Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 17, Episode 17 - Manhattan Transfer - full transcript
Judges, legislators, DAs and members of the NYPD are charged with sexually exploiting underage Catholic schoolgirls.
_
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.
I don't trust any of
them, but at least...
At least he looks... he looks honest.
I had my heart set on a
place in Bushwick last spring.
Couldn't find a two-bedroom
for less than $3,500.
- A month?
- Yeah.
- For a two-bedroom?
- Pathetic.
- In Bushwick?
- I know!
Man! Where do you get
that kind of money?
Where do you get that kind of money?
You know, I don't understand
Brooklyn anymore. I really don't.
This is what men talk about
when their wives aren't around?
There's no way that girl's 18.
Hang on. Is that Judge Wheeler?
Yeah, I see a Bronx ADA, two
assemblymen, and a councilman, too.
You think this nurse knew
what she was tipping us off to?
Maybe.
She said that the girls were scared,
and she wouldn't give up any names.
- Okay, when do we move in?
- Easy, Dodds.
We gotta wait till they do
something more incriminating.
How close do you wanna cut it?
Because Judge Wheeler has
his hand up that girl's skirt.
- Where are you going, young lady?
- I just need to use the bathroom.
Stay a little longer. We don't bite.
- Hey, excuse me, you need some water?
- She's fine. You'll get your turn.
- What's going on here?
- Nothing. There's no problem.
Like she said, no problem.
Girl just needs a break.
- Hey, Jersey, mind your own business.
- Get your hands off me.
- John, come on, not tonight.
- You wanna do this? Let's go!
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
- Hey, hey, you're done, pal.
That's enough! Back off!
Gun, gun, they got a
gun. Dodds, Rollins, go.
All right, all right,
my mistake. All right...
- NYPD, hands up!
- Hands up!
You guys move over where we can see you.
Are you going somewhere?
Get him out of here.
Lieutenant Benson. Guns down now!
We're on the job. Vice.
SVU.
- Color of the day.
- Yellow.
Son of a bitch.
Lieutenant, you just
derailed a two year operation.
Listen, girls, I need to know
how you heard about this party.
- How you got there.
- From friends.
What friends? What are...
what are their names?
They weren't really friends. We
met them at a Wiz Khalifa concert.
- They told us about it.
- And what did they say exactly?
Lieutenant. What fresh hell awaits?
We responded to a tip that underage
girls would be at a sex party,
and in attendance was Bronx ADA Winn,
two assemblymen, a
retired DA investigator,
a councilman, and I'm
sure that you recognize...
Judge Wheeler.
Why am I not surprised? What
about the girls? Are they talking?
Oh, no. Their pimps have
them completely under control.
Haven't even bothered to send a lawyer,
and no one will admit to
knowing whose party it was,
- who supplied the girls...
- All par for the course.
Well, it gets worse.
Detectives Russo and Jefferson,
Vice, were working the case
from another angle.
They pulled their guns and
badges as we made the bust.
- They must know who threw the party.
- Well, if they do, they're not saying.
They claimed that we
ruined their UC operation.
Don't worry, I called their captain.
You mean he wasn't there too?
Was there anybody at this party
who wasn't a public servant?
Her.
Nina Kelly. This is her only ID.
She's a nun.
Well, we're trying to verify.
Nina, so I was just talking to our ADA,
and he was wondering why a
nun would be at a sex party.
I'm not comfortable with him.
The sister would prefer
to talk to a woman.
So I'm gonna take
another run at the Johns.
Thank you. I'm... I'm not
comfortable with male cops.
Oh, I can imagine. As a madam,
you've had your share of run-ins, huh?
You know, I... I'm not a madam.
So what are you? Waitress?
I'm a nun.
Look, I've spent months trying to
infiltrate this ring to save the girls.
You saw who was there.
Politicians, police. It's rigged.
Well, I'm... not part of
the good old boy network.
So why don't you work with me, Nina?
Why don't you tell me
who throws these parties,
who procures these girls,
and I will go after them, and
get those girls to a shelter.
No. Look, if they think I'm cooperating,
I won't be able to save anyone else.
It took a long time. I had to
earn the trust of a lot of people.
Who?
Who hired you?
- Why don't you ask the Johns that?
- Because they haven't been forthcoming.
Yeah. Yeah, of course they haven't.
Because they know
they'll get away with it.
Look, Dodds, right?
We'd like to help you out, man,
but this is way above our pay grade.
Mm. Well, your captain is on his way.
Hey, out of curiosity,
how were you guys in there
undercover, with badges and guns?
We're dirty cops.
That's our cover story.
Okay.
They like to have us at the
parties, to keep everybody in line.
Yeah? They?
Hey, come on, fellows.
Throw me a bone here.
I mean, there's nothing in the system
about you guys being undercover there.
Our captain told us straight
up not to put this into DECS...
Too many of the Johns have access.
- Hey! Hey, hey.
- Captain Gerbic.
I am sorry to drag you down
here in the middle of the night.
Oh, Vice never sleeps. It looks
like the same can be said for SVU.
I didn't know you were still here.
Your father said you were moving up.
Oh, my lieutenant has a few questions.
Absolutely. One minute, fellows.
Cap.
Ah, well, this is a cluster, huh?
The timing was... bad.
I know your guys' cover was
blown, and this is not ideal.
To say the least. We gotta get new guys
in there now. Sets us back big-time.
And what were your people doing
at this party in the first place?
Actually, an anonymous tip.
But I'm hoping now that
we're all in this together
- that we could...
- No, I wish I could help.
But we're playing the long game here.
You've seen the pedigree of your Johns.
- Anybody talking?
- Not yet.
No, no.
Ask yourself why. Who
are they protecting?
This is deep UC. I'm
going out on a limb here
- even acknowledging this...
- And I appreciate that.
But underage girls are still
being raped and trafficked.
Well, where SVU sees victims,
we see willing participants.
These girls are not exactly madonnas.
Well, okay. Never mind that.
We care just as much about
these traffickers as you do.
We are gonna nail these guys.
I just think that SVU
is better equipped...
I hear you, but we're already inside.
You move in now, the carnival just
picks up, goes to a different lot,
and the games keep getting played.
Now, how about I get
my guys out of here?
You know what? Let me
run it by the ADA first.
Why don't you call the Deputy
Inspector? See what he says.
So that's it? We're shut out?
They say they're deep UC.
So if they are investigating
that, I mean, I get it.
Okay, so a UC investigation
that we can't investigate
because of who they're investigating.
That's a Mobius strip.
Maybe my father has some intel.
- It's worth a try.
- Yeah.
So all these girls are
with Social Services?
I'll take another run at them tomorrow.
Please.
Hey, Lieutenant, what? We'll
just let these Johns go too?
- For now. I'll call Barba... or not.
- Lieutenant Benson?
- Sister, something the matter?
- Yeah, I don't understand.
You're just gonna let those bastards go?
- Sister, that's none of your concern.
- So because they have badges,
it makes it okay for them
to assault 16-year-old girls?
- What are you talking about?
- Multiple girls. Multiple times.
They're not cops. They're rapists.
_
Yes. That's Sister Nina.
- So you know her.
- Very well.
She's brought several abused and
trafficked girls to our shelter.
She's doing God's work.
- Is Sister Nina in trouble?
- She was picked up in a raid.
We have her in our holding cell.
She claims she knows about dirty cops
who are raping teenage girls.
If Sister Nina says it
happened, it happened.
Okay, she... she gave
me one name of a girl
that she brought to you, Cara Gutierrez?
Oh, yes. Nina brought Cara
here about six months ago.
Very troubled girl, but
I believe she's healing.
So would it be possible
for me to speak with her?
She won't say a word unless
Sister Nina is with her.
Of course. I understand.
Thank you.
It's good to see you again.
Ah...
How's her little boy,
Noah? You adopted him, yes?
I did. He's, um...
He's thriving.
We still say the Rosary
for Ellie every year.
Thank you.
I'm not sure.
These detectives are on our side, Cara.
That one. He's one of them.
Russo.
What did he do, exactly?
He was... at all the parties,
always grabbing us, touching us...
Making us do stuff.
His partner too.
That one.
It's Jefferson.
Cara, I know how hard this is,
and I need you to tell
us exactly what happened.
Go ahead, Cara. It's okay.
They were always there first.
They'd make me and some
other girls go down on them.
- They forced you to perform oral sex.
- Mm-hmm.
We had to pretend we liked them.
My last party, somewhere
on Edgecombe Avenue, they...
they got really drunk.
They forced me into a room
and took turns raping me.
I started crying, but they didn't care.
Did you tell anybody afterwards?
No. Not right away, but
Sister Nina looked out for me.
Cara was skeptical at first, but...
eventually we established a bond.
That's why she disclosed to me that
night, and I brought her to the E.R.
Did she do a rape kit?
No. Cara would run
away. We'd have lost her.
- Then Sister Nina took me here.
- Cara...
- who took you to these parties?
- No!
She's not talking about
that. That is too dangerous.
So you bust a sex party
and find a madam who says
- she's a nun?
- Which we confirmed.
And two Vice cops who
say they're undercover.
Yeah, and now we have
a teenage vic who claims
that these guys raped her while
they were supposedly on the job.
I don't believe they're undercover.
They're whole story is BS.
But... their captain
did confirm it to me.
Yeah. Obviously he is in on it too.
I mean, did he give
you details, a target?
Easy. If they really are investigating
high level corruption, it would
be on a need-to-know basis.
And that gives them permission to rape?
This girl did seem credible to me.
No witnesses, no outcry, rape
kit? This isn't gonna be easy.
So you just look the other way
and I have to go back to Barba
and tell him that IAB
is not investigating?
Hey, I thought we were friends. I
didn't say I'm passing on these two.
I've dealt with these two
particular cops before.
Last time was about a year ago.
When were you gonna mention that?
Well, nothing stuck, and accusations
against Vice cops are a dime a dozen.
But if I get them in
here, and they are part of
a high-level investigation,
they will have to give that up
in order to save their shields.
How many times are we gonna
dance to this same song, Tucker?
I have allegations. I need your side.
And who exactly is making
these allegations? Hookers?
- Try high school girls.
- Are you talking about the party chicks
- that BX9s have been pimping out?
- That's it?
Your top secret, high level,
two-year target is a street gang?
Look, they're the low hanging fruit.
The roots of this
tree we cannot discuss.
And so this investigation is
so critical that you've allowed
underage girls to be sex trafficked?
Tragic as it may be, yeah.
- That's the job.
- I'm not so sure it is.
You wanna quarrel about policy?
Take it up with Detective
Russo's superiors.
Phone calls are being made.
Is raping 16-year-old girls
while supposedly undercover...
Is that also part of that policy?
These girls aren't
dumb. We're cops, okay?
We don't engage in the sexual
activity, so they make us as cops.
- That's why they're coming after us.
- They're not coming after you.
Our witnesses are reluctant, scared.
Of what? That their families are
gonna find out they're living the life?
That's not the case here.
Okay, so her pimp bought
her something shiny,
put her up to it... It's preemptive.
They're just trying to create
reasonable doubt since SVU busted them.
Give us names. We'll
run down that angle.
You know, if One P-P
won't give you the target,
maybe that should tell you something.
Vice claims that BX9 is
pimping out these girls
to cops and politicians? It doesn't
sound like the M.O. for a street gang.
I'm telling you. These
guys aren't undercover.
They're the muscle, or
they're running it themselves.
Either way, they called my bluff.
These two would rather risk a
morals change than name names.
So we hit another brick wall.
Rollins, you talked to the
girls at the party again, right?
Danielle went back to her shelter,
and Natalia and Margaret's
foster families picked them up.
- No one is cooperating.
- So what about friends, classmates?
I mean, somebody knows how
these girls got caught up.
I mean, we can ask. Natalia and
Margaret both went to St. Fabiola's.
- So did Cara Gutierrez.
- St. Fabiola's?
It's an all-girl's parochial
high school in the South Bronx.
Yeah, I know it... I might
know somebody who works there.
My cousin Eugene... he's
a psychologist and a priest.
The last I heard, he
was a counselor up there.
Last you heard? He's your cousin.
And a priest. Our interests diverged.
Estranged Irish relatives. How rare.
- Okay. You mind talking to him?
- I can do that.
Tucker, you never told me
that your cousin was a priest.
You never asked.
_
Eugene?
- It's been a long time.
- Eddie Tucker in a church?
Is this safe? Am I gonna
be struck by lightening?
Eddie, what? Someone died?
- Aunt Caroline?
- No, no. Still alive.
Still smokes three packs a day.
I'm here on police business.
SVU picked up two of your students
during a raid on a sex party.
Yes, horrible. I pray Natalia and
Margaret will come back to school.
- So you've spoken to them?
- Oh, I check in every day.
I even took one of their confessions.
Did either of them mention
anything about this?
- How they got involved?
- Come on, Eddie.
Between the seal of the
confessional, and the HIPAA laws...
- Eugene, they're being trafficked.
- I know. It's the...
It's the homes. There's no parenting.
All right, without violating
any confidentiality,
have you noticed any
other troubled girls?
Late for school?
Falling asleep in class?
Many, unfortunately.
Do you know a student
named Cara Gutierrez?
Cara? Yes, yes.
She dropped out six months ago.
Drugs. Is she caught up in this?
Well, her name came up
in the investigation.
Poor soul. An addict, in foster care.
These gangs... they know who to prey on.
- Which gangs?
- Oh, Father Eugene.
Oh, Monsignor. Remember my
cousin, Eddie Tucker of the NYPD.
Yes, of course.
Oh, I know.
I know why you're here, Captain Tucker,
and I want you to know
that they're good girls.
Well, I'm just trying to find out
who led them astray, Monsignor,
but my cousin here, he's
hiding behind the collar.
Oh! I betray their confidence,
they're lost to me, to us.
He's right. I'm afraid we
can't talk about our students.
How about a nun by the
name of Sister Nina Kelly?
She helps these girls. Maybe
she's spoken to either of you.
I know a Sister Nina. She's
never worked at the school.
I believe she's still
out on medical leave.
Do you know about the
kind of work she does?
No. And I'm concerned to hear
she's been in contact with students.
Why's that?
Sister Nina's medical leave
is for psychiatric reasons.
The Church has learned the hard
way that we need to be proactive.
We cannot sanction her
being around children.
You think detectives from Vice
are involved in trafficking,
and your key witness, the nun from
the party, has mental health issues?
Or that's the word that they
put out to discredit her.
Either way, the word is out. What
about the Johns? Any help from them?
You mean the Judge? The ABA?
We think someone maybe at Vice
told them that this is going away.
And they're probably right. Russo
and Jefferson stonewalled IAB.
Okay, the Johns are out, the cops
are out, the nun is out. The girls?
There is one earlier rescued vic,
Cara Gutierrez, who was talking.
She alleges that the Vice
cops raped her, but...
- she's way too scared to testify.
- One step at a time.
Find out if she's at least
willing to come and talk to me.
Cara's been in her room all day.
She didn't even come down for supper.
Well, our D.A. wanted us to reach out.
I really don't think
she'll be up for this.
Well, if she tells us that,
then we'll leave, all right?
Cara.
Cara!
This is Detective Sonny
Carisi. I'm at St. Bernad...
We don't need a bus. She's gone.
We have any idea how
Cara got this heroin?
We're asking. But no, no idea.
Sister Ida said she
was in her room all day.
This is a halfway house, so any one of
those girls could've smuggled in drugs.
So they all swore that they didn't.
Mechanism of death... Respiratory
arrest due to pulmonary edema.
- And the cause?
- Acute drug intoxication.
Bad heroin.
- Accident or suicide?
- You tell me.
When was the last time
this girl used drugs?
She's been clean for six months.
Sometimes addicts, after they're sober,
go back to their old dosage.
Is it possible somebody
gave her a hot shot?
Well, I can't prove that, but if
this concentration were going around,
we'd be seeing a lot more overdoses.
So you're leaving the
manner undetermined.
Pending your investigation, yes.
And, if it helps, it's
actually a very humane death.
She would've been fast asleep by
the time her lungs filled with water.
A drug overdose?
No.
That couldn't have been an accident.
I never should've brought you to Cara.
- They killed her.
- Okay.
You keep saying, "They," Nina.
- Who are they?
- I told you from the beginning
that all I wanted to
do was save the girls,
and you gave me your word
you would protect them.
We can't do that if you don't
tell us who to protect them from.
Wait, wait, wait, wait. Who knew?
Who knew? Who knew Cara
was at that shelter?
It had to have been
somebody in your squad.
No, no, no. That's not possible.
Yeah? Well, someone tipped
them off, and I'm next.
Listen, you're right to be worried.
That's why... we don't think
that you should stay here.
I have nowhere else to go. And
they're gonna find me anywhere I...
I know a place where you'll be safe.
Sister, now, are you sure
that Cara didn't leave
the house yesterday?
Yes, I've gone over the log. She
hadn't been outside in three days.
Okay, so when was the
last time you saw her?
Midday yesterday. She was very
upset. She wouldn't leave her room.
Priest even agreed to take
her confession up there.
- Hang on. She saw a priest?
- Well, yes.
Every Wednesday, the priest
comes to take confessions.
Cara always saw him. Went
to mass on Sundays too.
Did you see her afterward?
I left her alone until you arrived.
Who is the priest?
Father Akintola. He's a lovely man.
West African. He fills in sometimes.
So he wasn't your regular guy?
Usually it's Father Riley, but he was
called away yesterday by St. Fabiola's.
Okay. Where can we find Father Akintola?
_
Poor Cara. It just breaks my heart.
You took a confession. I know you
can't tell us what she told you, but...
- how did she seem to you?
- She was struggling.
The rest of her former classmates
just brought it all back.
You all right, Father?
I should've never left her alone.
Did you think she was jonesing?
I thought she was just anxious.
Well, did she mention
any new friends, maybe,
or did you see anybody
come into her room?
Not while I was there.
Ugh, but, look, Sister
Ida, she has her hands full,
keeping a house full of runaways
from giving into temptation.
Cara was an addict.
They always find a way.
- Thank you, Father.
- Thank you.
Oh, if you like...
I can talk to the girls
and... see what they know.
Now that Cara is gone, they
may want to come forward.
Yeah, that... that'd be
great, Father. Thank you.
Sister Nina told us that
Cara was in a very good place
- and wouldn't have started using again.
- That's not what Father Akintola told us.
Yeah, well, I agree with Nina. Someone
gave Cara a hot shot to shut her up.
Let's hang on, all right?
I'm all for paranoia,
but who else knew that she
was cooperating, besides us?
Sister Nina, Sister
Ida, Barba and... IAB.
And the Vice cops. I mean, they
had motive and NYPD computer access.
Which is why I made sure not to
put Cara's name in the system.
So no one else at IAB knew.
I didn't even tell my partner.
But you did ask your cousin about her.
Son of a bitch.
- Eugene.
- Excuse me.
- What did you do, Eugene? What did you do?
- What are you talking about?
Cara Gutierrez, you remember her?
You said she had it rough? Well,
she got it a whole lot worse now.
- She's ice cold in the morgue.
- I know.
- I heard. It's horrible. These drugs...
- Oh, you think it was the drugs, huh?
- Well, what else could it be?
- Well, we don't know.
She may have overdosed.
She may have been murdered.
- Dear God.
- Oh, don't give me that, Eugene.
I've locked up better liars than
you. Who did you send after Cara?
Eddie! You're not making any sense.
I told you we were talking to
her, and you knew what that meant.
All I know is that you
are acting like a madman.
The Vice cops... Are you on their
payroll, or are they on your payroll?
Neither!
I was Cara's guidance counselor!
How could you even contemplate
something like that?
Why don't we calm down, Father? Step
over here with me for just a second.
So, question: Is it possible
that you may have inadvertently
let Cara's name slip?
No, I'd never make a mistake like that.
Why was Father Riley called away
from St. Bernadine's last Wednesday?
Because I needed as many shoulders as
I could get for the girls to cry on!
You can't possibly think that
this is some sort of conspiracy.
- How well do you know Father Akintola?
- He is a good man. He's a good priest.
Eddie! It's the Bronx!
Cara was involved with the gangs, if
she was cooperating, they'd find out...
The only person I mentioned
Cara's name to was you!
And now she's dead.
My cousin has been at IAB too long.
He thinks everybody is corrupt.
Eddie, that reflection you see
in my eyes... that's your soul!
- Father...
- Not mine!
It's you who turned
your back on God, not me!
Let's go, Ed.
They've got something on you.
You're unbelievable. And
you should leave now. Please.
Let's go. Let's go... Ed!
I know it was you,
Eugene. I know it was you!
Tucker, enough.
I said enough!
- That pious little snake is lying.
- He didn't kill Cara.
- He was at the school all day.
- But he set her up.
Or maybe he just let her name slip.
Not a chance; Eugene wouldn't
do that... he's a politician.
Every word out of his
mouth is calculated.
You really think that he's
running a sex trafficking ring?
Or protecting it. I don't know.
I want a warrant for his
phone, his financials,
his computer, everything.
I'm gonna tear into his life
- until I find out what he's hiding.
- No, you're not, Ed.
He's your cousin, not a cop, okay?
- If he is a suspect...
- He's more than a suspect.
Then let SVU pursue it.
Not your case. Not your case.
I will ask Barba for the warrants.
That nun. They're gonna be looking
for her. She needs to come inside.
She's safe.
So was Cara.
- That's so cool!
- Sister Nina?
There you are.
I fed him, 'cause he
seemed a little hungry.
- I hope that's all right.
- Oh, of course. Yeah.
Um, Sister Nina, this is Captain Tucker.
Okay. Hi, my love.
Hi, what are you playing with?
- So who is he, and why is he here?
- He's all right, Nina.
Captain Tucker, and he's
investigating Russo and Jefferson.
The Vice cops who haven't been charged?
- I'm working on that, believe me.
- Nina, it's okay.
Captain Tucker knows that Russo
and Jefferson are dirty cops.
- He wants them off the force.
- And in jail.
- But I need your help to do that.
- Look.
We already know that most of those girls
were students at St. Fabiola's.
Is there someone at the
school we should be looking at?
- I don't work there.
- Please. Please.
Okay, you know, sometimes the
guidance counselors at these schools
have their fingers on the
pulse of what's going on.
Are you saying we should
be talking to Father Eugene?
What, you know him?
Yes, we do. Uh, Eugene is actually, uh,
he's actually Tucker's cousin.
Father Eugene is your cousin.
Hey, you need any help with
that, Noah? What are you doing?
Did any of the girls
say he may be involved?
No one will know where it came from.
- I promise you that.
- You know what?
Let's say good-bye to Mr. Tucker.
- Bye.
- Bye.
He's gotta go. He's gotta go right now.
- Nina...
- No, no, no. She's right. It's okay.
I'll go and let you two talk.
Nina,
I need you to put my son down.
Nina, listen to me. Look,
Tucker's gone. All right?
I know you wanna help those
girls, but it's not what you think.
Nina, I need you to put my son down...
right now.
Thank you.
- Okay.
- Everybody wants to hug you.
Everybody wants to hug
you. Don't they, sweet Noah?
Okay, baby, how about you and me,
how about we go play with
mommy's iPad, okay? Okay?
I'll be right back.
Come here, baby, come here.
Nina.
You know, I actually
thought you were on my side?
- I am on your side.
- Father Eugene's cousin?
He's in charge of the investigation?
Yes, but listen to me.
There's no love lost there.
And if Eugene is involved, then
Tucker and I will go after him.
You know, everyone said
I could trust you...
Sister Ida, Jen. I
should've known that you were
- gonna sell me out.
- I would never do that.
Are you gonna have me
committed again, huh?
- No.
- Sent for more shock treatment?
I am not crazy!
You bring Father Eugene's cousin here?
Either you're in on this with them,
or you're an idiot. Nina, listen to me.
Just take a breath. Listen to me.
I can't even imagine what's
going through your mind right now.
But, please, please don't leave here.
It's not safe out there. You know that.
You wanna know what's
going through my mind?
I think... I think you
brought me here to kill me.
- What?
- But you don't have to.
Look, I don't know anything
about your trafficking ring.
And I'm not talking to
anyone about it ever again.
Stop, listen...
Thank you, Monsignor.
I know I've put a heavy
burden on you, but I have faith
that the D.A.'s office
will do the right thing.
- Of course.
- Please, this has to end.
I want to spare these
girls any more exploitation.
We all do.
Mike Dodds.
Monsignor Mulregan.
Ah, nice to see you.
- You know Lieutenant Benson?
- I've heard only good things.
I wanna thank you for
rescuing our girls.
I'm... sorry that we lost one.
Cara Gutierrez.
I was there when she
received confirmation.
Such a pretty young girl.
- What's the Monsignor doing here?
- I'm still trying to figure that out.
What can I do for you?
We're waiting on
warrants for Father Eugene
- and Father Akintola.
- So am I.
A lot of judges are reluctant
to hand out financial
and cell records of priests.
Are we... are we making
the wrong turn here?
Where's IAB on Vice?
Well, Tucker's keeping
that investigation active,
but we have reason to believe that
priests are involved in Cara's death.
And you're getting all
this from Sister Nina?
Sister Nina is no longer
involved in this investigation.
Why not?
Because when Tucker and I spoke to her,
I mentioned that he was
Father Eugene's cousin,
and let's just say that
she... had a bad reaction.
- Like what? A panic attack?
- No, it was much more than that.
She became... convinced that
Tucker was in on the whole thing,
that we were gonna have her
committed, have her killed.
I mean, she was paranoid,
and... completely shut down.
Can you blame her? Vice
and God knows who else
have been trafficking these
girls to elected officials.
Somebody leaked that
Cara was cooperating.
Listen, who beside
Tucker knew about Cara?
My squad, you, Sister
Nina, and... Father Eugene.
Dodds, can you give us a minute?
Sure.
You wanna tell me what's going on?
- You sure Father Eugene knew?
- Oh, yes.
Tucker told him.
What do you really know about Tucker?
We go way back, he's a straight
shooter, intense. No nonsense.
You've never known him to... To
abuse his power, overreach, or...
he almost destroyed both
of your old partners.
Yes, he arrested me too,
but we're way past that.
Wh... what is this about?
Monsignor's Mulregan's
visit was not a social call.
He has made some very
serious allegations.
Yeah. Against Father Eugene.
No. Against Tucker.
Allegations against Tucker?
- What did the Monsignor say, exactly?
- He said that he and Father Eugene
went to Tucker a year ago.
That they had information that Vice
was running some of their students.
Father Eugene even violated the seal
of the confessional to provide evidence.
- He claims that?
- They also named Russo and Jefferson.
- And Tucker buried it.
- And he's telling you this now?
This is about protecting Father Eugene.
I was there, at that church,
when Tucker confronted him.
I thought he was gonna rip his head off.
I don't know. I don't know.
I mean, maybe that's...
Maybe that's what he
wanted you to think.
No, Ed is not capable of that.
Since when?
I thought SVU hated this guy. He's
gone after each and every one of you.
That's his job. He has to be relentless.
You're wrong about him. Trust me.
Wait.
Are you involved with him?
Don't ask me that.
When were you gonna tell me?
I am informing you that a captain at IAB
may be involved in a sex trafficking
ring, and you don't mention
that the two of you
are sleeping together?
You're wrong about him.
Bring him in here, ask him yourself.
You and I are done talking.
- Thanks for coming.
- Of course.
- Nobody saw you, right?
- Here? No.
- So what have you heard?
- That Group One is investigating you
for sex trafficking, corruption, murder?
Yeah. I've been invited to
come in early tomorrow morning.
Oh, my God.
Cousin Eugene really set me up
good. You get those warrants yet?
No, they're stalled. I don't know if
it was before or after Barba found out
that I was... biased towards you.
Oh. Okay.
You know how this goes.
Don't stick your neck out. It'll
look like you're covering for me.
Hey.
They can't prove anything,
because I haven't done anything.
All right? I'm gonna be fine.
And we just let these guys skate?
You wanna go after the
Church, City Hall, and Albany
for an IAB investigator
who's loathed by half of NYPD?
Stay out of it.
Well, it just might be too late.
One-P-P wants to see me.
Immediately.
Whatever's going on, Barba wouldn't
talk about it in front of me.
- Did you call your dad?
- Yeah. He's not calling me back.
Someone high up the chain
must be starting to sweat.
Because we're taking
on the Catholic Church.
- Sorry.
- No, I get it, Rollins.
Look, 99% of these
priests are good guys.
The Church just brought
this on themselves.
At least the Monsignor came
to Barba on his own, right?
- That's got to be a good sign.
- Yeah, they probably realized
transparency's their only salvation.
- If you say so.
- Rollins, Carisi.
- Get me some evidence boxes, please.
- Uh, yeah, on it.
Dodds, a minute.
- Is everything all right?
- Oh, I'm fine.
Lieutenant, what's going on?
You'd know better than me.
Did something happen?
You're telling me that you didn't know?
Know what?
That I'm out. Effective immediately.
Uh, Carisi, Rollins, as of now,
Sergeant Dodds is acting
commander of SVU, so...
congratulations.
That's it.
You're dismissed.
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.
I don't trust any of
them, but at least...
At least he looks... he looks honest.
I had my heart set on a
place in Bushwick last spring.
Couldn't find a two-bedroom
for less than $3,500.
- A month?
- Yeah.
- For a two-bedroom?
- Pathetic.
- In Bushwick?
- I know!
Man! Where do you get
that kind of money?
Where do you get that kind of money?
You know, I don't understand
Brooklyn anymore. I really don't.
This is what men talk about
when their wives aren't around?
There's no way that girl's 18.
Hang on. Is that Judge Wheeler?
Yeah, I see a Bronx ADA, two
assemblymen, and a councilman, too.
You think this nurse knew
what she was tipping us off to?
Maybe.
She said that the girls were scared,
and she wouldn't give up any names.
- Okay, when do we move in?
- Easy, Dodds.
We gotta wait till they do
something more incriminating.
How close do you wanna cut it?
Because Judge Wheeler has
his hand up that girl's skirt.
- Where are you going, young lady?
- I just need to use the bathroom.
Stay a little longer. We don't bite.
- Hey, excuse me, you need some water?
- She's fine. You'll get your turn.
- What's going on here?
- Nothing. There's no problem.
Like she said, no problem.
Girl just needs a break.
- Hey, Jersey, mind your own business.
- Get your hands off me.
- John, come on, not tonight.
- You wanna do this? Let's go!
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
- Hey, hey, you're done, pal.
That's enough! Back off!
Gun, gun, they got a
gun. Dodds, Rollins, go.
All right, all right,
my mistake. All right...
- NYPD, hands up!
- Hands up!
You guys move over where we can see you.
Are you going somewhere?
Get him out of here.
Lieutenant Benson. Guns down now!
We're on the job. Vice.
SVU.
- Color of the day.
- Yellow.
Son of a bitch.
Lieutenant, you just
derailed a two year operation.
Listen, girls, I need to know
how you heard about this party.
- How you got there.
- From friends.
What friends? What are...
what are their names?
They weren't really friends. We
met them at a Wiz Khalifa concert.
- They told us about it.
- And what did they say exactly?
Lieutenant. What fresh hell awaits?
We responded to a tip that underage
girls would be at a sex party,
and in attendance was Bronx ADA Winn,
two assemblymen, a
retired DA investigator,
a councilman, and I'm
sure that you recognize...
Judge Wheeler.
Why am I not surprised? What
about the girls? Are they talking?
Oh, no. Their pimps have
them completely under control.
Haven't even bothered to send a lawyer,
and no one will admit to
knowing whose party it was,
- who supplied the girls...
- All par for the course.
Well, it gets worse.
Detectives Russo and Jefferson,
Vice, were working the case
from another angle.
They pulled their guns and
badges as we made the bust.
- They must know who threw the party.
- Well, if they do, they're not saying.
They claimed that we
ruined their UC operation.
Don't worry, I called their captain.
You mean he wasn't there too?
Was there anybody at this party
who wasn't a public servant?
Her.
Nina Kelly. This is her only ID.
She's a nun.
Well, we're trying to verify.
Nina, so I was just talking to our ADA,
and he was wondering why a
nun would be at a sex party.
I'm not comfortable with him.
The sister would prefer
to talk to a woman.
So I'm gonna take
another run at the Johns.
Thank you. I'm... I'm not
comfortable with male cops.
Oh, I can imagine. As a madam,
you've had your share of run-ins, huh?
You know, I... I'm not a madam.
So what are you? Waitress?
I'm a nun.
Look, I've spent months trying to
infiltrate this ring to save the girls.
You saw who was there.
Politicians, police. It's rigged.
Well, I'm... not part of
the good old boy network.
So why don't you work with me, Nina?
Why don't you tell me
who throws these parties,
who procures these girls,
and I will go after them, and
get those girls to a shelter.
No. Look, if they think I'm cooperating,
I won't be able to save anyone else.
It took a long time. I had to
earn the trust of a lot of people.
Who?
Who hired you?
- Why don't you ask the Johns that?
- Because they haven't been forthcoming.
Yeah. Yeah, of course they haven't.
Because they know
they'll get away with it.
Look, Dodds, right?
We'd like to help you out, man,
but this is way above our pay grade.
Mm. Well, your captain is on his way.
Hey, out of curiosity,
how were you guys in there
undercover, with badges and guns?
We're dirty cops.
That's our cover story.
Okay.
They like to have us at the
parties, to keep everybody in line.
Yeah? They?
Hey, come on, fellows.
Throw me a bone here.
I mean, there's nothing in the system
about you guys being undercover there.
Our captain told us straight
up not to put this into DECS...
Too many of the Johns have access.
- Hey! Hey, hey.
- Captain Gerbic.
I am sorry to drag you down
here in the middle of the night.
Oh, Vice never sleeps. It looks
like the same can be said for SVU.
I didn't know you were still here.
Your father said you were moving up.
Oh, my lieutenant has a few questions.
Absolutely. One minute, fellows.
Cap.
Ah, well, this is a cluster, huh?
The timing was... bad.
I know your guys' cover was
blown, and this is not ideal.
To say the least. We gotta get new guys
in there now. Sets us back big-time.
And what were your people doing
at this party in the first place?
Actually, an anonymous tip.
But I'm hoping now that
we're all in this together
- that we could...
- No, I wish I could help.
But we're playing the long game here.
You've seen the pedigree of your Johns.
- Anybody talking?
- Not yet.
No, no.
Ask yourself why. Who
are they protecting?
This is deep UC. I'm
going out on a limb here
- even acknowledging this...
- And I appreciate that.
But underage girls are still
being raped and trafficked.
Well, where SVU sees victims,
we see willing participants.
These girls are not exactly madonnas.
Well, okay. Never mind that.
We care just as much about
these traffickers as you do.
We are gonna nail these guys.
I just think that SVU
is better equipped...
I hear you, but we're already inside.
You move in now, the carnival just
picks up, goes to a different lot,
and the games keep getting played.
Now, how about I get
my guys out of here?
You know what? Let me
run it by the ADA first.
Why don't you call the Deputy
Inspector? See what he says.
So that's it? We're shut out?
They say they're deep UC.
So if they are investigating
that, I mean, I get it.
Okay, so a UC investigation
that we can't investigate
because of who they're investigating.
That's a Mobius strip.
Maybe my father has some intel.
- It's worth a try.
- Yeah.
So all these girls are
with Social Services?
I'll take another run at them tomorrow.
Please.
Hey, Lieutenant, what? We'll
just let these Johns go too?
- For now. I'll call Barba... or not.
- Lieutenant Benson?
- Sister, something the matter?
- Yeah, I don't understand.
You're just gonna let those bastards go?
- Sister, that's none of your concern.
- So because they have badges,
it makes it okay for them
to assault 16-year-old girls?
- What are you talking about?
- Multiple girls. Multiple times.
They're not cops. They're rapists.
_
Yes. That's Sister Nina.
- So you know her.
- Very well.
She's brought several abused and
trafficked girls to our shelter.
She's doing God's work.
- Is Sister Nina in trouble?
- She was picked up in a raid.
We have her in our holding cell.
She claims she knows about dirty cops
who are raping teenage girls.
If Sister Nina says it
happened, it happened.
Okay, she... she gave
me one name of a girl
that she brought to you, Cara Gutierrez?
Oh, yes. Nina brought Cara
here about six months ago.
Very troubled girl, but
I believe she's healing.
So would it be possible
for me to speak with her?
She won't say a word unless
Sister Nina is with her.
Of course. I understand.
Thank you.
It's good to see you again.
Ah...
How's her little boy,
Noah? You adopted him, yes?
I did. He's, um...
He's thriving.
We still say the Rosary
for Ellie every year.
Thank you.
I'm not sure.
These detectives are on our side, Cara.
That one. He's one of them.
Russo.
What did he do, exactly?
He was... at all the parties,
always grabbing us, touching us...
Making us do stuff.
His partner too.
That one.
It's Jefferson.
Cara, I know how hard this is,
and I need you to tell
us exactly what happened.
Go ahead, Cara. It's okay.
They were always there first.
They'd make me and some
other girls go down on them.
- They forced you to perform oral sex.
- Mm-hmm.
We had to pretend we liked them.
My last party, somewhere
on Edgecombe Avenue, they...
they got really drunk.
They forced me into a room
and took turns raping me.
I started crying, but they didn't care.
Did you tell anybody afterwards?
No. Not right away, but
Sister Nina looked out for me.
Cara was skeptical at first, but...
eventually we established a bond.
That's why she disclosed to me that
night, and I brought her to the E.R.
Did she do a rape kit?
No. Cara would run
away. We'd have lost her.
- Then Sister Nina took me here.
- Cara...
- who took you to these parties?
- No!
She's not talking about
that. That is too dangerous.
So you bust a sex party
and find a madam who says
- she's a nun?
- Which we confirmed.
And two Vice cops who
say they're undercover.
Yeah, and now we have
a teenage vic who claims
that these guys raped her while
they were supposedly on the job.
I don't believe they're undercover.
They're whole story is BS.
But... their captain
did confirm it to me.
Yeah. Obviously he is in on it too.
I mean, did he give
you details, a target?
Easy. If they really are investigating
high level corruption, it would
be on a need-to-know basis.
And that gives them permission to rape?
This girl did seem credible to me.
No witnesses, no outcry, rape
kit? This isn't gonna be easy.
So you just look the other way
and I have to go back to Barba
and tell him that IAB
is not investigating?
Hey, I thought we were friends. I
didn't say I'm passing on these two.
I've dealt with these two
particular cops before.
Last time was about a year ago.
When were you gonna mention that?
Well, nothing stuck, and accusations
against Vice cops are a dime a dozen.
But if I get them in
here, and they are part of
a high-level investigation,
they will have to give that up
in order to save their shields.
How many times are we gonna
dance to this same song, Tucker?
I have allegations. I need your side.
And who exactly is making
these allegations? Hookers?
- Try high school girls.
- Are you talking about the party chicks
- that BX9s have been pimping out?
- That's it?
Your top secret, high level,
two-year target is a street gang?
Look, they're the low hanging fruit.
The roots of this
tree we cannot discuss.
And so this investigation is
so critical that you've allowed
underage girls to be sex trafficked?
Tragic as it may be, yeah.
- That's the job.
- I'm not so sure it is.
You wanna quarrel about policy?
Take it up with Detective
Russo's superiors.
Phone calls are being made.
Is raping 16-year-old girls
while supposedly undercover...
Is that also part of that policy?
These girls aren't
dumb. We're cops, okay?
We don't engage in the sexual
activity, so they make us as cops.
- That's why they're coming after us.
- They're not coming after you.
Our witnesses are reluctant, scared.
Of what? That their families are
gonna find out they're living the life?
That's not the case here.
Okay, so her pimp bought
her something shiny,
put her up to it... It's preemptive.
They're just trying to create
reasonable doubt since SVU busted them.
Give us names. We'll
run down that angle.
You know, if One P-P
won't give you the target,
maybe that should tell you something.
Vice claims that BX9 is
pimping out these girls
to cops and politicians? It doesn't
sound like the M.O. for a street gang.
I'm telling you. These
guys aren't undercover.
They're the muscle, or
they're running it themselves.
Either way, they called my bluff.
These two would rather risk a
morals change than name names.
So we hit another brick wall.
Rollins, you talked to the
girls at the party again, right?
Danielle went back to her shelter,
and Natalia and Margaret's
foster families picked them up.
- No one is cooperating.
- So what about friends, classmates?
I mean, somebody knows how
these girls got caught up.
I mean, we can ask. Natalia and
Margaret both went to St. Fabiola's.
- So did Cara Gutierrez.
- St. Fabiola's?
It's an all-girl's parochial
high school in the South Bronx.
Yeah, I know it... I might
know somebody who works there.
My cousin Eugene... he's
a psychologist and a priest.
The last I heard, he
was a counselor up there.
Last you heard? He's your cousin.
And a priest. Our interests diverged.
Estranged Irish relatives. How rare.
- Okay. You mind talking to him?
- I can do that.
Tucker, you never told me
that your cousin was a priest.
You never asked.
_
Eugene?
- It's been a long time.
- Eddie Tucker in a church?
Is this safe? Am I gonna
be struck by lightening?
Eddie, what? Someone died?
- Aunt Caroline?
- No, no. Still alive.
Still smokes three packs a day.
I'm here on police business.
SVU picked up two of your students
during a raid on a sex party.
Yes, horrible. I pray Natalia and
Margaret will come back to school.
- So you've spoken to them?
- Oh, I check in every day.
I even took one of their confessions.
Did either of them mention
anything about this?
- How they got involved?
- Come on, Eddie.
Between the seal of the
confessional, and the HIPAA laws...
- Eugene, they're being trafficked.
- I know. It's the...
It's the homes. There's no parenting.
All right, without violating
any confidentiality,
have you noticed any
other troubled girls?
Late for school?
Falling asleep in class?
Many, unfortunately.
Do you know a student
named Cara Gutierrez?
Cara? Yes, yes.
She dropped out six months ago.
Drugs. Is she caught up in this?
Well, her name came up
in the investigation.
Poor soul. An addict, in foster care.
These gangs... they know who to prey on.
- Which gangs?
- Oh, Father Eugene.
Oh, Monsignor. Remember my
cousin, Eddie Tucker of the NYPD.
Yes, of course.
Oh, I know.
I know why you're here, Captain Tucker,
and I want you to know
that they're good girls.
Well, I'm just trying to find out
who led them astray, Monsignor,
but my cousin here, he's
hiding behind the collar.
Oh! I betray their confidence,
they're lost to me, to us.
He's right. I'm afraid we
can't talk about our students.
How about a nun by the
name of Sister Nina Kelly?
She helps these girls. Maybe
she's spoken to either of you.
I know a Sister Nina. She's
never worked at the school.
I believe she's still
out on medical leave.
Do you know about the
kind of work she does?
No. And I'm concerned to hear
she's been in contact with students.
Why's that?
Sister Nina's medical leave
is for psychiatric reasons.
The Church has learned the hard
way that we need to be proactive.
We cannot sanction her
being around children.
You think detectives from Vice
are involved in trafficking,
and your key witness, the nun from
the party, has mental health issues?
Or that's the word that they
put out to discredit her.
Either way, the word is out. What
about the Johns? Any help from them?
You mean the Judge? The ABA?
We think someone maybe at Vice
told them that this is going away.
And they're probably right. Russo
and Jefferson stonewalled IAB.
Okay, the Johns are out, the cops
are out, the nun is out. The girls?
There is one earlier rescued vic,
Cara Gutierrez, who was talking.
She alleges that the Vice
cops raped her, but...
- she's way too scared to testify.
- One step at a time.
Find out if she's at least
willing to come and talk to me.
Cara's been in her room all day.
She didn't even come down for supper.
Well, our D.A. wanted us to reach out.
I really don't think
she'll be up for this.
Well, if she tells us that,
then we'll leave, all right?
Cara.
Cara!
This is Detective Sonny
Carisi. I'm at St. Bernad...
We don't need a bus. She's gone.
We have any idea how
Cara got this heroin?
We're asking. But no, no idea.
Sister Ida said she
was in her room all day.
This is a halfway house, so any one of
those girls could've smuggled in drugs.
So they all swore that they didn't.
Mechanism of death... Respiratory
arrest due to pulmonary edema.
- And the cause?
- Acute drug intoxication.
Bad heroin.
- Accident or suicide?
- You tell me.
When was the last time
this girl used drugs?
She's been clean for six months.
Sometimes addicts, after they're sober,
go back to their old dosage.
Is it possible somebody
gave her a hot shot?
Well, I can't prove that, but if
this concentration were going around,
we'd be seeing a lot more overdoses.
So you're leaving the
manner undetermined.
Pending your investigation, yes.
And, if it helps, it's
actually a very humane death.
She would've been fast asleep by
the time her lungs filled with water.
A drug overdose?
No.
That couldn't have been an accident.
I never should've brought you to Cara.
- They killed her.
- Okay.
You keep saying, "They," Nina.
- Who are they?
- I told you from the beginning
that all I wanted to
do was save the girls,
and you gave me your word
you would protect them.
We can't do that if you don't
tell us who to protect them from.
Wait, wait, wait, wait. Who knew?
Who knew? Who knew Cara
was at that shelter?
It had to have been
somebody in your squad.
No, no, no. That's not possible.
Yeah? Well, someone tipped
them off, and I'm next.
Listen, you're right to be worried.
That's why... we don't think
that you should stay here.
I have nowhere else to go. And
they're gonna find me anywhere I...
I know a place where you'll be safe.
Sister, now, are you sure
that Cara didn't leave
the house yesterday?
Yes, I've gone over the log. She
hadn't been outside in three days.
Okay, so when was the
last time you saw her?
Midday yesterday. She was very
upset. She wouldn't leave her room.
Priest even agreed to take
her confession up there.
- Hang on. She saw a priest?
- Well, yes.
Every Wednesday, the priest
comes to take confessions.
Cara always saw him. Went
to mass on Sundays too.
Did you see her afterward?
I left her alone until you arrived.
Who is the priest?
Father Akintola. He's a lovely man.
West African. He fills in sometimes.
So he wasn't your regular guy?
Usually it's Father Riley, but he was
called away yesterday by St. Fabiola's.
Okay. Where can we find Father Akintola?
_
Poor Cara. It just breaks my heart.
You took a confession. I know you
can't tell us what she told you, but...
- how did she seem to you?
- She was struggling.
The rest of her former classmates
just brought it all back.
You all right, Father?
I should've never left her alone.
Did you think she was jonesing?
I thought she was just anxious.
Well, did she mention
any new friends, maybe,
or did you see anybody
come into her room?
Not while I was there.
Ugh, but, look, Sister
Ida, she has her hands full,
keeping a house full of runaways
from giving into temptation.
Cara was an addict.
They always find a way.
- Thank you, Father.
- Thank you.
Oh, if you like...
I can talk to the girls
and... see what they know.
Now that Cara is gone, they
may want to come forward.
Yeah, that... that'd be
great, Father. Thank you.
Sister Nina told us that
Cara was in a very good place
- and wouldn't have started using again.
- That's not what Father Akintola told us.
Yeah, well, I agree with Nina. Someone
gave Cara a hot shot to shut her up.
Let's hang on, all right?
I'm all for paranoia,
but who else knew that she
was cooperating, besides us?
Sister Nina, Sister
Ida, Barba and... IAB.
And the Vice cops. I mean, they
had motive and NYPD computer access.
Which is why I made sure not to
put Cara's name in the system.
So no one else at IAB knew.
I didn't even tell my partner.
But you did ask your cousin about her.
Son of a bitch.
- Eugene.
- Excuse me.
- What did you do, Eugene? What did you do?
- What are you talking about?
Cara Gutierrez, you remember her?
You said she had it rough? Well,
she got it a whole lot worse now.
- She's ice cold in the morgue.
- I know.
- I heard. It's horrible. These drugs...
- Oh, you think it was the drugs, huh?
- Well, what else could it be?
- Well, we don't know.
She may have overdosed.
She may have been murdered.
- Dear God.
- Oh, don't give me that, Eugene.
I've locked up better liars than
you. Who did you send after Cara?
Eddie! You're not making any sense.
I told you we were talking to
her, and you knew what that meant.
All I know is that you
are acting like a madman.
The Vice cops... Are you on their
payroll, or are they on your payroll?
Neither!
I was Cara's guidance counselor!
How could you even contemplate
something like that?
Why don't we calm down, Father? Step
over here with me for just a second.
So, question: Is it possible
that you may have inadvertently
let Cara's name slip?
No, I'd never make a mistake like that.
Why was Father Riley called away
from St. Bernadine's last Wednesday?
Because I needed as many shoulders as
I could get for the girls to cry on!
You can't possibly think that
this is some sort of conspiracy.
- How well do you know Father Akintola?
- He is a good man. He's a good priest.
Eddie! It's the Bronx!
Cara was involved with the gangs, if
she was cooperating, they'd find out...
The only person I mentioned
Cara's name to was you!
And now she's dead.
My cousin has been at IAB too long.
He thinks everybody is corrupt.
Eddie, that reflection you see
in my eyes... that's your soul!
- Father...
- Not mine!
It's you who turned
your back on God, not me!
Let's go, Ed.
They've got something on you.
You're unbelievable. And
you should leave now. Please.
Let's go. Let's go... Ed!
I know it was you,
Eugene. I know it was you!
Tucker, enough.
I said enough!
- That pious little snake is lying.
- He didn't kill Cara.
- He was at the school all day.
- But he set her up.
Or maybe he just let her name slip.
Not a chance; Eugene wouldn't
do that... he's a politician.
Every word out of his
mouth is calculated.
You really think that he's
running a sex trafficking ring?
Or protecting it. I don't know.
I want a warrant for his
phone, his financials,
his computer, everything.
I'm gonna tear into his life
- until I find out what he's hiding.
- No, you're not, Ed.
He's your cousin, not a cop, okay?
- If he is a suspect...
- He's more than a suspect.
Then let SVU pursue it.
Not your case. Not your case.
I will ask Barba for the warrants.
That nun. They're gonna be looking
for her. She needs to come inside.
She's safe.
So was Cara.
- That's so cool!
- Sister Nina?
There you are.
I fed him, 'cause he
seemed a little hungry.
- I hope that's all right.
- Oh, of course. Yeah.
Um, Sister Nina, this is Captain Tucker.
Okay. Hi, my love.
Hi, what are you playing with?
- So who is he, and why is he here?
- He's all right, Nina.
Captain Tucker, and he's
investigating Russo and Jefferson.
The Vice cops who haven't been charged?
- I'm working on that, believe me.
- Nina, it's okay.
Captain Tucker knows that Russo
and Jefferson are dirty cops.
- He wants them off the force.
- And in jail.
- But I need your help to do that.
- Look.
We already know that most of those girls
were students at St. Fabiola's.
Is there someone at the
school we should be looking at?
- I don't work there.
- Please. Please.
Okay, you know, sometimes the
guidance counselors at these schools
have their fingers on the
pulse of what's going on.
Are you saying we should
be talking to Father Eugene?
What, you know him?
Yes, we do. Uh, Eugene is actually, uh,
he's actually Tucker's cousin.
Father Eugene is your cousin.
Hey, you need any help with
that, Noah? What are you doing?
Did any of the girls
say he may be involved?
No one will know where it came from.
- I promise you that.
- You know what?
Let's say good-bye to Mr. Tucker.
- Bye.
- Bye.
He's gotta go. He's gotta go right now.
- Nina...
- No, no, no. She's right. It's okay.
I'll go and let you two talk.
Nina,
I need you to put my son down.
Nina, listen to me. Look,
Tucker's gone. All right?
I know you wanna help those
girls, but it's not what you think.
Nina, I need you to put my son down...
right now.
Thank you.
- Okay.
- Everybody wants to hug you.
Everybody wants to hug
you. Don't they, sweet Noah?
Okay, baby, how about you and me,
how about we go play with
mommy's iPad, okay? Okay?
I'll be right back.
Come here, baby, come here.
Nina.
You know, I actually
thought you were on my side?
- I am on your side.
- Father Eugene's cousin?
He's in charge of the investigation?
Yes, but listen to me.
There's no love lost there.
And if Eugene is involved, then
Tucker and I will go after him.
You know, everyone said
I could trust you...
Sister Ida, Jen. I
should've known that you were
- gonna sell me out.
- I would never do that.
Are you gonna have me
committed again, huh?
- No.
- Sent for more shock treatment?
I am not crazy!
You bring Father Eugene's cousin here?
Either you're in on this with them,
or you're an idiot. Nina, listen to me.
Just take a breath. Listen to me.
I can't even imagine what's
going through your mind right now.
But, please, please don't leave here.
It's not safe out there. You know that.
You wanna know what's
going through my mind?
I think... I think you
brought me here to kill me.
- What?
- But you don't have to.
Look, I don't know anything
about your trafficking ring.
And I'm not talking to
anyone about it ever again.
Stop, listen...
Thank you, Monsignor.
I know I've put a heavy
burden on you, but I have faith
that the D.A.'s office
will do the right thing.
- Of course.
- Please, this has to end.
I want to spare these
girls any more exploitation.
We all do.
Mike Dodds.
Monsignor Mulregan.
Ah, nice to see you.
- You know Lieutenant Benson?
- I've heard only good things.
I wanna thank you for
rescuing our girls.
I'm... sorry that we lost one.
Cara Gutierrez.
I was there when she
received confirmation.
Such a pretty young girl.
- What's the Monsignor doing here?
- I'm still trying to figure that out.
What can I do for you?
We're waiting on
warrants for Father Eugene
- and Father Akintola.
- So am I.
A lot of judges are reluctant
to hand out financial
and cell records of priests.
Are we... are we making
the wrong turn here?
Where's IAB on Vice?
Well, Tucker's keeping
that investigation active,
but we have reason to believe that
priests are involved in Cara's death.
And you're getting all
this from Sister Nina?
Sister Nina is no longer
involved in this investigation.
Why not?
Because when Tucker and I spoke to her,
I mentioned that he was
Father Eugene's cousin,
and let's just say that
she... had a bad reaction.
- Like what? A panic attack?
- No, it was much more than that.
She became... convinced that
Tucker was in on the whole thing,
that we were gonna have her
committed, have her killed.
I mean, she was paranoid,
and... completely shut down.
Can you blame her? Vice
and God knows who else
have been trafficking these
girls to elected officials.
Somebody leaked that
Cara was cooperating.
Listen, who beside
Tucker knew about Cara?
My squad, you, Sister
Nina, and... Father Eugene.
Dodds, can you give us a minute?
Sure.
You wanna tell me what's going on?
- You sure Father Eugene knew?
- Oh, yes.
Tucker told him.
What do you really know about Tucker?
We go way back, he's a straight
shooter, intense. No nonsense.
You've never known him to... To
abuse his power, overreach, or...
he almost destroyed both
of your old partners.
Yes, he arrested me too,
but we're way past that.
Wh... what is this about?
Monsignor's Mulregan's
visit was not a social call.
He has made some very
serious allegations.
Yeah. Against Father Eugene.
No. Against Tucker.
Allegations against Tucker?
- What did the Monsignor say, exactly?
- He said that he and Father Eugene
went to Tucker a year ago.
That they had information that Vice
was running some of their students.
Father Eugene even violated the seal
of the confessional to provide evidence.
- He claims that?
- They also named Russo and Jefferson.
- And Tucker buried it.
- And he's telling you this now?
This is about protecting Father Eugene.
I was there, at that church,
when Tucker confronted him.
I thought he was gonna rip his head off.
I don't know. I don't know.
I mean, maybe that's...
Maybe that's what he
wanted you to think.
No, Ed is not capable of that.
Since when?
I thought SVU hated this guy. He's
gone after each and every one of you.
That's his job. He has to be relentless.
You're wrong about him. Trust me.
Wait.
Are you involved with him?
Don't ask me that.
When were you gonna tell me?
I am informing you that a captain at IAB
may be involved in a sex trafficking
ring, and you don't mention
that the two of you
are sleeping together?
You're wrong about him.
Bring him in here, ask him yourself.
You and I are done talking.
- Thanks for coming.
- Of course.
- Nobody saw you, right?
- Here? No.
- So what have you heard?
- That Group One is investigating you
for sex trafficking, corruption, murder?
Yeah. I've been invited to
come in early tomorrow morning.
Oh, my God.
Cousin Eugene really set me up
good. You get those warrants yet?
No, they're stalled. I don't know if
it was before or after Barba found out
that I was... biased towards you.
Oh. Okay.
You know how this goes.
Don't stick your neck out. It'll
look like you're covering for me.
Hey.
They can't prove anything,
because I haven't done anything.
All right? I'm gonna be fine.
And we just let these guys skate?
You wanna go after the
Church, City Hall, and Albany
for an IAB investigator
who's loathed by half of NYPD?
Stay out of it.
Well, it just might be too late.
One-P-P wants to see me.
Immediately.
Whatever's going on, Barba wouldn't
talk about it in front of me.
- Did you call your dad?
- Yeah. He's not calling me back.
Someone high up the chain
must be starting to sweat.
Because we're taking
on the Catholic Church.
- Sorry.
- No, I get it, Rollins.
Look, 99% of these
priests are good guys.
The Church just brought
this on themselves.
At least the Monsignor came
to Barba on his own, right?
- That's got to be a good sign.
- Yeah, they probably realized
transparency's their only salvation.
- If you say so.
- Rollins, Carisi.
- Get me some evidence boxes, please.
- Uh, yeah, on it.
Dodds, a minute.
- Is everything all right?
- Oh, I'm fine.
Lieutenant, what's going on?
You'd know better than me.
Did something happen?
You're telling me that you didn't know?
Know what?
That I'm out. Effective immediately.
Uh, Carisi, Rollins, as of now,
Sergeant Dodds is acting
commander of SVU, so...
congratulations.
That's it.
You're dismissed.