The Rookie (2018) s02e08 Episode Script
Clean Cut
1 As much as I like watching you load the truck, I've got some studying I got to do.
And by studying, you mean? Mm, watching "Lady and the Tramp" with Abigail.
- Oh! - We do the, uh, - whole spaghetti thing along with it.
- Cute.
So, what are you doing for your birthday tomorrow? I'm tiling the bathroom.
Mm.
That sounds sad.
No, it doesn't.
Besides, when you're the oldest rookie, you really don't want anyone knowing you're the older oldest rookie.
I mean, you just broke up with Jessica, and nobody knows that it's your birthday tomorrow? Yes, and that's the way I like it, so do not tell Jackson and Lucy.
- Promise me.
- You're a grown man.
You want to spend your birthday grouting, that's, uh, your prerogative.
Yes, it is.
Oh.
That's the boss.
I got to go.
- Alright.
Love you.
- Love you, too.
Bye.
Yes, sir.
How can I help you? Thanks for coming in on your day off.
No problem.
I'm excited to get started on my special assignment.
It's not a special assignment.
It's a mandatory callback.
Oh.
I may have renamed that in my head.
What happened here? It's a homicide and a brutal one.
At least two assailants, and the victim was a lawyer.
So lots of suspects.
One for now building's security guard.
He's in the wind.
Maynard Goetz.
Want me to put out an APB? It's already done.
Just sit here and guard.
Any detectives come back, make them sign in.
Keep one boot in the tape.
Dispatch will call you as soon as detectives say you can release the scene.
And when will that be? Hour, two.
Coffee? I haven't had a chance to make it.
So, no coffee? Not yet.
Sorry.
You know, Nolan kept me up all night from this crime scene he was babysitting.
Look at this.
Look.
Yeah, he was texting me, too.
We'll get stuck on one soon enough.
Class A's? Yeah.
Tim and I get our commendation today.
Oh, right, for helping that family last week.
Mm-hmm.
You know, it's it's crazy.
Like, a few weeks ago, I thought I was gonna get bounced from the program, and now I'm getting an award from the Deputy Chief.
It's pretty cool how quickly things can change.
I'm really happy for you, man.
Aww.
Thanks.
Plus, Tim is gonna be in a really good mood today.
I know, I'm really happy for me, too.
Sorry.
Let me get this straight.
You're coming to me for an annual evaluation that's not due until December? I just wanted to get a jump on it.
- Reason? - It's personal.
I figured I'd spare you the details.
Detective, I hear you.
I really do.
But it's called a yearly review for a reason because that's when the Paperwork Gods expect it.
So, if you want me to file this thing ahead of schedule, I need to know why.
Okay.
Okay.
It's for the judge.
I have a hearing next week for custody of Lila, and a strong evaluation would go a long way.
Look, you came here untouchable.
Let me level with you.
While I'd fast-track reviews for most of my officers I'm not ready to do that for you.
Okay.
Wait.
I know you're trying hard with your daughter.
At the same time, I can't ignore that you're still a wildcard on patrol.
So, if you want this eval, you got to show me something different.
- What do you mean? - Meaning we ride together.
You and me, and I evaluate you firsthand.
But know this I'm writing this evaluation no matter what happens out there.
So, if you fall down today, the world will know.
It is a big deal.
"Light of the City" award? I thought you'd be happier.
I planned my emotional day around it.
I don't do this for the medals and plaques, Boot.
Yes, only lesser cops enjoy recognition.
- Exactly.
- Well, if it doesn't matter, turn it down.
It doesn't matter to me, but it does matter to the higher-ups.
Look, a good score on the sergeant's exam, this award could help me rise through the list of candidates.
Fair enough.
Jackson's dedicated an entire shelf to his award? He's building a cabinet from scratch.
- He knows how to do that? - Nolan's helping him.
Oh.
Grace.
- What's up? - You know, the usual.
Snatching life from the jaws of death? Close.
I just pulled four Legos out of a kid's nose.
Four? Amateur.
No commitment to the craft.
- I mean, not like when we were kids.
- Right.
I never went to the hospital for anything less than seven.
- Dr.
Sawyer to ER.
- Shoot.
- You know what? I got to go, I just - Dr.
Sawyer to ER.
I wanted to wish you a happy birthday.
Oh.
Thank you.
Ga Uh, wait.
You remembered my birthday? I got a Facebook alert.
My birthday's not on Facebook.
Huh.
That's weird.
Anyway, uh, lives, important things.
I-I got to go.
Grace.
Yeah? Thanks for calling.
You're welcome.
Right.
Oh, damn it.
Sorry.
This is a crime scene.
Better be.
Uh, bioremediation.
- Beg your pardon? - Crime scene cleaner.
Right.
You the log officer? Yeah.
Officer Nolan.
Um crime scene's been processed, but they haven't cleared it just yet.
I can have someone call you when they're ready.
I'll wait.
90% of the job's planning anyway.
You Thanks.
I would've thought 90% of the job would be scrubbing.
No.
No.
You go in with the wrong chemicals, you can make things a hundred times worse.
The mix of body fluids and the the fabrics, even the ambient humidity, it all makes a huge difference.
Oh.
Every job requires a slightly different set of tools.
Very impressive.
And how does one get into bioremediation? Always liked setting things right, I guess.
I walk into a tragedy.
When I walk out everything is as it should be.
I-I know people think it's a weird job for weirdos.
No, no, no.
I get it.
- Your name again was? - Ellroy.
Ellroy.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, too, Officer Nolan.
Hmm.
You hungry? Starving.
Half a sandwich? Whew.
Well, it's a little early to become my first DUI, but it's Hollywood.
Everyone's trying to be someone.
It's not a DUI yet.
Nope.
But it will be in three, two one.
Control, 7-Adam-15.
Show us on a possible DUI, 6th and Beverly.
Morning, Miss.
Can I speak to you over on the sidewalk, please? What? Why? Uh, you just don't look like you should be driving.
Have you, uh, been drinking a little bit? Got me there, but I-I wasn't gonna drive.
Oh, so you were just getting into your car because? Just grabbing my purse.
Mm-hmm.
Your purse that's on your shoulder? Ah! - It is! - Yeah.
Uh, uh, I'm just gonna run a few tests to make sure you are actually okay to drive.
I'm kind of sick of tests, to be honest with you.
I know.
This will only take a second.
So, hold your head still.
Follow my finger with just your eyes.
Horizontal nystagmus.
Okay.
Hey, hey! My dad's coming down for the ceremony.
It's not a ceremony.
It's a photo op with the Deputy Chief.
Alright, still, it's a big deal to me.
- I'm proud of this.
- You should be.
You know you were texting while driving, sir? Oh, I just looked down at my map for a second while I was stopped at a red light.
"Yo, running late.
Smiley face, smiley face, boat.
" Yeah, okay, the boat was a typo.
Yeah, it's so hard to focus on texting while you're driving.
License and registration, please.
Hey, what's, uh, what's going on with your dashboard, there? Nothing.
Came that way.
I doubt it.
Looks like Trevor's on searchable probation for 11-300.
Narcotics.
Sir, step out of the vehicle.
Today.
Step to the back of the vehicle.
Arms on the trunk lid.
Spread your legs.
There's a packaged powder in here.
It's wedged up in there, though.
At least a kilo.
Surprise, surprise.
Sir, give me your hands.
Can't get it out.
Relax.
They'll tear it apart, find out whatever it is.
- Uh - You okay? You got a little something on your shirt.
Thanks.
Did you invite Rachel? To the "Light of the City" thing? No.
I told you, it's not a big deal.
You invited her and she's busy? Out of town.
Oh.
Well, I'll send her pictures.
Oh, hey, 3:00.
Skateboarder's about to grab that woman's bag.
Swing and a miss.
Tim! Whoa, you're bleeding.
I'll be fine.
- You okay? - Yeah.
Get the flares out.
Seal off the whole street.
- Ma'am, are you hurt? - No.
I'm fine.
Control, 7-Adam-19.
Show me at a traffic collision at Melrose and Gardner.
Be advised, it's a city vehicle.
Coming up with a plan of action? Deciding what to clean first? No.
I'm grading the forensic team's work.
Looks like Tip Johnson's guys.
I give them a B-plus.
How can you tell that? They swab for DNA and then lift prints, which is the correct way to do it.
Gil River's team always prints first.
And they work outside in.
That is incredible.
You know the habits of all the FSU teams? Most of them.
Oh, look at this.
Yeah.
Yeah, uh, fingerprint powder here means someone was trying to hold the door shut while someone was trying to push their way in.
So, this is where it started.
And obviously, they got in.
See the blood drops? If the blood drops are circular, that means the victim was standing still.
Wait, you can tell if the person was moving or not - based on the shape of the drops? - Exactly.
The faster they move, the more elongated the drops.
So, the narrow part of the drop will indicate the direction the person ran.
You are a natural! So, um, it started here.
He's bleeding, he's running, he's bleeding.
A stu stutter step.
"Am I gonna get away?" They caught him.
He went down, and they beat him something terrible.
Looks like they dragged him.
He probably grabbed ahold of the bookshelf and, pulled it down.
And then Wow.
That's a $20,000 bottle of tequila.
That's worth more than all the low-rent furniture in this place.
Maybe it was a gift.
You know, when I worked in construction, I never drove a nice truck to go bid on a job.
Made the client think you were charging too much.
Maybe he's just trying to hide his money.
Tequila will get grass stains out of white jeans.
Oh.
That's not good.
Sorry, the gruesome murder scene just got not good? There's blood on the windows, but there's not much on the desktop.
So, there was something on the desktop.
Uh-huh.
The victim was on the desktop.
You know what makes holes like that? Those are nail holes.
They nailed him to the desk.
And they tortured him.
There's only two reasons to torture someone.
You hate their guts.
Or you want them to tell you something.
Or it's a sex thing.
So, three things.
I'm super uncomfortable.
Yeah, we're handling it, Sarge.
It was Bradford/Chen.
Man.
That's a lot of cops for a fender bender.
Officer-involved accidents are very serious.
Someone's getting a day at the beach.
Day at the beach? Suspension without pay.
One of the many possible discipline options.
I could be demoted, kicked out of field training.
No point in taking the sergeant's exam.
And things just keep getting better.
'Round and 'round The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round You two okay? Yeah.
Fine.
Shop's not.
What happened? I lost focus.
The car just suddenly stopped.
And the other driver? Uh, taken to the hospital.
Might have whiplash.
Possible concussion.
It's probably best you sit out the ceremony today.
Of course.
Can't have the Deputy Chief handing a plaque to an officer facing demotion.
I'll need a collision memo on this by end of shift.
Given the liability implications, you should go to the hospital, in order to head off any questions about your fitness to drive.
Have them do a full work-up and prove that you weren't impaired.
Yeah, I'll do that.
Thanks.
I'm so sorry, Tim.
Follow our shop back to the garage.
Transfer our gear to a new one, pick me up at the hospital.
Okay.
Arrest report done.
Eager to get back out there? Oh, I do have to add the CHP 180.
180.
That is so weird.
It's like a full turn.
He did a 180.
Wow.
I wonder if that was a coincidence or something that - Jackson? - Yeah? What are you talking about? Paperwork.
Like, uh, formats.
The data, you know? Have you ever really sat and thought about how much data we actually collect? Like, terabytes and terabytes of data our whole lives.
Actually, we carry more data on our phone than they ever processed on Apollo 11.
- Fact.
- Why don't you come with me? - Where? - Come on.
Why are you so rough? - Come on.
- Occupied.
- It's like an airplane bathroom.
- Let's go in here.
- Hey, what are you doing? - Look to the left.
Okay, look, you don't understand.
That kind of computing power and all our data, we are just a few years away from being able to predict crime.
Look to the left.
- Okay.
- Now.
Now right.
It's like a couple flying saucers in there.
What? Oh, my gosh.
I'm high.
On drugs.
- I did drugs.
- Not on purpose.
No, no, I-I don't do drugs.
I've never done drugs before.
Shocker.
7-Adam-07, - go to Channel 2.
- Oh, God.
Grey knows.
He knows.
No, he doesn't, but he will if you don't play it cool.
What is it, Sarge? You got Officer West with you? - Yes, sir.
- I'm here.
Sorry.
You'll be receiving the special commendation alone.
Uh, from the Deputy Chief.
Right.
Why? What happened with Tim? He's been involved in an incident.
He won't be attending.
Copy that.
I'm dead.
It's over.
I Is this what it feels like to be dead? - It's not It's not bad.
- Look.
Don't panic.
We'll get through this.
Look, my dad will be there, with the Deputy Chief.
Give me your weapon.
What? Why? 'Cause you can't have a gun if you're high.
We're going to the hospital, get your blood tested.
Keep your eyes forward as we leave the station, and don't talk to anyone.
You can talk to me.
Copy that.
Come on.
So, that was a nice gesture, giving Tim advice after the accident.
"Team player" is a big part of the evaluation.
It is.
But I have a feeling you would've did the same thing whether I was watching or not.
Excuse me.
That's my daughter.
Hey, honey.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Slow down.
Slow down.
What? You got You got in where? Oh.
No, no, of course I'm excited.
It's a great school.
Yeah, call your mom, and I will talk to you later.
Hey, congratulations.
Yeah.
She got into Cornell.
And you don't want her to go.
We settled on UCSB.
Ah, that's close by.
I went to Cornell.
Or was it Colgate? Whee! 7-Adam-15.
We have a 415.
Shirtless man with a bat.
Drop the bat.
I can't.
I need to protect myself.
From who? Zombies! It's starting! They're everywhere! Drop the bat, or we will shoot you.
I'm not gonna let them bite me! Hey.
I get it.
Infection moves fast.
But we can protect you.
Okay? Our car is armor-plated.
They won't be able to get in.
Hey, it's a hell of a lot safer than being on the street.
But first, you have to put down the bat.
Put your hands behind your back.
Palms together.
Spread your feet.
Nice work.
And what's that one do? Uh, the three B's blood, bile, and barf.
Nice.
And this one? Oh, that's a proprietary blend from Japan.
It's the only thing that will get brains out of a jute rug.
I had to sneak it out through Guam 'cause it's pretty much straight-up cancer.
Any guess as to when they're gonna release the scene? No.
It's getting kind of ridiculous.
I mean, you got a job to do.
I got a birthday to salvage.
- It's your birthday? - Yeah.
Control, this is 7-L-9 at the Grand Avenue homicide.
Any word when they're gonna clear this crime scene? Sorry.
Homicide's all backed up.
Oh, I I Can I? Nell, it's Ellroy.
Hi, Ellroy! Glad you're on this one.
Sounds like a real doozy.
Oh, yeah! This guy evacuated out of every orifice.
Uh, so, are you still planning that trip to Borneo Hey, h-hold on.
Nell, I'm looking at some blood outside the warranted area, leading to another part of the building.
Do you want me to alert homicide detectives? Yeah.
And Forensics, too.
And let Sgt.
Grey know the security guard, they were thinking was in on it? They can cancel the APB.
We found him.
What this place really needs it needs some calming music.
You know, like, uh, monks chanting or, uh, those whale songs.
That would be nice.
Um, he got some powder - on his face - Mm-hmm.
white powder, and You need to find out what drug he was exposed to.
The guy we stopped had priors for PCP.
PCP is fat-soluble.
I mean, that stays in your system for a lifetime.
Exactly.
And if you can hallucinate at any time, you can't carry a gun.
It's an automatic retirement.
He'll be off the force.
I'll rush the tests.
Wait, you don't have to report this, right? I'm precluded by HIPAA laws from discussing this with anyone.
Good, if the test comes back positive, I'll fill out an exposure form, but, if it's nothing serious, I want to keep it quiet.
Imagine being able to stop crime before it happens.
Mind-blowing concept that I've actually sat with for a few days.
- I pitched it - Hey! - What are you doing here? - Nothing.
I'm not following.
What were you saying? Nothing.
Just some sci-fi movie he won't stop talking about.
Go wait by the elevator.
Are you okay? What happened? I rear-ended a citizen.
- Bad? - She's in the ER.
I don't know how it happened.
It just I got to go.
Everything looks normal.
- Great.
- People get in accidents.
Even cops.
What do they call it when a doctor has an accident? Malpractice.
Well, we're both held to a higher standard for good reason.
How is she? The CT scan came back negative for internal bleeding.
We'll keep her overnight to make sure she's okay.
She asked for you, when they first brought her in.
She doesn't blame you.
Go talk to her.
Thanks.
How are you doing? - I'm okay.
- No.
No, you're not.
Do you know how much this is all gonna cost? The hospital bills will be covered by the city.
So will the repairs to your vehicle.
You just think that makes everything alright? - Mike, stop.
- No, i-it's okay.
- He has a right to be angry.
- And I have a right to sue.
We're not gonna sue.
You He didn't mean to hit me, did you? No, ma'am.
I hope you feel better soon.
You got business here, little lady? My T.
O.
and I were the ones involved in this accident.
Oh, right.
The beach boy.
He's screwed.
Have you looked at the other car yet? Not yet.
There's something I can't get out of my head.
I-I don't remember seeing brake lights.
Uh-huh.
Can you take a look? Yeah, when I have time.
You've got time now.
This is important.
Officer Bradford is a 12-year veteran.
He's been wounded five times in the line of duty.
He deserves your respect, not whatever macho crap this is sir.
Okay.
Let's take a look.
Oh.
Taillights weren't on.
How can you tell? The brake lights didn't work, because someone pulled out the contacts.
Could that have happened during the accident? No, these were pulled on purpose.
Why would they do that? Insurance scams.
See it all the time.
Get someone to rear-end you and collect the settlement.
Maybe your T.
O.
isn't screwed after all.
What's that? The powder? Ah.
Looks like your victim's into all kinds of scams.
What do you mean? Powder's, uh, red phosphorous.
You know, the stuff on the tip of matches? Why would they have that? Well, if they're not cooking meth, arsonists use it to set fires.
Harder to trace than gasoline, and you can make a fuse with it.
- Hey.
- Hey.
You switch out the shops? Uh, yeah, but there's something else.
- The car was rigged.
- What? The brake lights weren't connected.
This accident wasn't your fault.
No wonder I reacted so slowly.
The leads were purposefully disconnected? Yeah.
And there's more.
Sarah had arson materials in the back of her car.
Clearly, she's a bit of a renaissance scam artist.
Let's go talk to her.
You rigged the car.
What? No.
I didn't.
Dash cam says different.
So does a physical inspection of your vehicle.
You searched my car? I didn't give you permission.
We don't need permission once it's been involved in an accident.
I don't think you were trying to get rear-ended by a police car.
Bad luck, honestly.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Sarah, this is serious.
Your vehicle's full of evidence, all admissible against you.
- It's not mine.
- Then whose is it? Your boyfriend? The guy who was threatening to sue me earlier? - No.
- What's his name? I'm not gonna tell you that.
Emergency contact Mike Garvey.
And a phone number.
Just what we need for a background check.
So you don't go anywhere while we're running it.
Stay here until I come back.
If I could just talk to the IT guys No.
No talking to anyone.
Well, look, maybe I am high, but these are still solid ideas.
Okay.
I'm cool.
I will stay here, and I will not talk to anyone.
Great.
Get it together.
You're gonna be okay.
Just slow down and, uh take a breath.
What if the copier could copy your thoughts? I think you should interview him alone.
Why? Because he knows I'm the one that hit her.
He doesn't know you were in the car with me.
His guard won't be up.
I need to be at the hospital.
Yes, sir.
We'll get you out of here as quickly as we can.
And I wasn't even in the car.
I don't understand why you have to talk to me.
It's standard procedure.
You can imagine the paperwork when an officer gets involved in an accident.
That cop should be fired.
That is up to the department.
Do you and Sarah live together? Yeah.
Why? - Do you ever use her car? - What difference does it make?! She was rear-ended.
Yes, sir.
If you could just answer the question.
Do you ever use her car? No.
- Never? - Never.
So, you didn't disconnect her taillights to commit insurance fraud? Nope.
But you have committed fraud before.
Isn't that true? Arrested three times, convicted once.
I'm out of here.
I know what's going on here.
You're trying to intimidate me.
But it's not gonna work.
'Cause I'm gonna get a lawyer, I'm gonna come back here, I'm gonna sue you and the entire department.
Little advice if you can only afford one retainer, I'd start with a criminal lawyer.
You're gonna need that one first.
Sorry I didn't get more out of him.
Don't be.
The point was to wind him up.
First thing he's gonna do is call Sarah and wind her up even more.
And then we see who breaks first.
I've decided, Dominique can go to Cornell.
We'll just move there.
Ithaca's a nice town.
It's 3,000 miles away.
That's a hell of a commute to downtown L.
A.
I can get a gig there.
Luna's been begging me to retire from the LAPD anyway.
So, you're gonna follow your daughter to college? That's not crazy at all.
This way, I am close by if she needs me.
Don't do it.
My parents barely let me out of their sight.
Drove me crazy.
You got to let her spread her wings.
- Yeah.
- Fly! Disagree.
Got to keep your family close.
Zombies take over the city, you got to be able to grab them and go.
The man with the nail bat agrees with you.
Just, uh, you know, take that in for a minute.
Don't forget, I'm evaluating you today, Detective.
Yes, sir.
Ithaca is lovely this time of year.
Jackson? And you'd be at the nexus of it all dispatching units to pre-crimes, and you'd use the copier to help you.
- Hmm.
- Jackson! We're supposed to be handling calls.
Okay.
Yeah.
We were just Well, we're just Let's go now.
Um, Officer Lopez? Just one quick thing? Sure.
What's up? It's about Officer West.
Yeah? I just wanted to say that he is such an insightful thinker.
I mean, did you know he was full of ideas? I did not, he's usually much - quieter.
- Hmm.
- Nice to see you, Nell.
- Mm-hmm.
Only one of you is getting a deal.
And you want it to be you.
I was about to leave him.
I went over to borrow some suitcases from my sister.
I-I didn't know that he messed with my brake lights.
I swear.
Why were you leaving him? He's gone over the edge.
At first, it was just staged accidents.
We'd shake down some rich losers for cash or set a few fires for a cut of the insurance money, - but now - But now what? He's agreed to kill some guy's wife for a cut of the life-insurance policy.
And when is this murder supposed to happen? Later today.
Homicide is sending another forensics team.
This place isn't gonna be cleared for hours.
At this point, you might as well go home.
I'm good.
Um, hey I was wondering what is Nell like? Nell? She's lovely.
I mean, I-I've talked to her a lot you know, when dispatch calls me, but I've never met her in person.
- Is she pretty? - Yes.
You know, you could come down to the station, meet her face-to-face.
No.
I couldn't.
Uh Um she's busy.
I Um, I'm busy.
We're busy.
I couldn't.
Listen Nah.
Ta-da.
Happy birthday.
Thank you.
That is extremely thoughtful.
It's nothing.
Birthdays are important.
This is a treat.
It really is.
You okay? Yeah.
I missed one.
My sister's.
Her last.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
She killed herself that year.
Um, at my parents' house.
Ellroy, was that your first crime scene? I put everything the way it was, but nothing has been right since.
Ellroy, I don't even know what to say.
I'm so sorry.
I had no idea.
It was a long time ago.
Anyway I think I am gonna take off.
Uh, just give me a heads-up whenever they finally clear the scene.
Of course.
- Yeah.
- Alright.
Hey, Ellroy, did you see this? - What's that? - This vent.
The screws have been practically pulled out of the wall.
What if the bookcase didn't fall down in the struggle? What if they moved it so they could look inside the vent? Lawyers like this guy, they deal in a lot of cash.
Maybe they knew he kept it hidden here, and they tortured him to find it.
Well, it wasn't hidden in the vent.
This thing's coated with dust.
Hasn't been touched in years.
Must have kept looking, moved next door into the raw space.
I don't think they ever found it.
- How do you know? - Because they're back.
LAPD! Drop your weapons! 7-Adam-9 Oh, no.
Okay, Ellroy, you're gonna move to the raw space behind me.
As soon as I say "Move.
" Ready? Move! - Help me! - Oh, God.
That's not gonna hold them for long.
Alright.
Alright.
Okay, um Come on, give me your phone.
- Mine's dead.
- Oh.
I have a pager.
Seriously? He probably surprised them when they were searching in here.
Okay.
Now we just have to find a place to hide, till the cavalry arrives.
Come on.
Over here.
Right.
You stay right here.
By myself? I'm bringing a pipe to a gunfight? It's better than bare hands.
Stay down! Do not move.
Stay down! Facedown! Hands! Good work, Ellroy.
I'm glad I know how to clean the stains out of trousers.
Freeze! LAPD! Turn around! Drop your weapon! Drop your weapon! Keep your hands up! Sidestep to the right! Keep going! Get down on the ground! On your stomach! Hands out to the side! Now, don't move! Mike Garvey, you're under arrest for attempted murder.
Nice wig, Boot.
It took long enough to get this going.
You might be under the limit by now.
Yeah.
Feeling pretty sober.
So, look, I know it's a lot.
Let it be a wake-up call.
Getting arrested might be the best thing that ever happened to you.
I'm not an alcoholic.
You were stumbling drunk at 10:00 a.
m.
I had a doctor's appointment at 9:00.
Bad news? Not a good day for tests.
My biopsy came back.
Stage 3 breast cancer.
The bar was across the street.
I just wanted to feel less.
I wasn't gonna drive.
I would never hurt anybody.
.
07.
Just under the limit.
We're gonna release you, pending D.
A.
review.
Really? Yeah.
You deserve a little good news today.
Thank you.
How are you feeling? My head is pounding, and my throat's on fire.
Sounds like you're coming down off whatever it was.
Hey.
I was, uh, looking for Nolan.
Since I'm running into you Not PCP.
Please not PCP.
It wasn't PCP.
- Yes! - Or much of anything, really.
It was horse vitamins and caffeine.
It was bunk? But he's been high as a kite all day.
An allergic reaction can mimic some of those symptoms.
And from there, the power of suggestion did the rest.
Dress blues? Bradford and West are getting their commendations in a half-hour.
Oh.
Right.
I didn't have a chance to write up your evaluation, but you'll have it tomorrow.
And it will be positive.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
You know, I wanted to say you did a great job with your daughter.
Yeah.
The fact she wants to move across country speaks volumes.
It does.
It says that she's brave and confident.
You gave her a home a safe place to launch from and retreat to.
Same way you do for us.
I hope I can become half the parent you are.
Laying it on pretty thick, aren't you? Yes, sir.
- Have fun at the ceremony.
- Will do.
Get it.
Okay.
Yeah.
That's enough.
I told you, I need to get pics for Rachel.
Come on, Boot.
Buy me a beer.
You make that your home screen, you're gonna be running the Academy training course - in a bomb disposal suit.
- I would never do that.
It is now my lock screen.
Listen I wouldn't have gotten this stupid plaque if you didn't have my back today.
So you know thanks.
For what? Doing my job? Today was fun.
I mean, not fun, but fun fun.
Well, the fun hasn't stopped yet.
I'm gonna introduce you to Nell.
What? W-When? What? Don't tell me you don't want to meet her.
I'd rather face off against another shotgun.
That's the spirit.
Hey, there, Nell.
Oh! Hi.
I'm so happy to see that you're okay.
Thank you for everything.
Uh, Nell this is Ellroy.
- Ellroy? - Hi.
Oh, I'm so happy to finally meet you in person.
I'm good to meet you, too.
I'm glad.
Ellroy saved my life today.
Tell her that story.
Wow.
- Is this for me? - Did I miss it? Miss what? What is that? What is this? Surprise.
Happy birthday! You know, um a year ago, I never would have believed this would be my life.
I mean, new beginnings are rare, and rewarding ones, even more so.
And here I am, surrounded by the best people I've ever known.
And Lopez.
Just That's just jokes.
To us.
- Cheers! - Cheers.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
You want to cheer somebody? Alright.
What did you get me? Take a guess.
A steamer.
Exactly.
And by studying, you mean? Mm, watching "Lady and the Tramp" with Abigail.
- Oh! - We do the, uh, - whole spaghetti thing along with it.
- Cute.
So, what are you doing for your birthday tomorrow? I'm tiling the bathroom.
Mm.
That sounds sad.
No, it doesn't.
Besides, when you're the oldest rookie, you really don't want anyone knowing you're the older oldest rookie.
I mean, you just broke up with Jessica, and nobody knows that it's your birthday tomorrow? Yes, and that's the way I like it, so do not tell Jackson and Lucy.
- Promise me.
- You're a grown man.
You want to spend your birthday grouting, that's, uh, your prerogative.
Yes, it is.
Oh.
That's the boss.
I got to go.
- Alright.
Love you.
- Love you, too.
Bye.
Yes, sir.
How can I help you? Thanks for coming in on your day off.
No problem.
I'm excited to get started on my special assignment.
It's not a special assignment.
It's a mandatory callback.
Oh.
I may have renamed that in my head.
What happened here? It's a homicide and a brutal one.
At least two assailants, and the victim was a lawyer.
So lots of suspects.
One for now building's security guard.
He's in the wind.
Maynard Goetz.
Want me to put out an APB? It's already done.
Just sit here and guard.
Any detectives come back, make them sign in.
Keep one boot in the tape.
Dispatch will call you as soon as detectives say you can release the scene.
And when will that be? Hour, two.
Coffee? I haven't had a chance to make it.
So, no coffee? Not yet.
Sorry.
You know, Nolan kept me up all night from this crime scene he was babysitting.
Look at this.
Look.
Yeah, he was texting me, too.
We'll get stuck on one soon enough.
Class A's? Yeah.
Tim and I get our commendation today.
Oh, right, for helping that family last week.
Mm-hmm.
You know, it's it's crazy.
Like, a few weeks ago, I thought I was gonna get bounced from the program, and now I'm getting an award from the Deputy Chief.
It's pretty cool how quickly things can change.
I'm really happy for you, man.
Aww.
Thanks.
Plus, Tim is gonna be in a really good mood today.
I know, I'm really happy for me, too.
Sorry.
Let me get this straight.
You're coming to me for an annual evaluation that's not due until December? I just wanted to get a jump on it.
- Reason? - It's personal.
I figured I'd spare you the details.
Detective, I hear you.
I really do.
But it's called a yearly review for a reason because that's when the Paperwork Gods expect it.
So, if you want me to file this thing ahead of schedule, I need to know why.
Okay.
Okay.
It's for the judge.
I have a hearing next week for custody of Lila, and a strong evaluation would go a long way.
Look, you came here untouchable.
Let me level with you.
While I'd fast-track reviews for most of my officers I'm not ready to do that for you.
Okay.
Wait.
I know you're trying hard with your daughter.
At the same time, I can't ignore that you're still a wildcard on patrol.
So, if you want this eval, you got to show me something different.
- What do you mean? - Meaning we ride together.
You and me, and I evaluate you firsthand.
But know this I'm writing this evaluation no matter what happens out there.
So, if you fall down today, the world will know.
It is a big deal.
"Light of the City" award? I thought you'd be happier.
I planned my emotional day around it.
I don't do this for the medals and plaques, Boot.
Yes, only lesser cops enjoy recognition.
- Exactly.
- Well, if it doesn't matter, turn it down.
It doesn't matter to me, but it does matter to the higher-ups.
Look, a good score on the sergeant's exam, this award could help me rise through the list of candidates.
Fair enough.
Jackson's dedicated an entire shelf to his award? He's building a cabinet from scratch.
- He knows how to do that? - Nolan's helping him.
Oh.
Grace.
- What's up? - You know, the usual.
Snatching life from the jaws of death? Close.
I just pulled four Legos out of a kid's nose.
Four? Amateur.
No commitment to the craft.
- I mean, not like when we were kids.
- Right.
I never went to the hospital for anything less than seven.
- Dr.
Sawyer to ER.
- Shoot.
- You know what? I got to go, I just - Dr.
Sawyer to ER.
I wanted to wish you a happy birthday.
Oh.
Thank you.
Ga Uh, wait.
You remembered my birthday? I got a Facebook alert.
My birthday's not on Facebook.
Huh.
That's weird.
Anyway, uh, lives, important things.
I-I got to go.
Grace.
Yeah? Thanks for calling.
You're welcome.
Right.
Oh, damn it.
Sorry.
This is a crime scene.
Better be.
Uh, bioremediation.
- Beg your pardon? - Crime scene cleaner.
Right.
You the log officer? Yeah.
Officer Nolan.
Um crime scene's been processed, but they haven't cleared it just yet.
I can have someone call you when they're ready.
I'll wait.
90% of the job's planning anyway.
You Thanks.
I would've thought 90% of the job would be scrubbing.
No.
No.
You go in with the wrong chemicals, you can make things a hundred times worse.
The mix of body fluids and the the fabrics, even the ambient humidity, it all makes a huge difference.
Oh.
Every job requires a slightly different set of tools.
Very impressive.
And how does one get into bioremediation? Always liked setting things right, I guess.
I walk into a tragedy.
When I walk out everything is as it should be.
I-I know people think it's a weird job for weirdos.
No, no, no.
I get it.
- Your name again was? - Ellroy.
Ellroy.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, too, Officer Nolan.
Hmm.
You hungry? Starving.
Half a sandwich? Whew.
Well, it's a little early to become my first DUI, but it's Hollywood.
Everyone's trying to be someone.
It's not a DUI yet.
Nope.
But it will be in three, two one.
Control, 7-Adam-15.
Show us on a possible DUI, 6th and Beverly.
Morning, Miss.
Can I speak to you over on the sidewalk, please? What? Why? Uh, you just don't look like you should be driving.
Have you, uh, been drinking a little bit? Got me there, but I-I wasn't gonna drive.
Oh, so you were just getting into your car because? Just grabbing my purse.
Mm-hmm.
Your purse that's on your shoulder? Ah! - It is! - Yeah.
Uh, uh, I'm just gonna run a few tests to make sure you are actually okay to drive.
I'm kind of sick of tests, to be honest with you.
I know.
This will only take a second.
So, hold your head still.
Follow my finger with just your eyes.
Horizontal nystagmus.
Okay.
Hey, hey! My dad's coming down for the ceremony.
It's not a ceremony.
It's a photo op with the Deputy Chief.
Alright, still, it's a big deal to me.
- I'm proud of this.
- You should be.
You know you were texting while driving, sir? Oh, I just looked down at my map for a second while I was stopped at a red light.
"Yo, running late.
Smiley face, smiley face, boat.
" Yeah, okay, the boat was a typo.
Yeah, it's so hard to focus on texting while you're driving.
License and registration, please.
Hey, what's, uh, what's going on with your dashboard, there? Nothing.
Came that way.
I doubt it.
Looks like Trevor's on searchable probation for 11-300.
Narcotics.
Sir, step out of the vehicle.
Today.
Step to the back of the vehicle.
Arms on the trunk lid.
Spread your legs.
There's a packaged powder in here.
It's wedged up in there, though.
At least a kilo.
Surprise, surprise.
Sir, give me your hands.
Can't get it out.
Relax.
They'll tear it apart, find out whatever it is.
- Uh - You okay? You got a little something on your shirt.
Thanks.
Did you invite Rachel? To the "Light of the City" thing? No.
I told you, it's not a big deal.
You invited her and she's busy? Out of town.
Oh.
Well, I'll send her pictures.
Oh, hey, 3:00.
Skateboarder's about to grab that woman's bag.
Swing and a miss.
Tim! Whoa, you're bleeding.
I'll be fine.
- You okay? - Yeah.
Get the flares out.
Seal off the whole street.
- Ma'am, are you hurt? - No.
I'm fine.
Control, 7-Adam-19.
Show me at a traffic collision at Melrose and Gardner.
Be advised, it's a city vehicle.
Coming up with a plan of action? Deciding what to clean first? No.
I'm grading the forensic team's work.
Looks like Tip Johnson's guys.
I give them a B-plus.
How can you tell that? They swab for DNA and then lift prints, which is the correct way to do it.
Gil River's team always prints first.
And they work outside in.
That is incredible.
You know the habits of all the FSU teams? Most of them.
Oh, look at this.
Yeah.
Yeah, uh, fingerprint powder here means someone was trying to hold the door shut while someone was trying to push their way in.
So, this is where it started.
And obviously, they got in.
See the blood drops? If the blood drops are circular, that means the victim was standing still.
Wait, you can tell if the person was moving or not - based on the shape of the drops? - Exactly.
The faster they move, the more elongated the drops.
So, the narrow part of the drop will indicate the direction the person ran.
You are a natural! So, um, it started here.
He's bleeding, he's running, he's bleeding.
A stu stutter step.
"Am I gonna get away?" They caught him.
He went down, and they beat him something terrible.
Looks like they dragged him.
He probably grabbed ahold of the bookshelf and, pulled it down.
And then Wow.
That's a $20,000 bottle of tequila.
That's worth more than all the low-rent furniture in this place.
Maybe it was a gift.
You know, when I worked in construction, I never drove a nice truck to go bid on a job.
Made the client think you were charging too much.
Maybe he's just trying to hide his money.
Tequila will get grass stains out of white jeans.
Oh.
That's not good.
Sorry, the gruesome murder scene just got not good? There's blood on the windows, but there's not much on the desktop.
So, there was something on the desktop.
Uh-huh.
The victim was on the desktop.
You know what makes holes like that? Those are nail holes.
They nailed him to the desk.
And they tortured him.
There's only two reasons to torture someone.
You hate their guts.
Or you want them to tell you something.
Or it's a sex thing.
So, three things.
I'm super uncomfortable.
Yeah, we're handling it, Sarge.
It was Bradford/Chen.
Man.
That's a lot of cops for a fender bender.
Officer-involved accidents are very serious.
Someone's getting a day at the beach.
Day at the beach? Suspension without pay.
One of the many possible discipline options.
I could be demoted, kicked out of field training.
No point in taking the sergeant's exam.
And things just keep getting better.
'Round and 'round The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round You two okay? Yeah.
Fine.
Shop's not.
What happened? I lost focus.
The car just suddenly stopped.
And the other driver? Uh, taken to the hospital.
Might have whiplash.
Possible concussion.
It's probably best you sit out the ceremony today.
Of course.
Can't have the Deputy Chief handing a plaque to an officer facing demotion.
I'll need a collision memo on this by end of shift.
Given the liability implications, you should go to the hospital, in order to head off any questions about your fitness to drive.
Have them do a full work-up and prove that you weren't impaired.
Yeah, I'll do that.
Thanks.
I'm so sorry, Tim.
Follow our shop back to the garage.
Transfer our gear to a new one, pick me up at the hospital.
Okay.
Arrest report done.
Eager to get back out there? Oh, I do have to add the CHP 180.
180.
That is so weird.
It's like a full turn.
He did a 180.
Wow.
I wonder if that was a coincidence or something that - Jackson? - Yeah? What are you talking about? Paperwork.
Like, uh, formats.
The data, you know? Have you ever really sat and thought about how much data we actually collect? Like, terabytes and terabytes of data our whole lives.
Actually, we carry more data on our phone than they ever processed on Apollo 11.
- Fact.
- Why don't you come with me? - Where? - Come on.
Why are you so rough? - Come on.
- Occupied.
- It's like an airplane bathroom.
- Let's go in here.
- Hey, what are you doing? - Look to the left.
Okay, look, you don't understand.
That kind of computing power and all our data, we are just a few years away from being able to predict crime.
Look to the left.
- Okay.
- Now.
Now right.
It's like a couple flying saucers in there.
What? Oh, my gosh.
I'm high.
On drugs.
- I did drugs.
- Not on purpose.
No, no, I-I don't do drugs.
I've never done drugs before.
Shocker.
7-Adam-07, - go to Channel 2.
- Oh, God.
Grey knows.
He knows.
No, he doesn't, but he will if you don't play it cool.
What is it, Sarge? You got Officer West with you? - Yes, sir.
- I'm here.
Sorry.
You'll be receiving the special commendation alone.
Uh, from the Deputy Chief.
Right.
Why? What happened with Tim? He's been involved in an incident.
He won't be attending.
Copy that.
I'm dead.
It's over.
I Is this what it feels like to be dead? - It's not It's not bad.
- Look.
Don't panic.
We'll get through this.
Look, my dad will be there, with the Deputy Chief.
Give me your weapon.
What? Why? 'Cause you can't have a gun if you're high.
We're going to the hospital, get your blood tested.
Keep your eyes forward as we leave the station, and don't talk to anyone.
You can talk to me.
Copy that.
Come on.
So, that was a nice gesture, giving Tim advice after the accident.
"Team player" is a big part of the evaluation.
It is.
But I have a feeling you would've did the same thing whether I was watching or not.
Excuse me.
That's my daughter.
Hey, honey.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Slow down.
Slow down.
What? You got You got in where? Oh.
No, no, of course I'm excited.
It's a great school.
Yeah, call your mom, and I will talk to you later.
Hey, congratulations.
Yeah.
She got into Cornell.
And you don't want her to go.
We settled on UCSB.
Ah, that's close by.
I went to Cornell.
Or was it Colgate? Whee! 7-Adam-15.
We have a 415.
Shirtless man with a bat.
Drop the bat.
I can't.
I need to protect myself.
From who? Zombies! It's starting! They're everywhere! Drop the bat, or we will shoot you.
I'm not gonna let them bite me! Hey.
I get it.
Infection moves fast.
But we can protect you.
Okay? Our car is armor-plated.
They won't be able to get in.
Hey, it's a hell of a lot safer than being on the street.
But first, you have to put down the bat.
Put your hands behind your back.
Palms together.
Spread your feet.
Nice work.
And what's that one do? Uh, the three B's blood, bile, and barf.
Nice.
And this one? Oh, that's a proprietary blend from Japan.
It's the only thing that will get brains out of a jute rug.
I had to sneak it out through Guam 'cause it's pretty much straight-up cancer.
Any guess as to when they're gonna release the scene? No.
It's getting kind of ridiculous.
I mean, you got a job to do.
I got a birthday to salvage.
- It's your birthday? - Yeah.
Control, this is 7-L-9 at the Grand Avenue homicide.
Any word when they're gonna clear this crime scene? Sorry.
Homicide's all backed up.
Oh, I I Can I? Nell, it's Ellroy.
Hi, Ellroy! Glad you're on this one.
Sounds like a real doozy.
Oh, yeah! This guy evacuated out of every orifice.
Uh, so, are you still planning that trip to Borneo Hey, h-hold on.
Nell, I'm looking at some blood outside the warranted area, leading to another part of the building.
Do you want me to alert homicide detectives? Yeah.
And Forensics, too.
And let Sgt.
Grey know the security guard, they were thinking was in on it? They can cancel the APB.
We found him.
What this place really needs it needs some calming music.
You know, like, uh, monks chanting or, uh, those whale songs.
That would be nice.
Um, he got some powder - on his face - Mm-hmm.
white powder, and You need to find out what drug he was exposed to.
The guy we stopped had priors for PCP.
PCP is fat-soluble.
I mean, that stays in your system for a lifetime.
Exactly.
And if you can hallucinate at any time, you can't carry a gun.
It's an automatic retirement.
He'll be off the force.
I'll rush the tests.
Wait, you don't have to report this, right? I'm precluded by HIPAA laws from discussing this with anyone.
Good, if the test comes back positive, I'll fill out an exposure form, but, if it's nothing serious, I want to keep it quiet.
Imagine being able to stop crime before it happens.
Mind-blowing concept that I've actually sat with for a few days.
- I pitched it - Hey! - What are you doing here? - Nothing.
I'm not following.
What were you saying? Nothing.
Just some sci-fi movie he won't stop talking about.
Go wait by the elevator.
Are you okay? What happened? I rear-ended a citizen.
- Bad? - She's in the ER.
I don't know how it happened.
It just I got to go.
Everything looks normal.
- Great.
- People get in accidents.
Even cops.
What do they call it when a doctor has an accident? Malpractice.
Well, we're both held to a higher standard for good reason.
How is she? The CT scan came back negative for internal bleeding.
We'll keep her overnight to make sure she's okay.
She asked for you, when they first brought her in.
She doesn't blame you.
Go talk to her.
Thanks.
How are you doing? - I'm okay.
- No.
No, you're not.
Do you know how much this is all gonna cost? The hospital bills will be covered by the city.
So will the repairs to your vehicle.
You just think that makes everything alright? - Mike, stop.
- No, i-it's okay.
- He has a right to be angry.
- And I have a right to sue.
We're not gonna sue.
You He didn't mean to hit me, did you? No, ma'am.
I hope you feel better soon.
You got business here, little lady? My T.
O.
and I were the ones involved in this accident.
Oh, right.
The beach boy.
He's screwed.
Have you looked at the other car yet? Not yet.
There's something I can't get out of my head.
I-I don't remember seeing brake lights.
Uh-huh.
Can you take a look? Yeah, when I have time.
You've got time now.
This is important.
Officer Bradford is a 12-year veteran.
He's been wounded five times in the line of duty.
He deserves your respect, not whatever macho crap this is sir.
Okay.
Let's take a look.
Oh.
Taillights weren't on.
How can you tell? The brake lights didn't work, because someone pulled out the contacts.
Could that have happened during the accident? No, these were pulled on purpose.
Why would they do that? Insurance scams.
See it all the time.
Get someone to rear-end you and collect the settlement.
Maybe your T.
O.
isn't screwed after all.
What's that? The powder? Ah.
Looks like your victim's into all kinds of scams.
What do you mean? Powder's, uh, red phosphorous.
You know, the stuff on the tip of matches? Why would they have that? Well, if they're not cooking meth, arsonists use it to set fires.
Harder to trace than gasoline, and you can make a fuse with it.
- Hey.
- Hey.
You switch out the shops? Uh, yeah, but there's something else.
- The car was rigged.
- What? The brake lights weren't connected.
This accident wasn't your fault.
No wonder I reacted so slowly.
The leads were purposefully disconnected? Yeah.
And there's more.
Sarah had arson materials in the back of her car.
Clearly, she's a bit of a renaissance scam artist.
Let's go talk to her.
You rigged the car.
What? No.
I didn't.
Dash cam says different.
So does a physical inspection of your vehicle.
You searched my car? I didn't give you permission.
We don't need permission once it's been involved in an accident.
I don't think you were trying to get rear-ended by a police car.
Bad luck, honestly.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Sarah, this is serious.
Your vehicle's full of evidence, all admissible against you.
- It's not mine.
- Then whose is it? Your boyfriend? The guy who was threatening to sue me earlier? - No.
- What's his name? I'm not gonna tell you that.
Emergency contact Mike Garvey.
And a phone number.
Just what we need for a background check.
So you don't go anywhere while we're running it.
Stay here until I come back.
If I could just talk to the IT guys No.
No talking to anyone.
Well, look, maybe I am high, but these are still solid ideas.
Okay.
I'm cool.
I will stay here, and I will not talk to anyone.
Great.
Get it together.
You're gonna be okay.
Just slow down and, uh take a breath.
What if the copier could copy your thoughts? I think you should interview him alone.
Why? Because he knows I'm the one that hit her.
He doesn't know you were in the car with me.
His guard won't be up.
I need to be at the hospital.
Yes, sir.
We'll get you out of here as quickly as we can.
And I wasn't even in the car.
I don't understand why you have to talk to me.
It's standard procedure.
You can imagine the paperwork when an officer gets involved in an accident.
That cop should be fired.
That is up to the department.
Do you and Sarah live together? Yeah.
Why? - Do you ever use her car? - What difference does it make?! She was rear-ended.
Yes, sir.
If you could just answer the question.
Do you ever use her car? No.
- Never? - Never.
So, you didn't disconnect her taillights to commit insurance fraud? Nope.
But you have committed fraud before.
Isn't that true? Arrested three times, convicted once.
I'm out of here.
I know what's going on here.
You're trying to intimidate me.
But it's not gonna work.
'Cause I'm gonna get a lawyer, I'm gonna come back here, I'm gonna sue you and the entire department.
Little advice if you can only afford one retainer, I'd start with a criminal lawyer.
You're gonna need that one first.
Sorry I didn't get more out of him.
Don't be.
The point was to wind him up.
First thing he's gonna do is call Sarah and wind her up even more.
And then we see who breaks first.
I've decided, Dominique can go to Cornell.
We'll just move there.
Ithaca's a nice town.
It's 3,000 miles away.
That's a hell of a commute to downtown L.
A.
I can get a gig there.
Luna's been begging me to retire from the LAPD anyway.
So, you're gonna follow your daughter to college? That's not crazy at all.
This way, I am close by if she needs me.
Don't do it.
My parents barely let me out of their sight.
Drove me crazy.
You got to let her spread her wings.
- Yeah.
- Fly! Disagree.
Got to keep your family close.
Zombies take over the city, you got to be able to grab them and go.
The man with the nail bat agrees with you.
Just, uh, you know, take that in for a minute.
Don't forget, I'm evaluating you today, Detective.
Yes, sir.
Ithaca is lovely this time of year.
Jackson? And you'd be at the nexus of it all dispatching units to pre-crimes, and you'd use the copier to help you.
- Hmm.
- Jackson! We're supposed to be handling calls.
Okay.
Yeah.
We were just Well, we're just Let's go now.
Um, Officer Lopez? Just one quick thing? Sure.
What's up? It's about Officer West.
Yeah? I just wanted to say that he is such an insightful thinker.
I mean, did you know he was full of ideas? I did not, he's usually much - quieter.
- Hmm.
- Nice to see you, Nell.
- Mm-hmm.
Only one of you is getting a deal.
And you want it to be you.
I was about to leave him.
I went over to borrow some suitcases from my sister.
I-I didn't know that he messed with my brake lights.
I swear.
Why were you leaving him? He's gone over the edge.
At first, it was just staged accidents.
We'd shake down some rich losers for cash or set a few fires for a cut of the insurance money, - but now - But now what? He's agreed to kill some guy's wife for a cut of the life-insurance policy.
And when is this murder supposed to happen? Later today.
Homicide is sending another forensics team.
This place isn't gonna be cleared for hours.
At this point, you might as well go home.
I'm good.
Um, hey I was wondering what is Nell like? Nell? She's lovely.
I mean, I-I've talked to her a lot you know, when dispatch calls me, but I've never met her in person.
- Is she pretty? - Yes.
You know, you could come down to the station, meet her face-to-face.
No.
I couldn't.
Uh Um she's busy.
I Um, I'm busy.
We're busy.
I couldn't.
Listen Nah.
Ta-da.
Happy birthday.
Thank you.
That is extremely thoughtful.
It's nothing.
Birthdays are important.
This is a treat.
It really is.
You okay? Yeah.
I missed one.
My sister's.
Her last.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
She killed herself that year.
Um, at my parents' house.
Ellroy, was that your first crime scene? I put everything the way it was, but nothing has been right since.
Ellroy, I don't even know what to say.
I'm so sorry.
I had no idea.
It was a long time ago.
Anyway I think I am gonna take off.
Uh, just give me a heads-up whenever they finally clear the scene.
Of course.
- Yeah.
- Alright.
Hey, Ellroy, did you see this? - What's that? - This vent.
The screws have been practically pulled out of the wall.
What if the bookcase didn't fall down in the struggle? What if they moved it so they could look inside the vent? Lawyers like this guy, they deal in a lot of cash.
Maybe they knew he kept it hidden here, and they tortured him to find it.
Well, it wasn't hidden in the vent.
This thing's coated with dust.
Hasn't been touched in years.
Must have kept looking, moved next door into the raw space.
I don't think they ever found it.
- How do you know? - Because they're back.
LAPD! Drop your weapons! 7-Adam-9 Oh, no.
Okay, Ellroy, you're gonna move to the raw space behind me.
As soon as I say "Move.
" Ready? Move! - Help me! - Oh, God.
That's not gonna hold them for long.
Alright.
Alright.
Okay, um Come on, give me your phone.
- Mine's dead.
- Oh.
I have a pager.
Seriously? He probably surprised them when they were searching in here.
Okay.
Now we just have to find a place to hide, till the cavalry arrives.
Come on.
Over here.
Right.
You stay right here.
By myself? I'm bringing a pipe to a gunfight? It's better than bare hands.
Stay down! Do not move.
Stay down! Facedown! Hands! Good work, Ellroy.
I'm glad I know how to clean the stains out of trousers.
Freeze! LAPD! Turn around! Drop your weapon! Drop your weapon! Keep your hands up! Sidestep to the right! Keep going! Get down on the ground! On your stomach! Hands out to the side! Now, don't move! Mike Garvey, you're under arrest for attempted murder.
Nice wig, Boot.
It took long enough to get this going.
You might be under the limit by now.
Yeah.
Feeling pretty sober.
So, look, I know it's a lot.
Let it be a wake-up call.
Getting arrested might be the best thing that ever happened to you.
I'm not an alcoholic.
You were stumbling drunk at 10:00 a.
m.
I had a doctor's appointment at 9:00.
Bad news? Not a good day for tests.
My biopsy came back.
Stage 3 breast cancer.
The bar was across the street.
I just wanted to feel less.
I wasn't gonna drive.
I would never hurt anybody.
.
07.
Just under the limit.
We're gonna release you, pending D.
A.
review.
Really? Yeah.
You deserve a little good news today.
Thank you.
How are you feeling? My head is pounding, and my throat's on fire.
Sounds like you're coming down off whatever it was.
Hey.
I was, uh, looking for Nolan.
Since I'm running into you Not PCP.
Please not PCP.
It wasn't PCP.
- Yes! - Or much of anything, really.
It was horse vitamins and caffeine.
It was bunk? But he's been high as a kite all day.
An allergic reaction can mimic some of those symptoms.
And from there, the power of suggestion did the rest.
Dress blues? Bradford and West are getting their commendations in a half-hour.
Oh.
Right.
I didn't have a chance to write up your evaluation, but you'll have it tomorrow.
And it will be positive.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
You know, I wanted to say you did a great job with your daughter.
Yeah.
The fact she wants to move across country speaks volumes.
It does.
It says that she's brave and confident.
You gave her a home a safe place to launch from and retreat to.
Same way you do for us.
I hope I can become half the parent you are.
Laying it on pretty thick, aren't you? Yes, sir.
- Have fun at the ceremony.
- Will do.
Get it.
Okay.
Yeah.
That's enough.
I told you, I need to get pics for Rachel.
Come on, Boot.
Buy me a beer.
You make that your home screen, you're gonna be running the Academy training course - in a bomb disposal suit.
- I would never do that.
It is now my lock screen.
Listen I wouldn't have gotten this stupid plaque if you didn't have my back today.
So you know thanks.
For what? Doing my job? Today was fun.
I mean, not fun, but fun fun.
Well, the fun hasn't stopped yet.
I'm gonna introduce you to Nell.
What? W-When? What? Don't tell me you don't want to meet her.
I'd rather face off against another shotgun.
That's the spirit.
Hey, there, Nell.
Oh! Hi.
I'm so happy to see that you're okay.
Thank you for everything.
Uh, Nell this is Ellroy.
- Ellroy? - Hi.
Oh, I'm so happy to finally meet you in person.
I'm good to meet you, too.
I'm glad.
Ellroy saved my life today.
Tell her that story.
Wow.
- Is this for me? - Did I miss it? Miss what? What is that? What is this? Surprise.
Happy birthday! You know, um a year ago, I never would have believed this would be my life.
I mean, new beginnings are rare, and rewarding ones, even more so.
And here I am, surrounded by the best people I've ever known.
And Lopez.
Just That's just jokes.
To us.
- Cheers! - Cheers.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
You want to cheer somebody? Alright.
What did you get me? Take a guess.
A steamer.
Exactly.