All language subtitles for Homicide.Life.on.the.Street.S02E04.Bop.Gun.1080p.PCOK.WEB-DL.DD2.0.x264-NTb_track4_[eng]

[upbeat rock music playing]

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[theme song playing]

[music fading]

[police siren blaring]

If that's what you think.

Marky Deutch.

If it's your people
on this scene,
I know it's screwed.

Yeah, with you working
the murder,

it'll stay open forever.

Maybe, but I'll get my 40 hours
overtime no matter what.

Well, you're gonna get
more than that.

This thing's got red ball
written all over it.

The Deputy Commissioner
was called at home.

- He's on his way in.
- Yeah, why? What's the deal?

Catherine Anne Ellison,
mother of two, tourist.

She takes one
in the face at close range.

You got one .45
shell casing on the ground.

- Witnesses?
- Yeah, her family.

I sent them downtown.
Husband, and two kids.

Most I could get out of 'em
was three yo's,

18 to 30 years,
who stole a wallet,

a purse, and a gold locket.

They run south,
after doing the deed.

- On foot?
- So says the husband.

Only one place they could be
heading is South Baltimore.

- [Howard]
Hamburg and Leadenhall.
- [Felton] Hell, yeah.

[Deutch] Want the district DEU
to come along?

- [Felton] The more, the merrier.
- [police siren whooping]

[officer] Move aside, people.

[man] Do a little hiking,
a little camping,

whole family decides, right?
This was once a good town.

Out of the blue, they announce,

they'd rather have spent
the morning in Willamsburg.

You're gonna be okay.

You know?

I just have to answer
a few questions, okay?

Then we'll go back,
and sleep for a while.

Stay with me.

Get a hold of Munch,
Bolander, Pembleton,

Crosetti, Bayliss, Lewis.

We've got a red ball.
I need them all to wrap it up.

- Crosetti's on vacation.
- Not anymore.

I got witnesses
from Sharp Street.

- Witnesses? Who are they?
- Hell if I know.

We're just the transport.
You guys got a fresh pot on?

In the coffee room.

I'm Lieutenant Giardello,
shift commander.

- You are?
- Her husband.

You're the victim's--
victim's husband?

I'm sorry, sir.

- Is this necessary?
- Unfortunately, yeah.

- Come on, honey. Let's go.
- Why?

I mean, I told you everything.

They had a gun, they took
my wallet, and my wife's locket.

I mean--

[Munch] While it's still fresh
in their minds,

we've gotta talk to these kids.

Maybe they don't
wanna say anything.

Come on, honey. Let's go.
We're going to go for a ride.

- No, I think
she goes with me.
- You can go with her.

We're just going to go right in
here and have a talk, all right?

May I talk with you?

It's okay.
It's okay, honey.

You got some questions?

Where have they taken my wife?

She's down at the medical
examiner's office.

The law requires
that we do an autopsy.

- Where do I go?
- No, no, no.

You don't want to go down there.

Just tell the funeral home
of your choice that...

that's where the body is.

Can you recommend someone?

I mean, locally.

Sure, sure, you know,
I'll write it down for you.

This is a very ugly room.

Yeah, we're gonna have to throw
some paint on the walls, huh?

What's that mirror for?

Is this where you change
policeman clothes?

No.

No, policemen don't change.

Dad, Matt is mad at me.

No, he's not mad at you.
It's okay.

[Bayliss]
So, what grade are you guys in?

Matt's in eighth grade.

[Bayliss] Really? Oh.

He's a lot bigger than I was.

I liked the eighth grade.

I got to be in charge
of the playground.

I was a patrol boy.

Matt.

Abby.

Your mom was hurt today.

These three guys,
they robbed us,

didn't they, Dad?

[Robert] Yeah. Yes, they did.

Did you see these--
these three guys, huh?

They were yelling,
saying bad words.

[Robert] Oh, yeah.

[sighs] Oh...

Do you remember what these--
these three guys,

what they looked like?

I didn't see them too good.

Mommy pushed me in back of her.

Yeah.

[Bayliss clears throat]

Matt, do you remember anything?

Anything you might be able
to tell me?

- Come on.
- [Matt sobbing]

All right, don't--
don't be scared, all right?

- Okay? Just try--
- [Matt sobbing]

You just try, all right? Okay?

- Okay? Just try.
- [Matt] I can't remember.

- [Matt sobs]
- All right.

- Come on.
- [Matt sniffles] My mom.

- [Bayliss] Yeah?
- She's on the ground.

And there's blood.

Everywhere.

[Bayliss] It's all right.
I know, it's...

- If you can just try
and remember his face--
- [sobs] I can't remember.

- I can't!
- That's it, please.

- [Bayliss] Okay.
- No more. We have to stop.

[Matt sobbing] My mom.

Matt.

He never cries.

[Robert] It's okay. It's okay.

It's all right. It's okay.

- Five-oh, five-oh!
- [police siren blaring]

[many sirens wail]

[tires screech]

Oh! Right there!

[officer] Let's go, boys, go!

[officer] Left!

[Felton]
Shop's closed, boys and girls.

[all shouting at once]

- Move back, man.
- This ain't right.

- What?
- [handcuffs clicking]

[grunts] I've been backing up
four years, man.

I can't take a humble like this.

Parole backup? For what?

Possession with-- with intent.

Talk to me.

You're looking for them boys
that come running through here

about an hour ago, right?

Make your play.

I don't know 'em.

- No, no, man! No!
- Let's go.

Hey, I'm East Side, man.
I ain't from around here.

[sighs]

Yo, I got street names.

One of 'em call himself
Kid Funkadelic.

[upbeat pop music
playing on radio]

- [door bangs]
- [officer] Police, freeze!

The damn gun, Marvin.
Where's the gun?

What the hell y'all doing
coming in here, man?

That's right, you ain't
done nothing, right, Marvin?

You were here all day,
weren't you?

I suggest you read this warrant,
to remind you of your deeds.

- Hey, hey. Hey, hey.
- Where's the gun, Marvin?

Kid Funkadelic
on the cutting edge, huh, baby?

- What you know about it?
- What crap is that?

[Marvin] Oh, come on, man!
Come on, man.

[Lewis] Come on, man, respect
the music, if nothing else.

Oh, look what I found, Marvin.

- ...45's.
- [Felton] Gotcha, Marvin.

[office din]

[Munch] The husband was standing
there for the whole thing.

But he doesn't think
he can ID anybody.

I asked him to describe the gun.
You know what he said?

He said, "It's big, and metal."
[laughs]

With a hole in it like this.

Why is it every civilian says
the same thing about a robbery?

Three nondescript yo's,
with a hole in the end

of the barrel the size
of the Fort McHenry Tunnel.

I am telling you,
I am going to rack up

the overtime on this one.

- This funny to you?
- Gonna be able to put new--

- It's a big joke, huh?
- [Munch] Mr. Ellison.

I want him off this case, okay?
I don't want him
anywhere near my family.

Look, I'm sorry about your wife.

I know this must be
tough on you.

But I'm the primary
in this case.

You don't have a choice here.

I want to make a complaint.

I want to make
a complaint to his superior.

Which guy is his superior?
Okay, I want to start with you.

- I want to start now.
- [Giardello] Mr. Ellison,
please come with me.

A few weeks ago, he was working

on a father of four
shot in East Baltimore.

After that...

a domestic stabbing.

And after that, a drug shooting
in the projects,

where an innocent
bystander was killed.

Next week,
it will be somebody else.

He's not going to feel
what you feel.

None of us are.

But you, you're not him.

Mr. Ellison,
I can still remember
the first murder I ever handled.

Walbrook Junction.
Kenny Damon Barnes.

I can still remember the--

that look he had on his face.

I can remember how he was laid
out in the apartment.

I can remember the--

the pictures
of his kids that he, uh,

had taped to the--
to the refrigerator.

[Robert sighs]

I-- I can't remember
my 50th or my 40th.

None of us cared.

But the only
difference between...

Felton and the rest of us,
is that he doesn't have

the patience to hide that fact.

You need him to solve
your murder, not to grieve.

I just want to get my kids,
and get out of here.

[police radio chatter]

No one's going to bother you
if you go this way.

Oh, hey, okay, guys,
give me a break.

- Mr. Ellison.
- Come on.

Have you identified
any of the suspects?

Do you know the man
who murdered your wife?

How are the children
handling the trauma?

[journalist] Mr. Ellison,
what are you going to do now?

[journalists all
talking at once]

Mr. Ellison.
How do you feel, Mr. Ellison?

What?

[Abby]
We can't go home without Mommy.

[Matt] We are, Abby,
because Mom's dead.

- [Abby] Stop saying that.
- [Matt] She's dead.

She's not coming home with us.

[Abby] Yes, she is.

I'm going to sit on her lap
all the way home on the plane,

just like when we came out.

[Matt] You're acting
like such an idiot.

- She's dead.
- [Robert] Hey, hey.

Come on.
You've got to go to sleep.

We've got a really big
day tomorrow.

[Matt] I'm trying to tell Abby

that Mom's
not coming home with us.

Come on. Come on.

We've got to go to sleep now.

How are we going without her?

[Robert] Go to sleep now.

We've got to get up early
and pick up Grandma.

Good night, Dad.

Come on, Matt. Come on.

Good night, Dad.
Good night, Dad.

Good night!

Good night.

[sighs heavily]

[sighs]

[melancholy music playing]

[sobbing]

[sniffling]

[hysterical sobbing]

Come on, man. [grunts]

Antonio Barr, a.k.a. Tweety,
22 years of age.

Guess what we found with him?

This braindead yo
leaves a murder,

takes the vic's jewelry,

goes home,
gives it to his girlfriend.

We kick open the door,

and she swears
for, like, ten minutes

that her Mama gave it to her.

I guess that makes
this guy her daddy, right?

Cross him up, Beau.

Hey, Meldrick, you come with me.
Kay, you take Bolander.

- [Howard] You got it.
- Beau!

Hey, hey, hey.

- [Felton whistling]
- Kid Funkadelic!

Look who dropped by
to say hello, huh?

See, he's waving to us.

Hello, Tweety.

He wasn't tough to find, either.

See, we know you and he
are rap buddies,

so we, being smart police,

we just pulled your sheet up,
and hunted up codefendants.

And, surprise,

you and Tweety took a charge
together back in '91.

So we're taking up a pool
over who gives it up first.

- You want in?
- Smart money's on Tweety.

His game's a little weak.

Marvin, you have the right
to remain silent.

Although, personally,
I don't feel remaining silent's

all it's cracked up to be.

Smoke?

- I just wanna make sure--
- See him? He's giving you in.

- He's giving you up.
- We know he's the shooter.

- [door clicks closed]
- He says you're the shooter.

Hey, Tony, you know
how the gas chamber works?

- You understand?
- Death penalty bit, Marvin.

Chill out all that
death penalty stuff, man.

I ain't going out like that.

Especially because
of some numb-thinking,

fresh-on-the-block
knucklehead, man.

Gone and blown some bitch away.

Don't know what
the hell he's doing.

Are we talking
about Marvin here?

Hell, no.

I'm saying Vaughn.

Vaughn Perkins.
19 years of age. Oh, whoa.

His sheet shows
only a shoplifting,
and a disorderly charge.

- Kid's a virgin.
- Sure doesn't
sound like a shooter.

Got an address
in Baltimore County.

Everybody's gotta start
someplace.

Tweety has Vaughn
asking for the gun

right before
they get the Ellisons.

I don't know, how does a kid
go from stealing
a new pair of tennies

to homicide in one leap?

[door latch clicks]

Game's over, Marvin.

Tweety gave up Vaughn.

He says you gave
the boy the gun.

Tweety always was a punk.

I still think
he's leaking all over us,
and calling it rain.

I don't think
Vaughn's the shooter.

He doesn't have
the sheet for it.

I think you're the shooter.

Look, man, I've put that .45
in people's faces
200 or 300 times,

and I've never once
let go of a bullet.

That's why I use a .45.

Because people are fool enough
to argue with anything smaller.

I'm a stone stickup man.
I know my business.

What about the "assault
by shooting" charge in '84?

You went down
three years for that.

Yeah, that bitch.
He needed to get shot.

- Uh-huh.
- That wasn't no robbery, either.

I loaned him my Eddie Hazel
album, and he's gonna put it

in the back
of his raggedy Cutlass

on a 100 degree day.

Eddie Hazel album?
Mm-hmm, a collector's item.

Yeah, I guess the guy
had it coming, didn't he?

Look, man,
I ain't saying nothing else.

Now, you know and I know

the two of us
going to be doing 30 in

just for having
anything to do with it.

And the third one
probably going to see death row.

So you can just ship
my little lonesome ass

back over to city jail,
and we'll see how it plays out.

Because I ain't saying
nothing else without a lawyer.

Between you and me...

look, man, I ain't saying
you right about anything.

But that boy you mentioned,

if he was there...

I bet he didn't mean to do it.

[dramatic music plays]

[man]
What's that on your shirt, man?

Looks like somebody hit you with
some brown paint or something.

[man 2]
Looks like you got rust on it.

You're rusting out, Vaughn.

[video game beeping]

I was just playing
with you, Vaughn.

[video game gunfire booms]

Vaughn, what are you doing?

You're wasting all your shots.

I'm Robert Ellison.

- Are you the mortician?
- [Reinhold] No, that's me, sir.

Richard Reinhold,
Reinhold Funeral Homes.

I'm terribly sorry
about your loss.

I've spoken to your people
back in Iowa,

and I'll be handling
the arrangements

for shipping the body back home.

I'd like to see my wife.

[zipper rasps]

Where are her clothes?

She had a band.

A wedding band.

- Where's the wedding ring?
- You gotta check with the cops.

Uh, it was a gold wedding ring.
It looked like this.

We had them made together.

[Dr. Lausanne]
All personal effects and clothes
of the victim were taken.

- No one told me this.
- You should have been told.

No one tells me anything.

They don't tell me anything.

[melancholy music plays]

[sobs]

[zipper rasps]

[door slams closed]

[quiet hum of chatter]

Excuse me,
may I have a word with you?

Excuse me. Mr. Ellison.

Where's her ring?

My wife's wedding ring.

All of her personal property
was taken as evidence.

- Her ring is safe.
- Oh.

But who gave you permission
to take her clothes?

She's lying down there in that
damn room with no clothes.

You don't know Catherine.
She's very, uh, proper.

And, you know... she wasn't
very much at ease with her body.

I understand how you feel.

You know, you've got her lying
down there in a damn morgue,

in a plastic bag,
with no clothes.

Now, I want
her out of the plastic bag.

I want her clothes back,
and I want you to have someone
there to protect her.

- I understand how you feel.
- You keep leaving her
there alone.

Excuse me, Mr. Ellison.

You remember Detective Bayliss?

We've identified
three possible suspects,

and we'd like you
to look at some photos.

Here you go. Okay.

Now, Mr. Ellison,
just a couple of things.

These are photographs,
and the complexions,

the shadings can change.

They differ on each person.

Also, the hairstyles
can be easily changed.

- All right?
- [Robert] All right.

- [Bayliss] Take your time.
- [Robert] Okay.

[Robert sighs]

[breathes raggedly]

I can't say.

What, you think
it should be easy?

Some sort of snap?

Take another look.
Take your time.

[hyperventilating]

It all happened so fast.

Yeah, but I bet
if someone murdered your wife,

you'd remember all their faces,
wouldn't you?

But I'm just an average guy.
All I remember is the gun.

I just stood there,
staring at it.

I just stood there,
and I watched him kill my wife.

I didn't do anything.

Yeah, but you, you would have
done something, wouldn't you?

[Felton] I'm not saying
I would have done--

Oh, you're not saying anything,

but you're thinking it,
aren't you?

I mean, hell,
everybody's thinking it.

Even my own son thinks it.

Like there's a whole
list of things

that you're supposed to do
before your wife...

You know,
maybe you grab the gun,

or you shield her.

And if you can't do anything,

at least remember their faces,

so when the police
show you a bunch of pictures,

you can point 'em out.

Him! Him! Him!

No.

That's not the way
we do things here, Mr. Ellison.

We need your help in finding
the men that murdered your wife.

You tell me who did it.
I'll identify them.

- [Rose] Yes.
- Baltimore City Police, ma'am.

We're looking
for Vaughn Perkins, is he home?

- Oh, what trouble's he in now?
- [Crosetti] May we come in,
ma'am?

Please, come in.

- Where's your son, ma'am?
- Vaughn is not my son.

He-- he's my nephew.

Has he been caught
stealing again?

Vaughn is wanted
in connection with a homicide.

Oh, my God.

- Have you seen Vaughn?
- No.

He's not a bad boy.

He sings on the church
choir with me.

We just want to ask him--
ask him a few questions.

Um, according to our records,

we have you listed
as Vaughn's mother.

Well, um,
I helped to raise Vaughn

and his brother, Emanuel.

My brother, Jeffrey,
he married Vaughn's mother.

After he died,
we took the boys in.

Renee, she just
has troubles all the time.

She's a dope fiend.

[Rose] She just has trouble
being patient with the world.

Your brother died?

[man] He was murdered.
A few years ago.

[Rose] Renee was in, um--

She was in so much grief,
she, um--

She didn't notice her babies.

I wrote down
that I was the mother

so they could go
to school out here,

because there's just better
schools out here.

Was Jeffrey's killer
ever caught?

No.

Which murder is this?
Jeffrey Perkins?

Perkins, huh? Huh.

How did Vaughn react
when his father died?

Every day,

he would go out to the curb.

Just like a little puppy.

Hoping to see, um,

Jeffrey come down
the-- the road.

We loved him.

But that girl,

Renee, just was not able just
to think ahead for those boys.

Mrs. Landry,
where's the mother living?

Stop. [laughs]

- [car alarm blaring]
- I don't know.

Vaughn, baby,
what you been into?

- Nothing.
- Hey, hey, hey, hey.

I ain't seen you putting
nothing in there, boy.

So don't you be
taking nothing out.

Stop. [laughs]

- [thudding]
- [Renee] Hey!

- [Crosetti] Down!
- Whoa! Down you go.

What are you doing?
My baby! My baby!

- [gun clicks]
- Leave him alone!
He ain't done nothing.

- [Pembleton] Are we ready to go?
- Leave him alone!

- [Pembleton] Are we ready to go?
- We got him.

- Come on, Vaughn, off we go.
- Okay, come on.

Downtown, to see your friends.

[Renee] He ain't done nothing.
You are lying on it!

What is it exactly
he ain't done?

Whatever it is you say he did,
he ain't done it!

[Crosetti]
I say he shot and killed a woman

in front of her children
for $70, and some jewelry.

[Renee] You mean
the white lady downtown?

He couldn't have had nothing
to do with that.

Because he was home
with me and my man that day.

Right here, watching TV.

- [Pembleton] All day?
- Yeah, all day!

- You can't take
my baby away from me.
- All right, come on. Come on.

Grand jury's going to want
to hear all these details.

You know, they might
have to charge you with perjury

and lock you up, if they find
you're lying about your boy.

- Grand jury?
- That's right.
Now, put your legs in.

Come on. We're goin' downtown.
Let's go.

Ain't nobody said nothing
about no perjury.

Mom.

[police radio chatter]

[Bayliss] Mr. Ellison?

I have your wife's things here.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

[Bayliss] Yeah, I'm out of here.
I got to get home.

Now, if you'd like,
I can have a uniform

take you back to your hotel.

Oh.

It's Catherine's wedding band.

You always wear a gun?

[Bayliss] Yeah, pretty much
all the time. Sure.

You live in a world
where everybody
wears a gun, don't you?

- Yeah.
- You know, the funny thing is,
I've never even held one.

- No?
- No. You mind? Could I hold it?

I just want to feel it.

Come on, let me hold it.

Mr. Ellison...

I'll tell you something.

All right?

A thing like this happens...

and people, they spend
the rest of their lives
telling themselves,

"If I only did this
or if I only did that."

But the killer
is the one with the gun.

Not you, Mr. Ellison.

You just--
you just have to let go of that.

Right? Just put that behind you.

- Put it behind me?
- Yes.

Let me tell you something.

You know when
they pulled that gun out?

Catherine's chin
was way up, you know?

Real defiant.

You don't know
how many times I've been

on the receiving end
of that chin.

Me?

I got my hand
frozen on my wallet.

Paralyzed.

I didn't do anything.

You understand
what I'm saying to you?

Yeah.

So I'd just like to...

hold your gun,
just to feel what it's like.

Come on, I got two kids.
I'm not gonna do anything crazy.

Take the bullets out. I just...

[clicks]

[Bayliss] All right?

Okay.

[gun clicks]

[Howard] I'm telling you
the truth, Vaughn.

You don't believe it now,
you will at the arraignment.

Your pals are putting you in.

Right this morning,
right in there was Tweety,

saying you've done all this
shooting, smooth, Marvin,

oh, he's too professional

to be throwing people
down like that, he says.

What do you say, Vaughn?

He's got nothing to say,
because there is nothing to say.

We got him already, Kay.
We're done.

I'm not, do you mind?

'Cause there's something more
going on here,

isn't there, Vaughn?

[whispers] It was Marvin.

We both know it.

Can I have
some paper and a pencil?

[Howard] Paper.

And a pencil or pen.

Please.

[door slams]

Stinking low-life!
[indistinct] Oh!

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Beauregard Felton,
maturity, stability,

- a lawman for our time.
- [Pembleton] What happened?

He sits in there for four hours
without saying a word.

Then he writes a letter, says,

"Please give this
to the lady's husband."

What does it say?

[Felton] He's sorry,
like the family wants

a condolence letter
from this character.

"Dear sir,
I know nothing I can say

can change what I have done,
I can't say why it happened,

and I know I can't take it back.

I had the power,
but forgot who I was.

This won't make you
feel different,

but I'm sorry just the same."

Well,

sounds like
he learned his lesson.

What say we just send him home?

Now wait a minute,
when was the last time
you heard a shooter say

he was sorry
he pulled the trigger?

Most of the time they say
they're sorry they're charged.

"I had the power,
but forgot who I was."

I don't get that part.

And you threw that away?

That is what we refer to
in law enforcement as evidence.

Doesn't exactly say
he shot the woman.

What is with you, Kay?

It doesn't fit right, Beau.

[Lewis] Did Vaughn say
he shot her?

That's what I'm saying.
He doesn't admit anything.

He writes the letter,
and he demands a lawyer.

- It doesn't fit.
- [Felton] Who gives a damn,
either way?

His homeboys put him in.
He's willing to take the weight.

I'm on to new business.

- Leave it up in red, Beau.
- Why?

Do you really believe that
Vaughn Perkins is your shooter?

You deal with three squirrels,
you get four lies.

All I know is, the kid is
willing to eat the whole meal.

[scoffs] He's taking
the fall for his buddies.

Why would he do that?

Be--

That's what I want to find out.

Hmm?

Kay, this case is down.

You do what you got to do.
I'm on to the next dead guy.

In case you haven't heard,

they're kinda piling up
around here.

[Howard sighs]

You ready for this?

Vaughn's pleading out
at the arraignment.

What?

I guess the guilt-stricken
little fella

wants to save
the taxpayers' money.

We arrest him, and boom,
ten days later, a guilty plea.

On to new business. I like that.

I call that justice.

Petey says he wants life,
no parole.

Won't take less.

Let's get to the courthouse.

He's going into court today
asking for a life sentence?

I've said it before,
I'll say it again.

He's taking the fall
for those guys.

Are you making this plea
today of your own accord?

- [Vaughn] Yes, I am.
- And you are aware that by
pleading guilty to this crime,

you are giving up
virtually all legal grounds

by which
you could appeal the verdict?

Yes, sir.

[judge] Then I am in no position
to do anything more

than sentence you to the custody

of the Division of Corrections
for the term of natural life,

without the possibility
of parole.

[gavel thuds]

[Vaughn] Mister?

- Did you get my note?
- [Felton] Don't talk to him.

- I just wanted--
- What you want isn't important.

- [Vaughn] My note!
I just want to know--
- You hear me?

Man!
You didn't even give it to him!

Just like I asked you
to do, huh?

Oh, man, why didn't you
give it to him, huh?

What you afraid of?
Why didn't you give it to him?

Get off!
Why didn't you give him my note?

What note?
What's he talking about?

[Vaughn] Get off me!
Why didn't you give it to him?

[spectators murmur quietly]

[melancholy music plays]

With your permission, sir,
I'd like some time
to follow through on this.

- Convinced we got the wrong man?
- Vaughn was there, all right.

- He just didn't pull
the trigger.
- I know.

[Howard sighs]

I can't help thinking...

Mrs. Ellison gets shot...

and the mayor,
the governor, the commissioner

are on the phone
within the hour.

A tourist gets shot outside
the new stadium is...

It's not the kind of thing
that keeps white folks
coming to town.

That's what's bothering me.

We had a red ball
going full throttle,

but if instead
Catherine Ellison's name

was Louella Jones of the 1200
block of Calhoun Street...

would Beau have gotten
an hour of overtime?

Kay.

Take a few days.

See what you can find out.

Thank you, sir.

He's a very sensitive child.

- [Howard] How so?
- Let me show you this.

Look here.

Now, here's Vaughn,
Emanuel, my husband,

down by Greenville.

Oh, I guess
Vaughn must have been--

I guess he must have been
about 12, maybe 13, here.

My husband
had taken him hunting...

and Vaughn shot a rabbit.

And do you know what he did?

He buried it.

He felt terrible.

Said he was worried
about how sad

that mama rabbit was gonna be...

when the baby didn't come home.

Mrs. Landry, do you think
Vaughn killed that woman?

You raise two boys,

the same,
give them the same love,

and one of them
ends up at West Point,

at the top of the class.

I honestly don't know
if he killed her.

He said he did.

He told you that?

Called me from the jail.

He told me he did it.

Said, "Aunt Rose, I'm sorry."

My husband and I,
we battled for that boy's soul.

And that last time
that he went to his mother,

I thought, "That's it,
that's it, we lost him."

But when he called me
from that jail,

I knew we didn't.

His soul, we didn't lose.

Can't nobody say
I didn't love that boy.

Not Rose Landry,

not social services,

not you damn police.

Can't nobody say that.

I stayed on methadone
all while I was carrying him,

and a good while after.

I-- I married Jeffrey
on account of him.

I did these things,
know what I'm saying?

Did Vaughn go
and live with the Landrys

right after your husband died?

Yeah, they got a lot
of love for him.

- Don't you think maybe they--
- He decided for his own self.

What'd he learn
from them, anyway?

And then Vaughn
decide to come back here?

He could have stayed, but
he wanted to be with his mama,

singing in the church,

going fishing
down in the boondocks.

I don't know what that
got to do with my Vaughn.

[Howard whispers] I don't know.

You got any idea
why he killed that woman?

He ain't the one.

I don't care what y'all say.
I know that boy.

It ain't in him
to murder nobody.

30 years.

[courtroom din]

[Robert] 30 years.

He's gonna spend
30 years in jail.

How do they determine
that number?

I mean, how do they gauge

that 30 years of his life

equals what he helped
that boy do to my wife?

I mean, is there
some sort of slide rule?

Do they do it that way?

Homicide sentences
have been developed

over the course of time.

Time.

Well, that's what he got,
didn't he?

Time.

Thank you for coming.

- I know you didn't have to.
- Yes, I did.

- It's my job.
- Mine too, I guess.

I mean, after going to all
the arraignment hearings
and trials, I--

I feel like it was my vocation.

I thought that if I came here
and saw them get what
they deserve, I'd feel better.

I don't.

It didn't mean anything.

Catherine's dead.

That's the only thing
that means anything.

It's like some sort
of instant replay, really.

I mean,
let's look at that one again.

Here's the gun.

Cold lips. Cops laughing.

Me, all alone.

Oh, you're not alone.

Oh, you're right, I'm not.

Because the funny thing is,

the instant
they pulled that trigger,

I lost my wife,
but I joined a club.

It's a very exclusive club.

But the funny thing
about the club is,

none of the members
want to belong.

It's like some sort
of secret society

where only the initiated could
recognize the other members.

Here comes an associate member.

She probably had someone
who was close to her killed,

but not that close,
maybe her mother-in-law.

There's a long-term member.

He's seen a lot of people go.

There's thousands of us.

And it's growing each year.

And we all end up
talking to some poor
homicide detective like you

and asking, "Why?

Why me?"

The truth is,

it's not "Why me?" anymore.

It's, "When me?"

I hope you don't take this
personally, Detective Howard,

but, uh, I hope
I never see you again.

Mr. Ellison, before you go,
the--

Vaughn Perkins
wrote you a letter.

Would you like it?

No.

Vaughn really wanted you
to have his letter.

- Did he?
- So, just take it.

I'll tell you what,
why don't you give it

to any one
of the people passing by here?

I think they'd understand it
as well as I would.

[solemn music playing]

[Felton] You'd be better off
just letting it be.

I mean, what do you
expect him to say

that he hasn't had
20 chances to say already?

[Howard] I don't know.

[Felton] What are you going
to say to him?

I don't know.

[melancholy music playing]

[door rattles]

[inmates catcalling]

[door rattles]

[Vaughn sighs]

They came and got me
out of the dormitory

saying I had a lady friend in.

They didn't say
it was no damn police.

Vaughn, please wait.

Sit down.

My name is Abdul Aziz.

Are you Muslim now?

Nation of Islam
or Moorish brethren?

You got something to say to me?

Sit down, Vaughn, please.

[sighs]

[Howard] Please.

[sighs heavily]

I want to know
if you killed that woman.

It was the will of Allah.

Oh, come on, Vaughn.
I know about you.

I talked to your aunt.

Oh, yeah?

You know me.

Well, why don't you
tell me, then?

You don't know nothing about me.

I saw your mom, too.

She all right?

How'd she look?

She looks fine.

She still doesn't think
you could have possibly

murdered Catherine Ellison.

She swears you don't have
the heart for it.

Heart ain't got
nothing to do with it.

You know what I'm saying?

I've talked to a lot of people
who've done what you've done.

Very few of 'em
had your options.

Nice home in Baltimore County,
with people who love you.

You should be there right now.

What were you doing in South
Baltimore sticking people up?

Did you think it was something
your dad would have respected?

[sighs] Nah, it's nothing
like that at all.

[sighs heavily]

[sighs]

I wanted to hold the gun.

Because I wanted the power.

Then everyone would be safe,
and then nothing would happen.

You took the gun
so nothing would happen?

I thought if I took the gun...

But the lady...

she wouldn't give up the locket.

And I felt the whole sky
fall on top of me.

What I did to that lady...

[Vaughn sighs]

...it's done.

And she's gone.

I can't do nothing about that.

[Vaughn sighs]

She's gone.

And this...

this is about me.

[sighs tearfully]

[door bangs shut]

[somber music playing]

- Well?
- Well, what?

Were the mysteries
of life unveiled?

[scoffs]

He's still my shooter, right?

He is the shooter.

You should have left it alone,
Kay.

Yep.

[melancholy music playing]

[*]