The Good Wife s02e19 Episode Script

- This doesn't prove anything.
- Of course it doesn't prove anything, and yet, show that to a jury, and a million-dollar suit turns into a 20-million one.
- And if I get it kicked as prejudicial? - It's Judge Abernathy.
You're representing a deep-pocketed, big bad internet company who treated its employees so poorly, three of them committed suicide in a month.
This one in his own cubicle.
What side do you think Abernathy will be on? - You've changed.
- I have.
What happened to that cute little housewife that I used to know? - When did she grow to be so tall? - Ha-ha-ha.
You know, they say, you always kill the woman terrorists first.
The male ones, well, they hesitate.
They fear death.
Not the women.
Then maybe you should consider settling.
- I'll talk to my client.
- Good.
- Have you been well? - I have.
Oh, I heard there was another turnover at Lockhart/Gardner.
- Yes.
It's a new day.
- A new, new day.
Sounds like you have one of those things every few months.
Do they miss me? Oh, terribly, but then every time we end up on the opposite side of a case from you, it eases the pain.
Oh, and your husband.
Oh, I hear he's up by three points.
- He's doing well, thank you.
- Playing the race card.
Oh, the suburbs, how they love their white politicians.
You are going to become a very valuable commodity very soon.
- How's your daughter, Mr.
Stern? - Every firm in the city is gonna come out of the woodwork trying to get their hooks into you.
Wife of the state's attorney, a practicing lawyer, and not bad to look at, either.
Have a number to me by 6.
Do nothing.
Say nothing.
We are three points up with six days to go.
The only way Wendy Scott-Carr wins is if we mess up.
If a reporter comes up to you, what does everyone say? That's right.
Nothing.
Hello, Petra.
What a glorious day it is today.
How are you? Eli, you are so counting your chickens.
What do you mean? I'm sitting here, chatting with my favorite reporter.
So, what do you think of the DCC suit? The DCC suit? I don't know.
What should I think? Did you have anything to do with it? I am the first one to call you, aren't I? No.
What are we talking about here? The Democratic Committee has brought suit against Scott-Carr, charging her with a lack of residency status.
Get the DCC now! - So are you party to this suit? - Are we party? No.
In fact, we believe that any question of our opposition's residency is misguided.
That's a nice quote.
Can you get me another one from the candidate? - What's your deadline? - Well, online edition in 20 minutes.
I'll call you back.
What the hell were you thinking, you stupid bastard? Just let go.
- We're up by three points! - And we're helping! No! Where did you go to school, you idiot? You stupid son of a bitch.
- You novice.
- Wendy's husband's not a resident.
They spend more time out of Illinois than in it.
You gave her an issue.
You gave her a reprieve.
- The court will invalidate her votes.
- No, they won't.
A lower court will.
It'll look like machine politics.
We finally positioned ourselves as the enemy of the machine, and in one fell swoop, you make it clear that Wendy is the enemy of the machine.
- Well, what's done is done.
- No, it is not, because you're gonna drop this suit and apologize.
Say it came from some underling with an itchy trigger finger.
Too late.
I already gave a quote.
You know, I don't have many enemies in life.
I get along with Republicans, Protestants, Catholics, even a few reporters.
But the one thing I hate is amateurs.
Stern signed off on admitting this video into evidence? Yes, but I don't think he thought we'd end up in court.
Well, it's now 6, and he's not calling with a number, so I think we're ending up in court.
It's probably not a bad thing.
If I were on this jury, I'd wanna punish someone for that.
- Has she seen this? - No, but she knows I have it.
Best way to get it into evidence is through her testimony.
- Can you prep her? - You mean show this to her? - You all right with that? - Yes.
So who else are we gonna use from the rest of the class? - Fired one with the kids.
- Emily Haas.
Yes.
Thanks for holding them together.
I'll be right back.
- Do you need some help, little girl? - No, I'm good.
- Where'd you get these? - My sister.
Do you remember Helena? She's staying the weekend.
- She said to say hello.
- She did not.
Well, she said some other things too.
- She doesn't still hold a grudge? - No, no.
The first decade she did.
She wasn't used to people breaking up with her.
- She usually was the heartbreaker.
- Does she think it's weird we're? - She thinks I'm competing with her.
- Well, then you've won.
We've been with each other longer than her.
I got an offer to go to London.
That's why I'm here.
They want me to go to London for the Olympics.
- Next year? - This year, to be their man on the ground in the rev up.
- Are you going? - I don't know.
Okay.
- I get it.
- Good.
What? - What are we? - No.
Should I go to London? - It's a good opportunity.
- It's a promotion.
- And you wanna go.
- That's the subject under discussion.
I need some help.
I think I should go.
Okay, then I think that's a smart plan.
- When would you leave? - Two weeks.
- Wow, fast.
- Yup.
Okay.
See you.
Morning.
You have the Aubrey client meeting at 9.
And the final contracts on your desk for Thompson.
I'll give you ten more minutes then I need you on the phone with New York.
Yup.
Stern is dead.
Okay, who's doing it? Just keep me in touch.
- When? - I don't know.
Some time during the night.
His secretary just found him this morning.
- Well, that's the end of an era.
- I kind of don't know what to think.
- I mean, he brought us together.
- Yeah.
Then he took half our clients and he's been bludgeoning us with them ever since.
- When's the funeral? - Tomorrow.
Just the family.
But they're sitting shiva for the week.
Is it horrible of me? Don't know, but I was thinking the same thing.
- We can grab our clients back.
- Yup.
I already made a list.
- We can't call them now, can we? - Well, that might seem opportunistic.
- What's the etiquette? - Tomorrow.
If we don't, other firms will jump in.
Other firms without the same sense of restraint? We should call on his wife and daughter.
Sitting shiva? Sure.
You think his firm's in play? - Could be.
- That would be bad.
Clients might stay put.
I'm sorry.
I know.
I mean, how awful.
He was dead the whole night.
Everyone thought it was just another one of his all-nighters.
The life of a lawyer.
I don't wanna die like that.
Then don't.
Pamela Harriman.
Now, that was a death.
Doing laps in the Paris Ritz pool.
Doesn't matter, does it? We all end up in the same place.
All that's left is our Wikipedia entry.
Well, you're a bundle of joy.
Stay healthy.
Okay, not too opportunistic.
I am so sorry.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
Solomon Harwell.
LSG.
We had 11 million of their business last year.
Yes.
And his son just made it into Harvard.
- Solomon, how are you? - Counselor, how are you? We're a stronger firm these days.
Economy knocked out some of our competitors, but we survived.
Oh, I know.
I always liked you guys, but I'm waiting to see who's buying Stern's firm first.
- Who's buying? What do you mean? - Stern was selling his firm.
He was retiring.
I didn't know that.
Who's he selling it to? Mrs.
Florrick? Funny to see you here.
Yes, funny.
Uh - You knew Mr.
Stern? - I did.
Not for that long.
Just the last four months.
He was helping me become adjusted to Chicago.
- It's a sad day.
- Yes.
Very sad.
But I didn't realize, Mr.
Canning, that you were still here.
- I thought you went back to New York.
- Oh, no.
No.
I like it here.
Oop.
In fact, I think we'll be seeing each other in court again soon.
We will? Why? Stern's last case.
- Uh, you're taking over? - Well I bought his firm.
Every case, every client.
Looks like we'll be facing off quite a bit now.
Wendy Scott-Carr is an Illinois resident.
This is her summer home in Forest Lake, not in Michigan as the Democratic Committee suggests.
And why isn't Wendy's team showing me that? Because they're three points down and they want the DCC to continue to shoot themselves in the foot.
They seem to be shooting you in the foot.
All the more reason to print it.
I got a background quote that Florrick has bimbo issues.
Had bimbo issues.
No, I think I got the tense right.
- You're not gonna print it.
- Am I not? - If it's untrue, you're not.
- And we know this how? Because Peter is a reformed man.
This is pretty convincing stuff.
He slept with a coworker and is actively trying to hide it from his wife.
And I hear the state's attorney has an investigator named Andrew Wiley snooping around.
There are some very real human beings in this little drama.
Yes, and I know that is always your first concern.
Get me a quote from the wife.
- No.
- I'll run what I have.
- You'll run a rumor.
- Half our newspaper's a rumor.
How do you think news becomes news? Get Mrs.
Florrick on the phone with me.
Maybe I'll run something else.
Give me 48 hours.
Twenty-four.
Thank you.
Please.
I didn't know Jonas Stern outside of our few shared moments here, but it's always worth a moment to reflect on how fleeting life is.
How we really only hold so much sand in our hands.
As they say.
Anyway, I hear that negotiations have broken down, and we're ready to go.
Yes? Then let's call the jury.
And when would you say things changed, Mr.
Yellins? Well, about six months ago, after Kim Palmieri took over as CEO.
- Kim Palmieri, the defendant? - Yes.
It started with little things.
They closed the employee break room, they cut our sick days.
They laid people off so the rest of us were forced to come in on the weekends and take up the slack.
The air conditioning was off, so the place was an oven.
Finally, I came in to my office one day, and my desk was gone.
- Where did it go? - They'd moved it to the copy room.
My supervisor, Kevin, made me gather my things into a box and walk over to the copy room with everybody staring at me, and that was the most humiliating Uh, so after that, I couldn't go back there.
- I quit.
- No further questions.
So they closed the break room? Yes.
I see.
I'm sorry.
And the air conditioner being turned off, that was tough.
Well, it was the idea of working on the weekends.
I understand.
And this moved desk, how far was that? Uh, I don't know.
The end of the building.
And everybody's eyes were on you? - The whole firm's.
- That must've been humiliating, with everyone watching you.
How far was it, do you think, 50 feet? - Um, I don't know.
- Well, let's try it.
Was it this far, your humiliating walk? The one with everyone staring at you? Uh, no, it was further.
Okay, was it a straight line or was something in your way or? I don't think you're getting the point.
The point is that it was painful and humiliating.
I mean, that's why you're suing.
And I'm just trying to ascertain the extent of your humiliation.
Was it this far, your walk with everybody watching you? We need to hit the videotaped hanging harder.
- Kalinda, what do you have? - Their financials.
The company claims they cut employee perks because of the economy, but I found this buried under a miscellaneous line item.
Two-point-seven million paid to a company called Haver Associates.
A human resources consultant.
They tell you how to fire people.
This should've been turned over in discovery.
- Looks like they were trying to hide it.
- Good.
Stay on it.
And so your husband took his own life? Yes.
He called me and asked me to hug our daughters, to read them Goodnight Moon.
He loved reading them that.
And then he took an extension cord and stood on his desk and hung himself.
You've seen the surveillance video of your husband's suic Objection.
- This is absurd.
It's decided.
- No, it's not.
- This was already settled.
- With another lawyer.
- Your Honor.
- Over here.
I find lawyers less aggressive when seated.
Please.
Everybody, please take a seat.
And no leaning forward.
Everybody take a deep breath.
Good.
Mr.
Canning, let's start with you.
It's prejudicial, Your Honor.
It's a surveillance video of Mr.
Joyce committing suicide by hanging himself.
It serves no probative value, other than to inflame the jury.
Uh, Mr.
Gardner, Mrs.
Florrick.
It goes to pain and suffering.
Mrs.
Joyce not only had to suffer her husband's suicide, - she had to see the surveillance video.
- Because you showed it to her.
Ah, ah, ah.
Mr.
Canning, you'll have your chance.
Mr.
Canning's predecessor counsel already signed off on our evidence list.
- He had no objection to this video.
- That's true.
Why are we reopening this particular can of worms? - No, no.
Don't lean forward.
- Just I just have to get something from my case, Your Honor.
In going over our records with our medical carrier, I discovered several prescriptions for Donepezil made out to Mr.
Stern.
It's a drug commonly used for treatment of Alzheimer's and dementia.
It's a scourge of the elderly, as you know.
Yes.
My nana suffered from it.
- She hardly knew me at the end.
- Oh, that's terrible.
It was the same with my mom when I visited her at the care center.
Is there some reason for? I believe Lockhart/Gardner was aware of Mr.
Stern's condition, and took advantage of a disabled man who didn't know what he was signing.
This is ridiculous.
I had no idea whatsoever, Your Honor.
- Mrs.
Florrick? - Mrs.
Florrick? Were you aware of Mr.
Stern's diminished condition? Your Honor, I regret I can't answer that question, due to the bond of attorney-client privilege.
Ah.
Well, then, you leave me no choice but to read between the lines here.
Uh, Mr.
Stern's evidentiary agreement no longer holds sway, and Mr.
Canning's objection to the videotape is sustained.
- So, what, we're keeping secrets here? - No, we're keeping privilege.
Okay.
So hypothetically then.
You're an associate, and a partner at your firm asks you to represent him.
- Yes.
- And during the course of that representation, you learn certain things, and he instructs you not to inform anyone.
Including the other partners.
Hypothetically in that situation, I would be bound by that, even after his death.
Great.
Stern's dead and he's still screwing us.
- Here comes the monster.
- Ha-ha-ha! Oh, I'm gonna get you.
Rrr! - Hey, thanks for dropping by.
- No problem, Wiley.
What are you investigating now? Childs has me on a Huh.
- Where did I put that? - What's your wife working on? A spaceship.
For Richard Branson.
Virgin Galactic.
She's designing one of his rockets.
Okay, why did she marry you anyway? Because of my sense of humor.
Hey, I want clothes on, teeth brushed in five minutes.
So Childs has me on this last interview Blake gave.
- What do you mean? - The investigation into Kalinda Sharma.
He gave one last interview about her.
- To who? - Matan.
I was supposed to collate all these interview notes of his.
And this is what Matan sent me.
Heh.
It's supposed to be five pages.
Two are missing.
Okay.
Happens all the time.
He tell you anything about the missing pages? - Did Matan? No.
Why? - He said he did.
Trying to catch me in a lie, good buddy? You still protecting Kalinda, good buddy? The investigation was over.
The investigation's never over.
Mr.
Childs, it's Andrew Wiley.
Yeah, hold on.
Let me put you on speaker.
Okay, Mr.
Childs, you're on.
I'm here with Cary.
Look, Cary, the department is divided, so I need you two to find out what's going on with these missing notes.
I think Matan is playing politics here, trying to pad his résumé for whoever takes over.
You want us to interview Matan? No, he'll say it's just a mistake.
I want you to find out what's in those missing notes.
- Cary? - Uh, yeah? Why did Matan say he talked to you about these missing pages? I have no idea.
Okay, find me these two pages so we can wrap this up.
Lockhart/Gardner.
Can you hold? - Hello.
- Oh, hi.
- Did you see Will? - No.
- Oh, do you want to? - No, I My sister is staying with me.
I just needed to get out of the house.
- My sister used to date Will.
- Yes, I know.
She was talking about Will breaking up with her, and the reason he broke up with her, and the person he broke up with her for, it's you, isn't it? Yes.
Oh.
I'm married.
I've moved on, Will has moved on.
We were kids.
- We're not kids anymore.
- I don't know.
Will still is.
No.
Heh.
He isn't.
He thinks he is.
Sorry, I'm late.
I got it from Haver Associates.
- The HR consultants.
- Yep.
In addition to restructuring Meaning firing two out of every ten employees.
they said that Palmieri could recognize significant savings if a meaningful percentage of labor could be induced to resign, rather than being terminated.
Meaning make people so miserable they'll quit, and you'll save a bundle in severance.
- They did it intentionally.
- That's the smoking gun.
They deliberately created a hostile environment to get people to quit.
Well, with this, we can get the hanging video back in.
We can show that their conduct was designed to make him depressed.
We can do more than that.
It's an intentional tort.
That opens them up to punitive damages.
They made three people kill themselves.
So we'll make them pay for it.
Is there anybody here who thinks Marty is good at his job? Huh? Anybody? Oh, come on, there must be somebody.
Madelyn? That's quite a performance, Ms.
Palmieri.
I admit, I can be passionate, but as CEO, I'm responsible.
Do you recognize this document? Uh, yes, it's part of a consulting report we commissioned.
Can you read that paragraph for us, Ms.
Palmieri? "In addition to restructuring significant savings could be realized if a percentage of labor could be induced to resign, rather than terminated.
" If you got people to quit instead of firing them, you'd save money.
No severance package, no benefits, is that it? It was one strategy that was suggested by the consultancy.
- We didn't follow it.
- Did you know that six hours after your motivational meeting, Martin Joyce committed suicide? I did know that.
No further questions.
Ms.
Palmieri, your management style, it's a bit, uh, confrontational, - I think is what you said.
- It can be, yes.
- In your experience, is that unusual? - No.
Times are tough.
Employers face severe financial restrictions.
So there's reason for your being confrontational? If we don't squeeze every drop of productivity from our employees, we'll be forced to ship their jobs overseas, where labor costs are considerably cheaper.
So you were trying to keep jobs in America.
Yes, I was.
Can I help you? You're being investigated.
- By? - Andrew Wiley.
He noticed two pages of notes were missing from your interview with Blake.
Childs thinks you're hiding something, something Blake told you about Kalinda.
- It's not criminal.
It's personal.
- Okay.
Personal to who, to Kalinda? Since when do you care about protecting Kalinda? I don't.
I care about protecting this office.
What does Kalinda have to do with this? Not the current inhabitant of this office.
Kalinda and Peter Florrick? It's got nothing to do with Childs.
But if he gets ahold of it, it's scorched earth.
- They had an affair? - A one-nighter.
Back when Kalinda worked here.
Blake had details, verifiable ones.
Florrick will do anything to cover it up.
- He promised to keep me in this job.
- I need to tell Wiley it's not criminal, but the problem is, is that he may go to Childs with it anyway.
So, what do you suggest we do? Mrs.
Florrick? Excuse me.
Mrs.
Florrick? This is kind of awkward.
My driver went home sick, and I was wondering if I could trouble See, this is what I love about Chicago.
It's a real community.
People helping each other out.
Your driver isn't really sick, is he, Mr.
Canning? Mrs.
Florrick, there's gotta be a word for people who are always finding hidden motives in things.
Right? Ha-ha-ha.
I want you to come and work for me.
My new law firm.
Fast-track to full partnership, percentage of plaintiffs' contingency fees.
- Why would you do that? - You beat me in court last time.
No.
Will and Diane beat you.
Ha-ha-ha.
Well, you're cheaper.
Probably doesn't hurt my husband's going to be state's attorney.
No, you're right, that doesn't hurt.
Mm-hm.
I don't think we're a good fit, Mr.
Canning, but thank you.
Do you know the sign of an immature person? When they can't distinguish between morality at home and morality at work.
Oh, is that me now? I do what I need to do at work to win.
I go home, I cuddle with my wife, I cuddle with my kids, and I tell them pretty stories about heroism and heaven.
- And what do I do? - You go home and feel bad about it.
Oh, this is me.
Thank you.
It's a good job offer.
Twice what you're making now.
Think about it.
- You look deep in thought.
- I was.
- You must be very happy.
- Yes.
Except for the DCC trying to kill us because they're a bunch of idiots.
The residency suit, I saw.
Yes, well, in the waning days of a campaign the mudslinging can get pretty ugly.
Sounds like you're preparing me for something.
Petra Moritz, the reporter, has a rumor.
Okay.
It's completely bogus, but she wants a quote from you.
And the rumor? There was another woman in Peter's past.
I wouldn't drag you into this, but unless I can get you on the phone with her, she's gonna run with it.
And I know I promised never to ask you, but Peter's so close.
And this kind of rumor, it could ruin us.
- I'll think about it.
- I need to know soon.
I'll think about it.
Nothing further, Your Honor.
Mrs.
Joyce, first of all, let me just say how sorry I am for your loss.
I mean, my wife means everything to me.
And I I can't imagine how you feel.
Unfortunately, this is a trial, so I have to ask you some tough questions.
Ask away.
Were you and your husband having marital difficulties? We'd had some issues, on and off, but we were working through them.
In fact, you had an affair, is that right? No.
I was unfaithful to my husband once on a business trip.
- It was hardly an affair.
- But your husband, he knew? Your Honor, I think we've ascertained the facts here.
I'm inclined to agree.
Mr.
Canning.
I'm just trying to establish that there could've been alternative causes for Martin Joyce's suicide.
My husband was depressed because of how they treated him at his job.
But he was depressed.
Did he seek treatment? Yes.
He saw our doctor and a therapist.
And did those doctors prescribe any medications? He prescribed a number of drugs.
Escitalopram, uh, Bupropion.
None of them seemed to help.
What about Elvatyl? Did he prescribe a drug called Elvatyl? Yes.
Are you aware of the side effects of Elvatyl? Objection, Your Honor.
Okay, deep breath.
This is a complete conflict of interest, Your Honor.
Mr.
Canning defended the makers of Elvatyl just last year in a lawsuit against us.
And now he intends to pin Mr.
Joyce's suicide on the side effects of his former client's product? That company no longer exists, Your Honor.
The rights to the name Elvatyl were sold to a new company, and I owe them no duty.
And what evidence do you intend to present? Uh It's a video showing how Elvatyl results in violent and suicidal behavior.
Now, as you'll see Your Honor, last year we had exactly the same - We had this very - Okay, okay, one at a time.
This is our exhibit, Your Honor.
We used it last year in a lawsuit against Mr.
Canning's client.
They should have no objection to me using it for the same purpose, to show that Elvatyl causes suicidal thoughts.
- This is outrageous, Your Honor.
- My goodness.
They're really going at it, aren't they? Mm.
Look, I got another hour here.
I just wanna talk, that's all.
So give me a call when you get this.
We still have the other two employees who committed suicide who weren't taking Elvatyl.
It's odd about Stern, isn't it? - It was so sudden.
- Yeah.
I saw him the day before.
He seemed normal.
Tammy? Yes.
She talked to me the other day.
Here.
Her sister told her I was the reason you broke up with her.
I told Tammy there was nothing anymore.
Whatever was between us back then.
Thank you.
It's complicated.
I know.
Everything is.
- Okay, who's Karen? - Karen who? Is there anybody here who thinks Marty is good at his job? Huh? Anybody? Oh, come on, there must be somebody.
Madelyn? Phil? What about you, Karen? The other names joined our class action.
- Who's Karen? - Karen Jennings.
She worked in the Benefits Department and she was a friend of Martin Joyce's.
She didn't wanna join the class.
Why not? Thank you.
- Five minutes.
- The key with Petra is to keep cool.
She'll try to get a rise out of you.
- Petra.
- Yes, Ms.
Moritz, it's Alicia Florrick.
- Ah, right on time.
I appreciate that.
- I'm here too.
You have five minutes.
Oh, Eli.
Like a guardian angel.
I better get started then.
So, Mrs.
Florrick, your husband cheated on you with a prostitute named Amber Madison.
Are you aware of any other infidelities? No.
Someone from his past.
Maybe someone that he worked with, - or someone you both knew socially? - No.
A source has approached me with what are claimed to be substantiated allegations of sexual conduct.
Mr.
Gold informed me of this.
I think the closer we get to an election, the more the rumormongering turns less into a sport and more into a strategy.
Oh.
Tell me what you mean by that.
Voters are often moved by last-minute rumors because there's no adequate time to refute them, and so that's why they become part of a strategy to hurt your opponent.
So you believe that Wendy Scott-Carr is behind these rumors? No.
I think there are people who want to hurt both candidates.
So your husband has sworn to you that there was only the prostitute? I won't discuss personal conversations.
- Sounds like you're saying no.
- No.
That's saying that what my husband and I discuss is not your business.
Because there's a private sphere and a public sphere? - Yes.
- And if your husband abused his office by sleeping with a co-worker, and he lied to the people closest to him, his wife and his children, do you think the electorate should trust him? Mrs.
Florrick? So let me ask you one last question.
Did you have an AIDS test? How dare you, Petra.
Go to hell.
So keep my cool, huh? Yeah, I don't always follow my own advice.
Hey.
- What are you doing here? - My job.
- You? - I'm following you.
Look Wiley knows.
He knows something's missing from Matan's interview with Blake, and I know Andrew Wiley.
He's not gonna stop until he finds out.
So I talked to Matan again.
He's sitting on it.
As long as Peter wins, he'll keep quiet.
It's Wiley you have to worry about.
Why did you just say that? - What? - "As long as Peter wins.
" - You know.
- Why didn't you just tell Alicia? If you would've been upfront with her, - none of this would matter.
- Cary.
Or is that why you became friends with her in the first place? So Martin was a friend of yours? Work friends, you know.
Were you aware that he was taking antidepressants? Mm-hm.
You know, the defense have suggested that he might've had a reaction to his last medication.
- You mean the Elvatyl? - Yeah.
I don't see how.
He never took it.
He How do you know? When he told me he was going on it, I gave him articles on the side effects.
He got scared.
Ms.
Jennings, we're gonna need you to testify.
I don't wanna get involved.
Where do you work now? - Where? - Yeah.
Company fired you a year ago, did you find a new job? - That's none of your business.
- I was just wondering how you afforded the new Mercedes in your driveway.
They looted the pension fund.
The executives, 35 million.
That's why they were desperate to shed workers.
It wasn't to keep jobs from being sent overseas.
They needed to cut expenses, use their funds to cover the shortfall.
- How do you know this? - Karen.
She uncovered the fraud when she was working in Benefits.
She went to Kim Palmieri with it.
- And Palmieri bought her off? - It's criminal fraud.
- Maybe even a RICO case.
- Yeah, but it doesn't help us.
Once it goes public, sure, the executives will go to jail, but The feds seize the company's assets.
- Yes.
- Well, that's perfect.
We're sitting on knowledge of a massive fraud, and we can't do anything about it because we need the company to stay viable.
Maybe we can do something with it.
All rise.
I've seem to have misplaced my gavel.
Uh I hope that doesn't undercut my authority here.
Court is now in session.
Do you have any more witnesses, Mr.
Gardner? Yes, Your Honor.
The plaintiffs call Karen Jennings to the stand.
Uh, Your Honor, this witness was not on the plaintiffs' witness list.
Not by name, Your Honor, but we specifically reserved the right to call any former company employees, and Your Honor does like to err on the side of admitting evidence.
Uh, yes, I do.
I also like to be unpredictable.
And yet here I find myself the height of predictability.
I will allow.
Your Honor, we'd like to ask for a recess.
Oh, I think it can wait until it's your turn for a cross-examine.
Your Honor, ahem, we'd like to ask for a recess to confer with opposing counsel.
Looks like the rocket ship's coming along.
Hm? Yeah.
So, what's up? Talked to Matan.
He stonewalled me, too, but I think I know what he's after.
I'm just asking you to show a little discretion.
- With? - It's not what you think.
It's personal.
It's not criminal.
But Childs will use it.
Why are you protecting her, Cary? I'm not protecting her.
You went to see her after you talked to Matan.
- What, are you following me? - I'm doing my job.
Just wondering why you're not doing yours.
The company executives were looting the pension fund.
Well, if that's true, that's a problem.
But it's also a problem for you.
You can't go to the authorities with it, not unless you want to kiss your settlement goodbye.
- Oh, we're talking settlement now? - Depends on the number.
Without admitting anything, it's gonna be hard for the company to afford without running out of money to pay back the fraud.
Yes.
Which is why Kim Palmieri is going to make up the difference, Mr.
Canning, personally.
- Why would she do that? - Because Karen Jennings kept a record of every executive who took part in the fraud, and Kim Palmieri's name is on that list.
So either she ponies up or we'll see how the U.
S.
Attorney reacts.
My guess is he'll start by freezing the company assets and then he'll move on to hers.
Double the salary.
You deserve it.
I'm happy, but thank you.
Get on.
We'll talk about it on the way down.
No, but again, thank you.
- I don't bite.
- Ha-ha-ha.
Actually, I think you do.
Look, this isn't about your husband.
I think you're a good lawyer.
You're this close to being a great lawyer.
Lockhart/Gardner is not gonna get you there.
They encourage weakness.
And yet, we've beaten you again.
Do I look beaten? - You called? - You forgot your glasses.
I won a case and I realized I didn't have anyone to call.
Who do you usually call when you win a case? No one.
Okay.
Is this going somewhere? A lawyer I know died a few days ago, and it was like he was never here.
Everyone just went back to normal.
Death.
I should sit down for death, right? Don't go to London.
I know it's selfish of me to say, but I don't want you to go to London.
- Maybe you should go to London.
- Shut up.
Shut up.
It's your career.
So, what do we do now? I don't know.