Unthinkable (2007) - full transcript
Overdomineering female police detective Jamie McDowell still tries to run her 19-year old only son Peter's life although he is a builder who lives alone. She strongly opposes his engagement to Kelly Shaw, who he doesn't know very long, and forces him to bring her to diner, where Jamie and mother Susan Shaw repeat that mistake. After Kelly provoked her ex-fiancé Ray Rankin in a bar 'to test Peter's love' again, they part in anger. That evening the mothers, who went out together, find Kelly burnt to death in Susan's house; an expert clearly concludes arson. To her horror, Jamie quickly finds the evidence seems to point at one logical suspect: her son Peter...
It's not even a discussion.
You are dating the
assistant district attorney.
We have gone out a few times.
We are definitely not dating.
That depends on
whether it's once or twice.
The distinction
is critical.
If you've gone out once,
then you
have dated.
If you're going out
more than once
then you definitely
are dating.
Hey,
this is a robbery...
You've been out
of it for a while,
but I'm actively
on the scene...
So I want to give you
some free advice, okay?
Cash, from the till,
come on.
Why stop
at the A.D.A.?
Shh, shh, shh!
What?
We got a problem.
Get up.
Against the wall.
Stay there.
Stay there.
Hey...
Hey!
Uh-uh.
Put the gun
on the counter.
Put your hands
where I can see them.
Up, up!
And step back.
He's going out
the back door!
Out of the way!
Stop, stop!
Hey!
Freeze!
Get down!
Cross
your ankles!
Are you
kidding me?
Where were you going, were you
going to fly off of here?
You are in
some serious,
serious trouble,
making me run up those stairs
in these heels.
Jamie...
"Have dated," "are dating,"
big difference.
Enough.
Hello, Dan.
Hi, Dan.
Hello, Glenn.
So, uh,
I understand
congratulations
are in order.
For what?
This guy,
Andrew germaine.
Drug dealer,
armed robber.
You brought him in
all by yourself.
Well, actually,
I did all the running,
but Glenn did
the handcuffing,
because I still haven't
worked out those things.
I still have to practice
a little bit.
So...
What do you think, celebration?
Tonight?
Mmm, can't tonight.
Already have plans.
Oh...
All right.
Well, we'll stick
to the weekend.
See you tomorrow, boys.
Hey there, stranger.
What are you doing here?
Well, I thought
I'd come down and find you
since apparently
you've chosen not to return
my phone calls.
Peter, look...
I know that I didn't react
the way you wanted me to,
but you didn't
react
the way
I wanted you to either.
Well, thanks, mom.
No one turns an apology
into an accusation
the way you do.
I...
I didn't mean it like that.
Look, you don't decide
where I live,
who I live with,
or what I do with my life, okay?
You have no say.
No, I-I don't decide,
but I definitely
have a say.
I'm your mother,
and that's
what mothers do,
or so I've heard.
What do you want?
I want US to stop fighting
about all of this,
and I you to come to dinner,
tonight.
It's a bad idea.
Why is it
a bad idea--
mom, Kelly is not--
yeah, no, I want
Kelly to come too.
I want you
and Kelly to come.
I can't stand this, Peter.
You know, we haven't spoken
since this started.
Yeah, well,
you and Susan started it, mom.
No...
I think you and Kelly
started it.
You guys said
some pretty hurtful things.
What, you think
you didn't say hurtful things?
Okay, you see what I mean?
That's why it's a bad idea.
You want me
to beg?
No.
You want me to beg?
No.
I will go down there,
and I will humiliate you
in front of your friends,
and don't think I'm above it,
and you are not
too old for that, pal.
Okay.
Wha--
what?
Okay.
And a smile to boot.
Was that so hard?
Okay, we'll come.
We'll be there.
I'm exhausted.
7:00.
Sounds like a party.
Okay, don't be late.
Hey...
So did you ask him?
Somewhere between asking
and pleading and begging, yeah.
Are they coming?
Well, so he says.
Actually, his exact words were
"sounds like a party."
Hmm...
Well, it's not like my daughter
to miss a party.
No, it's not.
Not like me to go to one.
I'm so
not looking forward to this.
Come on, it'll be fun.
Is that a new coat?
Yes, do you like it?
Very nice.
7:00!
I'll bring the wine.
All right, go on.
There's more bread,
if anybody
wants any.
Well, congratulations.
This is a new world record
for avoiding the subject.
We're not avoiding the subject.
No, we're just
dancing around it.
Look, we know
what we're doing.
We're adults.
You're 21, Kelly.
Peter's only 19.
Adults don't date for five days
and then get engaged
without any discussion.
Why don't you try
living together
for a while?
Well, we have known each other
our whole lives.
I don't think
anyone is debating
that that's a wonderful thing,
but Kelly,
sweetheart,
you just came out of
this long relationship
with this guy--
mom...
Shh.
And...
You just moved out
of his house,
you move into
your mother's
garage apartment.
Now you're living with Peter,
and now you're engaged?
I just don't understand.
Did you ever think that
there was a possibility
this could be a bit
of a rebound relationship?
We know what we want.
Five days
of dating
and two weeks of living together
is not enough time
to make a judgment
about what you want.
What we want
is to get married, okay?
Yeah.
Sooner the better.
The sooner
the better?
What is the rush?
Kelly, you're going
too fast.
You just broke up
with ray.
You were supposed to
marry him, remember?
They're going to
revoke my licence
and kick me out of high school.
I'm not fit to be
a guidance counselor.
When were you two
thinking of doing this?
End of the month.
That's 10 days
from now!
What kind of a wedding
are you going to have
in 10 days from now?
Who are you
inviting?
I mean, do I
even know them?
I knew this
would happen.
Okay, Kelly,
just sit down...
No.
Where are you going?
To celebrate.
That's if we're all done
celebrating here.
Kelly...
I'll be outside,
Peter.
Great.
Don't say I didn't try.
Thanks
for dinner.
Okay.
Well,
that was fun.
You should have
said something.
I did.
I said that
we've known each other
our whole lives,
and now we want to get married.
Yeah, but you just sat there
like it was nothing.
Like you didn't
really mean it.
You should've stood up
and gone crazy on them.
Crazy?
Kelly...
This is nothing
to get crazy over.
Come on...
They can't stop US.
They're going to get used it,
okay?
All right?
They can't stop US.
Don't you ever
lose it, Peter?
Hmm?
Just... let it go?
Is that
what you want?
Mm-hm.
Why is she
doing this?
To make you crazy.
Well, it's working.
She's not over ray.
I think they're
making a mistake.
Perhaps we need
to come at this
a different way.
I think chaining her
in the closet
until she's 30
is against the law.
Good idea, but, yeah,
I do think it's illegal.
Isn't this just
parenting 101?
You tell them
not to do something,
they want to do it
even more?
Yeah. So?
What are you saying?
I'm saying maybe it's not
the end of the world.
I'm saying
maybe we have to let them
make their own mistakes.
Do we have to?
Yeah, you're right.
I can't believe
Peter was three
when we
moved in here.
Yeah, and Kelly,
she was what,
she was five?
Sure didn't plan on this,
did we?
Hell of a lot
we didn't plan on.
Right.
I say we go to Renee's,
have a glass of champagne,
and we tell those two
crazy kids of ours
that if this is what
they want to do...
They should go ahead and do it.
They should just
do it.
I say we go to Renee's,
have the champagne,
and secretly sign them up
for the peace corps.
Two years,
different continents,
kind of like an adult time-out.
Oh, is that a jungian concept,
is it?
It's called
"if all else fails" therapy.
You're not really
a child psychologist, are you?
Not tonight.
Come on, let's go.
Hey, can we take your car?
Yeah.
You got lucky.
He's supposed to be
out of town.
Well, he's not.
He's looking
at me.
So don't look
back at him.
Who cares
about him, kell?
It doesn't matter
anyway.
The guy's
an a-hole.
You're not
going to do anything?
Kelly...
He's over there,
and we're
over here.
Just let it go.
Please.
All right.
This is crap,
kell.
I don't have to
be here. I can go.
Why don't you
finish your beer,
you can dump
your chump--
hey...
And let's
get out of here.
What the hell
do you--
you shut up,
arsehole!
Want to show me
some I.D., bud?
All right, kell,
let's get out of here.
Come on, let's go.
Get lost, loser.
Get back here.
Hey, what the hell
are you doing, man?
Screw you, ray.
Don't you get it?
We're so over.
I don't want to see you
ever again.
You're going to pay for that,
you stupid witch.
You'll see me
real frigging soon.
You did that
on purpose.
You set him up.
You set me up,
Kelly,
and I don't work
like that.
That's because
you don't love me.
That is stupid, Kelly!
Of course I love you.
Just, why do always
have to test me?
Why can't you just believe me?
Wait...
What...
Where are you
going?
To my mother's.
Just stay in the apartment.
I don't want to see you.
I don't want to see anybody.
Kelly, wait, just let me...
Kelly...
Kelly!
Dammit!
I have school tomorrow.
Innocent students
that need comfort
and guidance.
That's why I hate
staying out so late.
It's 1:00.
Stop your whining.
We'll be home
in 10 minutes.
I remember
when you used to be fun.
Hey...
Give me the keys.
I'm driving.
What if you get
pulled over?
I'll show them
my badge.
You do have it
with you, right?
No.
Oh, good plan.
I wonder
where he's going
in such a hurry.
Ow!
Switchblade
key.
Lovely.
Shamelessly flirting with him.
I couldn't believe it.
Oh, my god.
My house, Jamie!
Oh, my god, Susan!
Where's Kelly?
Kelly...
She's staying
at Peter's, right?
I don't know.
I don't know either.
I live here.
This is my house.
Is my daughter in there?
Is there anybody in the house?
It's her house.
I'm detective mcdowell.
Did you check inside?
They went in a few minutes ago.
If anybody's in there,
they'll find them.
We've been here
maybe five minutes.
The place went up
like the fourth of July.
Is that Kelly?
Kelly!
Aw...
Aw, Kelly...
Kelly?
Oh...
Not my Kelly...
My son was with her.
You go.
Tell somebody
to go look for my son.
Kelly...
Tell someone!
My son was with her!
Kelly, no, no...
Kelly...
Kelly!
Shh.
She was the only one.
Are you sure?
Oh, my god...
She's going to
be okay.
Kelly...
She's
going to be okay.
Come on with me.
She live here
full time?
Off and on
since high school.
How old was she?
21.
She smoked in bed.
Her mother was always
on her about it.
I see a dresser
reduced to ashes.
That's got to
make me wonder.
What dresser?
Oh, jeez...
Okay...
Girl comes home, passes out,
her cigarette sets
the sheets on fire,
that lights the bed on fire.
So our bed
is the heat source, right?
That's what we call
"a set."
You know, what we should
be seeing is a single "v,"
coming away
going up the wall
from this original set.
Now, why do I see
a "v" here
and another one
here?
Multiple sets
means multiple points of origin.
No...
This is not the cause
of the original fire.
What?
Yeah...
Presence of an accelerant.
Hell, you can
still smell it.
It's a petroleum
product.
Gasoline,
kerosene, diesel.
The lab will tell US
what it is for sure,
but it's definitely
petroleum.
You keep gasoline
in your bedroom,
detective?
No.
Uh, so-so we have multiple sets
and evidence of an accelerant?
Someone poured gasoline
on the walls,
the furniture, the bed,
and then
just lit a match.
Hey, tape this off,
secure it as a crime scene.
What we have here is arson.
You all right?
I'm actually more concerned
about Peter.
He's a mess.
He was with her last night.
We're going to need to ask him
what happened
before the fire,
right?
Yeah.
No, I know, I know.
He's at his house.
He's not going anywhere.
I found this cloth...
Stuck on that fence,
near the top of the driveway.
It smells of gas.
I'll be up there.
I want you to print
this whole area here.
Bring in
the team.
Yes, sir.
Why would anyone
want to do that?
I just don't get it.
People intentionally
set fires
for a lot
of reasons.
Insurance claims,
structural assault,
juvenile delinquency.
We change our
investigative approach
when the arson
includes a homicide.
Peter...
There's going to have to be
an autopsy.
What if it was a mistake?
What if it wasn't arson?
There was
no mistake.
There was gasoline everywhere.
Peter...
Can you think of any reason
why someone would want
to kill Kelly?
I...
I should never have let her
go home alone.
I don't know
what I was thinking.
You can't
blame yourself.
Well, if there's going to be
an investigation,
I want you to lead it.
I can't do that.
You know I can't.
Don't worry,
we'll find out
who did this.
What happened
to your hand there?
I hurt it at work.
You asked me
who I thought
would hurt Kelly.
Try her ex-fiance.
Ray rankin.
He was at the bar
last night.
Kelly threw a beer
in his face.
He threatened her
and then he took off
out of the bar.
Ray threatened her?
Yeah.
He...
He said she'd pay,
said...
She'd see him real soon.
Anybody else
hear him say this?
Only the whole bar.
Kelly was...
Really upset.
She got into a cab,
and she went to her mother's.
We're so wasted.
We don't even know
what we're saying
right now, okay?
Let's just go home,
come on.
Let's just
go home, Kelly.
Where are you going?
To my mother's.
Just stay
in the apartment.
I don't want
to see you.
I don't want
to see anybody.
Kelly!
You should
let me drive.
No.
Or wait in the car?
Nope.
Uh... let me
do the talking?
Probably not.
Ray rankin?
What do you want?
There was a fire
at Kelly's last night.
Did you know that?
No, I didn't, bro.
'Cause we're not
together anymore.
It was a sex thing
anyway.
Oh... you're a champ,
aren't you?
Yeah,
thanks, buddy.
She's dead.
Where the hell
were you last night?
I don't have to
answer that.
Yes, you do.
You're the ex-fiance
with the stellar record.
Assault and battery,
possession
with an intent to sell,
grand theft, huh?
You threatened her.
You stormed out of there,
you waited for her,
you followed her
to her mother's house,
you killed her, and then
you burnt that place down.
Why don't you
get the hell off me?
Jamie...
Breaking and entering,
arson, homicide.
Three aggravating
circumstances.
That is the death penalty.
Jamie!
Screw you, mcdowell.
Screw you,
and Kelly,
and both
your families!
I'm calling my lawyer.
Third degree burns
to 80% of her body.
All the physical evidence
of death due to severe exposure
to fire, except...
Except what?
Except there's no smoke
in her lungs.
Asphyxiation occurred
before the fire.
It's not what killed her.
The fractured hyoid bone,
the depressed larynx
seem to suggest
strangulation,
and she'd had
intercourse
either before or during
the strangulation.
I've got semen samples.
We'll run them in the lab.
It's hard to know for sure
whether or not she was raped.
There's a lot
of burn damage
in the area.
I do see some evidence
of forced entry,
but, well...
Maybe it was rough sex
that got out of hand.
There's a very high level
of alcohol in her bloodstream.
If the killer was drinking
as much as she was,
I can see it
all going south
in a hurry.
So you're saying it's a...
Possible rape and strangulation?
Something like that, yes.
Right, uh...
I'm going to let
the guys know, okay?
I'll be right back.
Any idea who did this,
detective?
Yeah, we have a suspect.
Yeah.
Thank you, Miriam.
You're welcome.
He raped her?
That son of a bitch.
I know.
Well, you got to get him.
Yeah, we will.
Does Susan know?
Glenn's
with her now.
He's telling her.
Listen, Peter,
I know how difficult this is
for you,
and I hate
having to do this,
but I need you
to go through that night again
and tell me
everything you remember,
because we're trying
to re-construct
the time-line,
and what we know
is that ray has no alibi
after he left that bar.
Yeah, that's because
he followed her home
to her apartment
and killed her.
And that's exactly
what we're thinking,
but if you can,
let's go through it again.
Okay.
After we left your house,
we went to Chelsea's
and the avalon first.
Then we went to
the copper penny
to play some pool,
and I guess
it was, like, 10:30.
Was ray
already there?
No.
No, Kelly said
he had the night off,
but he showed up for a shift
anyway.
We had
a couple words,
but it was really
nothing.
How long
before the trouble began?
Mmm...
45 minutes, maybe.
45 minutes...
So that would put it 11:15.
Ray leaves,
he's completely hammered.
What time did Kelly leave?
Maybe 20 minutes later.
I mean...
She was drunk
and pretty pissed off.
At you?
She was taking it out on me,
but...
Well...
She was drunk.
I don't even think
she knew what she was saying.
Yeah, the cabbie said
it took 25 minutes
to get from the copper penny
to Susan's house
because Kelly was so drunk,
she couldn't give even him
proper directions.
Anyway...
That puts her inside
at 10 after midnight,
and we checked
her phone records.
It looks like she called you
as soon as she got home.
Is that right?
Yeah.
Yeah, but I wasn't home yet.
I thought she'd blow off
some steam and come back.
I left at midnight
and went home,
just hoping
she'd changed her mind
and went to my place.
It's me.
I'm sorry, Peter,
but this isn't working.
I'm going to stay at
my mom's for a few days.
Just leave me alone
for a while, okay?
So Kelly gets home
at 12:10,
calls Peter 12:15
and leaves a message.
That checks out,
right.
Yeah, and then
sometime after 12:15,
rankin breaks in,
rapes
and murders her.
Kelly expires...
12:40, 12:45?
Give him 10 minutes
to figure out what to do,
goes to his vehicle,
gets his gas can,
douses the place,
sets the fire.
That's about 12:50, 12:55.
Right,
then he bolts out the door,
leaves a piece
of clothing behind...
And you get home
at 1:00 am,
fire department's
already on the scene.
It works.
Yeah, it does.
Only thing is,
we don't have any witnesses.
That we know of.
You're thinking reward?
Well, I'm thinking
somebody had to have seen him,
and now we just have
to give them a reason
to come forward.
True enough.
Okay, so you talk to the captain
about the reward,
and we'll...
We'll canvass the neighborhood
one more time.
Also, how you doing?
You okay?
Look, um, Glenn?
I'm going to get out of here.
I'm going to call you back,
all right?
Okay, well, stay in touch,
all right?
All right.
What?
You got a minute?
No.
It's funny, I distinctly
heard myself say, "no."
Yeah, that happens to me
all the time.
It's called parenthood.
I want US to offer a reward
on the Shaw murder.
It's not your case, Jamie.
I want US to offer 10 grand.
Mcdowell, that's more than
three times department standard.
We can't
afford it.
But I know who did it.
I just need a witness
to come forward.
You're too close
to this case, Jamie.
Yeah, that's right, I am, Paul.
It's my best friend's daughter.
I've known her since
she was three years old.
Now, I want US
to offer 10 grand,
and I'm not leaving this
office until you say yes.
Okay.
Okay?
10 grand.
Thank you.
Hey, mcdowell...
You've done
what you can.
Let US do the rest, all right?
Thanks for
coming down.
Can I get you
some soda, coffee?
Water?
Are you sure?
Did you get him?
No, not yet, but--
but we have
offered a reward,
for 10,000.
It's a hell
of a lot more
than I thought
my captain would go for,
but he did.
Has anyone
come forward?
Yeah,
a few people,
but nothing
we can use yet.
But the good news is,
is that now
ray knows
it's just
a matter of time.
He will make a mistake,
he will slip up,
I promise you.
Just...
I just, I wish you were leading
this investigation.
You know I can't.
But between you and me,
I'm very much
a part of this investigation.
I'm just working through Glenn.
Yeah?
Come on,
let's get outside.
Let's get
some fresh air.
This is much harder
than when Steve died.
You lose your husband...
You're heartbroken,
but you have a child,
so you soldier on
and find a way
to keep living.
Remarry, whatever.
Did you feel like that
when Mike died?
Yeah.
I think so.
It was a long time ago.
One day we're double-dating,
the next, we're single moms
with little kids.
Yeah, I know.
But when your child dies...
Especially like this,
you're not just
heartbroken...
You're dead.
You die with them...
And there's no soldiering on.
There's just nothing.
There's nothing.
Susan, I'm so sorry.
Sweetheart, I'm so sorry.
Well, here we are.
It was
a great meal.
It certainly was,
and thank you very much.
You're
very welcome.
I think a nightcap
is in order.
Absolutely, yeah.
Dan...
Sorry.
That's okay.
No, that's okay.
I'd still like
a nightcap, though.
Absolutely.
Okay.
White wine,
is that good?
Perfect.
I have some open
in the fridge.
It's a nice place
you got here.
Oh, thanks.
Oh, my god...
Oh, my god...
My... my cat...
My cat, my cat...
Oh, my god.
Come on, let's
get out of here.
Why?
Fat lady's in the house.
She's not singing yet,
but she's warming up.
We got a reward.
People are coming forward.
It's just a matter of time.
One of the neighbors
down the street
walking her dog,
saw some punk
in a red hoody
jump into a pick-up
and take off
just before the garage
went up in flames.
A red hoody
with white print
on the front.
Blue jeans,
work boots.
Huh?
It wasn't me, bro.
We got a piece
of the sweatshirt.
We got a warrant, too.
We're going through
your place right now.
We're going to
find it.
We're going to find
that sweatshirt.
My client
came down here
as a show of good will.
It's called
cooperation.
If you're going to
make accusations
without charging him,
we're done here.
You threatened her
in front of everyone.
You told her
you'd see her real soon.
You waited for her
in the parking lot,
and you followed her.
We got witnesses
for all of that,
and guess what?
You got no alibi!
No one knows where
the hell you went
after Kelly made you
look like a chump
in front of all
your moron buddies.
Mr. Rankin went for a drive
to cool off,
just as he said.
There you go.
You killed my cat.
Oh, yeah,
someone killed your cat?
That's sweet,
because I hate cats.
Oh, no...
You murdered Kelly,
and you feel nothing!
You feel no remorse, no regret!
You feel nothing--
Jamie, easy!
Enough, mcdowell!
How dare you!
You want remorse?
Screw that.
I'm glad the witch died!
All I have to do
is put you in that room!
Shut up!
Mcdowell!
I will put you in that room!
My office, now!
Okay...
That was way past
unprofessional.
It was reckless.
It was illegal!
You're looking at
being suspended without pay!
I know, I'm sorry.
You're sorry?
What the hell
were you thinking, detective?
He murdered her!
And you want him to walk
because you screwed
with his rights?
You beat him up
during an interrogation,
in front of witnesses,
in front of
his lawyer!
He's not
going to walk?
You're losing it,
detective.
Look...
Just sit down.
Jamie, I know
how you feel.
When my partner got killed,
they dragged his greasy
scumbag murderer in here
so I could question him.
It was everything I could do
not to strangle him
with my bare hands...
But you have to be
a professional.
So you know,
ray rankin is suing US.
Assault,
harassment.
I'm sure he'll say
his rights were compromised
if we bring charges.
We'll see.
Now, stay away
from this damn case.
6958...
6958, all right,
you've been very helpful.
I appreciate it.
Jogger
at the reservoir
sees a bag of clothes
washed up in the bushes.
Knows we're looking for
a red sweatshirt
and blue jeans.
Calls it in.
Red sweatshirt,
blue jeans,
smells of gasoline.
I got to take up
jogging.
Huh?
I would rather
be lucky than good.
Yeah, this is
detective dasher.
Yeah...
Yeah, I need
a back-up unit
to assist
in a pick-up.
All right.
Yeah, 10 minutes
down there.
I'll meet you
downstairs.
Yeah...
Jamie, we're going
to go pick him up.
Jamie,
where are you going?
Jamie, what...
We got him,
what are you...
Where are you
going?
Just a sec.
You want
something to drink?
No, thanks.
I'm going to
have a beer.
You sure you don't
want anything?
No, you go ahead.
So, what's up?
I need you to tell me again
about the night Kelly died.
I told you what happened.
I need you to tell me again.
Okay...
Um...
We went to the copper penny,
and ray was there,
and then when we--
after that.
Kelly...
Kelly threw a beer
in Ray's face, and--
after that.
After she left,
and you were there
drinking alone.
I came home,
and then I...
Punched the wall,
and I passed out.
You tell me the truth.
I told...
I told you the truth.
I listened to
Kelly's message,
I punched the wall,
and, uh...
And then I went to bed.
No, you didn't.
Yes, I did.
'Cause...
'Cause my hand...
You tell me the truth.
My hand was...
Killing me, and the room...
The room was spinning,
and then I passed out.
I passed out.
We found the red sweatshirt.
I don't...
It's not... mine.
Yes, it is.
There's a lot of people
that have this...
This sweatshirt.
It has "pm" written on the tag.
Peter mcdowell.
I put it there.
We found a gas can
in the garbage
behind
the construction site
at Peter's work.
It's at the lab
with his clothes.
And we have semen
from the victim.
Kelly.
Her name is Kelly.
Kelly, sorry.
We need
Peter's DNA.
Well, I think he's sat in there
long enough.
Why don't you
go in there
and see what
you can get out of him?
I want to talk to him first.
Jamie...
Paul, he's my son.
All right, go ahead.
It was a mistake
to bring me here.
I didn't do it.
Then tell them that.
You tell
them that.
You brought me here.
You're my mother.
If you're going to tell them,
they're going to believe you.
Gasoline is like
a fingerprint,
and they found gas
on your clothes,
at your job...
And at Kelly's house,
and if it comes back a match,
it is a clear chain of evidence.
I-I told you
already.
I came home,
and I went to bed,
and there's
the timeline.
You got Kelly's message
at 12:15.
I takes you 15 minutes
to get to her house.
That puts it at 12:30.
It wasn't me.
I loved Kelly.
Why can't you just believe me?
I know you loved her.
I want to believe
that you went home
and went to bed,
but that is not
how it's lining up,
because you're not
telling me the truth.
She's
interrogating him.
Yeah,
and he's opening up.
Just sit tight.
How are any of US
supposed to believe
that you didn't mean to do it,
if you don't admit to doing it
in the first place?
Peter,
what happened?
What happened?
Are you a detective...
Or are you my mother?
You heard the message...
I need your help.
Peter, tell me what happened.
I can't do it.
You went home...
Mom, please...
You heard the message...
Please...
Tell me
what happened.
Why are you doing this to me?
You went home.
You heard
the message...
Mom, please.
Please, please, please...
You went home,
you heard the message...
I loved Kelly.
I loved her
with all my heart.
You went home...
You heard
the message...
I got in the truck.
I got in the truck.
I got in the truck
because I had to see her.
Kelly?
Kelly...
Kelly, it's Peter.
Let me in.
I don't want
to see you anymore, okay?
Kelly...
I just...
I just want to talk to you,
that's all.
Just let me in.
Let me in your place.
You know what?
Ray was right
about you.
You're a mama's boy, Peter.
You always will be.
Kelly...
You don't
mean that.
Look,
so I didn't punch out
some loser
at the bar for you.
Kelly, there's nothing
I wouldn't do for you.
You have to believe me, Kelly.
We can fix this,
please--
no, okay?
We're over.
No, I just want
to talk to you, Kelly.
No!
Look what you did to my hand.
No.
I just want to talk to you,
Kelly.
No, Peter.
No!
Come on,
please, Kelly.
Just hear me out,
Kelly.
Oh!
Ah!
Ow, you're
hurting me!
Please!
Stop...
No!
Peter, don't!
Please! Kelly...
Stop it!
No...
Kelly?
Kelly. Kelly...
Kelly!
Kelly, Kelly, Kelly...
Kelly, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Oh, god.
I'm sorry.
Kelly. Please.
Kelly, Kelly...
Kelly, no...
Oh, my god.
Oh, my god...
Kelly, Kelly...
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
Oh, god!
What am I going to do?
Okay...
Will you prosecute him?
Uh...
People know
I've been seeing you.
I recused myself.
The d.A. Is deferring
to the Attorney General.
I don't like the a.G.
He's going for
the death penalty.
He can't do that.
Well...
There are three
aggravated circumstances.
And several mitigating ones.
Unfortunately,
he can't ignore, uh...
Arson, rape...
Murder.
But he doesn't have
a criminal record.
Well, he's
being booked.
They're arraigning him
later today.
Attorney General's
asking no bail.
Violent nature of the crime...
So, who's
defending him?
Jamie...
Do you have someone
to defend Peter?
Um...
I don't know yet.
I-I don't...
You know what,
I'll give you a list of names,
all right?
Okay.
Look, Jamie,
would you like to take
some time off?
What?
I mean, it's your call.
Um, maybe, I don't know.
I-I don't...
I don't know.
So, what's going on?
Was there an arrest?
Yeah.
Did you get him?
Did you get ray?
It wasn't him.
Then who was it?
Jamie?
Who did it?
It was Peter.
What?
My Peter killed Kelly.
That...
That's not true.
It can't be true.
Susan...
Susan, he confessed.
Oh, my...
Oh, my god.
Oh, my...
He...
He raped her?
He strangled her,
is that's what you're saying?
Oh, god...
They got into
a fight
at the bar.
She wanted to break it off
with him.
She was breaking it off?
He was angry,
and he was very drunk.
He wanted
to talk to her.
He just wanted to talk to her.
He just wanted
to talk to her.
It's so hard to understand.
No, it's not.
She was
breaking it off,
so he...
He killed her.
He raped her,
he murdered her,
and he...
Lit her on fire to cover it up.
He was drunk.
They were both very,
very drunk.
You're saying
it's okay to kill my baby
because they were drunk?
Are you trying
to justify it?
No! No...
You think it's excusable
because they were both drunk?
That's not what I'm saying.
Kelly is dead!
Kelly is dead,
and Peter killed her!
That's inexcusable.
That's unforgivable!
Oh, god...
Get out of my house.
Get out.
Get out of my house!
Oh, god...
No...
No...
I came home,
and then I...
Punched the wall,
and I passed out.
My hand was...
Killing me, and...
The room...
The room was spinning,
and then I passed out.
There are three
aggravating circumstances.
He's going for
the death penalty.
Are you a detective
or are you my mother?
Because you need to help me.
Help me.
Hey, can I talk to you
for a second?
I need to talk to you too.
I hired
an attorney.
Oh, that's good.
Who?
Ed Callaghan.
What?
Ed Callaghan.
No, I heard you
the first time.
What I meant to say was what
the hell did you do that for?
Because the ag's
going for the death penalty.
Ed Callaghan
defends cop killers.
He likes defending cop killers.
You can't hire him.
Every cop on the force,
including me,
will take offense.
Well, let me
ask you this.
What if were your son?
He's a dirtbag. It's a bad move.
Yeah, you're right,
he is a dirtbag,
and he also costs a fortune.
So you're making my case?
No, I'm claiming
that reward money.
You expect me
to hand over 10 grand
for bringing in
your own son,
so you can turn around and
hand it over to ed Callaghan?
That's not
going to happen.
I'm not
asking you.
Police money
is not going,
it will never go
to ed Callaghan.
It's not police money.
It's my money.
We both know
that the only way
this case is clean
is if I bring him in
as a mother.
There is no way
I'm letting you
do this.
You want me
to say it?
I'll sue you
for it, Paul.
Child molesters,
drug dealers,
and cop killers,
that's who you want
to be in bed with, huh?
Why are you acting
like I have a choice?
Ray rankin is suing everyone
in the whole damn county!
Well, that's no surprise,
is it?
No, but it doesn't make it
any easier to swallow, does it?
He's asking for
a ton of damages.
The papers are going
to run with this for weeks.
It's bad press,
mcdowell.
It's bad for you,
it's bad for the department,
and it's bad for me.
That's not what I wanted,
and you know it.
I know,
and I'm sorry,
but you leave me with no choice.
I have to suspend you.
Leave
your weapon.
I want that money.
Jamie!
Jamie, what's up?
Huh?
I'm suspended.
What?
And I hired
ed Callaghan
to represent Peter,
and I want you
to tell you myself
before anybody else
tells you, all right?
I told you.
Yeah, I understand.
Look, you're going to lose
a lot of friends.
You know that, right?
Then they weren't friends
to begin with.
All I'm saying is
that maybe you ought to
sleep on it a night
before you go ahead
and do that.
You want me to sleep on it?
You want me to sleep on it?
I don't sleep anymore.
I don't sleep
anymore.
There's no sleep for me.
None.
I didn't know you smoked.
Yeah, I don't.
Jamie!
I'm fine.
God...
Darn it.
So the foundation's
still good,
but as far as
the house goes,
going to knock it down,
start from scratch.
Uh, we can possibly
start this week,
but for sure
next week.
Prices--
hang on a second.
Certainly.
I read about you
in the paper.
Do you think the world
feels sorry for you
now that you've been suspended?
What do you want me to say?
I don't want you
to say anything.
I want you to listen
and think.
Think about all
the lives Peter ended.
Not just Kelly's,
but mine,
my family's,
all of my friends,
all of Kelly's friends.
We will never be the same.
You think I will?
I think you've lost your mind!
How dare you claim
that reward money
to defend
Peter?
Susan, you'd do the same.
Peter
killed Kelly!
He deserves to pay for that
with his life.
You need to feel
what I feel.
That's justice!
Look, if this
is going to be
a problem for you,
detective mcdowell,
you can always get
yourself another attorney.
I'm here
for my son.
I highly doubt
we're going to be friends.
All right?
Oh, I imagine we won't be.
Now, I already spoke to
the Attorney General's office,
told them
I'd be representing Peter.
I'm sure they were thrilled.
Not really.
We're meeting with judge waller
this afternoon.
What do you mean,
this afternoon?
Well...
The child of a birch hills
police detective
violently rapes, murders,
and burns a
local young woman.
Now, that's
what you call
a very public,
very high profile
death penalty case.
Top priority for the a.G.
Oh, he thinks
he's going to
win this one big.
In fact,
he's sure of it.
And what do you think?
I think all the evidence
is against US,
and there's a confession.
I think we're going to lose.
Well, guess what,
I'm not paying you to lose.
Well, regardless,
we're going to lose.
We expect to lose.
We're not even trying to win.
Well, then, what are...
I don't...
What are we doing here?
What are we doing?
What are we doing here--
we are trying to avoid
the death penalty.
Okay?
Peter's
going to jail
for the rest
of his life
is what
we're shooting for,
because what's
the alternative?
The alternative is
they strap him to a gurney,
they inject him
with sodium
thiopental,
pancuronium
bromide,
and potassium
chloride,
and his life ends
right before your eyes.
Am I wrong, detective?
Is that not
what we're trying to do here?
Save a murderer's
life?
My god.
You're crueler than I thought.
That's why people come to me.
People just like your son.
Do we understand each other?
Yeah.
I'm ed Callaghan.
Your mother hired me
to defend you.
We are going to save your life.
Did you kill
your mother's cat?
Yes.
Why?
Because
I wanted her to think
that rankin was trying
to scare her off.
You knew she'd
go after him
even harder.
Yeah, something like that.
So, uh...
We'll say that
it was simply a continuation
of your moral confusion,
that it wasn't
an act of deception,
but rather part and parcel
of this crime of passion.
Okay, that's...
So we got that one.
So let's go back now.
Um, Kelly Shaw
left you at the bar,
got in a cab,
and you did what?
I went back into the bar.
Stop.
Every sentence that
you utter on that stand
must begin with a disclaimer.
At no point are you to appear
certain of yourself
or of your story.
But I know what happened--
no, no, no, the facts are all
very sketchy to you now.
They're fading
into the background
like some old
photograph
you can hardly see.
Yeah, well,
I can see that old photograph
because it keeps playing
in my head,
over and over
and over,
and it doesn't stop.
You make it stop.
Tell me again.
Kelly left you at the bar,
and what happened after that?
I don't remember.
Good boy.
I think...
I went back into the bar
and had a...
A couple of beers,
I don't know,
maybe some shooters.
And then what?
I can't be sure anymore.
Very nice, very nice.
I think
I went home
and listened
to Kelly's message.
I don't know,
this is really confusing me.
Oh, of course
it is,
of course
it is,
and after that, you did what?
I drove to Kelly's--
no.
That's what I did.
No, it doesn't matter
what you did or didn't do.
All that matters now
is that the jury finds
a mitigating circumstance--
but I deserve death.
Just stop being so stupid and
just do what he tells you to do.
Now, we have to cast doubt
on the confession.
We have to
cast doubt on Kelly.
What?
Yeah, her character's
in question.
No, it's not.
Oh, yes,
she used you.
She used you as
emotional leverage
against Mr. Rankin,
with whom she'd recently
broken off her engagement.
Stop it.
She lied to you--that is enough.
She used you,
and she ultimately brought you
to this point
of blind rage.
Enough.
She's as much to blame
for this as you are.
No one deserves
what I did to Kelly.
Likewise, the jury
has to be made to believe
that you are
as much a victim
as she is.
I killed her!
She was
asking for it!
That's the picture we're
going to present to the court.
Your innocence
was no match
for her emotional
prevarications.
Okay, that's it,
you get out.
Your, uh, misguided,
blind love for her--
get him out of here.
...led to this spontaneous act
of passionate violence--
what the hell
is going on?
...resulting in the unfortunate
death of Kelly Shaw.
She brought it on herself--
it was manslaughter,
not murder.
Get the hell out of here!
Don't you get it?
I'm finished.
It's over.
I don't want to live.
So you can save your time, okay?
And even if I did
want to live,
you think
I would want to go in there,
to that litter box
with all those animals?
You tell them.
I want death.
Dr. Post,
you are the king county
medical examiner?
That's correct.
You examined Kelly Shaw's body
the morning after the murder?
Yes, I did.
Do your findings
coincide
with the defendant's
confession?
Yes, they do.
Miss Shaw was strangled to death
during forced
sexual intercourse,
and her body
was then burned
using gasoline as a fuel source
for the fire.
I see.
Were there semen samples,
or fingerprints,
or any other
crime scene evidence
that could lead to
DNA confirmation
of the defendant's
confession?
Yes.
There were
semen samples,
and fingerprints
on miss Shaw's
neck and body,
and the defendant's
clothing was found
both near the reservoir
and at the crime scene.
Can you tell the jury
your findings
after testing
the evidence?
All the tested
evidence
was a direct DNA match
for Mr. Mcdowell.
The semen,
the fingerprints,
and the clothing
all belong to the defendant.
So it's reasonable to conclude
that as his confession states,
Mr. Mcdowell raped, murdered,
and burned
miss Shaw?
I just want to
talk to you, Kelly.
No. Stop it.
Ah!
No, Peter!
Police look for
unimpeachable evidence,
evidence that links the
accused to the crime
without question.
Sometimes
we get luckier than others.
What about this time?
Even without Mr.
mcdowell's confession,
the evidence is irrefutable.
Nothing further.
Is that the case?
Just off the top of
your head, detective,
do you happen to know
what percentage of
death penalty cases
have been overturned
since 1977?
No, I do not.
Well, according to
a recent study
out of Columbia law school,
68% of convictions
in capital crimes
are overturned.
68%.
Often as a result
of flawed DNA evidence.
Now, isn't it
possible
that in this particular case,
the evidence is flawed?
In this particular case,
the defendant
confessed to the crime.
The evidence,
the DNA results,
are bearing
with that confession,
not at odds with it.
But of course, that presupposes
that the confession was obtained
under incontrovertible
conditions.
Now, would you like
to tell this court
how this particular confession
was obtained?
Kelly, Kelly...
Ms. Mcdowell, are you able
to answer the question?
Ms. Mcdowell...
Are you telling US
that Peter couldn't have
committed the crimes
of which he's accused?
No.
He did a terrible thing.
He made the worst choice
I could think of...
But there have been
19 years
of good choices.
19 years of no mistakes,
no wrong choices--
objection.
Your honor,
she's making
a speech.
Ms. Mcdowell,
just try to answer the question.
He's a good son...
And he's always been
a good son.
It's just that
something...
Something just went
horribly wrong.
For one moment,
one moment, something--
your honor...
Please.
All right, Mr. Callaghan,
let's have another question,
please.
Final question,
your honor.
Final question.
Is Peter remorseful?
Yes.
He knows what he did...
And he expects
to be punished for it.
He expects to be punished...
Because he loved her.
It's because
he loved her.
Susan, I hope that somewhere
you still understand that.
He knows what he did
was wrong.
He knows it.
He expects to be punished.
You can punish him.
Please don't kill him.
How much longer?
There's no way
to know.
Two hours,
two days.
His guilt isn't in
question, of course,
just his punishment.
You have to be prepared
for the worst result.
Is that what you think
is going to happen?
I never know
what's going to happen.
Juries are
unpredictable.
Sometimes they just
can't look past the facts
under any
circumstances,
completely devoid
of emotion.
But your feeling is
it doesn't look too good.
My feelings are immaterial,
detective, but...
No, they're not good.
Fit to stand trial,
fit for execution, right?
We can appeal, of course.
For how long?
Years.
Is that going to
save his life?
Well, I can't
guarantee that it will.
Sometimes
the appeal process runs out
and execution occurs,
sometimes it doesn't.
But either way,
you stand to make a fortune,
and my kid still lives his life
out on death row.
Not exactly the way I'd put it,
but, yes,
I am paid well for my services,
and your son lives his life
on death row.
And is that
an acceptable outcome for you?
It's an outcome
I've learned to live with.
Are you
married?
Never.
Got kids?
None that I know of.
Well, that's why
you can live with it.
Jamie...
The jury sent word.
Five minutes.
See you inside.
I suppose Callaghan told you.
What, to expect the worst?
To expect the death penalty?
Yeah, he told me.
It's...
It's not a given.
It doesn't
look good.
No, not too good.
I don't even know
if I still have my job...
And I just realized
I'm probably
going to have to sell my house
in order to pay
for Peter's appeals.
How is this happening?
How is this happening?
I'm here for you.
Thank you, Dan.
You're such a good guy.
We should go.
I don't want to go in.
Okay, okay...
Okay...
Okay.
All rise.
Please be seated.
All right, madam foreman,
in the matter
of the state
of Washington
vs. Peter mcdowell,
has the jury reached
a unanimous verdict?
We have, your honor.
Will the defendant
please stand?
Bailiff...
Thank you.
And how do you find
the defendant?
Guilty on all charges.
And has the
jury decided
upon a unanimous
sentence?
We have,
your honor.
And what is the sentence,
madam foreman?
Life without parole.
It's what
we wanted.
Order...
We must have order
in the courtroom.
What?
Hey, you got
a minute?
No.
You know, it's funny.
I thought I heard myself
say, "no."
How you doing,
Jamie?
I'm all right.
That's good...
And how's Peter?
He's hanging in there.
I'm proud of him.
You know...
It's hard adjusting,
but he's in therapy,
and, uh...
And so the world moves forward.
Well, what can I say?
Ray rankin dropped the lawsuit.
Is that right?
Yeah, Glenn arrested him
on drug charges.
Possession with intent to sell.
Selling drugs right out of
his old man's house.
Hmm...
Anyway, we made a deal,
less jail time
if he drops the suit.
Glenn's case
from start to finish.
Well, good for Glenn.
You ready to come back to work?
No...
No, I'm definitely
not ready yet.
I really just
wanted to come by
and just thank you
for everything that you've done.
Door's always open.
That's really good to know.
Anyway, I got to scoot.
I just wanted to...
Yeah, I, uh...
Well, you know.
I'll see you.
How are you?
Up and down.
It's not easy
to find your footing
when your whole world changes.
No.
I'm trained to help people
through hard
emotional transitions.
Now I need someone to help me.
That used to be me.
It can't be me anymore,
can it?
No, Jamie.
It can't.
I see...
I see you got a new cat.
Named her Abby.
That's nice.
I know you like cats.
And I know you don't.
I'm allergic.
I know.
I remember.
You're moving.
Yeah, I can't stay here.
Well, maybe when you get
where you're going...
You'll call me.
When I get where I'm going,
I'll call.
You are dating the
assistant district attorney.
We have gone out a few times.
We are definitely not dating.
That depends on
whether it's once or twice.
The distinction
is critical.
If you've gone out once,
then you
have dated.
If you're going out
more than once
then you definitely
are dating.
Hey,
this is a robbery...
You've been out
of it for a while,
but I'm actively
on the scene...
So I want to give you
some free advice, okay?
Cash, from the till,
come on.
Why stop
at the A.D.A.?
Shh, shh, shh!
What?
We got a problem.
Get up.
Against the wall.
Stay there.
Stay there.
Hey...
Hey!
Uh-uh.
Put the gun
on the counter.
Put your hands
where I can see them.
Up, up!
And step back.
He's going out
the back door!
Out of the way!
Stop, stop!
Hey!
Freeze!
Get down!
Cross
your ankles!
Are you
kidding me?
Where were you going, were you
going to fly off of here?
You are in
some serious,
serious trouble,
making me run up those stairs
in these heels.
Jamie...
"Have dated," "are dating,"
big difference.
Enough.
Hello, Dan.
Hi, Dan.
Hello, Glenn.
So, uh,
I understand
congratulations
are in order.
For what?
This guy,
Andrew germaine.
Drug dealer,
armed robber.
You brought him in
all by yourself.
Well, actually,
I did all the running,
but Glenn did
the handcuffing,
because I still haven't
worked out those things.
I still have to practice
a little bit.
So...
What do you think, celebration?
Tonight?
Mmm, can't tonight.
Already have plans.
Oh...
All right.
Well, we'll stick
to the weekend.
See you tomorrow, boys.
Hey there, stranger.
What are you doing here?
Well, I thought
I'd come down and find you
since apparently
you've chosen not to return
my phone calls.
Peter, look...
I know that I didn't react
the way you wanted me to,
but you didn't
react
the way
I wanted you to either.
Well, thanks, mom.
No one turns an apology
into an accusation
the way you do.
I...
I didn't mean it like that.
Look, you don't decide
where I live,
who I live with,
or what I do with my life, okay?
You have no say.
No, I-I don't decide,
but I definitely
have a say.
I'm your mother,
and that's
what mothers do,
or so I've heard.
What do you want?
I want US to stop fighting
about all of this,
and I you to come to dinner,
tonight.
It's a bad idea.
Why is it
a bad idea--
mom, Kelly is not--
yeah, no, I want
Kelly to come too.
I want you
and Kelly to come.
I can't stand this, Peter.
You know, we haven't spoken
since this started.
Yeah, well,
you and Susan started it, mom.
No...
I think you and Kelly
started it.
You guys said
some pretty hurtful things.
What, you think
you didn't say hurtful things?
Okay, you see what I mean?
That's why it's a bad idea.
You want me
to beg?
No.
You want me to beg?
No.
I will go down there,
and I will humiliate you
in front of your friends,
and don't think I'm above it,
and you are not
too old for that, pal.
Okay.
Wha--
what?
Okay.
And a smile to boot.
Was that so hard?
Okay, we'll come.
We'll be there.
I'm exhausted.
7:00.
Sounds like a party.
Okay, don't be late.
Hey...
So did you ask him?
Somewhere between asking
and pleading and begging, yeah.
Are they coming?
Well, so he says.
Actually, his exact words were
"sounds like a party."
Hmm...
Well, it's not like my daughter
to miss a party.
No, it's not.
Not like me to go to one.
I'm so
not looking forward to this.
Come on, it'll be fun.
Is that a new coat?
Yes, do you like it?
Very nice.
7:00!
I'll bring the wine.
All right, go on.
There's more bread,
if anybody
wants any.
Well, congratulations.
This is a new world record
for avoiding the subject.
We're not avoiding the subject.
No, we're just
dancing around it.
Look, we know
what we're doing.
We're adults.
You're 21, Kelly.
Peter's only 19.
Adults don't date for five days
and then get engaged
without any discussion.
Why don't you try
living together
for a while?
Well, we have known each other
our whole lives.
I don't think
anyone is debating
that that's a wonderful thing,
but Kelly,
sweetheart,
you just came out of
this long relationship
with this guy--
mom...
Shh.
And...
You just moved out
of his house,
you move into
your mother's
garage apartment.
Now you're living with Peter,
and now you're engaged?
I just don't understand.
Did you ever think that
there was a possibility
this could be a bit
of a rebound relationship?
We know what we want.
Five days
of dating
and two weeks of living together
is not enough time
to make a judgment
about what you want.
What we want
is to get married, okay?
Yeah.
Sooner the better.
The sooner
the better?
What is the rush?
Kelly, you're going
too fast.
You just broke up
with ray.
You were supposed to
marry him, remember?
They're going to
revoke my licence
and kick me out of high school.
I'm not fit to be
a guidance counselor.
When were you two
thinking of doing this?
End of the month.
That's 10 days
from now!
What kind of a wedding
are you going to have
in 10 days from now?
Who are you
inviting?
I mean, do I
even know them?
I knew this
would happen.
Okay, Kelly,
just sit down...
No.
Where are you going?
To celebrate.
That's if we're all done
celebrating here.
Kelly...
I'll be outside,
Peter.
Great.
Don't say I didn't try.
Thanks
for dinner.
Okay.
Well,
that was fun.
You should have
said something.
I did.
I said that
we've known each other
our whole lives,
and now we want to get married.
Yeah, but you just sat there
like it was nothing.
Like you didn't
really mean it.
You should've stood up
and gone crazy on them.
Crazy?
Kelly...
This is nothing
to get crazy over.
Come on...
They can't stop US.
They're going to get used it,
okay?
All right?
They can't stop US.
Don't you ever
lose it, Peter?
Hmm?
Just... let it go?
Is that
what you want?
Mm-hm.
Why is she
doing this?
To make you crazy.
Well, it's working.
She's not over ray.
I think they're
making a mistake.
Perhaps we need
to come at this
a different way.
I think chaining her
in the closet
until she's 30
is against the law.
Good idea, but, yeah,
I do think it's illegal.
Isn't this just
parenting 101?
You tell them
not to do something,
they want to do it
even more?
Yeah. So?
What are you saying?
I'm saying maybe it's not
the end of the world.
I'm saying
maybe we have to let them
make their own mistakes.
Do we have to?
Yeah, you're right.
I can't believe
Peter was three
when we
moved in here.
Yeah, and Kelly,
she was what,
she was five?
Sure didn't plan on this,
did we?
Hell of a lot
we didn't plan on.
Right.
I say we go to Renee's,
have a glass of champagne,
and we tell those two
crazy kids of ours
that if this is what
they want to do...
They should go ahead and do it.
They should just
do it.
I say we go to Renee's,
have the champagne,
and secretly sign them up
for the peace corps.
Two years,
different continents,
kind of like an adult time-out.
Oh, is that a jungian concept,
is it?
It's called
"if all else fails" therapy.
You're not really
a child psychologist, are you?
Not tonight.
Come on, let's go.
Hey, can we take your car?
Yeah.
You got lucky.
He's supposed to be
out of town.
Well, he's not.
He's looking
at me.
So don't look
back at him.
Who cares
about him, kell?
It doesn't matter
anyway.
The guy's
an a-hole.
You're not
going to do anything?
Kelly...
He's over there,
and we're
over here.
Just let it go.
Please.
All right.
This is crap,
kell.
I don't have to
be here. I can go.
Why don't you
finish your beer,
you can dump
your chump--
hey...
And let's
get out of here.
What the hell
do you--
you shut up,
arsehole!
Want to show me
some I.D., bud?
All right, kell,
let's get out of here.
Come on, let's go.
Get lost, loser.
Get back here.
Hey, what the hell
are you doing, man?
Screw you, ray.
Don't you get it?
We're so over.
I don't want to see you
ever again.
You're going to pay for that,
you stupid witch.
You'll see me
real frigging soon.
You did that
on purpose.
You set him up.
You set me up,
Kelly,
and I don't work
like that.
That's because
you don't love me.
That is stupid, Kelly!
Of course I love you.
Just, why do always
have to test me?
Why can't you just believe me?
Wait...
What...
Where are you
going?
To my mother's.
Just stay in the apartment.
I don't want to see you.
I don't want to see anybody.
Kelly, wait, just let me...
Kelly...
Kelly!
Dammit!
I have school tomorrow.
Innocent students
that need comfort
and guidance.
That's why I hate
staying out so late.
It's 1:00.
Stop your whining.
We'll be home
in 10 minutes.
I remember
when you used to be fun.
Hey...
Give me the keys.
I'm driving.
What if you get
pulled over?
I'll show them
my badge.
You do have it
with you, right?
No.
Oh, good plan.
I wonder
where he's going
in such a hurry.
Ow!
Switchblade
key.
Lovely.
Shamelessly flirting with him.
I couldn't believe it.
Oh, my god.
My house, Jamie!
Oh, my god, Susan!
Where's Kelly?
Kelly...
She's staying
at Peter's, right?
I don't know.
I don't know either.
I live here.
This is my house.
Is my daughter in there?
Is there anybody in the house?
It's her house.
I'm detective mcdowell.
Did you check inside?
They went in a few minutes ago.
If anybody's in there,
they'll find them.
We've been here
maybe five minutes.
The place went up
like the fourth of July.
Is that Kelly?
Kelly!
Aw...
Aw, Kelly...
Kelly?
Oh...
Not my Kelly...
My son was with her.
You go.
Tell somebody
to go look for my son.
Kelly...
Tell someone!
My son was with her!
Kelly, no, no...
Kelly...
Kelly!
Shh.
She was the only one.
Are you sure?
Oh, my god...
She's going to
be okay.
Kelly...
She's
going to be okay.
Come on with me.
She live here
full time?
Off and on
since high school.
How old was she?
21.
She smoked in bed.
Her mother was always
on her about it.
I see a dresser
reduced to ashes.
That's got to
make me wonder.
What dresser?
Oh, jeez...
Okay...
Girl comes home, passes out,
her cigarette sets
the sheets on fire,
that lights the bed on fire.
So our bed
is the heat source, right?
That's what we call
"a set."
You know, what we should
be seeing is a single "v,"
coming away
going up the wall
from this original set.
Now, why do I see
a "v" here
and another one
here?
Multiple sets
means multiple points of origin.
No...
This is not the cause
of the original fire.
What?
Yeah...
Presence of an accelerant.
Hell, you can
still smell it.
It's a petroleum
product.
Gasoline,
kerosene, diesel.
The lab will tell US
what it is for sure,
but it's definitely
petroleum.
You keep gasoline
in your bedroom,
detective?
No.
Uh, so-so we have multiple sets
and evidence of an accelerant?
Someone poured gasoline
on the walls,
the furniture, the bed,
and then
just lit a match.
Hey, tape this off,
secure it as a crime scene.
What we have here is arson.
You all right?
I'm actually more concerned
about Peter.
He's a mess.
He was with her last night.
We're going to need to ask him
what happened
before the fire,
right?
Yeah.
No, I know, I know.
He's at his house.
He's not going anywhere.
I found this cloth...
Stuck on that fence,
near the top of the driveway.
It smells of gas.
I'll be up there.
I want you to print
this whole area here.
Bring in
the team.
Yes, sir.
Why would anyone
want to do that?
I just don't get it.
People intentionally
set fires
for a lot
of reasons.
Insurance claims,
structural assault,
juvenile delinquency.
We change our
investigative approach
when the arson
includes a homicide.
Peter...
There's going to have to be
an autopsy.
What if it was a mistake?
What if it wasn't arson?
There was
no mistake.
There was gasoline everywhere.
Peter...
Can you think of any reason
why someone would want
to kill Kelly?
I...
I should never have let her
go home alone.
I don't know
what I was thinking.
You can't
blame yourself.
Well, if there's going to be
an investigation,
I want you to lead it.
I can't do that.
You know I can't.
Don't worry,
we'll find out
who did this.
What happened
to your hand there?
I hurt it at work.
You asked me
who I thought
would hurt Kelly.
Try her ex-fiance.
Ray rankin.
He was at the bar
last night.
Kelly threw a beer
in his face.
He threatened her
and then he took off
out of the bar.
Ray threatened her?
Yeah.
He...
He said she'd pay,
said...
She'd see him real soon.
Anybody else
hear him say this?
Only the whole bar.
Kelly was...
Really upset.
She got into a cab,
and she went to her mother's.
We're so wasted.
We don't even know
what we're saying
right now, okay?
Let's just go home,
come on.
Let's just
go home, Kelly.
Where are you going?
To my mother's.
Just stay
in the apartment.
I don't want
to see you.
I don't want
to see anybody.
Kelly!
You should
let me drive.
No.
Or wait in the car?
Nope.
Uh... let me
do the talking?
Probably not.
Ray rankin?
What do you want?
There was a fire
at Kelly's last night.
Did you know that?
No, I didn't, bro.
'Cause we're not
together anymore.
It was a sex thing
anyway.
Oh... you're a champ,
aren't you?
Yeah,
thanks, buddy.
She's dead.
Where the hell
were you last night?
I don't have to
answer that.
Yes, you do.
You're the ex-fiance
with the stellar record.
Assault and battery,
possession
with an intent to sell,
grand theft, huh?
You threatened her.
You stormed out of there,
you waited for her,
you followed her
to her mother's house,
you killed her, and then
you burnt that place down.
Why don't you
get the hell off me?
Jamie...
Breaking and entering,
arson, homicide.
Three aggravating
circumstances.
That is the death penalty.
Jamie!
Screw you, mcdowell.
Screw you,
and Kelly,
and both
your families!
I'm calling my lawyer.
Third degree burns
to 80% of her body.
All the physical evidence
of death due to severe exposure
to fire, except...
Except what?
Except there's no smoke
in her lungs.
Asphyxiation occurred
before the fire.
It's not what killed her.
The fractured hyoid bone,
the depressed larynx
seem to suggest
strangulation,
and she'd had
intercourse
either before or during
the strangulation.
I've got semen samples.
We'll run them in the lab.
It's hard to know for sure
whether or not she was raped.
There's a lot
of burn damage
in the area.
I do see some evidence
of forced entry,
but, well...
Maybe it was rough sex
that got out of hand.
There's a very high level
of alcohol in her bloodstream.
If the killer was drinking
as much as she was,
I can see it
all going south
in a hurry.
So you're saying it's a...
Possible rape and strangulation?
Something like that, yes.
Right, uh...
I'm going to let
the guys know, okay?
I'll be right back.
Any idea who did this,
detective?
Yeah, we have a suspect.
Yeah.
Thank you, Miriam.
You're welcome.
He raped her?
That son of a bitch.
I know.
Well, you got to get him.
Yeah, we will.
Does Susan know?
Glenn's
with her now.
He's telling her.
Listen, Peter,
I know how difficult this is
for you,
and I hate
having to do this,
but I need you
to go through that night again
and tell me
everything you remember,
because we're trying
to re-construct
the time-line,
and what we know
is that ray has no alibi
after he left that bar.
Yeah, that's because
he followed her home
to her apartment
and killed her.
And that's exactly
what we're thinking,
but if you can,
let's go through it again.
Okay.
After we left your house,
we went to Chelsea's
and the avalon first.
Then we went to
the copper penny
to play some pool,
and I guess
it was, like, 10:30.
Was ray
already there?
No.
No, Kelly said
he had the night off,
but he showed up for a shift
anyway.
We had
a couple words,
but it was really
nothing.
How long
before the trouble began?
Mmm...
45 minutes, maybe.
45 minutes...
So that would put it 11:15.
Ray leaves,
he's completely hammered.
What time did Kelly leave?
Maybe 20 minutes later.
I mean...
She was drunk
and pretty pissed off.
At you?
She was taking it out on me,
but...
Well...
She was drunk.
I don't even think
she knew what she was saying.
Yeah, the cabbie said
it took 25 minutes
to get from the copper penny
to Susan's house
because Kelly was so drunk,
she couldn't give even him
proper directions.
Anyway...
That puts her inside
at 10 after midnight,
and we checked
her phone records.
It looks like she called you
as soon as she got home.
Is that right?
Yeah.
Yeah, but I wasn't home yet.
I thought she'd blow off
some steam and come back.
I left at midnight
and went home,
just hoping
she'd changed her mind
and went to my place.
It's me.
I'm sorry, Peter,
but this isn't working.
I'm going to stay at
my mom's for a few days.
Just leave me alone
for a while, okay?
So Kelly gets home
at 12:10,
calls Peter 12:15
and leaves a message.
That checks out,
right.
Yeah, and then
sometime after 12:15,
rankin breaks in,
rapes
and murders her.
Kelly expires...
12:40, 12:45?
Give him 10 minutes
to figure out what to do,
goes to his vehicle,
gets his gas can,
douses the place,
sets the fire.
That's about 12:50, 12:55.
Right,
then he bolts out the door,
leaves a piece
of clothing behind...
And you get home
at 1:00 am,
fire department's
already on the scene.
It works.
Yeah, it does.
Only thing is,
we don't have any witnesses.
That we know of.
You're thinking reward?
Well, I'm thinking
somebody had to have seen him,
and now we just have
to give them a reason
to come forward.
True enough.
Okay, so you talk to the captain
about the reward,
and we'll...
We'll canvass the neighborhood
one more time.
Also, how you doing?
You okay?
Look, um, Glenn?
I'm going to get out of here.
I'm going to call you back,
all right?
Okay, well, stay in touch,
all right?
All right.
What?
You got a minute?
No.
It's funny, I distinctly
heard myself say, "no."
Yeah, that happens to me
all the time.
It's called parenthood.
I want US to offer a reward
on the Shaw murder.
It's not your case, Jamie.
I want US to offer 10 grand.
Mcdowell, that's more than
three times department standard.
We can't
afford it.
But I know who did it.
I just need a witness
to come forward.
You're too close
to this case, Jamie.
Yeah, that's right, I am, Paul.
It's my best friend's daughter.
I've known her since
she was three years old.
Now, I want US
to offer 10 grand,
and I'm not leaving this
office until you say yes.
Okay.
Okay?
10 grand.
Thank you.
Hey, mcdowell...
You've done
what you can.
Let US do the rest, all right?
Thanks for
coming down.
Can I get you
some soda, coffee?
Water?
Are you sure?
Did you get him?
No, not yet, but--
but we have
offered a reward,
for 10,000.
It's a hell
of a lot more
than I thought
my captain would go for,
but he did.
Has anyone
come forward?
Yeah,
a few people,
but nothing
we can use yet.
But the good news is,
is that now
ray knows
it's just
a matter of time.
He will make a mistake,
he will slip up,
I promise you.
Just...
I just, I wish you were leading
this investigation.
You know I can't.
But between you and me,
I'm very much
a part of this investigation.
I'm just working through Glenn.
Yeah?
Come on,
let's get outside.
Let's get
some fresh air.
This is much harder
than when Steve died.
You lose your husband...
You're heartbroken,
but you have a child,
so you soldier on
and find a way
to keep living.
Remarry, whatever.
Did you feel like that
when Mike died?
Yeah.
I think so.
It was a long time ago.
One day we're double-dating,
the next, we're single moms
with little kids.
Yeah, I know.
But when your child dies...
Especially like this,
you're not just
heartbroken...
You're dead.
You die with them...
And there's no soldiering on.
There's just nothing.
There's nothing.
Susan, I'm so sorry.
Sweetheart, I'm so sorry.
Well, here we are.
It was
a great meal.
It certainly was,
and thank you very much.
You're
very welcome.
I think a nightcap
is in order.
Absolutely, yeah.
Dan...
Sorry.
That's okay.
No, that's okay.
I'd still like
a nightcap, though.
Absolutely.
Okay.
White wine,
is that good?
Perfect.
I have some open
in the fridge.
It's a nice place
you got here.
Oh, thanks.
Oh, my god...
Oh, my god...
My... my cat...
My cat, my cat...
Oh, my god.
Come on, let's
get out of here.
Why?
Fat lady's in the house.
She's not singing yet,
but she's warming up.
We got a reward.
People are coming forward.
It's just a matter of time.
One of the neighbors
down the street
walking her dog,
saw some punk
in a red hoody
jump into a pick-up
and take off
just before the garage
went up in flames.
A red hoody
with white print
on the front.
Blue jeans,
work boots.
Huh?
It wasn't me, bro.
We got a piece
of the sweatshirt.
We got a warrant, too.
We're going through
your place right now.
We're going to
find it.
We're going to find
that sweatshirt.
My client
came down here
as a show of good will.
It's called
cooperation.
If you're going to
make accusations
without charging him,
we're done here.
You threatened her
in front of everyone.
You told her
you'd see her real soon.
You waited for her
in the parking lot,
and you followed her.
We got witnesses
for all of that,
and guess what?
You got no alibi!
No one knows where
the hell you went
after Kelly made you
look like a chump
in front of all
your moron buddies.
Mr. Rankin went for a drive
to cool off,
just as he said.
There you go.
You killed my cat.
Oh, yeah,
someone killed your cat?
That's sweet,
because I hate cats.
Oh, no...
You murdered Kelly,
and you feel nothing!
You feel no remorse, no regret!
You feel nothing--
Jamie, easy!
Enough, mcdowell!
How dare you!
You want remorse?
Screw that.
I'm glad the witch died!
All I have to do
is put you in that room!
Shut up!
Mcdowell!
I will put you in that room!
My office, now!
Okay...
That was way past
unprofessional.
It was reckless.
It was illegal!
You're looking at
being suspended without pay!
I know, I'm sorry.
You're sorry?
What the hell
were you thinking, detective?
He murdered her!
And you want him to walk
because you screwed
with his rights?
You beat him up
during an interrogation,
in front of witnesses,
in front of
his lawyer!
He's not
going to walk?
You're losing it,
detective.
Look...
Just sit down.
Jamie, I know
how you feel.
When my partner got killed,
they dragged his greasy
scumbag murderer in here
so I could question him.
It was everything I could do
not to strangle him
with my bare hands...
But you have to be
a professional.
So you know,
ray rankin is suing US.
Assault,
harassment.
I'm sure he'll say
his rights were compromised
if we bring charges.
We'll see.
Now, stay away
from this damn case.
6958...
6958, all right,
you've been very helpful.
I appreciate it.
Jogger
at the reservoir
sees a bag of clothes
washed up in the bushes.
Knows we're looking for
a red sweatshirt
and blue jeans.
Calls it in.
Red sweatshirt,
blue jeans,
smells of gasoline.
I got to take up
jogging.
Huh?
I would rather
be lucky than good.
Yeah, this is
detective dasher.
Yeah...
Yeah, I need
a back-up unit
to assist
in a pick-up.
All right.
Yeah, 10 minutes
down there.
I'll meet you
downstairs.
Yeah...
Jamie, we're going
to go pick him up.
Jamie,
where are you going?
Jamie, what...
We got him,
what are you...
Where are you
going?
Just a sec.
You want
something to drink?
No, thanks.
I'm going to
have a beer.
You sure you don't
want anything?
No, you go ahead.
So, what's up?
I need you to tell me again
about the night Kelly died.
I told you what happened.
I need you to tell me again.
Okay...
Um...
We went to the copper penny,
and ray was there,
and then when we--
after that.
Kelly...
Kelly threw a beer
in Ray's face, and--
after that.
After she left,
and you were there
drinking alone.
I came home,
and then I...
Punched the wall,
and I passed out.
You tell me the truth.
I told...
I told you the truth.
I listened to
Kelly's message,
I punched the wall,
and, uh...
And then I went to bed.
No, you didn't.
Yes, I did.
'Cause...
'Cause my hand...
You tell me the truth.
My hand was...
Killing me, and the room...
The room was spinning,
and then I passed out.
I passed out.
We found the red sweatshirt.
I don't...
It's not... mine.
Yes, it is.
There's a lot of people
that have this...
This sweatshirt.
It has "pm" written on the tag.
Peter mcdowell.
I put it there.
We found a gas can
in the garbage
behind
the construction site
at Peter's work.
It's at the lab
with his clothes.
And we have semen
from the victim.
Kelly.
Her name is Kelly.
Kelly, sorry.
We need
Peter's DNA.
Well, I think he's sat in there
long enough.
Why don't you
go in there
and see what
you can get out of him?
I want to talk to him first.
Jamie...
Paul, he's my son.
All right, go ahead.
It was a mistake
to bring me here.
I didn't do it.
Then tell them that.
You tell
them that.
You brought me here.
You're my mother.
If you're going to tell them,
they're going to believe you.
Gasoline is like
a fingerprint,
and they found gas
on your clothes,
at your job...
And at Kelly's house,
and if it comes back a match,
it is a clear chain of evidence.
I-I told you
already.
I came home,
and I went to bed,
and there's
the timeline.
You got Kelly's message
at 12:15.
I takes you 15 minutes
to get to her house.
That puts it at 12:30.
It wasn't me.
I loved Kelly.
Why can't you just believe me?
I know you loved her.
I want to believe
that you went home
and went to bed,
but that is not
how it's lining up,
because you're not
telling me the truth.
She's
interrogating him.
Yeah,
and he's opening up.
Just sit tight.
How are any of US
supposed to believe
that you didn't mean to do it,
if you don't admit to doing it
in the first place?
Peter,
what happened?
What happened?
Are you a detective...
Or are you my mother?
You heard the message...
I need your help.
Peter, tell me what happened.
I can't do it.
You went home...
Mom, please...
You heard the message...
Please...
Tell me
what happened.
Why are you doing this to me?
You went home.
You heard
the message...
Mom, please.
Please, please, please...
You went home,
you heard the message...
I loved Kelly.
I loved her
with all my heart.
You went home...
You heard
the message...
I got in the truck.
I got in the truck.
I got in the truck
because I had to see her.
Kelly?
Kelly...
Kelly, it's Peter.
Let me in.
I don't want
to see you anymore, okay?
Kelly...
I just...
I just want to talk to you,
that's all.
Just let me in.
Let me in your place.
You know what?
Ray was right
about you.
You're a mama's boy, Peter.
You always will be.
Kelly...
You don't
mean that.
Look,
so I didn't punch out
some loser
at the bar for you.
Kelly, there's nothing
I wouldn't do for you.
You have to believe me, Kelly.
We can fix this,
please--
no, okay?
We're over.
No, I just want
to talk to you, Kelly.
No!
Look what you did to my hand.
No.
I just want to talk to you,
Kelly.
No, Peter.
No!
Come on,
please, Kelly.
Just hear me out,
Kelly.
Oh!
Ah!
Ow, you're
hurting me!
Please!
Stop...
No!
Peter, don't!
Please! Kelly...
Stop it!
No...
Kelly?
Kelly. Kelly...
Kelly!
Kelly, Kelly, Kelly...
Kelly, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Oh, god.
I'm sorry.
Kelly. Please.
Kelly, Kelly...
Kelly, no...
Oh, my god.
Oh, my god...
Kelly, Kelly...
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
Oh, god!
What am I going to do?
Okay...
Will you prosecute him?
Uh...
People know
I've been seeing you.
I recused myself.
The d.A. Is deferring
to the Attorney General.
I don't like the a.G.
He's going for
the death penalty.
He can't do that.
Well...
There are three
aggravated circumstances.
And several mitigating ones.
Unfortunately,
he can't ignore, uh...
Arson, rape...
Murder.
But he doesn't have
a criminal record.
Well, he's
being booked.
They're arraigning him
later today.
Attorney General's
asking no bail.
Violent nature of the crime...
So, who's
defending him?
Jamie...
Do you have someone
to defend Peter?
Um...
I don't know yet.
I-I don't...
You know what,
I'll give you a list of names,
all right?
Okay.
Look, Jamie,
would you like to take
some time off?
What?
I mean, it's your call.
Um, maybe, I don't know.
I-I don't...
I don't know.
So, what's going on?
Was there an arrest?
Yeah.
Did you get him?
Did you get ray?
It wasn't him.
Then who was it?
Jamie?
Who did it?
It was Peter.
What?
My Peter killed Kelly.
That...
That's not true.
It can't be true.
Susan...
Susan, he confessed.
Oh, my...
Oh, my god.
Oh, my...
He...
He raped her?
He strangled her,
is that's what you're saying?
Oh, god...
They got into
a fight
at the bar.
She wanted to break it off
with him.
She was breaking it off?
He was angry,
and he was very drunk.
He wanted
to talk to her.
He just wanted to talk to her.
He just wanted
to talk to her.
It's so hard to understand.
No, it's not.
She was
breaking it off,
so he...
He killed her.
He raped her,
he murdered her,
and he...
Lit her on fire to cover it up.
He was drunk.
They were both very,
very drunk.
You're saying
it's okay to kill my baby
because they were drunk?
Are you trying
to justify it?
No! No...
You think it's excusable
because they were both drunk?
That's not what I'm saying.
Kelly is dead!
Kelly is dead,
and Peter killed her!
That's inexcusable.
That's unforgivable!
Oh, god...
Get out of my house.
Get out.
Get out of my house!
Oh, god...
No...
No...
I came home,
and then I...
Punched the wall,
and I passed out.
My hand was...
Killing me, and...
The room...
The room was spinning,
and then I passed out.
There are three
aggravating circumstances.
He's going for
the death penalty.
Are you a detective
or are you my mother?
Because you need to help me.
Help me.
Hey, can I talk to you
for a second?
I need to talk to you too.
I hired
an attorney.
Oh, that's good.
Who?
Ed Callaghan.
What?
Ed Callaghan.
No, I heard you
the first time.
What I meant to say was what
the hell did you do that for?
Because the ag's
going for the death penalty.
Ed Callaghan
defends cop killers.
He likes defending cop killers.
You can't hire him.
Every cop on the force,
including me,
will take offense.
Well, let me
ask you this.
What if were your son?
He's a dirtbag. It's a bad move.
Yeah, you're right,
he is a dirtbag,
and he also costs a fortune.
So you're making my case?
No, I'm claiming
that reward money.
You expect me
to hand over 10 grand
for bringing in
your own son,
so you can turn around and
hand it over to ed Callaghan?
That's not
going to happen.
I'm not
asking you.
Police money
is not going,
it will never go
to ed Callaghan.
It's not police money.
It's my money.
We both know
that the only way
this case is clean
is if I bring him in
as a mother.
There is no way
I'm letting you
do this.
You want me
to say it?
I'll sue you
for it, Paul.
Child molesters,
drug dealers,
and cop killers,
that's who you want
to be in bed with, huh?
Why are you acting
like I have a choice?
Ray rankin is suing everyone
in the whole damn county!
Well, that's no surprise,
is it?
No, but it doesn't make it
any easier to swallow, does it?
He's asking for
a ton of damages.
The papers are going
to run with this for weeks.
It's bad press,
mcdowell.
It's bad for you,
it's bad for the department,
and it's bad for me.
That's not what I wanted,
and you know it.
I know,
and I'm sorry,
but you leave me with no choice.
I have to suspend you.
Leave
your weapon.
I want that money.
Jamie!
Jamie, what's up?
Huh?
I'm suspended.
What?
And I hired
ed Callaghan
to represent Peter,
and I want you
to tell you myself
before anybody else
tells you, all right?
I told you.
Yeah, I understand.
Look, you're going to lose
a lot of friends.
You know that, right?
Then they weren't friends
to begin with.
All I'm saying is
that maybe you ought to
sleep on it a night
before you go ahead
and do that.
You want me to sleep on it?
You want me to sleep on it?
I don't sleep anymore.
I don't sleep
anymore.
There's no sleep for me.
None.
I didn't know you smoked.
Yeah, I don't.
Jamie!
I'm fine.
God...
Darn it.
So the foundation's
still good,
but as far as
the house goes,
going to knock it down,
start from scratch.
Uh, we can possibly
start this week,
but for sure
next week.
Prices--
hang on a second.
Certainly.
I read about you
in the paper.
Do you think the world
feels sorry for you
now that you've been suspended?
What do you want me to say?
I don't want you
to say anything.
I want you to listen
and think.
Think about all
the lives Peter ended.
Not just Kelly's,
but mine,
my family's,
all of my friends,
all of Kelly's friends.
We will never be the same.
You think I will?
I think you've lost your mind!
How dare you claim
that reward money
to defend
Peter?
Susan, you'd do the same.
Peter
killed Kelly!
He deserves to pay for that
with his life.
You need to feel
what I feel.
That's justice!
Look, if this
is going to be
a problem for you,
detective mcdowell,
you can always get
yourself another attorney.
I'm here
for my son.
I highly doubt
we're going to be friends.
All right?
Oh, I imagine we won't be.
Now, I already spoke to
the Attorney General's office,
told them
I'd be representing Peter.
I'm sure they were thrilled.
Not really.
We're meeting with judge waller
this afternoon.
What do you mean,
this afternoon?
Well...
The child of a birch hills
police detective
violently rapes, murders,
and burns a
local young woman.
Now, that's
what you call
a very public,
very high profile
death penalty case.
Top priority for the a.G.
Oh, he thinks
he's going to
win this one big.
In fact,
he's sure of it.
And what do you think?
I think all the evidence
is against US,
and there's a confession.
I think we're going to lose.
Well, guess what,
I'm not paying you to lose.
Well, regardless,
we're going to lose.
We expect to lose.
We're not even trying to win.
Well, then, what are...
I don't...
What are we doing here?
What are we doing?
What are we doing here--
we are trying to avoid
the death penalty.
Okay?
Peter's
going to jail
for the rest
of his life
is what
we're shooting for,
because what's
the alternative?
The alternative is
they strap him to a gurney,
they inject him
with sodium
thiopental,
pancuronium
bromide,
and potassium
chloride,
and his life ends
right before your eyes.
Am I wrong, detective?
Is that not
what we're trying to do here?
Save a murderer's
life?
My god.
You're crueler than I thought.
That's why people come to me.
People just like your son.
Do we understand each other?
Yeah.
I'm ed Callaghan.
Your mother hired me
to defend you.
We are going to save your life.
Did you kill
your mother's cat?
Yes.
Why?
Because
I wanted her to think
that rankin was trying
to scare her off.
You knew she'd
go after him
even harder.
Yeah, something like that.
So, uh...
We'll say that
it was simply a continuation
of your moral confusion,
that it wasn't
an act of deception,
but rather part and parcel
of this crime of passion.
Okay, that's...
So we got that one.
So let's go back now.
Um, Kelly Shaw
left you at the bar,
got in a cab,
and you did what?
I went back into the bar.
Stop.
Every sentence that
you utter on that stand
must begin with a disclaimer.
At no point are you to appear
certain of yourself
or of your story.
But I know what happened--
no, no, no, the facts are all
very sketchy to you now.
They're fading
into the background
like some old
photograph
you can hardly see.
Yeah, well,
I can see that old photograph
because it keeps playing
in my head,
over and over
and over,
and it doesn't stop.
You make it stop.
Tell me again.
Kelly left you at the bar,
and what happened after that?
I don't remember.
Good boy.
I think...
I went back into the bar
and had a...
A couple of beers,
I don't know,
maybe some shooters.
And then what?
I can't be sure anymore.
Very nice, very nice.
I think
I went home
and listened
to Kelly's message.
I don't know,
this is really confusing me.
Oh, of course
it is,
of course
it is,
and after that, you did what?
I drove to Kelly's--
no.
That's what I did.
No, it doesn't matter
what you did or didn't do.
All that matters now
is that the jury finds
a mitigating circumstance--
but I deserve death.
Just stop being so stupid and
just do what he tells you to do.
Now, we have to cast doubt
on the confession.
We have to
cast doubt on Kelly.
What?
Yeah, her character's
in question.
No, it's not.
Oh, yes,
she used you.
She used you as
emotional leverage
against Mr. Rankin,
with whom she'd recently
broken off her engagement.
Stop it.
She lied to you--that is enough.
She used you,
and she ultimately brought you
to this point
of blind rage.
Enough.
She's as much to blame
for this as you are.
No one deserves
what I did to Kelly.
Likewise, the jury
has to be made to believe
that you are
as much a victim
as she is.
I killed her!
She was
asking for it!
That's the picture we're
going to present to the court.
Your innocence
was no match
for her emotional
prevarications.
Okay, that's it,
you get out.
Your, uh, misguided,
blind love for her--
get him out of here.
...led to this spontaneous act
of passionate violence--
what the hell
is going on?
...resulting in the unfortunate
death of Kelly Shaw.
She brought it on herself--
it was manslaughter,
not murder.
Get the hell out of here!
Don't you get it?
I'm finished.
It's over.
I don't want to live.
So you can save your time, okay?
And even if I did
want to live,
you think
I would want to go in there,
to that litter box
with all those animals?
You tell them.
I want death.
Dr. Post,
you are the king county
medical examiner?
That's correct.
You examined Kelly Shaw's body
the morning after the murder?
Yes, I did.
Do your findings
coincide
with the defendant's
confession?
Yes, they do.
Miss Shaw was strangled to death
during forced
sexual intercourse,
and her body
was then burned
using gasoline as a fuel source
for the fire.
I see.
Were there semen samples,
or fingerprints,
or any other
crime scene evidence
that could lead to
DNA confirmation
of the defendant's
confession?
Yes.
There were
semen samples,
and fingerprints
on miss Shaw's
neck and body,
and the defendant's
clothing was found
both near the reservoir
and at the crime scene.
Can you tell the jury
your findings
after testing
the evidence?
All the tested
evidence
was a direct DNA match
for Mr. Mcdowell.
The semen,
the fingerprints,
and the clothing
all belong to the defendant.
So it's reasonable to conclude
that as his confession states,
Mr. Mcdowell raped, murdered,
and burned
miss Shaw?
I just want to
talk to you, Kelly.
No. Stop it.
Ah!
No, Peter!
Police look for
unimpeachable evidence,
evidence that links the
accused to the crime
without question.
Sometimes
we get luckier than others.
What about this time?
Even without Mr.
mcdowell's confession,
the evidence is irrefutable.
Nothing further.
Is that the case?
Just off the top of
your head, detective,
do you happen to know
what percentage of
death penalty cases
have been overturned
since 1977?
No, I do not.
Well, according to
a recent study
out of Columbia law school,
68% of convictions
in capital crimes
are overturned.
68%.
Often as a result
of flawed DNA evidence.
Now, isn't it
possible
that in this particular case,
the evidence is flawed?
In this particular case,
the defendant
confessed to the crime.
The evidence,
the DNA results,
are bearing
with that confession,
not at odds with it.
But of course, that presupposes
that the confession was obtained
under incontrovertible
conditions.
Now, would you like
to tell this court
how this particular confession
was obtained?
Kelly, Kelly...
Ms. Mcdowell, are you able
to answer the question?
Ms. Mcdowell...
Are you telling US
that Peter couldn't have
committed the crimes
of which he's accused?
No.
He did a terrible thing.
He made the worst choice
I could think of...
But there have been
19 years
of good choices.
19 years of no mistakes,
no wrong choices--
objection.
Your honor,
she's making
a speech.
Ms. Mcdowell,
just try to answer the question.
He's a good son...
And he's always been
a good son.
It's just that
something...
Something just went
horribly wrong.
For one moment,
one moment, something--
your honor...
Please.
All right, Mr. Callaghan,
let's have another question,
please.
Final question,
your honor.
Final question.
Is Peter remorseful?
Yes.
He knows what he did...
And he expects
to be punished for it.
He expects to be punished...
Because he loved her.
It's because
he loved her.
Susan, I hope that somewhere
you still understand that.
He knows what he did
was wrong.
He knows it.
He expects to be punished.
You can punish him.
Please don't kill him.
How much longer?
There's no way
to know.
Two hours,
two days.
His guilt isn't in
question, of course,
just his punishment.
You have to be prepared
for the worst result.
Is that what you think
is going to happen?
I never know
what's going to happen.
Juries are
unpredictable.
Sometimes they just
can't look past the facts
under any
circumstances,
completely devoid
of emotion.
But your feeling is
it doesn't look too good.
My feelings are immaterial,
detective, but...
No, they're not good.
Fit to stand trial,
fit for execution, right?
We can appeal, of course.
For how long?
Years.
Is that going to
save his life?
Well, I can't
guarantee that it will.
Sometimes
the appeal process runs out
and execution occurs,
sometimes it doesn't.
But either way,
you stand to make a fortune,
and my kid still lives his life
out on death row.
Not exactly the way I'd put it,
but, yes,
I am paid well for my services,
and your son lives his life
on death row.
And is that
an acceptable outcome for you?
It's an outcome
I've learned to live with.
Are you
married?
Never.
Got kids?
None that I know of.
Well, that's why
you can live with it.
Jamie...
The jury sent word.
Five minutes.
See you inside.
I suppose Callaghan told you.
What, to expect the worst?
To expect the death penalty?
Yeah, he told me.
It's...
It's not a given.
It doesn't
look good.
No, not too good.
I don't even know
if I still have my job...
And I just realized
I'm probably
going to have to sell my house
in order to pay
for Peter's appeals.
How is this happening?
How is this happening?
I'm here for you.
Thank you, Dan.
You're such a good guy.
We should go.
I don't want to go in.
Okay, okay...
Okay...
Okay.
All rise.
Please be seated.
All right, madam foreman,
in the matter
of the state
of Washington
vs. Peter mcdowell,
has the jury reached
a unanimous verdict?
We have, your honor.
Will the defendant
please stand?
Bailiff...
Thank you.
And how do you find
the defendant?
Guilty on all charges.
And has the
jury decided
upon a unanimous
sentence?
We have,
your honor.
And what is the sentence,
madam foreman?
Life without parole.
It's what
we wanted.
Order...
We must have order
in the courtroom.
What?
Hey, you got
a minute?
No.
You know, it's funny.
I thought I heard myself
say, "no."
How you doing,
Jamie?
I'm all right.
That's good...
And how's Peter?
He's hanging in there.
I'm proud of him.
You know...
It's hard adjusting,
but he's in therapy,
and, uh...
And so the world moves forward.
Well, what can I say?
Ray rankin dropped the lawsuit.
Is that right?
Yeah, Glenn arrested him
on drug charges.
Possession with intent to sell.
Selling drugs right out of
his old man's house.
Hmm...
Anyway, we made a deal,
less jail time
if he drops the suit.
Glenn's case
from start to finish.
Well, good for Glenn.
You ready to come back to work?
No...
No, I'm definitely
not ready yet.
I really just
wanted to come by
and just thank you
for everything that you've done.
Door's always open.
That's really good to know.
Anyway, I got to scoot.
I just wanted to...
Yeah, I, uh...
Well, you know.
I'll see you.
How are you?
Up and down.
It's not easy
to find your footing
when your whole world changes.
No.
I'm trained to help people
through hard
emotional transitions.
Now I need someone to help me.
That used to be me.
It can't be me anymore,
can it?
No, Jamie.
It can't.
I see...
I see you got a new cat.
Named her Abby.
That's nice.
I know you like cats.
And I know you don't.
I'm allergic.
I know.
I remember.
You're moving.
Yeah, I can't stay here.
Well, maybe when you get
where you're going...
You'll call me.
When I get where I'm going,
I'll call.