Bull (2016) s05e04 Episode Script
The Ex Factor
1
That's a very beautiful
engagement ring, sir.
Honestly, it's the most beautiful one we have.
Shall I take it in back and wrap it up? What if she says no? Sir no one is going to say no to this ring.
Can you guarantee it? On second thought, maybe you should just let this go.
Why are you torturing yourself like this? Just let it go.
You have me.
You have Astrid, I have Astrid.
I have you.
That's really all the Christmas present I need.
Hello? What do you mean they just started heading up before you could stop them? You're the doorman.
Marissa Valerian? Maybe.
Who's asking at 7:15 on a Saturday morning? I'm Agent Williams with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This is my partner Agent Ford.
I was wondering if we could trouble you to put on some clothes and accompany us downtown to Federal Plaza.
Okay, this way, Mr.
Valerian.
Let's go.
Greg? Greg! Greg! Do you know what's going on? What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Call your office, tell them you need a lawyer.
And don't say a word until he gets here.
So on the day of the baptism, you two, uh, the parents, the husband and wife, will stand here to the left of the baptismal font.
Now, Mrs.
Bull Uh, Colón.
Ms.
Colón.
My-my apologies.
Ms.
Colón, you'll be holding the child, so I need you to stand closest to the font.
And you, Mr.
Colón, - you'll be - Bull.
I'm sorry? You had it right the first time Bull, Dr.
Jason Bull.
This is Mr.
Colón.
Once again, my apologies.
All right, then.
Uh, husband and wife here.
Uh, uh, forgive me, Father.
But I'm not her husband.
I'm her brother.
Then why on earth are you standing there? Well, I'm going to be the godfather of the child.
And, um Well, you pulled me over here.
Ms.
Colón and I are the baby's parents.
And you're not married? No, not married.
To be fair, we used to be married.
I mean, we just aren't now.
Maybe you could put in a good word for me, Father? We're not here to talk about us.
This isn't about you and me.
This is about our baby, this is about purification.
This is about her introduction to the Catholic Church.
I-I think I'm gonna go, uh, stand over here.
Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry.
You should be.
You're ruining everything.
Okay, there you go.
It's off all good.
It's not me! Oh.
- It's Marissa.
- Ah.
Mine was Marissa, too, actually.
Hey, do you mind if I step away for a second - and see what this is all about? - Hello? I'd be thrilled if you stepped away.
Far away.
Actually, we've covered all the really important details.
The, uh, essentials.
I am so sorry to break this up, uh That was Marissa.
She's, uh, in some trouble.
I'm gonna head back home and rescue Astrid from the babysitter.
Benny, thank you so much for coming today and tell Marissa whatever it is, if I can do anything So tell me about Marissa.
Sounds like she's in a lot of trouble.
What kind of trouble? Alphabet trouble.
The FBI showed up at her apartment this morning, and took her into custody.
Are you serious? For what? I She claims she has no idea.
Told them she wouldn't talk to anybody about anything without her attorneys in the room.
God.
I've barely been up three hours, and this is already one of the worst Saturdays of my life.
Well, no offense, my friend, but you were asking for it.
I know you want to get married and I think, deep down inside, she does, too, but you know, you got to let her come to it in her own time.
We have a child.
She knows that.
But it's not 1964.
A lot of people do it without being married.
Not me.
Well, I hate to break it to you, pal, but you're doing it right now.
Mrs.
Valerian, do you know a Douglas Scott? Uh, not well.
Uh, maybe I was introduced to him once over drinks.
I believe he bought into a restaurant my husband owns, uh, sometime last year.
I think my husband might have even taken him on as a partner.
That's our understanding, as well.
Actually, according to our investigation, this Douglas Scott fellow owns a third of your husband's restaurant.
Your husband retains a third, and you, Mrs.
Valerian, control a third.
I actually don't control anything.
I'm his wife.
He opened the restaurant when we were first married, so we put it in both our names.
But I can't even tell you where they keep the toothpicks.
Forgive me, gentlemen, but where are you going with this? Where we're going is: Mr.
Douglas Scott, the Valerians' business partner - Well, he's not my - is a person known to the FBI as a regional wholesaler of high-end narcotics.
What?! W-Wait a second, as I told you, I barely know Douglas Scott.
And my husband would never do business with drug dealers.
- I mean, why would he? - The same reason anyone does business with anyone There's a profit in it.
We believe that as soon as Douglas Scott bought into your restaurant, he began to run cash from his drug operation through the business His dirty money was mixed with the restaurant's daily receipts and deposited into the restaurant's commercial bank account.
Textbook money laundering.
Uh, but what does any of this have to do with me? Gentlemen, we are anxious to be cooperative in any way we can, but I think you know as well as we do, that Marissa Morgan is a co-owner of this restaurant in name only.
She had no part in any of this, and as she told you, she barely remembers even meeting Mr.
Scott.
Whether she met Mr.
Scott or not, both she and her husband realized a significant improvement in their finances as a result of the arrangement.
Money laundering is a federal crime.
So is bank fraud, so is tax evasion.
You're easily looking at ten to 15 years in a federal penitentiary, Mrs.
Valerian.
Okay, well, now that you've performed your part of the play where our client gets good and scared, tell us what you want, and then we will tell you if our client is interested in helping you.
I mean, the short version is: If your client were willing to testify against Mr.
Scott and Mr.
Valerian, we would do everything in our power to minimize, maybe even dismiss the charges against her.
Marissa? I-I'd be happy to testify.
The only problem is I-I don't know anything to testify to.
Well, if you don't, you don't.
Mrs.
Valerian, you are under arrest for money laundering and conspiracy to commit fraud and tax evasion.
Wait, as I told you, I had nothing to do with any of this! Mrs.
Valerian, you have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used Oh, come on, handcuffs? Is that really necessary? Marissa, look at me, - You have the right to an attorney - look at me.
As soon as we get out of here, Benny and I are gonna arrange bail for you, okay? Look at me, not at him.
We're gonna get you out on bail.
We're gonna get you out of here.
You're gonna be fine.
Okay, uh, so let's talk trial strategy.
You know the federal government's gonna want to try you and Greg together.
Together? No.
No, no, no, no.
We need to be tried separately we have to be tried separately.
I mean, we're in the middle of getting a divorce.
Yes, but the fact is you're technically still married.
And frankly, no matter how unpleasant the prospect might seem, I would prefer we represent you both.
You want to represent Greg? I think we have to.
We just spent the morning watching the prosecutor try to flip you against him.
What makes you think they're not gonna try, and flip Greg against you? Marissa, if he gets his own attorney, they are gonna do and say what is best for him.
Which may not mean it is best for you.
But if TAC represents both of you, then we control the narrative.
We control the messaging.
And we'll do everything we can to protect Greg.
But we'll also do everything we can to protect you.
The question is, can the two of you sit in a room and work together on this? Look, don't get me wrong, I'd-I'd love your help.
Having those guys wake me up, drag me downtown, no one to call not my idea of fun.
I just need to know it's okay with you.
I actually think it makes sense for both of us.
And don't the two of you want to know if I did it? No.
We know you did it.
And I'm betting there's a paper trail a mile long that proves you did it.
Withdrawals, deposits.
The question is, did you know you were doing it? I certainly had no idea.
What can I say? Before I got into business with Mr.
Scott, I was one bad weekend One big snow storm away from closing the place.
I guess at the end of the day, I'm just not a very good businessman.
The restaurant was packed every night, but I was still losing money.
And suddenly this guy sweeps in, tells me how much he loves the place.
And he says, "Let me take over the business part "of the business, give you a big cash infusion.
Leave you to do what you do so well.
" I knew some of the other restaurants he was involved with.
They were all on really solid footing.
I spoke with the owners; They had nothing but great things to say.
I mean, on a Tuesday, I'm-I'm trying to figure out how to pay my purveyors, and a month later, I'm saying to Marissa: Maybe we can start looking at bigger apartments.
And you didn't smell anything fishy? You know, I'm-I'm in the restaurant business, and at the end of the night, we're left with a lot of stinky garbage.
And over the years, what I've learned is that no matter how bad the mess smells if you're determined not to smell it you don't have to smell it.
Iz, I'm trying everything with this bottle short of adding vodka and putting it in a martini glass.
I don't think the baby's hungry.
She's been like that all day.
Just put her in the playpen.
I have to remember that.
What's that? Ah, next time you're fussy and don't do what I want, I'm putting you in the playpen.
That's supposed to make me smile? That's supposed to make me like you again? Banter's all about volume.
Some lines are home runs, some lines are just gonna foul out.
You humiliated me today.
In front of the priest, in front of my brother.
Well, I felt a little humiliated, too.
I don't enjoy feeling like a guest at my own child's baptism, my own child's anything.
Well, you should take that up with your therapist.
I don't have a therapist.
Well, now I know what to get you for Christmas.
I don't have a wife either, which, in case you're curious, is what I really want for Christmas.
I'll stop talking.
No television for you tonight.
What's the good word? Well, based on the documents the FBI sent over, there is none.
I know you guys don't want to hear this, but it certainly appears the FBI has a solid case.
They've got Greg and Marissa's signatures on every deposit, every withdrawal, all the certificates of incorporation, the transfers of ownership.
I mean, just based on all the places she signed her name, Marissa is in this just as deeply as Greg.
Bull in his office? Whatever it is, just slide it under the door, please.
Tell me what to get your sister.
Oh, come on.
You're a smart guy.
You'll think of something.
I did.
I bought her an engagement ring.
Oh, Bull.
Y-You're like the guy who buys his girlfriend sexy lingerie and doesn't understand why she's not as excited about it as he is.
Bull, that ring is not for her, it's for you.
- Mm.
Thank you.
- To make you feel better.
I see, Dr.
Colón.
Thank you.
It's not that she doesn't want to marry you; She doesn't want to marry anybody.
She did that.
It didn't work.
She's a Catholic.
She takes that failure very seriously.
It wasn't a failure.
She had a miscarriage We had a miscarriage.
Yes, she did.
Yes, you did.
But when you needed each other the most, you both turned around and no one was there.
She's not evil, she's not mean.
She would never want to do anything to hurt you.
She loves you.
But she's desperate not to make the same mistake twice.
Particularly because there's a child involved.
Now, you're a psychologist.
Certainly you can understand that.
I'm just gonna get her some lingerie.
Now you're talking.
Ms.
Tyler, how long have you been the hostess at The Briarcrest Room? Almost two years.
So you were there when the ownership expanded to include Douglas Scott? Yes.
And did you notice any changes once he joined the ownership team? Of course.
I mean, Mr.
Valerian still ran the restaurant.
It was just anything involving money.
Uh, cashing out, the tip pool.
That was all Mr.
Scott.
Also, before Mr.
Scott, we'd take turns making the bank run when we closed each night.
The canvas pouch filled with the night's receipts that would go into the bank's night deposit box? But after Mr.
Scott's arrival, he took care of that.
No one touched those receipts but him.
Or someone who worked for him.
I see.
And were you aware that Mr.
Scott was not only in the restaurant business but also the narcotics business? You mean drugs? Exactly.
No.
I didn't know he sold drugs.
But I sure knew he liked them.
How do you mean? Well, if you were a pretty girl and you worked at the restaurant, at some point Mr.
Scott Or one of the guys who worked for Mr.
Scott Was going to come on to you.
Ask you if you wanted to go out after.
Ask you if you wanted to go home with them after.
And drugs were always a part of that conversation.
But selling them? No, I had no idea.
But do you think, perhaps, Mr.
Valerian might have had an idea? Objection.
Calls for speculation.
Objection sustained.
Do you want to rephrase? Actually, I have no further questions for this witness at this time.
Ooh.
Good morning, Ms.
Tyler.
Have you ever actually seen Mr.
Valerian do drugs? Perhaps with Mr.
Scott or anyone from his team? No.
In fact, I'm pretty sure Mr.
Valerian was not someone who approved of drugs.
And what makes you say that? Well, there was another waitress.
Stacy? She'd been there from the beginning.
She was the one who trained the rest of us.
But when Mr.
Scott arrived, she started getting involved with one of his guys.
And for the first time ever, she started missing work.
Sometimes she'd show up and it was like she hadn't gotten any sleep.
And ultimately, Mr.
Valerian had to fire her.
And I know that really upset him.
And the day after Stacy was fired, Mr.
Valerian called an all-staff meeting.
Said how heartbroken he was, how angry he was, how much he adored Stacy, but that drugs had no place in any business he ran.
And if he became aware of anyone using drugs, selling drugs, having anything to do with drugs, they would be instantly terminated.
And was Mr.
Scott or any of his people in this meeting? They were all standing behind Mr.
Valerian.
A couple of them rolling their eyes, trying not to smile.
I'm sure Mr.
Valerian had no idea.
I'm sorry.
Thank you.
I have no further questions for this witness, Your Honor.
The witness is excused.
Let's take a 15-minute recess.
Hello? Is anybody here? I remember you.
You didn't, by any chance bring any food, did you? Or A cold martini? I knew I forgot something.
You're home late.
Well, I had to return a Christmas gift I got for you.
- Mm.
- Something I know deep down inside you really want, but that you're just not ready to accept from me yet.
- Oh, my goodness.
- Mm-hmm.
I wonder what that could be.
A table saw.
You so get me.
Mm-hmm.
So wait, I'm not getting anything now? Oh, I think it's gonna be a mostly socks and underwear kind of Christmas for you.
Socks? Support hose.
Nothing but the best.
And underwear? Flannel.
Made from real flan.
Mmm.
So what is our mini, artificial Christmas tree doing in here? Because I thought we decided it was gonna live in the living room where all the artificial trees live? Yeah, that was the plan, but then, once I set it up, Astrid just refused to be anywhere it wasn't.
So I just picked it up and put it in here - and she fell asleep right away.
- Huh.
No problem.
So, how goes the trial? Oh, well, from a legal standpoint, not a huge breakthrough today, but just before court adjourned, the estranged wife squeezed her husband's hand.
And then, they actually turned and looked at each other in the eye for the first time since the trial began.
It was the closest thing I've seen to a Christmas miracle all season.
Hmm.
Mr.
Walker, can you tell the court who you work for? I'm an employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
And what is it you do for them? I'm what's called a forensic accountant.
And what does that entail? I'm kind of a money detective.
I examine bank records, tax records, all kinds of financial records and see what kind of story they tell.
Are there any irregularities? Has some sort of criminal malfeasance taken place? And did you have occasion to examine The Briarcrest Room's financial records? I did.
And did they tell you a story? They certainly seemed to.
In the ten months' worth of records we examined, we concluded that at least $2,000 a day in funds derived from sources that were clearly not the restaurant were being deposited in the restaurant's account as though part of the day's receipts.
No further questions, Your Honor.
So, Mr.
Walker.
Let me ask you something.
How many years did you have to go to school to become, uh, what do you call yourself? A forensic accountant? Four years of undergrad work, and then a two-year MBA program.
That's impressive.
And how long did you say you studied the financial records of the restaurant? Well, my office and I went through them with a fine-tooth comb for over 15 weeks.
So almost four months.
Wow.
A-And not just you but your entire team, uh, went through these documents to piece together Douglas Scott's money laundering scheme.
Ha.
And yet, you believe my clients Two people who have had exactly zero time studying forensic accounting Knew everything that was going on around them? Well, in May, before Douglas Scott bought into the business, the restaurant turned 605 tables for a gross monthly loss of $7,000.
In June, one month after Douglas Scott became co-owner, the restaurant turned 545 tables.
Now, that's 60 tables less, yet somehow they suddenly had a $30,000 profit.
But you're not answering my question.
I'm trying to.
This trend of fewer tables yet greater profits continued for the next ten months.
How is that possible? The restaurant didn't raise their prices.
You don't need to be a FBI agent - nor a trained CPA to do the math.
- It just doesn't add up.
Tough day, but that's to be expected.
Prosecution's rested.
Tomorrow we present our case.
You ready to take the stand? Ready as I'll ever be.
Hey, we're, uh, heading uptown.
Anybody need a ride? Actually, I feel like walking.
No, I'm, uh, heading the other way.
But thanks.
See you in the morning.
How could you not have known? How could you not have known? Oh, come on, Greg.
You know I never saw a penny of that money.
It went into the joint bank account.
You paid the bills, you wrote all the checks.
Yeah, "joint.
" That means the two of us.
You could have looked at the statements.
They'd sit on the kitchen table for the entire month.
It's your restaurant.
I don't know how many tables you're turning.
I don't know if you're making a profit or not.
You don't tell me those things.
You don't ask.
And suddenly, everything is better.
You're making money, and it doesn't occur to you to find out why? How? Hell no.
When things are good, no, I don't need to know why.
I just need for them to not stop.
But you wouldn't understand that.
No, I don't understand that at all.
I trusted you.
It's like the other day.
You said you smelled the garbage, but you didn't do anything about it.
Why would I? We were winning.
You don't check the weather when the sun's out.
I do.
Especially if I've made plans with someone that I supposedly care about.
So, you made her something? For Christmas? Why do you sound so surprised? I'm a clever, creative person.
Uh, well, you're a 50-year-old man.
She's a 40-year-old woman.
What did you make her? A birdhouse made out of Popsicle sticks? We're here.
Oh, my God.
I'm not sure I'm ready for this.
See you all inside.
Now, before you go in there and take the stand this morning, I need to talk to you about a couple of things.
As my client, I need to remind you to tell the truth.
- Of course.
- No.
It's more complicated than that.
The only certainty in all this is that they are gonna ask you questions that will pit you against Greg.
Questions that will make you at least consider fudging the truth, shading the truth to protect yourself, to protect Greg.
It's a trap.
Bull, I am not a liar.
I am certainly not gonna lie under oath.
And now is the part where I talk to you like a friend.
Yes, they are trying you and Greg together.
But the jury will be instructed to decide your cases separately, which means that Greg can be found guilty and you can be found innocent.
Not that I'm wishing that on Greg.
- God, no.
Me, either.
- But I believe in your innocence.
And we need that jury to believe in it, too.
And the way we get them to believe in your innocence is by believing you, which means that you are gonna have to share everything.
You're gonna have to share it all, even the embarrassing parts.
There are no embarrassing parts.
Oh, yes, there are.
You're a real smart person, Marissa Morgan.
And that's not something you can hide or cover up with makeup.
Smart just oozes out of you.
But you loved this man.
You trusted this man.
And that notwithstanding, either he's far more ignorant than he lets on or, more than likely, he was able to persuade himself that he didn't need to confide in you when he sensed something illegal was going on.
Even though he was playing with your money, with your reputation.
With your future.
I'm sorry.
It really is as simple as that.
But the jury will never know unless you tell them.
I guess we should get in there.
So you signed this? Apparently, I did.
But you didn't read it? No, not that I recall.
And you signed this? Looks like I did.
Um, yes, that's my signature.
How about this transfer of ownership? Signing away a third of your business to Douglas Scott.
You remember signing this? Honestly, no.
I'd come out to the kitchen table in the morning, there'd be things to sign.
Little yellow Post-its all over them.
My husband ran a restaurant.
He slept from 3:00 in the morning until 11:00 in the morning.
I slept from 10:00 at night until 6:00 the next day.
There was no time to discuss what I was signing.
By the time he was awake, I'd already been at work for three hours.
It's just the way we did it.
Hmm.
One last question.
You know, the prosecution contends that you profited handsomely from this arrangement with Mr.
Scott.
Is that true? It may be.
I really have no way of knowing.
All the money went into a joint account that my husband and I had together.
Frankly, I almost never looked at it.
Never even checked the balance.
When we'd talk, he'd say the restaurant was doing well.
We were doing well.
That's all he said, and that's all I needed to hear.
Bills would come in.
None of them were overdue.
He wrote the checks.
I-I really didn't give it much thought.
Thank you, Mrs.
Valerian.
No further questions, Your Honor.
Mrs.
Valerian, you worked as a senior-level analyst for Homeland Security for almost nine years, didn't you? I did.
That's one of those jobs where I have to believe that the devil is in the details.
Wouldn't you agree? I would.
Tons of reading.
Scrutinizing documents.
Tens of hours of research.
And yet you're testifying that you signed countless contracts, invoices, checks, transfers of ownership without ever once actually looking at them? Yes.
And am I also to believe that your husband tells you he's about to bring in a new partner to help run his business, and you With all the resources of the Trial Analysis Corporation for whom you work, with all of your past friendships and relationships at Homeland Security Don't even bother to run a background check on this man? I did not.
For a woman with your background, that seems rather unlikely.
I don't know what to say.
It-it was my husband's restaurant.
It was my husband's thing.
I trusted my husband.
Guess I'm a fool.
We were married.
I We are married.
Married to each other for the second time, as a matter of fact.
What is love if not surrender? And what is surrender if not the certainty of trust? The absolute belief that this other person always has your back, and you always have theirs? You're not answering my question.
I'm trying.
When we got married for the second time, I felt I needed to show him that this time was forever.
So I signed over half of my condominium By far my most valuable possession To him.
My idea.
I wanted Greg to know that what was mine, was his.
And then, without me saying a word, he signed over half his ownership in his new restaurant His baby to me.
Again the question is, why wouldn't you run a background check on a man you were about to go into business with? I trusted my husband.
I trusted his judgment.
I knew he trusted mine.
I just wanted to return the favor.
When it came to my condominium, if there was an unexpected assessment The-the building roof started to leak last year.
That was $22,000 that we hadn't planned on.
I would just write out a check and put it on the kitchen table for him to sign.
And he would just sign it.
No conversation.
Just blind trust.
I wanted to redo the kitchen, and I did.
Not a peep.
Except to say how much he loved it.
And, yes, could we get the workers to show up a little later so he could sleep.
That's all well and good, Mrs.
Valerian.
But you and your husband ran a business that consistently lost money.
And then one day it didn't.
And it's your testimony that you never felt compelled to ask about it? And he never offered an explanation? Actually, I did finally ask him.
Just the other day, right after court.
You asked about how the business was suddenly making money when it was seating fewer customers? I did.
And what did he say? He said he didn't know.
He said he didn't care.
He said you don't ask about the weather when the sun is out.
You do if it's out in the middle of the night.
I have no further questions, Your Honor.
The witness is excused.
Let's take a 15-minute break.
I did the best I could.
You hung me out to dry, Marissa.
No, you hung me out to dry.
That's why we're here.
Or have you forgotten? Um, he knows he's the next witness, doesn't he? You better ask the judge if she'll adjourn for the day.
I have a feeling Greg doesn't plan on coming back.
Hello? Dr.
Bull.
It's Greg Valerian.
I just wanted to let you know, after what happened today in court, I'm exploring my options.
I'm sorry, Greg, can you repeat that? I'm not sure I know what you mean.
I mean I no longer think it makes sense for me to be represented by your firm.
By the firm that employs the woman I'm in the midst of getting a divorce from.
I just didn't want you to be blindsided in the morning.
Okay, Greg, can we talk about this for a second? I think you're making a mistake.
That's okay.
Won't be the first.
Good night, Dr.
Bull.
My suspicion here, is once we get inside, Greg will make a plea for new representation, maybe even a whole new trial.
That's crazy.
We're two-thirds of the way through the proceedings.
Well, I'm sure that'll be the judge's point of view as well.
He wants to stretch this out, just like he's done with our divorce.
Tell me one more time how smart I am? How'd I manage to do it? Pick such a selfish person to spend my life with? Twice! How could I have been so wrong? I thought he actually had my back.
I thought he actually cared about me.
We should get inside.
Before we begin today's testimony or invite the jury in, I understand that the A.
U.
S.
A.
would like to address the bench.
Your Honor, I need to inform the court that one of the defendants, Greg Valerian, reached out to me early this morning to inform me that he has served verbal notice that he wishes to no longer be represented by either the Trial Analysis Corporation or its attorney, Mr.
Benjamin Colón, and moving forward, chooses to represent himself.
I don't see Mr.
Valerian here, but if you would please let him know that his request is something I'm going to need to take under advisement, and given that this trial is almost over There's more, Your Honor.
Subject to your approval, of course, Mr.
Valerian has offered to change his plea to guilty and testify against Douglas Scott in various criminal matters that remain pending against him.
In return, he has agreed to serve no more than 36 months in prison, and we have agreed to drop all charges against his wife, Marissa Valerian, who we have come to believe had little or no involvement in any of this.
See that? Maybe you weren't so wrong about him after all.
You guys go ahead.
I'm fine here.
Thank you.
No.
Thank you.
I don't know what I was thinking, Marissa.
I'm sorry.
You were thinking the sun was out.
So when do you have to turn yourself in? Not until the middle of January.
And I promise, I'll get the whole divorce thing done before that.
I wasn't thinking about that.
I don't think there's any rush on that at this point.
Not on my end, anyway.
No, I want to get it done.
I owe you that.
So w-what are you doing for Christmas? Excuse me? Christmas.
Three days from now.
You want to come over? I mean, the place is still half yours.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'd like that.
You're cooking.
Thank you again.
Thank you again.
You think she knows? Knows she's been baptized? Somewhere deep in there, she knows something special happened.
Hopefully the first of many special things.
Two days until her first Christmas.
Mm-hmm.
Want to open something? No.
It's not Christmas.
Come on.
You want me to open something? Just one thing.
One special thing.
This is my gift? Mm-hmm.
You write this? Yes, I did.
"I'm always here.
"Whether you choose to keep me or not, "I will always be here when you need me.
"When you want me.
"So feel free to push me away.
"Feel free to say no.
"I will leave, but never go far.
I'm yours forever.
Merry Christmas.
" You mean this? Thank you.
I ordered your socks and underwear, but they haven't gotten here yet.
Well, now I feel like I have to give you something.
Oh, don't feel any pressure.
I mean, if it's still on its way to the dealership from Germany, I completely understand.
You should not have gone all out like this.
Just shut up and open it.
Okay.
A ring A ring in a ring box.
So will you marry me? I don't get a knee? I don't get a nice dinner? Just say yes and lay one on me, big boy.
Well, when you put it like that Yes.
Honestly, it's the most beautiful one we have.
Shall I take it in back and wrap it up? What if she says no? Sir no one is going to say no to this ring.
Can you guarantee it? On second thought, maybe you should just let this go.
Why are you torturing yourself like this? Just let it go.
You have me.
You have Astrid, I have Astrid.
I have you.
That's really all the Christmas present I need.
Hello? What do you mean they just started heading up before you could stop them? You're the doorman.
Marissa Valerian? Maybe.
Who's asking at 7:15 on a Saturday morning? I'm Agent Williams with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This is my partner Agent Ford.
I was wondering if we could trouble you to put on some clothes and accompany us downtown to Federal Plaza.
Okay, this way, Mr.
Valerian.
Let's go.
Greg? Greg! Greg! Do you know what's going on? What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Call your office, tell them you need a lawyer.
And don't say a word until he gets here.
So on the day of the baptism, you two, uh, the parents, the husband and wife, will stand here to the left of the baptismal font.
Now, Mrs.
Bull Uh, Colón.
Ms.
Colón.
My-my apologies.
Ms.
Colón, you'll be holding the child, so I need you to stand closest to the font.
And you, Mr.
Colón, - you'll be - Bull.
I'm sorry? You had it right the first time Bull, Dr.
Jason Bull.
This is Mr.
Colón.
Once again, my apologies.
All right, then.
Uh, husband and wife here.
Uh, uh, forgive me, Father.
But I'm not her husband.
I'm her brother.
Then why on earth are you standing there? Well, I'm going to be the godfather of the child.
And, um Well, you pulled me over here.
Ms.
Colón and I are the baby's parents.
And you're not married? No, not married.
To be fair, we used to be married.
I mean, we just aren't now.
Maybe you could put in a good word for me, Father? We're not here to talk about us.
This isn't about you and me.
This is about our baby, this is about purification.
This is about her introduction to the Catholic Church.
I-I think I'm gonna go, uh, stand over here.
Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry.
You should be.
You're ruining everything.
Okay, there you go.
It's off all good.
It's not me! Oh.
- It's Marissa.
- Ah.
Mine was Marissa, too, actually.
Hey, do you mind if I step away for a second - and see what this is all about? - Hello? I'd be thrilled if you stepped away.
Far away.
Actually, we've covered all the really important details.
The, uh, essentials.
I am so sorry to break this up, uh That was Marissa.
She's, uh, in some trouble.
I'm gonna head back home and rescue Astrid from the babysitter.
Benny, thank you so much for coming today and tell Marissa whatever it is, if I can do anything So tell me about Marissa.
Sounds like she's in a lot of trouble.
What kind of trouble? Alphabet trouble.
The FBI showed up at her apartment this morning, and took her into custody.
Are you serious? For what? I She claims she has no idea.
Told them she wouldn't talk to anybody about anything without her attorneys in the room.
God.
I've barely been up three hours, and this is already one of the worst Saturdays of my life.
Well, no offense, my friend, but you were asking for it.
I know you want to get married and I think, deep down inside, she does, too, but you know, you got to let her come to it in her own time.
We have a child.
She knows that.
But it's not 1964.
A lot of people do it without being married.
Not me.
Well, I hate to break it to you, pal, but you're doing it right now.
Mrs.
Valerian, do you know a Douglas Scott? Uh, not well.
Uh, maybe I was introduced to him once over drinks.
I believe he bought into a restaurant my husband owns, uh, sometime last year.
I think my husband might have even taken him on as a partner.
That's our understanding, as well.
Actually, according to our investigation, this Douglas Scott fellow owns a third of your husband's restaurant.
Your husband retains a third, and you, Mrs.
Valerian, control a third.
I actually don't control anything.
I'm his wife.
He opened the restaurant when we were first married, so we put it in both our names.
But I can't even tell you where they keep the toothpicks.
Forgive me, gentlemen, but where are you going with this? Where we're going is: Mr.
Douglas Scott, the Valerians' business partner - Well, he's not my - is a person known to the FBI as a regional wholesaler of high-end narcotics.
What?! W-Wait a second, as I told you, I barely know Douglas Scott.
And my husband would never do business with drug dealers.
- I mean, why would he? - The same reason anyone does business with anyone There's a profit in it.
We believe that as soon as Douglas Scott bought into your restaurant, he began to run cash from his drug operation through the business His dirty money was mixed with the restaurant's daily receipts and deposited into the restaurant's commercial bank account.
Textbook money laundering.
Uh, but what does any of this have to do with me? Gentlemen, we are anxious to be cooperative in any way we can, but I think you know as well as we do, that Marissa Morgan is a co-owner of this restaurant in name only.
She had no part in any of this, and as she told you, she barely remembers even meeting Mr.
Scott.
Whether she met Mr.
Scott or not, both she and her husband realized a significant improvement in their finances as a result of the arrangement.
Money laundering is a federal crime.
So is bank fraud, so is tax evasion.
You're easily looking at ten to 15 years in a federal penitentiary, Mrs.
Valerian.
Okay, well, now that you've performed your part of the play where our client gets good and scared, tell us what you want, and then we will tell you if our client is interested in helping you.
I mean, the short version is: If your client were willing to testify against Mr.
Scott and Mr.
Valerian, we would do everything in our power to minimize, maybe even dismiss the charges against her.
Marissa? I-I'd be happy to testify.
The only problem is I-I don't know anything to testify to.
Well, if you don't, you don't.
Mrs.
Valerian, you are under arrest for money laundering and conspiracy to commit fraud and tax evasion.
Wait, as I told you, I had nothing to do with any of this! Mrs.
Valerian, you have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used Oh, come on, handcuffs? Is that really necessary? Marissa, look at me, - You have the right to an attorney - look at me.
As soon as we get out of here, Benny and I are gonna arrange bail for you, okay? Look at me, not at him.
We're gonna get you out on bail.
We're gonna get you out of here.
You're gonna be fine.
Okay, uh, so let's talk trial strategy.
You know the federal government's gonna want to try you and Greg together.
Together? No.
No, no, no, no.
We need to be tried separately we have to be tried separately.
I mean, we're in the middle of getting a divorce.
Yes, but the fact is you're technically still married.
And frankly, no matter how unpleasant the prospect might seem, I would prefer we represent you both.
You want to represent Greg? I think we have to.
We just spent the morning watching the prosecutor try to flip you against him.
What makes you think they're not gonna try, and flip Greg against you? Marissa, if he gets his own attorney, they are gonna do and say what is best for him.
Which may not mean it is best for you.
But if TAC represents both of you, then we control the narrative.
We control the messaging.
And we'll do everything we can to protect Greg.
But we'll also do everything we can to protect you.
The question is, can the two of you sit in a room and work together on this? Look, don't get me wrong, I'd-I'd love your help.
Having those guys wake me up, drag me downtown, no one to call not my idea of fun.
I just need to know it's okay with you.
I actually think it makes sense for both of us.
And don't the two of you want to know if I did it? No.
We know you did it.
And I'm betting there's a paper trail a mile long that proves you did it.
Withdrawals, deposits.
The question is, did you know you were doing it? I certainly had no idea.
What can I say? Before I got into business with Mr.
Scott, I was one bad weekend One big snow storm away from closing the place.
I guess at the end of the day, I'm just not a very good businessman.
The restaurant was packed every night, but I was still losing money.
And suddenly this guy sweeps in, tells me how much he loves the place.
And he says, "Let me take over the business part "of the business, give you a big cash infusion.
Leave you to do what you do so well.
" I knew some of the other restaurants he was involved with.
They were all on really solid footing.
I spoke with the owners; They had nothing but great things to say.
I mean, on a Tuesday, I'm-I'm trying to figure out how to pay my purveyors, and a month later, I'm saying to Marissa: Maybe we can start looking at bigger apartments.
And you didn't smell anything fishy? You know, I'm-I'm in the restaurant business, and at the end of the night, we're left with a lot of stinky garbage.
And over the years, what I've learned is that no matter how bad the mess smells if you're determined not to smell it you don't have to smell it.
Iz, I'm trying everything with this bottle short of adding vodka and putting it in a martini glass.
I don't think the baby's hungry.
She's been like that all day.
Just put her in the playpen.
I have to remember that.
What's that? Ah, next time you're fussy and don't do what I want, I'm putting you in the playpen.
That's supposed to make me smile? That's supposed to make me like you again? Banter's all about volume.
Some lines are home runs, some lines are just gonna foul out.
You humiliated me today.
In front of the priest, in front of my brother.
Well, I felt a little humiliated, too.
I don't enjoy feeling like a guest at my own child's baptism, my own child's anything.
Well, you should take that up with your therapist.
I don't have a therapist.
Well, now I know what to get you for Christmas.
I don't have a wife either, which, in case you're curious, is what I really want for Christmas.
I'll stop talking.
No television for you tonight.
What's the good word? Well, based on the documents the FBI sent over, there is none.
I know you guys don't want to hear this, but it certainly appears the FBI has a solid case.
They've got Greg and Marissa's signatures on every deposit, every withdrawal, all the certificates of incorporation, the transfers of ownership.
I mean, just based on all the places she signed her name, Marissa is in this just as deeply as Greg.
Bull in his office? Whatever it is, just slide it under the door, please.
Tell me what to get your sister.
Oh, come on.
You're a smart guy.
You'll think of something.
I did.
I bought her an engagement ring.
Oh, Bull.
Y-You're like the guy who buys his girlfriend sexy lingerie and doesn't understand why she's not as excited about it as he is.
Bull, that ring is not for her, it's for you.
- Mm.
Thank you.
- To make you feel better.
I see, Dr.
Colón.
Thank you.
It's not that she doesn't want to marry you; She doesn't want to marry anybody.
She did that.
It didn't work.
She's a Catholic.
She takes that failure very seriously.
It wasn't a failure.
She had a miscarriage We had a miscarriage.
Yes, she did.
Yes, you did.
But when you needed each other the most, you both turned around and no one was there.
She's not evil, she's not mean.
She would never want to do anything to hurt you.
She loves you.
But she's desperate not to make the same mistake twice.
Particularly because there's a child involved.
Now, you're a psychologist.
Certainly you can understand that.
I'm just gonna get her some lingerie.
Now you're talking.
Ms.
Tyler, how long have you been the hostess at The Briarcrest Room? Almost two years.
So you were there when the ownership expanded to include Douglas Scott? Yes.
And did you notice any changes once he joined the ownership team? Of course.
I mean, Mr.
Valerian still ran the restaurant.
It was just anything involving money.
Uh, cashing out, the tip pool.
That was all Mr.
Scott.
Also, before Mr.
Scott, we'd take turns making the bank run when we closed each night.
The canvas pouch filled with the night's receipts that would go into the bank's night deposit box? But after Mr.
Scott's arrival, he took care of that.
No one touched those receipts but him.
Or someone who worked for him.
I see.
And were you aware that Mr.
Scott was not only in the restaurant business but also the narcotics business? You mean drugs? Exactly.
No.
I didn't know he sold drugs.
But I sure knew he liked them.
How do you mean? Well, if you were a pretty girl and you worked at the restaurant, at some point Mr.
Scott Or one of the guys who worked for Mr.
Scott Was going to come on to you.
Ask you if you wanted to go out after.
Ask you if you wanted to go home with them after.
And drugs were always a part of that conversation.
But selling them? No, I had no idea.
But do you think, perhaps, Mr.
Valerian might have had an idea? Objection.
Calls for speculation.
Objection sustained.
Do you want to rephrase? Actually, I have no further questions for this witness at this time.
Ooh.
Good morning, Ms.
Tyler.
Have you ever actually seen Mr.
Valerian do drugs? Perhaps with Mr.
Scott or anyone from his team? No.
In fact, I'm pretty sure Mr.
Valerian was not someone who approved of drugs.
And what makes you say that? Well, there was another waitress.
Stacy? She'd been there from the beginning.
She was the one who trained the rest of us.
But when Mr.
Scott arrived, she started getting involved with one of his guys.
And for the first time ever, she started missing work.
Sometimes she'd show up and it was like she hadn't gotten any sleep.
And ultimately, Mr.
Valerian had to fire her.
And I know that really upset him.
And the day after Stacy was fired, Mr.
Valerian called an all-staff meeting.
Said how heartbroken he was, how angry he was, how much he adored Stacy, but that drugs had no place in any business he ran.
And if he became aware of anyone using drugs, selling drugs, having anything to do with drugs, they would be instantly terminated.
And was Mr.
Scott or any of his people in this meeting? They were all standing behind Mr.
Valerian.
A couple of them rolling their eyes, trying not to smile.
I'm sure Mr.
Valerian had no idea.
I'm sorry.
Thank you.
I have no further questions for this witness, Your Honor.
The witness is excused.
Let's take a 15-minute recess.
Hello? Is anybody here? I remember you.
You didn't, by any chance bring any food, did you? Or A cold martini? I knew I forgot something.
You're home late.
Well, I had to return a Christmas gift I got for you.
- Mm.
- Something I know deep down inside you really want, but that you're just not ready to accept from me yet.
- Oh, my goodness.
- Mm-hmm.
I wonder what that could be.
A table saw.
You so get me.
Mm-hmm.
So wait, I'm not getting anything now? Oh, I think it's gonna be a mostly socks and underwear kind of Christmas for you.
Socks? Support hose.
Nothing but the best.
And underwear? Flannel.
Made from real flan.
Mmm.
So what is our mini, artificial Christmas tree doing in here? Because I thought we decided it was gonna live in the living room where all the artificial trees live? Yeah, that was the plan, but then, once I set it up, Astrid just refused to be anywhere it wasn't.
So I just picked it up and put it in here - and she fell asleep right away.
- Huh.
No problem.
So, how goes the trial? Oh, well, from a legal standpoint, not a huge breakthrough today, but just before court adjourned, the estranged wife squeezed her husband's hand.
And then, they actually turned and looked at each other in the eye for the first time since the trial began.
It was the closest thing I've seen to a Christmas miracle all season.
Hmm.
Mr.
Walker, can you tell the court who you work for? I'm an employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
And what is it you do for them? I'm what's called a forensic accountant.
And what does that entail? I'm kind of a money detective.
I examine bank records, tax records, all kinds of financial records and see what kind of story they tell.
Are there any irregularities? Has some sort of criminal malfeasance taken place? And did you have occasion to examine The Briarcrest Room's financial records? I did.
And did they tell you a story? They certainly seemed to.
In the ten months' worth of records we examined, we concluded that at least $2,000 a day in funds derived from sources that were clearly not the restaurant were being deposited in the restaurant's account as though part of the day's receipts.
No further questions, Your Honor.
So, Mr.
Walker.
Let me ask you something.
How many years did you have to go to school to become, uh, what do you call yourself? A forensic accountant? Four years of undergrad work, and then a two-year MBA program.
That's impressive.
And how long did you say you studied the financial records of the restaurant? Well, my office and I went through them with a fine-tooth comb for over 15 weeks.
So almost four months.
Wow.
A-And not just you but your entire team, uh, went through these documents to piece together Douglas Scott's money laundering scheme.
Ha.
And yet, you believe my clients Two people who have had exactly zero time studying forensic accounting Knew everything that was going on around them? Well, in May, before Douglas Scott bought into the business, the restaurant turned 605 tables for a gross monthly loss of $7,000.
In June, one month after Douglas Scott became co-owner, the restaurant turned 545 tables.
Now, that's 60 tables less, yet somehow they suddenly had a $30,000 profit.
But you're not answering my question.
I'm trying to.
This trend of fewer tables yet greater profits continued for the next ten months.
How is that possible? The restaurant didn't raise their prices.
You don't need to be a FBI agent - nor a trained CPA to do the math.
- It just doesn't add up.
Tough day, but that's to be expected.
Prosecution's rested.
Tomorrow we present our case.
You ready to take the stand? Ready as I'll ever be.
Hey, we're, uh, heading uptown.
Anybody need a ride? Actually, I feel like walking.
No, I'm, uh, heading the other way.
But thanks.
See you in the morning.
How could you not have known? How could you not have known? Oh, come on, Greg.
You know I never saw a penny of that money.
It went into the joint bank account.
You paid the bills, you wrote all the checks.
Yeah, "joint.
" That means the two of us.
You could have looked at the statements.
They'd sit on the kitchen table for the entire month.
It's your restaurant.
I don't know how many tables you're turning.
I don't know if you're making a profit or not.
You don't tell me those things.
You don't ask.
And suddenly, everything is better.
You're making money, and it doesn't occur to you to find out why? How? Hell no.
When things are good, no, I don't need to know why.
I just need for them to not stop.
But you wouldn't understand that.
No, I don't understand that at all.
I trusted you.
It's like the other day.
You said you smelled the garbage, but you didn't do anything about it.
Why would I? We were winning.
You don't check the weather when the sun's out.
I do.
Especially if I've made plans with someone that I supposedly care about.
So, you made her something? For Christmas? Why do you sound so surprised? I'm a clever, creative person.
Uh, well, you're a 50-year-old man.
She's a 40-year-old woman.
What did you make her? A birdhouse made out of Popsicle sticks? We're here.
Oh, my God.
I'm not sure I'm ready for this.
See you all inside.
Now, before you go in there and take the stand this morning, I need to talk to you about a couple of things.
As my client, I need to remind you to tell the truth.
- Of course.
- No.
It's more complicated than that.
The only certainty in all this is that they are gonna ask you questions that will pit you against Greg.
Questions that will make you at least consider fudging the truth, shading the truth to protect yourself, to protect Greg.
It's a trap.
Bull, I am not a liar.
I am certainly not gonna lie under oath.
And now is the part where I talk to you like a friend.
Yes, they are trying you and Greg together.
But the jury will be instructed to decide your cases separately, which means that Greg can be found guilty and you can be found innocent.
Not that I'm wishing that on Greg.
- God, no.
Me, either.
- But I believe in your innocence.
And we need that jury to believe in it, too.
And the way we get them to believe in your innocence is by believing you, which means that you are gonna have to share everything.
You're gonna have to share it all, even the embarrassing parts.
There are no embarrassing parts.
Oh, yes, there are.
You're a real smart person, Marissa Morgan.
And that's not something you can hide or cover up with makeup.
Smart just oozes out of you.
But you loved this man.
You trusted this man.
And that notwithstanding, either he's far more ignorant than he lets on or, more than likely, he was able to persuade himself that he didn't need to confide in you when he sensed something illegal was going on.
Even though he was playing with your money, with your reputation.
With your future.
I'm sorry.
It really is as simple as that.
But the jury will never know unless you tell them.
I guess we should get in there.
So you signed this? Apparently, I did.
But you didn't read it? No, not that I recall.
And you signed this? Looks like I did.
Um, yes, that's my signature.
How about this transfer of ownership? Signing away a third of your business to Douglas Scott.
You remember signing this? Honestly, no.
I'd come out to the kitchen table in the morning, there'd be things to sign.
Little yellow Post-its all over them.
My husband ran a restaurant.
He slept from 3:00 in the morning until 11:00 in the morning.
I slept from 10:00 at night until 6:00 the next day.
There was no time to discuss what I was signing.
By the time he was awake, I'd already been at work for three hours.
It's just the way we did it.
Hmm.
One last question.
You know, the prosecution contends that you profited handsomely from this arrangement with Mr.
Scott.
Is that true? It may be.
I really have no way of knowing.
All the money went into a joint account that my husband and I had together.
Frankly, I almost never looked at it.
Never even checked the balance.
When we'd talk, he'd say the restaurant was doing well.
We were doing well.
That's all he said, and that's all I needed to hear.
Bills would come in.
None of them were overdue.
He wrote the checks.
I-I really didn't give it much thought.
Thank you, Mrs.
Valerian.
No further questions, Your Honor.
Mrs.
Valerian, you worked as a senior-level analyst for Homeland Security for almost nine years, didn't you? I did.
That's one of those jobs where I have to believe that the devil is in the details.
Wouldn't you agree? I would.
Tons of reading.
Scrutinizing documents.
Tens of hours of research.
And yet you're testifying that you signed countless contracts, invoices, checks, transfers of ownership without ever once actually looking at them? Yes.
And am I also to believe that your husband tells you he's about to bring in a new partner to help run his business, and you With all the resources of the Trial Analysis Corporation for whom you work, with all of your past friendships and relationships at Homeland Security Don't even bother to run a background check on this man? I did not.
For a woman with your background, that seems rather unlikely.
I don't know what to say.
It-it was my husband's restaurant.
It was my husband's thing.
I trusted my husband.
Guess I'm a fool.
We were married.
I We are married.
Married to each other for the second time, as a matter of fact.
What is love if not surrender? And what is surrender if not the certainty of trust? The absolute belief that this other person always has your back, and you always have theirs? You're not answering my question.
I'm trying.
When we got married for the second time, I felt I needed to show him that this time was forever.
So I signed over half of my condominium By far my most valuable possession To him.
My idea.
I wanted Greg to know that what was mine, was his.
And then, without me saying a word, he signed over half his ownership in his new restaurant His baby to me.
Again the question is, why wouldn't you run a background check on a man you were about to go into business with? I trusted my husband.
I trusted his judgment.
I knew he trusted mine.
I just wanted to return the favor.
When it came to my condominium, if there was an unexpected assessment The-the building roof started to leak last year.
That was $22,000 that we hadn't planned on.
I would just write out a check and put it on the kitchen table for him to sign.
And he would just sign it.
No conversation.
Just blind trust.
I wanted to redo the kitchen, and I did.
Not a peep.
Except to say how much he loved it.
And, yes, could we get the workers to show up a little later so he could sleep.
That's all well and good, Mrs.
Valerian.
But you and your husband ran a business that consistently lost money.
And then one day it didn't.
And it's your testimony that you never felt compelled to ask about it? And he never offered an explanation? Actually, I did finally ask him.
Just the other day, right after court.
You asked about how the business was suddenly making money when it was seating fewer customers? I did.
And what did he say? He said he didn't know.
He said he didn't care.
He said you don't ask about the weather when the sun is out.
You do if it's out in the middle of the night.
I have no further questions, Your Honor.
The witness is excused.
Let's take a 15-minute break.
I did the best I could.
You hung me out to dry, Marissa.
No, you hung me out to dry.
That's why we're here.
Or have you forgotten? Um, he knows he's the next witness, doesn't he? You better ask the judge if she'll adjourn for the day.
I have a feeling Greg doesn't plan on coming back.
Hello? Dr.
Bull.
It's Greg Valerian.
I just wanted to let you know, after what happened today in court, I'm exploring my options.
I'm sorry, Greg, can you repeat that? I'm not sure I know what you mean.
I mean I no longer think it makes sense for me to be represented by your firm.
By the firm that employs the woman I'm in the midst of getting a divorce from.
I just didn't want you to be blindsided in the morning.
Okay, Greg, can we talk about this for a second? I think you're making a mistake.
That's okay.
Won't be the first.
Good night, Dr.
Bull.
My suspicion here, is once we get inside, Greg will make a plea for new representation, maybe even a whole new trial.
That's crazy.
We're two-thirds of the way through the proceedings.
Well, I'm sure that'll be the judge's point of view as well.
He wants to stretch this out, just like he's done with our divorce.
Tell me one more time how smart I am? How'd I manage to do it? Pick such a selfish person to spend my life with? Twice! How could I have been so wrong? I thought he actually had my back.
I thought he actually cared about me.
We should get inside.
Before we begin today's testimony or invite the jury in, I understand that the A.
U.
S.
A.
would like to address the bench.
Your Honor, I need to inform the court that one of the defendants, Greg Valerian, reached out to me early this morning to inform me that he has served verbal notice that he wishes to no longer be represented by either the Trial Analysis Corporation or its attorney, Mr.
Benjamin Colón, and moving forward, chooses to represent himself.
I don't see Mr.
Valerian here, but if you would please let him know that his request is something I'm going to need to take under advisement, and given that this trial is almost over There's more, Your Honor.
Subject to your approval, of course, Mr.
Valerian has offered to change his plea to guilty and testify against Douglas Scott in various criminal matters that remain pending against him.
In return, he has agreed to serve no more than 36 months in prison, and we have agreed to drop all charges against his wife, Marissa Valerian, who we have come to believe had little or no involvement in any of this.
See that? Maybe you weren't so wrong about him after all.
You guys go ahead.
I'm fine here.
Thank you.
No.
Thank you.
I don't know what I was thinking, Marissa.
I'm sorry.
You were thinking the sun was out.
So when do you have to turn yourself in? Not until the middle of January.
And I promise, I'll get the whole divorce thing done before that.
I wasn't thinking about that.
I don't think there's any rush on that at this point.
Not on my end, anyway.
No, I want to get it done.
I owe you that.
So w-what are you doing for Christmas? Excuse me? Christmas.
Three days from now.
You want to come over? I mean, the place is still half yours.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'd like that.
You're cooking.
Thank you again.
Thank you again.
You think she knows? Knows she's been baptized? Somewhere deep in there, she knows something special happened.
Hopefully the first of many special things.
Two days until her first Christmas.
Mm-hmm.
Want to open something? No.
It's not Christmas.
Come on.
You want me to open something? Just one thing.
One special thing.
This is my gift? Mm-hmm.
You write this? Yes, I did.
"I'm always here.
"Whether you choose to keep me or not, "I will always be here when you need me.
"When you want me.
"So feel free to push me away.
"Feel free to say no.
"I will leave, but never go far.
I'm yours forever.
Merry Christmas.
" You mean this? Thank you.
I ordered your socks and underwear, but they haven't gotten here yet.
Well, now I feel like I have to give you something.
Oh, don't feel any pressure.
I mean, if it's still on its way to the dealership from Germany, I completely understand.
You should not have gone all out like this.
Just shut up and open it.
Okay.
A ring A ring in a ring box.
So will you marry me? I don't get a knee? I don't get a nice dinner? Just say yes and lay one on me, big boy.
Well, when you put it like that Yes.