Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) s09e04 Episode Script
Delicate
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.
- Having problems with that foot again? - What? - Oh, I'm sorry.
Your alignment's all off-- I just assumed.
Never mind.
Thanks, background.
- I told you not to call me that.
- But that's what you are.
- [claps.]
All right, places.
Ten days till curtain.
Lots of work to do.
I'd like to see jessalyn up first.
Are you ready? And [snaps fingers.]
[dramatic ballet music.]
- Reach up.
Good.
Forward and back to jete.
Nice.
One, two, down, go.
- [groans.]
- stop.
You see that? [music stops.]
see how she hesitated? - But my foot-- I-- - Jessalyn, no excuses.
Fall back.
You're not ready.
- Please, let me try again.
- You'reNotReady.
Take over.
[snaps fingers.]
and [music plays.]
good.
[voice on tape.]
yes.
Beautiful.
See how she's centered and almost floating midair? [music paused.]
it's delicate and powerful All at the same time.
Now, let's learn from each other.
[music plays.]
riley, assess jessalyn.
- Well, her legs are straining.
- Fair.
What else? - And her head's not centered, so - Her problem is that she's terrified.
I mean, look at those eyes.
She's totally holding back.
- Okay, and why do you think that is? - She blames everything-- her foot, all of us.
She needs to just suck it up and do the work herself.
[jessalyn breathing erratically.]
- Jessalyn, it's okay.
- It's bad enough my parents diss me all the time.
Now her! - No, no, it will get better.
You'll see.
- No Not while that bitch is here.
[passionate breathing.]
- you're so good.
You're so good.
- Yeah, I know.
- You're so good.
You're so good.
- I know.
- You're so good.
[moaning.]
[catching breath.]
Stay with me.
- I can't.
- Who-- who is it this time? That wannabe dj kid? - You don't own me.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
Am I upsetting you? - It's just that I'd hate for this to end badly.
- Who is this? Huh? Who is this? Do you think I'm an idiot? Let's go.
- Let go of me.
- Let's go! - Let go of me! - Let's go.
- Cole, let go of me! - Aah! Get in the car.
- Let go of me.
Don't ever grab me like that again.
- Who the hell is this "e" calling you? - It doesn't matter.
- Long as we're together, it does! - We're done.
- What do you mean we're done? Come here.
[laughing.]
come and catch me.
- Aah! - [laughing.]
- [grunts.]
alona.
Alona! [clatter.]
- What now? Sub by Adriano_CSI - Custodians found her around 7:00 a.
M.
She's a student here at the schuman.
Her name's alona landau.
- [sniffing.]
hmm.
She was doing some heavy drinking last night.
Yeah, she reeks of alcohol.
- There's an obvious blow from something with an edge.
- Mm-hmm.
- Her clothes are intact.
Slight bruising on the pelvic bone, But no blood, no obvious signs of rape.
- All right, look at these legs.
Very well-toned and muscular.
Looks like a dancer.
T.
O.
D.
? - Well, by rigor and lividity, I would guess between 1:00 and 4:00 a.
M.
Look how she's flat on her back, body almost concave.
Landed with the velocity of-- - Of somebody who was pushed.
- I'm guessing she knew them.
- Yeah, she must have known a whole bunch of people Right here at the schuman.
A good place to start.
- Get it done.
Go.
Do it now.
- Excuse me, is this your class? - Ethan johns, department head.
I'm pretty busy.
What's up? - Your student, alona landau, was murdered On campus last night.
- Let's, uh, talk somewhere private.
- Shall we? - So gifted.
I can't believe this.
- Some people might have envied herGift.
Anybody that you'd describe as her enemy? - People come here to perfect their art.
And students clash as part of the process.
- I see.
Was clashing part of yesterday's process? - We had evaluations, rehearsals Everything was fine.
Are we about done? I have a roomful of students I have to deal with.
- We'll be done when you tell us what you did last night.
- [chuckles.]
I'm done when I decide to stop speaking.
But in the interest of cooperation, I was here, as I am every night, Honing our performance.
- Was there anybody with you? - Yes.
My set designer, till about 2:00 a.
M.
Now, I have a roomful of dancers Who need me more than you do.
- "people come here to perfect their art.
" What a pompous idiot.
- Yeah, let's, let's go see how alona lived While perfecting her art.
- Well, I owe my daughter an apology.
Her room is pristine next to this.
What's that smell? There's a sickly sweet smell, like rotten fruit.
- Yeah, it's something-- what is that? It's like, uh Is it cheap rfume? - I don't think so.
She shopped like an heiress, Not a student.
You got chanel, hermes, la mer.
- Huh - HmmWhat's this? Someone was stroking this girl's Already healthy self-esteem.
Clearly, she thought a lot of herself.
- Well, you have to, getting into a school like this.
- I almost went here myself.
My parents considered me a piano prodigy.
- Must've been fun.
- Uh, it was tolerable, If you exclude command performances At all their cocktail parties.
- Ooh.
- [sniffs.]
What is that-- a vomit stain.
What's all this? What, is she fighting A flu or a stomach thing? - I'd guess purging.
I had a good friend who danced.
What they do to their bodies, They practically torture themselves.
- Yeah? Well, not tortured enough To skip a party.
So lecoCole? We understand that you were at this club last night with alona, And the bouncer there told us that You got a little bit, uh, rough.
- He said she was kicking and screaming, Trying to get away from you.
- I don't care what he said.
I loved alona.
- Your love do that? Looks pretty fresh.
- What we had together was hot.
- Hmm, so if we find your dna, no surprise.
- Look, there was some guy named "e" That kept calling her over at the club.
That's why we fought.
- Oh, that's a nice jacket, eh? Jeez, it looks like a tear.
A little scrape.
This happen during the fight? - Tore it when I fell over a curb.
- Right.
- Before I came home, I went to il vento's.
They know me at the bar.
I was there for a while.
- We're going to take this.
Okay? Thank you.
- Look, I didn't do this.
All right? I cared about alona.
I gave her something that no one At that school ever could.
- Oh, yeah? What's that? - I gave her freedom.
- C.
O.
D.
Was a puncture wound to the skull.
Brain hemorrhaging was so severe That the impact with the ground just finished the job.
- Thoughts on the wound pattern? - Well, it's a deep fracture consistent with a sharp blow.
Tools and debris left at the scene Would have left a larger bruise.
- Right.
This has a direct-- Direct point of entry.
Why is that? It's like it's the-- It was just the tip-- the tip of something.
- Mm-hmm.
Something metal and very heavy.
- What did the tox screen say? - Large quantities of alcohol, no drugs.
But she'd been vomiting for a few weeks.
The stomach lining's inflamed, And there are acid stains on her teeth.
- Have you done a full panel? - Yeah, it's in the works.
Could take a few days.
But I did managed to pull two semen samples.
- So you don't like the boyfriend as the killer.
- Il vento's gives him an alibi That pretty much covers the time of death.
- Cole talked about calls she got from someone named "e.
" Now, alona landau's phone records show six calls From ethan johns last night-- One close to the time of her death.
- Did he offer an alibi? - Well, he said he worked till 2:00 "honing a performance.
" Set designer confirms it.
- I still think we should get a dna sample from him.
- It's not gonna be voluntary.
Last time we talked to him, He was about half an inch from lawyering up.
- So? You must know a friendly judge.
- Oh, yeah, a dance instructor who hits on his students We'll get a subpoena.
[dramatic piano music.]
- [sighs.]
my foot! I still get scared.
- There's nothing to be afraid of, okay? You can hit that without an extra step.
- You're so confident.
- Hey, come here.
Come here.
All my confidence, okay? It's yours.
I'm giving it to you right now.
Right now.
Can you feel that? Okay? Okay? And now, take it.
Go on.
Go on.
Starting from the previous measure, all right? Okay.
[dramatic piano music.]
[music stops.]
- [laughing.]
- Yes.
Yes! Look at you! [laughing and chattering.]
- He might be demanding, But mr.
Johns is generous with his time.
His door is always open.
- And his time is only about dance? - Yes.
- What is that, for the-- the tummy? You okay? - I'm fine.
- Riley, we need the true picture here.
- Look, I've said what I know.
I can't get involved.
- Oh, riley, you're already involved.
Everybody knows you're talking to us.
What do you suppose they imagine that you're saying? - There was a bad scene the day alona was killed.
It's very competitive.
Only with alona and jessalyn, it was more than that.
- Jessalyn - Jessalyn kerr.
- Kerr? What, the two of them, uh-- There was tension? - They were always fighting.
Trying to one-up each other.
Jessalyn started getting really paranoid.
- About what? - She hurt her foot a while back-- Cut it real bad on something, And started saying alona did it.
Maybe rigged her shoes.
[mellow piano music.]
- Bravo.
[music stops.]
MmMm An epic tale of unrequited love.
Brahms' symphony no.
3.
- Not brahms.
I wrote it.
- You wrote that? [chuckles.]
Well, you know, you may have altered it slightly.
Here, take mr.
Brahms' opening phrase-- It goes like this.
[humming and playing notes.]
And I think you did this.
[hums, plays slightly altered version.]
So what is that, writing or appropriation? What do you think, peanut? - I'll find mr.
Johns.
- No, we're actually here to see jessalyn.
- Me? Why? - I'll be right outside.
- So, jessalyn kerr, We heard that you and alona landau were, uh-- Were fightin'.
- It wasn't a fight.
She crossed a line during truth circle.
- Truth circle? - When we watch rehearsal tapes and critique each other.
- Oh, that sounds, uh, cold.
- It's just a part of the creative process.
But alona made it personal.
Especially with me.
- So you don't deny that you two were rivals? - Alona was everyone's rival.
But that's the way she wanted it.
Look, I was in my dorm room All night that night.
You can check with my r.
A.
, okay? - [claps hands.]
jess, you're late for stretch.
I'll tolerate the disruptive efforts Aimed at my person, But try not to impact these young people And their dedication to art.
- That doesn't make him guilty.
- A first-rate athlete smashed on the head And tossed two stories to the ground? - All right.
- Easy task for a well-toned dance instructor.
- Or--or another first-rate athlete.
The schuman is intensely competitive, right? These girls are under a lot of pressure.
It's not a stretch to imagine that one of them just cracked.
- I'm not denying that.
I know how teenage girls can be.
All the wild emotions, the crazy insecurities.
- That's right.
And this murder was impetuous And passionate.
Ethan johns, he's like the choreographer type.
You know, those guys are into order and control.
- Right.
Which gives him all the power.
I think he couldn't control alona, so he snapped.
- Why are you so certain about this guy's guilt? - In my first year of college, I thought I could do anything, be with anyone.
I was dumb enough to get involved with someone Who was talented and charming and Anyway, I'll go talk to callas.
We should get the rehearsal tapes and records On all the students from the schuman.
And I'm checking priors.
I'm betting ethan johns has a history.
- You seem the least disturbed by recent events.
That's a tribute to your dedication.
You'll take alona's role next week.
- [gasps.]
[chuckles.]
Really? - You're ready, jessalyn.
It's time.
- Yeah.
- Alona's movement was superior, But you're far more beautiful.
And with my help You'll be a star.
- I won't disappoint you.
I swear.
I sent you my feelings when he told me I was dancing lead.
- I felt him coming on to you, Like I knew just what you were going through Right at that moment.
- I knew you were thinking of me too.
- Nobody has what we have.
- We're so close.
Sometimes it's like Both: We're the same person.
- Yes.
[laughter.]
- Oh, this is so amazing! We have to celebrate.
- Mm.
UghI forgot! I have this stupid dinner thing with my parents.
- I thought you hated your parents.
- I do, but they pay for all this, So I have to play nice once in a while.
- Oh, um Yeah, all right.
Well, okay, we'll just celebrate some other time.
- What are you talking about? If I'm stuck with them, so are you.
[giggles.]
- Priors? - Nothing.
- You know, sometimes we hate the innocent And like the guilty.
- He's a bad guy.
- But here-- Here, I found this student with history-- Paulette bartol.
We met her with jessalyn.
This says, basically, that she has been troubled.
- Not bad trouble if the schuman still let her in.
- Well, she could have-- On the application, she could have concealed that.
- But I reviewed the dorm files.
Both were checked in by 10:30 that night.
- Oh, yeah, but sneaking out of your college dorm-- [cell phone ringing.]
For creative students, that's, uh-- That's no houdini move, you know.
- Ethan johns' mitochondrial dna matches one Of the two semen samples.
He doesn't need priors.
We have physical evidence, Witness testimony, phone records.
It's all here.
- Okay.
Let's run it by the d.
A.
And see if we can get an arrest warrant.
[door slams shut.]
- Your alibi checks out.
- Of course.
I was working on finishing the sets Until 2:00 in the morning.
- Right, and then you were working on Miss cynthia tussley Till well after 7:30.
You know, you have an affair with a rich socialite, And then word gets out that you're being questioned - Suddenly her attorney calls wanting to protect his client.
Humiliating.
- [chuckling.]
- I can see why you'd like to keep it a secret.
- It doesn't matter.
It's not a crime.
You can't hold me.
- I know it's one role, but things are changing.
I'll probably be dancing lead from now on.
- Just don't get ahead of yourself.
You know how dramatic you can be.
- Still a long road before abt.
- Mm.
There's more foie gras, paulette.
- Um, I'm fine, thank you.
- You know we can't eat this crap! - Excuse me? - I'm two pounds over.
Maybe if you cared at all, you'd know that.
- This is not the time or the place.
- Since I was five, I've dreamed of being a dancer.
That's all I've wanted.
All you do is ruin it and make it ugly.
But ethan johns believes in me, even if you don't.
That's all that matters.
Paulette, I'll wait here all night if I have to.
- [crying.]
I did it all for you.
I did it all for you! - Slow down.
Just talk to me.
- You were supposed to be happy! I just wanted to make you happy! Because I thought that if you were happy, Then we could be happy together.
But it's all wrong! Everything's wrong! Now you're gonna go with ethan, And I'm gonna be alone again! I'm gonna be alone again.
But I did it for you, jessalyn.
I did it for you.
Please say something.
- I don't have to.
You know what I'm feeling.
- That was beautiful.
Beautiful.
Very good.
- So we've got physical evidence, phone records, A dominating personality, But a witness who places him somewhere else.
- The dna may not get him indicted, But it could serve another purpose.
- A guy like him, Feeling empowered, as he does, There could be more than one student in his past.
Riley thorson got a little jumpy When we brought up his name.
- Yeah, don't release him just yet.
And see if she's willing to talk.
- Let's skip right to it.
Were you sleeping with him? - It was six months ago.
Before he took up with alona.
I'm so embarrassed.
[gasps.]
- Uh, what's the matter? You okay? - Just this stomach thing.
It comes and goes.
Everyone's got it.
- Maybe food poisoning? - That's what my doctor said.
But I don't know It feels different.
- Different like what? - I'm wheezing all the time.
And I can't get rid of this really weird taste.
- Strange.
Let me smell your breath.
- Okay, I guess.
- Do, like, a [exhales quickly.]
.
- Breathe out for me.
- [exhales.]
- Smell her breath.
Smell her breath.
- [exhales.]
- [sniffs.]
Yeah, I know that smell.
- It's from alona's room.
- What is it? - Ethylene glycol is a dihydroxy alcohol derivative.
- It's antifreeze.
- It was masked in the first tox screen Because she'd been drinking.
- Mm.
- Just how elevated was she? - Well, trace amounts.
But even a small mouthful can throw the body off.
Skin goes pale, breath rate increases.
- Pale skin, breath-- riley thorson.
And, according to her, everyone else.
Jessalyn kerr and paulette bartol They didn't mention it.
- [laughing.]
this is so crazy! In one week, I'll be dancing lead.
[giggles.]
Can you believe it? - The world is yours.
- No, ours.
The world is ours.
What's in there, anyway? Can I see? - Well, I'll show you a few things.
- [chuckles.]
Hmm.
"today is the day.
I've never felt more free.
Because I know now what I must do.
" Uh, is this the day you What if someone finds out? - Hey, come here.
Nobody knows anything, okay? She's gone.
Gone.
[laughter.]
- Paulette bartol may be talented, But she's also emotionally unstable.
- She was kicked out of high school For stalking another student.
- And her latest obsession, jessalyn kerr, Was the victim's rival.
- I thought the school backed their alibis.
- Bed check had them in their rooms.
- We're not happy with that.
- Well, jessalyn has a past drug problem.
She requires a second bed check from the resident advisors.
They confirm she was in all night.
- Yeah, she was in.
But paulette bartol Different story.
Look at this.
Look at the tv.
Watch this.
Okay, teacher ethan.
Paulette bartol, she has that tray of drinks.
She gives one to poor alona, to this other girl in the pink.
And now she gives one to jessalyn, and no-- She gives her water.
Water, okay? Those sweet, sugary sports drinks Could cover the sweet taste of ethylene glycol, But you can't hide that in water.
- She poisoned everyone but jessalyn.
Good.
That's very good.
So go on.
Go see what else she might be hiding.
So it was around 11:45.
Ok, so it turns out Paula was a no show at classes today and Jessalyn father pulled her out of school.
- What's this? What's in here? You see all that? Paulette has no idea that she's being so helpful.
- You think? I'm gonna check the bathroom.
Hey, you should get in here.
- What's up? - Wastebasket.
Had receipts for antifreeze.
- I don't think that's all we've got.
- You can't do this.
I will kill myself if you keep me from paulette.
- You will not be seeing her anymore! - Honey, it's for your own good.
[gasps.]
oh, god! - I can't believe you just did that.
I'm calling paulette.
This is-- - No contact.
Do you hear me? None! - Oh, I hate you! [knock on window.]
How did you get here? - Hi.
- I was thinking about you.
I'd hoped you'd come and get me.
- I knew you needed me.
- Let's run away somewhere.
- Anywhere you want to go.
- I have a trust.
I can get money.
- No, no, it's okay.
As long as we're together - Nothing can stop us.
- Okay, go get your coat.
No.
- Let's go.
Hey, you two, come on.
Let's go.
- No! - Don't leave me, please! [girls screaming.]
- Quiet down.
- Quiet down.
- Jess, wait! No! Stop! - Let go! Let go! [girls screaming.]
- Let me go! - You are crazy.
First the drugs, now this.
Do you realize the trouble that you are in? - Galen, please.
- No, this is over! I will not let you do this.
You will not ruin the hopes and dreams That we have built for you.
Our lawyer is on his way.
We'll discuss some deal.
Whatever you want.
- There's no deal, mr.
Kerr, Until jessalyn tells us everything she knows.
- I don't have to say anything.
- We've got physical evidence, paulette.
- It doesn't matter.
Only jessalyn and I know the truth.
And we'll never tell.
I'm sharing that with her right now.
[door opens.]
- What? What did you do? - Get her out of here.
- No.
No, I came to help you.
- Get her out! Get her out! Now! Go! - This whole thing is my fault.
I should have kept her away from all this.
This is not good for someone as sensitive as paulette.
- You were a dancer once too? - Yeah.
But I couldn't afford a sitter, So I would take her with me to the theater, And she would watch for hours.
But can't pay the bills as background, so I stopped.
- You had a child to raise.
- So what's gonna happen next? - We are gonna use jessalyn kerr's testimony To build a case against paulette.
- That may be tough.
- Why? - At this point, she's committed To being part of the murder itself.
- Yeah, but the evidence will prove otherwise.
- These girls don't care about evidence Or reality.
What's going on between them is all that really matters.
- That's right.
They've escaped into this whole world of fantasy.
- They're bonded beyond all reason.
- They're in love, you mean? They're in love, But I think it's more than that.
- Well, I don't know what that is, But we hand over two defendants where only one is guilty, And paulette's lawyer is gonna use that To confuse the hell out of the jury.
It is a perfect setup for endless mistrials.
- Look, more than anything, they want to be together.
I think we should allow it, And then land on them with reality.
[knock on door.]
- yeah.
Come on.
Good.
Use that.
- It's okay.
We're gonna go to paris.
- [whispering.]
ah, paris.
This is just a test.
- Yes.
- Nothing is ever going to tear us apart.
We just have to get through this.
- I tell you, I've been going through this book.
Wow, it's really inspiring.
It's obvious you got a lot of talent.
- We know.
- Oh, I was talking about paulette.
I meant paulette.
This is yours, isn't it? - It's ours.
Jessalyn's a part of everything I do.
- Oh, yeah, I can see you're very close.
- We can communicate in ways others can't understand.
- Well, now, what does that mean, exactly? - We can feel each other's energy, And send thoughts back and forth.
- Oh, what is it, like mind-reading? Sort of? Yes? Really? Can you read my mind? - There has to be an emotional bond.
- Well, it's just so amazing that you two have found it.
- Nothing will ever take it away.
- But you need to guard against jealousy.
I meant your jealousy of alona.
What was it she called her? It's in the journal there somewhere.
- "the dark queen.
" here it is: "today is the day.
I've never felt more free.
"because I now know what I must do.
The dark queen has struck for the last time.
" That's the day that alona was murdered.
- And what happened, paulette? The antifreeze didn't make her sick enough? - Antifreeze? - Paulette was poisoning the other dancers, jessalyn.
Giving them just enough to weaken their skills.
- EverybodyBut you.
- So she did it for me, and I love her.
- Paulette doesn't feel the same way.
- This is so small Yet it's so Powerful.
- We found this in your room, paulette.
The imprints and blood samples match the wound On alona's head.
[loud bang.]
We know you had a second bed check.
You weren't there.
- It's cruel, paulette, letting jessalyn go down For something that she didn't do.
- This is not the first time you've hurt her, Is it? - I love jessalyn.
- Well, maybe you love what she is.
What you know you can never be.
- [sighs.]
I don't understand.
What are they talking about? - That day four months ago.
You knew there was something wrong As soon as you came down on your toe.
- When you found that shard of glass, You must have been horrified.
- That was alona! She did that.
- Well, look at here.
Oh, there it is.
"alona wants to take jessalyn down.
"she's threatened by her.
"I told alona I'd do anything to help.
"so I broke up a bottle, and I took one of the pieces--" - No, no.
That's--that's wrong.
That's a lie.
They're trying to tear us apart.
Can you feel that? Just tell them that it's not true.
- You can never understand.
- All right.
Well, then, help us.
Help us to understand, paulette.
- It feels so lonely when you walk into a room And no one turns around.
But with them-- With them, it's like the world shifts.
I wanted to feel that, just once.
To know that I was really special.
- That's the only thing you've ever wanted Since you were a little girl, And you saw your mother up on the stage.
- But your mother never had the lead part, Did she? She never had that glory, and that's what you want-- To be, uh, up in the front.
- Your mother's dreams died.
You wouldn't let that happen to you.
- So you attached yourself to jessalyn, You attached yourself to alona--the real stars.
- She was ungrateful.
- Alona? - I risked everything.
I could have been expelled.
And then she turned on me! - She humiliated you.
- She told me I went too far.
She kept screaming, "what kind of crazy freak Puts glass in someone's shoes?" I'm not a freak.
- And after that she dumped you for ethan, And you moved on to jessalyn.
All this time-- All this time, you have been using me.
- No, jessalyn, no.
I was finally happy.
I didn't need to be great anymore.
I just wanted to be with you.
I couldn't let her hurt you Or us.
- I thought I knew everything about you.
We were the same person.
- No No, we still are.
- No, not now.
Not after everything you've done.
- No, no, no.
[whispering.]
I can feel you leaving me.
- I'm sorry.
I have to.
- [crying.]
no.
- I--I think-- Can I go now? - Jessalyn? Jessalyn! [shouting.]
jessalyn! - We're gonna wait here a minute.
Someone's coming down for you.
- Please.
- Okay, give them a minute.
- [whispering.]
I'm so sorry.
[sobbing.]
I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry.
- You all right?
These are their stories.
- Having problems with that foot again? - What? - Oh, I'm sorry.
Your alignment's all off-- I just assumed.
Never mind.
Thanks, background.
- I told you not to call me that.
- But that's what you are.
- [claps.]
All right, places.
Ten days till curtain.
Lots of work to do.
I'd like to see jessalyn up first.
Are you ready? And [snaps fingers.]
[dramatic ballet music.]
- Reach up.
Good.
Forward and back to jete.
Nice.
One, two, down, go.
- [groans.]
- stop.
You see that? [music stops.]
see how she hesitated? - But my foot-- I-- - Jessalyn, no excuses.
Fall back.
You're not ready.
- Please, let me try again.
- You'reNotReady.
Take over.
[snaps fingers.]
and [music plays.]
good.
[voice on tape.]
yes.
Beautiful.
See how she's centered and almost floating midair? [music paused.]
it's delicate and powerful All at the same time.
Now, let's learn from each other.
[music plays.]
riley, assess jessalyn.
- Well, her legs are straining.
- Fair.
What else? - And her head's not centered, so - Her problem is that she's terrified.
I mean, look at those eyes.
She's totally holding back.
- Okay, and why do you think that is? - She blames everything-- her foot, all of us.
She needs to just suck it up and do the work herself.
[jessalyn breathing erratically.]
- Jessalyn, it's okay.
- It's bad enough my parents diss me all the time.
Now her! - No, no, it will get better.
You'll see.
- No Not while that bitch is here.
[passionate breathing.]
- you're so good.
You're so good.
- Yeah, I know.
- You're so good.
You're so good.
- I know.
- You're so good.
[moaning.]
[catching breath.]
Stay with me.
- I can't.
- Who-- who is it this time? That wannabe dj kid? - You don't own me.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
Am I upsetting you? - It's just that I'd hate for this to end badly.
- Who is this? Huh? Who is this? Do you think I'm an idiot? Let's go.
- Let go of me.
- Let's go! - Let go of me! - Let's go.
- Cole, let go of me! - Aah! Get in the car.
- Let go of me.
Don't ever grab me like that again.
- Who the hell is this "e" calling you? - It doesn't matter.
- Long as we're together, it does! - We're done.
- What do you mean we're done? Come here.
[laughing.]
come and catch me.
- Aah! - [laughing.]
- [grunts.]
alona.
Alona! [clatter.]
- What now? Sub by Adriano_CSI - Custodians found her around 7:00 a.
M.
She's a student here at the schuman.
Her name's alona landau.
- [sniffing.]
hmm.
She was doing some heavy drinking last night.
Yeah, she reeks of alcohol.
- There's an obvious blow from something with an edge.
- Mm-hmm.
- Her clothes are intact.
Slight bruising on the pelvic bone, But no blood, no obvious signs of rape.
- All right, look at these legs.
Very well-toned and muscular.
Looks like a dancer.
T.
O.
D.
? - Well, by rigor and lividity, I would guess between 1:00 and 4:00 a.
M.
Look how she's flat on her back, body almost concave.
Landed with the velocity of-- - Of somebody who was pushed.
- I'm guessing she knew them.
- Yeah, she must have known a whole bunch of people Right here at the schuman.
A good place to start.
- Get it done.
Go.
Do it now.
- Excuse me, is this your class? - Ethan johns, department head.
I'm pretty busy.
What's up? - Your student, alona landau, was murdered On campus last night.
- Let's, uh, talk somewhere private.
- Shall we? - So gifted.
I can't believe this.
- Some people might have envied herGift.
Anybody that you'd describe as her enemy? - People come here to perfect their art.
And students clash as part of the process.
- I see.
Was clashing part of yesterday's process? - We had evaluations, rehearsals Everything was fine.
Are we about done? I have a roomful of students I have to deal with.
- We'll be done when you tell us what you did last night.
- [chuckles.]
I'm done when I decide to stop speaking.
But in the interest of cooperation, I was here, as I am every night, Honing our performance.
- Was there anybody with you? - Yes.
My set designer, till about 2:00 a.
M.
Now, I have a roomful of dancers Who need me more than you do.
- "people come here to perfect their art.
" What a pompous idiot.
- Yeah, let's, let's go see how alona lived While perfecting her art.
- Well, I owe my daughter an apology.
Her room is pristine next to this.
What's that smell? There's a sickly sweet smell, like rotten fruit.
- Yeah, it's something-- what is that? It's like, uh Is it cheap rfume? - I don't think so.
She shopped like an heiress, Not a student.
You got chanel, hermes, la mer.
- Huh - HmmWhat's this? Someone was stroking this girl's Already healthy self-esteem.
Clearly, she thought a lot of herself.
- Well, you have to, getting into a school like this.
- I almost went here myself.
My parents considered me a piano prodigy.
- Must've been fun.
- Uh, it was tolerable, If you exclude command performances At all their cocktail parties.
- Ooh.
- [sniffs.]
What is that-- a vomit stain.
What's all this? What, is she fighting A flu or a stomach thing? - I'd guess purging.
I had a good friend who danced.
What they do to their bodies, They practically torture themselves.
- Yeah? Well, not tortured enough To skip a party.
So lecoCole? We understand that you were at this club last night with alona, And the bouncer there told us that You got a little bit, uh, rough.
- He said she was kicking and screaming, Trying to get away from you.
- I don't care what he said.
I loved alona.
- Your love do that? Looks pretty fresh.
- What we had together was hot.
- Hmm, so if we find your dna, no surprise.
- Look, there was some guy named "e" That kept calling her over at the club.
That's why we fought.
- Oh, that's a nice jacket, eh? Jeez, it looks like a tear.
A little scrape.
This happen during the fight? - Tore it when I fell over a curb.
- Right.
- Before I came home, I went to il vento's.
They know me at the bar.
I was there for a while.
- We're going to take this.
Okay? Thank you.
- Look, I didn't do this.
All right? I cared about alona.
I gave her something that no one At that school ever could.
- Oh, yeah? What's that? - I gave her freedom.
- C.
O.
D.
Was a puncture wound to the skull.
Brain hemorrhaging was so severe That the impact with the ground just finished the job.
- Thoughts on the wound pattern? - Well, it's a deep fracture consistent with a sharp blow.
Tools and debris left at the scene Would have left a larger bruise.
- Right.
This has a direct-- Direct point of entry.
Why is that? It's like it's the-- It was just the tip-- the tip of something.
- Mm-hmm.
Something metal and very heavy.
- What did the tox screen say? - Large quantities of alcohol, no drugs.
But she'd been vomiting for a few weeks.
The stomach lining's inflamed, And there are acid stains on her teeth.
- Have you done a full panel? - Yeah, it's in the works.
Could take a few days.
But I did managed to pull two semen samples.
- So you don't like the boyfriend as the killer.
- Il vento's gives him an alibi That pretty much covers the time of death.
- Cole talked about calls she got from someone named "e.
" Now, alona landau's phone records show six calls From ethan johns last night-- One close to the time of her death.
- Did he offer an alibi? - Well, he said he worked till 2:00 "honing a performance.
" Set designer confirms it.
- I still think we should get a dna sample from him.
- It's not gonna be voluntary.
Last time we talked to him, He was about half an inch from lawyering up.
- So? You must know a friendly judge.
- Oh, yeah, a dance instructor who hits on his students We'll get a subpoena.
[dramatic piano music.]
- [sighs.]
my foot! I still get scared.
- There's nothing to be afraid of, okay? You can hit that without an extra step.
- You're so confident.
- Hey, come here.
Come here.
All my confidence, okay? It's yours.
I'm giving it to you right now.
Right now.
Can you feel that? Okay? Okay? And now, take it.
Go on.
Go on.
Starting from the previous measure, all right? Okay.
[dramatic piano music.]
[music stops.]
- [laughing.]
- Yes.
Yes! Look at you! [laughing and chattering.]
- He might be demanding, But mr.
Johns is generous with his time.
His door is always open.
- And his time is only about dance? - Yes.
- What is that, for the-- the tummy? You okay? - I'm fine.
- Riley, we need the true picture here.
- Look, I've said what I know.
I can't get involved.
- Oh, riley, you're already involved.
Everybody knows you're talking to us.
What do you suppose they imagine that you're saying? - There was a bad scene the day alona was killed.
It's very competitive.
Only with alona and jessalyn, it was more than that.
- Jessalyn - Jessalyn kerr.
- Kerr? What, the two of them, uh-- There was tension? - They were always fighting.
Trying to one-up each other.
Jessalyn started getting really paranoid.
- About what? - She hurt her foot a while back-- Cut it real bad on something, And started saying alona did it.
Maybe rigged her shoes.
[mellow piano music.]
- Bravo.
[music stops.]
MmMm An epic tale of unrequited love.
Brahms' symphony no.
3.
- Not brahms.
I wrote it.
- You wrote that? [chuckles.]
Well, you know, you may have altered it slightly.
Here, take mr.
Brahms' opening phrase-- It goes like this.
[humming and playing notes.]
And I think you did this.
[hums, plays slightly altered version.]
So what is that, writing or appropriation? What do you think, peanut? - I'll find mr.
Johns.
- No, we're actually here to see jessalyn.
- Me? Why? - I'll be right outside.
- So, jessalyn kerr, We heard that you and alona landau were, uh-- Were fightin'.
- It wasn't a fight.
She crossed a line during truth circle.
- Truth circle? - When we watch rehearsal tapes and critique each other.
- Oh, that sounds, uh, cold.
- It's just a part of the creative process.
But alona made it personal.
Especially with me.
- So you don't deny that you two were rivals? - Alona was everyone's rival.
But that's the way she wanted it.
Look, I was in my dorm room All night that night.
You can check with my r.
A.
, okay? - [claps hands.]
jess, you're late for stretch.
I'll tolerate the disruptive efforts Aimed at my person, But try not to impact these young people And their dedication to art.
- That doesn't make him guilty.
- A first-rate athlete smashed on the head And tossed two stories to the ground? - All right.
- Easy task for a well-toned dance instructor.
- Or--or another first-rate athlete.
The schuman is intensely competitive, right? These girls are under a lot of pressure.
It's not a stretch to imagine that one of them just cracked.
- I'm not denying that.
I know how teenage girls can be.
All the wild emotions, the crazy insecurities.
- That's right.
And this murder was impetuous And passionate.
Ethan johns, he's like the choreographer type.
You know, those guys are into order and control.
- Right.
Which gives him all the power.
I think he couldn't control alona, so he snapped.
- Why are you so certain about this guy's guilt? - In my first year of college, I thought I could do anything, be with anyone.
I was dumb enough to get involved with someone Who was talented and charming and Anyway, I'll go talk to callas.
We should get the rehearsal tapes and records On all the students from the schuman.
And I'm checking priors.
I'm betting ethan johns has a history.
- You seem the least disturbed by recent events.
That's a tribute to your dedication.
You'll take alona's role next week.
- [gasps.]
[chuckles.]
Really? - You're ready, jessalyn.
It's time.
- Yeah.
- Alona's movement was superior, But you're far more beautiful.
And with my help You'll be a star.
- I won't disappoint you.
I swear.
I sent you my feelings when he told me I was dancing lead.
- I felt him coming on to you, Like I knew just what you were going through Right at that moment.
- I knew you were thinking of me too.
- Nobody has what we have.
- We're so close.
Sometimes it's like Both: We're the same person.
- Yes.
[laughter.]
- Oh, this is so amazing! We have to celebrate.
- Mm.
UghI forgot! I have this stupid dinner thing with my parents.
- I thought you hated your parents.
- I do, but they pay for all this, So I have to play nice once in a while.
- Oh, um Yeah, all right.
Well, okay, we'll just celebrate some other time.
- What are you talking about? If I'm stuck with them, so are you.
[giggles.]
- Priors? - Nothing.
- You know, sometimes we hate the innocent And like the guilty.
- He's a bad guy.
- But here-- Here, I found this student with history-- Paulette bartol.
We met her with jessalyn.
This says, basically, that she has been troubled.
- Not bad trouble if the schuman still let her in.
- Well, she could have-- On the application, she could have concealed that.
- But I reviewed the dorm files.
Both were checked in by 10:30 that night.
- Oh, yeah, but sneaking out of your college dorm-- [cell phone ringing.]
For creative students, that's, uh-- That's no houdini move, you know.
- Ethan johns' mitochondrial dna matches one Of the two semen samples.
He doesn't need priors.
We have physical evidence, Witness testimony, phone records.
It's all here.
- Okay.
Let's run it by the d.
A.
And see if we can get an arrest warrant.
[door slams shut.]
- Your alibi checks out.
- Of course.
I was working on finishing the sets Until 2:00 in the morning.
- Right, and then you were working on Miss cynthia tussley Till well after 7:30.
You know, you have an affair with a rich socialite, And then word gets out that you're being questioned - Suddenly her attorney calls wanting to protect his client.
Humiliating.
- [chuckling.]
- I can see why you'd like to keep it a secret.
- It doesn't matter.
It's not a crime.
You can't hold me.
- I know it's one role, but things are changing.
I'll probably be dancing lead from now on.
- Just don't get ahead of yourself.
You know how dramatic you can be.
- Still a long road before abt.
- Mm.
There's more foie gras, paulette.
- Um, I'm fine, thank you.
- You know we can't eat this crap! - Excuse me? - I'm two pounds over.
Maybe if you cared at all, you'd know that.
- This is not the time or the place.
- Since I was five, I've dreamed of being a dancer.
That's all I've wanted.
All you do is ruin it and make it ugly.
But ethan johns believes in me, even if you don't.
That's all that matters.
Paulette, I'll wait here all night if I have to.
- [crying.]
I did it all for you.
I did it all for you! - Slow down.
Just talk to me.
- You were supposed to be happy! I just wanted to make you happy! Because I thought that if you were happy, Then we could be happy together.
But it's all wrong! Everything's wrong! Now you're gonna go with ethan, And I'm gonna be alone again! I'm gonna be alone again.
But I did it for you, jessalyn.
I did it for you.
Please say something.
- I don't have to.
You know what I'm feeling.
- That was beautiful.
Beautiful.
Very good.
- So we've got physical evidence, phone records, A dominating personality, But a witness who places him somewhere else.
- The dna may not get him indicted, But it could serve another purpose.
- A guy like him, Feeling empowered, as he does, There could be more than one student in his past.
Riley thorson got a little jumpy When we brought up his name.
- Yeah, don't release him just yet.
And see if she's willing to talk.
- Let's skip right to it.
Were you sleeping with him? - It was six months ago.
Before he took up with alona.
I'm so embarrassed.
[gasps.]
- Uh, what's the matter? You okay? - Just this stomach thing.
It comes and goes.
Everyone's got it.
- Maybe food poisoning? - That's what my doctor said.
But I don't know It feels different.
- Different like what? - I'm wheezing all the time.
And I can't get rid of this really weird taste.
- Strange.
Let me smell your breath.
- Okay, I guess.
- Do, like, a [exhales quickly.]
.
- Breathe out for me.
- [exhales.]
- Smell her breath.
Smell her breath.
- [exhales.]
- [sniffs.]
Yeah, I know that smell.
- It's from alona's room.
- What is it? - Ethylene glycol is a dihydroxy alcohol derivative.
- It's antifreeze.
- It was masked in the first tox screen Because she'd been drinking.
- Mm.
- Just how elevated was she? - Well, trace amounts.
But even a small mouthful can throw the body off.
Skin goes pale, breath rate increases.
- Pale skin, breath-- riley thorson.
And, according to her, everyone else.
Jessalyn kerr and paulette bartol They didn't mention it.
- [laughing.]
this is so crazy! In one week, I'll be dancing lead.
[giggles.]
Can you believe it? - The world is yours.
- No, ours.
The world is ours.
What's in there, anyway? Can I see? - Well, I'll show you a few things.
- [chuckles.]
Hmm.
"today is the day.
I've never felt more free.
Because I know now what I must do.
" Uh, is this the day you What if someone finds out? - Hey, come here.
Nobody knows anything, okay? She's gone.
Gone.
[laughter.]
- Paulette bartol may be talented, But she's also emotionally unstable.
- She was kicked out of high school For stalking another student.
- And her latest obsession, jessalyn kerr, Was the victim's rival.
- I thought the school backed their alibis.
- Bed check had them in their rooms.
- We're not happy with that.
- Well, jessalyn has a past drug problem.
She requires a second bed check from the resident advisors.
They confirm she was in all night.
- Yeah, she was in.
But paulette bartol Different story.
Look at this.
Look at the tv.
Watch this.
Okay, teacher ethan.
Paulette bartol, she has that tray of drinks.
She gives one to poor alona, to this other girl in the pink.
And now she gives one to jessalyn, and no-- She gives her water.
Water, okay? Those sweet, sugary sports drinks Could cover the sweet taste of ethylene glycol, But you can't hide that in water.
- She poisoned everyone but jessalyn.
Good.
That's very good.
So go on.
Go see what else she might be hiding.
So it was around 11:45.
Ok, so it turns out Paula was a no show at classes today and Jessalyn father pulled her out of school.
- What's this? What's in here? You see all that? Paulette has no idea that she's being so helpful.
- You think? I'm gonna check the bathroom.
Hey, you should get in here.
- What's up? - Wastebasket.
Had receipts for antifreeze.
- I don't think that's all we've got.
- You can't do this.
I will kill myself if you keep me from paulette.
- You will not be seeing her anymore! - Honey, it's for your own good.
[gasps.]
oh, god! - I can't believe you just did that.
I'm calling paulette.
This is-- - No contact.
Do you hear me? None! - Oh, I hate you! [knock on window.]
How did you get here? - Hi.
- I was thinking about you.
I'd hoped you'd come and get me.
- I knew you needed me.
- Let's run away somewhere.
- Anywhere you want to go.
- I have a trust.
I can get money.
- No, no, it's okay.
As long as we're together - Nothing can stop us.
- Okay, go get your coat.
No.
- Let's go.
Hey, you two, come on.
Let's go.
- No! - Don't leave me, please! [girls screaming.]
- Quiet down.
- Quiet down.
- Jess, wait! No! Stop! - Let go! Let go! [girls screaming.]
- Let me go! - You are crazy.
First the drugs, now this.
Do you realize the trouble that you are in? - Galen, please.
- No, this is over! I will not let you do this.
You will not ruin the hopes and dreams That we have built for you.
Our lawyer is on his way.
We'll discuss some deal.
Whatever you want.
- There's no deal, mr.
Kerr, Until jessalyn tells us everything she knows.
- I don't have to say anything.
- We've got physical evidence, paulette.
- It doesn't matter.
Only jessalyn and I know the truth.
And we'll never tell.
I'm sharing that with her right now.
[door opens.]
- What? What did you do? - Get her out of here.
- No.
No, I came to help you.
- Get her out! Get her out! Now! Go! - This whole thing is my fault.
I should have kept her away from all this.
This is not good for someone as sensitive as paulette.
- You were a dancer once too? - Yeah.
But I couldn't afford a sitter, So I would take her with me to the theater, And she would watch for hours.
But can't pay the bills as background, so I stopped.
- You had a child to raise.
- So what's gonna happen next? - We are gonna use jessalyn kerr's testimony To build a case against paulette.
- That may be tough.
- Why? - At this point, she's committed To being part of the murder itself.
- Yeah, but the evidence will prove otherwise.
- These girls don't care about evidence Or reality.
What's going on between them is all that really matters.
- That's right.
They've escaped into this whole world of fantasy.
- They're bonded beyond all reason.
- They're in love, you mean? They're in love, But I think it's more than that.
- Well, I don't know what that is, But we hand over two defendants where only one is guilty, And paulette's lawyer is gonna use that To confuse the hell out of the jury.
It is a perfect setup for endless mistrials.
- Look, more than anything, they want to be together.
I think we should allow it, And then land on them with reality.
[knock on door.]
- yeah.
Come on.
Good.
Use that.
- It's okay.
We're gonna go to paris.
- [whispering.]
ah, paris.
This is just a test.
- Yes.
- Nothing is ever going to tear us apart.
We just have to get through this.
- I tell you, I've been going through this book.
Wow, it's really inspiring.
It's obvious you got a lot of talent.
- We know.
- Oh, I was talking about paulette.
I meant paulette.
This is yours, isn't it? - It's ours.
Jessalyn's a part of everything I do.
- Oh, yeah, I can see you're very close.
- We can communicate in ways others can't understand.
- Well, now, what does that mean, exactly? - We can feel each other's energy, And send thoughts back and forth.
- Oh, what is it, like mind-reading? Sort of? Yes? Really? Can you read my mind? - There has to be an emotional bond.
- Well, it's just so amazing that you two have found it.
- Nothing will ever take it away.
- But you need to guard against jealousy.
I meant your jealousy of alona.
What was it she called her? It's in the journal there somewhere.
- "the dark queen.
" here it is: "today is the day.
I've never felt more free.
"because I now know what I must do.
The dark queen has struck for the last time.
" That's the day that alona was murdered.
- And what happened, paulette? The antifreeze didn't make her sick enough? - Antifreeze? - Paulette was poisoning the other dancers, jessalyn.
Giving them just enough to weaken their skills.
- EverybodyBut you.
- So she did it for me, and I love her.
- Paulette doesn't feel the same way.
- This is so small Yet it's so Powerful.
- We found this in your room, paulette.
The imprints and blood samples match the wound On alona's head.
[loud bang.]
We know you had a second bed check.
You weren't there.
- It's cruel, paulette, letting jessalyn go down For something that she didn't do.
- This is not the first time you've hurt her, Is it? - I love jessalyn.
- Well, maybe you love what she is.
What you know you can never be.
- [sighs.]
I don't understand.
What are they talking about? - That day four months ago.
You knew there was something wrong As soon as you came down on your toe.
- When you found that shard of glass, You must have been horrified.
- That was alona! She did that.
- Well, look at here.
Oh, there it is.
"alona wants to take jessalyn down.
"she's threatened by her.
"I told alona I'd do anything to help.
"so I broke up a bottle, and I took one of the pieces--" - No, no.
That's--that's wrong.
That's a lie.
They're trying to tear us apart.
Can you feel that? Just tell them that it's not true.
- You can never understand.
- All right.
Well, then, help us.
Help us to understand, paulette.
- It feels so lonely when you walk into a room And no one turns around.
But with them-- With them, it's like the world shifts.
I wanted to feel that, just once.
To know that I was really special.
- That's the only thing you've ever wanted Since you were a little girl, And you saw your mother up on the stage.
- But your mother never had the lead part, Did she? She never had that glory, and that's what you want-- To be, uh, up in the front.
- Your mother's dreams died.
You wouldn't let that happen to you.
- So you attached yourself to jessalyn, You attached yourself to alona--the real stars.
- She was ungrateful.
- Alona? - I risked everything.
I could have been expelled.
And then she turned on me! - She humiliated you.
- She told me I went too far.
She kept screaming, "what kind of crazy freak Puts glass in someone's shoes?" I'm not a freak.
- And after that she dumped you for ethan, And you moved on to jessalyn.
All this time-- All this time, you have been using me.
- No, jessalyn, no.
I was finally happy.
I didn't need to be great anymore.
I just wanted to be with you.
I couldn't let her hurt you Or us.
- I thought I knew everything about you.
We were the same person.
- No No, we still are.
- No, not now.
Not after everything you've done.
- No, no, no.
[whispering.]
I can feel you leaving me.
- I'm sorry.
I have to.
- [crying.]
no.
- I--I think-- Can I go now? - Jessalyn? Jessalyn! [shouting.]
jessalyn! - We're gonna wait here a minute.
Someone's coming down for you.
- Please.
- Okay, give them a minute.
- [whispering.]
I'm so sorry.
[sobbing.]
I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry.
- You all right?