Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) s08e02 Episode Script
Rock Star
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.
Our so-called manager comes in all proud.
He's got us a gig at Brooklyn heights.
The heights? What's the gig, a wham tribute? No, the gig is we bring in 50 people paying $10 covers.
After that we get half the door.
- Until then, nada.
- Lame.
There's so much bogus going on.
You gotta have faith, man.
God brought you to Brooklyn for a reason.
Yeah, to telemarket baldness cures.
I just wanna play, man.
Just Let's get inside.
They are parasites in this community.
Parasites with money.
They all got rich daddies.
Man, they displacing our people.
Displace who? You wanna live in the old sausage factory? Where he's going, to play with the white boys again? Hey, dix.
How's life in the ghetto? Must be good, man.
You moved in.
- Yo.
- Hey, you got the stuff? When we gonna see some of that art? You got any nudies? $200.
Oh, yo, yo, yo, yo.
Check it.
Yeah, like this.
That's your thing, dix.
What do you got for me? What you're paying? Over there.
You share a bathroom, no pissing in the sink, rent's due on the first of the month, and that means the first.
What? Is this supposed to be a door? You can't afford a door.
Welcome back.
nice, nice.
You might wanna hammer those notes down though.
Like here, let me show you.
Like do you see? My record deal blows up, so you think I need guitar 101? Whoa.
Sorry.
You know, sometimes we do help each other out around here.
Genius, both of you.
Now can we go get some beers? I'm telling you, man.
She was hitting on me.
No, she was hitting on Helen.
Oh, wrong number there.
I'm still in love with that bartender.
Let's go.
You know, some people do manage to walk these streets without getting raped and robbed.
You guys go ahead.
I gotta make a call.
No, we'll wait for you.
It's okay.
I'll be there in 20 minutes.
It's Shabbos.
What are you doing? It's a special case.
It's forbidden.
Find someone else to make the call.
Look, there is nobody else.
The Goyim are sleeping.
I don't know.
Life or death.
We make an exception.
No wallet.
There's a gash here.
Looks like a knife.
Did anyone find a knife? ESU is looking.
Well, did anybody find a reason why this is for major case? Because I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say someone stabbed this guy, stole his wallet.
It's not the crime.
It's the neighborhood.
We've got worlds in collision here.
Orthodox Jews, urban blacks, punk rock stars of the 21st century.
Not a lotta love.
This neighborhood is amazing.
A block walk from my car, I pick up grits with ham at, um, Sally's soul kitchen, a bagel, glatt kosher, and a tantric charm at this new age boutique.
So, so interesting.
If you need a massage ball, I saw a select detective Zach Nichols, detective Megan Wheeler.
My new partner.
It's a pleasure.
Can we shake hands later? Yeah.
Maybe wanna take a look at the crime scene? Looks like somebody stabbed him and stole his wallet.
We were partners back in anti-crime.
Well, how did he do when he wasn't having breakfast? Amazing.
Brilliant cop.
Very perceptive.
Both his parents were shrinks.
Oh, well, shrink's kids are crazy.
Established fact.
He's not crazy, exactly.
Oh, that's very reassuring.
Was a loss to the department when he took his leave.
Yeah, seven years.
Where did he go? Sent me a postcard from Cleveland once.
His name wasn't Teeter.
His name was Theodore.
His friends called him Teeter.
If they were really his friends, they would've told him to go to college.
To music school.
Not move to a slum and become a rapper.
An mc.
Yes, an mc is different than a rapper.
A rapper raps the words and makes the rhymes.
An mc can rap but he also runs the show and leads the crowd.
He has to be very charismatic and be someone very special.
Teddy.
When did you last speak to him? He called a week ago.
He said everything was great.
This place up to code? Certified as an intra-multiple dwelling.
On schedule for article 7b compliance, which is costing me an arm and a leg.
This is it.
Bring a police dog in here it'd fry his.
They're kids.
They're rock and rollers.
What were you smoking in your 20s? Bananas.
Mellow yellow takes me back.
I used to play in a band myself.
Now I help some of the kids, manage them.
This is where Teeter lived.
Hank, these are detectives.
He's moving in here, but I figured, you know, you'd like to look at it first.
Yeah, yeah, sure.
Is this a bedbug? Fumigation certificate is in my office.
This just really sucks, man.
We were all with Teeter right before it happened.
With him doing what? At a spelling bee.
Spelling bee? Yeah, a bar on Bedford has 'em on Friday nights.
Kids today, huh? Who else was with you? Uh, it was me, Rafe, Teeter, uh, sue Smith, Helen.
Oh, there's Rafe.
Hey, how was the, uh Spelling bee? It was nostalgia and beer.
Who can resist? Yeah.
Uh, and Teeter competed? - And lost.
- Really? Any hard feelings about that? Well, it wasn't the super bowl.
Nobody bet big on Teeter.
Uh, we came outside.
He made a call.
He said he'd meet us back here.
Yeah, his atm card was used right after he left you guys by him.
Any idea why he'd need $400 at 2:00 A.
M.
? No, not really.
Really? 'Cause I'm getting stoned just breathing in here.
We could get a warrant.
Look everywhere.
Is this your stuff here? Teeter was into pot, all right? I figured he went to go talk to the guy that he bought it from.
Name? Um Dix.
I knew Teeter.
He was good people.
Used to let me goof on his synthesizer.
And you're kinda like the bridge between nations, the street, the law? I ain't narrow, man.
I take people as I find 'em.
How'd you take Teeter last night? He called you when he left the bar.
We got his phone record.
Had $400 in his pocket.
He was my friend.
He was your customer.
So I mirked my customer? That make any sense? Depends how badly you needed $400.
This a new jacket? Nice leather.
Hey, man.
Hi, we're police.
We're talking to your friend dix here.
How are you? You gonna do that all day? Up to you.
He never showed up.
He called, wanted to buy a lid, said he'd meet me here.
Never showed.
So what did you do? You go look for him? I figured I'd see him tomorrow.
It's okay, babe.
It's okay.
Sometimes I just think I should go back to Wisconsin.
No, you're an artist, baby.
This is where you belong.
Hey, courage, bro.
Rafe, why don't you come back when you have a damn clue? Exactly.
Dude, you are definitely not sucking.
Yeah.
Still not getting anywhere with it though.
Hey, it's tough out there, man.
- I just got a break.
- Yeah? Our band, we just got a gig.
No, I mean a real a real one.
We, um I mean, it could be really big.
Record deals, tours.
Yeah, no, I heard.
Philip mentioned it.
Oh, yeah? Uh, you got the goods, man.
I should keep you away from my people, you know? Are you you after my spot in the band? No, no, man.
No, I'm just I Look Just hang in there, all right? You're gonna make it.
I know it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, so do I.
What took you so long? I just can't do this tonight, Philip.
Susie, stuff happens.
You can't roll yourself up into a ball and hide.
Yeah, just not tonight.
Rafe was drunk Celebrating because our band just got this really great gig.
And that elevator is always broken.
That damn elevator.
You were saying about being up to code? Look, I feel terrible about it.
But someone didn't shut the door.
It's a manual elevator and, well, the kid was drunk.
He used to give me pointers.
He was a really good guitarist.
Did he seem drunk to you? He must have been.
Said some nice things about my playing.
You don't play well? I'm okay.
Did you see him fall? No.
No.
Suddenly I just heard people screaming.
So when he was telling you how well you played, that was earlier? Yeah, that's right.
Okay, we're taking statements one by one.
Everybody stick around, please.
and no one saw it happen.
Aren't we talking about a loft here? Wide, open spaces? Well, it's divided like a rabbit Warren.
There's curtains and partitions and it's smokey.
No one was looking the right way.
No one was in the right spot.
What are the odds? Well, you just said yeah, but 27 people? And we're not talking about a space the size of Wyoming unless somebody waited until everybody was in the wrong spot, or looking the wrong way.
Somebody? Somebody who? Somebody who murdered this kid to cover up the murder of the other kid.
No.
Then what? I Don't know.
Fascinating.
I suggest that while you're trying to figure out what's on your own mind, you resume investigation of the actual murder on your plate.
The kid who got stabbed.
The M.
E.
has given me her report.
The knife was serrated with a chip in the blade.
One dull edge.
You are the boss.
When does the brilliant part start? Not big on trust at the moment, are we? I'm not talking about me.
One partner quits on you quits on me? I'm just saying your ex-fiance's about to go on trial.
Someone else you trusted.
Okay.
Thank you, captain Freud.
Well, it's hip, it's happening What are we doing here? This is Rafe's band's gig.
The one he was celebrating when he fell down the elevator.
Rafe's band? What does that have to do with the murder of Teeter? This is what the kids are dreaming about.
Coming to New York.
Being stars.
Yeah, but this band was Rafe's dream.
Hey, look, look.
Here we go.
Before we start, I wanna say we're dedicating this performance to our late, great guitarist, Rafe shaver, who died way too soon in an excess of partying.
We know he's watching us tonight with Kurt and sid and a bag of brews, so No one can ever really fill this space, but we got a pretty cool replacement.
So, Rafe, this one's for you.
Nice set.
Yeah.
Wow, thanks.
Yeah, they really liked you.
Yeah.
Hope it doesn't break your heart.
You know, to get a taste and then I mean, you wanna make it, right? Really, really make it.
Well, doesn't everyone? No, exactly.
How many people come to New York every week trying to be rock stars? - I don't know.
- Well, 100 easy.
They're pouring off the buses at the port authority.
You probably get nearly that many at that rat's nest where you live.
Okay.
So 100 a week, that's 5,000 a year.
Another 5,000 go out to L.
A.
Another 5,000 stick around, you know, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago.
Working it there.
That's 15,000 a year.
That's conservative.
It's probably more like 50,000.
What's your point? My point is how many are gonna make it? They don't get a break.
They knock up some girl.
Take a job driving a bakery truck.
Maybe 4,000 become professional musicians playing the hotel lounge near the airport.
The cream at the top, the top 1,000, get to be in a zeppelin tribute band or 18th runner-up on American idol.
But really make it, make a name, be a star, maybe ten.
Ten people yearly worldwide.
Ten out of 50,000.
So there's ten.
And you're gonna be one of 'em? Why not? I can play.
I'm willing to work.
You still gotta get those breaks.
Hmm, some people make their own breaks.
People like you? People willing to do whatever it takes.
Let me show you something.
and I'm a cop.
Were you, uh you one of the losers in the 50,000? Why are you a cop? Because I like it and I'm good at it And that kid is a killer.
Thank you.
That was Utica P.
D.
It seems our boy Hank had a stepfather that he didn't get along with.
There were allegations of abuse.
Social services couldn't make the case.
When Hank was 16, his stepfather had a fatal accident fixing his roof.
Hank's problem solved.
Okay, so you're saying that he pushed Rafe shaver down an elevator shaft to get his spot in a band? He's competing for limited resources.
There's a million musicians.
Handful of working bands.
Makes perfect sense.
If you're a homicidal maniac.
If you wanna put a label on it.
He told me that he was willing to do whatever it takes.
His ego is massive.
People say they'd kill to succeed.
This kid is the one in a million who means it.
Wheeler? Maybe, but why kill Teeter? That didn't help his career.
Didn't help him achieve his dream.
Got him a better apartment.
You don't see much white leather around nowadays.
Yeah, ditto the zebra stripes.
Speckled stallion? You were in speckled stallion? Right, you said you were in a band.
Long time ago.
Hey, you played Woodstock.
Third-longest set right after the who.
No, you guys were oh, you were something.
Rock and roll king.
Yeah, unfortunately It's not always about talent, is it? No.
What, just connections? Those days, if you didn't suck up to the right record executive I heard you playing the other night.
It's just that's a hobby.
Um, listen, you manage the band that Rafe was in, yeah? Yes.
Got potential.
And are you the one that put Hank in the band after Rafe died? Yeah, he's good.
He's good.
Raw, but I'm working on him.
He's still moping about some making the band reality show in L.
A.
that didn't pan out.
I told him not to go.
He wasn't ready.
I mean, can't tell these kids anything.
No, unlike us, right? We did everything our elders told us.
About Hank Did he know he was in line to replace Rafe if Rafe left the band? Yeah, yeah, I guess.
He knows I liked him.
He's well, you don't think Hank pushed Rafe? You just said he had a motive.
Rafe alive, Hank's not in the band.
Rafe dead, he is in the band.
Well.
How's the science project going? You need any construction paper? Hello? Sorry.
I was listening to speckled stallion.
Boy, did those guys suck.
You just told Philip they were great.
Uh, no.
I think I said, "you guys are something.
" It's the little things, isn't it? Always.
Shall we? Hey.
You here to audition for my band? You were sounding pretty hot the other night.
No, I think I'll be staying with the police work, thanks.
No, we're just here to clear up something about Rafe's accident.
- Couple of loose ends.
- Sure.
We got statements from everybody who was here that night, and I think we figured out exactly where everybody was when Rafe fell.
Here.
Did you make that yourself? Yeah.
Mmm, thanks.
Uh, okay, Rafe was there.
Everybody else Was, um, central uh-oh.
Ah, I got it.
I got it.
Okay.
As I was saying, uh, people were scattered kinda centrally but nobody unfortunately near the elevator, so nobody saw Rafe fall.
But what's wrong with this picture? Uh, I don't know.
You're not in it.
None of these people saw when Rafe fell, but none of them saw you when Rafe fell, so we were hoping you might have been near the elevator, and were aware of the accident somehow, and can help us tie up some of those loose ends.
You have any recollection? Sorry, I was, uh I was right there just taking a break, you know? There exactly where you pointed your finger? Yeah.
Yeah, right there.
Okay.
Would you mind signing that for our files, please? Okie-dokie, thanks a lot.
Is that Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Let me just check something.
One second.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
Oh, I forgot.
No, there were people there.
I just forgot to put on these tags.
I'm sorry.
No, Larry the actor from the second floor, he was there and Maxine who paints canvases with her own body fluids I wouldn't shake hands with her if I were you um, they were right there, in fact.
Wait a minute.
Yeah, none of them neither of them saw you.
I'm late for rehearsal.
Yeah, I must have had too much to drink that night.
I have no idea where I was.
Coulda been Mars for all I know.
Guess I can't help you guys.
Sorry.
That chart of yours, you know who else is unaccounted for is that girl sue Smith.
You think sue Smith killed Rafe? Why? Why would she do that? Well, I don't know, but she seems to keep popping up.
And what you just told Hank about that artist and actor being in that part of the loft, they didn't say that.
I know.
Don't tell Hank that.
He thinks we caught him in a lie.
Well, we didn't.
It's a stressor.
Shake him up.
Kid's been thinking he's too, uh, invulnerable.
A stressor.
So Now he's gonna make another mistake? Do something rash.
Like kill someone else? Not my first choice.
Well, you wanna show me what else you picked up when you dropped your chart on the floor? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The, uh I thought I might get some actual evidence, since everybody around here seems to like that kinda thing.
And, uh, you know, we saw sue Smith coming out of Hank's new room.
See what I mean? Then I remembered that you had seen that bedbug in there.
Very observant.
And, uh, ugh.
Here, you don't seem to mind.
They suck human blood.
The DNA.
That loft used to be Teeter's.
Now it's Hank's.
Mm-hmm.
Let's find out who's been sleeping there.
We're in the middle of a bedbug epidemic.
We are? Are there any precautions you can take? Don't sleep.
These guys have a very slow digestive system.
They can go for a year between meals.
We can extract the blood they ate for up to two months after they chow down.
I see.
What's in the ones we sent you? Some were fat and happy.
They just ate.
Others hadn't eaten for at least a month.
In a couple of the old ones we found Theodore Kenright's blood.
Teeter.
And from that same period, a woman's blood.
You have anything for us to match it against? Not yet.
How about the bugs that just ate? Blood from a different man.
But this is interesting The same woman.
Sue Smith.
Sleeping with Hank now.
Slept with Teeter then.
So he had more motive to kill than just a room with a view.
He got a pretty girl to go with it.
What, are you coming around now? I can almost buy Hank killing Rafe.
But killing Teeter? Well, Hank wanted to be in the band.
Rafe was in the way.
Hank wanted the girl.
Teeter was in the way.
So I wonder if anyone's in Hank's way now.
My father went to art school in New York, like me.
He was good.
I saw some of his stuff.
But he went home to save some money.
"Just a few months.
" That's what he said.
That was 30 years ago.
You know what he does now? He designs a catalogue of kitchen fixtures.
Faucets.
Lots of faucets.
All laid out very artfully.
Hmm.
I'd kill myself before I went home.
Me too.
So am I not gonna see you tonight? He's just so controlling.
He acts like I'm his girlfriend.
I am not his girlfriend.
He just pays my rent.
I guess that makes me a prostitute.
For a reason.
For your art.
Did I tell you how great you were the other night? I really think this could be something good Except for Philip.
I'm, um, working on a new gig.
I think you guys are ready to step up a notch.
No, more than a notch, Philip.
Come on, man.
Look, there's those clubs in the east village I'll tell you when you're ready, okay? You're not ready.
I'll let you know when the gig firms up.
Oh, you seen sue? You know, I'm trying to find no.
No, I, uh I haven't seen her.
Oh.
Okay.
Bye.
Sue Smith and Teeter, then sue Smith and Hank.
So the girl sleeps around.
Don't they all? All girls sleep around? No, all 20-year-olds in an artist commune sleep around.
Is there a motive for murder there? Don't these kids just hook up? "Friends with benefits.
" Whatever it's called.
I see somebody's been reading the lifestyle section again.
But, uh I do wonder.
You wonder what? You tell us that Hank's a killer, we finally have some evidence that supports your theory, and you're backing away from it? No, it's just that, you know, uh, we're looking at two murders.
One a murder.
One maybe not a murder.
And the one that's a murder was either a mugging or carefully planned to look like a mugging.
And the one that's maybe a murder was spontaneous, 'cause I don't think anybody could have foreseen rafe wandering near the open elevator shaft at exactly that moment.
So you're saying they don't fit? They do and they don't.
You see what I mean? Do you see what he means? Not a clue.
Now at least in theory, Hank had motive and opportunity to kill rafe.
And now thanks to you, there's a possible motive to kill Teeter.
But did he have opportunity? He was with a group of people right before Teeter was killed.
Did he stick with them or did he slip away? We left the bar, got back to the building, and people split up.
I went up to this poet's loft on the top floor and we did some poetry.
Oh, I like poetry.
And the others Hank, sue, rafe coulda been anywhere? I guess.
Sue said she had to get back to Philip.
Sue And Philip? That's how she pays her rent.
Rafe used to kid her about it, but she didn't think it was funny.
Where the others went, I don't know, but I have a theory about who killed Teeter.
Real estate developers.
Real estate developers? Scare us outta here and make us think it's a dangerous neighborhood so we'll move out.
Philip has to sell the building.
They swoop in, buy it cheap, put up hideous condos.
Philip probably wouldn't care anyway.
He's more into managing our band than being a landlord.
Mm-hmm.
You have a theory about what happened to rafe? He got drunk and fell down the elevator.
But he was great, man.
Our driving force.
He had big plans for the band.
Always talking to record companies, YouTube, big-time managers.
Interesting girl.
She's no alibi for Hank.
He could have left the building, gone out, and killed Teeter.
What about real estate developers? Did we canvas the scene for Donald trump's hair? She also just gave sue a motive.
Rafe was giving her a hard time about her pay-for-play boyfriend.
She got mad.
Yeah, maybe.
There's somebody I need to call.
Hey, that was fantastic, man.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
I been following this band for a long time.
When rafe was fronting, you're just as good.
You think? What I think is you could be playing better venues than this.
Much better.
You're Joe Lazar.
- Guilty.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You manage the chaos jackets.
Look, you know who I am.
You know what I can do.
I was all set to sign the group with rafe, but your current manager wouldn't let you go.
See if you can talk some sense into him.
I can make you big.
How'd it go? Hook, line, and sinker.
Hank? He's barely capable of making a major to minor chord change.
I don't know.
He's got a hell of an attitude about this place About you.
Oh, look at this vinyl.
Ohh.
Yeah, I know.
Nothing matches the sound of it.
No, it's real.
It's physical.
Digital music is where? Nowhere, nowhere.
Absolutely.
Attitude? What? Hank.
His attitude? Oh, no.
I don't know.
I'm interviewing him about a murder and this kid keeps bringing the conversation back around to there's some hot shot manager that's after him.
He's really going someplace.
He's gonna be bigger than Brooklyn.
Bigger than this place here.
Nothing wrong with this.
No, this is great.
It's great.
Of course, it must be tough on you.
You know, going from rock star to landlord.
This isn't Philip's boarding house.
I mean, I happen to live here and I take in some talented musicians whom I help as a musician and as a manager.
Yeah, yeah.
That's not the way Hank sees it though.
Oh, his attitude.
What does he say? "I need a manager that's not a fossil.
Somebody from the actual current century.
" Look, Philip, this is the break I've been looking for.
I've told you a hundred times before you went on that stupid trip to California.
For one, I'll know when you're ready and you're not ready.
Yeah, well, Joe Lazar thinks I am.
Yeah, well, he doesn't know what he's talking about.
We can break our contract with you.
Actually, you can't.
Yeah, well, we can damn well try.
Lazar said he'd pay for a lawyer.
Lucky him.
Look, maybe we should just talk about this, man.
Where are you, upstairs? No, I'm about to go for my run.
McCarren Park.
Philip's definitely taking a hard line.
Hmm, yeah.
Somebody must have gotten under his skin somehow.
McCarren Park's right near where Teeter was stabbed.
Dangerous neighborhood.
Hello? Hank? Oh, hello, Hank.
I didn't see you.
This just isn't working out, is it, Philip? Hi.
Everybody, hold it.
What's going on? A murder.
Well, not anymore, now that we're here.
What are you talking about? Oh, life, death, unqualified success, abject failure, naked ambition.
Uh, what? Philip, pathetic has-been, right? You want a real manager.
This no-talent piece of crap.
I played with all the very Who? With who? Bo Diddley, 40 years ago? You're pathetic, man.
And you're sleeping with the same woman that he's sleeping with, which is about one fellow too many.
He's sleeping with sue? Who isn't? Powerful motive.
For what? For murder? Over some piece of ass? You want her back, old man? She's all yours.
I don't care.
Wow.
You don't, do you? No.
No, I don't.
Okay.
Uh, you wouldn't kill for love.
Forget that motive.
You wouldn't cross the street for it.
But you would, Philip.
And you actually think that sue is your girlfriend.
She is my girlfriend.
No.
She isn't.
You're, uh, the rent.
Uh, little reality check: Women actually like sleeping with guys about, oh, But deep down, way inside, you know that.
Look, that rule doesn't apply when you're famous.
Famous? Oh, right.
You played the third-longest set at Woodstock.
Because you wouldn't get off the damn stage.
Speckled stallion always left its audience wanting less! I have a Grammy.
Milli Vanilli has a Grammy.
You're a has-been.
Nobody remembers.
Nobody cares.
Viva Viagra.
So when Teeter started fooling around with your imaginary girlfriend, you went nuts.
You killed Teeter.
Yeah, he did.
Then, rafe came along, with real musical talent.
Oh, yeah? What talent? I can't believe this.
Listen and learn.
So when rafe, the ungrateful egomaniac, told you that he was going to dump you, you no.
I was in full view of a dozen people when rafe fell down that elevator shaft.
No, I'm not saying that you pushed rafe.
You did that.
Because Philip, the rock God, told you that rafe was standing in your way, didn't he? Because he wanted to get rid of rafe.
And he knew that you'd do it, 'cause he saw in you the same thing that you told me.
That you would do whatever it takes to get ahead.
Philip suckered you, Hank.
Rafe wanted to escape, so that he could succeed.
But Philip's ego couldn't stand that.
Hang on.
Don't move.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Serrated.
And a chip in the blade.
One dull edge.
Just like the knife that killed Teeter.
Looks like that unknown mugger was about to strike again.
You were gonna kill me.
You son of a bitch! You worthless, washed-up, used-up I had groupies who could play better than you, Hank.
You told me that if rafe was gone, you'd get me to the top.
You showed me your gold record.
That stupid gold record.
I did it for nothing.
For nothing.
So the next time we go on a bust, you maybe want to tell your partner who we're busting? I was exploring options.
God almighty.
Oh, come on, it was great.
It was a two-fer! I would have been happy taking one scumbag suspect off the streets, but two for the price of one Ooh, you know, I shoulda come back sooner.
This is, uh Sweet.
These are their stories.
Our so-called manager comes in all proud.
He's got us a gig at Brooklyn heights.
The heights? What's the gig, a wham tribute? No, the gig is we bring in 50 people paying $10 covers.
After that we get half the door.
- Until then, nada.
- Lame.
There's so much bogus going on.
You gotta have faith, man.
God brought you to Brooklyn for a reason.
Yeah, to telemarket baldness cures.
I just wanna play, man.
Just Let's get inside.
They are parasites in this community.
Parasites with money.
They all got rich daddies.
Man, they displacing our people.
Displace who? You wanna live in the old sausage factory? Where he's going, to play with the white boys again? Hey, dix.
How's life in the ghetto? Must be good, man.
You moved in.
- Yo.
- Hey, you got the stuff? When we gonna see some of that art? You got any nudies? $200.
Oh, yo, yo, yo, yo.
Check it.
Yeah, like this.
That's your thing, dix.
What do you got for me? What you're paying? Over there.
You share a bathroom, no pissing in the sink, rent's due on the first of the month, and that means the first.
What? Is this supposed to be a door? You can't afford a door.
Welcome back.
nice, nice.
You might wanna hammer those notes down though.
Like here, let me show you.
Like do you see? My record deal blows up, so you think I need guitar 101? Whoa.
Sorry.
You know, sometimes we do help each other out around here.
Genius, both of you.
Now can we go get some beers? I'm telling you, man.
She was hitting on me.
No, she was hitting on Helen.
Oh, wrong number there.
I'm still in love with that bartender.
Let's go.
You know, some people do manage to walk these streets without getting raped and robbed.
You guys go ahead.
I gotta make a call.
No, we'll wait for you.
It's okay.
I'll be there in 20 minutes.
It's Shabbos.
What are you doing? It's a special case.
It's forbidden.
Find someone else to make the call.
Look, there is nobody else.
The Goyim are sleeping.
I don't know.
Life or death.
We make an exception.
No wallet.
There's a gash here.
Looks like a knife.
Did anyone find a knife? ESU is looking.
Well, did anybody find a reason why this is for major case? Because I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say someone stabbed this guy, stole his wallet.
It's not the crime.
It's the neighborhood.
We've got worlds in collision here.
Orthodox Jews, urban blacks, punk rock stars of the 21st century.
Not a lotta love.
This neighborhood is amazing.
A block walk from my car, I pick up grits with ham at, um, Sally's soul kitchen, a bagel, glatt kosher, and a tantric charm at this new age boutique.
So, so interesting.
If you need a massage ball, I saw a select detective Zach Nichols, detective Megan Wheeler.
My new partner.
It's a pleasure.
Can we shake hands later? Yeah.
Maybe wanna take a look at the crime scene? Looks like somebody stabbed him and stole his wallet.
We were partners back in anti-crime.
Well, how did he do when he wasn't having breakfast? Amazing.
Brilliant cop.
Very perceptive.
Both his parents were shrinks.
Oh, well, shrink's kids are crazy.
Established fact.
He's not crazy, exactly.
Oh, that's very reassuring.
Was a loss to the department when he took his leave.
Yeah, seven years.
Where did he go? Sent me a postcard from Cleveland once.
His name wasn't Teeter.
His name was Theodore.
His friends called him Teeter.
If they were really his friends, they would've told him to go to college.
To music school.
Not move to a slum and become a rapper.
An mc.
Yes, an mc is different than a rapper.
A rapper raps the words and makes the rhymes.
An mc can rap but he also runs the show and leads the crowd.
He has to be very charismatic and be someone very special.
Teddy.
When did you last speak to him? He called a week ago.
He said everything was great.
This place up to code? Certified as an intra-multiple dwelling.
On schedule for article 7b compliance, which is costing me an arm and a leg.
This is it.
Bring a police dog in here it'd fry his.
They're kids.
They're rock and rollers.
What were you smoking in your 20s? Bananas.
Mellow yellow takes me back.
I used to play in a band myself.
Now I help some of the kids, manage them.
This is where Teeter lived.
Hank, these are detectives.
He's moving in here, but I figured, you know, you'd like to look at it first.
Yeah, yeah, sure.
Is this a bedbug? Fumigation certificate is in my office.
This just really sucks, man.
We were all with Teeter right before it happened.
With him doing what? At a spelling bee.
Spelling bee? Yeah, a bar on Bedford has 'em on Friday nights.
Kids today, huh? Who else was with you? Uh, it was me, Rafe, Teeter, uh, sue Smith, Helen.
Oh, there's Rafe.
Hey, how was the, uh Spelling bee? It was nostalgia and beer.
Who can resist? Yeah.
Uh, and Teeter competed? - And lost.
- Really? Any hard feelings about that? Well, it wasn't the super bowl.
Nobody bet big on Teeter.
Uh, we came outside.
He made a call.
He said he'd meet us back here.
Yeah, his atm card was used right after he left you guys by him.
Any idea why he'd need $400 at 2:00 A.
M.
? No, not really.
Really? 'Cause I'm getting stoned just breathing in here.
We could get a warrant.
Look everywhere.
Is this your stuff here? Teeter was into pot, all right? I figured he went to go talk to the guy that he bought it from.
Name? Um Dix.
I knew Teeter.
He was good people.
Used to let me goof on his synthesizer.
And you're kinda like the bridge between nations, the street, the law? I ain't narrow, man.
I take people as I find 'em.
How'd you take Teeter last night? He called you when he left the bar.
We got his phone record.
Had $400 in his pocket.
He was my friend.
He was your customer.
So I mirked my customer? That make any sense? Depends how badly you needed $400.
This a new jacket? Nice leather.
Hey, man.
Hi, we're police.
We're talking to your friend dix here.
How are you? You gonna do that all day? Up to you.
He never showed up.
He called, wanted to buy a lid, said he'd meet me here.
Never showed.
So what did you do? You go look for him? I figured I'd see him tomorrow.
It's okay, babe.
It's okay.
Sometimes I just think I should go back to Wisconsin.
No, you're an artist, baby.
This is where you belong.
Hey, courage, bro.
Rafe, why don't you come back when you have a damn clue? Exactly.
Dude, you are definitely not sucking.
Yeah.
Still not getting anywhere with it though.
Hey, it's tough out there, man.
- I just got a break.
- Yeah? Our band, we just got a gig.
No, I mean a real a real one.
We, um I mean, it could be really big.
Record deals, tours.
Yeah, no, I heard.
Philip mentioned it.
Oh, yeah? Uh, you got the goods, man.
I should keep you away from my people, you know? Are you you after my spot in the band? No, no, man.
No, I'm just I Look Just hang in there, all right? You're gonna make it.
I know it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, so do I.
What took you so long? I just can't do this tonight, Philip.
Susie, stuff happens.
You can't roll yourself up into a ball and hide.
Yeah, just not tonight.
Rafe was drunk Celebrating because our band just got this really great gig.
And that elevator is always broken.
That damn elevator.
You were saying about being up to code? Look, I feel terrible about it.
But someone didn't shut the door.
It's a manual elevator and, well, the kid was drunk.
He used to give me pointers.
He was a really good guitarist.
Did he seem drunk to you? He must have been.
Said some nice things about my playing.
You don't play well? I'm okay.
Did you see him fall? No.
No.
Suddenly I just heard people screaming.
So when he was telling you how well you played, that was earlier? Yeah, that's right.
Okay, we're taking statements one by one.
Everybody stick around, please.
and no one saw it happen.
Aren't we talking about a loft here? Wide, open spaces? Well, it's divided like a rabbit Warren.
There's curtains and partitions and it's smokey.
No one was looking the right way.
No one was in the right spot.
What are the odds? Well, you just said yeah, but 27 people? And we're not talking about a space the size of Wyoming unless somebody waited until everybody was in the wrong spot, or looking the wrong way.
Somebody? Somebody who? Somebody who murdered this kid to cover up the murder of the other kid.
No.
Then what? I Don't know.
Fascinating.
I suggest that while you're trying to figure out what's on your own mind, you resume investigation of the actual murder on your plate.
The kid who got stabbed.
The M.
E.
has given me her report.
The knife was serrated with a chip in the blade.
One dull edge.
You are the boss.
When does the brilliant part start? Not big on trust at the moment, are we? I'm not talking about me.
One partner quits on you quits on me? I'm just saying your ex-fiance's about to go on trial.
Someone else you trusted.
Okay.
Thank you, captain Freud.
Well, it's hip, it's happening What are we doing here? This is Rafe's band's gig.
The one he was celebrating when he fell down the elevator.
Rafe's band? What does that have to do with the murder of Teeter? This is what the kids are dreaming about.
Coming to New York.
Being stars.
Yeah, but this band was Rafe's dream.
Hey, look, look.
Here we go.
Before we start, I wanna say we're dedicating this performance to our late, great guitarist, Rafe shaver, who died way too soon in an excess of partying.
We know he's watching us tonight with Kurt and sid and a bag of brews, so No one can ever really fill this space, but we got a pretty cool replacement.
So, Rafe, this one's for you.
Nice set.
Yeah.
Wow, thanks.
Yeah, they really liked you.
Yeah.
Hope it doesn't break your heart.
You know, to get a taste and then I mean, you wanna make it, right? Really, really make it.
Well, doesn't everyone? No, exactly.
How many people come to New York every week trying to be rock stars? - I don't know.
- Well, 100 easy.
They're pouring off the buses at the port authority.
You probably get nearly that many at that rat's nest where you live.
Okay.
So 100 a week, that's 5,000 a year.
Another 5,000 go out to L.
A.
Another 5,000 stick around, you know, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago.
Working it there.
That's 15,000 a year.
That's conservative.
It's probably more like 50,000.
What's your point? My point is how many are gonna make it? They don't get a break.
They knock up some girl.
Take a job driving a bakery truck.
Maybe 4,000 become professional musicians playing the hotel lounge near the airport.
The cream at the top, the top 1,000, get to be in a zeppelin tribute band or 18th runner-up on American idol.
But really make it, make a name, be a star, maybe ten.
Ten people yearly worldwide.
Ten out of 50,000.
So there's ten.
And you're gonna be one of 'em? Why not? I can play.
I'm willing to work.
You still gotta get those breaks.
Hmm, some people make their own breaks.
People like you? People willing to do whatever it takes.
Let me show you something.
and I'm a cop.
Were you, uh you one of the losers in the 50,000? Why are you a cop? Because I like it and I'm good at it And that kid is a killer.
Thank you.
That was Utica P.
D.
It seems our boy Hank had a stepfather that he didn't get along with.
There were allegations of abuse.
Social services couldn't make the case.
When Hank was 16, his stepfather had a fatal accident fixing his roof.
Hank's problem solved.
Okay, so you're saying that he pushed Rafe shaver down an elevator shaft to get his spot in a band? He's competing for limited resources.
There's a million musicians.
Handful of working bands.
Makes perfect sense.
If you're a homicidal maniac.
If you wanna put a label on it.
He told me that he was willing to do whatever it takes.
His ego is massive.
People say they'd kill to succeed.
This kid is the one in a million who means it.
Wheeler? Maybe, but why kill Teeter? That didn't help his career.
Didn't help him achieve his dream.
Got him a better apartment.
You don't see much white leather around nowadays.
Yeah, ditto the zebra stripes.
Speckled stallion? You were in speckled stallion? Right, you said you were in a band.
Long time ago.
Hey, you played Woodstock.
Third-longest set right after the who.
No, you guys were oh, you were something.
Rock and roll king.
Yeah, unfortunately It's not always about talent, is it? No.
What, just connections? Those days, if you didn't suck up to the right record executive I heard you playing the other night.
It's just that's a hobby.
Um, listen, you manage the band that Rafe was in, yeah? Yes.
Got potential.
And are you the one that put Hank in the band after Rafe died? Yeah, he's good.
He's good.
Raw, but I'm working on him.
He's still moping about some making the band reality show in L.
A.
that didn't pan out.
I told him not to go.
He wasn't ready.
I mean, can't tell these kids anything.
No, unlike us, right? We did everything our elders told us.
About Hank Did he know he was in line to replace Rafe if Rafe left the band? Yeah, yeah, I guess.
He knows I liked him.
He's well, you don't think Hank pushed Rafe? You just said he had a motive.
Rafe alive, Hank's not in the band.
Rafe dead, he is in the band.
Well.
How's the science project going? You need any construction paper? Hello? Sorry.
I was listening to speckled stallion.
Boy, did those guys suck.
You just told Philip they were great.
Uh, no.
I think I said, "you guys are something.
" It's the little things, isn't it? Always.
Shall we? Hey.
You here to audition for my band? You were sounding pretty hot the other night.
No, I think I'll be staying with the police work, thanks.
No, we're just here to clear up something about Rafe's accident.
- Couple of loose ends.
- Sure.
We got statements from everybody who was here that night, and I think we figured out exactly where everybody was when Rafe fell.
Here.
Did you make that yourself? Yeah.
Mmm, thanks.
Uh, okay, Rafe was there.
Everybody else Was, um, central uh-oh.
Ah, I got it.
I got it.
Okay.
As I was saying, uh, people were scattered kinda centrally but nobody unfortunately near the elevator, so nobody saw Rafe fall.
But what's wrong with this picture? Uh, I don't know.
You're not in it.
None of these people saw when Rafe fell, but none of them saw you when Rafe fell, so we were hoping you might have been near the elevator, and were aware of the accident somehow, and can help us tie up some of those loose ends.
You have any recollection? Sorry, I was, uh I was right there just taking a break, you know? There exactly where you pointed your finger? Yeah.
Yeah, right there.
Okay.
Would you mind signing that for our files, please? Okie-dokie, thanks a lot.
Is that Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Let me just check something.
One second.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
Oh, I forgot.
No, there were people there.
I just forgot to put on these tags.
I'm sorry.
No, Larry the actor from the second floor, he was there and Maxine who paints canvases with her own body fluids I wouldn't shake hands with her if I were you um, they were right there, in fact.
Wait a minute.
Yeah, none of them neither of them saw you.
I'm late for rehearsal.
Yeah, I must have had too much to drink that night.
I have no idea where I was.
Coulda been Mars for all I know.
Guess I can't help you guys.
Sorry.
That chart of yours, you know who else is unaccounted for is that girl sue Smith.
You think sue Smith killed Rafe? Why? Why would she do that? Well, I don't know, but she seems to keep popping up.
And what you just told Hank about that artist and actor being in that part of the loft, they didn't say that.
I know.
Don't tell Hank that.
He thinks we caught him in a lie.
Well, we didn't.
It's a stressor.
Shake him up.
Kid's been thinking he's too, uh, invulnerable.
A stressor.
So Now he's gonna make another mistake? Do something rash.
Like kill someone else? Not my first choice.
Well, you wanna show me what else you picked up when you dropped your chart on the floor? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The, uh I thought I might get some actual evidence, since everybody around here seems to like that kinda thing.
And, uh, you know, we saw sue Smith coming out of Hank's new room.
See what I mean? Then I remembered that you had seen that bedbug in there.
Very observant.
And, uh, ugh.
Here, you don't seem to mind.
They suck human blood.
The DNA.
That loft used to be Teeter's.
Now it's Hank's.
Mm-hmm.
Let's find out who's been sleeping there.
We're in the middle of a bedbug epidemic.
We are? Are there any precautions you can take? Don't sleep.
These guys have a very slow digestive system.
They can go for a year between meals.
We can extract the blood they ate for up to two months after they chow down.
I see.
What's in the ones we sent you? Some were fat and happy.
They just ate.
Others hadn't eaten for at least a month.
In a couple of the old ones we found Theodore Kenright's blood.
Teeter.
And from that same period, a woman's blood.
You have anything for us to match it against? Not yet.
How about the bugs that just ate? Blood from a different man.
But this is interesting The same woman.
Sue Smith.
Sleeping with Hank now.
Slept with Teeter then.
So he had more motive to kill than just a room with a view.
He got a pretty girl to go with it.
What, are you coming around now? I can almost buy Hank killing Rafe.
But killing Teeter? Well, Hank wanted to be in the band.
Rafe was in the way.
Hank wanted the girl.
Teeter was in the way.
So I wonder if anyone's in Hank's way now.
My father went to art school in New York, like me.
He was good.
I saw some of his stuff.
But he went home to save some money.
"Just a few months.
" That's what he said.
That was 30 years ago.
You know what he does now? He designs a catalogue of kitchen fixtures.
Faucets.
Lots of faucets.
All laid out very artfully.
Hmm.
I'd kill myself before I went home.
Me too.
So am I not gonna see you tonight? He's just so controlling.
He acts like I'm his girlfriend.
I am not his girlfriend.
He just pays my rent.
I guess that makes me a prostitute.
For a reason.
For your art.
Did I tell you how great you were the other night? I really think this could be something good Except for Philip.
I'm, um, working on a new gig.
I think you guys are ready to step up a notch.
No, more than a notch, Philip.
Come on, man.
Look, there's those clubs in the east village I'll tell you when you're ready, okay? You're not ready.
I'll let you know when the gig firms up.
Oh, you seen sue? You know, I'm trying to find no.
No, I, uh I haven't seen her.
Oh.
Okay.
Bye.
Sue Smith and Teeter, then sue Smith and Hank.
So the girl sleeps around.
Don't they all? All girls sleep around? No, all 20-year-olds in an artist commune sleep around.
Is there a motive for murder there? Don't these kids just hook up? "Friends with benefits.
" Whatever it's called.
I see somebody's been reading the lifestyle section again.
But, uh I do wonder.
You wonder what? You tell us that Hank's a killer, we finally have some evidence that supports your theory, and you're backing away from it? No, it's just that, you know, uh, we're looking at two murders.
One a murder.
One maybe not a murder.
And the one that's a murder was either a mugging or carefully planned to look like a mugging.
And the one that's maybe a murder was spontaneous, 'cause I don't think anybody could have foreseen rafe wandering near the open elevator shaft at exactly that moment.
So you're saying they don't fit? They do and they don't.
You see what I mean? Do you see what he means? Not a clue.
Now at least in theory, Hank had motive and opportunity to kill rafe.
And now thanks to you, there's a possible motive to kill Teeter.
But did he have opportunity? He was with a group of people right before Teeter was killed.
Did he stick with them or did he slip away? We left the bar, got back to the building, and people split up.
I went up to this poet's loft on the top floor and we did some poetry.
Oh, I like poetry.
And the others Hank, sue, rafe coulda been anywhere? I guess.
Sue said she had to get back to Philip.
Sue And Philip? That's how she pays her rent.
Rafe used to kid her about it, but she didn't think it was funny.
Where the others went, I don't know, but I have a theory about who killed Teeter.
Real estate developers.
Real estate developers? Scare us outta here and make us think it's a dangerous neighborhood so we'll move out.
Philip has to sell the building.
They swoop in, buy it cheap, put up hideous condos.
Philip probably wouldn't care anyway.
He's more into managing our band than being a landlord.
Mm-hmm.
You have a theory about what happened to rafe? He got drunk and fell down the elevator.
But he was great, man.
Our driving force.
He had big plans for the band.
Always talking to record companies, YouTube, big-time managers.
Interesting girl.
She's no alibi for Hank.
He could have left the building, gone out, and killed Teeter.
What about real estate developers? Did we canvas the scene for Donald trump's hair? She also just gave sue a motive.
Rafe was giving her a hard time about her pay-for-play boyfriend.
She got mad.
Yeah, maybe.
There's somebody I need to call.
Hey, that was fantastic, man.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
I been following this band for a long time.
When rafe was fronting, you're just as good.
You think? What I think is you could be playing better venues than this.
Much better.
You're Joe Lazar.
- Guilty.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You manage the chaos jackets.
Look, you know who I am.
You know what I can do.
I was all set to sign the group with rafe, but your current manager wouldn't let you go.
See if you can talk some sense into him.
I can make you big.
How'd it go? Hook, line, and sinker.
Hank? He's barely capable of making a major to minor chord change.
I don't know.
He's got a hell of an attitude about this place About you.
Oh, look at this vinyl.
Ohh.
Yeah, I know.
Nothing matches the sound of it.
No, it's real.
It's physical.
Digital music is where? Nowhere, nowhere.
Absolutely.
Attitude? What? Hank.
His attitude? Oh, no.
I don't know.
I'm interviewing him about a murder and this kid keeps bringing the conversation back around to there's some hot shot manager that's after him.
He's really going someplace.
He's gonna be bigger than Brooklyn.
Bigger than this place here.
Nothing wrong with this.
No, this is great.
It's great.
Of course, it must be tough on you.
You know, going from rock star to landlord.
This isn't Philip's boarding house.
I mean, I happen to live here and I take in some talented musicians whom I help as a musician and as a manager.
Yeah, yeah.
That's not the way Hank sees it though.
Oh, his attitude.
What does he say? "I need a manager that's not a fossil.
Somebody from the actual current century.
" Look, Philip, this is the break I've been looking for.
I've told you a hundred times before you went on that stupid trip to California.
For one, I'll know when you're ready and you're not ready.
Yeah, well, Joe Lazar thinks I am.
Yeah, well, he doesn't know what he's talking about.
We can break our contract with you.
Actually, you can't.
Yeah, well, we can damn well try.
Lazar said he'd pay for a lawyer.
Lucky him.
Look, maybe we should just talk about this, man.
Where are you, upstairs? No, I'm about to go for my run.
McCarren Park.
Philip's definitely taking a hard line.
Hmm, yeah.
Somebody must have gotten under his skin somehow.
McCarren Park's right near where Teeter was stabbed.
Dangerous neighborhood.
Hello? Hank? Oh, hello, Hank.
I didn't see you.
This just isn't working out, is it, Philip? Hi.
Everybody, hold it.
What's going on? A murder.
Well, not anymore, now that we're here.
What are you talking about? Oh, life, death, unqualified success, abject failure, naked ambition.
Uh, what? Philip, pathetic has-been, right? You want a real manager.
This no-talent piece of crap.
I played with all the very Who? With who? Bo Diddley, 40 years ago? You're pathetic, man.
And you're sleeping with the same woman that he's sleeping with, which is about one fellow too many.
He's sleeping with sue? Who isn't? Powerful motive.
For what? For murder? Over some piece of ass? You want her back, old man? She's all yours.
I don't care.
Wow.
You don't, do you? No.
No, I don't.
Okay.
Uh, you wouldn't kill for love.
Forget that motive.
You wouldn't cross the street for it.
But you would, Philip.
And you actually think that sue is your girlfriend.
She is my girlfriend.
No.
She isn't.
You're, uh, the rent.
Uh, little reality check: Women actually like sleeping with guys about, oh, But deep down, way inside, you know that.
Look, that rule doesn't apply when you're famous.
Famous? Oh, right.
You played the third-longest set at Woodstock.
Because you wouldn't get off the damn stage.
Speckled stallion always left its audience wanting less! I have a Grammy.
Milli Vanilli has a Grammy.
You're a has-been.
Nobody remembers.
Nobody cares.
Viva Viagra.
So when Teeter started fooling around with your imaginary girlfriend, you went nuts.
You killed Teeter.
Yeah, he did.
Then, rafe came along, with real musical talent.
Oh, yeah? What talent? I can't believe this.
Listen and learn.
So when rafe, the ungrateful egomaniac, told you that he was going to dump you, you no.
I was in full view of a dozen people when rafe fell down that elevator shaft.
No, I'm not saying that you pushed rafe.
You did that.
Because Philip, the rock God, told you that rafe was standing in your way, didn't he? Because he wanted to get rid of rafe.
And he knew that you'd do it, 'cause he saw in you the same thing that you told me.
That you would do whatever it takes to get ahead.
Philip suckered you, Hank.
Rafe wanted to escape, so that he could succeed.
But Philip's ego couldn't stand that.
Hang on.
Don't move.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Serrated.
And a chip in the blade.
One dull edge.
Just like the knife that killed Teeter.
Looks like that unknown mugger was about to strike again.
You were gonna kill me.
You son of a bitch! You worthless, washed-up, used-up I had groupies who could play better than you, Hank.
You told me that if rafe was gone, you'd get me to the top.
You showed me your gold record.
That stupid gold record.
I did it for nothing.
For nothing.
So the next time we go on a bust, you maybe want to tell your partner who we're busting? I was exploring options.
God almighty.
Oh, come on, it was great.
It was a two-fer! I would have been happy taking one scumbag suspect off the streets, but two for the price of one Ooh, you know, I shoulda come back sooner.
This is, uh Sweet.