10x02 - The Consoler

[bunniefuu]

In New York City's w*r on crime

the worst criminal
offenders are pursued

by the detectives of
the Major Case Squad.

These are their stories.

- All right, Theresa.

Your turn.

- Tell everybody to duck.

- Wow. Nicely done.

- Thanks.

- The priest sent
me an apology note.

As though I'm supposed
to absolve him.

For years I carried the
shame of that abuse

without telling a soul.

And I can't do it anymore.

It's-it's time to come clean.

- Guess what I found out today.

Oh. Hello.

- But I say to you,
love your enemies,

and pray for those
who persecute you,

that you may be children
of your heavenly father,

for he makes the sun rise
on the bad and the good.

And causes rain to
fall on the just

and the unjust.

- All right, talk about
the blind date from hell.

First he takes me to a blood
bank to donate plasma,

then Tequila sh*ts.

What?

Theresa, why?

- Monsignor, at
your convenience,

I'd love the chance to talk.

- Oh, it's taken care of.

- Excuse me?

- John, relax.
It's all taken care of.

- I'm not supposed
to let you in.

- I know.
I really appreciate it.

Theresa?

Theresa?

You awake?

I'm coming in.

Name's Theresa Esperna.

None of the neighbors
hears the sh*t.

No security cameras
in the building.

We found this tucked in the
folder of her iPad case.

It's why we called.

- Wire transfer
from bank salerno

to a numbered offshore account.

2.7 million dollars.

- Uh, who...

Who moved the body?

- Nobody.

Her friend and the building
super found her like this.

There's no forced entry.

It looks self-inflicted.

- Thanks, detective.

- Well, we have an entry wound.

Below the right ear,

right under the hairline.

But the g*n is over there.

g*n powder.

There's flakes under
her fingernails.

Both hands.
- Soap?

- Maybe.

Has a sweet smell, but
not a common fragrance.

It-it's unusual,
like, uh, balsam.

- Some kind of botanical?

- I'm not sure.
Can we bag both her hands?

- You're not thinking su1c1de.

- You are?

- The g*n could have
bounced when she fell.

su1c1de that looks
like a m*rder?

- Or a m*rder that
looks like a su1c1de.

- We were supposed to
meet for breakfast.

She said she needed my advice.

- About what?

- Uh, probably a man.

When she didn't answer
her cell, I came by.

Why would someone k*ll Theresa?

- What makes you
think it was m*rder?

- Because su1c1de's
a mortal sin,

and your friend was
old school catholic.

She has a crucifix in her room,

catholic dating
service on her iPad.

- Um, Tess was raised in
a super strict family.

- Notice there's not much
paper in this apartment.

She-she was a techie?

- Yeah, on her iPad 24-7, 365.

- We did find one
scrap of paper.

A wire transfer
from bank salerno?

- That's where she worked.

- It's horrifying.
Theresa was a Saint.

- What time did she leave
your office last night?

- Just after 6:00.

Said she had a business meeting.

Didn't say with whom.

- You know, I notice
the papal crest

just after the alcove there.

That's a obvious
display of faith.

Aren't you afraid that
might alienate clients?

Unless, of course, the client
is the catholic church?

- We'll know for sure once
we subpoena your records.

This isn't Switzerland.

- Theresa was senior v.P.

In charge of the victims
settlement account

established by the
archdiocese of New York.

- Victims of abuse by priests.

- Yes.

- Now, aren't there any
better jobs in this bank

for a woman of, you
know, her skills?

- Theresa felt very strongly
about remunerating victims.

She wanted to make amends

and restore the good
name of the church.

- So the wire transfer was a
settlement to bn individual?

- Yes.

- She have any help
with that account?

- I helped Theresa

manage the settlement
money in the accounts.

Kept it in t-bills,
risk-free bonds.

- So you were close?

- She was one of
my best friends.

- We found a
disbursement receipt

for $2.7 million.

- Um, that was for Alice
garvey in mount Vernon.

- That's a pretty big payout.

- She was molested dozens
of times over five years.

- This is a mediation
DVD, right?

I mean, that's what
these are, aren't they?

The victim tells their story
in front of a camera,

and then a professional
mediator and Theresa,

they determine the
settlement amounts?

- Can't be easy
watching those stories.

- Yeah, we watched every
single one of 'em together.

They're tough to take.

- College all-star.

- I had a tryout
with the Phillies.

They told me I'd
make a great banker.

- Wow.

Hey, you got little league
and you got college,

but there's no high school.

- Yeah, those were
my awkward years.

I guess I'm ashamed.

- Right.

That's a catholic word.

You know, "ashamed."

- Speaking of which,

we found a catholic dating
service on Theresa's iPad.

- Catholic crush.

The ad said that they would
find her God's perfect match.

- Did they?

- Nobody on that site could
measure up to Theresa.

And God wasn't availle.

- Chief of the detectives office

just called about
those psych evals.

You know, those shrink
sessions are non-cancelable.

- Yeah, you got it, captain.

- Spare me the
attitude, all right?

- You know that it's a waste...

- I know how non-negotiable
these sessions were

to get your ass back
behind this desk.

They still think
you're crazy upstairs.

You know this.

- Okay, thanks.

I spoke to her father in Mexico.

She came when she was
18 to go to college,

went to Georgetown,
got a Harvard mba.

Senior v.P.
On wall street at 28.

- Immigrant success story.

Devout catholic.

She runs a fund to help victims.

She's lonely. No boyfriend.

- "God's perfect
match in 60 days

or your money back"?

- Wonder if I'm too old
for Catechism class.

- Lab's analyzing the soap
flakes under her fingernails.

This is from ballistics.

- We got a hit on the.22
beretta.

- All right, so anyone tell me
what an elephant sounds like?

Right! Very good.

All right, what do
we got down here?

- Lizards.
- Lizard.

- Monsignor?
- Monkey.

- Hi.

- Can we have a moment please?

- Yep, that's my g*n.

I took her to the g*n range

to show her how to fire it.

And I gave it to her
for protection.

- Protection from who?

- Well, a couple of months ago

there was this out-of-state
abuse victim, and...

His parish declared bankruptcy,

so he made threats.

Luckily, nothing happened.

- So it's safe to say you're not
big on "turn the other cheek"?

- I realize giving
her the g*n was a...

Terrible mistake.

- We're curious about your
relationship with her.

- Cordial. Not personal.

I oversee settlements on
behalf of the archdiocese.

- You mean like the
one to Alice garvey.

- Yes. But, as you know,

I'm not at liberty
to speak about that.

Confidentiality
agreements and all.

- Monsignor, we're ready.

- Okay, I'm coming.

Look, I've got a whole
ward full of kids

that need my help today,
so if you don't mind...

- Sure.

- The wound's consistent
with female g*nsh*t suicides

in one respect...

behind the ear, below hairline.

- She wanted an
open-casket funeral.

- No note, no
motive for su1c1de.

- Only one in six leave a note.
You know that.

- Uh, we found two varieties

of soap flakes under
her fingernails.

Her skin's very exfoliated.

Heavy scrubbing on
the inner thighs.

- Looks like she
used a pumice stone.

- There's no pumice
stone in her shower.

But her washcloth was wet.

- She showered at home,
and also somewhere else.

She felt unclean.

You do a r*pe kit?

- Yeah.

She did have sex the
night of the m*rder,

but there's no tearing,
no bruising,

no signs of force.

Her partner used a condom.

It looks consensual.

- Olive oil on the skin?

- Yeah, balsam too.

- Mixed with olive oil...
Makes myrrh.

So she had sex.
She showered twice.

Scrubbed herself raw.

And anointed herself
with holy oil.

- Two showers?

Well, maybe she's got o.C.D.

- Captain, the lab broke down

the soap residue
under her nails.

This isn't commercial.

It's custom, luxury soap.

Distributor says only three
hotels in Manhattan use it.

- So she was sitting here?

- Yes, the waiter said she
bought an orange juice.

She seemed nervous.

Security just downloaded
lobby camera footage.

Here's where the gentleman you
see on the screen showed up.

- Can you freeze that?

Cordial, not personal.

Checked the floor indicator.

It stopped at two and
four and now seven.

- The hotel manager
said the monsignor

registered under the name Mr.
Jenkins.

- Did they leave together?

- There she is. Alone.

- She has wet hair.

- Shower number one was here,

number two was at home.
- Mm.

- The toxicology found 800
micrograms of Diazepam,

and blood alcohol was.04.

- Means she was putty.

The k*ller could have
put a g*n in her hand,

made it look like su1c1de.

- Well, before we
jump to conclusions,

let's find out more
about our monsignor.

- Monsignor McTeal
started soup kitchens,

food banks, orphanages.

He's dynamo.

- We saw him at
children's hospital.

- In church circles, they
call him "the consoler."

- Does he also console women

in their time of emotional need?

- But no official complaints
against the monsignor?

- There was an
unrelated complaint

we passed on to his office.

Someone said that they hadn't
received their settlement

from the archdiocese.

- Alice garvey?

- For years, I carried
the shame of that abuse

without telling a soul.

And I can't do it anymore.

It's-it's time to come clean.

It feels good.

Hiding a secret like that...

Festers.

Makes you rotten inside.

- I'm Ilana, Alice's niece.

- She's in here?
- Yes.

- She was in a car accident
a couple months ago.

Traumatic brain injury.

She could be like this
the rest of her life.

- Body of Christ.

Body of Christ.
- Amen.

The body of Christ.

- I know what you did.

- Last year she won a ten-year
legal battle with the church.

That was before the accident.

- The money never c came.

- Hmm. Does it look it?

- So she won a legal battle,

but then lost her
mental faculties

before she could collect?

- Did you file a complaint

with monsignor McTeal's office?

- He represents the archdiocese.

They said the money was paid,

but that's just not true.

- Monsignor.

- Detectives.

- You met Theresa at the St.
Regis after business hours.

- Yes, we worked together
on a settlement account.

- And what was Mr.
Jenkins doing?

- My anonymity is
sometimes necessary

for sensitive discussions.

- And midnight trysts.

- We discussed business.

- In the shower.

- I'm sorry. Should I know
what you're talking about?

- Yes, you should.
She took a shower.

The business that
you, uh, discussed,

was that Alice
garvey's settlement?

'Cause we just met her niece.

- A relative of Alice garvey's

filed a complaint that she had
not yet received her money.

So I looked into it.

Theresa's pass code was used

to wire Alice garvey's money
into an offshore bank.

- Theresa embezzled
$2.7 million?

- Well, I didn't ask her
to confirm or deny.

I just told her that
she had five days

to put that money back
into the account.

- Spends her career
helping victims

and then she steals
a settlement?

- She found out
garvey was non compos

and grabbed the opportunity.

- Well, if she stole the money,

she-she had to have a reason.

- Greed?

- Yeah, but she lives
within her means.

I mean, she had three pairs
of shoes in her closet.

- Maybe she was sick of it.

- I.T. Retrieved and catalogued

everything on Theresa's
home and office computers.

This was erased from her iPad.

We had to pull it
off the server.

- "To whom it may concern.

I took the money."

Theresa's su1c1de note?

- Looks like your
case just closed.

We don't buy it.

We need to go further

before we can close
this as a su1c1de.

- Why, because the
note's on an iPad?

- Because of the embezzlement.

- With that su1c1de note,

no D.A.
In his right mind would file.

Joe, don't be a moron.
We have legit suspects.

- You give us the room a minute?

Bobby, I appreciate
you coming back.

I really do.

But this doesn't work.

I know what you do.

And you know what I do.

I've got your back,

and you respect my face
and don't get in it.

- Detective goren?

I'm Paula geisen.

Come on in.

- Sorry I'm late.

- Well, it's tough to
get away from your job.

- No excuse.

Your office, it's, uh, striking.

- Thank you.

- These two doors,

they remind me of a riddle.

You know the one?

Two identical doors.

Two identical guards.

One guard is an angel
guarding heaven,

he always tells the truth.

And the other guard is
a devil guarding hell.

He always has to lie.

You have one question to ask

to get into heaven.

What would that question be?

You'll never get it.

It's...You'll...

- Give me time.

- Uh, also the
missed appointments,

I apologize.

- I'm sure you had good
reasons not to come.

- You don't have to do that.

- How do you mean?
- Empathize with me.

- Is that what you
think I'm doing?

- Yeah, "I'm sure you had
reason not to come."

You know, "your job
is too tough...

To get away from."

You're trying to gain my trust.

- I don't think that would
be that easy to do.

- Is that what it
says in my file?

- That?

That's only part of your file.

- Did you accept to do this

before or after you read it?

- After.

- And after the more
experienced psychiatrists

begged off?

- I didn't have to
fight to get you.

And it wasn't only the files.

Seven employer-mandated sessions

with someone...

As challenging as you...

- You were gonna say
"crazy," weren't you?

- Why do you think that?

- Do you think I'm crazy?

- I think you are a person

who is aware that the world
is a dangerous place.

You found a way of surviving,

but your way can
make other people

feel uncomfortable.

- "Challenging" and, you
know, "uncomfortable."

You're walking on egg
shells with me, aren't you?

- Isn't that how you like it?
Hmm?

It's part of your skill set,

like being able to
read people quickly.

- It's my job.

- Sure.

It's protected you.

But it's also taken its toll

on those around you
and on yourself.

You are exceptional
at analyzing others.

Exceptional.

So what is it that you
think will happen

if you start looking
at yourself?

- I didn't tell you
about the embezzlement

because I didn't know.

- So overseeing accounts isn't
part of the job description?

- Oversee, not monitor
every transaction.

- 2.7 million didn't
warrant your attention?

- It's a great deal of money,

but it's not an
atypical settlement.

- Plus we thought we'd
settled with Alice garvey.

We sent her the papers.

- You said that you watched
mediation DVDs with Theresa.

- Yeah, I did.

- She was looking for
God's perfect match.

Maybe you were it.

- She was my boss.
We were just friends.

- We are gonna let our lawyers
handle things from here on in.

Obviously, we'll be doing
our own investigation.

- So will we.

There was a lamp on this table,

and her pictures are gone.

- Johnny let a friend of hers

come in and take some of
her personal effects.

- Is that Natalie?

- Uh, yeah, they were buddies.

- You let someone remove
possible evidence

from an ongoing investigation?

- We're bankers, not police.

- Uh, I went to her office

to box up her things
for her parents.

I ran into Johnny.

We talked a little.

- Googled you.

You were 57th in the
tennis rankings at 18.

- Oh, ancient history.

- Then drug possession and
petty theft in your 20s.

And now you're over
$70,000 in debt.

- 73,600, to be exact.

- That's a cute cat.

- Oh, um, name's pyewacket.

- Pyewacket?

That's from a...

Jimmy Stewart film.

Yeah, the cat, it was Kim
novak's best friend.

It's a funny movie.

I think the cat was a wizard.

Not very catholic.

- It's a cat.

- So you and Theresa were
roommates at Georgetown.

Very catholic.

- She got me into rehab.

Back into the church.

- Did you know that-
that Theresa was accused

of, uh, stealing
millions of dollars

from the church
settlement account?

Yeah, I know, it...

Doesn't make sense.

But there must have
been a reason.

She didn't have a lot of
experience with men, did she?

- How many straight,
single men in their 30s

are still practicing catholics
and not total weirdoes?

- Johnny's pretty cute.
How about him?

- She was his boss. No way.

- You're lying.

- Okay.

I mean, maybe they
hooked up once or tw&e,

but it-it was casual.

- They were friends, though.

I mean, she liked him, though.

- Yeah.

A lot.

- You lied to us, Johnny.

- Johnny.
You slept with your boss.

- All right, I'll
be honest with you,

I didn't want to admit it
in front of kilpatrick.

- Can't be that dumb.

I mean, lying to two cops in
a homicide investigation?

Really?
Did you just cop to a felony?

- We hooked up a month ago.

It was no big deal.

Once, maybe twice.

- So the pillow talk wasn't
about where to stash the 2.7?

- This sounds like
I need a lawyer.

- Do you need a lawyer?
I don't know.

Right now you're just a...

you're a person of interest.

Lawyer up, well, that takes you
straight up to maybe suspect.

- You guys, I didn't
steal the money.

The night Theresa d*ed,

she called me and told
me that monsignor McTeal

accused her of embezzlement.

The next day Natalie told me

he asked Theresa for sex

in exchange for giving her five
days to replace the money.

- What was your reaction?

- I wanted to k*ll the bastard.

I figured it had to be
an accounting mistake.

- No, no, no. She stole it.

There's no question about that.

- No. You're wrong.

We both felt the same way.

The only people that
deserved that money

are victims.

- So the monsignor forced
Theresa to have sex

quid pro quo

for giving her five days
to return the money?

- She's so remorseful,
she kills herself.

- Five days to return the money,

she goes home and kills herself.

You know, look at this.

Uh...

"What I have now done

was the only path left for me."

- So formal.
- Yeah.

- Here all night?

- You bring bagels?

- See, men, women, they
leave different markers

when they write su1c1de notes.

Women seem to rely more heavily

on expression of feelings,

like, um, thanking someone.

You know, polite speech.
Apologizing.

- She was close to her parents,

and they're not even mentioned.

- Yes.

"I acted out of greed
and poor character."

See, now that's a
direct admission,

but there's no reference
to God or the Bible,

or any misgivings for breaking
the eighth commandment.

- The $2.7 million question is...

Why was it erased?

- Yeah, I don't know.

But I do know that
she didn't write it.

The k*ller wants her death
to look like a su1c1de,

but he puts the g*n four
feet away from the body.

Doesn't make any sense.

- The cat.

- Yes, I have pyewacket.

I decided to keep him.

- You ever feed him when
Theresa worked late,

or when she was out of town?

- Um, can I get
back to my lesson?

- So you have your own
key to her apartment?

- No.

- Is that why you asked the
building super to let you in?

- Right.

- You wanted him
to corroborate you

finding the dead body.

But you already
knew she was dead.

- I don't have a key.

- Well, we got a warrant.

We searched your apartment.

- Fine. I had a key.

- Neighbor says she saw you
heading up the stairs at 8:15.

Constantine says you
got him at 8:35.

Maybe you found a way

to access Theresa's
account at work.

When Theresa tipped onto
it, you k*lled her.

- That's ridiculous.
She was my best friend.

- Uh, now she turned
your life around.

Didn't she?

And you'd do anything
to protect her.

And in the eyes of
the catholic church,

a su1c1de is the same as m*rder.

- When Tess didn't answer,

I let myself in.

I found her on the
floor of the bedroom,

and she'd sh*t herself.

She wouldn't be
able to have a mass

or be buried in
consecrated ground.

- So you kicked the g*n away
and you repositioned the body.

- She committed su1c1de, but
the monsignor was responsible.

- That's why you erased the
su1c1de note on her iPad.

- What su1c1de note?

Natalie admits she
dutched the crime scene.

That's obstruction.

- So who erased
the su1c1de note?

- Not Natalie. The k*ller?

- Why?

- As a fail-safe.

Police close the
case as a su1c1de,

then he's home free.

If not, then he knows that
they'll scrub her computers

and find the note.

- Natalie said Hugh
McTeal extorted Theresa.

- She didn't realllly
say that, captain.

- Maybe not word for word,

but close enough.

Let's bring him in and sweat
him for suspicion of r*pe.

- Did you r*pe Theresa Esperna?

- Absolutely not.

Is that why you
brought me in here?

- Look, if your strategy

is to drag the church
through the mud...

- we have no agenda
against the church.

For every story you
hear of misconduct,

there are thousands of
stories of good works.

- Well, that's the first

true thing you've said
all day, detective.

- You know, I was thinking,

you know, an episcopalian
priest can...

well, they can have a wife,

and a lutheran pastor,

they can date a playmate.

You have, uh, vows of chastity.

- Mm.

A vocation demands sacrifice.

- Jeez, it must be...
Frustrating.

- Temptation is a test

that God gives all of us.

- Well, it seems to be
a test you're failing.

- I'm no different
from any other man.

How about you, detective goren?

Any frailties of your own?

- Look, we're within
a minute of walking

if we don't hear a charge.

- You can...

Love the church for
their good works,

or you can hate the church

for their...Hypocrisy.

Tick tock.
Ti- how much time do I have left?

Go ahead. No. How much?

But both sides agree...

Thou shalt not k*ll.

- I did not k*ll Theresa.

- Okay, forget about the m*rder.

Theresa's friend says you
forced her to have sex.

- Never happened.

- Well, there's no way we
can prove it forensically,

because you're careful,
and used a condom.

Oh, I forgot.

That's another sin, isn't it?

You're...

The consoler?

- Don't push it, detective.

- You take advantage
of vulnerable women.

Isn't that the basis
of the scandal?

Priests taking advantage
of the vulnerable.

- I'm not a molester.

- But you broke your vows.

- I feed 35,000 orphans
in five boroughs.

- Yeah, and you're held
to a higher standard.

- I built a cancer
hospital last year.

- Did you know that
Theresa showered twice

after visiting you at the St.
Regis?

Twice.

What do you think about
that, monsignor?

As evidence of a guilty
mind or a tortured soul?

She was disgusted by you.

She scrubbed every place
that you touched her.

- Hmm.

Well, you got me, detective.

Yep.

I occasionally have
sex with women.

Consenting women.

It's a flaw that
I'm not proud of.

That does not, however,
make me a m*rder*r.

Cardinal.

I, uh...

- I'll see you in my
office in the morning.

- You got some
hail Marys coming.

- Slime.

- But smart.

Picked on women who aren't
gonna go after the settlement.

He'll stick to his story

that Theresa was
embezzling the money.

- Johnny admitted
Theresa told him

about the embezzlement
before she d*ed.

- But not the sex.

- She told Natalie about
sex with the monsignor.

- But not the theft.

- A confession in two parts.

- Either way, she
betrayed her faith.

- This is about her faith.

She did it for someone.

Someone who she thought
deserved the money.

Sorry.

Let me just, uh...

Whoo!

Okay.

Two weeks ago, the monsignor
gave a g*n to Theresa,

because of an angry abuse victim

who felt that he was
cheated out of, uh...

His payoff.

- Uh, he was harmless.
Just angry.

- Now, that was
around the same time

that you and Theresa were...

Uh...

You know, knocking boots.

- That's crassly correct.

- What's your point, detective?

- Well, I think that...

That you told Theresa something...

That you never
told another soul.

.451.

Freshman year's batting average.

I mean, wow.

I think that's amazing.

You know.

All right, look.

I mean, you must
have been, what?

15?

.451?

You must have been
in great shape.

Freshman year.

I have, uh, this marked here.

There's father Duffy.

Now, he was the varsity
baseball coach

who was fired for...

For improper relations.

- I remember father Duffy.

- Do you know how much

the Franklin county
settlement was

to each abuse victim?

After the parish went bankrupt?

Do you know? It was $11,000.

So Alice garvey got 2.7 million,

and you got 11 grand.

- I wasn't molested.

- Come on, Johnny.

Come on.

You of all people know

that denial is common among...

Abuse victims.

I mean, that's why you didn't
have any baseball pictures

from Franklin catholic
in your office.

Did you know that abuse victims,

they try and attach themselves,

in many cases, to their abuser.

Like a man who works in a bank,

whose main client is
the catholic church...

- I took the job
because the church

is helping victims of abuse.

- Yes, that's right.

Right.

So there Theresa is.

Now, she's writing multi-million
dollar settlement checks.

Every day.

Uh, helping people that
she didn't even know.

And you got stiffed
in Franklin county.

- I wasn't molested.

- Giving you a fair
settlement was impossible.

You know, what was she gonna do?

You know, write you a check?

When did you find out about
Alice garvey's car accident?

Was that the night that you
hooked up with Theresa?

You slithered into
this lonely woman,

this woman who had sympathy
for the abuse you suffered.

- That's not what happened.

- There's absolutely no
proof that he was...

- come on, Johnny!

Come on!

What could you do?

I mean, you weren't gonna
give the money back.

You deserved it. Right?

You deserved it for the
vile and disgusting things

that father Duffy did to you.

And Theresa was the only
one that knew the truth.

And the truth would
die with her.

So what'd you do?

You went over there, you
opened a bottle of wine,

you popped a pill in her glass.

She drank it, she got wasted.

And boom!

- No.

- Father Duffy took
advantage of you.

You took advantage of Theresa.

And the abused
became the abuser.

The iPad note?

Remember that?

You know, I always knew that...

that she didn't write it,

but I-I was up all night

trying to figure out
what it really was.

Your confession.

"To whom it may concern.

"I took the money.

"I acted out of greed

"and poor character.

"Shame was too much to bear.

"What I have now done was
the only path left for me.

"I had no choice.

Johnny."

- I didn't mean to k*ll her.

I didn't want to k*ll her.

- No, you didn't mean to.

You didn't want to.

But you did.