"* 1, 2, 3, uh!" "*" "* My baby don't mess around me *" "Ocober 23, 2003 * because she loves me so * * And this I know fa sho *" "* But does she really wanna * * because she can't stand * * to see me walk out the do'*" "* Don't try to fight the feeling *" "Sweetheart?" "* because the thought alone *" "I was, just, uh, fixing my hair, pop." "You look different tonight." "Nice, I mean." "You sure Dirk's gonna be at this party, sweetie?" "He's pledging the fraternity, pop." "Of course he'll be there." "He hasn't been coming around like he used to." "You sure everything's okay with him?" "Yeah, I'm sure." "Look, I gotta go." "Oh, uh, I wanted you to... have this." "Here, it was your mom's." "You are a young lady now, sweetie." "Okay, um..." " Say "cheese"." " Cheese." "It's beautiful, pop." "Just like you." "Really?" "You look just like your mom." "She would be so proud of you, sweetie." "Get out of here!" "Decedent :" "Laurie Dunne Cause of Death :" "Smoke Inhalation" "Laurie was in her first year of college." "She always dreamed of going to state." "Her and her friend from the neighborhood, Dirk, that's all they ever talked about." "And this friend was at the fraternity party when the fire broke out?" "Nah, he was back at his dorm." "He'd passed out." "Tied on one too many." "Said Laurie was having a real blast." "She wanted to stay." "It was her first party." "She was so excited." "Is that right?" "Laurie's mom died when she was 12." "Cancer." "She liked to stay home, mostly." "Watch reruns with her old pop." "This fire was an accident, Mr. Dunne." "You, you know we work homicides, right?" "I thought it was an accident, too." "Till I found this." "It's from Laurie's e-mail." "From the night of the party." "It says right there the phone it came from." "Laurie's cell phone." "She had a, um camera thingamajig on it." "So she sent this photo to herself?" "Yeah." "The time and date was October 23, 2004. 11:25 P.M." "And 40 minutes later... my daughter was dead." "The fire marshal said the blaze probably started from a stray cigarette." "No accelerants found." "Cause of death was smoke inhalation." "Blood alcohol level .22." "Thought dad said Laurie wasn't a partier." "She wasn't." "Straight-A student, latin major, a city council summer intern." "Straight-up nerd." "That amount of booze would've knocked her flat on her back." "Everyone else gets out but her." "Heading out?" "Early bird catches the slimebag." "Who you starting with?" "Dirk Bryant, fellow freshman, Gamma-Rho pledge." "Claims he left the house an hour before the fire started." "Dad said he and this Laurie were friends." "Since childhood." "Best buddies." "We'll check in with AV." "See how they're doing on our laptop photo." "Who's coming to first Thursdays?" " I'm in." " Ditto." "What's first Thursdays?" "We taking your ride or mine?" "Mine." "Catch you later." "Think he's warming up to me." "Looks like you got a crush on the new girl." "Yeah, Cupid pierced my heart." "Oh, this our guy?" "Dirk Bryant?" "Yeah?" "Philly homicide." "Detective Rush, Vera." "Homicide?" "You're kidding, right?" "You know anything about this, Dirk?" "Picture sent from Laurie Dunne's cell phone night she died." "From inside your fraternity house." "We're wondering who might have done this." "Any ideas?" " No way." " Sure about that?" "Look, I was bombed out of my skull that night." "I went back to my dorm room, passed out." "My roommate can back that up." "When's the last time you saw Laurie?" " At the party." "She wanted to stay." "She was drinking, having a ball." "Yeah." "Sure looks like it." "Listen." "I didn't even invite her to that party in the first place." "What do you mean?" "Laurie basically invited herself." "You want to be a Gamma-Rho brother, you talk, walk, blink and breathe when we say you do." " You get me, pledges?" " Sir, yes, sir." "You." "Sit down." "Eat." "No hands." "Hiya, Dirk." "What are you doing?" "Aren't you gonna introduce your friend, Dirk?" "Um, this is Laurie." "And that's, uh... my friend, Dierdre." "We met in foreign film club. / Hi." "I'm gonna go sit over there." "Um, so anyway, this Saturday night, the film club's showing a Bergman double feature," "Autumn sonata and cries and whispers." "Be there or be square." "Want to come?" "Old time's sake?" "Unfortunately, Dirk is committed that night." "It's alum weekend and the house is throwing a party." "Everyone's invited." "Dirk didn't invite you?" "Um..." "I guess I forgot." "I accept the invitation." "Film club, what film club?" "It's gonna be mad fun, Laurie." "Bring your cute friend, too." "Laurie kind of jumped the gun." "So this friend of Laurie's was at the party, too?" "Yeah." "Know where we can find her?" "Uh, Laurie and I kind of drifted apart here." "I didn't know her friends, she didn't know mine." "How'd Laurie take it, your drifting apart?" "Things change." "What're you gonna do?" "You mean you changed." "That a crime?" "Wanting the highlight of my Saturday night to be more than reading foreign film subtitles?" "So um... pretty young to make homicide. / I'm 28." "Yeah, but you got your family connection." "How old were you?" "I was practically 29." "Sure, I remember those bozo frat boys." "Real jerks." "You see anything at the party you want to share?" "Anything like what?" "Like this." "Could be what happened to Laurie wasn't an accident." "Anything you want to share now?" "She was your friend, Dierdre." "Help us out here." "They blindfolded us." "What?" "The minute we went in." "They said we couldn't see where their stupid secret room was." "Where the real party would take place." "Only brothers could." "And you went along with this." "I bought a new dress for this party." "What happened after they blindfolded you?" "The fun and games began." "Avril LavigneÀÇ 'Skater Boy'" "* He was a boy, she was a girl *" "* Can I make it anymore obvious?" "*" "* He was a punk, she did ballet *" "* What more can I say?" "*" "* He wanted her, she'd never tell *" "Why they gotta be blindfolded, Manny?" "You know the rules." "No one but us sees the way to the pen." "The pen?" " That's what we call our party room, darling." "It's okay, Dirk." "It's kind of fun." "You sure you're okay, Laurie?" " Yeah." "Welcome to the pen, girls." " Can I take off my blindfold now?" " Oh, no, no." "Not just yet, hon." "We got to introduce you formally first." "Think cotillion." "Cotillion?" "What'that?" "May I present... miss Dierdre Miller, gentlemen!" "Come on, step up, honey." "Just got a little platform for your presentation." "Whoopsie daisy!" "Manny, this isn't right." "All right?" "And last but not least, may I present..." "miss Laurie Dunne!" "Step up again." "You can take the blindfolds off now, ladies." "Damn, you!" "You tipped the scale!" "Gamma-Rho dubs you, miss Laurie Dunne." "Queen of the porkers!" "Welcome to the pig pen, porkies!" "Get your fat asses back in here." "The party's just started!" "I didn't know." "Laurie, I didn't." "Whoa." "We're not done with you yet, little piggy." "No!" "Stop it!" "We all got out of there." "Except for Laurie." "So why the big secret, Dierdre?" "Would you want the world to know what they did to you?" "I'm sorry about what happened to Laurie, but it was an accident." "Some accident." "So our prince charmings put those poor girls on display for laughs." "Laurie's friend, Dirk, he was a part of this ruse, too?" "The kid was a lowly pledge." "Seemed clueless to what was going down." "He's Gamma-Rho, faithful to the brotherhood, so let's go back for round two." "Meantime, what do you know about this Manny?" "College boy, did six months in county for aggravated assault." "Beating on some townies." "On probation now." "Vera and Valens are having a talk." "Lieutenant?" "Find anything on that laptop, Naya?" "We blew up your victim's photo." "Guy with the bottle's got a fraternity ring," "Gamma-Rho insignia." "Graduation year 1973." "Making our boy what, mid-50s?" "Middle aged and partying with college kids?" "That's aging gracefully." "What's with the gemstones?" "Well, maybe he's a varsity athlete." "Gamma-Rho's known for its crew types." "'93 grad myself." "So one stone for every varsity year?" "I'll be at the athletic department call." "Match a '73 grad who had three years of varsity with our Gamma-Rho alum lists." "Maybe we find our party boy." " This Gamma-Rho?" " Sir, yes, sir!" "We're looking for a Herman Jones." "Please step inside, sirs!" "Sir?" "Guests for you, sir!" "Herman Jones?" "What's it to you?" " And it's Manny." " Yeah, whatever." "Philly PD." "Quit gawking, pledge." "Get out of here." "He's cute." "French maids do it for me, too." "How we discipline the newbies, break theem down." "And you are?" "Detective Valens, Vera." "Got some questions about the night Laurie Dunne died." "Well, fire away, so to speak." "Heard about your hogscale party." "Class act there, Herman." "Not my fault the heifer had dreams." "Dreams?" "Of being a Gamma-Rho booty call." "Hey, Scotty, you know a Jimmy Davis?" "It's a probation officer." "Sure." "He and I went to the academy together." "We're kind of like brothers." "Davis knows I been dotting my I's." "Maybe jimmy finds out you missed a "T,"" "tosses your ass back in county." "You get to play French maid for the cons." "So what happened after you dragged Laurie back into the pen?" "It was a joke, okay?" "I didn't do anything to that pork pie." "Tell us about it." "Girlfriend went ballistic." "We're not done with you yet, little piggy!" "You four-eyed loser!" "That's what the jocks used to call you in high school!" " Or don't you remember?" " For real?" "I'm not talking to you, so shut the hell up!" "You think getting contacts changes who you were?" "makes you their friend now?" "their brother?" "You used to hate guys like this, guys who beat you up in gym class every day." "You were better than them." "Because you didn't need to make others feel small, to feel real." "But you know what?" "You're that guy now, Dirk." "You're that guy." "I know who you are." "Dierdre?" "What happened?" "Come on, let's get out of here." "Like I said, fatty got emotional." "So Dierdre was still in the house?" "Whatever yes." "So what?" "What did Laurie mean by, "I know who you are" to the older guy?" "Who the hell knows?" "It was alum weekend." "A lot of people were there." "I don't know who that old warthog was." "Why'd you lie, Dierdre?" "Say you left when you were still in the house?" "Tell them, Dierdre." "Someone should know what happened to you." "I bought that new dress." " And he ripped it." " Who did?" "Look, I need to make a call." "Who hurt you, Dierdre?" "It was dark." "I was trying to find a way out of that house, but there were so many rooms, and then someone just grabs me from out of nowhere and rips my dress." "It was over before I could even scream." "I tried to find my way out of that house, but I couldn't." "That's when Laurie found you in that hallway." "Laurie got me out of that house." "But then she turned traitor." "Are you okay, Dierdre?" " No." "She's not okay." "Laurie?" "Can I talk to you, please?" "Get away from us, you jerk!" "I didn't know they were gonna do that!" "I swear!" "You're pathetic if you listen to one word he says." "How could you not know, Dirk?" "They don't tell pledges anything." " Yeah, right!" "I'd never let you come if I knew!" "You're a lying piece of crap!" "Give me two minutes, Laurie, please!" "I have to talk to you!" "She doesn't care what you have to say!" "Dierdre, he's my friend." "Don't you get it?" "You're nothing to him!" "I want to hear what he has to say." "What did you do?" "We went straight home." "We tried to pretend it never happened." "Jo?" "Got something." "Just talked to Stillman." "I.D'ed the guy in the picture shoving the tequila bottle down Laurie's throat." "The Gamma-Rho alum?" "Class of '73, three years varsity crew." "One guy makes the grade." "You're not gonna believe who it is." "Don't keep me hanging." "The name john avery ring any bells?" "City councilman John Avery?" " Bingo." "A rumor has it, this councilman Avery's a real hounddog." "Can't keep his paws off the female interns." "That's how Laurie knew him, her summer internship." "And in October of 2004," "Avery was in the middle of a reelection campaign." "If his joining in the Gamma-Rho activities ever came to light, he'd be kissing his career bye-bye." "So maybe Laurie's death wasn't accidental." " Maybe the fire was a cover-up." " Lot of maybes." "Too many for us to make that kind of accusation against a councilman." "What if Dirk gave us a positive ID on him?" "Good luck getting any cooperation from your frat boys. / Why?" "Gamma-Rho's closing ranks." "Slimebag lawyer just got involved." "That was quick." "Apparently that psycho kid, Manny, me and Scotty talked to?" "went squealing to his brothers right after. / Great." "Laurie's dad mentioned some kind of letter the councilman sent him, right after she died." "Could be doer's remorse?" "What's councilman Avery's letter got to do with what happened to Laurie?" "Well, we need to look at everything." "Part of the job, Mr. Dunne." "Avery ever reach out to you again, after sending the letter?" "No." "I, I don't know, not that I can recall." "What about Dirk?" "Dirk?" "What about him?" "He keep in touch?" "Comes over for a meal once a week." "We, uh, watch some TV, talk." "It's nice." "Him coming here like that, it's... keeps my mind off things." "That's admirable." "Especially from someone as young as him." "He's a special kid." "Why are you asking about him?" "Dirk and Laurie, you knew they were growing apart at college." "What's your meaning?" "He had a whole other crowd he was trying to get in with." "No." "You don't know him." "The day I told Laurie that... her mom wasn't coming back from the hospital... not one tear." "Not that day." " Not ever." " Brave girl." "12 years old." "Only thing holding me down to earth." "Is that right?" "One night, I can't sleep." "I come down here... and I hear my daughter crying." "That's when I see Dirk, just a kid, too." "Got Laurie in his arms." "And that's when I knew... he was the only thing holding her down to earth." "So..." "you want tell me what happened to my girl now?" "What makes you ask me about Dirk?" "Nice kid." "Spending time with the dead friend's father." " That's commitment." " Or guilt." "My lawyer said you can't talk to me." "From the minute your brother Manny knows we're opening this case, he tells everyone." "You knew way before Manny did, and you never told a soul." "Why'd you bring Laurie back into that house?" "Because she bitch-slapped you in front of your boys?" "Maybe you were looking to settle the score." "Or maybe you were following orders." "Laurie recognizes councilman Avery, leaves him no choice." "He sends his errand boy to bring her back." "Nobody made me do anything that night." "No one but me." "So what's so important you want talk to me about?" "I'm sorry." "That's it?" "That's all you have to say for yourself?" "That's not good enough." "In your kitchen.... after your mom died." "What?" "I remember watching you cry." "Why are you telling me this?" "And I remember... thinking we were just 12, you know?" "But that was over, being kids." "Because that night..." "I knew I had to be the one person you could always... count on." "You always were." "Not tonight." "What the hell's going on?" "You boinking the oink, Dirk?" " Let's get of here." " Dudes!" "Dirk's rounded up our little porker!" "Don't call her that." "Shut up, dork boy." " Come on!" " Stop it." "Hey, you leave her alone!" "Back to the pen!" "Time for the greased pig contest!" "What?" "No!" "Stop it!" "Dirk!" "Laurie!" "And you call these guys your brothers?" "They're not always like that." "So councilman Avery's in the house." "What'd you do, after that?" "Like I said, I went back to my dorm." "Didn't occur to you to call the cops, go for help?" "I was out of it." "Didn't know what to do." "Friend like you, who needs enemies?" "The meet with Avery's set for tomorrow morning in his office." "The guy has no idea how you're gonna rock his world." "I'd pay good money to be a fly on that wall." "Good work today, guys." "Good night." "Good night, boss." "Older, powerful men like Avery, they can be a bitch." "What do you mean?" "Nothing." "So what's first Thursdays?" "Uh, Jones tavern, first Thursday of the month." "Homicide detectives boozing it up, swapping war stories." "You want to join?" "Nah." "I'm not one for mixing work with the personal myself." "Oh, me neither." "Did that once before." "It was a big mistake. / Yeah?" "I'm meaning, I'd understand if... you found yourself in a similar situation." "Your old boss, sergeant White..." "Anyway, this is me." " Nice ride." " Yeah." "It's four doors." "Good night, Scotty." "Laurie Dunne was a summer intern in my office." "Sweet girl." "A terrible accident that fire." "The thing is, councilman, we're not convinced it was an accident." "And we know you were there the night she died." "You're not serious, are you?" "We have a witness." "One phone call from me, pal, you'll be running the auto pound tomorrow." "And you'll be headline news, pal." "What do you want?" "What'd your Gamma-Rho brothers do to Laurie that night?" "Boys, booze and bravado, a lethal combination." "That poor girl was caught in the vortex." "And you were just the wide-eyed innocent, watching it all go down." "I had some drinks, I admit." "But I knew when enough was enough." "Swill!" "Swill!" "Swill!" "Swill!" "Swill!" "Oh, piggy got you good, Manny!" "I'll show you a real man, porky!" " She's taking pictures, dude!" " Get away from me!" " She just took a picture!" " Get away from me!" "Give it back, you jerk!" "She's taking pictures?" " So what?" "I took care of it!" " And I emailed it." " You stupid!" " Leave her alone, Manny!" "Party's over, as of now." "Get out of here!" "All of you!" "Go!" "What about her?" "Get her home." "I don't care how." "That girl was alive when I left." "She could have blackmailed you, councilman, and you just walked away?" "What do you honestly think I'd do?" " Kill the girl?" " Someone did." "There were witnesses who saw me leave that house." "Your fraternity brothers, councilman?" "A jury would love that." "I'm not talking about them." "Then who?" "Those girls..." "From earlier that night." " What girls?" " From the, you know?" "The contest." "Wait a minute." "Those girls were still in the house?" "In the backyard." "What were they doing there?" "They were setting the fire." "You and your friends set that fire, Shirley." "That's crazy." "We have a witness." "Saw it all go down." "I got your buddy, Dierdre, in the next room." "She's blaming it all on you." "You're lying." "She would never do that." "Oh, people do all sorts of things looking at life for murder one." "Laurie stood up for you." "Do the same for her, Shirley." "Those boys had no right to do what they did to us." "It made you mad./ No." "It just... it kind of broke my heart." "Then why burn down the house?" "To break theirs." "I can't believe those guys." "Let's go home." "And do what?" "Cry ourselves to sleep like we always do?" "Not after what they did to us." "What they did to Dierdre." "So what do you suggest?" "Tell the whole world, so we'll be a laughingstock?" "We're not gonna tell anybody." "We're just gonna..." "get even." "Break up their stupid party." "Burn the house down!" "I'm in." "Shirley?" "Burn it down!" "Are you okay, Dierdre?" "No, she's not okay." "Laurie?" "Can I talk to you please?" "You know the rest of the story." "Laurie went back in the house with him." "So... maybe you figured the traitor deserved to burn up, too?" "No." "We didn't know what to do." "We were gonna go home but then.../ Then what?" "You have no idea what it's like being the punch line to every joke, do you?" "Someone had to pay." "Come on." "We're gonna burn this place to the ground!" "Not with Laurie still in there!" "Who cares?" "She's a traitor!" "They've gotta pay!" "For what they did to us!" "To me." "Let's go home." "Oh, my god." " That's him." " Oink, oink." "Dierdre?" "Someone's... gotta pay." "Run!" "It spread so fast." "And then everyone was running." "Screaming." "All I could do was stand there and watch..." "Why couldn't Laurie get out?" "I don't know." "Everyone else got out, even her friend." " Her friend?" " Dirk." "Dirk was in the house?" "He was the last one out." "Passed out in your dorm room." "It's a nice story." "Leave me alone." "You were the last one out of the house when the fire broke out." "That's a lie." "Ever seen an animal trapped in a fire, Dirk?" "What?" " They panic, run in circles, scream." "Horrible way to die, horrible thing to watch." "I don't have to listen to this. / Hey." "Laurie's father saw you that night in her kitchen." "After her mom died." "Please stop doing this." "He said you were her rock, the one person she could always depend on." "You'd never leave Laurie." "You stayed that night." "Tried to save her." "But you couldn't, could you?" "She made me promise." "Promise what?" "That's why I could never tell." "Her pop... he thinks Laurie died happy." "And the truth would break his heart." "Tell us the truth now." "He was wrong." "I wasn't Laurie's rock." "She was mine." "This is all your fault, pledge." "She took pictures!" "They're gonna close us down now for sure!" "It's over, Manny." "Hey, don't touch her!" "You can't boink the oink, Dirk." "Then I will." "What's going on?" "Dirk?" "Dirk..." "No!" "No!" "She's still in there!" " Dirk?" "You a brother?" "Or you a bitch?" "Give me the key, Manny!" "Dirk, help me!" "Get away from the door!" "Help me!" "Help me!" "Get to the window!" "You can climb out!" "Get to the window!" "Dirk!" "I can't breathe!" "No." "No!" "Keep your face where there's air." "Help!" "Somebody help!" "Help us!" "Don't you let go of me." "Promise." "What?" " You'll take care of my pop." "Don't talk like that." "They're gonna get you out of here." "Dirk, you listen to me and you listen good." "Don't you let him be... alone." "Promise, Dirk." "Promise..." "I promise." "Hey, hey!" "I won't let you go." "Do you hear me?" "I won't let you go!" "Won't let you go." "I know you won't." "Laurie..." "Laurie!" "Laurie!" "Laurie!" "* Sarah McLachlanÀÇ 'Fallen' *" "* Heaven bent to take my hand,* * and lead me through the fire.*" "* Lead a long awaited answer * * to a long and painful fight. *" "* Truth be told, I've tried my best * * but somewhere along the way, *" "* I got caught up in all there was to offer * * and the cost was so much more than I could bare.*" "* Though I've tried, I've fallen.*" "* I have sunk so low.*" "* Out of the best,* * the better I should know.*" "* So don't come around here * * and tell me I told you so.*" "* We all begin with good intent *" "* Love was raw and young *" "* We believed that we could change ourselves * * and the past could be undone.*" "* But we carry on our back * * the burden that time always reaveals.*" "* In the lonely light of morning, * * in the one that would know heal,* * is the bitter taste of losing everything * * that I've held so dear.*" "* Though I've tried, I've fallen *" "* I have sunk so low. *" "* Out of the best,* * the better I should know.*" "* So don't come around here,* * and tell me that I told you so.*" "* Heaven bent to take my hand, *" "* Nowhere left to turn * * lost in those our thoughtful friends,* * to everyone I know.*" "* Oh, they turn their heads embaressed* * pretend that they don't see.* * that there's one big step * * and slip before you know it *" "* and there doesn't seem a way to be redeemed.*" "* Though I've tried, I've fallen.*" "* I have sunk so low.*" "* Out of the best, * * better I should know. *" "* But don't come around here * * and tell me that I told you so.*"