All language subtitles for Law.And.Order.SVU.S26E10

.

- In the criminal justice
system,

sexually based offenses

are considered
especially heinous.

In New York City,
the dedicated detectives

who investigate
these vicious felonies

are members of an elite squad

known as
the Special Victims Unit.

These are their stories.

- All right,
let's go, let's go.

Time for bed.
- Five more minutes?

Come on. How about 10?
- All right.

But I want you washed, brushed,
and in your rooms.

- Yes, ma'am.

- Franky,
did you take your medicine?

Will you look at me
so I know you're listening?

- I took it.
Damn!

- Josh!

Does this look like
an indoor track to you?

- My bad, Ms. Miller.

- "My bad" is not an apology.

Just go to bed.

[sighs]
Anybody seen Anthony?

- Stomping on those cars
like tin cans!

[indistinct chatter]

[banging on door]
- Anthony, Eric!

Lights out.

- I know, I know.

- You seen Anthony?

- Do I look like his zookeeper?

- Well, where the hell is he?

- I don't know.

- When was the last time
you saw him?

- After school, I guess.

- He left his phone here?

The truth, Eric, right now.

I'm done playing.

- Missing kid
is Anthony Reed, 16.

- Who called it in?

- Home director, Aurora Miller.

- How'd this kid end up
in the system?

- Both parents deceased.

And I checked his juvie record.
He's on probation.

- For what?

- Assaulting a kid at school
two weeks ago.

- Anthony left his cell behind?

- Sent it to TARU.

But kid's got an ankle monitor.

His parole officer
is tracking it.

- All right.

- Anthony's a good kid.

He can act tougher than he is.

- When was the last time
you saw him?

- This morning,
when he left for school.

- Take us through
his day today.

- He was fine.

He finally went to school
without complaining

for a change.

- And you confirmed
that he made it there?

- First call I made,
they said it was a normal day.

- Well, what made you
call it an abduction?

- To be honest, I thought
you would respond faster.

And I found his phone
in his room.

Do you know any teens
that would

ditch their phones
out of nowhere?

- Who was the last person
to see him?

- His roommate.

[knocking]
[door clicks]

- He came back here for about
20 minutes after school,

had a trash bag,
threw some clothes in and left.

- Did he tell you
where he was headed?

- No.

- And you didn't ask?

- Me and Anthony
don't exactly get along.

Am I in trouble?

- Just tell them
what you told me.

- After he walked out,
I look out the window

and see him get in
some guy's car.

- You see the driver pointing
a gun at Anthony or anything?

- No, but I thought
I saw him hug Anthony.

[foreboding music]

- OK.
Can you describe this guy?

- Dad-looking dude,
white, mustache.

- What kind of car
was he driving?

- A gold minivan.

- Did Anthony ever talk
to you about some old guy?

- No.

- If I'd ever heard about it,

you'd better believe there
would have been a problem.

- Detectives,
Probations just got

a last known
on Anthony's ankle monitor.

- Let's go.

- Have you seen this kid?
- He left.

An hour ago.

- Thank you.
- Silva.

- I was just on the phone
with Probations.

- And?

- Well, they're saying that
Anthony is at this location.

- I'm telling you, he left.

- Well, then his ankle monitor
must still be here.

- This kid,
how did he seem to you?

- Kept looking around like
he was nervous or something.

- With an older man?

- White guy,
mustache, comb-over.

They ordered burgers, sodas,

finished their food,
left, drove away.

- Gold minivan?
- Yeah.

- Any chance you got
a good look at the plate?

- No, but it was New York.

- You sure?
- Yeah, definitely.

- Bruno.

Someone had to have cut it off.

- Whoever abducted him.

* *

- OK, so do you think we have
enough for an AMBER alert?

- We got older, white male,

gold minivan,
and New York plates.

- Then I'll call it in.

[dramatic music]

* *

.

- So Anthony Reed has
been missing for 12 hours.

1PP wants an update.

Where are we with
the surveillance?

- Cameras in the fast food
joint couldn't see the car.

I'm checking street cams now.

- And what about
the older white male?

Is there anyone in his life
that fits that description?

- Not that we could find.

- Anthony's father was murdered
when he was ten years old,

and his mother died of a
fentanyl overdose a year later.

- Kid's been in the system
ever since.

Foster care,
now the group home.

- OK, what about his phone?

- Mostly games, but we did find
a couple dozen unknown numbers.

- The weird thing is
they're all from area codes

all over the U.S., not spam.

[phone chimes]
- OK, well, start calling them.

- TARU found some

incriminating Google searches
on Anthony's phone.

- Like what?

- He was looking for tips on
how to remove an ankle monitor.

- So was he abducted
or was he trying to run away?

- Did we talk to
his parole officer?

- He visited Anthony last week,

and he didn't notice
anything out of the ordinary.

- Anthony lives
in a group home,

so he must have appointments
with CPS.

- Yeah, his caseworker's name

is Michael Strickland.

- Find out
if he knows anything.

- I was assigned
to Anthony's case

when he was moved into
West Harlem Boys' Home.

He was 11.

- What can you tell us
about him?

- [scoffs]
He's had a tough life.

- So we keep hearing.

- You heard about
his fight at school?

- The assault charge?
Yeah.

Anything you want to add?

- Anthony said the kid
was making fun of him.

- For what?
- Take your pick.

Because he lives
in a group home,

his dad was murdered,

he's got an old phone,
secondhand clothes.

Kids can be cruel.

- How much contact
do you have with Anthony?

- We meet once a week.

I do the best
I can as his advocate.

Were you able to ID the guy
who took him yet?

- Well, we're hoping
you could help us with that.

Anthony ever mention
an older white male?

- Somebody he might have
been comfortable with,

enough to get in his car?

- No. If he told me
anything like that,

I'd be obligated to report it.

[sighs]

- You seem pretty shaken up.

- [sighs]
I'm worried about him.

You're going to find him,
right?

- We're doing
everything we can.

- Thanks.

- Hey, where are we
with Anthony Reed?

- Nothing from the AMBER Alert.

- Well, the kid lives
in a group home.

He's on house arrest.

Do we know how he might
have met this guy?

- Well, we know predators
gravitate toward group homes.

- Yeah, but nobody at this
group home has any idea

how Anthony might have

developed a friendship
with an older man?

- Look, I don't know this kid.

But the level of trauma that
he's been through in his life,

it's very likely
that he learned

how to compartmentalize.

- Captain. Got something.
- Yeah.

What do you got?

- TARU pulled cams
from across the street

at the fast food place.

- And?
- Found this.

[tense music]

- You get an ID?

- Car's registered
to Colin Clark,

age 56, address in Murray Hill.

- Criminal record?
- Nothing.

- So if he's a sexual predator,

then he managed to keep it
under the radar.

- So what are we
looking at here?

He's grooming this kid?

- From where I stand, yes.

I mean, that's worth a warrant,
isn't it, counselor?

- I'll call the judge
right now.

- Bruno, update the AMBER Alert
with the plate number.

Curry, Velasco,
have ESU meet you at his house.

[banging on door]
- NYPD! Open up!

- Mrs. Clark?
- Yes. What's going on?

- We have a warrant
to search the premises.

- Oh. For--for what?

- We're looking for
a missing 16-year-old boy.

- Well, he's not in my house!

- What about your husband?
Is he here?

- Oh, he's not here either.

- OK, when's the last time
you talked to him?

- Uh, yesterday.

He's--he said he was
going out of town.

- To do what?

- Go to a coin collector's
convention.

Why are the police
looking for him?

- We think he might be
on the run with this boy.

- Do you know anything
about that?

- Absolutely not.

I've never seen that kid
before in my life.

- Place is clear.
We found a laptop.

- Listen, if you have any idea
where your husband might be,

now's the time to tell us.

- Um, have you, uh,

asked the people he works with?

One of his employees?

[siren wailing]

[tires screech]

[indistinct radio chatter]

- Hey, that's Clark's minivan.

- I called CSU.
They're on their way to search.

- What about his cell?

- Not picking up, but the
signal pings in this vicinity.

- OK, so find out where he is.

- On it, Captain.

- All right, fan out,
search the place.

- We're looking for this guy.
You know him?

- I think he's our locksmith.
Why?

- When's the last time
you saw him?

- I don't know.

- OK, what about this kid?

- No idea who that is.

- All right, we need a list
of your unoccupied rooms.

- Found something in room 2B.

- All right.

[dramatic music]

* *

- We got an open door.

* *

- Let's move.

* *

Anthony?

* *

- Clear!

* *

- You ready?

* *

- Well, we found Colin.

- So did a bullet.

- OK, where's Anthony?

- Call the ME.

* *

[muffled sobbing]

- You hear that?

* *

[banging on door]
NYPD!

Open up!

[banging on door]
NYPD!

We're coming in!
Go.

- [breathing shakily]

- All right!
- Don't move!

Put the weapon down!
- Hey!

Put it down!
- Put the gun down now!

- Do it slowly!
- [sighs]

[suspenseful music]

Anthony.

- [sighs and groans]

[somber music]

- We're here to help you, OK?

* *

Anthony, I'm going to need you
to put the gun down, all right?

I need you to put
the gun down right now.

* *

Hey.

Hey, look at me.

Look at me.

* *

I need you to give me
the gun, OK?

Anthony, I'm going to come in,

and I'm going to
take the gun from you.

It's going to be OK.

* *

Don't hurt him. Don't hurt him.
- FBI. Get back.

- Hey.
- Do not hurt him.

[handcuffs clicking]

* *

.

- Do you understand your
rights, Anthony?

- Rights?

From what I know,
it's just a fancy way

of saying I'm about
to get screwed.

- I'm going to make sure
that doesn't happen.

- [scoffs]
Do I even need a lawyer?

- Yeah, you do, son.

- So let's talk about
Colin Clark.

How did you two meet?

- When he kidnapped me
off the street.

- OK, so tell us about that.

- I was on my way out,
and he pulled me into his car.

- And he just
happened to be there

at the exact moment
that you left?

- You'd be surprised
how many pervs

hang out in front
of our building.

- But the thing is, Anthony,
is that your roommate said

that he saw the guy,
who we found murdered

in that hotel room, hug you.

- [scoffs]
Hug me?

The guy grabbed me,
dragged me into his minivan.

He--he had a gun.

- That must have been scary.

- It was.

- How come you left
your phone behind?

- Because I was thinking about
running away for weeks.

- How come?

- You ever been inside
a boys' home?

- I have.

- Then you know what
those places are like.

- OK, so Colin forced you
into the minivan.

Who took off
your ankle monitor?

- He did.

Ditched it in
some fast food place

while he was stuffing
his face with cheese fries.

- Yeah, we know.
We found it.

- He took it off.

He said no one was ever
going to find me.

- Yeah, but you wanted it off,
too, didn't you?

- What do you mean?

- Well, we found some searches
in your phone.

- Big deal.

Like I said,
I was trying to run away.

If you had that
stupid thing on you,

wouldn't you try
to take it off?

- Got it. Thanks.

Well, the license division
verified that the gun

was registered to Colin Clark.

And the guys down
at Ballistics said

the only rounds put through it
were the ones used to kill him.

- How long has he owned it?

- Five years.

- That's what you call
a "safe queen."

A lot of people buy guns,

lock them away,
and never use them.

- Well, he allegedly did use it
to abduct a teenager.

- So this kid somehow
gets a hold of the gun,

shoots Clark, the locksmith,
in self-defense?

So my question is,

why didn't the kid
just bolt from the motel?

- Scared?

He feels remorse?

- And that's why he
covered him with a sheet.

- Yeah, I don't think
he was shot in that bed.

I think he was shot right here.

- So did this kid pull a
200-pound man up onto the bed?

- Oh, maybe he did.

Maybe he didn't.

- What are you thinking?
There was somebody else here?

- It's just a theory.

Unless you have a way
to disprove it.

- Benson and Carisi
are with the kid now.

I'll fill her in.

- OK. Thanks, Bruno.

Yeah.

So Bruno and Silva found
something at the crime scene.

- You mean motel where
my underage client

was taken against his will.

- So why don't you tell us
about that, Anthony?

- He drove us to this motel.

Must have planned it
'cause he already had a room.

Held a gun on me,
made me come inside with him.

- And then, what happened?

[tense music]

- He said he didn't feel well.

He went into the bathroom.

- OK. And what did you do?

- His jacket was on a chair.

Grabbed the gun
out of the pocket

and waited for him
to come back out.

- And when he did?

- Lucky for me,
he just went in to bed.

And boom.

I shot him.

Look, I didn't have a choice.

I was afraid he was going to
bury me in the woods somewhere.

- So just to be clear,

you shot Colin Clark
while he was lying in the bed?

- Yeah.
- Uh-huh.

So the problem with that,
Anthony,

is that my detectives
at the scene--

they think that he was shot
on the floor.

- Then they must be stupid.

- And if they're right,

that means somebody

must have moved him
onto the bed.

Hm?

Did you do that?

- Do I have to answer that?

- You don't have to answer
anything you don't want to.

We're done for now, Captain.
I want to speak to my client.

* *

- OK.

- Bruno and Silva think
that Colin's body was

placed in the bed postmortem.

- What, from a pool of blood?
The guy was shot on the floor.

- Explains the kid's
lack of a coherent story.

And he had gun residue
on his hand.

- He did, he did.

But he's not denying
that he was the shooter.

- Something about this
is not adding up.

You believe his
self-defense story?

- Look, he's 16.

And Colin had a gun.
- So yes.

- Until I have proof
otherwise, yes.

- I'd like some actual
evidence myself at this point.

- Well, the gun
is at Ballistics

getting tested for prints

and Bruno and Silva are
on their way to the ME.

Soon as I know anything,
I'll let you know.

- In the meantime,
once Anthony clears medically,

I'm sending him to juvie.

- Carisi, we need him
to tell us the truth.

And by locking him up, he's
not going to trust us anymore.

- Until I can determine whether
or not this is self-defense,

we don't have a choice.

- The bullet went
through the ventral side

of the forearm, exited the
dorsal side into his chest.

Cause of death: exsanguination
due to a perforating injury

of the left pulmonary artery.

- So he was aware
the gun was pointed at him,

and he raised his arms
defensively?

- If I had to hazard a guess.

- Do we have a time of death?

- Based on internal temp
and lividity,

I'd estimate about two hours
before you found him.

- What about
the bruising on his face?

Someone hit him?

- It wasn't a fist.

A lot of power.

Maybe an elbow.

- Well, judging from the
blood smears at the scene,

it looked like the body
was moved postmortem

from the floor to the bed.

- What I can confirm--

the angle of the bullet
was from above.

- So he was lying on the floor
when he was shot.

- Not lying.

The entrance wound on
his forearm was downward.

The victim threw up his arm,
suggesting

he was on his knees
when he was shot.

- And this kid's still
claiming self-defense?

- According to Benson.

- Oh, well,
good luck with that.

- I'm ruling manner of death
was homicide.

If it was self-defense,
that is up to you guys.

- So the ME said that Colin was
on his knees when he was shot,

and she confirmed that
the body was likely moved

from the floor to the bed.

- None of which match
Anthony's story.

What about Ballistics?

- There were two clear sets
of prints on the gun,

Colin's and Anthony's.

They also found a partial
print, possibly male.

- OK.
Anything in the system?

- Eh, there was not enough data
on the partial to make a match,

so the lab's still working.

- So it's possible that
Anthony wasn't the shooter.

- With this kid,
anything's possible.

- Are there any witnesses?

Any footage from the motel?

And nobody heard the gunshot?
- No.

Only two other guests
at the time,

and they were on another floor.

- The place charges
by the hour.

No cameras for a reason.

- Clark never even stopped
by the front desk.

He was their locksmith,
had a master key,

just helped himself
to an empty room.

- TARU just sent over what
they found on his laptop.

Texts sent to and from Anthony.

Anthony must have deleted them
from his phone.

- "Let's go cross country,
start fresh in California."

- There's more.

- "I love you."

- So they were in some
kind of relationship.

- You said it yourself, Carisi.

This guy's been grooming him
all along.

- Only one way
to know for sure.

Let's go talk to him again.

- I already told you.

That perv kidnapped me
right off the street.

- So you never met him before?
- No.

- And you never communicated
with him before?

- Never.
- Never. OK.

So maybe you can, uh, explain
these texts to us, Anthony.

- Where'd you get those?

- Why don't you let
Anthony explain?

- I didn't write any of those.

- Anthony, if you had
a prior relationship with him,

it is not your fault.

You were 16.
He was a grown man.

The only thing
that we care about

is what happened
in that hotel room.

That is it.

- I'd advise you
to answer, Anthony.

- OK, OK.

I--Colin didn't
snatch me off the street.

I--I went with him,
like my roommate said.

- OK. OK.

So what was the plan?

- I was going to lead him on,

get him to take me
cross country.

- Mm-hmm. We know.

Why California?

- Never been there.

- So this seedy motel
in East Harlem,

that was just the--
the first stop on your journey?

- He said we had to stay
in the motel for a few nights,

let things blow over
with his wife,

and make sure the police
weren't looking for me.

- Anthony, tell us
exactly what happened

the night that
Colin was shot, OK?

And if you did kill him, why?

- I-I heard him on the phone
with his wife, and she was--

she was crying
for him to come home.

- No, we know that's a lie.

- How?

- Because we talked to her.

- Colin wouldn't
let me leave, so I--

I grabbed the gun,

closed my eyes,
and I just shot.

- So the problem with that

is that we found another
fingerprint on the gun.

- Was there someone else in
the room last night, Anthony?

- If there was,
don't you think I'd tell you?

- No. You've been lying
to me all along.

You're still lying to me.

- You can't see in my head.

- Then tell us.

Tell us what's in your head.

- And tell us the truth.
Not another lie.

- You want to know
what's a lie?

No, no, that-that badge
you're wearing.

This place...
[bangs on window]

Juvie, foster care, CPS--
all of it.

That's the real lie--
that any of you care.

* *

Now, just leave me alone.

- Anthony.

- No, just leave me alone.

[banging on door]

* *

- Well, that didn't go
as I'd hoped.

- Well, he's clearly terrified.

- You think he's covering
for someone?

- Yeah, I do.

Whoever actually murdered
Colin Clark.

.

- Is there anything from the
Eighth Floor on Anthony's case?

- Now that Anthony admitted
that he wasn't taken

against his will, it's going to
be tough to prove self-defense.

- Hold on.

They're seriously
considering a murder charge?

- I don't love it either,
but Anthony's standing

by his confession, all right?

And he was found with
a gun in his hand.

- Anthony was
manipulated by Colin

and possibly whoever else
was in that room.

- This mystery man who we can't
find who doesn't have a name.

- He left a partial on the gun.

- Yeah,
and for all we know,

that could have been left by
the gun dealer who handled

the weapon before
he sold it to Colin.

- I know. I know.
We're tracking it down.

- Well, until you do,
to the brass,

he's just a juvenile offender
who seems to be escalating.

Not to mention Anthony
keeps rewriting the story.

- Anthony was traumatized
his entire life.

Wouldn't you want
a different story?

- I get it.

But there's not a lot I can
do without his cooperation.

Or a viable suspect.

- So how about we find one?

Hey.

We tracked down the gun store
where Colin got the weapon?

- None of the employees'
prints were a match

to the partial on the gun.

- So far, all we have
is a kid who won't talk

and a dead perp who can't.

- And nothing concrete

to indicate a third party
was involved.

- OK, so maybe we have to go
at this from a different angle.

- How do you mean?

- Look, whoever
this third guy is,

Anthony seems terrified
to give him up, so maybe--

maybe he has some kind
of hold on him.

- Maybe whoever he is

is trying to keep
the pressure on Anthony.

- Have we checked
the juvie visitation logs?

- Yeah.

Logs only show one visitor,

Aurora Miller,
group home director.

- All right. Start with her.

- I visited Anthony yesterday.

I couldn't get
anything out of him.

Did he really shoot that man?

- As of now,
he's the only suspect.

- Well, Anthony can
be a little spiky,

but I don't think he'd
actually ever hurt anyone.

- Really?

Then, uh, why did he
hit that kid at school?

- Did you ever see
an ankle monitor

on the leg of a perfect angel?

- The kid was older.

Anthony has an issue
with older boys.

- Why is that?

- After Anthony's mother died,

he was placed
in a foster family.

A year later,

it comes to light that
Anthony was sexually abused

by one of the older sons.

- Did, uh,
police ever get involved?

- I'm not sure.

He doesn't like
to talk about it.

- Then how did you
find out about it?

- His social worker,
Michael Strickland,

pulled it out of him.

Michael told me.

He's been working with Anthony

since he came to
the West Harlem Boys' Home.

Michael really tried
to help Anthony,

but sometimes
dredging up the past

just makes things worse.

* *

- Look,
what happened to Anthony

is a failure of
the whole system.

The kid just
fell through the cracks.

- But Michael Strickland
has been his social worker

since the age of 11.
- Yes.

- Any complaints
on Michael's record?

- Some.

But this is
Child Protective Services.

Even Buddha couldn't
do this job with a smile.

- So what were Michael's
complaints about?

- There were
a few foster parents

who thought Michael focused
a little too much on the kids.

- Define "too much."

- Going above and beyond,
big brother kind of stuff--

taking them for ice cream,
pizza.

- He ever do that with Anthony?

- Probably.

Look, Michael gets results.

Most kids improve
under his care.

- So why didn't Anthony?

- [sighs]

I'm happy to look into it.

- No need to.
We'll take care of it.

Thank you.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

- Michael Strickland.

- Yeah.

Is this about Anthony?
Horrible what happened.

- About that.

We'd like to ask you
a few questions.

- I already talked to
SVU detectives the other day.

- Well, we have a few more
things we want to ask you.

- Like what?

- Like what was the extent

of your relationship
with Anthony?

- I'm growing uncomfortable
with this line of questioning.

- Well, let us ask you
something a little more snugly.

Where were you the night
Colin Clark was shot

and Anthony was found
with a gun in his hand?

- Yeah, I--I was at home
in my apartment.

- Anyone you live with
that can verify?

- Look, I already told you
everything that I know.

What do you want from me?

- Here's the thing, Michael.

An unidentified partial print

was found on the gun
used to shoot Colin.

- Colin?

It's my first time
even hearing that name.

- Your prints are
in the system.

So what is the lab
going to find

when they start matching
that partial to you?

- I--I think
I should get a lawyer.

I've done nothing wrong.
I was looking out for the kid.

- What we want to know is,
were you anywhere near

the Cityscape Motel
two nights ago?

- If he was,
my client was just

trying to help
a kid in trouble.

- Oh, yeah, we heard that, too.

Older man who goes
above and beyond

for the young boys in his care.

- How far beyond
is the question.

There was a partial
found on the gun

that the lab is working on
as we speak.

- So we can either wait
for the lab

or your client can agree
to cooperate.

- Well, that's why we're here.

- We're listening.

- Those were my prints
on the gun

because I was at the motel
that night,

but I didn't kill Colin Clark.

[tense music]

Anthony did.

It--it wasn't Anthony's fault.

He called me from the motel.

And when I got there, he and
Colin were together in bed.

* *

- Then what?

- [sighs]
I was furious.

I yelled at Colin,
and he pulled out his gun.

We struggled.

I knocked it out of his hand.

- And where was Anthony?

- He must have
picked up the gun.

The next thing I knew,
it went off,

and Anthony's finger
was on the trigger.

- Why didn't you
call the police?

- I realize now I should have.

- You're a CPS social worker.

- I know. It was wrong.

But I didn't want
to implicate Anthony.

- Oh, my God,
this guy is so full of it.

- Yeah, that may be so.

But until we can prove it,
this is still on Anthony.

- Anthony has been failed by
the system his entire life.

I'm not about to let
that happen again.

* *

.

- And where was Anthony?

- He must have
picked up the gun.

The next thing I knew,
it went off,

and Anthony's finger
was on the trigger.

- So what do you think
of that, Anthony?

- I don't know.
- You don't know?

Clearly, this social worker
is lying to you.

- We need to hear that
from Anthony.

- Anthony, we are trying
to help you, OK?

- I didn't ask you for it,
all right?

I don't need anyone's help.

- Was Michael
in that motel room?

Hmm?

- Look, we know you didn't
have your cell phone on you.

So we can just check
the motel phone logs--

- Yeah, OK.
I...

I called him.
- Why?

Explain that to me.

- You told us that you were
going to run away with Colin.

- I was.
But I was scared.

Like, I--I changed my mind.

- So you called Michael
to, what, come pick you up?

To come rescue you?

[soft dramatic music]

* *

- Michael has some kind
of hold on you.

He groomed you, too, didn't he?

- Like you're trying
to do right now?

- Anthony, just tell them.

- Tell them what?

- That you didn't kill Colin.

- I can't say that!

- Why not? Why not,
if that's what happened?

* *

- I-I'm done.

I'm done talking
about this right now.

- It's OK.
It's OK. It's OK.

* *

Anthony,

I'm just asking you to tell me
the truth, that's all.

Just tell me the truth.

Will you stop
protecting Michael?

Anthony,
you can get out of here.

- Go where?

I got nobody.

- You got me.

* *

You got my team of detectives.

You've got those
two lawyers right there.

All of us want to do
is just help you.

* *

- Help me do what?
- To have a chance at a life.

* *

Hm? A chance.

* *

- I don't want it.
I don't want it.

* *

- So this is some kind
of sick triangle?

- It explains why Michael
killed Colin, right?

Jealousy.

- Yeah, but then
why would Anthony

still be protecting Michael?

- Because under all that pain

is a scared little boy
still in need of a family.

- Well, he's not
helping himself

by continuing to lie to us.

- I guess we're just
going to have to find

the answers on our own.

- Michael Strickland admitted
to being in the room,

his prints are on the gun,

and we still can't
charge him for murder.

- I think that
Anthony knows that.

That's why he's not
retracting his confession.

- So you're saying that
he's protecting this guy?

- Yes, for
complicated reasons, yes.

- Listen,
whether he's some kind

of father figure to Anthony
or a boyfriend,

it doesn't really matter.

- Either way,
the kid is messed up.

- OK, what are we missing
about Michael Strickland?

- No record.
Been with CPS for ten years.

- A few complaints about
spending too much time socially

with some of the kids
in his care.

- Nothing that
crossed the line.

- Well, the night
that Colin was shot,

it can't be the first time
that they met.

- Any prior beef
between these two men?

- If there's a connection
between them,

we haven't found it.

- Well, what about all
the numbers in his phone?

- I called the listed numbers.

What I got was a lot
of confused people

who said they didn't know
what I was talking about.

- Or a bunch of liars.

- Mm-hmm.

- It's a lot
of random numbers

for a kid who has
no friends and no family

to have in his phone.

- OK, so what are you thinking?

- Well, we know that Colin

was sexually involved
with this kid.

We know that Colin's number
was also in the kid's phone.

Maybe Anthony was
turning tricks.

- Which explains why
the numbers I called

were connected to men who
claimed not to know anything.

- Follow up.

* *

- So anything in common between
all those random phone numbers?

- They all pinged off
cell towers

the same weekend big events
were happening in the city.

- So like football games,

car shows, conventions,
stuff like that?

- Exactly.

- That would fit our
sex trafficking theory.

- Did you find Anthony's number
on any escort sites?

- No.
- How about Michael Strickland?

- I found this on Craigslist.

- My God.

That's Anthony, but it looks
like from a few years ago.

- With a contact number

we traced back
to Michael Strickland.

- So you can prove
definitively

that Michael Strickland
was the go-between?

- And not just
for Anthony Reed.

[keyboard clacks]

* *

- How many kids was
this guy trafficking?

- Dozens.

Boys, girls,

all in the Child Protective
Services system.

* *

[dramatic music]

.

- We've talked
about this before.

- No, I told you
to leave me alone!

- Anthony, please,
hear them out.

- Anthony,
we're not giving up on you.

- Or the other kids involved.

- [scoffs]
Other--other kids?

- That's what we came here
to tell you.

You weren't the only kid
that Michael was working.

- He was trafficking
other kids,

and some of them were even
in your group home.

- You're lying.
- No.

Anthony, I wish that we were.

- Listen to us.

I know that
the system failed you.

Now, I've been working
in New York City for 30 years.

Believe me when I tell you
I understand broken systems.

But all I can do is try
to make it better.

I know that you feel alone.

I know that you think
that you have to be tough

and push the world away
to keep yourself safe.

But you and these other kids

live in that group home
together.

So it's not just you.

So I'm asking you

to tell me
how you really met Colin.

Tell me.

- [sighs]

I met him on Craigslist.

[somber music]

He was nice to me.
- OK.

- He wanted to--

he wanted to help me.

- How?

- He said I had choices.

I tried to get away
from Michael by

punching that kid in school.

- So you got put on
probation on purpose?

- So you would have to
wear an ankle monitor.

So Michael couldn't
traffic you.

- Anthony,
if you wanted to get away,

then why did you call Michael
from the motel room?

- I panicked.

It was a mistake.

* *

Michael asked me
to make a choice.

He made Colin get on his knees.

Then he put the gun in my hand.

- And?

* *

- He told me to shoot him.

But I couldn't.

* *

- Because you're not a killer.

- Anthony.

How did Colin wind up dead?

- [sighs]
Michael...

put his hand on mine.

And he made me
squeeze the trigger.

* *

- And who put him in the bed?

- Michael did.

He told me if anybody
asked about it,

that I should say that
Colin was raping me

in the bed.

* *

- If you're looking
for Michael,

he's with one of his kids.

- Yeah, that's what
we're afraid of.

- Tell him the session's over.

- Will told me you guys went
to the arcade the other day.

I want to go.
- We could do that.

- Franky, come with me.

- But Mr. Strickland and I
were talking.

- It's all right, Franky.
You go ahead.

- What's going on?
- You're under arrest.

- For what?
- Child sex trafficking.

- No, no, no.

Look, I work with kids
for a living.

My whole life
is devoted to service.

- Yeah, and we got
a whole phone book

full of out-of-state Johns
who'd be willing to testify

to that very fact
just to save their own asses.

- On top of that,
you're looking at

a potential murder charge.

Oh, that's right,
we forgot to tell you.

Anthony turned on you.

- Passing the baton.

- He's all yours.

- How you doing, Michael?

I didn't think
I'd see this guy again.

Did you?
- Yeah, I did.

- OK, why am I here?

For doing my job?
Protecting my kids?

- Wow. Your kids.

- That is pretty possessive,
don't you think?

- We all know why we're here.
Let's just get to it.

- Aside from
the multiple witnesses

on the sex trafficking charges,
including Anthony--

- Well,
Anthony didn't do anything

that he didn't want to do.

- He's 16.

- Which is why
I was trying to save him.

Look, all those numbers
that you found

were couples looking
to adopt an adolescent.

Do you know how hard it is
to get someone to adopt a teen?

- Oh, you know what?
I think I owe you an apology.

We got this all wrong.

All along, you were trying
to do this kid a favor.

- OK, let's be clear.

Colin Clark simply wanted
to adopt Anthony Reed.

- Well, a bullet is
a strange way to vet a parent,

don't you think?

- Not only that.
We found your online ads.

- The ones where you
escort children to rapists.

- OK, uh...

OK, OK, but I--
I didn't kill anybody.

- That's not what Anthony said.

- Wait, I-I can't believe
you'd fall for that crap.

The kid is a pathological liar.

- Oh, and you would
know that how?

- 'Cause I've been his advocate
since he was 11.

- Oof, that's pretty sick,
if you ask me.

- Look, no, what I mean is,

I--I know his psych history
better than anybody.

- That's a good way
to cover your tracks,

and, at the very least,
help your lawyer out in court.

- Oh, she's not going to be
able to help you with this one.

- We got a couple dozen cops

ripping your house apart
right now.

- No, look, I--
I love that kid.

- You know what you love?

What he's earned for you.

That's what you love.

You weren't trying to defend
Anthony from Colin.

- You just didn't want
anyone to find out

about your little side hustle.

- OK.
Have you seen enough, Carisi?

- This guy's a pimp.

He shot Colin to protect
his own business.

Anthony was his biggest asset.

But if this goes to court,
he's one of ours.

- You want to put Anthony
on the stand?

Counselor,
hasn't he been through enough?

- Yeah, he has.

All right, I know this lawyer.
She can't stand losing.

She'll push for a deal.

- [sighs]

[indistinct chatter]

- All right, let's go.
Let's go. Time for bed.

Come on, everybody.

Come on, guys.
- Five more minutes.

- How about ten?

- All right,
but I want you washed,

brushed, and in your rooms.
- Yes, ma'am.

- Franky, look at me
so I know you're listening.

- Fine.
- Take your medicine.

- [sighs]
Where is Anthony?

- He's still in his room
with that lady.

[knocking]

- Sorry to interrupt.

It's lights out.
- Oh, OK. Thank you.

I'll--I'll be out of here
in a few minutes.

- Take as much time
as you need.

- So no more roommate.

- I wish I could blame it
on my bad behavior,

but he got adopted.

- OK.

Well, good for him.

- It almost gives me hope.

[somber music]

- You know,
I'm rooting for you, Anthony.

And the system is broken,
but not beyond repair.

And neither are you.

You take care of yourself, OK?

* *

- Hey, Captain Benson?

* *

[sighs]
I'm sorry I lied to you.

* *

- Well, I wouldn't lie
to Ms. Miller anymore.

* *

[wolf howls]