Law & Order (TV Series)

Baby, It's You (1997)

S. Epatha Merkerson: Lieutenant Anita Van Buren

Quotes 

• Detective Rey Curtis : Mmmm, how do you want to work the Baltimore angle? There's a housekeeper, Helen Crane? We should talk to her.

  Detective Lennie Briscoe : We know people down there.

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : Pembleton?

  Detective Lennie Briscoe : No, the one whose ex-wife I was sleeping with.

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : [to Curtis]  Tell him he'll have to be more specific.

  [Curtis holds up his hand to say "No thanks"] 

  Detective Lennie Briscoe : The mediocre pool player.

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : Munch!

  [laughs] 

• Jack McCoy : [turning off a news report about the murder]  These anonymous sources, the wouldn't be wearing blue, would they?

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : Those leaks did not come out of my squad.

  A.D.A. Jamie Ross : They got the M.E.'s report before we did.

  Jack McCoy : I want these leaks stopped, Lieutenant.

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : Do you want me to compile an enemies list while I'm at it?

  Jack McCoy : I don't see anything funny here.

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : Well, a case this big, we're going to get leaks. We might as well get used to it.

  Jack McCoy : No, that's not good enough. By the time we present this case to a jury, the details will be clues in the Daily News Sunday crossword.

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : Which could be the whole point of leaking the information in the first place. The Janaways know people who know people in the department.

  A.D.A. Jamie Ross : The Janaways are the anonymous source?

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : Why not? If they got a heads-up that this investigation's about to turn back on them, these leaks could just be preemptive.

  Jack McCoy : Have your people talked to Mrs. Janaway about her husband and her daughter?

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : They're going to try today.

  Jack McCoy : Good. This time, let's try to stay one step ahead of the media.

• Defense Attorney Leslie Drake : Uh, Mr. Law has studied the case and he's prepared a profile of the suspect.

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : Ah, great. Leave it at the front desk. Thank you very much, and have a good day.

  Defense Attorney Leslie Drake : Uh, excuse me, ma'am. I have a letter from the Mayor's Office directing you to attend to this matter right away.

• John Law : [Van Buren blindly leafs through the "profile" and listens nominally to John Law]  The victim was a closely-supervised teenage female. The offender probably spent a good amount of time observing her and planning his assault. You with me so far?

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : He stalked her. I got that.

• John Law : The offender has a job that affords him mobility and unsupervised time. He's single, lower-middle-class, lives alone or with a domineering female. Now, this is the most important point.

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : [sarcastically]  Good.

  John Law : The offender was known to the victim. The victim's silence was insured by a credible threat to the victim, a member of the family or favorite pet. Now, investigative strategies. I suggest deep background checks on former nannies, housekeepers...

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : [interrupts]  My detectives are already on that.

  John Law : I suggest checking their boyfriends and male relatives. I also suggest releasing a statement that you are close to identifying the offender. This strategy has proved successful...

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : Why don't we just let Mr. Drake leak it to the media?

  Defense Attorney Leslie Drake : I resent that.

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : I'm sure you do. Who paid for all this?

  Defense Attorney Leslie Drake : My clients paid for this.

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : Well, does Mr. Law know that your clients haven't been ruled out as suspects?

  John Law : I've ruled them out. 100%.

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : Well, thank you for coming.

  [Drake and Law leave, Van Buren tosses the "profile" in her wastebasket] 

• Defense Attorney Leslie Drake : [the Janaway's attorney brings in a profiler to hopefully get the NYPD off the trail of the Janaways as possible suspects]  I'd like you to meet Mr. John Law from Los Angeles. He's formerly with the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit. He's a profiler.

  Lt. Anita Van Buren : John Law? That'd be your real name?