Law & Order (1990–2010): Season 4, Episode 11 - Golden Years - full transcript
An elderly woman is found dead in her apartment and there is evidence of a burglary. The victim's granddaughter tells the detectives that she had hired a live-in caregiver but she is nowhere to be found. When the caregiver is tracked down she claims to have been fired days earlier by the granddaughter.
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.
Mildred?
Mildred, are you all right?
Oh, my God.
Mildred?
Mildred.
We took the call.
Found the door jimmied.
Bashed in is more like it.
Neighbors? Nobody
home. Everybody works.
Went through the place hit
or miss. Dialing for dollars.
They didn't bother
breaking this drawer open.
Maybe something scared them off.
It sure wasn't her.
Mildred Bauer, 82.
Bruises on her arms,
cut along her jaw.
Think the burglar knocked
her around? Or she fell.
Is this her?
Looks like she lost
about 30 pounds.
Yeah, well, there's no way
she put up much of a struggle.
Would you check the
bottom drawer of the dresser?
Ma'am, you really ought
to let us take you in.
That's where she kept her jewelry,
and you'll need to know what's missing.
If you don't let us take you in,
I'm gonna ask you to sign this.
I gave her a pair of
Georgian silver candlesticks...
eight Christmases ago. No, 10
Christmases ago. They're gone.
And as for her furs,
she... Oh, that's right.
Oh, she, uh...
She gave them away. Ma'am,
are you sure you're all right?
No. But I'm alive.
Old people living
alone, get sick, fall down.
Sayonara.
This one may have had some help.
Her apartment was broken
into. What, the bruises?
Don't jump to conclusions. People
her age get them rolling over in bed.
Well, what about a heart attack?
I mean, the intruder
scares her, that's homicide.
She looks like the poster girl
for about six different diseases.
A heart attack might
have been redundant.
How about time of
death? At least 12 hours.
You'll get my report on Tuesday.
Morgue. Yeah?
Hold them there.
Waiting room. Next of kin.
Laura and I begged her to get out
of that apartment and go into a home.
We found one, a nice one.
My mother-in-law was stubborn.
Even my dad, when he was
alive, tried to get her to move.
She heard "nursing home,"
it meant she was gonna die.
To think someone
killed her for that stuff.
There was nothing valuable.
Do you know... Were there
any delivery people or anybody...
who might have known that
she was living there alone?
She didn't. I hired
a live-in for her.
Didn't you talk to Maria? There
was no one in the apartment.
Maybe she was running errands.
There was no sign of
anybody else living there.
I saw Maria on Tuesday. She
and Grans were playing checkers.
Maria Gonzales.
Do you have an
address? She lived in.
Maria Gonzales. Dominican.
She was paid in cash.
There's no address. She's
probably illegal. Good luck.
You want to knock on every
door in Washington Heights?
You want to let it sit? I
wouldn't mind checking out...
the new Thunderbirds
at the auto show.
All we've got for
sure is a B and E.
And she lived there.
Why would she break in?
Right, she lived there.
So where the hell is she?
She was supposed to
be taking care of the lady.
She's probably taking care
of another old lady right now.
Illegals don't like trouble.
She's out shopping, comes
back, the lady's dead, she takes off.
Maybe she got tired
of being a maid...
and decided to give
herself a little farewell bonus.
You want to find a
maid, talk to other maids.
She is Dominica, I am Haitian.
We are not friends
at home, or here.
I didn't ask if you sent her
valentines. I just asked if you know her.
She worked for a Mrs. Bauer.
Lived in that building there.
No, I don't think
so. All right. Thanks.
I'm looking for a girl named Maria.
She's a maid. I think she hangs out here.
That one doesn't speak English.
That one doesn't like Dominicans.
How about this one?
She doesn't do windows?
No, this one doesn't
know any Marias. Right?
No. No Marias.
That lady that was killed,
are you investigating that?
Yes, we are, ma'am.
Rosa, you remember Mildred
Bauer. I used to talk to her.
No, I don't remember.
You know her, Rosa.
The skinny lady with the kidney.
Maybe we better talk
this over down at the INS.
You do have your
green card, don't you?
You want Maria Gonzales?
I'll tell you where she's staying.
She's staying with my
boyfriend, Felix Ortega.
Write it in your book.
She took him away.
What do you want?
Maria Gonzales.
We can wait.
Felix?
You are here about Mrs. Bauer.
I am very sorry for her. Really?
How'd you know there was
anything to be sorry about?
I have friends who work
on that street. They told me.
Weren't you supposed to be
with Mrs. Bauer when she died?
No. Not after Tuesday.
What happened after Tuesday?
You get distracted?
They fire me.
Mrs. Bauer fired you? Not
Mrs. Bauer, her granddaughter.
You weren't there yesterday?
You mind if we come
in and look around?
You got a warrant?
I know the law.
Look, we don't find
anything, you're in the clear.
Yeah, don't do us any favors.
Hey, did we forget to mention?
Your other girlfriend said hi.
Maria said I fired
her? That's crazy.
Oh, my God, she must
have robbed the place.
But why would she hurt Grans?
Did your grandmother ever...
Sorry. I'm hungry.
The last couple of months,
my mother and I noticed...
some things missing
from the apartment.
Nothing much. An
old radio, a winter coat.
Wouldn't that be a
reason to fire her?
It was small stuff. My
grandmother was incontinent.
You know what that means.
It's not easy to find people to
take care of someone like that.
You didn't think Maria's stealing
was worth mentioning before...
when we're investigating a burglary that's
connected to your grandmother's death?
I guess so. But Maria lives
there. You said someone broke in.
The maid's boyfriend, the lovely
and appealing Felix Ortega...
two burglary convictions.
What about Laura's boyfriend?
Think we ought to check him out?
Why?
I want to know who's
associating with the suspect.
Since when is she a suspect?
Now that you know the maid was stealing,
you get a search warrant for the asking.
Well, why didn't she mention the
maid was stealing until we asked?
And tell me again, why would the
maid break into the place she lived?
To throw us off the scent? Is
Maria Gonzales actually that smart?
Or did Laura Bauer fire
her and take away her key?
An old lady wetting her pants? You don't
fire somebody who's willing to clean up.
Even if they do walk off
with the occasional ashtray.
My old man got
pretty hard to handle...
when he started thinking my
mother was trying to poison him.
Alzheimer's? Yeah.
Couldn't stop him from
throwing his dinner in the toilet...
and eating birdseed.
I told Mike, if I ever start to drift,
to take my gun and shoot me.
You got nothing better to
do, you hassle a Dominican?
Hey, everyone needs a hobby.
$400? Somebody been to
the pawn shop since yesterday?
I work the trucks.
I save my money.
"Rafeal Nava...
"Barahona, República
Dominicana."
My nephew. For his birthday.
You're gonna have to buy some
more brown wrapping paper.
See, what we have here is one
of those little cultural differences.
Now, I gave my
nephew a baseball mitt.
That's them.
I know that Mildred told her
to polish these once a week...
but they haven't been
polished in months.
Now, you're
absolutely certain...
that these are the candlesticks
you gave to Mildred Bauer?
Well, just because I'm old,
Detective, doesn't mean I'm senile.
Maria tells us that Mrs.
Bauer gave them to her.
If she gave them to anyone she'd
give them to her granddaughter.
They were very close.
She ever tell you she was
gonna give them to Laura?
She didn't tell me
anything the last few weeks.
I'd go to visit, and the
maid wouldn't let me in.
She said Mildred
couldn't be disturbed.
The only thing that disturbed Mildred
was a Democrat in the White House.
It's your basic "he said,
she said," Detective.
Miss Gonzales says that Mrs.
Bauer gave her the candlesticks.
Now there's no one
alive that says she didn't.
Which kind of brings us to
the main event, Counselor.
Regarding Mrs. Bauer's death...
Miss Gonzales is prepared
to cooperate completely.
Really? She's gonna
give us her boyfriend?
Laura caught me giving Mrs.
Bauer extra food and water.
She told me not to.
She told you not to
feed her grandmother?
She said give her
just a little water...
spread the food around on
the plate so it looks like more.
I did, but she was hungry.
She was so thin. I
tried to give her more.
Miss Bauer came in and saw.
- She was very angry.
- You were fired, right?
Well, how'd you feel about that?
I was worried. I knew
she wouldn't feed her.
I went on Friday with Felix.
We knocked on the door.
Mrs. Bauer didn't come.
Felix broke it open.
We saw her.
We knew she was dead.
And you looted the place.
No. We didn't take anything.
I didn't believe it, either,
till she showed me these.
"One chopped, cooked carrot.
"Half a potato only."
Laura Bauer left them
on the refrigerator.
Little reminders to starve
her grandmother to death.
"Only one cup of water today."
You sure the maid wasn't
over-watering the plants?
It wasn't the plants that died.
When my old man lost his mind, I
never thought of starvation as a solution.
Well, the maid still has
a little credibility problem.
You think she made this up?
That's a hell of an imagination.
ME's report was
due this morning.
Before we go after a
grieving relative for murder...
why don't we make sure we
know how Mrs. Bauer died?
You wanted me to look for trauma.
Nothing. For a heart attack. Nothing.
Well, what were we supposed to think?
She was found dead during a break-in.
She was found dead
during the war in Bosnia,
too, but that didn't
kill her, either.
Hypotension, diminished
organ size, kidney shutdown...
these are all signs
of dehydration.
How was she eating? She wasn't.
High levels of amino and fatty acids in
her plasma. She was catabolizing muscle.
So she was starved
to death. Absolutely.
Unless she didn't have an
appetite, because she was sick...
or she didn't want to eat,
'cause she was depressed.
Well, don't go out on a limb.
Look, I can tell you how she ended
up. I can't tell you how she got that way.
But she definitely
starved to death.
Why are you asking me?
You found Maria. She had
my grandmother's things.
Laura, your grandmother
didn't die during the burglary.
She died of a lack of food and
water. You recognize these?
What are you saying? Do you
think I neglected my grandmother?
I'm just asking if the
handwriting looks familiar.
Yeah, I wrote them. I had to
give Maria specific instructions.
You admit you told Maria to
restrict your grandmother's food?
She was feeding her empanadas.
All those spicy sauces.
Was the water spicy, too?
Her intake had to be monitored.
Liquid balance was very
difficult with her condition.
Her condition?
My grandmother had pneumonia
last spring. It led to a kidney problem.
Did you make that
diagnosis yourself?
No, Dr. Matthewson did.
He's on East 56th Street.
She had arthritis. I
had her on painkillers.
Last year she broke a hip,
spent six weeks in the hospital.
This year, pneumonia,
then acute kidney disease.
Did you tell the granddaughter
to restrict her water?
To minimize fluid retention. She
had to watch her protein intake, too.
These diet restrictions, how
long were they supposed to last?
Depends on how
the case progresses.
How did Mrs. Bauer's
case progress?
I'm afraid I don't know. She
missed her appointments.
Don't you take some kind of an oath to
follow up on the treatment of sick people?
My receptionist called.
She was told Mrs. Bauer
was seeing another doctor.
Told by Mrs. Bauer?
By her granddaughter.
So the medical excuse holds up.
Yeah, but Laura Bauer said her
grandmother was seeing another doctor.
No one asked the old
doctor for her records.
So she took her
home and left her there.
And applied the low-protein
diet a little overenthusiastically.
Come on, Mike. You really
believe that girl did it on purpose?
The old lady was left alone.
There was no food in that apartment.
The maid didn't have a
motive to starve or kill her.
Okay, what's the
granddaughter's motive?
Some old ladies
have bank accounts.
The granddaughter
is an heir. To what?
Mildred, rich? What's rich?
Anything with six
zeros. Not Mildred.
A couple of hundred grand
in bonds. All left to charity.
So Laura Bauer didn't
stand to inherit a dime?
What about Laura's
mother? No love lost there.
When Mildred's son divorced her,
she got enough for a summer wardrobe...
and a few lunches at Schraft's.
Okay, so the old lady wasn't
crazy about Laura or her mother.
She liked Laura once she
started taking care of her.
Set up an education fund.
Laura's planning on law school.
Mildred liked to slip her a
little extra. Bought her a BMW.
A little extra? Used.
Now wait a minute. Did Laura
know she wasn't inheriting?
I mean, maybe she figured
she was getting something.
Video will. I use it
with my elderly clients...
to demonstrate competence.
Where am I supposed to
look, dear? Over there, Grans...
There's Laura right there, Mike.
I guess she knew
what she wasn't getting.
Laura didn't need Mildred's money.
She was going to law school...
and Mildred said that she
brought over her fiancé...
Kent Halliwell, a
fine old Boston name.
Mildred was a bit
of a snob. Here.
I give and bequeath
my entire estate...
to United Charities
of Manhattan.
Mildred was old-fashioned.
She took care of
Laura's education.
Beyond that, she thought
inherited money made people soft.
If anything, the kid had a
motive to keep the old lady alive.
When she went, so did all
the goodies. I don't know.
How about if we prove Laura
Bauer was lying to her grandmother?
Then would you
buy she's lying to us?
About the fiancé?
You think that black guy she's shacking
up with is from a fine old Boston family?
Black Irish.
What'd the lawyer say the
fiancé's name was? Kent Halliwell?
What you say we find
Mr. Halliwell? Check out his tan.
Laura and I are friends,
sure. What's this about?
We heard that you
were engaged, right?
Well, no. I mean, not really.
We went out for a while.
Then you know that Laura's
going out with someone else, right?
Well, so am I. But we still
see each other sometimes.
What does this have to do
with her grandmother's death?
It was that maid, wasn't it?
Did you tell Mrs. Bauer
that you were Laura's fiancé?
I liked the old lady.
She was sick, and Laura
said it would cheer her up.
Hey, I want to cheer up an old lady, I
buy her a 10-year subscription to TV Guide.
She was dying...
and she wanted to feel like
her life meant something.
That the Bauers would carry on.
She told her we loved
that awful apartment...
and that we couldn't wait to
live in it after we were married.
Which would be when?
Never? She was dying.
She liked to hear that
Laura was doing well.
Laura told her she
was going to law school.
She wasn't going to law school?
Look, she was just trying
to make her feel better.
I mean, what does it
matter? She loved Laura.
She even left her that
apartment, for God's sake.
Here, three months ago.
"Mildred Bauer and Laura Bauer
became tenants in common...
"with right of
survivorship." Co-owners.
So the apartment
wasn't in the estate.
Remember Halliwell said
she told her grandmother...
they wanted to live there
after they got married?
The old lady signed it over.
Maybe not a wise move.
Yeah, tell me about it. I did
it before my second divorce.
That's why I can't
go home, anymore.
Hey, this girl works fast. The
bank filed a UCC-1 yesterday.
Laura has already borrowed
against the property.
Still think she was an innocent
bystander? Okay, maybe not.
"Westside Financial, $75,000."
Now that buys a pretty
nice funeral wreath.
Let's get a subpoena
for her checking account...
and find out what else
was on her shopping list.
She gave you a
check for $60,000.
Yeah, the minimum
for limited partners.
It was a good investment, so I
offered Laura a chance to get in.
Hey, arugula salad, $12.
She'll make her money
back in a week. Maybe a year.
Body-healthy food presented
with style. People like it.
Sounds like it was lucky for Laura
her grandmother died when she did.
She was pretty old.
How'd Laura take the news?
She was sad. They were very close.
The other night, Thursday,
we were going to a club...
Laura insisted on stopping
to check on her grandmother.
Thursday? You sure? Yeah.
Did you go in with her?
We waited in the car.
She came back. She said
her grandmother was sleeping.
Why?
Look at the timing, Miss
Kincaid. Thursday night.
The maid was fired on
Tuesday. If she fired the maid.
It doesn't matter. Laura's the one
we know who's been lying to us.
She said she hadn't
been there since Tuesday.
The maid and her boyfriend came
calling on Friday. The old lady was dead.
You sure she wasn't still alive,
and they didn't finish her off?
They weren't there long
enough to starve her to death.
Worse case, she was almost
dead, they did nothing to help.
You're saying when the granddaughter
stopped by Thursday night...
that she was
definitely still alive?
Laura left the beautiful
people outside...
and ran in to check and see if
her grandmother was dead yet.
If she'd have been dead already,
Laura would've packed the body off...
to the funeral
home, case closed.
But she's still alive, starving,
and Laura runs off to the disco.
Tough case. No weapon.
More omission than commission.
What's tough about it? She starved
an 82-year-old woman to death.
Depraved indifference to
human life. It's homicide.
Bring her in.
Detective, what are you...
Laura Bauer, you're under arrest...
for the murder of Mildred Bauer.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be
used against you in a court of law.
Do you understand that?
You have the right to an
attorney. Should you refuse...
Look, Mildred Bauer
had diabetes, arthritis...
heart condition,
high blood pressure...
and kidneys you could
have used as doorstops.
What I'm saying, Ben, is that
she died of natural causes.
Starvation is a natural cause in
Somalia. In New York City, it's murder two.
Come on, Ben. She
lied to her grandmother.
She lied to her
grandmother's doctor.
She ordered her grandmother's
maid to withhold food.
And now she ends up with
her grandmother's apartment.
Well, she just happens to be
Mrs. Bauer's granddaughter.
Who should the woman give
the apartment to, the PLO?
She might have
lived longer if she had.
I didn't kill Gran.
Look, even if Laura had made errors
in judgment, which I do not grant...
she, at most, hastened Mrs.
Bauer's inevitable death by, what...
a matter of weeks? Days, maybe.
Danielle, do you remember
the bar exam? Yes.
And, Miss Bauer,
this might interest you.
A woman falls off the top
of the Empire State Building.
She passes the second
floor, where a man shoots her...
and kills her seconds
before she hits the ground.
- Is that man guilty?
- Yes.
But what if the man
doesn't shoot her?
What if, as she falls, she
asks him for a ham sandwich...
and he's just a little
slow in handing it to her?
Is that what
happened, Miss Bauer?
You just took your time
feeding your grandmother?
I don't believe
this is happening.
No. I made sure my
grandmother was well-cared for.
You made sure she didn't eat.
I did what the
doctor told me to do.
I was going to school. I
was trying to have a life.
How many old people did you take
care of while you were studying for finals?
I was there all the time.
Believe me, Mildred's own daughter never
cared for her the way Laura and I did.
I didn't know she had a daughter.
Shirley. Lives in California.
She didn't even
come to the funeral.
You have to understand.
Mildred was a very difficult person.
She refused to eat.
What I understand is...
your daughter got Mrs. Bauer's
apartment, and you got nothing.
What's that supposed to mean?
Maybe I wasn't fond of Mildred,
but I wouldn't want to see her suffer.
You weren't fond of her, but
you helped take care of her?
At first, then Laura took over.
Look, Laura was her grandchild.
I was just her son's ex-wife.
Is Laura as bitter as you are?
I'm not bitter. I'm realistic.
The mother knows more
than she's willing to say.
Maybe we should push her.
It's a stretch, but we could indict her
as complicit in neglecting Mrs. Bauer.
Penal Law 26025.
It's only illegal to
neglect an old person...
if the victim's incompetent
because of mental disease or defect.
A curiosity of the law.
Well, we argue hunger and thirst
affected Mrs. Bauer's mind before she died.
It's only a misdemeanor.
Greater curiosity of the law.
Murder by starvation, I think
that's enough to move a jury.
Well, be sure you
get one with gray hair.
The young get impatient with old
people, especially cantankerous ones.
Oh, really? Speaking
from personal experience?
I'm a sweetheart,
and I'm middle-aged.
I don't know anything about it. All
I watch on TV is the nature shows.
Do you think someone who's arrested
and brought to trial is probably guilty?
I'm open-minded. The
police make mistakes.
Indeed. Thank you.
Miss Kincaid. Juror 14.
Mr. Stern, are you married?
I'm a widower. Nine years.
So you live alone? Nine years.
You have children? Two boys.
A draftsman and a businessman.
The recycling business.
Have you ever thought about what
arrangements you would make...
if you were unable to live
alone? If? You mean when.
When.
Move in with my kid sister. West
Palm Beach. She has a room ready.
Okay, thank you.
Miss Melnick?
No questions, Your
Honor. Ready to approach.
Approach.
Your Honor, the People have
only one challenge for cause.
Juror number 6.
The gentleman who said, "God doesn't want
anyone to live past three score and ten?"
Granted.
No challenges for cause, Your
Honor, but I will exercise peremptories...
against 2, 11, and 14.
Jurors 2, 6, 11, and 14...
you are excused, with
thanks, from service here.
Your Honor...
she's removing every juror over 65
without even bothering to question them.
They're peremptories, Ben. I can
use them against anyone I want.
The Supreme Court does not
entirely agree with you, Danielle.
Really?
In Georgia v. McCollum:
"White defendants accused
of assaulting blacks...
"cannot exclude
blacks from the jury."
Now we have an old woman
murdered. Old people are being excluded.
It's an exact parallel.
Are you saying the defendant
isn't getting a jury of her peers?
I am saying the jury should
represent the community.
People who look like the
victim, as well as the defendant.
The principle of McCollum has
already been extended to gender.
It's appropriate for
you to extend it to age.
And I can extend it to
left-handed redheads.
Maybe I'm overly
humble, Counselors...
but I don't feel up to rewriting
the Bill of Rights this week.
Ben, if your case is any good...
you can convince
jurors under 65, too.
That Mildred was strong.
When she got pneumonia...
as she asked me to sell her ticket
for that month's matinee club...
she said she'd be better
in time for Miss Saigon.
And was she? I don't
know. I went to see her...
and the maid, Spanish girl, said
that she had orders from Laura...
no one could come in.
Laura had us all fooled.
Objection. Hearsay. Sustained.
The jury will disregard
the last remark.
Mrs. Hodge, please confine
your testimony to what you saw.
Well, Mildred disappeared
into the apartment...
with a bad cough...
and next time I saw
her, she was dead.
Did you have any reason to believe
that Mrs. Bauer should have been isolated?
Of course not.
She wasn't a child.
And when was the last
time you heard from her?
She sent me a note a
few weeks before she died.
She wanted to know if I could contribute
to the engagement gift for Laura.
A tablecloth.
Mildred said she was going
to give Laura some bonds...
for her future
great-grandchildren.
And that was to celebrate the defendant's
engagement to Mr. Halliwell, correct?
Yes.
I gather the engagement
is off. Thank you.
No further questions.
Mrs. Hodge, you had no
way of really knowing...
how sick Mrs.
Bauer was, did you?
All my friends are
dying fairly regularly now.
Mildred didn't have
that look they get.
Yes, but you didn't see her for
the last weeks of her life, did you?
They wouldn't let me.
Yet you said you didn't see any reason
to keep the world away from Mrs. Bauer.
Now, for instance, did you know
that her grocer was overcharging her?
How could I know that?
Did you know that a plumber charged her
$800 to fix pipes that weren't even broken?
She didn't need to be
protected from me. Really?
Isn't it true that you borrowed $300
from Mildred Bauer over a year ago?
Well, the Medicare didn't
cover some dental work.
Well, she knew
that I'd pay her back.
Did you? I would have.
Could that be why you
were kept from seeing her?
Because you were one of those
people who were taking advantage...
of your so-called friend?
She twisted everything.
Couldn't you stop her?
Mrs. Hodge, I asked you...
if there was anything in your
relationship with Mrs. Bauer...
that they could
hold against you.
Now, how could I tell it
mattered if I had my teeth fixed?
I also said that there are
rules in the courtroom...
that do not apply
in the outside world.
Well, don't patronize
me, young man.
I'm trying not to
patronize you, ma'am.
Politicians want our votes,
and everybody wants our money.
Otherwise, they don't even see
you, unless you're walking too slow...
and then they push you aside. If
you're a burden, now they can kill you.
It's no problem. We have the
lying and thieving illegal alien maid.
I wouldn't count on that.
Her lawyer called. INS is
deporting her in six hours.
It was understood that my
client wouldn't face any charges.
The burglary was dropped. Well,
thanks for nothing. You had no case.
And we talked to Immigration.
Proceedings against Miss
Gonzales will be suspended
until after Laura Bauer's trial.
That won't do her any good. Miss
Gonzales has grown fond of New York.
God knows why.
Charlie, you know the jurisdiction
was federal. It's out of my hands.
We will need assurances that
deportation proceedings will be dropped.
Or what? Or Miss Gonzales...
gets on that airplane tonight, and
you fly solo in the courtroom tomorrow.
Wrong. She testifies, or
she's jailed for contempt.
She serves that sentence,
and then she's deported.
I told her...
you got to feed her
or she's gonna die.
And how did Miss Bauer
respond when you said that?
She said, "You want to
work here, do what I say."
And did you do what she
said? I couldn't just do nothing.
I gave her extra food.
That's when she fired me.
So what happened after
she fired you? I called Felix.
He came to help me take
my things. We were going.
That's when I remembered I had
Mrs. Bauer's medicine in my bag.
She wouldn't take
it that morning.
So please tell the court what
happened next, Miss Gonzales.
I went back upstairs and told
Miss Bauer I had the medicine.
She said, "Keep it."
Her grandmother
didn't need it, anymore.
Thank you. Your witness.
Miss Gonzales, you and
your boyfriend, Felix Ortega...
broke into Mrs. Bauer's apartment
the day she died, didn't you?
We wanted to see if
she was all right. Yeah.
But she wasn't
all right, was she?
She was lying on
the floor, dead...
and you stepped over
her to steal her valuables.
No. We ran away.
You were arrested for
burglary, weren't you?
Yes.
Mrs. Bauer's
silver candlesticks...
were found in Mr. Ortega's
apartment, were they not?
Yes.
And yet, the District Attorney chose
to drop those charges, didn't he?
I didn't take anything.
You were scheduled to be
deported yesterday, weren't you?
Objection. Relevance. It's
relevant if the District Attorney...
used his power, for the second time,
Your Honor, to influence the testimony...
of this witness. That
is not true, Your Honor.
Approach.
The truth of any testimony
here will be decided by the jury.
If I'm slandered, Your
Honor, I have to reply.
Miss Melnick...
any more remarks that provoke
Mr. Stone will also provoke me...
and you will regret
it. Yes, Your Honor.
Mr. Stone, your
objection is overruled.
Miss Gonzales...
you were scheduled to be
deported yesterday, were you not?
Yes.
And the District Attorney took action
to prevent that deportation, did he not?
I don't know. You don't
know? You're here, aren't you?
Nothing further.
Miss Gonzales, did I or anyone
in the District Attorney's office...
ever tell you to say anything
but the truth? No. It is the truth.
And in regard to Miss Melnick's
inference about your deportation...
what are your plans tomorrow?
They are sending me
back to Santo Domingo.
Thank you.
Grans had some cousins in New
Jersey, too. They never visited, either.
So the care of your grandmother fell
entirely upon your shoulders, didn't it?
I didn't mind. She
could be kind of difficult...
but she said we were a lot alike,
that crankiness ran in the family.
Laura, would you please
explain to the court...
why you told your grandmother
that you were going to law school?
Because I am going to go.
My grades just weren't good
enough to apply right now.
I'm taking courses
to get my average up.
When you gave Maria Gonzales instructions
about feeding your grandmother...
did you ever believe that these
instructions would be harmful?
Of course not. I was
following the doctor's orders.
But she stopped seeing
that doctor, didn't she?
My grandmother didn't like
him. She was very particular.
I tried to get her to see someone
else, but she said she was feeling better.
I just tried to keep
her comfortable.
Laura, when you stopped by
your grandmother's apartment...
the night before her body was found,
why didn't you do anything to help her?
She was in bed. I
thought she was sleeping.
I thought everything was fine.
Thank you. Your witness.
I assume you have more than
a few questions, Mr. Stone?
Yes, Your Honor.
We'll recess until
tomorrow morning.
The loving grandchild
versus the undesirable alien.
Now there's an even match.
Everything undermines
the maid's credibility.
The boyfriend, the
burglary, the deportation.
The INS doesn't deport people
who blow up Lower Manhattan.
Why did they suddenly get
interested in a Dominican maid?
Let's ask them.
Her name was on our watch list.
We check it against arrest
records, there she was.
And here we are.
Why was her name on the list?
Was she some kind of notorious maid?
Anonymous telephone
informant, a couple of months ago.
Gave us her name,
told us where she lived.
Like we can spare
people to pick people up.
We put her on the
list. Worked out fine.
Somebody gave you her address?
Probably her boyfriend's
other girlfriend. That's the usual.
What was the date
on that phone call?
I only wanted my
grandmother to be happy.
So to make her happy, you
lied about going to law school...
and you lied about
investing in a restaurant...
and you lied about your
engagement to Mr. Halliwell, correct?
It wasn't done to harm her.
You see no harm in
lying to an old woman...
in order to get her to
give you her apartment?
She gave me that apartment
because she loved me, and I loved her.
And you didn't have any
resentments toward her...
for demanding your
time and your attention?
No, I didn't.
And you didn't resent her for
wanting another kind of granddaughter?
One who could go to law school
and marry someone like Kent Halliwell?
She had high standards.
I respected that.
And you didn't resent her
denying you an inheritance?
One that you and your mother
thought was rightfully yours?
I am not my mother.
Well, you are either the most
patient person I ever met...
or you're lying now to
make the jury happy.
Objection, Your
Honor. Withdrawn.
Miss Bauer, on the day
that your grandmother died...
you told the police
that you did not know...
where Maria Gonzales
lived, is that correct?
Yes.
Yet the same day, someone called the
Immigration and Naturalization Service...
told them exactly where
Miss Gonzales lived...
and suggested that she
be picked up and deported.
Did you make that call? Objection.
Where did this call come from?
Your Honor, we would like
to introduce into evidence...
the local usage details
on Miss Bauer's telephone.
Yes, I called them.
So you lied to
the police, as well.
Why all the lies, Miss Bauer?
And why the call to the INS?
Because Miss Gonzales
knew what you were up to...
and you didn't want
her telling anybody?
That's not it. I was
confused. I felt guilty.
Of course you did, because
you killed your grandmother.
No, because I couldn't save her!
I knew she was dying. She
refused to go to a hospital.
She said all of her
friends were dead...
the pain was so bad she couldn't sleep,
and it wasn't going to get any better.
She told me that
she wanted to die.
I begged her to eat. I argued
with her, but she was so stubborn.
I felt guilty because I
hadn't argued harder.
When she asked me why
she should go on living...
I couldn't give her an answer.
Mr. Stone, a priest has been
waiting to see you since 8:00...
so I put him in your office.
Thanks.
Mildred Bauer
was my parishioner.
When Laura was arrested, the
papers made it sound like she was guilty.
I didn't know what to
think. But now, I feel that I...
Excuse me, Father, I
have to ask you this.
Did her lawyer call you?
No. She doesn't know.
I heard about Laura's
testimony on the news.
I mean, I don't know
what I know for sure, really.
Mildred came to see
me a few months ago.
She was ill. She was in pain.
She said she didn't think God
would want her suffering to continue.
I knew where she was headed.
Then she asked if
she let herself die...
if she let God's
course manifest itself...
would it be the same as suicide?
Now, I cautioned her:
Despair is an insult to God.
God doesn't want her
help to work his ways.
And if she did what I
thought she wanted to do...
I couldn't bury her.
But you did bury her.
She didn't shoot herself. She didn't
take pills. I didn't know anything.
I had to give her
the benefit of a doubt.
Miss Bauer, it's pretty
damn convenient.
You suddenly remember that your
grandmother wanted to commit suicide...
after you're put on trial for murder,
and the case turns against you.
If you're not a Catholic,
it's hard to explain.
I am a Catholic,
Miss Bauer. Try me.
Then you know.
Suicide is a mortal sin.
My grandmother wanted to be buried in
consecrated ground next to her parents.
I couldn't tell anyone.
Murder is a mortal sin, too.
You just don't get
it. She wanted to die.
Why do you think she never called for
help? There was a phone next to her bed.
It doesn't explain
why you called the INS.
Maria is a Catholic, too.
What if she said something?
What if I had to bury my
grandmother in a public cemetery?
You were willing to go to
prison to keep this a secret?
I never conceived of being
arrested, let alone convicted.
I'm innocent.
Danielle, how can I
possibly know this is true?
Your client has a pretty
good record of lying.
I had to lie.
I can be forgiven for lying.
Suicide is the only sin
that can't be forgiven.
In all honesty, Adam, I'm not sure
of anything involved in this case.
It's the jury that
has to be sure.
I talked to the funeral home.
Mildred Bauer called a month before
she died to make arrangements for herself.
There you are.
Two years ago I
bought a cemetery plot.
I wake up one morning,
I'm depressed, I skip lunch.
You gonna lock me in
my closet and starve me?
Adam, help me out here.
If Mildred Bauer wanted to die, this
is not the case we started out with.
You don't know what Mildred
Bauer wanted, nor did that girl.
She should have taken her
grandmother to the hospital.
To die hooked up to a
bunch of machines? Or to live?
I think we ought to offer
her a deal. Assisted suicide.
If you believe the girl,
she's hardly guilty of that.
That's my problem. I don't
know if she's not lying again.
Melnick'll take the
plea? I think so.
She knows we've
got a shot to convict.
So the two of you want
to pressure the girl...
to plead to a lesser offense
that she might not be guilty of...
because she's about to be
convicted of a more serious crime...
she might be guilty of.
Does that make sense
to you? With our system...
and imperfect knowledge, yes.
How long would I
have to be in jail?
Two years.
I still don't think I
did anything wrong.
They remove feeding
tubes in hospitals all the time.
If you're convicted of
murder, you'll serve 25.
It was so hard to
know what to do.
Some days she was so
clear about what she wanted.
Other times...
Other times?
We've accepted the deal, Ben.
That girl ought to send
you a thank-you note.
She's going away
for two years, Adam.
And when she gets
out, she'll be, what, 24?
Twenty-five. Twenty-five.
I'd do two years in Attica
happily, if I walked out 25.
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.
Mildred?
Mildred, are you all right?
Oh, my God.
Mildred?
Mildred.
We took the call.
Found the door jimmied.
Bashed in is more like it.
Neighbors? Nobody
home. Everybody works.
Went through the place hit
or miss. Dialing for dollars.
They didn't bother
breaking this drawer open.
Maybe something scared them off.
It sure wasn't her.
Mildred Bauer, 82.
Bruises on her arms,
cut along her jaw.
Think the burglar knocked
her around? Or she fell.
Is this her?
Looks like she lost
about 30 pounds.
Yeah, well, there's no way
she put up much of a struggle.
Would you check the
bottom drawer of the dresser?
Ma'am, you really ought
to let us take you in.
That's where she kept her jewelry,
and you'll need to know what's missing.
If you don't let us take you in,
I'm gonna ask you to sign this.
I gave her a pair of
Georgian silver candlesticks...
eight Christmases ago. No, 10
Christmases ago. They're gone.
And as for her furs,
she... Oh, that's right.
Oh, she, uh...
She gave them away. Ma'am,
are you sure you're all right?
No. But I'm alive.
Old people living
alone, get sick, fall down.
Sayonara.
This one may have had some help.
Her apartment was broken
into. What, the bruises?
Don't jump to conclusions. People
her age get them rolling over in bed.
Well, what about a heart attack?
I mean, the intruder
scares her, that's homicide.
She looks like the poster girl
for about six different diseases.
A heart attack might
have been redundant.
How about time of
death? At least 12 hours.
You'll get my report on Tuesday.
Morgue. Yeah?
Hold them there.
Waiting room. Next of kin.
Laura and I begged her to get out
of that apartment and go into a home.
We found one, a nice one.
My mother-in-law was stubborn.
Even my dad, when he was
alive, tried to get her to move.
She heard "nursing home,"
it meant she was gonna die.
To think someone
killed her for that stuff.
There was nothing valuable.
Do you know... Were there
any delivery people or anybody...
who might have known that
she was living there alone?
She didn't. I hired
a live-in for her.
Didn't you talk to Maria? There
was no one in the apartment.
Maybe she was running errands.
There was no sign of
anybody else living there.
I saw Maria on Tuesday. She
and Grans were playing checkers.
Maria Gonzales.
Do you have an
address? She lived in.
Maria Gonzales. Dominican.
She was paid in cash.
There's no address. She's
probably illegal. Good luck.
You want to knock on every
door in Washington Heights?
You want to let it sit? I
wouldn't mind checking out...
the new Thunderbirds
at the auto show.
All we've got for
sure is a B and E.
And she lived there.
Why would she break in?
Right, she lived there.
So where the hell is she?
She was supposed to
be taking care of the lady.
She's probably taking care
of another old lady right now.
Illegals don't like trouble.
She's out shopping, comes
back, the lady's dead, she takes off.
Maybe she got tired
of being a maid...
and decided to give
herself a little farewell bonus.
You want to find a
maid, talk to other maids.
She is Dominica, I am Haitian.
We are not friends
at home, or here.
I didn't ask if you sent her
valentines. I just asked if you know her.
She worked for a Mrs. Bauer.
Lived in that building there.
No, I don't think
so. All right. Thanks.
I'm looking for a girl named Maria.
She's a maid. I think she hangs out here.
That one doesn't speak English.
That one doesn't like Dominicans.
How about this one?
She doesn't do windows?
No, this one doesn't
know any Marias. Right?
No. No Marias.
That lady that was killed,
are you investigating that?
Yes, we are, ma'am.
Rosa, you remember Mildred
Bauer. I used to talk to her.
No, I don't remember.
You know her, Rosa.
The skinny lady with the kidney.
Maybe we better talk
this over down at the INS.
You do have your
green card, don't you?
You want Maria Gonzales?
I'll tell you where she's staying.
She's staying with my
boyfriend, Felix Ortega.
Write it in your book.
She took him away.
What do you want?
Maria Gonzales.
We can wait.
Felix?
You are here about Mrs. Bauer.
I am very sorry for her. Really?
How'd you know there was
anything to be sorry about?
I have friends who work
on that street. They told me.
Weren't you supposed to be
with Mrs. Bauer when she died?
No. Not after Tuesday.
What happened after Tuesday?
You get distracted?
They fire me.
Mrs. Bauer fired you? Not
Mrs. Bauer, her granddaughter.
You weren't there yesterday?
You mind if we come
in and look around?
You got a warrant?
I know the law.
Look, we don't find
anything, you're in the clear.
Yeah, don't do us any favors.
Hey, did we forget to mention?
Your other girlfriend said hi.
Maria said I fired
her? That's crazy.
Oh, my God, she must
have robbed the place.
But why would she hurt Grans?
Did your grandmother ever...
Sorry. I'm hungry.
The last couple of months,
my mother and I noticed...
some things missing
from the apartment.
Nothing much. An
old radio, a winter coat.
Wouldn't that be a
reason to fire her?
It was small stuff. My
grandmother was incontinent.
You know what that means.
It's not easy to find people to
take care of someone like that.
You didn't think Maria's stealing
was worth mentioning before...
when we're investigating a burglary that's
connected to your grandmother's death?
I guess so. But Maria lives
there. You said someone broke in.
The maid's boyfriend, the lovely
and appealing Felix Ortega...
two burglary convictions.
What about Laura's boyfriend?
Think we ought to check him out?
Why?
I want to know who's
associating with the suspect.
Since when is she a suspect?
Now that you know the maid was stealing,
you get a search warrant for the asking.
Well, why didn't she mention the
maid was stealing until we asked?
And tell me again, why would the
maid break into the place she lived?
To throw us off the scent? Is
Maria Gonzales actually that smart?
Or did Laura Bauer fire
her and take away her key?
An old lady wetting her pants? You don't
fire somebody who's willing to clean up.
Even if they do walk off
with the occasional ashtray.
My old man got
pretty hard to handle...
when he started thinking my
mother was trying to poison him.
Alzheimer's? Yeah.
Couldn't stop him from
throwing his dinner in the toilet...
and eating birdseed.
I told Mike, if I ever start to drift,
to take my gun and shoot me.
You got nothing better to
do, you hassle a Dominican?
Hey, everyone needs a hobby.
$400? Somebody been to
the pawn shop since yesterday?
I work the trucks.
I save my money.
"Rafeal Nava...
"Barahona, República
Dominicana."
My nephew. For his birthday.
You're gonna have to buy some
more brown wrapping paper.
See, what we have here is one
of those little cultural differences.
Now, I gave my
nephew a baseball mitt.
That's them.
I know that Mildred told her
to polish these once a week...
but they haven't been
polished in months.
Now, you're
absolutely certain...
that these are the candlesticks
you gave to Mildred Bauer?
Well, just because I'm old,
Detective, doesn't mean I'm senile.
Maria tells us that Mrs.
Bauer gave them to her.
If she gave them to anyone she'd
give them to her granddaughter.
They were very close.
She ever tell you she was
gonna give them to Laura?
She didn't tell me
anything the last few weeks.
I'd go to visit, and the
maid wouldn't let me in.
She said Mildred
couldn't be disturbed.
The only thing that disturbed Mildred
was a Democrat in the White House.
It's your basic "he said,
she said," Detective.
Miss Gonzales says that Mrs.
Bauer gave her the candlesticks.
Now there's no one
alive that says she didn't.
Which kind of brings us to
the main event, Counselor.
Regarding Mrs. Bauer's death...
Miss Gonzales is prepared
to cooperate completely.
Really? She's gonna
give us her boyfriend?
Laura caught me giving Mrs.
Bauer extra food and water.
She told me not to.
She told you not to
feed her grandmother?
She said give her
just a little water...
spread the food around on
the plate so it looks like more.
I did, but she was hungry.
She was so thin. I
tried to give her more.
Miss Bauer came in and saw.
- She was very angry.
- You were fired, right?
Well, how'd you feel about that?
I was worried. I knew
she wouldn't feed her.
I went on Friday with Felix.
We knocked on the door.
Mrs. Bauer didn't come.
Felix broke it open.
We saw her.
We knew she was dead.
And you looted the place.
No. We didn't take anything.
I didn't believe it, either,
till she showed me these.
"One chopped, cooked carrot.
"Half a potato only."
Laura Bauer left them
on the refrigerator.
Little reminders to starve
her grandmother to death.
"Only one cup of water today."
You sure the maid wasn't
over-watering the plants?
It wasn't the plants that died.
When my old man lost his mind, I
never thought of starvation as a solution.
Well, the maid still has
a little credibility problem.
You think she made this up?
That's a hell of an imagination.
ME's report was
due this morning.
Before we go after a
grieving relative for murder...
why don't we make sure we
know how Mrs. Bauer died?
You wanted me to look for trauma.
Nothing. For a heart attack. Nothing.
Well, what were we supposed to think?
She was found dead during a break-in.
She was found dead
during the war in Bosnia,
too, but that didn't
kill her, either.
Hypotension, diminished
organ size, kidney shutdown...
these are all signs
of dehydration.
How was she eating? She wasn't.
High levels of amino and fatty acids in
her plasma. She was catabolizing muscle.
So she was starved
to death. Absolutely.
Unless she didn't have an
appetite, because she was sick...
or she didn't want to eat,
'cause she was depressed.
Well, don't go out on a limb.
Look, I can tell you how she ended
up. I can't tell you how she got that way.
But she definitely
starved to death.
Why are you asking me?
You found Maria. She had
my grandmother's things.
Laura, your grandmother
didn't die during the burglary.
She died of a lack of food and
water. You recognize these?
What are you saying? Do you
think I neglected my grandmother?
I'm just asking if the
handwriting looks familiar.
Yeah, I wrote them. I had to
give Maria specific instructions.
You admit you told Maria to
restrict your grandmother's food?
She was feeding her empanadas.
All those spicy sauces.
Was the water spicy, too?
Her intake had to be monitored.
Liquid balance was very
difficult with her condition.
Her condition?
My grandmother had pneumonia
last spring. It led to a kidney problem.
Did you make that
diagnosis yourself?
No, Dr. Matthewson did.
He's on East 56th Street.
She had arthritis. I
had her on painkillers.
Last year she broke a hip,
spent six weeks in the hospital.
This year, pneumonia,
then acute kidney disease.
Did you tell the granddaughter
to restrict her water?
To minimize fluid retention. She
had to watch her protein intake, too.
These diet restrictions, how
long were they supposed to last?
Depends on how
the case progresses.
How did Mrs. Bauer's
case progress?
I'm afraid I don't know. She
missed her appointments.
Don't you take some kind of an oath to
follow up on the treatment of sick people?
My receptionist called.
She was told Mrs. Bauer
was seeing another doctor.
Told by Mrs. Bauer?
By her granddaughter.
So the medical excuse holds up.
Yeah, but Laura Bauer said her
grandmother was seeing another doctor.
No one asked the old
doctor for her records.
So she took her
home and left her there.
And applied the low-protein
diet a little overenthusiastically.
Come on, Mike. You really
believe that girl did it on purpose?
The old lady was left alone.
There was no food in that apartment.
The maid didn't have a
motive to starve or kill her.
Okay, what's the
granddaughter's motive?
Some old ladies
have bank accounts.
The granddaughter
is an heir. To what?
Mildred, rich? What's rich?
Anything with six
zeros. Not Mildred.
A couple of hundred grand
in bonds. All left to charity.
So Laura Bauer didn't
stand to inherit a dime?
What about Laura's
mother? No love lost there.
When Mildred's son divorced her,
she got enough for a summer wardrobe...
and a few lunches at Schraft's.
Okay, so the old lady wasn't
crazy about Laura or her mother.
She liked Laura once she
started taking care of her.
Set up an education fund.
Laura's planning on law school.
Mildred liked to slip her a
little extra. Bought her a BMW.
A little extra? Used.
Now wait a minute. Did Laura
know she wasn't inheriting?
I mean, maybe she figured
she was getting something.
Video will. I use it
with my elderly clients...
to demonstrate competence.
Where am I supposed to
look, dear? Over there, Grans...
There's Laura right there, Mike.
I guess she knew
what she wasn't getting.
Laura didn't need Mildred's money.
She was going to law school...
and Mildred said that she
brought over her fiancé...
Kent Halliwell, a
fine old Boston name.
Mildred was a bit
of a snob. Here.
I give and bequeath
my entire estate...
to United Charities
of Manhattan.
Mildred was old-fashioned.
She took care of
Laura's education.
Beyond that, she thought
inherited money made people soft.
If anything, the kid had a
motive to keep the old lady alive.
When she went, so did all
the goodies. I don't know.
How about if we prove Laura
Bauer was lying to her grandmother?
Then would you
buy she's lying to us?
About the fiancé?
You think that black guy she's shacking
up with is from a fine old Boston family?
Black Irish.
What'd the lawyer say the
fiancé's name was? Kent Halliwell?
What you say we find
Mr. Halliwell? Check out his tan.
Laura and I are friends,
sure. What's this about?
We heard that you
were engaged, right?
Well, no. I mean, not really.
We went out for a while.
Then you know that Laura's
going out with someone else, right?
Well, so am I. But we still
see each other sometimes.
What does this have to do
with her grandmother's death?
It was that maid, wasn't it?
Did you tell Mrs. Bauer
that you were Laura's fiancé?
I liked the old lady.
She was sick, and Laura
said it would cheer her up.
Hey, I want to cheer up an old lady, I
buy her a 10-year subscription to TV Guide.
She was dying...
and she wanted to feel like
her life meant something.
That the Bauers would carry on.
She told her we loved
that awful apartment...
and that we couldn't wait to
live in it after we were married.
Which would be when?
Never? She was dying.
She liked to hear that
Laura was doing well.
Laura told her she
was going to law school.
She wasn't going to law school?
Look, she was just trying
to make her feel better.
I mean, what does it
matter? She loved Laura.
She even left her that
apartment, for God's sake.
Here, three months ago.
"Mildred Bauer and Laura Bauer
became tenants in common...
"with right of
survivorship." Co-owners.
So the apartment
wasn't in the estate.
Remember Halliwell said
she told her grandmother...
they wanted to live there
after they got married?
The old lady signed it over.
Maybe not a wise move.
Yeah, tell me about it. I did
it before my second divorce.
That's why I can't
go home, anymore.
Hey, this girl works fast. The
bank filed a UCC-1 yesterday.
Laura has already borrowed
against the property.
Still think she was an innocent
bystander? Okay, maybe not.
"Westside Financial, $75,000."
Now that buys a pretty
nice funeral wreath.
Let's get a subpoena
for her checking account...
and find out what else
was on her shopping list.
She gave you a
check for $60,000.
Yeah, the minimum
for limited partners.
It was a good investment, so I
offered Laura a chance to get in.
Hey, arugula salad, $12.
She'll make her money
back in a week. Maybe a year.
Body-healthy food presented
with style. People like it.
Sounds like it was lucky for Laura
her grandmother died when she did.
She was pretty old.
How'd Laura take the news?
She was sad. They were very close.
The other night, Thursday,
we were going to a club...
Laura insisted on stopping
to check on her grandmother.
Thursday? You sure? Yeah.
Did you go in with her?
We waited in the car.
She came back. She said
her grandmother was sleeping.
Why?
Look at the timing, Miss
Kincaid. Thursday night.
The maid was fired on
Tuesday. If she fired the maid.
It doesn't matter. Laura's the one
we know who's been lying to us.
She said she hadn't
been there since Tuesday.
The maid and her boyfriend came
calling on Friday. The old lady was dead.
You sure she wasn't still alive,
and they didn't finish her off?
They weren't there long
enough to starve her to death.
Worse case, she was almost
dead, they did nothing to help.
You're saying when the granddaughter
stopped by Thursday night...
that she was
definitely still alive?
Laura left the beautiful
people outside...
and ran in to check and see if
her grandmother was dead yet.
If she'd have been dead already,
Laura would've packed the body off...
to the funeral
home, case closed.
But she's still alive, starving,
and Laura runs off to the disco.
Tough case. No weapon.
More omission than commission.
What's tough about it? She starved
an 82-year-old woman to death.
Depraved indifference to
human life. It's homicide.
Bring her in.
Detective, what are you...
Laura Bauer, you're under arrest...
for the murder of Mildred Bauer.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be
used against you in a court of law.
Do you understand that?
You have the right to an
attorney. Should you refuse...
Look, Mildred Bauer
had diabetes, arthritis...
heart condition,
high blood pressure...
and kidneys you could
have used as doorstops.
What I'm saying, Ben, is that
she died of natural causes.
Starvation is a natural cause in
Somalia. In New York City, it's murder two.
Come on, Ben. She
lied to her grandmother.
She lied to her
grandmother's doctor.
She ordered her grandmother's
maid to withhold food.
And now she ends up with
her grandmother's apartment.
Well, she just happens to be
Mrs. Bauer's granddaughter.
Who should the woman give
the apartment to, the PLO?
She might have
lived longer if she had.
I didn't kill Gran.
Look, even if Laura had made errors
in judgment, which I do not grant...
she, at most, hastened Mrs.
Bauer's inevitable death by, what...
a matter of weeks? Days, maybe.
Danielle, do you remember
the bar exam? Yes.
And, Miss Bauer,
this might interest you.
A woman falls off the top
of the Empire State Building.
She passes the second
floor, where a man shoots her...
and kills her seconds
before she hits the ground.
- Is that man guilty?
- Yes.
But what if the man
doesn't shoot her?
What if, as she falls, she
asks him for a ham sandwich...
and he's just a little
slow in handing it to her?
Is that what
happened, Miss Bauer?
You just took your time
feeding your grandmother?
I don't believe
this is happening.
No. I made sure my
grandmother was well-cared for.
You made sure she didn't eat.
I did what the
doctor told me to do.
I was going to school. I
was trying to have a life.
How many old people did you take
care of while you were studying for finals?
I was there all the time.
Believe me, Mildred's own daughter never
cared for her the way Laura and I did.
I didn't know she had a daughter.
Shirley. Lives in California.
She didn't even
come to the funeral.
You have to understand.
Mildred was a very difficult person.
She refused to eat.
What I understand is...
your daughter got Mrs. Bauer's
apartment, and you got nothing.
What's that supposed to mean?
Maybe I wasn't fond of Mildred,
but I wouldn't want to see her suffer.
You weren't fond of her, but
you helped take care of her?
At first, then Laura took over.
Look, Laura was her grandchild.
I was just her son's ex-wife.
Is Laura as bitter as you are?
I'm not bitter. I'm realistic.
The mother knows more
than she's willing to say.
Maybe we should push her.
It's a stretch, but we could indict her
as complicit in neglecting Mrs. Bauer.
Penal Law 26025.
It's only illegal to
neglect an old person...
if the victim's incompetent
because of mental disease or defect.
A curiosity of the law.
Well, we argue hunger and thirst
affected Mrs. Bauer's mind before she died.
It's only a misdemeanor.
Greater curiosity of the law.
Murder by starvation, I think
that's enough to move a jury.
Well, be sure you
get one with gray hair.
The young get impatient with old
people, especially cantankerous ones.
Oh, really? Speaking
from personal experience?
I'm a sweetheart,
and I'm middle-aged.
I don't know anything about it. All
I watch on TV is the nature shows.
Do you think someone who's arrested
and brought to trial is probably guilty?
I'm open-minded. The
police make mistakes.
Indeed. Thank you.
Miss Kincaid. Juror 14.
Mr. Stern, are you married?
I'm a widower. Nine years.
So you live alone? Nine years.
You have children? Two boys.
A draftsman and a businessman.
The recycling business.
Have you ever thought about what
arrangements you would make...
if you were unable to live
alone? If? You mean when.
When.
Move in with my kid sister. West
Palm Beach. She has a room ready.
Okay, thank you.
Miss Melnick?
No questions, Your
Honor. Ready to approach.
Approach.
Your Honor, the People have
only one challenge for cause.
Juror number 6.
The gentleman who said, "God doesn't want
anyone to live past three score and ten?"
Granted.
No challenges for cause, Your
Honor, but I will exercise peremptories...
against 2, 11, and 14.
Jurors 2, 6, 11, and 14...
you are excused, with
thanks, from service here.
Your Honor...
she's removing every juror over 65
without even bothering to question them.
They're peremptories, Ben. I can
use them against anyone I want.
The Supreme Court does not
entirely agree with you, Danielle.
Really?
In Georgia v. McCollum:
"White defendants accused
of assaulting blacks...
"cannot exclude
blacks from the jury."
Now we have an old woman
murdered. Old people are being excluded.
It's an exact parallel.
Are you saying the defendant
isn't getting a jury of her peers?
I am saying the jury should
represent the community.
People who look like the
victim, as well as the defendant.
The principle of McCollum has
already been extended to gender.
It's appropriate for
you to extend it to age.
And I can extend it to
left-handed redheads.
Maybe I'm overly
humble, Counselors...
but I don't feel up to rewriting
the Bill of Rights this week.
Ben, if your case is any good...
you can convince
jurors under 65, too.
That Mildred was strong.
When she got pneumonia...
as she asked me to sell her ticket
for that month's matinee club...
she said she'd be better
in time for Miss Saigon.
And was she? I don't
know. I went to see her...
and the maid, Spanish girl, said
that she had orders from Laura...
no one could come in.
Laura had us all fooled.
Objection. Hearsay. Sustained.
The jury will disregard
the last remark.
Mrs. Hodge, please confine
your testimony to what you saw.
Well, Mildred disappeared
into the apartment...
with a bad cough...
and next time I saw
her, she was dead.
Did you have any reason to believe
that Mrs. Bauer should have been isolated?
Of course not.
She wasn't a child.
And when was the last
time you heard from her?
She sent me a note a
few weeks before she died.
She wanted to know if I could contribute
to the engagement gift for Laura.
A tablecloth.
Mildred said she was going
to give Laura some bonds...
for her future
great-grandchildren.
And that was to celebrate the defendant's
engagement to Mr. Halliwell, correct?
Yes.
I gather the engagement
is off. Thank you.
No further questions.
Mrs. Hodge, you had no
way of really knowing...
how sick Mrs.
Bauer was, did you?
All my friends are
dying fairly regularly now.
Mildred didn't have
that look they get.
Yes, but you didn't see her for
the last weeks of her life, did you?
They wouldn't let me.
Yet you said you didn't see any reason
to keep the world away from Mrs. Bauer.
Now, for instance, did you know
that her grocer was overcharging her?
How could I know that?
Did you know that a plumber charged her
$800 to fix pipes that weren't even broken?
She didn't need to be
protected from me. Really?
Isn't it true that you borrowed $300
from Mildred Bauer over a year ago?
Well, the Medicare didn't
cover some dental work.
Well, she knew
that I'd pay her back.
Did you? I would have.
Could that be why you
were kept from seeing her?
Because you were one of those
people who were taking advantage...
of your so-called friend?
She twisted everything.
Couldn't you stop her?
Mrs. Hodge, I asked you...
if there was anything in your
relationship with Mrs. Bauer...
that they could
hold against you.
Now, how could I tell it
mattered if I had my teeth fixed?
I also said that there are
rules in the courtroom...
that do not apply
in the outside world.
Well, don't patronize
me, young man.
I'm trying not to
patronize you, ma'am.
Politicians want our votes,
and everybody wants our money.
Otherwise, they don't even see
you, unless you're walking too slow...
and then they push you aside. If
you're a burden, now they can kill you.
It's no problem. We have the
lying and thieving illegal alien maid.
I wouldn't count on that.
Her lawyer called. INS is
deporting her in six hours.
It was understood that my
client wouldn't face any charges.
The burglary was dropped. Well,
thanks for nothing. You had no case.
And we talked to Immigration.
Proceedings against Miss
Gonzales will be suspended
until after Laura Bauer's trial.
That won't do her any good. Miss
Gonzales has grown fond of New York.
God knows why.
Charlie, you know the jurisdiction
was federal. It's out of my hands.
We will need assurances that
deportation proceedings will be dropped.
Or what? Or Miss Gonzales...
gets on that airplane tonight, and
you fly solo in the courtroom tomorrow.
Wrong. She testifies, or
she's jailed for contempt.
She serves that sentence,
and then she's deported.
I told her...
you got to feed her
or she's gonna die.
And how did Miss Bauer
respond when you said that?
She said, "You want to
work here, do what I say."
And did you do what she
said? I couldn't just do nothing.
I gave her extra food.
That's when she fired me.
So what happened after
she fired you? I called Felix.
He came to help me take
my things. We were going.
That's when I remembered I had
Mrs. Bauer's medicine in my bag.
She wouldn't take
it that morning.
So please tell the court what
happened next, Miss Gonzales.
I went back upstairs and told
Miss Bauer I had the medicine.
She said, "Keep it."
Her grandmother
didn't need it, anymore.
Thank you. Your witness.
Miss Gonzales, you and
your boyfriend, Felix Ortega...
broke into Mrs. Bauer's apartment
the day she died, didn't you?
We wanted to see if
she was all right. Yeah.
But she wasn't
all right, was she?
She was lying on
the floor, dead...
and you stepped over
her to steal her valuables.
No. We ran away.
You were arrested for
burglary, weren't you?
Yes.
Mrs. Bauer's
silver candlesticks...
were found in Mr. Ortega's
apartment, were they not?
Yes.
And yet, the District Attorney chose
to drop those charges, didn't he?
I didn't take anything.
You were scheduled to be
deported yesterday, weren't you?
Objection. Relevance. It's
relevant if the District Attorney...
used his power, for the second time,
Your Honor, to influence the testimony...
of this witness. That
is not true, Your Honor.
Approach.
The truth of any testimony
here will be decided by the jury.
If I'm slandered, Your
Honor, I have to reply.
Miss Melnick...
any more remarks that provoke
Mr. Stone will also provoke me...
and you will regret
it. Yes, Your Honor.
Mr. Stone, your
objection is overruled.
Miss Gonzales...
you were scheduled to be
deported yesterday, were you not?
Yes.
And the District Attorney took action
to prevent that deportation, did he not?
I don't know. You don't
know? You're here, aren't you?
Nothing further.
Miss Gonzales, did I or anyone
in the District Attorney's office...
ever tell you to say anything
but the truth? No. It is the truth.
And in regard to Miss Melnick's
inference about your deportation...
what are your plans tomorrow?
They are sending me
back to Santo Domingo.
Thank you.
Grans had some cousins in New
Jersey, too. They never visited, either.
So the care of your grandmother fell
entirely upon your shoulders, didn't it?
I didn't mind. She
could be kind of difficult...
but she said we were a lot alike,
that crankiness ran in the family.
Laura, would you please
explain to the court...
why you told your grandmother
that you were going to law school?
Because I am going to go.
My grades just weren't good
enough to apply right now.
I'm taking courses
to get my average up.
When you gave Maria Gonzales instructions
about feeding your grandmother...
did you ever believe that these
instructions would be harmful?
Of course not. I was
following the doctor's orders.
But she stopped seeing
that doctor, didn't she?
My grandmother didn't like
him. She was very particular.
I tried to get her to see someone
else, but she said she was feeling better.
I just tried to keep
her comfortable.
Laura, when you stopped by
your grandmother's apartment...
the night before her body was found,
why didn't you do anything to help her?
She was in bed. I
thought she was sleeping.
I thought everything was fine.
Thank you. Your witness.
I assume you have more than
a few questions, Mr. Stone?
Yes, Your Honor.
We'll recess until
tomorrow morning.
The loving grandchild
versus the undesirable alien.
Now there's an even match.
Everything undermines
the maid's credibility.
The boyfriend, the
burglary, the deportation.
The INS doesn't deport people
who blow up Lower Manhattan.
Why did they suddenly get
interested in a Dominican maid?
Let's ask them.
Her name was on our watch list.
We check it against arrest
records, there she was.
And here we are.
Why was her name on the list?
Was she some kind of notorious maid?
Anonymous telephone
informant, a couple of months ago.
Gave us her name,
told us where she lived.
Like we can spare
people to pick people up.
We put her on the
list. Worked out fine.
Somebody gave you her address?
Probably her boyfriend's
other girlfriend. That's the usual.
What was the date
on that phone call?
I only wanted my
grandmother to be happy.
So to make her happy, you
lied about going to law school...
and you lied about
investing in a restaurant...
and you lied about your
engagement to Mr. Halliwell, correct?
It wasn't done to harm her.
You see no harm in
lying to an old woman...
in order to get her to
give you her apartment?
She gave me that apartment
because she loved me, and I loved her.
And you didn't have any
resentments toward her...
for demanding your
time and your attention?
No, I didn't.
And you didn't resent her for
wanting another kind of granddaughter?
One who could go to law school
and marry someone like Kent Halliwell?
She had high standards.
I respected that.
And you didn't resent her
denying you an inheritance?
One that you and your mother
thought was rightfully yours?
I am not my mother.
Well, you are either the most
patient person I ever met...
or you're lying now to
make the jury happy.
Objection, Your
Honor. Withdrawn.
Miss Bauer, on the day
that your grandmother died...
you told the police
that you did not know...
where Maria Gonzales
lived, is that correct?
Yes.
Yet the same day, someone called the
Immigration and Naturalization Service...
told them exactly where
Miss Gonzales lived...
and suggested that she
be picked up and deported.
Did you make that call? Objection.
Where did this call come from?
Your Honor, we would like
to introduce into evidence...
the local usage details
on Miss Bauer's telephone.
Yes, I called them.
So you lied to
the police, as well.
Why all the lies, Miss Bauer?
And why the call to the INS?
Because Miss Gonzales
knew what you were up to...
and you didn't want
her telling anybody?
That's not it. I was
confused. I felt guilty.
Of course you did, because
you killed your grandmother.
No, because I couldn't save her!
I knew she was dying. She
refused to go to a hospital.
She said all of her
friends were dead...
the pain was so bad she couldn't sleep,
and it wasn't going to get any better.
She told me that
she wanted to die.
I begged her to eat. I argued
with her, but she was so stubborn.
I felt guilty because I
hadn't argued harder.
When she asked me why
she should go on living...
I couldn't give her an answer.
Mr. Stone, a priest has been
waiting to see you since 8:00...
so I put him in your office.
Thanks.
Mildred Bauer
was my parishioner.
When Laura was arrested, the
papers made it sound like she was guilty.
I didn't know what to
think. But now, I feel that I...
Excuse me, Father, I
have to ask you this.
Did her lawyer call you?
No. She doesn't know.
I heard about Laura's
testimony on the news.
I mean, I don't know
what I know for sure, really.
Mildred came to see
me a few months ago.
She was ill. She was in pain.
She said she didn't think God
would want her suffering to continue.
I knew where she was headed.
Then she asked if
she let herself die...
if she let God's
course manifest itself...
would it be the same as suicide?
Now, I cautioned her:
Despair is an insult to God.
God doesn't want her
help to work his ways.
And if she did what I
thought she wanted to do...
I couldn't bury her.
But you did bury her.
She didn't shoot herself. She didn't
take pills. I didn't know anything.
I had to give her
the benefit of a doubt.
Miss Bauer, it's pretty
damn convenient.
You suddenly remember that your
grandmother wanted to commit suicide...
after you're put on trial for murder,
and the case turns against you.
If you're not a Catholic,
it's hard to explain.
I am a Catholic,
Miss Bauer. Try me.
Then you know.
Suicide is a mortal sin.
My grandmother wanted to be buried in
consecrated ground next to her parents.
I couldn't tell anyone.
Murder is a mortal sin, too.
You just don't get
it. She wanted to die.
Why do you think she never called for
help? There was a phone next to her bed.
It doesn't explain
why you called the INS.
Maria is a Catholic, too.
What if she said something?
What if I had to bury my
grandmother in a public cemetery?
You were willing to go to
prison to keep this a secret?
I never conceived of being
arrested, let alone convicted.
I'm innocent.
Danielle, how can I
possibly know this is true?
Your client has a pretty
good record of lying.
I had to lie.
I can be forgiven for lying.
Suicide is the only sin
that can't be forgiven.
In all honesty, Adam, I'm not sure
of anything involved in this case.
It's the jury that
has to be sure.
I talked to the funeral home.
Mildred Bauer called a month before
she died to make arrangements for herself.
There you are.
Two years ago I
bought a cemetery plot.
I wake up one morning,
I'm depressed, I skip lunch.
You gonna lock me in
my closet and starve me?
Adam, help me out here.
If Mildred Bauer wanted to die, this
is not the case we started out with.
You don't know what Mildred
Bauer wanted, nor did that girl.
She should have taken her
grandmother to the hospital.
To die hooked up to a
bunch of machines? Or to live?
I think we ought to offer
her a deal. Assisted suicide.
If you believe the girl,
she's hardly guilty of that.
That's my problem. I don't
know if she's not lying again.
Melnick'll take the
plea? I think so.
She knows we've
got a shot to convict.
So the two of you want
to pressure the girl...
to plead to a lesser offense
that she might not be guilty of...
because she's about to be
convicted of a more serious crime...
she might be guilty of.
Does that make sense
to you? With our system...
and imperfect knowledge, yes.
How long would I
have to be in jail?
Two years.
I still don't think I
did anything wrong.
They remove feeding
tubes in hospitals all the time.
If you're convicted of
murder, you'll serve 25.
It was so hard to
know what to do.
Some days she was so
clear about what she wanted.
Other times...
Other times?
We've accepted the deal, Ben.
That girl ought to send
you a thank-you note.
She's going away
for two years, Adam.
And when she gets
out, she'll be, what, 24?
Twenty-five. Twenty-five.
I'd do two years in Attica
happily, if I walked out 25.