Chicago Justice (2017) s01e11 Episode Script
AQD
1 [train horn blaring.]
The new horns are driving people nuts.
They knew the tracks were there when they moved in.
Next week, Jake's office.
- This corned beef sucks.
- [laughter.]
Long as we're one step ahead of the lunatics.
- You mean tax payers.
- Our job is to move people and goods from here to there as cheap as we can.
At least they're off the bombers.
Tell that to Sandy.
She just had "oil sucks" scratched into her Beamer.
No, no.
"Bought by oil.
" - And they misspelled "bought.
" - [knock at door.]
Excuse me, guys.
Is this the Committee on Transportation? - It is.
- I'm looking for Alderman Christopher Jones.
- I tried to stop him, Chris.
- It's okay.
You need me to sign? - Oil whores! - [all exclaiming.]
- What is this?! - We need some help in here! Hey, what are you doing? [grunting.]
Oh, you bastards.
You're sending poison into our neighborhoods.
- You're killing our kids.
- Call 911! And have them take him out the back.
Hell if I give him any publicity.
You okay? Just need some air.
[grunting.]
[somber tone.]
[indistinct radio chatter.]
- All right, what did you see? - I mean, just, bam.
- She just blew by.
- What'd she look like? Maybe it was a guy? - You didn't see brake lights? - Nope.
Did the driver swerve to avoid the pedestrian? - Not that I saw.
- Did the driver stop? - Definitely not.
- All right.
We have a dark red SUV, Illinois plates, last three digits 484.
Can you remember anything else? The the license plate was one of the special ones with the lettering on the side.
- Like government plates? - No, uh, on the right side there was, um, BP, BF, something like that.
I it was hard to see from my window.
Thanks.
If you remember anything else.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Um, look, I'm sorry to have to tell you your hit and run victim, he didn't make it.
Maybe if somebody had called us quicker, but anyway.
Here's the report.
Appreciate it.
- You get anything? - Nah, not much.
You? I got nothing but boom and a flying body.
The victim, he died.
Christopher Jones.
- You're kidding.
- What? He's a big deal? Is that why we got the call? He was Alderman Christopher Jones.
Mr.
Bomb Train.
Was he for or against them? Take a guess.
Two million.
A single train car full of crude oil equals two million sticks of dynamite.
And these bomb trains, they pass through our back yards, next to our churches, our schools.
You wanna start a petition, paint a sign, - parade around, that's fine.
- A sign? 160 miles from here, a train car derailed and exploded and burned for three days.
So me ooh waving a sign in front of City Hall isn't gonna stop that from happening in North Lawndale or Cicero or anywhere else in Chicago.
All it takes is a leak, a spark, and boom.
- Thus, bomb trains.
- Exactly.
How else is the oil supposed to get where it's going? - It's not.
- Let me guess, - you drive a Prius.
- I ride a bicycle.
Everyone should.
We only have one planet.
And the city's Department of Transportation is destroying it? They're not saving it.
It's a matter of morality.
- So is murder.
- Please.
The oil that I spilled was purely symbolic.
It was prune juice and soap.
It wouldn't have caught fire.
And Alderman Christopher Jones.
His face was the one on the TV.
Kill the snake by cutting off his head.
Something like that.
- Sounds like a confession.
- You want me to be clearer? [clears throat.]
I, James T.
Sprague, hereby confess to wanting to breathe clean air, to drink clean water By murdering Alderman Jones.
- What? - We know you weren't the one driving, Jim.
Tell us who was and we can work something out.
I I wouldn't kill someone and neither would anyone at Eco Liberation.
Ask 'em.
Last month, they sabotaged the toilets at Uniform Oil and Gas.
Last week, they chained themselves to pumps at a half dozen gas stations.
- Today, they killed an Alderman.
- Come on.
We don't know that, Bobby.
Did the driver stop or call for help? That's what I thought.
No chance this was an accident.
What about the guy who poured oil on the table? Apparently, it was some kind of organic goop.
He's been charged with criminal damage.
They call themselves environmentalists.
They don't give a damn about the environment.
They're anarchists, is what they are.
First it's Chris, then it's me, you.
We need to make an example of these a-holes, Mark.
I promise you, we're gonna do everything we can.
- Hey, man, you know, thank you.
- Thank you.
Okay.
And you give my best to your wife.
I will.
Thanks.
[both sigh.]
- What do we have? - Dawson and Nagel are at Eco Liberation, Jim Sprague's environmental group.
What about the car? We have partial specialty plates.
We're also looking at footage from traffic cameras, but there's quite a few dark red SUVs in Chicago.
Our tech guys are doing the best they can.
Have 'em do it quickly.
Come on, you're gonna arrest us for conspiracy to spill prune juice.
To be precise, it's criminal damage to state-supported property.
Oh, I see.
So the conference table's filing a complaint.
Hey, I'd watch the attitude, pal.
Your friend's already sitting in a cell.
Only until our attorney arranges bail.
You're gonna need a lot of that.
For making a political statement? A statement's tossing a hacky sack at Alderman Jones.
Ooh, look, we had nothing to do with that.
But you are opposed to oil trains.
Yeah.
Just like we're opposed to killing people.
But this is how we show our opposition.
We encourage people to write, and/or call their Alderman.
- And when that doesn't work? - [chuckles.]
We spill prune juice.
We wanna win hearts and minds, not splatter them on the street.
You wanna talk to my people, be my guest.
Thank you, we will.
- Just one more question.
- Sure.
Shouldn't you shut your lights off? [chuckles.]
Right after I hug a tree.
Why do these people give me a headache? It's all that CO2 in the air.
Yeah, it's more like the methane - coming from their mouths.
- Grow up.
- They're trying to save us.
- Not you? Hey, I like my steak as rare as the next guy.
I like air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter.
But I think there's a middle ground.
Did you know there are 63 different - specialty plates in Illinois? - Mmhmm.
My witness said it was something like BP or BF.
Oh, your witness was wrong.
There's no BP or BF.
Flip it, maybe? Nothing.
There's a BD, that's a Bears fan.
And a BH, that's the Blackhawks.
Hold on.
There's a PF.
- Pissed-off feminist? - Close.
Pet friendly.
That was my next guess.
The money raised from selling those plates goes to reducing animal overpopulation.
It's not a leap someone like that would be Eco-friendly.
- Yeah.
- Look for a plate with the last three digits 484.
- Ten across the state.
- Well, I doubt someone in Peoria would be interested in oil trains in Chicago.
Uh, there's three in town.
Ms.
Edna St.
James drives an SUV.
Those look very nice, ma'am.
Are you sure you don't want some? It's Botan candy from Japan.
- No thank you, listen, we - I got it from the web.
Oh, it is amazing what you can get from the web.
Mrs.
St.
James, we're here about your car.
Oh, well, you're too late.
Somebody's got it.
- It was stolen? - I hope not.
I rented it out.
- You rented your car.
- Hm, yeah.
It's called Car-A-La-Carte.
[laughs.]
My Betsy told me about it.
It's an app that lets me rent my car to strangers.
- Hm.
- It's like Uber meets Hertz.
[laughs.]
Who was the last person who rented your car? Jane Reynolds at 8:00 this morning.
She was very polite.
In a hurry, but polite.
- Is she okay? - [camera shutter clicks.]
- We don't know.
- I'll call the number.
Okay.
Is there a way you can track your car? I like to spy on them too.
[laughs.]
It's a landline.
I got an answer machine.
There she is now.
We're gonna borrow this.
But my Betsy bought that for me.
I promise, we'll be careful with it.
- But what when will I - Thank you so much.
[sighs.]
Train tracks.
Definite message.
Is that smoke? [dramatic music.]
Open it.
- [both laughing.]
- Whoa, whoa! - Oops.
- Get out! Both of you.
- Hands up! - Okay.
- [hip-hop music on stereo.]
- Against the car.
- This is the car.
- Hey, it wasn't us, man.
- Wasn't you, what? - Whatever.
[both laugh.]
I'm not surprised they hit someone.
Oh, my partner's being generous.
I'd say killed.
Killed? No way.
You got the wrong dudes.
All right.
Move away from the vehicle.
We found the car over on Clark.
Keys were inside.
It was just like a joy ride.
We were gonna bring it back, I swear.
[music stutters, stops.]
Hey, what happened to the music? I synced my phone to the Bluetooth.
Probably out of range now, duh.
[laughs.]
Maybe Jane synced her phone.
[laughs.]
[sighs.]
Okay.
[console beeps.]
[dramatic music.]
Ronnie, I have a cell phone I need you to locate.
- Jane Reynolds? - Where is she? Oh, no, no, no, no.
No, please, you don't understand.
Leave that alone.
Oh.
You're gonna have to come with us.
No, I can't! They have my daughter! The Alderman It was an accident.
He came out of nowhere.
I'm so sorry.
- But the man said if I stopped - Who? Don't you think I'd tell you if I knew? When did you last see your daughter? This morning.
She was excited to go to the museum with her class.
And now Oh.
He told me to rent a car and go to different banks and money machines.
He said his partner was watching me, that my phone was hacked.
If I sent a text or hung up or said anything to anyone that I would never see Emma again.
I was I was waiting to pay him when you arrested me.
Okay.
All this for eight grand? That's all he wanted.
Please.
Don't let them kill her.
Anyone buying any of this? What difference would it make to the kidnapper where she got the money? And why would he insist that she rent a car? DMV says she has a new Mercedes.
- Did you trace the call? - It was from a burner phone.
I got the report.
All we could find on Jane Reynolds.
Thanks, Billy.
Okay, let's see.
She's divorced.
Her ex, Ted, was a commercial pilot and for the last few years, her only source of income was alimony and child support.
She didn't hide her identity when she rented the SUV.
Her cell phone was synced with that car's system.
Could this have been an accident? - Then why not stop? - She panicked.
Wouldn't be the first.
Someone should tell the father.
You know, most child abductions - involve the other parent.
- Who grab the kid and run.
- They don't ask for ransom.
- You'd think a pilot - would live in a better place.
- Yeah.
All right.
[sighs.]
Captain Reynolds? [scoffs.]
Not anymore.
We're from the State's Attorney's office.
We're here about your daughter.
Emma? Is she okay? When's the last time you saw her? What the hell's going on here? Where's Emma? We're attempting to locate her, sir.
Locate her? Oh, my God.
What happened? - She was on a field trip.
- Well, you should be - looking for her.
- The FBI's on it.
They've got agents looking for any leads they can find.
Where were you this morning? Mopping floors at Western Aviation.
Wait, hold on a second, do you think that I had something to do with this? Why don't you come back to our office? We'll talk there.
Why didn't she call the cops? She was ordered not to.
[chuckles.]
Well, that's the first time she did what someone told her.
I hate to ask this, but has anyone shown a special interest in Emma? - A neighbor? A friend? - I-no I don't know who her friends are.
Because he's never there for Emma.
- Why's that? - This isn't about him.
This is about her.
Why aren't you out there looking for her? Jane, I'm asking you.
[sighs.]
Because it's always about him.
Ask him where he was for Emma's last two birthdays.
A pipe broke in the hangar.
And if I don't fix it, I get fired.
Which means I miss a child support payment.
Which means I can't see my daughter.
Been there.
My daughter You know, one day, when we were still a family, we went to Navy Pier.
When we first got there, Emma was begging us for this rainbow kite.
So while they finished lunch, I told them I forgot something in the car and I went back and I bought it.
And when I came back, they were looking out at the lake.
Their backs were to me.
And I realized that That a little girl in a pink jacket and a beautiful woman in a red one were the only things that mattered.
And Emma came up to me.
She put her arms around my neck and she said, "Daddy, this is the best day I've ever had.
" You why else would a man work four jobs? [sighs.]
Is your ex a good mother? [sighs.]
She's an excellent mother.
And she can afford to be.
- I pay for it.
- We have a divorce agreement.
It's fair.
He wasn't always like this.
You know, crazy, I mean.
Vindictive.
We met in college.
In history class.
I asked him to coffee and we'd been together until I was sucker punched by the whole thing.
I'm telling you, it came out of the blue.
I thought I was happily married But he always chose work over us.
Remind me, why do people get married? Hey, guys.
Meet Emma Reynolds.
She was at the museum with her class the entire time.
So no one was kidnapped? It's called virtual kidnapping.
Unfortunately for Chris Jones, the funeral will be real.
It's the newest Internet scam.
No Nigerian prince, no IRS audit.
People are open books on the net.
Everything from their credit card numbers to their weight.
Their kids names, their school.
Whatever happened to working for a living? - There are two victims here.
- Anna, I don't want to hear a dissertation on moral equivalency, all right? There is no equivalence.
Someone wanted to hurt Mrs.
Reynolds.
She wanted to save her daughter.
[sighs.]
What if someone told you they had one of your grandchildren? I'd call the FBI.
And if I ran someone down on the way there, I'd call the cops.
So charge this woman with reckless homicide and leaving the scene and let's be done with it.
- A quiet donut.
- What? AQD.
Ad quod damnum.
Each person should only be punished for the harm they cause.
A Quiet Donut was my professor's trick to remember it.
First, I went to law school too.
And second, this woman ran down an Alderman, and that's pretty damned harmful.
But she was trying to save her ten-year-old daughter.
[scoffs.]
Who was probably out of her skull with boredom as her class was going to the museum.
Charge her.
The more, the better.
Okay.
You think I'm heartless.
I think we have different ideas about justice.
Fine.
You catch and convict the bastard who called her, and if you're successful, I'll consider offering her probations.
- Emma's with her father.
- Ohh.
Can I see her? - You'll be our guest until - Oh, you don't believe me.
Unfortunately, it's not our call.
You have to see it from the State's Attorney's point of view, Mrs.
Reynolds.
Look, it's hard to understand someone making you jump through all those hoops.
The rental car, the four ATMs.
I'm not even sure I understand it.
Who knew Emma was on that field trip today? Ted and me.
Her classmates, their parents.
You think it was someone I know? Think hard.
Try to place the voice on the phone with a name.
It was distorted.
Wait.
He called my house first.
I answered after the machine picked up.
There might be a message.
[sighs.]
Divorce sure suits her.
Her ex, not so much.
Let me ask, you still have photos of your ex in your house? - With the kids, yeah.
- Me too.
Looks like Jane erased Ted from her life.
The one he pays for.
Get over it, will you? We all got issues.
If Jane did get this call, why didn't she do anything? I mean, call the cops, hand someone a note.
- I don't know, send a text.
- Are you kidding? Because the guy who had her kid said not to.
When that dirt bag took Diego, I couldn't think straight.
All that mattered was getting him back.
You don't ask why.
You don't ask questions.
You just do what they tell you to.
It's over here.
[machine beeps.]
You have one old message.
[distorted voice.]
Mrs.
Reynolds, get in your car and start driving.
- Who is this? - I'll call your cell.
Do everything I tell you.
We're watching you.
- [call disconnects.]
- [machine beeps.]
Why would Darth Vader need eight grand? Her computer, her kid's, both their cells All completely clean, aside from your basic Spam and cookies.
Can you at least unscramble the voice on the tape? This guy isn't Thomas Edison.
He used a $10 app called Appropriately enough Scramble Me, to lower the pitch of his voice.
Can you raise it to normal? Already done.
I've eliminated Mrs.
Reynolds for your listening pleasure.
[distorted voice.]
Mrs.
Reynolds, get in your car and start driving.
I'll call your cell.
Do everything I tell you.
We're watching you.
[non-distorted voice.]
Mrs.
Reynolds, get in your car and start driving.
I'll call your cell.
Do everything I tell you.
We're watching you.
You kidding me? - Her husband? - He knew Emma was on a class field trip.
- He has motive.
- Which is? She lives in Lincoln Park.
He works four jobs to pay for it.
And resents every penny.
Unfortunately, after researching it, what he did only adds up to intimidation.
Yeah.
A class 3 felony.
Even then, we have to prove he threatened their daughter's safety to money from his ex-wife.
I can't imagine he'd do more than a year.
That's a joke.
Wondering if you're ever gonna see your kid again, nothing's more painful.
This guy should be drawn and quartered.
Chris's mother doesn't have to wonder.
She knows she'll never see Chris again.
- Arrest him.
- For what? Intimidation? No.
For the murder of Alderman Christopher Jones.
He was killed during the commission of a felony.
That triggers the felony murder rule.
Only if the defendant committed one of the predicate felonies.
- One of which is kidnapping.
- Kidnapping.
Not virtual kidnapping.
The statute doesn't make that distinction.
[dramatic tone.]
Emma and I were just having dinner.
Good.
'Cause the food at Cook County sucks.
In other words, you're under arrest for the murder of Alderman Christopher Jones.
Jane, right? What did she tell you? Daddy, can we have ice cream? Yeah, sweetie.
Just a second.
Look, I'm not leaving Emma, okay? There are two ways this can go down, Mr.
Reynolds.
The first is you come with us without a fuss and you let this nice social worker sit with Emma while she finishes her dinner.
The second, your ten-year-old watches us drag Daddy out, kicking and screaming.
Uh, Emma, I have to go out for a second.
- But Daddy's friend - Helen.
Helen is gonna sit with you for a minute, okay? I'll be right back, sweetie.
It's a good choice.
In case you're interested, anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law.
[sighs.]
[rock music playing in bar.]
My dad used to say, "Marriage isn't a word, young lady, it's a sentence.
" He had a way with words.
Sometimes I think he stayed with my mom just because it would've been too expensive to leave.
I expect that's an excuse used by a lot of people.
- It's just rationalization.
- For what? Fear, inertia, love.
What about you? Do you wanna get married? I'd like to finish my dinner first.
- Peter Stone? - That's right.
[laughs.]
Holly Washington, public defender's office.
I'll be representing Ted Reynolds.
Do you mind if I sit? These shoes.
- You don't wanna know.
- I don't cut deals - during dinner.
- I heard that about you.
Nope, no deal wanted here.
- I'd ask you to join us, but - Oh, I appreciate that.
- But I'm on the caveman.
- Excuse me? It's a diet.
Listen, I don't wanna disturb you.
I just wanna drop this off, go home, and burn my shoes.
Hm, a motion to dismiss.
Felony murder? I have to admit, it made me chuckle.
Gotta scoot.
See you in court.
You had to expect this.
Not this quickly, I didn't.
The statute is clear, Your Honor.
For the Felony Murder rule to kick in, someone has to have died while the defendant is committing an enumerated felony - such as rape, armed robbery - Kidnapping.
Thank you, Mr.
Stone.
That was next on my list.
Nowhere in the indictment, was it alleged that anyone was taken.
The defendant led his former wife to believe that he was holding their daughter.
- She was on a class trip.
- It's what current literature - calls a virtual kidnapping.
- Oh, great.
So let's strap my client to a virtual whipping post and call it a day.
In any event, the People aren't alleging kidnapping is the predicate felony.
If I may be so bold, what are the people alleging? Intimidation.
The defendant threatened to inflict bodily injury to his daughter if his former wife failed to pay him a sum of money.
While racing to get the requested cash, his ex-wife struck and killed Alderman Jones.
- Ergo, felony murder.
- I hate to be repetitive, but nowhere in the statute is intimidation deemed sufficient to trigger the felony murder rule.
The statute is illustrative, not exhausted.
It specifies that any felony involving a threat of physical force will trigger the rule.
Ted Reynolds threatened to harm his daughter and but/for that threat, Alderman Jones would still be alive.
He made a phony phone call, for crying out loud.
It was inherently dangerous behavior.
It's a barbaric expansion of the law.
Let's not forget about intent.
If you accept the people's interpretation of the law, you are criminalizing an ordinary accident.
No, the court would be deterring would-be criminals from committing crimes that unwittingly might lead to another's death.
You took the words out of my mouth, Mr.
Stone.
The defendant's motion to dismiss is denied.
Next.
[bangs gavel.]
I always thought Judge Stratton was one of the smarter judges.
Peter made a hell of an argument.
[laughs.]
I'd call that bootstrapping.
And that's only because we're in mixed company.
In order to win a felony murder charge, you have to prove intimidation.
In order to prove intimidation, you have to establish a threat to cause physical injury.
I listened to the tape.
- The threat was implied.
- [laughs.]
And that's more bootstrapping.
Silly me, I read the statute and I actually believe it means what it says.
Hit the lights when you leave.
[distorted voice.]
Mrs.
Reynolds, get in your car and start driving.
I'll call your cell.
Do everything I tell you.
We're watching you.
So what I did was I hacked the app - the defendant used.
- Objection! Sustained.
I hacked the app the caller used to distort his voice and reversed the process.
Who's voice is that? In my opinion, it's the defendant's.
What makes you say that? I ran both the tape from Mrs.
Reynolds' answering machine and the recording from the defendant's interview with State's Attorney Investigator Dawson through software that compares vocal patterns, pitch, intonation, et cetera.
And what'd you find? It's the same person's voice in both tapes.
Did you know that Mr.
Reynolds met Mrs.
Reynolds - back in college, 15 years ago? - No.
Do you think it's odd that someone who knew the defendant that long couldn't recognize his voice? Well, he used an app to lower his voice by two octaves.
I was able to raise it by two octaves and restore it.
Restore it.
How do you know what you're restoring if you don't know what the original sounded like? I mean, could you have raised it three octaves? Uh, technically, yes.
I would've sounded like a different person? - It would.
- Mm.
Can you play the part of that recording where the caller threatened to mail Mrs.
Reynolds' daughter back to her in pieces if she didn't follow orders? I'm sorry? This case hinges on the question of whether the caller threatened Mrs.
Reynolds or her daughter.
Please play the recorded threat.
- There isn't one.
- I see.
Okay.
Play the part where the caller spoke about Emma.
I played everything that there was.
So I see, tell me, what are we doing here? - Objection.
- Withdrawn.
I don't have anything else.
No, I had no idea it was Ted on the phone.
All I knew was that I had to do what he said.
Why is that? He said he was going to hurt Emma, my daughter.
We just listened to the tape of the call, Mrs.
Reynolds, and I didn't hear anything about Emma.
Called me on my cell when I was in the car like he said he would.
That's when he said that he would hurt her if I didn't follow his instructions exactly.
- Hurt her, how? - He'd cut her throat.
And you believed him.
I couldn't afford not to.
What did he tell you to do? First, he wanted me to rent a car from something called Car-A-La-Carte and then go to my bank My local branch And withdraw $2,000.
Then to the branch in Kenwood and do the same.
Then the one in Old Irving Park.
Then an ATM at a 7-Eleven downtown on Kinzie Street.
You were with him on the phone the entire time.
Yes.
He said I was being followed and that if I didn't do exactly what he said, that I'd be sorry.
After you took the money from the ATM, - what did you do? - I drove as fast as I could.
What, then, if anything, happened next? Alderman Jones crossed the street in front of me.
I hit him.
I'm so sorry.
Did you stop after you hit him? - No.
- Dial 911? I couldn't.
He He said if I hung up that he'd kill Emma.
I feel terrible about what happened, but I was trying to save my daughter.
There were other people there; I knew someone would call.
No further questions.
[exhales.]
Before you divorced, did you ever argue with your husband? - I guess.
- No need to be polite, now, Mrs.
Reynolds.
Yes, we argued.
Did he ever threaten to hurt you? I don't remember.
Let me refresh your recollection.
I direct you to defense exhibit 5A.
This is a copy of the petition you filed in your divorce proceeding.
Could you turn to page 23 and read the highlighted portion? "Paragraph 14.
On December 13th, Respondent threatened to break Petitioner's leg.
" Now on page 31.
"Paragraph 22.
On January 5th, Respondent threatened to throw boiling water on the Petitioner.
" Do you remember making those statements? - Yes.
- Do you remember swearing under penalty of perjury that they were true and accurate? - Yes.
- Do you recognize this? - It's a motion document.
- For what? To withdraw paragraphs 14 and 22 of the complaint.
The two paragraphs you just read.
Yes.
So he never threatened you.
It was part of the settlement.
Or to get what you want, you made unfounded allegations - against my client.
- Objection.
Withdrawn.
True or false, Mrs.
Reynolds, nobody in the world but you heard your husband make those alleged threats while you were driving like a maniac around the city.
He said he'd hurt Emma.
Did he really? Nothing further.
- The People rest.
- So does the defense.
You know what her closing argument was? Essentially the opposite of my closing argument.
She didn't even put on a case.
She didn't have to.
You didn't have one.
Yeah, but four days deliberation? How many divorced fathers are on the jury? - Two.
- [chuckles.]
You're lucky I'm not an "I told you so" kinda guy.
Your Honor, we are still deadlocked.
Would further deliberation make a difference? I don't believe so.
[sighs.]
Well then, I'm left with no choice - but to declare a mistrial.
- [bangs gavel.]
The People of the State of Illinois thank you for your service.
[clears throat.]
Excuse me.
Just so you know, this isn't over.
I'll be filing for a retrial.
[dramatic tone.]
The jury in the Ted Reynolds case was deadlocked because he never actually said he'd hurt Emma on the answering machine tape.
And that's it.
That's the real felony.
- What about Jane? - Jeffries wants us to charge her with reckless homicide and leaving the scene.
- Stone's good with that? - He says he'll retry Ted.
But you don't think it's worth it.
Unless he confesses, I doubt anything'll change.
You know, we never talked to Emma.
You think Ted would actually threaten Jane in front of their ten-year-old? When it got going in my house, I'd pretend to be asleep.
But I heard every word.
Would it help? It might.
I have a little girl about your age.
Her name's Jen.
She lives with her daddy, like you.
Jen's daddy and I, we decided it was best for her if we didn't all live together.
- Did you fight? - We did.
Why? Did your parents fight a lot? No.
They didn't yell at one another? Well, sometimes they did.
But my mom said that they didn't mean it.
Mm.
Did that scare you? You can tell me, Emma.
Sometimes.
What was the worst part about your parents being divorced? Not having all my stuff in one place.
Some of it's at my dad's house.
I never know where anything is.
Yeah.
That's what Jen says.
[sighs.]
When I heard my parents yell at one another, that was scary.
I hid in the attic.
It was filthy and there were spiders.
- I hate spiders.
- But the spiders and the dirt were better than hearing them fight.
One time, I heard my dad say he was gonna hit my mom.
My dad would never hit my mom because he loves her.
And people who love each other, they don't hit.
- Can I get one? Hey.
- Hey.
So, what'd you find out? Kid paints a rosy picture of them.
Nagel was good.
I mean, she's always good but there's something about moms.
Emma never heard them fight? She thinks they love each other.
[chuckles.]
Kids see what they want.
- Thanks.
- Yeah.
Yeah, I guess.
You know, a couple weeks ago, I'm walking down Michigan.
I see Michael Jordan getting into a limo.
First thing that pops into my head is I gotta tell my ex.
'Cause she worshipped Michael.
It's weird, huh? I don't know what it is.
We can't be in a room ten minutes, but somewhere in the back of my head, there's a small part of me that wonders when she's gonna come back.
- You'd get back together.
- [laughs.]
You'd have to try one of us for murder.
- [laughs.]
- I don't know.
But I always think about it.
It's weird.
Maybe it's what happens when you have a kid with someone.
The family thing or all that.
He should be here any minute.
Good morning.
Thank you for coming in.
What is she doing here? I hope we're here for an apology.
From all of you.
That'll be the day.
[clears throat.]
Mrs.
Reynolds and her lawyer have agreed to take a deal.
Smartest thing she's ever done.
She agreed to plead to manslaughter in exchange for a five-year prison sentence.
Good.
Bastard.
[laughs.]
See what I have to put up with? You? What kind of father pretends to kidnap his own daughter? That's never been established.
[scoffs.]
I'm sorry, Mr.
Stone.
I don't want the deal anymore.
- It's a good deal, Jane.
- No, he gets full custody of Emma? How often do you think he's gonna bring her to prison to visit me? If we lose at trial, you could do ten years.
I have to at least try.
That's fine by me.
Please stand.
I'll arrange bail, Jane.
You know, raising a child is about a lot more than buying her some rainbow kite.
Well, most kids don't need to live in a four bedroom in Lincoln Park.
You've already ruined my life.
And now you're gonna destroy Emma too.
[scoffs.]
To think I loved you once.
Ah, Jesus Christ.
Do you know why I made you go to Car-A-La-Carte? Shut up, Ted.
Because that is what I had to do every time I wanted to take Emma anywhere.
And the four banks? That's so you could see what it's like chasing after a buck.
Four jobs I had to work to pay for you to live like a damn princess.
You didn't listen to me.
I asked you to modify the alimony.
I begged you.
Ah, what the hell.
It was me, I did it.
I threatened her and I'd do it again.
- That is not a confession.
- Yes.
Yes, it is.
She's taken everything already, I don't I don't have anything left.
Yeah, yeah, come on.
Ted Reynolds, you're under arrest for the murder of Christopher Jones.
Again.
Under the circumstances One year probation.
[somber tone.]
Jail for him, probation for her.
Another kid growing up without her dad.
Chris's mom, staring at photos in an album.
Five lives ruined.
Another quirky donut.
- Close enough.
- Bizarre.
He hates her, but he'll go to prison for 20 years for her.
Hm.
Justice isn't the only thing that's blind.
- Mm.
- You wanna - grab a drink with us? - No, thanks.
I'm gonna go home and kiss my wife.
And take a long, hot shower.
The new horns are driving people nuts.
They knew the tracks were there when they moved in.
Next week, Jake's office.
- This corned beef sucks.
- [laughter.]
Long as we're one step ahead of the lunatics.
- You mean tax payers.
- Our job is to move people and goods from here to there as cheap as we can.
At least they're off the bombers.
Tell that to Sandy.
She just had "oil sucks" scratched into her Beamer.
No, no.
"Bought by oil.
" - And they misspelled "bought.
" - [knock at door.]
Excuse me, guys.
Is this the Committee on Transportation? - It is.
- I'm looking for Alderman Christopher Jones.
- I tried to stop him, Chris.
- It's okay.
You need me to sign? - Oil whores! - [all exclaiming.]
- What is this?! - We need some help in here! Hey, what are you doing? [grunting.]
Oh, you bastards.
You're sending poison into our neighborhoods.
- You're killing our kids.
- Call 911! And have them take him out the back.
Hell if I give him any publicity.
You okay? Just need some air.
[grunting.]
[somber tone.]
[indistinct radio chatter.]
- All right, what did you see? - I mean, just, bam.
- She just blew by.
- What'd she look like? Maybe it was a guy? - You didn't see brake lights? - Nope.
Did the driver swerve to avoid the pedestrian? - Not that I saw.
- Did the driver stop? - Definitely not.
- All right.
We have a dark red SUV, Illinois plates, last three digits 484.
Can you remember anything else? The the license plate was one of the special ones with the lettering on the side.
- Like government plates? - No, uh, on the right side there was, um, BP, BF, something like that.
I it was hard to see from my window.
Thanks.
If you remember anything else.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Um, look, I'm sorry to have to tell you your hit and run victim, he didn't make it.
Maybe if somebody had called us quicker, but anyway.
Here's the report.
Appreciate it.
- You get anything? - Nah, not much.
You? I got nothing but boom and a flying body.
The victim, he died.
Christopher Jones.
- You're kidding.
- What? He's a big deal? Is that why we got the call? He was Alderman Christopher Jones.
Mr.
Bomb Train.
Was he for or against them? Take a guess.
Two million.
A single train car full of crude oil equals two million sticks of dynamite.
And these bomb trains, they pass through our back yards, next to our churches, our schools.
You wanna start a petition, paint a sign, - parade around, that's fine.
- A sign? 160 miles from here, a train car derailed and exploded and burned for three days.
So me ooh waving a sign in front of City Hall isn't gonna stop that from happening in North Lawndale or Cicero or anywhere else in Chicago.
All it takes is a leak, a spark, and boom.
- Thus, bomb trains.
- Exactly.
How else is the oil supposed to get where it's going? - It's not.
- Let me guess, - you drive a Prius.
- I ride a bicycle.
Everyone should.
We only have one planet.
And the city's Department of Transportation is destroying it? They're not saving it.
It's a matter of morality.
- So is murder.
- Please.
The oil that I spilled was purely symbolic.
It was prune juice and soap.
It wouldn't have caught fire.
And Alderman Christopher Jones.
His face was the one on the TV.
Kill the snake by cutting off his head.
Something like that.
- Sounds like a confession.
- You want me to be clearer? [clears throat.]
I, James T.
Sprague, hereby confess to wanting to breathe clean air, to drink clean water By murdering Alderman Jones.
- What? - We know you weren't the one driving, Jim.
Tell us who was and we can work something out.
I I wouldn't kill someone and neither would anyone at Eco Liberation.
Ask 'em.
Last month, they sabotaged the toilets at Uniform Oil and Gas.
Last week, they chained themselves to pumps at a half dozen gas stations.
- Today, they killed an Alderman.
- Come on.
We don't know that, Bobby.
Did the driver stop or call for help? That's what I thought.
No chance this was an accident.
What about the guy who poured oil on the table? Apparently, it was some kind of organic goop.
He's been charged with criminal damage.
They call themselves environmentalists.
They don't give a damn about the environment.
They're anarchists, is what they are.
First it's Chris, then it's me, you.
We need to make an example of these a-holes, Mark.
I promise you, we're gonna do everything we can.
- Hey, man, you know, thank you.
- Thank you.
Okay.
And you give my best to your wife.
I will.
Thanks.
[both sigh.]
- What do we have? - Dawson and Nagel are at Eco Liberation, Jim Sprague's environmental group.
What about the car? We have partial specialty plates.
We're also looking at footage from traffic cameras, but there's quite a few dark red SUVs in Chicago.
Our tech guys are doing the best they can.
Have 'em do it quickly.
Come on, you're gonna arrest us for conspiracy to spill prune juice.
To be precise, it's criminal damage to state-supported property.
Oh, I see.
So the conference table's filing a complaint.
Hey, I'd watch the attitude, pal.
Your friend's already sitting in a cell.
Only until our attorney arranges bail.
You're gonna need a lot of that.
For making a political statement? A statement's tossing a hacky sack at Alderman Jones.
Ooh, look, we had nothing to do with that.
But you are opposed to oil trains.
Yeah.
Just like we're opposed to killing people.
But this is how we show our opposition.
We encourage people to write, and/or call their Alderman.
- And when that doesn't work? - [chuckles.]
We spill prune juice.
We wanna win hearts and minds, not splatter them on the street.
You wanna talk to my people, be my guest.
Thank you, we will.
- Just one more question.
- Sure.
Shouldn't you shut your lights off? [chuckles.]
Right after I hug a tree.
Why do these people give me a headache? It's all that CO2 in the air.
Yeah, it's more like the methane - coming from their mouths.
- Grow up.
- They're trying to save us.
- Not you? Hey, I like my steak as rare as the next guy.
I like air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter.
But I think there's a middle ground.
Did you know there are 63 different - specialty plates in Illinois? - Mmhmm.
My witness said it was something like BP or BF.
Oh, your witness was wrong.
There's no BP or BF.
Flip it, maybe? Nothing.
There's a BD, that's a Bears fan.
And a BH, that's the Blackhawks.
Hold on.
There's a PF.
- Pissed-off feminist? - Close.
Pet friendly.
That was my next guess.
The money raised from selling those plates goes to reducing animal overpopulation.
It's not a leap someone like that would be Eco-friendly.
- Yeah.
- Look for a plate with the last three digits 484.
- Ten across the state.
- Well, I doubt someone in Peoria would be interested in oil trains in Chicago.
Uh, there's three in town.
Ms.
Edna St.
James drives an SUV.
Those look very nice, ma'am.
Are you sure you don't want some? It's Botan candy from Japan.
- No thank you, listen, we - I got it from the web.
Oh, it is amazing what you can get from the web.
Mrs.
St.
James, we're here about your car.
Oh, well, you're too late.
Somebody's got it.
- It was stolen? - I hope not.
I rented it out.
- You rented your car.
- Hm, yeah.
It's called Car-A-La-Carte.
[laughs.]
My Betsy told me about it.
It's an app that lets me rent my car to strangers.
- Hm.
- It's like Uber meets Hertz.
[laughs.]
Who was the last person who rented your car? Jane Reynolds at 8:00 this morning.
She was very polite.
In a hurry, but polite.
- Is she okay? - [camera shutter clicks.]
- We don't know.
- I'll call the number.
Okay.
Is there a way you can track your car? I like to spy on them too.
[laughs.]
It's a landline.
I got an answer machine.
There she is now.
We're gonna borrow this.
But my Betsy bought that for me.
I promise, we'll be careful with it.
- But what when will I - Thank you so much.
[sighs.]
Train tracks.
Definite message.
Is that smoke? [dramatic music.]
Open it.
- [both laughing.]
- Whoa, whoa! - Oops.
- Get out! Both of you.
- Hands up! - Okay.
- [hip-hop music on stereo.]
- Against the car.
- This is the car.
- Hey, it wasn't us, man.
- Wasn't you, what? - Whatever.
[both laugh.]
I'm not surprised they hit someone.
Oh, my partner's being generous.
I'd say killed.
Killed? No way.
You got the wrong dudes.
All right.
Move away from the vehicle.
We found the car over on Clark.
Keys were inside.
It was just like a joy ride.
We were gonna bring it back, I swear.
[music stutters, stops.]
Hey, what happened to the music? I synced my phone to the Bluetooth.
Probably out of range now, duh.
[laughs.]
Maybe Jane synced her phone.
[laughs.]
[sighs.]
Okay.
[console beeps.]
[dramatic music.]
Ronnie, I have a cell phone I need you to locate.
- Jane Reynolds? - Where is she? Oh, no, no, no, no.
No, please, you don't understand.
Leave that alone.
Oh.
You're gonna have to come with us.
No, I can't! They have my daughter! The Alderman It was an accident.
He came out of nowhere.
I'm so sorry.
- But the man said if I stopped - Who? Don't you think I'd tell you if I knew? When did you last see your daughter? This morning.
She was excited to go to the museum with her class.
And now Oh.
He told me to rent a car and go to different banks and money machines.
He said his partner was watching me, that my phone was hacked.
If I sent a text or hung up or said anything to anyone that I would never see Emma again.
I was I was waiting to pay him when you arrested me.
Okay.
All this for eight grand? That's all he wanted.
Please.
Don't let them kill her.
Anyone buying any of this? What difference would it make to the kidnapper where she got the money? And why would he insist that she rent a car? DMV says she has a new Mercedes.
- Did you trace the call? - It was from a burner phone.
I got the report.
All we could find on Jane Reynolds.
Thanks, Billy.
Okay, let's see.
She's divorced.
Her ex, Ted, was a commercial pilot and for the last few years, her only source of income was alimony and child support.
She didn't hide her identity when she rented the SUV.
Her cell phone was synced with that car's system.
Could this have been an accident? - Then why not stop? - She panicked.
Wouldn't be the first.
Someone should tell the father.
You know, most child abductions - involve the other parent.
- Who grab the kid and run.
- They don't ask for ransom.
- You'd think a pilot - would live in a better place.
- Yeah.
All right.
[sighs.]
Captain Reynolds? [scoffs.]
Not anymore.
We're from the State's Attorney's office.
We're here about your daughter.
Emma? Is she okay? When's the last time you saw her? What the hell's going on here? Where's Emma? We're attempting to locate her, sir.
Locate her? Oh, my God.
What happened? - She was on a field trip.
- Well, you should be - looking for her.
- The FBI's on it.
They've got agents looking for any leads they can find.
Where were you this morning? Mopping floors at Western Aviation.
Wait, hold on a second, do you think that I had something to do with this? Why don't you come back to our office? We'll talk there.
Why didn't she call the cops? She was ordered not to.
[chuckles.]
Well, that's the first time she did what someone told her.
I hate to ask this, but has anyone shown a special interest in Emma? - A neighbor? A friend? - I-no I don't know who her friends are.
Because he's never there for Emma.
- Why's that? - This isn't about him.
This is about her.
Why aren't you out there looking for her? Jane, I'm asking you.
[sighs.]
Because it's always about him.
Ask him where he was for Emma's last two birthdays.
A pipe broke in the hangar.
And if I don't fix it, I get fired.
Which means I miss a child support payment.
Which means I can't see my daughter.
Been there.
My daughter You know, one day, when we were still a family, we went to Navy Pier.
When we first got there, Emma was begging us for this rainbow kite.
So while they finished lunch, I told them I forgot something in the car and I went back and I bought it.
And when I came back, they were looking out at the lake.
Their backs were to me.
And I realized that That a little girl in a pink jacket and a beautiful woman in a red one were the only things that mattered.
And Emma came up to me.
She put her arms around my neck and she said, "Daddy, this is the best day I've ever had.
" You why else would a man work four jobs? [sighs.]
Is your ex a good mother? [sighs.]
She's an excellent mother.
And she can afford to be.
- I pay for it.
- We have a divorce agreement.
It's fair.
He wasn't always like this.
You know, crazy, I mean.
Vindictive.
We met in college.
In history class.
I asked him to coffee and we'd been together until I was sucker punched by the whole thing.
I'm telling you, it came out of the blue.
I thought I was happily married But he always chose work over us.
Remind me, why do people get married? Hey, guys.
Meet Emma Reynolds.
She was at the museum with her class the entire time.
So no one was kidnapped? It's called virtual kidnapping.
Unfortunately for Chris Jones, the funeral will be real.
It's the newest Internet scam.
No Nigerian prince, no IRS audit.
People are open books on the net.
Everything from their credit card numbers to their weight.
Their kids names, their school.
Whatever happened to working for a living? - There are two victims here.
- Anna, I don't want to hear a dissertation on moral equivalency, all right? There is no equivalence.
Someone wanted to hurt Mrs.
Reynolds.
She wanted to save her daughter.
[sighs.]
What if someone told you they had one of your grandchildren? I'd call the FBI.
And if I ran someone down on the way there, I'd call the cops.
So charge this woman with reckless homicide and leaving the scene and let's be done with it.
- A quiet donut.
- What? AQD.
Ad quod damnum.
Each person should only be punished for the harm they cause.
A Quiet Donut was my professor's trick to remember it.
First, I went to law school too.
And second, this woman ran down an Alderman, and that's pretty damned harmful.
But she was trying to save her ten-year-old daughter.
[scoffs.]
Who was probably out of her skull with boredom as her class was going to the museum.
Charge her.
The more, the better.
Okay.
You think I'm heartless.
I think we have different ideas about justice.
Fine.
You catch and convict the bastard who called her, and if you're successful, I'll consider offering her probations.
- Emma's with her father.
- Ohh.
Can I see her? - You'll be our guest until - Oh, you don't believe me.
Unfortunately, it's not our call.
You have to see it from the State's Attorney's point of view, Mrs.
Reynolds.
Look, it's hard to understand someone making you jump through all those hoops.
The rental car, the four ATMs.
I'm not even sure I understand it.
Who knew Emma was on that field trip today? Ted and me.
Her classmates, their parents.
You think it was someone I know? Think hard.
Try to place the voice on the phone with a name.
It was distorted.
Wait.
He called my house first.
I answered after the machine picked up.
There might be a message.
[sighs.]
Divorce sure suits her.
Her ex, not so much.
Let me ask, you still have photos of your ex in your house? - With the kids, yeah.
- Me too.
Looks like Jane erased Ted from her life.
The one he pays for.
Get over it, will you? We all got issues.
If Jane did get this call, why didn't she do anything? I mean, call the cops, hand someone a note.
- I don't know, send a text.
- Are you kidding? Because the guy who had her kid said not to.
When that dirt bag took Diego, I couldn't think straight.
All that mattered was getting him back.
You don't ask why.
You don't ask questions.
You just do what they tell you to.
It's over here.
[machine beeps.]
You have one old message.
[distorted voice.]
Mrs.
Reynolds, get in your car and start driving.
- Who is this? - I'll call your cell.
Do everything I tell you.
We're watching you.
- [call disconnects.]
- [machine beeps.]
Why would Darth Vader need eight grand? Her computer, her kid's, both their cells All completely clean, aside from your basic Spam and cookies.
Can you at least unscramble the voice on the tape? This guy isn't Thomas Edison.
He used a $10 app called Appropriately enough Scramble Me, to lower the pitch of his voice.
Can you raise it to normal? Already done.
I've eliminated Mrs.
Reynolds for your listening pleasure.
[distorted voice.]
Mrs.
Reynolds, get in your car and start driving.
I'll call your cell.
Do everything I tell you.
We're watching you.
[non-distorted voice.]
Mrs.
Reynolds, get in your car and start driving.
I'll call your cell.
Do everything I tell you.
We're watching you.
You kidding me? - Her husband? - He knew Emma was on a class field trip.
- He has motive.
- Which is? She lives in Lincoln Park.
He works four jobs to pay for it.
And resents every penny.
Unfortunately, after researching it, what he did only adds up to intimidation.
Yeah.
A class 3 felony.
Even then, we have to prove he threatened their daughter's safety to money from his ex-wife.
I can't imagine he'd do more than a year.
That's a joke.
Wondering if you're ever gonna see your kid again, nothing's more painful.
This guy should be drawn and quartered.
Chris's mother doesn't have to wonder.
She knows she'll never see Chris again.
- Arrest him.
- For what? Intimidation? No.
For the murder of Alderman Christopher Jones.
He was killed during the commission of a felony.
That triggers the felony murder rule.
Only if the defendant committed one of the predicate felonies.
- One of which is kidnapping.
- Kidnapping.
Not virtual kidnapping.
The statute doesn't make that distinction.
[dramatic tone.]
Emma and I were just having dinner.
Good.
'Cause the food at Cook County sucks.
In other words, you're under arrest for the murder of Alderman Christopher Jones.
Jane, right? What did she tell you? Daddy, can we have ice cream? Yeah, sweetie.
Just a second.
Look, I'm not leaving Emma, okay? There are two ways this can go down, Mr.
Reynolds.
The first is you come with us without a fuss and you let this nice social worker sit with Emma while she finishes her dinner.
The second, your ten-year-old watches us drag Daddy out, kicking and screaming.
Uh, Emma, I have to go out for a second.
- But Daddy's friend - Helen.
Helen is gonna sit with you for a minute, okay? I'll be right back, sweetie.
It's a good choice.
In case you're interested, anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law.
[sighs.]
[rock music playing in bar.]
My dad used to say, "Marriage isn't a word, young lady, it's a sentence.
" He had a way with words.
Sometimes I think he stayed with my mom just because it would've been too expensive to leave.
I expect that's an excuse used by a lot of people.
- It's just rationalization.
- For what? Fear, inertia, love.
What about you? Do you wanna get married? I'd like to finish my dinner first.
- Peter Stone? - That's right.
[laughs.]
Holly Washington, public defender's office.
I'll be representing Ted Reynolds.
Do you mind if I sit? These shoes.
- You don't wanna know.
- I don't cut deals - during dinner.
- I heard that about you.
Nope, no deal wanted here.
- I'd ask you to join us, but - Oh, I appreciate that.
- But I'm on the caveman.
- Excuse me? It's a diet.
Listen, I don't wanna disturb you.
I just wanna drop this off, go home, and burn my shoes.
Hm, a motion to dismiss.
Felony murder? I have to admit, it made me chuckle.
Gotta scoot.
See you in court.
You had to expect this.
Not this quickly, I didn't.
The statute is clear, Your Honor.
For the Felony Murder rule to kick in, someone has to have died while the defendant is committing an enumerated felony - such as rape, armed robbery - Kidnapping.
Thank you, Mr.
Stone.
That was next on my list.
Nowhere in the indictment, was it alleged that anyone was taken.
The defendant led his former wife to believe that he was holding their daughter.
- She was on a class trip.
- It's what current literature - calls a virtual kidnapping.
- Oh, great.
So let's strap my client to a virtual whipping post and call it a day.
In any event, the People aren't alleging kidnapping is the predicate felony.
If I may be so bold, what are the people alleging? Intimidation.
The defendant threatened to inflict bodily injury to his daughter if his former wife failed to pay him a sum of money.
While racing to get the requested cash, his ex-wife struck and killed Alderman Jones.
- Ergo, felony murder.
- I hate to be repetitive, but nowhere in the statute is intimidation deemed sufficient to trigger the felony murder rule.
The statute is illustrative, not exhausted.
It specifies that any felony involving a threat of physical force will trigger the rule.
Ted Reynolds threatened to harm his daughter and but/for that threat, Alderman Jones would still be alive.
He made a phony phone call, for crying out loud.
It was inherently dangerous behavior.
It's a barbaric expansion of the law.
Let's not forget about intent.
If you accept the people's interpretation of the law, you are criminalizing an ordinary accident.
No, the court would be deterring would-be criminals from committing crimes that unwittingly might lead to another's death.
You took the words out of my mouth, Mr.
Stone.
The defendant's motion to dismiss is denied.
Next.
[bangs gavel.]
I always thought Judge Stratton was one of the smarter judges.
Peter made a hell of an argument.
[laughs.]
I'd call that bootstrapping.
And that's only because we're in mixed company.
In order to win a felony murder charge, you have to prove intimidation.
In order to prove intimidation, you have to establish a threat to cause physical injury.
I listened to the tape.
- The threat was implied.
- [laughs.]
And that's more bootstrapping.
Silly me, I read the statute and I actually believe it means what it says.
Hit the lights when you leave.
[distorted voice.]
Mrs.
Reynolds, get in your car and start driving.
I'll call your cell.
Do everything I tell you.
We're watching you.
So what I did was I hacked the app - the defendant used.
- Objection! Sustained.
I hacked the app the caller used to distort his voice and reversed the process.
Who's voice is that? In my opinion, it's the defendant's.
What makes you say that? I ran both the tape from Mrs.
Reynolds' answering machine and the recording from the defendant's interview with State's Attorney Investigator Dawson through software that compares vocal patterns, pitch, intonation, et cetera.
And what'd you find? It's the same person's voice in both tapes.
Did you know that Mr.
Reynolds met Mrs.
Reynolds - back in college, 15 years ago? - No.
Do you think it's odd that someone who knew the defendant that long couldn't recognize his voice? Well, he used an app to lower his voice by two octaves.
I was able to raise it by two octaves and restore it.
Restore it.
How do you know what you're restoring if you don't know what the original sounded like? I mean, could you have raised it three octaves? Uh, technically, yes.
I would've sounded like a different person? - It would.
- Mm.
Can you play the part of that recording where the caller threatened to mail Mrs.
Reynolds' daughter back to her in pieces if she didn't follow orders? I'm sorry? This case hinges on the question of whether the caller threatened Mrs.
Reynolds or her daughter.
Please play the recorded threat.
- There isn't one.
- I see.
Okay.
Play the part where the caller spoke about Emma.
I played everything that there was.
So I see, tell me, what are we doing here? - Objection.
- Withdrawn.
I don't have anything else.
No, I had no idea it was Ted on the phone.
All I knew was that I had to do what he said.
Why is that? He said he was going to hurt Emma, my daughter.
We just listened to the tape of the call, Mrs.
Reynolds, and I didn't hear anything about Emma.
Called me on my cell when I was in the car like he said he would.
That's when he said that he would hurt her if I didn't follow his instructions exactly.
- Hurt her, how? - He'd cut her throat.
And you believed him.
I couldn't afford not to.
What did he tell you to do? First, he wanted me to rent a car from something called Car-A-La-Carte and then go to my bank My local branch And withdraw $2,000.
Then to the branch in Kenwood and do the same.
Then the one in Old Irving Park.
Then an ATM at a 7-Eleven downtown on Kinzie Street.
You were with him on the phone the entire time.
Yes.
He said I was being followed and that if I didn't do exactly what he said, that I'd be sorry.
After you took the money from the ATM, - what did you do? - I drove as fast as I could.
What, then, if anything, happened next? Alderman Jones crossed the street in front of me.
I hit him.
I'm so sorry.
Did you stop after you hit him? - No.
- Dial 911? I couldn't.
He He said if I hung up that he'd kill Emma.
I feel terrible about what happened, but I was trying to save my daughter.
There were other people there; I knew someone would call.
No further questions.
[exhales.]
Before you divorced, did you ever argue with your husband? - I guess.
- No need to be polite, now, Mrs.
Reynolds.
Yes, we argued.
Did he ever threaten to hurt you? I don't remember.
Let me refresh your recollection.
I direct you to defense exhibit 5A.
This is a copy of the petition you filed in your divorce proceeding.
Could you turn to page 23 and read the highlighted portion? "Paragraph 14.
On December 13th, Respondent threatened to break Petitioner's leg.
" Now on page 31.
"Paragraph 22.
On January 5th, Respondent threatened to throw boiling water on the Petitioner.
" Do you remember making those statements? - Yes.
- Do you remember swearing under penalty of perjury that they were true and accurate? - Yes.
- Do you recognize this? - It's a motion document.
- For what? To withdraw paragraphs 14 and 22 of the complaint.
The two paragraphs you just read.
Yes.
So he never threatened you.
It was part of the settlement.
Or to get what you want, you made unfounded allegations - against my client.
- Objection.
Withdrawn.
True or false, Mrs.
Reynolds, nobody in the world but you heard your husband make those alleged threats while you were driving like a maniac around the city.
He said he'd hurt Emma.
Did he really? Nothing further.
- The People rest.
- So does the defense.
You know what her closing argument was? Essentially the opposite of my closing argument.
She didn't even put on a case.
She didn't have to.
You didn't have one.
Yeah, but four days deliberation? How many divorced fathers are on the jury? - Two.
- [chuckles.]
You're lucky I'm not an "I told you so" kinda guy.
Your Honor, we are still deadlocked.
Would further deliberation make a difference? I don't believe so.
[sighs.]
Well then, I'm left with no choice - but to declare a mistrial.
- [bangs gavel.]
The People of the State of Illinois thank you for your service.
[clears throat.]
Excuse me.
Just so you know, this isn't over.
I'll be filing for a retrial.
[dramatic tone.]
The jury in the Ted Reynolds case was deadlocked because he never actually said he'd hurt Emma on the answering machine tape.
And that's it.
That's the real felony.
- What about Jane? - Jeffries wants us to charge her with reckless homicide and leaving the scene.
- Stone's good with that? - He says he'll retry Ted.
But you don't think it's worth it.
Unless he confesses, I doubt anything'll change.
You know, we never talked to Emma.
You think Ted would actually threaten Jane in front of their ten-year-old? When it got going in my house, I'd pretend to be asleep.
But I heard every word.
Would it help? It might.
I have a little girl about your age.
Her name's Jen.
She lives with her daddy, like you.
Jen's daddy and I, we decided it was best for her if we didn't all live together.
- Did you fight? - We did.
Why? Did your parents fight a lot? No.
They didn't yell at one another? Well, sometimes they did.
But my mom said that they didn't mean it.
Mm.
Did that scare you? You can tell me, Emma.
Sometimes.
What was the worst part about your parents being divorced? Not having all my stuff in one place.
Some of it's at my dad's house.
I never know where anything is.
Yeah.
That's what Jen says.
[sighs.]
When I heard my parents yell at one another, that was scary.
I hid in the attic.
It was filthy and there were spiders.
- I hate spiders.
- But the spiders and the dirt were better than hearing them fight.
One time, I heard my dad say he was gonna hit my mom.
My dad would never hit my mom because he loves her.
And people who love each other, they don't hit.
- Can I get one? Hey.
- Hey.
So, what'd you find out? Kid paints a rosy picture of them.
Nagel was good.
I mean, she's always good but there's something about moms.
Emma never heard them fight? She thinks they love each other.
[chuckles.]
Kids see what they want.
- Thanks.
- Yeah.
Yeah, I guess.
You know, a couple weeks ago, I'm walking down Michigan.
I see Michael Jordan getting into a limo.
First thing that pops into my head is I gotta tell my ex.
'Cause she worshipped Michael.
It's weird, huh? I don't know what it is.
We can't be in a room ten minutes, but somewhere in the back of my head, there's a small part of me that wonders when she's gonna come back.
- You'd get back together.
- [laughs.]
You'd have to try one of us for murder.
- [laughs.]
- I don't know.
But I always think about it.
It's weird.
Maybe it's what happens when you have a kid with someone.
The family thing or all that.
He should be here any minute.
Good morning.
Thank you for coming in.
What is she doing here? I hope we're here for an apology.
From all of you.
That'll be the day.
[clears throat.]
Mrs.
Reynolds and her lawyer have agreed to take a deal.
Smartest thing she's ever done.
She agreed to plead to manslaughter in exchange for a five-year prison sentence.
Good.
Bastard.
[laughs.]
See what I have to put up with? You? What kind of father pretends to kidnap his own daughter? That's never been established.
[scoffs.]
I'm sorry, Mr.
Stone.
I don't want the deal anymore.
- It's a good deal, Jane.
- No, he gets full custody of Emma? How often do you think he's gonna bring her to prison to visit me? If we lose at trial, you could do ten years.
I have to at least try.
That's fine by me.
Please stand.
I'll arrange bail, Jane.
You know, raising a child is about a lot more than buying her some rainbow kite.
Well, most kids don't need to live in a four bedroom in Lincoln Park.
You've already ruined my life.
And now you're gonna destroy Emma too.
[scoffs.]
To think I loved you once.
Ah, Jesus Christ.
Do you know why I made you go to Car-A-La-Carte? Shut up, Ted.
Because that is what I had to do every time I wanted to take Emma anywhere.
And the four banks? That's so you could see what it's like chasing after a buck.
Four jobs I had to work to pay for you to live like a damn princess.
You didn't listen to me.
I asked you to modify the alimony.
I begged you.
Ah, what the hell.
It was me, I did it.
I threatened her and I'd do it again.
- That is not a confession.
- Yes.
Yes, it is.
She's taken everything already, I don't I don't have anything left.
Yeah, yeah, come on.
Ted Reynolds, you're under arrest for the murder of Christopher Jones.
Again.
Under the circumstances One year probation.
[somber tone.]
Jail for him, probation for her.
Another kid growing up without her dad.
Chris's mom, staring at photos in an album.
Five lives ruined.
Another quirky donut.
- Close enough.
- Bizarre.
He hates her, but he'll go to prison for 20 years for her.
Hm.
Justice isn't the only thing that's blind.
- Mm.
- You wanna - grab a drink with us? - No, thanks.
I'm gonna go home and kiss my wife.
And take a long, hot shower.