The Closer s07e21 Episode Script
The Last Word
[ Siren wailing .]
[ Police radio chatter .]
[ Dog barking .]
[ Siren chirps .]
This way, Chief.
[ Clears throat .]
Including the young woman from last night, Hollywood has dug up three females, and the cadaver dogs think that there's at least two more.
Here, watch your step.
Watch your step, there.
I understand the 911 call came in at 10:26 last night.
Why the lag time in our response? The boy was asked where he'd seen the woman being buried.
He only said it was above the Greek Theatre -- a large area to cover in the dark.
And he refused to I.
D.
himself, so some people thought it was a prank.
Tao: This is the cellphone used to dial 911.
The kid dumped it in a trash bin on Vermont.
Whose number is it? Goes back to a Douglas Grand.
He's a real-estate agent.
Reported it stolen last night.
Here it is.
What an amazing coincidence.
Flynn: Yeah, patrol's picking Mr.
Grand up so we can discuss just how lucky he is.
Ugh.
Strangled, raped, buried naked.
Her clothes ripped up and dumped on top of her like the other victims.
[ Dog whimpers .]
Unlike them, she hasn't decomposed yet.
And she was buried with a purse.
Provenza: Killer was interrupted.
Didn't have time to dispose of the victim's things in the usual way.
Gabriel: Says here her name is Karen Oncidi.
She's a senior at UCLA, She's got an Iowa driver's license.
[ Dog barking .]
Time of death? Between 8:30 and 10:30, in that area.
Ugh.
Put the duct tape on her mouth.
Abrasions on both wrists from restraints.
Knees are all scratched up.
Looks like she was held facedown and choked to death with some kind of a chain.
Uh, sorry, Buzz, could you please, uh Yeah, okay.
Thank you.
Lieutenant Flynn, Detective Gabriel.
Let's trace Karen's whereabouts over the last 48 hours.
Thank you.
Lieutenant Provenza, would you please get the clothes of our other victims and run through MUPS, catch us up with ViCAP? Excuse me, Chief.
Uh, two things.
The killer might have murdered this girl last night, but he dug the grave at least two days ago, 'cause there's still water on the bottom from Saturday's storm.
So he prepped in advance, is highly organized.
What's the other thing? We got tracks, Chief, starting right here.
It seems that our psycho heard or saw something over that way and ran towards it.
Shirt, too.
You remember from last time, that's another $20, right? Fine.
Just take it off.
[ Rustling .]
Wait, wait, hold up.
What? What's that sound? Holy crap.
Is he burying somebody? Wait -- oh! [ Gasps .]
Damn it.
[ Shovel scraping .]
[ Cellphone ringing .]
No, no, no.
No! The killer wasn't the only one looking for privacy last night.
Okay, Chief, one guy, wearing dress shoes goes that way, back towards the road.
And the other guy, wearing sneakers, gets chased by our killer -- watch your step -- off this way.
[ Grunts .]
Oh, damn it! Son of a bitch! [ Both grunting .]
Ugh! Tao: Looks like there was a struggle, and the guy in the sneakers went over the side here.
He got really close to our killer, Chief -- really close.
Okay, I want every square inch of this canyon searched, and let's make sure the guy in sneakers called 911 after he fell, not before.
[ Horn honks .]
[ Dialing .]
[ Ringing .]
Woman: 911.
What's your emergency? Uh, uh, someone just tried to kill me.
That's the emergency.
I got away, but he hit me with a shovel and he threw me over a cliff.
Sir, do you need medical attention? No, but, like, the guy -- he's still up there right now, and, uh He was burying -- he was burying a body -- a woman.
I-I think she was dead.
Hey! Hey, what are you looking at, huh? What are you looking at?! Sir, are you under the influence? No, I'm not under the influence! Are you? Or do you just not care that you have some killer on the loose right now?! All right, sir, the GPS on your phone says you're actually right across the street from the Greek Theatre right now.
If you'll just go stand by the box office, we'll send some police officers to you.
[ Thud .]
Could you give me your name and age, sir? Sir? Sir? [ Siren chirps .]
Sir? Anybody there? Hello? Hello, sir, are you there? Sir, could you give me your name and age? Thank you, Buzz.
That's enough.
That young man's voice sound at all familiar to you? No.
Uh, I can't place it.
Sorry.
We think he might be the boy who stole your phone last night.
Boy? Uh Well, uh, sounds like he got in a lot of trouble.
I hope he's okay.
So, you say someone took your phone while you were at a restaurant on Sunset? That's the last time I remember having it, yes.
And did anything else go missing at the same time? Oh, umno.
Not that I'm aware of.
Hmm, what about this coat or these glasses or the pen? Uh, those aren't mine.
Provenza: So we won't find your fingerprints on any of this stuff? Maybe I should ask your wife if she recognizes this coat, or one of your kids.
How would you like to explain to them why you were in Griffith Park at night with a -- a shirtless minor? No, no.
No, no, he's not a minor.
Don't say he's a minor.
He's 18.
Oh, my God.
What's his name? I don't know.
I don't know.
Okay, so, you're certain of his age, but you don't know his name? [ Crying .]
My God.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Okay, okay, okay, Mr.
Grand, you can either begin the rest of your life as a sex offender or you can start cooperating with me right now.
Uh, I'll cooperate.
Let me cooperate, please.
What scared you so much last night that you ran off without your coat and your phone? A guyin black, with a mask.
Um, he was pretty far off.
I -- I didn't have my glasses on, and -- and he was It looked like he was burying someone, and I ran.
I -- that's all.
I ran.
And left a teenager behind? Well, I thought he was following me.
I -- I panicked.
Uh, is he okay? What's the boy's name? He says "Rusty.
" Says Rusty? So, you've seen him multiple times? Oh, my God.
What is Rusty's last name? I don't know.
How do you get in touch with him? I don't get in touch.
He hangs out on Sunset Boulevard.
Okay, uh, Lieutenant, Detective, would you please take Mr.
Grand here in his own car, see if you can find Rusty in his usual place? Now, look, I'm -- I'm not the only person Rusty sees.
Please, I'm depressed enough.
Get up.
Let's go.
Let's go! So, Chief, Saturday, our victim, Karen, bought some perfume at a department store at the Grove.
So, when I asked the store for their security footage based around the time of her credit-card receipt, this is what they sent.
Okay, Buzz.
Hit it.
All right, there's our victim and some guy walking up to a fragrance counter.
You notice how he keeps his back to the camera? Now, he hands Karen a business card while she's making the purchase.
It's as if they just met or something.
Clerk gives her the bag, she says goodbye, and then leaves.
Now, the guy -- he leaves in a different direction, never showing his face to the camera even once.
Buzz, could you isolate and enlarge that footage of the guy leaving the store and play it again? Let me see here.
Hold on.
[ Keys clacking .]
Zooming.
Lieutenant, I want all the security footage from the grove three hours on either side of the time stamp on that receipt -- valet stands, other stores, everything.
Already in process, Chief.
What are you seeing there, Chief? Not what, Commander.
Who.
The man leaving that store is Phillip Stroh.
Pope: This look like Stroh to you? Pope: Because to me, like it could be a lot of people.
How are you so certain? I recognized his walk.
His walk? Really? From behind? Especially from behind.
I've followed him several times.
That might not be the best way to get a search warrant from a judge.
Is there anything more substantial connecting Karen Oncidi to Stroh? Other than him meeting her at the department store two days ago, not yet, but we're working on it.
The amount of decomp in our other victims suggests the burials started over two years ago.
Taylor: Oh, right -- Chief Johnson, didn't you have a GPS tracker on Stroh's vehicle? I've already checked.
He never went anywhere near the crime scene in his own vehicle, but he could have rented one.
Or maybe he had an automobile in a rented garage somewhere.
That is why I am asking permission to search his finances, dump his phones.
Please, I have stayed away from him as ordered.
Yeah, for what? A whole seven weeks? That's why this order was given.
You keep seeing Stroh everywhere.
This man is Stroh.
It is.
Then connect him to these murders with the kind of evidence that Hobbs says can get us a search warrant.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
I'm just here to observe.
I'm not getting in the way of Chief Johnson's investigation.
[ Sighs .]
Until you are sworn in as Chief of Police, I should stick to dealing with the morale issues we discussed.
You know what would really help morale? Being able to aggressively pursue the killer.
Raydor: How about this? While Stroh is a person of interest, I will sign off on Chief Johnson's investigation to cover the L.
A.
P.
D.
's liability issues.
I can live with that.
Chief Johnson? I came here to arrange surveillance of the suspect, not me.
This is what comes of settling lawsuits -- putting my name on a special order.
We have to worry more about what the suspect will do to us than what we're gonna do to the suspect.
Didn't think of that, did you? [ Sighs .]
Thank you.
Captain, thank you.
Rusty: You don't seem to understand who the victim is here.
Someone tried to kill me last night, and I'm just a teenager.
Well, don't worry.
We'll childproof the building for you.
Uh, he's not a child.
He's 18.
Can I go home now? [ Scoffs .]
Look, I helped you find him, like you asked.
Hey, that's entrapment.
And he owes me money.
Oh, really? Now, why does Mr.
Grand owe you money? My time.
Hmm.
You're way too young to know all the right answers.
Officers, hold Mr.
Grand in the break room, please.
[ Sighs .]
Thank you.
Gabriel, if you don't mind, why don't you hang here with the kid.
I'll run his prints.
And get him something to eat.
I'll be right back.
I'd like a hamburger.
[ Sighs .]
Fritz: And from the clothes you dug up with her, your serial killer's fourth victim seems to be Anna Sills from Santa Monica.
Like all the other young women, Anna wanted to be an actor.
And her roommate told the Santa Monica police that the day before Anna vanished, she was approached while shopping by a professional photographer who offered her free headshots if she posed for his portfolio.
No phone records connecting Anna to Stroh, nothing on her laptop, and nothing from any of Stroh's known e-mail addresses.
We're 0 for 4.
I've found the witness.
What about victim number 5? Fritz: Can't I.
D.
her from what was in the grave, but I'm willing to bet she was blonde and wanted to be an actor.
Chief, Morales says the rape kit's a wash.
No DNA from last night's victim.
Okay, blonde, under 30, no DNA.
That's all Stroh.
I mean, how much more of this has to fit his profile before we can check into his finances? He is not a registered sex offender, Lieutenant, so legally he doesn't have a profile.
And I see that Mr.
Stroh worked with a partner, but there's no sign of that here.
So his M.
O.
is not exactly the same.
But I am not preventing anyone from asking for a warrant.
Let a judge decide.
All right, look, why can't we do a credit report on Stroh? I mean, maybe the guy did some shopping at the Grove this past Saturday.
I know that he sued us, but nobody here is gonna tell him.
I mean, Gabriel's not in the room Andy! That's enough.
I'm serious.
Well, I'm serious, too, 'cause if I had done what Gabriel had done, I would at least have the decency to leave.
Okay, hey, hey, hey! Hey, hey! What? I would! You and Sanchez, knock it off.
Hey, I didn't even say anything, sir.
Well, you just keep your mouth shut.
The Chief said that's enough.
[ Door opens, closes .]
Flynn, you want to look into Stroh's finances -- the Captain just said it -- get a warrant.
Gabriel isn't the suspect today.
What's next, Chief? Lieutenant Provenza found our potential witness.
The boy called 911, so I'll talk to him while we continue to look for connections between these women and Stroh.
And let's help the FBI identify our last victim.
Uh, Captain, you might want to watch this interview.
Excuse me.
Rusty: It's completely unfair.
I mean, I call you guys about a killer attacking me with a shovel.
And instead of going after him, you go after me.
Hello, there, Rusty.
I'm Deputy Chief Johnson.
The L.
A.
P.
D.
just wants to protect you from a very bad man.
Bad men are how I make a living.
I hang out where all the bad men go.
Bad men like to talk to me.
And it doesn't hurt anybody to listen.
Not so sure about that.
Well, I'm not afraid of them.
I know how to protect myself.
I see you've met with the police before.
They sent you over to DCS, put you in foster care.
Why'd you run away? Hate getting hit in the face.
It says "Department of Children Services" here.
I thought you said you were 18.
Well -- now.
Now I'm 18.
Back then, I was 17.
Says here that you're 16 and that your last name is Beck.
Is that right? I don't need a last name.
And your parents are where? I'm 18, so where my parents are doesn't matter.
You're not 18, so we need to know where your mom and -- Okay, I don't have a father, and my mother left, okay?! She's gone! Gone where? God, all right.
You know what? I'll just go over the whole stupid story again.
So, she and her jerk boyfriend dropped me off at the zoo and said that they would pick me up in a couple of hours, and they never came back.
So I walked all the way to the apartment where we were staying at, and they were gone.
And you guys aren't even looking for her right now, so my mother is gone, okay? She's gone.
It's just easier if we all just pretend I'm 18, all right? Please? If I'm 18, I'll help you guys out.
Deal? Okay.
Let's talk a little bit about last night.
Why were you in that particular part of Griffith Park? I like the view from up there.
There was no view from where you were.
That's what I like about it.
Hey, but it's a good thing for you guys that I was there, though, huh? I made the call that helped you find bodies.
The guy you called about -- he attacked you? Mm-hmm.
Can you describe him a little? He was wearing all black.
He had a mask on.
He was taller than me.
Let's see, what else? Oh, yeah, he hit me in the head with a shovel, and I rolled off a cliff -- the end.
So then you fought with this guy? Yeah, a little.
Look, my job -- I have to know how to roll guys who are bigger than me.
Like, sometimes I -- I let my body go completely slack, and then they have to hold me harder, and then you just flip them.
It's real easy.
This guy came back swinging hard.
And hit you in the head? Where? Oh, we should have a doctor look at that.
No, no, no, it's not as bad as it looks.
No warrant on Stroh off what this kid has to say.
Look, you know [sighs.]
I've told you guys everything I know, so how about you just give me my burger and then I'll leave, okay? Well, I don't think that's such a good idea, Rusty, because you may not have seen the killer's face, but I'm pretty sure he saw yours.
And you saw how quickly we found you.
Guy could do the same thing.
He attacked you for a reason.
Because you did see him without his mask, didn't you? No.
You pulled this mask off his head I bought that.
during the fight, and you saw his face.
Okay, I didn't see anything, all right?! So stop saying that.
And you guys are not making some kind of witness out of me.
No way.
Buzz, would you have Lieutenant Tao come in here, please, with his camera? Rusty, I want you to take this phone, get up, stand over there, please.
Go on, over there by the wall.
Go on.
Turn around.
Take off your shirt.
What? What are you doing? You weren't wearing your shirt last night, so take it off, please.
Thank you.
Here you go.
Put this on.
Now put the phone up to your ear.
All right, you -- you want to know where I got the mask? Then you find my mother.
That's a fair trade.
Chief What are we doing here? The killer thought he had a reason to attack Rusty before.
I want to prove him right.
Lieutenant Tao, can you please take a picture of Rusty here, and make it look like it's nighttime and he's on the street, like it's a still from the Greek Theatre security cameras? Yeah, I can do that.
Thank you.
Now, uh, if you don't mind.
Thank you.
[ Sighs .]
Look natural.
[ Camera shutter clicking .]
Yeah.
Yeah, I hate the cops, too.
[ Chuckles .]
Yeah, the service is terrible, dude, and the food never comes.
What's going on here, Chief? I keep being told that the press is all over this case, so I'm gonna give them a picture of Rusty Beck and see if they can help us find a very important witness.
And what's the name of this witness? Rusty Beck.
Man: Every sheriff's deputy in the Southland [ Door closes .]
is currently looking for this young man, who authorities fear could be in serious danger.
Hey.
Hey.
These stills were taken from security cameras across from the Greek Theatre after a scary, face-to-face nighttime encounter with a serial killer.
You really think Stroh might go looking for this kid? I sure hope so Here's teenage runaway Rusty Beck talking to 911.
'cause I'll lose my job if I go after him.
Woman: 911.
What's your emergency? Rusty: Uh, uh, someone just tried to kill me.
That's the emergency.
Rusty links him to everything.
I got away, but he hit me in the Have you been able to I.
D.
our fifth victim? [ Sighs .]
No.
Look, I'm gonna take a quick trip to Washington tomorrow, one night, see if I can't, uh, expedite this.
But, uh, the only thing is are you sure the killer is Stroh? I'm positive.
I just don't know if I'll be allowed to arrest him.
And this boy there's something he said.
What? You're gonna be surprised.
What? Made me think about my life.
I'm surprised.
Told you.
[ Chuckles .]
[ Sighs .]
[ Sighs .]
What did Rusty say? Um he said that, uh [ Sniffles .]
bad men were how he made a living and that it doesn't hurt to just listen to them and that, um, his mother was gone and she wasn't coming back.
And, um, I started to think about how sad that story was, and then I realized that's me.
Hmm.
You make your living listening to bad people and your mother's gone.
[ Voice breaking .]
And she's never coming back.
[ Sighs .]
Stroh is.
That's what I have to look forward to -- Stroh coming back.
Where? Where the bad men go.
[ Skateboard approaching .]
Fellas.
[ Sighing .]
Oh, man.
Thought if you boys were gonna be out here all night and day, I might as well get a look and see how this license-recognition system works.
[ Beeping .]
Up to 1,000 plates a minute.
It's gorgeous.
How's our so-called missing witness holding up? Not running off? Gabriel: No, no.
Chief Johnson promised him some new clothes and that we'd try to find his mother if he helped us out.
Plus, we got Sanchez, Flynn, and Provenza on the street.
Yeah, I heard that.
Myself, I'd have kept Provenza in here and put you out on the street.
You're younger, you run.
Makes it look like something other than the job is driving the assignments in your division.
I sure hope it's not a safety issue.
I hear you.
[ Beep .]
Oh, Lieutenant, that's seven hits on the same car.
Recognition system says it's a rental and it's parking.
All right, guys, be ready, be ready.
[ Horns blare .]
Phillip Stroh.
Ooh.
[ Car alarm chirps .]
[ Horns blare .]
Hello, Rusty.
Hey.
It's great to see you again.
You know my name.
What's yours? Provenza: Phillip Stroh.
Lieutenant Provenza.
Nice hat.
Thanks.
You're under arrest.
How you like that, asshole?! You have the right to remain silent! It's okay.
We'll do that.
Sanchez.
Want to waive, counselor? That depends.
Why am I under arrest? You may think that illegal cruising on Sunset Boulevard is a frivolous charge, but it's who you were looking for that gives the game away.
He was the boy you attacked the night you were burying this woman.
I thought she wasn't gonna pick up Stroh without evidence.
She didn't.
Give her some time.
Brenda: Her name was Karen Oncidi, and she was brutally raped and murdered before she was buried in Griffith Park, as were four other girls over the last two years.
And, uh, the man giving Karen his card at the perfume counter there is you.
Yeah, that's not me.
You care to move on to your next lie? I have a witness who saw you at the crime scene, burying Karen.
No, you don't or you would have arrested me for murder.
Next lie? How can you say that? He recognized you when you tried to pick him up.
Because you told him to act like he knew me.
Next lie? I have DNA from the, uh, cap taken off the killer at the crime scene.
If you had DNA, you would have confirmed it as mine before you brought me in, which you would need a sample for.
And you don't have one.
Next lie? You tried to find Rusty today because you know -- you know -- he connects you to these murders.
You released his picture to the media, along with his name.
I saw the boy, and I stopped.
I was gonna call the L.
A.
P.
D.
once I confirmed who he was.
Anything else? Brenda: I want you to look at the amount of material I've collected in less than 48 hours because you were careless and rushed and -- and you left Karen's purse behind, and then I want you to imagine how many more of your mistakes I will discover with the entire justice system at my back.
Really? Would you happen to have a search warrant on you with the entire justice system at your back? Chief, I'm getting irritated.
Worse, I'm getting bored.
So let's review this vast collection of so-called evidence you've assembled.
You have a blurry video of a man walking away from a perfume counter, an eyewitness account given by a runaway boy turning tricks on Sunset Boulevard, and a woolen cap.
Once again, you've given me every piece of evidence that you have, and it amounts to this -- I'm leaving.
Wait.
Wait.
Sorry.
We're done.
Wait, Mr.
Stroh, please.
Okay, okay, maybe it's not you, but this type of offender is exactly the kind of person that you represent in court.
What do you think he's up to? Obviously, he enjoys killing women during sexual intercourse.
It's not sex.
It's rape.
Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.
Let's not get all bogged down in political correctness.
He prepares the graves in advance, charms these women to a remote area in Griffith Park, maybe by telling them that he's gonna take their picture.
[ Elevator bell dings .]
Any idea why he would go to so much trouble, sir? Stroh: Well, what you call "so much trouble," your killer probably considers foreplay.
[ Elevator bell dings .]
Oh and since you've been so kind as to keep close tabs on me, I've returned the favor.
And I'd hate to leave without saying how sorry I was to hear about your mother.
Chief! Chief! Chief! [ Grunting .]
Brenda! Come on! Open the door! Get her out! Chief, come on! [ Chuckles .]
Come on.
We'll get you to a doctor.
Captain, will you handle this? [ Elevator bell dings .]
[ Breathing heavily .]
Chief.
I know.
I know.
I'm suspended, pending an investigation of my professional standards for unwarranted physical attack on a murder suspect.
Lieutenant Provenza, would you please see to it that Rusty is picked up by DDA Hobbs? [ Elevator bell dings .]
Excuse me.
Thank y'all so much.
[ Knock on door .]
Come in.
Oh, Chief Johnson.
Still working on your victims.
Oh, my God, what -- what happened? Are you all right? You have blood on you.
Yes, I do.
And I need you to know that I'm not here officially.
I've been suspended and probably fired.
Oh, my God.
And I hate to involve you, but I need you to take the blood off me a-and the hair follicles that are underneath my fingernails and put them in a woolen cap to fake DNA samples.
So, you -- you want -- you want me to plant evidence? B-because that's illegal.
No, no, no, no, no, it's not.
Uh, just open the door.
Hello, doctor.
Need some reassurance? Uh, please.
We're putting the blood and the hair follicles in this cap so we can force Mr.
Stroh back into an interview.
[ Sighs .]
If he believes we have DNA evidence and we can tie the cap to the crime scene, he might make a deal.
We can never prosecute Stroh with this DNA or even arrest him, but if it's only for use in an interview, we're good.
But not in a courtroom? No, no, no, just to get a confession.
[ Sighs .]
We found Stroh's little cemetery.
We caught him red-handed, trying to murder that boy, and I just rattled his cage pretty hard.
A-a-and if he sees that Hobbs has that cap with his DNA in it, that's gonna push him right over the edge.
Please.
Get this stuff off of me, and let's put it somewhere where it can do some good.
[ Sighs .]
Okay.
Put your hands up, where I can see them.
God, I sound like a cop.
[ Chuckles .]
Thank you, Doctor.
It's been a real pleasure working with you.
Likewise.
Now, be quiet.
My patients talk to me, I run screaming from the building.
Oh.
Rusty: It's creepy in here.
I still don't know why I had to come.
Aside from the fact that someone's trying to kill you, we need you to say on the record, out loud, where you got the cap.
Look, you bring my mom back, and I will do what you want.
[ Door opens .]
[ Sighs .]
I'm not having much luck out here.
[ Sighs .]
Leave him to me.
I'll be sure to get you my notes on Stroh so, when you sit down with him, you can Look, the D.
A.
's office needs a new Chief for our bureau of investigation.
My boss would be thrilled to offer you the position.
Of course, you'd mainly be an administrator, but you could get into the trenches, too, now and then, if you wanted.
[ Sighs .]
Could I bring someone from my team? Does that mean you'll consider the offer? Well, I -- I guess I'll need a new job.
I don't know.
I Uh, I'll need to think about it.
Okay, Rusty, come with me.
I'd call Stroh, let him know what's coming.
No, no, honey, don't look at that.
[ Dialing .]
[ Ringing .]
[ Beep .]
Stroh: Hello? Phillip? DDA Hobbs.
Oh.
How are you today? Very well.
Thank you for asking.
Listen, we've found DNA from two distinct individuals in an interesting woolen cap, and I was wondering if you could come by and give us a cheek swab just for fun.
[ Crickets chirping .]
[ Chuckling .]
You must have been really hungry.
No one has ever asked for a second helping of my clam linguine.
Really? Tastes great to me.
Now, how is it different from spaghetti -- linguine? It's, um It Uh You know, I don't know.
[ Chuckles .]
Something to do with the noodles -- their shape.
LookRusty Brenda.
I need your help.
No.
I need your help.
You were in the murder room today.
You saw the pictures of those women.
You know how they died.
You even saw one of them being buried.
Now, the guy who did all that -- he wants to kill you, too.
Yeah, is this about the hat again? I've told you, you bring my mother back, and I tell you exactly how I got it.
I have people hunting for your mother right now, but it's gonna take more time than you realize.
Look, look, okay, you don't understand.
If I help you, then I lose all of my leverage, and I need -- I need my mother to come back.
I need to -- to tell her that I can be better, to -- to show her that I can pay attention and to prove to her that I can change, because I can change.
Please.
Look, Rusty, what happened with your mother -- it has nothing to do with you.
She made a mistake.
But you don't know that.
Yes, I do.
I-I do know that.
You're a good person who's been dealing with bad people.
Okay, but that's the thing.
I'm not -- I'm not just dealing with them.
It is -- it is becoming a part of who I am.
and I can't go on like that.
I can't.
Can't you help me? Please.
I can, and I will.
But w-we need to talk about these women who are -- They're dead! Don't you get it?! They are dead! You can't help them anymore! Or is it just that you don't want to bother with me? Is that it? You just want to use me like everybody else? Don't say that.
That's not true.
Isn't it? I mean, you haven't even asked one real question about my life -- not even a, you know, "Gosh, Rusty, "what a crappy situation you've got, having to spend your 16th birthday working as a street treat.
" Do you know, I won three chess trophies in sixth grade and two in the seventh? Or no? Or, no, do you -- do you only know how to care about people after they die? Is that it? It's my job to care about dead people.
Not anymore! It's not your job! You're fired! [ Sighing .]
Oh, for heaven's sakes.
[ Sighs .]
[ Sobs .]
[ Sniffles .]
I'll not only look for your mother myself, I'll get the FBI involved.
Okay? [ Sighs .]
We'll do a national search.
Let's not talk anymore about the hat tonight.
[ Cat meows .]
We're both tired.
How about some dessert if you're still hungry? Huh? How does that sound? Does that sound good to you? Huh? How about that? Maybe Rusty's right.
Is he? Would you care about him more if he were dead? 'Cause we can find out right now.
No, don't! Don't! Or you can sit down at the table.
Don't.
Phillip, please.
Nice.
Using my first name.
I bet you learned that at Quantico.
Huh, Brenda? Which reminds me, I know your husband's away, off in D.
C.
, so sit down at the table or I will slit this kid's throat right now.
Okay, okay.
I'm sitting.
I'm sitting.
On your hands.
Look, there's no real evidence against you.
I -- I attacked you today on -- on the elevator on purpose.
And the DNA that -- that Hobbs told you that she had -- that's where it came from.
[ Sighs .]
You always lie.
Who can trust you? Hmm? Right, Rusty? Anyway, the cap only matters if the kid says he pulled it off my head, and if you're not around and if he can't talk -- No, no, don't, don't! Rusty, Rusty, don't struggle.
Let your body go slack.
That's right.
She's right, Rusty.
I got nothing personal against you.
Matter of fact, I'm really sorry.
Ugh! Oh! Aah! Ugh! [ Gunshots .]
[ Gasping .]
Call an ambulance.
[ Gasping .]
[ Chuckles .]
If you let me die like this [coughs.]
the kid's testimony can put you in prison.
Shoot him! Shoot him again! I think I could get away with it.
You broke into my house, you threatened me, you stabbed the kid.
It's self-defense.
Okay.
Okay.
I'll -- I'll tell you everything.
You know what? I don't want to hear it.
[ Grunts .]
[ Dialing .]
This is Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, L.
A.
P.
D.
Officer needs help.
I need, uh I need two ambulances, a paramedic, and backup at 3882 North Ridgecrest, Los Angeles, 90036.
No, ma'am.
I shot somebody.
Pope: You explained, that FID could clear her for the shooting at her home, if for no other reason than she saved the boy's life? I did, but the city attorney still demands that we issue a formal reprimand for the attack on Phillip Stroh in the elevator.
And Chief Johnson refuses to cooperate.
Well, that's not entirely true.
I've spoken to her at least twice a day for the past week, trying to arrange a proper custodial environment for your material witness, Rusty Beck.
She's cooperating with me.
Chief Johnson objects to the reprimand.
So may I ask, is there no other alternative here? Honestly, Captain, this, uh this might be for the best.
If we want Major Crimes to operate without huge liability issues hanging over our heads, we need to restructure it, and I need you to be a very big part of that.
Pope: Besides which, this morning, Chief Johnson gave me this letter in the event that her reprimand could not be dismissed.
[ Clears throat .]
She has a great job offer from the district attorney's office.
She'd like to have Detective Gabriel transferred to be her L.
A.
P.
D.
liaison officer.
And, uh you can read it.
"I thank you all "for the honor you bestowed on me, allowing me to lead this division as Deputy Chief" "for the last seven years.
"Once I come back from Atlanta, "I look forward to working with all of you again in my new job as Chief of the D.
A.
's Bureau of Investigation.
" "Sincerely yours, Brenda Leigh Johnson.
" That's the official story, anyway.
Stroh wouldn't be able to complain about what happened in the elevator if you'd only killed him, Chief.
Fritz: Oh, no, better she leaves while taking confessions instead of giving one.
I'm gonna put this stuff in the car.
If you guys need to get in touch with her while she's in Atlanta, go through the FBI.
[ Chuckles .]
Now, go on, guys.
Give her your gift.
Let her go.
Oh, no gifts.
Aww, I should be giving y'all gifts.
I don't -- I don't need a gift.
I just Mike Julio David Andy Buzz Lieutenant Sorry.
[ Chuckles .]
I still have to call you Lieutenant.
Oh, so do my grandkids.
The only gift I want from you is your friendship.
That's because you haven't seen what we got you, Chief.
In spite of the fact that your leaving puts Provenza in charge.
Wait, wait, we'll see about that.
I hear rumors, so we'll see.
Tao: Well, we didn't get you a gold watch or anything, 'cause we didn't know you were leaving.
I mean do you have to? I meanleave.
I mean, really? [ Sighs .]
Yes.
I need to spend some more time thinking about the living.
Now, y'all find Rusty's mother, like I promised him we would, and when I come back from Atlanta, we'll -- I'll -- I'll only be working down the street a ways.
We'll see each other all the time.
I know it.
We will.
Yeah.
Tao, the present.
Oh, right.
Sorry.
Buzz? Um, we were just trying to replace something you seem to like a lot.
I hope we found the right one.
[ Chuckles .]
Gabriel: The real one's still in evidence.
They weren't very good about letting us look at it.
Tsk.
But If you open it up [ Both laugh .]
Oh, for heaven's sakes, y'all.
I don't know what to say.
[ Voice breaking .]
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Does it look okay? Chief? Looks exactly like the [ Chuckles .]
It looks like love.
Mmm-mmm-mmm, yeah mmm That's what it looks like.
Yeah Looks like love.
[ Chuckles .]
Mmm, mmm, mmm [ Chuckles .]
[ Sniffles .]
Oh-oh-oh, ooh-ooh-ooh oh, oh, oh [ Elevator bell dings .]
Oh, oh, mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm [ Elevator bell dings .]
Mmm, mmm mmm-mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm ooh-ooh-ooh
[ Police radio chatter .]
[ Dog barking .]
[ Siren chirps .]
This way, Chief.
[ Clears throat .]
Including the young woman from last night, Hollywood has dug up three females, and the cadaver dogs think that there's at least two more.
Here, watch your step.
Watch your step, there.
I understand the 911 call came in at 10:26 last night.
Why the lag time in our response? The boy was asked where he'd seen the woman being buried.
He only said it was above the Greek Theatre -- a large area to cover in the dark.
And he refused to I.
D.
himself, so some people thought it was a prank.
Tao: This is the cellphone used to dial 911.
The kid dumped it in a trash bin on Vermont.
Whose number is it? Goes back to a Douglas Grand.
He's a real-estate agent.
Reported it stolen last night.
Here it is.
What an amazing coincidence.
Flynn: Yeah, patrol's picking Mr.
Grand up so we can discuss just how lucky he is.
Ugh.
Strangled, raped, buried naked.
Her clothes ripped up and dumped on top of her like the other victims.
[ Dog whimpers .]
Unlike them, she hasn't decomposed yet.
And she was buried with a purse.
Provenza: Killer was interrupted.
Didn't have time to dispose of the victim's things in the usual way.
Gabriel: Says here her name is Karen Oncidi.
She's a senior at UCLA, She's got an Iowa driver's license.
[ Dog barking .]
Time of death? Between 8:30 and 10:30, in that area.
Ugh.
Put the duct tape on her mouth.
Abrasions on both wrists from restraints.
Knees are all scratched up.
Looks like she was held facedown and choked to death with some kind of a chain.
Uh, sorry, Buzz, could you please, uh Yeah, okay.
Thank you.
Lieutenant Flynn, Detective Gabriel.
Let's trace Karen's whereabouts over the last 48 hours.
Thank you.
Lieutenant Provenza, would you please get the clothes of our other victims and run through MUPS, catch us up with ViCAP? Excuse me, Chief.
Uh, two things.
The killer might have murdered this girl last night, but he dug the grave at least two days ago, 'cause there's still water on the bottom from Saturday's storm.
So he prepped in advance, is highly organized.
What's the other thing? We got tracks, Chief, starting right here.
It seems that our psycho heard or saw something over that way and ran towards it.
Shirt, too.
You remember from last time, that's another $20, right? Fine.
Just take it off.
[ Rustling .]
Wait, wait, hold up.
What? What's that sound? Holy crap.
Is he burying somebody? Wait -- oh! [ Gasps .]
Damn it.
[ Shovel scraping .]
[ Cellphone ringing .]
No, no, no.
No! The killer wasn't the only one looking for privacy last night.
Okay, Chief, one guy, wearing dress shoes goes that way, back towards the road.
And the other guy, wearing sneakers, gets chased by our killer -- watch your step -- off this way.
[ Grunts .]
Oh, damn it! Son of a bitch! [ Both grunting .]
Ugh! Tao: Looks like there was a struggle, and the guy in the sneakers went over the side here.
He got really close to our killer, Chief -- really close.
Okay, I want every square inch of this canyon searched, and let's make sure the guy in sneakers called 911 after he fell, not before.
[ Horn honks .]
[ Dialing .]
[ Ringing .]
Woman: 911.
What's your emergency? Uh, uh, someone just tried to kill me.
That's the emergency.
I got away, but he hit me with a shovel and he threw me over a cliff.
Sir, do you need medical attention? No, but, like, the guy -- he's still up there right now, and, uh He was burying -- he was burying a body -- a woman.
I-I think she was dead.
Hey! Hey, what are you looking at, huh? What are you looking at?! Sir, are you under the influence? No, I'm not under the influence! Are you? Or do you just not care that you have some killer on the loose right now?! All right, sir, the GPS on your phone says you're actually right across the street from the Greek Theatre right now.
If you'll just go stand by the box office, we'll send some police officers to you.
[ Thud .]
Could you give me your name and age, sir? Sir? Sir? [ Siren chirps .]
Sir? Anybody there? Hello? Hello, sir, are you there? Sir, could you give me your name and age? Thank you, Buzz.
That's enough.
That young man's voice sound at all familiar to you? No.
Uh, I can't place it.
Sorry.
We think he might be the boy who stole your phone last night.
Boy? Uh Well, uh, sounds like he got in a lot of trouble.
I hope he's okay.
So, you say someone took your phone while you were at a restaurant on Sunset? That's the last time I remember having it, yes.
And did anything else go missing at the same time? Oh, umno.
Not that I'm aware of.
Hmm, what about this coat or these glasses or the pen? Uh, those aren't mine.
Provenza: So we won't find your fingerprints on any of this stuff? Maybe I should ask your wife if she recognizes this coat, or one of your kids.
How would you like to explain to them why you were in Griffith Park at night with a -- a shirtless minor? No, no.
No, no, he's not a minor.
Don't say he's a minor.
He's 18.
Oh, my God.
What's his name? I don't know.
I don't know.
Okay, so, you're certain of his age, but you don't know his name? [ Crying .]
My God.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Okay, okay, okay, Mr.
Grand, you can either begin the rest of your life as a sex offender or you can start cooperating with me right now.
Uh, I'll cooperate.
Let me cooperate, please.
What scared you so much last night that you ran off without your coat and your phone? A guyin black, with a mask.
Um, he was pretty far off.
I -- I didn't have my glasses on, and -- and he was It looked like he was burying someone, and I ran.
I -- that's all.
I ran.
And left a teenager behind? Well, I thought he was following me.
I -- I panicked.
Uh, is he okay? What's the boy's name? He says "Rusty.
" Says Rusty? So, you've seen him multiple times? Oh, my God.
What is Rusty's last name? I don't know.
How do you get in touch with him? I don't get in touch.
He hangs out on Sunset Boulevard.
Okay, uh, Lieutenant, Detective, would you please take Mr.
Grand here in his own car, see if you can find Rusty in his usual place? Now, look, I'm -- I'm not the only person Rusty sees.
Please, I'm depressed enough.
Get up.
Let's go.
Let's go! So, Chief, Saturday, our victim, Karen, bought some perfume at a department store at the Grove.
So, when I asked the store for their security footage based around the time of her credit-card receipt, this is what they sent.
Okay, Buzz.
Hit it.
All right, there's our victim and some guy walking up to a fragrance counter.
You notice how he keeps his back to the camera? Now, he hands Karen a business card while she's making the purchase.
It's as if they just met or something.
Clerk gives her the bag, she says goodbye, and then leaves.
Now, the guy -- he leaves in a different direction, never showing his face to the camera even once.
Buzz, could you isolate and enlarge that footage of the guy leaving the store and play it again? Let me see here.
Hold on.
[ Keys clacking .]
Zooming.
Lieutenant, I want all the security footage from the grove three hours on either side of the time stamp on that receipt -- valet stands, other stores, everything.
Already in process, Chief.
What are you seeing there, Chief? Not what, Commander.
Who.
The man leaving that store is Phillip Stroh.
Pope: This look like Stroh to you? Pope: Because to me, like it could be a lot of people.
How are you so certain? I recognized his walk.
His walk? Really? From behind? Especially from behind.
I've followed him several times.
That might not be the best way to get a search warrant from a judge.
Is there anything more substantial connecting Karen Oncidi to Stroh? Other than him meeting her at the department store two days ago, not yet, but we're working on it.
The amount of decomp in our other victims suggests the burials started over two years ago.
Taylor: Oh, right -- Chief Johnson, didn't you have a GPS tracker on Stroh's vehicle? I've already checked.
He never went anywhere near the crime scene in his own vehicle, but he could have rented one.
Or maybe he had an automobile in a rented garage somewhere.
That is why I am asking permission to search his finances, dump his phones.
Please, I have stayed away from him as ordered.
Yeah, for what? A whole seven weeks? That's why this order was given.
You keep seeing Stroh everywhere.
This man is Stroh.
It is.
Then connect him to these murders with the kind of evidence that Hobbs says can get us a search warrant.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
I'm just here to observe.
I'm not getting in the way of Chief Johnson's investigation.
[ Sighs .]
Until you are sworn in as Chief of Police, I should stick to dealing with the morale issues we discussed.
You know what would really help morale? Being able to aggressively pursue the killer.
Raydor: How about this? While Stroh is a person of interest, I will sign off on Chief Johnson's investigation to cover the L.
A.
P.
D.
's liability issues.
I can live with that.
Chief Johnson? I came here to arrange surveillance of the suspect, not me.
This is what comes of settling lawsuits -- putting my name on a special order.
We have to worry more about what the suspect will do to us than what we're gonna do to the suspect.
Didn't think of that, did you? [ Sighs .]
Thank you.
Captain, thank you.
Rusty: You don't seem to understand who the victim is here.
Someone tried to kill me last night, and I'm just a teenager.
Well, don't worry.
We'll childproof the building for you.
Uh, he's not a child.
He's 18.
Can I go home now? [ Scoffs .]
Look, I helped you find him, like you asked.
Hey, that's entrapment.
And he owes me money.
Oh, really? Now, why does Mr.
Grand owe you money? My time.
Hmm.
You're way too young to know all the right answers.
Officers, hold Mr.
Grand in the break room, please.
[ Sighs .]
Thank you.
Gabriel, if you don't mind, why don't you hang here with the kid.
I'll run his prints.
And get him something to eat.
I'll be right back.
I'd like a hamburger.
[ Sighs .]
Fritz: And from the clothes you dug up with her, your serial killer's fourth victim seems to be Anna Sills from Santa Monica.
Like all the other young women, Anna wanted to be an actor.
And her roommate told the Santa Monica police that the day before Anna vanished, she was approached while shopping by a professional photographer who offered her free headshots if she posed for his portfolio.
No phone records connecting Anna to Stroh, nothing on her laptop, and nothing from any of Stroh's known e-mail addresses.
We're 0 for 4.
I've found the witness.
What about victim number 5? Fritz: Can't I.
D.
her from what was in the grave, but I'm willing to bet she was blonde and wanted to be an actor.
Chief, Morales says the rape kit's a wash.
No DNA from last night's victim.
Okay, blonde, under 30, no DNA.
That's all Stroh.
I mean, how much more of this has to fit his profile before we can check into his finances? He is not a registered sex offender, Lieutenant, so legally he doesn't have a profile.
And I see that Mr.
Stroh worked with a partner, but there's no sign of that here.
So his M.
O.
is not exactly the same.
But I am not preventing anyone from asking for a warrant.
Let a judge decide.
All right, look, why can't we do a credit report on Stroh? I mean, maybe the guy did some shopping at the Grove this past Saturday.
I know that he sued us, but nobody here is gonna tell him.
I mean, Gabriel's not in the room Andy! That's enough.
I'm serious.
Well, I'm serious, too, 'cause if I had done what Gabriel had done, I would at least have the decency to leave.
Okay, hey, hey, hey! Hey, hey! What? I would! You and Sanchez, knock it off.
Hey, I didn't even say anything, sir.
Well, you just keep your mouth shut.
The Chief said that's enough.
[ Door opens, closes .]
Flynn, you want to look into Stroh's finances -- the Captain just said it -- get a warrant.
Gabriel isn't the suspect today.
What's next, Chief? Lieutenant Provenza found our potential witness.
The boy called 911, so I'll talk to him while we continue to look for connections between these women and Stroh.
And let's help the FBI identify our last victim.
Uh, Captain, you might want to watch this interview.
Excuse me.
Rusty: It's completely unfair.
I mean, I call you guys about a killer attacking me with a shovel.
And instead of going after him, you go after me.
Hello, there, Rusty.
I'm Deputy Chief Johnson.
The L.
A.
P.
D.
just wants to protect you from a very bad man.
Bad men are how I make a living.
I hang out where all the bad men go.
Bad men like to talk to me.
And it doesn't hurt anybody to listen.
Not so sure about that.
Well, I'm not afraid of them.
I know how to protect myself.
I see you've met with the police before.
They sent you over to DCS, put you in foster care.
Why'd you run away? Hate getting hit in the face.
It says "Department of Children Services" here.
I thought you said you were 18.
Well -- now.
Now I'm 18.
Back then, I was 17.
Says here that you're 16 and that your last name is Beck.
Is that right? I don't need a last name.
And your parents are where? I'm 18, so where my parents are doesn't matter.
You're not 18, so we need to know where your mom and -- Okay, I don't have a father, and my mother left, okay?! She's gone! Gone where? God, all right.
You know what? I'll just go over the whole stupid story again.
So, she and her jerk boyfriend dropped me off at the zoo and said that they would pick me up in a couple of hours, and they never came back.
So I walked all the way to the apartment where we were staying at, and they were gone.
And you guys aren't even looking for her right now, so my mother is gone, okay? She's gone.
It's just easier if we all just pretend I'm 18, all right? Please? If I'm 18, I'll help you guys out.
Deal? Okay.
Let's talk a little bit about last night.
Why were you in that particular part of Griffith Park? I like the view from up there.
There was no view from where you were.
That's what I like about it.
Hey, but it's a good thing for you guys that I was there, though, huh? I made the call that helped you find bodies.
The guy you called about -- he attacked you? Mm-hmm.
Can you describe him a little? He was wearing all black.
He had a mask on.
He was taller than me.
Let's see, what else? Oh, yeah, he hit me in the head with a shovel, and I rolled off a cliff -- the end.
So then you fought with this guy? Yeah, a little.
Look, my job -- I have to know how to roll guys who are bigger than me.
Like, sometimes I -- I let my body go completely slack, and then they have to hold me harder, and then you just flip them.
It's real easy.
This guy came back swinging hard.
And hit you in the head? Where? Oh, we should have a doctor look at that.
No, no, no, it's not as bad as it looks.
No warrant on Stroh off what this kid has to say.
Look, you know [sighs.]
I've told you guys everything I know, so how about you just give me my burger and then I'll leave, okay? Well, I don't think that's such a good idea, Rusty, because you may not have seen the killer's face, but I'm pretty sure he saw yours.
And you saw how quickly we found you.
Guy could do the same thing.
He attacked you for a reason.
Because you did see him without his mask, didn't you? No.
You pulled this mask off his head I bought that.
during the fight, and you saw his face.
Okay, I didn't see anything, all right?! So stop saying that.
And you guys are not making some kind of witness out of me.
No way.
Buzz, would you have Lieutenant Tao come in here, please, with his camera? Rusty, I want you to take this phone, get up, stand over there, please.
Go on, over there by the wall.
Go on.
Turn around.
Take off your shirt.
What? What are you doing? You weren't wearing your shirt last night, so take it off, please.
Thank you.
Here you go.
Put this on.
Now put the phone up to your ear.
All right, you -- you want to know where I got the mask? Then you find my mother.
That's a fair trade.
Chief What are we doing here? The killer thought he had a reason to attack Rusty before.
I want to prove him right.
Lieutenant Tao, can you please take a picture of Rusty here, and make it look like it's nighttime and he's on the street, like it's a still from the Greek Theatre security cameras? Yeah, I can do that.
Thank you.
Now, uh, if you don't mind.
Thank you.
[ Sighs .]
Look natural.
[ Camera shutter clicking .]
Yeah.
Yeah, I hate the cops, too.
[ Chuckles .]
Yeah, the service is terrible, dude, and the food never comes.
What's going on here, Chief? I keep being told that the press is all over this case, so I'm gonna give them a picture of Rusty Beck and see if they can help us find a very important witness.
And what's the name of this witness? Rusty Beck.
Man: Every sheriff's deputy in the Southland [ Door closes .]
is currently looking for this young man, who authorities fear could be in serious danger.
Hey.
Hey.
These stills were taken from security cameras across from the Greek Theatre after a scary, face-to-face nighttime encounter with a serial killer.
You really think Stroh might go looking for this kid? I sure hope so Here's teenage runaway Rusty Beck talking to 911.
'cause I'll lose my job if I go after him.
Woman: 911.
What's your emergency? Rusty: Uh, uh, someone just tried to kill me.
That's the emergency.
Rusty links him to everything.
I got away, but he hit me in the Have you been able to I.
D.
our fifth victim? [ Sighs .]
No.
Look, I'm gonna take a quick trip to Washington tomorrow, one night, see if I can't, uh, expedite this.
But, uh, the only thing is are you sure the killer is Stroh? I'm positive.
I just don't know if I'll be allowed to arrest him.
And this boy there's something he said.
What? You're gonna be surprised.
What? Made me think about my life.
I'm surprised.
Told you.
[ Chuckles .]
[ Sighs .]
[ Sighs .]
What did Rusty say? Um he said that, uh [ Sniffles .]
bad men were how he made a living and that it doesn't hurt to just listen to them and that, um, his mother was gone and she wasn't coming back.
And, um, I started to think about how sad that story was, and then I realized that's me.
Hmm.
You make your living listening to bad people and your mother's gone.
[ Voice breaking .]
And she's never coming back.
[ Sighs .]
Stroh is.
That's what I have to look forward to -- Stroh coming back.
Where? Where the bad men go.
[ Skateboard approaching .]
Fellas.
[ Sighing .]
Oh, man.
Thought if you boys were gonna be out here all night and day, I might as well get a look and see how this license-recognition system works.
[ Beeping .]
Up to 1,000 plates a minute.
It's gorgeous.
How's our so-called missing witness holding up? Not running off? Gabriel: No, no.
Chief Johnson promised him some new clothes and that we'd try to find his mother if he helped us out.
Plus, we got Sanchez, Flynn, and Provenza on the street.
Yeah, I heard that.
Myself, I'd have kept Provenza in here and put you out on the street.
You're younger, you run.
Makes it look like something other than the job is driving the assignments in your division.
I sure hope it's not a safety issue.
I hear you.
[ Beep .]
Oh, Lieutenant, that's seven hits on the same car.
Recognition system says it's a rental and it's parking.
All right, guys, be ready, be ready.
[ Horns blare .]
Phillip Stroh.
Ooh.
[ Car alarm chirps .]
[ Horns blare .]
Hello, Rusty.
Hey.
It's great to see you again.
You know my name.
What's yours? Provenza: Phillip Stroh.
Lieutenant Provenza.
Nice hat.
Thanks.
You're under arrest.
How you like that, asshole?! You have the right to remain silent! It's okay.
We'll do that.
Sanchez.
Want to waive, counselor? That depends.
Why am I under arrest? You may think that illegal cruising on Sunset Boulevard is a frivolous charge, but it's who you were looking for that gives the game away.
He was the boy you attacked the night you were burying this woman.
I thought she wasn't gonna pick up Stroh without evidence.
She didn't.
Give her some time.
Brenda: Her name was Karen Oncidi, and she was brutally raped and murdered before she was buried in Griffith Park, as were four other girls over the last two years.
And, uh, the man giving Karen his card at the perfume counter there is you.
Yeah, that's not me.
You care to move on to your next lie? I have a witness who saw you at the crime scene, burying Karen.
No, you don't or you would have arrested me for murder.
Next lie? How can you say that? He recognized you when you tried to pick him up.
Because you told him to act like he knew me.
Next lie? I have DNA from the, uh, cap taken off the killer at the crime scene.
If you had DNA, you would have confirmed it as mine before you brought me in, which you would need a sample for.
And you don't have one.
Next lie? You tried to find Rusty today because you know -- you know -- he connects you to these murders.
You released his picture to the media, along with his name.
I saw the boy, and I stopped.
I was gonna call the L.
A.
P.
D.
once I confirmed who he was.
Anything else? Brenda: I want you to look at the amount of material I've collected in less than 48 hours because you were careless and rushed and -- and you left Karen's purse behind, and then I want you to imagine how many more of your mistakes I will discover with the entire justice system at my back.
Really? Would you happen to have a search warrant on you with the entire justice system at your back? Chief, I'm getting irritated.
Worse, I'm getting bored.
So let's review this vast collection of so-called evidence you've assembled.
You have a blurry video of a man walking away from a perfume counter, an eyewitness account given by a runaway boy turning tricks on Sunset Boulevard, and a woolen cap.
Once again, you've given me every piece of evidence that you have, and it amounts to this -- I'm leaving.
Wait.
Wait.
Sorry.
We're done.
Wait, Mr.
Stroh, please.
Okay, okay, maybe it's not you, but this type of offender is exactly the kind of person that you represent in court.
What do you think he's up to? Obviously, he enjoys killing women during sexual intercourse.
It's not sex.
It's rape.
Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.
Let's not get all bogged down in political correctness.
He prepares the graves in advance, charms these women to a remote area in Griffith Park, maybe by telling them that he's gonna take their picture.
[ Elevator bell dings .]
Any idea why he would go to so much trouble, sir? Stroh: Well, what you call "so much trouble," your killer probably considers foreplay.
[ Elevator bell dings .]
Oh and since you've been so kind as to keep close tabs on me, I've returned the favor.
And I'd hate to leave without saying how sorry I was to hear about your mother.
Chief! Chief! Chief! [ Grunting .]
Brenda! Come on! Open the door! Get her out! Chief, come on! [ Chuckles .]
Come on.
We'll get you to a doctor.
Captain, will you handle this? [ Elevator bell dings .]
[ Breathing heavily .]
Chief.
I know.
I know.
I'm suspended, pending an investigation of my professional standards for unwarranted physical attack on a murder suspect.
Lieutenant Provenza, would you please see to it that Rusty is picked up by DDA Hobbs? [ Elevator bell dings .]
Excuse me.
Thank y'all so much.
[ Knock on door .]
Come in.
Oh, Chief Johnson.
Still working on your victims.
Oh, my God, what -- what happened? Are you all right? You have blood on you.
Yes, I do.
And I need you to know that I'm not here officially.
I've been suspended and probably fired.
Oh, my God.
And I hate to involve you, but I need you to take the blood off me a-and the hair follicles that are underneath my fingernails and put them in a woolen cap to fake DNA samples.
So, you -- you want -- you want me to plant evidence? B-because that's illegal.
No, no, no, no, no, it's not.
Uh, just open the door.
Hello, doctor.
Need some reassurance? Uh, please.
We're putting the blood and the hair follicles in this cap so we can force Mr.
Stroh back into an interview.
[ Sighs .]
If he believes we have DNA evidence and we can tie the cap to the crime scene, he might make a deal.
We can never prosecute Stroh with this DNA or even arrest him, but if it's only for use in an interview, we're good.
But not in a courtroom? No, no, no, just to get a confession.
[ Sighs .]
We found Stroh's little cemetery.
We caught him red-handed, trying to murder that boy, and I just rattled his cage pretty hard.
A-a-and if he sees that Hobbs has that cap with his DNA in it, that's gonna push him right over the edge.
Please.
Get this stuff off of me, and let's put it somewhere where it can do some good.
[ Sighs .]
Okay.
Put your hands up, where I can see them.
God, I sound like a cop.
[ Chuckles .]
Thank you, Doctor.
It's been a real pleasure working with you.
Likewise.
Now, be quiet.
My patients talk to me, I run screaming from the building.
Oh.
Rusty: It's creepy in here.
I still don't know why I had to come.
Aside from the fact that someone's trying to kill you, we need you to say on the record, out loud, where you got the cap.
Look, you bring my mom back, and I will do what you want.
[ Door opens .]
[ Sighs .]
I'm not having much luck out here.
[ Sighs .]
Leave him to me.
I'll be sure to get you my notes on Stroh so, when you sit down with him, you can Look, the D.
A.
's office needs a new Chief for our bureau of investigation.
My boss would be thrilled to offer you the position.
Of course, you'd mainly be an administrator, but you could get into the trenches, too, now and then, if you wanted.
[ Sighs .]
Could I bring someone from my team? Does that mean you'll consider the offer? Well, I -- I guess I'll need a new job.
I don't know.
I Uh, I'll need to think about it.
Okay, Rusty, come with me.
I'd call Stroh, let him know what's coming.
No, no, honey, don't look at that.
[ Dialing .]
[ Ringing .]
[ Beep .]
Stroh: Hello? Phillip? DDA Hobbs.
Oh.
How are you today? Very well.
Thank you for asking.
Listen, we've found DNA from two distinct individuals in an interesting woolen cap, and I was wondering if you could come by and give us a cheek swab just for fun.
[ Crickets chirping .]
[ Chuckling .]
You must have been really hungry.
No one has ever asked for a second helping of my clam linguine.
Really? Tastes great to me.
Now, how is it different from spaghetti -- linguine? It's, um It Uh You know, I don't know.
[ Chuckles .]
Something to do with the noodles -- their shape.
LookRusty Brenda.
I need your help.
No.
I need your help.
You were in the murder room today.
You saw the pictures of those women.
You know how they died.
You even saw one of them being buried.
Now, the guy who did all that -- he wants to kill you, too.
Yeah, is this about the hat again? I've told you, you bring my mother back, and I tell you exactly how I got it.
I have people hunting for your mother right now, but it's gonna take more time than you realize.
Look, look, okay, you don't understand.
If I help you, then I lose all of my leverage, and I need -- I need my mother to come back.
I need to -- to tell her that I can be better, to -- to show her that I can pay attention and to prove to her that I can change, because I can change.
Please.
Look, Rusty, what happened with your mother -- it has nothing to do with you.
She made a mistake.
But you don't know that.
Yes, I do.
I-I do know that.
You're a good person who's been dealing with bad people.
Okay, but that's the thing.
I'm not -- I'm not just dealing with them.
It is -- it is becoming a part of who I am.
and I can't go on like that.
I can't.
Can't you help me? Please.
I can, and I will.
But w-we need to talk about these women who are -- They're dead! Don't you get it?! They are dead! You can't help them anymore! Or is it just that you don't want to bother with me? Is that it? You just want to use me like everybody else? Don't say that.
That's not true.
Isn't it? I mean, you haven't even asked one real question about my life -- not even a, you know, "Gosh, Rusty, "what a crappy situation you've got, having to spend your 16th birthday working as a street treat.
" Do you know, I won three chess trophies in sixth grade and two in the seventh? Or no? Or, no, do you -- do you only know how to care about people after they die? Is that it? It's my job to care about dead people.
Not anymore! It's not your job! You're fired! [ Sighing .]
Oh, for heaven's sakes.
[ Sighs .]
[ Sobs .]
[ Sniffles .]
I'll not only look for your mother myself, I'll get the FBI involved.
Okay? [ Sighs .]
We'll do a national search.
Let's not talk anymore about the hat tonight.
[ Cat meows .]
We're both tired.
How about some dessert if you're still hungry? Huh? How does that sound? Does that sound good to you? Huh? How about that? Maybe Rusty's right.
Is he? Would you care about him more if he were dead? 'Cause we can find out right now.
No, don't! Don't! Or you can sit down at the table.
Don't.
Phillip, please.
Nice.
Using my first name.
I bet you learned that at Quantico.
Huh, Brenda? Which reminds me, I know your husband's away, off in D.
C.
, so sit down at the table or I will slit this kid's throat right now.
Okay, okay.
I'm sitting.
I'm sitting.
On your hands.
Look, there's no real evidence against you.
I -- I attacked you today on -- on the elevator on purpose.
And the DNA that -- that Hobbs told you that she had -- that's where it came from.
[ Sighs .]
You always lie.
Who can trust you? Hmm? Right, Rusty? Anyway, the cap only matters if the kid says he pulled it off my head, and if you're not around and if he can't talk -- No, no, don't, don't! Rusty, Rusty, don't struggle.
Let your body go slack.
That's right.
She's right, Rusty.
I got nothing personal against you.
Matter of fact, I'm really sorry.
Ugh! Oh! Aah! Ugh! [ Gunshots .]
[ Gasping .]
Call an ambulance.
[ Gasping .]
[ Chuckles .]
If you let me die like this [coughs.]
the kid's testimony can put you in prison.
Shoot him! Shoot him again! I think I could get away with it.
You broke into my house, you threatened me, you stabbed the kid.
It's self-defense.
Okay.
Okay.
I'll -- I'll tell you everything.
You know what? I don't want to hear it.
[ Grunts .]
[ Dialing .]
This is Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, L.
A.
P.
D.
Officer needs help.
I need, uh I need two ambulances, a paramedic, and backup at 3882 North Ridgecrest, Los Angeles, 90036.
No, ma'am.
I shot somebody.
Pope: You explained, that FID could clear her for the shooting at her home, if for no other reason than she saved the boy's life? I did, but the city attorney still demands that we issue a formal reprimand for the attack on Phillip Stroh in the elevator.
And Chief Johnson refuses to cooperate.
Well, that's not entirely true.
I've spoken to her at least twice a day for the past week, trying to arrange a proper custodial environment for your material witness, Rusty Beck.
She's cooperating with me.
Chief Johnson objects to the reprimand.
So may I ask, is there no other alternative here? Honestly, Captain, this, uh this might be for the best.
If we want Major Crimes to operate without huge liability issues hanging over our heads, we need to restructure it, and I need you to be a very big part of that.
Pope: Besides which, this morning, Chief Johnson gave me this letter in the event that her reprimand could not be dismissed.
[ Clears throat .]
She has a great job offer from the district attorney's office.
She'd like to have Detective Gabriel transferred to be her L.
A.
P.
D.
liaison officer.
And, uh you can read it.
"I thank you all "for the honor you bestowed on me, allowing me to lead this division as Deputy Chief" "for the last seven years.
"Once I come back from Atlanta, "I look forward to working with all of you again in my new job as Chief of the D.
A.
's Bureau of Investigation.
" "Sincerely yours, Brenda Leigh Johnson.
" That's the official story, anyway.
Stroh wouldn't be able to complain about what happened in the elevator if you'd only killed him, Chief.
Fritz: Oh, no, better she leaves while taking confessions instead of giving one.
I'm gonna put this stuff in the car.
If you guys need to get in touch with her while she's in Atlanta, go through the FBI.
[ Chuckles .]
Now, go on, guys.
Give her your gift.
Let her go.
Oh, no gifts.
Aww, I should be giving y'all gifts.
I don't -- I don't need a gift.
I just Mike Julio David Andy Buzz Lieutenant Sorry.
[ Chuckles .]
I still have to call you Lieutenant.
Oh, so do my grandkids.
The only gift I want from you is your friendship.
That's because you haven't seen what we got you, Chief.
In spite of the fact that your leaving puts Provenza in charge.
Wait, wait, we'll see about that.
I hear rumors, so we'll see.
Tao: Well, we didn't get you a gold watch or anything, 'cause we didn't know you were leaving.
I mean do you have to? I meanleave.
I mean, really? [ Sighs .]
Yes.
I need to spend some more time thinking about the living.
Now, y'all find Rusty's mother, like I promised him we would, and when I come back from Atlanta, we'll -- I'll -- I'll only be working down the street a ways.
We'll see each other all the time.
I know it.
We will.
Yeah.
Tao, the present.
Oh, right.
Sorry.
Buzz? Um, we were just trying to replace something you seem to like a lot.
I hope we found the right one.
[ Chuckles .]
Gabriel: The real one's still in evidence.
They weren't very good about letting us look at it.
Tsk.
But If you open it up [ Both laugh .]
Oh, for heaven's sakes, y'all.
I don't know what to say.
[ Voice breaking .]
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Does it look okay? Chief? Looks exactly like the [ Chuckles .]
It looks like love.
Mmm-mmm-mmm, yeah mmm That's what it looks like.
Yeah Looks like love.
[ Chuckles .]
Mmm, mmm, mmm [ Chuckles .]
[ Sniffles .]
Oh-oh-oh, ooh-ooh-ooh oh, oh, oh [ Elevator bell dings .]
Oh, oh, mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm [ Elevator bell dings .]
Mmm, mmm mmm-mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm ooh-ooh-ooh