07x17 - Flashover

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Cold Case". Aired: September 2003 to May 2010.*
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07x17 - Flashover

Post by bunniefuu »

♪ Hello, hello, hello ♪

♪ Is there anybody in there? ♪

♪ Just nod if you can hear me ♪

♪ Is there anyone at home? ♪

♪ Come on, come on down ♪

(glass shattering)

♪ I hear you're feeling down ♪

♪ Well, I can ease your pain ♪

♪ Get you on your feet again ♪

♪ Relax, relax, relax ♪

♪ I need some information first ♪

♪ Just the basic facts ♪

♪ Can you show me where it hurts? ♪

(grunts) (groans)

♪ There is no pain,
you are receding ♪

(gasping)

♪ A distant ship's
smoke on the horizon ♪

(hissing)

♪ You are only coming
through in waves ♪

♪ Your lips move... ♪ (grunts)

How did a father not go back
inside and get his own boys out?

I don't know.

A man would die to save his own.

♪ When I was a child ♪

♪ I had a fever ♪

(horn honking, tires squealing) ♪
My hands felt just like two balloons ♪

♪ Now I've got that
feeling once again... ♪

Lil, it's Nick.

Yeah.

I broke down on. I'm, uh...

I'm on Conshohocken near Belmont.

I'm pretty messed up.

Lil, I think I might
have k*lled somebody.

♪ I have become comfortably numb ♪

(garbled radio transmission)

(sighs) Department vehicle
signed out by Detective Vera.

Gone before I got here.
Stop writing, will you?

Sorry, Detective. Got to fill
out an accident report on all...

I said, stop... writing.

Look, uh...

Look, do me a favor. Can you, uh,

just make it a car stop?

No accident?

(sighs)

Right.

Sure.

Okay, go ahead.

I got it from here.

Thanks.

(sighs)

Scotty... it's me.

We got a problem.

(sighs) Damn, Nick.

(phone beeps off)
Is there any blood?

A little on the airbag.

Yeah, it looks like
he just hit the sign.

(sighs) No animals
down on the road.

You hear anything on the radio?

Not yet.

What about that uniform?

Nick was gone when he
arrived on the scene,

and I told him it's on me.

But why ditch the car?

Trying to duck a DUI?

Message he left was a
whole lot worse than that.

You think he was serious?

I called him back five times,
and he won't answer his cell.

(phone beeps off, then flips shut)
I'll get it towed to my guy,

have him... clean it up.

What the boss don't know
can't hurt him, you know?

He's got enough problems.

Well, at least till

we figure out what
the hell's going on.

Will or Kat know? No.

Figured it's bad enough I got you

on the hook for this now, too.

It's Nick, Lil.

I mean, they'd want to know.

I'll have them swing by his place,

see if he turns up.

(distant train whistle blows)

The guy's a mess.

(glass breaking) Yeah,
he's been for a while now.

Schmitty's is up the road.

He's probably headed
home from the bar.

MAN: Big guy with a voice.

Right?

He in some kind of trouble?

What kind of condition
was he in? Whoa.

Just so you know, I didn't
serve him more than three.

Guy tops it off in the parking lot,
that's on him.

Not trying to jam you up.

Just tell us when he left.

About an hour ago, wits about him.

I'll cut off anybody,
cop or no cop.

Yeah. Yeah, we got that.

Sounds like he's become a regular.

Every night this week,
knocking back the Manhattans.

He get into it with
anyone at the bar?

Not tonight. Keeps to himself,
regulars know he's a cop.

Wait. What do you mean,
not tonight?

Last week, some idiot came in
here sh**ting his mouth off.

Me and Big Mac tossed him
before it got out of hand.

This idiot got a name?

What'd he look like?

I don't know. Just some guy.

White, medium build,
maybe thirties.

What was it about?

Not sure,

but the guy was sure
busted up about something.

MAN: You happy with yourself,
Detective?

Thought you should know.

Yeah, yeah, yeah,
I got it, buddy, okay?

I tried to tell you,

but you wouldn't listen!
My brother's gone,

and that's on you now.
Know what, jackass?

I told you to hit the bricks.

You're nothing but a drunk bum.

Mac, get him out of here.
How you can live with yourself?

What does that mean?
You need to calm down.

Come on! Just relax, man.

Just calm down. Just relax.

I'm all right.

I don't know what
the guy's beef was.

Something about his brother.

He blamed Vera,
felt he wronged him somehow?

Cop never bothered nobody,
so I gave the guy the boot.

Nick ever here with anybody? Nah.

Mostly just drinks alone.

Last couple nights
in here looking over

some old file photos.

Photos? What, like,
crime scene photos?

I don't know.

They were dark, hard to make out.

Like something burnt up.

Honestly, his line of work...

I didn't want to ask.

Key still works.

Whoa.

Clearly the maid don't.

God, just when you
think you know a guy.

Oscar needs a Felix.

Oh.

Told me he passed his physical.

Dude's a time b*mb.

Uh-oh. It's worse than I thought.

What was her name again?

Julie.

Split up years ago.

What do you got?
It's a crime scene photo.

Something I saw nick looking
at a few weeks back.

(knocks on desk)

Hmm? What the hell?

(sniffles) can't you see
I'm taking a table nap?

Been a lot of those lately.

What do you got?

Some other case.

Arson photo.

Didn't recognize it at the time.

J.D. Billingsley, / .

But why bring home a
four-year-old arson case?

Might have something to do
with the guy at the bar.

You remember this case? No.

But the fire marshal would.

Billingsley. Oh, yeah, I remember.

Double homicide, arson,
couple years back.

You worked that with nick, right?

Yeah, that's right.
What's going on?

He contact you?

Any reason the case might come up?

No. Any reason it should?

Tell us about the arson case, ray.

Row house over in kensington.

Incendiary, pretty open and shut.

J.D. Billingey?

Joe don billingsley.

Lit up his own place,
middle of the night.

It was a double homicide?

His own two boys.

Drunk bastard had
custody for the weekend.

(dog barking)

Looks like a b*mb went off.

Flashover.

Simultaneous ignition of
all combustible material.

Flashover.

Smoke and gas layer

Got trapped at the ceiling.

At , degrees,
the whole room burst into flames.

Father said he was
asleep on the couch.

Yeah, he also said

He couldn't get to the
kids' room down the hall.

Yeah, ran into a wall of flame.

With no burns on his bare feet?

Thought he ran out the front door.

Yeah, just let in more oxygen,
fed the beast.

Did you see the crazed
glass back there?

Puddle configurations?

Multiple points of origin.

Burn marks on the
baseboards and walls.

Yeah, all the way down the hall.

Seen hundreds of these.

Most of them do it
for the insurance.

No. This place was a rental.
Whatever.

Fire this hot don't
occur without the use

Of an accelerant.

What, lighter fluid?

Butane, propane, maybe gasoline.

Same result.

Got your pour patterns
on the floor right there.

Under the beds.

Son of a bitch b*rned
his own kids up.

Then ran out of the house.

Three and five, those boys.

That one just about
tore everybody up.

Including nick?

Nick was going through
a divorce at the time.

Rubbed him pretty raw.

Sick bastard k*lled his
kids just to spite his ex.

Nick put him away?

Billingsley got life.

He's lucky he didn't
get the needle.

He didn't have the decency
to take his own life.

Any reason nick would be
looking into that case again?

Never said nothing to me.

Valens: You remember if this

Joe don had a brother?
Maybe at the trial?

I'm sorry, I don't.

Is everything okay?

Rush: Well, you hear from him, ray,

Let us know.

All right.

Joe don billingsley,
convicted in ' .

Arson, double homicide.

Doing life up in rockford.

Was. Till he caught a shiv
last week in the yard.

Bled out. Old joe don's gone.

Could be the guy nick meant,
got k*lled?

A loudmouth at the bar blamed nick

For his brother's death.

Jeffries: Younger brother, travis.

Popped twice for dui,
resisting arrest.

Well, now he's stalking nick.

He was fired from his
last job at costco.

We're trying to track
down a new work address.

Valens: Travis.

Looks dumb enough

To go after a cop.

Morning, lieutenant.

Something wrong with
the air upstairs, pat?

You know where detective
vera is, john?

I guess I'm about to find out.

Don't jerk me around.

I know all about the
abandoned department vehicle

Out on conshohocken road.

Okay. I also know

That one of your detectives

Had it towed to a private garage.

One of my detectives?

Can't say I blame them.

Damaged vehicle,
reeking of kentucky sour mash.

Get to it, pat.

That's a $ , vehicle

That belongs to the department.

And I would like to get it back

Before the commissioner
gets wind of this.

Good as new.

I'll get right on it.

As for detective vera,

I would suggest you
find out where he is

And just what the hell is going on

Before the end of the working day.

Oh, I'll get to the bottom of it.

Put your house in order, john...

Or I'll do it for you.

Valens: Travis billingsley.

Detective valens, rush.

That supposed to impress me?

Supposed to jog your memory.

Last time you saw
detective nick vera.

Why? Something happened to him?

Asked you a question, pal.

How you know detective vera?

Oh, so now I'm supposed
to help the police?

(groans)

How's that for an
impression, jackass?

In case you need my badge number.

Rush: This ain't a
courtesy call, travis.

You got into a bar fight with
detective vera last week.

That wasn't a fight.

Just tracked him down to
let him know what he did.

Yeah, what'd he do?

He put my brother away,
got him k*lled.

Yeah, real sorry they
don't look kindly

On scumbags who burn up
their own kids in prison.

My brother wasn't a monster.

Joe don didn't do it.

Right, buddy.
Nobody in jail did, right?

I had proof.

I tried for months
to get detective vera

To take another look at the case,

But he wouldn't listen.

("hey you" by pink floyd playing)

Detective, detective vera,
can I talk to you?

It's about my brother.

What's your name, buddy?

Travis billingsley.

Billingsley?

Called five times about
my brother, joe don.

He's doing life up in
rockford for arson.

Yeah, 'course.

I remember. I just need you

To hear me out 'cause the d.
A. Won't,

And that court-appointed lawyer
my brother had was a joke...

Well, it's a little late, pal.

He confessed.

That's not true. Yeah.

Check the trial transcripts.

He admitted he did it

When he was in lockup
awaiting trial.

Game over. That's just it,
he didn't.

Check out the record on
that cellblock snitch.

Inmate the d.A.
Put on the stand was a liar.

My brother would never
admit to setting that fire

'cause he didn't do it.

Everybody's innocent in the can.

But he never confessed to you,
did he, detective?

Just asking you to take a look.

Yeah, sure.

I'll take a look.

He didn't give a rat's ass.

That cellblock

Snitch has given false
testimony before.

Cody blanchard lied when he
said my brother confessed.

How do you know?

'cause he done it
three times before.

That's how come they
kept letting him out.

So, he's a serial snitch.

That don't mean he lied.

Another guy he did it to got freed

After he recanted his testimony.

That the only reason
you tracked nick down?

Let him know that?

Wouldn't you?

Lying sob snitch sealed
my brother's fate,

And got rewarded for it.

And now it's too late.

Miller: Called frackville.

Found out nick went to visit

Billingsley's old cellblock
snitch a few days ago.

Already landed back in the can?

Thieving drug fiend.

Old habits die hard.

Stillman: Anybody here seen nick?

Not yet, boss.

Don't know.
He's got plenty of time.

Maybe he took a sick day.

So that's how we're
gonna play this, huh?

What's that, boss? Oh, cut the bs.

I know that nick is missing,
along with his car.

This whole mess has
already blown upstairs.

As much you want to protect nick,

All of you might want to start
thinking about your own badges.

Look, we got no idea
where nick went,

But we're on it.

(muttering): All right, look.

Think it's got something
to do with a guy

Nick put away on an arson case

Four years ago.

Got k*lled in prison last week.

Stillman: Billingsley.

What does this got to do with
nick cracking up his car?

Don't know, but it's the
last case he was working on.

That's it?

Is there anything else I
need to get in front of here?

Nick's in bad shape, boss.

Something I don't know, kat.

It's not physical, john.

His head's not right.
We're worried about him.

All right, talk to ada bell.

See what he knows about the
billingsley case. Rush and valens

Went to pay billingsley's
old cellmate a visit.

They're trying to track down his ex,
see if he talked to her.

I'll reach out to
boyle over in feds,

See if we can get a
location on his cell phone.

We'll find him, boss.

We'd better--

Before he does any more harm...

Especially to himself.

Jeffries: Hey, julie.

What's going on?

Is this about nick?

Have you seen him?

He stopped by this morning.

He didn't look so good. Is he okay?

Just showed up at your door?

Really kind of threw me.

I-I hadn't seen him
since the divorce,

And we never really
talked after that.

What'd he want? I don't know.

But it looked like he had
something on his mind.

I was trying to get my kids ready.

("mother" by pink floyd playing)

Hey, jules.

Nick.

Uh...

Thanks. If only I
had time to read it.

What are you doing here?

I don't know. Uh...

Just felt like I needed to see you.

How've you been doing?

You really should have called. I...

♪ she won't let you fly... ♪

Is something wrong?

No. Uh, sorry.

You're right.

I was just getting my
son ready for school.

Your son?

I know you got remarried. I...

Clint. He just started preschool.

Clint. Wow.

(toddler crying) I like that.

I also have a
two-year-old daughter.

That would be what you
hear yelling upstairs.

Yeah.

Mommy, I can't find
another shoelace.

Can you hold on one second?
I'll be right back,

And we can talk for a minute.

(crying continues)

Okay. Now you go
find the other one,

And I'll find your jacket

And tell your sister
I'll be right there.

Never really had a chance to talk.

Figured it must be
important, but...

Didn't say where he was headed?

Never got that far.

It looked like he'd
been up all night,

Like he was working a case.

Is he okay?

We don't know, but if
you hear from him again,

Make sure to give us a call.

(door buzzer sounds)

What up, squirrel?

Figure you got to watch
your back in here

With a nickname like that.

Yeah, yeah. Everybody's got
to watch their back in here.

St better at it than most.

Well, it helps to have
friends in the d.A.'s office.

Got the parole board

To cut you loose early
three different times.

Yeah. I'm just keeping
my eyes and my ears open.

Waiting for a nut
to fall from a tree.

Unfortunately,
that nasty meth habit

Keeps landing you back in here.

Yeah, well, that's a...

That's just a temporary situation.

Now what can I do you for?

Why did detective vera
recently come to see you?

Philly homicide, ain't you?

You guys don't talk?

Was it about the billingsley case?

Billingsley.

Man, that's ancient history.

Yeah. So was joe don.

Caught a shiv up in
rockford last week.

Yeah, I heard about
that from your partner.

Hard row to hoe for a baby
k*ller inside these walls.

So, what did detective vera
want to know about joe don?

Oh, man, I mean,
what is it with this case?

I already testified to the d.A.

Ain't the question we asked you.

Aah!

Te-tell me again
what's in it for me.

Rush: We don't tell
the last homicidal

Maniac you flipped on it
was you who gave him up.

What kind of cops are you?

The kind that don't care about you.

Detective vera--

Why'd he come talk to you?

No disrespect, detective.

It don't have to
be like this, okay?

I tried to play ball with your guy,

But he just took it the wrong way.

You testified that joe
don told you he did it.

b*rned his house down.
That's right.

That what I told the d.A.
Detective on the record.

While he was awaiting trial
in county lockup. Damn right.

He said that if he couldn't
have custody of them kids,

Then that bitch couldn't, either.

And that's why he set
that house on fire.

Joe don said this
to you even though

He never confessed to
me or anybody else?

We were on the same cellblock,
detective.

Yeah, but he didn't
have a cellmate.

When exactly did he
tell you he did it?

When I was walking by his cell.

What, through the food slot?

Yeah, that's right.

He said he lit that
bitch up with gasoline.

Uh-huh.

He said because he wanted
custody of those kids, right?

That's what he said.
Both of them? The boy and the girl?

Yeah, that's right, both of them.

A little girl, too.

Hmm.

(screams)

Joe don didn't have a little girl.

He just had two boys.

Look, man!

I just told that d.A.
Detective what he wanted to hear,

Just like I'm telling you.

What's that?

What do you want me to say-
he did it?

Then he did it.

Whatever you want me to say.

You just give me the right
information before I take the stand,

And I'll say it right.
Don't you worry.

A man is dead because
of your lying ass.

Because of me? (chuckles)

I thought it was you
who put him in here.

Hey! Hey!

I don't get it. I played the game.

I fed you and the d.A.
What you need and-and-and

This, this is the thanks I get?

Yeah, the thanks.

Well, that cop had
a screw loose, no?

The truth is, joe don didn't say

Any of that b.S. To you about
offing his kids, right?

Difference does it make?

I mean, if he didn't do that,

Then he did something else. Right?

I mean, we all did it in here.

Rush: The difference is,

He's dead, squirrel.

Yeah, well, I wasn't glad to hear

That joe don got stuck, but, uh,
huh, that man was twisted.

Oh, yeah.

And he was in denial, too.

What are you talking about?

Oh, he would cry himself
to sleep every night.

Just crying about them kids.

Yeah, then he would write

Letters to some crackpot scientist.

What scientist? How do you know?

A little c.O. Bird told me.

He's working on his appeal.

You know, thout he
could get him out.

What's a name worth to you?

Worth keeping your acorns
out of a vice, squirrel.

This is joe don
billingsley's old house.

Fbi tracks nick's phone
to this location. Yeah.

Why would he come back here?

Who you calling?

Nick.

(cell phone ringing in distance)

(muffled ringing)

(ringing grows louder)

It's his.

Last call an hour ago to me.

Home phone.

Why wouldn't he just call
your cell? I don't know.

Electronic voice:
You have one current message.

(phone beeps) left a voicemail.

Vera (over phone): Hey,
man, uh, it's nick.

I just wanted to tell you,
uh, it's been

Great working with you.

You've always been a-a...
A good friend to me.

I think I still owe you bucks.

Anyways, um... That's about it.

Sorry about the whole mess.

Valens: Hey, boss.

Next time you two

Get the instinct to
protect me, don't.

Where are we on nick?

Running down a list of calls,
messages--

Anyone talked to
nick in the past .

Rush: There was a
recent call on his cell

To jeanette peterson,
billingsley's ex-wife.

Valens: Miller and
jeffries are headed over

To talk to her now.

Also, calls to a goran petrovic,

A professor over at temple.

One yesterday and one last week.

Correspondence records at rockford

Show billingsley wrote
multiple letters

To the same dr. Petrovic.
What kind of professor?

Chemical engineering.

Also worked for multiple

Companies that served
private m*llitary suppliers.

Hit the campus.
Pay the doc a visit.

You talk to criminal intelligence?

Oh, yeah, we got teams

Of plainclothes cops
trying to track him down.

All right,
tell them no paper trail.

Rush: I just said find him,

Bring him in, no questions asked.

Yeah, don't take "no"
for an answer from nick.

And, scotty,
get that damn car back.

Petrovic: Used to design
all sorts of nasty


expl*sives with
m*llitary applications.

Lucrative, yes.

But also insane.

I prefer teaching. Detective vera

Asked you to review the
jd billingsley case?

Given that he was

The original investigator

And seemed quite desperate,
yes, I took a look.

Well, the fire marshal
determined that it was arson.

Which frankly, I found stunning...

Though I shouldn't anymore.

Why's that? Most fire marshals

Only have high school degree,
and certified

After one -hour course
in fire investigation.

Ray crawford's been on the job

years; he's done
hundreds of arson cases.

Instincts and experience
is no substitute

For scientific method.

And this finding
completely ignores it.

What did you tell detective vera?

I told him the truth.

From the photos,
it appears that the fire

Rebched upwards of , degrees.

Flashover from the accelerant.
Not necessarily.

The temperature is affected
mostly by ventilation.

But what about the burn patterns

And the... The puddle
configurations under the bed?

The effects of flashover can
look like evidence of arson,

But these burn patterns
aren't indicative

Of an accelerant.

So how did the fire start?

That's hard to tell.

From these pictures,

It appears that the point of origin

Was most likely the kitchen.

But you can't say for
sure what caused it?

Not for certain.

Which why I'm baffled by
the fire marshal's finding.

Oh, crawford's been
at it a long time.

He learned from the old timers.

Might explain why
it's based on, uh,

Junk science and old wives' tales.

Yeah, but joe don, he escaped
with no burns on his feet.

How's that possible?

Because fire burns upward.

And one that reaches flashover

Is the next hottest thing to hell.

And unless you're

Confronted with that type of heat,

You just can't understand it,
detective.

You're right. I don't.


He left his kids inside.

As soon as he went outside

To find another way in,
he just let in more oxygen.

Fed the beast.

Even a fireman

Wouldn't go back into
this blast furnace.

So what you're saying is,

It's possible joe don was
telling me the truth?

I see no evidence of arson.

That's good. Right?

If he wasn't already dead.

Seemed to take the
news pretty hard.

You think the fire
startolder house like that,

Nine times out of ten
it's faulty wiring.

Yeah, but there's no
way to tell for sure.

Usually, there'd be
some prior issues

With overloaded circuits,
browning outlets.

But you'd have to ask somebody
who lived in the home.

Jeanette: Joe don getting k*lled,

All these detectives
coming round here again...

It's like the nightmare never ends.

Detective vera came by here?

Yesterday.

Asking me all those questions

About things I'd rather not relive.

Going over your statement.

I didn't care to,
but I trust detective vera.

Joe don was pretty
upset when I moved out.

He lost his job.

Drinking too much.

He just... He wasn't
the same man I married.

I filed for separation

And... Then he...
He found out I was dating.

He thr*aten you or the kids?

He said some pretty...
Terrible things.

But, um...

I couldn't deny the
boys their father.

You know, when they told me that

He set the house on fire,

I couldn't believe it.

You know...

Nobody should experience
a loss like that.

Jeanette, did detective vera

Ask you anything
else about the house?

He kept asking about
when I live in the house.

About the kitchen.

He said he'd never let
another man raise his boys.

I lost everything.

Jeanette, I need to ask you
about the time before you left

When you still lived in the house.

Do you remember any
electrical problems

With the lights or the outlets?

What problems didn't
the house have?

Lights were always
flickering on and off.

Did you tell your landlord?

Cheap bastard never fixed anything.

Do you remember any problems

With the wiring in the kitchen?

The switches or the outlets?

Why are you asking me this?

He's dead, my kids are gone.

It's important.

Why?

♪ ♪

I don't know how to say this,

But it's possible joe don
didn't set that fire.

You must be joking.

You're the one who
told me he did it.

The police, the fire department,

The lawyers-- it has to be true!

I'm not so sure anymore.

Well, I don't have any doubt,
detective.

You tell me how a man

Doesn't run back in there
to save his own sons.

The neighbors,
they saw him on the street

While my babies b*rned up.

How could he not go back in there?

Tell me that!

Those were your kids,
would you stand outside

While they b*rned alive?

Jeanette, what was wrong
with the wiring in the house?

You know, every time you'd
plug in the toaster,

The fridge would go out.

In the kitchen?

One time the outlet melted down.

I lost a bunch of breast milk.

Joe don finally called

An electrician, and the
landlord got all upset about it.

The landlord?

Bela.

He only wanted to use his handyman

To fix everything on the cheap.

Look, I-I don't understand

Why you keep asking
me about the house.

Should talk to insurance company.

I'm still trying to
get them to pay up.

Oh, that's got to be
rough on you, bela.

Yeah, I should not have
rented to that family.

Now, that man was alcoholic.

It's always bad when man of
house cannot hold on to job.

Understand that house had a
lot of electrical issues.

Issues? No issues.

You cannot put blame on
me for what happened.

Oh, we didn't say that, bela.

Maybe we should talk
to your handyman.

Why you detectives keep harsing me?

Rush: So what happened

When joe don hired
his own electrician?

Oh, that stupid waste of money.

You know how much electrician
charges per hour?

Yeah, sounded like you needed one.

Joe don was problem tenant.

Always overloading circuits,
clogging up pipes,

Asking for more time
before paying rent.

Always! No, the way we heard it,
your handyman couldn't fix anything.

Valens: There's old wiring,
lights flickering,

Browning outlets, and you send over

A guy who can't screw
in a lightbulb.

That's ridiculous.

Jorge is very good handyman.

I know him personally.

Joe don's ex told us a
kitchen outlet melted.

He told them just

"plug it into the bottom.
" that your idea?

I am not negligent.

I have lawyers who can prove this.

Sure you do.

Look, I manage three
apartment buildings.

People always want
something for nothing.

Never mind if it's a fire hazard.

I did not start that fire.

This is not my fault.

Oh, yeah, it's...

It's nobody's fault.

Hey, call just came in.

Got a jumper at th and ridge.

It's two blocks up

From nick's place.

(camera shutters clicking)

(garbled radio transmission)

White male, s, heavyset.

No id? Nada.

Face is messed up
from the swan dive.

Six stories up.

Lil.

That ain't him.

It's good you got that
department vehicle

back in serviceable condition.

Any such luck with your detective?

No.

Hey, that's too bad.

Do what you've got to do.

(sighs)

You know, John,

I know you think I hate you.

That I'm after you because
of what you did to my son

years ago. Pat...

No, let me finish.

I know Matt was a screw up.

Wife and I, we tried
everything: rehab,

kicked him out of the house,
more rehab-- none of it worked.

Now, this is none of my business.

No, it was everybody's business-
that was the problem.

Everybody in this whole

damn department knew
that he was my son.

So every time he got arrested,

he got a pass-- skated by,
and Matt knew it.

He counted on it.

Till you finally locked him up.
I don't need to hear this.

No, you do. I had to, Pat!

It was his fourth time!

It took my kid a long time to
get straightened out, John.

Getting a job is
tough with a record.

But, finally, he did it.

He even got married.

Last month...

He actually gave me a grandson.

I heard.

Congratulations.
Which is right about

when I finally admitted to myself

that getting locked
up was the best thing

that ever happened to my son.

Which, I guess,
is my roundabout way of saying

you were right.

So, I'm going to return the favor.

Pat, it was a long time ago.
When or if

you get your detective back,

I expect you to do the same.

Nick... Take him off line.

Send him to psych services.

If that doesn't work,
take away his badge.

Take care of it, John.

I realize now it's the only way.

(door opens)

Yeah, okay, thanks.

That was the fire station.
Said Nick was just there

minutes ago.
Got into it with Crawford.

Fight? Said it got pretty heated

until some firemen jumped
in and Nick took off.

All right, call Lil and Scotty.

See if they can catch up to him.

The balls on that
guy coming in here,

going at me how I do my job!

Who the hell's he think he is?

Calm down, Ray.
Don't tell me to calm down!

How would you like it
some fireman marches

into the PPD,
saying you messed up a case?

He came at you about Billingsley?

Whatever! Son of a bitch!

This about half hour ago?
He on foot?

Hell if I know. Couple of the
guys tossed him out on his ear.

He's lucky I didn't break his jaw!

Yeah, all right, all right.
Just tell us what happened.

I've been a fire marshal
before he was a b*at cop.

Don't tell me what's
arson and what ain't.

? Ticking away... ?

Take a look at the file, Ray.

There were electrical
problems in the house.

No residue of a
petroleum-based accelerant.

You're out of your freaking mind.

Just take a look at
the file, please.

Heard about enough.

Get the hell out of here.

I don't think he did it, Ray.

I don't really care what you think.

I know it's arson,

just like you know a
m*rder when you see it.

He never gave it up!
That never bothered you?

What are you talking about?

hours in the box,
I never got him to give it up.

I always maintained his innocence.

That don't bother you? No,
that's between him and God.

I went on what you told me, Ray.

That it had to be arson. Wh-What are
you saying, that I'm wrong, Nick?

That this is all on me? No,
no, I'm not saying that.

Don't forget, you took
the witness statements.

You testified on the stand
to his state of mind.

Ain't denying that.

The guy was a drunk!

He's a terrible husband!

Pissed off at his wife,
at the world.

Been there.
All those things, myself.

It doesn't mean that
he k*lled his kids.

Oh, cry me a river.

Joe Don Billingsley didn't
deserve what happened!

He didn't deserve to die!

Boo-hoo! Live with it.

We gotta make this right somehow.

There is nothing to fix.

Guy's dead and gone.

His ex-wife still thinks
that he k*lled her kids.

His own parents think that he
k*lled their grandkids! Guess what?

So do I.

And that's the way it's gonna stay.

Hey!

You do what you got to do!

I know what I got to do!

I know what I got to do!

Nobody comes in here and
talks to me like that.

He said something about
Joe Don's parents.

Making it right? I don't know

what he's going to do,
and frankly, I don't care.

So why wouldn't you look
at the evidence again, Ray?

You seriously entertaining
reopening this case?

Get the hell out of my house.

(rain pelting windscreen)

Nick! Get in.

(thunder rolling)

Joe Don's parent'' house, huh?

Been out here what?

An hour?

Just trying to figure
out what to say.

You had a busy hours.

You had us all worried.

Have I been fired yet?

Maybe the boss can
pull some strings.

For both of us.

You?

Considering I covered up a DUI.

Sorry about that.

You're a good cop, Nick...

but you need help.

I saw my my ex-wife Julie.

She's got two kids.

I always thought that that'd be me.

No, it's never too late.

I'm happy for her.

Back when they caught this case,

it's all I wanted was a kid,
a family.

And then when I saw that
burnt-out bedroom...

And the kids...

yeah.

Yeah, I sat down on the box

across from this man,

this father that had...
had b*rned his kids alive,

and I couldn't believe
someone could do that.

Did he?

I went at him day and night, Lil.

I knew something
wasn't right in my gut.

I kept looking for that
one thing in his story,

that one slip that just lets you...

...lets you know he's a liar.

Just needed one slip.

But he never did.

I didn't need a statement
to get a conviction.

I had everything.

I was just so sure he'd done it.

And you weren't the only one, Nick.

Firemen call it the "beast."

Flashover.

It only got hotter
when he went outside,

trying to find another
way back to get his kids.

But he couldn't.

I just couldn't get
my head around that.

What that was like?

I thought for sure
he'd set that fire,

And he tried to tell me,
and I couldn't hear it.

He tried to tell you what?

That he wasn't a k*ller.

He was just afraid.

Afraid for his own life.

And for that,
I couldn't forgive him.

It was you, Joe Don.

You started that fire,

you b*rned up those kids.

No, I could never do that.

I would never hurt them.

I loved my boys. Really?

Then how could you just
leave them in there to die?

I just... The fire,
it was everywhere.

It was so hot. You have no idea.

You're right, I don't.

You had plenty of time to go
in there and get them out.

No, I thought I could,
but it happened so fast and...

You had plenty of time to
gand then I was on fire. out.

The fire, it was,
it was everywhere.


And the heat, my God...

Help me believe you.

How does a father
not go back inside

and get his own boys out?!

I don't know.

You see, a man,

a man would do anything
to save his own.

I tried.

(glass shattering)

I really tried...

I don't believe you.

You're a liar.

You're a damn liar.

(slams table) How could
you just stand by

and let that happen?!

Help me understand that,

okay?!

How?!

I don't know, all right?

I just...

couldn't.

I don't know.

I mistook cowardice for guilt.

It's an honest mistake, Nick.

One that can't be made right.

(rain pattering down)

(sighs)

Well, look, we'll talk to the DA.

We'll try to clear his name.

Okay? (slaps Vera's knee)

First, I gotta do this.

(thunder rumbling)

Mr. and Mrs. Billingsley,
I'm Detective Vera.

I know who you are.

I'm sorry for your loss.

What do you want?

There's been some new
evidence in the case,

and I know it will never
bring your son back,

but I want you to know

I'm going to do everything
I can to clear his name.

(door slams)

(thunder crashing)

("Wish You Were Here"
by Pink Floyd playing)

♪ So, so, you think you can
tell Heaven from Hell ♪

♪ Blue skies from pain ♪

♪ Can you tell a green field
from a cold steel rail? ♪

♪ A smile from a veil? ♪

♪ Do you think you can tell? ♪

♪ Did they get you to trade
your heroes for ghosts? ♪

♪ Hot ashes for trees? ♪

♪ Hot air for a cool breeze? ♪

♪ Cold comfort for change? ♪

♪ Did you exchange for a
walk-on part in the w*r? ♪

♪ For a lead role in a cage? ♪
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