A woman named Carol Merrick is shot and killed in her sleep. Ballistics show that she was killed from a distance, most likely the roof of a nearby apartment block. The detectives trace two 13-year-old boys, Lonnie Rickman and Clayton Doyle, who were seen on the roof at that time. Clayton confesses that he and Lonnie have been working for drug dealer Ross Morales. Clayton wanted to quit, and Lonnie tried to shoot him at Morales' request, but missed. Lonnie says shooting Clayton was his own idea, and Morales had nothing to do with it. The prosecutors can't prove otherwise so Lonnie is the sole defendant to murder.
Lonnie denies that his heavily crack-addicted mother Cassie was involved. He deeply loves her and refuses to say a word against her. The prosecutors learn that Cassie's knee-deep in debt to Morales; but there's still no way to implicate him unless Lonnie co-operates. With Morales about to be released, McCoy and Kincaid try to charge him with kidnapping after learning he removed Lonnie from a hospital emergency room. But Morales and his lawyer reveal that Cassie handed over legal custody of Lonnie to him. She admits this and says she herself can't take care of her son. McCoy notes that Cassie is buying drugs from Morales again, and questions how she found a way to pay her debts.
Lonnie won't talk, even when McCoy promises to protect Cassie. So McCoy and Kincaid arrange for him to secretly watch Cassie being interviewed by police. Lonnie is shocked to see her say she doesn't care about him, and he agrees to testify against Morales. In court Lonnie says that Cassie told him he belonged to Morales, and Lonnie went along with it, fearing Morales would kill her. Morales told Lonnie to shoot Clayton, but Lonnie deliberately missed. The jury convicts Morales of Carol Merrick's murder. Lonnie goes to juvenile hall for five years and appears upset that Cassie hasn't even bothered to attend his sentencing. McCoy is visibly shaken by everything that's happened.
This episode contains examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Cassie Rickman is so neglectful that she sold off her son to pay her drug debts. Morales also technically counts as this since Cassie signed over custody to him.
- Accidental Murder: No one intended Carol Merric to be shot.
- Awful Wedded Life: Carol Merrick and her husband were apparently in such a situation.
- Children Are Innocent: This is portrayed as very much the case with Lonnie.
- Delusions of Parental Love: Lonnie believes his mother loves him even though she abuses him. It isn't until Lonnie sees Cassie dismiss him while she's being interrogated by the police that he agrees to testify against the drug dealer both he and his mother are working for. Even when he's sentenced in family court, he still looks towards the door in hopes his mother will come in.
- Double-Meaning Title: Cassie is metaphorically a slave to her drug addiction, which caused her to give her son to Morales as a literal slave.
- Downer Ending: Lonnie goes to jail and is forced to confront how little his mother really cares about him.
- Drugs Are Bad: Cassie's addiction drove her to enslave her son to a dealer.
- The Fagin: Ross Morales, who exploits children to sell drugs for him.
- Insane Troll Logic: McCoy's view of Cassie's belief that Lonnie would be better off with Morales.
- Karma Houdini: Signing over custody of one's child isn't illegal, so Cassie is not charged with anything.
- Papa Wolf: Curtis gets deeply emotionally involved in the case because of his feelings as a father. Clayton's father also seems to be this.
- Pet the Dog: McCoy arranges for Lonnie to receive counseling at the state's expense while he is incarcerated and for five years after.
- Resignations Not Accepted: Lonnie is instructed to kill Clayton because Clayton wanted to leave Morales's group.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Van Buren calls Curtis out for allowing Clayton's father to slap his son in the hopes that it would get Clayton talking.
- Would Hurt a Child: Morales violently beat up Lonnie and casually ordered Clayton's murder.
