Cold Case s04e09 Episode Script

It's really cold outside, and then when you come inside-- whoo-- it's really warm in here, so I'm all frizzy.
Hold on.
(chuckles): I can't see.
Okay.
Um I'm Martha.
Should we cut? Should we start over? No? Go ahead.
Talk about yourself.
Oh, me.
Uh, I'm 33, and I'd really like to leave Philadelphia someday.
Oh, and, uh, I'm a mortician's assistant.
I am such a sappy romantic.
I'm not cool.
But I believe in love that changes your life from black and white to color.
Like, you could be sitting in the park one day just watching the leaves, you know, maybe with your lunch, and you can meet somebody.
You know, maybe his dog runs up to you or something, and you lock eyes and your whole life changes on the spot.
You have to believe that kind of thing is possible or you'll go crazy.
(camera beeps) Is that good? Uh-huh.
So, uh, w-what happens now? I-I've never done this before.
Men come in, they watch your tape.
If they like it, they make you a tape.
You watch it; if you like it, you go out.
Great! Our service doesn't work for everyone.
People can be really superficial, but it's inner beauty that counts in the end.
Cold case 409 Sweet pad.
Well, if you like zebra print.
STILLMAN: It belongs to the IRS now.
Owner here, Ramon Delgado.
Credit card fraud finally caught up with him.
Is that why he offed himself? He didn't leave a note.
VALENS: Well, it wasn't for lack of confidence.
Guy's got a little crush on himself.
So, why are we out on a suicide? I didn't bring you down here for him.
MARTHA (on video): You have to believe that kind of thing is possible or you'll go crazy.
She's a cold job? Martha Puck.
.
45 shot to the back.
VALENS: What's up with the tape? Label says it's from a dating service.
Delgado was watching it when he shot himself? Neighbor heard the gunshot, came up, found the tape playing.
So what's the connect between Ramon and Martha Puck? STILLMAN: Million dollar question, Scotty.
He a suspect first time around? Name never came up.
Maybe he ripped her off.
Guy's a con artist.
Her face was the last thing he wants to see before the lights go out? Got to be more than a con.
Maybe it's a love thing.
What? Putting a connection between these two? No wonder this job went cold.
Martha Puck, Body found by the garbage collector in the alley behind Delroy's Pizza.
MILLER: No witnesses, no purse, and a lot of loose change around the body, so the theory was a mugging.
No next of kin to follow up.
Martha was an orphan, so the case went cold fast.
Roommate, Stephanie Levine, said Martha hardly had friends.
No enemies she could think of.
Lifestyle wasn't risky.
No shady connections.
Which doesn't explain the connection to Ramon Delgado.
'Cause he's shady for sure.
IRS had him on tax evasion and credit card fraud.
Eh, small-time stuff.
Not the same as murder.
Maybe he ripped Martha off, back in the day? Yeah.
Maybe he's got some kind of fetish.
Well, she's a specific kind of woman.
So I got an apartment last weekend.
No kidding.
Figured what the heck.
You ain't gonna miss motel life? There's only a certain kind of woman you can bring back to a motel room.
You're looking to upgrade.
Thing is, I'm no good on my own.
Yeah.
I hear you.
Stephanie Levine? Oh.
I'm sorry, we don't do tuxes.
Oh, neither do we.
Philly Homicide.
Here about your roommate Martha Puck.
Oh.
(whispering): Could you give me a minute? Martha? What about her? Do you recognize this guy? Hello, Memory Lane.
Yep, we both knew him.
Never met him, but saw him on tape.
Video dating tape? I made Martha sign up for a dating service, Love Juncture, so she could meet a real man.
Real man, meaning what? As in not in one of her romance novels.
She would read those things all day.
Well, how'd it work out for Martha with the dating service? Truthfully? Better for me than for her.
No.
It's too many! That's what you get for being so hot, girl.
Let me check your box, Miss Puck.
Martha.
Is this for Oh, wow, yeah.
It's for you.
"Ray-mon Del-gay-do.
" Hey.
I'm Ramon.
Ramon.
Martha.
I really liked your tape.
Uh, you don't know how many tapes I've watched.
It seems like every girl's stuck-up or into herself.
So baseball, uh Italian food, ice skating-- on a lake, not a rink-- uh, dogs, cats, any kind of animal, traveling places uh, laughing.
Yeah, that's me.
Well, if that's not corny as hell, maybe you'd like to meet me in person.
(gasps) He (gasps) I Did you see I'm sorry, sweetie.
That guy? What? He didn't even make me a tape.
Well, maybe he's looking for someone more my type.
That was my first tape.
What are the chances of finding my dream man on the first tape? You'll find your Mr.
Right.
And it'll be when you least expect it.
I was trying to protect Martha from people like that.
People like what? Users, scumbags, arrogant bastards.
(scoffs): You know how you people can be.
Uh, did she ever take Ramon up on his offer? I never saw him again.
Thanks for your time.
Oh, Detectives.
I have a box of Martha's stuff and no one to give it to.
Sure.
Look, I don't mean to make Martha out to be some loser just because the dating thing didn't work out.
It doesn't always work out and it doesn't mean something's wrong with you.
Couldn't agree more.
Hi, sorry.
RUSH: Ramon and Martha made contact through this dating service.
He sees her tape, tries to lure her in and rip her off.
You think it's impossible he could have been interested because of how she looks? Yeah, impossible.
I'm not sure I want you speaking for all men.
The Milkmaid's Manor? Research.
Prized possessions here are all romance novels.
She was obsessed with these things.
Only one of 'em turned out to be her diary.
Stuffed in a book jacket.
STILLMAN: Hiding it.
Diary give us anything? The novels got to her head.
She wanted a man, big time.
RUSH: The romantic fantasy is why Martha didn't listen to Stephanie.
So she did follow up with Ramon? January 16, 1989.
Martha agrees to meet him at The Perfumed Rose.
Exhibit A.
"I told him I'd be the one with the flower "behind my ear.
"If he saw me and wanted to walk the other way, I swore my feelings wouldn't be hurt.
" Martha.
Ramon.
Come here.
Come here.
When's the last time you had a cheesesteak? Are you making fun of me? What? No.
No.
No, I asked because I know after we have a few drinks and talk for a long time I'm going to want a cheesesteak.
Oh.
Geno's.
Okay.
A lot of girls, they don't they don't bother with the cheesesteak.
Gets old fast.
I guess I'm probably not like a lot of other girls.
That's good.
That's why I'm here.
I, um I think it's great what you do.
My parents died when I was ten.
Oh, my goodness.
You were an orphan? Well, I I didn't have like a little tin cup and a crutch, but yeah.
Anyway, look, I-I just wanted to tell you that it meant a lot to me when they fixed up my mom to look nice.
At the wake.
That's why I'm in Mortuary Studies.
I felt the same way when my mom died.
Oh.
Oh, yeah? She had a stroke when I was four.
Huh.
I laid by her side for two days, before a neighbor figured it out and called the cops.
That's sad, Martha.
No.
It was peaceful.
She was finally happy.
How do I look? Very dashing.
Um, manly.
So Martha and Ramon hit it off.
'Spite of him being full of it.
Guy did all right.
All first date talk is crap.
Well, Martha thought Ramon was sincere.
She slept with him that night.
Here's a last entry: "Today Ramon told me "the reason he was drawn to me "is because I look like his late mother.
I never thought I could be so happy.
" Now is that romantic or creepy? That's not the last entry.
There's a space in the binding.
Used to be other pages here.
Did they fall out? Somebody took them out.
Jeffries just called.
He's got something.
Delgado had this storage unit since 1980.
"Love poetry from the early "Musings on Women.
" These are seduction tools.
Meet the seductees.
What are we watching? Video dating tapes.
Love Juncture.
Soul of a Lifetime.
View and Woo.
What was he doing with these? Targeting women.
Credit card fraud? We ran the names on the tapes.
Five of these women are dead.
Martha Puck's dream man wasn't just a con artist.
???? Hey.
Hey.
You say it like I don't know that.
You got a name, kid? Andre.
How 'bout you give it a rest, Andre.
How 'bout you put some pants on? I'm a cop, smart-ass.
So what you going to do, homes, arrest me? Ramon Delgado had video dating tapes on each of these women.
From five different dating services where he was a client.
And each of these women died in a hit-and-run accident in 1989.
RUSH: Crossed state lines to hide his tracks.
One in Jersey, one in New York, the rest in Philly.
Nobody made the connect.
Any witnesses? VALENS: One.
Crackhead named Cherry LeSure, saw victim number one, Buella Stiffler, get mowed down in the Badlands.
Cherry said she saw "bells and bubbles.
" Why do we ite it down? So that was Delgado's M.
O.
He hit tir bank accounts, then he hit them.
These five emptied their bank accounts themselves, day before they were killed.
Delgado convinced them to do it.
How? Well, look at 'em.
Not exactly the seasoned dating types.
You track down any of the other women from his tape collection? Yeah, found a live one, uh, Eugenia Karpathian.
Always like fishing a lot.
But what with water pollution what it is these day, can't eat what we catch so Hmm.
Well, see what Eugenia can tell you about Ramon and his magic.
EUGENIA: Six tons of plush toys can't deliver themselves, guys.
Well, he was good-looking, at least I got that excuse.
Eugenia, did Ramon Delgado ever make you feel threatened? Uh, in danger? Aucontraire, he was sugar and spice.
How do you think he convinced me to let him invest my savings? Invested it, all right, into his own pocket.
You never reported it? Would've, if it weren't half my fault, fallin' for his BS.
He ever say anything to you about other women? He didn't have to say.
After he wronged me, I staked out his place.
Sure enough, there was a new girl.
Floral print-type.
You don't know me, technically, but you and I are one in the same.
I have to go to the pretzels now.
No.
Ramon Delgado.
He took me for all I'm worth.
And he'll do the same to you.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Excuse me.
Yeah, I'm a single mom.
I got my boy asking for soccer camp, and I can't even give him sauce for his noodles since Ramon cleaned me out.
I'm sorry if he hurt you.
But it's different with me and Ramon.
So I don't need your warning.
"You look like my dead ma.
" He say that to you? Next he'll ask for a key to your place.
Stuff will disappear.
He'll borrow your car.
It'll get stolen.
What's going on? She knows Ramon.
You got to have hope.
Just because we ain't Morgan Fairchild, doesn't mean we don't deserve somebody nice.
Martha, who is this? We got to go home.
Poor Martha.
I've been there.
One day you're on vacation in denial city, next day you're in a prison of your own stupidity.
Thanks, Eugenia.
Well, Stephanie, the roommate lied about Martha and Ramon.
Said they didn't follow up.
Well, this guy was a Svengali with the ladies.
Maybe Stephanie fell for his schtick, too? Oh, please.
Protect Ramon? I couldn't stand him.
Oh, you think you can just pick and choose what you tell us? I have a reputation you know.
As what? The kind of men I date have money, and prestige, and they do background checks.
If they found out that I lived with a thief, all this means nothing.
VALENS: "Thief.
" Oh, you mean Ramon? Martha? Look, Martha was your roommate.
Doesn't mean she reflects on you.
I can tell you're classy.
True.
So you can imagine how I felt.
About what? The day that lady with the braid saw us at the supermarket.
We raced home, and Martha she just transformed.
Baby.
This thing's out of whack.
I was, uh, I was going to run it down to my buddy's shop and get it fixed before Murphy Brown comes on.
Steph, will you give us a sec? I know you don't really love me.
You lied to me for two weeks to take my frickin' TV? You can't call the cops.
They can't prove it.
Please, don't go.
I can't get over you.
It would be too hard.
I dreamt about you.
And then you were here.
And now I'm gone.
'Cause I got what I need.
You could get more.
From the girls.
That you lie to.
Oh, yeah? You can marry them.
Why would I do that? It's all we want.
To have somebody say that we're the one.
If you do that, we'll give you anything.
Anything like what? Secret stashes.
We have 'em because we think we're going to be alone forever.
So I take the money then I got a wife.
Forget it.
Divorce her.
That's too messy.
Get rid of her.
That don't work, babe.
I can't do jail.
We can think of a way.
For us to get away with it.
RAMON: Us? People die every day crossing the street.
Martha Ramon.
Obviously, she wasn't serious about taking anybody out.
Oh, obviously.
People die crossing the street? That's how our five women were taken out.
Hit-and-runs were Martha's idea.
She wasn't Ramon's victim.
She was his accomplice.
MILLER: Wellthis is a big, fat waste of time.
Solving a murderer's murder.
Case gets closed all five of them.
Doesn't matter how we feel about the victim.
She's not a victim.
She's a psycho.
She did it for love.
Love with a two-bit hood.
Ramon wasn't pickin' anyone off until Martha came in.
That's my piece.
I found a pattern in the victims' credit card charges.
Day she died, Buella Stiffler made a purchase at a florist in New Jersey.
Anastasia Farelli went to the beauty parlor.
And Petunia Marshall got a five-point wax.
It's Martha's wedding plan in action.
Flowers, the primping.
Purchases were made on the day they died.
He was marrying them, and then kills 'em before they have to pay for a honeymoon.
They did the ceremony, offed the girls and never filed the paperwork.
Which would explain why there's no record of Ramon Delgado being married.
I called the florist in Atlantic City, where Buella used her card.
They said they do a lot of orders for the quickie chapel next door.
Midnight Love Chapel, it's called.
I'll send Nick and Scotty down there.
Hey.
I can do it, but it's not legal in this state.
Yeah, I remember Rico Suave and the two big girls.
Buella and Serena.
This "Serena" by any chance? Yep, that's her.
Serena Montagne.
The groom's sister.
Sister? Tell us about Serena and her brother Ramon.
I've seen some wacky couples in here, but that brother and sister duo make my Top Five.
You two don't look alike.
I'm adopted.
I'm adopted.
I'm adopted.
Hey, baby.
Hmm? Maybe you should check the girls' room.
Maybe she split.
No, she's coming, Ramon.
She's been in there 40 minutes.
What'd you say to her? The first time you saw her tape, it was like you got tunnel vision and all you could see was her, and then you called me from a payphone and you said, "Sis, I can't believe it.
I think I found the one.
" That's nice.
You look hot in a hat.
I wish it were me.
Walkin' down the aisle to you.
Wouldn't Mom be proud? well,hi Serena Montagne-- name Martha used-- it's from one of her romance novels.
No kiddin'.
Yeah, a busty milkmaid finds out she's a princess.
Isn't that always the way? Thanks a lot.
Hey, these bubbles? Yep.
Less mess than birdseed.
(bells jingling) You givin' these away in '89? Since we opened.
Help yourself.
Bells and bubbles.
For free.
It's your lucky day.
Crackhead who saw Buella's hit-and-run talked about bells and bubbles.
JEFFRIES: Cherry LeSure.
CHERRY: I'm outta breath from runnin' over here.
My girlfriend said there was a delicious scoop o' chocolate in a suit lookin' for me.
Hello.
Cherry LeSure? Detectives Jeffries and Rush.
Back in '89, you saw a hit-and-run down here.
Big girl, Buella Stiffler.
Dark days for me.
You recall the incident or not? He always this feisty? I told them boys in blue what I saw.
They chose not to listen.
Feisty.
You described seeing bells and bubbles.
That's right.
'Cause they were doin' a housewarming party.
What do you mean? It's crazy, but they came down here and acted like they found paradise.
RAMON: Watch your step.
RAMON: You ready? Keep them closed.
No looking.
You guys are hysterical.
Where are we? (giggling) Oh, you'll see in a sec.
No looking.
Okay.
RAMON: Okay ???? This is what we put our down payment on? You're kidding, right? MARTHA: You have to use your imagination, Buella.
I mean, it's not built yet, but, oh, it's going to be beautiful.
You know what? Here we go.
(shrieks) Oh! I just carried you over the threshold.
BUELLA: You did? RAMON: I did.
Close your eyes so you can picture it.
Okay.
Okay? They closed? Yes.
Yeah? Mm-hmm.
There's the front door.
There's the little stone path leading up toward the fence.
Little front yard.
Seriously? Like with bushes and stuff? Keep 'em closed.
Keep 'em closed.
All right.
Yes, with bushes and stuff.
I love you.
Hey.
Hey.
Oh, my God! (crying): Oh, my God.
Martha Stop crying.
Martha, Martha, stop crying.
That was fantastic.
You were freakin' gorgeous just then.
Really? This stuff becomes you, baby.
You sure that wasn't a vision from your crack pipe, Cherry? That's what happened.
Big girl's shakin' like a leaf, but she took that other broad out.
Bam! Come see my show at The Manhole Tuesday night.
It's slammin', girl.
And give choco-love my flyer.
Sure.
Thanks, Cherry.
For you choco-love.
That was Vera.
Ran Martha's alias, Serena Montagne, and got a hit.
She used it for something other than marriage certificates? Turns out Serena took out a life insurance policy.
On who? Ramon Delgado.
Guess Martha got the hang of the con game.
Decided to step it up a notch, ???? VERA: So Martha tried to turn the tables on Ramon.
RUSH: And scam the scammer.
Maybe he found out.
And he took her out first.
She was deep in the game.
Her fake name-- Serena Montagne-- she used it for a lot more than the life insurance policy on Ramon.
Credit cards.
And a safe deposit box.
And guess what was in it? Other half of the diary.
What'd she give us? Writes about Buella Stiffler and the four other women she and Ramon murdered.
Any insight into Martha's murder? Nothing caught up with them from their crime spree.
Except Martha's conscience.
MARTHA: "My dear love, "May you keep track of every second "that we are together on this Earth.
"Your husband, Edwin.
This is so romantic.
RAMON: What? And we took it.
This is someone's heirloom of love This loser's into ferns.
You know anything about that? I don't think I want to do it anymore.
Martha needs a rubdown.
I've become a terrible person.
And for what? (sobbing): So that I can pretend to be your sister while some girl who thinks she's your wife climbs all over you? Hey, hey.
You think I like it? But we can't quit.
Think I need to go for a walk.
Martha Come on, baby.
What we have is special.
We are Bonnie and Clyde.
And it feels good, right? It doesn't.
You don't like us? You don't like me? I don't like me.
Let's get married.
You want a wife? I want you.
The second I saw you, I got tunnel vision.
And I knew you were the one.
Martha Puck, will you marry me? VERA: "Ramon only marries a girl "when he's ready to get rid of her for good.
I've got to get him before he gets me.
" Martha's "Serena Montagne" credit card had three charges on it the week after she was shot.
Ramon used it? Take a look at the charges.
Grocery store, clothing boutique, Pee Wee Soccer Camp.
Soccer camp? Eugenia said she wanted to send her son there before Ramon cleaned her out.
Martha dies and Eugenia's luck turns around.
Thing about Martha is she was frustrating.
Some women, they think so low of themselves, gets them into trouble.
You weren't angry with Martha? Well, I was disappointed.
VALENS: Disappointed doesn't explain taking credit cards off her dead body and using them to buy things.
Whoa, whoa.
I got to stop you right there.
I don't do killing.
RUSH: That's too bad.
'Cause if you did, maybe Ramon wouldn't have dumped you.
I wouldn't say he dumped me.
I wouldn't use that word.
It was meant to be, though.
Him and Martha were the real love match.
Well, there's no accounting for taste.
You still love him.
Oh, go ahead and judge me.
You don't know what it's like to be a woman and want somebody to love you, but you're too old, you're too fat, you're too loud, you're too something.
And every damn thing hurts your feelings like it's the end of the world.
And you We might as well be from different planets.
Martha was planning on killing Ramon.
You found out about that.
Guy like that? You don't toss that out.
He was using her just like he used you.
I wish! After she was gone, I told him I'd be his new Bonnie, he could be my Clyde.
But he couldn't get over losing Martha.
He was watching her tape when he killed himself.
Some people get lucky with love, some people don't.
That's life.
How did you know about Martha's plan? She called me up.
Said I was the only person she could really confide in.
'Cause us two we knew what it was like to be under his spell.
Thank you so much for meeting me here.
I know it's out of your way, but I don't want Ramon to find me.
Smells good, doesn't it? Deep dish place.
I'm guessing your problem has something to do with Ramon.
He wants to get rid of me.
What, like kill you? He's not that bad.
Yes, he is.
Oh, Eugenia.
We've done things.
I just lost my way.
"We"? I helped him steal and do horrible, terrible things.
You and him? So, uh what, you live together? I'm gonna kill him.
Can I touch it? I have life insurance on him, and I am giving the money to you and your son.
'Cause I want to make it right, what happened to you.
Did he ever tell you you had beautiful hair? I don't think so.
Yeah, well, he, uh he told me that.
You do have nice hair.
Can you put the gun down? I can't really stand it if you kill him.
'Cause maybe, if you don't want him, then, uh What?! Eugenia! He's a bad person.
He isn't good enough for you.
Well, he's all there is.
But what about hope? You said there would be someone nice.
I'm sick of saying that! It's bad enough to have every damn ad, song, TV show lying to you about how anybody can find true love.
But I am so sick of lying to myself.
Oh, Eugenia.
Don't give up.
Love could find you when you least expect it.
You could be sitting in the park one day, reading a book 'Cause I am so damn tired.
* I hear the ticking of the clock * * I'm lying here, the room's pitch dark * * I wonder where you are tonight * * No answer on the telephone * * And the night goes by so very slow * * Oh, I hope that it won't end though * * Alone * * Till now * * I always got by on my own * * I never really cared until I met you * * And now it chills me to the bone * * How do I get you alone? * * How do I get you alone? * * You don't know how long I have wanted * * To touch your lips and hold you tight * * Oh * * You don't know how long I have waited * * And I was gonna tell you tonight * * But the secret is still my own * * And my love for you is still unknown * * Alone * * Oh alone * * Till now * * I always got by on my own * * I never really cared * * Until I met you * * And now it chills me to the bone * * How do I get you alone? * * Alone *