The Closer s07e11 Episode Script
Necessary Evil
[ Siren chirps .]
[ Wailing continues .]
[ Police radio chatter .]
[ Woman crying .]
Captain Sharon Raydor.
Good evening, officer.
I need to know what time this log was started and the name of the first supervisor on the scene.
That would be me.
Lieutenant Provenza.
And my arrival time's in the log.
And I got here a minute after he did.
Lieutenant Flynn, that would put you here at 9:43 p.
m.
, half an hour after the crime was reported.
That's well within the required response time.
Oh, it wasn't a criticism, Lieutenant.
Just keep your eye on the ball, everyone, and ignore me like you usually do.
Uh, Detective Gabriel, it says you made the coroner's first call, but it doesn't have a time in the log.
Uh, it was around 9:50.
I told them to respond.
- Kendall's with the victim right now.
- Okay.
Excellent job, everyone, by the way, of blocking the crime scene from the public.
Very nicely done.
Does, uh, anyone want to tell me when S.
I.
D.
was notified? Tao: Same time as the coroner.
Arrived at 10:17 p.
m.
They're currently working on bullet trajectories.
Oh, I usually fill out the log after I've entered my -- Lieutenant Tao, the log is supposed to be filled out concurrent with the actions taken.
And while this federal lawsuit is proceeding through the courts, we must be compliant with regulations -- period.
Sorry.
Detective Sanchez.
Any public-safety issues? We haven't found the murder weapon yet.
Patrol's looking for it.
And our suspect could still be in the immediate area -- I can't say.
Have you put out a citywide information broadcast? nothing's come back yet.
Has anyone notified Deputy Chief Johnson? They have.
Oh.
I'm so sorry, Captain.
Have you been looking for me? Chief Johnson, you didn't sign into the log when you arrived.
I didn't? Uh, Lieutenant, when did I arrive? From Atlanta or tonight? Man: Ready? [ Grunts .]
Uh, she came with Gabriel.
I'm so sorry.
Captain, that is the very last time I'll forget to sign in.
It's okay.
I've got it.
You know what? Uh, why don't we get as many of your questions answered as we can right now? Okay.
I'm going to assume, as usual, you are the incident commander.
Do you have an I.
D.
On the victim? Uh, Kendall, do we have an I.
D.
on the victim? Uh, driver's license says Mr.
Jon Milton Reed.
School I.
D.
says he's the principal at Polk High.
It's not far from here.
Yeah, I assumed as much from what his wife told us.
Two gunshot wounds in the chest.
The marks on the face are bruises from the airbags.
Thank you, Kendall.
Was that the wife outside -- Mrs.
Reed? Uh, what time was she notified of her husband's death? Uh, actually, she notified us.
Okay.
Mm.
[ Woman crying .]
Mrs.
Reed says that her husband stayed late at the school tonight to meet with parents.
The victim called her when he was on his way home.
Told her to hold on for a second, that he had to deal with someone.
The next thing she heard was gunshots and her husband screaming.
So Mrs.
Reed was the one that called 911? Yes, ma'am.
She, uh, gave the officers the exact route her husband took home every night.
They found him Okay.
Uh, please check Mr.
and Mrs.
Reed's phone records.
Make sure the calls between them actually happened before she dialed 911.
- You got it, Chief.
- Thank you.
And, uh, RACR Division's been notified? Yes.
Yes, they have.
Uh, Chief.
S.
I.
D.
pulled a round out of the trunk.
Looks like our murder weapon's a 9mm semiautomatic.
You know a semiautomatic weapon was used just by looking at a single bullet? Well, Captain, a revolver has six rounds in it.
And adding up the bullet holes in the car and the two in the victim, we make seven, which means the murder weapon had a clip.
I wasn't asking for a lesson in elementary ballistics, Lieutenant.
I simply want to know if you are assuming a single shooter.
Is that what you're doing? Well, um, yeah.
Okay.
Where are the casings? We haven't had time to look for them yet.
We assumed that, once Mr.
Reed was shot, he drove away as fast as he could.
Unfortunately, we don't know how far our victim traveled before he passed out from blood loss, which caused him to crash into our pole here.
Yeah, thanks.
It's got everything right here.
Oh, according to RACR Division, Chief -- I thought you told me you'd already notified RACR.
We have a very special relationship with them, Captain.
Sometimes they call back.
Go on, Lieutenant.
According to RACR, there was another car-involved shooting about two weeks ago.
The driver escaped without injury.
But get this -- the gun involved was a 9mm semiautomatic, and the car involved was a dark-gray BMW 740iL.
- Just like this one.
- Mm.
And the shooting took place around here? Two blocks north of here at the corner of Boyce and Forbes.
Okay.
Uh, Lieutenant Provenza, while we go look for the casings, would you hold down the crime scene? - Thank you.
- Yes, ma'am.
And I'll make doubly sure that all of our log entries are properly made.
Tao: See, okay.
Maybe around here.
The driver of the last vehicle said the shooter ran out of a driveway and opened fire in this area.
Brenda: Was there a description of the assailant? Uh, negative.
[ Siren wails in distance .]
Gabriel: Hey, Chief.
Found a casing.
Buzz: Two more over here.
I've got four here, Chief.
All right.
Detective Sanchez, before Captain Raydor has a chance to ask about it I'll make sure the casings get entered in tonight.
Thank you very much.
Wow.
This is interesting.
What? There's information wanted on a shooting at the corner of Boyce Road and Forbes Avenue.
Contact the Los Angeles FBI office.
What?! Why is the FBI involved? Fritz: Eight shots were fired at a TSA Agent as he was driving home from work one night about two weeks ago.
That's why we're involved.
Oh.
You mean why you were involved.
Excuse me, Special Agent Howard.
Did you find the casings from the attack on the TSA Agent? Yes.
What do you mean "were involved"? Well, I'm the one with the victim.
And were the casings entered in NIBIN? Yes, Captain.
And by the way, I don't work for you.
So, Chief, we should compare the casings.
Detective Sanchez already entered our casings into NIBIN.
This is not your case, Brenda.
This is ours.
Since when does the FBI care about high-school principals? A TSA Agent was fired upon! Driving the same type of car as my victim.
So, unless you think that the killer just really, really hates German cars, then your TSA Agent was mistaken for my principal.
Or your principal was mistaken for my TSA Agent.
Well, now you're just being silly.
Chief.
Gabriel's ready.
Thank you, Lieutenant.
[ Door closes .]
Well, I'm not leaving.
Well, you can stay here as long as you like, but it's still my murder.
And if you don't go home soon and get some rest, you're gonna end up with a very bad case of the grumpy-uglies.
Raydor: Chief Johnson Mrs.
Reed should be meeting with a grief counselor, not Detective Gabriel.
We're all grief counselors here, Captain.
Besides, there's no better time to interview the wife than when she's feeling this vulnerable.
If she's a suspect, then we need to Mirand-- No, she is a person of interest, so we don't need to Mirandize her.
Look, Captain, this is the second time somebody shot at a silver BMW on that corner.
And the killer's running around the streets of L.
A.
with a semiautomatic weapon.
My first responsibility is to take him or her off the street.
[ Sets down binder .]
What is it? [ Sighs .]
Asking all these questions at every one of your crime scenes for the past two months, I am feeling less like a Captain and more like a hall monitor every day.
I understand the importance of the federal lawsuit we are facing, but I am not convinced that my constant presence in your division is necessary.
And there is something else -- there is something else that I've been meaning to tell you.
- Excuse me.
Chief, we're on.
Oh.
Just one second.
Mrs.
Reed I don't need a grief counselor.
I want to know who killed Jon.
The L.
A.
P.
D.
is trying to find that out, ma'am, but this process, this investigation, will be horribly stressful for you.
And that's why I'm here.
I'm here to help you.
And I realize talking about what happened won't take away the pain that you're feeling right now.
But it's my hope that it might help you to process it, okay? Now, as hard as this may be, one of the best ways to begin is to start with a recent conversation, like maybe the one you had with your husband this morning before work.
Can you think of any issues, concerns, or regrets, or maybe something you wish you had said? [ Voice breaking .]
I would say, "please, "I want you to quit this new school and go back to the one where we'dbeen so happy.
" Why didn't I say that to him? Why? Okay, so your husband recently changed jobs? He was always changing jobs, straightening out schools.
And this new one -- Polk -- I mean, he had had some tough assignments, but Polk was horrible.
His first day there, someone keyed our car, probably a faculty member.
And there were threats, too -- lots of threats.
Did you report any of these threats to the L.
A.
P.
D.
? Oh, God.
Jon wouldn't.
He thought recording everything would keep him safe.
Wait.
Recording everything? He, uh, made voice memos of his meetings with those dangerous students and crazy teachers and angry parents with his phone, [ crying .]
the phone that we were talking on when [sobs.]
Mrs.
Reed, I'm very, very sorry about your loss.
Okay? We're gonna do everything we can to help.
I think that's all we're gonna get out of her tonight.
At least we have a place to start.
I'd like to hear those voice memos.
So would I, but Mr.
Reed's phone is password-protected.
Maybe the wife can pull it together long enough to give us the code.
I'm so sorry, Captain.
You were saying? [ Crying continues .]
According to their logs, it looks like you have Major Crimes doing everything to the letter.
But, if I may be frank, sir, continuing to audit every investigation Chief Johnson undertakes is an embarrassment to everyone involved.
It's an insult to her, demeaning to my rank -- not to mention a waste of money.
Captain, we're trying to avoid adding more plaintiffs to this federal lawsuit against us that could end up costing the city and this department like $50 million.
So, believe me -- your efforts here are not a waste of money.
Taylor: If I may, sir.
Uh, Captain, you're not just auditing Major Crimes -- you're supposed to be finding the leak in their division.
We have to cut off Goldman's source of inside information.
Since Chief Johnson doesn't seem to be taking this very seriously, I'm counting on you to fix that for us.
I've had a job offer.
Director of internal threats and corporate security at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
You're quitting? I'm eligible to collect my Captain's pension, and I feel like it's time to work someplace where people might be glad to see me.
Captain, do not feel that you are unappreciated.
I walk into a room -- it goes silent.
I can't say hello to anyone outside the professional standards bureau without provoking a defensive response.
Between that and a few things in my personal life, I feel that it's time for me to go.
Captain, you cannot retire right now.
No one else is nearly as familiar with this federal case against us.
And, with all due respect to your issues, Major Crimes is run by a Deputy Chief and three lieutenants.
Replacing you with a lower-ranking officer -- I-it's not even possible.
I have no one else for this job.
I can't do it anymore.
I'm sorry, sir.
All right.
When the promotions freeze is over, I will make you a commander.
Wow.
That's quite an offer, Captain.
Thank you, Chief.
But I feel I've had enough.
Will you at least give me a few weeks before you make this decision? And until your notice is final, I ask that you treat this issue of a potential leak like the crisis it's become.
Woman: 911.
What is your emergency? My husband's been shot! Somebody shot my husband! Stay with me, ma'am.
Do you know where your husband is? I-I think -- I don't think he reached the freeway yet, so -- so he would be somewhere on Boyce Road.
You need to get someone there now.
Hurry.
I have units responding.
I-I heard shots! Okay, thank you, Buzz.
I've heard enough.
Well, it's hard to be on a land line at home while shooting your husband at an intersection across town.
That doesn't mean she couldn't have hired somebody to do it.
Yeah, well, their financials don't show anything goofy.
Not only does she not have the cash for a hit -- she doesn't have the heart.
It could still be a case of mistaken identity.
Brenda: It is.
The FBI mistakenly identified this as a federal crime.
Chief! We have very good news.
Mrs.
Reed remembered the passcode on her husband's cell? No.
I-in fact, after a few failed attempts, we were locked out of the phone, so we can't use it to access any voice memos.
And this is good news how? The victim synched his phone to his computer at work, sir.
I have all the voice memos right here.
And the last two recordings he made before being shot to death are pretty interesting.
And herewe go.
Indistinct shouting .]
Please, please, please.
Please, everyone.
Please.
I understand that everyone has their personal concerns.
And I promise to stand here and explain everything until each one of you understands what we're doing at this school and why.
Ma'am? Ma'am.
My name is Gina Tompkins, and my son Dennis has played first-string football since his sophomore year.
[ Crowd murmurs .]
Now, Coach Carr told me that Dennis has a real scholarship opportunity here.
Now, if you discontinue the team, then how are we gonna Hold on.
Hold on.
Please, hold on.
Hold on.
Let me say this again.
I'm not discontinuing football or any other sport.
I'm only changing the eligibility rules, so that kids who need extra time in the classroom don't lose it on the field.
Whoa, whoa.
Changing eligibility how? That's a good -- that's a good question.
To play football or to participate in any extracurricular activity here at Polk, students will have to maintain a "C" grade average.
[ Crowd murmuring .]
Now, this isn't my only -- please, listen to me.
Listen to -- wait.
Listen to me.
Schools do not remain open based on the ranking of their football teams.
The only score that matters is what they make on that standardized test.
And if your kids -- if your kids do as badly on that test as they did last year, there won't be a football team anymore because this school will close.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Please.
What does Coach Carr have to say about this? Crowd members: Yeah! [ Scattered applause .]
This isn't a Coach Carr issue.
Please.
[ Applause continues .]
This is Coach Carr: Okay, listen.
I don't believe that maintaining a decent GPA is out of reach for any student in this school.
Now, it may mean that we have to work a little harder, but we're not strangers to that, right? Crowd members: Right! Thank you, Coach Carr.
[ Clears throat .]
Now, the issue of scholastic approvals -- You're the issue here, Reed! [ Scattered cheers .]
Class isn't just about books.
My boy needs to learn what it means to win.
He needs to feel that.
'Cause there's not a lot of winning around here -- you understand? Listen, I do understand that.
Okay.
Turn it off.
Thank you.
Went from having no suspects to having a whole roomful.
Tao: Not necessarily.
after this conference, Principal Reed had another meeting.
Reed: Now is not a good time, Rich.
Coach Carr: Never a good time, is it? W-who's Rich? Uh, Richard Carr, the football coach from the first recording.
This plan to get rid of me isn't going over so well.
You're not being fired.
You're being transferred.
Right, right.
To -- to what did you call it -- a school with fewer problems? And by "problems," you mean the children who need me the most.
No.
[ File drawer slams .]
I mean kids who are dragging down everyone else who wants to excel, the kids who don't want to be here, who happen to be the very kids you're begging to stay.
Since when was it our job to shove these boys and girls out of class? Since funding became attached to test scores.
You've got to stop acting like it's 1990.
Listen to me, Jon.
Okay, listen.
L-- just listen.
I know that you are hyper-focused on the issue of grades.
[ Sighs .]
But if you put the kids on the street in this neighborhood, they end up in jail or worse! It's not just about dropping out of school -- it's a possible death sentence! Then imagine the whole school being shut down, because that's what's going to happen if I can't get our scores up.
Look, face it.
You don't have the guts to make the hard decisions here, and you have to go.
Wh-- hey! You want to talk to me about guts?! You?! You think you're a hero because you're willing to put it all on the line for a few individuals? I'm trying to save the whole school, and you're an impediment to that -- you just are! And you're leaving! I'll fight to stay.
Take your best shot, Rich, because I promise you, I'll take mine.
What's that supposed to mean? This close -- I'm this close to phoning the district about what's going on at your house.
If you'll excuse me.
You son of a bitch! Take the transfer and be thankful.
I won these trophies And you don't even deserve to look at them.
Now we're all caught up, Coach Carr.
Want to explain yourself? He recorded our conversations, I mean, is that even legal? I wouldn't worry about that right now.
I can't arrest Mr.
Reed anymore.
But he did bring up several points that I think we should talk about.
Points? [ Chuckles .]
No, he had no points.
Do you know what it's like to have someone standing over your shoulder day and night, looking for that one thing that could get you fired? A little, yes.
Well, that's what Reed does -- did.
He wanted to get rid of teachers like me.
Teachers like you? Yeah.
See, I personally call several students every morning just to get them out of bed because their parents couldn't care less.
And of course, these kids -- they've got troubles, but putting them on the street won't help them! It will, however, drive up test scores, which is all that Reed cared about.
So you wanted to stop him.
Yeah -- but not by killing him.
Come on.
You sounded pretty mad.
[ Chuckling .]
Oh, wow.
You -- you are a great detective, aren't you? I mean, you could tell that I was mad? Well, congratulations.
Of course I was mad! I've taught at that school for nearly 30 years! It's my life's work, and what did I get for it? Flynn: Here's your warrant.
Okay, remember, we're only going through Coach Carr's house looking for trophies.
Stolen trophies.
L.
A.
P.
D.
! Search warrant! Raydor: Please, Buzz, document everything before you start tearing up the house! Okay.
Okay, Gabriel, take the right.
Flynn, take that room there on the left.
Uh, Tao, Sanchez, you guys, uh, check outside the back.
Okay, now, remember, guys, you can put a -- a gun anyplace you could put a trophy, so if you come across the weapon, it's legal to grab it.
Gabriel: Hey, Lieutenant, check this out.
Doesn't Coach Carr live alone? Provenza: Yeah.
Yeah, he does.
There's another bedroom here, too.
There's one over here, as well.
Looks pretty lived-in.
[ Man grunts .]
Did you guys hear that? [ Rattling .]
[ Hip-hop music plays faintly .]
Over here.
Over here! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! What's going on? [ Music stops .]
You guys okay? Why? What happened? W-where's coach? Coach is fine.
Is he making you stay here? No one's making us do anything.
What you want -- busting in here like this? Do your parents know where the hell you are? Y'all got a warrant? Guys, don't talk to them about anything with coach, all right? -- Without a lawyer.
We need to call DCFS.
These boys need a physical exam by a doctor, pronto.
Gabriel, call Taylor.
Tell him to let chief know what we got happening here.
Flynn, keep your eyes on these kids.
We're gonna go out here and keep looking for what we came here to find.
Trophies -- trophies, Lieutenant.
Yes, fully loaded trophies.
Yeah.
You're never gonna guess what's going on in Coach Carr's house right now.
These kids are not his own, they're not related to him, and they're not just hanging out at his house, Chief.
They're living there, each with his own bed.
I can't decide if this guy's a killer, a monster of some kind, or just overly committed to his job.
Why can't he be all three? I'm just saying, Chief, one of the ways a serial offender manages to avoid detection is by being attractive to his victims.
Coach Carr seems to be providing these boys with the necessities of life.
And when a kid thinks his survival depends on someone [ Chuckles .]
Have they found the murder weapon? Not yet.
[ Scoffs .]
I need it.
Okay.
Well, they're searching the suspect's home, but Captain Raydor -- she has to be extra careful about how she goes about doing that, because if there's a leak in your division -- But there's no leak.
Yeah, yeah.
So you keep saying.
Look, I don't want to put Captain Raydor on the spot.
I know she's protecting my flank.
ButI need to take this guy to a dark place, and I don't want to go there without a gun.
I get it, Chief.
I get it.
Thank you, officer.
This is what I get because I've put the kids first? Above everything else, I put them first.
And Reed put himself first and his career.
You put the kids first? Always.
Did you also put them in your house? My house? My detectives just found three underage boys living at your house, half naked.
Principal Reed knew about them, didn't he? That's what he threatened to tell the school district last night, when you two argued.
All right, now, listen.
F-first, okay, you need to -- you need to get those detectives out of my house right now, and then -- I'll tell you what I need to do! I need to question those boys and find out if the care you gave them extended to some kind of physical relationship.
Look, look, listen, you have no right to make accusations like that! - I have every right, sir! Unless you can produce documents showing me that you are the legal guardian of those boys I mean, my God, to say something like that out loud This has gone too far, okay? Give me those documents, sir, and then -- - This has gone too far! - When I talk to those parents -- Their parents?! You want to talk to their parents?! Do you have permission?! Permission?! Are you serious?! No, I don't have permission, okay? I haven't exactly followed the rules here, but do you know where these boys were living before they came to stay with me? One of them was homeless, sleeping in our locker room for two weeks.
One was beaten so badly by his drunk of a stepfather, I had to take him to the hospital.
So you prey on throwaway kids -- is that right? Okay.
Five years ago, the single mom of one of my students went to jail for dealing drugs.
And I did nothing for the boy.
Two days later, he was shot to death -- murder, unsolved.
And who took responsibility for that -- you? Put me in front of a jury.
I would love nothing better than to publicize what's going on with these children.
Because you know what you're gonna find? Gabriel: Nothing.
This place is clean.
We've searched every room in this house, top to bottom.
There is no firearm here.
Trophy.
Gentlemen, we are looking for stolen trophies.
Finding a gun would be incidental.
Lieutenant, if you stole a trophy, would you maybe bury it in your backyard? Someone's planted shrubs.
Maybe they buried a trophy, too.
Ah.
Well, Captain, is it procedure? Well, who am I to say what someone would do with a stolen trophy, but if I were gonna look for one in a backyard, I'd use a metal detector.
Excuse me.
[ Clicking softly .]
Raydor: Remember, concentrate on stretches of ground large enough to cover a trophy-sized object.
Hey, hey.
There's a little something down here at the end of this runner.
That's too small for a trophy, which is what we're looking for.
And if we find something else, then we call it a happy accident.
Ah.
So [ Clears throat .]
Apropos of nothing really, when can Major Crimes start planning your retirement party? I want to bring the balloon animals myself.
Who told you I was retiring, Lieutenant? Well, you said it in front of Taylor, didn't you? [ Beeping .]
We found something.
Really, Buzz? [ Chuckles .]
We'll make a detective out of you yet.
Give it a go, Julio.
First, you threaten your boss, who ends up murdered.
Then we find three half-naked underage boys living in your house.
And here is the murder weapon, found buried in your backyard, the one used to kill Principal Reed.
So you have motive, the means, and the opportunity.
Now, Mr.
Carr, I would be lying if I said anything other than "you have the right to remain silent.
"Anything you say can and will be used against you "in a court of law.
"You have the right to an attorney.
"If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you by the state.
" NowI want you to think really, really hard about everything you've told me.
Does it make you sound innocent? Because if it doesn't, would you like to start over? Because I think we both know what's going on here, don't we? As hard as it is to say, don't we both know what's going on? I want a lawyer.
Uh, okay.
All right, thanks.
Thank you.
Hey, good morning.
[ Sighs .]
Is everything all right? Yeah.
Well, the three boys living with Coach Carr had their physical examinations this morning and met with a counselor.
There was no sign of abuse, sexual or otherwise.
Well, that's a relief, isn't it? Yes, yes.
Of course.
But now Coach Carr's only motive would seem to be avoiding a job transfer, and he has enough time in to retire with his whole pension if he wanted.
Kind of like Raydor, huh? Like Raydor how? What -- didn't she tell you? Tell me what? [ Chuckles .]
Well, apparently, Raydor thinks she should retire.
[ Cup thumps .]
She hates checking up on you all the time, feels she's not wanted, and supposedly has a great job offer.
Oh.
What? I thought you'd be happy to have her out of your hair.
Yeah, but she hasn't found the leak yet.
You don't believe there is a leak.
That doesn't mean I'mright.
Amazing.
One thing you were right about, though -- even though the gun you found in your suspect's backyard matches up with the casings in both our cases, there's no good reason Coach Carr would want my TSA Agent dead.
So, as far as the FBI is concerned, this case belongs to you.
Well, thank you.
That's great.
One last question -- have you come across anyone in your investigation by the name of Terrence Miller? No.
Why? Hmm.
Because the gun you found in Carr's backyard is registered in his name.
Uh, do you have any idea where this Terrence Miller might be? [ Door opens .]
He's in interview 1 with Gabriel.
Miller did five years for robbing a liquor store with the same gun used to kill Principal Reed.
The gun was never recovered, but he pled guilty -- served all of his time, so he's probably a hard-ass.
Do we know his whereabouts during the time of the murder? Working.
Guy's a valet for a restaurant downtown.
His supervisor vouches for him.
Any connection to Coach Carr? Couldn't find any.
Also, he lives completely on the other side of L.
A.
So it's not likely he was gonna run into them at a block party.
We've cross-referenced every database we can think of to see how else Miller and Reed could have met -- traffic accidents, crime reports, Facebook -- nothing.
All right, then, we'll just see what he has to say about his gun.
[ Door opens .]
Chief Johnson, I've just heard that the three boys from coach Carr's house are still here.
That's correct.
Technically, we're required to release them to their parents.
Well, so far, we've only been able to find one of the mothers, and she says she's too busy to come down here until tomorrow morning.
You want me to let these boys go? What if they get lost or hurt or involved in a crime? Goldman can end up recruiting their parents for that federal lawsuit of his.
Or don't you care about that anymore? Where are the boys right now, Chief? In the break room.
I figured, since we couldn't release them, we might as well feed them.
Let me see if I can get the boys to help us locate their relatives.
Pardon me.
Why didn't you tell me she was retiring? Because I'm talking her out of it.
If you could say something encouraging, that would be extremely helpful -- unless you'd like me to replace her with someone worse.
[ Sighs .]
[ Door opens .]
I know you hadn't planned on being here this morning, and we appreciate you joining us, helping us solve our little problem.
I already told the old guy I didn't do nothing.
I've been clean.
I've been staying out of trouble.
Relax, Flynn.
You're much, much younger than you look.
Does this look familiar to you, sir? I ain't never seen that gun.
I find that hard to believe.
The gun is registered in your name, and the casings match those left behind at a robbery you pulled.
ManYou guys, always jerking people around.
Where you got that gun -- I don't know, and I don't care.
I done my time for that robbery.
You can't play me a double jeopardy.
This your weapon, correct? I ain't seen it since before I want to the joint -- ditched it before I was arrested -- where did you ditch it? I was staying with some bitch and her kids, before I went to jail.
I hid the gun at her place, man.
What was her name, and where did she live? Come on, man.
I don't know.
You don't know the name of the woman you were living with when you were arrested? We weren't married! She was, like, someone I hooked up with for a bit, a stripper.
Had like six names she went by.
Did she live at six different places, too? I don't know.
Look, I haven't seen her in years.
What do you care about where she lived? - Answer the question.
- What? I said, answer the question! This gun was used in a murder two nights ago.
A man was killed with this weapon.
Now, you will tell me where your ex-girlfriend lived and what her name is, or I'm going to arrest you for murder.
I have an alibi -- my boss.
Who do you think the jury's gonna believe -- your boss or me? I don't remember where the bitch lived! I didn't even remember her name no more, I swear! [ Sighs .]
She only ever wanted me for a babysitter, anyway.
She was using me, man.
You got to believe me.
Please, I need this job.
I can't lose this job! Please.
All right, then.
Come with me, this way.
You're arresting me? Depends whether or not you help me.
Get up! This way.
Come on, guys.
Let's, uh, wander down to the break room, huh? And just so we can be sure that we've done everything to contact your family members, could each of you write down the names of all your living grandparents? Hey.
Sorry it took me so long to get down here.
Uh Good to see you again.
Supposed topick you up.
I thought you was in jail.
Lewis Would you come with me, please? I need to talk to you.
Lewis! [ Woman screams .]
Gabriel: Hey! Lewis! Lewis, you're in a police station.
Running is not gonna do you or Coach Carr a lick of good.
Hey, don't talk about Coach Carr.
You don't know nothing about Coach.
I know a man who argued with him ended up shot to death.
I know that the murder weapon was found in your coach's backyard.
That's enough to put him away for murder.
Is that what you want us to do -- you want to us to put your coach away for murder? He was trying to help you, wasn't he, Lewis? He was looking out for you.
Till Principal Reed came along.
He's the guy that ruined everything.
Not me -- I had no choice.
No choice but what? Where was I supposed to go? Where will anyone go when Coach Carr is gone? Coach won't be gone.
Oh, yes, he will be, Lewis.
I'm arresting him for murdering Principal Reed Unless you can tell me who else might have done it.
Was it you, Lewis? Did you hold onto the gun that Mr.
Miller left at your mother's house and give it to Coach Carr so that he could murder Principal Reed? No! No! Coach didn't do it.
I shot the bastard.
Not sure I believe that.
I just told you I did it.
What you mean? Flynn: This murder took planning, kid.
I can plan, sir.
I figured out how Principal Reed went home from school every night, didn't I? I figured out where to wait for him.
You almost shot the wrong guy.
Almost don't count, lady.
And I didn't give up.
I kept my eye -- my eye right there on the ball.
I made sure Mr.
Reed knew me real good.
I was always smiling at him in the halls, going up to him, calling him, "sir.
" Yeah, I called him "sir" a lot.
So, like, when I walked up to his car at the stop sign, he knew me.
He rolled down the window.
And I let him have it.
Pow, pow, pow, pow, pow! Pow.
Yeah.
And now you know what happened.
And I ain't sorry about it.
[ Scoffs .]
No, I ain't sorry about none of it.
And you guys -- you guys can't even do nothing to me.
I'm a minor.
I'm only 15.
We'll see if the D.
A.
has something to say about your being tried as an adult.
Detective Sanchez, would you see to it that Lewis gets to booking, please? I took a hit for my team, you know? Sometimes you got to do that, even if you get pulled from the game.
That's all I did.
Took a hit for my team -- my team.
I saved 'em.
Taylor: You may feel bad about Coach Carr, but you had no choice.
He lawyered up.
I know.
He was trying to protect the boys living in his house.
Yeah.
Hard to know what else you could have done.
Coach Carr, I just -- I just want to, um, say I'm sorry for anymisunderstandings that might have occurred during this investigation.
Well, it's, uh, Lewis you should feel sorry for.
Not me.
He's a good kid -- he's smart Never had a proper chance, and now he never will.
Lots of people lack proper chances, Coach.
Lots and lots of people.
And very few of them decide that murder's the next best thing.
Wow.
[ Chuckles .]
Wow, you guys seem really well-informed about the kind of world that my students live in.
Hey.
Those other kids at my house -- did their parents ever show up, or are you gonna be turning those boys over to the Department of Children's Services? Well, it doesn't matter either way.
They'll be on the street again soon enough, which means they'll end up joining Lewis in jail or Reed in the morgue.
You think that's right? Now, you don't have to answer.
I know.
I mean, I'm a criminal, too, aren't I? [ Scoffing .]
Giving abandoned juveniles a place to live without the proper paperwork.
Trying to save some of these children we're not leaving behind.
But it turns out that's your job, isn't it? You and the undertakers.
As good as Coach Carr's intentions are, his actions were illegal.
Or you could say that the challenges he faced at work forced him to look for unorthodox solutions.
And now, for going above and beyond the call of duty, he'll probably lose his job.
Or maybe it's time for him to move on.
I don't know.
He seemed to be doing important work even if it wasn't fully appreciated by his boss and fellow teachers.
There's something about that I findadmirable.
Me too.
Mm.
[ Door closes .]
Sharon Raydor What an unpleasant surprise.
I'm getting real used to seeing your car parked in front of someplace I need to be.
I was just warming up Coach Carr for you.
I can't decide which of us has the worse gig here -- you or me.
Well, that depends, I guess, on what one wants from life.
I gather you want a little more than you have right now.
Am I right? What's that supposed to mean? Just I hear you're giving up the badge and moving on.
Really? And why not? You've earned your pension, retirement doesn't mean an end to work, and you've got a great job offer to go along with it.
What could be better? And where did you hear that? Ahlittle birdie told me.
No, really, Mr.
Goldman, seriously, from whom did you hear that I had a job offer and that I was retiring? Why? Because I have no intention of retiring.
A new job offer was the last thing on my mind.
The only thing I'm trying to do is prove that there really is a leak in the L.
A.
P.
D.
And that you are getting your information quicker than some of the officers.
Maybe I'll have to get a warrant to find out who the little birdie is.
A warrant against the attorney who's suing you? Good luck with that.
[ Engine turns over .]
[ Chuckles .]
[ Wailing continues .]
[ Police radio chatter .]
[ Woman crying .]
Captain Sharon Raydor.
Good evening, officer.
I need to know what time this log was started and the name of the first supervisor on the scene.
That would be me.
Lieutenant Provenza.
And my arrival time's in the log.
And I got here a minute after he did.
Lieutenant Flynn, that would put you here at 9:43 p.
m.
, half an hour after the crime was reported.
That's well within the required response time.
Oh, it wasn't a criticism, Lieutenant.
Just keep your eye on the ball, everyone, and ignore me like you usually do.
Uh, Detective Gabriel, it says you made the coroner's first call, but it doesn't have a time in the log.
Uh, it was around 9:50.
I told them to respond.
- Kendall's with the victim right now.
- Okay.
Excellent job, everyone, by the way, of blocking the crime scene from the public.
Very nicely done.
Does, uh, anyone want to tell me when S.
I.
D.
was notified? Tao: Same time as the coroner.
Arrived at 10:17 p.
m.
They're currently working on bullet trajectories.
Oh, I usually fill out the log after I've entered my -- Lieutenant Tao, the log is supposed to be filled out concurrent with the actions taken.
And while this federal lawsuit is proceeding through the courts, we must be compliant with regulations -- period.
Sorry.
Detective Sanchez.
Any public-safety issues? We haven't found the murder weapon yet.
Patrol's looking for it.
And our suspect could still be in the immediate area -- I can't say.
Have you put out a citywide information broadcast? nothing's come back yet.
Has anyone notified Deputy Chief Johnson? They have.
Oh.
I'm so sorry, Captain.
Have you been looking for me? Chief Johnson, you didn't sign into the log when you arrived.
I didn't? Uh, Lieutenant, when did I arrive? From Atlanta or tonight? Man: Ready? [ Grunts .]
Uh, she came with Gabriel.
I'm so sorry.
Captain, that is the very last time I'll forget to sign in.
It's okay.
I've got it.
You know what? Uh, why don't we get as many of your questions answered as we can right now? Okay.
I'm going to assume, as usual, you are the incident commander.
Do you have an I.
D.
On the victim? Uh, Kendall, do we have an I.
D.
on the victim? Uh, driver's license says Mr.
Jon Milton Reed.
School I.
D.
says he's the principal at Polk High.
It's not far from here.
Yeah, I assumed as much from what his wife told us.
Two gunshot wounds in the chest.
The marks on the face are bruises from the airbags.
Thank you, Kendall.
Was that the wife outside -- Mrs.
Reed? Uh, what time was she notified of her husband's death? Uh, actually, she notified us.
Okay.
Mm.
[ Woman crying .]
Mrs.
Reed says that her husband stayed late at the school tonight to meet with parents.
The victim called her when he was on his way home.
Told her to hold on for a second, that he had to deal with someone.
The next thing she heard was gunshots and her husband screaming.
So Mrs.
Reed was the one that called 911? Yes, ma'am.
She, uh, gave the officers the exact route her husband took home every night.
They found him Okay.
Uh, please check Mr.
and Mrs.
Reed's phone records.
Make sure the calls between them actually happened before she dialed 911.
- You got it, Chief.
- Thank you.
And, uh, RACR Division's been notified? Yes.
Yes, they have.
Uh, Chief.
S.
I.
D.
pulled a round out of the trunk.
Looks like our murder weapon's a 9mm semiautomatic.
You know a semiautomatic weapon was used just by looking at a single bullet? Well, Captain, a revolver has six rounds in it.
And adding up the bullet holes in the car and the two in the victim, we make seven, which means the murder weapon had a clip.
I wasn't asking for a lesson in elementary ballistics, Lieutenant.
I simply want to know if you are assuming a single shooter.
Is that what you're doing? Well, um, yeah.
Okay.
Where are the casings? We haven't had time to look for them yet.
We assumed that, once Mr.
Reed was shot, he drove away as fast as he could.
Unfortunately, we don't know how far our victim traveled before he passed out from blood loss, which caused him to crash into our pole here.
Yeah, thanks.
It's got everything right here.
Oh, according to RACR Division, Chief -- I thought you told me you'd already notified RACR.
We have a very special relationship with them, Captain.
Sometimes they call back.
Go on, Lieutenant.
According to RACR, there was another car-involved shooting about two weeks ago.
The driver escaped without injury.
But get this -- the gun involved was a 9mm semiautomatic, and the car involved was a dark-gray BMW 740iL.
- Just like this one.
- Mm.
And the shooting took place around here? Two blocks north of here at the corner of Boyce and Forbes.
Okay.
Uh, Lieutenant Provenza, while we go look for the casings, would you hold down the crime scene? - Thank you.
- Yes, ma'am.
And I'll make doubly sure that all of our log entries are properly made.
Tao: See, okay.
Maybe around here.
The driver of the last vehicle said the shooter ran out of a driveway and opened fire in this area.
Brenda: Was there a description of the assailant? Uh, negative.
[ Siren wails in distance .]
Gabriel: Hey, Chief.
Found a casing.
Buzz: Two more over here.
I've got four here, Chief.
All right.
Detective Sanchez, before Captain Raydor has a chance to ask about it I'll make sure the casings get entered in tonight.
Thank you very much.
Wow.
This is interesting.
What? There's information wanted on a shooting at the corner of Boyce Road and Forbes Avenue.
Contact the Los Angeles FBI office.
What?! Why is the FBI involved? Fritz: Eight shots were fired at a TSA Agent as he was driving home from work one night about two weeks ago.
That's why we're involved.
Oh.
You mean why you were involved.
Excuse me, Special Agent Howard.
Did you find the casings from the attack on the TSA Agent? Yes.
What do you mean "were involved"? Well, I'm the one with the victim.
And were the casings entered in NIBIN? Yes, Captain.
And by the way, I don't work for you.
So, Chief, we should compare the casings.
Detective Sanchez already entered our casings into NIBIN.
This is not your case, Brenda.
This is ours.
Since when does the FBI care about high-school principals? A TSA Agent was fired upon! Driving the same type of car as my victim.
So, unless you think that the killer just really, really hates German cars, then your TSA Agent was mistaken for my principal.
Or your principal was mistaken for my TSA Agent.
Well, now you're just being silly.
Chief.
Gabriel's ready.
Thank you, Lieutenant.
[ Door closes .]
Well, I'm not leaving.
Well, you can stay here as long as you like, but it's still my murder.
And if you don't go home soon and get some rest, you're gonna end up with a very bad case of the grumpy-uglies.
Raydor: Chief Johnson Mrs.
Reed should be meeting with a grief counselor, not Detective Gabriel.
We're all grief counselors here, Captain.
Besides, there's no better time to interview the wife than when she's feeling this vulnerable.
If she's a suspect, then we need to Mirand-- No, she is a person of interest, so we don't need to Mirandize her.
Look, Captain, this is the second time somebody shot at a silver BMW on that corner.
And the killer's running around the streets of L.
A.
with a semiautomatic weapon.
My first responsibility is to take him or her off the street.
[ Sets down binder .]
What is it? [ Sighs .]
Asking all these questions at every one of your crime scenes for the past two months, I am feeling less like a Captain and more like a hall monitor every day.
I understand the importance of the federal lawsuit we are facing, but I am not convinced that my constant presence in your division is necessary.
And there is something else -- there is something else that I've been meaning to tell you.
- Excuse me.
Chief, we're on.
Oh.
Just one second.
Mrs.
Reed I don't need a grief counselor.
I want to know who killed Jon.
The L.
A.
P.
D.
is trying to find that out, ma'am, but this process, this investigation, will be horribly stressful for you.
And that's why I'm here.
I'm here to help you.
And I realize talking about what happened won't take away the pain that you're feeling right now.
But it's my hope that it might help you to process it, okay? Now, as hard as this may be, one of the best ways to begin is to start with a recent conversation, like maybe the one you had with your husband this morning before work.
Can you think of any issues, concerns, or regrets, or maybe something you wish you had said? [ Voice breaking .]
I would say, "please, "I want you to quit this new school and go back to the one where we'dbeen so happy.
" Why didn't I say that to him? Why? Okay, so your husband recently changed jobs? He was always changing jobs, straightening out schools.
And this new one -- Polk -- I mean, he had had some tough assignments, but Polk was horrible.
His first day there, someone keyed our car, probably a faculty member.
And there were threats, too -- lots of threats.
Did you report any of these threats to the L.
A.
P.
D.
? Oh, God.
Jon wouldn't.
He thought recording everything would keep him safe.
Wait.
Recording everything? He, uh, made voice memos of his meetings with those dangerous students and crazy teachers and angry parents with his phone, [ crying .]
the phone that we were talking on when [sobs.]
Mrs.
Reed, I'm very, very sorry about your loss.
Okay? We're gonna do everything we can to help.
I think that's all we're gonna get out of her tonight.
At least we have a place to start.
I'd like to hear those voice memos.
So would I, but Mr.
Reed's phone is password-protected.
Maybe the wife can pull it together long enough to give us the code.
I'm so sorry, Captain.
You were saying? [ Crying continues .]
According to their logs, it looks like you have Major Crimes doing everything to the letter.
But, if I may be frank, sir, continuing to audit every investigation Chief Johnson undertakes is an embarrassment to everyone involved.
It's an insult to her, demeaning to my rank -- not to mention a waste of money.
Captain, we're trying to avoid adding more plaintiffs to this federal lawsuit against us that could end up costing the city and this department like $50 million.
So, believe me -- your efforts here are not a waste of money.
Taylor: If I may, sir.
Uh, Captain, you're not just auditing Major Crimes -- you're supposed to be finding the leak in their division.
We have to cut off Goldman's source of inside information.
Since Chief Johnson doesn't seem to be taking this very seriously, I'm counting on you to fix that for us.
I've had a job offer.
Director of internal threats and corporate security at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
You're quitting? I'm eligible to collect my Captain's pension, and I feel like it's time to work someplace where people might be glad to see me.
Captain, do not feel that you are unappreciated.
I walk into a room -- it goes silent.
I can't say hello to anyone outside the professional standards bureau without provoking a defensive response.
Between that and a few things in my personal life, I feel that it's time for me to go.
Captain, you cannot retire right now.
No one else is nearly as familiar with this federal case against us.
And, with all due respect to your issues, Major Crimes is run by a Deputy Chief and three lieutenants.
Replacing you with a lower-ranking officer -- I-it's not even possible.
I have no one else for this job.
I can't do it anymore.
I'm sorry, sir.
All right.
When the promotions freeze is over, I will make you a commander.
Wow.
That's quite an offer, Captain.
Thank you, Chief.
But I feel I've had enough.
Will you at least give me a few weeks before you make this decision? And until your notice is final, I ask that you treat this issue of a potential leak like the crisis it's become.
Woman: 911.
What is your emergency? My husband's been shot! Somebody shot my husband! Stay with me, ma'am.
Do you know where your husband is? I-I think -- I don't think he reached the freeway yet, so -- so he would be somewhere on Boyce Road.
You need to get someone there now.
Hurry.
I have units responding.
I-I heard shots! Okay, thank you, Buzz.
I've heard enough.
Well, it's hard to be on a land line at home while shooting your husband at an intersection across town.
That doesn't mean she couldn't have hired somebody to do it.
Yeah, well, their financials don't show anything goofy.
Not only does she not have the cash for a hit -- she doesn't have the heart.
It could still be a case of mistaken identity.
Brenda: It is.
The FBI mistakenly identified this as a federal crime.
Chief! We have very good news.
Mrs.
Reed remembered the passcode on her husband's cell? No.
I-in fact, after a few failed attempts, we were locked out of the phone, so we can't use it to access any voice memos.
And this is good news how? The victim synched his phone to his computer at work, sir.
I have all the voice memos right here.
And the last two recordings he made before being shot to death are pretty interesting.
And herewe go.
Indistinct shouting .]
Please, please, please.
Please, everyone.
Please.
I understand that everyone has their personal concerns.
And I promise to stand here and explain everything until each one of you understands what we're doing at this school and why.
Ma'am? Ma'am.
My name is Gina Tompkins, and my son Dennis has played first-string football since his sophomore year.
[ Crowd murmurs .]
Now, Coach Carr told me that Dennis has a real scholarship opportunity here.
Now, if you discontinue the team, then how are we gonna Hold on.
Hold on.
Please, hold on.
Hold on.
Let me say this again.
I'm not discontinuing football or any other sport.
I'm only changing the eligibility rules, so that kids who need extra time in the classroom don't lose it on the field.
Whoa, whoa.
Changing eligibility how? That's a good -- that's a good question.
To play football or to participate in any extracurricular activity here at Polk, students will have to maintain a "C" grade average.
[ Crowd murmuring .]
Now, this isn't my only -- please, listen to me.
Listen to -- wait.
Listen to me.
Schools do not remain open based on the ranking of their football teams.
The only score that matters is what they make on that standardized test.
And if your kids -- if your kids do as badly on that test as they did last year, there won't be a football team anymore because this school will close.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Please.
What does Coach Carr have to say about this? Crowd members: Yeah! [ Scattered applause .]
This isn't a Coach Carr issue.
Please.
[ Applause continues .]
This is Coach Carr: Okay, listen.
I don't believe that maintaining a decent GPA is out of reach for any student in this school.
Now, it may mean that we have to work a little harder, but we're not strangers to that, right? Crowd members: Right! Thank you, Coach Carr.
[ Clears throat .]
Now, the issue of scholastic approvals -- You're the issue here, Reed! [ Scattered cheers .]
Class isn't just about books.
My boy needs to learn what it means to win.
He needs to feel that.
'Cause there's not a lot of winning around here -- you understand? Listen, I do understand that.
Okay.
Turn it off.
Thank you.
Went from having no suspects to having a whole roomful.
Tao: Not necessarily.
after this conference, Principal Reed had another meeting.
Reed: Now is not a good time, Rich.
Coach Carr: Never a good time, is it? W-who's Rich? Uh, Richard Carr, the football coach from the first recording.
This plan to get rid of me isn't going over so well.
You're not being fired.
You're being transferred.
Right, right.
To -- to what did you call it -- a school with fewer problems? And by "problems," you mean the children who need me the most.
No.
[ File drawer slams .]
I mean kids who are dragging down everyone else who wants to excel, the kids who don't want to be here, who happen to be the very kids you're begging to stay.
Since when was it our job to shove these boys and girls out of class? Since funding became attached to test scores.
You've got to stop acting like it's 1990.
Listen to me, Jon.
Okay, listen.
L-- just listen.
I know that you are hyper-focused on the issue of grades.
[ Sighs .]
But if you put the kids on the street in this neighborhood, they end up in jail or worse! It's not just about dropping out of school -- it's a possible death sentence! Then imagine the whole school being shut down, because that's what's going to happen if I can't get our scores up.
Look, face it.
You don't have the guts to make the hard decisions here, and you have to go.
Wh-- hey! You want to talk to me about guts?! You?! You think you're a hero because you're willing to put it all on the line for a few individuals? I'm trying to save the whole school, and you're an impediment to that -- you just are! And you're leaving! I'll fight to stay.
Take your best shot, Rich, because I promise you, I'll take mine.
What's that supposed to mean? This close -- I'm this close to phoning the district about what's going on at your house.
If you'll excuse me.
You son of a bitch! Take the transfer and be thankful.
I won these trophies And you don't even deserve to look at them.
Now we're all caught up, Coach Carr.
Want to explain yourself? He recorded our conversations, I mean, is that even legal? I wouldn't worry about that right now.
I can't arrest Mr.
Reed anymore.
But he did bring up several points that I think we should talk about.
Points? [ Chuckles .]
No, he had no points.
Do you know what it's like to have someone standing over your shoulder day and night, looking for that one thing that could get you fired? A little, yes.
Well, that's what Reed does -- did.
He wanted to get rid of teachers like me.
Teachers like you? Yeah.
See, I personally call several students every morning just to get them out of bed because their parents couldn't care less.
And of course, these kids -- they've got troubles, but putting them on the street won't help them! It will, however, drive up test scores, which is all that Reed cared about.
So you wanted to stop him.
Yeah -- but not by killing him.
Come on.
You sounded pretty mad.
[ Chuckling .]
Oh, wow.
You -- you are a great detective, aren't you? I mean, you could tell that I was mad? Well, congratulations.
Of course I was mad! I've taught at that school for nearly 30 years! It's my life's work, and what did I get for it? Flynn: Here's your warrant.
Okay, remember, we're only going through Coach Carr's house looking for trophies.
Stolen trophies.
L.
A.
P.
D.
! Search warrant! Raydor: Please, Buzz, document everything before you start tearing up the house! Okay.
Okay, Gabriel, take the right.
Flynn, take that room there on the left.
Uh, Tao, Sanchez, you guys, uh, check outside the back.
Okay, now, remember, guys, you can put a -- a gun anyplace you could put a trophy, so if you come across the weapon, it's legal to grab it.
Gabriel: Hey, Lieutenant, check this out.
Doesn't Coach Carr live alone? Provenza: Yeah.
Yeah, he does.
There's another bedroom here, too.
There's one over here, as well.
Looks pretty lived-in.
[ Man grunts .]
Did you guys hear that? [ Rattling .]
[ Hip-hop music plays faintly .]
Over here.
Over here! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! What's going on? [ Music stops .]
You guys okay? Why? What happened? W-where's coach? Coach is fine.
Is he making you stay here? No one's making us do anything.
What you want -- busting in here like this? Do your parents know where the hell you are? Y'all got a warrant? Guys, don't talk to them about anything with coach, all right? -- Without a lawyer.
We need to call DCFS.
These boys need a physical exam by a doctor, pronto.
Gabriel, call Taylor.
Tell him to let chief know what we got happening here.
Flynn, keep your eyes on these kids.
We're gonna go out here and keep looking for what we came here to find.
Trophies -- trophies, Lieutenant.
Yes, fully loaded trophies.
Yeah.
You're never gonna guess what's going on in Coach Carr's house right now.
These kids are not his own, they're not related to him, and they're not just hanging out at his house, Chief.
They're living there, each with his own bed.
I can't decide if this guy's a killer, a monster of some kind, or just overly committed to his job.
Why can't he be all three? I'm just saying, Chief, one of the ways a serial offender manages to avoid detection is by being attractive to his victims.
Coach Carr seems to be providing these boys with the necessities of life.
And when a kid thinks his survival depends on someone [ Chuckles .]
Have they found the murder weapon? Not yet.
[ Scoffs .]
I need it.
Okay.
Well, they're searching the suspect's home, but Captain Raydor -- she has to be extra careful about how she goes about doing that, because if there's a leak in your division -- But there's no leak.
Yeah, yeah.
So you keep saying.
Look, I don't want to put Captain Raydor on the spot.
I know she's protecting my flank.
ButI need to take this guy to a dark place, and I don't want to go there without a gun.
I get it, Chief.
I get it.
Thank you, officer.
This is what I get because I've put the kids first? Above everything else, I put them first.
And Reed put himself first and his career.
You put the kids first? Always.
Did you also put them in your house? My house? My detectives just found three underage boys living at your house, half naked.
Principal Reed knew about them, didn't he? That's what he threatened to tell the school district last night, when you two argued.
All right, now, listen.
F-first, okay, you need to -- you need to get those detectives out of my house right now, and then -- I'll tell you what I need to do! I need to question those boys and find out if the care you gave them extended to some kind of physical relationship.
Look, look, listen, you have no right to make accusations like that! - I have every right, sir! Unless you can produce documents showing me that you are the legal guardian of those boys I mean, my God, to say something like that out loud This has gone too far, okay? Give me those documents, sir, and then -- - This has gone too far! - When I talk to those parents -- Their parents?! You want to talk to their parents?! Do you have permission?! Permission?! Are you serious?! No, I don't have permission, okay? I haven't exactly followed the rules here, but do you know where these boys were living before they came to stay with me? One of them was homeless, sleeping in our locker room for two weeks.
One was beaten so badly by his drunk of a stepfather, I had to take him to the hospital.
So you prey on throwaway kids -- is that right? Okay.
Five years ago, the single mom of one of my students went to jail for dealing drugs.
And I did nothing for the boy.
Two days later, he was shot to death -- murder, unsolved.
And who took responsibility for that -- you? Put me in front of a jury.
I would love nothing better than to publicize what's going on with these children.
Because you know what you're gonna find? Gabriel: Nothing.
This place is clean.
We've searched every room in this house, top to bottom.
There is no firearm here.
Trophy.
Gentlemen, we are looking for stolen trophies.
Finding a gun would be incidental.
Lieutenant, if you stole a trophy, would you maybe bury it in your backyard? Someone's planted shrubs.
Maybe they buried a trophy, too.
Ah.
Well, Captain, is it procedure? Well, who am I to say what someone would do with a stolen trophy, but if I were gonna look for one in a backyard, I'd use a metal detector.
Excuse me.
[ Clicking softly .]
Raydor: Remember, concentrate on stretches of ground large enough to cover a trophy-sized object.
Hey, hey.
There's a little something down here at the end of this runner.
That's too small for a trophy, which is what we're looking for.
And if we find something else, then we call it a happy accident.
Ah.
So [ Clears throat .]
Apropos of nothing really, when can Major Crimes start planning your retirement party? I want to bring the balloon animals myself.
Who told you I was retiring, Lieutenant? Well, you said it in front of Taylor, didn't you? [ Beeping .]
We found something.
Really, Buzz? [ Chuckles .]
We'll make a detective out of you yet.
Give it a go, Julio.
First, you threaten your boss, who ends up murdered.
Then we find three half-naked underage boys living in your house.
And here is the murder weapon, found buried in your backyard, the one used to kill Principal Reed.
So you have motive, the means, and the opportunity.
Now, Mr.
Carr, I would be lying if I said anything other than "you have the right to remain silent.
"Anything you say can and will be used against you "in a court of law.
"You have the right to an attorney.
"If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you by the state.
" NowI want you to think really, really hard about everything you've told me.
Does it make you sound innocent? Because if it doesn't, would you like to start over? Because I think we both know what's going on here, don't we? As hard as it is to say, don't we both know what's going on? I want a lawyer.
Uh, okay.
All right, thanks.
Thank you.
Hey, good morning.
[ Sighs .]
Is everything all right? Yeah.
Well, the three boys living with Coach Carr had their physical examinations this morning and met with a counselor.
There was no sign of abuse, sexual or otherwise.
Well, that's a relief, isn't it? Yes, yes.
Of course.
But now Coach Carr's only motive would seem to be avoiding a job transfer, and he has enough time in to retire with his whole pension if he wanted.
Kind of like Raydor, huh? Like Raydor how? What -- didn't she tell you? Tell me what? [ Chuckles .]
Well, apparently, Raydor thinks she should retire.
[ Cup thumps .]
She hates checking up on you all the time, feels she's not wanted, and supposedly has a great job offer.
Oh.
What? I thought you'd be happy to have her out of your hair.
Yeah, but she hasn't found the leak yet.
You don't believe there is a leak.
That doesn't mean I'mright.
Amazing.
One thing you were right about, though -- even though the gun you found in your suspect's backyard matches up with the casings in both our cases, there's no good reason Coach Carr would want my TSA Agent dead.
So, as far as the FBI is concerned, this case belongs to you.
Well, thank you.
That's great.
One last question -- have you come across anyone in your investigation by the name of Terrence Miller? No.
Why? Hmm.
Because the gun you found in Carr's backyard is registered in his name.
Uh, do you have any idea where this Terrence Miller might be? [ Door opens .]
He's in interview 1 with Gabriel.
Miller did five years for robbing a liquor store with the same gun used to kill Principal Reed.
The gun was never recovered, but he pled guilty -- served all of his time, so he's probably a hard-ass.
Do we know his whereabouts during the time of the murder? Working.
Guy's a valet for a restaurant downtown.
His supervisor vouches for him.
Any connection to Coach Carr? Couldn't find any.
Also, he lives completely on the other side of L.
A.
So it's not likely he was gonna run into them at a block party.
We've cross-referenced every database we can think of to see how else Miller and Reed could have met -- traffic accidents, crime reports, Facebook -- nothing.
All right, then, we'll just see what he has to say about his gun.
[ Door opens .]
Chief Johnson, I've just heard that the three boys from coach Carr's house are still here.
That's correct.
Technically, we're required to release them to their parents.
Well, so far, we've only been able to find one of the mothers, and she says she's too busy to come down here until tomorrow morning.
You want me to let these boys go? What if they get lost or hurt or involved in a crime? Goldman can end up recruiting their parents for that federal lawsuit of his.
Or don't you care about that anymore? Where are the boys right now, Chief? In the break room.
I figured, since we couldn't release them, we might as well feed them.
Let me see if I can get the boys to help us locate their relatives.
Pardon me.
Why didn't you tell me she was retiring? Because I'm talking her out of it.
If you could say something encouraging, that would be extremely helpful -- unless you'd like me to replace her with someone worse.
[ Sighs .]
[ Door opens .]
I know you hadn't planned on being here this morning, and we appreciate you joining us, helping us solve our little problem.
I already told the old guy I didn't do nothing.
I've been clean.
I've been staying out of trouble.
Relax, Flynn.
You're much, much younger than you look.
Does this look familiar to you, sir? I ain't never seen that gun.
I find that hard to believe.
The gun is registered in your name, and the casings match those left behind at a robbery you pulled.
ManYou guys, always jerking people around.
Where you got that gun -- I don't know, and I don't care.
I done my time for that robbery.
You can't play me a double jeopardy.
This your weapon, correct? I ain't seen it since before I want to the joint -- ditched it before I was arrested -- where did you ditch it? I was staying with some bitch and her kids, before I went to jail.
I hid the gun at her place, man.
What was her name, and where did she live? Come on, man.
I don't know.
You don't know the name of the woman you were living with when you were arrested? We weren't married! She was, like, someone I hooked up with for a bit, a stripper.
Had like six names she went by.
Did she live at six different places, too? I don't know.
Look, I haven't seen her in years.
What do you care about where she lived? - Answer the question.
- What? I said, answer the question! This gun was used in a murder two nights ago.
A man was killed with this weapon.
Now, you will tell me where your ex-girlfriend lived and what her name is, or I'm going to arrest you for murder.
I have an alibi -- my boss.
Who do you think the jury's gonna believe -- your boss or me? I don't remember where the bitch lived! I didn't even remember her name no more, I swear! [ Sighs .]
She only ever wanted me for a babysitter, anyway.
She was using me, man.
You got to believe me.
Please, I need this job.
I can't lose this job! Please.
All right, then.
Come with me, this way.
You're arresting me? Depends whether or not you help me.
Get up! This way.
Come on, guys.
Let's, uh, wander down to the break room, huh? And just so we can be sure that we've done everything to contact your family members, could each of you write down the names of all your living grandparents? Hey.
Sorry it took me so long to get down here.
Uh Good to see you again.
Supposed topick you up.
I thought you was in jail.
Lewis Would you come with me, please? I need to talk to you.
Lewis! [ Woman screams .]
Gabriel: Hey! Lewis! Lewis, you're in a police station.
Running is not gonna do you or Coach Carr a lick of good.
Hey, don't talk about Coach Carr.
You don't know nothing about Coach.
I know a man who argued with him ended up shot to death.
I know that the murder weapon was found in your coach's backyard.
That's enough to put him away for murder.
Is that what you want us to do -- you want to us to put your coach away for murder? He was trying to help you, wasn't he, Lewis? He was looking out for you.
Till Principal Reed came along.
He's the guy that ruined everything.
Not me -- I had no choice.
No choice but what? Where was I supposed to go? Where will anyone go when Coach Carr is gone? Coach won't be gone.
Oh, yes, he will be, Lewis.
I'm arresting him for murdering Principal Reed Unless you can tell me who else might have done it.
Was it you, Lewis? Did you hold onto the gun that Mr.
Miller left at your mother's house and give it to Coach Carr so that he could murder Principal Reed? No! No! Coach didn't do it.
I shot the bastard.
Not sure I believe that.
I just told you I did it.
What you mean? Flynn: This murder took planning, kid.
I can plan, sir.
I figured out how Principal Reed went home from school every night, didn't I? I figured out where to wait for him.
You almost shot the wrong guy.
Almost don't count, lady.
And I didn't give up.
I kept my eye -- my eye right there on the ball.
I made sure Mr.
Reed knew me real good.
I was always smiling at him in the halls, going up to him, calling him, "sir.
" Yeah, I called him "sir" a lot.
So, like, when I walked up to his car at the stop sign, he knew me.
He rolled down the window.
And I let him have it.
Pow, pow, pow, pow, pow! Pow.
Yeah.
And now you know what happened.
And I ain't sorry about it.
[ Scoffs .]
No, I ain't sorry about none of it.
And you guys -- you guys can't even do nothing to me.
I'm a minor.
I'm only 15.
We'll see if the D.
A.
has something to say about your being tried as an adult.
Detective Sanchez, would you see to it that Lewis gets to booking, please? I took a hit for my team, you know? Sometimes you got to do that, even if you get pulled from the game.
That's all I did.
Took a hit for my team -- my team.
I saved 'em.
Taylor: You may feel bad about Coach Carr, but you had no choice.
He lawyered up.
I know.
He was trying to protect the boys living in his house.
Yeah.
Hard to know what else you could have done.
Coach Carr, I just -- I just want to, um, say I'm sorry for anymisunderstandings that might have occurred during this investigation.
Well, it's, uh, Lewis you should feel sorry for.
Not me.
He's a good kid -- he's smart Never had a proper chance, and now he never will.
Lots of people lack proper chances, Coach.
Lots and lots of people.
And very few of them decide that murder's the next best thing.
Wow.
[ Chuckles .]
Wow, you guys seem really well-informed about the kind of world that my students live in.
Hey.
Those other kids at my house -- did their parents ever show up, or are you gonna be turning those boys over to the Department of Children's Services? Well, it doesn't matter either way.
They'll be on the street again soon enough, which means they'll end up joining Lewis in jail or Reed in the morgue.
You think that's right? Now, you don't have to answer.
I know.
I mean, I'm a criminal, too, aren't I? [ Scoffing .]
Giving abandoned juveniles a place to live without the proper paperwork.
Trying to save some of these children we're not leaving behind.
But it turns out that's your job, isn't it? You and the undertakers.
As good as Coach Carr's intentions are, his actions were illegal.
Or you could say that the challenges he faced at work forced him to look for unorthodox solutions.
And now, for going above and beyond the call of duty, he'll probably lose his job.
Or maybe it's time for him to move on.
I don't know.
He seemed to be doing important work even if it wasn't fully appreciated by his boss and fellow teachers.
There's something about that I findadmirable.
Me too.
Mm.
[ Door closes .]
Sharon Raydor What an unpleasant surprise.
I'm getting real used to seeing your car parked in front of someplace I need to be.
I was just warming up Coach Carr for you.
I can't decide which of us has the worse gig here -- you or me.
Well, that depends, I guess, on what one wants from life.
I gather you want a little more than you have right now.
Am I right? What's that supposed to mean? Just I hear you're giving up the badge and moving on.
Really? And why not? You've earned your pension, retirement doesn't mean an end to work, and you've got a great job offer to go along with it.
What could be better? And where did you hear that? Ahlittle birdie told me.
No, really, Mr.
Goldman, seriously, from whom did you hear that I had a job offer and that I was retiring? Why? Because I have no intention of retiring.
A new job offer was the last thing on my mind.
The only thing I'm trying to do is prove that there really is a leak in the L.
A.
P.
D.
And that you are getting your information quicker than some of the officers.
Maybe I'll have to get a warrant to find out who the little birdie is.
A warrant against the attorney who's suing you? Good luck with that.
[ Engine turns over .]
[ Chuckles .]