
Fine. I won't go to the bar.
[SIGHS]
Sorry.
I won't go to the bar.
I will just go for a walk
to clear my head, okay?
- That's not illegal.
- But just to be clear
Interfering with our investigation
That is illegal.
Okay.
♪
[DOOR CLOSES]
Yeah, he doesn't look familiar.
But you do buy
Shiraz from a liquor rep?
- Yeah, Harper.
- Harper?
Yeah, she's great. Why?
Thank you for your time.
Nah, that isn't our rep.
To be honest, we deal mostly
with liquor brands these days.
Wine has a shelf life, unlike vodka.
If you do see him, give us a call.
How long's it been
- Five hours?
- Six.
And so far, no sign of our rapist.
Whatever he was
selling, no one's buying.
It explains why he was standing
drunk and angry in an alcove.
Then we'll meet you there, Liv.
Our victim, Megan Wallace,
is at a bar a few blocks away
with the suspect.
[TENSE MUSIC]
We're headed into the bar now, Liv.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Oh, I love Broadway shows.
My husband, on the other hand,
doesn't want anything to do with them.
[WHISPERING] Sarge,
what the hell is she doing?
Looks like she's flirting with him.
Or she's just trying
to keep him there.
It's him, it's him.
His name is Gerard Ridley.
- Get up.
- What the hell?
You don't even
know who I am, do you?
Gerard Ridley, you're under arrest.
- For what?
- Rape in the first.
That's ridiculous.
You raped me, you son of a bitch!
You have the right to remain silent.
She was flirting with
me. This woman is crazy.
Whoa, Megan. Whoa, whoa.
She just assaulted me. You saw that.
- Aren't you gonna arrest her?
- [SCOFFS]
Mrs. Wallace, hands
behind your back, please.
[STAMMERS] You're arresting me?
I don't want to,
but you didn't exactly
give us a choice.
I didn't rape anyone.
- Calm down, Mrs. Wallace.
- Are you kidding me?
Hey, what is going on?
You
Arrested the victim?
We had to.
She attacked the suspect.
It was him.
He was denying everything.
He didn't even recognize me.
Okay, let me handle this.
I got it.
Okay, Megan, Megan,
what are you doing?
You're interfering
with a police
investigation, all right?
You're hurting
You're hurting your case.
Assaulting a potential suspect?
That was the best part.
Okay. All right.
- I need you to turn around.
- Why?
Because I'm going to uncuff you
and drive you back to your hotel.
- [HANDCUFFS CLICKING]
- And, Megan
if you ever interfere with
this investigation again,
- I will arrest you myself, okay?
- Okay.
Am I clear?
Your victim from Iowa
detained and then
assaulted her own rapist?
After I told her not to interfere
with the investigation.
And Silva arrested her?
Well, she was in danger of
screwing up the entire case.
You don't actually expect me
- to charge her with anything, do you?
- No.
I-I voided the arrest,
and I took her back to her hotel,
and I said to stay there.
- And the suspect, where is he?
- Uh, he is with his lawyer.
Finn and Velasco are
questioning him now.
What else do we know about this guy?
Gerard Ridley, 32.
He lives in a duplex in Jersey City.
No record.
But his DNA was
all over Megan's kit.
Well, guys like this
they don't normally wake up
and decide to become rapists at 32.
So check his employment record,
his HR complaints,
his college transcripts.
I mean, there's gotta be
something in his background.
That's you, right?
So what?
I was working.
And here you are, disposing
of a $1,000 bottle of wine.
What do you want me to do
Drink all of it?
My client's not denying
that he was in Times
Square working that night
or that he was disposing of the wine.
His job was to sell
to area restaurants.
What we wanna know is what
happened between those two.
Somewhere in there,
Megan Wallace was dragged
into an alcove and raped.
Wait. That's her story?
Your DNA was in her rape kit.
I'm not denying we had sex.
Okay.
We're listening.
She came on to me.
So, when she pushed
herself against the wall,
that was her idea?
Um, I'll admit it was a
little down and dirty,
- but it was what she wanted.
- If this was her idea,
why'd she tell us she was assaulted?
After someone else dialed 911.
She's obviously
having second thoughts.
She's afraid her
husband would find out
she hooked up with a stranger.
The hospital must have checked
this alleged victim's blood alcohol.
- Yeah, they did.
- And?
[SCOFFS] Look, an older
married woman from Iowa
came to New York City alone,
dazzled by the lights of Broadway
- not to mention a few drinks.
- She wanted excitement.
Which my client provided.
I mean, look at me and look at her.
What's that supposed to mean?
She stalked my client,
tracked him down in a bar
after their first rendezvous,
flirted with him.
Then when I didn't
remember her, she punched me.
[SCOFFS]
I think we're done here.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
That's some story, huh?
Didn't you tell me, though, that she
did walk for miles
searching for this guy,
even after you asked her not to?
- She wanted justice.
- And she didn't call 911.
A-also, isn't there a witness
that says that this looked consensual?
Okay, so her behavior isn't perfect.
But what victim's is?
And you should also know
that she was diagnosed
with MS, a few weeks ago.
- I'm sorry to hear that.
- Yeah.
And she hasn't told her husband.
And I'm sure
I'm sure that she doesn't
want that brought up in court.
Doesn't need to be. It's
not relevant to her case.
But you know what is relevant?
Is the story that
this suspect is telling,
because it's exactly what his lawyer
is gonna sell to the jury.
Okay, well, I was in
the ambulance with her,
and I was at the hospital with her,
and she was raped.
As of now, I can
arraign him on rape one.
- Okay.
- But
Just make sure that Megan knows
they're gonna portray
her as a bored housewife
on a Broadway Rumspringa.
[SCOFFS]
- Celia Fowler?
- Yeah.
Did you go to grad
school with Gerard Ridley?
Gerard and I were involved.
"Involved"? Like
boyfriend-girlfriend?
I thought that's what I wanted
At first.
You filed a complaint
against him with the college.
Sexual misconduct board.
Can you tell us what happened?
Look, I really gotta
get back to work.
Celia, Gerard is a suspect
in a case that we're
currently investigating.
- For what?
- Assaulting a tourist.
The case on the news?
The woman from Iowa?
What
What did he do to her?
Well, we can't
really go into details,
but, anything that you
tell us might really help.
Uh
One night, I was in my dorm, studying.
Gerard came over.
He was upset.
I, uh
I tried to cheer him up.
We drank a bit, smoked a joint.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
We started fooling around, and, um
I told him I was on my period.
I didn't wanna go any further.
And?
And he didn't listen.
The board opened an investigation,
but, Gerard denied everything.
He blamed me, so it went nowhere.
We had one shared class.
He stopped attending.
Uh, blocked me on everything.
I never saw him again.
- Celia never filed a police report?
- No.
I get the sense she just
tried to forget all about it
once the college
investigation dead-ended.
Okay, thanks.
All right, Counselor, so?
It's a different pattern.
It's a different MO.
I'm not gonna be able
to get her admitted
- as a Molineux witness.
- So, as of now,
this
is just all on Megan.
- Captain Benson.
- Megan.
- Uh, this must be your husband.
- Uh, Richard.
- Nice to meet you.
- Hi, this is ADA Carisi.
- You're my wife's prosecutor?
- I will be, yes.
You're gonna nail this guy.
I'm certainly gonna try.
Doesn't sound very confident.
Richard, they're doing their best.
It's It's okay to be
frustrated, Mr. Wallace.
What's not okay is giving a guy like
Gerard Ridley the
pleasure of seeing it.
We just need to be strong
for Megan, because she's
She's
the real victim here.
[SIGHS]
Okay.
Gerard Ridley,
on the
charge of rape in the first,
- how do you plead?
- Not guilty, Your Honor.
- People on bail?
- People request 50,000, Your Honor.
My client has no priors.
He's not a flight risk.
We request ROR.
I'm setting bail at 25,000,
and the defendant will
surrender his passport.
That's it?
The judge gave him bail?
This is not uncommon
for a first-time offender.
Listen, they took his passport.
He's not going anywhere.
What now? Can we go home?
No! I have to testify!
So my wife has to get on the stand
in front of everyone and
relive this entire thing?
If we want a conviction, yes.
There, you see?
I told you.
I didn't want you to come
to New York by yourself,
and this is why.
What happens if we
just get on the plane
and go back to Council Bluffs?
Well, um, unfortunately,
that's not just your decision.
It's also Megan's.
Megan, may I, may I speak
with you alone for a minute?
Yes.
We can give you a ride
back to your hotel, Mr. Wallace.
- She'll get one too?
- Yeah.
I-I'll take care of it.
- Are you upset at me again?
- Uh, no.
[SIGHS]
So
Gerard Ridley is going to claim
that everything that happened
between the two of you,
was consensual.
- What?
- Yes.
And his lawyer is gonna
say that you were drunk,
and that you were looking
for an out-of-town hookup,
and that you stalked
him for a few extra days
so, you could see him again.
- That's a lie.
- I know it is. I know it is.
But I need you to know
what they're gonna say in open court.
[SIGHS]
I will tell Richard
everything tonight.
Have you told him
about the diagnosis?
No.
[SIGHS]
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
Okay.
So, Megan, um
You should know that,
um, Mr. Carisi is aware.
And?
He's not gonna
bring it up on the stand.
But you need to tell your husband.
I can't.
You can't, or you won't?
I wanna testify!
[WHISPERING] I don't wanna be
viewed as someone who is sick
or weak or has to go home.
I've known you
for a very short time,
and I can assure you that nobody
Nobody thinks that you're
even remotely weak.
- Listen, I am ready to fight.
- Okay, well, good.
So hang on to that attitude,
because you're gonna
need it to get through the trial
and, whatever comes after.
[SIGHS]
I took the initial statement,
um, from the victim, Megan Wallace.
She was traumatized,
and, she disclosed to me that
That she had been raped.
- Did she give you details?
- She did.
Um, she said that he was a white male,
um, early 30s, brown hair,
and that she was grabbed
and pulled into an alcove
off 45th Street.
And was she able
to ID the defendant?
She was.
And our investigation
also, uh, concluded
that the defendant's
DNA was indeed a match
to the semen in her rape kit.
Thank you, Captain.
Captain Benson,
did one of your detectives
arrest Megan Wallace
for interfering in a
police investigation?
- Yes, but
- Not to mention,
she had assaulted the defendant.
Megan reacted in
anger to her rapist.
But I have since voided the arrest.
Is it possible there's another reason
she assaulted him,
that the encounter was consensual,
and she was angry that the defendant
- didn't remember her?
- Objection.
Withdrawn.
Nothing further.
I was walking to my hotel from a bar,
after seeing a Broadway musical.
Can you tell the jury what
happened on your way back?
Uh, I was grabbed from the side,
and, um, pulled into an alcove
and shoved up against a wall.
And then I-I felt my
skirt was pulled up,
and I felt him push into me.
How did you react to that?
I-I would have fought,
but it just happened so fast.
I was in shock, and he
He just
Finished, zipped up, left.
And what happened then?
As I was, uh, trying to pull
myself together, he came back,
and he grabbed a
bottle from the ground.
People's Exhibit Three, Your Honor
This bottle, which you heard
about in earlier testimony,
has the defendant's
fingerprints on it.
Mrs. Wallace, were you able
to see your attacker's face?
Yeah, I got a quick look,
W-when he was leaving
for the second time.
And can you identify
him for the jury?
Yes, the man who assaulted me,
is Gerard Ridley, the defendant.
And what happened
after you'd been attacked?
I was disoriented, in shock.
And, uh, an usher who
Who had left work saw me, called 911.
And then when SVU came,
I told Captain Benson
what had happened to me.
Mrs. Wallace, you later
found the defendant at a bar.
Can you explain that to the jury?
I recognized him right away,
and I-I texted the police.
- Were you flirting with him?
- No.
I
I would certainly not
characterize it as that.
I was simply trying to keep him there
until he could be arrested.
- But you did strike him?
- Yes.
And that was wrong.
But I just
I was still very angry,
from being violated by him.
Understandable.
Thank you.
Mrs. Wallace,
you said you had been to a bar
- prior to encountering my client.
- Yes.
- And you had a few drinks?
- Yes.
According to the bartender,
you had two martinis.
That sounds right.
Do you usually drink that much?
Objection, relevance.
I'll allow, but move
it along, Counselor.
Uh, I usually only drink
on special occasions.
Did you feel affected
by the alcohol?
Maybe a little.
Thank you for your honesty.
You were alone in the city,
- without your husband?
- Yes.
Do you usually travel
without your husband?
No, but i-it was tax
season, and he was busy.
And there were, there were
Broadway shows
that I wanted to see that were,
that were losing their
original casts soon.
So, you were in the
city without your husband,
had a few drinks.
Maybe this was one of
those special occasions?
- No.
- But you said it yourself.
This wasn't your usual behavior.
I-I don't understand.
Mrs. Wallace,
isn't it true that a few
weeks prior to this trip,
you had received what must
have been devastating news?
What do you mean?
I'm referring to your diagnosis
of secondary progressive
multiple sclerosis.
Objection, Your Honor, relevance.
I intend to show
relevancy, Your Honor.
Counselors, approach.
Richard, I'm so sorry.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Your Honor, the witness's
private medical history
is irrelevant to this case,
not to mention a gross violation
- of her privacy.
- It's relevant to my defense.
It goes to her state of mind.
If she was looking for
a drunken last hurrah,
that goes to the issue of consent.
The jury needs to hear that.
All right, I will allow
this line of questioning
but limited in scope.
Proceed carefully.
Your Honor, I need a
minute with my witness.
Your Honor, I'm ready
to continue with my cross.
The jury needs to hear this
while it's fresh in their minds.
I'll allow.
Mrs. Wallace,
are you ready to continue,
or do you need a recess?
No, I'm fine.
I can continue.
Step back.
♪
I'm instructing the jury,
that your verdict should
not be influenced by
sympathy for this witness
but only by the evidence presented.
Mrs. Wallace,
you did receive a diagnosis
of MS prior to this trip.
Yes.
Is it possible that your
out-of-character behavior
was caused by your
reaction to the diagnosis?
Well, I-I needed some
time alone, yes, if
- If that's what you mean.
- Time alone.
For what?
I love Broadway.
I-I'd never been.
It was
It was always on my bucket list.
Was it also on your bucket list
to have sex with a
good-looking stranger?
- Objection.
- Sustained.
Move it along, Counselor.
I was raped!
[SHOUTING]
But you didn't call
911 right away, did you?
- No.
- In fact,
you didn't call 911 at all.
The police only responded
when an off-duty usher
who saw you rearranging
your clothes called.
I was disoriented.
- I was trying to process
- Process what you were
going to tell your husband?
- What? No.
- Mrs. Wallace,
is it possible
you weren't ever planning
on calling the police?
And it was only when SVU showed up,
you told them you'd been
raped to avoid having to admit
that you had casual
sex with the defendant?
- Objection, Your Honor.
- Sustained.
- Casual, consensual sex.
- Your Honor.
Counselor, I warned you.
Withdrawn.
Nothing further.
Mr. Carisi?
Your Honor, I fully intend
to redirect this witness.
I-I just I need some time.
We're adjourned for the day.
You have till tomorrow
morning, Counselor.
You may step down, Mrs. Wallace.
♪
[INAUDIBLE]
You have MS, and you didn't tell me?
I was going to tell you.
What else have you
been hiding from me?
- Nothing.
- Was that lawyer right?
- Did you have sex with that man?
- No.
[SIGHS] I swear to God.
Mr. Wallace
There's a reason
that your wife didn't tell
you about the diagnosis.
I wanna hear it from her.
What was the real
reason for this trip
why you had to go now?
It wasn't because the
Broadway shows were closing.
I was upset.
Maybe I didn't wanna face it.
I had to clear my head
and come up with a plan.
Without your husband.
I didn't want you
to see me that way.
- What way?
- As some kind of scared invalid.
♪
Where are you going?
Home.
What am I supposed to do now?
I'm gonna lose this trial.
I'm gonna lose my husband.
Hey, Megan, listen to me.
There might be a way
for you to discredit
that lawyer, okay?
Mr. Carisi can redirect
you on the stand,
and you can tell your side.
No, no, I can't.
You can't?
And what about Gerard Ridley?
Oh!
I am done!
♪
- Well?
- She doesn't wanna fight this anymore.
[SCOFFS] I'm so sick
and tired of this argument,
that a woman only cried rape
because she doesn't want to
admit what really happened.
That's not what's going on here.
Yeah, well, I know
that, and you know that.
But the jury needs
to hear that from her.
- Hey.
- Hey.
I'm glad to see
that you're still here.
Yeah.
Well, for the moment, yes.
Okay, and Richard?
Oh, he won't leave without me.
- Well, that's good news.
- Yeah.
He's
He's forgiven me for not
telling him about the MS.
And-and he's gonna
come with me to the doctor
as soon as we get
back to Council Bluffs.
- I'm so glad to hear it.
- Yeah.
So you two are gonna be okay?
Yeah, I mean, we
were up all night
Discussing what that
lawyer said on the stand
that I was crying rape
to cover up infidelity.
- And?
- And he knows that's not true,
but, it's already in the
papers back home.
They're painting me
like some kind of slut.
It sounds like you
need to correct them.
How?
On the stand.
Ugh.
Megan, fight for your marriage.
Fight for the truth.
And when this is all
over, and it will be
I want you to fight,
to live your life
because the world could use more
More women like you.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
I did not tell my husband
about my diagnosis of MS.
Why not?
I was in shock,
maybe even in denial.
I regret keeping it from him.
Why did you come to New York alone?
As I stated before, it was
always on my bucket list.
But the night in question
was having sex with the defendant
- on your bucket list?
- No.
And when Mr. Ridley grabbed you
and pulled you into that alcove,
was that part of your New York plan?
No.
He raped me.
It was in no way consensual.
[SIGHS]
I know I didn't tell the
truth about my diagnosis,
but I am telling the truth now.
I love my husband with all my heart.
I have never had sex with another man.
I would never cheat on him.
♪
Megan Wallace came to our city
in an effort to distract herself
from a devastating diagnosis
by going to see some Broadway shows.
Now, was she less than forthcoming
to her husband about
the reason for her trip?
Yeah.
But she's telling the truth now.
Mrs. Wallace was taken
advantage of by a predator.
But you witnessed a second violation
right here in this courtroom,
when his defense attorney
revealed her illness
against her wishes.
But Mrs. Wallace never once gave up
Not after she was assaulted,
not after her privacy was destroyed.
She's, without a doubt,
one of the most
determined victims that
I've ever encountered.
And, Mrs. Wallace, I'm not giving up.
And neither should you.
One of the cornerstones of justice
is the determination
to arrive at the truth.
And I hope that after
hearing all the evidence,
you, good ladies and
gentlemen of the jury,
can recognize what that looks like.
♪
Members of the jury,
have you reached a verdict?
- Yes, we have, Your Honor.
- What say you?
On the charge of
rape in the first degree,
we find the defendant guilty.
The defendant will be
remanded into custody.
[INAUDIBLE]
♪
You know, with everything that
happened to me here, this city, it's
- Still magical.
- [SCOFFS]
Well, I'm
glad to hear that.
Yeah, but for now,
I'm ready to go home.
If you ever wanna come back,
Broadway will be here waiting.
- Thank you.
- You take care.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
In the criminal justice system,
sexually based offenses
are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the
dedicated detectives
who investigate these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
And as we all know,
any sexual assault
is a violation that shatters
a victim's sense of safety
and a victim's sense of autonomy.
But, there's an often
unrecognized dimension
of sexual assault,
and that is unpredictability.
A sudden crime can make
victims question everything
their choices, their instincts,
even their own memories.
Hey, didn't we just see you
coming back from a matinee
of "The Notebook" the other day?
- We did, right?
- Yeah, Megan.
- You're from Iowa.
- Good memory.
[ALL CHUCKLE]
Going to another show already?
I have seen six shows in five days.
- Get out of here.
- Ooh.
Where's your husband?
You left him home?
Coming to New York all
alone, what an adventure.
Must be some kind of special occasion.
Nope, just
Life.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
[CHUCKLES AWKWARDLY]
♪
[APPLAUSE]
Whoo.
Hi, hon.
Hey, you were gonna
call me after the show.
- How was it?
- Perfect. Magical.
Where are you right now?
Uh, at a bar off of Times Square.
By yourself?
Well, the doorman at the hotel
said that "The Lion King"
cast sometimes hangs out here.
[WHISPERING] But I
don't recognize them
without their makeup on.
- You miss me?
- Of course, I do.
Um, I'll see you tomorrow night.
Okay, mwah!
The hardest part is not just fear.
But the realization
that the world they
thought they lived in
was never real to begin with.
What was safe yesterday,
does not feel safe today.
[SIREN WAILING]
A tourist was raped in Times Square?
It's a great ad for Broadway.
The mayor's office is
already preparing a statement.
Okay, what do we
know about the victim?
Well, unis found her
purse a few feet away
from where she was attacked.
Her ID says her name is Megan Wallace
from Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Full wallet, her phone,
a playbill in her bag.
Theater usher over
there found her dazed
and clothes in disarray.
He's the one who called it in.
- So she was alone?
- Yeah.
All right, well, keep canvassing.
Check street cams.
I'll take her statement.
Hi, I'm Captain Benson
from the Special Victims Unit.
How you holding up?
Okay.
So I understand that
you're from out of state.
My flight home is tomorrow.
So it would be real helpful
if maybe you could stay in
town for a couple of days.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
I just came to town
to see some shows.
How about
How about if I, uh, ride
with you to the hospital?
Okay.
You know what? I'm
gonna ride with her, guys.
Thanks.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER HOSPITAL PA]
Hey
- How's she doing?
- Well, we gave her antibiotics.
She refused a sedative.
Well, you finished
the rape kit already?
- That was fast.
- Well, she's very organized.
She's been writing every
detail in her daily planner.
She's trying to make sense
of what happened to her.
Well, I hope this helps.
I was able to retrieve fluid,
hair, and skin under her nails.
That's a lot of evidence. Good.
Well, I'll see if she can
tell me anything else.
One more thing
She has an underlying illness.
Seems like she was just diagnosed.
All right, anything that
would complicate the case?
I think you should hear it from her.
Okay.
How you doing, Megan?
What are you doing to
find the man that raped me?
Uh, we're looking for witnesses.
- We're pulling security footage.
- I'm sorry.
I don't I don't mean to
tell you how to do your job.
That's okay. I
understand, believe me.
So is there anyone
anyone I can call for you?
Uh, my husband is in Iowa.
- Have you talked to him yet?
- Not yet, but I will.
So, uh, the SANE
nurse mentioned that you
That you've been writing
in your daily planner.
Yeah.
I wanted to make a list.
- Uh-huh.
- Notes, so I won't have to
- think about it all night.
- Okay, do you mind
Do you mind if I take a look at that?
Okay, white, 30s, brown hair.
So
So, after the play,
you went to go have a drink.
- At The Rum House.
- Mm-hmm.
Did you notice anybody at the bar
paying attention to you?
[SCOFFS]
I'm a middle-aged woman
from the Midwest, so
Okay.
Did anyone follow you out?
Not that I know of.
Um, the man who
Raped me
Uh, he must have
already been in the alcove.
I passed by.
He grabbed me.
He-he dragged me
past some scaffolding.
Mm-hmm.
I-it says here that he had luggage?
Yeah, medium-sized
black suitcase on wheels.
Okay.
Tell me, Megan, what else
what else do you remember?
Um, after he
Finished, um, he left.
And then as I was
pulling up my skirt,
he uh,
he doubled back.
- What for?
- To grab something off the ground.
Do you know what it was?
It looked like a bottle,
but, I mean, I thought he
was gonna hit me with it.
But he just took it and walked away.
Did he seem intoxicated?
I mean, maybe.
He was really well dressed.
Like a businessman?
Yeah, like, nice shirt, coat, tie.
I don't get it.
I
[LAUGHING, CRYING] I was
wearing a thick jacket.
I mean, it's not like I was dressed
to attract any sort of attention.
Megan, listen to me.
Listen to me.
Don't take that on.
Okay?
Don't take that on.
I've been doing this a long time.
And what you were wearing
or how you were walking
has nothing to do with it.
Believe me.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
Um, also, the, um
The nurse mentioned that you may have
an underlying health condition.
Is that
Is that something
that I should know about?
Um
[SNIFFLES]
Yeah.
I, uh [SNIFFLES]
I haven't told my husband.
But, um, I was diagnosed with MS
two weeks ago.
I'm so sorry.
Look, I know that I mentioned
that I'd love you to stay
in town for a few days.
But if you need to get
home to your family
No, nope.
Nope.
I think I should stay here.
Okay.
I'll be right back.
[SNIFFLES]
- Hey.
- How's our victim?
Well, she got released
from the hospital last night,
so she's back at her hotel.
Do we have anything on this guy?
Well, it's Saturday
night, Times Square,
- so it's gonna take a while.
- Okay.
They're still looking through
the cameras in the area.
Okay, well, Megan said
that her rapist was white,
30s, and had a suitcase on wheels.
That's half the tourists in Midtown.
She also said that he
went back to the crime scene
to pick up a bottle.
He raped a woman
and went back for it?
Well, maybe he's
worried about the DNA.
Well, he wasn't worried
about that when he raped her.
He didn't use a condom.
Then why a double
back for the bottle?
Well, you guys are detectives.
Figure it out, and find that bottle.
- Captain?
- Yeah.
Hi.
Captain Benson. Can I help you?
I heard people talking about
that woman getting attacked
- last night in Times Square.
- [CELL PHONE BUZZES]
- I might have seen something.
- Okay.
Uh, uh, just give me a minute, okay?
Hey, Finn.
Um, I just got a call about
a press conference at 1PP.
Find out what she knows.
So why were you
there in the first place?
I'm in the chorus of "Gypsy."
I had an after-work
drink at Jimmy's Corner.
I was walking to the subway.
- Okay, what did you see?
- Two people in an alcove
Older woman, younger guy.
- Was this the woman?
- Yeah. That's her.
What about the younger guy?
White, 30s.
Had luggage with him.
Here's the thing, though
I didn't think it was a rape.
I thought it was just
two people hooking up.
What made you think that?
They were tucked into
the corner of the alcove
like they didn't wanna be seen.
Her skirt was up.
His hands were all over her.
But
It's not like he
had her mouth covered.
She wasn't screaming.
It's Times Square.
People get drunk and
crazy there all the time.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Traffic cams don't lie.
White guy, 30s, in
a nice-looking coat,
and with a bag on wheels.
And a bottle, which he
tosses into the marquee.
Which is right up there.
Looks like you're
gonna need a ladder.
I'll call CSU.
♪
Look what I found.
♪
Let me see that label?
Emberdawn '95 Shiraz.
That's expensive.
It's Australian.
I thought they were
known for that cheap stuff.
Actually, this bottle
is about $1,000.
That explains why he went
back to the scene to get it.
Yeah, but not why he ditched it.
Well, we can't go back
to Benson empty-handed.
How about a little
old-school detective work?
Oh, yeah?
What are you thinking?
We hit every upscale
liquor store in Times Square,
see who sells $1,000
bottles of Shiraz.
We want to reassure the public
that the NYPD is taking
every precaution possible
to safeguard our streets.
Now, Broadway, on average, is visited
by 300,000 tourists a day,
making it one of the most
visited places in the world.
And we are determined
on maintaining its reputation
as one of the safest as well.
How can you call Times Square safe
when something like this happens?
Captain Benson, what
is the status of the victim?
We're not taking
questions at this time.
[REPORTERS SHOUTING]
You happy now?
That covers all the liquor stores
within a half-mile of the crime.
- But no Emberdawn '95.
- You know what that means.
He didn't buy the bottle
in this neighborhood.
Well, maybe we should be
canvassing the Upper East Side.
Well, why would a guy in a suit
buy an expensive bottle of wine uptown
and then drag it down to Times Square
to just drink on the street?
Well, there are a lot of
bars in this neighborhood.
Well, any high-end enough
to carry a $1,000 bottle of Shiraz?
There's not a big market
for upscale Australian wines.
Shouldn't be too hard to find.
Yeah, sorry. We don't
carry that type of wine here.
Okay, well, thanks.
Uh, but we did get
someone in here yesterday
- trying to sell me a case of it.
- Like a wholesaler?
A liquor rep, uh,
like her but a guy.
- How old?
- Uh, 30s.
- White guy, brown hair?
- Yeah.
Leave a card, a name?
I mean, I told him straight
up that I can't sell that here.
We mostly get tourists
from the wax museum.
Trust me, they're not spending
a grand on a bottle of wine.
You get this guy on
your security cameras?
Yeah, he-he sat
right there at the bar,
poured me a glass of
the bottle he opened.
We're gonna need your footage.
So we're looking for a wine rep
with a black suitcase full of Shiraz.
We can contact the
label and get a list of reps.
Okay.
I was assaulted here last night
by-by a man in his 30s.
- Is that our victim?
- Yeah.
What is she doing?
- Mrs. Wallace.
- Yeah?
We met last night.
We're with Special Victims.
And?
Can we ask, what are you doing?
I'm trying to find the
man who assaulted me.
We appreciate that, but
it's probably not a good idea.
I'm not worried about that.
Yeah, but our captain will be.
Um, I was assaulted here last night.
He was white, carrying
a-a black suitcase.
Can you please help me?
He raped me, and he's still out there.
Help me.
Megan is canvassing Times Square,
looking for her own rapist.
Maybe we should go talk to her,
see if she knows anything else.
'Cause we're at a dead end.
We got something.
Any luck reaching the vineyard?
No.
It's 4:00 a.m. in Australia.
The Shiraz he was selling
the company only uses
about 20 reps in the U.S.
- Well, how many in New York?
- Seven.
And, unfortunately, most of them
are white guys in their 30s.
But, we do have a security
still of one of them in the area.
All right, so you guys
keep canvassing the bars.
We know he was in Times
Square at the time of Megan's attack.
I'll see if she can make an ID.
Yeah, it looks like him.
Where is this?
It's at a bar in Times Square.
So he was there last night.
And it turns out that he's a wine rep.
Which is why he had a suitcase.
Wait.
So he's not a tourist.
That means he could
still be in the city.
He should be really easy to find.
Well, except for the fact
that we don't have a name,
- or, any other way to ID him right now.
- [SIGHS]
But, we have leads
from the company
that he works for, so
- We're gonna catch this guy.
- Okay.
I-I think I'm gonna go to that bar.
Wait up.
Wait, wait, hold on.
I thought you said that your
husband was on his way here.
He is. I just, you know,
I'll meet up with him later.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Megan, hold on a second.
Just
Let's just take a beat here.
Look, I understand why
you wanna catch this guy.
I really do.
Believe me.
But, you know, what you're doing,
it's called displacement.
And it's when you put
all your emotional energy
toward a problem that
That you can do something about
Instead of
Instead of one that you can't.
You think this is about my MS?
[SERIOUS MUSIC]
♪
So, um
My father was a rapist.
And look what I do for a living.
So I understand displacement
more than you think.
I will deal with my
illness in my own time,
on my own terms, but right now,
finding the man who raped me
is the only way that I am
gonna be able to go home.
Okay, but that's why I'm here.
So will you just let me do my job?
Fine. I won't go to the bar.
[SIGHS]
Sorry.
I won't go to the bar.
I will just go for a walk
to clear my head, okay?
- That's not illegal.
- But just to be clear
Interfering with our investigation
That is illegal.
Okay.
♪
[DOOR CLOSES]
Yeah, he doesn't look familiar.
But you do buy
Shiraz from a liquor rep?
- Yeah, Harper.
- Harper?
Yeah, she's great. Why?
Thank you for your time.
Nah, that isn't our rep.
To be honest, we deal mostly
with liquor brands these days.
Wine has a shelf life, unlike vodka.
If you do see him, give us a call.
How long's it been
- Five hours?
- Six.
And so far, no sign of our rapist.
Whatever he was
selling, no one's buying.
It explains why he was standing
drunk and angry in an alcove.
Then we'll meet you there, Liv.
Our victim, Megan Wallace,
is at a bar a few blocks away
with the suspect.
[TENSE MUSIC]
We're headed into the bar now, Liv.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Oh, I love Broadway shows.
My husband, on the other hand,
doesn't want anything to do with them.
[WHISPERING] Sarge,
what the hell is she doing?
Looks like she's flirting with him.
Or she's just trying
to keep him there.
It's him, it's him.
His name is Gerard Ridley.
- Get up.
- What the hell?
You don't even
know who I am, do you?
Gerard Ridley, you're under arrest.
- For what?
- Rape in the first.
That's ridiculous.
You raped me, you son of a bitch!
You have the right to remain silent.
She was flirting with
me. This woman is crazy.
Whoa, Megan. Whoa, whoa.
She just assaulted me. You saw that.
- Aren't you gonna arrest her?
- [SCOFFS]
Mrs. Wallace, hands
behind your back, please.
[STAMMERS] You're arresting me?
I don't want to,
but you didn't exactly
give us a choice.
I didn't rape anyone.
- Calm down, Mrs. Wallace.
- Are you kidding me?
Hey, what is going on?
You
Arrested the victim?
We had to.
She attacked the suspect.
It was him.
He was denying everything.
He didn't even recognize me.
Okay, let me handle this.
I got it.
Okay, Megan, Megan,
what are you doing?
You're interfering
with a police
investigation, all right?
You're hurting
You're hurting your case.
Assaulting a potential suspect?
That was the best part.
Okay. All right.
- I need you to turn around.
- Why?
Because I'm going to uncuff you
and drive you back to your hotel.
- [HANDCUFFS CLICKING]
- And, Megan
if you ever interfere with
this investigation again,
- I will arrest you myself, okay?
- Okay.
Am I clear?
Your victim from Iowa
detained and then
assaulted her own rapist?
After I told her not to interfere
with the investigation.
And Silva arrested her?
Well, she was in danger of
screwing up the entire case.
You don't actually expect me
- to charge her with anything, do you?
- No.
I-I voided the arrest,
and I took her back to her hotel,
and I said to stay there.
- And the suspect, where is he?
- Uh, he is with his lawyer.
Finn and Velasco are
questioning him now.
What else do we know about this guy?
Gerard Ridley, 32.
He lives in a duplex in Jersey City.
No record.
But his DNA was
all over Megan's kit.
Well, guys like this
they don't normally wake up
and decide to become rapists at 32.
So check his employment record,
his HR complaints,
his college transcripts.
I mean, there's gotta be
something in his background.
That's you, right?
So what?
I was working.
And here you are, disposing
of a $1,000 bottle of wine.
What do you want me to do
Drink all of it?
My client's not denying
that he was in Times
Square working that night
or that he was disposing of the wine.
His job was to sell
to area restaurants.
What we wanna know is what
happened between those two.
Somewhere in there,
Megan Wallace was dragged
into an alcove and raped.
Wait. That's her story?
Your DNA was in her rape kit.
I'm not denying we had sex.
Okay.
We're listening.
She came on to me.
So, when she pushed
herself against the wall,
that was her idea?
Um, I'll admit it was a
little down and dirty,
- but it was what she wanted.
- If this was her idea,
why'd she tell us she was assaulted?
After someone else dialed 911.
She's obviously
having second thoughts.
She's afraid her
husband would find out
she hooked up with a stranger.
The hospital must have checked
this alleged victim's blood alcohol.
- Yeah, they did.
- And?
[SCOFFS] Look, an older
married woman from Iowa
came to New York City alone,
dazzled by the lights of Broadway
- not to mention a few drinks.
- She wanted excitement.
Which my client provided.
I mean, look at me and look at her.
What's that supposed to mean?
She stalked my client,
tracked him down in a bar
after their first rendezvous,
flirted with him.
Then when I didn't
remember her, she punched me.
[SCOFFS]
I think we're done here.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
That's some story, huh?
Didn't you tell me, though, that she
did walk for miles
searching for this guy,
even after you asked her not to?
- She wanted justice.
- And she didn't call 911.
A-also, isn't there a witness
that says that this looked consensual?
Okay, so her behavior isn't perfect.
But what victim's is?
And you should also know
that she was diagnosed
with MS, a few weeks ago.
- I'm sorry to hear that.
- Yeah.
And she hasn't told her husband.
And I'm sure
I'm sure that she doesn't
want that brought up in court.
Doesn't need to be. It's
not relevant to her case.
But you know what is relevant?
Is the story that
this suspect is telling,
because it's exactly what his lawyer
is gonna sell to the jury.
Okay, well, I was in
the ambulance with her,
and I was at the hospital with her,
and she was raped.
As of now, I can
arraign him on rape one.
- Okay.
- But
Just make sure that Megan knows
they're gonna portray
her as a bored housewife
on a Broadway Rumspringa.
[SCOFFS]
- Celia Fowler?
- Yeah.
Did you go to grad
school with Gerard Ridley?
Gerard and I were involved.
"Involved"? Like
boyfriend-girlfriend?
I thought that's what I wanted
At first.
You filed a complaint
against him with the college.
Sexual misconduct board.
Can you tell us what happened?
Look, I really gotta
get back to work.
Celia, Gerard is a suspect
in a case that we're
currently investigating.
- For what?
- Assaulting a tourist.
The case on the news?
The woman from Iowa?
What
What did he do to her?
Well, we can't
really go into details,
but, anything that you
tell us might really help.
Uh
One night, I was in my dorm, studying.
Gerard came over.
He was upset.
I, uh
I tried to cheer him up.
We drank a bit, smoked a joint.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
We started fooling around, and, um
I told him I was on my period.
I didn't wanna go any further.
And?
And he didn't listen.
The board opened an investigation,
but, Gerard denied everything.
He blamed me, so it went nowhere.
We had one shared class.
He stopped attending.
Uh, blocked me on everything.
I never saw him again.
- Celia never filed a police report?
- No.
I get the sense she just
tried to forget all about it
once the college
investigation dead-ended.
Okay, thanks.
All right, Counselor, so?
It's a different pattern.
It's a different MO.
I'm not gonna be able
to get her admitted
- as a Molineux witness.
- So, as of now,
this
is just all on Megan.
- Captain Benson.
- Megan.
- Uh, this must be your husband.
- Uh, Richard.
- Nice to meet you.
- Hi, this is ADA Carisi.
- You're my wife's prosecutor?
- I will be, yes.
You're gonna nail this guy.
I'm certainly gonna try.
Doesn't sound very confident.
Richard, they're doing their best.
It's It's okay to be
frustrated, Mr. Wallace.
What's not okay is giving a guy like
Gerard Ridley the
pleasure of seeing it.
We just need to be strong
for Megan, because she's
She's
the real victim here.
[SIGHS]
Okay.
Gerard Ridley,
on the
charge of rape in the first,
- how do you plead?
- Not guilty, Your Honor.
- People on bail?
- People request 50,000, Your Honor.
My client has no priors.
He's not a flight risk.
We request ROR.
I'm setting bail at 25,000,
and the defendant will
surrender his passport.
That's it?
The judge gave him bail?
This is not uncommon
for a first-time offender.
Listen, they took his passport.
He's not going anywhere.
What now? Can we go home?
No! I have to testify!
So my wife has to get on the stand
in front of everyone and
relive this entire thing?
If we want a conviction, yes.
There, you see?
I told you.
I didn't want you to come
to New York by yourself,
and this is why.
What happens if we
just get on the plane
and go back to Council Bluffs?
Well, um, unfortunately,
that's not just your decision.
It's also Megan's.
Megan, may I, may I speak
with you alone for a minute?
Yes.
We can give you a ride
back to your hotel, Mr. Wallace.
- She'll get one too?
- Yeah.
I-I'll take care of it.
- Are you upset at me again?
- Uh, no.
[SIGHS]
So
Gerard Ridley is going to claim
that everything that happened
between the two of you,
was consensual.
- What?
- Yes.
And his lawyer is gonna
say that you were drunk,
and that you were looking
for an out-of-town hookup,
and that you stalked
him for a few extra days
so, you could see him again.
- That's a lie.
- I know it is. I know it is.
But I need you to know
what they're gonna say in open court.
[SIGHS]
I will tell Richard
everything tonight.
Have you told him
about the diagnosis?
No.
[SIGHS]
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
Okay.
So, Megan, um
You should know that,
um, Mr. Carisi is aware.
And?
He's not gonna
bring it up on the stand.
But you need to tell your husband.
I can't.
You can't, or you won't?
I wanna testify!
[WHISPERING] I don't wanna be
viewed as someone who is sick
or weak or has to go home.
I've known you
for a very short time,
and I can assure you that nobody
Nobody thinks that you're
even remotely weak.
- Listen, I am ready to fight.
- Okay, well, good.
So hang on to that attitude,
because you're gonna
need it to get through the trial
and, whatever comes after.
[SIGHS]
I took the initial statement,
um, from the victim, Megan Wallace.
She was traumatized,
and, she disclosed to me that
That she had been raped.
- Did she give you details?
- She did.
Um, she said that he was a white male,
um, early 30s, brown hair,
and that she was grabbed
and pulled into an alcove
off 45th Street.
And was she able
to ID the defendant?
She was.
And our investigation
also, uh, concluded
that the defendant's
DNA was indeed a match
to the semen in her rape kit.
Thank you, Captain.
Captain Benson,
did one of your detectives
arrest Megan Wallace
for interfering in a
police investigation?
- Yes, but
- Not to mention,
she had assaulted the defendant.
Megan reacted in
anger to her rapist.
But I have since voided the arrest.
Is it possible there's another reason
she assaulted him,
that the encounter was consensual,
and she was angry that the defendant
- didn't remember her?
- Objection.
Withdrawn.
Nothing further.
I was walking to my hotel from a bar,
after seeing a Broadway musical.
Can you tell the jury what
happened on your way back?
Uh, I was grabbed from the side,
and, um, pulled into an alcove
and shoved up against a wall.
And then I-I felt my
skirt was pulled up,
and I felt him push into me.
How did you react to that?
I-I would have fought,
but it just happened so fast.
I was in shock, and he
He just
Finished, zipped up, left.
And what happened then?
As I was, uh, trying to pull
myself together, he came back,
and he grabbed a
bottle from the ground.
People's Exhibit Three, Your Honor
This bottle, which you heard
about in earlier testimony,
has the defendant's
fingerprints on it.
Mrs. Wallace, were you able
to see your attacker's face?
Yeah, I got a quick look,
W-when he was leaving
for the second time.
And can you identify
him for the jury?
Yes, the man who assaulted me,
is Gerard Ridley, the defendant.
And what happened
after you'd been attacked?
I was disoriented, in shock.
And, uh, an usher who
Who had left work saw me, called 911.
And then when SVU came,
I told Captain Benson
what had happened to me.
Mrs. Wallace, you later
found the defendant at a bar.
Can you explain that to the jury?
I recognized him right away,
and I-I texted the police.
- Were you flirting with him?
- No.
I
I would certainly not
characterize it as that.
I was simply trying to keep him there
until he could be arrested.
- But you did strike him?
- Yes.
And that was wrong.
But I just
I was still very angry,
from being violated by him.
Understandable.
Thank you.
Mrs. Wallace,
you said you had been to a bar
- prior to encountering my client.
- Yes.
- And you had a few drinks?
- Yes.
According to the bartender,
you had two martinis.
That sounds right.
Do you usually drink that much?
Objection, relevance.
I'll allow, but move
it along, Counselor.
Uh, I usually only drink
on special occasions.
Did you feel affected
by the alcohol?
Maybe a little.
Thank you for your honesty.
You were alone in the city,
- without your husband?
- Yes.
Do you usually travel
without your husband?
No, but i-it was tax
season, and he was busy.
And there were, there were
Broadway shows
that I wanted to see that were,
that were losing their
original casts soon.
So, you were in the
city without your husband,
had a few drinks.
Maybe this was one of
those special occasions?
- No.
- But you said it yourself.
This wasn't your usual behavior.
I-I don't understand.
Mrs. Wallace,
isn't it true that a few
weeks prior to this trip,
you had received what must
have been devastating news?
What do you mean?
I'm referring to your diagnosis
of secondary progressive
multiple sclerosis.
Objection, Your Honor, relevance.
I intend to show
relevancy, Your Honor.
Counselors, approach.
Richard, I'm so sorry.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Your Honor, the witness's
private medical history
is irrelevant to this case,
not to mention a gross violation
- of her privacy.
- It's relevant to my defense.
It goes to her state of mind.
If she was looking for
a drunken last hurrah,
that goes to the issue of consent.
The jury needs to hear that.
All right, I will allow
this line of questioning
but limited in scope.
Proceed carefully.
Your Honor, I need a
minute with my witness.
Your Honor, I'm ready
to continue with my cross.
The jury needs to hear this
while it's fresh in their minds.
I'll allow.
Mrs. Wallace,
are you ready to continue,
or do you need a recess?
No, I'm fine.
I can continue.
Step back.
♪
I'm instructing the jury,
that your verdict should
not be influenced by
sympathy for this witness
but only by the evidence presented.
Mrs. Wallace,
you did receive a diagnosis
of MS prior to this trip.
Yes.
Is it possible that your
out-of-character behavior
was caused by your
reaction to the diagnosis?
Well, I-I needed some
time alone, yes, if
- If that's what you mean.
- Time alone.
For what?
I love Broadway.
I-I'd never been.
It was
It was always on my bucket list.
Was it also on your bucket list
to have sex with a
good-looking stranger?
- Objection.
- Sustained.
Move it along, Counselor.
I was raped!
[SHOUTING]
But you didn't call
911 right away, did you?
- No.
- In fact,
you didn't call 911 at all.
The police only responded
when an off-duty usher
who saw you rearranging
your clothes called.
I was disoriented.
- I was trying to process
- Process what you were
going to tell your husband?
- What? No.
- Mrs. Wallace,
is it possible
you weren't ever planning
on calling the police?
And it was only when SVU showed up,
you told them you'd been
raped to avoid having to admit
that you had casual
sex with the defendant?
- Objection, Your Honor.
- Sustained.
- Casual, consensual sex.
- Your Honor.
Counselor, I warned you.
Withdrawn.
Nothing further.
Mr. Carisi?
Your Honor, I fully intend
to redirect this witness.
I-I just I need some time.
We're adjourned for the day.
You have till tomorrow
morning, Counselor.
You may step down, Mrs. Wallace.
♪
[INAUDIBLE]
You have MS, and you didn't tell me?
I was going to tell you.
What else have you
been hiding from me?
- Nothing.
- Was that lawyer right?
- Did you have sex with that man?
- No.
[SIGHS] I swear to God.
Mr. Wallace
There's a reason
that your wife didn't tell
you about the diagnosis.
I wanna hear it from her.
What was the real
reason for this trip
why you had to go now?
It wasn't because the
Broadway shows were closing.
I was upset.
Maybe I didn't wanna face it.
I had to clear my head
and come up with a plan.
Without your husband.
I didn't want you
to see me that way.
- What way?
- As some kind of scared invalid.
♪
Where are you going?
Home.
What am I supposed to do now?
I'm gonna lose this trial.
I'm gonna lose my husband.
Hey, Megan, listen to me.
There might be a way
for you to discredit
that lawyer, okay?
Mr. Carisi can redirect
you on the stand,
and you can tell your side.
No, no, I can't.
You can't?
And what about Gerard Ridley?
Oh!
I am done!
♪
- Well?
- She doesn't wanna fight this anymore.
[SCOFFS] I'm so sick
and tired of this argument,
that a woman only cried rape
because she doesn't want to
admit what really happened.
That's not what's going on here.
Yeah, well, I know
that, and you know that.
But the jury needs
to hear that from her.
- Hey.
- Hey.
I'm glad to see
that you're still here.
Yeah.
Well, for the moment, yes.
Okay, and Richard?
Oh, he won't leave without me.
- Well, that's good news.
- Yeah.
He's
He's forgiven me for not
telling him about the MS.
And-and he's gonna
come with me to the doctor
as soon as we get
back to Council Bluffs.
- I'm so glad to hear it.
- Yeah.
So you two are gonna be okay?
Yeah, I mean, we
were up all night
Discussing what that
lawyer said on the stand
that I was crying rape
to cover up infidelity.
- And?
- And he knows that's not true,
but, it's already in the
papers back home.
They're painting me
like some kind of slut.
It sounds like you
need to correct them.
How?
On the stand.
Ugh.
Megan, fight for your marriage.
Fight for the truth.
And when this is all
over, and it will be
I want you to fight,
to live your life
because the world could use more
More women like you.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
I did not tell my husband
about my diagnosis of MS.
Why not?
I was in shock,
maybe even in denial.
I regret keeping it from him.
Why did you come to New York alone?
As I stated before, it was
always on my bucket list.
But the night in question
was having sex with the defendant
- on your bucket list?
- No.
And when Mr. Ridley grabbed you
and pulled you into that alcove,
was that part of your New York plan?
No.
He raped me.
It was in no way consensual.
[SIGHS]
I know I didn't tell the
truth about my diagnosis,
but I am telling the truth now.
I love my husband with all my heart.
I have never had sex with another man.
I would never cheat on him.
♪
Megan Wallace came to our city
in an effort to distract herself
from a devastating diagnosis
by going to see some Broadway shows.
Now, was she less than forthcoming
to her husband about
the reason for her trip?
Yeah.
But she's telling the truth now.
Mrs. Wallace was taken
advantage of by a predator.
But you witnessed a second violation
right here in this courtroom,
when his defense attorney
revealed her illness
against her wishes.
But Mrs. Wallace never once gave up
Not after she was assaulted,
not after her privacy was destroyed.
She's, without a doubt,
one of the most
determined victims that
I've ever encountered.
And, Mrs. Wallace, I'm not giving up.
And neither should you.
One of the cornerstones of justice
is the determination
to arrive at the truth.
And I hope that after
hearing all the evidence,
you, good ladies and
gentlemen of the jury,
can recognize what that looks like.
♪
Members of the jury,
have you reached a verdict?
- Yes, we have, Your Honor.
- What say you?
On the charge of
rape in the first degree,
we find the defendant guilty.
The defendant will be
remanded into custody.
[INAUDIBLE]
♪
You know, with everything that
happened to me here, this city, it's
- Still magical.
- [SCOFFS]
Well, I'm
glad to hear that.
Yeah, but for now,
I'm ready to go home.
If you ever wanna come back,
Broadway will be here waiting.
- Thank you.
- You take care.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[BREATHES DEEPLY]