11x07 - The Living and The Dead

[bunniefuu]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Noah Gorman, 19 years old.

His eyes were stapled open.

This was sadistic.

Someone got pleasure
out of torturing him.

Noah came out as gay two months ago.

His family kicked him out.

They said that Noah
is no longer their son.

Any leads on Noah's abductor?

No, not yet.

But there will be.

Who the hell are you?

I'm gonna be right here until
you're able to talk to me.

♪ ♪

He had nowhere to go.

Stop! No!

[FOOTSTEPS THUD]

[SNIFFLING]

I'm sorry, the nightmares.

Oh, it's okay. Just got home.

Can I get you something?

No, I'm just gonna get a water.

Let me get it for you...

I'll do it myself, thanks.

[SIREN WAILS DISTANTLY]

Ah!

[SHOUTS]

- [SIGHS]
- [COUGHS]

[WHIMPERS]

Sorry.

It's okay.

[BREATHES SHAKILY]

You know, those...
those resources I mentioned...

I don't want them.

Okay.

I just want to forget.

[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]

I want to sleep.

♪ ♪

Well, you change your mind,
you just let me know.

And they do work.

♪ ♪

[SIGHS]

[SIGHS]

- Hey.
- Hey.

Pulled an all-nighter,
figured you'd be here.

[GRUNTS] Thanks.

Anything?

No.

And Noah?

Hasn't said a word
about what happened to him.

Still having nightmares.

Who wouldn't, I suppose.

I got a detail sitting on my house,

keeping an eye on him.

It's like there's no life in him yet.

There will be.

We see it every day. People recover.

He can't stay at your house
forever, Hank.

It's gonna make the case
complicated for the jury.

It's just till he gets better.

He's still refusing support.

Hey, our investigative alert
on Noah popped.

What do we got?

A body.

Chances are, the thing
washed up a while ago.

This stretch doesn't get
much foot traffic

during this time of year.

So who spotted it?

One of ours.

He was patrolling near the shore,

clocked it from afar.

The barrel could have gotten
dislodged from elsewhere

or just floated up from the depths here.

- Huh.
- Either way,

it's been in the water a while.

As soon as we logged the body in,

your investigative alert popped.

You found it like this?

Right there at the waterline.

We just pulled it to shore.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[SAW BUZZING]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

They were in that water for some time.

The cold kept them preserved.

Guess we can count
ourselves lucky there,

but there's no way
I'll be able to tell you

exact time of death.

Best guess?

One to three months.

They're both young.

guessing Jane Doe 1 is a teenager.

The other can't be older than 25.

We're rushing dental and prints,

should have IDs for you soon.

And the wounds?

Got signs of bindings on both...

wrists, ankles.

Jane Doe 2 has bruising
around her stomach.

There are six s*ab wounds on each.

The s*ab wounds are placed to avoid

any major organs, arteries.

Placed so they'd bleed out slow.

I'll know more once the autopsy is done.

You staying for the full?

Yeah, any companies that manufacture

those oil barrels, all years.

Thanks.

Izzy and Maria Pereda.

They're sisters. Izzy was 18, Maria 20.

Chicago locals.

Anyone report them missing?

No, but Izzy had a short sheet.

She was popped once for prostitution,

once for possession.

Every wound the sisters have
are exact matches with Noah's.

So we're saying we have a serial k*ller?

Just brief the team.

Call in Chapman.
I'll loop in a profiler.

CPD has a profiler?

No, not officially.

If she's not at her desk,
then she should be back here.

She thinks if you dull
the senses, it helps you focus.

- Huh.
- Right through there.

- Good luck.
- Thanks.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Detective Petrovic?

Hello?

Excuse me, Detective Petrovic?

[GROANS]

Sergeant Hank Voight, Intelligence.

Y-you have a juvenile case?

Actually, I've got a serial k*ller.

Chicago has no active serial K*llers,

- and I don't work cold cases.
- No, this is active.

It's not a beneficial use of my time.

- It's just new.
- I would have heard.

It hasn't been released yet.

[TENSE MUSIC]

Look, I-I've got three bodies.

♪ ♪

Three?

♪ ♪

I can feel you assessing me.
It's distracting.

Please stop.

Yeah.

These wounds are far too
concise to be coincidental.

Depth, wound type...

it's the same offender.

And his profile?

You do know I'm not
a certified profiler.

I've heard your reputation.

Mm, and I've heard yours too.

Can't all be true.

Okay.

On first thought...

which, to be clear,
is a thought and is my first...

these crimes are motivated
by a pleasure in pain, sadism.

The offender is organized.

This guy will have a job.

He'll appear stable.

He's above average intelligence.

Doesn't appear sexually motivated,

but that's harder to pinpoint.

Power and control can be sexual.

Uh, who was the first victim,
Noah, with?

Noah was found alone.

But he survived.

He didn't tell you who he was with?

He hasn't been able
to tell us much of anything.

Hmm.

Well...

The bindings on the sisters
are different.

One was standing bound,
the other sitting.

That's why there's bruising
on her stomach, ligatures.

But the eyes...

They were made
to watch each other bleed out,

watch each other's pain.

That's part of the why.

♪ ♪

Noah wasn't alone.

Hm.

The Mexican rain forest
serves as home

to one of the loudest animals
on Earth, the howler monkey.

Normally a youngling of this size

would be clutching
his mother's back.

Hey.

This little fella
is braving the treetops

on his own today,
out for a spot of lunch.

When fully grown,
the bone in its neck...

Noah, I want to talk to you, okay?

I'm gonna turn this down.
Is that all right?

This howl is used to warn...
[VOLUME LOWERS]

Okay?

[SIGHS]

We found two bodies today.

They were hurt...
in the same way you were.

It's the same person.

♪ ♪

I need to ask you a question
about that night.

It's okay. Hey, you're okay.

- You're safe.
- [SNIFFLING]

Hey, you're safe.
You're right here with me.

You're okay.

[BREATHES DEEPLY]

There.

[SOBS]

Was somebody else with you that night?

Were you not alone?

[SOBS]

All right, that's it. Okay.

Thank you.

Who? Who was with you?

Okay. okay. No, no, no.

- [HYPERVENTILATING]
- Hey, hey, we're done.

We're done. That's all we're gonna do.

Easy, easy. We're just gonna breathe.

We're gonna breathe.
Hey, you're right here with me.

Come on, breathe in.

Come on.

Nice and deep. You can do it.

There you go.

That's it. Let it go.

- [EXHALES SHAKILY]
- That's it. That's it.

Come on, nice and deep, nice and smooth.

See? You're right here with me.

You're okay. You're safe.

♪ ♪

Yeah, Noah seemed to be
confirming he wasn't alone,

and then, I mean, he panicked.

He said nothing else?

No. Once he calmed down, he fell asleep.

I mean...

I don't know how to press him
further without the panic.

I mean, it's his instinct.

His brain's still processing
what happened.

Add to it that his parents
told him he'd be punished

for being gay, this kid probably thinks

the hand of God hurt him,

is resting on his shoulder.

Detective Josephine "Petrovick," SVU.

Uh, Petrovic, but Jo.

Yeah, she's gonna be helping
us out here while she can.

All right, what do we have
on the Pereda sisters?

Both girls were born and
raised in Chicago, West Side.

Parents d*ed when they were young,

have little family left.

Mm-hmm, Izzy Pereda
was the youngest sister.

She was addicted to heroin,

and she worked as a prost*tute
to support that habit.

According to their social media,

the older sister, Maria, was trying

to get her out of that life,
but was unsuccessful.

Izzy clearly loved her sister,

but her last arrest
was only two months ago.

Right before they both disappeared.

Credit card usage,
social media, all telephone,

everything stopped for both sisters

exactly two months ago.

That's when we believe they were taken.

All right, any connect to Noah?

Nothing concrete.

All have little family,
few to report them missing.

It's possible that Noah
was selling himself.

Possible sex work is our connect.

Perpetrator could easily be
a john or a pimp.

Hm.

All right, what about the barrels?

- What do we got there?
- No prints or DNA.

They were in the water too long.

And those barrels are generic.

They're manufactured en masse.

I got something.
When Izzy Pereda was popped

for prostitution, she was bailed out

by this guy right here.

This is Manuel Tovar, known to Vice.

He's a working Romeo pimp.
Lives with his girls,

never lets 'em out of his sight.

Uh, he uses a website to attract johns.

Now, he's got no priors for as*ault,

but, uh, Vice was pretty clear,
he's with those girls 24-7.

So if our offender followed the same MO,

stalked and abducted Izzy...

Chances are, at the very
least, he saw something.

All right, let's go.

- We know where he lives?
- Yeah.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

All right, we're up.

Torres, I got eyes on you.

We play it nice and steady.

There's no way Tovar
talks to us without charges.

Just stay hidden
until cash is exchanged.

Copy that. I'm in.

♪ ♪

Room's empty.

Tovar's girl we hired isn't here yet.

Copy you, Torres.

No sign of the girl or Tovar
on the east side.

I got something.

I got a male
headed your way, Torres.

Looks like security.

Can I help you?

- You Eddie?
- Yeah.

Put your hands out.

Now.

- I'm clean.
- No dr*gs, alcohol?

Gonna party with your girlfriend?

No.

What's your full name, Eddie?

I'm not... I'm not
telling you my full name.

Yes, you are.

No, I'm not.

Okay?

I...

I booked a girl online,
and you already know that,

so we don't have to do
all the 20 questions.

We good or not?

♪ ♪

Here they are.

Yeah, I got a positive on Tovar.

Is this our girl?

Yeah, looks right, but, Sarge,

she looks way younger than 18.

Then our charges will be stronger.

♪ ♪

Hi.

You... you gonna leave?

Money. I take your cash.

There's 150.

That's our go. Move.

♪ ♪

We're made. Crash now.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

- Chicago PD!
- PD!

- Chicago PD!
- [PEOPLE SCREAM]

Let me see your hands. Get over there.

Get down, get down, get down.
Hands on the bed.

- Where's Tovar?
- I got the girls.

[MUFFLED SHOUT, LOUD CRASH]

Ruz, I'm entering!

[BOTH GRUNTING]

- Uh!
- [GRUNTS]

♪ ♪

Turn around.

Put your hands behind your back.

Behind your back.

- Tovar takes care of me.
- He takes care of you

- because you make his money.
- He's my boyfriend.

You know this isn't
about hooking, right?

We know she lived
in the same motel as you.

Yeah, so?

Okay.

We're not wasting time.

We have you for charges
of resisting arrest,

as*ault against the police,
and sex trafficking.

I'm dating those women.

They're girls.

And no, you're not.

I don't need 'em to make these charges.

I think they will talk
when they see these photos.

Uh-huh.

You think I did that to her?

No.

I think she was making you
way too much money

for you to k*ll her.

Okay, then why am I here?

'Cause I think you know something
about what happened to her.

No, I don't.

She was stalked,

hunted like prey.

This offender, he likes
to watch his victims,

follow them, play with them.

He likes to learn them
before he pounces.

Izzy was followed,
then abducted violently,

taken into the night.

I'm right?

Tell me what I got right.

What would I get for talking?

What'd you have to give him?

His deal is for one count,

dismisses the underage charges.

Tovar didn't know Noah,
didn't recognize him.

Never noticed anyone stalking Izzy.

But he did see the abduction.

Two months ago, late at night,
he hears screaming outside.

Looks out his motel window.

He sees someone b*ating Izzy.

He assumes it's a john,

so he goes outside to confront him,

and he filmed it all.

What, for his own safety?

Yeah, in case he was ever brought in.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[SCREAMS]

Hey, yo. Yo!

What the hell are you doing?

That's my girl!

Get away from her!

[PANTING]

Let her go! I said, she's mine!

[CAR DOOR SLAMS,
ENGINE TURNS OVER]

I got you on film, you bitch!

- [TIRES SQUEALING]
- You're a dead man!

This guy is smart.

His clothing is indistinguishable.

I mean, I can't find
a single label from any angle.

Gloves and mask are generic too.

He could have bought them anywhere.

- The car?
- Nothing yet.

Same story. It's hot.

Somehow staying off camera.

Why a pipe for his w*apon?

Maybe there's something there.

Pipe from a job, his house, garage.

Thought the same thing.

But again, nothing distinguishable here.

I-I can't seem to get a make or a model.

There's got to be something here.

This is a good lead.

Offender can't be this skilled,
this organized.

We've got two abductions caught on tape,

and we have nothing to go on?

- What about Maria?
- No.

No reports of 911 calls in her area.

It's just like she fell
off the face of the Earth.

And we still don't know
who Noah was with.

There's got to be something here.

And we need more.

We need way more.

Noah?

Hey, Noah?

[CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING
OVER EARBUDS]

Thank you for the phone.

You're welcome.

I need to talk to you, don't I?

Yeah.

[MUSIC STOPS] I want to give you time.

You know, I know you need time.

But look, Noah...

This offender,

he's out there right now.

I don't know how.

I know.

If I think about it...

I feel like I'm back there.

Like I'm dying.

Like he's dying.

[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]

And then I can't breathe.

It hurts.

♪ ♪

[BREATHES DEEPLY]

I get it.

You know, sometimes
you remind me of my son.

And there are so many things with him

I don't like thinking about.

He d*ed.

I don't like thinking about how...

it hurts.

So sometimes I try not
to think about it at all.

And I don't think that's right.

Maybe we owe it to them
to think about things,

since we're still here.

♪ ♪

Okay.

But can we go somewhere else to talk?

Noah, we can go anywhere.

♪ ♪

[CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[SIGHS]

I-I found this place
the first week I got here.

Yeah?

- Yeah.
- Yeah, it's a...

- really good find.
- [CHUCKLES]

The music school doesn't mind
if you sit out here.

They get it.

That's nice.

I used to play music in church.

It was the only thing
about that place I loved.

[CHUCKLES]

I'd bring Paul here.

Is that who you were
with that night, Paul?

[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Yeah.

Yeah, Paul Hansen.

Okay.

♪ ♪

I remember waking up...

and I was tied up.

I couldn't see the man.

He took his mask off,
but he had these...

lights in my eyes.

I knew I was gonna die.

And he told me I wasn't, you know?

He said I had a chance to live.

He gave me one call.

He said to call the person
I loved most in the world.

He told me to call Paul.

I didn't want to die.

And it... it was a trick.

But I didn't want to die,
so I called Paul.

Yeah, I would have done the same thing.

No. No.

He told me to tell him
that I had a surprise for him.

Paul came.

Then the man att*cked him.

He tied him up, and then he...

[SOBS]

He hurt you both.

Yeah. Okay, okay.

Take your time.

The man got some phone call,

so he had to step away.

And he didn't know
that one of my ties was loose,

so I got away.

But Paul...

He was dead?

I felt for a pulse.

He was gone.

Okay.

I ran.

I'm glad you ran.

It's a good thing you got out of there.

[MOANS]

I left him.

I kissed him goodbye, and I left.

I love him...

and I left him.

♪ ♪

- It was all my fault.
- No.

- For loving him.
- No.

- I'm being punished.
- No, no, no.

No, no, he was taken away
from me because I'm wrong.

No, no, you're not wrong.

- Hey.
- I just want him back.

Hey, hey, I know.

- I get it.
- [SOBBING]

Noah, listen to me. You did good, okay?

Thank you for telling me.

That's it, just take a breath.

You did great.

♪ ♪

Sounds like Paul was his boyfriend.

I mean, they haven't known
each other long,

just since Noah arrived in Chicago.

We ran him.
Paul Hansen, 24, Chicago resident,

in and out of homeless shelters

and halfway homes in the past two years.

Two pops for prostitution.

Looks like he was doing
what he needed to to get by.

Sex work is our common link after all.

And no one reported Paul missing?

No, and no pops in any morgues

or hospitals in the area.

We're working on last knowns,

in-service calls,
phone records, you name it.

Hey, let's run that photo by Tovar.

Yeah, I did. Tovar didn't know him,

never seen him on any tracks.

Okay, we loop in Vice?

Yes, they're culling their records now.

All right, let's also have
them run anyone in their system

that also pops for violent priors.

If our offender's choosing
his victims based on sex work,

- chances are, Vice knows him.
- No.

No, no, no, it's more than just that.

He... he's choosing them because
they have someone they love.

The Pereda sisters, Noah and Paul,

they loved each other,

had deep connection.

And then he forces them
to watch each other die,

seeps that connection out of them,

steals it for himself.

Yo, I found Paul on an escort site.

It looked like he was
working independently,

but I found a nexus
between him and Izzy.

A judge?

Sarge, believe it or not,
both Izzy and Paul's files

came across Judge Balen's desk.

Could be coincidental.

No. Look at that.

The judge's number pops
on both of their phone records,

and the same number is used
on a dummy profile

to access both escort sites.

That man's a john.

That's how Tovar ID'd him.

It could fit.

Balen would have acute
knowledge of law enforcement.

It explains the avoidance
of traffic cams,

pristine crime scenes.

He could easily trace
his victims through the system,

ID them based on files
that come across his desk.

Let's go.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Like I said, he's in chambers.

And like I said, I'll wait.

I usually don't leave people
unattended in his office.

Would you like to see my badge again?

No. No, of course not.

Right this way.

♪ ♪

I don't understand. What's going on?

You can't come in here.

Why can't I call my husband?

- Ma'am.
- What? Wait.

This has to be a misunderstanding.

What is going on?

Here's our search warrant, ma'am, okay?

How about we step aside

and I can talk you through it, okay?

♪ ♪

- Detective?
- Sergeant.

Is everything okay?

Is my wife all right?

Oh, your wife is fine.

I'm here for you.

How can I help you?

I'm happy to help you with warrants...

No, I'm here for you.

For you.

And Izzy and Maria Pereda,

Noah Gorman,

Paul Hansen.

I don't understand.

I think you do.

♪ ♪

Evidence officer.

Yeah, just a sec.

[CLEARS THROAT]

If you're here
to accuse me of something,

I hope you've thought
of the consequences.

Boss, we have it.

Take him.

♪ ♪

Copy you, Adam.

Are you... you can't be referring to me.

- Take... take me where?
- Yeah, I'm not gonna

play games with you.

I'll give you one chance
to talk to me here,

where it's comfortable,

before the press get involved,
before your family,

before you're sitting in a cold box.

One chance right now.

Go ahead. What do you have to say?

Talk.

Come on, talk. Go ahead.

Go ahead.

I'd like to call my lawyer.

Turn around. Turn around.

Give me your hands.

- Give me your hands.
- [HUFFS]

Well, I'm not bringing
those photos in here,

but you know what they are.

We found them in your house,
in your cabinet, Judge.

I mean, you know
the charging guidelines.

Child p*rn is a Class X felony.

My client has no comment
about any of that.

No, see, I think he does.

I think he wants to talk,
maybe have a good cry.

I mean, you should let him.

You feel pretty bad, don't you, Judge?

- This is not productive.
- You need a good cry?

You want to avoid the child p*rn?

Okay, we can come back to that.

Let's talk about the prost*tute

that I can prove you frequented...

Who is now dead.

She's dead? What is this?

She's dead,

along with her sister...

[CELL PHONE BUZZES]

And Paul Hansen.

No. Wait, wait.

- Yes, I know him...
- I can't help you

if you continue to ignore my advice.

I know you know Paul Hansen.

His case came across your desk.

- You got his phone number.
- [CELL PHONE BUZZING]

I mean, you kept track of him.

I mean, you liked Paul Hansen
for some reason, didn't you?

He was kind. He was sweet.

And you liked him.

But he didn't want a real
connection with you, did he?

- No. No.
- No, he loved someone else.

He didn't love you. [CELL PHONE BUZZING]

And you wanted it.

You wanted that for yourself,
didn't you?

Please.

You wanted to know what
it felt like, right, Judge,

to be loved that way?

Hey.

Wha... No-Noah.

Noah, slow down.

Slow down.

No... Noah, I... I...
I can't understand you.

We have a bad connection.

Can you say that again?

Now, what's going on?

What if I was wrong?

What if he was never really dead?

I think he's okay.

I don't have to live without him.

Wait, okay, Noah,
where are you right now?

Are you still at my house?

No. I had to sneak out.

I went out the window.

He told me to.

He said he got away.

I was wrong. He's not dead.

Paul? P-Paul told you he's not dead?

Yeah. I'm going to meet him now.

He... he told me where to go.

I get to be with him again.

I get him back.

Noah.

Noah, how did Paul tell you that?

He texted me.

He texted me from his phone.

He's alive. He's okay.

Listen to me, Noah.
This doesn't make sense.

Paul is dead.

Look, you took his pulse.

You said you knew for sure.

But maybe I was wrong.

I want him back.

Yeah, can I get an emergency ping

on Noah Gorman's cell phone number?

All right, tell me
where you are right now.

He said to meet him in the woods.

No, no, no, no. No. Listen to me.

I need you to leave.

I want you to go back to my house.

- I'm... I'm gonna meet you there.
- Yeah, Noah Gorman.

Can you tell me how long
it's been active?

Did Judge Balen have access to a phone?

Besides calling his lawyer,
hell no, I verified it.

All right, send me his
coordinates when you have them.

- Copy.
- Noah.

Noah, did you leave?

No. I have to find him.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[TIRES SCREECH]

I need you to leave. I need you...

I need you to get somewhere
with people right now.

No, it's Paul. He's alive.

- He is. He has to be.
- Noah, no.

No, you want him to be.

Paul isn't alive.

He's dead. You know that.

You saw that.

Look, this isn't Paul, Noah.

Someone is luring you.

Okay, I need you to go right now.

Sarge, Noah's coordinates
are pinging

on the east side
of the forest preserve.

I can't get you
any closer than that.

All right, copy. Just ping
Paul's phone right now.

I'm on it.

Noah, are you still there?

- Noah.
- I just want him back.

I don't want to be alone.

I just... I just want
to see him again.

Noah, I know you do.

I know that.

Just turn around for me, okay?

- I'll be there...
- [GRUNTS]

[LINE BEEPS]

♪ ♪

The caller you have reached
is not available.

[ENGINE REVS]

♪ ♪

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Noah!

Noah, call out if you can hear me!

[BRANCH SNAPS]

[LEAVES RUSTLE]

Noah!

Noah!

Noah Gorman, call out!

Chicago police!

Noah! Call out!

Noah!

Noah, can you hear us?

Noah!

♪ ♪

[DISTANTLY] Noah!

Noah, call out!

[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]

Boss, we just got confirmation

that both Paul and Noah's
phones are off now.

It was Paul's phone that texted him?

Yeah.

Phone records indicate Noah's
been calling Paul's phone

from the new phone you got him.

We think he just wanted to hear
his voicemail, hear his voice.

How the offender got Noah's number.

Yeah.

There's no cameras or PODs
in the entryway,

but we're checking
all traffic cams in the area.

Judge Balen?

Judge has a concrete alibi

for the time of Izzy's abduction,

but he confessed
to the solicitation charges.

Sex charges are airtight,

so he's gonna have some
legal troubles in his future...

I got something.

Yeah, there's more over here.

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