Major Crimes (2012–2018): Season 1, Episode 9 - Cheaters Never Prosper - full transcript
Las Vegas Detective Mike Adams was killed by antifreeze in a nightclub, by drink spiking. His partner Richard Connor arrives for volunteered full collaboration. They worked on a masterly case of identity thefts for money laundering and to cash in fraudulent loans. yet the team expects he's not forthright about Mike's rapport with last interviewed victim Laura Elkins. Rusty reluctantly agreed to get to know his biological father and his new family on a weekend, nearly backs down as Dunn is repeatedly late and has a shocking experience.
[ Dance music plays,
indistinct conversations ]
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continue, unmuffled ]
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continue, unmuffled ]
Dude, are you okay?
[ Muffled music, conversations ]
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continue, unmuffled ]
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continue, unmuffled ]
[ Panting ]
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[ Coughing ]
[ Coughing continues ]
[ Music, conversations
resume in distance ]
[ Music, conversations fade ]
[ Knock on door ]
Man: All right,
guys, we're closed.
Everybody up.
Time to go home.
[ Door opens, closes ]
[ Door handle rattling ]
[ Pounds door ]
Come on, man.
Dude, wake up.
Come on, man.
Gotta go. Party's over.
Open this door, or I'm
gonna open it for you.
[ Grunts ]
Ugh!
Hey, man?
Hey, man, it's time to go, ma...
Keys in his pocket.
No wallet.
Don't step in here yet. I
have to preserve... The fluids.
God.
So he didn't valet.
Yeah, the guy drives a Ford.
See if you can find
it parked close by.
Why am I here at 3:30 A.M.?
Because, instead of calling 911,
the owner of the club
called his really good friend
chief of police
William Henry pope.
Tao: The bouncer,
however, phoned paramedics,
and they pronounced
the guy at 2:25 A.M.
And the body is still
in the bathroom stall
a full hour later because...?
'Cause in order to do a proper
alcohol-consumption test,
we need the guy's
stomach contents,
a lot of which is on the floor
around the toilet
where he threw up.
Kendall needs to
collect his vomit, too.
I don't have to film that, do I?
I don't know.
Yes, yes... film, film.
I mean, even if the guy
drank himself to death,
until we know better, we got
to handle this like a murder.
Sykes: The men's room...
Join the l.A.P.D.,
see the world, right?
None of the staff...
Hold on, hold on.
What's the matter?
There's no visible wounds.
And the guy looks
like he's in great shape.
Hey, I've been there
before, but I always got up.
Why didn't the
bartenders cut him off
if he was this drunk?
None of the staff I
cycled through earlier
recognized our dead guy,
except for one bartender,
who said he
stumbled up to a stool
a couple hours before last call.
Victim didn't order anything,
but doesn't mean that someone
else wasn't buying him drinks.
Yeah, maybe his partner.
Partner?
You mean, as in the guy is gay?
No, sir, as in the guy's a
detective from Las Vegas.
Michael v. Adams.
I found his official vehicle
parked out front,
sir, with all this stuff...
Guy's badge, gun, wallet,
I.D., two keys to a hotel room,
$128 in cash, and a
few business cards.
Tao: 400 people in this bar...
One guy dies, and it happens
to be a police detective?
That, I don't like.
Andy, can I have that
badge? I want to call Vegas.
Flynn.
Oh. Uh, yeah, sure.
If detective Adams came
here in his police car,
he could have been here on duty.
Well, then, where's his partner?
Why didn't they
check in with l.A.P.D.?
Flynn, how many times have
we been to Vegas on business?
We never notify them.
Well, we're notified now.
So, we think too
much of a good thing?
Possibility, yeah.
Well, unless they've been
overconsuming for years,
people usually pass out before
they kill themselves drinking.
And this guy does not
look like an alcoholic to me.
What about asphyxiating
on his own vomit?
Mm, nothing in his throat, no.
I'll run tests, but
I think they'll say
that the victim had
a couple of drinks
about six hours before death.
And you can tell
that how? Two ways.
I poured the vomit that
Kendall collected into this tray.
Would you like to take a whiff?
What's the other way?
Turn off the light.
Watch this.
How 'bout that, huh?
Looks like he had
a hell of a Margarita,
but what does it mean?
That you have a murder.
And your visiting detective
died from ethylene
glycol poisoning.
Antifreeze.
Correct.
The fluorescent agent is
added to detect leaks in cars.
Very, very deadly stuff.
And you were able to smell this?
Such is the life I lead.
Okay, dick Tracy,
how'd you know this
green glop was antifreeze?
Guys stop drinking. They
throw out all the alcohol.
Wife's happy.
Then they get the urge,
and they sneak
out into the garage
and they strain the
antifreeze, thinking it'll be okay.
And they end up dead.
Not a bad way to poison someone.
Can you taste
this stuff in a drink?
Well, they say it's sweet.
[ Sniffs ] Hmm.
I think it would mix
very well with a... Mojito.
Or a kamikaze.
Okay, look, detective
Adams drives
from Vegas to L.A.
in his police car,
but he wasn't wearing a suit.
He left his gun and
his badge in the car.
Was he here on business or not?
Tao: His partner didn't think
Adams was working a case.
He was surprised
he was in L.A. at all.
No friends or family.
What's the partner's name?
Detective Richard Conner.
He gave me the victim's basics.
Adams was a 10-year
veteran of Vegas p.D.
He and Conner worked
fraud for the last three years.
Quite a few open cases.
You'll be surprised to learn
Vegas has a lot of scams.
What? Shocking, I know.
Conner has some investigations
with connections to L.A.
Did he identify any
of those connections?
No, but, um...
When I searched the
victim's hotel room,
I did find some dmv
runs for a Laura elkins.
She lives in silver lake,
married, two children.
No criminal record.
Adams ran her name three
times in the last two months.
She's on her way
down to talk to us,
but she doesn't know why, ma'am.
Did Adams meet or speak with
Mrs. Elkins while he was here?
Not at his hotel.
But the hotel security footage
had a great angle on
the hallway to his room.
And no one but
Adams and the maids
ever went in or out of the door.
[ Door opens ]
I'll be in the break room.
And if Mr. Dunn ever
bothers to show up,
tell him that I am not
spending the weekend with him
till he learns to tell time.
Where's the victim's cellphone?
He didn't have it on him.
Not in his car or at the hotel.
Tao: Pinging it.
Nothing.
I'll let you know if
I get back online.
Detective, anything
else in the hotel room?
Just an overnight bag.
Though, you know,
he had two keys,
and the room had
a king-size bed.
Two keys is standard,
even if it's only one
person checking in.
But also... Condoms.
He was a single guy.
Boy scouts aren't the only
ones who like to be prepared.
But he wasn't prepared, was he?
I mean, Adams went into a bar
and wound up lying dead on
the floor of a bathroom stall.
I mean, I'm pretty sure that's
not what he came here to do.
He drove to Los Angeles
in his official vehicle,
he had his gun and
his badge with him,
and someone that
he wanted to talk to.
And his partner doesn't know?
Andy's right... doesn't add up.
Tao: If it means anything,
without my asking,
detective Adams' partner,
Conner, volunteered
to put all their cases that have
even the smallest link to L.A.
In his car and drive them
straight to our offices.
He'll be here any minute now.
Sorry I'm late.
One moment, Daniel.
Lieutenant tao, let's
check on detective Conner
and find out just
how far away he is.
And please let me
know the moment that...
What... what's her name?
Laura elkins.
Laura elkins comes.
And, uh, I will be
in the break room.
[ Sighs ]
Excuse me.
Daniel, this way.
We have a little problem.
Antifreeze isn't the only
thing here that smells off.
You got that right.
You were supposed
to pick rusty up
to spend your first
weekend together last night,
and you threw him by saying
you couldn't come until today,
and now you are two hours late,
and rusty doesn't
want to go anymore.
That's the problem.
I... didn't realize
that being late
was such a big deal.
For a child abandoned
by his mother at a zoo
and then stood up
by her at a bus station,
not showing up
is a very big deal.
And I will not make
rusty go with you today
if he doesn't want
to, because, frankly,
I find your behavior both
insensitive and suspicious.
S-S-Suspicious? What? It's
like you're testing this boy out
to see if he fits
in with your life.
And I also find it a little odd
that rusty's grandparents
and your sister haven't called.
Why is it that no one from
your family has contacted dcfs?
Just... h-hold on.
Look, I haven't told my
parents about rusty yet
because this problem is...
It...
[ sighs ]
I've been honest
with you from the start.
My fiancée, Annie...
She's got... She's
got daughters.
They're young daughters.
And she's much...
She's much better off
than I am financially.
So for me to pop up with
a son, to spring that on her,
I was afraid that it would
look like I was trying
to take advantage
of her generosity.
And it may be hard
for you to grasp,
but telling Annie about rusty
has created a very
difficult situation for me.
Rusty is the one with a
difficult situation, Daniel,
and the fact that you
don't understand that,
I find disturbing.
You do have dcfs' permission
to take your son
for the weekend,
but I'm not making him go.
No, wait. No, no,
no, no, no, no, no.
Annie's expecting to
meet him. I need rusty.
I don't give a damn
what you need.
And, by the way, usually,
when people tell me
that I don't understand
their situation,
they end up under arrest.
H-Hold on.
Just... just hold on.
I... want to fix this.
How do I fix this?
I'm looking forward
to seeing you try.
[ Taps table ]
[ Smacks lips, inhales deeply ]
I gather that you're
angry with me
because, uh, all the
schedule changes.
And, on top of everything else,
I was on the freeway much...
Does your cellphone
not work or something?
Because calling when
you're going to be late
is just, like, good
manners, dude.
I'm sorry, bud.
I...
I thought that if I
pulled off the road to call
that I would be even later...
When I am really looking
forward to something,
I'm like an hour early.
But forget that.
What you need to know is
that I... Wait... 10... Minutes,
and then I'm gone.
Because my time is
worth something, too.
[ Knock on window ]
Sharon, it's okay. I got this.
If you decide to leave, just
talk to me before you go.
Daniel.
[ Door opens ]
[ Sighs ]
So, anyway, Mrs. Elkins
is here with her two kids.
She's in interview room 2.
Doesn't seem to be
expecting any bad news,
but I'd like to try to find out
why Adams was
so interested in her
before we tell her
anything about his murder.
Captain... Adams'
partner, detective Conner,
is on his way up.
I'm gonna meet
him at the elevator.
Thank you, lieutenant.
Let him join you in electronics
while we talk to Mrs. Elkins.
See if he recognizes her.
Yeah.
Hi, Mrs. Elkins.
I'm lieutenant Andy
Flynn of the l.A.P.D.,
and this is captain
Sharon raydor.
Hello.
Does this mean that
someone found my computer?
Please say yes.
Tao: Well, that was easy.
Sharon: Well, it all
depends, ma'am.
Um, unfortunately,
we're not allowed
to just show it to you.
O... oh.
In determining ownership,
we need for you to
review with us once again
how you lost possession
of your property
and what steps you
took to try to find it.
Uh, yes, of course.
I was at check-in at the
temple resort and casino.
In Las Vegas?
Yes, and I put my
computer bag down
while I was hunting
for my credit card.
And then I stepped
away from the front desk
because I couldn't
find my wallet,
and when I came back,
my laptop was gone.
Were you there on
business or... Vacation?
Oh. Oh, no. It's
always business.
I've been traveling a
lot lately... too much.
Oh, that must be hard...
Hey, guys.
This is detective rich
Conner from Vegas.
[ Door closes ]
He's our victim's partner.
That's buzz, there
at the controls.
Lieutenant Mike tao,
that you spoke with earlier.
Thanks, detective, for
driving down so fast.
So sorry for your loss.
Thanks.
Is this the woman whose
license Mike was running?
Yes.
We were hoping you
might recognize her.
So am I, lieutenant.
Mrs. Elkins: I absolutely can't
conduct my business without a laptop.
Flynn: Did you make a theft
report to the Las Vegas police?
Well... yeah. I
mean, of course I did.
That's why you
called me in, right?
[ Scoffs ]
Well, they sent out this
very nice detective Adams...
who looked for my
laptop all over the place
and then talked to me
about how not to become
a victim of identity theft.
Did detective Adams
ever follow up with you?
Oh, yes.
I spoke to him...
Oh, I don't know...
Several times.
He was convinced
that someone was going to
use the info on my computer
to, like, establish
a line of credit
based on our home
equity or something.
Did he say why he
was worried about that?
Well, apparently,
he and his partner
have been investigating a
lot of cases just like mine.
You know, computers
stolen from resorts
used to tap into
people's credit.
And then he also said
that the thieves were dangerous,
which... which, for
me, was a little scary.
Well, he was right
about the danger part.
I didn't think they
were that dangerous.
[ Sighs ] Damn it.
This is the case
she's talking about.
Let me get some forms
that we would like you to sign
that would allow us to
monitor your finances.
Oh, yeah. That would be great.
So, you don't know this woman?
Never saw her before.
Any reason your partner might
not have told you about this?
Uh... [ Sighs ]
I can't say, but I can
tell you what I do know.
About nine months ago,
several of our hotels were
reporting laptops being stolen.
We later caught
some of these thefts
using hotel
surveillance footage.
Suspects appeared to
be in their older teens,
but they never looked
the same way twice.
16 of these stolen
laptops were later used
in a big identity-theft
scheme that...
looked to be based here in L.A.
All right, hold on a minute.
How come you brought all
this stuff and your partner didn't,
when he was the one
out here working the case?
I told you I don't know.
Oh, yeah?
Well, why didn't he notify us
that he was in our jurisdiction
conducting an investigation?
Probably 'cause we
called the l.A.P.D.
10 times in the last year.
I'd mention credit
fraud or identity theft,
and whoever I was talking to
would practically hang up on me.
Now you're all
really interested.
Because now someone is dead.
Murder does raise the stakes
somewhat, detective Conner.
Please continue.
Conner: We contacted
all the credit agencies
about the victims
I've put up here,
set up spreadsheets tracking
all their financial accounts.
Tao: Looks like the thieves
mined all these
identities for a few months
before taking out
loans in their names.
And then invested the
illegally borrowed money
in overseas funds.
Well, that verifies
Laura elkins' story.
How come she's not
up on your board, huh?
Tao: Okay, so, if I
understand your paperwork,
the thieves kept
up regular payments
on all the improper
loans they took out,
which amount to
about $12 million.
Is it even theft if they're
paying back the loans
and making money
for these people?
At some point, they'll
withdraw the investment income
and make off with
everything they've borrowed.
Probably right before the I.R.S.
Sends the victims their 1099s.
Right, so we have until then to
figure out who's behind all this.
Flynn: Don't you think your
partner may have already done that?
Isn't that why he ended up
dead on the floor of a men's room?
Maybe.
You're the homicide
expert, not me.
When it comes to
investigating identity fraud,
I try not to jump
to conclusions.
Provenza: Here's a
conclusion I'm surprised
you haven't already
reached, detective.
It's no longer identity fraud.
Now it's murder.
I'm going.
Are you sure, rusty?
I know when people
want something from me,
and he wants something.
I wish I could go with you.
Me too.
Come here.
Okay.
Call me if you need me.
I will.
Say it again.
I will.
Thank you.
Don't worry. I'll take
good care of him.
Okay.
Uh, rusty, be...
Have a good time.
[ Elevator bell dings ]
[ Sharon sighs, clicks pen ]
[ Classical music plays ]
[ Cellphone chimes ]
[ Chuckles ]
[ Chuckles ]
[ Telephone rings ]
Tao. Go.
Lieutenant tao. Oh, captain.
I may have had an idea how
to find our identity thieves.
Uh, go ahead, captain. I'm
putting you on speakerphone.
Uh, you have me and Andy.
I'm thinking we need to move
this Vegas case along a little.
Me too.
If Adams was here
working his investigation,
it looks like he may
have been offed
because he figured
something out.
And whoever poisoned the guy
has to know we're looking for him.
But where do we look for
them? That's the question.
These identity thieves
have set up highly
compartmentalized
independent investment accounts
inside each of their
victims' finances.
Yeah, complete with e-mail
addresses, phone numbers,
and post office boxes.
It's like these criminals built
themselves an extra space
inside these people's lives,
with their own separate
lines of communication,
which we can now
use to smoke them out.
So what are you
thinking, captain?
I'm thinking that we
take these credit reports
and we send a message
to each one of these
criminal e-mail accounts
with a warning about
potential identity fraud.
The thieves might try to move
all the cash they
collected at once.
Exactly, and things are easier
to see when they're in motion.
You want us to do this without
informing detective Conner?
Yes, I do.
So, what do you want
the e-mail to say, captain?
"The Los Angeles police
department has reason to believe
"that you may have been
the victim of identity theft
"and that fraudulent investments
and illegal loans may..."
"may have been improperly
taken out in your name.
"If you will contact our
major crimes division,
"we will, at your request,
put an investigatory hold
"on any and all financial
accounts and instruments
"currently bearing your
social security number.
Signed, captain Sharon raydor."
You just warned these criminals
we've got them
under surveillance.
Maybe they were
already onto you.
Why do you say that?
Because Mike did some
dmv runs of this elkins woman
and came to Los Angeles?
We say your
surveillance was blown
because detective Adams,
your partner, was murdered.
Or do you not find
that suspicious?
I know sending this
e-mail out risked everything
that Mike and I were
working on for the last year.
Not really.
Look how we're
spending our Saturday.
Sanchez: 400,000 U.S. dollars.
Let me take a guess...
For income tax purposes,
you also need the name of...
Flynn: That e-mail
you're complaining about
freaked out our
identity thieves.
As you can see,
we've gotten ahold
of everyone's credit
reports, and we're watching
the movement of their
illegally invested funds.
All of the money, including
the borrowed principal,
is being transferred
into the same account
at one of our finer
investment banks.
Now, we have the account number,
and we're freezing
everything as it comes in.
Now all we need to determine
is who the account belongs to.
It's gonna be someone else
whose identity has been stolen,
and you'll only have the money.
Wai... hang on, hang on,
hang on. Julio... Julio has it.
Yes, ma'am, account
number... 26-17-52-4-6-3.
Dr. Jeremy Thomas durban Jr.
Date of birth... 3/14/66.
Okay.
Buzz, sending you his social.
And when did Dr. Durban
open this account?
Three hours ago? Okay,
that's very interesting.
Could you e-mail me that form
to the address on
the warrant, please?
Thank you, ma'am.
[ Hangs up receiver ]
Okay, I'm showing
Dr. Jeremy durban...
Same social security,
same date of birth...
Professor of economics
at Santa Monica university.
Highly unusual coming in on
a Saturday for a consultation.
And I'm especially busy today.
Which is why I offered
to pay you $5,000
for the inconvenience.
Look, Dr. Durban, I've
heard such really good things
about your insights.
And I've only inherited this
money a couple of years ago,
and I'm not sure I have
it invested properly.
I know you can help me.
Well, taking your check
feels a little like cheating
since I'm only going to tell
you what I tell my students,
which is... All
things being equal,
most people aren't
even experienced enough
to manage their own checking
accounts, much less investments.
And that's even truer
of your demographic...
Black and female...
Which lacks a
considerable depth of field
when it comes to
money management.
Be careful in there, Sykes.
If professor durban turns
out to be our identity thief,
then he's probably
also our murderer.
I understand, and
if you think I should
stop supervising
this portfolio myself,
I'll be happy to put it right
where you recommend.
Okay, Sykes,
keep your fingers off the glass,
and let's see if this guy
is who he says he is.
Buzz: Okay, print
program is up and running.
Would you like
me to open it? No.
No, I'm well acquainted
with much more advanced
technology than this.
It's almost too simple.
I preferred computing
before it was just another
way of distracting the hoi polloi.
[ Beeping ]
All right, let's see.
Okay, Amy, I'm getting started.
Encourage him to
touch the device.
The stocks are,
um, on this page,
and if you push the
links, you can go to
the individual
real-estate investments
and bonds, et cetera.
Buzz, keep isolating and
sending me copies of his prints.
Markets are jumpy right now.
My god. You have
$20 million here.
$6 million in reits alone.
What's your return on those?
Okay, I'm getting a name...
Ronald David Andrews.
And he has a
record... For fraud.
Flynn: So he is a crook.
That's pretty impressive.
Do you think this guy
could kill someone?
Lieutenant, you're
getting another name.
Oh. Jeffry Myers breimer.
And... god... Donald
Clayton bridge Jr.
Flynn: He's beginning
to sound like a crowd.
Come on, Julio, before
we have to call backup
to arrest all of him.
Flynn, I really
don't see this guy
as having been hanging out at
the club where we found Adams.
I don't know... the kids
stealing computers in Vegas?
Probably Dr. Dumb
dumb's students.
Maybe one of them slipped
Adams the antifreeze.
It doesn't matter...
I want to arrest him
'cause I can't stand
listening to him anymore.
Oh! He's also
Franklin g. Robinson.
Wonder what the "g" stands for.
"Goofball."
Tao: All right, Amy.
He's the bad guy.
Here they come.
Well, good news is, you're rich.
Bad news is, you aren't gonna
make any money off your capital,
because it's
improperly invested.
Hie thee to one of
the bigger brokerages.
I'm not a fan of their fees,
which tend to eat up too
much of your gains over...
My god. What... what's going on?
Thanks for the advice.
Now we have some
for you, Dr. Blowhard.
You're under
arrest for the murder
of detective Michael Adams of
the Las Vegas police department.
You have the right
to remain silent,
and I can't wait for that.
You have the right
to an attorney...
I feel that there have been some
very serious errors made here.
I am a professor of economics...
and here's a statistic
you might not know...
Almost 100% of people in
the cop-killing demographic
end up earning
the death penalty.
Oh, my god!
Crunch those
numbers, why don't you?
Let me ask you, Ronald
David jeffry Myers Donald
Clayton Franklin g.
Dr. Jeremy Thomas durban,
are you sure that none
of you want an attorney?
I've committed no crime.
No one ever lost any
money or even paid
an extra penny in taxes
because of what I've done.
Oh, and I didn't kill
anyone last night.
The idea I was out clubbing
anywhere is ridiculous.
And Vegas?
[ Scoffs ]
I... never... gamble.
And the people who go there...
No, I don't do Vegas.
Check my travel.
Uh... under what name?
We found 30 driver's licenses
in your residence alone.
The lady has a point,
Dr. John Jacob
jingleheimer schmidt.
Okay, look.
Let's try a little informal
agreement, hmm?
I won't call an attorney
if you don't charge
me with murder
before you let me explain
how everything was done
and prove conclusively that
I have never killed anyone
or committed fraud.
No fraud?
What about the college
where you're teaching,
impersonating the
real Dr. Jeremy durban,
who actually teaches
in missoula, Montana?
[ Sighs ]
When you check Dr. Durban's
credit report, as you should...
As you should with all
these identities you've found...
Those credit
reports... Which are
the best way of monitoring
identity theft, as you know...
All those credit reports
will tell you that
I never, ever,
even once, stole anything
or failed to repay a loan.
What's up, captain?
He's right.
Credit reports aren't
just the best way
to monitor identity theft...
They're almost the only way.
That's true, yeah.
So why does detective Adams
keep running up Laura
elkins' driver's license?
Her credit report
wasn't in the package
that Conner brought
from Las Vegas, was it?
No, it wasn't.
We had to ask permission
to monitor her finances.
Buzz, keep an eye on nutty
professor here for a minute, will you?
If he admits to killing
anyone... I'll come find you.
I promise you, I am fully
capable of defending myself...
Tao: We didn't find any of
the computers that were stolen.
They were probably
stripped and dumped.
But we do have a
lot of flash drives.
Did you find one
for Laura elkins?
Uh, now that you mention it...
No.
It's not with any of her
other stuff, either, ma'am.
May I see Laura's
financial report, please?
Look, guys, I just
want to remind you,
I never said this woman's
laptop had anything to do...
You knew that she wasn't
involved in your investigation
from the beginning,
and you let us believe so.
No. In fact, just the opposite.
I told you I didn't know
anything about her.
I told you not to
jump to conclusions.
Can you think of
any other reason
your partner was doing
dmv runs on Laura elkins
three times in the
past six weeks?
I'd only be guessing, ma'am.
Have a seat. [ Sighs ]
This might be a good time
to tell you that I've spent
almost my entire
career in internal affairs,
and I am this close to
calling your department
and starting an inquiry
into your conduct.
She ain't kiddin', pal.
Okay. All right.
I don't know if this is related,
but this elkins woman...
She was Mike's type.
Type in what way?
Here's how it worked with him.
He'd... he'd go out
and interview victims,
and if he could
end up helping them
and they were, you know,
an attractive woman, he'd...
he'd talk them
into a one-nighter.
Maybe even a two-nighter.
Mike was just one of those guys
that fell in love every time
he pulled his pants down.
And if the girl gave him any
kind of encouragement at all,
even complimenting
his shoelaces,
you know, he'd pursue it.
Pursue? As in stalk?
I'm gonna find out.
A woman filed a complaint
against Mike about 7 months ago,
and the department
gave him a warning.
And when I look
into this warning
that your partner was issued,
will it say that
you knew nothing
about that incident,
either, detective?
How many women did he do
this to before he was caught?
Mike...
Mike was my partner.
We didn't talk about...
Hey! Listen to me, Conner.
We just ran our asses off
solving your identity-theft case
while you stood here
withholding information
on the murder
of a police officer.
Now, the captain asked you...
How many women did
Adams treat like elkins?!
I-I don't think any.
It looks to me,
if he drove out here
for this elkins woman,
his behavior may
have been escalating.
You think?
Is there anyone else
that we should be
looking at in L.A.,
or is Mrs. Elkins the only one?
I just found a big problem
on her financial statement.
And that would be...?
She said the computer
was necessary
for her to conduct
her business, right?
Oh, you...
You found my laptop.
Yes, we did.
You gave us permission to
monitor your financial history,
and we noticed
that you hadn't purchased
another computer anywhere.
And there were no charges
from anyone in your family
on any of the credit
cards over $200
since your trip to Vegas.
Flynn: The detectives that
called you back down here tonight
were waiting down the
street from your house.
And when you left,
they entered your residence
with a search warrant.
[ Chuckles ] And
surprise, surprise.
Look what we found
sitting right on your desk...
The laptop you reported stolen.
So, given the miraculous
nature of this discovery,
I thought that it
would be a good idea
to give you a chance
to explain, once again,
your relationship
with detective Adams.
That is why we
read you your rights...
Because we want to
hear your side of the story
before we talk
with your husband.
Uh...
[ Voice breaking ] You
don't... you don't know
what that guy put me through.
Then tell us what happened.
All right.
So, I was checking in
to my hotel in Vegas,
and I left my laptop downstairs,
and Mike found it for me.
He explained to me
how, by losing it...
I had exposed myself potentially
to this identity-theft ring
and that... I was
no longer safe.
And, um, well...
He offered to spend the night.
Look, I know it was a mistake.
But I just... I thought...
You thought you
could put it behind you?
Go home? No one
would ever find out?
But then...
Then he kept calling me.
And at first,
yeah, it was all,
"are you okay?"
And "did you check your
credit report, like I told you to?"
But then it became all about
did I have feelings for
him, like he did for me.
And I-I said no.
And I kept saying no
through about 30 phone calls
and I-I don't know how
many text messages.
And then...
I came home one day...
And he was sitting in my house
with my husband, Jonathan,
and our children,
explaining to them how
he wanted to make sure
that I wasn't
involved in this...
Identity-theft thing.
And...
I wanted to scream.
But instead, I
walked him to his car,
and I said to stay away
from me and my family.
And then he said, "or what?"
Please... please just say
you understand
the situation I was in.
Yeah, we understand. The
guy was threatening you.
Yes, exactly, and that's...
That's why, when he asked...
Actually, no. You
know what? He insisted.
He insisted that I
meet him at that club.
And he was saying all
these... All these crazy things,
like... like how I had to go
to his hotel room with him
and walk away from my
home and set myself free.
So I pretended to think
about it while we were drinking,
and...
God, please.
Please tell me you understand
what I was going through.
Oh, yeah.
I mean, you'd be surprised
how often we hear
this kind of story.
I mean, no kidding.
Uh, but let's go back to the
bar, because it seems like
you were trying to give
the guy a chance to back off.
And you only brought
the antifreeze with you
in case he wouldn't.
That kind of thing could
happen to anybody.
Yeah. He was
completely off his rocker.
Marriage is tough enough.
You add a third person...
and he was going to talk
to my husband himself
if I wouldn't do it.
So...
I-I slipped about
[Sniffles] an ounce
of the antifreeze into his drink
when he went to the bathroom.
But then I got
him another drink,
and I put some
more antifreeze in it.
And [sniffles] I played like
I was gonna go along
with him, you know?
[ Sniffles ]
And I took his phone
without him noticing,
and I told him I
was gonna go home
to say goodbye to my
husband and my children.
Thank god he didn't
physically assault you.
Oh, no. Yeah. Thank god.
I mean, could you even
imagine if he had tried
to force himself on me?
Okay, look...
We don't... we don't have to
tell my husband about this...
About this, right?
No, we don't.
But we do have
to have a little chat
with the deputy
district attorney,
right, lieutenant?
Definitely.
I mean, we get how
terrible this is for you, ma'am,
but we still need to arrest you
for murder in the first degree.
Oh, and your husband could
very well find out about that.
No, I... wait!
Wait! Listen! He
was threatening me!
What else could I have done?!
You could have called the Las
Vegas police and turned him in.
You could have
told your husband,
refused to go to a bar with
antifreeze in your purse,
or maybe not have slept
with the guy to begin with.
But you know what? That's
not really any of my business.
But if I were you
right now, Mrs. Elkins,
I would stop talking
before you explain
yourself onto death row.
Don't get too excited
back there, guys.
This is pretty cut-and-dry,
but I still have a deal to
make before we close shop.
Look out, Dr. Goofball.
You're next.
Sharon: So, here's the best I
can do for you, professor durban.
We've looked over
everything you've done
in the state of California,
and we can't prove
that you intended to
permanently deprive your victims
of the money you
borrowed from them.
Which is what I said, so...
Provenza: So, since
your more serious offenses
appear to have
occurred in Nevada...
Unh! Unh! I was never in Nevada.
It's time you went.
So, if you will sign these
waivers of extradition,
you can go with detective Conner
here and you can see Las Vegas.
And then you can deal with
whatever charges
they have against you
the same way you did here.
Ohh, if I must.
And please don't be too hard
on those young people I enlisted
in this little laptop escapade.
All they really got out
of it was good grades.
Oh, detective Conner,
I look forward to explaining
Nevada law to you
all the way back
to your hometown.
Flynn: Hey, Conner.
I'd say I felt sorry for
you, but you earned it.
You know, I'd be willing to bet
that he's able to talk
his way out of Nevada
just like he did here.
Sykes: But then
he still has to deal
with all his
outstanding warrants
in, uh, Illinois, Montana,
Kentucky, Florida, and Vermont.
You caught him.
Let someone else
pay to prosecute him.
Tao: And somewhere
down the line,
we'll find out who
this durban really is.
People always give
themselves away.
Sooner or later.
[ Sighs ]
[ Sighs ]
Rusty?
Rusty, are you home?
What happened?
Rusty: [ Muffled ] Can we
talk about it in the morning?
Is everything all right?
Do I owe Daniel a call?
Wait, wait, wait.
Hold on. I'm coming.
Just [sighs] just
don't freak out, okay?
[ Gasps ] Oh, my god.
Look, don't worry.
I-I didn't hit him back.
I just ran, and I used the
$100 you gave me to get a cab.
Oh, my god. Oh, my god.
What did he do to you?
Come up here and let
me see you in the light.
[ Sighs ]
What happened?
[ Sighs ]
Annie, his obnoxious fiancée,
was asking me all these,
like, really personal questions
about, like, how i'd gotten
along without my mother.
And then I thought,
you know, like,
why not just get the whole
gay-hustling thing out there?
And then when I did that,
Annie kind of freaked out.
And then... [ Sighs ]
Daniel took me outside to talk.
And then he accused me of,
like, trying to ruin his wedding.
And then I told him that I could
care less about his stupid wedding.
And then... then he hit me.
Why didn't you call me?
Because, Sharon, I
knew you would be upset.
And I wanted to think
things through, and...
We're past the ice
stage on my face.
How can you be so sure?
I'm sure.
My, um...
My mother's boyfriend used
to do this sort of thing to me
like once a week.
Until I beat the
crap out of him.
And then, the next day,
he and my mom
dropped me off at the zoo.
So now you know everything.
Look, did I do anything
I need to apologize for?
No.
We are past the apology stage
of our relationship
with Mr. Dunn,
and we have moved on
to the "please don't let
me drive over to his house
and shoot him in
the head" phase.
[ Sighs ]
On the bright side,
I guess I don't have to go back
to Daniel's house now, right?
No.
But there's a good chance
that he's going
to come over here.
Oh. Wait a minute.
Before I put this stuff
on your bottom lip,
lift your head up.
Why?
I'm gonna take some pictures.
[ Camera clicks ]
One more.
[ Camera clicks ]
Let me get in close.
[ Camera clicks ]
indistinct conversations ]
[ Muffled music, conversations ]
[ Music, conversations
continue, unmuffled ]
[ Muffled music, conversations ]
[ Music, conversations
continue, unmuffled ]
Dude, are you okay?
[ Muffled music, conversations ]
[ Music, conversations
continue, unmuffled ]
[ Muffled music, conversations ]
[ Music, conversations
continue, unmuffled ]
[ Panting ]
[ Music, conversations fade ]
[ Coughing ]
[ Coughing continues ]
[ Music, conversations
resume in distance ]
[ Music, conversations fade ]
[ Knock on door ]
Man: All right,
guys, we're closed.
Everybody up.
Time to go home.
[ Door opens, closes ]
[ Door handle rattling ]
[ Pounds door ]
Come on, man.
Dude, wake up.
Come on, man.
Gotta go. Party's over.
Open this door, or I'm
gonna open it for you.
[ Grunts ]
Ugh!
Hey, man?
Hey, man, it's time to go, ma...
Keys in his pocket.
No wallet.
Don't step in here yet. I
have to preserve... The fluids.
God.
So he didn't valet.
Yeah, the guy drives a Ford.
See if you can find
it parked close by.
Why am I here at 3:30 A.M.?
Because, instead of calling 911,
the owner of the club
called his really good friend
chief of police
William Henry pope.
Tao: The bouncer,
however, phoned paramedics,
and they pronounced
the guy at 2:25 A.M.
And the body is still
in the bathroom stall
a full hour later because...?
'Cause in order to do a proper
alcohol-consumption test,
we need the guy's
stomach contents,
a lot of which is on the floor
around the toilet
where he threw up.
Kendall needs to
collect his vomit, too.
I don't have to film that, do I?
I don't know.
Yes, yes... film, film.
I mean, even if the guy
drank himself to death,
until we know better, we got
to handle this like a murder.
Sykes: The men's room...
Join the l.A.P.D.,
see the world, right?
None of the staff...
Hold on, hold on.
What's the matter?
There's no visible wounds.
And the guy looks
like he's in great shape.
Hey, I've been there
before, but I always got up.
Why didn't the
bartenders cut him off
if he was this drunk?
None of the staff I
cycled through earlier
recognized our dead guy,
except for one bartender,
who said he
stumbled up to a stool
a couple hours before last call.
Victim didn't order anything,
but doesn't mean that someone
else wasn't buying him drinks.
Yeah, maybe his partner.
Partner?
You mean, as in the guy is gay?
No, sir, as in the guy's a
detective from Las Vegas.
Michael v. Adams.
I found his official vehicle
parked out front,
sir, with all this stuff...
Guy's badge, gun, wallet,
I.D., two keys to a hotel room,
$128 in cash, and a
few business cards.
Tao: 400 people in this bar...
One guy dies, and it happens
to be a police detective?
That, I don't like.
Andy, can I have that
badge? I want to call Vegas.
Flynn.
Oh. Uh, yeah, sure.
If detective Adams came
here in his police car,
he could have been here on duty.
Well, then, where's his partner?
Why didn't they
check in with l.A.P.D.?
Flynn, how many times have
we been to Vegas on business?
We never notify them.
Well, we're notified now.
So, we think too
much of a good thing?
Possibility, yeah.
Well, unless they've been
overconsuming for years,
people usually pass out before
they kill themselves drinking.
And this guy does not
look like an alcoholic to me.
What about asphyxiating
on his own vomit?
Mm, nothing in his throat, no.
I'll run tests, but
I think they'll say
that the victim had
a couple of drinks
about six hours before death.
And you can tell
that how? Two ways.
I poured the vomit that
Kendall collected into this tray.
Would you like to take a whiff?
What's the other way?
Turn off the light.
Watch this.
How 'bout that, huh?
Looks like he had
a hell of a Margarita,
but what does it mean?
That you have a murder.
And your visiting detective
died from ethylene
glycol poisoning.
Antifreeze.
Correct.
The fluorescent agent is
added to detect leaks in cars.
Very, very deadly stuff.
And you were able to smell this?
Such is the life I lead.
Okay, dick Tracy,
how'd you know this
green glop was antifreeze?
Guys stop drinking. They
throw out all the alcohol.
Wife's happy.
Then they get the urge,
and they sneak
out into the garage
and they strain the
antifreeze, thinking it'll be okay.
And they end up dead.
Not a bad way to poison someone.
Can you taste
this stuff in a drink?
Well, they say it's sweet.
[ Sniffs ] Hmm.
I think it would mix
very well with a... Mojito.
Or a kamikaze.
Okay, look, detective
Adams drives
from Vegas to L.A.
in his police car,
but he wasn't wearing a suit.
He left his gun and
his badge in the car.
Was he here on business or not?
Tao: His partner didn't think
Adams was working a case.
He was surprised
he was in L.A. at all.
No friends or family.
What's the partner's name?
Detective Richard Conner.
He gave me the victim's basics.
Adams was a 10-year
veteran of Vegas p.D.
He and Conner worked
fraud for the last three years.
Quite a few open cases.
You'll be surprised to learn
Vegas has a lot of scams.
What? Shocking, I know.
Conner has some investigations
with connections to L.A.
Did he identify any
of those connections?
No, but, um...
When I searched the
victim's hotel room,
I did find some dmv
runs for a Laura elkins.
She lives in silver lake,
married, two children.
No criminal record.
Adams ran her name three
times in the last two months.
She's on her way
down to talk to us,
but she doesn't know why, ma'am.
Did Adams meet or speak with
Mrs. Elkins while he was here?
Not at his hotel.
But the hotel security footage
had a great angle on
the hallway to his room.
And no one but
Adams and the maids
ever went in or out of the door.
[ Door opens ]
I'll be in the break room.
And if Mr. Dunn ever
bothers to show up,
tell him that I am not
spending the weekend with him
till he learns to tell time.
Where's the victim's cellphone?
He didn't have it on him.
Not in his car or at the hotel.
Tao: Pinging it.
Nothing.
I'll let you know if
I get back online.
Detective, anything
else in the hotel room?
Just an overnight bag.
Though, you know,
he had two keys,
and the room had
a king-size bed.
Two keys is standard,
even if it's only one
person checking in.
But also... Condoms.
He was a single guy.
Boy scouts aren't the only
ones who like to be prepared.
But he wasn't prepared, was he?
I mean, Adams went into a bar
and wound up lying dead on
the floor of a bathroom stall.
I mean, I'm pretty sure that's
not what he came here to do.
He drove to Los Angeles
in his official vehicle,
he had his gun and
his badge with him,
and someone that
he wanted to talk to.
And his partner doesn't know?
Andy's right... doesn't add up.
Tao: If it means anything,
without my asking,
detective Adams' partner,
Conner, volunteered
to put all their cases that have
even the smallest link to L.A.
In his car and drive them
straight to our offices.
He'll be here any minute now.
Sorry I'm late.
One moment, Daniel.
Lieutenant tao, let's
check on detective Conner
and find out just
how far away he is.
And please let me
know the moment that...
What... what's her name?
Laura elkins.
Laura elkins comes.
And, uh, I will be
in the break room.
[ Sighs ]
Excuse me.
Daniel, this way.
We have a little problem.
Antifreeze isn't the only
thing here that smells off.
You got that right.
You were supposed
to pick rusty up
to spend your first
weekend together last night,
and you threw him by saying
you couldn't come until today,
and now you are two hours late,
and rusty doesn't
want to go anymore.
That's the problem.
I... didn't realize
that being late
was such a big deal.
For a child abandoned
by his mother at a zoo
and then stood up
by her at a bus station,
not showing up
is a very big deal.
And I will not make
rusty go with you today
if he doesn't want
to, because, frankly,
I find your behavior both
insensitive and suspicious.
S-S-Suspicious? What? It's
like you're testing this boy out
to see if he fits
in with your life.
And I also find it a little odd
that rusty's grandparents
and your sister haven't called.
Why is it that no one from
your family has contacted dcfs?
Just... h-hold on.
Look, I haven't told my
parents about rusty yet
because this problem is...
It...
[ sighs ]
I've been honest
with you from the start.
My fiancée, Annie...
She's got... She's
got daughters.
They're young daughters.
And she's much...
She's much better off
than I am financially.
So for me to pop up with
a son, to spring that on her,
I was afraid that it would
look like I was trying
to take advantage
of her generosity.
And it may be hard
for you to grasp,
but telling Annie about rusty
has created a very
difficult situation for me.
Rusty is the one with a
difficult situation, Daniel,
and the fact that you
don't understand that,
I find disturbing.
You do have dcfs' permission
to take your son
for the weekend,
but I'm not making him go.
No, wait. No, no,
no, no, no, no, no.
Annie's expecting to
meet him. I need rusty.
I don't give a damn
what you need.
And, by the way, usually,
when people tell me
that I don't understand
their situation,
they end up under arrest.
H-Hold on.
Just... just hold on.
I... want to fix this.
How do I fix this?
I'm looking forward
to seeing you try.
[ Taps table ]
[ Smacks lips, inhales deeply ]
I gather that you're
angry with me
because, uh, all the
schedule changes.
And, on top of everything else,
I was on the freeway much...
Does your cellphone
not work or something?
Because calling when
you're going to be late
is just, like, good
manners, dude.
I'm sorry, bud.
I...
I thought that if I
pulled off the road to call
that I would be even later...
When I am really looking
forward to something,
I'm like an hour early.
But forget that.
What you need to know is
that I... Wait... 10... Minutes,
and then I'm gone.
Because my time is
worth something, too.
[ Knock on window ]
Sharon, it's okay. I got this.
If you decide to leave, just
talk to me before you go.
Daniel.
[ Door opens ]
[ Sighs ]
So, anyway, Mrs. Elkins
is here with her two kids.
She's in interview room 2.
Doesn't seem to be
expecting any bad news,
but I'd like to try to find out
why Adams was
so interested in her
before we tell her
anything about his murder.
Captain... Adams'
partner, detective Conner,
is on his way up.
I'm gonna meet
him at the elevator.
Thank you, lieutenant.
Let him join you in electronics
while we talk to Mrs. Elkins.
See if he recognizes her.
Yeah.
Hi, Mrs. Elkins.
I'm lieutenant Andy
Flynn of the l.A.P.D.,
and this is captain
Sharon raydor.
Hello.
Does this mean that
someone found my computer?
Please say yes.
Tao: Well, that was easy.
Sharon: Well, it all
depends, ma'am.
Um, unfortunately,
we're not allowed
to just show it to you.
O... oh.
In determining ownership,
we need for you to
review with us once again
how you lost possession
of your property
and what steps you
took to try to find it.
Uh, yes, of course.
I was at check-in at the
temple resort and casino.
In Las Vegas?
Yes, and I put my
computer bag down
while I was hunting
for my credit card.
And then I stepped
away from the front desk
because I couldn't
find my wallet,
and when I came back,
my laptop was gone.
Were you there on
business or... Vacation?
Oh. Oh, no. It's
always business.
I've been traveling a
lot lately... too much.
Oh, that must be hard...
Hey, guys.
This is detective rich
Conner from Vegas.
[ Door closes ]
He's our victim's partner.
That's buzz, there
at the controls.
Lieutenant Mike tao,
that you spoke with earlier.
Thanks, detective, for
driving down so fast.
So sorry for your loss.
Thanks.
Is this the woman whose
license Mike was running?
Yes.
We were hoping you
might recognize her.
So am I, lieutenant.
Mrs. Elkins: I absolutely can't
conduct my business without a laptop.
Flynn: Did you make a theft
report to the Las Vegas police?
Well... yeah. I
mean, of course I did.
That's why you
called me in, right?
[ Scoffs ]
Well, they sent out this
very nice detective Adams...
who looked for my
laptop all over the place
and then talked to me
about how not to become
a victim of identity theft.
Did detective Adams
ever follow up with you?
Oh, yes.
I spoke to him...
Oh, I don't know...
Several times.
He was convinced
that someone was going to
use the info on my computer
to, like, establish
a line of credit
based on our home
equity or something.
Did he say why he
was worried about that?
Well, apparently,
he and his partner
have been investigating a
lot of cases just like mine.
You know, computers
stolen from resorts
used to tap into
people's credit.
And then he also said
that the thieves were dangerous,
which... which, for
me, was a little scary.
Well, he was right
about the danger part.
I didn't think they
were that dangerous.
[ Sighs ] Damn it.
This is the case
she's talking about.
Let me get some forms
that we would like you to sign
that would allow us to
monitor your finances.
Oh, yeah. That would be great.
So, you don't know this woman?
Never saw her before.
Any reason your partner might
not have told you about this?
Uh... [ Sighs ]
I can't say, but I can
tell you what I do know.
About nine months ago,
several of our hotels were
reporting laptops being stolen.
We later caught
some of these thefts
using hotel
surveillance footage.
Suspects appeared to
be in their older teens,
but they never looked
the same way twice.
16 of these stolen
laptops were later used
in a big identity-theft
scheme that...
looked to be based here in L.A.
All right, hold on a minute.
How come you brought all
this stuff and your partner didn't,
when he was the one
out here working the case?
I told you I don't know.
Oh, yeah?
Well, why didn't he notify us
that he was in our jurisdiction
conducting an investigation?
Probably 'cause we
called the l.A.P.D.
10 times in the last year.
I'd mention credit
fraud or identity theft,
and whoever I was talking to
would practically hang up on me.
Now you're all
really interested.
Because now someone is dead.
Murder does raise the stakes
somewhat, detective Conner.
Please continue.
Conner: We contacted
all the credit agencies
about the victims
I've put up here,
set up spreadsheets tracking
all their financial accounts.
Tao: Looks like the thieves
mined all these
identities for a few months
before taking out
loans in their names.
And then invested the
illegally borrowed money
in overseas funds.
Well, that verifies
Laura elkins' story.
How come she's not
up on your board, huh?
Tao: Okay, so, if I
understand your paperwork,
the thieves kept
up regular payments
on all the improper
loans they took out,
which amount to
about $12 million.
Is it even theft if they're
paying back the loans
and making money
for these people?
At some point, they'll
withdraw the investment income
and make off with
everything they've borrowed.
Probably right before the I.R.S.
Sends the victims their 1099s.
Right, so we have until then to
figure out who's behind all this.
Flynn: Don't you think your
partner may have already done that?
Isn't that why he ended up
dead on the floor of a men's room?
Maybe.
You're the homicide
expert, not me.
When it comes to
investigating identity fraud,
I try not to jump
to conclusions.
Provenza: Here's a
conclusion I'm surprised
you haven't already
reached, detective.
It's no longer identity fraud.
Now it's murder.
I'm going.
Are you sure, rusty?
I know when people
want something from me,
and he wants something.
I wish I could go with you.
Me too.
Come here.
Okay.
Call me if you need me.
I will.
Say it again.
I will.
Thank you.
Don't worry. I'll take
good care of him.
Okay.
Uh, rusty, be...
Have a good time.
[ Elevator bell dings ]
[ Sharon sighs, clicks pen ]
[ Classical music plays ]
[ Cellphone chimes ]
[ Chuckles ]
[ Chuckles ]
[ Telephone rings ]
Tao. Go.
Lieutenant tao. Oh, captain.
I may have had an idea how
to find our identity thieves.
Uh, go ahead, captain. I'm
putting you on speakerphone.
Uh, you have me and Andy.
I'm thinking we need to move
this Vegas case along a little.
Me too.
If Adams was here
working his investigation,
it looks like he may
have been offed
because he figured
something out.
And whoever poisoned the guy
has to know we're looking for him.
But where do we look for
them? That's the question.
These identity thieves
have set up highly
compartmentalized
independent investment accounts
inside each of their
victims' finances.
Yeah, complete with e-mail
addresses, phone numbers,
and post office boxes.
It's like these criminals built
themselves an extra space
inside these people's lives,
with their own separate
lines of communication,
which we can now
use to smoke them out.
So what are you
thinking, captain?
I'm thinking that we
take these credit reports
and we send a message
to each one of these
criminal e-mail accounts
with a warning about
potential identity fraud.
The thieves might try to move
all the cash they
collected at once.
Exactly, and things are easier
to see when they're in motion.
You want us to do this without
informing detective Conner?
Yes, I do.
So, what do you want
the e-mail to say, captain?
"The Los Angeles police
department has reason to believe
"that you may have been
the victim of identity theft
"and that fraudulent investments
and illegal loans may..."
"may have been improperly
taken out in your name.
"If you will contact our
major crimes division,
"we will, at your request,
put an investigatory hold
"on any and all financial
accounts and instruments
"currently bearing your
social security number.
Signed, captain Sharon raydor."
You just warned these criminals
we've got them
under surveillance.
Maybe they were
already onto you.
Why do you say that?
Because Mike did some
dmv runs of this elkins woman
and came to Los Angeles?
We say your
surveillance was blown
because detective Adams,
your partner, was murdered.
Or do you not find
that suspicious?
I know sending this
e-mail out risked everything
that Mike and I were
working on for the last year.
Not really.
Look how we're
spending our Saturday.
Sanchez: 400,000 U.S. dollars.
Let me take a guess...
For income tax purposes,
you also need the name of...
Flynn: That e-mail
you're complaining about
freaked out our
identity thieves.
As you can see,
we've gotten ahold
of everyone's credit
reports, and we're watching
the movement of their
illegally invested funds.
All of the money, including
the borrowed principal,
is being transferred
into the same account
at one of our finer
investment banks.
Now, we have the account number,
and we're freezing
everything as it comes in.
Now all we need to determine
is who the account belongs to.
It's gonna be someone else
whose identity has been stolen,
and you'll only have the money.
Wai... hang on, hang on,
hang on. Julio... Julio has it.
Yes, ma'am, account
number... 26-17-52-4-6-3.
Dr. Jeremy Thomas durban Jr.
Date of birth... 3/14/66.
Okay.
Buzz, sending you his social.
And when did Dr. Durban
open this account?
Three hours ago? Okay,
that's very interesting.
Could you e-mail me that form
to the address on
the warrant, please?
Thank you, ma'am.
[ Hangs up receiver ]
Okay, I'm showing
Dr. Jeremy durban...
Same social security,
same date of birth...
Professor of economics
at Santa Monica university.
Highly unusual coming in on
a Saturday for a consultation.
And I'm especially busy today.
Which is why I offered
to pay you $5,000
for the inconvenience.
Look, Dr. Durban, I've
heard such really good things
about your insights.
And I've only inherited this
money a couple of years ago,
and I'm not sure I have
it invested properly.
I know you can help me.
Well, taking your check
feels a little like cheating
since I'm only going to tell
you what I tell my students,
which is... All
things being equal,
most people aren't
even experienced enough
to manage their own checking
accounts, much less investments.
And that's even truer
of your demographic...
Black and female...
Which lacks a
considerable depth of field
when it comes to
money management.
Be careful in there, Sykes.
If professor durban turns
out to be our identity thief,
then he's probably
also our murderer.
I understand, and
if you think I should
stop supervising
this portfolio myself,
I'll be happy to put it right
where you recommend.
Okay, Sykes,
keep your fingers off the glass,
and let's see if this guy
is who he says he is.
Buzz: Okay, print
program is up and running.
Would you like
me to open it? No.
No, I'm well acquainted
with much more advanced
technology than this.
It's almost too simple.
I preferred computing
before it was just another
way of distracting the hoi polloi.
[ Beeping ]
All right, let's see.
Okay, Amy, I'm getting started.
Encourage him to
touch the device.
The stocks are,
um, on this page,
and if you push the
links, you can go to
the individual
real-estate investments
and bonds, et cetera.
Buzz, keep isolating and
sending me copies of his prints.
Markets are jumpy right now.
My god. You have
$20 million here.
$6 million in reits alone.
What's your return on those?
Okay, I'm getting a name...
Ronald David Andrews.
And he has a
record... For fraud.
Flynn: So he is a crook.
That's pretty impressive.
Do you think this guy
could kill someone?
Lieutenant, you're
getting another name.
Oh. Jeffry Myers breimer.
And... god... Donald
Clayton bridge Jr.
Flynn: He's beginning
to sound like a crowd.
Come on, Julio, before
we have to call backup
to arrest all of him.
Flynn, I really
don't see this guy
as having been hanging out at
the club where we found Adams.
I don't know... the kids
stealing computers in Vegas?
Probably Dr. Dumb
dumb's students.
Maybe one of them slipped
Adams the antifreeze.
It doesn't matter...
I want to arrest him
'cause I can't stand
listening to him anymore.
Oh! He's also
Franklin g. Robinson.
Wonder what the "g" stands for.
"Goofball."
Tao: All right, Amy.
He's the bad guy.
Here they come.
Well, good news is, you're rich.
Bad news is, you aren't gonna
make any money off your capital,
because it's
improperly invested.
Hie thee to one of
the bigger brokerages.
I'm not a fan of their fees,
which tend to eat up too
much of your gains over...
My god. What... what's going on?
Thanks for the advice.
Now we have some
for you, Dr. Blowhard.
You're under
arrest for the murder
of detective Michael Adams of
the Las Vegas police department.
You have the right
to remain silent,
and I can't wait for that.
You have the right
to an attorney...
I feel that there have been some
very serious errors made here.
I am a professor of economics...
and here's a statistic
you might not know...
Almost 100% of people in
the cop-killing demographic
end up earning
the death penalty.
Oh, my god!
Crunch those
numbers, why don't you?
Let me ask you, Ronald
David jeffry Myers Donald
Clayton Franklin g.
Dr. Jeremy Thomas durban,
are you sure that none
of you want an attorney?
I've committed no crime.
No one ever lost any
money or even paid
an extra penny in taxes
because of what I've done.
Oh, and I didn't kill
anyone last night.
The idea I was out clubbing
anywhere is ridiculous.
And Vegas?
[ Scoffs ]
I... never... gamble.
And the people who go there...
No, I don't do Vegas.
Check my travel.
Uh... under what name?
We found 30 driver's licenses
in your residence alone.
The lady has a point,
Dr. John Jacob
jingleheimer schmidt.
Okay, look.
Let's try a little informal
agreement, hmm?
I won't call an attorney
if you don't charge
me with murder
before you let me explain
how everything was done
and prove conclusively that
I have never killed anyone
or committed fraud.
No fraud?
What about the college
where you're teaching,
impersonating the
real Dr. Jeremy durban,
who actually teaches
in missoula, Montana?
[ Sighs ]
When you check Dr. Durban's
credit report, as you should...
As you should with all
these identities you've found...
Those credit
reports... Which are
the best way of monitoring
identity theft, as you know...
All those credit reports
will tell you that
I never, ever,
even once, stole anything
or failed to repay a loan.
What's up, captain?
He's right.
Credit reports aren't
just the best way
to monitor identity theft...
They're almost the only way.
That's true, yeah.
So why does detective Adams
keep running up Laura
elkins' driver's license?
Her credit report
wasn't in the package
that Conner brought
from Las Vegas, was it?
No, it wasn't.
We had to ask permission
to monitor her finances.
Buzz, keep an eye on nutty
professor here for a minute, will you?
If he admits to killing
anyone... I'll come find you.
I promise you, I am fully
capable of defending myself...
Tao: We didn't find any of
the computers that were stolen.
They were probably
stripped and dumped.
But we do have a
lot of flash drives.
Did you find one
for Laura elkins?
Uh, now that you mention it...
No.
It's not with any of her
other stuff, either, ma'am.
May I see Laura's
financial report, please?
Look, guys, I just
want to remind you,
I never said this woman's
laptop had anything to do...
You knew that she wasn't
involved in your investigation
from the beginning,
and you let us believe so.
No. In fact, just the opposite.
I told you I didn't know
anything about her.
I told you not to
jump to conclusions.
Can you think of
any other reason
your partner was doing
dmv runs on Laura elkins
three times in the
past six weeks?
I'd only be guessing, ma'am.
Have a seat. [ Sighs ]
This might be a good time
to tell you that I've spent
almost my entire
career in internal affairs,
and I am this close to
calling your department
and starting an inquiry
into your conduct.
She ain't kiddin', pal.
Okay. All right.
I don't know if this is related,
but this elkins woman...
She was Mike's type.
Type in what way?
Here's how it worked with him.
He'd... he'd go out
and interview victims,
and if he could
end up helping them
and they were, you know,
an attractive woman, he'd...
he'd talk them
into a one-nighter.
Maybe even a two-nighter.
Mike was just one of those guys
that fell in love every time
he pulled his pants down.
And if the girl gave him any
kind of encouragement at all,
even complimenting
his shoelaces,
you know, he'd pursue it.
Pursue? As in stalk?
I'm gonna find out.
A woman filed a complaint
against Mike about 7 months ago,
and the department
gave him a warning.
And when I look
into this warning
that your partner was issued,
will it say that
you knew nothing
about that incident,
either, detective?
How many women did he do
this to before he was caught?
Mike...
Mike was my partner.
We didn't talk about...
Hey! Listen to me, Conner.
We just ran our asses off
solving your identity-theft case
while you stood here
withholding information
on the murder
of a police officer.
Now, the captain asked you...
How many women did
Adams treat like elkins?!
I-I don't think any.
It looks to me,
if he drove out here
for this elkins woman,
his behavior may
have been escalating.
You think?
Is there anyone else
that we should be
looking at in L.A.,
or is Mrs. Elkins the only one?
I just found a big problem
on her financial statement.
And that would be...?
She said the computer
was necessary
for her to conduct
her business, right?
Oh, you...
You found my laptop.
Yes, we did.
You gave us permission to
monitor your financial history,
and we noticed
that you hadn't purchased
another computer anywhere.
And there were no charges
from anyone in your family
on any of the credit
cards over $200
since your trip to Vegas.
Flynn: The detectives that
called you back down here tonight
were waiting down the
street from your house.
And when you left,
they entered your residence
with a search warrant.
[ Chuckles ] And
surprise, surprise.
Look what we found
sitting right on your desk...
The laptop you reported stolen.
So, given the miraculous
nature of this discovery,
I thought that it
would be a good idea
to give you a chance
to explain, once again,
your relationship
with detective Adams.
That is why we
read you your rights...
Because we want to
hear your side of the story
before we talk
with your husband.
Uh...
[ Voice breaking ] You
don't... you don't know
what that guy put me through.
Then tell us what happened.
All right.
So, I was checking in
to my hotel in Vegas,
and I left my laptop downstairs,
and Mike found it for me.
He explained to me
how, by losing it...
I had exposed myself potentially
to this identity-theft ring
and that... I was
no longer safe.
And, um, well...
He offered to spend the night.
Look, I know it was a mistake.
But I just... I thought...
You thought you
could put it behind you?
Go home? No one
would ever find out?
But then...
Then he kept calling me.
And at first,
yeah, it was all,
"are you okay?"
And "did you check your
credit report, like I told you to?"
But then it became all about
did I have feelings for
him, like he did for me.
And I-I said no.
And I kept saying no
through about 30 phone calls
and I-I don't know how
many text messages.
And then...
I came home one day...
And he was sitting in my house
with my husband, Jonathan,
and our children,
explaining to them how
he wanted to make sure
that I wasn't
involved in this...
Identity-theft thing.
And...
I wanted to scream.
But instead, I
walked him to his car,
and I said to stay away
from me and my family.
And then he said, "or what?"
Please... please just say
you understand
the situation I was in.
Yeah, we understand. The
guy was threatening you.
Yes, exactly, and that's...
That's why, when he asked...
Actually, no. You
know what? He insisted.
He insisted that I
meet him at that club.
And he was saying all
these... All these crazy things,
like... like how I had to go
to his hotel room with him
and walk away from my
home and set myself free.
So I pretended to think
about it while we were drinking,
and...
God, please.
Please tell me you understand
what I was going through.
Oh, yeah.
I mean, you'd be surprised
how often we hear
this kind of story.
I mean, no kidding.
Uh, but let's go back to the
bar, because it seems like
you were trying to give
the guy a chance to back off.
And you only brought
the antifreeze with you
in case he wouldn't.
That kind of thing could
happen to anybody.
Yeah. He was
completely off his rocker.
Marriage is tough enough.
You add a third person...
and he was going to talk
to my husband himself
if I wouldn't do it.
So...
I-I slipped about
[Sniffles] an ounce
of the antifreeze into his drink
when he went to the bathroom.
But then I got
him another drink,
and I put some
more antifreeze in it.
And [sniffles] I played like
I was gonna go along
with him, you know?
[ Sniffles ]
And I took his phone
without him noticing,
and I told him I
was gonna go home
to say goodbye to my
husband and my children.
Thank god he didn't
physically assault you.
Oh, no. Yeah. Thank god.
I mean, could you even
imagine if he had tried
to force himself on me?
Okay, look...
We don't... we don't have to
tell my husband about this...
About this, right?
No, we don't.
But we do have
to have a little chat
with the deputy
district attorney,
right, lieutenant?
Definitely.
I mean, we get how
terrible this is for you, ma'am,
but we still need to arrest you
for murder in the first degree.
Oh, and your husband could
very well find out about that.
No, I... wait!
Wait! Listen! He
was threatening me!
What else could I have done?!
You could have called the Las
Vegas police and turned him in.
You could have
told your husband,
refused to go to a bar with
antifreeze in your purse,
or maybe not have slept
with the guy to begin with.
But you know what? That's
not really any of my business.
But if I were you
right now, Mrs. Elkins,
I would stop talking
before you explain
yourself onto death row.
Don't get too excited
back there, guys.
This is pretty cut-and-dry,
but I still have a deal to
make before we close shop.
Look out, Dr. Goofball.
You're next.
Sharon: So, here's the best I
can do for you, professor durban.
We've looked over
everything you've done
in the state of California,
and we can't prove
that you intended to
permanently deprive your victims
of the money you
borrowed from them.
Which is what I said, so...
Provenza: So, since
your more serious offenses
appear to have
occurred in Nevada...
Unh! Unh! I was never in Nevada.
It's time you went.
So, if you will sign these
waivers of extradition,
you can go with detective Conner
here and you can see Las Vegas.
And then you can deal with
whatever charges
they have against you
the same way you did here.
Ohh, if I must.
And please don't be too hard
on those young people I enlisted
in this little laptop escapade.
All they really got out
of it was good grades.
Oh, detective Conner,
I look forward to explaining
Nevada law to you
all the way back
to your hometown.
Flynn: Hey, Conner.
I'd say I felt sorry for
you, but you earned it.
You know, I'd be willing to bet
that he's able to talk
his way out of Nevada
just like he did here.
Sykes: But then
he still has to deal
with all his
outstanding warrants
in, uh, Illinois, Montana,
Kentucky, Florida, and Vermont.
You caught him.
Let someone else
pay to prosecute him.
Tao: And somewhere
down the line,
we'll find out who
this durban really is.
People always give
themselves away.
Sooner or later.
[ Sighs ]
[ Sighs ]
Rusty?
Rusty, are you home?
What happened?
Rusty: [ Muffled ] Can we
talk about it in the morning?
Is everything all right?
Do I owe Daniel a call?
Wait, wait, wait.
Hold on. I'm coming.
Just [sighs] just
don't freak out, okay?
[ Gasps ] Oh, my god.
Look, don't worry.
I-I didn't hit him back.
I just ran, and I used the
$100 you gave me to get a cab.
Oh, my god. Oh, my god.
What did he do to you?
Come up here and let
me see you in the light.
[ Sighs ]
What happened?
[ Sighs ]
Annie, his obnoxious fiancée,
was asking me all these,
like, really personal questions
about, like, how i'd gotten
along without my mother.
And then I thought,
you know, like,
why not just get the whole
gay-hustling thing out there?
And then when I did that,
Annie kind of freaked out.
And then... [ Sighs ]
Daniel took me outside to talk.
And then he accused me of,
like, trying to ruin his wedding.
And then I told him that I could
care less about his stupid wedding.
And then... then he hit me.
Why didn't you call me?
Because, Sharon, I
knew you would be upset.
And I wanted to think
things through, and...
We're past the ice
stage on my face.
How can you be so sure?
I'm sure.
My, um...
My mother's boyfriend used
to do this sort of thing to me
like once a week.
Until I beat the
crap out of him.
And then, the next day,
he and my mom
dropped me off at the zoo.
So now you know everything.
Look, did I do anything
I need to apologize for?
No.
We are past the apology stage
of our relationship
with Mr. Dunn,
and we have moved on
to the "please don't let
me drive over to his house
and shoot him in
the head" phase.
[ Sighs ]
On the bright side,
I guess I don't have to go back
to Daniel's house now, right?
No.
But there's a good chance
that he's going
to come over here.
Oh. Wait a minute.
Before I put this stuff
on your bottom lip,
lift your head up.
Why?
I'm gonna take some pictures.
[ Camera clicks ]
One more.
[ Camera clicks ]
Let me get in close.
[ Camera clicks ]