The Equalizer (2021) s02e11 Episode Script
Chinatown
I serve as an equalizer.
I'm the one you call when you can't call 911.
Cuff me now.
Do it.
Previously on The Equalizer Was it really about the family, Pop? Or was it just about you? The system was getting in the way of us getting justice, so I did what I needed to do.
You don't have to be so tough, you know.
I'm not scared of nothin'.
Prove it.
Because part of being brave is making hard choices to change your life.
- I can't do this.
- Excuse me.
Are you Kisha Griffin? You said you never had someone who believed in you.
Well, now you do.
- F you ever need help, call me.
- I I'm ready.
Don't even think about it.
Danny Min.
Neighbors don't steal.
They give.
Yes? Now go before I bake you into an egg tart.
Psst.
Leave me alone.
Whoo! Best day of the year right here.
Is that right? Ah, I can already smell it: the ragout simmering, ooh that duck all crisp and golden.
Damn.
Cassoulet day.
I'm so glad that your memory's sharp, because that's the only way you're gonna be experiencing it today.
Wait Where's Delilah? I thought she was supposed to be helping you.
She was.
She got a better offer.
What're you talking about? You two have been planning this for a week.
And then a friend of hers called, asked if she wanted to go shopping.
Dee wanted to go, so I let her.
Oh, hell no.
She needs to get her butt back here.
- You don't just bail on family.
- You know the reason I only make this recipe once a year is because it is hard.
It takes hours.
And the only thing worse than being stood up is being stuck in a hot kitchen all day with a sullen teenager who can't take her eyes off her phone.
Well, as far as I'm concerned, she needs to be up in her room all day without a phone.
Promise me you're not gonna punish her.
I don't want that to be the reason that she does this with me.
But I Robyn, no.
This recipe is special to me.
It's part of our family.
If Dee wants to spend the day buying shoes, then so be it.
Hey.
She called me her "constant noise.
" Never tried to quiet me down, even though I was a total delinquent.
Ms.
Li didn't have any children, so every kid in Chinatown became her surrogate child.
Eight Treasure Bakery was our community center.
Eight Treasure? Is that the place with the amazing moon cakes? This is her second location.
She opened the first in '71, at the heart of Chinatown, right after emigrating to New York City.
The new location was an overnight hit.
Until four days ago, when someone burned it to the ground.
With Ms.
Li inside.
Fire department said it was electrical.
Autopsy showed she died of smoke inhalation.
The cops wrote it off as an accident.
But you don't believe them.
In the last few years, the attacks on the Asian community You think it was a hate crime? I'm sure it is.
It started with reviews, on her Yelp page.
Not just hateful and vile.
Some felt like threats.
A week and a half ago, I found her scrubbing spray paint off her walls.
Someone had kicked in the door and vandalized the inside.
She wouldn't tell me much about it, but You think she was targeted.
I started walking Ms.
Li to and from work every single day.
The one night that she convinced me not to pick her up because she was working late and alone, an "accidental" electrical fire kills her.
It can't be a coincidence.
Look, I have evidence.
I went back to the bakery after the fire department left.
I found this outside by the back door.
Ms.
Li swept up every single night after closing.
The cops weren't interested.
But I'm hoping you are.
I'll never forgive myself for abandoning her that night.
And I won't abandon her now.
Yep, this has all the greatest hits.
"Go back to your country," "stop eating dog," "stick to math.
" You'd think they'd have gotten a little bit more creative since I was a kid.
Thing is, up until a couple of months ago, this was a solid five-star establishment.
I mean, these reviews didn't just, like, trickle in.
They hit all at once.
Ms.
Li made some enemies.
Yeah, and so did the woman who was beaten in Times Square.
And the women who was stabbed at a bus stop in San Francisco.
And the victims of the Atlanta spa shootings.
They were innocent.
Didn't do a damn thing to deserve it.
See, this is why I do not let my grandmother leave her apartment without me.
It's true.
She's like an octogenarian Rapunzel.
But if Ms.
Li was being targeted, why didn't she open up to Chloe? Maybe she decided to take it into her own hands.
Check this out.
She recently subscribed to a security camera system.
Which means there should be footage from the night of the fire.
Yeah, it's all uploaded to the cloud.
All right, I got it.
This was the last one recorded the night she died.
Half an hour before the fire started.
Frank.
Too good for business hours? - Must be one of her regulars.
- I had to work late tonight.
Thanks for this, Ms.
Li.
Please.
Always open for you.
How many you want today? A couple.
Midnight snack.
Here you go.
Wait here.
Wait.
What was that? Sounded like glass breaking.
What happened? I don't know.
The video cut out.
I just texted a photo of Frank to Chloe.
She recognizes him from the bakery.
Name's Frank Mitchell.
- On it.
- She said he's been going to Ms.
Li's for years.
Let me get an address.
Something up? You remember Kisha? Yeah, the young woman you met in jail.
Yeah, how's she doing with the counseling? It's a process.
As part of her program, she has to speak at a high school class today about her experiences.
I promised I'd be there.
But it's not for a few hours.
Which means I got time to pay Frank Mitchell a visit.
East Side.
Apartment 5-C.
Stop! Please! I don't know anything.
Please, I told you.
I don't know anything.
Get off me! Hey! Take a breath.
Are you hurt? I'm fine, thanks.
Who are you? A concerned citizen.
What did he want? I don't know.
He just attacked me.
You said you didn't know anything.
About what? Was it about Ms.
Li? The bakery? I know you were there that night.
How did you know that? I'm an investigator.
The question is, how'd he know? What exactly did he want? He wanted to know if I saw who did it.
God, what if he was there that night? He knows I'm a witness! Okay, just calm down.
Sit.
What did you witness? Nothing.
Like I told him, I didn't see anything that night.
I know you saw something.
You heard windows breaking.
You got spooked.
So then what? What happens after the video ended? Look, I did just save you.
And I might be able to stop whoever that was from coming back but only if you tell me what you know.
We both heard a window break.
Ms.
Li told me to wait while she went to the back.
But I don't know what happened next.
Because Because you didn't wait.
You heard what sounded like a break-in, and you left her there? Alone? I was scared, okay? And I was right to be, because she ended up dead.
So yeah, I kept my mouth shut 'cause I was worried those guys were gonna come after me.
And I was right.
Now it's "guys"? How do you know how many there were? I heard voices - How many? - Two.
Three, maybe.
I couldn't tell.
I just wanted a pork bun.
I didn't do anything wrong.
No.
You didn't do anything.
You didn't even call the cops.
And now she's dead.
Hey, hey.
W-What happens if they come back? Then I guess you'll know what it was like for Ms.
Li when no one helps you.
Unbelievable.
This woman was his neighbor, opened her door to him And he just stood there and did nothing? Yeah, I'm right there with you.
Situations like this, there's no such thing as an "innocent bystander.
" So if these guys are gunning for him, we can use that.
Harry, how are you coming with those reviews? Seems like, in this little cesspool of hate, that the most offensive and threatening posts came from the same IP address.
Who owns the address? A rival bakery: Castelli's, a few blocks down from Ms.
Li.
I know competition can get nasty, but murder? - That's a whole other level.
- Yeah, but Ms.
Li was putting Castelli's out of business.
I mean, their sales were way down.
They were fighting eviction.
Do you know specifically - who was writing the reviews? - No.
I could find out though, but I'd need to go there myself.
Ooh.
Field trip to a racist bakery.
- Sounds fun.
- Hmm.
Rob, you wanna come with? Uh, no, I gotta meet up with Dante, bring him up to speed on everything.
Maybe he can shed some light on these attacks in Chinatown.
No problem.
We got it.
Sounds good.
- Delilah? - Hey, Mom.
Jess and Carly want to go to the movies later.
Is it okay if I go with them? I know you didn't just ask me that.
What's the problem? You bailed on Aunt Vi this morning, and now you asking me if you can stay out longer.
Aunt Vi said it was fine.
You know damn well it wasn't fine.
Aunt Vi's cassoulet is a very big deal to her.
She was showing you respect and trust by sharing it with you, and you took it for granted.
Hello? Are you there? Did I lose you? No, I'm here.
Do you want me to come home? No.
You want to go to the movies, go.
I made Auntie a promise, and unlike you, Delilah Fulton, I honor my commitments.
What can I get you? Uh, let's see.
Blueberry scone looks good.
Uh, macchiato.
Um, oh, and some answers about your neighbor, Li Wong.
You know, the one taking all your customers, forcing you out of business.
Crushing you, really, in every conceivable way.
Yeah, what about her? Oh, nothing serious We're just looking for the person who wrote racist, threatening reviews on her Yelp right before she was murdered.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Really? Because according to this unintelligible tech gack, which my husband can somehow decipher, the reviews came from here, to your password-protected Wi-Fi.
Now, I don't know what's more upsetting the comment about the "kung flu cupcakes," which I'm sure you find hilarious, or the fact that you misspelled "foreigner.
" Ms.
Li was an American, by the way.
All right, this is ridiculous.
I'm gonna have to ask you to leave.
- No one from here wrote those things.
- Wrong.
See, every phone is assigned a unique code called a MAC address when connected to a Wi-Fi network, so while we can't tell you exactly which phone posted those reviews, I can tell you that it does have - Phone Finder enabled.
- Which I'm about to activate right about now.
Liam, this was you? How could you say things like this? - How could you even think them? - I don't.
I'm not, like, racist.
I mean, you realize that's the kind of thing that influences people? I mean, that's the kind of bile that gets people killed.
I was just trying to save the business.
We've been here for years, and she's been here a year, and what, now we have to close? How is that fair? It's not fair.
You know why? 'Cause 20 years ago, this block was part of Chinatown.
It was settled by immigrants who worked their asses off to make it a beautiful neighborhood for themselves and for their neighbors.
So yeah, it's not fair that Ms.
Li had to be treated like an outsider in her own neighborhood.
Look, I know what he did was messed up, but Liam was working here when Ms.
Li's got vandalized, and the whole family was upstate at a wedding when she died.
I know my nephew can be a complete ass but he's not a killer.
What are you thinking? About how many hate crimes come across our desk and how few we ever solve.
Why is that? Because they're random.
No connection between the perp and the victim.
Often no witnesses, no real evidence.
That's what makes hate crimes so insidious.
So unless it's caught on video, the people that do this get away with it over and over.
Which means whoever vandalized Ms.
Li's bakery may have done it before somewhere else.
Can you check for any similar reports at other Asian businesses in the area? Sure.
But even if we identified our vandals, we'd still have no way of linking them to the fire.
Maybe we do.
It was found outside Ms.
Li's bakery the night of the fire.
It may have the arsonist's prints and DNA on it.
You always got something up your sleeve, don't you? Looking for me? Took you long enough to make a move.
You like terrorizing innocent Asians, huh? Well, how's that terror feel? You want to tell me who you are? - You first.
- I'm the one holding the gun.
If you were gonna shoot me, you would have already.
Not to mention your little rendezvous out there with that unmarked cop car.
But you're not a cop yourself, so what are you? Some kind of vigilante out to save our Chinese asses? Says the Masked Avenger.
Why were you beating the hell out of Frank Mitchell, and why were you following me? Ms.
Li is a friend.
Someone killed her, and Frank was a witness.
What's your excuse? Chloe San.
She asked me to do the same.
Chloe? She loved Ms.
Li.
Used to be her little shadow, following her all around the bakery.
You know, instead of tripping over each other, maybe we should compare notes.
I don't like group projects, and I don't work with cops.
Anymore, you mean.
I know an ex-cop when I see one.
Colt .
38 Special.
Standard issue.
NYPD? Until I couldn't take it anymore.
Nearly three decades hitting dead end after dead end on cases like this.
T-boned by a racist system.
But these are my people.
This is my community.
I'm not gonna let Ms.
Li fall through the cracks.
Neither am I.
Now, we can split up, keep bumping into each other, ruin our chances of solving this case for both Chloe and Ms.
Li.
Or you can put your pride aside, and we can help each other bring down these monsters.
Mel, Harry Ray Lai.
Mel and Harry work with me.
Doing what? Mixing drinks? Hmm.
I know they don't look like much - Hey.
- No, honey, that's fair.
But they are the best in the biz.
Okay, I forgive you.
Ray, would you like some coffee? How about something a little stronger? Chloe was right.
Ms.
Li didn't tell her everything.
She didn't want to burden her with her issues.
But she told me.
When her store was broken into and vandalized, what Chloe didn't know was that Ms.
Li chased these men down.
Two of them.
They attacked her, and she fought back.
Stabbed one of them in the eye with her key.
Badass.
Yeah, she was a tough one.
I followed up at ERs, looking for eye injuries, but got nothing.
I think the people who vandalized her store and wrote those slurs on her walls came back and killed her.
What did they write on the wall? I took a photo.
Man, the hate some people carry.
She called me instead of the cops.
She'd seen friends go through the reporting process, the one where you're told it's not worth the paperwork.
Or that what happened to you wasn't a crime.
It's gaslighting.
The more it happens, the less people report.
I convinced her to at least install a video camera that I had access to, and that's how I got to Frank.
And all he heard were voices.
Hey, Dante.
Ran the cigarette you gave me.
We were only able to get a partial print.
Not enough to find a match in the system.
What about the DNA? That will take a few days, but I did get something.
I found another instance of an Asian-owned business in the area being broken into and vandalized a week before Ms.
Li's.
Did the vandals leave graffiti at the scene? Yeah.
Threats and racial slurs.
Can you send me a photo of it? Texting now.
What do you think? Same slurs, handwriting.
Same guy.
The break-in - Were there any witnesses? - The owner, Mr.
Cheung, was there when it happened.
Did he describe the attackers? Now, that's the thing.
Responding officers never got a statement from him.
Language barrier.
They should have followed up, but they never went back.
A lot of the older generation in Chinatown still speak Cantonese.
It can be hard for patrols to get a translator.
Hey.
Do you speak Cantonese? Heard you used to work Chinatown.
They had this nice place for red-braised pork on Hester and Mulberry.
They had this chili sauce I used to buy jars of.
I put it on everything: steak, pasta cereal.
Sunrise Wok.
That was it.
You spend a lot of time around there? My dad did.
NYPD was putting in a lot of hours dealing with the fallout of turf wars between the Chinatown gangs back in the day.
Dante.
Was your father Big Ben? I knew Ben.
He was a good man.
One of the only cops that tried to help me when I was hitting brick walls on hate crime cases.
What? Just don't hear a lot of good things about my father.
Well, it was hard being good back then.
Those walls were hard to get through without smashing.
Protect and serve.
Not a lot of fine print when it came to people who looked like us.
Some things haven't changed.
It happened late at night, after close.
He'd been cleaning.
Heard something like the front door being kicked open.
Before he could turn, something heavy hit him.
When he came to, he was on the ground.
He looked up to see they had defaced a mural his family painted back when the shop opened.
Cops came, couldn't understand him.
- Never came back.
- Why didn't he follow up? If they're not gonna take the time to listen to him, what's the point? Can he describe the men who did this to him? When the attackers fled, they hung a left and got in a red van.
All right, pulled the street cam footage from the time and location that Mr.
Cheung gave us.
I got video footage of the red van.
Can't really make out the guys, but I did get a license plate.
Who owns the van? It's not really a "who.
" It's the Houston Electrical Supply near Chinatown.
Not a lot in the way of employee records of any kind.
Probably a lot of money under the table, - you know what I mean? - Place like this, they would know how to fake an electric fire.
We know something else one of them should have a hell of a shiner, courtesy of Ms.
Li.
Should we tell Dante? No, he's gonna need a lot more to go on than this.
We need to go in there without raising suspicion, find something he can move on without flashing his badge.
If the cops had just gone back to Mr.
Cheung with a translator, they would have had these guys two weeks ago.
Ms.
Li might still be alive.
They're not gonna get a chance to ever do this again.
Kisha's event.
I told her I'd be there.
Go.
I got the shop.
You sure you want to be messing with a bunch of murderous racists? Don't even bother She was gone the second we got the name of the joint.
Besides, she's the one they ought to worry about.
Do you see him? No, not yet.
So far everyone here has two functional eyes.
- Help you with something? - Yes.
Hi.
I just put in a new electric panel recently, and you sent a guy to do it I can't remember his name, but he had a red van.
Anyway, he told me that he could get me a great deal on some lighting I was thinking about.
- Is he here? - He's out right now, but I can help you.
What are you looking for? A racist dumpster fire who drives a red van.
Yeah.
Actually, he had a few great ideas, so I'm happy to wait for him.
I really don't know when he'll be back.
Maybe if I could get his name? Okay, well, then I'll just wait.
Suit yourself.
Thanks.
Look, if he's not there, we can come back later.
Yeah, fine.
Harry, I've got the van.
It's in a private lot in the back.
Wait, what do you mean, "private lot"? Like, restricted-access private? Like, shouldn't-be-there private? There are spray paint cans in the van and cigarettes in the cupholder.
If we can match the cigarette butts in this van to the one that Chloe found, we can link this van and our two vandals to Ms.
Li's murder.
Please tell me you're not about to break into that van.
It'll take two seconds.
Mel, please.
What the hell do you think you're doing? So you're the one who's looking for me, huh? I don't recognize you from any house call.
- Guess I got the wrong guy.
- Yeah, next she's gonna say she tripped and broke into my van.
Well, maybe you should call the cops.
Maybe I will.
Maybe we'll just take a ride down to the scrapyard, have a little date, just the three of us.
Hello.
Hi.
Sorry.
Sorry, I was looking for, uh, extension cords, and, uh, you just had yellow inside, which sort of clashes with my whole sort of landscaping vibe.
So, uh, I was just wondering if you had anything else A green would be ideal.
Or maybe something earthy, like a taupe? Gotcha.
Kisha.
- Why are you not in there? - I can't do this.
I'm gonna freeze up in front of all those kids and make a fool of myself.
I can't do it.
Take a deep breath.
Sit down.
What's this about freezing up? Because the girl I know can't stop running her mouth.
When I was in high school, we had this lady from Scared Straight come talk to us.
And I still remember how I felt about her, like like she was a loser.
I swore up and down I'd never make those kind of mistakes.
But I did.
I had potential, you know.
I was an athlete.
- Is that right? - Yeah.
Everything from boxing to vaulting and high jump.
I mean, I wasn't technical with it, but I learned fast.
It made me fearless, gave me an edge in sports.
And got you in trouble in the streets.
And I'm the loser now.
Those kids are not gonna listen to me.
They're gonna laugh And they should.
Maybe they will.
You know why? They haven't lived in the world yet.
They don't know that to overcome and to be vulnerable, that's real success.
Now you know what kind of strength it took that woman to tell you her story all those years ago.
Now it's time to pay her and yourself some respect.
Why'd it have to be me? All those kids in my class, they all made it.
They're not here.
Because most of them probably had a safety net, family to catch them when they fell.
You didn't.
You had to catch yourself.
I know it's hard.
Yeah, but you didn't say it was gonna be this hard.
You got this.
You're fearless.
Come on.
I believe in you.
Let's go teach these kids something about the world.
That little stunt you pulled at the electrical shop was ballsy.
She would have liked you.
Ms.
Li.
She liked people who didn't back down.
Then I get why she liked you.
I remember I was with my mom once when I was little, and we were at the supermarket, and this guy just walked up to her and spat at her.
He got so close to us, I could smell his cologne.
And she did nothing.
She didn't react.
And in that moment, I realized she had to do that to survive, to protect us.
Because we were alone.
I mean, we were in a room full of people, but nobody did anything.
Nobody stood up for us.
Nobody helped her.
We were alone.
And I decided right there I'm never gonna be like those people in the supermarket.
I'm never gonna be the one who doesn't say something.
Hey.
Dante's running those cigarettes you found in Trevor's van.
Now, if they match the one from Ms.
Li's murder, then we have our guys.
Oh, they're our guys.
Check out Trevor and Eric's social media feeds.
They are like conspiracy theory influencers.
Scapegoating Chinese Americans for everything from disease to the economy.
Egged on by some of our very own leaders.
How many of my people have suffered because politicians needed someone to blame? And how many of mine because these morons can't tell the difference? Well, if these guys are the killers, then we got to play this smart.
Be patient.
Wait for Dante.
Did you find our killers? - Chloe.
- Chinatown community has been talking, saying that you and a cop interviewed Mr.
Cheung and found a lead.
So is it true? Maybe.
But we need hard evidence before we can make a move.
And that cigarette you found might get us there.
She would be very proud of you.
Her constant noise.
Dante.
You're on speaker.
Got the results.
The cigarettes from Trevor's van, the print's not a match to the one found outside Ms.
Li's.
But they did match to someone else we know.
Who? Sorry to keep you waiting.
You okay? Looks like you could use a cigarette.
I'd love to know what I'm doing here.
We're just tying up a few loose ends in the murder of Li Wong.
Murder? I-I don't know how I'd be helpful.
We know you were there that night.
Why don't you tell me what happened.
Uh, she let me in after hours to buy some pastries.
I heard a window break in the back, and when she went to look, I left.
Did you hear any voices? Y-Yes, but I didn't recognize them.
I couldn't hear what they were saying.
- I left pretty quickly.
- Got it.
Just one last thing.
Do you recognize any of these men? Maybe you saw them on your way in or out of the bakery.
No.
You don't recognize these two men? Surprising, considering you grew up on the same block.
That was a long time ago.
Fair enough.
Thing is, we dug back into some old social media and found these.
Taken just a few years ago.
Not to mention, we have your fingerprints in Trevor's van.
Still don't recognize them? Didn't recognize their voices at Ms.
Li's that night? This can't be easy to talk about.
Maybe you'd be more comfortable talking to someone you know.
Hey, Frank.
Maybe you saw me around the bakery.
I'm a regular at Ms.
Li's, too.
She must have liked you.
That's why she let you in that night, right? She was doing you a kindness.
You can do the same for her.
Tell us the truth about her death.
You didn't know what they'd do.
Maybe you knew they like to spray-paint walls, break down a few doors.
Nothing too serious, right? Trevor tell you she hit him in the face when they tried to mess with her? They wanted revenge, right? How'd they sell it to you? Maybe they said they would rob or scare her a little.
They knew you'd make the perfect lookout.
But you're not built for this.
You don't really have the stomach for the bloody stuff.
But you were someone who could distract her while they snuck in the back, because you were someone she knew, someone she trusted.
Please, stop.
Come on.
You know them.
Easy, Ray.
Did you ever stand up to them? Did you ever even once try to tell them that what they were doing was wrong? What about when you realized they planned to kill her? When was that? When they cornered her? Locked the door? - Was she scared? - Ray.
She must have tried to fight, run.
Did they have to knock her out? Frank, look at me! When did you realize they planned to kill my friend, before or after she was burning alive? I-I-I want a lawyer.
I want a lawyer.
I pushed too hard.
He was always gonna lawyer up.
We're not done.
We'll find a path forward.
Path? Are you kidding me? There is no path.
30 miserable years on the NYPD My entire life.
Let me run this down for you.
No real evidence.
No witnesses.
Everything circumstantial.
What do you think happens next? The bastards get away with it.
And most likely they'll do it to someone else next week.
Ray No! It's over.
Ms.
Li is dead.
And there's nothing we can do about it.
Let him go.
He's grieving.
He needs to blow off some steam.
And he's right.
But I'm not ready to give up hope.
I'll keep going at Frank.
There's a next step here.
We'll find it.
I know what I smell.
You made the cassoulet! And I have a feeling it's gonna be the best one yet.
Aunt Vi, I know you were looking forward to making it with Delilah.
I'm so sorry you had to make it alone.
Actually, I didn't.
- She came home.
- Which I'm sure was entirely her idea.
You think I had something to do with it? Yes, I do.
The bread was a nice touch.
I told her she could stay out if she wanted to.
And what do you mean about the bread? She brought home a loaf of the rustic bread we like to eat with it.
You know the one I always forget to buy.
You didn't tell her to bring the bread? No, she did not tell me.
But she did remind me of what this means, to all of us.
And I'm sorry I took it for granted and went to go hang out with my friends.
Oh - I'm comin' in.
- No, please, no.
Aw, group hug.
- You are the best.
- Oh Just don't you forget who makes you free food, girl.
- Mm-hmm.
- I won't.
I won't.
The bread was a nice touch.
- Why, thank you.
- Hey, Aunt Vi, you think we have room for someone else at the table tonight? Of course.
Who do you want to bring? Hey.
RAY: I just wanted to let you know they're not gonna get away with it.
Not this time.
Ray, whatever you're thinking about doing, don't.
Ray? Ray? We're closed.
Hey, he said we're closed, little man.
Guy's looking for a problem.
No.
I'm looking for you two.
And why is that? You killed my friend.
You couldn't even look her in the eye to do it, could you? You left her alone in a burning building like cowards.
And how do you plan on proving that? I can't.
But you're gonna pay anyway.
- Ooh - Uh-oh.
Are you threatening us? What's the issue? English not your first language? He thinks he's smart.
Oh, he ain't smart.
Whatever you think you know, no one else ever will.
He's here.
Must be inside.
Dante, look.
Why would he leave his gun if he was going to kill them? Because he's not.
He's gonna let them kill him.
He's wired.
This is a suicide mission, and he's recording everything.
Clear.
Clear.
They're gone.
Check the recorder.
Listen.
Screw you! Ray's phone is off.
To trace the transmitter, we'd have to triangulate the frequency.
We don't have that kind of time.
They're gonna kill him.
We need to figure out where they'd take him.
Somewhere they can dump a body.
Somewhere they'd have ownership of.
The scrapyard.
That troll said he wanted to take me down to the scrapyard for a date.
And the nearest scrapyard to the shop is in Greenpoint.
Where you going? I'm closer.
You're gonna kill me anyway.
Just tell me what you did to her.
I need to know.
What about what you people did to us? What you've done to our country? You're the invaders.
We have every right to fight back.
We have a duty.
She ran a bakery.
She was nothing but a good, kind, hardworking woman.
That bitch almost blinded me.
And you deserve worse.
You're you're full of crap.
You didn't kill Ms.
Li because of principle.
You did it because you were beat by a 70-year-old woman, didn't you? I killed her because she doesn't belong here.
And neither do you.
Hands up! The recording Ray made should be enough to charge Trevor and Eric with the murder of Ms.
Li.
His own attempted murder, too.
You think they'll call it what it is? Think they'll charge them with a hate crime? I do.
This time.
But how much pain does that verdict have to cost? You don't have to I'm coming with you.
I gotta make sure you don't do anything stupid.
Apparently, you can't be trusted on your own.
It was necessary.
You are more necessary.
What is it? We got them but these hate crimes People want to pretend they don't exist, so they act like they don't see it, but when we look away, we excuse it.
Well, I know one person who's gonna make sure nobody looks away on this one.
Ms.
Li Wong was family.
She raised me.
She called me her "constant noise.
" Ms.
Li opened her doors to us all, without judgment, without fear.
Welcome, Kisha.
Thank you, Ms.
Marsette.
That looks good.
Um thank you for this.
I haven't had a home-cooked meal in so long, so, um thank you.
From now on, if you need a safety net, you got one right here.
She taught us how to be neighbors, how to be accountable, how to be committed to one another.
And for those of you who think hate can drown out kindness like hers, I am here to tell you that I will be Li Wong's constant noise.
Okay.
- Careful, the pot is hot.
- Mmm! Smells delicious.
The guest first.
I'm the one you call when you can't call 911.
Cuff me now.
Do it.
Previously on The Equalizer Was it really about the family, Pop? Or was it just about you? The system was getting in the way of us getting justice, so I did what I needed to do.
You don't have to be so tough, you know.
I'm not scared of nothin'.
Prove it.
Because part of being brave is making hard choices to change your life.
- I can't do this.
- Excuse me.
Are you Kisha Griffin? You said you never had someone who believed in you.
Well, now you do.
- F you ever need help, call me.
- I I'm ready.
Don't even think about it.
Danny Min.
Neighbors don't steal.
They give.
Yes? Now go before I bake you into an egg tart.
Psst.
Leave me alone.
Whoo! Best day of the year right here.
Is that right? Ah, I can already smell it: the ragout simmering, ooh that duck all crisp and golden.
Damn.
Cassoulet day.
I'm so glad that your memory's sharp, because that's the only way you're gonna be experiencing it today.
Wait Where's Delilah? I thought she was supposed to be helping you.
She was.
She got a better offer.
What're you talking about? You two have been planning this for a week.
And then a friend of hers called, asked if she wanted to go shopping.
Dee wanted to go, so I let her.
Oh, hell no.
She needs to get her butt back here.
- You don't just bail on family.
- You know the reason I only make this recipe once a year is because it is hard.
It takes hours.
And the only thing worse than being stood up is being stuck in a hot kitchen all day with a sullen teenager who can't take her eyes off her phone.
Well, as far as I'm concerned, she needs to be up in her room all day without a phone.
Promise me you're not gonna punish her.
I don't want that to be the reason that she does this with me.
But I Robyn, no.
This recipe is special to me.
It's part of our family.
If Dee wants to spend the day buying shoes, then so be it.
Hey.
She called me her "constant noise.
" Never tried to quiet me down, even though I was a total delinquent.
Ms.
Li didn't have any children, so every kid in Chinatown became her surrogate child.
Eight Treasure Bakery was our community center.
Eight Treasure? Is that the place with the amazing moon cakes? This is her second location.
She opened the first in '71, at the heart of Chinatown, right after emigrating to New York City.
The new location was an overnight hit.
Until four days ago, when someone burned it to the ground.
With Ms.
Li inside.
Fire department said it was electrical.
Autopsy showed she died of smoke inhalation.
The cops wrote it off as an accident.
But you don't believe them.
In the last few years, the attacks on the Asian community You think it was a hate crime? I'm sure it is.
It started with reviews, on her Yelp page.
Not just hateful and vile.
Some felt like threats.
A week and a half ago, I found her scrubbing spray paint off her walls.
Someone had kicked in the door and vandalized the inside.
She wouldn't tell me much about it, but You think she was targeted.
I started walking Ms.
Li to and from work every single day.
The one night that she convinced me not to pick her up because she was working late and alone, an "accidental" electrical fire kills her.
It can't be a coincidence.
Look, I have evidence.
I went back to the bakery after the fire department left.
I found this outside by the back door.
Ms.
Li swept up every single night after closing.
The cops weren't interested.
But I'm hoping you are.
I'll never forgive myself for abandoning her that night.
And I won't abandon her now.
Yep, this has all the greatest hits.
"Go back to your country," "stop eating dog," "stick to math.
" You'd think they'd have gotten a little bit more creative since I was a kid.
Thing is, up until a couple of months ago, this was a solid five-star establishment.
I mean, these reviews didn't just, like, trickle in.
They hit all at once.
Ms.
Li made some enemies.
Yeah, and so did the woman who was beaten in Times Square.
And the women who was stabbed at a bus stop in San Francisco.
And the victims of the Atlanta spa shootings.
They were innocent.
Didn't do a damn thing to deserve it.
See, this is why I do not let my grandmother leave her apartment without me.
It's true.
She's like an octogenarian Rapunzel.
But if Ms.
Li was being targeted, why didn't she open up to Chloe? Maybe she decided to take it into her own hands.
Check this out.
She recently subscribed to a security camera system.
Which means there should be footage from the night of the fire.
Yeah, it's all uploaded to the cloud.
All right, I got it.
This was the last one recorded the night she died.
Half an hour before the fire started.
Frank.
Too good for business hours? - Must be one of her regulars.
- I had to work late tonight.
Thanks for this, Ms.
Li.
Please.
Always open for you.
How many you want today? A couple.
Midnight snack.
Here you go.
Wait here.
Wait.
What was that? Sounded like glass breaking.
What happened? I don't know.
The video cut out.
I just texted a photo of Frank to Chloe.
She recognizes him from the bakery.
Name's Frank Mitchell.
- On it.
- She said he's been going to Ms.
Li's for years.
Let me get an address.
Something up? You remember Kisha? Yeah, the young woman you met in jail.
Yeah, how's she doing with the counseling? It's a process.
As part of her program, she has to speak at a high school class today about her experiences.
I promised I'd be there.
But it's not for a few hours.
Which means I got time to pay Frank Mitchell a visit.
East Side.
Apartment 5-C.
Stop! Please! I don't know anything.
Please, I told you.
I don't know anything.
Get off me! Hey! Take a breath.
Are you hurt? I'm fine, thanks.
Who are you? A concerned citizen.
What did he want? I don't know.
He just attacked me.
You said you didn't know anything.
About what? Was it about Ms.
Li? The bakery? I know you were there that night.
How did you know that? I'm an investigator.
The question is, how'd he know? What exactly did he want? He wanted to know if I saw who did it.
God, what if he was there that night? He knows I'm a witness! Okay, just calm down.
Sit.
What did you witness? Nothing.
Like I told him, I didn't see anything that night.
I know you saw something.
You heard windows breaking.
You got spooked.
So then what? What happens after the video ended? Look, I did just save you.
And I might be able to stop whoever that was from coming back but only if you tell me what you know.
We both heard a window break.
Ms.
Li told me to wait while she went to the back.
But I don't know what happened next.
Because Because you didn't wait.
You heard what sounded like a break-in, and you left her there? Alone? I was scared, okay? And I was right to be, because she ended up dead.
So yeah, I kept my mouth shut 'cause I was worried those guys were gonna come after me.
And I was right.
Now it's "guys"? How do you know how many there were? I heard voices - How many? - Two.
Three, maybe.
I couldn't tell.
I just wanted a pork bun.
I didn't do anything wrong.
No.
You didn't do anything.
You didn't even call the cops.
And now she's dead.
Hey, hey.
W-What happens if they come back? Then I guess you'll know what it was like for Ms.
Li when no one helps you.
Unbelievable.
This woman was his neighbor, opened her door to him And he just stood there and did nothing? Yeah, I'm right there with you.
Situations like this, there's no such thing as an "innocent bystander.
" So if these guys are gunning for him, we can use that.
Harry, how are you coming with those reviews? Seems like, in this little cesspool of hate, that the most offensive and threatening posts came from the same IP address.
Who owns the address? A rival bakery: Castelli's, a few blocks down from Ms.
Li.
I know competition can get nasty, but murder? - That's a whole other level.
- Yeah, but Ms.
Li was putting Castelli's out of business.
I mean, their sales were way down.
They were fighting eviction.
Do you know specifically - who was writing the reviews? - No.
I could find out though, but I'd need to go there myself.
Ooh.
Field trip to a racist bakery.
- Sounds fun.
- Hmm.
Rob, you wanna come with? Uh, no, I gotta meet up with Dante, bring him up to speed on everything.
Maybe he can shed some light on these attacks in Chinatown.
No problem.
We got it.
Sounds good.
- Delilah? - Hey, Mom.
Jess and Carly want to go to the movies later.
Is it okay if I go with them? I know you didn't just ask me that.
What's the problem? You bailed on Aunt Vi this morning, and now you asking me if you can stay out longer.
Aunt Vi said it was fine.
You know damn well it wasn't fine.
Aunt Vi's cassoulet is a very big deal to her.
She was showing you respect and trust by sharing it with you, and you took it for granted.
Hello? Are you there? Did I lose you? No, I'm here.
Do you want me to come home? No.
You want to go to the movies, go.
I made Auntie a promise, and unlike you, Delilah Fulton, I honor my commitments.
What can I get you? Uh, let's see.
Blueberry scone looks good.
Uh, macchiato.
Um, oh, and some answers about your neighbor, Li Wong.
You know, the one taking all your customers, forcing you out of business.
Crushing you, really, in every conceivable way.
Yeah, what about her? Oh, nothing serious We're just looking for the person who wrote racist, threatening reviews on her Yelp right before she was murdered.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Really? Because according to this unintelligible tech gack, which my husband can somehow decipher, the reviews came from here, to your password-protected Wi-Fi.
Now, I don't know what's more upsetting the comment about the "kung flu cupcakes," which I'm sure you find hilarious, or the fact that you misspelled "foreigner.
" Ms.
Li was an American, by the way.
All right, this is ridiculous.
I'm gonna have to ask you to leave.
- No one from here wrote those things.
- Wrong.
See, every phone is assigned a unique code called a MAC address when connected to a Wi-Fi network, so while we can't tell you exactly which phone posted those reviews, I can tell you that it does have - Phone Finder enabled.
- Which I'm about to activate right about now.
Liam, this was you? How could you say things like this? - How could you even think them? - I don't.
I'm not, like, racist.
I mean, you realize that's the kind of thing that influences people? I mean, that's the kind of bile that gets people killed.
I was just trying to save the business.
We've been here for years, and she's been here a year, and what, now we have to close? How is that fair? It's not fair.
You know why? 'Cause 20 years ago, this block was part of Chinatown.
It was settled by immigrants who worked their asses off to make it a beautiful neighborhood for themselves and for their neighbors.
So yeah, it's not fair that Ms.
Li had to be treated like an outsider in her own neighborhood.
Look, I know what he did was messed up, but Liam was working here when Ms.
Li's got vandalized, and the whole family was upstate at a wedding when she died.
I know my nephew can be a complete ass but he's not a killer.
What are you thinking? About how many hate crimes come across our desk and how few we ever solve.
Why is that? Because they're random.
No connection between the perp and the victim.
Often no witnesses, no real evidence.
That's what makes hate crimes so insidious.
So unless it's caught on video, the people that do this get away with it over and over.
Which means whoever vandalized Ms.
Li's bakery may have done it before somewhere else.
Can you check for any similar reports at other Asian businesses in the area? Sure.
But even if we identified our vandals, we'd still have no way of linking them to the fire.
Maybe we do.
It was found outside Ms.
Li's bakery the night of the fire.
It may have the arsonist's prints and DNA on it.
You always got something up your sleeve, don't you? Looking for me? Took you long enough to make a move.
You like terrorizing innocent Asians, huh? Well, how's that terror feel? You want to tell me who you are? - You first.
- I'm the one holding the gun.
If you were gonna shoot me, you would have already.
Not to mention your little rendezvous out there with that unmarked cop car.
But you're not a cop yourself, so what are you? Some kind of vigilante out to save our Chinese asses? Says the Masked Avenger.
Why were you beating the hell out of Frank Mitchell, and why were you following me? Ms.
Li is a friend.
Someone killed her, and Frank was a witness.
What's your excuse? Chloe San.
She asked me to do the same.
Chloe? She loved Ms.
Li.
Used to be her little shadow, following her all around the bakery.
You know, instead of tripping over each other, maybe we should compare notes.
I don't like group projects, and I don't work with cops.
Anymore, you mean.
I know an ex-cop when I see one.
Colt .
38 Special.
Standard issue.
NYPD? Until I couldn't take it anymore.
Nearly three decades hitting dead end after dead end on cases like this.
T-boned by a racist system.
But these are my people.
This is my community.
I'm not gonna let Ms.
Li fall through the cracks.
Neither am I.
Now, we can split up, keep bumping into each other, ruin our chances of solving this case for both Chloe and Ms.
Li.
Or you can put your pride aside, and we can help each other bring down these monsters.
Mel, Harry Ray Lai.
Mel and Harry work with me.
Doing what? Mixing drinks? Hmm.
I know they don't look like much - Hey.
- No, honey, that's fair.
But they are the best in the biz.
Okay, I forgive you.
Ray, would you like some coffee? How about something a little stronger? Chloe was right.
Ms.
Li didn't tell her everything.
She didn't want to burden her with her issues.
But she told me.
When her store was broken into and vandalized, what Chloe didn't know was that Ms.
Li chased these men down.
Two of them.
They attacked her, and she fought back.
Stabbed one of them in the eye with her key.
Badass.
Yeah, she was a tough one.
I followed up at ERs, looking for eye injuries, but got nothing.
I think the people who vandalized her store and wrote those slurs on her walls came back and killed her.
What did they write on the wall? I took a photo.
Man, the hate some people carry.
She called me instead of the cops.
She'd seen friends go through the reporting process, the one where you're told it's not worth the paperwork.
Or that what happened to you wasn't a crime.
It's gaslighting.
The more it happens, the less people report.
I convinced her to at least install a video camera that I had access to, and that's how I got to Frank.
And all he heard were voices.
Hey, Dante.
Ran the cigarette you gave me.
We were only able to get a partial print.
Not enough to find a match in the system.
What about the DNA? That will take a few days, but I did get something.
I found another instance of an Asian-owned business in the area being broken into and vandalized a week before Ms.
Li's.
Did the vandals leave graffiti at the scene? Yeah.
Threats and racial slurs.
Can you send me a photo of it? Texting now.
What do you think? Same slurs, handwriting.
Same guy.
The break-in - Were there any witnesses? - The owner, Mr.
Cheung, was there when it happened.
Did he describe the attackers? Now, that's the thing.
Responding officers never got a statement from him.
Language barrier.
They should have followed up, but they never went back.
A lot of the older generation in Chinatown still speak Cantonese.
It can be hard for patrols to get a translator.
Hey.
Do you speak Cantonese? Heard you used to work Chinatown.
They had this nice place for red-braised pork on Hester and Mulberry.
They had this chili sauce I used to buy jars of.
I put it on everything: steak, pasta cereal.
Sunrise Wok.
That was it.
You spend a lot of time around there? My dad did.
NYPD was putting in a lot of hours dealing with the fallout of turf wars between the Chinatown gangs back in the day.
Dante.
Was your father Big Ben? I knew Ben.
He was a good man.
One of the only cops that tried to help me when I was hitting brick walls on hate crime cases.
What? Just don't hear a lot of good things about my father.
Well, it was hard being good back then.
Those walls were hard to get through without smashing.
Protect and serve.
Not a lot of fine print when it came to people who looked like us.
Some things haven't changed.
It happened late at night, after close.
He'd been cleaning.
Heard something like the front door being kicked open.
Before he could turn, something heavy hit him.
When he came to, he was on the ground.
He looked up to see they had defaced a mural his family painted back when the shop opened.
Cops came, couldn't understand him.
- Never came back.
- Why didn't he follow up? If they're not gonna take the time to listen to him, what's the point? Can he describe the men who did this to him? When the attackers fled, they hung a left and got in a red van.
All right, pulled the street cam footage from the time and location that Mr.
Cheung gave us.
I got video footage of the red van.
Can't really make out the guys, but I did get a license plate.
Who owns the van? It's not really a "who.
" It's the Houston Electrical Supply near Chinatown.
Not a lot in the way of employee records of any kind.
Probably a lot of money under the table, - you know what I mean? - Place like this, they would know how to fake an electric fire.
We know something else one of them should have a hell of a shiner, courtesy of Ms.
Li.
Should we tell Dante? No, he's gonna need a lot more to go on than this.
We need to go in there without raising suspicion, find something he can move on without flashing his badge.
If the cops had just gone back to Mr.
Cheung with a translator, they would have had these guys two weeks ago.
Ms.
Li might still be alive.
They're not gonna get a chance to ever do this again.
Kisha's event.
I told her I'd be there.
Go.
I got the shop.
You sure you want to be messing with a bunch of murderous racists? Don't even bother She was gone the second we got the name of the joint.
Besides, she's the one they ought to worry about.
Do you see him? No, not yet.
So far everyone here has two functional eyes.
- Help you with something? - Yes.
Hi.
I just put in a new electric panel recently, and you sent a guy to do it I can't remember his name, but he had a red van.
Anyway, he told me that he could get me a great deal on some lighting I was thinking about.
- Is he here? - He's out right now, but I can help you.
What are you looking for? A racist dumpster fire who drives a red van.
Yeah.
Actually, he had a few great ideas, so I'm happy to wait for him.
I really don't know when he'll be back.
Maybe if I could get his name? Okay, well, then I'll just wait.
Suit yourself.
Thanks.
Look, if he's not there, we can come back later.
Yeah, fine.
Harry, I've got the van.
It's in a private lot in the back.
Wait, what do you mean, "private lot"? Like, restricted-access private? Like, shouldn't-be-there private? There are spray paint cans in the van and cigarettes in the cupholder.
If we can match the cigarette butts in this van to the one that Chloe found, we can link this van and our two vandals to Ms.
Li's murder.
Please tell me you're not about to break into that van.
It'll take two seconds.
Mel, please.
What the hell do you think you're doing? So you're the one who's looking for me, huh? I don't recognize you from any house call.
- Guess I got the wrong guy.
- Yeah, next she's gonna say she tripped and broke into my van.
Well, maybe you should call the cops.
Maybe I will.
Maybe we'll just take a ride down to the scrapyard, have a little date, just the three of us.
Hello.
Hi.
Sorry.
Sorry, I was looking for, uh, extension cords, and, uh, you just had yellow inside, which sort of clashes with my whole sort of landscaping vibe.
So, uh, I was just wondering if you had anything else A green would be ideal.
Or maybe something earthy, like a taupe? Gotcha.
Kisha.
- Why are you not in there? - I can't do this.
I'm gonna freeze up in front of all those kids and make a fool of myself.
I can't do it.
Take a deep breath.
Sit down.
What's this about freezing up? Because the girl I know can't stop running her mouth.
When I was in high school, we had this lady from Scared Straight come talk to us.
And I still remember how I felt about her, like like she was a loser.
I swore up and down I'd never make those kind of mistakes.
But I did.
I had potential, you know.
I was an athlete.
- Is that right? - Yeah.
Everything from boxing to vaulting and high jump.
I mean, I wasn't technical with it, but I learned fast.
It made me fearless, gave me an edge in sports.
And got you in trouble in the streets.
And I'm the loser now.
Those kids are not gonna listen to me.
They're gonna laugh And they should.
Maybe they will.
You know why? They haven't lived in the world yet.
They don't know that to overcome and to be vulnerable, that's real success.
Now you know what kind of strength it took that woman to tell you her story all those years ago.
Now it's time to pay her and yourself some respect.
Why'd it have to be me? All those kids in my class, they all made it.
They're not here.
Because most of them probably had a safety net, family to catch them when they fell.
You didn't.
You had to catch yourself.
I know it's hard.
Yeah, but you didn't say it was gonna be this hard.
You got this.
You're fearless.
Come on.
I believe in you.
Let's go teach these kids something about the world.
That little stunt you pulled at the electrical shop was ballsy.
She would have liked you.
Ms.
Li.
She liked people who didn't back down.
Then I get why she liked you.
I remember I was with my mom once when I was little, and we were at the supermarket, and this guy just walked up to her and spat at her.
He got so close to us, I could smell his cologne.
And she did nothing.
She didn't react.
And in that moment, I realized she had to do that to survive, to protect us.
Because we were alone.
I mean, we were in a room full of people, but nobody did anything.
Nobody stood up for us.
Nobody helped her.
We were alone.
And I decided right there I'm never gonna be like those people in the supermarket.
I'm never gonna be the one who doesn't say something.
Hey.
Dante's running those cigarettes you found in Trevor's van.
Now, if they match the one from Ms.
Li's murder, then we have our guys.
Oh, they're our guys.
Check out Trevor and Eric's social media feeds.
They are like conspiracy theory influencers.
Scapegoating Chinese Americans for everything from disease to the economy.
Egged on by some of our very own leaders.
How many of my people have suffered because politicians needed someone to blame? And how many of mine because these morons can't tell the difference? Well, if these guys are the killers, then we got to play this smart.
Be patient.
Wait for Dante.
Did you find our killers? - Chloe.
- Chinatown community has been talking, saying that you and a cop interviewed Mr.
Cheung and found a lead.
So is it true? Maybe.
But we need hard evidence before we can make a move.
And that cigarette you found might get us there.
She would be very proud of you.
Her constant noise.
Dante.
You're on speaker.
Got the results.
The cigarettes from Trevor's van, the print's not a match to the one found outside Ms.
Li's.
But they did match to someone else we know.
Who? Sorry to keep you waiting.
You okay? Looks like you could use a cigarette.
I'd love to know what I'm doing here.
We're just tying up a few loose ends in the murder of Li Wong.
Murder? I-I don't know how I'd be helpful.
We know you were there that night.
Why don't you tell me what happened.
Uh, she let me in after hours to buy some pastries.
I heard a window break in the back, and when she went to look, I left.
Did you hear any voices? Y-Yes, but I didn't recognize them.
I couldn't hear what they were saying.
- I left pretty quickly.
- Got it.
Just one last thing.
Do you recognize any of these men? Maybe you saw them on your way in or out of the bakery.
No.
You don't recognize these two men? Surprising, considering you grew up on the same block.
That was a long time ago.
Fair enough.
Thing is, we dug back into some old social media and found these.
Taken just a few years ago.
Not to mention, we have your fingerprints in Trevor's van.
Still don't recognize them? Didn't recognize their voices at Ms.
Li's that night? This can't be easy to talk about.
Maybe you'd be more comfortable talking to someone you know.
Hey, Frank.
Maybe you saw me around the bakery.
I'm a regular at Ms.
Li's, too.
She must have liked you.
That's why she let you in that night, right? She was doing you a kindness.
You can do the same for her.
Tell us the truth about her death.
You didn't know what they'd do.
Maybe you knew they like to spray-paint walls, break down a few doors.
Nothing too serious, right? Trevor tell you she hit him in the face when they tried to mess with her? They wanted revenge, right? How'd they sell it to you? Maybe they said they would rob or scare her a little.
They knew you'd make the perfect lookout.
But you're not built for this.
You don't really have the stomach for the bloody stuff.
But you were someone who could distract her while they snuck in the back, because you were someone she knew, someone she trusted.
Please, stop.
Come on.
You know them.
Easy, Ray.
Did you ever stand up to them? Did you ever even once try to tell them that what they were doing was wrong? What about when you realized they planned to kill her? When was that? When they cornered her? Locked the door? - Was she scared? - Ray.
She must have tried to fight, run.
Did they have to knock her out? Frank, look at me! When did you realize they planned to kill my friend, before or after she was burning alive? I-I-I want a lawyer.
I want a lawyer.
I pushed too hard.
He was always gonna lawyer up.
We're not done.
We'll find a path forward.
Path? Are you kidding me? There is no path.
30 miserable years on the NYPD My entire life.
Let me run this down for you.
No real evidence.
No witnesses.
Everything circumstantial.
What do you think happens next? The bastards get away with it.
And most likely they'll do it to someone else next week.
Ray No! It's over.
Ms.
Li is dead.
And there's nothing we can do about it.
Let him go.
He's grieving.
He needs to blow off some steam.
And he's right.
But I'm not ready to give up hope.
I'll keep going at Frank.
There's a next step here.
We'll find it.
I know what I smell.
You made the cassoulet! And I have a feeling it's gonna be the best one yet.
Aunt Vi, I know you were looking forward to making it with Delilah.
I'm so sorry you had to make it alone.
Actually, I didn't.
- She came home.
- Which I'm sure was entirely her idea.
You think I had something to do with it? Yes, I do.
The bread was a nice touch.
I told her she could stay out if she wanted to.
And what do you mean about the bread? She brought home a loaf of the rustic bread we like to eat with it.
You know the one I always forget to buy.
You didn't tell her to bring the bread? No, she did not tell me.
But she did remind me of what this means, to all of us.
And I'm sorry I took it for granted and went to go hang out with my friends.
Oh - I'm comin' in.
- No, please, no.
Aw, group hug.
- You are the best.
- Oh Just don't you forget who makes you free food, girl.
- Mm-hmm.
- I won't.
I won't.
The bread was a nice touch.
- Why, thank you.
- Hey, Aunt Vi, you think we have room for someone else at the table tonight? Of course.
Who do you want to bring? Hey.
RAY: I just wanted to let you know they're not gonna get away with it.
Not this time.
Ray, whatever you're thinking about doing, don't.
Ray? Ray? We're closed.
Hey, he said we're closed, little man.
Guy's looking for a problem.
No.
I'm looking for you two.
And why is that? You killed my friend.
You couldn't even look her in the eye to do it, could you? You left her alone in a burning building like cowards.
And how do you plan on proving that? I can't.
But you're gonna pay anyway.
- Ooh - Uh-oh.
Are you threatening us? What's the issue? English not your first language? He thinks he's smart.
Oh, he ain't smart.
Whatever you think you know, no one else ever will.
He's here.
Must be inside.
Dante, look.
Why would he leave his gun if he was going to kill them? Because he's not.
He's gonna let them kill him.
He's wired.
This is a suicide mission, and he's recording everything.
Clear.
Clear.
They're gone.
Check the recorder.
Listen.
Screw you! Ray's phone is off.
To trace the transmitter, we'd have to triangulate the frequency.
We don't have that kind of time.
They're gonna kill him.
We need to figure out where they'd take him.
Somewhere they can dump a body.
Somewhere they'd have ownership of.
The scrapyard.
That troll said he wanted to take me down to the scrapyard for a date.
And the nearest scrapyard to the shop is in Greenpoint.
Where you going? I'm closer.
You're gonna kill me anyway.
Just tell me what you did to her.
I need to know.
What about what you people did to us? What you've done to our country? You're the invaders.
We have every right to fight back.
We have a duty.
She ran a bakery.
She was nothing but a good, kind, hardworking woman.
That bitch almost blinded me.
And you deserve worse.
You're you're full of crap.
You didn't kill Ms.
Li because of principle.
You did it because you were beat by a 70-year-old woman, didn't you? I killed her because she doesn't belong here.
And neither do you.
Hands up! The recording Ray made should be enough to charge Trevor and Eric with the murder of Ms.
Li.
His own attempted murder, too.
You think they'll call it what it is? Think they'll charge them with a hate crime? I do.
This time.
But how much pain does that verdict have to cost? You don't have to I'm coming with you.
I gotta make sure you don't do anything stupid.
Apparently, you can't be trusted on your own.
It was necessary.
You are more necessary.
What is it? We got them but these hate crimes People want to pretend they don't exist, so they act like they don't see it, but when we look away, we excuse it.
Well, I know one person who's gonna make sure nobody looks away on this one.
Ms.
Li Wong was family.
She raised me.
She called me her "constant noise.
" Ms.
Li opened her doors to us all, without judgment, without fear.
Welcome, Kisha.
Thank you, Ms.
Marsette.
That looks good.
Um thank you for this.
I haven't had a home-cooked meal in so long, so, um thank you.
From now on, if you need a safety net, you got one right here.
She taught us how to be neighbors, how to be accountable, how to be committed to one another.
And for those of you who think hate can drown out kindness like hers, I am here to tell you that I will be Li Wong's constant noise.
Okay.
- Careful, the pot is hot.
- Mmm! Smells delicious.
The guest first.