Life (2007–2009): Season 2, Episode 20 - Initiative 38 - full transcript
An LA councilwoman is found shot in their family's outdoor jacuzzi. She was working to get Initiative 38, a comprehensive ban on handguns, passed. Was the murder committed by gun-nuts or is there more to the case than seems at first?
I appreciate you coming, I do.
Well, when the mayor's office calls,
we really don't have a choice.
I didn't know who else to call.
Why do you think something's
happened to your wife?
- We came back...
- I have that 8:00 conference call.
- It'll have to wait.
- It's New York, they won't be happy.
Okay, okay. 15 minutes.
My wife is not here.
Her car is, but she is not.
She is not at her office.
So if she is not here and she
is not there, where is she?
You were out of town last night?
Vegas. Had to see a client last-minute.
We all got back just now.
- "We all"?
- My staff and I.
- Could you take a look at this?
- Not now.
But it has to go out now.
All right. Excuse me.
Howard Amis. "The" Howard Amis.
Biggest political consultant in L.A.
You remember the crying tomato ad?
Don't remember it.
"Somebody's got to pick me."
No. Don't remember it.
Let's go see his lair.
In these times of uncertainty,
family, it's who we are.
No, not, "Who we are."
It needs to be "who you are."
Talk to the voter.
- Okay.
- Family.
Where is she?
I was just going to surprise my wife.
Surprise her how?
She thought I was coming back
tonight. I just...
Just wanted to surprise her.
Mr. Amis, is it possible
your wife is with a friend?
I called all her friends.
Mr. Amis, is it possible your wife
is with a friend you don't know,
because she thought you weren't here?
A friend I don't know?
No, that is not possible.
- You call the hospitals?
- Yes.
You try her phone?
Rings, then it goes to voicemail.
Something has happened to Lisa.
I know that I'm supposed to wait 24 hours,
but I couldn't.
So I called in some favors, I'm sorry.
Is there anyone you can think of
who would want to harm your wife?
She's a California state assemblywoman.
I'd say all the people
that voted against her,
and half the people that voted for her.
- Her car is here?
- Yes.
- Bed?
- Slept in.
- Where's your cat?
- Luther? I don't know.
I haven't seen it,
but I wasn't looking for it.
- Her cat or yours?
- Hers.
Do you think that Lisa has left me?
I think her bed has been slept in.
I think her car is here.
Luther.
Will you call your wife's phone for me?
Why?
Stay here.
What is it?
Just stay right there please, Mr. Amis.
It's latched from the outside.
It's who you are.
What? What is it?
Bullet wounds. I count four.
If the jets in the spa were on, she would
never have heard anyone approach.
If the shooter puts
his muzzle in the water...
No one hears the shot.
She goes down, killer latches the lid.
Comes over the fence, leaves the same way.
You could do the whole thing
in under a minute if you really wanted to.
Yeah, if you really wanted to.
Who are all these people?
They work with us. They're here
to help find who killed your wife.
What are they looking for?
Evidence. May they look around?
Yeah, of course. I...
But?
I'm the husband. My wife has been killed.
Everyone's going to think I did it.
Everyone's going to think
I killed my wife. I would.
My people, they want me
to go out to the curb,
cry in front of the cameras.
Your staff was with you in Vegas?
Yeah. We were there
at the tables till about 1:00.
Caught the morning flight.
I just wanted to surprise her.
Mr. Amis, is there anything missing
from your house?
No. I mean, I don't think so.
Why? What does that look mean?
This wasn't a home invasion.
What are you saying to me?
We're saying that someone
came here to kill your wife.
Can you think who that might be?
Yes, I can.
Initiative 38.
Initiative 38 is a comprehensive
ban on handguns.
Lisa was working to get it passed.
How comprehensive?
We were taking back our streets.
You get any push-back
from the gun companies?
Any push-back? Yeah.
There was a lot of money
coming in against us from the other side,
from P&K Guns.
I didn't think they'd do this, though.
Lisa was the face of Initiative 38.
Well, there's no proof they did.
Look, it would be a big help if I could
put out that P&K are suspects.
A big help to what?
To the Initiative.
We're investigating a homicide.
And Lisa was trying to stop
hundreds of homicides.
So can I release that P&K are suspects?
No, you cannot release that.
What about "persons of interest"?
No, you can't release that, either.
Is it what Lisa would've done?
Yes. Use everything, leave nothing.
How long did you work for Lisa?
She hired me six years ago.
Right out of Princeton.
Your first job?
- Your dream job?
- Yes.
- You married to it?
- Yes, I am.
What about Lisa's marriage?
I didn't get it.
Howard was right, Lisa was left.
He stood for everything
she wanted to tear down.
But she said she loved him.
Where were you last night?
Working, here.
I'm on the security tapes if you need it.
Lisa worked you hard?
Like she worked herself. She was...
A killer?
Yeah.
She was a killer.
But she didn't own a gun.
Or a gun company.
You want to be mayor?
Well, I'd considered it as a part
of a long-term plan, but how did you know...
I'm sorry, I was talking to him.
Do I want to be mayor?
When you first got out of jail,
got all that press,
I told Lisa I could make you mayor
in three weeks.
Wow! Mayor, huh?
You want to run, give me a call.
Is it what Lisa would've done?
Use everything, leave nothing.
Hey, it's Dani, leave a message.
Hey, Reese. It's Crews.
Just wondering how
the Feds are treating you.
Hey, I just, uh...
Look, I...
Hey, look, just call me.
Okay?
What?
Nothing.
Because she said I could be mayor?
No, the door was just locked.
You... You are a sore loser!
- No, I'm not!
- Oh, yeah, you are.
On the rare occasion you do lose.
To be clear, I am not a sore loser.
And she said she could make you mayor,
not make you a good mayor.
Elder brothers?
Four of them.
- It shows?
- A little bit.
Hey, would you vote for me?
No. I would not vote for you.
I said I'd vote for you.
Lisa Amis, California state assemblywoman,
getting ready to run for U.S. Senate.
Married to Howard Amis,
highly paid political guru.
Runs campaign for Senate, Congress.
Anyone on the other side
of the aisle from his wife.
If she was for it, he's against it.
So they had nothing in common.
Well, maybe what they had in common
is that they had nothing in common.
Do not write that down.
Might be a clue. I'm going to write it
down, you may look away.
You sure Howard was in Vegas
when his wife got dead in that hot tub?
Well, there are some time gaps,
but we've got him on casino video,
hotel door swipes, and airport check-in.
Wife dies, money's on the husband.
That's what her husband said.
Lisa Amis is the face of Initiative 38.
If that passes, P&K Guns gets hit hard.
Then you're going to want to know this.
The ballistics on the bullets
that killed Ms. Lisa Amis.
Four bullets, two from a 9mm,
two from a .22.
- Two guns.
- Two shooters.
Someone really wanted her dead.
We should go.
Something different about you.
No, I'm exactly the same.
There's something.
She's not smiling.
I'm smiling.
I am smiling.
- Because I could be mayor.
- You're going to be mayor?
No. But I could be. In three weeks.
We should go. And I am smiling.
Hey.
What do you hear from Reese?
Not a whole lot. Her phone goes
to voicemail the last few days.
Did she tell you what she's doing
over there with those Feds?
Organized Crime Task Force.
Why are you asking me these questions?
Is there something
I should know about Dani...
Detective Reese?
Captain, what would you say
if I asked you to GPS-track her cell?
I'd say she was in the care of the FBI.
Why would I track her cell?
P&K Firearms, shots fired.
Bobby, who are they?
They work here.
- And they're all carrying?
- Within the confines of the building,
they are well within their rights.
- Lawyer and a cop.
- That all?
Olympics. Just the relay.
- Who's she?
- Whitney Paxman, CEO of P&K Guns.
She was carrying a nice-sized .45.
Empty holster. Was she the one
who discharged her weapon?
Yes, ma'am. So we took it away from her.
Discharged it at...
At her.
I had something to give her.
"Something" being a body bag.
She should know
the end result of her product.
She should see what it leads to,
where Lisa ended up.
Ran by security with it,
was making a dash to the corner office.
And she shot at me.
It was a warning shot.
I felt it go by my ear.
That's why we call it a warning.
- Chairman of the company.
- And a pretty good shot.
Lock up Ella Holden, and give
Ms. Paxman there her gun back.
Well within her rights.
No, there is no case number
attached to this GPS request.
I know you have to put
something down on the form.
Put down "Captain's discretion."
Yes, I know that's not a number.
Well, I know I need a number now.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh! A number!
Like a case number. Yes,
I have a case number.
Of course I have a case number.
It is 9874-9817-4.
Thank you.
What the hell do you want?
My file, sir.
Can you get my shoe?
- Ms. Paxman...
- Plum. Please call me Plum.
Plum, as in the plum, Plum?
Plum, like the fruit, plum?
Yes, that's what my friends call me.
What?
He eats a lot of fruit.
So we have some questions
about your business, Ms. Paxman.
Well, I run a family business.
That made $25 million in sales last year.
What happens to that business
if Initiative 38 passes?
Well, that's never going to happen.
Lisa Amis thought it might,
and Lisa Amis seemed like a smart woman.
Lisa Amis was a very smart woman.
- You knew her?
- Yes.
Before she got into politics,
I tried to hire her.
See, I like smart women.
I like smart women working for me.
But sadly, she worked for the other side.
Why do you think Initiative 38
will never pass?
The polling numbers
are in our favor 4-to-1.
People like your guns that much?
People like our jobs that much, Detective.
P&K Firearms produces
one of the last products
this country actually makes
cheaper and better than China.
We're going to crush that initiative.
And everyone knows it.
Ms. Paxman, you should see this.
P&K are persons of interest
in the killing of Lisa Amis.
How do you know that?
The police are here right now,
questioning the owner.
Was a P&K firearm used in the shooting?
Does this have anything to do
with Initiative 38?
Is this personal
because she was your boss?
Use everything, leave nothing.
If you become mayor,
what's your stand on gun control?
It's complicated.
There are way too many shootings,
but the Second Amendment of the Constitution
does guarantee certain rights.
You been rehearsing that speech?
- It shows?
- Just a little bit.
And that is a lot of firepower just
to push a mail cart.
Detective Crews?
That is a lot of firepower.
You're not talking about the mail cart.
No, I'm talking about sending
two shooters to kill Lisa Amis.
Why would you send two shooters
to kill a 40-year-old unarmed woman?
That is a lot of firepower.
- You send two shooters...
- To kill two people.
Howard Amis went to Vegas last-minute.
He was supposed to be
in that house with Lisa.
He send two shooters to kill two people.
Help me. Please.
Mr. Amis?
- Mr. Amis?
- Help me. Please, help me.
If I move, it goes off.
The bomb squad's almost here, Howard.
It's on the doorstep.
I think it's flowers for Lisa.
I open it up,
and there's a clock in here
and it starts ticking.
I grabbed the wires
and the clock stopped.
But now, every time I move,
the clock starts ticking again.
So I'm not going to move anymore, okay?
What's the note say, Howard?
"Who is the little one now?"
The bomb squad's almost here, Howard.
Okay?
Family.
Look at me, Howard.
Where's all your staff?
Gone.
For the day?
No, I let them go. My clients, too.
Look at me, Howard.
Why'd you let them all go?
What my wife did, she believed in it.
What I do, I just do it to do it.
But now that she's dead...
You don't want to do it anymore?
I don't think I can stand much longer.
Like a shark, you know?
I got to keep moving.
- Grab the wires!
- Okay. Grabbing the wires.
Okay.
- How you doing?
- Pretty good, how about yourself?
I'm holding a bomb.
I saw that.
Bomb squad's here.
Okay, why don't you
point them on in here?
Let's go! Move it!
"Who is the little one now?"
Yeah, it seems like I should
know what that means,
but I don't.
I don't.
Too bad no one got a picture
of you saving me.
You could make a whole career
with a picture like that.
We could stage it
again, if you want.
You ever get any threats before?
In public, to my face.
It's the business.
But not like this.
We need to see your client list.
Oh, yes, I...
But I don't think it's there. I...
It seems like I should
know what that means.
But I don't.
Howard,
just 'cause you don't want to do
what you've been doing
doesn't mean you can't do something else.
You know?
Yeah, don't worry.
I'm a shark.
Got to keep moving.
We're going to leave
some uniformed officers here.
No prints on the device left at
Amis' house. Crude, but clean.
No prints on the note, either.
Looks like Seever took
almost getting blown up personally.
Looks like Seever did.
Nothing personal, I'd vote for her.
Nothing personal, so would I.
I requisitioned them.
You just have to know what forms
to fill out and who to submit it to.
His life, her life.
His calendar, her calendar.
His enemies, her enemies.
His causes, her causes.
His money, her money.
- Connections?
- None.
Really? No connections?
No connections that would kill one
and put a bomb in the other's hand.
So, I searched every database
of every hate group that has ever existed
for that phrase,
"Who's the little one now?"
And came up with nothing.
It's personal.
"Who's the little one now?"
Is what you say to someone's face.
It could be personal.
But Howard can't remember.
You know, holding a live bomb
can cause a very strong reaction,
and Lisa's dead.
Well, let's go talk to someone who
knew Lisa as well as Lisa knew Lisa.
You hand-deliver any body bags lately?
Get off with a slap on the wrist?
What can I do for you?
Who is the little one, Ella?
You think she killed Lisa?
I didn't know she was a she
until you said she was a she.
So, who is she?
Lisa's sister, Jackie.
When they were little, they called
each other Big One and Little One.
Lisa was the Big One, and...
Jackie was the Little One.
Oh, my God.
I had totally forgotten about that.
Lisa always took care of her.
Took care of her?
They stopped talking
to each other a year ago.
Lisa refused to speak of it.
I just assumed Lisa
was tired of caretaking.
Yeah, Big One and Little One.
That's what that meant.
Jackie...
...is trouble.
Bad drugs. Bad men.
You didn't mention this before because...
Why would she kill Lisa? She's...
Just Little One.
And where's Jackie right now?
Where she's been for the last year.
- And where would that be?
- Just...
Way the hell out there.
Why exactly do they
let park rangers carry guns?
Bears?
Jackie? We want to talk to you
about your sister!
Because you killed her!
Jackie, we're the police.
Why would we kill her?
You killed her, and now
you've come here to kill me.
Who told you that?
The voice.
What voice is that, Jackie?
The voice on my radio!
Jackie, we don't want to hurt you.
We want to take care of you.
Yeah? Why should I believe you?
Because
you're Little One.
What did you call me?
Little One.
I'll write up the report while we wait for
Jackie to be brought up.
I want to write it up.
No, I like writing reports.
The GPS trace on Reese's phone
came back negative.
So maybe her phone's just off.
So I called the FBI.
What did the FBI say?
They said they'd get back to me.
- Did they get back to you?
- No, they did not. So now,
you are going to tell me
what the hell's going on.
This have something to do with your
off-the-book investigations?
I will not have that stuff on my floor.
I will not allow it to jeopardize Dani...
My detectives.
I just want to know why Reese
is not answering her phone.
The tech guy told me,
if her phone is off but the battery's in,
they can track it.
But LAPD doesn't have the equipment.
I might know someone who does.
Where you going? Captain?
I do not need GPS to find out
where my detectives are.
Hey, where are you going?
- Where he's going.
- And where's that?
I'll know when I get there.
- And what should I do?
- You should be here.
- I am here.
- Okay.
Then, there you are.
What are you?
The bad-ass agent that doesn't talk?
No.
No, because you said something?
Yeah.
What can I do for you today?
You can start by telling me
where my detective is.
Detective Reese is in the field.
Which field would that be?
On an operation. Out of contact.
She said she was coming back to the force.
She changed her mind.
Well, I'd like to speak with her.
That is not possible right now.
I need you to make it possible.
You need me to?
Because of your professional or personal
relationship with Detective Reese?
Boys, just because you have guns
doesn't mean you have to show them.
When Detective Reese checks in,
I will let her know you were here.
Been in these rooms before, huh?
Drugs, larceny...
Tell me about that voice, Jackie.
It's not that kind of voice.
It's not like a voice in my head.
Someone came on the radio,
said that the people that killed my sister
were coming to kill me.
I'm not crazy.
Did you recognize the voice?
No, I didn't.
Anybody else hear it?
No, they didn't.
You've been alone for a while.
I heard it. I did.
Out there for a while.
What happened to send you out there?
There's something else in your file
we need you to look at.
Do you know what this is?
It's an F.I. card, cops call it.
It's a Field Interview card.
A cop fills it out when he has
contact with a civilian.
This is your F.I. card.
You were handcuffed.
Sat in the back of a squad car.
Then you were let go.
Then your sister stopped talking to you
and you went into the woods.
You do something that
your sister got you out of?
We're gonna talk to the cop, Jackie,
you might as well tell us.
I was waiting for a bus.
I was talking to some guy,
and I got picked up for solicitation.
You tell Lisa and they let you go?
Yeah.
But I didn't do it.
I was clean, and even when I wasn't,
I would never do that.
I was waiting for a bus.
You tell that to Lisa?
- Yeah.
- She believe you?
No, she...
She was angry.
What did she do?
She called up my boyfriend
and she told him I was...
She said I was...
A whore.
Do you know how to shoot, Jackie?
You know I do.
What about explosives?
We use them at the park.
You want a lawyer?
Lisa usually did that for me.
- Charlie Crews wants to hire me?
- Yes.
- To find someone?
- Yes.
Correct me if I'm mistaken,
but he's an LAPD detective.
Why doesn't he perform this task himself?
Charlie says that you have better,
uh, equipment.
Who does he wish me to locate?
You file this F.I. card?
Yeah, solicitation beef.
How'd you come by it?
Anonymous tip, phone call.
When she told me who her sister was,
I made the call, cut her loose.
That's how we do...
- I ain't in trouble?
- No, you're not in trouble.
And she didn't seem like a hooker.
Anonymous tip, and a representative's
sister gets busted for hooking.
Anonymous tip? Somebody
was trying to smear Lisa Amis?
Who'd benefit from that?
There is going to be sexual tension.
Between us.
Between all male-female partners.
It's in the documentation.
In the manual, it suggests fantasy
as a way of dealing with it.
I'm sorry, what did you say?
I was thinking about something else.
Detectives!
What can I do for you?
Why would you smear Lisa Amis?
Why would I smear Lisa Amis?
You were ahead 4-to-1.
Why would you kill Lisa Amis?
Why would I kill Lisa Amis?
You were ahead 4-to-1.
Detective Crews? Everything okay?
Seever, can I ask you a question?
What are we doing in this room?
Um, we're going to
question Whitney Paxman.
Any why are you saying that?
We have a doctor here.
Would you like me to call him for you?
Why are we here?
"Family. It's who you are."
I saw that video in Howard Amis' office,
I start thinking about family.
I see the note, Little One.
We find out about the sister,
we go to the sister.
She takes a shot at us.
Why did those things happen?
Who called us to the house,
told us everyone would suspect him?
Who was standing there
with that bomb, making himself a victim?
He ran a campaign on us.
Detectives.
It's all over the wires. Howard Amis
is making an announcement.
Good afternoon.
Thank you so much for being here.
All my life, I have
believed in nothing.
I just wanted to win.
But my wife, Lisa Amis,
she believed in what was right,
died believing in what was right.
Died for it.
And she showed me how weak I was.
- Is he about to confess?
- So today,
- No, no, he's not.
- I stand before you, and in the name of my wife
and all those who have given of themselves
for what they believed,
I announce myself as a candidate
for the United States Senate.
And in the name of my wife,
I pledge my full support for Initiative 38.
And I start with these guns.
Guns bought just an hour ago
on the street.
Just like the guns
that killed my wife, Lisa.
I start by destroying these guns.
We will take back our streets.
- Did you just see that?
- We must take back our streets...
I see a lot of guns,
but I see two in particular.
A 9mm and a .22.
Two guns.
Two guns and one shooter.
God bless you. God bless America.
So you can find anyone?
With a cell phone on or off.
As long as the battery's still in.
Why, Mr. Earley?
Is there someone you wish to be located?
Oh. My daughter.
Yeah, of course. Anyone else?
No.
She's in Italy, Mr. Earley.
Who is in Italy?
You know whom. Olivia.
- Alone?
- Mmm, alone.
She called you twice, hung up both times.
How do you know this?
I know everything.
What's that like?
Almost always disappointing.
There.
Detective Reese's phone.
15 miles away. Shall we?
Uh, maybe we should call Charlie.
Where's your sense of adventure?
Ah, do you want one? I have a spare.
That's not true.
Lisa loved Howard, he loved her.
Everyone knows that.
I know that.
He killed Lisa and is running for Senate
on her death?
But you arrested Jackie.
Because he wanted us to.
Everyone thinks Jackie did it.
Because he wanted us to.
But Howard was in Las Vegas.
The temperature
of the water Lisa was in
makes it impossible to determine
an exact time of death.
He could've shot her
before he left and then called it in.
And when he got back,
got ahead of the story.
That's how you handle the press.
- And the bomb?
- Sent it to himself.
Then he looks like another victim.
Got way ahead of the story.
What did he do to those two sisters?
Well, he tore them apart on purpose.
Made Jackie the perfect suspect,
and then he killed his wife.
What did we do to those two sisters?
What do you mean, "we," Ella?
I know Jackie never did that,
did what they said she did.
How did you know that?
I was the one who called in that tip.
I was here when the police
called the office.
I was the one who said I was Lisa,
asked them to let Jackie go.
So you were the one
who called Jackie's boyfriend.
I was the one who
called her a whore.
Why would you do that?
Howard said we had to,
to keep Lisa away from Jackie.
Jackie was going to drag Lisa down,
and if Lisa was going to be a senator,
we had to keep her away from Jackie.
Did Howard kill Lisa?
Do you want to get him, Ella?
Do you want to help us get him?
I need you to go to Howard.
Tell him that you found a tape
that Lisa made before she died.
Tell him that she said
she was afraid of Howard,
that she thought
he was going to kill her,
that if she was killed,
it was Howard who did it.
But that tape doesn't exist.
What difference does it make
if it exists or not?
You just go to Howard,
tell him you have that tape,
and then see what he does.
Don't worry. We'll be there, too.
You think Ella can do this?
I think Ella was born to do this.
Thank you.
Ella?
What are you doing here?
They want me to help them get you.
Get me for what?
For killing Lisa.
They gave me this tape.
- Who did?
- They did.
They gave me this tape.
What's on the tape?
It's blank.
- They just want to see the look
on your face. - Oh.
But I have another tape.
Maybe you want to hear that.
Maybe I do.
As your campaign manager,
I think you do.
I need you to go to Howard.
Tell him that you found a tape
that Lisa made before she died.
Tell him that she said
she was afraid of Howard,
that she thought
he was going to kill her,
that if she was killed,
it was Howard who did it.
But that tape doesn't exist.
What difference does it make
if it exists or not?
You just go to Howard,
tell him you have that tape.
This is the problem
with the LAPD.
False accusations, corruption,
my wife fought against this,
and so will I, in her name!
In her name.
Why don't you go ahead and play
that other tape anyway?
But it's blank.
Ah, just go ahead and play it.
My name is Lisa Amis.
I'm afraid of my husband, Howard Amis.
I'm afraid he's trying to kill me.
If I'm murdered,
it is Howard who did it.
I hope that I'm wrong.
Why would you play that tape?
- What could they have promised you?
- Howard...
You knew everything that I knew.
You're just as guilty as I am.
Like you said, Mr. Amis,
you're her husband.
Everyone will think you did it.
Well, I know what Howard
and Ella have in common.
Jail time?
Yes. Lots of it.
It was you. It was your voice.
People always said
I sounded just like Lisa.
You were right. Ella was born to
do this. And, um,
I would vote for you.
Oh, you don't have to say that.
I know I don't, but I would.
I think you'd make a good mayor.
I wouldn't want to be mayor.
That's why you'd be such a good one.
Is that Zen?
Is it?
- I don't see anything.
- Here. They're right here.
See? Two sets of tire tracks.
They dragged someone
from one car to the next.
Means she was alive and kicking.
Ah, ah.
Now we need to call Charlie.
Yeah.
Now we need to call him.
Roman.
But he's in maximum security.
Who the hell are you?
I am Roman Nevikov.
- No, you're not.
- Yes, I am.
You wanted to see me?
I am Roman Nevikov.
Hmm?
Charlie, who is that?
That's who Roman paid to serve his time.
Roman's not here?
Charlie, where is Roman?
Charlie,
what are you thinking?
I'm thinking about what I want
and what I need.
What do you want?
I want a peaceful soul.
And what do you need?
I need a bigger gun.
Well, when the mayor's office calls,
we really don't have a choice.
I didn't know who else to call.
Why do you think something's
happened to your wife?
- We came back...
- I have that 8:00 conference call.
- It'll have to wait.
- It's New York, they won't be happy.
Okay, okay. 15 minutes.
My wife is not here.
Her car is, but she is not.
She is not at her office.
So if she is not here and she
is not there, where is she?
You were out of town last night?
Vegas. Had to see a client last-minute.
We all got back just now.
- "We all"?
- My staff and I.
- Could you take a look at this?
- Not now.
But it has to go out now.
All right. Excuse me.
Howard Amis. "The" Howard Amis.
Biggest political consultant in L.A.
You remember the crying tomato ad?
Don't remember it.
"Somebody's got to pick me."
No. Don't remember it.
Let's go see his lair.
In these times of uncertainty,
family, it's who we are.
No, not, "Who we are."
It needs to be "who you are."
Talk to the voter.
- Okay.
- Family.
Where is she?
I was just going to surprise my wife.
Surprise her how?
She thought I was coming back
tonight. I just...
Just wanted to surprise her.
Mr. Amis, is it possible
your wife is with a friend?
I called all her friends.
Mr. Amis, is it possible your wife
is with a friend you don't know,
because she thought you weren't here?
A friend I don't know?
No, that is not possible.
- You call the hospitals?
- Yes.
You try her phone?
Rings, then it goes to voicemail.
Something has happened to Lisa.
I know that I'm supposed to wait 24 hours,
but I couldn't.
So I called in some favors, I'm sorry.
Is there anyone you can think of
who would want to harm your wife?
She's a California state assemblywoman.
I'd say all the people
that voted against her,
and half the people that voted for her.
- Her car is here?
- Yes.
- Bed?
- Slept in.
- Where's your cat?
- Luther? I don't know.
I haven't seen it,
but I wasn't looking for it.
- Her cat or yours?
- Hers.
Do you think that Lisa has left me?
I think her bed has been slept in.
I think her car is here.
Luther.
Will you call your wife's phone for me?
Why?
Stay here.
What is it?
Just stay right there please, Mr. Amis.
It's latched from the outside.
It's who you are.
What? What is it?
Bullet wounds. I count four.
If the jets in the spa were on, she would
never have heard anyone approach.
If the shooter puts
his muzzle in the water...
No one hears the shot.
She goes down, killer latches the lid.
Comes over the fence, leaves the same way.
You could do the whole thing
in under a minute if you really wanted to.
Yeah, if you really wanted to.
Who are all these people?
They work with us. They're here
to help find who killed your wife.
What are they looking for?
Evidence. May they look around?
Yeah, of course. I...
But?
I'm the husband. My wife has been killed.
Everyone's going to think I did it.
Everyone's going to think
I killed my wife. I would.
My people, they want me
to go out to the curb,
cry in front of the cameras.
Your staff was with you in Vegas?
Yeah. We were there
at the tables till about 1:00.
Caught the morning flight.
I just wanted to surprise her.
Mr. Amis, is there anything missing
from your house?
No. I mean, I don't think so.
Why? What does that look mean?
This wasn't a home invasion.
What are you saying to me?
We're saying that someone
came here to kill your wife.
Can you think who that might be?
Yes, I can.
Initiative 38.
Initiative 38 is a comprehensive
ban on handguns.
Lisa was working to get it passed.
How comprehensive?
We were taking back our streets.
You get any push-back
from the gun companies?
Any push-back? Yeah.
There was a lot of money
coming in against us from the other side,
from P&K Guns.
I didn't think they'd do this, though.
Lisa was the face of Initiative 38.
Well, there's no proof they did.
Look, it would be a big help if I could
put out that P&K are suspects.
A big help to what?
To the Initiative.
We're investigating a homicide.
And Lisa was trying to stop
hundreds of homicides.
So can I release that P&K are suspects?
No, you cannot release that.
What about "persons of interest"?
No, you can't release that, either.
Is it what Lisa would've done?
Yes. Use everything, leave nothing.
How long did you work for Lisa?
She hired me six years ago.
Right out of Princeton.
Your first job?
- Your dream job?
- Yes.
- You married to it?
- Yes, I am.
What about Lisa's marriage?
I didn't get it.
Howard was right, Lisa was left.
He stood for everything
she wanted to tear down.
But she said she loved him.
Where were you last night?
Working, here.
I'm on the security tapes if you need it.
Lisa worked you hard?
Like she worked herself. She was...
A killer?
Yeah.
She was a killer.
But she didn't own a gun.
Or a gun company.
You want to be mayor?
Well, I'd considered it as a part
of a long-term plan, but how did you know...
I'm sorry, I was talking to him.
Do I want to be mayor?
When you first got out of jail,
got all that press,
I told Lisa I could make you mayor
in three weeks.
Wow! Mayor, huh?
You want to run, give me a call.
Is it what Lisa would've done?
Use everything, leave nothing.
Hey, it's Dani, leave a message.
Hey, Reese. It's Crews.
Just wondering how
the Feds are treating you.
Hey, I just, uh...
Look, I...
Hey, look, just call me.
Okay?
What?
Nothing.
Because she said I could be mayor?
No, the door was just locked.
You... You are a sore loser!
- No, I'm not!
- Oh, yeah, you are.
On the rare occasion you do lose.
To be clear, I am not a sore loser.
And she said she could make you mayor,
not make you a good mayor.
Elder brothers?
Four of them.
- It shows?
- A little bit.
Hey, would you vote for me?
No. I would not vote for you.
I said I'd vote for you.
Lisa Amis, California state assemblywoman,
getting ready to run for U.S. Senate.
Married to Howard Amis,
highly paid political guru.
Runs campaign for Senate, Congress.
Anyone on the other side
of the aisle from his wife.
If she was for it, he's against it.
So they had nothing in common.
Well, maybe what they had in common
is that they had nothing in common.
Do not write that down.
Might be a clue. I'm going to write it
down, you may look away.
You sure Howard was in Vegas
when his wife got dead in that hot tub?
Well, there are some time gaps,
but we've got him on casino video,
hotel door swipes, and airport check-in.
Wife dies, money's on the husband.
That's what her husband said.
Lisa Amis is the face of Initiative 38.
If that passes, P&K Guns gets hit hard.
Then you're going to want to know this.
The ballistics on the bullets
that killed Ms. Lisa Amis.
Four bullets, two from a 9mm,
two from a .22.
- Two guns.
- Two shooters.
Someone really wanted her dead.
We should go.
Something different about you.
No, I'm exactly the same.
There's something.
She's not smiling.
I'm smiling.
I am smiling.
- Because I could be mayor.
- You're going to be mayor?
No. But I could be. In three weeks.
We should go. And I am smiling.
Hey.
What do you hear from Reese?
Not a whole lot. Her phone goes
to voicemail the last few days.
Did she tell you what she's doing
over there with those Feds?
Organized Crime Task Force.
Why are you asking me these questions?
Is there something
I should know about Dani...
Detective Reese?
Captain, what would you say
if I asked you to GPS-track her cell?
I'd say she was in the care of the FBI.
Why would I track her cell?
P&K Firearms, shots fired.
Bobby, who are they?
They work here.
- And they're all carrying?
- Within the confines of the building,
they are well within their rights.
- Lawyer and a cop.
- That all?
Olympics. Just the relay.
- Who's she?
- Whitney Paxman, CEO of P&K Guns.
She was carrying a nice-sized .45.
Empty holster. Was she the one
who discharged her weapon?
Yes, ma'am. So we took it away from her.
Discharged it at...
At her.
I had something to give her.
"Something" being a body bag.
She should know
the end result of her product.
She should see what it leads to,
where Lisa ended up.
Ran by security with it,
was making a dash to the corner office.
And she shot at me.
It was a warning shot.
I felt it go by my ear.
That's why we call it a warning.
- Chairman of the company.
- And a pretty good shot.
Lock up Ella Holden, and give
Ms. Paxman there her gun back.
Well within her rights.
No, there is no case number
attached to this GPS request.
I know you have to put
something down on the form.
Put down "Captain's discretion."
Yes, I know that's not a number.
Well, I know I need a number now.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh! A number!
Like a case number. Yes,
I have a case number.
Of course I have a case number.
It is 9874-9817-4.
Thank you.
What the hell do you want?
My file, sir.
Can you get my shoe?
- Ms. Paxman...
- Plum. Please call me Plum.
Plum, as in the plum, Plum?
Plum, like the fruit, plum?
Yes, that's what my friends call me.
What?
He eats a lot of fruit.
So we have some questions
about your business, Ms. Paxman.
Well, I run a family business.
That made $25 million in sales last year.
What happens to that business
if Initiative 38 passes?
Well, that's never going to happen.
Lisa Amis thought it might,
and Lisa Amis seemed like a smart woman.
Lisa Amis was a very smart woman.
- You knew her?
- Yes.
Before she got into politics,
I tried to hire her.
See, I like smart women.
I like smart women working for me.
But sadly, she worked for the other side.
Why do you think Initiative 38
will never pass?
The polling numbers
are in our favor 4-to-1.
People like your guns that much?
People like our jobs that much, Detective.
P&K Firearms produces
one of the last products
this country actually makes
cheaper and better than China.
We're going to crush that initiative.
And everyone knows it.
Ms. Paxman, you should see this.
P&K are persons of interest
in the killing of Lisa Amis.
How do you know that?
The police are here right now,
questioning the owner.
Was a P&K firearm used in the shooting?
Does this have anything to do
with Initiative 38?
Is this personal
because she was your boss?
Use everything, leave nothing.
If you become mayor,
what's your stand on gun control?
It's complicated.
There are way too many shootings,
but the Second Amendment of the Constitution
does guarantee certain rights.
You been rehearsing that speech?
- It shows?
- Just a little bit.
And that is a lot of firepower just
to push a mail cart.
Detective Crews?
That is a lot of firepower.
You're not talking about the mail cart.
No, I'm talking about sending
two shooters to kill Lisa Amis.
Why would you send two shooters
to kill a 40-year-old unarmed woman?
That is a lot of firepower.
- You send two shooters...
- To kill two people.
Howard Amis went to Vegas last-minute.
He was supposed to be
in that house with Lisa.
He send two shooters to kill two people.
Help me. Please.
Mr. Amis?
- Mr. Amis?
- Help me. Please, help me.
If I move, it goes off.
The bomb squad's almost here, Howard.
It's on the doorstep.
I think it's flowers for Lisa.
I open it up,
and there's a clock in here
and it starts ticking.
I grabbed the wires
and the clock stopped.
But now, every time I move,
the clock starts ticking again.
So I'm not going to move anymore, okay?
What's the note say, Howard?
"Who is the little one now?"
The bomb squad's almost here, Howard.
Okay?
Family.
Look at me, Howard.
Where's all your staff?
Gone.
For the day?
No, I let them go. My clients, too.
Look at me, Howard.
Why'd you let them all go?
What my wife did, she believed in it.
What I do, I just do it to do it.
But now that she's dead...
You don't want to do it anymore?
I don't think I can stand much longer.
Like a shark, you know?
I got to keep moving.
- Grab the wires!
- Okay. Grabbing the wires.
Okay.
- How you doing?
- Pretty good, how about yourself?
I'm holding a bomb.
I saw that.
Bomb squad's here.
Okay, why don't you
point them on in here?
Let's go! Move it!
"Who is the little one now?"
Yeah, it seems like I should
know what that means,
but I don't.
I don't.
Too bad no one got a picture
of you saving me.
You could make a whole career
with a picture like that.
We could stage it
again, if you want.
You ever get any threats before?
In public, to my face.
It's the business.
But not like this.
We need to see your client list.
Oh, yes, I...
But I don't think it's there. I...
It seems like I should
know what that means.
But I don't.
Howard,
just 'cause you don't want to do
what you've been doing
doesn't mean you can't do something else.
You know?
Yeah, don't worry.
I'm a shark.
Got to keep moving.
We're going to leave
some uniformed officers here.
No prints on the device left at
Amis' house. Crude, but clean.
No prints on the note, either.
Looks like Seever took
almost getting blown up personally.
Looks like Seever did.
Nothing personal, I'd vote for her.
Nothing personal, so would I.
I requisitioned them.
You just have to know what forms
to fill out and who to submit it to.
His life, her life.
His calendar, her calendar.
His enemies, her enemies.
His causes, her causes.
His money, her money.
- Connections?
- None.
Really? No connections?
No connections that would kill one
and put a bomb in the other's hand.
So, I searched every database
of every hate group that has ever existed
for that phrase,
"Who's the little one now?"
And came up with nothing.
It's personal.
"Who's the little one now?"
Is what you say to someone's face.
It could be personal.
But Howard can't remember.
You know, holding a live bomb
can cause a very strong reaction,
and Lisa's dead.
Well, let's go talk to someone who
knew Lisa as well as Lisa knew Lisa.
You hand-deliver any body bags lately?
Get off with a slap on the wrist?
What can I do for you?
Who is the little one, Ella?
You think she killed Lisa?
I didn't know she was a she
until you said she was a she.
So, who is she?
Lisa's sister, Jackie.
When they were little, they called
each other Big One and Little One.
Lisa was the Big One, and...
Jackie was the Little One.
Oh, my God.
I had totally forgotten about that.
Lisa always took care of her.
Took care of her?
They stopped talking
to each other a year ago.
Lisa refused to speak of it.
I just assumed Lisa
was tired of caretaking.
Yeah, Big One and Little One.
That's what that meant.
Jackie...
...is trouble.
Bad drugs. Bad men.
You didn't mention this before because...
Why would she kill Lisa? She's...
Just Little One.
And where's Jackie right now?
Where she's been for the last year.
- And where would that be?
- Just...
Way the hell out there.
Why exactly do they
let park rangers carry guns?
Bears?
Jackie? We want to talk to you
about your sister!
Because you killed her!
Jackie, we're the police.
Why would we kill her?
You killed her, and now
you've come here to kill me.
Who told you that?
The voice.
What voice is that, Jackie?
The voice on my radio!
Jackie, we don't want to hurt you.
We want to take care of you.
Yeah? Why should I believe you?
Because
you're Little One.
What did you call me?
Little One.
I'll write up the report while we wait for
Jackie to be brought up.
I want to write it up.
No, I like writing reports.
The GPS trace on Reese's phone
came back negative.
So maybe her phone's just off.
So I called the FBI.
What did the FBI say?
They said they'd get back to me.
- Did they get back to you?
- No, they did not. So now,
you are going to tell me
what the hell's going on.
This have something to do with your
off-the-book investigations?
I will not have that stuff on my floor.
I will not allow it to jeopardize Dani...
My detectives.
I just want to know why Reese
is not answering her phone.
The tech guy told me,
if her phone is off but the battery's in,
they can track it.
But LAPD doesn't have the equipment.
I might know someone who does.
Where you going? Captain?
I do not need GPS to find out
where my detectives are.
Hey, where are you going?
- Where he's going.
- And where's that?
I'll know when I get there.
- And what should I do?
- You should be here.
- I am here.
- Okay.
Then, there you are.
What are you?
The bad-ass agent that doesn't talk?
No.
No, because you said something?
Yeah.
What can I do for you today?
You can start by telling me
where my detective is.
Detective Reese is in the field.
Which field would that be?
On an operation. Out of contact.
She said she was coming back to the force.
She changed her mind.
Well, I'd like to speak with her.
That is not possible right now.
I need you to make it possible.
You need me to?
Because of your professional or personal
relationship with Detective Reese?
Boys, just because you have guns
doesn't mean you have to show them.
When Detective Reese checks in,
I will let her know you were here.
Been in these rooms before, huh?
Drugs, larceny...
Tell me about that voice, Jackie.
It's not that kind of voice.
It's not like a voice in my head.
Someone came on the radio,
said that the people that killed my sister
were coming to kill me.
I'm not crazy.
Did you recognize the voice?
No, I didn't.
Anybody else hear it?
No, they didn't.
You've been alone for a while.
I heard it. I did.
Out there for a while.
What happened to send you out there?
There's something else in your file
we need you to look at.
Do you know what this is?
It's an F.I. card, cops call it.
It's a Field Interview card.
A cop fills it out when he has
contact with a civilian.
This is your F.I. card.
You were handcuffed.
Sat in the back of a squad car.
Then you were let go.
Then your sister stopped talking to you
and you went into the woods.
You do something that
your sister got you out of?
We're gonna talk to the cop, Jackie,
you might as well tell us.
I was waiting for a bus.
I was talking to some guy,
and I got picked up for solicitation.
You tell Lisa and they let you go?
Yeah.
But I didn't do it.
I was clean, and even when I wasn't,
I would never do that.
I was waiting for a bus.
You tell that to Lisa?
- Yeah.
- She believe you?
No, she...
She was angry.
What did she do?
She called up my boyfriend
and she told him I was...
She said I was...
A whore.
Do you know how to shoot, Jackie?
You know I do.
What about explosives?
We use them at the park.
You want a lawyer?
Lisa usually did that for me.
- Charlie Crews wants to hire me?
- Yes.
- To find someone?
- Yes.
Correct me if I'm mistaken,
but he's an LAPD detective.
Why doesn't he perform this task himself?
Charlie says that you have better,
uh, equipment.
Who does he wish me to locate?
You file this F.I. card?
Yeah, solicitation beef.
How'd you come by it?
Anonymous tip, phone call.
When she told me who her sister was,
I made the call, cut her loose.
That's how we do...
- I ain't in trouble?
- No, you're not in trouble.
And she didn't seem like a hooker.
Anonymous tip, and a representative's
sister gets busted for hooking.
Anonymous tip? Somebody
was trying to smear Lisa Amis?
Who'd benefit from that?
There is going to be sexual tension.
Between us.
Between all male-female partners.
It's in the documentation.
In the manual, it suggests fantasy
as a way of dealing with it.
I'm sorry, what did you say?
I was thinking about something else.
Detectives!
What can I do for you?
Why would you smear Lisa Amis?
Why would I smear Lisa Amis?
You were ahead 4-to-1.
Why would you kill Lisa Amis?
Why would I kill Lisa Amis?
You were ahead 4-to-1.
Detective Crews? Everything okay?
Seever, can I ask you a question?
What are we doing in this room?
Um, we're going to
question Whitney Paxman.
Any why are you saying that?
We have a doctor here.
Would you like me to call him for you?
Why are we here?
"Family. It's who you are."
I saw that video in Howard Amis' office,
I start thinking about family.
I see the note, Little One.
We find out about the sister,
we go to the sister.
She takes a shot at us.
Why did those things happen?
Who called us to the house,
told us everyone would suspect him?
Who was standing there
with that bomb, making himself a victim?
He ran a campaign on us.
Detectives.
It's all over the wires. Howard Amis
is making an announcement.
Good afternoon.
Thank you so much for being here.
All my life, I have
believed in nothing.
I just wanted to win.
But my wife, Lisa Amis,
she believed in what was right,
died believing in what was right.
Died for it.
And she showed me how weak I was.
- Is he about to confess?
- So today,
- No, no, he's not.
- I stand before you, and in the name of my wife
and all those who have given of themselves
for what they believed,
I announce myself as a candidate
for the United States Senate.
And in the name of my wife,
I pledge my full support for Initiative 38.
And I start with these guns.
Guns bought just an hour ago
on the street.
Just like the guns
that killed my wife, Lisa.
I start by destroying these guns.
We will take back our streets.
- Did you just see that?
- We must take back our streets...
I see a lot of guns,
but I see two in particular.
A 9mm and a .22.
Two guns.
Two guns and one shooter.
God bless you. God bless America.
So you can find anyone?
With a cell phone on or off.
As long as the battery's still in.
Why, Mr. Earley?
Is there someone you wish to be located?
Oh. My daughter.
Yeah, of course. Anyone else?
No.
She's in Italy, Mr. Earley.
Who is in Italy?
You know whom. Olivia.
- Alone?
- Mmm, alone.
She called you twice, hung up both times.
How do you know this?
I know everything.
What's that like?
Almost always disappointing.
There.
Detective Reese's phone.
15 miles away. Shall we?
Uh, maybe we should call Charlie.
Where's your sense of adventure?
Ah, do you want one? I have a spare.
That's not true.
Lisa loved Howard, he loved her.
Everyone knows that.
I know that.
He killed Lisa and is running for Senate
on her death?
But you arrested Jackie.
Because he wanted us to.
Everyone thinks Jackie did it.
Because he wanted us to.
But Howard was in Las Vegas.
The temperature
of the water Lisa was in
makes it impossible to determine
an exact time of death.
He could've shot her
before he left and then called it in.
And when he got back,
got ahead of the story.
That's how you handle the press.
- And the bomb?
- Sent it to himself.
Then he looks like another victim.
Got way ahead of the story.
What did he do to those two sisters?
Well, he tore them apart on purpose.
Made Jackie the perfect suspect,
and then he killed his wife.
What did we do to those two sisters?
What do you mean, "we," Ella?
I know Jackie never did that,
did what they said she did.
How did you know that?
I was the one who called in that tip.
I was here when the police
called the office.
I was the one who said I was Lisa,
asked them to let Jackie go.
So you were the one
who called Jackie's boyfriend.
I was the one who
called her a whore.
Why would you do that?
Howard said we had to,
to keep Lisa away from Jackie.
Jackie was going to drag Lisa down,
and if Lisa was going to be a senator,
we had to keep her away from Jackie.
Did Howard kill Lisa?
Do you want to get him, Ella?
Do you want to help us get him?
I need you to go to Howard.
Tell him that you found a tape
that Lisa made before she died.
Tell him that she said
she was afraid of Howard,
that she thought
he was going to kill her,
that if she was killed,
it was Howard who did it.
But that tape doesn't exist.
What difference does it make
if it exists or not?
You just go to Howard,
tell him you have that tape,
and then see what he does.
Don't worry. We'll be there, too.
You think Ella can do this?
I think Ella was born to do this.
Thank you.
Ella?
What are you doing here?
They want me to help them get you.
Get me for what?
For killing Lisa.
They gave me this tape.
- Who did?
- They did.
They gave me this tape.
What's on the tape?
It's blank.
- They just want to see the look
on your face. - Oh.
But I have another tape.
Maybe you want to hear that.
Maybe I do.
As your campaign manager,
I think you do.
I need you to go to Howard.
Tell him that you found a tape
that Lisa made before she died.
Tell him that she said
she was afraid of Howard,
that she thought
he was going to kill her,
that if she was killed,
it was Howard who did it.
But that tape doesn't exist.
What difference does it make
if it exists or not?
You just go to Howard,
tell him you have that tape.
This is the problem
with the LAPD.
False accusations, corruption,
my wife fought against this,
and so will I, in her name!
In her name.
Why don't you go ahead and play
that other tape anyway?
But it's blank.
Ah, just go ahead and play it.
My name is Lisa Amis.
I'm afraid of my husband, Howard Amis.
I'm afraid he's trying to kill me.
If I'm murdered,
it is Howard who did it.
I hope that I'm wrong.
Why would you play that tape?
- What could they have promised you?
- Howard...
You knew everything that I knew.
You're just as guilty as I am.
Like you said, Mr. Amis,
you're her husband.
Everyone will think you did it.
Well, I know what Howard
and Ella have in common.
Jail time?
Yes. Lots of it.
It was you. It was your voice.
People always said
I sounded just like Lisa.
You were right. Ella was born to
do this. And, um,
I would vote for you.
Oh, you don't have to say that.
I know I don't, but I would.
I think you'd make a good mayor.
I wouldn't want to be mayor.
That's why you'd be such a good one.
Is that Zen?
Is it?
- I don't see anything.
- Here. They're right here.
See? Two sets of tire tracks.
They dragged someone
from one car to the next.
Means she was alive and kicking.
Ah, ah.
Now we need to call Charlie.
Yeah.
Now we need to call him.
Roman.
But he's in maximum security.
Who the hell are you?
I am Roman Nevikov.
- No, you're not.
- Yes, I am.
You wanted to see me?
I am Roman Nevikov.
Hmm?
Charlie, who is that?
That's who Roman paid to serve his time.
Roman's not here?
Charlie, where is Roman?
Charlie,
what are you thinking?
I'm thinking about what I want
and what I need.
What do you want?
I want a peaceful soul.
And what do you need?
I need a bigger gun.