Shades of Blue (2016) s03e01 Episode Script
Good Police
1 Previously on "Shades of Blue" Lower the weapon, Detective Santos.
It's you who's under arrest.
Wozniak's convinced that Saperstein's the mole.
She's an escort - What's your name? - Harlee.
Robert, your badge.
Stahl's unstable.
He's become obsessed with me, and none of us feel safe.
Your secrets have poisoned you.
But soon I'm gonna heal you.
This is between us and Quince.
You weren't supposed to look in this bag here, were you? It's one thing running drugs; it's a whole other thing when you make a little kid do it! My future is here with you.
'Cause I love you.
I'm not going anywhere.
If you thought I was gonna let you go that easily What did you do to me? Your clothes got a little dirty when I moved you.
- [SCREAMS.]
- Damn it! Why would you do this to yourself? Help me.
[SMACKING AND GRUNTING.]
Lieutenant! Quince took my mom.
[GUNSHOT, MAN SCREAMS.]
Somebody! [SOMBER MUSIC.]
The witness will state her name, rank, and precinct for the record.
Say you wanna start something new And it's breaking my heart you're leaving Harlee Grace Santos, detective first grade, Brooklyn, the six four.
You're assigned to Lieutenant Matt Wozniak's so-called anti-crime unit.
My duty and my home for the past ten years.
Except for a recent leave of absence, after which you underwent psychological evaluation, is that right? Yes.
And do you concur with the assessment that cleared you for duty so soon after a traumatizing abduction? I was shaky at first, but I'm recovered now.
I think it's important to establish for the record that the events to which you're about to testify took place after you survived the ordeal in the woods and with your abductor still at large.
Are you asking if I'm a reliable witness? If if I'm crazy? Some of your actions after the incident could be perceived that way: rash, impulsive.
I'm not gonna pretend that former Agent Stahl didn't have an effect on me more than I even knew or was willing to admit to myself, But not in the way that you're suggesting.
In what way then? In the path that I've chosen; the decisions I've made; in the cop that I'm trying to be.
So much so that now you're willing to identify criminal corruption within the NYPD? I am.
And how would you characterize the corruption? Obstruction, racketeering and murder.
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS, CROWD MURMURS.]
Involving active duty police officers? Correct.
Including yourself? [CROWD MURMURING.]
In a manner of speaking.
Well, that begs the question and really defines this whole hearing.
Detective Santos, do you consider yourself more of a police officer or a criminal? Honestly? Depends on the day.
[CROWD MURMURING EXCITEDLY.]
[GAVEL BANGS.]
Order, please.
Then pick a day, Detective.
[DISTANT SIRENS.]
Last call is over, beautiful.
I wasn't looking for a drink.
[BOTTLES CLANKING.]
- Bang! - [GASPS.]
Always secure your vehicle, Loman.
A simple rap on the window would have sufficed.
I saw an opportunity for a teaching moment.
[LAUGHS.]
Yeah, you're six hours too early for that.
We ordered a "Welcome Back" cake.
Oh, yeah? What's the play here? Ah, just a flyer.
Bartender started peddling fentanyl about a week ago.
We thought we'd obtain a sample to compare to Quince's old stash.
Wait, how did you know we were here? Make it a pie.
- What? - A "Welcome Back" pie.
I'm not a frosting guy.
Pies don't have enough slices.
You think I'm gonna share? You're out late.
I didn't realize it was a full moon tonight.
That bartender must have ice in his veins.
Uh-uh.
His hormones are functional.
Just can't get him to sell me any fentanyl.
He's probably thinking cop.
Well, let's confirm it for him.
You plant it, Loman, cuff him, and I'll watch.
Or we all go home and get a warrant in the morning.
And let Quince slip through our fingers again? I could call your wife and get her opinion.
She'd say if there's an opportunity to get the man who almost had me killed and he's in the city still selling his poison that it's worth applying some pressure.
We haven't stirred up enough dirt that's ended up in our faces? What, that bullet in your gut not painful enough? It's a dime bag on a drug dealer.
We're not robbing a bank.
[GUNSHOTS.]
- Was that - Yeah.
One block, maybe two.
[GUNSHOTS CONTINUE.]
Let's go be good police.
Dispatch, tango 9303 responding to shots fired around the 800 block of Sunrise Avenue.
Roger that, 303, do you have visual on a suspect? Right there, shattered glass straight ahead.
Negative.
Roll back units to 815 Sunrise.
Officers on site.
Loman, take the wheel and do a perimeter check.
Who's on point? I remember how to kick in a door.
[SMOOTH MUSIC.]
Sure you wouldn't rather be shaking down the dealer? Dinner's still warm.
Uh, do you think minimum wage put up a fight for the register? Not against a gun.
[BOTTLES CLINKING.]
[GRIDDLE SIZZLING.]
NYPD! [SIREN WAILING.]
[ENGINE REVVING.]
Harlee, you clear? Yeah, just making sure no one stayed behind to do the dishes.
Drop the weapon! Hands in the air! You my backup? Do it now.
On the ground.
You lead with "police," genius.
Good way to get yourself shot.
Police! Freeze! Harlee, you still there? Let me see your badge.
Drop it.
Police.
[SCREAMS.]
Stand down.
Stand down.
He's with me.
I lost a runner.
All right, well, go out back and try to find Harlee.
Put your gun down.
We're all on the same team.
Put your gun down.
Five victims.
It's a staged robbery.
[GROANS.]
Damn it, Parker.
You knew him? He's my partner.
NYPD intelligence unit.
Turn around! Hands where I can see 'em.
[PANTING.]
You're not gonna shoot me, are [GUNSHOTS.]
[PANTING.]
- Oh, my god.
- Harlee! Harlee! Harlee! Harlee, are you hurt? Are you hurt? Look at me.
Look at me.
Is any of this blood yours? No.
He's dead.
Oh, my god.
Did you see anyone else? He turned, and I recognized him.
- I saw - His gun.
You saw his gun.
He ran away from the crime scene.
No, Loman.
No more.
You were on foot pursuit.
You cornered the suspect; he turned.
- No, Loman.
- He aimed his gun at you.
- And fired his weapon.
- Loman! [GUNSHOT.]
Harlee.
911, what is your emergency? Uh, a woman, she's, uh she's bleeding.
She she cut her wrist wide open.
Can you tell me where you are? 872 Deerfield Road.
Hurry up.
She's losing a lot of blood.
Do you have a clean cloth or towel you can use to apply pressure on the wound? She is unconscious, and she needs help right now.
I need you to stay with her.
Can you feel her pulse? There's no time.
There's no time.
Try talking to her.
Let me know she responds.
I I I can't.
Stay with me.
You can do this.
What is your name? [PHONE BEEPS.]
Thought you said you were gonna delete that.
Turns out erasing was trickier than I thought.
Come on.
I'll make you some coffee.
I saw him again.
Stahl? He was right there.
And then he wasn't.
I could swear that he was real.
Okay, that's your mind telling you you can't act as if it never happened.
Baby, you can't always be sprinting.
When I stop, my mind is too loud.
Come here.
Maybe it wants an audience.
You never proposed a theory.
Where Stahl is? Why he saved my life.
If I had to guess? So you'd be in your bathroom four months later, still fixated on him.
[SCOFFS.]
Yeah.
He'd like that.
But you are safe now.
It's over.
Stahl is a fugitive, and he'd be crazy to come anywhere near us.
I'm starting to think that crazy is contagious.
Well, don't worry.
I got vaccinated.
Come on.
I killed a man tonight.
[DISTANT SIRENS, PHONES RINGING.]
Welcome back, boss.
Sorry.
Janitorial promised me they'd have it cleaned out by yesterday.
There's urinal cakes on my sofa! There was a flood on the second floor storage area.
Linoleum's been drying for a month.
So use the conference room.
They're still spraying it for roaches.
[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE.]
How long has Loman been in there? Verco's been grilling him for about half an hour.
The kid looked confident going in.
Well, he better be.
It's his story.
Did Harlee rotate through? Internal affairs record.
18 minutes.
Hey! Hey! I thought I told you two to meet me this morning outside.
We did.
Linda said you left early.
The precinct, not my house! What, did they confiscate brain cells when they took your detective shields? Disciplinary demotion is bad enough, but I have to ride around with him all day.
Any word on those shields, Woz? Yeah, you'll get them.
But the first order of business is to get Quince.
I'll pound rocks for you, Woz.
I mean, Quince is out of prison because we screwed up.
But the man is well aware he crossed a line.
He's a ghost.
Maybe, but we're gonna cycle though every rat hole, every associate, every rumor, starting with last night's bartender.
Whoa, whoa, whoa; we're already late for roll call.
Unless you can write us a tardy slip.
Call my cell when you're rolling.
And you, lose the suit.
It's not gonna impress the company we're meeting.
Can't today, boss.
I got a supervise a whodunit I'm working for homicide.
Great to be back.
[DISTANT SIRENS.]
Working a theory? Slain cop, that's a career-making case.
Look, I'm not trying to poach; I'm just Second-guessing? Car kind of just drove me here.
I must have the same model.
I'm sorry about your partner.
[SIGHS.]
Did the place speak to you? You know, sometimes you stand in a crime scene long enough, you listen, you know, real quiet as if they'll tell you their secrets.
You can almost see it play out.
First shot was fired at your partner.
Parker.
His name was Parker.
Parker was sitting here with someone.
Stands up to face his killer.
Sees a threat; protective instincts kick in.
Get him shot in the head from no more than four feet away.
Suggests it was personal.
Do you know why he was here? I'm working on it.
He fires back, almost simultaneously.
Probably dead before the bullet hits the door right over there.
You think this was planned? In public? No.
The other victims were just afterthoughts.
A diner full of witnesses won't do.
Only the shooter's interrupted before he can sweep the kitchen.
He hears sirens.
Walks right out the front door.
Probably the suspect who got away that my crewmember chased down the street.
And the man you chased? Why don't you answer my questions before you start asking ones you already have the answers to.
I'm not an oracle.
No.
Guys are better than that.
Intelligence unit.
Special clearances, secret networks, international reach.
Doesn't make us untouchable.
Jeff Morris.
The man I shot.
37 years old, worked the docks for the last ten.
Survived only by an estranged ex-wife.
Well, he's the mystery, isn't he? If he was an accomplice, what was he waiting for? If he wasn't, what was he doing with a gun? I'm leaning toward witness who escaped.
A witness who pointed a gun at a cop.
What was a longshoreman doing with a gun at the scene of a massacre? I didn't give him a chance to explain.
Music Did you ever dress as anyone else? No.
Agents all had very clear instructions.
Always the wig.
Always you.
You were his fantasy.
Did he tell you what to say? I'd improvise.
He'd correct me.
Are you sure you want to keep hearing all this? Until he's caught.
So one time I called myself you a bad girl.
And he stopped.
And insisted that I was never to call myself bad.
I've done bad things.
Maybe.
But he saw them as survival.
Same time next week? [BUZZER BUZZES.]
[DOOR CLANKING.]
Checkmate.
That's 12 in a row.
You better not tell anyone.
[LAUGHS.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
Hey.
They already know I'm the cop you shot.
Now they'll think you shot an important one.
I gotta go.
But I'll be back in a few days, okay? You keep your head up.
None of this was your fault.
As far as I'm concerned, it was as if Quince pulled the trigger himself.
May those who love us, love us.
May those who don't love us have their hearts turned by God.
And if God can't turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so that we'll know them by their limp.
[LAUGHTER.]
Parker would have liked that joke.
He had a terrible sense of humor apparently like all of you.
[LAUGHTER.]
For as long as I can remember, I've been running toward the chaos, not knowing what awaits in the darkness, just like the rest of you do, day in and day out; just like Parker did.
I have watched far too many of our brothers and sisters lowered into the earth.
But after each solemn ceremony, I never wavered in my conviction.
I never questioned my path.
Fidelis ad mortem.
Faithful unto death.
Are you settled in? I'm aggravated.
Does that count? You ever lose the taste for it? The job? Think maybe it's just time to hang it all up? Not when there's a score to settle, no.
So never.
Look, you came back too soon is all.
No wife to nag you back to bed.
Oh, Nava's trying.
[LAUGHS.]
I bet.
No, I mean, he's great.
You know, he says all the right things; does all the right things.
It's like the more supportive he is, the harder it is to leave the job at the door.
So what, you gonna move upstate and see what your special casserole is? I shot an innocent man the sole witness in a cop's murder because I can't stop seeing Stahl.
If the intelligence unit can disappear terror suspects, they can close the file on one of their own.
And what if they figure out what actually happened? Harlee, take a couple of days.
I'm gonna duct tape the team together.
I'm gonna bag Quince And then we'll see if the slipper still fits.
I wish I'd gotten to know Saperstein.
Annoying as hell.
But a huge heart.
Must be hard for you.
You know? You know, I'm sorry, Loman.
Nah, you don't have to apologize.
No, I'm sorry for choosing for you.
For deciding what kind of cop you were gonna be before you had the chance to.
I thought I knew better.
I didn't.
I'm sorry for dragging you into this.
Harlee, wait.
Isn't that the officer from Sunrise? Yeah.
The partner.
He's arguing with the suspect I chased outside the scene.
Are you sure? You chased a cop? A cop who ran away from a massacre.
Theo Bennett.
Six years with vice before being recruited to join intelligence.
So a member of his crew gets shot in the head, and this experienced officer flees from the scene.
His only possible defense is that he was chasing a suspect.
Yeah, but he ran from you too.
He must be involved.
Their captain preaching about sacrifice when they killed one of their own? Some of them seem to be genuinely mourning.
I just finished with internal affairs.
How do we go back in and tell them all this? We don't.
Lonely on the other side of that blue wall.
Anyone finds out we're talking to internal affairs, and we're done as cops.
So nothing to see here? We throw a lifeline.
[SIGHS.]
Thanks for coming.
I know how difficult it is to bury one of your own.
If you need help outside your unit, you can reach me at the 64.
Hitting on me at a funeral, are you? I think you knew your partner was in danger.
I think that's why you were close by that night.
Maybe already on your way to Sunrise Café.
And I think those few minutes you were late are gonna haunt you for the rest of your life.
This is help? Sounds like an interrogation.
Do you know why Parker was there? Or who would want to kill him? Darling, I don't know if this is curiosity or compassion.
But my advice? Walk away from this one.
God knows I would if I could.
If that were true, you would have let Bennett pose with the other mourners.
[SIGHS.]
Parker was meeting two people at the Sunrise Café: the longshoreman that you killed and another dock worker named Orlando, only Orlando was too scared to show.
What was Orlando so afraid of? That, you'll have to get from him.
If I didn't have to offer condolences, I'd be swinging by 2561 Breemount within the next hour.
Harlee, we gotta get going.
I got a family thing to get to.
Yeah, okay.
Um, I mean, you can drop me at the L if that's quicker.
You're riding the subway in your dress blues? Can't allow that, I'm afraid.
We can give Detective Santos a ride, can't we, Cole? Yes, sir.
I'm sure you have other commitments.
It's the least we can do after you put down the animal who killed our man.
Is that your theory: a longshoreman went on a killing spree? I'm confident that you'll not only be cleared by internal affairs, but you'll also prove to be the only hero in this sad story, aside from our departed, of course.
So what's it gonna be? Can we offer you that ride? No need, Captain.
I'm taking her.
I thought I heard you say you had a family thing.
[CHUCKLES.]
Which I can make if we leave now.
Flexibility: an underrated quality.
Sorry for your loss.
And we appreciate that.
[SMACKS, GRUNTS.]
As much as I'm enjoying this workout, I gotta pick up my ingrates from school and my boss is not gonna let me leave till you give me an answer.
So where is Quince? I think we're way past the ten-count on this bartender.
You want to relieve her? Nah.
Let her work it out.
[MUFFLED GRUNTING AND SMACKING.]
Patrol car too tight? Now, don't get me wrong; we're having a blast.
But between the pay cut and her deadbeat ex, I get an earful of crazy eight hours a day.
Try marriage.
[LAUGHS.]
Okay.
Quince has his number two running the operation while he's been in hiding.
Didn't need to put the guy through the blender to find that out.
He has this kid Junior acting like a courier, essentially he's been funneling money into whatever gopher hole Quince's been burrowed up in.
Does Junior have an address? [SIGHS.]
- [PHONE BEEPING.]
- 2561 Breemount.
Apparently Orlando's cousin Teresa owns the psychic joint and the apartment above it.
[LINE TRILLING.]
Hello, Teresa? This is Detective Harlee Santos of the New York City police department.
Is your cousin Orlando there? No, we just wanted to ask him a few questions.
Is it okay if we stop by? Teresa? [SCOFFS.]
- She needs a new crystal ball.
- Mm-hmm.
Orlando.
Orlando Carter? [BRAKES SCREECH.]
- [SCREAMS.]
- Relax.
We're here to help you.
Yeah, I can tell right off.
All right, I'm gonna let you up.
But you gotta promise not to run.
Come on.
Get up.
All right, I'm Detective Santos, and this is Detective Loman, and we're investigating the murders at the Sunrise Café.
- I never heard of the place.
- Really? 'Cause we heard you and your friend Morris were meeting a cop named Parker there the other night.
Don't worry.
I don't remember any of that.
You have my word.
You must have us confused with some other unit.
We're actually trying to solve this murder.
How do I know? Because you're still breathing.
Okay, you're gonna have to trust us.
Okay, Morris trusted that other cop, and now both of them are dead.
Harlee.
Orlando, you're gonna have to come with us.
I told Morris to let the cops clean up their own mess, but he wouldn't listen.
And that one cop sounded desperate.
In the car now.
See those cops? One of them went to the Sunrise instead of you.
Get in.
You can go home and change, officers.
We'll take the suspect from here.
Oh, no, it's just a drunk and disorderly.
That requires two detectives to solve? I was getting my fortune told.
I can tell you how today ends.
That man's a potential accomplice in the murder of a police officer.
Yeah, do you have an arrest warrant? Do you? Thought we'd drive around until he sobers up.
Catch and release, I hope.
Sorry for your loss.
I must have tossed this block eight times in the past four months.
Guess Quince mastered the art of hiding in plain sight.
Which house? Second house up on the right.
Security footage has this Junior character bringing in groceries three times a week.
He's gotta be sneaking out product.
No one puts a bullet in Quince but me.
I want him alive.
Understood? BOTH: Police! Show me two hands or I show you two bullets! Hello, Matt.
I'm starving.
I haven't eaten anything since breakfast.
Funerals do that to you.
Where's Quince? Mayonnaise, ketchup, and half a burrito.
I guess he was ordering in.
Ah.
One beer left.
What do you say we split it? - Police! - NYPD! [INDISTINCT SHOUTING.]
Woz, where are you? I'm in the kitchen.
I'm good.
We got a problem out here.
Stand down.
We're all friends.
I'm glad to hear it.
I need a little favor.
Happy to repay it.
This favor have a name? Orlando Carter.
Two DUIs and an armed robbery count in his 20s.
He worked the docks with the longshoreman that I shot at the Sunrise Café.
They were both there to meet Parker, the intelligence officer that got killed.
But Orlando didn't show.
He told you this? But he won't tell me what the meeting was about without immunity.
Immunity for what? Whatever the hell he's scared of.
Have you booked our Sunrise suspect yet? Oh, just an informal chat with a potential lead.
Hold on, is he is he a witness or an accomplice? That's what we're sorting out.
Can you excuse us a minute, Counselor? Yeah.
Ramsey has Quince.
What, since when? Since you and Loman picked up his person of interest.
That wasn't even a couple of hours ago.
How did you know to look for that guy? How did intel know where to find Quince? 'Cause they have reach, Harlee.
You know, Loman ID'd his runner from the Sunrise Café.
He's one of Ramsey's men.
Yeah, I could do the math.
And you want to deliver Orlando to them? No, I want you to.
I'll be waiting for Quince six blocks over.
Fair trade.
I know that Quince is personal.
I get it.
Stahl is personal.
But we can't burn the city down trying to find them.
River Road, midnight.
I get Quince at the same time under Hell's Gate Bridge.
I'm not gonna deliver a man to his death for your revenge fantasies.
You have to do it.
Ramsey's gotta know that we're all on board.
We're not all on board.
Are you willing to take a bullet for this guy? 'Cause I'm not.
If Orlando has evidence that can take down Ramsey and his intelligence unit, then no one has to take a bullet.
I'll take that all-comers, Harlee.
But I gotta make the crew whole again.
I'm not starting a war with the secret police.
They killed one of their own men, Woz.
So did we.
I don't even know what you're asking me.
Were you and your friend Morris engaged in illegal activities with law enforcement officers? [KNOCK AT DOOR.]
I think I know why he's not talking.
Sorry, I may have jumped the gun on this one.
He just hinted that Parker may have been talking with someone at internal affairs.
Yeah, but I guess he's a CI that Parker cut loose for bad intel.
He's playing us.
His fear seems pretty genuine to me.
I'm gonna transfer him to One Police Plaza.
Whoa, a few minutes ago, you were convinced this guy was at risk of being killed by police.
Yeah, I'm I'm off my game.
I'm sorry.
I guess old habits die hard when your boss needs something.
[ENGINE REVS.]
Deny knowing anything.
Swear to forget and move on.
It's your best chance.
Chance? The second I open my mouth, they'll stick a gun in it.
[SIGHS.]
[TIRES SCREECHING.]
I'm sorry.
Okay? I really am.
We're just caught in a stampede.
I trusted you.
You said you'd help; that you weren't that kind of cop.
[PERCUSSIVE MUSIC.]
[BISHOP BRIGGS' "THE FIRE" PLAYING.]
Heaven above Sent me love But it wasn't enough No it wasn't enough 'Cause I've been a devil I've been a saint Somebody help me I can't change I keep on Runnin' toward, runnin' toward the fire I keep on Runnin' toward, runnin' toward the fire No, you - No! - Oh, I let my lover go Didn't wanna be a liar Ashes in the cold Now I'm runnin' toward the fire - Fire - To the fire Woz? Woz.
Harlee, I didn't ask.
When you were bleeding out in that open field, did you get that feeling? Could you tell? That I might die? That you would die.
When I was on the lobby floor, I knew it.
I knew it for sure.
And there was no peace in it.
There was no bright light.
There was just fear.
Fear and loneliness.
Paramedics told me that I was dead for two minutes.
And yet, here you are.
Guess we got a do-over.
I intend to use mine.
It's not a do-over unless we make different choices.
Where's Orlando? They were gonna kill him, Woz.
You knew that when you cuffed him.
To cover up a murder of one of their own.
A cop.
I made assurances.
Where is he? Somewhere safe far from Ramsey's reach.
You can't stand where you're standing and pretend it's high ground.
I'm not standing, Woz! Okay, I'm underwater.
I can't breathe.
I can't even reach the surface! Then let me make the decisions until you figure out which was is up.
I need to be able to close my eyes and not see the things that I've done.
These guys don't mess around.
I know that.
Then tell me where Orlando is.
I've been telling myself over and over again that I'm gonna do what I know is right, until there's some excuse for me not to, and then I cave.
This is where you draw the line? You're gonna break the blue wall against the intelligence division? You do not need to get Quince to start over.
Just take your second chance and be grateful for it.
And move on like you did? Kill the man that you think is Stahl? No, by doing things differently.
And then failing and then trying to do right again, until that becomes the new normal.
I don't want a new normal.
I want a crew that follows orders.
I want to have cred in the streets so I can make them safe again.
I don't want to start over.
I want things back to the way they were.
And I don't.
You want a world where there's no place for men like me.
And so do I.
But it doesn't exist.
I love you, Woz.
I always will.
There was a time where I could honestly say that I would do anything for you.
But cut me loose on this.
I'll stand alone.
Hey, did you reach the DA? Can she see us in the morning? I don't think this can wait until the morning.
Why, what did Orlando tell you? Can you meet me at my office? [ENGINE REVS.]
Should I be worried? I got hold of the DA.
She's having drinks in the village, but she'll meet us downtown.
We're leaving my apartment now.
I'm five minutes away.
Wait for me.
All right, I'll be right there.
[MUFFLED VOICE OVER PA.]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
Shouldn't we wait for that cop lady? I'll just talk to her.
She's on her way.
[BRAKES SCREECH.]
The next stop is 23rd Street.
[PHONE BEEPING.]
[LINE TRILLING.]
You reached James Nava.
Leave a message.
[VOICEMAIL BEEPS.]
[SIRENS WAILING.]
NYPD.
Run that light now.
Miss, I need you to wait.
Wait.
He wasn't alone.
Carjacking gone bad.
Looks like they found the assailant and James.
Easy.
You can't touch him before the M.
E.
gets here.
James.
Baby.
Baby.
Please.
- Please.
- He's dead.
- Ma'am, he's gone.
- No! No! No! No! No! No! [SOBBING.]
[SOBBING.]
No.
[SOBBING.]
It's you who's under arrest.
Wozniak's convinced that Saperstein's the mole.
She's an escort - What's your name? - Harlee.
Robert, your badge.
Stahl's unstable.
He's become obsessed with me, and none of us feel safe.
Your secrets have poisoned you.
But soon I'm gonna heal you.
This is between us and Quince.
You weren't supposed to look in this bag here, were you? It's one thing running drugs; it's a whole other thing when you make a little kid do it! My future is here with you.
'Cause I love you.
I'm not going anywhere.
If you thought I was gonna let you go that easily What did you do to me? Your clothes got a little dirty when I moved you.
- [SCREAMS.]
- Damn it! Why would you do this to yourself? Help me.
[SMACKING AND GRUNTING.]
Lieutenant! Quince took my mom.
[GUNSHOT, MAN SCREAMS.]
Somebody! [SOMBER MUSIC.]
The witness will state her name, rank, and precinct for the record.
Say you wanna start something new And it's breaking my heart you're leaving Harlee Grace Santos, detective first grade, Brooklyn, the six four.
You're assigned to Lieutenant Matt Wozniak's so-called anti-crime unit.
My duty and my home for the past ten years.
Except for a recent leave of absence, after which you underwent psychological evaluation, is that right? Yes.
And do you concur with the assessment that cleared you for duty so soon after a traumatizing abduction? I was shaky at first, but I'm recovered now.
I think it's important to establish for the record that the events to which you're about to testify took place after you survived the ordeal in the woods and with your abductor still at large.
Are you asking if I'm a reliable witness? If if I'm crazy? Some of your actions after the incident could be perceived that way: rash, impulsive.
I'm not gonna pretend that former Agent Stahl didn't have an effect on me more than I even knew or was willing to admit to myself, But not in the way that you're suggesting.
In what way then? In the path that I've chosen; the decisions I've made; in the cop that I'm trying to be.
So much so that now you're willing to identify criminal corruption within the NYPD? I am.
And how would you characterize the corruption? Obstruction, racketeering and murder.
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS, CROWD MURMURS.]
Involving active duty police officers? Correct.
Including yourself? [CROWD MURMURING.]
In a manner of speaking.
Well, that begs the question and really defines this whole hearing.
Detective Santos, do you consider yourself more of a police officer or a criminal? Honestly? Depends on the day.
[CROWD MURMURING EXCITEDLY.]
[GAVEL BANGS.]
Order, please.
Then pick a day, Detective.
[DISTANT SIRENS.]
Last call is over, beautiful.
I wasn't looking for a drink.
[BOTTLES CLANKING.]
- Bang! - [GASPS.]
Always secure your vehicle, Loman.
A simple rap on the window would have sufficed.
I saw an opportunity for a teaching moment.
[LAUGHS.]
Yeah, you're six hours too early for that.
We ordered a "Welcome Back" cake.
Oh, yeah? What's the play here? Ah, just a flyer.
Bartender started peddling fentanyl about a week ago.
We thought we'd obtain a sample to compare to Quince's old stash.
Wait, how did you know we were here? Make it a pie.
- What? - A "Welcome Back" pie.
I'm not a frosting guy.
Pies don't have enough slices.
You think I'm gonna share? You're out late.
I didn't realize it was a full moon tonight.
That bartender must have ice in his veins.
Uh-uh.
His hormones are functional.
Just can't get him to sell me any fentanyl.
He's probably thinking cop.
Well, let's confirm it for him.
You plant it, Loman, cuff him, and I'll watch.
Or we all go home and get a warrant in the morning.
And let Quince slip through our fingers again? I could call your wife and get her opinion.
She'd say if there's an opportunity to get the man who almost had me killed and he's in the city still selling his poison that it's worth applying some pressure.
We haven't stirred up enough dirt that's ended up in our faces? What, that bullet in your gut not painful enough? It's a dime bag on a drug dealer.
We're not robbing a bank.
[GUNSHOTS.]
- Was that - Yeah.
One block, maybe two.
[GUNSHOTS CONTINUE.]
Let's go be good police.
Dispatch, tango 9303 responding to shots fired around the 800 block of Sunrise Avenue.
Roger that, 303, do you have visual on a suspect? Right there, shattered glass straight ahead.
Negative.
Roll back units to 815 Sunrise.
Officers on site.
Loman, take the wheel and do a perimeter check.
Who's on point? I remember how to kick in a door.
[SMOOTH MUSIC.]
Sure you wouldn't rather be shaking down the dealer? Dinner's still warm.
Uh, do you think minimum wage put up a fight for the register? Not against a gun.
[BOTTLES CLINKING.]
[GRIDDLE SIZZLING.]
NYPD! [SIREN WAILING.]
[ENGINE REVVING.]
Harlee, you clear? Yeah, just making sure no one stayed behind to do the dishes.
Drop the weapon! Hands in the air! You my backup? Do it now.
On the ground.
You lead with "police," genius.
Good way to get yourself shot.
Police! Freeze! Harlee, you still there? Let me see your badge.
Drop it.
Police.
[SCREAMS.]
Stand down.
Stand down.
He's with me.
I lost a runner.
All right, well, go out back and try to find Harlee.
Put your gun down.
We're all on the same team.
Put your gun down.
Five victims.
It's a staged robbery.
[GROANS.]
Damn it, Parker.
You knew him? He's my partner.
NYPD intelligence unit.
Turn around! Hands where I can see 'em.
[PANTING.]
You're not gonna shoot me, are [GUNSHOTS.]
[PANTING.]
- Oh, my god.
- Harlee! Harlee! Harlee! Harlee, are you hurt? Are you hurt? Look at me.
Look at me.
Is any of this blood yours? No.
He's dead.
Oh, my god.
Did you see anyone else? He turned, and I recognized him.
- I saw - His gun.
You saw his gun.
He ran away from the crime scene.
No, Loman.
No more.
You were on foot pursuit.
You cornered the suspect; he turned.
- No, Loman.
- He aimed his gun at you.
- And fired his weapon.
- Loman! [GUNSHOT.]
Harlee.
911, what is your emergency? Uh, a woman, she's, uh she's bleeding.
She she cut her wrist wide open.
Can you tell me where you are? 872 Deerfield Road.
Hurry up.
She's losing a lot of blood.
Do you have a clean cloth or towel you can use to apply pressure on the wound? She is unconscious, and she needs help right now.
I need you to stay with her.
Can you feel her pulse? There's no time.
There's no time.
Try talking to her.
Let me know she responds.
I I I can't.
Stay with me.
You can do this.
What is your name? [PHONE BEEPS.]
Thought you said you were gonna delete that.
Turns out erasing was trickier than I thought.
Come on.
I'll make you some coffee.
I saw him again.
Stahl? He was right there.
And then he wasn't.
I could swear that he was real.
Okay, that's your mind telling you you can't act as if it never happened.
Baby, you can't always be sprinting.
When I stop, my mind is too loud.
Come here.
Maybe it wants an audience.
You never proposed a theory.
Where Stahl is? Why he saved my life.
If I had to guess? So you'd be in your bathroom four months later, still fixated on him.
[SCOFFS.]
Yeah.
He'd like that.
But you are safe now.
It's over.
Stahl is a fugitive, and he'd be crazy to come anywhere near us.
I'm starting to think that crazy is contagious.
Well, don't worry.
I got vaccinated.
Come on.
I killed a man tonight.
[DISTANT SIRENS, PHONES RINGING.]
Welcome back, boss.
Sorry.
Janitorial promised me they'd have it cleaned out by yesterday.
There's urinal cakes on my sofa! There was a flood on the second floor storage area.
Linoleum's been drying for a month.
So use the conference room.
They're still spraying it for roaches.
[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE.]
How long has Loman been in there? Verco's been grilling him for about half an hour.
The kid looked confident going in.
Well, he better be.
It's his story.
Did Harlee rotate through? Internal affairs record.
18 minutes.
Hey! Hey! I thought I told you two to meet me this morning outside.
We did.
Linda said you left early.
The precinct, not my house! What, did they confiscate brain cells when they took your detective shields? Disciplinary demotion is bad enough, but I have to ride around with him all day.
Any word on those shields, Woz? Yeah, you'll get them.
But the first order of business is to get Quince.
I'll pound rocks for you, Woz.
I mean, Quince is out of prison because we screwed up.
But the man is well aware he crossed a line.
He's a ghost.
Maybe, but we're gonna cycle though every rat hole, every associate, every rumor, starting with last night's bartender.
Whoa, whoa, whoa; we're already late for roll call.
Unless you can write us a tardy slip.
Call my cell when you're rolling.
And you, lose the suit.
It's not gonna impress the company we're meeting.
Can't today, boss.
I got a supervise a whodunit I'm working for homicide.
Great to be back.
[DISTANT SIRENS.]
Working a theory? Slain cop, that's a career-making case.
Look, I'm not trying to poach; I'm just Second-guessing? Car kind of just drove me here.
I must have the same model.
I'm sorry about your partner.
[SIGHS.]
Did the place speak to you? You know, sometimes you stand in a crime scene long enough, you listen, you know, real quiet as if they'll tell you their secrets.
You can almost see it play out.
First shot was fired at your partner.
Parker.
His name was Parker.
Parker was sitting here with someone.
Stands up to face his killer.
Sees a threat; protective instincts kick in.
Get him shot in the head from no more than four feet away.
Suggests it was personal.
Do you know why he was here? I'm working on it.
He fires back, almost simultaneously.
Probably dead before the bullet hits the door right over there.
You think this was planned? In public? No.
The other victims were just afterthoughts.
A diner full of witnesses won't do.
Only the shooter's interrupted before he can sweep the kitchen.
He hears sirens.
Walks right out the front door.
Probably the suspect who got away that my crewmember chased down the street.
And the man you chased? Why don't you answer my questions before you start asking ones you already have the answers to.
I'm not an oracle.
No.
Guys are better than that.
Intelligence unit.
Special clearances, secret networks, international reach.
Doesn't make us untouchable.
Jeff Morris.
The man I shot.
37 years old, worked the docks for the last ten.
Survived only by an estranged ex-wife.
Well, he's the mystery, isn't he? If he was an accomplice, what was he waiting for? If he wasn't, what was he doing with a gun? I'm leaning toward witness who escaped.
A witness who pointed a gun at a cop.
What was a longshoreman doing with a gun at the scene of a massacre? I didn't give him a chance to explain.
Music Did you ever dress as anyone else? No.
Agents all had very clear instructions.
Always the wig.
Always you.
You were his fantasy.
Did he tell you what to say? I'd improvise.
He'd correct me.
Are you sure you want to keep hearing all this? Until he's caught.
So one time I called myself you a bad girl.
And he stopped.
And insisted that I was never to call myself bad.
I've done bad things.
Maybe.
But he saw them as survival.
Same time next week? [BUZZER BUZZES.]
[DOOR CLANKING.]
Checkmate.
That's 12 in a row.
You better not tell anyone.
[LAUGHS.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
Hey.
They already know I'm the cop you shot.
Now they'll think you shot an important one.
I gotta go.
But I'll be back in a few days, okay? You keep your head up.
None of this was your fault.
As far as I'm concerned, it was as if Quince pulled the trigger himself.
May those who love us, love us.
May those who don't love us have their hearts turned by God.
And if God can't turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so that we'll know them by their limp.
[LAUGHTER.]
Parker would have liked that joke.
He had a terrible sense of humor apparently like all of you.
[LAUGHTER.]
For as long as I can remember, I've been running toward the chaos, not knowing what awaits in the darkness, just like the rest of you do, day in and day out; just like Parker did.
I have watched far too many of our brothers and sisters lowered into the earth.
But after each solemn ceremony, I never wavered in my conviction.
I never questioned my path.
Fidelis ad mortem.
Faithful unto death.
Are you settled in? I'm aggravated.
Does that count? You ever lose the taste for it? The job? Think maybe it's just time to hang it all up? Not when there's a score to settle, no.
So never.
Look, you came back too soon is all.
No wife to nag you back to bed.
Oh, Nava's trying.
[LAUGHS.]
I bet.
No, I mean, he's great.
You know, he says all the right things; does all the right things.
It's like the more supportive he is, the harder it is to leave the job at the door.
So what, you gonna move upstate and see what your special casserole is? I shot an innocent man the sole witness in a cop's murder because I can't stop seeing Stahl.
If the intelligence unit can disappear terror suspects, they can close the file on one of their own.
And what if they figure out what actually happened? Harlee, take a couple of days.
I'm gonna duct tape the team together.
I'm gonna bag Quince And then we'll see if the slipper still fits.
I wish I'd gotten to know Saperstein.
Annoying as hell.
But a huge heart.
Must be hard for you.
You know? You know, I'm sorry, Loman.
Nah, you don't have to apologize.
No, I'm sorry for choosing for you.
For deciding what kind of cop you were gonna be before you had the chance to.
I thought I knew better.
I didn't.
I'm sorry for dragging you into this.
Harlee, wait.
Isn't that the officer from Sunrise? Yeah.
The partner.
He's arguing with the suspect I chased outside the scene.
Are you sure? You chased a cop? A cop who ran away from a massacre.
Theo Bennett.
Six years with vice before being recruited to join intelligence.
So a member of his crew gets shot in the head, and this experienced officer flees from the scene.
His only possible defense is that he was chasing a suspect.
Yeah, but he ran from you too.
He must be involved.
Their captain preaching about sacrifice when they killed one of their own? Some of them seem to be genuinely mourning.
I just finished with internal affairs.
How do we go back in and tell them all this? We don't.
Lonely on the other side of that blue wall.
Anyone finds out we're talking to internal affairs, and we're done as cops.
So nothing to see here? We throw a lifeline.
[SIGHS.]
Thanks for coming.
I know how difficult it is to bury one of your own.
If you need help outside your unit, you can reach me at the 64.
Hitting on me at a funeral, are you? I think you knew your partner was in danger.
I think that's why you were close by that night.
Maybe already on your way to Sunrise Café.
And I think those few minutes you were late are gonna haunt you for the rest of your life.
This is help? Sounds like an interrogation.
Do you know why Parker was there? Or who would want to kill him? Darling, I don't know if this is curiosity or compassion.
But my advice? Walk away from this one.
God knows I would if I could.
If that were true, you would have let Bennett pose with the other mourners.
[SIGHS.]
Parker was meeting two people at the Sunrise Café: the longshoreman that you killed and another dock worker named Orlando, only Orlando was too scared to show.
What was Orlando so afraid of? That, you'll have to get from him.
If I didn't have to offer condolences, I'd be swinging by 2561 Breemount within the next hour.
Harlee, we gotta get going.
I got a family thing to get to.
Yeah, okay.
Um, I mean, you can drop me at the L if that's quicker.
You're riding the subway in your dress blues? Can't allow that, I'm afraid.
We can give Detective Santos a ride, can't we, Cole? Yes, sir.
I'm sure you have other commitments.
It's the least we can do after you put down the animal who killed our man.
Is that your theory: a longshoreman went on a killing spree? I'm confident that you'll not only be cleared by internal affairs, but you'll also prove to be the only hero in this sad story, aside from our departed, of course.
So what's it gonna be? Can we offer you that ride? No need, Captain.
I'm taking her.
I thought I heard you say you had a family thing.
[CHUCKLES.]
Which I can make if we leave now.
Flexibility: an underrated quality.
Sorry for your loss.
And we appreciate that.
[SMACKS, GRUNTS.]
As much as I'm enjoying this workout, I gotta pick up my ingrates from school and my boss is not gonna let me leave till you give me an answer.
So where is Quince? I think we're way past the ten-count on this bartender.
You want to relieve her? Nah.
Let her work it out.
[MUFFLED GRUNTING AND SMACKING.]
Patrol car too tight? Now, don't get me wrong; we're having a blast.
But between the pay cut and her deadbeat ex, I get an earful of crazy eight hours a day.
Try marriage.
[LAUGHS.]
Okay.
Quince has his number two running the operation while he's been in hiding.
Didn't need to put the guy through the blender to find that out.
He has this kid Junior acting like a courier, essentially he's been funneling money into whatever gopher hole Quince's been burrowed up in.
Does Junior have an address? [SIGHS.]
- [PHONE BEEPING.]
- 2561 Breemount.
Apparently Orlando's cousin Teresa owns the psychic joint and the apartment above it.
[LINE TRILLING.]
Hello, Teresa? This is Detective Harlee Santos of the New York City police department.
Is your cousin Orlando there? No, we just wanted to ask him a few questions.
Is it okay if we stop by? Teresa? [SCOFFS.]
- She needs a new crystal ball.
- Mm-hmm.
Orlando.
Orlando Carter? [BRAKES SCREECH.]
- [SCREAMS.]
- Relax.
We're here to help you.
Yeah, I can tell right off.
All right, I'm gonna let you up.
But you gotta promise not to run.
Come on.
Get up.
All right, I'm Detective Santos, and this is Detective Loman, and we're investigating the murders at the Sunrise Café.
- I never heard of the place.
- Really? 'Cause we heard you and your friend Morris were meeting a cop named Parker there the other night.
Don't worry.
I don't remember any of that.
You have my word.
You must have us confused with some other unit.
We're actually trying to solve this murder.
How do I know? Because you're still breathing.
Okay, you're gonna have to trust us.
Okay, Morris trusted that other cop, and now both of them are dead.
Harlee.
Orlando, you're gonna have to come with us.
I told Morris to let the cops clean up their own mess, but he wouldn't listen.
And that one cop sounded desperate.
In the car now.
See those cops? One of them went to the Sunrise instead of you.
Get in.
You can go home and change, officers.
We'll take the suspect from here.
Oh, no, it's just a drunk and disorderly.
That requires two detectives to solve? I was getting my fortune told.
I can tell you how today ends.
That man's a potential accomplice in the murder of a police officer.
Yeah, do you have an arrest warrant? Do you? Thought we'd drive around until he sobers up.
Catch and release, I hope.
Sorry for your loss.
I must have tossed this block eight times in the past four months.
Guess Quince mastered the art of hiding in plain sight.
Which house? Second house up on the right.
Security footage has this Junior character bringing in groceries three times a week.
He's gotta be sneaking out product.
No one puts a bullet in Quince but me.
I want him alive.
Understood? BOTH: Police! Show me two hands or I show you two bullets! Hello, Matt.
I'm starving.
I haven't eaten anything since breakfast.
Funerals do that to you.
Where's Quince? Mayonnaise, ketchup, and half a burrito.
I guess he was ordering in.
Ah.
One beer left.
What do you say we split it? - Police! - NYPD! [INDISTINCT SHOUTING.]
Woz, where are you? I'm in the kitchen.
I'm good.
We got a problem out here.
Stand down.
We're all friends.
I'm glad to hear it.
I need a little favor.
Happy to repay it.
This favor have a name? Orlando Carter.
Two DUIs and an armed robbery count in his 20s.
He worked the docks with the longshoreman that I shot at the Sunrise Café.
They were both there to meet Parker, the intelligence officer that got killed.
But Orlando didn't show.
He told you this? But he won't tell me what the meeting was about without immunity.
Immunity for what? Whatever the hell he's scared of.
Have you booked our Sunrise suspect yet? Oh, just an informal chat with a potential lead.
Hold on, is he is he a witness or an accomplice? That's what we're sorting out.
Can you excuse us a minute, Counselor? Yeah.
Ramsey has Quince.
What, since when? Since you and Loman picked up his person of interest.
That wasn't even a couple of hours ago.
How did you know to look for that guy? How did intel know where to find Quince? 'Cause they have reach, Harlee.
You know, Loman ID'd his runner from the Sunrise Café.
He's one of Ramsey's men.
Yeah, I could do the math.
And you want to deliver Orlando to them? No, I want you to.
I'll be waiting for Quince six blocks over.
Fair trade.
I know that Quince is personal.
I get it.
Stahl is personal.
But we can't burn the city down trying to find them.
River Road, midnight.
I get Quince at the same time under Hell's Gate Bridge.
I'm not gonna deliver a man to his death for your revenge fantasies.
You have to do it.
Ramsey's gotta know that we're all on board.
We're not all on board.
Are you willing to take a bullet for this guy? 'Cause I'm not.
If Orlando has evidence that can take down Ramsey and his intelligence unit, then no one has to take a bullet.
I'll take that all-comers, Harlee.
But I gotta make the crew whole again.
I'm not starting a war with the secret police.
They killed one of their own men, Woz.
So did we.
I don't even know what you're asking me.
Were you and your friend Morris engaged in illegal activities with law enforcement officers? [KNOCK AT DOOR.]
I think I know why he's not talking.
Sorry, I may have jumped the gun on this one.
He just hinted that Parker may have been talking with someone at internal affairs.
Yeah, but I guess he's a CI that Parker cut loose for bad intel.
He's playing us.
His fear seems pretty genuine to me.
I'm gonna transfer him to One Police Plaza.
Whoa, a few minutes ago, you were convinced this guy was at risk of being killed by police.
Yeah, I'm I'm off my game.
I'm sorry.
I guess old habits die hard when your boss needs something.
[ENGINE REVS.]
Deny knowing anything.
Swear to forget and move on.
It's your best chance.
Chance? The second I open my mouth, they'll stick a gun in it.
[SIGHS.]
[TIRES SCREECHING.]
I'm sorry.
Okay? I really am.
We're just caught in a stampede.
I trusted you.
You said you'd help; that you weren't that kind of cop.
[PERCUSSIVE MUSIC.]
[BISHOP BRIGGS' "THE FIRE" PLAYING.]
Heaven above Sent me love But it wasn't enough No it wasn't enough 'Cause I've been a devil I've been a saint Somebody help me I can't change I keep on Runnin' toward, runnin' toward the fire I keep on Runnin' toward, runnin' toward the fire No, you - No! - Oh, I let my lover go Didn't wanna be a liar Ashes in the cold Now I'm runnin' toward the fire - Fire - To the fire Woz? Woz.
Harlee, I didn't ask.
When you were bleeding out in that open field, did you get that feeling? Could you tell? That I might die? That you would die.
When I was on the lobby floor, I knew it.
I knew it for sure.
And there was no peace in it.
There was no bright light.
There was just fear.
Fear and loneliness.
Paramedics told me that I was dead for two minutes.
And yet, here you are.
Guess we got a do-over.
I intend to use mine.
It's not a do-over unless we make different choices.
Where's Orlando? They were gonna kill him, Woz.
You knew that when you cuffed him.
To cover up a murder of one of their own.
A cop.
I made assurances.
Where is he? Somewhere safe far from Ramsey's reach.
You can't stand where you're standing and pretend it's high ground.
I'm not standing, Woz! Okay, I'm underwater.
I can't breathe.
I can't even reach the surface! Then let me make the decisions until you figure out which was is up.
I need to be able to close my eyes and not see the things that I've done.
These guys don't mess around.
I know that.
Then tell me where Orlando is.
I've been telling myself over and over again that I'm gonna do what I know is right, until there's some excuse for me not to, and then I cave.
This is where you draw the line? You're gonna break the blue wall against the intelligence division? You do not need to get Quince to start over.
Just take your second chance and be grateful for it.
And move on like you did? Kill the man that you think is Stahl? No, by doing things differently.
And then failing and then trying to do right again, until that becomes the new normal.
I don't want a new normal.
I want a crew that follows orders.
I want to have cred in the streets so I can make them safe again.
I don't want to start over.
I want things back to the way they were.
And I don't.
You want a world where there's no place for men like me.
And so do I.
But it doesn't exist.
I love you, Woz.
I always will.
There was a time where I could honestly say that I would do anything for you.
But cut me loose on this.
I'll stand alone.
Hey, did you reach the DA? Can she see us in the morning? I don't think this can wait until the morning.
Why, what did Orlando tell you? Can you meet me at my office? [ENGINE REVS.]
Should I be worried? I got hold of the DA.
She's having drinks in the village, but she'll meet us downtown.
We're leaving my apartment now.
I'm five minutes away.
Wait for me.
All right, I'll be right there.
[MUFFLED VOICE OVER PA.]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
Shouldn't we wait for that cop lady? I'll just talk to her.
She's on her way.
[BRAKES SCREECH.]
The next stop is 23rd Street.
[PHONE BEEPING.]
[LINE TRILLING.]
You reached James Nava.
Leave a message.
[VOICEMAIL BEEPS.]
[SIRENS WAILING.]
NYPD.
Run that light now.
Miss, I need you to wait.
Wait.
He wasn't alone.
Carjacking gone bad.
Looks like they found the assailant and James.
Easy.
You can't touch him before the M.
E.
gets here.
James.
Baby.
Baby.
Please.
- Please.
- He's dead.
- Ma'am, he's gone.
- No! No! No! No! No! No! [SOBBING.]
[SOBBING.]
No.
[SOBBING.]