Major Crimes (2012–2018): Season 3, Episode 14 - Trial by Fire - full transcript

There is a miscarriage of justice when a gang banger is acquitted of murder and released from custody. Sharon's ex-husband, Jack Raydor, represents the suspect in a subsequent murder. Rusty takes a chance when the guy he has a crush on visits the station.

[Siren wails] [Police radio chatter]

[Car alarm blaring]

Buzz: Lieutenant?

Lieutenant.

Oh, Buzz.

Uh, there's more blood over there.

Tao: The edging on this puddle

suggests something was dragged through it.

Check out the blood on the victim's knees.

He was crawling for his life.

Six casings total from a 9mm, sir.



Sykes: The rest probably stayed
in the shooter's vehicle.

I count 18 impact points from there...

to the other end of the bus stop over there.

[Police radio chatter]

Wide-array pattern.

Hobbs: And what does that mean,
lieutenant, wide array?

That when the killer fired his weapon,

he was possibly too
preoccupied to aim perfectly.

Preoccupied by what?

Operating his vehicle...

A common problem with drive-bys.

Gangsters aren't really crack shots.

And how many bullets in that
wide array hit Curtis Wyatt?

Three.



Two flesh wounds to the
victim's upper left leg

and right stomach and one
deeper wound in his neck.

Dr. Morales, are you saying
that Curtis Wyatt bled to death?

Not in the usual way.

The last bullet opened his
right internal jugular vein

and pulsed into his lungs.

In Layman's terms, the victim
drowned in his own blood.

Mr. Wyatt, was your son
ever interested in gangs?

Only in how to avoid them.

With the exception of Tuesdays,

my son Curtis was a "streetlight kid."

I am sorry, Mr. Wyatt.

What do you mean by a streetlight kid?

He was in the house by dark.

But on Tuesdays... and it was a Tuesday,

so it was the longest day at school for him.

So, on Tuesdays...

He usually got in the house around 9:00 P.M.

Mr. Wyatt, did your son
associate with gangs?

No. He wasn't like your client.

- He didn't want to hurt people.
- Objection, Your Honor.

Judge Richwood: Mr. Wyatt,

you must stick to "yes" and "no" answers,

and the jury will disregard
the characterization

of the defendant as someone
who wanted to hurt people.

Ms. Alvarado.

That's all, Mr. Wyatt. Thank you.

Yeah, I saw Luis driving around my hood...

Him and some chick.

Is this the car you identified to police

- as Luis Navarro's?
- Yeah.

Dude's the only vato lame enough

to put dollar rims on his sorry-ass Honda.

[Laughter, indistinct shouting]

Man: Shut up!

You don't know what you're talking about!

Knock it off, or I'll start
citing people for contempt.

Ms. Alvarado, your witness.

Mr. Johnson, did you see Luis Navarro

shoot Curtis Wyatt?

No.

I just saw that punk
driving in our neighborhood

and some girl riding shotgun.

I told you.

- Can you name this girl?
- No.

No more questions, Your Honor.

Prosecution, redirect?

Uh, uh, no, Your Honor.

Great. The witness may step down.

The court will recess an
hour and a half for lunch.

[Indistinct conversations]

So, Sykes and Sanchez went
to pick up Claudia Gomez

at her sister's house, and...

Claudia's baby was there, but no Claudia.

- Oh, my God.
- Well, hold on, Andrea.

Claudia's sister didn't
say where she was going?

No, Claudia said she was sick

and went off to be alone or something.

Luis' gang got to her, ma'am.

Well, without Claudia here testifying

that she was in the car with
Luis when he shot Curtis,

our whole case falls apart.

Can you get us a continuance?

- [Sighs] Maybe until tomorrow.
- Okay.

I'll let you know.

Good job, Hobbs.

But these gangsters are getting restless.

You need a few more
sheriff's deputies in here

to hold the fort.

Ed, you've been a court
watcher for five years now.

Have you ever once seen
a fight in the gallery?

You might have the rest
of the day off, anyway.

- Excuse me.
- You're asking for a continuance?

Why? Where's your witness?

Hobbs?

Where's your witness?!

Gomez: You forced my sister to lie to me

and say my baby was going to the hospital

just because I didn't show up in court?

What kind of people do
that, yo? At Christmas?

The kind of people who
want to see Luis Navarro

go to jail for what he did.

And you're one of those people, Claudia.

At least you used to be.

[Button clicks] Remember?

Gomez: Luis told me we
were gonna drive around,

have some fun.

Then out of nowhere he
just shoots out my window,

shoots this black kid.

He told me... he'd kill me

if I ever told anybody.

And I was pregnant.

Sanchez: In order not to arrest
you as an accessory, Claudia,

you need to testify to all of this in court.

Can you do that?

Yes.

Okay, yeah.

That kid...

He was just waiting for the bus.

You know?

Shot to death waiting for a bus.

Is that the kind of world

you want to raise your little girl in?

[Crying] No.

[Breathes shakily]
But that's the world we live in.

We don't got no other world.

You back out now, young
lady, you're going to jail.

And who will take care of your baby then?

Hobbs: State and spell your
name for the court, please.

Claudia. Claudia Gomez.

C-l-a-u...

[Shakily] d-i-a.

[Echoing] G-o...

[Normal voice] m-e-z.

Ms. Gomez, were you with
the defendant Luis Navarro

on March 13th of this year?

Claudia.

[Echoing] Were you with
Luis Navarro on March 13th?

[Normal voice] Ms. Gomez. Ms. Gomez.

Your Honor.

The witness will answer the question.

Were you with Mr. Navarro on March 13th?

Ms. Gomez, do you remember being

with Mr. Navarro on March the 13th?

I tried compelling her to answer.

Beyond citing her for contempt,
there's nothing else I can do.

Captain. Your Honor, we have
Claudia's taped statement

identifying Luis Navarro as
the killer in this instan...

Excuse me, Your Honor,
there are only two reasons

Claudia's taped statement
would be admissible...

"A," to impeach her testimony,
which she hasn't given,

or "B," to refresh her recollection,

which she has not shared.

Your Honor, Claudia's
noncompliance is obviously

part of a deliberate strategy
by the defense to sabo...

Does the state have any direct
evidence of witness tampering?

Luis Navarro shot and killed

an unarmed young man in cold blood, judge.

Then you better hope the jury
returns a verdict of guilty

without this girl's testimony,
because we don't have it.

Oh, and Ms. Alvarado, if I should find out

that you had anything to do
with creating this situation,

God help you.

Let's finish up.

In the above and titled action,

we, the jury, find the
defendant, Luis Navarro,

in the charge of first-degree murder...

- Not guilty.
- Whoo! Whoo!

[Indistinct shouting]

[Gavel banging]

Luis Navarro, you are free to go.

Yeah! What up, man?!

[Shouting continues]

[Imitates gunshot]

[Blows]

[Shouting continues]

- Are you celebrating? You celebrating now?
- Joe.

- Just you wait! You killed my boy!
- Joe, that's it.

Come on.

[Indistinct shouting]

Woman: That was the scene
at the courthouse today

as sheriff's deputies quickly restored order

and made several arrests for assault

after Luis Navarro was found not guilty

of murdering Curtis Wyatt,

seen here in his high-school
graduation picture.

Curtis was brutally gunned
down at a bus stop last March

in a gangland-style drive-by.

The scene at the courthouse was chaotic

after that verdict was read...

[TV turns off] Enough of that.

You remember tomorrow's my last day

working on "Badge of Justice," right?

- Oh, right. And your friend...
- Jeff. Yeah.

He's coming in to take
pictures of the murder room

for their set dec department

before they shut down for the holidays.

That's still okay, right? You'll be around?

Unless we have a gang war, sure.

God. It's no wonder you like to make deals.

But I-I thought witnesses had to testify.

Or pay the price. We arrested Claudia today.

And she will go to prison
as an accessory to murder.

And unfortunately, the killer...

walks away free.

How is that right?

The law is not about right or wrong.

It's about resolving conflicts
in a civilized manner.

If we want the justice system to work...

We have to stand beside it
when it doesn't go our way.

[Horn honks]

Provenza: [Humming]

Um, this was on the printer. Is it yours?

Uh, an application for retirement.

Now, why would you think this would be mine?

Wait a minute.

He's taking what happened to the Wyatts

harder than I thought.

Quiet about this.

Quiet.

Well, yes.

[Chuckling] Yes, I'm still here, but... oh.

Well... well, thank you. Appreciate it.

Captain, it would appear that
our crime-suppression units

from S.O.B. are having the desired effect

in our gang neighborhoods.

Yeah. Still just a band-aid.

The Wyatt family deserved better than this.

Yes, they did. Julio?

Nothing we can follow up
on where Luis is concerned,

but right now he's feeling like
he can get away with anything.

- Rusty: Mom.
- He'll do something else stupid, ma'am.

- Mom.
- That's what I'm afraid of.

Hey, mom?

Mom, uh, this is my friend Jeff

I was telling you about
from "Badge of Justice."

- Oh, yes. Jeff, hi.
- Hi.

- Nice to meet you.
- Oh, it's nice to meet you, too, captain.

Uh, can I just say you have done
such a good job with this kid.

I, uh... I bet he knows
more about police work

than our writers.

- Hey! Lieutenant Mike!
- Tao: Hey, Jeff.

Welcome to the real LAPD.

Ah. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Yeah, "Beckin's" described
this place to me so well

I could probably move around
it with my eyes closed.

Uh, oh, I got my camera here. Is it
okay if I just take a few photographs?

Yeah, if you let me review
them before you leave.

Right, Beckin?

Oh!

Oh, that's my nickname at work.

Well, it's... It's "Beck and call"

because he's always there when we need him.

He's got a great a work ethic.

He, uh... he... He never complains.

He's always upbeat... just
positive, positive, positive.

We love it.

Why don't we start off in
the, uh, electronics room?

Uh, wait a second. I need
to shut down the monitors.

- Sure.
- All right.

Well, it was a pleasure
to meet you. Thank you.

So, you're "Beckin," and I'm "mom."

I don't want to, like, bother him

with every little detail
of my personal life.

[Inhales deeply]

Captain, flag on the play.

Fire department says we may have

a gang-related arson/homicide on our hands.

[Sighs]

Provenza: Okay.

Uh, after fire put out the
car, patrol ran the plates.

It's registered to Luis,
the rims look right,

and he drove it home yesterday.

But is this Luis in the trunk?

Uh, it's tough to say, ma'am,
but if it is, watch out.

God almighty. We're gonna
need some dental records.

Well, there was definitely an
accelerant used inside and out.

- Gasoline?
- Yeah, I'm thinking

it's something less
explosive, like lighter fluid.

How much for a fire like this?

About a gallon or more.

But in the back, the burn is not total,

and the only fuel in the trunk is the body.

There's some dents on this metal.

Do you think Luis was alive
before this fire was lit?

Mm-hmm, and trying to get out, yeah.

Oh, my God.

Well, he turned down his deal.

We may have our igniting device.

Patrol found this lighter

on the ground about 15 feet from the car.

Sanchez: Well, let me call gang intelligence

and see if any of the Normandie 1-9s

like to play with fire, ma'am.

Shouldn't we discuss alternative suspects?

Yes, you're right, Amy. This is ugly.

And Curtis' father, Joe
Wyatt, he was very angry.

- No, no, no.
- Yeah.

I-I spoke to Estelle Wyatt this morning

just to see how they were holding up,

and she and Joe took the kids
to Disneyland for a few days.

Well, but he's still a potential suspect.

I know.

Look, I've gotten to know
the guy pretty well now,

and I convinced him to go
to AA before the trial,

so he's been sober a few
months, and he's out of town.

So before we start in on Joe Wyatt,

let's canvass the neighborhood
and see if anybody saw Luis.

Talk to whoever you want.

Just keep Luis Navarro's name out of it.

Deputy Chief Howard, what can we do for you?

If word gets out that Luis is
dead before we find the killer,

S.O.B. will have a gang war on our hands.

I've got almost half my uniformed officers

on the street at risk.

We need to keep this very quiet.
[Siren chirps]

I've got a flatbed on its way in

to tow this car out of here right now.

But, chief, we are still
processing this crime scene.

I'm sure Buzz has already fully
documented the evidence.

I've got about... I don't
know... 70% of what I need.

Well, then you have five minutes
to get the rest, so hurry up.

Chief, these guys are far more experienced

with arson than you are.
If you move this car now...

Captain, I am pulling this crime scene.

S.O.B. Can't afford

to let the situation get out of control.

Stay calm, chief. Stay calm.

Flynn: Oh, my God.

Just when you thought this
job couldn't get any worse.

Captain, there is a fire
guy in the Normandie 1-9s...

Signs his work with a red metal lighter.

What's his name?

Maurice Washington, A.K.A. "Zippo."

According to the case file,
Zippo and a couple of 1-9s

beat a rival gang member to death,

then tossed him in a car trunk
and set it on fire, ma'am.

But Zippo was never convicted?

No, his mama alibied for him,

said he was with her
the night of the murder.

I've asked for the court records,

but it looks like Zippo got
himself a separate attorney

and the other two guys went down for it.

I mean, check out this rap sheet.

He has walked away from
three other arson arrests.

[Knock on door]

Dispatch just sent me a 911
audio file from last night.

You guys may have an
eyewitness to your murder.

Operator: 911, what's your emergency?

Man: I-I-I just watched
these three black gangsters

pull a gun on this...
this... this Mexican guy

a-and beat him up until
he couldn't move anymore.

Then they threw him in the
trunk of a car and took off.

Sir, can you describe the vehicle?

Oh, the car has those, uh,
uh... what do you call it?

Uh, dollar hubcaps.

Uh, you guys got to do something about this.

I mean, seriously.

Sir, can you give me your name? Sir? Sir?

And that's it.

So, Mr. "I mean, seriously"
didn't leave a name?

- You do have a number, though?
- I do.

Here, I'll try to trace it. [Door opens]

We dropped Zippo in Interview 1,

but he asked for his attorney

while we werep reading him his rights.

I mean, let's just arrest this freak.

He's good for it.

And frankly,

you don't need to deal with his lawyer.

Why? Who is it?

[Elevator bell dings]

Hmm.

Ah, Rusty Beck. [Sighs]

The LAPD's very own Oliver Twist.

And a merry Christmas to
you, too, Mr. Scrooge.

Jeff: Who was that?

Oh. Uh, that's my mom's ex-husband.

Oh. She was married to someone
else before she met your father?

The short answer to that is yes.

Oh.

Flynn: Should have known a killer like Zippo

would have a lawyer like you.

Why, thank you for the compliment, Andy.

And now you might want
to explain why you barged

into my client's house and
dragged him downtown

during the holidays.

And you might want to speak quickly

because my firm represents Maurice

in a false-arrest civil suit
against the LAPD,

asking for $3 million.

But we'll settle for $2 million.

Maurice, remember, no talking.

[Chuckles]

Always tough first time you
run into an ex after a divorce.

I can summarize for you later.

No, it's just gonna happen again.

- I can't leave every time.
- And with this continued police harassment...

Why don't you check with Dr. Morales

and see if we have an
ID on our victim yet?

An ID that we're not gonna release.

1-9s' retaliation ends here.

- Stay in touch, captain.
- Yes, sir.

So, what's up?

Member of a rival gang

was found burned up in the trunk of a car.

- Sound familiar?
- How did he burn?

Jack: Maurice, no talking.

My client left the gang life years ago.

You can't drag Maurice down here

every time a car catches on fire,

so either arrest him or let him go.

Uh, where was he last night?

I was at my mom's watching TV.

She'll tell you the same thing.

Spending quality time with his
mother during the holidays.

It's, uh...

It's what life's all about.

Well, do you want to confer with your client

about this red lighter that we found

at a murder scene this morning?

Mm. Sharon.

Need to talk to you.

Ah. [Chuckles]

You and I both know that
finding the red cigarette lighter

is merely circumstantial.

So, I-I thought, out of
respect for our late marriage,

that you could release my client

and I wouldn't have to add

this abuse of power to the civil suit.

Okay, Jack. I'll release Zippo.

Mm. But you may want to take him

someplace where he can lie low.

Perhaps your apartment?

What?

[Laughing] Why?

Well, the burnt-up corpse that we discovered

may start a gang war, and I have a witness

who saw it all go down, so remind me...

If Zippo shot and killed in
retaliation for this murder,

that affects your civil suit... how?

Yeah. Okay.

You hold him, check out his alibi,

and do whatever you have to do

just short of charging him with murder.

Well, thank you for your cooperation.

Oh, thank you. Uh, Sharon. Um...

- Since I am cooperating...
- Mm.

And the kids are coming home
for the holidays next week,

I thought it might be nice

if you asked Emily to bunk with me.

If you would like to speak
with Emily, call her yourself.

Provenza: Though there
are many things about him

we may never understand,
dental records confirm

that the body in the trunk is Luis.

So we won't have to worry about him anymore.

- Cause of death?
- Well, don't know.

Morales is still scraping
the body out of the car.

So far, it's just a broken arm.

Flynn: Well, it makes sense.

According to our missing 911
caller, Luis was being beaten.

So if he can identify Zippo,

then we can finally have
something worth celebrating.

Yes.

A missing witness would prove

very useful right about now.
[Cellphone chimes]

Mike. How are we doing with that 911 caller?

Tao: Sorry. It's a burner phone.

Not impossible to find
out where it was sold,

- but I'll have to get lucky.
- Sykes: Better hurry.

I just got an e-mail from
the Los Angeles Times

asking us to comment on
the arson-related death

of Luis Navarro.

Damn it. How do they find that out?

Doesn't matter. It's a gang war now.

God. Sometimes I wonder why we even try.

- Shh, shh, shh.
- Oh, I'm sorry.

What? What's going on?

The Chicago airport closed,

and Jeff already sublet his apartment,

and he and his boyfriend totally broke up,

so I told him he could crash
here instead of a hotel.

[Stammers] Is that okay?

You don't... You don't mind, right?

Uh... no. Not really.

But why... Why did you...

- Why did you give him your bedroom?
- Are you kidding?

What if you had walked in
and found him on the sofa?

- Oh.
- Why are you so late?

I was hunting down an anonymous 911 caller

that reported our murder.

Oh. That's how we met.

Yes, it is. [Chuckles]

So, um...

Jeff's a little bit
older than you, isn't he?

Eight years. That's nothing.

Oh.

And I'm... I'm very mature for my age.

So, are you gonna ask him out?

Well, now would be my chance,
but... what if he said no?

Mm.

Then he might stop
wanting to get to know me.

Not that it matters, anyway.

After tomorrow, he's gone so...

After tomorrow, you have the holidays.

Then you start college.

There will be life after "Badge of Justice,"

I promise you.

Yeah, but there's not gonna be another Jeff.

He's... He's one of a kind.

Well, then that is all the more reason

to ask him out and see what happens.

[Singsong voice] Good night, Beckin.

[Mockingly] Good night, mom.

[Chuckles] Hey.

Hmm.

Are you sure Jeff staying
here is not a problem?

Oh, it's fine. Really.

Sykes: Last night, we ran
into a bit of a dilemma

and a brand-new suspect.

Does the suspect have a name?

I'm talking about Joe Wyatt,
Curtis Wyatt's father.

He was arrested last night on a D.U.I.,

and he had an unregistered .38

under the driver's seat of his car.

Joe took his family to Disneyland.

His wife lied. She and the kids are there.

Joe stayed behind, went on a bender,

and then [Sighs] who knows what he did.

Ye gods.

This is the last thing Flynn
needs to hear about right now.

I-I'm telling you, if this
case goes on much longer,

he's gonna jump ship and retire.

Maybe y-you should talk to him about...

Absolutely not.

Do you think we've remained
friends all these years

by sharing our feelings?

No, no. I-I'll just go over to the jail.

I'll talk to Joe.

No, uh, Lieutenant Flynn
brought Joe over already.

He's in an interview room.

Julio's mirandizing him right now.

This all happened hours ago.

The captain came in early, so...

Do you understand that it's days like this

that make detectives want
to just give up, right?

Eventually it becomes clear

you're just pushing the rock up the hill

so it can roll back down over your heart

and crush your life's work.

After you, Sykes.

After you.

[Door closes]

Well, I'm surprised to see you here, Joe.

I thought you were at Disneyland.

My son [Sniffles] was murdered, Andy.

And the killer that did it got away with it.

So I didn't feel like
going on any stupid rides.

Well, driving drunk is a pretty stupid ride.

That make anything better?

It didn't make it any worse.

Flynn: I don't know about that.

Wait till you get your
next car-insurance bill.

Any closer to finding our 911 caller?

No, but considering that we're
only investigating Luis' murder

because we have an eyewitness
we couldn't count on,

I-I'm not so sure finding
that caller is gonna help.

I been catching up with some
of my bartending buddies.

Oh, great.

Tell us which bartender you were with

- the night before last.
- [Chuckles]

That was about 30 beers ago, man.

- I don't remember.
- Well, do you remember

why you had an unregistered .38 in your car?

That wasn't my gun. I didn't
even know it was there.

I'd never seen it before.

You, uh, look a little beat up there, Joe.

- Were you in a fight?
- No.

I fell down when your LAPD buddies

asked me to step out of my car.

And then I had a little
trouble getting up, Andy,

when they freaked out about
the gun that was in the car.

- That's all I remember.
- Well, instead of putting yourself

through all that crap,
why didn't you call me?

Oh, uh, uh, sorry.

Captain, Deputy Chief Howard is
going to be observing us today

in the hopes that we can make an arrest

- and S.O.B. can stand down.
- What, you want to take me to some meetings?

- No one wants that more than we do, chief.
- Who's that?

- You have a new suspect?
- What good did it do me, man?!

- Have you arrested him?
- Not for murder.

Why don't you have a seat, chief?

Oh, where you are right now is better,

sitting with the LAPD and
being questioned for murder?

Oh, killing Luis, that's murder to you?

Who told you Luis was dead?

Everyone. My phone was blowing up.

Yeah, but the moment you
first heard about it.

I was in a bar, Andy.

Sometime last night. Some 1-9s were there.

One of them came and talked
to me about it. He told me.

Well, why were you hanging with 1-9s?

I thought you were unaffiliated?

I was drinking!

Well, what were you guys
doing about Luis, anyway?

Nothing! That's what you were doing!

Then the Normandies took care of it.

Well, who told you that the
Normandie 1-9s took care of it?

Did they tell you that?

It was obvious.

Zippo is a 1-9. Joe was hanging with them.

We almost have a connection.

It wouldn't hurt to get a warrant for
Joe's cellphone and e-mail accounts.

If that's what this is
about, I'm out of here!

Look, I don't want to tell you what to do,

but if you arrested one of
these two guys for murder,

I could spend the next 48 hours searching

for our missing witness on safer streets.

I got what I wanted.

[Crying] The person who killed...

Who... Who killed m-my son

went to hell.

So I'm done with you guys, man,
and I just want to go home.

Joe, we may be done, but,
uh, we can't let you leave.

You're under arrest for D.U.I.

You had an unregistered weapon in your car.

You bought tickets for your
family to go to Disneyland

and asked your wife to lie
and say you were with her

so that you could establish an alibi.

I didn't buy tickets to
Disneyland for no alibi.

They were donated to us through our church.

Donated tickets? Who donated the tickets?

Somebody. I don't know.

Well, did they donate
them to the whole family

or just your wife and kids?

All of us, Andy. Why?

Well, if you didn't buy
tickets to establish an alibi,

there should still be one left
over since you did not go.

Yeah.

Uh, well, they gave me my stuff back.

[Sniffles]

Here. Here it is. Okay?

It's good through the end of the year, Andy.

It's yours. Take it. Have fun.

Okay, Joe.

I'm gonna follow through on
your story about these tickets.

And I hope you're not lying to me.

Let me get you a cup of coffee.

So, Joe's either a better
criminal than we thought,

or he's working with someone
who cares enough about an alibi

to have one at the ready,
and that could be Zippo.

Who is always with his mom.

And has a civil suit pending.

Oh, well, that's this afternoon's headache.

Okay, Zippo

let his other accomplices
go to jail for him.

He might try and do that to Joe.

I will arrest Maurice, chief,

but help us find that 911 caller.

I'll do what I can.

- Thank you, captain.
- Mm.

Take it easy.

You know that this is going to make

your ex-husband mad as hell.

I hope so, lieutenant.

That's when he makes his worst mistakes.

[Chuckles]

Sykes: I'm not finding any connection

between Joe and Zippo...
No e-mails, no phone calls,

no Internet searches that
would show he was familiar

- with Zippo's M.O.
- Mike?

Sadly, our burner phone was purchased

at a discount-electronics
store several years ago.

[Sighs] Well...

Sometimes, when you drive
into a bunch of dead ends,

you quit!

And sometimes, you start over.

So, what about the accelerant?

Did fire ever confirm
that it was lighter fluid?

Let's call them, Mike.

Winslow: I don't know how
a retired schoolteacher

can help the LAPD,
but I'll fully cooperate.

I'd just like to confirm

some of your recent credit-card
purchases, Mr. Winslow.

Oh?

Specifically, did you buy
four tickets to Disneyland

and donate a three-day
reservation at an Anaheim Hotel

for the use of Estelle and Joe Wyatt?

Oh, that. Yes.

But I didn't want them to
feel obligated to thank me,

so I gave to the Wyatts anonymously

through the minister of their church.

That's not... Was that illegal?

No, no, it's a very nice gesture,

but, Mr. Winslow, I... You look familiar.

Have we met before? [Chuckles]

Not officially,

but I didn't miss a day
of Luis Navarro's trial.

Broke my glasses in the fight.

Uh, these are my old ones. Here.

Look more like myself?

Oh, yeah. I remember you now.

You're, uh, a family
friend of the Wyatts, then?

No, no. I just watch trials.

Sounds like an L.A. clich?, I know.

But since I left teaching,

I've been trying my hand at screenplays.

Always wanted to write a courtroom drama.

Didn't actually expect to
get knocked around in one.

Guess every hobby has its drawbacks, huh?

Well, I'm sorry that we
weren't able to arrange

a happier ending for
your story, Mr. Winslow.

Andy, could you take a
short statement, please?

Thank you for coming in.
We appreciate your time.

Oh. I-it's the least I could do.

I mean, seriously.

Mr. Winslow, did you just
say, "I mean, seriously"?

Winslow: Then they threw him in
the trunk of a car and took off.

Operator: Sir, can you describe the vehicle?

Oh, the car has those, uh,
uh... what do you call it?

Uh, dollar hubcaps.

Uh, you guys got to do something about this.

I mean, seriously.

Sir, can you give me your name? Sir? Sir?

You're offering Maurice second-degree murder

based on an anonymous phone tip?

It's not anonymous anymore,
Jack. We found the 911 caller.

And he identified Zippo as our killer.

And your 911 caller just happened to be

in front of Luis Navarro's house

at the exact moment that Luis was attacked

by Maurice and company?

How does your, uh, so-called
witness explain that?

Because he's interested in screenwriting,

and he sat through all of Luis' trial.

And after the verdict...

Your guy decides to take a-a few
trips by Luis' house for research?!

Hey, you want to check
your tone, buddy, okay?

Hobbs: We want Zippo, and this time,

our witness won't be intimidated.

What? Who is he? A fellow police officer?

An ex-law-enforcement professional perhaps?

He's a retired teacher, sir,

a man who devoted his entire adult life

to educating children in
our inner-city schools.

Ah.

Okay, a retired teacher

who sits around watching trials

ID's Maurice Washington as Luis' killer.

Now, since you haven't
volunteered this man's name,

I'm going to have to do

a demonstration of my psychic powers.

Is this do-gooder, this 911 caller,

by any chance Ed Winslow?

Understand, I don't have
my crystal ball here.

It makes it a little harder.

But Ed Winslow was a teacher

at Chester A. Arthur
High School for 30 years,

which you all know was a
feeder school for both gangs.

Sadly, Ed was terminated for cause

and considered ineligible to rehire.

And his civil case against
the school district

was dismissed because of a video

that showed him physically
attacking a student!

Ho! What a witness!

And why, Jack, do you know
all this about Ed Winslow?

Because that nutjob, court-watching stalker

was at Zippo's trial every single day, too.

That's how I know.

So he ID's Maurice Washington?

Whoa, what a surprise.

And Ed had it out for him.

Oh, God.

Because when my client was found not guilty,

Winslow threatened me on the street

as an accessory to murder.

So I looked him up.

And don't take my word for it. Check it out.

Meanwhile, perhaps one
of you would be so kind

as to contact the city attorney's office?

I would like to claim my jackpot

for proving the police and the D.A.'s office

conspired to frame my client
by soliciting false testimony.

I don't know.

Maybe I ought to make a deal with Ed Winslow

to testify against all of you.

Or maybe we will make a deal with Winslow,

because if he wasn't a witness...

The son of a bitch called 911 himself

and described Zippo's M.O.

And he knew it really well
because he was at Zippo's trial.

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

You're not gonna get out of this mess

by arresting Winslow for this murder.

Yeah, that is exactly what
I am going to do, Jack,

and thank you for your help.

But if you'll excuse me,

I have to verify the story
that you just gave us.

Tao: I already have it right here...

The court case, Winslow vs. LAUSD.

It was in the news, and
there's a link to a video.

Let's see.

[Keyboard clacking]

Want to hit somebody, huh?

I'll show you what it feels like to get hit.

Aah!

Think about that video for a minute

while we point out a couple of
other things that bother us.

Sharon: For instance, your 911 call,

which just happened to include Zippo's M.O.

And maybe we'll find that you called

the Los Angeles Times, too,
because you wanted to watch

- the gang kids that got you fired shoot at each other!
- Someone had to tell the media about what was going on!

We just saw why you hate them.

That video doesn't show
what really happened.

That boy attacked another
student in my classroom!

You were angry, yelled,
pulled him out of his seat!

Maybe I shouted or raised my voice,

but I never, never called him
a "wetback." He made that up.

And yet not one of the students
who witnessed this incident

came forward in your defense.

Probably because they
all know you're a racist.

No! They didn't talk because
that little bastard was in a gang!

My students were scared silent.

I wonder if a jury would see it that way.

[Sighs] You want me to imagine a jury? Okay.

If I did it, that jury would know

Luis killed an 18-year-old boy

for no other reason than
to get bullshit respect

from his low-rent homies.

If I did it, the jury would hear

how I tried to send the
Wyatt family far enough away

so that none of them would have to suffer

the indignity of being suspects.

And my peers would hear
how the justice system,

from the lawyers, to the judge, to you,

failed the Curtis Wyatt.

[Sighs] He's not wrong. We did screw up.

He's not just a vigilante, though.

Good luck proving any of this in court.

Because I just imagined the jury noticing

all your evidence is circumstantial.

Not quite all circumstantial.

Sir, we could run this video for you again,

but I think you already know what we'd see.

Don't you?

Because that boy that you
pulled out of his chair

and threw on the floor...

The boy that cost you your
job and your pension...

That boy was Luis Navarro.

The jury will hear that, too, sir.

You're familiar with D.D.A. Hobbs.

You've watched her work
for years. She's here.

To stop the gang violence that you started,

we'll give you a deal...

Second-degree murder, 17 years to life.

Or we can arrest you and put you in county,

see how many of your
ex-students you run into there.

You... you... you... You can't do that.

You have a responsibility to protect me.

If you did it.

[Sighs]

How many lives were you
prepared to let Luis Navarro ruin

before you finally put
him where he belonged?

[Scoffs] You'd rather
go after me than Zippo?

No.

Let the jury decide if you're
making the right decision.

I want my day in court.

Oh, I can give him that.

[Sighs]

Tao: Well, when he calms down,

maybe a deal will look better
than the death penalty.

I don't know.

This guy doesn't strike
me as someone who knows

how to give up when he's behind.

- You know what I mean?
- Oh.

Excuse me.

Flynn: Yeah, release Zippo
to his dirtbag attorney

and tell Joe that I'm coming
down to drive him home.

What is this? Some kind of a joke?

You... you didn't print up
a retirement application?

Oh, that's mine. Forgot all about it.

And it's not about retiring.

It's about the deferred pension program.

My business manager wants to check it out.

[Chuckling] What?

Deferred pension? What is that?

Well, ideally, you put away
more money from your paycheck

so you can save it
tax-free until you retire.

Uh, what? You have a business manager?

Well, he deals mainly
with my consulting fees

- from "Badge of Justice."
- Flynn: Oh, my God.

How much do you make on this show, anyway?

Well, my business manager said [Sighs]

- I shouldn't talk about it.
- Provenza: Wait, wait, wait.

So you're not thinking
about calling it quits?

Of course I think about it... every day.

But the truth is,

I've given up so much
of my life for this job,

including a decent
relationship with my children

and most of my faith in the human race,

that there's... no place
else on earth that I fit in.

Now, that's the right attitude.

Oh.

How was your last day with Jeff?

Horrible.

Horrible? Why?

Because... before I dropped
him off at the airport,

I asked him out.

And?

I'm too young for him.

Or that's what he said. I don't know.

Maybe he just doesn't
like me that much. [Sighs]

I see.

Anyway, uh, you were right.

Asking him out was the best thing I could do

because now I know.

But, like, having someone
tell you straight to your face

that they're not interested really sucks.

The people we like don't
always like us back, I know,

but the sooner you deal with the truth,

the sooner you can move on.

Yeah, but, like, moving
on is the hardest part.

Not moving on can be harder.

Although, right now, you
probably feel a little...

Wounded? Crushed?

Like I wasted whole weeks
caring about someone

who couldn't care less?

Would a hamburger help
you with that, Beckin?

[Breathes deeply] Well, mom...

It couldn't hurt, you know?

It couldn't hurt.

[Sighs deeply]