Homicide: Life on the Street s05e21 Episode Script

I'm glad Bayliss wasn't there.
I get to sit in the front seat.
- Don't get used to it.
- I won't.
- Where do you think Bayliss went? - I dunno.
- Maybe he saw a doctor.
- He might have.
Maybe he's got a new girlfriend.
He might have eloped with Madeleine Albright.
I have no idea.
- I don't care.
- That's just it.
I think you do.
Next time I get a call and he's not around, that's it.
I'm not wasting time, listening to excuses.
- I'm not partnering with him again.
- Yeah, right.
- Excuse me? - You'll go on like this forever.
- It's just your relationship.
- Really.
When things are good for you two, you're the best of partners.
Bickering starts, you split up, get back together, split up, get back together.
- What are you gettin' at? - It's not healthy, it's dysfunctional.
- Dysfunctional? - Yeah? On the way home, you're riding in the back.
- Dr Cox.
- Good morning.
- The body's inside.
It's not pretty.
- Why? - From the neck down, TV-PG.
- And from the neck up? - Oh, TV-M all the way.
- As in for mature audiences only? - He's got no face.
- No face! Come on! I kid you not, Brodie.
He barely has a head.
It was blown apart by a shotgun.
Makes it so easy to get a clean ID! Let's hope he had a wallet.
Check with Officer Denys.
He pulled one from the coat pocket.
- It's his first shotgun suicide.
- OK.
Start shootin', Brodie.
- The guy's head is blown off? - Yeah.
Don't step on any bone fragments.
You found a wallet on the body? You found a wallet? - Yeah.
It was in his coat pocket.
- OK.
You gonna be OK? Yeah.
Son of a bitch.
It's Beau Felton.
- I hope you're proud of yourself.
- Captain? - You've taught us a valuable lesson.
- Which is? Never underestimate the power of the written word.
Your letter caused quite a stir in the Mayor's Office.
- And I never got a response.
- Oh, yes, you did.
I think exactly the response that you were looking for.
Mayor read your note, carbon copied the Commissioner, US Attorney and they're looking into your allegations as we speak.
From what I hear, Harris' days are numbered.
- Is that right? - Sure.
You've undone three decades of service with a single page.
Make sure that letter's your last.
What? I don't want to read about this in "The Sun" or see it on TV.
You got what you wanted.
The Mayor's Office says they'll handle it.
Let's let them handle it.
Quietly.
I knew you'd understand.
We should grab lunch sometime, Al.
Just the two of us.
- Did you see this? - What? There was a memorial for Luther Mahoney yesterday.
300 people.
They all wanted to make sure he was dead.
"Lines formed outside the Mahoney Youth Centre "as friends gathered to honour a man they viewed as a leader.
" Give me that.
"'There were many sides to Luther Marcellus Mahoney,' "said the Reverend Reginald Howe.
"'While we denounce his criminal activities, "'we must recognise his countless good works"' Yadda-yadda.
What crap! Mahoney's dead.
That's all that matters.
This guy kept half of Baltimore hooked on heroin, OK? He's responsible for how many overdoses, murders? And now he's being held up as some kind of hero? To me, that matters.
- Where's Giardello? - Frank.
- Have you seen Giardello? - He was by the door a second ago.
Wasn't it a straight-up suicide? It was a suicide, it just wasn't straight up.
Beau Felton blew his head off.
We ought to find out where he's been the last year.
I haven't heard a word since he resigned.
- The ex-wife? - Judy's trying to track her down.
Kay, when was the last time you and Beau spoke? Kay? - You got bombed last night! - No, I did not! I can smell it! You have a responsibility to this job and to me.
Right now, you're a liability.
So why don't you just take off, huh? Go have yourself another drink.
- Kay? - Hmm? When did you last speak to Beau? When he quit.
We went across the street for a beer.
I was surprised how he was takin' it.
He talked about spending more time with the kids.
He wanted to get back together with Beth.
Maybe it wasn't Beau? Well, you heard what Frank said.
You you saw the body.
You couldn't tell who it was.
I couldn't tell who he was, but I know whose wallet that is.
Maybe the wallet was stolen? It happens all the time.
Think we know who a victim is, turns out we don't.
- Anybody listenin'? - What's going on? We gonna do this one at a time? We're taking turns? Cos I want to know in advance who's gonna be next.
Who's it gonna be? You? Show of hands! - You next, Munchkin? Bayliss? Me? - Lewis! Or if anybody's squeamish about eating a gun, we have other options.
There's the Crosetti long walk off a short pier.
There's wrist-slashing, pill-popping.
- Stop it! - Pop them pills.
- Stop it! - No, no, Gee, I got a better idea.
Instead of dropping off one at a time, why don't we just get together and get it over with? Like your boy, Gee, Burundi Robinson.
Him and his crew? Together? Y'all with me on this, folks? How about you, Mikey? You're with me, right, partner? - It might not be him.
- What are you sayin'? The head was blown away.
We're waiting on an ID.
It might not be Felton that they found.
I need to get some air.
All right, I'm cool, brother.
Victim, Caucasian male.
Massive tissue destruction to head and face as a result of apparent self-inflicted shotgun blast.
Estimated height 6'2".
Accurate measurements can't be obtained due to severe head injuries.
No visible signs of trauma on torso arms or legs.
Prints to the Crime Lab for ID.
No apparent blood or tissue under the fingernails.
Shotgun suicide, came in this morning? Dr Cox has him on the table.
Excuse me.
The suicide autopsy - You ID the body yet? - What, the Felton case? - I thought Pembleton was the primary.
- Have you made a positive ID? - Not yet.
- We're waiting on the Crime Lab.
- This the body? - Yeah.
- How long till you get the results? - It'll be a few hours at least.
I can call you when we get a match.
- I'll wait.
- All right.
I'll be in the hall.
Was it him? Positive print hit, plus the wallet, the name on the lease, it's him.
I never would have figured Felton.
I thought he was so thick-skinned.
Well, it just shows you don't ever really know somebody.
There were kids.
He could have thought about them.
What, you, Munch, all of a sudden passing judgment? If his kids weren't screwed up, this'll push 'em over the edge.
No one kept in touch with Felton? What about his family? His ex-wife hadn't seen him in six months.
The last one of us to speak to him, I guess, was Kay.
I should've called him.
Somebody should've.
- And say what, exactly? - "What's up?" Whatever.
That would've kept him from blowing his head off? - Up yours, Frank.
- Felton left of his own accord.
- I didn't see him calling any of us.
- This makes you happy, doesn't it? You got yourself a nice easy work week, Frank? You want to beat your breast with guilt, go ahead.
Felton is dead, so I don't see the point in laying blame.
Frank's absolutely right.
Son of a bitch did this to himself.
Let's blame Beau.
Makes it easier on all of us.
Where's Bayliss? - Here, let me.
- Excuse me? - I can open that bottle for you.
- And you are? Detective Paul Falsone, Auto Squad.
There isn't anything I can't open.
It's my one talent.
- A little saliva won't kill you.
- Something that I can help you with? There is.
I'm looking for Lieutenant Giardello.
- Yeah? Is this about a case? - This is about Beau Felton.
I know why he killed himself.
I've been working an auto-theft ring for two years run by a Pigtown bully boy named Frank Cantwell.
Cars stolen out of Philly, New York, and then sent to chop shops here.
And shipped overseas to sell, huh? Exactly.
China, South America.
Cantwell has buyers in six countries.
Takes in half a million a year.
Auto Squad had a full investigation in conjunction with US Customs, until the Feds dropped it.
- Any indication why they dropped it? - Couldn't make a case against him.
Someone in the department was tipping Cantwell, and that wasn't me.
What's this to do with Beau Felton? He and Cantwell were in business together.
As an ex-cop, I figured he was selling his old police connections.
- You got no proof of that.
- No, and now I'll never get proof.
Beau's dead, can't speak for himself, so you'll clear your name by smearing his? Because Felton was Homicide doesn't mean he walked on water.
You come in here pointing a finger.
You never met him! Felton left the force over a year ago.
How do you know what he did? I know! I knew Beau Felton.
We were partners.
I didn't come in looking to offend anybody.
Why did you come in? I figured if Felton is the leak, they have no reason keepin' me off the job.
If we find out anything, Detective, we'll be in touch.
I didn't know he was your partner.
- He's wrong, Gee.
- Hopefully.
Felton had his problems, with his wife, with drinking.
He may have done shoddy police work, but he wouldn't sell out the badge.
If he did, guilt's very powerful.
He might not have been able to handle it.
Being police meant everything to Beau.
I don't think he was dirty.
- He was too vain about being a cop.
- Kay I can't remember the last time you you took a day off.
- What's that supposed to mean? - You have vacation time coming.
Why don't you take a week? Is this you, as my lieutenant, giving me an order? This is me, as your friend, making a suggestion.
I'd rather get back to work.
Hey! I was starting to worry about you.
- My car is a pain in the ass.
- You need to get a new mechanic.
- I need a new car.
- Wanna drink? Wanna martini? No.
No, thank you.
We work in the same building, we hardly see each other.
- I'm not avoiding you.
- You could've fooled me.
- Terri we need to put this to rest.
- Meldrick, what is this? You asked me to meet you here so you could handle me? I wanted you to come and meet me so maybe you could just talk about it.
OK, let's talk.
Kellerman insists this was a clean shooting.
Is that what you think? - Don't ask me that.
- I want truth between us.
- If you lie to me, I am out of here.
- My partner saved my life.
So I'll back him up, no matter what.
- OK.
- Mahoney is dead.
What in the hell are we gonna say that's gonna change that? What? Kellerman up on charges? You and me off the force? Mike up for murder? - What good is that gonna do? - We have to look out for each other.
- Didn't nobody look out for Beau.
- What do you want me to say? I want you to say that you will carry this.
I don't have a choice, do I? I'm not finished with you! What does it matter who pulled the trigger? It ain't up to you! You lie to me, you'll be looking for your teeth in that toilet.
What are you doin', Gee? I keep thinking I'm getting too old for this.
Another police takes his own life.
Another of mine to bury.
Going home? Yeah, I filed the report, next of kin have been notified.
I'm waiting for is the final autopsy report from Cox, and that'll be here tomorrow morning.
- Frank, why did Beau do it? - I don't know.
Does it matter? Falsone's story about Beau being in on the take with that auto ring.
- You think Felton could've turned? - I can't answer that.
I should've tried harder to reach Beau.
I called once or twice.
- He never called back.
- Beau wanted to be left alone.
I keep thinking about when he got shot.
- He came back to work too quickly.
- That was a long time ago, Gee.
He never had a chance to get back on his feet.
- So he shoots himself later? - Maybe.
Nobody knows why Beau Felton did what he did.
If we wondered about motives in every case, we'd never get anything done.
- This is about a fellow detective.
- A former fellow detective.
And so what? Because Felton quits, I'm no longer concerned? When you or Lewis or Bayliss walk out of this squad room and go home, does it mean I'm no longer concerned? We're supposed to watch out for each other, cover each other's back.
When one of us is disappears, we wonder about them.
I didn't wonder about Beau and look what happened.
Goodnight.
Alyssa, can you come here for a minute, please? - What's up? - Take a look.
What do you see? - Disruption, no blood.
- Right.
If he was killed by a shotgun blast, there should be much more bleeding.
His heart stopped pumping blood to his brain before he was shot.
Let's get some 16 wire and glue for skull reconstruction.
I hope you like jigsaws.
We will be here for a while.
How about a game of hearts? Being here on Christmas Eve with you and playing hearts is enough to make me want to put a bullet through my head.
- Nice of you to show up.
- What? - Where were you yesterday? - I had an errand.
You had an errand? I had a case, a screwed-up case.
- I don't know if you've heard.
- Felton.
I could have used your help yesterday, and last week.
Every time I get a case, I turn around, your chair is empty.
We're supposed to be workin' together, this is not workin' together.
- Did Giardello say something? - This is about me and you.
If you wanna be partners, great.
If you don't, that's OK, too.
What's not OK is you saying you want to be partners and then you're nowhere to be found when a case comes down.
- You're right.
- I know.
- I apologise.
- I don't want your apology.
I want to know you'll be there when a case comes down.
The Felton investigation is a straight-up suicide, right? Do you need me to do anything on the case? - No.
- OK.
Well, I gotta go.
- You're workin' another case? - No.
Don't tell me it's about some woman.
- It's not a woman.
Trust me.
- Well, what is this about? What is this all about, huh? All right, 11 down and only 36 more to go.
- You never met him, did you? - Felton? No.
He was a good-looking guy once upon a time.
Yeah, I can see that.
Sorry.
What can you tell me about him? - He was your usual billytown type.
- The kind to do something like this? - He was a cop.
- So? So cops are out on the edge.
That's why I stopped dating them.
A little too gloomy for you? Gloomy, cynical, completely committed to their own misery.
Please tell me you didn't go out with Munch.
Homicide guys, they're the darkest of all.
- I guess that's why I like them so.
- Oh? Anybody I know? Just this guy I was seeing back in Buffalo.
- Pass the occipital lobe.
- To each her own.
After Munch, I'd had enough.
Didn't date at all till two months ago.
- Not another cop, I hope.
- No.
Stand-up comic.
Whoa.
- What, you find something? - Look at this.
- Hey, is Pembleton around? - No, he's not.
What's up? Beau Felton did not commit suicide.
He was murdered.
There are inconsistencies that don't jibe with shotgun suicides.
Why didn't you call Homicide as soon as you knew? We've spent the last 48 hours reconstructing the skull.
What did you find? In one skull fragment, we found another entry wound, definitely not from a shotgun blast.
Small-calibre handgun, maybe.
My guess is he was shot from behind, execution style, at the base of the skull.
And whoever did this, propped up the body, fired the shotgun and faked a suicide.
Find Pembleton.
Get back to the scene.
If there's evidence, I want it.
- Yes, sir.
- I hope this helps.
Felton's still dead, isn't he? Hey.
Couldn't get out of your pyjamas today? - Yeah.
- At least we can get you cleaned up.
'His death, like his life, was meaningless.
' 'Audrey Resnick was a sweet, innocent old lady who died violently 'in what should've been the safety of her home.
- 'That's a loss of life.
' - 'Every life has meaning.
'Even yours, Felton.
'Even yours.
' - Maybe he wasn't killed here.
- What? Maybe they shot him somewhere else, brought him here, then shot him again.
I don't think so.
- Why not? - Take a look in the bathroom.
- It's clean.
- Yeah, pristine.
No shower curtain.
You're sayin' Beau wasn't a clean person? Ever known a single man keep a spotless bathroom? - Yes, me.
- That could've been made by a bullet.
OK, I want to get the lab in here.
Do a luminol test for blood.
I also want them to dust, although we won't find much.
You ready to get outta here? I'll just I'll wait outside.
It's OK, you you don't have to go.
I Bastards killed him in his own bathroom.
They murdered him.
Beau believed there was a distinction between murder and killing.
We don't close this case, it's on me.
I should've known it wasn't suicide.
I let the case get cold because I believed the worst of Beau.
I believed he was capable of killing himself, and Ooh I hated him for that and being weak and selfish, for everything I hated about him when we were partners.
But it was always when I was hating him the worst, that he would turn around and do something incredibly stupidly sweet.
Then I'd have to hate him all the more.
Don't tell anyone I cried.
- What? - Nothin'.
- You're starin' at me.
What? - I'm just feelin' funky.
First Felton is a suicide, then Felton is murdered.
The last couple of days have been funky.
- You're telling me.
- Yeah, well, whatever.
Let's go out, drown our cares and woes in a nice, cold microbrew, huh? - I got plans.
- Who with? With Julianna.
So you finally admit that you and her got a little thing going on, huh? - Yeah.
Well, now you know.
- Cox and Kellerman! - Bones and the badge! - Meldrick, shut up.
- Hey, man, I'm happy for you, man.
- Huh? You go out and have a nice time.
Don't worry about old Meldrick.
I'll find somebody to have my lonely beer with.
How about your wife? - What did you find? - He was murdered in his bathroom.
- You get the bullet? - The killer must've taken it.
We found what could be a bullet hole above the bathtub.
The luminol test for blood came up positive in the tub and along the walls.
See what you can get from Falsone.
If you have to, bring in the whole chop shop.
- I wanna call the Auto Squad.
- So, you need some help? I think Frank and I have it covered so far.
We'll let you know.
- Uh, Kay - Yeah? You know, all this stuff going on about Beau being a dirty cop? I don't believe it, never did.
OK.
That was Falsone.
He's waiting downstairs.
Shall we? Yeah.
Thanks, Meldrick.
Detective Falsone? You guys got news about Felton? - It wasn't a suicide.
- He was murdered? A single shot to the base of the skull.
Suicide was a cover.
Damn.
We need names in Cantwell's organisation, anything you can give us.
Hold on, hold on.
Detective Pembleton.
- Pembleton.
This is no longer an Auto Squad investigation.
It's homicide.
Felton was killed by Cantwell or his people.
They should all fry.
If Felton was working for them, why's anyone gonna talk to you? You're telling us how to run a homicide investigation? I'm tryin' to help.
I have my own informant that works for Cantwell.
- What's his name? - I'm not saying.
He's my informant.
- This is ridiculous! - I'll find out what he knows.
- Not good enough! He talks to us! - Look, pal.
This is my office Felton was murdered! Whatever he might've been doing with Cantwell, he's still an ex-cop and he was executed in cold blood.
I'll talk to my informant.
If he's willing, I'll arrange a meeting.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- You already ordered? - I already started.
A Jim Beam for you and Dewars for me.
- Scotch.
- Yeah, Scotch.
Neat.
Neat.
I've noticed something about you.
Ever since we met, you've never ordered the same drink twice.
And? And - I don't know.
- Well, forgive me.
I just spent two days wiring together a dead cop's skull.
I felt like a scotch.
- Let's get a table.
- OK.
- 47 pieces.
- What? That's how many fragments there were, 47.
Do we have to go over all the grisly details? No, I guess we don't have to.
Good, then let's let's not.
It wasn't a suicide, Mike.
Yeah, I know.
I heard but everybody thought it was.
- They thought they knew the truth.
- Yeah, at first.
Yeah.
Well, that's the thing, you see.
People make assumptions.
They just see what they wanna see.
They believe what they want to believe, but The truth is, you can never really know what happened, unless you were there when the gun went off, even then you can't be sure.
What gun? - Huh? - Are we still talking about Felton? - No, I guess not.
- Then what? What's the matter? Everything Nothing.
Come on, let's get out of here.
- And go where? - Back to the boat.
- But we just got here.
- I know.
And now we're leaving.
I think you need to unwind.
No, you know, actually, what I need is to sit here and finish my drink.
- That's what you need? - Mmm.
- You'd rather stay here and brood? - Yeah.
OK.
I'm good for that.
I'm getting us another round.
That's an excellent idea.
This is Eddie Dugan.
He's been giving me information on Cantwell's operation.
There's only one question we have for you.
Sure.
What can I do? - You know who killed Beau Felton? - No, man.
It could've been a lot of guys, you know.
Cantwell wanted Felton dead, who would he go to? His bodyguard? This kind of a shooting, he might've hired out of town.
Did you ever hear Cantwell say he wanted Beau Felton killed? No, man, nothin' like that.
All right.
What was Felton doing with Cantwell? Well, he spent most of his time schmoozing with the boss.
Cantwell knew that Felton was an ex-cop? Sure.
Everybody knew.
You ever hear Felton tipping off the operation, telling them about a raid that was planned? I didn't hang out a lot at the office.
Mostly I'm on the street hunting Land Rovers.
- You're a car thief.
- I'm not a thief, I'm a spotter.
Cantwell needs Accords, I round up Accords.
He needs Camrys I find Camrys.
But you knew Felton? You talked to him? - Couple of times.
- What did you talk about? Regular guy things, chicks, cars, sports, you know? Cantwell and Felton were in the office together.
You were there? He ever say anything to Felton? Did he ever threaten him? They may have gotten into it once or twice.
- About? - Stupid stuff! - Stupid stuff like what? - They'd fight about bets.
Not business? You never heard them fight about money, about the cops? - No.
Nothing specific like that.
- Call for you on line one, Lieutenant.
Giardello Colonel I understand.
I'm on my way.
This is going nowhere.
We gotta pull in Cantwell, everybody involved.
- No.
- What do you mean, no? That was Colonel Barnfather.
The Felton investigation's on hold.
- What the hell for? - I'm going upstairs to find out.
Thanks for coming so fast.
I'd like you to meet Gharty, Internal Investigation.
- IID.
- Lieutenant.
We were hoping for an update.
Falsone's informant gave us nothing.
- So what's next? - We bring in Cantwell's crew.
I have to ask you not to talk to the auto ring.
You're asking me? I don't see how this is any concern of llD's.
Have a seat, Al.
When he died, Beau Felton was working for llD, undercover.
- What? - We sent him in about six months back.
- You knew? - I did.
- Why wasn't I told? - Detective Gharty can answer that.
US Customs has been on Frank Cantwell's tail since '95.
After a year of attempted raids, they had nothing on the theft ring.
Somebody tipped Cantwell.
Falsone told us.
What's this to do with Felton? - Hold on.
- No, tell me how Beau got involved.
I transferred to Felton's case last April.
Felton was coming up on the end of his suspension.
He didn't wanna go back to Homicide.
I figured he was the guy we wanted, former detective, coming off a long suspension.
Everyone would believe he'd soured on police work.
Perfect.
Next, Felton worked his way into the operation, and it went real smooth.
If it's any comfort, he was excellent, he was this close to finding our leak.
- Something went wrong.
- More than wrong! A man died under your supervision! - I'm aware of that.
- What are you gonna do? It's difficult.
We don't know why Felton was killed.
It's possible he was found out.
It's possible he wasn't.
So we go on with the investigation! We bring in every member of that car ring, including Cantwell.
We put them in the Box until we find who's responsible.
If we start questioning Cantwell's crew, we'll never find our leak.
Felton will have died for nothing.
- What do you want? - To work with you.
- This is a Homicide investigation! - IID has a stake here.
Why do I feel this decision was already made? It was.
Homicide and llD are working together on Beau Felton's murder.
This is good, right here.
Here.
Keep the change.
Oh.
Sorry, I I guess you don't take francs.
There you go.
Mon dieu! Megan! - Mon dieuyourself.
- Hey.
- How are you? - Hey.
Hey, Russert.
What a surprise! - Hi, Kay.
- We didn't know you were comin'.
- Did we know you were comin'? - I wasn't going to, but I could grieve for Beau in Paris as easily as I could in Baltimore, but Al called me, and well, he told me that Beau was murdered, so I'm here to help with the investigation.
Not that we don't appreciate you flying 3,000 miles, but we got everyone in the unit working on the case.
I'm still a Homicide detective and this is a homicide.
You've been on leave for over a year.
We assumed you'd moved on.
Well, my name's still up on the Board.
Pembleton is the primary, but I'll tell you what we know, which isn't a hell of a lot.
- Thanks, Kay.
- Ow! What? You couldn't close Bongi and Sabatino while I was gone? I knew you'd be back.
I wanted you to feel at home.
Thanks.
- Megan Russert's here.
You see her? - I spoke with her.
She hasn't heard from Beau for the past couple of months.
Yeah.
Well, she flew all this way.
She must have really cared about him.
- Yeah, a lot of people did.
- You didn't like him.
I'm not glad that he's dead.
Well, it's a murder now, I don't know what's better, what's worse.
You don't have to work this case.
I want to, Frank.
I know why you haven't been around.
And I know that you've been spending time at your uncle's.
- You follow me? - Yeah, all the way to the house.
I know a Mr George Bayliss lives there.
- Jeez, Frank! - Sorry.
I'm a detective.
It's what I do.
When I first went out there to that house, I hated him.
I just wanted revenge.
I wanted to take away from him what he took away from me.
And now? Well, I can't take from him anything that he hasn't already lost.
He's gone, Frank.
He's gone.
Whole sick, twisted thing, he destroyed himself.
He needed me.
When I first went over there to his house, I thought that by seeing him, by talking to him that I would understand why he did what he did to me.
But it didn't make any difference.
I still don't understand things any better now, but what I do know is that I gotta forgive him, gotta forgive my father before anything can change.
Have you done that? Have you forgiven them? Bayliss, Pembleton, my office now! We're back on the Felton case! Let's go!