Conviction (2016) s01e07 Episode Script
A Simple Man
1 [Match strikes, flames whoosh.]
[Pounding on door.]
Man: Help! Help!! Hi.
I'm Maxine, and I'm an addict.
[Scattered greetings.]
Hi, Maxine.
I haven't taken a pill in 19 months and 5 days.
But, um but this These past six days have been really rough.
Someone died at work, and, uh I just have to remember that this, too, shall pass.
[Elevator bell dings.]
Thanks for coming.
You used that line on Naomi last night? You figured that out fast.
I spotted you two playing tonsil hockey in your office.
Is she as good as I remember? As a lawyer, of course.
New case for you Leo Scarlata.
15 years into a life sentence for torching his family's restaurant.
The fire killed one man, injured another.
Arson Frankie will enjoy that.
I don't see how it warrants special delivery.
Defense wanted to argue diminished capacity, and the judge didn't allow it, despite Leo's IQ being only 73.
- A significant cognitive impairment.
- That, it is.
That's exactly the kind of defendant that gets bulldozed by the system.
- Right again.
- Facts about the case? Solid, but not rock solid.
Well, send the files to my office.
Just one more thing.
Meet Paul Slatkin.
He's making a documentary about Leo's incarceration.
And, hopefully, exoneration.
It's a pleasure meeting you.
This is my cameraman Simon.
- [Switch clicks.]
- They'll be filming your investigation.
I am not spending five days with these gadflies following my every move.
You will if you want to work the case.
Paul: I can help.
I've been filming Leo and his family for the past two years.
I've interviewed him, his attorneys, family members.
I can give you access to all of them.
Great! Then you can stay the hell away from Leo and me.
This will be great publicity for the CIU.
Do you have the release? After the Dan Harris interview meltdown, why would you even risk this? This time, the only ass truly on the line is Leo Scarlata's.
Even at your most self-sabotaging, you'd never hurt someone like him.
You are so calculating and manipulative and - Right? - That too.
They're gonna be here all week? You better get your roots done.
You look like a Ken Doll with stubble.
Get to it, already.
Um, the prosecution argued that Leo snuck into the restaurant at 3:00 A.
M.
, lit a rag, threw it in the deep fryer, - and walked away.
- Motive? Revenge.
Leo was angry at his two brothers for demoting him to the kitchen, for accidentally spilling hot tea on a customer.
Can you, uh, close that? The The glare is kind of Blinding? Who knew? Fatality and the injured man either of them connected to Leo? Errol Jordan was a homeless man who had the bad luck of sneaking into the basement and fell asleep.
Karl Wimer was passing by, ran in to save Jordan, - and got severely burned.
- Talk to me about the defense.
They argued Leo grew up in the restaurant.
His parents started it, raised him and his brothers there.
The three boys were inseparable their whole lives.
That didn't change 'cause of a bunch of spilled tea.
Tess: Anthony, the youngest brother, shared an apartment with Leo.
He testified Leo was asleep when the fire started.
Unfortunately, when your alibi's provided by an adoring brother You have no alibi.
I'm sorry.
Was I blocking the board the whole time? You want me to start again? That'd be great.
Thanks.
Also, the judge tied the defense's hands by refusing to let them argue diminished capacity.
Can you explain to us the meaning of that term? We know what it means, you know what it means.
Why explain it? For the audience.
In criminal law, "diminished capacity" means the accused is incapable of formulating the specific intent to commit the crime.
So that's a different argument than actual innocence? Yes.
It would've reduced Leo's sentence substantially.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we call "unnecessary exposition.
" I'll investigate the fire.
- Could be an accident instead of arson.
- Take Maxine with you.
Sam, talk to the judge about her, uh, ruling on capacity.
Tess, get all the parasite's interview transcripts from the case.
I'll go talk to Leo.
Y-You're going in four different directions.
I've only got one cameraman.
I've only got five days.
You're on your own.
Let's go.
Thank you so much.
- [Receiver clacks.]
- [Sighs.]
So, when would you like to do your one-on-one interview? Never.
It'll only be five minutes, tops.
You get to film CIU's investigation period.
Didn't realize you were so traumatized by it.
By what? Growing up in the White House, all the cameras around all the time.
Eh [Sighs.]
What bothers me is how my team acts around you.
That and your delusion.
- Delusion? In what way? - [Spoons clank.]
You think you're helping Leo, as opposed to exploiting him.
This is an important story that needs to be told, and I've been working on it for the past two years without seeing a dime.
But you intend to eventually see a dime.
Hopefully, a whole lot of dimes.
Would I like this to be the next "Making a Murderer"? Sure.
- [Chuckles.]
- That doesn't mean I don't care.
No, just that your caring is financially motivated ergo, exploitation.
I can't win with you, can I? Feel free to stop playing the game.
Where do you think you're headed? With you, to the prison.
They're not gonna let you in.
We have clearance to film there.
I think someone might have called and gotten that revoked.
Bye.
- I'm Vince.
- Hayes.
My wife Rita.
Thanks so much for looking into my brother's case.
- [Buzzer.]
- It means a lot to us.
[Door opens.]
Hi.
I'm Hayes.
Unh.
What happened to your pants, Leo? Clearly, some animals here stole them.
I need to hear it from him.
Leo? The guard's bringing another pair.
I-I-I don't want to get anyone in trouble.
It's okay.
You can tell me.
The other guys got angry 'cause I wanted to sleep with a night light.
- I don't like the dark.
- Me neither.
I slept with the bathroom light on until I was 15.
Really? Mm-hmm.
I need to ask you some questions about the fire.
Is that okay? I didn't do it.
I didn't have matches or anything.
I know, but the fire started because someone lit something and threw it in the deep fryer.
I would never do that.
Fire's dangerous.
Well, maybe you made a mistake? No.
I always follow the rules.
Vince and Anthony and me, we grew up in that restaurant.
It's our home.
Anthony that's your other brother? Uh-huh.
I have two brothers and my cat Meatball.
And does Anthony come and visit you, too? Yes.
But not with Vince and Rita.
They don't really talk anymore.
He's just a little too busy counting his money.
You want an M&M? Thank you.
- Judge Hinds? - Hey, do you have a minute? This is my time, Mr.
Spencer.
I got to get my 10,000 steps.
I'll keep up.
Leo Scarlata we're reviewing his case.
He's got an IQ of 73, which is on the lower end of the spectrum.
Not low enough to qualify for diminished capacity.
IQ tests are notoriously subjective.
Another tester might have given him a lower score.
Or higher.
I can appreciate what you're trying to do, but regardless of his IQ, Mr.
Scarlata's where he belongs.
He's getting beaten up on a regular basis in Sing Sing.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Individuals like Mr.
Scarlata don't belong in a psych facility or on the street.
But need I remind you, a man died.
He doesn't belong in prison.
The law doesn't agree with you, Mr.
Spencer.
Have a nice day.
[Sighs.]
Anthony: Between the fire and the firemen putting it out, the place was totaled.
40 years, my parents kept this place going, and overnight, we're out of business.
That must have been devastating.
It destroyed my family.
I mean, Leo went to prison, Vince walked away from the business.
I mean, I went from spending every waking hour with my brothers to hardly ever seeing them.
Looks a lot like the old place.
I kept the layout the same as when my mom ran the kitchen, so now when I come in in the morning, it's like I'm a kid again.
Yeah.
Well, the fire investigator followed a protocol went from the least-burned areas to here, the most damaged.
He thought this "V" pattern on the wall indicated a high-speed burn.
That's why he ruled arson.
And he decided the deep fryer was the point of origin.
So, how did the fire get from here to the deep fryer? [Dial clicks.]
Max, can you turn that fan on for me, please? [Switch clicks.]
[Switch clicks.]
Doesn't seem that the flame could ever travel that far.
- No.
- What does that mean? The fire was deliberate.
This was arson.
It doesn't mean that Leo started it.
Yeah, well, whoever did used something to ignite the blaze, like a, uh like a kitchen rag.
[Flames whoosh.]
And then he threw it into the deep fryer.
[Flames whoosh.]
Grease fires get smoky very fast.
The victim, Mr.
Jordan, would've woken up in the smoky basement, while upstairs, plumes of hot air and gas were being built up.
- The door was locked.
- [Screaming, pounding on door.]
Mr.
Jordan would've screamed for help.
Our Good Samaritan, Karl, heard the screams outside, ran in.
[Man screaming.]
The door to the basement was locked.
[Door handle rattles.]
He tried to break it down but couldn't.
[Thumping.]
At that point, the fire reached flashover.
It became so intense, Karl had to give up, but when he tried to get out, he got lost in the smoke, finally collapsing near here, the site of another low burn.
These bins What was in them? Recycling cans, bottles, used cooking oil.
They used to be plastic instead of metal.
Oh.
You had a hood like this back then, right? Yeah.
It was regulation back in 2001 same as today.
If the fire started at the deep fryer, a hood like this would've slowed it way down, maybe even put it out.
What if the fire started somewhere else? Like in a barrel of used cooking oil.
Fire went up the wall, across the ceiling, through the vent hood, flames shot out above the deep fryer.
No hood extinguisher could've stopped that.
Maybe the fire started right here the oil bins.
As opposed to the deep fryer.
Yeah.
This is where they found Karl.
Maybe Karl didn't try to save anyone, because he's the one that set the fire.
Maybe he stayed to watch his creation burn until it caught up with him.
So, Leo's not off the hook, but But our Good Samaritan sure looks like a good suspect.
You think Karl got trapped and burned by a fire he started? Happens all the time.
Hey, where's Sam and Tess? Still reviewing the transcripts from Paul's interviews.
So far, they haven't found anything not in the court record.
They seem bored out of their minds.
Uh, Maxine, can you tilt the screen? - I'm getting a - [Air horn blows.]
Oops.
I can either film this later [Air horn blows.]
[Snickers.]
Apologies.
So juvenile.
Frankie, go on.
Karl's a solid suspect.
You know, arsonists get off on being close to the flames - [Air horn blows.]
- feeling the power.
[Air horn blows.]
What are you doing? - Just feeling the - [Air horn blows.]
- power.
- [Air horn blows.]
[Snickers.]
I'm sorry.
Actually, I'm not sorry.
This is fun.
You want to try? All right.
I get it.
Forget it.
You are a [Air horn blows.]
What was Karl's motive? He has no record for arson or vandalism.
He doesn't have a criminal record, but he does have a hero record.
A month before the Scarlata fire, Karl pulled a 12-year-old girl out of heavy surf at Jones Beach.
And before that, he saved his neighbor by administering CPR.
- Could be coincidence.
- Three times in less than a year? Either Karl is Batman Or there's no such thing as a hero.
Mm.
[Air horn blows.]
Paul: How do you like working in CIU? It's great very rewarding.
What about working for Hayes Morrison? More of the same.
Sounds a bit canned, especially since, uh, she stole your job.
It's ancient history.
All right, let's, uh, move on to more recent history.
Your last case things ended rather tragically.
You're talking about George Stayner's suicide? Yes.
Is that really relevant? I want the audience to understand the stakes for you at this job.
Sometimes, it's literally life or death.
Has anything like that ever happened to you before? I've been to a lot of crime scenes, I've seen bodies, but actually seeing it happen Do you think there's anything you could've done differently? - Not me, no.
- You were with Maxine, right? Yeah.
There's nothing she could've done, either.
I mean, the guy was going to prison, he knew he couldn't handle it.
Do you think she could have tried harder to talk him down? [Chuckles.]
Maxine tends to attack every problem head-on, which usually works for her, but, you know So, you think if she had been a more-skilled negotiator, the man might still be alive? That's not what I said.
You know what? Let's, uh Let's back up, delete it, start again.
No.
No, no.
This is great stuff.
I-I'm really interested in your take on Leo's case.
Unless, of course, you you want me to stop the interview? No.
You actually think I'd risk my life just to get my picture in the Daily News? You didn't plan on risking your life.
Fire spread quick.
You got trapped.
I got trapped because I ran into a burning building when I heard someone screaming.
A building you happened to be walking by at 3:00 A.
M.
? I was in a band, our gigs would run late.
I I'd be too amped up to sleep, so I'd go for these long walks to wind down.
Yeah, publicity you got playing hero must have been good for your band, huh? Hey, what I got from "playing the hero" was six months in a burn unit, having my wounds debrided with an iron brush.
I-I-I get that you believe Leo doesn't belong in prison, but trust me he definitely started that fire.
If you weren't there until after the fire started burning, - how could you know? - Because he told me.
H-He wrote me letters when I was in the hospital said he was sorry.
[Scoffs.]
He confessed.
[Buzzer, door opens.]
- Look who's here.
- [Door closes.]
We got our shooting credentials restored.
Goodie! [Buzzer, door opens.]
Hi, Leo.
[Door closes.]
Leo, why did you send these letters to Karl if you didn't start the fire? Uh, he was hurt real bad, and I wanted him to feel better.
You said that you felt sorry that he was hurt.
You wrote that.
I-It was really sad what happened to him and the other guy.
When something sad happens, you're supposed to say "Sorry.
" Leo, did you start the fire? No! I told you.
Then why did you say you didn't mean for him to get hurt? I told you because I felt bad for him that he was in the hospital.
Leo, do you know the difference between right and wrong? [Scoffs.]
Did you know how to turn on the stove? My dad taught me never to play with the stove.
Someone could get hurt.
Someone did get hurt.
Leo, do you swear you didn't start the fire? I pinkie-swear it.
Paul: You uncovered a totally new point of origin for the fire at the restaurant kitchen.
Is that right? Uh yeah.
It's pretty cool, you know, using science to uncover the truth.
Where'd your interest in all this stem from? Oh, I got into forensics when [Clears throat.]
when I was locked up.
[Clears throat.]
Oh, right.
You You were incarcerated uh, three years, Queensboro? Yeah.
Yeah, grand-theft auto.
But But, you know, my my cellmate, Rey, he put me onto the "Forensic Files," and there was only one TV on the block, so we kind of watched together every day.
I-I got hooked.
Guess Rey helped you find your purpose, huh? Yeah.
I mean, without this, who knows where I'd be right now? He, um pretty much saved my life.
[Lock clicks.]
[Thump.]
Damn.
[Chuckles.]
Damn.
[Mouse clicks, key clacks.]
[Keys clacking.]
Damn.
[Mouse clicks.]
[Mouse clicks.]
Paul: Did he ever get into trouble when you guys were growing up? No.
Nothing serious.
a couple of kids were You know, kids can be jerks.
got mad because we wouldn't let him in our tree house.
Damn.
[Speaking indistinctly.]
[Flash drive clicks.]
[Beeping.]
[Keyboard clacks.]
You're gonna want to see this.
Found this on Paul's computer.
Uh, future reference consent to pull it out doesn't equal consent to stick it in.
What were you doing on Paul's computer? [Mouse clicks.]
Paul: Did he ever get into trouble when you guys were growing up? No.
Nothing serious.
Pushed a couple of kids for teasing him.
You know, kids can be jerks.
Once, Leo got mad 'cause we wouldn't let him in our tree house.
We didn't want him to fall and get hurt.
He didn't understand.
Later, after we left, he set the tree house on fire.
[Keyboard clacks.]
That is a similar prior act.
More like an identical act.
Leo has a history of starting fires when he's angry.
Paul and Leo's brothers knew it all along.
Leo setting fire to the tree house parallels him setting fire to the restaurant.
It is beyond damaging, and you withheld it.
That story would never be allowed in court.
I don't care about the court.
I care about the truth - Clearly, an alien concept to you.
- Hayes, I think it's He buried footage that makes Leo look guilty hid it from us.
Your employee stole footage from me worth thousands of dollars.
That's felony theft.
Who made that valuation your mother? Calm down.
Okay, look, I'm trying to help Leo and, in the process, hundreds of others like him, who are being railroaded by the system because they lack the wherewithal to protect themselves.
And if you have to lie to do it People with intellectual disabilities make up nearly 3% of the general population, but it's almost triple that in the prison population.
That's not a lie.
That is a fact! One that you're up-front with because it supports your agenda.
You agree with his agenda.
Noble intentions don't make it okay to withhold information or obscure the truth.
My job as a filmmaker is to tell Leo's story in an impactful way.
Giving you a free pass to manipulate the audience, Leo, his family anything to ensure that your movie gets a happy ending so someone buys it.
That is all you care about, because underneath the empathy for people like Leo, you're a whore.
- And I'm done.
- Hayes.
I choose the cases, remember? I'm unchoosing this one.
You can't do that.
We had an agreement.
Then you're a whore, too.
Get that out of my face! [Clatter.]
[Glass shatters.]
Vince spends his whole life taking care of and protecting Leo and then throws him under the bus on-camera? - Why? - Maybe it was an innocent slip.
Hayes: No such thing.
Where's Paul? Out buying a new camera.
What if Vince wanted to make sure that Leo wasn't exonerated, make sure the truth wouldn't come out? You think Vince lit the fire, let Leo take the fall? The insurance payout did have a lot of zeros after it.
Tess: I found something odd.
Vince didn't deposit his insurance payout.
He signed it over to Powell & Associates.
I called to ask about the transaction, but as soon as I said I was CIU They hung up on you? How'd you know? Their business is money laundering.
They hire Ivy League attorneys to hide money for superrich corporate titans.
They recruited heavily from my law school.
Vince was definitely not super-rich.
I'll take care of Powell.
You keep digging on Vince.
Getting right back on your horse.
Good for you! Where are you going? To the bathroom.
I'll be right back.
Oh, actually, I might be a while.
I'm big on whole grains.
Paul: Okay.
So, what kind of cop are you? Second-generation.
No complaints, no problems.
I'm proud of my time.
You liked being a cop.
Why retire? I was ready to move on.
- [Groans lightly.]
- You okay? Yeah.
I just I tweaked my back last week.
Did that, uh, happen during the George Stayner incident? You remember the George Stayner incident, right? He killed himself in front of me, so yeah, I remember.
Sam suggested you might have been able to handle that situation better maybe if you'd been less aggressive.
Sam said that? Do you feel responsible for what happened? A man died that day.
I'm not interested in helping you make that into entertainment.
Ms.
Morrison.
Glen Powell.
I know an associate of yours called the office.
However, we're bound by client-privacy regulations.
I'm here on a personal matter.
My co-op board wants to restructure the shareholder contract to safeguard against owners renting to the Airbnb types.
Do you know how long it would take you to draft us a new contract? About a week tops.
You can't take that! Sure I can.
Just like I'm sure I can have the Feds crawling up your ass in less than 10 minutes.
Money laundering is like catnip to the Justice Department.
Or you can tell me where Vince Scarlata was stashing his money.
[Mouse clicking, computer beeps.]
Vince had the funds transferred to Ace Den.
It's a high-roller casino very hush-hush.
Vince was a gambler? Not a very good one.
He was in pretty deep.
That insurance payout saved his life.
You didn't tell us the whole story, Mr.
Scarlata.
What story's that? We know about your secret.
I assume you're talking about his gambling debt.
That hasn't been a secret for a long time.
That still doesn't mean you didn't burn the restaurant down.
Wait.
You think I set the fire? That restaurant was my father's legacy, his life's work.
I could never burn that place down.
The insurance payout's a pretty big motive.
You think I'd let my brother rot in prison for money? When our parents died, I swore I would always protect him.
So, where were you the night the restaurant caught fire? The restaurant closes at 10:00 every night, so he was home around 11:30.
And he was asleep beside me when we got the call about the fire.
- Are we done here? - Yeah.
[Sighs.]
That's enough.
You want to check his alibi at the building, or should I? I don't know.
Can you trust me? [Scoffs.]
What's that supposed to mean? You never know how I'm gonna react to a situation.
I might come across too aggressive.
[Clears throat.]
I didn't mean it like that.
How did you mean it? That's exactly what they want.
I don't give a damn who sees.
You have no idea what that situation was like for me.
I was right there.
George had a gun 2 feet from my face.
I didn't know if he was gonna shoot me or shoot himself.
You're right.
I'm sorry.
I don't need your apology, and I sure as hell don't need your pity.
[Cap clicks.]
[Elevator bell dings.]
Oh! Hold the door! Hey.
Vince's alibi checked out.
His doorman confirmed he was at home when the fire started.
Makes Leo our prime suspect again.
Unless Vince set some kind of delaying device to start the fire later.
Sam, you're blocking Frankie.
- Does that help? - Could you Nope.
Good.
[Thud.]
Oops.
I I dropped my badge.
[Exhales deeply.]
They annoy me.
- You can't avoid them forever.
- Don't bet on it.
When I was 16, the Secret Service changed my code name from "Halo" to "Houdini.
" I'm guessing "Halo" was ironic? Delayed-ignition devices go.
There was nothing in the original reports that Forget about reports.
Go back to the physical evidence.
I would if I could.
They were destroyed in You ready for this? a fire at the NYPD evidence warehouse.
The restaurant goes up in flames, as does our case.
Maybe not.
What about Karl? I mean, he was burned in the fire, which means there'd be trace amounts of any chemicals consumed in that fire on his skin.
Burn units always take samples in a suspected-arson case blood, hair, skin.
I'm sure they ran panels on him.
Get his records anything you can get your hands on.
- Mmhmm.
- If we learn more about the fire, perhaps it will help us figure out who started it.
- All right.
- [Elevator bell dings.]
[Sighs.]
Thank you.
Paul: Is Hayes Morrison easy to work with? Easy? No.
Great? Yes.
She's a wild card, a force of nature exactly what the CIU needs.
This unit is devoted to making sure there really is justice for all.
And that includes people with diminished capacity, like Leo? For everyone.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Sounds like the sound bite of a man running for office in the near future.
No comment.
Any chance the U.
S.
Attorney's ongoing investigation of you might derail those plans? Absolutely not.
Because they're not going to find anything.
I re-ran chem panels on Karl's blood and tissue samples found trace amounts of triethanolamine.
What does that mean? Triethanolamine is a common emulsifier.
It's very stable.
That's why it's in everything from dishwashing detergent to herbicide.
I took separate tubes and mixed vegetable oil with every item found in the restaurant that contained triethanolamine.
In hopes that one of them will cause a chemical reaction? Exactly.
How long has it been? Two hours.
How long do we wait? [Chuckles.]
- Uh - [Fizzing.]
What was in that test tube? Kitty litter.
Meatball lived in the restaurant.
Vince could have dumped the kitty litter into the oil bin, gone home, and the fire would've started long after he was gone.
Only, he was home by 11:30.
That mixture would've triggered combustion inside of two hours.
The fire didn't start till 3:00 A.
M.
Vince's alibi still stands.
According to the restaurant's POS system, another passcode logged off around 1:00 A.
M.
Leo? No Anthony Scarlata.
Why would Anthony set up his brother? Framing Leo would've paved the way for him to franchise the restaurant.
He made a fortune.
Sounds like motive to me.
About the other day We're good.
I'm sorry.
Me too.
We know you used kitty litter and vegetable oil to start the fire.
[Scoffs.]
How would that even work? It's easy enough to find on the Internet.
You bought kitty litter earlier the week of the fire.
We found the charge on your credit card.
I bought it for Leo for his cat, Meatball.
You had a cat at the restaurant? I wanted to get rid of it, but Leo loved the damn cat.
Wait.
Was it Leo's job to empty the cat litter? Yeah.
Oh, my God.
He He dumped it in the wrong bin.
He He must have made a mistake.
It was an accident.
Paul: So, I understand you went to law school, but you're not a lawyer.
No.
Why is that? Seems like the logical next step.
What does this have to do with Leo's case? I'm just trying to get a better understanding of the people that are involved in this investigation.
You have to pass the bar exam to be a lawyer.
Well, it's a difficult exam.
Lots of great students I was an editor on Law Review and graduated summa cum laude.
- There's nothing to be ashamed of.
- I'm not ashamed.
Not of that.
Tess, what are you ashamed of? I went to law school planning to be a prosecutor.
I wanted to put bad guys away.
Around the time of the bar exam, one of those bad guys was released exonerated by DNA.
It was a surprise to me, because it was my testimony that had put him in prison.
When I sat down to take the bar exam, all I could see was his face an innocent man whose life I had ruined.
I didn't answer a single question.
So instead of putting bad guys away, you do this? Yes.
I've never told anyone that before.
I I guess I didn't realize that I needed to.
Sometimes, stories that have tragic beginnings have happy endings.
I have good news.
We've been able to prove the fire was an accident.
So I can go home now? - Yes.
- Not yet.
First, you need to make a statement admitting your mistake.
Then the D.
A.
will file a motion that reduces your sentence.
- My My My mistake? - That the fire started because you threw the kitty litter in the wrong trash bin.
No! I didn't do that.
It's okay, Leo.
It was right beside all the other bins.
- It could've happened to anyone.
- No, it didn't happen! I-I know I'm not smart, but I-I know how to listen.
I follow the rules.
But you did clean the cat's litter box that night, right? Yes, but I didn't do anything wrong.
You have to say it, or you can't go home.
I-I did I didn't do anything wrong! I Anthony said if I didn't take care of Meatball that he'd give him away, so I did it right all the time! - Leo - All the time! Leo, if you don't admit this mistake, we can't legally argue with a judge that you didn't intentionally start the fire.
[Breathing shakily.]
I-I followed the rules.
I'm not gonna say I didn't.
[Breathes shakily.]
[Knocks.]
- [Buzzer.]
- [Hayes sighs.]
[Elevator bell dings.]
[Exhales deeply.]
I took the stairs.
- You okay? - Never better.
For what it's worth, thank you.
You did everything humanly possible for Leo.
Except get him out of prison.
Wasn't your fault.
Who cares whose fault it is? Doesn't make it suck any less.
You really care about Leo, don't you? He doesn't belong in prison.
Well, he won't budge off what he thinks is right.
Almost reminds me of you.
I wish I had half his heart.
D [Sighs.]
[Switch clicks.]
[Sighs.]
Do you ever stop?! [Sighs.]
[Buzzer.]
I already told you I didn't make a mistake.
I'm not changing my mind.
Do you know what this is? Oh, it's my chore chart from the restaurant.
From the night of the fire.
One of the rules was that you do everything on this chart, right? Right.
And that you do them exactly as you were told, right? Yes.
I always follow the rules.
What about this one? Bin "B" was the oil bin.
You put the kitty litter in here.
I don't understand.
I-I was following the rules.
We got these charts from the computer at the restaurant earlier in the week of the fire.
Where does it say for you to throw away the kitty litter? [Voice breaking.]
Bin "A.
" But the night of the fire was different.
[Sobs.]
I was following the rules.
It's not your fault.
Leo, who used to make up the chore charts? That That was Rita's job.
Oh.
[Sniffles, breathes shakily.]
Did she make a mistake, too? The fire wasn't an accident.
You told Leo to put kitty litter in the oil bin.
You made the chore chart.
You knew he'd follow it, no matter what.
No.
Rita loves Leo.
She'd never use him like that.
You knew if he put the kitty litter in the oil bin, the restaurant would go up in flames.
Just tell her you didn't do it.
Do it.
Rita, tell her you didn't do it.
[Voice breaking.]
I had no idea that somebody was gonna die or get hurt.
I never thought that Leo'd get caught.
That restaurant was killing you.
You were never home.
You were up to your eyeballs in debt.
It always came first.
I hated what that place was doing to us.
You let Leo rot in prison for 15 years? Vince, please No! NYPD is downstairs to take you in.
Do whatever you want.
I'm done.
Ohh, oh What a release And I feel [Buzzer.]
Yellow becoming me Oh-oh Standing on this wire Makes me realize I am alive And I won't Settle Move on and Earth Now that I've found Leo.
I am so sorry for for everything.
It's okay, Vince.
You didn't do anything wrong.
- [Exhales sharply.]
- No, he didn't.
[Voice breaking.]
I love you.
[Laughs.]
Both of you.
And I still The better ones I need Oh-oh Standing on this wire Makes me realize I am alive And I won't Paul: Things got a little heated between you and Hayes earlier, huh? - Par for the course.
- She called you a whore.
That, she did.
Look, the thing about Hayes Morrison well, there's no one thing.
She's stubborn, reactionary, fearless at least, about the things most of us are afraid of and brilliant.
I've never met anyone else like her probably never will.
And that has nothing to do with her being a former First Daughter.
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
[Pounding on door.]
Man: Help! Help!! Hi.
I'm Maxine, and I'm an addict.
[Scattered greetings.]
Hi, Maxine.
I haven't taken a pill in 19 months and 5 days.
But, um but this These past six days have been really rough.
Someone died at work, and, uh I just have to remember that this, too, shall pass.
[Elevator bell dings.]
Thanks for coming.
You used that line on Naomi last night? You figured that out fast.
I spotted you two playing tonsil hockey in your office.
Is she as good as I remember? As a lawyer, of course.
New case for you Leo Scarlata.
15 years into a life sentence for torching his family's restaurant.
The fire killed one man, injured another.
Arson Frankie will enjoy that.
I don't see how it warrants special delivery.
Defense wanted to argue diminished capacity, and the judge didn't allow it, despite Leo's IQ being only 73.
- A significant cognitive impairment.
- That, it is.
That's exactly the kind of defendant that gets bulldozed by the system.
- Right again.
- Facts about the case? Solid, but not rock solid.
Well, send the files to my office.
Just one more thing.
Meet Paul Slatkin.
He's making a documentary about Leo's incarceration.
And, hopefully, exoneration.
It's a pleasure meeting you.
This is my cameraman Simon.
- [Switch clicks.]
- They'll be filming your investigation.
I am not spending five days with these gadflies following my every move.
You will if you want to work the case.
Paul: I can help.
I've been filming Leo and his family for the past two years.
I've interviewed him, his attorneys, family members.
I can give you access to all of them.
Great! Then you can stay the hell away from Leo and me.
This will be great publicity for the CIU.
Do you have the release? After the Dan Harris interview meltdown, why would you even risk this? This time, the only ass truly on the line is Leo Scarlata's.
Even at your most self-sabotaging, you'd never hurt someone like him.
You are so calculating and manipulative and - Right? - That too.
They're gonna be here all week? You better get your roots done.
You look like a Ken Doll with stubble.
Get to it, already.
Um, the prosecution argued that Leo snuck into the restaurant at 3:00 A.
M.
, lit a rag, threw it in the deep fryer, - and walked away.
- Motive? Revenge.
Leo was angry at his two brothers for demoting him to the kitchen, for accidentally spilling hot tea on a customer.
Can you, uh, close that? The The glare is kind of Blinding? Who knew? Fatality and the injured man either of them connected to Leo? Errol Jordan was a homeless man who had the bad luck of sneaking into the basement and fell asleep.
Karl Wimer was passing by, ran in to save Jordan, - and got severely burned.
- Talk to me about the defense.
They argued Leo grew up in the restaurant.
His parents started it, raised him and his brothers there.
The three boys were inseparable their whole lives.
That didn't change 'cause of a bunch of spilled tea.
Tess: Anthony, the youngest brother, shared an apartment with Leo.
He testified Leo was asleep when the fire started.
Unfortunately, when your alibi's provided by an adoring brother You have no alibi.
I'm sorry.
Was I blocking the board the whole time? You want me to start again? That'd be great.
Thanks.
Also, the judge tied the defense's hands by refusing to let them argue diminished capacity.
Can you explain to us the meaning of that term? We know what it means, you know what it means.
Why explain it? For the audience.
In criminal law, "diminished capacity" means the accused is incapable of formulating the specific intent to commit the crime.
So that's a different argument than actual innocence? Yes.
It would've reduced Leo's sentence substantially.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we call "unnecessary exposition.
" I'll investigate the fire.
- Could be an accident instead of arson.
- Take Maxine with you.
Sam, talk to the judge about her, uh, ruling on capacity.
Tess, get all the parasite's interview transcripts from the case.
I'll go talk to Leo.
Y-You're going in four different directions.
I've only got one cameraman.
I've only got five days.
You're on your own.
Let's go.
Thank you so much.
- [Receiver clacks.]
- [Sighs.]
So, when would you like to do your one-on-one interview? Never.
It'll only be five minutes, tops.
You get to film CIU's investigation period.
Didn't realize you were so traumatized by it.
By what? Growing up in the White House, all the cameras around all the time.
Eh [Sighs.]
What bothers me is how my team acts around you.
That and your delusion.
- Delusion? In what way? - [Spoons clank.]
You think you're helping Leo, as opposed to exploiting him.
This is an important story that needs to be told, and I've been working on it for the past two years without seeing a dime.
But you intend to eventually see a dime.
Hopefully, a whole lot of dimes.
Would I like this to be the next "Making a Murderer"? Sure.
- [Chuckles.]
- That doesn't mean I don't care.
No, just that your caring is financially motivated ergo, exploitation.
I can't win with you, can I? Feel free to stop playing the game.
Where do you think you're headed? With you, to the prison.
They're not gonna let you in.
We have clearance to film there.
I think someone might have called and gotten that revoked.
Bye.
- I'm Vince.
- Hayes.
My wife Rita.
Thanks so much for looking into my brother's case.
- [Buzzer.]
- It means a lot to us.
[Door opens.]
Hi.
I'm Hayes.
Unh.
What happened to your pants, Leo? Clearly, some animals here stole them.
I need to hear it from him.
Leo? The guard's bringing another pair.
I-I-I don't want to get anyone in trouble.
It's okay.
You can tell me.
The other guys got angry 'cause I wanted to sleep with a night light.
- I don't like the dark.
- Me neither.
I slept with the bathroom light on until I was 15.
Really? Mm-hmm.
I need to ask you some questions about the fire.
Is that okay? I didn't do it.
I didn't have matches or anything.
I know, but the fire started because someone lit something and threw it in the deep fryer.
I would never do that.
Fire's dangerous.
Well, maybe you made a mistake? No.
I always follow the rules.
Vince and Anthony and me, we grew up in that restaurant.
It's our home.
Anthony that's your other brother? Uh-huh.
I have two brothers and my cat Meatball.
And does Anthony come and visit you, too? Yes.
But not with Vince and Rita.
They don't really talk anymore.
He's just a little too busy counting his money.
You want an M&M? Thank you.
- Judge Hinds? - Hey, do you have a minute? This is my time, Mr.
Spencer.
I got to get my 10,000 steps.
I'll keep up.
Leo Scarlata we're reviewing his case.
He's got an IQ of 73, which is on the lower end of the spectrum.
Not low enough to qualify for diminished capacity.
IQ tests are notoriously subjective.
Another tester might have given him a lower score.
Or higher.
I can appreciate what you're trying to do, but regardless of his IQ, Mr.
Scarlata's where he belongs.
He's getting beaten up on a regular basis in Sing Sing.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Individuals like Mr.
Scarlata don't belong in a psych facility or on the street.
But need I remind you, a man died.
He doesn't belong in prison.
The law doesn't agree with you, Mr.
Spencer.
Have a nice day.
[Sighs.]
Anthony: Between the fire and the firemen putting it out, the place was totaled.
40 years, my parents kept this place going, and overnight, we're out of business.
That must have been devastating.
It destroyed my family.
I mean, Leo went to prison, Vince walked away from the business.
I mean, I went from spending every waking hour with my brothers to hardly ever seeing them.
Looks a lot like the old place.
I kept the layout the same as when my mom ran the kitchen, so now when I come in in the morning, it's like I'm a kid again.
Yeah.
Well, the fire investigator followed a protocol went from the least-burned areas to here, the most damaged.
He thought this "V" pattern on the wall indicated a high-speed burn.
That's why he ruled arson.
And he decided the deep fryer was the point of origin.
So, how did the fire get from here to the deep fryer? [Dial clicks.]
Max, can you turn that fan on for me, please? [Switch clicks.]
[Switch clicks.]
Doesn't seem that the flame could ever travel that far.
- No.
- What does that mean? The fire was deliberate.
This was arson.
It doesn't mean that Leo started it.
Yeah, well, whoever did used something to ignite the blaze, like a, uh like a kitchen rag.
[Flames whoosh.]
And then he threw it into the deep fryer.
[Flames whoosh.]
Grease fires get smoky very fast.
The victim, Mr.
Jordan, would've woken up in the smoky basement, while upstairs, plumes of hot air and gas were being built up.
- The door was locked.
- [Screaming, pounding on door.]
Mr.
Jordan would've screamed for help.
Our Good Samaritan, Karl, heard the screams outside, ran in.
[Man screaming.]
The door to the basement was locked.
[Door handle rattles.]
He tried to break it down but couldn't.
[Thumping.]
At that point, the fire reached flashover.
It became so intense, Karl had to give up, but when he tried to get out, he got lost in the smoke, finally collapsing near here, the site of another low burn.
These bins What was in them? Recycling cans, bottles, used cooking oil.
They used to be plastic instead of metal.
Oh.
You had a hood like this back then, right? Yeah.
It was regulation back in 2001 same as today.
If the fire started at the deep fryer, a hood like this would've slowed it way down, maybe even put it out.
What if the fire started somewhere else? Like in a barrel of used cooking oil.
Fire went up the wall, across the ceiling, through the vent hood, flames shot out above the deep fryer.
No hood extinguisher could've stopped that.
Maybe the fire started right here the oil bins.
As opposed to the deep fryer.
Yeah.
This is where they found Karl.
Maybe Karl didn't try to save anyone, because he's the one that set the fire.
Maybe he stayed to watch his creation burn until it caught up with him.
So, Leo's not off the hook, but But our Good Samaritan sure looks like a good suspect.
You think Karl got trapped and burned by a fire he started? Happens all the time.
Hey, where's Sam and Tess? Still reviewing the transcripts from Paul's interviews.
So far, they haven't found anything not in the court record.
They seem bored out of their minds.
Uh, Maxine, can you tilt the screen? - I'm getting a - [Air horn blows.]
Oops.
I can either film this later [Air horn blows.]
[Snickers.]
Apologies.
So juvenile.
Frankie, go on.
Karl's a solid suspect.
You know, arsonists get off on being close to the flames - [Air horn blows.]
- feeling the power.
[Air horn blows.]
What are you doing? - Just feeling the - [Air horn blows.]
- power.
- [Air horn blows.]
[Snickers.]
I'm sorry.
Actually, I'm not sorry.
This is fun.
You want to try? All right.
I get it.
Forget it.
You are a [Air horn blows.]
What was Karl's motive? He has no record for arson or vandalism.
He doesn't have a criminal record, but he does have a hero record.
A month before the Scarlata fire, Karl pulled a 12-year-old girl out of heavy surf at Jones Beach.
And before that, he saved his neighbor by administering CPR.
- Could be coincidence.
- Three times in less than a year? Either Karl is Batman Or there's no such thing as a hero.
Mm.
[Air horn blows.]
Paul: How do you like working in CIU? It's great very rewarding.
What about working for Hayes Morrison? More of the same.
Sounds a bit canned, especially since, uh, she stole your job.
It's ancient history.
All right, let's, uh, move on to more recent history.
Your last case things ended rather tragically.
You're talking about George Stayner's suicide? Yes.
Is that really relevant? I want the audience to understand the stakes for you at this job.
Sometimes, it's literally life or death.
Has anything like that ever happened to you before? I've been to a lot of crime scenes, I've seen bodies, but actually seeing it happen Do you think there's anything you could've done differently? - Not me, no.
- You were with Maxine, right? Yeah.
There's nothing she could've done, either.
I mean, the guy was going to prison, he knew he couldn't handle it.
Do you think she could have tried harder to talk him down? [Chuckles.]
Maxine tends to attack every problem head-on, which usually works for her, but, you know So, you think if she had been a more-skilled negotiator, the man might still be alive? That's not what I said.
You know what? Let's, uh Let's back up, delete it, start again.
No.
No, no.
This is great stuff.
I-I'm really interested in your take on Leo's case.
Unless, of course, you you want me to stop the interview? No.
You actually think I'd risk my life just to get my picture in the Daily News? You didn't plan on risking your life.
Fire spread quick.
You got trapped.
I got trapped because I ran into a burning building when I heard someone screaming.
A building you happened to be walking by at 3:00 A.
M.
? I was in a band, our gigs would run late.
I I'd be too amped up to sleep, so I'd go for these long walks to wind down.
Yeah, publicity you got playing hero must have been good for your band, huh? Hey, what I got from "playing the hero" was six months in a burn unit, having my wounds debrided with an iron brush.
I-I-I get that you believe Leo doesn't belong in prison, but trust me he definitely started that fire.
If you weren't there until after the fire started burning, - how could you know? - Because he told me.
H-He wrote me letters when I was in the hospital said he was sorry.
[Scoffs.]
He confessed.
[Buzzer, door opens.]
- Look who's here.
- [Door closes.]
We got our shooting credentials restored.
Goodie! [Buzzer, door opens.]
Hi, Leo.
[Door closes.]
Leo, why did you send these letters to Karl if you didn't start the fire? Uh, he was hurt real bad, and I wanted him to feel better.
You said that you felt sorry that he was hurt.
You wrote that.
I-It was really sad what happened to him and the other guy.
When something sad happens, you're supposed to say "Sorry.
" Leo, did you start the fire? No! I told you.
Then why did you say you didn't mean for him to get hurt? I told you because I felt bad for him that he was in the hospital.
Leo, do you know the difference between right and wrong? [Scoffs.]
Did you know how to turn on the stove? My dad taught me never to play with the stove.
Someone could get hurt.
Someone did get hurt.
Leo, do you swear you didn't start the fire? I pinkie-swear it.
Paul: You uncovered a totally new point of origin for the fire at the restaurant kitchen.
Is that right? Uh yeah.
It's pretty cool, you know, using science to uncover the truth.
Where'd your interest in all this stem from? Oh, I got into forensics when [Clears throat.]
when I was locked up.
[Clears throat.]
Oh, right.
You You were incarcerated uh, three years, Queensboro? Yeah.
Yeah, grand-theft auto.
But But, you know, my my cellmate, Rey, he put me onto the "Forensic Files," and there was only one TV on the block, so we kind of watched together every day.
I-I got hooked.
Guess Rey helped you find your purpose, huh? Yeah.
I mean, without this, who knows where I'd be right now? He, um pretty much saved my life.
[Lock clicks.]
[Thump.]
Damn.
[Chuckles.]
Damn.
[Mouse clicks, key clacks.]
[Keys clacking.]
Damn.
[Mouse clicks.]
[Mouse clicks.]
Paul: Did he ever get into trouble when you guys were growing up? No.
Nothing serious.
a couple of kids were You know, kids can be jerks.
got mad because we wouldn't let him in our tree house.
Damn.
[Speaking indistinctly.]
[Flash drive clicks.]
[Beeping.]
[Keyboard clacks.]
You're gonna want to see this.
Found this on Paul's computer.
Uh, future reference consent to pull it out doesn't equal consent to stick it in.
What were you doing on Paul's computer? [Mouse clicks.]
Paul: Did he ever get into trouble when you guys were growing up? No.
Nothing serious.
Pushed a couple of kids for teasing him.
You know, kids can be jerks.
Once, Leo got mad 'cause we wouldn't let him in our tree house.
We didn't want him to fall and get hurt.
He didn't understand.
Later, after we left, he set the tree house on fire.
[Keyboard clacks.]
That is a similar prior act.
More like an identical act.
Leo has a history of starting fires when he's angry.
Paul and Leo's brothers knew it all along.
Leo setting fire to the tree house parallels him setting fire to the restaurant.
It is beyond damaging, and you withheld it.
That story would never be allowed in court.
I don't care about the court.
I care about the truth - Clearly, an alien concept to you.
- Hayes, I think it's He buried footage that makes Leo look guilty hid it from us.
Your employee stole footage from me worth thousands of dollars.
That's felony theft.
Who made that valuation your mother? Calm down.
Okay, look, I'm trying to help Leo and, in the process, hundreds of others like him, who are being railroaded by the system because they lack the wherewithal to protect themselves.
And if you have to lie to do it People with intellectual disabilities make up nearly 3% of the general population, but it's almost triple that in the prison population.
That's not a lie.
That is a fact! One that you're up-front with because it supports your agenda.
You agree with his agenda.
Noble intentions don't make it okay to withhold information or obscure the truth.
My job as a filmmaker is to tell Leo's story in an impactful way.
Giving you a free pass to manipulate the audience, Leo, his family anything to ensure that your movie gets a happy ending so someone buys it.
That is all you care about, because underneath the empathy for people like Leo, you're a whore.
- And I'm done.
- Hayes.
I choose the cases, remember? I'm unchoosing this one.
You can't do that.
We had an agreement.
Then you're a whore, too.
Get that out of my face! [Clatter.]
[Glass shatters.]
Vince spends his whole life taking care of and protecting Leo and then throws him under the bus on-camera? - Why? - Maybe it was an innocent slip.
Hayes: No such thing.
Where's Paul? Out buying a new camera.
What if Vince wanted to make sure that Leo wasn't exonerated, make sure the truth wouldn't come out? You think Vince lit the fire, let Leo take the fall? The insurance payout did have a lot of zeros after it.
Tess: I found something odd.
Vince didn't deposit his insurance payout.
He signed it over to Powell & Associates.
I called to ask about the transaction, but as soon as I said I was CIU They hung up on you? How'd you know? Their business is money laundering.
They hire Ivy League attorneys to hide money for superrich corporate titans.
They recruited heavily from my law school.
Vince was definitely not super-rich.
I'll take care of Powell.
You keep digging on Vince.
Getting right back on your horse.
Good for you! Where are you going? To the bathroom.
I'll be right back.
Oh, actually, I might be a while.
I'm big on whole grains.
Paul: Okay.
So, what kind of cop are you? Second-generation.
No complaints, no problems.
I'm proud of my time.
You liked being a cop.
Why retire? I was ready to move on.
- [Groans lightly.]
- You okay? Yeah.
I just I tweaked my back last week.
Did that, uh, happen during the George Stayner incident? You remember the George Stayner incident, right? He killed himself in front of me, so yeah, I remember.
Sam suggested you might have been able to handle that situation better maybe if you'd been less aggressive.
Sam said that? Do you feel responsible for what happened? A man died that day.
I'm not interested in helping you make that into entertainment.
Ms.
Morrison.
Glen Powell.
I know an associate of yours called the office.
However, we're bound by client-privacy regulations.
I'm here on a personal matter.
My co-op board wants to restructure the shareholder contract to safeguard against owners renting to the Airbnb types.
Do you know how long it would take you to draft us a new contract? About a week tops.
You can't take that! Sure I can.
Just like I'm sure I can have the Feds crawling up your ass in less than 10 minutes.
Money laundering is like catnip to the Justice Department.
Or you can tell me where Vince Scarlata was stashing his money.
[Mouse clicking, computer beeps.]
Vince had the funds transferred to Ace Den.
It's a high-roller casino very hush-hush.
Vince was a gambler? Not a very good one.
He was in pretty deep.
That insurance payout saved his life.
You didn't tell us the whole story, Mr.
Scarlata.
What story's that? We know about your secret.
I assume you're talking about his gambling debt.
That hasn't been a secret for a long time.
That still doesn't mean you didn't burn the restaurant down.
Wait.
You think I set the fire? That restaurant was my father's legacy, his life's work.
I could never burn that place down.
The insurance payout's a pretty big motive.
You think I'd let my brother rot in prison for money? When our parents died, I swore I would always protect him.
So, where were you the night the restaurant caught fire? The restaurant closes at 10:00 every night, so he was home around 11:30.
And he was asleep beside me when we got the call about the fire.
- Are we done here? - Yeah.
[Sighs.]
That's enough.
You want to check his alibi at the building, or should I? I don't know.
Can you trust me? [Scoffs.]
What's that supposed to mean? You never know how I'm gonna react to a situation.
I might come across too aggressive.
[Clears throat.]
I didn't mean it like that.
How did you mean it? That's exactly what they want.
I don't give a damn who sees.
You have no idea what that situation was like for me.
I was right there.
George had a gun 2 feet from my face.
I didn't know if he was gonna shoot me or shoot himself.
You're right.
I'm sorry.
I don't need your apology, and I sure as hell don't need your pity.
[Cap clicks.]
[Elevator bell dings.]
Oh! Hold the door! Hey.
Vince's alibi checked out.
His doorman confirmed he was at home when the fire started.
Makes Leo our prime suspect again.
Unless Vince set some kind of delaying device to start the fire later.
Sam, you're blocking Frankie.
- Does that help? - Could you Nope.
Good.
[Thud.]
Oops.
I I dropped my badge.
[Exhales deeply.]
They annoy me.
- You can't avoid them forever.
- Don't bet on it.
When I was 16, the Secret Service changed my code name from "Halo" to "Houdini.
" I'm guessing "Halo" was ironic? Delayed-ignition devices go.
There was nothing in the original reports that Forget about reports.
Go back to the physical evidence.
I would if I could.
They were destroyed in You ready for this? a fire at the NYPD evidence warehouse.
The restaurant goes up in flames, as does our case.
Maybe not.
What about Karl? I mean, he was burned in the fire, which means there'd be trace amounts of any chemicals consumed in that fire on his skin.
Burn units always take samples in a suspected-arson case blood, hair, skin.
I'm sure they ran panels on him.
Get his records anything you can get your hands on.
- Mmhmm.
- If we learn more about the fire, perhaps it will help us figure out who started it.
- All right.
- [Elevator bell dings.]
[Sighs.]
Thank you.
Paul: Is Hayes Morrison easy to work with? Easy? No.
Great? Yes.
She's a wild card, a force of nature exactly what the CIU needs.
This unit is devoted to making sure there really is justice for all.
And that includes people with diminished capacity, like Leo? For everyone.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Sounds like the sound bite of a man running for office in the near future.
No comment.
Any chance the U.
S.
Attorney's ongoing investigation of you might derail those plans? Absolutely not.
Because they're not going to find anything.
I re-ran chem panels on Karl's blood and tissue samples found trace amounts of triethanolamine.
What does that mean? Triethanolamine is a common emulsifier.
It's very stable.
That's why it's in everything from dishwashing detergent to herbicide.
I took separate tubes and mixed vegetable oil with every item found in the restaurant that contained triethanolamine.
In hopes that one of them will cause a chemical reaction? Exactly.
How long has it been? Two hours.
How long do we wait? [Chuckles.]
- Uh - [Fizzing.]
What was in that test tube? Kitty litter.
Meatball lived in the restaurant.
Vince could have dumped the kitty litter into the oil bin, gone home, and the fire would've started long after he was gone.
Only, he was home by 11:30.
That mixture would've triggered combustion inside of two hours.
The fire didn't start till 3:00 A.
M.
Vince's alibi still stands.
According to the restaurant's POS system, another passcode logged off around 1:00 A.
M.
Leo? No Anthony Scarlata.
Why would Anthony set up his brother? Framing Leo would've paved the way for him to franchise the restaurant.
He made a fortune.
Sounds like motive to me.
About the other day We're good.
I'm sorry.
Me too.
We know you used kitty litter and vegetable oil to start the fire.
[Scoffs.]
How would that even work? It's easy enough to find on the Internet.
You bought kitty litter earlier the week of the fire.
We found the charge on your credit card.
I bought it for Leo for his cat, Meatball.
You had a cat at the restaurant? I wanted to get rid of it, but Leo loved the damn cat.
Wait.
Was it Leo's job to empty the cat litter? Yeah.
Oh, my God.
He He dumped it in the wrong bin.
He He must have made a mistake.
It was an accident.
Paul: So, I understand you went to law school, but you're not a lawyer.
No.
Why is that? Seems like the logical next step.
What does this have to do with Leo's case? I'm just trying to get a better understanding of the people that are involved in this investigation.
You have to pass the bar exam to be a lawyer.
Well, it's a difficult exam.
Lots of great students I was an editor on Law Review and graduated summa cum laude.
- There's nothing to be ashamed of.
- I'm not ashamed.
Not of that.
Tess, what are you ashamed of? I went to law school planning to be a prosecutor.
I wanted to put bad guys away.
Around the time of the bar exam, one of those bad guys was released exonerated by DNA.
It was a surprise to me, because it was my testimony that had put him in prison.
When I sat down to take the bar exam, all I could see was his face an innocent man whose life I had ruined.
I didn't answer a single question.
So instead of putting bad guys away, you do this? Yes.
I've never told anyone that before.
I I guess I didn't realize that I needed to.
Sometimes, stories that have tragic beginnings have happy endings.
I have good news.
We've been able to prove the fire was an accident.
So I can go home now? - Yes.
- Not yet.
First, you need to make a statement admitting your mistake.
Then the D.
A.
will file a motion that reduces your sentence.
- My My My mistake? - That the fire started because you threw the kitty litter in the wrong trash bin.
No! I didn't do that.
It's okay, Leo.
It was right beside all the other bins.
- It could've happened to anyone.
- No, it didn't happen! I-I know I'm not smart, but I-I know how to listen.
I follow the rules.
But you did clean the cat's litter box that night, right? Yes, but I didn't do anything wrong.
You have to say it, or you can't go home.
I-I did I didn't do anything wrong! I Anthony said if I didn't take care of Meatball that he'd give him away, so I did it right all the time! - Leo - All the time! Leo, if you don't admit this mistake, we can't legally argue with a judge that you didn't intentionally start the fire.
[Breathing shakily.]
I-I followed the rules.
I'm not gonna say I didn't.
[Breathes shakily.]
[Knocks.]
- [Buzzer.]
- [Hayes sighs.]
[Elevator bell dings.]
[Exhales deeply.]
I took the stairs.
- You okay? - Never better.
For what it's worth, thank you.
You did everything humanly possible for Leo.
Except get him out of prison.
Wasn't your fault.
Who cares whose fault it is? Doesn't make it suck any less.
You really care about Leo, don't you? He doesn't belong in prison.
Well, he won't budge off what he thinks is right.
Almost reminds me of you.
I wish I had half his heart.
D [Sighs.]
[Switch clicks.]
[Sighs.]
Do you ever stop?! [Sighs.]
[Buzzer.]
I already told you I didn't make a mistake.
I'm not changing my mind.
Do you know what this is? Oh, it's my chore chart from the restaurant.
From the night of the fire.
One of the rules was that you do everything on this chart, right? Right.
And that you do them exactly as you were told, right? Yes.
I always follow the rules.
What about this one? Bin "B" was the oil bin.
You put the kitty litter in here.
I don't understand.
I-I was following the rules.
We got these charts from the computer at the restaurant earlier in the week of the fire.
Where does it say for you to throw away the kitty litter? [Voice breaking.]
Bin "A.
" But the night of the fire was different.
[Sobs.]
I was following the rules.
It's not your fault.
Leo, who used to make up the chore charts? That That was Rita's job.
Oh.
[Sniffles, breathes shakily.]
Did she make a mistake, too? The fire wasn't an accident.
You told Leo to put kitty litter in the oil bin.
You made the chore chart.
You knew he'd follow it, no matter what.
No.
Rita loves Leo.
She'd never use him like that.
You knew if he put the kitty litter in the oil bin, the restaurant would go up in flames.
Just tell her you didn't do it.
Do it.
Rita, tell her you didn't do it.
[Voice breaking.]
I had no idea that somebody was gonna die or get hurt.
I never thought that Leo'd get caught.
That restaurant was killing you.
You were never home.
You were up to your eyeballs in debt.
It always came first.
I hated what that place was doing to us.
You let Leo rot in prison for 15 years? Vince, please No! NYPD is downstairs to take you in.
Do whatever you want.
I'm done.
Ohh, oh What a release And I feel [Buzzer.]
Yellow becoming me Oh-oh Standing on this wire Makes me realize I am alive And I won't Settle Move on and Earth Now that I've found Leo.
I am so sorry for for everything.
It's okay, Vince.
You didn't do anything wrong.
- [Exhales sharply.]
- No, he didn't.
[Voice breaking.]
I love you.
[Laughs.]
Both of you.
And I still The better ones I need Oh-oh Standing on this wire Makes me realize I am alive And I won't Paul: Things got a little heated between you and Hayes earlier, huh? - Par for the course.
- She called you a whore.
That, she did.
Look, the thing about Hayes Morrison well, there's no one thing.
She's stubborn, reactionary, fearless at least, about the things most of us are afraid of and brilliant.
I've never met anyone else like her probably never will.
And that has nothing to do with her being a former First Daughter.
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh