All language subtitles for Law & Order s18e06 Political Animal.e

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.

(TECHNO MUSIC PLAYING)

Sean? Cheers.

Or not.
Thanks.

This glass is empty.

Last chance. Good food,
rich people to schmooze.

Could be new clients.

No, not tonight.

I know what I'll do.
I'll get some liquor.

Dan? Open bar?

See ya.

Sean? Cheers!

(CAMERA CLICKING)

Looks like this one
got four in the chest.

(SIGHS) This one's
got one in the head,

and gun in his hand.
Murder-suicide?

ED: Subscription
to Gay New York.

Could be
a love triangle.

Neighbors heard shots around 8:30.
They thought it was the TV.

Super found them this morning
when he came to fix a faucet.

Did he say who's who?

Todd Stewart
is the one on the lease.

Sean Witt moved in
around six months ago,

and this one was new,
camping out on the couch.

LUPO: Hey.

That's military.
LUPO: Yup.

Dan Pressman, Eleventh Armored Cavalry.
Just back from Iraq.

Maybe he came back and found his
guy shacking up with another man.

So, they let him sleep on
the couch till he snaps.

Well, they're sorry now.

When we moved in,

Todd baked a cake and came
over to introduce himself,

like it was the 1950s
or something.

Well, if it was the '50s, him and
Sean wouldn't be living together.

They weren't
living together.

I mean, Todd was gay,
but Sean was straight.

Very straight.

He had a lot of friendly
conversations with my boobs.

(CHUCKLES)

What about Dan, the soldier
crashing on the couch?

Where was he looking?

I don't know. I think he was a friend
of Sean's from like, junior high.

He only showed up
a couple of weeks ago.

SARA: Some girl came
looking for him yesterday.

I got the vibe that she was
more than a friend.

She had some of his mail from his old
address and she left it with me.

ED: Show me?

WOMAN: Dan was my fianc?.

Ex-fiance. I asked him
to move out three weeks ago.

Do you mind if we ask why?

The drinking, for starters.

He would just
sit in my apartment.

He left the Army
six months ago.

He went on
one job interview, drunk.

He ever do anything that made
you think he might be suicidal?

He saw a lot of
terrible things over there.

Here, have a seat.

(SOBBING)

Okay, so, when
he left your place,

he moved in
with his old friend, Sean?

Mmm-hmm.

Who was living with Todd,
who was gay.

Would Dan have
a problem with that?

I don't think so.

He knew how to say no.

Besides, lwent
over there one time,

and all Todd
could talk about

was this new guy
that he was seeing.

Did he mention a name?

He called him the MVP.

Some kind of inside joke.

Look, Sean was
Dan's friend.

And Todd took him in
when I threw him out.

He would never hurt them.

Turns out our gay love triangle
has two straight guys in it.

Plus, your murder-suicide
doesn't have a suicide.

M.E.'s report.

"The spread of powder residue
on Dan Pressman's scalp

"indicates the weapon was at
least two feet from his head."

Plus, there's a partial
print on the weapon

that doesn't match
any of the victims.

So, somebody staged
the crime scene.

Yeah, after killing three people.
Who's your prime target?

Let's see,
we've got Sean Witt,

financial planner with a
string of one-night stands.

We've got Dan Pressman, angry
war veteran who liked to drink.

And Todd Stewart.
He was a gay lawyer.

Well, who had
the most bullets in him?

TANYA: Todd did
environmental law.

He was suing the National Park
Service for letting in dirt bikes.

They don't kill people
over stuff like that.

What about
his personal life?

Any trouble
with boyfriends?

TANYA: He didn't talk
about it at the office.

ED: He ever mention
the MVP?

(SCOFFS) Todd didn't
follow sports.

What about his day yesterday?
Anything unusual?

Meetings, phone calls.

Here's his schedule.

We bill in
15-minute increments.

There's a blank
half hour at 3:00.

Yeah. He was on the phone.
Personal call.

Made him late for a meeting.
And Todd was never late.

Is this the phone number
he called?

I don't know. But, when I came
in to get him for the meeting,

he told the person "I'll see you
tonight," before he hung up.

So, who did he see
last night?

Lots of people. He went
to a political fundraiser.

We've been told
the government is bad,

the politicians are useless
or dishonest.

But, government is only as bad as
you, the people, allow it to be.

I used to think
business was exciting.

But, politics, campaigning,

it's like the living heart of
America beating in your hands.

That sounds terrible, doesn't it?
(CHUCKLING)

Yeah. We understand you organized
last night's fundraiser.

I'm doing three a week.

Tomorrow night's
Melanie Carver

for U.S. Senate.
$1,000 aticket.

Last night,
Mr. Vargas.

An event for Jim Gilles,
State Assemblyman.

Fascinating man.

Very authentic.

And Todd Stewart
was there?

He was a Gilles supporter.

I couldn't believe it
when I saw the news.

Did you see who Mr. Stewart
was talking to?

I don't know. I was talking
to everybody myself.

I did see him talking
to the candidate,

probably about
the gay marriage bill.

Gilles is from a very conservative
district. He had to vote against it.

I don't imagine that went over well
with Todd, considering Todd was...

Yeah. We know.
And this was an argument?

It did seem
a little intense.

Gilles has been under all kinds of
pressure since he went Independent.

He's a swing vote
in the Assembly.

That's why
they call him the MVP.

It's a tragedy. I just
saw him last night.

He donated
to my campaign.

Was that the full extent
of your relationship?

Excuse me?

Was that the full extent
of your relationship?

Yes.

We chatted at one or
two campaign events.

Yes. See, the thing is, we heard your
chat last night was a little intense.

We barely spoke last night.

What is it
you want to know from me?

Did you know
Mr. Stewart was gay?

I accept donations from people
of all sexual persuasions.

You mind telling us
where you were at 8:30?

My hotel. I went there from the fundraiser.
I wasn't feeling well.

That would be the Hotel...
Victoria.

Anyone see you?

Do I need an alibi?

Let me make something very clear.
lam not gay.

We weren't
asking all that.

But, now you know.

Don't you have
some murders to solve?

He just lost my vote.

It's hard to keep
a secret these days.

(TYPING ON CELL PHONE)

Jim Gilles. Gay. Search.

It's just
rumors, of course.

But you put them
on your web site?

Well, of course. That's
what the Internet is for.

Didn't you
go to school?

Gilles is not the only queen
in the castle, you know?

Legislatures
are the new gay bars.

Well, how did you
hear Gilles was gay?

Oh, sorry, gorgeous. Ajournalist
never reveals her sources.

Well, what did they say? I mean,
was he involved with somebody?

If he was,
they broke up.

After that gay marriage
vote, I'd dump his ass.

You don't actually
know anything, do you?

I know that Gilles' district is
on Staten Island, 10 miles away,

and yet he stays
in a hotel in Manhattan.

Which one
is it this time?

The Victoria.
(SCOFFING)

It's a dump. But conveniently
located across from Hellman's.

The department store?

So what? He's gay because
he likes to shop?

Yes, but not in the store.

In the men's room.

Gilles says he barely
knew Todd Stewart.

But, that long phone call that
Stewart made the day he died

was to Gilles's
private phone number.

Well, maybe they were having a
conversation about campaign contributions.

Gilles also said he got
back to his hotel by 8:30.

A desk clerk saw him
get in after midnight.

So, Gilles is in the closet,

having an affair
with Todd Stewart.

LUPO: Then he votes
against gay marriage,

Stewart doesn't like that.
He argues with Gilles.

He's thinking of calling
a political reporter...

So, out comes
Assemblyman Gilles,

down goes his re-election.

So, Gilles takes
care of him.

The roommates walk in,
wrong place, wrong time.

Yeah, but, your whole theory

is built on one assumption
that Gilles is secretly gay.

Well, he's staying
across the street

from the cruising capital
of midtown.

Okay.

Well, the only way
to find out ifGilles

actually takes advantage
of that men's room...

Come on.

Unless you want to slip into something
sexy and buy the guy a drink,

you need to start arguing
about who goes on stall duty.

(CLEARS THROAT)

MAN: Oh my God.

It's done.

Sir, could you please
come out of the stall?

I... I'm not
finished yet.

Yeah, I think you are.

ED: You're under arrest
for Public indecency.

You can wash your hands
if you want.

This is harassment. I just
had to go to the bathroom.

Yeah, right.

So you walked
to a department store?

Your hotel didn't have
indoor plumbing?

(sum-nus)

Please. I have a wife.
I have children.

Right. And you don't want them to
read in the papers that you're gay.

Not to mention
your constituents.

That's what Todd Stewart
threatened you with, isn't it?

I barely knew
Todd Stewart.

We just ran the credit
card from your wallet.

You used it to send gift
baskets to Todd Stewart.

Thank yous for donating
to my campaign.

Yeah. You also used it
for a double room

at a resort
on Nantucket.

Same weekend
Todd Stewart was there.

So, it looks like you two were
thanking each other's brains out.

(sums)

All right.
We were friends.

It's crazy to think
that I killed him.

You were arguing with him
at the fundraiser.

We did argue, during
the day, on the phone.

But, I told you the truth about
the fundraiser. We barely spoke.

Todd knew
I had to be discreet.

So, where
were you at 8:30?

The truth this time.

I was

with another friend.

We were together
until 1:00 a.m.

ED: Hey!

Gilles' friend
confirms his alibi.

And he wants to know when he can
meet Lupes in the bathroom.

(SNICKERS)

And Mr. Gilles' prints don't
match the partial on the gun.

Yeah. So basically we just played
"smear the queer" with an innocent man.

Well, I'll call him and tell
him we lost his arrest record.

It never happened.

So, if he's telling
the truth now,

our witness
was wrong

about Todd Stewart arguing
with Gilles at the fundraiser.

So, your witness made a mistake
or he's lying. Who is he?

Victor Vargas.
He's a businessman.

Big contributor to Gilles,
as well as Melanie Carver

and a bunch
of other Congressmen.

How big?
ED: Millions.

He's what they call
a bundler.

The law says that a person can only donate
a couple thousand dollars to a campaign.

A person like Vargas gathers all the
small amounts into one big fat pile.

He's still not
answering his phones.

So you have the donor records for Mr.
Gilles?

ED: Yes.

Well, they should list the home
addresses of the contributors.

LUPO: This can't
be the address.

This is the address, bro.

I wonder what kind of penthouse
our millionaire lives in.

LUPO: Excuse me.

Does this building have
a Penthouse Number One?

Apartment one. It's not
much of a penthouse.

We're looking for a man named Victor
Vargas. He gave this address.

Victor. He stays
with me sometimes.

He's not here right now.
I don't know where he is.

ED: What's your name, sir?
Michael Calderon.

Wait. I saw your name on a
list of campaign contributors,

to a state Assemblyman
named Gilles.

Yeah. I like him.

LUPO: Yeah. You and your
family gave $20,000.

I don't remember exactly.

What's your relationship
with Victor Vargas?

Friends. My son works
in his jewelry business.

Victor's helped us out
with all kinds of things.

Why don't you people
just leave him alone?

Has somebody been looking
for Mr. Vargas besides us?

No.

ED: You know,
allowing somebody

to make a campaign contribution
in your name is a felony.

We can go through your financial
records, and immigration.

This guy-

He told me to tell Victor
to give him a call.

Josh Pearl berg.

Mandala Capital.

I met the son of a bitch at
a Save the Planet benefit.

He was arm in arm with Melanie Carver.
So, I figured he was cool.

Did you actually
know Bob Dylan?

PEARLBERG: I financed
one of his concert tours.

I used to know a good
investment when I saw one.

So, you invested
with Victor Vargas?

Oh, yeah. Bridge financing
for his semi-precious stones.

Amethyst,
aquamarine, topaz.

They're huge
on Columbus Avenue.

Vargas buys them in Brazil,
gets a discount for cash.

But, doesn't get paid
till they get to New York.

So, I put up the cash,
for a 40% return in 60 days.

That sounds too good to be true.

That's what
lthought.

So, I put atoe in.
$75,000, and it worked.

So, I invested halfa million.
It worked again.

Then 20 million.

And there
was a problem.

Many problems.

Shipping delays, customs issues,
the dog ate my letter of credit.

Then Vargas stopped
returning my calls.

The guy who introduced me to him
was having the same problems.

Who was that?

It was Sean Witt,
Todd Stewart's roommate.

We were looking
at the wrong victim.

Witt managed investments for
a small circle of clients,

and he put five million of their
dollars into Aztec Gemstones Limited.

A Victor Vargas company?

Yeah, buried under several layers
of corporate names, but yeah.

He reels in suckers

by paying back their initial
investments with other suckers' money.

And, they believe
he's respectable

because they see him
with prominent politicians.

And he pumps up his importance
with the politicians

by donating extra funds through
fronts like Michael Calderon.

The more money he steals,
the more respect he buys.

The more money he can steal.
It's beautiful.

And Sean Witt
was on to him?

Well, that's just what
we're gonna ask Vargas.

It's almost time for his
Melanie Carver fundraiser.

See you later.

No. Bigger, grander,
presidential.

(ED WHISTLES)

Detectives, you're
on my to-do list.

I've just been crazy getting
everything perfect for tonight.

I wish Melanie were here.
I'd introduce you.

You are supporters?

Yeah. I love a woman
in a pantsuit.

Look, we need to talk
to you about Sean Witt.

You never mentioned yesterday
that he did business with you.

I didn't think
it mattered.

I met him through Todd Stewart.
I didn't know him well.

Well enough for him to
give you $5 million.

It was an investment.

Yeah. We hear some of your
investments don't work out too well.

We talked
to Josh Pearlberg.

Josh. Did you
like the beard?

(CHUCKLING) He is so impatient.
Like a child.

Well, I guess waiting for $20
million can make a person nervous.

I don't mean to be rude, but I have to
deal with some last-minute R.S.V.P.s.

I think we finally heard
from Jack McCoy.

Do you know the new
District Attorney?

Where were you
8:30 that night?

At the event.
It was my party.

ED: It ended at 8:00.

There was cleanup. And I
met Franklin Slater there.

The Lieutenant-Governor candidate?
Incredibly dynamic.

Have you heard him speak?
No.

Look, I really have
to find the chef.

This may be New York City, but
I don't do chopped liver.

Lupes, let him go.

This vase
is coming with us.

I'm giving the flowers to my mom.
Don't report me to l.A.B.

(CHUCKLING) What are you
going to do for us?

Give you good news.
That's why I exist.

A thumbprint on the vase is consistent
with the partial on the murder weapon.

Consistent,
but not a slam dunk?

But, a perfect match for this.
Iran it through the system.

Coral Gables,
Florida, 1996.

Victor Montero was convicted of defrauding
investors in an imports racket.

Montero? That's our boy.
How long did he serve?

Zero. Jumped bail
before sentencing.

There's an open
bench warrant.

What's that?
Inquiry report.

Someone accessed this
record three days ago.

Sean Witt
made the inquiry.

He hired a commercial
search service.

He knew about Vargas.

Yeah, and it looks
like Vargas knew he knew.

Sean's LUDs show a call to a cell
phone owned by Aztec Gemstones

two hours
before he was killed.

He wanted his money back,
but Vargas had a better idea.

He knows
we're sniffing around.

Is it enough to arrest
him for the murders?

Doesn't need to be. We've
got a fugitive warrant.

Melanie, you look like you're
ready to rule the world.

I love you too, Victor.

(PHOTOGRAPHERS CALLING)

So, how much are we
raising tonight?

Excuse me, ma'am, would
you step aside, please?

Victor Vargas,
you're under arrest.

Hands behind
your back, please.

Victor, is there something
you should be telling me?

Yes. Remind the manager to set
up the rope for the VIP section.

(CLAMORING)

Your Honor, this
is a misunderstanding.

Actually,
it's pretty clear.

Mr. Vargas is being held pursuant
to a bench warrant from Florida,

where he failed to show up for sentencing
after being convicted for fraud.

It was a dispute over a small amount
of money. It was cleared up years ago.

Well, someone forgot
to tell the state of Florida.

Pending the
extradition application,

People request the defendant be remanded to
the custody of the Department of Correction.

My client is entitled to bail.
He has ample means.

The only reason
that he's here now,

is because he skipped
out on bail before.

We don't even know his real name.
Is it Vargas, or Montero?

It's Victor Vargas Montero.

The Latin custom is to put one's
mother's name after one's father's.

Fascinating.
Bail is set at $3 million.

We'll reconvene on
extradition in the morning.

(BANGS GAVEL)

All I can say, Jack, is that
in his dealings with me,

Victor Vargas has displayed nothing
but decency and integrity.

You weren't with him in Florida
10 years ago, Melanie.

I don't know
what happened there,

but he certainly isn't
acting like a fugitive.

He's had his picture taken
with me a hundred times.

Well, for what
it's worth.

See you next Sunday?

It's on my calendar.

You a Melanie man, Jack?

Compared to
the alternatives.

Did she happen to mention

that Victor Vargas raised more
than $2 million for her campaign?

Public information, Connie.
What happened with Vargas?

Bailed himself out.

Posted $3 million
in 30 minutes.

Probably money he swindled
from Josh Pearlberg.

If that's true, it's going to break
a lot of politicians' hearts.

Letters of support
from a dozen public servants.

I gather Mr. Vargas
is important to all of them.

There's nothing here
from Franklin Slater.

Should there be?

Vargas was one of
his biggest donors.

Vargas told the police he was with
Slater around the time of the murders.

Find out why Mr. Slater isn't jumping
on the "We love Vargas" bandwagon.

Yeah. I picked up Victor
after the Gilles fundraiser.

He met with me
and my people,

and then I took off
for upstate.

I just came back
for this debate,

which starts
in 16 minutes.

(CHUCKLING) I'm supposed to be
practicing my witty ad-libs.

Well, I'll try
not to keep you.

Listen, exactly when and where
did you pick Mr. Vargas up?

At the fundraiser,
a little before 9:00.

What's this about?

Atriple homicide.

Homicide?
Mmm-hmm.

Victor?

(LAUGHING) No.

No, I think he might kill for a chance
to sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom,

but otherwise...

Well, it happened
the night you saw him.

Listen, is there anything out of
the ordinary that you noticed?

Well, Victor was jazzed.

But he's always jazzed
when he's around a candidate.

And when I picked him up, the
fundraiser had just ended.

Was there anyone else
at the restaurant?

Some waiters,
cleaning up.

Look. Victor got in my car.

We drove to our meeting, with a
quick stop at Peter Elliott.

Why?

Victor ran in to buy a clean shirt.
He said he'd been sweating.

Mr. Vargas is a regular.
Everything custom.

One arm is slightly longer.

Do you remember
that night?

Of course. He called ahead and
I told him I'd wait for him.

Does he usually buy emergency
shirts at closing time?

(LAUGHING) No.

But I did once
sell atuxedo

to a young man on the
way to his wedding.

We had to
staple the cuffs.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Did Mr. Vargas tell you why
he needed a shirt just then?

He wanted to look good.
He always likes to look good.

What didn't look good
about the way he was?

Cocktail sauce,
a spot, right here.

He didn't want
to walk around like that.

Cocktail sauce?

The timeline works. The
fundraiser ended at 8:00.

Vargas said he stayed to clean
up, but he could've slipped out.

The victims only lived
a few blocks away.

So, he went over
there, killed them,

got back in time
to meet Slater.

And went to Peter Elliott when he
realized there was blood on his shirt.

It's more than
we had before.

And I don't like him
running around free.

Well, his hearing on the Florida
extradition starts in 20 minutes.

Screw Florida. Let's
arrest him for murder.

What is this?

A motion to recover
the $3 million

Mr. Vargas posted
with the court yesterday.

JUDGE KIFNER:
That was his bail.

That wasn't
his to give.

That money was stolen from my client, Mr.
Pearlberg.

It belonged to him.

Actually, as of
six minutes ago,

it belongs to the state
of New York,

since Mr. Vargas
failed to appear.

Miss Standish, do you have any idea
as to your client's whereabouts?

He assured me
he'd be here.

Your Honor, I move that
bail be revoked

and a bench warrant
issued forthwith.

We already have
one bench warrant.

How many bench warrants
do we need?

(KNOCKING)

Come in.

Josh Pearl berg?

I got a package
for Sylvia Standish.

And Michael Cutter.

Yeah, thanks.

"So sorry for all
the trouble.

"Pledge full compensation
to my investors.

"Just have to fly to South America
to straighten things out."

It's the politest notice of
jumping bail I've ever seen.

I've been looking
at flight manifests,

and there is no record of Victor
Vargas or Victor Montero.

But a Michael Calderon
bought a one-way ticket

to Rio de Janeiro
on Avianza Airlines.

Flight 11.

When does it leave?

45 minutes ago.

Well, you're not
in South America.

No.

Did you give Victor
Vargas your passport?

No.
Do you know where he is?

I haven't seen him.

(GLASS SHATTERING)

Who's back there?

Move.
Hey!

What?

LUPO: Can you stand up?
I'm all right.

ED: Mr. Vargas,
please stand up.

Get up, Mr. Vargas.

Tell the Congressman
I'm sorry I'm late.

Come on.

(DIALING CELL PHONE)

We need an ambulance
at 1423, Park Avenue.

VICTOR: No.
I'm fine. I'm fine.

Melanie!

I knew
you'd believe in me.

Hey! Hey,
hey, hey. hey-

Docket number 14267. People
against Victor Vargas.

Three counts of Murder
in the Second Degree.

JUDGE KIFNER: Plea?
Not guilty.

Don't bother
asking for bail.

VICTOR: No problem,
Your Honor.

I'd advise you to let
your attorney speak.

She's not
my attorney.

I'm firing her.
I want to represent myself.

YourHonon I don't
believe that's wise.

The defendant has been hospitalized.
There was a suicide attempt.

It was an accidental
overdose of a painkiller.

I can bring a note
from my doctor.

There's more to defending yourself
than being in good health, Mr. Vargas.

I did attend
law school.

We have no
record of that.

It was under
another name,

and I was disbarred
for stealing client funds.

But I think
I'll remember enough.

If you're looking
for a deal...

Why would I want a deal?

Then what
are we doing here?

I'm giving you a chance to
get out of this gracefully.

(SCOFFS)

You are full of
surprises, aren't you?

Your whole history as a crook,
it's all relevant to this case.

Everyone's gonna know
exactly who you are.

So, I've been
a bad boy.

But, what have you got
against me for murder?

A partial fingerprint? A red
spot on a vanished shirt?

Your lies to the police,
your proximity to the crime.

Not to mention
your four-star motive.

What?

Sean Witt was worried
about a few million dollars?

Why would I kill him?

I could have just repaid him.
I have the money.

Mmm.

Because you stole it
from other investors.

Exactly.
You're making my point.

Maybe you should
testify for me.

(CHUCKLES)

CUTTER: Was the car heated?

Yes. It was pretty warm.

But Mr. Vargas kept his
coat buttoned anyway.

Yes.

As if he was concealing his shirt
until he could buy a new one.

Yes.

How are you,
Franklin?

Objection, relevance.

He might not think it's
important, but I do.

Do you have a question, Mr.
Vargas?

Yes.

What did
Sean Witt say

when he called you a few hours
before he was murdered?

Objection, assumes
facts not in evidence.

Excuse me.

Mr. Slater,

did Sean Witt call you on
the day he was murdered?

Yes.

You didn't mention that call
to the authorities, did you?

No.

Is that because it gave you
a motive to kill Mr. Witt?

Objection!
Where is this leading?

Surely I am entitled to offer
other theories of the crime.

Only if they have
some evidentiary basis.

That's what
I'm trying to get to.

I'll allow you some latitude, Mr.
Vargas.

Don't abuse it.

What did Sean Witt say
when he called?

He said that I shouldn't spend the
money that you donated to my campaign.

Because I'd stolen it from
him and he wanted it back?

Something like that, yes.

How much had I brought
into your campaign?

I don't know offhand.

If I said it was more
than a million dollars,

would you believe it?

Yes.

At that point
in your campaign,

could you have given up more
than a million dollars?

If I had to.

You would have
had to cancel

advertisements,
travel, polling.

I would have had
to cut back somewhere.

And would it have helped or hurt
your chances of being elected,

if it came out that your major
fundraiser was a crook?

(CHUCKLES) I think
I'm about to find out.

(PEOPLE CHUCKLING)

But if Mr. Witt
was silenced,

none of those bad things
would happen, would they?

No more questions.

Mr. Slater, did you
murder Sean Witt?

No.

Then why didn't you mention that
phone call to the authorities?

I believe we've just heard
some of the reasons.

Now I see that that was
an error in judgment.

Yes. Thank you.

By the way, I've got the rest
of my witness list ready.

I've been subpoenaed to
testify by Victor Vargas.

There's a limit to what I can
discuss with you, Melanie.

If I say the wrong
thing, call a cop.

(CHUCKLES)

Oh, can't you
make this go away?

Ifthejudge approved
your subpoena...

I don't mean
the subpoena.

I mean the trial,
that turd, Vargas.

It's a triple murder. We don't
sweep those under the rug.

He has to be
crazy, right?

He tried to kill himself. Send
him to a mental institution.

He's not pleading insanity.

No. His defense
is that I did it,

or Franklin Slater or one of the other
candidates he so generously backed.

Jack, have you heard of a group called
New Yorkers for Good Government?

They want you to run for a full
term at the next election.

They do?
Mmm.

They admire the fact that
you're not a politician.

So, they want me
to become one?

(CHUCKLING)
Ironic, isn't it?

If you want to continue your
fight for truth and justice,

you will have to
get elected.

I'll consider it
when the time comes.

Victor Vargas
already considered it.

He thinks
you're his kind of guy.

He's contributed $10,000 to New
Yorkers for Good Government.

You could be next
on his witness list.

Maybe you
murdered Sean Witt.

Melanie, Vargas isn't proving anything.
He's flailing.

And bringing down
good people, Jack.

We're not monsters.

We want to do good things.
Just like you.

So, I should ship him to a mental
institution without atrial?

This isn't Communist
Russia, Melanie.

Truth and justice.

There's nothing
I can do.

MELANIE: Sean Witt
never called me.

I didn't know
you swindled him,

and I didn't know
the truth about you.

Are you sure
he didn't call?

I'd given more of his money
to you than I did to Slater.

I thought that you were awealthy
businessman with wealthy friends.

That's what
you told me.

So, you had no idea
I wasn't telling the truth?

No.

I showed up
out of nowhere.

If you'd done
a simple Internet search,

you would have found out that five
years ago Victor Vargas did not exist.

Objection. The defendant
is testifying.

Sorry.

Did you run a
background check on me?

There didn't seem
to be any reason to.

Because I brought $2 million
into your campaign?

Is that why there
wasn't any reason?

Because you seemed
to fit in.

You liked to
talk about politics,

you even gave me a memo that you wrote
on health insurance for immigrants.

Did you know the addresses I
gave you didn't check out?

No.

Did you know I brought
your campaign $24,000

from the family
of a janitor?

No.

What's your IQ?

(SCOFFING)
I don't know.

What universities
did you attend?

Princeton, Harvard,
London School of Economics.

You knew,
didn't you?

Isn't that why you
didn't check me out?

You knew, but didn't
want to see the proof,

because you
wanted my money.

Objection.

And you didn't want anyone
else to see the proof, either.

If Sean Witt was going to blow the
whistle, that was a problem for you.

CUTTER: Objection!
Sustained.

VICTOR: The District Attorney
is protecting you, isn't he?

Isn't Jack McCoy your
political ally, yourffiend?

JUDGE: That's enough, Mr.
Vargas!

Take your seat.

JUDGE: Mr. Cutter?

No questions.

You didn't even
cross examine?

The accusation
is outrageous.

Really?

How many people
think Hillary Clinton

had Vincent Foster murdered
over Whitewater?

I didn't want to dignify that kind of
thinking by asking her to deny it.

You could have
made some effort.

Sure. I also
could have asked her

"How could you possibly be as
dumb as you're pretending to be?"

But I didn't think that
was gonna help, either.

CONNIE: Vargas is
right, isn't he?

About the money?
It's all about the money.

They call it free speech, but
apparently, it's very expensive.

He is right.
Nobody wanted to know.

So nobody wanted
Sean Witt to tell.

Now, you're making
Vargas's case.

Why didn't he run
when hejumped bail?

He could have made it
to South America.

He's such a good con man,
he conned himself.

He thinks he can beat us.

Maybe now.

But what was he thinking when
he tried to commit suicide?

That's the Victor Vargas
you want the jury to see.

Thank you very much
for coming.

So, going over your man,
Cutter's head, eh?

Because of what I said
about you and Melanie?

I just need to take one
phone call before we talk.

It wasn't personal,
Mr. McCoy.

I'd be proud to support
you in the next election.

I'm really
a tremendous admirer.

Thank you.

If you want to freshen
up while you wait.

I'm sure it's not too
pleasant being in jail.

MELANIE: Victor?

Melanie?

How did you...

McCoy.

Just like you said, Victor.
He's pulling the strings.

Trying to protect you.
He was.

Now he's protecting himself.
You've got him in a bind.

He has political
ambitions.

He says he doesn't.

You know better.

You know
what it's like.

You've linked me to you
and to these murders.

You've linked
him to me.

In order to preserve
his squeaky-clean image,

now he has to
come after me.

He's going to
indict my campaign

as a corrupt enterprise for
knowingly accepting stolen money.

That's not
what I wanted.

But, that is what
you said I did.

I had to defend myself.

This is the end of
my political career, Victor.

I thought
you genuinely admired me.

I do.

I thought you genuinely
wanted to help.

I read your memo about health insurance.
It has some excellent ideas.

You think so?

Yes. Yes!
Please, Victor.

Do the right thing.

Not just for me, but for the people
of New York, of this country.

Everything that I want to do,
everything that we want to do.

It's not going to happen because
of these lies that you're telling.

I'm sorry.
I really am.

I'm sorry.

But it's part of the game.
You understand.

Just like you said.

Hmm.

VICTOR: (ON RECORDER)
I'm sorry.

But it's part of the game.
You understand.

Just like you said.

What was part of the game,
Mr. Vargas?

That was a trick.
She tricked me.

CUTTER: Why shouldn't she?
You accused her of murder.

But that was just
a game, right?

Why don't you play what
came after on the tape?

There is no more.
That's where it ends.

Do you really believe

Melanie Carver or any
candidate you supported

killed Sean Witt
and his roommates?

No.

Because you did.
Isn't that right?

No.

Because Sean Witt was going
to expose your fraud

and send
your politician friends

running from you
like the plague.

They weren't friends.
They were my cover.

They made me
seem legitimate.

Just your cover?

Well, then all
you had to do

was show up at their
parties with a checkbook.

You didn't have to write a memo about
health insurance for immigrants.

That was part
of playing the role.

We just heard the tape,
Mr. Vargas.

There's no role
left to play,

but you're still discussing
your ideas with the candidate.

She brought it up.

And you enjoyed it.

Are you denying
it was interesting

to be discussing
public policy

with a possible future president
of the United States?

No. Of course it was.

Of course it was!

But Sean Witt was going to
take that away from you.

I didn't have to kill him.

I could have
just paid him back.

How? Josh Pearlberg
was on to you.

Your investor pool
was drying up.

I had other
potential investors.

But Sean Witt didn't want to
wait to get his money back.

I only needed
a few days.

But he didn't believe you,
did he?

Because he knew better,
so you shot him.

As his roommates walked in at the
wrong time, so you shot them, too.

No.

Because he was gonna
bring it all to an end.

Your hobnobbing
with political superstars.

The imaginary life
you'd come to believe in.

It wasn't imaginary.

She liked me.
You heard her.

She was tricking you.
You just said so.

But she didn't
have to say that.

You believed your own lie
that you mattered to them.

It wasn't a lie.

That's why you killed him.

They liked me.

That's why you tried
to kill yourself.

They really did!

Tell them, Melanie.
You liked me.

Tell them
you liked me.

Guilty, guilty, guilty.

Congratulations, Jack.

I was just wondering.

Our little
bathroom tape?

It didn't completely nail him,
but he fell apart anyway.

He was off his game.

Borderline
personality, Jack.

And your man, Cutter,
played him just right.

Vargas said something
about the rest of the tape,

but there was
no rest of the tape.

Did you stop it?

(CHUCKLING)

The Primary's
next Tuesday.

Don't forget to vote.

(SCOFFS)

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