All language subtitles for Law and order S09E07 - Venom

In the criminal justice system

the people are represented by two
separate yet equally important groups,

the police
who investigate crime

and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

If I ever again agree to attend
another charity concert,

please break this thumb.

They're donating their time.

It didn't help with you
snoring along out of tune.

Maybe if the sopranos removed one
piece of clothing with each aria.

You have no idea how lucky
we were to get tickets.

Maria Matera hasn't performed
outside of Europe...

Oh, God!

We heard a loud bang,
and there they were.

We didn't see anyone else.

Nobody ran out of the alley?

No. And we were
in there right away.

The door to the alley goes through the
building and out onto 55th Street.

You checked it out?

I used to wait in that alley
to try and get autographs.

Meet Stuart Wattman.

His driver's license says he's 52.
Shot once through the chest.

He was dead when
the uniforms showed up.

What about the woman?

Lianne Crosby, 44. She was
rolled to Beth Eden E.R.

Shoulder wound.

Anybody talk to her?

She was unconscious.

One shot, two down?

Through him,
through the girlfriend.

Found a.357 slug here.

You should take a look at the
tunnel it left through this guy.

I'll take your word for it.

Hmm, the shooter didn't have
time to take his gold watch.

No time for the wallet,
or the lady's purse either.

Maybe he had all
the time he needed.

Stuart went out for a cigarette.
I went to join him.

I heard Stuart
arguing with someone.

Who with?

I don't know.

I stepped into the alley,
there was a loud bang.

Next thing, paramedics were
putting me on a stretcher.

Was it a mugging?

We don't think so. Uh...

How long have you and
Mr. Wattman been dating?

Dating!
Stuart Wattman?

No. Stuart was a walker.

Uh, an escort.

I'm a widow. Stuart was
just an arm to hang on to.

And what were you to him?

A free ticket. A ride.

My driver and I picked him up.

What time was that?

7:45. Uh, almost didn't make
it to the concert in time.

Did Stuart ever talk about
having problems with anybody?

No. We kept the
conversation very light.

Stuart had a complicated life.

Complicated how?

Well, he tried telling me
about his boyfriends once,

but I couldn't follow it.

Look at this place.

I thought this guy was loaded.

I mean, he always
had a suit and a tie on.

So do I.

Yeah, but the women this guy
got, real high-class stuff.

They'd come to pick him up.

Well, from what we
understood, Wattman was gay.

Mr. Wattman? No way.

The other night, outside,
he had this argument

with some guy over a broad named Pamela.
This guy was pissed.

Who was this other guy?

I don't know. Some famous guy.
Orenstein.

Uh, I see his picture
in the paper all the time.

Orenstein?

Jeremy Orenstein?

Poor Lianne Crosby.
Her husband drowns,

Crosby Maritime nosedives on
the NASDAQ, and now this.

Talk about bad luck.

Stuart Wattman,
now that's bad luck.

Well, yes, yes. Stuart.

What was your
relationship with him?

My relationship?

I set an example for Stuart.

But the poor man never
had the right equipment.

I beg your pardon?
Uh...

Stuart always wore the same
two Calvin Klein tuxedos.

I have seven, Armanis, Zegnas,

and a custom one by Loro Piana.

And cuff links.

You can never have
enough cuff links.

Stuart never had enough,
or the proper kind.

You got close enough to check?

When you're a walker, you
develop an eye for such things.

A witness saw you and
Stuart having an argument

about three days ago
outside his apartment.

I wouldn't be surprised.

Over some woman named Pamela?

That's between Stuart and me.

And now, us.

All right.

Pamela Marks told me that
Stuart hit her up for 20 grand.

A loan, which I'm sure he
was never going to repay.

How is that any
of your business?

Pamela told me Stuart threatened
to spread nasty rumors about her.

For a walker,
that's very bad form.

Who said anything
about $20,000?

The same person who told us Mr. Wattman
threatened to spread rumors about you.

Mrs. Marks, if we have to
dig this up on our own...

Now you're threatening me?

All I'm saying is,
if you play ball with us,

we'll keep a lid on things.

Stuart knew about my husband's and my...
Special interests.

What do you mean, "Special"?

We have a vacation
home in Mustique.

I'm attracted to
the local talent.

We're not talking
about limbo dancing.

No. Paul, my husband,
he likes to watch.

This is beyond embarrassing.

Did your husband know that
Wattman was shaking you down?

Yes.

Does he own a gun?
Of course not.

Where was he last night?

With me, at the Temple
of Dendur at the Met.

There was a benefit auction.

You're sure he was
with you all night?

Yes. I kept him
on a tight leash.

I thought Stuart
was going to be there.

Was he scheduled to be there?

I heard he was walking Bunny
Malone to the auction.

I thought there
might be a scene.

Imagine my relief when Bunny
showed up with Bill Blass.

Bunny Malone confirmed she gave
Stuart the heave-ho at 7:30.

So until then, Mr. Wattman didn't
know he was going to the concert.

Neither would whoever shot him.

They'd be waiting
for him at the auction.

Well, what calls did he make
after Ms. Malone dumped him?

IUDs show four. Probably
trolling for a date.

His last call
was Lianne Crosby.

So that's when he found out he
was gonna be at the concert.

Maybe the shooter followed
him from his apartment.

Mrs. Crosby picked
him up in her car,

doorman didn't see
anybody waiting.

Well, who knew Lianne Crosby
was going to the concert?

She got her tickets
three weeks ago.

And she was just an innocent
bystander to the shooting?

So she says.

See if the lab rats
can straighten it out.

A walker is supposed
to hold the door,

hold your coat,
and hold his tongue.

I hear Stuart was
two for three.

Probably what got him killed.

We don't think he was
the intended victim.

What do you mean?

Our lab technicians
found your blood

on the front
of Mr. Wattman's jacket.

I don't follow.

Well, it seems Mr. Wattman
was behind you.

You were facing the shooter.

Simply put, Mrs. Crosby, it didn't
happen the way you said it did.

I turned the corner,
I got shot.

I... I don't know
who was where.

Maybe you should tell us
who'd want to hurt you.

There's no one.

Mrs. Crosby,

whoever tried to kill you
is liable to do it again.

Who'd want me killed?

I have no enemies.

Go.

Charming as she is,
she's full of it.

The Orenstein guy said the Crosby family
business took a bath on Wall Street.

That's gotta make for
a lot of unhappy people.

Lianne sold every share she
inherited from Henry Crosby.

Investors panicked.

The stock fell 60%% in a week.

Why'd she sell?

Since her husband died. She felt the
company wasn't a safe bet anymore.

Was she right?

No. Oppenheimer's moved
us from a hold to a buy.

So, a lot of people lost
their money for nothing.

Yes. If Lianne
hadn't been distracted,

she might have realized that
she was making a mistake.

Distracted by what,
her husband's death?

She seems to have
gotten over that.

She's been seeing someone since
just after Mr. Crosby died.

How do you know this?

The Crosby family keeps a
yacht at Surfside Marina.

The company charters it
for business purposes.

Mrs. Crosby has been using
it for other purposes.

Kline tell you that?
I should've known.

Open your yap to a suit, it comes
right back to bite you in the ass.

Pays to be discreet, huh?

Mr. Kline wanted to know how
often Mrs. Crosby used the boat.

What was I supposed to say?

What did you say?

I told him.
Every other week.

She spends a couple of hours. Her
driver drops her off in the afternoon.

And her boyfriend,
what, he swims in?

He drives a motorcycle.
A kid in his 20s.

You know his name?
No.

License plate on the bike?

Don't know. It was
an old English bike.

What the Tommies used
in World War ll.

How long they been meeting?

Since three months ago.

And the last time?

Week ago.

I heard this screaming
coming from the boat,

and then the kid gets on
his bike and drives off.

Looked like somebody
spit in his breakfast.

Am I speaking on a
frequency you can't hear?

I've told you. Whoever it
was shot at Stuart, not me.

Maybe we're the ones who aren't
getting through, Mrs. Crosby.

We know you've been
having an affair

ever since your husband died.

Where did you hear that?

A witness has seen you
with a young man

every other week on your boat.

I want the name
of this witness.

You had an argument last
week with this young man.

I did not. Is this what you
do with our tax dollars,

dredge up gossip?

Look, you're not helping
yourself by protecting him.

I have a plane to catch.

Mrs. Crosby...
What? I can't leave?

Sure.

Just, uh, in case we need you,

you mind telling us
where you're going?

Saratoga Springs.
The sooner the better.

A World War ll era
English bike?

Yeah. He said the kind the
British army used to ride.

This guy would know?

He looks like he could've
been there for D-Day.

He said it was painted
a flat olive green,

no chrome and, uh,
cat's eye headlamp.

BSA M20. Not too many
of those in the U.S.

How many we talking about?

Fully restored?
I wouldn't know.

Maybe my database
has something.

We scan in the classifieds of
motorcycle magazines and newspapers.

Lots of stolen bikes and parts

get unloaded
through the classifieds.

Here we go.

Ad six weeks ago,
Vintage Wheels magazine.

"Wanted, rebuilt carb
for war-era BSA M20."

"Also front fender
license blade."

"Dennis."
Manhattan number.

Sorry to keep you
waiting, Detectives.

Why do you want
to speak to Denny?

Uh, he placed an ad
in a motorcycle magazine.

And they gave us
his name, Mrs...

Pollock. And which one are you?
Curtis?

Briscoe.

We just wanted to make sure it was the
same Dennis Pollock who placed the ad.

Uh, does he own
an antique motorcycle?

Yes. Is anything wrong?

No. We just need
to talk to him.

He's at work.

At the Thomas W. Hookstratten Foundation.
Named for my late husband.

What do you want to
talk to Denny about?

Well, we'd rather
discuss it with your son.

My son?
Dennis is my husband.

Excuse me. Are we talking
about the same guy?

Mid-twenties,
rides a BSA M20?

That's right.
He's 27.

And sometimes I ride
on the back. Excuse me.

Hey, she's a beautiful woman.

Joyce called to tell me
you wanted to talk to me.

Something about
my motorcycle...

Well, not quite. Uh, do
you know a Lianne Crosby?

I know the name. Why?

Mr. Pollock, we'll get along a lot better
if we play straight with each other.

You've been seen
with Mrs. Crosby

on her boat
in the Surfside Marina

every other week
for the past few months.

If you're going to accuse
me of cheating on my wife,

the least you could do
is keep your voice down.

Yes, I've been
to the Surfside Marina

to look at boats for sale
as a surprise for my wife.

If that's your story.

So where were you
last Thursday night?

I was home.
Why, what happened?

Someone tried to shoot Mrs. Crosby and
ended up killing her escort instead.

Yeah. Just a week
after you were seen

having an argument
with her, on her boat.

That's not possible.
I've never even met her.

Where was your wife Thursday?

She was at home, with me.
What are you implying?

Well, if we got the wrong impression
about you and Lianne Crosby,

maybe your wife did, too.

Can someone verify
that she was at home?

I can.

Mr. Pollock?

Excuse me, I have
people waiting for me.

You're trying to tell me Joyce
Pollock took a shot at...

How old is she?

64 according to her bio.

Widowed three years ago
with 40 million bucks.

And her new husband's 27?

Damn. Some girls
are just born lucky.

This one might be ready to kill to
hang on to her little stroke of luck.

With a.357?

Her father was lieutenant
governor of Idaho.

Here's a picture of her
hunting elk at age 12.

She own any guns now?

We put in a request
for permits.

All this assuming
there was an affair.

The dockmaster said the only
boat the kid was interested in

was Lianne Crosby's.
Especially the cabin.

What's this?

"Joyce Pollock has announced the
appointment of Dennis Pollock"

"to the post of president
of Hookstratten Foundation."

Yeah, I bet she's sorry now.

Maybe not. This is dated after
Lianne Crosby was shot.

After Joyce would've
known about the affair.

Mrs. Pollock felt that
Dennis had earned the job

because he singlehandedly engineered
the sale of our timber lands

to the state of Maine.

It was a huge windfall
for the foundation.

You sound impressed.

Well, the kid's
come a long way.

When Joyce met him, he was
sort of dabbling in antiques.

Is Mrs. Pollock still
impressed with him?

What do you mean?

Well, any sign of trouble
in the marriage?

Oh, no, no, no. To the contrary.
They're very much in love.

And Joyce has full
confidence in Dennis.

You writing a press release?

Listen, uh, a few weeks ago,

Joyce had a very close call.

A broken gas heater in their
country house nearly killed her.

Was Dennis with her?

No, no. He was up
in Maine on business.

But he drove all night
to be with her.

It frightened him.

Your point being?

There was a pre-nup that kept Dennis
away from the Hookstratten money.

Joyce realized just how much
Dennis really loved her

and tore it up.

When was this?

Well, she signed an
ovation two days ago.

Sounds like Denny Pollock
has it made.

And if Lianne Crosby tried to
upset the apple cart for him...

You think that's what they were
arguing about on the boat?

It's a possibility.

List of gun permits
for Joyce Pollock.

Nine handguns?

She's Charlton Heston's
pinup gal.

There's a.357 in there.

Well, maybe if we say please,
she'll let us take a look at it.

I'd wait until she's not
there, then ask the help.

There's two more in
the master bedroom.

There,.357.

It's dusty.

Lots of oil.

This thing hasn't been
fired in a long time.

Were you here on Thursday
night last week?

I left at 8:30.

I put dinner in the
fridge for Mrs. Pollock.

She was upstairs.

And where was
Mr. Pollock?

Uh, he was here, too.

Where?

I'm not sure.
Uh, watching TV.

You really want to
lie to the police?

No.

He called at 7:00.
I answered the phone.

He was at the
motorcycle garage.

Woolly Pierce?

Don't pay any attention to them, Mr. Nelson.
They're cops,

probably sent here
by one of my exes.

Actually, it's
about Denny Pollock.

Man up front says you help
him work on his bike.

Keep loosening that clutch. Try
not to chip your fingernails.

They enjoy the abuse?

Part of the outlaw
biker mystique.

All included
in the hourly rate.

So what's up with Denny? He use
the wrong spoon for his soup?

We're investigating
him for a homicide.

Did you work with him
a week ago, Thursday night?

That was a long time ago.

Yeah. Same vintage as
your prison record, huh?

You want to add to it
by being a smartass?

Last Thursday,
what time did he leave?

Must've been around 8:00.
Who'd he shoot?

What makes you
think he shot anybody?

'Cause he told me he wanted
to get his hands on a piece.

And did he?

Some of the bikers that come through
here ain't as law abiding as me.

I heard he got himself one.

You hear what kind?
.357.

It's all over for you
except for the paperwork.

We're gonna find the gun, we're
gonna match it to the bullets.

You might as well give it up and
make a good impression on the D.A.

Look, you tried to save
your marriage, right?

That's going to be
worth something.

You have this lovely
wife, your biggest fan.

Practically handed you
the keys to the kingdom,

and this bitch, Lianne,
was gonna screw it up.

There was nothing
going on between us.

Come on, Denny. She was gonna
make a fool out of you.

Yeah? No guy should
have to put up with that.

Say hello
to Mr. Pollock's lawyer.

Are you all right?

My client is invoking
his right to silence.

The search of his office and
home didn't turn up a gun.

But his secretary told Lamotte
that she placed a call

for him yesterday
to Adirondack Air.

The guy was gonna
head for the hills.

Well, the airline booked six reservations
around the time Denny called,

but none in the name
of Pollock.

Okay, thanks. The person
we couldn't reach

was some phony number.
An Alex Robson.

He booked a round trip to
Saratoga Springs for tomorrow.

That ring a bell?

Lianne Crosby is up
in Saratoga Springs.

There's also a motel room reserved
in the name of Alex Robson.

The kid was gonna
finish off Lianne Crosby.

Well, how was he gonna
get a gun on a plane?

Call that motel, see if they have
a package waiting for Mr. Robson.

Well, about time.
You all have a nice nap?

We've been busy, Mr. Metzler.
Stand up, Mr. Pollock.

Why? What's going on?

We found a gun your husband had shipped
to a motel in Saratoga Springs.

A.357 magnum.

If at first you don't succeed,
try, try again, huh, kiddo?

Don't answer him, Dennis.

Make sure I get it
right, Counselor.

Hey, Dennis Pollock, you're
under arrest for murder.

You have the right
to remain silent.

Anything you say
can and will be...

Ballistics confirmed
the.357 found at the motel

was the one used to
kill Stuart Wattman.

The gun in the package
addressed to Alex Robson.

Latent find any prints
on the package?

A dozen prints, none of
them belonging to Dennis.

The package was dropped off at a
FedEx service center in midtown,

paid for with cash.

And the flight reserved
by Alex Robson?

Guaranteed with a credit card
in the name of Alex Robson.

The police are looking into it.

Terrific.

Why aren't we looking
for this Alex Robson?

Because our shooter
is Dennis Pollock.

He must've gotten his
hands on some phony ID,

probably from the same source
that sold him his gun.

Self-confidence
is a wonderful thing.

When you have a minute,
please inform Ms. Carmichael

of all the good works the Hookstratten
Foundation has done for the city.

Right.

Then I'll show her the memo listing
all the prominent New Yorkers

immune from prosecution.

Either put that gun
in Mr. Pollock's hands

or concede the motion
to dismiss.

The bank said
the credit card's legit.

The numbers and the name match Alex Robson.
P.O. Box in Atlanta.

And Mr. Robson hasn't reported
his credit card stolen?

This card hasn't been used
in the last 26 months,

except for the annual fees, which
are paid with money orders.

So, Mr. Robson,
whoever he is,

doesn't know there's a credit card
out there with his name on it.

Yeah. Assuming there
really is an Alex Robson.

There really is.

I ran the Social Security number
on the credit card account.

Belongs to Alex C. Robson,
71 years old.

They send his Social Security check
every month care of a bank in Jamaica.

Jamaica, West Indies?
Uh-huh.

Social Security says the checks
haven't been cashed in two years.

There's no phone listing for
Alex Robson anywhere in Jamaica.

Is he missing?

The Jamaican Consulate
is looking into it.

They said they'd get
back to me by Friday.

Two days too late.

If we can't connect Dennis Pollock
to Alex Robson and that package...

Judge Barry might grant
the motion to dismiss.

Margaret Barry?

Great. Just great.

They have a gun in a package addressed
to someone other than my client.

A plane reservation in the name
of someone other than my client.

We have a record of a phone call
his client made to Adirondack Air

at the same time
the reservation was made.

Your Honor, this might get Mr. McCoy
around the world in a hot air balloon,

but it's insufficient
to sustain a conviction.

Maybe if Mr. Robson
were on trial...

It's our belief Mr. Robson may
be the victim of foul play,

possibly at the hands
of Mr. Pollock.

Mr. McCoy, the dockmaster
at the Surfside Marina,

will he testify he actually saw the
defendant and Mrs. Crosby together?

He saw the defendant
in proximity to her boat

at a time he knew
Mrs. Crosby was on board.

And will the mechanic testify he saw
the defendant with a.357 magnum?

He will establish
the likelihood

the defendant obtained
such a handgun.

Sounds like a no, Mr. McCoy.

Thank you for wasting
this court's time.

Your Honor, we've gone to trial with
just this kind of evidence before.

Not in my court, you haven't.

Mr. Pollock, I'm dismissing
the indictment against you.

And after processing, you
will be released forthwith.

Mr. McCoy?

It was an accident.
He didn't mean to do it.

I met Denny a few weeks
after Henry died.

I wanted us to be together. I
thought that's what he wanted, too.

But he kept putting it off.

Finally, I threatened
to tell his wife.

That night at the concert, I went out
for a cigarette, and he was there.

We started arguing.
He pulled out a gun...

He threatened to shoot you?

No, he... He was
just trying to scare me.

I... I tried to
take the gun away...

And just as I grabbed at it, he
jerked his arm and it went off.

And we didn't realize that Stuart
had come out looking for me.

I told Dennis to run away.

It was just all
a stupid accident.

Why come forward now?

Why, I'm afraid.

Maybe Denny is unstable.

Now she comes forward?

Regardless, Your Honor, I think
it's sufficient to grant me leave

to represent the charges
against Mr. Pollock.

First of all, you shouldn't
even be talking to me ex parte.

Secondly, if and when your motion
to represent crosses my desk,

you better have a lot
more than that statement.

I want the dots connected.

Now excuse me.

Mr. Robson retired to
Montego Bay four years ago.

Last seen two years later, driving away
from the Royal Jamaican hotel in his car.

And what about his family?

He had no immediately family.

His bank account was emptied by wire
transfer two days before he disappeared.

Transferred to where?

To a bank in Atlanta,
into an account in his name.

Did the Jamaican
police investigate?

Of course.

There was no body, no sign of
foul play, no laws broken.

Can I see the police report?

The police made every effort.

They interviewed
his acquaintances,

filed the customary reports
with the FBI, Interpol...

Excuse me, can I get
a copy of this?

Robson's friends
told the police

he was last seen in the
company of an American woman

he introduced as Lillian.
Blonde, 40-ish, attractive.

Lianne Crosby?

Sounds like.

The day Robson disappeared,

Jamaican customs has a Lillian Sobieski
leaving on a flight to Atlanta.

Three days later, Robson's Atlanta
bank account was cleaned out.

$200,000.

By Lillian Sobieski?

They don't know.

But within a few months,
Lianne turns up in New York.

And before you can say black widow,
she's become Mrs. Henry Crosby.

And now Robson's identification
turns up in Dennis Pollock's hands.

Mmm-hmm.

How did Henry Crosby die?

Drowned in his pool in his
townhouse last February.

Where was Lianne?

Skiing in Aspen. A dozen
people saw her there.

And Denny?

Uh, he used to rent a small space
here selling antique firearms,

when Joyce Pollock came in.

That's how he met her.
She likes old guns.

Yeah, and new ones.

Uh, last February 12th,
do you know where he was?

Uh, let me check.

He always knew what he wanted,
an attractive, wealthy woman.

I guess she's attractive,
if you like older women.

Ah! February the 12th.
Here.

We had an antiques
fair in Boston.

Oh, right, except Denny begged
off at the last minute.

He said he had
the flu or something.

You didn't believe he was sick?

Well...

I had a buyer for one
of his long rifles.

I called Denny to find out
what his bottom line was.

He didn't answer. I called
three times on Saturday.

He said he was asleep.

Pretty hard to answer the phone

if you're helping old man Crosby
take a header into the pool.

And helping your girlfriend
inherit 18 million bucks.

Maybe she tried to
return the favor.

The lawyer at the foundation said Joyce had
some kind of accident a few weeks ago.

Joyce Pollock was spending the weekend
at their cottage in Sag Harbor.

The flue in her gas heater
malfunctioned when she was asleep.

The fumes nearly killed her.

Where was the boy husband?

Up in Maine on business.

Let me guess.
Lianne Crosby.

She made a reservation at the
Canyon Ranch Spa in Lenox,

but she never showed.

So Dennis Pollock took
care of Henry Crosby.

And Lianne was supposed to
take care of Joyce Pollock.

Any forensics on the
drowning or the gas heater?

No. Nothing to implicate
either Denny or Lianne.

It's probably not the first
time they've done this.

Might be more bodies out there.

The lives and loves
of Lianne Crosby?

Try, "On the road with Lianne",

"AKA Lily Myers, Melinda
Beauregard, Melissa Beck..."

Look... 1992,
shoplifting in Palm Beach,

'89, check kiting in Boulder,
'83, mail fraud in Seattle.

1978, welfare fraud
in Meadville, Pennsylvania.

Five counts.

She was collecting checks
for five other individuals.

Five individuals who
mysteriously disappeared?

No, she made up names and phony
Social Security numbers.

Looks like she was working
her way up to murder.

It wasn't all larceny. She was collecting
one welfare check legitimately.

One dependent.
A seven-year-old boy.

Dennis Beck.

A boy's best friend
is his mother.

What? A mother and son
killing each other's spouses?

What the heck
kind of family is this?

A dysfunctional one.

Then the son tried
to kill his own mother?

Maybe he grew attached
to his new wife.

Maybe he wanted out.

I assume that arrest
warrants are being drawn up.

We can re-file charges against
the son for the Wattman shooting

and the attempt on his mother.

What about for Henry Crosby?

We have nothing to connect Dennis
or his mother to Crosby's death,

the attempt on Joyce Pollock, or
the disappearance of Alex Robson.

We've sent what we have to the
appropriate jurisdictions,

maybe they can scare up
a case against her.

She's a career criminal,
she's committed murder...

Scare up a case
against her here.

Mr. McCoy, all you really
have against my client

is the testimony of someone even
you consider a multiple murderer.

The fact that
your client is here

means we've connected enough
dots to satisfy Judge Barry.

She's a lot harder to
please than a jury.

I'm not worried about her.

If you have a better offer...

You expect him
to bargain for the privilege

of putting his own
mother behind bars?

A few weeks ago he was
ready to kill her.

Fifteen-to-life,
to cover all counts.

No.

I will not let my husband
spend one minute in prison.

That's not realistic.

You have no idea what a woman
in my position can do.

Your money and your position are
exactly why he married you.

He and his mother
had a plan to kill you.

Not Denny.

He knows now what
unconditional love is.

This isn't a greeting
card, Mrs. Pollock.

A jury can send him to prison
for a minimum of 25 years.

Or they can send him to a
hospital for a few months.

We're amending our plea to not guilty
by reason of mental disease or defect.

Dennis will admit to the shooting,
and Henry Crosby's death.

What mental disease?

The disease is Lianne Crosby.

She abused him, controlled
him, pushed him over the edge.

So, Mommy made me do it?

You expect to get
that by a judge?

Absolutely.

Not before our psychiatrist
gets a crack at him.

Well, you have him call me
to set up the interview.

When I was six,

we were in a bus station. There was a
woman sleeping in the waiting room.

Mom told me to take her purse.

I didn't want to do it.

She said if I didn't, she'd
leave me there, in the station.

I couldn't do it, I
couldn't steal, so...

Mom told me to go and get
some gum from the machine.

When I came back, she was gone.

I was scared out of my mind.

They were about to call the police
when she finally showed up.

She told them all I'd run away.

That's just a lot
of rehearsed crap.

A lot of kids get
emotionally abused,

but they still know
right from wrong.

My lawyer told me it doesn't
matter what you think.

It's all going to
come down to the jury.

You have any idea how many
insanity pleas are successful?

Hmm? Less than 10%%.

Your lawyer tell you that?

What are you doing?

I'm gonna go write my report.

You didn't even listen to me.

Oh, well, trust me,
I've heard it all before.

No.

Wait.

What?

What do you want to tell me?

She...

My mother can't stand
that I'm with Joyce.

What else?

Like what?

When you were 12 or 13, did
you have any girlfriends?

We moved around a lot.

Mom said you
couldn't trust strangers.

All we had was each other.

What about Joyce?

You said your mother couldn't
stand that you were with her.

She told me to get to
know her for her money.

What happened? Did you
fall in love with Joyce?

Yes.

Did you tell your mother?

She figured it out.

And then she tried
to kill Joyce?

Mmm-hmm.

Denny, have you had sexual
relations with your mother?

What?

When?

At any time?

On the boat?

I... I had to.

How long has
the incest gone on?

Since his teens.

His mother forced a sexual
relationship to control him.

And it's still going on?

Yeah.

Yuck.

No question.
Incest is despicable.

But from there
to legal insanity?

They'll reframe the issue.

Lianne's control of her son
obliterated his capacity

to tell right from wrong

and appreciate the
consequences of his action.

Well, he seems to have some free will left.
He did try to kill her.

After she tried to kill
the new woman in his life.

She's still fighting
for control.

Why do you think
she turned him in?

To keep him away
from Joyce Pollock.

I hate to say it, but it
might play to a jury.

At the very least,
they might decide

he was acting under extreme
emotional disturbance.

But is it a crock?

Yeah, well, there's no
sound medical basis for it.

Good.

Then the judge'll never
let the jury hear it.

According to our
forensic psychiatrist,

if Mr. Pollock really suffered from
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,

he'd avoid situations that
reminded him of his trauma.

He certainly wouldn't get involved
with a woman over twice his age.

He was coerced into marrying
Joyce Pollock by his mother.

He's told our psychiatrist
he's fallen in love with her.

Your Honor, this defense
is psychological claptrap.

Mr. McCoy's opinion
doesn't matter.

It's his burden to show this defense
is impossible as a matter of law.

Mr. McCoy, if Mr. Metzler fails to
make out the defense during trial,

I'll instruct the jury to disregard
all psychiatric testimony.

Look at the bright side.
To support his insanity plea,

he has to admit Lianne
forced him to kill Crosby.

We can use it against her.

He'd still have to
testify to it at her trial.

Fat chance of that.

He's doing his mother
another favor.

Since he's admitting
shooting Mr. Wattman,

you don't need her as a
witness to the shooting.

We'll use her
as a rebuttal witness.

She'll deny the incest.

So she's going to lie.

Aren't we suborning perjury?

We don't know
anything for a fact.

They're the only ones who know
what really went on between them.

So it's a contest which of these two
will nauseate the jury the least.

Yeah.

She told them I ran away.

Then, she told me next time
she'd leave me for good.

And the next time she asked
you to do something wrong,

what did you do?

I did it.

When she sexually abused
you, did you say no?

I couldn't.

And when she ordered
you to kill Henry Crosby?

I did it.

Exactly the way she told me.

Did you think it was wrong?

I didn't think about it.
I just did what she wanted.

Tell us about her attempt
to kill your wife Joyce.

I didn't want her
to hurt Joyce.

I kept putting her off,
but she tried anyway.

How did you react?

I was... It was like I was falling.
I couldn't sleep...

I wanted to run away.

I was so angry and freaked out.

I don't remember a lot of it.
I just felt crazy.

What we heard the experts describe
as a temporary psychotic...

- Objection.
- Withdrawn.

Dennis, tell us what happened
the night of the shooting.

I... I just wanted
to scare her.

But when I saw her...

I felt... I felt something
was taking control.

I was yelling at my mother.
She was yelling at me.

She tried to take
the gun away from me.

I must've jerked my hand away.

The gun went off.

I... I don't remember
anything after that.

Thank you, Dennis.

When you married Joyce Pollock,

did you tell her about
your criminal activities?

About Henry Crosby?

No.

About your incestuous
relationship with your mother?

Of course not.

You didn't want
her to find out?

No.

She wouldn't have
taken it well?

Objection.
Withdrawn.

And the only way
that she could find out

is if you told her or your mother
told her, isn't that right?

I don't know.

Nobody else knew
about the incest, right?

Yes.

That's why you tried
to kill your mother.

No.

It was the most rational
motive in the world.

Only your mother could pull the
plug on your wonderful life.

No more motorcycles, fancy
homes, expensive vacations...

You don't understand.
Objection.

Withdrawn.

Shooting your mother was the sanest
thing you ever did, wasn't it?

My mother...

My mother was...

I would have
these dreams that...

That she ran away,

and I'd wake up crying

and go to her bed.
Your Honor.

And she'd take me in and

hold me against her naked body

to warm me up.

And...

It was my mother.

You just don't...

You don't understand.

I was a single mother
trying to raise a boy.

Maybe I spanked him,
or raised my voice.

I... I never
abused him.

Did you ever abandon him
in a bus station?

No. He ran away from home.

Well, maybe I... Didn't
love him enough,

I don't know.

But I was very young
when I had Denny.

I was alone, I was poor.

I... He was all
that I had.

It was hard providing for him,

but I did the best I could,
under the circumstances.

He testified that you ordered him to
murder your husband, is that true?

Of course not.

He testified that you tried
to kill his wife, Joyce.

That's not true.

Finally, Mrs. Crosby,
your son testified that

you've had sexual relations with
him since he was a teenager.

Is that another lie?

He said that?
Under oath.

Oh, my God.

Denny...

I did.

I did terrible things
to him. I'm so sorry.

Mrs. Crosby, are you
saying this is true?

Yes, I...

I couldn't stop myself.
I needed him so much.

What about his killing Henry
Crosby, is that now also true?

No! He made it up.

Denny wouldn't hurt anyone.

He tried to kill you,
didn't he?

He killed Stuart Wattman.

That was an accident.

Mrs. Crosby, he was about to make
another attempt on your life

when he was arrested.

I don't believe that. I called
him from Saratoga Springs.

And he... I told him
where I was.

Do you think
I would've told him that

if I thought for a minute
he really wanted to kill me?

He's just very sick.

And it's my fault.

She got you but good. "Don't
blame my son, blame me."

Who knew?

She doesn't mind telling the whole
world she had sex with her son.

You've got yourself a hung
jury, if you're lucky.

I'm starting to feel a little
sympathy for what Denny went through.

The police checked the LUDs
for Lianne's cell phone.

They confirmed a roaming call from
Saratoga Springs to Denny's office.

She must've really believed he
wouldn't try to kill her again.

She must've really
believed wrong.

This mother knows her own son.

Let's call the police.

I need them to run
some fingerprints.

I heard the jury wants
clarifications on the difference

between the insanity defense

and a defense of extreme
emotional disturbance.

- I smell a deadlock.
- Maybe.

I'm offering your client
a last chance deal,

if he agrees to testify against
his mother about everything.

About Henry Crosby,
Alex Robson, all of it.

Manslaughter one
to cover all counts,

parole recommendation
after 10 years...

We'll take our chances
with the jury.

I'm not done.

A warrant is being drawn up
for Joyce Pollock's arrest.

The charge is conspiracy
to commit murder.

Murder who?

Lianne Crosby.

We found your fingerprints
on the package at the motel.

You sent the gun
to Saratoga Springs.

The plane reservation
for Alex Robson was for you.

You were going to do
what your husband couldn't.

Get Lianne Crosby
out of his life forever.

I'm ready to plead
your wife out

under very favorable terms,

in return for your testimony
against your mother.

If not, she's looking at eight
and a third years minimum.

It's your wife
or your mother, Denny.

It doesn't get any
simpler than that.

Come on, Denny,
it's a no-brainer.

Denny?

Please!

We agreed.

You know I did it for you.

Think of our life together.

I'm sorry.

I'm... I'm sorry.

No, I can't do it.
I won't testify.

Denny, for God's sake!

Joyce, she's my mother.

On the first
count of the indictment,

in the death of Stuart Wattman,

murder in the second degree,
how do you find?

Not guilty.

Your Honor, we have determined the defendant
acted in extreme emotional disturbance,

and find him guilty of
manslaughter in the first degree.

On the second count, in the
wounding of Lianne Crosby,

attempted murder in the second
degree, how do you find?

Not guilty.

Guilty of attempted manslaughter
in the first degree.

I thank the jury for your time.
We're adjourned.

Eight and a third-to-25.
No parole recommendation.

He'll do at least 15.
We can live with that.

Can we live with two years in
minimum security for Joyce Pollock?

She planned a murder. Can't
let her off with a fine.

I'll call her lawyer.

And Lianne Crosby
gets away with murder.

Could be worse.
She could've had twins.