The Protector (2011) s01e09 Episode Script
Affairs
You and I, will be young forever You make me feel like I'm living a teena-- Ohh.
[ Laughs .]
[ Beep .]
Hey, look what I found.
What, it's a T-shirt? No, it's like my favorite T-shirt -- the one that I used to wear to sleep all the time.
I hadn't seen it for like months.
And it was in the bottom of Leo's costume bin.
You have a night with no kids, and you're cleaning closets? Well, I'm doing it to music.
- I'm gonna go to a movie, okay? - All right.
I'm assuming that you don't want to come.
Uh, no, I'm good.
Thanks.
- Bye.
- Have fun.
[ Beep .]
[ Off-key .]
you make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream [ Indistinct conversations .]
- Hey, Stace.
- Hey, Billy.
Get you a Margarita? Yes, please.
That'd be great.
- How we doing tonight? - Pretty good.
Yourself? - Outstanding.
- Great.
Enjoy.
Thank you.
[ Cellphone chimes .]
Oh.
Well, hello, gentlemen.
Hello.
How are you? Good to see you, Stace.
Oh.
[ Laughs .]
Mm.
You look very pretty tonight.
- For real.
- Thanks, Frankie.
Thank you.
And I like that shirt.
It's a good color on you.
Two drinks on the way for you, too.
So we can get your mind in a very good place.
- My mind? Really? - Get it off of work.
How about that? Oh, that's better.
Uh-huh.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Yes.
Mmm.
Oh! And I got tickets to Saturday's Dodgers game.
Really good seats, too.
Yeah? What do you say? "Go blue.
" [ Chuckles .]
[ Clears throat .]
Frankie, man! Hey! What up, baby? How you doing, man? Man, never better.
Really good.
Oh, this is my girlfriend, Michelle Dulcett.
Roger Jones.
Jonsie works with me in Major Crimes.
Uh, nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
[ Chuckles .]
And the other guy says, "Quit? And give up show business?" [ Laughter .]
[ Cellphone chimes .]
Uh I got to bounce.
Hot date? Maybe.
Mm.
Roger: Frankie here has been bragging about you forever.
Oh.
Ha ha.
The Protector 1x09 Affairs [ Brakes squeal .]
Come on.
Will you? Ohh! [ Sirens wailing in distance .]
[ Camera shutter clicks .]
Gloria: Hey, Buerge.
You lead on this one? Yeah.
Good morning, detectives.
The victim is a 30-year-old white female named Stacey Brown.
Cause of death appears to be blunt-force trauma to the head.
We think she was heading into her house.
There's a lot of blood over there.
Based on the spray, she never made it inside.
The killer put her inside a trash can? Yeah.
Used the container to wheel her to the curb.
A sanitation worker found her around 7:00 when he hopped out of his truck to stand the container back up.
It was on its side? Yeah, lucky for us.
Coroner puts the time of death around midnight.
Looks like she was beaten even after she was dead.
I saw her last night.
She was at Parker's.
You know her? No, but she was sitting with a bunch of cops, so somebody around here might.
Hey, what do you think she weighs? About, what, 120? Yeah, that sounds about right.
She have a purse or anything, Buerge? No.
If she had a bag, it's gone.
But we've got uniforms checking every container down the block, and we've suspended trash service in the area.
What the hell is she doing? If I knew, I'd tell you.
You know what? These things are built to take a hit, all right? So why is that one on its side? Buerge: A lot of them down the block are turned over.
Yeah, but those are all empty.
Killer could have panicked.
It could have been clipped by a car.
- Maybe.
- Hey, this is Stacey.
Dulcett recognized her, too.
Said she was at Parker's last night.
How well do you know her? Mostly from the bar.
We have some of the same friends.
We'd hang out, have drinks.
Anything else? She liked cops.
Really liked cops.
You saying she was a badge bunny? You guys still use that term? With affection.
[ Scoffs .]
All right, so we've got a brutally beaten dead woman who likes to sleep with cops who's about, what, like four blocks away from Parker's, which means that the killer could have followed her after she left the bar last night.
You're saying the killer could have been a cop? I'm saying we have to be extra careful as we move forward.
Looks like she owns a jewelry business with another woman named Holly Marks.
That explains these photos.
Looks like high-end stuff.
Maybe the killer thought she brought her work home with her.
Something kind of weird happened at Parker's last night.
Frankie introduced me as his girlfriend.
- Are you seeing other guys? - No.
Do you have Frankie's number programmed into your phone? Of course.
How do you feel about him sleeping with other women? Out of the question.
Sounds like a girlfriend to me.
What do you say we start with the partner, okay? [ Siren chirping .]
[ Siren wails .]
Did you hear about this morning -- young lady stuffed in a trash can.
I guess she spent a lot of time at Parker's.
Yeah.
Word's out.
Stacey Brown.
You knew her? From the bar.
Sweet kid.
Terrible thing.
Well, anything I can do, let me know.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I know her.
But Billy was on last night.
You should talk to him.
Any security cameras in here? In a cop bar? What about the parking lot out back? We only got a few spaces for our employees.
Most people park on the street or behind the Chinese restaurant.
You kind of underplayed it at the crime scene.
Underplayed what? The whole badge-bunny thing.
Well, Stacey was a nice girl.
Shouldn't be judged because she digs cops.
Of course.
You ever date a bunny? I wouldn't exactly call it dating.
[ Chuckles .]
Hey, as long as you got two consenting adults, why the hell not? Why the hell not, right? Bunnies respect the job.
They don't give you grief if you get stuck at work.
Oh, that's huge.
My girlfriend, Angie -- she knows I can't control when somebody drops dead.
But she still sort of acts like I should be able to.
You ever hook up with Stacey? No.
No.
But there was this other bunny, Rachel -- hoo, we have fun.
Or did.
You know, lately, I've been thinking that, um I don't know.
You got somebody in mind? [ Chuckles .]
Stacey and I have worked together for four years.
I design our jewelry, and she took care of the business end.
Bought the diamonds.
Is there any way that you think this could have been a robbery? IDoubt it.
[ Sniffles .]
We rarely carry them, and I checked the safe this morning -- we're not short.
Was Stacey in a relationship? She was taking a break from all that, but, um, she usually dated cops.
The way that she died -- obviously, the person had a lot of rage.
And I'm just wondering if you knew anybody in her life that she had trouble with? Someone that We had this assistant -- Xander Callahan.
We were convinced he stole about 5 grand worth of diamonds, but we could never prove it.
Stacey fired him.
How did he take being fired? I wasn't there, but Stacey said he got pretty scary.
Told her she'd regret it.
When was this? Three weeks ago.
Do you have a photo of him? Uh This is from my fourth of July party.
We'd just given him a bonus.
[ Scoffs .]
Bastard.
DMV has an address for Alexander Callahan on Magnolia.
The photo matches the one we got from Holly Marks.
You still owe me the paperwork on the Mancini bust.
Oh, hey, there's this new thing called e-mail.
I sent it to you yesterday.
Hey, Buerge, we got a possible suspect from Stacey's business partner.
Not now, Dulcett.
What was that all about? I'm guessing it's not good.
This is from the parking lot behind the Chinese restaurant.
Talk about security conscious -- six cameras.
This one caught the most action.
That's Stacey Brown.
I double-checked with her DMV photo.
Well, he's pissed off about something.
That's Van Stone.
Joe Van Stone is one of us.
And we take care of our own.
We keep this quiet and away from Internal Affairs until we have hard facts.
I want to work this on my own terms, not theirs.
Buerge, I need you to step down.
Sheppard, take the lead from here on out.
Boss, I-I can do this.
Yeah, I know you can, Ted.
You and Van Stone were partners for seven years.
Even if I thought you could be unbiased, I.
A.
is never gonna see it that way.
That's the end of the discussion.
Coroner's report in yet? Confirmed the victim died of head trauma.
Seven or eight blows to the skull -- half of them after she was dead.
Her blood alcohol level was low -- .
04 -- no intercourse on the day, and there was a cut on her left earlobe from a recent injury.
Murder weapon? Something like a thick pipe or a bat.
Uniforms are still going through the containers on the block, but nothing that fits the description so far.
I keep trying to figure out why she was dumped into that trash can.
It was a way to move the body.
No, I know, but it feels like it could be a message.
And why was the can turned over? What was that about? Okay, listen, before we head back out, I want to be clear.
This surveillance video of Van Stone could mean nothing.
They could have been arguing about shoe size.
There are lots of other people who could be good for this murder.
And don't talk about this on your radios.
Anybody could be listening.
All right? That's it.
Hey, Sheppard.
Let me tell him.
All right? Yeah.
Okay.
Van Stone: You wanted to see Lieutenant? Yeah, close the door.
This morning, you and I talked about Stacey Brown, and you acted like you hardly knew the girl.
I didn't kill her.
But you had an affair with her, didn't you? After all this time, I can't believe you don't trust me, that you don't know I always have your back.
I'm telling you, it wasn't me.
Joe, we got you on tape arguing in a parking lot less than an hour before she was murdered.
- I can explain that.
- And you will, but not to me.
I made Sheppard lead on the case.
You know, one of these days you're gonna realize she doesn't walk on water.
She's a good cop.
I understand the politics about putting a woman on this, but Sheppard -- she hates me.
Can't you cut me a break? That's exactly what I'm doing.
You gonna put me on probation? I'm gonna keep I.
A.
away from this for as long as possible.
In the meantime, you are riding a desk for the foreseeable future.
Now get the hell out of here.
Sheppard.
Hey, Sheppard.
Van Stone is one of us -- he's family.
If we don't go to the mat for each other, who will? Buerge, are you asking me to go the extra mile, or are you asking me to look the other way? No, I'm asking you to keep an open mind.
Do I think that Van Stone is capable of murder? I don't know.
We both know that, given the right circumstances, anybody is capable of anything.
But do I think that he put that girl in the trash can? No.
I don't.
I think that Van Stone's sloppy but not that sloppy.
Well, you've got a weird way of saying it, but it sounds like you're gonna do the right thing.
Look, I'm gonna follow every lead I can, okay? [ Sighs .]
[ Scoffs .]
A guy engages in high-risk behavior, there's bound to be blowback.
Yeah, but murder? That's a big leap.
Romeo and I are gonna go pay a visit to Xander Callahan, that assistant Stacey fired.
Good luck with Van Stone.
Yeah, thanks.
[ Door opens .]
You must love this, Sheppard.
Me in the hot seat, you with the power to hang me out to dry.
I'm just trying to understand what happened, okay? So, why don't you explain it to me? [ Chuckles .]
I've heard you say that to a lot of guys sitting in my chair.
Never leads to a happy ending.
- Here we go.
- Give her a chance.
Gloria: Why didn't you tell the Lieutenant that you'd been dating Stacey Brown when you found out that she was dead? It ended over a year ago.
I'd only seen her a few times before last night.
Didn't seem so over.
She wanted my advice as a friend.
Your advice on what? She'd been dating this guy.
It wasn't going well.
He was calling her a lot Following her.
She wanted me to step in, make it stop.
Who was the guy? Name's Pete Barbanna, works patrol in North Hollywood.
Was Stacey the one who ended it between you two? Yeah.
How'd you feel about that? It was for the best.
I needed to straighten things out at home.
You two looked like you were arguing on the tape.
You want to tell me what the argument was about? She'd been calling a lot.
I didn't want Jeana to get suspicious.
So I told her, you know, she's got to stop.
Well, did Jeana know about the affair last year? Yeah.
But she didn't know that Stacey had been calling again.
And you're not gonna tell her.
Where did you go after you left Stacey last night? Home.
Got in before midnight.
All right, look, I'm gonna need your cellphone.
Come on.
You know we're gonna get the evidence off of it one way or the other.
Now, give me the phone.
[ Sighs .]
And the day just keeps getting better.
What brings you to our neck of the woods, Detective? [ Metal clanks .]
Internal Affairs wants in on the Stacey Brown murder.
You mean the case we just started investigating, the one in which there are no obvious suspects.
Word's out that Stacey Brown was a badge bunny.
And your point is? Where bunnies hop, cops tend to follow.
Odds are there's at least one uniform in the mix.
Okay, well, when I know there's a cop involved, you'll be my first call.
Guys like Van Stone don't think that women belong on the job.
It's fine if we're answering phones or giving out parking tickets, but it pretty much ends there.
Well, some guys are afraid of strong women.
Don't see the upside.
There's a lot of upside.
You don't have to convince me.
So, I haven't seen you at Parker's in a while.
Yeah.
Tired of the scene.
Same faces.
Thinking it's time for a change.
Oh, so you're saying, now that we're working together, you're tired of seeing me? [ Doorbell rings .]
Good afternoon, sir.
Detective Dulcett and Rush.
Do you live here? Um, yeah? We're looking for an Alexander Callahan.
Xander doesn't live here anymore.
He, uh, moved to Sedona a couple weeks ago.
He leave a forwarding address? Yeah.
Hang on.
Any idea why he moved? Uh, his sister's there.
He said Sedona has cosmic energy or something.
I'd put money on "something.
" Thank you very much, sir.
Appreciate your help.
So, Officer Barbanna, how long had you been dating Stacey Brown? I saw her on and off for about six months.
- It wasn't anything serious.
- Really? Because we heard that you were very upset when she broke it off with you, that you wouldn't take no for an answer.
I disagree with that assessment.
You do? Well, apparently, she was so concerned about your behavior that she asked another officer to intervene on the night of her murder.
Hey, I may have drunk-dialed her a couple of times -- Mr.
Barbanna, I think she was afraid of you.
And I'm telling you it was no big deal! Where were you last night? On the job.
Who do you work with? No one.
Partner had the flu.
I obtained, uh, your work log, and it seems like, yeah, you had a A gap from 11:00 to 1:00.
Yeah, it was quiet last night.
No radio calls.
I went through your file.
And I noticed that you have three citations for use of excessive force.
Now, would you characterize yourself as someone who has anger issues, Officer Barbanna? No more than anyone else doing a difficult job.
What are the chances that Peter Barbanna was actually driving around between 11:00 and 1:00? More likely he was napping or making a Booty call.
Or he was at Parker's stalking the victim.
Romeo and I looked into Xander Callahan.
I'll follow up in the morning.
With Romeo or with Callahan? I'll just see you at Parker's around 10:00.
All right.
Gloria: Off the diving board? Oh, Leo, that's great.
No, you know what? Next time we go swimming, you'll show me.
All right.
Yeah.
Tell your dad "hi.
" I'll see you and Nick in a couple days, okay? I love you, too, sweetie.
Okay.
Bye-bye.
I've been gone like 15 minutes.
Oh, well, I-I was trying to straighten out the silverware drawer, and then, I don't know, one thing led to another.
This cobbler is outrageous.
Betsy Wickham made it.
Who's Betsy Wickham? Yellow house, they keep the icicle lights up all year.
Oh, right, right, right, right.
I set up her e-mail today.
Word's out I'm doing the Mr.
fix-it thing.
And they're paying you back in food? Yeah, well, I didn't know what to charge.
I'll figure it out.
What's that? Pork chops.
Her husband wanted to give me a bottle of wine as a thank you, but I explained the whole "I don't drink anymore" thing, so -- you hungry? Yeah, I could eat some pork chops, sure.
Here we go.
Oh.
Uh Billy: Stacey was a nice girl.
I hope you get whoever did this to her.
We're trying to get a sense of who she'd been dating lately.
Does this guy look familiar to you? Light beer.
Big hit with the ladies.
Have you seen him with Stacey? Not in a while.
They used to be hot and heavy.
But things kind of cooled down.
What about him? Mm.
Gin and tonic.
Great storyteller.
Lousy tipper.
You know, I haven't seen him in a long time, though.
But it gets busy in here.
You might want to ask Rachel.
Oh! Winner! Take it and like it! [ Chuckles .]
I think Rachel just won.
Ramon Rush is working in robbery homicide now, right? Yeah, he's on loan to us for a little while.
Cool.
I hope that works out.
He is so much fun.
Tell him Rach said hi when you see him, 'kay? 'Kay.
Anyway, uh, were you and Stacey close? Kind of.
I guess.
Well, were you here last night? No, I was visiting my family in Fresno.
I just got back this afternoon.
I haven't seen Stacey since the fight.
The fight? She threw down with this lady out front about a week ago -- got her earring ripped out.
[ Scoffs .]
Classy.
Well, do you know what the fight was about? Last year, she had been sleeping with Jeana's husband.
I guess Jeana found out she was after him again.
Jeana Van Stone? Jeana went ballistic, threatened to kill Stacey if she ever went near him.
Because you're only putting non-cop suspects up in case I.
A.
wanders in.
Yep.
Hey, you know what? Maybe the trash can was tipped over on its side because once the killer got the body into the trash can, it was too heavy for them to stand it upright.
You and that trash can.
That would mean that it was a small man or a woman.
Like Jeana Van Stone? I've been to barbecues at their house, both kids' christenings.
Do you really think she could have killed Stacey? Well, she has the motive, and it sounds like she has the rage.
What about Pete Barbanna? Barbanna is another angry suspect.
He has no alibi, and there's a gap in his work log which gives him enough time to get back to Stacey's house and kill her.
And on the non-cop front, we have Xander Callahan.
Michelle's still trying to track him down.
He's the guy from the jewelry business.
God, I hope he did it.
Yeah, well I just put Jeana Van Stone in interrogation two.
Yep.
Sure, I got into it with that girl.
She was calling Joe all the time, harassing him.
How'd you know that? I check his phone bill every month.
Talk about a short leash.
Well, no one ever accused Jeana of being meek.
These girls are like groupies.
They pick a decent guy and then move in for the kill.
We have two kids.
Didn't matter to her.
Witnesses heard you threaten to kill Stacey if she didn't leave Joe alone.
I'll do what I have to to protect my family.
Where were you Monday at midnight? Uh, in bed, with Joe.
You can ask him if you want.
What time did he get home from work? Around 11:30.
I'd just finished watching the news.
Okay, well, I think that's all I need for now.
S.
I.
D.
is gonna come over to your house, take a look around.
[ Sighs .]
Do I have any say in that? No.
Unfortunately, this is a murder investigation.
I-I'm sorry.
You can always call an attorney if you like.
Thank you, Jeana.
[ Sighs .]
- Hey.
- Hey.
I was up half the night last night, trying to think if we're missing something with this Van Stone thing.
I don't know if it's relevant, but someone broke into his house last month.
Thanks, Buerge.
Hey, uh Buerge just told me that your house got broken into last month.
Did you report that? All that does is jack up your rates.
And they didn't take much.
Probably kids.
Why? I thought it might help.
I don't know.
If you wanted to help, you wouldn't have brought my wife in.
Your wife threatened to kill Stacey.
So obviously Jeana knew that you and Stacey had been in contact with each other again.
So? So you failed to mention that to me.
All right, look, is there anyone that you can think of who has it out for you? I mean, somebody you busted, someone you put away? No more than any other cop.
You sure about that? Positive.
Okay.
This came in for you.
Thanks.
Oh, and I'm supposed to say hi to you from someone named Rachel? She seems nice.
[ Chuckles .]
Like I said earlier, I don't really hang out there anymore.
Hey.
Oh! Hey.
How's it going? I heard about Stacey Brown.
You got any suspects? No, not yet.
We're still running leads, so So, am I gonna see you tonight? Probably.
Yeah.
Depends on where we are with the case.
Can I buzz you later? Of course.
You know where to find me.
Van Stone is hiding something.
What do you think it is? I don't know, but I know when I'm being lied to.
I just asked him if there was anybody who he put away who might hold a grudge against him, and he said no.
Well, I can think of three who'd kill me if they had the chance.
We all can.
Makes me want to look at him harder.
You think this murder's linked to one of his old cases? It's possible.
Tell you what -- why don't I go through his old case files? Go.
Phone records for Stacey Brown.
I need you to go through it.
Give Dulcett anything relevant.
Hey, is she seeing anyone? Dulcett? Yeah.
She's a D2.
You really want to date someone above your pay grade? It's not that big a deal.
Right.
Sorry.
Forgot I was talking to "Romeo" rush.
No.
No, I'm not trying to be a player.
I just don't care about the pay grade.
She just seems so Uh, I don't know.
Hey.
As a rule, I'm against dating anyone in the same zip code, let alone the same building.
Angie works on the other side of town.
That feels like a pretty good distance to me.
[ Elevator bell dings .]
Sheppard.
Carla: Hi, Gloria.
It's Carla Stevens.
- I live down the street? - Oh! Sure, hi.
Uh, did Davey give you my number? No, I used the school roster.
I hope you don't mind.
I have a quick question.
Sure.
Your brother set up our new flat screen, and I was wondering what kind of pie he likes.
Banana cream.
Definitely banana cream.
Great! I just wanted to give him a little thank you for helping me out.
Well, that's really nice of you.
Okay, bye.
[ Cellphone rings .]
Hey, Glo.
Hey, uh, Carla Stevens just called me, asking me what kind of pie you like? Did you tell her berry or apple? Banana cream.
I hate banana cream.
I know, but she called me, and I love it.
I mean, this whole neighborhood bake-off you got going on over there is sort of strange, but these women can really cook.
It's just -- you know what? Let me call you back, okay? Glo, I've done a lot more digging.
Guess who didn't move to Sedona.
Xander Callahan.
Uniforms just picked him up downtown, trying to unload a handful of diamonds.
What happened to Sedona, Mr.
Callahan? My roommate got confused.
I was talking about visiting my sister.
She lives there.
Oh.
It's true.
This is all just a big misunderstanding.
That happens to you a lot, doesn't it? You're not moving to Sedona, you didn't take those diamonds.
Those ladies aren't very organized.
Stuff's all over the place.
It's not my fault they misplace stuff.
We caught you red-handed, trying to sell stolen diamonds.
Stolen diamonds from a dead woman.
What dead woman? Your former boss.
The one who threatened to press charges against you.
That dead woman.
I swear, I haven't seen Stacey since she fired me.
Where were you Monday night at midnight? Home, playing video games.
Can anyone back that up? UhNo.
No, my roommate was at his girlfriend's.
Which leaves you with no alibi at the time of Stacey's murder.
Hey, we're booking Xander Callahan in connection with the diamonds on grand theft.
Do you like him for the murder? Ah, the rage doesn't track.
I mean, don't get me wrong -- he's a sketchy guy.
I could see him talking somebody to death.
But bludgeoning them? No.
I don't buy it.
I ran into Internal Affairs in the elevator.
I let him think that Callahan was the guy, though, so that we could get him out of our hair.
Nice.
Look, I have S.
I.
D.
over at Van Stone's house.
They're looking for evidence right now.
I keep coming back to that tipped-over trash can, though.
You know, it's driving me crazy.
Just run this through with me.
Let's say that this is Stacey, right? And her body's in the trash can.
Now, the trash can was on its side so that the garbage man had to get out of his truck so he can put the trash can up so he can do his job.
It's obvious, isn't it? I mean, the killer wanted the body to be found.
Because if it were upright, the truck would have taken it away and nobody would be the wiser.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Anyway, I was going through Van Stone's old cases, and I came up with seven names.
Now, most of them are back in the system or they're dead but there are a couple of possibilities.
We've got Anthony Stergen and Deshawn Williams.
Both are bad guys, and both claim that Van Stone set them up.
Ring any bells? I actually do remember these guys.
Both robberies, right? Yeah, Deshawn Williams drove a getaway car for a home invasion in San Marino, and Anthony Stergen did a number of armed robberies in West L.
A.
Well, as far as I remember, they're both good collars.
All right, well, Michelle and I are gonna talk to Deshawn Williams, and Rush and Buerge are trying to track down Stergen.
Okay.
Oh.
Sorry about that.
I got it.
Yeah, okay, great.
Well, all right.
See ya.
Heather! How did you know I like enchiladas? Oh, you mentioned you like Mexican food.
I pay attention.
[ Both chuckle .]
Is something wrong? That red bowl -- did Betsy make you something? Yeah, cobbler.
Do you want some? Oh, she uses cinnamon like a weapon.
If you like cobbler, I can make you one that'll take your breath away.
Deshawn: Your buddy, Van Stone, said he saw me driving a getaway car when I wasn't even in the damn state at the time.
Sounds like you're still pretty angry about that.
Look, the man sent me to prison for a crime I did not commit.
You'd probably be a little angry, too.
You're right.
I probably would.
So, have you seen Detective Van Stone since you've been out, maybe, you know, given him a little piece of your mind? Come on, are you kidding me? With my luck, he'll probably find some other bull reason to jack my life up.
Where were you Monday night at midnight? My girl's place, over in Compton.
Jasmine Lyons.
All right.
We'll be in touch, Mr.
Williams.
[ Cellphone chimes .]
[ Giggles .]
Is that your boyfriend, Frankie? What? Why are you freaking out over the word "boyfriend"? I mean, it's just a word.
It's not the word, okay? It's just being in a relationship is like shutting down all your other options.
There's no more flirting, no more possibility of somebody else getting in the mix.
Were you looking to mix it up with a certain on-loan Detective with whom you have pretty good chemistry? His nickname is Romeo, okay? The boy has chemistry with everybody.
You heard that woman from Parker's last night.
I don't know what to think anymore.
It's not even about Frankie, you know? It's like, I like knowing the door is open, that's all.
[ Cellphone rings .]
Look, I think you're getting ahead of yourself, okay? I mean, Frankie called you his girlfriend, not his wife.
True.
It's S.
I.
D.
Sheppard.
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
We'll be right there.
Okay.
Thanks.
Buerge: Anthony Stergen.
LAPD.
Hey, guys.
Where were you Monday at midnight? Sleeping? Got anyone who can alibi you? Nope.
I live alone.
That's convenient.
Uh, car wash opens at 7:00.
I'm here most days about 6:30 to set things up.
Doesn't make for a lot of late nights.
Look, you guys, I'm just trying to keep my head down, stay out of trouble.
'Cause you're such a good, honest citizen now? Look, I made mistakes, okay? But Pelican Bay -- that place was hell.
You're scared straight.
I'm never going back.
And you don't blame Detective Van Stone for sending you there? Look, the guy's a jerk.
[ Sighs .]
But what am I gonna do about that? Lieutenant? The murder weapon.
S.
I.
D.
found it in the back of Jeana Van Stone's minivan.
Great.
[ Sighs .]
You might be right about this being a grudge killing.
I just never thought Jeana had it in her.
Gloria: I'm not sure that she does.
This whole thing seems too easy.
I mean, you have the tipped-over trash can, the bat in the back of the minivan And I still feel like Van Stone is hiding something.
Well, unless you can get him to give it up, I'm gonna have to turn him and this whole mess over to I.
A.
[ Door opens .]
I have upheld my end of the deal.
I have done absolutely everything I can to figure out who killed Stacey Brown.
And you have been no help at all.
Actually, that's not true.
You've thrown up interference.
I know that you're hiding something, and I don't know what it is, but this is your last chance.
Because when I walk out that door, Valdez has to call Internal Affairs.
And whatever it is, I can assure you, they will find it.
S.
I.
D.
found a baseball bat in the back of your wife's minivan.
It had Stacey Brown's blood all over it.
Now, a cop is way too smart to hide evidence in his own car, but Jeana -- well, she's a different story, isn't she? She's a very determined woman.
Maybe she's determined to keep her family together no matter what the cost.
Maybe she would kill the woman who came between her and her husband.
There's another possibility.
Even though you deny it There is a world where you and Jeana have been set up By -- I don't know -- Deshawn Williams or some other guy that you put away that thinks you've done him wrong.
I'm a good cop.
And nobody here wants to see you go down.
But you better show me that piece of the puzzle that you're holding on to.
Or you're taking Jeana down with you.
She's here right now, in the interrogation room.
All right.
Anthony Stergen.
Stergen shot into a crowd at an armed robbery.
Killed two people.
I had him -- the weapon, eyewitnesses.
Asshole walked on a technicality.
Two years later, I was investigating another armed robbery.
I couldn't prove that Stergen did it.
It had his signature all over it.
So when I went to court You lied on the stand.
[ Exhales sharply .]
Only time in my life I ever did that.
Told myself I put a bad man away for almost 10 years.
You think he would kill Stacey Just to set me up? I don't know.
[ Scoffs .]
[ Sighs .]
[ Sniffles .]
Hey, Stergen! [ Gun cocks .]
[ Handcuffs click .]
You haven't had much luck since you went to prison, have you? I see that your wife died, and your only child -- your daughter -- O.
D.
dD.
I'm very sorry about that.
I should have been around to watch out for her.
But thanks to Van Stone Mr.
Stergen, your life fell apart because you committed three armed robberies and you killed two people.
All Detective Van Stone did was bust you for it.
He made up a bull story in court, blaming me for a crime I didn't commit.
I'm not here to debate the merits of your case.
No, I am more interested in what you've done since you've gotten out of prison.
I told you.
I work at a car wash.
You started following him, didn't you? You were gonna kill him.
But you changed your mind.
Death's too good for a guy like that.
I wanted him to feel every inch of pain that I felt, day in and day out.
So you decided to frame him.
You saw him meeting with Stacey Brown.
You broke into his house.
You took that bat and you took out all of your rage you felt for Van Stone on that poor girl, didn't you? Maybe you can prove that, but maybe you can't.
But Van Stone spends the rest of his life knowing that girl died because of him.
Her death's on him, not me.
[ Chuckles .]
Thanks.
You're welcome.
I'd rather give this to you than to I.
A.
[ Indistinct conversations, talking on TV .]
Michelle.
Hey, Romeo.
How you doing? I'm good.
I'm good.
It was a long day.
Well, you flew through that car wash like you were superman, so [ Both laugh .]
Hey, can I buy you a beer? UmThanks.
This is, um My boyfriend, Frankie Benson.
Hey.
Ramon Rush.
Frankie Benson, Major Crimes.
Ramon is on loan to R.
H.
D.
as a detective.
Oh, congratulations, man.
Thank you.
I hope Michelle's taking good care of you.
She's the best.
Tell me about it.
Hey, why don't you join us? Have a seat.
Oh, no, no, thanks.
I'm actually waiting for somebody.
So -- nice meeting you.
All right.
Do whatever this Jennifer woman says, because this chili is to die for.
Enjoy it -- all of it -- while you can.
Okay.
Starting tomorrow, I'm in business.
Oh.
Officially.
"Mr.
Multi-Task.
" See? Prices.
Wait a minute.
Does this mean we're not gonna get paid in casseroles and cobblers anymore? Way too complicated.
Well, it was kind of sweet having everything catered the last couple days.
Well, you'll get over it.
Mm.
Well I am gonna go upstairs and clean up the boy's closet.
before they get back in the morning which means I'm gonna call dibs on that lemon bar.
Oh, no you don't.
Well you know don't I worked hard for this.
Hey, come on, gimme - No.
- You already had one.
[ Laughs .]
[ Beep .]
Hey, look what I found.
What, it's a T-shirt? No, it's like my favorite T-shirt -- the one that I used to wear to sleep all the time.
I hadn't seen it for like months.
And it was in the bottom of Leo's costume bin.
You have a night with no kids, and you're cleaning closets? Well, I'm doing it to music.
- I'm gonna go to a movie, okay? - All right.
I'm assuming that you don't want to come.
Uh, no, I'm good.
Thanks.
- Bye.
- Have fun.
[ Beep .]
[ Off-key .]
you make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream [ Indistinct conversations .]
- Hey, Stace.
- Hey, Billy.
Get you a Margarita? Yes, please.
That'd be great.
- How we doing tonight? - Pretty good.
Yourself? - Outstanding.
- Great.
Enjoy.
Thank you.
[ Cellphone chimes .]
Oh.
Well, hello, gentlemen.
Hello.
How are you? Good to see you, Stace.
Oh.
[ Laughs .]
Mm.
You look very pretty tonight.
- For real.
- Thanks, Frankie.
Thank you.
And I like that shirt.
It's a good color on you.
Two drinks on the way for you, too.
So we can get your mind in a very good place.
- My mind? Really? - Get it off of work.
How about that? Oh, that's better.
Uh-huh.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Yes.
Mmm.
Oh! And I got tickets to Saturday's Dodgers game.
Really good seats, too.
Yeah? What do you say? "Go blue.
" [ Chuckles .]
[ Clears throat .]
Frankie, man! Hey! What up, baby? How you doing, man? Man, never better.
Really good.
Oh, this is my girlfriend, Michelle Dulcett.
Roger Jones.
Jonsie works with me in Major Crimes.
Uh, nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
[ Chuckles .]
And the other guy says, "Quit? And give up show business?" [ Laughter .]
[ Cellphone chimes .]
Uh I got to bounce.
Hot date? Maybe.
Mm.
Roger: Frankie here has been bragging about you forever.
Oh.
Ha ha.
The Protector 1x09 Affairs [ Brakes squeal .]
Come on.
Will you? Ohh! [ Sirens wailing in distance .]
[ Camera shutter clicks .]
Gloria: Hey, Buerge.
You lead on this one? Yeah.
Good morning, detectives.
The victim is a 30-year-old white female named Stacey Brown.
Cause of death appears to be blunt-force trauma to the head.
We think she was heading into her house.
There's a lot of blood over there.
Based on the spray, she never made it inside.
The killer put her inside a trash can? Yeah.
Used the container to wheel her to the curb.
A sanitation worker found her around 7:00 when he hopped out of his truck to stand the container back up.
It was on its side? Yeah, lucky for us.
Coroner puts the time of death around midnight.
Looks like she was beaten even after she was dead.
I saw her last night.
She was at Parker's.
You know her? No, but she was sitting with a bunch of cops, so somebody around here might.
Hey, what do you think she weighs? About, what, 120? Yeah, that sounds about right.
She have a purse or anything, Buerge? No.
If she had a bag, it's gone.
But we've got uniforms checking every container down the block, and we've suspended trash service in the area.
What the hell is she doing? If I knew, I'd tell you.
You know what? These things are built to take a hit, all right? So why is that one on its side? Buerge: A lot of them down the block are turned over.
Yeah, but those are all empty.
Killer could have panicked.
It could have been clipped by a car.
- Maybe.
- Hey, this is Stacey.
Dulcett recognized her, too.
Said she was at Parker's last night.
How well do you know her? Mostly from the bar.
We have some of the same friends.
We'd hang out, have drinks.
Anything else? She liked cops.
Really liked cops.
You saying she was a badge bunny? You guys still use that term? With affection.
[ Scoffs .]
All right, so we've got a brutally beaten dead woman who likes to sleep with cops who's about, what, like four blocks away from Parker's, which means that the killer could have followed her after she left the bar last night.
You're saying the killer could have been a cop? I'm saying we have to be extra careful as we move forward.
Looks like she owns a jewelry business with another woman named Holly Marks.
That explains these photos.
Looks like high-end stuff.
Maybe the killer thought she brought her work home with her.
Something kind of weird happened at Parker's last night.
Frankie introduced me as his girlfriend.
- Are you seeing other guys? - No.
Do you have Frankie's number programmed into your phone? Of course.
How do you feel about him sleeping with other women? Out of the question.
Sounds like a girlfriend to me.
What do you say we start with the partner, okay? [ Siren chirping .]
[ Siren wails .]
Did you hear about this morning -- young lady stuffed in a trash can.
I guess she spent a lot of time at Parker's.
Yeah.
Word's out.
Stacey Brown.
You knew her? From the bar.
Sweet kid.
Terrible thing.
Well, anything I can do, let me know.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I know her.
But Billy was on last night.
You should talk to him.
Any security cameras in here? In a cop bar? What about the parking lot out back? We only got a few spaces for our employees.
Most people park on the street or behind the Chinese restaurant.
You kind of underplayed it at the crime scene.
Underplayed what? The whole badge-bunny thing.
Well, Stacey was a nice girl.
Shouldn't be judged because she digs cops.
Of course.
You ever date a bunny? I wouldn't exactly call it dating.
[ Chuckles .]
Hey, as long as you got two consenting adults, why the hell not? Why the hell not, right? Bunnies respect the job.
They don't give you grief if you get stuck at work.
Oh, that's huge.
My girlfriend, Angie -- she knows I can't control when somebody drops dead.
But she still sort of acts like I should be able to.
You ever hook up with Stacey? No.
No.
But there was this other bunny, Rachel -- hoo, we have fun.
Or did.
You know, lately, I've been thinking that, um I don't know.
You got somebody in mind? [ Chuckles .]
Stacey and I have worked together for four years.
I design our jewelry, and she took care of the business end.
Bought the diamonds.
Is there any way that you think this could have been a robbery? IDoubt it.
[ Sniffles .]
We rarely carry them, and I checked the safe this morning -- we're not short.
Was Stacey in a relationship? She was taking a break from all that, but, um, she usually dated cops.
The way that she died -- obviously, the person had a lot of rage.
And I'm just wondering if you knew anybody in her life that she had trouble with? Someone that We had this assistant -- Xander Callahan.
We were convinced he stole about 5 grand worth of diamonds, but we could never prove it.
Stacey fired him.
How did he take being fired? I wasn't there, but Stacey said he got pretty scary.
Told her she'd regret it.
When was this? Three weeks ago.
Do you have a photo of him? Uh This is from my fourth of July party.
We'd just given him a bonus.
[ Scoffs .]
Bastard.
DMV has an address for Alexander Callahan on Magnolia.
The photo matches the one we got from Holly Marks.
You still owe me the paperwork on the Mancini bust.
Oh, hey, there's this new thing called e-mail.
I sent it to you yesterday.
Hey, Buerge, we got a possible suspect from Stacey's business partner.
Not now, Dulcett.
What was that all about? I'm guessing it's not good.
This is from the parking lot behind the Chinese restaurant.
Talk about security conscious -- six cameras.
This one caught the most action.
That's Stacey Brown.
I double-checked with her DMV photo.
Well, he's pissed off about something.
That's Van Stone.
Joe Van Stone is one of us.
And we take care of our own.
We keep this quiet and away from Internal Affairs until we have hard facts.
I want to work this on my own terms, not theirs.
Buerge, I need you to step down.
Sheppard, take the lead from here on out.
Boss, I-I can do this.
Yeah, I know you can, Ted.
You and Van Stone were partners for seven years.
Even if I thought you could be unbiased, I.
A.
is never gonna see it that way.
That's the end of the discussion.
Coroner's report in yet? Confirmed the victim died of head trauma.
Seven or eight blows to the skull -- half of them after she was dead.
Her blood alcohol level was low -- .
04 -- no intercourse on the day, and there was a cut on her left earlobe from a recent injury.
Murder weapon? Something like a thick pipe or a bat.
Uniforms are still going through the containers on the block, but nothing that fits the description so far.
I keep trying to figure out why she was dumped into that trash can.
It was a way to move the body.
No, I know, but it feels like it could be a message.
And why was the can turned over? What was that about? Okay, listen, before we head back out, I want to be clear.
This surveillance video of Van Stone could mean nothing.
They could have been arguing about shoe size.
There are lots of other people who could be good for this murder.
And don't talk about this on your radios.
Anybody could be listening.
All right? That's it.
Hey, Sheppard.
Let me tell him.
All right? Yeah.
Okay.
Van Stone: You wanted to see Lieutenant? Yeah, close the door.
This morning, you and I talked about Stacey Brown, and you acted like you hardly knew the girl.
I didn't kill her.
But you had an affair with her, didn't you? After all this time, I can't believe you don't trust me, that you don't know I always have your back.
I'm telling you, it wasn't me.
Joe, we got you on tape arguing in a parking lot less than an hour before she was murdered.
- I can explain that.
- And you will, but not to me.
I made Sheppard lead on the case.
You know, one of these days you're gonna realize she doesn't walk on water.
She's a good cop.
I understand the politics about putting a woman on this, but Sheppard -- she hates me.
Can't you cut me a break? That's exactly what I'm doing.
You gonna put me on probation? I'm gonna keep I.
A.
away from this for as long as possible.
In the meantime, you are riding a desk for the foreseeable future.
Now get the hell out of here.
Sheppard.
Hey, Sheppard.
Van Stone is one of us -- he's family.
If we don't go to the mat for each other, who will? Buerge, are you asking me to go the extra mile, or are you asking me to look the other way? No, I'm asking you to keep an open mind.
Do I think that Van Stone is capable of murder? I don't know.
We both know that, given the right circumstances, anybody is capable of anything.
But do I think that he put that girl in the trash can? No.
I don't.
I think that Van Stone's sloppy but not that sloppy.
Well, you've got a weird way of saying it, but it sounds like you're gonna do the right thing.
Look, I'm gonna follow every lead I can, okay? [ Sighs .]
[ Scoffs .]
A guy engages in high-risk behavior, there's bound to be blowback.
Yeah, but murder? That's a big leap.
Romeo and I are gonna go pay a visit to Xander Callahan, that assistant Stacey fired.
Good luck with Van Stone.
Yeah, thanks.
[ Door opens .]
You must love this, Sheppard.
Me in the hot seat, you with the power to hang me out to dry.
I'm just trying to understand what happened, okay? So, why don't you explain it to me? [ Chuckles .]
I've heard you say that to a lot of guys sitting in my chair.
Never leads to a happy ending.
- Here we go.
- Give her a chance.
Gloria: Why didn't you tell the Lieutenant that you'd been dating Stacey Brown when you found out that she was dead? It ended over a year ago.
I'd only seen her a few times before last night.
Didn't seem so over.
She wanted my advice as a friend.
Your advice on what? She'd been dating this guy.
It wasn't going well.
He was calling her a lot Following her.
She wanted me to step in, make it stop.
Who was the guy? Name's Pete Barbanna, works patrol in North Hollywood.
Was Stacey the one who ended it between you two? Yeah.
How'd you feel about that? It was for the best.
I needed to straighten things out at home.
You two looked like you were arguing on the tape.
You want to tell me what the argument was about? She'd been calling a lot.
I didn't want Jeana to get suspicious.
So I told her, you know, she's got to stop.
Well, did Jeana know about the affair last year? Yeah.
But she didn't know that Stacey had been calling again.
And you're not gonna tell her.
Where did you go after you left Stacey last night? Home.
Got in before midnight.
All right, look, I'm gonna need your cellphone.
Come on.
You know we're gonna get the evidence off of it one way or the other.
Now, give me the phone.
[ Sighs .]
And the day just keeps getting better.
What brings you to our neck of the woods, Detective? [ Metal clanks .]
Internal Affairs wants in on the Stacey Brown murder.
You mean the case we just started investigating, the one in which there are no obvious suspects.
Word's out that Stacey Brown was a badge bunny.
And your point is? Where bunnies hop, cops tend to follow.
Odds are there's at least one uniform in the mix.
Okay, well, when I know there's a cop involved, you'll be my first call.
Guys like Van Stone don't think that women belong on the job.
It's fine if we're answering phones or giving out parking tickets, but it pretty much ends there.
Well, some guys are afraid of strong women.
Don't see the upside.
There's a lot of upside.
You don't have to convince me.
So, I haven't seen you at Parker's in a while.
Yeah.
Tired of the scene.
Same faces.
Thinking it's time for a change.
Oh, so you're saying, now that we're working together, you're tired of seeing me? [ Doorbell rings .]
Good afternoon, sir.
Detective Dulcett and Rush.
Do you live here? Um, yeah? We're looking for an Alexander Callahan.
Xander doesn't live here anymore.
He, uh, moved to Sedona a couple weeks ago.
He leave a forwarding address? Yeah.
Hang on.
Any idea why he moved? Uh, his sister's there.
He said Sedona has cosmic energy or something.
I'd put money on "something.
" Thank you very much, sir.
Appreciate your help.
So, Officer Barbanna, how long had you been dating Stacey Brown? I saw her on and off for about six months.
- It wasn't anything serious.
- Really? Because we heard that you were very upset when she broke it off with you, that you wouldn't take no for an answer.
I disagree with that assessment.
You do? Well, apparently, she was so concerned about your behavior that she asked another officer to intervene on the night of her murder.
Hey, I may have drunk-dialed her a couple of times -- Mr.
Barbanna, I think she was afraid of you.
And I'm telling you it was no big deal! Where were you last night? On the job.
Who do you work with? No one.
Partner had the flu.
I obtained, uh, your work log, and it seems like, yeah, you had a A gap from 11:00 to 1:00.
Yeah, it was quiet last night.
No radio calls.
I went through your file.
And I noticed that you have three citations for use of excessive force.
Now, would you characterize yourself as someone who has anger issues, Officer Barbanna? No more than anyone else doing a difficult job.
What are the chances that Peter Barbanna was actually driving around between 11:00 and 1:00? More likely he was napping or making a Booty call.
Or he was at Parker's stalking the victim.
Romeo and I looked into Xander Callahan.
I'll follow up in the morning.
With Romeo or with Callahan? I'll just see you at Parker's around 10:00.
All right.
Gloria: Off the diving board? Oh, Leo, that's great.
No, you know what? Next time we go swimming, you'll show me.
All right.
Yeah.
Tell your dad "hi.
" I'll see you and Nick in a couple days, okay? I love you, too, sweetie.
Okay.
Bye-bye.
I've been gone like 15 minutes.
Oh, well, I-I was trying to straighten out the silverware drawer, and then, I don't know, one thing led to another.
This cobbler is outrageous.
Betsy Wickham made it.
Who's Betsy Wickham? Yellow house, they keep the icicle lights up all year.
Oh, right, right, right, right.
I set up her e-mail today.
Word's out I'm doing the Mr.
fix-it thing.
And they're paying you back in food? Yeah, well, I didn't know what to charge.
I'll figure it out.
What's that? Pork chops.
Her husband wanted to give me a bottle of wine as a thank you, but I explained the whole "I don't drink anymore" thing, so -- you hungry? Yeah, I could eat some pork chops, sure.
Here we go.
Oh.
Uh Billy: Stacey was a nice girl.
I hope you get whoever did this to her.
We're trying to get a sense of who she'd been dating lately.
Does this guy look familiar to you? Light beer.
Big hit with the ladies.
Have you seen him with Stacey? Not in a while.
They used to be hot and heavy.
But things kind of cooled down.
What about him? Mm.
Gin and tonic.
Great storyteller.
Lousy tipper.
You know, I haven't seen him in a long time, though.
But it gets busy in here.
You might want to ask Rachel.
Oh! Winner! Take it and like it! [ Chuckles .]
I think Rachel just won.
Ramon Rush is working in robbery homicide now, right? Yeah, he's on loan to us for a little while.
Cool.
I hope that works out.
He is so much fun.
Tell him Rach said hi when you see him, 'kay? 'Kay.
Anyway, uh, were you and Stacey close? Kind of.
I guess.
Well, were you here last night? No, I was visiting my family in Fresno.
I just got back this afternoon.
I haven't seen Stacey since the fight.
The fight? She threw down with this lady out front about a week ago -- got her earring ripped out.
[ Scoffs .]
Classy.
Well, do you know what the fight was about? Last year, she had been sleeping with Jeana's husband.
I guess Jeana found out she was after him again.
Jeana Van Stone? Jeana went ballistic, threatened to kill Stacey if she ever went near him.
Because you're only putting non-cop suspects up in case I.
A.
wanders in.
Yep.
Hey, you know what? Maybe the trash can was tipped over on its side because once the killer got the body into the trash can, it was too heavy for them to stand it upright.
You and that trash can.
That would mean that it was a small man or a woman.
Like Jeana Van Stone? I've been to barbecues at their house, both kids' christenings.
Do you really think she could have killed Stacey? Well, she has the motive, and it sounds like she has the rage.
What about Pete Barbanna? Barbanna is another angry suspect.
He has no alibi, and there's a gap in his work log which gives him enough time to get back to Stacey's house and kill her.
And on the non-cop front, we have Xander Callahan.
Michelle's still trying to track him down.
He's the guy from the jewelry business.
God, I hope he did it.
Yeah, well I just put Jeana Van Stone in interrogation two.
Yep.
Sure, I got into it with that girl.
She was calling Joe all the time, harassing him.
How'd you know that? I check his phone bill every month.
Talk about a short leash.
Well, no one ever accused Jeana of being meek.
These girls are like groupies.
They pick a decent guy and then move in for the kill.
We have two kids.
Didn't matter to her.
Witnesses heard you threaten to kill Stacey if she didn't leave Joe alone.
I'll do what I have to to protect my family.
Where were you Monday at midnight? Uh, in bed, with Joe.
You can ask him if you want.
What time did he get home from work? Around 11:30.
I'd just finished watching the news.
Okay, well, I think that's all I need for now.
S.
I.
D.
is gonna come over to your house, take a look around.
[ Sighs .]
Do I have any say in that? No.
Unfortunately, this is a murder investigation.
I-I'm sorry.
You can always call an attorney if you like.
Thank you, Jeana.
[ Sighs .]
- Hey.
- Hey.
I was up half the night last night, trying to think if we're missing something with this Van Stone thing.
I don't know if it's relevant, but someone broke into his house last month.
Thanks, Buerge.
Hey, uh Buerge just told me that your house got broken into last month.
Did you report that? All that does is jack up your rates.
And they didn't take much.
Probably kids.
Why? I thought it might help.
I don't know.
If you wanted to help, you wouldn't have brought my wife in.
Your wife threatened to kill Stacey.
So obviously Jeana knew that you and Stacey had been in contact with each other again.
So? So you failed to mention that to me.
All right, look, is there anyone that you can think of who has it out for you? I mean, somebody you busted, someone you put away? No more than any other cop.
You sure about that? Positive.
Okay.
This came in for you.
Thanks.
Oh, and I'm supposed to say hi to you from someone named Rachel? She seems nice.
[ Chuckles .]
Like I said earlier, I don't really hang out there anymore.
Hey.
Oh! Hey.
How's it going? I heard about Stacey Brown.
You got any suspects? No, not yet.
We're still running leads, so So, am I gonna see you tonight? Probably.
Yeah.
Depends on where we are with the case.
Can I buzz you later? Of course.
You know where to find me.
Van Stone is hiding something.
What do you think it is? I don't know, but I know when I'm being lied to.
I just asked him if there was anybody who he put away who might hold a grudge against him, and he said no.
Well, I can think of three who'd kill me if they had the chance.
We all can.
Makes me want to look at him harder.
You think this murder's linked to one of his old cases? It's possible.
Tell you what -- why don't I go through his old case files? Go.
Phone records for Stacey Brown.
I need you to go through it.
Give Dulcett anything relevant.
Hey, is she seeing anyone? Dulcett? Yeah.
She's a D2.
You really want to date someone above your pay grade? It's not that big a deal.
Right.
Sorry.
Forgot I was talking to "Romeo" rush.
No.
No, I'm not trying to be a player.
I just don't care about the pay grade.
She just seems so Uh, I don't know.
Hey.
As a rule, I'm against dating anyone in the same zip code, let alone the same building.
Angie works on the other side of town.
That feels like a pretty good distance to me.
[ Elevator bell dings .]
Sheppard.
Carla: Hi, Gloria.
It's Carla Stevens.
- I live down the street? - Oh! Sure, hi.
Uh, did Davey give you my number? No, I used the school roster.
I hope you don't mind.
I have a quick question.
Sure.
Your brother set up our new flat screen, and I was wondering what kind of pie he likes.
Banana cream.
Definitely banana cream.
Great! I just wanted to give him a little thank you for helping me out.
Well, that's really nice of you.
Okay, bye.
[ Cellphone rings .]
Hey, Glo.
Hey, uh, Carla Stevens just called me, asking me what kind of pie you like? Did you tell her berry or apple? Banana cream.
I hate banana cream.
I know, but she called me, and I love it.
I mean, this whole neighborhood bake-off you got going on over there is sort of strange, but these women can really cook.
It's just -- you know what? Let me call you back, okay? Glo, I've done a lot more digging.
Guess who didn't move to Sedona.
Xander Callahan.
Uniforms just picked him up downtown, trying to unload a handful of diamonds.
What happened to Sedona, Mr.
Callahan? My roommate got confused.
I was talking about visiting my sister.
She lives there.
Oh.
It's true.
This is all just a big misunderstanding.
That happens to you a lot, doesn't it? You're not moving to Sedona, you didn't take those diamonds.
Those ladies aren't very organized.
Stuff's all over the place.
It's not my fault they misplace stuff.
We caught you red-handed, trying to sell stolen diamonds.
Stolen diamonds from a dead woman.
What dead woman? Your former boss.
The one who threatened to press charges against you.
That dead woman.
I swear, I haven't seen Stacey since she fired me.
Where were you Monday night at midnight? Home, playing video games.
Can anyone back that up? UhNo.
No, my roommate was at his girlfriend's.
Which leaves you with no alibi at the time of Stacey's murder.
Hey, we're booking Xander Callahan in connection with the diamonds on grand theft.
Do you like him for the murder? Ah, the rage doesn't track.
I mean, don't get me wrong -- he's a sketchy guy.
I could see him talking somebody to death.
But bludgeoning them? No.
I don't buy it.
I ran into Internal Affairs in the elevator.
I let him think that Callahan was the guy, though, so that we could get him out of our hair.
Nice.
Look, I have S.
I.
D.
over at Van Stone's house.
They're looking for evidence right now.
I keep coming back to that tipped-over trash can, though.
You know, it's driving me crazy.
Just run this through with me.
Let's say that this is Stacey, right? And her body's in the trash can.
Now, the trash can was on its side so that the garbage man had to get out of his truck so he can put the trash can up so he can do his job.
It's obvious, isn't it? I mean, the killer wanted the body to be found.
Because if it were upright, the truck would have taken it away and nobody would be the wiser.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Anyway, I was going through Van Stone's old cases, and I came up with seven names.
Now, most of them are back in the system or they're dead but there are a couple of possibilities.
We've got Anthony Stergen and Deshawn Williams.
Both are bad guys, and both claim that Van Stone set them up.
Ring any bells? I actually do remember these guys.
Both robberies, right? Yeah, Deshawn Williams drove a getaway car for a home invasion in San Marino, and Anthony Stergen did a number of armed robberies in West L.
A.
Well, as far as I remember, they're both good collars.
All right, well, Michelle and I are gonna talk to Deshawn Williams, and Rush and Buerge are trying to track down Stergen.
Okay.
Oh.
Sorry about that.
I got it.
Yeah, okay, great.
Well, all right.
See ya.
Heather! How did you know I like enchiladas? Oh, you mentioned you like Mexican food.
I pay attention.
[ Both chuckle .]
Is something wrong? That red bowl -- did Betsy make you something? Yeah, cobbler.
Do you want some? Oh, she uses cinnamon like a weapon.
If you like cobbler, I can make you one that'll take your breath away.
Deshawn: Your buddy, Van Stone, said he saw me driving a getaway car when I wasn't even in the damn state at the time.
Sounds like you're still pretty angry about that.
Look, the man sent me to prison for a crime I did not commit.
You'd probably be a little angry, too.
You're right.
I probably would.
So, have you seen Detective Van Stone since you've been out, maybe, you know, given him a little piece of your mind? Come on, are you kidding me? With my luck, he'll probably find some other bull reason to jack my life up.
Where were you Monday night at midnight? My girl's place, over in Compton.
Jasmine Lyons.
All right.
We'll be in touch, Mr.
Williams.
[ Cellphone chimes .]
[ Giggles .]
Is that your boyfriend, Frankie? What? Why are you freaking out over the word "boyfriend"? I mean, it's just a word.
It's not the word, okay? It's just being in a relationship is like shutting down all your other options.
There's no more flirting, no more possibility of somebody else getting in the mix.
Were you looking to mix it up with a certain on-loan Detective with whom you have pretty good chemistry? His nickname is Romeo, okay? The boy has chemistry with everybody.
You heard that woman from Parker's last night.
I don't know what to think anymore.
It's not even about Frankie, you know? It's like, I like knowing the door is open, that's all.
[ Cellphone rings .]
Look, I think you're getting ahead of yourself, okay? I mean, Frankie called you his girlfriend, not his wife.
True.
It's S.
I.
D.
Sheppard.
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
We'll be right there.
Okay.
Thanks.
Buerge: Anthony Stergen.
LAPD.
Hey, guys.
Where were you Monday at midnight? Sleeping? Got anyone who can alibi you? Nope.
I live alone.
That's convenient.
Uh, car wash opens at 7:00.
I'm here most days about 6:30 to set things up.
Doesn't make for a lot of late nights.
Look, you guys, I'm just trying to keep my head down, stay out of trouble.
'Cause you're such a good, honest citizen now? Look, I made mistakes, okay? But Pelican Bay -- that place was hell.
You're scared straight.
I'm never going back.
And you don't blame Detective Van Stone for sending you there? Look, the guy's a jerk.
[ Sighs .]
But what am I gonna do about that? Lieutenant? The murder weapon.
S.
I.
D.
found it in the back of Jeana Van Stone's minivan.
Great.
[ Sighs .]
You might be right about this being a grudge killing.
I just never thought Jeana had it in her.
Gloria: I'm not sure that she does.
This whole thing seems too easy.
I mean, you have the tipped-over trash can, the bat in the back of the minivan And I still feel like Van Stone is hiding something.
Well, unless you can get him to give it up, I'm gonna have to turn him and this whole mess over to I.
A.
[ Door opens .]
I have upheld my end of the deal.
I have done absolutely everything I can to figure out who killed Stacey Brown.
And you have been no help at all.
Actually, that's not true.
You've thrown up interference.
I know that you're hiding something, and I don't know what it is, but this is your last chance.
Because when I walk out that door, Valdez has to call Internal Affairs.
And whatever it is, I can assure you, they will find it.
S.
I.
D.
found a baseball bat in the back of your wife's minivan.
It had Stacey Brown's blood all over it.
Now, a cop is way too smart to hide evidence in his own car, but Jeana -- well, she's a different story, isn't she? She's a very determined woman.
Maybe she's determined to keep her family together no matter what the cost.
Maybe she would kill the woman who came between her and her husband.
There's another possibility.
Even though you deny it There is a world where you and Jeana have been set up By -- I don't know -- Deshawn Williams or some other guy that you put away that thinks you've done him wrong.
I'm a good cop.
And nobody here wants to see you go down.
But you better show me that piece of the puzzle that you're holding on to.
Or you're taking Jeana down with you.
She's here right now, in the interrogation room.
All right.
Anthony Stergen.
Stergen shot into a crowd at an armed robbery.
Killed two people.
I had him -- the weapon, eyewitnesses.
Asshole walked on a technicality.
Two years later, I was investigating another armed robbery.
I couldn't prove that Stergen did it.
It had his signature all over it.
So when I went to court You lied on the stand.
[ Exhales sharply .]
Only time in my life I ever did that.
Told myself I put a bad man away for almost 10 years.
You think he would kill Stacey Just to set me up? I don't know.
[ Scoffs .]
[ Sighs .]
[ Sniffles .]
Hey, Stergen! [ Gun cocks .]
[ Handcuffs click .]
You haven't had much luck since you went to prison, have you? I see that your wife died, and your only child -- your daughter -- O.
D.
dD.
I'm very sorry about that.
I should have been around to watch out for her.
But thanks to Van Stone Mr.
Stergen, your life fell apart because you committed three armed robberies and you killed two people.
All Detective Van Stone did was bust you for it.
He made up a bull story in court, blaming me for a crime I didn't commit.
I'm not here to debate the merits of your case.
No, I am more interested in what you've done since you've gotten out of prison.
I told you.
I work at a car wash.
You started following him, didn't you? You were gonna kill him.
But you changed your mind.
Death's too good for a guy like that.
I wanted him to feel every inch of pain that I felt, day in and day out.
So you decided to frame him.
You saw him meeting with Stacey Brown.
You broke into his house.
You took that bat and you took out all of your rage you felt for Van Stone on that poor girl, didn't you? Maybe you can prove that, but maybe you can't.
But Van Stone spends the rest of his life knowing that girl died because of him.
Her death's on him, not me.
[ Chuckles .]
Thanks.
You're welcome.
I'd rather give this to you than to I.
A.
[ Indistinct conversations, talking on TV .]
Michelle.
Hey, Romeo.
How you doing? I'm good.
I'm good.
It was a long day.
Well, you flew through that car wash like you were superman, so [ Both laugh .]
Hey, can I buy you a beer? UmThanks.
This is, um My boyfriend, Frankie Benson.
Hey.
Ramon Rush.
Frankie Benson, Major Crimes.
Ramon is on loan to R.
H.
D.
as a detective.
Oh, congratulations, man.
Thank you.
I hope Michelle's taking good care of you.
She's the best.
Tell me about it.
Hey, why don't you join us? Have a seat.
Oh, no, no, thanks.
I'm actually waiting for somebody.
So -- nice meeting you.
All right.
Do whatever this Jennifer woman says, because this chili is to die for.
Enjoy it -- all of it -- while you can.
Okay.
Starting tomorrow, I'm in business.
Oh.
Officially.
"Mr.
Multi-Task.
" See? Prices.
Wait a minute.
Does this mean we're not gonna get paid in casseroles and cobblers anymore? Way too complicated.
Well, it was kind of sweet having everything catered the last couple days.
Well, you'll get over it.
Mm.
Well I am gonna go upstairs and clean up the boy's closet.
before they get back in the morning which means I'm gonna call dibs on that lemon bar.
Oh, no you don't.
Well you know don't I worked hard for this.
Hey, come on, gimme - No.
- You already had one.