Law & Order Special Victims Unit s02e14 Episode Script
Paranoia
In the criminal justice system sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
So I got all the cables hooked up.
I tried to print, nothing.
My 10-year-old comes over, a few clicks on the mouse, it works.
It's getting so that you can't navigate a computer, it's like being illiterate.
We're dinosaurs.
at Lorenzo Storage.
Sector car's at the house.
Let's take it.
One Sergeant responding.
Copy that, One Sergeant.
You okay? Banged my foot on some piece of crap.
You want to check over there? I don't see anything.
Karen? Karen? Service, we're right around the corner going to back up One Sergeant at Lorenzo Storage.
Karen? You in there? One David.
ETA to Lorenzo Storage, one minute.
We got backup on the way! You hold on! One Sergeant.
Officer needs help! What's up? We got a 10-13 eight blocks away.
You all right? Yeah.
Drive.
It's the pills, isn't it? Yeah.
Ambulance is on the way.
Wish they got here as fast as you did.
What happened? Sergeant and the driver took a call for a silent alarm break-in.
They got separated, perp grabbed the Sergeant.
Where'd you find her? In the stairwell with her pants down.
Looks like he raped her after he put a garbage bag over her head.
The perp got out of the building through an emergency exit in the stairwell with her gun and wallet.
How's she doing? Pretty bad.
We didn't move her in case she hurt her neck or something.
The perp used some kind of blunt object to choke her.
A piece of pipe or something.
A crowbar? Make sure they check for prints on the door.
CSU's en route.
The rest of the squad's looking for the doer.
Oh, God.
What's the matter? That's Karen Smythe.
She trained me.
How long was she in there? I'm not sure.
At least five minutes.
More like ten.
Felt like an hour.
Take it easy, Mitch.
I got too far ahead of her.
All I could do was bang on that door.
You scared the perp off.
Come on.
You can't be blaming yourself, all right? I'm her partner.
Guys, my boss has just arrived.
I expect all of you down at our offices in an hour.
Anything we can do.
How's she doing? Semi-conscious.
Doctor says her airway wasn't cut off long enough to cause any brain damage.
Where's your partner? She's in there with her.
They've got history.
She able to give you anything? Not yet.
What'd the partner say? Nothing too reliable.
The guy's still in shock.
You know her, Olivia? She got any family? Just her ex-husband.
We'll do the notification.
I'm going to stay with her in case she wakes up.
Okay.
Look, everybody's working this one.
Nobody's going home.
She wakes up, says anything I'll call you.
He broke in through this door raped and robbed Sergeant Karen Smythe and now this perp has a cop's gun as a trophy.
We got to get him in fast.
Anything from Forensics? Found the crowbar outside the back of the warehouse.
CSU went to the hospital to see if the rust on it matches marks on Sergeant Smythe.
Similar burglaries? Checking.
Crowbar isn't exactly a unique method of entry.
It's possible this guy was a burglar who saw a woman alone as an opportunity, but for now we rule nothing out.
Any other rape cases where the perp used a garbage bag to cover the victim's head? I'll call on that.
Everybody else, hit the street.
Canvass for perp sightings, possible witnesses.
Finding this guy is job one.
He tried to kill a cop.
He's not going to care who his next victim is.
You look like the one who got strangled.
I'm okay.
Elliot, a minute? You forgot to call on the pattern rapes.
I was just getting to it.
Elliot.
Get some rest.
A cop was just raped and nearly choked to death.
This anti-HIV medicine is still making you sick.
Take some time until you're done with it.
You think I'm not up to the job? You saved a life, exposed yourself to HIV.
You have nothing to prove.
Is it an order? Not yet.
Trust me to come to you if it's a problem.
We came up the back stairs, heard pounding on the door.
Followed the noise to the front stairs, came down.
Sergeant Smythe was lying there.
Any sign of the perp? Nothing but the crowbar.
We didn't go after him.
We were more concerned about the Sarge.
Where were you guys when you got the call? About ten blocks away, in our sector, on a meal break.
You know how it is when you get a 13.
Cop's in trouble, we haul ass.
You guys work the area.
Anybody on your radar could have done this? That part of the precinct is skell heaven.
Just toss out a net and haul them in.
You hear anything from the hospital? She's not conscious yet.
When did you lose her? I don't know.
She was behind me, and then she was gone.
The place was so dark, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
And then you saw her flashlight? Yeah.
I heard noises from behind the stairwell door.
Just breathe.
Relax.
Come on.
Take your time.
Sit down.
It's hard, you know? I do know.
Is this when you called for backup? Yeah.
The door was locked.
It happened so fast.
How long before they arrived? After I called the 13, couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes.
Bates and Towne opened the door from the inside.
Hey.
How long you been up? Couple of hours.
I didn't want to wake you.
You're still taking care of the rookie? Looks like it's the other way around.
We're going to get this bastard, Karen.
You can count on that.
I might be worried if you were still as green as when I got you.
Do you remember the time when the Lieutenant sent me up to the roof of the precinct? To turn the lights on so that the captain could land his chopper and inspect the building? You asked me if you needed red paddles to guide him in.
I didn't take that too well, did I? No! No, not at all.
Rookie paranoia.
If they didn't like you, they'd have picked on someone else.
Last night, I froze.
It was like I was outside of my body looking down at myself.
You dissociated.
That's normal.
I know.
What do you remember? We were in the warehouse.
Mitch tripped I asked him if he was okay.
Couldn't see anything that wasn't in the flashlight beam, it was so dark.
Then someone grabbed me by the throat.
Put something over my head.
What was it? It was a plastic bag.
Then he dragged me then he threw me down tore my pants off and then he was inside me.
He never said a word.
Then he put something hard against my throat.
Like a pipe.
Yeah.
We think that was the crowbar that he used to break in.
I couldn't breathe.
Next thing, I'm looking at you sleeping there.
Was the rape kit positive? It's not back yet, but the Luma Light didn't show anything.
Any suspects? Not yet.
Then stop babysitting me and go find one.
Okay.
Hey you feeling any better? Yeah.
I caught some sleep up in the crib.
How's Smythe? She's awake.
She's going to be okay.
Say anything? No.
You sure you're okay? You tell Cragen about what happened last night? Me getting sick? You heard what I said.
You were standing right there.
I haven't seen him since.
Why? Boss wanted to send me home.
But he didn't.
Good decision.
But that stuff right there, that'll kill you.
Yeah.
Have you been in the squad room? No.
Why? Hold your nose.
Lab call yet? Nope.
They're taking their sweet time.
Sit.
I can't take much more of this stench.
Eau de cologne of the streets.
The sights, sounds, aromas of the "other" New York.
This guy you need gloves to handle.
You know where you are? It ain't an outhouse.
It ain't the White House.
So it might be the stationhouse.
Good guess.
Easier to sweep the sands off the beach than get anything out of these guys.
Hey, we got a live one.
Overtime? Our own time.
What's so special about this one? This.
We found him sleeping down the block from the warehouse.
Nice work.
You want in on this interrogation? No.
We just want to get some sleep.
He comes up as the doer, collar's all yours.
You're in deep doo-doo.
I swear, I found it in a dumpster.
When? I don't wear no watch.
What dumpster? A few blocks from where they found that police lady.
I ain't had no part in that.
I was sleeping in an alley during all that commotion nonsense.
Let's continue this scintillating repartee in more comfortable surroundings.
You got something to eat back there? We'll see what we can scrounge up.
Okay.
Thank you.
Guys, wait a minute.
What? Last week, a woman in Queens was raped nearly choked to death in a warehouse.
The perp broke into that warehouse using a crowbar.
Three days ago she woke up and told Queens SVU her attacker put a plastic bag over her head.
A repeater.
Carrying a cop's gun.
I was in the back of the warehouse doing inventory.
What time was it? About 10:30.
I hear footsteps and I thought it was Cathy, this girl that I work with.
What happened? I got down off the ladder and he grabbed me.
Put a bag over my head and he started punching me.
He threw me down on a stack of boxes and I couldn't stop him.
He raped me.
Did you get a look at him? No.
After he raped you? He choked me.
Next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital.
Did he take anything from you? A gold cross that I wear around my neck.
He just ripped it right off.
What about what he said to you? He didn't say a word.
Thank you.
Queens rape victim described the same M.
O.
as the attack on Smythe.
Anything on the homeless guy you picked up with Smythe's I.
D.
? He spent the night swilling Mad Dog with three of his backstreet bunkies.
They tell you that? In a rare moment of lucidity, after about 10 cups of coffee.
Okay, rule him out as our serial rapist.
Anything from the lab? So far, zero.
They haven't called us.
Then get down there and light a Bunsen burner under them.
Munch, Fin, check out Smythe's past cases.
What are we looking for? Anybody with a grudge.
I have five homicides from last weekend.
Your victim isn't even dead.
Take a number.
And we have a cop who may be the victim of a serial rapist.
He has her gun.
This should be top priority.
What do you want me to tell you? That you'll put your foot on the gas instead of the brake.
You've had the rape kit for days.
Do we have to go over your head to get things done? Can't give you what I don't have.
Felicia, come on.
Help us out here.
You know us.
Positive for spermicide, negative for semen.
So the rapist used a condom? That wasn't so hard, was it? Spare me the sarcasm.
So, there's no DNA? No, I didn't say that.
Rape kit turned up one hair, follicle still attached.
Find me a suspect, I'll match it.
Anything else you want to share with us? They find out I told you about the rape kit, I'm in enough trouble.
What was that about? Someone's covering up.
What do you say we take another look? Seal's broken.
Looks like somebody's done some housekeeping.
So much for securing the crime scene.
What the hell is going on? Let's find out.
They were in here this morning.
Who? Two cops in windbreakers.
Said they had to finish collecting evidence.
Don't you guys talk to each other? They tell you what unit they were from? Why would I need to know that? Someone ran a hose in there.
Yeah, I delegated it to one of my numerous employees.
Me.
Did you ask these cops if that was okay? It was their idea.
Hey! Get away from my desk! What're you doing? Private property, gentlemen.
Lieutenants Coates and Waldman, Internal Affairs Detectives Stabler and Benson.
You find anything incriminating in my wife's photo? If you're hungry, I left a candy bar there.
It's a Hershey bar on the second drawer on the left.
Sorry, no cheese.
We're going to have to ask you some questions.
About what? It won't take long.
Use your office, Captain? Yeah.
Sure, why not? My desk is unlocked if you need anything.
Have a seat.
We'll stand.
Thanks.
What's this about? Is all the paperwork on your cases for the last month up to date? We wouldn't be doing our job properly if it wasn't.
So that's a yes.
Is this going anywhere? We've got work to do.
So do we.
We'll need all your files by the end of business today.
You want our files, you're looking through our desks.
For what? This about the Smythe case? Lab's holding back, crime scene's been cleaned up.
What's going on? Thanks for your cooperation.
Thank you.
Internal Affairs investigates crooked cops.
We know we're clean.
The KGB of the NYPD.
Cast suspicion like McCarthy, keep secret files like J.
Edgar Hoover get everybody to the point where they trust nobody.
What are you talking about now? I'm talking about these field associates IAB recruits fresh out of the academy who become spies among us.
Moles ratting on their fellow cops until they put in their 20 and collect their pension.
I don't like them any better than you but you're honest, you got nothing to worry about.
There's 40,000 cops on the job.
There's bound to be a few bad apples.
What'd they want? Case files.
Case files for the last month.
Either one of us could be under investigation.
Or both of us.
Maybe Karen Smythe.
Karen Smythe wouldn't take a cup of coffee.
Whatever you say.
We got files to deliver.
IAB sniffing around gives me the creeps.
A little bit of the former Soviet bloc's policing methods here in New York.
Guilty until proven innocent.
But even if you're innocent, the stigma of an IAB inquiry sticks to you like a bad debt.
Where do you get this stuff? Simple observations.
What did you find out? Nothing I was going to say in front of Benson after that reaction.
Smythe and her husband got divorced a year ago.
Irreconcilable differences? Hubby taking too many trips to Atlantic City.
Almost drove her into bankruptcy with his gambling.
Had to sell the house last summer to pay off the credit card debt to the tune of $70,000.
The cost of freedom.
For her.
He's still paying his bills late as of last month.
That one of the 12 steps? Maybe we should ask him.
Thank God she's okay.
You still on speaking terms? She called to tell me what happened.
We don't talk that often.
How long were you married? Twelve years.
Honeymoon lasted ten.
Tough being married to a cop.
Just ask my ex-wives.
It was tough being married to me.
She risks her life to earn a living, I blow both our salaries gambling.
It's what broke us up.
You're on the wagon now? When she left me, I went to Gamblers Anonymous.
I'm clean.
Well, your credit report isn't.
You're still borrowing money against your credit cards and forgetting to pay it back.
So? Sounds like you had a relapse.
You're still gambling.
You borrowing any money from somebody doesn't have a license to lend? I borrowed from a friend.
You mean a loan shark.
How much? $100,000.
What's the balance on the account? Zero.
How'd you pay it off? $50,000 on my own.
The other $50,000, anonymous donor.
Hey, I thought the same thing.
Don't play games with us.
The odds are against you.
No games.
I meet him yesterday to make a payment he says it's taken care of.
Taken care of, huh? Somebody pays off your gambling debt and you have no idea who would perform such an act of philanthropy? These guys don't just let you walk away from an obligation.
All I know is that vulture's not banging down my door any more.
Vulture got a name? I just know him as Uncle Sammy.
Hangs out in Chinatown.
Mott Street.
Uncle Sammy.
Can I help you gentlemen? Yeah.
I want to borrow some money.
I'm sorry, but you must be mistaking me for a bank.
We take it you specialize in loans to police officers and their families.
Somebody's giving you bad information.
You going to stick to that story? Wait.
Come on.
What have we here? "50 Misha W-3 Hiya.
" Who's Misha? My dog.
This knot's for dog food? The mutt must be eating porterhouse.
I'm an animal lover.
That's good.
Because we got a cage waiting for you at Rikers.
After we arrest you for possession of these betting slips that's where you're spending the night.
Guys, what do you want? Who paid off Todd Smythe's loan? What loan? Who's Todd Smythe? I guess we're going to have to destroy those illegal documents.
Then he has to explain to his clients why there's no record of their bets when they come to collect their winnings.
I got a right not to incriminate myself.
And we have a right to arrest you.
Unless you got something else you want to tell us.
Smythe owed me another $50,000.
Owed? It was paid off.
By who? His ex-wife.
Uncle Sammy tell you how she came up with the better part of a year's salary? He didn't ask.
My ex's wouldn't throw water on me if I was on fire.
We're finished playing messenger service.
Let IAB come and get those files.
Any idea who they have their sights on? Yeah.
Karen Smythe.
You're saying I'm on the take? I'm saying that your husband's loan shark says that you paid off his $50,000 debt.
And you believe him? Convince me that he's lying.
I don't have to prove anything to you.
This time, you do.
Where'd you get the money, Karen? None of this concerns you, Olivia.
Boy, I am running out of reasons to defend you.
Then back off.
I'm doing what you taught me.
My job.
Investigating your rape.
I wasn't raped.
I remember what happened now.
I wasn't raped.
Karen, what're you talking about? They found you in a stairwell with your pants pulled down, nearly strangled.
The rape kit was positive for spermicide, remember? You going to recant that, too? I had sex before I went on duty.
With who? An old boyfriend.
His name? He's married.
We both know that you're going to have to eliminate him as a suspect, so what's his name? Karen, don't do this.
You want to help? Drop it.
Who got to you? Who are you covering for? Don't push me.
What kind of trouble are you in? You're the one causing it.
Well, let's ask Internal Affairs about it and see what they have to say.
Get out.
She didn't give you anything? She shut me down.
Chief of Detectives says without her, we don't have a rape case.
She's recanting her story because she's scared.
Someone's putting the screws to her.
Did you check her financial records? No loans, no cash advances no $50,000 withdrawn from any of her savings accounts.
She's not dirty.
You gotta do something.
I'm going to see the Chief of Departments.
That sounds like a suicide mission.
Let's hope not.
He's a friend.
Maybe he knows who's trying to shut us down.
We can't let this go.
We're not.
It's our turf.
I'm returning the doctor's call.
The message said he had my test results.
I understand that, but if you have them in front of you, why can't you ju You need a medical degree to read off a piece of paper? Policy? Okay.
Well, I think you need a better policy.
Thanks a lot.
Problem? My test results are back.
Policy dictates only a doctor can give them to me.
You need my help, Donnie? IAB is putting the squeeze on a couple of my detectives.
Maybe they did something wrong.
Only mistake they made was catching the Smythe case.
Is IAB putting the squeeze on her, too? Your victim flips on her story, and you're blaming Internal Affairs? I ran a corruption task force.
I know when a cop's being fed her lines.
That's a little paranoid, don't you think? Twelve years a captain, I can't get promoted.
I'm paranoid.
Don't take advantage of our friendship.
Karen Smythe is being made to look like a wrong cop.
Is she one? Cop's spouse is up to his ass in debt to some loan shark it's guilt by association.
Makes us look bad.
A firing offense.
You're saying IAB knew about this? Then why wasn't she fired? Your victim recanted.
That's one side of the story.
Give me the other side.
Physical evidence that a rape took place and three decades of cop instinct screaming at me.
What are your little voices saying? Coverup.
Internal Affairs is forcing Smythe to recant.
The Police Department is suppressing a crime committed against one of its own? Any idea why? That's what we're trying to find out.
I'm out of options, Counselor.
I need your juice.
Let me talk to the victim first.
What are you doing here? Your neighbor told me you were down here.
Can't I get any privacy from you people? I am here to urge you to reconsider.
You mean threaten.
I mean do the right thing.
Right for who? You're a cop.
I don't have to tell you the answer to that.
I'm a victim.
Victims usually want justice.
If you're saying now that you were never raped that means that you're obstructing it and that you filed a false report.
The threat surfaces.
It doesn't have to be this way.
Yes, it does.
Why? Because for me it's a lose-lose situation.
Please, tell me what that means.
I've lost enough already.
Now, this is my choice.
Don't make it my last.
We're back.
What's this about? You're under arrest.
For what? Loan sharking and lying.
You have the right to remain silent What'd I lie about? Are you going to tell us who really paid Todd Smythe's loan? I told you, his ex.
In your business, one would think you had better lying skills.
Who was it? I tell you, you gotta protect me.
From who? Two cops.
Two cops paid you off? Shook me down, is more like it.
How? Said I was going to forgive Smythe's loan and keep my mouth shut or they'll make sure I didn't see daylight for a quarter of a century.
And you thought $50,000 was a small price to pay? Cost of doing business.
What'd these two cops look like? New suits, trench coats, a lot of misplaced attitude.
Sounds like two cheese-eating lieutenants we know.
Say anything else? Yeah.
They said I could take the loss as a tax deduction.
All right.
Take a walk.
You're going to have us arrested? Who the hell do you think you are? I suggest you adjust your tone, Lieutenant.
And I suggest you adjust your attitude, Counselor.
Charging us with obstruction of justice won't get you anywhere.
It got your attention.
Now that we have it, here's the deal.
You tell us why Karen Smythe changed her story you hand over all your case files and notes, and we won't go through with this.
You're bluffing.
You think so? Try me.
You're covering up the rape of a fellow cop.
You just don't get it, do you? Read them their rights, Captain.
Do that, and a year's worth of undercover work goes down the toilet.
Who's the target of your investigation? Do not make us tell you that.
Sorry, not buying.
You want to blow both your careers, go ahead.
You think the D.
A.
's office doesn't know what we're doing here, Counselor? We're not above the law, either.
I will subpoena anyone I have to.
And you'll be making a big mistake.
The only mistake was trying to make a felony disappear to protect your own case.
Now that's a crime, fellas.
We'll see who's blowing their career.
Are you going to tell us what this is all about? Not without our lawyers.
Fine.
Bring them down to SVU tomorrow morning when you surrender yourselves.
Second month on the job, responded to a two-year old, raped.
I wanted to quit.
I'm surprised it took you that long.
I was ready to go after a week.
It was Karen that said that I had talent for dealing with the victim.
She said that I could turn a negative into a positive.
So here I am.
Hope you've had your coffee.
Why, what's up? You got a visitor.
Speak of the devil.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
Do I have to file a formal complaint to stop you? How do you know we're still investigating? IAB tell you? They paid your husband's loan sharking debt.
You never could let things go, could you? I'm sorry? You know, like that singer who put a restraining order on you when you wouldn't leave her daughter alone.
You're out of line.
I was trying to protect her daughter.
How do you know about that? You better watch yourself.
What's that supposed to mean? Sounded like a threat to me.
Just friendly advice.
Lay off.
I'm sure I'm mistaken, Sergeant, but I thought I heard you tell two of my detectives to ignore a case I assigned to them.
No.
You're not mistaken.
I guess you'll tell them to back off, then, Captain.
Because you have your orders don't you? She's got a pair of onions, talking to you like that.
What orders? Call just came down.
We're officially off the case.
Now Smythe knew that.
What the hell's going on here? Whatever it is, it's right in front of us and we're not seeing it.
Burying the rape buys IAB a case.
But not against Karen they tried to protect her.
Which means they need her for something.
IAB investigates crooked cops.
What about the people around her? We need to revisit the night of the rape.
Right down to the smallest detail.
Can I help you? Yeah.
Hey.
Detective Stabler, SVU.
I'm working the Smythe case.
Sergeant said she left her address book in her car wanted to know if I could try and find it for her.
You got the wrong car, man.
Hers is over there.
Where? Over there.
Right, see over there.
Oh, yeah.
Okay.
Good.
Thanks.
You got it? Used to date a sergeant down in Communications.
Karen knew about the restraining order.
You were disciplined.
It's in your personnel file.
How would she have access to that? Maybe she read it in your IAB file.
What are you talking about? You know, your "other" personnel file with every infraction you ever committed that someone secretly or not-so-secretly ratted on you about.
Like the secret files kept by the NYPD's now-defunct Red Squad.
Hey, Cap.
I think we got something.
What's up? I'm listening to radio calls from the night of the attack on Smythe.
Her driver, Murray, called in the 10-13.
Two seconds later, 3-1 Charlie Officers Towne and Bates call and say they're responding.
Okay.
they call and say they're arriving on the scene, they need an ambulance.
Bates and Towne said that they were on meal break in their sector when they got the call.
Ten blocks away.
So, unless the radio car comes equipped with warp drive Or they were already there.
They were.
DNA on cigarette butts found in their radio car matched the hair from the rape kit.
Let's go.
What are you guys doing? Put your hands where we can see them.
Mikey, they got guns out.
All right, Mikey, let's see those hands.
Right there.
Eat the street.
Get down.
Just do as they say, Austin.
I see no shields.
Just four pieces of crap with guns.
I got no problem shooting you.
Twelve jurors or six pallbearers, your choice.
Just do what they say.
Cops are coming, Bates.
Who you think your friends are going to side with when they get here? You have the right to remain silent.
I know my rights, dirtbag.
Don't say a word, Mikey.
I'm not.
It's all over the radio.
You better pick up Murray.
Yeah.
We got it.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
Murray was supposed to watch Karen's back.
It was a setup.
He had to be in on it.
Where are you going with our suspect? We're taking our prisoner to jail.
Officer Murray just confessed to his part in the rape of Sergeant Smythe.
We got another team picking up his two accomplices.
Bates and Towne? Sorry.
We just busted them.
We arrest crooked cops.
Not you.
We saved you the trouble, didn't we? You guys forget our little date this morning.
And what date is that? The one where we bust you for obstruction.
Call your friend at the D.
A.
's office.
If she still has her job she'll tell you those charges were dropped.
After you two guys tried to save yourselves by arresting Murray for raping Smythe? Officer Murray isn't being charged with rape.
What was he arrested for? Money laundering, drug running.
Drug charges? You don't have the authority to okay the arrest of two cops.
My authority is based on airtight physical evidence that you tried to suppress.
My case has priority.
Nicky Farnsworth is one of the biggest drug lords in Harlem.
We couldn't nail him until we found out that Bates, Towne, and Murray have been guarding his shipments for the past year and a half.
Which you think gives you license to blow my case in favor of yours? Leaving Sergeant Smythe to take one for the company.
You don't have the right to determine the fate of a sex crime investigation.
I don't answer to you.
Why wasn't I at least told about this? Need to know only.
You weren't on the list.
Three police officers set up their own sergeant to be raped, and probably murdered.
Did that ever figure into your crusade? Your victim's recanted.
DNA evidence and Officer Murray's testimony should be plenty to convince a jury.
Murray's not testifying for you.
We gave him immunity in exchange for his testimony against Bates, Towne, and Farnsworth.
You son of a bitch.
A woman was raped.
Look, I'm sorry about Sergeant Smythe but if you ask her, she'll tell you she's on board with us.
Yeah.
I can tell you're real sorry.
You may have flipped Murray, but I still have Bates and Towne.
I'm not giving them up.
You don't like it, go talk to the D.
A.
My client wants to reiterate that under no circumstances will he testify about any rape.
That's the deal.
Bates and Towne came to me, said Karen was onto us and we got to shut her up.
How did they find out? A friend of Towne's saw her talking to a known member of the rat squad.
Bates said we couldn't take a chance.
Who made the plan? Bates.
It was all Bates.
And you hooked up with him how? He said I can make $1,000 each time I freelanced.
And so you became a permanent employee.
I got a kid that's going to go to college in a few years.
So the cash would have been a big help.
Why did you rape her? Bates said he did it because he had to break her.
He said he heard about this garbage bag rape out in Queens be perfect for a copycat.
So they break into the warehouse, they trip the alarm.
All I got to do is park close enough so when the call comes we're the first to respond.
And then you were going to kill her, weren't you? My client has nothing to say.
Yeah, well, we don't need him.
We've got his DNA.
We found your hair on her from the rape kit.
He was at the scene, tried to help her.
The hair proves nothing.
He tried to help her with his pants off? What's it feel like to be an errand boy to some guy who sells dope to school kids? Truth hurts, doesn't it, Austin? Come on, you wanted Karen Smythe out of the way so she wouldn't blow your second job running drugs for Nicky Farnsworth.
Badger us all you want.
This'll never see the inside of a courtroom.
First degree rape, state and federal drug charges? A judge runs consecutive sentences, you'll probably get out of prison in time to see your grandchildren flunk out of college.
Smythe'll never testify.
She's already talking to the D.
A.
Fine.
Bitch gets on the stand the entire world finds out she's a rat.
We go down for rape, her career goes down with us.
You guys got it figured out, don't you? Why do you think she dropped the rape complaint? Because she's a rat without a spine.
You rape a fellow cop.
Look at you, tough guy.
You're a real man, aren't you? Get outta my face! Couldn't even face a woman when he was raping her, huh? You had to take her from behind in the dark.
Yeah, make you feel like a real man, errand boy? You could have told me.
No I couldn't.
I don't even know which one of them raped me.
It was Bates.
They set me up.
How did you know they were running drugs for Nicky Farnsworth? I overheard Murray one night.
He was on the phone talking to somebody, I don't know who.
Said he had to move something for Nicky after work.
It happened a couple more times and I filled in the blanks.
So you went to IAB because you wanted to do the right thing.
Because I've been working for them all along.
You're a field associate.
IAB came to me when I was in the academy.
Said I could make a difference just by keeping my eyes and ears open.
They said nobody would ever find out.
They convinced you.
Didn't take convincing.
I love this job, Olivia.
Fifteen years and I still believe in what I do.
And when three cops get caught running drugs the rest of us lose the trust of the people we protect.
So IAB told you what happened? In the hospital.
Said Murray, Bates, Towne tried to kill me.
And they asked you to recant the rape.
Said if it went to trial the defense would ask me if I was a field associate and I'd be exposed.
But I'd never have to testify at the drug trials of these guys.
D.
A.
is indicting Bates and Towne for rape.
And if that happens I become a target.
They raped you, Karen.
And I have to live with that.
Drop the charges? That's what I'm asking you to do.
I have bulletproof evidence.
It's a no-brainer for a jury.
I understand that, but if we go ahead with this, Karen Smythe's life could be in danger.
She becomes a victim all over again.
Only this time, it's our fault.
Don't ask me to let them walk on a rape.
Do you think that I want to? I would string them up myself if I could.
We all would.
But it's not about that, it's about the law.
A conviction on drug charges puts Towne and Bates away for a lot longer than they ever would go for the rape.
That's not exactly justice, is it? These cops took away part of her life.
Is it justice for us to take away the rest? I will see if my bosses will go for it.
I'll just tell them to do the math.
Hey you following me now? A cop should know where his partner has breakfast.
Listen, you took a chance going through that radio car.
Thanks.
Praise makes me hungry.
Got your appetite back.
Feels good to eat like a human being again.
You get your test results? Clean bill of health.
Negative for HIV hepatitis.
Salute.
In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
So I got all the cables hooked up.
I tried to print, nothing.
My 10-year-old comes over, a few clicks on the mouse, it works.
It's getting so that you can't navigate a computer, it's like being illiterate.
We're dinosaurs.
at Lorenzo Storage.
Sector car's at the house.
Let's take it.
One Sergeant responding.
Copy that, One Sergeant.
You okay? Banged my foot on some piece of crap.
You want to check over there? I don't see anything.
Karen? Karen? Service, we're right around the corner going to back up One Sergeant at Lorenzo Storage.
Karen? You in there? One David.
ETA to Lorenzo Storage, one minute.
We got backup on the way! You hold on! One Sergeant.
Officer needs help! What's up? We got a 10-13 eight blocks away.
You all right? Yeah.
Drive.
It's the pills, isn't it? Yeah.
Ambulance is on the way.
Wish they got here as fast as you did.
What happened? Sergeant and the driver took a call for a silent alarm break-in.
They got separated, perp grabbed the Sergeant.
Where'd you find her? In the stairwell with her pants down.
Looks like he raped her after he put a garbage bag over her head.
The perp got out of the building through an emergency exit in the stairwell with her gun and wallet.
How's she doing? Pretty bad.
We didn't move her in case she hurt her neck or something.
The perp used some kind of blunt object to choke her.
A piece of pipe or something.
A crowbar? Make sure they check for prints on the door.
CSU's en route.
The rest of the squad's looking for the doer.
Oh, God.
What's the matter? That's Karen Smythe.
She trained me.
How long was she in there? I'm not sure.
At least five minutes.
More like ten.
Felt like an hour.
Take it easy, Mitch.
I got too far ahead of her.
All I could do was bang on that door.
You scared the perp off.
Come on.
You can't be blaming yourself, all right? I'm her partner.
Guys, my boss has just arrived.
I expect all of you down at our offices in an hour.
Anything we can do.
How's she doing? Semi-conscious.
Doctor says her airway wasn't cut off long enough to cause any brain damage.
Where's your partner? She's in there with her.
They've got history.
She able to give you anything? Not yet.
What'd the partner say? Nothing too reliable.
The guy's still in shock.
You know her, Olivia? She got any family? Just her ex-husband.
We'll do the notification.
I'm going to stay with her in case she wakes up.
Okay.
Look, everybody's working this one.
Nobody's going home.
She wakes up, says anything I'll call you.
He broke in through this door raped and robbed Sergeant Karen Smythe and now this perp has a cop's gun as a trophy.
We got to get him in fast.
Anything from Forensics? Found the crowbar outside the back of the warehouse.
CSU went to the hospital to see if the rust on it matches marks on Sergeant Smythe.
Similar burglaries? Checking.
Crowbar isn't exactly a unique method of entry.
It's possible this guy was a burglar who saw a woman alone as an opportunity, but for now we rule nothing out.
Any other rape cases where the perp used a garbage bag to cover the victim's head? I'll call on that.
Everybody else, hit the street.
Canvass for perp sightings, possible witnesses.
Finding this guy is job one.
He tried to kill a cop.
He's not going to care who his next victim is.
You look like the one who got strangled.
I'm okay.
Elliot, a minute? You forgot to call on the pattern rapes.
I was just getting to it.
Elliot.
Get some rest.
A cop was just raped and nearly choked to death.
This anti-HIV medicine is still making you sick.
Take some time until you're done with it.
You think I'm not up to the job? You saved a life, exposed yourself to HIV.
You have nothing to prove.
Is it an order? Not yet.
Trust me to come to you if it's a problem.
We came up the back stairs, heard pounding on the door.
Followed the noise to the front stairs, came down.
Sergeant Smythe was lying there.
Any sign of the perp? Nothing but the crowbar.
We didn't go after him.
We were more concerned about the Sarge.
Where were you guys when you got the call? About ten blocks away, in our sector, on a meal break.
You know how it is when you get a 13.
Cop's in trouble, we haul ass.
You guys work the area.
Anybody on your radar could have done this? That part of the precinct is skell heaven.
Just toss out a net and haul them in.
You hear anything from the hospital? She's not conscious yet.
When did you lose her? I don't know.
She was behind me, and then she was gone.
The place was so dark, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
And then you saw her flashlight? Yeah.
I heard noises from behind the stairwell door.
Just breathe.
Relax.
Come on.
Take your time.
Sit down.
It's hard, you know? I do know.
Is this when you called for backup? Yeah.
The door was locked.
It happened so fast.
How long before they arrived? After I called the 13, couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes.
Bates and Towne opened the door from the inside.
Hey.
How long you been up? Couple of hours.
I didn't want to wake you.
You're still taking care of the rookie? Looks like it's the other way around.
We're going to get this bastard, Karen.
You can count on that.
I might be worried if you were still as green as when I got you.
Do you remember the time when the Lieutenant sent me up to the roof of the precinct? To turn the lights on so that the captain could land his chopper and inspect the building? You asked me if you needed red paddles to guide him in.
I didn't take that too well, did I? No! No, not at all.
Rookie paranoia.
If they didn't like you, they'd have picked on someone else.
Last night, I froze.
It was like I was outside of my body looking down at myself.
You dissociated.
That's normal.
I know.
What do you remember? We were in the warehouse.
Mitch tripped I asked him if he was okay.
Couldn't see anything that wasn't in the flashlight beam, it was so dark.
Then someone grabbed me by the throat.
Put something over my head.
What was it? It was a plastic bag.
Then he dragged me then he threw me down tore my pants off and then he was inside me.
He never said a word.
Then he put something hard against my throat.
Like a pipe.
Yeah.
We think that was the crowbar that he used to break in.
I couldn't breathe.
Next thing, I'm looking at you sleeping there.
Was the rape kit positive? It's not back yet, but the Luma Light didn't show anything.
Any suspects? Not yet.
Then stop babysitting me and go find one.
Okay.
Hey you feeling any better? Yeah.
I caught some sleep up in the crib.
How's Smythe? She's awake.
She's going to be okay.
Say anything? No.
You sure you're okay? You tell Cragen about what happened last night? Me getting sick? You heard what I said.
You were standing right there.
I haven't seen him since.
Why? Boss wanted to send me home.
But he didn't.
Good decision.
But that stuff right there, that'll kill you.
Yeah.
Have you been in the squad room? No.
Why? Hold your nose.
Lab call yet? Nope.
They're taking their sweet time.
Sit.
I can't take much more of this stench.
Eau de cologne of the streets.
The sights, sounds, aromas of the "other" New York.
This guy you need gloves to handle.
You know where you are? It ain't an outhouse.
It ain't the White House.
So it might be the stationhouse.
Good guess.
Easier to sweep the sands off the beach than get anything out of these guys.
Hey, we got a live one.
Overtime? Our own time.
What's so special about this one? This.
We found him sleeping down the block from the warehouse.
Nice work.
You want in on this interrogation? No.
We just want to get some sleep.
He comes up as the doer, collar's all yours.
You're in deep doo-doo.
I swear, I found it in a dumpster.
When? I don't wear no watch.
What dumpster? A few blocks from where they found that police lady.
I ain't had no part in that.
I was sleeping in an alley during all that commotion nonsense.
Let's continue this scintillating repartee in more comfortable surroundings.
You got something to eat back there? We'll see what we can scrounge up.
Okay.
Thank you.
Guys, wait a minute.
What? Last week, a woman in Queens was raped nearly choked to death in a warehouse.
The perp broke into that warehouse using a crowbar.
Three days ago she woke up and told Queens SVU her attacker put a plastic bag over her head.
A repeater.
Carrying a cop's gun.
I was in the back of the warehouse doing inventory.
What time was it? About 10:30.
I hear footsteps and I thought it was Cathy, this girl that I work with.
What happened? I got down off the ladder and he grabbed me.
Put a bag over my head and he started punching me.
He threw me down on a stack of boxes and I couldn't stop him.
He raped me.
Did you get a look at him? No.
After he raped you? He choked me.
Next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital.
Did he take anything from you? A gold cross that I wear around my neck.
He just ripped it right off.
What about what he said to you? He didn't say a word.
Thank you.
Queens rape victim described the same M.
O.
as the attack on Smythe.
Anything on the homeless guy you picked up with Smythe's I.
D.
? He spent the night swilling Mad Dog with three of his backstreet bunkies.
They tell you that? In a rare moment of lucidity, after about 10 cups of coffee.
Okay, rule him out as our serial rapist.
Anything from the lab? So far, zero.
They haven't called us.
Then get down there and light a Bunsen burner under them.
Munch, Fin, check out Smythe's past cases.
What are we looking for? Anybody with a grudge.
I have five homicides from last weekend.
Your victim isn't even dead.
Take a number.
And we have a cop who may be the victim of a serial rapist.
He has her gun.
This should be top priority.
What do you want me to tell you? That you'll put your foot on the gas instead of the brake.
You've had the rape kit for days.
Do we have to go over your head to get things done? Can't give you what I don't have.
Felicia, come on.
Help us out here.
You know us.
Positive for spermicide, negative for semen.
So the rapist used a condom? That wasn't so hard, was it? Spare me the sarcasm.
So, there's no DNA? No, I didn't say that.
Rape kit turned up one hair, follicle still attached.
Find me a suspect, I'll match it.
Anything else you want to share with us? They find out I told you about the rape kit, I'm in enough trouble.
What was that about? Someone's covering up.
What do you say we take another look? Seal's broken.
Looks like somebody's done some housekeeping.
So much for securing the crime scene.
What the hell is going on? Let's find out.
They were in here this morning.
Who? Two cops in windbreakers.
Said they had to finish collecting evidence.
Don't you guys talk to each other? They tell you what unit they were from? Why would I need to know that? Someone ran a hose in there.
Yeah, I delegated it to one of my numerous employees.
Me.
Did you ask these cops if that was okay? It was their idea.
Hey! Get away from my desk! What're you doing? Private property, gentlemen.
Lieutenants Coates and Waldman, Internal Affairs Detectives Stabler and Benson.
You find anything incriminating in my wife's photo? If you're hungry, I left a candy bar there.
It's a Hershey bar on the second drawer on the left.
Sorry, no cheese.
We're going to have to ask you some questions.
About what? It won't take long.
Use your office, Captain? Yeah.
Sure, why not? My desk is unlocked if you need anything.
Have a seat.
We'll stand.
Thanks.
What's this about? Is all the paperwork on your cases for the last month up to date? We wouldn't be doing our job properly if it wasn't.
So that's a yes.
Is this going anywhere? We've got work to do.
So do we.
We'll need all your files by the end of business today.
You want our files, you're looking through our desks.
For what? This about the Smythe case? Lab's holding back, crime scene's been cleaned up.
What's going on? Thanks for your cooperation.
Thank you.
Internal Affairs investigates crooked cops.
We know we're clean.
The KGB of the NYPD.
Cast suspicion like McCarthy, keep secret files like J.
Edgar Hoover get everybody to the point where they trust nobody.
What are you talking about now? I'm talking about these field associates IAB recruits fresh out of the academy who become spies among us.
Moles ratting on their fellow cops until they put in their 20 and collect their pension.
I don't like them any better than you but you're honest, you got nothing to worry about.
There's 40,000 cops on the job.
There's bound to be a few bad apples.
What'd they want? Case files.
Case files for the last month.
Either one of us could be under investigation.
Or both of us.
Maybe Karen Smythe.
Karen Smythe wouldn't take a cup of coffee.
Whatever you say.
We got files to deliver.
IAB sniffing around gives me the creeps.
A little bit of the former Soviet bloc's policing methods here in New York.
Guilty until proven innocent.
But even if you're innocent, the stigma of an IAB inquiry sticks to you like a bad debt.
Where do you get this stuff? Simple observations.
What did you find out? Nothing I was going to say in front of Benson after that reaction.
Smythe and her husband got divorced a year ago.
Irreconcilable differences? Hubby taking too many trips to Atlantic City.
Almost drove her into bankruptcy with his gambling.
Had to sell the house last summer to pay off the credit card debt to the tune of $70,000.
The cost of freedom.
For her.
He's still paying his bills late as of last month.
That one of the 12 steps? Maybe we should ask him.
Thank God she's okay.
You still on speaking terms? She called to tell me what happened.
We don't talk that often.
How long were you married? Twelve years.
Honeymoon lasted ten.
Tough being married to a cop.
Just ask my ex-wives.
It was tough being married to me.
She risks her life to earn a living, I blow both our salaries gambling.
It's what broke us up.
You're on the wagon now? When she left me, I went to Gamblers Anonymous.
I'm clean.
Well, your credit report isn't.
You're still borrowing money against your credit cards and forgetting to pay it back.
So? Sounds like you had a relapse.
You're still gambling.
You borrowing any money from somebody doesn't have a license to lend? I borrowed from a friend.
You mean a loan shark.
How much? $100,000.
What's the balance on the account? Zero.
How'd you pay it off? $50,000 on my own.
The other $50,000, anonymous donor.
Hey, I thought the same thing.
Don't play games with us.
The odds are against you.
No games.
I meet him yesterday to make a payment he says it's taken care of.
Taken care of, huh? Somebody pays off your gambling debt and you have no idea who would perform such an act of philanthropy? These guys don't just let you walk away from an obligation.
All I know is that vulture's not banging down my door any more.
Vulture got a name? I just know him as Uncle Sammy.
Hangs out in Chinatown.
Mott Street.
Uncle Sammy.
Can I help you gentlemen? Yeah.
I want to borrow some money.
I'm sorry, but you must be mistaking me for a bank.
We take it you specialize in loans to police officers and their families.
Somebody's giving you bad information.
You going to stick to that story? Wait.
Come on.
What have we here? "50 Misha W-3 Hiya.
" Who's Misha? My dog.
This knot's for dog food? The mutt must be eating porterhouse.
I'm an animal lover.
That's good.
Because we got a cage waiting for you at Rikers.
After we arrest you for possession of these betting slips that's where you're spending the night.
Guys, what do you want? Who paid off Todd Smythe's loan? What loan? Who's Todd Smythe? I guess we're going to have to destroy those illegal documents.
Then he has to explain to his clients why there's no record of their bets when they come to collect their winnings.
I got a right not to incriminate myself.
And we have a right to arrest you.
Unless you got something else you want to tell us.
Smythe owed me another $50,000.
Owed? It was paid off.
By who? His ex-wife.
Uncle Sammy tell you how she came up with the better part of a year's salary? He didn't ask.
My ex's wouldn't throw water on me if I was on fire.
We're finished playing messenger service.
Let IAB come and get those files.
Any idea who they have their sights on? Yeah.
Karen Smythe.
You're saying I'm on the take? I'm saying that your husband's loan shark says that you paid off his $50,000 debt.
And you believe him? Convince me that he's lying.
I don't have to prove anything to you.
This time, you do.
Where'd you get the money, Karen? None of this concerns you, Olivia.
Boy, I am running out of reasons to defend you.
Then back off.
I'm doing what you taught me.
My job.
Investigating your rape.
I wasn't raped.
I remember what happened now.
I wasn't raped.
Karen, what're you talking about? They found you in a stairwell with your pants pulled down, nearly strangled.
The rape kit was positive for spermicide, remember? You going to recant that, too? I had sex before I went on duty.
With who? An old boyfriend.
His name? He's married.
We both know that you're going to have to eliminate him as a suspect, so what's his name? Karen, don't do this.
You want to help? Drop it.
Who got to you? Who are you covering for? Don't push me.
What kind of trouble are you in? You're the one causing it.
Well, let's ask Internal Affairs about it and see what they have to say.
Get out.
She didn't give you anything? She shut me down.
Chief of Detectives says without her, we don't have a rape case.
She's recanting her story because she's scared.
Someone's putting the screws to her.
Did you check her financial records? No loans, no cash advances no $50,000 withdrawn from any of her savings accounts.
She's not dirty.
You gotta do something.
I'm going to see the Chief of Departments.
That sounds like a suicide mission.
Let's hope not.
He's a friend.
Maybe he knows who's trying to shut us down.
We can't let this go.
We're not.
It's our turf.
I'm returning the doctor's call.
The message said he had my test results.
I understand that, but if you have them in front of you, why can't you ju You need a medical degree to read off a piece of paper? Policy? Okay.
Well, I think you need a better policy.
Thanks a lot.
Problem? My test results are back.
Policy dictates only a doctor can give them to me.
You need my help, Donnie? IAB is putting the squeeze on a couple of my detectives.
Maybe they did something wrong.
Only mistake they made was catching the Smythe case.
Is IAB putting the squeeze on her, too? Your victim flips on her story, and you're blaming Internal Affairs? I ran a corruption task force.
I know when a cop's being fed her lines.
That's a little paranoid, don't you think? Twelve years a captain, I can't get promoted.
I'm paranoid.
Don't take advantage of our friendship.
Karen Smythe is being made to look like a wrong cop.
Is she one? Cop's spouse is up to his ass in debt to some loan shark it's guilt by association.
Makes us look bad.
A firing offense.
You're saying IAB knew about this? Then why wasn't she fired? Your victim recanted.
That's one side of the story.
Give me the other side.
Physical evidence that a rape took place and three decades of cop instinct screaming at me.
What are your little voices saying? Coverup.
Internal Affairs is forcing Smythe to recant.
The Police Department is suppressing a crime committed against one of its own? Any idea why? That's what we're trying to find out.
I'm out of options, Counselor.
I need your juice.
Let me talk to the victim first.
What are you doing here? Your neighbor told me you were down here.
Can't I get any privacy from you people? I am here to urge you to reconsider.
You mean threaten.
I mean do the right thing.
Right for who? You're a cop.
I don't have to tell you the answer to that.
I'm a victim.
Victims usually want justice.
If you're saying now that you were never raped that means that you're obstructing it and that you filed a false report.
The threat surfaces.
It doesn't have to be this way.
Yes, it does.
Why? Because for me it's a lose-lose situation.
Please, tell me what that means.
I've lost enough already.
Now, this is my choice.
Don't make it my last.
We're back.
What's this about? You're under arrest.
For what? Loan sharking and lying.
You have the right to remain silent What'd I lie about? Are you going to tell us who really paid Todd Smythe's loan? I told you, his ex.
In your business, one would think you had better lying skills.
Who was it? I tell you, you gotta protect me.
From who? Two cops.
Two cops paid you off? Shook me down, is more like it.
How? Said I was going to forgive Smythe's loan and keep my mouth shut or they'll make sure I didn't see daylight for a quarter of a century.
And you thought $50,000 was a small price to pay? Cost of doing business.
What'd these two cops look like? New suits, trench coats, a lot of misplaced attitude.
Sounds like two cheese-eating lieutenants we know.
Say anything else? Yeah.
They said I could take the loss as a tax deduction.
All right.
Take a walk.
You're going to have us arrested? Who the hell do you think you are? I suggest you adjust your tone, Lieutenant.
And I suggest you adjust your attitude, Counselor.
Charging us with obstruction of justice won't get you anywhere.
It got your attention.
Now that we have it, here's the deal.
You tell us why Karen Smythe changed her story you hand over all your case files and notes, and we won't go through with this.
You're bluffing.
You think so? Try me.
You're covering up the rape of a fellow cop.
You just don't get it, do you? Read them their rights, Captain.
Do that, and a year's worth of undercover work goes down the toilet.
Who's the target of your investigation? Do not make us tell you that.
Sorry, not buying.
You want to blow both your careers, go ahead.
You think the D.
A.
's office doesn't know what we're doing here, Counselor? We're not above the law, either.
I will subpoena anyone I have to.
And you'll be making a big mistake.
The only mistake was trying to make a felony disappear to protect your own case.
Now that's a crime, fellas.
We'll see who's blowing their career.
Are you going to tell us what this is all about? Not without our lawyers.
Fine.
Bring them down to SVU tomorrow morning when you surrender yourselves.
Second month on the job, responded to a two-year old, raped.
I wanted to quit.
I'm surprised it took you that long.
I was ready to go after a week.
It was Karen that said that I had talent for dealing with the victim.
She said that I could turn a negative into a positive.
So here I am.
Hope you've had your coffee.
Why, what's up? You got a visitor.
Speak of the devil.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
Do I have to file a formal complaint to stop you? How do you know we're still investigating? IAB tell you? They paid your husband's loan sharking debt.
You never could let things go, could you? I'm sorry? You know, like that singer who put a restraining order on you when you wouldn't leave her daughter alone.
You're out of line.
I was trying to protect her daughter.
How do you know about that? You better watch yourself.
What's that supposed to mean? Sounded like a threat to me.
Just friendly advice.
Lay off.
I'm sure I'm mistaken, Sergeant, but I thought I heard you tell two of my detectives to ignore a case I assigned to them.
No.
You're not mistaken.
I guess you'll tell them to back off, then, Captain.
Because you have your orders don't you? She's got a pair of onions, talking to you like that.
What orders? Call just came down.
We're officially off the case.
Now Smythe knew that.
What the hell's going on here? Whatever it is, it's right in front of us and we're not seeing it.
Burying the rape buys IAB a case.
But not against Karen they tried to protect her.
Which means they need her for something.
IAB investigates crooked cops.
What about the people around her? We need to revisit the night of the rape.
Right down to the smallest detail.
Can I help you? Yeah.
Hey.
Detective Stabler, SVU.
I'm working the Smythe case.
Sergeant said she left her address book in her car wanted to know if I could try and find it for her.
You got the wrong car, man.
Hers is over there.
Where? Over there.
Right, see over there.
Oh, yeah.
Okay.
Good.
Thanks.
You got it? Used to date a sergeant down in Communications.
Karen knew about the restraining order.
You were disciplined.
It's in your personnel file.
How would she have access to that? Maybe she read it in your IAB file.
What are you talking about? You know, your "other" personnel file with every infraction you ever committed that someone secretly or not-so-secretly ratted on you about.
Like the secret files kept by the NYPD's now-defunct Red Squad.
Hey, Cap.
I think we got something.
What's up? I'm listening to radio calls from the night of the attack on Smythe.
Her driver, Murray, called in the 10-13.
Two seconds later, 3-1 Charlie Officers Towne and Bates call and say they're responding.
Okay.
they call and say they're arriving on the scene, they need an ambulance.
Bates and Towne said that they were on meal break in their sector when they got the call.
Ten blocks away.
So, unless the radio car comes equipped with warp drive Or they were already there.
They were.
DNA on cigarette butts found in their radio car matched the hair from the rape kit.
Let's go.
What are you guys doing? Put your hands where we can see them.
Mikey, they got guns out.
All right, Mikey, let's see those hands.
Right there.
Eat the street.
Get down.
Just do as they say, Austin.
I see no shields.
Just four pieces of crap with guns.
I got no problem shooting you.
Twelve jurors or six pallbearers, your choice.
Just do what they say.
Cops are coming, Bates.
Who you think your friends are going to side with when they get here? You have the right to remain silent.
I know my rights, dirtbag.
Don't say a word, Mikey.
I'm not.
It's all over the radio.
You better pick up Murray.
Yeah.
We got it.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
Murray was supposed to watch Karen's back.
It was a setup.
He had to be in on it.
Where are you going with our suspect? We're taking our prisoner to jail.
Officer Murray just confessed to his part in the rape of Sergeant Smythe.
We got another team picking up his two accomplices.
Bates and Towne? Sorry.
We just busted them.
We arrest crooked cops.
Not you.
We saved you the trouble, didn't we? You guys forget our little date this morning.
And what date is that? The one where we bust you for obstruction.
Call your friend at the D.
A.
's office.
If she still has her job she'll tell you those charges were dropped.
After you two guys tried to save yourselves by arresting Murray for raping Smythe? Officer Murray isn't being charged with rape.
What was he arrested for? Money laundering, drug running.
Drug charges? You don't have the authority to okay the arrest of two cops.
My authority is based on airtight physical evidence that you tried to suppress.
My case has priority.
Nicky Farnsworth is one of the biggest drug lords in Harlem.
We couldn't nail him until we found out that Bates, Towne, and Murray have been guarding his shipments for the past year and a half.
Which you think gives you license to blow my case in favor of yours? Leaving Sergeant Smythe to take one for the company.
You don't have the right to determine the fate of a sex crime investigation.
I don't answer to you.
Why wasn't I at least told about this? Need to know only.
You weren't on the list.
Three police officers set up their own sergeant to be raped, and probably murdered.
Did that ever figure into your crusade? Your victim's recanted.
DNA evidence and Officer Murray's testimony should be plenty to convince a jury.
Murray's not testifying for you.
We gave him immunity in exchange for his testimony against Bates, Towne, and Farnsworth.
You son of a bitch.
A woman was raped.
Look, I'm sorry about Sergeant Smythe but if you ask her, she'll tell you she's on board with us.
Yeah.
I can tell you're real sorry.
You may have flipped Murray, but I still have Bates and Towne.
I'm not giving them up.
You don't like it, go talk to the D.
A.
My client wants to reiterate that under no circumstances will he testify about any rape.
That's the deal.
Bates and Towne came to me, said Karen was onto us and we got to shut her up.
How did they find out? A friend of Towne's saw her talking to a known member of the rat squad.
Bates said we couldn't take a chance.
Who made the plan? Bates.
It was all Bates.
And you hooked up with him how? He said I can make $1,000 each time I freelanced.
And so you became a permanent employee.
I got a kid that's going to go to college in a few years.
So the cash would have been a big help.
Why did you rape her? Bates said he did it because he had to break her.
He said he heard about this garbage bag rape out in Queens be perfect for a copycat.
So they break into the warehouse, they trip the alarm.
All I got to do is park close enough so when the call comes we're the first to respond.
And then you were going to kill her, weren't you? My client has nothing to say.
Yeah, well, we don't need him.
We've got his DNA.
We found your hair on her from the rape kit.
He was at the scene, tried to help her.
The hair proves nothing.
He tried to help her with his pants off? What's it feel like to be an errand boy to some guy who sells dope to school kids? Truth hurts, doesn't it, Austin? Come on, you wanted Karen Smythe out of the way so she wouldn't blow your second job running drugs for Nicky Farnsworth.
Badger us all you want.
This'll never see the inside of a courtroom.
First degree rape, state and federal drug charges? A judge runs consecutive sentences, you'll probably get out of prison in time to see your grandchildren flunk out of college.
Smythe'll never testify.
She's already talking to the D.
A.
Fine.
Bitch gets on the stand the entire world finds out she's a rat.
We go down for rape, her career goes down with us.
You guys got it figured out, don't you? Why do you think she dropped the rape complaint? Because she's a rat without a spine.
You rape a fellow cop.
Look at you, tough guy.
You're a real man, aren't you? Get outta my face! Couldn't even face a woman when he was raping her, huh? You had to take her from behind in the dark.
Yeah, make you feel like a real man, errand boy? You could have told me.
No I couldn't.
I don't even know which one of them raped me.
It was Bates.
They set me up.
How did you know they were running drugs for Nicky Farnsworth? I overheard Murray one night.
He was on the phone talking to somebody, I don't know who.
Said he had to move something for Nicky after work.
It happened a couple more times and I filled in the blanks.
So you went to IAB because you wanted to do the right thing.
Because I've been working for them all along.
You're a field associate.
IAB came to me when I was in the academy.
Said I could make a difference just by keeping my eyes and ears open.
They said nobody would ever find out.
They convinced you.
Didn't take convincing.
I love this job, Olivia.
Fifteen years and I still believe in what I do.
And when three cops get caught running drugs the rest of us lose the trust of the people we protect.
So IAB told you what happened? In the hospital.
Said Murray, Bates, Towne tried to kill me.
And they asked you to recant the rape.
Said if it went to trial the defense would ask me if I was a field associate and I'd be exposed.
But I'd never have to testify at the drug trials of these guys.
D.
A.
is indicting Bates and Towne for rape.
And if that happens I become a target.
They raped you, Karen.
And I have to live with that.
Drop the charges? That's what I'm asking you to do.
I have bulletproof evidence.
It's a no-brainer for a jury.
I understand that, but if we go ahead with this, Karen Smythe's life could be in danger.
She becomes a victim all over again.
Only this time, it's our fault.
Don't ask me to let them walk on a rape.
Do you think that I want to? I would string them up myself if I could.
We all would.
But it's not about that, it's about the law.
A conviction on drug charges puts Towne and Bates away for a lot longer than they ever would go for the rape.
That's not exactly justice, is it? These cops took away part of her life.
Is it justice for us to take away the rest? I will see if my bosses will go for it.
I'll just tell them to do the math.
Hey you following me now? A cop should know where his partner has breakfast.
Listen, you took a chance going through that radio car.
Thanks.
Praise makes me hungry.
Got your appetite back.
Feels good to eat like a human being again.
You get your test results? Clean bill of health.
Negative for HIV hepatitis.
Salute.