Directed by Vincent Misiano
Written by Rene Balcer & Eddie Feldmann
Briscoe and Curtis follow several leads in the murder of lawyer Elliot Wells. They discover that the victim was a closeted gay man who'd been fired when his employer found out about his sexuality, so he planned to sue - a possible motive for murder. But with a little more digging, the detectives learn he was having an affair with Jerold Dixon, a partner at Wells' old company. Wells' ex-boyfriend agrees to help get a confession out of Dixon, but slips up and the defence quickly gets all evidence thrown out.
Dixon's wife insists that her wealth and connections will get her husband acquitted, and that he has no sexual interest in men. The DAs also learn that Dixon has stalked and sexually harassed several women, all of whom Mrs. Dixon paid to keep quiet. When a witness testifies that Dixon's alibi is false, Dixon offers to take a polygraph test; indicating that he may be covering for someone else. The DAs realize that the Dixons could have been together at the time of the murder, and Mrs. Dixon may even be the real killer. Testimony from her babysitter supports this theory, and Mrs. Dixon can't (or won't) produce the dress she wore to a party after the murder - suggesting it was disposed of. McCoy convinces Dixon to testify at a Grand Jury hearing.
Under oath Dixon says that his wife blamed Wells for the affair, and demanded Wells be fired. Wells then threatened to sue and refused to be paid off. Dixon decided it was time for him to come out publicly, and Mrs. Dixon was furious; she went to Wells' apartment and shot him. Dixon then helped her cover up the murder. The detectives go over to arrest Mrs. Dixon only to find that she's now killed her husband in a rage as well.
This episode contains examples of:
- Animal Wrongs Group: Several of these had targeted the victim after a controversial case he was involved in.
- Armored Closet Gay: Both the victim and Dixon were this.
- Blackmail: The detectives get Tony to issue Dixon with a false threat of blackmail, claiming he saw Dixon at the victim's apartment on the night of the murder - paying up would be tantamount to a confession he was there. This fails when Tony decides to ad-lib and threatens to out Dixon, making it look like that's the reason he was prepared to pay.
- Camp Gay: Tony Conneca fits this trope.
- Depraved Homosexual: Dixon repeatedly stalked and sexually harassed both men and women - the latter in an apparent effort to hide his true sexuality.
- Double Standard Rape: Female on Male: When Curtis says that he transferred because his female boss had sexually harassed him, Briscoe jokingly says he'd like to work with her.
- Gratuitous Spanish: Courtesy of housekeeper Rosetta, who finds the victim's body."¡Ay no, Dios mío por favor!"translation
- I Have This Friend: Referenced by Briscoe when it emerges that the victim used a similar line to enquire about suing his former employer.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Mrs. Dixon is very confident of using hers to get her husband off of a murder charge.
- Woman Scorned: Mrs. Dixon kills both Wells and her husband for this reason.
