Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 7, Episode 17 - Class - full transcript
A Hudson University co-ed dependent on financial aid is found murdered with an unexplained influx of cash. Her wealthy roommate is found with one of her rings, making her a suspect as the two were not friends. Benson, Fin, and Stabler have several theories about her murderer and their motive and investigate the various suspects; the roommate, her childhood friend, and someone connected to a heavily trafficked website where the victim was selling term papers for cash.
(male announcer)
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.
Slow down, sugar.
I got somethin' for you.
Hey, handsome.
How you doin' tonight?
I'm fine.
[giggles]
What's your name, honey?
Lawrence.
I'm Vegas.
I've never
done this before.
Don't worry, baby.
Whatever happens in Vegas...
stays in Vegas.
[mechanical noise]
What the hell was that?
It better not be some bitch
workin' my stroll!
What the hell
are you doin'?
[clank]
Yeah, you better run!
I say who gets their pole
smoked on my block!
[tires screech]
(Bamford)
Rape-homicide.
Skimpy clothes all torn up.
Dumped under a grate
on a lovers lane.
Probably a pross.
Who called it in?
Vegas here.
Friendly
neighborhood hooker.
She didn't see the guy's face
or the plates on his SUV.
Vegas ever see
the girl?
Nah, but she said there's
a lot of fresh meat
working this track.
Didn't find Jane Doe's wallet
or a purse.
Any DNA?
No visible fluids,
but she's got something
under her fingernails.
(Benson)
Fingertips are pretty torn up.
Is that blood?
Red paint.
But I don't see anything
around here that color.
Must be from
where she was killed.
Got handprint bruising
on both sides of her neck.
Any idea when
she was strangled?
Given the lividity,
I'd say midnight, maybe 12:30.
He wasn't dumping this girl.
He was trying to bury her.
Maybe somebody she knew?
Repeat customer?
(Siper)
Detectives!
Found her purse down there.
We got lipstick,
perfume,
breath mints,
condoms.
Working girl's
overnight bag?
No driver's license.
But we got a college I.D.
Hudson University.
Her name's Caroline Pereira.
Cell phone
in the purse too.
Any recent calls?
Last one's from 11:15
this evening.
Number's blocked.
I'll run the LUDS.
But someone also used
this phone's camera.
Is that human?
Looks like a person to me.
Shot at 12:07 a.m.
Warner said the time of death
was around midnight.
Maybe Caroline got
a picture of her killer.
(Stabler)
Can you enhance it?
This is the best
we're gonna get.
Cell phones take pictures
at a very low pixel grade.
What's that burst
of light in the corner?
Could be strobing
or a reflection.
No way to tell.
Notified the parents.
They're driving down
from LaGrange to make the I.D.
Man, what a cliché.
Poor kid from a small town
finds a way to make
quick money in the big city.
Wouldn't be the first time
a college girl
flat-backed her way
to a diploma.
Hmm.
(Bursar)
Caroline was on work/study.
She washed dishes
at the cafeteria,
but she quit at the beginning
of this semester.
Don't they have
to keep working
to keep their
financial aid?
A university job's
not required
if the student's bills
get paid.
Who paid them?
Caroline did. In cash.
Where did she get
that kind of money?
Oh, that's
none of our business.
A 20-year-old student
walks in here
with 15 grand in cash,
and you don't bat an eye?
We only ask about the payments
when they don't come in.
You ask about your students when
they don't show up for class?
That's not my department.
Is there anyone else
on this campus
who might know her
a little better than you?
Uh, she has a roommate.
Gloria Culhane.
Caroline and I
never hung out.
Who'd she
hang out with?
I don't really know.
We run in different circles.
I bet.
Nice ring.
Thanks.
I spent last semester
in France.
Forgot to fill out
the housing form.
This is what they
assigned me with.
This Caroline's side
of the room?
Yes.
You're her roommate.
You must know
something about her.
All I really know is
she went out a lot.
I wish I could
tell you where.
She stay out late?
A lot of times she'd come
to class looking like hell.
Whatever she was doing,
she was raking in the dough.
Wow!
Gotta be a thou there.
You know anything
about that?
Well, I doubt it came
from her parents.
They don't have a lot of money.
College girl's got a closet
full of cash,
she's either selling drugs
or herself.
(Fin)
Caroline have a boyfriend?
No.
Who's this?
Oh, that's Adam.
He's not her boyfriend,
though.
They just went
to high school together.
You know where
we can find him?
Probably in class.
He goes here too.
I can't believe it.
Carol and I have been friends
since we were kids.
She has a nice chunk
of change in a shoe box.
Any idea where it
came from?
She said she had
a new job.
Doing what?
She didn't tell me.
Why?
We found her body in
a known prostitute area.
No way.
Carol would never do that.
How does a 20-year-old
bring down that much cash?
I told you.
I don't know.
Well, maybe you can get
some ideas down at the office.
A-a-all right.
She was selling term papers.
I didn't know cheating
could be so dangerous.
School's really
bent out of shape.
They investigating?
Yeah.
Whole thing's being
headed up
by this English professor,
Dr. Farouq.
Plagiarism is an epidemic here.
And the Internet has only
made it easier
for students to buy
and sell academic work.
(Fin)
You catch anyone?
Take a look at this.
I designed a program
that scans students' work
and searches for patterns
of repetition
and unoriginal material.
They e-mail me
their term papers,
and I feed everything
into the program.
Now look here.
Three papers
are being compared.
The fourth window you see
pulls out and itemizes
the content overlap.
The blue highlights show
possible similarities.
The green sections
are very suspect.
And the red passages
are direct matches.
You can prove who's
plagiarizing.
Yes.
But here's the problem.
These three students cheated,
but none of them wrote
the paper of origin.
How do you know two of them
didn't cheat off the third?
None of these three
are capable
of writing
of this caliber.
But...I'll find
the original paper.
And then we'll expel
all the guilty parties.
Caroline Pereira.
Did her name come up
in your investigation?
No.
Caroline took my class
last semester.
Excellent student.
And her work was
wholly original.
She wouldn't have
any reason to cheat.
The kids who handed in
these plagiarized papers,
we're gonna need their names.
The pepperoncini
gives it
this insane bite, dude.
It's key to the power
of the sandwich.
Mark Duffy.
I need to talk to you.
Priya?
Finish this sub for me.
What can I get for you?
Busy today, huh?
[chuckles]
I'm always busy.
Too busy to keep up
with your schoolwork?
What's this about?
Buying term papers.
Man, I bought, like one.
From her?
Yeah.
Dude in my English class
hooked me up with Caroline.
Whoa, is this like, uh,
some big crime now or something?
Am I in trouble?
Not if you cooperate.
How did you arrange
the hand-off?
There was no hand-off.
How'd you get
the paper, then?
You'd e-mail her
the assignment.
Then you'd tell her what kind
of English paper you needed.
And she'd send you back
a couple of samples.
So you'd order, like,
one from Column A,
one from Column B.
Something like that.
You'd only pay
for the one you liked.
How much she charge?
200 bucks a paper.
That's pretty steep.
I'm pre-med.
I don't have time to read
The Faerie Queene
and write about
the imagery of virtue
for some ridiculous
English requirement.
So you buy the paper
off Caroline?
Everybody wins.
Caroline lost.
She was murdered last night.
I gotta go.
Wait a minute.
Why'd you just
get so spooked?
Because of Brian.
Brian who?
Townsend.
He's in Farouq's
English class too.
He bought a bunch
of papers off Caroline.
When he heard about
the investigation,
he got really nervous.
What does that mean?
"Got nervous"?
He said he was going
to take care of the problem.
Okay, so I bought
a few term papers.
That's an honor code violation,
not a crime.
Murder is.
Caroline was killed
last night.
And we heard you had a problem
you were gonna take care of.
Well, I--I didn't
kill her.
I was gonna...bribe her.
I offered her a grand
to keep quiet.
She take the money?
No, she laughed in my face.
Waved that big freakin'
diamond ring around,
said it'd take more than
a grand to keep her quiet.
That's gotta be the ring
Gloria was wearing.
Gloria?
Caroline's roommate?
You think I'm bad?
Gloria bought more papers
off Caroline than anyone.
She was really freaking out.
(male lecturer)
Today, it's not uncommon
to hear Edmund Husserl
maligned as a naive
positivist.
However, this
is to neglect the impact
his phenomenology had on
the canon of French thought...
Stand up.
Excuse me?
Let's go.
We need to talk.
I'm not going anywhere.
Sweetheart, do you
want us to arrest you
and lead you out of here
in cuffs?
I didn't think so.
Sorry for interrupting.
Stay in school.
This is crazy.
I would never kill anyone,
thank you very much.
How'd you get
Caroline's ring?
It was just sitting
on her dresser.
Where were you
last night?
A cappella rehearsal.
Go check.
We will, sweetheart.
Don't worry about that.
Okay, it's no secret.
I didn't like Caroline.
But I had no reason
to kill her.
She was writing
all your papers.
The school
was investigating.
Your ass was about
to be expelled.
Hudson won't expel anyone.
Higher grades
keep parents happy,
and happy parents
are big donors.
(Fin)
Like yours.
Your family has a building
named after 'em.
And a couple of wings.
A hospital and a museum.
You wouldn't wanna screw up
a bright future
by getting kicked
out of school, would you?
Caroline's got your number.
She talks, you're done.
Do you honestly think
I could kill Caroline?
Well, I'll tell you what.
Why don't we ask your parents
and see what they think?
Got a better idea.
We call the Ledger.
"Culhane Heiress in
a Murder Investigation."
Sell a lot of papers.
Look, wait.
Don't call anyone.
I'll check her alibi.
What?
Caroline bragged about
ripping off some rich,
famous guy for the ring.
She said he was
really pissed off.
Maybe he killed her.
Okay, so who's this guy
that she stole the ring from?
All she said was he'd
wake up the next morning
and miss it real bad.
I told you my alibi
would check out.
Singin' the Indigo Girls
in five-part harmony.
That's painful.
I got a feeling we're gonna
need to speak to you again.
So don't hop on any
flights to France.
Mmm, cop, comedian.
Is there anything you don't do?
No. Elevator's
straight ahead.
Had a hunch
about that ring.
So I talked
to one of my boys
who bounces
at a couple of clubs.
It's a Double D.
I thought rings came
in a different sizing system.
Double D as in
Diamond Dov.
Who's Diamond Dov?
An Israeli dude.
He's a jeweler to the stars.
Real popular with actors,
musicians, and pro athletes.
If Caroline
was turning tricks,
maybe she slipped the ring
off some drunken John's finger.
Yeah, some rich
and famous John
who'd miss it real bad
in the morning.
He tries to set up
a meet to get the ring back.
When she shows up empty-handed,
he loses control.
How much is
that thing worth?
100 grand, give or take.
Blackmail's a strong motive.
If it's a custom job,
Diamond Dov can tell us
who he made it for.
(Fin)
You must have some
big spenders come in here
for pieces this nice.
(Diamond Dov)
You bet your ass I do.
I use only the finest jewels.
I make art.
And celebrities
around the world
are my collectors.
My work ends up
in movies,
on TV,
in the videos
for all the rapping
and the dance music.
Thanks to all
my happy customers.
Okay, which one of your
happy customers bought this?
What, you take me
for a friar?
I'm sorry, detectives,
but I don't give out
personal information
on my customers.
That's why they love me.
I know who else'll love you.
The IRS, once we get
a warrant for your files.
Okay, okay.
Let's relax.
Hmm.
I made this ring
for a football player.
Franklin.
Roddy Franklin.
There.
Are we cool?
(Fin)
Cool.
Roddy Franklin,
wide receiver for New Jersey.
1,000 yards,
nine T.D.s last season.
Let's go get his autograph.
Look, I love the police,
but, uh,
my business manager
handles all my donations.
That's not
why we're here.
Hey, guys...guys!
All right, look.
Why don't you go in the kitchen
with your mother, all right?
[sighs]
She acts all surprised when
she feeds them full of sugar
and they run around
like they're insane.
Now, what can
I do for you?
That belong to you?
Yeah.
Hey, where did you--
How did you find this?
First, let's start
with where you lost it.
Man, I don't even know, dawg.
I travel a lot.
Okay, dawg...
Travel anywhere
two nights ago?
Yeah, my wife and I
took the kids
over to
their grandmother's.
Mind if I confirm that
with your wife?
Not at all.
What's this about?
Know this girl?
No, never seen her before.
Two nights ago
we took the boys
over to my mother's.
You sure about that?
Yes, I am.
Why?
We recovered
your husband's ring
when we were investigating
a homicide.
[chuckles]
That thing.
He told me it was stolen.
I said,
"Of course it was."
Stupid to buy a ring that
cost more than our first home.
Your ring was found
in her dorm room.
Oh, then she must have
been the one who found it.
Look, thank you
for bringing it back to me.
Uh, why don't you
give me her name,
and I'll, uh,
I'll send her a reward.
Make it out to Caroline Pereira
in care of The Afterlife.
What? She's dead?
Yeah, we found her body
two nights ago.
Oh, man, I'm--
I'm sorry you had
to find it like this.
I'm sorry.
It's evidence in a homicide.
You'll have to wait
until we find the killer.
Guy loses a rock
worth 100 grand.
Doesn't report it.
You buying that?
His wife
backed his alibi,
but I got a feeling
she's used to covering for him.
Wonder if Franklin's
Caroline's sugar daddy.
Caroline falls in love,
threatens to go to the wife.
That's one big,
fancy mansion
Caroline could have
brought tumbling down.
(Cragen)
So what do we know
about Franklin?
What kind of reputation
does he have?
He keeps a low profile
after that thing
with the stripper
a few years back.
What thing
with the stripper?
His wife caught him.
Had to buy her
a diamond necklace
that cost more than
an aircraft carrier.
Maybe this affair was gonna cost
him more than he could afford.
(Fin)
Caroline's gotta disappear.
I think they made a habit
of disappearing together.
This is Caroline's
credit card statement.
It's mostly stores
and restaurants
around the university.
But there are two charges
from a pharmacy
in Atlantic City.
The same weekend
Roddy Franklin filled up
at a gas station
in Little Bay,
which is right
outside A.C.
That's good place
to take his mistress.
Famous guy doesn't turn
as many heads down there.
People are discreet.
Well, if you have time
for blackjack,
stick with
the $5.00 tables.
(male hotel manager)
Yes, of course.
Mr. Franklin's a frequent
guest of the casino.
When was the last time
he was here?
Celebrity poker tournament.
When was that?
Uh, the weekend of the...
Seventh.
Two months ago.
Same weekend as Caroline.
You ever see him
with this girl?
Sure. He finally
catch up with her?
Maybe. She's dead.
Any idea why?
There's something
you should see.
This is one of our
private games.
Upstairs room.
High rollers only.
(Fin)
There's Caroline and Franklin.
Mr. Franklin came here
to play after the charity match.
How'd Caroline
get in the game?
She comes down
every other weekend.
We comp her room and meals.
There it is.
After Caroline raises,
Franklin bets his ring
to go all in.
And not hard
to understand why.
He had a straight to the Jack.
Great hand.
But he got counterfeited.
Caroline had
a King high straight.
And that was it.
She wins.
(Fin)
Look, she puts on the ring.
(Stabler)
And then really
taunts him with it.
(Fin)
Franklin doesn't
look too happy.
You're right about that.
(Franklin)
I run up.
This cat takes a one-step.
Fires it.
The rock hits me
in the back of the helmet
like he's a new dodge ball
world champion.
Hey, Roddy.
What can I do for you?
Come with us.
We'll explain in the car.
It's all good, fellas.
It's the cops that found
my Double D.
That's not the only thing
we found.
Your ass is gonna be
Astroturf
you don't
start talking.
About what?
Caroline Pereira.
We have you two on tape
playing poker in Atlantic City.
[sighs]
Now, why'd you
lie to us?
'Cause I wasn't supposed
to be there, all right?
Look, the leagues have
got me on probation
for gambling.
The only reason why they let me
play in celebrity tournaments
is because the money
goes to charity.
So what, Caroline
your favorite charity now?
That's where you
donate your ring?
I didn't donate it.
She fleeced me
at the table.
Look...the commissioner
finds out about this,
I'm facing fines and multiple
game suspensions.
Well, right now, you're
facing murder charges, buddy.
What?
No, yo, yo, look.
Y'all got
the wrong one on this.
So why should
we believe you?
[sighs]
'Cause I know who did it.
Okay, Roddy,
who killed the girl?
Guy who runs
an underground poker game.
She win one of his
fancy rings too?
No, no, no, man.
Look...
It was like this,
all right?
I tried to buy my ring back,
but she wouldn't let me.
Said I had
to win it back.
You had to keep
playing?
What else could I do?
Look, so I invited her
to a private game in the city.
But this girl
was a ringer.
She kept beating you.
Me and everybody else
at the club.
She became a regular,
so I figured sooner or later
I'd get back
what was mine.
But instead,
she got hers.
A couple nights back,
Caroline hit a streak
of bad luck.
Fell into the house
north of 150 grand.
Dude that runs the game
threatened her.
Said she had 24 hours
to pay back the money, or else.
This dude got a name?
Yeah.
Riley. He's got
ice water in his veins.
Like he'd kill you
and then send out for pizza.
Where's the game?
In the Garment District.
38th Street.
Three blocks from where
we found Caroline's body.
Police!
Stay where you are.
(Riley)
What the hell's
going on here?
You Riley?
I am.
And for the hard of hearing,
I repeat:
What the hell
is going on here?
You're under arrest.
For what?
For running
an illegal poker game.
Hey, where you going,
sweetheart?
Your shift ain't over.
You're making
a big mistake.
This is a friendly
social gathering.
Friends don't steal
friends' life savings.
Fin, come here.
Put him in the car.
All right. Let's go.
[siren]
What you got?
Check on the wall.
(Fin)
The red paint
under Caroline's nails.
Riley killed her here.
I don't know anything
about a dead chick.
I sure don't know what
the hell I'm doing here.
Get my lawyer.
You're gonna need him, pal.
We got a paint match
from that wall,
and you got
a $150,000 motive.
That's pretty much a lock.
Why don't you shove
your lock up your ass?
What'd you say to me?
Fin! Elliot.
My office.
[door shuts]
This is Tom Cole.
Secret Service.
He's got some
fascinating news.
Riley's with us.
An informant?
Agent.
Name's Doug Kirsten.
He's a long-term undercover
working up a case.
What's the target?
Underground
gambling clubs
and their links
to organized crime,
domestic and foreign.
All the gin joints
in this city,
we had to walk into yours.
Agent Kirsten
is not your killer.
He'll brief you,
but I've got to preserve
the integrity of our
investigation.
Get him out of the cage,
without blowing his cover.
You'll be lucky if my client
doesn't press charges.
My lawyer'll be seein'
the police commissioner
tomorrow.
Why don't you go solve
a real crime
instead of bothering
an honest businessman?
Take it easy there,
tough guy.
Don't even talk to me,
ass wipe.
You picked the wrong guy
to mess with.
Running a casino's illegal.
Who's running a casino?
I was entertaining friends.
Atrium, 56th and 5th,
9:00 AM tomorrow.
(Stabler)
If the girl was dead,
why didn't you just call it in?
Not if it meant blowing
a 15-month sting.
One of my bouncers
was there.
Couldn't break cover
in front of him.
I couldn't have a body
turning up next to the game.
The investigation
had to come first.
So you had to leave her
under a grate?
I was trying
to preserve the evidence.
I don't feel good
about what I did.
But I had to do it.
It's part of the job.
What happened
that night?
Right after Caroline
left the club,
heard a lot of yelling
from the alley.
Players got nervous,
thought we were being raided.
So I went out
with one of the bouncers.
She was dead,
and her killer was gone.
We know she hit the tables
hard in A.C.
She play anywhere else?
Online.
Chat up the players
to learn about
other underground games
in the city.
Last week, Caroline tells me
she'd just been booted
You only get kicked off
those sites for cheating.
How do you cheat online?
Same way you do
in real life.
Two people sit at
two separate computers,
play in the same online room
at the same time.
Share information.
And dump hands.
Sounds like Caroline might have
had a silent partner.
Maybe he was
bankrolling her.
The 150 grand she owed you
was gonna come out
of her partner's pocket.
Caroline dead, and her
partner's identity a secret,
that debt goes away.
It's a hell of a motive
for murder.
It's a record of her
logon/logoff times
in the three months preceding
her account termination.
So what does it give us?
Every time Caroline
visited the site,
so did a player with
a user ID Jack King.
Jack King?
Well, that's gotta
be a code name.
Can you track him down?
He uses an untraceable
e-mail address
to make wire transfers
into his gambling account.
Dude's got an electronic
poker face.
Yeah, but if he's
a heavy gambler,
he's gotta belly up
to that table.
Hungry for a score.
Let's smoke him out.
Send him an e-mail.
Invite him to play poker.
Invitation's gotta come
from somebody he knows.
Otherwise,
why would he answer?
He knows who ran
Caroline's game.
Let's have Riley e-mail him.
[chips stacking]
Raise.
I'll see that,
and I'll raise you five.
[knock on door]
Call.
I'm in.
Yeah?
(man)
Jack King.
Here for the game.
Welcome.
Ah, I'll fold.
Hi, Jack.
Adam?
Sorry, buddy.
You're not goin' anywhere.
I can't believe
I fell for this.
You're not the only one
who knows how to bluff.
Adam Halder,
you're under arrest
for the murder
of Caroline Pereira.
Hey, I got it.
Thanks.
Anything good?
Not really.
Adam doesn't
come from much.
The dad works
in a warehouse,
the mom at a doughnut shop.
Adam doesn't even
have a sheet.
That's what I thought.
Then why'd you get me
in here to check?
Just wanna know
who this kid is.
Usually we let
the defense attorney
dig up the sob story.
No...
Look, the more I know,
the easier I can break him.
He's a murderer.
He killed Caroline Pereira
to erase his debt.
There's more to him
than that.
So what?
Told you
I'm not thirsty.
Drink it.
You'll feel better.
I'm never gonna
feel better.
You know, Adam, I've been
doing this for a long time.
And I can tell when
a good kid...
gets pulled into
a bad thing.
Just talk with me,
that's all.
Caroline was my best friend
since we were kids.
All we wanted to do was
get the hell out of LaGrange.
First step, same college?
But...Hudson
wasn't any better.
We were still just
poor kids from the boondocks.
Washing dishes
and serving up meals.
Well...
Must have been tough.
Caroline couldn't take it.
She started selling
term papers.
Mm-hmm.
That's when I started the--
the poker partnership.
All right, now...
So how'd that work?
We'd work
different clubs.
And then every month,
we'd switch
after trading information
about the regulars.
The money rolled in.
Caroline paid her tuition
off her winnings.
What'd you do with yours?
The good life.
Clubs and restaurants
and...concerts.
Hangin' with
the rich kids.
Well, you weren't
working for them anymore.
I wasn't invisible anymore.
I wasn't on the other side.
I had a whole new life.
Then Caroline
screwed it up.
I mean...
I told her...
to take things slow.
Not to be so greedy.
But she wouldn't
listen to you.
I was gonna
lose everything.
The call she got that night.
That was you?
Yes.
She told you
all the money was gone.
Not just gone.
She dug us into a hole
so deep,
I knew we could
never get out.
You had to stop her
from destroying your future.
From going back
to that cafeteria
and dishing out that food
to all your new friends.
Back to being invisible.
Yes.
No one knew about
your partnership.
No one knew about
your half of the debt.
So you strangled
your best friend.
It was an accident.
I didn't mean to.
You need a lawyer.
Casey.
I'm late.
No, it'll just
take a second.
I want to talk to you
about Adam Halder.
What about him?
Would you consider
pleading him out?
He confessed to murder.
No one's denying that.
I just think
he deserves leniency.
What have they done with
the real Detective Stabler?
Hey, come on, look.
I know this kid.
You know him.
How so?
Look, we come
from the same place.
The guy works his ass off
to get into Hudson,
and these rich kids
treat him like crap.
You know how that feels.
Yeah! I waited tables
in law school
and served my classmates.
It sucked, but it didn't
make me kill anyone.
Would you at least
make sure
he gets a good
legal aid attorney?
Yeah, I'll make a call.
Hey there, Casey.
Walter.
What are you doing here?
Can Adam Halder afford you?
It's nice
to see you too.
I'm taking this pro bono.
Adam called me.
We know each other
from the poker clubs.
(bailiff)
Come to order.
Court is now in session.
Judge Lena Petrovsky
presiding.
First case,
docket ending 262.
People vs. Adam Halder.
Murder in
the Second Degree.
How does
the defendant plead?
Not guilty.
By reason of
mental disease or defect.
What defect?
Gambling addiction.
Nifty defense,
don't you think?
Are you kidding me?
It's B.S., and you know it.
It's a real problem.
2% of adults in this country
are gambling addicts.
But that doesn't
make them kill.
I don't buy it as
a justification for murder.
And neither will a jury.
12 people in that box,
you can be sure
gambling addiction
touches one of their lives.
If we go to trial
and they hear my witnesses,
you will lose this case.
Plead him down, Casey.
Don't bet on it.
(Camp)
Is Adam Halder a member
of the Campus Card Club?
(Jordan)
Not anymore.
(Camp)
Why not?
He said he moved on
to bigger things.
That our pots
were too small for him.
How small?
Oh, 50 bucks
here and there.
We know where
to draw the line.
Did Adam?
No way.
He was out of control.
I think he was hooked.
Did a college hook him?
Objection.
Withdrawn.
Nothing further.
You just said that Adam
was out of control.
In what way?
He's raise and raise
and try to borrow from the house
to raise more.
He was trying to take people
for money they didn't have.
It was crazy.
You gamble. Have you ever
gotten carried away like Adam?
No.
Have you ever lost big
at the tables?
Sure, everyone has.
You ever kill someone
to get out of paying off a debt?
Objection, the witness
is not on trial.
Sustained.
Nothing further.
Who funds
the Campus Card Club?
Hudson University.
We are an official
student organization.
How much money do they
give you each semester?
About $2,000.
That covers our felts,
chips, cards,
plus Xeroxing flyers.
So you could say
Hudson University
hooked Adam on poker.
Objection.
I'll rephrase.
You stated to Ms. Novak
that Adam would
raise recklessly,
and that in your opinion,
quote, "It was crazy."
Did you mean Adam was crazy?
Yes.
Why?
One time he lost
a bunch of hands in a row...
just went off.
He flipped over three tables.
We had to call security.
No further questions.
I'm not the kind of guy
who says I told you so.
Well, that's good, 'cause
I don't like those kinda guys.
But you should have
taken the plea.
I'd rather
sleep at night.
I am not buying
what you're selling.
This is real, Casey.
Okay, drunk drivers kill
when under the influence.
Adam wasn't gambling when he
took Caroline Pereira's life.
He was not high.
He was in full control.
You have no idea what gambling
addiction is like, do you?
Last year, I lost
$30,000 in one night
playing poker online.
And the next night,
I chased my losses,
and I lost another 40 grand.
My wife jammed my laptop
down the garbage chute
and made me
go to counseling.
I kept on playing.
You know what made me stop?
Loan sharks broke my leg.
But you didn't
kill your wife
to pay the loan sharks off
with her insurance money.
Did you?
You never lost your mind.
(Stabler)
Gambling addiction?
Camp's a snake oil
salesman.
Well, the jury might
be buying it.
Well, maybe they should.
People addicted to gambling
go broke,
and they take
their whole families
down the drain with them.
Gambling addiction is as hard
to kick as drugs and alcohol.
Yeah, but drugs and alcohol
affect the brain.
So does gambling.
Dopamine levels peak
when we anticipate a win.
Gambling addicts
are chasing a high,
just like drunks
and dopers.
You think Adam's
an addict.
His behavior fits
that diagnosis.
And I'm telling you this has got
nothing to do with gambling.
What's going on
with you and this kid?
You know,
when I was Adam's age,
I worked at
my uncle's bar.
One night, I'm out back
emptying the trash
when these two rich punks
jumped me.
Now, I know
who they were
because they'd spit in my face
earlier in the night
when I wouldn't
serve 'em drinks.
They had no I.D.
So we're rolling around,
we're throwing punches,
and I pick up a bottle
and I bust one of them
over the head with it.
Kid nearly died.
Cops come, I give 'em
my story, they send me home.
Next day, two detectives
come to my doorstep
and they arrest me.
For defending yourself.
Well, the kid's father
was a partner
in some
white-shoe law firm.
He had a friend
in the DA's office.
But my dad
called in a favor
from an old
police academy buddy,
so he made the whole thing
go away.
This wasn't just
about self-defense.
You were pissed.
Look, this kid
spit in my face.
He treats me like I'm
a working class piece of trash?
No.
Like Adam.
Look, I'm just saying
I get why he was
angry enough to do it.
That doesn't justify
killing Caroline.
If I want to convict Adam,
I need the jury
to focus on his guilt.
Then bring it back
to his anger.
Show them that when Adam
strangled Caroline,
it wasn't about addiction,
it was about rage.
From a blocked
telephone number,
you called Caroline
that night.
Yes.
Why?
To check in on her.
Well, that was
very thoughtful of you.
What do you
remember her saying?
That she needed
to see me.
How'd that
make you feel?
A little nervous.
Nervous?
So you remember
feeling nervous.
But up until that point,
your head was clear and focused.
At that point, yes.
What did she say
when you got there?
She'd lost $150,000.
You remember that?
Yes.
What else did she say?
She said she
was gonna tell Riley
I was on the hook
for half the debt.
It sounds like you remember
that night perfectly well.
What happened next?
We started arguing.
And all of a sudden,
she pushed me.
And you pushed her back.
Yeah, against the wall.
So you have a specific memory
of pushing her against the wall.
Then what?
She fell.
She tried to stand, but I kept
pushing her back down.
And then?
She started screaming,
so I had to shut her up.
(Novak)
How did you do that?
I put my hands
around her neck.
What was going
through your mind?
Nothing.
My head was spinning.
I kept squeezing her neck
tighter and tighter.
Then there was a bright flash,
and everything went white.
I must have strangled her.
(Novak)
Must have?
You don't remember?
'Cause up until
a moment ago,
you had a clear head
and a steel trap memory
for the night.
(Adam)
Yeah, but everything changed.
(Novak)
Everything changed
because Caroline was dead.
No, it was all a haze.
(Novak)
You just finished
telling the court
how clear and focused
you were.
(Adam)
No, that was before.
Please, it was an accident!
An accidental strangling?
(Adam)
I swear, I didn't
wanna kill her.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to.
I'm sorry.
People's Two, Your Honor.
Was Caroline wearing
this ring when you killed her?
Objection.
Relevance?
(Petrovsky)
I'll allow it.
Yes, she was wearing it.
What's your relationship
to Caroline's roommate,
Gloria Culhane?
I can repeat the question
if you didn't understand me.
Gloria's my girlfriend.
(Novak)
Nothing further.
I'd like to request
a recess, Your Honor.
(Petrovsky)
We'll resume tomorrow morning.
[gavel strikes]
How did you know?
Well, I'll be damned.
Check out the glare
in the corner.
It's from the flash
reflecting off Caroline's ring.
The same thing happened
when Caroline photographed Adam
attacking her
in the alley.
That's weird.
Why would she do that?
Well, a lot of things
can make sense
as a last ditch effort
to stop someone
from taking your life.
This ring was on
Caroline's finger
when she took the photo.
I don't know what
you're talking about.
Sure you do.
Hmm?
Adam's your boyfriend.
[scoffs]
I wouldn't call him that.
He did.
He lied.
You're the liar.
You didn't find Caroline's
ring on her dresser.
All right,
Adam gave me the ring.
So you knew he killed her.
I did?
Wipe that smirk
off your face.
You're an accessory
to murder, princess.
You've got
nothing on me.
How did a poor kid like Adam
get a girl like you?
He earned it.
He bought me nice things.
He took me out.
He treated me
the way I deserve.
I live
a certain lifestyle.
If Adam wanted me,
he had to give me what I need.
By whatever means
necessary, right?
[sighs]
Whatever.
When Caroline
got him in debt,
Adam wouldn't have had
any more money to spend on you.
Did you tell him that
you'd stay with him,
even though he had to
go back to washing dishes?
Or did you tell him
to kill Caroline?
I'm sure I don't know
what you're talking about.
Adam isn't
addicted to gambling.
He's addicted to you.
Is that so hard
to imagine?
Look, Adam made
his own mistakes.
He faced
losing everything.
He faced losing me.
He was enraged.
How enraged?
He was out of his mind.
I'd never seen him
like that before.
What happened when Adam
contacted you that night?
I was at
a cappella rehearsal.
He sent me a text message
to meet him outside.
I did.
[chuckles]
He was...in a state.
Gloria, please, stop!
Mr. Halder,
control yourself.
Did Adam say he was going
downtown to harm Caroline?
He...said
he might have to.
I love you!
Don't do this!
One more outburst,
and I will
remove the defendant.
Adam, please.
Did Adam
say anything else?
He said if she
wouldn't keep her mouth shut,
that he would
shut it for her.
It sounds to me like
his mind was made up.
No more questions.
(Petrovsky)
On the charge of
Murder in the Second Degree,
how do you find?
We find
the defendant guilty.
(Petrovsky)
Thank you for your service.
[gavel strikes]
This court is adjourned.
How could you
do this to me?
You did this to yourself.
That was cold.
So?
You had a hand in this.
My hands are clean.
No, they're not.
That ring Adam gave you
was stolen property.
It's a Class C felony.
You're looking at 15 years.
What are you talking about?
Caroline was dead.
That doesn't make
the ring yours.
Adam stole it.
You knowingly possessed it.
This is insane!
They don't allow
diamond rings in prison.
Think you're gonna have
to settle for silver bracelets.
[wolf howling]
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.
Slow down, sugar.
I got somethin' for you.
Hey, handsome.
How you doin' tonight?
I'm fine.
[giggles]
What's your name, honey?
Lawrence.
I'm Vegas.
I've never
done this before.
Don't worry, baby.
Whatever happens in Vegas...
stays in Vegas.
[mechanical noise]
What the hell was that?
It better not be some bitch
workin' my stroll!
What the hell
are you doin'?
[clank]
Yeah, you better run!
I say who gets their pole
smoked on my block!
[tires screech]
(Bamford)
Rape-homicide.
Skimpy clothes all torn up.
Dumped under a grate
on a lovers lane.
Probably a pross.
Who called it in?
Vegas here.
Friendly
neighborhood hooker.
She didn't see the guy's face
or the plates on his SUV.
Vegas ever see
the girl?
Nah, but she said there's
a lot of fresh meat
working this track.
Didn't find Jane Doe's wallet
or a purse.
Any DNA?
No visible fluids,
but she's got something
under her fingernails.
(Benson)
Fingertips are pretty torn up.
Is that blood?
Red paint.
But I don't see anything
around here that color.
Must be from
where she was killed.
Got handprint bruising
on both sides of her neck.
Any idea when
she was strangled?
Given the lividity,
I'd say midnight, maybe 12:30.
He wasn't dumping this girl.
He was trying to bury her.
Maybe somebody she knew?
Repeat customer?
(Siper)
Detectives!
Found her purse down there.
We got lipstick,
perfume,
breath mints,
condoms.
Working girl's
overnight bag?
No driver's license.
But we got a college I.D.
Hudson University.
Her name's Caroline Pereira.
Cell phone
in the purse too.
Any recent calls?
Last one's from 11:15
this evening.
Number's blocked.
I'll run the LUDS.
But someone also used
this phone's camera.
Is that human?
Looks like a person to me.
Shot at 12:07 a.m.
Warner said the time of death
was around midnight.
Maybe Caroline got
a picture of her killer.
(Stabler)
Can you enhance it?
This is the best
we're gonna get.
Cell phones take pictures
at a very low pixel grade.
What's that burst
of light in the corner?
Could be strobing
or a reflection.
No way to tell.
Notified the parents.
They're driving down
from LaGrange to make the I.D.
Man, what a cliché.
Poor kid from a small town
finds a way to make
quick money in the big city.
Wouldn't be the first time
a college girl
flat-backed her way
to a diploma.
Hmm.
(Bursar)
Caroline was on work/study.
She washed dishes
at the cafeteria,
but she quit at the beginning
of this semester.
Don't they have
to keep working
to keep their
financial aid?
A university job's
not required
if the student's bills
get paid.
Who paid them?
Caroline did. In cash.
Where did she get
that kind of money?
Oh, that's
none of our business.
A 20-year-old student
walks in here
with 15 grand in cash,
and you don't bat an eye?
We only ask about the payments
when they don't come in.
You ask about your students when
they don't show up for class?
That's not my department.
Is there anyone else
on this campus
who might know her
a little better than you?
Uh, she has a roommate.
Gloria Culhane.
Caroline and I
never hung out.
Who'd she
hang out with?
I don't really know.
We run in different circles.
I bet.
Nice ring.
Thanks.
I spent last semester
in France.
Forgot to fill out
the housing form.
This is what they
assigned me with.
This Caroline's side
of the room?
Yes.
You're her roommate.
You must know
something about her.
All I really know is
she went out a lot.
I wish I could
tell you where.
She stay out late?
A lot of times she'd come
to class looking like hell.
Whatever she was doing,
she was raking in the dough.
Wow!
Gotta be a thou there.
You know anything
about that?
Well, I doubt it came
from her parents.
They don't have a lot of money.
College girl's got a closet
full of cash,
she's either selling drugs
or herself.
(Fin)
Caroline have a boyfriend?
No.
Who's this?
Oh, that's Adam.
He's not her boyfriend,
though.
They just went
to high school together.
You know where
we can find him?
Probably in class.
He goes here too.
I can't believe it.
Carol and I have been friends
since we were kids.
She has a nice chunk
of change in a shoe box.
Any idea where it
came from?
She said she had
a new job.
Doing what?
She didn't tell me.
Why?
We found her body in
a known prostitute area.
No way.
Carol would never do that.
How does a 20-year-old
bring down that much cash?
I told you.
I don't know.
Well, maybe you can get
some ideas down at the office.
A-a-all right.
She was selling term papers.
I didn't know cheating
could be so dangerous.
School's really
bent out of shape.
They investigating?
Yeah.
Whole thing's being
headed up
by this English professor,
Dr. Farouq.
Plagiarism is an epidemic here.
And the Internet has only
made it easier
for students to buy
and sell academic work.
(Fin)
You catch anyone?
Take a look at this.
I designed a program
that scans students' work
and searches for patterns
of repetition
and unoriginal material.
They e-mail me
their term papers,
and I feed everything
into the program.
Now look here.
Three papers
are being compared.
The fourth window you see
pulls out and itemizes
the content overlap.
The blue highlights show
possible similarities.
The green sections
are very suspect.
And the red passages
are direct matches.
You can prove who's
plagiarizing.
Yes.
But here's the problem.
These three students cheated,
but none of them wrote
the paper of origin.
How do you know two of them
didn't cheat off the third?
None of these three
are capable
of writing
of this caliber.
But...I'll find
the original paper.
And then we'll expel
all the guilty parties.
Caroline Pereira.
Did her name come up
in your investigation?
No.
Caroline took my class
last semester.
Excellent student.
And her work was
wholly original.
She wouldn't have
any reason to cheat.
The kids who handed in
these plagiarized papers,
we're gonna need their names.
The pepperoncini
gives it
this insane bite, dude.
It's key to the power
of the sandwich.
Mark Duffy.
I need to talk to you.
Priya?
Finish this sub for me.
What can I get for you?
Busy today, huh?
[chuckles]
I'm always busy.
Too busy to keep up
with your schoolwork?
What's this about?
Buying term papers.
Man, I bought, like one.
From her?
Yeah.
Dude in my English class
hooked me up with Caroline.
Whoa, is this like, uh,
some big crime now or something?
Am I in trouble?
Not if you cooperate.
How did you arrange
the hand-off?
There was no hand-off.
How'd you get
the paper, then?
You'd e-mail her
the assignment.
Then you'd tell her what kind
of English paper you needed.
And she'd send you back
a couple of samples.
So you'd order, like,
one from Column A,
one from Column B.
Something like that.
You'd only pay
for the one you liked.
How much she charge?
200 bucks a paper.
That's pretty steep.
I'm pre-med.
I don't have time to read
The Faerie Queene
and write about
the imagery of virtue
for some ridiculous
English requirement.
So you buy the paper
off Caroline?
Everybody wins.
Caroline lost.
She was murdered last night.
I gotta go.
Wait a minute.
Why'd you just
get so spooked?
Because of Brian.
Brian who?
Townsend.
He's in Farouq's
English class too.
He bought a bunch
of papers off Caroline.
When he heard about
the investigation,
he got really nervous.
What does that mean?
"Got nervous"?
He said he was going
to take care of the problem.
Okay, so I bought
a few term papers.
That's an honor code violation,
not a crime.
Murder is.
Caroline was killed
last night.
And we heard you had a problem
you were gonna take care of.
Well, I--I didn't
kill her.
I was gonna...bribe her.
I offered her a grand
to keep quiet.
She take the money?
No, she laughed in my face.
Waved that big freakin'
diamond ring around,
said it'd take more than
a grand to keep her quiet.
That's gotta be the ring
Gloria was wearing.
Gloria?
Caroline's roommate?
You think I'm bad?
Gloria bought more papers
off Caroline than anyone.
She was really freaking out.
(male lecturer)
Today, it's not uncommon
to hear Edmund Husserl
maligned as a naive
positivist.
However, this
is to neglect the impact
his phenomenology had on
the canon of French thought...
Stand up.
Excuse me?
Let's go.
We need to talk.
I'm not going anywhere.
Sweetheart, do you
want us to arrest you
and lead you out of here
in cuffs?
I didn't think so.
Sorry for interrupting.
Stay in school.
This is crazy.
I would never kill anyone,
thank you very much.
How'd you get
Caroline's ring?
It was just sitting
on her dresser.
Where were you
last night?
A cappella rehearsal.
Go check.
We will, sweetheart.
Don't worry about that.
Okay, it's no secret.
I didn't like Caroline.
But I had no reason
to kill her.
She was writing
all your papers.
The school
was investigating.
Your ass was about
to be expelled.
Hudson won't expel anyone.
Higher grades
keep parents happy,
and happy parents
are big donors.
(Fin)
Like yours.
Your family has a building
named after 'em.
And a couple of wings.
A hospital and a museum.
You wouldn't wanna screw up
a bright future
by getting kicked
out of school, would you?
Caroline's got your number.
She talks, you're done.
Do you honestly think
I could kill Caroline?
Well, I'll tell you what.
Why don't we ask your parents
and see what they think?
Got a better idea.
We call the Ledger.
"Culhane Heiress in
a Murder Investigation."
Sell a lot of papers.
Look, wait.
Don't call anyone.
I'll check her alibi.
What?
Caroline bragged about
ripping off some rich,
famous guy for the ring.
She said he was
really pissed off.
Maybe he killed her.
Okay, so who's this guy
that she stole the ring from?
All she said was he'd
wake up the next morning
and miss it real bad.
I told you my alibi
would check out.
Singin' the Indigo Girls
in five-part harmony.
That's painful.
I got a feeling we're gonna
need to speak to you again.
So don't hop on any
flights to France.
Mmm, cop, comedian.
Is there anything you don't do?
No. Elevator's
straight ahead.
Had a hunch
about that ring.
So I talked
to one of my boys
who bounces
at a couple of clubs.
It's a Double D.
I thought rings came
in a different sizing system.
Double D as in
Diamond Dov.
Who's Diamond Dov?
An Israeli dude.
He's a jeweler to the stars.
Real popular with actors,
musicians, and pro athletes.
If Caroline
was turning tricks,
maybe she slipped the ring
off some drunken John's finger.
Yeah, some rich
and famous John
who'd miss it real bad
in the morning.
He tries to set up
a meet to get the ring back.
When she shows up empty-handed,
he loses control.
How much is
that thing worth?
100 grand, give or take.
Blackmail's a strong motive.
If it's a custom job,
Diamond Dov can tell us
who he made it for.
(Fin)
You must have some
big spenders come in here
for pieces this nice.
(Diamond Dov)
You bet your ass I do.
I use only the finest jewels.
I make art.
And celebrities
around the world
are my collectors.
My work ends up
in movies,
on TV,
in the videos
for all the rapping
and the dance music.
Thanks to all
my happy customers.
Okay, which one of your
happy customers bought this?
What, you take me
for a friar?
I'm sorry, detectives,
but I don't give out
personal information
on my customers.
That's why they love me.
I know who else'll love you.
The IRS, once we get
a warrant for your files.
Okay, okay.
Let's relax.
Hmm.
I made this ring
for a football player.
Franklin.
Roddy Franklin.
There.
Are we cool?
(Fin)
Cool.
Roddy Franklin,
wide receiver for New Jersey.
1,000 yards,
nine T.D.s last season.
Let's go get his autograph.
Look, I love the police,
but, uh,
my business manager
handles all my donations.
That's not
why we're here.
Hey, guys...guys!
All right, look.
Why don't you go in the kitchen
with your mother, all right?
[sighs]
She acts all surprised when
she feeds them full of sugar
and they run around
like they're insane.
Now, what can
I do for you?
That belong to you?
Yeah.
Hey, where did you--
How did you find this?
First, let's start
with where you lost it.
Man, I don't even know, dawg.
I travel a lot.
Okay, dawg...
Travel anywhere
two nights ago?
Yeah, my wife and I
took the kids
over to
their grandmother's.
Mind if I confirm that
with your wife?
Not at all.
What's this about?
Know this girl?
No, never seen her before.
Two nights ago
we took the boys
over to my mother's.
You sure about that?
Yes, I am.
Why?
We recovered
your husband's ring
when we were investigating
a homicide.
[chuckles]
That thing.
He told me it was stolen.
I said,
"Of course it was."
Stupid to buy a ring that
cost more than our first home.
Your ring was found
in her dorm room.
Oh, then she must have
been the one who found it.
Look, thank you
for bringing it back to me.
Uh, why don't you
give me her name,
and I'll, uh,
I'll send her a reward.
Make it out to Caroline Pereira
in care of The Afterlife.
What? She's dead?
Yeah, we found her body
two nights ago.
Oh, man, I'm--
I'm sorry you had
to find it like this.
I'm sorry.
It's evidence in a homicide.
You'll have to wait
until we find the killer.
Guy loses a rock
worth 100 grand.
Doesn't report it.
You buying that?
His wife
backed his alibi,
but I got a feeling
she's used to covering for him.
Wonder if Franklin's
Caroline's sugar daddy.
Caroline falls in love,
threatens to go to the wife.
That's one big,
fancy mansion
Caroline could have
brought tumbling down.
(Cragen)
So what do we know
about Franklin?
What kind of reputation
does he have?
He keeps a low profile
after that thing
with the stripper
a few years back.
What thing
with the stripper?
His wife caught him.
Had to buy her
a diamond necklace
that cost more than
an aircraft carrier.
Maybe this affair was gonna cost
him more than he could afford.
(Fin)
Caroline's gotta disappear.
I think they made a habit
of disappearing together.
This is Caroline's
credit card statement.
It's mostly stores
and restaurants
around the university.
But there are two charges
from a pharmacy
in Atlantic City.
The same weekend
Roddy Franklin filled up
at a gas station
in Little Bay,
which is right
outside A.C.
That's good place
to take his mistress.
Famous guy doesn't turn
as many heads down there.
People are discreet.
Well, if you have time
for blackjack,
stick with
the $5.00 tables.
(male hotel manager)
Yes, of course.
Mr. Franklin's a frequent
guest of the casino.
When was the last time
he was here?
Celebrity poker tournament.
When was that?
Uh, the weekend of the...
Seventh.
Two months ago.
Same weekend as Caroline.
You ever see him
with this girl?
Sure. He finally
catch up with her?
Maybe. She's dead.
Any idea why?
There's something
you should see.
This is one of our
private games.
Upstairs room.
High rollers only.
(Fin)
There's Caroline and Franklin.
Mr. Franklin came here
to play after the charity match.
How'd Caroline
get in the game?
She comes down
every other weekend.
We comp her room and meals.
There it is.
After Caroline raises,
Franklin bets his ring
to go all in.
And not hard
to understand why.
He had a straight to the Jack.
Great hand.
But he got counterfeited.
Caroline had
a King high straight.
And that was it.
She wins.
(Fin)
Look, she puts on the ring.
(Stabler)
And then really
taunts him with it.
(Fin)
Franklin doesn't
look too happy.
You're right about that.
(Franklin)
I run up.
This cat takes a one-step.
Fires it.
The rock hits me
in the back of the helmet
like he's a new dodge ball
world champion.
Hey, Roddy.
What can I do for you?
Come with us.
We'll explain in the car.
It's all good, fellas.
It's the cops that found
my Double D.
That's not the only thing
we found.
Your ass is gonna be
Astroturf
you don't
start talking.
About what?
Caroline Pereira.
We have you two on tape
playing poker in Atlantic City.
[sighs]
Now, why'd you
lie to us?
'Cause I wasn't supposed
to be there, all right?
Look, the leagues have
got me on probation
for gambling.
The only reason why they let me
play in celebrity tournaments
is because the money
goes to charity.
So what, Caroline
your favorite charity now?
That's where you
donate your ring?
I didn't donate it.
She fleeced me
at the table.
Look...the commissioner
finds out about this,
I'm facing fines and multiple
game suspensions.
Well, right now, you're
facing murder charges, buddy.
What?
No, yo, yo, look.
Y'all got
the wrong one on this.
So why should
we believe you?
[sighs]
'Cause I know who did it.
Okay, Roddy,
who killed the girl?
Guy who runs
an underground poker game.
She win one of his
fancy rings too?
No, no, no, man.
Look...
It was like this,
all right?
I tried to buy my ring back,
but she wouldn't let me.
Said I had
to win it back.
You had to keep
playing?
What else could I do?
Look, so I invited her
to a private game in the city.
But this girl
was a ringer.
She kept beating you.
Me and everybody else
at the club.
She became a regular,
so I figured sooner or later
I'd get back
what was mine.
But instead,
she got hers.
A couple nights back,
Caroline hit a streak
of bad luck.
Fell into the house
north of 150 grand.
Dude that runs the game
threatened her.
Said she had 24 hours
to pay back the money, or else.
This dude got a name?
Yeah.
Riley. He's got
ice water in his veins.
Like he'd kill you
and then send out for pizza.
Where's the game?
In the Garment District.
38th Street.
Three blocks from where
we found Caroline's body.
Police!
Stay where you are.
(Riley)
What the hell's
going on here?
You Riley?
I am.
And for the hard of hearing,
I repeat:
What the hell
is going on here?
You're under arrest.
For what?
For running
an illegal poker game.
Hey, where you going,
sweetheart?
Your shift ain't over.
You're making
a big mistake.
This is a friendly
social gathering.
Friends don't steal
friends' life savings.
Fin, come here.
Put him in the car.
All right. Let's go.
[siren]
What you got?
Check on the wall.
(Fin)
The red paint
under Caroline's nails.
Riley killed her here.
I don't know anything
about a dead chick.
I sure don't know what
the hell I'm doing here.
Get my lawyer.
You're gonna need him, pal.
We got a paint match
from that wall,
and you got
a $150,000 motive.
That's pretty much a lock.
Why don't you shove
your lock up your ass?
What'd you say to me?
Fin! Elliot.
My office.
[door shuts]
This is Tom Cole.
Secret Service.
He's got some
fascinating news.
Riley's with us.
An informant?
Agent.
Name's Doug Kirsten.
He's a long-term undercover
working up a case.
What's the target?
Underground
gambling clubs
and their links
to organized crime,
domestic and foreign.
All the gin joints
in this city,
we had to walk into yours.
Agent Kirsten
is not your killer.
He'll brief you,
but I've got to preserve
the integrity of our
investigation.
Get him out of the cage,
without blowing his cover.
You'll be lucky if my client
doesn't press charges.
My lawyer'll be seein'
the police commissioner
tomorrow.
Why don't you go solve
a real crime
instead of bothering
an honest businessman?
Take it easy there,
tough guy.
Don't even talk to me,
ass wipe.
You picked the wrong guy
to mess with.
Running a casino's illegal.
Who's running a casino?
I was entertaining friends.
Atrium, 56th and 5th,
9:00 AM tomorrow.
(Stabler)
If the girl was dead,
why didn't you just call it in?
Not if it meant blowing
a 15-month sting.
One of my bouncers
was there.
Couldn't break cover
in front of him.
I couldn't have a body
turning up next to the game.
The investigation
had to come first.
So you had to leave her
under a grate?
I was trying
to preserve the evidence.
I don't feel good
about what I did.
But I had to do it.
It's part of the job.
What happened
that night?
Right after Caroline
left the club,
heard a lot of yelling
from the alley.
Players got nervous,
thought we were being raided.
So I went out
with one of the bouncers.
She was dead,
and her killer was gone.
We know she hit the tables
hard in A.C.
She play anywhere else?
Online.
Chat up the players
to learn about
other underground games
in the city.
Last week, Caroline tells me
she'd just been booted
You only get kicked off
those sites for cheating.
How do you cheat online?
Same way you do
in real life.
Two people sit at
two separate computers,
play in the same online room
at the same time.
Share information.
And dump hands.
Sounds like Caroline might have
had a silent partner.
Maybe he was
bankrolling her.
The 150 grand she owed you
was gonna come out
of her partner's pocket.
Caroline dead, and her
partner's identity a secret,
that debt goes away.
It's a hell of a motive
for murder.
It's a record of her
logon/logoff times
in the three months preceding
her account termination.
So what does it give us?
Every time Caroline
visited the site,
so did a player with
a user ID Jack King.
Jack King?
Well, that's gotta
be a code name.
Can you track him down?
He uses an untraceable
e-mail address
to make wire transfers
into his gambling account.
Dude's got an electronic
poker face.
Yeah, but if he's
a heavy gambler,
he's gotta belly up
to that table.
Hungry for a score.
Let's smoke him out.
Send him an e-mail.
Invite him to play poker.
Invitation's gotta come
from somebody he knows.
Otherwise,
why would he answer?
He knows who ran
Caroline's game.
Let's have Riley e-mail him.
[chips stacking]
Raise.
I'll see that,
and I'll raise you five.
[knock on door]
Call.
I'm in.
Yeah?
(man)
Jack King.
Here for the game.
Welcome.
Ah, I'll fold.
Hi, Jack.
Adam?
Sorry, buddy.
You're not goin' anywhere.
I can't believe
I fell for this.
You're not the only one
who knows how to bluff.
Adam Halder,
you're under arrest
for the murder
of Caroline Pereira.
Hey, I got it.
Thanks.
Anything good?
Not really.
Adam doesn't
come from much.
The dad works
in a warehouse,
the mom at a doughnut shop.
Adam doesn't even
have a sheet.
That's what I thought.
Then why'd you get me
in here to check?
Just wanna know
who this kid is.
Usually we let
the defense attorney
dig up the sob story.
No...
Look, the more I know,
the easier I can break him.
He's a murderer.
He killed Caroline Pereira
to erase his debt.
There's more to him
than that.
So what?
Told you
I'm not thirsty.
Drink it.
You'll feel better.
I'm never gonna
feel better.
You know, Adam, I've been
doing this for a long time.
And I can tell when
a good kid...
gets pulled into
a bad thing.
Just talk with me,
that's all.
Caroline was my best friend
since we were kids.
All we wanted to do was
get the hell out of LaGrange.
First step, same college?
But...Hudson
wasn't any better.
We were still just
poor kids from the boondocks.
Washing dishes
and serving up meals.
Well...
Must have been tough.
Caroline couldn't take it.
She started selling
term papers.
Mm-hmm.
That's when I started the--
the poker partnership.
All right, now...
So how'd that work?
We'd work
different clubs.
And then every month,
we'd switch
after trading information
about the regulars.
The money rolled in.
Caroline paid her tuition
off her winnings.
What'd you do with yours?
The good life.
Clubs and restaurants
and...concerts.
Hangin' with
the rich kids.
Well, you weren't
working for them anymore.
I wasn't invisible anymore.
I wasn't on the other side.
I had a whole new life.
Then Caroline
screwed it up.
I mean...
I told her...
to take things slow.
Not to be so greedy.
But she wouldn't
listen to you.
I was gonna
lose everything.
The call she got that night.
That was you?
Yes.
She told you
all the money was gone.
Not just gone.
She dug us into a hole
so deep,
I knew we could
never get out.
You had to stop her
from destroying your future.
From going back
to that cafeteria
and dishing out that food
to all your new friends.
Back to being invisible.
Yes.
No one knew about
your partnership.
No one knew about
your half of the debt.
So you strangled
your best friend.
It was an accident.
I didn't mean to.
You need a lawyer.
Casey.
I'm late.
No, it'll just
take a second.
I want to talk to you
about Adam Halder.
What about him?
Would you consider
pleading him out?
He confessed to murder.
No one's denying that.
I just think
he deserves leniency.
What have they done with
the real Detective Stabler?
Hey, come on, look.
I know this kid.
You know him.
How so?
Look, we come
from the same place.
The guy works his ass off
to get into Hudson,
and these rich kids
treat him like crap.
You know how that feels.
Yeah! I waited tables
in law school
and served my classmates.
It sucked, but it didn't
make me kill anyone.
Would you at least
make sure
he gets a good
legal aid attorney?
Yeah, I'll make a call.
Hey there, Casey.
Walter.
What are you doing here?
Can Adam Halder afford you?
It's nice
to see you too.
I'm taking this pro bono.
Adam called me.
We know each other
from the poker clubs.
(bailiff)
Come to order.
Court is now in session.
Judge Lena Petrovsky
presiding.
First case,
docket ending 262.
People vs. Adam Halder.
Murder in
the Second Degree.
How does
the defendant plead?
Not guilty.
By reason of
mental disease or defect.
What defect?
Gambling addiction.
Nifty defense,
don't you think?
Are you kidding me?
It's B.S., and you know it.
It's a real problem.
2% of adults in this country
are gambling addicts.
But that doesn't
make them kill.
I don't buy it as
a justification for murder.
And neither will a jury.
12 people in that box,
you can be sure
gambling addiction
touches one of their lives.
If we go to trial
and they hear my witnesses,
you will lose this case.
Plead him down, Casey.
Don't bet on it.
(Camp)
Is Adam Halder a member
of the Campus Card Club?
(Jordan)
Not anymore.
(Camp)
Why not?
He said he moved on
to bigger things.
That our pots
were too small for him.
How small?
Oh, 50 bucks
here and there.
We know where
to draw the line.
Did Adam?
No way.
He was out of control.
I think he was hooked.
Did a college hook him?
Objection.
Withdrawn.
Nothing further.
You just said that Adam
was out of control.
In what way?
He's raise and raise
and try to borrow from the house
to raise more.
He was trying to take people
for money they didn't have.
It was crazy.
You gamble. Have you ever
gotten carried away like Adam?
No.
Have you ever lost big
at the tables?
Sure, everyone has.
You ever kill someone
to get out of paying off a debt?
Objection, the witness
is not on trial.
Sustained.
Nothing further.
Who funds
the Campus Card Club?
Hudson University.
We are an official
student organization.
How much money do they
give you each semester?
About $2,000.
That covers our felts,
chips, cards,
plus Xeroxing flyers.
So you could say
Hudson University
hooked Adam on poker.
Objection.
I'll rephrase.
You stated to Ms. Novak
that Adam would
raise recklessly,
and that in your opinion,
quote, "It was crazy."
Did you mean Adam was crazy?
Yes.
Why?
One time he lost
a bunch of hands in a row...
just went off.
He flipped over three tables.
We had to call security.
No further questions.
I'm not the kind of guy
who says I told you so.
Well, that's good, 'cause
I don't like those kinda guys.
But you should have
taken the plea.
I'd rather
sleep at night.
I am not buying
what you're selling.
This is real, Casey.
Okay, drunk drivers kill
when under the influence.
Adam wasn't gambling when he
took Caroline Pereira's life.
He was not high.
He was in full control.
You have no idea what gambling
addiction is like, do you?
Last year, I lost
$30,000 in one night
playing poker online.
And the next night,
I chased my losses,
and I lost another 40 grand.
My wife jammed my laptop
down the garbage chute
and made me
go to counseling.
I kept on playing.
You know what made me stop?
Loan sharks broke my leg.
But you didn't
kill your wife
to pay the loan sharks off
with her insurance money.
Did you?
You never lost your mind.
(Stabler)
Gambling addiction?
Camp's a snake oil
salesman.
Well, the jury might
be buying it.
Well, maybe they should.
People addicted to gambling
go broke,
and they take
their whole families
down the drain with them.
Gambling addiction is as hard
to kick as drugs and alcohol.
Yeah, but drugs and alcohol
affect the brain.
So does gambling.
Dopamine levels peak
when we anticipate a win.
Gambling addicts
are chasing a high,
just like drunks
and dopers.
You think Adam's
an addict.
His behavior fits
that diagnosis.
And I'm telling you this has got
nothing to do with gambling.
What's going on
with you and this kid?
You know,
when I was Adam's age,
I worked at
my uncle's bar.
One night, I'm out back
emptying the trash
when these two rich punks
jumped me.
Now, I know
who they were
because they'd spit in my face
earlier in the night
when I wouldn't
serve 'em drinks.
They had no I.D.
So we're rolling around,
we're throwing punches,
and I pick up a bottle
and I bust one of them
over the head with it.
Kid nearly died.
Cops come, I give 'em
my story, they send me home.
Next day, two detectives
come to my doorstep
and they arrest me.
For defending yourself.
Well, the kid's father
was a partner
in some
white-shoe law firm.
He had a friend
in the DA's office.
But my dad
called in a favor
from an old
police academy buddy,
so he made the whole thing
go away.
This wasn't just
about self-defense.
You were pissed.
Look, this kid
spit in my face.
He treats me like I'm
a working class piece of trash?
No.
Like Adam.
Look, I'm just saying
I get why he was
angry enough to do it.
That doesn't justify
killing Caroline.
If I want to convict Adam,
I need the jury
to focus on his guilt.
Then bring it back
to his anger.
Show them that when Adam
strangled Caroline,
it wasn't about addiction,
it was about rage.
From a blocked
telephone number,
you called Caroline
that night.
Yes.
Why?
To check in on her.
Well, that was
very thoughtful of you.
What do you
remember her saying?
That she needed
to see me.
How'd that
make you feel?
A little nervous.
Nervous?
So you remember
feeling nervous.
But up until that point,
your head was clear and focused.
At that point, yes.
What did she say
when you got there?
She'd lost $150,000.
You remember that?
Yes.
What else did she say?
She said she
was gonna tell Riley
I was on the hook
for half the debt.
It sounds like you remember
that night perfectly well.
What happened next?
We started arguing.
And all of a sudden,
she pushed me.
And you pushed her back.
Yeah, against the wall.
So you have a specific memory
of pushing her against the wall.
Then what?
She fell.
She tried to stand, but I kept
pushing her back down.
And then?
She started screaming,
so I had to shut her up.
(Novak)
How did you do that?
I put my hands
around her neck.
What was going
through your mind?
Nothing.
My head was spinning.
I kept squeezing her neck
tighter and tighter.
Then there was a bright flash,
and everything went white.
I must have strangled her.
(Novak)
Must have?
You don't remember?
'Cause up until
a moment ago,
you had a clear head
and a steel trap memory
for the night.
(Adam)
Yeah, but everything changed.
(Novak)
Everything changed
because Caroline was dead.
No, it was all a haze.
(Novak)
You just finished
telling the court
how clear and focused
you were.
(Adam)
No, that was before.
Please, it was an accident!
An accidental strangling?
(Adam)
I swear, I didn't
wanna kill her.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to.
I'm sorry.
People's Two, Your Honor.
Was Caroline wearing
this ring when you killed her?
Objection.
Relevance?
(Petrovsky)
I'll allow it.
Yes, she was wearing it.
What's your relationship
to Caroline's roommate,
Gloria Culhane?
I can repeat the question
if you didn't understand me.
Gloria's my girlfriend.
(Novak)
Nothing further.
I'd like to request
a recess, Your Honor.
(Petrovsky)
We'll resume tomorrow morning.
[gavel strikes]
How did you know?
Well, I'll be damned.
Check out the glare
in the corner.
It's from the flash
reflecting off Caroline's ring.
The same thing happened
when Caroline photographed Adam
attacking her
in the alley.
That's weird.
Why would she do that?
Well, a lot of things
can make sense
as a last ditch effort
to stop someone
from taking your life.
This ring was on
Caroline's finger
when she took the photo.
I don't know what
you're talking about.
Sure you do.
Hmm?
Adam's your boyfriend.
[scoffs]
I wouldn't call him that.
He did.
He lied.
You're the liar.
You didn't find Caroline's
ring on her dresser.
All right,
Adam gave me the ring.
So you knew he killed her.
I did?
Wipe that smirk
off your face.
You're an accessory
to murder, princess.
You've got
nothing on me.
How did a poor kid like Adam
get a girl like you?
He earned it.
He bought me nice things.
He took me out.
He treated me
the way I deserve.
I live
a certain lifestyle.
If Adam wanted me,
he had to give me what I need.
By whatever means
necessary, right?
[sighs]
Whatever.
When Caroline
got him in debt,
Adam wouldn't have had
any more money to spend on you.
Did you tell him that
you'd stay with him,
even though he had to
go back to washing dishes?
Or did you tell him
to kill Caroline?
I'm sure I don't know
what you're talking about.
Adam isn't
addicted to gambling.
He's addicted to you.
Is that so hard
to imagine?
Look, Adam made
his own mistakes.
He faced
losing everything.
He faced losing me.
He was enraged.
How enraged?
He was out of his mind.
I'd never seen him
like that before.
What happened when Adam
contacted you that night?
I was at
a cappella rehearsal.
He sent me a text message
to meet him outside.
I did.
[chuckles]
He was...in a state.
Gloria, please, stop!
Mr. Halder,
control yourself.
Did Adam say he was going
downtown to harm Caroline?
He...said
he might have to.
I love you!
Don't do this!
One more outburst,
and I will
remove the defendant.
Adam, please.
Did Adam
say anything else?
He said if she
wouldn't keep her mouth shut,
that he would
shut it for her.
It sounds to me like
his mind was made up.
No more questions.
(Petrovsky)
On the charge of
Murder in the Second Degree,
how do you find?
We find
the defendant guilty.
(Petrovsky)
Thank you for your service.
[gavel strikes]
This court is adjourned.
How could you
do this to me?
You did this to yourself.
That was cold.
So?
You had a hand in this.
My hands are clean.
No, they're not.
That ring Adam gave you
was stolen property.
It's a Class C felony.
You're looking at 15 years.
What are you talking about?
Caroline was dead.
That doesn't make
the ring yours.
Adam stole it.
You knowingly possessed it.
This is insane!
They don't allow
diamond rings in prison.
Think you're gonna have
to settle for silver bracelets.
[wolf howling]