Homicide: Life on the Street s07e09 Episode Script

Stand up and take my hand, my dear We got a long way to walk out of here There is no time for talking at all Yes, indeed Hand in hand, walking down the hall Childhood kid in his neighbourhood Going down to where the girls look good The hang is the same but the marble's turned to dice The real thing has turned to Mad Dog on ice If I could follow you home If I could follow you home - You were pregnant? - Yes.
- By your boyfriend Craig Halpern.
- Yes.
You concealed the pregnancy from your parents.
Yes.
When it was time for the baby to be born, what did you do? We went to a motel.
When the baby was born, did you, er did you know he was alive? Yes.
Your initial statement was the same as Craig's, that the baby was stillborn.
My client will testify Halpern took the baby away and smothered it.
The plea agreement requires that Miss Straub testify under oath.
In return for your truthful testimony, you'll be allowed to plead guilty to one charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Suspended sentence with probation.
Your felony conviction stays on your record for the rest of your life.
If you violate the terms of your probation, you go to jail.
Understand? I'm just so sick of all of this.
No more than I am.
Do you understand the terms of the agreement? - Yes.
- Then you need to tell me now.
Who murdered your baby? Mr Wayland already told you.
You have to say it in your own words.
Craig did.
Craig killed it.
Sign the agreement.
Hey, Ballard! Wait up! Hey.
Good morning.
Hey, listen, you know dinner tomorrow night? Yeah.
Are we still on? I forgot Daniel's birthday.
Promised I'd go by after work.
- Oh.
OK, no problem.
- Are you sure? - Yeah, don't worry about it.
- What about tonight? - A bar? - Where there's a game on.
- What game? - Any game.
Basketball, hockey.
How about we go to a real restaurant like Charleston's? How about we go to a restaurant that doesn't scarf up my weekly nut? How about we go Dutch? How about we alternate? Dead End Saloon tonight, my treat.
Next time, Charleston.
Your treat.
Yeah.
Hey, there's a good deal.
A short time ago, the State's Attorney's office informed us that they would reduce charges against our client in exchange for her complete cooperation and truthful testimony.
'I want to thank Mike Kellerman ' Mikey, Mikey.
This is what it's come to.
Working for a sleazebag defence attorney in a sharkskin suit.
- Who's Kellerman? - Old colleague of ours.
- Homicide detective? - Long story.
- I'd like to hear the details.
- Not from me, you won't.
I'm sick of the whole damn saga.
I know how it ends.
- What's up with that? - Mark this moment, young Giardello.
- Why? - Kellerman's departure from the unit was so beleaguered, woeful, hangdog that only Tricky Dick's evacuation from the White House was more pathetic.
In short, Red was dead.
Now the man walks on water.
A resurrection to rival the original.
Makes me wanna convert.
Maybe I should do a reverse Sammy Davis Jr.
This doesn't feel good to me.
Straub's family's got money, lawyers.
Craig Halpern, the kid's more or less on his own.
Danvers is satisfied the girl copped a plea.
I want you back on rotation.
I wanna see if I can turn up something to help the kid.
Move on.
Only thing you can do is testify at the trial.
- Let me spend a bit longer on it.
- Then do it in your own time, not mine.
- Capisce? - Capisce.
Buona fortuna.
- Stivers, take a ride with me.
- Where are we going? I wanna start at the crime scene, talk to Craig's family and friends.
See if I can get the boy to tell me what really happened.
Falsone, a done deal means the deal's done.
Debbie'll testify.
Let the jury decide which kid is more culpable.
Why should Craig spend his life in prison and she gets a slap on the wrist? You make assumptions about her the way you think everyone does about him.
Maybe, but if Craig had cut a deal, Debbie's lawyer would have Kellerman back on the job.
So this is about you and Kellerman? Some kind of testosterone contest? This isn't about who's a better detective.
It's about my gut.
Well, I'll follow your gut anywhere.
Save me a sliver of table, huh? I still have some clout around here.
Lunch? It's on the state of Maryland.
No, thanks.
Bring me some coffee.
How's your case? My prosecution rests on the testimony of one screwed-up child against another.
I got you.
Can't sleep, can't eat.
Hair's falling out.
You're a mess, Danvers.
I don't envy you.
- And you? Happy in your work? - Sure.
Ecstatic.
I was reviewing your efforts on behalf of Debbie Straub.
You talked to a woman in Baltimore Family Planning? - Yeah.
- What about? There's no explanation.
I wanted to know if Debbie had talked to anybody.
Pre-natal abortion, adoption, foster homes, the whole gamut.
- And? - She never talked to anybody.
These other enquiries aren't in your notes.
I don't wanna hang a neon sign on the fact that Debbie didn't deal with her pregnancy.
So why this one reference? Boxed.
Underlined.
Question-marked.
It's Craig.
Craig what? Craig went to Family Planning, not Debbie.
I was working for her, not him, so I dropped it.
You didn't follow it up? Like I said, it's not my problem.
I remember when the truth mattered to you more than your paycheck.
Thanks for the coffee.
I know Kellerman from Fugitive Squad.
Had a drink with him the other night.
Did he tell you his side of the story? He was too busy pumping me about Falsone's case.
What did you tell him? Told him to go sniff around someplace else.
If Kellerman is a dog, he's a Jack Russell terrier.
Sinks his teeth into your butt, won't let go.
Enough about Kellerman, OK? He sounded like he really missed being a cop.
He's a complicated guy.
Lot of karma to work through.
- Who's got karma? - Mike Kellerman.
That's a cautionary tale.
Going from murder police to the cheap motel circuit.
Lot of police end up as private investigators.
Sure, after you've put in 20 years, made pension, and you want to break up your golf game twice a week.
Kellerman was put out to pasture way before his time.
- Heard rumours about what happened.
- Hey, Sheppard? Not now.
You and Bayliss should know better.
- What is your problem? - It's not the time or the place.
She asked a question.
I'm curious too.
Any conversation about Kellerman, Mahoney and Junior Bunk's off limits.
Their names shouldn't be mentioned.
A perp grabs a gun and shoots up the squad room.
Three uniforms die.
You, Ballard, Bayliss, all get shot, two detectives turn in their badges, and the subject's taboo? You want the gruesome details? Ask your pal Kellerman.
I'm part of this unit.
I should know.
All right.
Here.
This is what happened.
Here.
Satisfied? - Mrs Falco.
- Mr Kellerman.
I'm sorry.
I'm running late.
You'll have to excuse me.
I need to ask a question about Craig Halpern.
I can't answer that.
Besides, as I told you, he only made a preliminary enquiry.
- About what? - Mr Kellerman, I can't tell you.
OK, OK.
I respect your client confidentiality policy, I really do.
But he's a kid.
He needed his parents' consent before you could help him.
So he went somewhere else.
Where'd you send him? - Why do you want to know? - You liked him, didn't you? He was a nice kid? Maybe I'll turn up something to put him in a better light.
If you know anything, if you wanna point me in that direction Up to you.
Craig Halpern came in.
Wanted to know what was involved in an open adoption.
I explained he'd have to sign an agreement terminating parental rights, and that the degree of involvement with his child was up to the adoptive parents.
- He wanted contact with his kid? - That's what he said.
We told him the mother would have to agree before we could proceed.
- What did Craig say? - That he tried to convince her.
You heard Debbie's putting the murder squarely on you? Her parents made her do that.
She won't say I'm guilty at the trial.
No, see, that's what the deal she made means.
She has to testify against you.
She's not gonna say I killed the baby.
No way.
- How do you know? - She gave her word.
How? You two aren't allowed to talk to each other.
- Doesn't mean we can't communicate.
- By ESP? She's not gonna blame me.
You'll see.
She won't.
I can't wait to get to court to see her again.
You look beat.
You getting any sleep? - Not that much.
- You can't catch your breath, right? I mean, you're trying but you just can't calm down.
Heart going a mile a minute, you're jumpy.
Like there's mice in your chest? And the worst thing is, you feel like you're about to cry all the time.
You can't tell nobody.
And you think, "If I could just get some damn sleep, "maybe the feeling'll go away.
" So you curl up in a ball, close your eyes.
Maybe if you're lucky you'll nod off for a few hours.
But when you wake up, the feeling's still there.
Hey.
Believe me, I know what you're going through.
You've been in jail? I spent a few nights in juvie, nothing as serious as this.
I mean what you're going through with Debbie.
The same thing happened to me.
I was just a few years older than you are now.
I got my girlfriend pregnant.
We didn't tell anybody either.
Only, we went off and got married.
I would have done that, got married, but Debbie didn't want to.
She said we were too young.
Said we should wait.
When you went to that motel, you didn't plan to kill your baby, did you? No.
Things just got away from you, didn't they? Debbie killed the baby.
You went along because you love her and didn't want to lose her.
You have to speak up.
Get on that stand.
Tell them your side of the story.
I can't.
I keep my mouth shut for Debbie, and she'll do the same for me.
She made the deal.
She's cut you loose.
She's doing that to get her parents off her back.
When this is over, we'll get married and have another baby.
That's not gonna happen.
You're gonna be in jail for a very long time.
She'll get married to somebody else.
She's not gonna let me down.
I know it.
Hey, Ballard.
Falsone called.
Dinner's off.
He's hung up on the case.
Oh.
Thanks.
- Shep? - Hey, Ballard.
What are you doing for dinner tonight? Told my mum I'd drop by and help her trim the tree.
All right.
Some other time.
Hey, Bayliss.
What's up? Wanna go eat? Absolutely.
What are you up for? - Moussaka.
- Moussaka.
Isn't that made with lamb? Oh, yeah.
It's ground lamb and potatoes and eggplants.
- It's so yummy.
- I don't eat anything with a face.
- Do they make vegetarian moussaka? - Um no, I don't think so.
If they did, what would be the point? Listen.
I've got an alternative for you.
Liquid Earth makes an incredible soy-textured vegan ruben.
Marvellous.
Yeah.
Like I said, what would be the point of that? Hey, Stu? My brother! Let's go eat.
Oh, boy, I'd like to.
But I gotta duke it out with Flora.
I thought she won the scuffle over who gets Mr Coffee.
Yeah, Mr Coffee, Mrs Microwave, all the little pots and pans.
So last weekend, I'm out buying new kitchenware, right? I'm at the checkout and this girl's ringing me up, right? - Two, 300 bucks.
- That's a lot of dough.
Especially for a boy who can get by on a spoon, bottle-opener and chopsticks.
So why spring for the extra stuff? If someone comes over, I don't want them to think I'm the type of guy who eats cereal for supper.
- Which you are.
- Which I am.
Anyway, anyway So we get to the last item.
$2.
99 spatula.
It ups me to $300 flat.
I snap, I go ballistic.
Out comes the manager.
He says, "Forget about it.
We'll throw in the spatula for free.
" I say, "I don't think I want it.
" Why? There are half a dozen on Flora's counter.
I get it.
You want her to give you one of hers.
One of ours.
I'd even take the little plastic one that's half melted.
I have bought enough damn spatulas in my day.
I'm not about to buy another.
How about this? Come to dinner with me and I will buy you a spatula.
Huh? I can't do it, partner.
I have to see this through.
- Right.
- But Thanks anyway.
Mmm Detective Ackerley.
You came up in casual conversation.
Gharty just flipped.
He did? Said your name was never to be spoken.
I asked him how the whole Mahoney thing went down and he went into orbit.
Pulled up his shirt, showed a scar, the whole nine yards.
- It was freaky.
- Sorry to hear that.
I always got along OK with Gharty.
Gives me a funny feeling my old pals are talking about me.
- Refusing to talk about you, mostly.
- I don't blame 'em.
- It's not my favourite subject either.
- Well, I wouldn't know.
All I've got to go on is second-hand speculation.
Isn't it about time I heard your version? Hey.
I heard you had a heart-to-heart with Craig Halpern.
Yeah.
Join me? Not tonight.
So, in your professional opinion, is he guilty? Of murder? No.
He's gonna take the stand and tell the world she did it? - No.
- What is it, then? He's taking one for the team or is he just a moron? He's convinced, even though she made a deal, she won't give him up.
He'll have time to contemplate his misreading of the situation.
Yeah.
About 15 years, if he lasts that long in the joint.
One more time.
Don't you have to get up bright and early to testify? Yeah.
I thought a good, solid hangover would add to my credibility.
You said you weren't drinking.
Well, you look like you could use some company, Paul.
After all, how often do two men share some first-rate melancholy over some second-rate Well bourbon? Especially when the other man at the bar is not just another pub-crawler but, in fact, a murder police like one's self.
- Hey.
- Ballard.
May I have a Jack Daniels with a beer back? Good choice.
You can tie one on with Munch but you don't have time for me? I was in such a lousy mood after I talked to Craig Halpern.
I didn't want to inflict it on you.
Oh.
So now you're deciding under what conditions we see each other.
No.
Maybe I don't just wanna see you when you feel good.
Maybe I can make you feel better.
Maybe you could do the same for me when I'm down.
I'm sorry.
I should have called you after I was in Central Booking.
Tell you what's up.
Take it from there, decide together.
If you didn't wanna see me, you didn't wanna see me.
Just tell me that, OK? OK.
Do not just leave me a damn message.
OK.
The state calls Assistant Medical Examiner Gita Kalyani.
Debbie Straub delivered a live male infant.
Six pounds, five ounces.
Slightly premature.
Perhaps two or three weeks.
- Not stillborn? - The lungs were inflated.
They floated in water.
The baby had taken a breath so it was a live birth.
Dr Kalyani, you say the infant was premature.
Was he healthy? Aside from a lower than average birth weight, I would say yes.
- To what do you attribute the weight? - Poor pre-natal care.
In cases like these involving young, unwed women, it's not uncommon for a mother to pretend she's not pregnant by starving herself and her baby.
Despite the baby's physical problems, should he have survived? - Yes.
- So cause of death? Asphyxiation.
Petechial haemorrhaging was present in the baby's eyes.
Isn't it difficult to distinguish a SIDS death or an accidental suffocation, say, from homicide? Yes, but given the timing of the death, moments after birth, the determination of the office is that the baby was deliberately smothered.
I heard the girl scream and say, "What are you doing, what are you doing? "Give it back to me.
" And then? Ten minutes later, he left his room and walked to the back of the motel.
- "He" meaning the defendant Halpern? - Yes.
- Would you describe what you saw? - He was walking with his head down.
He was carrying something covered by a towel.
- Could you tell what he was carrying? - By the way he held it, I thought a baby.
- Objection.
- Sustained.
Could Craig Halpern have been carrying something else? A bag, parcel, or maybe some takeout food? You don't cradle takeout.
- Objection.
- Withdrawn.
Your witness.
- Hey.
- What are you doing here? Bail hearing.
Ransom.
Kidnapping case? No, that's the mope's name.
Walter Ransom.
Generic West Baltimore drug slang.
What about you? Have you got the two kids? I was thinking about what Kellerman told the defence lawyer to trip me up.
Yeah? Well I don't know.
I wouldn't worry about that.
I would.
What makes you think Kellerman's got it in for you? Everything.
He was in my face the moment I walked in that squad room.
I never liked him, he never liked me.
Then we pulled our guns on each other.
You're kidding me? You guys drew your weapons? It's crazy.
Right to the brink in the blink of an eye.
That is one reckless, hard-nosed bastard.
He even got you shot.
I guess you could look at it that way.
How else can you look at it? He shoots Mahoney, that's how it all starts.
If he doesn't, you don't catch a bullet.
A lot of bodies don't fall, a lot of crap doesn't rain down, Pembleton is still on the force.
You can't tell where it started.
That episode was bigger than Kellerman.
- I've forgiven him.
- Forgiven him? If I were you, I'd still be trying to pay him back.
But then I'm Sicilian.
Revenge tastes best as a cold antipasto.
After I got shot, I had a lot of time to think about cause and effect.
How I came to be lying in bed staring at the ceiling.
I decided that I could accept what I did.
You know, the part that I played.
What went down.
But I had to let the rest of it go.
See, for me to blame Kellerman or Luther or Lewis What would be the point of that? Resentment is like you taking poison and hoping that the other guy's gonna die.
I guess Zen never got to Sicily.
Good luck in there.
Mike.
- Tim.
- How are you doing? I'm running late as usual.
It's good to see you.
It's good seeing you too, Mike.
Falsone.
Detective, you had a case Vazquez.
- Was there a suspect in this case? - Yes.
Was the suspect charged with the crime? - Objection.
Where are we headed? - Let's find out.
I'll allow it.
Was anyone charged in the Vazquez murder? The state's attorney's office didn't feel the evidence was strong enough.
And that's why the victim's name is still in red? - Correct.
- Now, this name is written in black indicating the case is closed because my client is charged with murder.
True? - True.
- Not because he was convicted.
As far as Homicide goes, when the suspect's charged, the name's in black.
Even if the wrong person is charged? - It doesn't happen often.
- But it does happen.
I suppose.
Rarely.
What if the suspect is acquitted? Is the case reopened? - If there's new evidence.
- If there's not, does the case stay on the Board in black? Yes.
Just because someone's acquitted, doesn't mean they didn't do it.
The system isn't perfect.
Before this case came to trial, did you have enough evidence to indict Craig for murder? This line is inappropriate.
The witness is a detective, not a legal expert.
He certainly has the professional experience to offer his opinion.
- I'll allow it.
- In my opinion, no.
Not enough evidence to bring a murder charge? No.
That's what you said about the suspect in the Vazquez case.
- The name's still in red.
- Yeah, I guess it is.
Did you experience the same pressure to close the Vazquez case as you did to close this one? - No.
- No more questions.
The State calls Debbie Straub.
- Looking for Falsoney? - Yeah.
He's hanging around somewhere.
Nice to see you too, bitch.
Hey.
I'm supposed to be friendly to you when I see you? Like nothing happened? You put me in a position I never should have been in.
When you shot Luther Mahoney, you dropped all of us in a world of trouble.
You signed off on it.
A right-thinking cop would have been down with it.
I wasn't sure then and I'm not sure now, but you were a cop.
And cops protect each other.
What would you know? You were just looking out for number one.
- I don't owe you.
- No? - Let go! - You're still a cop because of me! When they had me in the box, I took the weight for you.
Gee said I take you down with me, or I quit and this all goes away for you.
I tabled my badge.
You did the right thing at the end.
Your back was against the wall! What am I supposed to do? Applaud you? Putting things right that you screwed up doesn't exactly entitle you to a medal.
Don't ever touch me again.
Like I said After you checked into the motel, what happened? I laid down on the bed and Craig started telling me to push.
- Weren't you in a lot of pain? - I was dying.
The couple in the next room, Mr and Mrs Delport, testified that they didn't hear anything.
- No.
- You were in incredible pain but you didn't make any noise.
- I couldn't.
- Why not? Craig said if I wanted to keep this a secret, I'd have to be quiet, so he gave me a towel to bite down on.
What happened next? Craig kept pulling and I was pushing.
And then the baby came out.
After the baby was born, then what happened? Miss Straub? Once the baby was delivered, what did Craig do? Objection.
Leading the witness.
- Sustained.
- Let me rephrase.
After the baby was born, what happened to him? Miss Straub? Craig took it and wiped its face.
It was crying.
- And then? - I asked him to give it back to me.
Did he? No, he didn't.
Tell us what happened next.
What happened next, Debbie? Next, he killed it.
He put his hand on its mouth and smothered it.
Craig Halpern, the jury has found you guilty on murder in the first degree.
I'm scheduling the sentencing hearing for 10am a week on Friday.
This trial stands adjourned.
What do you think the judge is gonna do? To be honest with you.
I think the judge is gonna throw away the key.
You're gonna get a life sentence.
You could be paroled in 15.
If you don't screw up in prison, could be out in 35.
- 35? - It's not the end of the world.
You remember that.
Keep it together.
Stay on track.
- That's such a long time.
- Craig I want you to tell me what really happened.
I know you wanted this baby.
You wanted to be a father.
Why did you go along with Debbie? I don't know.
She was screaming at me but I couldn't really hear what she was saying.
I was standing there holding the baby and she put out her arms and she kept saying, "Give it back to me", and I did.
I mean, I could see myself doing it like I was hypnotised or something.
So you handed her the baby.
I knew why she wanted him but I didn't know what else to do.
And then, uh and then I just gave up.
Let her have him.
Even this morning when Debbie knew what she was gonna say, she told me to hang in there.
This morning? "Hang in there.
I love you.
It's our secret "Once this is over, we'll be together and no one can come between us.
" What are you talking about? She didn't say anything.
It's all in your head.
She played you for a fool.
Doesn't matter.
I'm just like her.
I'm just the same as her.
I'm as guilty as she is by just standing there.
I killed my baby too.
Yeah.
You did.
You'll have to carry that for the rest of your life.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- I thought he might still be up.
- It's way past his bedtime.
- I have his present.
- He won't open it till tomorrow.
I just wanted it on the record that I didn't forget his birthday.
Tell him I came by? Yeah.
I'll tell him.
You wanted to see us, Gee? hung himself in his cell.
Double shot of Jack, straight up.
Too early for a cocktail, isn't it, Falsone? Not early enough to beat you to the punchbowl.
- I heard about Craig.
- I know what you think.
You're wrong.
- Then why did he hang himself? - Kid had a conscience.
Exactly.
He feels guilty cos he did the crime.
- He watched.
- He didn't feel remorse for that baby.
He just couldn't face life in prison.
He couldn't face life without her.
The boy's in love.
He never thought she'd blame him.
- How could he believe that? - He's a kid.
She said she loved him.
All he's thinking about is her voice whispering in his ear, "Trust me, I love you.
I won't go against you in the trial.
I love you.
" What do you mean? They were talking on the phone? Passing notes in court? Metaphorically.
In his head.
Halpern believed they were soulmates or something.
And then she screwed him over.
This case is unique, almost.
This one, the one in Delaware.
- How so? - Neonaticide.
Killing newborns.
alone.
No father around.
See, if the father's there, it doesn't happen.
Reality sets in.
Couples don't get together and decide to kill their newborns.
It doesn't happen.
So what's your point? Craig and Debbie were like one person, not two people.
All their boundaries had dissolved.
And then she broke the pact between them, severed the cord.
- And so he killed himself? - Yeah.
There is some good news, though.
I don't have to see you any more.
Hear about Craig? Yeah.
I heard about him.
Why do you think he did it? I guess he felt guilty about the baby.
That's what I figured.
Unless it was something else.
Like he felt betrayed? - You made a deal and sold him out.
- I gotta go, OK? You left messages, right? He checked his voicemail from jail? That's how you got him to go along.
You took the stand and turned on him.
You know I love you.
Just hang in there.
You'll see.
Everything's gonna be OK.
Just don't believe anything you hear about me.
We'll be together again.
He was so stunned he couldn't think straight.
What's the number? You must know it by heart.
The kids were communicating by voicemail? The whole time Halpern was in jail waiting for trial, she left messages.
- He saved them.
- Where did you get this? - Anonymous tip.
- What do you mean anonymous? Anonymous.
Anonymous means anonymous.
Someone connected with the investigation? How would I know? 'You know I love you.
Just hang in there.
You'll see.
Everything's gonna be OK.
'Just don't believe anything you hear about me.
We'll be together again.
' So? She led him on.
She lied to him.
What do you want me to do? Go back to the judge and overturn the plea.
The plea agreement is a binding deal, contract.
Based on her truthful testimony.
It doesn't prove Debbie lied on the witness stand.
The person who could have contradicted - Is dead.
- Should have taken the stand.
Even after she turned on him, he wouldn't tell the truth about it.
Isn't what he told me a deathbed statement? Not after he's been convicted of the crime.
The messages on the voicemail don't amount to corroboration.
I'm sorry.
There's nothing we can do.
Maybe sometimes to get their name in black, we're too quick to make a deal.
Let your heart be light From now on our troubles will be out of sight Have yourself a merry little Christmas Make the yuletide gay Let me have a pint, will you? I knew I'd find you here.
By the way, thanks for the tip.
- What tip? - Mind if I sit? Be my guest.
Thanks.
Us sitting here like this having a friendly jolt, who'd have thunk it? Not me.
You remember the double-cutting Munch caught at that bar in Highlandtown? Yeah.
The two Vietnam vets.
Right.
Who never served a day.
Spent the afternoon tossing 'em back and stabbed each other at closing time.
No.
We're not like those two brickheads.
I mean, you and me, we served together.
Right.
The hardest thing about leaving was knowing you all thought I was garbage.
You all thought I didn't do the job.
Thanks to you, we learned the truth.
Truth doesn't matter.
She got off.
He's still dead.
I gotta get going.
Let me pay for these.
No, no.
Forget about it.
I'll put it on the Straub family tab.
Thanks again for the tip.
Like I said, what tip? See ya Detective.
And have yourself a merry little Christmas If the fates allow Have yourself a merry little Christmas now