Max, Jack and the detective had just entered the breakroom in the hospital. Following the nurse they had been wanting to question for her possible involvement in what had happened to Laila. Although they doubted she was a knowing accomplice, they suspected that she was the missing link they had been looking for that could tie one of their prime suspects to the hit and run. In this case, the prime suspect she could tie to the crime was Olivia.
They each took a seat, the nurse sitting on one side of the table and the three of them on the other side. She had given each of them something to drink, and had taken a glass of water for herself despite not being very interested in actually drinking it. Max suspected that it was just to give herself something to hold and calm her nervous hands from shaking and fidgeting too much.
Now that everything required for an uninterrupted conversation was present, there was no more need for any delay. And since they were in somewhat of a hurry, the men wasted no time to start with the questions they needed to ask her. The detective cleared his throat and said, "Well, Miss Roswell, let's get started shall we?" But before the detective could ask an actual question, the nurse interrupted him and said, "Samantha. Please call me Samantha." The detective was a bit baffled, but quickly showed a gentle smile before going along with her request. After all, he could tell she was nervous and it wasn't like he came her to arrest her. He just wanted to ask some questions and the best way to get information, is to have them trust you. A less strained conversation and going along with small requests will help with that.
"Very well. Samantha, why don't we begin our conversation with you telling us about what you remember of Miss Olivia Smith's stay while she was under your care." Samantha's eyes widened for a bit before she asked, "Is she reason why you want to talk to me??" When the detective nodded, she let herself fall back in the chair and let out a breath of relief. Suddenly, now that Samantha felt that she didn't need to be on edge as the detective hadn't come to deliver her personal bad news or arrest her for something, she had become very talkative, which was helpful to the the three men. "Thank god! I thought something terrible had happened or that I was in trouble or something. But of course, I'll tell you whatever you need to know. She was awaiting trial right? I am sure you need to know how she was here in case anything happened that might be relevant for your case."
The detective smiled politely once again before confirming her words, "Yes. Something like that. Sorry for not clarifying the reason for our visit. If you could tell us whatever you can remember, that would be very helpful to us. Anything she might have told you, Any favours she might have asked. Any visitors that might have stood out or weren't supposed to visit. Anything." After the question about whether Olivia had asked her any favours, Samantha's sense of panic instantly returned as she recalled what she had done. Wondering if it had been something she hadn't been allowed to do after all, despite only having done it because she could understand the pain Olivia was going through at that moment. She had second guessed that decision a few days after the fact, when her own situation with her boyfriend had calmed down, but it had already been too late at that point to do anything about it. And since she hadn't heard any complaints, she figured nothing bad had come of it and forgot about it over the days that followed. Now that a detective was asking about it, she wasn't so sure anymore if that was true.
Samantha began to tighten her grip around the glass she was holding, still not having taken a single sip of the water it contained, before she hesitantly answered, "Well... Uhm... I only cared for her for a very short period of time, but from what I remember about it, she was telling me about how she needed to talk to her boyfriend. How she was worried he would leave her for another woman, now that her face had been scarred like that. Telling me that they had a fight just before and things like that." The detective praised her for what she recalled so far and told her to continue. "Very good. This is all very helpful. Please, go on. Did you respond to her pleas?"
This is when Samantha's guilt became even more apparent as she could hardly look either of the men in the eye before carrying on with her testimony of what had taken place during her care of Olivia. "Well..., I didn't at first. At first I just listened to her story. Providing her with a listening ear as I do with all my patients. But, at the time, I wasn't quite like my usual self. I happened to be going through a similar situation with my boyfriend and I could understand her sense of desperation in wanting to see or at least talk to a significant other for what might be the last time in a long time. My situation at home made me perhaps a bit more susceptible to her pleas and a bit more naïve I suppose. I let her voice get in my head and let it get the better of me."
Not wanting to let her drag the story out any longer with her guilt ridden confessions and half-apologies, the detective asked her outright, "So, I take it this means that you did respond to her pleas and let her make a call to talk to her so-called boyfriend. Because I hate to tell you this Samantha, but that boyfriend she was talking about, did not exist. Olivia is quite a cunning woman and must have either figured out that you were having problems at home or tried her luck with each and everyone of you till she found someone that would crack. I'm afraid, that you were that person for her. Don't blame yourself too much. You couldn't have known she was this devious, just tell us what phone you let her use and give us access to it, so we can determine who she called and if it has anything to do with the case we are working on. It is a time-sensitive case, so any cooperation on your part would be very helpful to us."
Samantha looked up, and by now she was crying. She felt tricked, betrayed and stupid for falling for it all with her eyes wide open. The mere thought that something bad had happened because of something she had allowed, something she had done, hurt her to her very core. Through her tears and sobs, she nodded and grabbed the phone from the purse in her locker, which was in the very same breakroom they were sitting in. She unlocked her phone before she handed it to the detective. "She called on the day after the day I took care of her, which would be on the 24th if I am not mistaken. It should have been around 8 AM when I started my shift of the day."
The three men thanked her in unison without breaking eye contact with the screen of her phone. As the detective scrolled down through her call logs to the date and time Samantha mentioned, Jack and Max's eyes followed the names and numbers on the list as they passed by. Finally they reached the section of the log they were interested in and saw just two outgoing calls that day. One was a saved contact who they could only assume was Samantha's boyfriend, which meant that the other had to be the so called 'boyfriend' Olivia had fabricated. They wrote down the number to have it traced by the officers at the precinct, before shaking Samantha's hand and thanking her for her help.
Max had just said his 'thank you', when his phone started to ring. He glanced down at the display and saw that it was a call from Steve. Meaning it was a call he can't ignore. He excused himself to the hall, while the detective finished up matters with Samantha.