Hey guys, sorry for the long wait, but I hope you enjoy the newest chapter. Sorry in advance for the probably massive amount of typos. I'm so thankful for the new favorites and followers I've received in recent weeks. Let me know what you think about this chapter with a review? -N

Chapter 33 - Babybelle

The ringing phone broke the near silent area of Manhattan SVU, Annabelle swiped to answer without looking at the screen, "Barba."

"Turns out Aimee didn't like that Marie slept with her brother. Couple of Marie's friends heard an argument. Aimee threatened to kill her."

"When was this?" She shook her head when she noticed Carisi and Rollins both glancing at her.

"Two days before the attack."

She stood up, cradling the phone between her cheek shoulder as she slipped her peacoat on, "Go get her. I'm on my way." Making a pit stop to fill Olivia in, she rushed down the steps of the precinct and to her range rover.

Once she made it to the Bronx, Annabelle stood at the two-way mirror to watch the interrogation already going on between Aimee Withers and Detectives Ramirez and Teigen. The seventeen-year-old looked frustrated at the two older men, arms crossed against her chest. "Nothing happened! My brother would've never slept with Marie." Her tone seemed to be a mixture of bored and angry, as if she was doing her best to hide what she was truly feeling.

From Jackson: Cams at the school show Aimee and Marie fighting. A few seconds later, photos came through showing the argument and a few other things.

Annabelle didn't wait before stalking into the integration, causing all three occupants to look at her, "sorry to interrupt. Miss Withers, you're saying that Marie and your brother never had sex?"

"That's right. He wouldn't touch her!"

She sat her phone in front of the teenager, "then why did you fight with your best friend? Two days before she was attacked?" Aimee froze, staring at the three photos that Annabelle was scrolling through on the screen. Yelling, pushing, and even one where Marie was on the ground with Aimee appearing to yell at her. "What was this fight about?"

"We…we…were just joking. We were joking around."

"That…doesn't look like a joke to me. In fact, it looks like you shoved her, and it looks like you attacked her. We have witnesses that heard you threaten to kill her."

"I…I don't know what you're talking about."

"That's how you want to play it?" She looked at the two men, "book her." She turned from the room, hoping that she'd reveal something else one the threat of jail became a closer reality. Once she escaped the room, she was quick to dial Detective Jackson, "Find Eric Withers. We're booking his sister now."

"Want me to bring him in?"

She nodded, even though he couldn't see it, "yeah, let's not tell him we have Aimee yet."

-xXx-

Annabelle was texting Olivia when her phone rang with a call from her husband. "What's up?"

"Can you take Cat?"

"Not really. What's going on?"

"Mami is taking abuelita to the hospital. She fell, again."

"Is she okay?"

"Most likely, but I didn't want her to deal with Cat with that going on. Can you get her?"

She looked around the Bronx precinct, "Not really. Can you take her to your office?"

"No, Anna, I can't."

The redhead sighed, "I'll get her. She can hang out here for a bit."

"Is that really the safest place for her?"

"If you can't watch your daughter in nice, comfy office, then she'll have to stay with me. I'm in the middle of a murder investigation, Rafael."

"This wouldn't be a problem if you didn't—"

"If I didn't, what, Rafael?" She shook her head, not giving him enough time to reply, "I'll see you at home." She hung up and entered Flores' office to get the okay before heading out to Catalina's home. After picking up her daughter and checking on her grandmother-in-law, she was back to work.

-xXx-

Annabelle glanced back at her daughter, who had curled up with her stuffed seal and her overly fluffy blanket underneath her temporary desk at the Bronx and fallen asleep, before making her way towards the second interrogation room, where they were taking a third crack at breaking Eric Withers. "Anything new?"

Ramirez shook his head negatively, "he admits that he slept with Marie, but nothing else."

She bit her now color faded lips as she stared at the suspect, "get in touch with your A.D.A. and get us a warrant for their phones and their apartment. Texts, calls, and locations, please." He nodded, quickly pulling his phone out as he walked away. Knocking on the window, she pulled the other two detectives out of interrogation.

"New plan?"

She shrugged, "Ramirez is getting warrants, Teigen, if you wanna meet him, the two of you can search the apartment. Call TARU, just in case." She turned to Jackson, "stay on for whenever we get the phones. I'm going in."

"What's your plan?"

"I don't know," she didn't look back as she spoke, quickly opening the door with a deep breath. Eric Withers flicked his eyes to her form, but otherwise showed no outward reaction. "Hi, Eric." He didn't reply. "How you doing?" She pulled the chair out across from him, "this will be a lot easier for everyone if you'd just cooperate."

"If I cooperate?" The man scoffed, leaning forward on the table, "You want to know what went on between me and Marie?"

"That'd be helpful."

"We fucked." A slimy grin came across his lips, "I fucked her so good that she was practically begging me to do it again."

"If you were so good, then why did you kill her?"

He leaned back, his mask fully back into place, "I don't know what you're talking about."

She continued, as if she didn't hear him, "what I don't get…is how you can just let your little sister take the fall for you."

"What do you mean? Aimee hasn't done anything."

"Well, we have evidence that shows she did. So, unless you can give me something else…your little sister is going away for a long time."

"Try it, you bitch, and it'll be the last thing you ever do." His anger came so fast that she had to lean back to not get hit when he rushed forward to spit the words at her.

She waited a few minutes to see if he'd give her anything else, before standing up as a knock sounded on the mirror, "I'll be around if you decide you want to confess or anything."

Walking out of the room, she was faced with her team, as well as a new woman. "Hi, I'm A.D.A. Richards," her dark hand was offered immediately. "Nice work in there."

Shaking the woman's head, she pushed a few strands of hair behind her pierced ear, "thanks. One thing I can do is make a guy angry." The two women shared a small chuckle before they looked towards the only member of her team in the area, "Anything?"

"I've requested everything from the phone company from a week before the fight to now. They said it should only take a couple of hours."

Annabelle nodded, "when they come in, send me a copy, please." She cocked her head towards the room Eric Withers was still sitting in, "let them sleep on it tonight. Don't let them talk to each other."

Amity Richards joined Annabelle as they walked towards her desk, "we have him on statutory rape, so that's something." Annabelle made a noise of agreement. "What? You don't think so?"

"No, I do. It's just, I feel like we're missing something. I just can't put my finger on it."

"Well, you've got three days to figure it out." The women shared a look with each other before the A.D.A. left the precinct.

"Mama?"

The sleepy voice brought a smile to the almost thirty-year old's face, "hey, baby, are you ready to go home?" The little girl silently reached for her mother, who quickly wrapped her arms around her small body, settling her upon her jean clad hip as she gathered everything up from the day.

-xXx-

Annabelle and Catalina made it home a little after six that night, and the woman quickly started preparing a dinner of grilled chicken, peas, and mashed potatoes for the family of three. As seven-o-clock came, she sat the bite size pieces in front of the eleven-month-old, before taking her own place next to her with a still steaming plate. Annabelle's eyes kept flickering towards her daughter as she scarfed her dinner down, making sure the baby was happy. The moment the two were fully sated, Catalina was splashing around in her nightly bath. After the brunette was asleep, Annabelle quickly started doing the small number of dishes that had accumulated from her cooking, which she was finishing up when Rafael walked in the door at almost nine. "Hey, I left your plate in the microwave."

He continued loosening his tie, "I ate with Rollins."

She watched him from the corner of her eye as he poured himself a glass of scotch, "kay." She fixed the dish towel's position on the oven handle before sticking the plate in the refrigerator and then walking up the stairs to their shared bedroom. Annabelle hopped in the shower, her tired body aching from the stress of the day, where she spent less than five minutes getting clean before changing into a pair of drab grey cotton shorts and a matching tank top. Rafael barely glanced at her when she reemerged, towel drying her hair.

"How is the case going?"

"Fine." She did her best to ignore the tension that was radiating between the pair, choosing to rub sweet pea scented lotion on her legs. "How was work?"

"Fine. Got my conviction."

"Congratulations," she pulled the tan comforter away from the bed and slid under the white silk sheets.

"That's all you have to say?"

She turned her head to see the Cuban from where he was changing into a pair of sweats, "What else do you want me to say?"

"You could at least try to pretend you care about how my day went. I asked about yours, even if you aren't doing anything but looking at your little timeline."

"Nothing but my…I'm trying to solve a murder. I'm sorry if I'm not getting to sit around in an office all day filling out paperwork. I'm sorry that I have to be in the field. You got your conviction. I'm happy for you, but I still have a dead seventeen-year-old, and today I finally made an arrest. So, I'm sorry if I'm not worshiping all your hard work."

"You can't even take care of you own daughter. I should've never let you take this job."

All pretenses of staying in bed ended as she shot fully to her feet, "Let me? You didn't let me do anything, Rafael Barba. I am my own person, and I do things because they need to be done. I can take care of my daughter just fine, thank you very much. When is the last time you gave her a bath? Hell, when was the last time you spent longer than ten minutes with her?" She paused long enough to take a deep breath, "I'm sorry that I'm not a lovely little homemaker for you, but it's 2016 and I don't have to sit around all day waiting to be of some use for you. We are supposed to be partners and you're treating me like you're above me."

"When is the last time I took care of Cat? I'm a little bit busier than you are. It's your job to take care of her. Not a damn babysitter. My mom shouldn't have to watch our daughter because you can't find the time out of your schedule to be a mother."

Annabelle let out a huff of air, "oh, fuck you." She stalked from the room, ignoring the sounds of him slamming the closet door closed in her wake as she made her way into the guest room next to Catalina's nursery.

-xXx-

The next morning, Annabelle paired a deep orange scoop necked shirt with black high waisted jeans and an olive-green jacket, and after getting a squirming Catalina dressed into her own set of black jeans with a Little Mermaid shirt, the two were out the door for another busy day. It seemed to take more time than usual for her to make it to the Bronx precinct, but she was walking in with a baby on her hip at 9:25am, thirty-five minutes earlier than she was due.

"Have we become a daycare?"

She glanced over at Jackson with a wince, "I cleared it. My babysitter has finals, so she has the week off and my mother-in-law had an emergency last night."

The older man gave her an understanding smile, before tickling Catalina just enough to make her giggle and shy away, even though she was happily reaching for him not even ten minutes later.

It wasn't until 10:30am that Teigen came in with a flourish, "I know what they're hiding." The other three detectives were quick to look up from their positions at their separate desks, happy to ignore the paperwork they were sorting through. "Aimee and Eric Winters are not only brother and sister, but they are also in a relationship."

Annabelle's eyebrows rose on their own accord, "by relationship, you mean-"

"oh yeah. The sexting on their phones prove it. And Aimee griped him out for sleeping with Marie. Two days before the murder, he told her that he'd handle Marie."

"She stood up, "let's get our confessions. Good job, Teigen."

Propping the almost one year old up onto her hip, she followed the three men towards the interrogation rooms, where they would shortly be joined by the Winters siblings.

-xXx-

Annabelle took Catalina to McDonalds to celebrate that day, making them arrive home a little later than normal. Luckily the toddler wore herself out in the ball pit at the playhouse, meaning that her missed bedtime was still okay as she was happily snoozing in her car seat during the drive home. Once the little girl was changed into her pajamas and into her crib, Annabelle took a quick shower before changing into her own set of pajamas. It was nearing 10pm when she finally crawled into bed, hanging up her facetime call with her older brother, before taking a mental note that her husband still hadn't come home.

The next morning, she slept in until 7am, knowing that she was back in Manhattan. At least until the Winters trial started up, then she'd be back to splitting her time between the two precincts once more. Getting dressed in a pair of straight legged black pants and a hunter green top, the redhead fixed her long hair into a fishtail braid before applying her usual small amount of make up before making her way into the kitchen, taking notice of the empty coffee cup in the sink – her only clue to Rafael being in the house at some point. Pouring herself a cup of the still warm liquid, she slid a couple slices of bread into the toaster. Once they popped up, she slathered peanut butter on them both, and took a large bite before sitting at the barstool to scroll through her emails while she waited on Tyler to show up for the day.

-xXx-

Walking into the SVU precinct, Annabelle smiled at the group as a hello, silently taking the coffee cup that Carisi offered. "What do you know about Jennifer Knowles?"

She frowned, "from Attention Inc?" Olivia nodded a quick confirmation to the question. "Uhm, she was a major player in the company when I was there. Lots of meetings with David. Workwise, I know she was in charge of landing the big clients, and she was working on making an app, but when I was there, she wasn't able to keep a team for what she wanted. They didn't really agree on what the app would do."

"What did the app do?"

"It took the program I used to be see everything available and made it public. Anyone could see anything. What happened to Jen?"

"She's the latest victim of the Second Avenue Strangler."

At the look of confusion on Annabelle's face, Carisi elaborated on Rollins' statement, "I'll put the file on your desk. Get you up to speed."

"Thank you." She turned her head towards Olivia, "has anyone told David or her sister?"

"Laura Knowles met us at the morgue this morning."

A few minutes later the auburn beauty was sitting at her overly neat desk as she flipped through the ink covered pages of the pattern 23 rapist, muttering to herself as her eyes flittered across the pages. "every two weeks. Jenn was a week early," she stopped to study the photographs of the other three victims, "all four match the profile. Wonderful." She rolled her eyes, before slapping the folder closed with a sigh. Something was nagging the back of her mind.

"What do they even pay attention to?"

Rollins' tone revealed she was distracted, "according to the website? Everything."

Annabelle smirked, "Truth through transparency."

"What?"

She looked at Carisi, who was looking at her in a mixture of alarm and confusion, "That's David's motto…truth through transparency." She swiped a strand of hair behind her earring clad lobe, "If nothing can be hidden, then there can be no crime. That was his goal."

Olivia came in, pocketing her phone, "while they are talking to Willard, Anna, try to find any footage of anything." Annabelle gave a quick nod, before firing up her laptop and going about her usual procedures.

-xXx-

"Searching for brassieres, Carisi?"

Annabelle's head shot up when Carisi replied, "my friend used my computer for something."

Finn smirked, "your friend's a 34B."

"Your friend got a name?"

The Staten Island native was able to ignore Rollins' question when Olivia walked in, "they just picked up a suspect. Let's go."

The group of five made it into the elevator, doors closing just as Annabelle's phone began to blare the chorus of the song, she and Rafael shared their first dance to at their wedding, resulting in amused looks from her colleagues. She pressed the button, "I hate you all. Hello."

"Hey, I need you to go pick Cat up."

"What? I thought you were today?" She tried to keep her voice low, but she knew sound carried in such a small tin box.

"Something came up at the office. So, I need you to go relieve Tyler."

Annabelle pursed her lips as she closed her eyes to control her anger. "We haven't spoke in," she stopped herself as the doors opened, waiting until she was away from the group to continue, "we haven't spoke in three days, Rafael. And you call me to tell me that I need to do what you said you were gonna do today."

"I'm on an important case."

"So am I, Rafael. I have four dead women and a man still on the loose."

"No, your squad does. You need to go pick up your daughter."

"Fuck you," she growled out before hanging up, wishing she had a landline to slam the receiver down. With another loud sigh, she rejoined the group, "so unfortunately, Rafael is caught up in something and can't pick Catalina up. Is it cool if I grab her, and then come back?"

Olivia shook her head, "take the rest of the day, and spend some time with your daughter. We'll keep you in the loop." She nodded

Annabelle was still fuming when she made it back to her home, where Tyler was playing with Catalina in the toddler's playroom. "Anna! Sorry, you surprised me. I thought Mr. Barba was coming today."

Her smile was tight as she looked at the brunette, "something came up at work, so he called me."

The college student nodded, "She's already had a nap and a snack. Thanks for letting me take off early. Dr. Lee is going to kill me if this paper is up to my "usual standard" like the last one," she rolled her eyes, "whatever that means."

Annabelle gave a short chuckle, "I get ya. Good luck. Text me if you need any help with it." As the younger woman left the room, the detective's focus went straight to her daughter.

-xXx-

Annabelle was texting back and forth with Carisi about the suspect who was apparently still pouting in his current cell, when Rafael made it home. "What's for dinner?"

She eyes barely left the screen, "whatever you cook." She paused long enough to lock her screen before she stood up, slipping the tennis shoes next to the chair onto her sock covered feet, "Now that you're here. I'm going back to work. Catalina's asleep in her crib."

"You're going to work? Instead of spending time with us?"

"I've spent the last five hours with our daughter. I've got a murderer to find."

Her baggy jeans and V-neck black shirt made her stand apart from the rest of the detectives when she walked into the precinct. "I thought I told you to take the night off?"

Annabelle smirked as she gave an answering shrug, "I was relieved of my duties as an obedient wife, so I figured I could do the job I'm actually being paid for."

Olivia stopped the younger woman with a hand on her forearm, "Is everything okay between you and Barba?"

She hesitated, briefly weighing her options, "Of course. I just really want to get this guy."

She could tell Olivia didn't believe her, but the lieutenant gave her a nod, "go interview him with Carisi."

Annabelle made her way over to the interrogation room to stand at the door while she waited on Carisi to bring the suspect in. When they appeared before her, she was quick to follow them in. "I was trying to help that girl."

"We're running your DNA, Alex."

"DNA? If I were a rapist. I wouldn't leave DNA."

"That's right. Hair. Spit. If you even sneeze, we've got you."

Carisi picked up where she left off, "we're already tying the fibers in your trunk to the rope."

Annabelle smirked, leaning closed to the fidgeting man, "We don't really even need a confession. Rape and murder…that's life."

His body changed, becoming cocky, "Well, I've only got one life to take. Either way, I still win. I took all of theirs. Stupid whores. They know I'm out there, and they still fall for it," his voice changed slightly, "hey, hun, are you crazy? Walking home alone. You know there are guys out there that'll snatch you up. Come on. Get in," and his smirk came back full force, "dumb drunk bitches fall for it…if you ask me, they wanted it. Some stupid thrill of getting some strange dick."

Annabelle hesitated, "You're admitting it?"

Alex leaned back once more, "you have DNA."

Carisi tossed a photo on the table, "you kill her?"

"That one kissed me. Slut."

Another photo, "how about her?"

"That one put up a fight. Almost took an eye. I told you, I did all of them."

Carisi tossed the final two on the table, "what about these two?"

Alex bypassed Jennifer, picking up the other photo, "oh, she was sweet. She tastes good," he paused long enough to blow a kiss towards Annabelle, before turning his head towards Carisi, "is that where you got my salvia?"

Annabelle's eyes narrowed, before she basically shoved Jennifer's photo in the guy's face, "what about this one?"

He barely glanced at it, "yeah, sure, her, too. Keep them coming. Did you find the ones in Boston yet?"

-xXx-

"Laura thinks that David hacked her phone. That he was controlling, and that he had a temper."

"Sounds like a prick." Annabelle snorted at Finn's words, causing the older man to look in her direction, "what's your read on him?"

She shrugged, "he's nice, but I feel like it's an act. I've seen the controlling aspects, and the creepy factor. I don't really know him well enough to make that call, but he gives me the willies…for lack of a better word. Don't look at me like that," she laughed before walking away to inspect Jennifer's bedroom. She spends less than ten minutes inside the room, before she's pulling the laptop from the desk, and bringing it into the dining area for the rest of the squad.

She was met by Olivia quicker than she expected, "camera is covered up."

"Jenn's sister isn't the only one paranoid."

Annabelle shrugged at Finn, "director of the FBI covers his camera."

The man smirked, "do you?"

Annabelle shot him a grin, "if someone wants to see me dancing around naked to Disney, they can go for it. The freaks."

Finn chuckled, but his reply was cut off by Olivia, "get it to computer crime and see if there is spyware on it. And get the router. See what addresses are connected."

-xxx-

Annabelle was disappointed, yet relieved when Olivia told her she couldn't be part of the actual questioning, due to the previous personal connection the two shared. Instead Annabelle sat at her desk, typing notes from previous days as well as relooking at the files from the Chambers' case, knowing that she'd be called back to the Bronx soon for trial preparations. The redhead jumped when the interrogation room door slammed open, and David Willard came strolling out. He shot his former employee a wink before continuing towards the exit.

As it was Rafael's night to relieve Tyler, the detective decided to continue her file reviews over an early dinner at Forlini's. She was emailing back and forth with the Bronx detectives when her ears caught a couple of familiar voices. "Wait a minute, they're about to build a statue in your honor at 1PP for catching the serial killer rapist that had the whole city on edge. Now, you're telling me that this guy didn't do it?"

"He didn't do one."

"Right. Because…why? Her boyfriend had sex with her before she was killed?"

"Her controlling, emotionally abusive boyfriend…who she broke up with that night."

She tuned out the rest of Olivia and Rafael's conversation, motioning for her waiter. Pulling out a ten she handed it to him, "your tip. Add my bill to his, please. Tell him it was his wife."

The blonde nodded, "yes, ma'am. Thank you."

"Have a good night."

She took the subway home, as usual, since Rafael typically took the car to the courthouse. As she walked from the platform to her home, she couldn't help but feel as if someone was watching her. Turning around she noticed nothing but the shadows from the street, although the feeling only intensified. She jumped when her phone beeped from inside her coat pocket.

Sonny Carisi: Bennett made an error.

Annabelle Barba: Wonderful. Let me know what's up? I have to relieve the babysitter.

Sonny Carisi: I thought it was Barba's night?

Annabelle Barba: Yeah. He's having dinner with Olivia instead.

Sonny Carisi: Want to talk about it?

Annabelle Barba: Nah. Have fun with Bennett.

-xXx-

"Okay, computer crimes ran a deep system check. Somebody did hack Laura and Jennifer Knowles' email accounts."

"So, Laura isn't paranoid."

"And they said it looks like the same intruder…"

"hacked the NYPD."

"so, he could've learned the Strangler's M.O."

"Exactly. And Colin Bennett's email accounts. And if they dug up dirt on a rope expert…"

"I mean, what kind of dirt? This guy's into ropes," Carisi interrupted Fin with his questions.

"Okay, so the hacker had to be Willard, right?"

"Yeah, of course it was," Amanda answered Olivia, looking apologetic, "but computer crimes can't prove it. He covered his tracks. And if it was Willard, and he dug up something on Dr. Bennett, then it explains why he suddenly changed his story."

Annabelle cut in, "with that lame excuse about mixed up samples."

"So, what now?"

"So, we go back to Dr. Bennett for a longer conversation." Olivia stated looking between Fin and Amanda.

The older detective spoke up, "Uh, yeah, about that, he's not returning calls. He left his office at lunch, and he hasn't come back."

"Track his phone."

-xXx-

Annabelle walked step by step with her husband as they made their way towards his office, "so Willard blackmails his way out of trouble that that's that?"

"Do you have anything else on him?"

"Of course, Raf…someone else confessed."

"Well, you need to get something. I'll get you warrants."

"Yes, please. For his computers, car, apartment. Liv wants to fast, cause he's covering his tracks good."

"Go to his office. I'll get the warrants and email them to you by the time you walk in."

"Thank you." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips, "and I'm sorry for the fights."

"I'm sorry, too." His hand gripped her waist slightly as he pressed his lips against hers once more. With a small smile she began walking away, "carino?" She paused, glancing back at the Cuban. "te queiro."

"I love you, too, Raf."

As she continued walking away, she heard him pick up his phone, "Hello." Quickening her pace, she made it to the precinct entrance where she was joined by the rest of the squad.

The drive to Attention Inc seemed to go on for hours, when it was only twenty minutes. She hung back with the rest of the squad as Olivia took control of speaking to David. Her words getting cut off by the ringing of her phone. As she pauses, Annabelle, Rollins, and Carisi go to surround her. "What's going on?"

"Barba just said he's off the case He had to recuse himself."

"Why," Annabelle knew how sharp her question sounded, but she couldn't find it in herself to try to correct, suspicion swirling around her mind.

"I don't know."

David spoke up from the back, "let me guess…somebody finally realized this whole investigation makes no sense and told you to back off?"

"That's not happening."

-xxx-

Annabelle was furious when she made it home from the office that day, not even waiting for the lawyer to speak when she walked in, "what the hell, Rafael?"

"Hello to you, too."

"What do you mean your off the case?"

"There was nothing I could do."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, Rafael?"

"Nothing. I just," he hesitated, "I just had to recuse myself."

"You're not going to tell me."

"yeah, you've just got to trust me. This is for the best."

"The best? You want me to trust you, when you can't even trust me enough to tell me what's going on?"

"It's not that I don't trust you. It's just…"

"It's just what? Rafael, you took a vow when we got married. We are supposed to be -"

"Drop it. Now," his yell took her by surprise and forced her to be quiet long enough for him to escape out of the kitchen and to the bedroom area. Her eyes narrowed as she followed up the stairs after her retreating husband.

-xxx-

The next day, she called in a personal day as Tyler was sick and unable to watch Catalina. She tried to pretend that she wasn't just wanting to avoid her husband. The peaceful silence between mother and daughter was ended by the blaring of her cell phone. Her breath stopped when she read the name on the screen. "David."

"Hi, Anna. How are you?"

"I'm fine. What can I do for you?"

"For one, you can stop this useless witch hunt you have going on. You know what I'm capable of, Annabelle Stevens."

"Are you really threatening me on the phone, David?"

"Not at all. It's just a friendly warning. Your husband took my advice."

"Oh? Advice? Don't you mean blackmail? You're pathetic."

"I'm pathetic. Me? You can't even tell your husband the truth about your past."

"My past? I don't know what you're talking about," Annabelle denied, taking a silent deep breath to wait on his reply.

"Keep telling yourself that, Babybelle."

"What did you just call me," her whisper was deadly.

"That's right, Babybelle. You get this case dropped or all your secrets will come out."