Major Crimes (2012–2018): Season 3, Episode 4 - Letting It Go - full transcript

[Def tones' "Change (In the
house of flies)" Playing]

♪ I've watched you change ♪

♪ You were on fire ♪

♪ I watched a change in you ♪

- ♪ it's like you never... ♪
- [Camera shutter clicking]

We get it, Tao! The music was loud!

Giving you an idea of how loud!

- But...
- ♪ now you feel so alive ♪

[music stops]

God, my brains have turned to soup,

and they're spilling out my ears.



Flynn: Okay, lady in the
neighboring apartment

called in a noise complaint at 9:35.

[Camera shutter clicking]

She said she knocked and she knocked,

but couldn't get him to answer the door.

Sykes: Our music lover
is Lucas Cross, age 32.

Money and credit cards still in his wallet.

Well, robbery doesn't seem like a motive.

Kendall: And this.

Ah, he also had a condom in his pocket.

A little music, nice bottle of wine.

Do I need to document this broken
bottle like a murder weapon?

No. From the blood pattern and
the uniform nature of the wound,

looks like Mr. Cross was
assaulted with the wine bottle



after his throat was cut.

- Time of death?
- Body's warm.

Minimal rigor.

I'd say between 9:00 and 11:00 P.M.

Why is Chief Taylor out
front talking to the press?

I'm going to guess it's
because Mr. Cross here

had a prior arrest for a sexual assault.

- Oh!
- In fact, he went to trial for rape.

Charges were dropped on a
technicality eight weeks ago.

So, we got a rapist that walked free,

though not very far.

- Still pretty upsetting.
- Well, so is this.

Guy's got a double-keyed dead bolt, sir.

So he could lock people out... or in.

Why would a guy living alone
need to lock people in?

Oh, God. Never mind.

Wait a minute. Pepper spray.

The victim has it on his face and eyes.

Explains why there are
so few defensive wounds.

Can't really tell if this
is a crime of passion

or a premeditated homicide.

Or some new victim acting in self-defense.

Well, if it was self-defense,
why didn't they call the police?

No. No. We pursue this as a murder,

and we reach out to this
woman whose rape case...

Uh, excuse me... Alleged rape case...

was thrown out.

Talk to her father, her brothers,

any other angry guy in her life.

Yeah, well, if my daughter was raped

and the guy got away with it,

I don't know what I would do.

Make sure we'd never find the body.

You wouldn't find blood in
the drain like I just did.

Okay, Tao, the press is waiting
for a briefing from detectives.

Come on.

Me?

These reporters deserve
the most thorough briefing

I can give them.

And that's you. Let's go.

Tao: ...At which point

we made a visual identification
of our victim, who was...

Hey, mom, that's my friend, Lieutenant Tao.

Guess they're out on another murder.

Um, by the way, I made a list

of everything that you gave
me since I've been here.

I even did the lip balm.

But I have no idea how much
any of this stuff costs,

so if you could just total it
up and bring it back to me.

Mom, I told you yesterday

- you don't have to pay me back for anything.
- No, I do.

According to my sponsor,

I need to start to be accountable.

Don't mess with my program,
okay? It's working.

[Chuckles]

And if you could add this.

What's that?

The doctor gave it to
me for when I check out.

It's a prescription.

Yeah, and make sure to tell
me how much it costs, okay?

It's just... It's easier to accept

all the stuff that you give
me if I'm keeping track.

Gin.

[Chuckles]

Every single hand.

How do you do it, mom?

Oh, I'm lucky, I guess. [Chuckles]

So, what is this medication
that you need me to get for you?

Uh, it's a pain reliever.

I can't take aspirin or
motrin because of my stomach,

and they don't want to give me
Tylenol because of my liver,

so, uh, when I get my headaches,
they give me that.

- You have headaches?
- Yeah.

I mean, I'm told that it
has to do with getting sober

and feeling things more than I did before.

After I leave Signal Hill,

I never want to go to rehab again.

I just want to do everything
at the halfway house

just like I'm doing it here.

So, you're... you're definitely
gonna go to the halfway house?

Uh, yeah.

I mean, I think halfway is
about as far as I can go.

I wish they would take me halfway back

to being a good mother.

Hey, listen, you...
You were a terrific mother...

All the way until I was 11.

[Chuckles]

And I was no day in the park, either.

I mean, how much trouble did I make

at almost every school I went to?

You...

were the best thing that
ever happened to me.

And, uh... I just, uh,

need to figure out how to hold onto you

and everything else that matters.

Well, you know what they say...
One day at a time, right?

Oh, my God, they hardly say anything else.

[Both chuckle]

Okay, I'll see you in a couple days.

Okay. Thank you.

[Sighs]

Taylor: Gentlemen, lady,

if you don't know him already,
meet DDA Jeffrey Lee.

He prosecuted the rape
case against our victim.

Lee: Before we talk about
your victim, meet mine.

This is Jackie Chaidez February 5, 2014,

the night Mr. Cross raped her.

Now, Jackie did absolutely everything right.

She called 911.

She drove herself straight to the hospital,

refused to let them treat her injuries

till after she was photographed.

And she fought back.

Oh, not as well as whatever young lady

Cross brought to his apartment last night,

but Jackie fought back.

These are scratches on Cross's face and arms

the day he was arrested.

What went wrong with your case?

[Scoffs]

A dumb-ass lab tech lied on his résumé.

Says he's got a PhD from
USC when he doesn't.

As a result...

All his findings were thrown out.

DNA, blood, hair, skin samples, gone.

Ye gods.

And since the defendant wore a condom...

No other victims came forward?

Because the double lock on his door

indicates a pretty awful pattern.

The judge excluded my one prior victim,

who came all the way out from
Chicago at her own expense.

Excluded because?

Uh, because she was raped overseas

while she was still serving in the army.

Lucas Cross worked

as a private contractor near her in Kabul.

That case also ended up
being a he-said, she-said

and was never prosecuted,
so without her testimony

and with the physical evidence
of the L.A. Rape excluded...

Mr. Cross walked.

Oh, no. No, no, no. He didn't walk.

- He danced.
- What do you mean?

When the judge dismissed
the charges against him...

With prejudice, by the way...

Lucas Cross jumped up out of his seat,

and he danced around the courtroom.

And then that son of a bitch
sent roses to my victim

like he's her freakin' Valentine.

How did, uh, miss Chaidez handle that?

She brought the flowers to me.

Look, I work hundreds of sex crimes a year.

Jackie Chaidez was bulletproof...

Well-spoken, smart, the perfect victim.

And now the perfect suspect.

Whoa. Whoa.

You said yourself the double
lock indicated a pattern.

All right, Lucas Cross was
murdered by some new girl,

not Jackie Chaidez.

Please.

She doesn't deserve to get
beat up all over again.

Sounds like you were close to her.

Taylor: Captain, I think
what DDA Lee is saying is

we want this young lady on our side.

And when did you find out Lucas was dead?

My sister texted me this morning

and was like, "turn on the news."

Honestly, I thought I would feel happy

or vindicated or something,

but mostly I just... I feel relieved.

And did you ever see Mr.
Cross again after the trial?

Once. He standing in line
behind me at Starbucks,

which is where we first met.

Other than that, he just
sent me a few e-mails

telling me he'd love to get
back together again sometime,

- like I... Like I was an ex.
- Sounds awful.

And you said the two of
you first met at Starbucks.

Yes.

I saw him in there all the time,
and he was so charming.

He finally bought me a cup of coffee,

and I had to say thank you.

And I ended up going out
with him [Sighs] twice.

And on the second date...

He invited me back to his place.

We kissed.

He... he put on some music.

And then before I knew it,

he was ripping at my blouse, grabbing me.

I tried to leave, but the door was locked.

I couldn't get out.

He pulled my head back by my hair.

He... he... he put a knife to my throat.

During the trial, he said
the sex was consensual,

that you liked it rough.

That must have made you angry.

And then he was freed on a technicality.

Which is why I love karma so much.

At least I won't have to worry
about ever seeing him again.

No. But we still need to
ask you some questions.

Yeah, yeah.

You'll want to know where
I was during the murder.

I was at a restaurant in Malibu last night.

Can anyone vouch for that?

I don't know,

but I-I charged my dinner on my credit card.

You can probably look that up.

Or maybe I might still have
the receipt in my wallet.

If I had known there was gonna be a murder,

I would have asked someone
to come out with me.

Do you have any brothers?

- No, little sister.
- Is your dad alive?

He is, but he has Alzheimer's.

You can talk to him, but
he doesn't remember much...

Including me.

Anything else?

Do you mind if we search
your home and your car?

- I know it's intrusive.
- Okay.

Yeah. Search anything, everything,

my condo, my car.

It's worth it to have that
monster gone once and for all.

[Sighs]

Miss Chaidez's credit card info checks out.

Tao: Thanks.

She paid $57.50 for
dinner and a glass of wine

last night at the Coral Ridge grill

and left a $20 gratuity.

Hmm. Always remember a big tipper.

Sykes, check out this social
security number for me, please.

She closed her bill out at 10:53 P.M.

We're still waiting for a
hard copy of the receipt.

Puts her outside time of death, sir.

Buzz: There are no security cameras

at the restaurant parking lot,

but the valet takes down plates.

Miss Chaidez's car was
there from 8:30 to 11:00.

- So I guess her alibi is good.
- Maybe too good.

Buzz, see how far this address
is from our murder victim.

[Door opens]

[Telephone rings]

Uh, still counting.

Nine blocks, lieutenant.

Captain. Captain, do...

Do you remember the other rape victim

that Lee told us about?

Uh, she came out for the trial,

but the judge wouldn't let her testify.

Corporal Laura Day.

She's still in Los Angeles.

And she lives less than a
mile from our murder scene.

Hydroxyzine is a fairly
mild antianxiety medication

but I cannot believe this is part

of Sharon Beck's treatment in rehab.

- Am I wrong?
- No.

Hydroxyzine also covers up
the side effects of heroin,

and it's a cheap way to bump up your high.

So Rusty's mom is planning on using again?

Well, where she is?

Wall-to-wall addicts jonesing
under a court order...

Best place in the world to score drugs.

If his mom broke the law, problem solved.

You could put her in jail.

That's not my goal.

Most addicts' strong suit...
Manipulation of family.

Jackie Chaidez just called me in tears.

Sorry, captain.

It was either let him in or shoot him.

First you drag her down here.

Then you send S.I.D. To
print her house and car?

Is that your idea of
advocating for the victim?

Mr. Lee, I have a victim, too,
and I don't advocate.

I investigate.

Then investigate this...
Lucas Cross was 6'3",

220 pounds, twice as heavy as Jackie.

You seem really familiar
with Jackie's measurements.

But what about Cross's other rape victim...

Corporal Laura Day?

Can you describe her physique, too?

Corporal day's not relevant.
And she lives in Illinois.

Actually, she has an apartment
a half a mile from Mr. Cross...

Because she never left.

We really appreciate your concern,

but why don't you do us all a favor

and don't contact any more of our suspects

before we talk to them.

I'll contact whoever I want because I'm
in the business of protecting the public.

What business are you in?

Mr. Lee's conscience appears... overfull.

Well, he's right about one thing.

The crime scene does make the killer

look more like a man than a woman.

But if that woman had pepper
spray and a military background,

it could make a difference.

You came out to Los Angeles to
testify against Lucas Cross?

Check.

Why did you stay here
after the trial was over?

I'd spent practically all
of my money driving out here

because I am, as they say,

between opportunities.

She would also appear to be between drinks.

Look, my crappy car

couldn't make it all
the way back to Chicago.

Ma'am, how did you happen
to choose the location

of the apartment you moved into out here?

Cheap... rent.

Slightly hostile.

Or high.

- You want me to stop this?
- Not yet.

Sykes: Did you know Lucas Cross lived

in easy walking distance from you?

Well [Chuckles] not anymore.

[Chuckles] I saw on the news last night

where somebody took a knife to him.

Could we ask you about
your relationship to Lucas?

My relationship.

Did he really just say that?

Okay, Buzz, hold on. None of this is usable.

You want to ask me about the particulars

- of my relationship with my rapist?!
- No, no, no, no. Don't turn it off yet.

It may be unusable, but I'm fascinated.

I think you misunderstand. Oh.

When we use the word "relationship,"

we mean connections at
their most basic level...

Mm. ...The ins and outs

of how you and Lucas Cross knew each other

and how you became, for lack of a
better word, his victim. [Sighs]

Detective Sykes.

Yeah.

No one gave a damn what Lucas did to me

until somebody killed him,
not the army, not his employers,

not the police, not even my family!

[Door closes] You want to
talk about my relationship?!

We can't use anything she
says when she's drunk.

Why don't you take her
out for a cup of coffee,

get her calm, sober her up,
gain her confidence if you can.

Great idea. I'll get righ to it.

Okay yeah.

[Indistinct singing over radio]

Sorry I got so intense back there.

I just... [laughs]

I cannot believe how you
guys, like, dismissed me

until Lucas died.

[Scoffs]

Can I ask you a personal
question, off the record?

Are you drunk or high or both?

If I did drugs, I'd be dead by now.

You drink a lot?

Only as much as I can.

Do you know know what this means?

What?

I surrender.

I won't make you ask me the play-by-play.

I'll give you the whole sob story

on my relationship with Lucas Cross.

Just don't expect tears.

Okay.

You know what it feels like to be surrounded

by a bunch of horny, lonely, armed men

in a foreign country 24 hours a day?

I was an M.P. With the 101st,

stationed at an F.O.B. out of Bagram in '08,

and in Kabul, too.

I know.

Mm.

Well, Lucas was a, uh...
a private contractor,

like a caterer for embassy types.

And it seemed rude

to always take his food
and avoid his company.

On the second date, we...
ended up in his trailer.

Contractors had private quarters.

Right.

He puts on some loud music,

starts pawing me before I can even sit down.

I go to leave. The door is locked.

He, uh...

He pins me down.

He puts a knife to my throat.

And he rapes me.

I remember his breath...

And his hands...

[Inhales sharply]
And him saying over and over,

"you like it rough, don't you, bitch?"

And afterward, you filed charges?

And your fellow M.P.S questioned him.

Of course, Lucas denied everything.

Next thing I knew,

his company punished him
with a transfer home,

and I just had to live with it.

Do you have a boyfriend?

I'm seeing this guy.

- Yes.
- Yes.

I have a boyfriend, yes.

And when he touches you,
how does it make you feel?

Do you want to scream?

Because that's what I want to do

every time a guy even looks at me.

So... imagine how I felt last year,

when Lucas poked me on Facebook.

He asked me to friend him,

like in his lizard brain,
we had actually dated.

"Hey, babe, if you're ever
in California, hit me up."

"Hit... me... up."

Oh, God.

So...

[Scoffs] ...When the prosecutor...

DDA Lee... when he reached out

and asked you to testify in Jackie's case...

Oh, I was thrilled.

I-I quit my crappy job
and I packed my crappy car

and I drove clear across the country

just so I could take the stand.

But... the judge wouldn't let me

because I was the bitch who liked it rough.

That's not why you weren't heard.

And look, you never have to worry about

the horrible stuff Lucas said about you

because he can never say it again.

I know.

It's kind of hard to talk

when your throat is cut, isn't it?

How did you know his throat was cut?

'Cause, see, I-I was...
I was... I was really drunk

when I left Lucas' last night,

and he was still you
know [Gurgles] gurgling,

just squirting blood everywhere
[Laughing] so I know...

I know that he can't talk,

and I have been celebrating all day.

Oh, my God. Laura, please. You didn't.

I did.

[Exhales sharply]

I killed that son of a bitch.

[Laughs]

I can't believe how many times people say

"hey I did it", and you
guys can't arrest them.

- [Chuckles]
- What's wrong this time?

Did she end the sentence with
a preposition or something?

She wasn't mirandized,

her confession wasn't
recorded, and she was drunk.

Mm. [Cellphone vibrating]

Speaking of drunks.

Hi, mom.

Good morning, sunshine.

Are you still coming to help
me move out of rehab tonight?

- Uh-huh.
- I'm grateful to be here,

but, oh, my God, I cannot wait to get out!

Everything is supposed to be
better at the halfway house,

including the coffee.

[Chuckles]

Um...

Did you fill my prescription?

I'm on it. Yeah.

Oh, thank you.

And remember... bring me the receipt.

I have to keep track.

I will.

Um, okay, I-I'm gonna go.

Um, I... I'll get over there

as soon as I can after school.

All right. Thank you, honey. I love you.

I love you.

I'll see you in a bit.

[Sniffles]

That prescription that my
mom gave me to be filled...

There's something wrong
with it, isn't there?

Yes.

Did it even come from the rehab?

No. It was a forgery.

And the drug isn't something

that addicts should be taking at all.

How did she expect to get away with this?

I won't pretend that this is
anything but disappointing,

but you have choices here,
and one is to talk to her.

If you want, I could go
with you and wait outside.

No. No. I do not want you there.

I'm... I'm sorry.

Um, what I... what I mean is that...

I would rather handle this one on my own.

I understand.

It could be that confronting
your mother with the truth

might make her rethink what she's doing.

The truth.

I don't know if she's ever
said one true thing to me

in my whole life.

Sanchez: Well, whatever
other lies she may have told,

Laura Day loves craft beer.

We found a lot of empties

in Corporal Day's apartment
and in her vehicle.

Flynn: Mm. Nice car, too. Late model.

- She lied about that.
- And her home?

Well, that's another lie. It's not low-rent.

It's a pretty cush apartment.

It's got a washer/dryer, dishwasher.

Sanchez: Here's what we didn't find...

Blood, pepper spray, or a knife.

Hmm. So, this woman admitted to murder.

Why is she lying about all
these other little things?

She didn't lie about
being sexually assaulted

while serving our country in uniform.

That happened, lieutenant.

And like a lot of other ugly truths,

it got swept under the rug.

She only confessed

because someone was
finally listening to her.

I'm sorry I didn't see it coming,

and it was a mistake not to record it.

If getting a confession
from a suspect is a mistake,

let's make more mistakes.

Look, she already said it once.

All we need for her to
do is to say it again,

this time sober.

If you cannot afford an attorney,

one will be appointed to you by the state.

Have you heard and understood these rights

as they have been read to you?

- Yeah.
- You put Amy in there?

They have a relationship.

I'm hopeful she'll get her to confess again.

- This time on camera.
- [Chuckles]

We didn't record anything
in the good old days

and still made our cases.

But now that the dinosaurs are extinct...

Can't you just fire him?

Any idiot can hit "record."

- Be my guest.
- I just need to go over everything you said,

have you write some of it down so we can...

I said I did it. I killed Lucas Cross.

What else do you need me to do? God.

How did you get into his apartment?

Through the sliding glass door in the back.

There's a little patio behind the building

with a privacy fence.

Lucas left the slider unlocked.

He liked to go out there and smoke.

So far, everything she
says matches the video.

Thank you, buzz.

I let myself in, hid in the closet, waited.

Which closet?

Which closet?

Which room?

To tell you the truth, I was a little drunk.

Sober enough not to leave any prints.

I used gloves.

There was also no blood, Laura.

What are you talking about?
There was blood everywhere.

Not in your apartment or your car

or on any of your clothing.

Oh, my God. You think I'm making this up?

Why would I do that? Lucas came home.

I jumped out of the closet
with a big freaking knife,

and I cut his throat.

How many times did you stab him?

What difference does that make?

- We got her.
- She got her.

Okay. Good call.

Which hand was the knife in

when you supposedly cut his throat?

- I told you I was drunk.
- Which hand?

When you write it all down,
you have to be specific.

Details.

Look, I am tired.

So go get me something to drink

and Polish a medal for solving your case,

but I am done trying to
prove that I was there.

Music.

What about music?

I turned it up to cover the
sound of the struggle...

Like he did to me.

Yeah.

[Sighs]

I want you at the press conference.

Why? Because I'm a woman?

It won't hurt.

Look, Laura wasn't
allowed to speak in court,

she's a veteran, and she
killed her own rapist.

How many times do you think I had to go out

and talk about race and homicide?

Don't get P.C. on me now.

Let's do things in their proper order, then,

because first we're gonna need

to get Corporal Day a public defender.

You might want to wait on all this.

Why?

The knife was on the news,
and she won't say how she used it.

I have a problem with that.

Based on what... your intuition?

She described the apartment,
the privacy fence,

and the music turned up very loud.

As for all these other
details, the girl was drunk.

Yesterday she told me

Lucas was making gurgling noises as he died.

She even imitated the sound.

No way she could have heard that

with the stereo blasting as loud as it was

during the struggle.

She either turned it up
afterwards, or she's lying.

So, which is it?

Quiet enough to hear a death rattle

or loud enough to wake up the neighbors?

She can't have it both ways.

Taylor: I don't understand.

Why would she kill the guy,

then lie about when she turned up the music?

The music's not what
she's lying about, chief.

She's lying about killing Lucas Cross.

Yeah.

Thank God I don't need to come back here.

Look, this is the suitcase they give me.

Is it made of cardboard or something?

I guess the one good thing is

I don't really have much to put in it.

Oh, um, do you have my prescription?

I'll just toss it in here with my clothes.

I couldn't fill your prescription.

What?

Why?

Because it's a forgery, mom,
and it wasn't given to you here.

What are you... It's not a forgery.

No one at this rehab
would give you this drug,

and you involved me in a crime

- by trying to get me to fill it for you.
- A crime?! Oh, my God!

- Yes, mom.
- I don't know what you're talking about.

Do I seem high to you right now, Rusty?

Listen.

I apologized to you, okay?

And I meant every word of it.

And I've tried very hard

to keep from making things worse for you.

But as you said the other day,
you were not the easiest kid.

And knowing what you were, hmm?

Even when you were little,
I knew what you were.

And that has never been
easy for me, facing that.

[Scoffs] Facing what?

[Chuckling] Oh, are you
pretending that you're not gay?

Because I know that you are.

And [Scoffs] I can overlook it, you know?

But can't you just overlook
some of my problems?

At least I'm trying to be normal!

I don't get that hit off of you.

Are you saying that you let
your boyfriend beat me up

and you dumped me off at the zoo...

- Dumped you at the zoo?
- And drove away and got high for three years...

- I didn't dump you at the zoo.
- Because you knew I was gay, mom?

- Gary wouldn't let me come back and get you!
- Yes, you did!

And then they put you in a foster home.

- Where I was knocked around, mom.
- Yeah, and then you chose to go out on the street

and do those things for money with guys!

And where do you think I
learned how to do that, mom?

Or... [Exhales sharply]

I'm not blaming you, Rusty.

Okay? And I'm assuming you
did the best that you could

and that you can't help yourself.

- I think I should go.
- What? No. Come on.

Can't you just show me some of the
forgiveness that I am showing you?

You said it yourself the other day...

You were not an easy child.

And I really did. I tried to help you.

I really... I did try.

All right. I apologize, too.

I am sorry for being such a difficult kid

that it forced you to do drugs.

I am sorry for not being the
normal child that you deserve.

And, you know, maybe if
you didn't see me again,

you'll get better.

Why don't we try that?

Wait. Wait! Wait one second.

Rusty, I get past you being gay

and all the trouble that that caused me,

and your response is to just walk away?

you think that somehow I'm worse

than a gay boy who sold
himself on the street?

I forgave you.

And you are not big enough to forgive me.

♪ I looked away ♪

Wait. Rusty, I'll pay you back.

Look, I promised that I would pay you back.

Would you listen to me? Rusty. Rusty!

If you walk out that door
and leave me like this...

- ♪ I watched a change ... ♪
- I will never forgive you!

- ♪ In you ♪
- I will never forgive you!

♪ It's like you never ♪

the music was really loud, lieutenant.

Yeah, I remember,
and it's still really loud.

For the love of God, why is
this important? [Music stops]

Neighbor called in the
noise complaint at 9:35 P.M.

And th announced it to the
world on the 11:00 news.

Now watch all this.

The music was so loud, I called 911.

And we don't know if the
stabbing of Mr. Cross

was a premeditated act of
murder or done in self-defense.

All I can say with any
certainty at this time

was the victim was tried for rape

and his case was dismissed.

Well, tip of the hat to DDA Lee

for giving away the pertinent
facts of the murder.

That's all Laura had to hear
to invent her confession.

Nobody stops in the middle of a knife fight

to turn on the sound system, sir.

And why would you turn it up so loud

right before you were ready to leave?

Well, how do you know that
it happened after the murder?

We found a bloody glove
print on the volume control.

Oh.

The blood. Well...

Sykes: The killer turned it up loud enough

for the police to be called.

And why would she do that?

To establish the time of death.

All right, let's go back over

our first suspect's alibi dinner in Malibu.

I'm gonna bring the captain up to date.

[Door opens]

She checked her car with
the valet at 8:27 P.M.

She even kept the parking stub to prove it.

Paid her bill with a credit card at 10:53.

Ma'am, we chased down a
hard copy of the receipt

from the Coral Ridge grill

and compared it to the statement
that she signed for us.

Not her signature.

If miss Chaidez went to all this trouble

creating the perfect alibi,

is there any chance

she was working with Corporal Day?

Well, we know whoever
signed the credit card bill

sat at table number 17.

Hold on. We're finding table number 17

the night of the murder right now.

Buzz: We've been checking
Facebook and Instagram postings

marked #Coralridgegrill.

Now, this is not table number 17.

This was a bunch of guys from Louisiana

at table number 9, but...

Behind them and to the
right is table number 17.

The picture was taken at 9:44 P.M.

Now, if we enlarge it...

The person seated at table
number 17 is not Jackie.

- Looks just like her.
- Who is it?

Tao: We found blood in your sister's car.

That blood will match up with Lucas Cross.

We also found shards of
glass on her floor mat

from the broken wine bottle.

[Sighs]

My little sister had nothing
to do with anything.

Sharon: That's a shame...

Because her car was
very active in this crime.

Hard to believe she
exchanged vehicles with you

the night of the murder without knowing why.

That is accessory to murder.

And I'd feel fine arresting her for that.

Right now.

Oh, you already have one woman
confessing to this murder.

Corporal Day was lying.

That's gonna be very hard to explain.

Luckily, we're in the explanation business.

What business are you in?

Jackie: [Sniffles]

Oh, God.

I asked Cathy to switch cars.

I made the reservation at the restaurant.

I gave her my credit card,

and I told her I was treating her to dinner.

She didn't ask why, and I didn't tell her.

She had no idea what I was going to do.

I don't believe it.

But maybe your sister
can explain that to a jury

and see how 12 rational people react.

I don't like her chances.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God. No.

He sent me flowers after the trial.

He was standing in line behind me
at Starbucks. This was self-defense.

Not unless there was an
immediate threat to your life

and you had no other alternative.

But that's not what happened.

You called Lucas back, didn't you?

And you acted like you
wanted to see him again.

You drove to his apartment
in your sister's car.

You waited until he turned his back on you

to get a bottle of wine.

You reached into your purse.

[Speaking indistinctly]

And then when you had a chance,

- you gave him a pepper spray.
- Ugh!

- He dropped the wine bottle...
- Oh, God!

Went to cover his eyes.

[Grunts] Ugh!

Then you stabbed him in the back,

grabbed him by the hair,
and you slit his throat.

Then you picked up the wine
bottle and smashed his face in.

[Grunts] [Glass shatters]

And when you were sure he was dead,

you turned up the music... [Def tones'
"Change (In the house of flies)" Plays]

Washed the blood off your hands in the sink,

got rid of your clothes.

And I slept through the night
for the first time in months.

Mm.

Good for you.

Satisfied, Lee?

[Sighs]

Go ahead.

Arrest her for murder and
see if a jury will convict.

That's your solution as a
sworn officer of the court?

Flynn: So, what are we supposed to do...

Just sit back and let vigilantes
do for us what we can't?

You gave away the murder weapon on TV.

That also doesn't help.

Well, neither does your other suspect...

Corporal Day.

You remember her...
The woman who confessed twice.

And what kind of deal is
our office supposed to make

while another credible suspect is out there

taking credit for the crime?

Well, you won't have to worry
about it, now, will you, Lee,

because you won't be making any deals.

Sharon: Was Laura Day involved in this?

[Door slams]

I never even met her.

[Scoffs]

I knew Corporal Day didn't do it.

I knew it.

Well, don't high-five yourself too hard.

DDA Lee is right about one thing...

We need to get Laura to
withdraw that confession,

or this case will never make.

Clear something up for me, Corporal.
What is your best-case scenario?

Life behind bars for a
crime you didn't commit?

I'm already doing life.

I might as well accomplish
some good for the world

while I'm at it.

Jackie is a hero,

and heroes deserve to be
rewarded, not punished.

My confession will monkey-wrench her case

when it goes to trial.

Look [Sighs]

You're going to extreme
lengths to help someone else.

Why don't you help yourself a little, too?

I have tried helping myself. I have.

I have been to the V.A.

I've seen the shrinks. I've taken the pills.

Nothing works. Nothing.

Lying about killing Lucas
won't fix it, either.

Give your statement one last time.

Let Jackie plead guilty to
something less than murder.

And that is what you call fair?

It's not called the fairness system.

Just tell me this one thing.

The knife was in the news,

but no one knew Lucas had his throat cut.

So, when you told me that,
was... was it a lucky guess?

A lucky guess?

Are you kidding?

Didn't you train with weapons at all?

Or what would you have done, soldier?

Only one way to take down a
guy that big in close quarters

before he crushes you.

You cut his throat.

I used to pretend that
I would cut his throat

three and four times a day.

But I didn't have the guts.

[Voice breaking] And now somebody
else has done it for me,

and I will never know
if it would have helped.

Oh, my God, I will never know.

[Sobbing] I will never know.

I will never know.

I will never know.

Okay.

[Sobbing]

He's gone to where he can
never hurt anyone again.

Now let's help the woman
that put him there, okay?

Why am I crying?

I don't even know why I'm crying.

[Sniffling]

Okay, just... Just help me stop crying,

and I'll tell the truth.

Just help me. Just help me stop crying.

Okay.

[Sobbing]

[Keys clacking]

[Cellphone vibrating]

Hello?

Honey, don't... don't hang up, okay?
[Horns honking]

Listen, I was stupid and wrong,

and I didn't mean any of the
things that I said earlier.

And I am so... I'm so, so sorry.

Okay.

And, um, you know I'll always
love you, right, honey?

[Can clatters] Always.

Yeah. I know.

Honey, look, um...

[Chuckling] I need a ride.

Um, Sarah was supposed to pick me up,

but God knows where the hell she is.

Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.

Sarah was supposed to pick you up?

I thought Signal Hill

was driving you to the halfway house.

Who is Sarah?

[Sighs]

It's 11:30 P.M., mom.

The only reason I am up this
late is because I am studying,

and I can't help you.

But... but I'm stranded.

I am stranded by... there's...

There's like a taco place
and... I don't know.

It's like a parking lot or something.

Listen, honey, okay?

I didn't make it to the halfway house

and I just need to go there

and I need to see that
they're still gonna let me in.

So [Sniffles] if you could
just come and get me, Rusty,

I will never... I will
never ask you for anything

ever, ever again, okay?

But, like, this is, like,
not a nice part of town.

You got out of rehab last night,

and you are already drinking?

Three beers is not drinking!

And you know what?

I needed that much to
get over our little fight.

It was not a little fight.

It was... it was a big, terrible
bunch of lies that you told me.

I am not responsible for your drinking,

and I am not driving you
to the halfway house.

Go back to rehab and start over. Goodbye.

[Receiver clicking]

[Exhales heavily]

I'm so sorry.

That this happened or
that she'll only call back?

It sounds like her on the phone, I know,

but it's her addiction
talking, not your mom.

Why do I even care anymore?

[Cellphone vibrating] Because you love her

and because you don't want to give up hope

that someday she'll be well.

But not tonight.