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'In New York City's war on crime, 'the worst criminal offenders are pursued 'by the detectives of the Major Case Squad.
'These are their stories.
' Bus to the city.
Wheredo I catch it? She moved.
Said she wanted to be closer to work.
What? She got a new job? A jewellery store.
She sent us a spoon for the baby.
It came in a fancy blue and gold box.
Blue and gold box, huh? I don't know about those fancy jewellery stores.
They're all up on Fifth Avenue.
The buyers are coming in the morning.
- I need those brochures by tomorrow.
- OK.
What leader of the free world did your mystery man have lunch with? - Harvard president, Lawrence Summers.
- I've heard the name before.
Oh, no.
I'm thinking of Donna Summers.
Anyway, at least one of us - is leading an exciting life.
- Tomorrow.
Taxi! We did get a day outside Nairobi to visit the coffee plantations.
It nearly made up for the seminars.
- "Realistic Debt Consolidation.
" - We met with Oh, that rock star who's campaigning to cancel Third World debt.
Gerry, your work is so interesting.
You're lying but I love it.
Gerry.
Have you thought any more about taking our relationship to the next level? Charlotte.
You know how I feel about you but I also believe that sex is a sacrament of marriage.
Tonight could be so special.
I can't.
I promised Larry Summers I'd meet him at the Waldorf.
- He's seeing the old gang from the LSE.
- I'll go with you.
- Oh, no.
It'll be so boring.
- I wanna meet your friends.
Just let me go home and change.
Give me five minutes.
- Hey, hey, hey! What? - Shut up! You must be the boyfriend.
- Who are you? - Never mind that.
Just drive! - Something the matter? - Did someone leave a message? No.
No messages.
So now, I'm eating, right, lamb and fish and lots of broccoli.
All the cruciferous vegetables.
It's awesome.
It's like Oh Check it out! Ugh! I'm calling 911! Body was discovered at the Botanical Gardens.
Frank Raymond Caspari.
Paroled two days ago.
Did six years for armed robbery.
I thought since Major Case handled it then, you'd catch this one.
That's what I live for, to make your life easier.
I take it you'll be by later to wash my car.
Multiple stab wounds to the chest.
Knife recovered in the bushes.
- The only fingerprints were Caspari's.
- Killed with his own knife.
Caspari and two accomplices jacked an OTB for 1.
2 million bucks.
Money was never recovered.
- And the two accomplices? - Caspari never gave them up.
And the body was dumped off a service route.
Very isolated.
- No foot traffic.
- A hundred bucks.
Smells like perfume.
That's Barbicide.
The blue stuff barbers use to disinfect combs.
He's got a new haircut.
It's not prison issue.
- Fresh manicure.
- A friendly barber lent him money? He's got scuff marks on the back of his shoes.
He was dragged to where they killed him? Nodefensive wounds.
Here.
1985, Caspari was arrested for fencing stolen jewellery out of the back of a barber shop, owned by Benny Franconi.
If Caspari loaned you a few bucks, we may be able to get it back.
- It was about a thousand bucks.
- It was 50 bucks.
It was $100, missy, and not a penny less.
Came by yesterday.
Said he was gonna pay me back.
He was good about that.
Pay you back from his share of the OTB job? - That's none of my business.
- Frank's *** is not your business? What kind of friend are you? - What are you talking about? - We think his accomplices killed him.
Kept his mouth shut for six years.
This is the thanks he gets? Mikey Squires, Dave Vaunder.
One's doing life at Five Points.
The other OD'd on junk two years ago.
- How about where Frank was staying? - I don't know.
He used to see a girl in Queens named Connie Moran.
He asked me about a jewellery store that used blue and gold boxes.
Figured he had a date.
Last time I saw Frank, there was glass between us.
I haven't cared since.
Don't make me come up there! So what's Frank done now? He got killed two days after he got out.
Oh, geez, Frank Guess I care now, don't I? You fell hard for him.
He was a crook but he made me feel special.
- Six years was too long a wait.
- I would've waited.
- Problem was I had company.
- He had a girl on the side? Secretary at his lawyer's office.
- He was writing to another woman.
- Know her name? Charlotte.
Charlotte Fielding.
I'm baking him cookies and he's writing her letters.
- Know where we could find her? - No.
Why does it matter? Frank's share of the OTB heist is still missing.
I wish he'd left it with me.
- I don't know a Frank Caspari.
- He wrote to a Charlotte Fielding.
- You're the only one in the book.
- My number isn't listed.
- It is in our phone book.
- A mistake.
I'm going to be late.
Frank Caspari was murdered a couple of days ago.
So, now you do know him? I dida long time ago but I lost contact with him.
This was an intimate relationship? - Short-lived.
I was slumming.
- He wrote to you from prison.
He wanted my help to talk to the right people, get a better lawyer.
He thought you had those connections with influential people.
Well, friends, husbands of friends.
You went to school with those people? Grew up with them? Well, yes.
What school? Brierley, Spence? Brierley.
Do you wear those invisible braces? Because you keep running your tongue - over the back of your teeth.
- Yes, I am.
- I might get some.
Are they comfortable? - You get used to it.
Now, please, I - Those are lovely.
Family heirlooms? - They're from Harry Winston.
- The place that uses blue and gold boxes.
- I work in their corporate sales.
Caspari was asking about blue and gold gift boxes.
- He was trying to find you.
- Well, he didn't.
Her and Caspari, I don't see it.
Maybe it wasn't as big a step down as she'd like us to think.
Her teeth.
Brierley girls get their teeth fixed when they're 14.
Not 34.
They asked questions.
Why didn't you tell me Frank was dead? I didn't know! He jumped in, had a knife, said to drive round.
A cop car pulled up.
He jumped out.
I could've been killed! - I need you.
Can you go later? - 'I can't.
' I'm pulling into the airport.
I'll call you from Rome.
- 'I already miss you.
' - I'll call you.
I promise.
Daddy! - Dad! - Hey! Hey, what's in the bag? It's candy from the Turkish minister of finance.
I told him you don't like candy.
You can each have one piece before dinner.
Now go wash your hands.
- How's my best girl? - She's just happy you're home.
I missed you so much today.
Autopsy came in.
We have two types of stab wounds.
Deep ones through the heart and lungs, shallow ones barely penetrating the skin.
- Hesitation marks.
- Didn't know how much force to use.
Tox screen was negative for drugs.
Here's why Caspari didn't fight.
- Burns from a stun gun.
- On his left thigh.
He might have been sitting in a car, driver reached over and zapped him.
Ah.
From the office of public records.
Until seven years ago, Charlotte Fielding was Charlene Caspari.
Frank's little sister.
A name change right after Frank was arrested for the OTB heist.
She was trying to outrun his notoriety.
Looks like she was trying to outrun him.
She had an apartment on Jane Street.
And then three months ago she unlisted her phone number, moved to the Windacott.
Frank knew he was being paroled.
If he'd left the money with her maybe she wasn't eager to give it back.
She got somebody to kill him.
First-timer.
Her boyfriend.
One thing this line of work teaches us, - guys'll do anything for love.
- And money.
- Nah, I never seen this guy.
- Seen Miss Fielding with other men? I never saw her with a guy but she goes out every other week.
- Comes back in a good mood usually.
- Last Tuesday? Yeah, she went out.
She came back ten seconds later.
She was pissed.
- Asked if someone left a message.
- She got stood up.
She friends with anybody in the building? Frank Caspari? She never mentioned the name.
I don't know Charlotte very well.
I met her at the gym.
She seems to be from a good family.
- Bouillabaisse.
- Yeah, for my husband's birthday.
I gave the cook a night off but my culinary skills are challenged.
- You need to reduce the stock.
- What do they teach at police academy? - The doorman says she has a boyfriend.
- If you can call him that.
- Apparently he travels a lot.
- I've heard that excuse before! Charlotte's very protective of him.
I barely got his first name.
Never seen a photo.
- What does he do for a living? - He's an economist.
- I think at the UN.
- He can balance her chequebook.
More than that.
She gave him her savings to invest.
- Brave.
How much money? - Substantial, I think.
She said it's family money.
Here.
Try this.
Only money I ever got from my family was 50 bucks for my prom dress.
That the same year you were selling apples? It was matchsticks and it was snowing.
Yes? OK.
Thank you.
No sign of Frank's loot.
Charlotte's account's stayed put at four grand for the last five years.
- Phone records.
- I got off the phone with the UN.
They'll need more than a first name.
I'm not seeing any calls here to anyone named Gerry or to the UN.
Same here but the night Frank was killed, she made a dozen calls to a pager registered under her name.
- She was paging herself? - Let's find out.
This is Detective Goren of the New York City Police Department.
I'm curious why Charlotte Fielding would call this pager number the night Frank Caspari was killed.
If it's not too much trouble, could you call us back at 555-0146? Thank you.
You ready? Yeah, let's play.
Here she comes.
- Oh.
You're early.
- No, they told me one o'clock.
Oh.
- My er - Watch? It's stopped.
Come in.
Sit down.
I'm sorry we had to play phone tag.
- It's just been crazy around here.
- And now you're here.
- You have our full attention.
- First of all, stop interrogating my neighbours.
- We tried to be discreet.
- How did you get my pager number? It's one of the things we can do when we investigate a ***.
I told you, I have not seen nor heard from Frank Caspari in years.
I believe you, OK? I come from a family of cops.
But why did you call your own pager? I lent it to a married friend.
She uses it so her boyfriend can call her.
That Tuesday night you called it 11 times.
This friend, this married friend, had set me up on a blind date.
I was stood up.
And I was upset.
I'm sure you can understand.
Everything OK? Yes, I erm You weren'tsupposed to see this.
Well, now you know we know.
Charlene "Cookie" Caspari Frankie's little sister.
He was the first one to see through your act.
It's your teeth.
Charlotte Fielding would have had them fixed 20 years ago.
You had your nose fixed.
And you had really big hair back then.
Screw you.
Ooh! Well, you can take the girl out of Bensonhurst but you can't take Bensonhurst out You I'll bet that you had a vocal coach.
- I don't have anything to prove.
- We're not putting you down, Cookie.
You were a good student at John Jay.
Debating team, beautician's club.
All those people you fooled.
They must have been very impressed by your stories.
Like this boyfriend.
Gerry, erm What's his name? - You told them he was an economist.
- Probably a $20-an-hour bookkeeper.
- He's not! He works for the UN.
- You met at a seminar on market theory.
No, at Harry Winston.
- He's a collector.
- Oh, stop! - You really lay it on thick, Cookie.
- I told you Must've been a shock when Frank showed.
- Blowing your cover.
- There's no cover to blow.
Cookie doesn't exist.
She's gone.
I'm here.
And the proof I'm no longer that home girl is the fact that this man you morons call my boyfriend is a successful, intelligent, London School of Economics graduate, who last week had lunch with the Harvard president.
This sophisticated, cultivated man of the world loves me.
And wants to make a life with me, Charlotte Fielding, not Cookie Caspari! You played me.
Good cop, bad cop.
I shoulda remembered All cops are bad cops.
She shoulda remembered.
They didn't ask about the money but I'm sure they suspect.
I think we're lost.
Do you have Mr Annan's phone number? I can't call the Secretary General of the UN for directions.
Check the glove box.
I think I have a better map in there.
You didn't tell them anything about me? No, but they're bound to find out.
- What's this? - I was gonna wait but Oh, Gerry! Does this mean? With all my heart.
- This man lunched with Mr Summers.
- He'd be in his 40s.
- It could have been New York.
- Anyone else in the alumni office? Thanks anyway.
President of Harvard's been in Africa the last three weeks.
Gerry makes up tales about people.
Major Case, Detective Eames.
Which hospital? She's in a coma.
She's lucky to be alive.
- If the troopers hadn't found her - What's the prognosis? - She could stay this way indefinitely.
- Bruises on the neck.
- Consistent with manual strangulation.
- Perp might have been interrupted.
Look.
Same place as Frankie's.
- I didn't know what those were.
- Stun-gun burns.
Charlotte's book only has his first name.
No address, no home or office number.
She noted every date that she had with him.
And his itinerary.
Gerry in Geneva, Gerry in Milan, Gerry in Hong Kong.
- No pictures of him.
- It's a handbook from a conference.
Realistic Debt Consolidation in Nairobi.
My boyfriend went to Kenya and all I got was this lousy brochure.
This guy knows the way to a girl's heart.
Souvenirs he brought her.
Wooden shoes, geisha doll.
- What's that? - It's a UN schedule of conferences.
- They match Gerry's travel dates.
- Get the list of attendees.
- Maybe we find Gerry.
- Daytimer has him in Johannesburg for a mkunga conference - it's Swahili for midwives.
What's an economist doing at a conference on midwives? Maybe our legal office wasn't clear.
I have to contact the organising committee at each locale.
Only they have a list of attendees.
It could take weeks, if not months.
I was told you could inspire people to do the impossible.
These are the conferences we're interested in.
Your economist attended these? We matched his travel schedule with a calendar of conferences.
You have been working off an old calendar.
You should have come to me sooner.
If I'd only known how charming the experience would be.
This conference in December.
That was moved to Shanghai.
This banking conference in Milan was cancelled for security reasons.
The man we want gave his girlfriend this handbook from one in Nairobi.
Is there any way he could have gotten it without attending the conference? Yes, from our publications office.
Publications office got a request for the handbook two weeks ago from someone saying he was a reporter.
It was left at the reception desk.
We're looking at security tapes.
- How many candidates so far? - Caucasian males.
Late 30s to 40s, about eight.
Still four hours of tape.
- Once you have them, where next? - The Botanical Gardens.
And then the jewellery store where Charlotte Fielding worked.
His name is Gerry and he might have been in the company of this woman.
Wait.
This guy.
I've seen him here.
- When? - A bunch of times.
He sits there.
- He comes in here once a week.
- The weekends? No, during the week.
Different days.
- When's the last time? - It's been a couple of weeks.
He spends whole days here, brings a sandwich.
He reads the paper.
- Sits in the greenhouse snoozing.
- Ever talk to him? Just hello.
He's not a talker.
- I heard him talk to himself once.
- Saying what? I don't know.
He sounded pissed off.
One time I heard him say it wasn't his fault.
He said that a few times.
- Know how he gets here? Bus, car? - A car.
I've seen him in the parking lot.
Silver Volvo.
Had a few years on it.
- Licence plate? - Nah, sorry.
Thanks.
My witnesses did better than yours.
Jersey plates, last two numbers are three, five.
Looks like the closest Gerry's been to Kenya are the African violets.
- Keep on going.
- OK.
- There you go.
- Watch out! - OK, now to the left.
Left.
- OK.
- Ready? - Getting warm.
Getting very warm.
- You can look now.
- I love it.
What is it? It's a wall of remembrance of all the things you've done.
Here's where you carried me home from the hospital.
That's where you saved my cat.
That's you duck hunting.
That's you flying round the world and helping people.
The kids have been working on it for a month.
Happy birthday, sweetie.
I don't think any father ever had a better birthday.
OK, time for cake.
- Yeah! - Yes! Those kids just adore you.
I'm very proud of you, son.
Listen, I'm thinking of taking your mother on a cruise this summer.
I'm going to need money out of our savings.
- How much? - Oh, ten thousand should do it.
- I don't know, Dad.
Isn't it risky? - Ah, it'll be fun.
We haven't been away for years.
I'll need the cheque by the end of the week.
OK, I'll have the bank wire it.
Here's hoping for anther satisfied Volvo owner.
Tessa Rankin? - Yes? - We're from New York City police.
We're investigating an accident.
Do you own a silver Volvo, licence plate number EVZ 135? I think that's ours but I didn't notice any damage.
The driver might have witnessed the accident.
My husband uses the car.
He works in the city.
He has an office there.
- If you leave your card, I can ask.
- It'd be better if we asked him.
- Where does he work? - At the United Nations.
In economic development.
He's an economist.
- Ermwhat's his name? - Gerald Rankin.
- I think I might have heard of him.
- Yeah, that wouldn't be surprising.
- Do you know where his office is? - Well, no, I don't know what floor.
I've never been there.
Could we have his office number? It just goes to his voice mail.
He's always in meetings.
- What about his secretary? - Gerry doesn't have one.
I leave a message and he calls me right back.
That's a good system.
You do that when he travels overseas? Yes, foreign hotels are unreliable.
They don't always speak English.
You got that right.
We'll call him.
Thank you.
- 'What exactly did they say?' - Just there was a car accident.
- You didn't tell me.
- Lots of Volvos have Jersey plates.
- I'll look into it when I get home.
- 'When's that gonna be? I miss you.
' I'll pick up the kids at school.
- You don't have to.
Just come home.
- I'll pick them up.
'Then we'll all come home.
' I'll see you soon.
The UN doesn't have a Gerald Rankin working for any of its agencies.
The phone number's for a cellphone registered under the wife's name.
He went to Columbia as an economics major but he never graduated.
Tax office says he hasn't reported any income for the last 16 years.
He has no bank accounts, no credit cards, no gas cards.
Nothing but the footprints in the snow.
Hard to believe he's never popped up on our radar.
He testified at a medical inquest into his father-in-law's death.
- Fall following a heart attack.
- Yes.
Gerry was alone with the old man.
They're faxing us the report.
The DA will issue their own material witness warrant for Mr Rankin and post officers to watch his house.
However humble his lifestyle, how did Mr Rankin manage to support his family for 16 years? Caspari's 400 grand's a good start.
Here's something.
According to the county clerk in Essex, his father and his father-in-law gave him limited power of attorney.
Limited to what? Money transfers, securities purchase.
So he makes up all these tall tales just to swindle people? - I haven't figured the guy out yet.
- Report on the father-in-law's slip and fall.
Here, in the bruise under the right arm.
Those two marks.
What are they? We're back, this time with a search warrant.
- You can't just come into my house.
- Just read the warrant.
Brayder, Morelli.
Mrs Rankin.
Mrs Rankin? It'll be all right.
If we could just sit over here? - Have you spoken to your husband? - Yes.
Why? Did he say where he was, where he was going? He was getting money for his father.
Then he was picking up the kids.
- He was lending his father money? - No, it's for a cruise.
Gerry manages their savings.
Is that what this is all about? Gerry said it was all legal.
- What is? - Well Because of his work at the UN, Gerry's able to put money in a Swiss bank at a very high rate of interest.
- He does that for a lot of people? - He invested my father's savings till Dad died three years ago.
That money's for our kids now.
Before he died, was your father planning on taking some of the money out? He was talking about getting a cottage by the shore.
If Gerry did something wrong by putting money in that bank, I'm sure he didn't know.
He was just trying to help the family.
The children made that for his birthday.
It's got his whole life up here.
Bringing the baby home from the hospital, Columbia.
Gerry was the first one in his family to graduate from college.
The kids think the world of him.
He must feel very loved.
He must feelvery loved.
- Your kids, how did they go to school? - Gerry decided to drive them.
Mrs Rankin, I need you to call the school and ask about your kids.
- Why? They're in class.
- Please call the school.
This is Tessa Rankin.
I'm calling about Jason and Natalia.
Oh.
Right.
He said what? Thank you.
Gerry called them this morning and he told them that the children had flu and that they were staying home from school.
But they must have misunderstood.
Oh, God, my children! What's happening? What's wrong with Gerry? What matters are your kids.
You need to call Gerry and when he calls back, you need to find out where he is.
OK? You can't tell him that we're here.
Look, you have to ask about your kids.
You have to make sure you call them by name.
Mrs Rankin, he can't know that you suspect anything's wrong.
Yes, sweetheart? Hi, honey.
I just called to see when you think you'll be coming home.
'I don't know.
' Well, the school called.
Are Jason and Natalia with you? - Yes, they're here.
- 'Can I say hi?' Ermno, they're sleeping now.
This early? Are they sick? No, we had a big day.
We went skating and swimming downstairs.
They were so tired they fell asleep in the room.
- Where are you? Can I come over? - 'No, I don't think so.
' Well, then just come home, honey.
I have dinner waiting for you.
They're very tired.
I have to get off the phone.
I won't be able to talk any more.
No, Gerry, wait.
Gerry, please, for God's sake! He won't let me talk to them.
- Did he say where he was? - Some kind of hotel.
It had a pool.
He seemed to know it.
Probably where he stays when he's supposed to be out of town.
Did he bring souvenirs from a hotel? Soap or? The little shampoo bottles.
- Natalia uses them on her dolls.
- Paris Park Suites.
It's by the Newark airport.
Get your husband back on the phone.
Keep him talking as long as you can.
If he hangs up, call him back.
Set up a sniper team but under no circumstances should they rush this guy.
They need to keep their distance.
Get me the Jersey troopers in Union County.
There's What's his name? Captain Blundell.
Tell him Deakins is calling.
Try him again.
Gerry.
Gerry Rankin? The maid gave me a passkey.
I'm Robert Goren.
Go away.
I just want us toto talk.
I'm gonna I'm gonna stand right herelike this.
I've learned a lot about you, Gerry.
About the events that brought you here.
How you've been caught up in the tentacles of circumstance.
Everything has been done to you.
None of it has been your fault.
Like when you were at Columbia.
You missed your finals, you were tired, sick, or maybe you just didn't want to be an economist after all.
It was too late, you were carrying the burden of your parents' expectations.
You couldn't disappoint them.
So you lied to them about graduating.
It wasn't your fault.
You did it for them.
Right? I didn't have any choice.
For them and for Tessa, who has all her hopes pinned on you.
You had to invent a life for all of them.
The pressure of that must have beenunbearable.
And then your father-in-law.
If he hadn't wanted to buy that stupid little cottage I mean, you had responsibilities! You had to do something to stop him! It wasn't your fault! And then Charlotte and her crooked brother.
If he hadn't wanted that money If he hadn't forced you to make these tough decisions Like a relationship with Charlotte, like breaking your marriage vows.
You were pushed by circumstance.
You shut up.
You don't know anything about me.
- Gerry - No, you don't know.
- Get out! I'm gonna do this! - Of course! Of course you didn't break your vows.
You didn't sleep with Charlotte! Ah! Of course! My God, Gerry! The one time you had a choice to make, you chose the moral thing! No matter the sacrifices you had to make, nor how alone you felt you didn't give in to temptation.
You're a hero, Gerry.
You did what heroes do.
You played the hand that you were dealt.
Because you wanted the best for your family.
Because you wanted to spare them the disappointment, especially these two precious children.
Thethe thought of them looking at you with anything less than admiration would be too much to bear.
But now, Gerry, now they're able toto take the true measure of the sacrifices that you've made.
Nothing you've done up to now has been your fault.
If you do what you're thinking that will be your fault, your choice.
No one will ever forgive you.
No one will ever love you again.
OK? So just let go.
- Clear! - Get down! Get down! Get him down! - Hands behind your back! - I didn't hurt them! I would never hurt them! Only two shells.
One for each child.
He was planning to walk away.
Charlotte Fielding's lucky.
She'll never know what a worm her white knight turned out to be.