Law & Order (1990) s25e06 Episode Script
Brotherly Love
1
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.
- It's good to see you, Matty.
- Hey, you too.
[GLASSES CLINK]
It's been a while.
Yeah, look, I'm sorry that I
never made it out to Otisville.
Hey, I get it.
You know, it's a long drive,
plus the old, uh, prison jumpsuit thing.
Well, look,
I'm glad you're out, all right?
- I mean it.
- Me too. Me too.
Hey, order whatever you want, all right?
Dinner's on me.
I appreciate that.
Don't worry about it. I got it.
Come on. Don't do that.
Do what? What'd I do?
This whole "I got it" thing.
You know, I'm making good money, man.
You're making good money doing what?
[LAUGHS] See? There it is.
There what is?
What are you talking about?
- That.
- What?
- The lack of trust, man.
- Oh, well, I'm sorry.
I can't imagine why I would have
a little bit of trouble trusting you.
All right, all right,
you make a good point.
But just let me get one, all right?
All right, fine.
What the hell are you doing here?
Hey, D! How you doing, man?
Hey, I want you
to meet my brother, Vince.
- Oh, the cop?
- Yeah.
Yeah, Vince the cop.
Yeah, Vinny, I want you
to meet Declan Dell.
How do you guys know each other?
He owns the restaurant I work at, Lanzo,
and this one too.
And three others,
but who's counting, right?
Oh, it's very nice to meet you.
I love this guy.
Best waiter I've ever had.
- Aw, come on.
- I mean it.
He could chat up
a cappuccino machine, you know.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he can talk, no doubt.
[LAUGHTER]
No check for these two, understand?
- Dinner's on me.
- D, come on.
It's the least I can do.
- Nice to meet you, Vince.
- Likewise. Thank you.
Oh, seems like a hell of a guy.
[CHUCKLES]
[DISTANT SIRENS WAILING]
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
- [KNIFE CLICKS]
- [SIGHS]
[GUNSHOT]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[SIREN WAILS]
Single gunshot wound
to the back of the head.
- Witnesses?
- One.
She heard the gunshot, ran over,
saw the body, and called 911.
She see the suspect?
All she saw was a man about 6 feet tall
in a black baseball hat running north.
All right, what about the victim?
Wallet and phone
were still on his person.
Name is
Declan Dell.
[TENSE MUSIC]
I just met this guy three hours ago.
What?
- And everything was fine?
- Yeah.
I mean, he seemed like
the happiest guy alive.
♪
[SIGHS] All right, uh
knife pretty safe bet
that wasn't the shooter's,
so means it was his.
Which means he was either paranoid
or knew someone was looking for him.
♪
- Jesus.
- [SIGHS] Yeah, I know.
- Can't believe it.
- I was shocked too.
I remember talking to the guy,
and the next minute,
he's there on the pavement, dead.
Yeah, he Declan, he was a good guy.
You know, he looked out for me,
you know,
at a time when, uh, not everybody did.
Yeah, well,
he really seemed to like you.
[CHUCKLES]
Yeah, he was funny.
You know, he just had
one of those personalities.
I mean, he was happy, you know?
He was always upbeat. He was
he was always smiling.
So listen.
We found a switchblade at the scene.
Pretty sure it was Declan's,
but you got any idea
why he'd be carrying
something like that?
I mean, it's New York City.
You know, it's a dangerous place.
Yeah, but, I mean,
not aware of any threats,
any enemies, nothing like that?
Nah.
You sure, Matty?
What do you mean, am I sure?
You tell me.
Tell you what?
What am I supposed to tell you?
[LAUGHS] You're doing it again.
Doing what? What am I doing?
You're doing
the lack of trust thing, man.
It's what you do.
- I worked for the guy, man.
- All right, I'm sorry.
It's not like we were married, OK?
Relax. I'm asking you a question, OK?
So you got any leads, or what?
Not yet, no.
Was this thing random,
or was it, uh, something else?
Don't know.
Well, I hope you catch
the prick who did it.
Like I said, Declan was good people.
All right, well,
you think of anything
Hey, Vin.
Just want to say thanks for coming.
Last night, it was
you know, meant a lot to me.
Yeah, it was nice.
I still can't believe
you met that guy last night.
It's so weird.
Matt Riley and the luck of the Irish.
Hey, check it out
man running north two blocks
from the crime scene,
wearing a black baseball hat.
Zoom in. Maybe we'll get lucky.
And what time was this?
9:47, five minutes after the 911 call.
Fits the description.
Yeah, too bad we can't see
his damn face.
[SIGHS] What else do we know
about our vic?
Well, by all appearances,
the guy was crushing it.
He owned five restaurants, two bars.
Having a lot of fun too.
I mean, he was definitely living it up.
Yeah, looks like everybody loved him.
Well, not everyone.
Got into his texts.
Hmm.
Maybe you two should go see
this Mr. Carson.
I pitched him a concept
for a new supper club
dinner, music, jackets, ties.
You know, sort of a throwback
to the '50s.
- And?
- He loved it.
Found an investor.
Guy put in, like, 3 million bucks.
So what's the problem?
I wasn't part of the deal.
Declan cut me out, so I got pissed.
That's why I sent that angry text.
Where were you last night
around 9:30 or so?
Home, uh, with my girlfriend.
We had Indian food. We ordered in.
So Declan liked to play
a little fast and loose, huh?
More like a lot fast and loose.
Like I said, I actually liked the guy.
But he has no boundaries
in business, with women.
Guys like that tend to have
a lot of enemies.
Sure do.
Can you think of anyone specific?
Yeah, a guy named Howard Fisher.
What's the story there?
Declan screw him too?
More like his wife.
Yes, Declan and I,
we had a thing for a minute.
It was really fun.
- Your husband know?
- No.
Well, then why did you
send Declan this text
two days before he died,
saying it was time to end things now?
Sounds like something happened.
Somebody find out?
- Maybe your husband?
- No. Howard has no idea.
He spends most of his time in Vegas.
- Was he in Vegas last night?
- Yes.
Then why the need
to end things so suddenly?
[SCOFFS] I got tired
of him asking for money.
At first, I thought he was kidding,
but then he started acting desperate,
like he needed money.
I'm the wrong girl for that.
I married a 76-year-old
casino tycoon, sweetie.
I get money. I don't give it.
All right, so how did Declan react
when you broke things off?
He barely blinked.
He moved fast.
Well, is there anything else
you can think of
that might be helpful?
Three nights ago, he got
a really scary phone call.
Guy on the other end said
he was gonna kill him.
Declan was terrified.
Declan's gal pal said
the scary call came in
around midnight on the 15th.
I checked the phone records.
There was only one
incoming call around that time.
So far, so good.
Yeah, well, don't get too excited.
The number connects back to a burner.
And I tried to track
the registration number,
but no luck.
Let's focus on Declan's personal life.
We know that he owned restaurants
and that he dated married women.
Had some massive credit card bills too.
I mean, 150 grand here, 100 there.
Like yeah, this.
39 grand to PFF Jet Corp,
another 43 grand,
Rexford Private Aviation.
- Was he really that wealthy?
- Not even close.
The dude had three accounts
at New York Bank Corp
all of them underwater,
and one brokerage account
total value, about 40K.
That's not nearly enough
to be flying private.
This guy he also loved
to gamble, apparently.
He had five accounts online,
four of which were either
in the red or closed out.
Hmm, if I were a betting man,
or woman
which at one point, I actually was
I would bet that that scary call
was about his gambling problem.
Did you know that Declan was gambling?
I had a hunch.
- You had a hunch, or you knew?
- I knew.
All right, you knew. How did you know?
Come on, Vin, I'm over here
trying to mind my own business.
You know, I got a good job.
I'm making good money.
What does that have to do with anything?
- Wait a sec. Were you involved?
- No, not really.
I mean, sort of.
Just tell me what you know.
[LAUGHS] It's not
that scandalous, all right?
We just you know, we played
in the same poker game, is all.
Oh, my God. What?
See, this is why
I don't tell you things
because I knew
you were gonna get mad, Vin.
- I'm not mad.
- No?
- You're on parole, man.
- All right, I understand.
I'm just saying I played
in the game twice, all right?
- It's not a big deal, you know.
- [GROANS] All right, fine.
So you play in this game with Declan.
Yeah.
Did anything happen there
that I need to know about?
Yeah, but, you know,
like you said, I'm on parole.
And, I mean, this game
is not strictly
Jesus, will you just
tell me what you know?
Come on, man, you said that
Declan was good to you, right?
That you liked him.
So what, you're gonna go silent
and not help us
find the guy that shot your friend?
All right, look, there was a game
a few nights before the murder,
and I saw Declan and some other guy,
you know, getting into it
near the hallway by the bathroom.
- Over what?
- Money.
I heard the other guy say
something like, you know,
time to pay up, something like that.
Tell me exactly what he said.
He said, time to pay up,
or I'm gonna put your ass in the ground.
And then, uh and then
he shoved Declan into the wall.
And then what happened?
And then, you know, that was it.
Some dude broke it up.
You know the guy's name
who threatened him?
No.
You remember what he looked like?
He was a big Black dude, about 35 maybe.
He had a big scar on his face.
What about the guy who broke it up?
Basketball player.
Kid's got a hell of a jump shot.
[SHOES SQUEAKING, BASKETBALLS THUDDING]
Hey, Andre Walker.
- No autographs today, folks.
- We're not here about that.
We're here to talk to you
about Declan Dell.
Apparently Mr. Dell and another guy,
a Black man, about 35,
with a scar on his face,
got into an argument at the
fancy poker game you play in.
- Don't know nothing about it.
- Really?
Because we were told you were
the one who broke it up.
Yeah, well, you must have heard wrong.
Hey, we're homicide detectives
investigating a murder here.
Did you see Declan Dell
get into an argument
the other night?
If you're asking me if I knew a dude
that matches your guy's description,
the answer is yes.
His name's Shane. He runs the game.
- Runs it?
- He's in charge.
Makes sure there's enough players,
organizes food and drink,
loans people money when they're tapped,
and takes a cut of the pot.
This dude is serious,
if you know what I mean,
which is why I don't
really engage with him.
Look, I'm done talking, all right?
Oh, hang on, hang on.
Last name?
[TENSE MUSIC]
We don't care
about the poker game, Shane.
We care about Declan Dell.
Yeah.
Yeah, I heard about that.
Man, that's a shame.
Declan, he was a good dude.
If he was such a good dude,
why'd you threaten him?
The other night?
Shove him up against a wall?
[CHUCKLES]
I don't know nothing about that.
- Does he owe you any money?
- Yeah.
I mean, so do a lot of people.
It comes with the gig, you know?
Players need some cash,
yeah, I lend it to 'em.
Keeps the game going.
Where were you two nights ago,
around 9:30 p.m.?
I was in a bar in Harlem
with two friends.
Hey, I got pictures on my phone
if you want to see them.
East River Alehouse,
time stamp, 9:24 p.m.
Okay.
So, apparently, he's not the shooter.
Hey, Lou, check this out.
This is new video.
This is from a street cam
three blocks north of the crime scene,
same guy, 7 minutes after the 911 call.
I mean, it looks like
he's tossing the murder weapon
- into that dumpster.
- Yeah.
He looks familiar.
Sure does.
Call the East River Alehouse.
Yeah.
[DOOR OPENS]
Okay, so those two guys in the picture,
they're your friends, right?
- [DOOR CLOSES]
- Yeah.
And they can verify that
you were with them that night?
I don't see why not.
- I can.
- Excuse me?
I can see why they couldn't verify
that you were there
with them that night.
- How's that?
- Because you weren't.
The East River Alehouse
has internal security cameras,
and you weren't there, Shane.
The photos you showed us were fake,
which means your alibi is fake,
which means you're under arrest.
Stand up.
- Let's go.
- Hey.
Shane Willis, you're under arrest
for the murder of Declan Dell.
The case is strong,
but it's not perfect.
What do we have?
Well, so far, we got a video
of a man who looks like Shane
in the area of the crime scene
five minutes after the 911 call,
and we've got a video of the same person
tossing what looks
to be the murder weapon
into a dumpster one block north
a few minutes later.
It's a good start.
We can also prove
that Shane's alibi is a lie.
The photos on his phone were fake.
All right, uh, motive?
He owed Shane money,
and we have a witness
who saw him threaten to kill Declan
two nights before the murder.
[CHUCKLES] Sounds
pretty damn perfect to me.
Yeah, well, I'm not sure how
much you're gonna like this next bit.
The witness who heard
the threat is my brother, Matt.
Matt, the one
Who lied to you
and screwed you over, yeah.
But listen, I've already
I've spoken to him.
He knows what's what. He's not gonna
No, I can't use him.
We've been down that road.
Yeah, okay, the reason
he heard the threat
is, he was playing in this poker game,
which right there,
that violates his parole
That's not my concern.
We talked to his
parole officer, who assured us
that if Matt is working
with the DA's office,
he's not gonna send him back.
Like I just said,
that is not my concern.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
But we need more evidence.
♪
I thought I told you
I'm not trying to get involved.
I don't snitch. It's bad for business.
You know what else is bad for business?
Getting arrested for obstruction
and letting the whole world know
that Andre Walker
plays poker for lots of money.
- Didn't hurt Charles Barkley.
- Barkley?
You ain't exactly
Charles Barkley, now, are you?
I still ain't talking.
And if you subpoena me,
I'll invoke my Fifth Amendment right
to remain silent
and not incriminate myself.
I didn't know he was a lawyer.
I'm not, but I do got
a good one on retainer.
And they said if I take my Fifth,
there ain't nothing you can do.
I wouldn't be too sure about that.
I mean, why force us to get creative
or vindictive?
Why don't you just work with us,
give us what we need?
Look
I'm willing to work with you, if
my name stays out of this.
We can work with that.
Yeah, you give us the name
of the other players
that were at the game that night,
and we'll do our part
to convince the DA's office
not to subpoena you.
Okay.
We talked to six different people
that were at the poker game
that night
a judge, heart surgeon,
two hedge fund managers,
a real estate developer,
and a Hollywood producer.
None of them heard
or saw the altercation.
None of them claimed to have
any pre-existing knowledge
of the victim owing the defendant money.
- Do you believe them?
- No.
But then, I'm a bit jaded.
What about, uh, this Andre,
the basketball player?
He saw the altercation, right?
Yeah, according to Riley's brother.
But he's also not cooperating.
He says he didn't see a thing.
It sounds like we need
to put a little pressure
on these fine fellows.
Worth a try.
[ELEVATOR DINGS]
I just got a call from Judge Atkins.
Said you threatened to subpoena him?
Oh, that's nonsense.
No, I, uh, simply asked him
a few questions
about the poker game.
And he told me to go to hell,
as did all the other men
who were there that night.
So you threatened to subpoena them?
I did not use those exact words.
But I'm just trying to do my job, Nick.
I'm just trying to find evidence
that can help us get a conviction.
But these men already told the police
they don't know anything.
That doesn't mean
they're telling the truth.
But it does mean they're
not interested in cooperating,
regardless of what they know.
And if you force them,
they'll just take the Fifth,
so what's the point?
Why burn bridges for no reason?
Right, I guess I'm looking
at things a little differently.
Meaning what?
Meaning, uh, I'm not running
for re-election.
This isn't political. It's practical.
There's a difference.
Fine, I will move on.
But I'm afraid at the moment, anyway,
this case isn't winnable.
We need something else, or someone else,
to make sense of all
the circumstantial evidence.
- Like Matt Riley?
- Not a reliable witness.
I know he's not perfect, and the defense
will have a field day with him on cross,
but it's worth a shot.
I'm not sure that's a good idea.
You have a better one?
[STAMMERS]
So let's roll the dice on Matt.
[TENSE MUSIC]
You know
you need to be
a bit more trusting, Nolan.
It'll serve you well.
♪
The evidence will establish
beyond a reasonable doubt
that the defendant ran
a high-stakes poker game
in which players could win or lose
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The defendant also loaned
players money, if needed, at
[CHUCKLES] An exorbitant interest rate.
Declan Dell was one of those players.
But Declan didn't, or couldn't,
pay off this debt,
so the defendant shot and killed him.
We have a witness who can
testify to this as well
a witness who heard
the defendant threaten
to kill Mr. Dell
if he didn't pay off his debt
two days prior to the murder.
If nothing else, the defendant
is a man of his word.
Shane Willis did not kill Declan Dell.
For starters,
there's no physical evidence
connecting Mr. Willis to this case.
There's no murder weapon,
no blood evidence.
The people's entire case
hinges on the testimony
of a convicted felon.
So, please, listen
to the evidence very closely.
Ask yourselves this
did the people establish
beyond a reasonable doubt
that Mr. Willis killed Declan Dell?
Now, I am highly confident
the answer to that question
will be a resounding no.
♪
Can you tell us what time and
date this video was recorded?
9:47 p.m., August 17th.
What time and date was Mr. Dell shot?
9:42 p.m., August 17th.
And where was this video taken?
This is from a retail store
on 23rd Street.
The man that you see
in the monitor there
is running down 23rd Street
near 11th Avenue.
And about how far is that from the
location where Mr. Dell was shot?
About two blocks, give or take.
[SIGHS]
[KEY CLACKS]
Where and when was this video taken?
This is from a block north,
on 24th Street, at 9:49 p.m.
Can you describe what you just saw?
Objection.
The jury can make its own determination.
Your Honor, I'm simply asking
for Detective Riley's opinion
as a veteran police officer.
Please simply describe
what you just watched.
And I don't want to hear any
names mentioned, understand?
I see a tall Black man in his 30s
tossing a gun into a dumpster
three blocks north of the crime scene,
seven minutes after the shooting.
Nothing further.
It's impossible for you to be certain
that Shane Willis is the man
in either of those video clips.
Maybe, but it sure looks like him.
Ah, 'cause he's young and Black?
- Your Honor, argumentative.
- Sustained.
Withdrawn.
You stated that the man in the video
appears to be tossing a gun
into the dumpster.
But, again, that's impossible
to determine, correct?
Mr. Price asked me what I saw
But you can't be certain it was a gun.
It was dark.
The the camera's over 75 feet away.
Now, the man in that video
could have been tossing
a candy bar or a cell phone.
But people don't tend
to toss away candy bars
or cell phones, do they?
They do, however, tend
to toss away murder weapons.
Your Honor.
The jury will disregard
Detective Riley's last statement.
One last question, Detective
did the police search that dumpster?
Yes.
Oh. Did they find a gun?
No.
Hmm.
Nothing further.
♪
Hey, what's up?
What?
Yeah, all right, just stay inside.
Keep the door locked. I'm on my way.
Hey, you didn't have to come over.
Tell me what happened.
You know, it's probably nothing, but
I saw this guy following me
yesterday afternoon
about a block from my apartment
you know, Black dude.
I didn't think too much of it
at the time, but then
you know, then I see him again today
around the, uh, corner
from that coffee shop I like.
- Did he say anything?
- No, no, no, no.
He just gave me that look,
you know, like he's trying
to send me the message.
You think he might be
connected to Shane?
I mean, you know [CHUCKLES]
It's possible. I don't know.
All right, well, listen,
if you're worried,
I can have a uniform officer
and a patrol car parked
out front, keep an eye on you.
What, am I worried about it? Please.
Let me arrange something for you, man.
Nah, it's fine.
I don't need a bodyguard.
If you think you saw
somebody following you
Maybe I didn't, all right?
Maybe I'm just losing
my friggin' mind over here.
What are you doing?
You getting cold feet or something?
Come on, am I what?
This guy following you,
is this gonna be the reason
why you don't show up to court again?
What are you talking about?
Do not play with me, Matt, you hear me?
I don't care who's following you
or who's not following you.
When Price calls,
you get your ass to court,
and you tell the truth.
Hey, take it easy, all right?
You're reading me all wrong.
Don't you worry
about how I'm reading things.
You worry about you right now.
You got two years.
- Yeah, I know what I got.
- You got two years.
- I know what I got!
- Get to court.
Do what you got to do.
♪
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
The defendant said he was
at a bar in Harlem
with two friends.
He then sent me
two photographs of himself
and the two other men.
- Are these the two photos?
- Yes.
Did you investigate
the veracity of these photos?
- Yes.
- And what did you determine?
That the defendant was not
at the East River Alehouse that evening
between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m.
Did anyone from the NYPD Crime Lab
investigate these two photos?
- Yes.
- What did they determine?
That the image of the defendant
was inserted into the photo
using artificial intelligence.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
No questions.
You are dismissed. Thank you.
- Your witness isn't here.
- Excuse me?
Your witness, Matthew Riley,
he's not present.
Mr. Price?
The people request a brief recess.
Very well.
We'll take a ten-minute recess.
[GAVEL BANGS]
- Vince, it's me.
- Yeah, what's up?
Your brother is not here.
- You got to be kidding me.
- No, I'm afraid not.
Damn it. All right, um
- Vince. Vince.
- I'm talking to Price.
Yeah, you need to talk to me.
Hang up. Hang up.
Okay. All right. All right. All right.
Nolan, you have my word,
I will track him down.
So just hang tight, and, uh, I'm sorry.
- Okay. Bye.
- Thank you. Bye.
Okay, I just got a call.
- Your brother, Matt
- Yeah, I know.
He's been stabbed.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
What do you mean? When?
- Um
- Is he all right?
- [STAMMERS]
- Is he all right?
I just spoke to a patrol officer.
He said it was serious,
but they sent him
to Clearview Medical Center,
and they're doing everything they can.
♪
All right, um
♪
[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT OVER PA]
Excuse me.
I'm looking for Matt Riley.
I'm his brother.
- Somebody just brought him in.
- Yes, I'm his doctor.
- I just operated on him.
- Is he okay?
He suffered three severe
puncture wounds to the chest.
He lost a lot of blood,
and there appears to be
some damage to the lungs.
He's still in recovery,
so no visitors yet.
Is he gonna make it, though?
His injuries are substantial.
- Is he gonna make it?
- I don't know.
But we're doing everything we can.
All right.
How's he doing?
He just woke up an hour ago.
Still got him sedated, so
Has the assailant been arrested?
Nope.
You have reason to believe that
this is connected to the current case?
I mean, he's getting ready
to testify in a murder trial.
Someone stabs him while
he's getting a cup of coffee?
- Come on, man.
- But there's no evidence?
Well, there's no, there's
nothing concrete, but
look, he called me yesterday.
He was all shaken up.
He said he thought he saw
someone following him.
I didn't believe him.
I thought he was doing
what he always does, you know,
try to weasel his way out of testifying.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
But he wasn't.
♪
- Well, I hope he's okay.
- Yeah.
If there's anything I can do
Thanks.
♪
Trying to take out a witness?
No, that's a line in the sand.
We need to find the perp
and then bury Shane Willis.
Agreed.
But for now, we're in a bit of a bind.
Matt Riley was our key witness.
And as you recall, you didn't want me
to pursue the other potential witnesses.
I didn't want you to harass
the other potential witnesses.
If there's evidence that suggests
any one of these men
actually has information
that can help convict
Shane Willis, go for it.
Subpoena them.
But if you just want
to scare one of them
into doing something he's
never gonna do, then move on.
Is that not satisfactory?
Excuse me?
You seem unimpressed with my answer.
No, that's not it.
Then what is it?
Please, speak freely.
[SIGHS] Sometimes, uh
it's it's hard for me
to understand where you're coming from.
I just I don't think the way you do.
I know.
♪
We need to buy some time.
The more, the better.
♪
We have reason to believe
Matt Riley's stabbing
is connected to the present case.
"Reason to believe"?
What the hell does that mean?
It means we have evidence
that he was being followed
Okay, okay, what kind of evidence?
He called his brother,
a New York homicide detective,
told him a Black man
had been following him
for the past two days.
Wow.
Do you have any proof
that this Black man
was indeed following him,
or was it just a coincidence?
And even if this Black man
was indeed following him,
can you prove that he was the assailant
and that my client is somehow involved?
The police are still investigating.
So the answer's no.
Your Honor, you can't put
this trial on pause.
Someone just tried to kill
a damn witness,
and you're telling me
that I shouldn't press pause
so that he and the police
can investigate?
I'm saying there's no proof, that
he's basing this so-called connection
entirely on the fact
that the assailant is African American.
No, he's basing it on the fact
that the victim was
an hour away from testifying
against your client in a murder trial.
This trial will resume in seven days.
All of the people who claim
to have seen the stabbing
have suddenly gone silent.
We don't need them. I got video.
- What?
- It's from an Argus cam
near the crime scene.
The angle is perfect.
What's up?
We found footage of the attack.
But I don't I don't think
you need to see this.
- I'm good.
- Vince.
I'm good.
Okay.
[KEY CLACKS]
Here's Matt entering from the right.
♪
[KEYS CLACKING]
And here's the perp.
♪
- Run facial rec right away.
- Okay.
♪
Let's go.
Ready? Hit it.
- NYPD!
- NYPD!
- Hands up! On the ground!
- I got him!
♪
[BOTH GRUNTING]
♪
Not so tough without the knife, are you?
Okay. Enough! Vince!
- Vince, enough!
- All right.
- Enough, Vince!
- All right. All right. Okay.
- Hey.
- All right, all right.
[HANDCUFFS CLICKING]
We have video of you
attacking Matthew Riley.
Nah, you got the wrong person.
We also found blood on your pants
and your shirt.
I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a match.
I'd prefer she didn't lie.
She's doing her job.
So the only thing
we have to discuss here
is how you want to handle it.
You can tell us
why you attacked Mr. Riley
or who told you to attack Mr. Riley.
I didn't stab nobody.
Don't be stupid.
I mean, now is your time
to make a deal, right now.
You're, like,
the world's luckiest criminal,
because that guy you stabbed,
he's still alive.
So if you just come clean
and tell us what we already know,
which is that Shane Willis
paid you to do this,
there's a really good chance
you can walk out of here a free man.
She's dancing close to the line.
I know. Let her dance for now.
What's it gonna be?
I told you, I ain't stabbed nobody.
Yeah, I heard what you told me.
You need to listen
to what I'm telling you.
I'm done talking.
Lawyer.
Get a warrant
for his electronic devices.
[SIGHS] Based on what?
The facial rec.
All right, I'll try.
But most courts don't consider
facial rec sufficient basis
Then find something that is sufficient.
- I tried.
- I know.
Once he lawyers up,
we can take another run at him.
[SIGHS] I don't know.
I think he's pretty committed
to keeping his mouth shut.
How's Riley's brother doing?
Is he gonna make it?
Hey, big brother.
Some guys will really do anything
for a little attention, huh?
[CHUCKLES, COUGHS]
How you feeling, bud?
I've been better, that's for sure.
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
Now they're telling me I got this, um
I don't know, bacterial infection,
something like that.
[SIGHS]
I'm sorry, man.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
I didn't think anyone was following you.
I didn't believe you.
I should have had you stay at my place.
I should have gotten you
out of the neighborhood.
I should have had
a patrol car out front.
There's a million things I could have
I want to testify.
♪
I want to bury this bastard.
You sure?
Oh, I'm sure.
Only thing is,
these doctors are telling me
I'm stuck here for a while.
That's not a problem.
Good.
♪
People call Matt Riley.
Do you solemnly swear
that the testimony
you're about to give will be
the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?
I do.
Mr. Riley, we appreciate
your dedication and commitment.
Yeah, sure. Not a problem.
Sir, do you know
the defendant, Shane Willis?
No, not really,
but I've seen him
at this, uh, poker game
I played at a few times.
Do you see Mr. Willis
here in the court today?
Yeah, he's sitting
right at the defense table.
When'd you last see him?
At that poker game
I was just telling you about.
Did you happen to see him
talking to Declan Dell
- that evening?
- Yeah.
Can you describe what you saw?
I was in the bathroom,
and I saw him, Shane, yelling at Declan,
and then he, uh
he shoved him in the wall,
and he was getting all up in his face.
You know, he was real upset.
And what did he say to Mr. Dell?
He said, time to pay up, or
I'm gonna put you in the ground.
Thank you. Nothing further.
Mr. Riley, you were recently released
from Otisville State Prison, correct?
[CHUCKLES] Sure was.
And you were there because
you sold unregistered handguns?
Yeah, you got me.
And because you committed
perjury in a murder trial?
No.
No, I was never convicted
of that, so that's not true.
But you were charged with perjury?
I mean, yeah, charged.
Mr. Riley, you've also been
arrested for drug possession
and driving under the influence.
[SCOFFS] What, are you gonna
read my whole rap sheet?
Yeah.
Now, were you using drugs
or alcohol at this poker game?
No.
Even though there were ample
drugs and alcohol available
No, there were no drugs.
I mean, some liquor maybe.
Ah.
But you didn't drink?
No.
No, drinking makes me lose focus.
I was there to win money,
all right?
I wasn't there to get drunk.
But you know what?
I did win about 14 grand
that night,
so I went out
and I got drunk after.
[CHUCKLES]
Okay.
Your brother is a NYPD
homicide detective, correct?
Yeah, correct.
Vincent Riley, Detective, First Grade.
That means he's the best of the best.
And he was involved
with this investigation, yes?
Yeah.
And he asked you to testify?
Yeah.
Because he wanted to win this case
and he knew that you would do
everything possible
to help him win this case, yes?
You kidding me right now?
No way. Not even close.
Vinny's not like that. He's
the most stand-up guy I know.
[CHUCKLES]
No, all he did was ask me
if I saw Declan at the game
that night, and I said yes.
And then I told him
what I saw and what I heard,
and that's it,
and that's all that happened.
And just to be clear on this,
my brother would never ask me
to lie for him, never.
For you to suggest that he would
tells me you don't know
my brother
'cause he's
so much better than that.
[SOFT MUSIC]
Nothing further.
♪
Will the accused
and counsel please rise?
♪
Members of the jury,
have you agreed on a verdict?
We have.
We find the defendant, Shane Willis,
guilty of murder in the second degree.
What?
What? What? Hey, get off me, man.
Hey, you promised me.
You said "guarantee."
- Thank you for your service.
- Damn, man!
- We are adjourned.
- Get your hands off me.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Your brother did a hell of a job.
[CELL PHONE BUZZING]
Yeah.
Hey.
What's going on?
Nurse said he took a turn
for the worse, but that's it.
What does that mean?
Does he does he need
more surgery or
No, there were some complications
due to his bacterial infection.
We had to medically induce a coma.
What?
If I'm being honest,
it doesn't look too good.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
- Can I see him?
- Yeah.
♪
[MONITORS BEEPING]
♪
You did good, Matty. [SNIFFLES]
♪
You did really good.
[SNIFFLES]
I love you.
♪
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.
- It's good to see you, Matty.
- Hey, you too.
[GLASSES CLINK]
It's been a while.
Yeah, look, I'm sorry that I
never made it out to Otisville.
Hey, I get it.
You know, it's a long drive,
plus the old, uh, prison jumpsuit thing.
Well, look,
I'm glad you're out, all right?
- I mean it.
- Me too. Me too.
Hey, order whatever you want, all right?
Dinner's on me.
I appreciate that.
Don't worry about it. I got it.
Come on. Don't do that.
Do what? What'd I do?
This whole "I got it" thing.
You know, I'm making good money, man.
You're making good money doing what?
[LAUGHS] See? There it is.
There what is?
What are you talking about?
- That.
- What?
- The lack of trust, man.
- Oh, well, I'm sorry.
I can't imagine why I would have
a little bit of trouble trusting you.
All right, all right,
you make a good point.
But just let me get one, all right?
All right, fine.
What the hell are you doing here?
Hey, D! How you doing, man?
Hey, I want you
to meet my brother, Vince.
- Oh, the cop?
- Yeah.
Yeah, Vince the cop.
Yeah, Vinny, I want you
to meet Declan Dell.
How do you guys know each other?
He owns the restaurant I work at, Lanzo,
and this one too.
And three others,
but who's counting, right?
Oh, it's very nice to meet you.
I love this guy.
Best waiter I've ever had.
- Aw, come on.
- I mean it.
He could chat up
a cappuccino machine, you know.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he can talk, no doubt.
[LAUGHTER]
No check for these two, understand?
- Dinner's on me.
- D, come on.
It's the least I can do.
- Nice to meet you, Vince.
- Likewise. Thank you.
Oh, seems like a hell of a guy.
[CHUCKLES]
[DISTANT SIRENS WAILING]
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
- [KNIFE CLICKS]
- [SIGHS]
[GUNSHOT]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[SIREN WAILS]
Single gunshot wound
to the back of the head.
- Witnesses?
- One.
She heard the gunshot, ran over,
saw the body, and called 911.
She see the suspect?
All she saw was a man about 6 feet tall
in a black baseball hat running north.
All right, what about the victim?
Wallet and phone
were still on his person.
Name is
Declan Dell.
[TENSE MUSIC]
I just met this guy three hours ago.
What?
- And everything was fine?
- Yeah.
I mean, he seemed like
the happiest guy alive.
♪
[SIGHS] All right, uh
knife pretty safe bet
that wasn't the shooter's,
so means it was his.
Which means he was either paranoid
or knew someone was looking for him.
♪
- Jesus.
- [SIGHS] Yeah, I know.
- Can't believe it.
- I was shocked too.
I remember talking to the guy,
and the next minute,
he's there on the pavement, dead.
Yeah, he Declan, he was a good guy.
You know, he looked out for me,
you know,
at a time when, uh, not everybody did.
Yeah, well,
he really seemed to like you.
[CHUCKLES]
Yeah, he was funny.
You know, he just had
one of those personalities.
I mean, he was happy, you know?
He was always upbeat. He was
he was always smiling.
So listen.
We found a switchblade at the scene.
Pretty sure it was Declan's,
but you got any idea
why he'd be carrying
something like that?
I mean, it's New York City.
You know, it's a dangerous place.
Yeah, but, I mean,
not aware of any threats,
any enemies, nothing like that?
Nah.
You sure, Matty?
What do you mean, am I sure?
You tell me.
Tell you what?
What am I supposed to tell you?
[LAUGHS] You're doing it again.
Doing what? What am I doing?
You're doing
the lack of trust thing, man.
It's what you do.
- I worked for the guy, man.
- All right, I'm sorry.
It's not like we were married, OK?
Relax. I'm asking you a question, OK?
So you got any leads, or what?
Not yet, no.
Was this thing random,
or was it, uh, something else?
Don't know.
Well, I hope you catch
the prick who did it.
Like I said, Declan was good people.
All right, well,
you think of anything
Hey, Vin.
Just want to say thanks for coming.
Last night, it was
you know, meant a lot to me.
Yeah, it was nice.
I still can't believe
you met that guy last night.
It's so weird.
Matt Riley and the luck of the Irish.
Hey, check it out
man running north two blocks
from the crime scene,
wearing a black baseball hat.
Zoom in. Maybe we'll get lucky.
And what time was this?
9:47, five minutes after the 911 call.
Fits the description.
Yeah, too bad we can't see
his damn face.
[SIGHS] What else do we know
about our vic?
Well, by all appearances,
the guy was crushing it.
He owned five restaurants, two bars.
Having a lot of fun too.
I mean, he was definitely living it up.
Yeah, looks like everybody loved him.
Well, not everyone.
Got into his texts.
Hmm.
Maybe you two should go see
this Mr. Carson.
I pitched him a concept
for a new supper club
dinner, music, jackets, ties.
You know, sort of a throwback
to the '50s.
- And?
- He loved it.
Found an investor.
Guy put in, like, 3 million bucks.
So what's the problem?
I wasn't part of the deal.
Declan cut me out, so I got pissed.
That's why I sent that angry text.
Where were you last night
around 9:30 or so?
Home, uh, with my girlfriend.
We had Indian food. We ordered in.
So Declan liked to play
a little fast and loose, huh?
More like a lot fast and loose.
Like I said, I actually liked the guy.
But he has no boundaries
in business, with women.
Guys like that tend to have
a lot of enemies.
Sure do.
Can you think of anyone specific?
Yeah, a guy named Howard Fisher.
What's the story there?
Declan screw him too?
More like his wife.
Yes, Declan and I,
we had a thing for a minute.
It was really fun.
- Your husband know?
- No.
Well, then why did you
send Declan this text
two days before he died,
saying it was time to end things now?
Sounds like something happened.
Somebody find out?
- Maybe your husband?
- No. Howard has no idea.
He spends most of his time in Vegas.
- Was he in Vegas last night?
- Yes.
Then why the need
to end things so suddenly?
[SCOFFS] I got tired
of him asking for money.
At first, I thought he was kidding,
but then he started acting desperate,
like he needed money.
I'm the wrong girl for that.
I married a 76-year-old
casino tycoon, sweetie.
I get money. I don't give it.
All right, so how did Declan react
when you broke things off?
He barely blinked.
He moved fast.
Well, is there anything else
you can think of
that might be helpful?
Three nights ago, he got
a really scary phone call.
Guy on the other end said
he was gonna kill him.
Declan was terrified.
Declan's gal pal said
the scary call came in
around midnight on the 15th.
I checked the phone records.
There was only one
incoming call around that time.
So far, so good.
Yeah, well, don't get too excited.
The number connects back to a burner.
And I tried to track
the registration number,
but no luck.
Let's focus on Declan's personal life.
We know that he owned restaurants
and that he dated married women.
Had some massive credit card bills too.
I mean, 150 grand here, 100 there.
Like yeah, this.
39 grand to PFF Jet Corp,
another 43 grand,
Rexford Private Aviation.
- Was he really that wealthy?
- Not even close.
The dude had three accounts
at New York Bank Corp
all of them underwater,
and one brokerage account
total value, about 40K.
That's not nearly enough
to be flying private.
This guy he also loved
to gamble, apparently.
He had five accounts online,
four of which were either
in the red or closed out.
Hmm, if I were a betting man,
or woman
which at one point, I actually was
I would bet that that scary call
was about his gambling problem.
Did you know that Declan was gambling?
I had a hunch.
- You had a hunch, or you knew?
- I knew.
All right, you knew. How did you know?
Come on, Vin, I'm over here
trying to mind my own business.
You know, I got a good job.
I'm making good money.
What does that have to do with anything?
- Wait a sec. Were you involved?
- No, not really.
I mean, sort of.
Just tell me what you know.
[LAUGHS] It's not
that scandalous, all right?
We just you know, we played
in the same poker game, is all.
Oh, my God. What?
See, this is why
I don't tell you things
because I knew
you were gonna get mad, Vin.
- I'm not mad.
- No?
- You're on parole, man.
- All right, I understand.
I'm just saying I played
in the game twice, all right?
- It's not a big deal, you know.
- [GROANS] All right, fine.
So you play in this game with Declan.
Yeah.
Did anything happen there
that I need to know about?
Yeah, but, you know,
like you said, I'm on parole.
And, I mean, this game
is not strictly
Jesus, will you just
tell me what you know?
Come on, man, you said that
Declan was good to you, right?
That you liked him.
So what, you're gonna go silent
and not help us
find the guy that shot your friend?
All right, look, there was a game
a few nights before the murder,
and I saw Declan and some other guy,
you know, getting into it
near the hallway by the bathroom.
- Over what?
- Money.
I heard the other guy say
something like, you know,
time to pay up, something like that.
Tell me exactly what he said.
He said, time to pay up,
or I'm gonna put your ass in the ground.
And then, uh and then
he shoved Declan into the wall.
And then what happened?
And then, you know, that was it.
Some dude broke it up.
You know the guy's name
who threatened him?
No.
You remember what he looked like?
He was a big Black dude, about 35 maybe.
He had a big scar on his face.
What about the guy who broke it up?
Basketball player.
Kid's got a hell of a jump shot.
[SHOES SQUEAKING, BASKETBALLS THUDDING]
Hey, Andre Walker.
- No autographs today, folks.
- We're not here about that.
We're here to talk to you
about Declan Dell.
Apparently Mr. Dell and another guy,
a Black man, about 35,
with a scar on his face,
got into an argument at the
fancy poker game you play in.
- Don't know nothing about it.
- Really?
Because we were told you were
the one who broke it up.
Yeah, well, you must have heard wrong.
Hey, we're homicide detectives
investigating a murder here.
Did you see Declan Dell
get into an argument
the other night?
If you're asking me if I knew a dude
that matches your guy's description,
the answer is yes.
His name's Shane. He runs the game.
- Runs it?
- He's in charge.
Makes sure there's enough players,
organizes food and drink,
loans people money when they're tapped,
and takes a cut of the pot.
This dude is serious,
if you know what I mean,
which is why I don't
really engage with him.
Look, I'm done talking, all right?
Oh, hang on, hang on.
Last name?
[TENSE MUSIC]
We don't care
about the poker game, Shane.
We care about Declan Dell.
Yeah.
Yeah, I heard about that.
Man, that's a shame.
Declan, he was a good dude.
If he was such a good dude,
why'd you threaten him?
The other night?
Shove him up against a wall?
[CHUCKLES]
I don't know nothing about that.
- Does he owe you any money?
- Yeah.
I mean, so do a lot of people.
It comes with the gig, you know?
Players need some cash,
yeah, I lend it to 'em.
Keeps the game going.
Where were you two nights ago,
around 9:30 p.m.?
I was in a bar in Harlem
with two friends.
Hey, I got pictures on my phone
if you want to see them.
East River Alehouse,
time stamp, 9:24 p.m.
Okay.
So, apparently, he's not the shooter.
Hey, Lou, check this out.
This is new video.
This is from a street cam
three blocks north of the crime scene,
same guy, 7 minutes after the 911 call.
I mean, it looks like
he's tossing the murder weapon
- into that dumpster.
- Yeah.
He looks familiar.
Sure does.
Call the East River Alehouse.
Yeah.
[DOOR OPENS]
Okay, so those two guys in the picture,
they're your friends, right?
- [DOOR CLOSES]
- Yeah.
And they can verify that
you were with them that night?
I don't see why not.
- I can.
- Excuse me?
I can see why they couldn't verify
that you were there
with them that night.
- How's that?
- Because you weren't.
The East River Alehouse
has internal security cameras,
and you weren't there, Shane.
The photos you showed us were fake,
which means your alibi is fake,
which means you're under arrest.
Stand up.
- Let's go.
- Hey.
Shane Willis, you're under arrest
for the murder of Declan Dell.
The case is strong,
but it's not perfect.
What do we have?
Well, so far, we got a video
of a man who looks like Shane
in the area of the crime scene
five minutes after the 911 call,
and we've got a video of the same person
tossing what looks
to be the murder weapon
into a dumpster one block north
a few minutes later.
It's a good start.
We can also prove
that Shane's alibi is a lie.
The photos on his phone were fake.
All right, uh, motive?
He owed Shane money,
and we have a witness
who saw him threaten to kill Declan
two nights before the murder.
[CHUCKLES] Sounds
pretty damn perfect to me.
Yeah, well, I'm not sure how
much you're gonna like this next bit.
The witness who heard
the threat is my brother, Matt.
Matt, the one
Who lied to you
and screwed you over, yeah.
But listen, I've already
I've spoken to him.
He knows what's what. He's not gonna
No, I can't use him.
We've been down that road.
Yeah, okay, the reason
he heard the threat
is, he was playing in this poker game,
which right there,
that violates his parole
That's not my concern.
We talked to his
parole officer, who assured us
that if Matt is working
with the DA's office,
he's not gonna send him back.
Like I just said,
that is not my concern.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
But we need more evidence.
♪
I thought I told you
I'm not trying to get involved.
I don't snitch. It's bad for business.
You know what else is bad for business?
Getting arrested for obstruction
and letting the whole world know
that Andre Walker
plays poker for lots of money.
- Didn't hurt Charles Barkley.
- Barkley?
You ain't exactly
Charles Barkley, now, are you?
I still ain't talking.
And if you subpoena me,
I'll invoke my Fifth Amendment right
to remain silent
and not incriminate myself.
I didn't know he was a lawyer.
I'm not, but I do got
a good one on retainer.
And they said if I take my Fifth,
there ain't nothing you can do.
I wouldn't be too sure about that.
I mean, why force us to get creative
or vindictive?
Why don't you just work with us,
give us what we need?
Look
I'm willing to work with you, if
my name stays out of this.
We can work with that.
Yeah, you give us the name
of the other players
that were at the game that night,
and we'll do our part
to convince the DA's office
not to subpoena you.
Okay.
We talked to six different people
that were at the poker game
that night
a judge, heart surgeon,
two hedge fund managers,
a real estate developer,
and a Hollywood producer.
None of them heard
or saw the altercation.
None of them claimed to have
any pre-existing knowledge
of the victim owing the defendant money.
- Do you believe them?
- No.
But then, I'm a bit jaded.
What about, uh, this Andre,
the basketball player?
He saw the altercation, right?
Yeah, according to Riley's brother.
But he's also not cooperating.
He says he didn't see a thing.
It sounds like we need
to put a little pressure
on these fine fellows.
Worth a try.
[ELEVATOR DINGS]
I just got a call from Judge Atkins.
Said you threatened to subpoena him?
Oh, that's nonsense.
No, I, uh, simply asked him
a few questions
about the poker game.
And he told me to go to hell,
as did all the other men
who were there that night.
So you threatened to subpoena them?
I did not use those exact words.
But I'm just trying to do my job, Nick.
I'm just trying to find evidence
that can help us get a conviction.
But these men already told the police
they don't know anything.
That doesn't mean
they're telling the truth.
But it does mean they're
not interested in cooperating,
regardless of what they know.
And if you force them,
they'll just take the Fifth,
so what's the point?
Why burn bridges for no reason?
Right, I guess I'm looking
at things a little differently.
Meaning what?
Meaning, uh, I'm not running
for re-election.
This isn't political. It's practical.
There's a difference.
Fine, I will move on.
But I'm afraid at the moment, anyway,
this case isn't winnable.
We need something else, or someone else,
to make sense of all
the circumstantial evidence.
- Like Matt Riley?
- Not a reliable witness.
I know he's not perfect, and the defense
will have a field day with him on cross,
but it's worth a shot.
I'm not sure that's a good idea.
You have a better one?
[STAMMERS]
So let's roll the dice on Matt.
[TENSE MUSIC]
You know
you need to be
a bit more trusting, Nolan.
It'll serve you well.
♪
The evidence will establish
beyond a reasonable doubt
that the defendant ran
a high-stakes poker game
in which players could win or lose
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The defendant also loaned
players money, if needed, at
[CHUCKLES] An exorbitant interest rate.
Declan Dell was one of those players.
But Declan didn't, or couldn't,
pay off this debt,
so the defendant shot and killed him.
We have a witness who can
testify to this as well
a witness who heard
the defendant threaten
to kill Mr. Dell
if he didn't pay off his debt
two days prior to the murder.
If nothing else, the defendant
is a man of his word.
Shane Willis did not kill Declan Dell.
For starters,
there's no physical evidence
connecting Mr. Willis to this case.
There's no murder weapon,
no blood evidence.
The people's entire case
hinges on the testimony
of a convicted felon.
So, please, listen
to the evidence very closely.
Ask yourselves this
did the people establish
beyond a reasonable doubt
that Mr. Willis killed Declan Dell?
Now, I am highly confident
the answer to that question
will be a resounding no.
♪
Can you tell us what time and
date this video was recorded?
9:47 p.m., August 17th.
What time and date was Mr. Dell shot?
9:42 p.m., August 17th.
And where was this video taken?
This is from a retail store
on 23rd Street.
The man that you see
in the monitor there
is running down 23rd Street
near 11th Avenue.
And about how far is that from the
location where Mr. Dell was shot?
About two blocks, give or take.
[SIGHS]
[KEY CLACKS]
Where and when was this video taken?
This is from a block north,
on 24th Street, at 9:49 p.m.
Can you describe what you just saw?
Objection.
The jury can make its own determination.
Your Honor, I'm simply asking
for Detective Riley's opinion
as a veteran police officer.
Please simply describe
what you just watched.
And I don't want to hear any
names mentioned, understand?
I see a tall Black man in his 30s
tossing a gun into a dumpster
three blocks north of the crime scene,
seven minutes after the shooting.
Nothing further.
It's impossible for you to be certain
that Shane Willis is the man
in either of those video clips.
Maybe, but it sure looks like him.
Ah, 'cause he's young and Black?
- Your Honor, argumentative.
- Sustained.
Withdrawn.
You stated that the man in the video
appears to be tossing a gun
into the dumpster.
But, again, that's impossible
to determine, correct?
Mr. Price asked me what I saw
But you can't be certain it was a gun.
It was dark.
The the camera's over 75 feet away.
Now, the man in that video
could have been tossing
a candy bar or a cell phone.
But people don't tend
to toss away candy bars
or cell phones, do they?
They do, however, tend
to toss away murder weapons.
Your Honor.
The jury will disregard
Detective Riley's last statement.
One last question, Detective
did the police search that dumpster?
Yes.
Oh. Did they find a gun?
No.
Hmm.
Nothing further.
♪
Hey, what's up?
What?
Yeah, all right, just stay inside.
Keep the door locked. I'm on my way.
Hey, you didn't have to come over.
Tell me what happened.
You know, it's probably nothing, but
I saw this guy following me
yesterday afternoon
about a block from my apartment
you know, Black dude.
I didn't think too much of it
at the time, but then
you know, then I see him again today
around the, uh, corner
from that coffee shop I like.
- Did he say anything?
- No, no, no, no.
He just gave me that look,
you know, like he's trying
to send me the message.
You think he might be
connected to Shane?
I mean, you know [CHUCKLES]
It's possible. I don't know.
All right, well, listen,
if you're worried,
I can have a uniform officer
and a patrol car parked
out front, keep an eye on you.
What, am I worried about it? Please.
Let me arrange something for you, man.
Nah, it's fine.
I don't need a bodyguard.
If you think you saw
somebody following you
Maybe I didn't, all right?
Maybe I'm just losing
my friggin' mind over here.
What are you doing?
You getting cold feet or something?
Come on, am I what?
This guy following you,
is this gonna be the reason
why you don't show up to court again?
What are you talking about?
Do not play with me, Matt, you hear me?
I don't care who's following you
or who's not following you.
When Price calls,
you get your ass to court,
and you tell the truth.
Hey, take it easy, all right?
You're reading me all wrong.
Don't you worry
about how I'm reading things.
You worry about you right now.
You got two years.
- Yeah, I know what I got.
- You got two years.
- I know what I got!
- Get to court.
Do what you got to do.
♪
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
The defendant said he was
at a bar in Harlem
with two friends.
He then sent me
two photographs of himself
and the two other men.
- Are these the two photos?
- Yes.
Did you investigate
the veracity of these photos?
- Yes.
- And what did you determine?
That the defendant was not
at the East River Alehouse that evening
between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m.
Did anyone from the NYPD Crime Lab
investigate these two photos?
- Yes.
- What did they determine?
That the image of the defendant
was inserted into the photo
using artificial intelligence.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
No questions.
You are dismissed. Thank you.
- Your witness isn't here.
- Excuse me?
Your witness, Matthew Riley,
he's not present.
Mr. Price?
The people request a brief recess.
Very well.
We'll take a ten-minute recess.
[GAVEL BANGS]
- Vince, it's me.
- Yeah, what's up?
Your brother is not here.
- You got to be kidding me.
- No, I'm afraid not.
Damn it. All right, um
- Vince. Vince.
- I'm talking to Price.
Yeah, you need to talk to me.
Hang up. Hang up.
Okay. All right. All right. All right.
Nolan, you have my word,
I will track him down.
So just hang tight, and, uh, I'm sorry.
- Okay. Bye.
- Thank you. Bye.
Okay, I just got a call.
- Your brother, Matt
- Yeah, I know.
He's been stabbed.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
What do you mean? When?
- Um
- Is he all right?
- [STAMMERS]
- Is he all right?
I just spoke to a patrol officer.
He said it was serious,
but they sent him
to Clearview Medical Center,
and they're doing everything they can.
♪
All right, um
♪
[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT OVER PA]
Excuse me.
I'm looking for Matt Riley.
I'm his brother.
- Somebody just brought him in.
- Yes, I'm his doctor.
- I just operated on him.
- Is he okay?
He suffered three severe
puncture wounds to the chest.
He lost a lot of blood,
and there appears to be
some damage to the lungs.
He's still in recovery,
so no visitors yet.
Is he gonna make it, though?
His injuries are substantial.
- Is he gonna make it?
- I don't know.
But we're doing everything we can.
All right.
How's he doing?
He just woke up an hour ago.
Still got him sedated, so
Has the assailant been arrested?
Nope.
You have reason to believe that
this is connected to the current case?
I mean, he's getting ready
to testify in a murder trial.
Someone stabs him while
he's getting a cup of coffee?
- Come on, man.
- But there's no evidence?
Well, there's no, there's
nothing concrete, but
look, he called me yesterday.
He was all shaken up.
He said he thought he saw
someone following him.
I didn't believe him.
I thought he was doing
what he always does, you know,
try to weasel his way out of testifying.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
But he wasn't.
♪
- Well, I hope he's okay.
- Yeah.
If there's anything I can do
Thanks.
♪
Trying to take out a witness?
No, that's a line in the sand.
We need to find the perp
and then bury Shane Willis.
Agreed.
But for now, we're in a bit of a bind.
Matt Riley was our key witness.
And as you recall, you didn't want me
to pursue the other potential witnesses.
I didn't want you to harass
the other potential witnesses.
If there's evidence that suggests
any one of these men
actually has information
that can help convict
Shane Willis, go for it.
Subpoena them.
But if you just want
to scare one of them
into doing something he's
never gonna do, then move on.
Is that not satisfactory?
Excuse me?
You seem unimpressed with my answer.
No, that's not it.
Then what is it?
Please, speak freely.
[SIGHS] Sometimes, uh
it's it's hard for me
to understand where you're coming from.
I just I don't think the way you do.
I know.
♪
We need to buy some time.
The more, the better.
♪
We have reason to believe
Matt Riley's stabbing
is connected to the present case.
"Reason to believe"?
What the hell does that mean?
It means we have evidence
that he was being followed
Okay, okay, what kind of evidence?
He called his brother,
a New York homicide detective,
told him a Black man
had been following him
for the past two days.
Wow.
Do you have any proof
that this Black man
was indeed following him,
or was it just a coincidence?
And even if this Black man
was indeed following him,
can you prove that he was the assailant
and that my client is somehow involved?
The police are still investigating.
So the answer's no.
Your Honor, you can't put
this trial on pause.
Someone just tried to kill
a damn witness,
and you're telling me
that I shouldn't press pause
so that he and the police
can investigate?
I'm saying there's no proof, that
he's basing this so-called connection
entirely on the fact
that the assailant is African American.
No, he's basing it on the fact
that the victim was
an hour away from testifying
against your client in a murder trial.
This trial will resume in seven days.
All of the people who claim
to have seen the stabbing
have suddenly gone silent.
We don't need them. I got video.
- What?
- It's from an Argus cam
near the crime scene.
The angle is perfect.
What's up?
We found footage of the attack.
But I don't I don't think
you need to see this.
- I'm good.
- Vince.
I'm good.
Okay.
[KEY CLACKS]
Here's Matt entering from the right.
♪
[KEYS CLACKING]
And here's the perp.
♪
- Run facial rec right away.
- Okay.
♪
Let's go.
Ready? Hit it.
- NYPD!
- NYPD!
- Hands up! On the ground!
- I got him!
♪
[BOTH GRUNTING]
♪
Not so tough without the knife, are you?
Okay. Enough! Vince!
- Vince, enough!
- All right.
- Enough, Vince!
- All right. All right. Okay.
- Hey.
- All right, all right.
[HANDCUFFS CLICKING]
We have video of you
attacking Matthew Riley.
Nah, you got the wrong person.
We also found blood on your pants
and your shirt.
I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a match.
I'd prefer she didn't lie.
She's doing her job.
So the only thing
we have to discuss here
is how you want to handle it.
You can tell us
why you attacked Mr. Riley
or who told you to attack Mr. Riley.
I didn't stab nobody.
Don't be stupid.
I mean, now is your time
to make a deal, right now.
You're, like,
the world's luckiest criminal,
because that guy you stabbed,
he's still alive.
So if you just come clean
and tell us what we already know,
which is that Shane Willis
paid you to do this,
there's a really good chance
you can walk out of here a free man.
She's dancing close to the line.
I know. Let her dance for now.
What's it gonna be?
I told you, I ain't stabbed nobody.
Yeah, I heard what you told me.
You need to listen
to what I'm telling you.
I'm done talking.
Lawyer.
Get a warrant
for his electronic devices.
[SIGHS] Based on what?
The facial rec.
All right, I'll try.
But most courts don't consider
facial rec sufficient basis
Then find something that is sufficient.
- I tried.
- I know.
Once he lawyers up,
we can take another run at him.
[SIGHS] I don't know.
I think he's pretty committed
to keeping his mouth shut.
How's Riley's brother doing?
Is he gonna make it?
Hey, big brother.
Some guys will really do anything
for a little attention, huh?
[CHUCKLES, COUGHS]
How you feeling, bud?
I've been better, that's for sure.
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
Now they're telling me I got this, um
I don't know, bacterial infection,
something like that.
[SIGHS]
I'm sorry, man.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
I didn't think anyone was following you.
I didn't believe you.
I should have had you stay at my place.
I should have gotten you
out of the neighborhood.
I should have had
a patrol car out front.
There's a million things I could have
I want to testify.
♪
I want to bury this bastard.
You sure?
Oh, I'm sure.
Only thing is,
these doctors are telling me
I'm stuck here for a while.
That's not a problem.
Good.
♪
People call Matt Riley.
Do you solemnly swear
that the testimony
you're about to give will be
the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?
I do.
Mr. Riley, we appreciate
your dedication and commitment.
Yeah, sure. Not a problem.
Sir, do you know
the defendant, Shane Willis?
No, not really,
but I've seen him
at this, uh, poker game
I played at a few times.
Do you see Mr. Willis
here in the court today?
Yeah, he's sitting
right at the defense table.
When'd you last see him?
At that poker game
I was just telling you about.
Did you happen to see him
talking to Declan Dell
- that evening?
- Yeah.
Can you describe what you saw?
I was in the bathroom,
and I saw him, Shane, yelling at Declan,
and then he, uh
he shoved him in the wall,
and he was getting all up in his face.
You know, he was real upset.
And what did he say to Mr. Dell?
He said, time to pay up, or
I'm gonna put you in the ground.
Thank you. Nothing further.
Mr. Riley, you were recently released
from Otisville State Prison, correct?
[CHUCKLES] Sure was.
And you were there because
you sold unregistered handguns?
Yeah, you got me.
And because you committed
perjury in a murder trial?
No.
No, I was never convicted
of that, so that's not true.
But you were charged with perjury?
I mean, yeah, charged.
Mr. Riley, you've also been
arrested for drug possession
and driving under the influence.
[SCOFFS] What, are you gonna
read my whole rap sheet?
Yeah.
Now, were you using drugs
or alcohol at this poker game?
No.
Even though there were ample
drugs and alcohol available
No, there were no drugs.
I mean, some liquor maybe.
Ah.
But you didn't drink?
No.
No, drinking makes me lose focus.
I was there to win money,
all right?
I wasn't there to get drunk.
But you know what?
I did win about 14 grand
that night,
so I went out
and I got drunk after.
[CHUCKLES]
Okay.
Your brother is a NYPD
homicide detective, correct?
Yeah, correct.
Vincent Riley, Detective, First Grade.
That means he's the best of the best.
And he was involved
with this investigation, yes?
Yeah.
And he asked you to testify?
Yeah.
Because he wanted to win this case
and he knew that you would do
everything possible
to help him win this case, yes?
You kidding me right now?
No way. Not even close.
Vinny's not like that. He's
the most stand-up guy I know.
[CHUCKLES]
No, all he did was ask me
if I saw Declan at the game
that night, and I said yes.
And then I told him
what I saw and what I heard,
and that's it,
and that's all that happened.
And just to be clear on this,
my brother would never ask me
to lie for him, never.
For you to suggest that he would
tells me you don't know
my brother
'cause he's
so much better than that.
[SOFT MUSIC]
Nothing further.
♪
Will the accused
and counsel please rise?
♪
Members of the jury,
have you agreed on a verdict?
We have.
We find the defendant, Shane Willis,
guilty of murder in the second degree.
What?
What? What? Hey, get off me, man.
Hey, you promised me.
You said "guarantee."
- Thank you for your service.
- Damn, man!
- We are adjourned.
- Get your hands off me.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Your brother did a hell of a job.
[CELL PHONE BUZZING]
Yeah.
Hey.
What's going on?
Nurse said he took a turn
for the worse, but that's it.
What does that mean?
Does he does he need
more surgery or
No, there were some complications
due to his bacterial infection.
We had to medically induce a coma.
What?
If I'm being honest,
it doesn't look too good.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
- Can I see him?
- Yeah.
♪
[MONITORS BEEPING]
♪
You did good, Matty. [SNIFFLES]
♪
You did really good.
[SNIFFLES]
I love you.
♪