Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 7, Episode 2 - Design - full transcript
A woman claims rape by a wealthy scientist, but upon further investigations she's not as much as a victim as it appears.
(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.
(guard)
My name's Ed,
and I'm here to listen
to your problems
with empathy...
without judgment
or advice.
Go away.
I care about you,
and I'm sure
many others do too.
Please just leave me alone!
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Take it easy.
There's got to be a lot of
folks that would miss you.
No!
No one.
What about the baby's father?
You don't understand.
[sobs]
I was raped!
Name?
We never got that far.
Is this her room?
No, she came in here
when the maid was cleaning.
I don't even think
she was staying here.
I need everybody out.
Now.
It's cold out here.
I brought you
something to drink.
I can't drink coffee.
It's just cocoa, okay?
Why don't you take it?
It'll warm up your hands.
I'm just gonna put it
right there, okay?
Here you go.
Thanks.
I'm Olivia.
April.
What's going on, April?
[siren wails]
April, have you picked out
a name for your baby?
Sarah.
Sarah was my mom's name.
She died last year.
Breast cancer.
The security guard
told you?
Yes.
That's why I'm here.
I'm from
the Special Victims Unit.
What if I can't
love my baby?
My baby!
You chose
to keep your baby.
You gave her
a beautiful name.
You already love your baby.
I can't do this alone.
Well, you don't have to.
I want you
to listen to me.
I'm gonna help you.
I promise you,
I will help you.
How?
We're gonna figure it
out together.
Now, will you give me
your hand?
Come on.
[sobs]
No!
[sobbing]
It's okay.
It's okay.
[sobbing]
No.
(Dr. Lambert)
Patient presented
as depressed and tearful
upon arrival.
(Benson)
Her name's April.
April Troost.
Ran a tox screen on her
as well as a blood alcohol.
Both negative.
What about the pregnancy?
She's approximately 35 weeks.
No sign of distress
or malnutrition.
She's good to go.
You mean give birth.
No.
I mean I'm releasing her.
Uh, maybe you missed
the part
where she was gonna
take a swan dive
off a 20-story building.
Her suicidal ideation
has passed,
and she has no history
of prior attempts.
Well, can you guarantee
that she's not
gonna climb out
on the ledge tomorrow?
No, of course not.
So then put her
on a psych hold
until the baby is born.
I can't do that.
She's not acutely psychotic
or a danger
to herself or others.
Hey.
Hey!
The baby--
Baby doesn't count?
Look, she agreed
to outpatient counseling.
My job's done.
I thought I was dealing
with the rape.
Until yesterday.
I just snapped.
That happens.
You're not the first person
to go through this.
Everywhere I look,
I see his face.
Even when I close my eyes.
Why don't you
tell me about him.
We met at a bar
and talked all night.
He offered to walk me home,
and I thought...
Finally, a gentleman.
Went to my apartment.
And I remember praying,
"Please kiss me good night."
It'd been so long.
That's when he shoved me in
and locked the door.
Why didn't you
call the police?
I was a fool.
I actually believed
that he was
interested in me.
A nurse's aide.
I barely have my GED.
April, what happened to you
wasn't your fault.
Facing him is gonna help you
deal with this.
I can't.
You gotta be strong
for little Sarah.
You're all she has.
And I promise
I will help you.
How?
By arresting the man
that raped you.
Tell me his name.
Barclay Pallister.
(Barclay)
You expect me to remember
a woman I met in a bar
eight months ago.
You drank, you laughed,
one thing led to another.
Maybe I'd remember
if we'd had sex.
You did,
and she's calling it rape.
Yeah, by the way,
congratulations.
You're the daddy.
The hell I am.
I didn't have sex
with anybody.
I certainly
didn't rape anyone.
I'm happily married.
Happy enough for the wife
to alibi you?
I was probably here.
I spend more time in the lab
than I do at home.
No alibi.
Well, maybe she saw my photo
in Forbes or Fortune.
Thought I was
an easy target.
All those NBA players out there
and she picked you.
Look, I don't mean to brag,
but women have been crawling
out of the woodwork
ever since my company
went public.
What's up with the stiffs?
They're my gold mine.
I invented
an eco-friendly method
of turning these cadavers
into dust
without ever
lighting a match.
My flash-freeze method
will revolutionize
mortuary science.
And that gets you laid
like a rock star.
I'd never be unfaithful
to my wife.
She stood by me
one failed experiment
after another.
So you have no problem
taking a paternity test.
If it's necessary.
But I'm telling you,
the kid isn't mine.
(Stabler)
DNA proves it.
April Troost's kid
is definitely yours.
But that's impossible.
I didn't touch her.
Immaculate conception's
not gonna hold up in court,
so why don't you try again?
(Zierko)
All right.
Mr. Pallister admits
that he met the defendant
at a bar.
They had drinks,
but he does not remember
having sexual relations
with her.
Okay, so you had one too many,
you didn't know
what your body was doing.
Intox defense.
That's...better.
I'd know
if I raped her.
You did.
And April Troost has
a swollen belly to prove it.
In light of the DNA results,
we'll stipulate to paternity.
But the sex was consensual.
There was no rape.
(April)
I begged him to stop.
But he wouldn't listen.
(Novak)
This was after
he bolted the door.
Yes.
He threw me on the floor,
and he pinned me.
I couldn't move.
Did you scream?
At the top of my lungs.
But then he covered my mouth
with his hand.
And I could barely breathe.
Did you fight him?
I think I scratched
his face.
But then he got more violent,
and he put his hands
around my neck like this,
and he choked me.
And I thought
if I stopped screaming,
then maybe...
maybe he wouldn't kill me.
What happened next?
He raped me--
He raped me
over and over and over.
[sobbing]
Do we really want to put
that poor woman
through any more pain?
What are you offering?
Probation,
no jail time,
you and I take
the rest of the afternoon off.
I'd rather work.
15 years.
He does it all.
He's a contributing member
of society, and she belongs
in a psych ward.
Your own detectives
tried to commit her.
You can't use that.
I can in a custody hearing.
First he denies
having sex with her,
now he wants to be
Father of the Year?
It's his baby too.
He'll fight her for it.
Unless she agrees
to a plea.
Ready?
I can't face him again.
You're already
halfway there.
All you have to do
is keep your eyes on me.
[sighs]
Thank you.
(Zierko)
Why did you wait
eight months to report
the alleged rape?
I was scared.
Confused.
Humiliated.
Would you say suicidal?
I wanted to end my life.
Yes.
And your baby's?
No.
That's why I couldn't
hurt myself.
I love my baby too much.
A love so strong,
you're willing to charge
the baby's father
with rape?
It's the right thing
to do.
And nothing
will change your mind?
No.
How about
half a million dollars?
You called my office
this morning
and said you wanted to settle.
What the hell
were you thinking?
That lawyer told me
if I lose,
Barclay will take the baby.
He was lying to you.
I didn't know.
You sandbagged me.
Now the jury sees you
as a gold digger,
not a rape victim.
I'm sorry!
I made a mistake.
Why didn't you
just call me?
Because you'd be mad at me.
You are.
I can see it in your eyes.
I'm not mad.
I'm--I'm--
I'm disappointed.
How bad is it?
Our only choice is to put you
back on the stand
to turn down the settlement.
I'll recall you tomorrow,
and you can testify again.
I will do anything
to set things right.
(Judge Seligman)
My court starts
at 9:00 sharp, Ms. Novak.
Where's your witness?
I'm sure she's just delayed,
Your Honor.
We've been waiting
40 minutes.
She's made her decision.
She wants to settle.
She had every intention
of testifying today.
If I could just have
a brief continuance.
[phone rings]
(Seligman)
Miss Troost has obviously
changed her mind.
I'm not gonna keep that jury
waiting any longer.
(clerk)
Your Honor, I have
Detective Stabler on the line.
Highway police just found
Miss Troost.
(Officer Lowry)
She was traveling
eastbound, missed the curve,
and ran off the cliff
right here.
(Stabler)
No guardrail.
(Lowry)
I bet they'll find
the money
for one after this.
The gas tank burst
into flames on impact.
No survivors.
(Benson)
What time?
Fire Department got the call
around 5:00 this morning.
They said it'd been burning
for quite a while.
She probably fell asleep
at the wheel.
I think you'll find
it's a suicide.
Liv, there's nothing
you could've done.
I was angry,
and I let it show.
You got pissed off
because she lied to you.
She needed somebody
to believe in her.
The trial can still go on
without April, can't it?
What's the point?
I'm offering Barclay a deal.
He raped her and he left her
with a child.
The jury knows
that he did it.
The jury's going to acquit.
Last two words they heard
were cash settlement.
Which she was about
to turn down.
Unless she says so on the stand,
it's inadmissible.
So we just let Barclay walk?
Find me some evidence
she was gonna turn
down the settlement,
and I'll use it to bluff Barclay
into a plea.
(Benson)
There's no suicide note,
no diary.
[sighs]
Nothing on her email.
No documents relating
to the settlement.
Just bills.
Sofa's wet.
What's with the white crust?
(Siper)
Hydrogen peroxide.
Foams up when it comes
into contact
with blood cells.
Bubbles dry and leaves
this white crust.
Check out the wall.
See these smears?
Tried to wipe off the blood.
(Stabler)
And on the floor.
(Siper)
No body,
but this is definitely
a crime scene.
I'd say we have a homicide.
Perp kills April here,
stuffs her body in the car,
and sends it over the cliff.
(O'Halloran)
I figured out
how the crash was rigged.
Looks like
a paint mixing can.
Similar.
But these are used
to store chemicals in labs.
Like Barclay Pallister's.
It was thrown from the car
on impact.
See the angle
of these dents?
They're consistent
with the pail
being wedged under the dash
when the pedal's
to the metal.
I found more evidence
up there.
See these tire marks
in the pavement?
Wheels spun in place.
He wedged in the can,
and revved the engine.
Shift the car into drive,
it takes off
like a rocket.
Kills April in her apartment,
stages the crash here.
With her history,
Barclay knew we'd rule it
a suicide.
Her body burns up so no one ever
knows what he did to her.
I sent everything from the car's
interior over to the morgue.
Maybe Warner can piece together
how she died.
(Warner)
This is all
that survived the fire.
(Benson)
Not very much.
Fire Marshal says
an accelerant was used,
probably gasoline,
to enhance the burn.
Smart guy, wanted to make sure
we didn't find a body.
I didn't.
You mean it was incinerated?
No, I mean, there wasn't one
in that car.
Body burns,
you always find something.
Partial long bones,
dental fillings.
Son of a bitch used
his technology
to vaporize her.
He had to have access
to her home
and her car.
Maybe--maybe somebody
saw him with her.
April keep her car
in a garage?
(doorman)
She parks it
on the street.
Poor Ms. Troost.
She's such
a sweet lady.
Were you the doorman
last night?
Until 11:00.
Who relieved you?
No one.
After I leave,
visitors have
to be buzzed in.
(Munch)
Well, how about security
cameras,
surveillance video?
Management's too cheap.
When I retire in August,
won't even be a day guy
on the door anymore.
(Munch)
When is the last time
you saw April Troost?
Well, she came home
from a dinner date around 10:00.
You sure it was a date?
She was all dolled up.
She went to Luigi's,
which is kinda romantic.
How do you know
what restaurant?
She brought me
a doggie bag.
Nice T-Bone
for my rottweiler.
(Luigi)
'Course I remember her.
She special ordered.
No garlic
because of the baby.
Maybe she was hoping
for a good night kiss.
I don't think so.
They barely spoke
the whole meal.
What did he look like?
Tall.
And from his Black
American Express card,
very rich.
You get a copy
of the receipt?
Should be behind
the bar somewhere.
(Fin)
Uh, how was she acting?
Pretty upset.
Before dessert,
she yelled at him
and stormed out.
(Munch)
Do you know why?
I figured
it was the hormones.
Here it is.
Barclay Pallister.
(Zierko)
This is sour grapes.
You had to dismiss
the rape case,
so you're trying
to pin a homicide
on an innocent man.
The only reason that we lost
the rape case
is because your client killed
April Troost.
Kind of hard to kill someone
in a crowded restaurant.
(Stabler)
But easy at her apartment.
I never went
to her apartment.
Where'd you go after Luigi's?
Straight home.
Will your wife
vouch for that?
She left me
after you charged me with rape.
Well, if the screw fits.
My client met Ms. Troost
in a neutral location
with plenty of witnesses.
No law was broken.
What about witness tampering?
She invited him.
So what do a victim
and a rapist
talk about
over a plate of pasta?
Money.
She had me by the balls,
so I gave her half a million
in cash.
You walked through this city
carrying $500,000
and just handed it over to her.
Yeah.
Then why did she leave crying?
'Cause she's crazy.
I was happy to pay her
just to get her
out of my life.
She left with the money,
and I never saw her again.
The problem is
neither has anyone else.
(Zierko)
We're through here.
Charge my client
or leave.
By the way, your cleanup job
at the apartment sucked.
You should've let April
burn up in that car.
You've made an awful lot
of mistakes,
and I promise they're gonna
catch up to you.
Every piece of evidence points
to Barclay Pallister.
CSU checked his lab.
Same chemical cans,
same industrial strength
hydrogen peroxide.
Which you could find
in any lab.
It's still circumstantial.
Well, look, the blood
on the sofa,
walls, floor--
they're a DNA match
to April.
We don't have
a body.
Captain, got a nosy neighbor
off the canvass.
Said she complained to April
about loud music
the night she died.
April apologized
and said she'd tell her friend
to turn it down.
Did the neighbor get
a look at this friend?
She just said him.
(Munch)
I may know who.
April's LUDs,
four incoming calls
to her cell phone
after dinner,
all from the same number.
Barclay Pallister.
No.
A Roger Mason.
Lives on East 82nd.
(Roger)
April didn't answer the phone.
I was worried about the baby,
so I kept calling.
That's what friends do.
Most female homicide victims
are killed
by a man they know.
That's another thing
friends do.
You think I killed her?
(Fin)
You got impatient,
'cause she didn't return
your calls.
went over to her apartment,
got in a fight,
and killed her.
I'd never hurt my baby.
Your baby?
(Monica)
Our baby.
We were going to adopt
her unborn child.
April never mentioned that.
We agreed to pay
for the costs and the fees
of the pregnancy
and delivery.
How much does a bouncing
baby girl go for these days?
$50,000.
Sounds like you were
buying a baby.
April didn't
want to keep the baby.
This was best for everyone.
Now do you understand?
We could never hurt April.
Then what was so urgent
that night?
April was depressed.
She'd been through a lot.
Her husband died.
She lost her job,
got behind in the rent.
We had been giving her
extra cash.
But then two days ago
she stopped returning our calls.
(Fin)
April sure made a bundle
off of that rape.
Talk about making a silk purse
out of a sow's ear.
Half a million
from Barclay Pallister,
and 50 grand
for selling the baby.
Not exactly
the poor, fragile victim
we thought she was.
(Benson)
You have no idea.
Meet the Ramseys.
The Harts.
The Fritzlers.
All expectant parents.
All paid 50 grand
to adopt April Troost's baby.
There could be dozens of marks
we don't even know about.
She used the rape and pregnancy
to turn a quick buck.
And everybody she scammed
has motive to kill her.
Excuse me, I'm looking
for Captain Cragen.
I'm Captain Cragen.
Lorraine Dillon.
I'm April Troost's mother.
April said that her mother's
name was Sarah.
I've had six husbands
and as many last names.
But I've always been Lorraine.
Your daughter
also said that you died
of cancer last year.
She always had a problem
with the truth.
When she was a child,
she'd run away.
And when I brought her
back home,
she'd make all these
crazy allegations
against my former husbands.
When's the last time
you saw her?
It was about
four years ago.
We had a fight.
She stole several very expensive
pieces of jewelry,
including
my grandmother's diamond
and ruby necklace.
Did you call the police?
She was my daughter.
Maybe if I'd had, she'd--
she would still be alive.
Do you have any idea
who did this?
Mrs. Dillon,
we think April was mixed up
in some illegal activity.
There are quite a few suspects.
What did she do?
She took a lot of money
from a lot of people.
April always had a way
of hiding things.
I remember once
she said something
about a safe deposit box.
[drill hammers]
Take all the time you need.
Thank you.
(Lorraine)
Any jewelry in there?
No.
Headshots.
(Lorraine)
Those are very handsome men.
(Benson)
And well known.
He's a musician.
This one owns the hottest
restaurant in New York.
This is that new third basemen
that just came up from AAA.
These guys are a lot more
than just good looking.
How about this guy?
Barclay Pallister.
The man who raped my daughter?
Why would she have
his photograph?
April was stalking
Barclay Pallister.
And dozens of other men.
(Benson)
All handsome, rich,
talented,
at the top
of their professions.
I know this guy.
J.J. Price.
I've got his CD.
It's quite a gene pool
she's got here.
April was looking
for a champion breeder.
Barclay was the winner.
(Fin)
Some ho tricked me
into fatherhood,
I'd be pretty worked up.
(Cragen)
And paying child support
for the next 18 years.
17.5% of your income
before taxes.
With April and the baby dead,
Barclay dodges that bullet.
Not for the murder charge.
If he did it.
He's only one of the men
April was stalking.
Let's find out
who else she burned.
(Don)
Oh, that crazy chick?
What'd she say I did?
So you know her?
Yeah, I really wish
I didn't.
You two have sex?
Most likely, yeah.
You forget a hottie like that?
You must get a lot of action.
Dude, you don't know
the half of it, man.
I remember her face.
I just don't remember
the name.
The whole night
was kinda fuzzy.
Where'd you meet her?
At my restaurant.
Every man with a pulse
checked her out.
But she only had eyes
for you?
And my wallet.
But a body like that
is worth every penny.
How much she cost you?
(Don)
Nothing.
She bought me a beer.
Bet that happens a lot.
Well, they usually
expect me to pay,
especially after signing
my last big contract.
But she was different.
She knew everything
about me,
down to my stats.
What'd you do
after the drink?
Think we went back
to my crib.
You think?
That's all you remember?
Dude, I remember
porcelain, man.
Up close
and personal.
How many drinks
did she buy you?
Just one, which never
gives me a hangover.
I was sick as a dog.
Groggy, nauseous?
Both.
I thought I had the flu.
Did you see a doctor?
Didn't have to.
Pulled a random drug test
the next morning.
I failed.
What'd you take?
Nothing.
She doped me.
All right.
What'd they find?
Rohypnol.
What are you doing here?
Just need to ask you
some questions.
Get the hell away from me.
Hear me out.
The rape charge was dropped.
I don't need to talk to you.
Please, just listen to me.
Now, the first time
that you met April,
she bought you a drink.
Yeah, so?
What's the next thing
you remember?
Waking up in my own bed,
alone.
Loss of memory.
Headache?
Nausea.
She put something
in my drink?
Rohypnol.
I told you
I didn't rape her.
I know.
But if she slipped me
a Roofie...
how did I get it up?
The only explanation
is a technique
called electro ejaculation.
I don't like
the sound of that.
Nothing to it.
Insert this end
in the rectum,
an electric shock causes
an involuntary ejaculation.
Love used to be simpler.
The first procedure
was done back in the '70s
on a teenager who died
in a motorcycle accident.
His parents wanted
grandchildren.
It's called
Posthumous Reproduction.
The sperm from a corpse
is viable?
If harvested
within 30 hours.
Will this thing work
if the guy's not dead?
They've recently
started using this technique
on paraplegics
and coma victims.
If your guys were drugged,
they never knew it happened.
(Cragen)
And this is legal?
No state law provides
clear guidance
on how to retrieve sperm
from a man
who's incapacitated
or dead.
And you talked to all the men
that April stalked?
(Benson)
34 guys,
same story.
April buys 'em a drink.
Next thing they know,
it's morning,
she's gone,
they're sick puppies.
Any nightmares
about cattle prods?
Oh, they never knew
what hit 'em.
I thought I heard
of every sex crime.
Damn, who thinks
this stuff up?
Okay, so we know that April
used Barclay Pallister's
sperm to impregnate herself.
What did she do
with the rest?
(Stabler)
A lot of women
out there'd pay big money
to have one of these guys
father their children.
Sperm banks make big bucks
off genius sperm.
We have seven sperm banks
in New York City.
(Cragen)
Let's split 'em up
and hit 'em all.
(woman)
Welcome to the institute.
Please have a seat
and fill this out.
We're not interested
in your services.
Do you know this woman?
April.
She used to work here.
What was her job?
Collections.
She was our accountant.
(woman)
You lying son of a bitch.
You're a fraud.
Listen to that crap.
(McManus)
Excuse me.
Who are you?
(Benson)
The police.
What's going on in here?
That quack tricked me.
I did nothing of the sort.
I want my money back.
Stop.
Now, what exactly
is the problem?
He said my baby
would be playing Mozart.
I told you
there were no guarantees.
She can't even
play Chopsticks!
All she does
is bang on the damn keys!
All right, what exactly
did you promise her?
Nothing.
I inseminated her
with the life juice
of a renowned musician.
A genius in his field
who will
remain nameless.
Then why am I stuck with her?
You provided 50%
of her genetic material.
Perhaps she inherited
your traits.
Okay, how much did you pay
for this super sperm?
$20,000.
I want this woman arrested
for trespassing.
[metal clinks]
What are you doing?
I'm arresting you.
For what?
Stealing sperm.
What?
(McManus)
This is absurd.
You obviously don't understand
the magnitude of my work.
I'm saving the human race.
(Stabler)
By stealing sperm.
I didn't steal anything.
(Benson)
You conspired
with April Troost to forcibly
obtain the mother lodes.
Nobody was forced.
She explained my mission
to the gentlemen,
and persuaded them
to donate.
Yeah, with a cattle prod.
I had no idea.
I'm sorry
if people were hurt.
But their suffering will benefit
the greater good.
And how's that?
The intelligence
of the world's population
is rapidly declining.
Poor, less educated people
are reproducing
at higher rates
than bright,
successful ones.
I have four kids.
Yes.
My work will
reverse mankind's
inevitable demise
by spreading the seeds
of world class scientists,
musicians, athletes.
You're nothing but a Nazi trying
to engineer a master race.
He's a nut job.
A lot of researchers think
he's Nobel Prize material.
Who, the Dr. Mengele
fan club?
Almost everyone
in genetic engineering.
His work in pre-implantation
genetic diagnosis
allows us to screen embryos
for severe disorders
like Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis,
Down Syndrome.
He's legit.
And controversial.
He just invented a technique
for couples to select
their own baby's sex.
And he's researching ways
of manipulating
inherited characteristics
like height, eye color,
intelligence--
Making designer babies.
He can't do it yet.
But in our lifetime,
wealthy couples are gonna be
able to custom-order a baby.
And the couples
who can't afford it?
There'll be two races:
the enhanced and the average,
driving a bigger wedge
between the rich and the poor.
Looks like McManus'
research is on ice.
What happened?
His clinic's broke.
He makes hundreds
of thousands
selling genius sperm.
But his research
is expensive.
It's a temporary setback.
Dr. Frankenstein
had a backup plan.
What's that?
April's life insurance policy
naming you
as the sole beneficiary.
$5 million?
You just went
from zero to rich
faster than it takes
to drive off a cliff.
How could I know April was gonna
have a tragic accident?
Well, she didn't.
You murdered her.
That's preposterous.
It's more like ingenious.
You recognize that?
It's a chemical
storage can.
We found it at the scene
at April's car crash.
It's just like the one
you use at your lab.
Know what else we found
at your lab?
Hydrogen peroxide.
Same concentrate that was used
to clean up April's blood
in her apartment.
Hundreds of labs
use these things.
But I bet yours was
the only one who took out
an insurance policy
on the one person who could
blow the whistle
on where you got your sperm.
(Stabler)
She suckered you, too,
didn't she?
She blackmailed you
so nobody would find out?
That's why you
were so broke.
And if your clinic
closes down,
you're not saving the world.
So you murdered her
for the insurance money.
No.
I loved her.
Oh, so you were sleeping
with her too.
(McManus)
That's disgusting.
She's my daughter.
I didn't kill her.
And I can prove it.
Who told you?
Your father.
Mother always said
never trust a man.
Where's the baby, April?
It was stillborn.
You're a liar.
What, you didn't need
it anymore,
so you killed it?
That's not a very
nice thing to say
to someone in mourning.
Cut the act, April!
I'm sick of your crap.
You were my friend.
You promised to protect me.
When you were a rape victim,
not a rapist.
You sexually assaulted
three dozen men.
Really?
Did they tell you
I assaulted them?
We've got you on extortion
and fraud.
Not to mention ripping off
childless couples.
And extorting
half a million dollars
from Barclay Pallister.
It was a settlement.
There's nothing illegal
about being paid
for my pain and suffering.
Faking your own murder
for the insurance money is.
Gotta hand it to you.
Smearing your own blood
on the walls?
That was good.
You have a sick imagination.
On my best day
I couldn't make this stuff up.
I'm the victim here.
None of this is my fault.
April Troost, you are
under arrest for fraud.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Anything you say can...
You're only charging April
with fraud and extortion?
She's a walking
crime spree.
My hands are tied.
Three dozen of her victims
don't even have
a memory of being raped.
What about the baby?
No hospitals
in the tri-state area
even have a record
that she delivered one.
Casey, trust me,
she did.
And then she sold it
or she drowned it
or who knows.
But that evil bitch did
something terrible
with that baby.
You know, for all we know,
it really was stillborn,
and that's not a crime.
No, it's a con!
April has been scamming us
since day one.
She never had any intention
of jumping off that ledge.
She played you,
so now you're pissed.
Yes, I'm pissed.
But we still have
to find that baby.
Not to mention ruining
Barclay Pallister's life.
That's not our fault.
That's April's.
And knowing her, she will find
someone else to blame.
Her mother.
April was raised without
any moral values whatsoever.
So she's a sociopath.
April's well aware
of right and wrong,
but she believes
the law doesn't apply to her.
That's how she was brought up.
My mother told me
that storks bring babies
and that Santa came
down the chimney.
But you know what,
you grow up and you realize
that some of the things
your parents told you
aren't true.
Not if you're brainwashed.
April Troost is like
a suicide bomber,
indoctrinated from birth.
She lives her life
by the lies her mother told her.
Ignorance of the law
is no defense.
Mental defect is.
Your shrink will agree,
April wasn't responsible
for her actions.
Mother had me running scams
from the day I was born.
I saved her thousands
in hospital bills.
(Huang)
She conned her doctor?
She took him
for everything he had.
He was husband
number two.
Do you find tricking people
amusing?
Absolutely.
Mother always said
if you're too stupid
to see the wool
being pulled over your eyes,
you deserve what you get.
So it's okay
to rip people off,
to break the law?
[scoffs]
I know there are rules.
But they don't apply to me.
How did that
go over in school?
I didn't go to school.
Mother didn't want me picking up
any bad habits.
Like what?
Feeling sorry for people.
What mother called
"getting soft."
She taught me to stay alert.
Be on the lookout.
For what?
There are always people who want
to take advantage of me.
That's why I have to take
advantage of them first.
Survival of the fittest.
Screw or get screwed.
Mother drilled that into me.
She taught me everything
she knew about people.
Men in particular.
She went through six husbands
and their fortunes.
What about your father,
Dr. McManus?
Husband number one.
She left him right
after I was born.
He was brilliant
but broke.
I didn't meet him
until a year ago.
He was thrilled to find
the daughter he never knew.
And how did you feel?
It was the opportunity
of a lifetime.
I needed a job,
and he paid me well
to bring him
the best genetic material.
Barclay Pallister.
April, don't you think
that he deserves to know
where his baby is?
Only if I get a sweet deal.
Why should you get a break?
I'm too beautiful for prison.
(Lorraine)
I had no idea
how sick she really is.
April fooled everybody.
She's quite an actress.
I bailed her out,
and this is the thanks I get.
All of her problems
are my fault.
Can she do this?
Can she tell
all these lies in court?
I can make sure
the jury hears the truth.
You can testify.
No.
Let her say what
she wants about me.
I'm on my way
back to Florida tonight.
Hi, Mom.
How could you do this
to your own mother?
Oh, some mother.
You led the cops right
to my safe deposit box.
Too bad the money
wasn't there.
This is not about the money.
Just tell them
where the baby is.
Are you kidding?
I'm through with you.
No way I'm letting April walk.
Well, if we don't give her
some kind of plea,
we may never find the baby.
How do we know
it's alive?
I'm sure of it.
It's her only
bargaining chip.
We checked out all the couples
who had contracts
to buy April's baby.
None of them have
the child.
Hotel clerk says
she checked in alone.
She was not pregnant.
There are no leads
off her LUDs.
That baby could be anywhere.
Black market in newborns?
That's booming.
She's a cold-hearted bitch.
But is she crazy?
No.
She's amoral.
She knows what she's doing
is wrong.
The jury will see it
as just another con job.
Take her to trial,
you're never gonna find the kid.
(Stabler)
Wherever the baby is,
it's better off
than being with April.
Unless she sold the kid
to a pedophile.
You have to find my baby.
Mr. Pallister.
You must make April
tell you where the baby is.
(Novak)
She won't.
Unless we let her off,
and I can't do that.
You have to.
She's a dangerous woman.
You owe me.
Do we have
any other leverage on her?
(McManus)
You're wrong about April.
She's a sweet girl.
If anyone's to blame,
it's her mother.
I never should've chosen
Lorraine.
For what?
My first experiment.
I was looking
for the perfect woman.
Bright, beautiful,
accomplished.
Lorraine was ideal.
I married her,
and we had April.
She was a beautiful baby.
Smart.
170 IQ.
Great, but what happened
to your experiment?
I thought I'd picked
the ultimate mate,
but Lorraine wanted
to be rich.
I wasn't.
I didn't see April
till she found me last year.
I was just so happy
to have my daughter back.
Your daughter's
using you to scam
rich and powerful men.
She meant no harm.
She was just trying
to help me.
By claiming Barclay Pallister
raped her and then having
his child to prove it?
She knew it was wrong.
And she came to me.
And she said
that she had to die
to fix this mess she made.
Right, and you'd collect
on her insurance.
No, no, I was--
I was gonna give April
all the money
so she and the baby
could start a new life.
Except that new life
doesn't include the baby.
What do you mean?
April doesn't have the child.
And she won't tell us
where it is.
She'll tell me.
(McManus)
April, you're confused.
You're not thinking about
what's best for the baby.
I'm not confused.
I'm thinking about
what's best for me.
No one else will.
I will.
Yeah, right.
They offer you a deal
if you got me
to give up the kid?
No, I'm just trying
to help you.
Why?
I'm your father.
I love you, April.
Love is for suckers.
That baby's my ticket
out of here.
I want my deal.
I can't give you one.
Well, then I can't
give you my baby.
Please.
Take this baby away from her
before she destroys it.
Fine, you have your deal.
No jail.
Now, where's the baby?
Nice doing business with you.
Novak let you off,
didn't she?
Yeah.
I'm glad.
Why?
Because you don't deserve
to be a mother.
And I'm gonna make sure
that you never see
that child again.
Good.
Maybe the kid'll have
a chance.
(woman)
You poor thing.
They stole your purse
at the funeral?
Yes.
My credit cards,
my ID, my cash.
My daughter is dead,
and I just want to
get my grandbaby
back to Florida.
Well, here's a voucher
for a train ticket
to Miami.
Thank you.
(Benson)
You're not going anywhere.
Detectives.
Oh, man, you are
a piece of work.
Just curious.
How did you track me down?
Your daughter gave you up.
You two have been
working together
all along.
That was quite
a performance you gave
at our squadroom.
Well, that's my girl.
I taught her
everything she knows.
Well, you won't be teaching
that child a damn thing.
I can't prove that you broke
the law this time.
But lady...
I am gonna get you.
(Cragen)
Olivia.
How's the baby?
Sarah's fine.
Not that April
or her mother give a damn.
I bet you they're
in a bar right now
laughing at us.
Let it go.
I can't.
They scammed everyone,
and we just let them walk.
We got the baby.
I know, but we haven't seen
the last of them.
They will never stop
playing their sick games.
Okay, she's
medically cleared.
You can take her.
Hi.
(Cragen)
Liv, you gotta stop
beating yourself up.
The baby matters more.
Now she'll be loved.
(Barclay)
I was up all night
preparing her room.
'Cause Sarah deserves
the best.
(Stabler)
Well, she's certainly got it.
(Benson)
You take care.
Thank you.
I hear April's IQ is 170.
That's what Dr. McManus
says, yeah.
Yes, I've read up on him.
He's brilliant.
And she has good genes
on my side too.
She's perfect.
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.
(guard)
My name's Ed,
and I'm here to listen
to your problems
with empathy...
without judgment
or advice.
Go away.
I care about you,
and I'm sure
many others do too.
Please just leave me alone!
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Take it easy.
There's got to be a lot of
folks that would miss you.
No!
No one.
What about the baby's father?
You don't understand.
[sobs]
I was raped!
Name?
We never got that far.
Is this her room?
No, she came in here
when the maid was cleaning.
I don't even think
she was staying here.
I need everybody out.
Now.
It's cold out here.
I brought you
something to drink.
I can't drink coffee.
It's just cocoa, okay?
Why don't you take it?
It'll warm up your hands.
I'm just gonna put it
right there, okay?
Here you go.
Thanks.
I'm Olivia.
April.
What's going on, April?
[siren wails]
April, have you picked out
a name for your baby?
Sarah.
Sarah was my mom's name.
She died last year.
Breast cancer.
The security guard
told you?
Yes.
That's why I'm here.
I'm from
the Special Victims Unit.
What if I can't
love my baby?
My baby!
You chose
to keep your baby.
You gave her
a beautiful name.
You already love your baby.
I can't do this alone.
Well, you don't have to.
I want you
to listen to me.
I'm gonna help you.
I promise you,
I will help you.
How?
We're gonna figure it
out together.
Now, will you give me
your hand?
Come on.
[sobs]
No!
[sobbing]
It's okay.
It's okay.
[sobbing]
No.
(Dr. Lambert)
Patient presented
as depressed and tearful
upon arrival.
(Benson)
Her name's April.
April Troost.
Ran a tox screen on her
as well as a blood alcohol.
Both negative.
What about the pregnancy?
She's approximately 35 weeks.
No sign of distress
or malnutrition.
She's good to go.
You mean give birth.
No.
I mean I'm releasing her.
Uh, maybe you missed
the part
where she was gonna
take a swan dive
off a 20-story building.
Her suicidal ideation
has passed,
and she has no history
of prior attempts.
Well, can you guarantee
that she's not
gonna climb out
on the ledge tomorrow?
No, of course not.
So then put her
on a psych hold
until the baby is born.
I can't do that.
She's not acutely psychotic
or a danger
to herself or others.
Hey.
Hey!
The baby--
Baby doesn't count?
Look, she agreed
to outpatient counseling.
My job's done.
I thought I was dealing
with the rape.
Until yesterday.
I just snapped.
That happens.
You're not the first person
to go through this.
Everywhere I look,
I see his face.
Even when I close my eyes.
Why don't you
tell me about him.
We met at a bar
and talked all night.
He offered to walk me home,
and I thought...
Finally, a gentleman.
Went to my apartment.
And I remember praying,
"Please kiss me good night."
It'd been so long.
That's when he shoved me in
and locked the door.
Why didn't you
call the police?
I was a fool.
I actually believed
that he was
interested in me.
A nurse's aide.
I barely have my GED.
April, what happened to you
wasn't your fault.
Facing him is gonna help you
deal with this.
I can't.
You gotta be strong
for little Sarah.
You're all she has.
And I promise
I will help you.
How?
By arresting the man
that raped you.
Tell me his name.
Barclay Pallister.
(Barclay)
You expect me to remember
a woman I met in a bar
eight months ago.
You drank, you laughed,
one thing led to another.
Maybe I'd remember
if we'd had sex.
You did,
and she's calling it rape.
Yeah, by the way,
congratulations.
You're the daddy.
The hell I am.
I didn't have sex
with anybody.
I certainly
didn't rape anyone.
I'm happily married.
Happy enough for the wife
to alibi you?
I was probably here.
I spend more time in the lab
than I do at home.
No alibi.
Well, maybe she saw my photo
in Forbes or Fortune.
Thought I was
an easy target.
All those NBA players out there
and she picked you.
Look, I don't mean to brag,
but women have been crawling
out of the woodwork
ever since my company
went public.
What's up with the stiffs?
They're my gold mine.
I invented
an eco-friendly method
of turning these cadavers
into dust
without ever
lighting a match.
My flash-freeze method
will revolutionize
mortuary science.
And that gets you laid
like a rock star.
I'd never be unfaithful
to my wife.
She stood by me
one failed experiment
after another.
So you have no problem
taking a paternity test.
If it's necessary.
But I'm telling you,
the kid isn't mine.
(Stabler)
DNA proves it.
April Troost's kid
is definitely yours.
But that's impossible.
I didn't touch her.
Immaculate conception's
not gonna hold up in court,
so why don't you try again?
(Zierko)
All right.
Mr. Pallister admits
that he met the defendant
at a bar.
They had drinks,
but he does not remember
having sexual relations
with her.
Okay, so you had one too many,
you didn't know
what your body was doing.
Intox defense.
That's...better.
I'd know
if I raped her.
You did.
And April Troost has
a swollen belly to prove it.
In light of the DNA results,
we'll stipulate to paternity.
But the sex was consensual.
There was no rape.
(April)
I begged him to stop.
But he wouldn't listen.
(Novak)
This was after
he bolted the door.
Yes.
He threw me on the floor,
and he pinned me.
I couldn't move.
Did you scream?
At the top of my lungs.
But then he covered my mouth
with his hand.
And I could barely breathe.
Did you fight him?
I think I scratched
his face.
But then he got more violent,
and he put his hands
around my neck like this,
and he choked me.
And I thought
if I stopped screaming,
then maybe...
maybe he wouldn't kill me.
What happened next?
He raped me--
He raped me
over and over and over.
[sobbing]
Do we really want to put
that poor woman
through any more pain?
What are you offering?
Probation,
no jail time,
you and I take
the rest of the afternoon off.
I'd rather work.
15 years.
He does it all.
He's a contributing member
of society, and she belongs
in a psych ward.
Your own detectives
tried to commit her.
You can't use that.
I can in a custody hearing.
First he denies
having sex with her,
now he wants to be
Father of the Year?
It's his baby too.
He'll fight her for it.
Unless she agrees
to a plea.
Ready?
I can't face him again.
You're already
halfway there.
All you have to do
is keep your eyes on me.
[sighs]
Thank you.
(Zierko)
Why did you wait
eight months to report
the alleged rape?
I was scared.
Confused.
Humiliated.
Would you say suicidal?
I wanted to end my life.
Yes.
And your baby's?
No.
That's why I couldn't
hurt myself.
I love my baby too much.
A love so strong,
you're willing to charge
the baby's father
with rape?
It's the right thing
to do.
And nothing
will change your mind?
No.
How about
half a million dollars?
You called my office
this morning
and said you wanted to settle.
What the hell
were you thinking?
That lawyer told me
if I lose,
Barclay will take the baby.
He was lying to you.
I didn't know.
You sandbagged me.
Now the jury sees you
as a gold digger,
not a rape victim.
I'm sorry!
I made a mistake.
Why didn't you
just call me?
Because you'd be mad at me.
You are.
I can see it in your eyes.
I'm not mad.
I'm--I'm--
I'm disappointed.
How bad is it?
Our only choice is to put you
back on the stand
to turn down the settlement.
I'll recall you tomorrow,
and you can testify again.
I will do anything
to set things right.
(Judge Seligman)
My court starts
at 9:00 sharp, Ms. Novak.
Where's your witness?
I'm sure she's just delayed,
Your Honor.
We've been waiting
40 minutes.
She's made her decision.
She wants to settle.
She had every intention
of testifying today.
If I could just have
a brief continuance.
[phone rings]
(Seligman)
Miss Troost has obviously
changed her mind.
I'm not gonna keep that jury
waiting any longer.
(clerk)
Your Honor, I have
Detective Stabler on the line.
Highway police just found
Miss Troost.
(Officer Lowry)
She was traveling
eastbound, missed the curve,
and ran off the cliff
right here.
(Stabler)
No guardrail.
(Lowry)
I bet they'll find
the money
for one after this.
The gas tank burst
into flames on impact.
No survivors.
(Benson)
What time?
Fire Department got the call
around 5:00 this morning.
They said it'd been burning
for quite a while.
She probably fell asleep
at the wheel.
I think you'll find
it's a suicide.
Liv, there's nothing
you could've done.
I was angry,
and I let it show.
You got pissed off
because she lied to you.
She needed somebody
to believe in her.
The trial can still go on
without April, can't it?
What's the point?
I'm offering Barclay a deal.
He raped her and he left her
with a child.
The jury knows
that he did it.
The jury's going to acquit.
Last two words they heard
were cash settlement.
Which she was about
to turn down.
Unless she says so on the stand,
it's inadmissible.
So we just let Barclay walk?
Find me some evidence
she was gonna turn
down the settlement,
and I'll use it to bluff Barclay
into a plea.
(Benson)
There's no suicide note,
no diary.
[sighs]
Nothing on her email.
No documents relating
to the settlement.
Just bills.
Sofa's wet.
What's with the white crust?
(Siper)
Hydrogen peroxide.
Foams up when it comes
into contact
with blood cells.
Bubbles dry and leaves
this white crust.
Check out the wall.
See these smears?
Tried to wipe off the blood.
(Stabler)
And on the floor.
(Siper)
No body,
but this is definitely
a crime scene.
I'd say we have a homicide.
Perp kills April here,
stuffs her body in the car,
and sends it over the cliff.
(O'Halloran)
I figured out
how the crash was rigged.
Looks like
a paint mixing can.
Similar.
But these are used
to store chemicals in labs.
Like Barclay Pallister's.
It was thrown from the car
on impact.
See the angle
of these dents?
They're consistent
with the pail
being wedged under the dash
when the pedal's
to the metal.
I found more evidence
up there.
See these tire marks
in the pavement?
Wheels spun in place.
He wedged in the can,
and revved the engine.
Shift the car into drive,
it takes off
like a rocket.
Kills April in her apartment,
stages the crash here.
With her history,
Barclay knew we'd rule it
a suicide.
Her body burns up so no one ever
knows what he did to her.
I sent everything from the car's
interior over to the morgue.
Maybe Warner can piece together
how she died.
(Warner)
This is all
that survived the fire.
(Benson)
Not very much.
Fire Marshal says
an accelerant was used,
probably gasoline,
to enhance the burn.
Smart guy, wanted to make sure
we didn't find a body.
I didn't.
You mean it was incinerated?
No, I mean, there wasn't one
in that car.
Body burns,
you always find something.
Partial long bones,
dental fillings.
Son of a bitch used
his technology
to vaporize her.
He had to have access
to her home
and her car.
Maybe--maybe somebody
saw him with her.
April keep her car
in a garage?
(doorman)
She parks it
on the street.
Poor Ms. Troost.
She's such
a sweet lady.
Were you the doorman
last night?
Until 11:00.
Who relieved you?
No one.
After I leave,
visitors have
to be buzzed in.
(Munch)
Well, how about security
cameras,
surveillance video?
Management's too cheap.
When I retire in August,
won't even be a day guy
on the door anymore.
(Munch)
When is the last time
you saw April Troost?
Well, she came home
from a dinner date around 10:00.
You sure it was a date?
She was all dolled up.
She went to Luigi's,
which is kinda romantic.
How do you know
what restaurant?
She brought me
a doggie bag.
Nice T-Bone
for my rottweiler.
(Luigi)
'Course I remember her.
She special ordered.
No garlic
because of the baby.
Maybe she was hoping
for a good night kiss.
I don't think so.
They barely spoke
the whole meal.
What did he look like?
Tall.
And from his Black
American Express card,
very rich.
You get a copy
of the receipt?
Should be behind
the bar somewhere.
(Fin)
Uh, how was she acting?
Pretty upset.
Before dessert,
she yelled at him
and stormed out.
(Munch)
Do you know why?
I figured
it was the hormones.
Here it is.
Barclay Pallister.
(Zierko)
This is sour grapes.
You had to dismiss
the rape case,
so you're trying
to pin a homicide
on an innocent man.
The only reason that we lost
the rape case
is because your client killed
April Troost.
Kind of hard to kill someone
in a crowded restaurant.
(Stabler)
But easy at her apartment.
I never went
to her apartment.
Where'd you go after Luigi's?
Straight home.
Will your wife
vouch for that?
She left me
after you charged me with rape.
Well, if the screw fits.
My client met Ms. Troost
in a neutral location
with plenty of witnesses.
No law was broken.
What about witness tampering?
She invited him.
So what do a victim
and a rapist
talk about
over a plate of pasta?
Money.
She had me by the balls,
so I gave her half a million
in cash.
You walked through this city
carrying $500,000
and just handed it over to her.
Yeah.
Then why did she leave crying?
'Cause she's crazy.
I was happy to pay her
just to get her
out of my life.
She left with the money,
and I never saw her again.
The problem is
neither has anyone else.
(Zierko)
We're through here.
Charge my client
or leave.
By the way, your cleanup job
at the apartment sucked.
You should've let April
burn up in that car.
You've made an awful lot
of mistakes,
and I promise they're gonna
catch up to you.
Every piece of evidence points
to Barclay Pallister.
CSU checked his lab.
Same chemical cans,
same industrial strength
hydrogen peroxide.
Which you could find
in any lab.
It's still circumstantial.
Well, look, the blood
on the sofa,
walls, floor--
they're a DNA match
to April.
We don't have
a body.
Captain, got a nosy neighbor
off the canvass.
Said she complained to April
about loud music
the night she died.
April apologized
and said she'd tell her friend
to turn it down.
Did the neighbor get
a look at this friend?
She just said him.
(Munch)
I may know who.
April's LUDs,
four incoming calls
to her cell phone
after dinner,
all from the same number.
Barclay Pallister.
No.
A Roger Mason.
Lives on East 82nd.
(Roger)
April didn't answer the phone.
I was worried about the baby,
so I kept calling.
That's what friends do.
Most female homicide victims
are killed
by a man they know.
That's another thing
friends do.
You think I killed her?
(Fin)
You got impatient,
'cause she didn't return
your calls.
went over to her apartment,
got in a fight,
and killed her.
I'd never hurt my baby.
Your baby?
(Monica)
Our baby.
We were going to adopt
her unborn child.
April never mentioned that.
We agreed to pay
for the costs and the fees
of the pregnancy
and delivery.
How much does a bouncing
baby girl go for these days?
$50,000.
Sounds like you were
buying a baby.
April didn't
want to keep the baby.
This was best for everyone.
Now do you understand?
We could never hurt April.
Then what was so urgent
that night?
April was depressed.
She'd been through a lot.
Her husband died.
She lost her job,
got behind in the rent.
We had been giving her
extra cash.
But then two days ago
she stopped returning our calls.
(Fin)
April sure made a bundle
off of that rape.
Talk about making a silk purse
out of a sow's ear.
Half a million
from Barclay Pallister,
and 50 grand
for selling the baby.
Not exactly
the poor, fragile victim
we thought she was.
(Benson)
You have no idea.
Meet the Ramseys.
The Harts.
The Fritzlers.
All expectant parents.
All paid 50 grand
to adopt April Troost's baby.
There could be dozens of marks
we don't even know about.
She used the rape and pregnancy
to turn a quick buck.
And everybody she scammed
has motive to kill her.
Excuse me, I'm looking
for Captain Cragen.
I'm Captain Cragen.
Lorraine Dillon.
I'm April Troost's mother.
April said that her mother's
name was Sarah.
I've had six husbands
and as many last names.
But I've always been Lorraine.
Your daughter
also said that you died
of cancer last year.
She always had a problem
with the truth.
When she was a child,
she'd run away.
And when I brought her
back home,
she'd make all these
crazy allegations
against my former husbands.
When's the last time
you saw her?
It was about
four years ago.
We had a fight.
She stole several very expensive
pieces of jewelry,
including
my grandmother's diamond
and ruby necklace.
Did you call the police?
She was my daughter.
Maybe if I'd had, she'd--
she would still be alive.
Do you have any idea
who did this?
Mrs. Dillon,
we think April was mixed up
in some illegal activity.
There are quite a few suspects.
What did she do?
She took a lot of money
from a lot of people.
April always had a way
of hiding things.
I remember once
she said something
about a safe deposit box.
[drill hammers]
Take all the time you need.
Thank you.
(Lorraine)
Any jewelry in there?
No.
Headshots.
(Lorraine)
Those are very handsome men.
(Benson)
And well known.
He's a musician.
This one owns the hottest
restaurant in New York.
This is that new third basemen
that just came up from AAA.
These guys are a lot more
than just good looking.
How about this guy?
Barclay Pallister.
The man who raped my daughter?
Why would she have
his photograph?
April was stalking
Barclay Pallister.
And dozens of other men.
(Benson)
All handsome, rich,
talented,
at the top
of their professions.
I know this guy.
J.J. Price.
I've got his CD.
It's quite a gene pool
she's got here.
April was looking
for a champion breeder.
Barclay was the winner.
(Fin)
Some ho tricked me
into fatherhood,
I'd be pretty worked up.
(Cragen)
And paying child support
for the next 18 years.
17.5% of your income
before taxes.
With April and the baby dead,
Barclay dodges that bullet.
Not for the murder charge.
If he did it.
He's only one of the men
April was stalking.
Let's find out
who else she burned.
(Don)
Oh, that crazy chick?
What'd she say I did?
So you know her?
Yeah, I really wish
I didn't.
You two have sex?
Most likely, yeah.
You forget a hottie like that?
You must get a lot of action.
Dude, you don't know
the half of it, man.
I remember her face.
I just don't remember
the name.
The whole night
was kinda fuzzy.
Where'd you meet her?
At my restaurant.
Every man with a pulse
checked her out.
But she only had eyes
for you?
And my wallet.
But a body like that
is worth every penny.
How much she cost you?
(Don)
Nothing.
She bought me a beer.
Bet that happens a lot.
Well, they usually
expect me to pay,
especially after signing
my last big contract.
But she was different.
She knew everything
about me,
down to my stats.
What'd you do
after the drink?
Think we went back
to my crib.
You think?
That's all you remember?
Dude, I remember
porcelain, man.
Up close
and personal.
How many drinks
did she buy you?
Just one, which never
gives me a hangover.
I was sick as a dog.
Groggy, nauseous?
Both.
I thought I had the flu.
Did you see a doctor?
Didn't have to.
Pulled a random drug test
the next morning.
I failed.
What'd you take?
Nothing.
She doped me.
All right.
What'd they find?
Rohypnol.
What are you doing here?
Just need to ask you
some questions.
Get the hell away from me.
Hear me out.
The rape charge was dropped.
I don't need to talk to you.
Please, just listen to me.
Now, the first time
that you met April,
she bought you a drink.
Yeah, so?
What's the next thing
you remember?
Waking up in my own bed,
alone.
Loss of memory.
Headache?
Nausea.
She put something
in my drink?
Rohypnol.
I told you
I didn't rape her.
I know.
But if she slipped me
a Roofie...
how did I get it up?
The only explanation
is a technique
called electro ejaculation.
I don't like
the sound of that.
Nothing to it.
Insert this end
in the rectum,
an electric shock causes
an involuntary ejaculation.
Love used to be simpler.
The first procedure
was done back in the '70s
on a teenager who died
in a motorcycle accident.
His parents wanted
grandchildren.
It's called
Posthumous Reproduction.
The sperm from a corpse
is viable?
If harvested
within 30 hours.
Will this thing work
if the guy's not dead?
They've recently
started using this technique
on paraplegics
and coma victims.
If your guys were drugged,
they never knew it happened.
(Cragen)
And this is legal?
No state law provides
clear guidance
on how to retrieve sperm
from a man
who's incapacitated
or dead.
And you talked to all the men
that April stalked?
(Benson)
34 guys,
same story.
April buys 'em a drink.
Next thing they know,
it's morning,
she's gone,
they're sick puppies.
Any nightmares
about cattle prods?
Oh, they never knew
what hit 'em.
I thought I heard
of every sex crime.
Damn, who thinks
this stuff up?
Okay, so we know that April
used Barclay Pallister's
sperm to impregnate herself.
What did she do
with the rest?
(Stabler)
A lot of women
out there'd pay big money
to have one of these guys
father their children.
Sperm banks make big bucks
off genius sperm.
We have seven sperm banks
in New York City.
(Cragen)
Let's split 'em up
and hit 'em all.
(woman)
Welcome to the institute.
Please have a seat
and fill this out.
We're not interested
in your services.
Do you know this woman?
April.
She used to work here.
What was her job?
Collections.
She was our accountant.
(woman)
You lying son of a bitch.
You're a fraud.
Listen to that crap.
(McManus)
Excuse me.
Who are you?
(Benson)
The police.
What's going on in here?
That quack tricked me.
I did nothing of the sort.
I want my money back.
Stop.
Now, what exactly
is the problem?
He said my baby
would be playing Mozart.
I told you
there were no guarantees.
She can't even
play Chopsticks!
All she does
is bang on the damn keys!
All right, what exactly
did you promise her?
Nothing.
I inseminated her
with the life juice
of a renowned musician.
A genius in his field
who will
remain nameless.
Then why am I stuck with her?
You provided 50%
of her genetic material.
Perhaps she inherited
your traits.
Okay, how much did you pay
for this super sperm?
$20,000.
I want this woman arrested
for trespassing.
[metal clinks]
What are you doing?
I'm arresting you.
For what?
Stealing sperm.
What?
(McManus)
This is absurd.
You obviously don't understand
the magnitude of my work.
I'm saving the human race.
(Stabler)
By stealing sperm.
I didn't steal anything.
(Benson)
You conspired
with April Troost to forcibly
obtain the mother lodes.
Nobody was forced.
She explained my mission
to the gentlemen,
and persuaded them
to donate.
Yeah, with a cattle prod.
I had no idea.
I'm sorry
if people were hurt.
But their suffering will benefit
the greater good.
And how's that?
The intelligence
of the world's population
is rapidly declining.
Poor, less educated people
are reproducing
at higher rates
than bright,
successful ones.
I have four kids.
Yes.
My work will
reverse mankind's
inevitable demise
by spreading the seeds
of world class scientists,
musicians, athletes.
You're nothing but a Nazi trying
to engineer a master race.
He's a nut job.
A lot of researchers think
he's Nobel Prize material.
Who, the Dr. Mengele
fan club?
Almost everyone
in genetic engineering.
His work in pre-implantation
genetic diagnosis
allows us to screen embryos
for severe disorders
like Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis,
Down Syndrome.
He's legit.
And controversial.
He just invented a technique
for couples to select
their own baby's sex.
And he's researching ways
of manipulating
inherited characteristics
like height, eye color,
intelligence--
Making designer babies.
He can't do it yet.
But in our lifetime,
wealthy couples are gonna be
able to custom-order a baby.
And the couples
who can't afford it?
There'll be two races:
the enhanced and the average,
driving a bigger wedge
between the rich and the poor.
Looks like McManus'
research is on ice.
What happened?
His clinic's broke.
He makes hundreds
of thousands
selling genius sperm.
But his research
is expensive.
It's a temporary setback.
Dr. Frankenstein
had a backup plan.
What's that?
April's life insurance policy
naming you
as the sole beneficiary.
$5 million?
You just went
from zero to rich
faster than it takes
to drive off a cliff.
How could I know April was gonna
have a tragic accident?
Well, she didn't.
You murdered her.
That's preposterous.
It's more like ingenious.
You recognize that?
It's a chemical
storage can.
We found it at the scene
at April's car crash.
It's just like the one
you use at your lab.
Know what else we found
at your lab?
Hydrogen peroxide.
Same concentrate that was used
to clean up April's blood
in her apartment.
Hundreds of labs
use these things.
But I bet yours was
the only one who took out
an insurance policy
on the one person who could
blow the whistle
on where you got your sperm.
(Stabler)
She suckered you, too,
didn't she?
She blackmailed you
so nobody would find out?
That's why you
were so broke.
And if your clinic
closes down,
you're not saving the world.
So you murdered her
for the insurance money.
No.
I loved her.
Oh, so you were sleeping
with her too.
(McManus)
That's disgusting.
She's my daughter.
I didn't kill her.
And I can prove it.
Who told you?
Your father.
Mother always said
never trust a man.
Where's the baby, April?
It was stillborn.
You're a liar.
What, you didn't need
it anymore,
so you killed it?
That's not a very
nice thing to say
to someone in mourning.
Cut the act, April!
I'm sick of your crap.
You were my friend.
You promised to protect me.
When you were a rape victim,
not a rapist.
You sexually assaulted
three dozen men.
Really?
Did they tell you
I assaulted them?
We've got you on extortion
and fraud.
Not to mention ripping off
childless couples.
And extorting
half a million dollars
from Barclay Pallister.
It was a settlement.
There's nothing illegal
about being paid
for my pain and suffering.
Faking your own murder
for the insurance money is.
Gotta hand it to you.
Smearing your own blood
on the walls?
That was good.
You have a sick imagination.
On my best day
I couldn't make this stuff up.
I'm the victim here.
None of this is my fault.
April Troost, you are
under arrest for fraud.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Anything you say can...
You're only charging April
with fraud and extortion?
She's a walking
crime spree.
My hands are tied.
Three dozen of her victims
don't even have
a memory of being raped.
What about the baby?
No hospitals
in the tri-state area
even have a record
that she delivered one.
Casey, trust me,
she did.
And then she sold it
or she drowned it
or who knows.
But that evil bitch did
something terrible
with that baby.
You know, for all we know,
it really was stillborn,
and that's not a crime.
No, it's a con!
April has been scamming us
since day one.
She never had any intention
of jumping off that ledge.
She played you,
so now you're pissed.
Yes, I'm pissed.
But we still have
to find that baby.
Not to mention ruining
Barclay Pallister's life.
That's not our fault.
That's April's.
And knowing her, she will find
someone else to blame.
Her mother.
April was raised without
any moral values whatsoever.
So she's a sociopath.
April's well aware
of right and wrong,
but she believes
the law doesn't apply to her.
That's how she was brought up.
My mother told me
that storks bring babies
and that Santa came
down the chimney.
But you know what,
you grow up and you realize
that some of the things
your parents told you
aren't true.
Not if you're brainwashed.
April Troost is like
a suicide bomber,
indoctrinated from birth.
She lives her life
by the lies her mother told her.
Ignorance of the law
is no defense.
Mental defect is.
Your shrink will agree,
April wasn't responsible
for her actions.
Mother had me running scams
from the day I was born.
I saved her thousands
in hospital bills.
(Huang)
She conned her doctor?
She took him
for everything he had.
He was husband
number two.
Do you find tricking people
amusing?
Absolutely.
Mother always said
if you're too stupid
to see the wool
being pulled over your eyes,
you deserve what you get.
So it's okay
to rip people off,
to break the law?
[scoffs]
I know there are rules.
But they don't apply to me.
How did that
go over in school?
I didn't go to school.
Mother didn't want me picking up
any bad habits.
Like what?
Feeling sorry for people.
What mother called
"getting soft."
She taught me to stay alert.
Be on the lookout.
For what?
There are always people who want
to take advantage of me.
That's why I have to take
advantage of them first.
Survival of the fittest.
Screw or get screwed.
Mother drilled that into me.
She taught me everything
she knew about people.
Men in particular.
She went through six husbands
and their fortunes.
What about your father,
Dr. McManus?
Husband number one.
She left him right
after I was born.
He was brilliant
but broke.
I didn't meet him
until a year ago.
He was thrilled to find
the daughter he never knew.
And how did you feel?
It was the opportunity
of a lifetime.
I needed a job,
and he paid me well
to bring him
the best genetic material.
Barclay Pallister.
April, don't you think
that he deserves to know
where his baby is?
Only if I get a sweet deal.
Why should you get a break?
I'm too beautiful for prison.
(Lorraine)
I had no idea
how sick she really is.
April fooled everybody.
She's quite an actress.
I bailed her out,
and this is the thanks I get.
All of her problems
are my fault.
Can she do this?
Can she tell
all these lies in court?
I can make sure
the jury hears the truth.
You can testify.
No.
Let her say what
she wants about me.
I'm on my way
back to Florida tonight.
Hi, Mom.
How could you do this
to your own mother?
Oh, some mother.
You led the cops right
to my safe deposit box.
Too bad the money
wasn't there.
This is not about the money.
Just tell them
where the baby is.
Are you kidding?
I'm through with you.
No way I'm letting April walk.
Well, if we don't give her
some kind of plea,
we may never find the baby.
How do we know
it's alive?
I'm sure of it.
It's her only
bargaining chip.
We checked out all the couples
who had contracts
to buy April's baby.
None of them have
the child.
Hotel clerk says
she checked in alone.
She was not pregnant.
There are no leads
off her LUDs.
That baby could be anywhere.
Black market in newborns?
That's booming.
She's a cold-hearted bitch.
But is she crazy?
No.
She's amoral.
She knows what she's doing
is wrong.
The jury will see it
as just another con job.
Take her to trial,
you're never gonna find the kid.
(Stabler)
Wherever the baby is,
it's better off
than being with April.
Unless she sold the kid
to a pedophile.
You have to find my baby.
Mr. Pallister.
You must make April
tell you where the baby is.
(Novak)
She won't.
Unless we let her off,
and I can't do that.
You have to.
She's a dangerous woman.
You owe me.
Do we have
any other leverage on her?
(McManus)
You're wrong about April.
She's a sweet girl.
If anyone's to blame,
it's her mother.
I never should've chosen
Lorraine.
For what?
My first experiment.
I was looking
for the perfect woman.
Bright, beautiful,
accomplished.
Lorraine was ideal.
I married her,
and we had April.
She was a beautiful baby.
Smart.
170 IQ.
Great, but what happened
to your experiment?
I thought I'd picked
the ultimate mate,
but Lorraine wanted
to be rich.
I wasn't.
I didn't see April
till she found me last year.
I was just so happy
to have my daughter back.
Your daughter's
using you to scam
rich and powerful men.
She meant no harm.
She was just trying
to help me.
By claiming Barclay Pallister
raped her and then having
his child to prove it?
She knew it was wrong.
And she came to me.
And she said
that she had to die
to fix this mess she made.
Right, and you'd collect
on her insurance.
No, no, I was--
I was gonna give April
all the money
so she and the baby
could start a new life.
Except that new life
doesn't include the baby.
What do you mean?
April doesn't have the child.
And she won't tell us
where it is.
She'll tell me.
(McManus)
April, you're confused.
You're not thinking about
what's best for the baby.
I'm not confused.
I'm thinking about
what's best for me.
No one else will.
I will.
Yeah, right.
They offer you a deal
if you got me
to give up the kid?
No, I'm just trying
to help you.
Why?
I'm your father.
I love you, April.
Love is for suckers.
That baby's my ticket
out of here.
I want my deal.
I can't give you one.
Well, then I can't
give you my baby.
Please.
Take this baby away from her
before she destroys it.
Fine, you have your deal.
No jail.
Now, where's the baby?
Nice doing business with you.
Novak let you off,
didn't she?
Yeah.
I'm glad.
Why?
Because you don't deserve
to be a mother.
And I'm gonna make sure
that you never see
that child again.
Good.
Maybe the kid'll have
a chance.
(woman)
You poor thing.
They stole your purse
at the funeral?
Yes.
My credit cards,
my ID, my cash.
My daughter is dead,
and I just want to
get my grandbaby
back to Florida.
Well, here's a voucher
for a train ticket
to Miami.
Thank you.
(Benson)
You're not going anywhere.
Detectives.
Oh, man, you are
a piece of work.
Just curious.
How did you track me down?
Your daughter gave you up.
You two have been
working together
all along.
That was quite
a performance you gave
at our squadroom.
Well, that's my girl.
I taught her
everything she knows.
Well, you won't be teaching
that child a damn thing.
I can't prove that you broke
the law this time.
But lady...
I am gonna get you.
(Cragen)
Olivia.
How's the baby?
Sarah's fine.
Not that April
or her mother give a damn.
I bet you they're
in a bar right now
laughing at us.
Let it go.
I can't.
They scammed everyone,
and we just let them walk.
We got the baby.
I know, but we haven't seen
the last of them.
They will never stop
playing their sick games.
Okay, she's
medically cleared.
You can take her.
Hi.
(Cragen)
Liv, you gotta stop
beating yourself up.
The baby matters more.
Now she'll be loved.
(Barclay)
I was up all night
preparing her room.
'Cause Sarah deserves
the best.
(Stabler)
Well, she's certainly got it.
(Benson)
You take care.
Thank you.
I hear April's IQ is 170.
That's what Dr. McManus
says, yeah.
Yes, I've read up on him.
He's brilliant.
And she has good genes
on my side too.
She's perfect.