Elementary (2012–…): Season 2, Episode 15 - Corpse De Ballet - full transcript

More on point than a sock.

Coffee?

I wasn't sure how you take it.

Black is fine, thank you.

I'm Joan.

Tatiana.

Please, don't interpret
the to-go cup

as a sign that you need to rush off,
no matter what Sherlock tells you.

I'll have you know, Watson,
that Tatiana is rushing off

of her own accord.

It's her morning
to deliver the sermon.

Thank you for
the coffee.

And you, for
last night.

I'll let myself out.

Mmm.

Sermon?

She's a pastor of some sort.

And her last name is?

Probably quite lovely.

So, yesterday was
the archaeologist.

And last week was

the schoolteacher
and the magician?

Mortician,
Sylvia is a mortician.

The magician left on tour
about a month ago.

I have to say, Watson,
I'm feeling a little bit judged.

You're well aware that I
view sex as an exercise.

As do the women I entertain.

No judgment.

Just buy some
more to-go cups.

Ms. Lanzer?

Uh, Vincent is ready to start

the rehearsal if you are.

Good morning, Ms. Lanzer.

Prima is on the move.

Everybody, settle!

Places, please.

All right, places.

First cue.

Columns go.

Columns go.

What was that?

Lights! Lights!

What is that?

♪ Elementary 2x15 ♪
Corpse de Ballet
Original Air Date on February 6, 2014

== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man

♪

Judging by the pack
of reporters outside,

either ballet is ascendant
in the zeitgeist,

or it's leaked
that a murder has occurred here.

Half the company tweeted
their regrets for the deceased

before we even got here.

A couple of them even mentioned
that she was...

cut in two.

She was one of the dancers?

Her name was Nell Solange.

We noticed a few security
cameras on the way in.

Apparently,
so did the killer.

All the cameras
in and around the theater

feed into one hard drive
in the manager's office.

Unfortunately for us,

the perp took it on his way out.

Vincent Renatto.

He's the company's
ballet master.

Mr. Renatto?

I'd like you to meet
our consultants,

Mr. Sherlock Holmes

and Ms. Joan Watson.
Our condolences for your loss.

Thank you.

I adored Nell, I...

We're all reeling.

I choreographed this piece
with her in mind.

She was dancing the lead?

Unfortunately,
during auditions,

she never quite connected
with the role.

Didn't give it
her full focus.

So I had to cast a more
established dancer.

Bisection.

It's been a while
since I've seen one of these.

You'd think there'd
be more blood.

You would.

If being cut in half
was what had killed her.

Her throat was slit.

Preliminary time of death
was around 10:00 last night.

We think she was
killed backstage,

and then moved up
into the rigging.

Perp coiled a wire

around her waist,
so that in the morning,

when the backdrop came down,
the wire would tighten,

and...

The killer wanted drama.

Attention.

Spectacle.

Yeah, but the kill itself

was pretty simple...
a single slice

to the carotid artery
with a thin, sharp blade.

The wound is shallow,
so the blade was probably small.

Like a box cutter?

Follow me.

Marcus!

I didn't realize
you were off desk duty.

Yeah, Captain pulled some
strings with the commissioner.

Still no gun, so I'm not
allowed to fly solo.

But it's a start.

We're pretty sure
this is the spot

where Ms. Solange was killed.

CSU found some blood drops.

Sprayed the area with luminol,
and the whole floor lit up.

Now, after she was dead,

the killer wiped up her blood
with some towels,

hid them in the bottom
of that trashcan.

I found this wrapped
in one of them.

Well, we may well have
our murder weapon.

CSU already looked it
over for prints.

They won't know for sure
till they get it back

to the lab, but they think
it's been wiped clean.

See that design etched
on the handle?

It's a flower.

That's not just a flower.

That is an iris.

I can't believe it.

I was looking
everywhere for it.

I figured one

of the core dancers must have
taken it as a souvenir.

Souvenir?

It's happened before.

They take things
to remember me by.

Or to show their friends.

Please forgive my colleagues,
Ms. Lanzer.

They don't follow the ballet.
They don't know that meeting

Iris Lanzer means they are
in the presence of a master.

Hmm.

I myself had
the pleasure of seeing

your Jeu de Cartes in London.

It was inspired.

Thank you.

Ms. Lanzer,
I have to ask.

Why do you have a
personalized box cutter?

Every ballerina
has their own set

of tools for preparing
their shoes

to their own specifications.

Box cutters are used
for trimming the soles.

When was the last time

you saw your box cutter?

Last week.

I've been using a spare
ever since.

Would you say that you
and Nell were rivals?

No, not at all.

Nell was unformed as a dancer.

Vince Renatto didn't seem
to think so.

He told us that he wanted her
to dance the lead in this piece.

He flirted with the notion
of Nell, but he chose me.

We will need to know
your whereabouts last night.

Do you think I...

I left the theater
at 7:00.

I went home.

I was there all night.

My housekeeper's a live-in.
She can vouch for me.

Can you think
of anyone else

who may have meant
Ms. Solange harm?

I heard a rumor
that she broke up

with her boyfriend,
Nicholas Orman.

He used to be a dancer
with the company.

I seem to recall
he had a temper.

Thank you very much, Ms. Lanzer.

We shall speak with him.

And, again, a great honor
to meet you.

Come on. Marcus,

you take McAndrews and pay
a visit to the ex-boyfriend.

I'll put Ellis and Parker on
confirming Ms. Lanzer's alibi,

- all right? Okay.
- Captain.

Would you consider
a little company, Detective?

The more, the merrier.

Wait here.
I got to find McAndrews.

You know you went a little, uh,
fanboy back there, right?

"Fanboy"?
I don't think

I've ever seen you treat
a suspect so politely.

I don't believe
she is a suspect.

Explain that.

You suggested she has motive
to kill Ms. Solange

because she felt threatened,

but I don't believe a talent
as immense as Ms. Lanzer

is capable of viewing
another dancer as a threat.

It would be like me
wanting to kill the world's

second greatest detective.
Besides, she has an alibi.

According to her.

Iris Lanzer may be
an amazing dancer,

but the Internet says
she's not a very nice person.

She has a lousy reputation,
and last year,

she ended up in court
for pushing down a photographer

and smashing his camera.
Damning evidence,

indeed, if the charge was
that she was a diva.

She is. That doesn't make her
a murderer.

Excuse me. Hey, Bill.

What hospital is he in?

Okay, yeah. I'll be there
as soon as I can.

Problem?

Haven for the Homeless,

that charity
that I work for, um...

one of the clients
went off his meds

and got into some altercation
with a couple of cops.

Go. I shall endeavor to keep
my fandom in check without you.

I.D. says his name

is Morris Gilroy.

He was standing
outside a bodega

screaming at anyone
who walked by.

Said he was looking
for his pal, "Freebo"

We asked him to move along,
but he only got more worked up.

And then finally he
took a swing at me,

and then we had
to wrestle him down.

He said his arm was hurt,
so we brought him here.

Well, Mr. Gilroy
is in the system

with the Department
of Homeless Services.

I mean, he's schizophrenic

but with no history
of aggression or violence.

Oh, lucky me.
He made an exception.

Well, obviously, he's off his meds.
Yeah, you think?

You said he was looking
for someone named "Freebo"?

His pink elephant, if I had to guess.
I told you,

he's not drunk. He's...
A nutbar. Yeah, we got that.

Freebo's gone.
The sergeant.

They took him.

They hit him
and they took him.

Were you able to get any more
information about this Freebo?

Uh, Ms. Watson,

I already told you we're
not gonna collar him.

But that's a
professional courtesy.

If you're thinking we're
gonna go out looking

for his imaginary
friend...

They took him!
Do you hear me?!

They took Freebo!

Morris, I'm Joan. I know you're
worried about your friend.

They took him,

and I got to find him.

Who took him?

Who? Morris,

I want to help you, but
you need to calm down.

Okay, I need you
to calm down.

Okay?

You'll find him?

You'll find Freebo?

I will do my best.

I promise.

Where exactly do you work,
Mr. Orman?

I'm a dancer
at, uh, Jerzey Boyz.

It's a club
over in Newark.

When I quit ballet,
I needed the money.

Especially after Nell moved out.

She ended the relationship?

She said she needed some space.

What a crock.
She took up with another guy.

Why do you say that?

She was preoccupied.

Always busy, always running off.

She wouldn't tell me
the guy's name,

no matter how many times
I asked.

Eventually, she, uh, threatened
me with a restraining order.

Said that she'd
talked to a lawyer.

Hard to imagine how
she resisted your charms.

You know what I think?

I think that maybe this new
guy's the one that killed her.

Maybe she, uh,
cheated on him, too.

Another possibility:

You never got over her rejection

and you murdered her.

Nell was killed
last night, right?

Last night, I worked.

I was a big hit with
the generous ladies of Newark.

Some of these bills have
phone numbers on them.

Feel free to call
'em up and check.

Nicholas Orman has
a rock-solid alibi.

His manager confirmed
he was at work

from 8:30
to midnight.

Then he's doing better
than Iris Lanzer.

It turns out she lied
to us this morning.

Her housekeeper
was off last night.

She's on her way to the station,
with her lawyer.

We have been over this.

My client made
an honest mistake.

Her housekeeper recently
changed her night off,

and Ms. Lanzer
simply forgot.

I went right to my room
when I got home.

I turned in
shortly thereafter.

Do you usually go
to bed that early?

Before a dress rehearsal, yes.

I need to be at my best.

If I was gonna kill Nell,

I would've done it
on another night.

Of course,
my client is joking.

Ms. Lanzer, do you know
the name of the man that Nell

started seeing after she
broke up with Nicholas Orman?

I've reached out to several
members of the company.

No one seems to know
who he is.

Nell and I weren't close...

but to the best of my knowledge,

she wasn't seeing anyone.

And if Nicholas
told you otherwise,

he's probably trying
to deflect suspicion.

Uh, Mr. Orman

has an alibi
for the time of the murder,

unlike you.

Not to mention the fact
that it was your box cutter

that was used
as the murder weapon.

I told you,
someone must have taken it

from my dressing room.

I thought
you said

this wasn't going to take
more than an hour.

You have somewhere
to be, Ms. Lanzer?

As a matter of fact,
I need to get to the airport.

Uh...
Excuse me?

Oh, I'm catching
a flight

to Montreal for
a master class

I'm teaching tomorrow.

It's been on
my schedule for weeks.

Actually, I'd rather
that you didn't

- leave the city.
- I'm sorry.

Is my client a suspect?
I didn't say that.

But I'm not ready
to clear her, either.

And since we are
in the middle

of a murder investigation,

some flexibility on her part
would be appreciated.

This is ridiculous.

If you need me,
I'll be in Montreal.

Ms. Lanzer, I'm gonna give you
one last chance to reconsider.

I'm gonna give you one last
chance to leave me alone.

I did not hurt Nell.

And if you keep implying
that I did, I will sue you.

Detective.

Iris Lanzer.
Don't touch me.

You are under arrest
for the murder of Nell Solange.

Iris,

I'll have you out in a
few hours. Don't worry.

I would be remiss
if I didn't say I had my doubts

about Ms. Lanzer's guilt.

Yeah? Well, she didn't give
me much choice, did she?

Hey.

Hey. You missed some excitement
this afternoon.

Yeah, I got a call from
Sherlock 20 minutes after

I heard about
it on the news.

Captain's been getting calls
from the tabloids all day.

Obviously they think one
beautiful woman cutting another

in half is gonna move
some papers tomorrow.

Mm. Where's Iris now?

Home. She made bail,

but at least she can't
leave the country.

So, I got your message.

You're trying to track down a
homeless guy who may not exist?

He exists.

Army Sergeant
Zeke Frebeaux.

Or, as his friend likes
to call him, Freebo.

I found his picture at
one of the shelters.

His jacket caught my eye.

It's an official
Army-issued fleece.

I was hoping you
could help me

distribute that to, uh,
hospitals, radio cars.

Yeah, yeah.

Send me the file, all right?
Okay.

Good morning.

Would you like some coffee?

Uh, actually, I'd
prefer cappuccino.

Do you have a machine?

You seriously slept
with Iris Lanzer?

It does evoke
a certain frisson, doesn't it?

Mind you, it's the art
I find alluring, not the fame.

Okay, she is a
murder suspect.

In our case.
If anyone finds out...

I'm feeling a little judged
again, Watson.

It's probably because
I am judging you.

I was very discreet.
As was Iris.

Whom, I might add,
instigated the whole thing.

She found me after she made bail

and she stated her intentions
quite boldly.

I sensed she wanted to learn
more about the investigation.

So, deciding that turnabout
was more than fair play,

I thought I would
take the opportunity

to learn more about her.

Wait, you-you are claiming
that you had sex with her

to advance the case?

That was the primary
purpose, yes.

Yesterday, at the station,

I noticed a certain stiffness
in her right shoulder.

She then cried out in pain

when Detective Bell
attempted to move her

by the same arm.

This led me to suspect
a tear in her rotator cuff.

It's an all-too-common
injury in ballet,

and one that hasn't yet
interfered with her dancing.

It would make it impossible
for her to operate the pulley

which was used
to move Ms. Solange's body,

even with the counterweights.

You know you could
have just asked her

if she had a problem
with her shoulder.

Actually, I couldn't,
'cause it's

not uncommon for older dancers
to lie about injuries.

So last night,
I paid particular attention

to her range of movement,

her avoidance
of certain positions...

Just cut to the chase.
My verdict: a small but significant

tear in her right rotator cuff.

I am now quite convinced
that my initial instincts

about her innocence
were correct.

Sleep with her yourself,
if you don't believe me.

Oh, that's a great solution.

Sherlock, Nolan
is expecting you.

He'll give you full access
to my legal files.

Who is, uh, um, Nolan?

Her attorney.

He handled the pushing case
against the photographer

eight months ago and he's issued
several restraining orders

against obsessive fans
over the years.

You think one of them
is trying to frame Iris?

Join me at Nolan's office
to peruse his files

and help me find out.

I can't. I have
to go to Queens.

Pursuing another development
in Hobo Hunt 2014?

I got a hit off of Frebeaux's
photo that Marcus posted.

Someone saw him arguing with
their neighbor the other week.

Are you sure that tracking
Mr. Frebeaux warrants your time?

I do have some experience
with street people

and it's not uncommon
for them to drop off the grid

and then reemerge on their own.

His friend
asked me to help.

Iris Lanzer is an innocent woman
who's being railroaded

by the NYPD.
A trial will bear that out.

I understand that, but...
You got that?

Yeah, got it.
Front page, above the fold.

Okay.
Thank you.

Mr. Holmes, good
to see you again.

Glad to know someone
in the department

is not pre-judging my client.

Hmm.

Huh.

How do you like the, uh...
the old Commodore, hmm?

Your automatic door closer.
I believe that is, uh...

Exeter's Commodore model.

Yeah, I recognize the, um...

Quite the ear for detail.

No wonder the police
keep you around.

Yes, well.

So, I take it these are
the files which pertain to cases

you've handled for Iris, right?

As I'm sure you've
figured out by now,

she is a very
complicated person.

But her money is no
less green, right?

Well, you should see how many
hours I haven't billed her for.

I don't represent Iris
for the money.

I do it because
I admire her.

Well, she is a
remarkable dancer.

Oh, it's not just that. It's...

It's her single-mindedness.

She's completely committed
to her craft.

I respect that. I think
I've learned a thing or two.

So if I could get some help
just getting these to a taxi.

Uh, respectfully, I'd rather
they not leave the firm.

You're more than welcome
to go over them here.

I have to leave for back-to-back
interviews about the case.

I-I may require some time.

Take all the time you need.

Any credible suspect you find

will make both
of our lives easier.

Also, because you may not
hear it from Iris:

Thanks.

Rachel Brown?

Yes?

I'm Joan Watson.

I'm looking for a man
named Zeke Frebeaux.

Apparently one of your neighbors
saw you arguing with him

a couple of weeks ago.

Does he look
familiar to you?

Of course he does.
He's my brother.

Sorry about the mess.

How long has your brother
been living on the streets?

On and off
for about three years.

Since he got back
from Afghanistan.

He was diagnosed
with severe PTSD.

And there were
problems with drugs.

I try to track him down
every month or so.

Two weeks ago,

I found him camping out
at Gantry Plaza.

I was able to get him
to come back here.

For a good meal.

New clothes.

I begged him to stay,

but he didn't want to.

We, uh, had a fight outside,

and that's probably
what the neighbor saw.

Do you have any idea
where he might be now?

He said something about
the shelter at St. Ignatius.

I checked there.
They haven't seen him.

It's so cold.

You couldn't have made him stay.

Here or at a shelter. He...

He's an adult. He made a choice.

If something's happened to him,
it's not your fault.

Well, I should get going.
If I get a lead on your brother,

I will let you know.

You're s...

You're still gonna look for him?

Of course.

I-I'm sorry.

It just means a lot that someone
else is looking out for him.

After reviewing Sharp's files,

none of the fans Iris issued
restraining orders against

struck me as viable suspects.
One of them died,

one's battling cancer,

one of them now herds sheep
in the Netherlands.

But obviously, someone who lives
in this building has potential.

Jake Picardo is the paparazzo
who took Iris to court

for pushing him
and breaking his camera.

He now resides
in apartment 10-D.

I know you followed a lead
on the missing Mr. Frebeaux,

but did you have to follow it
into an ashtray?

You reek of smoke.

Someone at the house
I went to was a smoker.

Someone at the house
you went to was a chimney.

Mmm.
And they smoke Double T's.

That is the cheapest
and most chemical-laden brand

on the market.
Hmm.

Still haven't read
my monographs

on tobacco, I see.

Back to Jake Picardo...
Iris recently renewed

her restraining order against him.
Why?

Because she believed he had
started following her again.

Iris Lanzer.

Yeah, she's having
a rough week, isn't she?

A fact which seems to give
you great satisfaction.

What do you expect?
Bitch ruined my life.

'Cause she
broke your camera?

Which she refused to pay for.

And then I take her to court,

her lawyer says I dropped
my camera 'cause I was high.

And then he introduces
all this testimony

about how I had
this huge coke problem.

Next thing I know,
my agency dropped me.

A paparazzi agency fired you
over drug use?

My boss was on some
clean-living kick at the time.

Of course, six months later,
he's in rehab for oxy.

But ever since that trial,

all I get
are freelance gigs,

which means I gotta pop
for every tip,

every new piece
of equipment...

Which reminds me,

what do you think
of my new spy camera?

'Cause it's, uh,
pretty fond of you, huh?

I'm beginning to think
that you like it

when women smash your cameras.

Small wonder
you're so pleased

with Iris's
current situation.

It must seem like
karmic retribution.

The question is,
are you the kind of man

who makes your own karma?

Where were you two nights ago?

Tuesday.
Uh, I was holed up in my van,

waiting for one of those...
dumb kids

from the vampire movies
to show at a club.

He never did.

Can you confirm that?

No. Why would I need to?

We're exploring the possibility

that someone other than
Iris Lanzer killed Nell Solange.

She's really

got you snowed.

I mean, if you knew

even half of the manipulative crap
she's into...

What kind of manipulative
crap are you talking about?

And how would you
know about that?

Was Iris right?

Have you been following her?

This has been fun,

but I'd like you to leave.

I got work to do and...

It's Detective Bell.

He would like us back
at the precinct right away.

I have a feeling
we'll be seeing you again.

Couple hours ago, a reporter

at The Ledger received
an unmarked envelope

containing this thumb drive.

Now, there's
a voice mail on it

that was left
by Iris Lanzer...

for Nell Solange.

Nell, it's me.
Look, stop behaving

like a hysterical little girl
and answer your phone.

Did you really think you were
the first dancer I'd been with?

Get this straight:

You're not walking away from me,

not without consequences.

Now we know why we couldn't find
the new man in Nell's life.

Because it wasn't a man
at all; it was Iris.

You and Nell
were having an affair.

Yes, but I didn't kill her.

Well, it certainly
seemed like you were ready to

in that voice mail.
Well, I have

a temper...
shouldn't be news to anyone.

So, when
did your romance

with Nell begin?

A few months ago,
before we started work

on the production.

She broke off her relationship

with Nicholas Orman
to be with you.

She must have
been quite smitten.

She was.

But my interest in her
was a bit more practical.

You were threatened by her.

You thought she
might get the lead,

so you seduced her and then
convinced her to step aside.

Well, it worked.

Just like it has before.

That was the problem, actually.

Nell had run into...

one of my previous flings.

She told Nell that I'd done
the same thing to her, and...

that's when Nell called
and ended it.

But if you were just using her,
why leave such an angry message?

I mean, you already
had the lead.

You'd actually begun
to care for her.

My whole life,
I've loved the ballet.

No person has ever compared.

The idea that I might...

give a role to anyone...

I can't imagine.

But with Nell...

I finally...

started to see
why someone might.

The day after I
left the message,

I apologized to her, and...

she deleted it
right in front of me.

Well, then how did it end up
in that reporter's hands?

The other night,
you gave me your phone,

um... to take some

commemorative pictures.
I-I remember

it was quite hot

to the touch, the phone.

It's been that way
for quite a while.

Could I see it?

Does the battery drain
quite quickly?

Yeah. I figured

it was just getting old. Why?

Unusual heat is
an indicator of... spyware.

Yes, I think your phone
may have been cloned.

And I have a fairly good idea

who's responsible.

So, Computer Crime Lab
found spyware

on Iris Lanzer's phone,
just like you said.

Now, he denied having anything
to do with it at first.

Then we explained
that the phone's signals

were being transmitted
back to his home IP address.

That's when he lawyered up.

All of this over
a broken camera.

That's our cue.

You got me, okay?

I cloned Iris's phone,
and yeah,

that's how I knew
they were... together.

But I didn't leak that
voice mail to the press,

and I didn't kill Nell.

He does understand he's not
helping himself, doesn't he?

Well, I can prove it.

My client would like
to make a statement

as to his whereabouts on the
night of Ms. Solange's death.

But for the moment,
he pleads the Fifth.

In the interest of aiding
the police's investigation,

he'll waive that right,
provided the district attorney

extends full immunity
on all charges.

Before I can bring
this to the D.A.,

I'm gonna need some sense
of what he was up to.

I was going to shoot a porno

in Nell Solange's apartment

with a bunch
of hidden video cameras.

I wanted to catch
her and Iris

in the act.

I was gonna sell it

to the highest bidder...
two smoking-hot dancers,

one of whom
was Iris Lanzer.

I could've named my price.

I don't suppose you have
any way of verifying this?

I set up three cameras
in Nell's bedroom,

one in the shower.

Pull 'em. You'll see
I was there most of the night.

The police checked
Picardo's cameras.

The footage confirmed his alibi.

Okay, so he
didn't kill Nell.

He still could have been the one

that leaked that voice mail
to the press.

It's unlikely that
he would lie about that

given the nature of the other
things that he confessed to.

I'm still of the opinion
that Iris is being framed.

Which makes the killer
the most likely leaker

of the message,
and so I've commenced scrubbing

of the voice mail.

Upon closer examination,

I realized there were two levels
of ambient noise,

which suggests it's a recording
of a recording.

The first level captures
the noise around Iris

when she left the message;
the second captures

the noises in the vicinity

of the person
who recorded it again.

If I had to guess,
I would say they had

physical access to Nell's phone.
It would've been a simple case

of putting hers on speaker,
theirs on record.

What are you doing
with that coat?

Well, the guy that I visited

yesterday in the hospital,
Morris Gilroy,

he was released this afternoon.

He's staying
at St. Ignatius shelter.

That's not an answer.

Well, he's on his meds now,

so he should be clearer.

I was going to go
to the shelter and see

if he could tell me a little
more about Zeke Frebeaux.

And while I was there,
I was gonna donate some clothes.

So, can I take the coat?

So, wh-why are you doing this?

What, donating clothes?

Eh, helping this man.

Trying to find his friend.

I've intruded. Sorry.

No, it's...

it's okay. It's...

it shouldn't be a secret.

Especially from you.

My father is, uh...

he's schizophrenic.

And homeless.

Your father lives in Scarsdale
and he's an author.

No, that is my stepfather.

My mother married him
when I was three.

Uh, we all took his name.

I-I'm talking
about my birth father.

My mother was pregnant with me
when... when he got sick.

I mean, she did her best, but...

you know, it was a lot.

They got divorced a few months
after I was born.

He was in and out of
institutions for a while, but...

for the last 15 years,
he's been on the streets mostly.

Where?

Here in New York.

Do you see him?

Well, that's why I volunteer.

Sometimes he recognizes me.

Sometimes he doesn't... just
depends on if he's on his meds.

I tried to get him
into a halfway house

or a treatment program,
but, you know,

he says he doesn't want it,
doesn't need it.

It wasn't easy, but I realized
that I just had to accept it.

I don't try
to talk him into it anymore.

When was the last time
you saw him?

It's been almost...

two years.

Mm.

Program's done.
All right.

Let me know how it goes.

Nell, it's me.
Look, stop behaving

like a hysterical little girl
and answer your phone.

Nell, it's me.
Look, stop behaving

like a hysterical little girl
and answer your phone.

I'm sorry about the other day.

All the yelling and screaming.

It's okay. You were having
an episode; that's normal.

I know.

What about when Zeke was taken...
were you lucid then?

It was late.

I was maybe a block away.

Saw some guy roughing him up.

Forced him into a van.

Can you describe him?

White.

I think.

You said you already
checked for Zeke

at the 23rd Street Shelter?

Yeah, he hasn't been there.

His sister
hasn't seen him, either.

I don't know how much longer

I can hold on
to his stuff for him.

That's his bag?

Can I take a look?

Thanks.

Double T.

All he ever smoked.

His folks.

Oh. Thought you'd
recognize her.

No.

His sister.

Does he have more than one?

Mr. Holmes.

My assistant told me
you came to visit.

Comfy?

I know that you're the one

who recorded Iris's voice mail.

Excuse me?

I also know that
you recorded it here.

What the hell
are you talking about?

That noise.

The distinctive noise

of your trusty door closer.

It makes a guest appearance

on the recording's second layer
of ambient noise.

Its appearance confounded me

until I remembered

that Nell had threatened her ex
with a restraining order.

That she'd gone as far
as to consult a lawyer.

You.

Well, Iris was kind enough
to refer me.

Nell and I met a couple
of times.

That's no secret.

Ultimately, she decided
not to follow through.

But she did decide
to ask for your help with her

when things grew messy
between them.

A complicated situation for you

'cause Iris was also
your client.

I submit
that you recorded the meeting

in order to avoid
a conflict of interest.

Now, armed with proof

of Nell and
Iris's affair,

it struck you that if Nell
were to die at Iris's hand,

and in dramatic enough fashion,

the case would become
a media sensation.

First step...

kill Nell.

Or rather, prepare to kill her.

You took Iris's
personalized box cutter,

you went
to the theater the night

before the dress rehearsal,
and you slit Nell's throat,

and then you prepared her
for her grand entrance.

Leaking Iris's voice mail
would demonstrate her motive...

and the true nature
of their relationship.

My office is not the only one
with that door closer.

There must be... hundreds,

thousands around the city.

So, while that's a...

good story,
you don't have any real proof.

Well, I would say
that I had Iris.

But I can't seem

to reach her on her cell phone.

She had a new one to replace
the one that was cloned.

And I imagine you're
the only one with the number.

As far as where she is,

we agree she should keep
a low profile for now,

so I set her up
someplace private.

She'll have to come
to court eventually.

Well, by that time,

I will have convinced her
that you turned against us.

You're just trying to trick her

into incriminating herself.

I would remind you
that the only attorneys

who benefit
from cases of this magnitude

are ones
who have emerged victoriously.

I studied your
work, Mr. Sharp.

You're a mediocre barrister
at best.

I fear you may have stacked
the odds

against your client too high.

Iris Lanzer isn't going to jail.

I promise you that.

Now, if you'll excuse me...

...I have work to do.

Rachel, we're here for Zeke.

He isn't here.

That's funny,
because you and your house reek

of his brand of cigarettes...
Double T's.

I saw you throw an empty pack
away the other day.

Uh, they were mine,

actually.

Trying to quit.

Can we help you?

This is my husband Cliff.

Cliff, this is the woman who's
helping to look for my brother.

Zeke Frebaux is not
your brother.

But that hasn't stopped you

from cashing his veteran's
benefit checks, has it?

Rachel told you
Zeke isn't here.

Well, this search warrant says

that we don't have
to take your word for it.

A padlocked door
inside your house?

You want to tell me what,
or who, you've got down there?

There were three
homeless men altogether.

One of them was on disability;
the other two were vets.

That woman
and her husband

had them chained
in their basement,

collecting their benefits.

Mr. Frebeaux's condition?

All things considered, good.

I spoke to his parents.

They're hoping they can convince
him to come home this time.

And if they can't?

Well, it has
to be up to him.

You should be proud
of yourself, Watson.

If only the
wheels of justice

would turn as smoothly
in the case of Nolan Sharp.

Well, he can't keep
Iris hidden forever.

We'll find her.

We'll explain.

Oh, say we did.

Won't prove anything.

And while it would be greatly
satisfying to see her fire him,

if might decrease her chances
of being exonerated.

Well, she's being represented
by the same man who framed her.

And as the actual murderer,

he can use his intimate
knowledge of the crime

to craft a defense
which is far superior

to that of a far less
homicidal attorney.

Hmm. You should
have seen him.

How utterly
confident he was.

I'm sure he has some
ace in the hole,

some piece of evidence
that he's holding back,

something he's going to
use to exculpate Iris.

Like what?

I don't know.

Perhaps he took a photograph
of himself

as he slashed Nell Solange's
throat.

Oh.
Perhaps he smiled

and winked at the camera
as he gave a big thumbs-up.

What?

While I doubt

that they depict a smiling,
thumb-raising Nolan Sharp,

there were pictures taken of him
that night.

And I think he's going
to use them to exonerate Iris.

Iris Lanzer
is an innocent woman

who the D.A. has made the target
of a witch hunt.

Yeah, savor the
moment, Mr. Sharp.

From now on, the only person
you'll be defending is yourself.

Ugh! Mr. Holmes,
is this going to take long?

Because I'm due to address the
media on the courthouse steps.

What do you think, Captain? Is
this going to take a long time?

I'm thinking 25 to life.

You mentioned the other day
that you often undercharged

Iris for your hours.

Her records
supported that.

It's not a crime
to give a friend a break.

It is if you bill other
clients for that time.

Given the perfectly adequate
success of your practice,

it seemed you must be making
up the difference elsewhere.

It wasn't much. It was
just a hunch, really,

but sometimes, with the right
judge, a hunch is all you need.

We procured a
search warrant

to search your
offices this morning.

We found this in your safe.

I recalled last night that

Nell Solange's killer
stole the hard drive

which collected the various
security feeds at the theater.

I assumed at the time
he'd destroyed it

'cause he wanted
to protect his identity,

but that was before I realized

that you and he
were one and the same.

We've already
reviewed the footage.

Iris Lanzer
isn't on there.

Just some guy in a mask.

Funny thing is, he's about
your height and weight.

I'm curious, Mr. Sharp.

Was the footage

a fail-safe?

A grenade to be unpinned
at trial, if and only if,

your talents
as an attorney were insufficient

to clear Iris's good name?

Or was their appearance
as inevitable

as your yen
for the spotlight is pathetic?

We've dropped all charges
against Ms. Lanzer,

and we're placing you
under arrest

for the murder
of Nell Solange.

Don't worry about the reporters
outside. You look great.

As, uh, relieved as I am
that the charges were dropped,

my heart breaks
for Nell Solange.

She was very special to me...

and I will truly miss her.

Aside from being
an excellent dancer,

as a person, she was...
What are those?

Blankets. Extra blankets,
to be precise.

I saw them in a closet,

and I realized I haven't
needed them of late.

Not with all the hot-blooded
company I've been enjoying.

So, I thought we might
take them to the park and

see if anyone was in need.

I understand it's going
to be quite cold tonight.

I'll get my coat.

== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man