Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 1, Episode 17 - Misleader - full transcript

In the criminal justice system,
sexually-based offenses

are considered
especially heinous.

In New York City, the
dedicated detectives

who investigate these
vicious felonies are members

of an elite squad known
as The Special Victims Unit.

These are their stories.

Housekeeping. Housekeeping...?

Oh... please excuse me, miss.

Bryce: These hotel scenes suck.

Mark over there's
lifting his 15th print,

and we're just getting started.



Looks like the
room's been tossed.

Nothing in the safe. Nothing
of value anywhere else.

No money.

No jewelry. I always carry a
pair of earrings in my purse.

Like you carry a purse.

That's 'cause
you carry it for me.

Stabler: Marks on the neck, huh?

Asphyxiation?

Yeah, her larynx is
crushed. Time of death?

Body's in full rigor.
Approximately 12 to 18 hours ago.

Puts it between 4:00
and 10:00 p.m. Mm-hmm.

Arms are crossed.
Minor personalization.

A burglar/rapist
with a conscience.

What are you talking about?
It's a power trip, Munch.



Aggression, control, male
domination... remember?

A rape is a rape
is a rape, of course.

I'm just saying you can't
rule out the sexual aspect.

- "Frick and Frack."
- "Alphonse and Gaston."

- "Slappy and Happy."
- You know how it is.

Spend time with someone,
eventually they corrupt you.

It's a major historical force

that drags great people to the
lowest common denominator.

With you around,
we're all doomed.

And one more case won't
make a difference, so...

Death, probably by
strangulation, early last night.

It reads like a
robbery/ rape/homicide.

But there's no
signs of forced entry.

If she fought back,
she didn't do it for long.

- Froze in fright?
- Munch: A stranger?

Am I the only one on the
planet that uses the peephole?

Good thing it only
works one way.

The staging bothers
me... Arms crossed,

post-mortem personalization...
That's not a stranger.

Remorseful stranger?

Jeffries: Seems more
like regret than anger.

You can't rule out anger.

Someone who knew
her, someone who didn't...

An angry guy... a guy
with a guilty conscience.

How do we narrow this down?

That room had so many fingerprints
and DNA samples it was frightening.

Oh, well, that's great.

We're doing exclusionary
prints and DNA tests on the staff.

Tell me about
the victim, people.

Benson: Okay... Sylvia Hadley.

Married, husband's in Baltimore.

She and her father-in-law,
Dr. Benjamin Hadley,

and the wife were attending

the National Conference
of Christian Colleges.

- Not the Benjamin Hadley?
- Benson: Mm-hmm.

More powerful
than Pat Robertson,

able to leap a tall
Democrat in a single bound,

President of Midvale College,
which used to be a Podunk nothing;

now it's suddenly a think tank for
the neo-conservative movement?

- Although that's an oxymoron.
- Munch: I love you, Olivia.

"Family values," other
euphemisms for smug sanctimony,

studies of dead white men,
freedom from government...

Husband's been notified.
He's catching the next flight up.

I'll have some
plainclothes pick him up.

- Did you talk to the in-laws?
- Stabler: They were flipped.

We'll need to go back
for more questions.

Be direct, but be discreet. I
can smell the politics a mile away.

Munch: What happened
to you renting me a drawer?

I'm gonna need it this summer.

It's nice and cool down here.

You again?

You get a chance to take
a look at Sylvia Hadley?

Confirmed cause of
death. Manual strangulation.

No cloth-like abrasions,
no leather cuts.

What about time of death?

I can narrow it down to
between 6:30 and 9:00 last night.

DNA? Rape kit came
up positive for semen.

Sheets were positive
for bodily fluids as well.

It's a good sample.

Until next time?

Thanks.

Benson: Do you know anything
about where Sylvia went yesterday?

Whom she might have met with?

We had an awards dinner for
the Christian Educators' Coalition.

She was supposed to go, but
she said she would skip the mixer.

I assumed she was
tired from walking.

You know, this is a hard city.

Do you want some coffee?

No, thank you.

Specifically, did she
have any meetings?

Sylvia was independent.
She loved art.

Was anxious to go to the Met.

Did you see her at the
hotel when she returned?

Briefly. She seemed tired.

She and Brad...
They've been burning

the midnight oil on
the annual report.

- Brad?
- Weber.

Our financial guy.
He's staying here.

We're going to
need to talk to him.

His firm has a New York office.
Mondregan Weber Investments.

Anyone have any personal
grievance against her?

She was a fine young
woman. Everyone loved her.

She and my son had so
much to look forward to.

We're just looking for
any possible motive.

A drug addict or a rapist
broke into her room.

How about lack of personal
responsibility as a motive?

- Or atheistic hedonism?
- Ben.

I knew something like
this would happen here.

You read about it all the time.

I trust this case is
a priority, Detective?

Yes, sir, it is.

Stabler: What do the
guest cameras cover?

The entrance, the front
desk, the elevator bays.

Employee cams cover
cash-sensitive areas.

Do employee cams catch
anything guest cams would miss?

No, coverage doesn't overlap.
The angles are different.

You don't have
cams in the hallways?

Management thinks
there's a fine line

between protecting guests
and invading their privacy.

Not to mention the cost. You'd
need cameras everywhere.

How do you pick up the slack?

Staff and guards weed
out crazies and loiterers,

Electronic locks are logged to
show every time a door opens,

staff card or guest card.

But staff and guards can
be avoided, can't they?

Yeah, that's what the
electronic locks are for.

Can you show us Sylvia
Hadley's log from last night?

Yeah, I printed
out all the activity

on Mrs. Hadley's room,
including room service.

We'll also need videotape you
have since the victim arrived.

You can have it, but
it's not time stamped.

Some glitch where it shows on the
screens, but didn't record on tape.

We'll take it anyway.
What about the staff?

You guys are screening
them, but you won't get a hit.

We do more background
checks than the FBI.

You know anything about
other burglars or other hotels?

Yeah, I've got a friend
over at the Baxter Arms.

They got hit, but
the guest was gone,

no forced entry,
no log of entry.

According to this, the maid
cleans the room at 9:25 a.m.

What about room service?

There's lots.
Thursday to Friday.

But none during the
crucial period on Sunday.

She got into the
room at quarter of 5:00.

Maybe the guy was
in there waiting for her.

And he could have
left at any time.

Late, when no one could see him.

Here you go.

I live in Baltimore,
but I'm in New York

often enough to need an office.

Vice versa for my
partner, Jack Mondregan.

You met Sylvia
Hadley Sunday, correct?

Yes, we had a
meeting. Thank you.

There was supposed to be
a report to the trustees today.

What did you do
after the meeting?

I came to the
office, worked late,

strolled along Fifth
Avenue window-shopping,

- and went back to the hotel.
- And what time was that?

About 9:00.

You seem suspicious.

This early in the investigation,
we're suspicious of everyone.

- Anyone see you
leave the office?
- Weber: No one was here.

I don't know about the front
door. They're usually asleep.

This isn't a great building.

When you got back to
the hotel, what did you do?

Went to my room and
crashed. I was pretty tired.

Today was supposed
to be a big day.

Mr. Hadley, do
you have any kids?

No. I don't know how I would
have explained this to them.

I know this is a
difficult question,

but were you and your
wife having any problems?

My wife was not
having an affair.

That's not necessarily
what I meant.

Were you in financial trouble?
Trouble with colleagues, co-workers?

No.

Do you have to put our private
lives under a microscope?

This isn't about my wife.

This was one of your New York
psychos out roaming the streets.

Only it's not "P.C." to
do anything about them.

We understand your frustration.
We are doing what we can.

Munch: These are
Detectives Benson and Stabler.

- They're handling your case.
- Hello, Mr. Hadley.

We're so sorry for your
loss. How's it going so far?

We have a few leads
that we're chasing down.

Well, I better get
down to the hotel

and see my parents.
I'm sorry if I get frustrated.

I appreciate the
work you're doing.

Excuse me.

We just interviewed
a Brad Weber.

He's the guy who
manages the endowment.

Totally struck out, though.

Doorman saw him leave
his offices after 6:00.

He picked up phone messages at the front
desk after 9:00. Phone records checked out.

Exclusionary prints and DNA
screens are being processed now.

So far, the only staff
prints we have in the room

are a maid's and a room
service guy who has an alibi.

Security guy told us about a
burglar who's hitting the big hotels.

They got a Robbery
task force on him.

What? Burglaries
aren't sex crimes?

Hey, Briscoe!

Go through this box
of security videotapes

and check it out
like a good man.

There's no
timestamps, so have fun.

Okay, the latest victim's
name is Lana Hoffman.

She's staying at The
Sussex on the East Side.

Hoffman: When I
got back to my room,

it took a while
before I realized

my safe was cleaned out
and all my jewelry was gone.

But what really bothered me, the other
detectives dismissed as an idiosyncrasy.

And what was that?

The burglar masturbated
in my underwear.

Now they're sitting in
some evidence lock-up.

Not that I want
them back, though.

They said he probably
picked the room randomly.

You notice anything
strange prior to the break-in?

Like what?

The burglar might
have followed you

to find out what
room you were in.

No, nobody followed me.

Maybe he waited
down in the lobby?

There was this one guy. It
seems like he was always

in the lounge
reading a newspaper.

We rode the elevator up
once. He creeped me out bad.

Yeah? What'd he look like?

Smallish build,
wire-rim glasses.

But he always wore the
same red baseball cap.

That's why I noticed.

I thought, "Some
men never grow up."

I didn't think of it till now.

- Stabler:
Why didn't you call us?
- And hand the case over?

No, we're capable of just lending
a hand. Same shield, same team.

It's just a standard
set of burglaries.

No, each consecutive burglary
had an increased degree

of sexual fetishism.
This guy was escalating.

Oh, yeah... they're all
just "rapists-in-training."

Why don't you take all the
burglaries in Manhattan?

We only want the one where the burglar
spills his seed in the victim's "u-trou."

The thing bothering
us is how clear it was

this guy was going to hurt someone...
he was under no threat from you.

Like to see how you'd have
helped. We could have told you

He's not in it for money,
meaning you're wasting your time

looking for stolen
goods on the street.

Benson: He stalks his
victims for a couple of days,

he gets close to them...
These are not random robberies.

How about he likes
blondes? He gets half his rush

from being in plain
view in the hotel.

Now a woman's dead because
you were protecting your collar.

So we didn't call you. No
one wants to call you, ever.

You guys are up to your
necks in perversity 24/7.

My men don't understand
why you picked your squad.

People like you make
our squad necessary.

Yeah? Well, my people don't
want whatever it is you got.

You're tainted. Benson.

10 bucks says the only other cops
you hang out with are Brooklyn SVU.

You lose. Bronx SVU.

We'll take these. We'll make
copies. That was Cragen.

What'd he want?
Victim was pregnant.

What do you know?
Double homicide.

How's Briscoe
doing on those tapes?

He's working on the hotel
schedule to sort out the videos.

It's going to take time. He's keeping
his eye out for the baseball cap.

These are the hotels our guy has
hit since he started four months ago.

He hit the Baxter
Arms over a week ago.

He's done each hotel
either once or twice.

No forced entry, occupant not
in room. He didn't use staff cards.

He's only hitting hotels with
key card access to the rooms.

I wonder if he's got something
that cracks the codes to the locks.

- I thought only
the Feds had that technology.
- Could be ex-FBI or CIA.

Hoover led from the top down. His
"lingerie legacy" could still be alive.

People, I think you
should all listen to this.

Hadley on radio: her rape
and murder related to a tragedy

which is much larger.

It's a part of the moral
decay of America.

At Midvale, we still believe
in the absolute truth...

That morality and family
strength is still important.

This... city has taken

a valued member
of our organization...

Of our family... away from us.

We will not rest until
the killer is found.

Reporter: Dr. Hadley, are you
going to continue with your schedule

of fundraising events...

Now, can anyone tell me
where we are on this thing?

We got a burglar with a
similar M.O. and description.

Get him, 'cause we all know

who's on the other
end of that phone call.

Six-two-four.

Jeffries: He's
on the sixth floor.

He went into room 624.

Got it.

Wrong room. Hands on
top of your head... now.

Pat him down.

That's our collar.
Jeffries: Like hell it is.

It's a special task force
appointed by the commissioner.

Our ongoing investigation
takes precedence.

Our captain's been
talking to the mayor.

He didn't like hearing about
your unwillingness to cooperate.

Wait a minute... Don't...

Don't touch me. I
don't like to be touched.

If that's the guy
that's questioning me,

I definitely want
my lawyer present.

Your kit would make certain
covert enforcement agencies jealous.

Actually, their stuff
is a little more refined.

- Where did you get it?
- I made it.

John, don't say any
more. It's not hard.

I'm a computer programmer. I
worked for an electronic lock company.

What happened? They fired me.

Attorney: John... Why?

I was the only one bothered by
the illusion we were perpetuating.

I know... any hotel staff
member can get into your room...

All the keys, the key cards,

are sitting there
on the maid carts.

There's one combination that opens
every room safe in the entire hotel.

If you want me to help
you, you better stop talking.

Your job is to get me the
best deal I can. They've got me.

All the stuff I took, it's
just sitting in my apartment

nicely catalogued so it
can be easily returned.

It's not about the stealing, I
was trying to prove a point.

Could you just shut
up for a second?

Perhaps you two would
like some time alone.

Guy thinks he's a White House
Plumber and you're G. Gordon Liddy.

Ouch. In round two, we
go "Bad cop on his ass."

Right, Jeffries? Cool.

The Hadleys in the squad room.
We're debating the pregnancy.

You think we should tell 'em?

No. It's a card we
should hold onto.

That's what we were thinkin'.

You always had this
underwear fetish?

No, but I came to realize
that's just who I am.

But "no harm, no foul,"
right? That's just it...

We're talking big harm, big
foul." What are you talking about?

Where were you
Sunday night? Why?

We've got a dead, raped woman,
and you look pretty good for it.

What? No!

I wouldn't hurt anybody.
I'm not wired that way.

"Boxing the clown" in
woman's underwear?

That's pretty freaky.
And to us, "buddy boy,"

it's a short stretch of road
between that and rape/homicide.

I'm gonna need a moment
with my client. No, it's okay.

I want to clear this up right
now. I did not rape anybody.

Where were you?

I was down at the Soho East.

I stole a diamond-studded
collar off a terrier.

It's the only dog-friendly
hotel in the city.

The owner must have left
him in the room during dinner.

Cute dog.

I want to see him.

That's probably
not the best idea.

I'm sorry, but after all that,
we don't think he's our guy.

I don't believe this.
These things take time, sir.

And to get the press all
riled up does not help things.

I know, and I apologize.

We're under a lot of pressure.
We realize how hard your job is.

How hard can it be? My
wife was killed in a hotel.

We're going to find
your wife's killer,

but as my partner said,
these things take time.

We'll be going. I'm sure
you have a lot of work to do.

Well, that was nice. I
hope you got some ideas.

A guest at the Soho East
reported a break-in on Sunday.

Amongst the stolen goods was
a diamond-studded dog collar.

I'm working on the search warrant
for John Fenwick's apartment.

Benson: Maybe Sylvia
was having an affair.

Why else wouldn't she tell her
husband that she was pregnant?

Maybe she wanted to make
sure before she told him?

What are the odds that another
stranger was in the hotel stalking her?

We all know about odds.

It would fit with the
lack of self-defense.

We've seen victims who don't
fight back because they feel guilty.

They feel they're being punished
for something that's their fault.

Maybe she knew the guy. She
must have let the attacker in.

There's a chance this gal wasn't

as family-oriented as
Ben and Dr. Hadley.

Okay... Munch, Jeffries,
finish with this Fenwick guy.

Benson, Stabler, first
thing tomorrow morning,

it's back to the hotel with you.
Take a closer look at Sylvia.

Man: Oh, yeah, I remember her.

Probably wouldn't have
had if she hadn't gotten killed.

But when you're in the news, it kind
of solidifies everything in your mind.

- Stabler: What do you remember?
- She was a pain in the ass.

Why do you say that?

She ordered a lot
of room service.

But, one of my guys
would bring it up,

and then she'd remember
something else she wanted.

- Maybe she was
ordering for two people.
- Well, that's possible.

She never ordered
dinner or anything...

Always just hors d'oeuvres.

Hey, Tony, remember
that woman in room 1810?

The one who bit it? Yeah.

You remember if she
was ever with somebody?

Whenever I came in the room,
the bathroom door was closed.

I guess there could have
been a guy in there, or a girl.

You're investigating her murder?

- Yes.
- Sorry about the comment.

Guests become room
numbers after a while.

Thanks, Tony.

I remember one night,
she called at 11:00 p.m.,

wanted to have the mini-bar
in her room restocked.

I said we couldn't do it,

so she said she was
going down to the bar.

Doesn't sound like the
picture the Hadleys painted.

People do all sorts
of things in hotels.

You know, the
anonymous nature of it all?

Anyway, that was the night before
she was killed... Saturday night.

Yeah, I remember her. She
was in here Friday, Saturday night.

I heard about her on Monday
when I came back to work.

Was she alone or
was she with someone?

Saturday she was
here with a guy.

They looked like
they worked together.

She was laying it on pretty
thick, too. How do you mean?

You know, laying her hand on his
arm every time he cracked a joke.

Talking quietly so he
had to lean in to hear her.

Was he receptive?

Two people come in, they're
both married to other people.

She's drinking apple
martinis to try to lose control,

he's drinking Amstel
Lights to try to keep it.

You've seen it before?

They weren't making out at the
bar or anything, but they left together.

She couldn't walk without him.

You know if the guy
was staying in this hotel?

Yeah. If I remember correctly,
he charged the tab to his room.

Let me check.

Here we go.

Room 1232. Brad Weber.

Thanks.

Mr. Weber, thanks
for coming down here.

Glad to help, though I
don't know how I can.

Well, how well did you
know Sylvia Hadley?

You people asked me that before.

Yeah, we're just
trying to understand

her state of mind. How
often did you meet with her?

There was a monthly
meeting with Dr. Hadley,

- but Sylvia and I have
met more often lately.
- Why?

It's a high maintenance
account. Narrow margin for error.

The college depends
on a precise cash flow

and a rigorous rate of return.
They're also my biggest client.

Saturday at the hotel bar...
Investment meeting, or date?

It was an investment meeting.

You're married, Mr. Weber,
aren't you? Yes. Happily.

Were you and Sylvia having
an affair? Absolutely not.

See, that's the part
that doesn't make sense.

We've got a bartender
who puts you two

in a very friendly
situation at the bar.

I couldn't help
that. She hit on me.

It felt like harassment. She
could ruin my life. I had to be nice.

That we don't buy. And
you just gave us a motive.

- What do you mean?
- You two were having
an affair,

she wanted to break it off,
you'd lose her as a client.

- That's not true.
- You killed her
to protect yourself.

No! There was no affair.

That night she was
half-drunk for our meeting.

She wanted to go to the
bar afterwards. I had to.

What do you mean you "had
to"? What about a polite refusal?

She insisted. She hit
on me, and it was nice

to have an attractive woman on your
arm in New York... people looking, jealous.

I ordered beers and drank
them slowly. I don't know why...

It still went to my head.
I don't drink that often.

We left, and I found myself
walking back to her room.

We kissed outside her
room, but that was it.

Mr. Weber, you expect us
to believe it stopped there?

You're married, aren't you?

This is not about
me, it's about you.

You'll understand
this if you are.

The thought hit me that
I had just transformed

my relationship
with my wife forever.

It cleared my head. I
went back to my room.

Sounds pretty convenient.

Sounds pretty damned
inconvenient if you ask me.

Where were you Sunday night?

I was in my room. I told you.

Maybe you went straight
to Sylvia's room from work.

You left her room at
9:00 to build up your alibi.

No.

Did you watch any pay movies?

Oh my God, no.

That is not good for your story.

I've known Brad for a long time.

He's very good with
the endowment's money.

You're sort of damning him
with faint praise, aren't you?

"For with what
judgment ye judge,

ye shall be judged, and
with what measure ye meet,

it will be measured
to you again."

Could we leave the Scripture
out of this just for a moment?

What we want to know, flat
out, is there pertinent information

to this investigation we
should know about Brad Weber?

He's always a little...

"in the tank" at our functions.

And he's known to make
passes at the women.

In the past, we've
usually just laughed it off.

Nobody's laughing now.

Dr. Hadley, are you
sure that there wasn't

a personal connection
between Brad and Sylvia?

They worked together.

I can't imagine him hurting her.

We only needed a financial
update once a month.

Sylvia chose to work
more closely with Brad

on the management
of the endowment.

What's that supposed to mean?

Come on, Ben.

Late nights... Two or
three times a week?

It's possible you just
didn't want to see it.

Stabler: Did they ever argue?

Not that I ever heard. Not
during the daytime, anyway.

- This is unbelievable.
- What if Sylvia was in
a relationship

she wanted to end, and Mr. Weber
didn't want to lose the account?

God help him.

I prayed that it
would be a stranger.

You lied to us. We hear you were
"in the bag" at every Midvale function.

We also heard when you tie one
on, you become quite the ladies' man.

What? You told us
you didn't drink often.

I don't. Do you have any idea how
nerve-wracking those things are?

Cool it, Brad.

We got people telling us you and
Sylvia met more often than was necessary.

Weber: Who said that? Everyone.

No one has any idea what goes
into keeping that college afloat.

We were having
the extra meetings

because there's a huge balloon
payment due next quarter.

It's complicated, and
requires a lot of coordination.

The trustees are panicked.

What kind of payment
we talking about here?

Hadley structured a
poor deal back in the '70s

when he and a few
investors bought the college.

High risk, high interest,
no intermediate payments.

It's biting him on the ass now.

Sylvia and I had
to fix the problem.

That's why Hadley's
out there still stumping.

We still have your admission
to fooling around with Sylvia,

and the only person who
can confirm that story is dead.

I told you that because
I didn't kill Sylvia,

and what I did
do wasn't wrong...

very.

Attorney: Look, Brad's
never been in trouble before,

let alone falsely accused.

Frankly, he told the truth
because I wasn't around.

He's going to remain
our prime suspect

unless he gives us something
to divert our attention.

Like a blood test, for starters.

I didn't do anything.

He'll take the blood test.

Look at this. Midvale
College was censured

by the American Association
of University Professors.

"Inadequate protection against an
improper exercise of administrative power."

Dr. Hadley had a penchant for
axing those that disagreed with him.

Ah, Dr. Hadley's doctorate.

It's from Lutheran Ministry
College, Jackson, Mississippi.

He's a preacher, all right.

Of the Hadleys, who do you think
you can get more information from?

The son. Okay...

the Hadleys are holding a
memorial service for Sylvia

at St. Albans.
That is in one hour.

Munch, Jeffries, see
if you can track down

one of these professors he axed.

Can you tell us about your employment
experience at Midvale College?

We understand
Dr. Hadley learned some

some of his management
technique from Stalin.

One could say that
statement is accurate.

Tell us about it.

I am a professor of philosophy.

I started teaching there
in '89 because at Brown,

the best literature was being
run out of the curriculum.

"There's nothing of merit to
learn from dead Europeans."

Right. Midvale was
a good place to learn

and teach a classic curriculum.

We pushed our students

to question every
perceived truth.

What happened?

"On The Origin of
Species" was the first to go.

The college became
something I hated.

I fought with Hadley,
but I realized, to him,

the curriculum was nothing more

than a way to tap into
wealthy conservative donors.

Did you know Sylvia
Hadley? Not well.

Rumor was that she
was spending more time

working with Hadley Sr.
Than living with Hadley Jr.

- Which is not surprising,
in and of itself.
- Jeffries: Why not?

Junior is a nice fellow, but
nepotism got him the job.

Sylvia, on the other hand,

she was headstrong,
I'll give you that.

Hadley: Together, we
have made Midvale a reality.

Sylvia...

was a large source
of our strength.

And that is why I am announcing

the establishment of the Sylvia
Stone Hadley Memorial Fund.

Thank you for coming
here today to honor Sylvia...

and...

for the kindness you
have shown my family

during this dark
time. God bless you.

Thanks for coming.

Stabler: How's it going?

As well as can be
expected, I guess.

Anything on Weber yet?

He's volunteered DNA
to test with the sample

that we got from
the crime scene.

This whole thing,
it's unbelievable.

People do things they never
imagined they were capable of.

I guess you see it all the time.

It's just, Brad and Sylvia...

Is there any other
person with whom she had

frequent personal contact
that we should be looking at?

No.

Anything you may have
noticed about her state of mind?

Look, in the last couple
of years she changed a lot.

Our marriage was fine,

but she wasn't the
same person I married.

Well, people change.
That's marriage.

No, she became this person
I didn't even know anymore.

Flying all over the country, cell
phone permanently attached to her ear.

I knew less and
less about her life.

Say, is the staff angle
completely dead?

DNA screening turned up no one.

Brad Weber's DNA
came back negative.

He's also resigned his post
as manager of the endowment.

You know, this whole
college is a family operation.

I know the dysfunctional
family's a cliché...

Scorecard, people.

The old man was being
honored by his born-again peers.

Junior was grading
papers in Baltimore.

What about the
mother, Sharon Hadley?

She does appear to be the
glue that holds the family together.

Well, genetics make the family.
We got DNA on everybody else.

Let's get some from
the Hadleys, too.

We're going to need a
court order on the father.

All right. Ask him nicely.

If he refuses, a
court order it is.

Then get the mother
up here alone.

I want to get the full story.

It's time we found out
just how strong this glue is.

You sure I can't get
you anything to drink?

No.

You can have a seat.

Mrs. Hadley, when you look back,

was Sylvia happy?

Yes. She loved the college.

You should have seen her work
a fundraiser. It was magnificent.

And what about your son?

He loved to teach.

And was your son
happy with Sylvia?

Yes.

They were a good team.

He wished she would work less.

He wanted to spend
more time with her.

That's not the same
thing as being happy.

Happiness is highly
overrated, Detective.

A marriage is a
working partnership,

consecrated by our Lord.

Okay.

And was it? Consecrated?

Yes.

So Sylvia was faithful?

She was.

She was...
faithful to all of us.

I'm sorry... Can
you clarify that?

She loved her job.
She loved the school,

her family...

Mrs. Hadley, did you know that
Sylvia was two months pregnant?

You didn't know?

Why didn't your
son tell you that?

Whatever it is that
you're holding on to...

is gone.

We can help you.

He wouldn't have known.

Oh, God, I prayed
for forgiveness.

I forgave him.

How could this have happened?
How could he have done this?

How could your
son have done what?

Not my son...

My husband.

He had an affair for
two years with Sylvia.

This Hadley is a
religious huckster

in the "Aimee Semple
McPherson" mode.

A "Swaggart," a "Bakker"...

With Swaggart's proclivity
toward "extra-marital ministrations."

And he knows that once he's
exposed, the money stops.

This upcoming balloon
payment is gasoline on the fire.

Okay, okay. We got to
get moving quickly on this.

I will convince Mrs.
Hadley to stay here.

If she insists on
leaving, we arrest her.

Benson: For...?
Obstruction... it doesn't matter.

We have to make sure she
doesn't give him a heads-up.

We'll bring in Senior. Shall
we bring in the little guy, too?

Why not? Let's see if
blood does run thicker.

Keep 'em separated.
I don't want 'em saying

saying so much as
a word to each other.

For the last time, my
friends, I'm not going to get

into any particulars
until my lawyer arrives.

Well, that's fine by me.

Anyhow, your DNA's going to
corroborate your wife's story.

What story?

Maybe we shouldn't say
anything until your lawyer gets here.

What's up? Kid's got
something interesting.

What do you got? Those
videotapes are wild.

You wouldn't believe
what goes on in elevators

when people think they're alone.

It's better than any
video I ever rented.

I hope this isn't what
you had to tell us. No.

The video wasn't time coded. I had to use
other visual cues to establish the timeline.

In the evening on Friday
there was a Girl Scout meeting.

Sunday morning, cardiologist
convention checks out.

That afternoon, these
wedding guests arrived.

You can tell 'cause they got neat
welcome baskets from the front desk

just loaded down
with "Maker's Mark."

So the wedding
party gets bourbon...?

Take a look at this.

My best guess is, this
guy was on the elevator

on Sunday between
4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.,

and next to him is a guy with...
your bottle of "Maker's Mark."

You're sure about
this? Absolutely.

Ben Jr. wasn't in Baltimore.

He used a credit card to
purchase an 11:00 a.m.

Baltimore-New York
express train ticket.

An ATM withdrawal

at the Times Square Chase
Manhattan late Sunday night, 10:53 p.m.

Here he is entering
the lobby in the hotel.

Here he is in the elevator.

Just proves fantastic liars don't
necessarily make good killers.

The son who was supposedly in
Baltimore at the time of the murder

was actually here in
New York in the hotel.

What's your theory?

These holy rollers are in
fact, surprise-surprise—grifters.

The old man and his
so-called investors took over

some third-rate college
when it went Chapter 11.

Then resurrected it
as "Born-Again U."

Maybe the victim knew
the books were cooked.

She was shaking down Hadley
Sr. for a slice of the action.

Or "B," she was a true believer.

Maybe she was disgusted
by what was going on

and threatening
to blow the whistle.

Where's the sex crime in this?

She had sex before
dying. Not necessarily rape.

Check out these DNA results.

Talk about "Old Testament."
All right, I want both of them.

We're gonna have to get
'em to turn on each other.

Take two polecats, throw 'em
in the same bag, and look out.

We have you in
a big, big lie, Ben.

He was in shock.

His wife's death disoriented
him. It's only natural.

I must agree with Dr. Hadley.

This has been an extraordinarily
traumatic experience for his son.

You can't expect... First your
father, and then his lawyer.

You ever speak for yourself?

I don't know. I'm
not sure what to say.

Come on, Junior.
It's a tale of two cities.

New York, or was it Baltimore?

I was home in Baltimore.

My father called and
said there had been

a terrible tragedy in the hotel.

Detective Jeffries?

These are the lab results.

Your wife's throttled neck

and a piece of skin from
under your fingernail...

perfect match.

- I didn't...
- Don't. Not a word.

And these are the DNA results
from semen found in Sylvia.

Also a match.

- What are you talking about?
- Attorney #2: Ben, shut up.

This is a complete
and total invasion

of my family's privacy.

Sure, blame the messenger.

Detective, does the sperm
DNA match that of Ben Jr.?

No, sir.

Ben Jr.: What the
hell's going on here?

Ask your father. It's his sperm.

My father's?

My father...?

You?!

You and Sylvia?

Can we continue this
in private, Captain?

Would you like to
make a statement now?

I'd been suspicious
for some time.

When this trip came up,

I couldn't stand it any longer.

I got a train ticket
and I came up here.

To the hotel?

When I got to the room,

I knocked and
knocked and knocked.

I felt like such an idiot.

It took her five minutes
to open the door.

Cragen: And then what happened?

She... said she'd been sleeping.

But with whom? That's
what I wanted to know.

And how did she respond?

She laughed.

Said I was paranoid.

That the thought of her cheating

was the only original
thought I'd ever had.

What did she mean by that?

It was her favorite put-down.

You know, like...

the only job I could get
was at my daddy's college.

And then I... I lost it.

You "lost it" how?

I grabbed her shoulder.

I wanted to shake
some sense into her.

And she went limp...

like she wanted to be punished.

Then I was looking at
my hands around her neck,

and wondering what I
was doing choking her.

We can finish this later.

Ben Jr.: You always had
to make everything right!

And to think I came
to you to fix this.

Cragen: Mrs. Hadley.

Hadley: Sharon...

did you hear? Poor Ben.

She knows a lot more
than you think, Dr. Hadley.

No, no... she had
nothing to do with this.

Mrs. Hadley: Protecting me, Ben?

Protecting me from the truth?

How thoughtful of
you. How "Christian."

That's why you made
up that robbery story?

To cover up what he'd done?

That's not true.
That's ludicrous.

Oh.

Then maybe it was to make sure
Ben didn't know she was pregnant.

What? What are
you talking about?

It's not something the medical
examiner would easily miss, Doctor.

All of the DNA reports are here.

It's... well, have a look.

What were you going
to call him, Ben? "Son"?

"Ben Ill"?

- That's the grief talking.
- No, this is me talking!

A lifetime of grief, yes.

And two years of
watching my husband...

My soon-to-be-former husband...

Fornicating with my son's wife.

Sharon...?

Fathering his own grandchild.