NCIS Los Angeles s14e17 Episode Script
Maybe Today
1
GEORGE W. BUSH [OVER
RADIO] -: My fellow Americans,
major combat operations
in Iraq have ended.
In the battle of Iraq, the United States
and our allies have prevailed.
[ENGINE SHUTS OFF]
♪
[MUFFLED PANTING]
[GRUNTING]
[SNAPPING]
[GASPING]
- [PANTING]
- [ENGINE REVVING]
Help! Someone help!
Help! Someone! Help!
[CHAINS CLINKING]
Stop.
[RADIO CHATTER]
Hey.
Yeah, it's hers, all right.
Who's your best team in the area?
Great.
♪
KENSI: I don't know what to tell you,
but Rosa needs extracurriculars,
for her college applications.
Yeah, but since when does Yale care
if their law students can twirl a baton?
- What?
- The courtroom is no place
- for gymnastics, my dear.
- No, no, no.
They care about well-rounded students.
But also, baton twirling?
Color Guard, not gymnastics.
Yeah, but it can be super dangerous.
She could fall off the balance beam,
she could hit her head,
she could get a concussion,
or she could breathe in the chalk dust.
I bet that's not good for her.
Okay, Mr. Safety, why don't you tell me
what you would like your daughter to do.
- Track?
- Shin splints.
- Water polo?
- Uh, chlorine poisoning, obviously.
- AV Club?
- Electrocution.
- Stop.
- I know, I know.
I know, I'm sorry. I'm only half-joking.
Sweetie, I want Rosa to be safe, too,
but she cannot spend her life
covered in bubble wrap.
You're right. You're right.
I was just thinking
maybe we could just do
a light to medium
layer of packing peanuts?
I'm gonna go solve cases.
- I'm gonna go solve cases.
- Yeah.
- Hey. We got a new case?
- Not exactly.
So, there's not a case?
We do, it's just not new.
It's from 2003.
Uh, okay, we don't work cold cases.
So why are we handling this one?
We've been asked to assist
NCIS's Cold Case Homicide Unit.
New evidence was just
uncovered in a case
involving a missing Navy petty officer
named Britney Perez.
KENSI: Britney Perez. Why-why
does that sound familiar?
Well, Britney's case was
the subject of a docuseries
- that came out last year.
- That's right.
Okay, so they found her?
No. Just her car.
A hiker spotted it at
Castaic Lake yesterday.
Well, technically,
they found it inthe lake.
But water levels are so low that
you could see it from a trail.
I can't believe I'm about to say this,
but thank God for climate change.
Nope, that still feels wrong.
Uh, should we alert Kilbride?
No. Let's let that man
spend some time with his son.
We can handle this.
Where's, uh, Sam and Callen?
They're on their way to the crime scene.
And MCRT has a team
down there combing the lake.
Does she have any family close by?
Yes, her mother.
And it looks like she hasn't
been informed yet.
I can't imagine losing a child
and not knowing what happened.
Yeah, we'll go talk to the mom.
If nothing else, maybe we can
give her some answers.
Okay.
[EXHALES]
Hey, Dad.
Alex.
Uh, it's just temporary.
Deb and I are still
trying to work things out.
[SIGHS]
Uh
- I-I made some coffee.
- Where can I hang my?
Anywhere. Anywhere's fine.
So
How are things at the firm?
Uh, yeah, great.
I just got a new client.
It's a tech company working
on a cryptocurrency exchange.
I think it's gonna be really good.
Uh
[SIGHS]
All I'm saying is: give it a shot.
What do you got to lose?
Famous last words.
I'd say you're being a tad dramatic.
Can I tell Anna it's a yes?
Absolutely not. And can we
please stop talking about Anna?
We're not talking about Anna.
We're talking about Stacy.
No, you're talking about Stacy.
I don't even know who this person is.
Okay, she's Anna's maid of honor.
Which is why this is so perfect.
You're my best man
- For now.
- Again with the drama.
Look, can we just drop it?
Or there will be drama.
All right?
Okay, so you'll think about it?
Special Agent Van Zant?
Give us a second.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Special Agent Van Zant was my father.
You can call me Daisy.
Okay, Daisy. I'm Callen, this is Sam.
How can we help?
Stay close by.
Try not to get in the way.
First cold case?
Yeah.
Couple of virgins. This'll be fun.
I've been working cases since '04.
Solved more of them than
the next two agents combined.
I like your modesty.
Confidence in a woman
make you uncomfortable, Agent Callen?
Well, if it did, then I'm about
to marry the wrong woman.
Congratulations on the wedding.
Like I said, I'm the best we've got,
but this one's had my number.
And why is that?
In a word, evidence.
- There wasn't any. Until now.
- Mm-hmm.
OFFICER: Daisy.
- Hmm.
- Stay close.
Welcome to Cold Case, gentleman.
Hey. Coroner just identified the body
as Petty Officer Perez.
Good luck.
Kensi and Deeks are about
to meet with Britney's mom.
They'll inform her.
No easy way to deliver that news.
Well, at least it's coming
from us and not
So who were the agents on
the original investigation?
Couple of guys from
the local field office,
Walker and Haskins.
Both retired before I got here.
I think Walker moved to Florida
and Haskins died some years back.
- What's your take?
- Put it this way:
There's good work, there's sloppy work,
and then there's
whatever the hell this was.
It's no wonder the case
ended up with us.
Did they identify any suspects?
One. Petty Officer Aaron Baker.
The night before Britney went missing,
a witness saw the two of them
arguing outside a bar.
And Aaron must've said something to her
because apparently
she gave him a good slap.
What was the argument about?
I don't know. And neither does Aaron.
Claims he was too drunk to remember,
and Walker and Haskins
didn't push him any further.
Wow.
Yeah, life's good when
you're third generation Navy.
What was the alibi?
His bunkmate.
Name escapes me, but it's in the file.
Aaron said they were playing video games
and watching movies all night.
So he wasn't too drunk to remember that.
I'm guessing the, uh,
bunkmate's story matches?
To a T. Aaron was cleared,
the case has been cold ever since.
Can I have a vial?
What do you got?
Something. Thank you.
Huh.
It's a tooth.
DAISY: It's not hers.
Looks like she has a full set.
Well, maybe Britney took part
of the killer with her.
She kept fighting until the end.
You think you can pull DNA from this?
Teeth and bone are the most reliable.
But 20 years under water?
You'd have more luck
keeping flies off manure.
Well, good luck.
I'll see what we can do.
Yeah, well, we'll pay
this, uh, Aaron a visit.
See if we can jog his memory
about any other details.
Thank you, Daisy.
Anything else we can
get you, Mrs. Perez?
No, I'm fine, thank you.
Oh, she's beautiful.
She was.
And smart. And funny.
Mm.
We're incredibly sorry for your loss.
Thank you.
I'm a single parent.
You know, we only had each other.
Always.
That's why, uh
I never believed them.
Believed who?
The investigators.
They thought that Britney had gone AWOL,
that she couldn't handle
the pressure of the Navy,
the thought of deployment.
Did she express or articulate
any of those feelings to you?
No.
No, no, she loved the Navy.
I would know,
we spoke all the time.
She would never keep
something like that from me,
and leave without saying goodbye?
No.
The-the last time you spoke to
her, how did she seem to you?
Did she mention anything unusual, or?
She
She was upset.
And-and frazzled, and
just not her usual happy self.
Something to do, um
with her roommate, Jen.
It-it was a bad situation,
but she just
She wouldn't tell me the whole story.
Why? Why wouldn't she tell you that?
I-I
I think she was trying to protect me.
That was Britney.
Always, always looking out for others.
She sounds like she was
a really wonderful person.
Yeah.
I've been waiting for this day for
for 20 years.
Hoping
that someone would find her.
And now that it's here,
I-I would give anything,
absolutely anything,
to go back.
You know? To just have
one more day of not knowing.
One more day of not
thinking how someone
[SHAKY BREATH]
Promise me that you won't
give up on her this time.
I promise.
Where were you?
Digging into Aaron Baker.
Check it out.
FATIMA: Okay, so when he was 18,
he was arrested for assault and battery.
Which he pled down to a misdemeanor,
struck a deal with the DA
and got off easy.
Okay, so, this is a good thing, right?
It means he had a history of violence.
Yeah, that and this means
that his DNA is gonna
be on file in CODIS.
So if the tooth
that Callen and Sam found
in the trunk of
Britney's car was Aaron's,
then it'll show up when they
run it through the database.
- Bingo.
- Bam.
What's up with the case files
we're waiting for?
I don't know, they've been "on the way"
for like two hours.
How long does it take
to upload a digital file?
[SCOFFS]
Who's this?
This is the roommate that
Britney's mom was talking about.
Petty Officer Jen Anderson.
In her Navy profile,
it says that she went "UA"
just days before Britney went missing.
So she dropped out. Does it say why?
- I'm sure it does in the files.
- [PHONE CHIMES]
Which we just received.
What? I didn't see anything come in.
Daisy says they're downstairs.
- These can't be the case files.
- [SIGHS]
"Sorry, kids, this is how
we did things in the old days.
Good luck. Daisy."
How can they be both charred and moist?
"P.S. Don't mind the soot.
Wildfire got them in '09,
flood in '15, you get the idea."
- [CHUCKLES]
- [SCOFFS]
Ah, well, so uh, you got this, right?
Uh [SIGHS]
[SIGHS]
Ugh.
[BUZZING]
Aaron Baker?
Oh, you flatter me.
I'm Aaron's father, Jack.
Can I help you gentleman?
NCIS. We were hoping
to speak with your son.
I understand he's
working from home today.
This is his house, right?
Yeah. He and Melissa have been
kind enough to let me move in
since my house burned down
in the Bell Canyon fires.
We're sorry to hear about that.
Is Aaron inside?
You just missed him.
But I'll tell him you
stopped by. What's it about?
We're following up
on a cold case from 2003.
It's kind of important
we speak with him.
Can you tell us where he is?
Do you have any idea
the problems this
investigation has caused
with that damn docuseries?
Late night phone calls,
people just coming up to the house.
Death threats.
I'm sorry your family
had to go through that.
Yeah. I'll pass along the message.
First rule of seamanship:
Always keep the lines taut.
Were you Navy?
Senior Chief, Special Warfare.
Look, we only want to speak with him.
Well, Aaron and Melissa went
to go get some more shellac.
They'll come back soon.
You want to come inside and wait?
I piloted that in Desert Storm.
I was a Chief Petty Officer back then,
ran a Beachmasters unit.
Toughest son of a bitches you ever met.
You look like you may have
seen some combat time.
Enough to know I never
want to see it again.
Hmm.
Hey.
What's going on?
Aaron, we're NCIS.
We just wanted to ask
you a few questions
about Petty Officer Britney Perez.
No. You can't keep putting
us through this.
Her body was found this morning.
The sooner we have answers,
the sooner this is over for everyone.
They're just doing their job.
Yeah.
It's fine.
[SIGHS]
What do you want to know?
Why don't you start by telling us
what you Britney were arguing
about before she disappeared?
I wish I could.
But I don't remember.
And that's because you were
too drunk at the time?
Look, guys, remember
it was 20 years ago.
All right, what about your bunkmate?
Do you remember his name?
Yeah. Kevin. Kevin Philips.
You two were pretty close at the time?
Sure, you could say that.
When's the last time you talked to him?
A decade, maybe longer.
We slowly lost touch.
Look, I know you guys are
looking for clear answers,
but [CHUCKLES]
it's been 20 years.
I get it. Uh, just one more thing.
Would you be willing to turn
over your dental records?
I'm sorry, no,
but this is harassment.
My husband's been cleared and you're
asking about his teeth?
It's related to the case.
New evidence was discovered.
MELISSA: Then if you want his
records, you need a warrant.
I'm calling our lawyer.
We're done talking.
I think Aaron remembers
more than he's telling us.
And Melissa knows it.
I don't think we're getting
anything else out of those two.
I have Rountree tracking
down Kevin Philips.
Maybe we'll find out
if this alibi is true.
- Hmm.
- What?
Looks like Daisy was able to extract
usable DNA from the tooth.
She's sending it to CODIS now.
Then we don't need
Aaron's dental records.
We have his DNA.
And if he did kill Britney
we'll know soon.
Oh, damn. Looks like an episode
of Hoarders down here.
How's it going?
Well, half of these files
don't even belong to our case
and the other half
- are moldy, burnt, or chewed.
- [LAUGHS]
And I'm pretty sure something
is living in that one.
What about you? Any good news?
Yeah, I found Jen Anderson,
Britney's roommate.
She was arrested five years ago
for drug possession.
She's currently out on parole
right now living in Sun Valley.
Kensi and Deeks are
on their way there now.
Hey, take a look at these.
Aaron Baker, Carmen Perez
These must be the recorded interviews
from the initial investigation.
Cassette tapes in '03?
Yeah, I'm starting to get the sense
that tech wasn't exactly
this department's thing.
Yeah. But where the hell are
we supposed to find something
old enough to play these?
Kilbride's truck is in the carport.
You don't think he'd mind if we
- borrowed it for a few hours?
- No.
It's for the investigation.
Plus, he's on vacation.
He's probably having the time
of his life right now.
[CHUCKLES]
Great coffee, huh?
This is some grade-A primo java
straight from Guatemala.
I get it from a guy who sells
it at the farmers' market down
Ah, I'm good, thanks.
More for me.
Alex, you know why I'm here.
I've got a handle on it.
I'm back in rehab.
And this time I'm sticking with it.
So I've been told.
Happy to hear it.
This is so weird.
Would you prefer that we
simply pick up where we left off?
I don't know. At least
you were being yourself.
[GROANS]
This isn't easy for me, either.
Then what are you even doing here?
Mom asked you to come, right?
She could
Of course she did. I knew it.
Mom could never leave well enough alone.
If it were "well enough,"
she wouldn't have asked.
Yeah, well, nothing ever is, is it?
Oh, hell. Don't give me that crap.
This is not about me.
We gave you every advantage
a kid could want.
You could've done anything.
Been anything.
You chose this.
I didn't choose this, Dad.
You didn't say no to it, did you?
You know, maybe the
difference between us is
I wasn't born ready
to take on the world,
like you.
No, no, the only difference
between us is
I didn't fold up like a cheap suit
every time life got hard!
"Suck it up." "Tough it out."
"Walk it off." "Bite the bullet."
And "take it like a man."
That about cover it?
Did I miss one, Dad?
[SIGHING]
I am here to help, Alex.
Awfully late for that. [SCOFFS]
Awfully late. By about 40 years.
I don't want your help.
So just go.
Just go.
I'm sure you've got
lots of important work
you need to get back to.
Go.
♪
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
I got it. Emily.
And who is Emily?
Your plus-one for the wedding.
You two would be perfect together.
Isn't that the same thing
you said about Stacy?
No, no, no, I've moved on from Stacy.
You and Emily are a much better fit.
You know, G,
if you don't drop this idea,
you're going to be the next
thing they find in a lake.
You need time to think about it
and I can respect that.
Sorry, boys. No dice.
Results came back inconclusive.
So what are you saying?
It's not Aaron's tooth?
Not according to CODIS.
Some days you're the pigeon,
some days you're the statue.
We're still only dealing with a database
full of violent offenders,
missing persons,
and forensic samples
collected from crime scenes.
Oh, great, so our pool
of potential suspects
is basically anyone else
that was living in Los Angeles in 2003?
Anyone else except Aaron Baker.
What about forensic genealogy?
Isn't that how they found
the Golden State Killer?
It's not as easy
as the media makes it seem.
First, we'd have to build out
a family tree.
That takes time.
And then, well,
we have to pray the killer
had some relative who wanted
to see how Scottish they were.
I'll get my team started on it.
[CALLEN SIGHS]
I like her.
- In a plus-one kind of way?
- Stop.
ROUNTREE: Hey, guys.
Yeah, Rountree, what do you got?
I located Kevin Philips.
He's working for a masonry contractor
down in Manhattan Beach.
Well, at least he has
for the past two years.
And before that?
Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
Busted on wire fraud
and falsifying records.
Aaron's alibi is a convicted liar,
so the alibi itself could be a lie.
Well, what if the alibi
wasn't just for Aaron?
What if Kevin was covering
for himself too?
They worked together to kill Britney?
Nonviolent criminals wouldn't
have their DNA in CODIS.
That tooth we found could be Kevin's.
- Rountree?
- ROUNTREE: Yeah?
Have Castor pick up Kevin
and bring him to the boatshed.
All right, I'm on it.
MCGUIRE: This is just a classic
case of he said/she said.
ROUNTREE: Admiral, you're back so soon.
- Very funny.
- [SNICKERS]
- Thought you might like that one.
- [SIGHS]
Where'd you find
the keys to this bad boy?
- Who said I used keys?
- Oh.
Don't worry, it was unlocked.
Ah. Find anything?
Well, apparently Britney met
with her commanding officer
before she went missing.
About what?
To report Aaron Baker.
This is her CO talking about it.
MCGUIRE: He wasn't even involved
in the alleged assault.
And no one else stepped forward.
If we investigated every
unsubstantiated emotional claim
some girl makes against our POs,
well, NCIS would stop taking our calls.
[CLICKS]
- Wow.
- Yeah.
I mean, no wonder Britney
confronted Aaron.
Her CO brushed her off.
Forced her to take matters
into her own hands.
But then what's the motive
to kill Britney?
I mean, there's no need
to keep her from reporting it.
She did and nothing happened.
Maybe she didn't stop there.
Threatened to take the claim further.
How far you thinking?
Far enough to cost Britney her life.
So, no Girl Scouts,
no academic decathlon,
uh, no choir, and, um the other one?
- Ceramics.
- Ceramics, yes.
What the heck is wrong with ceramics?
What kind of maniac
lets minors use a kiln?
You are unbelievable, you know that?
Jen Anderson.
NCIS.
Just need to speak with you
for a second.
Deeks.
- Jen?
- [GUN COCKING]
Deeks!
[GUNFIRE]
Fatima, we got shots fired.
I'll take the back!
DEEKS: I'll cover the front.
Son of a bitch.
♪
Kens!
[GROANING]
Stay down!
No.
- [METALLIC CLANKING]
- Kensi.
Come out with your hands up.
Now!
Jen Anderson?
I know why you're here.
[SIREN WHOOPS]
Tried to tell him you
weren't here to arrest him,
but Marcus is a narcissistic idiot.
- What's going to happen to him?
- Well
LAPD found a bunch of drugs on him
and shooting at federal agents
isn't exactly a misdemeanor, so, uh
- So he's going to prison.
- Yeah, most likely, for a long time.
Jen, we need to know about Aaron Baker.
His relationship with
you and with Britney.
We know they got in a fight
the day before she disappeared.
Aaron couldn't remember all the details,
but he did say the fight
was about you, so
Wait, uh
You spoke to him about it?
Yeah, we did.
- I'm gonna go finish up with
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
- Uh-huh.
[SIREN WAILING]
Did something happen
between you and Aaron?
Look, Jen, I know this
is really difficult.
But we can't solve
Britney's case without you.
So if there's anything that
you can tell me right now
One night on base
Aaron
assaulted me.
Took my life from me.
Not with his, like
nothing ever happened.
Is that why you left the Navy?
Mm.
Britney knew about this?
She was the only person I told.
[SOFT LAUGH]
Britney was a good friend,
she wouldn't stand for it.
She couldn't let me give up on my career
while that dirtbag walked around free.
She reported it the day
she went missing.
I begged her not to,
but she didn't listen.
I was so scared I left that day.
Never spoke to her again.
A few days later, I saw
she went missing on the news.
Is that why you never
spoke to investigators?
Why would they believe me?
They didn't believe her.
Well, your criminal record
doesn't make you the world's
most credible witness.
Aaron was my best friend,
but that doesn't mean
I'd lie to protect him.
Maybe you're lying to protect yourself.
Did you help him kill Britney?
No. I had no reason to kill her.
But Aaron did.
She accused him of sexual assault.
You couldn't let your best
friend's career get ruined.
Coming from a Navy family,
you knew what that would do to him.
Look
I don't know what else to tell you.
Aaron didn't kill Britney
and neither did I.
You willing to prove it?
- Prove it?
- CALLEN: Yeah. Give us a DNA sample.
We'll test it against the evidence.
If you're telling the truth,
you have nothing to worry about.
I have nothing to worry about.
I didn't kill her.
Fine.
But can you make it quick?
I have to get back to work.
[DOOR OPENS]
Fatima?
- Can you get me Daisy?
- Yeah, you got it.
[BEEPING]
What was that response for
when I asked you about, uh,
Aaron's family?
How serious was he about the Navy?
I mean, he loved that
it helped him to get girls.
If that tells you anything.
Oh, yeah, that tells me a lot.
Maybe it wasn't his
decision to enlist, huh?
Did he ever talk about his father?
Yeah.
Pretty much any time
he got blackout drunk.
Which was pretty much all the time.
I think his dad
was the reason he drank so much.
Like family pressures
and impossible expectations?
Yeah.
And how anytime he would screw up,
his dad would yell at him,
say how Aaron was embarrassing to him.
I think he had it
a lot harder than most.
You think Aaron would tell his father
about the argument with Britney?
Well, yeah.
She threatened to go to the media.
Britney was gonna blow it up.
- Agent Callen.
- So, Aaron's bunkmate
is gonna give us a DNA sample.
Do you have someone from your team
- that can come down and get it?
- Forget it.
It's not him.
We ran the DNA from the tooth
against the results
of a genealogy search,
and got a match to Aaron Baker.
Hold on, I thought we already
ruled him out through CODIS.
Would you let me finish?
It's a partial match.
Is it 50%?
It's his father Jack.
I'll need a DNA sample to confirm.
We have just the guy for that.
Oh, my God, I think there's
something alive in there.
Well, good thing today is trash day.
Yeah, it'd be a shame
if we had to collect the DNA
from something that was
not disgusting, covered in
God-knows-what.
Hey, guys, are we sure
this is totally legal?
Yeah. With the Abandoned DNA Act,
once genetic material's
on public property,
we can do whatever we want with it.
Mm. Lucky us.
More specifically, lucky, lucky me.
FATIMA: Okay, so anything
on the curb lane is public property.
So, we can just grab
a tissue out of his trash can
and call it a day?
Well, no, it's not that simple.
I mean, we need a clean sample.
And a photograph to prove
that the DNA is coming from,
or most likely, out of the suspect.
Oh, I love my job.
I love my job. I have a law degree.
I love my job.
Heads up.
Looks like he's been working
on some kind of paint job.
Oh, and he's putting it
in the recycling bin.
DEEKS: Wow, this guy
really is a monster.
FATIMA: Okay, do you
see anything on him?
Uh, tissues, paper towels,
anything like that?
I've got disposable gloves.
Yeah, that'll do it.
Uh, those gloves will have
enough skin cells inside
that we can test with the other sample.
All right, sweetheart, you're up.
All right. [CREEPY LAUGHING]
[SPEAKING GIBBERISH]
Let's get it on.
Hey, what are you doing?
What?
Ahh! My trash!
Get out of here! I'll call the cops!
You hear me?
I am Spartacus!
Did he get them?
[LAUGHING]
Yeah
he got 'em all right.
- [SMASHING]
- DEEKS: Ha!
Okay.
[BOAT HORN BLOWING]
CAB DRIVER: Rough trip, huh?
Well, nothing that a hot shower
and a good night's sleep won't fix.
Wake up tomorrow,
have forgotten all about it.
[KNOCKING]
ALEX: Dad.
What are you doing here?
What I should've done years ago.
[SIGHS]
It's a match.
Really? We got him?
We got him.
I'm so glad I didn't touch
all that garbage for nothing.
- [LINE RINGING]
- Wow.
Hey, guys? We have a confirmed
match to Jack Baker.
We are heading back to Aaron's house.
FATIMA: Slight problem.
No, no. No, no, no problem.
We lost Jack.
Look, our LAPD stakeout team tailed him
to a hardware store,
but he gave them the slip.
We're tracking him now
using the GPS from his truck.
Okay, so where is he now?
Looks like he just left
a storage facility in Van Nuys.
DEEKS: What was he doing there?
Something not good.
Security cameras caught him
loading a rifle into his truck.
[SIGHS]
He knows we're coming for him.
And that's definitely not good.
We're coming up on the 5 freeway.
Which way is Jack headed?
North. He just passed
through Santa Clarita.
SAM: That's where we were this morning.
He could be headed to Castaic Lake.
Why would he go there if he knows
that's where we found the body?
Kens, what's your 20?
We're 15 minutes behind you.
FATIMA: Guys, we just got a report
of a hit and run two blocks
from Aaron Baker's house.
The car description matches Aaron's BMW.
We're tracking it now.
He may be on the way
to meet up with his dad.
Or he could be making a run for it.
You two intercept Aaron.
We'll stay with Jack.
Copy that.
He took his rifle.
Let's move.
That's him.
[TIRES SQUEALING]
Aaron Baker, out of the car!
Hands on your head!
Nice and easy!
I don't have time for this.
I have to talk to my dad.
What for?
I think he's gonna hurt himself.
Or worse.
Tell us exactly what he said.
♪
KENSI: Callan, Sam, we have Aaron.
Jack may be on a suicide mission.
[GUNSHOT]
Then he's aiming at the wrong person.
He wants us to do it for him.
I got eyes on Jack.
It's over, Jack.
That bitch was gonna ruin Aaron's life.
No.
Aaron ruined his life
when he assaulted
a female petty officer.
I did what any father would do,
I protected my son!
You murdered someone
who was just trying to do
the right thing.
I'm not dying in prison.
Put down the gun, Jack.
It doesn't have to end like this, Jack.
I'm sorry.
Jack!
He put the safety on.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
Great. I miss all the fun.
[CHUCKLING]
What? I like to see how the story ends.
So does this mean you can now
take back all those old case files?
Oh, you heard about the boxes?
- Yeah.
- Oh, we heard about the boxes.
- [CHUCKLES]
- So now what?
Back to the lab. On to the next.
Rinse and repeat
until the queue is empty.
How many are there?
I stopped keeping count.
You know, if you ever want a change,
we could always use more bodies
in the Cold Case Unit.
- No pun intended.
- Mm-hmm.
Maybe someday, huh?
I got nothing but time.
- [PHONE BUZZES]
- Ooh.
- Stacy met a guy.
- Hmm.
But Emily is looking for a plus-one.
I'm sure she won't have
any trouble finding someone.
[SCOFFS]
Trust me, you're blowing this.
Emily? Emily is beautiful,
she's intelligent,
she's outdoorsy, she makes
incredible guacamole
Okay. Okay.
- You're serious?
- Sure.
She sounds lovely.
But I don't take being
a plus-one lightly.
So I'm going to have to get to
know Emily before the wedding.
Done. We, uh, we can have
dinner Friday night.
Your treat?
- Thank you.
- Okay.
And next week,
we can go to that sushi place
with the Michelin star chef.
Well, t-that's probably overkill, but
Don't you want me to get along
with Emily at the wedding?
I want you to get along, but I
And I know about this private
chef, they come to your house.
Where you going?
I'm walking home.
Come on, G. I'm your best man.
Uh, for now.
Won't hear about that no more.
[CHUCKLING]
Sometimes I think I'm a killer ♪
I scared you in your house ♪
Jen just texted me.
What'd she say?
She's gonna come forward with her story.
She wants to encourage
other victims to speak out.
Can the killer in me
tame the fire in you? ♪
Oh, is there nothing
left to do for us? ♪
I am sick of the chase ♪
But I'm hungry for blood ♪
And there's nothing I can do ♪
I know there's something
waiting for us ♪
I am sick of the chase ♪
But I'm stupid in love ♪
And there's nothing I can do ♪
[SIGHS]
One down, hundreds to go.
And there's nothing I can do. ♪
And that's the last thing
she said to me.
Alex, I am
- I'm so sorry.
- Nah.
[CHUCKLES] It's for the best.
Anything I can do?
Talking helps.
Yeah.
Also, uh
I don't have a new client.
The firm let me go.
I know.
Well
This, this was, um
nice. [CHUCKLES]
Yeah.
I, um
It's okay, Dad.
Rome wasn't built in a day.
[CHUCKLES] Yeah.
Guess like everything else,
it was built one brick at a time.
Yeah.
Uh, well, you better get going
or you're gonna miss your flight.
You got all that important work
to get back to, yeah?
No, no, Dad, really, your flight
Left about an hour ago.
How comfortable is that sofa?
For sleeping?
Very.
I
I'll get you a pillow.
Well, while you're at it,
you could get me
another cup of that, um,
grade-A primo java.
[BOTH CHUCKLING]
[SIGHS]
GEORGE W. BUSH [OVER
RADIO] -: My fellow Americans,
major combat operations
in Iraq have ended.
In the battle of Iraq, the United States
and our allies have prevailed.
[ENGINE SHUTS OFF]
♪
[MUFFLED PANTING]
[GRUNTING]
[SNAPPING]
[GASPING]
- [PANTING]
- [ENGINE REVVING]
Help! Someone help!
Help! Someone! Help!
[CHAINS CLINKING]
Stop.
[RADIO CHATTER]
Hey.
Yeah, it's hers, all right.
Who's your best team in the area?
Great.
♪
KENSI: I don't know what to tell you,
but Rosa needs extracurriculars,
for her college applications.
Yeah, but since when does Yale care
if their law students can twirl a baton?
- What?
- The courtroom is no place
- for gymnastics, my dear.
- No, no, no.
They care about well-rounded students.
But also, baton twirling?
Color Guard, not gymnastics.
Yeah, but it can be super dangerous.
She could fall off the balance beam,
she could hit her head,
she could get a concussion,
or she could breathe in the chalk dust.
I bet that's not good for her.
Okay, Mr. Safety, why don't you tell me
what you would like your daughter to do.
- Track?
- Shin splints.
- Water polo?
- Uh, chlorine poisoning, obviously.
- AV Club?
- Electrocution.
- Stop.
- I know, I know.
I know, I'm sorry. I'm only half-joking.
Sweetie, I want Rosa to be safe, too,
but she cannot spend her life
covered in bubble wrap.
You're right. You're right.
I was just thinking
maybe we could just do
a light to medium
layer of packing peanuts?
I'm gonna go solve cases.
- I'm gonna go solve cases.
- Yeah.
- Hey. We got a new case?
- Not exactly.
So, there's not a case?
We do, it's just not new.
It's from 2003.
Uh, okay, we don't work cold cases.
So why are we handling this one?
We've been asked to assist
NCIS's Cold Case Homicide Unit.
New evidence was just
uncovered in a case
involving a missing Navy petty officer
named Britney Perez.
KENSI: Britney Perez. Why-why
does that sound familiar?
Well, Britney's case was
the subject of a docuseries
- that came out last year.
- That's right.
Okay, so they found her?
No. Just her car.
A hiker spotted it at
Castaic Lake yesterday.
Well, technically,
they found it inthe lake.
But water levels are so low that
you could see it from a trail.
I can't believe I'm about to say this,
but thank God for climate change.
Nope, that still feels wrong.
Uh, should we alert Kilbride?
No. Let's let that man
spend some time with his son.
We can handle this.
Where's, uh, Sam and Callen?
They're on their way to the crime scene.
And MCRT has a team
down there combing the lake.
Does she have any family close by?
Yes, her mother.
And it looks like she hasn't
been informed yet.
I can't imagine losing a child
and not knowing what happened.
Yeah, we'll go talk to the mom.
If nothing else, maybe we can
give her some answers.
Okay.
[EXHALES]
Hey, Dad.
Alex.
Uh, it's just temporary.
Deb and I are still
trying to work things out.
[SIGHS]
Uh
- I-I made some coffee.
- Where can I hang my?
Anywhere. Anywhere's fine.
So
How are things at the firm?
Uh, yeah, great.
I just got a new client.
It's a tech company working
on a cryptocurrency exchange.
I think it's gonna be really good.
Uh
[SIGHS]
All I'm saying is: give it a shot.
What do you got to lose?
Famous last words.
I'd say you're being a tad dramatic.
Can I tell Anna it's a yes?
Absolutely not. And can we
please stop talking about Anna?
We're not talking about Anna.
We're talking about Stacy.
No, you're talking about Stacy.
I don't even know who this person is.
Okay, she's Anna's maid of honor.
Which is why this is so perfect.
You're my best man
- For now.
- Again with the drama.
Look, can we just drop it?
Or there will be drama.
All right?
Okay, so you'll think about it?
Special Agent Van Zant?
Give us a second.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Special Agent Van Zant was my father.
You can call me Daisy.
Okay, Daisy. I'm Callen, this is Sam.
How can we help?
Stay close by.
Try not to get in the way.
First cold case?
Yeah.
Couple of virgins. This'll be fun.
I've been working cases since '04.
Solved more of them than
the next two agents combined.
I like your modesty.
Confidence in a woman
make you uncomfortable, Agent Callen?
Well, if it did, then I'm about
to marry the wrong woman.
Congratulations on the wedding.
Like I said, I'm the best we've got,
but this one's had my number.
And why is that?
In a word, evidence.
- There wasn't any. Until now.
- Mm-hmm.
OFFICER: Daisy.
- Hmm.
- Stay close.
Welcome to Cold Case, gentleman.
Hey. Coroner just identified the body
as Petty Officer Perez.
Good luck.
Kensi and Deeks are about
to meet with Britney's mom.
They'll inform her.
No easy way to deliver that news.
Well, at least it's coming
from us and not
So who were the agents on
the original investigation?
Couple of guys from
the local field office,
Walker and Haskins.
Both retired before I got here.
I think Walker moved to Florida
and Haskins died some years back.
- What's your take?
- Put it this way:
There's good work, there's sloppy work,
and then there's
whatever the hell this was.
It's no wonder the case
ended up with us.
Did they identify any suspects?
One. Petty Officer Aaron Baker.
The night before Britney went missing,
a witness saw the two of them
arguing outside a bar.
And Aaron must've said something to her
because apparently
she gave him a good slap.
What was the argument about?
I don't know. And neither does Aaron.
Claims he was too drunk to remember,
and Walker and Haskins
didn't push him any further.
Wow.
Yeah, life's good when
you're third generation Navy.
What was the alibi?
His bunkmate.
Name escapes me, but it's in the file.
Aaron said they were playing video games
and watching movies all night.
So he wasn't too drunk to remember that.
I'm guessing the, uh,
bunkmate's story matches?
To a T. Aaron was cleared,
the case has been cold ever since.
Can I have a vial?
What do you got?
Something. Thank you.
Huh.
It's a tooth.
DAISY: It's not hers.
Looks like she has a full set.
Well, maybe Britney took part
of the killer with her.
She kept fighting until the end.
You think you can pull DNA from this?
Teeth and bone are the most reliable.
But 20 years under water?
You'd have more luck
keeping flies off manure.
Well, good luck.
I'll see what we can do.
Yeah, well, we'll pay
this, uh, Aaron a visit.
See if we can jog his memory
about any other details.
Thank you, Daisy.
Anything else we can
get you, Mrs. Perez?
No, I'm fine, thank you.
Oh, she's beautiful.
She was.
And smart. And funny.
Mm.
We're incredibly sorry for your loss.
Thank you.
I'm a single parent.
You know, we only had each other.
Always.
That's why, uh
I never believed them.
Believed who?
The investigators.
They thought that Britney had gone AWOL,
that she couldn't handle
the pressure of the Navy,
the thought of deployment.
Did she express or articulate
any of those feelings to you?
No.
No, no, she loved the Navy.
I would know,
we spoke all the time.
She would never keep
something like that from me,
and leave without saying goodbye?
No.
The-the last time you spoke to
her, how did she seem to you?
Did she mention anything unusual, or?
She
She was upset.
And-and frazzled, and
just not her usual happy self.
Something to do, um
with her roommate, Jen.
It-it was a bad situation,
but she just
She wouldn't tell me the whole story.
Why? Why wouldn't she tell you that?
I-I
I think she was trying to protect me.
That was Britney.
Always, always looking out for others.
She sounds like she was
a really wonderful person.
Yeah.
I've been waiting for this day for
for 20 years.
Hoping
that someone would find her.
And now that it's here,
I-I would give anything,
absolutely anything,
to go back.
You know? To just have
one more day of not knowing.
One more day of not
thinking how someone
[SHAKY BREATH]
Promise me that you won't
give up on her this time.
I promise.
Where were you?
Digging into Aaron Baker.
Check it out.
FATIMA: Okay, so when he was 18,
he was arrested for assault and battery.
Which he pled down to a misdemeanor,
struck a deal with the DA
and got off easy.
Okay, so, this is a good thing, right?
It means he had a history of violence.
Yeah, that and this means
that his DNA is gonna
be on file in CODIS.
So if the tooth
that Callen and Sam found
in the trunk of
Britney's car was Aaron's,
then it'll show up when they
run it through the database.
- Bingo.
- Bam.
What's up with the case files
we're waiting for?
I don't know, they've been "on the way"
for like two hours.
How long does it take
to upload a digital file?
[SCOFFS]
Who's this?
This is the roommate that
Britney's mom was talking about.
Petty Officer Jen Anderson.
In her Navy profile,
it says that she went "UA"
just days before Britney went missing.
So she dropped out. Does it say why?
- I'm sure it does in the files.
- [PHONE CHIMES]
Which we just received.
What? I didn't see anything come in.
Daisy says they're downstairs.
- These can't be the case files.
- [SIGHS]
"Sorry, kids, this is how
we did things in the old days.
Good luck. Daisy."
How can they be both charred and moist?
"P.S. Don't mind the soot.
Wildfire got them in '09,
flood in '15, you get the idea."
- [CHUCKLES]
- [SCOFFS]
Ah, well, so uh, you got this, right?
Uh [SIGHS]
[SIGHS]
Ugh.
[BUZZING]
Aaron Baker?
Oh, you flatter me.
I'm Aaron's father, Jack.
Can I help you gentleman?
NCIS. We were hoping
to speak with your son.
I understand he's
working from home today.
This is his house, right?
Yeah. He and Melissa have been
kind enough to let me move in
since my house burned down
in the Bell Canyon fires.
We're sorry to hear about that.
Is Aaron inside?
You just missed him.
But I'll tell him you
stopped by. What's it about?
We're following up
on a cold case from 2003.
It's kind of important
we speak with him.
Can you tell us where he is?
Do you have any idea
the problems this
investigation has caused
with that damn docuseries?
Late night phone calls,
people just coming up to the house.
Death threats.
I'm sorry your family
had to go through that.
Yeah. I'll pass along the message.
First rule of seamanship:
Always keep the lines taut.
Were you Navy?
Senior Chief, Special Warfare.
Look, we only want to speak with him.
Well, Aaron and Melissa went
to go get some more shellac.
They'll come back soon.
You want to come inside and wait?
I piloted that in Desert Storm.
I was a Chief Petty Officer back then,
ran a Beachmasters unit.
Toughest son of a bitches you ever met.
You look like you may have
seen some combat time.
Enough to know I never
want to see it again.
Hmm.
Hey.
What's going on?
Aaron, we're NCIS.
We just wanted to ask
you a few questions
about Petty Officer Britney Perez.
No. You can't keep putting
us through this.
Her body was found this morning.
The sooner we have answers,
the sooner this is over for everyone.
They're just doing their job.
Yeah.
It's fine.
[SIGHS]
What do you want to know?
Why don't you start by telling us
what you Britney were arguing
about before she disappeared?
I wish I could.
But I don't remember.
And that's because you were
too drunk at the time?
Look, guys, remember
it was 20 years ago.
All right, what about your bunkmate?
Do you remember his name?
Yeah. Kevin. Kevin Philips.
You two were pretty close at the time?
Sure, you could say that.
When's the last time you talked to him?
A decade, maybe longer.
We slowly lost touch.
Look, I know you guys are
looking for clear answers,
but [CHUCKLES]
it's been 20 years.
I get it. Uh, just one more thing.
Would you be willing to turn
over your dental records?
I'm sorry, no,
but this is harassment.
My husband's been cleared and you're
asking about his teeth?
It's related to the case.
New evidence was discovered.
MELISSA: Then if you want his
records, you need a warrant.
I'm calling our lawyer.
We're done talking.
I think Aaron remembers
more than he's telling us.
And Melissa knows it.
I don't think we're getting
anything else out of those two.
I have Rountree tracking
down Kevin Philips.
Maybe we'll find out
if this alibi is true.
- Hmm.
- What?
Looks like Daisy was able to extract
usable DNA from the tooth.
She's sending it to CODIS now.
Then we don't need
Aaron's dental records.
We have his DNA.
And if he did kill Britney
we'll know soon.
Oh, damn. Looks like an episode
of Hoarders down here.
How's it going?
Well, half of these files
don't even belong to our case
and the other half
- are moldy, burnt, or chewed.
- [LAUGHS]
And I'm pretty sure something
is living in that one.
What about you? Any good news?
Yeah, I found Jen Anderson,
Britney's roommate.
She was arrested five years ago
for drug possession.
She's currently out on parole
right now living in Sun Valley.
Kensi and Deeks are
on their way there now.
Hey, take a look at these.
Aaron Baker, Carmen Perez
These must be the recorded interviews
from the initial investigation.
Cassette tapes in '03?
Yeah, I'm starting to get the sense
that tech wasn't exactly
this department's thing.
Yeah. But where the hell are
we supposed to find something
old enough to play these?
Kilbride's truck is in the carport.
You don't think he'd mind if we
- borrowed it for a few hours?
- No.
It's for the investigation.
Plus, he's on vacation.
He's probably having the time
of his life right now.
[CHUCKLES]
Great coffee, huh?
This is some grade-A primo java
straight from Guatemala.
I get it from a guy who sells
it at the farmers' market down
Ah, I'm good, thanks.
More for me.
Alex, you know why I'm here.
I've got a handle on it.
I'm back in rehab.
And this time I'm sticking with it.
So I've been told.
Happy to hear it.
This is so weird.
Would you prefer that we
simply pick up where we left off?
I don't know. At least
you were being yourself.
[GROANS]
This isn't easy for me, either.
Then what are you even doing here?
Mom asked you to come, right?
She could
Of course she did. I knew it.
Mom could never leave well enough alone.
If it were "well enough,"
she wouldn't have asked.
Yeah, well, nothing ever is, is it?
Oh, hell. Don't give me that crap.
This is not about me.
We gave you every advantage
a kid could want.
You could've done anything.
Been anything.
You chose this.
I didn't choose this, Dad.
You didn't say no to it, did you?
You know, maybe the
difference between us is
I wasn't born ready
to take on the world,
like you.
No, no, the only difference
between us is
I didn't fold up like a cheap suit
every time life got hard!
"Suck it up." "Tough it out."
"Walk it off." "Bite the bullet."
And "take it like a man."
That about cover it?
Did I miss one, Dad?
[SIGHING]
I am here to help, Alex.
Awfully late for that. [SCOFFS]
Awfully late. By about 40 years.
I don't want your help.
So just go.
Just go.
I'm sure you've got
lots of important work
you need to get back to.
Go.
♪
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
I got it. Emily.
And who is Emily?
Your plus-one for the wedding.
You two would be perfect together.
Isn't that the same thing
you said about Stacy?
No, no, no, I've moved on from Stacy.
You and Emily are a much better fit.
You know, G,
if you don't drop this idea,
you're going to be the next
thing they find in a lake.
You need time to think about it
and I can respect that.
Sorry, boys. No dice.
Results came back inconclusive.
So what are you saying?
It's not Aaron's tooth?
Not according to CODIS.
Some days you're the pigeon,
some days you're the statue.
We're still only dealing with a database
full of violent offenders,
missing persons,
and forensic samples
collected from crime scenes.
Oh, great, so our pool
of potential suspects
is basically anyone else
that was living in Los Angeles in 2003?
Anyone else except Aaron Baker.
What about forensic genealogy?
Isn't that how they found
the Golden State Killer?
It's not as easy
as the media makes it seem.
First, we'd have to build out
a family tree.
That takes time.
And then, well,
we have to pray the killer
had some relative who wanted
to see how Scottish they were.
I'll get my team started on it.
[CALLEN SIGHS]
I like her.
- In a plus-one kind of way?
- Stop.
ROUNTREE: Hey, guys.
Yeah, Rountree, what do you got?
I located Kevin Philips.
He's working for a masonry contractor
down in Manhattan Beach.
Well, at least he has
for the past two years.
And before that?
Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
Busted on wire fraud
and falsifying records.
Aaron's alibi is a convicted liar,
so the alibi itself could be a lie.
Well, what if the alibi
wasn't just for Aaron?
What if Kevin was covering
for himself too?
They worked together to kill Britney?
Nonviolent criminals wouldn't
have their DNA in CODIS.
That tooth we found could be Kevin's.
- Rountree?
- ROUNTREE: Yeah?
Have Castor pick up Kevin
and bring him to the boatshed.
All right, I'm on it.
MCGUIRE: This is just a classic
case of he said/she said.
ROUNTREE: Admiral, you're back so soon.
- Very funny.
- [SNICKERS]
- Thought you might like that one.
- [SIGHS]
Where'd you find
the keys to this bad boy?
- Who said I used keys?
- Oh.
Don't worry, it was unlocked.
Ah. Find anything?
Well, apparently Britney met
with her commanding officer
before she went missing.
About what?
To report Aaron Baker.
This is her CO talking about it.
MCGUIRE: He wasn't even involved
in the alleged assault.
And no one else stepped forward.
If we investigated every
unsubstantiated emotional claim
some girl makes against our POs,
well, NCIS would stop taking our calls.
[CLICKS]
- Wow.
- Yeah.
I mean, no wonder Britney
confronted Aaron.
Her CO brushed her off.
Forced her to take matters
into her own hands.
But then what's the motive
to kill Britney?
I mean, there's no need
to keep her from reporting it.
She did and nothing happened.
Maybe she didn't stop there.
Threatened to take the claim further.
How far you thinking?
Far enough to cost Britney her life.
So, no Girl Scouts,
no academic decathlon,
uh, no choir, and, um the other one?
- Ceramics.
- Ceramics, yes.
What the heck is wrong with ceramics?
What kind of maniac
lets minors use a kiln?
You are unbelievable, you know that?
Jen Anderson.
NCIS.
Just need to speak with you
for a second.
Deeks.
- Jen?
- [GUN COCKING]
Deeks!
[GUNFIRE]
Fatima, we got shots fired.
I'll take the back!
DEEKS: I'll cover the front.
Son of a bitch.
♪
Kens!
[GROANING]
Stay down!
No.
- [METALLIC CLANKING]
- Kensi.
Come out with your hands up.
Now!
Jen Anderson?
I know why you're here.
[SIREN WHOOPS]
Tried to tell him you
weren't here to arrest him,
but Marcus is a narcissistic idiot.
- What's going to happen to him?
- Well
LAPD found a bunch of drugs on him
and shooting at federal agents
isn't exactly a misdemeanor, so, uh
- So he's going to prison.
- Yeah, most likely, for a long time.
Jen, we need to know about Aaron Baker.
His relationship with
you and with Britney.
We know they got in a fight
the day before she disappeared.
Aaron couldn't remember all the details,
but he did say the fight
was about you, so
Wait, uh
You spoke to him about it?
Yeah, we did.
- I'm gonna go finish up with
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
- Uh-huh.
[SIREN WAILING]
Did something happen
between you and Aaron?
Look, Jen, I know this
is really difficult.
But we can't solve
Britney's case without you.
So if there's anything that
you can tell me right now
One night on base
Aaron
assaulted me.
Took my life from me.
Not with his, like
nothing ever happened.
Is that why you left the Navy?
Mm.
Britney knew about this?
She was the only person I told.
[SOFT LAUGH]
Britney was a good friend,
she wouldn't stand for it.
She couldn't let me give up on my career
while that dirtbag walked around free.
She reported it the day
she went missing.
I begged her not to,
but she didn't listen.
I was so scared I left that day.
Never spoke to her again.
A few days later, I saw
she went missing on the news.
Is that why you never
spoke to investigators?
Why would they believe me?
They didn't believe her.
Well, your criminal record
doesn't make you the world's
most credible witness.
Aaron was my best friend,
but that doesn't mean
I'd lie to protect him.
Maybe you're lying to protect yourself.
Did you help him kill Britney?
No. I had no reason to kill her.
But Aaron did.
She accused him of sexual assault.
You couldn't let your best
friend's career get ruined.
Coming from a Navy family,
you knew what that would do to him.
Look
I don't know what else to tell you.
Aaron didn't kill Britney
and neither did I.
You willing to prove it?
- Prove it?
- CALLEN: Yeah. Give us a DNA sample.
We'll test it against the evidence.
If you're telling the truth,
you have nothing to worry about.
I have nothing to worry about.
I didn't kill her.
Fine.
But can you make it quick?
I have to get back to work.
[DOOR OPENS]
Fatima?
- Can you get me Daisy?
- Yeah, you got it.
[BEEPING]
What was that response for
when I asked you about, uh,
Aaron's family?
How serious was he about the Navy?
I mean, he loved that
it helped him to get girls.
If that tells you anything.
Oh, yeah, that tells me a lot.
Maybe it wasn't his
decision to enlist, huh?
Did he ever talk about his father?
Yeah.
Pretty much any time
he got blackout drunk.
Which was pretty much all the time.
I think his dad
was the reason he drank so much.
Like family pressures
and impossible expectations?
Yeah.
And how anytime he would screw up,
his dad would yell at him,
say how Aaron was embarrassing to him.
I think he had it
a lot harder than most.
You think Aaron would tell his father
about the argument with Britney?
Well, yeah.
She threatened to go to the media.
Britney was gonna blow it up.
- Agent Callen.
- So, Aaron's bunkmate
is gonna give us a DNA sample.
Do you have someone from your team
- that can come down and get it?
- Forget it.
It's not him.
We ran the DNA from the tooth
against the results
of a genealogy search,
and got a match to Aaron Baker.
Hold on, I thought we already
ruled him out through CODIS.
Would you let me finish?
It's a partial match.
Is it 50%?
It's his father Jack.
I'll need a DNA sample to confirm.
We have just the guy for that.
Oh, my God, I think there's
something alive in there.
Well, good thing today is trash day.
Yeah, it'd be a shame
if we had to collect the DNA
from something that was
not disgusting, covered in
God-knows-what.
Hey, guys, are we sure
this is totally legal?
Yeah. With the Abandoned DNA Act,
once genetic material's
on public property,
we can do whatever we want with it.
Mm. Lucky us.
More specifically, lucky, lucky me.
FATIMA: Okay, so anything
on the curb lane is public property.
So, we can just grab
a tissue out of his trash can
and call it a day?
Well, no, it's not that simple.
I mean, we need a clean sample.
And a photograph to prove
that the DNA is coming from,
or most likely, out of the suspect.
Oh, I love my job.
I love my job. I have a law degree.
I love my job.
Heads up.
Looks like he's been working
on some kind of paint job.
Oh, and he's putting it
in the recycling bin.
DEEKS: Wow, this guy
really is a monster.
FATIMA: Okay, do you
see anything on him?
Uh, tissues, paper towels,
anything like that?
I've got disposable gloves.
Yeah, that'll do it.
Uh, those gloves will have
enough skin cells inside
that we can test with the other sample.
All right, sweetheart, you're up.
All right. [CREEPY LAUGHING]
[SPEAKING GIBBERISH]
Let's get it on.
Hey, what are you doing?
What?
Ahh! My trash!
Get out of here! I'll call the cops!
You hear me?
I am Spartacus!
Did he get them?
[LAUGHING]
Yeah
he got 'em all right.
- [SMASHING]
- DEEKS: Ha!
Okay.
[BOAT HORN BLOWING]
CAB DRIVER: Rough trip, huh?
Well, nothing that a hot shower
and a good night's sleep won't fix.
Wake up tomorrow,
have forgotten all about it.
[KNOCKING]
ALEX: Dad.
What are you doing here?
What I should've done years ago.
[SIGHS]
It's a match.
Really? We got him?
We got him.
I'm so glad I didn't touch
all that garbage for nothing.
- [LINE RINGING]
- Wow.
Hey, guys? We have a confirmed
match to Jack Baker.
We are heading back to Aaron's house.
FATIMA: Slight problem.
No, no. No, no, no problem.
We lost Jack.
Look, our LAPD stakeout team tailed him
to a hardware store,
but he gave them the slip.
We're tracking him now
using the GPS from his truck.
Okay, so where is he now?
Looks like he just left
a storage facility in Van Nuys.
DEEKS: What was he doing there?
Something not good.
Security cameras caught him
loading a rifle into his truck.
[SIGHS]
He knows we're coming for him.
And that's definitely not good.
We're coming up on the 5 freeway.
Which way is Jack headed?
North. He just passed
through Santa Clarita.
SAM: That's where we were this morning.
He could be headed to Castaic Lake.
Why would he go there if he knows
that's where we found the body?
Kens, what's your 20?
We're 15 minutes behind you.
FATIMA: Guys, we just got a report
of a hit and run two blocks
from Aaron Baker's house.
The car description matches Aaron's BMW.
We're tracking it now.
He may be on the way
to meet up with his dad.
Or he could be making a run for it.
You two intercept Aaron.
We'll stay with Jack.
Copy that.
He took his rifle.
Let's move.
That's him.
[TIRES SQUEALING]
Aaron Baker, out of the car!
Hands on your head!
Nice and easy!
I don't have time for this.
I have to talk to my dad.
What for?
I think he's gonna hurt himself.
Or worse.
Tell us exactly what he said.
♪
KENSI: Callan, Sam, we have Aaron.
Jack may be on a suicide mission.
[GUNSHOT]
Then he's aiming at the wrong person.
He wants us to do it for him.
I got eyes on Jack.
It's over, Jack.
That bitch was gonna ruin Aaron's life.
No.
Aaron ruined his life
when he assaulted
a female petty officer.
I did what any father would do,
I protected my son!
You murdered someone
who was just trying to do
the right thing.
I'm not dying in prison.
Put down the gun, Jack.
It doesn't have to end like this, Jack.
I'm sorry.
Jack!
He put the safety on.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
Great. I miss all the fun.
[CHUCKLING]
What? I like to see how the story ends.
So does this mean you can now
take back all those old case files?
Oh, you heard about the boxes?
- Yeah.
- Oh, we heard about the boxes.
- [CHUCKLES]
- So now what?
Back to the lab. On to the next.
Rinse and repeat
until the queue is empty.
How many are there?
I stopped keeping count.
You know, if you ever want a change,
we could always use more bodies
in the Cold Case Unit.
- No pun intended.
- Mm-hmm.
Maybe someday, huh?
I got nothing but time.
- [PHONE BUZZES]
- Ooh.
- Stacy met a guy.
- Hmm.
But Emily is looking for a plus-one.
I'm sure she won't have
any trouble finding someone.
[SCOFFS]
Trust me, you're blowing this.
Emily? Emily is beautiful,
she's intelligent,
she's outdoorsy, she makes
incredible guacamole
Okay. Okay.
- You're serious?
- Sure.
She sounds lovely.
But I don't take being
a plus-one lightly.
So I'm going to have to get to
know Emily before the wedding.
Done. We, uh, we can have
dinner Friday night.
Your treat?
- Thank you.
- Okay.
And next week,
we can go to that sushi place
with the Michelin star chef.
Well, t-that's probably overkill, but
Don't you want me to get along
with Emily at the wedding?
I want you to get along, but I
And I know about this private
chef, they come to your house.
Where you going?
I'm walking home.
Come on, G. I'm your best man.
Uh, for now.
Won't hear about that no more.
[CHUCKLING]
Sometimes I think I'm a killer ♪
I scared you in your house ♪
Jen just texted me.
What'd she say?
She's gonna come forward with her story.
She wants to encourage
other victims to speak out.
Can the killer in me
tame the fire in you? ♪
Oh, is there nothing
left to do for us? ♪
I am sick of the chase ♪
But I'm hungry for blood ♪
And there's nothing I can do ♪
I know there's something
waiting for us ♪
I am sick of the chase ♪
But I'm stupid in love ♪
And there's nothing I can do ♪
[SIGHS]
One down, hundreds to go.
And there's nothing I can do. ♪
And that's the last thing
she said to me.
Alex, I am
- I'm so sorry.
- Nah.
[CHUCKLES] It's for the best.
Anything I can do?
Talking helps.
Yeah.
Also, uh
I don't have a new client.
The firm let me go.
I know.
Well
This, this was, um
nice. [CHUCKLES]
Yeah.
I, um
It's okay, Dad.
Rome wasn't built in a day.
[CHUCKLES] Yeah.
Guess like everything else,
it was built one brick at a time.
Yeah.
Uh, well, you better get going
or you're gonna miss your flight.
You got all that important work
to get back to, yeah?
No, no, Dad, really, your flight
Left about an hour ago.
How comfortable is that sofa?
For sleeping?
Very.
I
I'll get you a pillow.
Well, while you're at it,
you could get me
another cup of that, um,
grade-A primo java.
[BOTH CHUCKLING]
[SIGHS]