Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) s01e10 Episode Script
Enemy Within
Although inspired in part by a true incident, the following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event.
In New York City's war on crime, the worst criminal offenders are pursued by the detectives of the Major Case Squad.
These are their stories.
Harry, I think you're wrong on this one.
If we release the credits to Delhi, Islamabad won't just sit on its hands.
I don't think we should be taking on new obligations, Father.
We're a bank, Edward.
That's what we do, take on obligations.
Don't be such a nervous Nelly.
Me, nervous? You're the one who sees assassins behind every plant.
I see traitors.
There's a difference.
Tell Delhi they have the loan.
If Islamabad squawks, screw 'em.
Time for your shots, Mr.
Sternman.
We'll leave you, Harry.
Shame, Edward.
Shame, shame, shame.
Son of a bitch.
I'm surrounded by sons of bitches, Zainer.
So where is she? She just came back from shopping, she said.
And what about him? Before your meeting, Edward took a call from a Mr.
Zuckerman.
I see what's happening.
I'll get it.
You can throw all that out.
It's junk.
George, is it done yet? What are you doing for 800 bucks an hour? - What about this, sir? - I need it signed end of week.
No, that too.
No excuses.
Just get it done! This so-called reinforced door How reinforced is it? You'd need a bazooka to blow it down.
They've got bazookas.
Well, what about the air filters? Once they're installed, they could pump cyanide into this place, it'd be like an offshore breeze.
"Once they're installed"? Why aren't they installed now? We're waiting for your son to okay them.
I say they're okay.
What exactly did he tell Knowles? Something about it had to be signed by the end of the week.
That stupid old man.
What did he mean by whatever happens? - What's supposed to happen? - I don't know.
Edward just said, "Get him out by the elevator.
" What should I do? Just what he told you.
Where are you going with your boobs hanging out like that? Cocktail party at the Met.
I'll be back by 9:00.
Oh, and make sure he takes one of his little blue pills.
He might just get lucky tonight.
She thinks I'd go near that swamp? Like she doesn't think I know where it's been, that I don't know what's going on in this house! Now the Russians, they'll get all weepy on you, but they are ruthless SOBs.
Ow! God, watch it, you idiot.
Yes sir, I'm sorry.
What're you stopping for? My back is still tight.
What is it? - Do you smell smoke? - Smoke? What is it, Zainer? There's a fire down the hall.
I hear noises! This is it! It's them.
They're coming for me.
Zainer, help me! your emergency? They're coming to kill me.
They're breaking in! What is your location, sir? Hear them? They're trying to get in.
Sir, I need your location.
Sternman Towers! For God's sake, hurry! They're shooting at the door.
Oh God, the smoke is coming in.
Sir, emergency services are on the way.
Bastards! They're killing me.
Sir? Sir, can you hear me? Sir? Law & Order CI The building doesn't officially open for another two months.
Mr.
And Mrs.
Sternman were the only residents.
We were still working out a few bugs in the security system.
How elaborate the security system? Alarms on every window, motion sensors on the roof.
We're on the 90th floor.
Mr.
Sternman had whole countries after himso he said.
This was his building.
No one was going to drive him out of it.
- Pack this up.
- Okay.
What do you know about his nurse, Rick Zainer? Very dependable.
Do you have any idea why Sternman would lock himself up in the bathroom? This was the safe room.
Any emergency, the drill was he'd lock himself in here.
Four-way locks, bulletproof door, firewalls Yeah, 9-1-1 mentioned shots fired.
- Check for slugs.
- Okay.
Ventilation that one of the bugs you were working out? / Yes.
Why would Sternman run in here if there was a problem? I don't know, he was a very unusual guy.
It seems so.
This is the panel that controlled the security system.
This is where the fire started.
In the security system? If the grim one's going to get you, he's going to get you.
Did anyone else help this thing along? I won't know until I get this panel back to the lab.
Is there any reason why the sprinklers didn't go off? We're looking into that, too.
We have another smoke fatality.
In the laundry room a maid.
I told him it was fire, but he was convinced it was terrorists.
He told 9-1-1 people were trying to break in.
That could've been me pounding on the bathroom door to tell him to come out, but he wouldn't listen.
Did you see or hear anybody in or out of the apartment? No.
There was black smoke.
I'm lucky I found the stairs.
How long had you been his nurse? Six years.
What kind of nursing did he need? Oh, he was practically a recluse.
He had high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, bad hip, gout he took 14 pills a day.
Any mood-altering drugs? Zoloft, Xanax.
He suffered from depression, anxiety Sounds like he kept you busy.
He was an interesting man.
All right, Mr.
Zainer, thank you.
Did this woman work for you, Mrs.
Sternman? Yes, it's her it's Aricelli.
Aricelli oh God, what's her last name? Rick, what's Aricelli's last name? DiMarco.
What happened to her? We found her dead of smoke inhalation in the laundry room.
Did she have anything to do with starting the fire? Not as far as we know yet.
Would you have her number? We need to call her family.
I know it.
I'll write it down.
I can't believe this is happening.
This is a nightmare.
Edward, thank God.
You got my message.
I was in the car.
I heard on the radio there was a fire.
Where's Dad? Edward, he locked himself in the bathroom.
He died from the smoke.
I'm sorry.
/ Dead? - Oh my God.
What started it? - We don't know yet.
My father's dead.
I can't that's not possible.
Forensics Laboratory Arson Unit One Police Plaza Tuesday, May 8 The fire was designed to be slow burning with a maximum of smoke.
The sprinklers had been disabled in the penthouse but were still operational in the rest of the building.
How was the fire set? Security system has a dedicated phone line to the security company.
The torch hooked up one end of an answering machine circuit board to the phone line and the other end to an electronic match.
He dials the number The phone answers, sparks the match which sets off half a pound of loosely packed black powder.
Can you trace any of the parts? Just the electronic match.
Nine times out of 10, they melt in the fire, but we managed to pull a partial serial number off this one.
I traced the serial number and got it narrowed down to two electronics supply houses.
They can tell you who they sold it to.
Home Of Colin Flynn Queens, New York Wednesday, May 9 Eames, I found the guy's workshop back here.
Firebug, firebug, fly away home.
Electronic matches.
Buy in bulk and save.
Bag this paper shredder.
Look at this.
I make it it's the warehouse next to DiSanto's Beef on 11th.
His next gig.
I can't control variables.
I can be the best driver in the world, a guy steps in front of my car This wasn't some guy.
This was my father, Harry Sternman.
Not to mention this poor woman.
You told me all the help was going to be out by 6:00.
I know what I told you.
I don't know how this could've gone so wrong.
I'm not happy about it either.
I never killed anyone.
You're the expert, you should've known.
Screw that line of thought, my young friend.
And as a point of law, we're both on the hook for homicide.
Joined at the hip, as it were.
Remember, you and me, Eduardo.
Siamese twins.
We're staking out the warehouse and Flynn's apartment.
Any leads on who hired him? Not yet, but we're piecing together the documents in his shredder.
What else we got on Flynn? A sheet a mile long.
No known associates.
House was rented for cash.
And most of his work was insurance-related.
No homicides until now.
He set a slow-burning fire.
Was he trying to give Sternman a chance to get out? Unless the people who hired him knew Sternman would lock himself in his safe room.
It's bulletproof, fireproof.
Only way to get him was with smoke.
Who knows what the intent was here? The crime scene is sending mixed messages.
Maybe somebody on the inside can set you straight.
Goren.
L&S Suppliers Thursday, May 10 The patrolmen found him trying to set the fire.
He reached for something.
They opened fire.
What was he reaching for? A set of car keys.
Didn't anybody tell them we needed this mutt alive? What can I tell you? So you know, he primed the sprinkler system with gasoline instead of water.
Whole block would've gone up.
Hell of a barbeque on a Saturday afternoon.
Seabees Navy Corps of Engineers.
Yeah, Colin Flynn.
Served two tours in Vietnam.
He won't be setting anymore fires now.
I'm sure the patrolman who shot him will be glad to hear that.
I don't think I can tell you anything.
I signed a confidentiality agreement when I went to work for Mr.
Sternman.
Who's dead, last time we checked.
I need to find another job.
Being indiscreet won't help.
The agreement cover only personal matters? And business anything I saw or overheard.
St.
Stephan's Prep? For my sons.
Pretty exclusive.
I was humoring my wife.
The school turned them down anyway.
Mr.
Zainer, we're all working stiffs here.
Anything you tell us right now stays between us.
Please, you're putting me in a lousy position.
Let's try it like this.
What do you feel comfortable telling us? Nothing, but that's not an option, is it? It's good you have a sense of humor about it.
All right, there was some sort of crisis with the bank.
Mr.
Sternman, his son Edward, Mr.
Lewis, they'd been arguing constantly the last two weeks.
What kind of crisis? I'm not sure.
I overheard something about calling in loans, insolvency.
Sounds like a cash crunch.
Whatever it was, it was affecting Mr.
Sternman's health.
That's all I can tell you.
It's a lot.
That's my wife.
She calls me when she's on break at the hospital.
Excuse me.
I did a news search of the Sternman Bank.
Nothing about a financial crisis.
If they were in a cash crunch and trying to raise money, you figure somebody's going to notice.
If you're looking on Wall Street, sure.
But there's other places to raise money.
B&C Brokers Brooklyn, New York Monday, May 14 Now Sternman Holdings that's their real estate company they put out a prospectus.
Goren, I'm sorry, you got to excuse me, but we just moved in last week and only one toilet's working and there's rats in the ceiling.
Hey, you're making money.
Yeah, I'm making money which in this market is nothing to sneeze at.
So bring some of that money down to the poker game.
I'm banking it.
Carlos and me, we're saving up for a house.
Carlos? Irene, you're breaking my heart.
You blew your chance.
Ah, here we go.
Yep.
Okay.
Bond issues, $2 billion.
This says Azimuth Realty.
Read the fine print, the properties backing the bonds are all owned by Sternman Holdings.
So they can raise money without looking like they're raising money.
These bonds are sold through outfits like this? Mm-hmm, and private placements.
Strictly under the radar.
The bonds are backed by the rental income from the Sternman buildings.
- How are they selling? - They're not setting any records.
If you don't include the flagship building in the offering, that sends a message.
The flagship building you mean Sternman Towers? Yeah, right, the one that Sternman died in.
Well, why isn't it part of the package? That's a good question.
Why don't you ask the people who put the bond offering together? Thanks.
I prepared Zainer's severance check.
It's unfortunate we had to let him go.
He was devoted to your father.
If he's so devoted, why is my father lying in a morgue? You tell me.
What's that mean? I didn't start that fire.
This is generous.
Didn't his contract stipulate only four weeks severance? He has kids, for God's sake.
Oh, get off your high horse.
This looks like hush money.
You sound like my father.
Let's not fight, Edward.
What's done is done.
Harry left enough for both of us.
We don't have to get in each other's way.
I don't have to talk about this with you.
Actually you do, with us, or someone from the DA's office.
It's something we have to keep reminding people.
- Thank - This lady here was first.
Thank you.
Here's the other way it could go.
We get a subpoena, we get every cop who isn't nailed down and a dozen patrol cars with lights flashing, a couple command vehicles the size of buses, and we park them all down here for a day.
You know how nothing inspires confidence like cops filling in and out of a broker's office.
We were good to go on the bond offering.
At the last minute, Ed pulled the Sternman Tower off the table.
Why? My guess is he wants to sell.
It's their most valuable property.
Easily worth 600 million.
If Ed was looking to cash out, this was the way to go.
Was the old man on board with this? No.
They were fighting about it.
The Sternman Tower is his legacy.
He poured everything into it.
He wanted to live out his days in that penthouse.
Looks like he got his wish.
Office Of Edward Sternman Tuesday, May 15 Maybe you should wait until Mr.
Sternman gets back from lunch.
Don't make us explain about the search warrant again.
AA meeting book.
There are meetings marked off.
If I were in this family, I'd probably drink, too.
This is good.
Ah, this is very good.
The only way Edward can sell that building is if the old man cleared out.
So he burned him out.
I'll have to remember this the next time my mother-in-law comes for a visit.
The ME found the sulfiram in Colin Flynn's system.
He had a bottle of it in his basement.
/ Sulfiram? An Antabuse for the treatment of alcoholism.
Flynn and Edward are both alcoholics.
Maybe that's how they met.
Where's Edward's meeting book? If you're thinking of hitting the meetings he marked off to see if anyone saw them together, forget it.
They call it Alcoholics Anonymous for a reason.
They won't tell you squat.
That's why we're hitting the coffee shops near the meetings.
This one is Colin Flynn.
Sweet guy.
Comes in once a week from the church across the street.
Haven't seen him in a while.
Is something wrong with him? Job burnout.
How about him? Oh, yeah, he's every other week.
Order up! / Not much of a talker.
They know each other? I've seen them sit together.
Are you sure it was these two? Yeah, I remember faces.
- Some I'd like to forget.
- Service, please.
- Thank you.
- Let's go pick up Edward.
Let's see what he has marked down for tonight.
Edward.
What're you people doing here? They're about to start the meeting.
They have meetings where you're going.
You're under arrest for murder.
Even if your waitress remembers every mole on his face, you still have a big problem.
You showed her a single picture of my client.
You tainted her for any future lineup.
You put her on the stand, I'll rip her to shreds.
Speaking of shreds, we also have this.
It's a fax we found in Colin Flynn's paper shredder.
- This is very impressive.
- We think so.
It confirms the wire transfer of $100,000 into his account from a bank in Dubai.
Dubai? That's in the Persian Gulf.
I bet a lot of terrorists park their money there.
The bank said the money's from a corporate account in the name of Sternman Corporation.
There's a half dozen people who can authorize transfers from that account.
Five one of whom's your client.
Now if you want to talk deal, we can have the DA here in five minutes.
This is excellent evidence against Colin Flynn.
Like you, we have no doubt he set the fire in Mr.
Sternman's penthouse.
If it wasn't for the incompetence of his nurse, who left him barricaded in his bathroom, Mr.
Sternman would've survived.
Tell me, Ed, was it because you were humiliated? Is that why you did it? / Detective.
I'm sure when you were young your dad held you up high above his head.
He was proud of you.
He made you a part of the company.
Yes, so what? Not so what.
The company was in trouble, your dad wasn't so proud of you anymore.
He made you feel like you let him down.
I let him down? He made you feel what you suspected about yourself all along that you couldn't quite measure to good old Dad.
No.
Is that why you drink? I don't drink.
I've been sober for three years.
What is it they say at AA? "Keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always gotten"? I didn't kill my father.
They tell you to admit your mistakes to make amends to the people you've wronged! I didn't want him dead.
- I'm not responsible.
- Look, that's enough.
He's invoking his right to silence.
Stubborn? He doesn't think he was responsible for those deaths.
I'm happy to convince a jury otherwise.
I'm not talking legal culpability.
Psychologically, morally, he doesn't believe he killed his father.
Physically, materially, Mr.
Sternman and Miss DiMarco are dead all the same.
Send him over for arraignment.
If he doesn't think he killed his dad, who does he think did? They said I was incompetent? These people are unbelievable.
Anyway, I got another job a better job.
- Gimme! It's mine! - Daniel! - Let Matt take a shot! - See? I told you! Fair play, it's like a foreign concept these days.
It's like Edward calling you incompetent.
He can say anything he wants about you, but you're bound to this confidentiality agreement.
My wife says my loyalty was to Harry Sternman, not to the people who might've killed him.
She's got a good point.
Mr.
Sternman was having his will redrawn.
He was on the phone to his lawyer every day about it.
Edward thought it was because Mr.
And Mrs.
Sternman were trying to have a child.
Was the new will going to cut Edward out? - I got that impression.
- Go get the ball.
Well, what? What're you waiting for? Matthew, get over here! Just get your ball! It's yours.
Don't be scared of them! Come on! They're just kids in uniforms.
Edward's lawyer accused you of abandoning Sternman in his bathroom.
What was I supposed to do? He wouldn't come out, and I didn't have the key.
Anyway, it wouldn't have made a difference.
And why do you say that? The main elevator was cut off by the fire.
I tried the service elevator I punched in the code, but it wasn't working.
You're sure you used the right code? / Yes.
The stairs were the only other way out.
I doubt Mr.
Sternman would've made it.
You can't let people like that intimidate you, okay? - Sorry, Dad.
- What happened? Nothing.
How was your day? Long.
Look, I picked up the blazers.
I just have to sew on the St.
Stephan's crest.
They look good.
Have you heard from them yet? We're just two months away from the start of school.
I told you, everything's all right.
This is the third year we've applied.
Did they get Mr.
Sternman's letter of recommendation? I'm sure they did.
What if they didn't? Maybe you should call the school.
I don't want to sound desperate, okay? My kids belong in their damn school and they know it.
So just let me handle it.
There was nothing wrong with the punch pads or the circuits on that elevator.
If that guy pressed the right numbers, the elevator should've worked.
Could somebody have changed the code? Sure.
You need a master code and a password.
Okay.
The day of the fire, the service elevator was in heavy use all day long, tapering off around 5:30.
That's when the workmen went home.
And here, 6:15, somebody reprogrammed the use code.
Computer know who? Key in S-E-S-77.
Password used was Mrs.
Sternman's password.
Law Office Of George Knowles Monday, May 21 Anybody who refers to his wife as "that bitch" and asks you to make sure that his pre-nup is bulletproof is not looking to start a family.
And how is the pre-nup? Very generous to Mrs.
Sternman.
Lifetime alimony, townhouse in New York, home in the Hamptons, $4 million payment to her for any instance of infidelity by Mr.
Sternman.
No offense, but who's her lawyer? The better question is, what did Mr.
Sternman get in return? "In the event it is proven that Kit Sternman committed adultery and that Harold Sternman elects to divorce, Mrs.
Sternman will not be entitled to share in the marital estate to any extent whatsoever.
" She steps outside the marriage, she gets nothing.
Was she cheating? I don't know.
Harry didn't say.
He probably kept any evidence of her infidelity in a safe place a deposit box.
His driver'd know which banks Mr.
Sternman's been to.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Mrs.
Liston was being fussy about her nap.
How is it working out? Good.
Thank you for the reference.
Here.
Your severance check.
Oh, you could've mailed it.
I wanted to see you.
This is too much.
I'm only owed four weeks.
I told Edward not to be stingy.
Have the police talked to you? You don't have anything to worry about.
They're totally focused on Edward.
I have to get back to work.
Goodbye, Kit.
Are we going to see each other again? I don't think so.
You started it.
So I'm ending it.
Anyway, now that Harry's out of the way, you don't have to sneak around with the help anymore.
Center National Bank Tuesday, May 22 One bed sheet.
B B and C group in Maryland.
A lab report from five weeks ago.
"Submitted for testing, one queen-size bed sheet.
Examination revealed DNA materials from two individuals.
First subject's DNA was matched to a sample belonging to Kit Sternman.
Second subject's DNA was contained in semen and was determined to belong to a blood relative of Harold Sternman.
" Eddie.
He's going to have a lot to talk about at his AA meeting.
The son and the wife were having an affair.
Sternman found out and he was taking steps to cut them loose.
It never occurred to him they might conspire to kill him? He obviously wasn't paranoid enough.
You still have your reservations about the son? It's adding up even less.
Bedding your father's trophy wife right underneath his nose, it's an act of rage, contempt.
It's bold.
Would someone like that kill with a slow-burning fire? Maybe it was Mrs.
Sternman's contribution.
As long as one of them thought it, it's a conspiracy.
Assuming they're in it together.
They were on that bed sheet together.
Don't tell me you're disputing the DNA evidence? The night of the fire you saw them they sat next to each other.
No look, no touch, not a single molecule of complicity passed between them.
Detective, the facts here speak for themselves.
The facts are up for grabs, Counselor.
The facts support a charge of conspiracy against Kit and Edward Sternman.
That's what I'm going with.
Major Case Squad One Police Plaza Wednesday, May 23 Back to my yes-or-no question, did you change the code? Yes or no? Then, no.
How do you explain that your password was used? Other people have itBerger, the security person, and Edward.
Why would they use your password? To get me in trouble, which they've succeeded in doing.
How would Edward have gotten your password? I don't know.
Ask him.
This is a ridiculous conversation.
Which we're under no obligation to continue.
We're leaving.
Mrs.
Sternman were you and your husband still intimate? What? Kit.
.
/ Harry and I had a very healthy sex life.
Hmm, arthritic, diabetic 68-year-old Harry with the bad ticker? And a big bottle of wonderful little blue pills.
- Oh, come on.
- Every day, Detective.
Sometimes twice a day.
He must've gone through those pills like candy.
We found his stash in his bathroom.
Why don't we see how busy the two of you were? This is the most outrageous conduct I've ever seen.
Kit, let's go.
That's 10 20 Count all you want! plenty here.
Don't think for a minute that you can intimidate me.
My husband and I were happy.
The why did he ask his lawyer to review the pre-nup two weeks before he was killed? How would I know? He's crazy.
Crazy like a fox.
We read Clause 17 of the pre-nup the one where you don't get a nickel if he proves you committed adultery.
Since I was never unfaithful, there's no proof.
Actually, there is.
A stained bed sheet that we found in a safe deposit box with your DNA, and the DNA of a man not your husband.
You're free to leave, Mrs.
Sternman, but whether from you or from your stepson, we will get the truth.
My stepson? What does Edward have to do with me? The DNA on the sheet was his.
What? Y-you think Edward and I you're crazier than Harry.
Edward's gay.
I never told Harry.
He had no clue.
And neither, evidently, do you.
Edward's the only living male relative Sternman had.
This lab that did the original test? Very reputable.
Used by law enforcement in five states.
I'll get a court order for Edward's blood and have our lab run a comparison, make sure we get our facts straight.
Edward could be playing for both teams.
Sternman's prescriptions for Zoloft and Xanax were renewed a month early.
I counted the pills.
He was doubling up.
That can't be too healthy.
He would've been booming and zooming, manic, paranoid.
No wonder he thought everybody was after him.
Right the perfect prescription for paranoia.
There you go, dear.
Now let me bring you near the window so you can get some sun.
Her color seems better.
I appreciate everything you've been doing for my mother.
Thank you.
Can I ask you a favor? I'm applying to get my sons into St.
Stephan's for the winter semester.
To St.
Stephan's? Yes, on a scholarship.
I know your husband went to St.
Stephan's.
/ Yes.
Is it possible I could speak to him about it for a few minutes? I can ask him.
He's leaving for London tonight.
I'll mention it when he gets back, all right? Sure, whenever's convenient.
Thank you.
Law Office Of A.
R Cabezas Friday, May 25 I wasn't aware my father was changing his will.
We're off on the wrong foot here, Mr.
Sternman.
I came alone.
I'm not wearing a wire.
The only witness we have here is your lawyer.
Whatever you tell me, you can deny later.
So let's not blow smoke.
Okay, let's assume he knew his father was changing the will.
And why do you think he was changing it? He wanted to favor the child that he and Kit were trying to conceive.
Would you like to know the real reason? He thought you were having an affair with Kit.
He even had proof.
A bed sheet with Kit's DNA and your semen.
That's the lab test.
That that's not possible.
Because you're gay.
Yes among other reasons.
Even if I were remotely attracted to Kit, I wouldn't do that to my father.
This test, it's wrong.
There's something else you should know.
Kit changed the code on the service elevator the night of the fire to trap your father in the penthouse.
The DA thinks that this is further evidence that she conspired with you to kill your father.
In the hypothetical, you never told her about the fire.
Edward, I'm advising you not to say another word.
No, I didn't tell her.
Told someone else, didn't you? To warn them to save your father? Ah, thank you for coming in.
Our investigation has run into a brick wall.
We really need some help.
Whatever I can do.
Here's the problem, we think Edward and Kit Sternman conspired to kill Mr.
Sternman.
Mrs.
Sternman? Why do you think that? She changed the code on the service elevator.
That's why you couldn't get it to work.
And we suspect that she and Edward were having an affair.
But we don't have enough proof of it, so if you know anything There's a bed sheet they used.
I brought it to Mr.
Sternman's attention.
What did he do with it? I think he put it in a safe deposit box.
Well, it's probably long gone by now.
No, he saved it.
There's a clause in their pre-nup, she doesn't get anything if he can prove she cheated on him.
Well, that's very helpful.
Why didn't you mention this to us before? Mr.
And Mrs.
Sternman have been good to me over the years.
And you felt conflicted.
/ Yes.
You thought that maybe we'd find out on our own eventually.
/ Yes.
Guess what? It has Kit's DNA and Edward's.
But you knew that since you put it there.
What're you talking about? You are truly the most what's the right word? Driven person that I have ever come across.
That you would actually have sex with Edward to get a sample of his semen, that shows incredible determination.
That's a damn lie.
Edward told us.
Hey, Rick, it's no crime not even smearing his semen on the bed sheet.
Why the hell would I do that? To convince Mr.
Sternman that his wife and his son had turned against him.
You were pumping him so full of Zoloft and Xanax, - he was ready to believe anything.
- That's absurd! You told Kit her husband found out she was having an affair.
And she believed you because she was having an affair with you.
You told Edward his father was cutting him out of his will because he was gonna have another kid.
You set them both up against each other.
It was only a matter of time before somebody ended up dead.
And they'd all take the fall.
It's brilliant! Between us, it's the perfect crime.
Because you really you didn't do anything really criminal, did you? No.
No, I didn't.
That's right, not even when Edward warned you to get his father out by the elevator.
How was I supposed to know he was going to set a fire? You couldn't.
Maybe Kit had an idea when you told her, that's why she changed the code.
But you, you were just an employee.
It wasn't your job to question them.
No, it wasn't.
If Mr.
Sternman wants to lock himself up in the bathroom, that's his business, right? - There was nothing I could do.
- What do you care? This old man who couldn't wipe his own ass without you.
He wouldn't lift a finger to help get your sons into St.
Steven's.
It's Stephan's.
He told you he was going to write.
.
a letter to the school use his influence.
Never did.
No.
It was just a damn letter.
That must've burned you, the utter thoughtlessness, while you you made sure he took his pills every day, you massaged his dry old skin, you monitored his every little burp.
/ That's right.
You put up with all the little indignities of servicing his personal hygiene.
You wanted something better for your kids.
Yes.
The old bastard.
He treated you like like something he scraped off his shoe.
But you showed him.
You played him.
Played the whole family like a fine violin.
They were easy, so wrapped up in themselves.
The perfect crime.
Well, you said so yourself, I really didn't do anything criminal, did I? You're a registered nurse, right? Had a contract with Sternman to provide care? Yes.
What? You heard about the lifeguard on Jones Beach, who let a drowning man die 'cause he was too busy talking to a girl? - They convicted him.
- Manslaughter.
He had a higher standard of duty than other people.
He couldn't just walk away.
Neither could you.
What are you talking about? Your contract.
"Richard Zainer agrees to provide the nursing services listed above, and to care for the health and welfare of Harold Sternman.
" You watched the forces gather around Sternman to kill him.
But I didn't do anything.
That's right.
You did nothing.
You watched it happen.
And that, my friend is manslaughter.
But he owed me.
He owed you the salary he paid you.
Zainer pleaded to second-degree manslaughter, Edward Sternman to arson and two counts of man one, and Kit Sternman to attempted murder.
Quite the trifecta.
Zainer can be proud of himself.
He brought down a banking empire.
Not to mention a family.
Three families.
In New York City's war on crime, the worst criminal offenders are pursued by the detectives of the Major Case Squad.
These are their stories.
Harry, I think you're wrong on this one.
If we release the credits to Delhi, Islamabad won't just sit on its hands.
I don't think we should be taking on new obligations, Father.
We're a bank, Edward.
That's what we do, take on obligations.
Don't be such a nervous Nelly.
Me, nervous? You're the one who sees assassins behind every plant.
I see traitors.
There's a difference.
Tell Delhi they have the loan.
If Islamabad squawks, screw 'em.
Time for your shots, Mr.
Sternman.
We'll leave you, Harry.
Shame, Edward.
Shame, shame, shame.
Son of a bitch.
I'm surrounded by sons of bitches, Zainer.
So where is she? She just came back from shopping, she said.
And what about him? Before your meeting, Edward took a call from a Mr.
Zuckerman.
I see what's happening.
I'll get it.
You can throw all that out.
It's junk.
George, is it done yet? What are you doing for 800 bucks an hour? - What about this, sir? - I need it signed end of week.
No, that too.
No excuses.
Just get it done! This so-called reinforced door How reinforced is it? You'd need a bazooka to blow it down.
They've got bazookas.
Well, what about the air filters? Once they're installed, they could pump cyanide into this place, it'd be like an offshore breeze.
"Once they're installed"? Why aren't they installed now? We're waiting for your son to okay them.
I say they're okay.
What exactly did he tell Knowles? Something about it had to be signed by the end of the week.
That stupid old man.
What did he mean by whatever happens? - What's supposed to happen? - I don't know.
Edward just said, "Get him out by the elevator.
" What should I do? Just what he told you.
Where are you going with your boobs hanging out like that? Cocktail party at the Met.
I'll be back by 9:00.
Oh, and make sure he takes one of his little blue pills.
He might just get lucky tonight.
She thinks I'd go near that swamp? Like she doesn't think I know where it's been, that I don't know what's going on in this house! Now the Russians, they'll get all weepy on you, but they are ruthless SOBs.
Ow! God, watch it, you idiot.
Yes sir, I'm sorry.
What're you stopping for? My back is still tight.
What is it? - Do you smell smoke? - Smoke? What is it, Zainer? There's a fire down the hall.
I hear noises! This is it! It's them.
They're coming for me.
Zainer, help me! your emergency? They're coming to kill me.
They're breaking in! What is your location, sir? Hear them? They're trying to get in.
Sir, I need your location.
Sternman Towers! For God's sake, hurry! They're shooting at the door.
Oh God, the smoke is coming in.
Sir, emergency services are on the way.
Bastards! They're killing me.
Sir? Sir, can you hear me? Sir? Law & Order CI The building doesn't officially open for another two months.
Mr.
And Mrs.
Sternman were the only residents.
We were still working out a few bugs in the security system.
How elaborate the security system? Alarms on every window, motion sensors on the roof.
We're on the 90th floor.
Mr.
Sternman had whole countries after himso he said.
This was his building.
No one was going to drive him out of it.
- Pack this up.
- Okay.
What do you know about his nurse, Rick Zainer? Very dependable.
Do you have any idea why Sternman would lock himself up in the bathroom? This was the safe room.
Any emergency, the drill was he'd lock himself in here.
Four-way locks, bulletproof door, firewalls Yeah, 9-1-1 mentioned shots fired.
- Check for slugs.
- Okay.
Ventilation that one of the bugs you were working out? / Yes.
Why would Sternman run in here if there was a problem? I don't know, he was a very unusual guy.
It seems so.
This is the panel that controlled the security system.
This is where the fire started.
In the security system? If the grim one's going to get you, he's going to get you.
Did anyone else help this thing along? I won't know until I get this panel back to the lab.
Is there any reason why the sprinklers didn't go off? We're looking into that, too.
We have another smoke fatality.
In the laundry room a maid.
I told him it was fire, but he was convinced it was terrorists.
He told 9-1-1 people were trying to break in.
That could've been me pounding on the bathroom door to tell him to come out, but he wouldn't listen.
Did you see or hear anybody in or out of the apartment? No.
There was black smoke.
I'm lucky I found the stairs.
How long had you been his nurse? Six years.
What kind of nursing did he need? Oh, he was practically a recluse.
He had high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, bad hip, gout he took 14 pills a day.
Any mood-altering drugs? Zoloft, Xanax.
He suffered from depression, anxiety Sounds like he kept you busy.
He was an interesting man.
All right, Mr.
Zainer, thank you.
Did this woman work for you, Mrs.
Sternman? Yes, it's her it's Aricelli.
Aricelli oh God, what's her last name? Rick, what's Aricelli's last name? DiMarco.
What happened to her? We found her dead of smoke inhalation in the laundry room.
Did she have anything to do with starting the fire? Not as far as we know yet.
Would you have her number? We need to call her family.
I know it.
I'll write it down.
I can't believe this is happening.
This is a nightmare.
Edward, thank God.
You got my message.
I was in the car.
I heard on the radio there was a fire.
Where's Dad? Edward, he locked himself in the bathroom.
He died from the smoke.
I'm sorry.
/ Dead? - Oh my God.
What started it? - We don't know yet.
My father's dead.
I can't that's not possible.
Forensics Laboratory Arson Unit One Police Plaza Tuesday, May 8 The fire was designed to be slow burning with a maximum of smoke.
The sprinklers had been disabled in the penthouse but were still operational in the rest of the building.
How was the fire set? Security system has a dedicated phone line to the security company.
The torch hooked up one end of an answering machine circuit board to the phone line and the other end to an electronic match.
He dials the number The phone answers, sparks the match which sets off half a pound of loosely packed black powder.
Can you trace any of the parts? Just the electronic match.
Nine times out of 10, they melt in the fire, but we managed to pull a partial serial number off this one.
I traced the serial number and got it narrowed down to two electronics supply houses.
They can tell you who they sold it to.
Home Of Colin Flynn Queens, New York Wednesday, May 9 Eames, I found the guy's workshop back here.
Firebug, firebug, fly away home.
Electronic matches.
Buy in bulk and save.
Bag this paper shredder.
Look at this.
I make it it's the warehouse next to DiSanto's Beef on 11th.
His next gig.
I can't control variables.
I can be the best driver in the world, a guy steps in front of my car This wasn't some guy.
This was my father, Harry Sternman.
Not to mention this poor woman.
You told me all the help was going to be out by 6:00.
I know what I told you.
I don't know how this could've gone so wrong.
I'm not happy about it either.
I never killed anyone.
You're the expert, you should've known.
Screw that line of thought, my young friend.
And as a point of law, we're both on the hook for homicide.
Joined at the hip, as it were.
Remember, you and me, Eduardo.
Siamese twins.
We're staking out the warehouse and Flynn's apartment.
Any leads on who hired him? Not yet, but we're piecing together the documents in his shredder.
What else we got on Flynn? A sheet a mile long.
No known associates.
House was rented for cash.
And most of his work was insurance-related.
No homicides until now.
He set a slow-burning fire.
Was he trying to give Sternman a chance to get out? Unless the people who hired him knew Sternman would lock himself in his safe room.
It's bulletproof, fireproof.
Only way to get him was with smoke.
Who knows what the intent was here? The crime scene is sending mixed messages.
Maybe somebody on the inside can set you straight.
Goren.
L&S Suppliers Thursday, May 10 The patrolmen found him trying to set the fire.
He reached for something.
They opened fire.
What was he reaching for? A set of car keys.
Didn't anybody tell them we needed this mutt alive? What can I tell you? So you know, he primed the sprinkler system with gasoline instead of water.
Whole block would've gone up.
Hell of a barbeque on a Saturday afternoon.
Seabees Navy Corps of Engineers.
Yeah, Colin Flynn.
Served two tours in Vietnam.
He won't be setting anymore fires now.
I'm sure the patrolman who shot him will be glad to hear that.
I don't think I can tell you anything.
I signed a confidentiality agreement when I went to work for Mr.
Sternman.
Who's dead, last time we checked.
I need to find another job.
Being indiscreet won't help.
The agreement cover only personal matters? And business anything I saw or overheard.
St.
Stephan's Prep? For my sons.
Pretty exclusive.
I was humoring my wife.
The school turned them down anyway.
Mr.
Zainer, we're all working stiffs here.
Anything you tell us right now stays between us.
Please, you're putting me in a lousy position.
Let's try it like this.
What do you feel comfortable telling us? Nothing, but that's not an option, is it? It's good you have a sense of humor about it.
All right, there was some sort of crisis with the bank.
Mr.
Sternman, his son Edward, Mr.
Lewis, they'd been arguing constantly the last two weeks.
What kind of crisis? I'm not sure.
I overheard something about calling in loans, insolvency.
Sounds like a cash crunch.
Whatever it was, it was affecting Mr.
Sternman's health.
That's all I can tell you.
It's a lot.
That's my wife.
She calls me when she's on break at the hospital.
Excuse me.
I did a news search of the Sternman Bank.
Nothing about a financial crisis.
If they were in a cash crunch and trying to raise money, you figure somebody's going to notice.
If you're looking on Wall Street, sure.
But there's other places to raise money.
B&C Brokers Brooklyn, New York Monday, May 14 Now Sternman Holdings that's their real estate company they put out a prospectus.
Goren, I'm sorry, you got to excuse me, but we just moved in last week and only one toilet's working and there's rats in the ceiling.
Hey, you're making money.
Yeah, I'm making money which in this market is nothing to sneeze at.
So bring some of that money down to the poker game.
I'm banking it.
Carlos and me, we're saving up for a house.
Carlos? Irene, you're breaking my heart.
You blew your chance.
Ah, here we go.
Yep.
Okay.
Bond issues, $2 billion.
This says Azimuth Realty.
Read the fine print, the properties backing the bonds are all owned by Sternman Holdings.
So they can raise money without looking like they're raising money.
These bonds are sold through outfits like this? Mm-hmm, and private placements.
Strictly under the radar.
The bonds are backed by the rental income from the Sternman buildings.
- How are they selling? - They're not setting any records.
If you don't include the flagship building in the offering, that sends a message.
The flagship building you mean Sternman Towers? Yeah, right, the one that Sternman died in.
Well, why isn't it part of the package? That's a good question.
Why don't you ask the people who put the bond offering together? Thanks.
I prepared Zainer's severance check.
It's unfortunate we had to let him go.
He was devoted to your father.
If he's so devoted, why is my father lying in a morgue? You tell me.
What's that mean? I didn't start that fire.
This is generous.
Didn't his contract stipulate only four weeks severance? He has kids, for God's sake.
Oh, get off your high horse.
This looks like hush money.
You sound like my father.
Let's not fight, Edward.
What's done is done.
Harry left enough for both of us.
We don't have to get in each other's way.
I don't have to talk about this with you.
Actually you do, with us, or someone from the DA's office.
It's something we have to keep reminding people.
- Thank - This lady here was first.
Thank you.
Here's the other way it could go.
We get a subpoena, we get every cop who isn't nailed down and a dozen patrol cars with lights flashing, a couple command vehicles the size of buses, and we park them all down here for a day.
You know how nothing inspires confidence like cops filling in and out of a broker's office.
We were good to go on the bond offering.
At the last minute, Ed pulled the Sternman Tower off the table.
Why? My guess is he wants to sell.
It's their most valuable property.
Easily worth 600 million.
If Ed was looking to cash out, this was the way to go.
Was the old man on board with this? No.
They were fighting about it.
The Sternman Tower is his legacy.
He poured everything into it.
He wanted to live out his days in that penthouse.
Looks like he got his wish.
Office Of Edward Sternman Tuesday, May 15 Maybe you should wait until Mr.
Sternman gets back from lunch.
Don't make us explain about the search warrant again.
AA meeting book.
There are meetings marked off.
If I were in this family, I'd probably drink, too.
This is good.
Ah, this is very good.
The only way Edward can sell that building is if the old man cleared out.
So he burned him out.
I'll have to remember this the next time my mother-in-law comes for a visit.
The ME found the sulfiram in Colin Flynn's system.
He had a bottle of it in his basement.
/ Sulfiram? An Antabuse for the treatment of alcoholism.
Flynn and Edward are both alcoholics.
Maybe that's how they met.
Where's Edward's meeting book? If you're thinking of hitting the meetings he marked off to see if anyone saw them together, forget it.
They call it Alcoholics Anonymous for a reason.
They won't tell you squat.
That's why we're hitting the coffee shops near the meetings.
This one is Colin Flynn.
Sweet guy.
Comes in once a week from the church across the street.
Haven't seen him in a while.
Is something wrong with him? Job burnout.
How about him? Oh, yeah, he's every other week.
Order up! / Not much of a talker.
They know each other? I've seen them sit together.
Are you sure it was these two? Yeah, I remember faces.
- Some I'd like to forget.
- Service, please.
- Thank you.
- Let's go pick up Edward.
Let's see what he has marked down for tonight.
Edward.
What're you people doing here? They're about to start the meeting.
They have meetings where you're going.
You're under arrest for murder.
Even if your waitress remembers every mole on his face, you still have a big problem.
You showed her a single picture of my client.
You tainted her for any future lineup.
You put her on the stand, I'll rip her to shreds.
Speaking of shreds, we also have this.
It's a fax we found in Colin Flynn's paper shredder.
- This is very impressive.
- We think so.
It confirms the wire transfer of $100,000 into his account from a bank in Dubai.
Dubai? That's in the Persian Gulf.
I bet a lot of terrorists park their money there.
The bank said the money's from a corporate account in the name of Sternman Corporation.
There's a half dozen people who can authorize transfers from that account.
Five one of whom's your client.
Now if you want to talk deal, we can have the DA here in five minutes.
This is excellent evidence against Colin Flynn.
Like you, we have no doubt he set the fire in Mr.
Sternman's penthouse.
If it wasn't for the incompetence of his nurse, who left him barricaded in his bathroom, Mr.
Sternman would've survived.
Tell me, Ed, was it because you were humiliated? Is that why you did it? / Detective.
I'm sure when you were young your dad held you up high above his head.
He was proud of you.
He made you a part of the company.
Yes, so what? Not so what.
The company was in trouble, your dad wasn't so proud of you anymore.
He made you feel like you let him down.
I let him down? He made you feel what you suspected about yourself all along that you couldn't quite measure to good old Dad.
No.
Is that why you drink? I don't drink.
I've been sober for three years.
What is it they say at AA? "Keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always gotten"? I didn't kill my father.
They tell you to admit your mistakes to make amends to the people you've wronged! I didn't want him dead.
- I'm not responsible.
- Look, that's enough.
He's invoking his right to silence.
Stubborn? He doesn't think he was responsible for those deaths.
I'm happy to convince a jury otherwise.
I'm not talking legal culpability.
Psychologically, morally, he doesn't believe he killed his father.
Physically, materially, Mr.
Sternman and Miss DiMarco are dead all the same.
Send him over for arraignment.
If he doesn't think he killed his dad, who does he think did? They said I was incompetent? These people are unbelievable.
Anyway, I got another job a better job.
- Gimme! It's mine! - Daniel! - Let Matt take a shot! - See? I told you! Fair play, it's like a foreign concept these days.
It's like Edward calling you incompetent.
He can say anything he wants about you, but you're bound to this confidentiality agreement.
My wife says my loyalty was to Harry Sternman, not to the people who might've killed him.
She's got a good point.
Mr.
Sternman was having his will redrawn.
He was on the phone to his lawyer every day about it.
Edward thought it was because Mr.
And Mrs.
Sternman were trying to have a child.
Was the new will going to cut Edward out? - I got that impression.
- Go get the ball.
Well, what? What're you waiting for? Matthew, get over here! Just get your ball! It's yours.
Don't be scared of them! Come on! They're just kids in uniforms.
Edward's lawyer accused you of abandoning Sternman in his bathroom.
What was I supposed to do? He wouldn't come out, and I didn't have the key.
Anyway, it wouldn't have made a difference.
And why do you say that? The main elevator was cut off by the fire.
I tried the service elevator I punched in the code, but it wasn't working.
You're sure you used the right code? / Yes.
The stairs were the only other way out.
I doubt Mr.
Sternman would've made it.
You can't let people like that intimidate you, okay? - Sorry, Dad.
- What happened? Nothing.
How was your day? Long.
Look, I picked up the blazers.
I just have to sew on the St.
Stephan's crest.
They look good.
Have you heard from them yet? We're just two months away from the start of school.
I told you, everything's all right.
This is the third year we've applied.
Did they get Mr.
Sternman's letter of recommendation? I'm sure they did.
What if they didn't? Maybe you should call the school.
I don't want to sound desperate, okay? My kids belong in their damn school and they know it.
So just let me handle it.
There was nothing wrong with the punch pads or the circuits on that elevator.
If that guy pressed the right numbers, the elevator should've worked.
Could somebody have changed the code? Sure.
You need a master code and a password.
Okay.
The day of the fire, the service elevator was in heavy use all day long, tapering off around 5:30.
That's when the workmen went home.
And here, 6:15, somebody reprogrammed the use code.
Computer know who? Key in S-E-S-77.
Password used was Mrs.
Sternman's password.
Law Office Of George Knowles Monday, May 21 Anybody who refers to his wife as "that bitch" and asks you to make sure that his pre-nup is bulletproof is not looking to start a family.
And how is the pre-nup? Very generous to Mrs.
Sternman.
Lifetime alimony, townhouse in New York, home in the Hamptons, $4 million payment to her for any instance of infidelity by Mr.
Sternman.
No offense, but who's her lawyer? The better question is, what did Mr.
Sternman get in return? "In the event it is proven that Kit Sternman committed adultery and that Harold Sternman elects to divorce, Mrs.
Sternman will not be entitled to share in the marital estate to any extent whatsoever.
" She steps outside the marriage, she gets nothing.
Was she cheating? I don't know.
Harry didn't say.
He probably kept any evidence of her infidelity in a safe place a deposit box.
His driver'd know which banks Mr.
Sternman's been to.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Mrs.
Liston was being fussy about her nap.
How is it working out? Good.
Thank you for the reference.
Here.
Your severance check.
Oh, you could've mailed it.
I wanted to see you.
This is too much.
I'm only owed four weeks.
I told Edward not to be stingy.
Have the police talked to you? You don't have anything to worry about.
They're totally focused on Edward.
I have to get back to work.
Goodbye, Kit.
Are we going to see each other again? I don't think so.
You started it.
So I'm ending it.
Anyway, now that Harry's out of the way, you don't have to sneak around with the help anymore.
Center National Bank Tuesday, May 22 One bed sheet.
B B and C group in Maryland.
A lab report from five weeks ago.
"Submitted for testing, one queen-size bed sheet.
Examination revealed DNA materials from two individuals.
First subject's DNA was matched to a sample belonging to Kit Sternman.
Second subject's DNA was contained in semen and was determined to belong to a blood relative of Harold Sternman.
" Eddie.
He's going to have a lot to talk about at his AA meeting.
The son and the wife were having an affair.
Sternman found out and he was taking steps to cut them loose.
It never occurred to him they might conspire to kill him? He obviously wasn't paranoid enough.
You still have your reservations about the son? It's adding up even less.
Bedding your father's trophy wife right underneath his nose, it's an act of rage, contempt.
It's bold.
Would someone like that kill with a slow-burning fire? Maybe it was Mrs.
Sternman's contribution.
As long as one of them thought it, it's a conspiracy.
Assuming they're in it together.
They were on that bed sheet together.
Don't tell me you're disputing the DNA evidence? The night of the fire you saw them they sat next to each other.
No look, no touch, not a single molecule of complicity passed between them.
Detective, the facts here speak for themselves.
The facts are up for grabs, Counselor.
The facts support a charge of conspiracy against Kit and Edward Sternman.
That's what I'm going with.
Major Case Squad One Police Plaza Wednesday, May 23 Back to my yes-or-no question, did you change the code? Yes or no? Then, no.
How do you explain that your password was used? Other people have itBerger, the security person, and Edward.
Why would they use your password? To get me in trouble, which they've succeeded in doing.
How would Edward have gotten your password? I don't know.
Ask him.
This is a ridiculous conversation.
Which we're under no obligation to continue.
We're leaving.
Mrs.
Sternman were you and your husband still intimate? What? Kit.
.
/ Harry and I had a very healthy sex life.
Hmm, arthritic, diabetic 68-year-old Harry with the bad ticker? And a big bottle of wonderful little blue pills.
- Oh, come on.
- Every day, Detective.
Sometimes twice a day.
He must've gone through those pills like candy.
We found his stash in his bathroom.
Why don't we see how busy the two of you were? This is the most outrageous conduct I've ever seen.
Kit, let's go.
That's 10 20 Count all you want! plenty here.
Don't think for a minute that you can intimidate me.
My husband and I were happy.
The why did he ask his lawyer to review the pre-nup two weeks before he was killed? How would I know? He's crazy.
Crazy like a fox.
We read Clause 17 of the pre-nup the one where you don't get a nickel if he proves you committed adultery.
Since I was never unfaithful, there's no proof.
Actually, there is.
A stained bed sheet that we found in a safe deposit box with your DNA, and the DNA of a man not your husband.
You're free to leave, Mrs.
Sternman, but whether from you or from your stepson, we will get the truth.
My stepson? What does Edward have to do with me? The DNA on the sheet was his.
What? Y-you think Edward and I you're crazier than Harry.
Edward's gay.
I never told Harry.
He had no clue.
And neither, evidently, do you.
Edward's the only living male relative Sternman had.
This lab that did the original test? Very reputable.
Used by law enforcement in five states.
I'll get a court order for Edward's blood and have our lab run a comparison, make sure we get our facts straight.
Edward could be playing for both teams.
Sternman's prescriptions for Zoloft and Xanax were renewed a month early.
I counted the pills.
He was doubling up.
That can't be too healthy.
He would've been booming and zooming, manic, paranoid.
No wonder he thought everybody was after him.
Right the perfect prescription for paranoia.
There you go, dear.
Now let me bring you near the window so you can get some sun.
Her color seems better.
I appreciate everything you've been doing for my mother.
Thank you.
Can I ask you a favor? I'm applying to get my sons into St.
Stephan's for the winter semester.
To St.
Stephan's? Yes, on a scholarship.
I know your husband went to St.
Stephan's.
/ Yes.
Is it possible I could speak to him about it for a few minutes? I can ask him.
He's leaving for London tonight.
I'll mention it when he gets back, all right? Sure, whenever's convenient.
Thank you.
Law Office Of A.
R Cabezas Friday, May 25 I wasn't aware my father was changing his will.
We're off on the wrong foot here, Mr.
Sternman.
I came alone.
I'm not wearing a wire.
The only witness we have here is your lawyer.
Whatever you tell me, you can deny later.
So let's not blow smoke.
Okay, let's assume he knew his father was changing the will.
And why do you think he was changing it? He wanted to favor the child that he and Kit were trying to conceive.
Would you like to know the real reason? He thought you were having an affair with Kit.
He even had proof.
A bed sheet with Kit's DNA and your semen.
That's the lab test.
That that's not possible.
Because you're gay.
Yes among other reasons.
Even if I were remotely attracted to Kit, I wouldn't do that to my father.
This test, it's wrong.
There's something else you should know.
Kit changed the code on the service elevator the night of the fire to trap your father in the penthouse.
The DA thinks that this is further evidence that she conspired with you to kill your father.
In the hypothetical, you never told her about the fire.
Edward, I'm advising you not to say another word.
No, I didn't tell her.
Told someone else, didn't you? To warn them to save your father? Ah, thank you for coming in.
Our investigation has run into a brick wall.
We really need some help.
Whatever I can do.
Here's the problem, we think Edward and Kit Sternman conspired to kill Mr.
Sternman.
Mrs.
Sternman? Why do you think that? She changed the code on the service elevator.
That's why you couldn't get it to work.
And we suspect that she and Edward were having an affair.
But we don't have enough proof of it, so if you know anything There's a bed sheet they used.
I brought it to Mr.
Sternman's attention.
What did he do with it? I think he put it in a safe deposit box.
Well, it's probably long gone by now.
No, he saved it.
There's a clause in their pre-nup, she doesn't get anything if he can prove she cheated on him.
Well, that's very helpful.
Why didn't you mention this to us before? Mr.
And Mrs.
Sternman have been good to me over the years.
And you felt conflicted.
/ Yes.
You thought that maybe we'd find out on our own eventually.
/ Yes.
Guess what? It has Kit's DNA and Edward's.
But you knew that since you put it there.
What're you talking about? You are truly the most what's the right word? Driven person that I have ever come across.
That you would actually have sex with Edward to get a sample of his semen, that shows incredible determination.
That's a damn lie.
Edward told us.
Hey, Rick, it's no crime not even smearing his semen on the bed sheet.
Why the hell would I do that? To convince Mr.
Sternman that his wife and his son had turned against him.
You were pumping him so full of Zoloft and Xanax, - he was ready to believe anything.
- That's absurd! You told Kit her husband found out she was having an affair.
And she believed you because she was having an affair with you.
You told Edward his father was cutting him out of his will because he was gonna have another kid.
You set them both up against each other.
It was only a matter of time before somebody ended up dead.
And they'd all take the fall.
It's brilliant! Between us, it's the perfect crime.
Because you really you didn't do anything really criminal, did you? No.
No, I didn't.
That's right, not even when Edward warned you to get his father out by the elevator.
How was I supposed to know he was going to set a fire? You couldn't.
Maybe Kit had an idea when you told her, that's why she changed the code.
But you, you were just an employee.
It wasn't your job to question them.
No, it wasn't.
If Mr.
Sternman wants to lock himself up in the bathroom, that's his business, right? - There was nothing I could do.
- What do you care? This old man who couldn't wipe his own ass without you.
He wouldn't lift a finger to help get your sons into St.
Steven's.
It's Stephan's.
He told you he was going to write.
.
a letter to the school use his influence.
Never did.
No.
It was just a damn letter.
That must've burned you, the utter thoughtlessness, while you you made sure he took his pills every day, you massaged his dry old skin, you monitored his every little burp.
/ That's right.
You put up with all the little indignities of servicing his personal hygiene.
You wanted something better for your kids.
Yes.
The old bastard.
He treated you like like something he scraped off his shoe.
But you showed him.
You played him.
Played the whole family like a fine violin.
They were easy, so wrapped up in themselves.
The perfect crime.
Well, you said so yourself, I really didn't do anything criminal, did I? You're a registered nurse, right? Had a contract with Sternman to provide care? Yes.
What? You heard about the lifeguard on Jones Beach, who let a drowning man die 'cause he was too busy talking to a girl? - They convicted him.
- Manslaughter.
He had a higher standard of duty than other people.
He couldn't just walk away.
Neither could you.
What are you talking about? Your contract.
"Richard Zainer agrees to provide the nursing services listed above, and to care for the health and welfare of Harold Sternman.
" You watched the forces gather around Sternman to kill him.
But I didn't do anything.
That's right.
You did nothing.
You watched it happen.
And that, my friend is manslaughter.
But he owed me.
He owed you the salary he paid you.
Zainer pleaded to second-degree manslaughter, Edward Sternman to arson and two counts of man one, and Kit Sternman to attempted murder.
Quite the trifecta.
Zainer can be proud of himself.
He brought down a banking empire.
Not to mention a family.
Three families.