(firewood crackling)
(screams)
* Maybe that's so
* You're gone...
(Baroque orchestral music playing)
(firewood crackling)
(glass shatters)
(alarm wailing) Don't move.
Wait. Wait.
Stop moving. Wait.
(alarm continues wailing)
(indistinct police radio chatter)
(camera clicks)
You're serious?
You're going to allow them to walk me out of my own home
in handcuffs like a common criminal?
I am a Lexington.
My late father-in-law
was a state senator.
His father was governor.
And there's no one that you can call?
Nothing that you can do?
You're his spouse, Mrs. Lexington,
and the spouse is almost always considered a suspect.
Now, I presume their theory
of the crime is that you somehow tried to make it
look like it was a break-in in order to cover your tracks.
Now, I will try to get them
to forgo the handcuffs until they have you in the car,
but the truth is the sooner that they get you to the precinct,
the sooner they book you,
and the sooner we get to court; and that's what we want.
We will plead innocent, I will post bail,
and hopefully I'll have you back here by this afternoon.
Mrs. Lexington!
Did you kill your husband?
MAN: What evidence does the police have against you?
MAN 2: Mrs. Lexington! Are the rumors true?
BEDFORD: Anyone who follows the Lexington family
knows that Rebecca Lexington
is a devoted wife and mother.
The idea that she would just
suddenly decide to kill her husband?
Oh, please. Can we at least be honest with each other?
Those who've had the misfortune of dealing with Mrs. Lexington
have nothing nice to say.
And I can tell you, finding jurors
who haven't already made up their mind about your client,
that is gonna be a Herculean task.
Would it make this any more interesting to you
if I told you she was innocent?
You're sure about that?
She's got a solid alibi: she was with her daughter
in the city the night of the murder.
Could never have made it back in time.
So if the wife didn't do it, who did?
This thief, this robber.
And this particular thief decided to pick
the most high-profile family in the neighborhood to rob.
Why not? He made out very well-- four watches
worth over $200,000. (chuckles) That's chump change.
Come on, no art, no electronics, no jewelry?
What, he just decided to leave that stuff behind?
The jewelry and the valuables were locked in the safe.
And it's not exactly easy to run through the woods
with a Mondrian strapped to your back.
So, one more thing for you to chew on.
Rebecca has never owned a gun.
And as far as we can tell, she's never even fired a gun.
Her husband was killed by a single bullet to the head.
(clicks tongue)
Dead center. Kill shot.
Hmm. Jason.
Don't be a fool.
This is the case that we've all dreamed of, you know?
Wealthy family, worldwide attention.
(elevator bell dings)
It's the opportunity of a lifetime.
Don't say no.
It's... it's good.
It is, right?
I mean, nobody's looking at that paper and says,
"Eh, it's a 'C.'" (scoffs)
Well...
not me, but I'm not your professor.
I'm not the one handing out the grades.
But still, no matter what your prejudices might be,
no matter how much you might dislike
tall, good-looking, impeccably dressed men,
that's an "A."
Come on, man, what?
How long have you been in school?
Two weeks? It's a little early
to jump to conclusions, don't you think?
I don't know.
I-I can feel it with this guy. He's got it in for me.
Mm, even if he does,
it's just one class, one professor.
Even if it is a "C."
It's not right.
(sighs)
You know, when I was in law school,
I had this professor, right? Guy hated me.
He was, like, a hundred years old, and all he saw
was this pugnacious Puerto Rican kid
with long hair and lots of attitude.
Did everything he could to let me know
that there was no place for me in the legal profession.
So what happened?
I'm here and he's dead.
All right? So don't worry.
(chuckles) This, too, will pass.
CABLE: Hey. Big guy's back
from Connecticut. Oh.
We are helping to defend Rebecca Lexington?
The Witch of Wealth? The Bitch of Greenwich?
She said to say hello, by the way.
Had nothing but great things to say about you.
Yes!
We're taking a high-profile case for a wealthy client
simply because they asked
and can afford to pay for our services.
Send it to Ripley; he wouldn't believe it.
Yeah, but doesn't everybody kind of already know
that she did it?
Mm, everybody thinks they know she did it.
So, what else is new?
Notwithstanding her terrible public image,
the woman has neither the means nor the motive
to do what she has been accused of.
She insists she is innocent, and I, for one,
have no reason to doubt her.
(clears throat) Oh, yes, uh,
lady in the back who clearly needs a throat lozenge?
I've walked hundreds of crime scenes,
and on this one, I am inclined to agree with the police.
The broken glass pane on the French doors--
a professional would never pick
such a loud and obvious entry point.
And from what I've read,
only the husband's belongings were taken.
It all points to a staged scene.
And a staged scene
kind of brings you back to the wife.
Eh, maybe it does, maybe it doesn't.
Benny,
you and I should start
zeroing in on voir dire strategy.
Ah, voir dire, absolutely.
Raise your hand if you already dislike Rebecca Lexington.
Well, I like that. Subtle, kind of stealth.
In general, what are your feelings
towards rich white people with an attitude?
People ask, "What's it like
working with that Benjamin Colón?"
(knock on door)
Talk to me.
You familiar with a Kendall Tyler?
Rings a bell, just not a very loud one.
Esteemed biographer,
especially of all things Lexington.
She's written about the family for the last decade.
Won a lot of prizes for it. I've read her. She's good.
She's also outside; she'd like to see you.
Well, let's bring her in here.
Kendall Tyler, Dr. Jason Bull.
I'll be right outside if you need me.
Nice to meet you, Ms. Tyler.
To what do I owe the pleasure?
A little birdie told me
that you joined Rebecca Lexington's legal team today.
I make it a point never to listen to anything with wings
or... more than two legs.
But (chuckles) that's just me.
(sarcastic chuckle)
Well, let's just assume it's true.
I have information that may just help you--
information that could... exonerate your client.
Oh.
But there are conditions.
Full disclosure: lead attorney on this case
doesn't work for me, I work for him.
And so if you have some kind of proposition in mind...
Oh, I'm very familiar with Mr. Bedford.
And he is very familiar with me.
I wrote a book three years ago
in which he plays a significant role.
I don't think he found my portrayal accurate
or... particularly flattering.
Mm.
And I doubt Mrs. Lexington's a fan, either.
Got it.
So what are you looking for?
What am I trading for whatever's in that folder?
Access-- and I mean to everything.
Client meetings, strategy sessions,
prison visits, if it comes to that.
I want to write the definitive book,
and with that kind of access...
You'll have publishing houses fighting over it. I get it.
But, as I already indicated,
Bedford is the captain of this particular team,
and if he doesn't like you...
I'm counting on you to convince him.
And Mrs. Lexington.
And anyone else necessary.
All right, let me say this back to you,
see if I understand it.
You supposedly have information that will prove my client
did n commit the crime of which she is accused,
and you are completely comfortable
not providing this information and allowing her to spend
the rest of her life in prison, unless you get what you want.
Have I got that right?
No.
You and your colleagues have been offered
potential intelligence that could be the key
to your client's freedom, and you're unwilling
to do what's necessary to get it
and keep her from being in prison for the rest of her life.
Oh.
I believe that's a more accurate portrayal
of what's going on here.
Okay. Think about it.
I left my number with the nice lady outside.
I wouldn't wait by the phone.
(door closes)
*
Trial by social media-- that's really
what we're talking about here.
Everyone in America
has been weighing in on Rebecca Lexington's guilt.
In the last 48 hours, her name alone has generated
over three million hits. 3.8.
Each one of those hits represents
exactly the kind of juror the other side wants.
The type of person
who will happily buy into this tabloid narrative
of a fairy-tale marriage on the rocks,
a scheming wife, a faked crime scene.
Sensationalists, fantasists.
People susceptible to drama and scandal.
And they are gonna make up the vast majority
of our jury pool.
Look, Rebecca Lexington is not a bad person.
She married into the family
hoping she was going to be their Princess Diana.
Instead, she got cast as their Camilla.
The question is: what do we do now?
Ever heard of Occam's razor?
The idea that if there are two explanations for something,
the simpler explanation is usually the correct one.
Another way of saying it is: the more assumptions
you have to make for a theory to make sense,
the more unlikely that theory is.
We need jurors
who subscribe to the former and are suspicious of the latter.
Wouldn't you know it,
I go out to my car today, tire's flat.
I have no idea how that happened.
Anyone want to hazard a guess?
You're a famous attorney.
Probably made a lot of enemies over the years.
Maybe one of them slashed it.
Your Honor, we move to strike this juror.
How about you?
What's your theory?
I don't know.
I-I'm thinking you probably just ran over a nail.
You know, I'm thinking the same thing.
Your Honor, this juror is acceptable.
What we want is a juror who's gonna ask him or herself,
"Is it more likely that Rebecca Lexington
"drove 35 miles home to Greenwich
"after an early dinner, executed her beloved husband
"of 20 years with a single shot to the head,
"staged a crime scene to look like a break-in,
"and then somehow disposed of the gun
"in a place the police could never find, all before
the police responded to the burglary?"
Our ideal juror is gonna like things clean,
straightforward and uncomplicated.
What's your favorite movie?
Anything by Christopher Nolan.
Oh, yeah, he's great.
Your Honor, we move to strike
both of these jurors.
And how about you, miss?
Me? Oh.
I like horror movies and also comedy.
Oh, Adam Sandler-- he makes me laugh.
This juror is acceptable.
We have our jury.
Trial will begin day after tomorrow.
How'd we do?
We... did okay.
Four jurors-- we're a third of the way there.
Now all we have to do is not lose ours to the other side
and, uh, get the other side to see things our way.
You're very smart.
Well...
I'm very pleased that you are working with us.
Very pleased that Henry reached out to you.
Do you think that you could swing by the house
and meet my daughter, Olivia?
She's beside herself with all of this.
I think meeting you would make all the difference.
Love to.
Thank you.
KENDALL: Dr. Bull.
Oh, Ms. Tyler.
Oh, don't look so surprised. It's a public courtroom.
And I'm writing my book with or without you.
Though, frankly, I'd rather write it
from the inside than the outside.
I think we've already had this conversation.
If you'll excuse me.
Since you're going to the house,
ask about the oil. (chuckles)
You need me, Dr. Bull.
I know things.
These beautiful old homes.
Boiler's a hundred years old.
It's forever giving out.
Can I grab you a drink?
It's the maid's day off.
No, I'm good, Henry. Thanks.
There is the good doctor. Dr. Bull.
I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Olivia.
Dr. Bull.
Ah, Olivia.
It's nice to meet you.
I'm sorry about your father.
And I'm sorry about
all that your mother's been going through.
I know it's a lot.
Your mom tells me you're nervous.
I just want you to know that's understandable.
After all,
you really are her alibi.
In any event,
if I can get you and your mom
to come to my offices tomorrow...
Oh, really? Tomorrow? I was hoping that we would have...
I think it's important to take the one free day we have
and prepare you both for the witness stand.
I think it would help Olivia, and I know
it would be enlightening for you and Henry.
Henry, where's the heat?
Where's the oil?
Excuse me?
Look, I told you, these old houses, it's just...
Knock it off. Where's the help?
It's the maid's night off.
More like the maid's month off.
These people are broke, Henry.
Look, if you're worried about getting paid...
Well, first and foremost, now that you've attached
my name to it, I'm worried about winning.
I'm worried about doing my job.
Let me tell you about me. I traffic in the truth.
I know when I'm hearing it, and I know when I'm not.
And at the moment,
it's in fairly short supply.
Jason... And I know
that that doesn't necessarily mean your client is guilty.
But I also know I cannot win this thing
if people think they're gonna lie their way through it.
So if you want my help,
you and your clients will be at my office
at 10:00 tomorrow morning.
Understood?
Understood.
Something about sitting in this chair,
taking the oath, it changes you.
And I want both of you to be ready for that.
At the same time, it gives us a chance
to see if your stories hold up under scrutiny.
Mr. Colón will play the role of prosecutor.
But remember, this isn't really court,
so if anyone has anything to say, feel free.
Sing out.
It won't be held against you.
Let the games begin. Mr. Colón.
Good morning, Ms. Lexington.
My condolences on the death of your father.
Um, thank you.
Now, is it your testimony that the night of the murder,
your mother was 35 miles away from home with you
in New York City?
Yes, sir.
And what were you two doing that evening?
Uh, we had dinner at Del Posto.
Do you recall what time?
It was around 6:00.
And what time did it finish?
Uh, it was about 8:00. 8:00 p.m.
And the burglar alarm indicating the break-in
and the probable time of death was at 7:20.
I don't know.
I mean, I mean, if that's what they told you.
You sure it was Del Posto where you and your mother ate?
Of course.
Would you happen to have a receipt for the meal?
Excuse me?
A receipt.
To show that you were there, to prove that you paid,
because Del Posto has no record
of serving you or your mother that evening.
No credit card,
no reservation under the name Lexington.
REBECCA: Honey?
(chuckles) Because we paid with cash.
Do you remember?
I paid... I paid with cash.
And there's no record of the reservation
because we just walked in off the street
and asked for a table for two.
Didn't give a name.
Oh.
Is that how you remember it?
Uh, yes. Okay.
Because Del Posto was completely sold out that night.
They told us that there was no way
that they would or could seat anyone without a reservation.
Do you know what the penalty is for providing
false testimony in a murder trial in Connecticut?
Even to protect one's own mother?
All right, all right, that's enough.
You are terrifying my daughter.
What would you have us do, Mrs. Lexington?
You offered her up as a sacrificial lamb.
It's clear the two of you didn't have dinner in that restaurant.
I'm guessing you weren't even together.
Jason. OLIVIA: No, you're wrong.
We were.
We were together. We were there.
She wasn't anywhere near the house.
Olivia.
They're ahead of us.
And they are here trying to help us, I think.
Can we speak in private? Just you and me and Henry.
I am not unaware of what people think of me-- the press,
the public.
And it is difficult sometimes
to think clearly, especially when you know
that people have opinions about you.
I was not in New York City on the night
that my husband was murdered.
I was in Greenwich, and I was having a meeting
with an attorney.
A divorce attorney.
Did you know about this?
I introduced her to the attorney,
but I was unaware that that is where she was
on the night she claimed to be in New York City.
Well, how would that have looked?
The night that my husband is shot to death,
I'm off plotting to leave the marriage?
Well, it would've looked horrible.
But it would've looked like the truth.
Trust me, the other side can smell the stink on your alibi.
We are gonna have to get out in front of it
when we get to court tomorrow.
(inhales deeply)
Let's work together
on your opening statement.
Is there anything else?
Tell me about the marriage.
Our only child just moved out and went to college.
Suddenly there was nothing to hide behind.
No one to put up a facade for.
Tell him the rest.
My husband has... (sighs)
...had a very serious gambling problem.
If his family didn't own our home outright,
then that would've been gone long ago.
If it was liquid, Jeremy would spend it.
His mother and his father cut him off years ago.
And that's why there's no heat?
Is that why there's no help?
We were almost to the bottom of the well.
Before Halloween,
we sold what was left of the stocks
so that we could pay for Olivia's tuition next semester,
but... Jeremy found a way to gamble that
before it even got to the bursar, and that was it.
I told him I was done.
I told him that I was going to see someone about
putting an end to it. How'd he take it?
He was apoplectic.
(sighs)
Shall I start with the bad news?
The state attorney's office almost certainly knows
about your husband's gambling.
That is very tough to keep secret.
But the good news is...
if you're telling the truth
about the family having no money,
you really have no motive to kill your husband.
Am I missing something?
There's an insurance policy.
Jeremy insisted that we buy it six months ago.
$25 million on his life.
And, of course, I am the beneficiary.
Forget everything I said after "the good news is."
You think you know her-- wife, mother,
philanthropist, socialite.
Married into one of the richest families in the country.
But you don't know her.
This spoiled member of the one percent
who suddenly discovered that she was going to lose
her extravagant lifestyle.
Suddenly discovered that her husband,
a handsome and much-admired member
of the Lexington dynasty, had been secretly
gambling away the family's fortune for years.
(gallery murmuring)
The fortune that was supposed to be
her and her daughter's future.
So she killed him.
Murdered her husband of 20 years,
not only to reap the satisfaction
of slaying the man who betrayed her and their daughter,
but also because with his death came a life insurance check
for $25 million.
(gallery murmuring) And lest you think
this murder was an act of passion,
even her husband sensed a plan was afoot.
The night of his murder...
he left his wife a voice mail, a plea.
JEREMY: Becky, honey, I'm sorry.
I know you're mad.
I know you hate me.
But you have to believe I love you.
And you have to believe I'm trying to make this right.
(gallery murmuring) BEDFORD: Now, I'm sure
you're all familiar with the term "guilt by association."
Have you ever heard of the term
"guilt by accusation"?
This is when a person's reputation
is so notorious that, unlike the rest of us,
who are innocent until proven guilty,
these people, for all intents and purposes,
are guilty, until they're proven innocent.
The prosecutor
is going to tell you all about
the mean things that Rebecca Lexington has supposedly said
and done to people throughout her life.
This is how we get out in front of the lies you told the police.
None of that makes her a murderer.
She'll even have a police detective testify
that Rebecca told them a different story
than the one that she's going to tell you
here in court.
So...
did Rebecca lie to the police
when they first brought her in and questioned her?
Yes.
Yes, she did.
She was terrified.
She panicked.
She knows what they think about her,
and she didn't think that they were going to believe the truth.
But she's going to tell you the truth.
And I'm telling you the truth right now.
This woman...
she did not kill her husband.
That was very impressive.
For a moment, even I had a glimmer of hope.
Mom, just tell them they're doing a good job.
They know that's what I mean.
You folks go on ahead.
I'll catch up.
You don't give up.
You mean my plea for access? I gave up days ago.
No, I'm not here to ask for anything.
I'm here to give you something.
Ah, what's that?
It's a website.
I think you might find it interesting.
Jeremy certainly did.
Wait a second.
I didn't get a chance to thank you
for that "oil" tip.
You're welcome.
How'd you know?
How do you know... this?
It's my life.
Knowing about the Lexingtons.
Talking to anyone who knows anything about the Lexingtons.
It's all I do.
So why the sudden change of heart?
Why the sudden... generosity?
I thought about what you said.
About how I would feel if Rebecca spent her life in jail,
when perhaps I could have made a difference.
And who knows,
maybe if you win this case,
you'll remember my kindness, let me interview you,
convince Mr. Bedford to give me another chance,
and perhaps even persuade Mrs. Lexington
to sit with me.
Well, like you said, we'd have to win first.
I have great faith in you, Dr. Bull.
Ah.
CABLE: I'm afraid this is going to be
a long-term project, Dr. Bull.
This address, if it's even legitimate,
lives on the dark web.
I may not have anything for you until tomorrow.
Ah.
Well, then I'm gonna do something I don't often do.
I'm going home.
Wow. I forgot you had a home.
Me, too. And then I saw this key I didn't recognize
on my key chain, and it all came rushing back to me.
See you in the morning, Cable. Night, Dr. Bull.
(gavel bangs) JORDAN: Detective Gates,
you're the lead homicide detective
on the Jeremy Lexington murder, correct?
Yes, ma'am.
And did you visit the Lexingtons' home?
Yes.
And I believe you were the first
to suggest the crime scene had been staged.
That's right.
On what did you base that opinion?
Couple of things--
the biggest being the point of entry.
The glass in the French doors.
Yes. Made no sense.
Breaking glass makes noise.
Noise is something you want to avoid
if you're breaking into a home.
Also, when we arrived on the scene,
the lights were on; there's no way that intruder went
through those doors and didn't know that somebody was home.
Again, makes no sense.
A professional-- he sees that,
he's gonna find another house to hit pronto.
Objection! Facts not in evidence.
Overruled.
(quietly): I'm just a glutton for punishment.
What's the view
from where you're sitting?
It's not pretty. The mirror jurors
are buying into the staged crime scene theory across the board.
Well, that's because it makes perfect sense.
(sighs)
Now, immediately after the crime,
who did you zero in on as a suspect?
Mrs. Lexington.
JORDAN: And what led you to her?
You've been doing this long enough, you just kind of know.
JORDAN: So you questioned her? I did.
And what did she tell you?
That she was in New York City.
That she couldn't possibly have killed her husband.
(chuckles)
Well, then, that was that.
GATES: Well, not really.
Because when we followed up on her alibi,
we discovered that she wasn't in New York City at all.
That she was right here in Greenwich the whole time,
and was perfectly capable of committing the murder.
So she lied.
Yes, ma'am.
(gallery murmuring)
JORDAN: No further questions at this time.
The good news is all the jurors are already read,
so I have no bad news to report.
Thanks, Marissa. You're always looking out for me.
CHUNK: So when the detectives asked you where you were
at the time of your father's death,
you answered? In New York.
I'm gonna need a more specific answer than that.
Where in New York?
I told them that I was at Del Posto.
It's a restaurant. It's on Tenth Avenue.
And did they ask you who you were with?
Yes, and I said my mother.
And were you with your mother?
No. That was a lie.
And I'm sorry, but I thought...
No. No, no, no, no.
Only answer the questions that are asked.
Don't volunteer anything else.
Trust me,
they'll get to everything.
That's their job, okay?
And were you with your mother?
No, that was a lie.
Exactly.
Now, did someone tell you to lie?
Did your mother tell you to lie?
No, it was my idea.
I had just lost my father, and the thought of my mother
spending the rest of her life in prison...
I just did it again, didn't I?
It's okay. You're tired.
And we've been doing this a while.
But you get the idea, right?
Yeah, I do.
So, who's the parent and who's the child
in the Lexington house?
What do you mean?
You're very protective of your mother.
She's on trial for murder.
No, I-I get that, but it strikes me
as something that you've grown comfortable with,
something that you've been doing for a long time.
Ever since I can remember,
my mother's been one of those people
that everyone thinks they know, even if they've never met her.
They just instantly dislike her.
You can't help but feel protective of someone like that.
People are just against her, for no reason.
You ever been on the receiving end of that?
Actually, I'm going through something like that right now.
This law professor of mine, I mean...
he-he's just got it in for me.
Every paper, every test.
Yeah, but, I mean, at least you can confront him.
You can ask him why.
You're right.
I can. I should.
(chuckles softly)
And I think it's great that you're your mother's protector.
JEREMY (recorded): Becky, honey, I'm sorry.
I know you're mad.
I know you hate me.
But you have to believe I love you.
And you have to believe I'm trying to make this...
Becky, honey, I'm sorry.
I know you're mad.
I know you hate me. (knock on door)
Can I show you something?
I was able to get into that website you got me.
Turns out Jeremy had an account there.
I think you should see this.
Thank you for meeting me before we go to court.
Well, what's your big news?
Did you find the person who did this?
Because, let's be honest,
short of that, I am not sensing that we are going to prevail.
Well... (chuckles)
Actually, the folks who work for me found a lot of things.
For one,
the website where your husband did most of his gambling--
turns out they traffic in a variety of vices,
all sorts of illicit and illegal activities.
I'm not following you.
(sighs) He didn't gamble away your daughter's tuition money.
He bought something with it.
What?
A future for you and your daughter.
At least that was the plan.
I do not understand a word you are saying.
Well, then... (sighs)
let's begin at the beginning.
First and foremost, the police and the prosecutor got it right.
The crime scene was staged.
By whom?
The one person who was determined
to see your husband's life end.
Your husband.
(scoffs)
What are you trying to tell us?
I'm trying to tell you your husband committed suicide.
(scoffs)
Jason, that's impossible.
The coroner would've been able to determine
if it was a self-inflicted wound.
I mean, clearly, the bullet came from a greater distance.
Clearly, it came from someone else's gun.
It did.
That's why the scene seemed staged.
The person who shot your husband wasn't a robber.
It was a professional hit man, bought and paid for
by his intended victim.
Why?
I'm guessing he realized the perilous financial situation
he'd put you and your daughter in.
And the only real asset you had
was the $25 million insurance policy.
Which we could not collect on if he died by his own hand.
So he hired someone to do it for him.
Exactly.
And, of course... they had to make it look like
something other than what it was.
Last night, I kept listening to the voice mail
Jeremy left you the night he died.
Prosecutor keeps trying to sell it to the jury
like it's a plea for mercy,
suggesting he knows you're gonna kill him.
That's not what I hear.
He's asking for your forgiveness.
For what he did.
For what he's about to do.
(whimpers softly)
It's a suicide note.
(sobs)
I know it's gonna be difficult,
but we have to find a way to get this out in court,
and I may need you to take the stand.
I think it's the only way we can clear your name.
(sniffles)
No.
We are not sharing this with anyone.
BEDFORD: What?
That-that makes no sense, Rebecca.
This conversation is protected
by attorney-client privilege, right?
Of course.
And if I tell you you can't use something, you can't, right?
Rebecca, we're trying to save your life.
We're trying to keep you out of prison.
The insurance policy.
Olivia is the secondary beneficiary.
And if they find out that this is essentially a suicide...
they will never pay the claim, and she...
If I go to prison, my daughter will get the money,
and my daughter will have a future.
And she deserves a future.
So the truth stays here.
With us.
(knock on door) Professor Jameson?
I'm in your Intro to Legal Theory class.
Do you have a minute?
I see students only by appointment.
I completely understand.
But I work during the day, and scheduling an appointment
during your office hours is difficult.
As it happens, my firm
is in court today, so I was able to sneak away.
You work for a law firm?
Trial science company.
Oh, you're him.
I wrote about it in one of our first assignments.
You gave me a "C."
You give me a "C" on pretty much everything I submit to you.
That's what I wanted to talk to you about.
Okay. Plead your case. Excuse me?
Why do you think you're entitled to more than a "C"?
Because I see you handing out "A"s and "B"s
to almost everyone else in the class, and...
well, I... frankly, I have more experience than any of them.
At a trial science company?
Well, why do you say it like that?
Mr. Palmer, the system of jurisprudence
has existed for centuries,
functioning quite well with just attorneys
and, uh, and judges and occasionally juries,
never once requiring the services
of trial scientists, who, near as I can tell,
just, uh, suddenly appeared in the last 25 years.
And who are they?
They don't need degrees, just a fancy business card,
the ability to generate billable hours,
uh, the gift of gab.
Whenever a client prevails, they take the credit.
Whenever a client loses, it's the attorney's fault.
I think they're charlatans.
And I think people who work for them are charlatans.
You don't even know me.
I don't need to know you. I know what you do.
And I don't think that's fair.
I came here to study the law.
Shouldn't matter what job I have.
If you don't like me or you don't like my class,
then drop out.
I don't want to drop out.
Then make your peace with those "C"s.
Our appointment's over.
Hey. I'm sorry that it took me so long to get here,
but-- I know you said it was an emergency--
it's an hour on the train.
I need your help.
I have proof of your mother's innocence, proof...
she won't let me use in court, and I suspect
you may be the only one who can convince her otherwise.
Yeah.
Yeah, of course, let me at her.
Thing is, it's gonna cost you $25 million.
Your Honor, we would like to call
a last-minute witness to the stand.
Rebecca Lexington.
(gallery murmuring)
REBECCA: We met in college.
Fell in love. I was the poor girl
from the other side of the tracks,
and he was the rich boy who deserved better.
But we didn't care.
We knew we were meant to be.
His family held their noses through our wedding,
and he loved that.
I loved him,
but he had a dark side.
If something was... forbidden, he was very attracted to it.
I think I was part of that-- till I wasn't.
And when I wasn't, it became gambling.
He was addicted.
He loved the risk,
and there were times that I was convinced
that he found the losing more thrilling than the winning.
Did Jeremy ever tell you how he felt about his addiction?
Of course.
He... more than anything, felt guilty.
For everything he put us through, especially Olivia.
Any movement yet?
You'll be the first to know.
BEDFORD: Mrs. Lexington,
six months before your husband's death,
were you aware that he took out an insurance policy
of $25 million,
naming you as the primary beneficiary?
He mentioned the policy, but I had no idea
it was for that much until after his death.
Did you know that, in the event of suicide,
this policy would be null and void?
I never saw the policy. I have no idea what it said.
Don't touch that dial.
Here comes the good part.
Do you know a Donald Graham?
No, I don't. Were you aware
that your husband transferred $20,000,
two days before he died, to Mr. Graham?
No.
So you had no idea what this payment was actually for?
None at all.
Is this the good part?
Patience.
Did you know that Mr. Graham
is a contract killer?
A hit man? (gallery murmuring)
A professional executioner?
Objection.
No foundation.
There is zero evidence...
Actually, there is.
I would like to submit
evidence of a money trail,
leading from Mr. Lexington
to Mr. Graham, purchasing his services.
JORDAN: Objection.
This is the first we've heard of this.
JUDGE: I'll take it de bene,
assuming it will hold up later on.
MARISSA: It's not spring yet, is it?
Why do you say that?
I'm seeing my first hint of green.
BEDFORD: Mrs. Lexington,
is it possible that your husband felt so guilty
for the position that he had put you and your daughter in
that he would have orchestrated his own murder?
Objection. Calls for speculation.
Sustained.
Let me rephrase that.
Your husband knew that you and your daughter
were in desperate need of money.
We talked about that all the time.
Objection. Hearsay.
BEDFORD: She is testifying
to her part in a conversation.
It's not hearsay.
Overruled.
Mrs. Lexington,
can you think of any other reason
that your husband would go onto the dark web
and hire a professional killer? No.
Your Honor, that is pure speculation.
Jury will disregard.
No, they won't.
BEDFORD: Just one more question, Your Honor.
Mrs. Lexington, you do understand
that your testimony here today
will almost certainly result in the insurance company
declaring your husband's death a suicide,
and thereby allowing them
to opt out of any payment to you or your daughter?
Yes, I do.
And I don't care.
(gallery murmuring)
MARISSA: Oh, my goodness.
It's like Saint Paddy's Day in here.
(gavel bangs)
FOREWOMAN: On the single count of murder in the first degree,
we, the jury,
find the defendant, Rebecca Lexington...
not guilty.
(gallery murmuring) (gavel bangs)
(crying)
No hard feelings, Theresa?
Can't promise you that.
But send me the evidence you've gathered on Donald Graham,
and I'll have my office seek an indictment immediately.
Okay.
BEDFORD: Watch.
Bet she's the only one that's gonna make any money on this.
It's probably as it should be,
given all the help she gave me.
Do me a favor.
Give her a couple hours of your time.
And let's both convince your client to do the same.
She saved our asses today, not to mention Rebecca's life.
Nice work, chief.
Yes, we did it.
Yeah. Kept our client out of jail.
Yes. Of course, now she's bankrupt.
Can't pay her oil bill.
Can't pay her daughter's tuition.
Can't pay us.
It's like I told Charlie Sheen a couple years ago:
winning isn't everything it's cracked up to be.
Captioning sponsored by CBS
Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org