Cold Case s03e11 Episode Script

The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event.
June 6, 1980 - Are we going to that party tonight? - Yeah.
Man, forget about that party, just keep driving right out of Philly.
What's wrong with Philly? May's got her big plans.
Singing, huh? She's gonna cut some place of her own in New York City.
Why do you wanna go to New York? You don't know anyone there.
I know everyone here.
I bet she makes it.
We won't hear from her ever again except for on the radio.
My Daddy says if you plan big you'll just disappoint yourself.
- Yeah, well I got plans that involve you.
- You do? Oh, crap, get a room.
So this chick went AWAL after a highway shooting in '88? Yeah, the guy she was with was killed.
She got winged, skipped out of the hospital before the cops could interview her.
Now someone dropped a dime? Old classmate saw her on the boardwalk last week.
Man, what is that? - Rice cake.
- All right.
- May Pierson.
- Yeah.
Philadelphia Homicide.
I don't have anything to do with anything.
That's a pretty broad claim.
I've been up all night, I can't be doing this.
Doing what, May? You don't even know what it's about.
- Or do you? - Clem Garris.
Shot on the expressway in '88, you were there.
'Till you fled.
No.
That was another girl.
So you're not May Pierson? That works at this fine establishment and drives this vehicle? I'm sayin' that was a lifetime ago.
Yeah, we gotta talk about it.
- Forget it, I'm goin' home.
- This ain't a debate, May, we got a warrant.
We do this here or do it in Philly.
You can't take me there, on what basis? Obstructing a police investigation '88, New York bench warrant '94.
And irritating two homicide guys, 2006.
Get in the car.
Philadelphia Police Department Central Division Were you in court this morning? Cat emergency, Olivia got chomped by a neighbor dog.
He gets the other eye? That's not funny.
Rita.
Hi, John.
I almost came by, I didn't wanna bother you.
Lilly Rush, Rita Hart.
Formerly Stillman.
Oh, hi.
Um I'll see you later, boss.
So, what brings you here? - House got robbed last night.
- No kiddin'? Yeah, I just reported it.
Was Joel with you? Joel moved out.
Few months ago.
- The drinking? - Yeah.
- Sorry.
- It's better.
I'll talk to major crimes, have them fast track it.
- OK.
- Give you a call.
- Thanks.
Clem Garris shot and killed January '88, found on the shoulder of I-76.
But not alone.
No, that's the scandelous part, he was found with a woman not his wife.
May Pierson.
Was shot in the arm, slipped out of the ER before the cops could get a play by play.
But Vera and Valens picked her up this morning.
Got her upstairs.
Leaves the scene and doesn't turn up for 18 years? - That's a person of interest.
- At least.
Clem told his wife Sally, he'd be at a local bar that night with the guys.
So why is he out on the highway with this gal? Rough way to find out what your husband's up to.
Unless Sally already knew.
Decided she'd had enough.
Making her a person of interest number two.
Between New York and Jersey, there's a lot of ink on you May.
That's from way back.
A DUI, arrest for loitering, solicitation? I know what I did.
Now you know why I ditched the cops that night.
You didn't wanna get jammed up.
Never mind helping find who killed your boyfriend Clem.
He wasn't my boyfriend.
Sayin' you weren't screwin' around? I hadn't seen him in years.
Well then how the heck do you end up on that highway with him, May? I ran into Clem at Atlantic City that night.
Told his wife he was at a Philly bar.
I can't account for that.
So, you run into him.
We're talking about old times, we're both headin' back to Philly, he offers me a ride.
- And? - And we're almost there.
Get bumped from behind.
He pulls over.
Gets out.
Gets shot.
Just like that.
Clem talk about bein' in trouble? Anything like that? I don't know what his life was like.
We'd said our goodbyes years earlier when we were just kids.
May Pierson shows up.
What's one last shift.
You're really goin', huh? Leavin' for New York, 8 am.
Not gonna wait for Petie to come get you? Petie's a big college football star.
He's never comin' back.
You gonna marry Sally? That's the plan.
What if you came with me instead? Come with you? Remember that day we drove around playing 'Born To Run' until the tape broke? Yeah, we ran out of gas.
We could spend every day like that.
I'm not like you, May.
I'm not a big dream kind of person.
But you are.
I gotta stay.
Well.
She sure is pretty.
Bye, Mayflower.
Just Married That's how I like to remember Clem.
'Cause when I saw him that night at Atlantic City, he'd turned into just another disappointed working guy.
It happens.
That's what I know.
Now can I get back to Jersey? - So May Pierson gave us new details about your husband's murder.
Like? - He was in Atlantic City that night.
Not in Philly, like he told you.
Look, I know everyone thought Clem must have been seein' her behind my back, but he wasn't.
How do you know? Clem wasn't perfect, but he was more good than bad.
And when he was in something, he was in.
When I was 19, I took off with a guy The heart wants what it wants.
Yeah.
He was a biker, drinker.
But I thought this is it.
Roll out the carpet, we're goin' down the aisle.
You didn't go through with it? We came close.
We were road trippin'.
Went to a courthouse in Knoxville and we just sat out there on his bike.
Neither one of us could get off.
Well Clem and I never had any doubts.
- No? Getting married was the happiest day of our lives.
Anyone unhappy that day? One person.
- Are you sorry? - No, come on.
I didn't want it to be this way.
We were gonna have babies anyway.
We're doin' the right thing, Sal.
I'm gonna make you happy every day.
What a frickin' joke.
Petie, we didn't think you were coming.
You two aren't foolin' anyone.
Are you drinkin' this early? You're just marrying here because she's knocked up OK, and everyone knows it.
- Keep it down.
- Pete you're acting really embarassing Whoa, I'm embarassing? I know who you really wanna be with.
It's my girl.
May.
What the hell happened to you? What would happen? I got my ass kicked out and I'm washed up and my girl's gone so you get everything and I get nothing.
Hey start up my car.
Me and my bride are pullin' outta here.
Just Married Petie had some kind of wall? Somethin' went real wrong at Penn State.
He dropped out, came home damaged good.
Brought some strong feelings home.
If it's true, that Clem was in Atlantic City that night? - Yeah? Petie spent a lot of time there.
So he could've run into Clem and May, and reacted badly? I can't put it past him.
He's in jail now.
I hear you made a spectacle of yourself at that wedding, Petie.
Yeah, what a jerk.
Pretty bitter about things going so good for Clem? I was in a real bad way then.
I just lost my free ride to Penn State.
- I played ball, too.
- Yeah? What went wrong? First game, I choked.
Froze up on the field, did it all year.
Got cut.
Couldn't've been easy comin' home after that.
- It wasn't.
- People look at you like you're crap.
- Including Clem? No.
He was cool.
I apologized for the wedding thing.
We moved on.
Started hangin' out again.
Were you surprised to hear that he was with May the night he died? - Yeah.
- Everyone was.
- Bother you at all? - How do you mean? - She was your girl, right? I went with her in high school.
So maybe you wanted to get back to that time.
When you were a football star, and had your girl May.
Not denying those were better times but 8 years later I wasn't thinkin' about May.
- No? - I was thinkin' about someone else.
¢Ü Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen ¢Ü tosses me that screen pass.
Yeah, I remember, me and Sal were on the field gettin' ready to do the homecoming thing.
Caught that baby, turned on the jets.
- That was something.
- Crazy times, crazy times.
Never been a prettier homecoming queen, Sal.
You in that white dress.
You remember that, huh? Are you kidding me? Everybody noticed.
Someone got the best catch in school.
I sure did.
Who's that? A guy I do favors for, make some cash.
- I'd better get back to the baby.
- I'll be home soon.
Why is she so down? Things have been kind of yippy at home.
You know truthfully, man, I don't know if me and Sal were ready for all this.
So young.
- It's probably just tough times, right? - Yeah.
No, man.
- It's more than that.
- You think she's sorry? I think she wishes she didn't cry every night.
So Clem and Sally were on the outs.
Win or lose.
I'll lay it out for you.
Things between me and Sally kind of grew.
So Sally and Petie started up.
??? Clem their marriage was so great.
That gives her motive if she wanted out for good.
What about these favors that Petie was doing for money? Breakin' legs, stealing cars.
Thug stuff.
Clem ever get in on it? Petie says he offered but Clem wouldn't go for it.
The guy walked the line.
Uh, anyway guys, good night.
What's he nervous about? Her.
So they found who did the robberies? Bobby Greene.
Lived up the street.
He used to throw mudballs at our windows.
- That little kid? - He's grown up.
- Criminal now.
- Oh, God.
He hit two other houses on the block but he got picked up this morning.
That's sad.
So, why didn't you come to me about this in the first place? I knew you'd be busy.
A long time to be less busy.
You are who you are.
I would like to think I've learned some things.
- Anyway I - Would you.
you wanna have dinner? - Go to Irena's? - Really? - Yeah.
I'm free Friday.
- Me, too.
- 7? - OK.
OK.
- All right, I'll see you.
- OK.
- 7.
- Yeah.
Clem made you happy every day.
- Right Sally? - Right.
- Don't wanna revise that statement? - Why would I? How about because you were bangin' Petie.
- That was wrong.
- But it happened.
And you not tellin' that, get's the wheels turnin'.
Maybe you felt trapped.
Things between you and Clem died out but he wouldn't give up.
'Cause when he was in somethin' he was in.
- Look.
I never had that kind of love again.
So maybe I wanna remember things a certain way.
But we don't live in that land, Sal.
We got a real life murder to solve.
That's true.
Things faded.
And? - And it's true Clem wasn't one to give up.
But he did.
Finally.
- Oh, man it's - Valentine's Day.
Baby, I'm sorry.
- I was gonna get flowers and candy.
- It doesn't matter.
Let's go to bed, huh? No.
We ain't makin' it, are we Sal? - Why can't we fix it? - I don't know.
It's just gone.
But it was right.
It was fun and easy and right.
Yeah, it was.
I don't wanna be a divorced person.
Yeah, but do you wanna be this married person? That's when Petie came into the picture? It wasn't love.
But he wanted to be with me.
And Clem wanted to be somewhere else.
By the time May came back to town, he knew he could go see her.
May came back? When her mother died.
Clem went to the funeral.
I told you I hadn't seen Clem since high school.
Oh, I know what you told me.
His wife said he was at the funeral.
Look, I didn't kill him.
Then why lie to my face? What are you hiding? Me and Clem did a stupid desperate thing.
Tried to get back something we'd never have again.
I need to hear about that.
I saw him at the funeral.
And? Everything rushed back.
Clem Garris shows up.
Hey, Mayflower.
I should get to the reception.
Let me drive you.
How'd New York go? Not too good.
How is that possible? You're the best singer I've ever heard.
Turns out a lot of people can sing.
You going to that reception? No.
Just keep drivin'.
You got a guy there? New York? No.
Mostly just got debts.
How you been gettin' by? I don't wanna talk about it.
OK.
I just haven't been livin' right.
What if we started over? You and me.
How? - Get out of here.
Just drive away.
Like we should've done years ago.
I loved you so much.
Maybe it's still in you someplace.
I know it's in me.
I owe this guy.
There's a job I can do.
In Atlantic City, get you money.
- And then clear out of here? - Yeah, you and me.
Finally.
We thought we could pick up where we left things all those years ago.
But you can't go back.
Learned that the hard way.
So then you met in Atlantic City.
He did this job and we went.
Then the shooting happened.
- What kind of job? - Just said it was a favor for a guy.
Looked into the dude Petie was doing favors for, he's a lowlife named Henry Mack.
Probably who Clem got mixed up with.
What's this Mack's line of work? Had a ring of guys stealing cars, at airports, casinos, bringin' then back to his chop shop in Philly.
So maybe Clem's doin' some runs for him that night.
Maybe Petie knows more about that night than he's lettin' on.
- You find this Mack? - 6 feet under in Trenton.
- Tough interview.
- But there's a story to that.
Guy was murdered, shot on a casino parkin' lot.
That connected to Clem somehow? I'm guessin' because Mack was killed the very same night Clem was.
I know Clem usually walked the line.
Didn't get mixed up in the kind of favors you did.
He kept his nose clean.
Is that maybe just one time when he really needed the money? - For May? - Maybe.
But that one time you two worked for Mack.
Clem gets shot.
So does Mack.
- Uh-huh.
It's kind of hard to miss what those murders have in common.
- You.
- I was a theif not a killer.
You and Clem were stealin' those cars, maybe get ambitious? - Decide to double cross Mack? - No.
But Clem was desperate.
Maybe havin' a runnin' buddy made you bold and Henry Mack - probably deserved the pop in the head.
- I don't know how Mack died.
And after you two waste him, you panic.
Word Clem's gonna fold 'cause he don't got a criminal nature, he walks the line.
Clem was the one guy who was nice to me when I came home a mess! Everyone else kept away.
He stayed my friend.
So be a friend to him, Petie.
Say what happened that night.
He didn't wanna be dirty.
But it was his only ticket out.
¢Ü Stolen Car by Bruce Springsteen ¢Ü ¢Ü I found me a little girl and I settled down ¢Ü ¢Ü in a pretty little house in a pretty little town ¢Ü ¢Ü We got married, and promised never to part ¢Ü ¢Ü then little by little we drifted from each other's heart ¢Ü ¢Ü Now I'm driving a stolen car ¢Ü ¢Ü down on a pitch black night ¢Ü ¢Ü And I'm doing my best to make it through ¢Ü ¢Ü Well I'm just sittin' down here at a Stanton light ¢Ü ¢Ü I wanna get caught but I never do ¢Ü ¢Ü At first I thought it was just restlessness ¢Ü ¢Ü that would fade as time went by ¢Ü ¢Ü and our love grew deep ¢Ü ¢Ü But in the end it was something more I guess ¢Ü ¢Ü that tore us apart and made us weep ¢Ü ¢Ü And I'm driving a stolen car ¢Ü ¢Ü waitin' on that little red light ¢Ü ¢Ü I keep tellin' myself everything's gonna be alright ¢Ü ¢Ü But I ride by night and I travel in fear ¢Ü ¢Ü That in this darkness I might just disappear ¢Ü ¢Ü She asked if I remembered the letters I wrote ¢Ü ¢Ü When our love was young and we were bold ¢Ü ¢Ü She said last night she read those letters ¢Ü ¢Ü And they made her feel one hundred years old ¢Ü ¢Ü As the river runs by the little town ¢Ü ¢Ü down into the sea ¢Ü ¢Ü it was there in the shade I let my body down¢Ü I'm out, Petie.
No if you wanna get paid, we gotta go to Philly.
I'm takin' the car.
- What? - Forget the money.
No, it's no good, Clem.
Mack won't go fot that.
Mack's not gonna find me.
Be good to her.
He went off to get May.
That's it.
The '69 Chevy, huh? It was a beauty.
Yeah.
I've seen it.
You're still driving the same car you and Clem took out of Atlantic City.
And the only person who knew where Clem was going that night? - Petie.
- It wasn't Petie.
- Who then? - A guy.
Clem called him Mack.
There had to be two people, May.
Someone drove that second car away.
And somehow the Chevy ended up back with you.
You would'nt've given us Mack right off.
Unless it was someone you wanted to protect.
Maybe you and Petie need to talk.
Hey, Mayflower! Hi, Petie boy.
May IDed Henry Mack from a photo spread as the shooter.
So we know he was one of our guys at the scene.
But we still got the matter of who was with him.
And who killed him later that night.
You ever make it with singin'? I'm just a cocktail waitress.
So May says you two made a promise.
Back when Clem died.
Yeah.
I'll keep it Petie.
I'm not scared.
It's over for me.
But you can still have a good life.
What happens? After Clem takes off in that Chevy? He finds trouble.
All because of me.
We both had our part in it.
- You think you can steal from me? - Mack.
Take their car.
Meet me back there.
You gave him up? He was gonna kill me.
- Get in the car and drive! - OK, OK.