Major Crimes (2012–2018): Season 2, Episode 16 - Risk Assessment - full transcript

When a congressman's well-off son gets whacked in a gang-riddled neighborhood, the Major Crimes division must work with the FBI - including Fritz Howard - to find his killer, which entails solving the earlier murder of an eye-witness to a gang killing that appears connected. Meanwhile, after Buzz' criticism over showing only interest in himself, Rusty asks each member of the squad how they got into police work.

I don't know
if this was such a good idea.

What?! When was the last time
you saw a free carpet like this?

On a corner to be picked up
for garbage? Never.

It's not a carpet.
It's a rug, and it stinks.

We rent a steam cleaner,
maybe spray a little Febreeze.

No one will know the difference.
And it's expensive, too.

Department-store
quality.

Season 2, Episode 16
"Risk Assessment"

- Oh, my God!
- Geez!

- Man, we need to call the police.
- You can't. Stop.

We'll just take the rug back
to where we found it.



Jason, this rug has our DNA
on it now.

The police might end up thinking
we killed this guy.

- No, they won't.
- So, why did you kill this guy?

We didn't. It was just like we
found a free rug on the street.

Yeah, so, you put it
in your car, carried it up here,

and not once did it seem
a little heavy?

Good rugs weigh more.

We weren't gonna unroll it
on the street where we found it.

- What street?
- I'm not sure.

We dropped a friend off
at L.A.X. this morning.

And on the way back,
traffic was bad.

So, we took a detour and got all
turned around, and there it was,

across the street from the garden,
on the sidewalk.

Take their statements.



Uh, how long are you guys
gonna be here?

Our annual Christmas party
is tonight.

Consider it canceled.

Uh, but, sir!
It's Christmas.

Yeah, well, bah, humbug!

You've got an unidentified body
on your living-room floor.

Get drunk somewhere else.
And you... out. Out, out! Out!

What? I've seen dead
bodies before.

All right, Buzz. These two
are harmless, everyday idiots.

So it's okay to start filming,
and then we'll do a search,

and the only reason that
you are riding along with us

is to see if you can be a team
player and follow directions.

And, so far, Mr. Beck,
you are doing a crappy job.

Ah, ah.
Stay... in the hall.

Geez.
Why is he being so rude?

Not following orders
is worse than being rude.

If you want the captain
to sign papers

approving your participation
in an S.I.S. Operation,

you better do
what the lieutenant says.

But... but just standing here
is boring.

You expect us all to be
fascinated with your life,

but you never take the smallest
interest in other people.

I do so take an interest
in other people.

- I do that all the time.
- All the time? Really?

Yeah...

So, tell me, why did lieutenant
Provenza become a detective?

What was Mike Tao going to do
before he started working Homicides?

The reason you can't answer
those questions

is because you never ask people
about themselves... ever.

Not even how they're doing
in the morning.

Well, I don't have to ask
how you're doing,

because you're, like,
obviously in a really bad mood.

No. I'm disappointed...
again.

One gunshot wound straight
to the forehead,

fired at pointblank range,
no defensive wounds.

So, he never saw it coming.
You have time of death?

Considering the rug was an insulator,
I'm guessing 12 to 16 hours ago.

So, he was killed somewhere else
and brought here by Heckle and Jeckle.

And the only thing they remember
about the corner

was it's about 15 minutes
South of here,

and there might have been
a garden nearby.

I may be able to get more specific.
I ran our victim's prints and got a hit.

His name is Robert Keller,

age 25, graduate student,
and he has a record.

Arrested in 2011 for protesting
with Occupy Wall Street.

Not a motive for murder,
really.

No, but in addition to having a record,
he's listed as a witness to... hmm...

Doesn't say.

A witness gets shot in the head
and rolled up in a rug?

Does the, uh, victim's record
show a current address?

So, I've been thinking over,
uh, being a team player,

and if this really is a team,

then shouldn't I know more
about the people playing on it?

You asking a question
about us?

Yes. Why is that such a huge surprise?
It's not like I'm an egomaniac.

I am interested
in other people.

Mkay... All right.
What are you interested in?

Well, you know, like, w-why did
you become a police officer?

Uh...'Cause
I'm scared of fire.

I'd rather be shot at
than stand on the roof

of a burning building
surrounded by flames.

Plus, I enjoy telling people
what to do.

It's fulfilling.

And, uh, what about you,
Lieutenant Flynn?

Oh, God. Do the short version,
please.

When I was a kid,
my older brother and I,

we, uh, "borrowed" a motorcycle belonged
to my cousin and took it for a joyride.

And this cop,
officer Nichols,

he caught us
and brought us downtown,

showed us the jail, and said,
"This is where you're headed."

Now, my brother, he didn't think
too much of officer Nichols.

But, me, I decided,

better putting people in jail
than going there myself. Right?

- So, you were almost a criminal.
- Ah, here we are.

Okay, enough about us.
Now, about you.

You stay by my side
until I say differently.

There's the garden those
two morons talked about.

- Come on. Come on.
- Look, a tassel by this memorial.

Like the ones on the rug
the victim was rolled in.

Oh, there's blood on it,
too, sir. This is the place.

Why is a college kid living here
when campus is only blocks away?

It's pretty far outside
the fence.

Mike, you have an apartment
number for our victim?

I think it's that one.

And how do you know that,
Detective Beck?

Because that's where
Brenda's husband is standing.

Never good to find an FBI agent
at your crime scene.

When the LAPD searched Keller's
fingerprints on AFIS, we were notified.

Why would
the FBI be notified

unless our victim was involved
in an FBI investigation?

- He was. And did you say "victim"?
- He did. And you are?

Detective Shawn McElroy,
Rampart Division.

Last 10 months, I've been running a joint
task force down here with the FBI.

Wires, undercover...
whole nine yards.

Keller was our only witness
to a gang shooting.

You're saying
he was murdered?

Yeah, we found his body a few
miles away, about an hour ago.

Excuse me, but if you
came to check on Keller,

why are you just standing
outside his apartment?

Okay, coming through...

Stay.

Doorjamb
and windows intact.

Even if someone had broken in,
this dog would have had them for lunch.

- The killer knew the victim.
- Uh...

And the dog.
Yeah, Buzz, what do you got?

The garden across the street...
I think it belonged to our victim.

Garden plans.

Found the victim's wallet.

Contains cash and credit cards,
so probably not a robbery.

Sir. This is where Keller was
shot, and here's the casing.

Robert Keller writes
in his journal...

"Witnessing Tyler's murder proved to me
how important the work I'm doing here is."

- Who's Tyler?
- Tyler Rhodes...

That was the boy that Keller saw being
shot to death by the 12th Street Rounders.

Rounders run this territory.
They specialize in protection rackets.

Tyler Rhodes... is that his
memorial out front?

Yeah.

Okay, special agent Howard,
detective McElroy,

I would like all of your
crime reports, your notes...

Oh, hold on. I've been working
this task force almost a year.

Keller was my witness. You can't expect
me to just hand my case over to you.

Well, fine. Fine. If I can't expect you
to do it, I'll order you to do it.

And since it's connected, we'll take
the Tyler Rhodes murder, as well.

- Exactly.
- Wait, wait, wait.

Look, considering who
Robert Keller's father is,

I think we should be
sharing information.

Why?
Who's Robert Keller's father?

Congressman Steven Keller.
He's on his way up here right now.

He'll be looking for answers.
Tell me we have some.

Not yet.

Sir, the bullet that killed
our victim has been analyzed.

Its casing doesn't match any
weapon in the NIBIN database.

But the motive, chief,
is related

to the victim's role
as a witness in a gang murder.

What? The joint task force was
collaborating with this boy?

Sir, two weeks ago,
Robert Keller saw three members

of the rounders shoot
a teenage boy in the head.

And you left Keller out there?
Whose brilliant idea was that?

It was Keller's.
We tried to get him to leave.

But he wanted to serve
as an example of the community.

Why wasn't I informed
of this?

I am a listed supervisor
of this joint task force.

The FBI wanted to withhold
all names related to this murder

while we wrapped up
our rounders investigation,

which we will try and do
in about two weeks.

No. We're not sitting on this
murder until after Christmas.

With all due respect, chief,
you didn't mind us

sitting on things
when we were only dealing

with the murder
of a 15-year-old black boy.

People may be created equal, but
they sure as hell don't die that way.

Witnesses hold pride of place
in our justice system.

You want to make this
about race?

Here we have two white guys who withheld
vital information from a black supervisor.

I'll tell you what... let's take
color out of the equation

while we deal with
how badly you both screwed up.

Chief Taylor, if we could just
move forward for a moment first.

Assuming that Robert Keller's murder
was related to his role as a witness,

perhaps Major Crimes
could have access

to the joint task force
surveillance of the rounders.

That's not possible, captain.

We'll return to this issue
in a minute.

And while the congressman is here,
I expect 100% support from everyone.

Yes.

All right.

Sir.

Assistant Chief Taylor,
I appreciate the courtesy

you're showing me
by having this meeting.

Of course, congressman Keller.
Of course. Come in.

And I speak
for the entire department

when I say how very,
very sorry we are for your loss.

Thank you.

Special Agent Fritz Howard
of the FBI, sir.

The Bureau extends its sympathy
to you and your family.

Thank you.
I appreciate that.

And I am struggling.

My son Ryan and I are struggling
to understand why,

given Robert's importance as
a witness in a federal investigation,

he was not afforded
more protection.

Detective McElroy, sir.

Your son declined
to be moved

and refused a security detail
on three occasions.

We even had him sign
a waiver.

Why wasn't I notified
my son declined protection?

Congressman Keller,
I'm Captain Sharon Raydor,

and I am the officer in charge
of investigating your son's murder.

Unfortunately, Robert was 25
and legally an adult.

You're telling me
that my son died

because of some bullshit
right to privacy?

Sir, right now, the LAPD
and the FBI are working together

in the neighborhood
where your son was living.

We have officers
and wire taps in place.

It won't be long until somebody
talks about this crime,

and we'll be able
to make an arrest.

Just a moment. Is that a suggestion that
law enforcement not immediately respond?

- Dad, just...
- No.

Because I am recommending a serious
change in your do-nothing work day!

I want... no, I demand...
that every officer,

every detective,
and every FBI agent

involved in this task force turn
that neighborhood upside down

until you find the animals
who murdered my son!

Dad, please, stop.
This isn't helping anything.

- Robbie wouldn't want you to do this.
- Ryan, please. Please.

Agent Howard, I trust
I've made myself understood.

You have.

But I should remind you,
congressman, I don't work for you,

and neither does anyone
in the LAPD.

And if you attempt to interfere
with a criminal investigation

using your position
or influence

as a member of
the House of Representatives...

Excuse me, Agent Howard.

If I may, congressman,

because your son was shot during
a task-force investigation,

it's very likely we already have
the killer's phones wired.

Just waiting two days,
we might hear the murderers

confess on their cellphones
or land lines.

I'll give you 48 hours.

And, Agent Howard, don't think
for one minute that I'll forget

that you threatened me
on the day that my son died.

Don't think I'll forget it.

I'll be back this evening
for a briefing on your progress.

Hey. Uh, there's nothing
else for me to do, uh,

and I've been following Lieutenant
Provenza's instructions perfectly,

so, can you sign off
on the permission forms

allowing me to participate
in a police operation?

First, there's lots else for you to do,
and they're not just permission forms.

It's a series
of five agreements.

I have to read all of them
before I can sign anything.

Yeah, go help Buzz upload and
organize his crime-scene video.

Move away from the board.

Sykes, where
are we on the first victim?

Uh, Tyler Rhodes...
15 years old,

gunned down outside of the apartment
building where he resided,

across the way
from Robert Keller.

Why was Robert Keller
living in a gang neighborhood?

Well, according to his journal,
it was to help those less fortunate

by converting their neighborhoods into
enriched habitats, one garden at a time.

Like the lot
he was using across the street

from where he lived was filled
with vegetable plants.

Robert Keller wasn't
just planting gardens, ma'am,

he was worried about
the neighborhood kids, too.

He was paying Tyler and
another boy $100 a week each

to garden
and paint over graffiti.

Painting over
gang graffiti...

That couldn't have made
the 12th Street Rounders happy.

I think the congressman's
son underestimated his vulnerability.

Ma'am, Detective McElroy
just sent over

a video copy of Robert Keller's statement
taken the night of Tyler's murder.

Mr. Keller, why don't we
go back to your apartment?

No, I'm gonna talk to you right here...
Where everybody can see me.

I'm not afraid, detective. Just let me
tell you what happened, okay?

I was in my apartment.

I heard screeching tires
and yelling, so I looked out.

I saw Tyler and his bicycle
under the front end of a car.

Uh, can you describe
the vehicle?

Yes, it was a silver
early-century Cadillac.

Plate number 5-CRD-518.

Three guys
got out of the car.

They kicked Tyler
in the face.

And in his chest
and his stomach.

Then there was a gun, and they
pointed it at Tyler's head.

They fired three times.
Drove away.

Do you remember anything
about these men?

They were black,
maybe 20, 21 years old.

They all had tattoos.

One was a 12 with a circle
around it on the guy's neck.

Buzz, stop it there,
please.

So, Robert Keller was able to
describe an identifying tattoo

on one of Tyler Rhodes’ murderers
and recall the license plate.

Why have there been
no arrests?

Well, that specific tattoo is really
common among the 12th street rounders,

and the vehicle with that plate
came up as stolen.

It was recovered
in Griffith Park a week ago,

completely wiped clean.
Not a fingerprint on it, ma'am.

And I'm guessing that no other witnesses
to Tyler's murder have come forward.

Not from
that neighborhood, sir.

Captain, Ryan Keller, the victim's
brother, has come back in.

Let's go.
Thank you.

Hey, Buzz.

Let's play the whole thing
from the beginning again.

So, uh... Julio.

May I ask you
a personal question?

How did you decide
to join the police?

When I was 13, a couple of
gangsters murdered my cat, Osa.

I decided to keep track of her killers,
so one day I could arrest them.

For killing your cat?

Oh, no, no, no,
no, no.

Um, eventually, I got them for,
uh, attempted murder and rape.

You know, by then,
they were third strikers,

so I put them away
for the rest of their lives.

It felt good.

Robbie was tough,
goal-oriented, driven.

He got his undergrad degree
in three years,

and was getting
his master's in two.

He set the bar
very high for me.

I'm a third-year undergrad.

Uh, we... we were supposed to be
roommates this year, but...

Robbie decided it was time for him
to start giving back to his community.

He believed that.

You are aware that part of
giving back to his community

involved your brother using
monies from your family's trust

to purchase vacant lots...

Yeah, but that...
that wasn't a problem.

No, Robbie has...
Had...

Robbie had his
own trust fund,

and I have mine,
and they're completely separate.

So, you didn't have any problem
with what Robert was doing?

Well, I didn't say that.

Trying to change things in a neighborhood
like that without protection...

Oh, he had a serious dog.

Well, Max looked fierce
to you because

he probably hadn't been fed
or... or let out since Robbie...

Since Robbie
was shot to death.

Anyway, Max is why I'm here.

He's not a guard dog. He's a family pet.
And I was hoping to take him home.

My mother's asking
for him.

Max is with Animal Control,
and they can't release him

until they assess
he's not a threat.

Wait, a-a threat?

- Mm-hmm.
- No, no. Oh, my God.

Please don't think
I'm criticizing anybody here,

but it really seems like you are putting
more effort into holding our dog

than finding the people who
murdered my brother and Tyler.

Well, we will eventually
identify the three men

that your brother saw murder
Tyler Rhodes, but before we do that...

No, there weren't three.
There were four.

Three guys got out of the Cadillac,
but one stayed in the backseat.

- That's what Robbie told me.
- That's not what he told the LAPD.

But this fourth person... did
Robert say anything about him?

Only that it was a kid he'd been
helping in the neighborhood.

Um, maybe a relative of Tyler's.
I-I can't say for sure.

But I-I know...
I know who could.

Thank you, Mrs. Rhodes, for
agreeing to meet with us this evening.

Did you catch the people
that killed my boy?

No, ma'am. Not yet.

But we found someone
who might be able to help.

Thank God.

- Who is this person?
- You, ma'am.

During the initial
investigation, a witness said

three people were in the
Cadillac that ran down your son.

We have reason to believe there
may have been a fourth person.

Perhaps a relative of yours.

Is this possible?

I'll tell you what I told the police who
came 'round when my son got killed.

I...Don't...
Know... Anything.

Mrs. Rhodes,
two people are dead,

and we're trying to put the people
responsible for those murders behind bars.

When it was just my baby who
got killed, you didn't care.

No one ever came 'round asking me about
no fourth person in that Cadillac.

All we got were two squad cars putting
flares in the street, gone the next day.

Some rich white boy
gets killed,

and so many police come around, you can't
get the mail without running into them.

Ma'am, we canvassed the neighborhood,
we couldn't get anyone to talk to us.

Now, if you knew that there was
a fourth person in that Cadillac

and you didn't tell
the police...

I don't never talk to anyone
about the rounders.

And my son didn't,
either!

You stand up to the rounders,
they will shoot you dead.

No, no.

This isn't about Ty.

It's about
that rich white boy.

And don't you try to
tell me different.

Mrs. Rhodes, we're doing everything
we can to find your son's killers.

Her son's killers...?

- But we need your help to identify...
- Her son's killers?!

What about my son's
killers?

Sir, this was
a courtesy briefing,

arranged to demonstrate that
we are making progress here.

In the murder
of another person's child.

I am not interested in hearing some
ghetto woman justify her silence.

Make her cooperate!

Look, just because
my son lived like those people

doesn't mean he had to die
like those people!

- "Those people"?
- Oh, come on. You know what I mean.

Look, I am sorry if I was misunderstood,
but I expect progress,

and apparently it's gonna be
up to me to get it.

With regard
to my elder son's death,

I am pleased to inform
the public

that the murder investigation
is proceeding

much faster
than originally anticipated.

For the last 10 months, there has been
an LAPD/FBI joint task force

in the Rampart District
where my son's death occurred.

- My God, he's telling them everything.
- Gang members in that area

are being monitored with wire taps,
undercover officers...

We need to start making
an arrest right now.

And any and all means
of surveillance available

to those two fine
law-enforcement agencies.

I can't believe he just ruined
the best chance we have

of finding
his own son's murderer.

...Are brought to justice.

So, uh, since you're not personally
making any arrests this morning...

I haven't had time to read
the permission forms just yet.

But... but don't you already
know what they say?

They were written by lawyers,
so no one knows what they say.

I'm trying to solve two murders
at once, so give me a moment.

Special Agent Howard,
good news?

As it regards information over our wires
about Tyler Rhodes and Robert Keller, no.

As soon as the congressman alerted
everyone, our phone lines went dead.

Um, ma'am, it didn't stop us
from making an arrest, though.

We're filling up the L.A. City Stadium
with rounders. It's great.

We're filling up the L.A. City Stadium
with Rounders. It's great.

1,000 LAPD officers, more
than 200 arrests... Merry Christmas.

- What about Tyler's cousin?
- We have him.

We took Daryl Walker
into custody 20 minutes ago.

He was carrying the same
caliber gun that killed his cousin.

I want to march Daryl
through the stadium

before bringing him in... let
everyone know we have him, ma'am.

I'm running off to check
his weapon with Ballistics.

I'll see you back
in the murder room.

- And thank you, everyone.
- Copy that.

So, 1,000 police officers
to arrest 200 people?

Well, this task force
wasn't ended in the usual way.

People weren't necessarily
where we thought they would be.

But... but why take them all
to the stadium instead of jail?

Well, it helps to process people
out in the open,

and that way, um,
gang members can see each other,

and then this contest starts to be
the first person to talk to the police.

So a day like today
must be like...

Why you became a police officer
in the first place, right?

Well, I had no intention
of being a police officer.

I only took this job so that I could
help pay Jack's way through law school,

and then Jack was gonna help
pay my way through law school...

And then?

And then I got pregnant,
then I got pregnant again,

and then...
and then Jack left.

And to be entirely honest
with you, by then,

I like the law a lot better
than I like lawyers.

And then there's the idea of
saving people from bad things.

I like that, too.

Yeah. I know.

Sorry, Daryl. We had to talk
to you about your cousin Tyler.

- I didn't do nothing!
- If you didn't do anything, Daryl,

how come we found you hiding out
in your mother's attic?

I didn't need to be found.
I wasn't missing.

I've been hanging out
in that attic for days.

Oh, yeah?

With this?

A gun, which Ballistics
just confirmed

is the weapon that killed your
cousin Tyler two weeks ago.

Daryl, this can go two ways.
One... don't say another word,

and you go to prison
for the murder of your cousin.

Or, two, tell us how you
came to have this gun,

we go arrest the guys who really
did kill Tyler, and you go free.

Free?! You know what's gonna
happen to me when I leave here?!

After the rounders think
I talked to you?!

We could offer you
protection.

You couldn't even
protect Rob Keller!

It was crazy for the rounders
to kill him!

And they did it anyway.
Rounders are psychos, man!

Is there a reason why 200 members of
the 12th street rounders were arrested

- ...and no one thought to call me?
- Yes, because that's not our concern.

We're only trying to
find a suspect

in the murders of Robert Keller
and Tyler Rhodes.

Listen, Daryl. Robert Keller saw you in
the Cadillac that ran over your cousin.

Keller tried to protect you
by not telling us that.

But now we know, and here you are,
with the gun that killed your cousin.

Come on, Daryl.

You really want to go to prison
for the rest of your life,

or do you
want to talk to us?

They grabbed me, okay?

- Off the street.
- Who grabbed you? The Rounders?

Who else do you think?!

They shoved me in the backseat
of their car.

Said we was
gonna go find Ty.

He...

He was just riding
his bike, man.

And they ran him down.

They put a gun in my face.
Told me I had to watch.

Then they shot Ty
in the head.

In the head, man!

And they got back in the car,
drove off.

They tossed the gun out.

So I went back and found it,
so I could...

So I...

So you could find the men who
killed your cousin and shoot them.

Well, what were you gonna do about it?!
Nothing! I mean, y'all didn't do nothing!

Tell us their names, Daryl,
and you'll see what we do about it.

You walked around the stadium.
Did you see them there?

Listen to me, Daryl.

If we have the people who killed
your cousin in custody,

this is the time
to tell us.

Who are they?

Who are they, Daryl?

Shorty Wallace...

T-Ray Smith...

And Lavar Miller.

I bet you're the one
who murdered Tyler Rhodes.

Oh, whatever, man.
You ain't got nothing on me.

You weren't driving the car
that ran Tyler off the road?

- Before you and your friends shot him?
- Tyler who, man?

I have a witness.
You saw him.

He went back and picked up the
gun you threw from the window.

I never threw no gun from
a window! Leave me alone, bitch!

Listen, you may have some gun, but
I ain't use it to kill nobody!

Interesting, because we found
your prints on the clip.

I never touched that gun!

Okay. You never touched the gun,
you never saw it before, fine.

Here's how it works. I got one
deal and three killers.

Whoever talks first gets
a lawyer, a D.A.,

second-degree murder
with a parole date in 15 years.

The other two...

You don't talk, you're looking
at life without parole.

I already told you, bitch,
I don't know anything.

- I didn't kill nobody.
- T-Ray did. T-Ray shot the kid.

Buzz, let Detective Sykes
and Sanchez know

we have a winner in round 1,
and we are moving on.

Okay.

Okay, everyone, we're switching
over to Robert Keller.

All right, T-Ray.
The deal for Tyler... it's gone.

You missed
second-degree murder.

You want to skip the death penalty
for murdering Robert Keller?

- I could get you life without...
- What you think, I'm stupid?

We are sitting here,
aren't we?

Wouldn't nobody kill
that Keller guy.

If we even went near
that dude,

the whole city would come down
on us. The whole state.

So, you killed Tyler in front
of Keller's house... why?

To scare Keller away?

Nobody cared anything
about scaring him away.

Just making sure people know
we was in control.

Lieutenant, let's get T-Ray an attorney,
and you can jump in with Agent Howard.

Don't you think we're moving
a little fast on this deal?

These guys may have lots more
to tell us.

We're hearing it, Emma.
Just listen.

He get all them people to look
down on us... we handled that.

If there was a direct order
from their shot-caller

to leave
the congressman's son alone,

they probably
would have done that,

and the Rounders'
risk assessment is right.

Killing a congressman's son
is probably the worst thing

they could have done
to themselves.

So, if the gang didn't
shoot Robert Keller, who did?

These guys really killed
that 15-year-old kid, Tyler,

just to make an example
out of him?

Sounds horrible...
I've seen worse.

Where did you see worse?

Kabul.

While I was an MP...
Stands for "Military Police"...

We had interpreters, locals, and they
were murdered sometimes for helping us,

just to show what would happen
to Afghans who supported our troops.

Military Police?
Is that how you became a cop?

Police officer,
you mean.

No, I went ahead and got my
undergrad in political science.

Turns out chasing bad guys is a lot
more fun than arguing about government.

Working Homicide... it's clearer
who the bad guys are.

Couldn't always stop them
in Kabul. Here I can.

Best job in the world.

All this says is that you caught
the men who murdered the other boy,

not the ones who are responsible
for the death of my son.

Actually, we think of it
as a step forward, sir.

If you look at
Lavar's sta...

You arrested 200 of these gang members
without finding Robert's killer.

What the hell
have you people been doing?

We've been cleaning up
your mess, sir.

Not only did talking to the press screw up
the investigation of your son's murder,

it also exposed
our task force.

You jeopardized the lives of
multiple undercover officers!

Because you were jeopardizing
innocent civilians.

Whatever your motives,
congressman, you improperly

revealed the contents
of a classified operation,

and I am reporting that
to my bosses in Washington.

- Are you threatening me again?
- Dad... dad, enough. Please.

Are you threatening me
again?

- Agent Howard, I asked you a question.
- He's not threatening you, sir.

Agent Howard and I
are merely documenting

the systematic way you have used
your status as a congressman

to interfere with an
ongoing criminal investigation

by the Department of Justice,
the FBI, and the LAPD,

and it is that information
that we are handing over

to the House Ethics
Committee, sir.

You're documenting my status
as a congressman?

Yes.

How about documenting my status
as the father of a murder victim,

whose son was gunned down
in his own living room?

How about documenting the way
that law-enforcement officers

left innocent people in danger while
refusing to arrest known criminals?

And my rage...
are you documenting that?

Because every second
that goes by without an arrest,

I am only getting angrier
and angrier.

Representative Keller, I sympathize
with your situation more than you know.

In fact, I am taking
your feelings so seriously

that I have to ask you
to excuse me

while I follow up
on a brand-new development.

So, Major Crimes
arrests spree killers,

makes deals with gangsters,
and returns dogs to their owners...?

Captain has decided that Max here
is more of a witness than a pet,

and you should know by now how
seriously we look after our witnesses.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You know, it's kind of weird

how much trouble you guys go to
to protect people you don't even know.

What made you
want to do that?

- Me, personally?
- Yeah.

I started out
in med school.

You know,
make my folks happy.

I thought
I'd work in an E.R.

But the more I learned
about being a doctor,

the more it seemed about paperwork
and liability insurance.

Physicians spend a lot of time
covering their butts.

We spend a lot of time covering each
other, and I like it better that way.

Where is my son?! You can't
keep putting me off any longer!

Ma'am, ma'am, please have
a seat and lower your voice.

No, I won't!
Give me back my son right now!

- No, this is the place! Please!
- Your son is not here anymore, ma'am.

Please! Somebody help me!

Mrs. Walker,
I'm Captain Sharon Raydor.

I'm sorry to inform you,
but your son has been arrested

for the murder of his cousin,
Tyler Rhodes.

What? No. Not my Daryl.
Not my son!

Donna, shut up. Go on out in
the hallway. I'll handle this.

- Daryl was forced into that car!
- Donna!

I said get out.
Get her out of here.

- Jada!
- You wait.

Ain't nothing gonna happen to Daryl.
I'll handle these people.

There's nothing to handle,
Mrs. Rhodes.

Your nephew is being charged
with the murder of your son.

Daryl never
killed Tyler!

He was in the vehicle with other rounders
when they ran down Tyler on his bicycle.

He was in the vehicle with other Rounders
when they ran down Tyler on his bicycle.

- Legally, that makes him an accomplice.
- Daryl is not a rounder!

Ma'am, we found him
with the murder weapon.

I don't care!
Daryl never killed Tyler!

They forced him to watch.

To show him and everybody else what would
happen if they did anything to help a...

A crazy fool...

Who walked into our neighborhood with no
idea what it took for us to stay alive.

I tried so hard
to give Tyler hope,

without taking away
his sense.

To make him
tough without making him hard.

And then that Robert came along
and undid everything!

You can't take Daryl,
too.

We worked so hard to save
those boys.

We worked so hard
to save them!

I lost Tyler.
That needs to be enough.

Mrs. Rhodes, Robert Keller's dog
seems to know you very well.

There's only one way to
save your nephew, Mrs. Rhodes.

We need to know who really
killed Robert Keller.

If we corroborate
a confession

and Daryl's testimony
against the Rounders,

I could get your nephew into
the witness-protection program,

but you have to tell
the truth.

You have the right
to remain silent.

Anything you say can and will be
used against you in a court of law.

You have a right
to an attorney...

- What are you... what are you doing?
- Getting you out of there.

- But that woman's about to confess!
- Right, so, tell me,

how many murder trials would
you like to be a witness at?

Oh, my God...
that could happen?

Oh, yeah. Stay here.

We were holding on fine.

Till that Robert Keller
marched in.

Giving Ty money,

getting him all excited about
a life we could never have.

Robert said he was gonna "save us".
We do not need to be saved!

And I warned him.

I said,
"Stay away from Daryl."

"Don't try to make him talk
to the police,"

but he wouldn't stop.

I understand how angry the death
of a child can make a parent.

But, Mrs. Rhodes, we've already arrested
the people responsible for Tyler's death.

You didn't do nothing
to the people responsible.

I killed
the person responsible.

I shot him.

I stopped it... me!

And then you came along
and made all your arrests.

What did you ever do
for Tyler

before I killed
Robert Keller

and rolled him up in his fancy rug
and dragged him to the trash?

What did you ever do for Tyler
before that?

I never had it in me
to kill no dog.

You're a good boy, Max.
You hear?

I'm not sorry
I left you behind.

I'm not sorry
about nothing.

So, how many threats related to the
Phillip Stroh case are we talking about?

There are 27 letters to date.
Five to me, the rest to Rusty.

They are handwritten
with a number-one pencil

on paper torn
from a spiral notebook.

I'll make sure some Bureau analysts
get these before the end of the day.

I'll try to have a profile out
to you in the next week or so.

Thank you.

Oh, and please give Chief Johnson
our best, if you would.

I will.

Captain, we need
these waivers signed.

Rusty has no idea
what he's getting into.

Who in our business does?

You know, not knowing
is probably why we're able to...

Get up and come to work
every day.

Rusty's very different
from Robert Keller.

One thing... he doesn't
want to be a witness,

which shows
he's plenty smart.

He's accepted
police protection.

His mental evaluation
was great.

And we're not gonna let
anything happen to him.

She signed them, Buzz.

The, um...
the approval papers.

Sharon just signed them.

Well, congratulations.
You didn't screw it up.

Hey, well, maybe this is
how I get my start.

Although I-I can't imagine
ever working here for a living.

Hey, you know, I talked to everyone
else about it, but I never got to you.

I mean, you're... you're a part
of the squad, right?

Um, yeah...?

Well, so, what made you
decide to work here?

When I was 11 years old, my father
and uncle were leaving a Kings' game,

stopped at an ATM
on the way home,

and were both robbed
and shot to death.

Oh, my God. Buzz, I...
I am so sorry.

Yeah. So, I thought, like Julio,
I'd join the Academy,

become a detective one day,
track down the killers myself.

But my mother was terrified
something would happen to me

and then there'd be no one left
to take care of her.

So, I got my film degree
instead.

Now here I am, directing an important
movie every day of the week,

helping rescue those we can.

Maybe rescuing ourselves
a little,

if we're totally honest
about it.

Yeah, I...
I might be doing that. Huh.

Rescuing myself.

Well...

That's what
we're all hoping.