“When I first started seeing Patrick, he was the most nicest, well mannered, intelligent man I ever saw. We took things fast I thought it was just him being clingy and cute until he asked me to move in.” *My voice starts to tremble and I make eye contact with the camera* The man in the corner in uniform clears his throat as if he’s irritated at me. “H-He just wanted me to be there for him. He was successful enough, I thought I could finally rest and put my feet up.” “So I agreed…” “agreed to what exactly Ms. Windlow.” I wipe the tears from my cheek telling myself that it’s fine they just have it all wrong and if I just tell them they’d understand and let us go. “I told him that I’d stay home while he works and cook and clean for him. Eventually I fell pregnant, it is agirl..” I say in a monotone voice disassociating so I can get through the conversation. “Patrick… wasn’t happy he thought the baby would take me away from him.” I awkwardly laugh to attempt to take away the tension in the room. It didn’t work. “He wanted me to get rid of her but I couldn’t. That made him really angry.” I say hesitantly debating whether that was right to say, but I reassure myself knowing that it’s all a big confusion. “Yknow I’m ready to fall into labor anytime soon now” I say with a smile and I put a hand on my stomach and rub her soothingly. The man looks at me with a face I can’t decipher. “ Ms. Wi-“ “no please call me Nadia, I hate the formality” “Okay Nadia, can you tell me about the room behind the closet in the bedroom you share” I choked not being able to come up with something to romanticize the situation. “ Nadia I need you to be truthful with me now, I just want to help you” he says with his eyes pouring with pity or rather empathy. “That’s the room I had to stay in since he was a little angry at me for keeping her, I chose it, I thought it would help our relationship and mabey he’ll except her once he sees her.” I say meekly. “I-I think I’m done for the day” I say in a tone that sound more if I was asking for permission. I smile and look at my baby bump as I get up not being able to see my toes.

Change of p.o.v

I stare at this her with disbelief and sadness as I realize none of this is her doing. I look at her as she rubs the lower baggy part of her blood stained shirt, she must really think she’s pregnant. I look at her a second more taking in her sunken features, her eyes filled with tears her cheeks covered in large bruises, her weight no more then 100 pounds, she must’ve been starving I thought to myself. Her swollen split lips, her dirt stained body. “ Ok Nadia let’s get you safe and cleaned up I’ll take you to one of our female detectives” I hand her off to detective Cameron Walker. Thinking about how this case is the worst I’ll see in my decades of experience.