03x02 - Everybody Knows the Dice Are Loaded

[bunniefuu]

In the nation's largest city,

the vicious and violent
members of the underworld

are hunted by the detectives

of the Organized Crime Control Bureau.

These are their stories.

New York.

Silas.

Two names synonymous
with style and sophistication

are proud to invite you

to the future of entertainment.

Welcome to The Majestic,

New York's first and only luxury casino.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Step inside and go
beyond your wildest dreams,

where you are just one spin away

from the most exciting
night of your life.

[CHEERS]

New York, your luck has changed.

And the Silas family is here
to make sure it's majestic.

Just what the city needs,
more nightlife.

We should probably take our seats.

The Silas family has built,
like, half of Manhattan.

They know how to grease the wheels.

They know who to invite
to their dog and pony shows.

Are you gonna do this all night?

Well, I told you, I don't
like this political stuff.

I don't either, but I needed a date.

So you're welcome.

You should have invited Henry Cole.

- That's not funny.
- It wasn't meant to be.

That poor man is being
pushed out of his home

to build a casino.

It is a tragedy.

We made him a very generous offer,

several actually,

the kind that can change
families for generations.

So anybody who doesn't
understand the value of that,

that's a tragedy.

Were you watching the presentation

from Teddy's laptop?

- We were.
- Who the hell are you?

All right, Teddy.

Warmed 'em up.

- You kids close the deal.
- Thank you.

Ah, Sergeant Bell, I was
looking for you out there.

We got hung up at work, but we're here.

We're ready to take our seats.

- This is Detective Stabler.
- Sir.

Must be quite the detective
to be on her arm tonight.

Well, she took pity on me.

That's gotta happen a lot, huh?

- Teddy.
- Oh.

His sense of humor
takes getting used to.

- That was humor?
- No, no.

I'm actually
a big Blue Lives Matter guy.

We all are...
my father, my wife, myself.

So we really appreciate you guys coming.

Okay, well, we are gonna take our seats.

Very lovely to meet you.

Looking forward to the presentation.

Yeah.

- Good luck.
- Yeah.

Thank you, Detective.

Yeah.

Why were they back here?

Because I invited them.

You want to take the reins, son,

you got to learn to ride every
type of animal in this city

or they'll stomp all over you.

Don't ever make me look bad again.

And don't screw this up.

Hey.

Hey.

Hey.

You are the next king of New York.

Hmm?

You're my queen.

That's right.

So let's go out there and
show them what we got

and how we can deliver.

Somebody start that video from the top

and wait for my cue on stage.

- But we already played it.
- Yeah, play it again!

New York.

Silas.

Two names synonymous
with style and sophistication.

ALL: [CHANTING] Henry! Henry! Henry!

That casino can kiss my ass!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

The $ . billion construction
has been delayed

by this man, Henry Cole,

who refuses to leave his home
to make way for the casino.

I raised my daughter in this apartment.

My wife d*ed in this apartment.

And now they want me to leave?

Cole, a retired artist and teacher,

has become something
of a folk hero in New York,

where crowds have gathered
to support his stand.

All right. Love you too.

The Majestic?

I'm the majestic up in here.

I'm the majestic up in here!

What are you gonna do about this guy?

You told me you wanted
to keep things running...

I told you what I want you
to do about him.

Are you serious about that?

Do you want to keep your job?

All right.

Full steam ahead.

[OMINOUS MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[HEAT LAMPS HUMMING]

[SKITTERING]

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[SKITTERING CONTINUES]

♪ ♪

- Aah!
- [PHONE RINGING]

[WEIGHTS CLANK]

[PANTING]

[PHONE RINGING CONTINUES]

- Detective Stabler.
- Oh, good.

- They gave me the right number.
- Who is this?

Detective, this is Teddy Silas.

You were my guest the other
night at the casino unveiling.

- Is this a good time?
- Yeah, sure.

I just wanted to apologize

for my behavior the other night.

I was a little anxious
from all the pressure.

And well, it was not
my best side, you know?

Well, you had a lot on your plate.

You were a guest of the Silas family.

And I've always been taught that a host

should never make anyone
feel uncomfortable,

so please accept my apology.

Okay, well, I appreciate the call.

Wholly unnecessary, but thanks.

It's just such a big project
with so much at stake.

You know, we really want to make sure

we have everybody's support,
police especially.

And now, of course, with the
tragedy at hand, you know...

What tragedy?

You haven't heard?

Oh, God.

Henry Cole, our tenant,

he... he got drunk.

He fell off his balcony. He passed away.

When did this happen?

Just last night. I barely
slept after I heard.

He was such a folk hero to the city.

I have to tell you, even I was starting

to root for him, you know?

We decided to pay
for his funeral expenses.

We thought it was the least
we could do for his family.

Hello?

Uh, I gotta get going,
but thanks for the call.

Well, listen, if you ever need...

[HANGS UP]

[KEYPAD BEEPS]

Sarge, where are you at?

All right, well, stay there.
I'll be there in .

We have a problem.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Grabbed a coffee. Hope that's okay.

Oat milk's pretty fancy
for a squad room.

It's not a squad room.
It's a task force.

Also that oat milk was labeled,

which means it's off-limits.

So you must be Jet.

You mean you saw my name was on it

and you used it anyway?

I'm Jamie.

Construction continues

on New York's Majestic Casino
this morning

despite the apparent accidental death

of nearby resident

and neighborhood advocate Henry Cole.

The casino, spearheaded by long-term
real estate developer...

It wasn't an accident.

Henry Cole?

The man lives his entire life
in that apartment,

but when it comes to maybe stopping

a billion-dollar project,

he "accidentally" falls out
of his window?

No way. No way.

No way what?

The Silas family's behind this somehow.

Wait, what?

Teddy calls me.

I just want to see the ME report.

I want to treat this as a homicide.

But you said Teddy called you.

- Exactly.
- You're not making any sense.

I'm making perfect sense. Who is this?

Detective Jamie Whelan, new guy.

When's he hitting puberty?

Make him feel welcome, Elliot.

I told you I wanted an old head.

I don't want these Tic Tac guys.

- TikTok.
- I don't care what it's called.

Look, he has serious credentials.

And if I didn't know any better,

I'd say he was a Stabler in the making.

Also, I believe
the children are our future,

so let them lead the way.

All right, well, I'll take
them over to Cole's,

see how he does.

- No, you're not.
- What?

You're gonna take him to lunch.

Buy him fish sticks and tater tots?

And you're gonna get to know him.

And you are not opening
a m*rder investigation

on a guy who got drunk and fell,

especially when it has to do with one

of the most powerful families
in New York City.

Uh-uh, not today.

Do you hear me?

I hear you.

By the way, good luck. That dress...

she won't say no to anything.

When asked about the decision

to press ahead with construction

in light of today's
tragic circumstances...

- Morning, Jet.
- Good morning, Detective.

- Morn...
- Teddy Silas responded that

"we have a responsibility

to the community to
complete the project on time".

- [CLEARS THROAT]
- Detective Stabler, I'm...

I know who you are. Let's take a ride.

Did you have anything to do with this?

Look at me and tell me
you had nothing to do

- with Henry Cole's death.
- Are you being serious?

Yes, I am.

Pearl, the guy had been drinking

straight out of the bottle
for a solid week.

He got drunk. He fell off the balcony.

Gravity took over.
How could you possibly think

that I would have anything
to do with this?

You know how.

[SIGHS]

You are all of my heart,

all of it.

And I would never do anything

that would jeopardize our
marriage or your trust in me.

Not even the damn casino
is as important to me as

you are, I swear that to God.

And I swear to God,
if you put us in jeopardy...

So you tripled the arrests

of anyone else in your squad, huh?

My squad was out in Belle Harbor.

It's the boonies. It doesn't count.

If you're dealing with
live b*ll*ts, it counts.

I guess I'm looking for more action.

In Organized Crime?

You get more of that
in Narcotics or the g*ng Unit.

Why are you here?

I don't like bullies.

They steal your lunch money,
and they copy your homework,

and then they b*at
the crap out of you anyway

just for the hell of it, and
that's all organized crime is.

All those guys out there,
they're bullies,

just making life harder
for ordinary people.

It's what makes the brotherhood,

cops posing as good guys, even worse.

And I don't like 'em.

[ELEVATOR DINGS]

Oh, Ayanna, come in.

We've already started
talking about custody.

Okay, wow. [CLEARS THROAT]

Denise, can I just talk to you
for a minute?

In private?

Um, are we actually doing this?

What were you expecting?

I expect you to stop
punishing me for doing my job.

Well, you had two jobs,

and you abandoned being a wife
and being a mother.

- That's work too.
- Okay.

I can't do that work
if you won't let me.

I mean, you moved in with
your sister who hates me.

You won't return my calls, my texts.

D, it's me.

Okay? Come on.

Don't just throw this away.

We don't need lawyers.
We can do this on our own.

Our life is not a case to cr*ck, Ayanna.

Now sit your ass down.

We're getting a divorce.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

♪ ♪

No sign of forced entry.

Empty bottle of rum on the fire escape.

Guy just lost his balance and fell.

An accident, just like they said.

Have you processed it?

Detectives came and went.

They just left me to safeguard it.

Big rush.

We'll need a full
forensics team in here.

- Run a Touch DNA on everything.
- Got it.

You really want to Bigfoot this?

I'm pretty good with the fallout.

[SQUEAKING]

Not the only rat in here.

What did you say?

Watch your mouth. Do you know

- who you're talking to?
- And who are you?

Detective. Detective.

Wait for me in the hallway.

We'll be back.

Make sure nobody else
tramples on through here.

We're looking into this full-on.

Is that clear?

Yes, sir.

Don't ever fight my battles for me.

It's not just your battle.

It's the reason I asked
to join this unit.

Dirty cops are the worst kind of cops.

They make good cops' lives
harder and more dangerous.

Gimme a sec.

Excuse me, miss.

Are they making you
take down that shrine?

They're telling me they're gonna

tear down the building already.

No.

My dad lived there years,

and now it's like none of it matters.

Well, it matters to me.

My name is Detective Elliot Stabler.

And that building is a crime scene.

- A crime scene?
- A crime scene.

And until my partner and I figure out

what really happened, no one
is touching that building.

[SOBBING]

Are you telling me that you
think someone m*rder*d my dad?

I don't know, but we're gonna find out.

- No, no.
- [STAMMERS]

Your father deserves to rest in peace.

And you deserve to rest easy.

So we're gonna get to the answers, okay?

Watch out!

[CLATTERING]

Hey, guys, you're not wearing hard hats.

A construction site
is a dangerous place.

- Truman.
- Stabler.

What have we got?

Cause of death:

fracture to the cervical
spine vertebrae C and C .

Mr. Cole d*ed upon impact.

Foul play?

No sign of physical injury.

But his BAC was . ,
well into the blackout zone.

We know he was drinking.

Can't say if he was pushed,

but his balance and his judgment

were severely impaired at time of death.

Anything else?

Rat bites.

Dozens of them.

Based on the presence of sepsis
in the bloodstream,

they were inflicted premortem.

That's an old mafia tactic.

Bring in the rats to get you out.

Not necessarily.

New York City's rat population
exploded during the pandemic.

They're especially prevalent
at construction sites.

There's no hard evidence.

They want me
to determine cause of death.

Right now, it's looking like accidental.

Declare a CUPPI.

Wait on the tox report
for the rat bites.

I can delay my report hours,

but the rest of the investigation

is out of my hands.

Thanks, Tru.

Any word on processing
Henry's apartment?

No.

Are we gonna move?

Waiting on Sarge.

How are we gonna trust that
the crime scene stays clean?

I just don't have the answers,

so you gotta stop asking for now.

What have you got?

Henry was the last holdout, right?

Yes.

I'm wondering who in the building

was second to last or third.

Why?

Maybe they were threatened too.

That's good.

It should be easy enough
to get the tenant list.

Go at it.

- Then there's the rats.
- Okay.

The bites were unusual, full of sepsis.

Yeah.

These grad students at Hudson U

did a comprehensive study

of New York City rats during lockdown.

Maybe we could give them
some tissue samples,

see if they can give their take.

You want me to have the ME send

Henry Cole's tissue samples
over to some grad students?

Look, I can vouch for them.

Kind of a fan girl.

Of the rat guys?

Of their research.

What the hell, I'll make the call.

You know, what have
we got to lose, right?

[ELEVATOR DINGS]

How come I haven't heard from you?

You tell me to fix the problem,
I get the job done.

Hey, hey, watch what you say.

The less I know, the better,

especially when it comes to business.

I just thought, you know,
you'd be proud.

I mean, you know,
we're back on schedule.

Oh, damn.

And here I left my gold star
stickers in the car.

What can I do to make it up to you?

- Dad.
- "Dad" is the guy

who changed your diapers
and paid for boarding school.

I'm the head of this company,

and you are my second in command.

All I expect from you is results.

You want praise, get it from
your Insta model of a wife.

Stop calling her that.

I'll call her anything I want.

And you need to grow the hell up.

Yes, sir.

[SIGHS]

Look, I'm hard on you
because I love you, son.

You'll thank me for it later.

Hell, you should thank me now.

Thank you, sir.

You're a good man.

So maybe get me a grandkid
one of these days, huh?

I always wanted a Robert Jr.
in the family.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[ELEVATOR DINGS]

So we tracked the differences

between uptown rats and downtown rats,

even East Village from West Village.

It's all about DNA sequencing.

Do you remember the
NYC pizza rat that went viral?

Everyone thought
he was from the East Village.

He actually commuted
from the Upper West Side.

That's so cool, Miles.

What kind of rat bit Henry Cole?

Well, this is where it gets interesting.

It wasn't a New York variety,

which are predominantly
brown rats, Rattus norvegicus.

These were black African crested rats,

the only rodents
who create their own poison.

They don't exist in New York.

So someone had to buy them.
Where would they do that?

Oh, we don't know.

So where'd you get these?

Just tell us, guys.

An illegal site from an African vendor.

Were they picked up? Delivered?

We can't tell you that.

These people could be dangerous.

All right. Look, guys.

We're investigating a m*rder here.

You don't want to obstruct justice,

because then I'd have to cuff you,

bring you to Rikers Island.

I mean, there's a lot of rats there,

but I don't think you'll be comfortable.

You leave me with no choice.

Wait, wait, wait. It's in the Bronx.

- Simon.
- I'm sorry.

Okay.

Yes, thank you.

Denise?

- Do you respect me, Elliot?
- What?

Do you respect me?

Of course I do.

Then why didn't you follow my orders?

What does that mean?

You opened up an investigation

on Henry Cole's death

when I told you
to check in with me first.

- Who told you that?
- No, no, no, no.

You're not asking me questions.

I'm asking you questions.

Now, we have been down this road before.

I will not be undermined.

- Is that clear?
- Very clear.

I had two days before the
ME's report was gonna come out.

And I told you to wait.

Elliott. [SIGHS]

Everything that has to do
with this casino

is political dynamite.

It has to be handled
with tact, strategy.

Those aren't exactly my strong suits.

Well, they are mine.

Whatever we do,
we have to do it together.

- Agreed?
- Agreed.

I'm sorry.

Sarge?

We've got something.

So you're telling me
that our working theory

is that they k*lled Henry Cole
with rats?

It was indicated in the ME report.

Yes, this breed is poisonous,

and we believe that someone
placed them on the scene.

This is the site where they
were most likely purchased.

- Are they a legal vendor?
- No, dark web.

These unregulated online markets

have exploded in the past few years.

Buying elephant ivory,
tiger cubs, pangolin...

it's as easy as click and pay now.

Do we know who's behind this?

The guy's located up in Highbridge.

We want to brace him,

see if he sold any African rats
in the past week.

Might lead us to a suspect.

So do we need clearance from anyone,

or are we ready to roll?

If this is a m*rder, somebody
needs to answer for it.

Let's roll.

I was thinking, uh...

you know, maybe Denise is right.

All I ever had time for was my career.

God, is it worth it?

Well, all I can tell you is I
was married a long time,

and I used to ask myself that
very same question every day.

And, you know, if I'm being honest...

The only reason it lasted
was Kathy made it work.

[SIGHS]

Crap husband.

Are you admitting that?

I will if you admit
to being a crap wife.

[LAUGHTER]

- We suck.
- We're the worst.

Oh. [SNIFFLES]

Look on the bright side.
We still got our job, right?

I mean, where else can
you drive up to the Bronx

with a good friend and get paid for it?

Right.

Living the dream.

[QUIETLY] Living the dream.

[DOG BARKING]

Doesn't exactly look like
Ringling Brothers from here.

[SCREECHING]

You jinxed it.

[CHIRPING]

You wanna go in there and check it out?

Hell no.

[CHITTERING]

[RUSTLING]

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Yo, in the bushes, NYPD! Come on out!

We're not here about
your little operation.

We want to ask you a few questions

about a customer of yours.

Come on, let's go. Come on out.

Look, pal, we can do it two ways:

easy way, or I call animal welfare.

What do you say? Let's go.

Don't call.

I just put down a big deposit
for some land upstate

for a real preserve.

Go legit, you know?

I want to give these animals
space to roam.

Buatsi's a Ghanaian surname, right?

But that's South African rand.

Where are you getting these animals?

That information wasn't part
of the arrangement, hmm?

Ah, I sold some African crested
rats to this man last week.

He didn't give a name. Paid in cash.

I'm telling the truth, I swear.

- It could be our guy.
- Mm-hmm.

We need that footage.

- It's all here.
- So anything else comes up,

you're gonna give me a call, right?

Yeah.

Look at that view.

Oh, hey.

I'm almost done.

No, you're done now.

I need your eyes on me.
I need you to listen.

It's serious.

I was devastated

that you thought

that I was capable of planning a m*rder.

It made me sick to my stomach.

And then it hit me,

that I am married to the most...

beautiful woman

in all of New York City,

that you emanate light,

that you are my light...

and that you must shine.

[GASPS]

Wow, Teddy.

This is beautiful.

[LAUGHTER]

[INHALES DEEPLY, EXHALES]

How many carats?

Well, your last one was five,

so I made this one six.

You remembered?

No, I never forget.

There's a difference.

You okay?

I had our publicist draft up a speech.

I wanted to start a scholarship
fund in Henry's name.

- Mm-hmm.
- And this ring

could literally fund an
entire school for needy kids.

But it's pretty spectacular.

[LAUGHTER]

I think what you're trying to say is,

"How could I possibly thank you?"

Want to go inside?

We own this city.

Let's let 'em watch.

♪ ♪

That's it? That's the only view?

[TYPING]

Space.

Sorry.

That's the best we're gonna get.

I thought I heard a buzzer.

It's the electrician.

Okay, we're waiting on Bobby Reyes.

PP sent him over to interview.

He was at UC for four years
in Anti-Crime, three in Narco.

Never got made.

They call him the Invisible Man.

And he's late.

He can't get any more
invisible than that.

You wanna move your chair
so I can get back there?

And you might want to zoom in
on the coffee cup.

Excuse me?

His right hand. There
should be a name on it.

[TYPING]

"Kenny".

The Invisible Man just appeared.

Bobby Reyes.

Nice to meet you, Sergeant.

Mm.

There's still steam
coming from the cup. Jet?

Closest Starbucks is four
blocks away, near Highbridge.

You two make a call over there,

find out if he was dumb enough
to pay with a credit card.

Bobby Reyes,

let's talk.

So that's what you guys
were chasing down?

Good.

Henry's death seemed strange to me too.

You see, that's a real investigation.

All I've been doing is buy-and-busts.

Perps are back on the street

before we even done with paperwork.

Well, we have our challenges too.

Trust me.

But it's the right work.

Look, you can put me
anywhere, all right?

Falafel truck, bike messenger,

bus boy, homeless guy...
it doesn't matter.

I'm the guy America doesn't see.

How'd you get in here today?

Simple.

I pretended to be the captain,
faked a work order.

Took about ten minutes.

What you got?

He was off guard at the Starbucks.

Camera caught his face, and we
were able to follow his trail.

Suspect's name is
Kenneth Michael Kyle, age .

Career criminal.

Arson, as*ault, auto theft,

larceny, extortion...
a whole laundry list.

Mob affiliations?

Not that we could tell.

But I haven't started
cross-referencing yet.

- Do you have an address?
- Gravesend.

You want to take a ride?

[SIRENS WAILING]

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Ma'am!

Was that ambulance leaving
from Kenny Kyle's house?

Yeah, that was Kenny.

Mind telling us what happened?

He was having some
kind of seizure on the lawn,

foaming at the mouth, leg twitching.

I called .

They took him to Brookside Hospital.

Okay, thank you for your help.

[SIRENS WAILING]

Hi, we're looking for a suspect.

White male, s, blond hair,

goes by the name of Kenny Kyle.

Rat bite guy?

So he got bit?

Yeah, he was admitted.

Went into full-blown septic shock.

We got antibiotics in him right
before his organs shut down.

So let's say someone got bit times...

Without immediate emergency care,

I think he'd be dead within hours.

Where is he? We need to talk to him.

Sure, this way.

Okay, picture this.

Henry was on his fire escape,
bottle of rum,

pretty inebriated.

But all of a sudden,
he's att*cked by rats.

He reels back, loses
his balance, and falls over.

Yeah, I think the bites were
intended as the w*apon,

but the fall was a bonus.

Mr. Kyle?

Some friends here to see...

What the hell?

Is this guy determined
to lose a kidney today?

He was just here.

Suspect on the move.

Okay, follow the cab. We're on our way.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[LIVELY MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Whoa, the homeless shelter's on th,

unless your name is on that list.

He's good.

♪ ♪

My advice, Teddy, you and your wife

shouldn't have been out there
making promises in public.

We already made 'em to the city.

Remember? It helped us secure the bid.

Yeah, well, I made promises
to other people.

And they're very upset.

We got a lot of eyes on us
right now, Vincent.

It's not the time to cut corners.

Corners?

I'm thinking about throats.

♪ ♪

[TIRES SQUEAL]

Going in through the back.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Okay, you two, you get
out there, cut a rug.

Keep an eye on Kenny. Don't get made.

"Cut a rug"?

Yeah, that's old people slang for dance.

- Oh, I don't...
- Orders are orders.

- You should run for mayor.
- Oh.

No, I'm serious. She could do it.

- Your drinks, Ms. Pearl?
- Yes, thank you.

Yes, future mayor hanging out

with two degenerates like you guys?

- Chin-chin.
- Cheers.

♪ ♪

Bobby, stay by the main entrance.

Copy that.

♪ ♪

I got him. He's looking for someone.

Can't lose him.

[OMINOUS MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Upstairs. VIP area.

I got eyes on him. He's on the move.

Jamie, slow down.

He made you.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Aah! [GASPING]

Jamie!

Emergency exit behind the stairs.

On my way.

Aah!

You all right?

[CAR HORN BLARES]

Are you crazy? You could have been hit!

Aah! No, no!

♪ ♪

[TIRES SQUEAL]

Stabler!

I need a APB
on a stolen black Chevy Cruze.

New York plate, King-Mike-Boy- .

- I'm good.
- There's a BOLO

at every exit off the West Side Highway.

A straight line, nowhere to hide.

And he's getting sicker.

He's gonna need help soon.

Yeah, we're gonna get him.

What about the ME report?

Henry Cole's death...

was a homicide.

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[wolf howls]