All language subtitles for Law.and.Order.SVU.S23E04.WEBRip.x264-ION10

.

- 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.

- Detective Velasco,
just take any empty desk.

- I just want to say, again,
what an honor it is

to be here, Captain Benson.

- Not that desk.
- Fin--

We're glad that you're here.

Trust me,
we could use the help.

And Sergeant Tutuola
and Detective Rollins will

help you get settled in.

- Coffee here is bad.

Nominally better
in the break room.

- I'm good with bad.
- Great.

So I will be back
in a couple hours.

- What did I do?
- Don't take it personally.

That was Kat Tamin's old desk.

- On second thought, how about
I grab something from outside?

- Good choice.

- So Chief McGrath planted
a spy in our squad room?

- Fin, we're short-staffed.
Please play nice.

I did research.

The rumor is
that the guy's good.

- Yeah, rumor is,
he started that rumor.

When are you gonna get
back from PT?

- I wish it was PT.
Be less painful.

McGrath called a meeting.
- About what?

- About McGrath making sure
that when he calls,

I show up.

- Can I get a swirl
with sprinkles please?

- Yep.
- Hey, mami.

You got a nice swerve on you.

- In front of her kid, man?
Come on.

- Have some respect.
My fricking kid is right here.

- Come on, bro.
- All right.

- Sorry about those guys.
Here we go, little man.

Chocolate and vanilla swirl
with rainbow sprinkles, $3.

- Okay.
Here you go.

- Aw.
- There you go--

[gasps] Oh, no!
I am--

oh, it's okay, papi.

- It happens.

I'll make another one on the
house; don't worry about it.

- Sorry it took so long.
Got the good stuff.

Light, extra sweet.
- Thanks.

- I don't know
what kind of donuts you like.

I got a dozen assorted.

- I, actually,
I don't do donuts.

Tell you what, though.

You want to get
on the Sergeant's good side?

- He has one?
- He likes jelly.

- Oh.

I--I looked for you
at your old office.

I didn't--didn't realize.
- Garland's is bigger.

You know, once
I get the walls painted...

Did he hire a decorator
or something?

Okay, uh, let's start
with your DD5s.

Nine-year-old girl molested
by her uncle.

- He confessed,
pled to seven years.

Avoids putting the girl
on the stand.

- Um, co-workers,
woman's claiming rape.

Her apartment, 2:00 AM.
She invite him in?

- She did.
But he was her boss,

and she sustained injuries
from the attack.

- Okay.

You okay, Captain?

[tense music]

♪

- Look, I gotta say,
I'm just not used

to going over every one
of my cases with the SVU chief.

- Well, acting chief.

You've had a lot of autonomy,
I get that.

Look, after you and I have
gotten into a rhythm,

I'll loosen the reins.
All right?

By the way, I wanted to say
that I appreciate

how welcoming
your squad has been to Velasco.

- He said that?

- Well, he's been a UC
for a long time.

Just glad that he's getting
some experience

with a functioning unit.

[chuckles]
And this is where you say,

"Oh, well, we're happy
to have him, Chief.

Thanks."

All right, where were we?

♪

[upbeat dance music]

♪

- Wow,
you're a really good dancer.

- That's not the only thing
I'm good at.

- Is that right?
- Yeah, how about I show you?

[inhales]

- Sure we can't go
back to your place?

- No, I want you right here,
right now.

- Oh, you're gonna love this.

Congressman Howard prefers
not to go to Green Haven.

- Why is that?
Because of his asthma?

- He also has
special diet requests.

- Detective Rollins.
- Sorry to interrupt.

- No worries.

- I've got the DD5s
on the girl and her uncle.

- These could have waited
until the morning.

Sorry you had
to come over so late.

- No problem.

- Least I can do is
walk you out.

Give me a minute.

We're just finishing up
Congressman Howard's plea deal.

So, uh, how was your day?

- Well, they finally got us
some help.

Velasco's covering.

- I thought he was a UC.

- Well, Fin thinks he might be
McGrath's UC in our office.

- Is that what you think?

- I don't have a problem
with Velasco,

but I do know that anything
you say around him,

even about us,
straight to McGrath.

- Copy that.
- Okay.

- Safe home.
- Okay.

- Thanks for walking me back.
I had fun.

- Party doesn't have to end.

- Oh, sorry, I have to let
the sitter go.

- Sitter?
Is that for real?

- I'll call you, okay?

Oh, baby.

- Tell me you want it, Crystal.
- Yes, I want it.

[sniffles]

[dramatic music]

How about we put him
in his room?

- I like him here.

- It's okay, papi.

Mommy's just playing a game.
It's just a game.

- Best part of the game?

If he cries, he dies.

- [whimpers]

♪

[dramatic music]

♪

- A woman raped
in front of her kid.

Her three-year-old.

What kind
of sick animal does that?

- Welcome to SVU.

There's the responding officer.

- Okay, I'll take him.
You talk to the vic.

- Got it.
- Who--who do I go with?

- Stick with me.

- Vic is Crystal Nuñez, 28,
single mom.

- Of a three-year-old boy.

Where's the kid now?
In social services?

- Actually,
she called the father.

He was pissed
when he got there.

- That his son's mother
was raped?

You left the boy with him?
- It's his kid too, Velasco.

How'd the perp get
in the apartment?

- He rang the bell,
said he was with Con Ed,

a neighbor reported a gas leak.

She opened the door,
he pushed in.

- Did he have a weapon?
- No.

She said
he made her put on a nightie.

Told her to pretend
to enjoy it, or, uh,

he'd kill her son.

- CSU on the scene?
Okay, we'll meet them there.

- Now what?

- We tear that apartment apart,
hoping the guy left some DNA.

- It was dark--I couldn't see
his face clearly.

He was white, skinny.

- Did he say anything?
- He knew my name.

he made me pretend like
I liked him,

like we were just having sex,

so I did...for Manny.

- You did what you had to do,
Crystal.

We're gonna need to run
a rape kit, all right?

- Yeah.

But he used a condom.
- Okay.

You said he knew your name
and where you lived.

It could be
that he followed you.

Can you walk me
through your day?

- I was with Manny
most of the time.

- Most?

- At night, I went to a party.

All last year,
I didn't go out much.

I just wanted to have
a good time.

And I was home by midnight
for the sitter.

- I'm a single mom, Crystal.
I get it.

Anything happen at the party?

- I had a few drinks,
no more than two.

I danced.
- With somebody in particular?

[dramatic music]

- No.

♪

- Okay, and when you left,

did you notice
anyone following you?

- No, I didn't see anyone.

- Okay.

- A couple of neighborhood guys
were harassing me earlier

while I was buying Manny
an ice cream.

- So they saw you
with your son.

- Oh, my God.

What if whoever did this
comes back,

and they try to hurt Manny?

- We're gonna do everything
we can do

to make sure that
that doesn't happen.

Okay?

Do you have a place
to go tonight?

A friend's house
or maybe Manny's father?

- No,
I'm definitely not going there.

I just want to go home.

♪

- Lot of final notices.
- Single mother, money's tight.

- Letter from
a lawyer's office.

Looks like she's in
a custody battle.

- Profile the rapist,
not the vic.

- Copy that.

- Bag any clothes on the floor.

- She told me she was wearing
a nightgown.

- What's going on?
He's cutting the mattress.

- That's how we test for DNA.

- Sergeant.

CSU found this under the bed.

Sex toys and a pipe.
- She's got a lot of stuff.

- So does everybody.
None of this matters.

- Profile the rapist.
Got it.

Pushed in with force,
damaged the wall.

Any chance he left a partial?
- We can hope so.

- Hey, dust the door jamb
for prints.

- Enough of this.

Wall-to-wall coverage
about a woman who was raped

in front of her child.

McGrath has called me
three times,

so please tell me
that we have something.

- We fine-toothed
the apartment.

We're waiting to hear
from the lab.

- The vic couldn't give much
of an ID aside from

the perp knowing her name.

- And she said
that she let the guy in?

I mean, I know that it was
a Con Ed ruse,

so you obviously followed up
on that.

- They didn't send anybody
to the building that night.

And there was no reports
of a gas leak.

- Similar M.O.'s
in the neighborhood,

recently released
sex offenders?

- No and no,

and no security cams
in the building.

For what it's worth, she's in
a custody battle with her ex,

Eduardo Sosa.

In 2019, they were
both arrested

for a public argument.
Neither pressed charges.

- Does the ex have an alibi?

- Yeah, he was home that night
with his girlfriend.

He picked up the kid.

- Then I'm not interested
in the backstory.

- Here's something.
Lab got a hit off a print.

- From the doorjamb?

- CSU found multiples
at the scene,

but none were in the system
except for a Travis Hillsdale.

- Who is?
- Hold on.

- Travis Hillsdale, busted
last year for dealing marijuana

out of his Swirly City
ice cream truck.

- Crystal said she was bothered
by some guys in the park

when she was buying Manny
ice cream.

- Okay, but it doesn't explain

why the ice cream guy's
in her apartment.

- So an ice cream truck
shouldn't be that hard to find.

- Enjoy.
Have a good day.

- Travis Hillsdale?

- Yeah, afternoon, officers.
How can I help?

- Uh, we're investigating
an attack.

The vic said she may have been
harassed at the park

at Pitt Street the other day,

buying ice cream.

- We're hoping you saw
something.

- I'll be right out.

Hey, uh, how can I help?

- You recognize her?

- Uh, actually, yeah,
that's Crystal.

She's a regular.

Her kid likes
rainbow sprinkles.

- Did she get her kid
a cone on Friday?

- You know what, yeah.
Mm-hmm.

- You notice any guys
bothering her?

- Was it those idiots?
What'd they do?

- You know them?

- Okay, they hang out,

harass these moms
in front of their kids.

Every day, I have to tell them
to leave my customers alone.

- I got one more question.

You ever been over
to her apartment?

- Oh, she say that?
I mean, 'cause,

actually, yeah, I was there,
but I didn't see her.

Just, you know,
Manny dropped his sippy cup.

And I returned it.

- How'd you know
where she lived?

- Yeah, one of the other moms.

Brought the cup back,
gave it to Manny's sitter.

- Travis,
you seem like a nice guy.

And we're trying to get whoever
did this off the street.

We have a suspect down
at that station.

Would you mind coming down,
helping us with an ID?

- Take your time, Crystal.

- I kind of recognize number 2.

- As the man who raped you?

- From somewhere else,
I'm sorry.

I don't think it's him.
I don't think it's any of--

I-- it was dark--

- It's okay, it's okay,
Crystal.

- Let's find a seat.
- Thank you.

- No luck?

- Well,
she did recognize Travis.

- But maybe because she's a
regular at his ice cream truck.

- Then why didn't she say that?
- Who knows?

He keeps his mask on at work.

He did volunteer to help us
with the lineup.

- What about prints?

- We confirmed with the sitter.

He returned the sippy cup
last week.

- All right, so he's either
a good Samaritan,

or he's casing her apartment.

- Either way,
Crystal did not ID him,

and the fingerprint isn't
probative.

Now if we find any unknown DNA
on that bed,

maybe we can test him?

- Velasco,
before Travis leaves,

ask him if he would like
a soda.

- Get his DNA.
On it, Captain.

- Uh, Crystal's lab results
came back.

- Please tell me
it's good news.

- Just the opposite.

- Uh, between the rape kit
and her bedding,

three different semen samples.

- Anybody in the system?
- None.

- When you asked her,
she didn't mention

having anyone special
in her life right now?

- Just her son.

.

- How long does semen last?
- Long enough.

- There were three samples.

Hopefully, one of those samples
will be...

your rapist.

But we do need you
to walk us through

who the other two can be so we
can eliminate them as suspects.

- Oh, my God.

This is why
I didn't tell you.

My ex is trying to get custody
of Manny, and if he finds out--

- You're a single woman.

- He kind of thinks
we're still together.

- So your ex is
one of the samples.

- Probably.

He--he came by two days ago.

It--it always puts him
in a better mood.

- Okay,
who else can you tell us about?

- Up the mountain in five,
four, three--

[workout music]

- Raif Tawari?

- There you go, keep breathing.
Three minutes, everybody.

Okay, push, don't stop.
Don't stop.

Yeah?
What is this about?

- You were at a party
on a rooftop,

Loisaida, Friday night?

- Yeah.
Again, what is this about?

- You hook up with anyone?

- That was totally consensual.

- Is that her?

- Crystal, right?
What's she saying?

- How about we ask
the questions?

- Okay, look, we were dancing.

Hot.
She was, like, into it.

In control.

We took the party
to another location.

- Her apartment?

- No, a corner of the roof.

After, I walked her home.

She said I couldn't come up.
She had to let the sitter go.

I didn't even know
she had a kid.

- Life's full of surprises,
huh?

- Any chance you went
back anyway?

Doubled back for round two?

No big deal.
- No.

Man, no.

Look, I went home to my wife.

We were in bed by midnight.

You're not gonna tell either
one of them, are you?

- Am I in trouble?

- You tell me, Arlo.

How about we start
with your relationship

to Crystal Nuñez.

- Well,
she's my upstairs neighbor.

- We know that.
And?

- She sometimes calls me
her--her "minute man."

- Minute man.
- Yeah.

- Uh-huh.

- Not like that.

We started hooking up
during Covid.

We'd get together whenever she
had a little bit of downtime

and her kid was napping.

She texted, I'd come up.

It was a lonely time,
and we needed each other.

It was sweet.
- I'm sure it was.

And when was the last time
you were in her apartment?

- A few nights ago.
Manny was asleep.

And she was, well, you know.

- "Few nights ago"?
Like, two nights? Friday?

- No, no way.
I--I swear.

- Why not?

- Because every Friday,
I go home and have dinner

with my mother.

Spend the night
at my old house in Babylon.

And she does my laundry.

- Yeah.

- How's Crystal doing?
I'm worried about her.

She makes
a lot of bad decisions.

- When's the last time
you saw her?

- This afternoon.

She wanted Manny back.
I brought him back.

Her apartment was a crap show,
I gotta tell you.

- What about two nights ago,
Friday?

- You mean the night
she was attacked?

Find that guy yet?
- We're still investigating.

- I'd kill him myself,
I had any idea.

- Mr. Sosa,
you told us earlier

you were home with
your girlfriend that night?

- Yeah.
What's it to you?

- Well, we since found out
you and Crystal have been

hooking up.
Maybe you came over earlier.

She got angry for some reason,
called the cops.

- Are you kidding me with this?

- Look, man, you have a DV
complaint against you.

We gotta ask these questions.
- That was more her than me.

Okay? We were drunk, loud.
Crystal pushed me.

Couple Karens called the cops.

We scream, but I ain't never
lay a hand on Crystal.

You accusing me of something,
say it.

- We confirm
with your girlfriend

you were home,
and we take you off the list.

- I don't want her
involved in this.

What's really going on?
Hmm?

Crystal said that she was raped
in front of my kid.

If she's lying--
- Mr. Sosa, calm down.

- No, no, no, we're talking
about my son.

Don't you tell me to calm down.

- Crystal Nuñez had sex
with three different men

and failed to disclose that?

- She was worried
about her ex-husband

finding out
about her private life.

- Because she was still having
sex with him?

Look, how do we know
that this isn't just, uh,

some kind of domestic dispute?

- Her ex-husband
and the two other men

she was with
that week alibied out.

- So that's three.

And what about this--this
ice cream vendor?

- His DNA is not a match.

But, Chief, the rapist may not
have left DNA.

- She said he wore a condom.

- Or there was no rape.
- Okay.

Look,

her three-year-old son was
in the bed next to her.

- So she says, but, come on,
we've been here before.

She brings someone home
she shouldn't have.

She's worried
about the ex finding out.

So she cries rape, throws in
a story about the kid,

to--you know, for sympathy--

- She's not a perfect victim,
but she is not making this up.

- Well, let's hope so.

'Cause that would be a terrible
headline for us, wouldn't it?

[tense music]

Unless you get something on
somebody, just slow the roll.

- Slow the roll?

- There's no case here,
Captain.

♪

- Yes, Rollins,
yeah, Fin is right.

McGrath is not eager
to pursue.

I know, I know, look.

We need to check in
with Crystal,

so I will meet you
at her apartment.

I'm almost done
with the NYPD doctor.

Yeah, okay, thanks.

Doctor, how you doing?

I, uh, I really need
to get back to work.

I'm hoping
that you can clear me

so I can be off
this limited duty.

- Well, it's not that simple.
- But I'm--

I'm able to walk
short distances now.

- I see.

But your ankle is
badly fractured,

and you're not going to be
chasing a perp

across a rooftop anytime soon.

Look, have you ever considered
it's time to move on?

- Move on?
- Retirement.

I'm considering it myself.

- I am nowhere near moving on
or retirement.

Look, I--

I still have
so much work to do.

I'm raising a young son
on my own, I'm--

- You could spend
a lot more quality time

with him while he's young like
I wish I'd done with mine.

- I need to work.

I love my job.

- Olivia, we both know
it's not the same job

it was when we signed on.

The last few years, the stress,
the turnover.

I heard about
the new interim chief.

Your accident on your way
to the courthouse at 10:00 PM,

that makes it job-related.

So I can mark you fit
for duty right now.

Or I could put you on
the fast-track to 3/4 pay.

Tax-free.

Full bennies.
For life.

Just think about it.

- Eduardo's freaked out.

He wants Manny
to go stay with him.

I knew I shouldn't have
called him that night.

- I'm so sorry, Crystal.

- I don't want to make things
worse with Eduardo,

but I don't think
Manny wants to go.

Ever since that night,
he's gotten clingy

or he's hitting me.

- Well, we could get you
a referral

from Victim Services
for counseling.

For you and for Manny.
There'd be no charge.

- You want to send my son
to a shrink?

- Just think about it.

- All I can think about is
whoever raped me

coming back.
He's still out there.

- And we are still
investigating.

- Why haven't you caught him?
How hard are you even trying?

You think because
I didn't tell you

about the other guys
that I lied

about my rape?
- No.

No, Crystal.
Look at me.

We believe you.

Just, you have to understand
that cases like this,

they--they take time.

[phone buzzes]

- Captain, we got a call.

[tense dramatic music]

- A 1013?
Who got shot?

- Nobody, a woman was raped in
front of her 18-month-old baby.

- They wanted
a high-level response.

- "They"? Who made the call?
- I did.

The vic is one of our own.

- Captain, let me introduce
Deputy Inspector Grogan.

- You need to find the
son-of-a-bitch who did this.

- Do you know the vic?
- That's my daughter.

[dramatic music]

♪

.

- He knocked on my door.

Said he had
a MetroBnB confirmation

for my apartment on his phone.

I looked through the peephole.
Just a plain-looking guy.

- Had you ever rented
your apartment before?

- Never, my father would have
had a Chernobyl meltdown.

- Okay, well, we'll follow up
with the company,

but can you tell us
what happened next?

- I never should have opened
the door.

He pushed in, grabbed me,

asked me where my daughter was.

- So he knew
that you had a baby.

- I begged him
to leave her alone.

I would do whatever he said.

But he forced me
into her room, and he...

threw me down on the floor.

[somber music]

- I am so sorry.

- Cara started fussing.
She woke up from her nap.

I asked if I could
take care of her.

God, I can't stop crying.

- Peggy, Peggy.

Look, take
as much time as you need.

Okay?
We're here.

- [sniffles]

My father insisted
I keep a gun.

I have a Colt .25
in my nightstand.

I told the guy
I had to go to the bathroom.

I-I grabbed the gun.

He must have followed me.
That was so stupid.

I fought, scratched him,
but he took it away.

Pistol-whipped me.

Said if I tried anything
like that again,

he would shoot the baby.

- I know this is difficult,
Peggy,

but if there's any details
that you can remember,

his age or build--
- White.

Average-looking.

- Okay.

Okay, did he say anything?

- Yeah.

He said,
"If she cries, she dies."

I'll never forget that.

I was so scared after that,
I just did what he wanted.

Captain, please don't tell
my father that I was crying.

I-I-I don't want him
to be any more upset.

- Okay.

♪

We're looking at the same guy.

- So now McGrath's gonna
take this seriously.

- How's my daughter doing?
- She is strong.

She's a survivor.
She protected your grandchild.

The worst is over.

- Did she give you anything
to go on?

- She gave us
a good description

of a nondescript
white male.

She didn't recognize him.
- Of course she didn't.

- And there's no men
in her life?

What about the baby's father?

- That piece of crap?
No way it's him.

He's on an oil rig
in the Bering Strait.

I gave him two choices.

It was that
or straight to Sing Sing

on two outstanding
bunco warrants.

- Okay, well,
you protect your daughter.

- I'm gonna go see her.

- He threatened
to kill her baby.

Exact same phrase
as the Crystal Nuñez case.

- But there's more
to go on here.

He took Peggy's gun.

Now, we're turning
that apartment inside out.

We'll find something.
Fingerprint, touch DNA.

- She also said
that she scratched him.

- Oh, good girl.
Good for Peggy.

All right, rush the rape kit,
the scene,

and once we find this animal,

she's gonna make
a solid witness.

♪

- Last night, the daughter
of one of our own was

viciously raped in front
of her infant daughter.

We are joined
by our brother unions

to offer a $100,000 reward
for any tip--

- So, we know that there are
a lot of eyes on this case.

- We know, and the lab knows.

They're rushing their report
as fast as they can.

- Okay, so while we're waiting
for forensics,

we're probably looking
at the same perp.

White male, thin, 30s.

He has an M.O.

He targets single mothers
of young children.

- And he told both the moms,
"If the kid cries, it dies."

- That wasn't in the paper?
- No.

So what are the points
of intersection

between Peggy Grogan
and Crystal Nuñez?

- The Nuñez case?

I thought the chief
said to slow-roll that.

- He did, but now that we know

that we're looking
at a pattern--

- Of course.
Got it.

- Peggy and Crystal,
they're both East Side.

One's Lower East,
the other's Yorkville.

Their kids attend
different daycare facilities.

Aside from being
single mothers,

they're as different
as their neighborhoods.

- Double check
all social media accounts.

Any friends that
they may have in common.

Guys, there's gotta be
a connection here.

- Okay.

- Sorry it's so messy in here.

My father wanted us
to move back home,

but I just feel like
that's giving in.

- He's very protective.

- I'm sure he's putting extra
pressure on you to solve this.

But just so you know,
I don't really care.

- You may feel
that way right now--

- I'm alive.
My daughter's alive.

I don't ever want
to think about him

or that night ever again.

- But my sense is telling me

that we are looking
at a serial.

He may have done this
to somebody else before.

- I saw that case on the news.

The woman with
the three-year-old boy?

My father told me
she has custody issues,

that she lied
about her sex life?

- Even so, we're trying
to figure out

if you two might have
anything in common.

- Well, I don't usually go out.
I don't party.

I do part time bookkeeping
for a pediatrician on Zoom.

I got to Mass
three times a week.

I take Cara to daycare,
pick her up.

We go to the park.

- Which park?
- John Jay Park, usually.

- Do you meet anyone
or go to a class,

watch a performer?

- We just go to the swings,
sometimes the sandbox.

And on the way home,
we get ice cream.

- Ice cream?
From any vendor in particular?

- Uh, Swirly City.
The guy there is so generous.

I order a small,
he gives me a large.

- With rainbow sprinkles.
- Yeah.

- Give you the, uh, sprinkles,
no charge.

- Thank you.
- Yeah.

Oh, hey, Sergeant, hey.
What can I get for you?

- Hey, Travis,
I need another favor.

Can we talk for a second?
- Yeah, I'll be right out.

[tense music]

♪

- [grunts]
Gun!

- [screams]
- He's got a gun.

Police, watch out.

- Oh!

♪

- Freeze, man.

- No.
- Yep, put it down.

Put down the weapon.

No one needs to get hurt,
all right?

- No.
- There's kids here.

- No, I'm gonna get out
of here, do you understand?

- All we want to do it talk.
So just put it down.

- You put it down!

- [shouts]
- [winces]

- Waving a gun around
in a park full of kids, huh?

What the hell is
the matter with you?

- Ah!
Take it easy, man!

[yelping]

You're hurting me!
You're hurting me!

- Okay, Velasco, we got him.
It's over.

- Stop him!
- Okay.

- It's over!

- [groans]

- All right, I got him.
I'll take it from here.

- I swear on my mother's grave,
I didn't do this.

You got the wrong man.

[uneasy music]

♪

.

- Peggy's a cop's daughter.
She knows to pay attention.

She'll ID this guy.
- Even if she doesn't,

we have his DNA
under her fingernails,

her hand gun in his possession.

- Can't stand
the idea of him walking.

- I could tell by the way
you arrested him.

- I may have overreacted.
- Mm.

- Sarge say anything?

- You didn't help yourself out
with him.

Let him know
it's not gonna happen again.

- Copy that.
Thanks, Rollins.

[dramatic music]

- Take your time, Peggy.

- I don't need time.
Number three.

♪

[knocks three times]

♪

- Good job, honey.

- "Honey"?
You gotta be kidding me.

Who's this, the girl's father?

- He's on the job, and you got
bigger problems.

- He could have tipped her off.

I'm bringing this up at trial.

- You take this to trial
with what we have,

he goes away for life.
- What do you have?

- A lot.

But we're willing to hear

your client's side
of the story.

- I had them put your rapist

in interrogation room one,
Counselor.

- Don't call him that.

- Give him a few minutes
with his lawyer.

- Well, it's not gonna
do him any good.

- Can I go home now?
- I'll take you.

Thank you, Captain,
Counselor.

Don't let
that son of a bitch get away.

- We won't.

- And don't forget to give
Velasco an "attaboy."

Top-notch work.

- Told you Velasco was
a keeper, huh?

- Yes, you did.

- First of all,
this is a rush to judgement.

You have the Captains Endowment
Association all over you,

so you pick up
the nearest donut--

- His DNA was all over
the scene,

and don't even try
the sippy cup excuse.

- Wait, hold--hold on.
What are we talking about?

- What, your client didn't
tell you that we picked him up

two days ago as a suspect
in another rape

in front of a woman's child?

- Relax, abogado,
she couldn't ID me.

- Who are we talking about?
- Crystal Nuñez, remember her?

- Yeah, and I already told you,
I sold her ice cream.

I never raped her.

These guys, their minds are
already made up.

I told the detectives
about those kids at the park

who've been harassing
these women.

They didn't do anything.

- We didn't find their DNA

under Peggy Grogan's
fingernails.

- How do I know
you didn't just put it there?

Fake news, fake clues.

- Real jury.

- Um, Travis,
I think we're done here.

- Great.
So are we.

We're gonna send your client
to Central Booking.

- Okay, no, I'm not going
with that cowboy

who arrested me yesterday.

- So we arraign him now?
- What's the rush?

Let him stew in Central Booking
for the night.

- Tomorrow, we'll arraign him
on both rapes.

- Both?
No, no.

- Chief, it's the same pattern,
same perp.

- I'm aware, Captain, but
there's a bigger picture here.

We know we can get a grand jury
to indict on Peggy's rape.

The DNA,
her gun in his possession.

Let's not muddy the waters
with the Crystal Nuñez case.

Come on.

- Why don't you let my office
worry about that, Chief.

- How much do we actually need
to hold the guy, huh?

No need to show all your cards
just for arraignment.

Nice work, all of you.

[tense music]

♪

- What in the hell was
that about?

- Crystal's case has
too many holes in it.

They don't want to introduce
reasonable doubt

into any part
of this guy's M.O.

- Yeah, well, the last time
I checked, McGrath is a cop.

He's not the DA.
It's not up to him.

- He makes one call, and it is.

But time might be
on our side here.

We never ran touch DNA
on Crystal's apartment.

- I'm not sure, but we can now.
- This guy sells ice cream.

He's not a mastermind.
He left prints.

He left touch DNA somewhere
in that bedroom.

♪

[indistinct chatter]

- So it was him.
And I missed it.

All this time, he was
just right in front of me,

talking to me, to my son,
and I should have known--

- You can't blame yourself,
Crystal.

You'd never seen him
without a cap and a mask.

- Well, I know it's him now.
Can I do the lineup again?

- No, you've seen
news coverage.

But we can still make
a case here, okay?

We need to prove
that he was in your bedroom.

We're gonna run touch DNA.

- You haven't done that
already--why not?

- We should have, but--
- Oh, I get it.

Now that a cop's daughter's
been raped,

you pull out all the stops.

But when it's a single mom
from Loisaida--

- We're here now, Crystal,

and I'm sorry
it's gonna be inconvenient,

but CSU is gonna go through
every inch of your bedroom.

- What else can they take?

They stripped the bed,
cut my mattress.

- Let me ask you something,
Crystal.

Manny was in the bed with you?

- I told you over and over.

He was sleeping with me,
and I begged that Travis guy

to put him in the other room.

- So he had his blanket
with him.

- Yes, he always sleeps
with his woobie.

- He had it with him
that night.

♪

.

- Counselor,
we've got something.

- You're cutting it close.
I'm doing arraignment now.

What do you got?
- Good news.

Velasco's hunch paid off.

- The lab found touch DNA and
semen on Manny's baby blanket.

Both a match
from Travis Hillsdale.

- I hear you say that out loud,

I can't believe I just said,
"Good news."

- Well, if it means I can
arraign Travis

on Crystal's rape, it is.

Let me check
with the Eighth Floor.

- Okay, I'll call Crystal.

- Docket number 3814,
People versus Reese

on first degree rape
and assault.

- Where the hell is this guy?

[doors opening]

- There he is.

[intense music]

♪

- What did they do to him?

- We're ready, Your Honor.

- People versus
Travis Hillsdale

on the two counts of rape
in the first degree,

unlawful imprisonment,

and endangering the welfare
of a child.

How do you plead?

- Excuse me, Your Honor.

I have late breaking news
for Mr. Carisi.

- This is the guy I was
talking about, all right?

♪

- Mr. Carisi.

- Um,

Your Honor,
I've just been informed...

♪

At this time,
we are withdrawing

the charges pertaining
to the first assault,

Jane Doe number one.

- Is that me?
What's--what's going on?

Why are they dropping
the charges?

- I--I'm not sure right now.

- Very well.
Always interesting in here.

All right, on the one charge
of rape in the first degree,

unlawful imprisonment,

and endangering the welfare
of a child, how do you plead?

- What the hell happened?

You had his DNA.
I was willing to testify.

He wasn't even charged
with my rape?

- I'm sorry.

The powers that be
are concerned

that your case could create
reasonable doubt.

- So my rape doesn't count?

- He's gonna do time, Crystal,
at least 15 years.

- But not for my rape.

- We could never have even
arrested him

if you hadn't come forward.

- Is that supposed
to make me feel better?

- We can recharge him
on your case.

This can still go to trial.

- Stop!

All your talk.

I'm on my own.

I should be used
to that by now.

- She's not wrong.

- Yeah, by which you mean
she's right.

And we're wrong.

- Captain.

Nice work, you two.

Well done.

[somber music]

♪

- I heard Travis was
pretty beat-up.

- Yeah, yeah, he was.

I don't care what the guy did.
He was in police custody.

There is no excuse for that.

- Agreed.

Hey, Sarge,
speaking of rough stuff,

what happened at the arrest,
that's not gonna happen again.

- Good.
It better not.

- No, no, no, no, I owe you.

And, uh, and tell the DA
I said thanks, huh?

[knocks]

Yeah, all right, bye.

Captain.

We didn't have
anything scheduled

till tomorrow, did we?
- We didn't.

You know, Chief, I'm just--
I'm trying to piece together

why Travis wasn't charged
in Crystal's rape.

- You do know he's gonna do
serious prison time, right?

- I do.

- Crystal not testifying
might be a good thing,

given her ongoing
custody battle.

- Can I ask how you heard
about that?

Was that, um...

was that
from Detective Velasco?

- [chuckles]

It's my job to know
what's going on in your unit.

Honestly, I didn't think
you'd be so upset about this.

- I am very upset.

[solemn music]

Chief...

I need to run my unit
the way I see fit.

- Of course.

- The Crystal Nuñezes
of the world,

they matter in my unit.

They matter in my squad,
just as much

as a white shirt's daughter.

- And no one is saying
that they don't.

- But when I give my word,
I keep it.

And I won't be part

of this double standard
ever, ever again.

SVU's obligation is to help
victims become survivors,

not traumatize them
all over again.

- Don't you think a trial would
traumatize Crystal?

- I think that it should have
been her decision.

Not yours.

And just to be clear,

as I told you before
in my office,

I won't turn my back
on any victim.

- Nor would I--
- And if you stand

between me and any victim
of sexual assault ever again,

you can take my shield
and my gun.

♪

In fact,

if that's not understood,
take it now.

[tense music]

- [chuckles]
Okay.

Okay, Captain Benson.

Okay, I think
we understand each other.

♪

- I hope so.

♪

.

[dramatic music]

♪

[wolf howls]