19x07 - Anchors Away

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Law & Order". Aired: September 1990 to May 2010.*
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19x07 - Anchors Away

Post by bunniefuu »

NARRATOR: In the
criminal justice system

the people are represented by two
separate yet equally important groups,

and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

(GROWLING)

The new polar bear arrivals
flew in from Canada this afternoon.

Zoo officials say they
are acclimating well

and have asked for a tour
of Radio City Music Hall.

Kidding about that.

But they're really doing great.

Dawn, any word on names?

Not officially, Joe,
but sources tell me

the leading candidates
are Snowflake and Blizzard.

I'll stay on top of the story.

You always do. Thank you, Dawn.

Adorable as always, Dawn.

CAMERAMAN: We're clear.

Well, speaking
of stormy weather,

we'll be right back with
your five-day outlook.

If I'd known I'd end up
on the furry animal b*at,

I'd have gotten my masters in
zoology instead of journalism.

Tell me about it. I'm
still paying off my tuition

from film school.

You want a ride
back to the office?

No, thanks. I'm just
going to hop a cab home.

Okay.

Do you mind walking me to Fifth?

Okay.

911 call was from
the cleaning lady.

She came in this morning,

saw the place torn up,
and was on the phone

before she even saw the body.

All right. We got
a TOD yet, Doc?

Blood's still not dry.

That, plus the rigor
and body temp,

I'd say 11:00 p.m.,
give or take an hour.

No signs of forced entry.

What do you think,
gentleman caller?

She's fully clothed.
But we'll check it out.

Hey, there's a
jewelry box in there

dumped on the floor,
but nothing looks valuable.

Either it wasn't a robbery or
they just took the good stuff.

There's a computer power
brick but no computer.

This looks like a palm print

from where he leaned
over to unplug it.

Might have been
some hot story on it.

Our victim's Dawn Prescott,

the TV reporter, Channel 8 News.

Now she's the story.

Our news family
tonight is mourning

the shocking m*rder of our
esteemed colleague Dawn Prescott.

As journalists we have an
obligation to report this crime

no differently than any other,

but we pause now
to remember Dawn

not as a victim
of a brutal crime

but as a person, vibrant,
bright, determined to succeed.

Our sympathy and prayers go out

to Dawn's family and
friends at this difficult time.

Viewers with any information

are urged to call
the NYPD tips line.

CAMERAMAN: We're
clear. (BELL RINGING)

It's a terrible loss.

Dawn was the total package.

Looks, brains and heart.

Viewers were wild for her.

Anyone too wild? Like a stalker?

There wasn't anything
alarming on the radar.

What stories was she working on?

Whoever k*lled her apparently
took her notebooks and computer.

I'm not sure Dawn was
even using notebooks lately,

since the suits upstairs
made me put her

on the cute and fuzzy b*at.

Before that, she was
covering City Hall,

some work stories.

She was trying to work
her way back to actual news.

Why was she demoted?

You're kidding me, right?

You didn't see the pictures?

VAN BUREN: Tell
me that's evidence.

That's our victim,
Dawn Prescott.

Two months ago she
emailed some photos of herself

to Al Lee, a reporter
at another station.

She didn't realize that Mr. Lee

shared the email
address with his wife.

"Thanks for sending Al
those fabulous photos.

"Between your hard
body and lack of morals,

"I'm sure you're headed
places in this business.

"But if you ever contact
my husband again

"I'll tie those bikini strings

"around your
pretty little neck."

The pictures and the email
got leaked to a gossip web site.

Mmm. They teach that
in journalism school?

Ah, yeah, the
well-rounded professional.

Well, of course, I treasure my
photo of Ed Bradley in a Speedo.

(LAUGHS)

Well, her boss said
she had brains, too.

Yes, I think I can see them.

(BERNARD LAUGHS)

Who was it that
mentioned strangling her?

BERNARD: Sharon Lee.

LEE: There was no affair.

It was an innocent
misunderstanding.

So, "You ought to come down

"on one of these
Caribbean junkets, Al.

"Here's some photos
of what you're missing."

Maybe she had a crush on me.

I don't know. Nothing
ever happened.

I believe him. I
trust my husband.

But you were mad at Dawn.

Your emails made
that pretty plain.

Dawn and I cleared the air

after it all went on the web.

She apologized and she swore

she didn't know how it got out.

She was genuinely mortified.

It hurt her career.

Didn't do my career
any good either.

You know, my bosses
asked questions.

When was the last
time you saw Dawn?

At a press conference
one night last week.

We stopped for a
drink on the way out.

I heard that!

You had a drink with that woman?

At a press conference.

What's drinking have to
do with a press conference?

A liquor company
press conference.

We only talked for a minute.

(SIGHS)

She... She got some phone
call and she rushed out.

She said she was working
on something important.

About what? Baby penguins?

She wouldn't tell me.

But the guy she talked
to, she called him Steven.

LUPO: Yeah, check
all her call records.

Anyone named Steve or Steven

with a "v" or a "ph."

Yeah, thanks. Bye.

It's going to take a while.

She made 100 calls a day.

I thought Mrs. Lee
was gonna commit

another homicide
right in front of us.

You like her for
Dawn? Me neither.

You know, whoever leaked
that stuff to the website

really messed up Dawn's career.

Enemy action.

BERRY: I can't tell you
who sent them to me.

Well, if you try, I'm
sure that you can.

I have First
Amendment protections.

I have a press credential from
the Police Department, your people.

Ah, yes. "May be taken away

"by competent
authority at any time."

Says right there. Hey.

Finding a k*ller
outweighs your right

to publish anonymous gossip
in this authority's opinion.

Okay.

I don't know who sent them.

You... You really don't know?

Well, what... I mean, what
are we fighting for then?

The principle.

The stuff was sent in
via email, anonymously.

Okay, well, we're going to need

the date, the time, and
the name on the account.

After you. Thank you.

Are there any
suspects in the m*rder?

I can take it on
backgrounds, no attribution.

You set the rules.

Uh, we do have
one scoop for you.

Those photos and emails that
sent Dawn's career into the toilet,

they came from your computer.

What?

BERNARD: Mmm-hmm, right here.

Our techs traced it back
from a gossip website.

You were maybe
competitive with Dawn, right?

She was the up-and-comer?

That's ridiculous. I never
even saw those photos.

Everybody in New
York saw those photos.

Well, I didn't.

I had enough of
Dawn in the flesh.

When were they sent? Tell me.

January 19th.

I was in Washington
covering the inauguration

and I have 400,000
witnesses to prove it.

Is there anything else
you'd like to accuse me of?

I assume your computer
is password-protected.

Last time I checked.

I hardly use it anymore.

It's got one of those
damn viruses or something.

It locks up, eats files...

Can we borrow it?

Mmm. Talk about service.

Delivering the
report personally.

Well, I knew it
must be important.

Sure, Detective Bernard's got
a special interest in the case.

(LAUGHS)

That computer
doesn't have a virus,

but I did find a
software keylogger.

It captures every keystroke.

Logins, passwords, emails.

It's a pretty
sophisticated one, too.

Kernel based,
implemented as a rootkit.

You probably don't
care about that.

I care.

So, this keylogger
would allow someone

to access to Sue Martin's
password and use her computer?

And she wouldn't even know.

What do you want to bet,

the same person put a keylogger
on Dawn Prescott's computer

and used it to get those photos
and emails in the first place?

Someone with access
to the newsroom,

who wanted to spy
on two colleagues,

two younger,
better-looking colleagues.

If you all want to know
who did it, I can tell you.

He had the passwords
sent to his email address.

Well, that was pretty
stupid, wasn't it?

LUPO: That's one word for it.

Look, I got carried away.

You have no idea what
it's like around here.

It was self-defense.

Self-defense?

I have been anchoring
the news for 32 years.

When I started, we didn't
even have computers.

We had copy girls.

I have won every award in town.

I have an air of authority.

When I went into rehab
for my cocaine problem,

the station got 12,000 letters

asking them to bring me back.

That was in 1986.

Yeah, now in the 21st century,

Dawn and Sue Martin
are fresher faces.

Fresher, younger, cheaper.

Look, my contract
is up in six months.

I wanted to know who
they were talking to

and what they were
saying about me.

So you hacked into
both their computers.

Then you sent out those
photos to undermine Dawn.

Well, only because
she was stupid enough

to send them out
in the first place.

You don't think I had
anything to do with her death?

Did you?

No! I just looked
at their inboxes,

I deleted a few emails, and I printed
them all out so I could read them.

They gabbed so much,
I got a damn backlog.

MAN ON INTERCOM:
Joe, we're on air in five.

I don't... I don't suppose that I
could ask you to keep this quiet.

Of course not.

Coming up next...

Should beauty pageant
contestants be tested for dr*gs?

Only if you can administer
the tests, right, Joe?

Only if you're in
the pageant, Sue.

MARTIN: In other news tonight,

Mayor Bloomberg is licking
his wounds after his latest...

Look, this one is
from her to her agent.

"If I have to work
one more night

"with that pompous baboon,

"I'm going to pull my hair out."

"Can't we make a lowball
bid to get him canned,

"then go for a
higher fee later?"

Hey. Hmm?

Check out this email to Dawn.

"Your colleague Sue
Martin never got back to me."

Probably because
Delaney was screwing

with her account
and she never got it.

"So I'm bringing
this tip to you.

"Frederic Matson is
a hero on Wall Street,

"but his hedge
fund is a giant fraud.

"If you want to hear
more, reply to this address.

"You can call me Steven."

Steven.

That's the guy she was
talking to about a big story.

That's right. "Be very discreet.

"Breaking this story will make some
people very broke and very angry."

My father's always been a big
supporter of the Department's charities.

We bought two tables at the PBA
Widows' Fund banquet last month.

Well, we appreciate
your support, Miss Matson.

Dad, these are detectives.

Oh, no.

Have you been shoplifting
cigars again, dear?

(SIGHS) I put one in
my pocket at Davidoff's

and I forgot to pay
for it 25 years ago.

My wife has never
let me forget it.

(IRENE LAUGHING)

Don't you have some
curtains to shop for, dear?

Is there anything
I should stay for?

Uh, no. I don't think so.

I'll see you tonight
then, dear. Mmm-hmm.

Call me if you need me.

We're here about a television
reporter named Dawn Prescott.

The one who was m*rder*d.

That was a terrible thing.

What can I do?

Well, she might have been working
on a story about your company.

Hmm? What about it?

That news to you?

Well, yes. She
never talked to me.

Is everything okay
with the business?

(LAUGHING) Oh, it's a
terrible time for the markets.

We're suffering
like everyone else.

She was investigating
an allegation of fraud.

Same old song.

Lot of singing about
fraud around here?

Well, I've been very
successful for a very long time

and that kind of
success breeds envy

and the occasional
false accusation.

The SEC checks out every case,

and nothing has ever
amounted to a hill of beans.

Miss Prescott was
working with someone

that goes by the name of Steven.

Does that name
mean anything to you?

Steven Spielberg.

I'm on the board
of his foundation.

Hey, the list of complaints

about Frederic
Matson to the SEC.

It's a long list. Yeah.

The SEC ever
investigate for real?

The guy I spoke with said
Matson always supplied

adequate documentation
when questioned.

They never resorted
to subpoenas.

That's very trusting. Mmm.

Anyway, there's no one
there on that list named Steven.

Yeah, well, maybe he used a
fake name with Dawn Prescott.

He told her he was worried.

Vince Decker.

BERNARD: What?

Uh, Dawn's phone records.

There's no calls to
anyone named Steven

but there are a
dozen calls to a...

Yep, Vince Decker.

He's on the SEC list.

Hold on, hold on. I
got something on him.

Hey, yeah. Here.

Mr. Decker was a former employee
of Frederic Matson Securities.

He alleged
wrongdoing at the firm,

but Mr. Matson filed
a cross complaint

accusing him of embezzling.

The SEC referred it
to the District Attorney.

Which means it
would be in the system.

(KEYS CLATTERING)

"Yep, the embezzling
charge was never pursued.

"No credible evidence."

But good enough to
undercut the guy to the SEC.

Matson knows how
to play the game.

There's a flag next
to Decker's name.

Hastings PD, up in Westchester.

(COMPUTER BEEPS)

Vincent Decker was
m*rder*d last week.

PEDRAZA: He was
sh*t in his own backyard.

9 mm to the back of his head.

Wife was at work, kids
at school. No witnesses.

Anything taken from the house?

It was ransacked. Wife
couldn't say what was missing.

They left some
half-valuable silver behind.

What's the interest?

I know Decker used
to work in the city.

We're investigating the homicide

of a reporter named
Dawn Prescott.

9 mm? Nah, .22.

Still a coincidence, though.

Why is that?

Dawn Prescott called me.

Said she was doing a
story on Decker's m*rder,

wanted to know
everything I could tell her.

I watched her news show that
night, but the story never ran.

Vince Decker was Steven.

The SEC blew him off because
Matson threw his weight around,

so Decker brought the
story to Dawn Prescott

and she was pursuing it.

The story being that Frederic
Matson's hedge fund was a fraud?

Aren't they all?

Supposedly not this one.

And Matson wouldn't want others

hearing otherwise
on the evening news.

Okay. But did he know
Prescott was writing the story?

He told you that she
never talked to him.

Well, there are no calls to
him in her phone records.

Yeah, but she could have
talked to one of his investors,

and they tipped him.

Well, if someone told me my
investment manager was a fraud,

I'd try to get my money out.

We have a list of recent
activity from the SEC.

Last week, Sue Martin, the news
co-anchor, pulled her account.

So, Prescott told her
what she was working on?

Around that station, they
don't share birthday cake

without a food taster.

Was there any connection between
those people and Frederic Matson?

"The News on Eight
and Frederic Matson."

Everyone wants to make
their money grow these days,

and no one is helping
more people do that

than the Wizard of Wall Street.

Thank you for joining
us, Frederic Matson.

Now, you have amassed a fortune

larger than the GDP
of some small nations.

What is the secret
of your success?

The support of my family, Joe.

And compound
interest, of course.

(LAUGHS) Of course.

You and he seem pretty chummy.

That's my job. I have
to seem interested.

We checked with
the tape library.

Dawn Prescott
pulled this interview

two days before she was k*lled.

So?

So, she must have
been doing research.

She was doing a story on Matson.

Now, did she come to you for
help because you knew the guy?

No.

Did you know she was
working on the story?

Well, since Frederic
Matson isn't a fuzzy animal,

I would have thought no.

I thought Dawn
had her hands full

covering grade
school science fairs.

So, no idea she had information

that Frederic Matson
was a con artist?

No.

You pulled your money
out of his hedge fund, why?

I'm remodeling my kitchen.

Mmm.

Speaking of...

Looks like Matson's
fund is shutting down.

You got your money
out just in time.

I guess I did.

So, if we're done here, I
have a broadcast to prepare.

LUPO: You see the
story? Just noticed.

It's all over the wires.

Somebody at Bloomberg broke
the story that Matson is a fraud.

That is quite a scoop.

So did Joe ever tell you that

that scoop should
have been yours?

What?

Are we really going to
talk about this now? Here?

Talk about what?

BERNARD: Well,
Dawn was on the story,

but the tip came to you first.

Your co-anchor, he
deleted it from your email.

Right. Well, see, that
"computer virus" of yours?

Here he is.

You despicable
washed-up haircut.

Yeah, like you would have known

what to do with a
real story anyway.

Botox in the brain.

He told me. He said
Dawn came to him.

She was working on a
big story about Matson.

He didn't want her to be a hero.

And you agreed, remember?

Okay, so, Dawn
told him, he told you...

And you pulled your
money out of Matson's fund.

What else?

He told me he'd
make it a non-story.

He'd warn Matson
what Dawn was up to,

so Matson could issue a denial,

or cover-up his assets,
or just make it go away.

(TELEPHONES RINGING)

LUPO: Miss Matson? Miss Matson?

Is your father still here?

Of course. Where
do you think he'd be?

Brazil?

Dad, are you okay?

Detectives, come in, please.

Well, all things comes
to an end, don't they?

I confess.

To k*lling Dawn Prescott?

Oh, no, no. To fraud.
To very big fraud.

Fred.

Oh, that's all right, Irene.

This is all a sham.

(KNOCKING ON TABLE)

This doesn't exist.

Arrest me.

BERNARD: Let's go.

I never met Dawn
Prescott in my life.

I knew who Vince Decker was,

but I certainly didn't k*ll him.

They were both working very
hard to destroy your business.

Well, they could have
saved their breath.

The world economy
took care of that.

You said your
company was a fraud.

It was a Ponzi scheme.

Old investors were paid with
money from new investors.

Unfortunately, there's not an
infinite supply of new investors,

especially when the
Dow drops 6,000 points.

(DOOR OPENS)

Could you leave me alone
with my client, please?

He begged Lupo and
Bernard to bring him in.

You think he's talking fraud
to avoid talking m*rder?

I have no idea.

We don't get many like this one.

Book him on the fraud?

Yeah, for now.

BAILIFF: "Case number 46329.

"People v. Frederic Matson

"Scheme to Defraud
in the First Degree,

"Grand Larceny
in the First Degree,

"Falsifying Business
Records in the First Degree."

We expect to indict on
multiple counts, Your Honor.

The defendant has
admitted to swindling

more than 500 clients
out of $40 billion.

So, I guess appropriate
bail would be, oh, $20 billion?

Your Honor, my
client is not seeking

to be released on bail.

Come again?

Those are his
instructions to me.

ALLISTER: Very well.

Maybe he can get the
penthouse at Rikers.

(GAVEL BANGS)

(CLAMORING)

Come on.

The cops still like
Matson for m*rder, right?

CONNIE: Yeah.
They're still working it.

Doesn't he seem to be
acting more like someone

who knows who did it than
someone who did it himself?

Begging to be arrested,

he requested protective
custody at Rikers.

He's afraid he's
going to be next.

Who's he hiding from?

Could be any of the 500 clients

who lost the $40 billion.

Someone who knew
the business was shaky,

but wanted to keep
new money coming in

until he could get
his own money out.

So he k*lled the
snitch and the reporter,

so there wouldn't be a story.

Do you have the list
of Matson's investors.

Hmm, yes.

Hmm. What do you think?

Catholic Children's
Charitable Trust

might have popped
Decker and Prescott?

American Poetry Foundation.

That's a cutthroat
bunch. Mmm-hmm.

Russian oligarchs,
deposed monarchs.

Livan Santana.

Front man for the
Colombian cartel.

Uses drug money to invest
in legitimate businesses.

Wonder how he's enjoying the
downside of the business cycle.

SANTANA: You can
almost smell the grass.

We break ground in
Nassau County soon.

Over a million Latinos
within 10 miles of the arena.

That's many, many soccer fans.

You're not a little delayed
by losing the $100 million

you invested with
Frederic Matson?

So we cut back on
some of the skyboxes.

Are you here to pay a
condolence call for my money?

We wanted to talk to you about
Vince Decker and Dawn Prescott.

Of course.

You hear Santana,
you think dr*gs, g*ns.

I k*ll everybody all the time.

You two better be
careful when you leave.

(SCOFFS)

CONNIE: You knew about them?

Decker is a pain in the ass.

And Prescott, she's
a beautiful woman,

but a reporter, so a pain
in the ass by definition.

Did you know they
were working on a story

that would have shut off the flow of
new funds into Matson's hedge fund?

Miss Prescott should have
stayed with the polar bears.

But I didn't k*ll anybody,

although I would like
to strangle Matson.

(LAUGHS)

Figure of speech.

You saw Santana?

Yes. And he sends his regards.

If a friendly offer to
strangle you is regards.

Is he the reason you're
here, Mr. Matson?

Why you requested
protective custody?

CONNIE: We know
from your office records

you met with Santana
on a regular basis.

He was a client.

Did you tell him what Decker
and Prescott were working on?


Do you have reason to
believe that he had them k*lled?

What if he does?

David. No.

HAIG: Just a minute, Fred.

Pretend it's all true,

and Mr. Matson testifies
that Santana was aware

that Prescott and Decker were
jeopardizing his investment,

and that Santana made comments

indicating that he would
take care of the situation.

What happens to
the fraud charge?

It could be reduced.

I would need protection,
for me and my family.

It's not out of the question.

See what you can do.

It's out of the question!

Matson didn't just
steal from drug lords.

He stole from middle
class citizens, charities,

there is an orphanage in Staten
Island that has to shut down.

If we make any kind
of deal with Matson,

outraged citizens will tear
this building down brick by brick.

Just forget it.

And a gangster gets
away with two murders?

Find another way.

You need Matson's testimony?

Yes.

Where's his soft spot?
What does he care about?

He's worried about his family.

He wants us to protect them.

I have a better
idea. Arrest them.

Then, if he gives what
you need, let them go.

They worked in the hedge
fund with him, didn't they?

His wife is on the board.

His daughter's a
part-time consultant,

but she seems to
be out of the loop.

Yeah, Matson swears they had
no idea what was really going on.

You believe that?

Not necessarily. But there's
no evidence against them.

Find some.

EMMA: My parents' house
has already been searched.

My husband turned over hundreds
of boxes of materials, voluntarily.

This doesn't make any sense.

My parents are good people.

Mrs. Matson, is this
your private study?

It is. That's why it wasn't
covered by the search warrant.

BERNARD: New search warrant.

Why are you doing this?

My husband's confessed.

He's going to jail
for the rest of his life.

For fraud. This is a
m*rder investigation.

What m*rder?

This checkbook...

Who are these people?

Arnold Coleman and Hannah Daley.

They have "office"
next to their names.

My husband's assistants.

I wrote some of their
Christmas checks.

Good enough? I guess.

Mrs. Matson,
you're under arrest.

For Christmas checks?

The District Attorney's
will explain everything.

The checks demonstrate
financial involvement

with her husband's business,

which makes her a
coconspirator if not an accomplice.

You should both be ashamed.

This is bogus, and you know it.

You just want to
pressure her husband

into testifying against the
Colombian without giving him a deal.

I'm not hearing a denial here.

If Mr. Matson
chooses to testify,

the charge against Mrs.
Matson might be reduced.

Frederic won't do that, will he?

(CELL PHONE BUZZING)
He won't need to,

because the charge against you

is going to get booted as soon
as I get it in front of a judge.

If you honestly believe...

We'll have to finish this later.

We got Mrs. Matson prints
when she was booked.

They weren't in the
system before that.

They're a definite match?

They match the prints found
in Dawn Prescott's apartment,

where it appears someone
leaned over to unplug the computer.

The missing computer.

We were just using
Mrs. Matson as a lever.

Dumb luck, Counselor.
There's more.

We looked into Mrs.
Matson's cell phone.

Its GPS chip puts her
on Dawn Prescott's block

at the time of the m*rder,
when she got a call.

From who?

From her daughter.

Did I call my mother?

I call my mother all the time.

CONNIE: Well, this was
about 11:00 p.m., March 13th.

Would have been a Friday.

This isn't a good time.

Friends? Odd time for a party.

They are friends. They
invested with my father.

No one can believe
this is happening.

I can't believe
this is happening.

Well, we're sorry, but it is.

I keep thinking it
has to be a mistake.

That woman went to
elementary school with my father.

He wouldn't steal her money.

Do you remember the
night of March 13th?

My mother left
the restaurant early

because she didn't feel well.

I called her around 11:00 to
make sure she got home all right.

She said she was tucked
up in bed with a good book.

What does that have
to do with anything?

You called her
on her cell phone,

not the house phone, right?

The house phone didn't answer.

What difference does it make?

BAILIFF: "Case number 48916,

"People v. Irene Matson.

"Conspiracy to Defraud
in the First Degree."

Your Honor, we are withdrawing
that charge at this time,

as we now intend to charge
Mrs. Matson with m*rder.

The Matsons were
always together.

Shopping, theatre.

Jetting to their house in
France with their stolen money.

In half the photos I've seen
of them, they're holding hands.

She k*lled to protect
the family business.

I thought it was
falling apart anyway.

When she k*lled Dawn Prescott,

they still had hopes
of holding it together,

at least for a while longer.

What about Decker, the source?

Did she k*ll him, too?

She has an alibi for
the night he was k*lled.

And it was a different w*apon.

It's looking like
it was Santana,

who has temporarily
relocated to Cartagena.

But for Dawn Prescott,
we have her cell phone,

her fingerprints, her motive.

The motive's only good
if she knew Prescott

was working on an
expose. Did she?

The police asked
her the same question

when her husband
was the suspect.

Sue Martin told them that
Joe Delaney had warned her.

Who?

(EXHALES)

(LAUGHING) Well,
if you ask me, Joe,

that's a hell of a
way to make a living.

Uh, what can I tell you, Sue?

Maybe he likes broccoli.

We'll be right back with
your five-day outlook.

Those idiots.

DELANEY: You're
asking me to tell the world

that I ratted out a
fellow journalist, Dawn,

to the subject of her
investigation, Matson,

because of some
petty newsroom feud?

That about covers it.

Yeah. That... That would
be the end of my career.

That's what your co-anchor
told the police you did.

If you asked my co-anchor

to report on how
many fingers she has,

she wouldn't get
that right, either.

Are you saying you
didn't talk to Matson?

Actually, whether
I did or didn't

is covered by the
press shield law.

CUTTER: How?

I cannot be compelled to
divulge a confidential source.

Matson wasn't
telling you anything.

You were telling
something to Matson.

Sorry, can't discuss
it, journalistic privilege.

Joe told you he was working
on a story about Matson?

Joe wasn't working on a story.

Dawn was working on a story.

Joe was trying to
screw up the story.

That's not what he says.

He's pathetic.

Why do you need to know this?

To prosecute Mrs.
Matson for m*rder.

You didn't put this
conversation off the record.

No, we didn't.

So, Joe Delaney is obstructing
a m*rder prosecution.

What are you
going to do about it?

Can we go on background now?

We're considering
prosecuting him for m*rder.

Joe? m*rder?

If he knew that Dawn's
source had been k*lled

for blowing the
whistle on Matson,

then by telling Matson what Dawn
was up to, he put her life in danger.

That's reckless
endangerment. That's homicide.

Do you think Dawn
did tell Delaney

that her source
had been m*rder*d?

I'm sure she did.

She was running
around looking very upset.

Does anyone else
know about this?

It's an exclusive.

What in the hell did
you tell Sue Martin?

Sorry, journalistic privilege.

She comes running in to the
news director with a big scoop.

I am being arrested for m*rder.

She wants to lead the
broadcast off with it without me!

What's more upsetting? The story
or the fact that she's delivering it?

Do you understand what
you are asking of me?

Yes. To do the right thing.

A m*rder charge against
me will never hold up.

Maybe not, but it
would be fun to try.

Thirty-five years ago, I won
an Overseas Press Club award

for my coverage
of the fall of Saigon.

Now...

I make happy talk with
morons in low-cut dresses.

My career has been
dead for a long time.

I just... I just haven't
had the decency to bury it.

What do you need me to say?

We've got Delaney's testimony.

He told Matson what
Dawn was working on.

And since the Matsons
apparently discussed everything,

there's no doubt he
passed it on to his wife.

No doubt? No reasonable doubt.

We're running Mrs. Matson's
wardrobe for traces of blood,

checking her country
house for a g*n.

She's not a pro. The
police will find something.

So, she goes up for 25 to life.

We're piling the
counts on Matson,

two of his investors
k*lled themselves.

He'll do a thousand years.

Their love story
ends at Sing Sing.

(CELL PHONE RINGING)

Yeah?

It's Matson.

Mr. Matson is prepared to
testify now without preconditions.

CUTTER: Testify about what?

Santana.

He k*lled Vince Decker,
and he k*lled Dawn Prescott.

The timing of this is
a little, uh, convenient.

You're charging my wife with
a m*rder she didn't commit.

Santana k*lled Decker.

Not by himself, he told me

that he'd had him taken care of.

He asked me if there
were any loose ends.

He didn't want any bad news

about the fund until
he got his money out.

The man terrified me.

I told him about Dawn Prescott

and the story she
was working on.

And he told me,
she'd be dealt with.

And you expect
us to believe this

and just let your
wife walk free?

My wife didn't know
anything about Dawn's story.

I told Santana,
but I didn't tell her.

We've still got the evidence
against Mrs. Matson

The cell phone, the palm print.

And they have the
Colombian drug lord

who probably
k*lled Vince Decker.

Jury's going to flip a coin.

Well, Santana can get
people k*lled, even in prison.

Testifying against him could
be su1c1de and Matson knows it.

He must really love his wife.

It's actually kind of touching.

You know what?

She loves him, too.

We have a case
against you, Mrs. Matson,

but your husband's
offered an alternate theory

that we're obliged to explore.

We've prepared an
extradition request

to the Colombian authorities,

but we need as much
evidence as we can to support it.

Evidence against whom?

Livan Santana.

Apparently he made
incriminating statements

to your husband
about both murders.

We'll need you to
sign this statement.

Fred, what are
they talking about?

Your husband has agreed
to testify against Mr. Santana.

Fred! Have you lost your mind?

It's all right, Irene, I
know what I'm doing.

You're letting him do this?

It's what he wants.

They'll k*ll him.
They'll k*ll you.

What did he tell you? That
Santana made statements?

What kind of statements?

About murdering Mr. Decker

and planning to
m*rder Miss Prescott.

He's lying. Santana
never said anything.

Irene...

I sat in every
meeting with that man.

Fred was afraid of him. He
never said anything like that.

I had other meetings
with him, Irene.

Where? When?

Let it go.

I'm not going to let
them send you to prison.

Oh, Freddie.

No.

For the rest of
your life, Irene.

I can't stand to
think about that.

So you'd rather be dead?

Freddie...

I went to see that girl.

I knew what she was doing.

We only needed
a little more time.

There were some Arabs
that were wanting to invest.

I offered her money. She didn't
want money, she just wanted a story.

She kept asking me questions.

I was not there to
answer questions.

She wouldn't listen to reason.

She wanted to
destroy us, Freddie.

You and me. After 30 years.

I... I couldn't let that happen.

No, no, baby.

No, no.

(SOBBING)

I know I speak for
everyone here, Joe,

when I say you're
going to be missed.

Oh, and I will miss
the news, Sue.

In fact, I already do.

So, what are you going to do

besides sit in the
old porch swing?

Actually, I'm thinking of writing
a book about the justice system.

That's a book I'm
not going to read.

Mike, Ms. Matson came to see us.

I don't know where else to go.

I'm being threatened. By whom?

I don't know.

There've been phone
calls, a note to my apartment.

People blame me
for what my father did.

The police say they
can drive by my building,

but only once in a while.

Maybe you should
get out of town.

To where? My
parents are both in jail.

I don't have any money.

I invested in my
father's hedge fund.

I'll walk her down
to Victims' Services.

Nice parents, huh?

They love each other, but
they don't love anyone else.
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