12 Page #8

Season seven finale.

That's right. I watched it.

Every Monday through Thursday at 9:35 pm

You watch our channel.

I'm glad.

Thank you.

Don't shoot!

Everyone back! Back!

Stay back, I said!

Don't shoot! Stay where you are!

I said don't shoot!

Quiet!

Quiet.

Follow the car!

Any wounded?

- No, nobody.

- Good.

Umar.

Hey, Umar.

Is that you?

It's me, uncle Volodya.

Calm down. Don't be afraid.

Get up.

I'm uncle Volodya.

Get up.

Calm down, calm down.

Umar.

Umar.

Calm down.

Thank God I found you.

Everything's OK now.

You'll come live with me in Moscow.

Don't be afraid, it's me.

Lord...

You see, we have new lights,

but old wiring.

It's freezing.

And juries rarely sit this long.

The wiring can't take it.

I'll give you a lantern.

Don't worry,

we'll think of something.

Fine.

- Here it is.

- What happened?

I think I understand:

The old man's address!

When he gave his statement

he gave one address,

the building where

the murder happened.

But in court he gave

a different address, his daughter's.

Yes, he said... Ow!

Sorry.

He said that

the day after the murder

he went to his daughter's

on the other side of Moscow.

And stayed.

So he lives there now?

That's right.

He said he went there

for her birthday.

But the murder

and his change of address

were in November?

Yes.

But the daughter's birthday

is in March.

- Some light, please.

- Sure, here you go.

And what does all this mean?

Light.

I'll explain.

I asked our bailiff

to bring me some information about

the construction next to the building.

It's a huge project,

a luxury apartment building.

One square meter

costs at least 4000 dollars.

All the apartments are sold.

But the building where the murder happened

stands right where

they plan to build a wing

of the luxury building.

The construction schedule is firm.

And?

Now imagine you have to

build a building

where people have paid millions

for apartments.

But two old jerks

who aren't worth a penny

won't let you start construction.

It's a public building.

It's central.

The late officer stayed

because it had been military housing

but he had no right to stay there.

But the military didn't have any other

apartment for him.

And the stubborn old party worker,

wouldn't leave

because he demanded an equally good

apartment, and also central.

In cases like that the job is done

on a personal level.

They send lawyers, building agents.

They call themselves

anything they like,

but really they're just crooks.

And these thugs go after

the military man

who fought against them in the war.

And after the old communist

who has no idea

what kind of people they are.

And so they cook up a

lucrative scheme.

They start surveillance.

Study the relationships.

See how they all interact.

And wait for their moment.

As a result:

One person is killed,

another, who did not kill anyone,

is sent to prison,

the third runs off to his daughter's

on the other side of Moscow.

And within a few days is living there...

...permanently.

It was...

...a very lucrative scheme.

So...

...you're saying it was a

premeditated murder?

Looks that way.

But that's horrible!

Well...

...when millions of dollars

are at stake...

...the difference between persuasion...

...and execution...

...disappears.

How do you know all this?

I say, how do you know all this?

People talk.

Pass the candle, please.

Over here.

So, you just told us

all of that, and...

...and what now?

I'm convinced that the boy

did not kill his father.

I vote.

Not guilty.

Back to seven -five.

I'll admit that your wild theory,

so to speak, is possible.

But you're forgetting the other witness,

in the next building.

Her windows are across from

the room where the murder happened.

And she testified that she saw

with her own eyes how the father...

"The father hit the boy in the face,

and then...

...the Chechen grabbed a knife

and stuck it...

...into the chest of the officer, Volodya".

She had no reason to give

false testimony.

Nobody wanted to tear down her building.

Don't trust her! That woman

not only claimed she saw the murder.

She demonstrated

how he stabbed from above.

Yes?

Yes, she did.

Before I went to med school

I worked as an orderly.

I saw lots of knife wounds.

How could a kid who's

a head shorter than his father.

How could he stab him

from above?

What is this, a Bollywood movie?

It's nonsense.

It's just ridiculous. Listen...

...what're you babbling about?

I don't get it. A "Bollywood movie"?

That's nonsense!

I've never been an orderly.

Do you want me to show you...

...how a person can stab someone

a head taller from above?

Want me to show you?

Do you?

Go ahead, if you can...

- You want me to?

- Go ahead.

All right.

Look.

Come here.

Come here.

How did he do it? I'll show you.

Come here. There.

Where...?

Come here.

How'd he do it? Watch.

Come here. Watch. Watch.

There. Like that.

Stop.

Am I shorter than you?

Shorter by a head? Well? Am I?

Shorter, right?

I'm a head shorter than you.

Bollywood, you say?

How could he do it?

I'll show you.

I'll show you how he could do it.

His father hit him.

Insulted him and hit him.

He took the knife.

I'll kill you!

What was that?

Is it blood?

The bird...

...pooped.

Let me have the knife.

You know?

The boy grew up in a land where

they know something about knives.

Anyone who's ever used

a knife knows

you have to strike from below.

It's always unpredictable.

Always dangerous,

and always hard to defend against.

Like this.

What are you...?

Then, to be sure the knife

reaches the heart,

as the medical expert said...

...you must strike with power,

penetrate the chest cavity.

Hey, stop...

You're a surgeon.

Yes, a surgeon. Can't you tell?

A knife...

...like any other weapon,

especially in the Caucasus,

is a form of culture.

Sorry...

...I learned it when I was a kid,

in the Caucasus.

Sorry.

Very interesting.

I change my decision.

Oh Lord, I'm blind.

I can't talk now.

I can't talk now, you hear?

They're still deliberating.

Can you imagine?

All night. Imagine that...

Got some real go-getters.

Is it my fault?

Since our wiring is totally shot

this is the best I can do,

it's left over from a school dance.

- A karaoke party...

- I'll take the lantern.

If you did your job,

you'd be home.

You'd be at a disco or a

karaoke bar like normal people.

I propose we vote.

The gentleman builder is right,

it's a very logical plan.

I think the kid is not guilty.

Please raise your hand if you

think the accused is guilty.

One. Two.

Three.

Please raise your hand if

you think he is not guilty.

One, two, three,

four, five six, seven, eight.

And you?

Sorry.

Are you...?

What?

- How do you vote?

- Meaning?

You said you change your mind.

What are you changing it to?

One second.

Pardon me, but do you recall

how I voted the last time?

Ah, when you...?

You voted guilty.

Thank you very much.

Yes, I definitely change my mind.

Rate this script:3.0 / 1 vote