Directed by Don Scardino
Written by Rene Balcer, Robert Nathan, IC Rapoport, & Joshua Stern
Karl Jarmon, the owner of a printing company, and his wife are murdered at home. The victims' sons Nick and Greg are the obvious suspects, and their alibi is difficult to prove. The detectives learn that Jarmon had been violently abusing Nick and Greg since childhood. This gives them a motive, so they are charged with murder. But Logan is convinced there's more to the story. Nick and Greg seem to have not wanted their mother dead, even though that would mean she inherited the company instead of them. Logan thinks someone else may be involved.
Schiff wants to take a closer look at Jarmon's business partner Alex Petrovich. Stone and Robinette soon discover that Petrovich is connected to the Russian Mafia. He used Mafia money in a debt refinancing scheme to try to buy out Jarmon's share of the company. But this left Petrovich in an untenable situation where he risked being unable to pay the money back, and/or Jarmon snitching on him. The only way out would be to kill Jarmon and get his sons convicted, so the rest of the business would go into a trust and Petrovich could sell the company.
Petrovich is charged and his associate Sasha Osinski is detained as a material witness. Osinski's lawyer negotiates a deal for immunity in exchange for his testimony. On the stand Osinski says Petrovich confessed to the murders and asked for a false alibi. Subsequently, Osinski is arrested - the immunity deal covered New York County, not New York City, so Osinski can be tried in Brooklyn where he took part in money laundering. The jury convicts Petrovich.
This episode contains examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Jarmon was both physically and emotionally abusive towards his sons.
- Dramatic Irony: A Russian mobster tells his wife (in Russian) to tell Greevey and Logan that "American cops are pathetic and nobody's afraid of them". The wife says in English that "America's a great country, and anybody can get rich." Greevey and Logan walk away smiling.
- Exact Words: Stone agrees to an immunity deal for Osinski in New York County - not New York City. Since Brooklyn is in Kings County, Osinski can be tried there.
- Halfway Plot Switch: The first half of the episode focuses on building a case against Nick and Greg. The second is about investigating Petrovich and Osinski.
- Ripped from the Headlines: Part of the episode is inspired by the Menendez murders.
- The Mafiya: Petrovich and Osinski are both involved with the Russian mob.
