Law & Order 4x22

1. (male narrator) In the criminal justice system...

2. the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups:

3. the police who investigate crime...

4. and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.

5. These are their stories.

6. Ladies and gentlemen, I am not a criminal.

7. I just need some money for my medicine.

8. So help me not break the law.

9. Thank you.

10. Change?

11. Can you spare some— Hey, thank you, buddy, thanks a lot.

12. Spare some change?

13. How about you, sir? You got some change?

14. Excuse me, can you spare some change?

15. Oh, yeah. That's right, just turn your back, ignore me, walk away, huh?

16. What, you think I'm not gonna go anywhere, Mr. Rockefeller?

17. Well, I got news for you. I got no place to go!

18. Change?

19. Excuse me, sir, can you spare some change?

20. You know, I got a right to be here, too!

21. Oh, my God!

22. Six months until my pension. Now it's gonna be spent in a courtroom.

23. Let's get a little head start on your statement.

24. Hey, what's to say?

25. I mean it's rush hour. I'm on my way downtown...

26. a guy dives off the curb in front of my rig.

27. He wants to kill himself. What does he gotta use me for?

28. How compassionate.

29. I'm the one who's gotta take all the blood tests.

30. It ain't like I could've turned away.

31. (Elvira) The guy was a maniac. I know he pushed him deliberately.

32. One of our homeless hordes was hassling the commuters.

33. I'm gonna need a description.

34. He had on a dirty blue coat and a plaid scarf.

35. And he was filthy.

36. Well, that narrows it down. Look, did you get a look at his face?

37. Who wants to look?

38. Good luck. Thanks.

39. (Lillian) Well, he was begging for change.

40. I work for a living. I'll be damned if I give it away.

41. You remember anything about him?

42. We tried to get away. He couldn't take a hint.

43. Maybe we should have given him something.

44. He shoves a cappuccino cup from Bon Matin in my face.

45. That's $3 a throw. He doesn't need my quarter.

46. (officer) Hey, Logan!

47. Mr. Keeley was standing next to the victim.

48. How you doing? I'm Det. Logan. Did you get a look at this homeless guy?

49. I saw him coming and turned my back.

50. So you didn't actually see anybody get pushed?

51. No, I heard the guy scream.

52. All right, we'll call you if we need you. Thank you.

53. Not easy to read the lD.

54. Renkmeyer, Harry. Thirty-two.

55. I guess he should've given the guy a quarter, huh?

56. We give the second cup free...

57. so these bums lift a paper cup out of the trash and come in for a refill.

58. You ever see one wearing a plaid scarf?

59. Oh, yeah. You mean Bruce Springsteen.

60. Some kind of musician, plays the air guitar. Between gigs...

61. he uses the scarf to wash car windows.

62. So he's a regular around here? Yeah, couple of times a week.

63. He lives in the neighborhood. Lucky us.

64. Where in the neighborhood?

65. Well, he did invite me back to his place once...

66. but I didn't go.

67. The guitar-playing squeegee man?

68. Yeah, that'd be Rudy.

69. He has a part-time job in the psycho ward at Bellevue.

70. And the rest of the time he lives here?

71. You ever been in Bellevue?

72. Well, I think it's time for Rudy's monthly checkup.

73. Is this his crib?

74. Yeah, but you're gonna have to come back at night.

75. During the day they're all out working.

76. Working?

77. Hey, that's what they call it.

78. All right, we'll come back for the night shift.

79. Come on, let's go pay a visit to the late Mr. Renkmeyer.

80. (Rodgers) There's not much of him to see.

81. Without the driver's license you couldn't even give him a name.

82. Next of kin lD him? Yeah, she called.

83. We wanna wait until we glue him back together and make sure it's really him.

84. (Briscoe) You can't tell from the face and the lD?

85. You try playing speed bump to an 18-wheeler.

86. We'll x-ray the body, look for fillings, surgical pins.

87. It's a hell of a way to go, huh?

88. Well, he took something with him.

89. Under his fingernails, ripped blue fibers.

90. Blue fibers?

91. So he grabbed onto the guy who pushed him?

92. You better get this to Forensics.

93. You think Rudy, the guitar player, is back from work?

94. (Brown) Welcome to Strawberry Fields West.

95. (Briscoe) The berries are smelling a little ripe.

96. Hey, old-timer, you know a guy named Rudy?

97. Guess not.

98. (Logan) I should sleep so well.

99. (Briscoe) Well, he puts in a longer day than you.

100. Hey, now, baby

101. Get into my

102. (Logan) Rudy! Hey, Rudy!

103. Show's over, baby.

104. Hey, this is my encore.

105. (Logan) Come on, Elvis, let's go. (man) Get out of here!

106. Where have all the flowers gone?

107. I'll tell you, man, lawyers, bankers— lndian chiefs.

108. It's the system, man. It's only as strong as its weakest member.

109. And you're looking at him.

110. I bet that really gets your blood going.

111. I'm on fire, man. I see them every day.

112. They spend more on one suit than I've made in the last 10 years.

113. And when I ask them for change they just turn their backs.

114. And you give them a little push?

115. You guys think I did it?

116. No way, man.

117. We got a whole crowd of people who saw you there, Rudy.

118. You know, it's funny.

119. They don't notice me when my hand's out asking for change.

120. So you're saying you didn't shove anybody into traffic?

121. Hey, some guy gets squashed on my corner...

122. they say I did it, huh?

123. I mean, it's bad for business. Think about it.

124. No, you think about it.

125. And we got a semi-private cell for you to think about it in.

126. You guys can't arrest me. What's the charge?

127. Singing off-key.

128. My client wants to go home.

129. Home? It's wall-to-wall rats.

130. I'm not here to defend his home furnishings, just his rights.

131. You haven't got anything on him in this murder.

132. He just happened to be in the vicinity.

133. And he was hassling pedestrians.

134. He was talking to pedestrians.

135. Did anyone see him push anybody?

136. The fabric under the victim's nails doesn't match the suspect's coat.

137. (Van) So go back to square one.

138. He definitely got run over by a truck.

139. Brilliant, Rodgers. We already noticed that.

140. The truck didn't kill him. He was already dead.

141. Heart attack.

142. What attacked Mr. Renkmeyer's heart was a small piece of lead.

143. (Briscoe) He was shot?

144. X-rays found an anterior entry wound in the upper-left quadrant.

145. Straight through the heart, then it lodged in the spine,32.

146. Thought you might want it.

147. I'll call CSU, tell them to start looking for a shell.

148. (Joan) I don't understand. What can I tell you?

149. Well, we're trying to find out who killed your husband, Mrs. Renkmeyer.

150. He was killed by a crazy, homeless person.

151. (Briscoe) It seems we were wrong about how your husband died, ma'am.

152. He was shot.

153. By a homeless man? We don't know.

154. Had your husband been threatened by anybody?

155. Harry? Of course not.

156. (Logan) Mr. Renkmeyer worked for a company called Nature's Way?

157. (Joan) He was Chief Financial Officer.

158. They make baby food.

159. Had he been having any problems? Acting oddly in any way?

160. You think someone killed him on purpose?

161. Why?

162. What's up? (Newman) Detective.

163. You ever hear the story of the farmer's daughter and the needle in the haystack?

164. I'm just glad our guy didn't use a revolver.

165. We opened the grating, picked through the gutter.

166. Crap people throw on the street.

167. They don't throw away shell casings.

168. But they do when they use an automatic gun.

169. I would say a.32. And I would say very recent.

170. (Ann) When you called, I thought...

171. you should talk to both me and my partner.

172. Harry worked very closely with both of us.

173. Steve Green, Detectives Briscoe and Logan.

174. Gentlemen, sit down.

175. You want some coffee? No, thanks.

176. So what's your thinking on this?

177. The bum who shot Harry was stalking him?

178. We're thinking it wasn't the bum.

179. (Ann) Are you saying somebody wanted him dead?

180. Harry? I don't think so.

181. Well, we're wondering, did Mr. Renkmeyer have any bad habits?

182. When I started this company, I wanted someone dependable in accounting.

183. No one was better than Harry Renkmeyer.

184. And Mr. Renkmeyer was happy working here?

185. We're a growing company. He was well paid.

186. He was also in charge of the money. Did he ever want more than he earned?

187. Maybe he had a gambling problem...

188. a couple of girlfriends?

189. No. Harry was so conservative. We used to make fun of his button-down shirts.

190. How about enemies in the business?

191. Did he fire anybody?

192. (Ann) Just the usual.

193. He let go of a bookkeeper about a year ago. He said she was incompetent.

194. It was personal.

195. That's what he said.

196. There'd been something between them.

197. Steve? You didn't know.

198. They asked about girlfriends.

199. We worked together for three years, and nothing.

200. We were closing out the fiscal year, putting in late hours.

201. You know how these things go. Yeah.

202. You get together for a couple of drinks after work...

203. and pretty soon it's your place or mine, right?

204. Harry didn't look it, but he liked a good time.

205. We had some fun.

206. Was he a big spender?

207. (lnga) No, strictly Dutch treat, but I didn't mind.

208. I kept telling myself it was just for fun but...

209. (Briscoe) You got involved.

210. We made plans.

211. He was going to get some money together and divorce his wife.

212. Miss Torvald didn't seem too happy about being dumped.

213. What, you think she carried a grudge for a year?

214. Or his wife did.

215. If she knew about his definition of employee relations.

216. Don't wives always know?

217. Mine did.

218. Yours didn't hire a hit man. Not yet.

219. We were married nine years.

220. It wasn't the first time. I said, "End it."

221. Harry did.

222. She told us he was putting money away, planning a divorce.

223. He was lying to her.

224. Look, it changed after Sam was born.

225. Harry wanted to stay with me.

226. And you wanted to stay with him? Of course I did.

227. (Briscoe) So everything was perfect. I don't understand.

228. If Harry had any problems, they weren't about our marriage.

229. Did Harry have any problems?

230. It was just the aftermath, the affair, having a baby.

231. He was restless. He talked about getting another job. So what?

232. He was unhappy at work? Did he tell you what was bothering him?

233. A couple of weeks ago...

234. middle of the night, I heard him in the kitchen.

235. He was throwing out baby food he'd brought from the office.

236. What for?

237. He just said, "We're not feeding this to Sam anymore."

238. He wanted me to buy another brand.

239. It's not about the wife.

240. (Briscoe) Yeah, the horizontal tango with the bookkeeper was over.

241. But he was looking for a new job.

242. Flip a coin.

243. I mean, the baby food moguls say he was happy in his work.

244. But his wife says he has résumés in the mail...

245. and he didn't even want to keep their stuff around the house.

246. You don't like your job, does it mean you throw away the product?

247. Maybe there was something wrong with the baby food.

248. Or the company.

249. Maybe he didn't want the food around the house...

250. 'cause it reminded him of trouble at the office.

251. You think your job's not gonna last, you're gonna look to move on.

252. (Van) Let's check their books.

253. I'll get a subpoena. Get the D.A.'s auditors over there.

254. It looks like they were in the classic start-up squeeze.

255. This baby food was walking off the shelves.

256. Then the money was pouring in.

257. That's not the way it works.

258. You have to pay for supplies to make this stuff months before...

259. you get paid for selling it.

260. The more successful you are, the more strapped you are for cash.

261. So you go to the bank, you show them your sales records, and you borrow money.

262. Yeah, new ideas are hard to sell.

263. Miss Madsen had a $2 million loan.

264. But she had to pledge her personal assets as collateral and pay six points over prime.

265. That's a sweet deal for the bank.

266. Apparently, not sweet enough. They called the loan six months ago.

267. I worked very hard to get Ann Madsen that loan.

268. The timing was in our favor.

269. The bank was under pressure to help women entrepreneurs.

270. But not under pressure to keep on helping them?

271. I fought our loan committee on this one for months.

272. Her accounts were technically out of balance. We had to call the loan.

273. Out of balance? You mean there was money missing?

274. No, nothing like that. It was just that her inventory, plus receivables...

275. fell below some arbitrary figure.

276. I tried to save it, but...

277. (Logan) Well, she must have spent part of that $2 million.

278. How did she pay it back?

279. She get a loan from some other bank?

280. She got a new partner. They must have found the money somewhere.

281. (Briscoe) Did she say Steve Green was a new partner?

282. We didn't ask.

283. It sounds like they're operating with no visible means of financial support.

284. A time like that, where do you go for $2 million?

285. You don't go to the neighborhood loan shark.

286. And why did her finance guy end up with a bullet in his heart?

287. You know, I'm starting to think you're right. These people are all mobbed up.

288. I think we should ask about the investors.

289. After Harry was killed, we explored, in our own minds...

290. any possible connection to our company.

291. We looked at the books before we gave them to you. They were straight.

292. Well, we heard Mr. Renkmeyer was looking for a new job.

293. I can't believe that. He would have told me.

294. Do you have any idea why he wouldn't want his baby eating Nature's Way products?

295. He took a couple of cartons from the office. Maybe you can tell us.

296. What's this have to do with his being shot?

297. Mr. Renkmeyer was in finance.

298. He must have done a good job, because after your loan was called...

299. you've been running this company on absolutely no money.

300. Harry took care of that by bringing Steve into the company.

301. Steve arranged refinancing. It was part of our partnership agreement.

302. I pledged my own assets. I believe in this company.

303. There's nothing about that in your books.

304. It came from a private venture capital group. They like to operate quietly.

305. Okay, where can we find them?

306. Why, Detective? You have an idea for a new product?

307. Where can we find them?

308. I've got it.

309. It's not exactly Wall Street.

310. It ain't Little ltaly, either.

311. There is no one here, mister. You must make an appointment.

312. (Briscoe) Well, who would that appointment be with?

313. You leave your name, pozhaluista, here.

314. And they call you, okay? Lady.

315. That's not the way it works. I know nothing.

316. I don't think these people are gonna exactly give Citibank a lot of competition.

317. Well, no wonder Steve Green didn't want to talk about it.

318. Well, it was his partner who gave us the address.

319. When Harry brought Steve in, it saved my life.

320. I was staring at a backlog of orders I couldn't fill.

321. The bank was going to take the house I inherited from my mother.

322. I'd lose everything. Steve got me all the capital I needed.

323. Did you ever meet the people from Brookings who made this loan?

324. I was busy promoting baby food.

325. Steve handled the whole thing. All I did was sign papers.

326. (Logan) I take it you trust him completely?

327. He's honest. He's hands-on.

328. You know, hardworking son of immigrants.

329. Steve Green?

330. Immigrants from where? Scarsdale?

331. His real name is Sasha Gruskov. He was born in Russia.

332. What kind of interest did you pay on this loan?

333. Twenty-five percent.

334. That's one point less than usury.

335. Didn't that seem kind of high?

336. Yes, but I had no choice.

337. Makes sense Steve Green changed his name.

338. Gruskov family: extortion, credit card fraud, prostitution.

339. The Mafia's taking lessons from them.

340. Well, for Gruskov money, 25% was obviously a family favor.

341. Hey, they put money on the street at 20% a week.

342. And Little Miss Organic doesn't know who she's dealing with?

343. Maybe Harry Renkmeyer knew. He brought Steve Green to the company.

344. (Profaci) Report on your print.

345. For the partial we had to go with the AFlS...

346. and they only started to feed cards into their computer.

347. How's it stand? One million in, 60 million to go?

348. Well, lucky for you, they started with the two-time losers.

349. Lucky for us, our print belonged to one. Nikolai Rostov, Brighton Beach.

350. Assault and more assault.

351. Brighton Beach. Gruskov family.

352. Think he knew Steve Green? Let's pay him a visit with a warrant.

353. Look, I don't like this. You should really wait for him.

354. Well, don't worry about it, huh?

355. Nick must have a good job.

356. He drives a Camaro.

357. (Logan) Oh, yeah?

358. You seen him around lately?

359. (landlord) Sure, I saw him this morning.

360. He likes silk suits to go with his Camaro.

361. (Logan) Good for him.

362. You know what?

363. Judging by his taste in ammunition...

364. he also likes.32s.

365. I got a pea coat. Navy issue.

366. You. Stick around.

367. Nickie, you're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent.

368. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

369. Do you understand that?

370. Hey, Nickie, this the flavor of the week?

371. (Clerk) "Docket number 96522, the People v. Nikolai Rostov.

372. The charge is murder in the second degree."

373. Shoots a man, pushes him under a truck.

374. I've heard of overkill, but this is ridiculous.

375. Can we get a plea here?

376. Not guilty. (Judge) Bail application?

377. My client has strong ties to the community.

378. And another community 12,000 miles away.

379. Your Honor, my client is a citizen.

380. "Give us your tired, your poor, your vicious."

381. Miss Kincaid?

382. (Kincaid) Due to the risk of flight, Your Honor—

383. Thank you, that's all I need to hear. I'll give this citizen his rights.

384. He's remanded without bail. Next?

385. Six years the Brooklyn D.A. has been asking:

386. "ls Steven Green part of his family?"

387. Now we have him. We have his hit man.

388. And we're gonna roll him against him until he does somersaults.

389. Are we clear on the motive?

390. We assumed Harry Renkmeyer knew about tainted food.

391. So we called the USDA. We were right.

392. They closed Nature's Way this morning.

393. Renkmeyer could've blown that company apart.

394. $2 million. That's a big loss for the Gruskovs.

395. Killing a man over that. You'd think they have other means of persuasion.

396. (Schiff) The Russians?

397. They make the Colombians look like the Von Trapp family.

398. (Stone) Adam, the Colombians roll on each other.

399. The investment bankers do.

400. But Russian hit men?

401. Twist him till he's a corkscrew. Make it work.

402. My client owns an ice cream parlor in Brighton Beach.

403. A front for the Gruskov family.

404. I own my business. It's mine.

405. Nick.

406. I went cross-town yesterday, watched the witnesses parade past the lineup.

407. My client was number two, number six was very popular.

408. As they say in law school, Larry, eyewitnesses are like dessert.

409. They're nice, but they're not necessary.

410. (Kincaid) Mr. Rostov left his thumbprint on a shell casing...

411. and fiber from his coat under the dead man's fingernails.

412. You didn't mention the slug from the victim. Did they match it to my client's gun?

413. I guess not. And I bet you can't match the lip mark on the shell.

414. Very hard with a.32, isn't it?

415. Keep dancing, Counselor. Your client can start counting 25 years.

416. Without motive?

417. Just one hole in the physical evidence, he walks.

418. He had no reason to kill Mr. Renkmeyer.

419. Steven Green had motive.

420. The Gruskov's money.

421. Oh, you're gonna turn this into a trial about the Russian mob.

422. No judge'll let it happen.

423. (Weaver) You won't even get to order chicken Kiev for lunch.

424. So where are we going?

425. You want to make an offer? Please, make it.

426. Manslaughter one, your client names Steven Green...

427. as the man who ordered the hit on Harry Renkmeyer.

428. (Stone) You will be convicted, sir...

429. your lawyer's two-step notwithstanding.

430. And, by the way, who is paying your lawyer's fee?

431. Whose interest does he really represent?

432. Nick, I advise you to go back to your cell.

433. (Fetzer) About the time Nixon's getting tossed from the White House...

434. young Stevie's dad here gets shot, and the kid goes off to a private school in Maine.

435. And the cousins build the business. Yeah.

436. Are they successful enough to float million-dollar loans to Steve?

437. By now?

438. They could pay the debt of a Third World country.

439. (Stone) The shooter, Rostov, on the lower left,

440. what do you know about him?

441. (Fetzer) All right. This guy, a cousin, we had him in '89.

442. Truckload of fur. Grand larceny for the third time.

443. We turned him, he was gonna testify.

444. He's out on bail. They found him with a slug in his heart.

445. Put there by Mr. Rostov.

446. (Fetzer) We think so, yeah.

447. And it wasn't the first time.

448. Two years before that, we had a witness in Rikers...

449. at the same time as Joe Andreyev, another friend of the family.

450. Witness falls off a catwalk.

451. And if you believe that, I'll introduce you to the tooth fairy.

452. What about Steven Green?

453. Changed his name, moved out of Brooklyn, got an M.B.A., and never looked back.

454. You're not saying he's clean?

455. Oh, no.

456. He looks good in a $1,000 suit, but it doesn't cover the dirt.

457. How solid is this information?

458. I believe it. My boss believes it.

459. Convincing a jury?

460. We may not be able to mention the Russian mob...

461. without a better connection to Rostov.

462. We still convict him.

463. Well, that doesn't get us an arrest of Steven Green.

464. What about Ann Madsen?

465. The police are fairly sure she wasn't involved.

466. If she's not involved, what does she bring us?

467. Whatever didn't seem important to them before might be important now.

468. See if you can get her in. Tonight.

469. (Ann) I never knew.

470. I thought Steve's family was in real estate.

471. (Stone) You knew they were Russians from Brighton Beach.

472. Please, I grew up in Westchester.

473. To me, Brighton Beach is a place in a Neil Simon play.

474. Sure, I met Steve's relatives. I knew they didn't shop at Brooks Brothers.

475. I never thought they were gangsters.

476. Did you ever see Nikolai Rostov with Steven Green?

477. This is really scaring me.

478. Miss Madsen?

479. He was in Steve's office late at night.

480. The night before Harry...

481. Before he was shot.

482. (Kincaid) You know why he was killed.

483. The police told you. He wouldn't feed your product to his own son.

484. A week before it happened...

485. Harry said Steve was buying apricots from Poland.

486. They were moldy.

487. He was afraid kids would get sick, maybe die.

488. He was gonna go to the government.

489. Steve said it wasn't true.

490. He was going to talk to Harry, reassure him.

491. A week later he ends up dead.

492. It's an odd coincidence.

493. I asked Steve...

494. after the police came, "Did you have anything to do with this?"

495. He said I was crazy. Why would he kill anybody?

496. I didn't know about his family.

497. When they arrested this man, I saw his picture in the paper.

498. Steve knows I saw him in the office.

499. It's the link we needed.

500. She can put Steven Green together with his hit man.

501. (Schiff) Yep, and I can put my barber on Broome Street together...

502. with half the hit men in the city.

503. One of them slits somebody's throat, you can't prove the barber ordered it.

504. What else was Rostov doing in Green's office?

505. Selling spring vacation trips to the Baltics?

506. (Schiff) No.

507. Discussing ice cream baby food.

508. You don't have enough to arrest Steven Green.

509. The jury can draw the inference.

510. Never ask a jury to think. They want to hear it.

511. Connect Green with his family, and the jury will buy the motive.

512. (Stone) The hit man, defendant Rostov, was born in Minsk.

513. As was Mr. Green, and as was Mr. Green's father, lvan Gruskov.

514. Do the People plan to convict my client based on a common dialect?

515. Hold on, Mr. Weaver.

516. Just because a connection's ephemeral, who's to say it isn't real?

517. With the history of the Gruskov family and Mr. Green's loan to Nature's Way...

518. the People will show why Rostov shot Renkmeyer.

519. (Barry) Which is?

520. Renkmeyer was a threat to a $2 million mob investment.

521. There's not a scintilla of evidence linking my client to an alleged Russian mob.

522. Rostov rents from this family.

523. Along with hundreds of residents from the borough of Brooklyn.

524. Doesn't make him a hired killer.

525. What else do you have, Ben?

526. A string of arrests dating from the '70s.

527. Yes, the Gruskovs were implicated in racketeering...

528. not Steven Green, or my client.

529. Your Honor...

530. allow this, it's guilt by association.

531. It is no accident that your client met with Mr. Green...

532. the night before Renkmeyer was shot.

533. (Barry) All right.

534. I understand you need motive, Ben. If this was about racketeering, okay.

535. If you could prove Rostov worked for Mr. Green's family, okay.

536. But connect this to baby food based on a single loan?

537. There'll be no reference to the Russian mafia at Rostov's trial.

538. Ludicrous.

539. Adam, you can't be surprised.

540. She's being very literal. Judge Barry?

541. She thinks that we ought to supply the defendants with nice clothes...

542. so the jury won't be prejudiced.

543. Maybe we have to forget about going after Steven Green.

544. Well, we put his hit man away, he gets another one.

545. To hell with the branches. Let's chop down the tree.

546. The hit man turned down your deal.

547. I'm not going lower than manslaughter one.

548. What did that cop say about snitches? The ones that turned on the Gruskovs?

549. These here are federal marshals, sir.

550. And they're here to offer you protection.

551. I'm not saying nothing about Steve Green.

552. Do you think you'll survive in prison?

553. He's a survivor, always has been.

554. Mr. Rostov, this is a transfer paper for Mr. Joseph Andreyev.

555. Now, he's been moved here, to Riker's, from Attica.

556. You ordered it. You had him moved here.

557. Mr. Andreyev killed a witness against your family two years ago.

558. Suppose he's in the yard, and you're with him, and he's got a knife?

559. Ben, this is coercion.

560. Now, we're prepared to move you to a high-security federal prison.

561. If you cooperate.

562. (Stone) Or you can stay here.

563. The offer is 8 and a third to 25.

564. And you tell us who ordered the hit.

565. He has nothing to say. That's it. We're finished.

566. Mr. Rostov, you know what goes down...

567. with anybody who worries the Gruskovs.

568. You know what happened two years ago. Same thing happened in '89.

569. Gentlemen. Wait.

570. Nick.

571. I'll tell you what you want.

572. Who knows? Maybe Steve Green skipped town.

573. Costa Rica?

574. I don't think he's the surf-and-sand type.

575. Someplace colder, maybe, where he can ski.

576. Colder where he can make license plates.

577. There he is.

578. Sasha Gruskov, you're under arrest for the murder of Henry Renkmeyer.

579. The name is Steven Green.

580. You're still under arrest. You have the right to remain silent.

581. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

582. Do you understand that?

583. You have the right to an attorney.

584. Steven Green will spend his 60th birthday in a cell.

585. A little bloodlust, Ben?

586. For the truth? Yes, sir.

587. Occupational hazard.

588. (Kincaid) Ben?

589. Ann Madsen's here. You better talk to her.

590. My phone rang at 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, every hour on the hour, nobody there.

591. We're putting you under protective custody.

592. I got in a cab to come down here...

593. somebody in a car waved a flashlight across my face.

594. You'll be in a witness protection program.

595. We'll move you out of the city.

596. How did they even know I was here?

597. Look, I've done all I can just talking to you.

598. I can't testify against Steve.

599. Miss Madsen, listen carefully.

600. You're gonna have to leave New York no matter what.

601. You've got to face the truth that your life will never be the same.

602. Don't do this to me.

603. A man is dead.

604. He had a wife and a child, and unless you've changed your mind...

605. he was a friend.

606. Please. Of course I cared about Harry.

607. But Steve and his family, now that I know who they are...

608. how can I testify?

609. If you refuse to testify...

610. you're subject to indictment for hindering prosecution.

611. Oh, come on. Miss Madsen...

612. anyone who dances with the devil thinks they can walk away.

613. You can't.

614. It was only baby food.

615. Oh, my God, how did I end up here?

616. He coerced the witness.

617. The arrest of Steven Green is a farce.

618. What did you do, Ben?

619. (Packard) Tell her.

620. Larry, you were there.

621. Mr. Packard, please. I speak English. I can ask the questions.

622. Ben?

623. Yes, Your Honor, I did ask for a prisoner to be transferred.

624. To make his client feel threatened?

625. If his client had nothing to hide, he had nothing to worry about.

626. What is this, semantics?

627. You told him he'd be knifed in the yard.

628. Well, I suggested that. You said I was bluffing.

629. You're going to let them proceed against Steven Green?

630. This is outrageous.

631. (Barry) It's close to the line...

632. but Mr. Rostov felt the threat, whether it was real or not.

633. That's his decision.

634. Let's go to trial.

635. Our team went to the processing plant after a call from your office.

636. What did the Agriculture Department find?

637. Our inspectors at Nature's Way sent samples of 16 lots...

638. to our lab in Washington.

639. Of those, 12 contained spoiled food.

640. (Stone) And what did the Department do?

641. We obtained an administration order to shut down their production line.

642. Now, these spoiled lots...

643. do you know what dates they were processed on?

644. Yes. The week of March 10th, this year.

645. That's the week of Mr. Renkmeyer's death, right?

646. Objection.

647. No, I'll allow it.

648. Yes, that same week.

649. Now, if you had found these spoiled lots then, in March...

650. what would you have done?

651. Exactly what we did. Shut the company down.

652. Steve had other businesses. He had a lot of visitors to the office.

653. (Stone) Did you ever have the opportunity

654. to see these people?

655. Sometimes I saw them, but I was never introduced.

656. Now, you've testified that after Mr. Renkmeyer was killed...

657. you saw a photo of his accused killer in the newspaper.

658. Prior to that date...

659. had you ever seen Nikolai Rostov?

660. No.

661. Miss Madsen—

662. I saw his picture in the paper.

663. I had never seen him before in my life.

664. (Stone) Please, consider your answer carefully.

665. Do you recall telling me that you saw Nikolai Rostov?

666. Objection.

667. Asked and answered.

668. Sustained.

669. A brief recess, Your Honor? A moment with my witness?

670. Any objection, Mr. Packard?

671. Not at all, Your Honor. No objection.

672. I don't have to talk to you.

673. I suggest you do.

674. Do you want to go to jail to protect these people?

675. It's better than dying.

676. You are as well-guarded as any witness possibly can be.

677. I don't think they can even get near you.

678. Maybe not today. Where will you send me?

679. Kansas? Iowa? They'll find me.

680. Miss Madsen...

681. you will tell the truth, or I'm gonna prosecute you.

682. I'm sorry, Mr. Stone. I've done all I can.

683. Officer, the charge is felony perjury.

684. (Stone) Take her to the 5th Precinct.

685. (Kincaid) Just a minute, Officer.

686. Ben, do you want to do this? It won't change her mind.

687. Officer, take her away.

688. Don't tell me it's required.

689. She perjured herself and destroyed this case.

690. Is that what it's about?

691. Or is it about you looking foolish in front of a jury?

692. It's felony perjury.

693. How many felony perjury indictments did we file last year?

694. She lied.

695. Without her testimony, there's no motive, there's no link to Green...

696. and there's no corroboration of Rostov.

697. The total number of felony perjury indictments...

698. we filed last year was four.

699. And we do this to hardened criminals, not innocent bystanders.

700. If she lies, she's no longer innocent, and these people don't go away.

701. Are you prepared to testify against her in front of a judge?

702. Her word against yours?

703. And Claire's.

704. You really want to prosecute Ann Madsen?

705. If I have to.

706. But maybe a few nights in Rikers...

707. will change her mind.

708. (Stone) Were you hired to kill Mr. Renkmeyer?

709. Hired for money? No.

710. Let's say I was asked to do it.

711. Who asked you?

712. Steve Green.

713. He asked you to commit murder, and he wasn't going to pay you for it?

714. Why was that?

715. Steve's family.

716. When they ask—

717. Objection.

718. May we approach?

719. Approach.

720. Judge, you ruled on this.

721. Your Honor...

722. how the witness was compensated by the defendant is relevant.

723. He just said he wasn't compensated.

724. Because he was a member of the Gruskov family.

725. This is an end run, Ben, and you know it.

726. The witness is only testifying to what he knows.

727. Why he acted, who instructed him.

728. You're linking the witness to the defendant through his family.

729. I told you, it's prejudicial, and I won't allow it.

730. Your Honor, off the record...

731. this decision of yours has forced me to prosecute a woman...

732. who committed perjury out of fear for her life.

733. Whatever happens to her is as much your responsibility as mine.

734. Exception noted, Counselor. Step back.

735. Mr. Rostov...

736. who directed you to commit this murder?

737. Steve Green.

738. And did he tell you why he wanted Harry Renkmeyer killed?

739. The guy was gonna talk. I don't know about what.

740. (Stone) Nothing further.

741. Your Honor, may I be heard in chambers?

742. A motion to dismiss is premature.

743. I have to consider it, Ben.

744. The only thing the People have established is that Mr. Rostov is the killer.

745. There is no evidence linking my client to the shooting.

746. Ben, if that's your last witness, I'm sorry.

747. The statute's clear.

748. You can't convict solely on the basis of accomplice testimony.

749. Your Honor, as you well know, my only other witness won't testify...

750. because she's been threatened.

751. Are you implying that I'm involved with witness tampering?

752. I'm not implying anything, sir.

753. (Barry) Ben.

754. I have to make a ruling.

755. I haven't rested my case, Your Honor.

756. In the morning you will.

757. If you have nothing then, I'll grant the motion.

758. I can't do it.

759. Then we are prepared to prosecute you.

760. Come on, Ben, I don't believe you. You'll put her in jail for a year?

761. The penalty for conspiracy to commit murder is 25 to life.

762. You wouldn't.

763. This is crazy.

764. I didn't have anything to do with it.

765. Because you say so?

766. Are you protecting Mr. Green or yourself?

767. You don't believe that. You're only trying to scare me.

768. There's no evidence my client was involved in the death of Harry Renkmeyer.

769. If you're innocent, and you don't do this, they'll go on killing.

770. They killed Harry Renkmeyer. They'll kill you.

771. Not if I don't testify.

772. Really?

773. Will you ever go to a movie and not look over your shoulder?

774. Will you ever have a child and be comfortable sending her to school?

775. If you testify, we'll get you a new identity.

776. You don't, you're on your own.

777. I'm not a policeman.

778. I'm not the District Attorney. It's not my job.

779. He can't do this, can he?

780. (Ann) I don't have to do this.

781. Don't lie to her.

782. Ann, I'm an officer of the court. I understand what you're trying to do...

783. but it's improper for me to say it's right.

784. (Stone) You are a citizen.

785. A witness to a crime.

786. You don't do this, the system doesn't work.

787. I don't care about the system.

788. I admit, I should have been more suspicious of Steve Green...

789. but I don't deserve this.

790. I made a mistake. That's all.

791. The mistake you're making is not telling the truth.

792. I believed I could be in business...

793. and make a decent product, and make the world a better place.

794. Maybe that's naive, but that's what I believed.

795. When you discovered that Mr. Green did not share your values...

796. what did you do?

797. I told him...

798. we didn't have to save money by risking the health of children.

799. I told him Harry Renkmeyer was right.

800. (Stone) And what did he tell you?

801. He said he would discuss it with Harry.

802. Everything would be just fine.

803. Now, we've heard Mr. Nikolai Rostov testify that he killed Harry Renkmeyer.

804. Previously, did you say that you had never seen Mr. Rostov in person?

805. Yes, I did, but I lied.

806. And why was that?

807. I was in fear for my life.

808. (Stone) Would you please tell the court now...

809. if you ever saw Mr. Rostov...

810. before you saw his photo in the paper?

811. Yes, I did.

812. Please, tell us where and when.

813. In Mr. Green's office...

814. just past 11:00, the night before Harry was killed.

815. Thank you.

816. (Barry) In the People v. Steven Green...

817. on the sole count of the indictment...

818. the charge is murder in the second degree.

819. Has the jury reached a verdict?

820. (forewoman) We have, Your Honor.

821. We find the defendant guilty.

822. (Barry) The jury is excused with the Court's thanks.

823. The defendant is remanded into custody until sentencing.

824. We're adjourned.

825. Ben?

826. They were moving Ann Madsen out of her apartment.

827. She was shot in the street.

828. Surrounded by cops?

829. They shot the guy that killed her. He had no lD.

830. They still don't know who the hell he is.

831. And she never even made it to the hospital.

832. Knowing who you are, Ben...

833. you didn't have a choice.

834. I never thought I'd get a letter of resignation from you.

835. Thought you'd be here long after I was gone.

836. It's not entirely about you.

837. That's kind of you. Thank you.

838. Steven Green has filed an appeal.

839. Based on what?

840. Coercion of a witness. Ann Madsen.

841. Considering the witness is dead...

842. the Appeals Court should be amused.

843. I've brought Claire up to speed on my open cases.

844. She'll be fine.

845. And you?

846. I'm clear as a bell.