01x20 - Remorse

[bunniefuu]

In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as The Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

I'm Sarah Logan.

You've seen me interviewing other people, telling their stories.

I'm not real comfortable in the first person, but here it goes.

On January 11th, I interviewed a refugee from East Timor for a special assignment.

The session ran past midnight.

Because I was only nine blocks away from my home, I decided to walk.

My trip home took me past this swimming pool complex.

This is where two men grabbed me from behind and r*ped me.

They put a coat over my face and they dragged me here.

They told me they would k*ll me if I made any sound.

One of them wore a running suit.

The other had a tattoo of an eye on the underside of his wrist and he smelled of clove cigarettes.

For the past 12 weeks, I've had some of New York's finest working on my case.

In spite of all their hard work, they had no luck finding either man.

Maybe you know one of these two men.

I was att*cked.

And I'm going to fight back.

I'm Sarah Logan.

Operator.

No, no, sweetheart.

This is no time for a phone call.

Mark Krieger, a car-parts rep from Cleveland.

We met a couple of times for drinks.

Where?

The hotel bar.

It was a stupid, expense-account fling.

Little did I know.

Did he force you into it?

The guy scared the crap out of me.

Is that a yes?

I don't want to press charges, okay, not on my end.

I just wanted to help.

Okay, so give us the key.

Mark Krieger?

What?!

You're under arrest for the crime of r*pe.

You have the right to remain silent.

I know, I know.

The right to remain silent.

You have the right to an attorney.

And the damn city has to pay for it, too, 'cause I'm flat-ass broke.

Excuse me.

Law & Order: SVU
1x20 Remorse

Original air date: 1999/10/11

Three months I'm looking for these two pukes and the night we get the call, I'm at a Chomsky lecture.

Tell me about Krieger.

He works construction.

Priors include a couple of possession charges, a handful of assaults, bar fights mostly, and kiting checks.

He's from Queens, but he told his date that he was a car-parts rep from Cleveland.

His date?

How reliable is that?

Extremely... she knows she was very close to being a "Mr. Goodbar" victim.

He lawyered up right away and didn't say a word.

What did he feel like?

It's your case, what should he feel like?

I felt this was a r*pe of opportunity.

They didn't target Sarah.

They didn't even know who she was.

She's walking home, they see her, they grab her.

Since we only have one of two suspects, we could get into a situation here where the DA has to make all the charges against Krieger, "and an unapprehended other."

So just keep that in mind while you're taking your statement.

So let Krieger lead us to the second guy.

We can try that later, John.

I want to try to get the second r*pist before Krieger gives him a heads up.

Which he'll do the first moment he's sober.

Then we'll get his phone records, we'll get his employment records, his credit card bills.

I think we ought to be able to track down number two.

Did anyone tell Sarah we have a suspect?

No, I thought she ought to hear it from you, John.

Hey, John.

Did you see my piece?

I did. It was gutsy and eloquent.

Well, I have to put that on my epitaph someday.

"Here lies Sarah Logan, gutsy and eloquent."

Letters of support?

The response has been amazing.

It gets better.

You got them?

One of them.

A woman watching your telecast realized that the guy in her bed matched your description... turned him in.

His own girlfriend turned him in?

Girlfriend suggests a longer-term relationship than "Hi, how are you? Let's go to my room."

Who is he?

I'd give you his baby photos and home address if I could.

But?

But it would jeopardize the line-up.

Jeopardize the line-up?

This is the man who r*ped me.

When can you tell me?

The minute this ugly pageant is over.

You remind me so much of my brother.

Well, all right, say this is the guy, so what does that mean?

What happens next?

We search the suspect's apartment.

No, I mean for me?

After the line-up, we may not see this guy again until we are in court.

Everything we do until then has to anticipate any possible defense.

So, it's the business side of innocent until proven guilty.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

I didn't think you would.

I mean every collection agency in town is after this guy.

No bank account?

No credit cards?

He's got a fridge magnet for a check cashing place; means he works as often as he has to.

Being a r*pist is a full-time job.

Pizza take-out, liquor store, 900-me-so-horny number.

Three shirts, two pairs of pants.

No golf clubs, no fishing rods, no nothing.

But a man who clearly likes to smoke.

Maybe they're souvenirs from his one-night stands with out-of-towners?

Could be.

Every relationship... short-term, every friendship... expendable.

How sentimental. We've been assuming for 12 weeks that both rapists knew each other.

Maybe number two was just someone he met.

"The White Horse Saloon."

"The Black Light."

I'm getting all nostalgic.

Are you joking?

Well, sort of.

But in a really dark hotel bar, anything's possible up until the 7th or 8th drink.

Okay, which one of these was closest to the att*ck?

That would be "Shad's Cabaret" at the Regal lnn.

Classy.

Yeah, there is no Shad.

There is no cabaret.

Just a lot of hard-drinking locals and confused out-of-towners.

Let me know if anything's changed.

Called six numbers, all contractors.

They hardly remember Krieger at all.

I got through to a guy who says he knows Krieger.

I told him that we were friends.

He said to come on over.

What kind of trouble is Mark in?

He's a suspect in a r*pe.

Doesn't that merit a gosh or that's terrible?

No. No! That guy is always getting into trouble.

Mark didn't know what he was going to do until two seconds before he did it.

Impulsive.

How do you know him?

We're like second cousins.

I mean, I don't know.

My mom explained it to me once.

I think his uncle married my great aunt.

On January 11th, he paged you twice.

Did you see him?

No, no.

The last time I saw him was Labor Day.

The Monsters of Metal tour at the Carden.

Did you know any of his friends?

He didn't really make friends.

Like they say, "Relatives give you an opportunity to associate with people who you'd otherwise never hang out with."

Yeah, that guy owes me 36 bucks.

Mark something... just a second.

You know him?

You let him run a tab?

He gave me a credit card.

But I ran the bill and so did he.

Here you go.

Mark Krieger, right?

Sounds good to me.

Was he here with someone?

How the hell would I know?

Well, the bill.

You got 10 boilermakers on there.

It tells me either he drinks a lot or he's with another guy.

You got five boilermakers and five Long lsland iced teas, maybe he's with a traveling business woman with clouded judgment?

Sorry... not an itemized bill.

You got a date on there?

It's on the receipt here.

January 11th.

You just made my day.

Assistant DA, Erika Alden.

I'll be representing your case.

Who's he? Robert Sorenson.

I'm his attorney.

Even slimeballs get lawyers.

Just tell me how it's going to work.

They can't see you but you can see them, okay?

If you need any of the men in the line-up to do anything, you just tell me and I'll relay it to them.

Take your time before you answer.

If you don't know, make sure you can't identify the man before giving up.

Hey, no coaching, okay?

Pay no attention to the twit in the suit.

Let's go.

All the way to the end.

I didn't really get a good look at his face.

Can you ask them to roll up their sleeves, please?

Could you roll up your sleeves, please, and turn your wrists out?

Wait a minute, they all have the tattoo. Is this a trick?!

We can only ask you if you recognize any of the men, Sarah.

It's number three.

Number three's the one who r*ped me.

Now I can tell you.

His name is Mark Krieger, a welder from Queens.

Not quite a drifter. He has some convictions, mostly small stuff.

Did you interrogate him?

It was a one-sided... we talked, he stared.

No, he didn't say a word.

Wait a minute.

What about the other guy?

Second r*pist?

We're still looking for him.

We may never find him, but we can still prosecute Krieger.

It makes for a more complicated trial, but it happens all the time.

Isn't there something you can do, some way of making Krieger talk?

We tried chaining him to a radiator and b*ating his feet with a rubber hose.

Come on! I mean some legal maneuver, some deal.

His lawyer won't let us talk to him.

I want to know who he was with, but more importantly, I want to know why.

Why? Sarah, I deal with guys like Krieger all day, every day.

Most of the time, they don't even know why.

There has got to be a reason... a drug habit, abused when they were children, a withholding mother, something.

Those are the excuses that rapists tell journalists and judges once they've been convicted.

They parrot the psycho-babble they've learned in self-help books and TV movies.

That doesn't make them what they are.

Then what does?

I don't know.

But I'm more comfortable knowing that I don't know, than I would be if I gave an easy answer.

These guys do what they do and we try to stop them.

And that's the world, isn't it?

I shouldn't have said that.

No, so what you're saying is that you may never find the second guy?

True.

And that I may never understand why they targeted me?

Also true.

You haven't soft-soaped me yet.

Don't start now, okay?

Okay.

I got three calls in two days from One Police Plaza, pointedly inquiring about how her case is going.

We have DNA, we have a witness who places him in the neighborhood, and we have Logan, who'll be great on the stand.

But we still don't have number two, and it's been almost a month.

We showed mugshots to everyone who ever worked with Krieger, to his landlords, at every bar that he ever stole an ashtray from.

No one bit.

Krieger didn't keep friends longer than he needed to... lots of people knew who he was but nobody knew him.

That's just great... we don't know if his partner is from Hoboken or Timbuktu.

Any long sh*ts?

I got a call from a source of mine at Rikers... said he heard something from somebody.

Okay, I'll take it.

Your daughter's teacher said she cut her some slack.

Means maybe some summer school.

I've also got the principal looking out for her.

I appreciate that, man. I do.

Not a problem.

Let's talk about Krieger.

Krieger, all right. Everybody knows Krieger, 'cause of that news lady and all.

What I hear, number one, he didn't know it was her when he did it.

And number two, he's scared he's going down on this one.

What about the other guy?

What did I hear?

Guy was already in Rikers.

On a DUI or shoplifting or some trifle.

Krieger finds him, he lets him know.

"Keep your mouth shut, I owe you one.

Talk, you're dead."

How'd you hear about this?

We were watching some tube in the big room, you know.

Her story came on.

I overheard some guys talking, that's all.

This is what you're giving me? Come on.

You got to give me details.

You got to give me a name.

I wish I did, man, but I don't, all right?

I like that news lady.

And Krieger...

Krieger's a waste of space.

Do you want everyone who was admitted on that day, or everyone who was in?

No, I want everyone.

I have 16,000 detainees!

Okay, let's forget about women and adolescents.

Now you're down to 12,000.

Why don't you tell me what you're looking for?

He crossed paths with Mark Krieger.

Krieger... was in the main population.

You want a list, or you want a disk?

How many names are we talking about here?

6,204.

Can we sort them by age, or race or...

No.

Disk.

Krieger's lawyer has a reputation for scorched-earth defenses.

He's pressing a quick trial, hoping we'll be unprepared.

It's open and shut.

That's why he's got to try to make the victim look flaky.

Sarah's story is rock solid.

She never varies a detail.

She said she was r*ped by two men.

We're only going to be able to show the jury one.

She said she took an unusual route home.

Sorenson's going to try to insinuate that it was more than just a nice walk.

We got no semen from the second r*pist.

She said he used a condom.

I know.

I'm just letting you know what he's gonna try to do to defend his client.

So...

I worked with Sarah.

She's not ready for trial yet.

She trusts you. Talk to her, let her know it's going to get ugly.

Benson saw a similar case fall apart last year.

She knows what can happen.

Ask her for help.

Thanks.

First of all, Sarah, the good news is the defense can no longer bring up your past sexual history.

That's no longer allowed.

But they can allude to it?

If they can.

They have no obligation to explain what did or didn't happen.

All they have to do is muddy the waters enough so the jurors feel okay voting not guilty.

They're going to want to generate confusion.

They're gonna try to b*at you up on the stand.

Like how?

It's a r*pe case, so they have to ask you who put what where, when and how.

For each charge, where were you, your hands, Krieger?

Where was the other guy?

How do you know it was Krieger and not the other guy?

Okay, I get it.

We're just trying to give you an idea what it's going to be like.

I understand.

Is there anything else?

Just answer as specifically and with as much detail as you possibly can.

You've got to be direct.

Don't use euphemisms.

Say "penis." Say "vag*na."

Say "intercourse."

And if these words make you feel uncomfortable at all, call me, call Munch, tell us the story a million times until you feel totally comfortable.

If they think you're uncomfortable, they'll use it.

They'll go over the same thing five ways just to see you sweat.

Okay, so what happens next week?

Pre-trial maneuvering and jury selection.

Arcane and tedious proceedings that have mostly to do with the rights of the accused.

Sarah, this could be ugly.

Not as ugly as what happened.

Counselor, you're filing three motions at once?

Four, Your Honor.

You're challenging the constitutionality of the arrest, you're questioning the DNA procedure, and you're moving to have the charges dismissed... that's three...

You flipped right past it.

Okay.

Oh, here it is.

"Motion to suppress the witness ID."

This is quite the ambitious defense.

Have the People received copies of this blizzard of paperwork?

We just received them, Your Honor.

And the People are filing just one motion.

What is this?

It's to exclude press from the courtroom.

That should be simple enough.

To preserve her exclusive?

No, to preserve decorum.

Your Honor, the presence of the press helps ensure a fair proceeding in what has become a high-profile case.

And you think more press will lower the profile?

I'll balance that against the possibility that some counselors like seeing their names in print.

I'll rule on these tomorrow.

Adjourned.

Well, didn't know he was gonna be here.

Rights of the accused.

Why are they challenging my identification?

The line-up was fair.

He doesn't have a case.

His only hope is to prove that everyone from the police to the victim are incompetent.

Is it always that way?

He's playing games.

Usually he'd cop a plea and get on with it.

I don't what's gotten into him.

It's me, isn't it?

Just tell me.

You do bring a lot of attention to the case.

If Sorenson wins, everybody'll know about it and then the next time a multimillionaire kills his mistress...

So fight fire with fire.

Come on my show.

We'll talk about this exact view.

I don't want to withhold anything from my audience.

I'd have to check with Cragen.

It's already cleared with Cragen.

Be at my studio at 7:00.

Wear a nice coat and tie.

This is a nice coat and tie.

Nervous, are you?

I'm just concerned that some of the complex legal and emotional gray areas that inform my worldview, will get lost in your sound-bite world.

You know, your voice changes just the tiniest bit when your spinning?

I know you.

Why don't you have Alden on?

She's a lawyer.

It's better to have a woman when the subject is r*pe...

I want my viewers to see you.

Or Jeffries or Benson.

If victims see you, they may be more likely to go to the police.

I'm just the cop who happened to catch your case.

You're not.

Please?

What do I have to do?

Bribe you?

Okay, fine.

I will take you to dinner afterwards.

All right, I'll go, just don't say bribe to a cop in a crowded courthouse.

Okay.

We're still trying to track her down.

Where do you think she is?

Traffic.

I heard on the scanner that there's some hellish gridlock up by her neighborhood.

Who's this?

What?!

Tell me what happened!

The Captain says you can't go in there.

What happened?

I need you to stay back.

No, I'm going in.

Nobody's getting in there till we get the area secured.

I can secure it.

We don't need anybody else getting hurt.

Who got hurt?!

I don't know.

Someone's hurt and the ambulance is still here? Why?!

We need to secure the area.

I'm going in...

The Captain says you can't!

John, John.

It's Sarah...

But the ambulance is still here.

John...

When?

The neighbors reported a single blast.

b*mb squad got the call at 6:46.

Arrived on the scene at 6:52.

Six minutes.

It wouldn't have mattered.

I'm sorry.

How did it happen?

Best I can tell, it was a homemade black-powder b*mb.

Anarchist cookbook crap, concealed in a box of flowers.

So my guess is, she finds the flower box outside her door, carries it inside with her.

Flowers.

Yeah, she was standing by the window when the blast occurred.

Her body actually blocked the shockwave from the north side of the room.

It's... it's just pieces.

But I don't think she suffered much.

She suffered.

I meant she was k*lled instantly.

I know what you mean.

I saved those for you.

I thought you might want them.

Great.

How late did you stay on scene?

Late. Benson's still there canvassing.

Okay, what do you guys know?

My source tells me the second perp may have been at Rikers the day Krieger was admitted.

One of 6000 men.

We've narrowed that down to 207 men... right age, right description, who were out on the street when the r*pe occurred.

On the theory that the bomber is r*pist number two?

Right.

Which totally changes the conception of how the r*pe went down.

I know, it makes number two the alpha-male.

Which means Krieger was along for the ride.

Which means we may not be able to link Krieger to the b*mb.

Alden said she's going to get Logan's grand jury testimony admitted via Geraci.

We have to suggest that Krieger masterminded the bombing, which, by all accounts he couldn't mastermind a church picnic.

If he didn't have a hand in the bombing, her statements are inadmissible.

Without her statements, Krieger walks.

Okay, this is what we're going to do...

Munch, Jeffries, you pursue the r*pe case.

Elliot, you and Benson stay with the bombing, all right?

Anything that points to Krieger, you tell Munch.

But if it doesn't, you keep it to yourself.

At least until the trial is over.

John, you got a minute?

Did you reach the brother?

He just listened, then he said he's not coming back for the funeral.

I see.

You want some time off, John, I understand.

No, I don't.

But thanks.

Okay.

The device was pretty simple.

He packed it all into a soup can.

A soup can?

Extra-chunky chicken and noodle.

Pretty amateurish construction.

It was all held together with masking tape.

What kind of expl*sive?

It's low-grade Chinese black powder with a flammable liquid.

And it went off when she pulled the lid off the flower box?

That's what I thought, but it was by remote.

The receiver from a garage door was hooked to a detonator.

So we got a soup-can b*mb any moron can make, but he goes to all the trouble of putting a remote on it?

That doesn't add up.

I'm thinking, first-timer.

Maybe a hired g*n, eliminate a witness.

No.

He's doing a lot more than eliminating a witness.

I'm not following.

Look at the risk he took.

He used a b*mb, not a g*n.

He put it in a box of flowers.

The essence of the romantic gesture.

And he could have put a simple switch on the lid.

Yeah, but instead he rigs it to a remote.

Her life was in his hands.

There was a park across the street from where her apartment is.

Did your guys search that area?

No, we didn't know where he was when it went off.

What do you want to bet that he was there?

That's why he went to all that trouble.

He wanted to watch her die.

You can see straight into her apartment from here.

We have throat lozenges packages right here.

Maybe our boy has got a cold.

It was pretty freezing last night.

This guy had to find her home address, find this viewing spot, make the b*mb, deliver it, and while he was standing right here...

Moves his thumb a quarter of an inch and kills her. Just like that.

This guy's nothing like Krieger.

He went to incredible lengths to pull this off.

We got two rapists, different MOs, different motives.

Number two guy seems to be somewhat of a planner.

Then you have Krieger, who jumps in at the last minute.

Went along just for the ride.

Good morning, Counsel Alden.

Good morning, Counsel Sorenson.

Or should I call you Mr. Motion?

Hopefully it's the last I'll burden you with.

I assume this grows out of the events of last evening?

You're looking to quash the indictment.

Without their key witness, the People will be unable to prove their case.

Counsel Alden?

We have DNA, we have witnesses who placed the defendant in the neighborhood at the time of the incident.

Semen without a witness to allege force does not prove r*pe.

It only indicates that a sex act has occurred.

We'd like to amend the indictment under People vs. Geraci to include Logan's diaries and statements to the police.

Geraci requires the People demonstrate the defendant's misconduct has rendered a witness unavailable.

Are you able to live up to that burden of proof?

It's a prima facie case.

You have to give me something more.

Who benefited from her death?

Maybe he did. But so did the other suspect who wasn't caught.

And he's on the outside.

I should moot the indictment, but I won't.

I'll give the People seven days to link the bombing to the defendant.

If they can do that, Logan's statements can be admitted under Geraci.

The People appreciate that.

I'd like to note for the record that my client is being held under de facto null indictment which, in an appeal, could look like favoritism.

Are you challenging my impartiality?

We are now doubly burdened having to prepare a r*pe defense, as well as a Geraci on the bombing.

I'd like my client bailed so that he may adequately prepare a defense.

Fine. Bail is set at $50,000.

Happy now?

No, we're unhappy, Your Honor.

No victim, no r*pe? Why not declare open season on all women in New York?

Who are you?

Detective John Munch, Special Victims Unit.

Well, Detective, you are seriously out of line.

Whose pocket are you in, anyway?

What did you say?

I said, whose pocket are you in?

I'm fining you $500 for contempt of court.

Make it a thousand. It's better than having contempt for common sense.

$1000.

Say another word, and I'll put you in the lock-up.

John, don't.

Let's just go. Let's go.

If this gets out, every r*pist in town will k*ll his victim.

We're going to make this guy.

Krieger's cousin just paged me.

We're not dead yet.

I saw the news coverage about the bombing and it reminded me of a guy Mark knew.

A guy named Tommy.

Why didn't you tell us about him before?

How to put this?

We did a little business together?

He sold you dr*gs, so what?

We don't give a rat's ass about that.

Is he still dealing?

No, he got out of that.

He said he was going to be a made man.

They gave him a gas station to run in Jersey.

Big promotion.

Where in Jersey?

I don... I don't know.

You got a last name for this gas-pumping wiseguy?

Something lrish, I don't know.

There are like two million Irish in New York, PK.

Good luck.

Hey...

If he's the guy... do I get the reward?

Yeah, go buy yourself a blunt.

McCormack, McConagh, McCorkendale, Milligan...

Flaherty, Gleason, Hagan, Killeen, Kilpatrick, all late of Rikers lsland.

All right, all told, 18 Tommys-something-lrish in lock-up when Krieger was booked.

And these are the people that saved civilization?

You say he was drinking with Krieger the night Krieger stiffed me?

The night he r*ped that woman?

That's right.

Here's a picture of Krieger.

Maybe if you see them side-by-side, it will jog your memory.

That's it.

Young, half-gray hair, he's the one.

Tommy McConagh.

Thanks.

Hey, hey.

I can't get any gas.

The pump don't work!

My wife can't get us gas.

I have to go to work!

What?!

The pumps locked.

My wife can't give us gas.

I have to go to work.

Wait a second!

Come on, man.

Put your hands on your head where we can see them.

You sold weed to an undercover cop about a month ago?

That was a total set-up.

I don't care about that.

And then they kept you in Rikers for a week.

Yeah.

And that's where Krieger told you not to talk about that night in January?

That night you two went parting at Shad's?

He told you?

Why do you think he doesn't want you to talk?

Because he's pinning it all on you.

Now he's walking... and you're looking at about 10 years.

That is not how it went down, man.

What do you want from me, my man?

That is the way it's going down until I hear your side of the story.

Do you understand that?

Now's your chance.

Talk to me.

All right.

We were a little high, right?

We were walking around.

We come to this pool, it's closed for the season, you know?

I know.

And Krieger says he can pick the lock.

So, I dare him.

He does.

We go in there and it's really quiet, peaceful, kind of weird in the middle of winter, you know?

And Krieger says something like, "This'd be the perfect place."

What's that mean?

That's what I say.

He says, "to do a bitch."

You know, to get some without the dining and the whining.

I'm like, he must be joking, right?

But he's not.

You saw him att*ck her?

Yeah.

She was just walking by.

He just pops her one.

You saw him r*pe her?

Well...

I tried not to watch.

What's that mean?

Are you playing me?

What, are you too modest? Is that it?

No, it's just...

He's a freak!

You're lrish.

You were raised... to respect women.

Yeah.

Your mother teach you that?

Yeah.

Your mother... sounds like a good woman.

Why don't you be a good son?

Just give it up.

Okay. I saw him do it.

He ripped off her pants.

Sorry Krieger, your bail has been revoked.

He threw her down on the ground, she's kind of whimpering.

Let's go.

He was there, not five minutes ago.

Stop! Police! Freeze!

Krieger! Stop!

Stop where you are, now!

Come on, let's go!

I told him to stop. Why didn't he stop?

Let's go!

We got to call Cragen.

I'll call him. Come on!

It's another soup can.

Same crappy workmanship.

Same flavor soup, even.

Could the b*mb have belonged to Krieger?

Maybe it was an accident.

Not unless he had a death-wish, or was incredibly stupid.

Why so you say that?

When the package went off, it took off his package.

The remote, was it a garage door opener?

Yeah. Click, boom.

The bomber, how close?

Within 50 feet. Maybe a rooftop, an adjacent apartment.

Are your people canvassing the area?

Yeah, but so far, zippo.

Hey, you okay?

I'm not going, I'm not going.

We need to keep you here for observation.

No, my partner can keep me under observation.

Who's going to watch me when I'm watching you?

I am.

You are.

Yeah, I am.

I'm a lot to watch.

Yeah, you are.

Do me a favor, take a couple of days for me.

Fine, for you.

Keep an eye on her, okay?

Take care.

All right, thanks.

They're interviewing everyone on the scene, or who lives in the neighborhood.

No one's coming up with anything unusual.

This isn't Beirut.

A bombing is not usual.

I'm assuming we've ruled out any political or financial angles?

I'm thinking John Hinkley, Jr.

Cot a guy who thinks he's got this relationship with a woman on TV.

She's smart, she's funny, he thinks she understands him.

His dream girl.

And he thinks maybe she shouldn't be talking about this r*pe.

Because of his own twisted puritanical mores?

Maybe... maybe it's not even religious, maybe it's just selfish.

But where's the escalation?

Where are the warning signs?

If someone were threatening her, she would have told us.

She was on TV... she didn't have to know him for him to know her.

She got hundreds of cards and letters after her r*pe survivor journal aired.

Let's get a look at those.

Listen, where are you with McConagh?

He rolled on Krieger, but he confessed to nothing himself.

Oh great.

No witness, no r*pe.

No Krieger, no case against McConagh.

So it's either a confession, or he walks out of here.

Yeah, but he doesn't know Krieger went boom.

That's right. That's good.

It's been a while since I tried the "disappointed father figure."

All right, nap time's over, Tommy.

Come on. Sit up straight, all right?!

I want you to tell me what happened the night Sarah Logan was r*ped.

I told the other guy.

No, no, you lied to him.

But you don't want to lie to me.

You leave the bar together and you break into the pool, all right.

We got that.

Now, what happened next?

It was all Krieger's fault.

I didn't ask you whose fault it was, did I?

Did I, Tommy? No.

Now I want you to tell me what happened next.

Okay? All right?

Just take it easy.

All right. Close your eyes.

Close your eyes, Tommy.

Come on, come on.

That a boy. All right.

I want you to picture it and then I want you to tell me what happened.

Okay.

Krieger did her first, while I held her.

And she says, "Please don't hurt me."

Krieger wants to hit her and I say, "You better not."

So you wanted to protect her.

Yeah. Yeah.

I even used a rubber when it came to my turn.

But she doesn't stop crying.

I'm like, "I put the rubber on, why are you still crying?"

"Dear Sarah, may time heal your suffering.

Yours in God, the Sisters of Saint Joseph."

r*pe victims, families of victims, different ages, different races.

All the same denominator.

With one exception.

Where's the guy who's cooking up bombs in the kitchen sink while he's writing his insipid missives?

They can test for that.

Insipid writing?

No, powder residue.

This is it.

Sort of sulfury.

Nothing smells like black powder.

"I'm not clowning around.

Please don't make me frown.

Won't you be mine, My sweet Valentine?

If this isn't you, don't know what I'll do."

Of course it isn't signed.

He did us one better.

Bingo.

No match in the NYPD fingerprint database.

No match from either of the FBI databases.

Nothing in the registered sex offender database.

Parolees?

Already tried.

Nothing in the b*mb squad watch list either.

This guy had access to expl*sives.

Have you tried city employees?

Fire, police, that kind of thing?

Negative. Hopefully the psyche evaluation weeds out someone that extreme.

All right. Let's look at the weeds.

Name is William Lexner.

Graduated Queens College, 1984.

Rejected from the fire department six times... last time in '99.

"Candidate's high test scores are eclipsed by his narcissism, his disregard for teamwork, and his hostility toward unnamed quote unquote enemies whom he believes are preventing him from being hired by the fire department.

Application denied."

Narcissistic, paranoid, fascinated with fire.

We've hit the trifecta.

Let's see if we can pick him up without incident.

We'll take the b*mb squad along because this could get ugly.

This way. Let's go.

That's all three floors?

Yeah.

You want suits?

I'm wearing a suit.

Smart man.

b*mb suits only make you a better looking corpse, anyway.

That's comforting.

We all set?

Let's do it.

Who's there?

I got a certified check for a Mr. William Lexner.

Check?

Who sent me a check?

Look, sir, all I know is it's for $419 and I need a signature.

Sir, you can get it from me now or get it from me in two months.

Re-delivery takes six to eight weeks.

Okay, have a nice day...

How you doing?

What check?

Police! Down!

I said get down, damn it!

John! John!

We got him.

The b*mb squad swept his apartment.

And?

They found powder residue on some of his clothes.

But?

But I don't think we're going to be able to make the case on forensics alone.

We need a confession, John.

The guy loves this.

I hate it.

Will?

Don't see anyone else here.

Detective John Munch.

You were the detective who handled Sarah's case.

I was.

You want to get to know me.

Yes.

Why?

You're interesting.

Most of what I do, sex offenders, they're all the same.

You don't get the "Nietzschean Superman" every day.

Sex crimes.

r*pe's the worst crime that there is.

Do you know why?

Tell me.

Let's look at twin sisters.

Both beautiful, both smart, and a man is going to ask one out on a date.

The only difference is, one of them was r*ped.

So who's the man going to ask out?

I don't think it matters.

Oh, but it does.

Once you know, you know.

It doesn't matter if you care.

Really?

You looked at Sarah differently after the r*pe.

She never smiled the same.

The r*pe, the as*ault.

I saw it in her face.

Saw what?

You don't think she changed after?

I'm sure she did, but not the way you mean.

She grew, changed, used her misfortune to help other women.

She was the perfect woman.

She was a good woman who did good deeds.

Mitzvahs.

Mitzvahs.

What was she like?

Why are you asking me?

She mentioned you twice.

Once on April 15th and again on April 19th.

You have a good memory.

What was she like... behind the camera?

You two seemed to click, like you could have been something together.

What about you?

Me and Sarah?

Yeah.

You brought her flowers.

We're both romantics.

Scratch the surface of a cynic...

You wanted to be together.

Yes.

You knew what she liked.

I wanted her to be happy, again... like before.

You picked out the flowers yourself?

Down in Chinatown.

White roses.

She would've wanted that.

And the box had a gold band.

She would've wanted that too.

I left it out in front of her building.

But you didn't leave.

No, I wanted to see her smile.

That moment when they open the florist's box... it's magic.

Where were you when you set it off?

The park.

I watched the 5:00 news on a portable television.

Then I watched her come home.

I watched her turn on the lights like she always does, take the box up into her apartment and then I waited for her smile.

Did she?

For a moment.

Yes, first time all night.

She didn't seem happy when she signed off.

"I'm Sarah Logan. Good night."

Do you know what I'd always say back to her?

"Good night, Sarah"?