The Listener s02e05 Episode Script

Hey.
Hey.
Thanks for meeting me.
It's been a long day.
Anything left in the tank? What you got? I need you to go to a bar.
You know when you said try someplace new, this wasn't what I was picturing.
It's a cop bar what do you want? You want velvet ropes? I would settle for air freshener.
Last six months a dedicated unit of IIB has been running a massive drug investigation with Metro.
Lots of big busts, bad guys being taken off the street I sense a'but' coming.
Yeah, recently the busts have slowed down.
Now some people say that Metro's going soft, others think there is something much more serious going on.
I have been asked to take a look.
So McCluskey gave me a new case today.
Are you at least getting paid for this one? It's not about the money.
Most of rumors have been swirling around a couple of detectives from Metro's anti-gang unit.
Follow my lead.
Follow your what? Ross Miller, fifteen-year vet and his partner Scott O'Neil.
Ooh, nice shot.
Me and my partner here, we got the next game.
Oh, we got us some bangers.
Hey fresh meat.
Miller, right? Hey fellas, do I know you? We are EMS, I think we might have worked a case together last year.
Took it in the lung Parkdale.
That's overtime for that one.
What's that, that was West End right? Yeah.
Hey yeah, West End, yes definitely.
Right, it was Parkdale, it was a stabbing.
You mean the Portuguese guy.
You remember that Ross, he was at the laundry mat Took one in the chest? Yeah, that's right, collapsed lung.
Hey Toby this is - Oz.
'Sup.
- What's goin' on Oz.
Don't get too many of the Band-Aid brigade in here.
You guys want me to get you another pitcher? - Yeah.
- Hell yeah.
Okay.
Cops and paramedics we are like brothers.
Yeah.
Imagine how I feel.
Yeah, just got lucky.
I don't think I like you guys.
- There ya go.
- Nice.
I got lucky, I got lucky.
I think you gentlemen have met my associate, Minnesota Fats Not from Minnesota, nor fat.
Whoa - The city gives you guy a pay - You guys robbed a bank? Look at that.
Ponies were good to me today.
Oh the ponies.
Why don't you guys get us another round, all right? Sure.
Scott and I have to have a little shoptalk.
Right.
Shop talk, okay.
Excuse me can we grab another pitcher? You got it.
Hey, what's going on? Nothing.
Come on this is this is the IIB thing? This is your new case, these cops with the massive wad of cash.
You know it would be nice to know this stuff ahead of time.
I thought we would come in and drink a little bit and then we would leave.
Maybe make some lifelong enemies while we're at it.
Guys, I need you, now! Come on.
Okay alright All right, okay.
Hey Call 911.
I need you to clear a path and make sure EMS can get in here.
Yes this is Detective O'Neil He's unresponsive, breathing is shallow and irregular.
He's got tachycardia, BP is sinking.
It's a good thing you both were on the scene.
One second he's fine, the next second elevated pulse, seizures, the whole thing.
Okay he's crashing, let's move it.
Did not see that coming.
Yeah, yeah, that just happened.
How is he? They're going to work on him right now.
I don't know.
Just hang here.
Scott, where is he? The Sgt.
Just took him inside.
Sir, I'm Toby Logan, I'm a paramedic.
I was there at the bar with him.
Look you don't want to go back there; just let the doctors do their thing.
Yeah, yeah, you are right.
It's just when it's one of your own, you know.
I know.
Hey Scott, is there anything else you can tell me about what happened? Like I said, he just crumpled.
Hey You got to tell them about the drugs.
What drugs? Shop talk.
The Dr.
Should know about that.
I don't know what the hell you're talking about.
Look your boy's hanging on by a thread right now.
If you don't tell them I will.
They're going to find out eventually.
Code blue, ER 4.
Code blue, ER 4.
Liv Acute myocardial infarction.
The Coroner will figure out what happened.
I'm sorry Toby.
You did everything you could.
Ms.
Miller? Yes? Do you know something about my husband? Dr.
Fawcett will be out to talk with you soon.
What? No, no.
It's okay, I'm right here.
Oh man, shift starts in five hours I'm going to hit one of the cots upstairs.
Hey Oz, listen, what you said earlier about you not filling you in when I'm helping Michelle, I was wrong.
Yeah you were.
I volunteered for this you didn't.
Speaking of which do you know exactly what you volunteered for? I mean do you get a bonus if you end up dead? This is not my first rodeo.
Toby this is different, okay? These cops, they pick their teeth with guys like us.
I do not want to get lost into an early grave.
Right which is why I think you should keep your day job.
That's something you might want to consider.
Hey got here as fast as I could.
Thanks for coming.
It's been a hell of a night for you.
I was there too, Sgt.
McCluskey, you know.
Could have been shot, no big deal, right? I didn't realize I hired a team.
Don't worry, you didn't.
You want to grab a tea? Yeah.
So Ross Miller didn't make it.
Yeah, yeah.
How you doing; you doing okay? Sometimes you don't want to be right.
They said he OD'd.
Yeah he was doing coke in the bathroom before he collapsed.
And his partner Scott cleaned it up before he came and got us.
Was he using too? I don't know.
I don't know.
All I got was that he was cleaning it up like he was trying to protect Ross.
Well it's not a stretch to think that they were skimming coke from their busts.
What I need to know is if it went any further than that.
Ross was flashing a lot of cash.
What's a lot? Like a chunk of cash.
I got a good read off Ross.
There's more.
There's boxes of cash.
This is not what I wanted to hear.
Welcome to my world.
Yeah.
There's a guy with gold teeth and a diamond stud and a spinning eight ball, now I don't know if that's code for crack or it's because we were playing pool.
Well, well, well, look who's on time.
Bright eyed and bushy tailed too sir.
Looks like you two have had a rough night.
Oh you heard about that? Oh yeah, from the Metro Sgt.
Sitting in my office.
Wants a private meeting with you two.
Hey.
Detective Matt Collins from the hospital, remember? Yeah, I remember, Toby Logan.
Yeah, thanks for taking the time.
I know you did your best to save Ross, we all appreciate it.
His partner Scott O'Neil says he and Ross were having drinks with you two when it happened.
That's right, yeah.
Scott says after Ross went to the can and didn't come back he went to find him.
That's not exactly Look, I'm not going to pretend Ross didn't have his problems.
It's not like the tox screen is going to be a secret.
It's just I've lost one good cop, I don't want to lose another.
Sir, we can only tell you what happened.
They both went to the bathroom together.
Is that how you remember it Mr.
Bay? Yeah they went to'talk shop' and by the time we got in there someone had tidied up.
It's not exactly rocket surgery.
I don't think I'm getting through to you guys.
These are men in uniform just like you, who put it all on the line every day.
One is dead and you want to destroy another for some dumb indiscretion? You saw things a certain way.
Maybe it would behoove you to think about whether you might be mistaken.
The boys in anti-gang unit are going to close ranks, you can bank on it.
Yeah this is what you call your basic thankless task, right? No surprise they gave this one to the blond.
I know you're not looking for thanks but you may be looking for trouble.
Am I supposed to be reading between the lines here? Rookie cop to IIB Sgt, in under ten years.
Correct me if I am wrong but isn't that a land speed record.
Ah, ah, that's actually , thank you.
And your point? You didn't get here by making the wrong choices.
Like putting fellow officers under the microscope.
All I'm saying is sometimes when you're right, you're wrong and vice versa.
Well thank you for the homily.
You make a corruption charge, whether it sticks or not, an officer is going to be affected, maybe permanently.
Yeah I know that; happened to my dad.
Yeah? Do you want me to make some popcorn, slip in a movie? I wasn't talking to you.
Took two hours, two.
Where's the ambulance? Wait a minute, did you leave the keys in it? You were driving.
So it's stolen? Who'd steal an ambulance? Someone who is very accident-prone or something.
Looking for something? Hey guys, remember me? Where's our ambulance? Oh I had it towed; it was blocking a fire lane.
What fire lane; there's no fire lane here? You can read all about that in the report, how' that.
Hey Oz, call tell him what's going on.
I got to take care of this.
I know you're upset about Ross.
Ross? Yeah.
It's Detective Miller, a police officer who's dead and you want to rake his family over the coals? They have a right to the truth don't they? You're so far above your pay grade man, you have no idea.
Well you're right; my job isn't nearly as lucrative as yours.
Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa that was a mistake Logan If I were you I'd keep my eye on the eight-ball.
Eight ball came through for us again.
Come here, come here.
Hands behind our back.
- Spread'em - Come on! Come on.
Is this really necessary officer.
Take a walk.
How you doing? Can't complain.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you this could go down very hard for you; assaulting a police officer.
He towed our ambulance; there was no reason for that.
You know Scott's a good man; he's good police.
If you lose a partner the way he did, he's only human I say I sit him down, talk to him and you pretend this never happened.
The list of things that never happened seems to be getting bigger.
If I were you I'd think long and hard about where you could wind up.
Sgt McCluskey, IIB, he's with me.
Really? Paramedics see a lot I guess.
Maybe so much they get confused.
And just so you know Sgt.
I'll stand by my people all day long, is that clear? So clear I can see right through it.
Unbelievable.
Yeah.
Think things are tense now, I'm about to share Ross's toxicology report with these guys.
What, there was no cocaine? No, there was plenty of that but what killed him was a lethal dose of cyanide.
So now we're not just investigating cops, we're investigating a cop murder.
Yeah.
So I'm pretty sure eight-ball is the guy with the gold tooth.
He has something to do with the cocaine.
So we get him maybe we can find out how deep the cancer inside the anti-gang unit really is.
Well whoever killed Ross had to be able to get close enough to his stash to taint it.
Someone who's afraid Ross's recklessness would bring them down too.
Or someone like a dealer who is being pressured by the cops.
Okay I'm going to get Dev putting a face to this eight-ball.
Look I wish I could say the heat was off, but I have a feeling you're going to get leaned on even harder before this is over.
Well the same goes for you.
Yeah.
I can't afford to be wrong on this one.
Sorry there bud.
What are you trying to do? Blow my cover? Is there anything coming back on who might have done Ross? No.
If anyone knows anything they're not saying nothing.
Look somebody got to his coke.
He took a hot shot.
You got to know where he got his drugs.
Look Matt, I didn't ask if he didn't want tell, right? I'm working on it.
Is there something you're not telling me? Is there something you're not telling me? I'm cutting you guys a lot of slack.
I didn't listen to the trash talk, I didn't ask questions.
Anything coming back to bite me on the ass? Sir, I just want to find out who's involved.
Then you do that, but everything's by the book right? you're not going off half cocked.
By the book Sarge, like you said.
Whoa, jeez Whoa what? What's going on? I saw a cop car.
Not every cop in the city is after us.
Yeah just the loose cannons with crazy eyes and bulging neck veins.
I don't want to poop on your parade here but I'm starting to think this whole IIB thing was a bit mistake.
If it's a mistake it's my mistake.
Yeah, but it has consequences for other people.
I'm not just talking about me, even though I will be reliving that telephone conversation with Ryder about the ambulance towing for the rest of my life, thank you.
Okay, I didn't mean to get anyone involved in this.
Toby if you want to fight crime, get a badge and a gun and fight crime.
But is that who you are? Last year the anti-gang unit did a sweep of the downtown east side.
This is one of the guys they arrested.
He goes by the name of Erran Balamani, aka eight-ball.
That's original.
Possession, two counts, possession with intent, one count.
All the charges got dropped before they made their way to court.
I'm going to give you one wild guess who made the bust? Scott O'Neil and Ross Miller.
Boom.
And here's where it starts to get interesting.
We've been tracking this eight-ball character Who has, IIB? Immigration unit.
His family is from Sri Lanka with some serious ties to the Tamil Tigers and the hard core members they have this tradition; they carry a vial of cyanide around their neck in case they ever get captured.
Well I'll be damned.
Hey uh, I saw you the other day, right? I'm Toby.
Sorry about your loss.
My mom's getting dad's things.
I couldn't go back in there.
Can't imagine the pain of losing your father.
around the house.
I've had enough of this.
Let go You see this every day don't you? I do; too many days.
How do people do it? Like get through it? They just do.
It's life one day at a time.
Yeah.
Eight-ball, why don't we have a little chat? You guys can go for a walk.
What? You know what? No, I don't.
Why don't you tell me about the tigers? Give me a break.
That's old world stuff.
I ain't got nothing to do with it.
Yeah, you don't have an uncle in the tigers, carries some cyanide around his neck.
Cyanide? What are you smoking? Tell me about the cops.
You're the first two I've met.
How about I go tell your crew back there how you cut a deal with two cops to get those possession charges dropped.
Listen if you think I'm some kind of player I'm not.
Anti-gang unit, they cut you loose; you supplied them with product.
No, no, listen.
I didn't supply them with anything.
He took what he wanted.
You supplied them coke.
No, just information.
I keep my ears open.
If someone's pushing weight I let them know.
And you do that for what; for charity? I get a cut.
Yeah, cash or blow? Oh, okay, both.
So what happened? Ross cut you loose, maybe you wanted a bigger piece? Ross? Ý didn't deal with Ross.
It was Scott.
Him and I, we never had a problem.
Scott.
Scott.
You all right? - Just - Excuse me.
Just sit down.
Thank you.
I'll get you some water.
You're the paramedic, the one who was there when it happened? Yeah, one of them.
There was two of us.
He was still alive with you.
Yeah, just barely lucid.
Thank god it's over.
I was nineteen when we married.
We were just kids.
Being a cop isn't easy; it changes people, makes them do things you wouldn't expect.
Did you think I wouldn't find out? I used to think people could change; I don't anymore.
Thank you.
You said that eight-ball has access to cyanide.
What if he's not the killer, but the killer got the cyanide from eight-ball.
Someone could have switched it with Ross's stash.
Someone like Scott? Or Emily.
The wife in an abusive marriage having an affair with some mystery man, which could also be Scott.
Well she did turn to him right after she heard.
We had an authorized tap on Emily's telephone.
Here's a call from Scott late last night.
I know Emily, I know, I know, it's got to be hell for you.
It's going to get better believe me.
It hasn't even sunk in yet.
I'll come by, I'll take care of things.
You got enough to worry about.
He's been in there for forty minutes.
temperature.
Ear bud Oh thanks.
Nice to see you again.
Listen, Sarge I'm more than happy to answer any questions you might have about Ross.
I'd just like to get back to work.
What do you know about eight-ball? You try to sink it last? We know he was a paid informant for you guys; gave you intel on a bunch of drug busts.
You accusing us of doing our job? This is your arrest records for the last year; carjacking, turf wars, east end sweeps, drug busts so what's missing here? You tell me? Money.
Dealers always carry lots of it but you guys never seem to recover much.
I don't risk my ass for a cop's salary.
Don't you think I don't know what it's like surrounded by these low life criminals every single day? They all have more money than you; bigger houses, nicer cars.
So you take a little cash; who's going to know? Sarge, we took the same interrogation course.
Of course I didn't have the big Ivy League education.
It must be nice to have everything handed to you.
How old are you? Eight-ball said you were skimming the cream off busts from his intel.
The man is a drug dealer.
He'll tell you he craps gold bricks if he thinks it will help him out.
Come on, a cash operation but something threatened all of that, right? I told him his drug problem was going to get us both killed, he wouldn't listen.
They were arguing over Ross's drug use.
What was it; Ross's coke problem, maybe you two argued? We argued look is this your investigation? Why are you covering for him? Why am I covering for him? He was my partner.
Do you know what that means? He would have laid down his life for me.
Oh I don't doubt that.
That was his job.
Your job is to find out who slipped him that hot shot not try to pin it on another cop.
If you have any more questions you go through the Union lawyer, right.
Actually I do have one more.
Were you sleeping with your partner's wife? Word is someone was.
That's nice, real nice.
You want to see our reactions when we saw each other? You give me way too much credit.
Just answer the questions Emily; you got nothing to hide.
I'll be right there.
I'm not sure I can be of much help.
Ross kept that side of his life pretty private.
It's a tough unit to be married into.
He tried not to bring it home but you know how it is.
Cop's got to keep their cool right, never let them see you sweat.
All that frustration, it's got to come out somewhere.
Ross got violent with her.
Emily he hit you, didn't he? He wasn't himself when he When he used.
Yeah.
And who are you going to tell? Your husband's a cop.
Every day you you think it's going to be different but it never is.
It's not what it looks like.
OH, it's not what it looks like? Daughter caught him using? Did Jan ever see him using? Well that was the deal breaker, I mean I couldn't pretend anymore.
Ross moved out to a hotel a week later.
Did he ever get violent with her? No.
Thank god, I would never have forgiven him.
But she was what he did to you and that must have been tough.
You know you put up with it because you feel like you don't have any other choice but then maybe one day you see a way out.
I think I'd like to go now.
I know who the lover is.
Okay let's say Toby's right, Emily is having an affair with Ross's boss, Matt.
Ross finds out, gets rough.
Emily decides to finally fight back, she knew where he kept his drugs.
She just needs to get her hands on cyanide.
Which is easy enough to do; it's just pesticides and rat poison, right? I mean it could be any one of them.
Yeah? Yeah, okay, we'll be right there.
Come on let's go.
Matt and Scott found eight-ball.
Really eight, my partner dies and you thought I wouldn't come looking for you? I never gave him anything.
Where do you think it came from? Where did the cyanide come from? It ain't from me.
Don't lie to us.
I'm not lying to you.
You're lying It's not from me.
fess up, fess up I know how this is going to end.
Here we go.
Eight! Come on come on, take it easy.
Don't do anything stupid man.
We can work this out.
Trust me.
Trust you? Dispatch this is Det Sgt.
Collins we have a suspect down, gunshot wounds.
Alley off the northwest corner of Gerrad and Ashdale.
What the hell happened? He had a gun.
Seriously, listen to these emails between them.
They got Ross in.
It's never gonna happen, I'm dropping you from the payroll effective immediately, you are no longer a confidential informant.
Nobody drops eight-ball.
Eight-ball's got the drop on you bitch.
How convenient that Metro be releasing these from one dead guy to another.
Okay well how hard is it to fake these emails? Give me a minute and you'll get an email from Jimmy Hendrix inviting me to a nice little luncheon.
Well I know that I promised but something's come up.
Well there will be other soccer games, right.
So you can just Can you please tell him that I'm sorry and that I thought you might have left.
Still working the Metro cop homicide.
What's there to work; it's closed isn't it? Not from my end.
I was copied on that email string.
Threats verified, cyanide found in the dealers apartment; what more do you want? How about a case that's not wrapped up in a big shiny bow? You have everything you need to put this thing to bed Except for a signed confession from one here it is, one Erram Balamani aka eight-ball.
Yeah well that would be difficult because he's dead.
Shot by a cop who is also under suspicion.
They guy pulled a gun.
We are talking about a drug dealer here and possible cop killer.
Can we just drop the charade for one minute and be honest with each other.
Oh I'm sorry, because the truth trumps everything doesn't it.
Never mind that it destroys our relationship with Metro.
Whatever happened to that gung-ho lawyer I met 8 years ago who said that the system works and he's gonna prove it? That guy sends me fruit baskets occasionally; every Christmas.
Listen if they have issues inside Metro they have special investigations to handle it.
Okay, well it doesn't really come down to this.
Since when is the greater good a bad thing? Two standards of justice, right? One for the cops and one for everyone else? I'm not saying that.
Don't have to.
You know my father was a god in his precinct until he was accused of taking ninety grand in cash from evidence lockup.
He didn't do it; it didn't matter.
You know normally I have no problems with the cops I run into on the job.
These guys are the exception, not the rule.
So it's not just me.
No, they're total Jerks - Yeah.
- Ý'm glad I caught you.
- Hey sergeant.
- Hi Michelle.
Do you have a minute? Yeah, I got a minute.
You guys need to have a little pow-wow, sure, great.
Sorry.
I'm being pressured to close out the Ross Miller case.
Well you got the perfect scapegoat, is that it? If eight-ball wasn't dead I would be arresting him right now.
Yeah, I doubt that.
Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do.
Something tells me you didn't come down here to tell me that the case if over.
Okay there is something but but I don't know if I should have even brought you into this.
Today it's eight-ball, tomorrow it's some innocent person.
Where's the line? What is it? You can still walk away.
So can you.
There's a wake for Ross tomorrow at the Blue Goose; it's one last chance to get to the truth.
I'm in.
So I've been asked to say a few words about Ross.
I've known Ross since since he first joined the force.
Hey, want me to go get the med kit? For what? For when we get our asses kicked.
Oh thought you had my back.
I do in theory.
Ross was a hell of a cop Hell of a friend.
What the hell are they doing here? You talk about loyalty Some nerve coming here pair of rats.
He'd be there for me.
You never let a fellow cop down, never.
But he was a cutup too.
Like that time he ordered a case of champagne and billed it to the inspector.
Ross will be glad to know that we got the bad guy.
But he'd take more comfort in knowing that Emily and Jan were looked after.
So one last time to Ross.
To Ross We'll miss you buddy.
Trying to decide whether you boys are brave or stupid.
Is it strictly an either or situation? We're just paying our respects.
Well you had your chance for that.
Logan listen the thing between us, I was out of line.
It's okay I get it, I get it.
I'd do the same thing for my partner.
Look whatever Ross's secrets were it's not worth digging up right now.
Though I here IIB is going to be looking through his house tomorrow morning.
Anyways no hard feelings.
No.
We should probably get out of here.
That we do.
- Let's hope he took the bait.
- Or else this is going to be the end of your very short career at IIB or worse.
What the hell are you doing there? I followed Scott here, he's looking for the money.
You know that; of course you know that.
Okay don't do anything until I get there.
I'll be there in ten minutes.
This isn't good.
Scott! What hell's going on? Close enough Sarge, that's close enough.
Emily get out of here now.
No, no, no.
Nobody's going anywhere.
Okay Scottie, this is bad.
Ross is dead; you're standing here with all this cash.
And look at you Sarge, standing here, with a dead cop's wife.
I know about the affair.
Never mind that; put the gun down.
Scott please.
You stay out of this.
Hey, hey, hey hey! There's a way out of this.
You come clean we'll put all this behind you.
There's no way out; look at this.
You're going to roll on me.
It's over okay.
Don't lie to me.
No, no, I'm on your side.
Listen to me; I'm on your Do not lie to me, Sarge! Look you still wear the badge; that means something.
You know what that means? It means we earned this.
Ross and me, this is our money.
We earned this risking our lives for years for what! I understand, just give me the gun.
You know what I'm talking about Sarge, you know I'm right.
Look for the love of God Scott, we haven't even buried Ross yet.
Scott went in through the back.
Matt and Emily just showed up.
Oh God Oh my God Matt! Oh what have you done Scott? Oh, oh Drop the weapon Scott; drop it! It's over.
Do not move! Do not move! You gotta let me do something or he's going to bleed out.
Come on Scott.
Scott you can't do this.
Scott do the right thing.
Let me help him.
I just wanted to we were good cops.
You got to cut me loose man; I'm too far gone, save yourself.
You were a good friend, you did what you could but he was too far gone.
But not you.
You can save yourself.
That's what Ross wanted you to do.
Go ahead.
Hey Matt, Matt look at me, look at me.
Keep talking to him, keep him conscious.
Matt, you're going to be fine, we're going to be fine.
Just keep breathing, stay conscious.
All right You're doing good; you're doing great.
You're doing good Matt.
You made the right choice.
Hey Hey.
So I just spoke with our legal liaison to the Crown.
Scott's lawyers are already suggesting a plea bargain.
There's going to be a full investigation into Metro anti-gang.
And eight-ball? Between the cyanide and the emails, homicide is still convinced he gave Ross the hot shot.
He's the best candidate.
Excuse me.
Hello? You're okay Honey it's okay, I'm all right.
Oh baby My sweet angel.
You never asked for any of this did you.
I'm not sorry for what I did.
Everything is going to be okay Okay? Okay.
You're going to be all right.
Okay.
I promise.
What is it? Remember when I told you that I hear people thoughts I never know if they're going to do it or if they've done it already? Yeah, what are you getting at? I wish I knew.
I wish I knew.