- Donald Cragen: I remember you, Vega. When I collared you after we found that poor woman's stinking corpse, you cried like a baby. You denied it then, but we had your prints all over that oil drum. You lied then like you're lying now.
- Javier Vega: I will never forget what I did to Joanna Lewis. Her face will haunt me until the day I die, but my past is my past. I'm a different man now, just like you. Yeah. Yeah, I remember you. You were drunk. The stench of booze was all over you. But you changed, didn't you, Captain? You think you're the only one who can?
- Olivia Benson: [about Professor Vega] He was traveling with an older woman.
- Elliot Stabler: How you get that?
- Olivia Benson: Take a whiff. Lilies and roses. No woman under 60 wears this perfume.
- Donald Cragen: Maybe Gabrielle has old-fashioned tastes.
- Olivia Benson: Gabrielle wears sandalwood and bergamot.
- [pauses]
- Olivia Benson: Women notice these things.
- Rudy Lemcke: [about Rebecca Wheeler] She bought me dinner. She was my friend.
- Olivia Benson: She was a student, you're a crackhead. You're not friends.
- Donald Cragen: [to Novak] When is Vega getting out?
- Casey Novak: I'm on my way to court now. We'll have him released first thing tomorrow morning.
- Donald Cragen: That's not soon enough. We need to do it now.
- Casey Novak: Why? Is he in some sort of danger?
- Donald Cragen: Just from himself. He's using again.
- Casey Novak: Not much I can do. Rikers can't get him down to court till morning. I'll call in a favor. Have Vega produced by the end of business if you can get your motion on the calendar by then.
- Donald Cragen: Yeah, okay.
- Casey Novak: You know, this isn't your fault.
- Donald Cragen: We'll have to agree to disagree on that one.
- Casey Novak: You didn't put the needle on Vega's arm.
- Donald Cragen: No, I just torpedoed on his career and locked him up with a bunch of junkies.
- Casey Novak: This is a fragment of a condom that was found inside Rebecca's body, it's the same brand you use. This is a fiber, police matched it to your coat, it was found in Rebecca's throat. This is the letter she wrote demanding that the college fire you.
- Javier Vega: Rebecca didn't write that note.
- Casey Novak: Her prints are on it, so if she didn't write it, who did?
- Javier Vega: Why don't you ask the police?
- Casey Novak: Are you implying that the police planted the evidence?
- Javier Vega: It wouldn't be the first time.
- Casey Novak: The police know your brand of condom and put one inside of Rebecca, then they took a thread from your coat and shoved it down her throat. You're a smart man, Professor, isn't the most logical answer that you murdered Rebecca?
- Kyle Luhrmann: [when Professor Vega has him held hostage at gunpoint] You gotta help me! He's crazy! He's gonna kill me!
- Donald Cragen: I don't blame him! But let him go, Vega!
- Javier Vega: He killed Rebecca!
- Kyle Luhrmann: I didn't do anything to her! I swear!
- Javier Vega: Tell 'em what you did or I'll blow your head off!
- Kyle Luhrmann: I killed her!
- Javier Vega: Why? What she do to you?
- Kyle Luhrmann: I loved her, but she told me she was marrying you. I went to her apartment and gave her one last chance. She blew it.
- Javier Vega: You're dead.
- Donald Cragen: Put the gun down. You got your confession. You shoot him, you're dead. You kill him, you lose your daughter, too.
- Javier Vega: Gabrielle's better off without me!
- Donald Cragen: She came to see me. She begged me to bring you home.
- Javier Vega: The only way I'm leaving here is in a body bag!
- Donald Cragen: Not if you let him live. He confessed to murder. He's finished. Let me help you.
- Javier Vega: Nobody can help me.
- Donald Cragen: You're still thinking like a junkie. Fine. Go ahead, kill him. Show me you're still a murderer, too.
- [Vega releases Luhrmann, sobs and drops his gun]
- Olivia Benson: Whoever rented the car killed Rebecca.
- Elliot Stabler: An innocent man's in prison. We put him there.
- Elliot Stabler: [to Cragen about Gabrielle] I think she'd do anything to protect her father.
- Donald Cragen: Then she's an accessory. Bring her in. I'll talk to her myself.
- Elliot Stabler: You sure that's a good idea?
- Donald Cragen: Is there something you want to say to me?
- Elliot Stabler: Just that you seem a little involved.
- Donald Cragen: Vega raped and murdered an innocent young woman. Of course I'm involved.
- Donald Cragen: What, this guy has a photographic memory for cars?
- Donald Cragen: He's a mechanic. He talked about that car like it was Paris Hilton.
- Donald Cragen: Now the same guy saw a man in a black coat and a red scarf stuffing a large bundle into the back of a Lexus. Said it looked like a big-ass load of crap.
- Donald Cragen: This poet make a positive I.D. on Vega?