February ,
- What are you gonna eat, mommy?
- Mommy already had lunch.
No cheese, right?
- Can we go ice skating after?
- No.
- Hot.
- Let it cool, baby.
- Can we?
- No, Hailey.
- What's wrong?
- They make these so hard to open.
Why can't we go ice skating?
You don't wanna be like those
awful girls, Nancy and Tonya, do you?
No, I wanna be like you.
- No.
- It's ketchup, Ryan.
He doesn't like ketchup.
He likes mayonnaise.
- He took his lid off.
- Share your drink with him, Hailey.
- Mom..
- I don't wanna hear it.
Daddy says you're a good
ice skater.
Why don't you ever want
to ski with us?
Finish your food.
I'll be back in a few minutes.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Did you take my tasty cakes?
No.
Man, I'd never do.
I've seen you.
There's strudel.
Eat that.
- Can I help you?
- This is where the detectives are?
- From Homicide.
- I'm looking for Nick Vera.
He should be here.
I knew him in high school.
He might be in court.
You wanna leave a note?
- Maybe I could talk to you.
- Is it about a m*rder?
My sister.
years ago.
- What was her name?
- Sloane Easton.
She was found in the parking lot
of the bar where she worked.
How'd she die?
Cops said she passed out,
d*ed of exposure.
Was she drunk at the time?
She was always drunk.
- Okay.
- We figured ...
she just slipped and fell,
the whole thing was an accident.
But you think differently now?
I met this guy Evan last night.
Said he knew Sloane.
- From where?
- The bar.
He was a student at the time.
He was there, the night she d*ed.
Is he something significant?
Sloane was drinking
with some college guys and
things may have
gotten out of hand.
- He know these guys?
- They were his fraternity brothers.
I should talk to Evan.
He staying the Delaware.
Gave me his number.
Who's this girl?
Megan Easton.
Yeah?
We went to immaculatta together.
- She wearing a wedding ring?
- I don't have my binoculars.
Yeah.
What'd you do to her?
You gotta hide from her like a kid.
I was in love with her.
Sloane Easton, .
Homeless guy found her in
the parking lot of Sansom's Tavern.
Her autopsy shows an injury to
the head. Alcohol content was . .
That's pretty toasted.
So, they figure she's stumbling drunk,
falls on her face, and stays there.
Temperature was
degrees at night.
- Cold was the ultimate doer.
- Maybe the frat guys gave the assist.
This girl was the goods i high school.
Homecoming queen, all that.
You can tell she was pretty.
We found blood on her coat,
never ran it.
Let's run it now.
Anything on family.
Separated from her husband Seth,
he was in New Jersey that night.
- Two little kids.
- I'll start with Evan.
See if he knows how Sloane
got knocked in her head.
You know the sister, eh, Nicky?
Megan.
We haven't been in touch.
- She asked for you.
- I don't wanna see her.
Kinda gone to the dog ears.
You got a full head of hair, Nick.
I'll follow this up.
- I'm glad to help, honestly.
- Good.
But I'm gonna rush to get
back to Washington.
Well, then we'll be quick.
What do you know about Sloane Easton
ending up dead outside of that bar?
Nothing, really.
Then why were you talking
about it last night?
That is your writing, isn't it?
But, I don't really know
what happened.
Tell us what you do know.
All I remember is she was pretty and
drunk and hanging out with Gareth Caine.
That was a bad combination.
Who's Gareth?
President of our fraternity.
He kind of became known as
the guy to stay away from.
- Why's that?
- He was rough..
..with women.
You see him get rough
with Sloane that night?
I spent four years with these guys.
I knew what the lead-up looked like.
Pitcher of Rolling rock.
Nice hat.
- Thanks.
- You a suffragette?
Yeah, I'm gonna
go vote right after this.
I'm Gareth.
Who are you?
- I'm just here to drink.
- Well, let me buy you one.
I'm only here for a minute.
- How you doing, Sloane?
- Oh, lordy.
- How many you had?
- I don't wanna see you.
You need me to drive you home?
Hey, are you getting that drink?
Yeah.
Rick, make it a night and
get the hell out of here, okay?
D'you wanna sit with us?
Yeah.
For you.
- I have your number.
- I'm not scared of a a.m. phone call.
So, it's Sloane, huh?
- Yeah.
- Do you like the beach, Sloane?
I knew where things were headed.
I told Gareth I had to go study.
That's all I saw.
You guys ever
see this Rick before?
Nah. / Was this town-and-gown
thing with Gareth?
Rich college boy slumming
with some local tail?
It was a ZKE thing.
Beach night.
What's that?
We had a room called a beach.
Our guys could bring a girl,
do it with her while a bunch of
other guys watched.
Unbeknownst to her.
- 'Course.
- Sounds like a riot.
We were jerks.
So, you guys were looking
for someone to beach.
And it looked like Gareth had
chosen this girl.
You can't hold a guy responsible for
something that happened years ago.
Actually, you can.
We do it all the time.
Guys, it was a fraternity thing.
Beach night.
How'd you know about that?
We picked stuff up.
So, maybe we thought this girl
was up for a walk on the wild side.
There's no crime there.
So, you ply her with drinks,
talk nice to her, and invited her
back to the house?
- Some version of that.
- But, she never makes it.
Maybe tries to resist you
in the parking lot.
You rough her up a little
and leave her in the snow.
Cuz you get rough with women,
what we hear.
No.
We didn't close the deal.
- Sarajevo.
- Lillehammer.
- Lake Placid.
- It wasn't an Olympic city.
- .
- No.
- Yes.
- She's right, Gareth.
No.
- Drink.
- I almost went there as a skater.
Sure you did.
Me, too.
Well, it's been real, guys.
Why don't you go back to
the house with us?
No, I gotta be some place.
Hey, we got a keg at the house.
- Sorry.
- Come on.
Hey, save it for the tri-delts.
- Hey, let's go back here.
- I said I gotta go.
I'm sick of college girls.
Don't touch me.
Get off me.
Philly PD.
- Back to campus, boys.
- We're just having some fun, officer.
Walk out of here.
Now.
This cop just showed up
out of the blue, broke it up?
And we left.
That's it.
You know Sloane ended up
dead that night?
Vaugely remember hearing that.
She was just a lush from West Philly.
Who cares?
Hey, how'd a beach
night work out for ya?
Not allowed to say, amigo.
Lab found two types blood
on Sloane's coat.
One's hers and
one's unidentified.
Maybe the doer's.
well, good luck getting that
jackass Gareth to give blood.
I'll call the M.E.
Got a rush job going.
We know who this guy at the bar was,
who offered to drive her home?
- Someone name's Rick.
- Sister might know him.
Why don't you ask her, Nicky?
- Can't someone else?
- No.
Julie Owens from South.
Our mystery cop at the tavern that night.
How you doing?
You worked West in ' , Julie?
Narcotics.
I knew your victim Sloane.
Just happened to be at Sansom's
when she got in trouble?
No. I was there to see her.
How come? / Sloane got a DUI in ' ,
drove a car into a newsstand on Broad.
Wanted off her record.
Guess what, we made a deal.
What kind of deal?
Owner Sansom's was slinging
out of that place.
She had a front row seat
to the action.
- So she was working for you.
- She was my CI.
Nicky.
Hi.
Long time.
No kiddin'.
You never come to the reunions.
I'm pretty busy.
You look good.
I'm on a diet.
I'm sorry about Sloane.
Yeah, it was bad.
We found some things out.
Did you know she got a DUI?
- The newsstand thing?
- Yeah.
That's why her husband finally left her.
Kids were in the car.
- Rough.
- Yeah.
She was always a party girl.
She started working for the cops.
Informing on her boss.
I didn't know that.
But I guess there was a lot
I didn't know by the end.
Any idea if she had
a boyfriend or anything?
I don't think so, why?
There was someone there
that night. Rick.
Oh, Rick wasn't her boyfriend.
He was her sponsor.
Do you know where we can
find him?
Yeah.
Oh, good.
You look exactly the same.
Oh, yeah?
You think I'd pass
for a high school girl?
To me, you will.
I came here every week,
gave my card.
Every week, she tossed it.
This is where she was found.
By that dumpster.
Crummy place to come to your end.
Bar's the last place
she should've been working.
Go talk to the owner.
Did Sloane seem upset about
anything that night?
Scared? / She seemed just like
the stubborn drunk she was.
- You call her that to her face?
- Yeah.
I thought I'd get through one day.
I really thought I could save her.
- Well, people have to save themselves.
- Sounds like you've been in the program.
Well, we run into it a lot.
You know, cops.
Stressful job.
What do you know about
this bar owner, Powell?
I know he hired an acoholic
to serve drinks. That's pretty shady.
Did Sloane ever make a real
effort to kick the booze?
No.
Just came to one meeting.
But you were
pretty persistent with her.
Helping other people keeps me sober.
Okay, Rick.
I noticed you didn't answer
my question.
About the program.
If you ever wanna talk,
I'm not scared of
a a.m. phone call.
Something happen
in the neighborhood?
Something happened here,
ten years back.
Sloane Easton.
That was a sorry case.
Worked for you, right?
Drank more than she poured.
Was she doing any of the dr*gs
you were dealing?
That's ancinet history.
Sloane worked for the cops, too.
Informing on you and
your side business.
You saying she
was snitching on me?
Which gives motive to hurt her.
Then, she ends up dead
in your parking lot.
Lousy drunk.
Maybe you found
out she was a CI.
If I had, I woulda hurt her.
You two get into a lot of disputes?
She was a pain in the ass,
but I never touched her.
So who did have it out for her?
That night, her ex.
- Seth?
- Yeah.
I can't say that I blame him
after what she did.
Come on, don't do that.
You want another, just ask.
- He's real hungry, Powell.
- I need him that way.
Come on.
- Damn it, Sloane.
- Seth?
- You know where the kids are?
- Don't you have them?
No, Sloane, you had them.
You left them at Rodeo Rocks.
- Just for minutes.
- hours.
I just needed one drink.
I lost track of time.
- You're unbelievable.
- Where are they?
Don't pretend you care.
I wanna see them.
Are they outside?
- Forget it.
- They're my kids.
- And you're never seeing them again.
- You can't do this.
Sloane, stay away from us.
Seth was supposed to be
in New Jersey that night.
No, he was right here.
Pretty heated up, huh?
Wouldn't you be?
Girl was a disaster.
You willing to give up
some blood, Powell?
- What for?
- Eliminate you from the suspect pool.
No way, you ain't
pitching me for this.
Well, saying no
looks pretty suspicious.
So suspect me.
It says here you were at the shore
the night Sloane d*ed.
- That a mistake, Seth?
- No.
That the truth?
- Yeah.
- We have witness who says otherwise.
Says you were
at Sansom's in fact.
Giving Sloane hell for leaving
the kids down the street.
- Who said that?
- It's not important.
We had a bad fight
when I was there.
So we hear.
I even put my hands on her.
And the next day, she's dead.
I know how that looks.
So you were in Philly.
At Sansom's.
I went to Jersey later with
my girlfriend Rose.
It doesn't matter anyway.
She d*ed of her own drunkeness.
We think someone
helped her along.
Well, how do you mean?
Someone tangled with her that night,
smacked her in the head.
She followed you up
to the parking lot.
Maybe you got into it out there.
- No.
- You were pretty mad, Seth.
Furious.
But out in theparking lot,
everything changed.
- Wait, I gotta see them.
- Stay away.
Just to say I'm sorry.
You want them to see you like this?
Seth, your kids are cold.
- Look, one minute, Rose.
- Mommy.
- Hailey, baby, I'm sorry.
- Just close the window, I'm coming.
You know I love them, Seth. You know
how I cried when they were born.
I cried.
Cuz now I had even more of you.
Oh, Sloane.
How did happen to us?
- It's my fault.
- Why can't I help you?
- Come on, Seth.
- Should I been harder on you?
Easier?
It wouldn't have mattered, baby.
It wouldn't be different.
That's what we learned
the second time and the third time.
Why not?
Cuz I can't b*at it.
You haven't called me baby
in forever.
Go with Rose.
Make a life with her.
She wasn't much at the end.
But there were moments
we could still connect.
- And in her good years...
- I know.
I knew her before you did.
Immaculatta High.
Wasn't she something?
Everyone's all American.
How could booze k*ll all that?
- Valens.
- Where you goin, Franny?
I got lab results for your boss.
Well, you can give them to me.
I'm reliable.
I've been meaning to say..
I'm sorry about your girlfriend.
Thanks.
That's a tough illness.
Can get to be too much.
We don't know exactly
what happened.
- Sorry I heard...
- A su1c1de?
No, no, we don't know that.
Well, I shouldn't
speak out of school, then.
But, thanks.
So, the blood on your victim's coat,
weird result.
- Like what?
- Like out of my jurisdiction.
The predominant stains are her blood,
but the other spots are canine.
How's a woman at a bar
get dog blood on her?
Owner Sansom's had a rotweiler.
Her husband's girlfriend Rose
had a dobermann.
So two dogs to follow up.
The bar owner
refused the DNA test.
And the liquor board has five
open investigations on him.
So this Rose was
at the scene earlier?
She was in the car when Seth
and Sloane went down memory lane.
Maybe overheard something,
could give her motive.
Lil's chatting with her.
Woman to woman.
Nicky, how did it go with Megan?
Fine.
We're going to this place tonight.
Hangout from high school.
Shut up.
I thought Sloane's death was
an accident.
Well, that was one theory.
I don't know how I can help you.
You were there that night,
with your vicious dog.
Tuck wasn't vicious.
Well, you saw the way
she and Seth were talking,
how she touched him.
- They had history.
- Rose, there was dog blood on her coat.
You were angry a
nd you had a dog.
I wasn't angry. / You were with a guy
who wanted to be with someone else.
That's something you sense.
You'd think after Sloane,
you'd run to someone like me.
Responsible, steady.
But Sloane had his heart.
Hurts.
Let's talk about the dog blood.
Do you know how it got there?
Yeah.
But it wasn't from Tuck.
You're gonna be okay.
You just need a little help.
- Out of the way, Sloane.
- No, Powell.
One good cr*ck and it's open.
No big deal.
- Give him another chance.
- Just cost me bucks.
Can't fight worth crap.
I'll take him.
I'll fix him.
Oh, yeah.
You'll take great of him.
Then leave him at Rodeo Rocks.
- Move.
- No.
I'll tell the cops.
Yeah, you'll tell the cops what?
About the dog fights and the bets.
I'll get this place shut down.
- Stop running your stupid mouth.
- I will.
You want the mutt?
Take him.
- I'll make him better.
- I don't care.
Just get the hell off of my property.
- I work here.
- Not anymore.
Get lost.
For good.
Or you'll get cracked.
It's okay, baby.
You'll make it.
She looked crazy,
that blood all over her.
I just left.
So you went back but never
even talked to her?
What could I say?
Make him stop loving you?
That wasn't possible.
Dog wouldn't work the Alpo,
I fed him.
Well, Sloane thought so.
Then, they're both good for nothing.
Losers unite.
Hit ya?
Look, pal.
You were swinging a bar around that night,
Sloane ends up trauma to her head.
- You get my meaning?
- All I did to her was fire her ass.
That's all?
- That's all.
- She didn't come back.
Yeah, she came back.
Well, what for?
To get her job back.
Begged me.
She persuade you?
- Kind of.
- What's kind of, Powell?
Not saying I'm proud of it.
I'm just saying it happened.
I told you to b*at it.
- Ravage's cold.
- Your problem now.
Bourbon, please.
Forget it.
- I'll work a week for free.
- You don't work here anymore.
Powell.
I need this job. / There's
watering holes in West Phily.
Pick one.
I have to work here.
It's a bad life, Sloane.
For the birds.
I'll work here for free.
I'll scrub the floors.
- I just need one...
- No.
Powell.
I'll do anything.
I mean it.
Got on her knees for you?
Not my finest moment.
But she got to keep her job.
Middle of it, in walks Richy Rich.
Who's that?
College boy from early in the night.
Are we talking about Gareth?
When it's over, I look up,
he's standing there.
Think he was
watching the whole time.
- Why did he come back?
- Buy dr*gs.
I sold to him, then left.
- Then where's Sloane?
- Back room, locking up.
So last you saw,
Gareth and her were alone again.
How could they close
Anna's Kitchen?
Cuz that's not where
it's happeneing anymore.
Well, cheers anyway.
The years have been
good to you, Meggy.
Right,
I guess I already told you that.
I've been okay.
What's your husband like?
Nice, works hard.
Good.
But, um..
I don't know.
We ran out of conversation.
We haven't been
doing so hot either.
- Me and Julie.
- How come?
We wanted a baby.
For a lot of years, but no go.
- You talked to doctors?
- Yeah, we tried all the stuff.
Yeah.
And somewhere along the line,
it k*lled off the love.
I think about you sometimes.
That summer.
Me, too.
What things would be like now.
We'd have a year old, that's what.
What if we would've made it.
Oh, Megs.
It should've been you and me.
So Gareth likes to watch.
Got your beach night
after all, amigo.
- What are you talking about?
- You.
Peeping while the bartender
got serviced.
- Pretty h*m* if you ask me.
- I didn't ask you.
You went back, Gareth.
Late night.
Found Sloane all by herself.
Few hours later, she's dead.
I went to buy pot.
- That's it.
- Yeah, I don't think so, Gareth.
At Happy Hour,
you get thrown off by this girl.
So you went back to campus,
shake it off.
But on a.m., parties are over
and you didn't hook up.
So where are you gonna get some?
Then you remembered
the trash from the bar.
Figure, let me go buy some weed,
bang the skank, call it a night.
- I didn't k*ll her.
- You did something.
Penn student health records.
Day after Sloane d*ed, you went in
with an ugly gash on your arm.
- Is that against the law?
- Did she fight back?
She bite you?
Hey, listen up, Gareth.
You are the last to see.
A cop saw you handling this girl
earlier, everything's pointing at you.
I went to use the head.
I come out,
she's yacking on the phone.
I did a bad thing.
Worst I ever did and I can't..
I can't have this anymore.
Yes, please.
Okay, bye.
- What do you want?
- I'll take what Powell had.
We're closed, okay?
It's private party?
Someone's coming for me.
So don't try your crap.
What crap is that?
Whoa, k*ller.
- That is one ugly dog.
- He's mine.
- His name's Ravage.
- That's approriate.
He got hurt,
but he's gonna get better.
Let's finish what we started..
Stop. Stop.
Get off.
I mean it.
Get off.
What the...
Call him off.
Oh, my god.
Call him off.
Stop him.
Keep going, Ravage.
att*ck his ass.
- Damn it.
- Run away.
Run away, little college punk.
Psycho dog chased me blocks.
- Jumped you on pretty good.
- Lucky I didn't get freakin' rabies.
Sloane said someone
was coming for her?
Probably lying.
Unless it was
the person on the phone.
Who was she talking to?
That time of night.
Someone who wasn't scared of
a a.m. phone call.
I could've called.
I didn't mind coming in.
Can I get you anything? Water?
No.
Just tell me what's going on.
Sloane had fallen real...
low that night, ran into trouble.
What did she do..
that was so low?
You don't need to know that.
I used to look up to her so much.
You just think of her that way.
Skating, winning.
Yeah.
We should remember people
at their best, not how they ended up.
Yeah.
So what if we had lunch?
I couldn't do that, Meggy.
Not with you.
I'm just sad so much.
Last night I wasn't.
Me, too.
Detective.
Lilly.
You okay?
I've been staring at the little swirls
in this scotch for about an hour.
I've been there.
- I haven't had a drink in years.
- Don't start now.
And I never forgot how good
it feels knocking one of these back.
It turns bad real quick.
Thanks for coming so late.
We get into trouble.
All time's at night.
I was wondering about that.
There was a pull
right when we met.
Yeah.
It was a bad place.
Let's go.
- I'm not sure we should.
- I am.
Isn't it against the rules?
Don't worry, Lilly.
Oh, so that's
how it works, huh?
What?
When the girl calls you in the
middle of the night, weak, needy.
- That's when you score.
- That's not what's going on here.
I looked for you tonight
at the meeting in your area.
Yeah? / They said you
hadn't been there in years.
I go to a chapter near I work.
They said you're not welcome in any
meeting cuz they don't trust you with women.
- Well, you're obviously getting hostile.
- Did Sloane get hostile?
- Call you out on your act?
- Sloane?
Well, she called you that night.
- No.
- Phone records, Rick.
She asked for help. And a good
sponsor always comes running.
- I tried to help her.
- Like you tried to help me?
Yeah.
And she was ungrateful, too.
Good reason to bash
someone in the head.
I never talk to you.
Well, my boss and
partner are right outside.
You wanna talk to them?
I didn't know she was gonna
lay there all night in the snow.
How could you?
I didn't mean for that to happen.
Ravage.
Ravage, come back.
Please, come back, boy.
You're my test.
You're my way back.
Please.
Please. Please.
- Sloane.
- Rick.
- I lost my dog.
- We're going home, come on.
- I gotta find him.
- It's cold out here, come on.
He's my test. And if I can take
care of him and be good for him,
then I can do it
for Seth and the babies.
- Okay, okay.
- Rick.
I did such a bad thing.
Booze does that to us. / I don't know
how I'm gonna live with myself.
- Help's right here.
- I'm sleepy.
- Let's get you to bed, come on.
- No, I gotta find Ravage.
- I said it's freezing.
- He took care of me.
- Now, I gotta take care of him.
- So get in. Get in.
We'll drive around.
We'll call for him.
- Ravage, come back.
- Come on.
- Ravage.
- Oh, god.
- He needs a vet.
- Just leave it, Sloane.
Leave it?
Warm bath.
Babe, you're not gonna be
thinking about a dog.
Oh, god, you're sleazy.
Excuse me? / I'm so drunk I can't
even see and you wanna screw me?
- I'm trying to help you.
- I just whored myself for a drink.
- Watch your mouth.
- I'm in the gutter.
And you still want a piece?
- You must be desperate.
- It's late
and it's freezing and
you're starting to piss me off.
- You're lower than me, Rick.
- I'm lower than you?
That is funny.
Because you are nothing.
And even I won't have you.
- Don't you talk to me like that.
- I gotta go sleep.
You go to hell, what do I care.
- Can someone help Ravage?
- Screw you, Sloane.
Screw you, you sloppy,
stumbly drunk.
Sleep and it'll all be better.
It's all gonna be better.
Bruce Springsteen, 'Secret Garden'
She'll let you in her house
If you come knockin' late at night
She'll let you in her mouth
If the words you say are right
If you pay the price
She'll let you deep inside
But there's a secret garden she hides
She'll let you in her car
To go drivin' round
She'll let you into the parts of herself
That'll bring you down
She'll let you in her heart
If you got a hammer and a vise
But into her secret garden
don't think twice
You've gone a million miles
How far'd you get
To that place where
you can't remember
And you can't forget
She'll lead you down a path
There'll be tenderness in the air
She'll let you come just far enough
So you know she's really there
She'll look at you and smile
And her eyes will say
She's got a secret garden
Where everything you want
A million miles away