UNDUE PROCESS

*****

Natalie: (on phone) Yes, sir. I'm very angry about it too. Thank you. We're all praying.

Woman: (About Nat) That poor women. You know the missing girl is her goddaughter? I'd be a nervous wreck and here she is manning the phones.

Nick: We found her. C'mon, get your coat. We need you.
Natalie: Oh no. Oh no. No...please....

Cohen: (Seeing Natalie) Oh God.
Schanke: They're setting up the perimeter teams right now, Captain.
Cohen: Dr. Lambert, Nick? Did you...?
Natalie: Ah, yeah. It's her. I'm going to need a couple of more minutes before I can give you a preliminary report.
Cohen: This is Dr. Emma Reston. She's the penal(?) regional ME. I'm bringing her in for this one.
Natalie: Well, we can always use the extra help.
Dr. Emma Reston: I'm so sorry for you lost, Dr. Lambert. I understand the girl was your godchild.
Natalie: Yes.
Cohen: Dr. Reston will be handling this Natalie, by herself.
Natalie: What?
Cohen: You're just too close.
Natalie: Captain, Gault is still out there. I can help, you...you can't just shut me out of this!
Cohen: I'm sorry Doctor. It's not my choice. Last minute decision, came right down from the top. They told me you'd be notified. Obviously, the call was never made. I'm sorry.
Natalie: Not your fault, Captain. However, this still is my jurisdiction.
Cohen: Not tonight.
Nick: Nat, maybe it's for the best.
Cohen: We're getting more reports of vigilante-- Excuse me, citizen's groups out looking for Gault. Things are close to out of control.
Schanke: We'll find him, Captain.
Cohen: Come on. I'll take you home.

Schanke: What does it take to pick up the phone, right? Probably some pea-brain bureaucrat in the mayor's office didn't want to miss his symphony, thought the call could wait till the morning. Now Natalie has to live with that image of that little girl for the rest of her life. Unbelievable.
Nick: We better find Gault before these vigilantes do.
Schanke: Well, it wouldn't surprise me if this ends up ugly, Nick. Find Gault twisting in the wind somewhere. And if you ask me, the whole rope dance is too good for him. Something slow and excruciating would be more my choice.

Er...some time in the 18th century, America, somewhere

Boss: Mr. Hobbs, let's send him to hell.

Nick: This way.
Schanke: What are you, part bloodhound?
Nick: Footprints. Blood. Look at this, more blood. I think Gault came this way. And wherever he is, he's hurt.

Woman 1: That's him. That's the guy who took the little girl.
Woman 2: Are you sure?
Woman 1: Yeah, come on. That was him. Hey, he's the guy who took the little girl. (Going up to a couple of people) Hey, that's they guy. Come on. That's the guy who took the little girl. Right over there. (A little more, and a mob follows)

Nick: (On phone) Yeah, that's our guy, all right. Dispatch 81 Kilo, we'll respond. (Hangs up) Gault's on foot, heading south on Arlington near Charles. He's got a gang after him.
Schanke: Oh man, if they catch him, they'll tear him up. Let's go.
Nick: Look, you take the car around, I'll uh, I'll cut him off.
Schanke: Yeah, but Nick, Arlington's four blocks from here. How are you going to get there for crying out loud? Nick? Nick!

Schanke: Now, do you recognize any of these men? (the girl shakes her head) Are you sure?

Gault: I want a lawyer, eh? I get a lawyer, don't I?
Cohen: Someone from the public defender's office is on the way.
Gault: I just want to make a statement, just want to get it over with, get it done.
Cohen: Mr. Gault, I'm required to tell you that this interview must be held with an attorney present. It's your right. If you chose to wave that right, you'll have to sign documents to that effect.
Gault: Please, listen to me....

Nick: Nat? You know you don't have to stay here.
Natalie: I had to see him. I don't know why, really. I just...just had to see him up close. I had to see his eyes. Her parents?
Nick: They've been notified. They're on their way to the morgue.

Gault: God, I'm bleeding.

Cop: God, he should be so ashamed.
Natalie: He should be dead.

Schanke: Sounds like Gault wants to come clean.
Cohen: The man's drunk. He's messing with us. He's been through the system before. He knows that a confession under the influence is inadmissible.
Schanke: Absolutely. Tomorrow he'll recant and say he was coerced.
Cohen: Who's his duty council?
Schanke: Oh, guess who. Sheppard. She's on the way.
Cohen: Sheppard.
Schanke: Yeah, the original leftist bleeding heart, liberal murderers are people, too.
Dr. Emma Reston: Captain, I have the preliminaries from the recovery scene. I figured you wanted them ASAP.
Schanke: If anyone can squeeze Gault out of here, old Sheppard can. We're batting a thousand this season, Captain. Remember the Flanders thing? We had that jerk dead to rights.
Cohen: Yeah, Sheppard cut him down to negligent homicide. Got him off with time served.
Schanke: Oh, and talk about counseling. All Mr. Flanders needed was a little bit of love and understanding. Said that the guy he offed. But hey, who's counting? Man, oh, man, I hate this job tonight. It's all backwards. The bad guys get coddled, the good guys can't catch a break.
Cohen: Thank you, Doctor, I want everything else as soon as you get it. Oh, and Doctor, another thing. Gault needs medical attention. He's cut. Would you...?
Dr. Reston: No problem.

Dr. Reston: Let's have a look at that.
Gault: Are you going to give me something to make me feel good?
(She cleans the wound)
Gault: Thanks. You've got good hands, Doc.
Dr. Reston: It's a local anesthetic. It'll sting for a second, then you'll feel numb. (She injects him with something, then puts some stitches in)

Sheppard: You're gonna have to cut him loose. They couldn't pick him out of the line-up, and nobody could give you a positive ID.
Schanke: Wait, wait, wait...you're not seriously suggesting that we let him take a walk?
Sheppard: I repeat--no positive ID. Not even from the girl who was with Cynthia Luce the night that she was taken. The same girl who provided the composite description for police. Yes, and the woman that...yeah, the neighbor who said she saw someone prowling around that night? She couldn't be certain, either.
Cohen: We haven't heard from everybody yet. Forensics still to come in. The blood work, too. Gault fits the composite. He has priors for molestation. That's sufficient for me to hold him for the time being.
Sheppard: Look, I know how everybody feels. I know how this looks. It's your job to bring in the suspect. Well, it's my job right now to do everything in my power to keep this thing from becoming a Roman circus.
Schanke: Oh, right, right, right. Maybe spin off a little bit of front-page controversy for yourself. It's nice to get your name in the paper isn't it, huh?
Sheppard: Detective, it's very clear to me that if you had your way, Ronald Gault would be lined up in front of firing squad and shot at dawn!
Schanke: I beg your pardon, Ms. Sheppard.
Sheppard: The simple fact is that we have something here called due process! And as much as you would like to see Ronald Gault pay for this crime, you must first establish that it is his crime! And right now, I don't see the evidence. I don't see anything.
Schanke: Oh, I second that.
Cohen: Easy, Schanke, it's not helping.
Sheppard: It's the law, you people. It's called law enforcement for a reason.

Hobbs: You're...dead!
Nick: Yes. I am. Perhaps you can tell me why.
Hobbs: You-you're a killer. You-you murdered that woman over in Angesley.
Nick: According to whom?
Hobbs: Well, everyone knows you did it!
Nick: Everybody knows...and that was good enough for you.
Hobbs: The boss said you did it! His word is good enough!
Nick: You never even gave me a chance to defend myself. You wanted vengeance, and now, so do I. (He drains the guy)

Sheppard: Those are the laws. I don't like them all, either. But I'll die before I see one of them bent, broken, or circumvented to suit the whim of a...a mob mentality. And Gault is entitled to no less.
Schanke: Don't mind me if I throw up.
Sheppard: Well, how about this one, Detective. How about you provide protection for my client?
Schanke: Oh, that would not be my first choice, Lady.
Sheppard: Gault has to be released, but, if you let him go without reasonable regard for his safety in this climate, those wild dogs out there are going to rip him out of his skin. He'd have grounds for legal action against the city, if he survives.
Cohen: That's ridiculous.
Sheppard: I can cite precedence.
Cohen: Cite whatever you're want, Ms. Sheppard. You're saying that we have to let Gault go, but if anything happens to him, it's our responsibility?
Sheppard: I'm saying, that's the only way that I'll allow you to stay close to him. Take it or leave it.
Dr. Reston: (Entering the office) Sorry to break in, but...this just came in from the lab, Captain. Bloodwork.
Cohen: You certain about this?
Dr. Reston: Yes, Captain.
Cohen: Mr. Gault will be released from custody as soon as we process his papers.

Natalie: No, no, no, you, you can't just let him go.
Sheppard: Well, that's it. Thank you, Gentlemen, for doing the right thing.
Cohen: Look, I'm sorry, Natalie.
Natalie: But, what about the bloodwork? What about the DNA?
Nick: DNA's running right now, Nat. Dr. Reston said the samples weren't good, but she's doing her best.
Natalie: Come on, Captain, let me have a crack at this.
Nick: Nat. The blood samples we found? They didn't quite match.
Cohen: The tests weren't conclusive. His blood type's too common.
Natalie: Well, who did the tests?
Cohen: Dr. Reston.
Natalie: In my lab? Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute.... Why are you looking so happy? (To Sheppard)
Sheppard: I'm just doing my job.
Natalie: Why, you smug...bitch! (slaps her)
Sheppard: The crown's going to love this one, Captain. And I think I just might see you in court, too, Doctor!
Natalie: So that's it?
Cohen: Go home Doctor, you're done here.
Nick: Let's go.
Natalie: Done? I'm not done! I haven't even started, yet!
Cohen: You're out of this.

Natalie: I got a call from Cynthia's father. He could barely talk. He's never going to recover from this. Why are there men like Gault?
Nick: Nat.
Natalie: They hurt children. They kill children, and they don't even seem to feel a thing. How can that be?
Nick: Even for me, it's difficult to comprehend evil like that.
Natalie: He's got to pay. Gault's got to pay.

Schanke: You want me to what?!
Cohen: Babysit. You and Knight. Sheppard has a point. You saw what happened out there tonight.
Schanke: What a bunch of crap!
Cohen: Pardon me, Detective.
Nick: Captain, how about we keep him in protective right here?
Cohen: Sure, if Gault wants to stay we keep him. He doesn't want to. His call.
Schanke: His call? That is sweet! The guy can't get comfortable in lockup so we have to take him home and tuck him in, right?
Cohen: Not home. Get him a room somewhere out of town until this cools. We'll sit on him as long as we can, until the DNA stuff comes in. Positive, we hope.
Schanke: Sure. Right. Everything will be fine, Captain, just as long as I don't accidentally strangle him with my bare hands.

Nick: Let's go, Schanke.
Cohen: Gentlemen. I know I don't have to say this, but Gault can't come back to us in any worse condition than he's already in.

Nick: (on the phone) He's in his room. Okay. Right. Well, we're secure here. We'll wait to hear. (Hangs up the phone) Captain says they're going to push through the DNA tests. Top priority. We'll get the results tomorrow.
Schanke: What if they're negative? What are the odds of Gault mending his ways after he's released? Someone else's girl is going to end up like Cynthia Luce. (Putting a tape in a tape recorder) On the off chance that Gault gets a little chatty.

Natalie: (Looking for the blood sample and not finding it) Where the hell is it?

(Grabbing the cassette recorder, Nick goes to the room Gault is in, starts recording, and wakes Gault up)
Nick: Gault, wake up. Come on.
Gault: (Groggily) I don't feel so good.
Nick: Listen to me. When we were back at the station, in the interrogation room, you wanted to make a statement. The Captain wouldn't let you, the lawyer wouldn't let you.
Gault: (Mumbling at first) ????? trying(?), a statement would have been....
Nick: It would have thrown out, I know.
Gault: I don't want to talk right now. I just want some sleep. I just need some sleep, that's....
Nick: You want to tell me what you were going to say to the Captain.
Gault: No, no....
Nick: You want to tell somebody. You might not think you do, but you do want to.
Gault: Part of me does, but....
Nick: Then look at me. *Look at me!*
Gault: I wanted to tell them.
Nick: *Tell me. Now.*
Gault: I took her. I took her in the car. Covered her. Covered her up. She was crying. Wouldn't shut up. Took her...took her around with me. I...tied her up. Stuffed a rag in her mouth. But she was fighting me. Went up to the rough. Out in the woods. I did it there. But she was fighting me.
Nick: *Tell me her name. You knew her name, didn't you? Tell me.*
Gault: Cynthia. Cynthia Luce.
Nick: *Why? Why did you pick her?*
Gault: I followed her. A couple of, a couple of days. They...tell me to do it. Her and the others. They...they call me. They pick me. I see them. At school. On the street. Coming home. They...tell me to take them. They...want me to do it. (Falls unconscious)

Boss: You filthy scoundrel! How did you get down?
Nick: Maybe your technique needs some work.
Boss: I'll finish it here, then. (throws a knife at Nick, who catches it)
Nick: (Flies and pins the other against the wall) I'm a ghost. You executed me!
Boss: Let me down. Let me down, and you're free to go your own way.
Nick: Leniency? You don't want to kill me anymore? You don't want to try again?! Third times the charm, don't they say? You are wrong about me, and for that, you will die!
Boss: No....
(Nick kills him)

(Back in the present, Nick sits down, takes the cassette out of the recorder, and starts pulling the tape out of it)

Natalie: This is wrong. This is all wrong. How could she have botched this so badly?

Schanke: Thanks for the cat-nap. I went out like a light.
Nick: Oh, don't mention it. You can spell me later.
Schanke: Look at that guy, would you? How can he sleep like that.
Nick: After what he's done.
Schanke: I don't even sleep that soundly on vacation. You know he doesn't look so good. You think I should call 911 or something?

(After killing the Boss, Nick looks up to see LaCroix)
Nick: What are you doing here?
LaCroix: You know that I'm never very far away from you. Vengeance. Are you satisfied?
Nick: I did what I had to do.
LaCroix: Oh, of course. An eye for an eye and all that.
Nick: Yes.
LaCroix: Well I can't say that I don't approve. But tell me Nicholas, why do you think they accused you of killing the woman?
Nick: It was all hearsay.
LaCroix: Indeed. Started by whom, I wonder. Oh come, come. You wouldn't want them to know who really did it, would you? Look at you now. You're guilty of the same crime that they are. You do entertain me, Nicholas. Betraying your own high-minded ideals. I knew you had it in you. Well done. (Laughs and leaves)

Nick: Gault. Gault. Gault, wake up! Get the paramedics.
Schanke: What?

Nick: His heart stopped. The phone, Schank, make the call. Schanke, go!
Schanke: (As Nick starts CPR) Yeah, okay. (Goes to the phone, dials) This is Detective Schanke, Metro Homicide. We got an emergency. Right away. Right away!
(Schanke, getting off the phone, goes into the other room)
Schanke: They're on there way.
Nick: He's gone.

Schanke: Sheppard is gonna have a field day with this!
Nick: It was a heart-attack.
Schanke: Yeah, a little bit too much of the wrong kind of excitement in his miserable life. Instant karma, Nick. Part of the grand design. Sheppard can preach all she wants, but there is justice in this world.
Dr. Reston: Looks like a massive coronary thrombosis. Can't be sure, though, until I do the enzyme tests.
Nick: We tried to resuscitate him. It was only a matter of seconds.
Schanke: Literally, he never came around.
Dr. Reston: There's nothing you could have done for him. Hopeless case. Forget about it.

Natalie: (On the phone and looking up info on her computer) Ah, no, her diagnosis is fine with me, I don't need to look it over at this point. If she said he had a coronary, then that's what it was. No, I-I'm sure Dr. Reston's competent, Captain. Oh and uh, and by the way, I'm sorry about Sheppard, I just hope that everyone understands. Well, that's not a bad idea. Maybe uh...maybe I should take my vacation time now. Uh-huh. Yeah, yeah, after the funeral. Thanks. Thanks, Captain.

Cohen: As far as I'm concerned, it's all but closed.
Sheppard: Well, I don't know about that. He died while in police custody. We are going to want a thorough investigation.
Cohen: Our investigation will continue, Ms. Sheppard, inasmuch as we still yet to determine for certain if Gault killed Cynthia Luce. If you are suggesting criminal conduct on the part of my officers, potentially slanderous accusations, I might remind you, we'd be happy to see you in court, too.
Sheppard: This is not over. It is *not* over! (She leaves)
Schanke: Yesss!
Cohen: Control yourself, Schanke. She's right. You're not finished. I want it proven beyond any doubt that Gault did this. For everyone's sake. For Cynthia's family. For Dr. Lambert. I want this thing closed correctly.

Nick: Here it is. DNA from the samples we brought in...matches Gault. So, how do you figure that the blood type didn't match and the DNA does, huh?
Schanke: Contaminated samples, maybe? Problems with the testing procedures? I've seen it before. It happens. Anyway he did it, big time. Surprise. You want another surprise? Gault's medical history. He was examined twice in prison. Once when he was admitted, and seven months ago when he was paroled.
Nick: Well, it says here that he was treated twice with medication for arrhythmic techacardia.
Schanke: Which suggests a previous heart condition. Dr. Reston said he just with like that. Bum ticker. Kind of, blew up. CPR wouldn't have helped.
Nick: You know, she made the same point to me.
Schanke: (with a yawn) Can we go home now?
Nick: You go on home. I'll type up the report.
Schanke: You'd do that for me? What a guy. (Starts to leave, but turns back) Hey, Nick, do you think if we had moved a little faster, we could have saved him? I....
Nick: Schanke, don't beat yourself up, okay?
Schanke: It's just that you never want to see anybody dead. I mean, I say it, I joke about it, but....
Nick: Yeah, I know. Go on. Goodnight.
Schanke: Thanks, partner.

Nat's answering machine: Hi, this is Dr. Lambert. I'm not in right now, please leave a message. If this is an emergency, you can reach me through my service. 555-8860.
Nick: Yeah Nat, hi, it's Nick. Uh, I guess Captain Cohen filled you in. I just wanted to find out how you were holding up. Um, If its okay with you, I'll drop by on the way home. Just to talk. Sometimes it helps to talk.

Security Guard (Jimmy) Dr. Lambert?
Natalie: Oh, Jimmy.
Jimmy: Sorry, I, I didn't mean to scare you. Doctor, they told us you weren't coming in, said you had a leave of absence. Somebody even said you got suspended. We're, well, we're just.... Well, we...feel real bad about what happened to your goddaughter. It sounds so horrible. I can't imagine....
Natalie: Thanks, Jimmy.
Jimmy: Well, ah, I'll just leave you to your work here, then. Guess I won't see you until you're officially back on duty.
Natalie: Oh, hey, Jimmy, do me a favour, will you? Anybody asks if you saw me here tonight, you didn't.
Jimmy: Uh...right. Anything you say, Doctor.
Natalie: Thanks.

Nick: Nat? Nat, you home? (Sees the file open on the computer)

Gault: You've got good hands, Doc.

Dr. Reston: It's a local anesthetic. It'll sting for a second, and then you'll feel numb.

Natalie: Oh my God. (Realising what happened)

Dr. Reston: You could just destroy it, couldn't you? No one needs to know at this point. I guarantee that no one cares.
Natalie: You killed him, didn't you. You found out about his heart condition, and you slipped him something. In the injection of local anesthetic. Let me guess, digitalis poisoning?
Dr. Reston: Dijoxin and quinidine in a saline buffer. Time released. I fixed the blood work to get him out of jail. I thought he'd leave town. Just go off and die somewhere where no one would help.
Natalie: Just like the KGB used, and then you tried to cover it in the autopsy.
Dr. Reston: But you knew where to look. What's it going to be, Doctor? Them or us. Gault would have walked. You and I both know he would have done it again. They always do.
Natalie: You've done this before, haven't you? Seven years ago in Calgary there was a case that ended just like this in your jurisdiction, only no one suspected. And you pulled it off.
Dr. Reston: A man in Calgary raped me when I was younger than Cynthia Luce. Did you find that out, too, Doctor?

Dr. Reston: I was a child. He came back for me when they let him go. There was no one for me. No one to protect me, to defend me, or to speak for me.
Natalie: So you waited until you had the skills to take your revenge. This is so wrong.
Dr. Reston: Is it? Who speaks for Cynthia, Doctor, if we won't? It's done! Let it go! You have a choice. You can let it go. I did it for us.
Nick: (entering) Natalie? Nat? You okay?
Natalie: I can't. I can't be a part of this. She killed Gault. She drugged him. Induced his heart failure. Nick: Doctor? (Starts to lead her away)
Natalie: Doctor Reston, I am so sorry.
Dr. Reston: I'm not. And never will be.

Schanke: Unbelievable. She poisoned him. How do you like that.
Cohen: Not quite poison, Schanke. More sophisticated than that. She gave him a prescription for heart failure. She knew what his weakness was, and she attacked it.
Schanke: So what do you think's going to happen to her?
Cohen: Not sure. Never seen a case like this. The crown's putting together some kind of charge. They're going to reopen the books on the Calgary case, too. Whatever they charge her with, it's going to set a president.
Schanke: Well, if you ask me, she should get a medal.
Cohen: You think so, do you?
Schanke: Actually, Captain, I don't know what to think. I mean, what about Cynthia Luce's family? What about Natalie? I mean, how do they go on?
Cohen: They just do I guess. Even though it hurts beyond what we can imagine. She'll live, because she has to. What else can she do?

Wednesday, May 25th is the date on the calendar (assuming Nat keeps it up to date) in case anyone's curious. :)