All language subtitles for Law.and.Order.SVU.S26E14

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.

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.

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.

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.

It's 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.

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.

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.

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.

Okay, 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.

It was just 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?

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...

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.

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...

Yeah. I, uh...

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.

- 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 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?

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. 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.

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.

We're headed into
the bar now, Liv.

Oh, I love Broadway shows.

My husband, on the other hand,

doesn't want anything
to do with them.

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?

Mrs. Wallace, hands
behind your back, please.

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.

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?

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?

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.

I think
we're done here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 know, 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.

I will tell Richard
everything tonight.

Have you told him
about the diagnosis?

No.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

You know, with everything
that happened to me here,

this city, it's still magical.

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.

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johnhallgeir