Homicide

Gold and his partner Tim Sullivan are on the trail of Randolph when they stumble upon the murder of an elderly Jewish candy-store owner in a ghetto. The rumor of a fortune hidden in her basement fuels the case with suspicion and curiosity. This early scene subtly shifts Gold's focus from a high-profile pursuit to a more personal investigation.

The deceased woman's son, a doctor, uses his clout to have Gold reassigned to the case, hoping Gold’s Jewish background will make him more empathetic to the community. Gold resents being pulled off a higher-profile case and feels the politics of ethnicity complicate his work. The development foreshadows how identity will influence the investigation.

Gold's interactions with the Jewish community test his allegiance to the badge against a growing sense of belonging. He confronts his own insecurity about fitting in and senses a growing pride in the community's resilience. These encounters plant seeds of a Jewish consciousness that will shape his choices.

A nighttime survey of the crime scene reveals a crucial detail from the victim’s past and hints at a Zionist organization operating in the city. The discovery broadens the case from a simple murder to a political network with real stakes. Gold’s curiosity deepens as he senses a larger conflict at play.

Feeling pulled toward the group, Gold tries to join the Zionist organization, testing his loyalty to the badge against an emerging Jewish identity. He is welcomed with suspicion and pressure, navigating the line between law and communal allegiance. The pursuit signals a turning point in his personal code.

Gold learns the old woman once ran guns for a Jewish liberation group, a history that reinforces the group's sense of danger and their need to protect their people. This past complicates his view of the organization and elevates the stakes of his choices. The discovery deepens the tension between duty and loyalty.

When asked to steal a list of group member names from police evidence to shield the organization, Gold objects and refuses to betray his oath. The leaders rebuke him for denying his faith, underscoring how personal loyalty and religious allegiance are intertwined with the operation. The rift between Gold and the group widens.

A Jewish woman guides Gold to a toy shop in the city that doubles as a secret stronghold for Nazi sympathizers, a place filled with anti-Jewish propaganda. The visit confirms the community’s fears and shows the real, present danger they face. Gold’s anger grows as he senses the depth of the threat.

Following the woman’s guidance, Gold uses a bomb to destroy the stronghold, blowing up the toy shop. The act starkly exposes the Nazi presence in the city and validates the group’s fears about antisemitism and violence. The raid marks a dramatic turn in Gold’s methods and loyalties.

The Zionist group confronts Gold again, demanding compliance and showing him photographs of his actions at the toy shop to coerce his aid. The images weaponize memory and guilt, forcing Gold to weigh his personal ethics against communal pressure. The coercion foreshadows the collision between duty and loyalty.

During a raid to apprehend Randolph, Gold arrives too late due to the prior meeting with the Jewish group. Tim Sullivan dies in Gold’s arms from a gunshot, leaving Gold devastated and furious. He charges through the building in a frenzy, loses his gun, and hunts Randolph with a makeshift weapon as the chase culminates in a brutal confrontation.

In a tense basement pursuit, Randolph shoots Gold in the arm while mocking him. Gold reveals that it was Randolph’s mother who turned him in, and a police officer off-screen then shoots Randolph in the chest, ending the threat. The moment shatters any simple sense of justice and loyalty and exposes the complexity of the case.

Gold returns to the precinct to a cool, distant reception from fellow officers who are wary of the fallout from the events. He learns that the old woman was killed by two black kids seeking the supposed fortune hidden in her basement, a revelation that complicates his understanding of motive and community guilt. The case leaves him isolated, grappling with the cost of truth and loyalty.