Real Detective (2016) s01e06 Episode Script

- If guys that are
in this business tell you
that they don't carry it home
with them, that's bullshit.
This job can break you
if you let it.
(panting)
The man I was then and the man
I am now
are two different people.
That case became
an obsession to me.
The damn toughest case I had
for so many reasons.
The violence, the death
it wears on the soul.
The Marlin-Ginn case
would not go away.
It was with me constantly.
♪♪♪
So you want to talk about
Carol Marlin and Maggie Ginn?
I was working midnight shift.
I'd gotten officer of the year.
I think I was at a point
in my career
that I couldn't be beaten.
I had a huge ego.
Got absorbed in my work
and I let my work control me.
- Okay.
What's up Tuttle?
- I got a call from this guy
reported his wife missing.
Been about four hours
since he's seen her.
- Four hours?
What are you wasting my time
with four hours for?
- Husband said she received
a threatening letter at work,
gives him cause for concern.
- Where she work?
- Astor & Leeds.
- The defense contractor?
- Yeah, they both work there.
Says she went out with a friend
after work,
didn't come home.
- All right.
Probably be home
by the time I get there.
- (Narrator):
I didn't mind working midnight
shift. It could wear on you
but nothing was better
from a detective stand point
than having something
to work on.
- (Eddie Herman):
Mr. Peek, we don't
usually follow up
on missing persons reports
after only four hours.
- (John Peek): My wife said she
was gonna be home at 8:30.
Now I asked her
not to go and she went anyway.
Ever since she got
that letter I worry.
- I was told it was
a death threat of some kind?
- Yeah, it was pretty much
a death threat.
I read it.
- Do you have the letter?
- It was turned into security
at Astor & Leed.
- Were they able
to tell who sent it?
- I could maybe get you
a copy tomorrow morning.
- Yeah, that'd be fine. Good.
What's your wife's name?
- Carol Marlin.
- Carol Marlin?
- We're common law. She was out
with her friend, Maggie.
They used to work together.
- You know the name
of restaurant?
- They weren't sure so no.
Maybe I'm overreacting.
I know it sounds crazy.
- (Eddie): Do you got
an address for Maggie?
- I don't believe I do.
She's my wife's friend.
I barely know her.
- Look Mr. Peek, I'm gonna be
honest with you. Anything I need
to know about?
Any marital
problems, anything like that?
- (Eddie):
Any reason to think your wife
might want to leave you?
- Nothing. We're happy.
I mean I get it, four hours.
But this is really
not like her.
- Try calling her friend?
Maggie
- (Peek):
Ginn, Maggie Ginn.
Yeah. No answer.
- Okay,
you got that number for me?
(papers rustling)
- Here it is.
- All right, I'll get back
to the office and look into it.
I'll call you in a bit.
- Thanks, I appreciate it.
- Car?
- I'm sorry what?
- What kind of car
does your wife have?
- A Buick Regal, blue.
- Right. Okay, thank you.
- (Narrator):
I've seen this kind of thing
before in cases.
Wife leaves, the husband leaves,
and they'll stay gone for
a few days, sometimes a week,
sometimes months.
I called the number that Peek
had given me for Maggie Ginn
twice, it went
to a recorded message.
We checked the hospitals,
we checked the jails,
there was no word.
- Ed, I had patrol look
into that blue Buick, nothing.
- Nothing?
I got the Ginn address.
- Want me to send a car?
- No, it's okay, I'll go.
- All right, then.
See you later.
Hey Marni.
- Peluso.
You know he can't keep
his mouth shut.
- Trust me, I know.
- How's your night?
- It's quiet. You?
- Hot, boring.
- Tell me about it.
- So now I'm wiped.
I'll see you at my place?
- I got to finish
this missing persons first.
- All right.
- (Narrator):
I'm not sure Marni knew
what she was getting into.
Maybe not so much
about the job but, you know,
about me and the way that I,
you know, the intensity
that I had with the job.
- (Narrator):
At around seven in the morning
I got the address
for Maggie from security
where she worked.
- (Narrator):
I remember to this moment
turning onto the street
and there was
Carol Marlin's car.
Down in my gut I said
this is not good.
Now we got a problem.
I knew whatever it was
it was bad.
(dogs barking at distance)
(barking)
(clearing his throat)
(creaks)
♪♪♪
♪♪♪
♪♪♪
My missing person case
just turned
into a double homicide.
In my career I dealt
with a lot of death.
When you actually
are the first on the scene
you never,
ever get used to that.
- Sorry, what do we got?
Didn't have time
to go home.
- Double homicide.
No weapons I could find,
no forced entry.
- We know who
the vics are yet?
- Yeah.
Pretty sure
Carol Marlin.
Husband called in
a missing persons.
She got the worst of it.
The other one's Maggie Ginn,
homeowner.
Why don't you go ahead
and walk off the perimeter,
canvas the area see if anybody's
heard or seen anything,
then step inside with me.
- It was kind of chilling
to think about it right now
but I remember standing
in there thinking
they were comfortable
with whoever did this.
Both of them were
because they were ambushed.
Whoever did this knew one
or knew both of them.
(sigh)
- (Peluso): Eddie?
- Yeah.
♪♪♪
- (Peluso):
Who the heck is Barry Webb?
- (Eddie):
I don't know.
- There's a reason
that Carol Marlin
was beaten in the head
and the face like she was.
There's a reason
that there's no forced entry.
Didn't really look
like it was a struggle.
And there's a reason
that there's a piece of paper
in Maggie Ginn's hand.
- (Peek): That's my wife's car.
All right?
Is my wife in there?
That's, just,
okay, I'm okay.
Can you just
tell me what's going on?
Can you
tell me?
- (Narrator):
Some people are good
at being emotional.
But I remember with Peek
I wasn't having
a good feeling about it.
(sighs)
- Mr. Peek I'm gonna ask you a
few questions. You up for that?
- How were they killed?
- We're still determining that.
Can you think of anybody
that'd want to hurt your wife?
- I don't know.
There's this guy at work,
Carol and I
both work with him.
He's got issues with me.
- What guy?
- Barry Webb.
She thought I was having
an affair
with this woman we both know,
Linda Mills.
- Were you?
- No we're just friends.
Barry's the one
in love with her.
He thought I was coming
between them.
- Why would he think that?
- Linda and I
went on a business trip
and we had a great time
as friends.
She told Barry about the trip
and suddenly he's acting
all weird with me. And then
she gets this death threat.
- All right, but you said
you had no idea
who sent the letter.
Now you're saying you think
it might be Barry Webb?
Is that what you're saying?
- I didn't want to accuse
the guy. I don't have any proof.
He would say things,
like, under his breath.
- What kind of things?
- Stuff like
You'll never get her.
- You happen to get
that letter for me?
- Oh no, not yet.
- It's okay, I'll get it.
Any reason to think that Barry
and your wife might have been,
you know?
- It's crossed my mind.
She had an affair
a few years back.
I forgave her.
So yeah, I mean,
it's possible.
- Okay.
All right.
Hang tight.
You said
you had no idea
where Maggie Ginn
- Lived.
- Yeah.
- I got her address
from security at work.
- Yeah.
- I wanted to help
look for Carol.
- Okay.
- (Narrator):
Peluso notified
the Ginn family
and talked with them
and it was hard.
They were very upset.
Maggie Ginn,
she was a widow, had raised
three kids, grandkids.
Carol Marlin was 46 years old.
Doted over John.
Worked hard,
was just a beautiful person.
Totally innocent victims.
- (Peluso): Son gave them to me.
Said they were best friends,
did everything together.
- (Eddie): It's a damn shame.
- (Narrator):
I'm gonna find the SOB
that did this.
And we're gonna figure this out.
- (Peluso): All right,
Maggie's son was robbed.
Thought maybe whoever killed
his mother might have gotten
the address from his lock box.
They robbed about
ten grand in jewelry from him.
Could have been
a robbery gone wrong.
- I doubt it. Look into that.
- (Peluso): One neighbor
said he saw a very tall,
thin man run across
his lawn around the same time
the murders took place.
Said he came down to the curb
to get a better view
but the man disappeared through
some trees near Maggie's house.
- Did you get a murder weapon?
- No.
- So we got two dead bodies.
We got no witnesses,
no murder weapon,
and no prints.
Nothing. There's no way
somebody kills two people
and doesn't leave
a trace.
Come on, I need
a murder weapon.
- (Narrator):
In processing the scene
we didn't find anything missing
from Maggie Ginn's house.
I searched it twice.
We didn't find anything
of significance.
We've got to retrace the steps
and we've got
to concentrate and search
to find the murder weapon.
- (Narrator):
We were looking for
any instrument, maybe a hammer
or something, something similar
that may have been used.
Some heavy instrument that could
have been held in the hand
and used at close range.
- (Peluso): Hey guys.
I think I found something.
- (Peluso):
We found the pipe in the woods
behind the victim's home.
Now I know
that could have caused
the type of injuries
we found on both our victims.
- Well judging by the size
and weight of the pipe I agree.
If there's blood residue
or prints
I'll let you know.
- I appreciate it.
- (Narrator):
Both victims suffered
significant blunt-force trauma
and it appeared
that an instrument like a hammer
or something similar to a hammer
was used to inflict
the injuries.
- (Narrator):
I knew that I had to find
physical evidence.
- Pipe's not our weapon.
Nothing ties it to the crime.
No blood, prints,
no DNA. Pipe's been sitting
in the ground for years.
- (Narrator): I needed to find
that murder weapon.
I had to regroup.
- You know, back to square one.
- (Eddie):
Yeah, Barry Webb please.
(clears throat)
- He's not in?
- (Narrator): Barry Webb's name
is on the invoice
at the crime scene.
We got Peek talking about him.
- No, no I'll call back.
Thank you.
- And then I'm not able
to get in touch with him.
- (Narrator): So when I talked
to coworkers about Peek
and Barry Webb
couple of them told me
that Peek described how Webb
was abusive.
Peek was afraid of him.
- (Peluso):
You buying that breaking and
entering story Webb's selling?
- (Peluso):
You buying Peek's story?
- At this point I ain't buying
anything from anybody until
I get some hard evidence.
- (Peluso): Like a weapon?
- Yep, that'd be nice.
- You get that threat note
we asked for?
- We're still
looking.
- (Peluso):
Who the heck is Barry Webb?
- Peluso.
That's the same invoice
that was in Maggie Ginn's hand.
Thank you.
- (Narrator):
Linda Mills, she was stuck
in the middle of it.
- (Linda): Detective Herman?
- Yeah.
- I'm Linda Mills.
I wanted to talk to you
about Barry Webb.
- This is something
straight of a damn movie.
- Look, Barry
would never hurt anyone.
- You and Barry close?
- Yes, but we're
just friends.
- How'd Barry feel
about John Peek?
- I suspect he hated John.
Look, I turned John down
a number of times.
He kept hitting on me.
His wife Carol hated me
because she thought
that John and I
were a thing.
- Were you?
- Absolutely not.
- Just be honest
with yourself.
Is Barry in love with you?
I'll take that as a yes.
- Barry will never be
capable of murder.
Look, he was just trying
to get John to leave me alone.
- She was definitely trying
to help Barry Webb.
- (Eddie): Barry Webb?
- Yeah? That's me.
- Detective Herman.
You mind if I ask you
a few questions?
You know Carol Marlin
and Maggie Ginn?
- Yeah. I know them both.
Why?
- He was nervous.
He was nervous.
- Listen, can we talk?
- Are you here about the break
in I had the other night?
- I didn't have any idea
what he was talking about.
So Webb came into the office
and we sat down
and I talked with him.
- (Eddie): Mr. Webb.
- Can you identify that for me?
- Sure, it looks like a piece
of a receiving memo.
- Is that your signature
right there?
- No.
I mean it is, but that's not
my hand writing.
- Look Mr. Webb, we looked into
you. We know you have issues
with John Peek.
Listen to me.
Listen to me. Don't lie.
- Yeah, fine.
I have issues with the guy.
But Peek is the one
with the problem.
- You two have
Linda Mills in common?
- Linda and I
are friends.
In fact, he's been
all over her.
But she isn't
interested.
I know he blames me for it.
- Mr. Webb,
you have to understand
what we're dealing with
is a double homicide.
You understand that?
- I'm not lying.
- All right. We need you
to submit a hair sample
for us. Will that be okay?
- What? Why? I didn't do
anything. Look, okay.
When you first came to me
I told you I thought
you were there
for a break and enter
that I reported.
- Right.
- It was John Peek
who broke into my house.
- How does John Peek
forget to tell the police
about
this happening out there
at Webb's house?
- I went to the basement
and I saw him
trying to leave through
the window with this black bag.
Now I went to grab him
but he got away.
- Black bag?
- Well he must have stolen
something from me
because it was making
a clanking sound,
like metal on metal.
Look, I'm not taking
the blame for murder.
- Wait here.
- (Eddie): How far is it
from John Peek's house
to Maggie Ginn's house?
- (Peluso): About ten miles.
- Ten miles.
And he'd have to drive over
this bridge to get there now?
- Only way to get there
is over this bridge.
- It's a good place
to hide a murder
weapon isn't it?
- Or a black bag.
- (Eddie): Why wasn't the letter
reported to the police?
- (Security):
Carol didn't make a big deal
about it.
In fact
she blew it off actually.
- Blew it off?
She wasn't worried about it?
- No.
- Any idea who or why someone
would threaten Carol Marlin?
- Well we've had a bunch
of layoffs. Could have been
some pissed off employee.
- You ever have any complaints
about John Peek?
- John Peek mentioned
that Barry Webb
had it out for him
when he brought me the letter.
- Wait a second.
John Peek
brought you the letter?
- Yeah.
- I thought Carol Marlin
reported it.
- No it was John Peek. And
he made a big stink about it.
- Any reason to think John Peek
has issues with his wife?
You know, maybe
he was cheating on her or.
- Man all kinds of shenanigans
going around here.
I couldn't say either way.
- Hmm.
Can I keep this?
- Sure.
- Thanks sir.
- (Narrator):
Too many things with Peek
didn't add up.
He lied about knowing
where Maggie Ginn lived.
He lied about the threatening
letter. And he didn't tell me
about the break in
at Barry Webb's house.
I needed something significant
to tie Peek to the crime
and then I found it.
- John Peek changed
his life insurance
two weeks before
his wife was killed.
- They both did.
She changed hers as well,
the same day. That's good.
- Peek's our guy.
- (Narrator):
He was gonna plant evidence
in Webb's basement.
He was gonna plant
the murder weapon there.
Thinking the police find this
invoice with Webb's name on it
they're going
straight out there.
They're gonna search his place.
They're gonna find
a bloody hammer.
- (Eddie):
Now I'm gonna push
for a confession.
- Well Ed, we still don't have
a murder weapon.
- It's John Peek that did it.
With or without
the murder weapon I get
a confession he's going to jail.
- Yeah but Peek gets smart
and stops talking,
we don't have enough
to press charges.
- I'll get the confession.
- It was a huge gamble.
Because I knew,
I knew I got one shot.
- I think you planted
the invoice
in Maggie Ginn's hand.
- What invoice.
- The one with Barry Webb's
signature on it.
I think you wrote it.
And I think you shoved it
into Maggie Ginn's hand
right after you killed her.
- What?
No, I didn't kill her.
- I think you lied
about the threat letter.
- No, I forgot that I was
the one who brought it in.
- And you failed to tell me you
showed up at Barry Webb's house
the night your wife
was murdered.
- Barry had it out for me.
I went to his house because
I was worried for my wife.
- You got an answer
for everything, don't you John?
Why don't you tell me the truth?
- I didn't kill her,
if that's what you're asking.
I loved me wife.
- Yeah, well maybe
she didn't love you.
- Don't you say that.
Don't you dare say that.
- Aren't you the beneficiary
on your wife's life insurance?
- Yeah, and she was on mine.
- And she changed
that life insurance policy
two weeks before she was killed.
- People change
their life insurance policies.
- Oh so it was just good timing
then? Well let me tell you
what I think happened.
You wanted Carol Marlin gone
because you had eyes
for Linda Mills.
I mean she looked good.
The girl looked good.
Right? I mean I get it.
Time for a change.
You want to frame Barry Webb
and get him out of the picture
but you weren't expecting him
to be home that night.
What was in the black bag John?
Huh? Was that the murder weapon?
- Everyone
suspects the husband.
(sobs)
- It's okay John.
- I was scared.
- Mhmm.
- She.
- Am I being charged?
- I'm thinking about it.
- Knowing it
and proving it
are two different things
detective.
You should be ashamed
of yourself.
(A door opens.)
- In Georgia the best way
to get a conviction
is physical evidence
and a confession.
In this case there were
circumstantial evidence.
I mean there were
all these circumstances
and what was gonna put us over
that wall was
him admitting to it.
And he didn't do it.
I felt like I had,
I'd failed on a case.
(voices on radio)
- Let's dredge a lake.
- Only makes sense, Peek tossed
the murder weapon in the drink.
- We don't have
the manpower.
By the time
we dredge the lake,
which is impossible by the way,
people die of old age.
- Without a murder weapon.
- We got nothing.
Yeah, I'm aware.
- (man on radio): Eddie.
- Go for Eddie.
- Just got a call
from John Peek's father.
- He wants to confess?
And?
- Father says his son's
missing. Says Peek left
a suicide note.
- (Narrator): I had my fill
when he wrote this letter
and disappeared.
And thinking that son-of-a-bitch
and it was just
like I was numb
for a few minutes.
- We'll talk to him.
I want to see that note.
(engine starts)
- (Narrator) If he went off,
killed himself, case is closed.
I want to see the note
because it didn't fit
what I knew about John Peek.
That he was actually gonna
go out and kill himself.
To me this is
all self-serving,
cry on somebody's shoulder BS.
I knew he was gonna surface,
just a matter of when.
- (Eddie): Peek's trying
to hide the evidence.
No way he's committed suicide.
- (Narrator): One of the things
that I remember thinking about
is what if he's returned
to where he ditched that bag?
What if it's not in the water?
What if it wasn't thrown
in a dumpster?
- Peek lives right here.
Maggie Ginn.
And Barry Web
lives right there.
Peek was breaking
into Barry Webb's house
and he got caught
with the black bag.
- I think he got rid of it
between the drive
from Webb's house to home.
Because he knows now
hey the gig's up, he caught me
in the basement,
law enforcement's gonna
be involved
out there. I got to do
something with it.
So maybe he hid
it in a temporary place.
- We find Peek,
we find the murder weapon.
(voices on radio)
(crickets chirping)
- (Narrator):
We spent the next 48 hours
trying to find John Peek.
We didn't have any luck.
Around that time
we got the lab results
on Barry Webb's hair samples
and he was cleared.
- Eddie, some lawyer
here to see you.
- (Lawyer):
You can call off your search.
My client, John Peek,
as you can see
is alive and well.
Any further questions
for Mr. Peek can go through me.
- Well I'm glad
M. Peek's alive and well.
Wish I could say the same
for his wife and Maggie Ginn.
- (Eddie): We got nothing.
- (Peluso): So we keep digging.
- I screwed up.
We're never gonna find that
murder weapon man, it's gone.
Because of me that guy's gonna
get away with murder.
- It was a burden. I mean it was
a huge problem to me.
When it looked like we weren't
gonna come up with anything else
the anger toward him
and what he'd done
(sight)
it was worse.
- (Narrator):
And I wanted to provoke
a confrontation.
(banging)
(panting)
- (Eddie): Hey John.
John.
You want to use some of that
insurance money of Carol's?
Put out an award
to catch
this son-of-a-bitch huh?
Huh John?
John, you know where to find me.
(screams)
- Maggie's family
and Carol Marlin's family
and they're frustrated.
Hum
But in defense of them,
I mean they had a right
to be I think.
And, you know, because hey,
you're the detective,
you think he's the killer,
he's still walking the street.
(car approaching)
- (Narrator):
When I found out Peek
got remarried I can remember
thinking well that SOB.
Okay, what an arrogant,
condescending piece of crap.
(laugh)
- (Narrator):
What is he thinking?
Is he thinking I got away
with it once,
I'm gonna get away
with it again?
(engine starts)
(Eddie): Now don't look.
Slowly.
(Marni): What are you doing?
- You ready?
- Okay. Yes, I'm ready.
- You didn't peak?
- No, I didn't peak.
- Surprise.
- (laugh)
Oh thank you baby.
Oh look at it all.
Oh thank you.
Hold on, here we go.
(ringtone)
(voices on radio)
♪♪♪
- (Peek): I came home
and there she was, I swear.
- (Peek): I found her like that.
I know everyone thinks
the husband did it
but I didn't do anything.
- (Narrator):
I remember I was sick
to my stomach when I first heard
that he had killed again.
I mean literally
sick to my stomach.
He is a master manipulator.
He set this thing in motion.
But I am
I am flabbergasted. I mean,
I am dumbfounded
that he has done this again.
Done it again
in the same county,
knowing he's gonna have
to deal
with the same people again.
Meaning me.
I just caved to the fact
that he's a sociopathic killer
and we got to deal with it.
- (Eddie):
This son-of-a-bitch said
he found his new wife Kasi Peek
dead when he got home.
- (Peluso): How convenient.
Carol and Maggie
were both beaten.
- Yeah, with hammers
or something.
Kasi was killed with a shotgun
right to the back of the head.
- She never
saw it coming either.
- (Narrator):
You have physical evidence
and circumstantial evidence.
And then also when you have
multiple incidences,
multiple crimes committed
by the same offender you can use
the similarities, the pattern.
- All right, we swabbed Peek
for gun residue, got nothing.
- (Eddie): Of course not.
He planned it out.
- (Peluso):
Just like the first murders
we got no murder weapon.
- Peek found Kasi dead,
he called it in
just like he called in
Carol Marlin missing. Right?
- That's a pattern.
- Yeah, but it's not enough
to link the two cases together.
- All of the circumstances:
the dishonesty,
the lies, I had charted those.
- We need more.
(sigh)
- Peek said his wife's purse
was stolen.
Then Mr. Myers
found it,
got Peek's number from it
and called him.
- Peek said the phone call
worried him
so much he went home to check
on his wife and that's
where he found her dead,
shot in the back of the head.
- And now he refuses to take
a lie detector test.
- I wonder why?
We need something
to tie it all together
or else the DA won't give us
an arrest warrant.
- I wanted to charge him,
but we were dealing
with circumstantial evidence.
What I felt
was overwhelming
circumstantial evidence
but in and of itself
circumstantial evidence.
And we didn't have that
that thing
that was gonna seal the deal.
- Peluso.
- Tell me you found something.
- Devil's in the detail.
- I got nothing to say
until my lawyer gets here.
- Well I hope you have
an expensive lawyer.
- He was one
lucky son-of-a-bitch
for a long time.
Did he plan it? Was it
methodical? To a certain degree,
yes. Was it sloppy? Yes.
Did he out-think himself? Yes.
Did he out-think us? Nope.
- Peek took out
a life insurance policy
on his second wife Kasi Peek.
- Same as Carol Marlin.
- We got our pattern.
Do you think we can get him
on all three murders?
- One way to find out.
- We had enough similarities
that it put me in a position
where I had enough
probable cause
to take a warrant into
Carol Marlin/Maggie Ginn case.
- (Eddie):
John Peek, you're under arrest
for the murders of Kasi Peek,
Carol Marlin and Maggie Ginn.
You want to waive
your right John?
We'll talk about it?
- We've already talked
detective.
- Okay.
- It's tough, you know, to get,
we got three dead women
and
you know, we can't change that.
So
I just wish I could have put
him in jail sooner.
But
it didn't work out.
And the worst thing
about that is,
is we had another victim. And
you know that bothers me.
Butin the end, you know,
in the end we won.
And
he's where he needs to be.
(clears throat)
(sigh)
That's it for me.
That's all I got.
Unless you have other questions.
♪♪♪