Law & Order Special Victims Unit s24e14 Episode Script
Dutch Tears
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.
All right.
Go ahead. Go ahead.
Come on, everybody.
Listen up. Listen up.
- Quiet!
- All right, guys.
I'd love to say a few words,
but don't worry, I'll make it short.
Get over here, Fin.
So, um, over the past 22 years,
I have had the privilege,
of bearing witness
to all that Sergeant Tutuola
has accomplished.
- Benson's getting all misty.
- Oh, just wait.
So, um, you know, we all love
Fin's sort of easy, laid-back attitude
and a sarcasm that is so sharp
that it could cut
a person's brake line.
- Take it easy.
- OK.
But those of us who have
been in the trenches with Fin
know that he is truly
a walking redemption story.
Um, Fin was raised in Harlem.
And, at the tender age of six years old,
he witnessed his own mother's murder.
And the reason I say that
is because Fin worked
through his own pain
and was determined
to help other people
work through theirs.
So, he became a cop.
He joined the Narcotics Squad,
and fortunately for us,
found that his talents
were better suited for SVU.
So, Fin, I just want you to know
that you're not fooling anyone.
And underneath that tough façade
is a kind and compassionate man
who has bravely
triumphed over his trauma
and used it for so much good.
So will you all join me,
in raising a glass,
to this year's winner
of the Harlem Heart Award
but also to the enduring power
of redemption?
Sergeant Odafin Tutuola!
I don't know who this Fin guy is
you've been talking about all night,
but, I will try to fill his shoes.
I am so proud of you.
- Hey. Congratulations, Fin.
- Thanks, man.
Recognition looks good on you.
Better than a lawsuit.
I'm so sorry that Phoebe
couldn't be here tonight.
- She had to work.
- Yeah, Rollins too.
I'm just glad you guys made it.
Well, so are we.
So much fun.
- Hey, uh, anybody want a water?
- I'll join you.
I got to relieve the sitter
in ten minutes.
All right, Fin.
Let's get that halo
a little dirty tonight, huh?
- How about it?
- Old buddy of yours?
Back in the day,
the perps weren't the only ones
with the vices, right?
- You have fun?
- Yeah, I did.
Good.
It was pretty unexpected
to see all those hard-asses
from my old precinct.
- Well, they all love you.
- I got 'em fooled.
One second.
Hold on. Hold on.
I got it. I got it.
I have an idea.
How about I drive you home?
How about that?
Whew!
Guess I'm more of a lightweight
than I thought.
Well, you're allowed
to have a good time, Fin,
especially tonight.
I really want to thank you
for the nice stuff
you said about me tonight, Liv.
Well, I meant them.
And I want to thank you
for being so steady.
You know, Fin,
there's been so much change.
And I know that it hasn't been easy.
Well, like you always say,
got to find the balance in this job.
I feel like you have.
Well, it hasn't been easy.
I've done some things
I'm not too proud of.
Well, fortunately, you don't
have to have a great past,
to have a great future.
Good night.
Thanks for getting me
home safe, Olivia.
Whoa.
Do I look familiar?
No, but I'm sure
you'll refresh my memory.
You want to tell me
how you got in here?
They sell lock picking sets on Amazon.
But Amazon wasn't even a thing
when you put me away.
- And when was that?
- 23 years ago.
Ring a bell?
Look, I put a lot of guys
away for longer than that.
- You gotta help me out, no.
- I've never forgotten you.
What you and your boy,
Dub Nichols, did.
I thought about it
every damn day I was in jail.
OK. OK, 23 years.
That's a long time.
- What did me and Dub pick you up for?
- What you think?
Well, that was back
in my Narcotics days.
It must have been a drug arrest.
- East 12th Street, Grandpa.
- Nothing personal,
but I made a lot of collars
in the Village back then.
- My name is Ivan Hernandez.
- Ivan, uh
You're right for busting my chops.
I'm a lot older.
I'm not as sharp as I used to be.
My street name is Dutch.
Dutch.
I remember you.
Yeah, right.
All you cops do is lie.
East 12th Street, all right?
You were carrying several packages
of, what was it, ecstasy?
I was only 17.
Just got accepted
to Kingsborough College.
Some kids work the bookstore
to pay their way through college.
You decided to sell tab.
I made a mistake!
But then again, so did you.
You were carrying a ton
of drugs in a school zone.
It was 4:00 a.m.
There was no kids.
I would never deal to kids.
Never.
Everything that happened to me
from that night forward
happened because of that arrest.
OK. Calm down, man.
I'm with you, all right?
You broke my life in two
the minute you tackled me
and banged my head off the pavement.
I tried to get you off,
but then your partner came.
Dub Nichols.
Twisted my arm behind my back,
and dislocated my shoulder.
I'm sorry, OK?
It wasn't Dub's fault.
We all went hard back in the day.
I blacked out from the pain.
No one even asked me how I felt.
Look, man.
You want some water?
I mean, I could use some water.
Honestly, I was having
a drink earlier
- I'm not stupid!
- I know you're not!
I know you're not!
I know you're not!
You want an apology?
I'll give you an apology.
I didn't come here for an apology.
You think that I don't know
that you left Narcotics?
That you're with Special Victims now?
Why do you think I tracked you down?
You want to talk.
You want to talk?
Let's talk.
What happened to you, man?
They put me in a holding cell
in the Tombs, by myself.
That's because you were 17.
My arm was busted,
and I couldn't fight back.
What you think happened?
That night
The cell unlocks.
And for a single, stupid moment,
I think it's my mom
coming to take me home.
But in walks this big, ugly dude.
And I mean big
and I mean ugly,
like a, like a lumpy, cream cheese head
on top of this monster body.
I hear you.
I didn't have a chance.
He pushed me face down on my cot.
He made me bite a rag.
And, like, it hurt, like, so much.
Like, all in my brain.
Like my, like my ancestors
were screaming
Man. OK, I'm here.
Dutch, I'm listening.
This is the good part now.
Right after Cream Cheese was finished,
he burned this H into my skin
with a hot paper clip.
He marked me, man.
You report that?
I stumbled out of my cell,
and I asked the CO for help.
You know what he said?
"Go back inside and wash up."
"You stink."
That's when I knew.
He let him into your cell.
Yeah.
And then a few years back,
off some chomo up in Green Haven,
that you locked up,
I come to find out you
investigate crimes like this.
You know what you are, man?
You're a hypocrite.
Is that gun even loaded, Dutch?
What do you want from me, man?
I want justice.
I want the ones who did this to me.
I can help you with that.
And let's get that CO
who let him do this to you.
You don't know Cream Cheese's name?
I never saw him after that night.
He must have been transferred out.
What about the CO?
I was in shock.
My public defender
told me to plead guilty.
I'm not gonna lie to you, man.
You got railroaded.
OK, Dutch.
Here's what we're gonna do.
You come into SVU with me
first thing in the morning,
file a report, and I'll
personally take it from there.
You don't understand.
When they moved me upstate,
I was a marked man.
Everyone seemed to know.
This brand made me a punk.
I was gang raped, passed around,
lent, sold, and bartered.
They made me grow my hair
and wear pigtails.
OK, Dutch, I'm gonna need you
explain something to me.
You say you were assaulted many
times, by many different guys.
Why is it you only want
to go after Cream Cheese?
He broke me.
If I hadn't been raped in holding,
I might have had a
chance in Green Haven.
You're smart.
You would have figured out
a way to survive.
First things first,
Detective Tutuola
Sergeant.
What's that H stand for?
I always thought "homosexual."
For all you know,
the guy's name is Harry.
Like I said, Sergeant, I need help.
But I'm not waiting till tomorrow.
23 years is long enough,
don't you think?
OK, first thing,
I'ma see if I can
find a shirt that fits you.
I'll try to help you, but,
I'm not gonna be able to do this alone.
And you can call me Fin.
Who's this?
This is Detective Bruno.
How are you doing?
Why should I trust this guy?
Doesn't matter.
I trust him.
Now, you want our help or not?
Does Pinocchio have
little wooden balls?
Bruno sounds like a dog's name.
Just tell us what you
remember about the CO.
I don't like to relive it.
Well, you're gonna have
to, at least for tonight.
Even if it hurts.
Listen.
I know guys don't like
talking about stuff like this,
but believe me, we've heard it all.
The Tombs have been closed
for a minute,
but these are pics of
all the COs that worked there
the year you were incarcerated.
I've been looking through
a couple of dozen bald guys
with dad bod.
I'm losing my appetite.
Yo, Dutch.
Dutch, focus, man.
There's not many more.
What do you see?
That him?
He's a lot older now.
But yeah, that's him.
The CO who unlocked my cell.
Pete Ryan.
- He still working?
- He's at Rikers now.
Says here he was promoted
to captain a few years back.
What do you say we go
pay this guy a visit?
Captain Ryan?
- Who's asking?
- I'm Sergeant Tutuola.
This is Detective Bruno, SVU.
We're hoping you can
help us out with an old case.
We coming at a bad time?
Well, it's a little late, isn't it?
This won't take long.
You'll be back to your regularly
scheduled program in no time.
- Get you fellas anything else?
- No. We're good, Patty.
- Thanks.
- Thank you.
23-year-old sexual assault
at the Tombs?
I don't see how I can help you.
Well, the vic ID'd the accomplice.
It was a CO.
1999, 2000.
Vic ID'd him off a picture?
Yeah.
Let me see.
Maybe it'll trigger my memory.
- This some sort of joke?
- Look like we're laughing?
Look, I let you guys in here
out of respect for the badge.
But you know what?
That's it, I'm done here.
We're not.
Uh
Look at him.
Look at him.
Street name Dutch.
Real name Ivan Hernandez.
Not even 18 at the time.
Now, he just had the guts to
look at your picture earlier.
You at least owe him that.
Look familiar?
You know how many
scumbags we used to get,
coming through the Tombs?
There it is, man.
That mildewy smell.
Yeah, a real stench.
- I never raped anybody.
- We know.
We also know you gave the guy
who did a key to his cell.
Now, you give up a name, we may be able
to work something out with the DA.
The DA?
Patty, it's all right.
You guys get out of here.
And leave my husband alone.
He's a good man.
That guy was rattled.
But no cuffs?
- I thought you said you'd fix this.
- We will.
These things take time.
That's Ryan's wife.
She's in a hurry.
Where the hell is she going
at this time of night?
What the hell is this place?
Some kind of sober living facility.
Maybe she just developed
a drinking problem.
I have that effect on people.
Are you guys gonna
do something, or what?
Hold up.
Hold up. Hold up.
Are we gonna roll inside and
find out who she's talking to?
Not until I call Benson
and bring her up to speed.
That's a captain's wife.
I'm not taking any
chances with protocol.
What the hell are you doing up?
You know what they say.
The world is full of good people.
- If you can't find one, be one.
- OK.
But do you have to do it when
the rest of us are sleeping?
This guy hasn't had a good
night's sleep in over 20 years.
Me?
I haven't missed a wink.
And you want to pay the debt.
So where is this Patty woman now?
She left while we were
waiting on you to get here.
There was no reason to hold her.
OK.
Captain Benson, SVU.
This is Sergeant Tutuola.
How can I help you?
Was this woman here tonight?
Yeah. She left
about 20 minutes ago.
Yeah. What did she want?
Unfortunately,
I can't give you information
on visitors or residents.
You have a supervisor
on site we could talk to?
He's home, asleep.
Why? What's this about?
We are investigating a rape.
Which tends to keep
our ADA up at night.
So unless you want to find out
what he does when he's cranky,
I highly suggest you tell us
which room she visited.
I'm nervous, man.
About what?
I mean,
Sergeant Tutuola's boss lady show up.
I-I did pull a gun on him.
You sure he ain't in
there ratting me out?
One thing at a time.
My mind defaults to the catastrophic,
after being inside of it for so long.
Well
I will say this
What it takes to survive
in your own head,
being locked away in jail,
is damn good training
for what we're doing tonight.
So just stay focused.
You got this.
So you did have a visitor today?
Yeah. I-I told you.
Older lady.
What did she want?
She, was an alcoholic.
She was looking for a sponsor.
In this room?
This is a male-only facility.
I told her it was pretty odd.
Yeah.
You know what else is odd?
This bed.
It's empty.
You have a roommate?
- Is that him?
- How the hell would I know?
Hey! NYPD!
Dutch, what are you doing here?
- I told you to stay in the car.
- W-what happened?
Where's Bruno?
Dutch, are you OK?
- He got away.
- What? Are you serious?
Wait.
Who is he talking about?
The guy the CO's wife came to see?
Yeah. Yeah.
I-I think it was him.
The guy who raped me.
A-and you let him go?
This is Captain Benson, SVU.
Suspect fleeing.
5'11", male, white.
Got into a black Nissan.
OK. Black Nissan.
Near the corner
of Amboy Road and Berry.
Why didn't you shoot him?
Because even though I'm rich,
I like my pension.
Hey.
Take it easy, Dutch.
Take in a deep breath.
We're gonna find him, man.
We'll find him.
You want to talk about it?
What?
Disassociation.
Sometimes I'm back in my cell.
That happens.
It's normal.
What if it was him
and he got away for good?
I thought you said you trust this guy.
What I don't trust is
people that are careless
with their bullets.
You want to kill the guy that hurt you?
Is that justice to you?
He stole my life.
You're hurt, Dutch.
I get it.
I just want to make it all go away.
Even if it means going back to prison?
Even if it kills me.
How about we find you
something to live for instead?
Tell me about your daughter.
My daughter?
You remembered I had one?
I did a background.
I met her mom at the Limelight.
And she was knocked up six months,
before you and your
old partner arrested me.
She ever come visit you
with your daughter?
Hell no.
I already told you,
I didn't want anyone
to see me like that.
Not what they made me become.
The long hair and the makeup.
I get it.
Found something.
- You, you got him?
- No. Relax.
I got a name.
Virgil Hatton.
I just always called him Cream Cheese.
It's not like
he ever introduced himself.
Well, at least
we're past the bagel phase
of this investigation.
It's a start.
I
I think that's him.
You think?
"Think" is not good enough, OK?
Let me tell you how this goes.
You go through these photos.
You pick out Cream Cheese.
I call the ADA,
and I get an arrest warrant.
These are old and dusty.
These are mug shots from the
year you were allegedly raped.
OK.
Oh, yeah. That's him.
That's, that's him.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Yeah.
Yeah, that, that's him.
You sure?
No, I mean, his neck was thicker.
Come on. Do you even remember
an eye color or anything?
Why is that important?
It's all important, man.
Everything.
We're trying to put someone
behind bars for a lot of years.
You already know what that's like.
You have to be 100% sure,
or this goes nowhere.
You don't even know if Bruno
was chasing the right guy.
This is bad.
Let me stare at them longer.
So you regret coming downtown?
Me?
Nah.
I got nothing better to do.
You're not fooling anybody.
I see your armor.
It's called humor, Fin.
See, I had a partner years ago,
an old homicide detective.
He had the same exact
defense mechanism.
- Is he still around?
- No, he retired.
I guess he just ran out of gas.
Last I heard,
he moved back to Baltimore.
Met a divorced female rabbi.
- A rabbi?
- Yeah.
And he bought back his old cop bar.
It's about 1:30 a.m.
He's probably cracking a joke
to some barfly.
That skinny bastard had a punchline
for every second of the day.
It sounds like you miss him.
I'm not into nostalgia.
I mean, that stuff's heavy.
Brings you down.
Well, I'm flattered by the comparison.
And anyway, the coffee's better here
than what the DOJ
was making up in The Bronx.
That's all Benson.
She's into that hazelnut stuff.
Not going so good in there?
It's been 20 years,
and he didn't get a good look
at the guy's face.
Virgil Hatton's got to be our perp.
Why else, would the old CO send
his wife to go warn the guy?
Let me call Carisi.
See if he can find a way
we can bring Ryan in.
"Captain Crunk"?
I don't know what you're talking about.
That's your nickname
on "Prison Chat."
You want to tell us how you got that?
Don't you NYPD cops have better sources
than a web forum?
My client's been
a dedicated member of the DOC
for the past 25 years.
He's bound to have ruffled
a few feathers along the way.
Hmm, well,
this is more than ruffled feathers.
We contacted your fellow COs.
They gave us some statements
that, uh, before
you were promoted to captain,
say you used to bend the rules.
Smuggling drugs, allowing rapes.
Whoa, whoa. I told you,
I never raped anybody.
Nah, you're just a pimp with a badge.
And the minute you opened
Ivan Hernandez's cell,
for Virgil Hatton,
that made you criminally
liable for his actions.
Who?
I never heard
of either of these people.
So how is it
right after we left your house,
your wife happened
to show up at Horizon House?
Clerk said she asked for Hatton
by name specifically.
He must be mistaken.
You know what that is, don't you?
- What's that?
- Proof your client knows Virgil Hatton,
outside of the Tombs.
New Dorp High School.
Class of '79.
You two look pretty cozy.
Neighbors and best friends
all through high school.
He's your boy.
You grew up together.
I, uh, need a moment with my client.
Yeah, take all the time you need.
But you're gonna do time
for this, Ryan.
Now, you can cooperate with us.
And maybe I can talk to the DA.
He'll cut you a deal.
Look, the Tombs was a zoo.
You do whatever you can
to maintain order.
You look for the biggest guy in there,
and they help you keep things in check.
When big, old Virgil showed up,
you bet your ass my
job got a whole lot easier.
And in exchange,
you sanction prison rape.
You gave him access
to other inmates to brutalize.
How many times did you do this?
Don't answer that.
Virgil's always been a scary guy.
I mean, they called him
the Hangman for a reason.
That H on Dutch's chest.
What do you want?
I want your boy Hatton.
And then my client gets a deal?
Well, that depends.
I'm not in the habit of
exchanging something for nothing.
He's been ducking my calls.
But there's a bar
on the Lower East Side.
He likes to hide out there.
Can we trust this CO?
Pete Ryan is a grade-A scumbag
with more self-interest than most.
Counselor, do we have enough
for an arrest warrant for Hatton?
I'd feel better
if we had an admissible ID.
Dutch said he thought he recognized him
outside the sober house.
Yeah, after midnight,
when the guy's running
full speed away from him.
He couldn't even pick out his mugshot.
But, I saw it.
Look, Dutch had a classic
somatic reaction to this guy Hatton.
OK, you know with this kind of trauma,
sometimes your body remembers
what your brain wants to forget.
Yeah, that's right, Liv.
You know that, and I know that.
But a jury is not gonna see him twitch
and then say,
"We gotta convict."
So we just scoop up Hatton
and have Dutch ID him
in an old-school lineup.
Fin, listen.
I cannot arrest without probable cause.
And I don't have probable cause
until I get a positive ID.
Ryan gave up the bar where Hatton is.
Let's call the fire marshal,
wake him up if you have to, and
have him close the place down.
We stash Dutch
in a unmarked van out front.
He might be able
to pick him out of a crowd.
I'm game.
Counselor?
Yeah, it'll be just like old times.
Except I'm unarmed.
Doesn't matter.
You'll be staying
in the van with Dutch.
I'm nervous, and I can't breathe.
Don't die on me now, dude.
You gotta take this guy down.
Do we even know he's there?
UCs are canvassing the bar.
They'll let us know.
You should have kids.
You'd make a good dad.
I've got a son and a grandson.
I wasn't always the
best father or husband.
At least you got to be one.
Bet you're a better dad now too.
Yeah.
Ken and I get along fine.
And I love my grandson.
He's a cute kid.
I didn't have a good family.
It's never too late to change.
You ever hear of Dutch tears?
No.
They're these things created by, um,
pouring molten glass into cold water.
Little droplets, with a long glass tail.
It looks like sperm, but
It's one of the hardest things
on Earth.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
They can withstand a hit from a hammer.
You shoot one of these things,
and even the bullet shatters.
But you so much as flick
that long sperm tail
with one of your fingers,
and it explodes like a brick
through stained glass window.
There ain't no putting
it back together.
Why do I feel that we're not
talking about glass anymore?
Your family?
I'm talking about me.
Well, look, man.
We all have armor up front.
And I know it's heavy.
But I believe that after tonight,
you'll be able to lose some of yours.
After you ID this guy, Hatton.
It's time.
- Where are we with this?
- Fire marshal's late.
Should have been here already.
How you holding up, Dutch?
He's hanging tough.
Up front, at least.
There's the marshal.
Let me find out
how long this is gonna take.
So we know your guy's inside?
Plainclothes confirm.
How long is it gonna take you
to clear that place out?
We'll tell them
we got a gas leak complaint.
You'd be surprised how fast
people tend to vacate a building
when you tell them it's about to blow.
OK. My vic's in that van.
So it might take a minute
for him to ID.
- Take as long as you need.
- Thanks.
They'll have the place cleared
in a few minutes.
You stay in the van.
And don't worry.
Nobody even knows you're in here.
Take your time.
Look every guy in the eye.
You've gotta be dead sure on this.
You got it?
And then what?
He'll find himself
in a nice, orange jumpsuit.
Full circle.
All right.
Here we go.
Look at every one of them.
Yeah, let me know
when you recognize him.
It's not him.
It's not him either.
What about this guy?
I don't know.
It's so dark.
You pointed him out in the dark before.
Sergeant, you're prompting the ID.
OK, what do you remember
about that night the Tombs?
Better get specific real quick, Dutch.
I-I turned around after he was done.
He, he lit a lighter,
and he heated up a paper clip.
Think any of the UCs out there smoke?
Sorry, folks.
It's not clear yet.
Stay back.
Thank you.
- What's up, man?
- What's up?
No gas out here, right?
- Can I bum a cigarette, man?
- Yeah, sure.
Gonna need a light.
It's him.
You're sure?
I'll never forget how his face looked
right when he was about to brand me.
We good, Counselor?
Yeah. Arrest his ass.
Virgil Hatton, you're under arrest.
What the hell for?
I didn't do nothing.
Not tonight, you didn't.
Oh, come on.
What's this about?
Put your hands behind your back.
- What?
- Hey, can I get another smoke?
- Let's go, man.
- You can't just come up here.
- Come on.
- Dutch, stop!
- Come on. Let's do this.
- Fin!
This is ridiculous.
You set me up.
- Yo, yo, yo!
- Who's this guy?
You remember me, you son of a bitch?
- Dutch, let him go.
- I was 17.
Dutch, he's nothing.
- Shut up!
- Listen to me.
Remember what you told me
about the Dutch tears?
You're tough,
but you're more than that.
Don't let them take away your
freedom a second time, man.
Let it go, Dutch.
Come on.
He's done.
It's over.
It's over.
Well, you all had quite a night.
You could say that.
Where are we on this, Counselor?
Well, I have enough to charge Hatton
and the CO, Pete Ryan, with rape one.
And Dutch?
Criminal possession of a weapon.
But given the mitigating circumstances,
I'm sure I can get a judge
to go with probation,
court-mandated therapy.
Well, he certainly is gonna need that.
Well, if you'll excuse me,
I'm gonna go back to bed
for a couple hours.
Right.
Thank you.
Uh
- You OK?
- It was a tough night.
It could have been much worse, Fin.
Look, nobody got hurt.
I'm not the sharpest
at 3:30 a.m.
Because you haven't slept.
Go home.
Not yet.
I dislocated more
than that kid's arm, Liv.
Maybe.
But in the last 12 hours,
you did everything right.
Go home, Fin.
You talked to my daughter?
What did she say?
She says she wants to see you.
- What did you tell her?
- Nothing.
She deserves to hear it from you.
I-I don't think I can do this.
You'll be fine.
She's your baby girl.
Tara?
Sergeant Tutuola?
Thank you for coming.
Your dad's been waiting a long time.
Dad?
You're so grown up.
I'm so sorry.
Me too.
I'm sorry me and Mom didn't ever visit.
I wouldn't have let you anyways.
So where do we start?
Wherever you want, Dad.
- Brought some sandwiches.
- I see.
Bet you Munch never did that.
The guy was built like a scarecrow.
He barely ever ate.
Well, I don't have that problem.
- Want a soda?
- Sure.
How's the daughter?
They're off to a good start.
How about a pickle?
There's one left.
Nah, you take it.
Think I will.
Hey.
You did good, Fin.
Still trying, man.
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.
All right.
Go ahead. Go ahead.
Come on, everybody.
Listen up. Listen up.
- Quiet!
- All right, guys.
I'd love to say a few words,
but don't worry, I'll make it short.
Get over here, Fin.
So, um, over the past 22 years,
I have had the privilege,
of bearing witness
to all that Sergeant Tutuola
has accomplished.
- Benson's getting all misty.
- Oh, just wait.
So, um, you know, we all love
Fin's sort of easy, laid-back attitude
and a sarcasm that is so sharp
that it could cut
a person's brake line.
- Take it easy.
- OK.
But those of us who have
been in the trenches with Fin
know that he is truly
a walking redemption story.
Um, Fin was raised in Harlem.
And, at the tender age of six years old,
he witnessed his own mother's murder.
And the reason I say that
is because Fin worked
through his own pain
and was determined
to help other people
work through theirs.
So, he became a cop.
He joined the Narcotics Squad,
and fortunately for us,
found that his talents
were better suited for SVU.
So, Fin, I just want you to know
that you're not fooling anyone.
And underneath that tough façade
is a kind and compassionate man
who has bravely
triumphed over his trauma
and used it for so much good.
So will you all join me,
in raising a glass,
to this year's winner
of the Harlem Heart Award
but also to the enduring power
of redemption?
Sergeant Odafin Tutuola!
I don't know who this Fin guy is
you've been talking about all night,
but, I will try to fill his shoes.
I am so proud of you.
- Hey. Congratulations, Fin.
- Thanks, man.
Recognition looks good on you.
Better than a lawsuit.
I'm so sorry that Phoebe
couldn't be here tonight.
- She had to work.
- Yeah, Rollins too.
I'm just glad you guys made it.
Well, so are we.
So much fun.
- Hey, uh, anybody want a water?
- I'll join you.
I got to relieve the sitter
in ten minutes.
All right, Fin.
Let's get that halo
a little dirty tonight, huh?
- How about it?
- Old buddy of yours?
Back in the day,
the perps weren't the only ones
with the vices, right?
- You have fun?
- Yeah, I did.
Good.
It was pretty unexpected
to see all those hard-asses
from my old precinct.
- Well, they all love you.
- I got 'em fooled.
One second.
Hold on. Hold on.
I got it. I got it.
I have an idea.
How about I drive you home?
How about that?
Whew!
Guess I'm more of a lightweight
than I thought.
Well, you're allowed
to have a good time, Fin,
especially tonight.
I really want to thank you
for the nice stuff
you said about me tonight, Liv.
Well, I meant them.
And I want to thank you
for being so steady.
You know, Fin,
there's been so much change.
And I know that it hasn't been easy.
Well, like you always say,
got to find the balance in this job.
I feel like you have.
Well, it hasn't been easy.
I've done some things
I'm not too proud of.
Well, fortunately, you don't
have to have a great past,
to have a great future.
Good night.
Thanks for getting me
home safe, Olivia.
Whoa.
Do I look familiar?
No, but I'm sure
you'll refresh my memory.
You want to tell me
how you got in here?
They sell lock picking sets on Amazon.
But Amazon wasn't even a thing
when you put me away.
- And when was that?
- 23 years ago.
Ring a bell?
Look, I put a lot of guys
away for longer than that.
- You gotta help me out, no.
- I've never forgotten you.
What you and your boy,
Dub Nichols, did.
I thought about it
every damn day I was in jail.
OK. OK, 23 years.
That's a long time.
- What did me and Dub pick you up for?
- What you think?
Well, that was back
in my Narcotics days.
It must have been a drug arrest.
- East 12th Street, Grandpa.
- Nothing personal,
but I made a lot of collars
in the Village back then.
- My name is Ivan Hernandez.
- Ivan, uh
You're right for busting my chops.
I'm a lot older.
I'm not as sharp as I used to be.
My street name is Dutch.
Dutch.
I remember you.
Yeah, right.
All you cops do is lie.
East 12th Street, all right?
You were carrying several packages
of, what was it, ecstasy?
I was only 17.
Just got accepted
to Kingsborough College.
Some kids work the bookstore
to pay their way through college.
You decided to sell tab.
I made a mistake!
But then again, so did you.
You were carrying a ton
of drugs in a school zone.
It was 4:00 a.m.
There was no kids.
I would never deal to kids.
Never.
Everything that happened to me
from that night forward
happened because of that arrest.
OK. Calm down, man.
I'm with you, all right?
You broke my life in two
the minute you tackled me
and banged my head off the pavement.
I tried to get you off,
but then your partner came.
Dub Nichols.
Twisted my arm behind my back,
and dislocated my shoulder.
I'm sorry, OK?
It wasn't Dub's fault.
We all went hard back in the day.
I blacked out from the pain.
No one even asked me how I felt.
Look, man.
You want some water?
I mean, I could use some water.
Honestly, I was having
a drink earlier
- I'm not stupid!
- I know you're not!
I know you're not!
I know you're not!
You want an apology?
I'll give you an apology.
I didn't come here for an apology.
You think that I don't know
that you left Narcotics?
That you're with Special Victims now?
Why do you think I tracked you down?
You want to talk.
You want to talk?
Let's talk.
What happened to you, man?
They put me in a holding cell
in the Tombs, by myself.
That's because you were 17.
My arm was busted,
and I couldn't fight back.
What you think happened?
That night
The cell unlocks.
And for a single, stupid moment,
I think it's my mom
coming to take me home.
But in walks this big, ugly dude.
And I mean big
and I mean ugly,
like a, like a lumpy, cream cheese head
on top of this monster body.
I hear you.
I didn't have a chance.
He pushed me face down on my cot.
He made me bite a rag.
And, like, it hurt, like, so much.
Like, all in my brain.
Like my, like my ancestors
were screaming
Man. OK, I'm here.
Dutch, I'm listening.
This is the good part now.
Right after Cream Cheese was finished,
he burned this H into my skin
with a hot paper clip.
He marked me, man.
You report that?
I stumbled out of my cell,
and I asked the CO for help.
You know what he said?
"Go back inside and wash up."
"You stink."
That's when I knew.
He let him into your cell.
Yeah.
And then a few years back,
off some chomo up in Green Haven,
that you locked up,
I come to find out you
investigate crimes like this.
You know what you are, man?
You're a hypocrite.
Is that gun even loaded, Dutch?
What do you want from me, man?
I want justice.
I want the ones who did this to me.
I can help you with that.
And let's get that CO
who let him do this to you.
You don't know Cream Cheese's name?
I never saw him after that night.
He must have been transferred out.
What about the CO?
I was in shock.
My public defender
told me to plead guilty.
I'm not gonna lie to you, man.
You got railroaded.
OK, Dutch.
Here's what we're gonna do.
You come into SVU with me
first thing in the morning,
file a report, and I'll
personally take it from there.
You don't understand.
When they moved me upstate,
I was a marked man.
Everyone seemed to know.
This brand made me a punk.
I was gang raped, passed around,
lent, sold, and bartered.
They made me grow my hair
and wear pigtails.
OK, Dutch, I'm gonna need you
explain something to me.
You say you were assaulted many
times, by many different guys.
Why is it you only want
to go after Cream Cheese?
He broke me.
If I hadn't been raped in holding,
I might have had a
chance in Green Haven.
You're smart.
You would have figured out
a way to survive.
First things first,
Detective Tutuola
Sergeant.
What's that H stand for?
I always thought "homosexual."
For all you know,
the guy's name is Harry.
Like I said, Sergeant, I need help.
But I'm not waiting till tomorrow.
23 years is long enough,
don't you think?
OK, first thing,
I'ma see if I can
find a shirt that fits you.
I'll try to help you, but,
I'm not gonna be able to do this alone.
And you can call me Fin.
Who's this?
This is Detective Bruno.
How are you doing?
Why should I trust this guy?
Doesn't matter.
I trust him.
Now, you want our help or not?
Does Pinocchio have
little wooden balls?
Bruno sounds like a dog's name.
Just tell us what you
remember about the CO.
I don't like to relive it.
Well, you're gonna have
to, at least for tonight.
Even if it hurts.
Listen.
I know guys don't like
talking about stuff like this,
but believe me, we've heard it all.
The Tombs have been closed
for a minute,
but these are pics of
all the COs that worked there
the year you were incarcerated.
I've been looking through
a couple of dozen bald guys
with dad bod.
I'm losing my appetite.
Yo, Dutch.
Dutch, focus, man.
There's not many more.
What do you see?
That him?
He's a lot older now.
But yeah, that's him.
The CO who unlocked my cell.
Pete Ryan.
- He still working?
- He's at Rikers now.
Says here he was promoted
to captain a few years back.
What do you say we go
pay this guy a visit?
Captain Ryan?
- Who's asking?
- I'm Sergeant Tutuola.
This is Detective Bruno, SVU.
We're hoping you can
help us out with an old case.
We coming at a bad time?
Well, it's a little late, isn't it?
This won't take long.
You'll be back to your regularly
scheduled program in no time.
- Get you fellas anything else?
- No. We're good, Patty.
- Thanks.
- Thank you.
23-year-old sexual assault
at the Tombs?
I don't see how I can help you.
Well, the vic ID'd the accomplice.
It was a CO.
1999, 2000.
Vic ID'd him off a picture?
Yeah.
Let me see.
Maybe it'll trigger my memory.
- This some sort of joke?
- Look like we're laughing?
Look, I let you guys in here
out of respect for the badge.
But you know what?
That's it, I'm done here.
We're not.
Uh
Look at him.
Look at him.
Street name Dutch.
Real name Ivan Hernandez.
Not even 18 at the time.
Now, he just had the guts to
look at your picture earlier.
You at least owe him that.
Look familiar?
You know how many
scumbags we used to get,
coming through the Tombs?
There it is, man.
That mildewy smell.
Yeah, a real stench.
- I never raped anybody.
- We know.
We also know you gave the guy
who did a key to his cell.
Now, you give up a name, we may be able
to work something out with the DA.
The DA?
Patty, it's all right.
You guys get out of here.
And leave my husband alone.
He's a good man.
That guy was rattled.
But no cuffs?
- I thought you said you'd fix this.
- We will.
These things take time.
That's Ryan's wife.
She's in a hurry.
Where the hell is she going
at this time of night?
What the hell is this place?
Some kind of sober living facility.
Maybe she just developed
a drinking problem.
I have that effect on people.
Are you guys gonna
do something, or what?
Hold up.
Hold up. Hold up.
Are we gonna roll inside and
find out who she's talking to?
Not until I call Benson
and bring her up to speed.
That's a captain's wife.
I'm not taking any
chances with protocol.
What the hell are you doing up?
You know what they say.
The world is full of good people.
- If you can't find one, be one.
- OK.
But do you have to do it when
the rest of us are sleeping?
This guy hasn't had a good
night's sleep in over 20 years.
Me?
I haven't missed a wink.
And you want to pay the debt.
So where is this Patty woman now?
She left while we were
waiting on you to get here.
There was no reason to hold her.
OK.
Captain Benson, SVU.
This is Sergeant Tutuola.
How can I help you?
Was this woman here tonight?
Yeah. She left
about 20 minutes ago.
Yeah. What did she want?
Unfortunately,
I can't give you information
on visitors or residents.
You have a supervisor
on site we could talk to?
He's home, asleep.
Why? What's this about?
We are investigating a rape.
Which tends to keep
our ADA up at night.
So unless you want to find out
what he does when he's cranky,
I highly suggest you tell us
which room she visited.
I'm nervous, man.
About what?
I mean,
Sergeant Tutuola's boss lady show up.
I-I did pull a gun on him.
You sure he ain't in
there ratting me out?
One thing at a time.
My mind defaults to the catastrophic,
after being inside of it for so long.
Well
I will say this
What it takes to survive
in your own head,
being locked away in jail,
is damn good training
for what we're doing tonight.
So just stay focused.
You got this.
So you did have a visitor today?
Yeah. I-I told you.
Older lady.
What did she want?
She, was an alcoholic.
She was looking for a sponsor.
In this room?
This is a male-only facility.
I told her it was pretty odd.
Yeah.
You know what else is odd?
This bed.
It's empty.
You have a roommate?
- Is that him?
- How the hell would I know?
Hey! NYPD!
Dutch, what are you doing here?
- I told you to stay in the car.
- W-what happened?
Where's Bruno?
Dutch, are you OK?
- He got away.
- What? Are you serious?
Wait.
Who is he talking about?
The guy the CO's wife came to see?
Yeah. Yeah.
I-I think it was him.
The guy who raped me.
A-and you let him go?
This is Captain Benson, SVU.
Suspect fleeing.
5'11", male, white.
Got into a black Nissan.
OK. Black Nissan.
Near the corner
of Amboy Road and Berry.
Why didn't you shoot him?
Because even though I'm rich,
I like my pension.
Hey.
Take it easy, Dutch.
Take in a deep breath.
We're gonna find him, man.
We'll find him.
You want to talk about it?
What?
Disassociation.
Sometimes I'm back in my cell.
That happens.
It's normal.
What if it was him
and he got away for good?
I thought you said you trust this guy.
What I don't trust is
people that are careless
with their bullets.
You want to kill the guy that hurt you?
Is that justice to you?
He stole my life.
You're hurt, Dutch.
I get it.
I just want to make it all go away.
Even if it means going back to prison?
Even if it kills me.
How about we find you
something to live for instead?
Tell me about your daughter.
My daughter?
You remembered I had one?
I did a background.
I met her mom at the Limelight.
And she was knocked up six months,
before you and your
old partner arrested me.
She ever come visit you
with your daughter?
Hell no.
I already told you,
I didn't want anyone
to see me like that.
Not what they made me become.
The long hair and the makeup.
I get it.
Found something.
- You, you got him?
- No. Relax.
I got a name.
Virgil Hatton.
I just always called him Cream Cheese.
It's not like
he ever introduced himself.
Well, at least
we're past the bagel phase
of this investigation.
It's a start.
I
I think that's him.
You think?
"Think" is not good enough, OK?
Let me tell you how this goes.
You go through these photos.
You pick out Cream Cheese.
I call the ADA,
and I get an arrest warrant.
These are old and dusty.
These are mug shots from the
year you were allegedly raped.
OK.
Oh, yeah. That's him.
That's, that's him.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Yeah.
Yeah, that, that's him.
You sure?
No, I mean, his neck was thicker.
Come on. Do you even remember
an eye color or anything?
Why is that important?
It's all important, man.
Everything.
We're trying to put someone
behind bars for a lot of years.
You already know what that's like.
You have to be 100% sure,
or this goes nowhere.
You don't even know if Bruno
was chasing the right guy.
This is bad.
Let me stare at them longer.
So you regret coming downtown?
Me?
Nah.
I got nothing better to do.
You're not fooling anybody.
I see your armor.
It's called humor, Fin.
See, I had a partner years ago,
an old homicide detective.
He had the same exact
defense mechanism.
- Is he still around?
- No, he retired.
I guess he just ran out of gas.
Last I heard,
he moved back to Baltimore.
Met a divorced female rabbi.
- A rabbi?
- Yeah.
And he bought back his old cop bar.
It's about 1:30 a.m.
He's probably cracking a joke
to some barfly.
That skinny bastard had a punchline
for every second of the day.
It sounds like you miss him.
I'm not into nostalgia.
I mean, that stuff's heavy.
Brings you down.
Well, I'm flattered by the comparison.
And anyway, the coffee's better here
than what the DOJ
was making up in The Bronx.
That's all Benson.
She's into that hazelnut stuff.
Not going so good in there?
It's been 20 years,
and he didn't get a good look
at the guy's face.
Virgil Hatton's got to be our perp.
Why else, would the old CO send
his wife to go warn the guy?
Let me call Carisi.
See if he can find a way
we can bring Ryan in.
"Captain Crunk"?
I don't know what you're talking about.
That's your nickname
on "Prison Chat."
You want to tell us how you got that?
Don't you NYPD cops have better sources
than a web forum?
My client's been
a dedicated member of the DOC
for the past 25 years.
He's bound to have ruffled
a few feathers along the way.
Hmm, well,
this is more than ruffled feathers.
We contacted your fellow COs.
They gave us some statements
that, uh, before
you were promoted to captain,
say you used to bend the rules.
Smuggling drugs, allowing rapes.
Whoa, whoa. I told you,
I never raped anybody.
Nah, you're just a pimp with a badge.
And the minute you opened
Ivan Hernandez's cell,
for Virgil Hatton,
that made you criminally
liable for his actions.
Who?
I never heard
of either of these people.
So how is it
right after we left your house,
your wife happened
to show up at Horizon House?
Clerk said she asked for Hatton
by name specifically.
He must be mistaken.
You know what that is, don't you?
- What's that?
- Proof your client knows Virgil Hatton,
outside of the Tombs.
New Dorp High School.
Class of '79.
You two look pretty cozy.
Neighbors and best friends
all through high school.
He's your boy.
You grew up together.
I, uh, need a moment with my client.
Yeah, take all the time you need.
But you're gonna do time
for this, Ryan.
Now, you can cooperate with us.
And maybe I can talk to the DA.
He'll cut you a deal.
Look, the Tombs was a zoo.
You do whatever you can
to maintain order.
You look for the biggest guy in there,
and they help you keep things in check.
When big, old Virgil showed up,
you bet your ass my
job got a whole lot easier.
And in exchange,
you sanction prison rape.
You gave him access
to other inmates to brutalize.
How many times did you do this?
Don't answer that.
Virgil's always been a scary guy.
I mean, they called him
the Hangman for a reason.
That H on Dutch's chest.
What do you want?
I want your boy Hatton.
And then my client gets a deal?
Well, that depends.
I'm not in the habit of
exchanging something for nothing.
He's been ducking my calls.
But there's a bar
on the Lower East Side.
He likes to hide out there.
Can we trust this CO?
Pete Ryan is a grade-A scumbag
with more self-interest than most.
Counselor, do we have enough
for an arrest warrant for Hatton?
I'd feel better
if we had an admissible ID.
Dutch said he thought he recognized him
outside the sober house.
Yeah, after midnight,
when the guy's running
full speed away from him.
He couldn't even pick out his mugshot.
But, I saw it.
Look, Dutch had a classic
somatic reaction to this guy Hatton.
OK, you know with this kind of trauma,
sometimes your body remembers
what your brain wants to forget.
Yeah, that's right, Liv.
You know that, and I know that.
But a jury is not gonna see him twitch
and then say,
"We gotta convict."
So we just scoop up Hatton
and have Dutch ID him
in an old-school lineup.
Fin, listen.
I cannot arrest without probable cause.
And I don't have probable cause
until I get a positive ID.
Ryan gave up the bar where Hatton is.
Let's call the fire marshal,
wake him up if you have to, and
have him close the place down.
We stash Dutch
in a unmarked van out front.
He might be able
to pick him out of a crowd.
I'm game.
Counselor?
Yeah, it'll be just like old times.
Except I'm unarmed.
Doesn't matter.
You'll be staying
in the van with Dutch.
I'm nervous, and I can't breathe.
Don't die on me now, dude.
You gotta take this guy down.
Do we even know he's there?
UCs are canvassing the bar.
They'll let us know.
You should have kids.
You'd make a good dad.
I've got a son and a grandson.
I wasn't always the
best father or husband.
At least you got to be one.
Bet you're a better dad now too.
Yeah.
Ken and I get along fine.
And I love my grandson.
He's a cute kid.
I didn't have a good family.
It's never too late to change.
You ever hear of Dutch tears?
No.
They're these things created by, um,
pouring molten glass into cold water.
Little droplets, with a long glass tail.
It looks like sperm, but
It's one of the hardest things
on Earth.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
They can withstand a hit from a hammer.
You shoot one of these things,
and even the bullet shatters.
But you so much as flick
that long sperm tail
with one of your fingers,
and it explodes like a brick
through stained glass window.
There ain't no putting
it back together.
Why do I feel that we're not
talking about glass anymore?
Your family?
I'm talking about me.
Well, look, man.
We all have armor up front.
And I know it's heavy.
But I believe that after tonight,
you'll be able to lose some of yours.
After you ID this guy, Hatton.
It's time.
- Where are we with this?
- Fire marshal's late.
Should have been here already.
How you holding up, Dutch?
He's hanging tough.
Up front, at least.
There's the marshal.
Let me find out
how long this is gonna take.
So we know your guy's inside?
Plainclothes confirm.
How long is it gonna take you
to clear that place out?
We'll tell them
we got a gas leak complaint.
You'd be surprised how fast
people tend to vacate a building
when you tell them it's about to blow.
OK. My vic's in that van.
So it might take a minute
for him to ID.
- Take as long as you need.
- Thanks.
They'll have the place cleared
in a few minutes.
You stay in the van.
And don't worry.
Nobody even knows you're in here.
Take your time.
Look every guy in the eye.
You've gotta be dead sure on this.
You got it?
And then what?
He'll find himself
in a nice, orange jumpsuit.
Full circle.
All right.
Here we go.
Look at every one of them.
Yeah, let me know
when you recognize him.
It's not him.
It's not him either.
What about this guy?
I don't know.
It's so dark.
You pointed him out in the dark before.
Sergeant, you're prompting the ID.
OK, what do you remember
about that night the Tombs?
Better get specific real quick, Dutch.
I-I turned around after he was done.
He, he lit a lighter,
and he heated up a paper clip.
Think any of the UCs out there smoke?
Sorry, folks.
It's not clear yet.
Stay back.
Thank you.
- What's up, man?
- What's up?
No gas out here, right?
- Can I bum a cigarette, man?
- Yeah, sure.
Gonna need a light.
It's him.
You're sure?
I'll never forget how his face looked
right when he was about to brand me.
We good, Counselor?
Yeah. Arrest his ass.
Virgil Hatton, you're under arrest.
What the hell for?
I didn't do nothing.
Not tonight, you didn't.
Oh, come on.
What's this about?
Put your hands behind your back.
- What?
- Hey, can I get another smoke?
- Let's go, man.
- You can't just come up here.
- Come on.
- Dutch, stop!
- Come on. Let's do this.
- Fin!
This is ridiculous.
You set me up.
- Yo, yo, yo!
- Who's this guy?
You remember me, you son of a bitch?
- Dutch, let him go.
- I was 17.
Dutch, he's nothing.
- Shut up!
- Listen to me.
Remember what you told me
about the Dutch tears?
You're tough,
but you're more than that.
Don't let them take away your
freedom a second time, man.
Let it go, Dutch.
Come on.
He's done.
It's over.
It's over.
Well, you all had quite a night.
You could say that.
Where are we on this, Counselor?
Well, I have enough to charge Hatton
and the CO, Pete Ryan, with rape one.
And Dutch?
Criminal possession of a weapon.
But given the mitigating circumstances,
I'm sure I can get a judge
to go with probation,
court-mandated therapy.
Well, he certainly is gonna need that.
Well, if you'll excuse me,
I'm gonna go back to bed
for a couple hours.
Right.
Thank you.
Uh
- You OK?
- It was a tough night.
It could have been much worse, Fin.
Look, nobody got hurt.
I'm not the sharpest
at 3:30 a.m.
Because you haven't slept.
Go home.
Not yet.
I dislocated more
than that kid's arm, Liv.
Maybe.
But in the last 12 hours,
you did everything right.
Go home, Fin.
You talked to my daughter?
What did she say?
She says she wants to see you.
- What did you tell her?
- Nothing.
She deserves to hear it from you.
I-I don't think I can do this.
You'll be fine.
She's your baby girl.
Tara?
Sergeant Tutuola?
Thank you for coming.
Your dad's been waiting a long time.
Dad?
You're so grown up.
I'm so sorry.
Me too.
I'm sorry me and Mom didn't ever visit.
I wouldn't have let you anyways.
So where do we start?
Wherever you want, Dad.
- Brought some sandwiches.
- I see.
Bet you Munch never did that.
The guy was built like a scarecrow.
He barely ever ate.
Well, I don't have that problem.
- Want a soda?
- Sure.
How's the daughter?
They're off to a good start.
How about a pickle?
There's one left.
Nah, you take it.
Think I will.
Hey.
You did good, Fin.
Still trying, man.