Law & Order Special Victims Unit s19e19 Episode Script
Sunk Cost Fallacy
1 In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
[clanging noise.]
It's called tardive dyskinesia.
It's a complication that arises from long-term use of anti-psychotic medications.
How long has she been like this? Well, a few days.
I know it's counterintuitive, but increasing her dosage is sometimes effective.
What if we, um what if we took her off her meds entirely? That's also an option, but, uh, the fact is, your sister is severely psychotic.
The last time we took her off meds for a few days, she attempted suicide.
You're her doctor; Whatever you think is I can't make this decision for you.
Your father gave you power of attorney.
But She doesn't even know who I am.
She's still your sister.
Here.
Take a couple of days.
Read this literature on TD.
Um, sit with her.
But Peter, you need to make this decision sooner, rather than later.
[laughter.]
"Nick! Nick! You have to help me! Please, please help me!" "Mom, what's what's going on? What's wrong?" "I bought a $1,500 computer and it won't turn on!" "Mom, have you tried holding down the power button?" [breathes deeply.]
"What's that?" [laughter.]
In my own defense In your own defense.
What are you, Mommy Matlock? Hey, Nicky, you're out of ice.
Hey, chill, cuz.
Jules will be here soon, okay? My sister if she went to Target, she's lost in the yoga section.
I drove in from Brooklyn.
It would be nice if I could see my grandchild before the end of the party.
Mom, cut Jules some slack, please, okay? [cell phone rings.]
Oh, and there she is now.
Hey, babe, you close? [screams.]
Shut up, bitch! [screaming, phone beeps.]
Jules, who is that? Jules, what Who Jules, who Jules, talk to me! Jules! She said he's gonna kill her.
Jules has Ruby with her.
Our daughter.
She's only four.
A child, out at that time No, Jules picked her up from aftercare on her way home from work.
They were running some errands.
Okay the the the call.
Did you recognize the voice? Yes! It's my w We've been married ten years.
I think I know my wife's voice.
No, no, I'm I'm talking about the male voice.
Right.
Um, sorry.
No, that's that's fine.
Mr.
Hunter, please, take your time.
Wait, hold on.
You think this is someone we know? Well, we have to consider every possibility.
Did Jules mention anyone giving her a hard time? No, and she would've told me.
We're not just sisters.
We're best friends.
Did you talk to her today? I was gonna see her tonight.
[cell phone vibrates.]
Excuse me.
Rollins.
Okay.
Yeah, I got it.
Hey.
Excuse me one second, please.
TARU was able to trace Jules' cell phone to a to Remington Mall.
It's in North Bergen, New Jersey.
[siren wailing.]
- I got it.
- Did you? I got blood on the steering wheel.
Blood on the console.
Pink backpack.
A kid's shoe.
Ruby was definitely with her.
I got fingernail scratches.
Looks like she fought like hell.
Detective? Looks like she had some tire trouble.
That wet spot it's sticky.
My guess is some sort of tire sealant.
She fixed her own flat? - Looks like it's didn't take.
- It could be why she turned into the lot.
We found her phone in that garbage can, right over there.
Along with this.
Wallet, ID, cash, credit cards are gone.
Thank you.
What is it? Did you find them? We found your wife's car.
And what about Jules and Ruby? I'm sorry.
Where are they? [dramatic music.]
Last time I saw her she was in the kitchen.
She was pounding garbanzo beans for Ruby's lunch.
She's a vegan.
The poor girl's allergic to everything.
I was late for work.
I don't even know if I kissed them goodbye.
Okay, did you speak to your wife today? Ah, I don't Uh, I don't I don't remember.
I'm s What is wrong with me right now? This is all a huge shock, so let's just take it one step at a time, all right? Do you know what your wife did today? What is today? Today's Tuesday.
Um She dropped Ruby off at daycare and then she went to work.
She's an editor at the "New York Business Journal.
" I'm sorry.
I already told you that.
So let let's stay focused.
Right? What else do you remember? Was there any any other contact with your wife today? [sighs.]
I sent her a text.
I sent her a text.
Um, I asked if she could stop by the grocery store and picks up some chips and soda and ice for the party.
It was around 4:00.
- Did she respond? - Uh, yeah.
Um "NP.
" That's "no problem.
" Thank you, Mrs.
Hunter.
[tapping on glass.]
Excuse me for one moment.
What's going on? Nick told us that Jules dropped Ruby off at Amsterdam Avenue Day Care, but I tracked down the director, and she said that Ruby was a no-show today.
Her boss at the magazine said she didn't make it there, either.
[sighs.]
And he didn't think to call Nick? She doesn't come in sometimes, so Could be that she has some extracurricular activities.
Okay.
I'm sorry, Mr.
Hunter, but, um, I have to ask.
Were you and your wife having any trouble recently? - Excuse me? - Are you crazy? His whole life is Jules and Ruby! It's just that Jules never made it to work today, and Ruby never made it to daycare.
Oh, God.
So this animal has had them all day? Jesus, you call yourself a detective? Okay, has anything out of the ordinary happened Oh, for God's sake! You're wasting your time.
Obviously, someone has carjacked her.
Mom, look okay, yes, a couple of weeks ago, someone broke into our house.
We filed a police report, but they never found the guy.
- Well, but we know who he was! - Mom! Mom! What? He just wanted to get even with you.
You see, it's the contractor.
A Jorge Whatever.
A Mexican.
Look, we could not prove that he broke in.
He did a half-ass job replacing the wood floors, Nick fired him, and the very next day, their house was broken into.
You do the math.
TARU's been combing through the mall security footage.
So far, nothing.
'Kay, it just shouldn't be that hard.
Tell that to TARU.
The mall manager says they get an average of 30,000 visitors a day.
Okay.
That the contractor? Yeah, Jorge Garcia.
He has two DUls and an assault collar.
Okay.
Doesn't make him a kidnapper.
- Or worse.
- Well, I'm not done.
One of the neighbors, Mrs.
Rhonda Persky, says she saw Jorge and Jules arguing outside their apartment the day before yesterday, and apparently, it got pretty heated.
[sighs.]
Talk to him.
[clanging sound.]
Jorge Garcia? We want to talk to you about Jules Hunter.
Let me guess.
Her son-of-a-bitch husband found out she paid me for the work I did, sent you guys to get his money back? Jules Hunter paid you after she accused you of breaking into her house? No, her husband did that.
She's a sweetheart.
I don't see what she sees in that two-timing SOB.
What are you talking about? Dude was cheating on her.
I saw it with my own eyes.
When? Couple days after he fired me.
Stopped at a red light on 6th Ave, I look over, and I see him and some millennial pop-tart with purple hair going at it in the back of a cab.
- Did he see you? - No.
I thought I'd use it, you know, to get what he owed me, but it turns out I didn't need to.
That'd be a great story, Jorge, if one of the Hunters' neighbors didn't see you and Mrs.
Hunter arguing.
She paid me.
Why would I argue? No, she was pissed because I told her the truth about her sleazebag husband.
I almost dyed my hair purple in college.
[laughs.]
Oh, yeah? What were you gonna do? Audition to be the sixth member of the Spice Girls? I would be an excellent backup vocalist.
Eh.
Yeah.
Okay.
Well, Nick traded over a dozen calls last week with a girl named Paisley Ashford.
She works at the Flower Mart on 18th.
[clanging sound.]
'Course I know him.
He's like my boyfriend.
Well, dumb question: He ever mention his wife and kid? He talks about Jules and Ruby all the time.
So sad, what happened to them.
He told you what happened? Yeah.
The car accident? So tragic, to have your wife and child just gone like that.
Told me all about it on our first date.
- When was that? - Um, two months ago.
Said he couldn't lie to me.
He still loved her.
Don't meet honest guys like that every day.
The poor man actually cried at dinner.
Who wouldn't fall for a sweetheart like that? So Nick's a big-time Charlie at a company called Big World Consultants.
- Was he at work yesterday? - Yes and no.
His boss said he was out, hustling a new client, but he wasn't sure which one.
This could be something.
TARU traced the pings of Hunter's cell phone.
He was at the Blue Hill Country Club at Pearl River the night before Ruby and Jules disappeared.
That's that's 40 minutes north of the Upper West Side.
Well, people do play golf, Amanda.
After midnight? One of my cousins used to live up there.
It was called, uh, Muddy Creek back in the day 'cause of all the swampland.
[scoffs.]
Wait, hold on.
Didn't Jules called Nick on Tuesday night.
Yeah, but that call could've easily been placed from Jules' computer to make it look like it was from her cell.
When we were at his apartment, I only noticed one laptop on Nick's desk.
And Nick was the only one who heard his wife on the other end of that phone, so let's get a team to Pearl River and search the swampland.
Sister's here.
Sorry I didn't come in earlier.
At first, I didn't think Nick had anything to do with my sister's disappearance.
And now you do? I've known Nick since college.
I actually introduced them.
He was that guy.
Most athletic, most popular, most likely to be on the "Forbes" 100 list, but he has a dark side.
Okay.
What do you mean by that? His mom put him on a pedestal.
You know, he could do no wrong.
I swear, I think he got married and had a baby just for her.
It's a lot of pressure, and when it gets to be too much he snaps.
Snaps how? He couldn't get tickets to Springsteen on Broadway.
He smashed the coffee table.
Glass flew everywhere.
He ever hurt Jules? Not that I know of, but, um What, Sherry? Six months ago, we were at dinner, and they got into an argument about something stupid.
Nothing big, like - like any married couple.
- Sure.
But later, Nick joked how his life would be easier if Jules was dead.
I didn't think he was serious.
I I actually laughed.
Bring him in for a chat.
Yeah, I was selling my golf clubs.
In Pearl River? Yeah, I found a buyer off of Craigslist.
I didn't want a stranger coming to my house.
So you meet a complete stranger after midnight at your golf course? Well, that's where my sticks are, so yeah.
What's the buyer's name? Bob something.
I don't know.
I found him on Craigslist.
Yeah, they came back.
It's your wife's blood all over the car, and your fingerprints on the steering wheel.
What does that matter? I own the damn car.
Okay, you should know we have people searching that swampland around the golf course.
Jesus, you people are sick! What's sick is cheating on your wife.
We spoke to Paisley.
Oh, come on.
F Paisley? - Uh-huh.
- That's nothing.
Look, I I would've told you about her, but - But what? - Your lieutenant asked me in front of my mother.
Look, Paisley's nothing.
That is just sex, and you guys can search the damn Everglades if you want to.
You're not gonna find Jules and Ruby there.
- Where are they, Nick? - I don't know! For Christ sakes, she called me, I was on the phone with her, and she got attacked! Do you remember that? Yeah, I do.
But we think that even a guy like you has a friend, and if you don't, you got enough money that you can rent one.
All in all, your life would be a lot easier if your wife and daughter were dead.
After you get over this little speed bump, that is.
Sherry.
That was a joke.
Okay? I was pulling Jules' leg.
Well, you're a good-looking guy.
Make good money.
I'm sure you you've thought about it.
No one nagging you to go shopping, load the dishwasher, keep you from hitting the bars.
I imagine being a bachelor would be a lot easier than being chained to a wife and a kid.
I don't see you wearing a ring.
Why don't you tell me? Why don't you tell me something? Why would you tell Paisley that Jules and Ruby were killed in a car accident? Because I was lying, okay? I wanted to get her into bed.
Women think I'm sensitive.
They like that.
[laughing.]
Oh, God.
Fine, I'm a scumbag.
I get it.
But that doesn't mean I don't love my wife and kid, and it does not make me a murderer! My mom wonders why I'm not married.
He could've just divorced her.
And give up half of what he's got? Look, he's not gonna give an inch until we find those bodies.
And the second he leaves here, he's getting on the first plane.
Which is why we're not letting him walk out of here.
A guy like Hunter? Night in Rikers should make him talk.
Arrest him for murder.
All right, so nothing so far from the swamps in Pearl River.
Yeah, I-I got it.
Thanks.
TARU just sent over the, uh, video from the Remington Mall parking lot.
That's her car.
11:14 a.
m.
Mmhm.
There's our guy.
But no Jules or Ruby.
Jules' cell phone, purse.
There's another angle.
Freeze it.
Here, let's blow that up.
We'll run it through facial recognition.
Okay, hold on, hold on.
Now, the car had a flat tire, right? And we assumed that Jules used the sealant to fix it, but given the shape of that tire, it would've taken what, ten miles, tops? - Mm.
- So what if it was this mystery man who bought it to get himself to the mall so he could dump the car? Okay.
So we check every gas station within ten miles of the mall.
He would've been here two days ago.
He he drove Yeah, Nissan Rogue, with a flat tire.
He bought a can of sealant.
I was trying to sell him a used tire, but he wasn't biting.
Did he have a woman or a little girl with him? No, he was definitely solo.
And tell me he used a credit card.
Who uses cash nowadays? Caleb Pierce, 50, retired Army.
He served at Desert Storm.
After that, he bounced around.
Security guard, bounty hunter No address yet, but he does work security at Murray Hill Trust.
Okay, is there any connection to Nick Hunter? I'm checking his financials, phone records.
So far, nothing.
All right, check personal ads on military websites.
Hold on.
Jules and Ruby may not be dead.
- What? - I just got a credit card receipt for the day after Nick reported his wife missing This guy Pierce went into an all-vegan grocery store, spent over $100 on kid's meals.
And Nick said Ruby was vegan, right? Okay, where is this bank? Uh, he works at the, uh, Corona branch.
Well, we are going to Queens.
I'll check the military ads.
Stay up on those guys at Pearl River.
It's always the guys who look like they got it going on, you know? My, uh My sister Jeanie used to live with this guy Johnny.
He was a He was a dentist, of all things.
Johnny used to make these homemade pies and bring them to Thanksgiving, you know? We would, like, watch the baseball game together.
Like he was a part of the family forever.
- He cheated on her? - With three other women.
Right.
Hey.
Well, I can't say that I'm upset.
Yeah.
Thank you.
That was Rollins.
Nick Hunter got roughed up last night at Rikers.
We reap what we sow.
That's him.
All right, Mr.
Pierce.
Take us to the promised land.
[engine turns over.]
[tense music.]
Hold on.
Who the hell is that? What is this? They don't look like they're being kidnapped.
What should I do, Loo? Loo? Hold on.
Oh, my God, that's Alex Cabot.
I thought you moved to Florida, like the rest of the retired ADAs.
- Florida makes my hair frizzy.
- Yeah, well, who wants a kidnapper with frizzy hair? No one's being kidnapped.
I only help people who want to be helped.
Yeah, like Jules and Ruby Hunter? Ruby is four years old, Alex.
At the very minimum, you're an accomplice to kidnapping.
I'm helping them start an extended vacation.
You faked their deaths.
You planted evidence.
Technically, the cops misread the facts.
Don't play games with me, Alex, please.
They were abused.
I do what I have to do.
Jesus.
Alex, Nick Hunter is sitting at Rikers, charged with murdering his wife and his daughter.
It's not like he doesn't deserve it.
How many husbands are are sitting in prison because you decided to take the law into your own hands? The law cannot protect these women.
Yes, and nobody knows that better than I do! I live there! Look, we've both seen abuse.
We we put abusers in prison.
What about the ones we couldn't? You can't break the law, Alex.
Why the hell not? Because it makes you a criminal, that's why.
Are you gonna arrest me? Before I do anything, I'm gonna speak with Jules Hunter.
I just needed him to believe I was dead.
- I don't want him to go to jail.
- But he hurt you.
Yes, but then he'd apologize.
And swear that he'd never do it again.
Tell her about dinner at the Four Seasons.
Um, it was my birthday.
We had the Chateaubriand for two and a fancy bottle of Margaux.
He was so sweet.
Until While we were waiting for dessert, I went to the ladies' room.
Uh, when I got back to the table, I realized I forgot my purse, so I went back to get it.
Nicholas thought I went back to flirt with the waiter.
We skipped dessert.
When we were outside, he slammed me against the hood of the car.
- She got a concussion.
- Okay, did you go to the hospital? Mommy, I wanna go home.
[softly.]
Mommy's talking.
Go watch TV.
I went to St.
Vincent's.
She told them that she hit her head while she was cleaning her kitchen cabinets.
Once, I brought up divorce but Nick threw a glass at me.
Okay.
Okay.
So why now? I overslept one day last week.
I didn't make Nick breakfast.
He made his own coffee, and he woke me up by pouring it on me.
I told the doctor I spilled a pot of boiling soup.
You did good.
Betty Bluestone.
It was a case I had about five years ago.
Her husband, Mitch, used her face like a leg of lamb in a "Rocky" movie.
I filed charges, and Betty fell apart on the stand.
Case dismissed? So the happy couple goes home, and he blows her brains out on the bathroom tile.
I did my job, and in the end, all I did for Betty was delay the inevitable.
So you decided to take matters into your own hands.
So I started volunteering at a women's shelter, and it grew from there.
How many women have you disappeared? Hundreds.
It's not just me.
You wouldn't believe how deep and far this network goes.
Alex, this is cruel.
These women their their families, their friends think that they've been murdered.
No, no, every case is different.
In Jules' case, death was the only way Nick Hunter was ever gonna let her leave.
What happens now? Jules and Ruby stay in the safe house until we can find suitable relocation.
New names, new IDs So it's like they're dead? They are, figuratively.
Only her husband is on trial for literally killing them.
Alex, I can't let that happen.
If you can hold Nick until we are able to move them If you're uncomfortable holding him for murder, reduce the charges.
By the time he files a motion to dismiss, Jules and Ruby will have disappeared.
You're not breaking the law, Olivia.
You're using it to save Jules' life.
I reduced the charges against Nick Hunter to assault.
He made bail and limped out of the courtroom.
I heard about the fun times at Rikers.
Apparently, you didn't hear about this.
He's suing me? You, me, the department, the DA's office, and the city, for $50 million.
He's claiming false arrest, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and to top it off, we all joined hands to violate his civil rights.
Is this legit? Unfortunately, it is.
He made a motion for accelerated discovery.
The bad news: It was granted.
The terrible news, Liv: You're first up to be deposed.
[clanging sound.]
Because in most abductions, if if there's no ransom note within the first 24 hours, then we suspect the worst.
Please describe the physical evidence that convinced you to arrest Mr.
Hunter for the murder of his wife and child.
There was blood in Mrs.
Hunter's abandoned car.
So you said.
Any evidence how it got there? We assumed that there was a struggle.
- But you don't know for sure? - No.
That's because the bodies of Mrs.
Hunter and her daughter were never found.
That is correct.
So I can assume that you eventually realized that the arrest for murder was a mistake.
You can't assume anything, counselor, even if this is just a deposition.
All right, fine.
So we sit here today, lieutenant.
Do you believe that arresting Mr.
Hunter on double murder was a mistake? I know that Mr.
Hunter abused his wife.
That is slander! That is completely false Shut up, Nick.
Shut up.
How do you know that, lieutenant? Because I've worked at SVU for 19 years.
That's not good enough.
Now let me ask you this.
Do you now know for a fact that arresting Mr.
Hunter for murder was a mistake? [sighs.]
Yes.
Well, there's only one reason why you would reduce the charges, as opposed to dropping them altogether.
She told you she was abused, didn't she? They're alive, aren't they? Mrs.
Hunter and Ruby they're still alive.
Objection.
Have you spoken to Mrs.
Hunter, lieutenant? - You could have lied, Liv! - No, I couldn't have.
- I was under oath.
- And what? You thought God would smite you? It is a fiction, Olivia.
This entire "tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth" is a load of crap that we tell people so that they think the criminal justice system gives a damn about them.
Who did what, who did what to whom What happened to you? I opened my eyes.
I opened them wide, and I saw that for 12 years, I was a cog in a holier-than-thou wheel, and the wheel just keeps spinning and tossing off bodies as it goes.
Some remain standing, some fall.
Nobody cares.
Nobody gives a damn, as long as the wheel keeps turning.
And we keep going.
It's what we do.
- What is the point? - It's all we have, and if we don't, then we're just like they are.
When you throw a wife-beater on that wheel, you pray for a little bit of justice, but more often than not, he walks.
They're a little wobbly, but they go away free.
I prefer to avoid the wheel altogether.
That way, I ensure it is the victim who walks away.
I know you, Olivia.
I know you want to do the right thing.
Sometimes, doing the right thing means not pawning a woman's future off on 12 indifferent citizens and a gray hair in a robe.
- Is something wrong? - No, everything's fine, Jules.
Pack your bags.
We're going.
You know that I cannot let that happen.
Jules? Jules, Nick knows that you're here.
Okay, he's he's probably on his way right now.
If Nick knows that she's here, we can't not just Jules is leaving.
- We all need to leave.
- If you leave, you're gonna lose Ruby.
Nick will never find you.
He will have the FBI looking for you.
Private investigators.
Me, Jules.
I've already found you once.
- I don't know.
Nick will never - So you're gonna fight him in court.
You're gonna serve him with divorce papers asking for sole custody of Ruby.
Your defense attorney is gonna write you one hell of a complaint, and when you win, you will be free to go anywhere you want, Jules, and I'm gonna help you.
He poured coffee on me and told me I was a lazy slob.
Did you call the police? No.
I started to, but I was scared.
Did Nick ever hit Ruby? No, but once, she was watching "Frozen.
" It was too loud for Nick.
He asked her to shut it off, but she made it louder.
She was just playing.
She's only four.
What did Nick do? He grabbed the remote and threw it.
It just missed Ruby's head.
I took Ruby to the bathroom and locked the door, and he started pounding on the door, demanding we come out.
I waited until he calmed down.
I don't know what he would've done.
Who has custody of your daughter now? Child Welfare has placed her in a foster home, pending resolution of this matter.
Thank you.
Mrs.
Hunter, I counted 12 separate allegations of domestic violence, which is horrible, if it's true.
After this alleged incidence of domestic violence, did you go to the ER? - Yes.
- And you're aware that the law requires a medical professional to alert the police if there's any evidence of domestic violence? I never told them what happened.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
You lied to them? Objection! I'm sure you're aware of the latest trend in divorce proceedings, especially if the custody of a minor is an issue, is to claim domestic violence, but what am I saying? Of course you're aware.
- That's why we're here.
- That's enough, counselor.
I'm just saying.
The truth is, you never told anybody about this alleged abuse until you decided you would prefer to raise Ruby on your own.
Isn't that true? Not a pretty sight.
Yeah, well, family court never is.
Look, bring the SUV around the back, and I'll bring Jules down when she's done with Alex.
You want me to wait with her at the hotel? No, no, no.
I, uh just get her settled in.
I got a couple of unis assigned to sit outside her door.
- It shouldn't be long.
- All right.
[clanging sound.]
It's not as bad as you think.
I know Judge Martinez from the Women's Legal Momentum Fund.
She's smart, she's fair.
I guarantee you, she's not gonna fall for Biegel's nonsense.
And more importantly, tomorrow, I'm going to put Dr.
Young, who is the best family therapist in the city, by the way, on the stand.
She is going to testify how abused women suffer in silence, how their egos, their self-esteem, their general sense of worth, is completely eroded over time.
You like being back in court, don't you? Dr.
Young will also testify that after talking to Ruby [cell phone vibrates.]
Jules should receive full custody.
Sorry.
Hey.
What? What is it? Where? I'm on my way.
Sounds like bad news.
Yeah.
I've, uh I've had better.
I - Go, go, I got this.
- Okay.
But it's on you when we win.
- Carisi.
- [gasping.]
I couldn't I couldn't stop the car.
I tried Okay, calm down.
Take it easy.
- He just blew through the stop sign.
- Who did? He's in the wind.
Hey.
Did you see him? He, um, had a b a baseball cap.
And I I tr I tried to, uh I I couldn't.
I couldn't st I c I couldn't stop the bleeding.
- I know.
- I know.
I called in the plates.
Vehicle was stolen two days ago from Short Hills.
Oh, dear God.
He's responsible.
Nick Hunter? Can you think of a better way to get sole custody of your daughter? We never should've brought her back! For God's sake, Alex, I followed the law.
And it got her killed! You cannot be serious.
That man belonged in prison.
This is America, Alex.
You can't lock someone up without proof.
You saw her burns, Olivia! - He brutalized her! - Right! And he made bail on the assault charges.
That is his right.
But maybe with your new mission, you're too busy to keep up with the Eighth Amendment.
I can't believe you're even starting - Not now - I didn't want to interrupt, but the AIS report came back.
There's no skid marks whatsoever.
They estimate that the other SUV was moving faster than 55 miles per hour.
Your gut may have been right.
Might have been a hit.
So I want to know everything that Nick Hunter has done since Jules came back to the city.
Credit cards, phone calls his conversations on the street.
Put this prick away, Liv.
No, it was my decision to charge Mr.
Hunter with murder.
Were you aware of any physical evidence indicating that my client would murder his wife and child? - No.
- Then what were the determining factors that led you to your decision? Mr.
Hunter's attitude.
Please be more specific.
Kind of the way he is now.
A man who gave a damn about his wife would've postponed this deposition until after her body was in the ground.
You know, I'm sorry for your loss.
You know what? Screw you.
I got beat up in prison because you don't know what you're doing.
Apparently, you did.
What are you implying here, huh? Take it easy, Nick.
You wanted your wife dead.
Now she is.
- You - Take a deep breath.
You know what? The hell with this.
I am entitled to that money, and I deserve it, the sooner the better.
Every damn penny.
[indistinct chatter.]
Hey.
How's Carisi? He's a little wobbly a lot guilty, but he'll survive 'em both.
Any luck connecting Nick Hunter to the accident? At the time of the collision, uh, Nick Hunter was at a café on the Upper West Side with a co-worker.
His next mistress.
Yeah.
It's all on the restaurant video, so we're checking phone records emails, financials, but I'm not hopeful.
This guy might actually get away with it.
And receive a lovely parting gift of $50 million.
[sighs.]
Well, the good news, the civil courts aren't what you'd call quick, and the city's attorneys know how to delay.
Still sucks.
I know.
Every second that this guy's not in prison Yeah, well, tomorrow, you and I will get up, brush our teeth, comb our hair, and go after another bad guy.
Makes you want to oversleep.
Look, I don't know if it means anything, but I didn't envy your decision about bringing Jules Hunter back.
Well, I I did what I needed to do.
It's easier if you take yourself out of the equation.
You know? Your sense of justice, morality, superego whatever you want to call it.
You made the right decision.
And what if I decided to stop the meds? Well, then, that would've been the right decision.
Sometimes, the only wrong decision is to do nothing.
You mind if I I just sit with her for a while? No, please, help yourself.
Thanks for agreeing to meet me out here.
I have to pick up another woman.
I don't want to know.
Judge Martinez granted Nick custody of Ruby.
You're kidding.
He's still her father.
And the wheel goes round.
That's what I've been saying.
Sherry, Jules' sister, is fighting for custody of Ruby.
Does she have a chance? Do you want to know the truth? You know, today, on the I was on the subway platform, and I saw these two cockroaches, and they were pulling at different ends of a crust of bread.
And then the bread tore, and it fell onto the tracks, and and neither bug got their dinner.
Are you proposing we work together? I could never do what you do, Alex.
And I can't stop.
Take care.
Okay.
In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
[clanging noise.]
It's called tardive dyskinesia.
It's a complication that arises from long-term use of anti-psychotic medications.
How long has she been like this? Well, a few days.
I know it's counterintuitive, but increasing her dosage is sometimes effective.
What if we, um what if we took her off her meds entirely? That's also an option, but, uh, the fact is, your sister is severely psychotic.
The last time we took her off meds for a few days, she attempted suicide.
You're her doctor; Whatever you think is I can't make this decision for you.
Your father gave you power of attorney.
But She doesn't even know who I am.
She's still your sister.
Here.
Take a couple of days.
Read this literature on TD.
Um, sit with her.
But Peter, you need to make this decision sooner, rather than later.
[laughter.]
"Nick! Nick! You have to help me! Please, please help me!" "Mom, what's what's going on? What's wrong?" "I bought a $1,500 computer and it won't turn on!" "Mom, have you tried holding down the power button?" [breathes deeply.]
"What's that?" [laughter.]
In my own defense In your own defense.
What are you, Mommy Matlock? Hey, Nicky, you're out of ice.
Hey, chill, cuz.
Jules will be here soon, okay? My sister if she went to Target, she's lost in the yoga section.
I drove in from Brooklyn.
It would be nice if I could see my grandchild before the end of the party.
Mom, cut Jules some slack, please, okay? [cell phone rings.]
Oh, and there she is now.
Hey, babe, you close? [screams.]
Shut up, bitch! [screaming, phone beeps.]
Jules, who is that? Jules, what Who Jules, who Jules, talk to me! Jules! She said he's gonna kill her.
Jules has Ruby with her.
Our daughter.
She's only four.
A child, out at that time No, Jules picked her up from aftercare on her way home from work.
They were running some errands.
Okay the the the call.
Did you recognize the voice? Yes! It's my w We've been married ten years.
I think I know my wife's voice.
No, no, I'm I'm talking about the male voice.
Right.
Um, sorry.
No, that's that's fine.
Mr.
Hunter, please, take your time.
Wait, hold on.
You think this is someone we know? Well, we have to consider every possibility.
Did Jules mention anyone giving her a hard time? No, and she would've told me.
We're not just sisters.
We're best friends.
Did you talk to her today? I was gonna see her tonight.
[cell phone vibrates.]
Excuse me.
Rollins.
Okay.
Yeah, I got it.
Hey.
Excuse me one second, please.
TARU was able to trace Jules' cell phone to a to Remington Mall.
It's in North Bergen, New Jersey.
[siren wailing.]
- I got it.
- Did you? I got blood on the steering wheel.
Blood on the console.
Pink backpack.
A kid's shoe.
Ruby was definitely with her.
I got fingernail scratches.
Looks like she fought like hell.
Detective? Looks like she had some tire trouble.
That wet spot it's sticky.
My guess is some sort of tire sealant.
She fixed her own flat? - Looks like it's didn't take.
- It could be why she turned into the lot.
We found her phone in that garbage can, right over there.
Along with this.
Wallet, ID, cash, credit cards are gone.
Thank you.
What is it? Did you find them? We found your wife's car.
And what about Jules and Ruby? I'm sorry.
Where are they? [dramatic music.]
Last time I saw her she was in the kitchen.
She was pounding garbanzo beans for Ruby's lunch.
She's a vegan.
The poor girl's allergic to everything.
I was late for work.
I don't even know if I kissed them goodbye.
Okay, did you speak to your wife today? Ah, I don't Uh, I don't I don't remember.
I'm s What is wrong with me right now? This is all a huge shock, so let's just take it one step at a time, all right? Do you know what your wife did today? What is today? Today's Tuesday.
Um She dropped Ruby off at daycare and then she went to work.
She's an editor at the "New York Business Journal.
" I'm sorry.
I already told you that.
So let let's stay focused.
Right? What else do you remember? Was there any any other contact with your wife today? [sighs.]
I sent her a text.
I sent her a text.
Um, I asked if she could stop by the grocery store and picks up some chips and soda and ice for the party.
It was around 4:00.
- Did she respond? - Uh, yeah.
Um "NP.
" That's "no problem.
" Thank you, Mrs.
Hunter.
[tapping on glass.]
Excuse me for one moment.
What's going on? Nick told us that Jules dropped Ruby off at Amsterdam Avenue Day Care, but I tracked down the director, and she said that Ruby was a no-show today.
Her boss at the magazine said she didn't make it there, either.
[sighs.]
And he didn't think to call Nick? She doesn't come in sometimes, so Could be that she has some extracurricular activities.
Okay.
I'm sorry, Mr.
Hunter, but, um, I have to ask.
Were you and your wife having any trouble recently? - Excuse me? - Are you crazy? His whole life is Jules and Ruby! It's just that Jules never made it to work today, and Ruby never made it to daycare.
Oh, God.
So this animal has had them all day? Jesus, you call yourself a detective? Okay, has anything out of the ordinary happened Oh, for God's sake! You're wasting your time.
Obviously, someone has carjacked her.
Mom, look okay, yes, a couple of weeks ago, someone broke into our house.
We filed a police report, but they never found the guy.
- Well, but we know who he was! - Mom! Mom! What? He just wanted to get even with you.
You see, it's the contractor.
A Jorge Whatever.
A Mexican.
Look, we could not prove that he broke in.
He did a half-ass job replacing the wood floors, Nick fired him, and the very next day, their house was broken into.
You do the math.
TARU's been combing through the mall security footage.
So far, nothing.
'Kay, it just shouldn't be that hard.
Tell that to TARU.
The mall manager says they get an average of 30,000 visitors a day.
Okay.
That the contractor? Yeah, Jorge Garcia.
He has two DUls and an assault collar.
Okay.
Doesn't make him a kidnapper.
- Or worse.
- Well, I'm not done.
One of the neighbors, Mrs.
Rhonda Persky, says she saw Jorge and Jules arguing outside their apartment the day before yesterday, and apparently, it got pretty heated.
[sighs.]
Talk to him.
[clanging sound.]
Jorge Garcia? We want to talk to you about Jules Hunter.
Let me guess.
Her son-of-a-bitch husband found out she paid me for the work I did, sent you guys to get his money back? Jules Hunter paid you after she accused you of breaking into her house? No, her husband did that.
She's a sweetheart.
I don't see what she sees in that two-timing SOB.
What are you talking about? Dude was cheating on her.
I saw it with my own eyes.
When? Couple days after he fired me.
Stopped at a red light on 6th Ave, I look over, and I see him and some millennial pop-tart with purple hair going at it in the back of a cab.
- Did he see you? - No.
I thought I'd use it, you know, to get what he owed me, but it turns out I didn't need to.
That'd be a great story, Jorge, if one of the Hunters' neighbors didn't see you and Mrs.
Hunter arguing.
She paid me.
Why would I argue? No, she was pissed because I told her the truth about her sleazebag husband.
I almost dyed my hair purple in college.
[laughs.]
Oh, yeah? What were you gonna do? Audition to be the sixth member of the Spice Girls? I would be an excellent backup vocalist.
Eh.
Yeah.
Okay.
Well, Nick traded over a dozen calls last week with a girl named Paisley Ashford.
She works at the Flower Mart on 18th.
[clanging sound.]
'Course I know him.
He's like my boyfriend.
Well, dumb question: He ever mention his wife and kid? He talks about Jules and Ruby all the time.
So sad, what happened to them.
He told you what happened? Yeah.
The car accident? So tragic, to have your wife and child just gone like that.
Told me all about it on our first date.
- When was that? - Um, two months ago.
Said he couldn't lie to me.
He still loved her.
Don't meet honest guys like that every day.
The poor man actually cried at dinner.
Who wouldn't fall for a sweetheart like that? So Nick's a big-time Charlie at a company called Big World Consultants.
- Was he at work yesterday? - Yes and no.
His boss said he was out, hustling a new client, but he wasn't sure which one.
This could be something.
TARU traced the pings of Hunter's cell phone.
He was at the Blue Hill Country Club at Pearl River the night before Ruby and Jules disappeared.
That's that's 40 minutes north of the Upper West Side.
Well, people do play golf, Amanda.
After midnight? One of my cousins used to live up there.
It was called, uh, Muddy Creek back in the day 'cause of all the swampland.
[scoffs.]
Wait, hold on.
Didn't Jules called Nick on Tuesday night.
Yeah, but that call could've easily been placed from Jules' computer to make it look like it was from her cell.
When we were at his apartment, I only noticed one laptop on Nick's desk.
And Nick was the only one who heard his wife on the other end of that phone, so let's get a team to Pearl River and search the swampland.
Sister's here.
Sorry I didn't come in earlier.
At first, I didn't think Nick had anything to do with my sister's disappearance.
And now you do? I've known Nick since college.
I actually introduced them.
He was that guy.
Most athletic, most popular, most likely to be on the "Forbes" 100 list, but he has a dark side.
Okay.
What do you mean by that? His mom put him on a pedestal.
You know, he could do no wrong.
I swear, I think he got married and had a baby just for her.
It's a lot of pressure, and when it gets to be too much he snaps.
Snaps how? He couldn't get tickets to Springsteen on Broadway.
He smashed the coffee table.
Glass flew everywhere.
He ever hurt Jules? Not that I know of, but, um What, Sherry? Six months ago, we were at dinner, and they got into an argument about something stupid.
Nothing big, like - like any married couple.
- Sure.
But later, Nick joked how his life would be easier if Jules was dead.
I didn't think he was serious.
I I actually laughed.
Bring him in for a chat.
Yeah, I was selling my golf clubs.
In Pearl River? Yeah, I found a buyer off of Craigslist.
I didn't want a stranger coming to my house.
So you meet a complete stranger after midnight at your golf course? Well, that's where my sticks are, so yeah.
What's the buyer's name? Bob something.
I don't know.
I found him on Craigslist.
Yeah, they came back.
It's your wife's blood all over the car, and your fingerprints on the steering wheel.
What does that matter? I own the damn car.
Okay, you should know we have people searching that swampland around the golf course.
Jesus, you people are sick! What's sick is cheating on your wife.
We spoke to Paisley.
Oh, come on.
F Paisley? - Uh-huh.
- That's nothing.
Look, I I would've told you about her, but - But what? - Your lieutenant asked me in front of my mother.
Look, Paisley's nothing.
That is just sex, and you guys can search the damn Everglades if you want to.
You're not gonna find Jules and Ruby there.
- Where are they, Nick? - I don't know! For Christ sakes, she called me, I was on the phone with her, and she got attacked! Do you remember that? Yeah, I do.
But we think that even a guy like you has a friend, and if you don't, you got enough money that you can rent one.
All in all, your life would be a lot easier if your wife and daughter were dead.
After you get over this little speed bump, that is.
Sherry.
That was a joke.
Okay? I was pulling Jules' leg.
Well, you're a good-looking guy.
Make good money.
I'm sure you you've thought about it.
No one nagging you to go shopping, load the dishwasher, keep you from hitting the bars.
I imagine being a bachelor would be a lot easier than being chained to a wife and a kid.
I don't see you wearing a ring.
Why don't you tell me? Why don't you tell me something? Why would you tell Paisley that Jules and Ruby were killed in a car accident? Because I was lying, okay? I wanted to get her into bed.
Women think I'm sensitive.
They like that.
[laughing.]
Oh, God.
Fine, I'm a scumbag.
I get it.
But that doesn't mean I don't love my wife and kid, and it does not make me a murderer! My mom wonders why I'm not married.
He could've just divorced her.
And give up half of what he's got? Look, he's not gonna give an inch until we find those bodies.
And the second he leaves here, he's getting on the first plane.
Which is why we're not letting him walk out of here.
A guy like Hunter? Night in Rikers should make him talk.
Arrest him for murder.
All right, so nothing so far from the swamps in Pearl River.
Yeah, I-I got it.
Thanks.
TARU just sent over the, uh, video from the Remington Mall parking lot.
That's her car.
11:14 a.
m.
Mmhm.
There's our guy.
But no Jules or Ruby.
Jules' cell phone, purse.
There's another angle.
Freeze it.
Here, let's blow that up.
We'll run it through facial recognition.
Okay, hold on, hold on.
Now, the car had a flat tire, right? And we assumed that Jules used the sealant to fix it, but given the shape of that tire, it would've taken what, ten miles, tops? - Mm.
- So what if it was this mystery man who bought it to get himself to the mall so he could dump the car? Okay.
So we check every gas station within ten miles of the mall.
He would've been here two days ago.
He he drove Yeah, Nissan Rogue, with a flat tire.
He bought a can of sealant.
I was trying to sell him a used tire, but he wasn't biting.
Did he have a woman or a little girl with him? No, he was definitely solo.
And tell me he used a credit card.
Who uses cash nowadays? Caleb Pierce, 50, retired Army.
He served at Desert Storm.
After that, he bounced around.
Security guard, bounty hunter No address yet, but he does work security at Murray Hill Trust.
Okay, is there any connection to Nick Hunter? I'm checking his financials, phone records.
So far, nothing.
All right, check personal ads on military websites.
Hold on.
Jules and Ruby may not be dead.
- What? - I just got a credit card receipt for the day after Nick reported his wife missing This guy Pierce went into an all-vegan grocery store, spent over $100 on kid's meals.
And Nick said Ruby was vegan, right? Okay, where is this bank? Uh, he works at the, uh, Corona branch.
Well, we are going to Queens.
I'll check the military ads.
Stay up on those guys at Pearl River.
It's always the guys who look like they got it going on, you know? My, uh My sister Jeanie used to live with this guy Johnny.
He was a He was a dentist, of all things.
Johnny used to make these homemade pies and bring them to Thanksgiving, you know? We would, like, watch the baseball game together.
Like he was a part of the family forever.
- He cheated on her? - With three other women.
Right.
Hey.
Well, I can't say that I'm upset.
Yeah.
Thank you.
That was Rollins.
Nick Hunter got roughed up last night at Rikers.
We reap what we sow.
That's him.
All right, Mr.
Pierce.
Take us to the promised land.
[engine turns over.]
[tense music.]
Hold on.
Who the hell is that? What is this? They don't look like they're being kidnapped.
What should I do, Loo? Loo? Hold on.
Oh, my God, that's Alex Cabot.
I thought you moved to Florida, like the rest of the retired ADAs.
- Florida makes my hair frizzy.
- Yeah, well, who wants a kidnapper with frizzy hair? No one's being kidnapped.
I only help people who want to be helped.
Yeah, like Jules and Ruby Hunter? Ruby is four years old, Alex.
At the very minimum, you're an accomplice to kidnapping.
I'm helping them start an extended vacation.
You faked their deaths.
You planted evidence.
Technically, the cops misread the facts.
Don't play games with me, Alex, please.
They were abused.
I do what I have to do.
Jesus.
Alex, Nick Hunter is sitting at Rikers, charged with murdering his wife and his daughter.
It's not like he doesn't deserve it.
How many husbands are are sitting in prison because you decided to take the law into your own hands? The law cannot protect these women.
Yes, and nobody knows that better than I do! I live there! Look, we've both seen abuse.
We we put abusers in prison.
What about the ones we couldn't? You can't break the law, Alex.
Why the hell not? Because it makes you a criminal, that's why.
Are you gonna arrest me? Before I do anything, I'm gonna speak with Jules Hunter.
I just needed him to believe I was dead.
- I don't want him to go to jail.
- But he hurt you.
Yes, but then he'd apologize.
And swear that he'd never do it again.
Tell her about dinner at the Four Seasons.
Um, it was my birthday.
We had the Chateaubriand for two and a fancy bottle of Margaux.
He was so sweet.
Until While we were waiting for dessert, I went to the ladies' room.
Uh, when I got back to the table, I realized I forgot my purse, so I went back to get it.
Nicholas thought I went back to flirt with the waiter.
We skipped dessert.
When we were outside, he slammed me against the hood of the car.
- She got a concussion.
- Okay, did you go to the hospital? Mommy, I wanna go home.
[softly.]
Mommy's talking.
Go watch TV.
I went to St.
Vincent's.
She told them that she hit her head while she was cleaning her kitchen cabinets.
Once, I brought up divorce but Nick threw a glass at me.
Okay.
Okay.
So why now? I overslept one day last week.
I didn't make Nick breakfast.
He made his own coffee, and he woke me up by pouring it on me.
I told the doctor I spilled a pot of boiling soup.
You did good.
Betty Bluestone.
It was a case I had about five years ago.
Her husband, Mitch, used her face like a leg of lamb in a "Rocky" movie.
I filed charges, and Betty fell apart on the stand.
Case dismissed? So the happy couple goes home, and he blows her brains out on the bathroom tile.
I did my job, and in the end, all I did for Betty was delay the inevitable.
So you decided to take matters into your own hands.
So I started volunteering at a women's shelter, and it grew from there.
How many women have you disappeared? Hundreds.
It's not just me.
You wouldn't believe how deep and far this network goes.
Alex, this is cruel.
These women their their families, their friends think that they've been murdered.
No, no, every case is different.
In Jules' case, death was the only way Nick Hunter was ever gonna let her leave.
What happens now? Jules and Ruby stay in the safe house until we can find suitable relocation.
New names, new IDs So it's like they're dead? They are, figuratively.
Only her husband is on trial for literally killing them.
Alex, I can't let that happen.
If you can hold Nick until we are able to move them If you're uncomfortable holding him for murder, reduce the charges.
By the time he files a motion to dismiss, Jules and Ruby will have disappeared.
You're not breaking the law, Olivia.
You're using it to save Jules' life.
I reduced the charges against Nick Hunter to assault.
He made bail and limped out of the courtroom.
I heard about the fun times at Rikers.
Apparently, you didn't hear about this.
He's suing me? You, me, the department, the DA's office, and the city, for $50 million.
He's claiming false arrest, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and to top it off, we all joined hands to violate his civil rights.
Is this legit? Unfortunately, it is.
He made a motion for accelerated discovery.
The bad news: It was granted.
The terrible news, Liv: You're first up to be deposed.
[clanging sound.]
Because in most abductions, if if there's no ransom note within the first 24 hours, then we suspect the worst.
Please describe the physical evidence that convinced you to arrest Mr.
Hunter for the murder of his wife and child.
There was blood in Mrs.
Hunter's abandoned car.
So you said.
Any evidence how it got there? We assumed that there was a struggle.
- But you don't know for sure? - No.
That's because the bodies of Mrs.
Hunter and her daughter were never found.
That is correct.
So I can assume that you eventually realized that the arrest for murder was a mistake.
You can't assume anything, counselor, even if this is just a deposition.
All right, fine.
So we sit here today, lieutenant.
Do you believe that arresting Mr.
Hunter on double murder was a mistake? I know that Mr.
Hunter abused his wife.
That is slander! That is completely false Shut up, Nick.
Shut up.
How do you know that, lieutenant? Because I've worked at SVU for 19 years.
That's not good enough.
Now let me ask you this.
Do you now know for a fact that arresting Mr.
Hunter for murder was a mistake? [sighs.]
Yes.
Well, there's only one reason why you would reduce the charges, as opposed to dropping them altogether.
She told you she was abused, didn't she? They're alive, aren't they? Mrs.
Hunter and Ruby they're still alive.
Objection.
Have you spoken to Mrs.
Hunter, lieutenant? - You could have lied, Liv! - No, I couldn't have.
- I was under oath.
- And what? You thought God would smite you? It is a fiction, Olivia.
This entire "tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth" is a load of crap that we tell people so that they think the criminal justice system gives a damn about them.
Who did what, who did what to whom What happened to you? I opened my eyes.
I opened them wide, and I saw that for 12 years, I was a cog in a holier-than-thou wheel, and the wheel just keeps spinning and tossing off bodies as it goes.
Some remain standing, some fall.
Nobody cares.
Nobody gives a damn, as long as the wheel keeps turning.
And we keep going.
It's what we do.
- What is the point? - It's all we have, and if we don't, then we're just like they are.
When you throw a wife-beater on that wheel, you pray for a little bit of justice, but more often than not, he walks.
They're a little wobbly, but they go away free.
I prefer to avoid the wheel altogether.
That way, I ensure it is the victim who walks away.
I know you, Olivia.
I know you want to do the right thing.
Sometimes, doing the right thing means not pawning a woman's future off on 12 indifferent citizens and a gray hair in a robe.
- Is something wrong? - No, everything's fine, Jules.
Pack your bags.
We're going.
You know that I cannot let that happen.
Jules? Jules, Nick knows that you're here.
Okay, he's he's probably on his way right now.
If Nick knows that she's here, we can't not just Jules is leaving.
- We all need to leave.
- If you leave, you're gonna lose Ruby.
Nick will never find you.
He will have the FBI looking for you.
Private investigators.
Me, Jules.
I've already found you once.
- I don't know.
Nick will never - So you're gonna fight him in court.
You're gonna serve him with divorce papers asking for sole custody of Ruby.
Your defense attorney is gonna write you one hell of a complaint, and when you win, you will be free to go anywhere you want, Jules, and I'm gonna help you.
He poured coffee on me and told me I was a lazy slob.
Did you call the police? No.
I started to, but I was scared.
Did Nick ever hit Ruby? No, but once, she was watching "Frozen.
" It was too loud for Nick.
He asked her to shut it off, but she made it louder.
She was just playing.
She's only four.
What did Nick do? He grabbed the remote and threw it.
It just missed Ruby's head.
I took Ruby to the bathroom and locked the door, and he started pounding on the door, demanding we come out.
I waited until he calmed down.
I don't know what he would've done.
Who has custody of your daughter now? Child Welfare has placed her in a foster home, pending resolution of this matter.
Thank you.
Mrs.
Hunter, I counted 12 separate allegations of domestic violence, which is horrible, if it's true.
After this alleged incidence of domestic violence, did you go to the ER? - Yes.
- And you're aware that the law requires a medical professional to alert the police if there's any evidence of domestic violence? I never told them what happened.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
You lied to them? Objection! I'm sure you're aware of the latest trend in divorce proceedings, especially if the custody of a minor is an issue, is to claim domestic violence, but what am I saying? Of course you're aware.
- That's why we're here.
- That's enough, counselor.
I'm just saying.
The truth is, you never told anybody about this alleged abuse until you decided you would prefer to raise Ruby on your own.
Isn't that true? Not a pretty sight.
Yeah, well, family court never is.
Look, bring the SUV around the back, and I'll bring Jules down when she's done with Alex.
You want me to wait with her at the hotel? No, no, no.
I, uh just get her settled in.
I got a couple of unis assigned to sit outside her door.
- It shouldn't be long.
- All right.
[clanging sound.]
It's not as bad as you think.
I know Judge Martinez from the Women's Legal Momentum Fund.
She's smart, she's fair.
I guarantee you, she's not gonna fall for Biegel's nonsense.
And more importantly, tomorrow, I'm going to put Dr.
Young, who is the best family therapist in the city, by the way, on the stand.
She is going to testify how abused women suffer in silence, how their egos, their self-esteem, their general sense of worth, is completely eroded over time.
You like being back in court, don't you? Dr.
Young will also testify that after talking to Ruby [cell phone vibrates.]
Jules should receive full custody.
Sorry.
Hey.
What? What is it? Where? I'm on my way.
Sounds like bad news.
Yeah.
I've, uh I've had better.
I - Go, go, I got this.
- Okay.
But it's on you when we win.
- Carisi.
- [gasping.]
I couldn't I couldn't stop the car.
I tried Okay, calm down.
Take it easy.
- He just blew through the stop sign.
- Who did? He's in the wind.
Hey.
Did you see him? He, um, had a b a baseball cap.
And I I tr I tried to, uh I I couldn't.
I couldn't st I c I couldn't stop the bleeding.
- I know.
- I know.
I called in the plates.
Vehicle was stolen two days ago from Short Hills.
Oh, dear God.
He's responsible.
Nick Hunter? Can you think of a better way to get sole custody of your daughter? We never should've brought her back! For God's sake, Alex, I followed the law.
And it got her killed! You cannot be serious.
That man belonged in prison.
This is America, Alex.
You can't lock someone up without proof.
You saw her burns, Olivia! - He brutalized her! - Right! And he made bail on the assault charges.
That is his right.
But maybe with your new mission, you're too busy to keep up with the Eighth Amendment.
I can't believe you're even starting - Not now - I didn't want to interrupt, but the AIS report came back.
There's no skid marks whatsoever.
They estimate that the other SUV was moving faster than 55 miles per hour.
Your gut may have been right.
Might have been a hit.
So I want to know everything that Nick Hunter has done since Jules came back to the city.
Credit cards, phone calls his conversations on the street.
Put this prick away, Liv.
No, it was my decision to charge Mr.
Hunter with murder.
Were you aware of any physical evidence indicating that my client would murder his wife and child? - No.
- Then what were the determining factors that led you to your decision? Mr.
Hunter's attitude.
Please be more specific.
Kind of the way he is now.
A man who gave a damn about his wife would've postponed this deposition until after her body was in the ground.
You know, I'm sorry for your loss.
You know what? Screw you.
I got beat up in prison because you don't know what you're doing.
Apparently, you did.
What are you implying here, huh? Take it easy, Nick.
You wanted your wife dead.
Now she is.
- You - Take a deep breath.
You know what? The hell with this.
I am entitled to that money, and I deserve it, the sooner the better.
Every damn penny.
[indistinct chatter.]
Hey.
How's Carisi? He's a little wobbly a lot guilty, but he'll survive 'em both.
Any luck connecting Nick Hunter to the accident? At the time of the collision, uh, Nick Hunter was at a café on the Upper West Side with a co-worker.
His next mistress.
Yeah.
It's all on the restaurant video, so we're checking phone records emails, financials, but I'm not hopeful.
This guy might actually get away with it.
And receive a lovely parting gift of $50 million.
[sighs.]
Well, the good news, the civil courts aren't what you'd call quick, and the city's attorneys know how to delay.
Still sucks.
I know.
Every second that this guy's not in prison Yeah, well, tomorrow, you and I will get up, brush our teeth, comb our hair, and go after another bad guy.
Makes you want to oversleep.
Look, I don't know if it means anything, but I didn't envy your decision about bringing Jules Hunter back.
Well, I I did what I needed to do.
It's easier if you take yourself out of the equation.
You know? Your sense of justice, morality, superego whatever you want to call it.
You made the right decision.
And what if I decided to stop the meds? Well, then, that would've been the right decision.
Sometimes, the only wrong decision is to do nothing.
You mind if I I just sit with her for a while? No, please, help yourself.
Thanks for agreeing to meet me out here.
I have to pick up another woman.
I don't want to know.
Judge Martinez granted Nick custody of Ruby.
You're kidding.
He's still her father.
And the wheel goes round.
That's what I've been saying.
Sherry, Jules' sister, is fighting for custody of Ruby.
Does she have a chance? Do you want to know the truth? You know, today, on the I was on the subway platform, and I saw these two cockroaches, and they were pulling at different ends of a crust of bread.
And then the bread tore, and it fell onto the tracks, and and neither bug got their dinner.
Are you proposing we work together? I could never do what you do, Alex.
And I can't stop.
Take care.
Okay.