Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) s01e14 Episode Script

Homo Homini Lupus

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.
This is the most stupid thing you've ever done.
I told you, LucasI told you not to get involved with those people.
If you stopped acting like a moron and listened to me Please, I just need your answer.
Yes or no? No, I won't do it.
Dad, please.
Just this one time.
Your mother thought you'd amount to something.
Thank God she isn't here to see what a disgrace you turned out to be.
I know it's not what you want to hear, but I'm carrying too much inventory.
I bought it from you guys just last year.
Look, why don't you hang on to the car? Somebody comes in here wanting this exact color, - maybe then I can do better.
- It's got to be today.
Okay, I'll need a cashier's check.
This looks like, what, 100 grand? Mr.
Colter, I think I was pretty clear about the terms of the loan.
I just need three more days.
Five at the most.
You've known this day was coming for, what, six months? If you're not good for the money, just tell me.
No, I'm good for it.
I just need a few more days.
Please.
Thanks for the drink.
I don't care about the tax penalties, Phil.
This is an emergency.
Why do I need her signature? What about the college fund? Why do we have to tell the bank anything? Dad, Liza's father can't coach Saturday's game - Sorry.
- I'll call you back.
- What about Liza? - Her dad's got the flu.
- Can you coach on Saturday? - Sure, no problem.
Maggie, I can't find your sweater.
I don't really need it.
I put your gloves out.
- You all right, sweetie? - Just the usual work stuff.
I'm gonna go for my run.
We won't be here when you get back.
Mom's coming over.
We're taking her to the Amish farmer's market.
Bye, sweeties.
- You took the last yogurt.
- Here.
Stop whining, you're not a baby anymore.
Joan, what are you doing out here? Where's Susan? Where are the girls? What do you mean? I've been ringing the bell for a half hour.
Nobody's home.
I tried Susan's cell phone, she doesn't answer.
Susan? Maggie?! Sarah?! What's going on, Lucas? Where are they? Everything's okay.
It's Maggie.
She was feeling sick when I left.
Susan said she might take her to the doctor's.
Probably didn't want to leave Sarah home alone.
She would've left a note or a message.
Maggie's sick, that's all.
They're fine, Joan.
I promise.
I'll make sure that Susan calls you.
Now, could you please let me get ready for work? Oh God.
Oh God, please don't hurt them.
Law & Order CI I called Dr.
Charter's office.
They haven't heard from Susan.
What about the hospitals, St.
Luke's? No, the officers at the precinct called them.
Lennox Hill, Mt.
Sinai.
Lucas lied.
Maggie isn't sick.
The detective at the precinct said you saw signs of a struggle.
No, I didn't say struggle.
The umbrella stand was knocked over, and somebody dropped a carton of yogurt on the floor.
Does your son-in-law jog this same time every morning? - Yes.
- Any problems in their marriage? No, I just know Lucas has been very preoccupied with work lately.
But you sensed that he knew something had happened to his family? Yes.
Yes, he knew something.
Does your son-in-law have money? A lot of money? I don't know about a lot.
He and Susan live very well.
We'll need information on your son-in-law.
Phone numbers, bank accounts, that sort of thing.
Did you tell anyone you were coming to the police? / No.
You think they've been kidnapped for ransom? Yes, ma'am, it looks that way.
Home Of Lucas & Susan Colter Tuesday, February 5 Hi, I'm Alexa, this is Bobby.
We're conducting a ministry in your neighborhood today.
We want to tell you about the good news in the Good Book.
I don't have time.
Sure you do.
Just look at the pamphlet.
They might be watching the house, so just look at the pamphlet.
I don't know what you're talking about.
If you think you can get your wife and kids back safe without our help - My wife and kids are safe.
- We spoke with your mother-in-law.
- They went to the doctor's.
- Come on now, that's not true.
We know they're missing.
You want the truth? We had a fight this morning.
My wife left with the girls.
I don't know where they went.
- Mr.
Colter, you have no choice here.
- You have to let us handle this.
Everything's fine.
Just leave me alone.
You can keep these pamphlet to read.
And God bless you for talking to us.
Colter won't play ball.
He's scared.
Special Services just got the paperwork from the DA's.
They're putting the taps on his phones.
We're going to his bank.
Anything moves here, call us.
Done.
If there's any unusual activity in Mr.
Colter's account, you'll be notified immediately.
- How much is in there? - $22,000.
What are all these over there? Third-party checks he cashed at the bank.
What's this check here for 55,000? A cashier's check from Midtown Porsche.
The other checks are payouts from brokerage firms.
He sold his car, he sold stocks.
Looks like he knew he'd need the money.
Maybe the ransom isn't a ransom.
Snyder Investment Group Office Of Lucas Colter Tuesday, February 5 He's the Chief Operating Officer of this company.
- If he's in trouble, I need to know.
- Could you close the door? Did he mention any threats lately? / No.
You notice any change in mood? Short-tempered, you know, distracted? No.
Luke's pretty intense anyway.
- What about financial problems? - We're a hedge fund company.
There's always problems, and it's always about money.
I meant personal.
Does he owe money, gamble? If we knew he had a gambling problem, we wouldn't be in business with him.
Anyway, his wife came into some family money last year.
- She did? - That's what he said.
He bought a Porsche.
Took his family to Sardinia last summer.
Cali Di Volpe 1,500 bucks a day.
Isn't that standard recreation for you hedge fund guys? Yeah, well, there are no millionaires here.
Last summer might've been a different story.
One of the big firms made a buyout offer.
Everything was on track, their examiners were happy.
So Colter might've been expecting a big payoff.
Then 9/11 happened.
The buyers withdrew their offer, and then with no bonuses last year Colter was living beyond his means.
He was tapped out at the bank.
Maybe he went to the street for a loan.
And now the loan's due.
Eames.
Okay, call us back with a location.
We'll hook up with you.
Colter's on the move.
He's been waiting there about 10 minutes.
Phone company's working on setting up a trace on all four phones.
Hello? - Lucas Colter? - Yes, it's me.
Do you have all the money? No, no.
First I want to talk to my wife.
What are you talking about, "you want"? What you want, I don't care.
I care about the money.
I told you people yesterday I need five days.
Five days is going to be a very long time for your family.
Maybe you want to try harder to get the money.
I will.
Just don't hurt them.
This is your choice.
You get the money, you don't tell the police.
I haven't told them.
And you'll never tell them.
They will put you in jail, and I will come back and kill your family.
I swear, I won't say anything.
- You love your wife? - Yes.
And you love your beautiful daughters? Yes.
Please.
Tell me, which one you like better? Maggie or Sarah? - I don't know.
- Oh.
Me, I like Maggie.
Me and Maggie are going to have party.
And we are going to have party until you deliver the money.
What?! Wait! - Now talk to your wife.
- No! Wait, what are you going to do?! I'll get you the money, anything.
Please, don't hurt my family! - Lucas? - Susan, what's he doing? I don't know.
I can't see.
No more, Britney.
Come on! What are you doing? Maggie? - Maggie! - You like to fight?! - Leave her alone! - I like to fight, too.
You touch her, I'll kill you! Maggie! What's going on? What's he doing to her? Please, don't touch her.
Please.
She's just a little girl.
Please.
Please, leave her alone! She's just a little girl! Maggie, Mommy's here, baby.
Mommy's here.
- Susan? - Lucas, damn you, whatever they want, just give it to them.
Tell them I'll get the money today.
Just tell him to stop! Susan? Susan?! They weren't able to get a trace.
- Mr.
Colter.
- Get away from me.
We know you borrowed money.
If you give us a name, we can find them.
You can't help me! Lucas has a mortgage.
That's the only loan on his books.
This loan wouldn't be on the books.
From a loan shark? I don't know anything about that.
You're his accountant.
Didn't you notice he paid off a lot of overdue bills six months ago? Excuse me, but why am I even talking to you? You don't have a subpoena or a warrant.
We think the people he owes money to kidnapped his family.
Oh, Jeez.
Susan and the kids? Now you want to help us, right? I knew Lucas was trying to raise cash the last couple of weeks.
He didn't tell me why.
I didn't even know he was having money problems.
Six months ago, end of last summer, how much cash did he have on hand? Not much.
That's when his company got the buyout offer.
The buyer would have had auditors going over the books.
If Lucas was dipping into company funds, he'd have to put the money back fast.
So he went to a loan shark.
Lucas is an embezzler? Oh, Jeez.
No wonder he doesn't want our help.
Dad, this time I really need that money.
No! No, no, no.
I told you They took Susan and the girls.
They kidnapped them! I have to give them the money today.
You dummy.
- Did you call the police? - No.
- We have to call them.
- The banks close in two hours! - We have to get the money now! - The police know how to stall.
Listen to me! Just listen to me! Maggie I talked on the phone to the man who took them.
This Then he put Susan on and she heard him raping Maggie.
He raped her.
Oh my God, Lucas.
You have to help me get them back.
I'll call the bank.
I'll get the money.
Oh God, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'll take care of everything.
I'll get them back.
I'll get them back.
His accountant found almost a million bucks of unexplained income over the last year and a half.
- Guy was stealing with both hands.
- All right, thank you.
The company found an account Colter set up for a non-existent office supply house.
- That's how he was embezzling.
- We gotta make this guy talk to us.
Make is a big word.
He's not moved by the spirit of cooperation.
He embezzled his company.
Pick him up for grand larceny and step into him.
Enough! I think you like it this time.
I think next time you'll like it better.
Don't move.
Don't get mad at me.
I just collect a little interest on your daddy's loan.
Get mad at him.
He is weak man.
Men like him, they are food for wolves.
Okay.
How much? Okay.
Yes, it's in place.
Yes.
Okay.
Mr.
Colter? Mr.
Colter, did you hear what I said? Your secret's out.
The company knows you stole from them.
He's not admitting to any of this.
We don't care about his confession.
Look, you've got nothing to lose now.
Just give us the name of the loan shark.
If he cooperates, what consideration can he expect on the larceny charge? I don't care about that.
I don't have anything to say to them.
Mr.
Colter, if you don't help us, you are responsible for what happens to your family.
We're wasting our time.
Aren't we? You're not scared of going to prison.
You're scared of what they might do to your family if you talk to us.
You're scared to death that you might make a mistake.
How many kidnappings have you handled? Between us, Detective Eames and I have done nearly a dozen.
That's not counting hostage situations.
And so far, knock on wood, we haven't lost anybody.
But on your own, there are a million ways a kidnap victim can end up dead.
Even if you catch a lucky break, Lucas, you get them back safe and sound, unless those people are in jail, it will never be over for you, your wife and your kids.
- I want to talk to my client.
- You don't need to make any deals.
Detective.
They're out.
It was all a misunderstanding.
Lucas and I had a fight, and I left and took the kids with me.
But we're fine.
Now please, we're very tired.
Where are your daughters? Are they upstairs? You leave them alone! Hi.
You must be Sarah.
Hi, Maggie I'm Bobby Goren, I'm a police detective.
They need to sleep.
Every bone in my body tells me she was raped.
I could see it in her face.
I could see it in her mother's face.
Be that as it may, as long as her parents won't cooperate, I don't know of any judge who'll sign an order compelling a minor to submit to a medical examination.
Forget the rape kit.
We just need a statement from her.
Same problem.
No judge will compel her to testify.
- If the girl wants to talk? - Mother says she doesn't.
Even if she did want to talk, in light of her mental state, the judge would defer to her parent's wishes.
What about the embezzlement charge? The idea of Colter going to jail might convince the family to talk.
The company's backing away from filing a complaint.
Bad publicity.
I'm sorry, we'll have to find another way.
I was mistaken.
There was no kidnapping.
You said there were signs of struggles, right? You told us that.
It was exactly what my daughter told you.
It was a stupid little spat.
We can't figure out where your son-in-law got the money to pay off this loan shark.
Somebody must have given him the money.
What puzzles us, he had been trying to pay this loan for weeks.
Why didn't he go to this person before the kidnapping? Maybe he did and he got turned down, which raises interesting possibilities.
For instance, your son-in-law could've facilitated the kidnapping to extort money from this unknown person.
I'm sure he didn't plan on Maggie getting violated but if kidnapping was the only way to get money outIt's his father.
Melvyn Colter.
That old son of a bitch has never given Lucas a break.
They had a fight.
What's surprising about that? My son would try any woman's patience.
Do you know how easy it is for us to find out if you withdrew a large sum of money yesterday? - So what? I blew it on a pony.
- Which race? I forget.
I don't dwell on my losses.
Look, I'm going to my barber, and if you geniuses follow me, I'll call my lawyer, and he'll call his friends at the mayor's office.
You don't care you were swindled by your son? We hear you ride him pretty hard.
Nothing he does is ever good enough.
You know, like when he got those courtside seats for the playoffs last year, just for the two of you.
You didn't even bother to show up.
Now he needed money.
He knows he could be lying in front of your doorstep starving and you'd step over him.
But your granddaughters, well, that's the way to the old man's wallet.
He staged the kidnapping, Mr.
Colter.
Nice try, Detective.
He didn't buy it for a minute.
He must know his son better than we thought.
Or he knows the loan shark.
A white-collar guy like Lucas Colter is not going to have loan sharks in his Rolodex, but his dad's been in business for himself for 40 years.
Might've needed some short-term financing.
Could be how Lucas heard of these people.
Here, I got a UCC filing for Melvyn Colter's company, Med-support services, from six years ago.
Looks like he applied to the court for temporary relief from creditors.
You have addresses on those creditors? / Uh-huh.
B&C Fast Credit.
That sounds a little sketchy to make business loans.
Run the address through central records.
Six years ago, 1219 Pell was rented to one Carl Pettijohn.
Priors for fraud, possession of stolen goods and loan sharking.
Come on, fellas.
We're talking about a six-year-old loan.
Melvyn Colter and I sorted that out eons ago.
Then let's talk about the loan you made to his son.
$650,000.
All I see here is a normal business transaction.
The interest's a little on the high side, but it's perfectly within the law.
What's remarkable isn't what Mr.
Colter paid you, it's that he paid you so quickly.
- That's not my client's concern.
- Yes, it is.
He had Mr.
Colter's family kidnapped.
That's a damn lie.
I would never hurt anybody, least of all somebody's family.
Then someone must have ignored your instructions, because Mr.
Colter's daughter was raped while in captivity.
I looked at your record a little arm twisting, a little leg bending, but nothing like this.
For now, I can be convinced that things got a little out of your control.
The dominoes are falling, Mr.
Pettijohn.
You want to get ahead of them before they fall on you.
I got this guy's number, a collector.
I don't even know his name.
I've never used him before.
They told me he was good.
Who told you? Nicky Torres.
The guy was just supposed to get me the money.
I told him I didn't want anybody hurt.
Did you talk to this collector in person? No, I just called him on his phone.
He's got an accent.
I don't know, East European.
As far as I know, not even Nicky Torres has seen this guy.
Nicky Torres is a bagman for the Two Bridges drug gang.
Anybody they use to collect their drug debts is not going to be a pussycat.
You don't think for a minute I actually believe Pettijohn's demurrals, do you? The number Pettijohn called? It's for a prepaid cell phone.
No way to trace the owner.
Maybe Torres can lead us to him.
Can we get a tap on Torres' phone? I'm sure we can.
I let this maricon slide too long, Nicky.
like I'm some damn bodega.
I got the man on the case.
He's gonna get the money out of Benjy for us.
Benjy's got an excuse for every day of the week.
His old lady got to pay the doctor, his little girl got to get braces.
He ain't gonna have no excuses now.
He's just gonna have to pay.
The tape was made yesterday.
Nicky Torres and his boss, Carlito Santos.
- Any idea who Benjy is? - No.
Well, we'd better find out.
Some maniac's about to grab his wife and daughter.
His old lady got to pay the doctor, his little girl got to get braces.
He ain't gonna have no excuses now.
He's just gonna have to pay.
It's just two businessmen talking about a debt.
It doesn't mean anything.
It means Nicky here is on the hook for kidnapping, rape, and a lot of other violations that all add up to, "You can kiss the daylight goodbye, Nicky.
" The collector the one with the East European accent, the one that's going to snatch Benjy's wife and kid? You're gonna help us find him.
Any information he may provide doesn't constitute an admission of guilt or knowledge before or after the fact.
Whatever.
All I got is his number.
I just call him up and tell him what the job is.
I never met the guy.
I don't even know his name.
Well, his number.
When you talk to him, what do you call him? "Hey, you" or? I call him Little Joe.
You know, like the cowboy.
What, the cowboy on "Bonanza"? Yeah.
I was on the phone with him, and I heard the music, you know, from the TV show.
And I heard the other phone ringing.
He told me he programs his phone to play the tune.
"Bonanza.
" What a funny guy.
Yeah, yeah.
Now I want you to write Benjy's name and where he lives with his family.
Take him! Police! Let's go.
I You gonna answer that? Simon Matic, born Belgrade 1969.
Immigrated in 1995, naturalized 1998.
His visa application says he served four years in the Serbian Army.
Where, Bosnia? Yeah, and a bunch of places with no vowels.
Says he was wounded in action.
Let's stay focused on his activities here.
There was nothing in the van or his home to tie him to any kidnapping.
- No hairs, no fibers.
- Phone records? He uses pre-paid phones, changes them every week.
Eyewitnesses? He's committed other kidnappings.
Nicky Torres can provide the names of other victims.
Torres wants a total walk in return for his cooperation.
- That's out of the question.
- Then we're out of luck.
Give us a few days, we'll turn something up.
You don't have a few days.
You have 17 hours, by which time I have to bring him up for arraignment.
With the evidence I have in hand now, I'll be lucky to get a 10c bail for him.
And then, my friends, I'm afraid Mr.
Simon Matic will disappear into thin air.
I read the preliminary report it was a good shooting.
Home Of Lucas & Susan Colter Thursday, February 14 I don't want him out of jail either.
I never saw their faces.
I opened the door, they sprayed something in my eyes.
They did the same thing to Sarah and Maggie.
The place where they kept you? They took us down some stairs it was damp.
Where did they release you? At a rest stop on the thruway.
They put us in the bathroom, blindfolded, tied up.
After a while, Melvyn, Lucas' father, came and got us.
Maggie was alone with him, isn't that right? Yes.
Has she talked to you about it? No.
She won't talk to anyone, not even her sister.
We took her to a therapist.
He said that Maggie identifies with her captor.
It's what happens with hostages.
Stockholm Syndrome.
She just sits there.
She won't say a word.
She doesn't even cry.
She's just so full of rage.
We're gonna have to talk to Maggie, with your permission, of course.
No.
She doesn't want to talk about it.
- I won't force her.
- Lucas.
Susan, there'll be a trial.
She'll have to testify.
She'll have to face him.
- I won't put her through that.
- It's not up to you, Lucas.
All you have to do is answer their questions.
It's important, not just for them but for you and Sarah.
Please, sweetheart.
Just try.
I'm gonna close the door.
I'm Alex.
What we need, Maggie, is to see if you can identify the men who kidnapped you.
We don't need to go into what happened or what they did.
I'll start by showing you photos, and you tell me if you recognize anybody.
I didn't see their faces.
Maybe you noticed a physical detail the color of their hair, a birthmark? I don't know.
I don't remember.
Maggie, I understand you're angry.
You feel everybody abandoned you, that they didn't take care of you.
You're right, they didn't.
We can't make everything right for you, you're the only one who can do that.
Oh, come on.
That's the same crap she hears from her therapist.
She's not a little girl.
She wants to talk, she'll talk.
Anyway, it doesn't matter.
One of the men who kidnapped you? Well, he's dead.
He pulled a gun on Detective Eames, she shot him.
This one.
What's the matter? You feel bad for him? Well, anyway, he's not the boss.
Him, we have in custody.
You'd never think by looking at him he's a sadistic monster, a man with no soul.
He's just the worst kind of evil.
He was in the Serbian Army during the war in Bosnia.
You probably read about that in school.
Him and his buddies? They raped thousands of women and girls.
Raped, raped, raped, raped, raped, raped.
Now he makes a living kidnapping the families of people who owe money.
He was about to kidnap another girl when we arrested him.
She's 14 years old.
He's a bad guy, Maggie.
He's a coward, he's a weakling, right? Maybe they're the weaklings.
The victims? No.
No, this guy's a sadist.
He likes to hurt people.
Maybe he just knows what he wants and goes after it! Maybe he's just stronger than everybody else! Nobody pushes him around, right? / Yes.
- You like that about him? - Yes.
You want to be strong too, so nobody pushes you around? / Yes.
You don't want to feel weak like these girls, - you don't want to be a victim? - No.
You don't want to feel helpless like you did when he raped you, - when you couldn't defend yourself? - No.
You don't ever want to feel that way again, do you, Maggie? No.
Oh my God.
He hurt me.
He hurt me so bad.
You're not weak, you're strong.
You lived through it.
Sorry we're late.
Shouldn't you be getting him ready for transport to the courthouse for arraignment? We just have to dot some I's for the DA.
First thing, does he want to make a statement? No, he doesn't.
Your name is Simon Matic, naturalized US citizen 1998? Yes.
You served in the Serbian Army from '89 to '93? It's just for identification purposes.
Yes, I serve.
- Doing what, motor pool? - Infantry.
But what, stocking the selves in the PX typing letters? I just don't see you going anywhere near the shooting.
I fought for my country.
There's fighting and then there's fighting.
- I was wounded.
- Right.
Everybody wants to be a war hero.
- You want to see? - Let's not get into a pissing match.
I'll take your word for it you're a hero of the Serbian people.
No, no, no.
My friend, you think I am coward.
I don't mind showing you.
I'm game.
Let's see it.
That's quite a scar.
How did you get it? Shrapnel.
What do you have back there? - It is nothing.
- You've got ink.
Can I see? It's a tiger's head.
And there are dates '89 to '93.
Your tour in the Serbian Army.
What are those initials? Serbian Infantry Regiment.
You sure? "S.
D.
G.
"? Doesn't that stand for Srpska Dobrovoljacka Garda? The Serbian volunteer guard? You weren't regular army, were you? You were in a paramilitary group, under the command of an indicted war criminal.
/ That's it.
You have gone beyond the scope of what you're allowed to ask.
Relax, Counselor.
No one's after him for war crimes, we checked.
You called yourselves "The Tigers," because you were ferocious?! - Especially with unarmed civilians? - That is not true.
You probably got that scar from some poor woman you raped who stuck her paring knife into you.
That is lies.
Those bitches, they are all liars.
You know how I know so much about your tattoo? I've seen it before.
Somebody drew this from memory.
The dates, the letters, all the way down to the tiger's stripes.
She got every detail right.
You see this? It's her signature.
Read it.
Want me to help you? It's signed Maggie Colter.
And this, my friend, this is a positive ID.
You raped her body, you raped her her mind.
You turned her head inside out.
But she got you.
She got you.
Didn't she? Now he's ready for arraignment.
That's a tough little girl.
Mr.
Matic's rambling days are over.

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