CSI: NY (2004–2013): Season 8, Episode 8 - Crossroads - full transcript
As the CSIs investigate the assassination of a judge, Jo comes face-to-face with a criminal from her past.
TAYLOR:
Previously on CSI: New York...
John Curtis raped another woman.
He's in New York.
The victim walked
into Flack's precinct,
he took the report
and then he recognized Curtis
as your old D.C. rape case.
Who was she, the victim?
Her name is Ali Rand.
I remember you telling me how,
in D.C., your colleague
made a mistake
in the first round
of DNA testing
and then destroyed
the documentation.
You don't have to worry.
I'm not gonna screw this up.
I know how important
this is to you.
This case eats away at me.
Serena Matthews,
the senator's daughter--
you were innocent of that,
right?
Your DNA was planted
on her underwear?
I was acquitted.
FLACK: You didn't think
she'd report it,
so you told her your name.
I got nothing to say about this.
You want to rail road me,
talk to my lawyer.
(siren whoops)
WOMAN: What are we gonna do?
MAN:
Calm down. Just calm down, okay?
It was an accident.
We should just go to the police.
MAN: Are you crazy?
He's your ex-boyfriend.
People saw me threaten him
at the party.
(groans)
WOMAN: He came at you!
You were defending yourself!
I'll go with you.
MAN: And tell them what?
That-that he attacked me?
That I was defending myself?
You think they're gonna believe
somebody like me?
WOMAN:
I'll tell them what happened.
(indistinct conversation)
(panting)
OFFICER: Hey!
Get back here!
(people screaming)
(groans)
(siren whoops)
Criminal court judge
assassinated in front of
a sequestered jury, right under
the nose of a half a dozen cops.
Brazen son of a bitch.
Jury asked to come out to take
a look at the crime scene
the same time of night
as the original murder.
Wow. This is Judge
Vinny Corsica, huh?
TAYLOR: He was presiding over
the Victor Markov trial.
Triple murder in front of
this bakery a year ago.
Markov-- he's like the Sammy the
Bull of Russian organized crime.
That's why we got
a dozen bodies on him.
Looks like it just went
to a baker's dozen.
♪ Out here in the fields ♪
♪ I fight for my meals ♪
♪ I get my back into my living ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. ♪
♪♪
♪ I've been floating
out of time ♪
♪ And nobody can see ♪
♪ All the darkness
of my mind ♪
♪ All the shadows in me ♪
♪ Just a ride away,
just a ride away ♪
♪ Just a ride away ♪
♪ Just a ride away,
just a ride away... ♪
♪ I'm just a ride away. ♪
Shooter was kind enough to leave
two casings behind.
The round I pulled out
of the window--
smashed beyond recognition,
probably useless.
I recovered four casings
from the detective's gun.
The witnesses all had him
firing a four-round burst
in rapid succession.
From that distance,
this is a pretty tight grouping.
One, two, three.
Looks like you're
missing a bullet.
I'm thinking maybe
it's in our ride-by shooter.
HAWKES: Witnesses said the
bicycle went down the alley.
Maybe there's a blood trail.
Hey, so what do you think of
this fancy getaway vehicle?
Doesn't exactly seem like
the expected mode of travel
for a Russian hit man.
Well, the judge had a 24!?
Protection detail
'cause of death threats,
street was closed off to cars,
so this was a good way
of getting close enough
to shoot him.
Guess it was no secret
he was visiting
the crime scene tonight.
It was all over the news.
I'm missing a bullet.
I'm thinking maybe
it's in our shooter.
If you're looking
for a blood trail,
you're not gonna find one.
The only description
we have is of a guy on a bike
with a hoodie and a backpack.
Not one of those people on the
street could I.D. the shooter.
This broken glass is from
a car headlight.
Maybe the guy
who was driving the car
that hit this bike can.
TAYLOR: As the mayor
and commissioner
have already stated,
the assassination of a Criminal
Court judge is an attack
on our system of justice,
and will not stand.
We'll use every resource
available to track down
those people responsible
and make sure they know
how powerful
our system of justice is.
(reporters clamoring)
Detective Taylor, do you believe
Victor Markov ordered the hit?
I'm not going to throw
Mr. Markov's name around
till we've had time
to analyze the evidence.
I can tell you
that we will be looking into
all of Judge Corsica's cases.
MAN: Are you saying Mr. Markov
may not be behind it?
No, I'm saying, uh,
let us investigate
so that we can give you
some answers based on fact,
not speculation.
That's all for now.
We got a lot of work to do.
WOMAN: Detective,
can you give us an update
on John Curtis, the D.C. rapist?
Uh, he'll be in court
tomorrow morning
for a preliminary hearing.
What about the evidence?
Do you think
you have a good case?
This is
an ongoing investigation.
You know I can't discuss
the evidence.
Any comment on your number two,
Jo Danville, dropping the ball
on the original D.C. rape case?
The FBI lab tech who mishandled
the evidence blew the case.
As for Jo Danville,
I'll take her courage
and integrity
over official misconduct
every time.
WOMAN: Has she been excluded
from the New York case
because of political pressure
from Senator Matthews?
The decisions I make
have nothing to do
with political pressure
from anyone.
I do what's best for the case.
And what's best in this case
is Jo Danville
sits this one out.
MAN:
John Curtis, you got a visitor.
What are you doing here?
You know you can't talk to me
without my attorney.
You won't need your attorney
for what I have to say.
Well, I'm pretty sure
this isn't a social visit.
So what?
Did you come here to gloat?
I wish I could gloat.
I wish I could
take great pleasure
in seeing you
sit here in this cell.
But that would be
at the expense of Ali Rand
and the horrible way
you made her suffer.
My pleasure will
have to wait until I hear
the guilty verdict
read at your trial.
I wouldn't be so quick
to convict me...
lust yet.
You were a free man.
Makes me sick to my stomach
to think
that my integrity
and my conviction
gave you that second chance.
I came here
to make you a promise.
You will not walk away
this time.
I think you're gonna be
disappointed, sweetheart.
I don't think
this is gonna turn out
the way you want it to.
Oh...
the people I work with
are very good at what they do.
There'll be no mistakes
this time.
I'll make a promise to you.
You put that bitch on the stand,
your case will fall apart faster
than your career did in the FBI.
Don't count on Ali Rand.
I'll see you in court,
Mr. Curtis.
Nothing's ever easy.
I've seen you put a slug
together with less.
That must have caused
some serious damage.
The bullet hit the sixth rib
on the right side,
sending fragments in three
different directions.
This one ruptured the aorta,
killing him almost instantly.
This one, in the kidney,
though nonfatal,
is most revealing.
In examining the judge's
kidney, I discovered something
very surprising.
Take a look
at this tissue sample.
Calcium oxalate crystals?
In both kidneys.
He ingested antifreeze?
How long ago?
His medical records say he
missed a couple of days of work
with a bout of food poisoning
three weeks ago.
I'm betting
his symptoms were caused
by ingesting ethylene glycol.
So this shooting
wasn't the first attempt
on Judge Corsica's life.
Someone tried to poison him.
Attempted poisoning
with antifreeze is simple
and is easily mixed in
with a sweet drink,
but it doesn't exactly scream
"Russian assassin."
Polonium or ricin, maybe.
I never heard of a Russian
hit man doing
a drive-by on a bicycle.
I'm betting the poisoning
and the shooting are related.
We have the bullet
that killed the judge.
Now find me the gun
and the man who fired it.
Done.
He'll come in
and talk to you guys.
Mac, this is Senator Matthews.
Senator.
I apologize
if I kept you waiting.
This is his daughter Serena.
- TAYLOR: Hello.
- Hi.
MATTHEWS: I saw your press
conference this morning.
The assassination
of a judge is no small thing.
You've got a lot on your plate.
Hope it's not too much.
Always have a lot on my plate.
That's the nature
of the business.
Detective Messer's men
pulled off the Corsica case
to handle the Curtis
investigation.
I've seen this animal walk away
from what he's done once before.
I will not tolerate any dragging
of the feet on this.
No one in this lab knows how
to drag their feet.
This is an active investigation
and will be treated
with the same priority
as any other.
Now, Lindsay can update you,
but we won't be able to give you
any specifics that could
compromise the investigation.
LINDSAY: Well, I can tell you
that our victim's story is
corroborated by the
preliminary evidence.
She was drugged,
taken to a hotel,
and then beaten and raped,
in much the same manner
as your daughter
and the other women
in the Washington, DC, cases.
How is she doing?
As well as can be expected.
But, like you, she's very brave
and she's eager to testify.
I don't want her
anywhere near this thing.
I already made that call.
But I want you to know
it has nothing to do
with Jo Danville's abilities.
If my daughter were attacked,
I'd want her
investigating the case.
Oh! Look who it is.
Where you been?
Visiting an old friend.
- Catch me up.
- All right.
I pulled some partial prints
off the bike.
Nothing usable.
But I found food residue
on the basket.
So I'm gonna guess that it was
used to make food deliveries
before it was used
to do the ride-by.
Also...
the paint transfer
on the bike came from
a Gray 2011 Audi A4 or A6.
Flack's got his guys
running around
to the body shops in the area,
see if anyone came in
with front end damage
this morning.
Okay, you've been busy.
If Victor Markov is behind this,
his hit man got a little sloppy.
I reassembled
the bullet fragments
Sid pulled out of the judge.
Baikal IJ-70, the Russian
equivalent of our .45.
We don't see too many of these
come in through the lab.
Or the 9.1 millimeter
round it fires.
I got no hit in IBIS, and the
serial number on the gun is not
in any of our databases.
That'd mean it was brought
in straight from Russia.
So how is that sloppy?
Well, I pulled a print
off one of the casings left
at the scene.
Vitale Barshay.
Ex-Russian military.
U.S. citizen.
Been in the country
for eight years.
No apparent ties
to Victor Markov.
He works as a translator
for an insurance company.
Probably a front
for his real job.
We're about to find out.
I got a home address
in Brighton Beach.
Flack's paying Mr. Barshay
a visit now.
(sirens wailing)
(tires screech)
(knocking on door)
Vitale Barshay, NYPD!
(officers shouting)
OFFICER: Flack, we have
a vehicle approaching!
(officers shouting)
Get your hands
where I can see 'em!
Barshay, get out
with your hands up!
Get 'em out of the car!
We're gonna need Crime Scene.
Just got back from a ten-day
trip to Disney World.
Wife says they had
the place cleaned
the day after they left.
Cleaning lady has the key.
Yeah, I'm getting nothing.
In addition
to the place being cleaned,
I'm pretty sure
our guy wore gloves.
Mr. Barshay said he kept a gun,
some cash and other
valuables in the safe.
He swears that he and his
wife were the only ones
who knew it was here.
TAYLOR:
That safe was well-hidden.
Took some know-how
to break into it.
This isn't some
neighborhood kid.
We're looking
for an experienced burglar.
Hard to buy a professional thief
moonlighting as a hit man.
He may have fenced
a stolen gun.
That gun might lead
to our killer.
HAWKES: Hey, guys,
look what I found.
FLACK: He's got something.
Somebody left a doggie bag
in the trash bin outside.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
If that's what I think that is,
don't open that in here.
It's not that kind
of doggie bag, Flack.
You said that they had
the place cleaned
the day after they left, right?
Found some crumbs on the table.
I'm thinking somebody made
themselves, yeah, a snack.
No mold or microbial activity.
Hasn't been in there
more than a couple days.
That rules out the Barshays
and the cleaning lady.
Let's hope it gets us
one step closer to the guy
who put a bullet in the judge.
Hi!
Hey, what are you doing
up here, kid?
Just picking up the final lab
results for
the Ali Rand rape case.
- How's that going?
- Good.
I just want to go over
everything one last time
before the hearing tomorrow.
I don't want any surprises
up there on the stand.
No, you're going to be good.
(sighs) Thanks.
These aren't like
cop cars anymore,
they're like spaceships.
DANNY: Yep.
This one was part of the escort
out at the crime
scene last night.
It's got three cameras
mounted on the light rack.
It takes 3,000 plate
images per hour.
- Wow. -Yeah, the plates get run
through the criminal database
and the images are stored
in the hard drive,
and if we're lucky,
that Audi
we're looking for...
...had its picture taken
before the shooting went down
last night.
The Audi I matched to the bike
may be in this computer.
Serena, what are you doing here?
My father's upstairs
in the D.A.'s office
throwing his weight around.
I was hoping I'd have
a chance to talk to you.
I wanted to apologize.
You don't owe me an apology.
No, I... I do.
Please just hear me out.
You know, for a while,
I was angry at what you did.
It took me some time
to get past that
and realize how difficult
it must have been
for you, as a woman,
and as a mom, to watch
that monster walk away
from what he did to me.
Not about me, Serena.
It is about you.
It's not fair that your life
was turned upside-down
because of it.
My father is an emotional guy.
He had no right
to force you out of the FBI.
You know, I'm not so sure
I wouldn't have done
exactly what your dad did
on behalf of one
of my own children.
I don't regret my actions.
I do regret that my actions
set John Curtis free
and what that did
to you and your dad but...
I don't, I don't sleep nights
anymore since he was let go.
I know that it's stupid
and irrational,
but I just have this fear
that he's going
to come after me again.
It's not stupid.
You suffered
a traumatic experience.
It is highly unlikely
that he will come
anywhere near you.
I came because I need to see it.
I need to be in that courtroom
and see him in handcuffs
being taken off to jail.
MATTHEWS: Serena...
What are you doing?
We're meeting the mayor
for dinner.
We gotta go.
Thanks, Jo.
Take care of yourself.
Quite a young lady
you've got there.
Yes, she is.
Okay, what do we know?
Might have a line
on the murder weapon.
Hawkes is trying to get
a usable DNA profile
off the sandwich we recovered
from the burglary scene.
Wait a second, the guy who broke
in the house made a sandwich?
What?
Your little visit to Mr. Curtis
wasn't a very good idea.
I hope you got whatever it was
you had to say off your chest.
I did.
Thanks for not making
a big deal about it.
DANNY: Hey, I found
that gray Audi
that hit the bike,
and I'll tell you, this is
no accidental hit and run.
This guy is no witness.
One of Markov's goons rented
that gray Audi two weeks ago.
Pavel Danshov.
Collars for assault,
possession of a weapon.
That car picked up
three parking tickets
in the last two days on
the same block on the West Side.
Unis found the car sitting there
and they're waiting
on us to come over.
Well, you better get out there.
(air hissing)
Here we go.
DAN NY:
All right, that's Danshov.
Get your hands on the car now!
- Hey, what's going on?
- Put your hands on the car now!
(siren wailing)
Now, hands on the car!
Put your hands on the car now!
DANSHOV: What's going on?
You boys want to go
for a ride with me?
- What is this here?
- Don't move. Shut up!
How you doing, Pavel?
Not so good.
Looks like I got
another parking ticket.
I think that's gonna be
the least of your problems.
Huh.
Everything all right, Jo?
Yeah, everything's great.
(air hissing)
You said the bike was
used for deliveries,
so I'd imagine driving
around the city,
you'd get a bunch of flats.
Right, and-and in order
to fix those flats,
you'd have to patch
the inner tube,
which may leave a print behind.
Wow. Jo...
I don't care what everybody
says around here, you're good.
Well, let's see
how good you are.
Do your thing and
get me a good print.
(chuckles)
Tell me about the guy
on the bike.
He is a bad driver.
So you don't deny hitting him?
Well, I was drinking
a cup of coffee.
I looked away for a second,
and then, boom!
I heard shots.
(gunfire, people screaming)
(starts engine)
I took off down 7th,
and halfway
down the block, ka-boom.
He got up and ran off.
Did you get a good
look at his face?
I got a good look at my fender.
So you had nothing to do with
those shots that were fired?
A dead judge is bad
for business.
A crooked judge is much better.
So you were just out there
following the judge,
trying to dig up dirt on him
so your boss could
blackmail him?
Blackmail him?
Nye t.
I prefer "negotiate with him."
And let's say,
your friend the judge...
he might not be so
squeaking clean as you think.
Squeaky
"Squeaky clean."
What do you mean?
Well, he makes salary
of $175,000.
He has condo on Park Avenue,
house in the Hamptons
and Key West.
He eats at Stradello's
Steakhouse four nights a week.
Has driver on call.
Two daughters at
Ivy League university,
and a wife who doesn't work
but loves to shop.
So if we believe Danshov,
he was out there
trying to dig up
dirt on Corsica,
to affect the outcome of the
trial by blackmailing him.
FLACK: Yep.
And Danshov hinted
there might be some dirt.
If that's true, it could
help explain Corsica's
extravagant lifestyle.
I'll take a closer look
at the judge's finances.
This might not be
about Markov at all.
Take a look at all
of his cases, too.
He put a lot of people away
for a very long time.
There could be an old grudge.
Hey. So I got a beautiful
three-dimensional plastic print
off the patch on the inner tube
and a hit in AFIS
to go along with it.
Nicholas Albertson.
He's 22 years old,
he's been in and out of jail
for the last eight years.
He's got one felony assault
at age 15.
And since then, drug
possession-- weed, mostly--
discon and resisting arrest.
Not exactly the resume
of a killer.
A print on a bike
that might be stolen
isn't enough for
a search warrant.
No active bench warrants.
In fact, no arrests
in the past year.
Parole says he's been
holding a steady job
as a busboy delivery man
at Stradello's Steakhouse.
Danshov told me that Corsica was
a regular at that same place.
That would give Albertson an
opportunity to poison the judge.
And when that didn't work,
he shot him-- but why?
Could be a connection to one of
Albertson's past convictions.
Otherwise...
why would he want
the judge dead?
FLACK:
Let's go ask Nick Albertson.
DISPATCHER: All units
to 34th Street and Grand.
OFFICER:
Flack, he's coming your way!
OFFICER 2:
Hold it right there!
(grunting)
Down!
Hey, Nick?
I know this may not
be the best time,
but is the porterhouse as good
here as everybody says it is?
FLACK: So, Nick...
your bike was found
lying in the street
around the corner from where
the judge was murdered,
around the time
the judge was murdered,
by a guy on a bicycle
who looks just like you.
Oh, you got me.
I'm the guy who
was riding his bike
down 7th last night
and got hit by a car.
So tell me...
what kind of time
am I looking at?
You done?
Look, whatever you think I did,
you got the wrong guy.
Wrong guys don't run.
I don't like cops.
They come through the door
looking for me, I run.
I think you had
a good reason to run.
You're leaving out
the part of your story
where you killed the judge in
front of that bakery last night.
You want to hear an
amazing coincidence?
- Hm.
- This is crazy.
Judge Corsica was a regular
at the steakhouse you work at.
Oh. We got a lot
of regular customers.
But this one ate there
a few weeks back,
got sick, thought it
was food poisoning.
It turns out somebody spiked
his drink with antifreeze.
I don't know
nothing about that.
Why did you do it, Nick?
Why did you want the judge dead?
Okay.
I give up.
It was that cheap cologne.
That's what did it-- I mean,
I couldn't take it anymore.
Every time, busing
that guy's table
with that same horrible stench.
You think this is a joke?
I think this whole
thing is a joke.
So...
you were out there last night.
But you didn't do nothing.
You didn't shoot nobody,
you didn't see or hear
anybody shoot anybody.
That's your story?
That's what you're
going with, Nick?
That's what I'm going with.
FLACK: Danshov was parked here.
With a perfect line of sight
to the crime scene... here.
All the witnesses
have the shooter
coming this way,
firing the shots...
and then heading
down Majestic Alley.
(gunshots)
But Albertson says he was coming
in the opposite direction,
turned south on 7th,
and was struck when
he jumped through
two parked cars, right here.
And the driver's side
of Danshov's fender
confirms that.
But if Albertson came
down this alley,
after shooting the judge,
dumped out onto 7th, then...
how'd he get hit
on the driver's side?
But he didn't.
None of this makes sense.
DANVILLE: Eight years ago,
Judge Corsica was hearing
Juvenile Court cases.
He sentenced Nick Albertson
on that shoplifting charge
when he was just 14.
A shoplifting arrest
from that far back
seems like a stretch
for a motive.
It was listed on his rap sheet,
it's listed in our
NYPD computer system...
It is not listed in the
Criminal Court computer system.
Someone erased it.
I had to go down to
the basement of the courthouse
and pull the original
paper file.
(scoffs)
The kid stole a pack of gum
from a bodega?
DANVILLE:
It was his first offense.
Prosecutor recommends two weeks
of community service.
So why would Corsica
sentence Nick
to three months at
Forest Brook Juvenile Camp?
Nick Albertson was
the lookout at the bodega.
This...
is Tommy Hill.
He was the co-defendant
in the shoplifting case.
Like Nick, no prior arrest,
his prosecutor recommended
community service.
He got six months
at Forest Brook.
His case wasn't in the court
computer, either, was it?
You are catching on fast.
There's something so much
bigger here at play, Mac,
than a couple of harsh sentences
handed out, because in 2003,
a couple of weeks before these
kids were supposed to go to
Forest Brook, the place
was in financial ruin.
So this guy, James Nelson,
swoops in and buys it
on the cheap.
Most of these camps
are privately owned,
for-profit operations.
The state pays a fee
for every kid sent there.
Yes, a very generous fee.
So for the two years
after Nelson buys it,
Judge Corsica sends twice
as many kids to Forest Brook
than any other
Juvenile Court judge.
More kids, more money.
So your theory is,
Corsica gets kickbacks
to boost enrollment at Forest
Brook on behalf of James Nelson.
There's no record of
any of these cases
in the Criminal Court
computer system.
Somebody was trying to
cover their tracks.
An appointment to the
Criminal Court would mean
a thorough vetting of Corsica's
entire judicial career.
Nick Albertson should
have never gone
to a place like Forest Brook.
And it turns out a lot of other
kids suffered the same fate.
Gives him motive.
But how would a kid like Nick
get access to those records
and that kind of information?
You rang?
Yes, I did.
I was able to extract
a usable profile
from the remnants
of the sandwich--
it isn't perfect,
and some of the thresholds
are questionable--
but I think we have our burglar.
You didn't just find
our burglar, Sheldon,
I think you just
found our killer.
Don't do anything stupid,
all right? Don't move.
Don't move.
- Got him?
- Yeah, I got him.
What do we got?
Bullet hole.
Bullet impact mark.
Burglary starter kit.
Gun.
Boom.
Boom.
And...
Ah...
Lindsay's missing bullet.
And our murder weapon.
(siren wailing)
(clears throat)
Mr. Hill, you've been through
the system before;
you know how this works.
Save your breath, pal.
I did it.
I put a bullet
in that son of a bitch,
and I'd do it again
in a heartbeat.
How did you know, Tommy?
How'd you find out what the
judge did to you and Nick?
I got Tommy a job at the
steakhouse a few weeks ago.
Busing tables,
doing deliveries...
I was trying to help him.
Right.
It was his second night.
The judge was a regular, and...
I'd bused his tables before,
but this was the first time
I saw Nelson.
DANNY: Nelson is the warden
from Forest Brook.
NICK: And they were together
at the same table.
You got something
on your mind, son?
No, sir.
I just... thought you
looked like someone.
I look like someone what?
Nothing. It was my mistake.
Well, then, wipe that
stupid look off your face,
and go tell the waitress
this gentleman
needs another Manhattan.
Yes, sir.
Nick came into
the kitchen and told me,
so I went to see for myself.
You know who that little
piece of garbage is, now.
Come on, think.
NELSON: How the hell
would I know the busboy?
CORSICA: He helped you
pay for that boat
you have sitting at the marina.
(Nelson laughs)
Well, that narrows it down
to a couple of thousand kids.
CORSICA: Nick Albertson.
Real pretty mother.
She hired the attorney that was
snooping around his case
when we first started out,
remember?
I mean, she almost blew up
the whole thing.
Oh, yeah.
How the hell
could I forget that?
It cost us 1,500 bucks
to get that ambulance chaser
to go away.
That was money well spent.
Made us much more careful
who we do our business with.
We always knew something was up.
But once Tommy
heard those guys talking,
it didn't take a genius
to figure out
what they were doing
at Forest Brook.
So you and Tommy went
to get a little payback.
I couldn't let it go.
Nick wanted to go to the cops.
I laughed at him.
I told him it was crazy.
I mean, who are the cops
gonna believe?
Couple guys like us...
or a judge?
So you poured antifreeze
into his drink?
I didn't even know
what the hell I was doing.
I just heard it could kill him
if he drank it.
Then when that failed,
you decided to shoot him.
Nick-- he tried
to talk me out of it.
He really did.
Even came to my place
to try to stop me.
- You cannot do this!
- Let go of me, Nick.
Come on, man, this is my chance.
That son of a bitch
is gonna be out there
like a sitting duck.
Then let it go, Tommy, okay?
He's gonna have a whole
bunch of protection,
and you're just gonna
get yourself killed.
Tommy, you do not
have to do this.
I said let go!
I tried to get there.
Okay? I tried to stop him.
I was coming down 45th...
...and I saw the flashes
and I heard the shots.
(people screaming)
-(gunfire)
- I saw him go down the alley,
and! went down 7th
to try to catch up with him.
You know what happens
to good kids
in a place like Forest Brook?
They turn bad real fast,
or they get eaten alive.
When the judge remanded me
to Forest Brook,
I looked around the courtroom
to see if there was
another Nick Albertson.
I was waiting
for someone to stand up
and say
there'd been some mistake,
but... nobody did.
So, I went away-- three months--
and I get in a fight
over my sneakers
and I mess a kid up
and they call it assault.
I got 12 more months.
I had a good life.
I just made
the JV baseball team.
I was gonna be
the starting shortstop.
I had a new glove
sitting on my dresser.
And all that...
was taken away from me.
It's too late for me!
I'm too, I'm too far gone!
But that man stole
my life away from me.
I think it's only fair
that I took his!
DANVILLE: You don't get
to make that choice.
There's a system of justice.
(scoffs)
What's gonna happen
to that bastard Nelson?
'Cause I would've got him, too.
TV REPORTER: The police
commissioner is expected
to step to the podium
at any moment.
Sources within the NYPD
are reporting
two men have been arrested
in connection with
the shooting death
of Judge Vincent Corsica.
The suspects have been
identified as Brooklyn residents
(muffled): Nicholas Albertson
and Thomas Hill,
both 22 years old.
(knocking)
James Nelson! NYPD! Open up!
...of Russian organized crime
figure Victor Markov
and may date back
to Mr. Corsica's days
as a Juvenile Court judge.
One of the witnesses
interviewed at the so--
(pounding on door)
FLACK:
Mr. Nelson, it's the police.
Open the door.
-(gunshot)
- Go!
What's up?
Hey, I need your help, Don.
I need to talk
to Ali Rand again.
I have some concerns about
the hearing tomorrow.
What kind of concerns?
Like, character stuff,
because of the escort thing?
No, science stuff.
Her tox report came back,
and she had GHB in her system.
The date rape drug.
That's what this guy does,
right?
Right, but...
the levels of GHB in her
blood are not consistent
with the timeline
that she told me.
So, what, you're saying you
think it might be a problem
that she doesn't remember
what time she got raped?
She was drugged
and beat up pretty bad.
I'm saying I need
to talk to her again.
(beep)
Why are we doing this again?
I already told you
everything that happened.
Is something wrong?
You don't believe me, do you?
I knew this was gonna happen.
- I'm so stupid.
- Calm down, Ali.
I believe you, okay?
I just have a few questions
I need to ask you
to clear something up before
the hearing tomorrow, okay?
Of course. I'm sorry.
FLACK: It's really important
that you tell us the truth.
You can't leave out
even the smallest detail.
Do you understand?
Do you use drugs,
prescription or otherwise?
Uh, I-I drink mostly,
I smoke weed every now and then,
but that's it.
LINDSAY: And have you ever tried
a drug called GHB?
Isn't that what John Curtis
put in my drink?
Yes, but I mean other than that.
No.
Never
And did you have anything
at all to eat or drink
between the time
you woke up from the attack
and the time
you came into the precinct
to report it?
No. I had a bottle of water
from a newsstand.
FLACK: You're sure about
what time you started
feeling drugged at the bar?
Yes. I'm positive.
I know what time I was there.
LINDSAY: Okay.
Thank you, Ali.
That's it? You don't have
to ask me anything else?
Is everything okay?
Everything's fine.
You take care
of yourself, okay?
I'll see you
at the hearing tomorrow.
Are you sure?
I'll see you tomorrow.
Think she's lying
about the drugs?
It's not what I think,
it's what the science says.
What are you going to do
about the hearing tomorrow?
I'm gonna tell the truth.
Based on what she just told us,
the levels of GHB in her blood--
they're not improbable.
They're impossible.
So, based on the cognitive state
of the victim
before, during and after
the alleged attack,
what quantity of GHB would
you estimate she ingested?
Well, it's not exact,
but I would say
approximately 100 milligrams.
Your reports indicate
you collected blood samples
from Miss Rand ten hours
after she alleges
the defendant drugged her.
LINDSAY: That's correct.
And what levels of GHB
do your reports indicate
were present
in her system at that time?
Two milligrams per kilogram.
Am I correct when I say
that a 100-milligram dose of GHB
is eliminated from the blood
within about four to six hours?
Yes.
Am I also correct to say
that half the amount of GHB
is eliminated from the blood
every 30 minutes?
The half-life of GHB
is generally 30 minutes.
Then, based on that math,
what amount of GHB would
Miss Rand have ingested
for a two-milligrams-
per-kilogram concentration
to remain in her system
ten hours after
the alleged incident?
LINDSAY: A thousand milligrams.
1,000 milligrams-
that's ten times
the dosage you described.
Please tell the court
the expected dose-related effect
on a person who's ingested
1,000 milligrams of GHB.
(sighs)
Death.
Death?
So either your test is wrong,
your report is wrong,
or Miss Rand is wrong
and is lying about
when she was drugged,
or even if she was drugged
because, as we can all see,
she is most certainly
still alive.
Your Honor.
Thank you, Detective Messer.
Mr. Curtis, please stand.
The purpose of this
preliminary hearing today
was to determine
if there is probable cause
for the State to continue with
the case pending against you.
And based on the evidence
we've heard
from the witnesses here
this morning,
it is my opinion that there is
more than sufficient evidence
to merit those charges.
The defense request
for a dismissal
of all charges is denied.
Unfortunately, some
of the testimony
we've heard here this morning
is cause for concern
and raises grave questions as to
the credibility of the victim.
I find these discrepancies
troubling enough
that I have been moved to grant
defense counsel's request
for a reduced bail
from $500,000 down
to the sum of $25,000.
(gavel bangs)
This court is adjourned.
We'll see everyone back here
on the eighth of January.
Previously on CSI: New York...
John Curtis raped another woman.
He's in New York.
The victim walked
into Flack's precinct,
he took the report
and then he recognized Curtis
as your old D.C. rape case.
Who was she, the victim?
Her name is Ali Rand.
I remember you telling me how,
in D.C., your colleague
made a mistake
in the first round
of DNA testing
and then destroyed
the documentation.
You don't have to worry.
I'm not gonna screw this up.
I know how important
this is to you.
This case eats away at me.
Serena Matthews,
the senator's daughter--
you were innocent of that,
right?
Your DNA was planted
on her underwear?
I was acquitted.
FLACK: You didn't think
she'd report it,
so you told her your name.
I got nothing to say about this.
You want to rail road me,
talk to my lawyer.
(siren whoops)
WOMAN: What are we gonna do?
MAN:
Calm down. Just calm down, okay?
It was an accident.
We should just go to the police.
MAN: Are you crazy?
He's your ex-boyfriend.
People saw me threaten him
at the party.
(groans)
WOMAN: He came at you!
You were defending yourself!
I'll go with you.
MAN: And tell them what?
That-that he attacked me?
That I was defending myself?
You think they're gonna believe
somebody like me?
WOMAN:
I'll tell them what happened.
(indistinct conversation)
(panting)
OFFICER: Hey!
Get back here!
(people screaming)
(groans)
(siren whoops)
Criminal court judge
assassinated in front of
a sequestered jury, right under
the nose of a half a dozen cops.
Brazen son of a bitch.
Jury asked to come out to take
a look at the crime scene
the same time of night
as the original murder.
Wow. This is Judge
Vinny Corsica, huh?
TAYLOR: He was presiding over
the Victor Markov trial.
Triple murder in front of
this bakery a year ago.
Markov-- he's like the Sammy the
Bull of Russian organized crime.
That's why we got
a dozen bodies on him.
Looks like it just went
to a baker's dozen.
♪ Out here in the fields ♪
♪ I fight for my meals ♪
♪ I get my back into my living ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. ♪
♪♪
♪ I've been floating
out of time ♪
♪ And nobody can see ♪
♪ All the darkness
of my mind ♪
♪ All the shadows in me ♪
♪ Just a ride away,
just a ride away ♪
♪ Just a ride away ♪
♪ Just a ride away,
just a ride away... ♪
♪ I'm just a ride away. ♪
Shooter was kind enough to leave
two casings behind.
The round I pulled out
of the window--
smashed beyond recognition,
probably useless.
I recovered four casings
from the detective's gun.
The witnesses all had him
firing a four-round burst
in rapid succession.
From that distance,
this is a pretty tight grouping.
One, two, three.
Looks like you're
missing a bullet.
I'm thinking maybe
it's in our ride-by shooter.
HAWKES: Witnesses said the
bicycle went down the alley.
Maybe there's a blood trail.
Hey, so what do you think of
this fancy getaway vehicle?
Doesn't exactly seem like
the expected mode of travel
for a Russian hit man.
Well, the judge had a 24!?
Protection detail
'cause of death threats,
street was closed off to cars,
so this was a good way
of getting close enough
to shoot him.
Guess it was no secret
he was visiting
the crime scene tonight.
It was all over the news.
I'm missing a bullet.
I'm thinking maybe
it's in our shooter.
If you're looking
for a blood trail,
you're not gonna find one.
The only description
we have is of a guy on a bike
with a hoodie and a backpack.
Not one of those people on the
street could I.D. the shooter.
This broken glass is from
a car headlight.
Maybe the guy
who was driving the car
that hit this bike can.
TAYLOR: As the mayor
and commissioner
have already stated,
the assassination of a Criminal
Court judge is an attack
on our system of justice,
and will not stand.
We'll use every resource
available to track down
those people responsible
and make sure they know
how powerful
our system of justice is.
(reporters clamoring)
Detective Taylor, do you believe
Victor Markov ordered the hit?
I'm not going to throw
Mr. Markov's name around
till we've had time
to analyze the evidence.
I can tell you
that we will be looking into
all of Judge Corsica's cases.
MAN: Are you saying Mr. Markov
may not be behind it?
No, I'm saying, uh,
let us investigate
so that we can give you
some answers based on fact,
not speculation.
That's all for now.
We got a lot of work to do.
WOMAN: Detective,
can you give us an update
on John Curtis, the D.C. rapist?
Uh, he'll be in court
tomorrow morning
for a preliminary hearing.
What about the evidence?
Do you think
you have a good case?
This is
an ongoing investigation.
You know I can't discuss
the evidence.
Any comment on your number two,
Jo Danville, dropping the ball
on the original D.C. rape case?
The FBI lab tech who mishandled
the evidence blew the case.
As for Jo Danville,
I'll take her courage
and integrity
over official misconduct
every time.
WOMAN: Has she been excluded
from the New York case
because of political pressure
from Senator Matthews?
The decisions I make
have nothing to do
with political pressure
from anyone.
I do what's best for the case.
And what's best in this case
is Jo Danville
sits this one out.
MAN:
John Curtis, you got a visitor.
What are you doing here?
You know you can't talk to me
without my attorney.
You won't need your attorney
for what I have to say.
Well, I'm pretty sure
this isn't a social visit.
So what?
Did you come here to gloat?
I wish I could gloat.
I wish I could
take great pleasure
in seeing you
sit here in this cell.
But that would be
at the expense of Ali Rand
and the horrible way
you made her suffer.
My pleasure will
have to wait until I hear
the guilty verdict
read at your trial.
I wouldn't be so quick
to convict me...
lust yet.
You were a free man.
Makes me sick to my stomach
to think
that my integrity
and my conviction
gave you that second chance.
I came here
to make you a promise.
You will not walk away
this time.
I think you're gonna be
disappointed, sweetheart.
I don't think
this is gonna turn out
the way you want it to.
Oh...
the people I work with
are very good at what they do.
There'll be no mistakes
this time.
I'll make a promise to you.
You put that bitch on the stand,
your case will fall apart faster
than your career did in the FBI.
Don't count on Ali Rand.
I'll see you in court,
Mr. Curtis.
Nothing's ever easy.
I've seen you put a slug
together with less.
That must have caused
some serious damage.
The bullet hit the sixth rib
on the right side,
sending fragments in three
different directions.
This one ruptured the aorta,
killing him almost instantly.
This one, in the kidney,
though nonfatal,
is most revealing.
In examining the judge's
kidney, I discovered something
very surprising.
Take a look
at this tissue sample.
Calcium oxalate crystals?
In both kidneys.
He ingested antifreeze?
How long ago?
His medical records say he
missed a couple of days of work
with a bout of food poisoning
three weeks ago.
I'm betting
his symptoms were caused
by ingesting ethylene glycol.
So this shooting
wasn't the first attempt
on Judge Corsica's life.
Someone tried to poison him.
Attempted poisoning
with antifreeze is simple
and is easily mixed in
with a sweet drink,
but it doesn't exactly scream
"Russian assassin."
Polonium or ricin, maybe.
I never heard of a Russian
hit man doing
a drive-by on a bicycle.
I'm betting the poisoning
and the shooting are related.
We have the bullet
that killed the judge.
Now find me the gun
and the man who fired it.
Done.
He'll come in
and talk to you guys.
Mac, this is Senator Matthews.
Senator.
I apologize
if I kept you waiting.
This is his daughter Serena.
- TAYLOR: Hello.
- Hi.
MATTHEWS: I saw your press
conference this morning.
The assassination
of a judge is no small thing.
You've got a lot on your plate.
Hope it's not too much.
Always have a lot on my plate.
That's the nature
of the business.
Detective Messer's men
pulled off the Corsica case
to handle the Curtis
investigation.
I've seen this animal walk away
from what he's done once before.
I will not tolerate any dragging
of the feet on this.
No one in this lab knows how
to drag their feet.
This is an active investigation
and will be treated
with the same priority
as any other.
Now, Lindsay can update you,
but we won't be able to give you
any specifics that could
compromise the investigation.
LINDSAY: Well, I can tell you
that our victim's story is
corroborated by the
preliminary evidence.
She was drugged,
taken to a hotel,
and then beaten and raped,
in much the same manner
as your daughter
and the other women
in the Washington, DC, cases.
How is she doing?
As well as can be expected.
But, like you, she's very brave
and she's eager to testify.
I don't want her
anywhere near this thing.
I already made that call.
But I want you to know
it has nothing to do
with Jo Danville's abilities.
If my daughter were attacked,
I'd want her
investigating the case.
Oh! Look who it is.
Where you been?
Visiting an old friend.
- Catch me up.
- All right.
I pulled some partial prints
off the bike.
Nothing usable.
But I found food residue
on the basket.
So I'm gonna guess that it was
used to make food deliveries
before it was used
to do the ride-by.
Also...
the paint transfer
on the bike came from
a Gray 2011 Audi A4 or A6.
Flack's got his guys
running around
to the body shops in the area,
see if anyone came in
with front end damage
this morning.
Okay, you've been busy.
If Victor Markov is behind this,
his hit man got a little sloppy.
I reassembled
the bullet fragments
Sid pulled out of the judge.
Baikal IJ-70, the Russian
equivalent of our .45.
We don't see too many of these
come in through the lab.
Or the 9.1 millimeter
round it fires.
I got no hit in IBIS, and the
serial number on the gun is not
in any of our databases.
That'd mean it was brought
in straight from Russia.
So how is that sloppy?
Well, I pulled a print
off one of the casings left
at the scene.
Vitale Barshay.
Ex-Russian military.
U.S. citizen.
Been in the country
for eight years.
No apparent ties
to Victor Markov.
He works as a translator
for an insurance company.
Probably a front
for his real job.
We're about to find out.
I got a home address
in Brighton Beach.
Flack's paying Mr. Barshay
a visit now.
(sirens wailing)
(tires screech)
(knocking on door)
Vitale Barshay, NYPD!
(officers shouting)
OFFICER: Flack, we have
a vehicle approaching!
(officers shouting)
Get your hands
where I can see 'em!
Barshay, get out
with your hands up!
Get 'em out of the car!
We're gonna need Crime Scene.
Just got back from a ten-day
trip to Disney World.
Wife says they had
the place cleaned
the day after they left.
Cleaning lady has the key.
Yeah, I'm getting nothing.
In addition
to the place being cleaned,
I'm pretty sure
our guy wore gloves.
Mr. Barshay said he kept a gun,
some cash and other
valuables in the safe.
He swears that he and his
wife were the only ones
who knew it was here.
TAYLOR:
That safe was well-hidden.
Took some know-how
to break into it.
This isn't some
neighborhood kid.
We're looking
for an experienced burglar.
Hard to buy a professional thief
moonlighting as a hit man.
He may have fenced
a stolen gun.
That gun might lead
to our killer.
HAWKES: Hey, guys,
look what I found.
FLACK: He's got something.
Somebody left a doggie bag
in the trash bin outside.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
If that's what I think that is,
don't open that in here.
It's not that kind
of doggie bag, Flack.
You said that they had
the place cleaned
the day after they left, right?
Found some crumbs on the table.
I'm thinking somebody made
themselves, yeah, a snack.
No mold or microbial activity.
Hasn't been in there
more than a couple days.
That rules out the Barshays
and the cleaning lady.
Let's hope it gets us
one step closer to the guy
who put a bullet in the judge.
Hi!
Hey, what are you doing
up here, kid?
Just picking up the final lab
results for
the Ali Rand rape case.
- How's that going?
- Good.
I just want to go over
everything one last time
before the hearing tomorrow.
I don't want any surprises
up there on the stand.
No, you're going to be good.
(sighs) Thanks.
These aren't like
cop cars anymore,
they're like spaceships.
DANNY: Yep.
This one was part of the escort
out at the crime
scene last night.
It's got three cameras
mounted on the light rack.
It takes 3,000 plate
images per hour.
- Wow. -Yeah, the plates get run
through the criminal database
and the images are stored
in the hard drive,
and if we're lucky,
that Audi
we're looking for...
...had its picture taken
before the shooting went down
last night.
The Audi I matched to the bike
may be in this computer.
Serena, what are you doing here?
My father's upstairs
in the D.A.'s office
throwing his weight around.
I was hoping I'd have
a chance to talk to you.
I wanted to apologize.
You don't owe me an apology.
No, I... I do.
Please just hear me out.
You know, for a while,
I was angry at what you did.
It took me some time
to get past that
and realize how difficult
it must have been
for you, as a woman,
and as a mom, to watch
that monster walk away
from what he did to me.
Not about me, Serena.
It is about you.
It's not fair that your life
was turned upside-down
because of it.
My father is an emotional guy.
He had no right
to force you out of the FBI.
You know, I'm not so sure
I wouldn't have done
exactly what your dad did
on behalf of one
of my own children.
I don't regret my actions.
I do regret that my actions
set John Curtis free
and what that did
to you and your dad but...
I don't, I don't sleep nights
anymore since he was let go.
I know that it's stupid
and irrational,
but I just have this fear
that he's going
to come after me again.
It's not stupid.
You suffered
a traumatic experience.
It is highly unlikely
that he will come
anywhere near you.
I came because I need to see it.
I need to be in that courtroom
and see him in handcuffs
being taken off to jail.
MATTHEWS: Serena...
What are you doing?
We're meeting the mayor
for dinner.
We gotta go.
Thanks, Jo.
Take care of yourself.
Quite a young lady
you've got there.
Yes, she is.
Okay, what do we know?
Might have a line
on the murder weapon.
Hawkes is trying to get
a usable DNA profile
off the sandwich we recovered
from the burglary scene.
Wait a second, the guy who broke
in the house made a sandwich?
What?
Your little visit to Mr. Curtis
wasn't a very good idea.
I hope you got whatever it was
you had to say off your chest.
I did.
Thanks for not making
a big deal about it.
DANNY: Hey, I found
that gray Audi
that hit the bike,
and I'll tell you, this is
no accidental hit and run.
This guy is no witness.
One of Markov's goons rented
that gray Audi two weeks ago.
Pavel Danshov.
Collars for assault,
possession of a weapon.
That car picked up
three parking tickets
in the last two days on
the same block on the West Side.
Unis found the car sitting there
and they're waiting
on us to come over.
Well, you better get out there.
(air hissing)
Here we go.
DAN NY:
All right, that's Danshov.
Get your hands on the car now!
- Hey, what's going on?
- Put your hands on the car now!
(siren wailing)
Now, hands on the car!
Put your hands on the car now!
DANSHOV: What's going on?
You boys want to go
for a ride with me?
- What is this here?
- Don't move. Shut up!
How you doing, Pavel?
Not so good.
Looks like I got
another parking ticket.
I think that's gonna be
the least of your problems.
Huh.
Everything all right, Jo?
Yeah, everything's great.
(air hissing)
You said the bike was
used for deliveries,
so I'd imagine driving
around the city,
you'd get a bunch of flats.
Right, and-and in order
to fix those flats,
you'd have to patch
the inner tube,
which may leave a print behind.
Wow. Jo...
I don't care what everybody
says around here, you're good.
Well, let's see
how good you are.
Do your thing and
get me a good print.
(chuckles)
Tell me about the guy
on the bike.
He is a bad driver.
So you don't deny hitting him?
Well, I was drinking
a cup of coffee.
I looked away for a second,
and then, boom!
I heard shots.
(gunfire, people screaming)
(starts engine)
I took off down 7th,
and halfway
down the block, ka-boom.
He got up and ran off.
Did you get a good
look at his face?
I got a good look at my fender.
So you had nothing to do with
those shots that were fired?
A dead judge is bad
for business.
A crooked judge is much better.
So you were just out there
following the judge,
trying to dig up dirt on him
so your boss could
blackmail him?
Blackmail him?
Nye t.
I prefer "negotiate with him."
And let's say,
your friend the judge...
he might not be so
squeaking clean as you think.
Squeaky
"Squeaky clean."
What do you mean?
Well, he makes salary
of $175,000.
He has condo on Park Avenue,
house in the Hamptons
and Key West.
He eats at Stradello's
Steakhouse four nights a week.
Has driver on call.
Two daughters at
Ivy League university,
and a wife who doesn't work
but loves to shop.
So if we believe Danshov,
he was out there
trying to dig up
dirt on Corsica,
to affect the outcome of the
trial by blackmailing him.
FLACK: Yep.
And Danshov hinted
there might be some dirt.
If that's true, it could
help explain Corsica's
extravagant lifestyle.
I'll take a closer look
at the judge's finances.
This might not be
about Markov at all.
Take a look at all
of his cases, too.
He put a lot of people away
for a very long time.
There could be an old grudge.
Hey. So I got a beautiful
three-dimensional plastic print
off the patch on the inner tube
and a hit in AFIS
to go along with it.
Nicholas Albertson.
He's 22 years old,
he's been in and out of jail
for the last eight years.
He's got one felony assault
at age 15.
And since then, drug
possession-- weed, mostly--
discon and resisting arrest.
Not exactly the resume
of a killer.
A print on a bike
that might be stolen
isn't enough for
a search warrant.
No active bench warrants.
In fact, no arrests
in the past year.
Parole says he's been
holding a steady job
as a busboy delivery man
at Stradello's Steakhouse.
Danshov told me that Corsica was
a regular at that same place.
That would give Albertson an
opportunity to poison the judge.
And when that didn't work,
he shot him-- but why?
Could be a connection to one of
Albertson's past convictions.
Otherwise...
why would he want
the judge dead?
FLACK:
Let's go ask Nick Albertson.
DISPATCHER: All units
to 34th Street and Grand.
OFFICER:
Flack, he's coming your way!
OFFICER 2:
Hold it right there!
(grunting)
Down!
Hey, Nick?
I know this may not
be the best time,
but is the porterhouse as good
here as everybody says it is?
FLACK: So, Nick...
your bike was found
lying in the street
around the corner from where
the judge was murdered,
around the time
the judge was murdered,
by a guy on a bicycle
who looks just like you.
Oh, you got me.
I'm the guy who
was riding his bike
down 7th last night
and got hit by a car.
So tell me...
what kind of time
am I looking at?
You done?
Look, whatever you think I did,
you got the wrong guy.
Wrong guys don't run.
I don't like cops.
They come through the door
looking for me, I run.
I think you had
a good reason to run.
You're leaving out
the part of your story
where you killed the judge in
front of that bakery last night.
You want to hear an
amazing coincidence?
- Hm.
- This is crazy.
Judge Corsica was a regular
at the steakhouse you work at.
Oh. We got a lot
of regular customers.
But this one ate there
a few weeks back,
got sick, thought it
was food poisoning.
It turns out somebody spiked
his drink with antifreeze.
I don't know
nothing about that.
Why did you do it, Nick?
Why did you want the judge dead?
Okay.
I give up.
It was that cheap cologne.
That's what did it-- I mean,
I couldn't take it anymore.
Every time, busing
that guy's table
with that same horrible stench.
You think this is a joke?
I think this whole
thing is a joke.
So...
you were out there last night.
But you didn't do nothing.
You didn't shoot nobody,
you didn't see or hear
anybody shoot anybody.
That's your story?
That's what you're
going with, Nick?
That's what I'm going with.
FLACK: Danshov was parked here.
With a perfect line of sight
to the crime scene... here.
All the witnesses
have the shooter
coming this way,
firing the shots...
and then heading
down Majestic Alley.
(gunshots)
But Albertson says he was coming
in the opposite direction,
turned south on 7th,
and was struck when
he jumped through
two parked cars, right here.
And the driver's side
of Danshov's fender
confirms that.
But if Albertson came
down this alley,
after shooting the judge,
dumped out onto 7th, then...
how'd he get hit
on the driver's side?
But he didn't.
None of this makes sense.
DANVILLE: Eight years ago,
Judge Corsica was hearing
Juvenile Court cases.
He sentenced Nick Albertson
on that shoplifting charge
when he was just 14.
A shoplifting arrest
from that far back
seems like a stretch
for a motive.
It was listed on his rap sheet,
it's listed in our
NYPD computer system...
It is not listed in the
Criminal Court computer system.
Someone erased it.
I had to go down to
the basement of the courthouse
and pull the original
paper file.
(scoffs)
The kid stole a pack of gum
from a bodega?
DANVILLE:
It was his first offense.
Prosecutor recommends two weeks
of community service.
So why would Corsica
sentence Nick
to three months at
Forest Brook Juvenile Camp?
Nick Albertson was
the lookout at the bodega.
This...
is Tommy Hill.
He was the co-defendant
in the shoplifting case.
Like Nick, no prior arrest,
his prosecutor recommended
community service.
He got six months
at Forest Brook.
His case wasn't in the court
computer, either, was it?
You are catching on fast.
There's something so much
bigger here at play, Mac,
than a couple of harsh sentences
handed out, because in 2003,
a couple of weeks before these
kids were supposed to go to
Forest Brook, the place
was in financial ruin.
So this guy, James Nelson,
swoops in and buys it
on the cheap.
Most of these camps
are privately owned,
for-profit operations.
The state pays a fee
for every kid sent there.
Yes, a very generous fee.
So for the two years
after Nelson buys it,
Judge Corsica sends twice
as many kids to Forest Brook
than any other
Juvenile Court judge.
More kids, more money.
So your theory is,
Corsica gets kickbacks
to boost enrollment at Forest
Brook on behalf of James Nelson.
There's no record of
any of these cases
in the Criminal Court
computer system.
Somebody was trying to
cover their tracks.
An appointment to the
Criminal Court would mean
a thorough vetting of Corsica's
entire judicial career.
Nick Albertson should
have never gone
to a place like Forest Brook.
And it turns out a lot of other
kids suffered the same fate.
Gives him motive.
But how would a kid like Nick
get access to those records
and that kind of information?
You rang?
Yes, I did.
I was able to extract
a usable profile
from the remnants
of the sandwich--
it isn't perfect,
and some of the thresholds
are questionable--
but I think we have our burglar.
You didn't just find
our burglar, Sheldon,
I think you just
found our killer.
Don't do anything stupid,
all right? Don't move.
Don't move.
- Got him?
- Yeah, I got him.
What do we got?
Bullet hole.
Bullet impact mark.
Burglary starter kit.
Gun.
Boom.
Boom.
And...
Ah...
Lindsay's missing bullet.
And our murder weapon.
(siren wailing)
(clears throat)
Mr. Hill, you've been through
the system before;
you know how this works.
Save your breath, pal.
I did it.
I put a bullet
in that son of a bitch,
and I'd do it again
in a heartbeat.
How did you know, Tommy?
How'd you find out what the
judge did to you and Nick?
I got Tommy a job at the
steakhouse a few weeks ago.
Busing tables,
doing deliveries...
I was trying to help him.
Right.
It was his second night.
The judge was a regular, and...
I'd bused his tables before,
but this was the first time
I saw Nelson.
DANNY: Nelson is the warden
from Forest Brook.
NICK: And they were together
at the same table.
You got something
on your mind, son?
No, sir.
I just... thought you
looked like someone.
I look like someone what?
Nothing. It was my mistake.
Well, then, wipe that
stupid look off your face,
and go tell the waitress
this gentleman
needs another Manhattan.
Yes, sir.
Nick came into
the kitchen and told me,
so I went to see for myself.
You know who that little
piece of garbage is, now.
Come on, think.
NELSON: How the hell
would I know the busboy?
CORSICA: He helped you
pay for that boat
you have sitting at the marina.
(Nelson laughs)
Well, that narrows it down
to a couple of thousand kids.
CORSICA: Nick Albertson.
Real pretty mother.
She hired the attorney that was
snooping around his case
when we first started out,
remember?
I mean, she almost blew up
the whole thing.
Oh, yeah.
How the hell
could I forget that?
It cost us 1,500 bucks
to get that ambulance chaser
to go away.
That was money well spent.
Made us much more careful
who we do our business with.
We always knew something was up.
But once Tommy
heard those guys talking,
it didn't take a genius
to figure out
what they were doing
at Forest Brook.
So you and Tommy went
to get a little payback.
I couldn't let it go.
Nick wanted to go to the cops.
I laughed at him.
I told him it was crazy.
I mean, who are the cops
gonna believe?
Couple guys like us...
or a judge?
So you poured antifreeze
into his drink?
I didn't even know
what the hell I was doing.
I just heard it could kill him
if he drank it.
Then when that failed,
you decided to shoot him.
Nick-- he tried
to talk me out of it.
He really did.
Even came to my place
to try to stop me.
- You cannot do this!
- Let go of me, Nick.
Come on, man, this is my chance.
That son of a bitch
is gonna be out there
like a sitting duck.
Then let it go, Tommy, okay?
He's gonna have a whole
bunch of protection,
and you're just gonna
get yourself killed.
Tommy, you do not
have to do this.
I said let go!
I tried to get there.
Okay? I tried to stop him.
I was coming down 45th...
...and I saw the flashes
and I heard the shots.
(people screaming)
-(gunfire)
- I saw him go down the alley,
and! went down 7th
to try to catch up with him.
You know what happens
to good kids
in a place like Forest Brook?
They turn bad real fast,
or they get eaten alive.
When the judge remanded me
to Forest Brook,
I looked around the courtroom
to see if there was
another Nick Albertson.
I was waiting
for someone to stand up
and say
there'd been some mistake,
but... nobody did.
So, I went away-- three months--
and I get in a fight
over my sneakers
and I mess a kid up
and they call it assault.
I got 12 more months.
I had a good life.
I just made
the JV baseball team.
I was gonna be
the starting shortstop.
I had a new glove
sitting on my dresser.
And all that...
was taken away from me.
It's too late for me!
I'm too, I'm too far gone!
But that man stole
my life away from me.
I think it's only fair
that I took his!
DANVILLE: You don't get
to make that choice.
There's a system of justice.
(scoffs)
What's gonna happen
to that bastard Nelson?
'Cause I would've got him, too.
TV REPORTER: The police
commissioner is expected
to step to the podium
at any moment.
Sources within the NYPD
are reporting
two men have been arrested
in connection with
the shooting death
of Judge Vincent Corsica.
The suspects have been
identified as Brooklyn residents
(muffled): Nicholas Albertson
and Thomas Hill,
both 22 years old.
(knocking)
James Nelson! NYPD! Open up!
...of Russian organized crime
figure Victor Markov
and may date back
to Mr. Corsica's days
as a Juvenile Court judge.
One of the witnesses
interviewed at the so--
(pounding on door)
FLACK:
Mr. Nelson, it's the police.
Open the door.
-(gunshot)
- Go!
What's up?
Hey, I need your help, Don.
I need to talk
to Ali Rand again.
I have some concerns about
the hearing tomorrow.
What kind of concerns?
Like, character stuff,
because of the escort thing?
No, science stuff.
Her tox report came back,
and she had GHB in her system.
The date rape drug.
That's what this guy does,
right?
Right, but...
the levels of GHB in her
blood are not consistent
with the timeline
that she told me.
So, what, you're saying you
think it might be a problem
that she doesn't remember
what time she got raped?
She was drugged
and beat up pretty bad.
I'm saying I need
to talk to her again.
(beep)
Why are we doing this again?
I already told you
everything that happened.
Is something wrong?
You don't believe me, do you?
I knew this was gonna happen.
- I'm so stupid.
- Calm down, Ali.
I believe you, okay?
I just have a few questions
I need to ask you
to clear something up before
the hearing tomorrow, okay?
Of course. I'm sorry.
FLACK: It's really important
that you tell us the truth.
You can't leave out
even the smallest detail.
Do you understand?
Do you use drugs,
prescription or otherwise?
Uh, I-I drink mostly,
I smoke weed every now and then,
but that's it.
LINDSAY: And have you ever tried
a drug called GHB?
Isn't that what John Curtis
put in my drink?
Yes, but I mean other than that.
No.
Never
And did you have anything
at all to eat or drink
between the time
you woke up from the attack
and the time
you came into the precinct
to report it?
No. I had a bottle of water
from a newsstand.
FLACK: You're sure about
what time you started
feeling drugged at the bar?
Yes. I'm positive.
I know what time I was there.
LINDSAY: Okay.
Thank you, Ali.
That's it? You don't have
to ask me anything else?
Is everything okay?
Everything's fine.
You take care
of yourself, okay?
I'll see you
at the hearing tomorrow.
Are you sure?
I'll see you tomorrow.
Think she's lying
about the drugs?
It's not what I think,
it's what the science says.
What are you going to do
about the hearing tomorrow?
I'm gonna tell the truth.
Based on what she just told us,
the levels of GHB in her blood--
they're not improbable.
They're impossible.
So, based on the cognitive state
of the victim
before, during and after
the alleged attack,
what quantity of GHB would
you estimate she ingested?
Well, it's not exact,
but I would say
approximately 100 milligrams.
Your reports indicate
you collected blood samples
from Miss Rand ten hours
after she alleges
the defendant drugged her.
LINDSAY: That's correct.
And what levels of GHB
do your reports indicate
were present
in her system at that time?
Two milligrams per kilogram.
Am I correct when I say
that a 100-milligram dose of GHB
is eliminated from the blood
within about four to six hours?
Yes.
Am I also correct to say
that half the amount of GHB
is eliminated from the blood
every 30 minutes?
The half-life of GHB
is generally 30 minutes.
Then, based on that math,
what amount of GHB would
Miss Rand have ingested
for a two-milligrams-
per-kilogram concentration
to remain in her system
ten hours after
the alleged incident?
LINDSAY: A thousand milligrams.
1,000 milligrams-
that's ten times
the dosage you described.
Please tell the court
the expected dose-related effect
on a person who's ingested
1,000 milligrams of GHB.
(sighs)
Death.
Death?
So either your test is wrong,
your report is wrong,
or Miss Rand is wrong
and is lying about
when she was drugged,
or even if she was drugged
because, as we can all see,
she is most certainly
still alive.
Your Honor.
Thank you, Detective Messer.
Mr. Curtis, please stand.
The purpose of this
preliminary hearing today
was to determine
if there is probable cause
for the State to continue with
the case pending against you.
And based on the evidence
we've heard
from the witnesses here
this morning,
it is my opinion that there is
more than sufficient evidence
to merit those charges.
The defense request
for a dismissal
of all charges is denied.
Unfortunately, some
of the testimony
we've heard here this morning
is cause for concern
and raises grave questions as to
the credibility of the victim.
I find these discrepancies
troubling enough
that I have been moved to grant
defense counsel's request
for a reduced bail
from $500,000 down
to the sum of $25,000.
(gavel bangs)
This court is adjourned.
We'll see everyone back here
on the eighth of January.