08x01 - Playing Dead

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent". Aired: September 30, 2001 – June 26, 2011.*
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NYPD detectives of the Major Case Squad use unconventional methods to solve crimes.
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08x01 - Playing Dead

Post by 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.

Know what my father said
about him?

Greatest mayor ever.

Could charm a bird
out of a tree.

You'll have your own plaque
some day.

You mean, as soon as I get
over this bump in the road.

Be calm, respectful. Ma.

Like you always say,

today's headlines wrap
tomorrow's fish.

Chris Palarno.

Who invited him?

I did.

Let them see we're friendly.

We have nothing to hide.

I'm your campaign manager.

You should have told me.

Mr. Palarno, did you remodel
the councilman's house

in exchange for city projects?

Councilman Hayes-Fitzgerald,

was Mr. Palarno's work
on your home a form of a bribe?

Okay, okay.

No one is hiding
from a full explanation

why a tabloid made headlines

from some
of our accounting errors.

The bribery scandal was
just the sizzle.

Next comes the steak.

Unless I'm made happy.

50 gs by tomorrow.

No way he lies his way out
of the next headline.

I want my money now.

I thought we said no more.

We gotta bluff him, baby.

Shh-shh.

Abre LA Puerta!

You saw.

I turned the heat down
with one press conference.

A couple of more,
and it's gone.

I still get
my big muni projects, though.

We can't nurture allegations
of a quid pro quo.

Whoever hacked into our emails

is stealing money
out of my pocket.

I don't like it.

Chris, things will come up
in the private sector.

Tonight at the museum board's
dinner,

we'll put your name in front
of all the right people.

Main thing is... nothing rash.

Yeah.

Mrs. Hayes-Fitzgerald, can
the kids have some ice cream?

Oh, it makes them too hyper.

Come on, Josie.

Okay, I'm outnumbered.

But only one scoop.

If Stacy calls,
tell her I'm on my cell.

Oh, goody,
we're gonna get ice cream.

She hasn't called in days,
Neil.

I still can't believe it.

Oh, you heard the call.
Someone's bringing cash.

I'm so glad we didn't have
to, you know,

do the other thing.

Now, Aruba's got
topless beaches.

Oh, you wanna get high?

Get high on this.

Here we go. Payday.

Uhh!

Uhn!

Stacy?

Stacy, it's mom.

Stacy?

When I heard who she was,

I figured
major case should be on this.

It's a tough week for
councilman Hayes-Fitzgerald.

A bribery scandal
and his daughter's the victim

of a sh**t.

Yeah, I'm told
she's actually his stepdaughter.

And he is?
Richard Siebert.

25. Unemployed.
Live-in boyfriend.

Not the nice guy you bring home
to meet the folks.

Is this her place? His?

Her parents pay the rent.

Did she talk to anybody
before they took her

to Bellevue?

Uh, when I got here, she was
already in the ambulance.

You should take that computer
in for a complete download.

Looks like there's interest
in her stepdad's problems.

From the notes on these margins,

it looks like she enjoyed them.

I just spoke
with the E.R.

A b*llet was removed
from the girl's left shoulder.

It's the same b*llet
that went through him,

so it's pretty deformed.

She'll be okay.

So the deadbolt is not broken,

but the jam is splintered.

Detective, you're him.

So he comes to the door,

he unlocks the bolt,

the k*ller hears that,
and he kicks the door in.

You jump back.

Grabs the lamp.

Throws it.

And Stacy's on the couch.
She jumps up.

He turns to protect her.

The k*ller fires again.

The b*llet passes through him,
hits her.

He hits the ground, bleeds out.

Why was he moved?

The mother found Stacy pinned
under him.

Under his dead body?
For how long?

From the lividity,
three or four hours.

Maybe she saved herself
by playing dead.

Or the k*ller only wanted him.

We'll do a vehicle canvas
in the area.

You want me to be in pain.

You heard what she said.
No more pain medication.

You want me to be punished.

Stacy, this is withdrawal
that you're experiencing,

I don't mean to be so blunt,

but we need you to remember
what happened

when it's fresh in your mind,
okay?

I don't remember anything.

I left.

You mean you tried to escape?

No.

We need to know what happened.

After I was sh*t,
I could feel him

in the room with me,
so I had to go.

I went away.

Like I was watching,
but I wasn't.

But I am in pain now.

Real pain.

So councilman
Hayes-Fitzgerald's daughter

was sh*t in what appears
to be a drug crime.

It's actually his stepdaughter.

Her mother was widowed.
Whatever.

My hope is a quick resolution

that doesn't antagonize
a powerful politician

over an errant family member.

Chief of DS is coming by.

So far, it has the look

of a drug deal gone bad.

They were packed
for a flight to Aruba,

new clothes, new luggage.

Rick Siebert might have stiffed
the wrong dealer.

I'll tell them a full canvass

is checking into
who that might be.

Start a canvass, and suddenly
every douche bag's got a story.

The story on you
from the landlord

is that you were banging
on Rick Siebert's door,

screaming threats.

Was that for dr*gs or money
or both?

I got nothing to say.

Really, you're not worried

about threatening
a m*rder victim?

Guys, I'm on the job.

Check with OCCD. Gonzo ruiz.

All right, you just give me
a shove then.

I'm outta here.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, sit down.

All right.
Let's talk about Rick Siebert.

I bought Siebert's debt.

They put me
into play in his neighborhood.

You wouldn't buy a debt
knowing it was bad.

That'd make you look stupid.

He's a dumb kid from Jersey
hooked on dr*gs.

Always scheming his way
on the street,

and people fronted him
'cause he said

big family money was coming.

From her family.

Everybody knew who she was.

And Siebert said
her family owed them.

Whatever that means.

Turns out Rick Siebert
had a marketable skill.

These files from his laptop

have Hayes-Fitzgerald's
personal emails.

He hacked in.
What did he get?

Well, for one thing
correspondence

between the councilman
and his contractor

that fed the tabloids.

Could be the family money
he was talking about.

But the k*lling was
after he sold to the tabloids.

Revenge?

Or maybe he threatened
something bigger to come?

Rick Siebert wasn't welcome
in our home.

Unfortunately, that meant
we didn't see much of Stacy.

But you paid her rent.

Well, we knew he was gonna
sponge off of her.

But it kept her
from sleeping in the street.

Even with Rick Siebert's
failings,

he was a computer whiz.

I mean, he hacked
into your emails.

Siebert sold that stuff
to the tabloids?

He never made demands on you?

For a bigger payday
than what he got at the ledger?

Those stories are fabricated
from accounting errors.

I would never have given him
anything anyway.

He told people
he had more money coming.

Maybe for material
of even greater value.

He was a delusional cr*ck head.

Why would you listen to him?

And Stacy?

Let's leave Stacy out of this.

I don't think she had anything
to do with it.

You honestly believe that?

Can you prove otherwise?

I didn't think so. Ahem.

I have a meeting.

Very forgiving
toward his stepdaughter

who nearly got him knocked out
of a mayoral race.

Let's talk to the contractor
who stands to lose millions

in city projects.

I was at a bar, Harley's,
having a beer,

watching the game
with some of my guys.

Who will back you up
to keep their jobs.

Who will tell the truth.

Why would I want to k*ll
that punk?

I didn't even know him.

Rick Siebert, he smeared you
with some very inside dirt.

Sticks and stones, detective.

On the news, you said
you'd find the creep

who spread those lies
and deal with him.

I was mad.
Maybe I meant it a few days ago.

But Providence stepped in.

Providence could have been
someone you hired.

Oh, please, I'm losing trade
from tabloid headlines.

I'm gonna compound my problems?

I'm gonna risk the whole
operation by hiring a hit?

Okay, Harley's till what time?

Last call.
I got business.

Mom, you don't need to wait.

I'll get a cab.

You're not going back
to your place.

It's too dangerous.

Like I'm going with you.

I'm over 18.
I can go where I please.

Which is why you're here.
Thank God you're alive.

I can get by on my own.

Based on recent events,
I think you need us

more than we need you.

Josie, did you tell her about
Sophie's little hunger strike?

What?

She misses you, Stacy.

Both kids want you home.

And they found cr*ck
in that apartment.

So you could face
drug possession charges.

You're gonna need us.

Just like you did before.

Did you know
Rick Siebert was an addict?

Why didn't Stacy live with you?

Excuse me, addict or not,
the death of a young man

and the wounding of our child
is a tragedy.

He is slick.

Hayes-Fitzgerald
just tap-danced

very effectively to the tune
of Siebert's death.

Must be in his genes.

His great-grandfather
was a tammany ward heeler.

And then he was made
building commissioner

when his predecessor was found

floating
under the 59th street bridge.

Hayes-Fitzgerald.
What's with the fancy hyphenate?

Hayes is his mom's side
of the family.

Now they've run city hall
on three occasions.

Which might have given her

some useful connections.

These are the files
that Rick Siebert hacked into.

This all
from the councilman's emails?

He has correspondence
on rare wines.

A chat room for oenophiles.

Not worth a headline
in the ledger.

Yeah, but the effort
that Rick made

to put all this stuff together,
put it all into files...

You know, it's like he had
the scent of something

he thought was real value.

So, attacking
your stepfather's career,

was that Rick's idea or yours?

He knows?
We've spoken about it.

But he doesn't believe
you were involved.

He's certain
it was all Rick's idea.

Well, it was.
Just for money.

Stacy, you wrote, um,
"screw the bastard"

on the margin
of one of the articles

about your stepdad, and...

To me, that seems like anger.

I'm home now.

I won't talk about that.

She shouldn't have to.

Stacy, like many young girls,
went through a...

Rebellious phase,
but we're all back together now.

Let's talk about the sh**t.

Any facial hair? Scars?

Piercings?

He had a hat on.
His sleeves were pushed up.

On his wrists and arms,
he had tattoos.

Snakes or barbed wire.

Do you think
he thought you were dead?

I don't know.

He just sh*t, looked us over,
and left.

If the K*llers
were after drug debt,

would have k*lled 'em,
you know,

see that they were packed
for Aruba...

And tear the place open
looking for dr*gs, money.

Leaving the girl,
it's not a pro's move

unless they had
specific instructions.

I mean, that brings it
closer to home.

We should file a court order
for Camille's laptop.

Yeah, and the wine
correspondence thing,

it sounds like, you know,
like old mob code.

You know, like, "Tony needs
a shirt and a half

by mother's day,"
blah, blah, blah.

We'll check on
the councilman's true passion

for the grape.

The councilman leaves
most selections to me.

Last month, I sent him
this Saint julienne.

Full-bodied.
Long, beautiful finish.

Yeah, the councilman,
he keeps going on and on

about a Chateau Jeunesse
'94 cab, right?

But it's a boire
dans sa Jeunesse.

He wouldn't order that now.

Why not?

Well, you're supposed
to enjoy it in its youth.

You know, seven to ten years
after its bottled.

The councilman
has a fine palate.

You know, we'd like to review
his purchases

in the last six months.

We can't disclose
this information.

Unless we shut you down
for a forensic audit.

A print-out would do, huh?

Couple of emails here

where the wine buddies
are talking

about a '97 Rioja.

The councilman never ordered
any Rioja.

Well, same thing
as the Jeunesse cab.

He never purchased it.

It's a code.

Looks like
our vehicle canvass paid off.

An '06 black van was ticketed
for blocking a driveway

half a block from Stacy's place
at 3:28 A.M.

Security cameras picked up
an illegal port entry

eight blocks away
from Stacy's place.

Same late model black van
at 3:46 A.M.

So the k*ller sh**t Siebert.

15 minutes later,
he parks his van

by the river
and dumps the w*apon.

Yeah.
We'll get the divers on it.

Any registration?

The van is registered

to a Toscano trucking company
in Brooklyn.

We're looking
for Toscano trucking.

Who wants to know?

Is this the correct address
for the trucking company?

He's got the whole third floor.

And his name is?

Di Rogga.

If he got problems
with the cops,

I have other people
who want that lease.

I'll tell you all about
Thursday's game in Philly.

Forget about it.
You should know me by now.

I never bet college baskets.

That's a degenerate's game.

Mr. Di Rogga.

We're here 'cause we need
something moved.

What?
This is a trucking company.

Everyone's out
on long hauls right now.

Well, we're here
on a short haul.

You from here
to our headquarters.

Well, that would involve
my lawyer.

You're quite a dedicated
fisherman, Mr. Di Rogga,

buying a boat midwinter.

It's the right economy
to buy anything.

And paying to dry-dock it
the rest of the winter?

So where did you get
that 19,000 in cash from?

It wasn't half that much.

The guy was dying
to get rid of it.

Hmm, your New York
registration number.

The seller, Mr. Owens,

listed the purchase price
as $19,500.

We'd really like to know
where that money came from.

It was a token of appreciation.

I have a small trucking business
that hauls antiques

for wealthy clients.

They appreciate the care
I take.

And they give you wads of cash?

Oh, don't worry.

Come tax time, I'll report it.

Can I see your hand?

Sure.

See something you like, I'll set
you up with my manicurist.

Well, you know,
our divers recovered

this Walther PPK .380

from the river.

Specifically from the port

where your van was spotted
making an illegal entry.

You know, the funny thing
is about a Walther PPK

is that it has a short grip.

You know, see,

when you load the clip,
you can pinch your little finger

very similar
to the pinch that you have.

You have nothing tying
that g*n to my client.

We've been very cooperative.

But I think
we're finished here.

One more thing.

Can you pull up your sleeves?

Looking for something special?

We're done, Johnny.

He's very smart.
Used a temporary tattoo.

Deliberately kept
his sleeves up

to draw attention
away from his face.

Are you coming up now, honey?

Did you take your pill?

Mm-hmm.

I'll be up in a minute.

Don't even say it.

I can't help it.

Why you picked her.

Why not the girl
from the upstate family?

Money, serious clout in Albany.

Enough, ma.

Josie has been very...

Accepting.

Stacy, honey?

Just a minute.

You shouldn't be in here
all alone.

You're on medication.

Then I'll get out.

I need that towel.

Remember how you liked that?

Please don't.

You'll always be my girl.

You'll always be my girl.

Type and cross.
Prepare for intubation.

Breathe her.
I got a BP. 70 palp.

Please, you got to save her.
Please!

Okay, okay, okay.
Okay, shh, shh, shh.

Dr. Lansing,
our attending psychiatrist,

wants to stop by
when you feel you're ready.

He needn't bother.

You're on su1c1de watch
until he approves your release.

I'm in no hurry to leave.

The information
you gave us about Rick,

it was very helpful.

I'm glad someone was helped.

I was wondering
if you're feeling well enough

to look at some photos.

Just, if you see the man
that you described,

just tell me, okay?

Do we know why he sh*t Rick?

No, we don't know that yet.

We just need
a few more minutes.

She needs her rest.

Maybe you could just go
back over there.

I'm fine.

Actually, I don't think
I'm ready

to do something like this.

It's okay.

You've been through a lot.

I understand.

It must have been tough being
in that situation back at home.

You don't know anything
about that.

That's not true.

I came from a bad home.

You said...

When bad things are happening,
you need to...

Take yourself away
to another place.

That's what I used to do.

I used to just want
to lift myself up

and take myself
to another place.

You know, so I could see things
from somewhere else.

Maybe it was just the cr*ck.

I think we both know that
that's not true.

I know what you're thinking.

You're wrong.

My life has been
about saving Stacy from herself.

I homeschooled her
in the ninth grade.

Well, that can't have been
easy with your new baby.

We had good help.

We were all in Europe
that year.

Come here, Sophie.
Let mommy tie your shoe.

And they had me.

I have friends who stayed
in their villa.

It was magnificent.

Is that detective
still in there with her?

Yes.

You can't hold Stacy
to anything

she says
after what she's been through.

But she'll be home,
part of our family again.

Like our time in Siena.

That was real happiness.

They moved to Europe.

Odd choice for a politician
with a hot career.

You know, we subpoenaed
Stacy's records

from Dalecrest High.

And she'd been acting out.
They recommended therapy.

But instead her parents pulled
her out for homeschooling.

Well, some people view therapy

as an indictment
of their parenting skills.

There's a bigger reason
to duck out of therapy:

Sexual abuse by her stepfather.

That's a headline to die for

if Siebert knew about it.

Yeah, we don't have
direct evidence,

but, you know, I think
he might have been onto it.

Hayes-Fitzgerald's wife
could have known.

And Camille?
Anything on the laptop?

Uh, some cryptic emails.

She refers to a potentially
volatile situation.

Use it.

Find the raw nerve that breaks
through the family wall.

So has the inconvenience
caused me by taking my laptop

been of some value?

We're curious
about this volatile situation

you've mentioned
in your emails to Neil.

Volatile situations are
a daily occurrence in politics.

Well, I'll bring you
closer to home.

You raised money for
the Hayes-Fitzgerald library,

the beautification
of Van-Cortlandt Park,

and St. Lioba's,
a shelter for runaway teens.

The strange thing about that,

this shelter got three times
what the others got.

Why should
my personal charities be

of any concern to you?

Well, these other fundraisers,

they're longstanding projects.

But your interest
in St. Lioba's

surfaced just a few years ago.

Shortly after Stacy left
Dalecrest High.

Investigating an addict's
death does not give you

the right to question
my personal generosity.

I've had enough.

I'm calling the commissioner.

It's a raw nerve, huh?

They have nothing.

But they're fishing.
I'm worried.

We don't want them
in Stacy's records.

I'm gonna call
the shelter director.

If I had taken one
of these lucrative positions

I was offered
in the private sector,

I'd be immune to this grief.

That's not who you are.

That is not who we are.

The powerful in city governments
are a dying breed.

The Daleys in Chicago,
a handful of others.

This is our time, son.

In an age of weakness,
you have a chance at real power.

Stacy is coming home,
everybody.

That's great.

The kids really miss you.

Sophie, tell your sister
how you feel

when she's not around.

Sad. You wanna come home,
don't you?

It's not that.

You know I love you, cutie.

Oh, back again?

This is becoming harassment.

We're looking for the man
who sh*t Stacy.

Why would that be a problem?

I just don't want
her pressured.

Come on, kids. Let's go.

We'll be in the hall.

Bye, Stacy.

Excuse me.

I just saw him...

You don't want him touching you?

Stacy, it's hard for victims

of this sort of thing
to have a normal relationship.

Rick Siebert...

Might have caught on
to what was...

Yeah.

He knew what happened.

Not at first.

He asked me a lot of stuff.

Like...

Why I ran away and...

What the shelter was like.

St. Lioba's.

Rick might have threatened
blackmail

far beyond any kind
of political scandal.

Which could have meant jail time
for your stepdad.

And that's why Rick was k*lled.

Down here, Jessica.

So how should I make you
feel at home?

This is like
your own private club.

Yeah, where I relax, enjoy
the pleasures of fine wine.

I have a Calvados
that once belonged to Napoleon.

So it's from
like 100 years ago?

More like 200.

Can you still drink it?

Absolutely.

Ah, you're cold.

I have to keep it chilly in here
to protect the wine.

Here. Let me do you up.

Thanks for the tour.

I really appreciate your time.

I know how busy you are.

How about I talk to some people

at city hall about
a summer internship program?

That'd be awesome.

Daddy, daddy.
Ah, who's my girl?

Me.
My girl and no one else's.

Forever and ever.
Ever and ever.

When I saw she'd gone,
I had to call you.

I guess we'll just play games.

There's a reason
why she doesn't want to share

a roof with your husband.

I think we all know
what that is.

Stacy says things,

but she's not always telling
the truth.

At what point
do you stop lying?

How did he do it?

Diminish you?

Make you feel unworthy
of a man of his stature?

How does someone justify
what he did?

Oh, God.

How did you justify it?

When the two of you met,
she was around 12.

I've seen photos of her.
She was a beautiful girl.

Did you consciously use that?

No, my God, no.

It... it just happened.

And it happened again
and again and again.

He loved me.

And you paid for that
with access to your daughter.

It's not just me.

Stacy's unstable.

The dr*gs and Rick.
Rick was a shelter for her.

She talked about him
like he was a hero.

Well, you weren't there
for her.

She had to have someone
to go to.

Oh.

It's true.

I was afraid
of losing everything.

She ran away before.
Where did she go?

To Rick.

Always to Rick.

You knew I'd be here?

Wasn't hard to figure out.

Don't have anyone else
to go to.

Doesn't say much about me.

Everyone calls him a lowlife.

Well, you did deserve better.

I had to get away.

Look, you shouldn't go away
this time.

You have a responsibility,
you know,

for somebody that you love,

somebody that you
care about, Sophie.

She's only a baby.

Neil wouldn't actually...

Maybe not.

But, you know, people
with his sickness,

you know, their patterns...
they don't change.

And he's gonna molest
other girls.

He will hurt her.

She's his blood.

You want to take that chance?

Abandon her
like your mother abandoned you?

Is that what you want to do?

You know?

Mm-hmm.

I thought it would be nice
for the two of you

to be together, you know,
since you're so close.

Drop it.

My father hired and fired
police commissioners.

I know how you work.

Of course you do.

So...

Rick Siebert was very interested
in your correspondence

with your wine pals.

What's he talking about?
I don't know.

Something he never shared
with you?

In these emails to your pals,

you say that there's
a special Chateau Jeunesse '94

that you're longing to savor.

That was a joke.

I know better
than to hang on to a Jeunesse.

Yeah, right.

But these are not about wine.

It's code.

'94 is the year

that your babysitter was born,
Jessica.

And in these emails you brag

to your...
your pedophile buddies

that you would have sex
with her.

Are you insane?

We have a witness.

Stacy saw you and Jessica
come up from the wine cellar.

That's where this all happens,

isn't it?

Stacy's brain is damaged
by dr*gs.

I mean, you can't make a case

with her testimony
about anything.

How dare you.

So you lied to them.

I've given a statement.

How you took me
to the wine cellar.

What you did.

You came from nothing.
Fatherless.

And you turn on us

with these disgusting
fantasies?

The teen shelter didn't think
they were fantasies.

Especially after they found out
she was pregnant.

And you took her to Europe?

To some secluded villa?

Where was it, Siena?

Right?

Sophie's my proof.

She's my daughter.

My sister and my daughter.

Feel good to tell someone,
Stacy?

How you danced around in your
underwear, getting me excited?

Did you leave that part out?

I was a child.
A child!

You better get
the whole story down.

Because that's exactly
how it's gonna go in court.

Not just what I did,
but what you did.

I can't!

I can't do it.

I'm too ashamed.

No, no, the shame will be his.

Okay? Not yours.

You can trust us.

So I guess
this interview is over.

Oh, you can go.
But you'll be back.

In handcuffs.

On a perp walk.

Oh, face it, detectives.

I mean, without her,
what have you got?

The effort
that you put into him,

it's all been cursed
because of this weakness of his.

Shut the hell up.

Mom, we're out of this.

You're not out of this.

All the dreams that your mother
had for your future,

that's all gone.

You just threw all that away.
You're not out of this.

Mom, they have no case.

I mean, we can b*at it.

Look at him.

I'm sure
you've seen this before.

"Mama, please, mama.
Save me, mama."

Shut up, I said!

All the time
that you've put into him...

Your sacrifice was wasted.

What sacrifice?

Camille, your phone records...

The phone calls back and forth
to Rick Siebert...

On his disposable cell.

You did everything you could
to meet the demands

of his blackmail.

I only made phone calls
to determine Stacy's well-being.

Doubling back
charity contributions

to get the payoff money
for Mr. Di Rogga.

That you did for your son.

You're better than I thought.

Better at what?

Meaningless allegations? Mom!

I'll go to the right people,
get this turned around.

I've always been able
to turn things around.

You?

You didn't deal
with Rick Siebert.

What?

Your mother hired Di Rogga
to k*ll Rick Siebert.

And you expect me
to believe that.

Okay, see,
I don't believe that.

Of course not.
You think you just got lucky.

One more time everything
just worked out for you.

I honestly didn't know
anything about this.

I mean, if there was a plan

to k*ll Siebert,
I had no part of it.

How quickly he scrambles

to distance himself.

Oh, that can't surprise you.

I'm sure he's done it before.

And denied it.

Your life is blessed
because of me.

Because I dared to hope to...

I dared to dream
that you would have the stones

to go the distance,
but I was wrong.

Ma!

Please don't say these things.

Not in front of them!

I covered for you
a thousand times

in a thousand different ways.

And here we are!

There's nothing more
that I can do for you.

Stop crying!

It doesn't mean that I don't...

That I don't still love you.

Because I love you.

I still...

I love you.

I love you.
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