Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021) s04e05 Episode Script

Missing Persons

1
In the nation's largest city,
the vicious and violent
members of the underworld
are hunted by the detectives
of the Organized Crime Control Bureau.
These are their stories.
You're always at work. Dad, it's not OK.
Randall mentioned that
you're selling fine wine.
Hey, it's a legit job.
Us Stablers tend to shut people out
when we don't know how to handle things.
Gotta work on that, man.
[GUNSHOT]
You were undercover with Los Santos.
You played a role in
their father's death.
I built this case!
- [GUNSHOT]
- You assaulted a minor.
The minor who shot my sergeant?
You're suspended, pending
an IAB investigation.
Thought you might like it.
You know, help you
brush up on your English.
There's a girl named Rita.
Are we looking at trafficking here?
- [GUNFIRE]
- They kill my son!
Look, he's in London
and you're gonna be with him soon.
- Thank you.
- You're safe now.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[LAUGHTER]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[JAZZY PIANO MUSIC]

- Uh
- Try it again.
- Hold it like this?
- Exactly right.
Now, spread your feet a bit.
Little more.
- [CHUCKLING] Oh, what?
- I
I thought we were getting
to know each other.
I thought you were
teaching me something.
I can definitely do that.
You ever hear of mints?
[CHUCKLES UNCOMFORTABLY]
She's right, Frank.
Your breath smells like ass.
Hey, Logan, why don't we take
the councilman to the kitchen?
Get him some coffee?
This place is amazing.
Would you like a tour?
Very much.
New regular?
I think so.
He was sweet.
They're never sweet.
They just pretend to be.
How many times have
you said you liked a guy
and it didn't work out?
A few.
Yeah, well, Prince Charming
doesn't have to pay his princess.
Maybe he hasn't met the right one yet.
The right one normally
doesn't come with baggage.
Gabriel isn't baggage.
No, I didn't mean that.
Everything I do is for that kid.
I know. I'm sorry.
Look,
you know what I'm trying to say.
The kind of men we meet,
they're looking for a
party, not a partner.
We're their escape.
Don't ever forget that.
Yes, I come here a year ago.
My friend told me that
I come, I live with her,
I can become an actress.
- She believes
- [BAR MANAGER CLEARS THROAT]
[RITA SIGHS]
I'm a paying customer.
And I can refuse service to anyone.
Don't cause a scene, just go.
[RITA CHUCKLES]
Now.
[TENSE MUSIC]
It was nice to meet you.

- Be careful, all right?
- Mm.

[WOLF WHISTLES]
What's up, girl?
Hey. Want some, girl?
[INDISTINCT SPEECH]

Hi.
How'd you find me?
Come on. I'll give you a ride.

[RITA LAUGHING]
Ooh! [LAUGHS]

[RITA CHUCKLES]

Ooh!
[CHUCKLING] You're a terrible dancer.

Sorry, I
Some something's wrong.

[ENGINE REVS]

[RITA GASPS SOFTLY]
[RITA SOBBING]

[RITA HYPERVENTILATING]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Well, I'm just saying that
Grandma can be a lot to handle.
I know you can handle it.
But that's not what I'm saying.
OK.
OK.
You can just call me
if you need anything.
I love you. Bye.
[SIGHS] Coffee.
Coffee first. [CLEARS THROAT]
You're being questioned
as part of an official
IAB investigation.
You'll be asked questions
specific to the
performance of your duties
and everything said here will
be treated as confidential.
Start from the beginning.
What happened that night?
[PHONE RINGING]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
- [VOICEMAIL BEEPS]
- Elliot, it's me.
I heard what happened.
Actually, I'm gonna wait
for you to tell me what happened.
Um, call me back.
I'm here.
[VOICEMAIL BEEPS]
In your view, was the use
of physical force justified
given the circumstances?
He was taking down a shooter.
If he didn't do it, I would have.
In your view, did he
use excessive force?
I can't answer that. I wasn't there.
I'm asking if Detective Bashir
or Slootmaekers shared their
opinion of what happened.
I wasn't there.
You spoke with him on the phone.
Could you gauge whether he'd
been drinking that evening?
You'd have to ask him.
Did you smell anything on his breath?
We don't have that kind of relationship.
Thank you, Detective.
I have all I need.
You don't know him.
He was just trying to protect everyone.
That's all. Thank you.
[TENSE MUSIC]

[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]


[PHONE LINE TRILLING]
- Hey, Dad.
- Hey. How you doing?
Just got out of class.
You need something?
No.
Just checking in,
seeing how you're doing
after the other night.
I mean, I've met our family before.
[CHUCKLES] Yeah. Yeah.
Even still, you know.

I'm fine.

Are you OK?
Yeah. Yeah.
Well, no, but you know,
it's nothing to worry about.
- Is Grandma?
- Yeah, no, Grandma's fine.
She's she's staying with your sister.

So you good?
Yeah.

OK.

If that changes
Will you stop being weird?
You're freaking me out.
All right.
Look, I've got to go see Becky.
- OK.
- Are you sure you're OK?
Good. I'm good. Yeah.
It's all good, and,
uh, I'll talk to you.
[SIGHS]

[STABLER SIGHS SOFTLY]

Joey Joe.
[CHUCKLES]
- As I live and breathe.
- [STABLER CHUCKLES]
Miss me already, huh?
I had to see for myself.
Everybody, this is my big brother.
- Hey, guys.
- Hey.
Big time wine merchant, huh?
- Not bad, huh?
- Yeah.
Now wait till you see the view.
[INHALES DEEPLY]
[WHISTLES] What a crazy night, huh?
- Mm. Dinner?
- Yeah!
- Yeah.
- I mean, holy hell.
- You didn't know any of that?
- No.
Mom kicking Randall
out, what he did to Dad.
- That was that was
- A lot.
A lot. Yeah, even for our family.
Oh, hey.
Randall told me about, you know,
what happened about you
getting suspended and all.
That sucks, man.
Yeah.
I'm sure it'll get figured out.
Yeah?
Hey, they'll figure it out.
[JOE JR. CLEARS THROAT]
Nice suit.
Thanks. It's Italian.
- Yeah?
- [JOE JR. CHUCKLES]
So this, the, uh, the entire operation?
This is it. This is it, yeah.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
That's the one I
brought the other night.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Yeah.
Looks like it's doing good by you.
Yeah, I feel like I'm
finally doing what
what I'm meant to do.
Guess it shows. [CHUCKLES]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Besides work, everything good?
[INHALES DEEPLY] Yeah, great.
I got a new girl.
I didn't bring her to
the party, thank God,
but you're gonna love her.
She's beautiful, man.
She's she's a ten out of ten.
[CHUCKLES]
You'll see.

Hey, we need to talk.
[WORKER CLEARS THROAT]
[WORKER CLICKS TONGUE]
- Yeah. Yeah, totally.
- Mm-hmm.
It's just that now's not a good time.
OK. When's a good time?
[INHALES DEEPLY]
I don't know. But I'll
call you when it is.
OK?
- You call me?
- Yeah, soon.
- Yeah?
- OK.
Oh, hey.
For you.
Now's not a good time.
[JOE JR. CHUCKLES]
- OK.
- All right.
I'll call you.
[TENSE MUSIC]

[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Well, well, well, someone's
pretty popular around here.
It's all for show.
Everybody likes to pretend they care.
So should I take this back?
Mm-mm. Gimme.
Doc says you're recovering well.
[SIGHS] Well, he's really
impressed with himself,
so I take that as a good sign.
You're OK?
I'd rather not repeat that experience.
[STABLER CHUCKLES]
Sometimes it can stay in your head
there for a little while after.
Just so you know.
Spoken from experience.
You talk to IAB?
Not yet.
How many times has Jack called?
Too many.
And Reyes, I know he stopped by.
Yeah, they don't
follow orders very well.
I wonder where they learned that from?
They know better than to lie for me.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
They don't have to.
You did what you had to do.

[GROANS SOFTLY]
I know this isn't part
of your nature, but, um
but I need you to see
how this one plays out.
Sit on your hands for a while.
Whatever happens happens.

You're right.
It's not part of my nature.

[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[TENSE MUSIC]

[SCREAMS] I'm sorry, I'm sorry!
I'm so sorry. I wasn't
sure if it was you.
Are you Detective Stabler? [PANTING]
I saw the shooting on the news.
I thought you might be here.
Who are you?
I'm Heidi. I'm friends with
oh, God, I'm sorry. I'm
doing this all wrong.
Just relax. Take your time.
You helped my friend, Rita. Rita Lasku.
She said if anything happened,
that I should come find you.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

- Yeah, I know her.
- Mm.
I know her too.
- She with you?
- No, we just met.
That's how it starts.
I don't judge.
Good.
- So Rita?
- [SOFTLY] Mm.
Did you see her in here the other night?
- Yeah, she came through here.
- Mm-hmm?
She leave with anyone?
- No, she was by herself.
- Mm.
But I think I saw her get in a car.
What do you mean? You think or you saw?
Well, I didn't see the driver.
Sedan. Maybe a sports car.
Black.
Or gray, expensive.
My eyes aren't so good anymore.
All right. Thanks for your help.

Hey, hope you find your girl.
Could she have gone anywhere else?
[SIGHS] No. Not that she told me.
OK.
Do you think she's OK?

[GASPING]
This is it.
And I was told she was set
up in London with her son.
She didn't want to go until
she got her act together.
She wanted to have a job to
be able to provide for him,
make him proud.
She only lived one life.
I understand.
She found her own clients.
She wasn't owned by anyone.
Neither of us are.
Nice apartment.
She said she wanted to
give it a few more months,
then go to London to be with the kid.
She was doing really well.
When was the last time
you spoke with her?
Uh, about a week ago.
We check in with each
other every few days,
but I wasn't hearing from her.
She wasn't answering my calls.
Then I got a text saying,
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Said she was having fun.
And?
She's not the one who sent it.
How do you know that?
We have a code just between us.
If you're OK, you never say you're OK.
If she really was OK, she
would have told me to suck it.
Hmm.
Do you know if she had a second phone?
Maybe one of her clients
gave her a burner to use?
Something like that?
I'm not sure.
There was a new guy, I think.
Said he was nice. [SCOFFS]
That's a problem?
Always.
- Where'd she meet him?
- Long Island.
There's a party house out
there she's been at a few times,
but I'm not sure exactly where.
Hmm.
I haven't seen one of
these in a thousand years.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
Everyone takes their
photos with their phone.
We only use our phones for business.
This was just for her.
Yeah?
Look at how gorgeous this place is.
Oh, no no. This place is a dump.
That is why you're here,
to class up the joint.
That Mr. Nice Guy?
I don't know.
But I think that's the
party she was talking about.
So, can you get anything from it?
Well, unlike with the phone,
there's no GPS data to
pull from a digital camera.
So to get a location,
I'm gonna need to use
elements within the frame.
You know, the architecture,
the position of the house
relative to landmarks,
and then cross-reference that
with any real estate listings
or social media posts, you know,
assuming that this is a
popular party destination.
And can I just say
again that I'm honored
that you came to me
in your time of need?
You know, it means a lot.
Well, CCB is under a microscope.
I couldn't risk pulling
in the members of the team.
And you don't consider
me a member of the team?
Well, your trust in me is appreciated.
You want to talk about it?
What?
The case. I mean, who is she?
Someone I thought I'd saved.
- How long?
- At least a few hours.
I'll just make myself comfortable.
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
I'm not replacing anyone.
But ADA Carisi is worried the Los
Santos case will blow up in his face,
given the actions of Detective Stabler
and the absence of Sergeant Bell.
I'm here to make sure
that doesn't happen.
So let's dot all the
I's, cross all the T's,
go back over every piece of evidence.
I don't want the
district attorney's office
to have anyone to blame
but themselves, got it?
- Yep.
- Got it.
Yes, Cap.
[SIGHS] Great. Now get back to work.
So she's just gonna bring her own chair?
It looks like she's
planning to get comfortable.
Maybe Sarge will be out
longer than we expected.
I worked with Shah for over a year.
She's not the bad guy.
Didn't stop you from
joining us from Hate Crimes
the first moment you got.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

- Yeah, no.
- I'm going to here now.
Yeah, 'cause I'm gonna
grab this and just work.
You talk to Stabler?
Yeah, I went by his place this morning.
He wasn't there or he
didn't bother answering.
He hasn't called me back either.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Technically
it's crossing T's to
keep tabs on him, right?
That's my understanding of T's and I's.
Mm.
[KEYBOARD CLICKING]

What the hell is he
doing in Long Island?
[PHONE RINGING]
Hey.
Hey, it's me.
Get your feet off my coffee table.
You got an address for me?
Yeah, it, uh the party
house is located in Westbrook.
It's owned by the local DA, Noah Cahill.
- Sending his photo.
- [NOTIFICATION CHIMES]
I'll do some more digging,
see what I can find out about him.
Yeah, no, no. You do
it. All right, see you.
Oh, all right, all right.
I'm just playing with you.
Just making sure that you
know which game we're doing.
[STABLER CLEARS THROAT]
You look lost.
I'd say more curious.
Uh-huh. OK, funny guy.
Put your hands on the car.
Maybe a little pissed off.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Come on, it's up to you. Get in there.
- I'm all in.
- Nice.
- Feeling very confident.
- That's his tell.
Did you make a new friend, Logan?
Caught him snooping around.
I'm looking for a girl.
Yeah, you're definitely
in the wrong place.
All we got here are broads.
No, I'm definitely in the right place.
I'm gonna reach into my pocket here
Share this with you.
Look how gorgeous this place is.
This is definitely here
and that is definitely you.
And the girl is Rita
Lasku. She's missing.
And who the hell are you?
I'm a concerned citizen
looking for a friend.
Just a friend?
Are you a cop? 'Cause I'm a cop.
Actually, I am the cop.
And if you have something to say to me,
you say it in my office, not here.
I understand and I
would love to do that,
but this man was one of the last people
to see her alive at a party
where he paid what looked
like underaged girls
for the entertainment.
They look young, but
no one was underage.
- You say she's missing.
- Yes.
How do you know she's missing?
These girls fall off
the map all the time.
I'm just looking for a list
of everyone who was at the party.
It's not gonna happen.
What are you afraid of?
Enough. This is what is going to happen.
One hand, I win,
Officer Logan here charges
you with trespassing.
And if I win?
A night in the drunk tank.
Give you some time to think about
all the lines you've crossed tonight.
[TENSE MUSIC]

We read up all about you
while you were in the tank.
Anything interesting?
Nah, just an arrogant city cop,
thinks he owns every
place he walks into.
- Kinda sounds like your chief.
- [CHUCKLES] Yeah.
Be thankful you're walking out of here
without any charges
against you, Detective.
With your suspension,
can't imagine that'd go down too well.
No argument there.
Enjoy your drive back into the city.
Thanks very much.
Hey, you got a breakfast
joint around here?
I got a thing for eggs.
Ah, don't bother yourself.
I think I can find it on my own.
You've been working here for a while?
Couple months.
- Did I mess up something?
- No.
Food's great, but I was
just kind of wondering
you probably get a lot of
faces coming through here.
You ever seen her?
Name is Rita.
Maybe one night, late at night,
possibly with an older guy.
I've only got the brunch crowd.
She looks a lot like Christine.
Christine?
Christine Olston.
I don't really know her,
but she busses tables here.
Never showed up for her
shift two nights ago.
- She works nights?
- Yeah.
Overheard the cops say
they think she's a runaway.
- Mm.
- Is your friend missing too?
- She is.
- [BELL RINGS]
- You know where she lives?
- I don't. Sorry.
But you should ask Carter.
He knows everybody.
Christine's family.
They live over in Mastic.
They're good people.
Carter Reid.
I'm a journalist.
Or Westbrook's cautionary
tale, depending on who you ask.
Hear you're looking for
your own missing girl.
Yeah.
Rita Lasku.
Uh [SIGHS SOFTLY]
Uh, what do you know about Noah Cahill?
Well, I know he's got more
money than a DA should,
unless he's taking something
extra under the table.
So he's a power player?
Few folks around here
thinks he calls the shots.
Not Chief Bonner?
Well, it depends
on whether you think
the top dog is the one
paying for protection
or the one offering it.
- That old tango?
- Welcome to Long Island.
Make matters worse,
tourist season's around the corner.
Two missing girls,
that's bad for business.
If they want to bury this, they can.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Christine's family, could you
make an introduction for me?
I can't today.

But I'll let them know
Detective Stabler is coming by.
[BELL RINGS]
She asked for this expensive dress.
- Just had to have it for prom.
- Mm.
- When we said no
- We didn't say no.
I said, "Find the money for
the dress and it's yours."
And that's just what she did.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
By working at a diner?
No, that wasn't paying enough.
It was a cater-waiter gig
she found on Craigslist.
- Some party.
- At a beach house?
In Westbrook, yes.
The last time we spoke, we argued.

[SOBBING]
Sorry.
We've been talking a lot already.
I understand.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Hey. Whoa.
You don't need to go anywhere.
You OK?
Yeah?
You close with your sister?
You know why I'm here?
Yeah.
I'm taking what's
going on very seriously.

So if you know anything that
can help me find your sister,
I need you to tell me.

Now one's gonna get in trouble.

Mom and Christine
they were yelling at each other.

Well, I think right now,
all your parents want
is your sister home.

One time, after they were fighting
Mm-hmm.
I saw her hide something.
Do you know where she hid it?

Can you get it for me?

[DRAMATIC TENSE MUSIC]

Good job, son.
[PHONE CHIMES]
Hmm.
No history.
Now let's put the boot back.
[DIAL TONES CHIMING]
[PHONE LINE TRILLING]
Vargas, it's me.
I'm calling you on a burner phone.
I need to know everyone
who has called this number.

Only one?
You sure?
All right, well, yeah, give it to me.
[DIAL TONES CHIMING]
Got it.
[PHONE LINE TRILLING]
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[LINE CLICKS]
[BREATHING]
Hello?
[BREATHING]
I'm looking for Christine.
[BREATHING]
I'm gonna find her.
Maybe you think you've gone
too far, but you haven't.
[BREATHING]
You can stop this.
[BREATHES HEAVILY]
[LINE CLICKS]
[TENSE MUSIC]
[SOMBER MUSIC]

[SIGHS]
You have a very strong accent.

[RITA SOBS]
All right, you're safe now.
You're safe.

[PHONE RINGING]
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[RITA SOBBING]
[TENSE MUSIC]
No, no. Please, help me!
Help me! [SOBBING]
Please!

[ENGINE REVVING]
[TIRES SCREECHING]

Hey.
Hotshot, you're not going
anywhere except with me.
Chief Bonner wants to see you.
Now.

No, no. Please, help me!
Whoever has her met her at that party.
Help me!
[SIGHS] You're convinced it's Cahill?
Well, if it's not, he knows
more than what he's saying.
Is that where you were headed?
To his place? To do what?
Knock him around a little?
I hadn't thought that far in advance.
Detective, this is my investigation.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
And my town.
I won't have you
harassing its residents.
If you have something,
you bring it to me.
You are not the only one who
wants to find these girls.
Well, I brought you the phone, Chief.
Maybe give it to your tech
so that they can find something
on it that I've missed.

Are you sure?
We're looking for someone
driving a sports car.
Why are you here?
We're the cavalry.
And that's the end of it.
We traced the phone number.
It's no longer in service.
Guy probably torched it the
second he sent the video.
We've been analyzing it frame by frame.
You did all this with motel Wi-Fi?
Well, I set up our own
wireless satellite hookup.
We should get faster rendering now that
Reyes isn't driving 95 miles an hour.
We did some digging on your DA, Cahill.
Turns out he's a domestic abuser.
His last two wives filed charges,
but they didn't stick,
and there was a Child Services case.
That was buried too.
We checked all the cars
registered under his name.
Turns out he likes muscle cars.
Not surprising.
But red's his favorite
color, nothing gray or black,
and nothing that fits the
vehicle the doorman saw
leaving the hotel.
So maybe he's not our guy.
Or maybe it wasn't his car.
I got something.
Here in the background.
That's a concrete artillery rig.
They're used in old
World War II bunkers.
Any of those bunkers in the area?
Uh
four along the coastline.
One's only two miles
from Cahill's beach house.
Send me the location.

What are you doing?
We're going with you.
No, you're not even supposed to be here.
Everyone in this room is
out of their jurisdiction.
Especially you.
Exactly. I'm already in hot water.
You come with me, what
if it goes sideways?
Sarge is not gonna have
a team to go back to.
No.

[DIGITAL LOCK CHIMES]
Don't follow me.

[DOOR CLOSES]
OK, you're a little over a mile away.
Head north through that thicket,
should take you right to the coastline.

I'm gonna hoof it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

OK, you're right on top of it.
What am I looking for?

[NOTIFICATION CHIMES]
All right. Check your phone.
The photo should help.

I think I found it.

[METALLIC CLANKING]

[SOBBING]
Christine.
You're safe, you're safe, you're safe.
My name is Elliot.
You're safe, you're safe.
I'm a cop. You're
safe. Are you all right?
[CHRISTINE HYPERVENTILATING]
[TENSE MUSIC]

[STABLER SHOUTS]
[TENSE MUSIC]

[METAL CLATTERS]

Christine. Christine.
You're gonna be OK. I'm
gonna get you out of here.
There was a girl here, Rita.
Mm.
Do you remember Rita?
You do? Where is she?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[OMINOUS MUSIC]
No. No.
[STABLER PANTING]

No, no.
No! No! No!
[SOMBER MUSIC]

[STABLER GROANS]
[SOFTLY] Oh, no.

[OMINOUS MUSIC]

[PHONE RINGING]
I'm sorry about your friend.
- Me too.
- [PHONE RINGING]
Yeah?
You OK?

I will be.
There's a few things I
got to talk to you about
when you get back.
Understood. Hold on.
Coroner says she's
been dead over 48 hours.
Before he sent the video?
Yeah.
This isn't on you.
There's nothing more you could've done.
Look, Rita isn't our case.
She was.
And she still is.

I'll see what I can do.
In the meantime, stay out of their hair.

She's the chief.
And you're just observers, got it?
Yes, sir.

Thank you, Detective.
Thank you for bringing my daughter back.
Mm-hmm.
Did you find your friend?
Yeah. Yeah, I did.
Um, could you give us a minute, please?
- Hi.
- Hi.
I hate to do this now,
but we don't want this
happening to anyone else.
- I understand.
- OK.
I know him.
Mm-hmm.
He hosted the parties.
Mm-hmm.
But did he abduct you?
I don't know.
I never saw his face.
I was grabbed from behind.
Mm-hmm.
And the next thing I knew,
I was in the trunk of a car.
How about his voice?
Do you remember that?
- [SOFTLY] Yeah.
- What it sounded like, maybe?
- Yeah.
- Mm-hmm?
That, I'll never forget.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Before he'd leave,
he'd always say in this whispery voice,
"Don't wash away with
the sea, sweetheart."

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
I think they found something.

I got a body here!

- We got another one over here.
- [DOG BARKING]
Got one here too.
[SOMBER DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[PHONE RINGING]
Yeah?
Rita's body wasn't the
only one they found.
They pulled out three more.
We got ourselves a serial killer.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[WOLF HOWLS]
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