"KILL JOY" April 14, 2001

Episode 119       Airdate: 04/13/01      Writers: Tony Blake and Paul Jackson     Director: John Rubinstein
Guest Stars: Suzanne Krull, Kellita Smith, Michael Keenan. And Caroline Lagerfelt as Inger Dominguez. Special Guest Stars: Jeff Fahey, Stephanie Zimbalist.

Joe is promoted to Lieutenant in a ceremony in front of City Hall. Nash's father Nick is there, too. Distracted by a female officer, Nick trips and injures his knee. At a radio station, news reporter Joy Larsen is shot three times by a crazed man. She dies bloodily as she staggers about.

Three other Joy Larsens report being followed and watched. Harvey and Antwon proceed to interview each Joy Larsen. Harvey strikes a chord with the first Joy because she is also a Deadhead from the Sixties. The second Joy has traced a mysterious caller to the Elliot Hotel. The crazed killer's drawing is identified by the hotel clerk. Busting into the hotel room, Harvey and Antwon confront Regina Adams, a private investigator (PI). She beats up Antwon before they manage to take her into custody.

Regina reveals that she was hired by Ryan Collins to track down Joy Larsen. It was an insurance case for a beneficiary payment to Joy. But Regina smelled something wrong and went to his hotel room. A search of Ryan Collins' name reveals he was killed in his prison cell, just two days before he was to be released. Collins ran a Sixties radical group responsible for bombing a munitions factory in 1972 in which a guard and a member of the group was killed.

Antwon discovers the first Joy's age does not add up - she is a Deadhead, but her birth certificate indicates she is supposed to be 32 years old. Meanwhile, Joy escapes from her own house (which is under police protection). She goes to see her lawyer, Ron Sekora. But Ryan Collins shows up there too. Collins pulls a gun on Sekora, and reveals that he is really Nelson Collins, Ryan's brother. Nelson blames Joy for his death, and gets her address out of Sekora's Rolodex. Nelson shoots Sekora three times after Sekora attacks him with a baseball bat. Joy escapes, but not before calling Harvey to intercept Nelson who is going to her house. Joy has a son Tommy who is just coming home from school.

Harvey intercepts Nelson inside Joy's house. Nelson pulls a gun on little Tommy, and in the shoot-out between Harvey and Nelson, Nelson escapes. Tommy is safe as Joy arrives. Harvey questions her, suspecting Joy of really being Susan Maynard, the supposedly dead radical killed in the bombing. Joy denies being Maynard.

Meanwhile, the SIU barge lists to one side because Joe has failed to sign the necessary papers to repair the plumbing. After Nick makes himself difficult and incorrigible to Cassidy, Nash hires wacky Betty-Anne as a housekeeper to look after Nick. She is extremely efficient, and makes dinner for Nick and Nash. But Nash senses something amiss.

At the crime scene of dead lawyer Ron Sekora, an office phone call is traced to Harvey, indicating that Joy was there. Harvey questions Joy again. This time, she admits to being Susan Maynard, but she denies any involvement in the bombing. The dead female was a French exchange student that got killed instead. Harvey is reprimanded by Nash for not briefing him on Joy/Susan. Harvey is sympathetic to Joy/Susan, believing her to be innocent.

PI Regina Adams is brought back. She is to set-up Nelson to draw him in. She answers his e-mail query with an offer of $50,000 for the whereabouts of Susan Maynard. She meets Nelson in the park, where he is arrested by Harvey and Antwon. Harvey confronts Joy/Susan again, this time asking her for a blood sample to prove definitively that she was not present at the bombing. She confesses that she was involved. She is arrested, and her son Tommy taken away by Social Services. Nash consoles a saddened Harvey, as they recall the Vietnam draft.

For more, see commentary for Episode 119

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