"'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.'" "Come on, it's just for one night!" "It's $1,000 and no sex." "Take 'em to the clubs, show 'em the town." "I've never done this." "And Dale and I are starting a new life." " We're getting married." " Use the money for a honeymoon." "Whaddaya think?" "Two big shots, men of means, want you to show them the town?" "They're really nice guys, I promise." "OK?" "So tomorrow we meet here, then hook up with the guys at the hotel." "OK?" "OK." "I'll see you." " I don't like her." " She's doing us a favour." "We don't need to get married right now." "We can wait till we're totally clean and...and we got jobs." "People who feel the way we feel about each other should be married." "Y'know?" "I'm gonna go do this thing with Becky." "It'll be fine." "Lois, why don't you have something?" " She's not drinking, Billy." " What, she's on the wagon?" "No, I've just never been much of a drinker." "Hm." "Stupid me." " I know what she needs." " No, no, I don't." "Not any more." "We're going to dinner, right?" "Oh, sorry." "Clean forgot to turn it off." "Yeah?" "Oh." "Here, it's Dale." "Hi, baby." "They're creepy." "Like a couple of ex-cons in brand-new suits." "One of them's still got a tag from the Designer Wearhouse still stuck on his sleeve." "I don't have a good feeling about this." "Can you come and get me?" "With what?" "I spent it!" "I tried." "She won't even answer the phone." "Can't you just walk out?" "All right, erm..." "I'll be there." "Just don't leave, OK?" "I really need to borrow this money." "I loan you money, your mother'll kill me." "She won't even know." "Cab fare!" "20 bucks!" "Please!" " Cab fare?" " I swear to God." "Come on, they wanna go to dinner already!" " I wanted to fix my hair." " Oh, you look good." "Grab her feet!" "Grab her feet!" "Last guest was a Belgian diplomat, four days ago." "Jars with the decomposition." "Jacket button." "Strangulation marks, big ones." "Belt, probably." "They stuffed her in the box spring and put the mattress over her." "Defensive wounds on the hands." "Looks like she fought the good fight." "Track marks." "Might be in the system for a dope pop." "Check out her fingers." "Her prints were burned off with acid." "Poor woman." "A broken toe." "Maybe from kicking the perp." "What is that?" " Fish scale." " Great, she was attacked by a shark." "No." "Sharks don't have scales." " Ridiculous." "I've never seen her!" " You have an apartment in town." " Why rent a room?" " My wife and I have an arrangement." "In any event, I left the hotel at 11." " What kind of an arrangement?" " None of your business." " What happened in Bangkok?" " Bangkok?" "Your consulate told us you were transferred after nine months there." "I am a Belgian, employed by the consulate." "I have diplomatic status." "You can talk to our lawyers." "Goodbye." "The arrangement with his wife is he gets to be a bad boy once a month but he has to tell her what he did." "Those wacky Belgians." "She confirm when he got home?" "11:00." "We faxed the police in Bangkok to get a line on his twist." " Any line on the Jane Doe?" " Her bridgework has serial numbers." "Prison issue, but not from our system." "A facility out of state." "Send the serial numbers around." "What else?" "Sawdust and fish scales on her stockings." "A fish market?" "You wanna canvass fish markets, be my guest." "Get a tox report?" "Track marks on her arms were old." "Tested positive for crack." "Small concentration." "ME thinks she hadn't used for weeks." " Also positive for lithium." " Might be for depression." "What could depress a crack whore?" "Pregnant crack whore." "Eight weeks." "Could be why she went off the dope, to clean up." "This diplomat, any idea where he met her?" " We're checking credit card receipts." " Good." "Put 'em together, we got him." "I don't know her." "But this guy, he was here Thursday night." "Big-mouthed Belgian, comes once a month." "Gets a snootful and brags about the women he's had." " He leave with anybody?" " Brunette named Becky." "A pro." "Comes in a couple times a month." "They left at 8:00." " How do we find Becky?" " Sorry, I'm not a close personal friend." "But try him." "How ya doin'?" " We're looking for a girl named Becky." " I'm meeting a business associate." " That your money?" " Yes." "Paying cash so the wife won't see it on the credit card bill?" " Wife?" " The one that gave you the ring that left a tan line on your finger?" "We're not here to bust ya." "We just need to find Becky." "I haven't seen her for a few months." " She have a favourite hotel?" " No." "We go in my car." "I find a spot, drop her off." " Where?" " Near the seaport." "There are bars." "Thank you." "Enjoy your evening." "The sawdust and fish scales on our girl's feet?" "Shannon's Bar." "The guys from Fulton fish market go there after work." "Becky?" "She was here last Thursday." "With a little girl, named Lois." "Lois?" "Yeah." "Jeez, mate!" "What'd they do to her?" " That's why we want to see Becky." " Oh." "She's Jack Daniels and a good time, that's all I know." " Lois?" " She was just here twice, with Becky on that Thursday, and the night before she had a fella with her." " A Belgian guy?" " Nah, not him." "Somebody more like her." "Y'know, scruffy sort." "So, Thursday." "What time were Becky and Lois in here?" "Erm, first Lois was here for a bit, then Becky dropped by." "They left together around midnight." "An hour after Mr Belgium went home to his missus." "Could've made it 21 grand." "20 grand's hard to split three ways." " Are you complaining?" " No." " Sorry." " This concludes our business." "You not gonna come watch me dance no more?" "No." "I don't know you." "You don't know me." "Remind your friends." "You do remember everything I told you?" "Anywhere." "Any time." "Our Belgian picks up Becky, goes to the hotel." "At 11:00 he goes home." "Becky keeps the room, picks up Lois at Shannon's Bar at 12:00." "They go back to the hotel for extra business." " And a john gets too frisky." " Or Becky and Lois fight over money." "Answer from Florida on Lois's dental work." "She's one of theirs." "Lois Romney, 36." "Two years for possession." "Went to beauty school in prison." "Here, she did 90 days at Rikers last year for shoplifting." "Got a last known in there?" " Not your usual junkie hellhole." " She was making an effort." "Someone's been through, took down some photos." "Pair of men's shoes." "Paycheck stubs from a beauty salon." "Last one's from six months ago." "Look at these." "Sterling silver." ""Lance Van Acker." ""First place, Westfield Horse Show, June 20th, 1960."" "The Van Ackers." "Shipping, airlines." "Oh." "Those Van Ackers." "Mrs Van Acker, these detectives are waiting to talk to you." " About what?" " I'm Detective Eames." " This is Detective Goren." " Yes?" "During an investigation we found what seem to be pieces of silver belonging to your family." "This plate has an inscription." "Yes, to my father." "Good Lord!" "I didn't know they were missing." "Where did you find these?" "In the home of a murdered woman." "Has this woman ever worked for you?" " Lois Romney." " Dear God..." "It looks like..." "Yes, it's her." "It's my son's fiancée." "She was pregnant?" "I didn't know, I haven't talked to my son in months." " God, I hope he's all right." " Not talking?" "Your choice or his?" "Dale had to meet conditions before I had contact with him." " What conditions?" " His involvement with drugs had to stop." "And his involvement with Lois?" "He knew I didn't approve." "If he was with her, he got nothing from me." " As in money?" " I had to be strict." "It was all her fault, really." "Dale spent 15 years in and out of rehab." "He'd been off drugs six months." "I thought he was going to make it." "Then that woman came along and he picked up, as they say." " Is this him?" " Yes." " He was very athletic." " Priscilla?" "We..." "Sorry." "I didn't know we had guests." "They're detectives." " Dale's friend Lois was found dead." " Murdered." "In a hotel room." " Oh, God." "How's Dale taking it?" " We won't know until we find him." "My husband still speaks to him from time to time." "But it's been a few weeks." "He ever mention a woman named Becky?" "No." "No, our conversations weren't about his friends." "He'd be your stepson?" "Is that right?" " Does it show?" " Yeah." "Erm, would you mind if we borrowed a photo?" "No." "Take that one, if you like, but I want it back." " We should dress." "We'll be late." " Oh, yes." "My husband's Andover reunion at the Yale Club." "He says George W's coming!" "You wouldn't wanna get stuck in traffic." "He gets rid of the girl, he gets back on the gravy train." "Being pregnant, she wouldn't wanna go easy." "Excuse me." "Have you seen Mrs Van Acker's son lately?" "Dale?" "Last Thursday night, around 1:30." " Did he go upstairs?" " No, he knows better." "I let him use the phone to talk to his girlfriend." " Then he needed money for a cab." " You're a nice guy, you helped him." "I slipped him a 20." "I'm not supposed to cos of his drugs." "But I made sure he really took a cab." " I gotta ride." "Billy's coming." " OK, see ya tomorrow." "Too late, show's over." "You and the other two..." "I want you out of town." "These detectives showed me a picture of a man." "He looks like the guy you had a problem with." "That's him, the bum." "Has no money for his laundry, so he goes out, comes back with a steel pipe, starts whacking my change machines." "I chased him away." "He ran off toward the park." " He leave his clothes?" " Yeah." "I keep 'em for the goodwill." "Eurgh." " Should I ask?" " It's sewer grease." "Looks like our boy's been climbing down manholes." "Likes caves, along with all the other rats." "Tunnels under the bridge." "You can get to them through the manholes near the park." "It took you long enough." "I'm catching a cold here." "I had to take the train from Brooklyn." "I live in a motel." "Janice won't take me back." "Wh-where's Billy?" "He got a job cooking on a yacht." "I'm getting outta town." "Here." "Six grand." " What happened to your face?" " Are you listening?" " We gotta get outta town." " Whaddaya mean?" "The cops know?" "It ain't the cops you wanna worry about." "Well, then I'm gonna need more money." "You should call your friend." " Won't happen, moron." " If the cops know, we got a problem." "OK, there ain't no "we"." "There is me and Billy, and there is you, so if you're smart, listen to what I said." "No." "Too short." "Surveillance is my strong suit." "Nicest lamp we've seen." "Ever think what it's like living down there?" "With what one-bedrooms go for, I've considered it." "My butt is getting cold." "That's him." "The water one." "Suspect approaching with two water bottles." " Get off me!" "I didn't do anything!" " Sure you did." "You're under arrest for littering." "I called Becky the next day." "She said she sent Lois home with a lot of money." " She never showed up." " Why not wait for her?" "Why run away?" "I didn't like being in the apartment without Lois." " Why not report her missing?" " Cops don't care about junkies." "They do if your name's Van Acker." "And get my mother involved?" " Did you try to find Becky?" " I don't know much about her." "She came up to us at a bar one day, started talking to us." "It's not making sense, Dale." "Please!" "I don't know what happened to Lois." "Oh, G..." "Oh, God." "Bunny..." "My Bunny!" "This is a picture of two dead people, Dale." "Lois and the baby inside her." " Is it your baby?" " Yes." "We think Becky and the two guys that you mentioned, the ones with the store tags on their suits..." "We think they killed Lois but we can't figure out why." " Maybe someone put 'em up to it." " No." "There was no reason." "Your mother gave us one." "She wouldn't give you any money unless you got rid of Lois." "Maybe Lois wouldn't go easy." "Why would she?" "She has a Van Acker." "That's worth what?" " 50, 60 million?" " Money wasn't important to Lois." "It's important to you." "You got a habit to feed." "I..." "I didn't kill Lois." "I loved her." "We were gonna get clean and get married." "Raise a family on a junkie's salary?" "I thought Mom would come around in time." "Right." "So you told her you'd come get her." "You borrowed the cab fare." "Yes." "So you went to the hotel, found out what room she was in." "No, I..." "I forgot the name." "Of the hotel?" "So what'd you do if you didn't go to the hotel?" "You bought some dope and you got high." "That what you did?" " Yes." " You felt bad about having Lois killed?" " No!" " You had feelings for her." "Maybe you wanted to go on seeing her on the side without Mom knowing." "But she went and got pregnant." "And you...had to do what you had to do." "Well, isn't this cosy?" "Dale, your mother hired me to represent you on this..." "littering charge." "Now, if we can get a little privacy?" "All those in favour of "he's our guy", raise your hand." "Oh, that's good." "Well, I'm voting he did it." "Add what you want to the littering." "He doesn't get out without serious bail." "Can you tell us if it's one of yours?" "Sure looks like it." "Worsted wool." "That would be here." "Was the murdered body wearing the jacket?" "Looking for a promotional angle?" " Why?" "Was it somebody famous?" " No." "Janice, these detectives are on a murder case." "They're asking if this is off one of our jackets." "I'd say worsted wool, checks." "We had one left a few weeks ago." "Well, erm, I don't recognise it." "Do you mind checking in your records?" " I don't know what good that'd do." " Is it in here?" "Yeah, yeah, I'll look." " What about these?" " I'm getting there." " Are you getting closer to the murderer?" " By the minute." " I don't see anything." " What about this batch?" "I don't have to look." "It's my husband." "Housekeeping, ready or not." "Hey, what are you doin'?" "What's goin' on?" "I..." "Shut up, Larry, you're under arrest for murder." "Let's settle your bill." "I'm innocent!" "Ow!" " What's wrong with your leg?" " Nothing, it's fine." "Where'd you get this?" "From Lois Romney's big toe?" "I don't know what you mean." "This is..." "Ow!" "A big mistake." "The mistake was pissing off your wife." "My wife?" "Ow!" "All I did was hold her feet." "Billy and Becky did the murder." " Last names, Larry." " Ow!" "Becky Stark, she's a stripper." "Billy's just Billy." " Where are they?" " On a yacht." "Ow!" "Billy got a job cooking, he's a pretty good chef." "They said they were going to...to Tortola!" "'I can't sleep, it's so noisy." "'I can't eat the food." "Why haven't you paid the bail?" "'" " I'm not ready to have you home." " I don't wanna go home!" "I don't wanna be in the same house with you." "I wanna get back into rehab." "I've been clean two days on my own." " Please, Mother!" "I hate this place." " 'I know, but...'" "I've put some money in your account here." " 'Don't give me money.'" " Use it to put your mind at ease." "'This is no place to detox.'" "When you do get home, Mother will help you get clean." "Becky knows the guy who hired us." "I don't." "I swear." "She met him at the strip club." "I gotta get some sleep." "He hasn't slept since you flew him and his girlfriend from Tortola." "Just a few more minutes." "Becky must've said something about him." "He was hooked up to the government." "Some bad-ass secret agent." "'She was scared to tell me anything." "That's all I know.'" "'It was Larry." "He was at a party and we were all high.'" "Lois mouthed off and Larry went nuts." "He said that you all got 20 grand." "You and Billy had about 12 on you when you were busted." " Larry's lying." "We saved that money." " Yeah, you saved it." "Yeah, we work." "Pay taxes." "She's hilarious." "What's that...on your face?" "Near your eye." "Nothing." " It's a shiner, isn't it?" " I ran into a door." "Someone slapped you around pretty good." "I'm betting it wasn't Billy." "It was the guy that hired you." "You're scared of him." "You're facing the death penalty." " That means you die." " Yeah, right." "Guys like him push a button and you're dead, no matter what." "Bad-ass secret agent or not, she's afraid of him." "We won't budge her." "You looked at her sheet?" "Maybe her secret agent's in there." " Little girl's been busy." " Hustling since she was 15." "Billy's no slouch." "He learned to cook doing time for attempted robbery." "You gotta wonder." "Why would anyone with a yacht hire him?" "Well, you're gonna find out, aren't you?" "Unbelievable chaos." "Cops all over the ship at the crack of dawn." "Worst of all, now I have to find a new cook." "How'd you end up with a weasel like Bill Coffey?" " On a recommendation." " From whom?" "A classmate." "A floormate, actually, from my prep school." "Jameson is the last person I would expect to know somebody." " How's that?" " He's a jarhead." "A real G Gordon Liddy type, always bragging about covert operations." "I tried to avoid him at the reunion." "Obviously not hard enough." "Class reunion." "George W show up?" "As a matter of fact, he did." "Mr Jameson!" " Karl Ralston sends his regards." " What's this?" "You're under arrest for the murder of Lois Romney." " You're serious?" " Do you see us wearing clown shoes?" "Anderson, call my wife." "On the one hand, you told the detectives you didn't know Becky." "On the other, you recommended her boyfriend for a job." "You're misapprehending the facts." " Roger." " I've been interrogated by experts and I've got the scars on my genitals to prove it." "They asked me if Dale had ever mentioned Becky to me." "He hadn't." " I didn't know they were friends." " Now you're saying you know her?" "In my former profession I developed contacts across all stratas of society." "I still do." "Becky might've sought Dale out after meeting me, maybe with an eye on his trust fund." "Maybe she wanted Lois out of the way." "Ask her." "We asked her accomplice." "He said, and I quote," ""Some bad-ass secret agent was behind this."" "So far, Mr Jameson, you are talking the talk." "My client is a career military man, he has no money of his own, no discretionary income." "The idea that he gave anyone $20,000 is ridiculous." "Other than that, he's invoking his right to remain silent." "It's incredible." "First my son and now my husband." "You people are all over the map." "We're pretty good at reading maps, Mrs Van Acker." "I checked your son's status - his bail hasn't been paid." " Do you have children, Detective?" " No." "When you do, you'll find that a mother's love isn't all about cookies and kissing their boo-boos." "Priscilla Van Acker." "Assistant District Attorney Carver." "Thank you for coming." "I didn't have much choice - you stripped me of my family." "I can't believe Roger had any part in killing that girl." "Doesn't seem to have a motive." "Maybe to help your son." "And why would he do that?" "It never occurred to me..." "What's that, Ms Van Acker?" "If..." "Roger knew the girl was pregnant..." "There's a codicil in my late husband's will that excludes Roger from any part of my estate if Dale has an heir." "It cuts him off entirely." "I'm older than my husband and not in the best of health." "I hate to say this, but...maybe he was thinking ahead." "Docket number 396015." " People versus Dale Van Acker." " Any application from the People?" "Yes, the People move to withdraw all charges against Mr Van Acker." "So ordered." "Next up." "Docket number 396151, People versus Roger Lucas Jameson." "Murder in the first degree, conspiracy in the first degree." " How do you plead?" " Not guilty." " People on bail?" " Remand, Your Honour." "My client was a military officer, he has ties to the community." "Many communities." "Mr Jameson has homes in four countries." "One has no extradition treaty with us." "He is a flight risk." "I agree." "Bail is denied." "Heart-warming, isn't it?" "Given a choice, she sends hubby to jail." "She got what she wanted all along." "Are you suggesting what I think you are?" "If you wanna get to her, first close the noose on Jameson." "Prove the $20,000 payoff came from him." "'Caldicott says they found out about the codicil." "'How in God's name did they know?" "I'd forgotten it.'" "Every day brings a new warrant." "They take every scrap of paper." "'They were bound to find out." "But it doesn't matter.'" "'Priscilla, they now have a motive they can only ascribe to me!" "'" "'There's no need to worry as long as your stripper keeps her mouth shut.'" "I told you, Roger, I've forgiven you your little indiscretion." "I know you'll get out of here soon." "Meantime, make the best of it." "'And remember, I do love you.'" "They lived off the interest on their tax-free annuities." "Two million a year." " Practically hand-to-mouth." " Not all caviar and champagne." "Half a mil a year went to charity." "The Equine Rights Foundation." "Finding homes for retired polo ponies." "I can't see how Jameson got 20 grand." "He has no money of his own." "Mrs Van Acker gave him an allowance." " Ten grand a month, accounted for." " This might be where he got it." "A letter to Jameson, asking for the breeding registration" " on a 4-year-old horse, Mr Lincoln." " He sold a horse." "To the Burgman Stables." "We'd been after Mr Lincoln since we saw him work out as a two-year-old." "Then Roger called and said Priscilla had decided to sell for $25,000, which was a steal." "We said hooray, wrote a cheque and got our horse." "Mrs Van Acker knew her husband sold him?" "I thought so." "But I ran into her at Payard and thanked her for Mr Lincoln." "She said she had no idea Roger had sold him." " What'd she do?" " She wanted Mr Lincoln back." "So they sold a horse." "They sell a few every..." "The cheque was cashed at the Burgmans' bank." "There's no record the cash was deposited." "Another so what?" "If that's all..." "We traced the $100 bills on Becky Stark to the Burgmans' bank." "We call that conclusive evidence." "Now, the DA and I hold a dim view of people who hire other people to kill pregnant women." "We've agreed amongst ourselves to seek the death penalty." "You might start thinking about cooperating." "You have your story, we have ours." "The money was given to Dale to get Lois Romney an abortion, to pay her to go away." "Now if Dale used the money to have Ms Romney killed, that's his responsibility." "Can anybody verify you gave the money to Dale?" "Ask my wife." "It was her horse." "We asked Mrs Burgman." "Your wife told her she never agreed to sell." "In fact, she said she asked for the horse back." "So you see, Mr Jameson, the only fingers in the pie are yours." "One more thing." "Did we mention that it was your wife that told us about the codicil?" "The one about your being cut out of the inheritance?" "Vindictive...bitch!" "We are all ears." "It was her idea." "She was afraid if Dale had a child, she'd lose him forever." "I said we should just pay the girl off, but she said no." "She wanted her out of the picture permanently." "She told me what to do." "And you did it?" "For her." "She was beside herself." "You have no idea... of the effect that boy had on her." "Does he know what his mother did?" "He must by now." "He told her the girl was pregnant." "Of course, if you want my client to repeat this on the stand, murder one is off the table." "Your client's testimony against Mrs Van Acker is of no value unless we can corroborate it." "If your stepson knows anything, would he talk with us?" "And send his mommy to jail?" "He's an only child." "He may hate her with every bone in his body but he can't live without her." "Mr Jameson?" "Would you like to help me with a covert operation?" "How's it going?" "This is good." "I tell ya, it ain't easy copying off a grocery list." "Horrid place!" "I can't believe you lived here." "Was it absolutely necessary to bring us?" "We only need Dale's help." "You can wait downstairs." "That's all right." "I've mucked out stables, it can't be any worse." "Dale, please open a window." "So what do you want Dale's help with?" "We need to know where Lois kept important papers." "Birth certificate, bank book..." " How about it, Dale?" " She had a shoebox in the drawer in the kitchen table." "What are you looking for, precisely?" "We found evidence your husband might have given Lois money." " We're trying to confirm it." " Really?" "How much?" " $100,000." " That's impossible." "Roger doesn't have that kind of money." "Well, we'll see." "Have a seat." "The medical examiner said that Lois stopped using a couple of weeks before she was killed." "She was getting ready for the baby." "Yes." " She was a strong person?" " Yes." "Stronger than me." " Weren't you trying to get clean?" " Yes." "Sounds like she brought out the better part of you." " How much longer will this take?" " "Returned." "Insufficient postage."" "Somebody must've missed the last rate hike." "It's addressed to you, Mrs Van Acker." " Is this your handwriting?" " No, it's Lois's." " Can I open it?" " Go ahead, it's of no consequence." " What is it?" " It's a cheque." "For $100,000." "Made out to Lois Romney, signed Roger Jameson." " Impossible!" " Is that your husband's signature?" "Yes, but I can assure you I did not authorise this cheque!" "Lois wrote you a note." ""Dear Mrs Van Acker, Thank you for the...cheque," ""but Dale is more important to me than all the money you could give me." ""We're going to get married and have a beautiful baby." ""All I want to do is help Dale become the man he was meant to be." ""And just because he loves me doesn't mean he'll stop loving you."" "You should read this yourself." "This woman loved you." "You know who killed her." "That's why you didn't go home after she died." "You...you couldn't face the person that took Lois away from you." " Dale, let's go." " Don't let her get away with it." " Leave my son alone." " You owe her nothing." "No, he owes me everything." " You destroyed the person he loves." " She was destroying him." "That's what they all say!" "My mother didn't like my girlfriends either, but she didn't kill any of them!" "Because she wanted me to be happy!" " Your mother doesn't want that." " Dale, don't listen." "No." "Listen to her." "What did she just say about Lois?" "She's of no consequence?" "Come on, Dale!" "Be the man Lois wanted you to be." "The man that..." "Lois knew that you could be." "Dale, if you think I will forgive you..." "How could you do that to her?" "You had no right." "Dale, be quiet." "What did she do, Dale?" "What did she do to Lois?" "I told her Lois was pregnant cos I didn't want her to feel left out." "She said, "I'll take care of everything."" "I thought she meant Lois, and me, and the baby." "That she'd help us!" "After Lois was missing, I called her." "She said, "Didn't I tell you I'd take care of everything?"" "She took 25 to life, same as the other four." "I gotta meet Penzarella, thank him for his work." " You'd find him interesting." " I would?" "He's a forger." "Specialises in letters from famous people." "Sometimes not so famous."