Law & Order (1990–2010): Season 2, Episode 13 - Severance - full transcript

Narrator:
In the criminal justice system,
the people are represented

by two separate yet
equally important groups...

the police
who investigate crime,

and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

I want the slides first,
then we show them the stills.

The miniatures
are the knockout punch.

Damn!

We're already late,
and the traffic... I'd better call.

Peter, pull the car around
and meet me at the gate.

Ah, damn.



Four quarters, please.
I'm not supposed
to give change.

Look, I'm in a rush.

Yeah, it's Moskowitz.
Tell him 15 minutes.

I know.

15 minutes, guaranteed.

(tires screeching)

- You okay?
- Yeah.

(coins jingle)

(screams)

(radio chatter)

Ms. Moskowitz?

(mask hisses)

Uh, I'm okay.
Take your time.

Uh...



I'd just hung up
on the phone,

and... I didn't
see the car.

I told Peter and Craig
to bring it around.

So I went looking.

There was this van...
nearly clipped me on the way out.

What color was the van?

Uh, gray or maybe silver.

Big.

How about the driver?
Did you get a look at him?

Barely... a white guy.

I don't know.

And then I found them...
(sobbing)

You said there was
a woman? A brunette?

Uh-huh, I don't know
where she went.

Dude was doing at least 35.
He busted through the gate.

Mr. Rozakis got
a partial on the plates.
The APB's already out.

- Would you recognize him?
- No, I never saw him.

The machine gives a ticket
on the way in, you're supposed
to pay on the way out.

He's probably halfway
to Canada by now.

Sure... the plates
were Canadian.

I told them that.

"Je me souviens."

I remember.

The motto on the Quebec plates.
There's a lot of Greeks in Canada.

I got uncles, cousins
in Montreal, Toronto.

Oh... um...

on the van, the bumper,
there's a...

a sticker that says
"Tilford Rentals."

They're like
the Hertz of Canada.

That's it?

Yeah.

Listen, you remember
anything else,

- give us a buzz.
- Sure.

- Logan: So Sammy, tell us.
- It's two shots each
to the heart.

- No exit wound.
- Cerreta: What'd they take?

Nothing, wallet's intact.
One of them's got a $1,000
Piaget on his wrist.

No powder burns,
no defensive wounds.

I figure they got it
from 10, 15 feet at least.

Four shots, probably silenced,
right through the heart.

- A marksman.
- A pro.

(theme music plays)

Fellas, you're telling me

that a pro rents a van
in Montreal, drives 500 miles,

then in the open
guns down two ad men?

- Disgruntled client, maybe.
- Witnesses?

Nothing we can use.

We got a hit
on the APB here.

Traffic towed a gray van,
Canadian plates, corner
of 33rd and 8th.

That's a post office.
He's going to mail himself
back to Canada?

I'm thinking he'd be more
comfortable on the train.

The station!

No backup!
If he even smells
a uniform, he's gone.

P. A:
11:30 train leaving for Trenton,
New Jersey on track 3.

Stopping in Newark, and Metropark,
Westfield, Plainfield,

Princeton... final destination,
Trenton, New Jersey, now boarding.

Hey! Montreal train,
what track?

Track 8, departs in 15.

(train whistle blows)

(bell rings)

Six down, two to go.

There you go.

Going to Montreal?

Excuse me, sir,
are you going to Montreal?

- Yes.
- Can I see your ticket, please?

Vacation?

Don't you guys
have anything bet...

Look, just tell her
I already mailed the check.

My friend!

Hey!
Forget something?

Thanks, I had a little
too much coffee today.

It'll keep.
You mind if we
look in here?

Can I stop you?
We could always
get a warrant.

But then you wouldn't
want to miss your train.

Put your hands
right on top of your head.

Down!

You're under arrest.
Anything you say can be used
against you in a court of law.

(Logan sighs)
How many times are we
gonna go through this?

Mr. Kemp, what do you say
we call your lawyer?

No reason to call a lawyer.
I didn't do anything.

You had a semi-automatic
with a fully loaded clip.

So I had a piece.

So I was a naughty boy.
I'll pay the two bucks.

I'm thinking it wasn't just
a piece, Frank, I'm thinking
it was a murder weapon.

I'm happy for you.
Okay if I smoke?

Cerreta:
Mike? Mike!

Want some coffee?
What do you say we have some coffee?

Yeah.

Man:
Cream, no sugar.

(sighs)

We're doing all the talking.
A little leverage
wouldn't hurt.

We hit on ballistics,
it's all over.

Did you check his yellows?
Yeah, six arrests...

from gun possession
to attempt.

No convictions.

A van rented in your name
was spotted at the scene,

then it was found
three blocks from the train
station where we found you.

I told you
the van was stolen.

I stopped for breakfast
at some diner on 46th and Lex.

It was not there
when I came out.

- You reported it?
- Mm-hmm.

To who? The police,
the rental company?

All of the above.

What's the big deal?
This the first car stolen
in the city?

Mr. Kemp, you live in Plattsburgh,
upstate New York.

What's that, about an hour
outside of Montreal?

- 45 minutes.
- You went that far
to rent a van?

I'm not rolling in the bucks
like you guys.

Exchange rate, no per mile,
I save a bundle.

Why did you need a van
to come down here?

My mother.

She owns
this great old clock,

a Seth Thomas.
Some dealer on the West Side

offered me five grand for it.

The dealer's name?
In the van.

With the clock?

And you always take
a semi-automatic

and an eight-inch blade on a trip?

What do you want?
It's New York.

Yeah.

- Mike, labs you ordered.
- And...?

Negative.
The gun in his bag
didn't kill our guys.

The bastard
knew it all along.

A different story
on the knife, though.

Minute traces of human blood
of recent origin.

Wait a minute, I thought
these guys were shot?

They were.
Great. That's great.

So we got two stiffs
with no murder weapon and
a bloody knife with no victim.

That's great!

Standard "pop and hop."

Effective, but impacts
the resale value.

So Kemp makes like
someone took his van.

He knows how to throw
a few curves.
And he's
a consummate pro.

This is the address
of an antique dealer
on the West Side.

Yeah, he's good.
Covers all the bases,
establishes an alibi.

If he's so good,
why not ditch the knife?

You can't match a knife
like you can a bullet.
Why toss it?

"Waste not, want not."
Everyone gets hit
by the recession.

We got pretty recent
gunpowder residue here.
I'll bring it over to the lab.

At least we know
we got the right van,

but that doesn't put Kemp
in the driver's seat.

Feel like a doughnut?

Yeah.

Cook: BLT down.
150 bagels a day,

all with cream cheese,
and this turnip wants peanut butter.

Was that yesterday?

Sits there doing the puzzle
for an hour.

I live on tips,
little he cares.

- But what goes
around, comes around.
- What do you mean?

He leaves, comes running back
five minutes later

looking for a phone...
someone stole his car.

Serves him right!

You ever work
a counter?
No.

Michelle Pfeiffer
could be sitting there,
you wouldn't know.

They don't look
at their faces.

A waitress in a place
like this probably serves
100 breakfasts a day.

But she remembered him.
Because he wanted her to.

- The guy's good.
- So how come our two guys
rate such a pro?

Were they involved
in something?

That's what we're trying
to find out, Ms. Moskowitz.

Can you tell us anything about
their lives outside the office?

Friends, relatives?

Craig Hovis
was like a plowhorse.

As far as I knew,
he was here all the time.

- What about the family?
- From Phoenix.

- No family in town.
- And Coyle?

(chuckles)

Peter was a different story.

Freelanced until I
convinced him to come aboard.

To Peter, corporate America
was up there with root canal.

But you turned him around?

Well, money can't buy love,
but it helps.

Coyle, was he
all work as well?

Peter was an artist.

He breathed life
into every frame.

I'd finally convinced him
to show his portraits.

I have a friend who has
a gallery in Soho.

So I take it that you

talked to Peter about
things other than work?

We'd just started
seeing each other.

Dating.

Was he the one?

It looks like Coyle had
a more interesting life
than the plowhorse.

Nobody had a piece
of this guy.

63 Gs in a money market,

another 50 and change
in a retirement fund.

Hardly worth killing for.

"Esquire," "Hockey News."

Tax deductibles...
Greenpeace,

United Way,
"Jerry's Kids."

Huh... a card
from Moskowitz.

These guys
look like boy scouts.

Yeah, with shadow lives.

Somebody paid good money
to get them dead.

Dig deep enough, something
pops out of the shadows.

None of the usuals play.
Mob, drugs,

who else hires a hitter?

Jealous husband.
Both of them?

Maybe "Mr. Plowhorse"
was dunking his doughnut
in somebody else's coffee.

Husband gets a whiff,
doesn't like the smell.

And Coyle?
Wrong place, wrong time.

Innocent bystander-
slash-witness.

Hold it!

What if they both
had bad timing?

- Phil, I was kidding.
- Hear me out.

The guy in the lot
and Moskowitz both said
there was another woman.

She got there
before Hovis and Coyle.

The brunette.

She went in but no one
saw her go out.

And Kemp has
a bloody knife in his bag.

So Kemp's doing
the brunette with the knife,

Coyle and Hovis
see him en flagrante,

- it's "bang, bang."
- She went to the lot... why?
To get her car.

Which has still
got to be there.

My boss says
nobody stays long term.

- But you're a nice guy, right?
- Ah, live and let live.

Besides I can use
the extra cash... a new VCR.

This is Mr. Simmons,
a lawyer.

Friday he says,
"I'm going away for six days.

Anybody wants to take it,
let them. It's insured."

Next.

This one's been here
a few days.

After 48 hours, I'm supposed
to have them towed,

but I figure what the hell,
she's a nice lady.

- She say she would
be out of town?
- Attendant: Not to me.

- This lady have a name?
- Not that I know of.

She's in here all the time, though.
She's nice-looking.

Mike?

Look.
Paint scratched
down to the bare metal.

Someone wanted to get
in there real bad, huh?

Looks like someone else
wanted it that way.

See, there's a toothpick,
or a matchstick stuck in there.

Okay...

Janet Torrens, 6th Street,
Brooklyn, New York, 27 years old.

Does that say
"Ms." or "Mrs."?

I was just thinking
maybe next time

I'd take her to see
the Knicks or something.

I wouldn't hold my breath.

Man:
Janet was out of work
for a couple of months.

I told her,
"Why waste the money?
Your old room's empty."

Last month,
she started looking
for her own apartment.

When did you
see her last?

What was it?
Tuesday morning?
Before she left for the city.

So you haven't seen her
for two days?

Janet's a grown woman.
She lived here, but we
don't keep tabs on her.

She was under
a lot of stress.

Mr. Torrens, does Janet
drive a red BMW?

Yeah, she bought it used
when she started working
in Manhattan.

We found her car
in a parking lot.

It's been there for 48 hours.

- Oh God!
- It doesn't necessarily mean...

I told her,
"You keep your mouth shut.
It's not your problem."

- Jack, they told us not to.
- Excuse me?

The FBI.
Jack!

What the hell
does it matter now?

They're investigating that bum
she used to work for...

Charles Martine...
for legal contracts or something.

- Janet was helping them?
- Yeah.

- Cerreta:
Do you have a name, an agent?
- Mr. Torrens: Blanchard.

We called him last night.
He told us not to worry.

She's done this before...
left the city for a couple
of days without telling us.

Why would she
leave her car in the city
if she went to the island?

All off the record, right?

Charles Martine, as in
"The United States versus..."

Any bells going off?

Military contractor,

built Martine Aeronautics
from the ground up,

sells the Air Force
on a sophisticated
guidance system.

- A million bucks a plane.
- A scam?

Underbids everybody,
delivers substandard goods.

US Attorney calls it fraud.

Maybe some flyboy's widow
calls it murder.

Mr. Martine is currently awaiting trial
in the "no-bail suite" at MCC.

Indictment's got more counts
than Nixon had plumbers.

What about Janet Torrens?

Ms. Torrens was Martine's
bookkeeper for five years.

The past seven months,
confidential government informant.

You have
something on her?
She came to us.

The young lady has guts...
the kind you don't see much
anymore.

I really hope you guys
are wrong about this.

I like this one.

You'll let me know, huh?

I never heard
of Janet Torrens.

The blood on your knife
was type O, same as Janet Torrens'.

The same as me.

Does the name
"Charles Martine"
mean anything to you?

I never heard of him.
Look, what's the deal here?

Are you going to walk me
through the whole phone book?

(speaker clicks)

Janet Torrens was working
mornings as a temp two blocks
from where the car was found.

Her co-workers said she had
been there three weeks.

She was about
to blow the whistle on Martine.
He doesn't like the music,

he hires Kemp.
Hovis and Coyle got in the way.

Without the girl's body,
it's a stretch.

Come on, Paul,
the bottom line is

she's been missing
since Tuesday.

Her car was 10 feet from where
Hovis and Coyle took a bath,

and Kemp's van
was spotted at the scene!

The real bottom line is
we can't put any of them in
the same place at the same time.

You need some physical
evidence to connect it all.

We got a team searching
his place right now.

Give us a couple of days.
Something will pop.

Kemp's lawyer is
screaming his head off
about the delay.

Buy us a couple, Paul.
We will make the connection.

Martine's
in a federal pen.

It's gonna take
a day to get through
the red tape to see him.

We ought to be able to get
some mileage out of the gun.

Possession three,
he'll walk before lunch.

Ben broke his wrist
this morning playing tennis.

Maybe I can use that
to postpone the arraignment.

He what?

He dove for a lob.

He finally beat you, huh?

He was up, 5-4.

Some subcontractor
deals me a faulty board,

I pass it on to the Air Force.
It's not my fault.

Mr. Martine's dealings
with the federal government
were strictly legitimate.

- It will all come out in the trial.
- What about Janet Torrens?

- She was my bookkeeper.
- Was?

The feds start investigating,
people nose around,

production stops...
no books to keep.

Come on.
Your bookkeeper goes bye-bye,

and two guys are found dead
next to her car the same day.

Makes you wonder.

Are you accusing
Mr. Martine of murder?

In case you haven't
noticed, Detective,

I've been indisposed
for the last seven months.

Your pal Frank Kemp
tells a different story.

I never heard of him.

If we find out you did,
you'll be more than "indisposed"

for the next 25 years,
I promise you that.

Attorney:
Check his visitors list
if you like. It's public record.

If you want, I'll even open
his phone logs to you.

Martine swears he never
heard of Frank Kemp.

- Oh, I know I believe him.
- As far as visitors go,

nothing in the last seven months
except his attorney Teasdale,
and his wife.

Ditto with the phone traffic.
The only calls made were to Teasdale

and the wife.
He never called Frank Kemp.

How about we take it
from the other end?

I'm sure our friends at New York
Telephone would be happy

to supply us with Mr. Kemp's
usage details.

No, thank you.
Frank likes Chinese food.

674 prefix... what is that,
the East Village?

Yeah.
Frankie's got
a friend there.

Five calls last week,
same number.

What did people do before
they had answering machines?

Cute voice...
maybe the girlfriend.

Even hitters have a life.

Reverse directory,
I get the address.

Yes. Is he in?

No, it's personal.
No message.

The day before the shootings,

Frank Kemp chats
with a lawyer, 27 minutes.

The lawyer's name...
Larry Teasdale.

As in Martine's mouthpiece.

So he called here.
Doesn't mean I talked to him.

Maybe he's seeing
my secretary.

Does your secretary
happen to live in the Village?

- Teasdale: Rockaways.
- Logan: Mr. Kemp calls here

the day before the key witness
against your client disappears.

The world's getting smaller
every day, Mr. Teasdale.

Look... I'm really
backed up today.

Maybe we could continue this
some other time?

You're also a suspect.
Accessory to murder, three counts.

Fine. Then if you want
to speak to me again,

hit my lawyer
with a subpoena.

Law degree...
it's a license to lie.

Even if we get a subpoena,
he's going to hide behind privilege.

Not if Kemp told him
beforehand he was going
to commit a crime.

- I'll call Robinette.
- Let's stop in the Village first.

Could be that Kemp's honey
doesn't have a law degree.

I don't know any Frank Kemp.
He called you five times last week.

That doesn't mean
I talked to him.

Ms. McManus, Frank Kemp
is suspected in the murder
of three people.

- If you have any information...
- I told you I don't know him!
Listen, I'm in a hurry.

Get this right.
You're not going anywhere
until you talk to us.

I went out with the guy
a couple of times, okay?

Now the jerk
won't leave me alone.

What's the matter?
You don't like to pick up
your messages?

Cerreta:
We don't mind.

Go ahead.

Here, let me...
let me help you out.

Recording:
It's Larry Teasdale.
If you're listening, pick up.

Call me as soon as possible.
I'll be at the office.

- And don't talk to anyone!
- (beeps)

Larry Teasdale...
everybody's favorite middleman.

- Logan:
Teasdale called. What did he want?
- How should I know?!

Frankie must have
given him my number.
That's who he's looking for.

Come on, Bettina.
The dial went off the meter
an hour ago.

Kemp is in jail.
Teasdale knows it.

He was looking
for you, Ms. McManus.

I don't know anything
about it!

- I want to get out of here.
- You're not under arrest.

You can leave here
any time you want.

Next time Teasdale calls,

ask him how much he charges
to draw up a will.

- (sobs)
- Cragen: I hope she brought
a change of underwear.

Cerreta:
Scared is good.
Give it a minute.

She doesn't look
like a player.

I doubt she is, but she
knows everybody involved.

I just met him.

- Teasdale?
- Kemp.

A couple of months ago,
at a club.

Downtown.
The guy wore a suit.

We got lit in the ladies' room.
He was rolling in it.

Cocaine?

You ever ask him
where he got the money?

All right, look, let me be
straight with you, okay?

There's a woman
named Janet Torrens,

she's missing.

She's probably dead.

You see
where I'm going here?

You want to join her?
Be my guest.

Okay!
I thought he was dealing,
but that's all!

I had no idea
he killed people.

Did he say he killed
Janet Torrens?

I never heard of
Janet Torrens until today.

What about
Charles Martine?

Alls I know is I get
a call from some lawyer...

- Teasdale?
- He says Frankie's "knee-deep."

He says 25 grand is mine
if I cover for him,

say we were together
and that I dropped him
at the train station.

- And you said?
- I said, "Sure."

But then I thought...

"I don't know these guys.
Why should I step in it for them?"

Martine
ordered the hit,

Teasdale gave
the contract to Kemp.

Conspiracy to commit
murder, three counts.

Good.
Get it on tape.

And you...
stay off those courts.

- Bettina: Frankie's okay?
- Teasdale: Fine.

Getting better
with your help.

He really messed up,
didn't he?

All you need to know
is that you will be helping
Frank out of a jam.

If Frankie's done
something wrong...

I don't know...

I don't really like this.

This should help
ease the pain.

25 Gs? That's a hell
of an aspirin.

This guy ought to
reread the ethics code.

After he reads
the criminal code.

Teasdale:
You and Kemp spent
the day together...

you had a drink,
you hopped in the sack,
you took care of business.

And then you went with him
to the train station.

I'm not very good
at this.

For 25 thou,
you better be.

Shall we?
Be my guest.

Is English
a second language?

I thought I made it clear.
We have nothing to discuss.

No discussion here.
We talk, you listen.

Larry Teasdale,
you're under arrest for bribery,

tampering with a witness,
and murder.

I think
the good counselor
knows his rights.

Case number 26747,

"People against
Franklin Kemp,

Larry Teasdale
and Charles Martine."

Charges are murder
in the second degree, three counts,

conspiracy to commit
murder in the second degree,

bribery,
witness tampering.

Have we got any pleas?

- Not guilty.
- Not guilty.

- Not guilty.
- So far, so good.

Mr. Gold knows
how I don't like surprises.

Keep me happy, Paul.

Jail status continued
on Mr. Martine.

$500,000 bail on Mr. Teasdale
and Mr. Kemp.

- So ordered.
- W-wait! Your Honor!

Uh, uh, uh!
I'd love to stand around
and chat, Mr. Gold,

but I have a very full plate.
Have a nice day.

- Keep them coming.
- Bailiff: Case number 26748...

We're in for a long trip.

At the arraignment,
Martine was represented
by Arthur Gold.

His MO's legendary,
he'll bury us in paper.

Arthur Gold...
he's all fizz and no gin.

- Sometimes fizz works.
- If you're referring
to the Jacobs case,

that was six years ago.
We were understaffed,

Arthur Gold's laundry list
of frivolous motions was abusive.

It was also good enough to get
the murder weapon suppressed.

Good enough to beat you.

He wore out the judge.

His last article
for "The Journal" was called

"The Rule of M's:

Mountains of Motions
Multiply Mistakes."

- He said no
prosecutor could survive.
- We don't give him a chance.

You cock enough triggers,
one of the pistols has to go off.

So between Kemp and Teasdale,
one of them will roll.

And they'll all go away
for a very long time.

Maybe not.

Teasdale and Kemp are represented
by Gold's shadows... Styger and Werner.

So? Schedule Werner
at 2:00 and Styger at 4:00.

(gate bangs)

The case against your client
is stronger than it appears.

The van, the knife
and the tape...

should paint a pretty clear
picture for a jury.

So what is this,
a courtesy update?

I want the man
who hired your client.

You give me
Charles Martine...

And you'll give me
a medal?

No, man one,
one count.

15 minimum?
I'd rather roll the dice.

That's fine, but they'll come up
murder two, three counts.

- 25 to life on each.
- Attorney: Come on, guys.

Teasdale's tape has nothing
to do with Mr. Kemp.

The van was reported stolen,

the blood on the knife
matches that of what... four million
people in New York alone?

Including Janet Torrens.

And you can't
produce a body.

You rest your case,

I move to dismiss.

My client would have
surrendered, Mr. Stone.

The humiliation
of a public arrest
was hardly called for.

I'm sorry, I missed
the "Emily Post" chapter
on the "etiquette of arrest."

Ben, I thought
we were friends.

Once a year we co-chair

a Bar Association committee.
Friends, I don't think so.

You're serious about this?

- About the bribery? Yes, I am.
- Alleged bribery.

And the murder of Janet Torrens,
Craig Hovis and Peter Coyle.

You're going away
for a long time, Larry.

Don't be stupid twice.
Don't go down alone.

Give me Charles Martine.

We'll work something out.

Dealing's a two-way
street, Mr. Stone.

There's nothing
you can give me.

You'll never make a case
against my client.

It's all on tape, Ms. Styger.
I've got witnesses.

You've got "Hammad" problems
up to your dimples.

Ms. McManus was acting
as an agent of the police

when she spoke
with my client.

- So?
- So the last time he spoke
with your men in blue,

Cerreta and Logan,

he told them in the future

they should speak
with his lawyer.

I assure you,
I got no calls.

Your precious tape?
It doesn't get near a jury.

Without it,
you've got diddly.

She's got a point.

Under the "Hammad" decision,
if Teasdale asked for an attorney,

it wouldn't make any difference
if he confessed

to shooting 22 people
in a Houston automat.
The tape is worthless.

Gold's orchestrating
their joint defense.

Nobody talks,
everybody walks.

We've still got McManus.
She can testify without the tape.

Is she credible?

It can go either way.

I wouldn't bet heavy...
a cross by Arthur Gold...

Arthur Gold doesn't leap
tall buildings in a single bound.

You know as well as I do
that nine out of 10 cases

are won without an eyewitness,
and Martine and Kemp

and Teasdale in the courtroom...
the circumstantial evidence
is overwhelming.

Well, that'll get you
to the door, but it's a toss-up

if it'll get you inside.

Have you tried
dealing with all three?

Charles Martine
started the whole ball rolling.

Three people are dead.
There's no way I'd even consider
dealing with that man.

But if you made it
worth his while?

Say... one count man one,

with a sentence to run
concurrently with his federal time?

He's got nothing to lose.
He'll have to talk.

It's worth it if you get
Kemp and Teasdale.

Without Janet Torrens' body,
Martine might not even

do federal time,
and he's the most culpable.

It's not the duty
of this office

to determine relative culpability.
Martine rolls, all three go to jail.

But not for murder.

Ben, is it that you don't
want to deal with Martine

or is it Gold?

Gold's got nothing
to do with it.

All right, then you'll
talk to him.

Is that an order?

Man one?!
Don't insult me, Ben.

All right. If Charles Martine
gives us Kemp and Teasdale,

one count man two,
his sentence runs concurrently
with his federal time.

Come on, Counselor.
Janet Torrens is nowhere
to be found.

I strongly doubt that there's
going to be a federal sentence.

You're showing
your hand, Ben,

and a four flush
doesn't beat a pair of treys.

A woman agrees to testify
against your client

in a federal fraud case
and ends up dead!

- You got a death certificate?
- I don't need one! I have motive.

And Teasdale's bribe attempt
is corroboration in my book.

Well, you're on
the wrong page, Ben.

(laughs)
Hell, you're in
the wrong volume.

Teasdale called Kemp.

Maybe Teasdale
is the one with motive.

Maybe Janet Torrens
was about to sing his song.

Martine had nothing
to do with any murders.

That's a crock
and you know it!

It's also reasonable doubt.
I'll take my chance with the jury,

if you've got the stamina
to get that far.

Now... a clean slate
for Martine,

and maybe then he'll talk.

Don't be ridiculous!

You're still swimming
upstream, Ben.

(laughs)
Open those baby blues...
you can't beat me!

A jury sees a knife,
hears that tape...

You don't really think
I'm gonna let that happen, do you?

I'll see you in court, Ben.

Hot off the presses.

Gold's suppression motion.

- The tape?
- And the knife.

Claims they were both
obtained illegally.

And?
The knife's no problem.

The Supreme Court's said
at least a half dozen times

that consensual searches do not invoke
Fourth Amendment protection.

- It's clearly admissible.
- You talked to Cerreta?

He'll testify tomorrow.

Kemp agreed to let them
search his duffle bag.

The tape's another story.

Cerreta confirmed
Styger's claim.

Teasdale did tell them to talk
to him through his lawyer.

The police cannot do
through an agent

what they couldn't do themselves.
It's "blackletter."

Judge Jenklaw is a practical man.
He likes to do the right thing.

Maybe he'll overlook
the letter of the law.

If I weren't bound by oath

to give every litigant
their day in court,

I'd enter sanctions against
each and every one of you.

Mr. Gold...

I suggest you read
the opinions of the Supreme Court
on consensual searches,

beginning with the latest sermon
from the mount, "Florida v. Bostwick."

If the police can randomly
search passengers on a bus,

then no possible stretch
of logic can mandate

the inadmissibility
of a consensual search of a train.

Your Honor,
the case law in this circuit...

Highlights the frivolity
of your motion.

And... Mr. Stone...

unless the "Hammad" case
and its progeny

have been overruled
while I was napping,

the tape is as dirty
as last week's laundry.

All right, the knife is in,
the tape is out.

Can we set this down
for trial?

A professor
I had in law school
said for enough money,

he could keep
any defendant out of jail
for up to three years.

Martine's got the bucks.

In a perfect world,
we wouldn't have discovery.

We wouldn't have
pre-trial motions.

Just go to trial and let
the chips fall where they may.

In a perfect world,
people wouldn't get shot
in the parking lot.

Round two from Gold.

This one's
for change of venue.

"Excessive publicity
in this county."

I assume the return date
is Monday?

Yep.

You've really
outdone yourself, Arthur...

"Adverse publicity."
Really?

The New York papers have
already convicted my client.

I think I'd be doing myself a favor
by transferring this to another court.

- Your Honor...
- I know you're opposed, Ben.

Look, Arthur, if you insist
on going through with this,

and I waste the whole weekend
reading your papers,

I promise you, I'm going to make
the rest of your trip very difficult.

In light of Your Honor's
predisposition...

Can the histrionics, Arthur!
We're off the record.

- I will agree
to withdraw the motion.
- Thank you.

However, Your Honor,
some new information
has come to my attention

which could certainly bear
on the outcome of this trial.

Now, since we're all here,

I move that Mr. Stone
be disqualified

- as prosecutor on this case.
- What?

Your Honor, for the last two years,
Mr. Stone and Larry Teasdale

have co-chaired
a Bar Association committee.

There is no relevance...

Any favoritism that Mr. Stone
might show Mr. Teasdale

because of said...
"personal relationship"

could certainly
prejudice my client.

Three hours... once a year.

I never so much as had a cup
of coffee with the man.

How can I be sure of that?

Your Honor, the defendants
are being tried together,

they should certainly be
on a level playing ground.

I'm sure the District Attorney's office
can spare another assistant...

to prosecute this case.

He's got a valid point, Ben.

I move to sever.

Paul Robinette will try
Mr. Teasdale separately,

and I'll continue with
Mr. Kemp and Mr. Martine.

You sure, Ben?

Yes, Your Honor, I am.

Anybody here opposed?

No, Judge.

As a matter of fact,
I would consider it an honor

to have the opportunity
to clash swords with Mr. Stone.

Am I missing something?
The severance hurts the case.

Remove Teasdale
and the jury sees

no connection whatsoever
between Martine and Kemp.

They could all walk, Ben.

Teasdale is
the weak link.

Now that he's
on his own, he'll roll.

Why should he?

Without the tape,
he's got no incentive.

If Gold had made
the motion to sever,
what would you have done?

You would have
hit the ceiling.

He wanted the severance.
He knew you'd oppose

so he conned you
into making the motion for him
by asking to have you removed.

Gold knew you wanted
another shot at him in court.

He led you to water
and you dove in head first.

No excuses,
you screwed up!

- I thought that...
- Brains were not
involved here.

You tried to out-flex him
and it backfired.

- Adam...
- A personal agenda
should be kept on the street!

Not dragged into a courtroom...
where real people get hurt.

Wait a minute! You insisted
I deal with the man.

What would you have me do now?
Back away from severance?

- Where do we stand?
- We don't!

What do you suggest?

Find a way to make the tape
magically admissible?

The tape is inadmissible
against Teasdale...

Paul is trying him
separately...

You think the judge
would let it in against
Martine and Kemp?

I think you ought to get
them thinking about it.

Bettina on recording:
I don't really like this.

Teasdale on recording:
This should help ease the pain.

You and Kemp
spent the day together,

you cooked a meal,

you had a drink,
you hopped in the sack,
you took care of business,

and then you went with him
to the train station.

I'm not very good
at this.

For 25 thou,
you better be.

(player clicks off)

So what?
It wasn't admissible then,
it's not admissible now.

The tape was inadmissible
against Mr. Teasdale.

The cases have been severed.

Teasdale is being tried
separately.

So as to Mr. Kemp here,
it's a whole new ballgame.

I have already submitted
motion papers for a re-hearing.

Now, if you still want
to roll the dice, Mr. Kemp,

be my guest.

But the rest of your life
is a very long time.

What are you putting
in your coffee, Stone?

You're high if you think...

I think this offer is open
for another 10 seconds.

Next stop, Mr. Martine.

I doubt if he's willing
to take the chance

to let that tape
into evidence.

Man two, one count.
He serves five.

Murder two, 25.

Man one... five to 15,

and you got a deal.

And you serve the max.

(sighs)

I told him the parking lot
would be a bust.

Martine?

I never talked to him.

My contact was Teasdale.

I should know better
than to listen to a lawyer.

He wanted me to do her
with a knife,

leave her in the parking lot
like a mugging.

But Hovis and Coyle
crashed the party?

Everybody knows
this city's "nuts-to-butts."

If it hadn't been the suits,
it would have been somebody else.

You should have
seen their faces.

And Janet Torrens?

What? I'm gonna leave her
there with the dead guys?

I want to know
exactly where she is.

The rats got to her.
Another week, there'd be
nothing left but bones.

So much for
"sleeps with the fishes."

East River, we'd be lucky
to have the bones.

Six inches
right across the neck.

- Robinette: I'll call her parents.
- Cragen: I hope they all rot in hell.

One more stop
and they will.

It's man two
or it's nothing.

Mr. Teasdale is directly
responsible for three deaths.

Which you have
no way of proving.

You had nothing
when he was in charge.
Things don't change that quickly.

Yes, they do, Ms. Styger.

Frank Kemp has agreed
to testify against your client.

Man one, one count.
You serve 15.

It's the same
as we gave Kemp.

We're better off
going the distance.

The "distance" is three terms,
25 to life on each.

Think about it.

Ben...

There's nothing
you can do?

We'll take the 15.

In light of the fact
that my client has withdrawn

his plea of "not guilty"
and entered a plea of "guilty,"

and thereby saved this court
the time and expense

of what surely would have
been a lengthy trial,

I respectfully request
that Your Honor show lenience

and sentence Mr. Martine
to the mandatory minimum
sentence of 15 to life.

May I remind the court

that Mr. Martine has
a wife and children?

He should have thought of them
before he ordered a murder.

Please rise, Mr. Martine.

You have anything to say
before I pronounce sentence?

No, Your Honor.

Charles Martine, having plead guilty
to the murder of Janet Torrens,

Craig Hovis
and Peter Coyle,

I sentence you
to three terms each
of 25 years to life

to be served consecutively
in the State Correctional
Facility in Ossining.

And just be thankful

that that is the most severe
sentence the law allows.

(gavel bangs)

Silver platters...
I handed it to you, Ben.

You would
never have thought
to sever those cases

had I not moved
to have you disqualified.

I was going to use that tape,
severance was the only way.

You're not that smart.
You never were.

Call me for lunch.

You'd actually
eat lunch with him?

Only if he orders crow.

(theme music plays)