 Inlaws, Outlaws
A murder to parallel a murder. Both the murders here appear to have been committed by a family member. What is interesting about the homeless man is that he turned out to be vastly different than the way he appeared - an indication that the same may be true of Yvonne Ruiz? Also note that the homeless man was murdered essentially to feed an addiction (gambling). Noteable also that the murderer was someone who was respectable and above suspicion on the surface, not one of the underworld characters, or even the merchant, originally suspected.
Uniform: DOAs are in the bedroom, names Yvonne and Patrick Ruiz. It's their apartment.
Diane: Who called it in?
Uniform: The Super.
Baldwin: I'll talk to her. (goes into the living room). I'm Detective Jones.
Super: I don't got all day. I got two drains, six light bulbs, and a clogged toilet to deal with.
Baldwin: Lady, two people died in there.
Super: Don't call me 'Lady', all right, pal? I'm just sayin' I got work to do.
Baldwin: Yeah, well, I'm not on vacation here either. Now you and me are gonna talk.
Basically just an introduction. Lets us know the location of the murder -- the Ruizs' apartment, in the bedroom.
cut to bedroom
Diane: (looking at female victim, who is lying on floor face down, straight out, arms at sides) Shot in the back. Probably runnin' for the door.
I have a problem with Diane's analysis, based on Yvonne's position -- if she were running, why are her arms straight down at her sides. She looks more as if she were standing still when shot and died instantly as she didn't try to catch herself (and I'd think her arms would be in an askew position if she were running, even with an instant death). But Diane is a practiced detective, so maybe this is just a fault with the direction. Otherwise, I will say it appears that Yvonne must have died instantly, since she didn't try to move whatsoever after falling and the gunshot was dead center on her back. Whoever shot her was an expert marksman.
Greg: (examining male victim, who is seated in an armchair next to a window) Powder burns on left temple. Stippling. Definitely a contact wound. Bullet exited the head and went through the window. Murder-suicide?
So if Patrick didn't kill himself, someone murdered him execution-style. If they did that, presumably he was killed before Yvonne, as he'd hardly have continued sitting in the chair when someone started shooting - unless there was more than one assailant. He was obviously sitting in the chair when he was shot.
Diane: Looks like.
Greg: (putting on gloves) That's funny how they never do it standin' up. Like fallin's the scary part: Might fall, maybe scrape a knee. (he picks up the gun from where it's lying on the floor near the arm chair the male victim is sitting in) My marriage to Marie was no walk in the park, but, uh, this is takin' it too far. (puts the gun into a plastic baggie)
Greg is focusing in on the fact that Patrick is sitting in the chair.
cut to living room
Baldwin: Yvonne and her husband get along? You ever hear them fight?
Super: Never had any complaints. She was a cute little thing. Smart, too. Don't know what she saw in him.
Implying that a) they didn't fight, and b) that Patrick wasn't the brightest light in the sky.
Baldwin: The officer said it was you who found the bodies.
Super: Got a call from Jill, lives in 6D. Works with Yvonne. She didn't show up today. could I take a look?
Baldwin: Where does she work?
Super: Citiwide Courier. On the radio. Sends people out. Dispatch.
This is a direct clue that Harry Denby is involved in the plot some way, since he works for Citiwide. Interesting also that the friend is named Jill. Not Jill Kirkendall, but is the similarity in names intended as a hint? "Jill the co-worker."
Baldwin: And no one heard anything?
Super: Neighborhood like this? Unless you hear four or five shots you just figure it's a junker backfirin'.
Confirming that few shots were fired - which supports the contention that whoever killed Yvonne had to be an expert marksman.
Baldwin: Thank you for your time.
cut back to bedroom
Diane: (to Uniform) After crime scene gets finished, get this computer to Tech. Have them check out the hard drive.
Greg: (indicating a Citiwide jacket thrown over the back of a chair) Look at this!
Baldwin: (just walking in) Super said wife worked dispatch at Citiwide Courier.
(Diane's head snaps around at the information)
Greg: Yeah, isn't that the same place where Harry Denby works?
Diane: (dismissively) Yeah, it's a big company, Greg.
Diane is obviously astounded at the implication that Harry could be involved, but she's deliberately playing it down around Greg and Baldwin, making them think his involvement is nothing but a remote possibility. Trying to keep the investigation into him to herself?
end of scene
Diane enters Fancy's office carrying a sheet of paper. She sounds out of breath.
Diane: The couple over on East 14th? Preliminary ME report tags it murder-suicide.
Fancy: You have a problem with that?
Diane: Just the wife worked dispatch at Citiwide Courier, same as Harry Denby. I made a call; Denby's been moved to dispatch. Same office as the DOA. Plus, Tech was checking her PC? Sent a printout of her email addresses. (she hands the sheet of paper to Fancy)
Fancy: (reading) hdenby@citiwidecourier.com. (to Diane) They were workin' together. That could explain it. They find any correspondence?
Diane: If there was, she must have deleted it. Tech's still workin' on it. Meantime I left word for Denby.
At this point it seems she only wants to get ahold of Harry because he knew the DOA and might have some further insight into the couple's relationship or who their enemies might be. Doubtful that she'd think he'd kill Yvonne to get her job, or that the presence of his email address alone would implicate him - she can reason as well as Fancy that it might be business-related.
end of scene
Danny: (into phone) You can't tell me on the phone? (pause) All right. I'll come meet you. When? (pauses, then hangs up and addresses Diane) That's Denby. He's outside. He wants to see me, alone.
Diane: That's probably off those two messages I left him about the DOA he worked with at Citiwide Courier.
Danny: Diane, I'm not moving in on your case. He asked to talk to me. You want me to see him or not?
Diane: That should be me he's talkin' to.
Danny: Then by all means, you go down and talk to him.
She's not really locking horns with Danny over this, just very confused about why Harry doesn't want to talk to her, as well she might be, considering he'd always singled her out in the past before. But she realizes that Danny is taking it wrong, so hands the job over to him as a placation. Her mistake.
Diane: (checking her information and reading it to him) The DOA's name is Yvonne Ruiz. She and her husband look like a murder-suicide. But she's got Denby's email address in her computer.
Danny: (getting up) Got it.
cut to outside
Through this whole scene, Harry appears to be running on excess adrenaline. His eyes dart everywhere and while he stands in one spot the entire time, he gives the impression of constant movement. He is not, however, upset, anxious, or agitated. In fact, he seems quite upbeat, and it's obvious he's putting on an act for Danny's benefit.
Denby: Thanks for meetin' me.
Danny: Yeah, great, I wouldn't miss it.
Denby: Ooooh, I detect a note of sarcasm.
Danny: It's cold out, Denby.
Danny just wants him to get to the point.
Denby: A co-worker of mine died today. Yvonne Ruiz. (looks away) I got a message from Detective Russell. (looks back) I figured she caught the case?
Danny: So then you also figured you'd talk to me and not Detective Russell.
Denby: Yvonne Ruiz was a very attractive young woman. (looks away) She came on to me. (looks back at Danny) With my low self-esteem, (his eyes follow a pretty girl walking by) I can't resist that. (looks back)
Typically Harry, he ignores the question he's not yet ready to get to and plunges ahead with what he wants to talk about. When he says the words 'low self-esteem' you know he's deliberately playing a role some unsuspecting social worker probably handed him. Since Harry may look away when he lies, I've put those notations into the script on this page.
Danny: So, you had an affair, right? What did her husband think?
Denby: (nods) Yvonne completely mis-represented her domestic situation. When I found out she was married, I broke it off. (looks away) But her husband found out. (looks back)
Danny: She told you that?
Denby: (shakes head) He came to see me. He threatened if I ever laid hands on Yvonne again he'd um - (looks away) what was it? (looks back) "Slice my balls off." Very dramatic. Though in hindsight, I guess he did have a violent streak.
Danny: Bein' how he killed her.
Denby: (looks down) Yeah. (looks back)
Harry's not only hamming it up, he's practically chewing the scenery. Surely if Patrick had said that Harry would remember it without having to think for a moment.
Danny: Y'know I still don't get how come you're talkin' to me if this is Detective Russell's case.
Denby: (somewhat conspiratorially) Come on, Danny. A murder-suicide. Me comin' forth to admit a romantic entanglement. Considering my past with Diane, it could get messy.
Harry focuses on Danny much more and nearly stops glancing around for this part of the conversation. Interestingly enough, he's not lying at all here -- considering his past with Diane, it would have been much messier for him -- she wouldn't have bought his glib explanation so easily. But he knows exactly how this will affect Danny, and probably planned it this way.
Danny: (getting angry) What's with these veiled comments you're always makin', Denby, huh? Why don't you come out and just say what you mean?
Denby: (mildly) She's your girl now. (Danny's face grows livid) I can't reveal to you any of her mysteries or talents that you haven't already discovered yourself. Although I must admit, with a gorgeous woman like Diane, I am tempted to compare notes.
Danny: (really steaming) I'm not!
Denby: (smiling) Perhaps some other time.
Again, Denby never lies about Diane; never comes out and actually claims he had a romantic or sexual relationship with her. He lets Danny's imagination do that, and it works very well. But he manages to discover, through Danny's transparent reaction, that Diane and Danny have broken it off. At the end of the conversation, he's positively giddy. This was no doubt his second motivation in talking to Danny - if Diane had appeared instead, it would have been harder for him to determine the status of her affair with Danny.
Danny turns and storms away, glancing back once at Denby, who gives him the 'thumbs-up' gesture. The camera focuses on Denby's smiling and satisfied face until the scene changes to back inside the station.
Diane: (to Danny as he sits back down at his desk) What'd Denby have to say?
Danny: (curtly) He was bangin' the DOA.
Diane: (confused) That's it?
Well, this happened the last time he went in her place, so what did she expect? Harry can play Danny so well that he just can't get any real information out of him.
Danny: (seething with anger) You mean other than reminiscin' back when you and him used to play bouncy-bouncy?
Diane: (incredulous) And you believed that?
Danny: Whatever, Diane. It doesn't matter.
Diane: (very sarcastically) Oh, it doesn't.
Danny: None of my business.
Diane: You know what Danny? GROW UP! (she gets up and walks into the locker room. Danny follows her after a moment)
Probably better than Harry could have hoped for. Instead of discussing the case, they're arguing with each other about their former relationship.
cut to locker room
Diane: That's an insult, Danny. You really think I'd sleep with someone like Denby?
Danny: I dunno, Diane. All I kept hearing about is how you were still hung up on Bobby.
Diane: (angrily) And you think that was all crap?
Danny: I don't know what I think.
Diane: You're bein' such an asshole, Danny!
Danny: (shouting) I'm an asshole?
Diane: I'm sorry things didn't work out with us. It doesn't give you a license to act like a two-year-old!
Danny: And whatever troubles you've had is no excuse for you actin' any way you want now!
Diane: (incredulous) I don't owe you an explanation.
Danny: Good! Cause I'm not listenin'! (he storms out of the locker room and slams the door behind him)
end of scene
This last part of the scene helps set up Danny's growing anger, with Harry being a catalyst for part of it. Interestingly, since Danny has been under observation by the IAB since Denby apparently was suspended, a case can be made for Harry still being an IAB undercover operative now - which might also be another reason he'd ask for Danny and not Diane.
I find it hard to accept Harry's overplaying of his part in this scene as being accidental, however. For someone who survived - and excelled - at being a narc (or undercover IAB), he has to be at least as good an actor as the man portraying him or he'd have been killed long ago. And Scott Cohen does such a masterful job of playing a serious and depressed Harry that the scenery-chewing version of this episode must have been deliberate. So why? Obviously he must know something about the couple's deaths, or why bring him in in the first place unless it's just to see if Danny can be pushed over the edge. And if he does know something, then the implication is that Patrick was no suicide, but an execution. With Harry involved somehow, are drugs connected? So what about that would cause euphoria? He's close to whatever his ultimate goal is? He's finally in control (in contrast to the Harry just prior to his arrest)? Yet he must know better than to overplay the scene unless deliberately, so is he really giving Danny a chance to wise up? If Danny had done his job instead of getting angry, he might have reported Harry's euphoric state to Diane. Only Harry seems satisfied at the end that he wouldn't. So would either outcome have worked for him? If so, how?
Well, assuming Harry is undercover IAB, if Danny had been cool-headed enough to wonder at Harry's antics, it would have been a mark in Danny's favor. Then Harry's satisfaction that Danny failed his little 'test' could be attributed to personal (as opposed to professional) satisfaction that Diane was no longer involved with him. But if he's IAB, what is he doing undercover at Citiwide Courier?
Does the euphoria make sense if Harry is involved with drugs, either undercover or criminally? Only if he wants Diane to suspect something is going on without his having to come out and tell her. Can this fit into an either/or situation as the IAB theory does? Not really. Either he needs Diane's help on the case or he needs her to stay away from it. Obviously one wouldn't be able to substitute for the other in this case. Some have speculated that Diane was intercepted by Harry off-camera after she left the building (she was getting ready to leave), and that the two of them arranged to work together at that time, so that might solve this difficulty -- Harry would probably have been familiar with the time she normally left work and timed his appearance accordingly. In this case, his interview with Danny would merely have been to ascertain the state of their relationship. But he must have known that Danny would paint a very nasty picture of him to Diane (say he claimed to have had sex with her when she knows he didn't), so wouldn't it have been easier for him to have called her to begin with and simply asked how her affair with Danny was going? Otherwise it'd be very difficult to gain her confidence enough to ask for her help on the case. Obviously, I don't really agree with this theory; I'm simply including it in order to be comprehensive.
An exception to the 'deliberate scenery-chewing' might be if Harry has gotten himself hooked on drugs again -- if he's high on speed or something similar through this scene, then he wouldn't appear calm no matter how hard he tried. But neither is he so far gone that his reasoning ability is severely impaired: He manipulates Danny with no effort whatsoever. So there are three possible conclusions:
12 steps | related links | background | E-mail the webmistress | transcripts | students of denby | fanfiction |