Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 14, Episode 19 - Born Psychopath - 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.

Henry.

Henry.

Time for babies to wake up.

You're a baby.
Stupid diaper baby.



Irina.

He called me a name.

Here.

Ruby!

Irina, I'm gonna be
a little bit late tonight.

- Tonight?
- What, is that a problem?

Yeah, I have concert ticket
tonight. I told you.

- You didn't tell me, did you?
- Yeah.

Thanks for
letting me sleep in.

What time can you
get back here tonight?

Irina's got a thing.

- I've gotta get in the shower.
- Irina was texting.

I can't tonight.
Can you reschedule?

Mwah.
Later, alligators.



Mwah.

Nobody likes a snitch.

Okay, come on. Let's go.
See everybody later.

I want daddy
to take me to school.

Daddy's at work.

- Then you.
- No fair.

She took you yesterday.

No, no, it's not fair to me.
It's never fair to me!

Okay, all right.

Ruby, can you do mommy
a little favor

and let Irina
take you to preschool?

Okay. Thank you.

Irina, you take Ruby.
Here's her backpack.

Button up your coat,
sweetie, come on.

I have to pee.

I just put
your tights back on.

She always does this.

Okay, everybody.
Just take her, Irina.

Let's go.
Let's go, Henry, we're late.

Go.

- Where does it hurt, Ruby?
- My head.

Your head?

Oh. You have a bump.

And my tummy hurts.
Can I have a band-aid?

Your tummy?

Oh.

That's a big boo-boo.

Ruby, how did that happen?

A good detective listens,

he pays attention,
he asks the right...

questions.

You ever shoot anybody?

No, I've pulled my weapon.

But police work is
mostly about talking to people.

- Is your gun even real?
- Yeah, it's a real gun.

And my uncle Nick
knows how to use it.

Do you wear
a bulletproof vest?

Actually,
I have one on right now.

Look at that.

When you're on duty,

you should always--

Excuse me.

Amaro.

Yeah, I got it.
I'm on my way.

Sorry, kids.
Ms. Robinson, I gotta go.

Hey.

We're still seeing the Rangers
tomorrow night, right?

You bet, Gil.

You tell your mom
I'll pick you up at 6:00.

Okay.

Sorry to pull you away.
How's your son?

Great. Except for the fact
he doesn't know he's my son.

What's up?

Ruby Mesner, five.

The school nurse
found bruising on her torso

and swelling on her hip.

Doctor says
she has a cracked rib

that was suffered
within the last 12 hours.

And some other marks.
There's the mother.

Father's en route
from Hartford.

I'll take mom,
you got the little girl.

So can you tell me
what happened, Ruby?

I fell.

You fell?

Okay, were you alone
when you fell?

Can you tell me
who you were with, sweetie?

The Monster.

A monster?

What did the monster do?

The Monster pushed me.

And then The Monster
told me to shut up!

The school said
she was all right.

Why did the police
get called?

Unexplained injuries.
Please have a seat.

- They're required to report it.
- But we're not--

We live--we live
on the Upper West Side.

We're good parents.

Okay, let's start
with your morning.

- The nanny, Irina Janovic--
- Mm-hmm.

She dropped Ruby off
at preschool?

That's right.
My husband left for work.

I took our older child Henry
to his school.

And when you last saw Ruby,
how was she?

Fine. Henry was the one
having the meltdown

about Irina
taking him to school,

- and Ruby agreed to the switch--
- Mrs. Mesner.

I'm detective Benson.
Uh, Ruby's in with the doctor.

She's okay.

Did she tell you
what happened?

- I was wondering if you could.
- No.

She was fine when I left.

Mrs. Mesner,

you said Henry didn't want
the nanny taking him to school.

Right. Irina's new.
She started in November.

And he wanted mommy.

Have you had
any problems with her?

Um, there's been some
miscommunication about hours.

And, you know, I should tell--
she's illegal.

Okay, well, we're gonna
need to speak with her.

Is she at your home?

No, after drop-off

she works for another family
in the building.

Okay.

Ruby's very sweet.

Yeah.

Have you noticed
any behavioral changes lately?

No.

Ruby's my easy one.

Any nightmares,
any bed-wetting?

Um, w-well, ac--

Irina did tell me she's had
a couple of accidents,

but that happens.

Can I take her now?

She has her piano lesson
and Henry has swim class.

No. You're gonna need
to cancel her piano lesson.

And we'll send someone
to bring Henry here.

I don't understand.

Ruby was fine.

She kept saying,
"I'm okay, I'm okay."

But she did
get hurt this morning.

She fell down
some stairs.

Look, the woman I work for
will be home soon.

Okay, talk to us
before she gets here.

Viola was in the shower.
Um, Ruby spilled milk.

I told her to go upstairs,
get new tights.

I went to the laundry room,

I heard Ruby cry, I ran back,
she was halfway down the stairs.

- So you didn't see her fall?
- No.

It's what she told me.

I put the boo-boo bunny
on the bruise.

And you didn't
tell her mother?

No.
She said she wasn't hurt.

And I'm not supposed
to leave the kids alone.

Ruby and Henry.
Where was he?

He didn't even
hear Ruby cry.

He was eating waffles,
smiling, happy.

Irina, what's going on?

- The doorman said there were--
- Yeah, hi, Detective Rollins

and Tutuola.

- Is Lucy okay?
- Yeah.

Just a routine matter,
ma'am.

Ruby Mesner, five,

presented with
severe bruising on her torso

and a cracked rib.

She told me that a monster
pushed her down the stairs.

Any history of incidents?

Well, first report
from the preschool,

but her exam showed
some healed bruising

and an old spiral fracture.

Plus four ER visits
in the last year.

She had a concussion
from a fall,

a finger pinched in a door,
and two skull burns.

What do we know
about the family?

Viola and Tom Mesner.
She's an AMEX VP.

He's a systems engineer
with Amtrak.

Married 14 years.

Older son Henry is ten.
No DV reports.

The nanny claimed
she was doing laundry

when Ruby
fell down the stairs.

Irina Janovic.

Here illegally
from Soviet Georgia.

She's worked for the Mesners
for five months.

That's all but one
of Ruby's ER visits.

Irina also works
for another family.

That mother hasn't
reported any problems.

Okay, any issues
with her story?

She said she didn't see
what happened.

She also didn't
tell the mother.

Anyone else around
when Ruby fell?

The father had gone to work,
mother was in the shower.

Irina said that Henry,
the brother, was at the table.

Let's talk to him
and examine him.

Two parents,
an older brother, a nanny,

and nobody's looking out
for the girl?

Let's talk to the neighbors,
teachers, doormen,

and keep the two kids at the CAC
until we sort this out.

I was eating waffles

just before I heard
Ruby yell upstairs.

And where were you, Henry?

At the table,
eating my waffles.

Good.
And where was Irina?

Did you see Irina, Henry?

I don't think I should
talk about it.

Look, it's okay, Henry.

You're not gonna
get in any trouble.

Just tell us what you saw.

Well,
when I heard Ruby yell,

I got up and I went
into the living room.

And then I saw her and Irina
at the top of the stairs.

And what were they doing?

Irina was trying
to get Ruby's tights on,

and Ruby was cranky.

And then what happened?

Henry.

It's okay.

Just tell us what happened.

Irina made her mad face
and pushed Ruby down the stairs.

And you're sure
that's what you saw, Henry?

Maybe it was an accident.

No, it wasn't.

Irina told Ruby to shut up,
and then she pushed her.

Saying "shut up" is not nice.

Okay.

And then what happened?

Then I ran back
to the table.

Irina came in
and got the ice bunny.

I didn't say anything.

Please don't tell my mom.

Dad always gets mad
when we have to switch nannies.

He's ten.
Is he swearable, counselor?

A lot of detail.
Linear.

For our sake he is.
We'll see what the judge rules.

- Irina's illegal?
- Yeah.

Pick her up.

We don't need
another "bad nanny" headline.

What about the Mesners?

Well, once we get Henry's
full statement,

they can take
their children home.

My son Toby
plays with Henry.

The nanny drops him off.

You ever notice
any problems?

What nanny are we talking
about? They've had so many.

Dad, the Xbox is jammed.

Toby, you know
Henry's nanny's name?

- The new one?
- Mm-hmm.

Irina.

She's always texting.

Henry hates her.

Are these the tights
with the milk spill?

Yes. Irina said
she rinsed them out.

This is a nightmare.

- She had references.
- Did you know any of them?

Mostly moms' groups
on the internet.

Okay, we're gonna need
to get in contact with them.

You try and do the best
for your kids.

But there's so much
out of your control, you know?

And neither you
nor your wife

have ever seen or heard
Irina being abusive?

I haven't spent
much time with her.

Excuse me.

What happened
with Ruby this morning?

Irina, you are
in trouble here, with us,

- with the INS, help yourself--
- I told you she fell!

Okay, maybe it was
just an accident,

and you were trying to help.

No. I told you,
I was in the laundry room.

Henry told us
he saw you push her.

Henry said that?

No.

He is a mean little boy.

Ruby calls him
"The Monster."

Bedtime in five minutes.

Yes, mommy.

You too, Henry.

Ruby's all thumbs,
but she loves it.

- Yeah. Henry not so much?
- Oh...

You know,
boys can be a handful.

My husband was--
was like that.

But he grew out of it.

Mrs. Mesner, does Henry
ever play games with Ruby?

Like "Monster"?

"Monster."
Yes, sometimes.

Does he resent
having a little sister?

Oh, yes,
the school guidance counselor

calls it
"Firstborn Syndrome."

I asked Henry
if he did this.

He cried, and he swore
he saw Irina push her.

Yeah, that's what he told me,
but, um...

But I have to ask.

Has Henry ever
lied to you before?

Now, those other accidents
Ruby had...

Was Henry in the apartment?

One time Ruby got her finger
stuck in the door,

and she was screaming.

Tom and I raced up the stairs,
and Henry was there...

in his room, smiling.

So...

It is possible...

that Henry pushed Ruby
down the stairs.

Oh, God.

He didn't mean to.
He just--

He has a hard time remembering
that other people can get hurt.

Henry.

Henry.

Henry.

It's okay, Henry.

Detective Amaro just wants
to know what happened to Ruby.

You mean
you think I'm a liar?

Maybe you were scared

you'd get in trouble
for hurting your sister.

You're recording this?

Yes, so you won't have to
answer the same questions again.

She stopped crying.
It didn't hurt her.

"It."

You mean pushing her
down the stairs?

Yeah.

She started crying.
Irina came over.

She stopped crying.
It must have not hurt her.

Henry spilled my milk
and blamed me.

And that's
when Irina told you

to go upstairs
and get a new pair of tights.

Uh-huh.

When I came back,
he was hiding.

He jumped out,
screamed "Boo!" Real loud,

and pushed me.

And you're sure
he pushed you, sweetie?

Maybe he was
playing "Monster."

No, because this time
he had his arm out.

Like this.

Into my face.

Wasn't that hard.
It was more of a jostle.

So when you jostled Ruby,
were you mad at her?

No. I just don't like her.
In fact, I hate her.

Henry.

Don't say that.

You want me to lie?

I wasn't mad.

It was an experiment.

How do you mean, Henry?

I wanted to see
if she'd roll all the way down

or just stop.

She rolled most of the way.
Head over legs.

She was on an angle, so she
hit the landing and stopped.

So, Ruby,

has Henry ever
hurt you before?

Sometimes when I hug him

he throws my gussy out
or slams the door on me.

Did you ever
tell your mom or your dad?

Can we stop?

I don't want
Henry to be in trouble.

I love him.

Sure we can, sweetie.

You know,
I noticed you like puzzles.

Yeah, come on.
Come help me pick one out.

It's okay.

It's okay, honey.
Go on.

Here.

His guidance counselor
at school

told us to let them
work it out.

If we intervene,

we reward Henry with attention
for bad behavior.

Uh...

He seems to have
a lot of rage.

So did I
when I was his age.

And then I got into trains,
and I was fine.

Henry just needs
to find his thing.

Henry has issues.

But it's not
clear-cut ADD or OCD.

Or Oppositional
Defiant Disorder.

Are you a psychologist,
Ms. Schwartz?

I'm working toward that.

I have a master's
in school counseling.

So Henry started here
at Fremont in the fourth grade?

The Mesners said
they felt his old school

was too oriented
toward testing.

They wanted
a more open dynamic.

"Open."
Meaning less strict?

Well, we try
to brainstorm solutions

so that the children learn

to take responsibility
for their behavior.

And how's that
working for Henry?

Some days I think
we've turned a corner.

And then the next day he'll
throw a desk or slam his locker.

He's very smart.

I think
he's just testing us.

Have you ever
had him tested?

Sent him
to see a psychiatrist?

The Mesners are worried
about him being labeled.

We only go up
to fifth grade here,

and you know
middle school competition.

And how about meds?

Does he see
a psychopharmacologist?

I work closely
with his pediatrician.

We've tried
various approaches.

- Adderall, Ritalin, Strattera.
- All of those.

And some schizoaffective ones,
antidepressants.

We'll find
the right combination.

Has Henry ever hurt
any kids here at this school?

At first, but he knows now
that behavior is unacceptable.

He's so bright.

He gets bored.

We spell out the rules,
he looks for loopholes.

If this kid
were that troubled,

there should be
more of a paper trail.

If he lived
in the projects,

he'd have been in the system
ten times by now.

He's got
his guidance counselor snowed.

The parents have her
prescribing him meds on the QT

because they refuse
to get him tested.

Well, they're just
trying to protect him.

Look, a bad diagnosis
stays on his record.

Meanwhile,
Henry needs help.

- Is he back home now?
- Yes.

When you were there,

did you see any signs
of neglect or parental abuse?

No.

It was a clean house,

refrigerator
full of organic food.

Look, they're good, working
parents who love their kids,

but counselor--

Then home is probably
the best place for Henry.

Okay, so let me just
get this straight.

So you're saying
because the home is neat

then we should all pretend
that it was an accident.

Ruby said that
he straight-armed her.

Detective.

You want me to lock up

every big brother
who hurts his sister?

- He's ten.
- Oh, my--

She's five.

You ask them what happened
three more times,

you'll get
three different answers.

Okay, let's everybody
just take a breath.

Counselor, are you saying
we can't charge the kid?

I'm not going to.

And if you think
a juvenile detention facility

will help turn things
around for him--

Okay, hold on, hold on.

They don't want Henry
to have a record.

What if we tell them that
the DA might let this slide

if Henry sees a shrink?

You wanna give that a try,
go ahead.

Go talk to the Mesners.

Captain, I'm already
running late.

Right. Right.
Rollins.

Yeah. I'm good to go.

Thanks.

No. We agreed on this.

You were a friend
of my brother's.

He can call you
"Uncle Nick."

That's the deal.

I know that's what we said,
but it's a lie.

And keeping this hidden--

Gil has enough secrets
in his life, all right?

He has a half-sister
he should know about.

Out of nowhere you want
to tell him all of this.

It's too much.

And how do I know that you won't
just disappear on him again?

I'm not going anywhere,
Cynthia... right?

And the longer we wait,
the worse it'll--

Hey.

Look what Nick got me.
Perfect fit.

Say thank you
to uncle Nick.

It's way cool.

- Looks great.
- Come on.

We don't wanna
miss the introductions.

I'll call you
from the game.

Psychiatrist?

Absolutely not.

I don't want Henry
turning into

one of those
drug-controlled robots.

Tell them about the lithium.

Yeah, he--
he gained weight,

and he was puffy
and blank behind the eyes.

He wasn't Henry.

We are just talking
about an evaluation.

No.

He'll be okay. You--

You people don't know him.

We do.

And we have all the books
on defiant kids.

We will find
the right strategy.

Mr. and Mrs. Mesner,

your daughter is not safe.

We've taken precautions.

We've locked up
all the sharp objects.

Henry will never be
left alone with Ruby again.

And how can you be sure?

Nannies need breaks.
Everyone does.

I'll be here. I've taken
a leave of absence from work.

I will be here to make sure
Henry gets all the attention

and the love he needs.

The DA--I'm not sure
she's gonna let this slide.

Oh, she'll have to.

I spoke to another parent
who's an attorney.

He said that if the DA decides
to press charges,

he'd sue the city,
for free.

Mr. Mesner,
I don't think you understand.

Oh, I think I completely
understand what you're saying.

Tom, no, please.

Detectives, we--we don't
want you to have to come back.

We will take care of Henry.
We give you our word.

Are they gone yet?

Yes, they just left.

I don't want
to see them again.

Well,
that's up to you, Henry.

You know that your behavior
has consequences.

If you can just
remember to use your words

rather than screaming
and using your hands,

you'll get to do
the things you like.

I know.
I'm sorry, mommy.

It's okay.
Let's talk more in the morning.

It's past bedtime.

But I'm not tired.

Henry, it's late.

I said I'm not tired.

Lie down,
and I'm gonna give you kisses.

I said no.

Henry...

You give me
that knife right now.

Mrs. Mesner,
how are you feeling?

It--it--it was my fault.

- I reached for the knife.
- Okay.

I mean, wha--
how did you even get here?

Your neighbors called 911.

This is not a police matter.
I am fine.

Henry was very, very upset
that he hurt me.

Has Henry ever hurt you
like this before?

No.

I mean, he's hit me
a couple of times

when he's having a tantrum.

But I'm always able
to just...

calm him down
and talk to him.

And tonight,
you couldn't control him.

He--he--
he didn't mean it.

How did you
get the knife, Henry?

I know where
you keep the key, dad.

I was just trying
to make her laugh.

But she didn't do
what I wanted her to do.

Nobody ever does
what I want them to do.

Nobody ever listens to me.

You know what,
I'm listening, Henry.

It was her fault.

Stop lying, Henry!

You were angry,
and you wanted to hurt her!

I wasn't angry.
It was her fault.

It isn't always
someone else's fault, Henry!

You have to start
taking responsibility!

You're ten years old,
for God's sake!

It's her fault! I hate her!
I hate her so much!

- Henry. Henry.
- I hate her!

Henry.

Breathe.

It's okay.
It's okay.

Da--Henry.

Daddy is here.

It's okay.

Where's mommy?

She'll be home soon.
Everything's good, sweetheart.

Maybe daddy can
tuck you back into bed?

Would you like that?
Yeah?

Henry and I will wait here?

- I don't think that's--
- Go ahead. We'll be fine.

Come on, sweetheart.

Nice to meet you, Ruby.
Good night.

Good night.

You wanna talk, Henry?

Can I hold your gun?

You think that's
a good idea?

I've never
held a gun before.

You're really pretty.

I'm having strawberries.
You want some?

My mom wants me
to eat fruit.

I thought
that if I loved him...

enough and held him and...

made sure he slept
and ate right

that he would get better.

But he's not.
He's getting worse.

He's so broken, and...

I can't fix him.

I-I tell him I love him.

He's never said
"I love you" back.

Mrs. Mesner, we can
get you and your family help.

Get Henry evaluated,

and get him
treatment options.

'Cause I don't know
what to do anymore.

Most days I feel--
I feel like I'm in combat.

These outbursts, this rage.

Oh, yesterday
he said to me,

"Mommy, you hate me."

And you know, he--

he's right.
Sometimes I do. I hate him.

God, my own child.

Hey, Henry,
I'm Dr. Huang.

I know.
They told me who you were.

How are you doing today?

Fine. How are you?

Oh, I'm a little
jet-lagged, thanks.

So we're just gonna
talk for a little bit, okay?

Sure.

Let's start
with something fun.

What do you like
to play with?

Action figures,
superheroes.

Oh, yeah?
Who's your favorite action hero?

Bane.
He likes to rip people apart.

And Laserector.

He likes to kill people
with his laser beam eyes.

Well, I'm glad
you like action figures,

because we've
got some right here.

Oh, I want to be Cape Man.

Who do you want to be?

I'll be the Spiky Alien.

Oh, great, okay,
so let's say that Cape Man

is doing something
that Spiky Alien doesn't like.

Like play with my legos?

Right, like playing
with your legos.

So Cape Man is

playing with
Spiky Alien's legos, and--

Now he's dead.

He can't do anything
I don't like anymore.

I'm conflicted about labeling
a ten-year-old a psychopath.

But...

But...

I've had a chill like that
two times in my life...

with death row
serial killers.

Well, he's a young boy.

He's not like
normal young boys.

I gave him
the psychopathy test.

He's two standard deviations
past the normal range

for callous,
unemotional behavior.

- In layman's terms, Doc.
- He doesn't have any emotions.

He doesn't recognize them
in others.

He has no empathy.
We know that he's manipulative.

You usually see this pathology
in cases of abuse or neglect.

So parents that love him
are just not going to be enough.

No, they're not.

He's just wired wrong.

Now, there's
a facility in Vermont

that treats kids
with these severe diagnoses.

My conference ends today.

I could talk to the parents
about the program

before I go back
to Oklahoma.

And if they're
against it?

Then I'd advise
that they get a safe room.

We did your interviews.

We put Henry
through your tests.

And do you know
what the result is?

He's worse!

He kicked a hole in his
bedroom door! I don't even--

I don't know
what he'll do next.

Don't blame them.

I don't want him
locked up, left alone,

afraid we've
abandoned him, Viola.

He's not afraid
of us leaving him, Tom.

He's not afraid
of anything.

You're agreeing
with them, huh?

Well, if they're right,
it doesn't matter what we think.

- It's too late.
- It is late.

It would've been better to catch
this at three instead of ten,

but there are
new approaches.

Henry's never gonna
grow out of this,

and he can't be cured.

But it is to his benefit

to learn that he can
control his behavior.

You mean if he slams
his sister's finger in the door,

he won't get to play
video games?

We've tried that, Sir.

Mr. Mesner,
what we're trying to say

is that Henry
needs more support

than you and your wife
can provide.

This is our mistake, Tom.

We thought
we could handle him,

but we can't.

We--we have
to give this a try,

for everyone's sake.

Hey, we're in luck.

Vermont has a space
for Henry.

He can start next week.

And the parents
are on board?

They don't have a choice.

Yeah, just like me
going back to Oklahoma.

We're just glad we got you
while you were here.

Miss you.
Our door's always open.

Tell that to the Bureau.

Come on.
We'll walk you out.

How'd that father and son
time go?

He's a good kid.

Thing is, Cynthia still doesn't
want him to know

I'm his father, but...

You have time for that.

Do I?

You know,
Gil doesn't have a family.

And, as bad
as Henry has it,

he has a home,
two loving parents.

I missed nine years
of his life.

It goes by so fast.

Hey, you know.

When am I gonna tell him?

When he's 18?

Mrs. Mesner.

Hi, it's Henry.

I'm really worried about Ruby.
There's a lot of smoke.

Where are your parents,
Henry?

My dad's at work,

and I locked my mom
in the laundry room.

She yelled at me
to call 911,

but I wanted to tell you.

We're on our way,
all right?

We gotta go... now.

Kid kneeled and set
the apartment on fire.

Doorman put it out
with an extinguisher.

- By accident or deliberate?
- Very deliberate.

He used match heads.
Point of origin--

waste paper basket
stuffed with paper.

We found the little girl
tied to the bed.

Mom trapped
in the laundry room.

- Thank you.
- She okay?

Yes, yes.
Thank God.

- Has anybody found Henry?
- We're still looking. Hey.

Doorman said Henry
didn't leave.

We're checking the elevator
security camera.

So maybe he went over
to a neighbor's.

Does he have friends
in the building?

Um, yeah, yeah.

Sometimes he plays
with Toby in 3B.

Or he goes down
to the building playroom.

Okay, we'll find him.

Tell me how this happened.

Tom and I told him
about the treatment facility,

and he just--
he lost it,

and he started
having a tantrum.

And then your husband left?

Well, he had
a work emergency,

and--and Henry started
to calm down.

- Just like that.
- Well, he and I talked.

You know, he was okay,
and...

I just went to put
some clothes in the dryer,

and he must have--he must have
wedged a chair under the door.

And I'm in there
for five seconds,

- and I start smelling smoke.
- Okay.

And I was just
screaming at him to call 911.

Mommy...

It's okay. I know.
I'm right here.

You stay with Ruby, okay?
We're gonna find Henry.

Please,
just don't hurt him.

Please,
he doesn't understand.

We're not gonna hurt him!

Open up, Mr. Burke.

Hey. Hi.
We're looking for Henry Mesner.

- Is he here?
- Yeah, he's here.

He's in Toby's room.

- Alone?
- Yeah. Lady, they're 10.

As long
as I don't hear screams.

You want to tell me
what's going on?

- You didn't hear the sirens?
- I buzzed down.

Doorman said everything
was under control.

Henry said his parents
gave him the okay.

They're playing
on the Xbox.

- That's weird.
- Did you hear them leave?

Dad!

Toby.

Toby. Jeez, are you--
are you okay?

Toby, where's Henry?

He--he was
hurting Snowball.

That's our dog.
Here, Snowball.

Come here, girl.

Do not go in there.

He--he said
he'd shoot me.

What are you
talking about, Toby?

With your gun.

Do you keep firearms
in the house?

An antique Colt in my study.

Locked in a safe.
But how the hell--

I know the combination.

- I'm sorry, dad.
- Oh, jeez, Toby!

Why are the police
here again?

Ma'am, we just need
to clear the room.

My little boy's still
in there--he's only five.

Okay, we're gonna
get him out.

This is about Henry,
isn't it? I'm going in.

Ma'am, I need you
to step back.

Fin, help me out here,
please.

Sam, honey,
come to mommy.

Okay, lady, we're gonna
get your son, okay?

Henry?

Henry?

Henry.

Hey, Henry.

Remember me?

I was at your house
the other day.

I'm Nick.

Yeah, I remember.

I want you to...

Hand me that gun, son.

Do you?
I don't want to.

And who's
this little guy here?

Sam.

Hey, Sam.

Hey, buddy.

He doesn't talk much.

Development delays.

Okay.

You know what, Henry?

Maybe it should just be
us big guys here.

- Huh?
- I like Sam.

Yeah, but his mom...

She's worried.

Can I hold your gun?

Maybe, uh...

You know, we could
talk about it

if we let Sam
get back to his mom.

- We're comin' out.
- He's coming out.

You stay.
She goes.

- We're good.
- Go.

You're okay.
Okay. Okay.

All right.

I'm right here, Henry.
What do you want?

Are my mom and dad
mad at me?

They are upset.

I called the police
when there was a lot of smoke.

That's good that you did that.
That's--that's real good.

Can I hold your gun now?

Maybe later.
Not right now.

You promised!
You promised!

Hey, I said
we'd talk about it.

- Right?
- That's what adults always say

when they're not gonna let you
do what you wanna do.

- No, Henry.
- You lied to me.

What would you do
if I shot you right now?

All right.
You don't need to do that.

Would there be a lot blood?

Would your brains come out
of your forehead?

Here.

I'm gonna show you
my gun now.

Okay?

Here it is.

Is this a trick?
I don't like tricks.

No, it's not a trick.

All right?

You put your gun down,

and you can take mine.

Uhh! Unh!

Uhh!

- Nick?
- I got you, Henry.

- Nick!
- I got him!

We're good!
Don't shoot!

- We're good!
- I'll kill you!

- Let go!
- Shh, shh, shh.

Shh. Shh.

I always forget
how much this hurts.

He could have
killed you, Nick.

Look, I had the vest on.
All right?

I knew, with the recoil,
he'd only get one shot off.

And you knew that
he wouldn't hit your head?

I'm not shooting
a ten-year-old boy.

Uncle Nick.

Are you okay?

Hey. Uh, yeah.

Yeah, I'm--I'm fine.

Cynthia, Gil,
this is my partner,

Detective Benson.

- Hey.
- Hi.

- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.

- Hi.
- Hi.

I'll give you a minute.

You guys didn't need to...

I just didn't want you
to hear about it on the news.

- And then...
- It's okay.

I thought there was something

that you and Gil
needed to talk about,

man to man.

Hey, Cynthia...

How about we go grab
a cup of coffee?

Sounds good.

I never liked Snowball.

What did you do, Henry?

I tied her leash
to the faucet,

then I turned on the tub
and held her down.

Where was Toby?

He started crying,
and then he peed his pants,

so I put him
in the closet.

Hmm.

And Snowball?

Took longer
than I thought.

And what about
your sister?

Why did you tie her
to the bed?

I wanted to see if
she'd melt from the inside out.

But then it got smoky,
and I couldn't see.

So you called
Detective Benson.

This is all her fault.

She's the one who wanted
to send me away.

I can't listen to anymore.

What happens now?

Your son tried to kill
his sister.

He shot a cop.

He's not going home.

He's ten years old.

He'll be charged
with juvenile delinquency.

And then what?

Then he--
he goes to jail?

The judge will sentence him
to a juvenile facility.

So he'll--
he'll get help?

In a secure
treatment facility.

You mean he's gonna be
locked away?

Yes.

Probably until he's 18.

Henry...

Let us be the ones
to tell him, okay?

You understand, right?

It's because of
what happened with Snowball

and Ruby and...

That's where you're
gonna live now, okay?

But you can't
live at home anymore.

But I don't--
I don't wanna go there.

We're still
gonna be a family.

We're still gonna
see each other.

And you said yes?

Daddy, don't let them
take me away.

Henry... Henry.

I love you.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

I love you.

I love you.
I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.
I love you.

I love you, too, son.

I love you.