Original subtitles

- So when are we moving offices?

- What do you mean?

- We're taking over Daniel Morales's office, right?

- Is this definite?

- What do you mean, is it definite?

Who else is going to be taking it?

- I don't know.

I don't know who wants it.

- Eli, that's the wrong question to be asking.

You're a partner and you have an associate's office.

- Jonathan is a partner and he's been here longer.

- Yeah, well you've been a partner longer.

- Have you spoken to anyone about this?

- Yeah, I spoke to Douglas.

- Well, maybe I should speak to Jonathan.

- Eli, you know, you're starting to get on my nerves.

- In what sense?

- In the sense that you should take what's yours

and stop worrying about who you're going to offend.

- I do worry about that.

I think I should at least have a conversation

before I just move in.

- Why?

So you can apologize to him?

So you can pretend it's a mutually arrived at decision?

Eli, Jonathan has a nice office, and you've got a closet.

Morales's office is now your office,

so I think you should stop agonizing over it

and just, like, let me know where

you want your desk, all right?

- All right.

[phone ringing]

I hate moving.

- I'll make it go fast.

- I hate feeling as though I'm pushing

someone else out of the way. - Ah, you're a lawyer.

I'd think you'd be used to it by now.

- Eli. - Jonathan.

- I'm sorry, were you going to say something?

- Are you happy with your office?

- Yeah.

Why do you ask?

- I-- I was hoping maybe you could recommend a decorator.

- I don't think I used a decorator.

- Ah, in that case, it would be hard to recommend one.

- Right.

- Very good.

Come on.

[printer scrolling]

- Hi.

- Are you using this office?

- Yeah.

No one else was.

- OK.

- Ah, no, we're using this office now.

- You mean, you're using this office now, or beyond now?

- Ah.

- This is Eli's office now.

- Well, I'll get out of your way.

- You don't have to leave.

- It's OK.

- Oh.

- I don't mind.

- You're forgetting something.

- Thank you.

- Mhm.

- See you.

- You don't have to leave.

Marone.

[theme song]

[soft rock music]

- Rudolph versus Lambert?

- Yes.

Judy Rudolph is suing Jack Lambert for sexually molesting

her 12-year-old daughter.

- Jack Lambert, the producer?

- The very same. - Whoa.

- Why are you handling this?

- First of all, I have handled cases

other than matrimonial cases.

Second of all, I have a considerable amount

of expertise stemming from matrimonial cases,

and how to make a case for sexual molestation of a minor.

Third of all, Mullaney is going to grand jury this week.

We're going to stand pat, let the criminal case run

its course.

When and if it comes time for us to go to trial,

I will bring one of you in--

maybe.

- Might be possible for--

for me to sit-in on this?

- You're not in deep on anything else right now, are you?

- No, I'm pretty free.

- Then by all means sit it.

I want you exposed to as much as possible.

- Including Arnold Becker.

- Great.

- Sorry I'm late.

[wolf whistle]

- Ooh, great haircut.

- Thank you.

- That is a great haircut.

- Thanks.

- Cora Lee Cosmetics versus Regina Cole?

- Yeah, that's mine.

Regina Cole is a model.

She's been under contract to Cora Lee Cosmetics.

They want to enjoin her from modeling for anyone else.

- On what grounds?

- They're invoking the morals clause in her contract,

and generally being as obstinate and unreasonable as possible.

And it doesn't help matters that the head of Cora Lee

is her father.

- You know, I have never met a model in person.

- Are you saying you'd like to? - No, I'm not even saying that.

I'm just commenting on the fact that I never met one.

I've never even been in the room with one.

I've certainly never represented one.

That's all.

Just an observation.

[laughter]

- Internal Revenue Service versus Murray Klupman.

- That's mine.

I represent guys named Murray.

The Service is disallowing capital expenditure

and we're appealing.

- Your hair really does look great.

- Thank you.

- Would anyone else care to comment on Ms. Halliday's hair?

- Did I already comment?

- Yes.

- In that case, I think we're adjourned.

[office chatter]

- You want to talk about it?

- Talk about what?

- About why you cut your hair.

- No, I really don't want to talk about why I cut my hair.

- I think it's pretty apparent. - Excuse me.

- I think your emotions were roiled by our having kissed.

And I think, try though you might,

you can't get it out of your mind.

You had to transform yourself physically

because of the transformation that's taking place inside.

And you know it.

- I have to tell you that, no matter

how much we may love Alexander, there are

12 openings and 300 applicants.

- Alexander has never been one to shrink from head-to-head

competition, have you son?

- See, that's just what we don't want to foster,

is the idea that everybody is competing for these spots.

It gives the impression that we are

judging one applicant over the other

and then deciding which kids are best.

See, what we are searching for is a certain balance,

a certain mixture, of which applicant will bring out

the best in their fellow students

and-- and which will derive the greatest

benefits from our school.

- On the way over, Alexander was drawing an analogy

between the process of selecting applicants

to a school and the GATT Talks.

He was speaking about the desire of various nations

to gain admission into the European Common Market,

weren't you, son?

- Yeah.

- So his interview is on Wednesday.

- He'll be here.

- More letters of recommendation?

- Oh, no.

You're very well covered in that area.

And by the way, do say hi to Miss

Bertinelli when you see her.

- I'll be seeing you at my offices tomorrow.

- Yes, you will.

- So nice to have met you.

- You did great.

- Mr. Cole, what's your position at Cora Lee Cosmetics?

- My mother founded the company in 1965.

I took over as president in 1975.

I've been running Cora Lee ever since.

- What were the circumstances under which

you hired your daughter, Regina Cole, as a model?

- The circumstances were, we wanted to put a pretty black

girl on the front of the box.

Regina was such a girl.

She was my daughter.

I decided to use her.

- And how long has it been that you've been using her?

- It's been six years.

- And during that time, have you been

satisfied with the results?

- Overall, I have.

- Did you put your daughter in a contract, sir?

- Mr. McNeil here required it.

- Is that a yes?

- Obviously, it's a yes.

- In that contract.

Is there any provision making Regina Cole exclusive to Cora

Lee Cosmetics?

- No, there is not.

There is, however, a provision forbidding her

from damaging Cora Lee Cosmetics image.

- Has Regina Cole engaged in criminal behavior

while she's been employed by you?

- Not that I know of.

- Excessive alcohol use, drug use, sexual depravity?

- Regina doesn't do any of those things.

- Then on what basis do you invoke

the morals clause to interfere with her right

to work for anyone else?

- On the basis of the kind of work she was doing.

- What kind of work was she doing, Mr. Cole?

- Work which, in my opinion, tainted her, and by extension

tainted our company.

- Mr. Cole, you contacted individuals

at Essence magazine, Glamour magazine and Vogue magazine,

did you not?

- Yes, I did.

- You took it upon yourself to cancel

her bookings that she had to appear in those magazines.

- I explained the situation to her.

I told her that Cora Lee might be successful

as Black businesses go, but compared to white companies,

it was tiny.

I told her that we had to maintain and cultivate

an image of wholesomeness and propriety,

if we were to have an identity in the marketplace.

I told her this and-- and she ignored me.

- Is that why you also saw fit to sue your daughter, Mr. Cole?

- I ask of her what I ask of any employee.

- Do I have to be here, Jonathan?

- No, you don't.

[stirring music]

- Now, I just want to set the ground rules here.

We have a grand jury hearing coming up, at which I'm

going to seek an indictment.

The fact that a civil case may or may not

come out of this at some future date

is of absolutely no interest to me.

That notwithstanding, Mrs. Rudolph

has asked that I keep you in the loop Arnold,

and I'm inclined to grant her wishes.

- Thank you, Tommy.

- That said, I'd like you to note

that we are not in the offices of McKenzie Brackman.

The criminal prosecution of Jack Lambert

is not a McKenzie Brackman case.

- Understood.

- Can I ask who this gentleman is?

- Ah, Patrick Flanagan.

If we do proceed with a civil trial,

he'll be sitting second chair for me.

- A very small chair.

I promise to keep it in the corner and out of your way.

- Mrs. Rudolph, I'm going to put you up first.

Now, we've been over this, but if there's

anything that you're not clear about, now's the time to ask.

- It'll only be you asking the questions?

- That's right.

The counsel for the defense won't be present.

There will be no cross-examination.

- The prosecution is given more leeway in a grand jury hearing.

If you get in trouble or you get confused,

Mr. Mulaney can talk you through it.

- What about Cindy?

- I'd like to tell you we can do this without putting

her on the stand, but we can't.

She is the only one who can say what actually happened when

she was alone with Lambert.

Without her, it's just hearsay.

We won't even get an indictment.

- She just turned 13.

Since this happened, she hasn't wanted to go to school.

She doesn't want to see her friends.

She doesn't even want to leave her room.

She's totally humiliated.

And I'm just desperately trying to find some way to help

her put this behind her.

I just don't know if what we're doing

isn't hurting her even more.

- Mrs. Rudolph, I'm a prosecutor.

My job is to put criminals in prison.

As a prosecutor, I would like to ensure

that what happened to your daughter

doesn't happen to anyone else.

I'm also the father of a little girl.

And if this had happened to Casey, I'd want to protect her.

I'd also want her to be able to face

the man who did this to her and not to be afraid of

him anymore.

Please, let me help Cindy do that.

- OK.

- Now, Ms. Cole, when you signed the contract,

did you understand that there was a clause stipulating

that you not present yourself to the public

in a way that would damage the image of Cora Lee cosmetics?

- I don't believe I've done anything

to damage Cora Lee cosmetics.

- In July of last year, you appeared in a fashion show

at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

Is that correct?

- Yes, I did.

- Would you tell us, please, what

you were wearing that evening?

- I wore a short, black, leather dress.

- I believe it was an extremely short, black, leather

dress, was it not, Ms. Cole?

- I was being a model, Mr. McNeil.

I was wearing what I was told to wear.

- Did you understand at the time that what you were doing

could embarrass or harm the Cora Lee cosmetic company?

- These were the biggest designers in the world

and I was wearing their clothes.

I didn't think that would embarrass anyone.

- Had Mr. Cole not specifically asked you to refrain

from modeling that type of attire?

- My father has asked for a great many things.

- Your father also gave you a great many things.

- Can we possibly avoid--

- When do I get to be paid up, daddy?

When do I get to decide what I want for myself?

- When it doesn't hurt the company.

- This has nothing to do with the company.

This has everything to do with me not

being the blindly obedient, adoring, virginal, teenage

girl anymore.

This has everything to do with the fact that I'm 23 years old.

- Can we get back to the deposition, please?

- Sure.

[office chatter]

- Hi.

How's things?

- Good.

- You about ready to start taking

compliments on your hair?

- It does kind of get to you after a while.

- Are-- are you available later on today?

- I think so.

Why?

- I haven't done very much federal practice.

I know you have.

I've got a federal appeals case I'm working on.

If I could just talk to you for, like, half an hour,

it would do me a world of good.

- Sure.

- About 5:00?

- Yeah, 5:00 is great.

- Great.

And if we run late, I'll order in dinner.

- OK.

- So that's a total of seven partners with billable hours

well into eight figures.

- Very impressive.

- We could have expanded much more than we did.

We opted, instead, to go slow.

- There's something to be said for that.

- We think so.

We think it's more important to have a sense of community

than to just maximize profits.

- It is.

- It's also important that it be a diverse community.

And here, I'm talking about race, gender,

ethnicity-- the whole shot. - Yes.

- Here's one of our female attorneys--

Ted Waldron, Ann Kelsey.

- Nice to meet you.

- And here's her husband, Stuart Markowitz, who also works here,

and who parenthetically shares childcare

responsibilities with his wife.

- How do you do?

- Ted is headmaster at Freebird.

- Oh, really?

- Matthew is going on four now?

- Indeed.

- Four, yes.

- They'll be calling you any day now.

- From what I understand, Freebird is one of the best.

- As far as we're concerned, it's the best.

- There are a number of very good schools in Los Angeles.

- The truth is, Mr. Waldron, Stuart

and I are great believers in a public school education.

We have a terrific school in our district

and we intend to send Matthew there.

- Great talking to you.

This is Jonathan Rollins.

- Hello.

- Ted Waldron, headmaster at Freebird Academy.

- How do you do?

- Just made partner.

And over here we have--

well, actually he's not here anymore.

We had a very fine Hispanic attorney,

who just left recently for issues

having nothing to do with race.

[phone ringing]

Now down here, we have the executive offices.

Leland McKenzie, I'd like you to meet Ted Waldron.

- Actually we've met.

- Have we?

- Yes, we met at a fundraiser for our school

at the Beverly Wilshire.

- Oh, you're absolutely right.

- And Douglas has been telling me

your thoughts about forging a partnership

with a local school.

- Has he?

- Like all responsible business people,

we keep asking ourselves, how can we give something

back to the community?

- Yes.

Yes, we do.

I don't know maybe it's just a fantasy of mine,

but I keep seeing a McKenzie Brackman Scholarship Fund.

- Well, not to look a gift horse in the mouth, at present,

our scholarship needs are being met.

- Are they?

- Currently, we are working on our gymnasium.

- Perfect.

- And currently what we are in need of

is underwriting for a new locker room.

- Done.

- And you understand that our admissions

committee works independently of our fundraising apparatus?

- I would assume so.

- Leland, it was good to see you again.

- It's good to see you, sir.

- And I hope that Alexander's interview goes well.

- Thank you.

- Have you taken leave of your senses?

- What?

- How could you ever think of committing the firm

to those kinds of donations?

- I was expressing an interest.

I wasn't making any commitments.

- You said you wanted to pay for the locker room.

- First of all, the exposure couldn't be better.

Every heavy hitter in this city, from law firms,

to talent agencies, to production companies,

have their name on something at the school.

Second of all, anything above and beyond what

the firm is comfortable with, I would

make up out of personal funds.

And third of all, let's see whether or not he gets in.

- Have you thought, for a moment,

that if they don't want to accept Alexander based

on his own merits and potential, that maybe this

isn't the right school for him?

- Leland, if you had young children,

you wouldn't ask me that question.

- Would you state your occupation for the record,

please? - Yes.

I own the Alessio Modeling Agency.

- And Regina Cole is one of your models?

- Yes, she is.

- What first brought her to your attention?

- I saw her in a print ad for Cora Lee.

I found her quite striking, so I made some inquiries, discovered

that she didn't have an agent.

So I flew to LA and convinced her to sign with me.

- And did you realize that she was under contract

to Cora Lee at the time?

- My understanding was, and is, that it's

not an exclusive contract.

- But you encouraged her to break her contract altogether,

did you not?

- Being featured on the boxes of hair straightener

in the ethnic product section of a drugstore doesn't exactly

put her on the fast track to a career as a fashion model,

now does it?

And she was making nothing.

- I believe she was making $75,000 a year.

- I have girls who make that in two weeks.

- So you induced her to get out of her contract for her good?

- Her and mine both.

He sure as hell wasn't doing her any good.

He calls up my agency, speaks to my people,

tries to find out her bookings.

He's abusive on the telephone.

He threatens magazine editors with lawsuits.

It doesn't matter what she looks like, this guy

is going to ruin her.

- I ruin her?

- Can we keep to the deposition, please?

- How is it that I will ruin her?

- Ellis, please.

- Make it so that no one will work with her.

- Did it ever occur to you that my daughter

has options in life other than showing off her body?

- Yes, of course she does, Mr. Cole.

But for now, this is what she wants to do.

And if I may add, if she does want to show off her body,

then now is the time.

You see, in the modeling business,

they don't stay ripe for long.

- Your attorney has advised you that even

though this statement is made voluntarily,

I can use anything you say against you.

- Mr. Lambert understands that.

He is coming to you with the hope of putting a stop to what

we believe is a meritless case before irrevocable damage is

done to his good name.

- Well, the grand jury proceedings are to determine

whether or not it's meritless.

- I work in the media, Mr. Mulaney.

People want fast answers.

They want to know in 30 seconds or less,

is he guilty or innocent?

You ask 100 people what an indictment is and they'll

tell you it means guilty.

- Which is why the grand jury is held in secret.

- This is Hollywood, Mr. Mulaney.

There are no secrets.

- For the record, I'd like it noted

that Jack Lambert is a tireless supporter

of the poor and downtrodden.

His Human Touch Foundation has sheltered more homeless people

than probably any non-profit organization

in Southern California.

- Duly noted.

- The point is, if this goes to trial,

my name, for all intents and purposes, is ruined.

Even if the networks want to ride out the trial with me,

they won't be able to, because the advertisers

will, as one, run to the hills.

- We all have problems, Mr. Lambert,

paupers and kings alike.

- Mr. Mulaney, I'm sure that you believe in your heart

that you are protecting an innocent child

against a dangerous predator.

But know this--

I never once touched this child.

I never once made a suggestive remark

I never did any of the things that I stand accused of.

This is a shakedown, pure and simple.

- By the girl?

- By her mother.

This is a woman who would not hesitate to use

her child any way she could.

- I haven't seen that thus far.

- Of course not, because she always made

it look so innocent.

Cindy really misses her father.

You're the closest thing she has.

I wonder, can you take her to the ballet?

Or maybe you can let her hang around the set?

Or maybe you can consider her for a part?

Or maybe you could talked to her about her school work?

- And as Judy's employer, you felt it

was your obligation to comply?

- Her late husband was a very dear friend of mine.

My obligation ran to him.

- Did that also include skinny-dipping

with his daughter in your pool?

- Even your housekeepers witnessed that.

- I came out in my backyard and Cindy was there--

- Do you always walk around your backyard in the buff, sir?

- Yes, because I swim in the nude.

I have 12-foot hedges around my house.

I did not expect Cindy to be there.

- Mr. McCafferty, if your client's purpose here

is to convince me not to proceed with the grand jury,

he's wasting his time.

- This child's mother is after one thing.

And when she thinks she has enough leverage,

she's going to try and cash out.

You're being used, Mr. Mulaney.

Welcome to the club.

Let's go.

[string music]

- She's in breach of contract.

- Well, that's not my problem, Mr. Cole.

You got no business being here.

- She is under contract to my company.

- You are going to have to leave.

- No, I'm not going anywhere.

You're going to shut this shoot down

is what you were going to do. - No, I'm afraid you're wrong.

- Excuse me, what is the problem?

- My father's here and he's refusing to leave.

- Mr. Cole, can I talk to you for a moment?

- What do you want to talk to me about?

- I want to talk to you about why it is that you're here.

- I am here because what my daughter is doing

is inimical to the best interests of my company.

- And does your attorney know you're here?

- My attorney has thus far failed to put a stop to this,

so I elected to take matters into my own hands.

And if that means suing every person here, so be it.

I will do that.

- Mr. Cole, if I'm not mistaken, these people

here have work to do.

- Yes, we do.

- And I am here, Mr. Rollins, to physically

interfere with that work.

- Are you refusing to leave?

- I am refusing to leave.

- Call the cops.

- No.

[set chatter]

I don't want you to do that.

- In that case, where are your things?

That's it?

Let's go. - Oh, wait.

Wait, what do you mean, let's go?

- I mean, I'm concerned about the physical safety

of my client and I'm taking her out of here now.

- Well, you know it's going to cost us a day.

- Tell him.

[set chatter]

[phone ringing]

- How did it go?

- It went all right.

- This is what it's like trying to get information from him.

- Alexander, listen to me carefully.

Were you engaging?

- Yeah.

- Did you participate in the conversation

without dominating it?

When it was your turn to be listening,

did you appear to be listening?

- I think so.

I don't know.

- He said nothing about having studied the cello.

- Why not?

- I forgot.

- Not to worry.

We'll mention that in the followup letter.

You did mention that you've read Dickens?

- Well, sort of.

- You did mention that you spent a Thanksgiving serving

meals to homeless people?

Please god tell me that you mentioned that.

- I did, yeah.

I did mention that.

- [sigh] Good.

Well, we're over that hurdle.

And I think we definitely helped ourselves with the clothes.

- Next is the essay.

- We should have a draft by end of business tomorrow.

Can we do that?

- Absolutely.

We just have to get started on it.

[phone ringing]

- He's in, Sheila.

It's as good as done.

- Yeah.

[office chatter]

- You have a moment?

- Yeah, sure.

- I think we're making a mistake not proceeding

with the civil suit right away.

- Patrick, we've been through this.

If there's a conviction, the civil case against Lambert

gets that much stronger.

If there's an acquittal, there's nothing

to prevent the civil suit from going forward.

It costs us nothing to wait.

- On that point, I have to disagree with you.

Once this goes to a criminal trial, it's out.

It's-- It's in the papers.

It's on TV.

Lambert's career is irreparably damaged.

If we offer him the opportunity to prevent that from happening,

we offer him his greatest incentive to settle.

- And how is it that we can offer him that?

- If the girl doesn't testify, Mullaney doesn't have a case.

- And you're suggesting that we give him the opportunity

to escape prosecution.

- It would be our client's decision.

I'm just suggesting we make it an option.

- That's illegal, Patrick.

- Strictly speaking, you're right.

Given the upside potential, I thought

we might still explore whether or not

something could be worked out.

- And I'm telling you, there's nothing

of that kind to be worked out.

Setting aside any moral discussions for the time being,

in this room we don't do that which is proscribed by law.

- Well, it's just a thought.

[soft rock music]

- This is an application for a protective order?

- Yes, your honor.

Ellis Cole showed up at my client's place of work.

He was belligerent.

He was threatening.

- I dispute both those characterizations.

- He caused my client to leave her place of work out of fear

for her personal safety. - I would dispute that as well.

- Mr. McNeil, permit Mr. Rollins to finish his argument,

then you'll make your argument. - I was present, your honor.

As an officer of this court, I can attest to the fact

that Mr. Cole appeared to be unstable.

I believe he poses a threat to this young woman's safety.

I would ask the court, in the strongest possible terms,

to issue a protective order.

- Mr. McNeil?

- Your honor, these two people are father and daughter,

involved in a contract dispute.

This is posturing.

This is trial strategy.

My client poses no threat whatsoever to his daughter.

- Why did he show up at her work?

- He wanted to discuss something with her.

- That's what he's got a lawyer for.

Mr. McNeill I'm going to err on the side of caution here.

Protective order is issued.

Ellis Cole is hereby prohibited from coming within 100

feet of the applicant.

The clerk will issue a written order.

Call the next case.

- People versus Harmon.

[courtroom chatter]

[elevator bell]

- Hey.

- Hi, Patrick.

- How are you holding up?

- About as well as can be expected for someone about

to go before the grand jury.

- You'll do fine.

- How come you're here?

- I thought you could use a little moral support.

- Is Arnie here as well?

- No, just me.

- It was very sweet of you to come.

- You ready?

- Patrick can't come in with me?

- I'm afraid not.

- [sigh] Oh, god, I--

- Hey, Lambert's not going to be in there.

His lawyer's not going to be in there.

No one's going to cross-examine you or try

to trip you up in any way.

All you have to do is tell us what happened.

- I still wish you could come in with me.

- In there, Tommy's your lawyer.

You don't need me.

Right?

- Right.

[courtroom chatter]

[elevator bell]

- Mrs. Rudolph, how long had you worked for Mr. Lambert?

- Four years, but I'd known him almost 20.

- Would you describe the circumstances by which

you came to work for him?

- He was a friend of my late husband's.

When Mel died, I had to go back to work,

and Mr. Lambert offered me a job at his production company.

- In what capacity?

- Personal assistant.

He had four television series and two or three

movies going at any one time.

I would work mostly at his office,

but I would also go on location.

He'd say, we're working in Hawaii tomorrow, and we'd go.

- Wasn't this kind of schedule very

disruptive for your daughter?

- The whole time I was growing up, I never went anywhere,

I wanted it different for her.

So when we had the chance to travel, I took her along.

She'd bring her schoolwork.

It got to be normal for her.

Jack would insist on paying for her to accompany me.

I thought he was just being generous.

Even when I worked out of his home,

he would encourage me to bring her along.

She'd swim in his pool, and they'd play tennis,

and he'd take us to dinner after work.

- Did there come a point at which he began

taking her places without you?

- Yes.

After two years, I started dating again.

Jack would have tickets to a basketball game or a ballet,

and he'd say, Cindy can come with me.

Cindy took the death of her father very hard.

She missed him very much.

After he died, Jack became the closest

thing she had to a father.

- At what point did you begin to suspect that Mr. Lambert's

relationship with your daughter was

something other than fatherly?

- I never did.

- Your daughter was spending an increasing

amount of time with an adult man and you never suspected?

- Mr. Mulaney, I don't know what your personal life is like,

but I don't know anyone that I would look at and say,

this person could be a child molester.

You see it on talk shows and TV movies, but that's not my life.

That's somebody else's life.

- How did you find out that your daughter was being sexually

molested, Mrs. Rudolph?

- My daughter told me.

- How long did she say it had been going on?

- Six months.

- Did you ever ask her why she had never come to you before?

- She said she was scared.

She thought it was her fault And she didn't want me to be mad.

Part of me says, I didn't know because I didn't want to know.

Being in Jack Lambert's life, being in his inner circle,

made my life better.

I thought it also made her life better.

- Mrs. Rudolph, what effect has this had on your daughter?

- She sees a therapist twice a week.

And I'm hoping she'll see the man responsible for this

brought to justice.

Those things may help.

As to the effect it had, I think it will take

the rest of her life to know.

[phone ringing]

- Sheila, what's wrong?

No.

How?

A form letter?

- [sniffling]

- Here, Doug.

[phone ringing]

- I was too subtle.

That's where I failed.

- Somehow, I don't think that was it.

- The truth is, we must have appeared

to him as being altogether pathetic with our desire.

- You're right, I wasn't subtle enough.

I should have hinted at it without making

him feel complicitous.

- Well, it isn't as though Alexander

doesn't have other options.

- [scoffs] Other options.

- I know.

- Are there no other options?

Is there no other school that would

be satisfactory for Alexander to attend?

- All I can do right now is rethink the past.

What have we done, what have we not done,

that this should happen to us, that this circle

should be drawn, separating us from what

we want for our child?

- I can't help but feel that this failure permeates

every aspect of our life.

- I feel very badly for both of you.

- Thank you Leland Thank you for being

with us in our time of need.

- Leland, you got a minute?

- Yeah come in.

- Oh, sorry.

- No, no.

Please.

Even in times like, this the world keeps turning.

- By the way, I heard your son was interested in going

to Freebird.

- Black humor is a trademark of the Irish, isn't it?

- I was just going to say, if I could be of any help--

- It's too late, Patrick.

Thank you.

Come on, Sheila.

Let's go.

[phone ringing]

[radio chatter]

- Hey, what's going on?

- Can you get in the car, sir?

Watch your head.

[radio chatter]

- Taking him in?

- He violated the protective order.

We have to take him in.

- You going to be all right, miss?

- Yes.

- OK.

- Thank you, officer.

- Sure.

[engine starting]

- He wouldn't stop banging on the front door.

- Gina, you did the right thing.

- Did I?

- Yes, absolutely.

Absolutely.

- Thanks for getting here so fast.

- Hey, call me anytime.

OK? - OK.

- OK?

- OK.

Are you sure you're all right?

- Yeah.

I'll make a cup of tea, and I'll get in bed,

and hopefully I'll fall asleep.

- OK.

I'll talk to you tomorrow.

- You sure you don't want some tea?

- You could come in if you want.

- No, that's-- that's OK.

You go to sleep

[dog barking]

- OK.

Thanks again, Jonathan.

- Would you like some coffee?

- I'm fine, Thanks.

- I guess you're going to prepare

Cindy for her testimony.

- If you elect to proceed that way,

I certainly will want to prepare her.

- What do you mean, elect to proceed?

- If you decide that's what's in the best

interests of your daughter.

- Mr. Mulaney said, if she didn't testify,

there was no case.

- Well, Mr. Mulaney is a prosecutor.

He doesn't represent you or your daughter.

He represents the State of California.

It's his job to put Jack Lambert in jail.

It's your job-- our job--

to do what's best for Cindy.

- I'm sorry, I still don't understand

what you're suggesting.

If your primary concern is to get Lambert convicted and put

away for as long as possible, that's

exactly how we'll proceed.

If your primary concern is your daughter's well-being--

- Well, of course my primary concern

is my daughter's well-being.

- Mrs. Rudolph, if there were a way to make this go away--

[stirring music]

- would you want me to explore that possibility?

- You're our attorney.

If you want to explore something,

go ahead and explore.

- This is it?

- I wanted to keep it simple.

- There's no reference here to what

your client would do in exchange for this settlement.

- That's correct.

- But we understand each other.

- We understand what we understand.

- And how are we protected from misunderstandings?

- I think the date of the last and largest

payment has some significance.

It coincides with the expiration of the statute of limitations.

- This is my copy?

- I don't think there should be any copies.

- I think you're right.

[whirring]

[jailhouse chatter]

[panting]

[phone ringing]

- Look, he's here.

- You know, your lawyer should be present.

- I don't need for my lawyer to be present.

- What is it you wanted to see me about?

- I want to know Regina is all right.

- No, she's not all right.

She knows you spent the night in jail, and she's upset.

- I need for her to know that I would

never hurt her physically.

- I think you should decide how far

you're willing to go with this.

- I haven't changed my mind.

- Mr. Cole, I'm talking to you now as a man, not as a lawyer.

In this world, what we've achieved-- you and I--

didn't come easy.

You graduated from Harvard.

You've built a successful business.

You've got wealth, education, opportunity,

and you have those things because you earned them.

And for all that right now, you're

just another Black man in jail.

- Whatever it is that I've accomplished

in my life, whatever I've done, the most important thing

was raising my daughter.

After her mother died, that was left to me.

We may have eaten more takeout than home-cooked, but I did it.

I took care of her.

I kept her safe.

Now, you are telling me that I should stop doing that.

- I'm telling you she's not a little girl anymore.

I'm telling you the time has come to let her go.

- I can't do that.

- Then you're going to lose her, completely.

And as hard as that would be for you,

it'll be 1,000 times harder for her.

[phone ringing]

Mr. Cole, you did a good job of raising her.

What you got to do now is trust her.

- What's going on, Arnie? - What do you mean?

- I just got off the phone with Judy Rudolph.

She told me that her daughter would

not be available to testify for the grand jury, now or ever.

She also made it clear that her own testimony may have been

colored by her emotional state and could not

necessarily be relied upon if we went to trial.

- She made that decision without consulting me.

- There's no way this woman would have

backed down without a deal.

- What, you think I'm lying to you, Tommy?

- Yeah, I do.

And the day comes that I can prove it, I'll nail your ass.

- For what?

- Obstruction of justice, how about?

Cutting a deal so a witness doesn't

testify in a criminal trial is a felony.

- This office didn't cut any deals.

And as far as I'm concerned, my client didn't cut any deals.

- Well, as far as I'm concerned, your client

was pimping off her own kid, and I'm going to nail

her ass for child endangerment.

- Do me a favor, Tommy.

Don't threaten.

- You know, when I worked here, I

would have thought that no one in the firm,

including you, was capable of something like this.

Well, either I'm a real bad judge of character or things

have changed.

- Arnie, come in.

I had a call in to you.

I don't think I need to listen to my voicemail.

Mulaney was just in my office.

- I decided I couldn't put Cyndy through any more of this,

so I asked Mr. Flanagan to do whatever he could.

- All right, look, we're behind closed doors here.

Let's pretend to be human beings.

Lady, I don't know exactly what you did, but don't try

and tell me it has anything to do with what's

good for your daughter.

- Do you have anything else for me to sign?

- No.

- Are you aware that Mullaney's coming

after you for child endangerment and half a dozen other charges?

- Do you really think Lambert's going to cooperate with him?

I don't think it's likely.

And my attorney assures me that, even with cooperation,

there's no basis for prosecution.

- Your attorney assures you?

- Yes, he does.

- Mom?

- Hi, honey.

- It's getting late.

- I'm all done.

Thanks again.

- You're welcome.

[office chatter]

- This was all her.

- Did you meet with her, Patrick?

Did you meet with her when I wasn't there?

- That's what she wanted. - Don't tell me what she wanted.

You're an associate.

You don't get coffee without letting me know about it.

- Meantime, I just brought $10 million into the firm.

- Jack Lambert we've never paid that kind of money

unless he had an assurance the girl wouldn't testify.

Did you give him that assurance?

- No, I did not.

- That sick broad just shook down

the guy she was pimping her daughter off on,

and you were right there with it.

- You want to think it was a shakedown, fine.

I acted at our client's behest, in our client's best interests.

- Patrick, you're talking to Arnie Becker here.

Don't try to justify your actions with me.

I mastered rationalization before you figured

out how to tie a Windsor knot.

You did not reach down into the mud and pull out this deal.

You swam along the bottom with your mouth open.

You engineered this piece of dirty little work

from the first bell.

I know it and you know it.

You should know something else--

this isn't over.

[tense music]

- [vocalizing]

- Hi.

- I never should have done this.

- What are you talking about?

You look fabulous.

- I went to the place where I always get my hair

done, just to get a trim. - Uh-huh.

- And Mary Ellen said, oh, you would

look so great with short hair.

And just like that, I said, OK.

- So, good.

You were impulsive.

- I just hate that everybody notices.

- Yeah, well imagine how much you'd hate it if they didn't.

- Well, I hate that everybody feels

compelled to say something.

- Only until the right person says the right thing.

Hey, by the way, what do you think of the new lawyer?

- What do you mean?

- He's a good looking guy, don't you think?

- Yes.

[door closing]

[phone ringing]

- She'll take care of it, so--

hey, come on in.

Listen, let me get back to you.

All right.

Hey.

- Hi.

How is he?

- He's good.

He's home, and he said he'd like for you to give

him a call, when you're ready.

- I will.

- He's dropping the lawsuit, Regina.

- He is?

- He's formally withdrawing the action for an injunction.

And he says he'll release you from your contract.

That's good news.

It's--

- I know it is.

I think I just need to let it sink in.

- Come on.

- Thank, you Jonathan.

- You're very welcome.

Yeah, it's not usually a good idea for lawyers

to get involved with clients.

- Well, since my dad dropped the lawsuit, technically

I'm not a client.

- Well--

- True.

- That's true, I think.

- I think I'd like to go out with you, Jonathan.

- I think I'd like to go out with you, too.

[office chatter]

- Mr. Brackman.

- What?

- I spoke to my friend on the board at Freebird,

and he said to bring Alexander down next week,

and he'll walk you through the paperwork.

- I'm sorry?

- It's a great school. I'm sure he's going to love it.

- What?

I don't under-- how?

- It was no big deal, really.

[office chatter]

- Leland, ever since our primordial ancestors picked up

a rock, man has been trying to define

the true nature of power.

- Mhm.

- I believe we just witnessed it.

- Yeah.

- Whoa, $30 millo--

way to go, Arnie.

- And we cleared what?

- Over $9 million.

- Wow, congratulations.

- Congratulate Flanagan.

He made the deal.

- What's this, the new Arnie Becker?

- Don't get modest on us now, Arnie.

This one's yours. - Way to go.

[stirring string music]

[sigh]

[theme music]