Telling Jessica about Mitch

July 1, 2003

[Sirens]

Bo: I want you to start at the perimeter, work your way in. Every square inch of the crime scene. Do you have any idea of the cause of death?

Doctor: No. No bullet or knife wounds. The hyoid bone is still intact. No evidence of petechial hemorrhaging.

Bo: So he wasn't shot, he wasn't stabbed, he wasn't strangled. He's just definitely dead.

Doctor: Could be a heart attack.

Bo: What, with this guy? No, you got to have a heart to have a heart attack.

Doctor: Well, I won't have any answers until the autopsy.

Antonio: Doc?

Doctor: Poison.

Antonio: Suicide?

Bo: I think this was staged. I think whoever killed Laurence gave a lot of thought to the picture that we would see when we found him.

Antonio: Maybe it's his last sick joke.

Bo: My feeling is that Laurence was murdered and then he was put here on display.

Antonio: How did the killer get him out of his cell in the first place?

Bo: We don't know.

Antonio: Officer Snelling still unaccounted for? I don't even want to think about it.

Bo: I'm glad I got an alibi because I sure as hell hated this guy. You know, practically everybody in this town wanted to see Mitch Laurence dead.

*~*

Nora: Jessica?

Jessica: Yes?

Nora: I need to speak with you for a moment, in private. Mind if we step outside?

Jessica: What is it? Is there something wrong?

*~*

Bo: So if we all wanted Mitch Laurence dead, the question is, who had the guts to go through with it?

*~*

Bo: I want a list of all of Laurence's visitors since his arrest and their times in, times out.

Riley: Excuse me, commissioner. How much longer do we need to stay?

Bo: You can go, but get some rest because I'm going to need a formal statement tomorrow.

Flash: Tomorrow?

Riley: I'll get her there.

Bo: Thanks.

Antonio: Chuck?

Chuck: Yeah?

Antonio: See these drag marks? They're leading right to the chair.

Chuck: Morgan, make sure you get these.

Bo: Did you find something?

Doctor: Your detective spotted these drag marks. This is what I'm saying. The guy was dead. Killer drags him over here and sets him up on the throne for us to find. Did you see this? He was face-down long enough for blood to pool on this side. We'll find similar liver mortis lividity on his back and hips from where he was seated on the throne. That's a guess until I can get him on the table.

Bo: All right. You have an educated guess as far as time of death?

Doctor: I just got here, remember?

Bo: Yeah. Antonio, got to get moving. We got a long list of suspects.

Antonio: Off the record, commissioner --

Bo: Mm-hmm.

Antonio: Do we really care who killed this guy?

Bo: Detective, we don't want to go down that road.

Antonio: Right.

Bo: Now let's get to work.

*~*

Nora: I'm sorry, I know this must come as a shock to you. Even though you've suffered at his hands, he's still your father.

Jessica: Yeah.

Nora: Hey, you ok? You want me to get you something to drink? Well, somehow, he made it out of his cell, and then he ran into the wrong person. Jessica, I'm sorry I have to ask you this. Can you account for your whereabouts this evening, all evening?

*~*

Bo: Well, so long, Mitch. I hope you enjoy extremely hot climates. Have the lab put a rush on the toxicology. Thanks.

*~*

Nora: Jessica, honey, it's a question that has to be asked. I'm sorry. And I think you'd rather hear it coming from me than some anonymous police officer you've never seen before. Everybody's going to be asked this question. Everybody in town really, really wanted to see Mitch Laurence dead.

Jessica: It's just -- it's really hard for me.

Nora: Of course it's hard for you, honey. You're in shock. You got to take care of yourself.

Jessica: Is this nightmare ever going to end?

Nora: This is the end. He's dead. Between you and me, Mitch Laurence got exactly what he deserved.

Man: Well, that's not the official attitude, Ms. Buchanan.

Nora: Hello, Daniel.

Daniel: Hi.

Nora: Daniel, this is Jessica Buchanan. Jessica, this is A.D.A. Daniel Colson.

Daniel: Senior A.D.A.

Nora: Senior.

Daniel: I'm very sorry for your loss.

Nora: Yes, Jessica just found out. Just now.

Daniel: Murder is a serious crime, no matter who the victim. It's the job of the police to find your father's killer and ours to prosecute the person.

Nora: Daniel --

Daniel: So, if you don't mind, how about answering ms. Buchanan's question? Where were you all evening?

Nora: Daniel, I was kind of asking her as a friend.

Jessica: It's ok, Nora. I don't have anything to hide. My grandfather -- he was having a party here. I was with my family inside.

Daniel: All night?

Nora: Daniel --

Jessica: Yes.

Daniel: You know, I had dinner here earlier and then I had a few drinks at the bar. You know, I'm certain I saw you leave and then come back much later.

Nora: Daniel --

Daniel: What, did you just happen to step outside for, what, an extended smoke?

Nora: Excuse me. Jessica, why don't you go inside, and I'll be in in a minute. Ok. Go ahead. What do you think you're doing? Mitch Laurence was that woman's biological father. She's in shock. Back off.

Daniel: Fine. Fine. By the way, you look really great tonight.

*~*

Nora: Jessica, you all right?

*~*

Bo: Going somewhere?

Walker: Yeah, I'm going to the bathroom. You want to come?

Bo: No, I went at the office. If you wouldn't mind sticking around, though, I've got some questions for you.

Walker: What about?

Bo: Your brother. We found Mitch dead tonight.

Walker: What, a suicide? When did this happen?

Bo: A few hours ago. We're waiting for the preliminary autopsy report to determine the cause of death.

Walker: Well, you must have some idea, commissioner.

Bo: Well, suicide -- that's a possibility. But in my opinion, he was murdered.

Walker: Murdered? What, by a cop? What?

Bo: We found Mitch's body on the docks. Now, either he escaped there or somebody took him there and killed him. Let's talk about your evening.

Walker: Are you suggesting I had something to do with his death?

Bo: No, I'm not suggesting anything. As long as you have an alibi for the hours in question, then you have nothing to worry about.

Walker: Well, no problem, then. I'll be right back, and then I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Bo: Ok. Thanks.

*~*

Bo: I'm going to need a statement from each of you regarding your actions and whereabouts starting earlier this evening up until now. I know that it's late, but if everybody cooperates, this won't take very long. Joey, why don't I start with you.

*~*

Joey: It just turned out to be a wild-goose chase. Got married before I even got there. I have the turnpike receipts if you needed proof, time of travel --

Bo: Joey, Joey, this is just procedure. You know that.

Joey: Sure. Hey, take it easy on Jess, ok?

Bo: Yes, of course. Thanks.

*~*

Dorian: You probably passed my car on your way over here.

Bo: Do you know what time you called the tow truck?

Dorian: You'd have to ask the garage. My cell phone didn't have a signal. It was probably the trees. And the filling station that I passed was closed. The pay phone there didn't work. I had to phone from here.

Bo: What garage?

Dorian: I didn't kill Mitch.

Bo: I didn't say you did.

Dorian: I must have been reading between the lines. Think about it, Bo. Why would I go through all the trouble of breaking him out of prison and then murdering him? I mean, you know, I have had plenty of other opportunities. For instance, at the pyramid theater, I had so many chances.

Bo: I'm not accusing you of anything, Dorian. You know, this is just procedure.

Dorian: Mm-hmm. Well, I'm just trying to say that if I wanted to kill Mitch --

Do: Then you could have done it before now. You said that.

Dorian: Can I go home?

Bo: Sure. But, you know, we will be talking again.

Dorian: Oh, I'll be looking forward to it.

Bo: Hey, Jess, you feeling better?

Jessica: I want to go home. My head is -- my head is killing me.

Antonio: Anybody got any aspirin?

Blair: Yeah, I do.

Antonio: Whoa, hold on, Blair.

Blair: What? Here. What?

Antonio: What's this?

Blair: I don't know. It looks like a feather to me. Here's your aspirin.

Bo: When we found Mitch's body, he was wearing a mask with feathers all over it, exactly like that one.

Antonio: So I'm going to ask you again, Blair, what's it doing in your purse?

*~*

Blair: I have no idea how that feather got in my purse. I've never seen it before, Bo.

Bo: According to our log sheet, you visited Mitch earlier.

Blair: Yes, I did. And Walker was with me.

Walker: That's true. And then Mitch's lawyer, Ms. Williamson, was there after I left.

Antonio: What did you and Mitch talk about?

Blair: Well, I wanted to know what happened to Todd.

Antonio: And?

Blair: And he implied Todd was dead.

Daniel: Which would give you a pretty strong motive.

Bo: I want you to start from the time that you saw Mitch --

Blair: What --

Bo: Tell me everything he told you, everything you said to him. Don't leave anything out, Blair.

Blair: No. Hell, no. You falsely accused me once before, Bo, and if you do it again, I will slap this town with the biggest lawsuit.. it'll bankrupt it.