Bull (2016–…): Season 4, Episode 15 - Flesh and Blood - full transcript

Lucas. Looks like
the word's out.

You got the best
game in town.

Hope you've got room for me
at the table tonight.

I'm sorry, Viv.
Not tonight.

Hey.
Lucas, come on.

Have I ever left you
high and dry before?

Well, word is
you left Asher Ray

very high and dry.

And I don't have
any interest

in getting in line behind
that guy when you lose my money.

I don't like chamomile.



How many times do
I have to tell you?

I want Earl Grey.

But Earl Grey

has caffeine in it.

You will never be able
to get to sleep.

Here.

Just try this.
I put some honey in it for you.

I told you

I don't want it!

Idiot.
All right, Dad, that's enough.

Ha. You're home early.

Couldn't get anyone
to buy you a drink?

I've got this.

Why don't you take off
a little early?



You sure?

Oh, that's great.

Reward her incompetence

by sending her home
halfway through her shift.

I'm sure.

Oh, that's
right,

I forgot.
Money

it's just a game to you.

Out all hours at poker tables

like some lowlife.

Well, I'm sorry
I disappointed you so.

I'll be right back
with some Earl Grey, Dad.

Just the way you like it.

You want your tea and pills yet?

What's your rush?

Give me a little time
to wake up.

I'm not trying to rush you, Dad.

I just want to go upstairs
and take a shower.

I just want to be sure
you're okay out here.

Why shouldn't I be okay?
I spend every morning out here.

I know, Dad.

But it's Cecilia's day off
and I'm all alone

and I won't be able to hear
if you need anything.

The only thing I need
is for you to leave me alone!

Okay, Dad.

I'll be back in just a bit.

You ready to come back in, Dad?

You got your fresh air
for the day?

Oh, how'd that get there?

Dad?

Patricide.

Killing a parent.

Ooh, that is a nasty
thing to be accused of.

Especially if you didn't do it.

Mm.

So, who's Vivian Cahill?

You've got the file.

No, I mean, who is she to you?

Old friend.

Used to play
the same poker game years ago.

Mm.

Vivian.

She was just out of college and
she could wipe the floor with me

and anyone else in the room.

And then?

And then
I stopped playing cards.

According to the police report,

your father died of blunt force
trauma to the head.

And the medical examiner
has matched the wound to blood

on a fireplace poker
found at the scene.

The police and paramedics
who responded to your call

said that you were
the only one home with him

at the time.

I was upstairs, at the back
of the house, showering.

Blow-drying my hair.
Anyone could've come in.

Well, a-according
to the reports,

there were no signs
of forced entry.

My dad liked
to sit alone out there

for about an hour every morning.

Last year he had a
series of strokes.

First one was in the summer.

Since then he's pretty much
always yelling at someone.

Mostly, yours truly.

Hmm. And you were
living with your father?

His health was
declining pretty quickly,

so I moved home
to help him.

Spend time with him.

How was that going?

Not great.

Dad's always had a temper,

and he could be
pretty tough on me.

Did your dad know
about your gambling?

Oh, yes.

Not a fan.

The occasional gentleman's game
is one thing,

but for his only daughter

to be a lowlife,

compulsive,
degenerate gambler...

Did you continue to gamble
while you were living with him?

Yes.

It...

it actually
got a bit out of control.

How big a hole
we talking about?

$300,000.

Wow.

That is a lot of money.

And who do you owe the money to?

A guy named Asher Ray.

He runs a game out of Westport.

And he's been breathing
down my neck pretty hard

to get his money.

Well, I hate to be indelicate,
but your dad's death

kind of solved all of that,
didn't it?

How much do you stand
to inherit?

$27 million.

So if I'm the prosecutor,

this looks like
patricide for profit.

I know that.

Hey, old friend.

That's why I called you.

Mm.

What a beautiful little girl.

Oh, man.

You guys come up
with a name yet?

Uh, no. Hospital keeps calling.

They're acting like
we're trying to pull a fast one.

Well, it is a little peculiar,

you not having a name
for your child.

It's not like you didn't have
nine months to think about it.

Ah. We just have very different
points of view.

You have a name in your head?

Actually, yeah.

When I look at her,
I see Ingrid.

Ingrid.
Yeah.

That's such a pretty name.

Your sister's convinced
she's an Asa.

Asa?

A-S-A.

Asa.
Means goddess.

Oh.
That's a good one, too.

You are gonna be
no help at all on this,

are you?
Nope.

I was not born yesterday, sir.

So...

Voir dire. Talk to me.

What are we looking for?

It's actually pretty simple.

I think we want jurors who will

look at Vivian
and see someone so sharp,

so well-adjusted,
that they're just gonna

reject the idea
that she'd be involved

in something as heinous
and perverse as patricide.

Mm.

So... what am I looking for?

People from close,
happy families

who'd never dream
of hurting a loved one?

No.
It's quite the opposite.

We want people from complicated,

dysfunctional families.

The more difficult
their home life, the better.

People who know
that just 'cause you want

to kill a family member
doesn't mean

that you actually
would kill them.

So...

who here spent the holidays

with their family?

Wow.

So, you spent

the holidays with your family
and lived to tell about it.

Yes, I did and yes, I did.

Okay, all right, all right.
So, how was it?

Fantastic.

My husband, kids and I
rent a cabin every year

with my two sisters
and their families.

It's not fancy,
but we always have a great time.

So, no fighting?
o raised voices?

Of course not.

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

Either that or there's a whole
lot of drinking going on.

Your Honor...

...we'd like to, uh, thank
and excuse this juror.

And what about
you, sir?

Did you spend the holidays
with your family?

Afraid so.

I take it it wasn't fantastic?

It was three days of listening
to my brother humblebrag

about his big job
and his hot girlfriend.

And wanting to shove fruitcake

down my gluten-free,
macrobiotic stepmom's throat.

All of that
while dogs barked,

kids screamed and the worst
music you ever heard

played nonstop.

Mm. My condolences.

You ever think about
just skipping it?

Not going?

You mean not show up
for Christmas with my family?

Sure. People do it.

Not me.

I mean, my family drives me
nuts, but they're my family.

Your Honor, the defense
finds this juror acceptable.

Nice work today in court, sir.

You want to grab some lunch?

Uh, actually,
I'm thinking about skipping it.

Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

I just ate something
I shouldn't have for breakfast.

Hey. I think I'm just
gonna sit here.

You get yourself
something to eat.

That is not gonna happen.

Maybe we should
get you to see a doctor?

No, no, no, no.
I'm-I'm good.

I'm telling you,
it's no big deal.

Hey, that is some jury
we snagged, huh?

Well, yeah.

Over two-thirds of them
haven't prejudged Vivian.

I'd say that's
once in a lifetime.

Now if I could
just convince you

to get in a car with me
and go to the emergency room,

so someone could
take a look at you?

Well, that's not gonna happen.

And how long did you work
as a home health care worker

for the defendant
and her father?

I worked in their home
for a little over four months.

And during that time,
did you become aware

that the defendant was
deeply in debt to someone?

Yes.

And how did you come
to know this?

One day, um,

when I was working
for Mr. Cahill,

um, a man came to see Vivian.

I was in the next room,

and it got pretty loud.

And what was said
that led you to believe

Vivian owed money
to this man?

Everything.

He was yelling
that she owed him

hundreds of thousands
of dollars.

That did she really
think that he'd

just turn
and look the other way?

And how did the defendant
respond to that?

She told him
that she didn't have

any money to give him
right then.

That he needed to be patient.

Did this seem to satisfy him?

No.

He said people were
coming down on him.

People that he
owed money to.

And how did the defendant
respond to that?

She begged him for more time.

And swore that she will pay it
all back when her dad died

and she came
into her inheritance.

So Vivian was counting

on her father's death
to bail her out of trouble?

Objection.
Calls for speculation.

Sustained. Ask another
question, Counselor.

I have no further questions,
Your Honor.

Your witness,

Mr. Colón.

Hey.

So, this, uh...

...man who, uh,
came to see Vivian

did you get a good look at him?

Yes, I did.

And was he a big guy?

Yes, at least six foot, one,
maybe six foot, two.

Lots of muscles.

So, it is safe to say this man

that Vivian owed money to

was bigger and stronger
than she was?

Yes, much.

And, so, this big, strong man

he obviously
knew where

Terrence Cahill lived.

Obviously knew he...
had a nice house.

Obviously knew he had
lots of money?

Yes.

Are you all right, Mr. Colón?

Yes, Your Honor.

Yes, I am, uh...

I'm fine, thank you.

Now, this, uh, man also knew

that Vivian's dad needed to die

before she'd be able to pay him
back, isn't that right?

Well, that's
what it sounded like.

So, uh... which would you say

is more likely

that, uh, Vivian,
who put her life on hold

to take care of her father,
bludgeoned him to death

with a fireplace tool, or that
Objection!

the big strong man
Mr. Colón.

broke into her house
with the intention

of ending
Mr. Colón.

Mr. Cahill's life
to get his money back?

Mr. Colón.

Sustained.

The jury will disregard
that last question.

No, they won't.

Mr. Colón,

are you sure you're all right?

Benny!

What is it?
What's happening?

Benny, can you hear me?
Someone call 911.

Are you the gentleman
who came in with Mr. Colón?

Yes, I am, uh...

How's he doing, is he okay?

Are you family, sir?

I'm his brother-in-law.

So, is everything all right?

Uh, do you have any idea
what's going on?

His appendix burst.

At the moment, we're in the
process of preparing him

for emergency surgery.

But he's gonna
be okay, right?

Well, it's always better
when we catch

these things before they burst.

The surgery
and the recovery are always

a little more involved
after they've ruptured.

But still,
it's an appendix.

You guys do this sort
of thing all the time.

He should be out of here
in what,

a day, day and a half?
Mm,

not quite. Unfortunately,
once the appendix bursts,

it releases all manner of
infectious agents into the body.

He could be battling
potential infections for weeks.

And, he needs to be monitored.

Weeks?

You gonna tell the court
about Benny?

Kind of have to.

Damn.

That was an amazing jury.

Well, there's no way the judge
holds on to that jury

until Benny recovers.

She'll probably
declare a mistrial

and we'll have
to start all over again

when Benny's back in action.

Do you think there
might be a chance that I...

could cover for him?

Cover in a murder trial?

You haven't even
graduated law school.

No offense, but... no.

All right, just thought
I'd put it out there.

You know, it says here
that Connecticut courts

actually allow law student
interns much more latitude

than they do in New York.

Well, latitude is one thing,
but allowing a law student

to sit first chair
on a murder case...

seems like a reach to me.

And whatever the case,
I'm sure they require

students to be supervised
by a bar-certified attorney,

and with Benny in the hospital,
who's that gonna be, hmm?

I don't know,
is there any reason

it couldn't
just be Benny himself?

If that doctor is right,
and Benny's just gonna be

lying around the hospital
for a couple of weeks,

Chunk could text him,
call him, e-mail him.

With the court's permission,
I'd like to take over

for my colleague Benjamin Colón,
who had a medical emergency

yesterday and will
be hospitalized

for the next few weeks.

I have fully informed
Ms. Cahill of my status

as a third-year law student
and she's consented

to my representation.

This is my application
to the court

to appear as a student intern

under Section 314.

And that is a letter
from Benjamin Colón,

a member in good standing
of the Connecticut Bar for over

20 years, saying that he would
supervise me throughout trial.

Section 314 specifically states

that the supervising attorney
must be present in court.

How's that gonna work

if Mr. Colón's
in the hospital?

Well, I'd make it my business
to check in with him regularly.

And Dr. Bull,

who's overseen
hundreds of trials,

will be present
in court every day.

Every minute, Your Honor.

With all due respect,

Your Honor,
Dr. Bull isn't a lawyer.

And allowing a law student
to sit first chair

at a murder trial without
a licensed attorney present

practically guarantees
a successful

"ineffective assistance
of counsel" appeal.

I don't know if you've
noticed, Your Honor,

but I'm not your typical
20-something law student.

I've had quite a few
years of life experience

under my belt before
I started law school.

That experience included
working on more murder trials

at TAC than most attorneys
handle in their lifetime.

And once I started
law school,

I first chaired a number of
complicated criminal trials

for our legal
aid clinic.

Your Honor, the rule

is very clear...

The rule is in
place to protect

the client's
best interests.

Well, I fail to see how
Ms. Cahill's best interests

are being protected
by a mistrial.

Ms. Cahill has been

in custody
during trial.

A mistrial would simply
prolong the incarceration

of an innocent woman,
until God knows

when we can get ourselves
back on the trial calendar.

I'm sure Your Honor
can make room on her calendar.

Furthermore,

if a defendant can represent
themselves pro se in court,

shouldn't they be allowed
to choose a representative,

who is much more qualified
than themselves to...
All right.

All right.

You're obviously able to craft

a very persuasive
legal argument.

I'm granting
a special dispensation

that allows you to step in.

But I better not come
to regret this decision,

or you will come
to regret this decision.

Are we clear, Mr. Palmer?

We are, Your Honor.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Well, the good news is

your temperature
is coming down.

And your blood pressure
is getting close to normal.

Ah, that's great.

Um... do you think
there's any chance

I might get discharged early?

I-I'm in the middle
of a very important trial...

First of all,
that's a doctor question.

Second of all,
nobody said anything

about anybody
getting discharged.

Your body still needs
plenty of rest.

Okay.

Well, you are very persuasive.

You win.

Rest it is.
Mm-hmm.

You say so.

Benny, how you feeling?

Oof.
I'm a little sore, but...

all my major parts
seem to be working.

So, how-how's the trial going?

Was there a witness
on the stand? Who-who is it?

How is Chunk doing?
Is he doing okay?

The medical examiner's on
the stand and it's going fine.

Don't start getting
stressed out over this.

You are supposed
to be recuperating.

Hey.

I'm also supposed to be

supervising Chunk.

I sent a letter
to the judge saying

that I am personally
responsible for his work.

And I'm sure that Chunk
will check in with you

as soon as he can,
but until he is on a recess,

you should rest.

Court is adjourned

for a ten-minute recess.

Bull?

Sorry to intrude.

Well, intrude away.

Well, uh, I found a something

that may be a nothing.

But a something
that's a nothing is better

than the absolutely nothing
we already have.

You got that right.

And this something
that may be a nothing?

Well, I spoke with a dog walker
who was working

in the neighborhood
that morning and she says

she saw a man running
down Cahill's street

around the time of his death.

Could be our killer.

Or it could be a guy
out for a jog.

Does he at least fit
the description of the man

who came to Vivian's home?

Or does he perhaps
look like Asher Ray?

Well, it was cold,

and he was wearing
a coat with a hood.

So she didn't get
a very good look at his face,

but she is prepared
to testify that he was

a big guy with dark hair

in the right place
at the right time.

Big guy, dark hair.
Right place, right time,

walking down
the street.

So that's definitely a nothing.

I said a nothing
that may be a something.

That's a distinction
without a difference.

You say tomato,
I say a place to start.

She claims he was wearing
a blue parka

with a red stripe down each arm.

I'm gonna go through
all the security footage

Taylor can hack into within
a quarter mile of the house,

see if I can find him and
perhaps get a look at his face,

or his car, something.
Okay, uh,

question from
the peanut gallery.

This witness
did she happen to mention

whether or not
she'd spoken to the police?

No.
They never questioned her.

Although I can't fault them.

Bull's not wrong.

All of this is really the very
definition of a long shot.

Yeah, maybe it is,
maybe it isn't.

Detective Jacobson,
during your investigation,

did you have
an opportunity to speak

to someone named Jami Schaefer?

Not that I recall.

Well, let me jog your memory.

She's a dog walker
who was working

in Terrence Cahill's
neighborhood

the morning of the murder.

Does that ring a bell?
No.

I'm sorry, I don't recall
any dog walker

or anyone with that name.

Really?

Well, she was in the area.

If there was something
or someone to see,

she might well have seen it.

An investigative lapse

like this makes me
wonder how many other

potential witnesses you missed.
Objection.

Is counselor
gonna ask a question

or just posture
for the jury?

My apologies, Your Honor.

I'm-I'm just trying to
understand how the detective can

be so certain that he's arrested
the right person when he didn't

speak to all of
the potential witnesses.

Your Honor, he's still doing it.

Not to mention citing
facts not in evidence

and events for which
there is no foundation.

Our little Chunk playing dirty.
Makes me so proud.

Objection sustained.
We know you're new at this,

Counselor, but you're
supposed to ask the questions

and he's supposed
to make the statements.

So ask a question.

Will do, Your Honor.

Detective Jacobson,
would it surprise you to learn

that Ms. Schaefer
said that she saw a man

running down the street,
away from

the Cahill house around
the time of his death?

Yeah, that is certainly
new information.

And would it surprise you
to learn that the witness

described this man
as big and dark-haired?

Just like Asher Ray,
the man who threatened

Vivian Cahill?

With all due respect,

many men are big
and dark-haired,

and millions of them
were walking around

when Mr. Cahill died.

Some of them in his
very neighborhood,

but that doesn't change my
point of view about this crime

and who I believe committed it.

But in light
of this new information,

will you at least
concede the possibility

that Asher Ray killed
Terrence Cahill

so that my client could
come into her inheritance

and therefore have the money
to pay him back?

No, I would not.

Huh. What's this detective
so smug about?

What does he know
that we don't know?

Don't step in it, Chunk.

So a man matching
Asher Ray's description

is seen near the crime scene
around the time of his death

and you won't concede
that it's possible

that he's the killer?

That's what I said.
In fact I'll go so far to say

that it's impossible
for Asher Ray to be the killer.

Really?
Impossible?

How is that?

Because Asher Ray died

two days before
Terrence Cahill was murdered.

His body was fished out of
the Hudson day before yesterday

when a trawler was breaking up
ice on the water.

The coroner said he'd been dead
at least 72 hours at that point,

so I can assure you that Asher
Ray couldn't have killed him

unless his ghost rose up
out of the water and did it.

Wow, Chunk, that's gonna be
tough to get off your shoes.

sible
for his death.

There it is.

When one door closes,
another one opens.

What do you mean?

With your permission,
I want to put you on the stand.

I want the jury to see exactly
what you just showed us.

You loved your father.

And the very thought that you
might have caused him harm

very nearly
brought you to tears.

Forget about you actually
having killed him yourself.

Yeah, I think you might be
on to something there, Chunk.

What do you think?

Ms. Cahill,

over the years,
did you have the occasion

to ask your father for money
when you got in trouble?

Oh, yes.
A number of times.

And he helped

dig me out
of some pretty big holes.

What about
this last time?

Did you ask your father
for money

to help pay back Asher Ray?

Of course.

But this time he said no.

He said that he was done
bailing me out,

that before he died

he needed to teach me
to stand on my own.

And were you angry
when he refused to help you?

No.

Not really.

He was right.

And I knew he was right.

I was scared,

but I wasn't mad at him.

I was mad at myself.

Mad for asking a sick, old man

to help me out.

Again.

Now, we've heard testimony
that your father

was verbally abusive
towards you.

Would you say
that's a fair statement?

Yeah, well,

my dad said some pretty awful
things to me.

So if he was
so awful to you,

why did you move home
to help care for him

after his stroke?

Because he was my dad.

Tell me we flipped somebody.

I wish I could.

Well, if we lose this,

it won't be Chunk's fault.

The guy is good.

He's no Benny yet, but...

the guy's good.

You there, Benny?
I'm here.

Dressed in my finest jammies,

anxious to hear the latest.

So let's talk
about parka guy.

Oh, I like it.
He's got a name.

Okay, so parka guy
was caught on camera

buying a carton of cigarettes
in a convenience store

about a block away
from the Cahill home,

20 minutes before the murder.

I sweet-talked
the store manager,

and he pulled the day's
credit and debit card receipts

and I was able to get a name.
Daniel Zabinski.

18. Lives in Queens.

That'd be him. Uh,
goes to high school in Queens,

works in a coffee shop
in Queens.

So I guess we're safe to assume
he didn't just go for a jog

in Greenwich, which is
at least an hour and 20 away

via public transit.
Exactly.

The problem is I haven't been
able to find any connection

between this Zabinski kid
and Terrence Cahill.

Zabinski.
Zabinski.

Something about
that name... Yes.

Celeste Zabinski.

Who's Celeste Zabinski?

Celeste Zabinski is
a 42-year-old woman who,

up until she was terminated
seven months ago,

worked for
Vivian's father,

Terrence Cahill.
Ah.

The plot thickens.

When we found out Ray was dead

I started looking into
possible disgruntled employees

who worked at Terrence's
accounting firm.

And do you, perchance, have
an address for this Celeste?

Same as Daniel's.

So I'm guessing
she's his mother.
Oops.

Turns out they got evicted
last month.

That's not an oops.
I can run with that.

Maybe Daniel killed Terrence
because he fired his mother

and they wound up on the street.

Well, are we sure
Terrence was even around

when this Zabinski woman
was fired?

He hasn't been running the firm
since he had his stroke.

Well, according to
my research, she was fired

seven months ago and
Terrence didn't even have

his first stroke until
six months ago. So, yeah,

it seems fairly
certain that Terrence

was around when they
pulled the trigger on Celeste.

But, again, to me, the
really telling thing is that

Celeste and her
son got evicted

just a couple of days
before the murder.

And here's another
tidbit worth sharing:

according to his
search history,

Daniel started googling Terrence
around that same time.

Any chance you obtained

that search history
in a legal manner?

I plead the Fifth.

So none of this
is admissible in court?

We'll find a way to get it in.

The point is we suddenly
have another credible suspect

and a very credible motive.

Nice work, you two.

We might actually
be back in the game.

Speaking of which,

there's a shot
I might be out of here

by the end of the day tomorrow.

If you think it might be helpful
for me to step in,

maybe put together
a closing argument.

Hey, that's great
to hear, Benny.

Let us know

when and if that happens.

In the meantime, we
are due back in court

tomorrow right
after lunch.

Danny, Taylor,

you guys continue to drill down
on this tomorrow morning.

Of course.
Will do.

Nice work, everybody.

Talk tomorrow, Benny.
I got to get home to the girls.

Now let's get
out of here.

But you haven't heard
my question yet.

What, you want to know if
I'm gonna yank you off the case

and let Benny finish it up?
And?

And, as I said, as of now,
the answer's no.

Thanks. I appreciate it.
Well, I'm not doing it for you.

I have a professional
responsibility

to do what's best for my client,

and right now
what's best is you.

You know more,

and you have a deeper
understanding than Benny.

Plus...

you have more to lose
if we don't prevail, and...

more to gain if we do.

And if any of that
should change...

It won't.

Excellent.

We have a problem.

What? With our
new suspect?

Our new motive?

Kinda sorta both.

Celeste Zabinski,
Daniel Zabinski's mother

she was never fired
from Terrence Cahill's firm.

What, she quit?

No, it's worse than that.

She never actually worked

at Terrence Cahill's
accounting firm.

Yesterday you told us she was
on the payroll for 18 years.

She was on the payroll.

But this morning I found out

that nobody at that firm
has ever heard of her.

Not Terrence's number two,

who's been running it
since his stroke.

Not the head of HR.
No one.

The woman is a ghost.

Celeste was on the payroll
for 18 years?

And how old is her son,
our suspect, Daniel?

18 years old.

Hmm.

And no one
finds that interesting?

Have you ever heard

of Celeste Zabinski?

No. Never.

Who is she?

What about Daniel Zabinski?

No.
Sorry, who are these people

and what do they
have to do with me?

The short version is
we think we may have found

the person
who killed your father.

Which one?

The man or the woman?

And... why would one of them
want to kill my dad?

We're talking about Daniel.

And I...

strongly suspect
that your father, Terrence...

was his father, too.

This is Daniel.

Oh, my God.

Yeah, he looks just like my dad
at that age.

One of my investigators
discovered

that your father had been
paying Daniel's mother

through his company
for the last 18 years,

and those payments stopped

on Daniel's 18th birthday.

Of course, we don't have
any definitive proof

that Terrence
is Daniel's father.

There's no father listed
on Daniel's birth certificate.

We were hoping maybe
there was something

you could remember
that could help us.

Uh, I-I don't know.

I just...

I can't believe this.

You said he was 18?

Mm.

I do remember my parents

going through a
really rough patch.

I was about 14, I think.

That would have been
about 18 years ago.

They were fighting
all the time.

They even stopped
sleeping in the same bed.

Maybe my mom found out.

I guess we'll never know.

You were never aware
of him disappearing,

maybe to go spend
some time with Daniel?

Or... Daniel's mother?

No.

I truly doubt my dad
was in this kid's life

beyond paying his mom.

And if he was, I certainly
wasn't aware of it.

I guess we could subpoena
Daniel, make him testify.

But everything that we have
on him is circumstantial.

Where did Danny
say he works?

Coffee shop in Queens.
Why, what are you thinking?

I'm thinking maybe Danny should
go get herself a cappuccino

and we should ask the judge
for a two-day continuance.

No Benny?

No. He's home.

But, uh, he's not feeling 100%.

Besides, I think
he knows you got this.

He did want me
to give you a message, though.

He wanted me to tell you

don't make the mistake
of crucifying this witness.

You show some compassion,

you might just get some back.

Got it.

Your Honor, the defense calls

Daniel Zabinski to the stand.

Mr. Zabinski...

this security video footage

was taken January 17
at 8:43 a.m.

in a Greenwich, Connecticut,
convenience store

20 minutes before
Terrence Cahill was killed

a few blocks away.

That's you.

Isn't it, Mr. Zabinski?

Buying cigarettes?

Before you answer,
you should know

that we have your signature

on the debit card
transaction record

that you signed
when you purchased.

Okay.

Okay?

Does okay mean yes
or does okay mean no?

Okay, yes, I guess that's me.

And can you tell the jury
where you live?

With my mother
at my aunt's apartment

in Forest Hills.
Queens.

And do you know how far
Greenwich, Connecticut, is

from where you live?

You mean in miles?
No.

Well, I mean,
can you give the jury an idea

of how long it took you
to get from place to another?

I don't know.

Hour, 15,

hour and a half.

I'd subway to Grand Central,
train to Greenwich.

And what brought you
to Greenwich that day?

A job interview.

Really?
A job interview?

That's very helpful.

Well, can you tell us the name

of the company and the person
that you interviewed with?

Let me remind you

one more time
that you're under oath.

Daniel, have you ever
been in court before?

No.

Okay.

Do you know what perjury is?

It's when you
say something in court

that isn't true.

Do you know what happens
to a person who commits perjury?

They go to jail.

So...

now that you know the rules,

why don't we start over again.

What brought you
to Greenwich that day?

I needed to speak to someone.

And was that someone
your father?

I don't know.

He might have been.

My mother told me he was.

And was that
man's name

Terrence Cahill?

Yes.

You seeing any action yet?

Not yet.
Well, don't touch that dial.

Now I've got

another video to show you.

This was taken the
night before last

at the coffee shop
that you work at.

That's you right there,
isn't it, Daniel?

Yes.

Would it surprise you to learn
that your fingerprints,

which were recovered
from that coffee mug,

matched the partial fingerprints
which were recovered

from the fireplace poker

used to kill Terrence Cahill?

Why don't you tell the jury
what really happened, Daniel.

I just wanted to talk to him.

I just wanted to ask him to give
my mom a little bit more money.

She told me he'd been
giving us money for years

but all of a sudden he stopped.

She told me where he lived,
so I just... went there.

And when I saw
the house...

I mean, it's this...

big... house.

Anyway, I rang the bell,
but no one answered.

So then I just went around back.

And there he was.

Just sitting there.

So I just asked him.

Asked him
if he cared about me.

About my mom.

Mostly about her,
because she struggles.

She cries a lot.

Spends the day in bed
smoking cigarettes.

She's got bad depression.

But a lot of the time
she has to take her meds.

Either she forgets
or we can't afford them.

I just went there
to speak to him.

I didn't want
anything else from him.

I didn't want him to be my dad
or anything.

And did he give you any money?

Did he say he would give you
or your mom some money?

No.

And is that why you hit him
with that fireplace poker?

He said something, right?

We've heard he
can be a very,

very cruel man.

He said my mom
was a lazy freeloader.

He said she was a crazy whore.

Said I was nothing
but her bastard child,

and if I didn't leave
he would call the police

and put me away for life.

So you grabbed
the fireplace poker?

No.
He did.

He swung it at me,
but he wasn't very strong,

so I just snatched it away
from him.

And then he started
calling my mother and me

every name in the book.

Cursing, screaming.

So I hit him.

Just once.

Then I just ran away.

I have no more questions
for this witness.

Nice work, Mr. Palmer.

Thank you, thank
you, Mr. Colón.

Make no mistake,

your words of wisdom
this morning really helped.

What words of wisdom?

Yes, indeed.

Witness stand confession
in your first murder trial.

That's gonna be tough to top.

Ha. I'm just getting started.
What's my next case, boss?

Next case?
Slow down there, Perry Mason.

I only came into this life
with one appendix,

and it's gone now.

Back to the bullpen.

I don't know.
You sound congested.