Witness to Murder: A Darrow Mystery (2019) Movie Script

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[shots blasting]
Hello?
Mom?
-Hi.
-What are you doing?
Oh, I got up early today
and decided to...
to make pancakes
for my daughter
and my granddaughter.
Okay, who are you
and what have you done
with my real mother?
Ha, ha. Very funny.
I've made pancakes
for you before.
Hey, Mom.
Hey.
Nana?
What are you... doing?
She's making pancakes.
That's right.
That's really funny.
Why does everyone
think it's a joke?
I mean, these are
perfectly good pancakes.
I guess
we should try them.
These are good.
They actually are.
Oh, thank you.
Hey, uh, don't take this
the wrong way,
but how did you make these?
Oh, it's
an old family recipe...
that I learned on-line.
You know, they have the most
amazing things on the Internet.
Like, next, I'm going to learn
how to make a birdhouse.
Would you to help me?
-Sure.
-Good. Good.
Be some real quality
"Nana and Lou time."
Since when do you willingly
call yourself "Nana"?
Well, uh... I don't know.
I've been thinking.
I kind of like it here.
It feels like home.
And I think it's high time
that I gave up on the idea
of going back to New York
and starting all over
in another firm,
and what's done is done.
So, I feel it's time to...
...Embrace my family life.
Well, that is great.
'Course, you could've come
to this realization
when I was a kid.
I would've liked
some pancakes.
And now you have them.
And my life is complete.
You know what
we could really do
for Nana and Lou time?
Hmm?
You could help me
win the election.
Oh, yeah! Lou's running
for class president.
Oh, that's fantastic!
Great. Uh, so what
is your strategy?
Because you have to, you know,
find something
that really grabs people.
Like when I ran
for class president,
my slogan was
"more school dances,"
and I won by a landslide.
Or, if you're running,
I mean, you could try
to make a difference.
Within reason.
Like, you could try
to improve the nutrition
in those school lunches.
Oh, yeah, more vegetables.
That'll really
bring in the votes.
[Lou laughs]
Don't pay any attention
to your mother.
I'll help you with this.
Well! Morning, counselors.
Happy Friday.
-It's Monday.
-One can dream.
I believe I owe you dinner.
Or you owe me dinner?
One of us
owes each other dinner.
You know what we should do?
We should talk about it,
over dinner.
How about tonight?
I'm sorry, Miles, I can't.
I'm just swamped.
Got it. Well, let me check
my schedule then.
Um, let's see.
No. Mm, nah.
No. Oh, how about
tomorrow night?
Or the night after?
Or the night after that?
Miles, this week
is terrible for me.
I'm sorry, I'm just...
Swamped, I get it.
Yeah, gets me, too. Right?
Someone ought
to look into that.
Anyway, you know
where to find me.
Joanna.
She'll call you!
As I said, one can dream!
Just how long do you think
he's gonna keep asking?
I thought you liked him.
I do.
Well, you're going backwards.
You know,
when you like someone,
it's a good idea to,
I don't know,
go out on a date with him
once in a while?
Oh, come on! It's Miles!
He understands.
He's not going anywhere.
Yeah, but what if he does?
Look, I am warning you...
you keep taking it for granted,
and this thing
you have with Miles
is gonna go away.
What "thing"?
We don't have a thing.
Yeah, well, you won't,
if you keep this up.
Listen to your mother.
I know what I'm talking about.
[knocking]
Uh, there's a Cassie Piper
to see you.
Does she have an appointment?
No. But she's crying.
Zoey, you know
we're not obligated
to take on
every person who cries.
I know, but...
All right, show her
into the conference room.
Okay.
Now, why don't you tell us
what the problem is?
Okay.
It's...
my daughter, Megan.
[chuckles]
Look how cute.
Oh, she's adorable.
Isn't she?
Very sweet.
She's my only child.
The judge just gave
my ex-husband custody.
Why?
It's just a temporary thing
until the trial is over.
If I'm acquitted.
But, uh, my ex won't even
let me talk to her.
All right, well, why don't you
start from the beginning?
Until what trial is over?
Okay.
I'm a lawyer.
A lawyer
for one of the biggest
investment firms
in the country.
A firm that committed a variety
of legal and financial
improprieties.
I see.
I...
saw that things were happening
and I didn't say anything.
I didn't want
to jeopardize my position.
But?
But it finally
was too much.
I decided to blow the whistle
on them,
to reveal the financial
malfeasance of the whole firm.
Good for you.
But before I could do it,
they found out.
And now they're charging me
with insider trading.
-Wow.
-And they've helped the Feds
build a very solid case
against me,
and I could go to jail
for a long time,
but I don't care about that.
It's Megan.
They've taken her away from me
until this gets resolved,
and I just can't lose her.
Well, we'll do what we can,
but, first we need to ask
a few more questions.
Like, uh, what law firm
do you work for?
Herrimann, Corrigan,
and Herrimann.
That's...
Joanna's old firm.
Excuse me.
Joanna?
Oh. Can I borrow you
for a second?
Yeah.
Cassie.
Hello, Joanna.
[Claire]
You two know each other?
Yeah. I mentored Cassie
at H.C. and H.
We were once very close.
Oh, that's nice.
Yeah.
She's also the one
who made false accusations
that got me fired
and blacklisted
from every firm in New York.
Is that true?
Yes.
I'm sorry, Joanna.
I mean...
They had evidence.
They fooled me.
What, and you believed it?
I had no reason not to.
No reason?
Except that you know me.
I really am sorry, Joanna.
[exhales angrily]
You betrayed me, Cassie.
I didn't know
how easy it was for them
to manipulate the facts...
to manipulate me.
Now I do.
They're doing
a similar thing to Cassie now.
I see.
Well, I wish that I could say
I felt sorry for you...
It's worse
than what they did to you.
They're charging her
with a felony.
This is the only firm
that can help me.
Joanna, you know
all the players there.
You know
what they're capable of.
You know Brian Herrimann.
I just really need you
on my side.
[]
I'm staying
at the Brunswick Inn,
if you want to reach me.
Ah. I see you still have
this old thing.
It's a classic.
My dad worked on it
his entire life.
I'll never part with it.
Are you gonna take my case?
I honestly don't know.
You're the only one
who can help me.
You know how they work.
I don't mind losing my job...
but I can't lose Megan.
[]
Look, look.
We won't take the case if
you're not comfortable with it.
Comfortable?
Oh, I'm not comfortable
with any of this.
You know,
the day that they had me
come into their office,
I thought they were
gonna make me a partner.
I know. You mentioned it.
And instead, there was
Cassie Piper, my trusted friend,
telling Brian Herrimann,
the senior partner,
that she found evidence
of insider trading on my part...
using privileged information
for personal gain,
which is ridiculous,
if you looked in
my bank account.
[Joanna sighs]
They didn't even let me
defend myself.
No, they just showed me the door
and made sure that no other firm
in New York would hire me.
So, what do you think?
Should we take this case or not?
I think we should.
It's the right thing to do.
Of course, clearly, I'm not
included in this decision.
Family stuff.
Carry on.
So what do you say?
I know Cassie betrayed you,
but she needs our help.
And this isn't just about
a mother losing her daughter,
this is also about a daughter
losing her mother.
I know, I know.
It's just that...
Look, I-I will make a decision
before the day is through, okay?
[Miles] You're gonna
make a decision?
I don't know
what you're talking about,
so I thought I'd jump right in.
Miles, fancy meeting you.
Have a seat.
Oh, don't mind if I do.
Now, you know, when I have
to make a decision...
A bit of a method...
What I do is,
I study the options,
I weigh the pros and cons,
then I flip a coin.
Really?
That's right.
Well, that's if my Magic 8 Ball
isn't available.
Of course.
But there's actually
method to the madness, right?
Because when
the answer shows up,
I like the answer,
I know it's the right one.
The answer shows up,
I don't like the answer,
I know it's the wrong one,
I choose the other one.
Okay, that actually
makes a lot of sense.
It's simple and brilliant.
That's how I roll.
-It's as good as we've got.
-Try it.
All right. Um...
Do you have a coin?
It's a very scientific method.
Ah. Okay, so heads...
we take the case,
and tails, we don't.
-Okay.
-All right?
Tails, so...
we don't take the case.
How's that make you feel?
How do I feel about that?
Uh...
I don't know.
Thanks so much, Miles.
You really...
You really helped me out.
I aim to help.
[Claire] Try again.
[Lou] Well, it's official.
I'm running for class president.
-Good for you.
-Oh, that is great!
Okay, now you have to come up
with a slogan.
You have to come up with, like,
a clear, concise message
that says who you are.
Okay.
Who am I?
Well, you have to figure
that out.
How?
It can take a long time.
Just try to think about
the person you'd like to be.
Well, I'd like to be like you.
Thank you.
But I'd also like
to be like Nana.
Oh, that is so great.
Well, why can't you be
like both of us?
I don't see
how that would work.
You two are very different.
We look different
on the outside,
but I think, deep down,
we have the same beliefs.
Like with this election,
for example,
it's better to be honest
than to win. Right?
Uh, define "honest."
Be serious.
Okay. Be honest...
but win.
This is hard.
-They learn young.
-Poor thing.
[phone buzzing]
Whoa.
Who is it?
It's Herrimann.
-Your old boss?
-I haven't talked to him
since he threw me
out of his office.
Hi, Joanna?
Well, well, well. Mr. Herrimann.
I'm in town.
I'd love to get together
if you have time.
Yeah. Yeah,
I-I guess that would be...
that would be lovely.
-So how about tonight?
-Uh-huh.
Okay. Hey, do you mind
if I have
my daughter come along?
Certainly.
-Great. Great, yes.
-You do that.
Okay, we'll see you then.
-All right. See you soon.
-All right.
Well?
Well...
Jason, you see this?
The door, sir?
Yes, the door.
And the chipped paint
on the door.
Wait, chipped paint?
Don't pretend like
you do not see that.
All right? Be more careful
how you open the door to my car
in the future.
I'm sorry. That was
a really tight parking place.
You know what?
One thing I can't stand
is people making excuses.
I hate that.
But you just asked me to drive.
I'm not a chauffeur.
I'm a paralegal.
Yeah, and you won't
be a paralegal much longer
unless you learn how
to take care of my car.
Now get Tammy on the phone
for me.
Hello, Brian. Jason.
Joanna Darrow.
You look wonderful.
You're still abusing
your subordinates, I see.
Still as tough as nails,
I see.
Some things never change.
And this must be Claire,
your daughter.
Pleased to meet you.
That's kind of you to say.
Now, I hope
that you don't mind
me calling you
on such short notice.
I'm just in town
working on
that Williams probate case.
-Mm.
-It's, uh, it's pretty ugly,
but pretty lucrative.
Oh. Oh, those are
your favorite kind.
Sir, I have Tammy on the line.
You can see
that I'm busy here, right?
Please. Come on in.
Thanks.
Wow, this is...
This is a great place.
Isn't it?
Yeah, I found it in one of those
online home-sharing apps.
Yeah?
Joanna, Claire,
this is Gail Reed.
Hello.
She was very kind
to rent me her home.
Oh, it's my pleasure.
I have this little pied-a-terre
in town
and I don't want it
to go to waste.
Mm.
Why don't I give you the code
to the security system and
the password to the Internet?
Sure. Thank you.
Excuse me for a moment.
Mm-hmm.
Thank you so much.
It's good to see you
again, Ms. Darrow.
Aw, it's good
to see you, too, Jason.
You know, I think you were
the brightest paralegal
that we ever had at the firm.
But I have to be honest,
I kind of thought
that you'd be further along.
You know,
a full-time lawyer.
This fits in
with my career plans.
Is it my imagination,
or is there something going on
between Herrimann
and Ms. Reed?
Used to be.
They used to date.
They broke up.
So why is he staying
in her house?
And why is he renting it?
She needs the money, I guess.
Well, Claire, it's so nice
to finally meet you.
Joanna spoke about you
all the time.
She said that you were
the best lawyer she knew.
Did she?
All right, just don't let it
go to your head.
Please, sit.
Thank you.
Joanne, I, uh...
I, uh, well, I feel terribly
about how things ended.
What, you mean...
my firing,
being humiliated, uh...
and blacklisted?
I'm sure
you weren't humiliated.
Ah.
No doubt you have heard
about the Cassie Piper affair?
A little.
What was so he sad about it
is we all trusted Cassie
so much.
Naturally,
that calls into question
her testimony against you.
Uh, I questioned it
at the time.
Indeed, you did.
What I'm trying to say is
that the firm would like
to offer you
your old position back.
We feel
that you got a raw deal.
Mm.
You're right.
I did get a raw deal,
but not half as raw
as the deal that
you're offering Cassie.
You know that Cassie
came to Darrow & Darrow
to ask us
to take her case?
I am aware of that.
And I hope that
you showed her the door.
The Feds have
an open-and-shut case.
But let's get back to the offer
that's on the table.
The firm...
we're considering offering you
a junior partnership.
Ohh... uh-huh.
A-And let me guess.
Um...
That offer holds so long as
we don't take Cassie's case,
am I right?
Well, taking that case,
of course,
would show poor judgement
on your part,
which the firm
would likely frown upon.
Tsk. Gee...
You know, that's too bad,
because Darrow & Darrow
is taking Cassie's case.
We are?
We are.
In fact, um, the fact
that you're lobbying so hard
against our taking the case,
makes me doubly committed
to using every skill I have
to see
that Cassie is acquitted.
Please, if you just...
[phone rings]
Par... one moment.
What is it?
Just...
Don't do anything.
I'll be right there.
My apologies.
I'm experiencing
a bit of an emergency
in that probate case
I'm dealing with.
Perhaps we could meet for dinner
and discuss this further.
Oh, there's nothing left
to discuss.
What do you mean?
It means
we'll see you in court.
Wait. Claire,
didn't I have my purse?
Did you leave it in there?
I'll go back.
And I had
such a good parting line.
We could probably
come up with something better.
No, I'm never gonna top that.
[four rapid gunshots fire]
[three shots firing,
glass shattering]
[tires squealing]
Are you okay?
Jason?
Oh, no. Jason!
What happened?
I'm calling an ambulance.
Yes! We need an ambulance
at 99 River Street.
A man's been shot.
Thank you.
Help is gonna be here
any minute.
Okay.
Is he okay?
No.
Claire, I think he's dead.
[]
Just take a deep breath
and tell me what you saw.
It was awful.
[police radio crackling
indistinctly]
Is there anything
I can get you, Claire?
Oh, no. Thanks, Nancy.
I'm okay.
Actually, I'm not.
I'm really not.
I'll get you some water.
Thank you.
Claire. Hey.
Hey.
How are you?
How're you doing?
Feeling a little sick.
I heard you found him.
It was just so weird.
We were just talking to him
and now he's...
I'm sorry.
I'm surprised to see you here.
Usually, an ADA doesn't
visit a crime scene.
Well, neither does a lawyer,
so...
Well, I'm not here as a lawyer.
I'm here a witness.
Sort of.
I'm not here either.
I was consulting with
Lieutenant Lang
on another matter
and then the call came in.
What matter?
-Hmm?
-What matter?
Oh, what matter?
Yeah, I'm not at liberty to say.
Why were you here?
I invoke
attorney-client privilege.
Well, there you go.
Is that the client?
No, I just met him.
Any idea
who the shooter is?
No. We saw a car driving by,
really fast.
Did you see the driver?
What?
This is...
-Lieutenant Lang. Homicide.
-This is Lieutenant Lang.
-Oh.
-Did you?
See the driver? No. No.
Your passenger,
Ms. Darrow here,
said she recognized the car.
-I did.
-You did?
I'll ask the questions, Miss...?
-Darrow.
-Darrow.
Oh. Darrow and Darrow.
-Mm.
-Yeah.
Whose car was it?
It was Cassie Piper's.
Really? You saw her face?
No, no.
But it looked like her car.
It was the same make and model.
No, it was hers.
I saw her
just before I got shot.
Then she drove off
like Dale Earnhardt.
Really? Like that?
Yeah. Really. Like that.
Just one last question,
Mr. Herrimann.
Do you have any reason
to believe
this Cassie Piper would
want to kill Jason Morrison?
No, that woman wasn't trying
to kill my paralegal.
She was trying to kill me.
Put out an all-points bulletin
on Cassie Piper.
Driving a 1970 gray Chevelle.
She may be armed.
Cassie Piper
is not the shooter.
I know her.
She's not a killer.
Well, most people
aren't killers
till they kill.
I'm afraid we're gonna have
to continue this another time.
-Right.
-Duty calls.
I'll, uh, drop you off
back at the station.
Thank you.
Hey, you going to be okay,
Claire?
Uh, yeah, fine.
-Call me.
-Okay.
'Kay. Bye.
[]
Here you go.
Sorry that took so long.
Lieutenant Lang keeps us busy.
I don't know Lieutenant Lang.
Is she new?
Oh, she's one of the best
detectives on the force.
She just got transferred back
to Metropolitan Homicide.
We're really lucky
to have her.
Does Miles know her, too?
Oh... yeah.
Just between you and me,
rumor has it
they used to be
something of an item.
An "item"?
[]
Hey.
Are you guys okay?
We heard about the shooting.
It was awful.
I'm sure the police
will find the shooter.
Yeah, well, Lieutenant Lang
seems very capable.
Oh, Miles's ex is on the case?
Yeah, Raymond, could you come
with me for a minute, please?
Yeah.
[sighs]
Are you sure you're okay?
Yeah.
I've never seen
anything like that.
You can take some time off,
you know.
That was rough.
Yeah. I'm so sorry.
-I'll be all right.
-You know what?
Claire, you don't really
have to be.
Thanks.
Raymond, did Cassie strike you
as the "mad shooter" type?
I mean, she's a lawyer,
for crying out loud.
Well, you know what?
You never know with people.
I once defended
a Cordon Bleu chef
who was an arsonist.
He made
a fabulous bouillabaisse.
Joanna thinks
she's not guilty.
Joanna knows her
better than we do.
She also has reason
to hate her,
and she thinks she's innocent.
I do too.
We're defending Cassie
against the Federal charge.
It looks like
she's gonna need a lawyer
for a murder charge as well.
Yeah, I know...
I'm thinking about that.
Good.
So there's something else.
Miles's ex...?
Hmm-hmm. That?
Yeah, well, I, you know,
I don't even think
you can call her an ex.
I mean, they just...
they dated briefly.
How long ago?
Uh, it was a couple years
after Miles's wife died.
Hmm.
Maybe that's why
it didn't work out.
It's too bad, you know.
I always thought
they made a sweet couple.
Did you?
[chuckles]
Claire, that was a long time
before you had your thing
with Miles.
Hey, we don't have a thing.
Raymond,
we don't have a thing.
Why does everyone think
we have a thing?
-It's not a thing.
-[phone rings]
Your phone's ringing.
-I know!
-[Raymond laughing]
I'm just saying
we don't have a thing!
-Sure.
[phone ringing]
-Raymond?
-Yes?
Cassie's gonna need
a criminal lawyer
for these new charges.
We were just
talking about that.
Yeah. Corporate law's my thing.
She needs the best
criminal lawyer in town.
We all know who that is.
Yes.
Hey. Miles just called.
I got to go.
-Where to?
-The police station.
Cassie's been arrested.
She's gonna need a lawyer.
[both quietly laughing]
-Voila.
-Yeah.
All right,
let's just try this again.
So you say
that you were in your car,
driving around,
from the time before
the shooting happened
until the cops pulled you over
on the highway.
So where were you going?
I wasn't going anywhere.
I was just driving.
I do that when I'm upset.
Why were you upset?
I told you.
My daughter.
It wasn't because
you'd just shot
and killed a man?
No!
No, I would never hurt Jason.
You have to believe me.
What about Herrimann?
Would you hurt him?
Brian Herrimann says
that he saw you
at the scene of the crime.
What were you doing there?
I wasn't.
I wasn't there.
I told you,
I was in my car.
Driving around aimlessly.
That's just...
that's not much of an alibi.
How much trouble am I in?
I don't know.
I just want
to talk to my daughter.
Thanks.
-Hey.
-Hey.
So...
you're defending her?
I am. Yeah.
Okay.
Well, then you should know,
Lieutenant Lang
found an automatic pistol
down the street
from the house.
No fingerprints.
Wiped clean.
-Serial numbers...
-Serial numbers filed off.
And it's a Tokarev TT-33,
but converted
to a nine-millimeter
to extend the...
...Extending the pistol's range
for long-distance shooting.
Yes, very good.
[scoffs]
Women can know about guns.
I'm kidding.
Of course they can.
Also...
ballistics match the gun to the shooting.
Well, they still can't
tie that to Cassie Piper.
Oh. Okay, well, there's more.
There's more.
They also found eight
discharged shell casings
inside Cassie Piper's car.
From the Tokarov?
That's right.
Also wiped clean, no prints.
How many rounds were fired?
They've found seven.
So one's missing.
Yeah.
They'll find it.
Is something wrong?
You're not...
you're not bantering.
Usually we...
I'm bantering.
Okay, look.
Ahem.
So, I've been
assigned the case.
Oh!
Yeah, so I'm prosecuting.
Oh. Right.
-And you're defending.
-I am.
Right. So I don't think
a prosecuting attorney
should be dating
a defense attorney
-during a trial.
-No.
So I say
put our relationship on hold
till after the trial.
-[laughs]
-What's so funny?
Why are you laughing?
What'd I say?
You do realize
that we're not actually
in a relationship, right?
What, are you hitting
the juice jar?
-[laughs]
-Of course,
we're in a relationship,
we're just, you know...
it's just early stages.
It's nascent.
-Nascent?
-Nascent, yeah.
Coming into existence.
Just beginning. "Nascent."
So you want us
to press pause
on a relationship
that hasn't started yet
so that it doesn't start
until...
Until after the trial.
Right. Just...
Boop.
...Press pause
and after the trial, we'll see.
We'll see... what?
Here's what we do.
We just agree to pick up
where we left off.
At "nascent."
Exactly.
And then, if it's meant to be,
it's meant to be,
and if it's not meant to be,
it's not meant to be.
Uh, it sounds like a plan.
Okay. Right.
So, we're in agreement?
-Uh-huh.
-Okay.
Counselor.
Prosecutor.
[]
Hey, I'm working on my campaign
and I need some help.
Oh, with what?
Well, I'm trying
to choose a slogan
and I can't decide
which one.
Well, let's hear 'em.
Okay, the first one says,
"You may not have heard
of Lou Darrow...
but you will."
I'm not sure
that I would lean into
the whole "you don't know me"
thing.
Yeah.
You're probably right.
Yeah.
Okay, well, this one says,
"Vote Lou Darrow.
She's the one who blew up
the grading curve."
Oh, yeah, I don't think
I'd do that, either.
It's true, though.
Yeah, I'm sure it is,
but still, I... mm, tsk.
-Yeah.
-Eh...
Well, I'm back
to the drawing board.
-Good luck!
-I need it!
[Joanna chuckles]
[Claire sighs]
Hey, I'm really glad
that you took Cassie's case.
Well, I think she's innocent.
I don't think she'd risk
losing her daughter.
And besides, there were
no prints on the gun
or the shell casings.
Uh, you... just to play
the devil's advocate,
maybe she wore gloves.
Well, where were they?
They weren't in the car.
Well, she could've
thrown them out.
So, either Cassie's lying
about not being
at the scene of the crime,
or Brian Herrimann is lying
about seeing her there.
But then you'd be lying
about seeing her drive away.
Well, I saw her car, anyway.
Maybe it looked like her car.
Make a note to ask Scott
if there are any more gray
1970 Chevelles in the county.
Okay.
But then what about
the shell casings?
Cassie said
that she was in her car
from the time before the murder
until the cops pulled her over.
So, how did the casings
get in her car
if she didn't fire the gun?
And what happened
to the other round?
Round?
There were eight casings
found in her car,
and only seven bullets
recovered at the scene.
And what difference
does that make?
Where'd the other bullet go?
[exhales heavily]
Well, now what's wrong?
What? Nothing's wrong.
You sighed.
[laughs] I didn't sigh.
You sighed.
What?
I would know if I sighed.
Your Honor,
could we read that back, please?
Fine, maybe I did sigh.
Just something Miles said today
about "pressing pause."
Oh, so you do
have a relationship?
Well, according to him, we do,
but, see,
we're opposing attorneys
in the same trial,
so, it wouldn't look good
if we were dating,
which we're not.
I knew a couple like that
in New York.
Mm-hmm?
Yeah, a prosecutor
and a defense attorney
who were having a relationship.
We're not in a relationship.
You know, as long as they built
a "firewall" between them,
then everything was okay.
A firewall?
Yeah, um, you know,
as long as they agreed
never to discuss the cases
they were working on
in their personal lives
and to let everyone
in the court case
know that they were dating,
then, technically,
there was nothing unethical
about it.
It's just
I can't help but wonder
if maybe
Lieutenant Lang might have
something to do
with Miles being so excited
to press pause.
So you are worried
that maybe he wants
to get back with her,
because you waited so long
to make your move?
No, I just... No.
I have this, like...
it's like
an uncomfortable feeling
in the pit of my stomach,
and I don't...
What do you think that is?
Gee, let me guess.
Could it be... jealousy?
[gasps mockingly]
[snickers] "Jealousy"?
Why would I feel jealous?
I mean, I don't even...
I don't think
I'm capable of that.
[Claire snorts]
Yeah, right.
You're a terrible liar,
do you know that?
Get back to work!
Does this house have
one of those door cams on it?
Yes, it does.
Detective Lang's already
looking at the footage.
Oh. I'd like to see it
when she's done.
-I'll let her know.
-Thank you.
Excuse me, Officer?
How long is the place
going to be off-limits?
I really don't know, ma'am.
As long as it takes.
Well, thanks for your help.
She's not brushing you off.
She really doesn't know
how long it's gonna take.
I need to know.
I have guests
booked for this place.
Oh, already?
Well, it was nice of Herrimann
to rent it from you.
Nice? "Nice."
It's the least he can do,
after what he did.
What do you mean?
What'd he do?
Never mind.
[laughs nervously]
[police radios crackling
indistinctly]
There's something about
Gail Reed she's not telling me.
What do you mean?
Something about
her financial troubles
and Brian Herrimann.
You mean something that would
give her a motive to kill him?
Well, she rented her place
to him,
so she knew
exactly where he'd be.
It could be a trap.
If she has a motive.
Chester, can you look into
Gail Reed's financial records
and see if there have been
any losses lately
and if they have anything to do
with Brian Herrimann.
You got it, Chief.
'Kay.
I found something interesting.
-What?
-You know Hugh Williams,
the guy Brian Herrimann's
supposed to help
-with the probate case?
-Yeah.
Well, it turns out
Hugh Williams was arrested
for assault last week.
The charges were dropped,
but guess who he assaulted?
Brian Herrimann?
Exactly.
[]
Tell me again
why you wanted to me along
on this interview?
When I interview lawyers,
I like to have a lawyer present.
Yeah, to make them feel
more comfortable.
Yeah, that,
and to translate.
Ah, yes, lawyer-speak.
So you certainly seem
to have a good rapport
with that defense attorney.
What defense attorney?
Claire? Yes.
Well, Claire and I,
see, we have a...
You have a what?
An understanding?
-No.
-A relationship?
-No.
-A thing?
A "thing."
Claire and I have a thing, yes.
Or we used to have a thing.
We don't have a thing now...
I mean,
we're putting it on hold.
-On hold?
-Yeah, till after the trial.
Really?
Is that something
that you can do?
Well, we're doing it.
[]
I... never said
I was sorry, did I?
Sorry for what?
For ending things between us.
Before they had a chance
to get started.
It was a lousy thing to do.
Well...
It was also
a stupid thing to do.
I regret it, Miles.
Apology accepted?
I'm not interested
in excuses, Tammy.
I just want out of this dump.
I'll talk to the doctors
right away.
You do that.
What do you want?
I'm Lieutenant Lang
from Homicide.
You remember me?
Of course, I do.
Have you caught her yet?
We did.
This is Miles Strasberg.
He's the ADA on this case.
You do good work, Strasberg.
You know, when you're ready
to give up public service,
you want to make some money,
you call me.
I'll set you up.
I'll remember that.
Thanks.
Mr. Herrimann,
why do you believe it was
Ms. Piper who shot you?
Well, if you're asking if
I saw her shoot me, I didn't,
but she was there,
and then she took off like...
Dale Earnhardt, yes.
You mentioned that.
That call that lured you
out to your car.
You said it was about
the Williams probate case?
That's right.
So we checked into that.
No one from either side
of the Williams case
made that call.
Well, of course not. Right?
Cassie would've made the call,
probably from her car,
and just disguised her voice.
Well, if we could check
your phone records,
maybe we could find out.
Well, you'd need a warrant
to do that, though,
wouldn't you?
We would
if you didn't allow us.
[grunts dismissively]
Yeah, what the heck?
Go ahead, check my records.
Knock yourselves out.
Yeah.
We'll do that.
I hope you're feeling better.
Well, he seems like a guy
who's just begging to be shot.
As a law enforcement officer,
I can't condone that sentiment.
He did, though, didn't he?
Let's just say he's not gonna
win "Miss Congeniality"
anytime soon.
-Hey...
-Hey.
I know Mr. Herrimann
is acting like kind of a...
Idiot? Doofus? Jerk?
Is that the word
you're looking for, is jerk?
Yeah.
But you have to understand,
this whole thing brings up
a lot of pain for him.
His partner, Tom Corrigan,
was killed 10 years ago.
I'm sorry.
What...
What happened?
He was robbed.
Shot.
Brian never really
got over it.
I just thought
you two should know.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Now I feel like a jerk.
Yep. You have to remember
what's at stake in this job.
It's not easy.
You got that right.
Oh, I almost forgot.
When I talked to the Williams
and I asked them
whether they called Herrimann,
and they said they hadn't?
Yes?
Well, I didn't tell you why.
They were planning
on firing him.
How come?
Let's go find out.
Hmm.
Brian Herrimann
is a swindler.
I don't blame Cassie Piper
for trying to kill him.
Is that why
you assaulted him?
-Please.
My husband hardly assaulted him.
I took a swing at him,
I admit,
but I just hit him
in the shoulder.
My aim isn't as good
as it used to be.
I don't understand.
I thought you
and Herrimann were friends?
We were,
until I found out
he was trying
to steal my inheritance.
You see, Hugh is in a dispute
with his brother
over his father's estate.
We thought
Herrimann was helping us.
Actually, Herrimann
was conspiring with my brother
to cheat me out of
what was rightfully mine
and split the inheritance
with my brother.
And that would give you
a motive to kill him,
wouldn't it?
[Lieutenant Lang]
Yes, it would.
However, we know
who pulled the trigger.
You don't know.
You think you know,
but at that range,
how could she hit anything?
It's funny
that you should mention that,
because we did
an O.S.I.N.T. search on her.
"Open-source intelligence."
Social media, Google, whatnot.
I know what it is.
Turns out Cassie Piper trained
for the Olympics in high school.
Uh, biathlon.
Which is the skiing
and shooting...
[overlapping]
The long-distance shooting.
I know.
Great.
Madam.
Thank you.
We only have four weeks
to get ready for this trial.
You know, corporate law
is my thing.
I'm still pretty new
to this criminal stuff.
When exactly do we catch
the real killer?
Yeah, well, first of all,
we don't try to catch
the real killer.
We're try to prove
our client's innocence.
By catching the real killer.
That's one way, yeah.
[sighs]
Well, we have other suspects.
There's Hugh Williams
and his wife...
they can't stand Brian...
and, oh, Gail Reed,
she loathes him.
So why did she let him
rent her house?
Unless...
it was to lure him
into a trap.
You're really good at this.
Yeah, I know, right?
Good news.
The only other
candidate that's running
is Spencer Denny,
the head of the AV Club.
That's good?
Well, it's not bad.
I mean, I'm in the French Club,
the Robotics Club,
the Dance Club,
and the 4-H Club.
He doesn't have
my four-quadrant appeal.
I don't understand that,
but I support you.
Now, the thing is,
neither of us
is very good at public speaking
and the debate is coming.
But if I could
get over that hurdle,
I think I have
a pretty good chance.
Well, I can help you
with that.
You know, I happen
to know a few secrets
about debating.
Now, the key is,
know what you're going to say,
but then take a dramatic pause
before saying it.
[inhales sharply]
You mean like that?
Wow.
You are a quick study.
[chuckles proudly]
Your Honor,
my client has never
been charged
with a crime before.
She's an exemplary citizen.
She's a mother,
a taxpayer.
She's even willing
to surrender her passport
as a sign
that she has no intention
of becoming a flight risk.
We ask you to consider bail
of a reasonable amount.
Thank you.
Your turn, Counselor.
Your Honor...
murder one,
premeditated.
Attempted murder with
a deadly weapon, need I go on?
May I say something?
Why not?
Thank you, Your Honor.
Your Honor, my client is in
the middle of a custody battle
for her daughter, Megan.
There is no way
she would jeopardize that.
She will not flee.
Do you have anything
to add to that?
Well, maybe not committing
murder would've been
a good start.
Objection!
There's no one
to object to here
but me,
and I think
I've heard it all.
I'm gonna split the difference
and set the bail at $1 million.
[gavel bangs]
[sighing]
I'm so sorry.
I'll pay it.
But you have to pay 10%,
that's $100,000.
I don't care.
I'll mortgage my house,
I'll sell my stocks.
I can't let Megan
see her mother in jail.
Hey...
You having trouble sleeping?
I have an interview
with the school paper tomorrow.
I can't stop thinking
about that.
I know, it is so hard
to turn your brain off
sometimes, right?
But you know, you have good
ideas, you'll do a good job.
Oh, I know I'll do a good job,
but I want to do a great job.
[laughs]
You sound like your Nana.
[sighing deeply]
Yeah, I kind of do, sometimes.
I don't know,
I think I like it.
Well, good!
Is something else
bothering you?
I think I might also be
having trouble sleeping
because, I don't know,
I'm still a little freaked
that you and Nana were
so close to that shooting.
[sighs]
Honey, I am so sorry
that scared you.
You know,
it scared me, too,
but, you know,
we were never in danger,
and we're fine.
And...
it made me realize
what's actually important.
What is important?
Well, being your mother,
first and foremost.
[deep breath]
And seeking justice.
And I think
a large cup of hot cocoa
with whipped cream
would be very important
right about now.
What do you say?
Oh, just a little important.
[door opens]
[door creaking]
[floorboard creaks]
[click]
[]
[door creaking]
[]
[click]
Well, as we suspected,
that call
came from a burner cell.
What does that tell us?
That doesn't tell us anything.
Not unless we can trace
that call to Ms. Piper.
Or someone else.
Or someone else.
Are we sure
Cassie Piper
is the shooter?
Well, all the evidence
leads that way.
Right.
You know, that's what
I like about you, Miles.
That's what you like about me?
Not my sunny countenance?
My boyish enthusiasm?
These glasses?
That too,
but you're always thinking.
You never settle.
You... You keep me on my toes.
We work well together,
it's true.
You know, I ask the questions,
you provide the answers.
It's always been that way
with us.
I'm glad it is still is,
especially after...
Yeah. Oh, after. Yeah.
So you think...
you're sure
Cassie Piper's the shooter.
-Yeah, I'm sure.
-Okay.
But fortunately,
the verdict isn't up to me.
It's up to the jury.
Right, right.
-And that's where...
-That's where I come in.
All right.
Now, I know this might seem
a little old-school,
but I want you to re-trace
everywhere you went
on the day of the murder.
Everywhere you drove.
And if you can think of
any places you stopped,
anybody you talked to,
that would be really great
to know, too.
Okay, but, um,
I didn't stop anywhere.
I'm sorry.
Okay, well,
we'll just start
with everywhere you drove,
and then go from there.
What's this?
That is a flip phone.
Huh.
I haven't seen one of these
in years.
-Mm.
-Must be from a previous guest.
[absently] Yeah.
Wait. That's not yours?
No.
That...
That could be a burner phone.
That could be the phone
that was used
to lure Brian and Jason
out of the house
to be shot.
But I...
What, and somebody
planted it here?
Possibly.
So what do we do with it?
Well, it's evidence.
We have to turn it in
to the police,
and that might not be good.
[Miles] So, that call
came from the cell phone.
Figured.
Yup. It's not too late
to plead guilty.
She's not guilty.
Mm, she did have
the cell phone, Claire.
As of today.
Somebody planted it
in her room.
Or...
Somebody is trying
to frame her.
Or... Or...
she lied to you.
Don't you see?
Something about this case
just doesn't add up.
Adds up enough.
And why haven't I
been able to see
that door cam footage yet?
-You don't have that yet?
-No.
I'll send that right over.
There's nothing on it,
-but if you want to see it...
-I do!
I'll have Lieutenant Lang
send that over.
Thank you.
Okay, let's
call the killer "X".
Okay.
Now, X wants to kill
Brian Herrimann,
but he accidentally kills
Jason Morrison,
and then tries
to frame Cassie Piper.
Right.
Now...
who is X?
Okay, for suspects, we have
Hugh Williams and his wife...
they hated Brian.
And Gail Reed.
He stole money from her.
Who else?
Cassie Piper.
What?
Well, she's a suspect!
You're no fun.
There's one thing
bothering me.
What, just one thing?
Hey, Mom.
Do you have a second?
Always, for you.
Well, we had the debate today.
You know,
for class president?
Oh, why didn't you tell us?
I was too nervous.
So how did it go?
Well...
Oh, honey.
Those things are so tough.
Next one will go much better,
I promise.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
I did great.
You know, everyone loved me.
So... your opposition?
Spencer?
He didn't do so well.
Why not?
Well, okay, the thing is,
his answers
were really good.
Much better than mine.
He's super-smart.
But I was the only one
who could hear him.
But you won the debate, right?
Well, yeah, sure, I did,
but I shouldn't have.
He was amazing.
Yeah, I understand
your problem.
You do? I don't.
I mean, she won.
I think I should quit.
That way, he'll have to win.
Honey, just because
you have good ideas
doesn't mean you're gonna
make a great president.
It doesn't?
No! First of all,
you have to be able
to communicate those ideas,
and you have to be able
to understand people,
and have empathy
and compassion.
Okay, well,
I have those things.
So you have what it takes.
But don't I have to know
what I'm doing, too?
-Yes...
-No.
-Yes, do you...
-Well, yes. Okay.
...But that comes over time.
I don't know.
Look, don't give up.
There's gotta be a better way.
Just let me... let me
think about it for a little bit.
Thanks, Mom.
Hey, my granddaughter's
a winner!
-Not yet.
-She is.
You were saying?
Him.
-Jason Morrison?
-Yeah.
No, no, he was just
an innocent bystander,
caught in the crossfire.
Yeah, but he was there,
and we've looked into
everybody else.
Chester, I need you to find out
more about Jason Morrison.
See if you can track down
his parents.
[Scott] Bad news, Chief.
-What?
-There's only two
registered 1970 Chevelles
in the county.
One's in the automotive museum
and the other's on blocks,
getting a makeover.
Thanks for trying.
More bad news, unfortunately.
-What?
Well, we finally got
the front-door camera footage
from the Reeds' house.
You can't see the shooting.
You can see a piece
of the driveway.
Mostly, it's just
an empty doorway.
Chester, tell me you have
something.
Two line-drives
down the center.
Really?
I found out the source of
Gail Reed's financial problems.
-'Kay.
-Turns out,
she lost a lot of money
on a bad investment,
an investment recommended
by Brian Herrimann.
Interesting.
Now, that could
give her a motive.
Absolutely.
Also, I got in touch with
Jason Morrison's parents.
Oh. Can you set up
a meeting?
Already done.
If you leave now, you should
be able to make it on time.
Chester, you're my favorite.
You're fired.
Just kidding.
-Joanna, come on, let's go.
-Where?
Do you need any help
with this interview?
You know what, Chester? I do.
Come with us.
[Joanna] Where are we going?
[Claire] Mrs. Morrison,
thank you so much for seeing us.
No, I want to...
I want to understand.
Why did she do it?
Do what?
I know she didn't mean
to hurt my boy, but...
it would just help me
if I understood why.
Why don't you tell us
about your son?
Jason was brilliant.
He was driven... ambitious.
But kind.
He could've had
any position anywhere.
He wanted Herrimann,
Corrigan, and Herrimann.
He said
that when it came
to investment banking,
they were the gold standard.
How long had
he been working there?
Three years.
When he had the chance
to become Brian Herrimann's
personal paralegal,
he jumped at it.
So he liked working
for Herrimann?
Oh, he was a tough boss,
but Jason was learning so much.
He never held those
bad investments against him.
Bad investments?
We made some investments
based on Herrimann's advice
and they didn't work out.
He always kept us informed.
He emailed us every day,
and, of course, he always had
his journal.
He kept a journal?
Yes, ever since
he was a little boy.
We have volumes of them.
Mrs. Morrison,
I hope this doesn't
sound intrusive,
but would it be all right
if we looked at one of them,
maybe just from the last year?
We're trying to get a picture
of Jason's life at the firm.
I wish I could help you,
but, uh,
just recently,
Jason started
keeping his journal
on the computer.
We've been trying
to get into it,
but he started to, uh...
what is that word?
He encrypted it?
Yes!
Just recently.
It seems you need some kind
of password just to open it.
Is the computer here?
Yes. One of them.
Well, could we take a look it?
I guess.
Do you know anything
about computers?
Yes. They're kind of my hobby.
Great.
So what are you thinking?
Why would he suddenly start
encrypting his journal?
My thoughts exactly.
My husband's
been working on the computer.
He's been trying
to figure out the password.
We've tried everything
we can think of.
How many times have you tried
putting in a password?
I don't know.
Maybe five? At least a dozen.
I think I figured it out.
It's our address
when he was in the first grade.
[keys clacking]
Uh, wait...
[beep]
What happened?
[computer beeping and trilling]
[]
So Jason's computer
is completely fried?
Everything's gone?
Yep. Everything.
There's no way anyone
other than a computer genius
would be able
to retrieve anything.
[Claire] A computer genius
such as yourself?
I was just getting to that.
I think there's something
I can do.
Go to it, Einstein.
Joanna?
There's a Ms. Tammy McMahon
to see you.
Tammy?
Tammy is Brian Herrimann's
Executive Assistant.
How do you do?
Brian wanted me to deliver
this to you in person.
And what is it?
It's, uh...
Tch, what do you call it?
A threat.
It says if you keep on
defending Cassie Piper,
he might find it necessary
to dig up
all those old insider trading
accusations he had against you
and to prosecute you for them.
Well, you can tell
Mr. Herrimann
that I said this...
There. Did you get that,
or do I have to repeat myself?
No, I think I have it.
I'll tell him.
Why do you put up with him,
Tammy?
Why do you keep on
going along with this stuff?
I have my reasons, Joanna.
[Joanna]
So here's what we've got.
Hugh Williams,
Marjorie Williams,
Gail Reed,
Cassie Piper.
One of them is the killer.
But I have another suspect.
What about Tammy,
the assistant?
I mean, she has every reason
in the world to hate Brian.
Well, I agree with you,
but she seems
awfully loyal to him.
That's because
she was his charity case.
How so?
She came from
what we used to call
the "wrong side of the tracks."
You know, foster child,
her brother's in prison
for armed robbery,
and Brian took her in.
That seems
out of character for him.
Oh, it's the only decent thing
that he ever did.
I think he thought that
it would make him look good.
It still doesn't
give her motive.
But maybe it does.
How so?
You know, maybe all those years
of being his door mat
finally got to her.
Maybe she just snapped,
you know,
and had this sudden impulse,
to just grab a gun...
And just before
she grabbed the gun,
she went out and purchased
a duplicate
1970 Chevy Chevelle,
in the same mad impulse.
Okay, so maybe not,
but...
hey, it was worth a shot.
[rapping at door]
-Got a sec?
-Sure.
So I was able to work around
the password
and recover some fragments
of encrypted files.
Anything significant?
Yeah, some e-mails.
They appear to be threats.
Threats?
From Jason Morrison.
Though, I can't quite tell
who he sent them to, yet.
What do they say?
They're threatening to "ruin"
whoever he's talking to,
if they don't do
what Jason wants.
-Which is what?
-I don't know yet.
But I also found
a lot of bank records.
Jason Morrison's bank records?
No. Brian Herrimann's
bank records.
Ah!
And Hugh Williams'
bank records.
All right, there's gotta be
something there.
Keep working on it.
I'm on it.
Ugh.
I don't know.
I mean,
this trial is really soon,
and I gotta say,
for the first time,
I don't feel ready.
You'll get it.
[]
This is Lightning.
My prize stallion.
He's beautiful.
Herrimann and my brother
are trying to take him
away from me,
along with everything else.
Hugh, can you think of
anybody else
that might have a problem
with Brian Herrimann?
Many others.
Members of "the Victims
of Brian Herrimann."
Really?
My wife thought of that name.
But I don't like to think
of myself as a victim.
I prefer to think of myself
as a potential avenger.
Avenger?
I want him to pay
for what he's done.
But he hasn't actually done
anything to you yet, right?
I mean, your brother hasn't
won the probate case.
Do you think
that's what this is about?
The money?
He has torn my family apart.
My brother and I used to be
the best of friends.
My sisters
have had to choose sides.
My own mother won't even
talk to me now.
What should have been
a simple inheritance,
Brian Herrimann turned it
into a civil war.
I will never forgive him
for that.
Hey. How are you doing?
Ah, not great.
Turns out Hugh Williams
has a solid alibi.
Why do you do that?
Do what?
You...
Your tea. Why do you
pour the cream in first?
Uh...
Well, my mom was British.
She taught me how to make tea.
It's a habit, I guess.
-Cheers.
-Cheers.
Wait a minute.
That's it.
What is?
Raymond... you're a genius.
That's how they did it.
What? Made tea?
No, no. They...
No, things don't always happen
in the order
that you think that they do.
That's how they framed Cassie!
Scott! I need you to look at
some security footage.
At the Reed House?
No, the, um, the other...
the, uh...
The Brunswick Inn!
From the night
before the murder.
That was weeks ago,
they don't normally
keep footage that long.
I know, let's just hope
that they still have it.
This is finally
starting to make sense.
Just tell it like that
and you'll be fine.
No telling how your girlfriend
will try to twist things around.
-She's not my girlfriend.
-Sorry.
But she's a girl,
who's a friend...
she's a woman.
She's my woman friend...
a term
which will never catch on.
The point is,
there is nothing romantic
going on between Claire and I.
Really?
-All right there is.
-There is what?
Something romantic
between Claire and I.
Or there isn't.
You know, I never really...
Then you waltz back into my life
and say
you regret ending things
between us?
What am I supposed
to do with that?
Are you saying you want
to start things over again?
It's too late for that.
I know.
What? You do?
Sure.
What? You're saying
you know it's too late?
I wasn't trying
to get anything started,
I was trying to say I'm sorry.
My therapist says
I don't say that often enough.
Wait, you have a therapist?
The department assigned me one.
It seems
I have control issues.
-I wouldn't say that.
-Say it.
You have control issues.
See? But I'm learning
to control them,
which might seem
like kind of a paradox,
but there it is.
Okay, so you were just wanted
to say you were sorry?
-Yeah.
-Well, then why didn't you?
-I did.
-No, you said
you didn't say
you were sorry.
You didn't actually say
you were sorry.
Well, I figured
you knew what I meant.
I probably should have.
[sighs]
[overlapping] I'm sorry.
[sighing]
Okay. This is us.
[]
And thus,
the state intends to prove
that Cassandra Piper
did indeed plan the murder
of Brian Herrimann,
that she laid in wait for him
outside the house.
When he emerged,
she unleashed
a volley of gunfire,
and then she fled the scene.
And in her wake,
Brian Herrimann was injured,
Jason Morrison was dead,
and that... that...
is what this case is about.
It is about the life
of a bright, happy young man
that was senselessly,
tragically cut short.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Prosecution, you may call
your first witness.
I'd like to call
Lieutenant Sara Lang
to the stand, please.
So, Lieutenant, you say
you found this weapon
near the scene of the crime?
Yes.
A Tokarev TT-33.
Russian pistol,
converted to nine-millimeter.
Serial number filed off.
Finger prints wiped.
Essentially untraceable.
Thank you.
Do you think, on this chart,
you could show us
the trajectory of the bullets?
Certainly.
Well, in order to hit
a distant target,
the handgun must be
correctly sighted-in,
and to do that,
the shooter must have
some working knowledge
of the bullet's trajectory.
Thank you, Lieutenant Lang.
No further questions.
[Judge] Let's take
a brief recess
before the defense
cross-examines the witness.
[gavel bangs]
[Miles]
Thank you, Your Honor.
Can I speak to you
for a second?
[]
You want to talk plea bargain?
It's gonna be difficult
to get a second-degree...
I have to say something.
Stop talking.
-Look, we've been circling...
-Yeah, I...
Shh!
...For a really long time,
and I think I've been
taking it for granted
that you would always be there
because, let's be honest,
you were always there,
and I think I was just
waiting for that perfect time
when everything would just
line up,
just perfectly,
and that's never gonna happen!
And people that I know
have been telling me
that my window's closing
and I'm starting to think
that they might be right,
and that this might be
my only time for...
Time for what?
[]
Did you just do that?
I did.
Can I do it?
Sure.
-[chuckles]
-Wow.
Okay.
Now what do we do?
Okay, the first thing
we need to do
is build a firewall.
What?
Your Honor?
May we approach the bench?
We're still on recess...
Okay. The both of you?
Well, it's kind of
a mutual sidebar.
Have you reached
a plea bargain?
-Oh, no, no.
-No, no, it's not...
-It's not about the case.
-No.
-It's not?
-Well, it's...
-It's...
-It pertains to the case,
but it's, um,
it's more about, um...
our relationship.
Well, I'm the judge
and you're the lawyers.
Any other questions?
-Oh, no, no...
-Good... Good one.
No, that's not the issue.
No, the issue
is that we, uh...
We kind of want to inform you
that, uh...
that w-we're dating.
-Mm-hmm.
-We are dating?
-I think so.
-Right.
You think you're dating...
and you want me
to confirm that for you?
Oh! No, Your Honor.
-That's funny, Your Honor.
-No.
No, we know that we're dating,
we just wanted you to know.
Oh, I appreciate that.
But why didn't
you tell me this before?
Oh, because we just started.
In the conference room.
-Just now?
-Yeah.
During the recess?
-Mm-hmm.
-Yes.
All I did
was have an energy bar.
Hope you enjoyed it,
Your Honor.
All right.
Now you know
that you're not to discuss
any aspects of the case
with each other
on your off hours?
-We do.
-Our lips are sealed.
And, of course,
you will not allow
your personal relationship
to affect the trial in any way?
Oh, I intend to fight
for my client's freedom
as hard as ever.
And I'll fight for a conviction
as hard as I ever did.
Well, then I... I don't have
any problem with this.
Have you informed your client?
-I was just about to.
-She was about to.
All right, well,
if your client agrees to it,
then...
I don't see any reason
the trial can't continue.
[overlapping]
Thank you, Your Honor.
Mm-hmm.
[overlapping]
Counselor.
You're dating him?
Well, I will be,
but I just,
I wanted to assure you,
that it will have
no bearing on the case.
-Okay.
-Great.
Well, he has a nice face.
[]
Doesn't he?
I'm just glad something good
could come out of this.
How are you holding up?
I'm just worried
about my little girl.
-Yeah.
-Megan has never been
away from me for this long.
Oh, you'll see her again.
I just hope it's not
during prison visitations.
Have faith.
I don't know why you're trying
so hard to help me,
after what I did to your mother.
Well, to be honest...
if she hadn't gone
through all that trouble,
then she never would've
come back to me,
so, in a way,
I guess I, uh, I owe ya.
Really?
Well, in a way.
[both chuckling]
So let's go over your testimony
again, Lieutenant Lang.
How many rounds were recovered
at the Reed House?
Seven.
One went into
Mr. Herrimann's arm,
one hit Mr. Morrison,
three hit the car,
and two we found
in the front railing
behind the driveway.
And how many shell casings
did you find
in Cassie Piper's car?
Eight.
Eight? And how do you account
for the discrepancy?
One of the bullets went wild.
Landed somewhere else.
But you never found it?
No, we didn't.
Now, in your testimony,
you said that Reed family
has a front door cam.
Is that correct?
Yes, but unfortunately,
it didn't cover
the whole driveway,
so it wasn't much help.
Well, the camera didn't
cover the driveway,
but the audio did
pick up something.
Your Honor, may I
play it back, please?
Mr. Strasberg?
I see no reason to object.
[Judge]
Proceed, Counselor.
Thank you, Your Honor.
[five gunshots firing]
[two shots fire]
[car roars away]
Did you hear that?
How many shots
were fired?
Seven.
Seven? Hmm.
So how do you account for
the extra shell casing?
Tch. No further questions,
Your Honor.
Ms. Darrow...
Look, I know
it's a bit unorthodox
for a defense attorney to be
called as a prosecution witness,
but we do believe
you may have witnessed something
that could impact
the state's case.
All right.
All right. Tell us, please,
what you witnessed
when you were walking back
to Ms. Reed's house
to retrieve your purse.
I saw a car racing away
from the house.
A car?
Did you recognize the car?
It appeared to be...
I mean, it looked like
Cassie Piper's car.
Hmm. Oh, is there
something distinctive
about Cassie Piper's car?
Yes, uh,
it's a gunmetal gray
1970 Chevelle.
Ahh.
You know, I'm not much
of a car guy,
but even I know that's a...
that's a beautiful car.
There can't... can't be
too many other cars
like that
in the area.
As a matter of fact,
we checked.
There are only two,
both of which
were accounted for
at the time of the shooting.
Thank you, Your Honor.
No further questions.
Ms. Darrow, would you like
to cross-examine Ms. Darrow?
Uh, no questions, Your Honor.
[]
Well... [sighing]
It was a good day
for the prosecution.
[Joanna] Oh, I know.
I'm sorry.
Oh, no, what could you do?
You told the truth.
Yeah. I know.
It was also a good day
for the prosecutor
and the defense attorney.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
But I can't think about that
right now. Okay.
[takes a breath, sighs]
Hugh and Marjorie Williams.
Tammy McMahon.
What am I not seeing?
Guys, I think...
Guys?
-What?
-Guys?
What? Chester, tell me
you have something.
Yeah. A lot.
Those threatening emails were
all sent to Brian Herrimann.
And these bank records,
they're all Herrimann's, too.
If this is true,
it reveals a ton of shenanigans.
"Shenanigans"?
Yeah, illegal shenanigans.
Money laundering,
Ponzi schemes,
stealing funds from clients.
I think that Jason Morrison
was building a case
against Herrimann.
That's it!
What if Herrimann
was ripping off Jason's parents,
just like he did Gail Reed?
You know,
and Jason knew about it,
and that's why he took the job
as Herrimann's paralegal...
to get close to him.
Yeah.
Yeah. If Herrimann
was the one that was getting
the threatening emails
from Jason,
maybe Jason wanted revenge?
And he's the one who hired
someone to kill Herrimann,
and he set up Cassie
to be the scapegoat?
And he was killed
accidentally?
Yes. Hoist by his own petard,
as it were.
That's it!
Really?
Wow. We were just riffing.
[both chuckling]
Oh, no, not what you guys said.
That's all nonsense.
Jason Morrison had nothing
to do with the shooting.
Wait, then what's "it"?
What if we have
the wrong target?
[]
Scott!
Rise and shine, son.
Did you sleep here?
Oh, I was just resting my eyes.
What time is it?
7:30.
I guess I did sleep here.
I was going over
the security footage
of the hotel parking lot.
And? Anything?
No.
There's gotta be
something here.
Oh! I did think of something.
You know Tammy McMahon?
Yeah, sure.
Okay, I knew I heard
that name somewhere before,
and then I remembered.
When I was looking
for gray Chevelles,
I went kind of far afield,
but I noticed that there was
an automobile auction
in Philadelphia last month.
A '70 Chevelle
was purchased there,
by Tammy McMahon.
I figured there can't be
too many of those.
It's the same one.
So Brian Herrimann's assistant
bought the same car as Cassie?
What else did
you find out about Tammy?
Her brother
just got out of prison,
seven years for armed robbery.
-Oh.
-All right.
We've gotta find a way
to talk to her.
Preferably without
Brian Herrimann finding out.
Where's she staying?
Right here,
at the Brunswick Inn.
Same place as Cassie.
We're gonna
have to hurry, though.
Court's in session
in three hours.
Hang on a second.
I think
I just found something.
I think I've got it.
[knocking]
Yes?
We know.
[scoffs]
What?
We know.
What do you know?
We know about
your brother, Sebastian.
We know about the Chevelle.
We know about the shell casings.
We know who was
supposed to be killed.
The only thing we don't know
is whether you're gonna help us
or whether you and your brother
are going down, too.
[]
It's in here.
[door rumbling]
Sebastian?
It's locked!
Sebastian!
Are you all right?
Sebastian!
Sebastian!
Are you all right?
He's been shot.
Call 911.
What? [gasps]
[911 operator] 911.
Hi.
Yeah, my brother,
he's been shot.
Yeah. Yeah.
Claire.
Bullet holes.
Eight of them.
This court does not operate
on your schedule, Ms. Darrow.
Uh, if we could just have
a few more minutes, Your Honor.
I am sure
Ms. Darrow is on her way.
I think one Ms. Darrow
is enough for this court room.
[Miles chuckles]
We'll begin.
Prosecution,
call your next witness.
Oh, we're happy to wait
five minutes or so, Your Honor.
Am I the only one
that wants to see
this trial move forward?
You make a good point,
Your Honor.
We call Brian Herrimann
to the stand.
Will the witness please stand
to be sworn by the bailiff?
Just, uh, just need a moment,
Your Honor.
Of course.
We'll wait.
I apologize.
I find this difficult
to talk about.
Oh, we understand.
But, please the court,
if you could tell us
what happened that day,
in your own words.
M-My therapist has told me
that it's not healthy
for me to relive the event.
Mm.
My friend and partner
was killed a few years back,
you know.
Again...
we fully understand,
but we do
really need to hear it.
Of course.
Thank you.
I was meeting with the Darrows
and we were
talking about Cassie.
Cassandra Piper?
That's right.
It was
an-an awful situation.
Mm-hmm?
Cassie was, uh,
was very close to me.
I trusted her.
Of course, until I found out
that she was a sociopath.
Objection, Your Honor.
Sustained.
Limit yourself to the facts,
Mr. Herrimann.
Well, the fact is my therapist
thinks she's a sociopath.
Objection.
Sustained!
All right.
She betrayed me.
She stole from the firm,
and when I tried to charge her,
she threatened me.
She sent me an e-mail
stating that, uh...
Well, that she would
get back at me
if it was the last thing
she did.
Yep. Um, admit those e-mails
into evidence, Your Honor.
And then?
Go on.
I didn't think that
she would go through with it.
Of course not.
What happened next?
I was coming out
to my... my car.
Jason Morrison
was driving me that day.
Then shots rang out.
And then I saw Jason... shot.
And then I got hit
and...
I was hard on him,
but he was like a son to me.
If I hadn't have forced him
to come with me that day,
he would still be alive today.
And I feel... I will feel
responsible for that
for the rest of my life.
No further questions.
[Judge] Ms. Darrow?
Yes, Your Honor?
Now that you're here...
perhaps you'd like
to cross-examine the witness.
I would, very much,
Your Honor,
but first, I'd like to ask
for a short recess.
Some new evidence has come to
the defense's attention and...
Your Honor...
No.
There have been quite enough
delays, Ms. Darrow.
Carry on.
Very well.
Maybe... perhaps we'll let
the witness compose himself
before we continue.
I-I would rather
just get this over with.
Fantastic.
Mr. Herrimann, um,
I apologize for missing
some of your testimony,
but my-my associate here,
she took some excellent notes.
So, um,
it seems that you
and Jason Morrison
were very close.
That's right.
I loved that boy.
Yeah. I can...
I can see that.
Which is what makes
these e-mails so puzzling.
Um...
Objection, Your Honor.
E-mails?
You opened the door to e-mails
in your questioning.
Objection overruled.
Thank you, Your Honor.
I'm referring to this e-mail.
This was sent from
Jason Morrison to you.
It reads,
"You're an evil man
and I swear
I'm going to bring you down."
Where'd you come across those?
Did Jason
send this to you?
He did.
-He did?
-I'm not...
I'm not saying that we didn't
have our disagreements.
Okay.
And did you reply...
"If you don't stop,
I'll have you whacked,
and don't think
I can't do it"?
That was taken
completely out of context.
You know...
It occurs to me
that we've been looking at this
from entirely
the wrong perspective,
because we have been assuming
that you were the victim
all along, and why not?
But what if the intended victim
was the one who was,
in fact, killed?
What if
Jason Morrison
was the target all along?
-[Miles] Objection!
-On what grounds?
Did I miss the part
where we were told
to skip ahead to closing
arguments, Your Honor?
I sympathize
with your objection, Counselor,
but I want to see
where this is going.
You are treading on
dangerous ground, Ms. Darrow.
Continue.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Because it occurs to me
that the bullet
that struck you
was just a distraction,
a diversion,
meant to make us think
that you were
the intended victim,
when, in fact
it was you
who hired someone
to shoot and kill
Jason Morrison.
Objection.
I said
I want to hear this.
[Brian]
I mean, that's ridiculous.
Even if it were true,
which, of course, it is not...
you couldn't prove that.
Couldn't I?
Because Jason Morrison
transferred
your illegal bank records
onto his computer,
which we've recovered.
He was trying to use them
to recover the money
you stole from his parents.
In fact, he threatened to go
to the authorities, didn't he?
That's hearsay.
No, it's actually
a direct quote.
"I will go to the authorities
unless you pay my parents back."
See?
This is pointless.
E-Even if Jason thought
that I had stolen
from his parents,
the fact of the matter is,
Cassie shot him.
Did she?
Of course she did.
I saw her.
She saw her escaping
from the scene,
and then, of course,
there were
the casings inside her car.
Oh, yes.
The bullet casings. Yeah.
Those have driven me crazy
from the very beginning.
Why were there
eight shell casings
and only
seven rounds fired?
But then I figured it out.
You see,
my associate, he makes his tea
by putting the cream in first.
Ahem. Your Honor.
Um... what?
Counselor, this better be
leading somewhere.
It is, Your Honor,
because it made me realize
that things don't always happen
in the order
that you think they do.
You have been assuming
that the shell casings
popped out into the car
during the shooting.
And we, assuming
our client's innocence,
have been trying to figure out
how they got planted there
afterward.
But what if
the shell casings
were planted in Cassie's car
the night before?
I don't understand
what you're talking about.
You should.
You see, we recovered this...
from the Brunswick Inn
parking lot.
Objection. Your Honor,
not admitted into discovery.
This is new evidence
that has just come
to the defense's attention.
I asked for a short recess
and Your Honor
wanted to proceed.
I did, and I still want you to.
Please continue.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Now...
You see this car
pulling into the lot?
Yes, it's Cassie's.
I'd recognize it anywhere.
No.
That is Cassie's car.
That is a duplicate car
meant to look just like her car.
What happened was simple...
A man drove the duplicate car
into the parking lot
and parked right near
Cassie's car.
The driver got out
and broke into
Cassie's Chevelle.
He got into
Ms. Piper's vehicle,
took eight
spent shell casings,
and dropped them
in the backseat.
Initially, he test-fired
the gun in his car,
so he knew just where
to put the casings
so it would appear
that they had been ejected
from a gun
that fired
through the window.
So that entire day,
when Cassie was driving around,
minding her own business,
those shell casings
were in her car,
just waiting to be discovered
by the police.
Though that is
a very interesting story,
I fail to see what
it has to do with me.
Oh. It has everything
to do with you.
You see, we located
the duplicate Chevelle.
It was your assistant,
Tammy McMahon,
who purchased the car
at an automotive auction
in Philadelphia.
I see you bought the car.
Again, I fail to see
what that has to do with me.
...What it has
to do with you, right.
Well... we could ask Tammy.
She's willing
to tell everything.
But I'll just give you
the highlights.
Tammy says that you told her
to buy that car.
And why would she say that?
Well, she says
a lot more than that.
She says
you know her brother,
Sebastian McMahon?
I've met him.
He had some bad breaks,
I offered him a job
after he got out of prison,
but...
apparently,
he had other plans.
That's right.
You did offer him a job.
Get the rest of it
when it's done.
Tammy told us all about it.
You hired Sebastian McMahon
to shoot and kill
Jason Morrison.
His mistake was firing
seven rounds instead of eight.
After the killing,
Sebastian was wracked
with guilt.
He called you and told you
he wanted to confess everything,
and that was when
you paid him a visit
and tried to kill him.
That's ridiculous.
I know! And you did
a lousy job of it.
Fortunately for Sebastian,
he's going to make
a full recovery.
When Tammy found out
what you did to her brother,
she was... not happy,
to say the least.
She's willing
to swear in court
that you hired her brother
to kill Jason Morrison.
Do you think that Sebastian
will corroborate that story,
when he regains consciousness?
Your Honor, is any of this
even admissible?
No, it's not.
I'm afraid the whole case
against Cassandra Piper will
have to be thrown out of court
and some entirely new charges
will be filed.
Bailiff!
[]
Thank you.
Congratulations.
[indistinct exchange]
More pizza.
With and without anchovies.
Beautiful!
Bring it on. Bring it on.
Yeah, I still don't understand
how Herrimann
got Tammy and Sebastian
to help him with all this.
That goes back a decade.
So Herrimann initially
hired Sebastian
to murder his partner so
he could take over the law firm.
Nice guy. Then he held it
over Tammy's head for years.
Yeah, but Sebastian
still went to prison.
Mm, no, separate charge.
Robbery.
Better for him to do seven years
of robbery than life for murder.
When he got out,
he wanted to go straight,
then Herrimann blackmailed him
into committing this murder.
So Sebastian's the one
that planted the cell phone
in Cassie's apartment?
Sebastian planted the phone,
then felt guilty,
wanted to confess.
And that's when Herrimann
decided to kill him.
That's when you started
being the brilliant barrister
that you are, Counselor,
and when that happened,
Tammy was more than ready
to turn on Herrimann.
Yeah, well, I'm glad she did.
Mm-hmm.
Look how happy Cassie is.
It's always nice to see
a mother and daughter reunited.
Mine too.
Care for another slice,
Ms. Darrow?
Oh, why, thank you, Spencer,
that's very sweet of you.
My pleasure.
After all, Lou and I
are running mates now.
Yeah, so I hear.
It was Mom's idea.
Well, I mean, they're both
so great together,
I thought, "Why are they
running against each other?"
They should just run together.
-As co-Presidents.
-Yeah!
See, Lou's creativity
with Spencer's ideas
makes the perfect candidate.
Brilliant.
[laughs]
[Joanna] I can't have
any of this.
Mm! These cookies are great.
Yeah, Joanna made 'em.
I know, you told me that.
I didn't believe you.
Hey!
No offense.
You know, you can learn
a plethora of things online.
You know, in fact,
a couple of weeks ago,
I made an origami dinosaur.
[overlapping] Why?
I really don't know.
[laughing]
Can't answer that.
Well,
case done,
justice prevails...
Yeah, it does.
And... get this.
Mm?
Guess who's gonna prosecute
Brian Herrimann?
Are you really?
That's right.
Gonna put
that guy away for a long time.
You're not defending him,
right?
No.
So then, conceivably,
Counselor,
the firewall
could come down?
Could press "play."
[]