Cold Case s02e07 Episode Script

# The Weather Girls 'It's Raining Men' # Joan Collins is not a man in drag.
- How do you know? - You believe everything you hear.
I do not.
What don't you believe? I don't believe pop rocks and coke makes your stomach explode.
I don't believe Rock Hudson has liver cancer.
Face it, honey.
You're gullible.
And a conspiracy nut.
Sticks and stones.
Who killed Kennedy? Lyndon Johnson and Fidel Castro.
Oh, and Jimmy Collins.
He was the ringleader.
What? - No, no, don't come here.
- Artie, I'm coming there.
What is it, honey? I got it.
Detective Rush? I'm Artie Russo, I called.
Have a seat.
Scotty, Artie Russo.
I'm an AIDS survivor.
I was supposed to be dead twenty years ago.
Lucky, huh? I got into an early drug trial.
I was diagnosed in 1983, given six months.
Instead my partner Jeff was dead in six months.
From AIDS? Murdered in Rittenhouse Square.
Strangled.
Was there any suspects? Yeah.
Me.
What was the theory? That I killed the love of my life in a rage because he gave me AIDS.
Did he? No one knows.
In '83, there was no test for it.
You found out you had it by getting sick.
And Jeff never did? No.
The strange thing is, I accepted my death coming.
It was Jeff who was in a rage.
Over what? The dying of the light, as he put it.
He rage against anything besides the light? The government, doctors, the gay community, the newspapers, the president.
- It's a long list.
- And twenty years is a long time.
What brings you in now? I'm getting married to my partner of ten years.
But before I do, I wanna put an end to any doubt that I loved Jeff.
You want us to reopen a cold job for your wedding? It'd be a nice gift.
This ain't Pottery Barn.
The gift I want is justice.
We'll read the job again.
Maybe we'll beat the odds.
Like you did.
Thank you.
Cold Case ORIGINAL AIR DATE ON CBS: 2004/11/14 When'd you first hear? About AIDS? I guess high school.
I got the talk from a nun at Saint Francis.
That's something you don't forget.
Here it is.
Kern, Jeffrey.
When Brother Donely died of it, it really hit home.
Jeff was 25 in 1983.
Unlucky timing for gay men.
No warning what was out there.
Take it upstairs.
They put the rock, strangled.
From the front, bare hands.
Sounds personal.
No robbery, either.
Lab didn't get much blood to test.
Maybe they were scared to collect it.
The guys on the scene knew he was gay? Earring in his right ear.
Not a lot of unknowns about AIDS in '83.
Nick is probably right.
All we have are a few blood stains on Jeff's shirt.
Never analyzed.
Lab would have to deal with it now if your victim fought back.
Might be the killer's blood.
Anything else to go on? You ever hear the Benjamin Kern Foundation? I heard the current building.
Cool, big fountain up front.
This is Jeffrey Kern.
The victim's rich.
Might be significant.
Who stood to gain from Jeff dying? He got any sibling, Scotty? Yeah, a brother.
Well, you got that, and you got the blood.
So where's that cool building? Is your dad able to join us? He's able but unwilling.
Lotta art.
Beats our wanted posters.
I'd like a wante poster.
With my brother's killer on it.
Never bought Artie is the doer? No.
And I don't think the cops knocked themselves out trying to find the killer of this low status gay kid.
His family was high status.
Fear of AIDS trumped everything in '83.
The paramedics left Jeff's body in the rain for 3 hours, cuz they didn't wanna touch him.
Jeff being from this flush family kinda makes us look at money as motive.
He didn't have any money.
My dad disinherited him a year before he died.
Because he was gay? Dad couldn't accept it.
So, Jeff being cut off, then dying left you sole heir of the family fortune.
I didn't profit from his death.
His half of all that money Goes to three charities.
I convinced my dad to do that much.
You were close to your brother? He made me crazy, but he was the kind of guy you just love anyway.
My dad adored him too.
But their relationship ended at my engagement party.
- You came.
- I wouldn't miss it.
You're brave.
Look who's here.
I'm so glad.
Congratulations, Ann.
- Where is he? - Walking over here.
- Do you have to do this, Jeffrey? - There is the perfect Kern manners.
Are you making some kind of a point? I'm attending a family event with Artie who's part of my family.
Nice to see you again.
If you wanna flaunt your life style, there's a time, a place.
- When, where? - Not at Paul's party.
We don't mind.
I don't want this for you.
If Artie can't stay, I can't either.
Congratulations.
I know you'll have a happy life.
After that, my dad acted like he only had one son.
So what'd Jeff do for money? Worked as a towel boy at a bath house.
To really stick it to dad.
- Didn't last too long though.
- What happened? There was some trouble there.
- I never knew the whole story.
- Would Artie know the details? Yeah, probably.
Jeff was supposed to be passing out towels in that place.
Instead he was posting warning signs.
About AIDS? That must've gotten over big with the owner.
Artie, they need an answer.
The white chair covers or the light blue? Uh, this is Russ.
What do you think? White goes with a wedding.
I like white too.
So was Jeff trying to shut this bath house down? Basically.
Did he have any success? The fire was pretty effective.
He burned the place? He never admitted it, but # Loverboy 'Working for the Weekend' # - You could've killed people.
- You're killing people.
This place is a hot bed of disease.
- No one knows how it's spread.
- Whoever set this fire did a public service.
Whoever.
I like that, whoever.
- Jeff, what's going on? - This is my boss, Barney who has no conscience.
Let's go home, calm down.
Hey, hey, Jeff.
- How we gonna take care of this, huh? - I didn't do anything.
- I'll have you locked up.
- Let's be reasonable.
Reasonable is you reaching into your dad's deep pockets and compensating me.
I don't have a dad anymore.
- You seem rational.
- I am.
Why don't you talk to your lunatic boyfriend and stop him or I will.
You ever see Barney again after that? I only hoped he was content with just firing Jeff, cuz there wasn't any money to give him.
You float the Barney theory with detectives in '83? Gave'em his name, never heard back.
It was a terrible time, terrible.
Okay, but through all the terribleness, - you were raking it in.
- Bath houses were hot in the '80's.
No one knew what was coming down the pike.
And you made a couple mil a year.
So, you did your research.
And here comes this towel boy, Jeff, decides to save the world by shutting down your booming business.
It was the turning point, anyway.
Virus is making the papers.
AIDS shut down my bath house.
But Jeff lit the match.
- Kid was a hothead.
- You a hothead, too? I can be.
But insurance paid for all my losses, then Jeff got out of my sight for good.
This Jeff sounds like he pissed off every other person he met.
Roughly.
Anyone else on that place get into it with Jeff? There was someone Jeff targeted in particular.
# Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers 'You Got Lucky' # Carlo, we gotta talk.
Talk? No thanks.
Five minutes.
I thought you said you just wanted to talk.
All that time you spend in front of the mirror, I know you've noticed this.
It's nothing.
- You're sick.
- I'm fine.
Did you tell that guy you just had sex with that you have it? It's cancer and cancer's not contagious.
You're purposely giving it to people? - You're such a drama queen.
- What are you, a sociopath? I think you're still upset that we stopped.
You and me.
Carlo, it kills people.
Stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours.
Carlo was the prettiest of them all.
Literally got by on his good looks.
I thought I'd save this.
Jeff made these, handed them out around Queens Village.
I'm seeing motive.
This man is sick He won't tell you Carlo is spreading the gay cancer to 10 men a night at Barney's.
That pace, Carlo must be long dead.
We need a last name to find out.
Barney didn't know it? This Carlo said something about when 'we' stopped.
It sounded like him and Jeff were together.
Did Artie know that? Did Artie get the bug from Jeff who got it from Carlo? Sounds like the cops in '83 were on to something.
Better go back to the bride-to-be.
Y'know, I think technically they're both grooms.
I knew about Jeff and Carlo.
- And you didn't mind? - I didn't like it.
- But? - You're not gonna find this palatable.
Consider me warned.
Most gay men were living out what a lot of straight men fantasize.
Which is? Spouse in home and affairs on the side.
That was our arrangement too.
Until I got sick.
# Cyndi Lauper 'Time After Time' # How is he? He's the same.
He's very brave.
He's sleeping.
If you keep your voices down.
Sure.
Hey, Artie.
Is it my birthday? It's a metaphor.
Everyday is a celebration.
Everyday is going to be my birthday from now on? Yes.
We'll be in a never-ending production of our town.
Treasuring every single moment as we live it.
That's right.
Don't do that.
Now stay back.
Don't get this.
I saw Carlo today.
How is he, don of Queens Village? He can't believe I only wanna be with you.
Neither can I.
Well, it's true.
Jeff left Carlo for me.
Who would've thought? Carlo getting dumped, that must've been new to him.
Brand new.
You think he was dangerous? I think he purposely infected hundreds of men in the city.
That's murder, isn't it? You know his last name? Fishman.
First name is Melvin.
Carlo is Melvin Fishman? He's an Ohio boy, reinvented himself when he moved to the big city.
He alive? Try South Philly.
Now, how's a guy like him make it when so many others don't? If God was punishing people for their sins, he had a badly researched list.
I was Melvin for 18 miserable years in Shaker Heights.
Here, I'm Carlo.
Here, hold Louise.
Let's talk about homicide.
You wanna know if I murdered Jeff Kern? No.
You had a reputation for playing roulette with people's health.
This just put me more in demand.
I'm ugly now.
I make money cleaning bird cages.
But look at me there.
I was gorgeous.
Nobody cared about the 'he'll kill you' part? Jeff was seen as hysteric.
Like a lady who smashed up liquor bottles with an axe.
People laughed.
So guys still wanted you? Jeff was the one who ended up ostracized.
Even though he was right in the end.
People don't know how to act in an emergency.
When AIDS hit the world, most of us froze in disbelief.
Not Jeff.
No, he fought.
In the ways a lot more stupid than this.
Like? Jeff usually hid his background.
Now he decided to use it.
How? A fundraising party for rich, closeted gay men who wanted to stay that way.
# Billy Idol 'Eyes Without a Face' # Be sure not to set off the alarm.
Thanks for helping me do this.
- Don't tell dad.
- Are you kidding.
- You should call him.
- He should call me.
We'll be in the guest house.
government is ignoring it.
Ronald Reagan, interfere with God's work.
Everyone in this room has money and clout.
So we're the ones who have to do something.
We could hire a lobbyist, a doctor maybe.
Giving money isn't enough.
We have to put ourselves on the line.
How do you mean? Come out.
Make a joint statement.
We're gay, we're powerful, and attention must be paid.
Your father would love that.
My father would have to handle it.
If we came out, we'd lose whatever credibility we might've had.
People are dying.
- This is a crisis.
- Don't be alarmist.
There's no cure.
No one's even looking for a cure.
This is a press release from everyone in this room.
Are you crazy? I'm sending it out in a week.
I'd like your signatures, but I don't need them.
Jeff was gonna break the biggest taboo in the gay world.
Outing.
/ He had more guts than brains threatening those men.
So who were these guys who had everything to lose? You want me to out them? For a homicide investigation? You bet.
Screw 'em.
What have they done for me lately? Right, Bobo? Got a pen? Terrence Overton, President of Eastline Bank.
Christopher Duncan, Chief of Staff to Councilman Bias.
Bias, he's right of the two of the hum.
Don't ask, don't tell.
Just hide it in the log cabin.
Chief of Emergency Medicine at Penn General.
Russell Bennett.
Who's that? Russ.
It's Artie's fiance.
You were at Jeff's party the week before he was murdered.
Yes.
This is unbelievable.
Lotta people in that room had motive to kill Jeff.
Not me.
I've been out since I was 16.
How could you not tell me this? It's a time of my life I'm embarrassed about.
I was a drunk and an addict who dated older men.
I was there with one.
He have a lot to lose by being outed? Only everything.
Who are we talking about, Russ? You better tell them.
You better tell them every detail.
I will.
So? Carson Finch.
This just gets worse and worse.
- Who's that? - A conservative columnist for the Times.
It'd be like finding out Pat Buchanan was gay.
If I'd been sober for five minutes while I was with him, I might have realized he was the devil.
You think Finch could've hurt Jeff? I know he read him the riot act after the party.
Things don't get done when you rant, rave, and threaten.
Things get done quietly.
We'll be dead.
That's quiet.
Russell, I need five minutes.
Lovely family.
They're ok.
Powerful, too.
I've never met your father, but I see his name everywhere on hospitals, libraries.
He's a major donor in Philadelphia.
I know all that.
You had some people here tonight who could bring his empire crashing down.
Now you're the one threatening.
I'm just saying.
Even a picture of Kern's family has dirty secrets.
I grew up here.
I know hard ball.
You don't want to play it with me.
Satan himself.
How far would Finch go? I thought he was content eviscerating people in print, but who knows.
So is the wedding off? It's between them.
Mine was on and off three times.
New police resource.
Yeah? What? Half the guys on the party list are now on the AIDS quilt.
Gone, huh? Yeah.
Ain't all Mary's.
Women, kids.
IV drug users and my niece being one of them.
Two panels for Jeff Kern.
One from Artie, one from his brother.
Guess where Finch lives.
Rittenhouse Square.
Yeah, where Jeff ended up.
Jeff Kern was lucky he lived through the night of that party.
Highball We heard about the threats especially from you.
I just warned him.
You hurt me, I'll hurt you.
Like maybe with a rock to the face? That wasn't necessary.
Why is that? Between my friend at the Eastline Bank and I, we had plenty of dirt on the magnificent Kern family.
And that made Jeff back off? Cuz he doesn't seem to be the backing off type.
Who knows what he would have done? Maybe he died before he knew himself.
Or mayb he died so he couldn't put out that press release.
Maybe.
But I fight with words, not rocks.
For what it's worth, I never believed that Jeff died at the hands of a gay man.
Beating him with rock, I'd look for a heterosexual.
Got one in particular? Jeff found out I was gay because we both had friends on the AIDS floor at Penn General.
I saw him there.
Yeah, so? Artie shared a room wih a boy who had AIDS and the boy's father was rageful.
Carson Finch.
Jeff.
Hello.
Hi.
Sick friend? # The Scorpions 'Still Loving You' # Can I get you anything? Food? You can give me a cure.
I know.
He's dying.
I'm sorry.
Take your hand off me.
Kenny got sick because of people like you.
Excuse me? He's innocent.
He should be helped before your friend.
I'd like to help everyone.
He's eight.
Please.
I don't know if I can help Artie.
Damn you.
What happened? Jeff walked away.
Now, how did this guy think that Jeff could help his son? I don't know.
But he knew where to find Jeff.
And I know hate when I see it.
We gotta talk to you about Jeff Kern, the guy you fought with at the hospital.
I don't remember half of what came out of my mouth that night.
You threatened him.
Two weeks later he was killed.
Not by me.
I was angry, yeah.
I thought Kenny got AIDS from his second grade teacher.
Now I know it was the transfusions he had, skateboard accident.
Why'd you target Jeff? It just seemed unfair.
I mean, if there was some miracle, my kid should get it, not the gay guy.
What miracle do you mean? That guy Jeff said he had a way to get his boyfriend into a drug trial, - maybe save him.
- How? I don't know, but they kept arguing about it.
The sick guy saying, 'it's not worth it, I accept my death'.
I'm thinking, you accept your death, great.
Give my kid the drug.
How do you get access to these drug trials? Connections, clout, know a board member, be a major donor to the hospital.
What hospital are you talking about? Penn General.
They do a lot of research there.
Jeff's father's on the board of directors for Pennsylvania General.
That qualifies as a major donor.
Has been for years.
So Jeff needs dad to save Artie's life potentially.
Only Jeff and dad are estranged.
But Jeff will do anything.
He and Artie are in love.
Which is why dad will say no.
That writer Finch told Jeff he had something that could ruin his dad.
Maybe Jeff asked him what the dirt was so he could throw it at dad himself.
We gotta talk to the old man whether he likes it or not.
You think a father would kill his son to save his business empire? Why not? Jeff was dead to him already.
Did Jeff come to you for help before he died, Mr.
Kern? He called, asked if we could meet.
Said it was important.
I made him beg.
I was a jerk.
Dad, don't say that.
Sorry, if it offends you.
What happened when you two met? We didn't.
He was murdered the night before.
So you don't know what he wanted to talk about? No and I never will.
I think Jeff wanted you to help Artie get into the drug trial at Penn General.
Yes, you've told me.
What would've you said? I would've said no.
But Artie got into that trial.
Yes, after Jeff died, I made sure his friend got a place.
How strange logic.
Maybe it was guilt, something you did, Mr.
Kern? You have something to say to me, say it.
Be a man.
Carson Finch had dirt on your family.
Finch is a dilettante.
Jeff knew what it was and was gonna use it against you.
You've got fire, huh? Just like Jeff did.
What did Finch tell him? What did he hold over you? What could be worse than what Jeffrey flaunted everyday? - Dad.
- It's unnatural.
Let's not go into that.
The only thing more unnatural is for a father to bury his son.
Hearing of his death was the worst day of my life.
You should go now.
Yes, go.
You getting Artie into that trial may have saved his life.
Furthest thing from my mind.
I don't believe you, Mr.
Kern.
I think you loved Jeff.
Well, he was always my favorite.
They both are.
You really think Jeff would blackmail his own father? He wasn't shy about confrontation.
I suppose that's true.
He was a chip off the old block.
You told him you had something on his family.
We need to know what it was.
That's water under the bridge.
Something on the foundation, financial scandal? Or personal.
I believe in discretion.
A man was murdered.
Bludgeoned, strangled.
That ain't discreet.
Do right by this kid, Finch.
Summer of '78.
That's me in the swim trunks.
Lord have mercy.
These are our housemates, Brian, Doug, Leonard.
And this man is Leonard's hot summer romance.
Paul was thinner then.
When I went to the party that night, I didn't know he was Jeff's brother.
How'd you find out? I recognized him from family photos.
Same swim trunks.
I realized Jeff didn't know.
- So you told him? - No.
Then when I sat for a smoke, there was the man himself.
# Bob Seger 'Shame On The Moon' # Paul.
Carson Finch.
Of course.
I had no idea you were Jeff's brother.
Listen, this is.
.
I'm married now and - my family doesn't know.
- Say no more.
I understand.
I read your column.
You're crazy.
Miss Finch isn't everyone's cup of tea.
How's Leonard? I've been thinking of sending him a card.
Leonard died last year.
Why didn't you tell anyone? I didn't believe in outing.
And then death outed us all.
Paul was worried that his brother will out him to their dad at this meeting.
Which his dad treats his kids equally means Paul gets disinherited too.
So he kills Jeff the night before.
Ipso facto.
Except we don't got no factos.
Blood results were inconclusive.
How come? The lab's assuming the sample's degraded.
But there's another explanation for an almost match.
A sibling.
You can't take that to court.
We need a confession.
He'll lawyer up in record time, Scotty.
Maybe not.
I think Paul wants to tell someone what he did.
He put it on the quilt panel he made for Jeff.
- He was lost and is found.
- The prodigal son.
Someone wanna catch me up here? I missed all of Sunday school.
It's a story about two sons and a father.
The one son does everything that pleases father, the other one - Bad.
- Goes off whoring and drinking, shaming family.
While the good son is home working the field.
Then one day the bad son wants to come back home.
And the father instantly forgives him, welcomes him and gives his fatted calf.
All his stuff.
Which makes the good, dutiful son very, very angry.
I have a meeting in 10 minutes.
Not today, Paul.
What are you doing? Telling you a story.
Then we want you to tell us a story.
Sorry, you're losing me.
He was lost and is found.
The prodigal son.
Wendy, get Ben Keltman on the phone.
I think you should talk to my attorney.
Look at that kingdom.
All yours, the good son.
You sacrificed for it.
Gave up your own desires.
Did everything right.
- You earned this.
- While Jeff went out and played, - defied your father.
- I loved my brother.
As long as he was exiled from the family.
But what if Jeff went to your dad for help, and they made amends? What if dad welcomed him home? Would leave you on the outside.
You couldn't risk that.
So you made sure that meeting never happened.
At least, that's the version Paul likes to tell himself.
- He's cleaner, - straighter.
But it was simpler than that.
Wasn't it, Paul? You had a secret.
You were terrified Jeff would tell dad.
Come on, Paul.
You wanna make it right.
You confessed 20 years ago.
Ben Keltman on the line.
Tell him I'll call him back.
Yes, sir.
I tried to talk to Jeff.
- Thanks for treating.
- Yeah.
I'm gonna walk that way and pick up some mocha chip for Artie.
I'd like to be at dinner tomorrow night with you and dad.
I have to do it alone.
Do what? Get Artie in the drug trial.
- But how? - Any way I can.
Beg, bribe, blackmail.
Would that include ruining my life? What are you talking about? You saw me with Finch.
You think I didn't know you were a closet case? It was one summer.
Dad can't know.
I would never out you.
You threatened to out a room full of men.
They're not my brothers.
I know you.
You can't control yourself when you want something.
- Don't be crazy.
- He'll piss you off, you'll do anything to help Artie.
- Paul, I won't hurt you.
- You don't want to, but you will.
- Cool off.
- Me? - Cool off? - Go home to your wife.
No.
I won't let you.
- Paul.
- No, I gave up too much.
# Sheriff 'When I'm With You' # # I never needed love like I need you # # And I never lived for nobody # # but I live for you # # Oooh, babe # # lost in love is what I feel # # when I'm with you # # Maybe it's the way you touch me # # with the warmth of a sun # # Maybe it's the way you smile # # I come all undone # # Oooh, babe # # lost in love is what I feel # # when I'm with you # # Baby # # oh I get chills when I'm with you # # Baby # # my world stands still when I'm with you # # When I'm with you # # I never cared for nobody # # like I care for you # # And I never wanted to share the things # # I want to share with you # # Oooh, babe # # lost in love is what I feel # # when I'm with you # # Baby # # oh I get chills when I'm with you # # Baby # # my world stands still when I'm with you # # Baby # # oh I get chills when I'm with you # # Baby # # my world stands still when I'm with you # # When I'm with you # # When I'm with you #