Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) s07e11 Episode Script

Purgatory

The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event.
In New York City's war on crime, the worst criminal offenders are pursued by the detectives of the Major Case Squad.
These are their stories.
I'm coming for ya! And while my investigation was unauthorized, I feel it was the only way to uncover the truth.
Pending a departmental hearing and a psychological evaluation, you are suspended.
You think that I wasn't playing insane, that I am insane.
Have you ever asked yourself that question? And he said, "I gave it up for lent.
" Now we both know you did not see who shot Quinn.
Screw you.
You got some balls.
What the hell are you dong here? It's my neighborhood bar.
Not tonight it's not.
My old precinct's doing a 10-13 benefit for me.
I wouldn't need their charity if you hadn't cost me my job.
I don't want any trouble.
You cheated me out of my retirement.
- Look, why - That's all you have to say? Come on.
I had one year to go.
Hey, hey, hey.
Take it easy.
Take it easy.
- What? - Come on.
Be smart.
You want someone to call 911, huh? You want IAD in here? Rat.
I I know you didn't need my help with that.
Do I know you? Mike Stoat.
Brooklyn North, Narcotics.
Cause of you.
I was a rookie when you worked Narcotics.
What was it? All heavy hitters.
You got a good memory.
I also remember you weren't too popular.
Guess some things never change, huh? I'm on suspension.
They had me pee in a cup, and it came back positive.
I was undercover.
I had to do a bump of coke so I wouldn't get made.
But you know how the department is.
With or without pay? Six months without.
Just like you.
Wait a minute, so This just now, this was a setup? No, look, I don't know that guy from Adam.
But I am looking for you.
You and me, we could help each other.
You know.
I make more money on suspension than I ever did on the job.
- This is legit? - Yeah.
Security work.
Hey, I'll do right by you.
Huh? Hey, I gotta go.
You call me if you're interested.
All right? - You forgot your paper.
- Keep it.
ORIGINAL AIR DATE ON USA: 2008/06/08 Good morning.
Hope you had your coffee.
Um, just finishing up.
I'm about to go see my family.
There's been a shooting in Red Hook.
A drug dealer two English tourists.
Anybody out of the picture? All three.
You can call your family on the way.
ID on him is Wilson Crawford.
Anonymous call of shots fired came in at 11:00 pm.
- No witnesses? - You mean, besides the tourists? Do a canvass of the block and the adjoining alleys.
I want to know if any of these places was still open at the time of the shooting.
Okay.
Eames.
I'm guessing you find yourself in Red Hook.
Because of the tourists and not the drug dealer.
Happy Easter.
Where's your partner? Still jumping through NYPD hoops.
He looks like a user.
And a dealer.
Ten grams of coke in his pocket.
Drug deal gone bad? Then why leave the coke on him? It's more likely fighting over territory.
And the tourists, collateral damage.
Looks that way.
Jerry and Victoria Bennett.
Passengers from a cruise ship.
It left Southampton, England, docked over at the Red Hook terminal over that way yesterday afternoon.
They never even made it to Manhattan.
By the time the paramedics arrived, it was too late.
Welcome to New York.
He has a short exit wound on the back of his skull.
So he was lying on the ground when he was shot.
The slug? Non-jacketed 9-millimeter.
Pulled from the pavement.
Autopsy's done already.
You guys at Major Case have some pull.
I used it to get you temporarily assigned to me.
You'll be working with Eames on this one.
Okay? Until Goren comes back.
He was knocked around pretty bad before he was shot? Eh, broken ribs.
Lacerations and contusions on his face and arms.
Stippling on his palms.
He put his hands up right before he was shot.
He was alive and saw it coming.
These three dots stand for Mi Vida Loca.
An understatement.
But not necessarily gang-related.
And this a clock with no hands means doing time.
He did three years in Sing Sing on a drug-related assault.
He's got two gang tats on his back, but he's tried to have them removed.
He probably only needed the protection when he was in prison.
Yeah, or maybe he was familiar with tat stats.
More than five, twice as likely to die a violent death.
And then there's wrong place, wrong time.
You mean the Bennetts? Or do you mean putting a passenger cruise ship terminal in the middle of Red Hook? Your partner's been on suspension for five months? I didn't think they could keep you out that long.
They can't but they have.
What the hell did he A couple of the guys upstairs told me he snapped.
He didn't snap.
He was undercover in a prison psych ward.
Rikers? No.
Tates Corrections.
Tates, that's upstate.
How did he get jurisdiction for that? He didn't.
He went in on his own.
Oh.
He had his reasons.
Yeah, Stoat, it's Goren.
Yeah, uh Yeah I'm in.
Where do you want me? How you doing, sugar? Come on in.
Sorry, pal, beat it.
- You miss the job? - What do you think, huh? I was a good cop.
I had four commendations.
One for rescuing a three-year-old girl from her father who had a glock to her head, one for talking a jumper down.
Hell, the way things are headed, I might need someone to talk me down.
- How did you end up here? - I busted the owner once.
Look, I got an ex-wife.
Right? I got a nine-year-old kid who loves hockey more than anything.
He wants to be the next Jaromir Jagr.
What am I gonna do? Hey, what's up, Oksana? There you go, baby.
No, no, no, no.
What are you doing? What the hell you doing? Goren, Goren, Goren, Goren, Goren, Goren, Goren.
Let him go.
Say hi to your new boss.
Mr.
Testarossa.
Take it easy, cowboy.
The Yuppies and IKEA and fairway are here.
And there's the industrial area down by the waterfront.
Still mob run.
Or it was until two months ago when the feeds busted 50 members of the Nicoli family.
Since then, it's open season.
Murder rate's way up.
Four dealers shot in the past six weeks.
Lock up the career criminals and you start a turf war.
The law of unintended consequences.
Can you give us any names? Not yet.
OCCB is playing catch-up.
Right now, it looks like a bunch of wannabes and second-stringers moving up the food chain.
Including Mr.
Crawford.
How's his rap sheet? Low level drug dealer.
Pleads down every time.
Who's he with? Looks like freelance.
Except his last three arrests, he's had the same partner, Keyshawn Powell, who up until two weeks ago was in Rikers.
Paroled.
And more in luck.
He has to see Dr.
Lane as court-appointed shrink twice a week.
Hey, rook.
Hop in.
So how did you know where to find me? I told you, I got hooks.
Dr.
Olivet tell you that you have anger issues? Came up.
You ask me, 15 years on the NYPD without any anger issues, then you relay do need to see a shrink.
So where are we working today? Where we going? Private party.
Strip club.
Sports on big screens.
Steaks.
Women in thongs.
What is not to love? Same guy who owns the nightclub? I don't know who owns what.
Neither do you.
Dr.
Lane? Dr.
Lane? Did we catch you at a bad time? Saturday night? I don't know where I was.
But I wasn't in no trouble.
My life's good on parole right now.
Apparently.
Dr Lane, she's been helping me.
My guess is, she's gonna be taken off you case.
That's on her.
I was seduced.
Look, Keyshawn, you help us, maybe we can help you.
No, thanks.
I'm from Brooklyn.
I've had enough of NYPD deals.
Your partner, Wilson Crawford, was executed Saturday night.
Don't do that.
I heard what happened to him.
What gang was he working for? Wilson? No.
No.
You work for a gang, you have to work.
Wilson just dealt enough to keep himself supplied.
This is your friend who was murdered.
Like you care about Wilson.
This is about them tourists, right? What do you think? I'm from Brooklyn too.
Anything you can give us.
I don't know what he was doing in Red Hook.
Look, I I swear.
Wilson was a ghetto bird.
That dude was never more than a shout from his apartment.
Bed-stuy.
They make a swell couple.
Her husband is not too thrilled.
But she does alibi Keyshawn for the night of the murder.
It turns out they had a six-hour emergency session that night.
Thank you.
Ballistics.
The .
9 millimeter used to kill Crawford, it's a match for a gun that's supposed to be in NYPD evidence.
Am I making progress? I talked to the chief of D's.
They're gonna take a look at the club.
Testarossa, he's up from Philly, he looks like he's taking over the operation.
What about the guy who gave you the .
45? He's a suspended cop.
His name is Mike Stoat.
Looks like he's, you know, working it, waiting to be reinstated.
I doubt that'll happen.
The gun Stoat gave you is clean.
But some of the people at the property clerk's office may not be.
That's where the gun that killed the tourists came from.
Chief wants you undercover for this.
Wh what how long? You know the drill.
You can't drink.
Look, I can't do that.
No trace of drugs.
It's your call.
But wh why can't he get someone from OCCB or IA? Why can't he get someone from SNEU? I went through the whole alphabet with him.
He says you're already inside.
He wants you.
Yeah, he's hoping I'll get myself killed.
The thought occurred to me.
The way this thing fell into my lap, you know, I'm thinking that this guy Stoat could be working for the Chief.
Now you're being paranoid, Detective.
Look, you're within your rights to walk away.
Yeah, if I do, they keep me in purgatory forever.
Watch yourself out there.
Yes, Captain.
Just get me back.
We hear you're the guy to talk to about getting some quality product.
Yeah? Who told you that? Benedetti from Bay Ridge.
These guys bothering you, boss? It's under control.
We don't deal drugs here.
It's a clean club.
Who said anything about drugs? What are you doing, cowboy? You wanna talk into the mic, boss? Maybe I should show you two cops to the door.
How'd you know? Uh, you know, they wear their shirts loose so they can hide their gun in the waistband.
And the guy with the short hair, he's toying with his cell phone.
- Hey, Mike where were you? - Busy counting your money.
Take one for yourself.
It's okay.
I'm on duty.
No, it's it's okay.
I'll I'll get someone to cover you.
You go ahead.
Live a little.
Bobby.
What are you doing here? I left you two messages.
You never called me back.
Yeah, I've been busy.
Doing what? Just sorting things out.
So, how you doing? Well, I caught those tourists who were murdered in Red Hook.
I gotta run.
I'll give you a call, okay? Old partner, meet new partner.
Lois Melago, Bobby Goren.
How's life at the six-four? The usual.
Gumdrops and roses.
Melago, we got an assault in progress.
Keep breathing.
- I gotta chase that.
- You do that.
What the hell was that? I thought you said nobody's gonna know anything about this.
No, chill out.
She's on our side.
We're doing something a little different today.
We gotta find this lowlife.
Eddie Jones.
Drug possession.
Criminal sale of controlled substance.
Assault.
I didn't think you'd have a problem taking him off the street.
What'd he do? He owes a friend some money.
- A friend.
- Yeah.
Mike, I gotta tell you, before I got suspended, - Testarossa was on the radar.
- Good.
He should be.
And that doesn't worry you.
Look if the department ever got wind of this, you would be tainted.
What am I doing here, Bobby, huh? I'm working the door at a club.
I'm doing surveillance.
I'm doing security.
Hell, if I had my shield back, I'd bust the guy myself, you know? I'm not joking, Mike.
What do you suggest that I do? Should I go down to Starbucks, see if they're hiring? You want your shield back.
I get that.
I'm saying, the department, they find out about any of this, they're not gonna look the other way.
Look, we're both taking a big leap of faith here.
Neither one of us is gonna rat the other one out.
You got my back, Bobby, right? Sure I do.
Good.
Lighten up, huh? It's a little light, isn't it? Where's the gun? You give me the case number, I look for the file.
Beyond that, I can't help you.
Look, IA came in yesterday to talk to your boss.
You wanna deal with them or us? Rodriguez, A.
Retired to Florida six months ago.
Taggert, Ed.
Transferred to sex crimes.
You going through the officers with access to the property clerk's office? It's a long list.
Anybody from the six-four? - Three.
- Start with them.
Something you wanna share? Just call it a hunch.
Lois Melago.
Nine years on the force before she was promoted to detective and assigned to vice.
- Where is she now? - That's the interesting thing.
She was suspended for a DUI.
And for trying to cover it up.
Department bounced her to the property clerk office, then back to uniform.
She's working patrol, the six-four.
Her partner was also suspended.
Drug charge.
He's still out.
Mike Stoat.
Sounds like someone with something to lose.
The only thing worse than ticket duty is traffic control.
Detective Eames, Detective Daniels.
Major case.
I know who you are.
We were in the same graduating class.
You used to be Lois Cabrera.
I should stay that way.
- What were there, 50 of us? - Uh-huh.
And 590 men.
And here I am, still proving myself.
Well, we're hoping you might help us out.
You worked property clerk's last winter? Yeah, and? A .
9-mil is missing.
Tell me about it.
That place is barely-controlled chaos.
It's amazing anything's ever found.
This gun was found.
By someone who took it out of a sealed evidence bag.
What are you saying? You think I took it? I'd just come off suspension.
We're not saying you took it.
I didn't even have access to that kind of stuff.
Do your homework.
I was working at the sign-in, checking IDs.
So who did have access? I don't recall.
Try harder.
We're done here.
What about your ex-partner? What about yours? What does that mean? Come on, man, He's my partner.
I have his back.
Well, you better hope he has yours.
You take the front, I'll take the back.
Hey, hey, come here.
Come here.
I wasn't running, man.
Hey, hey, hey, Mike, Mike, Mike.
Come on, come on.
Get off me.
Hey, there's neighbors all around, man, come on, come on.
That's all you got.
Huh? You call yourself a crook? Get off me.
Here's your money, Boss.
Stoat, I need you to stick around.
Yeah, I would, but I gotta take care of something.
Okay.
So the cowboy stays.
Whatever you want, Boss.
I heard you're looking for me.
Here I am.
Get your feet off my partner's desk.
- Melago called you? - Yeah.
She said there's a .
9-mil missing from evidence.
I don't want to waste any time.
I'll tell you right here and right now, I had nothing to do with it.
That's funny.
That's the same thing your partner said.
So either you're both telling the truth, or you're both going down.
What's with the witch hunt? Turns out that gun was used to kill those tourists.
In your partner's precinct.
Yeah, hers and a hundred other cops'.
And I don't think any of them is gonna put a gun back out on the same streets they're working.
I hope to God you're right.
We good to go? My money? That's it.
Take the stuff.
Get lost.
- We done here? - Not yet.
I gotta do a good deed.
Yeah, he just left.
Yeah, he's driving a white SUV, heading east on Commerce.
Kill or be killed.
Hands where we can see them, or I'll blow your head off.
Hector Santana, 24, from Williamsburg, arrested last night with four ounces by two uniforms doing a routine traffic stop.
- Hinkamp and Melago.
- Melago.
Her captain calls her the queen of arrests.
Her attempt to get her Detective shield back.
Anyway, it's Santana's third strike.
So what's he selling? Claims to have information on the tourists.
Good luck to him on that.
Waited for his lawyer.
She's in there with him now.
So we have your word you'll speak to the DA on Mr.
Santana's behalf? Depends how helpful he is.
Start helping, Hector.
Word in Red Hook is someone in Testarossa's crew clipped the English couple.
But the gun had another body on it.
Keep going.
Do I get protection? Not until you give us a name.
And get myself whacked? Or go to prison for life.
Your call.
Life in prison for ten lousy ounces.
What did you say? Ten ounces.
One last deal.
I was gonna get out.
- You had ten ounces? - Yeah, all right? I bought them from Testarossa.
I'll bet he tipped off the cops.
There was no reason for them to pull me over.
I don't got no broken taillight.
I didn't run no light.
You know, the arresting officers logged four ounces.
Is that what they did? Well, that's nothing new.
Well, neither is accusing cops of stealing drugs.
No, no, no, forget I said that.
I don't want any more trouble.
Tell us more about the cops who pulled you over.
And you think these two were tipped off by Testarossa? I don't know about them.
All I hear, he's got two ex-cops on his payroll.
Oh, you'll say anything now.
No really.
Two big white dudes.
Me missing six ounces? I bet they flipped it back to Testarossa.
I know some of the guys in the six-four.
It's a clean house.
I read the arrest report.
Santana was pulled over for a broken taillight.
Ever hear that before? You're saying you believe him? I'm saying it has to be investigated.
Like the gun he knew about, the one stolen from the PD.
If you two aren't comfortable with this Any reason we shouldn't be comfortable with this? No.
We're in.
Okay, go convince Santana to wear a wire.
We need to talk.
Alone.
Santana was just released.
- What? - About an hour ago.
He got bail? On a drug felony? A hundred thousand.
And he posted it? Uh-huh.
No way.
Look, all I know is, he's out.
Hector, Hector, wake up.
Wake up, there's someone in the apartment.
Whassup, whassup, man? Come on, we're gonna get you dressed, we're gonna take you for a ride.
Put your clothes on, Chico.
All right, he's clean.
Sit down.
Did you cut a deal with the cops? Me? These are your guys.
I'm two blocks away, I get pulled over.
Did you? Well, then that should have taught you to keep your mouth shut.
I didn't say nothing to nobody.
The DA bailed you out.
Is that it? Did you make a deal with the cops? I didn't say nothing to nobody.
You think I'm stupid? Legal aid said they didn't have probable cause to stop me.
Hey.
His lighter.
He's wired.
You said he was clean.
Yeah.
I missed it.
Oh, okay.
Then he's your problem.
You take care of him.
- What, you mean now? - Yeah, now.
Here? Right here.
Get up.
Please, man, please, I didn't do nothing.
/ Shut up.
No, please, please, you gotta trust me.
- Shut up.
- I didn't say nothing to nobody.
Down on the ground.
Down on the ground.
Down on the ground.
Down on the ground.
How'd you miss that wire, Bobby? Screwed up.
Okay.
All right.
Don't worry about it.
We were just working security.
Okay, Testarossa went off on the guy.
You grabbed the gun to get him to stop.
Okay? All right.
Okay, thanks.
Yeah.
Stoat.
Testarossa's lawyered up.
What about Melago? What's going on here? Is now okay? You're undercover, you don't tell me? Those were my orders.
Came from the top.
I can't believe this.
It was a need-to-know case.
I'm sorry.
Eames, Melago is in holding downtown.
You have a history with her.
See if she'll deal.
You don't have to explain anything to me.
I know all about working in the boys' club.
/ Uh-huh.
You're a Major Case detective.
I got busted back to the bag writing parking tickets for teenagers driving nicer cars than me.
You and I have nothing in common.
You were in vice.
You were on your way up.
You never had a drink and got behind the wheel, Detective? You're gonna tell me that I deserve to have my rank taken away from me for a glass and a half of wine at my cousin's baby shower? I was .
06.
Borderline.
So spare me the sister/friend routine, okay? Suit yourself.
Is that why you hooked up with Stoat, so you could stick it to the PD? No.
/ He gives you the heads up when a deal goes down.
You arrest the dealer, keep some of the stash.
What? Santana told us he had ten ounces on him.
You vouchered four.
Wanna explain the new math, Melago? You believe a lying, piece of crap drug dealer over one of your own? What happened to the other six ounces? What do you do, sell them? I've taken more dealers off the street Please.
How much does Testarossa pay you for being in his pocket? How much does he pay your partner? I don't know about that.
But I do know you need to get in front of this.
I'm a good cop.
You're a lousy cop.
You're on Testarossa's payroll.
One of his crew killed Crawford and those tourists.
You and I both know that makes you an accomplice.
No don't put that on me.
How did Testarossa get a gun that was in the property clerk's office? I'm not throwing myself on the sword for some warm tea and pretzels.
I want a lawyer.
IAD is in the process of requiring her tolls and LUDs.
Once they get things more concrete, she might crack.
Where is Goren? The rookie riding with Melago just flipped.
He said Melago tipped him off the drug bust and she handled the evidence, kept the other six ounces.
Nice work.
For both of you.
And Eames, your partner is about to go in on Stoat.
You shook my hand.
You told me you had my back.
You lied to me.
Yeah, I'm a cop.
I'm allowed to lie to criminals.
You cooperate against Testarossa, you're not gonna see a lot of jail time.
I'm not a rat.
He killed innocent people in cold blood.
Come on, I haven't seen any innocent people for a long time.
Yeah, but you've seen him run drugs.
You're gonna protect a guy like that? Come on, Bobby.
Are you gonna do this to one of your own? Yeah, well, that's the thing, Mike.
I'm nothing like you.
Now what happened to the six ounces of coke that went missing in the Santana deal? You worked narcotics, right? What, you never paid informants with drugs to try to land a bigger fish? No.
Have you? Come on.
Who killed Wilson Crawford? Come on.
A drug dealer? You know in some circles they applaud that? Okay.
What are you getting for setting me up? Are you getting your shield back? Is that your 30 pieces of silver, Bobby? What about the Bennetts? Innocent bystanders killed with a gun from NYPD evidence.
Are you gonna applaud that too? Are you that far gone? He's not giving anyone up.
Whether they cooperate or not.
Stoat and Melago are going away.
Feds are making this a RICO.
Chief of D's.
Yeah, boss.
Eames.
I'm sorry.
That's all you have to say to me? I could've blown your head off back there.
Eight years I've had your back, and I don't even get the courtesy of a phone call.
I was trying to protect you.
Since when? - And there were rules that - Rules? You've got to be kidding me.
You managed to get word to the Captain.
You contacted the chief of D's.
But just not your partner? This is my only way back.
I mean, how else am I gonna get my shield? You're not getting it.
I get it.
I get it.
You're the genius, and I just carry your water, right? You have any idea how many times I've lied for you, covered your ass? I was in a deep hole here.
And whose fault was that? All your wounds are self-inflicted.
I know, I tried not to drag you into this one.
And what would you have done if I hadn't burst through that door? If it wasn't me, you'd be dead.
I didn't look for this.
You could've fooled me, Detective.
I hope it was worth it.
Melago took a plea deal.
She linked the gun to Testarossa and Testarossa to the murders.
Stoat still hasn't budged, but we'll see how long that lasts.
Good work, Detectives.
So does this Um, I'm making the assumption Detective Goren will be back with us ASAP.
Shield and the gun, Detective.
Congratulations.
- A pleasure, Detective.
- Same here, Daniels.
Good night.
So I'll see you in the morning.
Yup.

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