JAG s01e22 Episode Script

Where's the officer of the watch, Chief? Nature called, ma'am.
If you want, I'll get him.
Not necessary.
Kind of late to be going on liberty, Lieutenant.
I just got off midwatch.
I didn't figure Mr Holbarth'd stick you with that, ma'am.
I mean, he usually reserves midnight to 4:00 for sailors needing motivating.
- You're on watch, Chief.
- Well, I'm single, Lieutenant.
Wouldn't be fair having a married chief stand watch her first weekend in port.
- Did you call a cab, ma'am? - No, I had my car delivered to the lot.
- Request permission to leave the ship? - Very well, ma'am.
- How much are they paying you, Chief? - 100 bucks a watch.
Sorry, Chief.
Must have been all that fresh fruit that we got onboard when we docked.
Yeah, it usually happens to me after a long deployment.
- Too much fresh fruit? - No, too much booze on liberty.
Mr Roberts.
Has Lieutenant Schonke gone ashore? - No, sir.
- Yes, sir.
- Well, which is it? - She just signed out, Lieutenant.
- Where the hell were you, Mr Roberts? - I was in the head, sir.
Nobody's supposed to leave this ship without the officer of the watch giving permission, mister.
I know, sir.
But Ensign Roberts was indisposed, Lieutenant, and I was acting officer of the watch, sir.
- Permission to leave the ship? - Very well, sir.
Mr Roberts, I have observed in my 17 years in the Navy that some of her officers are full of horse puckey.
We get eggs and pancakes on the ship, Chief.
I don't know why you want to pay for them at the diner.
Mr Roberts, if you have to ask that after six months at sea, I can't explain it to you.
Isn't that Lieutenant Schonke? Oh, my God.
Mr Roberts, don't touch anything.
All right, you know the drill.
The usual search for a murder weapon.
I want everything checked.
Check the bushes, the dumpsters, the trash cans.
Check everything.
Let's get a couple of divers off of that pier.
Have them check around the carrier.
- That's where I'd have dumped it.
- Sure thing.
- Well, lookey, lookey, lookey.
JAG.
- Yes, sir.
Lieutenant Commander Rabb.
- This is Lieutenant JG Austin.
- I can read rank, Mr Rabb.
Well, I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't, sir.
Brian Turque.
NCIS agent aboard the Seahawk.
Well, we're looking forward to working with you, Agent Turkey.
It's Turque.
That's okay.
I heard about you, Commander.
JAG's hotshot investigator.
Just remember, this murder happened on my turf.
Anything you come up with, I get.
- And anything you come up with? - I get that, too.
What have you got so far, Agent Turque? White female.
Shot twice in the chest at close range.
She was the crypto officer onboard.
Lieutenant Diane Schonke.
- Any witnesses? - No.
Nobody saw or heard anything.
Harm? Harm? We were supposed to have dinner last night.
She called about 6:00, said she got stuck with the midwatch and she'd drive up early this morning.
When we got this call, it never occurred to me it could be Diane.
I left a note on the door for her.
I'm so sorry, Harm.
- Put it back, JAG! - What? You can't investigate the murder of your girlfriend.
How about my sister? She was your sister? No, but that's a better way to describe our relationship, and I'm not leaving her murder investigation to someone who jumps to conclusions as fast as you.
The victim was a girlfriend of Commander Rabb's? An academy classmate.
He claims their relationship was strictly platonic, Admiral.
Then I'm sure it was.
NCIS is demanding to have him removed from the investigation.
- Demanding? - Yes, sir.
Specifically, the investigator onboard the Seahawk.
An Agent Turque.
- Turque? You're kidding me.
- No, sir.
And I thought Chegwidden was bad.
He's demanding that Lieutenant Commander Rabb be removed from the investigation, sir.
Nobody pulls a JAG officer off an investigation except me or God and he hasn't asked.
Well, technically, this Turque His life in high school must have been hell.
Oh, I'm sure it was, sir.
Anyway, as I was saying, technically, this NCIS agent has jurisdiction.
- You have a solution? - Yes, sir.
I take point in the JAG investigation.
Alison, you're a hell of a prosecutor, but you're not a murder investigator.
I would be with Commander Rabb as my assistant.
I admit, it's walking the ethical tightrope, but it would combine his skills with my judgement which is free of his emotional entanglement.
Do it.
- You have a devious mind, Alison.
- Thank you, sir.
And you're sitting in my chair.
Why'd you run after her? We were supposed to meet for dinner tonight.
Hard to believe it happened less than 24 hours ago.
- You had a dinner date? - Yes.
You're here to observe, Lieutenant, not question.
You were saying? I ran after Diane because I didn't have her shore phone number and we hadn't decided where to meet for dinner.
- Did you catch up to her? - No.
Never saw her.
Were you and Lieutenant Schonke lovers? Just good friends.
Really? Interesting.
You're the second officer who was just good friends.
It's not that unusual among younger people, Agent Turque.
How long did you know Lieutenant Schonke? A little over two months.
She joined us late in the deployment.
Replaced a crypto officer whose wife was killed in a car crash.
And you were officer of the deck last night, Commander? That's correct.
That's unusual, isn't it, sir? - The exec standing watch? - I suppose so.
But we'd just docked after six months at sea.
Most of the ship's crew was on leave.
With the skipper called away to Washington, I had to stay onboard anyway, so I decided to stand a watch.
And Lieutenant Schonke was junior officer of the deck? During the midwatch, yes.
And Lieutenant Lamm? He was communications officer during the midwatch.
Commander Holbarth, where did those officers stand their watches? Lieutenant Lamm in the comm room.
Lieutenant Schonke was right here on the bridge.
In port, watches are usually stood on the quarterdeck, but since it was our first night in dock, - I decided to stand it here.
- Yes, sir.
So Lieutenant Schonke was here with you, sir? Yes, the junior officer of the deck is the officer of the deck's assistant.
- Gave you four hours to chat.
- About the ship, Commander.
We may be tied to a dock, but there were dozens of situations which required my attention.
There was little time for chit-chat.
Did you notice anything odd in her behaviour, sir? She seemed anxious to get the watch over and get ashore but everyone did.
Was anybody unusually interested in her? Yes.
- Who? - I don't know.
Oh, come on, Lieutenant.
Diane told me she felt someone was always watching her.
Stalking her? Well, of course someone was always watching her.
There were 5,000 men on this ship and she was a beautiful woman.
- You think she was being paranoid? - No.
- And why is that, Lieutenant? - Because she was murdered.
It can get a little confusing below deck, ma'am.
That's why every compartment is numbered.
Now, the first number is the deck number.
We're on 02.
We're going down to 03.
that we are on the third deck below the flight deck.
Then comes the frame number.
that we are moving from this frame - Ensign? You're giving me a headache.
- Sorry, ma'am.
Yes, ma'am.
- Just walk this way, please.
- Nice to see you again, Mr Roberts! Thank you, sir.
You, too.
- You know each other? - Yes, ma'am.
Commander Rabb came onboard early in our deployment.
I sure hope you get the guy that raped and murdered Lieutenant Schonke, sir.
- Raped? - Yes, sir.
I just delivered the preliminary coroner's report to Agent Turque.
Which you read? Well, there wasn't a cover sheet on the fax, ma'am.
And here are your quarters, Commander.
Ensign, show Lieutenant Austin to the victim's quarters so she can get started, and get me a copy of that report asap.
Yes, ma'am.
Which would you like me to do first, ma'am? - Let's go, Roberts.
- Yes, ma'am.
Stay a moment, Commander.
I could never handle sea duty.
You probably won't have to.
- So it was just platonic? - Don't start, Commander.
I've always maintained that there's no such thing as a platonic relationship between a healthy man and woman, unless one of them is gay and the other is neutered.
Diane and I never slept together.
What were you going to do all weekend, play gin? Red light, Commander.
- My God, I think you really mean it.
- I do.
Agent Turque wants you off this case because he didn't buy your "good friends" story any more than I did.
Perhaps if I could understand, I could convince him.
Diane and I both played by the rules and the rules at the academy were clear.
Maybe we played by them so long, we didn't know how to do anything else.
Whatever the reason, Diane and I never had a sexual relationship.
And frankly, I don't give a damn if you or Turque or anybody believes me.
All I care about is nailing whoever did this to her.
And if you have any decency, Commander, you won't ask me anything personal about us again.
Commander? Sorry I'm late.
I was going over the leave and liberty rosters.
Lieutenant Commander Rabb.
Harm? Sorry, sir.
I'm Sarah Williams, Diane's bunkmate.
I wasn't informed they'd found you.
If you're done consoling the Lieutenant, I have some questions.
Sorry, sir.
I just know how close they were.
It's nothing to apologise for, Sarah.
How close were they, Lieutenant? She spoke of Harm Commander Rabb often.
They'd been friends since the academy.
- Just friends? - Yes, sir.
Diane spoke of the Commander like a brother.
Did she have any other friends who weren't like brothers? You mean, was she involved in a romantic relationship? Yes.
If only for a night.
I need to speak to you outside, Commander.
This will only take a minute.
- Don't you see what he's doing? - Baiting me.
He wants you to assault him.
It'll get us both kicked off the investigation.
Don't worry, Commander.
I won't let him get to me.
I promise.
Are we ready? Just ask the questions, Turque.
You were about to tell us if Lieutenant Schonke was involved in a romantic relationship.
None that I knew of.
How do you explain a sexually attractive young female at sea with thousands of men having no romantic contacts? It's against Navy regs.
Although she did get hit on a lot.
By who? Lieutenant Lamm.
He's one of those officers who doesn't get the word no matter how many times the Navy puts it out.
Diane gave him a couple of yellow lights and finally had to speak to the XO.
- Commander Holbarth? - Yes, ma'am.
He couldn't harass her without going on report, so he stalked her.
Commander Rabb, one more interruption and you're out of here.
Did she say Lieutenant Lamm was stalking her? She didn't know who it was.
Why didn't you tell us Lieutenant Schonke complained of being harassed by Lieutenant Lamm? It wasn't a formal complaint.
You didn't report it? No.
Commander, it's a violation of Navy regs for a superior officer to ignore reports of sexual harassment - formal or informal.
- I know.
I know! But Lieutenant Schonke emphasised that Lieutenant Lamm hadn't overtly harassed her.
She said that it was borderline and she wanted me to talk to him before she had to make it official.
What did Lieutenant Lamm say? He said that the problem was not with him, but with the Navy, which was so paranoid about sexual harassment that normal social intercourse between the sexes was no longer possible.
- He actually said "intercourse"? - Social intercourse, yes.
Perhaps not the best choice of words, but semantically correct.
- This could end my career, couldn't it? - It isn't gonna help it.
You should have protected yourself, Commander.
Lieutenant Lamm was a good officer.
He didn't want anything official marring his record.
Did you follow up with Lieutenant Schonke? Yeah.
Several days later.
She said he'd stopped speaking to her except as necessary in the performance of their duties.
He started stalking her instead.
- What? - Lieutenant Lamm and Williams claim the victim said someone was stalking her.
No.
No.
She never reported that to me.
I'd have acted on it if she did.
And why would she tell Lieutenant Lamm? Probably didn't want to ruin his career, either.
It was her way of warning him to stop stalking her.
Being nice may have cost her her life.
You have no idea how difficult it is escorting a civilian on a tour of the flight deck during flight ops.
- That's flight operations.
- Got it.
Yeah, everyone's wearing helmets and earplugs.
The only way that you can communicate is by using hand signals.
So I came up with, like, this little system, right? Where it's sort of like the symbols on the road signs where the first time you see them, you understand them.
- Like - Follow me? Or - Watch your step? - Right.
- Or - Look right? Look left? - Stop? - Try this one.
Mark your territory? No, sir.
No - Shake a leg? Hurry up? - Yes, ma'am.
Would you excuse us, Mr Roberts? Did I do something wrong, sir? No.
I'd just like to speak to the Lieutenant in private.
Oh, sorry.
Yes, sir.
I'll I'm on my way.
- What's up? - Lamm was harassing Diane.
She complained to Commander Holbarth.
Why didn't the Commander say anything when you questioned him? That's what Krennick's going to find out.
I knew something wasn't right when Lamm said Schonke told him that she was being stalked.
- Because he was the stalker.
- He left the ship, you know.
- What? - He went ashore to grab some lunch.
He'll be back at 1400 to stand his watch.
- Harm, don't do it! - He may be fleeing! If he is, we'll get a warrant.
Harm! So then I explained it to him and he still didn't get it.
- What can I get for you, Commander? - Just coffee.
May I help you, sir? You're one of the JAG officers investigating the murder, aren't you? She didn't deserve to die like that.
- She didn't deserve to die at all.
- No.
Of course not.
That was a stupid thing for me to say.
Damn stupid.
Well, if you'll excuse me, sir, I have a watch to Sit down, Lieutenant.
Why did you run after Diane at 4:00 in the morning? It's in my statement.
I didn't think she'd leave the ship so soon after going off midwatch.
We'd had a date for Saturday night and I didn't have her shore phone number.
What a coincidence.
Diane and I had a date on Saturday night.
You knew her? So how could you have a date with her when I did, Mr Lamm? I I didn't.
I was hoping to get one.
- So you lied in your statement? - I didn't kill her.
- You stalked her.
- That wasn't me! I was the one who told the inquiry she was being stalked.
Yeah, you were the one who told the inquiry you had a date with her, too.
It was somebody else, I swear.
You sexually harassed her, didn't you? I may have told a few off-colour jokes, but I And when she reported you to the XO - What? you started stalking her.
- No! - You lying son of a bitch! Lamm, no, no! - He killed Diane! - Lf he did, this isn't gonna prove it, sir! This is just gonna get you court-martialled! Consider yourself restricted to the ship, Lieutenant.
- Escort him back onboard, Chief.
- Aye, sir.
And then report my assault to the XO.
What assault, sir? I didn't kill Diane but I can understand how someone in love with her feels.
Let's go, Chief.
- Okay, then.
- Okay, Commander.
Ma'am.
- Ma'am.
- Sailor.
I guess the word's out? Did you think slugging a junior officer in a crowded hash house would go unnoticed? Lt'll headline the next issue of the Navy Times.
"JAG officer assaults suspect in carrier murder.
" Is Turque charging Lamm? He didn't have the evidence to warrant it.
He harassed her, he stalked her, and he chased after her the night she was murdered.
The victim told Commander Holbarth that she thought Lieutenant Lamm might harass her.
Lieutenant Williams said the victim didn't know who was stalking Stop calling her "the victim.
" And Lieutenant Lamm had a reasonable explanation for running after her on the pier.
He lied about that.
- Like you lied about sleeping with her? - Damn it, Krennick! Watch it, Commander! If I were you, I'd toughen my hide.
Otherwise, you're going to look like a fool on the witness stand.
What witness stand? The one Lamm's defence attorneys are going to stick you on if we charge him with murder.
You're his Mark Fuhrman.
- No smoking! - Stuff it.
You'll have to stand captain's mast.
And he said he wasn't gonna file a complaint.
He isn't.
I am.
Damage control.
I need to disassociate myself from you.
- A captain's mast could end my career.
- Better yours than mine.
You meant that.
I'm not gonna throw away my career because you're pining over your academy sweetheart.
- You're jealous! - Of a dead woman? I don't think so.
Besides, you've made it perfectly clear that we have no personal future.
Hey, Alison, don't do this.
If I don't report you, Agent Turque will make sure that the Seahawk's skipper does when he returns on Monday.
That'll give me 36 hours to prove Lamm killed Diane.
- You'll need a confession.
- I'll get it.
Just don't beat it out of him.
So tell me, what was she like, Sarah? Diane always listened when you talked.
That's unusual for someone beautiful.
- You don't think beautiful women listen? - Not most.
They don't have to.
- But Diane did.
- Intensely.
I mean, if you were talking to Diane in a crowd, it was as if the two of you were alone.
We had liberty in Naples before sailing home.
Toured Pompeii and overnighted in Capri.
One of those weekends you have to be rich or in the Navy to get.
Was she writing a novel? - You found it.
- In the computer.
What little of it I read, I liked.
Her hero's Harm.
She uses a different name, but it's him.
Is it? I didn't read enough of it to tell.
Diane was in love with him.
- Did she say that? - No, but it was obvious.
She kept all his letters.
Her lockbox was full of them.
It's empty now.
I guess they took them when they searched her things.
Hello? Hello? Is somebody there? Hello? Hello? - Hello? - Security.
Gunnery Sergeant Cahill.
Thank God! Gunnery Sergeant, this is Commander Krennick.
I'm disoriented.
I'm on the 03 level at bulkhead 341.
I need to get to female officers' country.
You have to go down to go up, ma'am.
I have to go down to go up? That doesn't make sense.
Your passageway doesn't go through on the 03 level, ma'am.
You need to go aft to bulkhead 348-S down to the 04 level, then back forward to the ladder at bulkhead 340-S.
Which way is aft? The bulkhead numbers go up as you go aft.
Thank you, Gunnery Sergeant.
Okay.
348-S.
Where the hell am I? Okay.
347.
344.
Damn! 345.
Okay.
Okay, 342.
Yes! - Are you okay, ma'am? - No! Somebody's after me! - I didn't find anyone, ma'am.
- Well, he was there just a second ago! I can have the area swept, ma'am, but if someone was down there, he's gone by now.
What do you mean, "if"? Somebody was after me.
Yes, ma'am.
If you say so, ma'am.
Lieutenant Lamm, your presence is requested on the bridge.
Lieutenant Lamm to the bridge, asap.
Why didn't you tell the Commander the hatch was closed? No excuse, sir.
I only realised it was secured after the Commander hung up, so I ran down to open it.
- Did you see the stalker? - No, sir.
I only searched the 04 level for a few minutes and it was dark.
- He killed the lights.
- No, I'm afraid we did that, Commander.
With only a skeleton crew onboard, engineering is shutting down all non-essential power.
- That'll be all, Gunny.
- Aye, sir.
What were you doing in engineering, Commander? Trying to find my quarters.
- In engineering? - I got lost.
This isn't a ship.
It's a maze.
If it's any consolation, Commander, we all get lost sooner or later.
You sure you didn't imagine Lieutenant Lamm stalking you? I am not afraid of the dark, nor do I have an overactive imagination.
Why do you doubt me? Lieutenant Lamm doesn't strike me as being stupid.
He knows he's my number one suspect.
Especially after Commander Rabb's little tête-à-tête.
Why would he be stalking you? Maybe he can't help himself.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to frighten you.
Not your fault, sir.
I'm a little edgy.
Well, it's understandable.
It's kind of spooky on a carrier with a skeleton crew.
- Diane said you were a chronic punster.
- Guilty.
- Just didn't think I'd be doing it so soon.
- Gangway! Sorry, sir.
Ma'am.
What's going on, Gunnery Sergeant? Someone was stalking Commander Krennick, sir.
She believes it was Lieutenant Lamm and he hasn't been seen since reporting back to the ship, sir.
- Did you check his quarters? - On my way there now, sir.
Lieutenant Lamm, sir! Lieutenant Lamm! All right, lower away.
Lamm wasn't as smart as you thought.
We had nothing but circumstantial evidence.
A good lawyer could have got him off.
Yeah, well, I wish he hadn't used a computer.
It's always nice to have the suicide note in the shooter's handwriting.
- You don't think he wrote it? - I didn't say that.
But I'm not gonna let forensics take this one for granted.
I had you all wrong.
How's that? I thought you were just another Navy rent-a-cop, more concerned with control than with solving the murder.
Yeah? And I thought you were just another hotshot female lawyer who thought her sweat didn't stink.
It doesn't.
Sir.
Ma'am.
- Have you seen Agent Turque? - He's on the pier.
Well, the medical examiner faxed over more autopsy details for Agent Turque.
- Can I see them? - Sorry, sir.
Agent Turque instructed me that these were for his eyes only.
In fact, his exact words were, "Don't hand any faxes over to Commander Rabb.
" I see.
Fax for you, sir.
- You recall my order, Ensign? - Yes, sir.
Verbatim.
Commander, the XO asked if you could join him on the bridge.
Admiral Chegwidden wants you to report to his office tomorrow at 0800.
Lieutenant, you are to remain here to assist me.
Aye, ma'am.
Anything interesting? More forensic data from the medical examiner.
But you knew that.
You know, Meg, Mr Roberts has the makings of a fine Naval officer.
Or a criminal lawyer.
Well, I guess you can relax now, Commander Krennick.
Hardly.
I thought Lieutenant Lamm's confession would wrap up the investigations.
It shortens the murder inquiry, but I still have to conduct a suicide investigation.
Isn't that just pro forma? Nothing in the Navy is pro forma, Commander.
You know that.
I guess so.
If you want to know if Lamm's confession and suicide gets you off the hook for not reporting a possible sexual harassment - among your junior officers - Well, that wasn't what I was asking.
the answer is no.
I don't intend to put it in my report but it's already in Lieutenant Williams' statement.
I can't swear that someone won't read it and charge you.
I can only say it won't be me.
Thank you, Commander.
You must think I'm rather callous.
Two of my officers are dead, and I'm worried about how it'll affect my career.
On the contrary, Commander, I find it refreshingly honest.
I wrote her a poem for our commissioning.
Silly thing about the sea and the sun.
She kept it in her copy of The Navy Officer's Guide.
I have a pressed flower in mine.
You don't have to read that, Harm.
Not now.
It's just the forensics of what we already know.
Don't taint your memories with an autopsy report.
What if he didn't do it? Kill her? Or commit suicide? Both.
And his suicide is so convenient.
Not for him.
And why was he stalking Krennick? He was a rapist, Harm.
Everything they do defies logic.
It doesn't feel right.
I'll read it.
As if I were Oliver Stone.
I'll be in my quarters.
I'm gonna grab a shower before heading to Washington.
Is it captain's mast? Probably.
I didn't think she'd charge you.
Oh, the Admiral's a fair man.
What the hell are you doing in my quarters? I wanted to return those letters to you, privately.
- I hope you don't mind I used your head.
- I mind.
- Where'd you get these? - Schonke's lockbox.
You know, either you're a very prolific writer, or she saved every single letter you ever sent to her.
You read them.
- Part of the job, Rabb.
- Oh, yeah.
The good part.
Hey, look.
I shouldn't even be turning those over to you.
Technically, they belong to her next of kin.
Then why are you? Because we met like a couple of junkyard dogs in a pound.
I'd like to think we could part like men.
By the way, for what it's worth, if it was me, I'd have slugged him, too.
Commander? Harm? Yeah? Come in! - Are you all right? - Yeah.
I - I must have fallen asleep.
What is it? - The autopsy report.
- Her body was moved.
- Moved? The lividity in her body indicates that she lay curled in a foetal position on her right side for an hour or two after her death.
She was then moved behind the wheel of her car.
The liberty log says that Lamm was off the ship for only half an hour.
- He couldn't have done it.
- Yes, he could.
Lamm left the Seahawk again at 0630.
He could have murdered Diane, put her in his trunk, gone back to the ship, and returned two hours later to put her behind the wheel.
The only question is, why would he do that? - Are you sure about this? - It's in the report.
Turque was waiting for me back here after I left you.
He must have read the autopsy report.
Why isn't he raising the same questions we are? He was searching my quarters.
- For what? - Evidence linking me to Lamm's murder.
Murder? He committed suicide.
I don't think so, Meg.
And neither does Agent Turque.
He believes I killed Lamm to put an end to the investigation.
Harm, why would he suspect you? If Lamm murdering Diane and moving her later doesn't make sense, what does? Diane meeting someone outside of port who murdered her and brought her back here.
Turque knows Diane was driving to Washington to meet you that morning.
He thinks I killed Diane and Lamm.
I better get going if I'm gonna report to the Admiral by 0800.
I need you to check with the Marines that worked the gate the night of the murder.
It's a long shot, but if Diane left with someone at that hour, one of them might recall it.
You'd better get going, unless you want to join me in the shower.
- What if you don't come back? - I'll come back.
Hey, Chief, you think we can get the cook to make us some of that mocha mint? What did you two do to catch the midwatch? - Low man on the totem pole, sir.
- Just unlucky, sir.
I don't believe that for a minute.
- Permission to leave the ship? - Very well, sir.
Where are you going, Commander? I'm going to Washington.
I've been ordered to report to my CO.
I'm gonna have to countermand that order.
Well, I don't think Admiral Chegwidden would appreciate that, sir.
I'm afraid he has no choice.
I'm arresting you for the murder of Lieutenant Diane Schonke.
I didn't murder Diane.
Then why were your fingerprints all over the murder weapon the divers found this afternoon? You have the right to remain silent.
You have the right to an attorney.
Oh, hell, you're a lawyer.
You know your rights.