K-Ville s01e08 Episode Script
Flood, Wind, and Fire
Previously on K-Ville We're partners three years, you can't put in a good word for me, help me get my job back? I spent six days in that water when you left me.
I'm going to have my reinstatement hearing this week.
We're allowed to bring character witnesses.
I want you to be mine.
You won't give him a second chance? Well, I'm leaning toward taking him back.
Ms.
Sweeney, I assume? Sheldon Lear, TBD Insurance.
You say you were in Baton Rouge all day, Ms.
Sweeney? Got the call a couple of hours ago.
Came right down.
And there are people that can verify that story? Story? Fire marshal hasn't been here yet.
What'd the fire fighters on the scene say? They don't know what caused it.
Do you have any ideas? No one's lived in this house since the storm, you know that.
There's not even electricity.
I don't know what it could have been.
We'll see.
A lot of people in this city burn down their homes to collect on the insurance.
You've got a lot of nerve.
You and your thief company refuse to pay out after Katrina, and now you want to accuse me of being a criminal? I grew up here.
My daughter took her first steps right over there.
I loved this house.
Sorry for your loss.
I paid my premiums all those years and when I need my money, you want to find some loophole not to give it to me? I asked you not to touch me, Ms.
Sweeney.
I am simply doing my job.
Your job Ms.
Sweeney is to ruin people's lives.
Ms.
Sweeney! Stay away, Ms.
Sweeney.
Stay back! I will defend myself if I have to.
Oh, my God! You'd think once, just once, they'd have hot water around here.
Why don't you just shower at home? Is it really your business, Glue Boy? All right, everybody, I think most of y'all know Charlie Pratt.
Well, he's one of us now.
Charlie's been away for a while, and despite some troubles we should all be glad that a good cop is back where he belongs.
Hey congratulations, man.
Welcome back.
Wouldn't have happened without you.
Welcome back.
Thank you.
Give that some time.
Just give it some time.
Charlie, you'll be back on the desk for the first few weeks.
See how we do things at F.
A.
S.
Help out when you can.
Whatever you need, sir.
Boulet, grab Cobb.
1701 Warfield, you got yourself a hot one.
You know, over in Afghanistan, we used to have a saying when you ran across a burnt body.
"He died smiling.
" Yeah, that's heartwarming.
Only thing that was left, Boulet, was teeth.
Not this guy.
He could've been a toothless, homeless squatter 'cause nobody's lived in this place since Katrina.
You're standing on my evidence.
Excuse me? Eileen McGillis, Fire Marshal.
I'm here to determine whether this fire was caused by arson or not.
Until I do, this house is my evidence.
Marlin Boulet, NOPD.
Maybe you noticed the French-fried fella we have on the floor here.
That's why this investigation got bumped to the top of my list.
I'm working my way through a backlog of burn sites.
This isn't the first accidental death we've seen.
Accident? No, this is no accident.
Who are you? Trevor Cobb, F.
A.
S.
We have priority here.
So you can either work with us, or you can wait until we're done.
Well, apparently you already figured it out.
So what makes you say this wasn't an accident? I don't know about the fire, but this guy's got no teeth.
Could be homeless.
That's what I said, but even a toothless guy has a couple in their mouth.
Come here for one second.
You see how his jaw is cracked? Mm-hmm.
This guy's teeth were bashed in.
I'm guessing before he was burned.
So somebody went through a lot of effort so this man wouldn't be identified by his dental records.
It may be arson, but it's definitely murder.
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You know, see what connections pop up.
Trevor.
Charlie, welcome back to the squad.
Listen, um you dove into that water, man.
You saved my life and I, I don't I can't thank you enough.
Me and my family.
You got it, man.
Hope you would've done the same for me.
Anyway, on our vic I'm going through missing persons.
Anything solid to help me out? Not right now, Charlie, all right? We'll let you know when we need something, though.
I thought you two were good.
No, we are good, man, it's It's not Charlie at all.
It's just that I spent eight years as a uni before I got assigned this squad.
During the storm, he runs off, gets reinstated, back here at F.
A.
S.
? 9:00 Heat-seeking missile coming in at 9:00.
Officers.
Fire Marshal.
1701 Warfield was definitely arson.
Pretty crude job, actually.
Splash and dash.
So you came all the way down here to tell us that, huh? Due to the homicide, I have to coordinate my investigation with you, if that's all right.
Is it all right with you? It is what it is.
I need to take a look at the victim's body in the morgue.
Might reveal some clues that wouldn't show up at the house.
Sure.
We were just heading over there.
As a matter of fact, my partner, Cobb, was just about to call you and ask you to tag along.
So perfect timing.
Yeah.
A crushed trachea consistent with strangulation.
Strangulation? So our vic was dead before the fire started? I'm afraid it's a little less pleasant than that, Bou.
Uh, scarring on the esophagus suggests our John Doe was still breathing when the house went up in flames.
What about his teeth? Bashed out.
Guessing a metal instrument.
A pipe, like you said, maybe a wrench.
What? What color are your eyes? I can't tell for sure.
Blue.
Just barely, though, like, salt-water blue.
Did anything pop up in the toxicology screen? Uh, the usual smoky suspects.
Uh Carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, phosgene and one little surprise.
Dihydrazino-s s-tetrazine? What's that? It's a chemical accelerant.
Where you going? Burn site.
I'm gonna follow up on that.
Yeah.
Where there's smoke, there's fire, right? Never mind.
He knew what I was talking about.
Damn! I burned the steak.
What's this? $19.
95 for a subscription to Aquarium World? Yeah, your daughter sold it to us.
School fundraiser.
She likes fish.
You all right? Yeah, baby.
It's just that we could use a Boulet family fund-raiser around here right about now.
We always manage, Marlin.
Hey, baby love don't pay the bills.
Come on, now, we'll find a way.
I've been driving without car insurance.
When I'm on duty, the department picks it up.
How often am I not on duty? It's that bad? I didn't want to tell you anything 'cause I didn't want you to worry, but for the last couple of months I've been juggling, baby.
I've been borrowing this to pay that.
We don't have that much left to juggle.
I'll get a job.
No! No, we've already talked about this, okay? Tawni, she needs her mama.
Besides, whatever money you're gonna make, most of it's gonna be going to some childcare anyway.
Look, I'll get some details.
Work private security.
No Ayana, look, we're not making it on my salary alone.
Look, you work 'round the clock as it is.
You start doing details, when you gonna sleep? 4:00 to 5:00 a.
m.
? I don't know, baby.
All I do know is that we need a miracle from up above to come down real soon.
And if it don't we're going to have to make some hard decisions.
You sure you don't want to wait and do this in the morning? I don't like to waste time.
Here, hold this.
Light that u Aren't you a little young to be a fire marshal? Yeah.
And I got girly parts, too.
What gives, right? Just a question, don't take it the wrong way.
My father was a captain in the NOFD for 20 years.
I grew up around fire.
I know it inside and out.
I was too short to serve on an engine company, so I went after this job.
Son of a bitch.
Do you see that? I'm not sure what I'm looking at.
Are these from another fire? Six other fires, all arson cases from the past few months.
Unlivable houses just like this.
You only had six of those? No, we've logged close to 180 suspicious fires, citywide.
But these six there was something else.
The fires burned out fast, almost too fast.
Mm-hmm.
The fires were out before we could even get there.
I had to chalk it up to a fluke because I could never find any evidence.
Evidence of what? A fast-burning accelerant.
A chemical that's used to spread, but not start the fire.
There's a bunch of them out there, but a couple of 'em are self-exterminating, meaning they leave no trace of themselves.
Except in a body.
That's right.
Right.
Our John Doe breathed in dihydrazino-s-tetrazine, which totally fits the bill.
Hmm.
You really think I look that young? How old are you? Old enough.
Oh, hey, partner.
Little spring in your stride this morning? Everything's good.
Boulet, take it easy, buddy.
You couldn't close that deal? Man, I thought she was gonna push Charcoal Man off the table and do you right there in the morgue.
Cobb, how'd you keep her off of you, huh? A Taser? Pepper spray? Or maybe it was just a look from those, uh, salt-water blue eyes.
Where are we on that arson/homicide? Here you go.
The fire marshal thinks the same accelerant was used in six other arsons.
The homeowners might've hired the same arsonist to torch their places to get insurance settlements.
Loretta Sweeney, Edna Terrabone Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Edna Terrabone? Nah, nah.
This was the nurse that helped my mother ten years ago when she fell and broke her hip.
Uh-uh.
She's got to be pushing 70 now.
Well, it's never too late to cash in.
Did it work? No, that's the thing.
TBD Insurance handled all the claims, and every one was denied.
TBD Insurance? Yeah.
One of our missing persons worked for them.
Hold on.
Yeah.
A, uh, Brian Studler, reported missing Wednesday was an insurance adjuster for TBD Insurance.
An insurance adjuster in post-Katrina New Orleans? Yeah, that oughta narrow down our suspect list, to what- 20, 30,000? £¿£¿ So these all the owners of the arson houses? Yeah.
I say we bring 'em one at a time, Cap.
That'd be best.
We're thinking conspiracy,right? Mm-hmm.
Well, let's see if they look at each other like coconspirators.
Okay.
Edna.
Let me get you a more comfortable place to sit.
Why don't you just come sit at my desk, back here.
All right.
Okay.
How's retirement treating you? I still volunteer down at the hospital.
Keep busy.
Never thought I'd find you sitting across the desk, looking at me the way you're looking at me, Marlin.
How am I looking at you? Like I did something wrong.
What did you think about Brian Studler? Turned down my claim for the flood, then again for the fire.
Edna, I'm not accusing you of anything.
But I know how it is to be pushed to the edge.
Marlin I have spent almost 50 years of my life as a nurse, helping people.
Now, why in the world would I undo the work that the good Lord put me on this earth for? I did not have my house burned down.
And I can't say it no more clearer than that.
Thought I was going to Vice, to tell the truth.
It was practically a done deal.
So what happened? Uh, two Vice detectives told me a story, that's what happened.
Six months, they're zeroing in on this low-life dealer named C-Saw.
Like in the playground? Nice.
They figured out that C-Saw would go to Union Passenger Terminal every other Monday, take a bag from the locker.
Same locker every time, number 714.
Babe Ruth's home run total, also nice.
Glue Boy, let him tell the story.
Anyway, they opened the locker, and they find ten grand, cash, so they arrest his ass.
The very next day, not only do they have to kick the guy loose, but they've got to give the money back to him.
What? Does this guy have pictures on the mayor or something? Wild guess.
He was on the Feds' payroll.
Exactly.
He was an informant, ratting out the cartels.
But still dealing his own drugs.
And that's when I thought to myself, no, thank you.
I'd rather go to F.
A.
S.
, where when you make an arrest, it sticks.
Some of the time.
Only some of the time.
Man, you're doing a hell of a job so far.
First week on the job, seven suspects in a murder/arson.
Not really, 'cause they're all innocent.
You got the hard evidence to back that up? Edna Terrabone is my hard evidence.
She's telling the truth, and so are the rest of them.
It still doesn't rule out the fire marshal's theory that the same arsonist torched all their homes.
Maybe we're dealing with a pyromaniac or a serial arsonist.
But not somebody who was paid by the people we hauled in here today.
This, I know in my bones.
Okay.
Well, who killed the insurance man? You guys sure it was Brian? I mean, burned-up body, no teeth.
Yeah.
We pulled some DNA out of his bones.
Definitely Brian Studler.
Yeah, poor guy.
Well, there's not much to tell you.
What about his personal life? He have any problems there? No idea.
Show up to work, do your job, that's all I care about.
So, he was a good employee? Eh Truth is, Brian didn't really have the stomach for this job.
Really? What makes you say that? For one, it's dangerous.
Baby never leaves my side.
Here we go.
Danger part of it aside, Brian also didn't like to deliver bad news, and, frankly, that's mostly what we do here.
Who the hell doesn't want a job where you get to say yes, yes, yes all day long? Well, it seems that Brian was Dr.
No.
Seven fires, seven insurance claims, all denied.
Dr.
No? That's my nickname.
Compared to me, Brian was Santa Claus.
I'll show you.
Hey.
What's this, right here? Oh.
Brian sent a donation or something, so they sent that.
Sunday morning Christian.
Spend all day turning everybody down, and send in 20 bucks so he can feel good about himself.
What's this? I said Brian was Santa Claus? Here's what he left under some people's trees.
Four fires, all approved by Brian Studler.
Full payouts? The max.
Don't think Brian didn't get his ass chewed about that.
Ernest Weiss.
Frank Coggins.
Roy Zarubi.
Burt Reynolds? Uh, not the real Burt Reynolds.
Loni's great, toupee's great- heard all the jokes.
My wife says you're with the P.
D.
We just have a few questions we want to ask you.
Fire away.
Ernest Weiss.
Frank Coggins.
Roy Zarubi.
Those names mean anything to you? No.
But I'll trade names if they want.
Hey, what's this about? Your insurance adjuster, Brian Studler.
You like him? Compared to some of the jerks we've had to deal with since the storm, yeah.
At least he was fair.
More than fair, looks like.
What are you insinuating? You got a major upgrade here.
Most people didn't even get a penny.
I've been through enough without having somebody come here and accuse me of burning down my own house.
It happens, Mr.
Reynolds.
Crooked insurance adjusters rubber stamp a claim, get a kickback, everybody's happy.
I may have to ask you two to get off my property.
And I may have to remind you that we are New Orleans police.
Listen.
Brian Studler was a fair and honest man who saved my family's future by doing the right thing.
The fire was an accident caused by a gas can on my lawnmower.
You don't believe it? Ask the fire marshal; she's the one who figured it out.
Now, have a good day.
What were those names again? It's Ernest Weiss, Roy Zarubi, Frank Coggins and Burt Reynolds.
Loni's doing great.
No.
They don't ring a bell.
But, honestly, there are some legit fires in this town once in a while.
I have to pull up my files.
I'll wait.
I had some time to do a little research on DHT.
The accelerant found in the body? Yeah.
It's not something that you can just pick up at your local hardware store.
It's strictly controlled.
I mean, you need a special license to purchase the stuff.
Well, that should narrow down our field of suspects.
"Smokin' Hot Firefighters of Louisiana.
" Charity thing, to raise money.
I'm February.
February, huh? That's a nice hat.
Look, Cobb I'm not big on sending out signals or picking up on signals being sent to me.
So If you don't want to go to your place, we can go to mine.
Or we can go to a hotel, but I'd rather not spend the cash if I don't have to.
Unless you want to make it complicated The inspector said the mold is a health hazard, so we can't stay here.
BOULET: All sheetrock, including the foundation.
Hell, even the second floor electrical.
We gonna have to gut this place and start all over from scratch.
Not from scratch.
Yes, from scratch, Ayana! Now is not the time for us to bury our heads in the sand.
Look, I looked into some rentals.
We can't afford a two-bedroom in this neighborhood, so I found this one-bedroom place One bedroom, huh? What's Tawni supposed to do, huh? Sleep on the kitchen floor? Two bedrooms, we can afford Mid-City.
Mid-City.
So now that means that Tawni's going to be going to Kelling Middle School, huh? They have knife fights at the cafeteria I'm just trying to figure this out, Marlin.
I'm sorry, baby.
What we gonna do? I don't know.
Look, this isn't much.
I've been saving it from time to time, you know.
Hoping maybe we could go to New York for our anniversary this year, like we always planned.
I can't take that.
Take this and you get your car insurance.
No.
No.
Please.
You can't be taking a chance on that.
I'm sorry, but you got to find another man.
I thought I could do it.
You can do it and you will do it.
These people are my friends.
No.
They're my brothers and sisters, and they let me back in again.
You said you wanted to be back on the force at any cost, right? Well, this is the cost.
What's this? It's coffee.
Coffee? You bringing me coffee now, man? You feeling all right? It's just a cup of coffee.
Mm-mm! No, this is not just coffee.
This is a cafe au lait from CC's.
This is the best damn coffee in this whole parish.
Oh, I get it What? Your sunny, generous disposition.
Could we have had a breakthrough last night in our "interagency cooperation" with the fire department? Can we just please get to work? No, we may not.
Because I'm going to savor in the moment that my partner, who I thought lived in a stone room and slept on All right, hold on a minute.
gave up his vow of chastity to get down to business.
Let's get down to this business.
Oh, okay.
The floor is all yours.
I've said my peace, Friar Cobb.
Eileen said that- Mmm.
Eileen.
Go on.
She said the accelerant that was used to start the fires was Dihydrazino-s-tetrazine.
It's pretty exotic stuff.
You need a license to buy it.
I cross-referenced the permits against our list of owners whose houses were torched.
I got one hit.
Ernest Weiss, chemical engineer for Shore Petroleum.
One of four winners in our arson lottery.
The insurance company paid out.
The maximum benefit.
It's a good thing you got this to go, partner.
Let's go pay him a visit.
Hey, hey, come on, come on, come on.
That's my kid's stuff.
Yeah, well, if you tell us where you're hiding the stuff at your kids won't come home to the traumatizing sight of their Care Bears assuming the position.
I don't even know what you want.
Read the warrant.
The dihydro the didro Boulet.
Dihydrazino-s-tetrazine.
And you have a license to buy it.
What the hell do I want DHT for? It's a, it's a high-nitrogen compound.
It is used to make fireworks.
Sounds like an expert.
Mr.
Wizard.
Yeah.
Good thing you did with the fire though, Ernie.
You know, using the DHT.
It burns clean.
Doesn't even leave a trace.
So, the insurance company sees no sign of arson.
You get a big check.
And you rebuild your lovely little home.
Come on, man.
Money's tight.
You got no place to live And all you have to do is light a match.
You're crazy.
Hey, hey, what about the body? Studler? You must have really hated the guy to do what you did to him.
(laughing): Oh, my God.
Something funny? Yeah.
I find that hard to believe.
I was getting ready to pack up and move.
I had a job offer in Houston.
Better pay, good schools, they're gonna transfer my 401k.
I mean, score, right? But then the insurance company calls me, It started in the hot water heater.
You're covered!" My wife is thrilled.
We get to stay here and be close to her mother in Gretna.
I was close I was so close.
Nothing, man.
The most flammable thing in this place is a bottle of cheap aftershave.
Let's go.
Man.
Smokin'.
Word travels fast.
Not from me.
I don't mind.
Listen, I took a second look at those four fires you asked me about, the ones the insurance company paid out on Right.
If they weren't an accident, somebody did a really good job covering them up.
Not like our clumsy firebug that we're after.
But they do have something in common with the seven other torch jobs.
DHT? I can't prove it, but all four of those fires burned really fast.
Which got me thinking We've been looking at DH as a weapon that eliminates itself, leaves no trace, but there's another reason to use it.
What're you doing? Here.
An emotional reason.
Whoa, whoa.
Oh, oh, it's all right, it's all right.
Burns out fast.
Safe.
Destroys the house, but doesn't destroy any of the houses around it.
Very considerate of him.
Yeah, which doesn't exactly fit the profile, does it? What is the profile? The typical serial arsonist is white, male, has a troubled psychological history that sometimes extends back into childhood.
They have a need to control, to dominate.
Sometimes revenge is a motive What, against a person? Could be a person, could be society, that they feel holds them back, holds them down.
Another motive is excitement.
Excitement, huh? Sexual excitement.
They need to watch.
That's why so many of them show up at the fire scene, to see the fruits of their labor.
But that's the typical arsonist, I mean, he ain't that typical.
He's extra careful, extra safe.
He doesn't sound like the type of guy that would strangle somebody or bash their teeth out.
No.
That's why I'm thinking we're dealing with two different perpetrators- a killer, and an arsonist.
They open the locker, they find ten grand, cash.
Can I help you? It's cool, fella.
NOPD.
Is there a problem,Officer? No.
Just doing a walk-through.
Routine.
Have a good night.
Knock yourself out.
Hey, Officer.
Yeah? I just wanted to say thank you.
I mean you guys took a lot of heat after the storm, and a lot of it unfairly.
But I appreciate all you're doing to clean up our city.
You okay? Yeah.
Thank you.
Meant a lot.
Marlin? Charlie, what are you doing here? ? All that big talk you telling me I was a coward 'cause I went to look after my family.
Charlie, what are you doin' here? Saying how I betrayed you.
Answer me And you took the bait! Bait? What the hell are I'll be damned.
You're workin' for P.
I.
B.
That's how you got promoted so fast.
You're policing the cops.
You ain't nothing but a rat.
You're gonna call me that? After what I saw you do? Look, I ain't did nothin'.
Money in that locker was an integrity check, Marlin.
It was a set-up.
Embry wanted me to spread the word, chum the water- see who went for it.
I never thought it'd be you.
I knew you wanted to be back on the force, man, but to turn on your brothers, just so you could wear a badge? Hey.
Don't get it twisted.
And dirty cops aren't my brothers.
And I ain't dirty.
Then what the hell are you doing? I didn't take the money, Charlie, did I? Did I? My house is rotted to the studs, Charlie.
Me, my family, we're not doing too good right now.
And I thought, just for a second, all this money they're giving to these drug dealers why couldn't I take it and just bring it home to my family? I'm not dirty, Charlie.
And you know that.
So what do we do now? There's a surveillance camera in there watching the lockers.
A camera? It's all over now, man.
It's all over now.
It's automated.
No one's monitoring it except for me.
I'll take care of the camera.
Thank you.
Meet me back at the station.
Hey.
I was kind of hoping I might see you.
What's this? It's your juvenile arrest record.
It took some doing, especially at this hour, but I managed to unseal it.
What the hell is this about? Why don't you tell me? When you were running down your psych profile on arsonists, you left out one obvious warning sign.
A history of starting fires.
I was 15 years old.
I was acting out against my father, who was a controlling son of a bitch, if you must know, and who also happened to be a firefighter, so, what better way to piss him off than to light a little fire in the backyard and make his buddies from the fire station come down and put it out? Was that the only time? Hmm? You have the technical knowledge to start those fires, and your reports cleared all four homeowners, and they got paid off.
Are you actually accusing me of being an arsonist? No, Eileen.
I'm trying to eliminate you as a suspect.
I know this character Ernie Weiss must have something to do with this.
Chemist? Yeah.
Chemical engineer.
He had access to the exact accelerant used in these fires.
Ernest Weiss.
Married, two kids, and a Masters in chemical engineering from Tulane in 1995.
Worked for Sopher Chemical until they went bankrupt in '99, then landed on his feet at Shore Petroleum the following year.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute.
You said the first company he worked for went bankrupt? Yeah.
Sopher Chemical.
We spoke to a guy who said his company went bust, too.
In '99.
Uh Burt Reynolds.
But not the Burt Reynolds, but Burt Reynolds.
Come on, find the file.
Yeah, here it is.
Reynolds.
He worked corporate security, Sopher Chemical, 1992 to 1999.
He told me he didn't know the other guys whose houses got burned.
Maybe he didn't.
Sopher was a big company.
Yeah.
Not that big.
Look, look at this.
Here we are.
Coggins and Zarubi, the other two homeowners whose fire claims were paid in full.
Let me guess.
Sopher Chemical.
Is this how you conduct all your investigations, Detective? Sleep with your suspect? I want an explanation.
I'm fascinated with fire.
I always have been.
I love everything about it.
The way it moves, the way it lives, how you control it.
That's why I got into this business.
That's why I worked my ass off to make it in a man's profession, so that I could do what I loved.
You want to arrest me, go ahead But I'm not going to apologize for who I am.
Yeah.
Cobb, looks like Mr.
Wizard's our guy after all.
Mm-hmm.
The four guys whose claims got paid by Studler- they worked for the same company.
They knew each other, man.
All of 'em know one another.
I'm heading to Weiss' house now.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm en route right now.
What's going on? Around the back.
Sounds like there's just two of them.
Yeah, I guess it's a little late for a barbecue, huh? Yeah.
Hey, go over there.
Charlie and I'll take this side.
Look, Burt, I'm not going to say anything, all right? Keep your voice down.
Now write.
"To my dear family and friends.
I am so sorry Listen to me, you son of a bitch! Do you hear me? I- I I can't do it, Burt, 'cause you're just going to kill me if I write it anyway.
Think about what I'm going to do if you don't write it.
Your kids and your wife- they're in the house, right? No.
This was your idea, Burt.
You killed Studler.
I didn't even know his body was in the house! You go to hell! BOULET: Freeze! Easy.
Easy.
Police officers.
Put the gun down.
Burt and Ernie.
How could I not see that? Back off, or I'll kill him.
No, you won't, because if you shoot him, I'm going to shoot you.
Listen to him, Burt.
Drop your weapon.
You don't understand this.
No.
I think I do.
You were just trying to protect your family.
Am I right? Just trying to put a roof over their head.
But what happens to your family when you force us to blow you away? What happens then, Burt? Come on.
Just put it down.
Right here.
It was Burt's idea.
He told Brian it was a win-win.
We get our houses rebuilt, and Brian gets to feel like he's actually doing something good for a change.
So, you used the DH to make sure the fires wouldn't spread? Yeah, make sure there was no sign of arson.
That way, Brian could pay the claims and be totally in the clear.
He joked he-he felt like Robin Hood.
Yeah.
So, how did he end up dead? Burt realized it would only draw attention to us if we only burned our own houses.
Mm-hmm.
You needed the fires to look clumsy, like they'd been set.
So, Studler could deny the claims.
Yeah, Burt called them the sacrificial lambs.
Yeah.
Like Edna Terrabone.
When Brian found out about it, he flipped, he threatened to go to the police, and I-I guess I didn't even know there was a body in the house.
Okay? I was just supposed to burn it, make it look clumsy, like arson, and Brian could deny the claim.
I didn't even know he was dead.
I Hmm.
One of your own people knew they were burning down folks' houses? That's not going to look good in a lawsuit.
Good thing you boys got deep pockets.
You got any antacid? I was hoping to get one of those calendars.
Sorry.
Fresh out.
Might be able to get you a copy I hear they had a lot left over.
Nah, I think I'll pass.
Look, maybe it's the job, but I tend to think the worst of people.
Just forget about it, all right? The point is, I'm sorry.
That's all I came here to say.
I should be the last person judging anybody by their past.
Well, see you around.
I'll get you a copy of that calendar.
It broke? Yeah, it did, Captain.
And if I can speak frankly, it pisses me off.
I mean, it's hard enough to do what I'm doing.
I go in there to check the camera, and there's chewed-up videotape all over the damn place.
That's typical.
Everything in this department is second-hand and broken down.
But the money's still there, right? Nobody touched it.
All right, well, you stay on it.
Then we'll get you a new camera.
You find out anything else? No, sir.
You're doing the right thing, Charlie.
Look, I can't clean up the whole department, but in my little corner of it- I won't stand for a bad cop.
And I'm not talking about somebody accidentally busting a door open every now and then.
There's somebody rotten out there.
And when we find out who that guy is, he's going down hard.
It's coming along so nice.
Hey, baby! Well, you wanted a miracle, baby.
Hello, Marlin.
Hey, Edna.
Edna, what-what is this? They wanted to say thank you.
For what? Well, since you were the one that found out that insurance man was involved in those fires, In fact, they were so scared that we was gonna sue their butts, they were more than generous.
Edna, that's good for you, but, you know, I-I still don't understand I thought you were a bright young man, Marlin Boulet.
Now, we all heard you was moving.
Yes.
And since you helped us get our homes back, we wanted to help you keep yours, so we all chipped in with our settlement checks to help fix up this place.
Hey, Edna, you didn't have to Shh! I know we didn't, baby.
You okay? I'm fine, baby.
Good.
I'm fine.
Hey, why y'all just standing around here? Come on, get back to work! Hey, hey, give me one of them hammers! Font Color="#4096d1"ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÄ»Ãé - =Http:/Www.
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I'm going to have my reinstatement hearing this week.
We're allowed to bring character witnesses.
I want you to be mine.
You won't give him a second chance? Well, I'm leaning toward taking him back.
Ms.
Sweeney, I assume? Sheldon Lear, TBD Insurance.
You say you were in Baton Rouge all day, Ms.
Sweeney? Got the call a couple of hours ago.
Came right down.
And there are people that can verify that story? Story? Fire marshal hasn't been here yet.
What'd the fire fighters on the scene say? They don't know what caused it.
Do you have any ideas? No one's lived in this house since the storm, you know that.
There's not even electricity.
I don't know what it could have been.
We'll see.
A lot of people in this city burn down their homes to collect on the insurance.
You've got a lot of nerve.
You and your thief company refuse to pay out after Katrina, and now you want to accuse me of being a criminal? I grew up here.
My daughter took her first steps right over there.
I loved this house.
Sorry for your loss.
I paid my premiums all those years and when I need my money, you want to find some loophole not to give it to me? I asked you not to touch me, Ms.
Sweeney.
I am simply doing my job.
Your job Ms.
Sweeney is to ruin people's lives.
Ms.
Sweeney! Stay away, Ms.
Sweeney.
Stay back! I will defend myself if I have to.
Oh, my God! You'd think once, just once, they'd have hot water around here.
Why don't you just shower at home? Is it really your business, Glue Boy? All right, everybody, I think most of y'all know Charlie Pratt.
Well, he's one of us now.
Charlie's been away for a while, and despite some troubles we should all be glad that a good cop is back where he belongs.
Hey congratulations, man.
Welcome back.
Wouldn't have happened without you.
Welcome back.
Thank you.
Give that some time.
Just give it some time.
Charlie, you'll be back on the desk for the first few weeks.
See how we do things at F.
A.
S.
Help out when you can.
Whatever you need, sir.
Boulet, grab Cobb.
1701 Warfield, you got yourself a hot one.
You know, over in Afghanistan, we used to have a saying when you ran across a burnt body.
"He died smiling.
" Yeah, that's heartwarming.
Only thing that was left, Boulet, was teeth.
Not this guy.
He could've been a toothless, homeless squatter 'cause nobody's lived in this place since Katrina.
You're standing on my evidence.
Excuse me? Eileen McGillis, Fire Marshal.
I'm here to determine whether this fire was caused by arson or not.
Until I do, this house is my evidence.
Marlin Boulet, NOPD.
Maybe you noticed the French-fried fella we have on the floor here.
That's why this investigation got bumped to the top of my list.
I'm working my way through a backlog of burn sites.
This isn't the first accidental death we've seen.
Accident? No, this is no accident.
Who are you? Trevor Cobb, F.
A.
S.
We have priority here.
So you can either work with us, or you can wait until we're done.
Well, apparently you already figured it out.
So what makes you say this wasn't an accident? I don't know about the fire, but this guy's got no teeth.
Could be homeless.
That's what I said, but even a toothless guy has a couple in their mouth.
Come here for one second.
You see how his jaw is cracked? Mm-hmm.
This guy's teeth were bashed in.
I'm guessing before he was burned.
So somebody went through a lot of effort so this man wouldn't be identified by his dental records.
It may be arson, but it's definitely murder.
font color="#4096d1"±¾ÃÃĻ½Ã¹©Ã§Ã°½»Ã÷£¬ÃýûÃÃÃÃÃÃõÃÃþ ½ÃºóÃà Ãú µÃû¼¾µÃ8¼¯ - =ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÄ»Ãé=- ·ÂÃ룺¸ÃÃÃID ã㺸ÃÃÃID ñ¼äÃ᣺ÃÃÃ¥þÃÃÃé áÃìÃì üÃ㺸ÃÃÃID We got to find out who our vic was.
You know, see what connections pop up.
Trevor.
Charlie, welcome back to the squad.
Listen, um you dove into that water, man.
You saved my life and I, I don't I can't thank you enough.
Me and my family.
You got it, man.
Hope you would've done the same for me.
Anyway, on our vic I'm going through missing persons.
Anything solid to help me out? Not right now, Charlie, all right? We'll let you know when we need something, though.
I thought you two were good.
No, we are good, man, it's It's not Charlie at all.
It's just that I spent eight years as a uni before I got assigned this squad.
During the storm, he runs off, gets reinstated, back here at F.
A.
S.
? 9:00 Heat-seeking missile coming in at 9:00.
Officers.
Fire Marshal.
1701 Warfield was definitely arson.
Pretty crude job, actually.
Splash and dash.
So you came all the way down here to tell us that, huh? Due to the homicide, I have to coordinate my investigation with you, if that's all right.
Is it all right with you? It is what it is.
I need to take a look at the victim's body in the morgue.
Might reveal some clues that wouldn't show up at the house.
Sure.
We were just heading over there.
As a matter of fact, my partner, Cobb, was just about to call you and ask you to tag along.
So perfect timing.
Yeah.
A crushed trachea consistent with strangulation.
Strangulation? So our vic was dead before the fire started? I'm afraid it's a little less pleasant than that, Bou.
Uh, scarring on the esophagus suggests our John Doe was still breathing when the house went up in flames.
What about his teeth? Bashed out.
Guessing a metal instrument.
A pipe, like you said, maybe a wrench.
What? What color are your eyes? I can't tell for sure.
Blue.
Just barely, though, like, salt-water blue.
Did anything pop up in the toxicology screen? Uh, the usual smoky suspects.
Uh Carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, phosgene and one little surprise.
Dihydrazino-s s-tetrazine? What's that? It's a chemical accelerant.
Where you going? Burn site.
I'm gonna follow up on that.
Yeah.
Where there's smoke, there's fire, right? Never mind.
He knew what I was talking about.
Damn! I burned the steak.
What's this? $19.
95 for a subscription to Aquarium World? Yeah, your daughter sold it to us.
School fundraiser.
She likes fish.
You all right? Yeah, baby.
It's just that we could use a Boulet family fund-raiser around here right about now.
We always manage, Marlin.
Hey, baby love don't pay the bills.
Come on, now, we'll find a way.
I've been driving without car insurance.
When I'm on duty, the department picks it up.
How often am I not on duty? It's that bad? I didn't want to tell you anything 'cause I didn't want you to worry, but for the last couple of months I've been juggling, baby.
I've been borrowing this to pay that.
We don't have that much left to juggle.
I'll get a job.
No! No, we've already talked about this, okay? Tawni, she needs her mama.
Besides, whatever money you're gonna make, most of it's gonna be going to some childcare anyway.
Look, I'll get some details.
Work private security.
No Ayana, look, we're not making it on my salary alone.
Look, you work 'round the clock as it is.
You start doing details, when you gonna sleep? 4:00 to 5:00 a.
m.
? I don't know, baby.
All I do know is that we need a miracle from up above to come down real soon.
And if it don't we're going to have to make some hard decisions.
You sure you don't want to wait and do this in the morning? I don't like to waste time.
Here, hold this.
Light that u Aren't you a little young to be a fire marshal? Yeah.
And I got girly parts, too.
What gives, right? Just a question, don't take it the wrong way.
My father was a captain in the NOFD for 20 years.
I grew up around fire.
I know it inside and out.
I was too short to serve on an engine company, so I went after this job.
Son of a bitch.
Do you see that? I'm not sure what I'm looking at.
Are these from another fire? Six other fires, all arson cases from the past few months.
Unlivable houses just like this.
You only had six of those? No, we've logged close to 180 suspicious fires, citywide.
But these six there was something else.
The fires burned out fast, almost too fast.
Mm-hmm.
The fires were out before we could even get there.
I had to chalk it up to a fluke because I could never find any evidence.
Evidence of what? A fast-burning accelerant.
A chemical that's used to spread, but not start the fire.
There's a bunch of them out there, but a couple of 'em are self-exterminating, meaning they leave no trace of themselves.
Except in a body.
That's right.
Right.
Our John Doe breathed in dihydrazino-s-tetrazine, which totally fits the bill.
Hmm.
You really think I look that young? How old are you? Old enough.
Oh, hey, partner.
Little spring in your stride this morning? Everything's good.
Boulet, take it easy, buddy.
You couldn't close that deal? Man, I thought she was gonna push Charcoal Man off the table and do you right there in the morgue.
Cobb, how'd you keep her off of you, huh? A Taser? Pepper spray? Or maybe it was just a look from those, uh, salt-water blue eyes.
Where are we on that arson/homicide? Here you go.
The fire marshal thinks the same accelerant was used in six other arsons.
The homeowners might've hired the same arsonist to torch their places to get insurance settlements.
Loretta Sweeney, Edna Terrabone Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Edna Terrabone? Nah, nah.
This was the nurse that helped my mother ten years ago when she fell and broke her hip.
Uh-uh.
She's got to be pushing 70 now.
Well, it's never too late to cash in.
Did it work? No, that's the thing.
TBD Insurance handled all the claims, and every one was denied.
TBD Insurance? Yeah.
One of our missing persons worked for them.
Hold on.
Yeah.
A, uh, Brian Studler, reported missing Wednesday was an insurance adjuster for TBD Insurance.
An insurance adjuster in post-Katrina New Orleans? Yeah, that oughta narrow down our suspect list, to what- 20, 30,000? £¿£¿ So these all the owners of the arson houses? Yeah.
I say we bring 'em one at a time, Cap.
That'd be best.
We're thinking conspiracy,right? Mm-hmm.
Well, let's see if they look at each other like coconspirators.
Okay.
Edna.
Let me get you a more comfortable place to sit.
Why don't you just come sit at my desk, back here.
All right.
Okay.
How's retirement treating you? I still volunteer down at the hospital.
Keep busy.
Never thought I'd find you sitting across the desk, looking at me the way you're looking at me, Marlin.
How am I looking at you? Like I did something wrong.
What did you think about Brian Studler? Turned down my claim for the flood, then again for the fire.
Edna, I'm not accusing you of anything.
But I know how it is to be pushed to the edge.
Marlin I have spent almost 50 years of my life as a nurse, helping people.
Now, why in the world would I undo the work that the good Lord put me on this earth for? I did not have my house burned down.
And I can't say it no more clearer than that.
Thought I was going to Vice, to tell the truth.
It was practically a done deal.
So what happened? Uh, two Vice detectives told me a story, that's what happened.
Six months, they're zeroing in on this low-life dealer named C-Saw.
Like in the playground? Nice.
They figured out that C-Saw would go to Union Passenger Terminal every other Monday, take a bag from the locker.
Same locker every time, number 714.
Babe Ruth's home run total, also nice.
Glue Boy, let him tell the story.
Anyway, they opened the locker, and they find ten grand, cash, so they arrest his ass.
The very next day, not only do they have to kick the guy loose, but they've got to give the money back to him.
What? Does this guy have pictures on the mayor or something? Wild guess.
He was on the Feds' payroll.
Exactly.
He was an informant, ratting out the cartels.
But still dealing his own drugs.
And that's when I thought to myself, no, thank you.
I'd rather go to F.
A.
S.
, where when you make an arrest, it sticks.
Some of the time.
Only some of the time.
Man, you're doing a hell of a job so far.
First week on the job, seven suspects in a murder/arson.
Not really, 'cause they're all innocent.
You got the hard evidence to back that up? Edna Terrabone is my hard evidence.
She's telling the truth, and so are the rest of them.
It still doesn't rule out the fire marshal's theory that the same arsonist torched all their homes.
Maybe we're dealing with a pyromaniac or a serial arsonist.
But not somebody who was paid by the people we hauled in here today.
This, I know in my bones.
Okay.
Well, who killed the insurance man? You guys sure it was Brian? I mean, burned-up body, no teeth.
Yeah.
We pulled some DNA out of his bones.
Definitely Brian Studler.
Yeah, poor guy.
Well, there's not much to tell you.
What about his personal life? He have any problems there? No idea.
Show up to work, do your job, that's all I care about.
So, he was a good employee? Eh Truth is, Brian didn't really have the stomach for this job.
Really? What makes you say that? For one, it's dangerous.
Baby never leaves my side.
Here we go.
Danger part of it aside, Brian also didn't like to deliver bad news, and, frankly, that's mostly what we do here.
Who the hell doesn't want a job where you get to say yes, yes, yes all day long? Well, it seems that Brian was Dr.
No.
Seven fires, seven insurance claims, all denied.
Dr.
No? That's my nickname.
Compared to me, Brian was Santa Claus.
I'll show you.
Hey.
What's this, right here? Oh.
Brian sent a donation or something, so they sent that.
Sunday morning Christian.
Spend all day turning everybody down, and send in 20 bucks so he can feel good about himself.
What's this? I said Brian was Santa Claus? Here's what he left under some people's trees.
Four fires, all approved by Brian Studler.
Full payouts? The max.
Don't think Brian didn't get his ass chewed about that.
Ernest Weiss.
Frank Coggins.
Roy Zarubi.
Burt Reynolds? Uh, not the real Burt Reynolds.
Loni's great, toupee's great- heard all the jokes.
My wife says you're with the P.
D.
We just have a few questions we want to ask you.
Fire away.
Ernest Weiss.
Frank Coggins.
Roy Zarubi.
Those names mean anything to you? No.
But I'll trade names if they want.
Hey, what's this about? Your insurance adjuster, Brian Studler.
You like him? Compared to some of the jerks we've had to deal with since the storm, yeah.
At least he was fair.
More than fair, looks like.
What are you insinuating? You got a major upgrade here.
Most people didn't even get a penny.
I've been through enough without having somebody come here and accuse me of burning down my own house.
It happens, Mr.
Reynolds.
Crooked insurance adjusters rubber stamp a claim, get a kickback, everybody's happy.
I may have to ask you two to get off my property.
And I may have to remind you that we are New Orleans police.
Listen.
Brian Studler was a fair and honest man who saved my family's future by doing the right thing.
The fire was an accident caused by a gas can on my lawnmower.
You don't believe it? Ask the fire marshal; she's the one who figured it out.
Now, have a good day.
What were those names again? It's Ernest Weiss, Roy Zarubi, Frank Coggins and Burt Reynolds.
Loni's doing great.
No.
They don't ring a bell.
But, honestly, there are some legit fires in this town once in a while.
I have to pull up my files.
I'll wait.
I had some time to do a little research on DHT.
The accelerant found in the body? Yeah.
It's not something that you can just pick up at your local hardware store.
It's strictly controlled.
I mean, you need a special license to purchase the stuff.
Well, that should narrow down our field of suspects.
"Smokin' Hot Firefighters of Louisiana.
" Charity thing, to raise money.
I'm February.
February, huh? That's a nice hat.
Look, Cobb I'm not big on sending out signals or picking up on signals being sent to me.
So If you don't want to go to your place, we can go to mine.
Or we can go to a hotel, but I'd rather not spend the cash if I don't have to.
Unless you want to make it complicated The inspector said the mold is a health hazard, so we can't stay here.
BOULET: All sheetrock, including the foundation.
Hell, even the second floor electrical.
We gonna have to gut this place and start all over from scratch.
Not from scratch.
Yes, from scratch, Ayana! Now is not the time for us to bury our heads in the sand.
Look, I looked into some rentals.
We can't afford a two-bedroom in this neighborhood, so I found this one-bedroom place One bedroom, huh? What's Tawni supposed to do, huh? Sleep on the kitchen floor? Two bedrooms, we can afford Mid-City.
Mid-City.
So now that means that Tawni's going to be going to Kelling Middle School, huh? They have knife fights at the cafeteria I'm just trying to figure this out, Marlin.
I'm sorry, baby.
What we gonna do? I don't know.
Look, this isn't much.
I've been saving it from time to time, you know.
Hoping maybe we could go to New York for our anniversary this year, like we always planned.
I can't take that.
Take this and you get your car insurance.
No.
No.
Please.
You can't be taking a chance on that.
I'm sorry, but you got to find another man.
I thought I could do it.
You can do it and you will do it.
These people are my friends.
No.
They're my brothers and sisters, and they let me back in again.
You said you wanted to be back on the force at any cost, right? Well, this is the cost.
What's this? It's coffee.
Coffee? You bringing me coffee now, man? You feeling all right? It's just a cup of coffee.
Mm-mm! No, this is not just coffee.
This is a cafe au lait from CC's.
This is the best damn coffee in this whole parish.
Oh, I get it What? Your sunny, generous disposition.
Could we have had a breakthrough last night in our "interagency cooperation" with the fire department? Can we just please get to work? No, we may not.
Because I'm going to savor in the moment that my partner, who I thought lived in a stone room and slept on All right, hold on a minute.
gave up his vow of chastity to get down to business.
Let's get down to this business.
Oh, okay.
The floor is all yours.
I've said my peace, Friar Cobb.
Eileen said that- Mmm.
Eileen.
Go on.
She said the accelerant that was used to start the fires was Dihydrazino-s-tetrazine.
It's pretty exotic stuff.
You need a license to buy it.
I cross-referenced the permits against our list of owners whose houses were torched.
I got one hit.
Ernest Weiss, chemical engineer for Shore Petroleum.
One of four winners in our arson lottery.
The insurance company paid out.
The maximum benefit.
It's a good thing you got this to go, partner.
Let's go pay him a visit.
Hey, hey, come on, come on, come on.
That's my kid's stuff.
Yeah, well, if you tell us where you're hiding the stuff at your kids won't come home to the traumatizing sight of their Care Bears assuming the position.
I don't even know what you want.
Read the warrant.
The dihydro the didro Boulet.
Dihydrazino-s-tetrazine.
And you have a license to buy it.
What the hell do I want DHT for? It's a, it's a high-nitrogen compound.
It is used to make fireworks.
Sounds like an expert.
Mr.
Wizard.
Yeah.
Good thing you did with the fire though, Ernie.
You know, using the DHT.
It burns clean.
Doesn't even leave a trace.
So, the insurance company sees no sign of arson.
You get a big check.
And you rebuild your lovely little home.
Come on, man.
Money's tight.
You got no place to live And all you have to do is light a match.
You're crazy.
Hey, hey, what about the body? Studler? You must have really hated the guy to do what you did to him.
(laughing): Oh, my God.
Something funny? Yeah.
I find that hard to believe.
I was getting ready to pack up and move.
I had a job offer in Houston.
Better pay, good schools, they're gonna transfer my 401k.
I mean, score, right? But then the insurance company calls me, It started in the hot water heater.
You're covered!" My wife is thrilled.
We get to stay here and be close to her mother in Gretna.
I was close I was so close.
Nothing, man.
The most flammable thing in this place is a bottle of cheap aftershave.
Let's go.
Man.
Smokin'.
Word travels fast.
Not from me.
I don't mind.
Listen, I took a second look at those four fires you asked me about, the ones the insurance company paid out on Right.
If they weren't an accident, somebody did a really good job covering them up.
Not like our clumsy firebug that we're after.
But they do have something in common with the seven other torch jobs.
DHT? I can't prove it, but all four of those fires burned really fast.
Which got me thinking We've been looking at DH as a weapon that eliminates itself, leaves no trace, but there's another reason to use it.
What're you doing? Here.
An emotional reason.
Whoa, whoa.
Oh, oh, it's all right, it's all right.
Burns out fast.
Safe.
Destroys the house, but doesn't destroy any of the houses around it.
Very considerate of him.
Yeah, which doesn't exactly fit the profile, does it? What is the profile? The typical serial arsonist is white, male, has a troubled psychological history that sometimes extends back into childhood.
They have a need to control, to dominate.
Sometimes revenge is a motive What, against a person? Could be a person, could be society, that they feel holds them back, holds them down.
Another motive is excitement.
Excitement, huh? Sexual excitement.
They need to watch.
That's why so many of them show up at the fire scene, to see the fruits of their labor.
But that's the typical arsonist, I mean, he ain't that typical.
He's extra careful, extra safe.
He doesn't sound like the type of guy that would strangle somebody or bash their teeth out.
No.
That's why I'm thinking we're dealing with two different perpetrators- a killer, and an arsonist.
They open the locker, they find ten grand, cash.
Can I help you? It's cool, fella.
NOPD.
Is there a problem,Officer? No.
Just doing a walk-through.
Routine.
Have a good night.
Knock yourself out.
Hey, Officer.
Yeah? I just wanted to say thank you.
I mean you guys took a lot of heat after the storm, and a lot of it unfairly.
But I appreciate all you're doing to clean up our city.
You okay? Yeah.
Thank you.
Meant a lot.
Marlin? Charlie, what are you doing here? ? All that big talk you telling me I was a coward 'cause I went to look after my family.
Charlie, what are you doin' here? Saying how I betrayed you.
Answer me And you took the bait! Bait? What the hell are I'll be damned.
You're workin' for P.
I.
B.
That's how you got promoted so fast.
You're policing the cops.
You ain't nothing but a rat.
You're gonna call me that? After what I saw you do? Look, I ain't did nothin'.
Money in that locker was an integrity check, Marlin.
It was a set-up.
Embry wanted me to spread the word, chum the water- see who went for it.
I never thought it'd be you.
I knew you wanted to be back on the force, man, but to turn on your brothers, just so you could wear a badge? Hey.
Don't get it twisted.
And dirty cops aren't my brothers.
And I ain't dirty.
Then what the hell are you doing? I didn't take the money, Charlie, did I? Did I? My house is rotted to the studs, Charlie.
Me, my family, we're not doing too good right now.
And I thought, just for a second, all this money they're giving to these drug dealers why couldn't I take it and just bring it home to my family? I'm not dirty, Charlie.
And you know that.
So what do we do now? There's a surveillance camera in there watching the lockers.
A camera? It's all over now, man.
It's all over now.
It's automated.
No one's monitoring it except for me.
I'll take care of the camera.
Thank you.
Meet me back at the station.
Hey.
I was kind of hoping I might see you.
What's this? It's your juvenile arrest record.
It took some doing, especially at this hour, but I managed to unseal it.
What the hell is this about? Why don't you tell me? When you were running down your psych profile on arsonists, you left out one obvious warning sign.
A history of starting fires.
I was 15 years old.
I was acting out against my father, who was a controlling son of a bitch, if you must know, and who also happened to be a firefighter, so, what better way to piss him off than to light a little fire in the backyard and make his buddies from the fire station come down and put it out? Was that the only time? Hmm? You have the technical knowledge to start those fires, and your reports cleared all four homeowners, and they got paid off.
Are you actually accusing me of being an arsonist? No, Eileen.
I'm trying to eliminate you as a suspect.
I know this character Ernie Weiss must have something to do with this.
Chemist? Yeah.
Chemical engineer.
He had access to the exact accelerant used in these fires.
Ernest Weiss.
Married, two kids, and a Masters in chemical engineering from Tulane in 1995.
Worked for Sopher Chemical until they went bankrupt in '99, then landed on his feet at Shore Petroleum the following year.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute.
You said the first company he worked for went bankrupt? Yeah.
Sopher Chemical.
We spoke to a guy who said his company went bust, too.
In '99.
Uh Burt Reynolds.
But not the Burt Reynolds, but Burt Reynolds.
Come on, find the file.
Yeah, here it is.
Reynolds.
He worked corporate security, Sopher Chemical, 1992 to 1999.
He told me he didn't know the other guys whose houses got burned.
Maybe he didn't.
Sopher was a big company.
Yeah.
Not that big.
Look, look at this.
Here we are.
Coggins and Zarubi, the other two homeowners whose fire claims were paid in full.
Let me guess.
Sopher Chemical.
Is this how you conduct all your investigations, Detective? Sleep with your suspect? I want an explanation.
I'm fascinated with fire.
I always have been.
I love everything about it.
The way it moves, the way it lives, how you control it.
That's why I got into this business.
That's why I worked my ass off to make it in a man's profession, so that I could do what I loved.
You want to arrest me, go ahead But I'm not going to apologize for who I am.
Yeah.
Cobb, looks like Mr.
Wizard's our guy after all.
Mm-hmm.
The four guys whose claims got paid by Studler- they worked for the same company.
They knew each other, man.
All of 'em know one another.
I'm heading to Weiss' house now.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm en route right now.
What's going on? Around the back.
Sounds like there's just two of them.
Yeah, I guess it's a little late for a barbecue, huh? Yeah.
Hey, go over there.
Charlie and I'll take this side.
Look, Burt, I'm not going to say anything, all right? Keep your voice down.
Now write.
"To my dear family and friends.
I am so sorry Listen to me, you son of a bitch! Do you hear me? I- I I can't do it, Burt, 'cause you're just going to kill me if I write it anyway.
Think about what I'm going to do if you don't write it.
Your kids and your wife- they're in the house, right? No.
This was your idea, Burt.
You killed Studler.
I didn't even know his body was in the house! You go to hell! BOULET: Freeze! Easy.
Easy.
Police officers.
Put the gun down.
Burt and Ernie.
How could I not see that? Back off, or I'll kill him.
No, you won't, because if you shoot him, I'm going to shoot you.
Listen to him, Burt.
Drop your weapon.
You don't understand this.
No.
I think I do.
You were just trying to protect your family.
Am I right? Just trying to put a roof over their head.
But what happens to your family when you force us to blow you away? What happens then, Burt? Come on.
Just put it down.
Right here.
It was Burt's idea.
He told Brian it was a win-win.
We get our houses rebuilt, and Brian gets to feel like he's actually doing something good for a change.
So, you used the DH to make sure the fires wouldn't spread? Yeah, make sure there was no sign of arson.
That way, Brian could pay the claims and be totally in the clear.
He joked he-he felt like Robin Hood.
Yeah.
So, how did he end up dead? Burt realized it would only draw attention to us if we only burned our own houses.
Mm-hmm.
You needed the fires to look clumsy, like they'd been set.
So, Studler could deny the claims.
Yeah, Burt called them the sacrificial lambs.
Yeah.
Like Edna Terrabone.
When Brian found out about it, he flipped, he threatened to go to the police, and I-I guess I didn't even know there was a body in the house.
Okay? I was just supposed to burn it, make it look clumsy, like arson, and Brian could deny the claim.
I didn't even know he was dead.
I Hmm.
One of your own people knew they were burning down folks' houses? That's not going to look good in a lawsuit.
Good thing you boys got deep pockets.
You got any antacid? I was hoping to get one of those calendars.
Sorry.
Fresh out.
Might be able to get you a copy I hear they had a lot left over.
Nah, I think I'll pass.
Look, maybe it's the job, but I tend to think the worst of people.
Just forget about it, all right? The point is, I'm sorry.
That's all I came here to say.
I should be the last person judging anybody by their past.
Well, see you around.
I'll get you a copy of that calendar.
It broke? Yeah, it did, Captain.
And if I can speak frankly, it pisses me off.
I mean, it's hard enough to do what I'm doing.
I go in there to check the camera, and there's chewed-up videotape all over the damn place.
That's typical.
Everything in this department is second-hand and broken down.
But the money's still there, right? Nobody touched it.
All right, well, you stay on it.
Then we'll get you a new camera.
You find out anything else? No, sir.
You're doing the right thing, Charlie.
Look, I can't clean up the whole department, but in my little corner of it- I won't stand for a bad cop.
And I'm not talking about somebody accidentally busting a door open every now and then.
There's somebody rotten out there.
And when we find out who that guy is, he's going down hard.
It's coming along so nice.
Hey, baby! Well, you wanted a miracle, baby.
Hello, Marlin.
Hey, Edna.
Edna, what-what is this? They wanted to say thank you.
For what? Well, since you were the one that found out that insurance man was involved in those fires, In fact, they were so scared that we was gonna sue their butts, they were more than generous.
Edna, that's good for you, but, you know, I-I still don't understand I thought you were a bright young man, Marlin Boulet.
Now, we all heard you was moving.
Yes.
And since you helped us get our homes back, we wanted to help you keep yours, so we all chipped in with our settlement checks to help fix up this place.
Hey, Edna, you didn't have to Shh! I know we didn't, baby.
You okay? I'm fine, baby.
Good.
I'm fine.
Hey, why y'all just standing around here? Come on, get back to work! Hey, hey, give me one of them hammers! Font Color="#4096d1"ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÄ»Ãé - =Http:/Www.
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