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Mom? Dad?

I've been trying to reach you all day.

She's gone.

State coppers just found Barbara Sabich dead in her bed.

Chief Justice's wife?

We should send flowers.

We're hearing Judge Sabich

didn't report his wife's death for 24 hours.

What? Channel 8 has special dispensation from the Pope?

Not now, Elaine.

I was talking to your boss.

Cops in the burbs are bringing in detectives.

Their whiskers are twitching, Tommy. Any comment?

I say this with the utmost respect, Elaine--

get out of my office!

Oh, come on, Tommy!

You prosecuted Rusty Sabich 20 years ago

for the murder of his lover-- unsuccessfully.

There's gonna be questions.

Do you suspect foul play?!

What is she doing, inventing a story?

Is she?

But, your honor, if you just look at the rec--

Mr. Molto, please, please. You are the prosecutor,

and you're certainly free

to interpret the record as you please.

However, there is no proof Mr. Harnason could know

that arsenic wouldn't be detected

by a routine tox screen.

In fact, there's no clear evidence

how Mr. Harnason could have even poisoned his partner.

There are several friends of his who have testified

that it was the partner who did the cooking.

Yes, your honor, that is true.

Mr. Molto, please, you will have our decision

in due course.

Your honor, with all due respect,

I know that you granted the appellant bail--

Excuse me. Excuse me, Mr. Molto.

- Based on the precedent-- - Mr. Molto--

do you have an issue, sir,

with the court's decision on bail?

No, your honor.

Court adjourned.

Well, he says he took five strokes off his handicap.

Yeah, but can he break 100?

I know that look.

Chief prosecutor Thomas Molto wishes you to know

he'd like to eat your internal organs for lunch.

Well, he's only here in the flesh

to try to move the dial on you and Marvina.

You don't really expect to convince us to reverse,

do you, Rusty?

They found traces of arsenic in this man's shed.

I don't know, George.

It's just every once in a while I remember

what it was like to sit in a courtroom

as a criminal defendant.

But you were innocent.

Tommy didn't think so.

He probably doesn't think so now.

I don't think he should be so certain about this case.

Surprise!

Oh, my God.

Where did you put your Social Security card?

I'm 60. Don't rush me.

- Happy birthday. - Thank you.

- Happy birthday, Dad. - Aww.

Nat.

60's the new 40.

Tell that to my knees.

Please don't recite your journal of ills.

I assure you my list is longer.

Sandy, you are the only lawyer

I enjoy seeing in my office.

Marta!

I merit Stern and Stern!

Happy birthday, Rusty.

Oh, I'm honored.

I really am. Who put this together?

Oh! Don't look at me.

Wow! I don't know what to say.

Oh, please, just blow, Judge. You have a conference in 10 minutes.

Anna made the cake. Be sure to thank Anna.

Bravo!

Good Lord, clerk of all trades.

Isn't she in her last week with you, Rusty?

Yes, she's off to Ray Horgan's firm next week.

- Hi! - That's a pity.

Yes.

Very eloquent for the world's most famous pit bull.

Why, thank you.

No, no, no. Just half a piece for Rusty.

We're having a family birthday dinner tonight.

Oh, okay.

Hey, hey.

Your pills.

Why, thank you...

said the lab rat.

Looks good.

I picked up a bottle of the Chateau Tour Maillet.

My God, you're gonna make a fine lawyer.

Yeah, if I can just finish clerkship hell.

What's that?

Oh, this-- this is a birthday gift from George Mason

in honor of my "command presence" on the bench, he says.

Hmm.

Beats a knit tie.

I let Harnason out on bail today.

The poisoner? Why?

W-who's Harnason?

He's a lawyer, gay,

who was convicted of murdering his lover.

The guy's on appeal and you granted him bail? Why?

I was the prosecutor. I sent him to prison decades ago

for a different offense,

and there were elements of doubt and...

maybe one of them was me.

I wonder if I sent a man to jail for prejudices

that I am now ashamed of.

See, you hit 60, and you start penciling your memoirs.

Mmm.

This cake is still great.

Yes, Anna worked very hard

to put your little party together.

Yeah, she is a hard worker, that's for sure.

Everybody in my building thinks she's way hot.

Well, you should ask her out, Nat.

She's a little old for Nat, don't you think?

I mean, she had-- what-- three or four careers

before going to law school.

That's right, Nat. I forgot.

Your father wants to save her for himself.

Barbara, that's not even funny.

What?

What's the matter?

Hmm?

Hey.

I wasn't...

being "funny"...

about Anna... earlier.

She has a thing for you.

Oh, come on. Don't be silly.

She looks like she's gonna pass out

every time she sees you.

- Barbara, you're... - Crazy?

- No. - Say it.

- No. I wouldn't. - Say it.

That's not what I was gonna say. You're talking about somebody

who's 25 years younger than I am.

She happens to look up to me as a mentor.

She's got all these young guys

just panting after her in the courthouse, all right?

So she's gonna be gone next week.

It's no--

That's good. Just play the role.

Just play the role, Rusty.

You know, Saint Rusty. Just too pure to notice.

Does this mean you're screwing her?

- Oh, for Christ's sake. - Hmm?

No, because we all know that you would never do anything like that.

You're hardly one to throw the past in my face.

That was before...

I was diagnosed.

I was a different person then.

But you, not you.

Oh, you're the same old Rusty.

You know, you just play

the mighty Chief Appellate Judge...

but it's all an act. It's all an act!

And the person who knows that the best is you!

You are 60 years old, Rusty,

and you are still not satisfied.

You're not satisfied with being Captain Courageous!

You're not satisfied...

with your nutjob wife!

You hate everything!

And most of all,

- you hate me! - No. No.

- Yes, you do. - Barbara--

- Yes, you do. - No, I don't.

There.

There you go.

This memorial service for Barbara Sabich

follows her death one week ago.

Now, those attending may or may not have heard,

but the Kindle County Coroner's office

has just ruled--

as Judge Rusty Sabich has maintained all along--

that Mrs. Sabich's death was due to natural causes.

Yeah?

Woman worked out every day, looked half her age.

How is it Barbara Sabich dies of a heart attack?

10 bucks says she worked out every day of her life

because no one in her family lived past the age of 65.

It's all in the genes, my friend-- sadly.

What's the blood chemistry?

They did an immunoassay. Routine on the tox.

Anything show up?

A lot showed up.

This lady had a medicine cabinet big as a steamer trunk.

A lot of crap for manic depression.

Crap can cause heart failure, right?

Not in clinical doses.

It's hard to measure that stuff postmortem.

Okay, let's just say she didn't die of natural causes,

which is like one chance in 50...

it's because she accidentally O.D.'d on her meds.

What's with the judge sitting there for 24 hours?

Wife dead--

not a phone call, not a yodel.

Who does that?

I don't know, Jimmy. He was in shock.

Look, there's nothing to investigate!

You're looking out for me. I appreciate it. I get it.

I had my chance to nail Rusty Sabich 20 years ago.

He kicked my ass,

he hung it out on the town square

for everybody to take a poke at,

and then he danced away scot-free!

I got a 3-year-old. I got a future.

I can't afford to wear the black hat all over again.

Let me dig.

No, Jimmy, come on!

On my own. Really careful.

Let me be sure this really is nothing.

Anything leaks,

and you're gonna write my obit. You understand me?

You're screwing around with the rest of my life!

Quiet as Little Bo Peep.

Yeah. Crap.

Thank you. They're perfect.

Perfect.

Re-- really? For the Horgan office?

Uh, I'll be right at home there.

They're two sizes too big, by the way, Chernoff.

Thanks a lot.

Leave them for the next clerk.

He's gonna have big shoes to fill.

It's true. Yeah.

You see. I...

I read all the self-empowerment books, lose 10 pounds...

...convince yourself

you're moving on up to the east side, and I still get mushy,

'cause I know I'm leaving the best teacher a girl ever had.

Now I'm gonna cry.

Can't believe I actually have all the keys.

- Are you sure? - Oh, yeah.

I'd say you're gonna move

two years' worth of stuff on your own.

I'll check this.

I take it you've muted your cellphone.

Give me a call if you're gonna be home later than 10:00.

Maybe one day, you too will find wedded bliss.

Done that. I was married at 22.

Oh, really?

It ended quick, and I thought,

I got plenty of time to find the right man.

Now I'm 34, the last guy I dated is 40.

He can't even pick up his own laundry.

I'll just have to, uh, get more creative.

Geeks? Gurus? Bring 'em on.

I'll just have to... stay open.

Uh...

this is for you.

For me?

It's just a little thing.

Like 'em?

You mean so much to me, Judge.

You're the brightest clerk I've ever had.

Ohh.

- Hey. - Aha.

Hey, uh, here you go.

It's all right.

Hey...

Anna...

uh...

you can't imagine how much I would like to do this.

Are you letting me down easy, Judge?

Hardly.

60 is a tough age to reach,

knowing that love is for other people.

I would love you, Rusty.

I know you'd try.

But nothing good would come of it.

Try, Rusty.

Try to be happy.

You didn't want this, did you?

I used to feel you resisting so hard.

No, I didn't want it for either of us,

but I'm here.

I only think about something once,

and then I decide.

It's a gift.

We have fundamental differences.

Age, you mean?

You're a man, I'm a woman.

Don't tell me I'm young.

I can't leave Barbara.

Don't say that.

Why?

For one thing, my son would never forgive me.

And for another, my wife is ill.

She's damaged, and I knew that,

and still I took her back.

You mean after your trial.

All right, okay. Let's put that on the table.

Right?

After all, the last woman I had an affair with ended up dead.

Should I be afraid you'll kill me?

Some people think so.

I was a prosecutor.

I had an affair with a colleague,

and she was murdered.

And I'll tell you what I've rarely said to anybody,

as a matter of principle, for 20 years.

I...

I didn't do it.

I read all about your trial.

And I believe in your innocence...

with all my heart.

If Barbara weren't around,

you'd want me forever, right?

God.

Judge steps out of the elevator,

I see him and this young chick split up--

I mean, she's literally tucking in her blouse...

...as she trots off.

So the judge is catching a nooner?

How it looked to me.

- When was this? - Last year.

I, uh...

I see the girl again the next week at the desk.

There's lots of reasons why this woman and the judge

would meet at a hotel-- lunch.

He's been head of security at the Gresham a couple of years.

Ex-cop, lazy bastard.

But if the guy's right...

Gives the judge reason to kill his wife-- I get it.

The affair was last year--

too long ago to be relevant in court.

And by the way, have we ever heard of divorce?

Maybe Rusty thought divorce would disagree with his image.

Maybe the girl's pregnant and starting to show.

You said, "bring me something."

How did you come by this information?

Who pointed you at Cantu?

One of the Nearing cops shoots pool with Cantu.

Oh, great. That's all we need.

Half the Nearing station strutting around,

asking the alumni if they think Rusty Sabich

had any reason to off his wife-- that's great.

I say it's time we pull Rusty's bank records, phone records.

We can put a 99-day letter on it.

We get three months before he even knows we're investigating.

Boss, we're the public prosecutor.

You want some Nearing cop crying in a reporter's beer

down the road about how they turned up some good dirt

on the Chief Appellate Judge,

but you didn't want to chance big, bad Rusty Sabich

whipping your ass again?

Jimmy, you're giving me buckshot.

We need one bullet. Find me one bullet.

If you want to shoot at the king, you gotta kill the king.

I just realized Merrick's closes at 5:00,

and I have no idea what to get Nat for his birthday.

You worry about him too much.

I know a lot of people who went to law school with him.

They all say he's brilliant.

Yeah, despite everything...

sometimes I do worry

that he inherited Barbara's depression.

I think it would have been better if he had a sibling.

I used to want a daughter.

Great. Let's get busy.

But Barbara said that she could only love one child,

and that would be Nat.

And I went along with it.

Rusty...

don't ever doubt.

You're a great father.

Mm.

You are also...

a great...

man.

Oh... Anna...

I don't have another condom.

I don't care.

Judge.

Imagine meeting you here.

Imagine.

My appeal. I just need to know.

I can't discuss your appeal with you, Mr. Harnason.

- I think you know that. - I-I can't stand it--

not knowing if I'm going back to prison.

It's like-- it's like a trap door.

Please.

You should prepare yourself for bad news.

No hope?

Look... you did it, didn't you?

So did you, and you're here, Judge.

I was acquitted, as I deserved to be.

I'm sorry.

What's it like to poison someone?

Where was the arsenic? Was it in the drinks?

I bake.

That looks perfect.

You think? Seems flat.

Tell her it's perfect, Dad.

It's perfect.

No, I always said, you're the Jewish Pillsbury.

Where are you going?

Glennwood, to look at an apartment.

Well, when are you gonna be back?

You shouldn't be riding after dark.

And you're the perfect Jewish mother. Mwah!

Clerkship's over. I've got to move.

And, no, I'm not moving home.

Even if you and your bread are irresistible.

Wait, wait.

You need the gloves with the little fluorescent thing on them

if it's gonna be dark when you come home.

You took a walk?

In the middle of the night?

I couldn't sleep.

Come here and sleep.

Why can't you sleep?

I don't know.

I realized today

Nat's heading out into the world.

He's really actually

moving on with his life.

Why don't you do the same?

Rusty?

Hey, George.

Bad news, don't you think?

News?

You haven't heard?

Harnason. The poisoner.

No. Just Monday's announcement

that his appeal was denied.

I bumped into Lou Mertz.

They called Harnason's lawyer to arrange for his surrender.

Lawyer hasn't seen Harnason in two weeks.

Great. He's jumped bail.

I thought you should know.

Let me see if I can surmise.

You were seeing... someone.

You were followed by Harnason.

He caught you off guard,

you informed Harnason that his appeal would be denied,

and the man has fled to the four winds.

As I said, I've done something stupid.

Oh, it's these things that keep me in business.

You know, I miss these things.

Thank you.

What for?

Well, thanks for not reminding me

that in the 20 years since you stood by me at trial,

that I'm still the same fool that I've always been.

Who am I to judge?

With the wrong prosecutor,

and Tommy Molto is certainly that,

am I going to end up in jail?

If Harnason turns up,

he's hardly a credible witness.

I'm not too concerned about the criminal prosecution,

but you know, informing an appellant

of the court's decision in advance...

It's a serious--

serious violation of judicial conduct.

Here's my advice.

Your transgression is debatable.

Say nothing to your colleagues.

Soldier on.

Now, as for this affair...

What?

We have to end this-- now.

It's only gonna get harder.

I've tried to imagine how I'd feel

when you said this.

And now...

I can't believe it.

Is it Barbara?

You're choosing her over me?

Yes.

You pull me out of a meeting with the deputy mayor.

I hope you have news of the second coming.

John Harnason.

Doesn't sound Christ-like to me.

Harnason, the homo poisoner.

Back before Barbara Sabich died, Rusty gave him bail, which he jumped.

So?

They finally grabbed Harnason yesterday in Coalville

on a D.U.I.

Oh, Jimmy, for the love of God,

I don't have time for this crap.

His lawyer is looking for a smooth ride,

wanted a meeting.

About what-- based on Harnason's good looks?

Harnason says he was told he was going to lose his appeal.

- That's why he skipped. - "Told"? By whom?

Judge... Rusty... Sabich.

Jimmy, are you kidding me?

Do you not see the angle?

What, Harnason was the only witness, I suppose.

We got at least one bellman at the Hotel Georgia

who saw them talk.

Any girlfriend in sight?

Harnason says he's convinced

Sabich was at the hotel to get his pipes flushed,

but that's not the third act.

Sabich worked Harnason,

got him to admit he killed his pants-pal.

And just before Sabich walks away,

he turns to Harnason and says,

"What is it like to poison someone?"

Remind me again.

How was it this weirdo got away with it?

Which weirdo, boss? Our cup runneth over.

Harnason. He poisoned his boyfriend with arsenic, right?

Right. But it's not a common poison these days.

It's hard to get, and it doesn't show up on a routine tox screen.

Sabich was one of the judges on the case,

which means he knows all about this.

What is and what is not on the usual tox screen.

Full mass spectrometer on Barbara's blood?

Just talk to the toxicologist.

Come on, boss. Full mass. We have to do it.

Strange behavior after death. A skirt on the side.

Questions about killing somebody?

We're just doing our job. We have to do that.

We have to.

Full mass.

- Excuse me. Just a minute. - Okay.

Anna?

I need to see you.

It's been months.

Meet me at The Matchbox at 8:00.

A married man can run into an old friend

at a bar, Rusty.

I need to talk to you.

8:00. Fine.

- Here you go. - Thank you.

Hey.

You changed your hair.

Excuse me.

- Scotch on the rocks. - Okay.

- Less maintenance. - I like it.

More time to work.

Confessions of a high-priced slave.

I really-- I really like it.

Thanks.

Now, what are you drinking?

Just...

fizzy water.

You used to be a vodka girl.

I have something to finish at work.

Oh, have you?

Rusty, I don't know how to say this.

I'll just come out with it.

Two months ago, I bought a condo.

So I needed to sublet my apartment.

By chance, I ran into Nat.

And he was interested...

in the apartment.

He didn't take it in the end, but...

But what?

He wanted to see me.

Hmm.

I tried t-to avoid it.

I told him "no" over and over.

He kept asking why,

to the point where,

I guess I was seeing him...

and falling for him.

Are you out of your mind?

I think I love him...

and he loves me.

I can imagine that you want to get back at me.

This has got to stop.

I tried to make this not happen.

I put him off for weeks.

Does he know about us?

Of course not. And he never will.

But...

Rusty, you don't want me.

No, no.

Don't tell me what I want.

Don't preach...

sincerity to me.

Hey. You...

you're putting the screws to me...

in the worst way, right?

Get rid of Barbara, or you'll destroy my home?

No. This is not about you. It's about Nat.

I never felt this way about--

...anyone.

Ah, God.

I should be a case study at Bellevue, I know that,

but please...

let us be?

You are crazy...

and you can go to hell.

Dr. - A sampling of cardiac blood shows a toxic level

of an antidepressant called Phenelzine.

So Barbara Sabich did not die of natural causes?

I can tell you, the symptoms reported--

death by arrhythmia

with a possible hypertensive reaction--

are classically associated with an overdose of Phenelzine.

Could she have O.D.'d accidentally?

Probably not.

The concentration was four times the normal dose.

Patients who take this drug are warned repeatedly about its dangers.

There's a whole list of stuff you shouldn't eat when you're on Phenelzine--

red wine, aged cheeses, any kind of dry sausage.

They all increase the drug's toxicity.

So she could have taken a pill

and then cheated and had a pepperoni pizza.

- That could have happened. - What about suicide?

This woman had prescriptions for half a dozen drugs

that would have been a lot more reliable.

Excuse me.

- No note. - So? Could still be an accident.

Hell, accident, murder...

she expired on her treadmill.

Boy, we really have Sabich by the short hairs now, don't we?

Hey.

Hey.

A good day?

Will be, after three fingers of scotch.

Ahh. There's a quiche in the oven.

Oh, I invited Nat

for dinner tomorrow night.

- Good. - Yeah. With his new girlfriend.

He finally agreed.

I mean, it's not like we both don't know Anna, right?

I mean, I don't know what the big deal is.

You boys can barbecue!

Hey, you're gonna be

at the drugstore anyway, right?

Get my meds? Mm-hmm.

So can you please pick me up

some of that nice cabernet and some salami

that we love so much? Thanks.

This is the pharmacy's prescription log

from the evening before Barbara Sabich died.

Lists a prescription for her--

was picked up by Rusty Sabich--

for Phenelzine.

Show him the cash register receipt.

The same night...

the judge bought a bottle of red wine,

pickled-herring, Italian salami.

All no-no food groups

that trigger a toxic reaction with Phenelzine.

And by the way, Rusty's personal computer,

taken in evidence by the Nearing cops after Barbara croaked,

shows multiple searches for Phenelzine.

Oh, and I have a bonus point for you,

from Rusty Sabich's bank records.

Cashier's check.

Made out to William Rapini, the divorce attorney?

Touchdown, boss.

Judge was seeing a lawyer and hiding it from his wife.

And we know Sabich had a girlfriend.

Who is the girlfriend?

She could tell us everything. Who is she?

Here. Take your Advil.

Whenever he works in the garden

his knees file for bankruptcy.

So, do you have any siblings?

Only child.

Just like Nat.

It wasn't that bad of a childhood.

It's the onions. It's the onions, Nat.

Help her chop the onions.

Rusty, did you get the appetizers?

Mm. For you?

Ah, yes, the "horse deserves."

Old family joke.

Most of his jokes are old.

My God.

You're absolutely right.

I need new material. Please.

Oh, my favorite. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

Barbara?

Yes.

But after I show Anna Nat's room.

- Mmm. - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Mmm.

Go on. I asked her to give you the tour

while Dad and I grill the steaks.

I'm coming.

I got four clear prints on the bottle of Phenelzine.

I compared them with the decedent's.

With predictable problems, by the way.

Mo, please tell us whose prints are on the vial.

I can tell you that they didn't come from the victim.

All four prints on that bottle come from somebody else.

- And that is? - Rusty Sabich

How do we know Sabich didn't take the pills

out of the vial himself just to help his wife?

The scrip was for 10 pills.

But when the cops inventoried the bottle, there were only 6.

Somebody took 4 out.

And the only prints are the judge's.

Head, heart, and groin, boss.

He is as smart as a snake.

He knew the drug. He had a lover.

It's all there.

I don't believe it.

He did it again.

And... court adjourned.

The court's opinion will follow in due course.

- Please coordinate with the clerk-- - Move. Step aside.

- Rozat K. Sabich? - Yes.

You're under arrest for the murder

of Barbara Bernstein Sabich. Stand up, please.

You have the right to remain silent.

You have the right to an attorney.

22 years after his acquittal in the Carolyn Polhemus case,

Judge Rusty Sabich is again on trial

for murdering a woman close to him--

not his lover this time, but his wife.

So, you went to the bedroom and saw your mother.

What did your father say?

He said he had been sitting there for 24 hours.

He just sat there for 24 hours.

Did he say why he didn't call the police?

Dr. - She died from an overdose of Phenelzine.

And why was this cause of death

not detected in the original autopsy, Dr. Stack?

Well, after 24 hours, the tablets were undetectable

on a routine toxicology screening.

Correct.

It's Judge Sabich's fingerprints

on the vial of Phenelzine, and no one else's.

Thank you.

It was like, who brought that up?

Out of nowhere Judge Sabich asked me,

"what's it like to poison someone?"

After two weeks of evidence from the state,

from the same man who prosecuted Sabich

over two decades ago,

tomorrow it's time for the other side.

And we are hearing that the defense

may take the unusual step of making its first witness

the defendant himself.

You understand, Rusty,

that the Constitution of the United States

protects you from being forced to testify in your trial?

I understand that.

And yet here you are.

You've heard the parade of witnesses

for the prosecution.

And you understand that you are accused

of murdering your wife.

Yes, I do understand that.

And did you do this, Rusty? Murder your wife?

No.

Mr. Molto?

Are you gonna ask about the girl?

Your honor,

may we be heard before I begin?

What's he doing?

Resequester the jury.

Jurors, this way, please.

Your honor...

since the defendant has chosen to testify,

I would like to ask him about the affair he had

in the prior year.

Objection. Your honor, this was dealt with

in our pretrial motion, which you granted.

Now, regardless of the state's iffy evidence

of hotel sightings, any alleged affair ceased

months before Barbara Sabich's death.

You've already ruled any proof irrelevant.

- It shows motive, your honor. - How?

How? Because he may have wanted to be with this woman.

Now.

I'm sorry?

Ask now, with no jury present. Ask.

Judge Sabich, did you have an affair

in the spring of 2010?

You know, it's better if I ask, Mr. Molto.

It'll be faster.

Judge Sabich, when your wife died,

were you having an affair, a romance, whatever--

were you involved with another woman?

No, I wasn't.

And going back, say, three months before her death,

any affair?

No.

Did you hope to see any woman romantically?

No, no, Mr. Molto. Not in America.

No prison for what's in a man's head.

Same ruling, Mr. Molto.

But, your honor, the possibility exists--

Irrelevant, Mr. Molto!

Nothing about affairs. That's my ruling.

Yes, your honor.

A good morning. A very good morning.

Oh, by the way, why don't you join us?

My office has made reservations for lunch across the street.

Sounds good.

I can't stay. I have work.

Really? I thought you had the day off.

I can't stay here.

I'm sorry. Good luck, Rusty.

Uh, Nat...

can we talk for a minute?

We'll meet you over there.

Of course.

Nat...

you can't listen to the prosecution allude to an affair

and not wonder...

Yeah, well, just tell me that it's bullshit...

Dad.

That it was just their tactic.

Last year, I was seeing someone else.

- Did mom know? - I never told her.

I won't even try to explain.

- This is unbelievable. - Nat...

I mean, God, who was it?

Really doesn't matter. She was younger.

I guess I was chasing my youth.

Is it anyone I know?

It was...

over and done long before your mother died.

- Are you familiar with a drug called Phenelzine? - I am.

Phenelzine is an antidepressant that my wife took

for many years.

Now, during the testimony

of our computer expert last week,

he described a forensic examination

of your personal computer after it was removed

by police from your house.

Do you recall that?

I recall my computer was seized, yes.

And you recall that on the cache

of your computer's web browser,

in a matter of days before your wife's death,

there were repeated searches on two different sites

that describe Phenelzine-- do you recall that?

I recall hearing that testimony, yes.

Let's look at the pages visited.

People's exhibit 47, please.

"Phenelzine is an M.A.O. inhibitor."

Do you recall reading that?

I do not, but I take your point.

People's exhibit 41, please.

Now, as you can plainly see

from Mr. John Harnason's trial transcript,

which you personally reviewed,

it clearly states that in addition

to arsenic, M.A.O. inhibitors

are not tested for.

So you knew, Judge, that an overdose of Phenelzine

could not be detected. Right?

Just like the arsenic used by Mr. Harnason

to kill his lover.

- Objection. Argumentative. - Sustained.

Speaking of your personal home computer

and the forensic evidence introduced, Judge,

you recall that several messages

from your personal e-mail account were deleted

the day before your wife died?

I recall that.

Not just deleted, in fact, but electronically shredded?

I do remember that, yes.

- Did you do that, sir? - I did not.

Anyone else live in your house?

My wife.

Are you suggesting that your wife

went into your personal e-mail account

and deleted those messages?

Possibly.

Did your wife have her own computer?

She did.

Did she routinely use your computer?

Not routinely. It was outside our bedroom,

and occasionally she'd tell me and use it for a second.

Did she ask you in the week before she died

to use your computer?

I don't remember that.

Well, then, Judge,

your testimony doesn't make a whole lot of sense,

now, does it?

Frankly, Mr. Molto, none of this makes sense.

You suggested that I shredded e-mails

so they couldn't be reconstructed,

but at the same time,

I failed to remove the searches for Phenelzine.

And on top of that,

I left my fingerprints, foolishly, on the pill bottle.

So your argument does sound

desperate and ridiculous, yes.

Move to strike, your honor.

The defense will get their closing argument.

Sustained.

You know what? You brought up the pill bottle.

Let's talk about the pill bottle.

Now, we know from the testimony of your wife's doctor

that Mrs. Sabich was warned repeatedly

about certain foods to avoid while taking Phenelzine--

foods like wine and cheese and salami.

And in fact,

the doctor testified that he warned you, as well.

Do you remember your wife's physician warning you, Judge?

It's vague, but I think so.

And so you want us to accept that your wife asked you

to get the wine and the cheese and the salami,

knowing that these were foods she was ordered to avoid,

and what happened?

She forgot. And then she just drank the wine?

I did not see Barbara drink the wine.

Then Nat and I went outside.

I don't know who drank what.

But let's just be clear here, Judge.

Your wife was taking Phenelzine.

Does it make sense to you

that she would send you to the store

for a list of items that would kill her,

that she intended to eat?

Are you asking me to guess? I would say "yes."

Like most people on meds,

Barbara knew how much she could cheat

without having an adverse reaction.

Yes, I'd have to bet on that, yes.

Thank you, Judge.

But if your wife...

didn't drink wine...

or eat beyond her limit,

then she could not have died accidentally.

Could she?

It had to be murder.

Objection!

Didn't it?

Order. Order!

Nothing further, your honor.

That stuff about my dad having an affair...

- It's irrelevant. - It's true. He admitted it.

It makes me sick.

Why didn't he tell me a long time ago?

I'm sure he was embarrassed.

I can't help thinking that he could be guilty.

- He's not guilty. - How do you know?

I know him.

Not as well as you think, apparently.

He's just so damned selfish.

People aren't perfect, Nat.

I didn't want to fall in love with you.

It was just wrong for me.

Wrong time, wrong guy for a million reasons.

Strange stuff happens with love.

You've told me some pretty bizarre stories

from when you were younger.

Yeah, I was screwed up for a long time.

Maybe your dad was feeling screwed up.

Maybe the girl was, too.

You don't know who it was, do you?

My mom seemed to think that you had some thing for my dad.

Or him for you.

She thought some strange stuff.

Whatever could make her unhappy.

You want to stop for sushi?

Judge Sabich, apart from the crime of homicide,

this trial has revealed various possible explanations

for the death of Mrs. Sabich--

natural causes, accidental overdose,

drug interaction.

All of which begs the question,

how do you believe your wife died?

I believe my wife killed herself

with a deliberate overdose of Phenelzine.

There was no note.

No, I believe that Barbara wanted her death

to look like it was of natural causes.

Just as the coroner first ruled.

- Objection. - Sustained.

And why would Mrs. Sabich want to obscure the fact

that she took her own life?

For my son's sake.

My wife had psychiatric problems,

but she was always very protective of him.

She'd want to limit his anguish.

Did your wife have a history of suicide attempts?

Yes.

When we were separated 20 years ago--

Move to strike, your honor.

If the attempt took place while they were separated,

Judge Sabich cannot be testifying from personal knowledge.

Sustained.

Well, we will have to call another witness.

I was nine.

I cut my elbow.

I ran home to my mother.

My father and she weren't together at the time.

It was right after...

um...

I found my mother in the bathroom.

In the tub.

She had this small lamp in her hand.

It was plugged in across the room.

And she saw me.

It took her forever to put the lamp down.

And she said...

..."it's okay.

I was just going to read."

It wasn't okay.

Judge, on whose computer have we established

that searches of Phenelzine took place?

Mine.

Any searches of Phenelzine on your wife's computer?

None, according to testimony.

Now, since that first episode,

all the way to, say, last year--

that's what, 20 years--

your wife made no further attempts on her life, correct?

Not to my knowledge.

Well, then, Judge,

had anything changed in the past year with Mrs. Sabich,

as far as you know?

Yes, Mr. Molto.

There had been a significant change.

So, Ms. Belanquez,

you were seated at your usual desk at the bank,

having a conversation with a customer

who identified herself to you as Mrs. Barbara Sabich,

is that correct?

I did.

And just to verify,

that was September the 28th, yes?

Yes.

The day before Barbara Sabich died.

Did Mrs. Sabich bring anything with her to the bank?

She had a receipt from a lawyer's office.

Calling your attention to defense exhibit 24, your honor.

This is a copy of a paid receipt

for the services of Mann & Rapini,

attorneys who practice matrimonial law,

made out to Rozat K. Sabich.

I don't get it. How does it help them

to show their client looked into divorce?

Rusty paid the lawyer with a cashier's check.

How's his wife even know?

So, what happened next, Ms. Belanquez?

I got the impression from Mrs. Sabich

that this receipt had been mailed to her home by mistake.

Objection-- hearsay.

Sustained.

After presenting you with the receipt,

what did Mrs. Sabich ask for?

She wanted to find out

if the check number on the lawyer's receipt

matched her joint account with her husband.

She couldn't find any record of it on her statement.

And how did you respond?

Well, I had to ask my manager.

About what, Ms. Belanquez?

We're very careful about disclosure.

I was just needing confirmation on policy.

If Mrs. Sabich was on the account,

then she was entitled to any records.

And so did you share any information

regarding this joint account with Mrs. Sabich?

Yes, I gave her a copy of the cashier's check

that her husband bought with cash from his ATM card...

to pay for this law firm.

Thank you, Ms. Belanquez.

No further questions, your honor.

So, the wife knew Rusty was looking into divorce.

Barbara and Rusty fought like sumos.

He ended up icing her!

So what if the defense proved she knew he went to a lawyer?

We're not losing this damn case.

It was uphill from the start, Jimmy.

There's a flaw.

Why does she wipe his computer?

If she's planning to kill herself quietly,

why leave tracks behind by deleting his e-mails?

So Rusty will know.

That's maybe why she searched the Phenelzine

on his computer, so he'll realize how she did it.

The kid, the rest of the world,

they'll all think she died of her bumpy heartbeat.

But Rusty will rot with guilt.

We are not going to lose!

So, when it came to using his home computer,

your father was a novice.

What about you, Nat?

Would you say that you were computer literate?

I'd say yes.

And what about your mother?

She was like a genius. She was a Ph.D. in math.

Her colleagues would call her to answer computer questions.

Did you know the password on your father's computer?

Yes.

The worst kept secret in the family.

It's "Rohzat," but with an "h."

And so, would your mother also have known the password?

Absolutely.

He would ask her when he couldn't remember.

Now, Nat,

you knew that I was going to ask you to demonstrate

your father's computer here today, yes?

But did you know in what way?

I do not.

I would like you, please,

to enter the password "Rohzat,"

and if that works,

try and download the shredding software

the prosecution mentioned earlier.

No, there's no point. Maybe it won't work.

Order!

- Order! - Sit down.

Jimmy, our computer expert, what's his name?

Gorvetich. The best. I had him in college.

We've had that computer under lock and key

- since before Christmas, right? - Yeah.

We got it after it was at Judge Mason's

after we hassled about what we could look at.

You remember.

But if that card turns out to be real...

- It's not real. - Jimmy, I love you to death,

but you confuse fact with hope.

If that card turns out to be a plant, then great,

Rusty Sabich is dead meat.

If it's real, we are in big trouble.

It's not real.

Yeah? It's Gorvetich.

The card was created the day before Barbara Sabich died.

It's real.

Another reporter.

All asking the same question --

if we think Molto will dismiss.

Will he?

No.

Molto isn't gonna give up.

They'll gin up some screwy theory

about Rusty planting this on his own computer.

Rusty has not had his hands on a computer

since prior to the indictment.

Any such theory would only be an embarrassment to them.

Why didn't she sign her name?

If Barbara was trying to frame me.

Why did she bother to bail me out

with a silly little greeting card?

Because putting you on trial, Rusty,

is a fine repayment for your infidelity.

Leaving you in prison

for the rest of your life goes too far,

especially when you consider Nat.

There he is!

Mr. Molto, will you ask for a dismissal this morning?

We try our cases in court, Elaine, not on the street.

Has your office been duped, sir, by the victim, no less?

No comment.

Please, I need you to back up.

I love it when they bite back.

Rusty gone down! Rusty gone down!

Rusty gone away! Gone to the big house!

You go, girl!

Last night, Gorvetich had this brilliant idea.

- I just talked to him. He said it was your idea. - Not even close.

You can share the Nobel Prize. Tell me. What?

You remember when the appellate judges were giving us hell?

They didn't want us looking at their internal court documents

on Rusty's computer?

Right, we had to turn over the computer to Judge Mason, yeah?

Yeah, so we made a copy, of Rusty's hard drive,

before we gave his computer over to the chief judge.

So Gorvetich says, why don't we look at the copy,

to be sure the greeting card was on Rusty's computer, before we gave it over?

The copy was preserved on a server in the evidence room.

Jim burned a dupe last night, personally drove it to Gorvetich.

Tell me-- please, please--

that someone from Sandy Stern's office was with you.

If you're worried they'll claim we screwed with the image,

we gave them a copy when we made it.

Let 'em look at their copy.

The greeting card from hell won't be there,

I guarantee it.

Your honor, our experts have reviewed the imaged copy

made last November by the prosecutor's office.

They agree that the card does not appear to be there.

Our experts will need at least 24 hours to determine why.

Why?!

With all due respect to Mr. Stern, Judge,

there's an obvious answer.

This was a fraud, pure and simple.

That is not nearly as simple and clear

as Mr. Brand would wish, your honor.

Everybody has experts. I need to talk to my experts.

Recess. 15 minutes.

If the card was planted, it had to have been

when the computer was in the possession

of the Chief Judge's office.

Our experts say it would have taken at least an hour

to create the card.

- Did George send you a copy of the access log? - Yes.

Only four people had access to the impounded computer.

- You, Rusty. - It's true.

I was there for a few minutes to copy some cases.

28 minutes to be exact.

And two visits from you, Nat. Under an hour.

He was there to copy some transcripts for me.

I asked him to.

And a visit of one hour and six minutes from Anna Vostik.

She was filling in for me. Judge Mason okayed it

because Anna was my dad's former clerk.

One hour and six minutes?

But I remember, she told me while she was there,

her boss plugged her into a conference call.

Mr. Stern. Judge Malek would like to see the attorneys in her chambers.

Here's what I'm thinking.

This trial is about who murdered Mrs. Sabich,

not about whether someone fooled with the judge's computer.

The jury will be told to disregard the message they saw.

- Judge! - Your honor...

the jury has already seen that message.

The defense will be able to argue

that Mrs. Sabich killed herself,

that she intended to frame her husband.

If we could just present some witnesses...

Oh, we'll have our own witnesses.

I'm sorry, your honor, but you're asking us to finish this trial

with our hands tied behind our backs!

There's no other way to look at it.

Excuse me.

I'll think about it overnight.

But tomorrow morning, we try this case.

I hope your attorney can make it through this trial.

Sandy's not looking very good.

He's fighting lung cancer.

Scrapping with you again after all these years

has been a really great tonic for him.

Nice of you to give him another shot.

I'm no angel, Tommy, but I'm not a murderer.

Yet these women keep dying all around you.

I've made a lot of mistakes--

vanity, lust, pride.

I'm not saying I didn't go looking for this.

Yeah.

But Barbara killed herself.

How about we end this thing?

You and I both know

this trial could go out of control.

I'd plead guilty to obstruction

for messing with the computer.

The other charges are dismissed.

You mean, keep the peas and throw away the steak?

You walk on murder?

Which I didn't commit.

Take what you can get, Tommy.

He gets away with two murders?

He's got a good chance of doing that anyway.

Better than we have of convicting him of anything else.

He'd only plead to obstruction if he killed his wife.

Why do we always assume that?

That if a guy tries to run or lies, that proves he's guilty?

I think Rusty Sabich has seen justice fail so many times,

he'd rather not trust the system at all.

We should take his deal.

And I'll tell you why. Because you deserve this.

He walks, you're never gonna hear the end of it.

But if he admits obstructing justice,

a judge, for God's sakes,

people will say you finally got Rusty Sabich

where he belongs, in prison.

You can finally get that seat on the bench

you've always wanted.

You know I have a 4-year-old...

another one on the way-- did I tell you that?

You see? You deserve this.

You should know that Marta and I have been

plea bargaining with Molto all morning.

The murder charges will be dropped.

Your father will plead guilty to obstruction of justice.

He will serve two years in prison

and then be free to live his life.

Obstruction? What did he do?

He won't say.

Frankly, I suspect there is someone

he doesn't want to implicate, but he won't say.

Tell me the truth!

The truth is, I did obstruct justice.

That's bullshit!

You don't know a computer from a weed whacker.

It's a felony.

You'll lose your pension, your law license. I mean...

everything.

Not my son, I hope.

I was across town when I got your text.

Court will come to order!

Mr. Sabich, you agree with your attorney about your plea?

Yes, I do.

The court finds there is sufficient basis

for a guilty plea

by Rozat K. Sabich

to information 09-0872.

Mr. Sabich, you are remanded to the Kindle County Sheriff

for a period of two years.

Court adjourned.

It's okay.

Let's go.

Oh, no, no, no, Tomaso.

Pazzo ragazzo! Come here.

Here, come on.

Go back and play with your friends. Here you go.

Clean up your act a little bit.

- Tommy? - Yeah.

Hey. Elaine.

Hey.

That your, uh, grandchild?

My son, actually. I got a late start.

Is that your daughter?

My niece.

I get to play at mommy without the car pools or insomnia.

Geez, I haven't seen you since the Sabich trial.

The second one?

Very funny. You know what they say--

a little justice is better than no justice at all.

Now, you see, that is a good quote.

I should have come to you after the verdict,

instead of spending the night with Brand.

At the Matchbox. At the bar. In a group.

Ah, well, you missed a world-class drink-off.

Jimmy Brand trounced us all.

- Jimmy's got a well-lubricated elbow. - Uh-huh.

Actually, he did mumble one thing

that was very interesting.

See, I was giving him an ear-load

about how it must suck to work so hard on a case

and end up with such a lame result.

And he laughs.

He says, "hey, seeing somebody who planned the perfect murder

"end up punished for a crime he had no role in,

now, that's hilarious."

What'd he mean by that?

No idea.

Well, I wondered if...

Jimmy thought Rusty's computer accomplice

wasn't an accomplice after all,

but someone who acted on his own.

You know what? Alcohol is not a friend of Jimmy's.

Mm-hmm.

Arianna! Honey, no. Come here.

Stay here. Come here.

Hey, Molto, you piece of garbage!

Hey, stop screaming over there. Stop screaming.

Shut the hell up!

Rusty.

I like your whiskers.

How are you doing here?

I don't care for the health club,

but at least there's room service.

There's a theory running around my office

that you pled guilty to a crime you didn't commit.

Tommy, who's putting out that crap?

Doesn't matter.

But I got to tell you,

the idea's been pecking at me, you know?

Got me up again in the middle of the night.

You were bothered in the middle of the night.

I'll tell you what's bothering me.

I have a son.

If someone came to me

and said I could spend two years in the hole

to save my kid's life,

man, I would do that.

I'd do that in a heartbeat.

Good for you.

So if I was you...

and I was convinced that somebody I loved

had monkeyed with that computer,

I'd have fallen on my sword and pled guilty,

just to end the whole thing.

Hmm.

Yeah, but...

that way I'd be innocent,

and I already told you I'm guilty.

Okay.

Just explain to me

how you messed with that computer, okay?

Just you and me.

It could get you out of here, Rusty.

I'll put it in writing. No one else will ever be prosecuted.

All right.

Here's the truth.

Once and for all, you and me.

I obstructed justice.

Leave it be.

Screw you, Rusty.

Orestes?

Orestes!

I need to review the Cavanaugh jacket.

Can you find it for me, please?

Boss man! Is it raining out there?

- Yeah. - Where you been?

Corrections meeting, checking out Sabich,

you know, driving through Hades.

Uh, the judge!

Man, that whole thing

is just too screwed up.

I'm still trying to figure that out.

How that computer got messed with.

Wasn't me, man, I know that.

- What do you think? - Me?

Yeah, what do you think?

You remember that big brouhaha

after you guys figured out that the card was phony?

And Detective Gissling was tripping about how no one

who was on the computer up in Judge Mason's chambers?

Not Sabich or the kid or the former clerk--

how none of them had time to do what it took

- to get the card on there-- remember? - Sure.

But here's the thing. What if it was all of them?

One downloaded from the flash drive, another ran spy,

and then the next edits the directory. Together, man.

Even just two of them, they would have the time, right?

That's how you would have done it?

I could have done it solo. But that's my job, man.

I got to make sure the evidence is tamper-proof.

And?

I mean, that's-- that's what I do.

Look, I remember one night

I go get the wrapping off of Sabich's computer

for court the next morning.

It was on the trial cart up in Jimmy B.'s office.

- So I go up there, and I'm like -- - Wait, wait, wait, wait.

Wasn't the computer unwrapped in the morning, right before?

Hey, man, 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.

I got to go to school in the morning.

Anyways, Jimmy B. And I, we unwrap this computer,

and I finally see the evidence tape across the power button,

and I'm like, "man, this is messed up!"

Meaning?

There's this itty-bitty space underneath the tape.

So I grab a tool, and Brand, he just about chokes me at that point.

Right? He thinks I'm gonna do it.

This was the night of the day that the bank lady testified.

So Brand, he's like, "whoa, Coolio. It's bad enough as it is."

I didn't push the button, though.

Just scared him. But see, that's what I'm saying.

I got to try and figure out what evidence

can and can't be messed with.

But even if the computer is powered up,

don't you have to break the other seals?

Get access to the keyboard?

No. Just get a new keyboard,

and you plug it in. I mean, on the side of the computer,

there was a port that the tape didn't cover.

Sabich evidence cart.

What, are you keeping it around for good luck?

More like a trophy.

I ran into Elaine Reese.

She said you two got ripped after the trial.

That you told her you thought

Rusty had copped to something he didn't do.

And it finally came to me,

you were thinking that he was fronting for his son.

Who knows what I was thinking?

I was on my ass. So was Elaine.

Yeah, but I still can't figure out

what gave you the idea

that he was taking the weight for his kid.

Just a feeling.

But why?

Who cares, boss?

Rusty's in the can, where he should be.

What are you afraid of?

Tell you what I'm afraid of, Jimmy.

I'm afraid that you know

that Rusty did not put that card in that computer.

Why would you think that, boss?

Well, the fact that you were in this office

all night long after the computer had been unwrapped.

After Orestes showed you how to turn it on.

You're a computer guy, Jimmy.

You took programming with Gorvetich.

So I have to ask you.

You didn't put that card in that computer, did you?

He killed somebody, boss.

Two somebodies.

He didn't deserve to walk.

Now you've won.

Yeah, but it kind of works out for you, too,

doesn't it, Jimmy?

I mean, uh, you are the guy

who's running to be the next P.A.

Look...

it's the middle of the night.

And you get this half-assed idea, and then you get started,

mostly because you know you can do it.

And then it takes on a life of its own.

To tell you the truth,

I was laughing out loud the whole time.

I'm not gonna let anyone sit in the can

for a crime they didn't commit.

You're crazy.

I'm gonna call Sandy Stern.

Isn't he dead yet?

No, he's not dead yet.

As a matter of fact, he's rallying just a little bit.

You know what? This is gonna be a nice little pick-me-up.

And after I'm done with Stern, I'm gonna call Judge Malek.

I just have to figure out what to say

and what to do with you.

I didn't testify falsely.

All I ever said to the court was, the card is a fraud.

You can't prosecute me, and even if you tried,

people would just blame you, Tommy.

I think I just figured it out.

You're gonna resign from this office in the next 30 days.

It was your fault that that computer was not secured.

You're gonna take the blame for Sabich skating.

You're gonna wear the black hat.

Which will screw my candidacy.

I'm supposed to thank you for that?

Yes. Yeah, you should.

I'll get the car.

You lost weight.

Yeah, well, it's not a diet I'd recommend.

Anna, before he gets back...

I need to be sure... Nat doesn't know about...?

No.

I've started to tell him a thousand times,

but I always stop myself.

I think that's... right.

Nothing to gain.

You are in love with him, right?

Madly.

Insanely.

Because he's the sweetest man in the world.

Good.

That's what I wanted to hear.

And one more reason.

There are ways he's a lot like you.

Great. Great.

No, no, no.

Just-- just don't catch all the fish

before I get there, please?

Thank you. Oh.

No, no. I promise.

All right. Bye, Lorna.

Lorna! Lor-na.

That's the, uh, classmate with the lake?

Don't go jumping to conclusions.

She's been inviting me up to her place for years.

- To fish. - Oh, right. Right.

Then you'd better bring back some actual trout.

I will, if I can just find a store out there.

Well, here it is. Here's your rod.

Sorry I had it so long.

It's okay. No problem.

I just didn't know I'd need it again.

- Hey, Dad? - Yeah.

I want you to tell me the truth.

- Look, Nat... - No, no, about Mom.

- Please. - The thing I hated about growing up in this house

is that everyone had secrets.

Just... please.

End it.

The day that you and Anna came over for dinner,

I had been working out in the backyard,

and my knees were killing me.

Your mom brought my four Advil

here into the kitchen.

Take your Advil.

Yeah, I remember that.

I didn't take them.

I was distracted by the whole situation

with you and Anna or something.

I forgot.

And then after you left,

she brought me the pills...

up in the bedroom.

Here, take these.

You'll never be able to get out

of bed in the morning if you don't.

I don't know, Nat. The Phenelzine tablets--

they look just like the ibuprofen.

They're the same size and the same color.

Are these Advil?

Some generic.

She was glad I knew.

Knew what?

She tried to kill you?

Yes.

I didn't realize it at the time.

She'd been to the bank. She'd been in my e-mail.

Can you show me the bottle?

So she would rather die than...

get caught?

When I woke up, the sheets were soaked with sweat.

She was gone.

My first thought was heart failure.

She'd obviously put it there

after I went to sleep.

It was the equivalent of a note.

She wanted me to know that she knew.

I spent the rest of the afternoon

putting it all together.

How she'd used rubber gloves to handle the Phenelzine bottle.

How she'd gone into my e-mail

and erased all the evidence of the affair

so that it would incriminate me.

What did you do with the lawyer's receipt?

I flushed it down the toilet.

So, you see, I did obstruct justice.

Hey. Nat.

Dad, it could have been worse,

how it turned out.

You get your pension back, you can practice law.

Yeah, maybe someday.

I'm due back at the office.

We'll talk more when you get back from your trip?

Yeah.

I hope you don't mind me saying this, but...

I still feel like you're not telling me everything, Dad.

I love you, Nat.

I love you, too.

Hi to Anna.

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