Life (2007–2009): Season 2, Episode 9 - Badge Bunny - full transcript

Uniforms recognize him as Felix Bana.

Dealt drugs off this corner.

One gunshot wound to the chest,
burn marks on his shirt.

Whoever shot Felix,

pushed the gun right up against
him and pulled the trigger.

Pockets have been turned inside out.

Someone took whatever
Felix was holding.

Got one gunshot, but four casings.

The other three shots went that way.

The killer shoots Felix at close range.

She runs,



killer stays down there with Felix

and puts three bullets into her back.

That's when she stops running.

She's got tequila coming off of her,
lots of it.

And white powder up the nose.

This girl was rolling.

Potter Elementary.

That's way out in the Valley.
She's a long way from home.

People go a lot further than this

to get what she needed.

I know she's a cat,

but Fluffy is dear to my heart.

If she needs an operation,
get her an operation.

Got a sick cat?



Bad liver.
Maybe she should lay off the booze.

That's what I tell her,
but you know cats,

they can be so willful.

Felix Bana. He sold for you.

- He sold for me?
- Don't repeat what I say.

I know Felix sold for you.

Now Felix is dead.

Maybe you can tell me who
might want Felix dead.

Okay. You know what I do.

Then you also know that how Felix died

is an occupational hazard.

It's a surprise law enforcement cares.

About a dead drug dealer? We don't.

About a dead schoolteacher

found shot with Felix? We care about her.

Kendall and I started
teaching here the same year.

Kids love her.

Heidi, do you know why Kendall
was in that part of town?

No. I don't. We never go there.

Well, she'd been doing drugs.

The place she was found,
it's where you go to score drugs.

Kendall didn't score drugs.

A few beers after work or
when we played Pictionary.

Did Kendall ever mention a drug dealer

named Felix Bana to you?

Okay, look, I understand that you
want to protect her reputation,

but you need to tell us the truth
if you want to find who killed her.

Kendall didn't know any drug dealers.
She didn't do drugs.

Maybe not with you. Maybe...

Maybe she had a boyfriend
that she did them with.

She didn't date much.

These kids take up all our time.

I wish I could help you,
Detective. I do.

I want you to find who killed my Felix.

But I don't know anything about it.

Think another minute.

This is a nice house.

These are nice chairs.
I'm sure Fluffy is a nice cat.

Which means you must
have a nice business.

A dead schoolteacher,

that's the kind of thing that
really hurts a nice business.

Okay.

I'm thinking.

I'm thinking if teachers

looked like that when I was a kid,

maybe I would have stayed at school

and made something of myself.

Kendall's. She left it in her desk.

Felix Bana sold for Justin Tapp.

Narcotics says the dealing in
that area had been pretty stable.

No turf wars.

Uniforms canvassing the
area turned up nothing.

No murder weapons, no witnesses.

And ballistics didn't match the
bullets to any previous crime.

Bana was a drug dealer.

Odds are his untimely death was
caused by an unappy customer

with an unregistered gun.

That still leaves the question of
our schoolteacher Kendall Shay.

Nothing connects her to Felix Bana.

Except all the devil's dandruff
up our schoolteacher's beak.

She's a cokehead. He's a coke dealer.

Her school did a random drug test on
her last month, she came up clean.

Well, maybe something
happened since then

that caused her to get all gakked out.

Hey, I got a list
of five-digit numbers

in the back of her address book.

I spoke to her parents in Ohio.

They said that Kendall could
not have been in a better place.

She loved her job,
she loved her students.

Oh, okay. You tell
your parents everything?

Those were in her address book?

I know what those numbers are.

Those are badge numbers.

They're LAPD badge numbers.

And these grades, B+, B, B-, A-.

Kendall Shay dated and rated L.A. cops.
She's a cop groupie.

Badge bunny. What?

- You don't use that term out here?
- We use it.

Let's look up the names
attached to the badges.

Or maybe we shouldn't.

This doesn't change anything.

Kendall Shay was found shot
dead next to a drug dealer.

It was a drug killing. Follow the drugs.

How did she follow the drugs?

How did Kendall get down there?

Her car was in her house.

How did she get down to that place?

Someone must have driven her.

- Maybe someone she was dating.
- Okay.

You two have to talk
to the men she dated.

- But you do that very carefully.
- Understood.

Oh, jeez, we gotta bring cops down here.

No, we don't have to
bring them down here.

We can go see them.

There's a death in the cop family.

There's going to be a cop family wake.

Called around to cop bars.

Lucky Seven is having a
thing for Kendall Shay.

These are six LAPD cops that
match those badge numbers.

Graham there got the A-.

- Charlie, you got a minute?
- Hmm.

I hear you and Reese caught
the Kendall Shay shooting.

Yeah, Bobby. Do you know Kendall Shay?

No, Charlie. Never met her,

but if you question her friends,
my name just might come up.

So if it does,
just let me know, okay?

- Yeah, okay, Bobby.
- Thanks, Charlie.

- Stark, huh?
- Hmm?

It was written all over his face.

Let me guess. He got liquored up,

he strayed, he felt bad,

she took him back
and it's all good now.

- Close?
- I really can't say.

Okay.

We'll go to the Lucky Seven,

we'll see if we can find
the six cops on this list,

we'll ask them a few questions
and then we'll leave.

- Sounds like a plan.
- Okay.

Is there a bird that mates for life?

Parrot, I think. Or the goose.

I hate birds.

- You knew Kendall?
- No, not really.

- You're just paying your respects?
- Yeah.

That's sweet.

After all, she was one of us.

- You're a detective, right?
- Hmm.

I can tell.

Do I know you?

No, but I know you.

You're Charlie Crews, right?

- You a friend of Kendall's?
- No, you?

- No, I just came to pay my respects.
- Hmm.

I haven't seen you
around the softball games

or the car washes, have I?

Why would you see me at a car wash?

Because you're a...

A what?

Aren't you a...

A cop?

Oh, I haven't seen a girl cop here

when the bunnies are around.

Did you just say girl cop?

Hey, if you're a girl cop,

does that mean there
are lesbo badge bunnies?

Did you just say lesbo?

Isn't that the word? Lesbo?

They're a support group.
Charity events, fundraisers...

Car washes. Mmm-hmm. I heard.

Any luck?

No, it's more crowded than I thought.

She must have been liked.

I'd like to come to my own wake.

Then you'd be dead.

Except for that part.

Just to see who'd show up,
see what they'd say.

Pretty girls in black dresses

weeping quietly in small groups

or all by themselves.

Let me know when you touch down.

Hey, we need to talk to
the six men on this list.

We don't want to embarrass anyone,

so if you know where they
are just point them out,

we'll get this over nice and quietly.

You guys investigating Kendall's death?

That's right. And you are?

Alex Lauer. Officer Alex Lauer.

Your name isn't on that list, Alex.

So maybe you want to hand it on back.

You need to talk to these guys.
I think I can help you with that.

Cody, kill that music, will you?

Okay, listen up.

We've got two detectives here
investigating Kendall's death.

Now I've got a list in
my hand with the names

of Kendall's friends written on it.

Now, you all know who you are.

And you all knew this was coming

and you all know what you need to do.

So the back room, right now. Let's go.

So you all knew Kendall Shay?

She was one of ours.

Anything you need from us to
find out who did this to her,

go right ahead and ask.

And you got a room full of guys out there

who feel the exact same way.

We just need to ask you a few questions.

First, any of you ever
see Kendall do drugs?

We heard she was found all coked up,

but that wasn't Kendall.

She was wine and beer. That's it.

There are six men on this list,
but only five of you are here.

We've ID'd you all.

Any of you know where
we can find Sean Graham?

I'm guessing Sean is your partner.

Yeah.

Look, I understand you wanting
to protect your partner,

but now we have to ask
if you know where he is.

Yeah, he's upstairs.

Sean, some detectives
here need to talk to you.

You here about Kendall?

We are.

She's dead. Someone shot her.

We'd like to ask you
some questions about her.

- Maybe we should be alone.
- No, it's okay.

She was Kendall's friend, too.

Hello, Heidi.
I didn't recognize you out of school.

You were seeing Kendall, Sean?

Yeah, for about four months.

How come you weren't
downstairs at the wake?

I got a small case of the whirlies.

Too much to drink, because...

Yesterday before she died,
Kendall and I had a fight.

About that ring on your finger?

Yeah. I left my wife six months ago.

Can't seem to take this off, though.

The fight, Sean. You hit Kendall.

No.

She scratched me.

You do your forensic work,

you'll find my skin
all up under her nails.

- What else will we find?
- Me.

All over her.

You had sex?

Where were you after the fight?

I slept it off up here.

Heidi, you didn't tell me you knew Sean.

I knew Sean and Kendall had a bad fight

and I didn't want you
thinking that he killed her.

So I didn't say anything.
It was wrong. I'm sorry.

Heidi.

Are you seeing Sean, too?

Just a little bit.
I mean, not like Kendall.

She wanted the whole thing.
The ring, you know.

Mmm-hmm.

And did it bother Kendall
that you were seeing Sean

just a little bit?

Why would it?

Where were you last night, Heidi?

Home. Alone.

You going to book me?

No. Not just yet.

You make yourself available
to us, though, okay?

And we'll have to talk to your wife.

Then protect yourself at all times.

Vairam went back to India.

And Ed's in the hospital.

He got beat up during the earthquake.

Oh, that's terrible.

He was selling water for $50 a bottle.

Why

is it wrong to charge

$50 for a bottle

of water?

Because business isn't just about money.

It's also about people.

How we treat each other as people.

I called you nine times.

I know.

You didn't call me back.

I know. I'm sorry.

Ted, why is there only
one person in your class?

One person who's enrolled.

If you're not enrolled,
you're going to have to leave.

You know Sean has girlfriends.

That wasn't a question, was it?

No, ma'am.

No, ma'am.

Because I'm his wife
and of course I would know.

It was my experience my
wife knew things about me

even if she didn't
know that she knew it.

Sean didn't have girlfriends
when we were still together.

Like you say, I would know.

We had our problems,
but that wasn't one of them.

What kind of problems?

You're a cop. You should know.

How'd your marriage work out?

Oh, there were...
There were complications.

Was Sean ever violent?

He hit you?

Once.

He'd been through some
stuff on the job that day.

Once. Never again.

I'm a suspect, aren't I?

You know the answer to that.

Heidi and Kendall
played for this team?

The Badge Bunnies?

You're asking that because you
want to see if Heidi had motive.

Maybe she killed Kendall.

Honey, we only date cops.

We eat, sleep and breathe law enforcement.

If you're looking at Heidi,

you're going to want to establish means,
motive and opportunity.

You want a beer?

No. I'm working right now.

I was at a dinner party at my sister's.

She tried to set me up with a friend.

Nice guy. Not a cop.

You know how to use a gun, Diane?

I surely do.

Sean took me to the gun range
when we were first dating.

Did you like that?

I liked a lot of things
about him back then.

He wasn't the first cop you dated.

That wasn't a question either.

No, it wasn't.

You were one of them.

Cop groupie. Badge bunny.

Yes, I was.

Until I married Sean.

And then I wasn't one of them anymore.

Detective, if I had met you back then,

I would have wanted you to
take me to the gun range.

It would have been my pleasure.

- You only date cops?
- That's right.

Because cops risk their lives

and what's wrong with a little extra love?

That's pretty close. You date cops?

No. I am a cop.

I need to ask you about Kendall and Heidi.

They ever fight over Sean?

Fight? No. Kendall loved Sean.

So does Heidi. We all love Sean.

Heidi know how to use a gun?

Sure. Most of us can shoot.

If you're done, we have practice.

Yeah, sure.

Only one occupant per cell.

I'm a close friend of the range master.

He wrote me a note.

So you found a dead girl
in an alley full of drugs?

Yeah. That's part of the job, right?

And all that time at the bar?

Who are you? My sponsor?

No, I'm your friend.

Mind if I try your shooter?

How come you don't have
anything on your walls?

- Like what?
- Like art or something.

Hey, there's a pool.

We should go swimming.

You want to go swimming, Detective?

I want to ask you a question.

Your partner already questioned us.

I thought this was a social visit.

One question.

What?

Now I want to try yours.

Oh, I think this might be too much gun

for a little gal like you.

Did you just call me gal?

Gal. No, no.

I said California woman.

Be careful.

It has a kick.

How do you tell a good cop from a bad cop?

Isn't that kind of your job

to tell good people from bad people?

You see cops differently than I do.

You mean naked?

You live your lives observing cops.

Can you tell the good from the bad?

Yeah. We can.

- How?
- Okay.

It's all about taste.

You're a good cop.

Mmm.

Hmm. Good cop.

Definitely good cop.

Now we're going swimming.

Luckily, I have a swimsuit
under my clothes.

Oh. You don't have your swimsuit on.

Oh, yeah, I forgot. I don't.

There are naked women in the pool.

- Ted.
- Yeah?

I've made a decision.

What's that, Charlie?

I'm going swimming.

No man would hold that against you.

Bobby?

Is Cathy here?

Man, this is a nice pad.
We should have a party here some time.

Cathy? You out there?

Bobby, is that you?

You get out of there right now!

Bobby, I didn't know you were...

Brother and sister.

Get dressed.

What did I tell you about
playing around at my station?

I'll take her home and you get
back to what you were doing.

You didn't think to mention
you were Bobby's sister?

Would you have let me kiss you if I did?

They look nothing alike.

I never would have guessed.

Cathy, get dressed!

Outside!

Crews. Thanks. I'm on my way.

You want to get Kendall's killer?

Maybe

I'll hold onto it.

I'm not used to doing this sober.

It's kind of the same thing,

except no one gets sick.

I'll be the judge of that.

Call came in over the tip line.

The gun that shot Kendall
and that drug dealer is

in that house right there.

Let's serve a warrant, shall we?

You two drive here together?

No. We just happened to
get here at the same time.

Is that glitter on your face?

I told Cathy over and over no
man likes that glitter stuff.

- Who's Cathy?
- His sister.

Call, tip line,
gun that shot Kendall, house, warrant.

That's not your gun.

You must be Fluffy.

Fluffy?

What should I name it? Kimba?

Kimba was a lion. That was Simba.

Kimba was first.

Why have you got glitter on?

Found this in the garage.

Welcome to the frame job.

Got some burnt skin and
fabric here on the muzzle,

which makes me think
that this was the gun

that was pushed up against
Felix's shirt when he was shot.

And why would I shoot my own man?

Maybe he was stealing.

Maybe he was unappy
with his health plan.

And maybe there's a dead badge bunny

and all you cops just want
someone to pay for it.

I hope that piece of
cottontail was won'th it.

Officer Stark, why don't you go
ahead and cuff up Mr. Tapp here?

You think they brought a rope?

Why don't you let us take him in?

Why don't you go sleep it off
in the back of your car, Sean?

Stark, what would you do if it was
your sister he shot in the back?

I'd go home and get drunk.

I can't go home.

You can't be here. You know that.

Kendall was one of ours. She loved us.

Let us take him in.

It's not going to happen.

Are you going to draw down on me?

Does it hurt that much
that you want it all over?

Because you take that gun
out and it's all over, Sean.

You're a cop.

And so are you.

Come on, Sean. Let's go.

You did this. How did you do this?

It was easy.

I just told them that you killed
a man in jail with your hands.

- You did?
- Well, that's what I told the guys.

What did you tell the girls?

Ted, I'm getting married in a month.

I'd like you to be there.

We know she was a schoolteacher.
We know she loved cops.

We know she had
no history with narcotics.

Fig?

You want me to eat that?

It's the sweetest of all fruits.

55% sugar.

You know it was a fig that
the snake offered to Eve.

- The snake?
- Most people think it was an apple.

It wasn't.
It might not even have been a snake,

just some kind of serpent
that led her astray.

We know Sean dated her.

We know Sean showed up last night

itching to pull his gun and end it all.

We know the murder weapon,

an unregistered gun was found and Tapp,

a drug dealer, was booked into Central.

So...

Do we really want to keep looking?

What we don't know

is how Kendall ended up down
there packed with drugs.

Sean said they were only drinking.

What if they were taking drugs?

How long after you do coke
can they test for it?

You can detect the enzyme
that the body makes

when you do coke for 30 days.

Well, let's get a warrant for a test.

You're kind of like an expert witness.

Yeah, I kind of am.

Fig?

We're looking for your partner.

I haven't seen him today.

What do you want with him?
Maybe I can help.

Got a warrant here for a drug test.

You're going to take away his
gold medal in the 400 relay?

We'd rather not.

If he passes his blood test,
we're all done here.

Yeah, him just taking that test

is the problem, though.

- Why is that?
- You give Sean that test now,

you question him now,

that's just ammunition
that the defense will use

to get that scumbag Tapp off.

Not interested in finding out

how Kendall ended up
down there that night?

Not if asking those questions
puts doubt in the jury's mind.

No, I am not.

Look, Kendall's dead, okay?

Now, let's put Tapp away
and find some peace in here.

That's what a real cop would do.

Someone here not a real cop?

You tell me.

I mean, is that a settlement or a
badge you're wearing on your belt?

It is not what we carry with us,

but what we let go
that defines who we are.

Yeah? What did you let go?

Irish coffee.

You work a little whiskey in there?

Yeah, hair of the dog. You want some?

Something you'd like to share?

That's what I was going to ask you.

My partner has a superpower.

You want to guess what it is?

- Does she fly?
- No, tragically not anymore.

But you're getting warm.

All right, we're all cops here,
I'll be blunt with you.

My partner used to use and now she
can tell when other people are using.

You want to tell us something?

Yeah. I'll let Sean know that
you were looking for him.

Do me a favor,
clean up that mess when you're done.

You sure?

Yeah. I'm sure.

Okay.

Maybe it was an allergy
you were picking up on.

It wasn't an allergy.

Alex Lauer's a solid cop.

He's not a suspect.

There's no way I can get
a warrant for a drug test.

Let's ask the experts,

someone who could tell a
good cop from a bad cop.

How exactly do you do that?

I'm not going to show you that.

Maybe Reese can help you out.

All right, let's get in there.

We got this.

What?

We'll let you know if we need any help.

But there are five
badge bunnies in there.

Ladies, thanks for coming down.

Is this about Kendall's killing?

We just have a few follow-up questions.

Questions about Sean?

I'd rather not hear my husband's
name come out of your mouth.

Sorry.

- I'm sorry.
- We're widening the investigation.

We're not just looking
into Sean anymore.

We're looking into his partner, too.

Any of you seen Alex take drugs?

See that's the weird part, 'cause
we found your friend full of coke,

but no one ever saw anyone using?

I don't know what
department you're in,

but the guys we know don't
mess with that stuff.

Okay, did Alex and Kendall
ever spend any time together?

Like sex? Not Alex.

None of us spent time
with Alex like that.

- Why not?
- Alex is married.

- He's got kids.
- Not like Sean?

Not like Sean.

Diane, Heidi said your
husband's name again.

I'm sorry?

Is there something you'd
like to tell us about Alex?

You think he had something
to do with that girl's death?

You tell us.

Is he a good cop?

I thought he was.

Why'd you change your mind?

Last year I was having
a rough time with Sean.

Didn't really know who to talk to.

So you talked to his partner?

Alex listened to me.

Had a few drinks, a few more.

At the Lucky Seven?

No, not there.
He took me somewhere else.

Some other bar.

Not the kind of place I would
usually go to, not a cop bar.

Were there drugs?

It was the kind of place
where you could get them.

I didn't do anything.
I don't think I did.

And then I did not want to be there.

I didn't want to be with him.

So you left?

Did Alex kill that girl?

If he was partying with Kendall,
he might have taken her there.

If we can put them together
on that same night.

Diane, what was the name of
that bar Alex took you to?

Stubbs.

I know that place.

How do you know about that place?

I know if you go there, take antiseptic,

and I know it's around the
corner from the crime scene.

I hate cops.

No offense.

Run around trying to fix everything

and you're the ones who are broken.

We called the owner.
You tend bar over at Stubbs?

Walk to work. Must be nice.

I've gone green.

You know these two?

Yeah, isn't that that couple
from that TV dance contest

who won all that money doing the tango?

Tango. Yeah, okay,
what are you doing this weekend?

I was going to
organize my shoes. Why?

Not this weekend.

Murder happened here.

You work around here,
you live around here.

You know how it happens.
We take you down for questioning,

papers get shuffled,
you find yourself in lockup,

there's an old warrant out,
now you're out in county... Wow.

Okay. Yeah.

- He comes into the bar.
- How often?

Was every few months,

lately it's been a few times a week.

- You know his name?
- No.

He likes it when I call him "boss."

Like, "Another beer, boss?"

How about her?

The other day with him.

They were drinking hard.

She was crying about

breaking up with her
boyfriend or something.

They make any trips to the bathroom?

Yeah.

She didn't want to go,
but boss convinced her.

After he ran out of cash, I asked
him to leave. And now, I'm leaving.

A drunk cop with no money
and a need for drugs.

A drunk cop with no money and
a need for drugs and a gun.

A few times a week?

Alex was on a downward spiral,
but none of his buddies knew?

Maybe they didn't want to know.

Because then they'd have
to do something about it.

Yeah, I guess they would.

We got one jittery
smackhead bartender.

That's not a good eyewitness
against a career cop like Alex.

We can get some better witnesses.

How's about a beer, boss?

Two waters, please.

To Kendall.

Hey, do me a favor. My partner here

just broke up with her boyfriend.

Now, don't say anything.

She's proud.

I told her not to date cops,
she wouldn't listen. Women.

And why are you telling me this?

Because, well, because we heard
that you're the guy to go to

when you break up
with your boyfriend.

Don't you have a soft shoulder?

We heard you took Diane out when
she needed a shoulder to cry on.

You talking about my Diane?

Well, whether she's your Diane or not,

I think would be a
question for her, but...

We're talking about your wife.

You took Diane out?

Hey.

I didn't take Diane out, okay?

Mmm. You might want to talk
to Diane about that, Sean.

You might want to talk to
Diane about a lot of things.

But you should talk to her about that.

Took Kendall out, too,
when she needed a shoulder to cry on.

Kendall? What about Kendall?

All she wanted to do
was talk about you, Sean.

And Alex was there.

Got her all coked up, right, boss?

And then when there were no more drugs,
you went looking for more.

You rolled that dealer and then what?

Hmm?

Kendall saw it,

she freaked and then you freaked?

- Been there.
- You passed your drug test, Sean.

You think Alex will pass his?

Hey, how long have we been partners?

Does any of this sound like me?
Come on!

You two need to go.

Yeah, okay.

Tight cluster just like they
taught us at the academy.

Remember those drills?
Remember the hours on the range?

Remember what they told us?
That when the time came

and we had to shoot,
we wouldn't even have to think about it.

We'd shoot like a cop.

Kendall had that pattern on her back.

Three shots. Tight cluster.

We all had it drilled into us.

You didn't even have to think about it,

just like we were trained, right?

Something you want to
ask your partner, Sean?

Where's your off-duty piece, Alex?

Uh... Here it is.

You know it's illegal to
carry an unregistered firearm.

Tell them that is not my gun.
Tell them.

Tell them that, that is not my gun.

Are you going to let
these two come in here

to our place and do this?

Seany.

Take me home, Fin.
I've done enough damage for one night.

- You're not Fin.
- No, I'm not Fin.

You're Charlie Crews, aren't you?

It's a real pleasure to meet you.
I've been meaning to call you.

- You have?
- Yes.

A man like yourself,

you are the perfect person to help out

with some of these charities I'm into.

Why would that be?

To go through what you
did and not be broken.

To go through what you
did and be made better.

We'd all like to think we can do that.

But which one of us could?

I got a photo of you

at the funeral
of a slain police officer.

I was a cop a long time.

There's so many of us
who gave their lives.

This photo was from
Jim Dunn's funeral.

Poor Jim Dunn. A suicide.

Many of us do go that
way, too, Detective.

I think that photo
connects you to Jack Reese,

to the Bank of Los Angeles shootout,

to all that missing money,

to my murdered friends and to
me going to jail for 12 years.

And I think this is a kidnapping.

Kidnapping. What does that really mean?

We're not kids, no one's napping.

We're just two guys talking. That's all.

No, no, you misunderstand me.

This isn't a kidnapping.

This, Detective, is a kidnapping.