Law & Order (1990) s06e07 Episode Script
Humiliation
In the criminal justice system the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups, the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
They gave her a damn commercial.
Lingerie, bathing suits, something.
It should've been mouthwash.
A 60-buck hooker.
Next, she'll be running for mayor.
Look at this.
You boys look like you could party hardy.
Just taking a drive.
Well, I know what I'd like to be driving.
Little baby wants to come out and play.
Little baby wants to know how much.
Well, that all depends on the game.
Three is company.
Four is a ball.
Well, mine is making me all wet and sticky.
Yours is a cop, girl.
Hey, Malloy, ain't you got nothing better to do than screw with us? It's good to see you, too, Chi Chi.
I don't know, Malloy, man.
Maybe you've just been at this a little bit too long.
No.
Good hours, good people.
Good luck.
What the hell? Hey, pull over to the curb, will you? No, back it up! Back it up! Come on, back it up! Police! Don't move! Raise your hands and turn around slowly.
What the hell are you doing, Luther? She's sick.
I was trying to revivitate her.
Yeah? Well, you were wasting your breath.
I'll call it in.
Yeah, she was a regular.
Worked for the junk.
I busted her a couple of times last year.
You get her name? Gwyn George.
It's amazing they live as long as they do.
What's amazing to me is that they're still in business at all.
Who's in charge here? I guess that would be me.
I heard it, you know.
Wham, wham, wham! You remember about what time? The local news just started, so it had to be about 10:00.
I thought it was a truck backfiring, but then when I heard the sirens, I Get his vitals.
Luther here found the body.
He was giving CPR.
The Hamlick.
You mean the Heimlich? What's a Heim? It's right around the corner from the ham.
That, too, then.
Was he carrying? Everything he owns in the world.
Nothing that would put three holes in anyone.
I know the guy.
He's harmless.
All right, thanks.
What've we got here? Three shots from a.
22, close range.
Any signs of rape? We're talking about a working girl here.
Hey, Rey.
Crack pipe.
I guess it would hold 50 bucks' worth.
Of course, I used to take the edge off with a cigarette.
Hey, Lennie, check this out.
Gotta be a couple of grand.
Must've been a busy night.
We figure she finished up business, ducked into the alley to do some crack, never knew what hit her.
You run down the local dealers? Waste of time.
She had $2,000 in her purse.
If it was a dealer, there'd be nothing left.
Lovely lady.
Twenty-five years old.
Out on bail for possession.
Six arrests for prostitution, two for public disturbance, one for attempted grand larceny.
What? She tried to rob a bank? She blackmailed one of her johns.
Some ambassador from the Mideast.
Two grand.
She might be at it again.
Well, don't you think her mark would have shot her before he gave her the money? What else? A meatball hero from Little Tony's.
I missed breakfast.
You know what? Lion King is playing at the Cineplex.
Maybe after your sandwich you can catch an afternoon show.
Come on, a junkie hooker? I don't think we need the cavalry.
I think what Lennie means is, we don't have any witnesses, we don't have any evidence.
What a relief.
For a minute there, I thought he didn't give a damn.
Who posted bail? Jalil Washington.
Well, it could be her pimp.
You want to get on it? Police.
We're looking for Mr.
Washington.
He's my husband.
Is he here? He drives a truck.
I think he's in Oregon.
Did something happen? Do you know a Gwyn George? What did she do now? Do you know her? She's my daughter.
Can we come in? The last 10 years every time the phone rang, I thought it would be you people, but I figured it would be the drugs.
She'd been hooked a long time? The last few years.
The only time we ever heard from her was when she needed bail.
Thank the Lord her father didn't live to see this.
Can you think of anybody who might have wanted to hurt her? The life she leads I brought her up good, you know.
Not now, Mitch.
Watch TV, okay? Gwyn's.
She was 17 when he was born.
He thinks his mom works down in Miami.
At least she stays downtown.
Did she live downtown, too? I still send her birthday cards.
God, I thought it'd be me.
Why? Someone threaten you? She's got the big A.
Oh.
I'm sorry.
Hey, it's the cost of doing business.
Nina.
What? They're homicide.
They don't give a damn.
Hey, you got any idea who Gwyn was seeing last night? Please.
This business, every meal's potluck.
Gwyn had $2,000 in her purse.
Damn.
Yeah, any idea where she got it? Two grand? That'd keep us all floating on smoke, you know what I'm saying? Roscoe's going to have a cow.
Roscoe? He's Gwynie's dog.
I don't see a dog.
Yeah, well, he went out for a walk, all right? My guess, Roscoe takes 90%.
And leaves two grand in her purse? I don't think so.
Hey, I think he'd be as surprised as we were.
Well, if he killed Gwyn, why would they be protecting him? They don't, we'd find them in an alley, too.
Come on.
He shouldn't be too hard to find.
This guy's a regular employment agency.
We talking afternoon delight? I'd be delighted to throw you in jail.
Can't arrest a girl for asking.
That's gotta be him.
Mr.
Roscoe Squire? Get out of here.
Look, I don't know nothing.
That's too bad, 'cause there's That supposed to be funny? Look, I'm as clean as a baby's butt.
So you don't know anything about Gwyn George? No.
Who's that? You know what, man? Every minute of mine you waste, there's another count on the indictment.
Look, I'm just a charitable guy, okay? I do favors for young girls starting out.
Just like Daddy Warbucks? Yeah, something like that.
But no mutts, though.
See, I'm allergic.
Yeah, well, so was Gwyn.
To lead.
Look, Roscoe, we're just wondering what happens to one of your young girls when she fails to repay a favor.
Hold up.
You think I had something to do with Gwynie's sudden demise? Educated guess.
Now, why would I make her dead? Maybe she was holding out on you.
Maybe she wanted to leave your employ.
Gwynie loved me, okay? Now, you want to pinch somebody's butt, I'll tell you where to go.
The guy who owns the deli on 47th Street.
He chased Gwynie with a crowbar one day.
I'm here 27 years.
It was my old man's place.
Now I won't let my kid come within 20 blocks of this toilet.
That have anything to do with the young ladies peddling their wares? Ladies? Not on a great day.
I guess they must hurt your business.
You find who killed the slut, he gets free beer for a month.
So that's a yes.
Let me give you a what's what, okay? There's a nice lady, Mrs.
Delaney.
She lives right over there.
She comes in every morning for a paper and a cup of coffee.
These junkie whores try ripping off her pocketbook, only Mrs.
Delaney won't let go.
She gets dragged half a block.
Cracks her hip in three places.
Well, we heard you had a run-in with the girl who got killed, Gwyn George.
Damn straight.
I chased her to 11th with a crowbar.
If my knee didn't give out How about last night? Clock strikes 7:00, I'm on a train to Forest Hills.
Luckily, I don't gotta look at the crap that goes down here at night.
Well, if you're across the bridge, how do you find out what goes down? Believe it or not, there's still some civilized people who live around here.
I get a full report every morning.
First it was the Irish, loud like a train.
But it was always just big talk.
Then the Italians.
Tough, but clean.
They planted tomatoes in the empty lots.
Then the Puerto Ricans and their music.
And now? Meshuggeners.
Garbage.
It ain't fit for a pig.
You know how much I care for pigs? Mr.
McCracken says you keep an eye out for all the garbage.
We all do.
Neighborhood watch.
This week's my week.
I see it all from that window with my opera glasses.
Not exactly La Traviata out here.
Nu? But I get the license plates of all their customers' cars.
Well, maybe you saw this girl.
She was shot right here in the alley.
Did I see? This is the way you waste your time? It's a homicide like any other, Mr.
Pomerance.
Maybe you saw somebody running up the street.
Everybody here runs.
You walk Mr.
Pomerance, you think maybe we could get a look at the license plate numbers from last night? Oh, yeah.
Here.
Sure.
But she looked a lot better than this.
So you were with her last night? Is that a crime or something? Well, maybe you should ask Joey Buttafucco.
Hold on a minute.
Richard Gere picks up Julia Roberts, they make a billion dollars out of it.
We went out for a little fun.
What's the problem? The problem is she's dead.
And you think that I Hey, a couple of buddies from school have a couple of beers, and then go out to get the monkey spanked while singing Hail, Alma Mater And what time did the alumni reunion break up? Maybe 9:00.
And then I passed out over at Paulie's house.
I swear to God.
You can call him.
You're kidding, right? Someone spotted your license plate in that area.
Wait a minute.
I stopped to buy a pack of cigarettes, and you think that I'm patronizing a prostitute? Cigarettes? What kind of a doctor are you? Human.
I went to medical school, not a monastery.
I'm a plastic surgeon.
If you don't mind.
What were you doing in that neighborhood, Dr.
Danforth? Meeting my business manager for a drink down in the Village.
Ninth Avenue is fastest at that hour.
Do you remember the name of the store you stopped in? It's an Irish name.
McNally.
McMurphy.
Something like that.
McCracken's? Yeah, that's it.
Is this your wife? Yes.
And as you can see, I have no need for extra-curricular activities.
Oh, my God, my father's going to kill me.
I was supposed to be at the library.
What, they don't have any nice girls at your school? Look at me.
Would you go out with me? Am I under arrest? That depends on what you did.
Well, she just, you know, touched me through the window.
Take a look at this.
Yeah.
That's her.
But I didn't give her any money.
What, the first lesson's free? No, she just leaned in and started, you know, rubbing.
You got cold feet? Well, the guy from the store on the corner, he came running at us.
McCracken.
He was screaming like crazy.
I took off.
I didn't get his name.
Do you remember what time that was? No.
But I didn't leave the library till maybe 8:30.
Okay, go ahead.
Maybe this time McCracken's knee held up.
You got a.
22, you don't need a crowbar.
All right, so I lied to you.
Tuesday nights, I stay open till 9:00.
Well, you lie once, your credibility's kind of shot to hell.
My credibility? What? One of her associates saw me.
I'd believe her.
Doesn't matter where we heard it.
Fact is, we know you were there.
We know you chased Ms.
George off the street.
I pay my taxes.
I go to church.
I'm supposed to watch a head bouncing up and down in a Buick? No, thank you.
You own a gun, Mr.
McCracken? What if I told you she was shot with a.
38? Oh, God.
You expect me to believe that's just a coincidence? I'm in a cash business.
The scum in that neighborhood I thought the girl was shot with a.
22.
She was.
Could be McCracken's lucky day.
Get a warrant.
See what else he has stashed in that store.
In the good old days, this was all a shopkeeper needed for protection.
Hey, Lennie, we got a warrant to search, not eat.
Hey, I got it covered.
What, a quarter? That covers maybe one bite.
That thing costs a buck.
In the good old days, a kid could afford to have cavities.
Hey, look at this.
.
38, just like he said.
Well, nothing back there.
Maybe we ought to hit his house.
Maybe something easier.
Look.
Again with the video? Don't these women eat anything but potato chips and Coke? What's wrong with that? Okay, he's locking up.
Wait.
Must be something out there McCracken doesn't like.
There he goes, off to spoil the kid's trip around the world.
That's it.
He comes back in at 8:53, locks up and leaves.
So, he could be telling us the truth.
Yeah, but somebody else is lying.
The doctor, Danforth.
He said he stopped in to buy a pack of cigarettes.
I didn't see him on the tape.
Guy like that, just goes to show you.
What does it go to show? No matter how many brains a guy's got, they're still mostly centered somewhere south of the border.
Okay, so he lied to us.
He was embarrassed.
But I doubt if he killed anybody.
Well, maybe he saw who did.
No.
God.
Look, I had a couple of drinks before I went downtown to meet with my business manager.
I was a little early.
I thought, who would it hurt? Well, maybe we shouldn't get into that.
You married? Six years.
And you've never thought about it? No.
I haven't.
Well, I've been married for 12 years.
I don't know, I had to I don't know, experiment.
Well, there are a lot safer ways to do that.
I love my wife.
I just wanted something, you know, anonymous.
Can we keep this quiet? Well, we'll see what we can do.
Now, maybe you saw something in that alley? I never got out of the car.
I swear.
I'll pay the fine.
Whatever.
Oh, God.
Hey.
You wouldn't believe the traffic Excuse me.
Julia Danforth.
Lennie Briscoe.
Detective Rey Curtis.
Is something wrong? No, nothing at all, ma'am.
As a matter of fact, we were just about to leave.
Detective? Could've given the guy a break.
Why? Guy like that should squirm.
Fact is, most guys out there are guys like that.
Yeah? What gutter were you brought up in? Rey, a guy thinks he can get away with it, he'll do it every time.
Give me a break.
A hooker? They're in business for a reason.
You know, for some of us the honeymoon ends.
What the wife doesn't know, doesn't hurt.
Wrong.
It hurts the most.
Look, I want to talk to the guy's business manager.
What? Mercedes.
A townhouse.
Believe me, he's doing fine.
He lied to us once.
My rule book says we should follow up.
You don't really think he killed her? Why not? Better question, why? She tried to blackmail some ambassador, right? Who's a better target than a guy with M.
D.
Plates on his Mercedes and a wedding ring on his finger? Luxury of the '90s.
I do his billing, collect his money and write all his checks.
Mark makes seven figures and I pay him an allowance.
And he was with you Tuesday night? First Tuesday of every month.
A couple of steaks, we review his accounts and investments.
Do you remember what time he arrived? I don't know, about 10:30.
How did Dr.
Danforth look when he showed up? Same as always.
Called the wife, settled in for a couple of pops.
Why? Tell me this, did he ask for any extra cash last week? No.
So, a happily married surgeon does the nasty with a street hooker, and then puts three holes in her chest? According to Cardinal Curtis here.
He admitted he used her services.
That's all he admitted.
Come on, Lennie, you saw him.
He was obviously hiding something.
From his wife.
It happens.
Donnie tries hiding something like that, I'd put three holes in him.
Well, if everybody thought like you, there'd be a lot of dead hubbies out there.
And you've been married how many times? Okay, I admit I'm no role model, but the good doctor is.
Great job, lot of money, beautiful wife who he adores.
So this is how he spends his Tuesday nights.
No harm, no foul.
Tell that to Gwyn George.
I think they're cremating her tomorrow.
What about McCracken? No, he's clean.
In fact, his neighbor saw him taking out the trash at 9:45.
Bank records you asked for, Rey.
Thanks.
This is interesting.
Danforth had four ATM withdrawals last week.
Two grand.
Same amount found in the girl's purse.
Talk to him.
Well, this is getting redundant.
I paid the girl $50, I didn't steal the Hope Diamond.
The thing is, Doctor, the dead prostitute had $2,000 in her purse.
The same amount you withdrew from your bank.
What the hell are you talking about? Maybe she was blackmailing you.
Okay, before you hang me, would you do me the courtesy of answering a question? If you're going to blackmail somebody, wouldn't it be nice to know who he is? I assure you, I wasn't on a first-name basis with the deceased.
Well, maybe you can explain about the money.
I haven't withdrawn that much cash in the entire year.
I use cards.
It had to be my wife.
Two grand? Yes.
She's got an interior decorating business.
She buys antiques, sometimes for cash.
Now, I have a tummy to tuck.
If you don't mind? He's got a point about the name.
I'll bet this wasn't his first visit with Ms.
George.
You see all those diplomas on his wall? The guy's smart enough to use an alias.
Yeah, and she's smart enough to read.
Look, she sees he's got M.
D.
Plates.
She sees he's got a sticker from the hospital on his window.
She takes a cab over here And she reads his name.
Let's talk to the wife.
He told me all about it.
You're wasting your time, Detective.
He told you? Sure.
He stopped for a pack of cigarettes, and you think he killed a prostitute? It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
Mrs.
Danforth, about the money you withdrew.
What money? You didn't take $2,000 out of the bank? Oh, that.
Sure.
I bought some lamps and things at Columbus Circle Market.
Does your husband own a gun? This is crazy.
I don't have to No, you don't.
Look, nobody really believes your husband was involved.
We just want to eliminate him and move on.
So if you show us the gun and it doesn't match, you'll never see us again, I promise.
It should be in the storage closet.
Do you mind? I don't even know if the gun works.
Mark and his father used to shoot targets together, but after his dad died I don't think I've seen it since we bought this place.
I could have sworn He must have stored it someplace else.
Dr.
Mark Danforth? You're kidding.
I know him.
He's a prominent plastic surgeon.
You know him? You mean, those aren't real? My friend had a nose job.
So, a neighbor heard the gunshots around 10:00.
That gives him plenty of time to get down to the Village to meet his business manager by 10:30.
And he took two grand out of the bank.
Did he say why? He denies it.
Says it was the wife.
And she backs him up.
But I'm sure she's covering.
The ATM didn't have a camera? He used the machine at the local market.
Smart.
What about the murder weapon? He owns a gun, but he misplaced it.
And it gets better.
Dr.
Danforth had a Colt.
Now, judging from the left twist on the bullets recovered from the victim's body, they probably came from a Colt.
Pick him up.
The Doctor is in consultation.
The Doctor's in trouble.
Come on.
When is this going to stop? It's just beginning, Doc.
Dr.
Mark Danforth, you're under arrest for the murder of Gwyn George.
Sorry, ma'am.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you do say can and will be used So he sweated up the sheets with some hussy.
Shame on him.
But murder two? A stretch like that would pop the hamstrings of a man half your age.
First of all, they were nowhere near a sheet.
Second, the victim wound up with three bullets in her chest.
And you've got bubkas to prove it.
Bubkas? Dr.
Danforth owns a gun that matches the murder weapon.
Gwyn George had $2,000 in her purse, the same amount your client withdrew from his bank.
I did not withdraw Uh-uh.
You like litanies, Ms.
Kincaid? Fine.
Mrs.
Danforth will testify she withdrew the money.
You can't prove otherwise.
Hell, you can't even prove that Dr.
Danforth was with the deceased.
Except he admitted it.
Exactly my point.
If he did kill the girl, why the hell would he tell the cops he was with her? Face it, you have no direct evidence whatsoever.
They've suspended my privileges at the hospital.
My private practice, forget about it.
I'm a laughingstock.
And for what? I didn't do anything.
Look, we'll cop to using the services of a prostitute, and we'll all get on with our lives.
A grand jury found sufficient evidence for a murder two indictment, Larry.
Twenty-three mutants waiting for the lunch bell to ring.
Fine.
We'll see you in court.
A guy like that.
What the heck was he thinking about? The tabloids will get six months out of this.
It was actually the lead story on World News last night.
Poor bastard spends eight years in school, marries the girl next door, moves into a townhouse.
And the only time he thought his name would hit the papers was when they buried him.
Now, people know more about his love life than they do about the war in Bosnia.
The poor bastard is a felon.
It sounds like you two actually feel sorry for him.
No.
I feel sorry for me and every other married guy in this city when they get home tonight.
The bottom line is the only thing we can prove is that Danforth had sex with this girl.
And I suppose you'd forgive him that trespass? That's not what's at issue here, Claire.
Enough.
Can anyone tell me why the girl is dead? She was blackmailing Danforth.
Do you have proof of that? Circumstantial.
Lawrence Weaver on the other side of the aisle? I'd do better than that.
Girl must've talked to somebody.
Look at that suit.
What you think, Maria? Must be nice standing up for a paycheck.
Give her some slack.
She's just trying to help.
You can sit down.
It's a sofa, honey.
It ain't contagious.
So, Gwyn never mentioned anything about blackmailing Dr.
Danforth? We're independent contractors.
We don't trade secrets.
Especially not for free.
My people are talking about doing a TV movie or something.
You know, this could have happened to you.
Your friend is dead.
I'd think you'd be a little concerned.
Yeah, well, I'm not.
As a matter of fact, I don't give a damn about Gwynie, I don't give a damn about this Dr.
Danforth, and I don't give a damn about you.
I see.
Nothing matters.
I didn't say that.
I do care a whole hell of a lot if I have cold milk in the morning for my Grape-Nuts.
A girl needs her high fiber, you know.
Look, the last thing I need is your three-piece pity.
I'm not trying to give you I don't need your disgust, either.
Well, I'm sorry.
I thought maybe you could help.
Gwynie never told us about no blackmail.
Well, when was the last time you spoke to her? The night she was killed.
She was bored.
Called a couple of times from the phone on the corner.
Thanks.
I can't believe he doesn't want to deal.
He still says he didn't do it.
And McCoy's buying it? Danforth hired some hotshot attorney.
McCoy doesn't like to lose.
Well, unless one of the girls has a deviated septum, I think we have something.
The LUDS from the corner phone booth where the hookers worked.
Last week, three calls to the good doctor's office.
It had to be Gwyn demanding a payoff.
And now to break the wife's story.
Where did you guys say she did her shopping? At an antiques market near Columbus Circle.
You want us to go shopping? Well, do you prefer art deco or 19th-century American? Julia Danforth? She's decorated some of the best apartments in the city.
She'll do fine work for you.
Actually, I'm from the D.
A.
's office.
God.
Look, we do everything by the book here.
Mrs.
Danforth was here last week.
She purchased a few items.
Yes, that's right.
A lamp and a chair.
Yeah, how much did she spend? I really don't remember.
That's too bad.
I wonder if the sales tax people will spark your memory, sir.
What are you insinuating? Cash business.
The lamp went for 300.
The chair, 900.
That's all she bought? It wasn't a good week.
I met him when he was a sophomore in college.
He was shaking the first time he put his arm around me at the movies.
There was something so gentle about him.
That's why this is all so absurd.
The evidence.
Our attorney says you don't have any.
Most people are convicted on circumstantial evidence, Mrs.
Danforth.
And you want me to put the nail in his coffin? I can't do that.
Because you still love him.
Because he didn't kill that girl.
You told the police that you purchased items in a market for $2,000.
It seems you only spent 1,200.
I don't have to talk to you.
You'll have to answer these questions in court.
I'll wait.
Look at it from my perspective, Ms.
Kincaid.
I'm sitting at home all night, waiting for my husband of 12 years to get home from his accountant.
Meanwhile, what he's really doing is I'm sorry.
This is one nightmare too many for one lifetime.
Your husband had sex with a prostitute, Mrs.
Danforth.
He may have killed her.
Why are you protecting him? And what would you do if he were your husband? Briscoe and Curtis are right.
She's obviously lying to protect him.
She takes this "Till death do us part" thing seriously.
Well, I don't think the vows include committing perjury for a murderer.
We still don't have enough to prove that Danforth killed Gwyn George.
What about the calls from the phone booth on the corner where Gwyn did business? What, they're just coincidence? He stopped for cigarettes.
Maybe he called in for messages.
You believe that? We don't have a murder weapon, Claire.
If the wife sticks to her story, we can't prove motive.
Face it, we don't really have a case.
I think we do.
Then go ahead.
You try it.
So I was settling in to watch the 10:00 news.
It had just started.
Did something interrupt you? Three loud noises, like a truck backfiring.
What did you do then? Well, nothing, till I heard the sirens.
Then I figured it wasn't a truck.
I went down and talked to the cops.
You didn't see anyone fire a gun, did you, Mr.
Krinsky? Like I said, I was watching TV.
So you can't say for sure that you heard gunshots that night, can you? No, not for sure.
But given the three holes in that girl, I'd say it's a pretty safe bet.
A local resident, Mr.
Pomerance, reports seeing the defendant's vehicle parked on the block in question.
Now, at first, the defendant told us he only stopped to purchase cigarettes.
He later told us that he purchased the services of the victim.
Do you know what time that was? Mr.
Pomerance noted it was 9:28, shortly before Mr.
Krinsky heard the gunshots.
Detective Briscoe, did you find anything of particular interest on the person of the victim? Well, we found $2,000 cash in the victim's handbag.
How do you suppose it got there? Well, considering the fact that $2,000 had been withdrawn from Dr.
Danforth's account several days before the murder, we assumed he paid her the money.
And why did you make that assumption? The victim had tried to extort from one of her clients once before.
We assumed she was trying again.
Were you able to conclude what type of gun killed Gwyn George? It was a Colt.
22, the same type of weapon registered to the defendant.
Ms.
George was a working girl, isn't that right, Detective? Yes.
Well, isn't it possible that she earned the money? $2,000? She wasn't working for Heidi Fleiss.
No, she certainly wasn't.
Tell me, Detective, what else did you find on the scene? A crack pipe.
I see.
So, Ms.
George was a junkie, as well.
Now, from your experience, Detective, how many drug-related murders happen in this city each year? I wouldn't know.
Well, would you call it a rare occurrence? No.
And I suppose you don't know how many Colt.
No, I don't.
I frequently take money out of the ATM at the grocery.
It's on the way to my office.
The week prior to the murder, did you have occasion to withdraw funds? Yes, I withdrew $2,000 to purchase antiques for a client.
Thank you.
Exactly what items did you purchase for your client, Mrs.
Danforth? A stained glass lamp and a wheel back chair for Mr.
Holdsworth.
And how much did you spend? In the neighborhood of $2,000.
Do you recognize this, Mrs.
Danforth? It's a receipt from the market.
And how much is it for? $1,200.
What happened to the other $800, Mrs.
Danforth? I have other clients.
I shop elsewhere.
Well, you didn't tell that to the police.
I didn't think it was important.
I see.
So what else did you buy? A silver dish.
No, candlesticks.
And where did you make that purchase? Sommerset's or maybe Byron's.
I don't remember.
I wouldn't be surprised if the jury's out less than two hours.
Maybe the kudos are a bit premature? I'll offer you a bit of wisdom, Claire.
Modesty and trial work don't mix.
If you were going to lie on the stand, wouldn't you have your story straight before you entered the courtroom? She got nervous.
Maybe she didn't expect that line of questioning.
How could she not expect it? I told her I checked on the money she spent.
You've had, what, a half dozen cases against Lawrence Weaver? Has he ever put a witness on the stand who wasn't thoroughly prepared? Where are we going with this, Claire? Just suppose Mrs.
Danforth wanted me to catch her in a lie.
Why would she want to do that? She stood by her husband from the start.
And then she fumbled on the goal line.
Maybe she's not quite as forgiving as she'd have us think she is.
Jack, I think I may have pushed her into this.
You presented the evidence, Claire.
If the jury chooses not to believe Mrs.
Danforth's story, it's not your problem.
Madam Forewoman, have you reached a verdict? Yes, we have, Your Honor.
On the sole count of the indictment, murder in the second degree, how do you find? We find the defendant guilty.
Sentencing's in two weeks.
I guess I should ask for the maximum.
That should keep a lot of car doors closed on the way home from the office.
Yeah, right.
Your first homicide trial.
A conviction, no room for appeal.
You ought to be dancing in the streets.
I'm just wondering whether the jury convicted for the wrong reason.
Mrs.
Danforth loved her husband, she lied from the get-go, and then when it mattered most Got plenty of other evidence.
Yes, but Julia Danforth's lack of coherent testimony gave us our motive.
Without motive, the rest of the case just falls apart.
So instead of convicting Dr.
Danforth, we should give his wife an Academy Award.
I'm not saying he's innocent.
I just don't want to see him convicted because of a wife scorned.
And all these years, I thought we were supposed to put the bad guys in jail.
You got two days.
We were perfect partners.
Julia's life was out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
Could you hold this? Sure.
Mine, a Tim Burton movie.
We could take care of anyone who walked through that door.
So prior to this, there were no problems in Julia's marriage? Are you kidding? One time, Mark forgot to bring roses home on a Friday night.
It was a nightmare.
It must have been quite a shock for her to find out about Mark and Gwyn George.
She actually cried.
Believe me, that's front page for Julia.
I said to her, "Be happy, honey.
" At least he wasn't with his 22-year-old nurse, like someone I once knew.
Bless him.
Mark had the great good sense to kill his slut when he was done.
So you actually believe Dr.
Danforth killed her? You convicted him, didn't you? All those late nights working at the hospital, makes you wonder what he was really doing.
He worked late often? He worked late, she worked late.
Hell, while he was getting his jollies with Ms.
Miniskirt, she was at an estate auction in Larchmont.
Two days of victory celebrations.
A little excessive, wouldn't you say? I was checking up on Mrs.
Danforth.
The case is over, Claire.
Actually, I think it's just starting.
I checked with Vice.
It seems this wasn't her husband's first stop in Hell's Kitchen.
So? So what if Julia Danforth knew all about it? The night of the murder, Dr.
Danforth's car was reported in the neighborhood twice.
So there's more than one concerned citizen.
Sure, that's the logical conclusion.
Only the second call to the cops was at 10:30.
Danforth was already into his second Scotch by then.
And maybe concerned citizen number two paused to make himself a sandwich before he called the police.
I thought about that.
But it seems extremely curious that the second call was placed by a woman, who conveniently forgot to give the cops her name.
Julia Danforth had no idea Abe Pomerance was recording the license plate numbers.
If she wanted us to suspect her husband You think Julia Danforth killed George? I don't know what to think.
But there's a chance that she's been manipulating all of us to assure her husband's conviction.
Then why didn't she give us the gun? Ballistics would have matched.
Conviction would have been a slam dunk.
I talked to her.
She's a very smart lady.
If she gave us the gun, Dr.
Danforth would have known she was involved.
No one else had access to it.
You know what I think? I think you've been reading too much James M.
Cain.
Maybe.
But if this were your case, what would you do? I don't get it, Jack.
Why all the secrecy? We just have a few questions.
You already won the case.
You had me schlep up It could be worth your while, Larry.
Dr.
Danforth told the police that when he went to have dinner with his business manager, the first thing he did was call his wife.
Do you know what she said to him? Nothing.
He talked to the machine.
She told him later that she went to the movies.
That's interesting.
Because she told her partner she was at an estate auction, and she told me she was home all night.
So? Where are you going with this? I You think Julia Fact is, we don't know.
But there may be a way to find out.
Only you'll have to work with us.
Sentencing is next Tuesday.
Do I have a choice? What is it, Jack? You call us down here to gloat? Actually, it's the opposite.
We just realized one of our witnesses made a mistake.
Mr.
Krinsky said he heard the gunshots around the time he started watching the local news.
We all assumed that was at 10:00 p.
m.
But there was a Mets game that night that went into extra innings.
The news started at 10:30.
When I was with Marty, which means I couldn't have done it.
This is unbelievable.
You're damn right it is.
You'll have my motion to set aside the verdict in the morning.
Does this mean Mark goes free? No, it means he gets retried.
Unless you'd consider man one.
I didn't do it.
After what you've put them through? Are you kidding? You don't have a temporal witness, Jack.
Now, you got less than bubkas.
You can't win.
No, you can't.
I'll see you in court.
It's almost over.
Weaver actually went along with the gag? If he didn't, his client would be sentenced next week.
I see.
He forgot all about the conflict of interest rules.
There's no conflict, Adam.
Weaver was retained by Dr.
Danforth, not his wife.
Well, it's the craziest thing I ever heard of.
Yes? Put him through.
Kincaid.
You're kidding.
Thanks.
That was Weaver.
They'll all be here tomorrow.
Wonder of wonders.
Look what Mrs.
Danforth found.
The Colt.
22 registered to my client.
I don't get it.
The police searched the house thoroughly.
I remembered, after we moved into the townhouse we stored several cartons at my mother's in Mamaroneck.
The gun was there.
Go ahead, test it.
You'll see Mark didn't shoot that girl.
So you went to your mother's house yesterday and found this? That's right.
That's odd, Mrs.
Danforth.
Because according to this affidavit signed by Detectives Briscoe and Curtis, you left your townhouse at 8:00 in the morning and visited three antique stores.
You then went to your office on Madison, where you stayed until you went home at 6:00 p.
m.
After that, you didn't leave until you came here this morning.
What does it matter where I found it? Just test the ballistics.
I don't think we have to, Mrs.
Danforth.
We both know this gun killed Gwyn George.
I'm telling you, Mark didn't No, but you did.
What the hell are you talking about? Your wife wasn't at the movies, Doctor.
She was on West 47th, the same time you were.
She used this gun to kill Gwyn George and to frame you.
The money, the phone calls, everything.
That is crap! Come on! Did you kill Gwyn George, Doctor? Of course not.
Well, the ballistics on this gun are going to match.
Now, if you didn't do it, who else could have? We can wait for ballistics, Mrs.
Danforth.
You should understand.
Murder? I don't think so.
You conniving How the hell could you? Me? You can't keep it in your pants! And I'm supposed to smile, and fix you breakfast, and bounce around the bed with you once a week? No! This girl It was meaningless.
Well, how the hell do you think that makes me feel? You're unhappy, so I should go to jail for the rest of my life? I want you to hurt.
Hurt as bad as I do.
For the record, what was it that turned you on? Was it that cheap lipstick? The short skirt? Or just doing it in the back seat of the car? I married you, Mark! That's supposed to mean I can trust you! Thanks.
Her attorney said she'll take man one.
And what did you say? I figure it's better than taking a chance with a jury.
So I wonder if Danforth will keep it in his pants after this.
Probably not.
These are their stories.
They gave her a damn commercial.
Lingerie, bathing suits, something.
It should've been mouthwash.
A 60-buck hooker.
Next, she'll be running for mayor.
Look at this.
You boys look like you could party hardy.
Just taking a drive.
Well, I know what I'd like to be driving.
Little baby wants to come out and play.
Little baby wants to know how much.
Well, that all depends on the game.
Three is company.
Four is a ball.
Well, mine is making me all wet and sticky.
Yours is a cop, girl.
Hey, Malloy, ain't you got nothing better to do than screw with us? It's good to see you, too, Chi Chi.
I don't know, Malloy, man.
Maybe you've just been at this a little bit too long.
No.
Good hours, good people.
Good luck.
What the hell? Hey, pull over to the curb, will you? No, back it up! Back it up! Come on, back it up! Police! Don't move! Raise your hands and turn around slowly.
What the hell are you doing, Luther? She's sick.
I was trying to revivitate her.
Yeah? Well, you were wasting your breath.
I'll call it in.
Yeah, she was a regular.
Worked for the junk.
I busted her a couple of times last year.
You get her name? Gwyn George.
It's amazing they live as long as they do.
What's amazing to me is that they're still in business at all.
Who's in charge here? I guess that would be me.
I heard it, you know.
Wham, wham, wham! You remember about what time? The local news just started, so it had to be about 10:00.
I thought it was a truck backfiring, but then when I heard the sirens, I Get his vitals.
Luther here found the body.
He was giving CPR.
The Hamlick.
You mean the Heimlich? What's a Heim? It's right around the corner from the ham.
That, too, then.
Was he carrying? Everything he owns in the world.
Nothing that would put three holes in anyone.
I know the guy.
He's harmless.
All right, thanks.
What've we got here? Three shots from a.
22, close range.
Any signs of rape? We're talking about a working girl here.
Hey, Rey.
Crack pipe.
I guess it would hold 50 bucks' worth.
Of course, I used to take the edge off with a cigarette.
Hey, Lennie, check this out.
Gotta be a couple of grand.
Must've been a busy night.
We figure she finished up business, ducked into the alley to do some crack, never knew what hit her.
You run down the local dealers? Waste of time.
She had $2,000 in her purse.
If it was a dealer, there'd be nothing left.
Lovely lady.
Twenty-five years old.
Out on bail for possession.
Six arrests for prostitution, two for public disturbance, one for attempted grand larceny.
What? She tried to rob a bank? She blackmailed one of her johns.
Some ambassador from the Mideast.
Two grand.
She might be at it again.
Well, don't you think her mark would have shot her before he gave her the money? What else? A meatball hero from Little Tony's.
I missed breakfast.
You know what? Lion King is playing at the Cineplex.
Maybe after your sandwich you can catch an afternoon show.
Come on, a junkie hooker? I don't think we need the cavalry.
I think what Lennie means is, we don't have any witnesses, we don't have any evidence.
What a relief.
For a minute there, I thought he didn't give a damn.
Who posted bail? Jalil Washington.
Well, it could be her pimp.
You want to get on it? Police.
We're looking for Mr.
Washington.
He's my husband.
Is he here? He drives a truck.
I think he's in Oregon.
Did something happen? Do you know a Gwyn George? What did she do now? Do you know her? She's my daughter.
Can we come in? The last 10 years every time the phone rang, I thought it would be you people, but I figured it would be the drugs.
She'd been hooked a long time? The last few years.
The only time we ever heard from her was when she needed bail.
Thank the Lord her father didn't live to see this.
Can you think of anybody who might have wanted to hurt her? The life she leads I brought her up good, you know.
Not now, Mitch.
Watch TV, okay? Gwyn's.
She was 17 when he was born.
He thinks his mom works down in Miami.
At least she stays downtown.
Did she live downtown, too? I still send her birthday cards.
God, I thought it'd be me.
Why? Someone threaten you? She's got the big A.
Oh.
I'm sorry.
Hey, it's the cost of doing business.
Nina.
What? They're homicide.
They don't give a damn.
Hey, you got any idea who Gwyn was seeing last night? Please.
This business, every meal's potluck.
Gwyn had $2,000 in her purse.
Damn.
Yeah, any idea where she got it? Two grand? That'd keep us all floating on smoke, you know what I'm saying? Roscoe's going to have a cow.
Roscoe? He's Gwynie's dog.
I don't see a dog.
Yeah, well, he went out for a walk, all right? My guess, Roscoe takes 90%.
And leaves two grand in her purse? I don't think so.
Hey, I think he'd be as surprised as we were.
Well, if he killed Gwyn, why would they be protecting him? They don't, we'd find them in an alley, too.
Come on.
He shouldn't be too hard to find.
This guy's a regular employment agency.
We talking afternoon delight? I'd be delighted to throw you in jail.
Can't arrest a girl for asking.
That's gotta be him.
Mr.
Roscoe Squire? Get out of here.
Look, I don't know nothing.
That's too bad, 'cause there's That supposed to be funny? Look, I'm as clean as a baby's butt.
So you don't know anything about Gwyn George? No.
Who's that? You know what, man? Every minute of mine you waste, there's another count on the indictment.
Look, I'm just a charitable guy, okay? I do favors for young girls starting out.
Just like Daddy Warbucks? Yeah, something like that.
But no mutts, though.
See, I'm allergic.
Yeah, well, so was Gwyn.
To lead.
Look, Roscoe, we're just wondering what happens to one of your young girls when she fails to repay a favor.
Hold up.
You think I had something to do with Gwynie's sudden demise? Educated guess.
Now, why would I make her dead? Maybe she was holding out on you.
Maybe she wanted to leave your employ.
Gwynie loved me, okay? Now, you want to pinch somebody's butt, I'll tell you where to go.
The guy who owns the deli on 47th Street.
He chased Gwynie with a crowbar one day.
I'm here 27 years.
It was my old man's place.
Now I won't let my kid come within 20 blocks of this toilet.
That have anything to do with the young ladies peddling their wares? Ladies? Not on a great day.
I guess they must hurt your business.
You find who killed the slut, he gets free beer for a month.
So that's a yes.
Let me give you a what's what, okay? There's a nice lady, Mrs.
Delaney.
She lives right over there.
She comes in every morning for a paper and a cup of coffee.
These junkie whores try ripping off her pocketbook, only Mrs.
Delaney won't let go.
She gets dragged half a block.
Cracks her hip in three places.
Well, we heard you had a run-in with the girl who got killed, Gwyn George.
Damn straight.
I chased her to 11th with a crowbar.
If my knee didn't give out How about last night? Clock strikes 7:00, I'm on a train to Forest Hills.
Luckily, I don't gotta look at the crap that goes down here at night.
Well, if you're across the bridge, how do you find out what goes down? Believe it or not, there's still some civilized people who live around here.
I get a full report every morning.
First it was the Irish, loud like a train.
But it was always just big talk.
Then the Italians.
Tough, but clean.
They planted tomatoes in the empty lots.
Then the Puerto Ricans and their music.
And now? Meshuggeners.
Garbage.
It ain't fit for a pig.
You know how much I care for pigs? Mr.
McCracken says you keep an eye out for all the garbage.
We all do.
Neighborhood watch.
This week's my week.
I see it all from that window with my opera glasses.
Not exactly La Traviata out here.
Nu? But I get the license plates of all their customers' cars.
Well, maybe you saw this girl.
She was shot right here in the alley.
Did I see? This is the way you waste your time? It's a homicide like any other, Mr.
Pomerance.
Maybe you saw somebody running up the street.
Everybody here runs.
You walk Mr.
Pomerance, you think maybe we could get a look at the license plate numbers from last night? Oh, yeah.
Here.
Sure.
But she looked a lot better than this.
So you were with her last night? Is that a crime or something? Well, maybe you should ask Joey Buttafucco.
Hold on a minute.
Richard Gere picks up Julia Roberts, they make a billion dollars out of it.
We went out for a little fun.
What's the problem? The problem is she's dead.
And you think that I Hey, a couple of buddies from school have a couple of beers, and then go out to get the monkey spanked while singing Hail, Alma Mater And what time did the alumni reunion break up? Maybe 9:00.
And then I passed out over at Paulie's house.
I swear to God.
You can call him.
You're kidding, right? Someone spotted your license plate in that area.
Wait a minute.
I stopped to buy a pack of cigarettes, and you think that I'm patronizing a prostitute? Cigarettes? What kind of a doctor are you? Human.
I went to medical school, not a monastery.
I'm a plastic surgeon.
If you don't mind.
What were you doing in that neighborhood, Dr.
Danforth? Meeting my business manager for a drink down in the Village.
Ninth Avenue is fastest at that hour.
Do you remember the name of the store you stopped in? It's an Irish name.
McNally.
McMurphy.
Something like that.
McCracken's? Yeah, that's it.
Is this your wife? Yes.
And as you can see, I have no need for extra-curricular activities.
Oh, my God, my father's going to kill me.
I was supposed to be at the library.
What, they don't have any nice girls at your school? Look at me.
Would you go out with me? Am I under arrest? That depends on what you did.
Well, she just, you know, touched me through the window.
Take a look at this.
Yeah.
That's her.
But I didn't give her any money.
What, the first lesson's free? No, she just leaned in and started, you know, rubbing.
You got cold feet? Well, the guy from the store on the corner, he came running at us.
McCracken.
He was screaming like crazy.
I took off.
I didn't get his name.
Do you remember what time that was? No.
But I didn't leave the library till maybe 8:30.
Okay, go ahead.
Maybe this time McCracken's knee held up.
You got a.
22, you don't need a crowbar.
All right, so I lied to you.
Tuesday nights, I stay open till 9:00.
Well, you lie once, your credibility's kind of shot to hell.
My credibility? What? One of her associates saw me.
I'd believe her.
Doesn't matter where we heard it.
Fact is, we know you were there.
We know you chased Ms.
George off the street.
I pay my taxes.
I go to church.
I'm supposed to watch a head bouncing up and down in a Buick? No, thank you.
You own a gun, Mr.
McCracken? What if I told you she was shot with a.
38? Oh, God.
You expect me to believe that's just a coincidence? I'm in a cash business.
The scum in that neighborhood I thought the girl was shot with a.
22.
She was.
Could be McCracken's lucky day.
Get a warrant.
See what else he has stashed in that store.
In the good old days, this was all a shopkeeper needed for protection.
Hey, Lennie, we got a warrant to search, not eat.
Hey, I got it covered.
What, a quarter? That covers maybe one bite.
That thing costs a buck.
In the good old days, a kid could afford to have cavities.
Hey, look at this.
.
38, just like he said.
Well, nothing back there.
Maybe we ought to hit his house.
Maybe something easier.
Look.
Again with the video? Don't these women eat anything but potato chips and Coke? What's wrong with that? Okay, he's locking up.
Wait.
Must be something out there McCracken doesn't like.
There he goes, off to spoil the kid's trip around the world.
That's it.
He comes back in at 8:53, locks up and leaves.
So, he could be telling us the truth.
Yeah, but somebody else is lying.
The doctor, Danforth.
He said he stopped in to buy a pack of cigarettes.
I didn't see him on the tape.
Guy like that, just goes to show you.
What does it go to show? No matter how many brains a guy's got, they're still mostly centered somewhere south of the border.
Okay, so he lied to us.
He was embarrassed.
But I doubt if he killed anybody.
Well, maybe he saw who did.
No.
God.
Look, I had a couple of drinks before I went downtown to meet with my business manager.
I was a little early.
I thought, who would it hurt? Well, maybe we shouldn't get into that.
You married? Six years.
And you've never thought about it? No.
I haven't.
Well, I've been married for 12 years.
I don't know, I had to I don't know, experiment.
Well, there are a lot safer ways to do that.
I love my wife.
I just wanted something, you know, anonymous.
Can we keep this quiet? Well, we'll see what we can do.
Now, maybe you saw something in that alley? I never got out of the car.
I swear.
I'll pay the fine.
Whatever.
Oh, God.
Hey.
You wouldn't believe the traffic Excuse me.
Julia Danforth.
Lennie Briscoe.
Detective Rey Curtis.
Is something wrong? No, nothing at all, ma'am.
As a matter of fact, we were just about to leave.
Detective? Could've given the guy a break.
Why? Guy like that should squirm.
Fact is, most guys out there are guys like that.
Yeah? What gutter were you brought up in? Rey, a guy thinks he can get away with it, he'll do it every time.
Give me a break.
A hooker? They're in business for a reason.
You know, for some of us the honeymoon ends.
What the wife doesn't know, doesn't hurt.
Wrong.
It hurts the most.
Look, I want to talk to the guy's business manager.
What? Mercedes.
A townhouse.
Believe me, he's doing fine.
He lied to us once.
My rule book says we should follow up.
You don't really think he killed her? Why not? Better question, why? She tried to blackmail some ambassador, right? Who's a better target than a guy with M.
D.
Plates on his Mercedes and a wedding ring on his finger? Luxury of the '90s.
I do his billing, collect his money and write all his checks.
Mark makes seven figures and I pay him an allowance.
And he was with you Tuesday night? First Tuesday of every month.
A couple of steaks, we review his accounts and investments.
Do you remember what time he arrived? I don't know, about 10:30.
How did Dr.
Danforth look when he showed up? Same as always.
Called the wife, settled in for a couple of pops.
Why? Tell me this, did he ask for any extra cash last week? No.
So, a happily married surgeon does the nasty with a street hooker, and then puts three holes in her chest? According to Cardinal Curtis here.
He admitted he used her services.
That's all he admitted.
Come on, Lennie, you saw him.
He was obviously hiding something.
From his wife.
It happens.
Donnie tries hiding something like that, I'd put three holes in him.
Well, if everybody thought like you, there'd be a lot of dead hubbies out there.
And you've been married how many times? Okay, I admit I'm no role model, but the good doctor is.
Great job, lot of money, beautiful wife who he adores.
So this is how he spends his Tuesday nights.
No harm, no foul.
Tell that to Gwyn George.
I think they're cremating her tomorrow.
What about McCracken? No, he's clean.
In fact, his neighbor saw him taking out the trash at 9:45.
Bank records you asked for, Rey.
Thanks.
This is interesting.
Danforth had four ATM withdrawals last week.
Two grand.
Same amount found in the girl's purse.
Talk to him.
Well, this is getting redundant.
I paid the girl $50, I didn't steal the Hope Diamond.
The thing is, Doctor, the dead prostitute had $2,000 in her purse.
The same amount you withdrew from your bank.
What the hell are you talking about? Maybe she was blackmailing you.
Okay, before you hang me, would you do me the courtesy of answering a question? If you're going to blackmail somebody, wouldn't it be nice to know who he is? I assure you, I wasn't on a first-name basis with the deceased.
Well, maybe you can explain about the money.
I haven't withdrawn that much cash in the entire year.
I use cards.
It had to be my wife.
Two grand? Yes.
She's got an interior decorating business.
She buys antiques, sometimes for cash.
Now, I have a tummy to tuck.
If you don't mind? He's got a point about the name.
I'll bet this wasn't his first visit with Ms.
George.
You see all those diplomas on his wall? The guy's smart enough to use an alias.
Yeah, and she's smart enough to read.
Look, she sees he's got M.
D.
Plates.
She sees he's got a sticker from the hospital on his window.
She takes a cab over here And she reads his name.
Let's talk to the wife.
He told me all about it.
You're wasting your time, Detective.
He told you? Sure.
He stopped for a pack of cigarettes, and you think he killed a prostitute? It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
Mrs.
Danforth, about the money you withdrew.
What money? You didn't take $2,000 out of the bank? Oh, that.
Sure.
I bought some lamps and things at Columbus Circle Market.
Does your husband own a gun? This is crazy.
I don't have to No, you don't.
Look, nobody really believes your husband was involved.
We just want to eliminate him and move on.
So if you show us the gun and it doesn't match, you'll never see us again, I promise.
It should be in the storage closet.
Do you mind? I don't even know if the gun works.
Mark and his father used to shoot targets together, but after his dad died I don't think I've seen it since we bought this place.
I could have sworn He must have stored it someplace else.
Dr.
Mark Danforth? You're kidding.
I know him.
He's a prominent plastic surgeon.
You know him? You mean, those aren't real? My friend had a nose job.
So, a neighbor heard the gunshots around 10:00.
That gives him plenty of time to get down to the Village to meet his business manager by 10:30.
And he took two grand out of the bank.
Did he say why? He denies it.
Says it was the wife.
And she backs him up.
But I'm sure she's covering.
The ATM didn't have a camera? He used the machine at the local market.
Smart.
What about the murder weapon? He owns a gun, but he misplaced it.
And it gets better.
Dr.
Danforth had a Colt.
Now, judging from the left twist on the bullets recovered from the victim's body, they probably came from a Colt.
Pick him up.
The Doctor is in consultation.
The Doctor's in trouble.
Come on.
When is this going to stop? It's just beginning, Doc.
Dr.
Mark Danforth, you're under arrest for the murder of Gwyn George.
Sorry, ma'am.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you do say can and will be used So he sweated up the sheets with some hussy.
Shame on him.
But murder two? A stretch like that would pop the hamstrings of a man half your age.
First of all, they were nowhere near a sheet.
Second, the victim wound up with three bullets in her chest.
And you've got bubkas to prove it.
Bubkas? Dr.
Danforth owns a gun that matches the murder weapon.
Gwyn George had $2,000 in her purse, the same amount your client withdrew from his bank.
I did not withdraw Uh-uh.
You like litanies, Ms.
Kincaid? Fine.
Mrs.
Danforth will testify she withdrew the money.
You can't prove otherwise.
Hell, you can't even prove that Dr.
Danforth was with the deceased.
Except he admitted it.
Exactly my point.
If he did kill the girl, why the hell would he tell the cops he was with her? Face it, you have no direct evidence whatsoever.
They've suspended my privileges at the hospital.
My private practice, forget about it.
I'm a laughingstock.
And for what? I didn't do anything.
Look, we'll cop to using the services of a prostitute, and we'll all get on with our lives.
A grand jury found sufficient evidence for a murder two indictment, Larry.
Twenty-three mutants waiting for the lunch bell to ring.
Fine.
We'll see you in court.
A guy like that.
What the heck was he thinking about? The tabloids will get six months out of this.
It was actually the lead story on World News last night.
Poor bastard spends eight years in school, marries the girl next door, moves into a townhouse.
And the only time he thought his name would hit the papers was when they buried him.
Now, people know more about his love life than they do about the war in Bosnia.
The poor bastard is a felon.
It sounds like you two actually feel sorry for him.
No.
I feel sorry for me and every other married guy in this city when they get home tonight.
The bottom line is the only thing we can prove is that Danforth had sex with this girl.
And I suppose you'd forgive him that trespass? That's not what's at issue here, Claire.
Enough.
Can anyone tell me why the girl is dead? She was blackmailing Danforth.
Do you have proof of that? Circumstantial.
Lawrence Weaver on the other side of the aisle? I'd do better than that.
Girl must've talked to somebody.
Look at that suit.
What you think, Maria? Must be nice standing up for a paycheck.
Give her some slack.
She's just trying to help.
You can sit down.
It's a sofa, honey.
It ain't contagious.
So, Gwyn never mentioned anything about blackmailing Dr.
Danforth? We're independent contractors.
We don't trade secrets.
Especially not for free.
My people are talking about doing a TV movie or something.
You know, this could have happened to you.
Your friend is dead.
I'd think you'd be a little concerned.
Yeah, well, I'm not.
As a matter of fact, I don't give a damn about Gwynie, I don't give a damn about this Dr.
Danforth, and I don't give a damn about you.
I see.
Nothing matters.
I didn't say that.
I do care a whole hell of a lot if I have cold milk in the morning for my Grape-Nuts.
A girl needs her high fiber, you know.
Look, the last thing I need is your three-piece pity.
I'm not trying to give you I don't need your disgust, either.
Well, I'm sorry.
I thought maybe you could help.
Gwynie never told us about no blackmail.
Well, when was the last time you spoke to her? The night she was killed.
She was bored.
Called a couple of times from the phone on the corner.
Thanks.
I can't believe he doesn't want to deal.
He still says he didn't do it.
And McCoy's buying it? Danforth hired some hotshot attorney.
McCoy doesn't like to lose.
Well, unless one of the girls has a deviated septum, I think we have something.
The LUDS from the corner phone booth where the hookers worked.
Last week, three calls to the good doctor's office.
It had to be Gwyn demanding a payoff.
And now to break the wife's story.
Where did you guys say she did her shopping? At an antiques market near Columbus Circle.
You want us to go shopping? Well, do you prefer art deco or 19th-century American? Julia Danforth? She's decorated some of the best apartments in the city.
She'll do fine work for you.
Actually, I'm from the D.
A.
's office.
God.
Look, we do everything by the book here.
Mrs.
Danforth was here last week.
She purchased a few items.
Yes, that's right.
A lamp and a chair.
Yeah, how much did she spend? I really don't remember.
That's too bad.
I wonder if the sales tax people will spark your memory, sir.
What are you insinuating? Cash business.
The lamp went for 300.
The chair, 900.
That's all she bought? It wasn't a good week.
I met him when he was a sophomore in college.
He was shaking the first time he put his arm around me at the movies.
There was something so gentle about him.
That's why this is all so absurd.
The evidence.
Our attorney says you don't have any.
Most people are convicted on circumstantial evidence, Mrs.
Danforth.
And you want me to put the nail in his coffin? I can't do that.
Because you still love him.
Because he didn't kill that girl.
You told the police that you purchased items in a market for $2,000.
It seems you only spent 1,200.
I don't have to talk to you.
You'll have to answer these questions in court.
I'll wait.
Look at it from my perspective, Ms.
Kincaid.
I'm sitting at home all night, waiting for my husband of 12 years to get home from his accountant.
Meanwhile, what he's really doing is I'm sorry.
This is one nightmare too many for one lifetime.
Your husband had sex with a prostitute, Mrs.
Danforth.
He may have killed her.
Why are you protecting him? And what would you do if he were your husband? Briscoe and Curtis are right.
She's obviously lying to protect him.
She takes this "Till death do us part" thing seriously.
Well, I don't think the vows include committing perjury for a murderer.
We still don't have enough to prove that Danforth killed Gwyn George.
What about the calls from the phone booth on the corner where Gwyn did business? What, they're just coincidence? He stopped for cigarettes.
Maybe he called in for messages.
You believe that? We don't have a murder weapon, Claire.
If the wife sticks to her story, we can't prove motive.
Face it, we don't really have a case.
I think we do.
Then go ahead.
You try it.
So I was settling in to watch the 10:00 news.
It had just started.
Did something interrupt you? Three loud noises, like a truck backfiring.
What did you do then? Well, nothing, till I heard the sirens.
Then I figured it wasn't a truck.
I went down and talked to the cops.
You didn't see anyone fire a gun, did you, Mr.
Krinsky? Like I said, I was watching TV.
So you can't say for sure that you heard gunshots that night, can you? No, not for sure.
But given the three holes in that girl, I'd say it's a pretty safe bet.
A local resident, Mr.
Pomerance, reports seeing the defendant's vehicle parked on the block in question.
Now, at first, the defendant told us he only stopped to purchase cigarettes.
He later told us that he purchased the services of the victim.
Do you know what time that was? Mr.
Pomerance noted it was 9:28, shortly before Mr.
Krinsky heard the gunshots.
Detective Briscoe, did you find anything of particular interest on the person of the victim? Well, we found $2,000 cash in the victim's handbag.
How do you suppose it got there? Well, considering the fact that $2,000 had been withdrawn from Dr.
Danforth's account several days before the murder, we assumed he paid her the money.
And why did you make that assumption? The victim had tried to extort from one of her clients once before.
We assumed she was trying again.
Were you able to conclude what type of gun killed Gwyn George? It was a Colt.
22, the same type of weapon registered to the defendant.
Ms.
George was a working girl, isn't that right, Detective? Yes.
Well, isn't it possible that she earned the money? $2,000? She wasn't working for Heidi Fleiss.
No, she certainly wasn't.
Tell me, Detective, what else did you find on the scene? A crack pipe.
I see.
So, Ms.
George was a junkie, as well.
Now, from your experience, Detective, how many drug-related murders happen in this city each year? I wouldn't know.
Well, would you call it a rare occurrence? No.
And I suppose you don't know how many Colt.
No, I don't.
I frequently take money out of the ATM at the grocery.
It's on the way to my office.
The week prior to the murder, did you have occasion to withdraw funds? Yes, I withdrew $2,000 to purchase antiques for a client.
Thank you.
Exactly what items did you purchase for your client, Mrs.
Danforth? A stained glass lamp and a wheel back chair for Mr.
Holdsworth.
And how much did you spend? In the neighborhood of $2,000.
Do you recognize this, Mrs.
Danforth? It's a receipt from the market.
And how much is it for? $1,200.
What happened to the other $800, Mrs.
Danforth? I have other clients.
I shop elsewhere.
Well, you didn't tell that to the police.
I didn't think it was important.
I see.
So what else did you buy? A silver dish.
No, candlesticks.
And where did you make that purchase? Sommerset's or maybe Byron's.
I don't remember.
I wouldn't be surprised if the jury's out less than two hours.
Maybe the kudos are a bit premature? I'll offer you a bit of wisdom, Claire.
Modesty and trial work don't mix.
If you were going to lie on the stand, wouldn't you have your story straight before you entered the courtroom? She got nervous.
Maybe she didn't expect that line of questioning.
How could she not expect it? I told her I checked on the money she spent.
You've had, what, a half dozen cases against Lawrence Weaver? Has he ever put a witness on the stand who wasn't thoroughly prepared? Where are we going with this, Claire? Just suppose Mrs.
Danforth wanted me to catch her in a lie.
Why would she want to do that? She stood by her husband from the start.
And then she fumbled on the goal line.
Maybe she's not quite as forgiving as she'd have us think she is.
Jack, I think I may have pushed her into this.
You presented the evidence, Claire.
If the jury chooses not to believe Mrs.
Danforth's story, it's not your problem.
Madam Forewoman, have you reached a verdict? Yes, we have, Your Honor.
On the sole count of the indictment, murder in the second degree, how do you find? We find the defendant guilty.
Sentencing's in two weeks.
I guess I should ask for the maximum.
That should keep a lot of car doors closed on the way home from the office.
Yeah, right.
Your first homicide trial.
A conviction, no room for appeal.
You ought to be dancing in the streets.
I'm just wondering whether the jury convicted for the wrong reason.
Mrs.
Danforth loved her husband, she lied from the get-go, and then when it mattered most Got plenty of other evidence.
Yes, but Julia Danforth's lack of coherent testimony gave us our motive.
Without motive, the rest of the case just falls apart.
So instead of convicting Dr.
Danforth, we should give his wife an Academy Award.
I'm not saying he's innocent.
I just don't want to see him convicted because of a wife scorned.
And all these years, I thought we were supposed to put the bad guys in jail.
You got two days.
We were perfect partners.
Julia's life was out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
Could you hold this? Sure.
Mine, a Tim Burton movie.
We could take care of anyone who walked through that door.
So prior to this, there were no problems in Julia's marriage? Are you kidding? One time, Mark forgot to bring roses home on a Friday night.
It was a nightmare.
It must have been quite a shock for her to find out about Mark and Gwyn George.
She actually cried.
Believe me, that's front page for Julia.
I said to her, "Be happy, honey.
" At least he wasn't with his 22-year-old nurse, like someone I once knew.
Bless him.
Mark had the great good sense to kill his slut when he was done.
So you actually believe Dr.
Danforth killed her? You convicted him, didn't you? All those late nights working at the hospital, makes you wonder what he was really doing.
He worked late often? He worked late, she worked late.
Hell, while he was getting his jollies with Ms.
Miniskirt, she was at an estate auction in Larchmont.
Two days of victory celebrations.
A little excessive, wouldn't you say? I was checking up on Mrs.
Danforth.
The case is over, Claire.
Actually, I think it's just starting.
I checked with Vice.
It seems this wasn't her husband's first stop in Hell's Kitchen.
So? So what if Julia Danforth knew all about it? The night of the murder, Dr.
Danforth's car was reported in the neighborhood twice.
So there's more than one concerned citizen.
Sure, that's the logical conclusion.
Only the second call to the cops was at 10:30.
Danforth was already into his second Scotch by then.
And maybe concerned citizen number two paused to make himself a sandwich before he called the police.
I thought about that.
But it seems extremely curious that the second call was placed by a woman, who conveniently forgot to give the cops her name.
Julia Danforth had no idea Abe Pomerance was recording the license plate numbers.
If she wanted us to suspect her husband You think Julia Danforth killed George? I don't know what to think.
But there's a chance that she's been manipulating all of us to assure her husband's conviction.
Then why didn't she give us the gun? Ballistics would have matched.
Conviction would have been a slam dunk.
I talked to her.
She's a very smart lady.
If she gave us the gun, Dr.
Danforth would have known she was involved.
No one else had access to it.
You know what I think? I think you've been reading too much James M.
Cain.
Maybe.
But if this were your case, what would you do? I don't get it, Jack.
Why all the secrecy? We just have a few questions.
You already won the case.
You had me schlep up It could be worth your while, Larry.
Dr.
Danforth told the police that when he went to have dinner with his business manager, the first thing he did was call his wife.
Do you know what she said to him? Nothing.
He talked to the machine.
She told him later that she went to the movies.
That's interesting.
Because she told her partner she was at an estate auction, and she told me she was home all night.
So? Where are you going with this? I You think Julia Fact is, we don't know.
But there may be a way to find out.
Only you'll have to work with us.
Sentencing is next Tuesday.
Do I have a choice? What is it, Jack? You call us down here to gloat? Actually, it's the opposite.
We just realized one of our witnesses made a mistake.
Mr.
Krinsky said he heard the gunshots around the time he started watching the local news.
We all assumed that was at 10:00 p.
m.
But there was a Mets game that night that went into extra innings.
The news started at 10:30.
When I was with Marty, which means I couldn't have done it.
This is unbelievable.
You're damn right it is.
You'll have my motion to set aside the verdict in the morning.
Does this mean Mark goes free? No, it means he gets retried.
Unless you'd consider man one.
I didn't do it.
After what you've put them through? Are you kidding? You don't have a temporal witness, Jack.
Now, you got less than bubkas.
You can't win.
No, you can't.
I'll see you in court.
It's almost over.
Weaver actually went along with the gag? If he didn't, his client would be sentenced next week.
I see.
He forgot all about the conflict of interest rules.
There's no conflict, Adam.
Weaver was retained by Dr.
Danforth, not his wife.
Well, it's the craziest thing I ever heard of.
Yes? Put him through.
Kincaid.
You're kidding.
Thanks.
That was Weaver.
They'll all be here tomorrow.
Wonder of wonders.
Look what Mrs.
Danforth found.
The Colt.
22 registered to my client.
I don't get it.
The police searched the house thoroughly.
I remembered, after we moved into the townhouse we stored several cartons at my mother's in Mamaroneck.
The gun was there.
Go ahead, test it.
You'll see Mark didn't shoot that girl.
So you went to your mother's house yesterday and found this? That's right.
That's odd, Mrs.
Danforth.
Because according to this affidavit signed by Detectives Briscoe and Curtis, you left your townhouse at 8:00 in the morning and visited three antique stores.
You then went to your office on Madison, where you stayed until you went home at 6:00 p.
m.
After that, you didn't leave until you came here this morning.
What does it matter where I found it? Just test the ballistics.
I don't think we have to, Mrs.
Danforth.
We both know this gun killed Gwyn George.
I'm telling you, Mark didn't No, but you did.
What the hell are you talking about? Your wife wasn't at the movies, Doctor.
She was on West 47th, the same time you were.
She used this gun to kill Gwyn George and to frame you.
The money, the phone calls, everything.
That is crap! Come on! Did you kill Gwyn George, Doctor? Of course not.
Well, the ballistics on this gun are going to match.
Now, if you didn't do it, who else could have? We can wait for ballistics, Mrs.
Danforth.
You should understand.
Murder? I don't think so.
You conniving How the hell could you? Me? You can't keep it in your pants! And I'm supposed to smile, and fix you breakfast, and bounce around the bed with you once a week? No! This girl It was meaningless.
Well, how the hell do you think that makes me feel? You're unhappy, so I should go to jail for the rest of my life? I want you to hurt.
Hurt as bad as I do.
For the record, what was it that turned you on? Was it that cheap lipstick? The short skirt? Or just doing it in the back seat of the car? I married you, Mark! That's supposed to mean I can trust you! Thanks.
Her attorney said she'll take man one.
And what did you say? I figure it's better than taking a chance with a jury.
So I wonder if Danforth will keep it in his pants after this.
Probably not.