Death Before Dishonor

Jamal

   [In the room behind the two-way mirror. Det. Jenson is talking his cell phone as Det.
              Borden walks in and closes the door]
Det. Jenson: Thank you, sir. I'll do my best. [hangs up the phone and puts it back on the clip]
                      Nice job in there.
Det. Borden: For some reason, I'm starting to think like you. Maybe they didn't do it. They have
                       total and complete disdain for the police; I don't think they would do anything to
                        make them interact with us.
Det. Jenson: [nods his head] We'll soon find out why. The records will be here in 30 minutes.
                       Then we can either let them go or lock them up.
Det. Borden: They don't seem to be willing to give one another up if they did kill Mr. Rhoden.
Det. Jenson: Death before Dishonor.
Det. Borden: I think we should interrogate Jamal for a little while and when we get the records,
                       we bring them all in one room, and let the shit hit the fan.
Det. Jenson: Group interrogation and separation, I like it.
Det. Borden: Let's put it to bed then.
   [In interrogation Room 6. Jamal is sitting at the table with his head down when Det.
                Borden walks and closes the door]
Det. Borden: [walks over to the table] Hey! [slaps table]
Jamal: [lifts his head slowly] What?
Det. Borden: "What"?
Jamal: [yawns] What took you so long? Only two of y'all work here?
Det. Borden: Interrogations are longer than some murder trials.
Jamal: Oh. Why am I here? I didn't kill nobody.
Det. Borden: We have evidence that suggest you did.
Jamal: Your evidence is wrong.
Det. Borden: All the evidence can't be wrong.
Jamal: Why?
Det. Borden: Because our eyewitnesses described you to a "T".
Jamal: Just like the Central Park Rapists were described to a "T"?
Det. Borden: You don't answer my question with a question.
Jamal: You didn't ask me a question.
Det. Borden: Why do you stay with your aunt?
Jamal: Because that's who has custody of me.
Det. Borden: Why does she have custody of you?
Jamal: Because she does.
Det. Borden: What about your father and his family? Why aren't you with them?
Jamal: Why you wanna know? That don't have anything to do with your case.
Det. Borden: But it has something to do with yours and I'm not talking about this case.
Jamal: I ain't got no other case.
Det. Borden: Sure you do, about 11 years ago it involved you and the others. You know what
                       case I'm talking about now?
Jamal: [sighs] Yes, but that ain't got nothing to do with this case.
Det. Borden: I think it does. I think the two cases are related somehow. I also think that that
                       that case has something to do with why you stay with your aunt.
Jamal: I thought cops ain't get paid to think. They just 'posed to get evidence and record it.
Det. Borden: Thinking's part of the entire conviction process.
Jamal: Not really.
Det. Borden: Why do you say that?
Jamal: Because it's the truth. Police see what they want to see and hear what they want to
            hear. If they don't like it, it never happened.
Det. Borden: You and your friends have seen too many episodes of "Law and Order".
Jamal: I ain't talking 'bout T.V., I'm telling you real shit.
Det. Borden: All kids think cops are out to get them nowadays.
Jamal: I don't think y'all out to get us. I just know y'all don't always do your job.
Det. Borden: We do our job to the best of our ability.
Jamal: Keep telling yourself that, 'cause I know it's not true.
Det. Borden: How do you know? The cops who handled your last case make a few mistakes or
                       something and you decided to kill a man to show the flaws in the system.
Jamal: No.
Det. Borden: Then why did you kill David Lee Rhoden?
Jamal: I didn't.
Det. Borden: You didn't kill him, but are you the reason he's dead?
Jamal: [looks at Det. Borden in the eyes] You could say that.
Det. Borden: Finally, a confession from one of you! Now just tell me why you killed
                       David Lee Rhoden.
Jamal: [scoffs] I didn't kill David Lee Rhoden.
Det. Borden: You just said you did.
Jamal: No, I didn't.
Det. Borden: You didn't kill David Lee Rhoden but you're the reason he's dead?  How is that
                        possible?
Jamal: You tell me.
Det. Borden: [yelling] Stop the bullshit. You just admitted you're the reason he's dead. Now
                        why did you kill him? Why is David Lee Rhoden dead?
Jamal: I ain't kill David Lee Rhoden. Use your police brain and figure some shit out.
Det. Borden: Don't disrespect me or my job.
Jamal: Police do that by themselves. Cover up the truth so they look good.
           [Tapping sound]
Det. Borden: [looks toward the two-way mirror, walks over to the door, opens it] Damn.
                        [walks out closing the door behind him]
   [In the room behind the two-way mirror Det. Jenson is looking at two open folders
                when Det.  Borden walks in]
Det. Borden: I fucking had him. [closes the door] Why'd you pull me out?
Det. Jenson: [while looking at the files and papers he shakes his head]
Det. Borden: What? [walks over to the table and looks at the folders] These their records?
Det. Jenson: [nods his head]
Det. Borden: Say something, damn it. I had a confession and you pulled me out, why?!
Det. Jenson: This is why. [pulls out some papers and photos from the folders and hands them
                      to Det. Borden]
Det. Borden: What? [reads the papers and looks at the photos for a period of five minutes] Oh,
                        my God. [places the photos facedown on the table]
Det. Jenson: Now we know why it's Death before Dishonor.
Det. Borden: [looks at the folders] Shit. I don't believe this.
Det. Jenson: Me either.
Det. Borden: Let's get 'em together.