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TRANSCRIPT:
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COLD OPEN:

[Malibu Mansion. Day. Handheld camera focuses on a terrified bikini-clad young lady, speaking hurriedly on her red cellphone.]

TRACY POWERS: [crying, yet clearly] Tracy Powers. I need you to send an ambulance now. God, I think he's dead! [small beat, freaking out] I don't know the damn address!

[There's a sound off-screen. She looks up towards it in panic.]

TRACY POWERS: Oh God! I think he's coming!

[Sobbing quietly, she quickly moves outside, past the sliding doors]

TRACY POWERS: Send the police! [begging] Please!

[The camera focuses off her on the barrel of a semi-automatic.]

[Tracy continues to speak in fear, completely unaware of the gun-toting man in white shorts walk purposefully up to her.]

TRACY POWERS: I don't know. It's in Malibu! [quickly as she remembers] I-It's off-off the highway. It's Beach... Beach... Beach Canyon Road!

[She doesn't get to say more. The gunman aims the gun at the back of her head and pulls the trigger. A shot is heard as we...]



CUT TO:

[Stark Residence, Kitchen. Day. The sound of the gunshot merges with the sound of a pop-tart popping out of the toaster. Julie Stark takes it quickly and puts it onto a paper napkin. Sebastian Stark comes down the stairs, dressed for work.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: You're gonna spoil your dinner.

JULIE STARK: This IS dinner.

[She holds the pop-tart in her mouth as she packs her bag for school.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: What about Dan Tana's? I thought we were going to start a new tradition.

JULIE STARK: [muffled, thanks to the pop-tart] I can't. I got study group.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [pulling the pop-tart out of her mouth] I'm sorry. Was that English?

JULIE STARK: I forgot about the study group.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Oh, so ["one hand"] study group over ["other hand"] veal scaloppini? [weighs the options]

JULIE STARK: Sorry, my physics teacher is a Nazi. I'm completely drowning in Honors French and I haven't even started my English Lit term paper. Besides, you'll be answering phone calls halfway through your Caesar.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Did anybody ever tell you you got a serious Type "A" deal going?

JULIE STARK: Yeah, I wonder where that comes from.

SEBASTIAN STARK: You're gonna thank me some day, collect from your dorm room at Princeton.

[Stark's cellphone beeps. He looks at the text message.]

JULIE STARK: Oh, as predicted, the Bat Signal.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Kinda dressed up for a study group, aren'tcha?

JULIE STARK: Can I have my dinner, please?

[He absently hands the pop-tart back to her.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [reading the message] Hmm.

JULIE STARK: Lemme guess. No veal scaloppini for you either?

[She kisses him on the cheek and leaves.]



CUT TO:

[Malibu Beach. Day. Shot of beachhouses.]



CUT TO:

[Malibu Mansion, Outside. Day. Cops are at the scene along with the CSU guys. A police alarm sounds in the background. Stark walks up to the crime-scene tape, flashing his DA badge to an officer. He sees Madeleine Poe on the other side of the tape.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: What are you doing here?

[The officer lets Stark through.]

MADELEINE POE: Emergencies must be routed to two DAs per department. I thought I'd save you the awkwardness of having to choose me over the others.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Can't imagine why they resent you.

[They walk up to the house.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: What've we got?

MADELEINE POE: Two victims, married couple. Husband took a bullet to the chest. Wife shot point-blank in the back of the head.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Not a typical day in Malibu. Has the place been tossed?

MADELEINE POE: No sign of robbery.

[They walk off-screen.]



CUT TO:

[Malibu Mansion, Interior. Day. A man lies dead on the floor, a gunshot wound on his torso. A pair of yellow-tinted sunglasses lie next to him. A CSU criminalist kneels in front of him, writing something on a clipboard. Stark and Madeleine walk up to the detective standing nearby.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Owners?

DETECTIVE: Don't know yet. We're running it down now. [re: the dead man's clothes] But the clothes don't fit the house.

[Stark looks at the place.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Pretty sophisticated surveillance system. [points to a surveillance camera on a ledge]

DETECTIVE: Yeah.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Are those connected to a computer in the house?

DETECTIVE: The video files have been disabled.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Huh.

DETECTIVE: Someone may have been covering their tracks.

[Stark moves away. The detective sees Madeleine.]

DETECTIVE: [charming] I'm Lenny.

MADELEINE POE: [give him an "in-your dreams" look] I'm working.

[She walks away. "Lenny" smiles and follows.]



CUT TO:

[Malibu Mansion, Patio. Day. They walk up to Tracy's body, her blood staining the grass on which she lies.]

DETECTIVE: Tracy Powers, twenty-five. Sheriff Department received a 911 call from a woman. It didn't come
from a land line in the house. We haven't found her cellphone yet.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Got anything?

DETECTIVE: She got the street name out before she was shot. Took us a couple hours to find the house.

MADELEINE POE: Any witnesses?

DETECTIVE: Someone saw a black BMW parked near here today. That's it so far.

[An officer comes up and hands the detective a clipboard. He reads it.]

DETECTIVE: Well, we know who owns the house.

[He hands the clipboard to Stark, who reads it and exhales sharply.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [familiarly] Harry Russo.

MADELEINE POE: I take it you know him?

SEBASTIAN STARK: You could say that.

[He hands the clipboard back to the detective.]



CUT TO:

[DA's Office Building, Exterior. Day.]



CUT TO:

[DA's Office Building, Parking Garage. Stark, just out of his car, meets DA Jessica Devlin. They walk together.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: You know, this office has been building a grand jury case against your pal Russo for two years.

SEBASTIAN STARK: We're not pals.

JESSICA DEVLIN: [tomayto-tomahto] Yeah, sorry. Business associates.

SEBASTIAN STARK: You know, you can't swing a dead cat in this town, Jess, without hitting a lawyer who uses a PI, okay?

JESSICA DEVLIN: Yeah, well, most PIs don't put dead cats on windshields to intimidate witnesses.

SEBASTIAN STARK: You're exaggerating. Small rodents, maybe.

[They enter the hallway.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: You and every other lawyer who hired Russo should start sweating 'cause I'm gonna indict him for blackmail, extortion, wiretapping...

SEBASTIAN STARK: You said there'd be an indictment six months ago.

JESSICA DEVLIN: Russo has so much dirt on the witnesses they're all too scared to talk. But if he's involved in double homicide, my job just got a lot easier.

[They stop at the elevator.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: There's no forensic evidence linking him to the crime.

JESSICA DEVLIN: Is this going to be a conflict of interest?

SEBASTIAN STARK: You pursuing Russo with a grand jury probe in an election year? [pretends to think, bright-eyed] Hmm?

JESSICA DEVLIN: You know damn well what I'm talking about. Your history with Russo.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Do I strike you as sentimental? [hits the elevator button] It's a murder investigation, Jess. I think it should be independent of a grand jury probe.

JESSICA DEVLIN: [nods] Fine... for now. Don't forget my fundraiser. Black tie.

[She walks towards the stairs.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [loudly] I'll cut a check. Can't promise I'll vote for ya.

[She looks behind at him as she goes upstairs. He enters the elevator.]



CUT TO:

[DA's Office Building, Exterior. Day.]

TRACY POWERS: [recorded, panicked] Oh, God, I think he's dead!

DISPATCH: [recorded, unsettlingly-calm voice] What is your address? I need to know your location.

TRACY POWERS: [recorded, interrupting] I don't know the damn address!

DISPATCH: [recorded] Look, I can't send an ambulance without your address.



CUT TO:

[HPCU Office. Day. Stark and the team sits solemnly around a laptop, which plays the recorded 911 call Tracy made in the last few moments of her life.]

TRACY POWERS: [recorded] Oh God! I think he's coming!

DISPATCH: [recorded] Just stay on the line, Tracy. Calm down.

[Tracy's sobs are heard.]

DISPATCH: [recorded] Tracy? Tracy?

TRACY POWERS: [recorded] Send the police! Please!

DISPATCH: [recorded] You know what street you're on?

TRACY POWERS: [recorded] I don't know. It's in Malibu. I-It's off-off the highway. It's Beach... Beach... Beach Canyon Road!

DISPATCH: [recorded] Beach Canyon. Good...

[The gunshot is heard.]

DISPATCH: [recorded] Tracy? Tracy, are you there?

SEBASTIAN STARK: [somberly] Last words of Tracy Powers.

[He presses a key on the laptop to stop the playback. He looks resolute.]



CUT TO:

[Opening Credits.]



CUT TO:

[DA's Office Building, Exterior. Day.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [vo] All right, what have we got?



CUT TO:

[HPCU Office, Conference Room. Day. Stark sits at the conference table with Raina Troy, Martin Allende and Casey Woodland.]

RAINA TROY: She was an actress-slash-waitress at the Cypress Hotel. The husband Wayne Powers was a part-time roofing contractor.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Anything on the 911 call?

MARTIN ALLENDE: Call came in from a prepaid cellphone which is bad news for us. We can trace the call, but not the name of the caller.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Phone of choice for philanderers, bookies and terrorists. Ballistics?

CASEY WOODLAND: The ME says the slug pulled from the victims were from a forty-five.

[Madeleine enters, carrying a folder.]

MADELEINE POE: The rental agency knows nothing about the Powers. Cops say Harry Russo is their prime suspect.

[She sits at the table, next to Casey.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Based on reputation, not fact.

CASEY WOODLAND: Can I ask a stupid question?

SEBASTIAN STARK: Boy, you really know how to tee it up for a guy. Speak.

CASEY WOODLAND: Why don't we wait for the cops to bring us more?

SEBASTIAN STARK: Because our beloved District Attorney has it in for Mr. Russo, and busting him would - along with my reluctant cash donation - secure her re-election. [to Raina] Raina, you and [pointing at Casey] Inspector Clouseau here follow up at the Cypress Hotel. Talk to the victim's co-workers, employer. [to Martin] Also, this disposable cellphone. I mean, You got to walk in and buy that somewhere, right? [to Madeleine] So, Madeleine, I want you to get the names of everyone who has a key to Russo's beach house, got it?

[She nods. The team is still at the table.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: And yet, oddly... no one's moving.

[The team scrambles up.]



CUT TO:

[Street outside DA's Office Building. Casey and Raina descend the steps and walk on the pavement.]

RAINA TROY: If the 911 call came from a portable cellphone, whoever killed Tracy may still have it.

CASEY WOODLAND: More likely, they dumped it along with the gun.

RAINA TROY: Yeah, a lowlife like Harry Russo wouldn't hold on to evidence.

CASEY WOODLAND: You really think Russo did it?

RAINA TROY: I Googled him. You wouldn't believe the stuff he's pulled. He's more than capable of killing two people.

CASEY WOODLAND: [dismissive] I read those articles. They're all allegations.

RAINA TROY: The guy's half a mobster. He ran a reporter off the road just because he mentioned his name in the paper.

CASEY WOODLAND: And until he's convicted of a crime, he's just another private investigator.

RAINA TROY: And Gotti was in waste management.

CASEY WOODLAND: So?

RAINA TROY: So, Madeleine said that Stark and Russo knew each other.

CASEY WOODLAND: [chuckles] Now Stark's dirty, too? Maybe I could interest you in a few snapshots of the grassy knoll.

RAINA TROY: [exhales] Come on. Every big-shot defense lawyer in this town uses private investigators. You think Stark was any different?

CASEY WOODLAND: No.

RAINA TROY: No, I'm telling you. Something doesn't smell right.

CASEY WOODLAND: Can you imagine Stark and Russo working together?

RAINA TROY: Scary.



CUT TO:

[Bar. Day. Harry Russo sits at the bar, taking a swig of his drink. Stark approaches him from behind.]

HARRY RUSSO: Kind of a dive for a man of your pedigree.

[He motions to the bartender to give Stark the same drink he's having.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: I took a pay cut.

HARRY RUSSO: Tell me about it. Since you crossed over, I had to cancel April in Tuscany.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [smirks] Atlantic City's more your style anyway.

[The bartender brings Stark his drink.]

HARRY RUSSO: Really? So how come you don't invite me to that VIP poker night at your house?

SEBASTIAN STARK: It's a straight game.

HARRY RUSSO: What's that supposed to mean?

SEBASTIAN STARK: [drinks] You cheat.

HARRY RUSSO: Ouch. Or maybe you're afraid to hang out with me since you became a big-shot DA. How about hooking me up with a place on that fat city payroll?

SEBASTIAN STARK: [chuckles] A PI under investigation by the grand jury. Might be a little tough slipping you past the background check.

HARRY RUSSO: [smiles] Hell, if you made it through, how tough could it be?

SEBASTIAN STARK: We need to talk to you.

HARRY RUSSO: Do I need a lawyer?

SEBASTIAN STARK: Depends. Murder anyone today?

HARRY RUSSO: Look, I already spoke to the cops. I didn't know the victims. The real estate agency, they handle the beach house.

SEBASTIAN STARK: It was your place, Harry. This is going to go through you.

HARRY RUSSO: Tell me something I don't know.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Then get out in front of it. Were you working for this couple? Is it part of another case? What?

HARRY RUSSO: I don't discuss client business. You ought to know that better than anyone.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [serious] Two people are dead. If you're willing to take a needle to cover for a client, you've taken loyalty to a whole new level.

HARRY RUSSO: That's why everyone who has secrets to keep come to me... Shark.

[Stark, in mid-sip, lowers the glass, pursing his lips tightly.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: I don't go by that anymore.

HARRY RUSSO: Yeah. You might be wearing a badge now, but we both know what you really are.

[Stark throws a hateful look at Russo, who continues his drink.]



CUT TO:

[Cypress Hotel, Exterior. Day. A bus with an advertisement for "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" passes.]



CUT TO:

[Cypress Hotel, Bar. Day. Raina and Casey speak to Lisa Gable, Tracy's colleague. Lisa stands behind the bar, cleaning up.]

LISA GABLE: Tracy came out here from Indiana with her husband.

RAINA TROY: Who was also her manager, we understand.

LISA GABLE: [laughs] If you call a drunk redneck, trying to live off his wife, a manager, then yeah. Wayne was pushing Tracy to do some cable stuff. Soft-core. But she wouldn't go for it.

CASEY WOODLAND: You told the police that her husband was abusive. She ever talk about leaving him?

LISA GABLE: Yeah. I felt sorry for her. She had lousy taste in men.

RAINA TROY: Were there other guys in her life?

LISA GABLE: [balking] I've got a lot of work to do and we're opening soon, so...

RAINA TROY: We really need your help, Lisa.

LISA GABLE: [relenting] Okay, there was one guy, older. Sat in her station a lot. She seemed happy
when he was around. They flirted a lot.

CASEY WOODLAND: Was she seeing this guy?

LISA GABLE: [chuckles] I don't know. I tease her about having a sugar daddy, but when I asked his name or what he did, she would just change the subject.

[Raina throws Casey a "what'd-I-tell-you?" look.]

RAINA TROY: You said he was older, right?

LISA GABLE: Yes, he was in his forties. Dark hair.

[Raina shows Lisa a picture of Harry Russo.]

RAINA TROY: Is this the guy, Lisa?

LISA GABLE: [looks] No, that's definitely not him.

[Deflated, Raina looks at Casey.]



CUT TO:

[DA's Office Building, Exterior. Day.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [vo] What'd the rental agency say about who was staying at Russo's house?



CUT TO:

[HPCU Office. Day. Stark speaks with Madeleine, as they prepare to leave.]

MADELEINE POE: Russo told the rental agency to reserve the house for him. And then he'd rent it off the books to his friends.

[They leave the office and walk towards the elevators.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: To dodge his taxes. Typical Russo.

MADELEINE POE: Then the police questioned the neighbors. Nobody saw the Powers staying at the house, [hits the elevator button] but I talked to a lifeguard.

[The elevator doors open.]

MADELEINE POE: Last week, he saw some guy kicking people off his beach.

[They enter the elevator.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [amused] HIS beach? [chuckles] Ah, they're all liberals 'til somebody blocks their ocean view. [hits a button] Well, let's just go have a chat with the landlord, shall we?

[The elevator doors close.]



CUT TO:

[LA Street. Day.]



CUT TO:

[Russo's Office. Day. Russo listens to a recording on his laptop, while his secretary, Maxine, sits nearby. The door opens. Stark and Madeleine enter.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Good morning, everyone.

MAXINE: [miffed] Would it kill you to knock?

SEBASTIAN STARK: You gotta minute?

HARRY RUSSO: Wait outside, Max. I guess you've run out of unofficial visits.

SEBASTIAN STARK: You're right. My associate, Madeleine Poe.

[Madeleine shakes his hand.]

MADELEINE POE: Something tells me that's not a court-ordered wiretap.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Just my type. Pretty AND smart. Well, fortunately for me, this is a little out of your jurisdiction. Fullerton city councilman taking a bribe. There's just no honor anymore.

SEBASTIAN STARK: We know you're renting out the beach house. Who was there at the time of the murders?

HARRY RUSSO: Is it time for me to lawyer up?

SEBASTIAN STARK: [pulling out his cellphone] Is it time for me to call a judge?

HARRY RUSSO: [unmoved] For what?

MADELEINE POE: Search warrant.

[Stark dials a number and speaks.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [into phone] Connie, it's Sebastian. Is His Honor available? Thank you. I'll hold.

HARRY RUSSO: What's the point? I've already turned over everything from this office to your boss for her little grand-jury vendetta.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Yeah, but I know where you keep the war rooms. You can only wiretap within an area code, so he keeps four apartments around L.A. You gave me the tour, remember?

HARRY RUSSO: What do you want?

MADELEINE POE: A witness saw a man staying at your house last week. It's just a matter of time before we ID him.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [into phone] Oh. Hi, Your Honor. Could you hold just for a minute, please?

HARRY RUSSO: Look, I'm not gonna talk. 'Specially with the... girl of my dreams over here around.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Harry, I'm not asking you to flip on a client. I am simply asking a landlord to give me the name of a tenant.

HARRY RUSSO: [sighs, beat] Taylor Garrett.

MADELEINE POE: The movie producer.

SEBASTIAN STARK: And now the prime suspect. [into phone] Your Honor, I'm so sorry to keep you holding. Yeah, I just wanted to tell you that the card game is gonna be ten o'clock this week, okay? [chuckles] Oh, I'm sure you will. Good. See you then.

[He hangs up.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Harry, you think Garrett was sleeping with Tracy Powers?

HARRY RUSSO: You got your name. Now get out.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [to Madeleine] He gets grumpy. Low blood sugar. Come on.

[They leave. Russo sits emotionless in his seat.]



CUT TO:

[Paramount Pictures, Exterior. Day.]



CUT TO:

[Paramount Pictures, Trailer Area. Stark and Madeleine walk with Taylor Garrett and his lawyer, Lance Horning.]

TAYLOR GARRETT: Russo's an old friend. Sometimes I hole up at his place at the beach and read scripts.

MADELEINE POE: Does he work for you, Mr. Garrett?

LANCE HORNING: You don't have to answer that.

SEBASTIAN STARK: 'S no big deal. I used him when I was in the private sector. [to Horning] I'm sure you have him on the payroll.

LANCE HORNING: Russo's never worked for me.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Sounds like you think he's dirty, too.

LANCE HORNING: Are we almost done here?

SEBASTIAN STARK: I'm just getting warmed up.

[Madeleine's phone rings.]

MADELEINE POE: It's Casey and Raina. [she answers it]

[They stop walking.]

TAYLOR GARRETT: Look, look, it's okay. We had piracy issues, intellectual property stolen. Russo has been able to help us with security.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Did you ever have any contact with the female victim, Tracy Powers?

TAYLOR GARRETT: [shakes his head] Never heard of her.

SEBASTIAN STARK: You ever been to the bar at the Cypress Hotel?

LANCE HORNING: [warning] This is getting awfully close to custodial interrogation.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Keep me posted. [to Garrett] Tracy was a waitress at the Cypress.

TAYLOR GARRETT: So?

SEBASTIAN STARK: So? [looks at Madeleine, who nods] So two of my deputies just showed your picture to one of Tracy's coworkers. She ID'ed you as Tracy's sugar daddy.

TAYLOR GARRETT: Oh, come on. What? Is it against the law to flirt with a waitress in L.A.?

MADELEINE POE: Do you own a forty-five-caliber handgun, Mr. Garrett?

LANCE HORNING: Okay, we're done.

[He ushers Garrett away.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: For now. But I wouldn't book a suite at Cannes this year.



CUT TO:

[Stark Residence, Exterior. Day.]



CUT TO:

[Stark Residence, Dining Room. Julie and her study-group-member, Eddie Linden, sit at the table, going over Chemistry.]

JULIE STARK: A mole is used to count particles, and atoms are so tiny that they...[looks at Eddie, who seems absolutely bored] need to be... Hello? Earth to Eddie?

EDDIE LINDEN: [sighs] Chemistry blows.

JULIE STARK: Erica again?

EDDIE LINDEN: [shrugs in affirmation] Things are really messed up.

JULIE STARK: I thought you guys were so happy.

EDDIE LINDEN: She's... she's great. It's just... all we ever do is fool around.

[Julie looks uncomfortable.]

EDDIE LINDEN: Sorry. [laughs] Way too much information.

JULIE STARK: Oh, no, no, it's cool. I've had relationships like that, you know, that are completely physical.

[She stands mid-sentence and goes to the fridge, to get more iced tea.]

EDDIE LINDEN: Yeah?

JULIE STARK: Oh, yeah, sure. It's no big deal.

EDDIE LINDEN: Does it make you feel like a slut?

JULIE STARK: [looks at him] What?

EDDIE LINDEN: [whoops!] I-I mean, not-not that you are one. That's just how I feel when I'm with Erica.

[She pours the iced tea.]

EDDIE LINDEN: [exhales loudly] On top of that, I've got this huge meet next week. The UCLA scout is coming
to watch me run the sixteen hundred. Have to kick ass. With this English lit paper due... I need to get creative.

[She puts the iced tea jug back into the fridge and sees him looking at a small strip of paper. She takes it and reads it.]

JULIE STARK: Slidethruschool.com?

EDDIE LINDEN: Term papers online.

JULIE STARK: [admonishing] Eddie!

EDDIE LINDEN: Look, I'm not gonna use the whole thing. I mean, I'll just borrow a bit here and there.

JULIE STARK: I know. Do you remember those kids who cheated at Flintwin? They got kicked out of school, and now it's on their transcript.

EDDIE LINDEN: Look, track's my ticket to a decent school. I have no choice.

JULIE STARK: Yes, you do. Look, I will help you.

LANCE HORNING: You've got your own paper to write.

JULIE STARK: I'll be fine. Just promise me, no Slidethruschool.com.

EDDIE LINDEN: [smiles cheerfully] Promise.

[She smiles back.]



CUT TO:

[HPCU Office. Day. Stark, in a tuxedo, walks inside hurriedly. Martin, Madeleine and Raina are working inside.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Where are we on Garrett? I'm stuck next to Jessica at her damn fund-raiser, and she's gonna be all over me. [beckoning to Madeleine] Motive. Madeleine, go.

MADELEINE POE: Jealousy. Garrett could be sleeping with Tracy Powers, husband finds out, follows his wife to the beach, goes bad from there.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Cops find the murder weapon?

RAINA TROY: [dropping some papers in front of Martin] Not yet.

MARTIN ALLENDE: Garrett's alibi's weak. He says he was working at the office, but his assistant was out sick.

SEBASTIAN STARK: We need more.

RAINA TROY: Neighbors say that they saw a black BMW parked near the house that day. Garrett drives a black 740.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [shrugs] Plate number?

RAINA TROY: [defeated] No.

SEBASTIAN STARK: This is Malibu, people. Even the nannies drive black BMWs. [to Martin] How about the cellphone?

MARTIN ALLENDE: Bought in cash six months ago at a Rite-Aid quarter mile from Garrett's office.

[Casey enters, also wearing a tux.]

CASEY WOODLAND: In fact, two phones were purchased at the same time.

[Raina adjusts Stark's bowtie as he speaks.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Good, good. Not just positive, but good. [looks at Casey] I see you got roped in to the Jessica thing too, huh?

CASEY WOODLAND: [sounding uninterested] Yeah, my dad's introducing her.

RAINA TROY: You clean up nice. [to Madeleine] I'm surprised you're missing the opportunity to kiss Jessica's ass.

MADELEINE POE: [sporting] Cheaper ways to suck up to the boss than a five hundred dollar chicken dinner.

MARTIN ALLENDE: Isn't this gonna be enough for an arrest warrant?

SEBASTIAN STARK: Maybe, but it'd be even better if we had enough for, say, a conviction.

MADELEINE POE: [looking at her monitor] Maybe this'll help. Taylor Garrett purchased a .45-caliber Kooth
.450 Max in Montana two years ago. Retails for about six grand. He tells the cops that he can't find it.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [amused] He misplaced a six thousand dollar gun? [claps his hands] Yahtzee! [stabbing his finger at Martin] Get a warrant. Contact L.A.'s finest. Bring me the ass of Taylor Garrett.

[Madeleine smiles. A really beautiful lady walks in, wearing a stunning evening gown.]

CASEY'S DATE: Sorry to interrupt. [to Casey] Casey, the driver said we're gonna be late.

CASEY WOODLAND: [putting his arm around her waist] I'll be right there. Do you need me?

SEBASTIAN STARK: No. [chuckles] But I certainly could use you. [introducing with a kiss on her hand] Sebastian Stark. Enchanté.

[Madeleine enviously watches Casey and his date start to walk out.]

MADELEINE POE: [calling after them, not very sincerely] Have a lovely evening.

CASEY WOODLAND: [smiles] I intend to.

[Casey and his date leave. Madeleine, her face betraying no emotion, watches them leave.]



CUT TO:

[LA Marina. Day. Aerial shot of the many boats/yachts parked at the Marina. A yacht slowly sails in the water.]

[Garrett's yacht. In his yacht, Taylor Garrett anxiously prepares to start his boat.]

[Outside, five cops (wearing bulletproof vests and helmets) armed with nine-mils, stealthily approach the boat in single-file. The boat's engine is starting. They board the yacht quietly. One of them approaches the bridge, followed by another. The others circle around, while one keeps guard. Garrett is about to start the boat, when the cops bust in.]

COP: Dont' move!

[Garrett tries to run the other way, but finds his way blocked by a Detective and gun-toting cops.]

DETECTIVE: Sheriffs' Department! Hands above your head!

[Caught, Garrett complies immediately.]

DETECTIVE: Taylor Garrett, you're under arrest for the murders of Wayne and Tracy Powers!

[Camera holds on Garrett.]



TIME LAPSE:

[LA Marina. Day. Shot of the parked boats/yachts. A couple of seagulls are perched atop the security railing.]

[Garrett's yacht. The detective (gloved up) goes through a bag, while Raina and Madeleine watch.]

DETECTIVE: This is Garrett's bag. I don't see a gun, but I do have two cellphones.

RAINA TROY: Could you turn them on, please, Detective?

[He turns them on, while Raina dials a number on her own cellphone.]

MADELEINE POE: What are you doing?

RAINA TROY: Hopefully, calling a dead person.

[The red cellphone, in the detective's right hand, rings. He holds it up.]

RAINA TROY: [triumphant] Tracy Powers' phone.

MADELEINE POE: [smiles] Puts Garrett at the crime scene.

RAINA TROY: And hopefully, in prison.



FLASH TO:

[Flashback. Hold on Tracy Powers' as she speaks into her cellphone.]

TRACY POWERS: [into phone, panicked] It's right past the light.

[A gunshot is heard, and we...]



HARD CUT TO:

[Outside Jessica's Fund-raiser. Night. Casey walks outside, smiling at a couple passing by. He pulls out his cellphone and dials. Jessica comes up behind him, dressed in an evening gown.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: Mr. Woodland.

CASEY WOODLAND: [smiling] Ah, the guest of honor.

JESSICA DEVLIN: You might not want to leave your date alone in there too long.

CASEY WOODLAND: I think she can handle herself. [looking around] It's an impressive turnout.

JESSICA DEVLIN: Campaigns are expensive. I'm sure your father's told you all about it. [loses the smile] So, how are things going with Stark?

CASEY WOODLAND: Fine.

JESSICA DEVLIN: This Powers case hits a little close to home for him.

CASEY WOODLAND: I guess.

JESSICA DEVLIN: You know about my grand jury investigation of Harry Russo?

CASEY WOODLAND: Yeah.

JESSICA DEVLIN: [quietly] Well, Stark's name has come up.

CASEY WOODLAND: Anything solid?

JESSICA DEVLIN: [smiling at some passers-by] Not yet, but I would like to avoid any potential conflict of interest. That's where you come in.

CASEY WOODLAND: Me?

JESSICA DEVLIN: I'd appreciate if you, uh, would keep me posted on the Powers murder investigation.

CASEY WOODLAND: Doesn't Stark report to you?

JESSICA DEVLIN: With his, uh, ties to Russo, it's important that I make sure that I'm in the loop.

CASEY WOODLAND: Well, what do you want me to do?

JESSICA DEVLIN: [smiling at passers-by] I've put in two long years into this grand jury probe of Russo. I'm just asking that you keep me apprised of anything that might jeopardize that investigation.

CASEY WOODLAND: I'm not really comfortable doing this.

JESSICA DEVLIN: Oh. Well, I wasn't really comfortable with a certain state senator when he asked me if I would make his son an ADA because it would look great on his résumé. I got over it.

[Casey looks at her.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: Enjoy the party.

[Casey groans.]



CUT TO:

[Cypress Hotel, Exterior. Day.]



CUT TO:

[Cypress Hotel, Bar. Day. Stark and Martin walk up to the table where Harry Russo sits, sipping his drink. Stark plops a paper in front of him.]

HARRY RUSSO: [sighs] You are like something I stepped in.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Maxine said you'd be here, and... voila.

HARRY RUSSO: Yeah, well, I'm gonna have to get rid of her. So, what's this?

SEBASTIAN STARK: Phone records from the prepaid cellphones. Taylor Garrett called you around the same time the Powers were killed.

HARRY RUSSO: [innocently] So what?

SEBASTIAN STARK: So you're in this up to your ass, Harry. You better start talking.

MARTIN ALLENDE: May I ask a question?

SEBASTIAN STARK: No.

MARTIN ALLENDE: [persists] Why are you sitting at the same bar where the murder victim worked?

SEBASTIAN STARK: [to Martin] See, that's already the wrong question. [to Russo] Why are you in the same bar as [looking at Lisa Gable, behind the bar] one of our witnesses?

HARRY RUSSO: You kidding? This is a hotel bar. I make my living in places like this. Right now, up in room 413 there's a married stockbroker, hooking up with a surprisingly attractive transvestite. Welcome to my world.

[Stark leans his hands on Russo's table. He waits a beat.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [serious] Why did Taylor Garrett call you that day, Harry?

HARRY RUSSO: No comment.

MARTIN ALLENDE: Maybe he called you to clean up after a double murder.

HARRY RUSSO: Who the hell's Boy Wonder over here?

SEBASTIAN STARK: [to Martin] Would you give us a second, please?

[Martin shrugs and moves away.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: I'll have you arrested as an accessory before the ice melts in your gimlet.

HARRY RUSSO: Look, I go down, you're going with me. Hmm?

SEBASTIAN STARK: If you think what happened up in Stockton...

[Martin, standing away, hears.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: ...is gonna stop me from nailing you on this, Harry, you are [enunciating clearly] dead wrong.

[Russo looks away at a chubby man walking out of an elevator, carrying a briefcase. Russo reaches into his pocket.]

HARRY RUSSO: My guy's on the move. We'll have to take this up later.

[He slaps some money on the table and leaves.]

[Stark exhales, wearily.]



CUT TO:

[HPCU Office. Day. Madeleine sits alone at her desk, writing something. Casey enters.]

CASEY WOODLAND: Wanna grab a bite to eat?

MADELEINE POE: Do I need to take a number?

CASEY WOODLAND: (chuckles) Come on, don't tell me you're jealous about last night.

MADELEINE POE: [smiling] You... wish.

CASEY WOODLAND: [getting his coat] Let's go.

MADELEINE POE: I can't. Suppression motions from Garrett's defense team. They're trying to paper us into submission. Shark wants it done by three.

CASEY WOODLAND: That's insane.

MADELEINE POE: Garrett's team is challenging witness testimony, petitioning change of venue, change of jurisdiction, and I have to answer them all.

[Casey picks up some of her paperwork.]

MADELEINE POE: You don't have to do that.

CASEY WOODLAND: You'd do the same for me.

MADELEINE POE: I really wouldn't.

CASEY WOODLAND: I know. [removing his coat] I'm not sure why that turns me on.

MADELEINE POE: Low self-esteem, maybe?

CASEY WOODLAND: Eh, something like that.

MADELEINE POE: That night... was a one-shot deal.

CASEY WOODLAND: Fine with me.

[They smile at each other.]



CUT TO:

[Outside Stark Residence. Night.]

EDDIE LINDEN: [vo] This outline is...



CUT TO:

[Stark Residence, Living Room. Night. Julie and Eddie walk to the door, his work done.]

EDDIE LINDEN: ...amazing. You really saved my life.

JULIE STARK: You did all the work. I just steered you in the right direction.

EDDIE LINDEN: There's just one more thing I need.

JULIE STARK: [chuckles] Eddie, I'm not gonna write your paper for you.

EDDIE LINDEN: [stops walking, faces her] Actually, I need you to come with me to the Arctic Monkeys' concert tomorrow night.

JULIE STARK: [enthusiastic] Wow. That's... uh, that's so great. I just... I haven't even started my own paper yet.

EDDIE LINDEN: You're a genius dork. You could write that thing in your sleep.

JULIE STARK: Well, what about Erica?

EDDIE LINDEN: I don't want to go with Erica. I want to go with you.

JULIE STARK: Yeah, but you guys are still technically dating, and...

[He kisses her, effectively cutting off her excuses. She kisses back. Suddenly, a throat-clearing sound is heard. Eddie breaks the kiss and looks up, seeing Stark standing, arms folded, at the stairs.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Hey, there.

JULIE STARK: [caught] Dad.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Saw a car on the security monitor, thought there might be a problem, and (chuckles) clearly, there is.

JULIE STARK: Eddie, this is my father.

EDDIE LINDEN: [deer-in-the-headlights] Hi.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [coming downstairs] Eddie, how ya doing? So, what were you studying there? Besides the inside of my daughter's mouth?

[Julie's mouth drops.]

EDDIE LINDEN: I should probably go.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Probably.

[Eddie leaves through the front door.]

JULIE STARK: Um... I'll call you later.

[She closes the door and turns angrily to Stark.]

JULIE STARK: What was that?!

SEBASTIAN STARK: Paternal prerogative. So, Eddie seems nice. What happened to... Jared?

[Stark's phone rings.]

JULIE STARK: Jared was just a friend.

SEBASTIAN STARK: And this guy's what, just a study buddy?

JULIE STARK: Well, he was, but he's going through a really rough time right now.

[Stark answers his phone.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [into phone] Yeah?

JULIE STARK: I don't know why I even bother justifying this to you.

[She starts to walk upstairs.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [to her] Hold on. [into phone] You got to be kidding me. [to Julie] Honey...

[She ignores him and exits. He sighs.]



CUT TO:

[HPCU Office. Night. Madeleine, Casey and Raina enter sleepily. Martin's already at his desk.]

CASEY WOODLAND: Did he say what he wanted?

MADELEINE POE: No, but he didn't sound happy.

RAINA TROY: Does he ever?

CASEY WOODLAND: Hey, Martin. What's up with you?

MARTIN ALLENDE: Russo used to work for Stark.

RAINA TROY: Does... that surprise you?

MARTIN ALLENDE: No. But I heard 'em talking. And it sounded like something happened.

CASEY WOODLAND: Like what?

MARTIN ALLENDE: No idea. But it must've been ugly.

[Stark enters.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Want to hear something truly ugly? The judge threw out the prepaid cell phones.

RAINA TROY: [surprised] Why?

SEBASTIAN STARK: [pissed] Did anybody notice whether the police had an arrest warrant when they picked up Garrett?

[He strides towards his office.]

CASEY WOODLAND: Uh, it was a felony arrest under exigent circumstances. His boat was fired up to flee or dump evidence. They don't need a warrant for that.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [coming out of his office] You do when the arrest takes place at the person's home!

MARTIN ALLENDE: [incredulous] Wh... It was Garrett's boat.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Where he [enunciates] lived for a year after separating from his wife. Where he gets his mail, pays his taxes and therefore, according to the judge, still [enunciates] legally resides. Now as badly as you screwed the pooch on the arrest, of course, it pales in comparison to whoever countered the motions to suppress.

[Casey looks at a guilty-looking Madeleine.]

CASEY WOODLAND: I had the boat. It was me.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Oh, let me guess. You figured the defense was just... papering us, right? So you dismissed their arguments. You didn't bother to provide a single precedent, not even one case for the judge so that maybe he could
deny their motion.

CASEY WOODLAND: We were on a deadline and...

SEBASTIAN STARK: [seething] Next time instead of rushing through the suppression motions so you can make happy hour, try reading them. [addressing them all] Because now all the evidence gathered on that boat is now inadmissible, which means that Taylor Garrett can't be placed at the scene of the crime, which means that he's going to get away with murdering two people. [to Casey] So why don't you make us a keg of coffee there, sport, because we're gonna be here all [enunciates] night.

FLASH TO:

[Flashback. Camera holds on Tracy Powers' face as she speaks fearfully into her cellphone. Shot of a man's hand firing the gun downwards. Gunshot.]



HARD CUT TO:

[DA's Office, Hallway/HPCU Office. Day. Jessica and Stark walk, discussing the case.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: Start with the first, we lose everything at the crime scene and now you're telling me that the bartender who actually saw Garrett and Tracy together won't testify. Let me guess. Russo behind this?

[They enter the HPCU office.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Unless the rat impaled on our windshield wiper committed suicide, I'd say that's a good bet.

JESSICA DEVLIN: If this weren't so tragic, it'd be funny. [resolving] All right, we're putting him on the stand. He can testify about the phone call from Garrett the afternoon of the murder.

[Stark stops on hearing that.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: The judge can't throw out phone records.

SEBASTIAN STARK: To say Russo is an unreliable witness is a massive understatement.

JESSICA DEVLIN: Then you better prep him within an inch of his life.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Won't matter. He's not gonna talk.

[He goes to his office.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: [as she walks out] Fifty bucks says he'll talk to me!

SEBASTIAN STARK: [scoffs] Huh! Make it a hundred.

[Jessica gives him a thumbs-up as she passes by.]



[DA's Office, Interrogation Room. Day. In the darkened room, the camera holds on a pile of boxes, while Jessica walks in front of them, speaking to Russo.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: Mr. Russo, these boxes contain two years' worth of documents from our investigation of your business dealings.

HARRY RUSSO: [usual bored look] That's a lot of dead trees.

JESSICA DEVLIN: I have enough to indict you.

HARRY RUSSO: And yet you haven't.

JESSICA DEVLIN: It's because I also intend to take down all the people who hired you.

[Stark watches the conversation from behind the one-way mirror in the adjoining room.]

HARRY RUSSO: Come on, Jessica, are you kidding? I'm the one you want.

JESSICA DEVLIN: I have the power to drag every one of your clients in front of a grand jury. High-profile people who don't like to open up the L.A. Times and see their names attached to criminal investigations. I'm guessing that might be bad for business.

HARRY RUSSO: Well, if I testify against Taylor Garrett, I won't have a business.

JESSICA DEVLIN: Either way, you're looking at a new career. If you take down Garrett, it's two years' minimum
security for obstruction. Refuse and the grand jury will see to it that you retire at Folsom. Pick your poison.

HARRY RUSSO: [sighs] You're not leaving me much of a choice, huh?



TIME LAPSE:

[DA's Office, Interrogation Observation Room. Day. Jessica comes inside, expecting to find Stark inside. She finds it empty. She looks down at the table and smiles. A hundred dollar bill is placed under the light. Triumphantly, she picks it up and leaves.]



CUT TO:

[Stark Residence, Living Room. Night. Julie descends the stairs, talking on her cellphone.]

JULIE STARK: [into phone] Yeah, I'm coming out. I'll be right there.

[Stark, dressed casually, sitting at his desk, working on paperwork, puts his two cents in.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: What, your date can't come to the door?

JULIE STARK: After the way you treated him last time, I'm surprised he's picking me up at all. Staying in tonight?

SEBASTIAN STARK: Yeah, I got to prep.

JULIE STARK: Yeah, you know I shouldn't even go out either. I have this Longfellow paper that I'm only halfway through and the stupid computer keeps crashing.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Relax, sweetie, go have some fun.

JULIE STARK: [sighs, smiles] I thought you didn't like Eddie.

SEBASTIAN STARK: I don't, but I'm never gonna like anybody you date, so don't let that stop you. [looks over his shoulder at her] Now you look cute.

JULIE STARK: [flattered] Thanks. But you know what, I'm gonna go grab my laptop.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Jules, Jules, whoa, whoa, whoa! [gets up and walks to her] Honey, I am your father and I love you, but... if you take your computer to a rock concert, you will officially become the biggest geek on the planet.

JULIE STARK: This coming from the man who built a courtroom in his basement.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [putting his arm around her as they walk] Well...

JULIE STARK: Talk about bringing your work home with you.

SEBASTIAN STARK: What...? [scoffs] You don't think it's cost me plenty?

JULIE STARK: Hmm.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Do your old man a favor... go be sixteen.

[He kisses her.]

JULIE STARK: 'Kay.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Okay?

[He opens the door, just in time to see Russo coming up to the door.]

JULIE STARK: Oh, look, your study partner's here.

HARRY RUSSO: Look who's all grown up.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [thumbing backwards] We're working downstairs.

[Julie leaves.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Come on.

[Russo enters.]



CUT TO:

[Stark Residence, Indoor Courtroom. Night. Russo looks at the mock-courtroom as he walks with Stark.]

HARRY RUSSO: You couldn't just put in a gym?

SEBASTIAN STARK: Let's get one thing clear. I don't trust you as far as I can spit. You try anything clever, I'm gonna bury you.

HARRY RUSSO: Can I smoke? [pulls out his cigarettes]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [smirks] When we're done.

[Russo walks over to the witness box.]

HARRY RUSSO: All right.

[He sits.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: How long were Taylor Garrett and Tracy Powers having an affair?

HARRY RUSSO: About a year. Where are your flying monkeys?

SEBASTIAN STARK: This is between you and me. Was Taylor Garrett trying to end the affair with Tracy Powers?

HARRY RUSSO: No, it was a good thing for him. He was getting some on the side. She was getting jewellery, auditions. It'd still be going on right now if her husband hadn't gone up there to the beach...

SEBASTIAN STARK: Do me a favour, okay? Dispense with the editorials. Now you said in your statement Garrett told you that Tracy was becoming a liability. [picks up a paper at the Prosecution Table, his back to Russo]

HARRY RUSSO: Isn't that like... hearsay or something?

SEBASTIAN STARK: Hearsay exception: party admission. Shut up and answer the question.

HARRY RUSSO: Nice. You know I almost went to law school.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Yeah, I almost became a priest. Answer the question.

HARRY RUSSO: He said she might become a liability.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [looking at his papers] Was Garrett trying to send a message and you got it wrong?

HARRY RUSSO: I don't ever get it wrong.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [looking at Russo] You're gonna be under oath tomorrow.

HARRY RUSSO: I wasn't hired to intimidate her.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Yeah, but I know you sometimes like to freelance.

HARRY RUSSO: Freelance?

SEBASTIAN STARK: [staring him down] You start getting too clever for your own good and the next thing you know, a witness ends up dead.

HARRY RUSSO: It was a drug overdose.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [shaking his head] You couldn't just do what I told you.

HARRY RUSSO: I did exactly what you told me.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [restrained] I never... said I wanted her dead.

HARRY RUSSO: You want to put all the blame on me, fine. But unlike you, I can live with it.



MERGE WITH:

[Stark glares at Russo.]

[Courtroom. Day. The trial is underway. The Honorable Judith Babish presides. Stark moves back. We see he's now wearing his suit. Madeleine sits at the Prosecution Table.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: So Taylor Garrett never hired you to scare off Tracy Powers.

HARRY RUSSO: No, he didn't.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Did he call you at all on the day of the murders?

HARRY RUSSO: Yes.

SEBASTIAN STARK: And when was that, sir?

HARRY RUSSO: It was about one-thirty in the afternoon.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Where were you?

HARRY RUSSO: On a job. Park La Brea.

SEBASTIAN STARK: And what did Taylor Garrett say to you, sir?

HARRY RUSSO: He said he had just shot two people out at my beach house and that he needed my help.

[Garrett looks at Russo in shock.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Did you go to his aid?

[Garrett looks at his attorney, Lance Horning.]

HARRY RUSSO: [inaudible] Yeah.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Please speak up.

HARRY RUSSO: [leaning into the microphone] Yes. I drove out to the beach house, I erased the video files, and I told him to get rid of the gun and anything else that might be connected to him. Then I left. I headed back to my house.

[Garrett whispers into his attorney's ear.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: And how long were you in Malibu all told, Mr. Russo?

HARRY RUSSO: Hmm, ahh, not that long. I got home about four or five.

[Garrett throws Russo a hateful look.]



CUT TO:

[Courthouse, outside courtroom. Day. Recess. Stark stands outside with Madeleine, who puts her cellphone to her ear.]

MADELEINE POE: And did you see the look on Garrett's face?

SEBASTIAN STARK: [smirks] Priceless.

[Madeleine moves away. Jessica strides by, briskly.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: [smiling] You don't have to thank me.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Don't worry. I wasn't gonna.

[Stark looks inside the courtroom and sees a man hand a package over to Horning, who looks inside. He thanks the man, perking up greatly. Stark seems a bit curious.]



CUT TO:

[Courtroom. Day. Horning cross-examines Russo.]

LANCE HORNING: You were on a job in Park La Brea at one-thirty PM when you got the call from Mr. Garrett?

HARRY RUSSO: Yes.

LANCE HORNING: And you testified that at around two PM, you drove out to your beach house in Malibu and then returned to your house in Carthay Circle around four or five PM, is that correct?

HARRY RUSSO: Pretty close, yeah.

LANCE HORNING: Mr. Russo, do you play cards?

HARRY RUSSO: Yes.

LANCE HORNING: Are you familiar with a card room in the city of Commerce called The Shamrock Room?

[Stark looks worried.]

HARRY RUSSO: Yeah.

LANCE HORNING: Ever play poker there?

HARRY RUSSO: Sometimes, yeah.

LANCE HORNING: [holding up a videotape, to the judge] Your Honor, we request that this be marked Exhibit J.

[The bailiff takes the tape and inserts it into the VCR.]

LANCE HORNING: It's a videotape from a security camera in The Shamrock Room at exactly one-oh-two PM on the afternoon of October first, the day that Wayne and Tracy Powers were murdered.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [standing] Your Honor, I'd like to request a sidebar.

JUDGE JUDITH BABISH: Denied.

[Lips pursed, Stark jerks a nod and sits. Garrett looks contemptuously at Russo.]

LANCE HORNING: [operating the VCR remote control] Now is that you, Mr. Russo, in the dark shirt sitting down at the poker table?

[TV screen: A card game is in progress. The time at the top right-hand corner of the screen shows 1:02 PM. Russo (in a dark shirt) sits down at the table, putting his money on the table.]

HARRY RUSSO: I guess so.

LANCE HORNING: Yes or no?

HARRY RUSSO: [nods, caught] Yes.

[Stark looks back at Jessica, raising his eyebrows in question. Jessica looks just as clueless.]

LANCE HORNING: Can the bailiff make sure the jury can see Mr. Russo in the dark shirt. Also make note of the time stamp of one-oh-two PM. All right? I'm gonna go fast-forward now.

[He hits the button on the remote.]

[TV screen: The time stamp accelerates beyond 1:44 PM. Russo is at the table the whole time.]

LANCE HORNING: Keep your eye on the man in the dark shirt and on the time stamp.

[Stark exhales, deflated.]

LANCE HORNING: Note that at no time does Mr. Russo leave the poker table. He doesn't even get up to go to the bathroom or grab himself a bite to eat, let alone drive out the twenty miles to his Malibu beach house. He must be getting some very good cards.

[Stark looks at Russo and tilts his head accusingly. Russo looks back, apologetically. Horning pauses the tape.

[TV screen: The time stamp is 3:01:33 PM.]

LANCE HORNING: All right, look. Now it is three PM. Mr. Russo, how could you possibly make it out to Malibu and then drive back through rush-hour traffic and still be at your house at five PM?

[Russo gives a slight shrug.]

LANCE HORNING: Did you lie to this court when you testified that you went to Malibu the same day that the Powerses were murdered?

[The jury, Jessica and Stark all look at him. Russo waits a long beat. Then...]

HARRY RUSSO: [leaning into the microphone] Yes.

[The crowd starts to murmur. Jessica looks up, betrayed. The judge bangs her gavel five times. Stark only looks at Russo a wry half-smile on his face.]

LANCE HORNING: Nothing further, Your Honor.

[Russo looks back at Stark, emotionless.]



FLASH TO:

[Flashback. This time, we see Taylor Garrett pulling the trigger. Gunshot.]



HARD CUT TO:

[Street outside courthouse. Day. Stark and Jessica stand at a coffee-stand.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: He set us up.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [paying for the coffees] You think?

JESSICA DEVLIN: He's the one who slipped that tape to the defense.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [taking some candy] Thereby providing exculpatory evidence for the defense while acting as a prosecution witness. It's a pretty neat trick. Hate to say I told you so.

[They take their coffees and start to walk.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: Then don't.

SEBASTIAN STARK: You know, he may be a lowlife, but Russo's got some major stones on him. By perjuring himself on the stand, he's got the jury questioning our entire case.

JESSICA DEVLIN: Why go to jail for perjury to protect a pig like Garrett?

SEBASTIAN STARK: Oh, trust me, he doesn't give a damn about Garrett. This is brilliant marketing. Garrett walks out
of here a free man, he's a Technicolor billboard for Russo's commitment to his clients. You know, the stand-up guy. Then Russo gets out of jail in a year, he's up to his lying neck in new business.

JESSICA DEVLIN: You know, for a guy getting away with murder, Garrett sure didn't look too grateful.

SEBASTIAN STARK: I know.

[He stops walking, thinking.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: No. He didn't look grateful at all, did he?

JESSICA DEVLIN: We could go after the defense for tampering with a witness.

SEBASTIAN STARK: That'd be impossible to prove. [dialing a number on his cellphone] No, we need to be a little more creative on this one. [puts the phone to his ear]

JESSICA DEVLIN: Oh, God, you have a plan.

SEBASTIAN STARK: I do. [into phone] Hey, talk to the bailiffs. Find out if Garrett met with his lawyers after we broke. [listens] My office, ten minutes. [hangs up]

JESSICA DEVLIN: Do I want to know?

SEBASTIAN STARK: [shakes his head] You don't.

[They walk off.]



CUT TO:

[Stark Residence, Living Room. Day. Julie sits sideways on the couch, her laptop in front of her. Her cellphone rings as she crumples up a paper and dumps it. She answers it.]

JULIE STARK: Hello?

INTERCUT WITH:

[School. Day. Eddie (in uniform) stands underneath a tree, speaking on his cellphone.]

EDDIE LINDEN: You weren't in chemistry.

JULIE STARK: I'm working on my paper.

EDDIE LINDEN: [sucks in air through his teeth] Is there anything I can do?

JULIE STARK: Uh, not unless you want to write it for me. [chuckles]

EDDIE LINDEN: Probably wouldn't help out your GPA. I had a good time at the concert.

JULIE STARK: Me, too.

EDDIE LINDEN: I was thinking... maybe we could go out again sometime.

[Julie takes a sip of her Red Bull and places it down on a book. It topples over, spilling the contents on the book. ]

JULIE STARK: [picking up the can] Damn it. Oh...

EDDIE LINDEN: But if you'd rather not, then we don't have to, I was just...

JULIE STARK: [flustered] No, look, I'm sorry, I'm just... I'm just kind of losing my mind right now. Um, can we talk later?

EDDIE LINDEN: Sure.

JULIE STARK: Okay, thanks. Bye.

[She hangs up and looks at her laptop. The word processor is still blank.]



CUT TO:

[HPCU Office. Day. Madeleine, Raina and Martin walk into Stark's office.]

MADELEINE POE: You TiVo'd the trial?

SEBASTIAN STARK: [clicking a button on the remote control] Is there better television than me?

[TV screen: We see Garrett's face as Russo deposes.]

HARRY RUSSO: [vo] He said he had just shot two people out at my beach house and that he needed my help.

[Garrett reacts in shock and whispers to Horning.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: See that? See, now, Taylor Garrett makes movies. He doesn't act in them. Look at his face.

[TV screen: Garrett leans back after conferring with Horning, a hateful look on his face.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: He believes Russo threw him under a bus. Why? Because Russo never told him the plan.

MARTIN ALLENDE: [smiling] That way, Garrett acts surprised, and there's no chance of him tipping Russo's strategy.

RAINA TROY: Smart, but risky.

MARTIN ALLENDE: What if Garrett's lawyer already explained to him what Russo did?

SEBASTIAN STARK: Put a fork in us. We're done. Cooked.

[Casey enters.]

CASEY WOODLAND: Bailiff said Garrett and Horning met briefly right after we broke. But only for a minute, and they were never alone.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Outstanding. Where is Garrett now?

CASEY WOODLAND: In a van on his way here from County.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Perfect. Go back to the bailiffs. Garrett doesn't talk to his lawyer until I say so.

CASEY WOODLAND: Can we do that?

SEBASTIAN STARK: Did you say something?

CASEY WOODLAND: [knows better than to question Stark twice] Right.

[He walks off. Martin smiles.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [to Madeleine] Now, call Lance Horning. Tell him there's a discovery meeting in Conference Room 3-A. Hold Garrett in our conference room. [enunciates] Never let them see each other.

RAINA TROY: There's new evidence?

SEBASTIAN STARK: Not exactly. Call Harry Russo, tell him to come back in for redirect. Drag him here by the hair
if you have to. Just get him here, okay?

[They leave.]



CUT TO:

[HPCU Office, Conference Room 3-A. Day. Jessica and Martin speak to Garrett, who sits (sans Horning) at the conference table.]

TAYLOR GARRETT: [uneasily] Where's my lawyer?

JESSICA DEVLIN: Relax. He's on his way. [sits down] Am I the only one who's hungry? Thai food sounds great.

TAYLOR GARRETT: I just want to get this over with.

[Martin hands him a sheet of paper (presumably a Thai Restaurant's menu).]

JESSICA DEVLIN: I hear the Pad Thai's really good.

[Garrett reads the menu, okay with the idea that the DA will be footing the bill.]



CUT TO:

[HPCU Office. Day. Outside Conference Room 3-A, Stark waits near the elevators. An elevator dings and Russo steps coolly into the hallway. Stark goes into "Shark mode".]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [folding his arms] You outdid yourself.

HARRY RUSSO: [innocently] I don't have any idea what you're talking about.

SEBASTIAN STARK: You saved your client, but you almost gave him a heart attack in the process. Did you see the look
on Garrett's face when you gave him up? He thought you sent him to Death Row.

HARRY RUSSO: He'll get over it.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Well, for your sake, I hope it's sooner than later.

[He looks back at 3-A, where Garrett is going over the menu Martin handed him, while Jessica and Martin hover close by, putting their two cents in.]

HARRY RUSSO: What's going on?

SEBASTIAN STARK: You kept Garrett out of the loop. He thinks you screwed him over. Now, it's payback time. You know, you called Jessica's bluff last time, Harry. And I got to hand it to you. She didn't have enough to indict because nobody was willing to flip on you in front of a grand jury. But now, finally, she's got a volunteer.

[Shot of 3-A, where Jessica seems to agree to something Garrett wants to order.]

HARRY RUSSO: Where's his lawyer?

SEBASTIAN STARK: Oh, Horning's got problems of his own. I'm going after him for witness tampering because you clearly handed him the card room tape, and he clearly took it. This guy's gonna be lucky if he just gets disbarred.

HARRY RUSSO: [trying to maintain his composure] Yeah. You know what, Shark? This is all dinner theater. I think you got nothing.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [challenging] Then call me on it. You got thirty seconds. If you're right, hey, you pulled it off. If not, you crossed the District Attorney of Los Angeles in an election year. She'll come after you with both barrels, Harry. Forget her offer of two years. You'll be looking at twenty, easy.

[Shot of 3-A, where Garrett seems ready to order lunch. Russo doesn't look so sure anymore, though his poker face betrays no emotion.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Of course, there might be another way.

HARRY RUSSO: Yeah, I figured that was coming.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Give me something to bust Garrett for double murder. I'll make sure he never finds out where it came from, Harry, but I need that murder weapon. Just point me in the right direction, I'll do the rest. Five seconds.

[Russo says nothing.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Hmm, you had your chance.

[He starts to walk away.]

HARRY RUSSO: Shark.

[Shark, his back to Russo, closes his eyes, relieved that his bluff worked. With a smile, he turns to Russo.]



CUT TO:

[Cliff. Day. A cop (in mountain-climbing gear) climbs up using a rope to a chain-link fence, where another cop, a CSU criminalist and Casey stand. He unbuckles a plastic bag containing a gun and hands it over to the other cop, who in turn hands to the criminalist.]

CRIMINALIST: [looking at the gun] This is a German-made Kooth, .450 Max.

CASEY WOODLAND: [barely containing his excitement] Call me as soon as ballistics come back.

[He walks off.]



CUT TO:

[DA's Office, Interrogation Room. A defeated Garrett sits with still-belligerent Horning at the table, while Jessica sits in front of them.]

LANCE HORNING: The gun was planted!

JESSICA DEVLIN: With your client's fingerprints on the handle, and ballistics matching the slugs pulled from the bodies? You give this department way too much credit.

[Stark enters the room.]

LANCE HORNING: Oh, I don't put anything past Mr. Sebastian Stark.

SEBASTIAN STARK: I'm flattered, but let's face it. Your client got caught with his pants down during a nooner, shot the jealous husband and then to cover his tracks, shot his own mistress. He calls Russo for help, Russo tells him how to erase the security video and precisely how to get rid of the evidence from the boat. But, like every Hollywood producer, you are a genius. You don't trust the talent you hire, so what do you do? You panic, you pull over, and you try to ditch the murder weapon. But you miss. [taunting] How do you miss the Pacific Ocean?

[As Stark talks, Casey and Madeleine watch from the adjoining room.]

LANCE HORNING: Look, this is all wild speculation.

JESSICA DEVLIN: The only choice your client has is whether he wants to die by lethal injection or grow old in prison.

SEBASTIAN STARK: [mild "Shark mode"] So, who wants to start the bidding?



[DA's Office, Interrogation Observation Room. Day. Casey gets up, exhaling loudly.]

CASEY WOODLAND: [really impressed] Oh, I'm just glad he's on our side.

MADELEINE POE: No kidding.

[They walk outside.]

MADELEINE POE: [stops] I butchered that suppression motion. You took the hit for me.

CASEY WOODLAND: [shrugs, smiling] Temporary insanity.

MADELEINE POE: Just because we've...

CASEY WOODLAND: Had sex?

MADELEINE POE: ...doesn't mean that we're gonna be friends.

CASEY WOODLAND: [nods in agreement] Whatever you say.

MADELEINE POE: Good.

CASEY WOODLAND: Fine.

[They move towards the elevators.]



CUT TO:

[Stark Residence, Night. Julie works on her term paper. She seems to have got some work done. She picks up the scrap of paper that Eddie had - the one on which "slidethruschool.com" is written - and looks at it. There's a knock at her door. Quickly, she hides the scrap in a book and looks back. Stark enters, smiling.]

JULIE STARK: Hi. You scared me.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Oh, maybe you should ease off the Red Bull. I'm going out, so turn the alarm on.

[She nods. He waits a bit.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: How's the paper coming?

JULIE STARK: Fine. Um... had a breakthrough. [half-smile]

SEBASTIAN STARK: Why does that not surprise me? Love you.

JULIE STARK: Love you, too.

[Smiling, he leaves, closing the door behind him. Julie removes the scrap and looks at it. She places it on her laptop and resolves herself.]



CUT TO:

[DA's Office. Night. Casey leaves for the night. As he passes by, Jessica comes out of her office.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: Hot date?

CASEY WOODLAND: [turns around surprised] Uh... just heading home.

JESSICA DEVLIN: Your boss outdid himself today.

CASEY WOODLAND: Nailing Taylor Garrett should get you a ton of good press.

JESSICA DEVLIN: [approaching him] Mm-hmm. So, about what we talked about...

CASEY WOODLAND: Look, Stark plays fast and loose. But no one complains when he wins. Including you.

JESSICA DEVLIN: Meaning?

CASEY WOODLAND: We kept Garrett from meeting with his lawyer so we could use him to hustle Russo. You were right there.

JESSICA DEVLIN: There's a big difference between aggressive prosecution and participating in felonies.

[Casey looks down.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: What do you know about Stark's connection to Russo?

CASEY WOODLAND: As far as I can tell, Stark never crossed the line.

JESSICA DEVLIN: Would you tell me if he had?

CASEY WOODLAND: This thing between you and Stark. It's your deal. I'd appreciate being left out of it.

[He starts to leave.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: Your father has big plans for you.

[Casey turns around in exasperation.]

JESSICA DEVLIN: City Council, Mayor, who knows? I could help you with that. Or not. So, what about Stark?

CASEY WOODLAND: He's a hell of a lawyer. [smiles] Have a good night.

CUE MUSIC: Space Raiders' "Beautiful Crazy"

CUT TO:

[Aerial shot of LA. Night. Shot of Capitol Records building.]

# Beautiful Cra-a-zy #

CUT TO:

[Bar. Night. Russo walks over to the bar, carrying a paper bag. Stark is at the bar, drinking.]

SEBASTIAN STARK: You're late.

HARRY RUSSO: Got stuck on a job. [sits]

SEBASTIAN STARK: [exhales] I don't have long. What did you want?

HARRY RUSSO: [placing the paper bag on the counter] Well, heard you guys like Thai food.

[Stark smirks.]

HARRY RUSSO: Spicy noodles, peanut shrimp. Knock yourself out.

[He motions to the bartender for a drink.]

BARTENDER: Sure thing.

HARRY RUSSO: So, Taylor Garrett, he wasn't giving names. He was ordering lunch. I knew you had nothing.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Knowing someone's bluffing and calling that bluff - two very different things.

HARRY RUSSO: Yeah, well, things worked out pretty good for you. I mean, if they'd hauled me in front of a grand jury, I'm pretty sure they would have asked me about Stockton.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Well, given your record under oath, I liked my chances.

HARRY RUSSO: It was a suicide, Shark.

SEBASTIAN STARK: You drove her to it, Russo.

HARRY RUSSO: [dismissive] You won the case.

[Stark sighs heavily and gets up.]

HARRY RUSSO: Where you going? You don't want to eat?

SEBASTIAN STARK: [smirks lightly] I got a kid at home.

HARRY RUSSO: [beat] See you around, pal.

SEBASTIAN STARK: Yeah. Stay out of trouble.

[Stark leaves the bar, while Russo settles down.]

# But I feel like I'm goin' down now #
# But I feel like I'm goin' down now #

END MUSIC.



CUT TO:

[End credits.]

FADE OUT.
 

END OF EPISODE

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Transcribed by Rahul Kudva - http://www.twiztv.com
==========================