Plot

An investigative reporter bravely airs a piece about her own rape that occurred 2 months earlier. Her description of the men that attacked her results in fresh leads and unexpected turns of events along the way.

The police apprehend a man who appears to be one of the two people involved in an old rape case where the victim was a famous TV reporter. The suspect decides to keep quiet and immediately obtains a lawyer. Munch, who had formed a bond with the woman during the initial investigation, is the primary detective on the case and must now gather enough evidence to allow for a successful prosecution while also attempting to determine the identity of the second rapist.—Anonymous

Sarah Logan, a field reporter on the news, tells her audience of being raped. She tells them the police have been working her case for 12 weeks with no leads. She asks for their help. She describes one as having a tattoo of a star on his wrists and smelling like cigarettes and the other wore a running suit. She tells her audience she is going to fight back.

A woman watching the news realizes the guy she is with could be one of them, but when she tries to call the police, he stops her. When she does talk to Benson and Stabler, she tells them he is Mark Krieger, a car parts sales rep from Cleveland. She gives them the key to her room. When they go in, he is puking in the toilet. As Benson attempts to read him his rights, he tells her the city will have to pay for his lawyer because he is broke before he pukes again causing Benson to excuse herself.

Stabler tells the team Krieger works in construction and has priors including possession, assaults stemming mostly from bar fights, and kiting checks. Benson tells them he is from Queens, but he told his date different. Stabler informs them the girl knows she was almost the next victim of Mr. Goodbar. Benson tells them he lawyered up immediately. After Munch tells them he always thought it was a crime of opportunity, Jeffries tells them the perps did not even know who Sarah was. Cragen informs them they may end up having to file against Krieger and "an un-apprehended other," but he wants to find the other guy before Krieger gives him a heads up. Cragen tells them to check phone records, employment records, credit card bills, and find the other guy. When the meeting breaks up, Munch asks Cragen if anyone notified Sarah about the suspect. He tells him he thought he should tell her himself.

When Munch goes to tell Sarah about the arrest, she asks if he saw her piece on the news. He tells her it took guts to do that. She asks him to tell her the guy's name, but he reminds her it would jeopardize the line-up. He assures her he will tell her everything when it is over. He informs her she probably will not see the guy again until court.

While Munch and Jeffries search Krieger's apartment, Jeffries guesses he only works as often as he has to. Munch tears part of a poster containing phone numbers. They figure his ashtray collection is from his one-night stands so they take them. They realize the second rapist could be one of opportunity.

In the squad room, Cragen interrupts Benson and Stabler as they look at the bars advertised on the ashtrays. He reminds them of his drinking days. Benson asks him which one is closest to the attack. He responds with Shad's Cabaret adding it is just a bunch of hard working locals and confused out-of-towners. He asks that they let him know if anything has changed. While Munch tells them he came up empty on his calls, Jeffries tells him she found one that knows Krieger.

When Jeffries and Munch talk with Krieger's cousin, P.K., he informs them he has not seen him since Labor Day. He tells them Krieger is always getting into trouble.

Stabler finds Krieger owes Shad's Cabaret $36, but he used his credit card. When the owner cannot tell him what Krieger bought, Stabler explains the drinks would tell him if he was drinking alone or with someone. The owner tells him the only information on the receipt is the date of January 11th.

Sarah walks into the line-up and is introduced to everyone. Cragen explains the men will not be able to see her. Munch adds if she does not recognize anyone she needs to make sure before saying so. At her request, Cragen asks the men to roll up their sleeves and turn their wrists out. When all of them have the tattoo, she gets a little confused, but points out number three.

As Munch escorts her from the line-up, he tells her the man's name is Mark Krieger and he is a welder from Queens. After he tells her they interrogated Krieger but he did not talk, she asks him if they can make a deal with him to give up the other rapist. He reminds her his lawyer will not let them talk to him. When she tells him she wants to know why the chose her, he tells her rapists give excuses they hear on television and in movies to judges and journalists after they are convicted. The truth is she will never know why they chose her and they may never catch the second guy.

Cragen informs the team he has received three calls in two days from One Police Plaza inquiring as to where they are on Sarah's case. Munch informs him they have DNA, a witness placing him in the neighborhood, and Sarah. Cragen reminds them they still do not have the second guy and it has been almost a month. Stabler informs him they have checked employers, landlords, and every bar he ever stole an ashtray at and got nothing. Benson informs him Krieger did not keep friends any longer than he needed them. When Cragen asks if they have any long shots, Stabler tells him he received a call from an informant in Rikers saying he heard something from someone.

At Rikers, Stabler tells his informant he was able to get his daughter's teacher to cut her some slack and do summer school and he has the principal looking out for her. His informant tells him Krieger is scared he is going down on this one, but he did not know who Sarah was when he did it. When asked about the second guy, the only thing he knows is the guy was already in Rikers on a DUI charge or something like that. When Krieger found him he told him to keep quiet or he will kill him. Stabler asks a jail administrator for a list of everyone in the day Krieger came in. She tells him that would be 16,000 names. He asks her to rule out women and children and narrows it to 12,000 men. When she asks him what he actually needs, he tells her he needs everyone who came into contact with Krieger narrowing it to 6,204 possibilities. After he is denied his request to narrow it down by age and race, she hands him a disk.

ADA Alden explains to Munch that Defense Attorney Sorenson will try to rush the case to trial in order to catch them unprepared. When Munch tells her they are ready, she reminds him Sarah says she was raped by two men, but they will only be able to show the jury one. Sarah took an unusual route home so he will try to say it was more than a leisurely walk home. She reminds him they do not have semen, but he reminds her a condom was used. She does not believe Sarah is ready so she suggests he ask for Benson's help in prepping Sarah.

Benson tells Sarah the defense cannot bring up her sexual history on the stand, but they may be able to allude to it. She informs her the defense does not have to prove it did not happen as long as they can muddy the waters a little. Munch tells her they will try to beat her up on the stand. They explain she will have to be detailed explaining where each person was, each body part, and explain how she could tell which guy it was. Benson tells her to answer with simple and direct answers. She tells her to use the actual names for body parts and if they make her uncomfortable talk to her or Munch until she is comfortable.

In court, the defense files 4 motions, including one to exclude the witness identification, and the prosecution files one to exclude press from the courtroom. The judge states he will rule in the morning. In the hallway, Sarah questions why they are trying to exclude her identification. ADA Alden explains their only hope is to try to convince the judge and jury that everyone from the police to the witness is incompetent. Sarah responds by asking Munch to come on her show stating it has already been cleared with Cragen. Munch tries to talk his way out of it saying a woman is who she needs to have if the subject is rape. She tells him that if her audience sees him, they will be more likely to go to the police. After she bribes him with dinner after the show, he reminds her not to say the word "bribe" to a cop in a crowded courthouse.

While Munch is waiting at the studio for Sarah, he is told there is some gridlock by her neighborhood. When he receives a call, he leaves to go to her apartment. When he arrives, a firefighter tries to stop him from going in citing the building is not safe. When he makes his way past the firefighter, Benson stops him letting him know it was Sarah. She tells him the neighbors heard a single blast. The bomb squad got the call at 6:46 and arrived at 6:52. She informs him the six minutes would not have mattered. When Munch gets to her apartment, he is told it was a black powder bomb in a box of flowers. She saw the flowers at her door and brought them in. When she opened them, she blocked the blast from the north side of the room with her body killing her instantly.

When Munch arrives at work, he tells Jefferies he stayed at the scene late and Benson is still there canvassing. Cragen slowly makes his way to his three remaining detectives and asks for an update. Stabler informs them his source told him the second guy was in Rikers when they got Krieger. He narrowed the field of possibilities by age and description before narrowing it further to those who were out when the rape occurred leaving 207 men. When Munch clarifies they are going on the assumption the second guy is the bomber, he then reminds them Sarah's testimony is out unless they suggest Krieger masterminded the bombing. Stabler adds Krieger could not mastermind a church picnic. Cragen tells Munch and Jeffries to work on the rape, and tells Stabler to work on the bombing with Benson and only share information with Munch about Krieger. Cragen requests Munch's presence in his office to see if he needs time off which he declines.

Benson and Stabler are informed the bomb was made from a soup can, Chinese black powder, and a flammable liquid held together with masking tape wired to a remote. Benson explains the guy used a bomb instead of a gun, put it in a romantic box of flowers, and used a remote instead of a switch. Stabler picks up on where she is going realizing the guy had her life in his hands. When he asks if the park across the street from her apartment was searched, he is told they did not know to look there. He suggests the guy wanted to watch her die.

While looking at the park, Stabler picks up a wrapper from a pile of throat lozenge wrappers thinking the guy may have had a cold. Benson notes the guy would have been able to see right into her apartment. The guy had to buy the supplies, make the bomb, deliver it, and kill her. They realize the perps each have their own motive and MO. One is a planner and Krieger joins in at the last minute. They realize Krieger went along just for the ride.

In court, Sorenson asks the judge to quash the indictment since Sarah is dead. ADA Alden asks they allow her journals and statements to the police in under Geraci. The judge tells her they have seven days to link Krieger to the bombing or the indictment will be quashed. After Sorenson asks for his client to let out so he can help with his defense, the judge sets bail at $50,000. Munch expresses his disdain for the decision and is fined for contempt. He only stops when the judge threatens to put him in lock-up with the next word. Jefferies ushers Munch out of the courtroom citing a call she received from Krieger's cousin.

P.K. tells Munch and Jefferies he remembers a friend of Krieger's from selling pot named Tommy. He adds his last name is something Irish. When he asks if he will get the reward, Munch throws some money at him telling him to go buy himself a blunt.

After locating 18 men fitting their requirements, Munch and Jefferies try Shad's Cabaret to see if he was there drinking with Krieger. After seeing a picture of Krieger and a photo array, the owner picks out Tommy McConagh

While Jeffries acts like she is trying to pump gas unsuccessfully, Munch approaches the window complaining his wife cannot get gas and he has to be at work. When McConagh heads for the door, Benson, Stabler, and Munch meet him there with guns out to arrest him.

Stabler explains to McConagh in the interrogation room that he knows about the pot bust, but does not care about that. He reminds him he was in jail for a week when Krieger approaches him and tells him not to talk about the night they went partying at Shad's. He informs him that he will be the one going down for murder since Krieger is pinning it all on him unless he tells his story. McConagh tells him they were high and he dares Krieger to pick the lock to the swimming pool. Krieger tells him it would be a good lace to do a girl. He attacks Sarah, but he did not watch. Stabler remind him he is Irish and was raised to respect women. McConagh admits to watching the rape. In the viewing room, Jeffries comments that Krieger's bail has been revoked. Munch tells her "Let's go."

At Krieger's apartment, Krieger takes off running when he hears Munch and Jefferies. Krieger gets into a van and just before Jefferies gets to him, the van explodes knocking her down. Munch moves Jefferies to safety telling her he will call Cragen.

Munch, Benson, and Stabler are told the bomb was the same as the one in Sarah's apartment. After they are told the guy could have been 50 feet away, they check on Jeffries. When Munch asks her to take a few days, she agrees.

Stabler informs the team that the canvas is coming up empty. They discuss it may be a case where the guy thought he had a relationship with her and did not believe she should be talking about her rape on television. Cragen tells them to look through her correspondence after her story aired. Stabler tells Cragen McConagh flipped on Krieger, but admitted nothing himself. After reminding him McConagh does not know Krieger died, Cragen decides to play the disappointed father figure.

After Cragen tells McConagh he knows he lied to Stabler, he asks what happened that night. McConagh tells him he held Sarah down while Krieger raped her. She asked them not to hurt her. He admits he raped her next using a condom. When she is still crying her asks her what more does she want since he used the condom.

While they are searching Sarah's mail, Munch brings up the powder used in making the bombs. Benson realizes they can test for the powder residue so they all drop the mail and take it to the lab. They find a card in a red envelope. After Munch notices they did not sign it, they spray for fingerprints.

After running the prints through the criminal databases and city employees, they come up empty. Cragen tells them to run the prints through the weeds of prospective employees. They come up with Wlliam Lexner. He graduated from Queens College in 1984 and was rejected from the Fire Department six times with the most recent time being in '99. Munch reads from the psych report that he is narcissistic and thinks he has enemies preventing him from being hired by the Fire Department. Cragen tells them he wants to try to take him without incident, but plans to take the bomb squad as a precaution.

After evacuating the rest of the building, Munch and Stabler are asked if they want suits. When Munch tells him he is wearing one, they are told bomb suits only make them better looking corpses making Stabler more nervous. Stabler knocks on the door claiming to have a certified check for him saying he needs a signature and it will take 6 to 8 weeks for re-delivery. Stabler then pretends to leave, tricking Lexner into opening the door. Munch pulls his gun while Stabler overpowers him.

Cragen tells Munch they will not be able to make the case on forensics alone. They need a confession. When Munch introduces himself to Lexner, he recognizes him as the cop who handled Sarah's case. Munch tells him he is more interesting than the rape cases he handles every day. Lexner tells him rape is the worst crime of all because guys will be with the women who have not been raped before the ones who have. Munch tells him it should not matter if you care. Munch concludes Lexner saw Sarah differently after the rape. He confirms this stating she never smiled the same. Munch tells him she was a good woman who did good deeds. Lexner asks what she was like, noting Sarah mentioned Munch twice saying they clicked. Lexner tells him he wanted Sarah to be happy like she once was. He ordered the flowers she would have wanted and wrapped the box in a gold ribbon like she would have wanted and left it in front of her building. He was in the park and watched the 5:00 news. He watched her take the box to her apartment and watched for her smile before he flipped the switch.