Major Crimes s05e06 Episode Script
Tourist Trap
1 [Engine idling.]
[Police radio chatter.]
Provenza: How many attacks on tourists in the Venice area does this make? Nine? 12.
Second in this parking lot.
Mostly stolen purses.
This is our first fatality.
Uh, when the paramedics arrived, they found Mr.
Branson dead and his wife Claire unconscious on the pavement beside him with a concussion.
She's in the hospital.
- Witnesses? - âThe valet.
Julio's trying to calm him down enough to talk to us.
Oh, there's something else, sir.
The Bransons aren't just tourists.
They're from Chester, England.
International incident.
Great.
Flynn: Okay, according to the hospital, the wife doesn't have any internal bleeding or brain swelling, but she's still unresponsive.
So, here we are.
Uh, not all of us, actually.
Oh, ye gods.
Last week it was Julio.
Now it's Mike.
One hour, people.
One.
That's the amount of time you have to arrive at a crime scene.
[Dance music playing on car radio.]
That's the reason you're issued a c car.
What the hell?! Mwah! Ladies, this is where I leave you.
Uh, duty calls.
Um, until next time, ciao.
Bye, Lieutenant Mike! [Laughs.]
Yeah, I know.
I'm late.
I'm sorry.
But, uh, I didn't drive my car to the awards show, and the limo line was, you know, forget about it.
What What awards show? Uh, Platinum TV Choice Awards.
And, uh, "Badge of Justice" won.
[Sighs.]
Best Teleplay for Non-Serialized 60-Minute Episodic Police Procedural on Basic Cable.
Oh, congratulations.
That's great.
Thank you.
[Chuckles.]
"Haters Gonna Hate"? What the hell's that even mean? Oh, that's the name of the episode that I got story credit for.
Oh, my God.
So you're a writer now? Is that it? Provenza: Gentlemen, if it's not a problem, might we return to work? Tao, get your award and come with me.
"Haters Gonna Hate"? I mean, what the hell.
Flynn, get to the hospital, wait for the wife to come around.
We need to talk to her as soon as possible.
Good evening, Kendall.
Uh, what news on the Rialto? It's pretty straightforward, Lieutenant.
The victim was shot twice in the chest, once in the head.
Let me guess what shot was fatal.
No casings anywhere, so unless the killer cleaned up after himself, the murder weapon was probably a revolver.
Ah, well, let's talk to Julio and the valet.
It was just some guy in a ski mask.
Did you notice what kind of gun? Look, I don't want trouble.
I have a family.
What if that guy comes back because I talked to you? Hey, the longer we're here, the longer you look like you're cooperating.
You want us gone? Tell us what the gun looked like.
I didn't see no gun until he fired it.
And then I ducked.
Well, whatdidyou see? [Sighs.]
The man and lady came out of the restaurant gave me their ticket.
I pulled their car from around back, he paid me, and then some guy in a ski mask ran by and grabbed her purse.
Her husband jumped in, and he got shot.
[Gunshots.]
I ducked, the guy ran off, and he didn't come back.
Buzz: How do we know which direction to go from here? Tao: You follow the money.
Or in this case, the credit card.
It's Mrs.
Branson's.
[Sighs.]
Ah.
Here's her wallet.
Contains her driver's license, a few receipts.
No cash, though.
Provenza: All right, make sure this wallet gets printed.
We might get lucky.
I think we just did.
- That has to be her purse.
- Canals.
Sanchez: Good place to ditch a murder weapon, sir.
We're going to need a dive team.
Dr.
Morales: Not much of a discovery process.
I could write down Homicide before I even start the full autopsy.
British citizen ends up being murdered during a one-man crime spree in Venice.
My understanding is that the L.
A.
P.
D.
is operating out there on alert.
Yeah, we are, but, uh, we staked out places this guy hadn't robbed before.
Why did our victim have to fight? Sykes: His wife was being hurt.
And it sounds like the killer didn't pull out his gun until after Mr.
Branson hit back.
Sharon: So, no one's challenged this purse snatcher before.
Although now he's a murderer.
Of a U.
K.
citizen.
Already got an English reporter filing front-page articles about our "Venice problem" for a London paper.
We could end up trying to talk the Brits out of issuing a travel advisory against L.
A.
I don't know how much worse this can get.
I do.
See the scar here? It tells me that, at some point, your victim had a Hickman.
A Hickman? A semi-permanent catheter implant in the chest mostly used to deliver intravenous medication.
- Like chemotherapy? - âYes.
Your victim recently recovered from cancer.
Not sure when the treatment ended, but the Hickman was removed 9 or 10 months ago.
Sharon: So he survived cancer only to be shot to death in an L.
A.
parking lot.
You're right, Doctor.
This is worse.
I'm gonna have to bring that asshole English reporter in here for some exclusives let him see what it is we're doing.
What type of cancer did he have? Claire: [British accent.]
Adenocarinoma.
At first it was a stomachache.
And before we knew it, Robert was bedridden with intestinal cancer.
It was a frightening shock, but I took an extended leave from my job.
- What do you do? - I was a barrister.
- You practiced law? - âYes.
It turned out to be excellent training.
Even in our healthcare system, one needs an advocate.
And I also tried to manage his partnership duties at the firm.
Your husband was a lawyer, too? No, no.
Robert deals Oh, God.
[Voice breaking.]
dealt in fine art.
[Sniffles.]
I'm sorry.
I can't believe this is happening.
[Sighs, sniffles.]
I keep e-expecting to hear there's been some terrible mistake.
I'm sorry.
Um Where was I? Your husband dealt in art.
Paintings, mostly.
Acquisitions and restorations.
He has a gallery in Manchester, but the work it took him all over the world.
Is that why you were in America, because of your husband's business? No.
No, not at all.
After Robert recovered, it had been such an ordeal for us, you see, and he wanted to celebrate by reliving our honeymoon, driving down the Pacific Coast Highway and staying and eating at all the same places.
After our first trip, we knew that Venice was a tourist trap.
But we went anyway.
While you were dining, did you notice anyone watching you? No.
Not even the waiter, really.
What about outside? Valet stand? I don't think so.
I [Sniffles.]
I remember the young man who brought 'round our car.
[Sniffles.]
The next thing I knew, I'm waking up in hospital and the doctor's [Sniffles.]
He's telling me that that I'm going to be all right.
Perhaps he didn't know.
Provenza: What's taking so long? [Police radio chatter.]
Fellas, we got to get this done today.
Julio, can you help me here? Sanchez: There, Lieutenant.
He's got something.
Ah.
Let me explain this again! We are looking for a revolver! This is a 9-millimeter auto! Keep searching! Keep searching! Sanchez: I'll put it with the others, sir.
How many cold cases are we about to uncover? What's that, Tao? It's a ski mask.
Could be our killer's.
There are several hair follicles on the inside, which means DNA.
Buzz: I think we have it! I think this is it! Over here! Oh.
Keep an eye on the Platy.
[Grunts.]
Well [sighs.]
it's a revolver.
There is only one way to find out if it's ours.
Amy, uh, Amy, have you got the bullets out of the victim yet? Francine: To see if we have a match, I'm gonna have to fire this sucker and then get the gun's serial number so you can find its registered owner.
And that's all we can do? Well, if I pop it into the sterile saline fast enough, I might could pull a few sebaceous fingerprints, but I doubt it.
- It was only in the canal for - I'm sorry, Amy.
I'm not in charge of the oxidation process.
Saltwater is a corrosive with a pH between 7.
5 and 8.
4.
Gun metal can't cope with those conditions for even a day.
Rust is inevitable, and rust and fingerprints do not get along.
When she pulls the revolver out of the saltwater and can't fire within a few minutes Not only do I lose any chance at prints, I might not even be able to match the bullets.
Never seen you this dressed up, Lieutenant.
The name is Tao.
Mike Tao.
[Both laugh.]
Well, nice award, Mike Tao.
Might not be on âHer Majesty's Secret Service, but "Badge of Justice" is certainly paying off for you.
It's just a little sideshow.
We're all very proud of him.
- Really? - [Click.]
All of you? That's great.
Usually people can get jealous.
[Gunshots.]
Well, I say, "Phew.
" That went great.
Amy is my good-luck charm.
Now just compare this bullet to the ones she brought over from the morgue and [Sighs.]
Mm-hmm.
Uh-huh.
We have a match.
That revolver is the gun that killed your victim.
It's your mother.
[Vibrating continues.]
I don't feel like being manipulated today.
I have said it a million times.
As soon as this baby is born, she needs to put it up for adoption.
Well, your mother might not take your advice, so you need to consider what sort of brother you're prepared to be.
Well, the kind who puts the the safety and wellbeing and and long-term security of my sibling or whatever first.
Just be aware babies change our relationships in unexpected ways.
Such as? With Gary in jail, if anything happens to your mother, you'd be your new sibling's next-of-kin.
Ignoring the other Sharon in your life's not gonna change that.
Peter: [British accent.]
Maybe you're not up to the job, because after 11, now 12, attacks by the same person committed at gunpoint, and no arrest? The police seem completely out of their depth.
No, Peter, part of the reason we're giving you this exclusive is to help get your facts straight.
Well, I've talked to and written about every one of the tourists this armed robber has attacked.
âHold on.
How many of the victims reported seeing a gun? Provenza: If you'vereally interviewed every single victim, then you know the answer to that is none.
Well, just because no one saw a gun doesn't mean it wasn't there.
Are you searching for a suspect? Is there Is there a manhunt in progress? Well, even at Scotland Yard, you can't launch a manhunt when you don't know whom you're looking for.
[Chuckles.]
So So what's my exclusive, then? That the L.
A.
P.
D.
is no further along than it was six weeks ago? The killer had a revolver, which we found in the Venice canals.
And? Well, that's it? [Sighs.]
Captain? The registered owner of the murder weapon is being brought downtown as we speak.
Huh.
And the owner is considered to be a person of interest? [Scoffs.]
Maybe even a suspect.
And does this owner have a name? Tao: This way, Ms.
Harris.
Ooh, I knew I should have changed.
All these people.
Look how I'm dressed.
Oh, hello.
I've already explained to your officers that just because I don't know where my gun is doesn't mean that it's missing.
Every year the house gets harder to keep straight.
Ah.
[Chuckles.]
Thatis your possible suspect? Uh, Lieutenant, Julio? Oh, Ms.
Harris, thank you so much for coming down to visit us.
Uh, Julio.
This way, ma'am.
Peter: In the last decade, that woman hasn't run anywhere but to the toilet.
Come.
Listen to what she says.
This way, please.
Ms.
Harris: How may I help? Well, you can start by telling us what you were doing last night around 11:00 p.
m.
, ma'am.
Oh, brushing my teeth.
Getting ready for Jimmy.
- Who is Jimmy, ma'am? - Fallon.
And that odd Mr.
Coldbear [Colbert.]
I switch between the two now that I've learned how to use the clicker.
So many buttons.
Obviously a criminal mastermind.
Provenza: They, uh, they can be tricky.
- Um - Be careful, Mike.
You're gonna rub all the fake platinum off your statue.
- look at a picture.
- Ha ha.
Hi.
Peter Ogden, London Press.
âMm.
Do you always dress this way for work? - What way? - This is a formal investigation.
Ms.
Harris: It looks like my gun.
I usually keep it in the nightstand.
Anyone else know where you kept the weapon, ma'am? Why would you need to know that? Well, I hate to tell you this, Ms.
Harris Oh, please.
Call me Gloria.
And you are again? Lieutenant.
Last night, this revolver was used in a murder.
What? - No! - âYes.
And this gun is registered to you.
So do you have any idea who might have moved it from your nightstand? Oh, no.
Oh, no.
Oh, I knew I should have confronted him when money started disappearing from my purse.
But I never dreamed he'd take my gun.
Whowould never take your gun? - Jesse is not a killer.
- Who's Jesse, ma'am? Ms.
Harris: He's my only grandchild.
My son died very young and Buzz, Jesse Harris.
Oh, this this must be wrong.
- It must be.
- [Keyboard clacking.]
- Here's his DMV photo.
- Oh, please don't hurt him.
Peter, you can't use any of this till we have Jesse Harris in custody.
âHe's not a bad boy at all.
I'm sure you're right, Gloria, but we still have to talk to Jesse.
Any idea where he might be, ma'am? During the day, he usually hangs out on Venice Beach.
If he's got another gun, trying to take him down with all these people around is iffy.
Well, Happy Hour starts in two minutes.
That should thin things out.
Venice Beach.
This is where your victim and his wife decided to relive their honeymoon, huh? It had some sentimental value.
âHmm.
Any thought about where you'd like to honeymoon? That's a little cart-before-the-horse, isn't it? Whoa.
Well, we talked about it.
Look, is this because I brought up having kids again? [Sighs.]
Look, I checked out âthe family-leave situation, and it's a lot better than you think it is.
Okay, I am not having children while we both work at the L.
A.
P.
D.
Are you ready to retire? Because I won't.
That can't be the only option.
It's not.
If the baby thing is that important to you, find somebody else or stop talking about it.
Number One is dealing, and this appears to be his workstation.
That could make this easier.
Conversation's over just like that, huh? Oh, look, Bob, isn't this pretty? - [Muffled yell.]
- L.
A.
P.
D.
! What the hell?! Help! Jesse Harris, you're under arrest.
For possession of a controed substance.
Look at that! Your grandma's gonna be so disappointed in you.
You have the right to remain silent.
Jesse: Yo, but I didn't do nothing.
Sykes: You resisted arrest, assaulted an officer.
I assaulted someone?! You threw a t-shirt over my face, and this guy conducted an illegal search on my person.
During which they found drugs, but not this revolver, which you threw into a Venice canal last night.
I never seen that before in my life.
Really? Because the gun belongs to your grandmother.
- Talk to her about it, then.
- We did.
And she said you stole her gun from her nightstand.
Well, Nana's a crazy bitch.
Why would I steal her gun? Maybe you wanted to protect yourself while purse-snatching around Venice Beach these last few weeks.
And when you killed someone for having the nerve to fight back, you tossed the revolver into a canal.
All right.
Hold up a minute.
Don't say "lawyer" yet.
Before we get to lawyer, he has to deny everything again.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I never killed nobody.
Look, I'm not the type of guy that just shoots people.
I'll give you one chance to make me believe that.
We have enough evidence, Jesse, to charge you with murder right now.
- No, don't do that.
- âWhy not? All you've done is lie since you sat down! All right, listen.
- Maybe I should get that reporter.
- No, no.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
But if the guy's about to confess I'll tell you the complete truth.
What did you do, Jesse? I was dealing ice and a lot near Venice Speedway, all right? And a guy I never seen him before - What was his name? - I don't know.
Some tourist.
Said he'd been in Venice for two days and already had his wallet stolen.
Said he needed a gun for protection.
You know, normally I call a friend for this kind of thing, but he's in, like, jail, I think.
Buzz: He has friends in jail.
- Why am I not surprised? - So, this this tourist, this guy who just came up to you on the street, you invited him up to your grandmother's house - and sold him her revolver? - No.
I had him wait, and I went back for it.
Dude gave me 100 bucks, and I never saw him again.
What makes you so sure that your customer was a tourist? Yo, he had an accent.
He had an accent? What about his accent? It was English.
Something like that.
He was an English dude.
This is starting to sound less like a robbery and more like a hit.
This is a video screen grab from the security camera at the parking lot where Jesse sold our killer the revolver.
Provenza: Is it usable? Buzz: The less clarity we have from the source, the longer the screen grab takes to resolve, but probably.
If our killer flew in from the U.
K.
, we should be able to I.
D.
him through facial recognition software off airport security video.
Specifically LAX, SFO, San Diego, and because I don't like to gamble, Las Vegas.
Now, to begin with, we're only looking at passengers on incoming flights from Manchester International, Gatwick, and Heathrow.
Assuming he came from overseas.
Our killer's coming into focus.
Which means we'll know more about him than we do about Robert Branson or why someone put a hit on him.
This is almost as cool as the Panorama Room on "Badge of Justice.
" Flynn: [Sighs.]
The Panorama Room is not a real thing.
- It's on a television show.
- That's right, Lieutenant.
An award-winning television show.
J-Just keep looking for the killer, because Scotland Yard is taking forever to get back to us about the victim.
Flynn, what do you need? I came in to tell you that that asshole British reporter found out while the Bransons were in California, and now Taylor's bringing him back up for another briefing.
Provenza: Ye gods.
All right, guys, um, keep at it.
And, uh, let me know if you find something, like a motive would be nice.
- Ah, Rusty, what are you doing here? - âHey.
I'm just, uh, waiting for Buzz to finish so we can work on my vlog.
Ah, well, could be awhile.
I got nowhere to be.
School's out till September, Gus is working like 14 hours a day, 6 days a week, and Mom and Andy are always out looking at houses or - [Cellphone vibrates.]
- Well, you know, they are going out Uh [Sighs.]
Yeah, uh, it just, you know, it feels like no one really has time for me anymore.
Well, it could be that you don't make time for other people.
That looked like your biological mother calling to talk, if you could find a minute out of your "busy" schedule to call her back.
Peter: Why didn't you tell me yesterday that this mugger's latest victims were a couple traveling through Los Angeles on their second honeymoon and that the husband was shot to death after beating cancer? First, Peter, we're not sure this was a random attack.
There's a very good chance the Bransons were targeted.
Rubbish.
I've been researching them, and they're both extremely well-liked and respected.
No enemies, no criminal records.
In fact, even though Branson's business partner was unhappy about the state of their partnership, he still can't say that Robert did anything even wrong.
And he was legitimately horrified by Robert's murder.
Well, if you're really so far along, maybe there's nothing we can brief you on.
Unless you knew that âBranson's business partner What is his name? It is on the tip of my tongue.
Oh, um Richard Finch.
Is this a test? Well, you wouldn't be the first reporter who pretended to know more than he actually did.
And I am wondering if Mr.
Finch fully explained his issue with the victim to you.
Of course he did.
Branson was ready to unload his half of the firm.
That's all.
I haven't read their contract yet, but it seems they were abiding by a kind of business prenup, which allowed both of them to stay at a price at which they would either sell or purchase the other's half of the firm.
Well, I think you're âunderestimating how tricky it is to dissolve long-term partnerships.
Peter: And I think you are grasping at straws.
Branson gave Finch his price three weeks ago.
Finch wanted to buy him out.
Branson wanted to give him time to do it.
Unless Unless you've heard something different.
Uh, no, that's pretty much where we are.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
But you could have discovered I caught up with your investigation just by reading my blog.
Here.
"A British citizen nursed back from a dangerous form of cancer by his wife was shot to death in fatal robbery whilst on holiday in Los Angeles.
" Boy, you put that story together pretty quick, didn't you? 198,000 views? 198,000 people have read this article? - In the past nine hours, yes.
- Well, Mr.
Ogden, apparently there's nothing we can tell you that you don't already know.
Apart from what happened to the guy with the gun.
Uh, it turned out he sold it to someone else, who we are still trying to identify.
[Scoffs.]
So what's my exclusive, then? Um, if we can talk her into it, an interview with Mrs.
Branson.
She will be rejoining us shortly.
Well, I suggest you let me try and talk her into it.
I have had incredible success with new widows.
I don't doubt that.
Amy, if you would escort Peter to the break room and make sure that he is comfortable.
If that's possible, yes.
Ah.
Well, this may be crap for us, but it seems the story is working out great for Peter Ogden.
So, what are you thinking? I'm thinking that appraising the value of art can be a tricky thing.
Finch: [British accent.]
Yes, it's all rather difficult.
And after everything Robert went through, to be shot down in the street.
Dreadful.
We're very sorry for your loss, Mr.
Finch.
Um, and we understand that your partnership had come to an unexpected end.
Very unexpected, yes.
Could you tell us a little bit about your business? Certainly.
We'd been dealing art for close to 15 years.
I kept the books, ran the gallery, managed collectors.
Robert spotted and developed relationships with up-and-coming artists, traveled about purchasing paintings.
It was a good balance.
Until Robert got cancer.
[Sigh.]
Claire did what she could to fill his shoes, but we lost a couple of important artists.
I tried to buy Robert out of his half of the firm.
And I offered a good price for his share, too, but Claire W-W-Wait Wait a minute.
You initiated the buyout? Earlier, while he was sick, so I could begin rebuilding the business.
- But Claire begged me to hold off.
- âWhy? She felt having Robert sell would make him feel like we'd accepted his death as inevitable.
And then after he recovered? It was as if one day Robert woke up and didn't care about our business anymore.
[Sighs.]
Of course, I lost money while he was ill.
[Knock on door.]
Ma'am, Tao and Buzz may have found a match for our killer.
Um, thank you.
Mr.
Finch, you've been very, very helpful.
Uh, Lieutenants Provenza and Flynn will continue with you.
Thank you.
Mr.
Finch [clears throat.]
was there anything in his personal life that you can think of that could have caused this sudden change in Robert? Besides an understanding that our time on Earth is short, I don't know.
[Sighs.]
I don't know.
Meet Marcus Kemp, buying his gun from Jesse.
Here he is again six days ago at LAX arriving from Manchester International.
He flew business class and paid for his ticket in cash.
Oh, nothing suspicious about that.
Do we know where Mr.
Kemp is right now? Back at LAX.
Just checked in for his flight back to Manchester.
- Julio.
- Yes, ma'am.
[Cellphone beeps.]
Someone in Economy's about to get the upgrade they've been hoping for.
and this is the identity.
First, how are you sharing this? You just uploading it to YouTube and Well, yeah, yeah, but, uh, but my university is also streaming it on on a Oh, God.
You need a bigger Internet footprint.
Facebook, Twitter.
And where are your hashtags, boy? At the end of your post, you got to have hashtags.
# Thirtyyearsforjustice.
WatsonBrothers.
TheLongShadow.
Which brings us to the bigger problem.
Bigger problem? Your content.
It's real, it's truthful, blah, blah, blah.
But no one gives a shit about a bloke who lost his father in the ancient past.
If you want this story to work, you need to sex it up a bit.
Sex it up a bit? How? What if these murders weren't a robbery? Well, but the police said that that they What the police will tell you will always be dodgy at best.
Look, you don't know âlaw-enforcement professionals as well as I do.
They're corrupt, lazy, and careless.
And in every briefing, they leave blanks.
It's your obligation to fill those blanks with possibilities.
What if, for example, this Buzz person's mother was having an affair and her boyfriend arranged a hit and made it look like a robbery? I you know, I-I don't think that What you think doesn't matter.
You're just asking a question.
Otherwise this story of yours is only about some wannabe police officer in way over his head.
All right, well well, what if it turns out that Buzz's mother never actually had an affair? Just a question.
Who's harmed by that? Well, Buzz maybe, or his mother.
Buzz is a blank screen on which you're expected to compose a thrilling story.
If you're worried about challenging him, that's advocacy, not journalism.
[Cellphone chimes.]
Worse, it's not news.
The L.
A.
P.
D.
has finally made an arrest.
Why are they tellingme about it? Our job is to provoke people into really thinking about their lives, their assumptions, their mistakes, and then listening very carefully to their answers.
[Cellphone vibrating.]
And eventually getting to the truth.
[Vibrating continues.]
Hey, Mom.
Yeah, yeah, sorry I couldn't pick up earlier.
What's up? Frankly, Mr.
Ogden, we need your help.
You used sources in England to get information on Robert and Claire Branson.
We'd like you to do the same with this man.
Marcus Oliver Kemp.
Right now it looks like he may have killed Robert Branson.
Sykes: And his criminal file is pretty extensive burglary, theft, mayhem, criminal damage.
And there are indications the murder of Robert Branson may have been a hit.
And Scotland Yard hasn't even begun to look into that for us.
But if you could connect our victim to this man And what do I get in return? The sole exclusive to the arrest, and afterwards, detailed interviews with my detectives.
All right.
I'll bite.
- Marcus Oliver Kemp.
- [Camera shutter clicks.]
Marcus: [British accent.]
That's not me.
You've got the wrong man.
[Sighs.]
Not according to Jesse Harris, who sold you that revolver.
We could bring him up from Holding and have him identify you in person.
Fine.
So what? I bought the gun.
I needed it for protection.
My first night here, some asshole put a knife to my neck and stole my wallet, took all the cash I had on me, almost slit my throat.
Okay, you say some person stole all your cash, but when we picked you up from the airport, you had this on you.
I said he stole all the cash I had on me at the time.
This was all back at my hotel room.
Hmm.
10,000 British pounds.
[Chuckling.]
That's a lot to be carrying around, isn't it? I'm on vacation, mate.
Cash spends easier, âand you can use it anywhere.
Like at the airport to buy a round-trip business-class ticket to Los Angeles.
- There's nothing illegal about that.
- He's right.
It's not against the law to carry cash, no matter how much.
Listen, I admit to buying the gun, but that doesn't matter because I sold it a couple of days ago.
You sold it? To who? - Why? - Some bloke in Venice.
Didn't catch his name.
Well, I couldn't very well take the revolver back to Manchester with me, now, could I? No, I guess you couldn't.
So that's all worked out, then.
No, not exactly.
You see, the gun that you sold to "some bloke" was used to murder this man, Robert Branson.
And then the revolver was thrown into the Venice canals, along with this, which was worn by the killer.
Now, in most cases, saltwater would destroy useful evidence in clothing like this, but inside this ski mask we found some hair follicles.
It means that we have the killer's DNA.
And normally we would swab your cheek for a sample, wait 48 hours for the results, and then arrest you for murder.
But in merry Olde England, whenever someone is convicted of a crime and you, you have quite the history, sir they are submitted to mandatory DNA testing.
And guess whose profile is coming to us right now? My hair couldn't be in that balaclava because I never wore it.
And even if I did, just 'cause it was in the same canal doesn't connect it to the gun.
[Sighs.]
Okay, so now what? We just wait for his DNA to arrive and hope we're right? Well, even then, the DNA profile only substantiates our theory.
It doesn't quite convict.
Your case against me seems surprisingly thin.
We need to find some kind of connection between the killer and the victim.
There isn't one.
But I did come across a link that feels worth pursuing.
A link to whom? Provenza: Do you recognize this man? He [Sighs.]
He looks very familiar.
What's his name? It is Marcus Oliver Kemp from Manchester, England.
Now, Manchester that's very near your home in Chester, isn't it? Yes, it's it's very near.
Are you suggesting that this Kemp creature followed us to to L.
A.
? Why? According to U.
K.
court documents, in 2011, Marcus Kemp was tried for assaulting his then-wife, and you were his legal counsel.
His confession to why he killed your husband is is convincing.
But we'd like to hear your side of it.
- My side? - âMm.
What side is that? Well, according to Marcus, you hired him to kill your husband here in Venice, where you knew there was a crime No, that that's ridiculous.
That's not at all what happened.
- Oh, my God.
- Hold on.
Claire, one moment before you go on.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will - be used against you in a court of law.
- The plane ticket proves premeditation.
Hobbs: But big problem Kemp hasn't actually confessed to the murder yet.
Plus, why would Mrs.
Branson give up everything to save her husband from cancer just to have him murdered in L.
A.
? I have no idea what Marcus said to you, and this is very upsetting to admit, but Yes.
I know him quite well.
I represented him in his domestic-abuse case.
And when the jury found him guilty, he blamed me.
And after he got out of prison, he started pestering me for money.
Why didn't you report him to the police? At his trial, I made some evidence disappear.
It was a terrible mistake, and [Voice breaking.]
I was only doing it to help my client, and after he got released, that ungrateful bastard blackmailed me over it.
I only stopped paying him a couple weeks ago.
He got very angry, but I I did not know he would go so far as this.
Oh, God.
It's my fault.
[Cries.]
It's all my fault.
- I'm not buying this for a second.
- But a jury might.
That is, if we had something to hold Claire on, which we don't.
Sharon: Oh, but we will, because now that his barrister has thrown him under the coach, maybe Mr.
Kemp will be more cooperative.
"Under the coach"? In England, that's what they call a bus.
I should have [sniffles.]
I should have told the truth the day Marcus first approached me.
And now Robert is dead because I was afraid of what it would do to my reputation.
[Sniffles.]
[Sobs.]
- Come on in.
- No, I-I can't stay.
But I-I made dinner.
No, I-I have a taxi running downstairs, and I just I don't want to be late to my computer class.
Mom, I could take you to Look, you're you're not you're not making enough money right now to just be taking taxis all around town.
Right, but this is when you could see me, and I didn't want to say this over the phone.
Say what? I contacted Gary's parents, and it turns out that they're really nice people.
[Sighs.]
Their other son is a doctor.
Isn't that funny? I knew I couldn't give my baby to complete strangers, but Gary's parents will take the child.
I thought about what you said, and the baby will grow up without any worries.
And then you and I will be okay, right? We'll be okay? âY Mom, um, yeah, we'll be we'll be okay.
Look, why why don't why don't I-I go down with you and I-I could pay off your taxi? - No.
- âAnd then you you you can miss your - your computer class just for tonight.
- âNo, no.
Okay, well, then why why don't I drive you? Can I Can I drive you? I'm taking care of myself these days, so I can manage.
I just wanted to thank you for helping me make the right decision.
And just don't ever forget that I love you, okay? - Mom, I-I-I love you, too.
- Okay.
[Sniffles.]
Okay, I have to I have to run.
Okay, I love you.
Have a good dinner.
Marcus: What on Earth did you say to that woman to make her give me up like that? Claire Branson's a bitch and a terrible bloody barrister.
Talked to my jury like they were a bunch of 5-year-olds! They convicted her, not me.
Listen, Mr.
Kemp, I'm not going to offer you a deal of any kind.
Then I want a lawyer, and not Claire bloody Branson, either.
You don't want a lawyer, because then you'll have no choices.
Choices? What choices have I got? You can go to court here in the United States on a charge of first-degree murder with special circumstances, which is a death-penalty case.
Shit.
âTao: And you can await your execution at the very posh correctional facility at San Quentin.
Sharon: Or, Mr.
Kemp, you can tell us the truth.
You can agree to testify against Claire Branson in court, and we will return you to the U.
K.
for trial.
You can serve out your sentence in England with a much better chance at parole.
Tao: But first you have to revoke your rights, write out your confession, or we arrest you and let the DNA evidence do the rest.
Oi.
This is what it's come to, eh? Deciding which prison I die in? Okay.
Fine.
The bitch paid me to kill her husband, and that's that.
Why would Claire Branson kill her husband? What was her motive? Claire did everything for Robert when he was sick nursed him, âkept his business together.
Even changed his bedding, if you know what I mean.
And then when he gets well, he dumps her.
- Why? - I don't know, really.
I guess he was dying for so long that he wanted to live it up a little, stop sleeping with the same bird every night.
Well, if he's leaving his wife, why would he take her on a second honeymoon? [Scoffs.]
That was Claire giving the bastard one last chance to do the right thing.
She told Robert that he owed it to her to, uh, rekindle the flames or whatever.
And if he still felt the same after they relived their honeymoon along the California coast, she'd let him go with no trouble at all.
And she did.
So you were always gonna kill him.
No.
No.
She could have called me at any time and said, "Forget about it, Kemp.
We're back together.
" But I never heard from her.
So when they got to Venice, which Claire had read was suffering a little crime spree, I went ahead with it.
My fee was in her purse.
Clever girl, Claire.
Crafty.
Tao: Why come all the way over here? You could have killed Mr.
Branson in Manchester or Chester.
I couldn't get a gun, could I? And besides, Robert had already started cheating on her, and the coppers in Manchester would have tumbled on that sooner or later.
I don't care how mad you are at someone.
Divorce is always better.
As for me and mine, for example, we just found ourselves unsuited and decided to go our separate ways.
After you beat her with a clothes hanger and locked her in the closet for two days.
We call it a wardrobe.
But yeah, we had our differences.
Frankly, I still don't think she should have slept with my brother.
Look, lots of things âcan unhinge a relationship.
Too much sickness, too much health, envy, spite, failure, even success.
[Echoing.]
A little bit of success can bring out the worst in other people.
Peter: "Just a small bit of good fortune really can alter even the best of relationships in ways they can't survive.
" Bit of a philosopher, your hitman.
Well, I have to admit, Captain, this is truly a great exclusive.
Well, you earned it, Peter.
Oh, and thank you all very much for being so open.
- Oh, and, Buzz, isn't it? - Yes.
Fantastic you call yourself that.
Best of luck on your cold case.
Well, thank you I think.
Till the next time, everyone.
Oh, I can just see Ogden's headline now.
"Intrepid London Reporter Solves Major Crime for L.
A.
P.
D.
" [Chuckles.]
âHe did do his part, Lieutenant.
- Oh, here we go.
Go.
- H-Hold on a second, Mike.
Where do you think you're going with that Platinum TV Choice Award? Andy, I think it's about time I bring it home.
No, no, I think it's about time that we all share and celebrate in your success.
- No, I think the time has really passed.
- âNo, no.
Oh, you can't believe we're just gonna ignore something this important? - Such a big deal.
- [Chuckles.]
Thank you.
We all share a lot of dark and horrible things here at work, Mike.
And this is a really good thing.
and you deserve to be proud Liutenant Everybody grab a glass.
Oh my god this smell like, apple sider.
Yes it is.
We are at work here.
To Liutenant Mike.
- To Mike - Liutenant Mike.
- And to Badge of Justice.
- Here, here.
- Oh my god - How many seasons is it now? [All chater.]
Every wants a piece of this really delicious cake?
[Police radio chatter.]
Provenza: How many attacks on tourists in the Venice area does this make? Nine? 12.
Second in this parking lot.
Mostly stolen purses.
This is our first fatality.
Uh, when the paramedics arrived, they found Mr.
Branson dead and his wife Claire unconscious on the pavement beside him with a concussion.
She's in the hospital.
- Witnesses? - âThe valet.
Julio's trying to calm him down enough to talk to us.
Oh, there's something else, sir.
The Bransons aren't just tourists.
They're from Chester, England.
International incident.
Great.
Flynn: Okay, according to the hospital, the wife doesn't have any internal bleeding or brain swelling, but she's still unresponsive.
So, here we are.
Uh, not all of us, actually.
Oh, ye gods.
Last week it was Julio.
Now it's Mike.
One hour, people.
One.
That's the amount of time you have to arrive at a crime scene.
[Dance music playing on car radio.]
That's the reason you're issued a c car.
What the hell?! Mwah! Ladies, this is where I leave you.
Uh, duty calls.
Um, until next time, ciao.
Bye, Lieutenant Mike! [Laughs.]
Yeah, I know.
I'm late.
I'm sorry.
But, uh, I didn't drive my car to the awards show, and the limo line was, you know, forget about it.
What What awards show? Uh, Platinum TV Choice Awards.
And, uh, "Badge of Justice" won.
[Sighs.]
Best Teleplay for Non-Serialized 60-Minute Episodic Police Procedural on Basic Cable.
Oh, congratulations.
That's great.
Thank you.
[Chuckles.]
"Haters Gonna Hate"? What the hell's that even mean? Oh, that's the name of the episode that I got story credit for.
Oh, my God.
So you're a writer now? Is that it? Provenza: Gentlemen, if it's not a problem, might we return to work? Tao, get your award and come with me.
"Haters Gonna Hate"? I mean, what the hell.
Flynn, get to the hospital, wait for the wife to come around.
We need to talk to her as soon as possible.
Good evening, Kendall.
Uh, what news on the Rialto? It's pretty straightforward, Lieutenant.
The victim was shot twice in the chest, once in the head.
Let me guess what shot was fatal.
No casings anywhere, so unless the killer cleaned up after himself, the murder weapon was probably a revolver.
Ah, well, let's talk to Julio and the valet.
It was just some guy in a ski mask.
Did you notice what kind of gun? Look, I don't want trouble.
I have a family.
What if that guy comes back because I talked to you? Hey, the longer we're here, the longer you look like you're cooperating.
You want us gone? Tell us what the gun looked like.
I didn't see no gun until he fired it.
And then I ducked.
Well, whatdidyou see? [Sighs.]
The man and lady came out of the restaurant gave me their ticket.
I pulled their car from around back, he paid me, and then some guy in a ski mask ran by and grabbed her purse.
Her husband jumped in, and he got shot.
[Gunshots.]
I ducked, the guy ran off, and he didn't come back.
Buzz: How do we know which direction to go from here? Tao: You follow the money.
Or in this case, the credit card.
It's Mrs.
Branson's.
[Sighs.]
Ah.
Here's her wallet.
Contains her driver's license, a few receipts.
No cash, though.
Provenza: All right, make sure this wallet gets printed.
We might get lucky.
I think we just did.
- That has to be her purse.
- Canals.
Sanchez: Good place to ditch a murder weapon, sir.
We're going to need a dive team.
Dr.
Morales: Not much of a discovery process.
I could write down Homicide before I even start the full autopsy.
British citizen ends up being murdered during a one-man crime spree in Venice.
My understanding is that the L.
A.
P.
D.
is operating out there on alert.
Yeah, we are, but, uh, we staked out places this guy hadn't robbed before.
Why did our victim have to fight? Sykes: His wife was being hurt.
And it sounds like the killer didn't pull out his gun until after Mr.
Branson hit back.
Sharon: So, no one's challenged this purse snatcher before.
Although now he's a murderer.
Of a U.
K.
citizen.
Already got an English reporter filing front-page articles about our "Venice problem" for a London paper.
We could end up trying to talk the Brits out of issuing a travel advisory against L.
A.
I don't know how much worse this can get.
I do.
See the scar here? It tells me that, at some point, your victim had a Hickman.
A Hickman? A semi-permanent catheter implant in the chest mostly used to deliver intravenous medication.
- Like chemotherapy? - âYes.
Your victim recently recovered from cancer.
Not sure when the treatment ended, but the Hickman was removed 9 or 10 months ago.
Sharon: So he survived cancer only to be shot to death in an L.
A.
parking lot.
You're right, Doctor.
This is worse.
I'm gonna have to bring that asshole English reporter in here for some exclusives let him see what it is we're doing.
What type of cancer did he have? Claire: [British accent.]
Adenocarinoma.
At first it was a stomachache.
And before we knew it, Robert was bedridden with intestinal cancer.
It was a frightening shock, but I took an extended leave from my job.
- What do you do? - I was a barrister.
- You practiced law? - âYes.
It turned out to be excellent training.
Even in our healthcare system, one needs an advocate.
And I also tried to manage his partnership duties at the firm.
Your husband was a lawyer, too? No, no.
Robert deals Oh, God.
[Voice breaking.]
dealt in fine art.
[Sniffles.]
I'm sorry.
I can't believe this is happening.
[Sighs, sniffles.]
I keep e-expecting to hear there's been some terrible mistake.
I'm sorry.
Um Where was I? Your husband dealt in art.
Paintings, mostly.
Acquisitions and restorations.
He has a gallery in Manchester, but the work it took him all over the world.
Is that why you were in America, because of your husband's business? No.
No, not at all.
After Robert recovered, it had been such an ordeal for us, you see, and he wanted to celebrate by reliving our honeymoon, driving down the Pacific Coast Highway and staying and eating at all the same places.
After our first trip, we knew that Venice was a tourist trap.
But we went anyway.
While you were dining, did you notice anyone watching you? No.
Not even the waiter, really.
What about outside? Valet stand? I don't think so.
I [Sniffles.]
I remember the young man who brought 'round our car.
[Sniffles.]
The next thing I knew, I'm waking up in hospital and the doctor's [Sniffles.]
He's telling me that that I'm going to be all right.
Perhaps he didn't know.
Provenza: What's taking so long? [Police radio chatter.]
Fellas, we got to get this done today.
Julio, can you help me here? Sanchez: There, Lieutenant.
He's got something.
Ah.
Let me explain this again! We are looking for a revolver! This is a 9-millimeter auto! Keep searching! Keep searching! Sanchez: I'll put it with the others, sir.
How many cold cases are we about to uncover? What's that, Tao? It's a ski mask.
Could be our killer's.
There are several hair follicles on the inside, which means DNA.
Buzz: I think we have it! I think this is it! Over here! Oh.
Keep an eye on the Platy.
[Grunts.]
Well [sighs.]
it's a revolver.
There is only one way to find out if it's ours.
Amy, uh, Amy, have you got the bullets out of the victim yet? Francine: To see if we have a match, I'm gonna have to fire this sucker and then get the gun's serial number so you can find its registered owner.
And that's all we can do? Well, if I pop it into the sterile saline fast enough, I might could pull a few sebaceous fingerprints, but I doubt it.
- It was only in the canal for - I'm sorry, Amy.
I'm not in charge of the oxidation process.
Saltwater is a corrosive with a pH between 7.
5 and 8.
4.
Gun metal can't cope with those conditions for even a day.
Rust is inevitable, and rust and fingerprints do not get along.
When she pulls the revolver out of the saltwater and can't fire within a few minutes Not only do I lose any chance at prints, I might not even be able to match the bullets.
Never seen you this dressed up, Lieutenant.
The name is Tao.
Mike Tao.
[Both laugh.]
Well, nice award, Mike Tao.
Might not be on âHer Majesty's Secret Service, but "Badge of Justice" is certainly paying off for you.
It's just a little sideshow.
We're all very proud of him.
- Really? - [Click.]
All of you? That's great.
Usually people can get jealous.
[Gunshots.]
Well, I say, "Phew.
" That went great.
Amy is my good-luck charm.
Now just compare this bullet to the ones she brought over from the morgue and [Sighs.]
Mm-hmm.
Uh-huh.
We have a match.
That revolver is the gun that killed your victim.
It's your mother.
[Vibrating continues.]
I don't feel like being manipulated today.
I have said it a million times.
As soon as this baby is born, she needs to put it up for adoption.
Well, your mother might not take your advice, so you need to consider what sort of brother you're prepared to be.
Well, the kind who puts the the safety and wellbeing and and long-term security of my sibling or whatever first.
Just be aware babies change our relationships in unexpected ways.
Such as? With Gary in jail, if anything happens to your mother, you'd be your new sibling's next-of-kin.
Ignoring the other Sharon in your life's not gonna change that.
Peter: [British accent.]
Maybe you're not up to the job, because after 11, now 12, attacks by the same person committed at gunpoint, and no arrest? The police seem completely out of their depth.
No, Peter, part of the reason we're giving you this exclusive is to help get your facts straight.
Well, I've talked to and written about every one of the tourists this armed robber has attacked.
âHold on.
How many of the victims reported seeing a gun? Provenza: If you'vereally interviewed every single victim, then you know the answer to that is none.
Well, just because no one saw a gun doesn't mean it wasn't there.
Are you searching for a suspect? Is there Is there a manhunt in progress? Well, even at Scotland Yard, you can't launch a manhunt when you don't know whom you're looking for.
[Chuckles.]
So So what's my exclusive, then? That the L.
A.
P.
D.
is no further along than it was six weeks ago? The killer had a revolver, which we found in the Venice canals.
And? Well, that's it? [Sighs.]
Captain? The registered owner of the murder weapon is being brought downtown as we speak.
Huh.
And the owner is considered to be a person of interest? [Scoffs.]
Maybe even a suspect.
And does this owner have a name? Tao: This way, Ms.
Harris.
Ooh, I knew I should have changed.
All these people.
Look how I'm dressed.
Oh, hello.
I've already explained to your officers that just because I don't know where my gun is doesn't mean that it's missing.
Every year the house gets harder to keep straight.
Ah.
[Chuckles.]
Thatis your possible suspect? Uh, Lieutenant, Julio? Oh, Ms.
Harris, thank you so much for coming down to visit us.
Uh, Julio.
This way, ma'am.
Peter: In the last decade, that woman hasn't run anywhere but to the toilet.
Come.
Listen to what she says.
This way, please.
Ms.
Harris: How may I help? Well, you can start by telling us what you were doing last night around 11:00 p.
m.
, ma'am.
Oh, brushing my teeth.
Getting ready for Jimmy.
- Who is Jimmy, ma'am? - Fallon.
And that odd Mr.
Coldbear [Colbert.]
I switch between the two now that I've learned how to use the clicker.
So many buttons.
Obviously a criminal mastermind.
Provenza: They, uh, they can be tricky.
- Um - Be careful, Mike.
You're gonna rub all the fake platinum off your statue.
- look at a picture.
- Ha ha.
Hi.
Peter Ogden, London Press.
âMm.
Do you always dress this way for work? - What way? - This is a formal investigation.
Ms.
Harris: It looks like my gun.
I usually keep it in the nightstand.
Anyone else know where you kept the weapon, ma'am? Why would you need to know that? Well, I hate to tell you this, Ms.
Harris Oh, please.
Call me Gloria.
And you are again? Lieutenant.
Last night, this revolver was used in a murder.
What? - No! - âYes.
And this gun is registered to you.
So do you have any idea who might have moved it from your nightstand? Oh, no.
Oh, no.
Oh, I knew I should have confronted him when money started disappearing from my purse.
But I never dreamed he'd take my gun.
Whowould never take your gun? - Jesse is not a killer.
- Who's Jesse, ma'am? Ms.
Harris: He's my only grandchild.
My son died very young and Buzz, Jesse Harris.
Oh, this this must be wrong.
- It must be.
- [Keyboard clacking.]
- Here's his DMV photo.
- Oh, please don't hurt him.
Peter, you can't use any of this till we have Jesse Harris in custody.
âHe's not a bad boy at all.
I'm sure you're right, Gloria, but we still have to talk to Jesse.
Any idea where he might be, ma'am? During the day, he usually hangs out on Venice Beach.
If he's got another gun, trying to take him down with all these people around is iffy.
Well, Happy Hour starts in two minutes.
That should thin things out.
Venice Beach.
This is where your victim and his wife decided to relive their honeymoon, huh? It had some sentimental value.
âHmm.
Any thought about where you'd like to honeymoon? That's a little cart-before-the-horse, isn't it? Whoa.
Well, we talked about it.
Look, is this because I brought up having kids again? [Sighs.]
Look, I checked out âthe family-leave situation, and it's a lot better than you think it is.
Okay, I am not having children while we both work at the L.
A.
P.
D.
Are you ready to retire? Because I won't.
That can't be the only option.
It's not.
If the baby thing is that important to you, find somebody else or stop talking about it.
Number One is dealing, and this appears to be his workstation.
That could make this easier.
Conversation's over just like that, huh? Oh, look, Bob, isn't this pretty? - [Muffled yell.]
- L.
A.
P.
D.
! What the hell?! Help! Jesse Harris, you're under arrest.
For possession of a controed substance.
Look at that! Your grandma's gonna be so disappointed in you.
You have the right to remain silent.
Jesse: Yo, but I didn't do nothing.
Sykes: You resisted arrest, assaulted an officer.
I assaulted someone?! You threw a t-shirt over my face, and this guy conducted an illegal search on my person.
During which they found drugs, but not this revolver, which you threw into a Venice canal last night.
I never seen that before in my life.
Really? Because the gun belongs to your grandmother.
- Talk to her about it, then.
- We did.
And she said you stole her gun from her nightstand.
Well, Nana's a crazy bitch.
Why would I steal her gun? Maybe you wanted to protect yourself while purse-snatching around Venice Beach these last few weeks.
And when you killed someone for having the nerve to fight back, you tossed the revolver into a canal.
All right.
Hold up a minute.
Don't say "lawyer" yet.
Before we get to lawyer, he has to deny everything again.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I never killed nobody.
Look, I'm not the type of guy that just shoots people.
I'll give you one chance to make me believe that.
We have enough evidence, Jesse, to charge you with murder right now.
- No, don't do that.
- âWhy not? All you've done is lie since you sat down! All right, listen.
- Maybe I should get that reporter.
- No, no.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
But if the guy's about to confess I'll tell you the complete truth.
What did you do, Jesse? I was dealing ice and a lot near Venice Speedway, all right? And a guy I never seen him before - What was his name? - I don't know.
Some tourist.
Said he'd been in Venice for two days and already had his wallet stolen.
Said he needed a gun for protection.
You know, normally I call a friend for this kind of thing, but he's in, like, jail, I think.
Buzz: He has friends in jail.
- Why am I not surprised? - So, this this tourist, this guy who just came up to you on the street, you invited him up to your grandmother's house - and sold him her revolver? - No.
I had him wait, and I went back for it.
Dude gave me 100 bucks, and I never saw him again.
What makes you so sure that your customer was a tourist? Yo, he had an accent.
He had an accent? What about his accent? It was English.
Something like that.
He was an English dude.
This is starting to sound less like a robbery and more like a hit.
This is a video screen grab from the security camera at the parking lot where Jesse sold our killer the revolver.
Provenza: Is it usable? Buzz: The less clarity we have from the source, the longer the screen grab takes to resolve, but probably.
If our killer flew in from the U.
K.
, we should be able to I.
D.
him through facial recognition software off airport security video.
Specifically LAX, SFO, San Diego, and because I don't like to gamble, Las Vegas.
Now, to begin with, we're only looking at passengers on incoming flights from Manchester International, Gatwick, and Heathrow.
Assuming he came from overseas.
Our killer's coming into focus.
Which means we'll know more about him than we do about Robert Branson or why someone put a hit on him.
This is almost as cool as the Panorama Room on "Badge of Justice.
" Flynn: [Sighs.]
The Panorama Room is not a real thing.
- It's on a television show.
- That's right, Lieutenant.
An award-winning television show.
J-Just keep looking for the killer, because Scotland Yard is taking forever to get back to us about the victim.
Flynn, what do you need? I came in to tell you that that asshole British reporter found out while the Bransons were in California, and now Taylor's bringing him back up for another briefing.
Provenza: Ye gods.
All right, guys, um, keep at it.
And, uh, let me know if you find something, like a motive would be nice.
- Ah, Rusty, what are you doing here? - âHey.
I'm just, uh, waiting for Buzz to finish so we can work on my vlog.
Ah, well, could be awhile.
I got nowhere to be.
School's out till September, Gus is working like 14 hours a day, 6 days a week, and Mom and Andy are always out looking at houses or - [Cellphone vibrates.]
- Well, you know, they are going out Uh [Sighs.]
Yeah, uh, it just, you know, it feels like no one really has time for me anymore.
Well, it could be that you don't make time for other people.
That looked like your biological mother calling to talk, if you could find a minute out of your "busy" schedule to call her back.
Peter: Why didn't you tell me yesterday that this mugger's latest victims were a couple traveling through Los Angeles on their second honeymoon and that the husband was shot to death after beating cancer? First, Peter, we're not sure this was a random attack.
There's a very good chance the Bransons were targeted.
Rubbish.
I've been researching them, and they're both extremely well-liked and respected.
No enemies, no criminal records.
In fact, even though Branson's business partner was unhappy about the state of their partnership, he still can't say that Robert did anything even wrong.
And he was legitimately horrified by Robert's murder.
Well, if you're really so far along, maybe there's nothing we can brief you on.
Unless you knew that âBranson's business partner What is his name? It is on the tip of my tongue.
Oh, um Richard Finch.
Is this a test? Well, you wouldn't be the first reporter who pretended to know more than he actually did.
And I am wondering if Mr.
Finch fully explained his issue with the victim to you.
Of course he did.
Branson was ready to unload his half of the firm.
That's all.
I haven't read their contract yet, but it seems they were abiding by a kind of business prenup, which allowed both of them to stay at a price at which they would either sell or purchase the other's half of the firm.
Well, I think you're âunderestimating how tricky it is to dissolve long-term partnerships.
Peter: And I think you are grasping at straws.
Branson gave Finch his price three weeks ago.
Finch wanted to buy him out.
Branson wanted to give him time to do it.
Unless Unless you've heard something different.
Uh, no, that's pretty much where we are.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
But you could have discovered I caught up with your investigation just by reading my blog.
Here.
"A British citizen nursed back from a dangerous form of cancer by his wife was shot to death in fatal robbery whilst on holiday in Los Angeles.
" Boy, you put that story together pretty quick, didn't you? 198,000 views? 198,000 people have read this article? - In the past nine hours, yes.
- Well, Mr.
Ogden, apparently there's nothing we can tell you that you don't already know.
Apart from what happened to the guy with the gun.
Uh, it turned out he sold it to someone else, who we are still trying to identify.
[Scoffs.]
So what's my exclusive, then? Um, if we can talk her into it, an interview with Mrs.
Branson.
She will be rejoining us shortly.
Well, I suggest you let me try and talk her into it.
I have had incredible success with new widows.
I don't doubt that.
Amy, if you would escort Peter to the break room and make sure that he is comfortable.
If that's possible, yes.
Ah.
Well, this may be crap for us, but it seems the story is working out great for Peter Ogden.
So, what are you thinking? I'm thinking that appraising the value of art can be a tricky thing.
Finch: [British accent.]
Yes, it's all rather difficult.
And after everything Robert went through, to be shot down in the street.
Dreadful.
We're very sorry for your loss, Mr.
Finch.
Um, and we understand that your partnership had come to an unexpected end.
Very unexpected, yes.
Could you tell us a little bit about your business? Certainly.
We'd been dealing art for close to 15 years.
I kept the books, ran the gallery, managed collectors.
Robert spotted and developed relationships with up-and-coming artists, traveled about purchasing paintings.
It was a good balance.
Until Robert got cancer.
[Sigh.]
Claire did what she could to fill his shoes, but we lost a couple of important artists.
I tried to buy Robert out of his half of the firm.
And I offered a good price for his share, too, but Claire W-W-Wait Wait a minute.
You initiated the buyout? Earlier, while he was sick, so I could begin rebuilding the business.
- But Claire begged me to hold off.
- âWhy? She felt having Robert sell would make him feel like we'd accepted his death as inevitable.
And then after he recovered? It was as if one day Robert woke up and didn't care about our business anymore.
[Sighs.]
Of course, I lost money while he was ill.
[Knock on door.]
Ma'am, Tao and Buzz may have found a match for our killer.
Um, thank you.
Mr.
Finch, you've been very, very helpful.
Uh, Lieutenants Provenza and Flynn will continue with you.
Thank you.
Mr.
Finch [clears throat.]
was there anything in his personal life that you can think of that could have caused this sudden change in Robert? Besides an understanding that our time on Earth is short, I don't know.
[Sighs.]
I don't know.
Meet Marcus Kemp, buying his gun from Jesse.
Here he is again six days ago at LAX arriving from Manchester International.
He flew business class and paid for his ticket in cash.
Oh, nothing suspicious about that.
Do we know where Mr.
Kemp is right now? Back at LAX.
Just checked in for his flight back to Manchester.
- Julio.
- Yes, ma'am.
[Cellphone beeps.]
Someone in Economy's about to get the upgrade they've been hoping for.
and this is the identity.
First, how are you sharing this? You just uploading it to YouTube and Well, yeah, yeah, but, uh, but my university is also streaming it on on a Oh, God.
You need a bigger Internet footprint.
Facebook, Twitter.
And where are your hashtags, boy? At the end of your post, you got to have hashtags.
# Thirtyyearsforjustice.
WatsonBrothers.
TheLongShadow.
Which brings us to the bigger problem.
Bigger problem? Your content.
It's real, it's truthful, blah, blah, blah.
But no one gives a shit about a bloke who lost his father in the ancient past.
If you want this story to work, you need to sex it up a bit.
Sex it up a bit? How? What if these murders weren't a robbery? Well, but the police said that that they What the police will tell you will always be dodgy at best.
Look, you don't know âlaw-enforcement professionals as well as I do.
They're corrupt, lazy, and careless.
And in every briefing, they leave blanks.
It's your obligation to fill those blanks with possibilities.
What if, for example, this Buzz person's mother was having an affair and her boyfriend arranged a hit and made it look like a robbery? I you know, I-I don't think that What you think doesn't matter.
You're just asking a question.
Otherwise this story of yours is only about some wannabe police officer in way over his head.
All right, well well, what if it turns out that Buzz's mother never actually had an affair? Just a question.
Who's harmed by that? Well, Buzz maybe, or his mother.
Buzz is a blank screen on which you're expected to compose a thrilling story.
If you're worried about challenging him, that's advocacy, not journalism.
[Cellphone chimes.]
Worse, it's not news.
The L.
A.
P.
D.
has finally made an arrest.
Why are they tellingme about it? Our job is to provoke people into really thinking about their lives, their assumptions, their mistakes, and then listening very carefully to their answers.
[Cellphone vibrating.]
And eventually getting to the truth.
[Vibrating continues.]
Hey, Mom.
Yeah, yeah, sorry I couldn't pick up earlier.
What's up? Frankly, Mr.
Ogden, we need your help.
You used sources in England to get information on Robert and Claire Branson.
We'd like you to do the same with this man.
Marcus Oliver Kemp.
Right now it looks like he may have killed Robert Branson.
Sykes: And his criminal file is pretty extensive burglary, theft, mayhem, criminal damage.
And there are indications the murder of Robert Branson may have been a hit.
And Scotland Yard hasn't even begun to look into that for us.
But if you could connect our victim to this man And what do I get in return? The sole exclusive to the arrest, and afterwards, detailed interviews with my detectives.
All right.
I'll bite.
- Marcus Oliver Kemp.
- [Camera shutter clicks.]
Marcus: [British accent.]
That's not me.
You've got the wrong man.
[Sighs.]
Not according to Jesse Harris, who sold you that revolver.
We could bring him up from Holding and have him identify you in person.
Fine.
So what? I bought the gun.
I needed it for protection.
My first night here, some asshole put a knife to my neck and stole my wallet, took all the cash I had on me, almost slit my throat.
Okay, you say some person stole all your cash, but when we picked you up from the airport, you had this on you.
I said he stole all the cash I had on me at the time.
This was all back at my hotel room.
Hmm.
10,000 British pounds.
[Chuckling.]
That's a lot to be carrying around, isn't it? I'm on vacation, mate.
Cash spends easier, âand you can use it anywhere.
Like at the airport to buy a round-trip business-class ticket to Los Angeles.
- There's nothing illegal about that.
- He's right.
It's not against the law to carry cash, no matter how much.
Listen, I admit to buying the gun, but that doesn't matter because I sold it a couple of days ago.
You sold it? To who? - Why? - Some bloke in Venice.
Didn't catch his name.
Well, I couldn't very well take the revolver back to Manchester with me, now, could I? No, I guess you couldn't.
So that's all worked out, then.
No, not exactly.
You see, the gun that you sold to "some bloke" was used to murder this man, Robert Branson.
And then the revolver was thrown into the Venice canals, along with this, which was worn by the killer.
Now, in most cases, saltwater would destroy useful evidence in clothing like this, but inside this ski mask we found some hair follicles.
It means that we have the killer's DNA.
And normally we would swab your cheek for a sample, wait 48 hours for the results, and then arrest you for murder.
But in merry Olde England, whenever someone is convicted of a crime and you, you have quite the history, sir they are submitted to mandatory DNA testing.
And guess whose profile is coming to us right now? My hair couldn't be in that balaclava because I never wore it.
And even if I did, just 'cause it was in the same canal doesn't connect it to the gun.
[Sighs.]
Okay, so now what? We just wait for his DNA to arrive and hope we're right? Well, even then, the DNA profile only substantiates our theory.
It doesn't quite convict.
Your case against me seems surprisingly thin.
We need to find some kind of connection between the killer and the victim.
There isn't one.
But I did come across a link that feels worth pursuing.
A link to whom? Provenza: Do you recognize this man? He [Sighs.]
He looks very familiar.
What's his name? It is Marcus Oliver Kemp from Manchester, England.
Now, Manchester that's very near your home in Chester, isn't it? Yes, it's it's very near.
Are you suggesting that this Kemp creature followed us to to L.
A.
? Why? According to U.
K.
court documents, in 2011, Marcus Kemp was tried for assaulting his then-wife, and you were his legal counsel.
His confession to why he killed your husband is is convincing.
But we'd like to hear your side of it.
- My side? - âMm.
What side is that? Well, according to Marcus, you hired him to kill your husband here in Venice, where you knew there was a crime No, that that's ridiculous.
That's not at all what happened.
- Oh, my God.
- Hold on.
Claire, one moment before you go on.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will - be used against you in a court of law.
- The plane ticket proves premeditation.
Hobbs: But big problem Kemp hasn't actually confessed to the murder yet.
Plus, why would Mrs.
Branson give up everything to save her husband from cancer just to have him murdered in L.
A.
? I have no idea what Marcus said to you, and this is very upsetting to admit, but Yes.
I know him quite well.
I represented him in his domestic-abuse case.
And when the jury found him guilty, he blamed me.
And after he got out of prison, he started pestering me for money.
Why didn't you report him to the police? At his trial, I made some evidence disappear.
It was a terrible mistake, and [Voice breaking.]
I was only doing it to help my client, and after he got released, that ungrateful bastard blackmailed me over it.
I only stopped paying him a couple weeks ago.
He got very angry, but I I did not know he would go so far as this.
Oh, God.
It's my fault.
[Cries.]
It's all my fault.
- I'm not buying this for a second.
- But a jury might.
That is, if we had something to hold Claire on, which we don't.
Sharon: Oh, but we will, because now that his barrister has thrown him under the coach, maybe Mr.
Kemp will be more cooperative.
"Under the coach"? In England, that's what they call a bus.
I should have [sniffles.]
I should have told the truth the day Marcus first approached me.
And now Robert is dead because I was afraid of what it would do to my reputation.
[Sniffles.]
[Sobs.]
- Come on in.
- No, I-I can't stay.
But I-I made dinner.
No, I-I have a taxi running downstairs, and I just I don't want to be late to my computer class.
Mom, I could take you to Look, you're you're not you're not making enough money right now to just be taking taxis all around town.
Right, but this is when you could see me, and I didn't want to say this over the phone.
Say what? I contacted Gary's parents, and it turns out that they're really nice people.
[Sighs.]
Their other son is a doctor.
Isn't that funny? I knew I couldn't give my baby to complete strangers, but Gary's parents will take the child.
I thought about what you said, and the baby will grow up without any worries.
And then you and I will be okay, right? We'll be okay? âY Mom, um, yeah, we'll be we'll be okay.
Look, why why don't why don't I-I go down with you and I-I could pay off your taxi? - No.
- âAnd then you you you can miss your - your computer class just for tonight.
- âNo, no.
Okay, well, then why why don't I drive you? Can I Can I drive you? I'm taking care of myself these days, so I can manage.
I just wanted to thank you for helping me make the right decision.
And just don't ever forget that I love you, okay? - Mom, I-I-I love you, too.
- Okay.
[Sniffles.]
Okay, I have to I have to run.
Okay, I love you.
Have a good dinner.
Marcus: What on Earth did you say to that woman to make her give me up like that? Claire Branson's a bitch and a terrible bloody barrister.
Talked to my jury like they were a bunch of 5-year-olds! They convicted her, not me.
Listen, Mr.
Kemp, I'm not going to offer you a deal of any kind.
Then I want a lawyer, and not Claire bloody Branson, either.
You don't want a lawyer, because then you'll have no choices.
Choices? What choices have I got? You can go to court here in the United States on a charge of first-degree murder with special circumstances, which is a death-penalty case.
Shit.
âTao: And you can await your execution at the very posh correctional facility at San Quentin.
Sharon: Or, Mr.
Kemp, you can tell us the truth.
You can agree to testify against Claire Branson in court, and we will return you to the U.
K.
for trial.
You can serve out your sentence in England with a much better chance at parole.
Tao: But first you have to revoke your rights, write out your confession, or we arrest you and let the DNA evidence do the rest.
Oi.
This is what it's come to, eh? Deciding which prison I die in? Okay.
Fine.
The bitch paid me to kill her husband, and that's that.
Why would Claire Branson kill her husband? What was her motive? Claire did everything for Robert when he was sick nursed him, âkept his business together.
Even changed his bedding, if you know what I mean.
And then when he gets well, he dumps her.
- Why? - I don't know, really.
I guess he was dying for so long that he wanted to live it up a little, stop sleeping with the same bird every night.
Well, if he's leaving his wife, why would he take her on a second honeymoon? [Scoffs.]
That was Claire giving the bastard one last chance to do the right thing.
She told Robert that he owed it to her to, uh, rekindle the flames or whatever.
And if he still felt the same after they relived their honeymoon along the California coast, she'd let him go with no trouble at all.
And she did.
So you were always gonna kill him.
No.
No.
She could have called me at any time and said, "Forget about it, Kemp.
We're back together.
" But I never heard from her.
So when they got to Venice, which Claire had read was suffering a little crime spree, I went ahead with it.
My fee was in her purse.
Clever girl, Claire.
Crafty.
Tao: Why come all the way over here? You could have killed Mr.
Branson in Manchester or Chester.
I couldn't get a gun, could I? And besides, Robert had already started cheating on her, and the coppers in Manchester would have tumbled on that sooner or later.
I don't care how mad you are at someone.
Divorce is always better.
As for me and mine, for example, we just found ourselves unsuited and decided to go our separate ways.
After you beat her with a clothes hanger and locked her in the closet for two days.
We call it a wardrobe.
But yeah, we had our differences.
Frankly, I still don't think she should have slept with my brother.
Look, lots of things âcan unhinge a relationship.
Too much sickness, too much health, envy, spite, failure, even success.
[Echoing.]
A little bit of success can bring out the worst in other people.
Peter: "Just a small bit of good fortune really can alter even the best of relationships in ways they can't survive.
" Bit of a philosopher, your hitman.
Well, I have to admit, Captain, this is truly a great exclusive.
Well, you earned it, Peter.
Oh, and thank you all very much for being so open.
- Oh, and, Buzz, isn't it? - Yes.
Fantastic you call yourself that.
Best of luck on your cold case.
Well, thank you I think.
Till the next time, everyone.
Oh, I can just see Ogden's headline now.
"Intrepid London Reporter Solves Major Crime for L.
A.
P.
D.
" [Chuckles.]
âHe did do his part, Lieutenant.
- Oh, here we go.
Go.
- H-Hold on a second, Mike.
Where do you think you're going with that Platinum TV Choice Award? Andy, I think it's about time I bring it home.
No, no, I think it's about time that we all share and celebrate in your success.
- No, I think the time has really passed.
- âNo, no.
Oh, you can't believe we're just gonna ignore something this important? - Such a big deal.
- [Chuckles.]
Thank you.
We all share a lot of dark and horrible things here at work, Mike.
And this is a really good thing.
and you deserve to be proud Liutenant Everybody grab a glass.
Oh my god this smell like, apple sider.
Yes it is.
We are at work here.
To Liutenant Mike.
- To Mike - Liutenant Mike.
- And to Badge of Justice.
- Here, here.
- Oh my god - How many seasons is it now? [All chater.]
Every wants a piece of this really delicious cake?