So what's your new paper about?
"Deviations in Modus Operandi."
Sophomoric topic.
Well, I am a sophomore.
Serial killers tend to be fairly consistent in their modality.
Berkowitz had "women who looked like his mother."
Kemper had coeds, decapitations and...
Please, son, not before lunch.
You had your scalpel.
Like any artist, I had my themes.
But I also experimented.
So you would sometimes improvise?
A little free-form jazz.
Yeah, often.
That's interesting.
Improvisational murder.
Which... which raises the question,
if you were going to kill me right now,
how would you do it?
Oh, geez, son...
what a morbid thought.
I'm afraid my options are a tad restricted.
If you weren't cuffed.
Come on, my professor would love to know your thoughts.
Well, that's a tricky one.
Perhaps I'd just bash your skull into the table.
You know, one swift strike and it's done.
Maybe that loose screw on the table behind me.
Jamming that into your carotid artery would do the trick.
Though it might get a little messy.
Um, I could plow it into your eye socket.
Go for the frontal lobe.
Turn you off like a light switch.
But this is nonsense.
- I could never hurt you. - Why?
Because you're... because you're my son.
I mean, could you kill me?
No.
No. Of course not.
Right, right. Of course not.
Synced & corrected by -robtor- www.addic7ed.com
- _ - To your first day reporting
from the studio! Now you don't have
to pound the pavement like some salesman
- or census taker. - Yes.
- To Ainsley. - Aw.
Anderson Cooper is shaking in his boots.
And I am so proud of you, too, Malcolm.
No murders for two weeks.
It's a new record.
Are you glad you went on your vacation after all?
I did miss the work, but it was nice to get away.
I shut the drapes and never left my room.
Just me and my books.
On your tropical holiday?
When you say "get away,"
I take it you mean from your father.
In which case, might I suggest a permanent vacation?
We seem to be entering the "daddy issues" segment
of this meal, which is my cue to go to work.
- Love you. - Bye.
Bye.
Really, Malcolm, you haven't seen him in two weeks,
and you seem great.
I'm not exactly rushing to Claremont,
but there are some things that were left...
unresolved.
You were going to kill me.
I have done bad things, but I never did that.
Like what?
I mean, you can tell me.
I-I feel sure I've heard everything by now.
It's complicated.
What are you doing after this?
Just errands.
You, you don't run errands.
Fine.
I'm meeting someone.
They claim to know something about the girl in the box.
It came from the tip line.
And you were going to meet this total stranger alone?
Yes.
Until my meddling son got involved.
Well, I don't see anyone.
He said he'd be wearing a blue sweater.
Did he say by the carousel
or on the carousel?
Oh...
Stay here.
Hello?
Anybody here?
Don't look!
Malcolm!
I knew this vacation wouldn't last.
Be honest. Did you kill this guy
just so you could get back to work?
This one fell in my lap. Tell them, Mother.
- What are you looking for? - My purse.
I dropped it when... Forget it.
Uh, this gentleman was supposed to give us information
on the girl in the box.
Who's the vic?
That's gonna be tough.
His fingerprints were burned off postmortem.
DNA's gonna take some time.
Hey, you stole my thunder.
It's okay, I've got plenty of thunder.
He died by exsanguination from the carotid artery,
aka a slit throat.
Which may be metaphorically significant.
A silencing of sorts.
Any idea who'd want to silence your informant?
Well, yes, but he's rotting in a cell.
Not... not rotting. More like flourishing.
You're saying Martin Whitly is somehow behind this?
With that man, anything is possible.
So you think we should question your dad?
No, I don't.
I mean... not yet.
Martin Whitly's psychopathic. He's not superhuman.
It's also unnecessary 'cause you're completely wrong.
Sorry, that came out harsher than I intended.
I was going for, like, a playful repartee.
Have I mentioned how much I missed you?
You'll get used to it.
I missed you, too. Now tell me
why I'm completely wrong.
He died last night.
You know, based on the lividity,
he spent several hours on his side, in a fetal position.
Like in the trunk of a car.
But the call came in to the tip line this morning.
Which means our killer was the one who called you.
He wanted you to find the body.
Ainsley.
Ainsley, we're throwing to you next.
- I thought Rod was up. - We're breaking in.
The body they found on the carousel...
we've got somebody on the line claiming to be the killer.
And they want to talk to you on the air right now.
Well, um... are-are you sure it's not a hoax? I mean,
I don't want to get Baba Booey'd the first day.
Trust me. Trust me, we ran it down.
The caller knew the victim's prints were burned off.
That hasn't been made public.
A-And no one's concerned about the ethics of all this?
I mean, putting a, a killer live on the air?
That's an interesting position coming from you.
I just...
Look, he says if we don't do this, others will die.
I got the lawyers on the phone with the FCC and NYPD.
If you want, I'll give it to James.
But he wants you.
We're set to go.
Okay.
I'm going to need a fact sheet ASAP,
and, uh, call Gil Arroyo at Major Crimes.
He's gonna want to see this.
Thank you.
Five, four...
three...
Welcome back.
I'm Ainsley Whitly interrupting our regular programming
with an unusual caller on the line.
A man claiming responsibility for a murder
that occurred this morning in Queens.
Are you there?
Hello, Ainsley.
Hello. Who am I speaking with?
I am the Carousel Killer.
Catchy.
I have two questions for you.
Why did you kill that man this morning,
and why are you calling us about it?
So you would all take heed.
Well, you have our attention. Now what?
When he called the tip line, he didn't leave a name?
You got to see this.
Oh, who picked out that blazer?
She looks like the carpet at the DMV.
You didn't answer my question.
Why did you kill that man?
I chose him at random
to let everyone know I'm serious.
Is this live?
The killer called in a few minutes ago.
Serious about what?
Your mother Jessica Whitly.
She went on TV and offered a million dollars
for information about one of her husband's victims.
- I'm aware. - Like she's some kind of hero.
But she's not. She's a fraud and a hypocrite.
My mother is neither of those things.
The chickens are coming home to roost.
What...?
What, exactly, do you want?
I want that money.
I'll call back with instructions.
If she doesn't listen, more people will die.
Wha...
No good deed goes unpunished.
If I hadn't gone on TV, I hadn't offered that money...
You can't think like that.
Why? The killer just announced it
to millions of people.
- That man is dead because of me. - No.
He's dead because someone killed him,
not you.
You were just trying to do some actual good.
I want to pay. It is a small price
to ensure that no more lives are lost.
NYPD policy is firm.
We do not cooperate with extortionists.
- I don't give a flying... - Mother!
Gil's right. We'll send an officer to the house.
The smartest thing you can do right now is go home
and let us do our jobs.
Please.
You know, I have to tell you, Mr. David,
I am... really taking to clay time.
You know, I think it would be even more therapeutic, though,
if I had the, the proper implements, huh?
Is there any chance I could get a fettling knife?
Well, you lost me at knife.
Well, then my hands
will just have to suffice.
Ready for your TV time?
Ooh, I never say no to TV time.
Authorities have not released the victim's identity,
- but have... - Oh, look at that.
My little girl's reporting from the studio now.
The killer asked to speak to me directly
and proceeded to levy unfounded accusations
about my family, specifically my mother
Jessica Whitly, on air.
- Oh, my. - It should come as no surprise
that my father...
- Oh, this looks very exciting. - Martin Whitly,
also known as The Surgeon,
has been in the news before.
He was arrested in 1998 for murdering 23 people.
The Carousel Killer...
I know you're worried.
Best thing we can do for them is to catch this guy.
Ransom killers are most often motivated
- by financial gain. - Could this be
a crime of opportunity? Someone sees a million bucks
offered up on TV and they jump on it?
That explains the hasty M.O.
Slitting a throat is simple, straightforward.
You're right. The killer didn't savor the murder.
This isn't any sort of paraphilia.
And the money is definitely part of it,
but it's not only about the money.
He wanted everyone to hear his demands.
- He's after the notoriety. - Yes.
Except he didn't call a random newscast.
He called Ainsley,
told her "the chickens are coming home to roost,"
and then demanded money from our mother.
This killer has been wronged by the Whitlys.
Okay, well, we're gonna need a list
of all the people connected to your father's victims.
That's a long-ass list.
- No offense. - None taken.
- Start with the Lehrer brothers. - Who?
The Surgeon killed their mother in '96,
but he wasn't connected with the crime for three years.
In the meantime they went to jail for it.
My mother offered them a settlement.
She wanted to help them.
They insisted on a jury trial and lost.
Financially motivated with a personal vendetta.
- That fits. - JT and I will take them.
Dani, you and Bright get down to ADN.
Change of plans, Adolpho.
Take me to the bank.
When he calls back, you need to keep him on the line
as long as possible. Let him ramble.
Don't interrupt. Try to tease out any details
about his past.
Oh. You mean, be a journalist?
I went to Columbia J School, Malcolm,
I know how to conduct an interview.
This is different.
- You're dealing with an active killer. - Yeah, well,
interviewing killers is kind of my thing now, so...
- Joking. - This is a bad idea.
Okay, don't big brother me, Malcolm.
- I can handle it. - You're not trained for this.
These people can get under your skin.
Oh, I see we're going for maximum irony here.
Do you think this is how I saw my first day going?
I did not ask to be put in the center of a crisis,
but I am here, so I'm gonna do whatever I can
to help you catch this guy. Cool?
Fine.
Yeah. Let's do this.
A deranged killer called into...
Ari Lehrer.
and asked to speak with our own Ainsley Whitly.
Been following the Carousel Killer story?
Yeah. So's everyone in New York.
- Your brother around? - Noah's out with a cold.
Detectives.
Must feel pretty good, right?
Someone messing with the Whitlys?
I got nothing to do with any of this.
We just want to ask you some questions.
Last time you people asked me some questions,
you stole three years of my life.
I ain't going through that again.
Then give us better answers.
We know the killer has a grudge against the Whitly family.
And we know he had access
to high-end electronic equipment.
You can see why that makes the two of you
pretty good suspects.
I didn't do anything.
You said "I." You didn't say "we."
I've been doing this a long time, Ari.
I can tell you're holding something back.
And I can also see that you're afraid.
Guy came in.
Maybe two, three weeks ago.
White guy, 40s. He knew who we were.
Said he had a plan to get back at the Whitlys.
- Asked for our help. - What'd you tell him?
I told him to piss off.
Trying to keep the past in the past.
- But your brother was interested. - He didn't say.
But he's been acting a little strange.
Calling in sick.
Hmm. That's why you were glued to the TV.
- You're worried about him. - Eh, it's just...
he can't let it go.
We need to find your brother ASAP.
Can you help us do that?
You have a chance to stop him
from losing more than three years.
I can track his phone.
Bro? Pacing?
Not helping.
We're cutting in again.
- The killer's on the line? - Well...
a killer's on the line.
Welcome back.
I'm getting word that Dr. Martin Whitly,
also known as The Surgeon,
also known as my father,
- is on the phone. - Hello. Uh...
- am I live? - Hello, Dr. Whitly.
Well, hello, Ainsley. Uh, first-time, longtime.
I'm very excited to be here with you.
- Hello, Dr. Whitly. - Hello, Ainsley.
Look at that. It's really you.
So you'll just put anything on the air?
If it bleeds, it leads?
The Carousel Killer threatened to kill someone.
My hands were tied.
And it doesn't hurt our ratings.
Oh, that-that's the photo you're going with?
Well...
It's not my best angle, but, uh... c'est la vie.
Okay, Ainsley, see if you can steer him into a soundbite.
Can I get one of those?
Dr. Whitly, why are you calling in, exactly?
Because I want to help!
You know, just in case there are any NYPD consultants
out there that could benefit from my, uh, my insights.
Well, Doctor, since this is apparently
a call-in show now, sure.
- Let's hear your insights. - Uh, well,
profit-motivated killers have always mystified me.
You know, taking a human life for something
as tawdry as money, uh...
but I guess that's easy to say when your wife's loaded.
- Ex-wife. - Then again, uh,
I don't think our killer
is motivated one whit by the money.
In fact, it's clear his motivation
is all about, uh...
me.
He's a psychopath and a narcissist.
Everything is always about him.
Well you are a diagnosed psychopath
and narcissist.
Isn't everything
- always about you? - Well, that may be.
Uh, but even a broken psyche is right twice a day.
And I'd bet my life that, uh,
this Carousel Killer
is connected to one of my alleged victims.
You don't need to say "alleged"
when you're already serving time.
Yeah, but it has such a beautiful ring to it, don't you think?
- Ainsley. - When you get a chance, ask him,
why does he think the money doesn't matter?
I have a question from one of our producers.
Why do you think the money doesn't matter?
A producer, really?
Astute question.
Uh, well, uh, it's the ostentation of it all.
You know, the, the dead body on the carousel,
calling into your program... there's a,
there's a performative quality about it that makes me think...
and, you know, this is just one man's opinion...
that, uh, this is all a distraction.
You know, this killer really wants something else.
- Ask him... - And what do you think
the killer really wants?
Oh... damn.
Looks like I'm out of phone time.
But, you know, feel free to book me on a segment
anytime.
Bye, sweetheart!
Once again, that was The Surgeon,
Dr. Martin Whitly,
notorious serial killer.
And... clear.
And embarrassing father.
Great job, Ainsley.
Yes?
Is it the killer?
This is it.
He wants to go on now.
Okay, we're back in five, people.
I'm Ainsley Whitly for ADN,
and I'm getting word that the Carousel Killer
is back on the line.
Sir, are you there?
Are you enjoying this?
I was hoping for a light first day.
Then you called.
Well, I'm sure your ratings are soaring.
Just like a Whitly to profit off the misfortune of others.
Jessica Whitly has done
so much for this city, and she doesn't deserve this.
- No one does. - But they do.
Admit it.
You people don't care if some random stranger
- gets killed. - Of course I care.
And I don't think that you're in a place
to be making moral judgments.
You literally have the word "killer" in your name.
Ains, listen.
He keeps saying "random,"
but he burned the fingerprints off the victim in the park.
He doesn't want us to know who he was.
You know, I think?
I think that maybe this victim wasn't random at all.
Enough small talk. Here are my instructions
- for Jessica Whitly. - Hold on!
This is my show, and I ask the questions.
Who is that man you killed?
Tell me, or I will cut to commercial
and you won't get your million dollars.
He was an accessory.
In 30 minutes, your mother will bring the money
to the place where she first met your father.
Uh, I'm sorry, we have been disconnected.
As you know, this is a developing situation,
and ADN will continue to provide
updates as they come in. Again...
- Hello, dear. Any updates? - Possibly.
I need you to tell me the spot where you first met Dad.
Oh... who can remember?
That's ancient history.
You're planning to pay the ransom.
Don't do this. It's too dangerous.
- Tell me the meeting spot. - Malcolm,
he's left me no choice.
I need to put an end to this
before any more blood is shed in our name.
And we'll be back with more coverage after the break.
And clear.
- Where did Mom and Dad meet? - How am I supposed to know?
It's not exactly a story she was fond of telling.
You think the killer knew her?
No.
But she was a socialite.
They must've done a write-up on the wedding
in The Times. Those usually include how they met.
- I'll get my researchers on it. - Uh, no need. We got
a lock on the killer's phone. Those extra seconds did it.
Hello?
Walk to the northwest corner.
We're closing in on Noah Lehrer. What do you got?
We tracked the call. The killer's in Stuyvesant Park.
That's funny, so are we.
He's here.
I'll take the east side.
Good. Now look up.
The corner building.
- Do you see us? - Yes, I see you.
Do exactly as I say, or I shove him over the edge.
Did you bring the money?
- Of course I did. - Good.
I want you to dump it out.
You can't be serious.
Dump the money, or I dump the man.
- What? - Now!
Do you understand me?
Yo, yo,
that-that crazy lady's throwing hundreds.
Are you happy? I did exactly what you said.
Jessica!
Are you okay?
He did it anyway!
That's Noah Lehrer. Ari's brother.
The killer was just on that roof, he can't have gone far.
All right. You can't stay here.
Okay? We got to go.
He did it anyway.
Come on. Come on.
We searched everywhere, but there's no sign of him.
Why? Why would anyone do that?
You'd think I'd understand after all these years, but I don't.
That's a good thing. You're not supposed to.
Adolpho's here.
I'll have uniformed officers waiting at home.
Wait, that's it?
You're not gonna scream at me for not listening to you both?
It's not your fault. It's mine.
This guy's been toying with us all day.
Go easy on yourself, both of you.
If I flew off the handle every time a Whitly went rogue on me,
I'd never get anything done.
Mom.
From now on, let the police deal with this.
Can you do that?
Just stop him.
Million dollars.
Gone.
Could've fixed my Le Mans with that.
This is psychological warfare.
The killer wanted to humiliate my mother
by flaunting his disregard for her wealth.
He wanted my sister to look like some craven muckraker.
According to Ari, he's a white male, 40s.
I've already spoken to almost all of the family members
of your father's victims... so far that's a dead end.
Still no ID on the body on the carousel?
DNA didn't match anyone in the system.
The killer said he was an "accessory."
To him or my father?
- Where are you going? - To ask him myself.
Adolpho, you found my purse?
What purse, ma'am?
Don't hang up.
Don't warn the driver. If you do, she will die.
Who?
There's a picture in your purse.
Why are you doing this?
Because you understand the pain your husband inflicted,
and now you can help stop it.
- How do you propose I do that? - You passed my last test.
Means I can trust you.
In your purse, there's a ceramic weapon.
The metal detectors won't catch it.
What are you asking me to do?
Once you're alone in the cell,
stab Martin Whitly in the heart.
I have eyes everywhere.
I'll know if it's done.
If he's not dead within 30 minutes, the hostage will die.
If you warn the authorities, the hostage will die.
Is that clear?
I can't do this.
Yes, you can.
That's why I chose you.
This is an opportunity to do what you've always wanted to,
to kill The Surgeon.
My boy.
Oh, it's so good to see you.
How was vacay? Tell me everything.
Did you know this man?
You want to talk about work. Okay.
Uh... I don't think so.
I mean, it's hard to tell with the postmortem bloating. Why?
I think he's somehow connected to one of your victims.
Well... you know more about my victims than anyone.
Start there.
You've already done that.
None of their families match our killer,
at least not one of the 23 that everybody knows about.
But what about the others?
Now, who says there are others?
People have always speculated,
and I know there's at least one more.
Hey,
did you see my appearance on Ainsley's show?
Not bad, right?
I mean, I'm no Regis, at least not yet.
Are you sure you've never seen him before?
Nope. I'm sorry.
Damn it. I got to go.
Don't leave angry. I want to help.
Malcolm.
Well,
this truly is my lucky day.
I need to talk to your father,
alone.
Jessie, darling, we were not expecting you.
Not that I'm complaining.
Oh, gosh, when was the last time
the three of us were together like this?
Could it be at that pumpkin patch in Ossining?
It was your murder trial.
Ah, yes. You're right.
Oh, good times.
Why are you here, Mother?
I have something urgent to discuss with your father.
I just need a minute alone with him.
Well, as much as it pains me to say this,
I don't think I'm allowed a conjugal visit
right now. I'm a little on thin ice when it comes to privileges.
I'm very familiar with your stress reactions.
What's going on?
Nothing.
Did the killer contact you?
He's holding something over your head. What is it?
Look at him go, dear.
Profiler extraordinaire.
Shut up.
What happened?
Malcolm, I am begging you: go.
You're working up your nerve.
There's something he wants you to do.
That's your purse from the park. The one you lost.
- Uh... - What's in there?
I'm quite certain, son, you're not supposed to ask a lady that.
You're here to kill him.
Sorry, what's that now?
He says your father
has to die.
You're not working with a clear head.
The killer's gotten under your skin.
You're not going to do this.
Why?
How do you know that I won't?
Because you're a good person.
And going through with this makes you like him.
And you are nothing like him.
Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that, Malcolm.
I can see a look in her eyes.
Ainsley.
You okay?
What happens next time somebody's taken?
Are we gonna give every killer this platform?
All they have to do is call in and we put them on TV?
You know we did a six share today?
People died.
You reported the news. That's the job.
And you're great at it.
What's the matter?
My family.
They're not answering.
We should call Gil.
No. The killer will know if I call the police.
And he will know if I don't go through with it.
How was he planning to verify? Did he give you
- any sort of camera? - No, he just said
that I have 30 minutes to go through with it,
and if I don't, an innocent woman will die.
Here. See for yourself.
Who is she?
- He didn't say. - That's Cathy Paul.
I used to do the occasional surgery
at Tarrytown Medical Center.
Cathy was a, an OR nurse there.
Actually, d-do you have that other photo?
Ah.
Well, now I see it. That's Dr. Jack Weaver.
He assisted me with the procedures.
Man had terrible breath.
Oh, I shouldn't speak ill of the dead.
Did anybody ever die on your table there?
Only one. Uh, Amelia Wheaton.
Congenital heart defect. She never had a chance.
Did you purposely kill her?
I never hurt a patient on purpose.
I followed the Hippocratic Oath to the letter.
Albeit with one small asterisk.
We've been looking for someone connected to your victims,
but this killer is connected to one of your patients.
And he blames Cathy, too.
In-in his eyes, she's an accessory to murder.
Malcolm, what are we going to do?
- I just need a minute to think. - We don't have a minute.
A good woman dies so that a bad man can live?
You know, I consulted on three operations this week.
Three. Saved lives.
I mean, maybe I'm the good person.
You're not...
a good person.
He tried to kill me when I was ten years old.
I found the girl.
I'd learned what he was.
- And he wanted to silence me. - This is John Watkins
told him this.
He's taking the word of a serial killer over...
Over who?
A serial killer? You bastard.
Yes, it's true.
I took you up to the cabin to kill you.
The chloroform had lost its efficacy, so I thought I'd...
nip it in the bud.
But...
I couldn't bring myself to go through with it.
That was my choice.
And God knows I've been paying for it ever since.
You made sure of that.
I never imagined
my opinion of you could drop any lower.
We're out of time.
Well, the solution is clear.
If this man told you to kill me, then kill me.
What?
You heard.
I'm the villain here.
The monster.
So vanquish me.
I hereby put myself on the chopping block.
Don't be such a martyr.
Come on, boy!
Remember Old Jeb Waller.
- What would he do? - Who?
Are you sure?
Well, look at that.
Steady as a statue.
No, no. No, no, no, no, no.
Malcolm. Malcolm, you do not have to do this.
He's right.
It's the only way.
My boy.
Stop.
Cory Wheaton, you're under arrest.
Where's the hostage?
- How did you find me? - I was wondering how you'd know
Martin Whitly was dead.
The cameras at Claremont are ancient, impossible to hack.
They haven't hired new guards there in years.
It's what they don't have: an operating room.
A morgue.
This hospital handles both.
So all you needed was some stolen scrubs and a badge.
Your wife Amelia... had a heart condition.
Martin Whitly tried to save her.
He murdered her.
For what it's worth,
The Surgeon never killed any of his patients.
That's a lie.
There's just one thing I can't figure out.
Why now?
I thought I'd moved on.
But then there's this interview and a news conference.
Suddenly, it's the Whitlys everywhere,
reminding me of Amelia and everything I lost.
Why do they get to be happy?
We don't.
We never have.
We feel the same pain as you do.
The kind that never goes away.
But we don't go murdering people.
You're the son.
Malcolm.
It looks like your mother
followed my instructions perfectly.
Where's Cathy?
- All right. Bright, easy. - Where's the nurse?
I always knew your mother had it in her.
Where is Cathy?
Why should I tell you? She helped that monster.
You're the monster! How do you explain Noah?
He had nothing to do with your wife's death.
You'll tell yourself anything to help justify what you've done.
Cathy Paul?
She's not a murderer, she's not an accessory.
She's just an innocent person.
Where does it stop?
42 Briggs. Apartment 12.
16 Squad Central.
Need a hostage recover, 42 Briggs, Apartment 12.
I did you a favor tonight, Malcolm.
You're free of him.
Your father's dead.
Do you remember Jebediah Waller?
Why do I know that name?
The St. Paul's Stabber.
He tried improvisation.
He stabbed a No. 2 pencil into the heart of a local sheriff.
I know this story. Uh, he pierced the cop's myocardium
a centimeter beneath the seventh intercostal.
And the cop lived.
I still can't believe he was okay.
You know, there is a, there is a point
where you can pierce the heart,
uh, and not disrupt a single coronary artery.
So, in effect, you know, you can be stabbed right here
and somehow emerge perfectly fine.
I need you to come down to the hospital, Ains.
It's Dad.
See you soon. Bye.
Kid, what happened at Claremont?
Jessica stabbed him? You were there?
Where is she?
Is she all right?
JT and Dani are talking to her down at the precinct.
And I'm talking to you now.
What happened?
It was the only way.
But, naturally,
the margin for error is nil.
I mean, if you miss the target, the heart will fail,
and no surgeon, not even me, can save you then.
It's like, uh, threading the eye of a needle.
*CREDITS*