The Protector (2011) s01e06 Episode Script
Beef
Bridget, did you finish making the strawberry preserves last night? Because I can't find them.
Yeah, I put them in the back of the tr-- [ sighs .]
They're at home.
I'm sorry, dad.
I totally forgot.
UmI can go over to Green Catering.
Ani usually has jam.
It's not homemade, and we're not talking to those people.
Now, I need you to drive back to the house and get it.
You have a beef with everybody.
And it's gonna take me a couple of hours to get home and back.
Well, then, you'd better get going.
[ Sighs .]
Hey.
How we doin', huh? The other day, right? Oh, boy.
[ Sighs .]
Nick! Leo! Daylight's burning, guys.
Come on.
Oh, hi, sweetie.
Sit down for breakfast.
- Morning.
- Hi, Davey.
Why do we always have to have breakfast food for breakfast? I don't know.
Because it's just I don't know.
No reason, I guess.
No -- Davey: What are you thinking, Leo? Grilled cheese sandwich.
How about a quesadilla? No, no, no.
I made him waffles.
Problem solved.
Could you make it with extra cheese? Sure.
[ Doorbell rings .]
Oh, hi.
Hi.
Hi.
Come on in.
- I've got -- - Good morning.
- [ Singsong voice .]
It's the big day.
- Oh.
What? It's our online auction for the school.
Oh.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Your brother is amazing.
He built the entire website.
And we go live today at noon.
So much better than last year.
Do you know Joanne Dunlop? The white house on the corner with the roses to die for? No.
I -- well, she's great, but she still has dial-up.
It took us all weekend to get everything online.
Oh, and, by the way, thank you for those LAPD items that you donated.
I think people are gonna be really excited.
Oh, great.
Well, you know what? I'd do anything I can for the school.
Hey, Katie.
Hey.
Hey, you want a latte? Glo is an awesome barista.
Ooh, if it's not too much trouble.
No, no, no, no, no.
It just takes a couple of minutes, and they are delicious.
- Right, Glo? - [ Chuckles .]
Right.
Right.
Is there anything you can't do? [ Chuckles .]
Get out the front door.
Hey! This truck's on fire! [ Grunts .]
Is anybody in there? I don't know.
Call 911.
The Protector 1x06 Beef - Quit looking at me like that.
- Like what? Every time we catch a case with fire, you treat me like glass.
- No, I don't.
- Little bit.
- All right.
I'm trying to be sensitive.
- Yeah, well, don't.
What happened to me happened a long time ago.
No one died, and I am fine.
For somebody who says they're fine, you sure don't sound fine.
No, it's not that.
It's my brother just drove me crazy this morning.
Morning, detectives.
Looks like a grease fire.
- How many D.
B.
's? - Just one.
Male.
We think it's the truck's owner, Roderick Wilson.
Excuse me.
Gonna take a while to process the scene.
The victim suffered blunt-force trauma to the head.
Autopsy will tell us if he got beaned before the fire or just passed out and fell as a result of the smoke.
Gloria: Well, this skillet over here kind of suggests option number one, doesn't it? Somebody probably came in, they had a fight, whacked the victim over the head, and then set the fire to cover everything up.
That's some angry guy.
Well, maybe there was history, you know? Bad blood so that it didn't take much to go from 0 to 10.
Morning, detectives.
The gentleman getting treated was the first to the scene.
Didn't see anyone enter or exit the truck.
Hmm.
Other witnesses? Ah, we're still canvassing, but those two both saw the fire.
The guy in the hoodie manages that surf shop.
Seems kind of stoned.
The other guy, Angus Jenner, owns the restaurant behind the truck.
I can't tell if he's hiding something or if he's just an asshole.
[ Chuckles .]
Where are the other trucks? Split soon as they heard sirens.
That's weird that they didn't stick around, isn't it? Yeah.
I did get the names of the ones that were here -- Green Truck Catering, Hotlinks Heaven, Tyler's Rolling Diner, and the Lardon Truck.
They're all about bacon.
Well, everything is better with bacon.
No! No! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
It's okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Is that -- is that my dad? - Is this your truck? - Yes.
No one has been identified yet.
Is that my dad in there? If it is, just tell me.
Please.
Where are the other trucks? They left.
- They left?! - Yeah, it's okay.
Our truck was on fire and they all left? - Everybody? - What is your name? Bridget.
Bridget, do you have any family that I can call? No.
There was just me and my dad.
Okay.
All right.
You know what? We're gonna take you downtown, sweetie.
All right? We're gonna take care of you, okay? Hey, Buerge, could you do me a favor? Can you get those witnesses over to RHD, please? - Wait, I just need to see -- - No, no, no, no, no, no.
I was in the kitchen, working, and one of my waiters came in, said he saw a bunch of smoke outside, so I ran out of the restaurant to see.
And when you saw that the truck was on fire, what did you do? I don't understand the question.
Uh, you know, did you try to help? You mean stick my head inside a burning truck? No.
Why should I risk my neck for some dirtbag who's peeling away my business? Maybe we should have a little respect for the dead, you know? Yeah? Those trucks don't respect each other.
You should have seen it.
The whole pack of them -- they just scurried away when they heard the sirens.
If they're not gonna be loyal to their own kind, why the hell should I help? Man, I hope they come back.
I get to eat food from all over the world without ever leaving my block.
And there's this one truck, makes this bomb vegan noodle bowl I love for breakfast.
Yeah.
Detective Buerge told me you saw someone leave the burned truck just a couple of minutes before the fire broke out.
Did you get a good look? Not real good.
It was just some dude.
Can you be more specific? Yeah.
It was a guy.
Okay.
So the dude was a guy? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
Was he white? Was he black? He wasn't black.
Was he white? He definitely wasn't black.
Okay.
[ Sighs .]
How tall would you say this non-b-b-black man? I didn't see anyone.
Look, Detective, my restaurant could have burned down.
These trucks -- they got no regard for anybody.
They park right out front.
They have no overhead except change for the meters.
They undercut my prices.
[ Sighs .]
I'm the head of the local restaurant association, and I've been battling these people in court for over two years now.
My witness saw a man leaving the truck a few minutes before the fire.
Could he make an I.
D.
? [ Scoffs .]
Non-black, 20 to 50 years old, normal build, indeterminate height.
So, could be mini-me, could be André the Giant.
Only thing I know for sure is the witness makes good use out of his medical marijuana card.
Yeah, well, I'm gonna go check on the girl and see if she's okay.
All right.
Vanilla? Really, L.
T.
? Oh, sometimes I like to stick a little umbrella in my beer.
I don't want to play with you right now.
All righty, then.
I'll cut to the chase.
Coroner's prelim on the food truck victim -- no smoke in the lungs.
So he was dead before the fire.
Yeah.
How's the girl doing? She's better -- she's in the conference room with someone from social services.
I was just telling the L.
T.
, no smoke in Wilson's lungs.
You were right.
It was murder.
Have you told his daughter yet? No.
No.
I-I thought maybe you'd want to handle that.
I don't have the ovaries.
[ Chuckles .]
Sure you do.
Thanks very much.
Bridget.
Do you remember me? I'm Detective Sheppard.
I'm -- I'm so very sorry for your loss.
We've learned a little bit about what happened to your dad, and we're pretty sure that the fire wasn't an accident.
It -- he was murdered? Yeah.
Do you know who did it? No.
I was hoping that you might be able to help us with that.
Is there anyone that you can think of that would want to hurt your dad? Did he owe anyone money? No.
My dad didn't believe in Borrowing anything.
We own the house and trucks outright.
Did heburn to death? That would be really awful if he died in a fire.
No, sweetie.
No.
We know for a fact that your father was gone before the blaze was set.
[ Sighs .]
Bridget, you said something when you were out on the street.
It seemed like you were surprised that the other trucks had just driven away.
Now, I thought that that was odd, too.
Was there someone in particular t-that you expected to stay, or No.
I I was just surprised that the other trucks didn't stay to help.
Can I go now? Are you sure you're ready? Yeah.
All right, I'll have Officer Cooper give you a ride home.
No, I just -- I just need a ride back to my truck.
Okay.
Whoever did this to my dad is gonna have to pay.
Absolutely.
We'll do everything that we can.
[ Siren wails .]
Hey.
A couple uniforms are taking Bridget Wilson back to her truck.
I don't know -- I just wish there was more we could do for her right now, you know? This might help a bit.
Last month, Rod Wilson filed a police report against that restaurant owner, Angus Jenner.
That explains why Jenner was so nasty when I talked to him.
Wilson claims Jenner took a baseball bat to his truck.
Smashed it up pretty good -- cost him a couple of grand in repairs.
Well, Jenner told me that he'd been battling the food trucks for years.
I just had no idea he meant battling with bats.
Let's get him back in here, yeah? Yeah.
There's some pretty cool stuff here.
Horseback riding on Catalina.
That cabin in Mammoth's already up to 300 bucks.
Oh, every year that's one of our highest draws.
Free dental cleaning, free tax returns.
Yeah, a lot of the parents donate their professional services.
What does your husband do? He's a proctologist.
I'm baking cookies.
Ahh.
[ Chuckles .]
All right, let's see how Gloria's LAPD stuff is doing.
5 bucks, 10 bucks.
That's like nothing.
Well, it's early.
Even if somebody was dying for an LAPD T-shirt, no one's even gonna bid 50 bucks.
You know an even cooler LAPD thing? Shooting guns? Uh [Chuckles.]
Yes, but also riding in a cop car.
With Gloria? Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
They call it a ride-along.
Would she do that? That -- that would be amazing.
For the kids' school? Absolutely.
It sounds exciting.
I think people are gonna love that.
Why am I back here? I already told you my alibi.
I was doing prep work in the restaurant.
Yeah, but your restaurant is less than 20 yards from the truck, so that's like saying your alibi is that you were at the crime scene.
Can't be that hard to disappear for five minutes.
Maybe you had an argument with Rod Wilson, huh? Maybe -- maybe you wanted him to move his truck and he wouldn't.
Oh, wait, so you're suggesting that I killed this guy in front of my restaurant? Oh, I see.
How is that good for business? If it keeps the other trucks from coming back, it'd be great for business.
What part of "I didn't do it" is so unclear? The part where you failed to mention that the victim, Rod Wilson, filed a police report against you for taking a bat to his truck.
I didn't mention that because I didn't do it.
Were there any charges filed against me? No.
Has anyone ever linked me to this? No.
Look, this Wilson guy -- he didn't just come after me, okay? He got into a fight with half the trucks on the street.
And yet you're the only one he named in the report.
Ask around.
You're gonna see.
The whole thing's a joke.
Can I go now? We're gonna need the names of your employees who can provide you with an alibi.
[ Sighs .]
You want to know the biggest joke -- magazines keep saying that, uh, truck food is so chic.
Tell me what's so chic about eating food on the curb, like a bum.
Guy practically came out swinging at "Hello.
" We need to look real hard at his alibi.
He's got a temper and a history with the victim.
Yeah, we should also see if he's right about Wilson fighting with the other trucks.
You know, I looked online, and a lot of them park across from the county museum around noon.
What do you say we make it a working lunch? Mmm.
[ Clears throat .]
[ Smacks lips .]
Got a sec? Yeah, sure.
Is this work, or is this personal? Like really personal.
Oh.
You sure you want to do this? Uh, no.
No, I'm not, um, but I -- I don't know who else to talk to, and you're, like, the closest thing I have to a dad.
So I had you when I was 10.
[ Sighs .]
That's -- that's not wha-- that's not what I meant.
Um [ Sighs .]
I just need to talk.
I've beenGoing out with this girl, Angie, uh, for about a year now, and we're really good about keeping a handle on this kind of stuff.
Mm-hmm.
UhS-she took a home pregnancy test -- Oh.
Yeah.
Positive.
I just found out.
So you're freaking out.
My heart is slamming in my chest, and I can't feel my legs.
How does Angie feel about this? I don't know.
No idea.
You didn't ask her? No, I'm not good at that.
So you're asking me instead? You have kids, right? Yeah.
A boy and a girl.
AndDo you like being a dad? Well, yeah.
Look, it's the only part of my life that isn't overrated.
You know, money and relationships and career can still leave you empty, you know, but my kids and being their dad Is pretty amazing.
And you're gonna be fine.
[ Sighs .]
Now get back to work.
[ Keys jingle .]
Let's start by talking to the trucks that were at Abbot Kinney this morning.
Oh, my God.
Do you smell that barbecue? Yes, and it smells delicious, too.
Too bad there weren't any barbecue trucks at the crime scene.
That doesn't mean we can't ask them a few pertinent questions.
It is the lunch hour.
[ Chuckles .]
Well, in that case, I'm gonna go interrogate the Cajun truck.
I will see you in a minute.
Everyone's pretty freaked.
Well, if everyone is so freaked, how come no one helped Rod Wilson? And do what? Flames were everywhere.
Once I saw the fire trucks, I packed it in.
We all did.
There was nothing else to do.
So you just left? What can I say? I liked him.
We went out for a few months, and then one day, Rod saw me talking to another guy -- just talking.
Cut me off, wouldn't even let me explain.
So he was jealous.
It was more than that.
It was a loyalty thing.
People were either for him or against him.
In or out.
Other than Bridget, most people were out.
Do you know who might have done this to him? [ Sighs .]
I wish I could help you.
Mm.
I was on my truck.
There was nothing I could really do, you know? That girl's his daughter, right? Uh -- uh, what's her name? Bridget.
That's rough, man.
Losing your dad like that.
Do you know if Rod Wilson had any problems with any of the other trucks? Yeah, most of us had run-ins with him.
Man: Tyler, we need more burgers.
It's just -- just the way he was.
Hey, uh, my cook's getting crushed and I'm losing business.
- Can we talk later? - Uh, yeah.
Sorry.
Nobody comes to mind.
Look, this is a chance for you to do the right thing.
I feel bad for Bridget, but I-I've got nothing to say.
- If you know something -- - I don't.
Ask someone else.
Hey.
Hi.
I've got alibis from all the drivers that I talked to, but most of them had to work pretty hard to find something nice to say about the victim.
Yeah, there isn't a whole lot of love lost, is there? That's probably part of the reason why no one helped him out this morning.
But you know what? I feel like there's something deeper going on.
I mean, a lot of these folks just seem afraid of someone or, I don't know, something else.
- I felt that too.
- Yeah.
You know, one of the trucks from this morning is missing.
Hotlinks Heaven.
You were right.
These are fantastic.
Hey, Tyler, what can you tell me about Hotlinks Heaven? Not much.
They sell hot dogs.
You can follow him on Twitter.
Twitter? For a hot dog? Mm.
Guy's making a killing.
Who is this guy? Everybody calls him "Joey Hotlinks.
" Is there some reason that this Joey Hotlinks wouldn't be around here this afternoon? Did he have any issues with Rod Wilson? He have any issues with anybody? Listen -- a lot of these drivers seem spooked.
Is Joey Hotlinks the reason that they're scared? [ Sighs .]
Joey's been trying to unionize the trucks for the past few months.
Okay, a lot of these idiots have already signed up.
Unionize -- you mean a protection racket? Hey, I didn't say that.
Yeah, well, I can do the math.
That would explain why everybody's scared.
Detective, the guy's a thug.
Okay, he wants 20% straight off the top.
And last time I said no, I ended up with two slashed tires.
What about Rod Wilson? Did he sign up Oh, no.
Rod hated Joey Hotlinks more than I do.
And they went at each other a few weeks back.
Most of us saw the fight.
Yeah, Rod gave him a black eye and cracked a rib.
Joey was -- he was plenty pissed.
His name is Joey Hotlinks? I know, right? He was trying to squeeze protection money out of the other truck owners.
When people turn him down, bad things happen.
Did Rod Wilson turn him down? With both fists, in front of a lot of people.
Maybe that fire was payback.
I'm not sure, but it sounds like this Hotlinks guy doesn't take no for an answer.
We're gonna have to bring him in.
Hey, you got to try this.
You know that? Watch.
It's really good.
[ Muffled .]
What is this?! Amazing, right? - Is this bacon? - Yeah.
It's got candied bacon on top and smoked bacon in the hot fudge.
Why? We got to go back there, okay? That bacon bus also sells a deep-fried cupcake that sounds out of this world.
Valdez: Why does he call himself Joey Hotlinks? It's like a parody of a mob nickname.
[ Chuckles .]
Like "Johnny Pepperoni.
" Or "Benny the Bratwurst.
" "Sammy Sausage.
" Actually, Sammy's a real guy.
Killed his wife, ground her into sausage, and fed it to his in-laws.
- That seems a bit literal.
- Yep.
Now, look, this Hotlinks guy may have a goofy name to push his hot dogs, but his rap sheet is plenty scary -- he's got assault, fraud, arson.
So we like him for the murder? He has motive and opportunity.
He also has a history of fighting with Wilson.
S.
I.
D.
went through the rubble in Wilson's truck.
Most everything burned up, but they did find this medallion of Michael the Archangel.
Looks like the clasp is broken.
Maybe it got ripped off in the fire.
[ Cellphone rings .]
Oh.
Excuse me.
[ Sighs .]
Hey, Davey.
Huge news -- you're a star.
What are you talking about? The school auction.
Oh, great.
People really like the hats, huh? Yeah, but they weren't exactly big money makers, so I made an executive decision, and I added one more item.
We're auctioning off a ride-along with RHD Detective Gloria Sheppard.
What? Cool, right? Some parent gets a taste of the LAPD, and we raise money for the school in the process.
The bidding's already up to 95 bucks.
Make it go away.
- What? - It's not gonna happen.
But they're already bidding.
Davey, I'm happy to do anything I can for the school, but this was not yours to do.
Now, just -- just tell them that you made a mistake.
Look, I got to go.
[ Cellphone beeps .]
Buerge put Joey Hotlinks in interrogation two.
What's wrong with you? Oh, my stomach hurts.
And my brother just donated a ride-along with me for the school auction without even asking.
People will pay money to ride in the back of a police car with you? I think it's the front, but, yeah, except I'm not doing it.
You know me.
I can't make small talk.
And in all honesty, those suburban moms -- they kind of freak me out, you know? Hey, can I have a swig of that? Thanks.
You don't exactly strike me as a foodie, Mr.
Hotlinks.
I came in through the side door.
My freight business went south.
I got stuck with four trucks.
My cousin likes to grill.
I like hot dogs.
Now I'm in the zeitgeist.
Yeah, but you used to be in the system.
Rap sheet the size of a novel.
Even includes arson.
Youthful indiscretions.
I'm a businessman now.
- Really? - Yeah.
Sausage salesman or union organizer? Listen, the way it is now for these food truck people, they're out on their own.
They steal each other's routes, the restaurant association is suing them, the health board is on their asses.
If we look out for each other, everybody wins.
And how much are the dues in your "union"? A small percentage.
I heard 20%.
Sounds like extortion to me.
Hey, you can't put a price on community.
For someone talking community, you sure did take off pretty fast this morning.
That doesn't mean I set the fire.
Is that what you and Rod Wilson fought about a month ago? Hmm? He didn't want to join your community? I liked Rod, but we had a falling out.
Over what? I really don't know.
One day we're pals, the next day he takes a swing at me.
After the fight, he sent his daughter, Bridget, over to tell me that if I ever talked to him again, that he'd kill me.
Did you believe him? Hell, yeah, I believed him.
If Rod said he was gonna do something, he was gonna do it.
I've gone out of my way to avoid him ever since that.
Yeah, but -- but you -- you parked almost next to him on Abbott Kinney this morning.
It's a good place to sell my dogs.
So you didn't exchange words with him? You gonna arrest me, Detective? Do I need a lawyer or what? Huh? Either arrest me or let me go.
Joey Hotlinks admits to the falling out with Wilson, but he also said that Wilson sent his daughter over to his truck to threaten him.
Let's take a look at his known associates, put a little heat on him.
Maybe we can flip somebody.
I'll start with the drivers of his other trucks.
I bet most of them have some sort of record.
I want to go talk to Bridget Wilson.
I want to hear what she has to say about Joey Hotlinks and her dad.
[ Sighs .]
[ Chuckles .]
Wow.
What's up? I've been checking in on your school auction.
The bid for the ride-along just went up to 150 bucks.
What? Let me see that.
[ Chuckles .]
There.
I just bid $250.
No one in their right mind is gonna pay more than that.
What is so terrible about giving a civilian a taste of what we do? No, no.
It's not that.
It's just that I wouldn't know what to say.
I -- I'm more like a guy.
I don't like to chat.
Come on.
Let's go talk to Bridget Wilson.
I wonder why Bridget wanted us to meet her in here.
Well, I get the feeling she didn't have much of a life apart from her dad.
Maybe these are his people.
Excuse me.
We're looking for Bridget Wilson.
We're really sorry to bother you.
It's not like I have any big plans.
You find out who killed my dad? Not yet, but we're doing everything we can.
Gloria: Is there someplace else we could take you or some friends your own age you could call? A boyfriend? [ Chuckles .]
UmThe house is too quiet, and my dad didn't approveof the boy I liked, so he's gone.
We spent a lot of time here.
Most of these folks are from back home.
Where's that? Oregon.
Being here makes me feel connected to my dad, like he's still watching over me.
Can you tell me about your dad and Joey Hotlinks? You think it was him? He's one of the people that we're talking to.
UmMy, uh, dad and Joey used to be pretty tight.
Joey said he didn't know why your dad cut him off.
It's because he wasn't loyal.
My dad got in a beef with the guy who owned the crepe truck over a parking spot.
And when my dad cut him off, he expected Joey to do the same.
Joey didn't, so Joey was out.
That's some pretty old-school loyalty your daddy was looking for.
That's just the way we were raised.
You're either loyal or you're out.
Joey also said that your dad used you to send a message -- said if Joey ever talked to him again, your dad would kill him.
That's true.
So if Joey tried to talk to your dad this morning That'd be bad for everybody.
We found this in your dad's truck.
Do you recognize it? It was my dad's.
He's really gone.
Listen, if you need anything, just give me a call.
Even if it's just to talk, all right? Hey, guys, I've got some great stuff for dinner! I've got -- I've got noodle bowl and barbecue.
All we have to do is heat it up.
Hi, mom.
Cool shirt, huh? Yeah.
You think it's big enough for you? Go get your brother for dinner.
Mwah! Hey.
Hey, Davey, I need to talk to you about the ride-along.
Oh, I just thought you'd want to contribute to the school.
Well, actually, I did contribute to the school.
I gave them LAPD hats and T-shirts.
And you know what? Katie seemed to be pretty happy with that.
Yeah, but that's just 'cause Katie thinks you're amazing.
Come on.
How much cooler is the ride-along? I mean, you always said that you'd do anything for the school.
I know, and I would.
And to prove it, I bought the ride-along today for $250.
It's a win-win -- the school gets the money, and I don't have to drive around town with some crime-crazed mom.
What? It went for $400.
- $400? - Mm-hmm.
What kind of an idiot spends $400 to ride ar-- Oh, I didn't know it was you, Katie.
It's okay.
No, it's not.
I'm -- I'm -- I'm sorry.
I thought -- I thought it was another mom -- one I didn't know.
Of course.
Yeah.
Let me buy it back.
No! No.
It's okay.
It's for a good cause.
No, really.
I-I feel terrible about this.
I'm so sorry.
Can you just -- let me reimburse you for it.
Don't worry about it.
Gloria, really.
Do you like noodle bowl? [ Cellphone rings .]
[ Breathes deeply .]
[ Sighs .]
Dulcett.
Gloria: Hi, it's me.
Another food truck was set on fire.
What? When? I just got the call.
I-it was Tyler's Rolling Diner.
That's the guy that gave up Joey Hotlinks, right? Yeah.
And, 'Chelle, he was on the truck.
H-he was sleeping on the truck when it went up.
Oh, my God.
He's -- he's alive.
He somehow managed to get out, but he's -- he's pretty badly burned, so they have him in ICU, so I want to just -- I want to just head over there first thing in the morning, okay? - All right.
- I'll see you then.
[ Sighs .]
Romeo and Buerge just picked up Joey Hotlinks.
They're taking him back to RHD so we can talk to him.
That guy's got some nerve, torching Tyler's truck while we're looking at him for Wilson's.
[ Sighs .]
It's like he's rubbing our noses in it.
Hey.
I hear this guy's pretty badly burned.
You sure you're gonna be okay with this, Glo? Yeah, I'm fine.
Thanks.
Poor kid.
You know what? I was thinking about it all night, Michelle.
And this fire was different.
The first one was just a cover-up, but this one was premeditated.
They're both arson.
Okay, maybe killing Wilson was an accident, but Joey saw that it would scare the other trucks into joining his union, so maybe he staged an encore.
Yeah.
Maybe.
I don't know.
Tyler.
I'm Detective Sheppard.
We spoke yesterday.
This is my partner, Detective Dulcett.
The doctors tell us that you're a very lucky man.
[ Weakly .]
Cool.
Tyler, do you always park your truck on that street? On Hastings? I sleep A-are you saying that you parked there when you wanted to sleep on the truck? Did Joey Hotlinks know this? Yeah.
He He left.
Did he start the fire, Tyler? Rod What about Rod? I left He confirms that Joey Hotlinks knew where he parked the truck at night.
Yeah.
All right, let's go talk to him.
You guys got nothing on me.
Yeah, well, I wouldn't exactly call it nothing, okay? I've got two trucks that have been torched, I have a young man in the burn ward, I have you with an arson conviction on your record, and I have a line of people willing to testify that you threatened them, so that's not exactly nothing.
It's all circumstantial.
People have gone away for less.
Tell me this -- do you have an alibi for where you were last night, when Tyler McManus' truck went up in flames? Hey, I liked that kid.
I guess he didn't have the protection he thought he had.
- Are you still making threats? - No, it's what he said to me.
He said he didn't need me or anyone to protect him.
Said he had the angels on his side.
You believe that? Some angels.
Look, when was the last time you saw Tyler? Huh? Lieutenant Valdez.
The Saint Michael's medallion -- it belonged to Tyler.
H-he thought that it brought him protection and good luck.
So the medallion put him in Rod Wilson's truck.
You think he's the guy who killed Wilson? It's starting to add up like that, yeah.
Tyler McManus' room? But how does that fit in with your theory that the killer and Wilson had a history of bad blood? Hey, 'Chelle, when you were questioning the other people at the trucks yesterday, how many of them knew Bridget Wilson by name? Michelle: All of them.
Yes.
Same with me, except for one guy.
- Tyler McManus? - Yeah.
Now, why would he do that unless he was intentionally trying to hide that connection? He didn't want us to suspect that he had ties with Bridget and her dad.
And then when we went to visit Bridget last night, she mentioned a guy that she liked that her dad didn't approve of.
- Tyler.
- Yeah.
So Rod didn't approve of Tyler, but Tyler was in love with Rod's daughter.
I mean, that's plenty of motive right there.
Is there a world where Tyler and Bridget Wilson team up together to kill Bridget's dad? No, I can't see that.
I mean, Bridget is crazy loyal to herDad.
You know what? We have to get some Unis at the hospital.
'Chelle, can you call the hospital and tell them to keep an eye out for Bridget? She isn't answering.
Hey, baby.
Missed you.
Okay, I was just trying to You know Just talk to your dad.
Why wouldn't he let us be together? It's okay.
I never wanted to hurt you.
I know.
Okay, I spoke to security at the hospital.
They're sending someone up to Tyler's room right now.
Wait a minute.
I thought Bridget loved Tyler.
She does.
Doesn't mean she wouldn't kill him.
I love you.
I love you, too.
[ Muffled screams .]
[ Flatline .]
I killed him.
Don't say anything.
You have the right to an attorney.
It doesn't matter.
I had to do it.
If you knew Tyler killed your father, why didn't you tell us? Because jail wasn't enough, was it? Tyler killed my dad.
He had to pay for that.
Yes, but you loved him.
Did you do this because you thought your dad wanted you to do it? I wanted to.
So yesterday, when you were surprised that no one stayed to help your dad, you were surprised because you expected Tyler to stay.
My dad was awful to him, but Tyler would have stayed for me.
And the only way he wouldn't was if he was the one who killed him.
Why did he do it? Because of what he did, I had to kill him.
I had two people that I loved And now I've got no one.
[ Exhales shakily .]
So, what now? You handcuff me? Turn around, please.
Clasp your hands behind your back.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say or do will be held against you in a court of law.
You have a right to an attorney.
If you do not have an attorney, one will be appointed to you by the courts.
Do you understand your rights as I have read them? Hey, L.
T.
That thing yesterday Turned out to be a false alarm.
Yeah, she went to OB this morning.
Well, you must be relieved.
Yeah.
UmI guess.
No.
No, I-I am.
Because yesterday Yeah, I know.
I was ready to jump off the building.
Yeah.
Uh Guess I have to admit, I was starting to get used to the idea of having a little Buerge running around.
Teach him how to play ball, andSuch.
Let me explain something to you.
The first six months you have a kid, you don't sleep.
I'm talking three hours at a stretch, if you're lucky.
And your wife expects you to be as psychically tuned in to the baby as she is, which is impossible.
You're not going out.
You're sure as hell not getting laid.
I thought you said it was The greatest thing to happen to mankind.
Oh, it is.
You don't need that kind of grief.
Go have fun.
Hey, Davey, is everything okay between us? - Yeah.
Why? - I don't know.
I just kind of felt like the last couple of days, you've just sort of been kind of undermining me a little bit.
I -- I just didn't know if you were mad about something, or No.
How have I been undermining you? Well, you know, like -- like yesterday when you asked me to make Katie a latte, and it was -- you know, it was pretty clear I was trying to get out the door, and I just felt like -- Oh, yeah.
The latte thing.
I can explain that.
That's easy.
Um You make a great latte.
That's it? Hope that didn't hurt too bad.
O-okay.
Well, you know what? What about this whole ride-along thing? I mean, that's kind of been, like -- Why would you assume that I have a bad motive about that? Since when have I not been on your side? No.
Y-you've always been on my side.
I'm not saying that.
It's just -- it -- it -- I just didn't get it.
It felt weird.
- The truth? - Yeah.
Of course.
That's why I'm asking you.
I mean I volunteered you for the ride-along because I thought it would be awesome.
Well, awesome for you, maybe, 'cause you're not gonna be stuck in a car with some stranger making small talk.
You know, I'm just -- I'm not good at that stuff.
You know I'm not good at that stuff.
Well, then, time to figure it out.
You're smart.
Stop hiding, and suit up.
You're an interesting person.
You need to figure out how to talk to regular people.
You know what? I think that you and I have very different definitions of what makes a person regular.
No doubt.
And, in full disclosure, I had a secondary motive.
I was feeling competitive.
I was looking at everything that was donated, and I thought a ride-along with you was way cooler than a ski cabin in Mammoth or some lame-ass horseback ride.
Again, sorry if I hit a nerve.
Look, I'm sorry for doubting you, okay? That's what brothers are for.
I'm gonna be late.
I have to get to a stake-out right now, so I'll just see you in the morning, okay? Good night, sweetie.
Okay.
Yeah.
All right.
Gloria: See the guy in the sports coat with the one grocery bag? Well, he's divorced.
- Not just single? - Mnh-mnh.
He's got that other bag, which is from the toy store, so he's probably got the kids for the weekend.
Oh Oh, and check out these two, all right? They're cheating on their spouses.
How do you know? Well, one tailed the other one into the valet, but then they put distance between themselves when they started walking, so we just have to wait for it Wait for it Wow! Oh, the humanity! [ Chuckles .]
Gosh! Hey, you know, I -- I know that you did this just to get Davey off the hook, but it's -- it's really sweet.
No! No, I'm having a good time.
I am.
- Me too.
- Oh, great.
You want to give it a shot? Yeah.
All right.
Uh, let me see here.
All right, you see that woman at the cafe? The one with the great hair? - Mm-hmm.
- What's her story? [ Sighs .]
She's got a date.
Very good.
Yes.
What else? She's married? Cold.
Divorced? Colder.
[ Both chuckle .]
I'm just gonna flip all the cards here, okay? UhShe's a he.
What?! No way! Way! Look at her hands.
Look at her hair.
I know.
It's great, isn't it? Look at that outfit.
Man, I wish I could put together an outfit like that.
Oh, I could help you do that.
No.
I mean, she spent a fortune on it.
That's designer stuff.
No.
You just have to know where to shop.
- Really? - Yeah! Have you been to the outlet mall at Camarillo? No.
Unh-unh.
I'm gonna take you.
- It'll be fun.
- Oh! All right.
Great.
That would be f-- that would be fun.
Yeah, I put them in the back of the tr-- [ sighs .]
They're at home.
I'm sorry, dad.
I totally forgot.
UmI can go over to Green Catering.
Ani usually has jam.
It's not homemade, and we're not talking to those people.
Now, I need you to drive back to the house and get it.
You have a beef with everybody.
And it's gonna take me a couple of hours to get home and back.
Well, then, you'd better get going.
[ Sighs .]
Hey.
How we doin', huh? The other day, right? Oh, boy.
[ Sighs .]
Nick! Leo! Daylight's burning, guys.
Come on.
Oh, hi, sweetie.
Sit down for breakfast.
- Morning.
- Hi, Davey.
Why do we always have to have breakfast food for breakfast? I don't know.
Because it's just I don't know.
No reason, I guess.
No -- Davey: What are you thinking, Leo? Grilled cheese sandwich.
How about a quesadilla? No, no, no.
I made him waffles.
Problem solved.
Could you make it with extra cheese? Sure.
[ Doorbell rings .]
Oh, hi.
Hi.
Hi.
Come on in.
- I've got -- - Good morning.
- [ Singsong voice .]
It's the big day.
- Oh.
What? It's our online auction for the school.
Oh.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Your brother is amazing.
He built the entire website.
And we go live today at noon.
So much better than last year.
Do you know Joanne Dunlop? The white house on the corner with the roses to die for? No.
I -- well, she's great, but she still has dial-up.
It took us all weekend to get everything online.
Oh, and, by the way, thank you for those LAPD items that you donated.
I think people are gonna be really excited.
Oh, great.
Well, you know what? I'd do anything I can for the school.
Hey, Katie.
Hey.
Hey, you want a latte? Glo is an awesome barista.
Ooh, if it's not too much trouble.
No, no, no, no, no.
It just takes a couple of minutes, and they are delicious.
- Right, Glo? - [ Chuckles .]
Right.
Right.
Is there anything you can't do? [ Chuckles .]
Get out the front door.
Hey! This truck's on fire! [ Grunts .]
Is anybody in there? I don't know.
Call 911.
The Protector 1x06 Beef - Quit looking at me like that.
- Like what? Every time we catch a case with fire, you treat me like glass.
- No, I don't.
- Little bit.
- All right.
I'm trying to be sensitive.
- Yeah, well, don't.
What happened to me happened a long time ago.
No one died, and I am fine.
For somebody who says they're fine, you sure don't sound fine.
No, it's not that.
It's my brother just drove me crazy this morning.
Morning, detectives.
Looks like a grease fire.
- How many D.
B.
's? - Just one.
Male.
We think it's the truck's owner, Roderick Wilson.
Excuse me.
Gonna take a while to process the scene.
The victim suffered blunt-force trauma to the head.
Autopsy will tell us if he got beaned before the fire or just passed out and fell as a result of the smoke.
Gloria: Well, this skillet over here kind of suggests option number one, doesn't it? Somebody probably came in, they had a fight, whacked the victim over the head, and then set the fire to cover everything up.
That's some angry guy.
Well, maybe there was history, you know? Bad blood so that it didn't take much to go from 0 to 10.
Morning, detectives.
The gentleman getting treated was the first to the scene.
Didn't see anyone enter or exit the truck.
Hmm.
Other witnesses? Ah, we're still canvassing, but those two both saw the fire.
The guy in the hoodie manages that surf shop.
Seems kind of stoned.
The other guy, Angus Jenner, owns the restaurant behind the truck.
I can't tell if he's hiding something or if he's just an asshole.
[ Chuckles .]
Where are the other trucks? Split soon as they heard sirens.
That's weird that they didn't stick around, isn't it? Yeah.
I did get the names of the ones that were here -- Green Truck Catering, Hotlinks Heaven, Tyler's Rolling Diner, and the Lardon Truck.
They're all about bacon.
Well, everything is better with bacon.
No! No! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
It's okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Is that -- is that my dad? - Is this your truck? - Yes.
No one has been identified yet.
Is that my dad in there? If it is, just tell me.
Please.
Where are the other trucks? They left.
- They left?! - Yeah, it's okay.
Our truck was on fire and they all left? - Everybody? - What is your name? Bridget.
Bridget, do you have any family that I can call? No.
There was just me and my dad.
Okay.
All right.
You know what? We're gonna take you downtown, sweetie.
All right? We're gonna take care of you, okay? Hey, Buerge, could you do me a favor? Can you get those witnesses over to RHD, please? - Wait, I just need to see -- - No, no, no, no, no, no.
I was in the kitchen, working, and one of my waiters came in, said he saw a bunch of smoke outside, so I ran out of the restaurant to see.
And when you saw that the truck was on fire, what did you do? I don't understand the question.
Uh, you know, did you try to help? You mean stick my head inside a burning truck? No.
Why should I risk my neck for some dirtbag who's peeling away my business? Maybe we should have a little respect for the dead, you know? Yeah? Those trucks don't respect each other.
You should have seen it.
The whole pack of them -- they just scurried away when they heard the sirens.
If they're not gonna be loyal to their own kind, why the hell should I help? Man, I hope they come back.
I get to eat food from all over the world without ever leaving my block.
And there's this one truck, makes this bomb vegan noodle bowl I love for breakfast.
Yeah.
Detective Buerge told me you saw someone leave the burned truck just a couple of minutes before the fire broke out.
Did you get a good look? Not real good.
It was just some dude.
Can you be more specific? Yeah.
It was a guy.
Okay.
So the dude was a guy? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
Was he white? Was he black? He wasn't black.
Was he white? He definitely wasn't black.
Okay.
[ Sighs .]
How tall would you say this non-b-b-black man? I didn't see anyone.
Look, Detective, my restaurant could have burned down.
These trucks -- they got no regard for anybody.
They park right out front.
They have no overhead except change for the meters.
They undercut my prices.
[ Sighs .]
I'm the head of the local restaurant association, and I've been battling these people in court for over two years now.
My witness saw a man leaving the truck a few minutes before the fire.
Could he make an I.
D.
? [ Scoffs .]
Non-black, 20 to 50 years old, normal build, indeterminate height.
So, could be mini-me, could be André the Giant.
Only thing I know for sure is the witness makes good use out of his medical marijuana card.
Yeah, well, I'm gonna go check on the girl and see if she's okay.
All right.
Vanilla? Really, L.
T.
? Oh, sometimes I like to stick a little umbrella in my beer.
I don't want to play with you right now.
All righty, then.
I'll cut to the chase.
Coroner's prelim on the food truck victim -- no smoke in the lungs.
So he was dead before the fire.
Yeah.
How's the girl doing? She's better -- she's in the conference room with someone from social services.
I was just telling the L.
T.
, no smoke in Wilson's lungs.
You were right.
It was murder.
Have you told his daughter yet? No.
No.
I-I thought maybe you'd want to handle that.
I don't have the ovaries.
[ Chuckles .]
Sure you do.
Thanks very much.
Bridget.
Do you remember me? I'm Detective Sheppard.
I'm -- I'm so very sorry for your loss.
We've learned a little bit about what happened to your dad, and we're pretty sure that the fire wasn't an accident.
It -- he was murdered? Yeah.
Do you know who did it? No.
I was hoping that you might be able to help us with that.
Is there anyone that you can think of that would want to hurt your dad? Did he owe anyone money? No.
My dad didn't believe in Borrowing anything.
We own the house and trucks outright.
Did heburn to death? That would be really awful if he died in a fire.
No, sweetie.
No.
We know for a fact that your father was gone before the blaze was set.
[ Sighs .]
Bridget, you said something when you were out on the street.
It seemed like you were surprised that the other trucks had just driven away.
Now, I thought that that was odd, too.
Was there someone in particular t-that you expected to stay, or No.
I I was just surprised that the other trucks didn't stay to help.
Can I go now? Are you sure you're ready? Yeah.
All right, I'll have Officer Cooper give you a ride home.
No, I just -- I just need a ride back to my truck.
Okay.
Whoever did this to my dad is gonna have to pay.
Absolutely.
We'll do everything that we can.
[ Siren wails .]
Hey.
A couple uniforms are taking Bridget Wilson back to her truck.
I don't know -- I just wish there was more we could do for her right now, you know? This might help a bit.
Last month, Rod Wilson filed a police report against that restaurant owner, Angus Jenner.
That explains why Jenner was so nasty when I talked to him.
Wilson claims Jenner took a baseball bat to his truck.
Smashed it up pretty good -- cost him a couple of grand in repairs.
Well, Jenner told me that he'd been battling the food trucks for years.
I just had no idea he meant battling with bats.
Let's get him back in here, yeah? Yeah.
There's some pretty cool stuff here.
Horseback riding on Catalina.
That cabin in Mammoth's already up to 300 bucks.
Oh, every year that's one of our highest draws.
Free dental cleaning, free tax returns.
Yeah, a lot of the parents donate their professional services.
What does your husband do? He's a proctologist.
I'm baking cookies.
Ahh.
[ Chuckles .]
All right, let's see how Gloria's LAPD stuff is doing.
5 bucks, 10 bucks.
That's like nothing.
Well, it's early.
Even if somebody was dying for an LAPD T-shirt, no one's even gonna bid 50 bucks.
You know an even cooler LAPD thing? Shooting guns? Uh [Chuckles.]
Yes, but also riding in a cop car.
With Gloria? Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
They call it a ride-along.
Would she do that? That -- that would be amazing.
For the kids' school? Absolutely.
It sounds exciting.
I think people are gonna love that.
Why am I back here? I already told you my alibi.
I was doing prep work in the restaurant.
Yeah, but your restaurant is less than 20 yards from the truck, so that's like saying your alibi is that you were at the crime scene.
Can't be that hard to disappear for five minutes.
Maybe you had an argument with Rod Wilson, huh? Maybe -- maybe you wanted him to move his truck and he wouldn't.
Oh, wait, so you're suggesting that I killed this guy in front of my restaurant? Oh, I see.
How is that good for business? If it keeps the other trucks from coming back, it'd be great for business.
What part of "I didn't do it" is so unclear? The part where you failed to mention that the victim, Rod Wilson, filed a police report against you for taking a bat to his truck.
I didn't mention that because I didn't do it.
Were there any charges filed against me? No.
Has anyone ever linked me to this? No.
Look, this Wilson guy -- he didn't just come after me, okay? He got into a fight with half the trucks on the street.
And yet you're the only one he named in the report.
Ask around.
You're gonna see.
The whole thing's a joke.
Can I go now? We're gonna need the names of your employees who can provide you with an alibi.
[ Sighs .]
You want to know the biggest joke -- magazines keep saying that, uh, truck food is so chic.
Tell me what's so chic about eating food on the curb, like a bum.
Guy practically came out swinging at "Hello.
" We need to look real hard at his alibi.
He's got a temper and a history with the victim.
Yeah, we should also see if he's right about Wilson fighting with the other trucks.
You know, I looked online, and a lot of them park across from the county museum around noon.
What do you say we make it a working lunch? Mmm.
[ Clears throat .]
[ Smacks lips .]
Got a sec? Yeah, sure.
Is this work, or is this personal? Like really personal.
Oh.
You sure you want to do this? Uh, no.
No, I'm not, um, but I -- I don't know who else to talk to, and you're, like, the closest thing I have to a dad.
So I had you when I was 10.
[ Sighs .]
That's -- that's not wha-- that's not what I meant.
Um [ Sighs .]
I just need to talk.
I've beenGoing out with this girl, Angie, uh, for about a year now, and we're really good about keeping a handle on this kind of stuff.
Mm-hmm.
UhS-she took a home pregnancy test -- Oh.
Yeah.
Positive.
I just found out.
So you're freaking out.
My heart is slamming in my chest, and I can't feel my legs.
How does Angie feel about this? I don't know.
No idea.
You didn't ask her? No, I'm not good at that.
So you're asking me instead? You have kids, right? Yeah.
A boy and a girl.
AndDo you like being a dad? Well, yeah.
Look, it's the only part of my life that isn't overrated.
You know, money and relationships and career can still leave you empty, you know, but my kids and being their dad Is pretty amazing.
And you're gonna be fine.
[ Sighs .]
Now get back to work.
[ Keys jingle .]
Let's start by talking to the trucks that were at Abbot Kinney this morning.
Oh, my God.
Do you smell that barbecue? Yes, and it smells delicious, too.
Too bad there weren't any barbecue trucks at the crime scene.
That doesn't mean we can't ask them a few pertinent questions.
It is the lunch hour.
[ Chuckles .]
Well, in that case, I'm gonna go interrogate the Cajun truck.
I will see you in a minute.
Everyone's pretty freaked.
Well, if everyone is so freaked, how come no one helped Rod Wilson? And do what? Flames were everywhere.
Once I saw the fire trucks, I packed it in.
We all did.
There was nothing else to do.
So you just left? What can I say? I liked him.
We went out for a few months, and then one day, Rod saw me talking to another guy -- just talking.
Cut me off, wouldn't even let me explain.
So he was jealous.
It was more than that.
It was a loyalty thing.
People were either for him or against him.
In or out.
Other than Bridget, most people were out.
Do you know who might have done this to him? [ Sighs .]
I wish I could help you.
Mm.
I was on my truck.
There was nothing I could really do, you know? That girl's his daughter, right? Uh -- uh, what's her name? Bridget.
That's rough, man.
Losing your dad like that.
Do you know if Rod Wilson had any problems with any of the other trucks? Yeah, most of us had run-ins with him.
Man: Tyler, we need more burgers.
It's just -- just the way he was.
Hey, uh, my cook's getting crushed and I'm losing business.
- Can we talk later? - Uh, yeah.
Sorry.
Nobody comes to mind.
Look, this is a chance for you to do the right thing.
I feel bad for Bridget, but I-I've got nothing to say.
- If you know something -- - I don't.
Ask someone else.
Hey.
Hi.
I've got alibis from all the drivers that I talked to, but most of them had to work pretty hard to find something nice to say about the victim.
Yeah, there isn't a whole lot of love lost, is there? That's probably part of the reason why no one helped him out this morning.
But you know what? I feel like there's something deeper going on.
I mean, a lot of these folks just seem afraid of someone or, I don't know, something else.
- I felt that too.
- Yeah.
You know, one of the trucks from this morning is missing.
Hotlinks Heaven.
You were right.
These are fantastic.
Hey, Tyler, what can you tell me about Hotlinks Heaven? Not much.
They sell hot dogs.
You can follow him on Twitter.
Twitter? For a hot dog? Mm.
Guy's making a killing.
Who is this guy? Everybody calls him "Joey Hotlinks.
" Is there some reason that this Joey Hotlinks wouldn't be around here this afternoon? Did he have any issues with Rod Wilson? He have any issues with anybody? Listen -- a lot of these drivers seem spooked.
Is Joey Hotlinks the reason that they're scared? [ Sighs .]
Joey's been trying to unionize the trucks for the past few months.
Okay, a lot of these idiots have already signed up.
Unionize -- you mean a protection racket? Hey, I didn't say that.
Yeah, well, I can do the math.
That would explain why everybody's scared.
Detective, the guy's a thug.
Okay, he wants 20% straight off the top.
And last time I said no, I ended up with two slashed tires.
What about Rod Wilson? Did he sign up Oh, no.
Rod hated Joey Hotlinks more than I do.
And they went at each other a few weeks back.
Most of us saw the fight.
Yeah, Rod gave him a black eye and cracked a rib.
Joey was -- he was plenty pissed.
His name is Joey Hotlinks? I know, right? He was trying to squeeze protection money out of the other truck owners.
When people turn him down, bad things happen.
Did Rod Wilson turn him down? With both fists, in front of a lot of people.
Maybe that fire was payback.
I'm not sure, but it sounds like this Hotlinks guy doesn't take no for an answer.
We're gonna have to bring him in.
Hey, you got to try this.
You know that? Watch.
It's really good.
[ Muffled .]
What is this?! Amazing, right? - Is this bacon? - Yeah.
It's got candied bacon on top and smoked bacon in the hot fudge.
Why? We got to go back there, okay? That bacon bus also sells a deep-fried cupcake that sounds out of this world.
Valdez: Why does he call himself Joey Hotlinks? It's like a parody of a mob nickname.
[ Chuckles .]
Like "Johnny Pepperoni.
" Or "Benny the Bratwurst.
" "Sammy Sausage.
" Actually, Sammy's a real guy.
Killed his wife, ground her into sausage, and fed it to his in-laws.
- That seems a bit literal.
- Yep.
Now, look, this Hotlinks guy may have a goofy name to push his hot dogs, but his rap sheet is plenty scary -- he's got assault, fraud, arson.
So we like him for the murder? He has motive and opportunity.
He also has a history of fighting with Wilson.
S.
I.
D.
went through the rubble in Wilson's truck.
Most everything burned up, but they did find this medallion of Michael the Archangel.
Looks like the clasp is broken.
Maybe it got ripped off in the fire.
[ Cellphone rings .]
Oh.
Excuse me.
[ Sighs .]
Hey, Davey.
Huge news -- you're a star.
What are you talking about? The school auction.
Oh, great.
People really like the hats, huh? Yeah, but they weren't exactly big money makers, so I made an executive decision, and I added one more item.
We're auctioning off a ride-along with RHD Detective Gloria Sheppard.
What? Cool, right? Some parent gets a taste of the LAPD, and we raise money for the school in the process.
The bidding's already up to 95 bucks.
Make it go away.
- What? - It's not gonna happen.
But they're already bidding.
Davey, I'm happy to do anything I can for the school, but this was not yours to do.
Now, just -- just tell them that you made a mistake.
Look, I got to go.
[ Cellphone beeps .]
Buerge put Joey Hotlinks in interrogation two.
What's wrong with you? Oh, my stomach hurts.
And my brother just donated a ride-along with me for the school auction without even asking.
People will pay money to ride in the back of a police car with you? I think it's the front, but, yeah, except I'm not doing it.
You know me.
I can't make small talk.
And in all honesty, those suburban moms -- they kind of freak me out, you know? Hey, can I have a swig of that? Thanks.
You don't exactly strike me as a foodie, Mr.
Hotlinks.
I came in through the side door.
My freight business went south.
I got stuck with four trucks.
My cousin likes to grill.
I like hot dogs.
Now I'm in the zeitgeist.
Yeah, but you used to be in the system.
Rap sheet the size of a novel.
Even includes arson.
Youthful indiscretions.
I'm a businessman now.
- Really? - Yeah.
Sausage salesman or union organizer? Listen, the way it is now for these food truck people, they're out on their own.
They steal each other's routes, the restaurant association is suing them, the health board is on their asses.
If we look out for each other, everybody wins.
And how much are the dues in your "union"? A small percentage.
I heard 20%.
Sounds like extortion to me.
Hey, you can't put a price on community.
For someone talking community, you sure did take off pretty fast this morning.
That doesn't mean I set the fire.
Is that what you and Rod Wilson fought about a month ago? Hmm? He didn't want to join your community? I liked Rod, but we had a falling out.
Over what? I really don't know.
One day we're pals, the next day he takes a swing at me.
After the fight, he sent his daughter, Bridget, over to tell me that if I ever talked to him again, that he'd kill me.
Did you believe him? Hell, yeah, I believed him.
If Rod said he was gonna do something, he was gonna do it.
I've gone out of my way to avoid him ever since that.
Yeah, but -- but you -- you parked almost next to him on Abbott Kinney this morning.
It's a good place to sell my dogs.
So you didn't exchange words with him? You gonna arrest me, Detective? Do I need a lawyer or what? Huh? Either arrest me or let me go.
Joey Hotlinks admits to the falling out with Wilson, but he also said that Wilson sent his daughter over to his truck to threaten him.
Let's take a look at his known associates, put a little heat on him.
Maybe we can flip somebody.
I'll start with the drivers of his other trucks.
I bet most of them have some sort of record.
I want to go talk to Bridget Wilson.
I want to hear what she has to say about Joey Hotlinks and her dad.
[ Sighs .]
[ Chuckles .]
Wow.
What's up? I've been checking in on your school auction.
The bid for the ride-along just went up to 150 bucks.
What? Let me see that.
[ Chuckles .]
There.
I just bid $250.
No one in their right mind is gonna pay more than that.
What is so terrible about giving a civilian a taste of what we do? No, no.
It's not that.
It's just that I wouldn't know what to say.
I -- I'm more like a guy.
I don't like to chat.
Come on.
Let's go talk to Bridget Wilson.
I wonder why Bridget wanted us to meet her in here.
Well, I get the feeling she didn't have much of a life apart from her dad.
Maybe these are his people.
Excuse me.
We're looking for Bridget Wilson.
We're really sorry to bother you.
It's not like I have any big plans.
You find out who killed my dad? Not yet, but we're doing everything we can.
Gloria: Is there someplace else we could take you or some friends your own age you could call? A boyfriend? [ Chuckles .]
UmThe house is too quiet, and my dad didn't approveof the boy I liked, so he's gone.
We spent a lot of time here.
Most of these folks are from back home.
Where's that? Oregon.
Being here makes me feel connected to my dad, like he's still watching over me.
Can you tell me about your dad and Joey Hotlinks? You think it was him? He's one of the people that we're talking to.
UmMy, uh, dad and Joey used to be pretty tight.
Joey said he didn't know why your dad cut him off.
It's because he wasn't loyal.
My dad got in a beef with the guy who owned the crepe truck over a parking spot.
And when my dad cut him off, he expected Joey to do the same.
Joey didn't, so Joey was out.
That's some pretty old-school loyalty your daddy was looking for.
That's just the way we were raised.
You're either loyal or you're out.
Joey also said that your dad used you to send a message -- said if Joey ever talked to him again, your dad would kill him.
That's true.
So if Joey tried to talk to your dad this morning That'd be bad for everybody.
We found this in your dad's truck.
Do you recognize it? It was my dad's.
He's really gone.
Listen, if you need anything, just give me a call.
Even if it's just to talk, all right? Hey, guys, I've got some great stuff for dinner! I've got -- I've got noodle bowl and barbecue.
All we have to do is heat it up.
Hi, mom.
Cool shirt, huh? Yeah.
You think it's big enough for you? Go get your brother for dinner.
Mwah! Hey.
Hey, Davey, I need to talk to you about the ride-along.
Oh, I just thought you'd want to contribute to the school.
Well, actually, I did contribute to the school.
I gave them LAPD hats and T-shirts.
And you know what? Katie seemed to be pretty happy with that.
Yeah, but that's just 'cause Katie thinks you're amazing.
Come on.
How much cooler is the ride-along? I mean, you always said that you'd do anything for the school.
I know, and I would.
And to prove it, I bought the ride-along today for $250.
It's a win-win -- the school gets the money, and I don't have to drive around town with some crime-crazed mom.
What? It went for $400.
- $400? - Mm-hmm.
What kind of an idiot spends $400 to ride ar-- Oh, I didn't know it was you, Katie.
It's okay.
No, it's not.
I'm -- I'm -- I'm sorry.
I thought -- I thought it was another mom -- one I didn't know.
Of course.
Yeah.
Let me buy it back.
No! No.
It's okay.
It's for a good cause.
No, really.
I-I feel terrible about this.
I'm so sorry.
Can you just -- let me reimburse you for it.
Don't worry about it.
Gloria, really.
Do you like noodle bowl? [ Cellphone rings .]
[ Breathes deeply .]
[ Sighs .]
Dulcett.
Gloria: Hi, it's me.
Another food truck was set on fire.
What? When? I just got the call.
I-it was Tyler's Rolling Diner.
That's the guy that gave up Joey Hotlinks, right? Yeah.
And, 'Chelle, he was on the truck.
H-he was sleeping on the truck when it went up.
Oh, my God.
He's -- he's alive.
He somehow managed to get out, but he's -- he's pretty badly burned, so they have him in ICU, so I want to just -- I want to just head over there first thing in the morning, okay? - All right.
- I'll see you then.
[ Sighs .]
Romeo and Buerge just picked up Joey Hotlinks.
They're taking him back to RHD so we can talk to him.
That guy's got some nerve, torching Tyler's truck while we're looking at him for Wilson's.
[ Sighs .]
It's like he's rubbing our noses in it.
Hey.
I hear this guy's pretty badly burned.
You sure you're gonna be okay with this, Glo? Yeah, I'm fine.
Thanks.
Poor kid.
You know what? I was thinking about it all night, Michelle.
And this fire was different.
The first one was just a cover-up, but this one was premeditated.
They're both arson.
Okay, maybe killing Wilson was an accident, but Joey saw that it would scare the other trucks into joining his union, so maybe he staged an encore.
Yeah.
Maybe.
I don't know.
Tyler.
I'm Detective Sheppard.
We spoke yesterday.
This is my partner, Detective Dulcett.
The doctors tell us that you're a very lucky man.
[ Weakly .]
Cool.
Tyler, do you always park your truck on that street? On Hastings? I sleep A-are you saying that you parked there when you wanted to sleep on the truck? Did Joey Hotlinks know this? Yeah.
He He left.
Did he start the fire, Tyler? Rod What about Rod? I left He confirms that Joey Hotlinks knew where he parked the truck at night.
Yeah.
All right, let's go talk to him.
You guys got nothing on me.
Yeah, well, I wouldn't exactly call it nothing, okay? I've got two trucks that have been torched, I have a young man in the burn ward, I have you with an arson conviction on your record, and I have a line of people willing to testify that you threatened them, so that's not exactly nothing.
It's all circumstantial.
People have gone away for less.
Tell me this -- do you have an alibi for where you were last night, when Tyler McManus' truck went up in flames? Hey, I liked that kid.
I guess he didn't have the protection he thought he had.
- Are you still making threats? - No, it's what he said to me.
He said he didn't need me or anyone to protect him.
Said he had the angels on his side.
You believe that? Some angels.
Look, when was the last time you saw Tyler? Huh? Lieutenant Valdez.
The Saint Michael's medallion -- it belonged to Tyler.
H-he thought that it brought him protection and good luck.
So the medallion put him in Rod Wilson's truck.
You think he's the guy who killed Wilson? It's starting to add up like that, yeah.
Tyler McManus' room? But how does that fit in with your theory that the killer and Wilson had a history of bad blood? Hey, 'Chelle, when you were questioning the other people at the trucks yesterday, how many of them knew Bridget Wilson by name? Michelle: All of them.
Yes.
Same with me, except for one guy.
- Tyler McManus? - Yeah.
Now, why would he do that unless he was intentionally trying to hide that connection? He didn't want us to suspect that he had ties with Bridget and her dad.
And then when we went to visit Bridget last night, she mentioned a guy that she liked that her dad didn't approve of.
- Tyler.
- Yeah.
So Rod didn't approve of Tyler, but Tyler was in love with Rod's daughter.
I mean, that's plenty of motive right there.
Is there a world where Tyler and Bridget Wilson team up together to kill Bridget's dad? No, I can't see that.
I mean, Bridget is crazy loyal to herDad.
You know what? We have to get some Unis at the hospital.
'Chelle, can you call the hospital and tell them to keep an eye out for Bridget? She isn't answering.
Hey, baby.
Missed you.
Okay, I was just trying to You know Just talk to your dad.
Why wouldn't he let us be together? It's okay.
I never wanted to hurt you.
I know.
Okay, I spoke to security at the hospital.
They're sending someone up to Tyler's room right now.
Wait a minute.
I thought Bridget loved Tyler.
She does.
Doesn't mean she wouldn't kill him.
I love you.
I love you, too.
[ Muffled screams .]
[ Flatline .]
I killed him.
Don't say anything.
You have the right to an attorney.
It doesn't matter.
I had to do it.
If you knew Tyler killed your father, why didn't you tell us? Because jail wasn't enough, was it? Tyler killed my dad.
He had to pay for that.
Yes, but you loved him.
Did you do this because you thought your dad wanted you to do it? I wanted to.
So yesterday, when you were surprised that no one stayed to help your dad, you were surprised because you expected Tyler to stay.
My dad was awful to him, but Tyler would have stayed for me.
And the only way he wouldn't was if he was the one who killed him.
Why did he do it? Because of what he did, I had to kill him.
I had two people that I loved And now I've got no one.
[ Exhales shakily .]
So, what now? You handcuff me? Turn around, please.
Clasp your hands behind your back.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say or do will be held against you in a court of law.
You have a right to an attorney.
If you do not have an attorney, one will be appointed to you by the courts.
Do you understand your rights as I have read them? Hey, L.
T.
That thing yesterday Turned out to be a false alarm.
Yeah, she went to OB this morning.
Well, you must be relieved.
Yeah.
UmI guess.
No.
No, I-I am.
Because yesterday Yeah, I know.
I was ready to jump off the building.
Yeah.
Uh Guess I have to admit, I was starting to get used to the idea of having a little Buerge running around.
Teach him how to play ball, andSuch.
Let me explain something to you.
The first six months you have a kid, you don't sleep.
I'm talking three hours at a stretch, if you're lucky.
And your wife expects you to be as psychically tuned in to the baby as she is, which is impossible.
You're not going out.
You're sure as hell not getting laid.
I thought you said it was The greatest thing to happen to mankind.
Oh, it is.
You don't need that kind of grief.
Go have fun.
Hey, Davey, is everything okay between us? - Yeah.
Why? - I don't know.
I just kind of felt like the last couple of days, you've just sort of been kind of undermining me a little bit.
I -- I just didn't know if you were mad about something, or No.
How have I been undermining you? Well, you know, like -- like yesterday when you asked me to make Katie a latte, and it was -- you know, it was pretty clear I was trying to get out the door, and I just felt like -- Oh, yeah.
The latte thing.
I can explain that.
That's easy.
Um You make a great latte.
That's it? Hope that didn't hurt too bad.
O-okay.
Well, you know what? What about this whole ride-along thing? I mean, that's kind of been, like -- Why would you assume that I have a bad motive about that? Since when have I not been on your side? No.
Y-you've always been on my side.
I'm not saying that.
It's just -- it -- it -- I just didn't get it.
It felt weird.
- The truth? - Yeah.
Of course.
That's why I'm asking you.
I mean I volunteered you for the ride-along because I thought it would be awesome.
Well, awesome for you, maybe, 'cause you're not gonna be stuck in a car with some stranger making small talk.
You know, I'm just -- I'm not good at that stuff.
You know I'm not good at that stuff.
Well, then, time to figure it out.
You're smart.
Stop hiding, and suit up.
You're an interesting person.
You need to figure out how to talk to regular people.
You know what? I think that you and I have very different definitions of what makes a person regular.
No doubt.
And, in full disclosure, I had a secondary motive.
I was feeling competitive.
I was looking at everything that was donated, and I thought a ride-along with you was way cooler than a ski cabin in Mammoth or some lame-ass horseback ride.
Again, sorry if I hit a nerve.
Look, I'm sorry for doubting you, okay? That's what brothers are for.
I'm gonna be late.
I have to get to a stake-out right now, so I'll just see you in the morning, okay? Good night, sweetie.
Okay.
Yeah.
All right.
Gloria: See the guy in the sports coat with the one grocery bag? Well, he's divorced.
- Not just single? - Mnh-mnh.
He's got that other bag, which is from the toy store, so he's probably got the kids for the weekend.
Oh Oh, and check out these two, all right? They're cheating on their spouses.
How do you know? Well, one tailed the other one into the valet, but then they put distance between themselves when they started walking, so we just have to wait for it Wait for it Wow! Oh, the humanity! [ Chuckles .]
Gosh! Hey, you know, I -- I know that you did this just to get Davey off the hook, but it's -- it's really sweet.
No! No, I'm having a good time.
I am.
- Me too.
- Oh, great.
You want to give it a shot? Yeah.
All right.
Uh, let me see here.
All right, you see that woman at the cafe? The one with the great hair? - Mm-hmm.
- What's her story? [ Sighs .]
She's got a date.
Very good.
Yes.
What else? She's married? Cold.
Divorced? Colder.
[ Both chuckle .]
I'm just gonna flip all the cards here, okay? UhShe's a he.
What?! No way! Way! Look at her hands.
Look at her hair.
I know.
It's great, isn't it? Look at that outfit.
Man, I wish I could put together an outfit like that.
Oh, I could help you do that.
No.
I mean, she spent a fortune on it.
That's designer stuff.
No.
You just have to know where to shop.
- Really? - Yeah! Have you been to the outlet mall at Camarillo? No.
Unh-unh.
I'm gonna take you.
- It'll be fun.
- Oh! All right.
Great.
That would be f-- that would be fun.