All language subtitles for Law & Order s17e16 Murder Book.eg

NARRATOR:
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.

Mickey, where are you?

MICKEY: Tenth.

My grandmother would've
been up there by now.

I think I'm having a heart
attack.

A little exercise would do
you some good.

Yeah. So would a beer.

GIGGS: Well, you get the damn
thing running. I'll buy the beer.

Twelve. Oh, my God.

Someone's damn purse
is blocking the door.

(ELEVATOR WHIRRING)

Mr. Fix-It.
Okay, car's coming down.

Doorman said she came in
around 11:15.

Super found her
just after midnight.

Any traffic
through the lobby?

Just a few tenants.

He said she was the last one he saw
in or out of the building tonight.

Cash and credit cards
are still here.

Serena Darby,
Darby Publishing.

I've heard of it.

The super says she
lives in 12-B.

Well, here you go. Looks like she never
even made it into the apartment.

I'll start looking
around.

Looks like she kissed the
wall half a dozen times.

Pieces of plaster in nose and mouth.
And some teeth are missing.

Yeah, C.S.U. found two over there. Probably
hit her as soon as she got the elevator.

You think the assault
killed her?

Took her halfway home at least.
But see the color?

Plethoric: face from strangulation.
That's how she went.

I thought I
recognized the name.

She was just in the news. Serena Darby's
publisher of J.P. Lange's new book.

Right. About how he hypothetically
would've killed his wife.

Yeah. She's got stacks of them
on her dining table.

The picture alone
looks guilty.

Well, the 12 people that
mattered didn't think so.

Justice is blind.

I can't imagine anybody would read
this book even if it was free.

Well, from what I hear they're
not gonna get to anyway.

What do you mean? So many
people are pissed off.

Stores are
refusing to sell the book.

Even her company's
dropping it.

Good.

Maybe somebody thought
that wasn't good enough.

C.S.U. got a couple dozen lifts
from the stairwell and hallway.

Well, it's gonna take
a few days to run all those.

What about this
woman's family?

Just a brother. He's coming down
from Boston this afternoon.

Well, I'll sit with him. Every tabloid in
this city is sniffing around this case.

I don't want you
wasting time.

They caught
the scent early.

They were parked outside her
place at 8:00 a.m. this morning.

Any idea how our suspect slipped
past the lobby surveillance?

Well, according to the super there's
some teenagers in the building

that sneak out the fire exit
door to smoke cigarettes.

We checked the door.
It was unlocked.

It would've been
an easy in and out.

And no one in the place
saw anything?

We canvassed
the entire building.

There were two tenants at home
at the time of the murder.

One guy had his home theater
cranked way up.

And the lady that lives
at the end of the hall

thinks she heard a man and a woman
arguing and doors being slammed.

Which actually could've been the
victim's face slamming against the wall.

Is there any chance
this was a random attack?

I don't think so.
Too much rage.

What about a boyfriend or ex?

Well, there was nothing in the apartment that
made me think she was in a relationship.

And the doorman said she just
comes home to sleep. Alone.

There wasn't much of anything in her apartment
except for copies of J.P. Lange's book.

Well, that's a good
place to start.

Lange's book is turning into the
publishing disaster of the year,

maybe of the decade.
How so?

By pulling the book off the market,
the company's eating the advance,

losing future and rights.

Not to mention the hundred thousand
copies they already printed.

How much money are we
talking about here?

Easily five
or six million.

Oh, my God,
I can't believe she's dead.

Look, all those people that
were angry about Lange's book,

any specific threats
towards Serena?

Just lawsuits.

How was Serena
handling it?

She was angry, humiliated.

I stayed out of her way
this week.

Tough boss?

You have no idea.

What time did she leave
the office last night?

Around 9:00.

Did she say where she was going?
Was she meeting anybody?

I don't know.

Was Serena seeing anyone?
Dating?

Definitely not. Most of her
calls went through me.

Okay, so who did she
talk to yesterday?

Uh, her lawyer, the C.E.O.,
the company's general counsel.

J.P. Lange a few times.

What were the ones
with Lange about?

It sounded pretty typical on her end.
Uh, except the last one.

I mean, she always yells on the
phone, but this was different.

Harsher. After that, she
wouldn't take his calls.

Hey. I wanted to write a memoir
about my baseball career.

Writing about the murder,
that was Serena's idea.

So what was that little argument you had
on the phone with her yesterday about?

She was talking about selling
the book to another publisher.

I told her forget it,
I'm not interested.

You were just
gonna walk away?

What do you think? I went
looking for this aggravation?

I think you went
looking for cash.

So what?

All that money dried up, though,
since the book got pulled, right?

No, you got it wrong.

I got a civil judgment against
me to the tune of 20 million.

Every penny I ever
make is spoken for.

You didn't do
the book for free?

The advance went straight
into my daughter's trust.

And any profit was to
go to charity.

So, um, how much does
this place cost a month?

My baseball pension
keeps the lights on.

That's all I got.

All right, man, look. Where were you
last night between 11:00 and midnight?

Right here. Watching the Knicks game.
Alone.

I don't get out much.

And with these paparazzi
vultures you brought with you,

I'm probably not going
anywhere anytime soon.

Well, this isn't exactly the prison
you belong in, though, is it?

Your partner's got
some mouth on her.

You do have a history. We can't
pretend that didn't happen.

Huh. What happened was that some bad cops
tried to frame me for my wife's murder.

Now Serena gets killed,
and I'm your first stop?

It's like d?j? vu
all over again.

Look, Serena and I were both being
harassed. And not just by the tabloids.

All right?
Don raised holy hell.

He got my book buried. He wanted Serena's
head on a platter, right next to mine.

Don Lampard,
your father-in-law.

Former father-in-law.

I'd gone over to Jenny's
apartment that morning.

We were gonna go
jogging in the park.

Five police cars out front.
An ambulance.

I knew that son-of-a-bitch
had done something to her.

I'd just buried her mother three months
before that. Jenny was all I had left.

Well, I'm sure Lange writing
about the murder didn't help.

That book is blood money.
My daughter's blood.

Well, we heard the money
wasn't going to him.

Right, that it was earmarked
for some charity?

Baloney.
The deal was a sham.

How do you mean sham?

Serena Darby's been paying
Lange under table.

Itemized under research
costs, over 200 grand so far.

You know this for a fact?

I'm filing a lawsuit with Virgil
Publishing and Darby Books because of it.

Did Serena Darby
know you planned to sue?

The C.E.O. of Virgil Publishing,
Dean Savitsky knew.

I told him last week. I assume
he had words with her then.

And I assume that accounts for why they've
been trying to pay me to go away.

I take it
you weren't interested?

I told them to go to hell.
And I wanted Serena fired.

On that point,
he said it was done.

The advance came out of
Serena's discretionary money.

I didn't know about the project
until we were so pregnant with it

we had to see it through.

The book was in poor taste. Now
it's a public relations nightmare.

How did Serena
take the bad news?

Actually, I was planning on firing
her this afternoon, at lunch.

You called Don Lampard last
night and said it was done.

As good as done.

Serena had been trying to find a way
to fix things with Mr. Lampard.

You mean pay him off?

SAVITSKY: Apologize.

And offer a settlement if the
lawsuit and public fury went away.

She was making progress.

He was interested?

SAVITSKY: Interested
in jerking us around.

Serena had arranged a dinner at Cafe du
Jardin for the two of them to settle things.

She called me last night
and said he'd stood her up.

That's why I finally intervened
and contacted him myself.

He was happy with your
decision to fire Serena?

I'm not sure anything
will satisfy his anger.

He's certainly not
dropping the lawsuit.

Lampard never mentioned the sit-down he
was supposed to have with Serena Darby.

But he didn't show. So, if he was
looking for a confrontation,

he missed his chance.

Virgil's C.E.O. called him at home.
That argument could've set him off.

He meets up with Serena
at her apartment.

Is she listed?

Yeah, her address was on the suit
he filed against Darby Books.

Well, latents finished comparisons
on the lifts from the scene.

All but five come back to
people living in the building.

Lampard works for the city.
They run prints too?

His and Lange's.
Neither popped up.

Well, it's cold outside, they
could've been wearing gloves.

Well, if I was him, she'd be the
second person I'd want to kill.

LUDs from Lampard's
home phone.

He got the call from Virgil's C.E.O.
10:22 p.m. the night of the murder.

That still gives him time
to get uptown.

And I checked
with the restaurant,

they confirmed Serena
Darby was there last night.

But get this,
her tab was 188 bucks.

Oh, there's no way she ran up a
bill that high dining alone.

MAYYRE D': Miss Darby
was here 9:30 to 11:00.

She insisted on a table in
the back corner. Thank you.

Here we go, dinner, rack of lamb,
then, five drinks, two desserts.

Who was she with?

Some guyjoined her near the end of her
dinner. They had a couple drinks.

I seated a couple
at the next table.

Sounded like Miss Darby and her
friend were getting into it.

Arguing?

They struggled to keep their voices down.
She was upset.

And then he stuck her with the bill.
No class.

Was this an older guy,
around sixty? Grey hair?

No, younger than that.

Sort of looked like that guy who
killed his wife, the baseball player.

Oh, my two favorite cops.
(GRUNTS)

What's your
best average, J.P.?

Three thirty-nine?
Three forty?

Three forty-seven.
The year we won the series.

You can remember some number
from 10 years ago.

But you don't remember having dinner
with Serena the night she was killed?

(PANTING)

You ever eat there?
It's pretty forgettable.

Look, man. Why don't you
come down to our place,

clear up some
misunderstandings.

We'll have you
back here in a minute.

You got nothing to hide,
right, J.P.?

This better not take long.

You lied to us about seeing
Serena Darby that night.

It was none of your business.
Here.

You had an argument.
An hour later she killed.

It's pretty obvious
how that looks.

We had a conversation about
a personal matter. Thafsit

That personal matter have
anything to do with money?

Kickbacks from that book?

We know she was paying
you under the table.

Don Lampard found out about it and he came after
you both for violating the civil judgment.

CASSADY:
That's why you argued.

I didn't kill her.

You've been using that line for four
years, since you murdered your wife.

I didn't do that either.

Man, everybody knows about
your legendary temper.

All those dugouts that got cleared
because you started a fight.

Then you retire, you start beating
on your wife and she ends up dead.

Now Serena pissed you off.

And this isn't hypothetical
like your book, J.P.

I saw you working
that heavy bag.

Tell me, how'd Serena
like your right hook?

There's that mouth again.

Am I under arrest?

No. You can leave.

We ain't done with you
yet, though.

All right, I'll tell you, since
you're gonna find out anyway.

Serena and I were
seeing each other.

Strictly sex,
not a relationship.

The last few times we got
together, she started to get

clingy, attached.

Started talking about
going to Saint Bart's.

Can you imagine, being alone on
an island with that crazy bitch?

Anyway, once the publisher
decided to cancel my book,

I figured I should cut bait
with Serena as well.

You broke it off with her.
LANGE: I tried.

Serena wasn't the type of girl
who was used to getting dumped.

That's why we argued.

So, how'd you end it?

She had a copy of my book in her bag.
I signed it and gave it back to her.

Kinda like a
goodbye present.

Then I walked outta the restaurant
and I never saw her again.

You signed the book?
What'd you write?

"Screw you."

I figured I couldn't have made
it any clearer how I felt.

If Serena and Lange were
getting it on,

he could've known about using that
fire door to get into the building.

Well, then they were keeping that affair
secret, 'cause nobody had a clue about it.

Well, can we confirm
anything about his story?

The secretary said she did have a
copy of Lange's book in her bag

when she left
the office that night.

ED: But we didn't find one
at the scene.

So the killer walked
away with it?

Unless Lange wasn't
telling us the real story.

Well, we can't arrest him if that's
all you got. ED: That's all we got.

What about Lampard?

Well, we haven't ruled
him out completely.

But if what Lange's saying is true, I don't
see Lampard taking the book with him.

Well, you need to verify Lange's
version one way or the other.

That book could be on a trash barge
halfway up the Hudson by now.

Look, even I would've pulled
it outta the garbage.

Stolen copies are popping up
on eBay for a thousand bucks.

Needle in a haystack.

So, go shopping.
See what you can find.

So I posted an ad looking to buy an
autographed copy of Lange's book.

Somebody bit?

Good news and bad news.

I got about 60 responses.
Obviously most of them are fakes.

How much did you offer?

Hundred thousand.
I figured you were good for it

CASSADY: What about that one? It says
they can authenticate the signature.

You want me to write back? Yeah.

Hey, tell them we gotta see the
book in person before we buy it.

I compared the signature to some
of Lange's sports autographs.

Looked the same to me.

Where'd you get it?

Some dude contacted me through
my website, deathjunky.com.

Can't say
I've heard of it.

Oh, I collect stuff. You know, related
to serial killers, famous murders.

I get the idea.

Yeah well, I paid four
thousand bucks for the book.

That's like three Manson letters
or a Gacy painting, easy.

I cracked it by the way.

Reads like a real confession.

So I'm not getting
a hundred grand?

Uh, no. And we can't give you
the book back either. Sorry.

CASSADY: Oh. Looks like Lange's
telling the truth about something.

Who sold you this?

Here ya go.

I paid the money into an online
account to Gerald Stockwell.

(BUZZER)

This is the address
he listed on the account.

Well, it's a different name on the buzzer.
Maybe a roommate?

(sums)

How long you wanna wait?

My day's open.

(CHUCKLES)

Hey, man,

you live here?

You know Gerald
Stockwell, 4-B?

Oh, damn it!

Get your ass back here.

What?

What are you doing?
Your hands.

Whaddya know?
Gerald Stockwell.

I don't have money, okay?
I can't pay you right now.

Who do you think
we are?

What? You're cops?
Homicide.

Homicide, what? I didn't do anything!
I didn't do anything!

They always say that
when they run.

Gerald Stockwell's the
ghostwriter on Lange's book.

Serena Darby fired him
after his first draft.

I hear firing writers
was her hobby.

According to the assistant, Serena
also promised to publish his novel.

Two months ago, she
backed out of the deal.

And that set him off? That's
a long lead up to murder.

Yeah, but then she
wouldn't give it back.

Owned it but
refused to publish it.

So she killed his novel, he
might've returned the favor.

The M.E. didn't find any
foreign DNA under her nails.

But the blood spatter from the book
he sold leads right to Serena Darby.

Okay, let's see what
he has to say about it.

Sit down, Jerry.

I swear to God,
I didn't kill anybody!

Then Why'd you run?

I borrowed some money
from some people.

They've been after me.
I thought that's who you were.

Where were you the night
Serena Darby was killed?

I'm home every night.
Writing.

Alone?
Yeah, I was alone.

Where'd you get
the book?

What book?

J.P. Lange's, with the
autograph inside the cover.

The one you sold
to the website.

It showed up on my doorstep. I
figured Serena messengered it to me.

Why'd he write "screw
you" in the book?

'Cause he hates my guts.

He had Serena
fire me off the project.

I thought it was one last dig after
the book blew up in his face.

That sounds
pretty thin, Jerry.

Look, I'm telling you
the truth!

Sit your ass down!

Why'd you sell
the book?

'Cause I needed
to eat this month.

You needed money because Serena
Darby wouldn't publish your novel.

Then she wouldn't
give it back.

I bet that set you off.

Yeah, but that doesn't mean
that I killed her!

We found your fingerprints
at the crime scene.

What?
You heard what I said.

Found your fingerprints at the crime scene.
Where she was beaten to death.

You went to her
apartment that night.

No, I didn't!
Then explain these.

I do not know. I went to her
place a couple of times.

To drop off revisions.
That's it.

We have your fingerprints
at the crime scene

and the victim's blood
on the book you sold.

That book didn't just
drop outta the sky.

Gerald,

you got one shot
to be straight with us.

Yeah, and I'm telling you the truth.
You got the wrong guy.

All right,
now you can stand up.

Gerald Stockwell, you're under arrest
for the murder of Serena Darby.

What?
You know,

for awriter,
you're a hell of an actor.

You have the right
to remain silent.

Anything you say can be used
against you in a court of law.

You have the right
to an attorney...

"Docket number 84213,
People v. Gerald Stockwell.

"Charge is murder
in the second degree."

I'll take your plea,
Mr. Stockwell.

Not guilty.

The People ask
for remand.

We request R.O.R.,
Your Honor.

How about some
middle ground, counselors?

Judge, they barely have a
case against my client.

We can tie the defendant
to the scene of the crime.

He broke into the victim's building where
he beat and strangled her to death.

Not exactly the type of fella we
want running around, Miss Bocanegra.

Your Honor, my client lacks the
means to make even the lowest bail.

Then it's easy,
we'll let him stay put.

I'm remanding the defendant.

(GAVEL POUNDS)

If you had a better case,
Jack, you wouldn't be here.

I've proven harder
cases with less.

We're here to listen.

Maybe Mr. Stockwell wants to
share his side of the story.

I didn't kill Serena,
I swear.

As you've heard, my client
maintains he's innocent.

He's a writer.
He makes things up.

Well, he's not interested in a deal
and I don't think he should plead.

He sold a book spattered
with Serena Darby's blood

two days after
her murder.

He knew where she lived and doesn't
have an alibi to say he didn't stop by.

Call it opportunity
and motive.

I told you, someone dropped
that book at my door.

I don't believe this!

JACK: Taking some things
into consideration.

If Mr. Stockwell
went there that night

without the intention of committing
murder, but the argument escalated,

I think man one,
15 years, is fair.

Fifteen?
Are you kidding?

The alternative with a conviction, Mr.
Stockwell,

is 25-to-life.

JACK: Quite
a writer's retreat.

I don't think it took Tolstoy half
that long to crank out War and Peace.

Okay, so, what if
I knew something?

I'm being serious. Maybe we could
work things out if I told you?

Is there room here
to trade, Jack?

Some.
I'd need to hear it.

I've got interviews
I did for the book.

In one of them,

Lange admits to
killing his wife.

And not hypothetically,
if he killed her.

The real thing,
a confession.

His voice, his words.

He can shout it from the Empire
State Building. He was acquitted.

I can't do anything about it.
And it's no use to you.

Even if he bribed ajuror
to beat the charge?

Excuse me?

He told me off the record.

He said he bought his walk
by bribing ajuror.

Double jeopardy aside, Jack.

I can't believe you're not
gonna touch this one.

Lange was your case.

Could there be anything
to this bribery claim?

I'd like to think I didn't lose
the trial completely on my own.

But nothing happened at the time to cause
you to think twice about the verdict?

We took some hits.

The defense insinuated that the
detectives on the case set him up.

I thought I addressed it
in my closing, but then,

you don't know.

From what I remember reading, the
jury deadlocked three times, right?

Could mean someone
was holding out.

It doesn't take tampering to get
the wrong verdict out of ajury.

Well, let's say it turns out to be true.
What's our recourse?

Lange's protected by double
jeopardy on the murder.

Even an acquittal based on fraud
wouldn't get past an appeal.

I'm not gonna let it go if he
cheated his way out the door.

Between jury tampering and bribery,
he could get solid prison time.

Where he belongs.

If you can make a case.

You might want to see if the rest
of Stockwell's story holds up too.

That someone framed him
with the book?

We'll look into it.

To this day, my brother
calls me a friggin' idiot

for letting that guy
off the hook.

A girl broke up with me once 'cause
I told her I was on that jury.

Why did you think
Lange was innocent?

What can I say? In hindsight,
we were obviously wrong.

Did anyone approach you about the trial
while you were being sequestered?

No way. They had us
locked down 2417.

And when we weren't stuck
in that fleabag hotel,

they had us chained to the
table in the jury room.

So what were
deliberations like?

(GROANING) Misery.

Anyone in particular
argue for an acquittal?

Yeah, there was
one woman, Lydia.

She was a piece of work. She was
the hold out from the get-go.

Lydia Neville.
Juror number seven.

Yeah, that's her.

She was always coming back around
to the cops who investigated.

Insisted they
planted evidence.

And then convinced
everybody else it was true?

More like wore us down.

We were tired
of being there.

Thejudge kept sending us back
when we were deadlocked.

We were stuck in that
room eight days.

I missed my kids.

Whether or not J.P. Lange killed his
wife, you people didn't prove it.

Simple as that.

Some of the otherjurors I spoke with
said you persuaded them to acquit.

That's what
a deliberation's about.

I read the trial
transcripts, Lydia.

Saying the detectives planted
evidence is stretching the facts.

What's your point?

There's been an allegation that one
of jurors at the trial was bribed.

Bribed?
And you think it was me?

According to the others, you were
the reason for the deadlock.

I don't remember it that way.

Really?

What I remember is Jack McCoy
got his pants pulled down

'cause the detective practically
admitted to framing Lange.

My fellow jurors agreed.

Look, I have a class to teach.
We're done.

I remember Lydia Neville.
Smart. PhD.

With the DNA evidence, I figured
she'd be an asset on the jury.

That PhD put her 75 grand in
the hole with student loans.

Which, by the way, she paid off
shortly after the trial ended.

Did the money
come from Lange?

I don't think so.

I spoke with Virgil
Publishing's general counsel.

He recognized
Lydia Neville's name.

Serena Darby?

From a book contract.

Drawn up when?

Well, her advance was paid
after the trial ended,

but the lawyers drafted her contract
even before defense rested their case.

Anything to confirm she was
acting on behalf of Lange?

Serena Darby already had
a deal in place with him.

If you think about it,

if he were convicted,

what incentive would he have to
follow through with the book?

Son of Sam laws would have
prevented any personal profit.

Darby had to get him a walk.

I want Miss Neville picked up
first thing in the morning.

Serena approached me about doing
a book after the trial ended.

She paid me the advance, but the
project fell apart after that.

Look, I didn't do
anything wrong.

Don't lie to me,
Miss Neville.

Contracts in your name were drawn
up even before closing arguments.

I don't know
anything about that.

Accepting a bribe is
a D felony, Lydia.

Seven years
in state prison.

We have more than
enough to prosecute.

And I intend to do it.

Unless you tell me
everything.

It was supposed to be
a hung jury.

A mistrial.

Serena said if I was the lone holdout,
I could have a bestselling book.

She talked big.
I needed the money.

I didn't think that we
would actually acquit him.

Did Lange know
the fix was in?

Before the verdict,
I don't know.

After the trial, yeah.

Did you have contact with him?

A couple of months ago
I sent him a letter.

I asked for money. Or I said
I'd go public about the bribe.

You blackmailed Lange?

He was paid a lot
for his book.

I didn't think it was fair.

I have bills. I risked
a lot to help him out.

Did he pay you?

Some.

So I sent him another letter.

Right before Serena died.

Does he know who you are?

No.

No, the letters
were sent anonymously.

I had him leave the money at a bus
stop so he wouldn't see me pick it up.

Only Serena knew my name.

We think Lange wanted the name
of the juror blackmailing him.

And Serena Darby
refused to give it up.

They argued at dinner. He
confronted her when she went home.

It escalated
to murder.

Why would she hold out
on the name?

Both their necks
were on the line.

My guess is, she told
him to pay the money.

And the affair?

There's no evidence
they were having one.

Nothing in her date book.
Not even one e-mail.

Well, you already have one guy
sitting in Rikers for her murder.

I think you ought to figure out who you
want to charge on this and do it fast.

My bet's on Lange.

Okay.

Reassure me that this is not
colored by your history with him.

I want to convict him, Arthur.

It happens to coincide nicely
with the fact that he's guilty.

Can you prove that
he framed this other fella?

Gerald Stockwell
lives in Flatbush.

Green and Cassady went back to his
neighborhood and did a full canvass.

Those are from the school surveillance
camera across the street from his building.

That is Lange the morning
after Serena's murder.

Stockwell says the book with her
blood on it was dropped at his door.

I take it that Lange doesn't get
out to Brooklyn that often?

I'm guessing no.

I think he's learned a few things since
the last time he killed someone.

Like how to manufacture
reasonable doubt.

The good news is, this time
he won't have Serena Darby

to bribe ajuror
on his behalf.

Bribery, blackmail,
and a patsy.

This guy Lange
is a tabloid's dream.

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

J.P., did you
kill Serena Darby?

Are you guilty of
this crime, J.P.?

Please, everybody!
Move to the side!

Move, move, move,
move, move, move!

He's looking forward to
clearing his again.

So, you're saying
there's no basis?

There's no foundation,
there's no evidence.

This is a vendetta
by A.D.A. Jack McCoy

against my client.
It's a personal vendetta.

Mr. Lange is absolutely
100% not guilty.

Now, if you'll
excuse me.

There's no foundation,
there's no evidence.

This is a vendetta
by A.D.A. Jack McCoy

against my client.
It's a personal vendetta.

Mr. Lange is absolutely
100% not guilty.

Now, if you'll
excuse me.

Spin it hard,
spin it early.

Carsley obviously called the
press about the arrest.

And got the first shot
across our bow.

Well, this isn't
avendetta.

Any missteps, Carsley won't have any
trouble making it look like one.

Most people have been dying to see J.P.
Lange back on the hot seat.

Yourself among them.

I know the difference between
vengeance and justice, Arthur.

We have a solid case.

Nobody wants to see that S.O.B.
walk out of court again.

But if Carsley ropes you into
a personal fight, he wins.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Two million dollars bail.
Lange posted hour ago.

And his attorney didn't
waste anytime either.

What have we got?

Motion to exclude Lydia
Neville's testimony.

CARSLEY: It's totally
irrelevant to the case at bar.

Mister McCoy is alleging that
my client bribed Miss Neville

in atrial which is
legal ancient history.

It goes squarely to motive
in the murder, YourHonoL

CARSLEY: More like
fabricating motive.

The People allege guilt in a case for
which my client was already acquitted,

because they can't find any
solid evidence in this one.

Stop grandstanding, Counselor. I
don't see any cameras in here.

I apologize, Judge.

I tend to get upset about overzealous
D.A.'s with a score to settle.

We can prove that Serena
Darby paid Lydia Neville

to secure a verdict
other than a conviction.

That bribery
led to blackmail,

which led to Miss Darby's
murder by the defendant.

If the bribery allegation is not
irrelevant, it's certainly prejudicial.

And they can't connect any
of it back to my client.

It's a question of who
benefited from the scheme.

Miss Darby certainly did.

And she acted without
Mr. Lange's knowledge.

It's evidence
the jury should weigh.

It goes to the
foundation of the crime.

Now, which murder does Mr. McCoy want
us to believe that he's talking about?

Alright, enough.
I'll review the briefs.

You'll have my answer
by the end of the day.

The bribery is out?

Along with any mention
of the first trial.

Which means the contents of the
book are also excluded, I assume.

Anything to suggest that Lange got away
with murder the first time around is out.

Then you're going to have a tough
time proving his motive in this one.

Every member of that jury
knows about that book.

They think he's
a killer already.

And when they convict him
on bias alone,

be surprised when Judge Emerton
sets aside the verdict

because you failed to meet
your burden of proof.

The blood on Darby's copy is
still solid physical evidence.

It ties Lange to the crime.

After it changed hands
three times.

We can tie him
to the scene.

Show consciousness of guilt
in framing Stockwell.

And the defense will say that you
declined to prosecute the real killer

just to get a second bite
of the apple with Lange.

Which isn't true. But it's
gonna look like it is.

Lange's the second person that you've
indicted for this murder, Jack.

You know that's
gotta help him.

I'm not going to
plead this out, Arthur.

Your case is falling apart.

I don't want to see Lange walk away
from a murder again soot-free.

I want to see him
do some real time.

And what's that?

Well, considering the state of things
I think ten years would be a godsend.

And if this were any other
case, you'd agree with me.

But it's not.
Not for me.

Make the deal, Jack.

Mr. Lange pleads
to man one.

We'd recommend
no more than 15 years.

Don't waste our time.

You don't have the leverage
to offer half of that.

If it were up to me,
we wouldn't be here at all.

Sure, Branch
is forcing your hand

because he knows your case
doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Any rookie attorney can throw reasonable
doubt at every shred of evidence you've got.

We didn't call this meeting
looking for a critique.

No, you took stock.

This is the only
option you got.

Don't think your client
began this trial

with a presumption
of innocence either.

Well, I'm not sure either of us are making
up a lot of ground in this trial so far.

Our offer is on the table.

Mr. Lange is willing
to take an Alford plea

for a reduced charge

and do five years
in prison.

No more than five years.

Plead no contest to the crime,
with no admission of guilt?

I didn't kill Serena.

I'm not gonna say I did.

You're not a very good liar, Mr. Lange.
Even after four years of practice.

Any plea comes with
a full allocution.

Hey, what do you wanna
hear from me, McCoy?

That I killed my wife?

That I cut her throat?

That I gutted her?

I read your book.
I heard it already.

Yeah. And you're pissed off you
can't do anything about it.

Contrary to what your
attorney says, Mr. Lange,

that's not why
you're on trial here.

I'm not gonna say
I killed Serena either.

Alford plea is still justice served, Jack.
It's win-win.

It's still 15 years
too light.

Forget it.
We'll finish the trial.

You know all that talk in
the press about a vendetta?

It was just that.
It was talk.

But I wasn't
far off the mark, was I?

Show yourselves out.

LANGE: Serena and I were
having an affair.

I broke it off with her
that night over dinner.

She wasn't happy about it.

Before I got up to leave,

I pulled the book
out of her bag

and I wrote
those words.

It was a stupid thing to do.

And I feel bad that things were
left that way before she died.

According to the Prosecution,
you were in Flatbush

the morning after
her murder.

That's ridiculous. I've never
been in Flatbush my entire life.

Then how do you
explain this...

This photo?

It's payback, obviously.

You're saying that the police
and the District Attorney

fabricated evidence because they
couldn't convict you last time?

Look, did anybody
see me out there?

No.

I'm a pretty
recognizable guy.

Did anybody see me at Serena's
apartment that night?

Of course not.

Because I wasn't there.

Did you kill Serena Darby?

Absolutely not.

CARSLEY: Thank you.

Mr. Stockwell is
a convenient scapegoat.

He ghostwrites your book.

You give him credit
for the murder you commit.

I didn't kill anybody.

Look, everybody knows why you're
accusing me of this, Mr. McCoy.

If you were having an affair with Serena
Darby, why isn't there any evidence of it?

Because Serena didn't want
people to know about it.

Except for the night
in question.

When she chose to have dinner
with you at a popular restaurant?

And you chose a public place
to break things off?

That's right.

So, this relationship that
you claim you had with her,

this grew out of
working together?

Writing the book, yeah.

Would it be accurate to say
that Miss Darby knew you well?

As well as anybody,
I guess.

And she never expressed concern about
having a relationship with you?

Why would she?
Well, she was your publisher.

Isn't that right?

For this?

There's nothing in that book that
she needed to be concerned about.

Really?

Don't you confess to
the murder of your wife?

That's bull...
CARSLEY: Objection!

JUDGE: Approach.

You ruled on this,
Your Honor.

Mr. McCoy, I made it clear that the
content of that book was out of bounds.

Mr. Lange opened the door.

He stepped
in your trap.

Then I withdraw
the question.

No, your cross-exam is over.

I want to redirect
my client.

Fine. Step back.

CARSLEY: Mr. Lange.

Mr. Lange, this book...

This book is purely
a work of fiction, correct?

Yes it is.
Absolutely.

CARSLEY: Thank you.

The Defense rests,
Your Honor.

Your Honor, the People wish to call a
rebuttal witness, Gerald Stockwell.

That's...
CARSLEY: Chambers, Your Honor?

Let's go.

Your Honor, Mr. McCoy plans to impeach
my client on excluded material.

The defense chose to redirect
on the basis of that material.

The testimony given
was patently false.

This is a dirty trick. It goes
to credibility, YourHonoL

Mr. Stockwell will testify
that the defendant

made a willing confession
to him about killing his wife.

This doesn't matter.

You already ruled that the content of that
book is off-limits during this trial.

It certainly didn't stop you from
going there with your question.

This was a deliberate
set-up, YourHonoL

Mr. McCoy is just trying
to find a way to say that

my client got away
with his wife's murder.

Be that as it may.
The People have a right

to impeach the witness
based on his prior testimony.

Excuse me?
You heard me, Mr. Carsley.

A lie is a lie
in my courtroom.

And saying
that book is fiction,

I think your client
just told a big one.

You can call
Mr. Stockwell.

What was your involvement
in the writing of this book?

STOCKWELL: I was the
ghostwriter on the project.

And what did that entail?

Extensive interviews
with Mr. Lange.

Then I outlined and wrote
a draft of the manuscript.

Was this book
a work of fiction?

Absolutely not.

In these interviews, did Mr. Lange
discuss the murder of his wife?

Yes.

What did he say?

Quite a lot.

That's why I recorded
our sessions.

Your Honor, at this time,

the People would like
to offer into evidence

a recording of
one such interview

marked exhibit 18.

Objection. Your Honor.

These interviews are
being taken out of context.

We can rebut direct testimony
of the defendant.

Who better to do that
than the defendant himself?

I'll allow it.

STOCKWELL:
You were angry?

LANGE: I was tired
of the disrespect.

She'd go out with her girlfriends
and act like some street whore.

I knew what
she was doing.

What set things off
that night?

I could tell she'd been with
someone before I showed up.

I called her on it and she just
got, you know, hysterical.

Can you describe
what happened?

She lunged at me, and I
had the knife in my hand,

and that was it.

You cut her throat.

(LANGE LAUGHS)

I almost took
her head off.

And all that blood.
(LAUGHS)

Oh, you have no idea.

Don't look at me
like that, Jerry.

You said you wanted to know what happened.
I ain't gonna lie to you.

I'm a free man.

don't have to lie
to anyone anymore.

Has the jury
reached a verdict?

FOREPERSON:
We have, Your Honor.

On the charge of murder in the second
degree for the killing of Serena Darby,

how do you find?

We find the defendant
James Paul Lange

guilty.

(GAVEL POUNDS)

It doesn't sound like
Judge Emerton

was totally unsympathetic
to your position.

Maybe not.

Or maybe I beat Lange
at his own game.

Sounds like you're taking
this victory a tad personally.

Damn right I am.

So what do you think? Did the jury
convict Lange for the right murder?

That we'll probably
never know.

Till one of them
writes a book about it.

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