Major Crimes s02e01 Episode Script
Final Cut
Why is the Fire Department here? Divers, dead wife at the bottom of the pool.
Yeah, yeah, I'm holding, but a better question is what are you doing here? I thought you were going to Robinson's retirement dinner tonight.
Yeah, Wes Robinson's gone.
That makes me the last member of my academy class still on the job.
So you collected, how much was in the trophy? - Maybe $4,000.
- That's great! That's your reward for making history.
Yeah, and reliving it over and over.
Let me guess The victim was married, so her husband called it in.
You must me psychic.
Yeah, Lieutenant Flynn.
Major Crimes.
Right.
I need a TOD.
Where are you, people? So, what sort of sorry excuse does this husband have? Well, he came home from work to find his wife at the bottom of the pool.
I see lots of blood, so no drowning I guess? No.
Yes.
Stabbed to death.
They found a knife at the bottom of the pool.
- Looks right.
- Yeah.
Where is the husband? He's over there, sir.
Sykes, tell me, uh, was the alarm not set or did he fake a break-in? Excellent question, sir.
No sign of forced entry.
Motion detectors inside the house, perimeter alarm controlled via keypad outside.
The top of this backyard walls include pressure sensors for anything over 30 pounds.
Yeah, just like in this third movie of that burglar guy.
Set in a Russian prison Cat In The Bag Victim's husband is Martin Elliot.
He's a big time film director.
But, you're right.
Mr.
Elliot says the alarm was off when he got here.
Well, if he found his wife in the pool, shouldn't he be wet? Or he didn't try to rescue her, he just called 911.
Ah.
Buzz, in case we don't get a chance to talk to Mr.
Elliot again, - uh, let's film him here, now.
- Sure.
And Sykes, carefully remind him of his rights.
Yeah, fine.
Okay.
Never-ending budget crisis.
Morgue can't get anybody out here until 5:00 AM.
It's okay.
She has no place else to be.
Of course I'm aware of my rights.
I got my start creating the number-one cop reality series of all time, "You Have The Right To Remain Silent.
" Do you really need me to go through this story for a third time? What you say now will go a long way to helping us find the killer.
Fine.
- I came home from work to-- - Eht-eht.
I came home from work I thought that Gretchen had gone to bed, so I went upstairs, and I looked out the window.
Then I saw blood in the water, and I called 911.
How long is this gonna take, man? I got-- my phone is inside.
I got to get to my phone.
Are we done? Thank you, Buzz.
And remind Lieutenant Tao about the special press release I asked him to make up for me.
Will do.
Okay.
First, the body was at the bottom of a heated pool for a while, then left out in the night air till early this morning, so I have to put the time of death as between But that's not the worst of it.
What could be worse than a four-hour window for time of death? The victim was three months pregnant.
So double homicide.
Martin Elliot never mentioned his wife was expecting.
No, ma'am.
Why would he not say anything about the death of his child? Yes? Can I help you? Sorry.
I thought you'd be done by now.
Oh, God.
Pardon me.
I can't breathe.
Dr.
Morales, this is, uh, Deputy DA Emma Rios, who may be confused.
This homicide has nothing to do with Phillip Stroh.
Yes, but since I was coming over to interview our material witness in that case, DDA Hobbs thought I should pick up this murder, too.
Oh, God.
Uh, the mask won't help.
Just collects the smell in one place.
Here.
Put a little bit of this underneath your nose.
Why don't you just turn your back, read through our crime report, and just listen to Dr.
Morales, okay? Thank you, Captain.
Okay.
Here's a clean entry wound I can measure.
DDA Rios, you may want to cover your ears.
Looks like a single-edge, And she was attacked lying down from behind.
I don't see defensive wounds, though she could've been asleep.
Unless she was drunk.
No.
She was pregnant.
Maybe her husband drugged her, but with what? As always, tox screens go faster if I know what to look for.
Excuse me, but what in this crime report says "husband" to you? Well, the killer had access to the house.
And the knife we found in the pool matches exactly the measurements of the murder weapon and fits into this space from this set of knives from the victim's kitchen.
Any biological evidence on that knife? It was dumped in a chlorinated pool, so no.
Your time-of-death window allows our suspect to claim he was away from home during the murder.
Do you have any other reason to hold him? We're not holding him.
Mr.
Elliot's house is a crime scene.
He's helping us find his wife's killer.
But you still only have before you have to release him or put him in front of a judge.
Do you even have a motive? Look, I know it's old-fashioned, but why don't we just ask him why he stabbed his wife to death? There are other questions we need answered first.
Sorry it took so long.
Our printer's down again.
Well, just keep using Taylor's until he authorizes a replacement.
Here's the incomplete press release you asked me for, Captain, along with the suspect's weekly schedule, courtesy of his office.
Wait a minute.
Wait.
You're not sharing our press release with Mr.
Elliot, are you? Yes, DDA Rios, that's exactly what I'm doing.
While I'm directing, my schedule changes constantly.
My assistant puts out updates to me, my agent, my editor, my wife, my ex-wife, my mother.
- Captain? - Hmm? Here's the press release you asked for.
Press release? Mr.
Elliot, we think that the person that murdered your wife might have actually been trying to kill you.
- Oh, my God.
- Mm-hmm.
Oh, my God.
You mean You may have been the intended victim, sir, yes.
And our Celebrity Threat Division is working on that.
So from here on out, how we talk to the media is very important.
Look over the press release.
Make sure we're all on the same page.
Well, you could leave out the name of the film.
And let's say I'm "working with the LAPD" instead of "cooperating.
" "Cooperating" makes me sound like I'm a suspect.
Do not mention my two sons "from a previous marriage.
" Man! I have got to talk with them.
And where I was last night is left blank.
Why? This should be "watching dailies.
" How did we miss that? And that was what time, sir? It's on my schedule.
Call Postproduction.
They'll have a record of the download.
Anyone watch these dailies with you? Not usually, but I have an actress with some bad habits.
I wanted her to see how much she blinks her eyes on-camera.
Why? Mr.
Elliot, when this actress left, she may have seen someone hanging around waiting for you.
Could we have her phone number? Your people would not let me back in my home to get my cell.
I don't carry these numbers around in my head.
We'll find that phone for you, sir.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
So much lost.
There's another chance at being a good husband, another chance at being a good father.
What happened? Another chance at being a good father? Excuse me, sir.
Are you saying your wife was pregnant? Yes.
Ohhh.
Yes.
Did I not mention that before? I can't remember.
How could I have forgotten that? Everything was supposed to be different this time.
My kids.
I have got to talk to my kids.
Because, Ashley, they're my kids, too.
What-- I know that.
I understand that.
Ah.
Negotiating with the ex-wife.
You know, maybe the former Mrs.
Elliot would be willing to share some memories of her time spent with the artiste.
I still say giving him his phone is risky.
What if he calls a lawyer? Is she the new, uh What is it? Deputy DA.
That's her.
Hmm.
What's she like? Lieutenant Provenza and I will both be with you for the interview.
Oh, man.
That bad? - Yeah, hi, sweetie.
- Hey, Captain, I think this is it.
Listen-- uh, thanks.
I-I'm not saying that this is going to happen, but if the police call you, I need you to tell them that I was with you last night.
I'll draw up a warrant to get the number he just called.
Big surprise.
Our suspect seems to have a girlfriend.
In other news this morning, the sun rose in the east.
Well, it certainly didn't sound like he was grieving his wife and child.
Okay.
Nope.
Sounds like a man who knows he's a suspect.
I'll tell you later.
Bye.
Okay, now for the really hard part.
In your written statement from last year, you say "Mr.
Stroh was about 100 feet away.
" Right.
He was about 100 feet away.
About.
And you saw the killer when you were with a Mr.
Douglas Grand, standing in your underwear.
Yes.
And you were in your underwear why? It was hot outside.
What he was wearing is pertinent because? I'll get to that.
This hilltop-- was it a favorite spot of yours to brings johns or clients? Okay, the word is "date," and I didn't have a favorite spot, okay, lady? This wasn't, like, fun for me.
It was Doug's spot, not mine, and he liked it because it was off the trail.
I don't know.
Ask him about it.
Do you really need to pursue this line of questioning? Mr.
Stroh's lawyers will focus on why Rusty was at Griffith Park at night engaged in an act of sex for hire in order to discredit his testimony.
You think I'm tough? Wait until the defense asks if you had a thing for older guys.
Or why you ended up on the street or how it was you became a "whorephan" in the first place.
I'm sorry-- a-a-a "whorephan"?! - Oh, they'll say it.
- DDA Rios, we are stopping! Excuse me, but I am not required - to include officers in this interview.
- We need to stop! Rusty has the right to have his guardian present! His guardian? A-are you saying my-- my witness lives with you? Rusty, that's enough for now.
Lieutenant, thank you.
Hey, you are an asshole.
Okay? And I am never talking to you again.
Never.
There's nothing in either LAPD rules or policy that says Rusty can't live with a police officer.
Stroh's lawyers will claim you coached the child.
I've never discussed the case with Rusty even once.
No, you just put a roof over his head, fed him, and bought him his clothes.
Are you paying for the Catholic school that goes with the uniform he's wearing? And were those keys to a vehicle he just grabbed off your desk? I keep a car for when my kids visit, and Rusty takes it to school.
Oh, I apologize.
You're not coaching the witness.
You're bribing him.
This has to change.
But first, I need him to finish this interview.
It's not a good idea right now.
Oh, my God.
- Hmm? - What ever happened to professional distance and good old foster care? That boy was selling himself on the street to survive, which puts him at special risk-- - Don't talk to me about-- - Don't interrupt me.
It puts him at special risk for suicide.
Don't talk to me about special risks when I am prosecuting a serial killer.
I want that boy out of your house and placed somewhere else posthaste.
That's not gonna happen.
And I suggest you factor my legal guardianship into your case.
Oh I am.
And in just the same way you're factoring in how your suspect never told you about his baby.
Well, they're not exactly I can't tell you who he was asking to lie for him, because Elliot was calling himself.
The number he dialed for his alibi belonged to his own corporation, Riverway Films.
He ordered another cell for his company and gave it to someone.
Meanwhile, on our victim's phone, starting eight hours before Gretchen Elliot was found at the bottom of her pool, she had a call from her mom, a call to a caterer, a late-afternoon call from the Hotel Perino-- no room number-- and then about a half an hour after that, she made an appointment for Friday at her hair salon.
Captain.
Elliot's still rescheduling actors and crew for his film.
Seems like he has more of a relationship with his movie than his wife.
No use talking to those people.
They have to stay on his good side.
Flynn's on his way up with Elliot's ex-wife.
Now, if my experience means anything, then she won't even remember his good side.
And if Elliot was cheating on his current wife, which-- Hmm.
Ex-wife looks familiar.
Same size and shape as the victim.
Blond, fit.
I bet she's got blue eyes.
The guy has a type.
Ashley.
I'm Captain Sharon Raydor.
So sorry about you and your family.
Yeah.
Not a good time.
Reporters outside our house at 6:00 AM.
Trying to talk to my sons.
And they loved, loved, loved Gretchen.
Mr.
Elliot has been very concerned about your boys.
That's good to hear.
Sometimes I think they should be re-introduced.
You mean your kids don't see their father very often? Technically, every other weekend, and in the summer, they live in his pool.
But Martin's never around-- always directing or developing.
Did he develop a lot during your marriage, too? Take a lot of "meetings" at night? I see.
Was he cheating on Gretchen, too? Mm-hmm.
Why am I not surprised? Mr.
Elliot cheated on you? Both times I was "with child.
" So, of course, he did it to Gretchen, too.
He's incapable of change.
So, he left you for Gretchen.
Six years ago, during my second pregnancy.
Yes.
I never blamed her, though.
Gretchen got her ring the same way I did.
Oh? Mr.
Elliot was married when you met him? Yes.
His first wife, Brittany, committed suicide.
Look, I'm not sure where you're going with these questions, but Martin doesn't have to kill his wives.
Trust me-- he has great divorce lawyers.
E-excuse me.
Right now I'm worried about my boys.
The first wife? Brittany Wells married Martin Elliot almost 20 years ago but kept her own last name.
Yeah, that was before he became the Martin Elliot.
Here's the first Mrs.
Elliot's professional pose.
Ah.
And here's what she looked like when the LAPD met her Well, it says here Elliot found the body when he came home from work.
He's famous for sequels.
Your division has to stop using the printer in my office, Captain.
Well, it's the only one working on the entire floor, and we used it for a search warrant.
Which we are really going to need, given where this case is taking us.
Is that another body? Who's dead now? Uh, Elliot's first wife, Brittany.
Who died pregnant and cut her wrists with this small knife and had a positive tox screen for Valium.
If you'd been paying attention to this case instead of Rusty Beck, then you wouldn't be playing catch-up now.
Because if Dr.
Morales finds Valium in Gretchen Elliot's body, we have a pattern.
Yeah, then all we need is the name of the actress he called to be his alibi.
Ask him that, and he'll invoke.
Not if we present the information properly.
Lieutenant.
The killer had access to your schedule, knew your alarm code, used a knife from your kitchen, a hose from your backyard.
All these things point in one direction.
This direction.
Me?! Seriously? The computer log-ons for the day Prove nothing.
You could have done all that from home, killed your wife, logged off a few hours later.
You said you were with an actress at the time? All right.
Fine.
Yes.
Call Jennifer O'Brien.
She'll cooperate with you, I'm sure.
I bet she will, too, since we have you on video asking her to lie.
You recorded my private conversation? Without my consent? Oh, please.
Suddenly, Mr.
"I make reality cop shows" doesn't remember that there's no right to privacy in a police station? Of course we recorded you.
What do you think? We're idiots? I want my lawyer now.
That's your right, sir.
And there goes millions of dollars up in smoke in a five-year death-penalty trial.
His ego won't permit it.
Just know-- the second you call an attorney and invoke your rights I'll be arresting you for multiple murders in the first degree with special circumstances.
And the video of your trip to the county jail will go straight to YouTube, where it will live until the day you die.
So be sure and smile at the camera.
Or you can help us use this search warrant.
Is this what you meant by "Celebrity Threat Division"? 'Cause I'm feeling pretty threatened right now.
All right.
Fine.
Search my house.
You're not gonna find anything! Oh, we're not searching your house.
Just under your fingernails.
Looking for a little blood.
Okay.
I'm gonna go review this new material.
But I want some assurances on my other issues.
Okay.
Okay, look I admit it.
I fabricated an alibi.
But only because I know that the police always concentrate on the husband.
Do you have conflicts between your job as captain and being the foster parent of a material witness? poured myself a drink.
I woke up three hours later, and this was a bad night for that to happen.
But you-- you can't arrest me! No.
My role is the same in both instances-- to protect the child.
If he stops cooperating with us, I'll put the boy back with DCFS, find him another foster home.
And you should tell him that.
Threatening the stability of his environment is the worst thing I could do to Rusty.
I can't lose his trust.
I just need a little more time.
I just bought you 24 hours.
The boy sits down with Emma tomorrow afternoon, or he's gone.
Martin Elliot, famous for directing "Little Cat Feet," "Black Cat," and "Cat In The Bag," has become a person of interest in the murder of his wife, found in the bottom of the pool behind this sprawling contemporary home in Bel-Air.
I'm not eating on the couch.
I'm eating in front of the couch.
And I'm holding a plate underneath my hamburger, just so you know.
I'm watching your case on television, Sharon.
- Really? - Yeah.
And they're all like, "Oh, this famous director guy killed his wife.
" Why'd he do it? Sometimes it's another woman.
Divorce settlements can be very expensive-- child support and all that.
But he's rich already, right? Is he gonna get a deal? I don't know.
We'll see.
DDA Rios is turning out to be more complicated than I'd hoped.
Yeah.
Tell me about it.
She's crazy, that Emma.
I'm done talking to her.
But you have to testify in court.
Why? Brenda was there that night.
She can say what happened, can't she? Chief Johnson was at her house.
She wasn't at the park.
You're the only person who was in both places.
Okay, listen-- we can't discuss anything about your testimony, but you should be aware-- Rusty, you-- you should be aware, Rusty-- Hey, I am completely aware, okay? I have waited my whole life to have friends-- my whole life.
And that Emma lady is about to take that away from me, because that is what will happen when people find out what I was doing up at Griffith Park.
You won't have to answer those questions.
She said that they would be asked.
I know.
And they will.
But what you were doing in Griffith Park was illegal, so if the subject comes up you can plead the Fifth.
Plead the what? All right, the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution lets you refuse to say anything under oath that the State can then use to prosecute you.
That doesn't mean you should keep any information from-- Oh, my God.
You want me to talk to her again? That is bullshit, Sharon! I am the witness, not the criminal, and that Emma is attacking me.
Let me explain to you just how important you are to this process.
A man who raped and killed five young girls could end up going free unless you speak up.
Is that what you want to happen? No.
No.
No, Sharon.
Obviously, I don't want that to happen.
But even-- even if I-I plead the Fifth or whatever, people will find out about me.
They will.
And they will also find out that under very difficult circumstances and against your own best interests that Rusty Beck was the kind of person who was brave enough to do the right thing.
And whatever I can do to help you talk with Emma, I promise you I will do.
All right? I assume progress has been made? Lieutenants Flynn and Provenza are out picking up Martin Elliot's fake-alibi witness.
Jennifer O'Brien.
She's acting in a movie he's filming right now.
Honestly, I've been thinking about it, and the tape of Elliot asking someone to lie for him is all I need to go to trial on murder one.
Trial? Who wants to go to trial? What are you talking about? I want to put the killer in jail for life today.
Okay, hold on-- You want a deal.
I know.
But you have no witnesses, nothing under his fingernails, huge time-of-death issues, and juries love patterns-- two wives, two drug deaths, maybe two knives, a mistress during every marriage.
- I can win this.
- Really? And what if Jennifer is, as you suggest, his mistress? The defense will say that she killed the wife in order to get her boyfriend's money and his fancy house.
Have you thought about that? Am I the only person here who understands that we can't hold Mr.
Elliot much longer without arresting him? And if we let him go and he kills someone else, we'll be facing huge liability issues.
Mm.
I've never had a detective try and talk me out of filing charges before.
That's because you're new to the big-profile homicides.
You see, we don't just arrest people anymore, Emma.
We help get them convicted.
Now, do you want to alter that dynamic? Should I call the DA and ask if you represent a change in policy? If I may, some advice.
Too much pressure can backfire in a murder investigation like this.
Is that a knock on me wanting to interview your foster son today? One of the nice things about me, DDA Rios, is that when I'm really unhappy about something, people never have to ask.
Fine.
For now, Martin Elliot is your problem, and Rusty Beck is mine.
I expect to finish my conversation with him today, as promised.
Okay.
So what if this Jennifer O'Brien, Martin's fake-alibi witness, doesn't cooperate with you? Uncooperative witnesses are becoming a specialty of mine.
We just need to get Jennifer in the right frame of mind and ask her the proper questions.
What kind of questions? Why are we parking here? Geez.
The woman lives a block away.
And why are you walking like a clown? I've got a physical in a month.
I'm doing 10,000 steps a day.
It lowers my pulse.
You should try it.
I didn't get a trophy for outlasting my entire class by counting my steps.
Oh, yeah? So, what's your secret, then? My doctor has a problem with my health, I get my X-rays touched up.
And I stopped drinking alcohol and switched to white wine.
You know I don't really know why I'm working at all.
I'm not counting my steps.
I'm retracing them.
I should just retire-- play golf.
"Play golf.
" And what are you gonna do the week after that? Good morning.
Lieutenant Flynn, Lieutenant Provenza, LAPD.
We would like you to come downtown with us for an hour or so to discuss Martin Elliot.
Oh.
Well, um I heard what happened to his wife.
But, you know, I don't really know Martin outside work.
Hmm.
Me either.
Who is it, babe? Uh uh, this is my husband, Danny.
Um, it's the police-- about Martin.
Just-- uh, one second, officers.
Husband.
Danny's an actor, too.
It's hard for him when I'm working and he's not.
Plus, dealing with all the extra stuff that Martin wants me to do.
Like what extra stuff? Well, Martin loves rehearsing.
I bet.
And where do you that? Uh, the stage, the parking lot, the location.
Night before last, we were working in his trailer from like 7:00 to 10:00-- something like that.
I thought you said we were going downtown.
Why-- why are we at Martin's house? Well.
I thought you weren't friends with Martin outside of work.
Yet she knows where he lives.
Guess you must have been here before, huh? Did you ever meet his wife, Gretchen? Dirty blond, about your height, stabbed several times in the chest and stomach? Maybe she knows the alarm codes to the house.
Ohh.
You ever go swimming in the pool? Or go in the kitchen and see all the sharp knives? What are you accusing me of? Listen, sweetie, I'm not saying that this is gonna happen, but if the police call you, I need you to tell them that I was with you last night.
You don't know Martin Elliot that well, so you thought, "why not commit a felony for him?" Look, Martin constantly threatens to fire me, all right? He-- he calls me a terrible actress.
So I-I let him think that he owns me, but it's just so I end up in the final cut of his film.
What do you want from me? We want to know where Martin was that night.
Maybe her husband could tell us.
Ah.
She has a husband? Okay, uh Who may have found out about the affair and tried to frame our suspect.
This is gonna make Martin look really bad, but he stood me up.
I waited for him from 7:00 on, but I don't know what happened to him or what he was doing.
All right.
Where were you waiting for him? At the Hotel Perino, bungalow 9.
Wait a minute.
Didn't Gretchen Elliot receive a call from the Hotel Perino the night she died? Yes, she did.
But if Jennifer was at the hotel, why would she call Gretchen? Well, because if you're gonna drop by and kill somebody, it's a good idea to make sure they're home.
Okay.
I was maybe pushing to file too soon.
But remember this-- I'll be the one who ultimately decides whether we deal.
And I look forward to clearing up all this confusion with Rusty.
Hotel Perino, bungalow 9.
Did you save your room key? No, I-I don't think so.
It's nice to see where the other half cheats.
Welcome to the Hotel Perino.
How may I help you? We're from the LAPD.
This place is amazing.
How much are your rooms? Our superior suite starts at $1,300 a night.
We want to look at bungalow 9.
I'm sorry.
It's not available right now.
I apologize.
Uh, hold on.
Buzz, see what that fax is coming in back there.
Um, I-I-I beg your pardon.
Employees are the only ones allowed to-- to-- wait-- what-- what are you doing?! It's our search warrant, Lieutenant.
Buzz, does that thing fax and print? Uh, yes, sir.
Scans, too.
Ooh.
We need the key to bungalow 9 and for you to tell us who had it booked the night before last.
If you'd just let me talk to my manager-- Listen to me.
You delay us one more time, and I'm gonna arrest you for interfering with a police investigation.
You understand? Bungalow 9 has a reservation every Wednesday on a corporate account-- Riverway Films.
- Martin Elliot's company.
- Mm-hmm.
Excuse me.
What kind of recording loop is that surveillance camera on? One day? One week? Uh security's all in the back office.
Hmm.
And that room is where? I can take you, if you like.
So, this is a few seconds before the timecode match for the phone call from the Perino to Gretchen's cell.
Hey, enlarge the upper-left corner there.
Look who's using the house phone.
The girlfriend said she was here, so that's no big surprise.
Yeah, but why call from the lobby when you're in bungalow 9? What way is she going? Toward the parking-garage elevator.
Parking-garage angle's over here.
Wait a minute.
Rewind that.
Yeah.
Freeze it.
Now blow it up.
That's not the girlfriend.
That's his ex-wife.
So, you went to the hotel to make sure Jennifer had arrived, which meant Martin was coming.
Called the house and confirmed Gretchen was in the home that used to be yours.
You can't even place my client at the crime scene.
We just learned from our medical examiner that Valium was present in Gretchen Elliot's body.
So what? Valium's a very common drug.
So common, in fact, that Mr.
Elliot's first wife, Brittany, also had Valium in her body the night that she died.
What she didn't have was a prescription.
Neither did Gretchen.
Brittany committed suicide.
We're rethinking that, Ashley.
We're rethinking that very hard.
Right now, I have my detectives searching your house for Valium.
And also, as you know, when you stab a person as many times as you did, there's lots and lots of blood to clean up.
You can't get rid of it all.
Even when you go home and you wash, wash, wash your car, you miss it.
So, those detectives are also looking for blood in your vehicle.
And they're gonna find it.
One drop of blood, one dose of Valium, they call this phone.
The offer is two second-degree-murder charges-- And it's only good until that cellphone starts ringing.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Uh, don't tell Sharon I talked to you, okay? My short-term memory will take care of that.
What's on your mind? I've decided to answer all those stupid questions Emma's asking me-- on two conditions-- even though it means that everyone in my class will hate me forever.
Well, yeah.
I've got a trophy sitting right over there that proves everyone in your class won't be around forever.
What are your two conditions? Well, I'll, uh, I'll talk about the, um the-- the-- the Griffith Park stuff if, um If? If Sharon isn't there.
Look, I-I can't go over it again in front of her, and-- and I don't want her to know that I asked her not to be there.
I see.
Okay.
I'll handle that.
What's your other condition? Well, I don't want you there, either.
Why? Look, if-- if you hear the whole story, you won't like me anymore.
Oh-- I-I know-- I know you think you will, but you won't.
There's stuff that I did that-- that Look, I-I just-- I need you, Lieutenant.
I need you to be my friend.
Okay? So just-- just let me talk to Emma by myself.
Please.
Okay.
And, uh, can you make Sharon think that it was, like, all your idea? Well I have no problem taking credit for other people's ideas.
How do you think I became a lieutenant? The last of my kind.
So, has the suspect given us her answer yet? Plan "B.
" Oh.
Gosh.
I wonder who that is.
For the record, everything my client says is hypothetical until we agree on sentencing.
Boy, this did not work out the way I hoped at all.
Really? What did you hope for? Martin in prison-- unable to reproduce.
I still get his schedule, you know, so when it popped up again on his calendar, I knew what it meant.
What popped up? "Wednesday nights watching dailies.
" And that's a problem because? Because that's what he put on his schedule when first got together.
It meant he was cheating on Gretchen.
When she told me she was pregnant last month, I already knew.
Why did you care about that? Because Martin promised me-- no more kids.
And when I confronted him about Gretchen getting pregnant, he blew me off by saying he wanted a second chance to be a father.
Martin can replace me.
I don't care.
But he can't replace my boys.
So, since he never changes, I knew when and where to be-- early Wednesday night at the Perino, bungalow 9-- the same place we went.
I waited in the lobby to make sure the next Mrs.
Elliot was coming in, and then I paid Gretchen a visit, put Valium in the organic smoothie I brought her, calmed some nerves when she got dizzy, and then I took a knife from the set in the kitchen that was part of a wedding present to Martin and me that he fought for in the divorce, and You have to say it.
I stabbed Gretchen to death and dumped her in the pool.
Ashley, what about Mr.
Elliot's first wife, Brittany? What about that? The deal is for two second-degrees.
What happened to Brittany I guess you'll just have to wonder about that.
Which is more than Martin ever did.
Hey! Finally! We got a new printer.
You want me to put this where the old one was? No, no, no, no, no.
Right here.
It goes right here.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have purchased this printer/copier/fax/scanner as my gift to all of you-- your own little part of my cash prize.
A gift? Wow.
That's so unlike you.
Well, the wireless password will cost each of you 20 bucks.
But with that, you get the low, low family discount of 5 cents per page.
That's more like you.
Wait a second.
What are my boys doing here? You're their father.
Congratulations.
You just won sole custody of your children.
But I'm making a movie right now.
You said you wanted a second chance with your kids.
Here it is.
Listen, you don't understand.
This is the most important film of my career.
More important than your sons? Anybody can babysit! I'm the only one who can direct this movie! Damn it! Why are you trying to punish me? Who will those boys have to stick up for them now? As Lieutenant Provenza reminded me, sooner or later, all kids have to stick up for themselves, and we don't get to choose when they're ready for that.
Your material witness is out of summer school.
As agreed, you will not call him names.
You will adhere strictly to the facts of your case.
He still shouldn't be living with you.
Get over it.
Yeah, yeah, I'm holding, but a better question is what are you doing here? I thought you were going to Robinson's retirement dinner tonight.
Yeah, Wes Robinson's gone.
That makes me the last member of my academy class still on the job.
So you collected, how much was in the trophy? - Maybe $4,000.
- That's great! That's your reward for making history.
Yeah, and reliving it over and over.
Let me guess The victim was married, so her husband called it in.
You must me psychic.
Yeah, Lieutenant Flynn.
Major Crimes.
Right.
I need a TOD.
Where are you, people? So, what sort of sorry excuse does this husband have? Well, he came home from work to find his wife at the bottom of the pool.
I see lots of blood, so no drowning I guess? No.
Yes.
Stabbed to death.
They found a knife at the bottom of the pool.
- Looks right.
- Yeah.
Where is the husband? He's over there, sir.
Sykes, tell me, uh, was the alarm not set or did he fake a break-in? Excellent question, sir.
No sign of forced entry.
Motion detectors inside the house, perimeter alarm controlled via keypad outside.
The top of this backyard walls include pressure sensors for anything over 30 pounds.
Yeah, just like in this third movie of that burglar guy.
Set in a Russian prison Cat In The Bag Victim's husband is Martin Elliot.
He's a big time film director.
But, you're right.
Mr.
Elliot says the alarm was off when he got here.
Well, if he found his wife in the pool, shouldn't he be wet? Or he didn't try to rescue her, he just called 911.
Ah.
Buzz, in case we don't get a chance to talk to Mr.
Elliot again, - uh, let's film him here, now.
- Sure.
And Sykes, carefully remind him of his rights.
Yeah, fine.
Okay.
Never-ending budget crisis.
Morgue can't get anybody out here until 5:00 AM.
It's okay.
She has no place else to be.
Of course I'm aware of my rights.
I got my start creating the number-one cop reality series of all time, "You Have The Right To Remain Silent.
" Do you really need me to go through this story for a third time? What you say now will go a long way to helping us find the killer.
Fine.
- I came home from work to-- - Eht-eht.
I came home from work I thought that Gretchen had gone to bed, so I went upstairs, and I looked out the window.
Then I saw blood in the water, and I called 911.
How long is this gonna take, man? I got-- my phone is inside.
I got to get to my phone.
Are we done? Thank you, Buzz.
And remind Lieutenant Tao about the special press release I asked him to make up for me.
Will do.
Okay.
First, the body was at the bottom of a heated pool for a while, then left out in the night air till early this morning, so I have to put the time of death as between But that's not the worst of it.
What could be worse than a four-hour window for time of death? The victim was three months pregnant.
So double homicide.
Martin Elliot never mentioned his wife was expecting.
No, ma'am.
Why would he not say anything about the death of his child? Yes? Can I help you? Sorry.
I thought you'd be done by now.
Oh, God.
Pardon me.
I can't breathe.
Dr.
Morales, this is, uh, Deputy DA Emma Rios, who may be confused.
This homicide has nothing to do with Phillip Stroh.
Yes, but since I was coming over to interview our material witness in that case, DDA Hobbs thought I should pick up this murder, too.
Oh, God.
Uh, the mask won't help.
Just collects the smell in one place.
Here.
Put a little bit of this underneath your nose.
Why don't you just turn your back, read through our crime report, and just listen to Dr.
Morales, okay? Thank you, Captain.
Okay.
Here's a clean entry wound I can measure.
DDA Rios, you may want to cover your ears.
Looks like a single-edge, And she was attacked lying down from behind.
I don't see defensive wounds, though she could've been asleep.
Unless she was drunk.
No.
She was pregnant.
Maybe her husband drugged her, but with what? As always, tox screens go faster if I know what to look for.
Excuse me, but what in this crime report says "husband" to you? Well, the killer had access to the house.
And the knife we found in the pool matches exactly the measurements of the murder weapon and fits into this space from this set of knives from the victim's kitchen.
Any biological evidence on that knife? It was dumped in a chlorinated pool, so no.
Your time-of-death window allows our suspect to claim he was away from home during the murder.
Do you have any other reason to hold him? We're not holding him.
Mr.
Elliot's house is a crime scene.
He's helping us find his wife's killer.
But you still only have before you have to release him or put him in front of a judge.
Do you even have a motive? Look, I know it's old-fashioned, but why don't we just ask him why he stabbed his wife to death? There are other questions we need answered first.
Sorry it took so long.
Our printer's down again.
Well, just keep using Taylor's until he authorizes a replacement.
Here's the incomplete press release you asked me for, Captain, along with the suspect's weekly schedule, courtesy of his office.
Wait a minute.
Wait.
You're not sharing our press release with Mr.
Elliot, are you? Yes, DDA Rios, that's exactly what I'm doing.
While I'm directing, my schedule changes constantly.
My assistant puts out updates to me, my agent, my editor, my wife, my ex-wife, my mother.
- Captain? - Hmm? Here's the press release you asked for.
Press release? Mr.
Elliot, we think that the person that murdered your wife might have actually been trying to kill you.
- Oh, my God.
- Mm-hmm.
Oh, my God.
You mean You may have been the intended victim, sir, yes.
And our Celebrity Threat Division is working on that.
So from here on out, how we talk to the media is very important.
Look over the press release.
Make sure we're all on the same page.
Well, you could leave out the name of the film.
And let's say I'm "working with the LAPD" instead of "cooperating.
" "Cooperating" makes me sound like I'm a suspect.
Do not mention my two sons "from a previous marriage.
" Man! I have got to talk with them.
And where I was last night is left blank.
Why? This should be "watching dailies.
" How did we miss that? And that was what time, sir? It's on my schedule.
Call Postproduction.
They'll have a record of the download.
Anyone watch these dailies with you? Not usually, but I have an actress with some bad habits.
I wanted her to see how much she blinks her eyes on-camera.
Why? Mr.
Elliot, when this actress left, she may have seen someone hanging around waiting for you.
Could we have her phone number? Your people would not let me back in my home to get my cell.
I don't carry these numbers around in my head.
We'll find that phone for you, sir.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
So much lost.
There's another chance at being a good husband, another chance at being a good father.
What happened? Another chance at being a good father? Excuse me, sir.
Are you saying your wife was pregnant? Yes.
Ohhh.
Yes.
Did I not mention that before? I can't remember.
How could I have forgotten that? Everything was supposed to be different this time.
My kids.
I have got to talk to my kids.
Because, Ashley, they're my kids, too.
What-- I know that.
I understand that.
Ah.
Negotiating with the ex-wife.
You know, maybe the former Mrs.
Elliot would be willing to share some memories of her time spent with the artiste.
I still say giving him his phone is risky.
What if he calls a lawyer? Is she the new, uh What is it? Deputy DA.
That's her.
Hmm.
What's she like? Lieutenant Provenza and I will both be with you for the interview.
Oh, man.
That bad? - Yeah, hi, sweetie.
- Hey, Captain, I think this is it.
Listen-- uh, thanks.
I-I'm not saying that this is going to happen, but if the police call you, I need you to tell them that I was with you last night.
I'll draw up a warrant to get the number he just called.
Big surprise.
Our suspect seems to have a girlfriend.
In other news this morning, the sun rose in the east.
Well, it certainly didn't sound like he was grieving his wife and child.
Okay.
Nope.
Sounds like a man who knows he's a suspect.
I'll tell you later.
Bye.
Okay, now for the really hard part.
In your written statement from last year, you say "Mr.
Stroh was about 100 feet away.
" Right.
He was about 100 feet away.
About.
And you saw the killer when you were with a Mr.
Douglas Grand, standing in your underwear.
Yes.
And you were in your underwear why? It was hot outside.
What he was wearing is pertinent because? I'll get to that.
This hilltop-- was it a favorite spot of yours to brings johns or clients? Okay, the word is "date," and I didn't have a favorite spot, okay, lady? This wasn't, like, fun for me.
It was Doug's spot, not mine, and he liked it because it was off the trail.
I don't know.
Ask him about it.
Do you really need to pursue this line of questioning? Mr.
Stroh's lawyers will focus on why Rusty was at Griffith Park at night engaged in an act of sex for hire in order to discredit his testimony.
You think I'm tough? Wait until the defense asks if you had a thing for older guys.
Or why you ended up on the street or how it was you became a "whorephan" in the first place.
I'm sorry-- a-a-a "whorephan"?! - Oh, they'll say it.
- DDA Rios, we are stopping! Excuse me, but I am not required - to include officers in this interview.
- We need to stop! Rusty has the right to have his guardian present! His guardian? A-are you saying my-- my witness lives with you? Rusty, that's enough for now.
Lieutenant, thank you.
Hey, you are an asshole.
Okay? And I am never talking to you again.
Never.
There's nothing in either LAPD rules or policy that says Rusty can't live with a police officer.
Stroh's lawyers will claim you coached the child.
I've never discussed the case with Rusty even once.
No, you just put a roof over his head, fed him, and bought him his clothes.
Are you paying for the Catholic school that goes with the uniform he's wearing? And were those keys to a vehicle he just grabbed off your desk? I keep a car for when my kids visit, and Rusty takes it to school.
Oh, I apologize.
You're not coaching the witness.
You're bribing him.
This has to change.
But first, I need him to finish this interview.
It's not a good idea right now.
Oh, my God.
- Hmm? - What ever happened to professional distance and good old foster care? That boy was selling himself on the street to survive, which puts him at special risk-- - Don't talk to me about-- - Don't interrupt me.
It puts him at special risk for suicide.
Don't talk to me about special risks when I am prosecuting a serial killer.
I want that boy out of your house and placed somewhere else posthaste.
That's not gonna happen.
And I suggest you factor my legal guardianship into your case.
Oh I am.
And in just the same way you're factoring in how your suspect never told you about his baby.
Well, they're not exactly I can't tell you who he was asking to lie for him, because Elliot was calling himself.
The number he dialed for his alibi belonged to his own corporation, Riverway Films.
He ordered another cell for his company and gave it to someone.
Meanwhile, on our victim's phone, starting eight hours before Gretchen Elliot was found at the bottom of her pool, she had a call from her mom, a call to a caterer, a late-afternoon call from the Hotel Perino-- no room number-- and then about a half an hour after that, she made an appointment for Friday at her hair salon.
Captain.
Elliot's still rescheduling actors and crew for his film.
Seems like he has more of a relationship with his movie than his wife.
No use talking to those people.
They have to stay on his good side.
Flynn's on his way up with Elliot's ex-wife.
Now, if my experience means anything, then she won't even remember his good side.
And if Elliot was cheating on his current wife, which-- Hmm.
Ex-wife looks familiar.
Same size and shape as the victim.
Blond, fit.
I bet she's got blue eyes.
The guy has a type.
Ashley.
I'm Captain Sharon Raydor.
So sorry about you and your family.
Yeah.
Not a good time.
Reporters outside our house at 6:00 AM.
Trying to talk to my sons.
And they loved, loved, loved Gretchen.
Mr.
Elliot has been very concerned about your boys.
That's good to hear.
Sometimes I think they should be re-introduced.
You mean your kids don't see their father very often? Technically, every other weekend, and in the summer, they live in his pool.
But Martin's never around-- always directing or developing.
Did he develop a lot during your marriage, too? Take a lot of "meetings" at night? I see.
Was he cheating on Gretchen, too? Mm-hmm.
Why am I not surprised? Mr.
Elliot cheated on you? Both times I was "with child.
" So, of course, he did it to Gretchen, too.
He's incapable of change.
So, he left you for Gretchen.
Six years ago, during my second pregnancy.
Yes.
I never blamed her, though.
Gretchen got her ring the same way I did.
Oh? Mr.
Elliot was married when you met him? Yes.
His first wife, Brittany, committed suicide.
Look, I'm not sure where you're going with these questions, but Martin doesn't have to kill his wives.
Trust me-- he has great divorce lawyers.
E-excuse me.
Right now I'm worried about my boys.
The first wife? Brittany Wells married Martin Elliot almost 20 years ago but kept her own last name.
Yeah, that was before he became the Martin Elliot.
Here's the first Mrs.
Elliot's professional pose.
Ah.
And here's what she looked like when the LAPD met her Well, it says here Elliot found the body when he came home from work.
He's famous for sequels.
Your division has to stop using the printer in my office, Captain.
Well, it's the only one working on the entire floor, and we used it for a search warrant.
Which we are really going to need, given where this case is taking us.
Is that another body? Who's dead now? Uh, Elliot's first wife, Brittany.
Who died pregnant and cut her wrists with this small knife and had a positive tox screen for Valium.
If you'd been paying attention to this case instead of Rusty Beck, then you wouldn't be playing catch-up now.
Because if Dr.
Morales finds Valium in Gretchen Elliot's body, we have a pattern.
Yeah, then all we need is the name of the actress he called to be his alibi.
Ask him that, and he'll invoke.
Not if we present the information properly.
Lieutenant.
The killer had access to your schedule, knew your alarm code, used a knife from your kitchen, a hose from your backyard.
All these things point in one direction.
This direction.
Me?! Seriously? The computer log-ons for the day Prove nothing.
You could have done all that from home, killed your wife, logged off a few hours later.
You said you were with an actress at the time? All right.
Fine.
Yes.
Call Jennifer O'Brien.
She'll cooperate with you, I'm sure.
I bet she will, too, since we have you on video asking her to lie.
You recorded my private conversation? Without my consent? Oh, please.
Suddenly, Mr.
"I make reality cop shows" doesn't remember that there's no right to privacy in a police station? Of course we recorded you.
What do you think? We're idiots? I want my lawyer now.
That's your right, sir.
And there goes millions of dollars up in smoke in a five-year death-penalty trial.
His ego won't permit it.
Just know-- the second you call an attorney and invoke your rights I'll be arresting you for multiple murders in the first degree with special circumstances.
And the video of your trip to the county jail will go straight to YouTube, where it will live until the day you die.
So be sure and smile at the camera.
Or you can help us use this search warrant.
Is this what you meant by "Celebrity Threat Division"? 'Cause I'm feeling pretty threatened right now.
All right.
Fine.
Search my house.
You're not gonna find anything! Oh, we're not searching your house.
Just under your fingernails.
Looking for a little blood.
Okay.
I'm gonna go review this new material.
But I want some assurances on my other issues.
Okay.
Okay, look I admit it.
I fabricated an alibi.
But only because I know that the police always concentrate on the husband.
Do you have conflicts between your job as captain and being the foster parent of a material witness? poured myself a drink.
I woke up three hours later, and this was a bad night for that to happen.
But you-- you can't arrest me! No.
My role is the same in both instances-- to protect the child.
If he stops cooperating with us, I'll put the boy back with DCFS, find him another foster home.
And you should tell him that.
Threatening the stability of his environment is the worst thing I could do to Rusty.
I can't lose his trust.
I just need a little more time.
I just bought you 24 hours.
The boy sits down with Emma tomorrow afternoon, or he's gone.
Martin Elliot, famous for directing "Little Cat Feet," "Black Cat," and "Cat In The Bag," has become a person of interest in the murder of his wife, found in the bottom of the pool behind this sprawling contemporary home in Bel-Air.
I'm not eating on the couch.
I'm eating in front of the couch.
And I'm holding a plate underneath my hamburger, just so you know.
I'm watching your case on television, Sharon.
- Really? - Yeah.
And they're all like, "Oh, this famous director guy killed his wife.
" Why'd he do it? Sometimes it's another woman.
Divorce settlements can be very expensive-- child support and all that.
But he's rich already, right? Is he gonna get a deal? I don't know.
We'll see.
DDA Rios is turning out to be more complicated than I'd hoped.
Yeah.
Tell me about it.
She's crazy, that Emma.
I'm done talking to her.
But you have to testify in court.
Why? Brenda was there that night.
She can say what happened, can't she? Chief Johnson was at her house.
She wasn't at the park.
You're the only person who was in both places.
Okay, listen-- we can't discuss anything about your testimony, but you should be aware-- Rusty, you-- you should be aware, Rusty-- Hey, I am completely aware, okay? I have waited my whole life to have friends-- my whole life.
And that Emma lady is about to take that away from me, because that is what will happen when people find out what I was doing up at Griffith Park.
You won't have to answer those questions.
She said that they would be asked.
I know.
And they will.
But what you were doing in Griffith Park was illegal, so if the subject comes up you can plead the Fifth.
Plead the what? All right, the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution lets you refuse to say anything under oath that the State can then use to prosecute you.
That doesn't mean you should keep any information from-- Oh, my God.
You want me to talk to her again? That is bullshit, Sharon! I am the witness, not the criminal, and that Emma is attacking me.
Let me explain to you just how important you are to this process.
A man who raped and killed five young girls could end up going free unless you speak up.
Is that what you want to happen? No.
No.
No, Sharon.
Obviously, I don't want that to happen.
But even-- even if I-I plead the Fifth or whatever, people will find out about me.
They will.
And they will also find out that under very difficult circumstances and against your own best interests that Rusty Beck was the kind of person who was brave enough to do the right thing.
And whatever I can do to help you talk with Emma, I promise you I will do.
All right? I assume progress has been made? Lieutenants Flynn and Provenza are out picking up Martin Elliot's fake-alibi witness.
Jennifer O'Brien.
She's acting in a movie he's filming right now.
Honestly, I've been thinking about it, and the tape of Elliot asking someone to lie for him is all I need to go to trial on murder one.
Trial? Who wants to go to trial? What are you talking about? I want to put the killer in jail for life today.
Okay, hold on-- You want a deal.
I know.
But you have no witnesses, nothing under his fingernails, huge time-of-death issues, and juries love patterns-- two wives, two drug deaths, maybe two knives, a mistress during every marriage.
- I can win this.
- Really? And what if Jennifer is, as you suggest, his mistress? The defense will say that she killed the wife in order to get her boyfriend's money and his fancy house.
Have you thought about that? Am I the only person here who understands that we can't hold Mr.
Elliot much longer without arresting him? And if we let him go and he kills someone else, we'll be facing huge liability issues.
Mm.
I've never had a detective try and talk me out of filing charges before.
That's because you're new to the big-profile homicides.
You see, we don't just arrest people anymore, Emma.
We help get them convicted.
Now, do you want to alter that dynamic? Should I call the DA and ask if you represent a change in policy? If I may, some advice.
Too much pressure can backfire in a murder investigation like this.
Is that a knock on me wanting to interview your foster son today? One of the nice things about me, DDA Rios, is that when I'm really unhappy about something, people never have to ask.
Fine.
For now, Martin Elliot is your problem, and Rusty Beck is mine.
I expect to finish my conversation with him today, as promised.
Okay.
So what if this Jennifer O'Brien, Martin's fake-alibi witness, doesn't cooperate with you? Uncooperative witnesses are becoming a specialty of mine.
We just need to get Jennifer in the right frame of mind and ask her the proper questions.
What kind of questions? Why are we parking here? Geez.
The woman lives a block away.
And why are you walking like a clown? I've got a physical in a month.
I'm doing 10,000 steps a day.
It lowers my pulse.
You should try it.
I didn't get a trophy for outlasting my entire class by counting my steps.
Oh, yeah? So, what's your secret, then? My doctor has a problem with my health, I get my X-rays touched up.
And I stopped drinking alcohol and switched to white wine.
You know I don't really know why I'm working at all.
I'm not counting my steps.
I'm retracing them.
I should just retire-- play golf.
"Play golf.
" And what are you gonna do the week after that? Good morning.
Lieutenant Flynn, Lieutenant Provenza, LAPD.
We would like you to come downtown with us for an hour or so to discuss Martin Elliot.
Oh.
Well, um I heard what happened to his wife.
But, you know, I don't really know Martin outside work.
Hmm.
Me either.
Who is it, babe? Uh uh, this is my husband, Danny.
Um, it's the police-- about Martin.
Just-- uh, one second, officers.
Husband.
Danny's an actor, too.
It's hard for him when I'm working and he's not.
Plus, dealing with all the extra stuff that Martin wants me to do.
Like what extra stuff? Well, Martin loves rehearsing.
I bet.
And where do you that? Uh, the stage, the parking lot, the location.
Night before last, we were working in his trailer from like 7:00 to 10:00-- something like that.
I thought you said we were going downtown.
Why-- why are we at Martin's house? Well.
I thought you weren't friends with Martin outside of work.
Yet she knows where he lives.
Guess you must have been here before, huh? Did you ever meet his wife, Gretchen? Dirty blond, about your height, stabbed several times in the chest and stomach? Maybe she knows the alarm codes to the house.
Ohh.
You ever go swimming in the pool? Or go in the kitchen and see all the sharp knives? What are you accusing me of? Listen, sweetie, I'm not saying that this is gonna happen, but if the police call you, I need you to tell them that I was with you last night.
You don't know Martin Elliot that well, so you thought, "why not commit a felony for him?" Look, Martin constantly threatens to fire me, all right? He-- he calls me a terrible actress.
So I-I let him think that he owns me, but it's just so I end up in the final cut of his film.
What do you want from me? We want to know where Martin was that night.
Maybe her husband could tell us.
Ah.
She has a husband? Okay, uh Who may have found out about the affair and tried to frame our suspect.
This is gonna make Martin look really bad, but he stood me up.
I waited for him from 7:00 on, but I don't know what happened to him or what he was doing.
All right.
Where were you waiting for him? At the Hotel Perino, bungalow 9.
Wait a minute.
Didn't Gretchen Elliot receive a call from the Hotel Perino the night she died? Yes, she did.
But if Jennifer was at the hotel, why would she call Gretchen? Well, because if you're gonna drop by and kill somebody, it's a good idea to make sure they're home.
Okay.
I was maybe pushing to file too soon.
But remember this-- I'll be the one who ultimately decides whether we deal.
And I look forward to clearing up all this confusion with Rusty.
Hotel Perino, bungalow 9.
Did you save your room key? No, I-I don't think so.
It's nice to see where the other half cheats.
Welcome to the Hotel Perino.
How may I help you? We're from the LAPD.
This place is amazing.
How much are your rooms? Our superior suite starts at $1,300 a night.
We want to look at bungalow 9.
I'm sorry.
It's not available right now.
I apologize.
Uh, hold on.
Buzz, see what that fax is coming in back there.
Um, I-I-I beg your pardon.
Employees are the only ones allowed to-- to-- wait-- what-- what are you doing?! It's our search warrant, Lieutenant.
Buzz, does that thing fax and print? Uh, yes, sir.
Scans, too.
Ooh.
We need the key to bungalow 9 and for you to tell us who had it booked the night before last.
If you'd just let me talk to my manager-- Listen to me.
You delay us one more time, and I'm gonna arrest you for interfering with a police investigation.
You understand? Bungalow 9 has a reservation every Wednesday on a corporate account-- Riverway Films.
- Martin Elliot's company.
- Mm-hmm.
Excuse me.
What kind of recording loop is that surveillance camera on? One day? One week? Uh security's all in the back office.
Hmm.
And that room is where? I can take you, if you like.
So, this is a few seconds before the timecode match for the phone call from the Perino to Gretchen's cell.
Hey, enlarge the upper-left corner there.
Look who's using the house phone.
The girlfriend said she was here, so that's no big surprise.
Yeah, but why call from the lobby when you're in bungalow 9? What way is she going? Toward the parking-garage elevator.
Parking-garage angle's over here.
Wait a minute.
Rewind that.
Yeah.
Freeze it.
Now blow it up.
That's not the girlfriend.
That's his ex-wife.
So, you went to the hotel to make sure Jennifer had arrived, which meant Martin was coming.
Called the house and confirmed Gretchen was in the home that used to be yours.
You can't even place my client at the crime scene.
We just learned from our medical examiner that Valium was present in Gretchen Elliot's body.
So what? Valium's a very common drug.
So common, in fact, that Mr.
Elliot's first wife, Brittany, also had Valium in her body the night that she died.
What she didn't have was a prescription.
Neither did Gretchen.
Brittany committed suicide.
We're rethinking that, Ashley.
We're rethinking that very hard.
Right now, I have my detectives searching your house for Valium.
And also, as you know, when you stab a person as many times as you did, there's lots and lots of blood to clean up.
You can't get rid of it all.
Even when you go home and you wash, wash, wash your car, you miss it.
So, those detectives are also looking for blood in your vehicle.
And they're gonna find it.
One drop of blood, one dose of Valium, they call this phone.
The offer is two second-degree-murder charges-- And it's only good until that cellphone starts ringing.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Uh, don't tell Sharon I talked to you, okay? My short-term memory will take care of that.
What's on your mind? I've decided to answer all those stupid questions Emma's asking me-- on two conditions-- even though it means that everyone in my class will hate me forever.
Well, yeah.
I've got a trophy sitting right over there that proves everyone in your class won't be around forever.
What are your two conditions? Well, I'll, uh, I'll talk about the, um the-- the-- the Griffith Park stuff if, um If? If Sharon isn't there.
Look, I-I can't go over it again in front of her, and-- and I don't want her to know that I asked her not to be there.
I see.
Okay.
I'll handle that.
What's your other condition? Well, I don't want you there, either.
Why? Look, if-- if you hear the whole story, you won't like me anymore.
Oh-- I-I know-- I know you think you will, but you won't.
There's stuff that I did that-- that Look, I-I just-- I need you, Lieutenant.
I need you to be my friend.
Okay? So just-- just let me talk to Emma by myself.
Please.
Okay.
And, uh, can you make Sharon think that it was, like, all your idea? Well I have no problem taking credit for other people's ideas.
How do you think I became a lieutenant? The last of my kind.
So, has the suspect given us her answer yet? Plan "B.
" Oh.
Gosh.
I wonder who that is.
For the record, everything my client says is hypothetical until we agree on sentencing.
Boy, this did not work out the way I hoped at all.
Really? What did you hope for? Martin in prison-- unable to reproduce.
I still get his schedule, you know, so when it popped up again on his calendar, I knew what it meant.
What popped up? "Wednesday nights watching dailies.
" And that's a problem because? Because that's what he put on his schedule when first got together.
It meant he was cheating on Gretchen.
When she told me she was pregnant last month, I already knew.
Why did you care about that? Because Martin promised me-- no more kids.
And when I confronted him about Gretchen getting pregnant, he blew me off by saying he wanted a second chance to be a father.
Martin can replace me.
I don't care.
But he can't replace my boys.
So, since he never changes, I knew when and where to be-- early Wednesday night at the Perino, bungalow 9-- the same place we went.
I waited in the lobby to make sure the next Mrs.
Elliot was coming in, and then I paid Gretchen a visit, put Valium in the organic smoothie I brought her, calmed some nerves when she got dizzy, and then I took a knife from the set in the kitchen that was part of a wedding present to Martin and me that he fought for in the divorce, and You have to say it.
I stabbed Gretchen to death and dumped her in the pool.
Ashley, what about Mr.
Elliot's first wife, Brittany? What about that? The deal is for two second-degrees.
What happened to Brittany I guess you'll just have to wonder about that.
Which is more than Martin ever did.
Hey! Finally! We got a new printer.
You want me to put this where the old one was? No, no, no, no, no.
Right here.
It goes right here.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have purchased this printer/copier/fax/scanner as my gift to all of you-- your own little part of my cash prize.
A gift? Wow.
That's so unlike you.
Well, the wireless password will cost each of you 20 bucks.
But with that, you get the low, low family discount of 5 cents per page.
That's more like you.
Wait a second.
What are my boys doing here? You're their father.
Congratulations.
You just won sole custody of your children.
But I'm making a movie right now.
You said you wanted a second chance with your kids.
Here it is.
Listen, you don't understand.
This is the most important film of my career.
More important than your sons? Anybody can babysit! I'm the only one who can direct this movie! Damn it! Why are you trying to punish me? Who will those boys have to stick up for them now? As Lieutenant Provenza reminded me, sooner or later, all kids have to stick up for themselves, and we don't get to choose when they're ready for that.
Your material witness is out of summer school.
As agreed, you will not call him names.
You will adhere strictly to the facts of your case.
He still shouldn't be living with you.
Get over it.