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Recap / Law & Order S4E17 "Mayhem"

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Directed by James Quinn

Written by Michael S Chernuchin, Rene Balcer, & Walon Green

At 6:40 AM, in Battery Park, two police officers ride horses on patrol. One, Kelly, mocks the other for losing money by betting money on the Miami Heat. They ride pass a beggar, and the other cop yells at him to get up. They continue on their way, Kelly still ribbing his partner, until they arrive at a car with Texas license plates. Thinking that there are two lovers in the car, they dismount to go tell the couple to leave. The other officer opens the door, and a man with an obvious bullet hole in his head falls out of the car.

The officer tells Briscoe and Logan that he found the body, and that he thought it was just a couple of teenagers who had stayed out after a party. Logan asks about other witnesses, and the cop says that the only one is the beggar. The officers go to the beggar, who is introduced by another officer, Estes, as Jerome. Jerome is clearly nursing a hangover, and all he knows is that someone gave him $10 and he bought alcohol with it. He doesn't remember anything else clearly.

"Ten dollars? That's a lot of money. I had to celebrate."
"After the party, did you see anything?"
"St. Francis of Assisi."
—Jerome and Michael Logan

The CSU worker checking out the car reports that the victim's name is Ken Scofield, and that there was a woman in the car with him before he died — a woman's bra and shirt are still there. Then another officer, Keith, comes up. A half-naked woman was found trying to hail a cab at the other end of the park.

The detectives arrive back at the station at 7:42. Van Buren tells them about the woman, Jill Templeton. Templeton, says Van Buren, insists that it was her first date with Scofield.

"She made a lasting impression."
—Michael Logan

The detectives go to talk to Templeton while Van Buren tries to find Scofield's next of kin.

Templeton, her voice slurry, says that she barely knew Scofield. She says that she met him through work; a magazine she worked at used him as a model. That night, they partied at a club, then went to the park. Briscoe asks why they didn't go to Scofield's place but instead had sex in a car in the park, and she says that he lived too far away, in Connecticut. She says that they wanted to see the stars, hence them staying out in the park. The detectives wonder what happened next. She insists that she didn't hurt Scofield. Her story is that someone was staring at them in the car. Scofield told him to go away, and the other person opened fire and hit Scofield. Logan says that Templeton will have to talk to a sketch artist, and Templeton agrees. She immediately says that the shooter wore thick glasses with black frames. Briscoe asks why Templeton didn't call the police, and she can only say that she was scared.

Scofield's manager tells the detectives that he was an excellent model, and had just moved to New York from Amarillo, Texas, with his fiancé. Originally, Scofield was supposed to work in soap operas, but it didn't work out—he had an attractive face, but little in the way of acting abilities. There was a lot invested in Scofield, though, so he went to work in magazine shoots — he hadn't yet made back the company's investment in him. Logan remarks that, since Scofield lived in Greenwich, he must have had some money, but the manager is surprised by that. She says that just the other day she gave him a cash advance so he had rent money.

Ken's fiancé, a waitress named Dory, doesn't believe that Scofield was at a club or that he was with anyone else. She insists that Ken wouldn't cheat on her. Logan finally tells her that they found Templeton, so she breaks down. Dory admits that she knew Scofield was cheating, but thought that it was a just a phase.

"I knew that he would stop as soon as we got married."
—Dory

She says that Scofield didn't have any enemies, or even any friends — they both worked too much to socialize. She didn't even see him the previous day; she was working a double shift and had no time off. She insists that Scofield didn't love his girlfriends but only loved her.

Outside, Logan jokes to Briscoe about a physical therapist he was seeing recently. When she heard a message on his machine from another woman, she became enraged — and unlike Dory, she hadn't just moved to New York from Texas.

"Give me her number. I'm into pain."
—Lennie Briscoe

At 9:10, the detectives talk in the ballistics lab with the technician. He says that the gun was a .44, then steps out for a moment. Briscoe thinks this would be an overly large gun for Dory, and Logan remembers that Templeton mentioned someone watching them. He speculates that Dory hired or asked someone to shoot Scofield. Briscoe is skeptical. The technician comes back in, but when Briscoe says they'll call him if they get the gun, he says that the bullet is smashed and useless for forensic purposes.

Briscoe and Van Buren look at the sketch of the man Templeton described. Van Buren thinks that Templeton just made the whole thing up. Logan thinks that, if Templeton did it, she'd have taken her clothes before leaving the car. He still thinks Dory is a viable suspect. Briscoe doesn't think that Dory could work as a waitress at the same time that her hit man shot her husband. Van Buren points out that Scofield's wallet was full of cash, so it wasn't a robbery — someone wanted to kill him. Then Profaci comes in. He reports that a patrol car just found a witness.

A homeless lady named Zelda talks to the detectives as she collects bottles. She talks about where she likes to sleep for the night, and reminisces about long-ago walks on Atlantic beach with lovers.

"They can take my apartment, my money... but my memories..."
—Zelda

She brings up a Johnny Beachem. Logan asks if this was the shooter, but it turns out to be one of Zelda's old flames, whom she remembers very fondly. She proceeds to flirt with Logan.

"Twenty minutes on the boardwalk with Zelda, you'd know what's what."
"I'm sure he would, Zelda. Maybe later, after we solve this murder case."
—Zelda and Lennie Briscoe

She describes the shooter as a man who frequented the beach recently, and who stared at people with binoculars. The previous night, as she was going to get coffee, she heard a gunshot. When she turned, she saw the man waving a gun around. Her description matches Templeton's, including the black glasses. She recalls seeing him at a local deli run by a Mr. Santana.

At the deli, Santana is reluctant to help. The cops eventually tell him that the suspect has a gun and isn't afraid of using it, which gets him to open up. He says that the man drives a tan Chevrolet, and recently went on an anti-government tirade and tore up a parking ticket. As the cops leave, he asks if they'll catch the man.

"Probably not."
—Michael Logan

Outside, Logan says that they can check with the Parking Violations department to look for outstanding tickets on a tan Chevrolet. Briscoe remarks that, whether they find the guy or not, he's leaving by 7 PM so that he can make a basketball game. He once refrained from arresting a scalper; since then, he's been able to get the occasional pair of floor-side basketball tickets.

"Well hey, you want me to book you now, or after the game?"
—Michael Logan

After some joking, they leave for the parking office.

On the way, two teenagers stop their car in the street. They say that a Bruno D'Angelo is in trouble. D'Angelo is screaming about something from his window. The detectives decide that, since Parking Violations will wait, they might as well help out. They go into the apartment, where Bruno's wife Louisa smashes Logan's arm with a frying pan. Briscoe and Logan arrest her as she screams at them.

"He's the one you should arrest!"
"Shut UP!"
—Louisa D'Angelo and Michael Logan

Logan makes his way to Bruno's bedroom, where he's holding a hand over his bloody groin. He says that his wife cut off his penis.

Later, some uniformed officers have arrived on the scene. Officer Belcher tells Logan that they can't find the penis; Logan says to keep looking.

"What do I do when I find it?"
"Put it on a leash and walk it to the hospital."
—Belcher and Michael Logan

Louisa threatens to sue all the cops. She won't say where the penis is, and blames her husband for cheating on her. She continues to rant no matter what the cops say. Bruno, being taken out on a gurney, curses her out.

"They'll hang you, you bitch."
"And you and that slut are gonna burn in Hell!"
—Bruno D'Angelo and Louisa D'Angelo

An officer waves Logan over; another pair of cops found the penis in the street below. Logan says that they should ice it and send it to the hospital.

At 11:20 AM, Van Buren says that there will be a lot crimes like Louisa's soon, and cites the Loretta Bobbitt case (a real-world case where a woman cut off her husband's penis). Van Buren feels sorry for Bruno, musing that Louisa might as well have just killed him. Logan says that Bruno might still have a life worth living.

"Maybe he's got loftier pursuits."
"Like what? You think he plays the clarinet?"
"I hope he plays the clarinet."
—Michael Logan and Anita Van Buren

Logan then says there are 47 open tickets on tan Chevrolets. Profaci is checking them. Then Van Buren gets a call — Bruno just died. Logan looks stunned. In interrogation, Louisa, unaware of Bruno's death, says she'll sue Bruno for alimony. Briscoe is skeptical that this will work. More quietly, she says that she just wanted an occasional dinner with her husband, but he never had time for her and instead cheated on her with a bevy of other women.

"Well, we're gonna see how his sex drive is now, won't we?"
—Louisa D'Angelo

Logan comes in and says that Bruno died and Louisa is being charged with homicide. She's stunned. Logan leaves, and she begins to cry.

Just before noon, Scofield's mother talks to the detectives. She begged him not to leave Amarillo, but Dory convinced him that he'd be a star. She says that he made it into a Broadway show, but she was too ill to see it when it was being performed. Logan says that they think it was random, and she's distraught to hear that the police don't know who did it. Mrs. Scofield asks to take the body home, and is told that it will be a few days. Once she leaves, Briscoe remarks on Scofield's lie — he told his mom he was on Broadway, but his manager had already told the cops that Scofield was working as a model and hadn't worked out in acting. Logan says they need to find the car.

Logan, on the phone, argues with someone to get information on a parking ticket. Briscoe tells the person he's calling that he worked very hard to get his basketball tickets and thus doesn't want to miss the game. Logan hangs up, having gotten the information he wants. Briscoe does too, saying that his partner for the game canceled, and offers the spare ticket to Logan instead. Then Van Buren walks by, saying that a Scott Hexter is in an interrogation room. Hexter, brought in on a minor traffic violation, drives a tan Chevrolet, has a dozen outstanding parking tickets, and fits Templeton's and Zelda's descriptions.

In interrogation, Hexter is very nervous. He asks why the cops went to so much fuss over a traffic violation. When the cops bring up the murder, he becomes more nervous but says he didn't kill anyone. He claims to have not been in Battery Park that night, but won't tell the cops where he was. He claims not to recognize a photo of Scofield. He says he wants to leave, so Logan threatens to arrest him. Hexter says he wants a lawyer.

In the vestibule, Logan remarks that Hexter is obviously hiding something, but Briscoe points out that, unless Hexter confesses, all they can pin on him is the parking tickets, and he'll be released within 24 hours. Van Buren says that they can hold a lineup within that time period. She tells them to find the gun. Logan says they need a warrant, and Van Buren gives them one that was already signed.

Scott's mother, Mrs. Hexter, says that Scott is a good boy. Briscoe finds a gun, but Logan notes that it's not the same caliber as the one that was used to kill Scofield. Briscoe posits that Hexter used this gun for practice.

At 12:45 PM, the police conduct a lineup. Kincaid tells the witness, Templeton, that she has plenty of time. She doesn't think she recognizes any of them. When Van Buren walks her closer, she narrows it down to Hexter and one other man. She eventually chooses the other man, then leaves. Hexter's lawyer, Bauer, says that there's now no evidence against Hexter for the murder. Kincaid says that Santana can identify him, but the lawyer points out that Santana didn't see a shooting; he can only say that Hexter frequents his deli, and that's not illegal.

"...boosting your cholesterol isn't a crime."
—Bauer

He adds that the gun was both properly licensed and the wrong caliber. Kincaid says that they still have the parking tickets, which Bauer just smirks at. He leaves. Kincaid says that they don't have nearly enough evidence for even an indictment. She asks about Zelda, but Briscoe says that she's gone off somewhere and they can't find her. Then Profaci comes in, saying that Louisa's attorney just showed up.

"You're in for a special time."
—Tony Profaci

Kincaid, incredulous, asks if Louisa is really pleading self-defense. She points out that Bruno was asleep when she attacked him. Louisa's lawyer, Mildred Kaskel, says that they're going to argue that Louisa has battered wife syndrome. Logan says that Louisa was jealous, not battered. Kaskel thinks it's grounds for a defense.

"She felt an irresistible impulse after years of being abused."
—Mildred Kaskel

Briscoe is amused.

"Hey, come on, Mike. Haven't you learned that every homicide has social and political ramifications?"
—Lennie Briscoe

Kincaid asks for evidence or proof of abuse. Kaskel says that it's very hard to prove rape, as Kincaid should know (see: "Discord"). Logan and Kaskel argue, and Kincaid says that Louisa still had no right to mutilate Bruno. Kaskel argues that Kincaid has never convicted anyone of marital rape, so going to the cops would be pointless. Then Van Buren knocks, saying that there's another homicide they need to investigate.

"We're going for a record."
"What scares me is the day's not over yet."
—Lennie Briscoe and Michael Logan

At 1:33 PM, the detectives arrive at Itaewon Market. A worker, David Lee, says that he was in the back when a man came in, yelled, and shot his father, the cashier. He stole the money in the register and fled. The worker describes the criminal as a skinny black male. The victim's wife, Mrs. Lee, sobs in Chinese during this, but Logan can't understand her. Logan goes to Briscoe, who says that a drunk eyewitness thought he saw ex-mayor Dinkens run out of the store with the money.

"I guess times are tough all over, huh?"
—Lennie Briscoe

Another officer comes over and says that the security tapes are ready for playback. Logan asks David to ask Mrs. Lee to come watch the tapes with them (since Mrs. Lee doesn't speak English, David has to translate). Mrs. Lee recognizes the man, and David says that the man cashed a government check the previous day. Mr. Lee didn't made it to the bank since then, so the check is still there. Mrs. Lee finds it, and it's made out to a Drew Washington. She doesn't know where he spends it, since he's a crack addict, but the detectives know a local dealer and decide to investigate there.

The detectives line up a large group of drug users against a wall. One, who is relatively well-dressed, says that it's not what they think, but the detectives ignore him. Logan says that the first person to say where Drew Washington is can walk away without being arrested. One woman makes a rude comment about Washington, so Briscoe moves her to one side since she seems to know more about him. Another man objects.

"This is whack, man."
—Drug user

Logan asks if he wants to talk, but the man lawyers up. Briscoe says that everyone but the woman can be arrested. Logan goes to talk to the woman, who gives her name as Theresa. Logan takes her to the back of the room. Meanwhile, Briscoe talks with the man who complained, guessing that he's selling drugs.

"You ain't even searched me."
"I got x-ray eyes, man."
—Drug user and Lennie Briscoe

The user says he doesn't want Washington to come after him, so Briscoe says that, if anyone asks, they'll claim Theresa gave up Washington, not him. Theresa gives basically the same story to Logan, saying she's afraid Washington will hurt her. Logan says they'll blame the other man as the one who turned in Washington. Theresa says that Washington just bought a lot of drugs and asked her to party with him, but she declined. She finally gives up Washington's hideout.

Logan and Briscoe, with backup, run up a darkened stairwell and hear a stereo playing. Logan kicks in the door to Washington's apartment, and finds Washington's body. He's been shot in the heart. Briscoe finds ID confirming that the body is Washington's, but can't find the money or drugs. Then a distant woman screams for help. The detectives chase after her.

In the laundry room, the detectives encounter the woman. She screams that someone's in the laundry room. The detectives, hearing smashing sounds, hurry in. They run into a drug-crazed man who brandishes a burrito like it's a knife.

"You die."
"Only if I eat that thing."
—Man and Michael Logan

The man tries to run but is knocked into a wall by Briscoe. The burrito spatters onto Logan's shirt. Logan finds an ID card identifying the man as Omar Cabezas, as well as a gun that was recently fired. Cabezas is arrested.

At the station, Profaci and a friend tease Logan about his spattered clothes. Briscoe is amused. Logan says that, after four corpses, he's not in the mood for jokes. He says that one day he's going to pack up his car and leave. Briscoe asks where.

"Upstate. New Hampshire."
"Right. I spent a year there one weekend."
—Michael Logan and Lennie Briscoe

Van Buren comes in, saying that a detective upstate thought the Scofield/Hexter case sounded familiar.

At 2:51 PM, the cops meet a Queens-based detective who says that, a while back, two teenaged lovers were having sex in a car in Forest Park when a man shot the male lover with a .44. Hexter was recognized from a composite, but the cops couldn't make anything stick. The detective says that Hexter's only concern was that his mother would find a mess he left in the house — he still lived with her. Logan, surprised, says that Hexter lived in his own apartment. The detective, though, is sure that Hexter still lived with his mom.

Mrs. Hexter says that Hexter has a place in the city but he never stays away for more than a couple days.

"I guess there's some things you'd rather not do in front of your parents."
—Michael Logan

Briscoe asks about Scott's hobbies, and Mrs. Hexter says that Scott loves to garden. He works at a flower shop, and he grows roses at home in the summer. Briscoe asks to see Scott's room, and Mrs. Hexter complains that the police are picking on her son. She insists that he's innocent. Logan says they really need to see the room, and Mrs. Hexter relents, but she still complains that the police always seem to be misinformed about her son.

In Scott's room, Mrs. Hexter says that Scott learned a lot from his dad, who was patriotic and a soldier. Scott's dad Sam even taught Scott to fire a pistol. Briscoe asks which guns Scott owns, but Mrs. Hexter just tells them to talk to Scott at work. Logan tells her that Scott's under arrest and is at the precinct. Mrs. Hexter corrects Logan, saying that she paid Scott's fines and Scott was released.

"I didn't want Scottie spending one more minute in that awful place."
—Mrs. Hexter

Outside, Logan yells at an officer named Morgan over a pay phone. He's mad that Scott was released.

"He's a murder suspect!"
—Michael Logan

Logan asks to talk to Profaci. Briscoe says they should see what car Scott drove when he left prison. Profaci gets on the line, and says something to Logan. Logan hangs up, and then says that the ballistics on the bullet that killed Washington are finished.

Briscoe tells Van Buren that Cabezas's gun killed Washington. Van Buren says that Kincaid wants Cabezas and Louisa D'Angelo arraigned by 8 PM. Briscoe says that he plans to have that wrapped up by 7, since he has a basketball game at 7:30. Van Buren says that, if Briscoe can't make the game because of his caseload, her children would love the tickets. Briscoe insists. Logan comes in, saying that Hexter's car was ticketed just before the shooting in Queens, and the car was near the scene of the shooting. At the florist shop at 3:33, Hexter is arrested for murder. On the way out, a clerk looks horrified.

"Don't worry, we'll water him once a day."
—Lennie Briscoe

In interrogation, Hexter complains about being arrested again, and asserts that he is innocent. Briscoe comments how he always seems to be around when someone is shot with a .44. Hexter insists that he was nowhere near Forest Park. Logan asks for an alibi, but Hexter doesn't have one — he says he went to a movie, but can't recall each one. Briscoe asks Bauer to make Hexter understand how much trouble he's in.

"It's perfectly reasonable to me if he can't remember."
"If my life depended on it, I'd remember how many kernels of popcorn I ate."
—Bauer and Michael Logan

Bauer says that the Queens police already investigated this crime and found nothing. Hexter asks if they can keep him for 16 hours again, and Briscoe says they'll keep him as long as they want. Hexter asks why they're going after him, and Logan says that it's because he kills people. Hexter stands, but the cops order him to sit, and Bauer tells him to sit as well. Logan threatens to broadcast a story about him on the 6 PM news. Briscoe threatens that the reporters will go after his mother. Hexter breaks down in tears, begging to know what they want from him. When the cops say they want the truth, he just says he can't. Bauer wants to talk to Stone, but Logan says there's no plea bargain until a confession. Hexter becomes panic, saying he won't go to jail.

"I didn't hurt anybody. I swear to God I didn't. Please don't put me in jail."
—Scott Hexter

He sobs.

In Van Buren's office, at 4:10, the cops say that they're giving up on getting a confession. Hexter just kept sobbing even as he was being returned to his cell. Van Buren asks if Hexter might be telling the truth, but Briscoe says that, if Hexter didn't kill anyone, all he needs to do is present an alibi. Van Buren says they should look at all the crimes with a similar theme for the past year, in case something else points to Hexter.

As Logan leaves Van Buren's office, Cabezas begins yelling at him. He first says that he wants Logan to turn the heat up, then that he wants some food, and finishes by demanding a cigarette. Logan just keeps telling him to sit down and shut up. Cabezas becomes infuriated.

"You pigs! I'll kill you!"
—Omar Cabezas

Cabezas turns and begins assaulting another prisoner in the cage. Logan grabs the keys to the cage, then hurries in to separate the two. He throws Cabezas, who gets up and begins running through the squad room as the officers try to take him down. He rants that he wants food. He eventually climbs onto a desk but is dragged down.

"You're repressing me!"
—Omar Cabezas

Logan grabs a half-eaten pastry and begins shoving it into Cabezas's mouth, saying that Cabezas can eat that. Profaci has to bodily drag Logan off of Cabezas. Profaci and another officer drag Cabezas away. Logan smoothes out his wrinkled suit.

"No problem. I'm feeding the animals."
—Michael Logan

At 4:32, Kincaid begins arranging that day's arrests. Judge Howard Gillman presides over the court. A battered Cabezas says that he didn't do it, and Kincaid wants him remanded, citing his attacking the police officers. Cabezas's lawyer says that he's a victim of police brutality, but Cabezas is remanded anyway.

"I hear violins, Mr. Cabezas. The defendant's remanded without bail."
—Howard Gillman

As Cabezas leaves, he complains to his lawyer about not getting bail. Scott Hexter is arranged next. Bauer pleads him not guilty. Kincaid asks for remand, and despite Bauer's protests, she gets it. Louisa D'Angelo is then brought up to the defendant's desk. Kaskel says that she pleads not guilty, but Louisa corrects that and says she wants to plead guilty. The two argue as Kincaid looks on. Gillman tells Louisa that she should listen to her lawyer, but Louisa says she did a horrible thing. Gillman accepts the plea over Kaskel's objection. He tries to move on to bail, with Kincaid saying that the state recommends $200,000, but Kaskel objects and says that Louisa is being denied the advice of counsel.

"She's the one denying it. Remanded. Next."
—Howard Gillman

Later, Kaskel tells Kincaid that guilt is a normal symptom of long term abuse. Kincaid says that Louisa feels guilty because she murdered Bruno. Kaskel says that Louisa castrated him and didn't mean to kill him. They argue as Van Buren approaches the door, and Kaskel threatens to file a motion challenging the plea. Kincaid asks what Kaskel wants, and Kaskel says she wants manslaughter 2 with a light sentence. Kincaid asks why Kaskel isn't just going for simple assault, which would have an even lighter sentence. Kaskel says that she wants the world to know that Louisa is the victim. Kincaid says that, if the police can confirm the abuse, she'll offer manslaughter one with a recommendation on sentencing. Kaskel says she'll talk to Louisa, then leaves. Van Buren says that Louisa never filed a complaint, but Kincaid points out that most abused women don't. Kincaid gets a call, listens, hangs up, and then says that Bauer called and probably wants a plea. She asks what they have on Hexter, and Van Buren says that they have many coincidences but nothing more solid.

Logan and Briscoe peruse unsolved homicides. They can't find one that implicates Hexter — none of the guns are .44s. Van Buren comes in and gets the bad news, but then says that she's unsurprised — she found new information. A car with Hexter's plates was in a hit-and-run ten minutes after Scofield was killed. The accident was nowhere near Battery Park.

Kincaid asks the cops if it was possible that Hexter did both crimes, and they say it's not. Kincaid asks if they have the wrong guy, but Logan says that someone could have messed up a number on the hit-and-run. Briscoe reiterates the many coincidences that they have.

"What are the odds? He's got to be the shooter!"
"Or the unluckiest man alive."
—Lennie Briscoe and Claire Kincaid

At 5:35, the lawyers talk to Hexter in jail. Hexter says that he's tired of fighting the lawyers and cops. He maintains his innocence but says that he'll be convicted anyway, so he's willing to plea. Stone says they don't want to convict him if he's not guilty. Hexter says that he doesn't get what's going on; even Bauer wants him to plead out. He keeps his old alibi of being at the movies during the Forest Park homicide. Kincaid asks what he was doing in Riverdale the previous night, and Hexter says he was just driving by himself. Stone says this is a worthless alibi, and Bauer asks Scott to tell the truth. Hexter won't give his real whereabouts.

Schiff says that he'll let Stone offer Hexter a plea, but Stone doesn't want to if Hexter doesn't want one. He's not sure Hexter is guilty. Schiff dismisses this, comparing it to Lee Harvey Osward's protestations of innocence and being frames. Stone says that a wrongful conviction will be partly Hexter's fault since he won't give a real alibi, but he still doesn't want to send the wrong man to prison. He says he can't present the case to a grand jury, but when Schiff asks, he admits that he has no good reason to dismiss.

Mrs. Hexter tells Kincaid that Scott wouldn't shoot anyone. Kincaid references the parking ticket putting Scott near the Queens murder, but Mrs. Hexter says that was her ticket. She claims to have been using his car. Kincaid says that Scott never mentioned that, but Mrs. Hexter says that she never told him — he was away, and she just paid the ticket. Kincaid says that Scott still have no viable alibi. Mrs. Hexter hesitates. When prompted, she says that Scott has a 'friend' in the city and doesn't think his mother knows.

"My husband would have thrown him out of the house."
—Mrs. Hexter

She offers to find the name.

At 6:07 PM, the cops talk to Scott's boyfriend, Julian. He says that they ate dinner together the previous night, but weren't out in public — Scott didn't want to be seen holding hands. After dinner, they relaxed on the couch with some wine.

"Life is a cabernet."
—Julian

He says that Scott drove him to his (Julian's) home in Riverdale at about 2:00 AM. When asked about the hit and run, he says that Scott's car slipped on the ice and bumped a parked car. He says that Scott is still scared of his father, though Sam's been dead for fifteen years, and thus Scott doesn't want anyone to know that he's gay.

Briscoe tells Van Buren that he's skeptical about this alibi; Julian could easily be lying for Hexter. Logan wonders if it was Julian that did the hit-and-run in Riverdale. Van Buren wonders why Julian didn't come forward earlier. Then Profaci comes in, saying they found Logan's 'girlfriend.'

Zelda is talking to an officer in the squad room. The officer gripes to Logan that she's been talking about her numerous past boyfriends. Zelda is happy to see Logan.

"Detective Mike. Come and sit down next to Zelda."
—Zelda

She tries flirting with Logan, but he wants her to look at Hexter's photo. She does, but doesn't recognize him. She says that the man she saw was older and had a thinner face.

"This one looks like a mama's boy."
—Zelda

Just past 6:30 PM, Logan and Briscoe are waiting to see Hexter so they can release him from jail. Briscoe and Logan complain to the desk officer, who places a call.

"I got a couple of suits getting pissy out here."
—Desk officer

When he hangs up, he says that Hexter's in the infirmary. The officers make their way there, where another officer says that someone shanked Scott during dinner. Scott died.

Late that night, the detectives and Van Buren leave the precinct. Van Buren says that the real killer will shoot someone again soon. She says that she's going home, then leaves. Logan comments that the game must be just about over.

"There's always overtime. Come on, Mike."
—Lennie Briscoe

The two leave to try to make it to the game.

  • Note: unlike most episodes, this episode does not use the 'CHUNG-CHUNG' sound effect during the scene cards. Rather, it uses a ticking stopwatch sound. Furthermore, the scene cards display the time to the second, not the minute.
  • One of the stories from the episode would be concluded in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Entitled".

  • Abhorrent Admirer: Zelda flirts with both detectives at every opportunity. They let her down gently.
  • Acquitted Too Late: Briscoe and Logan are looking for a serial killer with giant, thick glasses and think they've found him when they find Scott Hexter. There are some doubts about his guilt, but he has no corroborated alibi for the murders in question and meets the description. Near the end of the episode, they find out from his mother and his boyfriend that he was out seeing the boyfriend at the time of the murders and was afraid of being outed as gay to his mom, even though his mom already knew. The detectives hurry back to the prison where he's being held, only to find that shortly before they arrived, Scott had been stabbed to death by another inmate who wanted his bologna sandwich.
  • Downer Ending: Not only do the detectives fail to find the actually killer, but an innocent man they had put in jail is dead.
  • Groin Attack: Bruno D'Angelo's wife cuts off his penis because he cheated on her. Ultimately he does not survive.

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