LATER Both detectives go over the details of the confession. Only thing is we find out that there might be a wrinkle or two. It seems like other people are confessing to the crime as well. Three in fact. It’s an interesting case, a robbery and a murder gone wrong. The body was found in an elevator. The man had an almost lethal amount of alcohol in him. But he was strangled for his money or so it seems.
The detectives meet in a coffee shop and compare notes. Both have confessions from three different people! What do they do? Maroni reads the one guys confession and we are there at the crime. The drunken man in the elevator collapses after a pair of hands throttle his neck and his wallet is taken. Maroni’s voiceover takes us through the scene. Occasionally the suspect’s voice is heard completing the thought or scenario.
THE INVESTIGATION: We see suspect 1 being investigated, questioned, neighbor’s friends and relatives being interviewed. She worked the night shift on the third floor call in center at the same building the victim was found.
We then HEAR Trahadias v.o. taking us through another scenario. A man, suspect 2 found a wallet in the elevator but she says there was no man. He was delivering pizza in the same office building. But he did take the wallet. He too is investigated but we find out that he was never near the building. He was actually done with his shift and drinking at a bar during the time he said he found the wallet.
Enter EDIE TRUDEAU, a forensic police photographer. We see Maroni and Trahidias meet with her and go over the pix of the murder victim. Edie suggests that there was something wrong about the body position. Then Trahdias notices it too. Flash of pictures. Movement almost like a flipbook of moving images. Closer and closer till we see a long trail of scuff marks on the linoleum floor. What does it mean?
Reading the third suspect’s confession Trahidias states that he found the body in the elevator with no wallet and seemingly passed out. We hear the vo of Trahidias describing what the suspect saw again.
Again we see how suspect 3 is being investigated questioned, neighbors, friends and relatives being interviewed. He is an uber driver who picked up the victim late at night.
FLASHBACK to: GARY BASH the coroner at the elevator … Maroni and Trahidias watching, questioning how he killed. Again lethal blood level, strangulation…no signs of bruises other than his neck. As they go over the cause of death etc.
Bash describes the crime as he sees in forensic details. It seems he thinks the crime was not committed here at all. The head wounds and strangulation don’t seem consistent with close quarters and the struggle the man had to have put up being strangled. But his alcohol blood level is as high as a kite.
THE PURSUIT: Both detectives focus on the suspects and where they were on the night of the crime, the nitty gritty work of the police. Trahadias is very good at putting the suspects in a state of anxiety he logical prodding methodical approach wears on the suspects even Maroni. Three suspects confessing to various parts of the crime and murder but none admitting they murdered the victim. We see the crime played out again with each suspect doing it but then we see them disappear as the facts don’t add up for any of them.
The Police Captain CHUCK METHENY makes sure everything is done by the book, but is also willing to delve into assumptions and leads as well if Maroni and Trahidias are willing to listen. He does this a lot, he opines but doesn’t push, probing guiding and then sometimes his premise or babbling actually results in a tangible action.
Trahidias and her partner Maroni sometimes visit her (Aunt) Theia Maria together sometimes Melissa Trahidias goes alone. She’s old and Melissa looks in on her and shares some Greek coffee and turns the cup over and reads the grinds! Now Trahidias goes along with this but n some weird ways Theia has made some startling pronouncements about the case Trahidias has been working on. Coincidence? Maybe so. But Theia’s record for saying some unique clues into a particular case has been fairly consistent. “They know you won’t find the gun in the backyard.” “Try telling them that the body is in the basement.” “The girl with red hair did it, not the boy with the limp.” These statements have issued forth from Theia Maria’s lips and have helped many a case. However, “Olives in red, you cook like you were dead.” and “Why aren’t you married yet?” make Melissa Trahidias bristle and want to leave quickly. And to Maroni, “The coffee grounds tell me you don’t like your wife, why don’t you marry a Greek girl?” embarrass him and angers Trahidias.
THE DENIAL: Each of the suspects are brought in for questioning denying any involvement and going over their alibis… Trahidias specializes in this getting them to trip over their lies and confusing them. She has a near law degree and left before she graduated, a mini meltdown that actually was pretty big. So she followed her father’s footsteps. Joined the force and rose in the ranks.
THE DISCOVERY: Trahadias and Maroni both realize how the murder was committed how it all ties together...now Maroni has his wacky ways about him. A bit obnoxious colorful and when he wants to intimidate he can be over the top. He brags to Trahidias that he knows what happened. Trahidias beats him to it ! He didn’t die there he was dragged there!
BACK TO THE OPEN: THE CONFESSION- PRESENT
We are now looking at Trahidias and Maroni as hey stare into the camera as if it’s the suspect. We SEE it’s the uber driver. Now we HEAR him and his VO as we flashback to the crime. We SEE it all transpire.
The suspect was drinking heavily and from out of town. He called this uber driver who picked him up and when the drunk came to his destination, he got his the caught in the door as the uber driver drove off down the block. The uber driver realized what happened and he panicked and proceeded to drag him to the building office nearby and dragged the man’s body into the elevator. Then he ran!
Trahidias and Maroni look at the uber driver and realize that the poor schmuck was afraid to report it. That night he washed his car from the blood on the side door. But he does get arrested for obstruction of justice.
