Law & Order (1990–2010): Season 20, Episode 10 - Shotgun - full transcript

A small businessman in Spanish Harlem becomes a hero after shooting three armed robbers. However, the investigation later discovers that there are holes in his story and that it may not have been a case of self-defense.

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.

What do you say
we close up early?

You pay me the
same either way, Stan.

I pay you too much, amigo.

You got plans tonight?

Bruce Lee marathon on the DVR.

Good-looking guy like
you, you should have a girl.



Who's talking?

I need that aggravation?

End of the day, I like
my peace and quiet.

Yo. We get in, we
get out. Easy score.

Come on, man!

Okay, baby. Yo, Angel.
Let's bounce, man.

I've got to go.

A citizen flagged
down a sector car.

Looks like an armed
robbery that went south.

A stick-up in broad daylight.

That's pretty bold, even
for this neighborhood.

The two DOAs are the robbers?

Yeah. They ask for money, one guy
starts to beat down on an employee.

Must be this one with the blood on
his knuckles and the 9 next to his hand.



The owner pulls a scattergun out from
under the counter, takes them all out.

The old guy? The accountant?

Stan Harkavy.

I could've used a few more
like him on patrol in Kandahar.

Remington pump.

Don't mess with Grandpa.

Mr. Harkavy?
Detective Kevin Bernard.

How're you doing, sir?

They wouldn't leave.
I didn't want to do it.

I didn't want to kill anybody.

Gregory and I
started to close up.

Three kids bust in.

One of them had a gun
out, waving it around.

You ever see any of them before?

No! Never.

They yelled at me
to give up my money.

There was only
$30 in my cash box.

I said they were
wasting their time.

The one with the gun started
to hit Gregory, my helper,

kicking him in the face.

I thought, "This is it.

"We're both dead."

What happened then?

Well, the guy kept
hitting Gregory.

Gregory, he's like a son to me.

I had to do something.

Who did you shoot first?

I'm not sure.

What did they do
once you started firing?

I don't know.

It was so fast, I just kept shooting
until they were all on the floor.

You ever use that gun before?

No!

I bought it when I first
started my business.

I take it out only to clean it.

This is your first
time being robbed?

Yes. Forty-five years.
Never had any trouble.

I get along with everyone.

With everyone?

You're one of the few white-owned
businesses in that neighborhood.

You never had an issue?

I'm no racist.

Brown, black, purple, people
got to have their taxes done.

You never had trouble, why'd
you buy the gun in the first place?

When we first opened,
we stayed open late.

Evelyn, my wife,
God rest her soul,

thought we needed protection.

Today was the first
time I ever had to use it.

All this for $30?

They were all yelling, "Where
is it? Where is it?" The money.

Stan said we only got
$30. But they wouldn't listen.

Then the one with the gun,
he starts kicking me in the face.

What did Mr. Harkavy do?

He yelled at them
to leave me alone.

But the guy just
kept hitting me.

And then, I didn't see exactly,
but I heard these booms.

It was Stan,
shooting these punks.

So it was just boom, boom, boom,
boom, no breaks between shots?

I don't know. Stan just
did what he had to do.

I thought they were
going to kill us both.

Had these guys ever
been in your office before?

No. I never seen them before.

How did Stan get along with
the people in the neighborhood?

Fine. He's honest,
treats people decent.

You sure?

He showed us some
attitude about Hispanic people.

Stan? I've been with him
three years, I never heard that.

You run with a gang, Gregory?

No, man, that's Japanese.

"The fist and Zen are one."
You're into martial arts?

Nidan, second-degree
black belt in karate.

Lot of good it did.

When I saw that gun, I froze.

Stan saved my life.

Stan and Gregory corroborate
each other on the sequence of events.

It looks like the
beat-down set it off.

The deceased have priors.

Duane Jefferson, bank robbery.

Pierre Hobbs,
car-jacking, assault, CPW.

The third accomplice, the
one who survived, Angel Colon.

No record and he's an applicant
to be a corrections officer.

It seems like a big step
from there to armed robbery.

Maybe he was
building up his résumé.

We'll charge him as soon
as he gets out of surgery.

As for Stan Harkavy, seems like
textbook justification. No charges.

What about his
unregistered shotgun?

Well, I doubt
anyone in my office

is gonna wanna to pursue a
misdemeanor against a 70-year-old hero

who just saved
his employee's life.

The guy kills two people and he just
walks out of here like nothing happened?

I get the feeling he's going to
remember every day what happened.

Two doers with serious priors
target a storefront tax service.

They'd have to know that
there'd be slim pickings.

Maybe they thought
it was an easy mark.

And this boy who wanted
to be a corrections officer.

Send Mr. Harkavy home and
then talk to Angel Colon's people.

Find out how he got
mixed up with these thugs.

I can leave?

For now. The D.A. may
have more questions.

Just don't leave town.

Where else am I going to go?

I got blood on me.

Go home, take a shower.

How's the kid who
went in the ambulance?

He's still in surgery.

He going to make it?

I hope he pulls through. I
didn't think they'd all die.

You know, there are going
to be a lot of reporters outside.

Do you have anyone
that can come pick you up?

My son's in California. I don't
want to talk to any reporters.

I can put you in a cab.

We can use the back
door. You got fare?

Yeah. Thanks for
sneaking me out.

Don't be surprised when the
reporters show up at your door.

When my wife died, I thought
that was the worst day of my life.

I know this can be hard
for you, Mr. Harkavy,

but if you ever need anyone
to talk to, call me, night or day.

I've never seen
these two before.

They're not friends of my son.

Angel's a good boy.

He was even trying to
get a job with the city.

Any idea why he would
participate in a robbery?

You don't know that he did. Maybe
he was there for a good reason.

He was waiting for that job.

But he was talking about
getting a bigger place.

A bigger apartment.

He have a girl?

He'd go out at night, sometimes
he wouldn't come home.

I didn't ask. What's going to
happen to him if he pulls through?

There'll probably be
charges. Is that Angel?

Is he a black belt?

Nidan, second degree.

Excuse me. That
might be the hospital.

Two guys, same age, same
neighborhood, both black belts.

"Way of the Warrior Dojo."

Gregory and Angel. They took
night classes a couple years back.

They were friends?

I thought so. Then one night, they
were paired up for a sparring exercise.

It turned into a street fight.
I had to pull them apart.

What was it about?

I didn't care to ask.

I don't tolerate that.

I told them not to come back.

Karate is about
maintaining control.

Excuse me. Sure.

So Gregory lied to us.
That's not very Zen of him.

That was Angel Colon robbing us?

I didn't recognize him
with the hood and shades.

I never figured he'd end up
running with a stick-up crew.

We heard you had
a fight at your dojo.

Yeah, it was about this
girl, Alicia Rodriguez.

She left me to hook up
with Angel. I got past it.

Is that what Angel's going
to say when he wakes up?

What're you talking about?

It's not hard to imagine you being
the inside man on this robbery.

Inside man? Look at my face.
Those dudes were going to kill us.

Except for Stan and his shotgun.

Maybe that was your
plan. Get Angel killed.

A little payback
for taking your girl.

Oh, that is crazy.
You ask Alicia.

I saw her on the street
a couple of weeks ago.

She's pregnant. I
told her it's all good.

There's no hard feelings.

When are you guys
going to let me open up?

It's still a crime scene.

We'll let you know when
we're done processing it.

I had to get out of my apartment.
The phone's driving me crazy.

They want to take my
picture, interview me.

Yo, shotgun man!

That's what I'm talking
about! You show 'em, baby!

I didn't ask for any of this.
Why can't they leave me alone?

Come on, Stan, let's go
get some arroz con pollo.

So Alicia's baby,
maybe Angel's the father.

Maybe that's why he
needed a bigger apartment.

Gregory congratulated
me on the baby.

He seemed real happy for me.

Happy for you and Angel.

I didn't tell him
Angel's the father.

I didn't want Gregory
starting up something.

He and Angel weren't
on speaking terms?

No. But they were
never friends anyway.

How did Angel end
up at Gregory's job?

He knew where Gregory worked?

No.

Are you going to
arrest that old man?

He was defending his
business and Gregory's life.

He could have
shot them in the leg.

Angel just wanted money so he could
get a better place for me and the baby.

So he robs a place
with 30 bucks in the till.

No. Angel said
there were gold coins.

The old man had a cigar box
full of gold coins in his office.

Where did Angel hear that?

The guy who set it up told
him. That's all Angel was in it for.

He didn't want to hurt anybody.

Thank you, Alicia.
We'll be in touch.

Gold coins in a treasure box.

Why should I talk to you?
My mom says I'm arrested.

Because you have about as much
chance of walking away from this

as your accomplices.

So you might think
about cooperating.

Duane told me. He said
the old man had Krugerrands,

over 100 grand.
Enough to go around.

And how did Duane know?

No idea. But I told Duane I used to
know somebody who worked there.

He would have told
me if there were coins.

And this somebody
was Gregory Cardenas?

Yeah. I didn't know he
was still working there.

Soon as I saw him, I wanted out.

I just stood by the door and
hoped he didn't recognize me.

Hmm.

So when you told Duane
there weren't any coins,

what did he say?

He said to keep my mouth
shut and not tell Pierre.

He said coins or no coins, he was
going to put money in my pocket.

I didn't know what he meant,
but I needed the money,

so I went along.

Nurse! Can I get some
pain killers, please?

Money or not, Duane Jefferson
was walking into that store.

So the gold coins might've just been
a story to get his crew to go along.

If Duane wasn't
in it for the money,

I'd like to know why
he and his friend died.

Krugerrands? I
don't have any gold.

You can search the office.

Oh, we did.

Hello?

No comment. And don't call back.

A reporter, she wanted to know if
the police gave me back my shotgun.

Mr. Harkavy...

Stan.

Okay, Stan. Take a
look at this picture again.

His name is Duane Jefferson.

Now, are you sure
you never saw him?

I'm sure.

Can you think of anyone who
might have wanted to hurt you?

Yeah, the three guys I shot.

Yeah.

Stan has been living above
his office for the past 30 years.

He owns the building
besides a few grand in an IRA.

That's it.

Nothing in the back room or the
apartment, no safe, no Krugerrands.

Maybe it was just
neighborhood folklore.

Yes, I'm still holding.

Well, when can
Dr. Knight call me back?

Thank you.

What?

Yeah, you have a nice day too.

Um, Duane Jefferson's brother
claimed his body from the M.E.

Here.

Maybe he knows what
his brother was really after.

Okay.

We're sorry for your
loss, Mr. Jefferson.

I'm not.

The only time Duane ever
called me was to bail him out.

So you two weren't close.

Not since he sold my bike
to buy drugs in sixth grade.

We'd like to know why
he targeted that place.

Just like Duane.

I read in the papers
there was 30 bucks there.

Can you think of any other reason
why he was interested in that office?

Like I explained,
we didn't talk.

Anybody here he did talk to?

Those two ladies? They wandered
over from the wake next door.

Any idea where Duane hung out?

He worked the door at this
after-hours poker club, on West 35th.

Last time I saw him, he
wanted me to meet him

outside this diner
down the street.

He was going to pay me
back money he owed me.

How much money?

$1,000.

He was flashing cash,
rocking a new leather coat.

The leather coat
he's wearing now?

Yeah, that one.

That is a real nice coat.

Where did his good
fortune come from?

There was this white
kid sitting in the diner,

shaggy hair and an earring.

Duane said this kid, Max,

was a regular at the poker spot.

Said he was going to
set him up on a score.

I told Duane,
"Whatever, good luck."

Yo, player! Let's see some ID.

What'd I do?

For starters, you're patronizing
an illegal gambling operation.

You're kidding me?
Let's see that ID.

We have a winner. Max Purcell.

Oh. Just the man
we're looking for.

We'd like to talk to you
about Duane Jefferson.

Who?

No, sorry.

Don't be stupid. We have a
witness who saw you with him

in the diner down the street.

Okay, so I talked to him.

So, what did you
and Duane talk about?

Well, the cards
weren't going my way.

Guy with hole aces,
sitting on the nuts,

burned me for 8 grand.

Duane fronted me a loan.

He was playing loan shark?

He was working for one.

Got me 8,000. The vig
was one point a week.

I paid him back a few
days before he got killed.

Dudes, I swear. I'm just a
guy who really sucks at poker.

His name's Max Purcell.

He's a trust fund brat,
his parents are deceased.

He lives in their
apartment on Fifth Avenue.

And what's the connection
between Max and the accountant?

None we could find.

Van Buren.

Oh, yes, I've been
waiting for her call.

She's not available now?

Hold on.

Stan Harkavy, marked urgent.

Go.

Yeah. Between 4:00
and 6:00 will work.

She'll have my test results?

All right.

Thank you.

Have a nice day.

Have a nice day when I'm cured.

This old guy shows up, says
he's got flowers for Angel Colon.

The mother freaked out.

He shot my baby!

I came here to
see how he's doing.

Get out of here!
Get him out of here.

Let's get a beer.

I just wanted to say I'm sorry.

Get out of here! You
shot my baby! Get off me!

He shot my baby!
He shot my baby.

I worked in that
neighborhood 45 years.

Got along with everybody.

Just stay away
from the hospital.

I wanted to show
them I'm not a monster.

I know.

There was this old guy in my
neighborhood where I grew up.

Mr. Miwa. He was Japanese,

owned a bodega on
Crenshaw for 30 years.

He would pay me 20 bucks a
week to sweep the store every day.

Kept you off the streets.

He looked out for us.

Let my mom run up a tab
when she was low on cash.

That's what makes
a neighborhood.

People looking out.

You'll get that back.

This whole magilla,
it's too much.

I get a call yesterday.

Councilman's office. They
want to give me an award.

I don't think that I'm a hero.

I don't know if I can
walk back into that office.

Hey, Stan. You ready to go?

What about retiring?

Neighborhood's gentrifying.

You could get a good deal.

I don't know about that.

Oh, he's right, Stan.

You're sitting on the nuts.

You play poker?

That expression...

Oh, some guy said that.

He came into the
office a few weeks ago.

Stan, you remember. He
wanted to buy the place.

Oh, yeah. That punk.

He offered to buy your store?

He was full of crap. He
looked like a drug addict.

Did he leave a name?

Max. He had a crazy
haircut, a silver earring.

Thanks.

It wasn't a robbery.
It was a shakedown.

Max Purcell sent Duane in to
scare Stan into selling his place.

I don't know how much ballet I can
take, Grandpop, so if I cut out early...

Oh, you better not.

Our family's been paying for
tutus and codpieces for 30 years.

The least you can do is suffer
through one performance a year.

Max. We have a
warrant for your arrest.

What're you doing?

Max, keep quiet. You
call Otto Bradshaw.

Tell him I need him right away.

I'm Julian Hayworth, this
young man's grandfather.

What are you arresting
him for? Is it his gambling?

We don't arrest
gamblers, Mr. Hayworth.

Shakedown artists,
yes, but not gamblers.

People v. Maxwell Purcell.
One count Attempted Robbery,

two counts Second Degree Murder.

I plead not guilty, Your Honor.

This is the accounting office
shooting in Spanish Harlem?

The People allege that the
defendant acted in concert with...

Who are these names?

The robbery team, Judge.

The dead guys? Really?

Max Purcell orchestrated this robbery to
coerce the owner to sell him the building.

We contest that. And where's the
vigilante who gunned down three men?

Uh, we're not
prosecuting Mr. Harkavy.

Oh, I see. Jack McCoy's
telling us all to arm ourselves

with unlicensed weapons and
fire away at the least provocation.

Mr. Harkavy acted
in self-defense.

It's Mr. Bradshaw's
client who put in motion

the events that
caused these deaths.

It's a tough sell, Mr. Cutter.

Bail is set at
$100,000. Next case.

Stan Harkavy deserves a medal.

If their strategy
is to turn him into

some kind of crazed
vigilante, it won't work.

I'm worried about
proving motive.

What's a trust fund kid
like Max Purcell want

with a rundown building
in Spanish Harlem?

He wants it so bad he sends
out a crew to terrorize the owner?

You know, Max's grandfather didn't
bother showing up for the arraignment.

Maybe he's ready to
throw the kid to the wolves.

Mr. Bradshaw would have my
right testicle for talking to you.

But anything to clear
up a misunderstanding.

Well, the misunderstanding is

your grandson doesn't appreciate
how much trouble he's in.

That's a characteristic of
the pathology of gambling, no?

He got that bad gene
from my late son-in-law.

We were curious as to why he was
interested in Mr. Harkavy's building.

Oh.

Maybe to turn it into a
craps parlor. Who knows?

Max gets a modest
stipend from his trust fund.

He couldn't afford to put a down
payment on that building, much less buy it.

You own all of these
buildings, don't you?

At one time or another.

Sold off most of my
blue-chip properties.

The recession put the rest
of my portfolio in the crapper.

Maybe your grandson thought you were going
to help him get into the family business.

You'll help him
buy that building.

Lord, no. Max and I don't
have that kind of relationship.

He's family, so I support him.

The Carolyn Hayworth
Library, Hudson University.

Did you go there?

My daughter did, my
only child, Max's mother.

Whatever I have left at the end
of my days, I promised to Hudson,

to build this in her memory.

Everything you have?

Max couldn't be
too happy about that.

A deal's a deal.

Max has his trust
fund to keep him afloat.

Anything else?

I don't think so.

Mike?

Oh, I'm sorry. No.
No more questions.

Good meeting you, Mr. Hayworth.

Nice library. Big too.

Not something you
can just put anywhere.

Mr. Hayworth committed to donate
the money at the end of the year

in the form of an annuity.

He'll receive an annual payout
off the interest until his death,

and the library
will be fully funded.

Everybody's happy.

Well, we certainly are.

His family objected?

His grandson Max
came in a few weeks ago.

He claimed his grandfather
had lost a great deal of his fortune

since agreeing to the donation.

He wanted us to
tear up the contract.

You obviously declined.

Well, a gift of this size
doesn't come around every day.

And besides, unless we
hear from Mr. Hayworth...

This is where the
library's being built?

It changes every few months,

but yes, that is the latest
and hopefully final plan.

Max Purcell saw this?

Yes. I told him the university's
expanding up into Spanish Harlem.

Right through Stan
Harkavy's building.

It was Stan Harkavy
Day in Spanish Harlem,

where thousands of
New Yorkers came out

to support latest
hero in the Big Apple.

Like millions of decent,
hard-working people in this city,

I want to applaud
Mr. Harkavy for defending

his employee and his business
against these armed predators.

Looks like Len Pewls jumped
right on that bandwagon.

Stan Harkavy's a perfect excuse

for one of his thinly
veiled racist commentaries.

Well, fair warning, but I'll
be giving Stan his award

at his commendation
ceremony tomorrow.

Why?

Well, when the defense
is calling Stan a vigilante,

I thought it can't hurt to
showcase his heroism.

Besides,

I respect the guy.

It can't have been easy persevering
in that neighborhood all those years.

It's a free country.

I'm more interested in your
case against Max Purcell.

Well, I think we
nailed his motive.

His grandfather is about to
give away Max's inheritance

to build a library at
Hudson University.

And there was nothing
Max could do about it.

Until he found out Stan's
building runs smack in the middle

of the real estate Hudson
needs to build the library.

If he got control
of that property,

he could hold them up and force
old man Hayworth to pay him off.

Too bad for him he ran into someone
even more stubborn than his grandfather.

So now I'd like to present
this award to someone

who's dedicated his life to
serving one of our communities,

and now he's
demonstrated his heroism

by defending the
business that he built

and the young man
who worked for him.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Stan Harkavy.

I'm an accountant.

I know my way around a tax form.

I'm not much for talking.

I'm not proud about
what happened.

I wish those men had
never stepped into my store.

I'm just glad that me
and Gregory are still alive.

Thank you for the fancy plaque.

Looks like Hudson University

sent someone to kiss
Stan Harkavy's ring.

That's their
development officer.

The one handling the
Hayworth Library gift.

I'm sure Hudson planned on buying
all that real estate on the cheap.

But now that Mr. Harkavy's
gotten all this public sympathy,

it's going to cost them.

Uh-oh, here comes trouble.

Ms. Rubirosa.

Thought I might
run into you here.

Mr. McCoy.

What did I tell you?
Motion to dismiss.

A defendant can't be
charged with felony murder

if his accomplices are
killed during their crime.

That presumes a common
intent among the participants.

While robbery was the intent
of Mr. Purcell's accomplices,

his intent was intimidation.

He makes a good
point, Mr. Bradshaw.

Where is the proof that my client
sent these men into that store?

It's speculation based
on a single coincidence

that my client knew one of the
robbers from his poker game.

Well, one man's coincidence is
another man's circumstantial evidence.

Nice try, Mr. Cutter, but I
take Mr. Bradshaw's point.

I'm dismissing the indictment until
the People have an offer of proof

that this robbery was connected to
Mr. Purcell's scheme to buy the building.

Angel can't get a
fair shake in the city.

We'll be moving for
a change of venue.

Try this case in Niagara Falls,

it won't change the fact your client
was found wounded at the crime scene.

Are you going to claim he was
there to get his tax returns done?

I know I shouldn't
have been there, okay?

Is there anything
you can do for me?

Let's talk about that after
you do something for us.

You know him?

His name's Max Purcell.

Angel... It's okay.

I wish I could say
I did, but I don't.

Duane ever mention Max? Maybe
you heard them talking on the phone.

No. Can't you check
Duane's phones?

Phones? His home and his cell?

No. Duane had two cells. His
regular one and his ho phone.

His ho phone?

You know, a disposable.

So he can run
around on his ladies.

The police only
found one cell phone.

You happen to know any of
those ladies Duane might've called?

He called Pierre's
sister a few times.

Pierre wasn't too
happy about that.

We traced 15 calls to Pierre Hobbs'
sister back to a cell phone number

that had calls to several other
women that Duane was seeing.

Duane looks like a busy guy.
But I don't see any calls to Max.

But look at these. Right here.

"Desiree's House of Beauty."
Duane was dating a hairdresser?

It's on the same
block as Stan's store.

The calls start the day Max went
to visit Stan to offer to buy his place.

Yeah, I gave him my number.
He called me that night.

He didn't tell me
he was a criminal.

Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Okay. Did Duane tell you why
he was in the neighborhood?

I don't remember.

Girl, you don't
remember anything.

He was waiting on some
white boy he was driving around.

He parked across the
street, leaning on his car,

staring at her
through that window.

What kind of car?

A blue BMW. No doubt
you remember that.

He would have stayed in
here all day wasting her time

if that white boy hadn't
come running back to the car.

Is this the white boy?

That's right. Mr. Harkavy
was chasing him.

Duane ran out of here.

When Mr. Harkavy saw him
coming, he went back in his shop.

You're saying
Mr. Harkavy saw Duane?

Mmm-hmm. He sure did.

This is what you get for
displaying yourself in a window.

I thought Stan Harkavy told
you he'd never seen Duane

until the day of the shooting.

That's right. That's
what he told us.

How can we be
sure that Stan lied,

or that he even got
a look at Duane?

The woman at the salon
is pretty sure he did.

He backed off when he saw Duane.

Stan is 68.

In the fear and
confusion of a hold-up,

he might not remember a face
he only saw for a few seconds.

Well, he's sharp enough
to shoot three men.

Mike, I know you're in
the Stan Harkavy fan club,

but he's been looking at Duane's
mug shot for the last two weeks.

It's incomprehensible he
didn't remember seeing him.

Okay. Okay. So, if he
did recognize Duane

from the time he saw him with
Max, then he might've figured out

that it wasn't a hold-up
and it was just intimidation.

And that his life and Gregory's
weren't really in danger.

Stan was behind the
counter and I was over here.

I was down on the floor and the
guy was kicking me in the face.

And then, um, this guy...

Where was this guy?

He was over there, he was
yelling, "Give it up, bitch!"

And then I heard the first boom.

Who did Stan shoot first?

The guy hitting me. He
was standing over me.

Are you sure about that?

See, our lab analyzed these
blood spatters on the wall,

and Pierre's blood, the
guy who was beating you,

was on top of Duane's.

Which means
Duane got shot first.

Maybe you want to take
another run at that answer.

Uh, yeah, yeah. I
guess that's right.

Stan shot that Duane dude first.

Why did you lie?

Before the cops came,

Stan told me it
would look better

if we said the first guy he
shot was the one beating me.

All right, before we
all jump to conclusions,

let me talk to the man.

The kid was by himself when
he came in to buy my building.

But you had an argument.
You chased him outside.

Come on, Stan.
This is important.

Okay, so maybe I went outside.

Did you see the black
guy that was with Max?

I didn't see any black guy.

There's a witness
that says you did.

A witness who knows what I saw.

Who is this person?

It doesn't matter.

It matters to me!

Why are you doing this? I
thought you were my friend.

Did you recognize one of those
robbers, Stan, the guy that was with Max?

Tell me the truth.

You did, didn't you?

I'm an old man.

I don't remember what I saw.

I see you have something
here from Kingsley Properties.

They're a commercial
real estate broker.

How do I know? It's junk mail.

Hand-addressed junk mail.

Mr. Harkavy came to see me to get
an informal appraisal on his property.

This was before the robbery?

Yes. Somebody made him an offer,

and he wanted to find
out if it was a good deal.

Was it?

Not by a long shot.

I knew Hudson University
was eyeballing the area.

I called my sources over there,

and they confirmed
their expansion plans

tracked right through
Mr. Harkavy's block.

So Stan knew the value of his
building was about to skyrocket?

I told him to sit tight.

Hudson will pay far more
than any private developer.

And now with all this attention,

he can tack on another 10%
just for the sympathy factor.

Before those three
thugs came into his store,

Stan Harkavy knew he
was sitting on a gold mine.

Ever since, he's been
milking it to drive up the price.

Let's assume that that's true.

Why would Stan
intentionally gun down men

he knew were only
sent to intimidate him?

Maybe to get Max off his back,

or just to send a message that
he wouldn't be pushed around.

I see. And he made all those
fine calculations in a few seconds.

Maybe he was just pissed off at
the men who were trying to scare him.

I don't know.

You don't know, or you
don't want to think about

all the crow you'll have
to eat if we charge him?

Folk heroes.

That's the problem with
these Joe the Plumber types.

More often than not, they
come back to bite you in the ass.

You now have a witness

who can put Max Purcell
with Duane Jefferson.

Re-charge him.
See if he'll deal.

And what about Stan?

Go to the grand jury and ask
for an indictment for murder.

You sure?

Even if he recognized
Duane Jefferson,

his office was
still being robbed.

His employee was
still being beaten.

The homicides
were legally justified.

He recognized Jefferson
and he lied about it.

That's consciousness of guilt.

He shot these men because
he had his own agenda.

I tried to talk to
my grandfather.

I tried to talk to
the university.

All I kept hearing
was, "A deal's a deal."

So I thought if I
bought a property

right where they wanted
to put that damn library,

I'd have leverage.

So you targeted
Stan Harkavy's store?

It was the only
thing I could afford.

I was a little nervous
about the neighborhood

so I took Duane
Jefferson with me.

I left him outside and I
went in to talk to Stan.

But Stan was too
stubborn to listen.

He got angry and when I left, he
ran out after me, calling me a punk.

Where was Duane
when this happened?

He came running
out of this hair salon.

When Stan saw him coming,

he got scared and
ran back into his store.

You're sure that Mr. Harkavy
saw Mr. Jefferson?

Oh, yeah. His eyes got real big.

Duane was a scary-looking dude.

Did you try again
to buy the building?

I figured I had to
soften Stan up at first.

So I paid Duane $8,000 to
send some guys to shake him up,

make it look like a robbery.

It never dawned on me
that Stan might have a gun.

Are you giving this testimony in
exchange for anything, Mr. Purcell?

I made a deal to plead
guilty to attempted extortion.

They promised me five
years in jail if I told the truth.

I opened that
office 45 years ago.

Evelyn, my wife,

God rest her soul,

and me, we put
everything we had in it.

My first customers, now their
grandchildren, bring me their tax returns.

I hire kids from
the neighborhood,

go to their graduations,
their weddings.

That office is
like a part of me,

like my lungs and my heart.

I got my whole life in there.

So when these
punks come to rob me

and beat up the young
man who worked for me,

I couldn't stand there
and let them do it.

I just couldn't.

I'm not happy I killed them.

But they shouldn't have come
in my office to do what they did.

Max Purcell came into your store
and offered to buy it, isn't that right?

That's right. I told
him to go to hell.

In fact, you followed
him all the way to his car.

I had to tell that punk
what I thought of his offer.

And at that time, you
saw Duane Jefferson.

No, I didn't. Anybody
who says that, they're lying.

Then when the three
men came into your

store, why did you
shoot Mr. Jefferson first?

I didn't.

We heard forensic testimony that
proves you shot Mr. Jefferson first.

I was scared. They
were beating Gregory.

Then why didn't you shoot the man
who was assaulting your employee?

I could've shot Gregory.

Gregory testified he
was on the ground.

You had a clear shot at the
man who was kicking him,

the only man who was armed.

I don't know. It
was very confusing.

I don't think you were
confused at all, Mr. Harkavy.

A realtor told you how
much your building was worth.

You recognized Duane Jefferson.

You knew this was
just a shakedown,

but you weren't
going to take it.

You were going to send a
message to that punk Max Purcell.

I didn't plan this.

All I wanted to do was go home
that night, watch my programs,

do a crossword puzzle.

But they came in
looking for trouble.

And I stood up for myself.

There's nothing wrong
with that and you know it.

Ever since he has
become district attorney,

Mr. McCoy has used his office

to pursue some quixotic
liberal wet dream.

Mr. McCoy, why are you
prosecuting Stan Harkavy?

I can't comment. Grand
jury proceedings are secret.

Then when are you going to stop
displaying such a decidedly liberal bias

in your prosecutions?

Since when is it liberal bias to stand
up for human dignity and human life,

for fairness under the law?

You should re-examine
your own values, Mr. Pewls,

before you start
questioning mine.

The jury's been deliberating
for almost four hours.

We heard some raised voices.

No doubt about
it, it's a hot potato.

Not to mention
Stan's a real charmer.

Thank you.

No true bill.

Sorry, Jack.

These are the rules we play by.

I guess that grand jury's made
up of average Joes like me,

and when push came to shove,

they couldn't fault me
for standing up for myself.

That's all I have to say.

I won't be doing
any more interviews.

Goodbye.

I didn't hear you come in.

You got a 1040 you
want me to take care of?

No, I just came to see
how you were doing.

I'm doing fine.

The university made me an offer.

I'm going to buy a
condo in Palm Beach.

Move down there.

So you got what you wanted.

I didn't want it, not like this.

It fell in my lap.

Maybe so.

But I know you felt bad about it

and you had a
chance to come clean.

You didn't.

What do you know about anything?

Talk to me in 40 years.

Can I help you, ma'am?

I do my own taxes, Mr. Harkavy.

I just wanted my son
to meet a real live hero.

What's your name, young man?

Eddie.

Nice to make your
acquaintance, Eddie.