Cold Case s01e22 Episode Script
The Plan
Keep those arms out of that water, private.
- May 15, 1999 - I do not want to see your elbows touch.
Do you understand? Sir, I can't Can't? Can't is not in your vocabulary.
Failure is not an option.
Failure is not an option, Private Kasher.
Do you understand me? Sir, yes, sir.
Go.
59, 58, Private Kasher? Private Kasher! Private kasher? The tenth time you checked that thing.
Oh, she was supposed to call at 9:00.
Elisa.
- It's 9:07.
- Well, she's seven minutes late.
That a regular thing? - Elisa calling in? - No, no.
It's a Yeah.
I mean she was doing so good, and then I don't know.
I don't know what's happening.
Where were you? Lil, questioned documents kicked this one over.
- Want us to take a look.
- Cold job? Doesn't match any live ones.
It was mailed anonymously into homicide.
Letterhead's from the Wilkes military academy for boys.
The boot camp boarding school in Roxborough? Mm-hmm.
State run, scared straight central.
Parents who can't control their bad boys, dump them there.
- What is it? - Some kind of list.
"The plan.
" "Number one: Ignore.
" "Number two: Reward.
" "Number three: Secret.
" "Number four: Test.
" "Number five: Escalate.
" "Six" "Destroy.
" What the hell.
It could be some kind of shorthand? Question is, what for? Mailed into homicide.
What else? - Documents went over it? - No fingerprints.
Sender didn't even spit on the seal.
"May 15, 1999.
" - "Nash.
" - Well, maybe Nash is the writer.
Or the victim.
Cold Case 1x22 The Plan ORIGINAL AIR DATE ON CBS: 2004/05/02 So the doer's feeling the guilt.
Mails it in.
Or some bystander finds it.
Wants to do the right thing.
It could be a frame job.
Why send it five years after the fact? The problem is we got no murders under hundred some years Wilkes military academy's been around.
No body with a Nash toe tag It wasn't classified as a homicide.
"Accidental death.
Wilkes military academy, may 15, 1999.
Nash cavanaugh.
35 years old.
" Hmm drowning.
Guy was liquored up good.
Blood alcohol content .
30.
Questioned documents took a stab at who sent this "plan" in? Handwriting analysis suggests a kid wrote it.
Other than that, we got nothing.
A night duty sergeant, James Creighton, found the body.
Maybe we start with him.
Cavanaugh's death was classified as accidental.
We conducted our own investigation.
And now, we're conducting ours.
Well, sergeant Creighton was the duty sergeant on rounds that night.
- Tell them what you know, Creighton.
- Sir, yes, sir.
I found lieutenant Cavanaugh at 06:00.
negative vital signs, no response to CPR.
Creighton was in Iraq.
Earned the bronze star.
Ever seen this, colonel? No.
How about you, sergeant Creighton? I never seen that, ma'am.
Ignore, reward, secret, test, escalate, destroy - that mean anything to you, colonel? - Nothing at all.
Were you aware that Nash was a drinker, colonel? It never interfered with his duties here.
The lieutenant was respected.
Knew how to deal with slop.
Slop? The kids who come here.
Drug addicts, hoodlums, cons in the making.
Nash turned slop into men.
"Can't" is not in your vocabulary! Failure is not an option, private Kasher.
Do you understand me? Private Kasher? Private? Is there a problem here, lieutenant? No, sir.
Then carry on.
Private Lasalle, get him out of here.
Dismissed! Passed.
But I didn't do , sir.
You never will.
Please, just give me one more chance, sir, please I can do it.
I know I can, sir! Please! One more chance, sir.
Please, I can do it.
I know I can.
Please, sir.
"From the child, comes forth the soldier.
" Cavanaugh made that happen.
By almost drowning a child? Private Jerry kasher was and always will be a bad seed.
Not even Cavanaugh could change that.
This private Kasher, he ever make any threats on Nash? No.
But he threatened other cadets.
- How? - Torching their bunks with them in it.
Private Kasher's got 30 some hours to walk off before graduation.
Private Kasher! - Walk off? - Tour of punishment.
Front and center! You need some weaponry 101, private? / No, sir.
Detective Rush, Valens.
Philadelphia homicide.
These people are here to ask you some questions.
Answer them.
Gung-ho jarhead.
We're here about Nash cavanaugh.
Gung-ho jarhead number two.
We hear you had a beef with him in swimming class.
Almost drowned you.
Guy just wanted me to be all that I could be.
- Got you pretty pissed off.
- Just enough to kill him? That's not how it was.
I just wanted another chance.
I can do it, sir.
One minute, sir.
I can do it.
Look.
Go.
Time.
Didn't think you had it in you, buddy.
You proved me wrong.
For that, you get the prize.
What was the prize? His respect.
Nash was proud of me.
That was important to you.
Him being proud of you? Only time anyone ever was.
So what changed? - With what? - With you.
Nothing.
Nothing changed.
My folks, uh, mailed me one way, parcel post, No return address to this armpit.
I was always trouble.
Kid's gone to the dark side.
But back in the day, it sounds like he kind of worshipped Nash.
Didn't hate him.
Well, maybe Nash had other enemies? Could be.
Guy was a hard ass.
Got a hold of private Kasher's medical records.
Might shine a different light.
Few months prior to Nash's death, multiple visits to the infirmary.
Kid was throwing up drunk.
Drunk? He was 13 years old.
Half the academy's students enter the school with drug and alcohol problems.
The place is on 24/7 lock-down.
No way those kids could get booze.
But an adult could.
And we know who our resident drinker on campus was.
Nash cavanaugh.
Where'd you get the alcohol, Jerry? Boozehound Nash, he ever pass on the love? What do you mean? Where'd you get the booze? / Maybe you were sipping a nip from the Nash stash? That the real reason you were trying to get in good with him? He gave it to me! I never asked for it! That was the prize.
Didn't mean to scare you, buddy.
Yes, sir.
I mean, no, sir.
- I'm not scared.
- Of course, you're not.
For what you did today.
- Your reward.
- Sir? You're a man now.
You made me proud, being a winner out there.
You pass go.
Collect your reward.
Drink up.
Not just anyone gets this reward.
I save it for the winners.
For my special boys like you, Jerry.
Thank you.
I mean it.
Sir.
Let's keep this our secret, okay, buddy? Just you and me.
Sir, yes, sir.
Our secret.
Your secret? Ignore reward secret.
It's the plan.
Nash ignored you in the pool.
Rewarded you with the booze.
Made you keep a secret.
What other secrets did he make you keep? Drawing you in, keeping things quietwhy? What kind of secrets do a 35 year old man and a boy have? It wasn't a murderer's plan, was it? It was a pedophile's / He deserved to die for what he did to me! Sit down! I did it! I killed him! - You killed him.
- Yeah! I killed that sick pervert.
- By yourself.
- I did it! - Did you write the plan? - Yes! What'd you do with it? Answer us.
What did you do with the plan? Ripped it up.
Threw it away.
That a fact.
If Jerry didn't send us the plan, then who did? He confessed to the murder, Lil.
We got to call the D.
A.
Nah, I don't buy it, boss.
The kid was an 80 pound weakling in 1999.
No way he drowned a 200 pound adult male on his own.
- Won't change his story.
- At least now we got motive.
Victim was a pedophile with a plan.
For waging physiological warfare on a 13 year old boy.
Pedophiles are prolific.
Nash would've had other victims.
Maybe Jerry had an accomplice.
Academy's infirmary records.
Colonel gave them up without a warrant.
Real cooperative guy.
Elisa? What's wrong? Medical records of 7th graders in Nash's swim class, 1999, same year as Jerry.
I check for symptoms of sexual abuse.
All I came up with was this.
Private RJ holden, reported by a night duty sergeant for bed-wetting.
Started when he was in Nash's swim class.
Bedwetting at age 13? Could've been a symptom of stress, or sexual abuse.
Night duty sergeant reported it, James Creighton.
Well, we'll go back to him, see if he knows about RJ.
I got to I got to go.
Yeah.
Yeah, sure.
- Uh, hey, I, I'm sorry, boss.
- Just go, Scotty.
How long has Elisa been out of the hospital? A month, two.
The six P's, and don't you ever forget them.
"Prior preparation prevents piss poor performance!" Grandma's slow, but she's old! Sergeant Creighton? Lieutenant Stillman, philadelphia homicide.
- Sir.
- Sergeant.
We're here about cadet RJ holden.
The bedwetting report you filed when he was 13.
Yes, ma'am.
I surely remember that.
Sergeant, what was the nature of RJ's relationship with Nash cavanaugh? Relationship, sir? Lieutenant Cavanaugh abused at least one boy at this school.
Sexually.
Did you know about that, sergeant? No, ma'am, I did not.
Did you ever talk to RJ about the bed-wetting problem? It's not my duty to talk about the problem, sir.
Then what was your duty, sergeant? To end it.
Piss the sheets, you walk the yard, private.
Don't you go all crybaby on me now.
Do I look like your mama, private? He grabbed me.
What? - He grabbed me.
- What are you talking about? Lieutenant Cavanaugh he grabbed my my thing.
- Are you a faggot? - Sir? - Are you a faggot? - No, sir.
I asked you a direct question, I expect a direct answer, private.
Are you or are you not a faggot? I am not a faggot, sir.
So we don't have a problem then, do we, private Holden? No, sir.
Disciplining the plebes was my job.
I did what I thought was best.
Disciplining them? Sergeant, RJ was a 13 year old boy asking for help.
Is that the approach that earned you the bronze star? These boys are liars, cheats and drunks.
Slop, sir.
Just like I was when I came here as a boy.
The bronze star, sir? The academy earned that.
Made me a man.
What Nash did to RJ, did that make him a man, sergeant? Elisa? Elisa? El? The Giant Came Back Can't say I remember that conversation with sergeant Creighton.
Sorry, ma'am.
You told him that lieutenant Cavanaugh touched you, RJ.
Like I said, don't recall the convo.
What about the bed-wetting? You recall that, RJ? Now that would be memorable.
Can't say I do, ma'am.
- Your file's got the records.
- Then someone made a mistake.
I don't think so.
- So blondes think now, ma'am? - Watch your tone, son.
Best defense is a good offense, right, RJ? Whatever, ma'am.
Take the focus off of you.
What Nash did to you.
RJ, we know about Jerry.
Jerry? And what Nash did to him.
- From this.
- "Ignore, reward, secret.
" What can you tell us about number four? "Test.
" How'd he test you? You were 13 years old, RJ.
What Nash cavanaugh did to you was wrong.
I'll tell you.
All right.
Sit down, son.
I'm not a fag.
It's all right, RJ.
I'm not a fag.
Got to make sure you get in some extra hours of practice.
Yes, sir.
Meet's coming up in a week.
And you are going to make the top ten this time, buddy.
But we have got to keep this on the D.
L.
We don't want anyone to think I'm playing favorites here.
Sure.
I mean, yes, sir.
Just like the beer, this is our secret.
Just you and me.
You haven't told anyone about that, have you? No, sir.
Of course you haven't.
Or I would've heard.
You passed the test.
Keeping our secrets.
You got an A+, buddy.
You didn't think I was going to hurt you, did you? Of course you didn't.
Now give me a big smile.
Number four: Test.
Make sure they don't run and I didn't.
Tell me about number five.
Escalate.
He'd show me porn magazines.
Tell me, "you can touch yourself if you want.
I won't tell.
" He used them on other boys, too.
That's how me and You and Jerry? - I don't know any Jerry.
- Jerry kasher.
I don't know any Jerry.
- You were in the same swim class.
- It was me, okay! I drowned that son of a bitch! I killed Nash! And I don't know any Jerry.
RJ says he doesn't know Jerry.
Jerry says he doesn't know RJ.
But both are confessing to the murder.
And neither of them seem to know this plan was sent to us.
A school that size, boss, these kids had to know each other.
Well enough to talk about sexual abuse? Kids came from different worlds, Lil.
Popular athlete, loser outcast.
Nothing in common.
Except Nash's swim class.
Hey, handwriting's back.
- Neither Jerry or RJ's matched the plan.
- So there was a boy number three? Nash being Nash, no telling how many boys wanted him dead.
Well, maybe this third kid holds the key how Jerry and RJ are connected.
I'll lean on Jerry again.
Short fuse.
Guess who I just had a chat with? Private RJ holden.
He told.
What're you talking about? Number five: Escalate.
The magazines Nash used.
No wonder you wanted to kill him.
I would, too.
- RJ told you about that? - Mm-hmm.
And that you, Jerry, were the ringleader.
He said you thought up the murder all on your own It was Dominic's idea, not mine! It was all Dominic! Sit down.
Sit down.
So Dominic wrote the plan, huh? How'd you guys find each other? You were just kids, you know.
What happened It wasn't your fault.
He started with the drinks.
That was our secret.
Then came the night swims.
Then the magazines and other things.
And by that time, I'd kept so many secrets I couldn't tell the truth.
Then tell the truth now.
Dominic was the only one of us who had guts.
How did Dominic find you and RJ? I took one of Nash's magazines, and showed it around.
You know, I didn't mean anything by it.
I just I wanted the other kids to like me.
Her boobs It's huge! Like balloons.
Yo, I didn't see miss April yet! You're ripping her booty, man! What the hell.
That's when we knew.
And that's when you made the plan.
To do to Nash, what he did to us.
Ignore, reward, secret, test, escalate destroy.
Dominic lasalle.
Also in Nash's swim class.
Lil, you take him in interview A.
You two split up Jerry and RJ.
I'm here as Dominic's guardian.
I'd like to observe.
John, show the colonel to observation, please.
Not exactly chomping at the bit to take down another kid, especially when the guy deserved to die.
Amen.
/ We got our jobs to do, Lil.
Let's go.
Wish I had called in sick today.
Yeah, me, too.
Scotty, is she okay? Uh, she's gone.
- What? - She's not anywhere.
Not any of the places she goes to when she gets you know, like this.
library, the park, her sister's.
All day, I'm driving.
I can't find her.
Scotty, call it in, get some help.
I can't call it in.
They'll make her go back, and I promised her she'd, she'd never have to go back.
I promised.
I I can't do that to her.
- All right.
It's going to be all right.
- Playing stickball on my block.
That's the first time I seen her.
Oh, man just kicking it on a hot summer night.
That's the only place Elisa ever felt normal, you know? I got to find her.
Are you sure you want my handwriting? Hmm? Don't you want to play bad cop first? Knock me around some? Write.
I confess.
I wrote the plan.
And you sent it to us.
Why? Boredom.
Military environments thrive on the cultivation of it.
Makes warfare that much more of a rush.
- Really? - You should know.
Dreary police academy drills.
Then you get to kill.
What a thrill.
I wouldn't know.
Maybe you will.
Like you do? We killed that pervert.
- We? - Me and my two buddies.
What two buddies, Dominic? Me, myself and I.
Your friends are putting the job on you.
Jerry, Dominic.
You want a deal, you better jump in fast.
Your wife still flog the bishop, or did she stop doing that a hundred years ago? My wife's dead.
Nine years ago.
Tell me about the plan.
Dominic figured it out what Nash was doing.
His plan.
What he did to you at the pool, Jerry, he did that to all of us.
It was like his plan all along.
- I don't get it.
- Number one: Ignore.
He ignored us in different ways, made us beg for attention.
- Then he rewarded us.
- With the beer.
That was number two in his plan.
He made me keep it a secret.
Me, too.
'Cause it was number three: Keeping secrets.
Then he made real sure we never told on him.
I didn't.
Did you? No.
Shh.
Kinda like a test.
Right.
Number four: Test.
Right.
Made sure we never told anyone so he could do other things and not get caught.
Like show us those magazines.
That was number five.
- Escalate.
- What does that escalate mean? To make things worse.
Then, the final thing number six we know what that is.
You don't have to say it.
Number one: Ignore.
No one show up at swim class tomorrow.
We do to him, step by step, exactly what he did to us.
So after you skipped out on Nash's swim class, what happened? Number two.
Whoever he came to first, whoever he picked, that kid would be the bait.
the reward.
I was just holding my breath.
Hoping it wouldn't be me.
Private Lasalle, why weren't you not in class? I got busy.
Excuse me? I said I got busy.
Wanna see what I got so busy with? Got it for tonight.
For the pool.
Will you bring some beer, sir? Number two: Reward.
You were it.
RJ and Jerry are talking.
Time's a wasting.
You're playing your hand badly, detective Rush.
See, in poker, like business or warfare, The optimal strategy is not to have one.
Or, rather, not to show it.
You wear yours like a bad dye job.
Game's over, Dominic.
You already confessed to the murder.
So there's something that happened that night that you don't wanna give up.
I wonder what that is.
Number three: Secret.
What was the secret? Dominic was gonna get Nash in the pool like he did to us.
Promise to do things with him.
And then and then everything went wrong.
Ready to get in? Nah.
I'm a little too tired, buddy.
Maybe some other time.
But but I got a secret.
A real good secret for us in the pool.
Like I said maybe some other time.
So the plan fell apart.
Nash left.
No.
He didn't.
You got him back in the pool? How'd you do that? How'd you do that, RJ? How'd you get Nash into the pool, Jerry? How'd you do it? Dominic, whatever you had to do it wasn't your fault.
- What you did - Number four: Test.
Make sure that he doesn't run.
But I can't let the plan fail.
So I beg him.
"Please," I said.
"Please.
" Like I said, some other time.
Please? Please? Only if you smile.
Number six: Destroy.
"From the child, comes forth the soldier.
" That's what he would say when he was done.
And I would just go away in my mind.
Not this time.
Not this time.
From the child, comes forth the soldier.
Isn't that right, buddy? Hey, what are you guys doing here? Don't let your elbows touch the water, private! 60 seconds! Go! Can't is not in your vocabulary, cadet! Failure is not an option! You're special, a real winner, my special boy! You like this, don't you! Don't pretend you don't like it! Destroy, destroy, destroy! Somebody's coming.
They shouldn't go away for this.
Hmm.
They confessed murder one.
What are you gonna do? Maybe the guy slipped, fell, and hit his head, boss.
- I could see that.
- Accidental death.
My pen ran out in there, didn't get that last part.
I think we could all use a scotch right about now.
Anyone hear from Scotty? Not me.
You sent it in, you frigging rat! Hey, knock it off! You frigging liar! Gun! - Don't you touch me! - Dominic! Dominic! Listen to me.
Dominic! - Dominic, put the gun down.
- Don't nobody touch me! Listen to me.
Dominic, listen to me.
It's gonna be okay, I promise you.
I promise you, Dominic.
It's going to be okay.
- Put the gun down.
- Listen, I wrote it.
The plan, I wrote it! But I didn't send it.
Put the gun down.
Dominic! I didn't send it.
No, Dominic! No! I talked to the hospital.
It's looking bad.
But they can't say for sure right now.
If Dominic didn't send the plan then who did? It's over, Lil.
Let's go home.
I've been looking for you all day.
Everywhere I'm looking for you.
God, Elisa.
I'm sorry.
You okay? Hey.
Talk to me.
They came back, Scotty.
The giants.
I know what you're thinking, I know you think that I didn't take my meds, but I did.
And they still came back.
Well, we'll get stronger meds.
We'll talk to the doctor to see whatever to save.
/ That's what we did last time.
It's what we do all the time, and it doesn't get better.
Maybe it just doesn't.
I'm gonna go stay at my sister's for a while.
- That's what you want to do, do it.
- I don't know what else to do.
Do you? Shirts two, skins zero.
There ain't no skins.
You know? You see that? I mean, just just look! I meant before, when we were kids.
Let's go, Elisa.
/ Skins make a comeback in the last inning.
Do you remember? No.
Triple play.
Scored by Scotty valens.
I don't remember.
I do.
- That was a long time ago.
- Not so long ago, Scotty.
Not so long ago.
Dominic's in the ICU.
No word yet.
Last thing he said before he shot himself was he didn't send the plan.
Then who did? Was there someone else in on this besides the three of you? No, just us.
But someone else knew.
We lost it that night.
The plan? It was in Dominic's pocket.
- He stuck everything in his pockets.
- Dumbass.
And then it was gone after the pool.
It was gone.
Where'd it go? What? - The plan! It was here.
- You put in your pocket? You dumbass! / Shh! Okay, it's okay.
Listen up, here's what we do.
Never tell.
No matter what happens.
If we're ever caught, each man takes the fall.
By himself.
Alone.
Like a soldier.
- Never tell.
- Never tell.
Never tell.
He went back to the pool that night.
- Dominic, to look for it.
- Did he find it? We never talked about it.
Like it never happened.
And after a while, it felt like it never did.
He should have this, not me.
For what he did, what they all did.
Took more guts than I ever had.
"From the child comes forth the soldier.
" That's what Nash always said.
After.
You were a lifer at the academy.
In Nash's swim class, long ago.
Not so long ago.
You were the duty sergeant that night.
You found Nash's body.
And the plan.
/ The world had to know what he did to them.
- To me.
- That's why you sent it in.
But why now, Creighton? The last class of Nash's victims.
The last to bear witness.
Nash's secret would go away with them.
- You couldn't let that happen.
- I didn't let that happen.
No, you didn't.
Why are you here? You let these boys go, I'll tell you.
Depends on what you have to tell me.
I watch boys.
Just like Nash did, I watch boys, and I know that I'm becoming him.
Please put me away.
Stop me.
Let them have their lives.
Let them become men.
- Just let them go.
- How can I? - They killed a man.
- No, they didn't.
Somebody's coming! Creighton! Creighton! "Wise Up" by Aimee Mann ~~ It's not what you thought ~~ ~~ When you first began it ~~ ~~ You got what you want ~~ ~~ You can hardly stand it thought by now you know ~~ ~~ It's not going to stop ~~ ~~ It's not going to stop ~~ ~~ It's not going to stop 'til you wise up ~~ ~~ You're sure there's a cure ~~ ~~ And you have finally found it ~~ ~~ You think one drink ~~ ~~ Will shrink you til you're underground and living down ~~ ~~ But it's not going to stop ~~ ~~ It's not going to stop ~~ ~~ It's not going to stop ~~ ~~ It's not going to stop 'til you wise up ~~
- May 15, 1999 - I do not want to see your elbows touch.
Do you understand? Sir, I can't Can't? Can't is not in your vocabulary.
Failure is not an option.
Failure is not an option, Private Kasher.
Do you understand me? Sir, yes, sir.
Go.
59, 58, Private Kasher? Private Kasher! Private kasher? The tenth time you checked that thing.
Oh, she was supposed to call at 9:00.
Elisa.
- It's 9:07.
- Well, she's seven minutes late.
That a regular thing? - Elisa calling in? - No, no.
It's a Yeah.
I mean she was doing so good, and then I don't know.
I don't know what's happening.
Where were you? Lil, questioned documents kicked this one over.
- Want us to take a look.
- Cold job? Doesn't match any live ones.
It was mailed anonymously into homicide.
Letterhead's from the Wilkes military academy for boys.
The boot camp boarding school in Roxborough? Mm-hmm.
State run, scared straight central.
Parents who can't control their bad boys, dump them there.
- What is it? - Some kind of list.
"The plan.
" "Number one: Ignore.
" "Number two: Reward.
" "Number three: Secret.
" "Number four: Test.
" "Number five: Escalate.
" "Six" "Destroy.
" What the hell.
It could be some kind of shorthand? Question is, what for? Mailed into homicide.
What else? - Documents went over it? - No fingerprints.
Sender didn't even spit on the seal.
"May 15, 1999.
" - "Nash.
" - Well, maybe Nash is the writer.
Or the victim.
Cold Case 1x22 The Plan ORIGINAL AIR DATE ON CBS: 2004/05/02 So the doer's feeling the guilt.
Mails it in.
Or some bystander finds it.
Wants to do the right thing.
It could be a frame job.
Why send it five years after the fact? The problem is we got no murders under hundred some years Wilkes military academy's been around.
No body with a Nash toe tag It wasn't classified as a homicide.
"Accidental death.
Wilkes military academy, may 15, 1999.
Nash cavanaugh.
35 years old.
" Hmm drowning.
Guy was liquored up good.
Blood alcohol content .
30.
Questioned documents took a stab at who sent this "plan" in? Handwriting analysis suggests a kid wrote it.
Other than that, we got nothing.
A night duty sergeant, James Creighton, found the body.
Maybe we start with him.
Cavanaugh's death was classified as accidental.
We conducted our own investigation.
And now, we're conducting ours.
Well, sergeant Creighton was the duty sergeant on rounds that night.
- Tell them what you know, Creighton.
- Sir, yes, sir.
I found lieutenant Cavanaugh at 06:00.
negative vital signs, no response to CPR.
Creighton was in Iraq.
Earned the bronze star.
Ever seen this, colonel? No.
How about you, sergeant Creighton? I never seen that, ma'am.
Ignore, reward, secret, test, escalate, destroy - that mean anything to you, colonel? - Nothing at all.
Were you aware that Nash was a drinker, colonel? It never interfered with his duties here.
The lieutenant was respected.
Knew how to deal with slop.
Slop? The kids who come here.
Drug addicts, hoodlums, cons in the making.
Nash turned slop into men.
"Can't" is not in your vocabulary! Failure is not an option, private Kasher.
Do you understand me? Private Kasher? Private? Is there a problem here, lieutenant? No, sir.
Then carry on.
Private Lasalle, get him out of here.
Dismissed! Passed.
But I didn't do , sir.
You never will.
Please, just give me one more chance, sir, please I can do it.
I know I can, sir! Please! One more chance, sir.
Please, I can do it.
I know I can.
Please, sir.
"From the child, comes forth the soldier.
" Cavanaugh made that happen.
By almost drowning a child? Private Jerry kasher was and always will be a bad seed.
Not even Cavanaugh could change that.
This private Kasher, he ever make any threats on Nash? No.
But he threatened other cadets.
- How? - Torching their bunks with them in it.
Private Kasher's got 30 some hours to walk off before graduation.
Private Kasher! - Walk off? - Tour of punishment.
Front and center! You need some weaponry 101, private? / No, sir.
Detective Rush, Valens.
Philadelphia homicide.
These people are here to ask you some questions.
Answer them.
Gung-ho jarhead.
We're here about Nash cavanaugh.
Gung-ho jarhead number two.
We hear you had a beef with him in swimming class.
Almost drowned you.
Guy just wanted me to be all that I could be.
- Got you pretty pissed off.
- Just enough to kill him? That's not how it was.
I just wanted another chance.
I can do it, sir.
One minute, sir.
I can do it.
Look.
Go.
Time.
Didn't think you had it in you, buddy.
You proved me wrong.
For that, you get the prize.
What was the prize? His respect.
Nash was proud of me.
That was important to you.
Him being proud of you? Only time anyone ever was.
So what changed? - With what? - With you.
Nothing.
Nothing changed.
My folks, uh, mailed me one way, parcel post, No return address to this armpit.
I was always trouble.
Kid's gone to the dark side.
But back in the day, it sounds like he kind of worshipped Nash.
Didn't hate him.
Well, maybe Nash had other enemies? Could be.
Guy was a hard ass.
Got a hold of private Kasher's medical records.
Might shine a different light.
Few months prior to Nash's death, multiple visits to the infirmary.
Kid was throwing up drunk.
Drunk? He was 13 years old.
Half the academy's students enter the school with drug and alcohol problems.
The place is on 24/7 lock-down.
No way those kids could get booze.
But an adult could.
And we know who our resident drinker on campus was.
Nash cavanaugh.
Where'd you get the alcohol, Jerry? Boozehound Nash, he ever pass on the love? What do you mean? Where'd you get the booze? / Maybe you were sipping a nip from the Nash stash? That the real reason you were trying to get in good with him? He gave it to me! I never asked for it! That was the prize.
Didn't mean to scare you, buddy.
Yes, sir.
I mean, no, sir.
- I'm not scared.
- Of course, you're not.
For what you did today.
- Your reward.
- Sir? You're a man now.
You made me proud, being a winner out there.
You pass go.
Collect your reward.
Drink up.
Not just anyone gets this reward.
I save it for the winners.
For my special boys like you, Jerry.
Thank you.
I mean it.
Sir.
Let's keep this our secret, okay, buddy? Just you and me.
Sir, yes, sir.
Our secret.
Your secret? Ignore reward secret.
It's the plan.
Nash ignored you in the pool.
Rewarded you with the booze.
Made you keep a secret.
What other secrets did he make you keep? Drawing you in, keeping things quietwhy? What kind of secrets do a 35 year old man and a boy have? It wasn't a murderer's plan, was it? It was a pedophile's / He deserved to die for what he did to me! Sit down! I did it! I killed him! - You killed him.
- Yeah! I killed that sick pervert.
- By yourself.
- I did it! - Did you write the plan? - Yes! What'd you do with it? Answer us.
What did you do with the plan? Ripped it up.
Threw it away.
That a fact.
If Jerry didn't send us the plan, then who did? He confessed to the murder, Lil.
We got to call the D.
A.
Nah, I don't buy it, boss.
The kid was an 80 pound weakling in 1999.
No way he drowned a 200 pound adult male on his own.
- Won't change his story.
- At least now we got motive.
Victim was a pedophile with a plan.
For waging physiological warfare on a 13 year old boy.
Pedophiles are prolific.
Nash would've had other victims.
Maybe Jerry had an accomplice.
Academy's infirmary records.
Colonel gave them up without a warrant.
Real cooperative guy.
Elisa? What's wrong? Medical records of 7th graders in Nash's swim class, 1999, same year as Jerry.
I check for symptoms of sexual abuse.
All I came up with was this.
Private RJ holden, reported by a night duty sergeant for bed-wetting.
Started when he was in Nash's swim class.
Bedwetting at age 13? Could've been a symptom of stress, or sexual abuse.
Night duty sergeant reported it, James Creighton.
Well, we'll go back to him, see if he knows about RJ.
I got to I got to go.
Yeah.
Yeah, sure.
- Uh, hey, I, I'm sorry, boss.
- Just go, Scotty.
How long has Elisa been out of the hospital? A month, two.
The six P's, and don't you ever forget them.
"Prior preparation prevents piss poor performance!" Grandma's slow, but she's old! Sergeant Creighton? Lieutenant Stillman, philadelphia homicide.
- Sir.
- Sergeant.
We're here about cadet RJ holden.
The bedwetting report you filed when he was 13.
Yes, ma'am.
I surely remember that.
Sergeant, what was the nature of RJ's relationship with Nash cavanaugh? Relationship, sir? Lieutenant Cavanaugh abused at least one boy at this school.
Sexually.
Did you know about that, sergeant? No, ma'am, I did not.
Did you ever talk to RJ about the bed-wetting problem? It's not my duty to talk about the problem, sir.
Then what was your duty, sergeant? To end it.
Piss the sheets, you walk the yard, private.
Don't you go all crybaby on me now.
Do I look like your mama, private? He grabbed me.
What? - He grabbed me.
- What are you talking about? Lieutenant Cavanaugh he grabbed my my thing.
- Are you a faggot? - Sir? - Are you a faggot? - No, sir.
I asked you a direct question, I expect a direct answer, private.
Are you or are you not a faggot? I am not a faggot, sir.
So we don't have a problem then, do we, private Holden? No, sir.
Disciplining the plebes was my job.
I did what I thought was best.
Disciplining them? Sergeant, RJ was a 13 year old boy asking for help.
Is that the approach that earned you the bronze star? These boys are liars, cheats and drunks.
Slop, sir.
Just like I was when I came here as a boy.
The bronze star, sir? The academy earned that.
Made me a man.
What Nash did to RJ, did that make him a man, sergeant? Elisa? Elisa? El? The Giant Came Back Can't say I remember that conversation with sergeant Creighton.
Sorry, ma'am.
You told him that lieutenant Cavanaugh touched you, RJ.
Like I said, don't recall the convo.
What about the bed-wetting? You recall that, RJ? Now that would be memorable.
Can't say I do, ma'am.
- Your file's got the records.
- Then someone made a mistake.
I don't think so.
- So blondes think now, ma'am? - Watch your tone, son.
Best defense is a good offense, right, RJ? Whatever, ma'am.
Take the focus off of you.
What Nash did to you.
RJ, we know about Jerry.
Jerry? And what Nash did to him.
- From this.
- "Ignore, reward, secret.
" What can you tell us about number four? "Test.
" How'd he test you? You were 13 years old, RJ.
What Nash cavanaugh did to you was wrong.
I'll tell you.
All right.
Sit down, son.
I'm not a fag.
It's all right, RJ.
I'm not a fag.
Got to make sure you get in some extra hours of practice.
Yes, sir.
Meet's coming up in a week.
And you are going to make the top ten this time, buddy.
But we have got to keep this on the D.
L.
We don't want anyone to think I'm playing favorites here.
Sure.
I mean, yes, sir.
Just like the beer, this is our secret.
Just you and me.
You haven't told anyone about that, have you? No, sir.
Of course you haven't.
Or I would've heard.
You passed the test.
Keeping our secrets.
You got an A+, buddy.
You didn't think I was going to hurt you, did you? Of course you didn't.
Now give me a big smile.
Number four: Test.
Make sure they don't run and I didn't.
Tell me about number five.
Escalate.
He'd show me porn magazines.
Tell me, "you can touch yourself if you want.
I won't tell.
" He used them on other boys, too.
That's how me and You and Jerry? - I don't know any Jerry.
- Jerry kasher.
I don't know any Jerry.
- You were in the same swim class.
- It was me, okay! I drowned that son of a bitch! I killed Nash! And I don't know any Jerry.
RJ says he doesn't know Jerry.
Jerry says he doesn't know RJ.
But both are confessing to the murder.
And neither of them seem to know this plan was sent to us.
A school that size, boss, these kids had to know each other.
Well enough to talk about sexual abuse? Kids came from different worlds, Lil.
Popular athlete, loser outcast.
Nothing in common.
Except Nash's swim class.
Hey, handwriting's back.
- Neither Jerry or RJ's matched the plan.
- So there was a boy number three? Nash being Nash, no telling how many boys wanted him dead.
Well, maybe this third kid holds the key how Jerry and RJ are connected.
I'll lean on Jerry again.
Short fuse.
Guess who I just had a chat with? Private RJ holden.
He told.
What're you talking about? Number five: Escalate.
The magazines Nash used.
No wonder you wanted to kill him.
I would, too.
- RJ told you about that? - Mm-hmm.
And that you, Jerry, were the ringleader.
He said you thought up the murder all on your own It was Dominic's idea, not mine! It was all Dominic! Sit down.
Sit down.
So Dominic wrote the plan, huh? How'd you guys find each other? You were just kids, you know.
What happened It wasn't your fault.
He started with the drinks.
That was our secret.
Then came the night swims.
Then the magazines and other things.
And by that time, I'd kept so many secrets I couldn't tell the truth.
Then tell the truth now.
Dominic was the only one of us who had guts.
How did Dominic find you and RJ? I took one of Nash's magazines, and showed it around.
You know, I didn't mean anything by it.
I just I wanted the other kids to like me.
Her boobs It's huge! Like balloons.
Yo, I didn't see miss April yet! You're ripping her booty, man! What the hell.
That's when we knew.
And that's when you made the plan.
To do to Nash, what he did to us.
Ignore, reward, secret, test, escalate destroy.
Dominic lasalle.
Also in Nash's swim class.
Lil, you take him in interview A.
You two split up Jerry and RJ.
I'm here as Dominic's guardian.
I'd like to observe.
John, show the colonel to observation, please.
Not exactly chomping at the bit to take down another kid, especially when the guy deserved to die.
Amen.
/ We got our jobs to do, Lil.
Let's go.
Wish I had called in sick today.
Yeah, me, too.
Scotty, is she okay? Uh, she's gone.
- What? - She's not anywhere.
Not any of the places she goes to when she gets you know, like this.
library, the park, her sister's.
All day, I'm driving.
I can't find her.
Scotty, call it in, get some help.
I can't call it in.
They'll make her go back, and I promised her she'd, she'd never have to go back.
I promised.
I I can't do that to her.
- All right.
It's going to be all right.
- Playing stickball on my block.
That's the first time I seen her.
Oh, man just kicking it on a hot summer night.
That's the only place Elisa ever felt normal, you know? I got to find her.
Are you sure you want my handwriting? Hmm? Don't you want to play bad cop first? Knock me around some? Write.
I confess.
I wrote the plan.
And you sent it to us.
Why? Boredom.
Military environments thrive on the cultivation of it.
Makes warfare that much more of a rush.
- Really? - You should know.
Dreary police academy drills.
Then you get to kill.
What a thrill.
I wouldn't know.
Maybe you will.
Like you do? We killed that pervert.
- We? - Me and my two buddies.
What two buddies, Dominic? Me, myself and I.
Your friends are putting the job on you.
Jerry, Dominic.
You want a deal, you better jump in fast.
Your wife still flog the bishop, or did she stop doing that a hundred years ago? My wife's dead.
Nine years ago.
Tell me about the plan.
Dominic figured it out what Nash was doing.
His plan.
What he did to you at the pool, Jerry, he did that to all of us.
It was like his plan all along.
- I don't get it.
- Number one: Ignore.
He ignored us in different ways, made us beg for attention.
- Then he rewarded us.
- With the beer.
That was number two in his plan.
He made me keep it a secret.
Me, too.
'Cause it was number three: Keeping secrets.
Then he made real sure we never told on him.
I didn't.
Did you? No.
Shh.
Kinda like a test.
Right.
Number four: Test.
Right.
Made sure we never told anyone so he could do other things and not get caught.
Like show us those magazines.
That was number five.
- Escalate.
- What does that escalate mean? To make things worse.
Then, the final thing number six we know what that is.
You don't have to say it.
Number one: Ignore.
No one show up at swim class tomorrow.
We do to him, step by step, exactly what he did to us.
So after you skipped out on Nash's swim class, what happened? Number two.
Whoever he came to first, whoever he picked, that kid would be the bait.
the reward.
I was just holding my breath.
Hoping it wouldn't be me.
Private Lasalle, why weren't you not in class? I got busy.
Excuse me? I said I got busy.
Wanna see what I got so busy with? Got it for tonight.
For the pool.
Will you bring some beer, sir? Number two: Reward.
You were it.
RJ and Jerry are talking.
Time's a wasting.
You're playing your hand badly, detective Rush.
See, in poker, like business or warfare, The optimal strategy is not to have one.
Or, rather, not to show it.
You wear yours like a bad dye job.
Game's over, Dominic.
You already confessed to the murder.
So there's something that happened that night that you don't wanna give up.
I wonder what that is.
Number three: Secret.
What was the secret? Dominic was gonna get Nash in the pool like he did to us.
Promise to do things with him.
And then and then everything went wrong.
Ready to get in? Nah.
I'm a little too tired, buddy.
Maybe some other time.
But but I got a secret.
A real good secret for us in the pool.
Like I said maybe some other time.
So the plan fell apart.
Nash left.
No.
He didn't.
You got him back in the pool? How'd you do that? How'd you do that, RJ? How'd you get Nash into the pool, Jerry? How'd you do it? Dominic, whatever you had to do it wasn't your fault.
- What you did - Number four: Test.
Make sure that he doesn't run.
But I can't let the plan fail.
So I beg him.
"Please," I said.
"Please.
" Like I said, some other time.
Please? Please? Only if you smile.
Number six: Destroy.
"From the child, comes forth the soldier.
" That's what he would say when he was done.
And I would just go away in my mind.
Not this time.
Not this time.
From the child, comes forth the soldier.
Isn't that right, buddy? Hey, what are you guys doing here? Don't let your elbows touch the water, private! 60 seconds! Go! Can't is not in your vocabulary, cadet! Failure is not an option! You're special, a real winner, my special boy! You like this, don't you! Don't pretend you don't like it! Destroy, destroy, destroy! Somebody's coming.
They shouldn't go away for this.
Hmm.
They confessed murder one.
What are you gonna do? Maybe the guy slipped, fell, and hit his head, boss.
- I could see that.
- Accidental death.
My pen ran out in there, didn't get that last part.
I think we could all use a scotch right about now.
Anyone hear from Scotty? Not me.
You sent it in, you frigging rat! Hey, knock it off! You frigging liar! Gun! - Don't you touch me! - Dominic! Dominic! Listen to me.
Dominic! - Dominic, put the gun down.
- Don't nobody touch me! Listen to me.
Dominic, listen to me.
It's gonna be okay, I promise you.
I promise you, Dominic.
It's going to be okay.
- Put the gun down.
- Listen, I wrote it.
The plan, I wrote it! But I didn't send it.
Put the gun down.
Dominic! I didn't send it.
No, Dominic! No! I talked to the hospital.
It's looking bad.
But they can't say for sure right now.
If Dominic didn't send the plan then who did? It's over, Lil.
Let's go home.
I've been looking for you all day.
Everywhere I'm looking for you.
God, Elisa.
I'm sorry.
You okay? Hey.
Talk to me.
They came back, Scotty.
The giants.
I know what you're thinking, I know you think that I didn't take my meds, but I did.
And they still came back.
Well, we'll get stronger meds.
We'll talk to the doctor to see whatever to save.
/ That's what we did last time.
It's what we do all the time, and it doesn't get better.
Maybe it just doesn't.
I'm gonna go stay at my sister's for a while.
- That's what you want to do, do it.
- I don't know what else to do.
Do you? Shirts two, skins zero.
There ain't no skins.
You know? You see that? I mean, just just look! I meant before, when we were kids.
Let's go, Elisa.
/ Skins make a comeback in the last inning.
Do you remember? No.
Triple play.
Scored by Scotty valens.
I don't remember.
I do.
- That was a long time ago.
- Not so long ago, Scotty.
Not so long ago.
Dominic's in the ICU.
No word yet.
Last thing he said before he shot himself was he didn't send the plan.
Then who did? Was there someone else in on this besides the three of you? No, just us.
But someone else knew.
We lost it that night.
The plan? It was in Dominic's pocket.
- He stuck everything in his pockets.
- Dumbass.
And then it was gone after the pool.
It was gone.
Where'd it go? What? - The plan! It was here.
- You put in your pocket? You dumbass! / Shh! Okay, it's okay.
Listen up, here's what we do.
Never tell.
No matter what happens.
If we're ever caught, each man takes the fall.
By himself.
Alone.
Like a soldier.
- Never tell.
- Never tell.
Never tell.
He went back to the pool that night.
- Dominic, to look for it.
- Did he find it? We never talked about it.
Like it never happened.
And after a while, it felt like it never did.
He should have this, not me.
For what he did, what they all did.
Took more guts than I ever had.
"From the child comes forth the soldier.
" That's what Nash always said.
After.
You were a lifer at the academy.
In Nash's swim class, long ago.
Not so long ago.
You were the duty sergeant that night.
You found Nash's body.
And the plan.
/ The world had to know what he did to them.
- To me.
- That's why you sent it in.
But why now, Creighton? The last class of Nash's victims.
The last to bear witness.
Nash's secret would go away with them.
- You couldn't let that happen.
- I didn't let that happen.
No, you didn't.
Why are you here? You let these boys go, I'll tell you.
Depends on what you have to tell me.
I watch boys.
Just like Nash did, I watch boys, and I know that I'm becoming him.
Please put me away.
Stop me.
Let them have their lives.
Let them become men.
- Just let them go.
- How can I? - They killed a man.
- No, they didn't.
Somebody's coming! Creighton! Creighton! "Wise Up" by Aimee Mann ~~ It's not what you thought ~~ ~~ When you first began it ~~ ~~ You got what you want ~~ ~~ You can hardly stand it thought by now you know ~~ ~~ It's not going to stop ~~ ~~ It's not going to stop ~~ ~~ It's not going to stop 'til you wise up ~~ ~~ You're sure there's a cure ~~ ~~ And you have finally found it ~~ ~~ You think one drink ~~ ~~ Will shrink you til you're underground and living down ~~ ~~ But it's not going to stop ~~ ~~ It's not going to stop ~~ ~~ It's not going to stop ~~ ~~ It's not going to stop 'til you wise up ~~