Major Crimes (2012–2018): Season 4, Episode 16 - Thick as Thieves - full transcript
With Flynn on desk duty as he recovers from injuries, Sharon and the team investigate the murder of a fugitive diamond thief whose body was found by his bail bondsmen. Rusty is put in a tight spot when his relationship with Slider is discovered by Mariana's brother, Gus.
Cory!
Cory!
Hey, Cory, you in there?
You better come out, man!
Now we know why he missed court.
Cory's mom got us to
bail him out a week ago.
His pre-trial hearing was yesterday.
When he didn't show, we came looking.
The original arrest was made by RHD,
but now that he's a dead suspect...
The pleasure is all ours.
Kid's name is Cory what?
Hewett. 20 years old.
We've bailed him out... What?
Three, four times?
I see... A quality human being.
I don't judge. I just put up the
money to get him out of jail.
How did you know where to find Cory?
This isn't his address.
I put a GPS tracker on his car.
So, tell me, Carmen,
did a judge give you permission to...
Come on. Don't make me laugh, all right?
I had $1 million on the line.
It was my job to make sure
Cory showed up at court.
Well, you doing your job
contaminated my crime scene.
We're gonna spend all day
just eliminating your prints.
Hey, if it wasn't for us,
you wouldn't even know Cory was dead.
Oh, what a tragedy that would be.
I'm assuming that any signs of forced entry
are also you just doing your job.
You assume correctly.
The house was locked up
tight when we got here.
Eh.
Bail bondsmen... Borderline thugs.
You just got engaged, Lieutenant.
You're supposed to glow
with happiness for weeks.
Time moves faster at my age.
And where weddings are concerned,
I have something of a record.
Victim's priors are petty stuff...
Hot-wiring a car...
Ugh!
Shaking down a vending machine.
But... ohh!
His latest arrest was for armed robbery.
W-what did he steal this time?
Diamonds.
Diamonds? That seems a
little out of his league.
Were they recovered?
No, sir, but eyewitnesses say
there was a second suspect
driving the getaway car.
Rhd tried to get a name,
but Cory wouldn't roll over on his partner.
Yeah, and now he never will.
Convenient for his accomplice,
who now has all the diamonds to himself.
Okay, Kendall.
Decomp makes it hard to be exact,
but the guy probably died last Tuesday,
not long after Lieutenant
Tao said he made bail.
Cause of death... one round
to the back of the head.
Bullet's still in the skull.
We haven't found the casing anywhere, sir.
Murder was professional... Execution-style.
Maybe Cory's partner was
a little more experienced.
Like I said, the killer
probably has the diamonds.
But let's tear this place up anyway,
just in the extraordinary
off chance that I'm wrong.
Oh, and while we're at it, let's see
if we can find out who this house belongs to
and how those diamonds were
stolen in the first place.
If you want, sir,
I know from my new reserve detective class
how to get in touch with robbery homicide
and have them deliver...
Thank you, Columbo,
but we already have a dedicated desk monkey
that can run that errand for us.
Uh, Flynn.
I need an open case file from RHD.
News reports say Cory and
his unidentified partner
staged a fender bender.
Yeah, he hit the brakes in front of a limo,
Cory jumped out
and robbed the passenger/
jewelry designer at gunpoint.
Chauffeur got a partial plate
number from the kid's Honda,
which we now have,
and the chauffeur and two witnesses
I.D.'d Cory in a lineup.
Cory made a lot of mistakes.
Well, he's a petty thief. Diamonds
were way over his head.
So, you have been on your
own for a couple of days now.
You feeling okay?
Not just okay... great.
Frankly, I could be back in the field.
Well, your doctor doesn't agree.
And anyway, you have to testify
today against Slider in court.
How hard can that be?
The dirtbag did it. The end.
And you don't have to walk
me to the court, either.
Oh, that thought never crossed my mind.
Hey, Andy.
I'm on my way to the trial.
You want me to wait for you?
Sure.
Let me get someone to copy these files.
I'll see you by the elevator.
So, I-I never expected to say these words,
but I think I may have something
of a... a moral dilemma.
In what way?
Well, Hobbs flew Gus back in from Vegas
- to identify his sister at trial today.
- And?
And when he sees me, Gus will
think I'm there for Mariana,
and Slider will think I'm court for him.
Oh. So you're worried about
those two wires crossing.
W-well, what if... what
if Slider waves at me
when they lead him back in,
like he did yesterday,
and I wave back and Gus sees that?
Well, hasn't Gus been following
your story about Slider?
I-I-I don't know, really.
You haven't talked to Gus
since he went back to Vegas?
No.
Well, he... he's texted me a few times,
and I-I texted him back, mostly.
Mostly?
I see.
Well, uh, why don't you wait
for Gus outside the courtroom
before proceedings start?
Catch him up on what you've been doing then.
And you...
Try not to jump on any moving vehicles.
Just the elevator.
So, one of our bad guys
was very experienced,
and our other bad guy was clueless.
Hiding out in a house
owned by someone in prison
with a car that he wrecked
in a diamond robbery
parked right out front, ma'am.
It's almost as if he wanted to get caught.
His accomplice is another matter.
Well, the chauffeur provided
a vague description of Cory's partner,
but he never even got out of the car.
And the limo passenger
didn't see anything at all.
Yeah, this passenger...
What do we have on him?
And why was he traveling
with $3 million in diamonds?
Well, he's known as "Jagger the Jeweler."
I talked to him myself.
Desperate to recover his merchandise
and eager to help us.
- Buzz.
- Captain.
Jagger Smith, A.K.A. Jagger the Jeweler,
is a designer based in New York
who creates custom pieces for celebrities
using ethically sourced diamonds.
Jagger photographed his entire inventory,
so we know exactly what was stolen.
Was there any connection
between our jeweler and Cory?
Well, not that we've found so far, ma'am.
Well, how did the thieves know
that Jagger had the diamonds on him
when they wrecked his limo?
Maybe the connection was
to our missing accomplice.
I wonder if this accomplice picked up Cory
when he was bailed out of county.
So, he steps outside of the jail,
and the first thing he does
is make a quick phone call.
Cory may have
dialed his partner's number,
let him know he was free.
And unwittingly set up his own death.
And he waits...
And he waits...
And he waits for this minivan to pull up.
Buzz, freeze.
Got it.
She's not our accomplice.
Julio, dump the pay phone
and match the call to this time code.
Thank you.
Van's plates come back to
Selma Hewett, Cory's mom.
Everyone always tells me that I've
bailed Cory out too many times
and he needs to learn a lesson, but Cory...
He's not a bad person.
He held up a jeweler at gunpoint
and stole $3 million worth of diamonds.
He has fallen into a bad crowd.
Do you know anyone in this bad crowd?
No. He keeps me at arm's
length from his private life.
I mean, nowadays, by the
time i know he needs my help,
it's already too far gone,
and then this last mistake...
Cost you $100,000 you'll never get back.
And you were on the hook
for another $900,000
when he disappeared.
Why didn't you call missing persons?
And get Cory into even more trouble?
I don't think that he understands
how much higher this bail
was than the others...
Or that the 10% I put down,
I don't get that back.
I mean, my God.
If he doesn't show up
soon, I lose everything.
I... I wouldn't worry about...
Losing your stuff right now.
Could you just walk us through
the day that you picked Cory up from jail?
Mm...
There's not really much to say.
I called to find out what
time he would be released,
I picked him up, I dropped
him off at the house,
I ran back to work,
and by the time I got home that afternoon,
he was gone.
Mm.
Well, thank you, Miss Hewett.
You have been very helpful.
And now, um...
We have some information
that we should share with you.
Um...
Detective Sykes?
Um...
I'm afraid I have some
bad news about your son.
We found Cory's body...
Okay, Captain, this is weird.
The name attached to the phone number
Cory called when he got out of jail
- is Bryce Fowler.
- And?
And the Bryce Fowler with
this social security number
died in 1982 at the age of 6 in Pittsburgh.
And then miraculously
came back to life last year
to apply for a driver's license in Oregon.
If this is our accomplice, he
doesn't just steal diamonds.
He also steals identities.
And did you find your sister
at this youth shelter in Las Vegas?
No.
But the church that she ran away from
gave Mariana a prepaid cellphone.
And she kept adding money to
it, so I was able to call her.
- And did you talk with her?
- Yes.
I-I tried to... to convince Mariana
that we could bring our
family back together.
But she didn't want to do that.
Did you go and see Mariana at this shelter?
I tried. She was out when I went by.
And someone had told her
that I came by to see her,
so she ran away to Los Angeles...
And she was murdered.
No further questions at this time.
Mr. Monroe, your witness.
Mr. Wallace, I don't want to
undermine your military service,
but I have to ask if you
come from a violent family.
Objection. Is this relevant?
Your Honor, I'm trying to establish
environmental influences
and the veracity of the witness, if I may?
Objection overruled,
but keep your questions direct, Mr. Monroe.
Of course.
Mr. Wallace, do you come
from a violent family?
My stepfather's violent... Not me.
Hmm. Not you.
On March 13, 2014, were you arrested
for assault with a deadly weapon
and breaking-and-entering?
Uhh, that... that was just...
This is a "yes" or "no" question, sir.
You say that you're not violent,
but these arrests suggest you are.
I'll ask again... Are you a violent person?
Not usually.
Okay.
Maybe we define "violence" differently.
Did you ever come to L.A.
hunting for your sisters?
Yes.
The day your sister died, can
you account for your whereabouts?
I...I-I don't... I don't remember that day.
But you admit that you pursued your sisters
- across the United States?
- Yes.
In your own nonviolent way?
- Objection!
- Sustained.
Was your sister as nonviolent as you are?
- Objection!
- Sustained.
Mr. Monroe, are you looking for trouble?
No further questions.
Redirect, D.D.A. Hobbs?
Thanks. Yes, I think so.
Mr. Wallace, where were you
when the Las Vegas police arrested you
for breaking-and-entering and
assault with a deadly weapon?
In my mother and my stepfather's apartment.
Doing what?
My mother tried to tell me
where she left my sisters,
and my stepfather pushed me
out the door and locked it.
And he started beating my mother.
She was... She was screaming,
so I broke the door down,
and I smashed my stepfather's
head with a cutting board.
Turns out there's more to
this guy than we thought.
We ran the thumbprint
Bryce Fowler provided for
his Oregon driver's license.
This is what we found.
Cory's potential accomplice
was also known as
Marvin Nniel, Richard Van
Duzer, and Scott Lytle.
All of these I.D.s
are under investigation
for various cons...
Fake corporations, investment scams.
He even ripped off some charities, ma'am.
There's no history of violent crime,
so if he did kill Cory,
that was a departure.
3 million bucks can make
someone act outside their M.O.
I'll check and see if
any of these identities
show as active in the L.A. area,
though he could already be somebody else.
This feels like a long shot,
but, Julio, let's see
if Cory's mother recognizes
Marvin/Richard/Scott.
Yes, ma'am.
Aren't these all the same person?
The man we're looking for has
several stolen identities.
Do any of these pictures
look familiar to you, ma'am?
No.
I've never seen him before.
Did he kill my son?
We can't say.
We just have reason to believe
that he was Cory's accomplice.
Oh, God.
I ca... may I... I can't take any more.
I can't do it. I can't.
Captain, I think I found something.
I was looking at the Marvin Niel identity...
He was reported missing in L.A.
By a woman named Dolly Bowen four weeks ago.
Why didn't that pop up
when we first ran the name?
Dolly withdrew the report just
three days after she filed it.
It sounds like she may have a story to tell.
Did you find the son of a bitch?
I gather you and Marvin parted
on less-than-amicable terms.
Well, he lied to me and he stole from me,
so you could say so.
But I withdrew my missing-persons report,
so why did you call me down here?
Well, you may no longer
be interested in Marvin,
but we are.
So if you could just tell us a little bit
about your relationship...
I already told that Detective Oderno guy
all of this.
- We're following up.
- Fine.
I met the jerk four months ago.
He was wining and dining investors
at the cocktail bar at
the hotel where I work,
asked me if I could call him a cab home.
I explained that the
preferred concierge desk
is for penthouse guests only.
Why did he need investors?
For the restaurant
he claimed he was opening.
God, I can't believe I fell for his act.
"I studied at the sorbonne.
I lived in Monaco"... psh!
So, you went out with him.
Yes.
He ev...
Ho, ho!
He would cook these amazing
dinners at his apartment.
I mean, he was probably
just re-plating takeout
from the French place down the street,
but he had me convinced
that I was testing out
his new restaurant menu.
Dolly, did you invest any
money in this restaurant?
20 grand.
Oh. And that's not the worst part.
I'm the one who came up
with the business plan!
Stupid.
Did you ever wonder if
Marvin's sudden disappearance
had anything to do with the robbery
of one of your hotel
guests a couple weeks ago?
Excuse me?
Well, all those detectives showing up
and asking questions about
Jagger's stolen diamonds,
that surely was not an everyday occurrence?
Listen, I did not give Marvin
any information about
when Jagger's car service
was picking him up from the hotel...
On purpose.
What?
He held a gun to your head?
Hack your computer?
No!
I told him... in bed.
But I didn't mean t...
This is all a part of Marvin's stupid lies
that I stupidly fell for!
God, I could just kick my stupid self!
Clearly, missing Marvin
has a way with the ladies.
Maybe you could help us
pin all of this on Marvin.
My hotel handles
a lot of sensitive material for celebrities.
This is the kind of thing
that could get me blackballed
from the concierge industry forever.
So...
Why did you file a missing-persons report
for someone who obviously
betrayed your trust?
Because I hadn't put it together yet.
I'm not a detective, okay?
At that point, I was still
worried about Marvin.
But a few days later,
when cops came to my work
talking about the robbery
and asking if anyone had
access to Jagger's schedule,
I realized he had
completely screwed me over.
I withdrew my missing-persons report
before my bosses found out.
And you haven't seen Marvin since?
Well, I tried calling his stupid cellphone,
but the number's been disconnected.
I even went down to his stupid restaurant.
Guess what... It's closed.
H-hold on.
Are you saying that there is
a physical location
for this restaurant Marvin was opening?
Yes... east Hollywood,
corner of Melrose and June.
He used to walk investors
through all the time...
Amy, Julio, Buzz...
Melrose and June.
I doubt missing Marvin is
still at that restaurant,
but grab Mike and search that
property from top to bottom.
Hey!
Are you looking for something, Selma?
Put it down.
Hey.
Hey.
Thank you for being here.
I... I thought that you'd moved on.
No. No, no.
I'm... I'm still... I'm still...
Very much involved.
I knew you were a good guy.
I guess you were just busy,
though, with college and stuff.
Um... maybe my... My texts were, uh...
Maybe they seemed a little too forward.
No. No, no, no. I-I... I'm just...
I'm really bad with my phone.
And I-I should probably...
I should probably work on that.
Sorry.
Do you mind if I sit with you?
'Cause I-I really don't know anyone here.
Uh, no. Yeah, go ahead.
Thanks.
The prosecution calls
Detective Andrew Flynn, LAPD.
Please raise your right hand.
And do you solemnly swear
that you'll tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?
- I do.
- Please take a seat.
Lieutenant, you heard the material witness
give evidence here yesterday
describing how she watched the defendant
as he started drowning Mariana Wallace
in a swimming pool.
Did you find any physical
evidence to support her story?
Yes, when we discovered the
body of Mariana Wallace,
she had a little silver-and-blue
barrette in her hair.
When we located the pool
where she was drowned,
we found a matching barrette
inside the pool skimmer.
The witness said Mariana was held underwater
for over a minute.
Is that enough time to kill someone?
If a person is panicking,
struggling for their life,
fighting to get out of the pool,
it's more than enough time.
Let me explain.
Now, that was 10 seconds.
You multiply that times six,
and that's how long this 15-year-old girl
had her head held underwater,
unable to breathe.
And that's also how long the murderer had
to change his mind...
To stop, to let Mariana go.
Your Honor, I object.
Is there a question in there somewhere?
We're desperate to
understand what's going on here,
and we're looking for a little clarity.
Did you let your no-good son
plan and commit this robbery
and then knock him off for getting caught?
Now that we know who's
involved in this little conspiracy...
She's taking her right to
remain silent very seriously.
So did her son.
If Cory died as a direct
result of this robbery,
this is felony murder.
And your little get-rich-quick scheme...
This was never about getting rich!
You really think I'm the kind of mother
who's gonna trade my son for money?
Why were you looking for a bag of jewels
instead of looking for the
man who killed your son?
Because I had to be sure.
Sure of what?
Be sure that he had killed Cory!
I had to be sure that he
had stolen the diamonds!
I had to be sure that I
was another mark to him...
That he didn't love me.
I mean, my God, I trusted him,
and my son is dead because of it!
So you and missing Marvin...
His name isn't Marvin.
His name is Avery Cook,
and we've been in a
relationship for over a year.
So, this robbery...
You, Avery, and your son...
You're in it together.
Is that right?
It was all Avery's idea.
I guess he was just using us.
I can't believe that we
didn't see him coming.
Words on Mr. Avery's tombstone...
"They never saw me coming."
I was so fooled.
When Cory disappeared, Avery said
that he went to the stash
spot at the restaurant
and that it was empty.
He said that Cory had
run off with the diamonds
and left us with $900,000
worth of bail to make up for.
I feel kind of bad for her.
Assuming we have Mr. Romeo's true identity,
he's Avery Cook of Camden, New Jersey.
Avery killed Cory and took
the diamonds for himself.
Do you know where Avery is right now?
He's probably halfway around the world
with a new identity.
For what it's worth,
he's supposed to be at the
Affiliate Motel in Burbank,
using that Marvin name.
And I'm supposed to be
waiting for Cory to come home.
And quietly, in case he's gone
out and intends to come back.
I'll send you a warrant en route.
Told me not to call and not to show up...
Just told me to be ready for all of us to go
as soon as I found Cory.
He probably just wanted a huge head start.
Okay.
Why don't you write that all down,
and we'll double-check
it when we find Marvin.
Avery. Whate... Whatever his name is.
A-and look,
if Selma is trying to pin
this diamond robbery on me,
Remember, she's
just looking out for her son.
And... and who could blame
her? He's a great kid.
He's a really lovely kid.
Really makes me laugh.
And, o-of course, Selma is just trying
to keep him out of jail, and...
Hi. Avery Cook.
This is a big mistake.
Thanks.
I just...
He thinks this is going to be easy
because he's talking to two women.
You got this entirely, entirely wrong.
So Selma's lying?
No. Not really.
She's just protecting Cory.
It's an unfortunate pattern.
You had nothing to do with the robbery?
Um...
Here's the thing.
If I tell you what I know about the robbery,
it's gonna look really, really bad for Cory.
How'd it go?
Fantastic.
And maybe even a little for Selma.
The dirtbag took the stand
and made a complete idiot of himself.
It's a done deal... Honest.
How about you guys?
Well, we caught our latest murderer.
Now we just have to find where he put
- the $3 million in diamonds.
- Really?
Because Selma told us you
planned the entire robbery.
Oh, well, that's a li... uh...
I was gonna say "that's a lie,"
but it's a huge exaggeration.
That's all. It's...
A couple of weeks ago, over dinner,
I told Cory and Selma about my friend
who's a concierge at this fancy hotel.
And I mentioned all the
crazy things she did.
One was arranging limos
for this famous jeweler
to move his diamonds.
And it never occurred to me
that Cory would, you know,
use that... anecdote to rob somebody.
This is... this is what I get for gossiping.
Your "friend" from the
concierge service, Dolly?
We've already talked to her.
Oh, you did? You talked to Dolly?
So you already know all this. That's great.
S-she was such a help
getting my restaurant going.
I mean, just... Great friend.
"Friend."
Um, she seemed to think
the two of you were romantically involved.
Yeah, that became... really awkward.
She also said that you
tricked her out of $20,000,
and then you disappeared.
Disappeared?
I-I didn't disappear. I...
She told me she had these feelings,
and I-I didn't know what to say,
so I was just giving her some space.
I was never gonna take her money.
I hate that she thought that.
You know, men and women being friends
can be terribly difficult.
And I usually manage it better.
I can see how some of the things that we did
could have been seen as romance.
You know, I feel sorry
for Dolly in some ways.
Hm.
If you're so torn up about Dolly,
you must feel really bad about
the identities you've stolen.
Marvin niel, Richard van duzer.
And about all the money you've taken
from other trusting women.
Listen, instead of dwelling on the past,
why don't you let me help you find Cory?
I can probably tell you where he's run to.
He's not running.
He's dead.
No, he's not.
He took the diamonds,
and then he skipped town.
Is this... this some sort of trick?
Oh, I think that you would recognize a con
if we tried to pull one.
Why would someone do this to him?
For $3 million in diamonds.
And to keep Cory from giving up
his accomplice to the police.
No.
No, I-I didn't kill him. I swear.
I was looking all over for him.
You knew exactly where he was.
He called you the minute
he stepped out of jail.
That's because we were planning to run.
All of us.
We were gonna help Cory
skip bail, leave town,
drive a clean car with new
identities into Canada.
But before we could get away, Cory...
Disappeared.
It looked like he had taken the diamonds.
Listen, when... when the kid called me
after his mother put up the bond,
I was at a used-car dealership in Morro Bay
buying a pre-owned Buick Regal.
Honest to God.
He may not be
telling the complete truth,
but he's not lying.
He bought the Buick last Tuesday,
the afternoon when Cory was released...
In cash.
Drove the car back from Morro Bay,
checked into the Affiliate Motel.
But by then, according to our timeline,
Cory was already dead.
Well, Selma could be lying
about what she did after she picked Cory up.
Mm. Or someone out there
managed to con the con man.
And us.
You know, I'm beginning to wonder
about this house where Cory was found...
And the prisoner who owns it.
You're up early.
How'd things go at the trial yesterday?
Well, after Andy's testimony,
I'm sure the jury will convict.
I just don't know if they'll be unanimous
about the death penalty, though.
And how would you vote?
Life in prison.
Not because I think Slider deserves to live,
but because I just... I
just want this to be over,
and I know Bobby Monroe would appeal.
Did you tell Gus about your story on Slider?
No.
Um, I was going to,
but he had a really rough day on the stand,
and he left right after
Andy's testimony, so...
And something's wrong with his phone?
You couldn't call, you couldn't text?
Or is it just you don't
want to be friends with Gus?
Oh, my God. Sharon...
I feel really bad about this already, okay?
I'm glad you feel badly.
Without Gus, you would've
never found out who Alice was.
And now you're almost ignoring him
because it's somehow inconvenient.
Look at me!
That is not a good way to
maintain serious relationships.
I will tell him today... Face-to-face.
While we're waiting for
the jury to come back,
I-I will tell Gus today.
Good.
When Cory went missing...
If his mother, Selma, is telling the truth,
it had to have happened sometime between
when she dropped him off at
home and she returned from work.
And everyone at the insurance-company office
said she pulled her shift.
Meanwhile, Avery was hours away that day.
There's no way he would've
made it back to Selma's
to get rid of Cory without flying.
And we know that he drove the
Buick back from Morro Bay.
Well, what about Avery's restaurant mark,
Dolly Bowen?
She knew about the diamonds
and she knew Avery.
She contacted Missing Persons.
Now, why would she file a report
if she was connected to the crime?
Julio, what do we know
about the guy in prison
who owns the house where
we found Cory's body?
Uh, his name is Jose Vasquez, 51.
Convicted two years ago
of vehicular manslaughter.
But he's locked up and
won't get out till 2018.
Mr. Vasquez also has no criminal connection
to Cory, Selma, or any of
Avery's various identities.
Nothing on any social platform...
No mutual friends, no cross likes.
So, how our killer knew
that he could leave Cory's
body in Vasquez's basement
while Cory's wrecked car is
in the driveway for all to see
is hard to figure out.
Oh, I think Selma
can explain it all to us.
Maybe we should also look
into Mr. Vasquez's finances.
I may need them to make a deal.
So, the LAPD lied to me?
Avery did not kill Cory?
No.
Oh!
And we're very sorry for misleading you.
Oh, thank God!
I knew it! I knew it!
I knew he wouldn't do that to me.
And, Selma, we still need
to find your son's killer.
So we have a proposition for you.
We've asked the D.A.'s office,
and they're prepared
to get you a lawyer and
knock down the charges
to aiding and abetting in the robbery...
If you'll only answer
one question truthfully.
And this will help you find Cory's killer?
But only if you're honest with us.
Otherwise, we won't be
able to do any follow-up,
and after everything you've been through,
the person who took your son's life
will walk away with the diamonds, as well.
What do you need to know?
How did you pay for Cory's bail?
Your house was mortgaged to the hilt.
You have less than $10,000 in the bank.
And you not only didn't sell your car,
but Avery bought another one.
Did you pawn anything?
Like a yacht
or your private jet?
If I answer this question,
what happens to Avery?
Does he get a reduced charge, too?
No, but you can visit
him wherever he winds up.
In fact, you can talk to
him when we're done here.
But first, the truth.
Okay. Okay.
All right, I tried to convince Carmen
to take my house as
collateral, but she said no.
She said this bail was too high.
And I was desperate,
'cause Cory was gonna go
away to jail for years,
and the robbery was all
mine and Avery's idea.
And I know I shouldn't have done it
Without telling Avery,
and he's probably going to
be very mad at me, but...
Shouldn't have done what?
I took a few diamonds.
And I didn't know how to sell them, so...
You gave them to Carmen
to make your son's bail.
And I put them in a chocolate-candy box
to sneak them to Carmen.
Cory didn't just fall into a bad crowd.
He was born into one.
You were right, Captain.
Records show before his trial,
Jose Vasquez was released on bail
after he put his house up for collateral.
Mm, I don't remember this guy exactly.
But... lots of people put
up their houses for bail.
Next to cash, it's about my
favorite form of guarantee.
Do I need to call my lawyer about this?
I mean, he's very good,
so he's very expensive,
and I'd hate to waste his
time and my money on, uh...
What do you guys think this is?
That depends on you, Carmen.
Do you want to invoke your
rights or see what we have?
Eh, put on your little show first.
Then I'll decide about the rest.
Okay.
Well, first of all...
We have about $2 million...
Cash.
Taken...
From your safe.
My safe?
When you were waiting to talk to us,
we served a search warrant at your office.
Oh, my God.
$2 million is a lot of money,
even for someone in your profession,
to keep in a work safe.
And this box of chocolates,
in which Ms. Hewett claims
she gave you some of the stolen diamonds...
It has her fingerprints on it...
And yours.
See, here's what we think happened.
Cory's mom gave you two diamonds
to bail her son out of jail.
And you knew where Selma lived
because she'd put up her house
as collateral for Cory's bail before.
And you knew where she got the diamonds,
and you knew why Cory had been arrested.
So you drove over to his mother's house,
and when she left for work,
you knocked on the door.
All right, this is the stupidest
thing I have ever heard,
and every word of it is made up.
You knocked on the door, pulled out a gun,
and forced Cory to take you
to the rest of the diamonds
in his damaged car.
No, no, no.
Okay, I never saw Cory again
until I found his body
after he missed court,
following that tracker.
That tracker... right.
Which led you to a house...
Your favorite guarantee...
That had been put up as collateral
for a bail you funded three years ago.
I've already told you
I don't remember this
Jose whatever-his-name-is.
But I'll tell you what I do
remember, even if you don't.
I am the one who called the police
in the first place about Cory's body.
Come on... If we had not found his body,
you'd be out $1 million in bail.
You must've been really irritated
when no one else noticed
Cory's vehicle from the robbery
parked in plain sight.
All right, look.
I appreciate all the work
that goes into trying to scare someone
into confessing to a
crime they didn't commit.
But I see a lot of shadows of doubt
in this pile of circumstantial crap.
So I think it's time you call my lawyer.
Okay.
Damn it.
Eh, just wait.
We have a move left.
I certainly hope you have another way to pay
for that very expensive lawyer of yours.
Lieutenant...
Book this cash as evidence.
What? T-that's my money.
Your employee Eddie...
He gave us a statement
suggesting that all of this
is proceeds of illegal sales,
so we're seizing it!
I didn't sell a...
That is operating cash for my business.
Eddie disagrees.
And he not only remembered Jose Vasquez,
he also recalls all the high-end
jewel thieves and fences
you've bailed out over the years.
And in the past week,
you met with two of them,
even though they're not
in jail or facing trial.
And you recently misplaced your gun,
which I bet we will find,
along with the diamonds.
Ah.
- This is bullshit.
- Shh!
You asked for a lawyer!
You invoked your rights!
Just hold off on the
lawyer for now, then, okay?
All right, what gets me
out of this, huh? Anything?
If you bring in your lawyer,
D.D.A. Hobbs has cleared you
for murder two with a parole date.
Provided you tell us who
you sold the diamonds to.
But if we have to find out on our own...
Then your sentence could
end with a drug cocktail.
I want my lawyer.
And I want that offer in writing.
And then we'll see.
I think that was a "yes."
Jury's coming back.
That was fast.
Go. Go, go, go.
We'll get over there if we can.
Who even cared about Cory Hewett?
He was... he was scum.
I think you'd be surprised to know
that there are a couple of con artists
who care about Cory very, very much.
Oh, yeah... two model citizens
about to skip town on me.
Criminals and possible fugitives.
Takes one to know one.
Which is why, when we arrest you for murder,
I'm gonna personally see to it
that you're held without bond.
Did I make it?
That was a short deliberation.
Yeah, well, I don't think
Slider's gonna be doing
much Christmas shopping this year.
What about our bondswoman, ma'am?
Her lawyer's helping her
make a statement of facts
in exchange for second-degree murder
and a parole hearing in 20 years.
Did you talk to Gus?
He's been pacing out here
with Hobbs all morning.
I didn't get the chance.
I will tell him everything...
After the verdict.
The defendant will please rise.
The clerk will read the verdict.
"We, the jury, find Greg Rasenick
guilty on all counts."
I caution each member of the jury
not to speak about this case to anyone
until you have passed sentence.
The penalty phase of this trial
will begin Monday at 10:00.
Court is adjourned.
I see why you guys like deals...
It just... Goes on and on.
All right.
Okay.
How are you?
I was relieved for a second.
But nothing that happens
here can bring Mariana back.
And we still don't know the end.
Don't worry. The jury's gonna
do the right thing here.
And you can get on with your life.
So, Gus...
Yeah?
Rusty. Sorry.
I need you to testify on Greg's behalf.
What?
Wait, wait, wait. We... we had a deal.
You... you can't call me for the trial.
The trial is over. This is for sentencing.
I need you to speak about
your relationship with Greg
so the jury sees him as a person.
Relationship? W-what relationship?
It's not what it sounds like. Just wait.
I will explain it in a second.
What could I possibly say that wou...
You could talk about his childhood,
about his inability to read,
about his disconnected view of reality.
You're the only friend he has on earth.
And also, you have no choice.
I'll see you Monday. Sorry.
His friend? You're friends with that guy?
Gus...
You're his friend?!
I thought you were here
for Mariana... and me.
How could I be so stupid?
You really had me fooled.
What am I gonna do?
You are going to be a
witness for Slider's defense.
Cory!
Hey, Cory, you in there?
You better come out, man!
Now we know why he missed court.
Cory's mom got us to
bail him out a week ago.
His pre-trial hearing was yesterday.
When he didn't show, we came looking.
The original arrest was made by RHD,
but now that he's a dead suspect...
The pleasure is all ours.
Kid's name is Cory what?
Hewett. 20 years old.
We've bailed him out... What?
Three, four times?
I see... A quality human being.
I don't judge. I just put up the
money to get him out of jail.
How did you know where to find Cory?
This isn't his address.
I put a GPS tracker on his car.
So, tell me, Carmen,
did a judge give you permission to...
Come on. Don't make me laugh, all right?
I had $1 million on the line.
It was my job to make sure
Cory showed up at court.
Well, you doing your job
contaminated my crime scene.
We're gonna spend all day
just eliminating your prints.
Hey, if it wasn't for us,
you wouldn't even know Cory was dead.
Oh, what a tragedy that would be.
I'm assuming that any signs of forced entry
are also you just doing your job.
You assume correctly.
The house was locked up
tight when we got here.
Eh.
Bail bondsmen... Borderline thugs.
You just got engaged, Lieutenant.
You're supposed to glow
with happiness for weeks.
Time moves faster at my age.
And where weddings are concerned,
I have something of a record.
Victim's priors are petty stuff...
Hot-wiring a car...
Ugh!
Shaking down a vending machine.
But... ohh!
His latest arrest was for armed robbery.
W-what did he steal this time?
Diamonds.
Diamonds? That seems a
little out of his league.
Were they recovered?
No, sir, but eyewitnesses say
there was a second suspect
driving the getaway car.
Rhd tried to get a name,
but Cory wouldn't roll over on his partner.
Yeah, and now he never will.
Convenient for his accomplice,
who now has all the diamonds to himself.
Okay, Kendall.
Decomp makes it hard to be exact,
but the guy probably died last Tuesday,
not long after Lieutenant
Tao said he made bail.
Cause of death... one round
to the back of the head.
Bullet's still in the skull.
We haven't found the casing anywhere, sir.
Murder was professional... Execution-style.
Maybe Cory's partner was
a little more experienced.
Like I said, the killer
probably has the diamonds.
But let's tear this place up anyway,
just in the extraordinary
off chance that I'm wrong.
Oh, and while we're at it, let's see
if we can find out who this house belongs to
and how those diamonds were
stolen in the first place.
If you want, sir,
I know from my new reserve detective class
how to get in touch with robbery homicide
and have them deliver...
Thank you, Columbo,
but we already have a dedicated desk monkey
that can run that errand for us.
Uh, Flynn.
I need an open case file from RHD.
News reports say Cory and
his unidentified partner
staged a fender bender.
Yeah, he hit the brakes in front of a limo,
Cory jumped out
and robbed the passenger/
jewelry designer at gunpoint.
Chauffeur got a partial plate
number from the kid's Honda,
which we now have,
and the chauffeur and two witnesses
I.D.'d Cory in a lineup.
Cory made a lot of mistakes.
Well, he's a petty thief. Diamonds
were way over his head.
So, you have been on your
own for a couple of days now.
You feeling okay?
Not just okay... great.
Frankly, I could be back in the field.
Well, your doctor doesn't agree.
And anyway, you have to testify
today against Slider in court.
How hard can that be?
The dirtbag did it. The end.
And you don't have to walk
me to the court, either.
Oh, that thought never crossed my mind.
Hey, Andy.
I'm on my way to the trial.
You want me to wait for you?
Sure.
Let me get someone to copy these files.
I'll see you by the elevator.
So, I-I never expected to say these words,
but I think I may have something
of a... a moral dilemma.
In what way?
Well, Hobbs flew Gus back in from Vegas
- to identify his sister at trial today.
- And?
And when he sees me, Gus will
think I'm there for Mariana,
and Slider will think I'm court for him.
Oh. So you're worried about
those two wires crossing.
W-well, what if... what
if Slider waves at me
when they lead him back in,
like he did yesterday,
and I wave back and Gus sees that?
Well, hasn't Gus been following
your story about Slider?
I-I-I don't know, really.
You haven't talked to Gus
since he went back to Vegas?
No.
Well, he... he's texted me a few times,
and I-I texted him back, mostly.
Mostly?
I see.
Well, uh, why don't you wait
for Gus outside the courtroom
before proceedings start?
Catch him up on what you've been doing then.
And you...
Try not to jump on any moving vehicles.
Just the elevator.
So, one of our bad guys
was very experienced,
and our other bad guy was clueless.
Hiding out in a house
owned by someone in prison
with a car that he wrecked
in a diamond robbery
parked right out front, ma'am.
It's almost as if he wanted to get caught.
His accomplice is another matter.
Well, the chauffeur provided
a vague description of Cory's partner,
but he never even got out of the car.
And the limo passenger
didn't see anything at all.
Yeah, this passenger...
What do we have on him?
And why was he traveling
with $3 million in diamonds?
Well, he's known as "Jagger the Jeweler."
I talked to him myself.
Desperate to recover his merchandise
and eager to help us.
- Buzz.
- Captain.
Jagger Smith, A.K.A. Jagger the Jeweler,
is a designer based in New York
who creates custom pieces for celebrities
using ethically sourced diamonds.
Jagger photographed his entire inventory,
so we know exactly what was stolen.
Was there any connection
between our jeweler and Cory?
Well, not that we've found so far, ma'am.
Well, how did the thieves know
that Jagger had the diamonds on him
when they wrecked his limo?
Maybe the connection was
to our missing accomplice.
I wonder if this accomplice picked up Cory
when he was bailed out of county.
So, he steps outside of the jail,
and the first thing he does
is make a quick phone call.
Cory may have
dialed his partner's number,
let him know he was free.
And unwittingly set up his own death.
And he waits...
And he waits...
And he waits for this minivan to pull up.
Buzz, freeze.
Got it.
She's not our accomplice.
Julio, dump the pay phone
and match the call to this time code.
Thank you.
Van's plates come back to
Selma Hewett, Cory's mom.
Everyone always tells me that I've
bailed Cory out too many times
and he needs to learn a lesson, but Cory...
He's not a bad person.
He held up a jeweler at gunpoint
and stole $3 million worth of diamonds.
He has fallen into a bad crowd.
Do you know anyone in this bad crowd?
No. He keeps me at arm's
length from his private life.
I mean, nowadays, by the
time i know he needs my help,
it's already too far gone,
and then this last mistake...
Cost you $100,000 you'll never get back.
And you were on the hook
for another $900,000
when he disappeared.
Why didn't you call missing persons?
And get Cory into even more trouble?
I don't think that he understands
how much higher this bail
was than the others...
Or that the 10% I put down,
I don't get that back.
I mean, my God.
If he doesn't show up
soon, I lose everything.
I... I wouldn't worry about...
Losing your stuff right now.
Could you just walk us through
the day that you picked Cory up from jail?
Mm...
There's not really much to say.
I called to find out what
time he would be released,
I picked him up, I dropped
him off at the house,
I ran back to work,
and by the time I got home that afternoon,
he was gone.
Mm.
Well, thank you, Miss Hewett.
You have been very helpful.
And now, um...
We have some information
that we should share with you.
Um...
Detective Sykes?
Um...
I'm afraid I have some
bad news about your son.
We found Cory's body...
Okay, Captain, this is weird.
The name attached to the phone number
Cory called when he got out of jail
- is Bryce Fowler.
- And?
And the Bryce Fowler with
this social security number
died in 1982 at the age of 6 in Pittsburgh.
And then miraculously
came back to life last year
to apply for a driver's license in Oregon.
If this is our accomplice, he
doesn't just steal diamonds.
He also steals identities.
And did you find your sister
at this youth shelter in Las Vegas?
No.
But the church that she ran away from
gave Mariana a prepaid cellphone.
And she kept adding money to
it, so I was able to call her.
- And did you talk with her?
- Yes.
I-I tried to... to convince Mariana
that we could bring our
family back together.
But she didn't want to do that.
Did you go and see Mariana at this shelter?
I tried. She was out when I went by.
And someone had told her
that I came by to see her,
so she ran away to Los Angeles...
And she was murdered.
No further questions at this time.
Mr. Monroe, your witness.
Mr. Wallace, I don't want to
undermine your military service,
but I have to ask if you
come from a violent family.
Objection. Is this relevant?
Your Honor, I'm trying to establish
environmental influences
and the veracity of the witness, if I may?
Objection overruled,
but keep your questions direct, Mr. Monroe.
Of course.
Mr. Wallace, do you come
from a violent family?
My stepfather's violent... Not me.
Hmm. Not you.
On March 13, 2014, were you arrested
for assault with a deadly weapon
and breaking-and-entering?
Uhh, that... that was just...
This is a "yes" or "no" question, sir.
You say that you're not violent,
but these arrests suggest you are.
I'll ask again... Are you a violent person?
Not usually.
Okay.
Maybe we define "violence" differently.
Did you ever come to L.A.
hunting for your sisters?
Yes.
The day your sister died, can
you account for your whereabouts?
I...I-I don't... I don't remember that day.
But you admit that you pursued your sisters
- across the United States?
- Yes.
In your own nonviolent way?
- Objection!
- Sustained.
Was your sister as nonviolent as you are?
- Objection!
- Sustained.
Mr. Monroe, are you looking for trouble?
No further questions.
Redirect, D.D.A. Hobbs?
Thanks. Yes, I think so.
Mr. Wallace, where were you
when the Las Vegas police arrested you
for breaking-and-entering and
assault with a deadly weapon?
In my mother and my stepfather's apartment.
Doing what?
My mother tried to tell me
where she left my sisters,
and my stepfather pushed me
out the door and locked it.
And he started beating my mother.
She was... She was screaming,
so I broke the door down,
and I smashed my stepfather's
head with a cutting board.
Turns out there's more to
this guy than we thought.
We ran the thumbprint
Bryce Fowler provided for
his Oregon driver's license.
This is what we found.
Cory's potential accomplice
was also known as
Marvin Nniel, Richard Van
Duzer, and Scott Lytle.
All of these I.D.s
are under investigation
for various cons...
Fake corporations, investment scams.
He even ripped off some charities, ma'am.
There's no history of violent crime,
so if he did kill Cory,
that was a departure.
3 million bucks can make
someone act outside their M.O.
I'll check and see if
any of these identities
show as active in the L.A. area,
though he could already be somebody else.
This feels like a long shot,
but, Julio, let's see
if Cory's mother recognizes
Marvin/Richard/Scott.
Yes, ma'am.
Aren't these all the same person?
The man we're looking for has
several stolen identities.
Do any of these pictures
look familiar to you, ma'am?
No.
I've never seen him before.
Did he kill my son?
We can't say.
We just have reason to believe
that he was Cory's accomplice.
Oh, God.
I ca... may I... I can't take any more.
I can't do it. I can't.
Captain, I think I found something.
I was looking at the Marvin Niel identity...
He was reported missing in L.A.
By a woman named Dolly Bowen four weeks ago.
Why didn't that pop up
when we first ran the name?
Dolly withdrew the report just
three days after she filed it.
It sounds like she may have a story to tell.
Did you find the son of a bitch?
I gather you and Marvin parted
on less-than-amicable terms.
Well, he lied to me and he stole from me,
so you could say so.
But I withdrew my missing-persons report,
so why did you call me down here?
Well, you may no longer
be interested in Marvin,
but we are.
So if you could just tell us a little bit
about your relationship...
I already told that Detective Oderno guy
all of this.
- We're following up.
- Fine.
I met the jerk four months ago.
He was wining and dining investors
at the cocktail bar at
the hotel where I work,
asked me if I could call him a cab home.
I explained that the
preferred concierge desk
is for penthouse guests only.
Why did he need investors?
For the restaurant
he claimed he was opening.
God, I can't believe I fell for his act.
"I studied at the sorbonne.
I lived in Monaco"... psh!
So, you went out with him.
Yes.
He ev...
Ho, ho!
He would cook these amazing
dinners at his apartment.
I mean, he was probably
just re-plating takeout
from the French place down the street,
but he had me convinced
that I was testing out
his new restaurant menu.
Dolly, did you invest any
money in this restaurant?
20 grand.
Oh. And that's not the worst part.
I'm the one who came up
with the business plan!
Stupid.
Did you ever wonder if
Marvin's sudden disappearance
had anything to do with the robbery
of one of your hotel
guests a couple weeks ago?
Excuse me?
Well, all those detectives showing up
and asking questions about
Jagger's stolen diamonds,
that surely was not an everyday occurrence?
Listen, I did not give Marvin
any information about
when Jagger's car service
was picking him up from the hotel...
On purpose.
What?
He held a gun to your head?
Hack your computer?
No!
I told him... in bed.
But I didn't mean t...
This is all a part of Marvin's stupid lies
that I stupidly fell for!
God, I could just kick my stupid self!
Clearly, missing Marvin
has a way with the ladies.
Maybe you could help us
pin all of this on Marvin.
My hotel handles
a lot of sensitive material for celebrities.
This is the kind of thing
that could get me blackballed
from the concierge industry forever.
So...
Why did you file a missing-persons report
for someone who obviously
betrayed your trust?
Because I hadn't put it together yet.
I'm not a detective, okay?
At that point, I was still
worried about Marvin.
But a few days later,
when cops came to my work
talking about the robbery
and asking if anyone had
access to Jagger's schedule,
I realized he had
completely screwed me over.
I withdrew my missing-persons report
before my bosses found out.
And you haven't seen Marvin since?
Well, I tried calling his stupid cellphone,
but the number's been disconnected.
I even went down to his stupid restaurant.
Guess what... It's closed.
H-hold on.
Are you saying that there is
a physical location
for this restaurant Marvin was opening?
Yes... east Hollywood,
corner of Melrose and June.
He used to walk investors
through all the time...
Amy, Julio, Buzz...
Melrose and June.
I doubt missing Marvin is
still at that restaurant,
but grab Mike and search that
property from top to bottom.
Hey!
Are you looking for something, Selma?
Put it down.
Hey.
Hey.
Thank you for being here.
I... I thought that you'd moved on.
No. No, no.
I'm... I'm still... I'm still...
Very much involved.
I knew you were a good guy.
I guess you were just busy,
though, with college and stuff.
Um... maybe my... My texts were, uh...
Maybe they seemed a little too forward.
No. No, no, no. I-I... I'm just...
I'm really bad with my phone.
And I-I should probably...
I should probably work on that.
Sorry.
Do you mind if I sit with you?
'Cause I-I really don't know anyone here.
Uh, no. Yeah, go ahead.
Thanks.
The prosecution calls
Detective Andrew Flynn, LAPD.
Please raise your right hand.
And do you solemnly swear
that you'll tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?
- I do.
- Please take a seat.
Lieutenant, you heard the material witness
give evidence here yesterday
describing how she watched the defendant
as he started drowning Mariana Wallace
in a swimming pool.
Did you find any physical
evidence to support her story?
Yes, when we discovered the
body of Mariana Wallace,
she had a little silver-and-blue
barrette in her hair.
When we located the pool
where she was drowned,
we found a matching barrette
inside the pool skimmer.
The witness said Mariana was held underwater
for over a minute.
Is that enough time to kill someone?
If a person is panicking,
struggling for their life,
fighting to get out of the pool,
it's more than enough time.
Let me explain.
Now, that was 10 seconds.
You multiply that times six,
and that's how long this 15-year-old girl
had her head held underwater,
unable to breathe.
And that's also how long the murderer had
to change his mind...
To stop, to let Mariana go.
Your Honor, I object.
Is there a question in there somewhere?
We're desperate to
understand what's going on here,
and we're looking for a little clarity.
Did you let your no-good son
plan and commit this robbery
and then knock him off for getting caught?
Now that we know who's
involved in this little conspiracy...
She's taking her right to
remain silent very seriously.
So did her son.
If Cory died as a direct
result of this robbery,
this is felony murder.
And your little get-rich-quick scheme...
This was never about getting rich!
You really think I'm the kind of mother
who's gonna trade my son for money?
Why were you looking for a bag of jewels
instead of looking for the
man who killed your son?
Because I had to be sure.
Sure of what?
Be sure that he had killed Cory!
I had to be sure that he
had stolen the diamonds!
I had to be sure that I
was another mark to him...
That he didn't love me.
I mean, my God, I trusted him,
and my son is dead because of it!
So you and missing Marvin...
His name isn't Marvin.
His name is Avery Cook,
and we've been in a
relationship for over a year.
So, this robbery...
You, Avery, and your son...
You're in it together.
Is that right?
It was all Avery's idea.
I guess he was just using us.
I can't believe that we
didn't see him coming.
Words on Mr. Avery's tombstone...
"They never saw me coming."
I was so fooled.
When Cory disappeared, Avery said
that he went to the stash
spot at the restaurant
and that it was empty.
He said that Cory had
run off with the diamonds
and left us with $900,000
worth of bail to make up for.
I feel kind of bad for her.
Assuming we have Mr. Romeo's true identity,
he's Avery Cook of Camden, New Jersey.
Avery killed Cory and took
the diamonds for himself.
Do you know where Avery is right now?
He's probably halfway around the world
with a new identity.
For what it's worth,
he's supposed to be at the
Affiliate Motel in Burbank,
using that Marvin name.
And I'm supposed to be
waiting for Cory to come home.
And quietly, in case he's gone
out and intends to come back.
I'll send you a warrant en route.
Told me not to call and not to show up...
Just told me to be ready for all of us to go
as soon as I found Cory.
He probably just wanted a huge head start.
Okay.
Why don't you write that all down,
and we'll double-check
it when we find Marvin.
Avery. Whate... Whatever his name is.
A-and look,
if Selma is trying to pin
this diamond robbery on me,
Remember, she's
just looking out for her son.
And... and who could blame
her? He's a great kid.
He's a really lovely kid.
Really makes me laugh.
And, o-of course, Selma is just trying
to keep him out of jail, and...
Hi. Avery Cook.
This is a big mistake.
Thanks.
I just...
He thinks this is going to be easy
because he's talking to two women.
You got this entirely, entirely wrong.
So Selma's lying?
No. Not really.
She's just protecting Cory.
It's an unfortunate pattern.
You had nothing to do with the robbery?
Um...
Here's the thing.
If I tell you what I know about the robbery,
it's gonna look really, really bad for Cory.
How'd it go?
Fantastic.
And maybe even a little for Selma.
The dirtbag took the stand
and made a complete idiot of himself.
It's a done deal... Honest.
How about you guys?
Well, we caught our latest murderer.
Now we just have to find where he put
- the $3 million in diamonds.
- Really?
Because Selma told us you
planned the entire robbery.
Oh, well, that's a li... uh...
I was gonna say "that's a lie,"
but it's a huge exaggeration.
That's all. It's...
A couple of weeks ago, over dinner,
I told Cory and Selma about my friend
who's a concierge at this fancy hotel.
And I mentioned all the
crazy things she did.
One was arranging limos
for this famous jeweler
to move his diamonds.
And it never occurred to me
that Cory would, you know,
use that... anecdote to rob somebody.
This is... this is what I get for gossiping.
Your "friend" from the
concierge service, Dolly?
We've already talked to her.
Oh, you did? You talked to Dolly?
So you already know all this. That's great.
S-she was such a help
getting my restaurant going.
I mean, just... Great friend.
"Friend."
Um, she seemed to think
the two of you were romantically involved.
Yeah, that became... really awkward.
She also said that you
tricked her out of $20,000,
and then you disappeared.
Disappeared?
I-I didn't disappear. I...
She told me she had these feelings,
and I-I didn't know what to say,
so I was just giving her some space.
I was never gonna take her money.
I hate that she thought that.
You know, men and women being friends
can be terribly difficult.
And I usually manage it better.
I can see how some of the things that we did
could have been seen as romance.
You know, I feel sorry
for Dolly in some ways.
Hm.
If you're so torn up about Dolly,
you must feel really bad about
the identities you've stolen.
Marvin niel, Richard van duzer.
And about all the money you've taken
from other trusting women.
Listen, instead of dwelling on the past,
why don't you let me help you find Cory?
I can probably tell you where he's run to.
He's not running.
He's dead.
No, he's not.
He took the diamonds,
and then he skipped town.
Is this... this some sort of trick?
Oh, I think that you would recognize a con
if we tried to pull one.
Why would someone do this to him?
For $3 million in diamonds.
And to keep Cory from giving up
his accomplice to the police.
No.
No, I-I didn't kill him. I swear.
I was looking all over for him.
You knew exactly where he was.
He called you the minute
he stepped out of jail.
That's because we were planning to run.
All of us.
We were gonna help Cory
skip bail, leave town,
drive a clean car with new
identities into Canada.
But before we could get away, Cory...
Disappeared.
It looked like he had taken the diamonds.
Listen, when... when the kid called me
after his mother put up the bond,
I was at a used-car dealership in Morro Bay
buying a pre-owned Buick Regal.
Honest to God.
He may not be
telling the complete truth,
but he's not lying.
He bought the Buick last Tuesday,
the afternoon when Cory was released...
In cash.
Drove the car back from Morro Bay,
checked into the Affiliate Motel.
But by then, according to our timeline,
Cory was already dead.
Well, Selma could be lying
about what she did after she picked Cory up.
Mm. Or someone out there
managed to con the con man.
And us.
You know, I'm beginning to wonder
about this house where Cory was found...
And the prisoner who owns it.
You're up early.
How'd things go at the trial yesterday?
Well, after Andy's testimony,
I'm sure the jury will convict.
I just don't know if they'll be unanimous
about the death penalty, though.
And how would you vote?
Life in prison.
Not because I think Slider deserves to live,
but because I just... I
just want this to be over,
and I know Bobby Monroe would appeal.
Did you tell Gus about your story on Slider?
No.
Um, I was going to,
but he had a really rough day on the stand,
and he left right after
Andy's testimony, so...
And something's wrong with his phone?
You couldn't call, you couldn't text?
Or is it just you don't
want to be friends with Gus?
Oh, my God. Sharon...
I feel really bad about this already, okay?
I'm glad you feel badly.
Without Gus, you would've
never found out who Alice was.
And now you're almost ignoring him
because it's somehow inconvenient.
Look at me!
That is not a good way to
maintain serious relationships.
I will tell him today... Face-to-face.
While we're waiting for
the jury to come back,
I-I will tell Gus today.
Good.
When Cory went missing...
If his mother, Selma, is telling the truth,
it had to have happened sometime between
when she dropped him off at
home and she returned from work.
And everyone at the insurance-company office
said she pulled her shift.
Meanwhile, Avery was hours away that day.
There's no way he would've
made it back to Selma's
to get rid of Cory without flying.
And we know that he drove the
Buick back from Morro Bay.
Well, what about Avery's restaurant mark,
Dolly Bowen?
She knew about the diamonds
and she knew Avery.
She contacted Missing Persons.
Now, why would she file a report
if she was connected to the crime?
Julio, what do we know
about the guy in prison
who owns the house where
we found Cory's body?
Uh, his name is Jose Vasquez, 51.
Convicted two years ago
of vehicular manslaughter.
But he's locked up and
won't get out till 2018.
Mr. Vasquez also has no criminal connection
to Cory, Selma, or any of
Avery's various identities.
Nothing on any social platform...
No mutual friends, no cross likes.
So, how our killer knew
that he could leave Cory's
body in Vasquez's basement
while Cory's wrecked car is
in the driveway for all to see
is hard to figure out.
Oh, I think Selma
can explain it all to us.
Maybe we should also look
into Mr. Vasquez's finances.
I may need them to make a deal.
So, the LAPD lied to me?
Avery did not kill Cory?
No.
Oh!
And we're very sorry for misleading you.
Oh, thank God!
I knew it! I knew it!
I knew he wouldn't do that to me.
And, Selma, we still need
to find your son's killer.
So we have a proposition for you.
We've asked the D.A.'s office,
and they're prepared
to get you a lawyer and
knock down the charges
to aiding and abetting in the robbery...
If you'll only answer
one question truthfully.
And this will help you find Cory's killer?
But only if you're honest with us.
Otherwise, we won't be
able to do any follow-up,
and after everything you've been through,
the person who took your son's life
will walk away with the diamonds, as well.
What do you need to know?
How did you pay for Cory's bail?
Your house was mortgaged to the hilt.
You have less than $10,000 in the bank.
And you not only didn't sell your car,
but Avery bought another one.
Did you pawn anything?
Like a yacht
or your private jet?
If I answer this question,
what happens to Avery?
Does he get a reduced charge, too?
No, but you can visit
him wherever he winds up.
In fact, you can talk to
him when we're done here.
But first, the truth.
Okay. Okay.
All right, I tried to convince Carmen
to take my house as
collateral, but she said no.
She said this bail was too high.
And I was desperate,
'cause Cory was gonna go
away to jail for years,
and the robbery was all
mine and Avery's idea.
And I know I shouldn't have done it
Without telling Avery,
and he's probably going to
be very mad at me, but...
Shouldn't have done what?
I took a few diamonds.
And I didn't know how to sell them, so...
You gave them to Carmen
to make your son's bail.
And I put them in a chocolate-candy box
to sneak them to Carmen.
Cory didn't just fall into a bad crowd.
He was born into one.
You were right, Captain.
Records show before his trial,
Jose Vasquez was released on bail
after he put his house up for collateral.
Mm, I don't remember this guy exactly.
But... lots of people put
up their houses for bail.
Next to cash, it's about my
favorite form of guarantee.
Do I need to call my lawyer about this?
I mean, he's very good,
so he's very expensive,
and I'd hate to waste his
time and my money on, uh...
What do you guys think this is?
That depends on you, Carmen.
Do you want to invoke your
rights or see what we have?
Eh, put on your little show first.
Then I'll decide about the rest.
Okay.
Well, first of all...
We have about $2 million...
Cash.
Taken...
From your safe.
My safe?
When you were waiting to talk to us,
we served a search warrant at your office.
Oh, my God.
$2 million is a lot of money,
even for someone in your profession,
to keep in a work safe.
And this box of chocolates,
in which Ms. Hewett claims
she gave you some of the stolen diamonds...
It has her fingerprints on it...
And yours.
See, here's what we think happened.
Cory's mom gave you two diamonds
to bail her son out of jail.
And you knew where Selma lived
because she'd put up her house
as collateral for Cory's bail before.
And you knew where she got the diamonds,
and you knew why Cory had been arrested.
So you drove over to his mother's house,
and when she left for work,
you knocked on the door.
All right, this is the stupidest
thing I have ever heard,
and every word of it is made up.
You knocked on the door, pulled out a gun,
and forced Cory to take you
to the rest of the diamonds
in his damaged car.
No, no, no.
Okay, I never saw Cory again
until I found his body
after he missed court,
following that tracker.
That tracker... right.
Which led you to a house...
Your favorite guarantee...
That had been put up as collateral
for a bail you funded three years ago.
I've already told you
I don't remember this
Jose whatever-his-name-is.
But I'll tell you what I do
remember, even if you don't.
I am the one who called the police
in the first place about Cory's body.
Come on... If we had not found his body,
you'd be out $1 million in bail.
You must've been really irritated
when no one else noticed
Cory's vehicle from the robbery
parked in plain sight.
All right, look.
I appreciate all the work
that goes into trying to scare someone
into confessing to a
crime they didn't commit.
But I see a lot of shadows of doubt
in this pile of circumstantial crap.
So I think it's time you call my lawyer.
Okay.
Damn it.
Eh, just wait.
We have a move left.
I certainly hope you have another way to pay
for that very expensive lawyer of yours.
Lieutenant...
Book this cash as evidence.
What? T-that's my money.
Your employee Eddie...
He gave us a statement
suggesting that all of this
is proceeds of illegal sales,
so we're seizing it!
I didn't sell a...
That is operating cash for my business.
Eddie disagrees.
And he not only remembered Jose Vasquez,
he also recalls all the high-end
jewel thieves and fences
you've bailed out over the years.
And in the past week,
you met with two of them,
even though they're not
in jail or facing trial.
And you recently misplaced your gun,
which I bet we will find,
along with the diamonds.
Ah.
- This is bullshit.
- Shh!
You asked for a lawyer!
You invoked your rights!
Just hold off on the
lawyer for now, then, okay?
All right, what gets me
out of this, huh? Anything?
If you bring in your lawyer,
D.D.A. Hobbs has cleared you
for murder two with a parole date.
Provided you tell us who
you sold the diamonds to.
But if we have to find out on our own...
Then your sentence could
end with a drug cocktail.
I want my lawyer.
And I want that offer in writing.
And then we'll see.
I think that was a "yes."
Jury's coming back.
That was fast.
Go. Go, go, go.
We'll get over there if we can.
Who even cared about Cory Hewett?
He was... he was scum.
I think you'd be surprised to know
that there are a couple of con artists
who care about Cory very, very much.
Oh, yeah... two model citizens
about to skip town on me.
Criminals and possible fugitives.
Takes one to know one.
Which is why, when we arrest you for murder,
I'm gonna personally see to it
that you're held without bond.
Did I make it?
That was a short deliberation.
Yeah, well, I don't think
Slider's gonna be doing
much Christmas shopping this year.
What about our bondswoman, ma'am?
Her lawyer's helping her
make a statement of facts
in exchange for second-degree murder
and a parole hearing in 20 years.
Did you talk to Gus?
He's been pacing out here
with Hobbs all morning.
I didn't get the chance.
I will tell him everything...
After the verdict.
The defendant will please rise.
The clerk will read the verdict.
"We, the jury, find Greg Rasenick
guilty on all counts."
I caution each member of the jury
not to speak about this case to anyone
until you have passed sentence.
The penalty phase of this trial
will begin Monday at 10:00.
Court is adjourned.
I see why you guys like deals...
It just... Goes on and on.
All right.
Okay.
How are you?
I was relieved for a second.
But nothing that happens
here can bring Mariana back.
And we still don't know the end.
Don't worry. The jury's gonna
do the right thing here.
And you can get on with your life.
So, Gus...
Yeah?
Rusty. Sorry.
I need you to testify on Greg's behalf.
What?
Wait, wait, wait. We... we had a deal.
You... you can't call me for the trial.
The trial is over. This is for sentencing.
I need you to speak about
your relationship with Greg
so the jury sees him as a person.
Relationship? W-what relationship?
It's not what it sounds like. Just wait.
I will explain it in a second.
What could I possibly say that wou...
You could talk about his childhood,
about his inability to read,
about his disconnected view of reality.
You're the only friend he has on earth.
And also, you have no choice.
I'll see you Monday. Sorry.
His friend? You're friends with that guy?
Gus...
You're his friend?!
I thought you were here
for Mariana... and me.
How could I be so stupid?
You really had me fooled.
What am I gonna do?
You are going to be a
witness for Slider's defense.