- In the criminal justice system,
the people are represented
by two separate, yet equally important groups:
the police, who investigate crime,
and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
Come on. Don't be shy.
Slow down a minute. Where are we going?
My friend's party, I told you.
You said you wanted to make friends.
She's not gonna believe I found you at some random bar.
- What are you talking about? - You're, like, famous.
- I'm really not. - Well, I recognized you.
Is that the only reason you talked to me?
No.
I talked to you because you seemed like the only nice guy
in a bar full of finance bro losers.
You have really kind eyes.
What's your name?
Mallory.
I'm Jonah.
I know. Let's go.
[tense music]
What--what's going on?
You ruined my life. That's what's going on.
What the hell, man? [grunting]
Don't! No.
[grunts]
♪ ♪
[breathing heavily]
Vic's name is Jonah Barlowe.
Owns the place.
Cleaning lady found him when she showed up for work.
Cause of death appears to be blunt force trauma
to the head, probably with that.
Atlas, the Greek god
with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Time of death?
Uh, based on temp and rigidity,
I'd say between midnight and 2:00 a.m.
Cameras?
Newly installed, but not activated yet.
We've got people out right now canvassing the block.
Any sign of forced entry?
Nope. Door and windows intact.
So presumably, he let his killer in.
Seem like a robbery?
Vic had his wallet on him.
Cash, cards all there, so.
Gold Rolex on the table here
and the gold statuette.
You find any cell phones, laptops?
No, but we'll keep looking.
Good work.
"The Nobody Who Took On Wall Street and Won."
Doesn't seem like a winner now.
Don't touch anything in there.
You're gonna need a warrant for that.
Whoa. Whoa. Hey, hey. Excuse me.
Who the hell are you?
I'm Nicholas Baxter.
I was just sworn in as district attorney--
30 minutes ago, to be exact.
Uh, Detective Jalen Shaw.
It's a pleasure to meet you, Detective.
- Vincent Riley. - Pleasure.
Uh, it's a pleasure to meet you, sir,
but with all due respect, we got this.
This is our crime scene. - I understand.
I was just walking uptown and I saw the swirling lights,
and I got excited, thought I'd pop my head inside.
Haven't been to a crime scene in over 30 years.
Couldn't help myself.
And I'm sorry to interfere.
Please, get back to what you were doing.
There was one more thing.
I want you all to know that I'm gonna do everything
in my power to create a constructive
and transparent relationship with the police.
[soft dramatic music]
That's it.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
No prints on the murder weapon,
but our techs found a single blonde hair
on our vic's right sleeve.
It's obviously not his, so it's at the lab right now.
Street cam footage shows someone
in an oversized black jacket
fleeing Barlowe's building at 12:14 a.m.,
but it's too grainy to make an ID.
What about the vic's missing cell phone?
We tried pinging it, but no luck there.
The killer either turned it off or just dumped it.
All right, so what do we know about Barlowe?
Single, married?
Yeah, divorced, no kids, lives alone.
Ex-wife lives in London.
We reached out to her, but no luck yet.
Who is this guy?
I mean, where did he make all his money from?
Oh, he made a ton of money from that Reels Rental stock.
Loo, come on. You got to remember that one.
That became a big deal. - You know what?
I don't really follow the stock market.
But I don't understand.
How does he get rich off of investing in a company
that rents videos?
I mean, isn't that a dying business?
So these short sellers,
they're all banking on the stock to tank, right?
Barlowe comes along and starts posting about it
on social media, saying "These rich Wall Streeters
"are trying to kill this little company.
"We got to make a stand, so everybody start buying it."
And it works.
People start buying shares like crazy.
He played on the heartstrings of the common man.
David versus Goliath, that kind of thing.
Starts off with 20 grand, ends up with 75 million.
Wow. All right.
So we have some single rich stock market dude.
It's a Friday night.
What's he doing?
Found a receipt in his pocket for a bar near Wall Street.
Looks like he closed his tab an hour before the murder.
Well, let's start there, see what he was up to
and, more importantly, who he was with.
Here's the security footage we pulled from the camera
outside the bar.
That's your car,
that's you, and that's Barlowe.
Who's now dead.
Ah, don't want to talk, huh?
Well, we can always parade you past your colleagues in cuffs,
take you downtown.
Maybe that'll make you more comfortable.
Okay. Okay.
Son of a bitch cost me a lot of money.
I bet against Reel's Rentals.
I was short, like really short.
And then this idiot starts posting all this nonsense,
and the stock goes through the roof.
Tanked my entire portfolio.
How much you lose?
$280 million.
- Whoa. - And then I got fired.
That's how I ended up here at this, uh, bucket shop,
making cold calls to doctors and lawyers.
But when I saw him in the bar, I figured I'd, uh,
express my feelings to him.
Got my girlfriend to lure him outside so we could talk.
I was drunk, blowing off steam.
So where'd you go after that?
Well, my girlfriend got pissed
that I tried to beat him up,
thought I was just gonna threaten him.
So she took off,
and I kept drinking.
Okay, I think that you followed Jonah home
and finished the job.
No.
I parked on the street and fell asleep in my car.
A cop woke me up this morning.
Dominic Sargento did, in fact, sleep in his car.
Traffic cam footage confirms that.
So he's not our guy.
No, he's not our guy.
We're not actually looking for a guy at all.
So lab results came back on the hair on Barlowe's clothes
and turns out, there's no hit in the system.
But DNA confirms we're looking for a woman, Caucasian,
likely with green eyes and blonde hair.
So is there anyone in Barlowe's life
that fits that description?
The ex-wife.
Did a little digging.
Turns out she didn't get a dime in the divorce.
I thought she was in London?
Yeah, lives in London, currently in New York.
Checked into the Soho Grand the same day
that Barlowe was murdered.
[sighs] All right.
Bring her in.
[suspenseful music]
I would never kill Jonah.
I loved him.
Loved him?
That man screwed you out of a lot of money.
What are you talking about?
We know that you didn't get anything in the divorce.
Correct.
That's because I didn't want any money.
Said no one ever.
The money is why I left.
It was great at first, but then something changed.
He changed.
Changed how?
It--it was like he felt guilty or something,
like he didn't deserve it.
And he became a completely different person.
We tried therapy,
but we just couldn't connect.
And so I--I had to leave.
Okay.
And now you're back
on the very day that he turns up dead.
Pretty big coincidence.
No.
Jonah asked me to come,
said he wanted to try again,
said he'd had a wakeup call.
Ma'am,
would you consent to a DNA swab?
Of course.
I don't know if this is helpful,
but Jonah alluded to some drama with another woman.
Do you know who this woman is?
No, he didn't say.
Just that he wanted to put it all behind him
and get back to us.
You should check his laptop.
Jonah kept meticulous notes.
If there was someone he was seeing,
there'd be dates on his calendar, dinner receipts.
I mean, he kept track of everything.
We'd love to do that, but we haven't been able
to locate the laptop.
Did you find the safe?
[drill whirring]
There it is.
We're in.
Well, no laptop.
But there's this.
External hard drive.
Looks like this thing is full of video files.
Videos of what?
They are not for the faint of heart.
Uh, but I think you should see one in particular.
- [screams] - Did that hurt?
- Yes. - Yes what?
Yes, ma'am.
[whimpers]
- What about this? - [yelps]
[electricity crackling]
[wheezing]
I'm gonna destroy you
like the greedy little nothing you are!
[screams]
Find out who this woman is
and go and talk to her right now.
♪ ♪
[indistinct chatter]
Melissa James.
Yes?
NYPD.
Your assistant told us we'd find you here.
We want to talk to you about Jonah Barlowe.
- Melissa, everything okay? - It's fine.
Unfortunately, I don't know who you're talking about.
- Oh, we think you do. - Yeah.
We got some pretty compelling video
that supports our point of view.
I have nothing to say to you.
Well, in that case, you're coming with us.
I'm gonna destroy you
like the greedy little nothing you are!
[screams]
Everything in that video was consensual.
We were role-playing.
You know, I'd like to believe that.
I really would.
Except Jonah Barlowe's now dead,
and that's a video of you
saying that you're gonna destroy him.
I said what Jonah asked me to.
You told us you didn't even know Jonah.
Why'd you lie to us?
I was with my boss, okay?
What I do recreationally in the privacy of my own home
is my business and no one else's,
including you.
Well, when your boyfriend winds up dead,
it actually becomes our business.
Well, I had nothing to do with what happened to Jonah.
We met online in a forum for people who are into BDSM.
It was purely consensual and legal.
When's the last time you saw him?
About a month ago.
We broke up.
Why's that?
He started giving me money.
And that was a problem for you?
I'm not a prostitute.
We were dating. The money offended me.
But he wanted to pay you?
Not at first.
But after a few weeks, he made it all about the money.
He wanted me to insult him for being rich,
call him worthless,
begged me to take his credit card
and buy myself things, demand he give me gifts.
So where were you two days ago, around midnight?
I got a new boyfriend.
It was his birthday, and we were celebrating.
There was cake.
Melissa James' boyfriend confirmed their alibi.
We sure he's not covering for her?
He showed us a timestamped video of the birthday party.
Cake was used for a role other than what you'd expect.
So she's not the killer?
No, but she did tip us off to an alternate profile
that he uses when he was trolling the internet
for his own personal interests.
Yeah, and after Melissa James dumped him,
it looks like Barlowe found his way to a forum
for men looking for a financial dominatrix.
Excuse me?
I hadn't heard of it, either, but there are all these
online discussion groups full of women
who call themselves "findoms."
They dominate men through their finances.
Dominate how?
He hands over control of his bank accounts
and his credit cards to them, and then they control
when and how he spends his money.
Okay, so did he actually find one of these findoms?
Yeah, he struck up a conversation
with a woman who goes by the handle MoneyMama.
And check this out.
I've been going over Barlowe's financials
the day before he was murdered.
$25 million was transferred from his account
to a bank in Panama.
That's a hell of a lot of money.
- Mm-hmm. - Do we know what he used it
for or who's got control of it now?
No, it's a black box as far as we're concerned.
The appeal of offshore banking.
Okay, so Barlowe gives a stranger,
who he met on the internet,
access to all his bank accounts,
and now $25 million just disappears?
And his head gets bashed in.
But we need to find this MoneyMama.
Do we know what her real name is?
No. But I do know,
after going through their messages,
that two weeks ago she demanded Barlowe buy her a Range Rover,
and he did.
All right, we need to find the dealer
where he bought the car,
get the license, the registration,
then put out an I-card on the vehicle.
Because once we find the car, we're gonna find MoneyMama.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
You Officer O'Brien?
Yep. You the ones who called in
the I-card on the Range Rover?
- That's us. - Sure thing.
Got the car right here.
Spotted the license plate over on Mercer, female driver.
- Blonde? - Yeah.
I followed her about six blocks or so until she parked.
Notice said not to approach, so I called it in.
- Good work. - Thank you.
I don't think she'll be here long.
Car's unlocked. Cell phone's in the cup holder.
Yeah, she actually went in that store right over there.
All right. Stay here.
Secure the vehicle and its contents,
especially that phone. - Sure thing.
♪ ♪
Oh, there she is.
NYPD!
[grunts]
♪ ♪
Is there a problem, officers?
All right.
Let's start with an easy one.
Why'd you kill Jonah Barlowe?
I didn't.
I liked Jonah.
Ms. Reese, you were his findom, correct?
We had an arrangement, sure.
It's not against the law.
That means you had access to his bank accounts.
Yes, but--
Did you ever move money without his permission?
No. We had rules.
It was just role-playing.
Is that right?
So you never transferred $25 million of his money
into an offshore account?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Are you sure about that?
'Cause we sent a subpoena to the bank in Panama,
and they're gonna tell us whose name's on that account.
[tense music]
How would you feel about submitting to a DNA test?
I want a lawyer.
♪ ♪
Hey. How'd the arraignment go?
Defendant was held without bail.
Judge agreed she's a flight risk,
given her potential access to the stolen 25 mil.
Now we just need to prove
she's the one who stole the money.
- Yeah. - Hey, good luck, Drew.
Let us know where you land?
- It's happening already? - Yeah.
Baxter started calling senior staff in
for meetings this morning.
I know it's not uncommon for an incoming DA
to make changes, but this guy is not wasting any time.
I don't think you need to worry.
Jack assured me he left you a glowing recommendation.
Well, it doesn't mean the new guy has to honor it.
That is true, but your track record speaks for itself.
Yours too.
We'll see.
Well, it's kind of like-- I think that stripping it
might be too much, I'm not sure.
We're gonna to have a budget on that.
The stripping would take a while,
and you wouldn't be able to work in here.
And I don't want people in here
for the next six months.
What we can do is lighten the blinds.
[knocking]
Light is definitely better than darker.
Yeah.
It's a bit like the Metropolitan Club.
All right. Good.
Well, you'll send me some images?
- Absolutely. - Great.
Thank you for coming by. I appreciate it.
Yeah. Okay.
Take care. Nick Baxter.
- Nolan Price. - Yeah.
Sorry it took a minute to get some face time.
Have a seat.
Jack McCoy speaks highly of you.
Uh, how--how are you settling in?
Yeah, good. Good.
Lots to do.
I'll make this office feel more contemporary.
I suppose it's gonna take some time
to figure out how to do that.
Jack McCoy was an icon.
He was here for, what, 30 years?
Uh-huh.
He also made a lot of waves on his way out,
ruffled some political feathers.
I heard you had a bit of a disjuncture
with the mayor yourself.
I wouldn't call it a disjuncture.
What would you call it?
Difference of opinion.
Mm-hmm.
I respect your indifference to politics.
We were just trying to get the right result
in a complicated case.
Which is the most important thing, always.
But a top priority of mine is gonna be
to get people back on the same page.
This office is part of a system,
and that system works most effectively
when it works together,
especially when it comes to my senior staff.
I need to know that I have a team I can trust,
that we look at society through the same prism.
Yeah. I understand.
So fill me in.
Where are we with the Jonah Barlowe case?
Defendant's name is Jessica Reese.
She was Barlowe's financial dominatrix.
Which I still don't quite get.
But the evidence is strong? - Yeah.
Location data, DNA,
plus Barlowe and the defendant
had moved their communications to WhatsApp.
The texts are encrypted or only accessible
if you have one of their devices.
Police recovered her phone,
giving us messages that establish she stole $25 million
from Barlowe's account and that he was planning
to file a police report.
Which is the motive for killing Barlowe?
And we're sure these texts weren't part
of their whole financial domination role-play thing?
"25 million. Are you insane?
"This is not a game anymore. You stole that money.
I'm going to the police."
Defendant responded shortly thereafter,
said she was on her way over to talk about it.
45 minutes later, Barlowe was dead.
This is my first at-bat, Nolan.
I need to make sure I get on base.
Yeah. I understand.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
I look forward to working together.
- How did it go? - Unclear.
- What's that mean? - I don't know.
It's hard to explain.
But he didn't fire you?
Not yet anyway.
Let's just focus on the case, control what we can control.
Yeah, well, I have bad news on that front.
Defense filed a motion to suppress the evidence
acquired from Jessica Reese's phone.
♪ ♪
Cell records show a call was answered on my client's phone
while it was in police custody,
but prior to a search warrant being granted.
Your Honor, when detectives approached
the defendant to question her, she ran from them.
Before pursuing her, they assigned a patrol officer
to secure her car and her belongings
until a search warrant could be obtained.
A warrant he obviously didn't wait for.
And while the phone was in his possession,
it started ringing.
He tried to silence it
and accidentally hit the wrong button.
If you look at the phone's logs,
you can see that the call in question
lasted for only three seconds.
It doesn't matter.
The settings on Jessica Reese's phone
are such that answering it unlocks it,
giving police access to its content.
We have no way of knowing what the officer saw
or how long he was looking through it.
I have a sworn affidavit from Officer O'Brien
attesting to the fact that he never looked
at the contents of the phone.
Oh, well, as long as he attests,
there's nothing to worry about.
Your Honor, police can't open a suspect's locker
or desk drawers and then get a search warrant
for whatever's inside after the fact.
And the Supreme Court ruled in Riley v California
that the content of digital devices
is protected by the Fourth Amendment,
making all evidence
stemming from Jessica Reese's phone inadmissible.
Your Honor, we're talking about excluding
the most vital piece of evidence in this case
because of a harmless three-second mistake.
♪ ♪
Harmless or not, it was a mistake.
The defense's motion is granted.
Hey.
Just got off with the bank in Panama
where Reese wired the money.
They're refusing to honor our subpoena.
So there's no way to tie Reese to the stolen money.
Which means we have no way to prove motive.
So what's your plan?
Oh, we go hard on opportunity,
make it clear to the jury
that Reese is the only person who realistically
could have killed Barlowe that night.
Your call.
Detective Riley, according to the crime lab,
the defendant's DNA matches the blonde hair
found on Jonah Barlowe's body?
That's correct.
What about the defendant's cell phone data?
Were You able to triangulate her location
around midnight when Jonah Barlowe was killed?
Yes, her cell phone pings placed her
in the immediate vicinity
of the apartment at the time.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Detective, is there any way
for you to ascertain when my client's hair
got on Jonah Barlowe's sleeve?
No.
Presumably that day, since it was on his clothing.
Perhaps it was on his couch
or when she was in his apartment days earlier
and transferred onto his sleeve at some point that evening.
That's just as possible?
I don't know if it's just as possible,
but it's possible, yes.
And these cell phone pings, as you call them,
how geographically accurate are they?
In a range of about ten city blocks.
So if Ms. Reese was getting takeout
from her favorite Thai restaurant that night,
eight blocks from Jonah Barlowe's apartment,
that could account for the data you testified to.
[suspenseful music]
Midnight's a little late for dinner.
Detective, were you aware that prior to his relationship
with my client, Jonah Barlowe had been seeing
a woman named Melissa James?
Yes.
And are you aware that, unlike my client,
Melissa James had a sadomasochistic relationship
with Jonah Barlowe
that involved torture and physical abuse?
Ms. James was transparent and forthright
about the nature of their relationship.
So she admitted to being his dominatrix,
the torturing and the battering?
We only discussed their sex life
as it pertains to the case.
And more importantly, we confirmed her alibi.
Ms. James did not kill Mr. Barlowe.
But it's clear Mr. Barlowe liked
to engage in risky sexual behavior
with strangers he met online.
Objection.
Ask a question, Mr. Banks, or sit down.
Nothing further, Your Honor.
♪ ♪
This is ridiculous.
They're turning Jonah into some sort of freak.
He's the victim here.
I understand.
We are doing the best we can.
He wasn't perfect,
but he was a good man, a really good man.
And that monster in there,
she exploited his kindness
and his insecurities.
Like Nolan just said, we are doing the best we can
to get justice for Jonah.
Thank you.
She's right, you know.
Reese saw that Barlowe was vulnerable
and spun him upside down.
It's obviously her MO--
find vulnerable men, get access to their money,
and then steal it. - Mm-hmm. Yeah.
So let's find these guys,
the other vulnerable dupes she exploited.
We can establish a pattern of behavior
which will give us motive.
I'm gonna look into Reese's financials.
I'm not sure how I can help you.
Um, Mr. Parker,
from November of 2022
to June of last year,
you were depositing several thousand dollars
into Jessica Reese's bank account on a monthly basis.
Yeah, she was--
she did some consulting work for me.
In what capacity?
I'm sorry. What is this about?
We've noticed that your last payment to her
was a significantly larger sum,
and you never sent her money again after that.
Right, well, the project
that she was helping me with ended earlier than I expected,
so I paid her out for the rest of her contract.
Would it be possible for me to look at that contract?
What do you want from me?
Mr. Parker--
Derek...
Did Jessica Reese steal from you?
♪ ♪
I said
and did things with her that--
you know.
And then she showed me all these screen grabs
she had taken of our text messages.
She told me that if I didn't give her $50,000,
she would send them to everyone I'm friends with
on social media.
My mother is on Facebook.
I didn't have a choice.
I don't expect you to understand.
I don't even know if I understand.
But I've always been worried about money.
It rules my life.
It felt good to give up control
for a minute, anyway.
We need you to testify.
No. No. No, no, I can't.
Then everyone will know that--
She killed someone, Derek.
♪ ♪
So get up on that stand,
take your power back.
♪ ♪
"How do you think your female coworkers
"are gonna feel when they see the filthy things you like?
"I'm in charge, and you're gonna do what I say.
Pay me, or I will ruin your life."
And in response to these messages,
did you pay the defendant the $50,000 that she demanded?
Yes.
She was ruthless, cruel.
I should have reported her to the police.
Given what we now know about how she would have responded,
I'm glad you didn't.
- Objection, Your Honor. - Withdrawn.
No further questions.
We have no questions for this witness at this time.
Witness is excused.
I'm going to adjourn the court for lunch.
We'll resume at 2:15 p.m.
[gavel bangs]
We'd like to, uh, discuss a deal.
I'm sure you would.
But, uh, unless it involves pleading guilty
to second-degree murder, there's no point.
My client is in possession of some valuable information--
very valuable.
What the hell are you talking about?
One of the biggest actors in the world
told her he brutally raped
at least ten women.
And she has proof.
♪ ♪
Evan Connelly, the actor,
confessed to raping ten women?
At least ten.
According to Jessica Reese, anyway.
I don't understand. Why would he confess to her?
Well, they apparently connected
on some online forum for BDSM.
They eventually hooked up, and, um,
well, Reese claims that Connelly likes to be punished.
As part of their role-play, Connelly confessed
to all kinds of shocking and horrific things.
Connelly got off on graphically describing
how he raped and tortured these women.
Can she prove any of this?
Is there any corroborating evidence?
Do we have names?
Right now, all she says she has are videos of their,
uh, encounters and some incriminating
text messages from Connelly.
So why haven't any of these women come forward?
He's a powerful guy.
I mean, he makes $20 million a movie.
Intimidation, money-- it's all at his disposal.
Still, no lawsuits?
No "Vanity Fair" articles?
Well, there have been rumors swirling on social media
ever since he made it big.
And if we've learned anything in the last few years,
where there's smoke, there's fire.
So let's pursue it.
See if there's anything more than just smoke.
If there is, make her a deal.
Man One, ten years.
Ten years?
If you can get more, great.
But ten years seems fair to me.
Fair?
She murdered an innocent man in cold blood.
[suspenseful music]
If Reese is telling the truth
and Connelly really has raped ten women,
he's a far bigger threat to public safety.
♪ ♪
You know what I think?
Jonah Barlowe deserves better.
Yeah, but if Reese is telling the truth, then--
Well, exactly. "If."
She's a con artist.
What are the odds she's not hustling us?
But Baxter wants headlines.
No.
He was appointed DA.
It means he's got an election to win.
I mean, he said it himself.
One of his top priorities is mending fences with the mayor.
Translation, "I'm gonna kiss his ass,
hope like hell he supports my candidacy."
No, I--I understand what you're saying,
but it doesn't mean that Baxter is wrong.
I think taking down a serial rapist--
a violent serial rapist-- is a good thing,
something the DA should be trying to do.
But nothing trumps murder, Sam,
nothing.
That was one of McCoy's favorite lines.
[soft piano music playing]
But we have a new boss now.
He wants to do things his way.
I can't blame him for that.
Tell me what you did.
When I was done raping her,
I made her bleed with a knife.
[screaming in agony]
[heavy breathing]
What else?
I made the cuts where people won't see
when she's wearing clothes.
Oh!
And I've done so much worse to the others.
That's enough.
- Yeah? - I've lost co--
[sighs]
The things he describes doing in these messages--
He is a very sick man.
And my client will hand him to you on a silver platter
if you reduce the charges to negligent homicide,
four years.
Man One, 12 years.
No.
Not even close.
Best I can do is 10.
♪ ♪
Okay.
We have a deal.
If we can verify what your client is alleging.
What are you talking about? You saw the video.
I did. It's meaningless.
It is a confession without evidence of a crime.
We need to talk to these alleged victims,
confirm they are real,
confirm that what Connelly is saying really happened.
♪ ♪
We need a continuance, Your Honor.
I've already given you 48 hours, Mr. Price.
What's the holdup?
We're attempting to assess the veracity of materials
proffered by the defense,
but the suspect is out of the country.
He's filming a movie.
We've been unable to reach him.
And detectives are trying to track down
the alleged victims, but the identifying details
provided are vague.
It's gonna take time.
Our client is ready to make the deal, Your Honor.
Time's up, Mr. Price.
Make the deal, or continue with this trial.
I--I understand,
but I need to make a quick phone call.
♪ ♪
Any luck?
Well, Baxter finally texted me back,
says he will call me later today.
Did you explain the situation?
Of course. I sent him about ten texts.
I told him that the judge is pressuring us
to make a decision, but we haven't been able
to verify the evidence.
This isn't an accident, though.
He is trying to avoid me, in case I make a wrong move,
so that he can claim ignorance--
plausible deniability.
- Come on, Nolan. - Look.
If we agree to the deal
and Reese's info turns out to be fake,
we are screwed.
The deal stands, we will have no recourse,
and we'll get crucified
for cutting a sweetheart deal with a murderer.
If we don't agree to it, we legally can't follow up
on anything she shared with us.
We won't be able to investigate Evan Connelly, and Baxter's--
We don't have a choice, Sam.
Nolan, please.
Baxter wants to pursue Evan Connelly.
He told us that.
You can't just ignore him.
There's no way I'm letting Jessica Reese
play me for a fool.
♪ ♪
This case all comes down to one thing--
control.
Jonah Barlowe ceded it to the defendant
in an act of intimacy,
trusting her with access to his bank account
in an attempt to satisfy a private desire
within himself.
And whether or not you can understand that desire,
what is unquestionably clear is that the defendant
took advantage of it
and stole $25 million from him.
And when he demanded she returned the money,
she then tried to control him using shame.
She threatened to out the details of his personal life.
She did the same to one of her other clients, Derek Parker.
But Jonah Barlowe refused to submit.
And the defendant, in a desperate attempt
to reclaim control of the situation,
violently attacked and murdered him.
And now, ladies and gentlemen...
it's up to you.
This case is now in your control.
♪ ♪
Madam Foreperson, has the jury reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
On the charge of murder in the second degree,
we find the defendant Jessica Reese guilty.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Thank you.
♪ ♪
I've been trying to contact you.
Congrats on the win.
I called you several times.
I know.
And I apologize for being unavailable,
but it sounds like you did what you thought
made the most sense given the circumstances.
I did.
Then that's all that matters.
I suppose.
We don't know each other,
but you should know that I take this job very seriously.
And I feel the weight each and every trial,
and I try my hardest
to do what is in the best interests of the victim.
Always.
But if that isn't good enough...
[pensive music]
Are you tendering your resignation?
I'm just telling you who I am.
I'll see you tomorrow, Nolan.
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
[wolf howls]