Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 4, Episode 13 - Rotten - full transcript
After a prison inmate is found dead shortly after his arrival in his cell, an SVU investigation begins because his death was caused by sodomy... but it occurred before he arrived in prison. Bensen and Tutuola uncover more than merely a single case of brutality. They discover a further conspiracy.
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.
What'd she say?
Moms won't budge.
Your arraignment's tomorrow,
so if you can post bond you'll
only be in the Tombs for the night.
What do you think
they'll ask for?
Probably more than you got.
What if I can't
make bail?
Then you go to
Rikers till your trial.
Look, just let me talk to Mrs. Parks.
I'll try to make her understand.
It's not gonna help.
She's on fire.
She wants you to pay for
what you did to her daughter.
I love Sara. Look, she's
pregnant, and I want to marry her.
She was 15 when you took
her to bed. You're 21.
In case you haven't heard,
there's laws against that.
So there's nothing
I can do.
Serve your time. If you're
lucky, you'll be out in 18 months.
Gentlemen, your stay here is short,
but will feel like a
lifetime if you make trouble.
I will not listen to pleas of
innocence, police brutality, entrapment
or evidence tampering.
Save it for Legal Aid.
You'll be fingerprinted,
photographed,
cavity searched
and assigned a cell.
Chow is at 7:00,
noon and 6:00.
Lights out at 9:30.
Have a nice day.
Spread them.
What's that God-awful smell?
Jailhouse perfume,
bitch. Get used to it.
He's in my bed.
There's a free bunk
right over there.
You have a problem?
On your feet, mark.
I said move it!
Brute.
Is that blood?
Guard!
Guard, help! Guard!
Hey! Hey, you got
a problem in there, baby?
It only hurts
the first time, baby.
Where's the crime scene?
Block H.
The M.E. is with the body,
and one of your detectives is
interrogating the cell mates.
How many prisoners
did you move?
Ten. We only cleared
the flanking cells.
Okay, I need their names
and their sheets. Yes, ma'am.
It's starting
to get to me.
The dead bodies?
The animals
rattling their cages.
Where's your partner?
He's at a VICAP seminar,
making nice
with the Feds.
What's his story?
Sodomized with
a foreign object.
Bled out internally.
Probably perforated his colon.
Oh! Victim's name
is Carlos Torres.
Tomb intake record shows he's
only been here eight hours.
One visit to the infirmary.
Liver temp is 96,
so that means he's only been
dead four, maybe five hours, tops.
Just you and Torres in the cell,
and you didn't speak to him?
I said, "Hi. "
I won't repeat
what he said to me.
Did he hurt
your feelings?
He's Dominican.
They're animals.
You got a temper yourself,
Ortega.
Three domestic disturbance
calls in the last two weeks,
and the last one,
you knifed your lover.
He hit me first.
How's he look?
Ortega claims Torres wanted nothing
to do with him 'cause he was gay.
Given the jailhouse routine,
not many people had access.
There are ways around
the system if you got
a fever to rack up
Dominican bodies.
You thinking this is
Mexicans against Dominicans?
It's easier to get got on
the inside. Nowhere to run.
Mexicans transport the drugs,
Dominicans distribute.
Everybody just
wants a bigger piece.
Which is why we computerized our
tracking system to keep them apart.
But it doesn't
always work.
No system is foolproof.
Any Mexicans waiting
for court transfer?
Three, but they're all
in different cellblocks.
Any chance they had
access to our victim?
I don't see how, since inmate
movements are restricted.
Torres didn't move
from his cell at all.
He went to
the infirmary.
Right, after the processing. Then he
was assigned a cell and locked down.
Hold on.
I spoke too soon.
Hector Ramirez went to the infirmary
complaining about a bad tooth.
Was he escorted to the
nurse while Torres was there?
Their visits overlapped.
I'm sorry.
Okay,
what's Ramirez in for?
Murder. What else?
I'll have a guard
bring him to a holding cell.
What's up, bacon?
Carlos Torres.
Yeah, I heard he bought it.
Should be stiff
by now, right?
You think it's funny?
Yeah, puerca. Laugh a minute.
Well, how's this
for a punch line?
You don't cooperate with us
and I will make it my business
to have the guards
house you in cellblock B.
One cage is as
good as the next.
B- block is Dominican deep.
I don't think they'd like
what you did to their brother.
Wasn't me.
Hector, I think you forced
your way into the infirmary.
I don't think there's
anything wrong with your tooth.
These your teeth or mine?
I was hurting.
We talk to the nurse,
what's she gonna say?
You give me too
much credit, man.
I didn't know the mark was
even gonna be in the infirmary.
Opportunity knocked. Torres
is Dominican, you're Mexican.
This is an easy close.
Yeah, if you make it up.
We didn't have to. We
checked your prison records.
Seems you get off forcing your
fellow inmates to bend over.
What'd you rape
him with, Hector?
Something real
handy in the infirmary,
like a mop or a broom?
I only went up there to
get next to the nurse.
Got a long bid this time.
I won't be seeing
ladies for a while.
What makes you think that the
nurse would even talk to you?
If she had been by herself,
I would have made her
do more than just talk.
I knew he was
lying right away.
He had no abscesses,
no redness or swelling.
Was Hector Ramirez ever
left alone with the victim?
No. He spent the entire time harassing me.
What was wrong
with Torres?
I had no idea he
had a serious injury.
And when he came in for
vomiting, I checked his vitals.
He had a slight fever.
I thought he had a flu,
so I gave him some Pepto.
He said he felt better.
Who escorted him?
An intake guard,
Nathan Duarte.
And he seemed pretty steamed,
too. Not that I blame him.
What was he mad about?
Uh, Torres was calling
him some ugly names. Uh...
Homo, faggot, pillow.
You get the gist.
Guards got to be
thick-skinned.
Except for Nathan.
Another guard just outed
him not too long ago.
How long was Torres here?
Nathan took him to the shower
right after I gave him the medicine,
and I could hear Torres
screaming down the hallway.
He did not want
Nathan to touch him.
I'm already late to post,
so what gives?
I heard you had beef with Carlos
Torres. He was hard to deal with.
No more than any other hump
coming through.
I heard it got a little
personal between you two.
Not at all, Detective.
I've been called a lot worse by
some of my lesser evolved co-workers.
Still must have
bugged you.
This isn't exactly
a nurturing environment.
I learned a long time ago
not to take it personally.
You escorted Torres to the showers
straight from the infirmary?
Yeah. He puked all over
himself after he left the nurse.
Was anyone else in the
shower when you got there?
No. Why?
Anybody come in
while you were there?
I don't believe this.
I'm a suspect
because I'm gay.
No, it's because you were the last
person who had access to the victim.
And since I'm
the sodomy expert,
I did this to teach
the homophobe a lesson.
Is that your theory?
I didn't touch
the little creep.
He took a shower, he got dressed, I
took him to his assigned cell. That's it.
What time
did you sign out?
A little
after midnight,
and I went
straight home.
Can anyone vouch that
you didn't come back here?
His name is Chris Hartford.
He's a Legal Aid attorney.
Who is it?
It's the police.
Let's see that again.
Which precinct?
Manhattan SVU.
Sex crimes.
What's this about?
We're looking
for Chris Hartford.
Why are you looking for
my husband, Detective?
Is he here?
Chris? Police.
How can I help you?
Why don't we take this out
of the hallway? Come inside.
It'd probably be best if we could
speak with you privately, Mr. Hartford.
What about?
Nathan Duarte.
Chris?
I'll just be a minute.
It's client privilege.
It's all right.
What kind of
trouble is he in?
We just need to verify
his whereabouts last night.
Uh, you have to understand,
this doesn't happen all the time.
We get together when my wife's out
of town. It's not what you think.
Okay, we're not looking for an
explanation, just a time frame.
I was with him from
about 1:00 a. m. To 6:00.
Okay. You can go back to
your family. Thank you.
You almost done
with the autopsy?
Not yet. But I can
give you cause of death.
I recovered wooden splinters from his rectum.
The foreign object was
introduced with such force
that it put
a hole in his colon.
How much time would it
have taken to bleed out?
Hours.
Blood clot at the site held
for a while, until it blew.
So you're saying the attack
didn't happen at the Tombs.
Doesn't seem likely.
The nurse and the guard said
he was sick at the intake desk.
I found evidence
of peritonitis.
An infection like that will cause
nausea, vomiting and a temperature spike.
Liver temp was 96,
TOD was four hours earlier,
so he had
a 101 degree fever.
So he arrived at the Tombs
before midnight
and was dead by 4:00 a. m.,
5:00 at the latest.
He was bleeding internally
before he got transferred.
A cop must've sodomized him
inside the precinct.
Are we sure our
perp is a cop?
I mean, maybe his injuries
occurred prior to his arrest.
Well, the 61 says that Carlos
Torres was arrested at 8:00 p. m.
He didn't arrive at the
Tombs until around midnight.
He was sick
when he got there.
He went to the nurse,
the showers,
then to bed and
never woke up.
Where was he processed?
29.
Who were
the arresting officers?
Les Cooper
and Randall Grant.
I'll have their
jackets pulled.
John Royce is the commanding
officer. See him first.
I'll tell him you're on your way. Great.
Log book for the day shows
the collar was routine.
Torres was cuffed at 8:00
and transported around 11:30.
Three and a half hours
your average booking time?
It depends on the arrest.
This was pretty straightforward,
though, even though he resisted
and assaulted
one of my men.
Who was that?
Luke Edmunds.
He was put out on medical
right after the brawl.
He'll be out
the rest of the week.
Was it serious?
Took a blow
to the head.
What can you tell us
about the arresting officers?
They're pretty
straight-up cops.
Grant's a rookie, so the jury's
still out. Cooper gets the job done.
Not always
the way you like it.
Coop's a little
free with his hands.
This precinct's right in
the center of drug turf.
Sometimes you got to flex on the
players to get their attention.
Not in my precinct.
Where are Cooper
and Grant now?
Sector car Charlie.
I'd like to avoid taking them out
of rotation while I'm shorthanded.
Officer Grant,
how you doing?
Detective Benson,
Tutuola.
Can we talk to you
guys for a minute?
Sure, what can we
do for you?
What can you tell us
about Carlos Torres?
Shocking when a drug dealing
gangbanger shows up dead, huh?
You had run-ins with him before? Sure.
We arrested him three, four
times in the last month.
Guy was made of Teflon.
Must be pretty frustrating.
One time a judge threw out
the crack we pinched him with
because we found
it in his mouth.
Said it was
an illegal search.
So you tell me,
would you be frustrated?
Yeah, but not enough
to take him out.
And just so we're clear,
the arrest went by the book.
What happened that night?
There was a street brawl
outside the Club Rendezvous.
It's a trouble spot.
Four sector cars showed up
to disperse the crowd.
Torres got caught
in the mix.
But once he took a swing at
Officer Edmunds that was it.
Threw him in the back
of the blue and white,
put the bracelets on him,
headed to the house.
You guys make any stops?
Well, we didn't have time to tune him
up, if that's what you're thinking.
No, our call came in at 7:00,
booking started at 8:00.
Took that long to
control the scene.
It's a real problem,
that place.
Dominicans and Mexicans
ever mix it up in here?
Not inside.
All players are welcome here.
The club's a safe haven.
As far as I heard,
there's no such thing
between Mexicans
and Dominicans.
That's where you're wrong, Detective.
Even a gangster needs a
safe place to take his woman.
You know him?
Carlos Torres.
Yeah, he was here that night with his girl.
Inside the club?
Yeah, they was celebrating
'cause she was pregnant.
I remember, 'cause she asked
for milk, but I don't serve it.
Okay. You see him
go outside?
Not until the uniforms
came up in here and got him.
When was that?
Right before
the street fight started.
Cooper and Grant
had reason to hurt him.
They'd arrested
him four times,
and he kept skating
on the charges.
So why not
just whip his ass
instead of tapping it? 'Cause I
think that the tune-up went too far.
I think Cooper and
Grant took a nasty turn,
now they have to
cover for each other.
What does
the evidence support?
Well, Cooper and Grant didn't have
time to do the deed pre-arrest.
Edmunds came in to back them
up. After Torres slugged him,
Cooper and Grant cuffed him
and put him in the sector car.
Corroborated? By the other cops on the scene.
Central was notified
that Torres was in custody.
Ten-minute ride back to the house,
and the log book confirms it.
That's why it had to
happen inside the precinct.
And how did they pull
it off without witnesses?
We've all done
our time in uniform.
Cop gets hurt by a perp,
you get a free shot.
Duty log has Officer
Luke Edmunds reported
to the hospital 8:00 p. m.,
blow to the head.
So the question is,
did Edmunds go home
or back to the precinct
to teach Torres a lesson?
I'll sit him down.
Fin, I want you with
CSU to comb the 29.
Anything you find,
walk through the lab.
That's a pretty big precinct.
You want to narrow it down?
Well, to do that kind
of damage takes privacy.
Let's start with
the sector car,
interrogation rooms
and bathrooms.
You know,
Carlos Torres is dead.
If you're trying to pinch me
for it, don't I need my PBA rep?
Actually, I just need your account
of what happened that night.
It's in the 61,
Detective.
Is it?
Don't play games with me.
I do this for a living,
the same as you.
Then why are you giving me a hard time?
Look, I'm still in pain.
I didn't mean to snap.
I know you got a job to do,
you got to clear your case,
even though the hump
had it coming.
And Torres deserved it because
his charges always got dropped
or because
he hit you?
This kind of high-stakes game,
your number comes up eventually.
Doesn't matter if it's us
or the streets. Game over.
All right. So what
do you think happened?
Some cellmate in
the Tombs cornholed him.
Well, how do you know that's how he died?
We haven't released that information.
Cops talk.
Well, then they didn't
tell you the whole story.
You see, the evidence shows that he
was attacked here, not in the Tombs.
So how do you
explain that?
I can't. I got hurt
and went to the hospital.
But the hospital released you at
8:45. Where'd you go after that?
Home.
Home. Really?
'Cause the desk sergeant
said that you came back here
to get something
out of your locker.
Yeah, then I went home.
So,
can I go?
I think you're gonna
need that PBA rep now.
The trail of blood
leads out of the stall.
They sodomized Torres
with whatever was handy.
Over here.
Looks like we just found
our murder weapon.
Till we type it, blood
could've come from anybody.
Came here
straight from One P. P.
I'm surprised
you can still sit.
Officer Edmunds gave his
confession, wants to make a deal.
Public won't go for it. They'll
want that cop's head on a stake.
That's why the brass wants
it kept quick and quiet.
But what about
his accomplices?
Torres and Edmunds weren't alone
in that bathroom. He had help.
That's not the way he
tells it, Detective.
He understands he cooperates,
he gets leniency.
He doesn't deserve it.
We make deals with
perps all the time.
Cops should be held
to a higher standard.
The Chief called the play. The
D. A.'s been notified. It's done.
Murder two, Counselor.
We've got your client cold
for depraved indifference.
That's 25-to-life. And cops
don't do too well in prison.
Depraved indifference for a
dead gangbanger? It's laughable.
The victim isn't laughing.
In fact, he's dead.
Oh, don't be naive.
His miserable life would
be fodder for the jury.
But no one wants that, right?
So let's be reasonable.
Man two, eight-to-10.
Murder two, 12-to-25.
One-time offer.
I don't call that reasonable.
Your client sodomized someone so
violently that he bled to death.
There is no way I'm going to offer
anything less than double digits.
Okay.
Man two, 10-to-20.
Fine.
I don't like it.
Do I look like
I'm having fun?
Your boss and my boss just
want to make this go away.
'Cause they want it
business as usual.
But there is no way
that Edmunds acted alone.
No proof he didn't.
Our victim was a gangster
and a homophobe.
What Edmunds did to him is
tantamount to his worst nightmare.
He would've kicked like
a mule to make it stop.
You're thinking
Torres was held down.
He had to be.
And whoever helped Edmunds
do it is gonna walk.
Not if you find me evidence.
Then the deal is void.
Let me know.
I got my orders. Officially,
the case is closed.
Unofficially?
Work fast
and stay under the radar.
Good timing.
I just finished.
Please tell me you have evidence
supporting more than one perp.
There had to be at least two.
Victim's got deep tissue bruising on
both his hands and knees consistent
with the mosaic tile
in the precinct bathroom.
So he was on all fours.
Figures he had to be
so Edmunds could have access.
He's also got
a long cylindrical bruise
across the back
of his shoulders,
indicating he was
held down by force.
Nightstick to
the neck?
That would get the job done.
But Edmunds still
could've worked alone.
Torres was cuffed.
Hey, he wasn't shackled.
So why didn't he fight back?
The bruise is deep. So someone
else had to apply pressure
by using all their weight.
We dump his phones. We'll
find out who he's covering for.
Look at this.
Here's another one.
That makes 55 calls between Edmunds
and Cooper in the last three days.
They're trying to get
their stories straight.
Phone calls don't put Cooper
in that bathroom with Edmunds.
Forensics is not
gonna help us, either.
Any trace evidence
found on Torres
can be explained by physical
contact during the arrest.
Well, if Cooper and Edmunds were
together, other cops had to see them.
And if One P. P. finds out we're
still digging, they'll shut us down.
So stay out of the 29.
Focus on Edmunds.
Dig in his life.
You'll find a connecting thread to Cooper.
Lots of calls went to a residence,
uh, registered to Stephanie Grayson.
Girlfriend?
As much as he's paying in cell
phone bills, she better be.
Well, let's find out
how close they are.
There's no marital privilege,
so the pillow talk is admissible.
I know Luke's been arrested,
but no one will tell me what for.
How long have you known
Officer Edmunds?
I met him at the hospital when
his brother OD'd. I'm a nurse.
He took it really hard.
Parents were dead, he practically
raised the kid himself.
How often
did you see him?
Whenever he wasn't working
or on his breaks.
Did you meet any
of his buddies?
A few. Why?
Well, he might be taking
the heat for some of them.
Is that possible?
You know, maybe we should
take this down to the precinct
and get a more formal statement from you.
This is about that
drug dealer, isn't it?
Edmund's came up
against quite a few,
so you're going to have to be more
specific with me if you want to help him.
All I know is his name was
Vasquez. Luke was hot for the guy.
Said he was
moving too much weight
and was slipping
through the system.
And he hated drug dealers.
With a passion.
He said Vasquez was too slick to get pinched,
so he tailed him to
catch him in the act.
So what happened?
Luke busted him with a gram, and
then Vasquez pulled out a knife.
The only thing Luke could do
was shoot him.
He was really messed up
about it for a while.
Till I gave him
a different perspective.
What was
your take on it?
He's a bad guy, a drug
dealer, for God's sake.
Luke was saving someone else's kid brother.
Okay, got it. Thanks.
Turns out the girlfriend wasn't making it up.
A drug dealer named Javier
Vasquez expired two months ago.
Only he wasn't shot,
his throat was slashed.
It hardly plays
like self-defense.
Where was
the body found?
Dead in the center
of the 29 territory.
Homicide detective mentioned a
cylindrical bruise across his throat
but not across his back.
Sounds like
a chokehold to me.
Yeah, but two dead drug dealers
still doesn't put anyone else
in that bathroom with Edmunds.
I know, but pattern will.
Look, let's see
if we can connect
any other dealers to
Edmunds and Cooper.
A jury'll buy
they work together.
Okay, I'll check with Warner
and have her pull
any matching morgue files.
Okay, you know what? I'll
meet you back at the squad.
What can I do for
you today, Detective?
I'd like to have another look
at that duty roster.
What for? Investigation's
closed. Edmunds is in custody.
Actually,
I'm working on another case.
What's that?
I'm not at liberty
to discuss it.
I'd just like to see the
log book from two months ago.
Get authorization, come
back. I'll be here all day.
Get it straight, Sergeant.
I don't work for you.
I got a lead on
an open homicide,
and I'd like to
check my facts
before I pass it along.
What are you looking for?
When a drug dealer named Vasquez
was killed two months ago,
which sector car responded?
Two months ago?
Yeah, the 27th.
Edmunds and Cooper
were partnered that day.
How often did
they ride together?
All the time, until Cooper made
field training officer last month.
Thank you.
Officer Cooper!
Sweet ride.
What do you want, Detective?
Is that a 'vette
in your garage?
You must be working
a hell of a lot of overtime.
Give it a rest, huh?
IAB wants to dig, fine.
I wanted to talk to you
about Luke Edmunds.
There's nothing to say.
He's guilty.
I heard he pled out.
I just want to
make sure it sticks.
Is there any reason
why it shouldn't?
A 20-year prison sentence is
a pretty tough sell to a cop.
He could change his mind,
make trouble.
So I dug in his background.
I talked to his girlfriend.
Yeah? She told a very interesting story
about a drug dealer
named Vasquez.
What about him?
Claims that Edmunds shot him
in self-defense.
You were partnered with him then, right? So?
His throat was slashed.
How do you explain that?
Some street punk
wanted revenge.
We get to the scene, and Vasquez
is carved up like a turkey.
So this is just your ex-partner
playing like a hero to get laid?
I met the woman.
She's a badge bunny.
Stories like this get her juiced
up, you know what I'm saying?
I find out that you're a murdering
bastard, I'm gonna nail your ass.
You know what I'm saying?
You went to the 29.
I can see the rumor
mill's working overtime.
Who says cops
don't communicate?
What the hell are
you trying to prove?
Look, I was trying
to cover your ass.
I didn't want you to get a rip
from the bosses for insubordination.
You'll be lucky if they
settle for just a rip.
I would've backed
your play.
That's why I went alone.
Well, there's a detective from Fraud
waiting. You want to bring me up to speed?
Well, I requested a look
at our cops' financials,
because from what I've seen, Cooper
is living way above his means.
You think Edmunds
has something to do with it.
Well, if he is, protecting a bankroll
is a hell of a good reason to confess
and stop any more digging.
Edmunds is clean. Lives frugally,
little savings, no assets.
You sure?
Positive.
Now, your guy
Cooper's a different story.
Reasonable mortgage, well
within his paycheck limit.
Wife's a homemaker, kid's in
public school, nothing to red flag.
But you're not buying it?
Nope.
All of his assets
are in his wife's name,
car, condo in Boca, some
other scattered real estate.
How'd this slip past IAB?
Checked his tax return.
Trick is,
claim Atlantic City winnings,
he pays the taxes on it,
no one's the wiser.
Well, can we prove that the
money's not from gambling?
We can check
with the casinos.
Anything over $2,500
is reportable to the IRS.
How long will that take?
More time than we've got.
Edmunds' allocution is
scheduled for day after tomorrow.
Cooper's on the take, Edmunds
isn't. So why's he holding out?
Maybe Edmunds didn't know what
his ex-partner's been up to.
It's a statistical improbability
that Mrs. Cooper won so much so often.
You know where the money's
actually coming from?
My guess, payment for some dead bodies.
What could not wait
until tomorrow morning?
I need a wiretap.
On who?
Luke Edmunds' former partner,
Les Cooper.
Is he involved in this?
We think that he got paid to kill
Carlos Torres and another drug dealer.
He's got way too
much cash for a cop.
What about Edmunds?
Drug dealers
killed his brother.
See, Edmunds is doing it for revenge,
Cooper's doing it for business.
Problem is, we don't know
who Cooper's working for.
That's why I need a wiretap.
If I am going to
wake up a judge,
I need something more
compelling than a theory.
Cooper's finances
aren't enough?
Not without solid evidence
of where that money came from.
Why are you still
working on this?
You're the one who told me to
come to you if I had anything new.
Well, that was before
IAB got involved.
It doesn't matter how
you get your evidence,
as long as you
get it legally.
You are on a crusade
to get Cooper.
You're damned right I am.
He's a murderer.
How many bodies do you think he
racked up to pay for that new Mercedes?
That's a good question.
Turns out you've got
five open homicides
with corresponding signatures
to your victim.
One knife wound, one
beaten and kicked to death,
three were
gunshots to the chest.
Common denominator's the
deep bruising at the throat.
And they shared the same
profession, slinging drugs.
Were the bodies
found in the 29 precinct?
Where else?
Edmunds did it for revenge,
but Cooper was getting paid.
You get any inquiries
from anybody other than us?
Chief of Detectives called,
notifying me that Homicide detectives
from Manhattan North would
be in to collect the files.
I guess the rumors of your visit to
the precinct made it to the bosses.
Well, let's see
what they have to say
about a cop killing off
drug dealers for profit.
You've got to vacate
Edmunds' deal, Alex.
He's guilty of
multiple homicide,
but his ex-partner has been
committing felony murder for pay.
Where's your evidence?
Cooper and Edmunds went to Club
Rendezvous to roust Carlos Torres.
But when they got there, they
didn't expect a street brawl outside.
When the sector cars arrived,
they couldn't kill him,
so they had to take him in.
So they get him
to the precinct,
they take him
to the bathroom,
and they pull
his pants down.
Well, if this was
about business,
why sodomize him
with a plunger?
Well, we're thinking that the
cops were trying to plant evidence.
Torres was headed
toward the Tombs.
The guards find drugs
during the strip search,
that's an added
possession charge.
That is another
10 years at least.
But the plan backfired.
Edmunds took some licks in the
scuffle with Torres, he went crazy,
and the plunger was
just a "screw you. "
But you still didn't
answer my question.
Where is your evidence?
Five dead drug dealers.
All unsolved homicides, all with
the same deep bruising pattern,
and all on Edmunds
and Cooper's turf.
Same as Carlos Torres.
Let's see if Edmunds
is up for a renegotiation.
Your present deal
is off the table.
You're digging a political grave, Counselor.
I'm willing to
make you an offer.
But if I leave here
before you give me an answer,
you're not going
to see me again.
What's this about?
You recognize them?
Killing off drug dealers wasn't
gonna fill that hole in you,
and it sure as hell wasn't
gonna get your kid brother back.
Well, I didn't expect it to.
I just thought if I found the one
who strung Bobby out, it'd be enough.
Gave a 13 year-old boy
his first hit of coke.
He thought it was funny, supplying
a cop's brother day after day.
Okay, so you killed him, you got
what you wanted. Why not stop there?
They use blood money
to hire the best lawyers
to shaft us
with our own rules.
How is that justice?
Taking out the competition for
profit isn't justice, either.
What the hell are you
talking about? What profit?
Somebody paid your partner
to kill those drug dealers.
See, you were on a mission.
Cooper had a side business.
I don't believe you.
He wouldn't do that.
He hates them
as much as I do.
Six counts.
Murder for hire.
Wait, I didn't do that.
I was cleaning up the
streets, not making money.
By committing murder.
It wasn't murder.
It was a reckoning.
And we didn't kill them all.
I just wanted to put
them out of business.
Well, then I suggest you tell
us exactly what went down.
I can't.
Your ex-partner's a dirty cop. You're not.
We need corroborating evidence
to put Cooper behind bars.
You'll take the needle
off the table?
Yes.
What do you want?
Let's start
with a live victim,
someone to
support your statement.
A drug dealer named Willie
Angel's doing 25 in Sing Sing.
Cooper shot him,
but the bastard wouldn't die,
so we had to plant
a drop gun.
We testified Angel
opened fire on us.
Jury didn't even blink.
If Willie Angel corroborates Edmunds'
statement, call me right away.
What's the urgency?
How about an innocent man in
prison on trumped-up charges?
There's nothing innocent
about a drug dealer.
He's probably got dozens
of bodies to his credit.
Leave him where he is.
I can't do that.
If his statement
pans out,
I have to file for an
immediate writ for his release.
I don't know one convict who
wouldn't say the cops framed him.
Edmunds just admitted it.
We're supposed
to uphold the law.
Your heart's bleeding
all over my shoes.
You condone his behavior?
I understand it.
It gets old watching humps walk away
from prison bids
on technicalities.
Dealers know how to
play the loopholes.
Yeah, but you wouldn't do
what they did.
You wouldn't take the law
into your own hands.
It's not like I haven't
thought about it, Counselor.
Same as every
other cop on the job.
There's a difference between
thinking about it and doing it.
What do you
cops want with me?
We want to hear your version
of how you ended up here.
Police did this to me.
Cops like you with that
same look in their eye.
Look, nobody believed me
before, so what's changed?
We need to hear the details.
Maybe I need a lawyer here.
I don't do well with you people one on one.
Look, Willie, we're not
looking to jam you up.
Speak for yourself.
I do something to you?
You ain't nothing but a drug dealer,
so to me everything you say is suspect.
I ain't in the game
no more.
Since when?
Since I lost the use of my
legs from a cop's bullet.
Since they jacked me for my freedom.
Or maybe that's not enough for you.
Willie,
can you identify the cops
who did this to you?
Yeah. They wanted me
to step from my business.
And when I refused, next thing I know
I got a bullet lodged in my spine,
and I'm on trial
for attempted murder.
So what happens now?
We have a corroborating
witness who supports your story.
And that means I'm
gonna get out of here?
Looks like it's
your lucky day.
You don't know
the half of it.
I'm gonna file a multi-million-dollar
lawsuit against the city.
And the gravy's your required
testimony on my behalf.
You're gonna let that lowlife
piece of garbage back on the street?
Yeah, in a wheelchair.
Willie Angel is scum.
He still doesn't deserve what
you and Cooper did to him.
Way I see it, one less
dealer to worry about.
Whose idea was it to shoot
Willie in the first place?
Cooper's.
But I went along with it.
And I suppose it was Cooper's
idea to kill all those dealers.
You do the dirty work,
only you don't get paid.
He paid me.
How?
A couple of years ago,
we're answering a domestic.
Husband and wife
are going at it.
I walk in, never saw the gun.
Coop jumps in between me
and the other guy,
takes the. 38
right out of his hand.
So you're paying him back
by killing people for him?
Well, Cooper did it
for a couple of
nice cars and a condo.
Testify against him.
No way.
He betrayed you.
You wouldn't testify
against your partner.
Don't throw that
blue wall crap at me.
If he did what Cooper did,
you bet your ass I would.
It's not so easy.
Partner's like blood.
You think that he feels
the same way about you?
He used you.
He used your dead brother.
He doesn't give
a damn about you.
When are you going to have
the balls to face that?
You deliberately disobeyed a direct
order to stay out of the 29. That's a rip.
Ten days of docked pay.
That's the only thing
you can do. I understand.
I don't think you do.
Right now, the D. A. is
fielding writs from every hump
ever busted by
those two cops.
Guilty or not,
they get a pass.
Edmunds and Cooper
are dirty cops.
Did you expect me
to ignore that?
And because you kept me out
of the loop, we got blindsided.
We're looking at
press scrutiny,
millions in civil suits, not to
mention criminals walking free.
I did the right thing.
Pick up Cooper.
Let's get that bastard
off the streets.
Lester Cooper.
You know, I'm starting to
think you're stalking me.
You're under arrest
for first-degree murder.
Turn around.
Wait a minute. What the
hell is going on here?
Step back, rookie.
You got nothing on me.
Just six counts of murder.
Hey, I didn't do
anything wrong.
I believe you.
Get a lawyer, anyway.
What are you offering?
Life, no parole, in exchange
for the man you were working for.
I can't do it.
I name names, I might as well
kill myself, save them the trouble.
Ex-cops don't get
housed with general pop.
That's very comforting.
Thank you.
Your cooperation is the only thing
that stands between you and the needle.
So I'll take my
chance with a jury.
We've got
corroborating witnesses
and the bodies you
dropped for profit.
The jury's going to burn you.
You better have other testimony
besides my client's ex-partner.
One of their victims corroborates
his statement, Counselor.
Edmunds gets life,
you get life, no parole.
As far as I'm concerned,
you're getting off easy.
Edmunds. Gullible fool.
Yeah, well, at least he
had his reasons, unlike you,
who just exploited
his grief to get rich.
Oh, he thought he
was on a mission.
Like we were gonna rid the
streets of drug dealers?
Only an idiot
would believe that.
What's it gonna be?
It's a real smart move,
Hector.
Get rid of the competition, avoid a war
by getting a cop to do your dirty work.
This business is cutthroat.
You got to know that going in.
This is one execution
I think I'll attend.
Look at you, all yeasted
up like some kind of hero.
Death row is just geography
for me, mommy.
You're gonna be crying like a
baby when you take that last walk.
You're gonna have
to wait 10, 15 years.
A lot can happen
between now and then.
Witnesses get amnesia.
People up and die.
You never know.
Benson.
Suicide.
He leave a note?
Guards didn't find one.
Hasn't been dead long.
An hour, maybe two.
He just couldn't take it.
His sentence?
Facing what he did.
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.
What'd she say?
Moms won't budge.
Your arraignment's tomorrow,
so if you can post bond you'll
only be in the Tombs for the night.
What do you think
they'll ask for?
Probably more than you got.
What if I can't
make bail?
Then you go to
Rikers till your trial.
Look, just let me talk to Mrs. Parks.
I'll try to make her understand.
It's not gonna help.
She's on fire.
She wants you to pay for
what you did to her daughter.
I love Sara. Look, she's
pregnant, and I want to marry her.
She was 15 when you took
her to bed. You're 21.
In case you haven't heard,
there's laws against that.
So there's nothing
I can do.
Serve your time. If you're
lucky, you'll be out in 18 months.
Gentlemen, your stay here is short,
but will feel like a
lifetime if you make trouble.
I will not listen to pleas of
innocence, police brutality, entrapment
or evidence tampering.
Save it for Legal Aid.
You'll be fingerprinted,
photographed,
cavity searched
and assigned a cell.
Chow is at 7:00,
noon and 6:00.
Lights out at 9:30.
Have a nice day.
Spread them.
What's that God-awful smell?
Jailhouse perfume,
bitch. Get used to it.
He's in my bed.
There's a free bunk
right over there.
You have a problem?
On your feet, mark.
I said move it!
Brute.
Is that blood?
Guard!
Guard, help! Guard!
Hey! Hey, you got
a problem in there, baby?
It only hurts
the first time, baby.
Where's the crime scene?
Block H.
The M.E. is with the body,
and one of your detectives is
interrogating the cell mates.
How many prisoners
did you move?
Ten. We only cleared
the flanking cells.
Okay, I need their names
and their sheets. Yes, ma'am.
It's starting
to get to me.
The dead bodies?
The animals
rattling their cages.
Where's your partner?
He's at a VICAP seminar,
making nice
with the Feds.
What's his story?
Sodomized with
a foreign object.
Bled out internally.
Probably perforated his colon.
Oh! Victim's name
is Carlos Torres.
Tomb intake record shows he's
only been here eight hours.
One visit to the infirmary.
Liver temp is 96,
so that means he's only been
dead four, maybe five hours, tops.
Just you and Torres in the cell,
and you didn't speak to him?
I said, "Hi. "
I won't repeat
what he said to me.
Did he hurt
your feelings?
He's Dominican.
They're animals.
You got a temper yourself,
Ortega.
Three domestic disturbance
calls in the last two weeks,
and the last one,
you knifed your lover.
He hit me first.
How's he look?
Ortega claims Torres wanted nothing
to do with him 'cause he was gay.
Given the jailhouse routine,
not many people had access.
There are ways around
the system if you got
a fever to rack up
Dominican bodies.
You thinking this is
Mexicans against Dominicans?
It's easier to get got on
the inside. Nowhere to run.
Mexicans transport the drugs,
Dominicans distribute.
Everybody just
wants a bigger piece.
Which is why we computerized our
tracking system to keep them apart.
But it doesn't
always work.
No system is foolproof.
Any Mexicans waiting
for court transfer?
Three, but they're all
in different cellblocks.
Any chance they had
access to our victim?
I don't see how, since inmate
movements are restricted.
Torres didn't move
from his cell at all.
He went to
the infirmary.
Right, after the processing. Then he
was assigned a cell and locked down.
Hold on.
I spoke too soon.
Hector Ramirez went to the infirmary
complaining about a bad tooth.
Was he escorted to the
nurse while Torres was there?
Their visits overlapped.
I'm sorry.
Okay,
what's Ramirez in for?
Murder. What else?
I'll have a guard
bring him to a holding cell.
What's up, bacon?
Carlos Torres.
Yeah, I heard he bought it.
Should be stiff
by now, right?
You think it's funny?
Yeah, puerca. Laugh a minute.
Well, how's this
for a punch line?
You don't cooperate with us
and I will make it my business
to have the guards
house you in cellblock B.
One cage is as
good as the next.
B- block is Dominican deep.
I don't think they'd like
what you did to their brother.
Wasn't me.
Hector, I think you forced
your way into the infirmary.
I don't think there's
anything wrong with your tooth.
These your teeth or mine?
I was hurting.
We talk to the nurse,
what's she gonna say?
You give me too
much credit, man.
I didn't know the mark was
even gonna be in the infirmary.
Opportunity knocked. Torres
is Dominican, you're Mexican.
This is an easy close.
Yeah, if you make it up.
We didn't have to. We
checked your prison records.
Seems you get off forcing your
fellow inmates to bend over.
What'd you rape
him with, Hector?
Something real
handy in the infirmary,
like a mop or a broom?
I only went up there to
get next to the nurse.
Got a long bid this time.
I won't be seeing
ladies for a while.
What makes you think that the
nurse would even talk to you?
If she had been by herself,
I would have made her
do more than just talk.
I knew he was
lying right away.
He had no abscesses,
no redness or swelling.
Was Hector Ramirez ever
left alone with the victim?
No. He spent the entire time harassing me.
What was wrong
with Torres?
I had no idea he
had a serious injury.
And when he came in for
vomiting, I checked his vitals.
He had a slight fever.
I thought he had a flu,
so I gave him some Pepto.
He said he felt better.
Who escorted him?
An intake guard,
Nathan Duarte.
And he seemed pretty steamed,
too. Not that I blame him.
What was he mad about?
Uh, Torres was calling
him some ugly names. Uh...
Homo, faggot, pillow.
You get the gist.
Guards got to be
thick-skinned.
Except for Nathan.
Another guard just outed
him not too long ago.
How long was Torres here?
Nathan took him to the shower
right after I gave him the medicine,
and I could hear Torres
screaming down the hallway.
He did not want
Nathan to touch him.
I'm already late to post,
so what gives?
I heard you had beef with Carlos
Torres. He was hard to deal with.
No more than any other hump
coming through.
I heard it got a little
personal between you two.
Not at all, Detective.
I've been called a lot worse by
some of my lesser evolved co-workers.
Still must have
bugged you.
This isn't exactly
a nurturing environment.
I learned a long time ago
not to take it personally.
You escorted Torres to the showers
straight from the infirmary?
Yeah. He puked all over
himself after he left the nurse.
Was anyone else in the
shower when you got there?
No. Why?
Anybody come in
while you were there?
I don't believe this.
I'm a suspect
because I'm gay.
No, it's because you were the last
person who had access to the victim.
And since I'm
the sodomy expert,
I did this to teach
the homophobe a lesson.
Is that your theory?
I didn't touch
the little creep.
He took a shower, he got dressed, I
took him to his assigned cell. That's it.
What time
did you sign out?
A little
after midnight,
and I went
straight home.
Can anyone vouch that
you didn't come back here?
His name is Chris Hartford.
He's a Legal Aid attorney.
Who is it?
It's the police.
Let's see that again.
Which precinct?
Manhattan SVU.
Sex crimes.
What's this about?
We're looking
for Chris Hartford.
Why are you looking for
my husband, Detective?
Is he here?
Chris? Police.
How can I help you?
Why don't we take this out
of the hallway? Come inside.
It'd probably be best if we could
speak with you privately, Mr. Hartford.
What about?
Nathan Duarte.
Chris?
I'll just be a minute.
It's client privilege.
It's all right.
What kind of
trouble is he in?
We just need to verify
his whereabouts last night.
Uh, you have to understand,
this doesn't happen all the time.
We get together when my wife's out
of town. It's not what you think.
Okay, we're not looking for an
explanation, just a time frame.
I was with him from
about 1:00 a. m. To 6:00.
Okay. You can go back to
your family. Thank you.
You almost done
with the autopsy?
Not yet. But I can
give you cause of death.
I recovered wooden splinters from his rectum.
The foreign object was
introduced with such force
that it put
a hole in his colon.
How much time would it
have taken to bleed out?
Hours.
Blood clot at the site held
for a while, until it blew.
So you're saying the attack
didn't happen at the Tombs.
Doesn't seem likely.
The nurse and the guard said
he was sick at the intake desk.
I found evidence
of peritonitis.
An infection like that will cause
nausea, vomiting and a temperature spike.
Liver temp was 96,
TOD was four hours earlier,
so he had
a 101 degree fever.
So he arrived at the Tombs
before midnight
and was dead by 4:00 a. m.,
5:00 at the latest.
He was bleeding internally
before he got transferred.
A cop must've sodomized him
inside the precinct.
Are we sure our
perp is a cop?
I mean, maybe his injuries
occurred prior to his arrest.
Well, the 61 says that Carlos
Torres was arrested at 8:00 p. m.
He didn't arrive at the
Tombs until around midnight.
He was sick
when he got there.
He went to the nurse,
the showers,
then to bed and
never woke up.
Where was he processed?
29.
Who were
the arresting officers?
Les Cooper
and Randall Grant.
I'll have their
jackets pulled.
John Royce is the commanding
officer. See him first.
I'll tell him you're on your way. Great.
Log book for the day shows
the collar was routine.
Torres was cuffed at 8:00
and transported around 11:30.
Three and a half hours
your average booking time?
It depends on the arrest.
This was pretty straightforward,
though, even though he resisted
and assaulted
one of my men.
Who was that?
Luke Edmunds.
He was put out on medical
right after the brawl.
He'll be out
the rest of the week.
Was it serious?
Took a blow
to the head.
What can you tell us
about the arresting officers?
They're pretty
straight-up cops.
Grant's a rookie, so the jury's
still out. Cooper gets the job done.
Not always
the way you like it.
Coop's a little
free with his hands.
This precinct's right in
the center of drug turf.
Sometimes you got to flex on the
players to get their attention.
Not in my precinct.
Where are Cooper
and Grant now?
Sector car Charlie.
I'd like to avoid taking them out
of rotation while I'm shorthanded.
Officer Grant,
how you doing?
Detective Benson,
Tutuola.
Can we talk to you
guys for a minute?
Sure, what can we
do for you?
What can you tell us
about Carlos Torres?
Shocking when a drug dealing
gangbanger shows up dead, huh?
You had run-ins with him before? Sure.
We arrested him three, four
times in the last month.
Guy was made of Teflon.
Must be pretty frustrating.
One time a judge threw out
the crack we pinched him with
because we found
it in his mouth.
Said it was
an illegal search.
So you tell me,
would you be frustrated?
Yeah, but not enough
to take him out.
And just so we're clear,
the arrest went by the book.
What happened that night?
There was a street brawl
outside the Club Rendezvous.
It's a trouble spot.
Four sector cars showed up
to disperse the crowd.
Torres got caught
in the mix.
But once he took a swing at
Officer Edmunds that was it.
Threw him in the back
of the blue and white,
put the bracelets on him,
headed to the house.
You guys make any stops?
Well, we didn't have time to tune him
up, if that's what you're thinking.
No, our call came in at 7:00,
booking started at 8:00.
Took that long to
control the scene.
It's a real problem,
that place.
Dominicans and Mexicans
ever mix it up in here?
Not inside.
All players are welcome here.
The club's a safe haven.
As far as I heard,
there's no such thing
between Mexicans
and Dominicans.
That's where you're wrong, Detective.
Even a gangster needs a
safe place to take his woman.
You know him?
Carlos Torres.
Yeah, he was here that night with his girl.
Inside the club?
Yeah, they was celebrating
'cause she was pregnant.
I remember, 'cause she asked
for milk, but I don't serve it.
Okay. You see him
go outside?
Not until the uniforms
came up in here and got him.
When was that?
Right before
the street fight started.
Cooper and Grant
had reason to hurt him.
They'd arrested
him four times,
and he kept skating
on the charges.
So why not
just whip his ass
instead of tapping it? 'Cause I
think that the tune-up went too far.
I think Cooper and
Grant took a nasty turn,
now they have to
cover for each other.
What does
the evidence support?
Well, Cooper and Grant didn't have
time to do the deed pre-arrest.
Edmunds came in to back them
up. After Torres slugged him,
Cooper and Grant cuffed him
and put him in the sector car.
Corroborated? By the other cops on the scene.
Central was notified
that Torres was in custody.
Ten-minute ride back to the house,
and the log book confirms it.
That's why it had to
happen inside the precinct.
And how did they pull
it off without witnesses?
We've all done
our time in uniform.
Cop gets hurt by a perp,
you get a free shot.
Duty log has Officer
Luke Edmunds reported
to the hospital 8:00 p. m.,
blow to the head.
So the question is,
did Edmunds go home
or back to the precinct
to teach Torres a lesson?
I'll sit him down.
Fin, I want you with
CSU to comb the 29.
Anything you find,
walk through the lab.
That's a pretty big precinct.
You want to narrow it down?
Well, to do that kind
of damage takes privacy.
Let's start with
the sector car,
interrogation rooms
and bathrooms.
You know,
Carlos Torres is dead.
If you're trying to pinch me
for it, don't I need my PBA rep?
Actually, I just need your account
of what happened that night.
It's in the 61,
Detective.
Is it?
Don't play games with me.
I do this for a living,
the same as you.
Then why are you giving me a hard time?
Look, I'm still in pain.
I didn't mean to snap.
I know you got a job to do,
you got to clear your case,
even though the hump
had it coming.
And Torres deserved it because
his charges always got dropped
or because
he hit you?
This kind of high-stakes game,
your number comes up eventually.
Doesn't matter if it's us
or the streets. Game over.
All right. So what
do you think happened?
Some cellmate in
the Tombs cornholed him.
Well, how do you know that's how he died?
We haven't released that information.
Cops talk.
Well, then they didn't
tell you the whole story.
You see, the evidence shows that he
was attacked here, not in the Tombs.
So how do you
explain that?
I can't. I got hurt
and went to the hospital.
But the hospital released you at
8:45. Where'd you go after that?
Home.
Home. Really?
'Cause the desk sergeant
said that you came back here
to get something
out of your locker.
Yeah, then I went home.
So,
can I go?
I think you're gonna
need that PBA rep now.
The trail of blood
leads out of the stall.
They sodomized Torres
with whatever was handy.
Over here.
Looks like we just found
our murder weapon.
Till we type it, blood
could've come from anybody.
Came here
straight from One P. P.
I'm surprised
you can still sit.
Officer Edmunds gave his
confession, wants to make a deal.
Public won't go for it. They'll
want that cop's head on a stake.
That's why the brass wants
it kept quick and quiet.
But what about
his accomplices?
Torres and Edmunds weren't alone
in that bathroom. He had help.
That's not the way he
tells it, Detective.
He understands he cooperates,
he gets leniency.
He doesn't deserve it.
We make deals with
perps all the time.
Cops should be held
to a higher standard.
The Chief called the play. The
D. A.'s been notified. It's done.
Murder two, Counselor.
We've got your client cold
for depraved indifference.
That's 25-to-life. And cops
don't do too well in prison.
Depraved indifference for a
dead gangbanger? It's laughable.
The victim isn't laughing.
In fact, he's dead.
Oh, don't be naive.
His miserable life would
be fodder for the jury.
But no one wants that, right?
So let's be reasonable.
Man two, eight-to-10.
Murder two, 12-to-25.
One-time offer.
I don't call that reasonable.
Your client sodomized someone so
violently that he bled to death.
There is no way I'm going to offer
anything less than double digits.
Okay.
Man two, 10-to-20.
Fine.
I don't like it.
Do I look like
I'm having fun?
Your boss and my boss just
want to make this go away.
'Cause they want it
business as usual.
But there is no way
that Edmunds acted alone.
No proof he didn't.
Our victim was a gangster
and a homophobe.
What Edmunds did to him is
tantamount to his worst nightmare.
He would've kicked like
a mule to make it stop.
You're thinking
Torres was held down.
He had to be.
And whoever helped Edmunds
do it is gonna walk.
Not if you find me evidence.
Then the deal is void.
Let me know.
I got my orders. Officially,
the case is closed.
Unofficially?
Work fast
and stay under the radar.
Good timing.
I just finished.
Please tell me you have evidence
supporting more than one perp.
There had to be at least two.
Victim's got deep tissue bruising on
both his hands and knees consistent
with the mosaic tile
in the precinct bathroom.
So he was on all fours.
Figures he had to be
so Edmunds could have access.
He's also got
a long cylindrical bruise
across the back
of his shoulders,
indicating he was
held down by force.
Nightstick to
the neck?
That would get the job done.
But Edmunds still
could've worked alone.
Torres was cuffed.
Hey, he wasn't shackled.
So why didn't he fight back?
The bruise is deep. So someone
else had to apply pressure
by using all their weight.
We dump his phones. We'll
find out who he's covering for.
Look at this.
Here's another one.
That makes 55 calls between Edmunds
and Cooper in the last three days.
They're trying to get
their stories straight.
Phone calls don't put Cooper
in that bathroom with Edmunds.
Forensics is not
gonna help us, either.
Any trace evidence
found on Torres
can be explained by physical
contact during the arrest.
Well, if Cooper and Edmunds were
together, other cops had to see them.
And if One P. P. finds out we're
still digging, they'll shut us down.
So stay out of the 29.
Focus on Edmunds.
Dig in his life.
You'll find a connecting thread to Cooper.
Lots of calls went to a residence,
uh, registered to Stephanie Grayson.
Girlfriend?
As much as he's paying in cell
phone bills, she better be.
Well, let's find out
how close they are.
There's no marital privilege,
so the pillow talk is admissible.
I know Luke's been arrested,
but no one will tell me what for.
How long have you known
Officer Edmunds?
I met him at the hospital when
his brother OD'd. I'm a nurse.
He took it really hard.
Parents were dead, he practically
raised the kid himself.
How often
did you see him?
Whenever he wasn't working
or on his breaks.
Did you meet any
of his buddies?
A few. Why?
Well, he might be taking
the heat for some of them.
Is that possible?
You know, maybe we should
take this down to the precinct
and get a more formal statement from you.
This is about that
drug dealer, isn't it?
Edmund's came up
against quite a few,
so you're going to have to be more
specific with me if you want to help him.
All I know is his name was
Vasquez. Luke was hot for the guy.
Said he was
moving too much weight
and was slipping
through the system.
And he hated drug dealers.
With a passion.
He said Vasquez was too slick to get pinched,
so he tailed him to
catch him in the act.
So what happened?
Luke busted him with a gram, and
then Vasquez pulled out a knife.
The only thing Luke could do
was shoot him.
He was really messed up
about it for a while.
Till I gave him
a different perspective.
What was
your take on it?
He's a bad guy, a drug
dealer, for God's sake.
Luke was saving someone else's kid brother.
Okay, got it. Thanks.
Turns out the girlfriend wasn't making it up.
A drug dealer named Javier
Vasquez expired two months ago.
Only he wasn't shot,
his throat was slashed.
It hardly plays
like self-defense.
Where was
the body found?
Dead in the center
of the 29 territory.
Homicide detective mentioned a
cylindrical bruise across his throat
but not across his back.
Sounds like
a chokehold to me.
Yeah, but two dead drug dealers
still doesn't put anyone else
in that bathroom with Edmunds.
I know, but pattern will.
Look, let's see
if we can connect
any other dealers to
Edmunds and Cooper.
A jury'll buy
they work together.
Okay, I'll check with Warner
and have her pull
any matching morgue files.
Okay, you know what? I'll
meet you back at the squad.
What can I do for
you today, Detective?
I'd like to have another look
at that duty roster.
What for? Investigation's
closed. Edmunds is in custody.
Actually,
I'm working on another case.
What's that?
I'm not at liberty
to discuss it.
I'd just like to see the
log book from two months ago.
Get authorization, come
back. I'll be here all day.
Get it straight, Sergeant.
I don't work for you.
I got a lead on
an open homicide,
and I'd like to
check my facts
before I pass it along.
What are you looking for?
When a drug dealer named Vasquez
was killed two months ago,
which sector car responded?
Two months ago?
Yeah, the 27th.
Edmunds and Cooper
were partnered that day.
How often did
they ride together?
All the time, until Cooper made
field training officer last month.
Thank you.
Officer Cooper!
Sweet ride.
What do you want, Detective?
Is that a 'vette
in your garage?
You must be working
a hell of a lot of overtime.
Give it a rest, huh?
IAB wants to dig, fine.
I wanted to talk to you
about Luke Edmunds.
There's nothing to say.
He's guilty.
I heard he pled out.
I just want to
make sure it sticks.
Is there any reason
why it shouldn't?
A 20-year prison sentence is
a pretty tough sell to a cop.
He could change his mind,
make trouble.
So I dug in his background.
I talked to his girlfriend.
Yeah? She told a very interesting story
about a drug dealer
named Vasquez.
What about him?
Claims that Edmunds shot him
in self-defense.
You were partnered with him then, right? So?
His throat was slashed.
How do you explain that?
Some street punk
wanted revenge.
We get to the scene, and Vasquez
is carved up like a turkey.
So this is just your ex-partner
playing like a hero to get laid?
I met the woman.
She's a badge bunny.
Stories like this get her juiced
up, you know what I'm saying?
I find out that you're a murdering
bastard, I'm gonna nail your ass.
You know what I'm saying?
You went to the 29.
I can see the rumor
mill's working overtime.
Who says cops
don't communicate?
What the hell are
you trying to prove?
Look, I was trying
to cover your ass.
I didn't want you to get a rip
from the bosses for insubordination.
You'll be lucky if they
settle for just a rip.
I would've backed
your play.
That's why I went alone.
Well, there's a detective from Fraud
waiting. You want to bring me up to speed?
Well, I requested a look
at our cops' financials,
because from what I've seen, Cooper
is living way above his means.
You think Edmunds
has something to do with it.
Well, if he is, protecting a bankroll
is a hell of a good reason to confess
and stop any more digging.
Edmunds is clean. Lives frugally,
little savings, no assets.
You sure?
Positive.
Now, your guy
Cooper's a different story.
Reasonable mortgage, well
within his paycheck limit.
Wife's a homemaker, kid's in
public school, nothing to red flag.
But you're not buying it?
Nope.
All of his assets
are in his wife's name,
car, condo in Boca, some
other scattered real estate.
How'd this slip past IAB?
Checked his tax return.
Trick is,
claim Atlantic City winnings,
he pays the taxes on it,
no one's the wiser.
Well, can we prove that the
money's not from gambling?
We can check
with the casinos.
Anything over $2,500
is reportable to the IRS.
How long will that take?
More time than we've got.
Edmunds' allocution is
scheduled for day after tomorrow.
Cooper's on the take, Edmunds
isn't. So why's he holding out?
Maybe Edmunds didn't know what
his ex-partner's been up to.
It's a statistical improbability
that Mrs. Cooper won so much so often.
You know where the money's
actually coming from?
My guess, payment for some dead bodies.
What could not wait
until tomorrow morning?
I need a wiretap.
On who?
Luke Edmunds' former partner,
Les Cooper.
Is he involved in this?
We think that he got paid to kill
Carlos Torres and another drug dealer.
He's got way too
much cash for a cop.
What about Edmunds?
Drug dealers
killed his brother.
See, Edmunds is doing it for revenge,
Cooper's doing it for business.
Problem is, we don't know
who Cooper's working for.
That's why I need a wiretap.
If I am going to
wake up a judge,
I need something more
compelling than a theory.
Cooper's finances
aren't enough?
Not without solid evidence
of where that money came from.
Why are you still
working on this?
You're the one who told me to
come to you if I had anything new.
Well, that was before
IAB got involved.
It doesn't matter how
you get your evidence,
as long as you
get it legally.
You are on a crusade
to get Cooper.
You're damned right I am.
He's a murderer.
How many bodies do you think he
racked up to pay for that new Mercedes?
That's a good question.
Turns out you've got
five open homicides
with corresponding signatures
to your victim.
One knife wound, one
beaten and kicked to death,
three were
gunshots to the chest.
Common denominator's the
deep bruising at the throat.
And they shared the same
profession, slinging drugs.
Were the bodies
found in the 29 precinct?
Where else?
Edmunds did it for revenge,
but Cooper was getting paid.
You get any inquiries
from anybody other than us?
Chief of Detectives called,
notifying me that Homicide detectives
from Manhattan North would
be in to collect the files.
I guess the rumors of your visit to
the precinct made it to the bosses.
Well, let's see
what they have to say
about a cop killing off
drug dealers for profit.
You've got to vacate
Edmunds' deal, Alex.
He's guilty of
multiple homicide,
but his ex-partner has been
committing felony murder for pay.
Where's your evidence?
Cooper and Edmunds went to Club
Rendezvous to roust Carlos Torres.
But when they got there, they
didn't expect a street brawl outside.
When the sector cars arrived,
they couldn't kill him,
so they had to take him in.
So they get him
to the precinct,
they take him
to the bathroom,
and they pull
his pants down.
Well, if this was
about business,
why sodomize him
with a plunger?
Well, we're thinking that the
cops were trying to plant evidence.
Torres was headed
toward the Tombs.
The guards find drugs
during the strip search,
that's an added
possession charge.
That is another
10 years at least.
But the plan backfired.
Edmunds took some licks in the
scuffle with Torres, he went crazy,
and the plunger was
just a "screw you. "
But you still didn't
answer my question.
Where is your evidence?
Five dead drug dealers.
All unsolved homicides, all with
the same deep bruising pattern,
and all on Edmunds
and Cooper's turf.
Same as Carlos Torres.
Let's see if Edmunds
is up for a renegotiation.
Your present deal
is off the table.
You're digging a political grave, Counselor.
I'm willing to
make you an offer.
But if I leave here
before you give me an answer,
you're not going
to see me again.
What's this about?
You recognize them?
Killing off drug dealers wasn't
gonna fill that hole in you,
and it sure as hell wasn't
gonna get your kid brother back.
Well, I didn't expect it to.
I just thought if I found the one
who strung Bobby out, it'd be enough.
Gave a 13 year-old boy
his first hit of coke.
He thought it was funny, supplying
a cop's brother day after day.
Okay, so you killed him, you got
what you wanted. Why not stop there?
They use blood money
to hire the best lawyers
to shaft us
with our own rules.
How is that justice?
Taking out the competition for
profit isn't justice, either.
What the hell are you
talking about? What profit?
Somebody paid your partner
to kill those drug dealers.
See, you were on a mission.
Cooper had a side business.
I don't believe you.
He wouldn't do that.
He hates them
as much as I do.
Six counts.
Murder for hire.
Wait, I didn't do that.
I was cleaning up the
streets, not making money.
By committing murder.
It wasn't murder.
It was a reckoning.
And we didn't kill them all.
I just wanted to put
them out of business.
Well, then I suggest you tell
us exactly what went down.
I can't.
Your ex-partner's a dirty cop. You're not.
We need corroborating evidence
to put Cooper behind bars.
You'll take the needle
off the table?
Yes.
What do you want?
Let's start
with a live victim,
someone to
support your statement.
A drug dealer named Willie
Angel's doing 25 in Sing Sing.
Cooper shot him,
but the bastard wouldn't die,
so we had to plant
a drop gun.
We testified Angel
opened fire on us.
Jury didn't even blink.
If Willie Angel corroborates Edmunds'
statement, call me right away.
What's the urgency?
How about an innocent man in
prison on trumped-up charges?
There's nothing innocent
about a drug dealer.
He's probably got dozens
of bodies to his credit.
Leave him where he is.
I can't do that.
If his statement
pans out,
I have to file for an
immediate writ for his release.
I don't know one convict who
wouldn't say the cops framed him.
Edmunds just admitted it.
We're supposed
to uphold the law.
Your heart's bleeding
all over my shoes.
You condone his behavior?
I understand it.
It gets old watching humps walk away
from prison bids
on technicalities.
Dealers know how to
play the loopholes.
Yeah, but you wouldn't do
what they did.
You wouldn't take the law
into your own hands.
It's not like I haven't
thought about it, Counselor.
Same as every
other cop on the job.
There's a difference between
thinking about it and doing it.
What do you
cops want with me?
We want to hear your version
of how you ended up here.
Police did this to me.
Cops like you with that
same look in their eye.
Look, nobody believed me
before, so what's changed?
We need to hear the details.
Maybe I need a lawyer here.
I don't do well with you people one on one.
Look, Willie, we're not
looking to jam you up.
Speak for yourself.
I do something to you?
You ain't nothing but a drug dealer,
so to me everything you say is suspect.
I ain't in the game
no more.
Since when?
Since I lost the use of my
legs from a cop's bullet.
Since they jacked me for my freedom.
Or maybe that's not enough for you.
Willie,
can you identify the cops
who did this to you?
Yeah. They wanted me
to step from my business.
And when I refused, next thing I know
I got a bullet lodged in my spine,
and I'm on trial
for attempted murder.
So what happens now?
We have a corroborating
witness who supports your story.
And that means I'm
gonna get out of here?
Looks like it's
your lucky day.
You don't know
the half of it.
I'm gonna file a multi-million-dollar
lawsuit against the city.
And the gravy's your required
testimony on my behalf.
You're gonna let that lowlife
piece of garbage back on the street?
Yeah, in a wheelchair.
Willie Angel is scum.
He still doesn't deserve what
you and Cooper did to him.
Way I see it, one less
dealer to worry about.
Whose idea was it to shoot
Willie in the first place?
Cooper's.
But I went along with it.
And I suppose it was Cooper's
idea to kill all those dealers.
You do the dirty work,
only you don't get paid.
He paid me.
How?
A couple of years ago,
we're answering a domestic.
Husband and wife
are going at it.
I walk in, never saw the gun.
Coop jumps in between me
and the other guy,
takes the. 38
right out of his hand.
So you're paying him back
by killing people for him?
Well, Cooper did it
for a couple of
nice cars and a condo.
Testify against him.
No way.
He betrayed you.
You wouldn't testify
against your partner.
Don't throw that
blue wall crap at me.
If he did what Cooper did,
you bet your ass I would.
It's not so easy.
Partner's like blood.
You think that he feels
the same way about you?
He used you.
He used your dead brother.
He doesn't give
a damn about you.
When are you going to have
the balls to face that?
You deliberately disobeyed a direct
order to stay out of the 29. That's a rip.
Ten days of docked pay.
That's the only thing
you can do. I understand.
I don't think you do.
Right now, the D. A. is
fielding writs from every hump
ever busted by
those two cops.
Guilty or not,
they get a pass.
Edmunds and Cooper
are dirty cops.
Did you expect me
to ignore that?
And because you kept me out
of the loop, we got blindsided.
We're looking at
press scrutiny,
millions in civil suits, not to
mention criminals walking free.
I did the right thing.
Pick up Cooper.
Let's get that bastard
off the streets.
Lester Cooper.
You know, I'm starting to
think you're stalking me.
You're under arrest
for first-degree murder.
Turn around.
Wait a minute. What the
hell is going on here?
Step back, rookie.
You got nothing on me.
Just six counts of murder.
Hey, I didn't do
anything wrong.
I believe you.
Get a lawyer, anyway.
What are you offering?
Life, no parole, in exchange
for the man you were working for.
I can't do it.
I name names, I might as well
kill myself, save them the trouble.
Ex-cops don't get
housed with general pop.
That's very comforting.
Thank you.
Your cooperation is the only thing
that stands between you and the needle.
So I'll take my
chance with a jury.
We've got
corroborating witnesses
and the bodies you
dropped for profit.
The jury's going to burn you.
You better have other testimony
besides my client's ex-partner.
One of their victims corroborates
his statement, Counselor.
Edmunds gets life,
you get life, no parole.
As far as I'm concerned,
you're getting off easy.
Edmunds. Gullible fool.
Yeah, well, at least he
had his reasons, unlike you,
who just exploited
his grief to get rich.
Oh, he thought he
was on a mission.
Like we were gonna rid the
streets of drug dealers?
Only an idiot
would believe that.
What's it gonna be?
It's a real smart move,
Hector.
Get rid of the competition, avoid a war
by getting a cop to do your dirty work.
This business is cutthroat.
You got to know that going in.
This is one execution
I think I'll attend.
Look at you, all yeasted
up like some kind of hero.
Death row is just geography
for me, mommy.
You're gonna be crying like a
baby when you take that last walk.
You're gonna have
to wait 10, 15 years.
A lot can happen
between now and then.
Witnesses get amnesia.
People up and die.
You never know.
Benson.
Suicide.
He leave a note?
Guards didn't find one.
Hasn't been dead long.
An hour, maybe two.
He just couldn't take it.
His sentence?
Facing what he did.