01x21 - Van Nuys

[bunniefuu]

In the city of Los Angeles,

the people are represented

by two separate yet
equally important groups.

The police,
who investigate crime,

and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

Welcome, everybody.

And to my sweet baboo,

Happy Birthday.

- Thank you, baby.
- Mmm.

- I love you
- mwah, love you.

- To the Jack-man,
and our new friends.

- You guys
party on now.

- Cheers!
- All right, cheers.

I gotta go.

You girls
just smile sexy.

Pose for
a few photos.

They got
a nice pool.

Pool sounds fun.

- Going to a d-cup
really paid off.

More personal appearances.

I'll pass.

I'm retiring.

Gonna sell
my jewelry online.

Hey!

We're lighting the candles.

Picture time.

Then we can split.

I'll be right there.

Hm.

Where's the other girl?

- Victims were
battered to death.

Homeowners David
and Chloe Schwab,

plus three party guests.

Who called it in?

- Neighbor dropped by
with a birthday gift.

Door was open.

She said the Schwabs
were nice, decent people.

Hope you guys
had dinner.

Uh, there's four in here.

- Fifth one's
out by the pool.

"Happy Birthday, David."

- Someone left
a party favor.

Rubber grip.

Was a professional hit.

Whatever David wished for,
it wasn't this.

Jewelry and cash
were untouched.

- K*llers were
after a bigger payday.

Coke.

Looks like it
came off a brick.

- Nice, decent people with
a drug business on the side?

The five were m*rder*d

at 1556 Appian Way

around 9:00 pm.

LAPD have no motive
or suspects at this time.

Reporting live,
Pam chow for NBC news.

- This thing
already has a name,

"the appian way m*ssacre."

- All that's missing
is a theme song.

- The chief wants
a report from me.

So?

- We think the K*llers
were after a stash of coke

in the bedroom,
at least a brick,

maybe more.

Homeowners were dealers?

- Nah, they don't
seem the type.

Birthday boy David Schwab
was a movie sound man,

his wife was stuntwoman.

Jeff and Betty reetz owned
a tropical fish store.

All had clean records.

- Now the fifth guest,
found at the pool.

Lacy Von has a conviction for
cocaine possession,

she had two joints
and 800 bucks in her purse.

- They could have made a one-off
drug deal with the wrong crowd,

set themselves up
for a rip-off.

- Follow the guest
with the drug bust,

maybe she set up
a connection.

Wanna show me?

Police, open up!

Lacy had a roommate.

- Looks like she
left in a hurry.

This could be why.

Same pink hoodie was
at the Schwab's house.

Maybe the roommate
was at the party.

Witness that got away?

K*llers tore through
this place looking for her.

- We need to find her
before they do.

Hey, look at this.

Blonde's Lacy, the redhead
could be the girl in the hoodie.

In a wig, maybe?

Sasha janes.

Roommates and co-workers.

- That might
explain the 800 bucks.

They were
the paid entertainment.

- Lacy and Sasha
might have been hired

for a personal appearance.

I wouldn't know.

Just terrible about Lacy.

I didn't realize
Sasha was involved.

We need to find her.

You have any idea where
she might have gone?

- Don't
have any contact info

beyond Lacy's
home and address.

- "Sasha janes,"
is that her legal name?

- I'm in a business
that sells fantasy.

- Okay, how about the
name on her paycheck?

- I'd have to ask
accounting.

I gave everyone
the day off.

The sets will go dark
for 24 hours in tribute.

Touching.

But your accountant's gonna
have to grieve another time.

- Sasha's real name
is Erin Ann Graydon,

no record, she's been under
contract for the past year

to velour pictures.

Any progress tracking down

where the Schwabs
got their dr*gs?

- Nah, no leads from
their phone records,

and we keep getting the same
refrain from their friends.

Just nice, ordinary folks.

- According to her bank,
Erin's been paying off

a mortgage at a residential
property in Bakersfield

and her last atm withdrawal
was yesterday at 6:00

at a Denny's off
the maricopa exit on the 5.

- On the way
to Bakersfield.

I'll call ahead,
have the local pd meet you.

- We don't know
where Erin is.

It's just us
and our son Matt

living here now.

- Your daughter
could be in trouble.

When was the last time
you talked to her?

She called yesterday.

She said she's gonna
take a break from work.

From work.

- Yeah, she's
a jewelry designer.

She made these.

She does very well.

And she's helping you
with your mortgage.

- Well, since Beth and me were
laid off from the oil company.

Last year.

Erin's a good daughter.

Oh, I'm sure she is.

I'm sure she wouldn't want
to put you in any danger.

I think you should leave.

- These people she's
running away from,

they were at
her apartment.

They will find her.

They might hurt you,
your son,

if we don't
help her.

Erin.

It's okay, dad.

You'll protect
my family too?

Whatever we can do.

- Lacy and I were paid
$800 each to hang out

at this guy's
birthday party.

You know, just
pose for photos,

nothing dirty.

His wife knew our friend Jackie
from their martial arts class.

I was outside
by the pool

and his wife came out
and said it was time

to sing "Happy Birthday"

and Lacy went in.

And then
I heard screaming.

It was horrible,
and then Lacy

stumbled out,
covered in blood

and I just ran.

- Did you
see the intruders?

No, I just saw shadows.

And the sounds...

It was like
a nightmare, you know?

I didn't even
know these people.

- Did you know there were
dr*gs stashed at the house?

No.

They seemed
totally straight.

Lacy asked if she could
light up a joint

and they
asked her not to.

Why?
Was this about dr*gs?

- We think the K*llers were
there to rip off the stash.

You and Lacy were
in the wrong place, wrong time.

God.

Jackie too.

- Your fried Jackie
was at the party?

- Yeah, he was the one
that got us the job,

but he had to
leave early.

How early?

Just before the cake.

He keeps calling me
but I haven't called him back.

When was the last time?

- He just left a video
on my friendspace page.

Hey, girl.

Call me.

Are you okay?

I gotta know
that you're alive.

- We need you to
reach out to Jackie, okay?

- Why, you think
Jackie had something

to do with the murders?

He's just an actor.
- We're gonna find out.

You need to call him

from your parent's
landline, all right?

- If I use their landline,
he'll see the caller I.D.

He'll know where I am.

No, I can't help you.

- You have to
trust us, Erin.

We're not gonna let you
or your family get hurt.

Okay?

- So we're gonna have him
pulling up to the house.

Two white males
in a vehicle.

Here we go.

All right.

What the hell?

- Police!
- Put the g*ns down!

- Put your g*ns
down right now!

Put them down now!

- Put your g*ns
on the ground right now!

Put them down!

- Do not move.
- We don't move.

- Oh, sure,
now they listen.

The People ask
for bail one million each.

These defendants are members
of the Armenian power g*ng.

They face sentencing
under three strikes

and they were arrested
trying to k*ll a witness

to the appian way murders.

- They were
on their way

to a party to celebrate
Armenian independence.

But be that as it may,

they will post whatever
bond your honor decides.

- I decide $1 million,
Mr. Abel.

Next.

No deals, Mr. Abel.

I wanna see a jury
piss themselves

when they hear that
"lost in Bakersfield" story.

- You want a trial,
that's fine.

My clients aren't concerned.

- Their boss,
Mike Sarkissian,

he must be concerned
or else he wouldn't be here.

Isn't that right,
Mr. Sarkissian?

Forget it, Brandon.

Don't waste your time
talking to the help.

- Great, Armenian
power solidarity.

- How did a nice,
middle-class couple

like the Schwabs get
involved with those guys?

- Their buddy Jackie Lee
probably helped them

buy the dr*gs,
then double-crossed them

and set them up
for a rip-off.

- He definitely helped
the Armenians find our witness.

- We need to tie
the Armenians to appian way.

Jackie Lee can
connect the dots.

- Well, that guy
fell off the grid.

- Well, we know
he has one friend.

Or used to.

- I told you,
I didn't see anyone's face.

You know, I can't
believe Jackie

had anything to do
with the murders.

I thought I knew
who to trust.

- We know this
isn't easy.

- I guess it's not
gonna help anything,

me turning into
a basket case.

- No, we need you
to think of any place

Jackie could go.

A friend's, lover's.

- He used to have a
boyfriend in palm Springs.

Um, Larry something.

- Larry? All right,
that's a good start.

How you sleeping?

How's the food?

That's one of the benefits
of protective custody,

all the bad takeout
you can stand.

You sound like my mother.

In a good way.

It's not so bad.

Gives me time to work
on my jewelry.

I was in films
for the money,

you know, to help out
my parents.

It's not, like, my career.

- It's okay.
It's not a big deal.

- Yeah,
I don't know why

I felt like I needed to
explain myself to you just now.

I don't wanna be scared.

- Jackie made
calls on his cell

to a Larry hauser
in palm Springs.

I'll see you later.

What?

You drive.

- I don't know
where Jackie is

and I don't care.

You find that
little neurotic pip,

he owes me 95 bucks.

He tracked dog mess
on my sisal.

- When's the last
time you heard

from Jackie, Mr. hauser?

Not long enough ago.

- How about the
last time you saw him?

Couple of weeks ago,
Sunday.

Jackie takes a
shuttle down from L.A.

Crashes here.

The usual.

But this time,
he asked to borrow my car

to run an errand.

He's gone for three hours.

I figured he found
himself another daddy.

How'd you figure that?

I tracked the GPS.

Some swank address
in palm desert.

I Google map the aerial,

tennis courts.

I'm sure Jackie makes
a wonderful ball boy.

- Looks like
Jackie traded up.

Hola.

Habla ingles?

Are the owners home?
- No, nobody home.

What happened?

Uh, break in.

Furniture broke.
- When was this?

Uh, two weeks ago, Sunday.

943 mesa Grande drive.

Officers respond
to a security alarm,

place is in shambles.

Somebody even defecated
on the master bed.

- Who is the homeowner?
- A Ms. Eileen gold.

She didn't want
to make a report,

her son showed up
with a lawyer.

Threatened to sue if
the officers didn't leave.

- Her son?
- Michael Sarkissian.

He said it's
a family matter.

Why?

You guys got a suspect?
- Uh, we do.

- We need palm Springs to
put a bolo out on Jackie Lee.

This is his license.

We also need a warrant
on the gold house.

Fingerprints,
drug dogs, the works.

- We had this backwards.
- Mm-hm.

- Sarkissian stashed
the coke at his mom's house.

Jackie and the Schwabs
ripped him off.

- And Sarkissian
tracked Jackie down,

Jackie saved his own skin

by giving up
his accomplices.

- And setting them up
for the k*ll.

Moral of the story,
don't mess with Sarkissian.

- Well, burglary's
got a search warrant

for the gold house
and the works,

and it turns out
your suspect Jackie Lee's

already in our system.

Three arrests for
drunk and disorderly.

Last time we picked him up,
he was threatening patrons

at a nightclub
with a samurai sword.

First two arrests

he was bailed out
by his boyfriend Larry.

The third time
by Adam Brennan...

Of velour pictures.

Yeah, I paid Jackie's bail.

He's my actor.

In his prime,
there was no one more unique.

The Bruce Lee of p*rn.

He's also
a material witness

to five murders.

- You think a sword-wielding
p*rn star's bad publicity,

you ain't seen
nothing yet.

I don't wanna fight.

Jackie called me yesterday.

He was in a panic.

Said people were after him.

I thought he was
just being paranoid.

Told him he could crash at
one of the sets I'm not using.

Jackie Lee?

It's the police!

- I guess set design
isn't the point.

- Yeah, I think the idea
is you're watching the women.

Yeah? Like Erin?

Is that the appeal?
She's a p*rn star?

- So you're
my dad now.

So much for
a happy ending.

- The Armenians
b*at us to Jackie Lee?

Looks like it.

Palm Springs pd searched
Sarkissian's mother's house.

They found slugs
in a basement sh**ting range.

They match the slugs
pulled from Jackie's body.

- Now the downside-
no g*n was recovered there

or at the mom's house

and nothing to tie the Schwabs
to the break-in in palm Springs.

- In other words,
nothing that ties Sarkissian

to the appian way murders.

Except motive.

More than
we had yesterday.

That and the slugs gets you

an arrest warrant
for Sarkissian.

All right.

- So this is over now,
I can go home?

- Well, that will depend
on the D.A.'S office.

They'll be
in touch with you.

- You don't sound
so scared anymore.

- Seeing that
guy's face on tv,

knowing he
k*lled my friend,

I'm angry now.

I'd like to
see my parents.

We can arrange that.

Anything else?

No.

You've been great.

Thanks.

Your job-
all that stuff you see,

it must be
hard to sleep.

Yeah.

Sometimes.
- You ready?

- We'll, uh, check
about your parents.

Take care of yourself.

What?

- I'm all for
hand-holding a witness,

but take it easy.

I know that look, tj.

What do you have
in mind for this girl?

- You're asking me
my intentions?

I don't know,
maybe after the trial

I'll take her
out for dinner.

- Really?
You can wait that long?

Screw this traffic.

Let's make up some time.

- This girl,
I don't know about her whole

"wrong place,
wrong time" act.

She could be in
on the drug bust-

- you're nuts,
you are jealous!

- Look, you wanna
burn yourself,

that's your business,
but do not burn this case.

The arrest of
Mike Sarkissian today

is the first step to
neutralizing the Armenian power mafia.

My office will not rest until
his whole network of murderers,

drug dealers,
extortionists, and pimps

are behind bars for good.

Thank you very much.

- Reporting live,
Pam chow for nb-

- Sarkissian was just
a punk when I was a cop.

He's come up
in the world.

And his lawyer
is top notch.

Every link of
our evidentiary chain

has to be unassailable.
Where are we weak?

- We can prove Jackie Lee ripped
off the house in palm Springs,

but we can't prove
the Schwabs were a part of it.

- Despite the fact that dr*gs
were stashed in their house.

- Palm Springs pd
found Jackie Lee's prints

in the Sarkissian house
but not the Schwabs' prints.

- So we put them in
palm Springs another way.

Phone records, GPS.

- Just put them there before
the preliminary hearing.

- Lots of calls to and from
the Schwab home

that Sunday morning.

Nothing after 1:00 P.M.

And no incoming or
outgoing calls to their cells.

No credit card charges
that put them in palm Springs.

Here's a charge
for that Sunday

on Chloe Schwab's card

to the angel of mercy er.

An injury during
the break-in?

Yeah, I remember her.

It was a kitchen accident.

She reached
into a dishwasher

and cut her
thumb on a Kn*fe.

Six stitches.

- Do you remember anything
Mrs. Schwab might have said?

- She asked
for a latex glove.

She was worried about
getting saltwater in the wound.

- She was going
to the beach?

- No, sailing-she and
her husband had plans

to go on a friend's boat
off marina del rey-

Oh, sorry, excuse me.

- Well, unless they found
a way to sail to palm Springs,

they didn't
do the break-in.

- Sailing from 2:00 till 6:00
in the afternoon is confirmed

by the marina's harbor master.

Nice of you
to tell us.

It's Brady material.

We had no choice.

- And now you
have no case.

If the victims didn't
break into my client's house,

they had no
reason to k*ll them.

- Just because they
weren't in palm Springs

doesn't mean they
weren't involved.

The police recovered
5 ounces of coke

from the Schwab residence.

- And you can prove that
it once belonged to my client?

That's a neat trick.

- We still have a case
for the m*rder of Jackie Lee.

The slugs in his body
are consistent

with a Smith & Wesson
9 millimeter.

The same kind of g*n
registered to Mr. Sarkissian.

- Smith & Wesson,
ladysmith?

Look,
I'm gonna sh**t somebody,

it's not gonna
be with a lady's g*n.

- That g*n,
which my client

bought his mother
for protection,

was stolen in the break-in
in the palm Springs house.

A copy of
the insurance report.

- What, you
didn't put in the claim

for the cocaine,
Mr. Sarkissian?

Let's go.

You'll never
get past the prelim.

- We know Jackie did
the break-in.

We know there was
coke at the Schwab house.

One plus one
should equal two.

- Unless Jackie
wanted it to look like

they stole the cocaine.

- He set them up
to be k*lled?

There's no evidence
of bad blood between them.

What about the girls?

Didn't Jackie arrange
to have them be at the party?

- When Jackie
told me about the party,

I'd just gotten laid off.

Velour pictures
is in some kind of trouble.

I couldn't turn down a job.
- He invited you and Lacy?

Actually, just me.

I asked him if
I could bring Lacy along.

I thought I was
doing her a favor.

What?

- Erin, can you
think of any reason why

Jackie might've
wanted you k*lled?

- Me?
No.

Why is he asking me that?

You said it was just bad luck
I was at that party.

Uh, maybe it wasn't.

- Jackie and I don't
even know each other that well.

- Is there anything else in your
life you've had trouble with?

A boyfriend, dr*gs?

No, I don't do dr*gs.

I hate them,
what they do to people.

My ex-boyfriend Joe
was a drug addict

and I didn't know
at first

and I tried to
get him to go to rehab,

but he said no,
so I had to walk away.

- When was the last time
you were in touch with Joe?

A few weeks ago.

He left me a voicemail.
It was weird.

He said he hoped I was happy,
but his voice was mean.

- Erin couldn't
handle my...Lifestyle.

- What lifestyle's that, Joe?
Heroin?

Erin told us
you're an I.V. Drug user.

- Yeah, well,
she's a hypocrite,

if you wanna know the truth.
Judging me?

She does p*rn,

so she's supposed to be okay
with you being an addict?

- Hey, I never complained
about what floats her boat.

- Yeah, what was the voicemail
you left her, then?

- I just missed
the sound of her voice.

- Well, the sound of your voice
was threatening to her.

Two weeks later,
someone tried to k*ll her!

Wasn't me.

I barely
leave the apartment.

Because you're sick?

Ginger root, slippery elm,
and anti-nausea treatments.

You HIV-positive, Joe?

- No.
- The number one side effect

of anti-viral medication
is nausea.

You have aids, don't you?

- No.
- Did you tell Erin that?

I assume you two
were having sex.

Does she know?

- That's
none of your business.

I want you two to leave.

Hey.

Joe probably has aids,

which means Erin
could be HIV-positive too.

- Not exactly
a motive for m*rder.

- Maybe it isn't
Joe that has the motive.

The same day he
left a voicemail for Erin,

he called the head of
velour pictures, Adam Brennan.

Three days later,
Erin gets laid off.

Maybe it's
because Joe told Brennan

that Erin might have aids.

- And that
gets you a motive?

- p*rn actors get mandatory
HIV testing every month.

If Erin tested positive,

the health department
gets alerted,

the p*rn industry
shuts down.

- Right,
it happened last year.

An actor tested positive,

the business
shut down for six months.

- If Brennan
thought Erin had aids,

he wouldn't
want her to get tested.

His business is
having financial problems,

he can't
take another shutdown.

- Yeah, the test
is mandatory.

There's only
one way to avoid it.

By being dead.

- So Brennan
got Jackie to set up

a drug hit by the Armenians

to obscure the fact
that the real target was Erin?

- Yeah, he couldn't just k*ll
her without raising suspicion.

It also means
he probably k*lled Jackie

with the same g*n Jackie
stole from Sarkissian.

We have to tell Erin.

And we have to tell her
she has to get an HIV test.

- W-w-wait, your theory's got
too many moving pieces.

Before you talk
to Erin or the D.A.,

find out what Brennan knew
and when he knew it.

- I schedule the actors,
so it's my job to make sure

their tests are up to date-
HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea.

- And when was
the last time Erin-

Sasha janes got tested?

Oh, let me check.

21 days ago.
Negative.

She's due again
in nine days.

- She mentioned being
laid off her last...Film.

Do you know why?

- Mr. Brennan wanted to go
in another direction-Asian.

- Did he ask you
about Sasha's HIV test?

- A few days
before he laid her off.

I said she was negative.

He asked me
when her next test was,

then he wanted me
to bag up her props.

Her props?

- The sex toys
she used in the movie.

He had me send them
to his office.

- Using the body fluid
from her props,

Brennan could've
had Erin tested for HIV

without her knowledge.
- And more important,

without the department
of health finding out.

Once she tested positive,

he had to get rid of her
before her official test.

- Yeah, the test that would've
closed down his business.

- Right, so Brennan
got Jackie Lee

to set up the m*ssacre
on appian way.

- Erin's death
was supposed to look like

collateral damage
from a drug burn.

No motive
tracing back to Brennan.

Interesting theory.

Tough to prove
with Jackie dead.

And I doubt
Sarkissian will cooperate.

- No, the first step
is to confirm

that the intended victim
is HIV-positive.

We'll take care of it.

- By the way,
the intended victim has a name.

That can't be.

Joe and I were
only together a few months.

- Did you
have unprotected sex?

Oh, God.

I wasn't even
looking for a boyfriend.

You know, everybody says
in this business

being in love makes it
too hard to work,

but...

I got lonely.

- No one's
blaming you, Erin.

- So Mr. Brennan
knew I was positive,

and he tried
to have me k*lled?

- We're gonna
take care of Brennan.

You know...

We didn't always
use condoms on set.

I could've
infected other people.

- All right, well,
first things first,

you need to get tested.

So we'll set you up
with a doctor-

it isn't fair.

I was ready
not to be scared.

Not to be angry.

I thought after
this trial was over

my real life was
gonna start.

Detective Jaruszalski.

Yeah?

Okay.
Thank you.

- Erin graydon's
test results came back.

She is HIV-positive.

- So now
we go after Brennan.

The man k*lled five people.

- I went on camera
and swore to take down

the Armenians for Appian Way.

- Brennan set
the murders in motion.

- So get him to testify
against Sarkissian.

- Well, he'll want a deal.
He doesn't deserve one.

- You have no direct
evidence against Sarkissian.

His people aren't talking.

Brennan's involvement
is a godsend.

Use him to nail Sarkissian.

- Brennan
should be the priority!

He's legally
and morally culpable.

- Armenian power
is responsible

for dozens of murders,
drug deals, and extortions.

I promised Sarkissian's
head on a platter.

Make a deal with Brennan.

- See if
jo dekker's around.

- So my client had
an actress tested, so what?

- It's a reason
to have her k*lled,

to keep
himself in business.

You condemned five people

to a brutal death
because of greed.

And you had Michael Sarkissian
do your heavy lifting.

- I've never even met
Michael Sarkissian.

- I'm sure
he'd love to meet you.

Once he hears
you made a fool of him,

your life
won't be worth much.

Unless...

We make sure
that he's in prison.

- Okay.
But it will cost you.

- Adam-
- look, you guys want

Sarkissian locked up
as much as I do.

The only question is:

Are you gonna play ball?

- We are.
That's why Mr. dekker is here.

- I'm handling
Mr. Sarkissian's trial.

And you'll be my witness.

- My client
wants full immunity

on all five
appian way murders.

- And for the m*rder
of Jackie Lee.

I'm not going down
for that little q*eer.

Fine.

We'll agree
to full immunity.

We'll begin prepping
your testimony next week.

Good.

The jury will eat it up.

I'm a producer.
That's what I do.

I manipulate idiots.

In between Jackie Lee
and that ego-maniac Sarkissian,

it didn't take much.

Oh, and I want
protective custody.

Not in some dump, either.

Four seasons.

Fine.

- Jackie Lee
was one of my actors.

He owed me money.

He was a real druggie.

He told me an
Armenian drug dealer he knew

said that
Mike Sarkissian kept

a lot of coke in
his palm Springs house.

- Mr. Sarkissian,
the defendant?

- That's right.
I knew the Armenian mob

had a rep for crazy v*olence,

so I hired Jackie
to break into the house,

take the dr*gs,
and trash the place.

I even told him
to make it more personal

and relieve himself on
Sarkissian's bed.

For what purpose?

To piss off Sarkissian.

So he would
wanna k*ll the people

he thought were responsible.

Jackie said
he would just pin it on

some g*ons
he knew from martial arts.

- And you set
this all in motion, why?

- I needed to get
rid of one of my actresses.

Make it look
like a drug m*rder.

So what was your plan?

- During one of
the dummies' parties,

have Jackie
leave the door open,

Sarkissian's g*ons
break into the house,

take the dr*gs,
k*ll everybody.

- Well, how do you know
that the defendant was involved?

- I listened in on calls between
Jackie and the defendant.

Sarkissian said
he'd take care of it.

People's exhibit 11,

phone records showing
the witness was conferenced in

on three
separate phone calls

between
Jackie and Mr. Sarkissian

the week before
the murders were committed.

Nothing further.

Mr. Brennan...

The movies you make,
the world you live in,

would it be fair to say that

some would consider
the business you're in sleazy?

- Objection.
Relevance.

- I'm sorry,
I'd like to answer that.

I provide a service.

A service that I'm betting

everyone in
this courtroom has used.

Yourself included,
counselor.

I doubt it.

Isn't it true that you
perjured yourself here today

implicating my client
because Mr. dekker offered you

immunity on the six murders
that you committed?

- I'm walking away,
but I'm not lying.

No?

Sounds like you
have a lot of motivation.

Withdrawn.

Nothing further.

- Mr. Brennan,
did you agree to testify today

under a grant of immunity

because you were afraid
we would convict you of m*rder?

- No.
You have no case against me.

I was never afraid of you.

- But there is someone
you are afraid of, isn't there?

Mr. Sarkissian.

You were afraid
that once he found out

you used him
to commit your murders,

your life
would be in jeopardy.

Isn't that why
you agreed to testify?

Right.

- And because
that fear is real,

your testimony today
is the truth, isn't it?

Right.

But Sarkissian
is going to jail...

And I'm going
into Witness Protection.

- Guilty
on all five counts.

The ball's
in your hands now.

- Let's go break
the news to Mr. Brennan.

Guilty, huh?

Told you I'd deliver.

You give people
a narrative that's visceral,

that's what
they respond to.

I hope you're here
to thank me.

Not exactly.

What's this?

- Stand up, put your hands
behind your back.

- We have
a warrant for your arrest.

12 felony counts
of aiding and abetting

unprotected sex
with an HIV carrier.

- What?
I have immunity for everything.

- Not for this.
- Mr. dekker didn't tell you?

- You didn't inform Erin
of her HIV status,

you let her work on an
adult film set for 72 hours

without using a condom
after you knew she had HIV.

That's criminal transmission
of the HIV virus.

How's that for visceral?

- I'm all
for creative prosecution,

but no one who
wasn't actually having sex

has ever been convicted
of criminal transmission.

So we get to work.

Next step is getting
Erin's testimony.

- Testify?
About what?

Like how many actors
I did sex scenes with?

- We know you've
been through a lot,

but we need you
to do this.

- I'm not ashamed, but
saying all that in open court,

I can't do that.

Maybe there's another way.

There isn't.

Erin, this is
your only recourse

for justice
for your friend Lacy.

And for you.

If Brennan is
convicted on all counts,

he could get 26 years.

- I haven't told
my parents what I do.

And now all their
friends would know.

- We can help explain
to your parents.

- Look, she doesn't
wanna testify.

- Detective,
can I see you outside?

You're bullying her.

- I invited you here
because you have a rapport

with the witness,
not to sandbag my case.

- We're just
as bad as Brennan.

We used her as bait
to get the Armenians,

now we're using her again.

- We're asking her
to do the right thing.

- I want Brennan
to go to jail, I do.

- We can't force you
to testify.

End of the day,
it's your decision.

- I don't know
what's going on with you

and this witness.
I don't wanna know.

- She's not a witness,
she's a person.

She deserves
to be treated that way.

Erin has something to say.

It's okay.

I know this isn't
just about me.

I started doing
adult films a year ago

because I needed the money.

My parents couldn't pay
their mortgage,

I don't have a college degree,

and I do okay acting-wise,
but I'm no meryl streep.

- During the course
of your work,

did you use condoms
during sex scenes?

- Not usually.
- Why not?

- Mr. Brennan said that
condoms turn viewers off,

took them out of
the fantasy,

and because we were tested
for HIV every 30 days,

there was no risk.
- And you believed him?

Yes.

He was my boss.
I trusted him.

- We heard testimony
from Joe stark,

your former boyfriend,

that he'd notified
Mr. Brennan

that you'd
been exposed to HIV

in a phone call
on February 10th.

Were you told that you may be
HIV-positive by Mr. Brennan

or anyone else
from velour pictures?

- No.
- When did Mr. Brennan

lay you off from the film that
you were working on?

February 13th.

Three days later.

In those 72 hours,

how many
different partners

did you
perform sex scenes with?

Four.

And I did two group scenes
with eight other performers.

Did you use condoms?

No.

- Now, had you been
informed of your HIV status,

what would you have done?

- I would've
stopped doing sex scenes.

I would've told my partners
and acted responsibly.

That's what hurts

is that I might've
infected other people

because Adam
didn't tell me the truth.

Thank you.

Nothing further.

- Well, first off,
miss graydon, let me say

I am so sorry for
all you've been through.

But just to clarify,

you contracted HIV from
a former boyfriend, correct?

Not from working
at velour pictures?

- That's right.
- And the number of times

you had sex
for money for a film,

the kind of sex was
your choice, wasn't it?

- Yes, but I wanted to
do a good job for Mr. Brennan.

- But no one forced
you or the other performers.

In fact, the more
challenging the act,

the more partners you had,

the more
money you were paid.

Is that right?
- Yes.

I only agreed to do the scenes
I was comfortable with.

- So opening your mouth,
spreading your legs,

letting yourself
be humiliated,

this was comfortable?

- I didn't think of it
that way,

and I didn't feel that way.

- Well,
so what about condoms?

Were you comfortable
not using condoms?

- I would've preferred
to use them.

Preferred?

But you didn't even
use them

with your ex-boyfriend,
the I.V. Drug user.

Objection.

Overruled.

- I didn't know he was an addict
when we were having sex.

I made a mistake.

And I'm gonna be paying
for that for my whole life.

I'm always gonna be sick.

And there are things
I'll miss out on,

relationships and love.

- But you
admit contracting HIV

was your fault.

Yes.

That was my fault.

- And the performers who
had sex with you getting HIV

was a risk they assumed
when they had sex for money

with a person like you.

With a person like me?

- A person who has unprotected
sex in front of a camera,

who exhibits
herself intimately for pay.

- But-
- no more more questions.

- No, what you're
doing right now is wrong.

Making me seem worthless,
that's wrong.

And what Brennan did
was wrong.

He knew I was sick
and he didn't tell me.

He tried to k*ll me so
he could keep making money.

He used me,
but I am not worthless.

I'm not trash,
I'm a person,

and I deserve
to be treated like one.

- Miss graydon was
having unprotected sex

with an I.V. Drug user.

It was her responsibility
to get tested,

and to notify
her fellow performers.

My client had
no obligation, no duty

to inform her
of her HIV status.

In fact, if not for
my client laying her off,

miss graydon would have infected
countless other performers

in the two weeks before
her state-mandated test.

- Your honor, there
was an implied obligation

when Mr. Brennan
told his performers

that the state-mandated tests

were the only
protection they needed.

Mr. Brennan's criminal intent
is implicit in the fact

that he had miss graydon
tested secretly.

And when her test came back
positive, he fired her

without telling her
or her coworkers

that she had aids.

His motive is clear.

He wanted to protect, to save
his business, his wealth.

That he valued above the lives
of those who worked for him.

Now we may
make a judgment

about adult film actors.

We may even think
they get what they deserve.

But these men and woman
work legally,

they pay their rents,

they feed their children.

Every life has dignity.

Every life is
worthy of protection.

And for that reason,
Adam Brennan

should be prosecuted
to the full extent

that the law allows.

I concur, Mr. morales.

The people have met
their burden of proof.

The defendant will be
held to answer for trial.

Let's talk.

- Yeah.
- Yeah? All right.

- Thank you guys
for coming.

Adam Brennan took a plea.

He'll serve
just under 20 years.

Thank you.

- Your daughter's
very brave.

- We'll be taking her home
to Bakersfield for a while.

Good luck to you, Erin.

- I'll meet you
in a minute.

- So you're ready
for your new life?

Ready or not, right?

- You know, Bakersfield
isn't such a long drive.

Yeah, it is.

I'll call you.

Let you know how I am.

Let's get out of here.