Law & Order (1990–2010): Season 8, Episode 16 - Divorce - full transcript

NARRATOR:
In the criminal justice system

the people are represented by two
separate yet equally important groups,

the police
who investigate crime

and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

She'll call us in
when she's ready.

We're already paying 30
bucks for a 50-minute hour.

You just don't want to be here.

How'd you figure that out?

You're supposed to be
doing this for yourself.

What, so some shrink
can tell me I'm a pig?



I know I'm a pig,
like most guys.

Look, women want
everything from one guy.

Guys want one thing
from a lot of women.

It's human nature.

You're right.
We're wasting our time.

Dr. Burk?

Dr. Burk?

Eric! Eric!

She's got scratches on her
arm, a bruise on her neck.

She went a couple of rounds
before she was counted out.

What time was that?

Eight to 12 hours ago. Single
stab wound to the chest.

We're still looking
for the weapon.

I don't see a purse.



It's in the desk drawer
along with her wallet,

78 bucks and a half-dozen
credit cards.

Make sure she gets a rape kit.

MAN: Right.

Cleaning crew comes
through here around 8:00.

How often do your people
patrol this area?

Every hour.
What about vagrants?

Any problems there?

We don't let them
become a problem.

Okay, I'd like to see your security
logs for last night, all right?

Sure.
I'll bring them up.

All right,
the receptionist said

that Dr. Burk's last appointment
was yesterday at 7:00 p.m.

Allison and Dennis Hall.

Must've been some
counseling session.

Please, my name is George Burk.

The hospital called me. They
told me my wife had been hurt.

Okay, let's just go sit
over here, all right?

Can't I see her? I've been
looking for her all night.

Oh, God. Is that her?

Take it easy.

Linda! Linda! Let me go!

BRISCOE: All right, there's
nothing to see here.

Show's over. Take a hike.
Come on.

I spoke to her
just before 9:00.

She said she was leaving
in a few minutes.

Coming right home?
Yes.

She usually takes
a cab out front.

By 10:00,
I started to worry.

I called her back.
She didn't answer.

You waited an hour?

I thought maybe she stopped
to pick up dinner.

I waited another half hour,

and then I phoned
the hospital security.

Who'd you talk to?

I don't remember.

He said that he was gonna send
someone to check her office.

He called back
15 minutes later.

He said that she wasn't there.

Then I started calling the
hospitals and the police.

Did she mention if
any of her clients

had been giving her trouble?

No.

CURTIS: She always
work this late?

Yes.

Besides the people
she sees at the hospital,

she has private clients.

And she consults
for the Archdiocese.

Right. I talked to him.

He called here about 10:30,
all upset about his wife.

So, you sent somebody
to check on her.

Uh-huh.
Checked out. No problem.

Except her door wasn't locked.

Who'd you send?

Let me think. Rollins.

According to your logs, Rollins
was in the north wing at 10:40.

Isn't that all the way on the
other side of the hospital?

Then it must've been Jarrett.

Jarrett?

It says here that Jarrett was
handling a disturbance in the ICU.

A homeless woman
caught stealing syringes.

Look, the fact is, you
didn't send anyone up

to Dr. Burk's office,
did you?

Hey, she's five minutes
late getting home.

I can't screw up
my entire rotation.

So instead,
you lied to her husband.

I got two people
out with the flu.

And how'd this homeless woman

make it all the way up to the
ICU without being detected?

She was caught.
I call that being detected.

Well, you're gonna
give us your records

of all the other homeless people you
detected in the last six months.

CURTIS: This place
had some month.

Theft of drugs, trespassing,
indecent exposure,

defecating in a public area,
theft of patient meals.

That's a crime?
Autopsy came in.

No sign of sexual assault.

M.E. thinks the murder weapon
was a pair of scissors.

Rey, those photos
from her office?

There's one skell they caught
last month stealing linen.

"Subject was male Caucasian."

"Identified himself as
Pope Adrian VI of Utrecht."

"Subject was ejected from
the premises."

"Subject was wearing"

"green raincoat and red baseball
cap from a dry cleaning store."

All decked out
for Christmas, huh?

There it is, next to her desk.

"Stain's Dry Cleaning."

No good deed goes unpunished.

My wife talked me into letting
her brother do the hats.

Stan's Dry Cleaning. This
is what he came back with.

"Stains."
He thought it was cute.

How many hats did you get?

Like this?

Just the one. I had him fix it
before I ordered the others.

And you tossed this one?

I put it in with the clothes
people leave past 60 days,

then I took them over to
St. Remy's on 30th Street.

BRISCOE: Thanks.

Sorry, I don't pay
attention to their hats.

This guy thinks
he's Pope Adrian VI.

Leonard.

I don't know his last name.
What's he done?

Well, it's in connection with a murder at St.
Anne's Hospital.

Murder? Doesn't
sound like Leonard.

Once you start thinking
you're the Pope,

it's not much of a stretch
to killing people.

Does he sleep here?

No. He doesn't
like the noise.

Well, it's better
than freezing.

Oh, he's in good health.

I'm sure he's found a way
to keep warm at night.

When was the last
time you saw him?

Last week.
He came in for supper.

I noticed he was wearing
hospital scrubs under his coat.

Thanks for your help.

Scrubs?
He'd blend in.

Yeah, and make himself at home.

CURTIS: You people
never checked up here?

McGIVEN: Not since they
closed down the floors.

What's the point? There's nothing
to steal up here anyway.

I smell a big, fat lawsuit,
McGiven, with you as Exhibit A.

MAN: Here we are.

(BRISCOE SIGHING)

And here it is, Rey.
The Holy See.

McGIVEN: Give us a day.

This guy shows up,
we'll catch him.

Yeah, right.

If we hadn't had
the hospital searched,

this guy would've started
holding Sunday services

right here under your nose.

MAN ON RADIO:
Unit One, this is Unit Two.

Yeah, go ahead.

There's a male Caucasian
matching the suspect

in the second floor
waiting area.

He's in there.

Hey, how's it going?

The nurse at the desk
wanted me to tell you

she has free toys
for your kids.

She said just go ahead and
bring them right over.

Hey, stop!

All right, take it
easy, Your Holiness.

Help us!
It's all right, buddy.

Save us from these
Lutheran blasphemers!

I know this place.

First there's the tears,
then the blood.

So you've been
here before, huh?

They wanted me to renounce
transubstantiation.

To deny the Eucharist.

I'm gonna be sorry I asked,
but who's "they"?

The Princes of Germany.

What about Dr. Burk?

Did she ever do
anything to you?

She's not a doctor.
She's a nun.

Her baptismal name
is Katherina von Bora.

Oh, that's a secret.
She's hiding from him.

Him?

The Antichrist.
The Devil of Wittenberg.

You mean Martin Luther?

Yes. Yes.

Now, Dr. Burk,
she a pal of yours?

I took a vow of poverty.

She bought me boots. See?
Yeah, fine.

WOMAN: Lieutenant.

So you've been up to her office,
then, on the third floor?

I don't go to women's rooms.

Your hat does.

My miter.
I gave it to her.

When?
Days ago.

To let her enemies know she was
protected by the power of the Holy See,

by the authority of the Vatican,
and the infallibility of the Pope.

Her enemies
being Martin Luther?

And his minions.

A blasphemous whore
with a crown of fire.

She was screaming at her,
one-two-three-four-five days ago,

defying the authority
of the Bishop,

of Canon Law,
and the Council of Trent.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

Come in.

That's for us.
You can wait here.

His prints are in the system.
Leonard Gardner.

Multiples for trespassing,
vagrancy, petty theft.

He spent the night of the murder in the
16 for urinating on a public street.

Was released the next day.

The times check out?

I called over. He was
grabbed up at 7:30.

So he goes back
to tending his flock,

and we go back to
scratching our heads.

He said Dr. Burk had an
argument with someone

over the authority
of the Bishop.

Didn't she do some work
for the Archdiocese?

(BELL TOLLING) MARINO:
This is a terrible loss.

Linda Burk was
very highly regarded.

What did she do
for the Archdiocese?

Mostly prenuptial counseling.

No fireworks there.

She also handled the less pleasant end.
Annulments.

Ah, the catholic divorce
after the real divorce.

As far as we're concerned, the
annulment is the real divorce.

Linda would meet
with the parties

and give our tribunal an
evaluation of the marriage.

Her word carry a lot of weight?

Our tribunal usually followed
her recommendations.

The annulments
ever get contested?

Father O'Brien would
know more about that.

Well, if a former
Mr. and Mrs.

are still raw from the divorce,

it can get messy.

And someone like Dr. Burk
gets caught in the middle.

Was she having any problems
with her current cases?

You think?

Well, she mentioned
the Kilpatricks.

She didn't go into specifics.

She was still preparing
her evaluation.

Would you happen to
have their file handy?

Oh, they had a lousy
divorce last year.

This didn't improve their mood.

Which way was
the annulment going?

Well, we're waiting
for Linda's input.

Unless her report turns up,
we're back to square one.

Well, whose idea
was the annulment?

The husband, Mr. Kilpatrick.
He filed the petition.

I understand he wants to get
remarried in the church.

Hmm.

Look at this.
Love letters.

"Dear Molly," signed Gary.
Dated 16 years ago.

We look at their state of
mind when they got married.

If they lacked due
discretion of judgment.

Meaning what?

Well, if the bride or groom had a
screw loose or their fingers crossed

when they said their I dos,
it's grounds for annulment.

Dr. Burk was supposed to have
read their minds 16 years back?

Rey, the Kilpatricks
in happier times.

Pretty hair, huh.

Pretty fire-red hair.

Say hello to the blasphemous
whore with the crown of fire.

I saw Dr. Burk Monday
evening at her office.

I had some concerns about
the annulment evaluation.

Concerns?

Questions. Why?

She was murdered Tuesday
night in her office.

Do you think I killed her?

We're talking to everybody
who had business with her.

Where were you Tuesday night?

Here, with my son, Billy.
(MICROWAVE BEEPS)

And the argument
you had with Dr. Burk?

No, it wasn't an argument.

BRISCOE: But you were upset
about the annulment.

I was upset at my husband.

He wants the church to wave a wand and
pretend our marriage never happened.

To turn our son into a bastard.

He wanted you to roll
over so he could remarry?

Mmm-hmm.

And if Dr. Burk said so, he'd
get his annulment, wouldn't he?

BRISCOE: Mrs. Kilpatrick,
did Dr. Burk tell you

what she was
going to recommend?

I think I've said
everything I want to say.

I'd like you to leave, please.

I don't know what
she told my ex-wife.

I spoke to
Dr. Burk on Monday.

I got the impression
things were going our way.

Was Burk going to recommend
for the annulment?

She didn't come
right out and say so,

but as Gary's attorney,
I was reasonably optimistic.

BRISCOE: And did you share your
optimism with Mrs. Kilpatrick?

I may have mentioned
it to her attorney.

By the way, did you
find the evaluation?

The Archdiocese said
she was still working on it.

(SCOFFS)

You in a hurry to take
another walk down the aisle?

My fiancée is
a devout catholic.

I don't want this
thing to drag out.

Mental unfitness is grounds for annulment.
Mrs. Kilpatrick fits the bill.

You're not in divorce
court now, Counselor.

I'm not speculating.
She has to be medicated.

She even took a swing at me a
year ago, during a deposition.

Can't imagine why.

Sheila Atkins is her lawyer.

She provoked it.
They're both a piece of work.

They lost the divorce.

I don't think Molly Kilpatrick
could stand losing again.

Have a nice day.

Divorce lawyers. God's way
of telling you to stay single.

Or married.

Let's find out which way
Burk was leaning.

As far as I can tell,

these are just notes taken during her
interviews with the Kilpatricks.

Summaries.
Copy of the petition.

Nothing that looks like
the evaluation you want.

Well, no luck here either.

I found drafts of
three other evaluations,

but nothing on the Kilpatricks.

Did you check her home?

Yeah. Any place else
it might be?

Mmm. Afraid not.

Lennie, the computer when they
found her, it was on, right?

Yeah.

I searched her computer's memory.
Your hunch was right.

The Kilpatrick file
was deleted.

Well, I assumed so.

And then, just to make sure
that we couldn't recover it,

they optimized the hard drive.

That I know they did
at 9:28 Tuesday night,

according to the
computer's internal clock.

About the same time
Burk was bleeding out.

What'd they do again?

They reorganized all
the data in the memory.

Anything that was erased,
it's gone for good.

Well, except as
electronic flotsam

and jetsam bobbing
on a pool of silicon.

Now, if you're smart enough,
you can skim the surface.

And you're smart enough?
Oh, yeah.

"Mrs. Kilpatrick has demonstrated
mental instabilities."

"Her immaturity raises doubts"

"as to whether the
Kilpatricks truly formed"

"the requisite
marital bond which..."

That's it?

Everything with
Kilpatrick in the text.

Sounds like Burk was
recommending annulment.

You have to be some kind of computer
whiz to do this erasing trick?

Well, your suspect
would have to know

more than just how
to turn the machine on.

Molly Kilpatrick is
a terrific employee.

I don't want her to think
I'm talking behind her back.

Does she work with computers?

Of course.
Like all bookkeepers.

We're a long way
from Bob Cratchit.

Well, does she hunt and
peck, or is she good at it?

She knows all of the software.

She even helps
train our recruits.

So she's familiar with
disk optimizing programs?

Absolutely.

What kind of trouble is she in?

Who said she's in trouble.

Last Tuesday evening, you
remember what time she left?

Early.
Just before 6:30.

That's early?

She's here till 8:00,
usually.

She had to see her lawyer.

She say if
she had any plans later?

No. I guess it was the usual.
Dinner at home and a video.

BRISCOE: With her son?

Not Tuesday nights.
He's with his father.

You sure of that?
Are you kidding?

It took them eight months to work
out the custody arrangement.

They even had me
give a deposition.

That's right, she was here.

Any more than that, like the color
of her blouse, I can't tell you.

BRISCOE: What about what
time she left, Ms. Atkins?

That's not privileged.

And you know this
because you're an attorney?

Molly told me that you're trying to
implicate her in Dr. Burk's murder.

Well, she wasn't too thrilled
about the annulment.

Who told you that,
Mr. Kilpatrick?

He's the one who
needs the annulment.

Because of his
devoutly catholic fiancée.

Not his fiancée, her parents.

They are rich devout catholics.

Kilpatrick is looking for some relief.
We soaked him pretty good.

Really? Well, his lawyer seems to
think it was the other way around.

Paul Redfield would
like to believe that.

But at the end of the day,

he's not the one putting all those
zeroes on the alimony checks.

And as to what time your client
left and where she was going?

I'm not saying
anything about that.

That's too bad, Ms. Atkins,

'cause right about now, she could
use some help with her alibi.

Yeah, she told us she was home
alone with her son that night.

Turns out the kid spends
Tuesdays with his dad.

Oh.

You're just a fountain
of misinformation.

Billy has dinner
with his father,

who then drives him to
hockey practice at 8:00.

Molly picks him up and
takes him home. Happy?

Ecstatic.

She showed up, all right.
At around 8:30, with bells on.

Eighty-proof bells,
or something else?

She's a pill head.

She tried to pull
her kid out of practice.

Poor kid was embarrassed. I
finally got her out the door.

Her ex told me
how to handle her.

So this wasn't the first time?

No, she came to a game
about two months ago.

Mr. Kilpatrick shows up
with his girlfriend,

Mrs. Kilpatrick goes nuts.

And I thought the players were
the only ones allowed to fight.

The next day,
their lawyers got into it.

I had to submit
a game schedule,

and they negotiated
who could come when.

Last Tuesday evening,
what time did practice end?

9:30, same as always.

She pick him up?

No. Billy said she told
him to take a cab home.

Thanks.

I was home sleeping.

Did you talk to anyone?
Maybe on the phone?

No, I don't think so.

Well, you're not really clear
about that night, are you?

Is that because of the pills?

Come on, Molly.
We asked around.

You were taking
Prozac and Valium.

Can I have a cup of coffee?

They're just making
a fresh pot. Rough night?

Am I going to be here long?

Hey, if you want
to leave, go ahead.

But we have to warn you,

the District Attorney can use
that as a reason to arrest you.

So how many Valium
you take every night?

One.

Sometimes two.

CURTIS: But some days
it's more, yeah?

I don't keep a running count.

How about that Tuesday?

Was it three or four?
I don't know.

Well, it was enough that you
went home and passed out.

I was very tired.

You remember
what time that was?

No.

Well, how long
after you left the rink?

Half an hour?
An hour? What?

(STUTTERING)
I'm not exactly sure.

It couldn't have been an hour.

BRISCOE: You remember
what happened at the rink?

I went to see my son.

Yeah, you tried to yank
him off the ice, right?

You were hysterical.
I don't think so.

You were yelling
at his coach, Molly.

People saw you.

Now, maybe you just don't remember
it because of the pills you took.

I don't know.
It's no big deal.

I mean, you let off
some steam at his coach,

and you just don't
remember it, right?

Right?
Yeah.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

Her divorce lawyer's outside.

Mrs. Kilpatrick's son
told her she was here.

This lady's starting to slip.

We don't have all day. Her lawyer's
chewing through the leash.

Pot's almost ready.

So, Molly, I read up
on annulments.

Ninety percent
of them are granted,

whether they're
contested or not.

Now, to me, that
sounds like a rigged game.

And I say that being
a practicing catholic.

Same as you, yeah?

Yes.

It's like the church is saying all
these marriages never existed.

Now, when you took your vows
in the church before God,

you meant them, yeah?
Yes.

And so did your husband.

Yeah, I read
the letters he sent you.

He really loved you.

And now, what, 16 years later,

he wants the church to,
how did you put it,

"Wave a wand and
say it never happened"?

Yes.

He expected you to
go along with that?

To lie before God?

I wouldn't do it.

Is that what you told
Dr. Burk on Monday,

when you had those concerns?

She didn't care!

She knew he was lying
about the marriage.

About me.
About the money, even.

BRISCOE: So you went back on
Tuesday, after you left the rink?

No, I went home.

Wait a minute. Wait. You just said
that you blanked out at the rink.

Next thing you remembered, you
were passed out in your bed.

BRISCOE: That leaves
a big gap, Molly.

Hey, if you were on drugs,
Molly, you're not responsible.

If it was an accident
or self-defense,

the D.A. has to take
that into consideration.

Nothing'll happen to you.
What are you saying?

We're giving you a chance
to help yourself.

Hey, look, you had every
right to be angry at her.

Things just got out of control, right?
Isn't that what happened?

BRISCOE: Maybe she
did something to you.

She pushed you,
you grabbed the scissors.

That's self-defense.

Yeah, I bet you didn't
even mean to hurt her.

I mean, you just swung the
scissors, and it was bad luck.

It was an accident, right?

Molly, you tell us it was an
accident, you can walk out of here.

Go ahead, Molly.

You took all those pills and you
accidentally killed her, right?

(DOOR OPENS)

What the hell do you think
you're doing?

Molly, not another word.

BRISCOE: You can say
anything you want, Molly.

I'm taking you home.

BRISCOE: Her lawyer'd gotten stuck
in traffic, we'd have a confession.

Has anyone talked to her son?

Parents won't
make him available.

There's gotta be something in what she
said to jump start a search warrant.

I wouldn't go near a judge
with that crap.

You told her we could arrest
her if she tried to leave?

Who told you that?

JACK: Besides the fact
that you lied to her,

it takes it pretty damn close
to a custodial interrogation.

We also told her she could
leave any time she wanted to.

Please. This is not some dumb
gangbanger with a Legal Aid lawyer.

Nice to see where
you draw the line.

Hey.
Forget it, Rey.

CURTIS: Hey, look, she
shoved a pair of scissors

into this woman's chest.

You want us to serve her tea cakes while
she makes up her mind to give it up?

She was this close.

Better she didn't confess.

Saves us all from looking like
idiots when it gets tossed.

Come on, Rey,
if she had given it up,

he'd throw his shoulder out trying
to pat himself on the back.

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOOR CLOSES)

It wasn't all a waste of time.

She said something
about Burk knowing

her husband was
lying about his money.

Ex-wives always think their
husbands lie about money.

And they're probably right.

If he really had something to
hide, and somehow Burk knew,

it pumps up
Molly Kilpatrick's motive.

Or her husband's. Take
a look at his finances.

We don't have enough to
subpoena them.

Maybe this Sheila Atkins
can save you the trouble.

I have 23 boxes full of
his financial records.

Why should I give them to you?

So you can use them
against my client?

They might clear your client.

We suspect Mr. Kilpatrick
might have killed Dr. Burk

because she knew something
about his finances.

Knew how?

Your client seems
to think he told her.

Maybe Mr. Kilpatrick
let his guard down

during one of his
sessions with Dr. Burk.

Ms. Ross, I think we can
work together on this.

It's in your
client's interests.

My client's interests
lie in proving

that her husband and his lawyer
conspired to defraud her.

Go on.
He's been hiding assets

at the direction
of Mr. Redfield.

You know this for a fact?

I can't prove it to a
judge for a fact. Yet.

Molly told me it was
possible that Dr. Burk knew.

I wanted Dr. Burk
to go on the record.

I'll have those files delivered to
your office by tomorrow morning.

The forensic accountants think
Kilpatrick undervalued his company.

He told the Family Court
it was worth a million-two.

Atkins puts the number
closer to four.

Wishful thinking?

Our accountants feel
Atkins has a decent case.

She's hoping
we can help her prove it.

Oh, no. We're not getting
dragged into their divorce.

Did the police happen
to ask Mr. Kilpatrick

where he was
the night of the murder?

No. They didn't
consider him a suspect.

Well, we do.

You want an alibi from him?

If he has one.

I don't like your tone.
Why is he a suspect?

Sheila Atkins was going to depose
Dr. Burk about his finances.

Our accountants went through
your records, Mr. Kilpatrick.

I turned my books
inside-out for Molly.

I haven't denied her anything
that's rightfully hers.

This is another Sheila
Atkins fishing expedition.

They're stalling the annulment in
order to extort money from him.

Atkins telling her client there's a
pot of gold, when there's nothing.

Mr. Kilpatrick, if you could
just answer my question.

After I dropped my son off,
I went home to change,

and then I met
a friend for drinks.

About 9:30.

I'll need your friend's
name and number.

David Harrigan. Sure.

I've seen Sheila Atkins
at work for 10 years.

The woman ought to
have her license pulled.

She has nice things to say
about you, too. Thank you.

HARRIGAN: I had a crisis
with a Korean bank,

so I got to the bar maybe 9:45.
Gary had started without me.

How long had he been there?

He was into his third Chivas.

He wasn't wasting any time.

Well, since the split-up...

He says you're investigating
him about this murder.

He called you?

To give me a heads up, yeah.

Don't worry, he didn't ask me to lie.
He knows me better than that.

You don't sound convinced
he didn't do it.

I believe he's innocent.

That's not
a ringing endorsement.

What about Molly?

I've known them since college.

I mean, their son and mine

practically grew up together.

Gary and Molly
were decent people.

Even the divorce
started out friendly.

Then the lawyers
got hold of them.

Hyenas have better manners.

I just worry what it's
done to their son, Billy.

Do you talk to him?

Well, he's been staying
with us since a few days ago.

Why is that?

Something to do with his mother.
I don't know what.

He just needs a time-out.

Do you mind if I talk to him?

You don't have to answer
if you don't want to, Billy.

(SIGHS)

It's just the stuff at home.

With my mother.

With her pills and all that.

She cries a lot.

ROSS:
She's not in good shape.

Like the night she tried
to take you out of practice.

What happened
when you got home?

I'm sick of everybody
asking me that.

Who else asked?

Dad's lawyer, and Mom's.

She told me not to talk
about it with anybody.

Ms. Atkins?
Do you trust her?

Billy, did your mom tell you to take
a cab home from practice that night?

HARRIGAN: You should tell
her the truth, Billy.

(SIGHS) She was
supposed to pick me up.

I called her.
She didn't answer.

ROSS: Was she there
when you got home?

Her door was closed.
She was sleeping.

Did you see her or hear her?

Did you knock on the door?
BILLY: No.

I went to my room
and watched videos.

So, she still
could have been asleep.

Uncle David, I don't
think she was there.

I heard her phone ring
in her room.

She never answered it.

Her own son isn't
supporting her alibi.

She was halfway to a
confession a week ago.

She's popping pills, crying
herself to sleep at night?

Arresting her might push
her the rest of the way.

Pick her up. Get warrants
for her home and office.

Better put her
on suicide watch.

Half a million dollars bail?
It's utterly punitive.

If it keeps her where she
can't hurt herself or others.

You know, that's
a very benign view

of imprisonment
before conviction.

I don't see a strong case here.

I don't see a case here at all.

Nothing specifically
contradicts her alibi,

and nothing directly
connects her to the crime.

So far, carpet fibers from the victim's
office have turned up at her house

and hair matching hers
was found at the crime scene.

BEHRENS: All of which can
be explained innocently.

All we need is a speck of blood
where it doesn't belong.

I didn't kill her.
Why don't you believe me?

Molly, please
let me handle this.

Are you putting Mr. Kilpatrick
under the same microscope?

His alibi can be corroborated.

By David Harrigan?

Before you take his
testimony at face value,

look at his banking practices.

Yeah, well, look, we're not
going to settle this today.

Let's talk about chopping
this bail in half.

Out of the question. Now, if
you want to talk about a plea.

BEHRENS:
With what you've got?

Given her state of mind, we're
willing to go to man one.

That's a minimum of
eight years in prison,

Mrs. Kilpatrick,
instead of 25,

if you're convicted
of second-degree murder.

You'll get laughed out
of the grand jury first.

We're done here. Come on.

And I used to think
my divorce was rough.

Look where you
could have ended up.

My murder fantasies
don't include getting caught.

Ms. Ross, Mr. McCoy,

between you and me,
Mr. Behrens blew it.

Only if your client's guilty.

I'm not conceding anything.

But I don't see things looking
up for Molly anytime soon.

What are you proposing?

Whatever's best for her.

Does your offer of man one come
with a sentence recommendation?

Give me a number.

(SIGHS) Molly listens to me.

I'll get back to you
in a few days.

(DOOR BUZZING OPEN)

Yeah, I'll let him know.
Okay. Thanks. Bye.

Atkins. She had her halfway there,
until Behrens got wind of it.

Nice try.
She'll take another run at it

once we get an indictment.

All our adversaries
should be this accommodating.

Or pragmatic.

Addressed to me,
belongs to you.

From the Bar Association
Ethics Committee.

Dues check bounced?

They're requesting copies of
all non-confidential documents

held by the District
Attorney's Office

in People v.
Molly Kilpatrick.

This case hasn't even gone
to the grand jury yet

and already
there's an ethics problem?

Jamie, I'm not supposed
to discuss pending matters.

Don't send me back to
Jack McCoy empty-handed.

You know what a hard ass he is.

Yeah.
He seeing anybody?

You want an introduction?

Sure.

Tell you what else
you can do for me.

Give up a Saturday to work

with my high school mock
trial team at St. Joseph's.

Sure. I'll teach them
to spell quid pro quo.

(CHUCKLES)

Sheila Atkins
came to the committee

for an advisory opinion
on a privilege issue.

That's all I can say.

It's got to be about something
Molly Kilpatrick told her.

An incriminating statement
that might not be privileged.

That explains why Ms. Atkins
was pushing for a plea.

If it's not privileged, she
has a duty to come forward.

She's obviously
struggling with it.

Why else go to
the Ethics Committee?

Whatever they tell her, she's
not bound by their decision.

It has no force of law.

Any new evidence
against Mrs. Kilpatrick?

Nothing new from Forensics.

Yeah, well, then
it's up to Ms. Atkins.

If she can't bring herself to do
the right thing, we got a problem.

Exactly what ethical dilemma
am I struggling with?

An issue of privilege
regarding Molly Kilpatrick.

We know you went to
the Ethics Committee.

Somebody has a big mouth.

Would you mind getting out
of my way? They can't see me.

The Committee asked
us for documentation.

This can't come
as a surprise to you.

We appreciate you take the
canons of ethics seriously.

We hope we don't
have to compel you

to disclose what
your client told you.

I don't have anything
to say to you.

You have until tomorrow
morning, or we go to the judge.

Don't wait up for me.
And thank you.

This motion's
an egregious attempt

to intrude on the
attorney-client relationship.

And for all
Mr. McCoy knows,

the information he's trying to wring
out of Ms. Atkins is irrelevant.

Mr. McCoy, you have any
idea what you're after?

I can only speculate.

Speculate out loud.

Solicitation by a client
for help in a cover-up.

A statement by a client that he
or she intends to commit a crime,

or offer perjured testimony.

Is he in the ballpark,
Ms. Atkins?

I'm not conceding that
my client said anything.

You didn't call the Ethics
Committee for cooking tips.

That's between
her and the Committee.

JACK: And this court.

Your Honor, you have the
authority to compel her to talk.

Thank you, Mr. McCoy.

Ms. Atkins, you and I are going
to have a chat in camera.

The rest of you
can wait outside.

Divorce lawyers wrestling
with their conscience.

What's next? Plumbers
who don't pad their bills?

If my gut's right, you might
start thinking about a plea.

The Judge wants you back in.

Back on the record.

Ms. Atkins has informed me of
Mrs. Kilpatrick's statements.

In light of the canons of ethics
and the relevant case law,

the statements
are not protected

by the client-attorney
privilege.

Ms. Atkins has a duty to divulge
them to the District Attorney.

The People's motions
to compel are granted.

Let's hear it, Ms. Atkins.

Not until you and I reach
an agreement.

Your Honor?

Ms. Atkins, you can
be held in contempt.

With all due respect,
Your Honor,

Molly Kilpatrick
is still my client,

and I still represent
her interests.

First, they agree to a minimum
sentence on a plea of man one.

Three-to-six?

Then they issue subpoenas

for accounts held by Paul
Redfield in the Virgin Islands.

I don't understand.
Who's Mr. Redfield?

He represents my
client's ex-husband.

I intend to prove that he and Mr. Kilpatrick
conspired to hide assets from her.

You don't need our help. You
can get your own subpoenas.

Family Court turned me down.

This is a civil matter.

Even if we wanted to, we
don't have the authority.

You can if you open a tax fraud
investigation into Mr. Kilpatrick.

Sooner or later,
my client will be out of jail,

and I'm committed to seeing
that she's provided for.

That she gets every last
dime she's entitled to.

DERRICK: That's all fine
and good, Ms. Atkins.

But you have 48 hours
to answer Mr. McCoy,

or I'll hold you in contempt.

Heck of a lawyer.

She's using us to grind
Redfield's face into the ground.

If he committed fraud, it
wouldn't be a waste of our time.

I don't like to be manipulated.

All of a sudden you don't need Ms. Atkins'
testimony to convict her client?

Six months in Rikers for contempt
will compel her testimony.

You hope.

Her client is guilty of murder.

We're supposed to let
her off with three years

and help her gouge
her husband for alimony?

You'll get over it.

We've decided to
accept Ms. Atkins' terms.

We've opened an investigation

into Messrs. Redfield
and Kilpatrick,

and we'll make a sentence
recommendation for Mrs. Kilpatrick.

I don't understand
what's going on here.

ROSS: Didn't Mr. Behrens
explain it to you?

Yes, but I didn't kill Dr. Burk.

Molly, it's best we
just listen for now.

You're up, Ms. Atkins.

I'm sorry, Molly.
They're forcing me to do this.

You have to understand that Molly
was driven to it by her husband.

By his lawyer's
unconscionable tactics.

If it weren't for them, she
wouldn't be on medication.

She wouldn't be here.

When she came to my office on
Tuesday, she was beside herself.

She was fixated
on the annulment.

She felt that the church
and Dr. Burk, in particular,

were aligned against her.

She said, "I'll kill her, if that's
what it takes to change her mind."

No, Sheila! Why are
you telling them this?

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

No, I didn't say that.

I couldn't.
You'd taken a lot of pills.

You didn't know
what you were saying.

I never thought
you'd go through with it.

MOLLY: (SOBBING) No.

It can't be true.

Please. Oh, God.

Three-to-six,
is that right?

Contingent on a
psychiatric evaluation?

Come on, Molly. Come on.

Grand jury subpoenas?
Bank examiners?

I can't believe she
talked you into this.

If you have nothing to hide,
why jump all over us?

Because I don't think that the
District Attorney's office

should be a patsy
for Sheila Atkins'

malicious campaign
of harassment.

Don't be paranoid.

She simply alleged what our forensic
accountants already suspected.

Paranoid? This is what
I've received from her

just within
the past three months.

Interrogatories, motions for legal
fees, frivolous criminal complaints.

I've got a whole room in my
office filled with her crap.

It's attrition, not litigation.

You take a look at that, and then
you tell me if I'm paranoid.

(DOOR OPENS)

Sore loser.

The divorce was finalized
four months ago.

What's she hope
to gain from this?

It does seem like overkill.

I'm surprised
nobody's reined her in.

Go back to the Ethics
Committee. Check her out.

She's our star witness
against Molly Kilpatrick.

I'd like to know
what we're dealing with.

Hey.

I'm thinking of buying it.
It's an antique.

Aren't motorcycles supposed
to have wheels and an engine?

Atkins' rap sheet
from the Ethics Committee.

Allegations of
conflict of interest,

comingling funds,
courtroom misconduct.

Looks like she never met an ethical
violation she didn't like.

Most of the complaints were
filed by Paul Redfield.

Which is only fair, since she filed an
equal number of complaints against him.

What's the matter with
those two?

It's the adversarial system on steroids.
It gets stranger.

I looked through the papers
Redfield left behind.

It's a notice of a petition
for a preliminary injunction.

Atkins wanted to
enjoin the Archdiocese

from proceeding
with the annulment.

Enjoin the Archdiocese?
Who's she kidding?

She had a hearing scheduled
with Judge Kaufer

the Friday after
Linda Burk's death.

And?
I don't know.

I've got a call in
to Kaufer's clerk.

Enjoining the Catholic church.

I thought
it was a non-starter.

First Amendment, separation
of church and state.

I'm surprised Judge Kaufer
even scheduled a hearing.

You'll be more
surprised to learn

there's actual
case law on this.

Ms. Atkins wasn't completely
out in left field.

Her petition had merit?

Her brief argued the annulment
had civil repercussions.

Namely, the illegitimacy
of Mrs. Kilpatrick's son,

which can be held to be defaming
and injurious to someone

who's not a party to the
ecclesiastic proceedings.

She even quoted Blackstone.

JACK: How did
Judge Kaufer rule?

If Ms. Atkins hadn't withdrawn
her petition, I could tell you.

When did she do that?

The day before the hearing.

All right, Ms. Jones.
Thank you.

(DOOR CLOSES)

Son of a bitch.

She withdrew her petition right after
the murder because it was moot.

Because she knew
Burk's evaluation

had been destroyed,
because she did it.

She knew the annulment
would be stalled.

Maybe she knew because
Molly Kilpatrick told her.

Then why didn't Atkins tell us?

She killed Burk, Jamie.

That whole business
with the Ethics Committee.

We were conned.
She framed her own client.

She withdrew a petition
two days after a killing.

It's not much to hang
a murder charge on.

She talked an innocent woman
into three years in jail.

Maybe she'll talk herself
into 25-to-life.

Call her friend, Paul Redfield.

I took the liberty of
sketching out an agreement.

You'll see that it covers what
we discussed on the phone,

Kilpatrick puts a
million-five on the table,

my client signs off
on the annulment.

She's agreed?

My clients listen to me, Paul.

And I'll tell McCoy that we're
withdrawing the fraud complaint.

REDFIELD: That might not be
enough to get him off my back

Molly and I don't testify,
he doesn't have a case.

The little twerp can pound
his desk all he wants.

It doesn't matter.

You must have
gone back for seconds

when they handed out
the brass ones, Sheila.

Mmm.

It took you two-and-a-half
years to cry uncle, Paul.

I never thought I'd hear it.

Your client's going to prison, and
you're doing a victory dance.

Why shouldn't I?

I earn my fees in divorce court.
Criminal law is not my bag.

So, do we have a deal?

I tell you what, Sheila.

I like everything about it
except the million-five.

Let me propose another figure.
Zero.

What the hell are
you talking about?

I found this in my file.

Your petition for an injunction
against the Archdiocese.

It looked so promising.

I called Judge Kaufer's clerk to
find out what happened to it.

Imagine my surprise

when I was told that you withdrew
it two days after Burk was killed.

Of course.
Without her report,

the annulment is
dead in its tracks.

REDFIELD: Nobody knew
the report was erased

except the person who
erased it.

That would be you, Sheila.

(EXCLAIMS)

Did somebody put drugs
in your protein shake?

Fine. I'll just walk this
over to One Hogan Place,

and see what
McCoy makes out of it.

Or you get your client to consent
to the annulment for no money,

and you withdraw
the fraud complaint.

You bastard.
I had you beat.

In your dreams.

I beat you on child support,
on visitations.

One extra dinner a month.

Kilpatrick had to double
her clothing allowance.

He was planning
to do that anyway.

You just can't stand to lose.

ATKINS: And you know
exactly how to lose.

You're an expert at it.

They're worse than my kids.

You're gonna get a crash
course in losing,

'cause you're going
to prison for murder.

I'm taking this to McCoy.

Paul, all right, you win.

You'll have her
consent tomorrow.

Just don't do anything stupid.

Please.

Ms. Atkins.

What is this?

Turn around, please.
What are you doing?

You're under arrest for murder.

Better start making criminal
law your bag, Ms. Atkins.

CURTIS: You have the
right to remain silent.

Anything you say
can and will be used...

ATKINS: I'm convinced that he was
hiding money from my client,

and the annulment was the
only leverage I had left.

I practically begged Dr. Burk
to reconsider her evaluation,

even just to delay it for a
few weeks, and she refused.

I was furious.

After two-and-a-half years,
to think that I could lose.

And we struggled, and I stabbed
her with a pair of scissors,

and then I erased the
report from her computer.

And your statements to the District
Attorney regarding Mrs. Kilpatrick?

I lied.

And I apologize to her.

She trusted me with everything.

She gave me a free hand
in how I handled her divorce.

I tried to defend her
rights as...

(SIGHS) I'm sorry.

You killed my wife to win a
divorce case, and you're sorry!

(GAVEL POUNDS)

GANCE: Order in the court.

(PEOPLE MURMURING)

GANCE: Mr. McCoy,
are the People satisfied?

We are, Your Honor.

Sheila Atkins,
pursuant to your plea

of Murder in the Second Degree

and the recommendation of the
District Attorney's Office,

you are hereby sentenced to a
term of no less than 15 years

and no more than the term
of your natural life

in a facility to be determined

by the
Department of Correction.

We're adjourned.
(GAVEL POUNDS)

Redfield agreed to full restitution
of the missing assets,

and he gets off with having his
license pulled for three years.

He'll probably
count this as a win.

He can drive up to Bedford
and crow to Atkins about it.

Where on earth did these
people learn their ethics?

Law school.

ADAM: Of course.