Raines (2007) s01e03 Episode Script

Reconstructing Alice

sleep you know.
What could be more natural? You close your eyes, and the next thing you know,it's morning,right? Unless you start thinking about things.
Like how your marriage might've been saved if you'd worked a little harder, or how your partner might still be alive if you'd fired a little sooner.
So maybe you'll watch the tv to drown out the noise in your head.
good little boy,yeah.
But if you don't grab trouble is sometimes that's worse.
Then mr.
Bear is going to eat your lunch! After a while,you get kind of used to living in a state of weariness.
It may be physical,but it starts to feel existential.
And then it's the morning.
And,ready or not,you-- you gotta start all over again.
Raines.
It's a simple thing,sleep.
But without it, you start to lose your ability to concentrate or perform simple tasks.
And,uh,after a while, you could even start to hallucinate.
They say if you go without sleep long enough,you'll die.
But I see death every day,and sometimes, it looks restful.
Like a big sleep.
Hey,maybe raymond chandler was an insomniac.
Homeowner called it in.
Our victim's a jane doe.
Approximately 40 years old.
Looked like she died in her sleep, until one of the the uniforms found this.
Bullet hole? Small caliber,no exit wound.
And that's it?Single gunshot to the chest? Yeah.
No identification, no signs of sexual assault, no shell casings, and so far,no witnesses.
Looks like she passed out here and somebody just walked up and shot her.
Okay,run her prints.
See if she's in the system.
We'll regroup at the station.
I got a james milton over here, wants to talk to the detective in charge.
Where abouts? Detective raines,mr.
Milton.
What can I do for you? Yeah,I've got contractors who need to get into this alley to work.
Are we're tying it up with our homicide investigation.
Million five to buy in this neighborhood.
Look who i've got for neighbors.
The homeless? I pay through the nose for ocean view and clean air.
They get same thing for free.
Yeah,talk about working the system,huh? Nice shoes.
Armani? That's right.
Have you worn those here today? Yeah,why? Uh,stand right here.
I'm gonna get a tech to come over and do plaster casts.
What?Are you crazy? We gotta distinguish your footprints from the killer'S.
These are $400 shoes.
Yeah,it's gonna be messy.
But a human life has been taken.
And every life has value,right,mr.
Milton? Hey,mister! You're not gonna throw that out,are you? Look at all these people.
Never got this kind of attention when I was alive, I'll tell you that.
Slow down,talk to me! Or you want me to wash your windshields? I gotta go find your killer.
Fat lot of good that'll do.
Know when I could've really have used a cop? Last night! Tell me.
Preliminary canvass of the neighborhood turned up some people who'd seen her going through their trash, but they didn't know who she was.
Did we get a uh hit on the victim's prints? She's not in the system.
Well,of course I'm not in the system.
the coroner find anything in her pockets? One half candy bar, two packages of saltine crackers, one plastic fork, and 78 cents in change.
Just ignore me,everybody does.
You okay? Yeah,a little tired.
What about her shopping bags? Same as in her pocket--boyer's putting them in evidence.
We did get her tox screen.
Any surprises? Blood alcohol level: 0.
18.
That's not a surprise.
Listen,did you just say 0.
18? Yeah,why? I got a bet with a uniform.
About her blood alcohol level? Yeah,I just won ten bucks.
What is that,uh-- hand lotion you got there? That's hand sanitizer.
I'd rather take a shower.
You just don't know where that stuff has been.
right,well,here's what we do know.
That a person or persons unknown shot a sleeping bag lady.
Uh,the victim's not in the system.
That doesn't mean she fell out of the sky either.
Somebody's gotta know her.
You two canvass homeless camps and local businesses.
I'm gonna cover the shelters and outreach centers.
This is for everybody? Unless it's got a name on them.
All this is here anytime you want it? Pretty much.
Sweet! Yeah.
Boyer.
It's yours.
Yeah! Gentlemen.
Can I trouble you? Do--do you know this lady by any chance? come on,you guys.
You can't hang out on the sidewalk.
If you wanna come in,come in.
Detective raines? Yeah,that's right.
Helen mullen.
Maya over at salvation army told me that you were making the rounds.
Let's go inside,get away from the jackhammers.
It's okay,nemo,he's a friend.
Okay? listen to him.
He's protective,isn't he? Virile.
Help yourself to some coffee,detective.
Oh,is it--is it leaded or unleaded? It is premium.
That's--now you're-- now you're talking my language.
Ooh,what is this? Look at that.
Big shot there.
And another big shot here.
Back in the day,homelessness was a sexy issue.
Come thanksgiving,we'd be fighting them off with a stick.
The homeless? The celebrities,the politicos.
They wanted to show their compassion by feeding thanksgiving dinner to those less fortunate.
Of course,we needed help the other 364 days too, but there weren't any cameras then.
Yeah.
Take a look at this,uh do you recognize thatthat lady? She's,um she's been around,but it's been awhile.
I never knew her name.
What do you remember about her? You know,she used to,um she used to sometimes partner with a-- a street person named mickey russo.
What can you tell me about mickey russo? Just that he's violent when he's drunk.
And he's always drunk.
It was a pretty volatile relationship.
Okay.
have any idea where I can find mr.
Mickey russo? None,I-- like I said, it's-- it's been awhile.
boyer.
Yeah,I need you to start looking for a,gentleman named mickey russo.
He used to partner with our vic.
had a history of violence, -sir! -Especially when he was drinking.
Yeah,finding him would be a priority.
The picture-- is there a reward? Uh,maybe so.
There's a motel on,uh,lincoln.
The sign looks like a mexican sombrero.
I used to see her there.
Well,what's the reward? You gotta be kidding.
That's it? That's all I got,but I'm really good with faces.
It was her,I swear.
Bless you.
Bless you.
yeah,she worked here.
Name's alice brody.
How long ago,may I ask? Maybe two years.
Owner gave her a job cleaning the rooms.
I told him, "hey,you can pick up "a mexican girl for the same money and they work twice as hard.
" But she told him some hard luck story.
They all have a hard luck story.
Then she doesn't show up for work three days in a row, and came back like nothing had happened.
I threw her out.
Told her alice doesn't work here anymore.
Why you didn't like her? You take people's money, you should play by their rules,right? You have any, uh,employment records on her still? Like a w-4 or something? I doubt it.
You mind taking a little look? Yeah.
There you go.
Thank you.
bonjour,monsieur raines.
What? You heard the word "maid," and your sweaty little imagination went wild.
And what's big hair's problem,anyway? What,you don't think,uh disappearing on a three-day bender is grounds for dismissal? Well,maybe I couldn't face coming back to work.
You see that sign out front? "Siesta rates"? Guess who had to change the sheets between siestas.
Really?They-- they change the sheets? I'm just saying,it'd drive anybody to drink.
you got lucky.
Tell me.
Don't ask me why,but we still have her job application.
Now,there we go.
Who wrote this note at the bottom? The owner.
"Friend of sal.
" Sal martinez.
Has an auto body shop down lincoln.
Guess he recommended her.
I think she used to work checkout in a parts store.
Maybe.
Well,how well did you know her? Just to say hi.
We need that.
But you recommended her for a job? I don't remember.
Well,wait a minute.
Here's your name and phone number on her job application.
Okay,I did.
Oh,you did? My wife.
She does the books.
I see,um okay,thanks,okay.
Sal,take a little walk with me to my car.
Just for a second.
You know,a couple of years and a few more teeth ago, I'll bet, uh,our alice was not a half-bad- looking lady.
Okay,what do you mean? I mean,you're a crummy liar.
You got it all wrong.
Tell me.
Okay,look.
I used to see alice at the parts store.
I heard she could be,you know, friendly when she had a few drinks in her.
Later,when she was living in her car, she used to come around,and hit me up for money.
That's when I put her onto that job at the motel.
Thank you very much.
Come in and I'll take care of you.
When was the last time you saw her? About a week ago.
She looked bad.
Said she wanted to get off the street.
Asked me to drive her to social security to apply for ssi.
What happened? they said she wasn't eligible.
Said that she had money in a bank account.
Did they say what bank? I think it was california national.
"a couple of years and a few teeth ago?" I was trying to make a point.
Uh,nice--nice boyfriends,by the way.
Mickey russo and captain side action back there? What were you-- what were you doing? Working out some self-esteem issues? You don't have to be insulting.
Speaking of insulting,what do you got me wearing now? Sal said you worked in a parts store.
Fine, I'd like to see what you'd look like after a few years on the street.
If we keep talking like this, you're gonna get your wish.
yeah,a week ago,last friday, your bag lady came into the branch,drunk.
Said her name was alice brody.
Thank you.
And that she wanted her money.
Gave us a social security number, which belongs to a-- a client named alice brody.
And this isn't your client alice brody? She was a bag lady,detective.
Fine,well,she could be an eccentric heiress-- she didn't know the password,the pin number.
This--this was not her account.
Okay.
how'd she come by the information then? Dumpster diving.
You know,vagrants find financial records and run scams.
It's low-tech identity theft.
I--I got you.
So what about your client,the real alice brody? Tell me about her.
I left a couple messages on her voice mail.
I'm still waiting to hear back.
Really? If somebody were trying to get into my bank account, I'd want details,wouldn't you? you know,I can't explain why people do what they do.
Oh,boy,that's my whole job-- trying to explain why people do what they do.
Well,does anybody here know your alice brody? I don't think-- wait.
Hang on.
Oh,you got a notion.
Scott bills,that's funny.
You work in a bank,and your name is bills.
No,no,she-- she does all her banking online.
What do you mean?She's never set foot inside this branch? Nope.
hey,do me a favor.
Get her on the phone,would you? Sure.
So nobody mentions that? That scott bills--? I had an archery teacher whose name was mrs.
Bowman.
There was a-- I knew somebody who worked at a-- at a , greek restaurant named harry "pair-o-testes.
" There's a whole of things like that,I think.
You know,there's a guy at a-- What,is it disconnected? Yeah,it is.
Okay,um I am gonna need that address.
so I'm a dumpster-diving con artist,huh? Occam's razor.
The simplest solution is usually the right one.
But sal said I heard about this bank account at the social security office.
So why would I need to go dumpster diving? Occam's razor,right? Yeah,well I'm gonna talk to the bank's alice brody before I really make up my mind.
Oh,your mind was made up a long time ago.
I'm homeless,so you don't have to give me the benefit of the doubt.
I make a scene in a bank, so I must be trying to rip somebody off.
That's a reasonable assumption.
Well,I'd like to see you make an unreasonable assumption for once.
Come on! If it wasn't on the tip of your tongue, I wouldn't even be here.
Maybe you didn't steal her identity.
Maybe she stole yours.
alice brody? Lapd.
Go! Clear! Don't be shy,come on in.
what is it,detective? Dripping tap.
All clear.
Uh,okay.
I'll take it from here.
I'll take it from here.
Thanks--thanks,guys.
Post that copy of the warrant on the --on the door,if you will.
Thank you.
Good work.
Yeah.
That better be a local call,mister.
The line's dead.
So this is my place.
And it doesn't look like much yet, but I had high hopes for it.
You weren't living here,alice.
Somebody was renting this place in your name.
Why would somebody do that? Uh,let me see.
Mail.
Oh,it's-- it's mostly junk,huh? Oh,that's appropriate.
Don't you think? Oh,I saw a little thought get in there.
You're thinking I clean up pretty good.
You're thinking you might wanna see me back in that french maid outfit again? No.
Here.
Yeah,somethinlike that.
Okay.
Now,what is all this? What? "To valued portfolio account customer.
" Alice brody.
"Portfolio customer.
" Shareholder.
Investor? " What were you doing,playing the stock market? How do you think I got where I am today? carolyn? Yeah,.
we need a,a warrant for a,uh,stock market portfolio account under the name of alice brody.
No,I'm not kidding.
Yeah,I know she's homeless.
I--it doesn't make sense to me either.
give it to lance.
And see how boyer's, coming along with tracking down mickey russo.
And,um I'll be back in a couple hours.
Thanks.
Why do you feel you have to like your victims? It's better if I don't dislike them.
What about alice do you dislike? She's annoying.
She's dead.
The way I imagine her,she's annoying.
Yeah? Ah,here.
Imagine her sitting in that stool.
Indulge me.
Can you imagine her there? no.
Liar.
You say talking to the victim is part of your process.
Okay,show me your process.
Talk to the victim.
What happened to you? How'd you get like this? Picking in dumpsters.
Living on the street.
It's,uh,disgusting.
It's annoying.
You know? I-I know that,uh,times can be tough.
Bad things happen.
You kind of wanna escape.
You have mental challenges,mental quirks.
Wanna go a little crazy? Hey,join the club! Who doesn't? But what,it's not your fault? It's not my responsibility? It's unavoidable? Next thing you're gonna tell me it's a--it's a disease.
Everything's a disease! Everything's a disease! I can't stop eating.
I can't stop thinking.
Is there no such thing as self-control? Is there no willpower?! Don't put your so-called problems on display.
Have some dignity.
Cut it out! What does she say? She stuck her tongue out at me.
You asked.
You know,the difficult thing about dealing with homeless people and crazy people, is that they represent the qualities in all of us that we fear the most.
where is lance? She took off a couple hours ago.
She was having trouble with the warrant for that stock market account.
She said she was gonna try a different approach.
Oh,baby.
D-d-don't start with me,all right? I've talked to every wino from here to ocean park, looking for that mickey russo guy.
And? And his old drinking buddies haven't seen him.
They figure he's probably dead.
Which,normally,would've been good enough for me.
But not this time.
How'd you find him? I looked in the phone book.
Turns out he's listed.
I imagine the hand sanitizer you could've saved by starting there.
Mr.
Russo? I'm sure that uh, detective boyer told you why-- why we wanted to see you.
Someone killed alice.
You know who did it? Not yet.
But uh,we were hoping that you'd-- you'd,uh have some ideas about that.
You wanna know if it was me.
Because I used to beat on her.
I appreciate a man who gets to the nub.
Did you kill her? No,sir.
I loved her.
A lot of blood's been spilled in the name of-- in the name of love,mr.
Russo.
That's true enough,but I didn't do it.
When was the last time you saw her? Six,eight weeks ago.
I've been trying to her off the street, find her someplace safe.
But she wouldn't go.
She said she couldn't sleep-- unless she could hear the ocean.
It's because she didn't have peace in her heart.
I found mine through the lord, and now I'm two years sober, and nearly that long off the street.
She was a beautiful person,sir, but she was powerless against the booze.
She ever say anything about,uh a family? Sir,her family died.
She had a husband and a son once,back in denver,colorado.
They died in a car crash.
She came out here to start over.
I don't have no idea who shot her, but I can tell you right now that's what really killed her.
I guess you think I ought've listened to mickey.
I'm in no position to judge.
It hasn't stopped you yet.
So you wanna tell me again how I didn't have to go around acting all crazy? I couldn't have known about your family.
No,but you could've cut me some slack.
Remember the old saying? "To understand all is to forgive all.
" Lance? You owe me,big time.
What are these? The complete records of the portfolio account established in alice brody's name.
It was gonna take two weeks to get them through channels, so I went to the branch office account manager.
Well,men are just putty in your hands,aren't they? Mm,this one was.
Look,I don't think women should use their bodies as weapons,but but it works.
I got the scars to prove it.
Whoever was using our vic's identity traded exclusively in small companies, what they call micro-caps.
Buying 600,800 shares at a time, and then selling them the next day.
that's unusual? It is when they make money every time.
Or so douglas tells me.
Douglas thinks it's insider trading? He said the stocks rang a bell.
And then he remembered why.
Every day,about an hour after the market closes, he starts getting calls from clients, asking about certain stocks.
Turns out,they've all been watching the same show on tv.
Psst,listen to me.
Morality and ethics have no place in your investment strategy! If you wanna make crazy money,then you have got to go beyond good and evil, as my good friend mr.
Nietzsche says.
Nietzsche,nietzsche,nietzsche! Enoughis never enough! What's our motto? Say it with me.
Feed your greed! "feed your greed," huh? That'd look good monogrammed on your smoking jacket.
Right over the pocket,I think.
Funny.
Why am I watching this? Well,somebody stole my--my vic's identity,and,uh, used it to make a bunch of money in the stock market.
And you think that was milt traeger? Uh,when traeger picks a stock,it pushes the price up.
They call it "the traeger bounce.
" Ah,so the stocks in your vic's account were bought before traeger recommended them? Yeah,about an hour before.
Then sold the next day to profit from the traeger bounce.
Maybe they're connected.
Maybe not.
Did I mention that,uh,traeger,before he was on the tv,ran a big investment fund? Left amid rumors of insider trading? such a pussycat on tv.
All right,use tact.
Hey,what-- it's--it's me.
Exactly.
good night,michael.
So detective this is where the magic happens,huh? The set looks a lot bigger on tv.
So do I,for that matter.
- Oh,yeah- - hey,guys,great show.
Grt.
Hope you don't mind.
I am starving.
No,please,please.
Well,like I said before,there's no way anybody here's doing insider trading.
Everybody who works here has to give me a complete record of their finances every month.
Tammy,follow with a plate,huh? On top of that,couple of times a year,the sec goes through here with a fine-tooth comb.
Huh? That's how I know nobody on my show could be involved.
I see.
Well,that's a shame then.
Why a shame? Ah,'cause that would seem to leave only you.
Look,detective,I'm may be crazy,but I'm not nuts,huh? Yeah,I throw furniture,I smash things up against the wall, but at the end of the day,I've got a job that I love,and they pay me crazy money to do it,huh? Why would I risk all that for a lousy couple of hundred thousand bucks? Why enron? Why worldcom? Why--why do rich people ever game the system? Look,detective,why are you really here,huh? Insider trading isn't lapd jurisdiction.
But the sec doesn't handle murder.
Who's dead? The homeless woman whose name was on the e-trading account.
She was asking questions,somebody shot her.
And the paper trail leads right here to this studio.
I make my final picks in the makeup chair.
And tammy here hand-delivers them to three people.
The director.
Surrounded by technicians,up against a deadline.
Hasn't got time to piss,no less buy and sell stocks.
And on the other side of the booth,I got my chyron guy.
All the words you see on the screen? He puts them there.
Security camera in the room.
No way it's him either.
And we have my teleprompter guy.
Sits right here,under constant scrutiny.
I mean,what's he gonna do,call his broker? No way.
And that's it,that's team traeger.
Nobody else sees the list? Nobody.
Well,okay,milt.
Uh,but I gotta tell you,I'm getting the feeling that you're not,uh-- you're not being giving me the straight dope.
no,he is.
But he forgot to tell you that the director has me give jason a copy too.
Who's jason? Some graphics whiz kid outta cal arts.
He told the director he needed the list so he could grab stock symbols online before the show.
I'm sorry,mr.
Traeger.
Are you kidding me? You just saved my ass! I hired her 'cause she was gorgeous.
Who knew she was smart too? Right.
Does jason have a last name? kitman.
Jason kitman.
K-I-t-m-a-N.
you can't take my computers! yes,we can,jason.
Read the warrant.
Uh,does traeger really-- really pay you enough to live like this? I inherited some money.
Look there's proprietary software on those.
I'll can show you anything you wanna see.
No,no,thanks,we get a big kick out of poking around for ourselves.
Somebody isn't happy.
Wegman,shut up! Wegman? You're wasting your time.
There's nothing to find.
No? Pick up,uh,the computers in a couple of hours at the station.
Ask for detective raines.
That's about your 10th cup.
What're you,the caffeine police? This is how I stay one step ahead of bad guys like jason kitman.
Who,by the way,I think killed you.
I still think traeger did it.
Kitman's just a patsy.
Uh,lee oswald was a patsy; kitman's a suspect.
Traeger,I don't like him any more than you do,but he didn't kill you.
If you say so.
But isn't it funny how some crazy people end up on the street,and some end up on tv.
Lance,how are we coming with the kitman's computers? Slow.
He's built in all kinds of trapdoors.
It's a minefield.
Mr.
Kitman must have a lot to hide.
say it a little louder,maybe he'll hear you over in reception.
Really? He wants his computers back,by the way.
Uh,tell him uh-- I'll be with him shortly.
Will do.
Oh,I contacted the denver sheriff's department yesterday about our vic.
Got a call back from a deputy who's familiar with the case.
Yeah? Can he put us in touch with next of kin? He says there aren't any.
He's flying out tomorrow to identify the body.
Oh,he doesn't need to do that.
We could,uh,fax him a photograph.
That's what I told him,but he insisted.
What,is this tied to some kind of open investigation? No,he says no.
He just he knew the family.
Keep me posted.
- All right.
- All right.
When can I have my computers back? This is an autopsy report.
Are you interested in this kind of thing? No.
Alice brody.
Homeless woman.
I tell you,whoever-- whoever killed her could've saved themselves the trouble.
"Cirrhosis of the liver,diabetes " she was living on borrowed time.
What's this got to do with me? You shot her.
I've never even heard of her.
You used her identity to set up a bank account,a stock ma portfolio account.
You got a cheap apartment and a phone line in her name.
No,I didn'T.
Sure you did.
The bank manager called that phone,left a message.
That's how you knew that she'd been to the bank.
And that's why you killed her.
You're crazy.
No,maybe just a little ahead of my time.
But you,you're kinda-- kinda brilliant.
I mean,the genius of using a homeless person's identity is that they're not gonna miss it 'cause they don't use it anyway.
I didn't steal anything.
Well,let's see.
You got kicked out of cal arts for stealing software.
That was political.
Political you've lost five jobs over allegations of theft or impropriety.
It doesn't mean that I shot some pathetic homeless person.
You also own a gun.
Owned a gun.
It was stolen out of my car.
Any proof of that? Other than the theft report you filed monday? It's a little hard to prove a negative,detective.
It's hard to prove that I don't have the gun that I didn't shoot this homeless person with.
That's a double negative,and two no's make a yes,yes? I'm out of here.
Fine,just don't leave town.
Did you find mr.
Kitman's car? It's the only brand-new candy apple red convertible on the lot.
Where'd you put the transmitter? Uh,right rear wheel well.
If he leaves town in the next 24 hours,we'll know about it.
do you know uh,this man? I keep tabs on all the volunteers,and I've never seen him here.
- Really? - No.
Nobody recognized him from any of the other shelters? Uh you're the only one who answered the phone.
Oh.
You always work this late? Pretty much.
And you? Uh,only when I'm on a case,you know.
You're a homicide detective in los angeles.
You're always on a case.
Yeah.
Beats sleeping,huh? Why,do I look-- do I look tired? Tell me the truth-- do I? You look like I feel.
Hmm but I guess when you really care,you do what you have to,right? Hmm.
Is that-- I couldn't sleep.
Thanks,now neither can I.
You haven't really been able to sleep since the night charlie died,have you,dear? Go away,alice,please.
Oh,you don't really want me to go away and leave you all alone in the dark.
Isn't that the whole point of keeping me around? No.
The point of keeping you around is to help solve your murder.
You go right ahead believing that,darling.
Now come over here.
I've laid out a lovely tea.
There.
Cream and sugar? No,thank you.
You know,I really admire the way that you've handledall this,michael.
All what? Losing charlie and all.
And believe me,I know a thing or two about losing people.
But here you are,deeply damaged, and yet continuing to go about your business like a good soldier.
Not like me.
I was not a good soldier.
No.
I just fell right down the rabbit hole.
Is that where we are? Down the rabbit hole? That's right,dear.
And this is-- this is a mad tea party? Of course it is.
We're all mad here.
Aren't we? I don't know,alice.
Maybe we are.
Uh,deputy mark jessup? Detective raines? Yeah.
Did I keep you waiting? Just got in.
How was the flight from denver? Uneventful.
Can you identify this woman as uh,alice brody? Yeah.
Okay.
What happened-- what happened to her? Uh,gunshot.
No,before--before that.
Oh,is yeah.
She was living on the street for a few years.
Got in a cycle of alcoholism and depression.
You know.
After she lost her family.
Lost her family? Yeah,the accident.
There wasn't any accident.
She walked out.
Walked out? Deserted.
Who exactly,uh was she to you,deputy? you didn't just know the family.
You're her family? She was my mother.
I pictured her doing a million different things without us I never imagined this.
What do you mean? You never had any,uh warning or indication coming up that she? She cried a lot,and,um she used to lock herself up in her room,and she wouldn't let anybody in.
Then she quit cleaning,she quit fixing meals.
There wasn't a-- a day's peace in that house.
And then one day,I got home from school and she was just--just gone.
I'm sorry.
No,don't be.
'Cause I learned about the-- the hard line between chaos and order.
And I knew which side of that line I had to be on.
It's no accident that we're-- that we're cops,you know? How do you wanna handle,uh the funeral arrangements? Oh,treat her like you would any other indigent.
Are you sure about that? You know what they'll do with her? I'm not taking her home.
Look,I've spent my whole life saying good-bye to her,detective,and I just I just-- I can't do that anymore,so you think he's right about me.
I saw it in your face.
You think I'm some kind of a monster.
I don't know what I think,alice.
Please go back and talk to him.
[Sighs.]
Tell him I spent the rest of my life paying for what I did.
Tell him that that's what made me a drunk and put me out on the streets.
Please,I--please.
What kind of a monster would walk out on her family? You tell me.
[Cell phone ringing.]
Raines.
(Boyer on phone) kitman's making a run for it! Boyer,slow down.
What--what happened? I tracked his car heading to the airport.
So I put a cruiser on his tail.
He took off! Now we got him cornered down in westchester.
Hang on,I'll call you back! Whoa! Hey! Hey! Let me see your hands! Get out of the car.
Right there! Right there! Down! Get down! Get down! How'd you get this car? I found the keys in the door.
You got him? Come on! [Cell phone ringing.]
Boyer,what's going on? Raines no,it's kitman's car.
But kitman's not in it.
So who is? Some kid.
Says he found the keys in the door and took it for a ride.
Then where's kitman? Jason kitman.
Lapd.
Get somebody from animal control down here.
uh,you don't need to do that.
I live next door.
When jason works late,I take care of wegman.
- Do you have a key? - Yeah.
- Thanks.
- Sure.
That's a good boy.
Come on.
Come on,boy.
That's a good boy.
let's go.
clear.
I told you not to leave town.
Maybe I should've been more specific.
jason's dead.
Oh,no.
Died a few hours ago of a-- of a gunshot.
Oh I thought I heard a door slam about 2:30 last night.
Woke me up.
You think that could've been the gunshot? Maybe.
Did you hear anything else? Voices,arguing,shouting? No,nothing.
[Dog growling and barking.]
It's okay.
It's okay.
Did the dog bark? Not until you guys showed up.
Why? Ever read sherlock holmes? The dog didn't bark.
That was the curious incident.
Wegman where did you come from? He's with me.
He usually doesn't take to strangers.
But then,you're-- you're not really a stranger,are you? You and jason kitman were,uh practically neighbors.
What,you met walking your dogs? Jason's hard drive held records of,uh,a dozen online portfolio accounts worth oh,you know,easily half a million bucks.
These are,uh,the booking photos of some of the people whose names are on the accounts.
Public intoxication,panhandling,vagrancy,public exposure.
You know,jason knew how to work the scam, but he couldn't set up the accounts without names and social security numbers.
When you told him that you worked with the homeless,he must've thought it was his lucky day,huh? I only knew him from the dog park.
We never discussed the work we did.
You told me yesterday that you didn't recognize him.
You showed me an old driver's license photo.
It was completely out of context.
What was it,a robin hood thing? Take from the rich,give to the poor? I didn't have anything to do with it.
That's not who I am.
about six months ago,a real estate developer bought your whole block.
I saw that construction going on,and I made a few calls.
It seems that the owner uh,wanted to force you out.
So he raised your rent from 1,800 a month to 12,000.
Maybe meeting jason seemed like your lucky day too.
People are starving to death on the streets of the richest country on earth.
I had to do something.
I couldn't let them drive us out.
I was just taking back a little of what they'd stolen.
But you killed jason kitman.
I know that you hoped that it would look like a suicide, but we found your fingerprints inside the trunk of his car.
What were you doing,searching for incriminating records after you shot him? I did not shoot him.
Helen,look.
When you fire a gun-- I'll show you something.
Um,there are traces of powder get embedded in the skin.
Here.
They can't wash out.
What are we gonna find when we test your hands,helen? Okay.
When alice brody started asking about the bank account,jason panicked,right? I told him to trust me,that I would find her and I would talk to her.
She was completely harmless.
Right,but he didn't trust you.
He followed you,waited till she fell asleep,and shot her.
I didn't wanna believe that.
Huh? But when I tried to call him,he wouldn't pick up.
He wouldn't return my calls.
Right,so you went over to his place last night.
And what happened? (Helen) he was packing to leave town.
I saw a gun in the suitcase.
I asked him if it was the gun he used to kill alice.
He said that he was just putting her out of her misery.
He said that only the strong survive.
I'd never seen this side of him.
Something made you pick up that gun.
What was it? He said I wasn't any better than he was.
And I couldn't stop myself.
I just pulled the trigger.
He shot a sleeping homeless woman.
He couldn't see her.
She wasn't a person to him.
I though you might like it out here.
Look,alice the thing is,uh you know,I-- I haven't,uh,quite gotten used to the idea of being-- being crazy yet.
So I look at you and I-- you know,I see what I'm-- I'm afraid that I might become.
Anyway,I apologize.
I'm really-- I'm really sorry.
You know,I--I can't know what drove you to leave your family.
But I do know that,uh,sometimes what looks like a choice,is not really a choice at all.
It's too bad you're the only one who knows that.
 Maybe I'm not the only one.
Thanks for calling me.
Nice setting.
Yeah,well,you--you told me that she couldn't sleep unless she could hear the ocean.
I thought you might-- might wanna say a few words.
Alice.
You had more good in you than anybody I ever knew,or hope to.
That's what got me off the street.
Helped me stay strong,stay sober.
I just thank god you're at peace now.
(Samantha) did you ever figure out why alice bothered you so much? Well,uh,you know,I guess I was afraid that she was the ghost of christmas yet to come.
You're afraid you're going to be homeless.
Well,that's interesting.
Why is that interesting? Well,the main causes of homelessness are economic distress,alcoholism,or psychiatric disorder.
In your case,money is not the issue,and I don't think you're an alcoholic.
Not yet,anyway.
Are you afraid you might be going crazy? I'll have to get back to you on that.

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