Major Crimes (2012–2018): Season 5, Episode 15 - Cleared History - full transcript
When Major Crimes discovers a young one-man-geek-squad in the middle of his Atwater living room with his throat cut, suspicions swirl around his roommate and some unwitting customers, all of whom he was blackmailing.
♪♪
[ Police radio chatter ]
[ Indistinct conversations ]
[ Children speaking
indistinctly ]
[ Siren whoops ]
[ Radio chatter continues ]
Sykes.
What in the hell
are we doing here?
Uh, there's a murder?
In 30 years, I have never worked
a homicide in atwater village.
You know, this is
the mayberry of L.A.
[ Chuckles ] They don't
even have meter maids here.
They're called parking
enforcement, lieutenant.
Okay, I'm... I'm sorry.
Uh, why isn't the northeast
division handling this?
Yeah, they're in active
shooter training this morning.
They haven't even called...
Winnie Davis strikes
again. You see, Sykes?
This whole business of who
gets to be the assistant chief
is ruining our lives.
- Uh, where the hell do I go?
- Inside.
Oh.
[ Radio chatter continues ]
Winnie Davis. I should've known.
What the hell is
this? Akv security.
Some security.
Somebody's murdered inside.
Oh.
Hello.
Who's the victim?
Sykes: Uh, Gavin Jacobs, 26.
Some kind of a
one-man geek squad,
fixing people's
phones and computers.
You'll see his throat was
initially slashed over here.
Blood on the walls
moves to under the desk,
and then he crawls
out to the living room.
Well, we need to make
sure that all this blood
belongs to our
one-man geek squad
and not his killer.
How now, Mike tao?
Many power cords
leading nowhere.
Looks like a lot of
hardware's missing.
So maybe a robbery gone bad?
Well, there was no
sign of forced entry, but...
Buzz, blinds?
Ah.
These dust patterns
suggest a PC tower over there,
and a 17-inch macbook,
between 5 and 10 years old, here.
Really? You can tell the age
and make of a laptop from dust?
The 17-inch macbook
had a unique shape,
and it was only manufactured
between 2006 and 2012.
Buzz has one in his
car. We can verify...
Sorry, uh, I caught a ride
with Julio this morning.
Ah, well, Sanchez is here. Huh.
Where's Nolan?
To go take care
of something else.
"Something else"?
Isn't this enough?
All right, um, I saw two cameras
outside over the front door.
And this thing...
Isn't this a camera?
I checked. They're bogus.
They're not connected,
just like this one.
Yeah. I knew it was
too good to be true.
All right. Kendall?
Body's in full rigor.
I'd place time of death between
11:00 P.M. and midnight,
give or take.
Things just got stranger.
[ Police radio chatter ]
Provenza: Where are we going?
Sanchez: Talk to
our prime suspect.
Note the padlock on his door.
Meet the victim's
roommate, Jack cronin.
Called it in.
Lieutenant, I found this
wig in cronin's bedroom.
It's a little weird, sir.
So, uh, what is the
story on this cronin?
Well, he told officers that
he was getting ready to move
and was out all night
painting his new apartment.
Well... [ chuckles ] Convenient.
Came home around 7:00,
found the body, called 9-1-1.
He's been read his rights, sir.
Um, Mr. Cronin?
Lieutenant provenza.
I'm sorry to pester
you in this difficult time.
You shared this
house with the victim?
Not really shared,
just renting a room.
Two more days, and
I'd have been gone.
Now this.
Yeah. Now this.
Um, growing up, did you use
padlocks on your bedroom doors?
No. The locks went
up about a month ago,
when Gavin started, like,
you know, invading my space.
You and Gavin didn't get along?
Not since he started being,
like, a totally paranoid freak.
Sir, did you notice if the alarm
was on when you came home?
Oh, you mean
that sign out front?
Gavin stole that.
He said it was just as
good as real security.
Same with the fake cameras.
Now, this, uh...
This wig, does this
belong to you, sir?
I mean, leftover from Halloween?
I teach music to sixth
graders at ramsdell hall.
They won't allow me to
wear my hair below my collar.
Well, why don't you
just cut it off then?
I play in a rock band. Weekends.
This is... it's my look.
[ Police radio chatter ]
Okay, sir, we need you to
change out of your clothes,
put on these shoes
and these overalls...
and come downtown with us.
And we need to take the laptop
that we saw in your bedroom...
No, what? I'm not doing that!
Hey, I've seen "law & order."
You definitely
can't come in here
and take my computer
and phone without a warrant.
Ah. Nolan!
[ Under breath ] Where
the hell have you been?
Getting a warrant for
Mr. Cronin's phone and computer.
Why? You need me?
No.
But if you're doing something
useful, let somebody know.
You're not working
alone anymore.
You have a squad
here that you...
♪♪
[ Water draining ]
What kind of person
does something like this?!
[ Water continues draining ]
That is a state-of-the-art
quad-core security gateway,
tossed into a tub
of soapy water.
Not to mention three
laptops, a raid array,
countless numbers
of flash drives.
Ruined.
Well, at least we know
it wasn't a robbery, right?
Oh, my gosh.
Lieutenant, down here.
[ Water splashes ]
Provenza: Oh...
I believe that we just
found the murder weapon.
♪♪
Well, nothing's ever 100%,
but this box cutter
is virtually new.
And as detective
Nolan suggested,
very smartly, I think,
consistent with
the victim's wounds.
What else do we know
about this weapon, Wes?
It's a common
model, sold in almost
every hardware
store in the city.
Doctor, the left side
of the victim's face,
what happened there?
Fracturing of the skull's
sphenoid and parietal bones.
Or, in other words, your
victim's head was smashed in.
Before or after
his throat was cut?
After, as he was dying.
Sounds very personal.
Andy, what have you got?
Well, even though
Mr. I-wear-a-wig-to-work
deleted the texts from himself
and the victim on his cell,
he forgot that his phone was
backed up on his computer.
And I get why wiggy didn't want
anyone to read his messages.
♪♪
That's... [ scoffs
] That's not mine.
Really? The boxes were yours.
And these text messages
between you and the victim,
which you tried to get rid of
after you reported Gavin dead,
these text messages
are definitely yours.
Let me read one to you.
When you wrote, "this time,
you've really gone too far,
you effing bastard,"
what did you mean by that?
Lieutenant, we've checked
Mr. Wigged out's
shirt, jeans, and shoes.
No blood anywhere.
Well, maybe he
changed after the murder,
then dumped his
clothes someplace.
Set up a grid search
of the neighborhood.
Flynn: Go ahead.
[ Sighs deeply ] Okay.
Last summer, I went to
burning man with my band,
and... i got a little wild.
What do you
mean, "a little wild"?
I mean there were
pictures taken of me
that could end my
teaching career.
Gavin stole them and
threatened to post them online.
Well, why would he want
to threaten you like that?
He wanted more money for
rent. But for what I was paying him,
I could, like, live alone.
But if wigged out
committed the murder,
why did he call it in?
Well, he knew that we
would look at him first.
Something else odd.
Your phone was turned off
from 10:30 P.M. until
6:00 A.M. this morning.
- Why is that?
- Really?
I left my charger at home. I
was trying to save the battery.
Hey, does this mean
I'm not gonna get
my security deposit back?
I was really
counting on that cash.
[ Click ]
Well... [ sighs ]
They lived together.
There's not much remorse.
But how did your
suspect kill the victim,
cutting his throat,
smashing his head in,
without getting blood on him?
Flynn: We have text messages
where cronin
threatens to kill Gavin.
But what about the
before and after photos
he posted on
Instagram at 6 A.M...
[Snaps fingers ]
Uh, him trying to
establish an alibi?
Or, as his defense will say,
like a billion other people,
cronin just assumes
the world is fascinated
with the minutiae
of his everyday life.
Ma'am, wigged out could've
killed Gavin Jacobs last night,
changed his clothes,
left to go paint,
posted his pictures, came
back home, dialed 9-1-1.
Hobbs: Well...
unless you find
some of the blood...
Really know how
to talk about it yet.
Great place to
buy box cutters...
Did you tell Gus you didn't
wanna move in together?
Yeah, that's what I
can't really talk about.
Or hope he gets freaked out
and spontaneously confesses.
Okay.
How'd it go in the
clean room, Mike?
Did you find anything useful
in the damaged computers?
Uh, no data recovery yet.
But before he became
a one-man geek squad,
Gavin Jacobs worked as
an independent contractor
for akv security.
There was an akv sign
in front of his house.
And fake cameras.
Yeah, well, he may have been
something of a fraud himself.
I ran the serial
numbers on this laptop,
and it came back as stolen
from a house that our
dead computer specialist
helped burglar-proof
for akv security.
So Jacobs isn't
just a murder victim.
He was also a thief.
♪♪
I don't understand it.
I don't drink. I don't smoke.
I haven't had ice
cream in six years.
All I ever eat is
fish and vegetables.
How did I have a heart attack?
Eventually, you will
agree with me it was stress.
Stress? I-I don't
ever feel stress.
I mean, where would
the stress come from?
Well, obsessing over what
you're gonna eat could be stressful.
And, uh, I am pretty
certain that when people
move in together, sometimes
there is a little pressure.
Rusty? Dinner's still warm.
Rusty: Thanks. I'm not hungry.
Mm.
[ Lowered voice ] So, uh...
Did you get a chance
to say anything to him yet
about the stroh report?
At this point, it's
just conjecture.
You know what? Um, excuse me.
♪♪
Mm.
[ Knocks on door ]
What happened with Gus?
What happened?
[ Inhales deeply ]
I gave him all the reasons
why I thought it was a bad idea
for us to move in together.
I'm still in college. I
have law school after that.
It'll probably be years
before I get a real job.
And he broke up with you?
No. He didn't.
He gave me that
big smile of his,
like it's always
the best day ever,
and he... and he said that his
new promotion would let him pay
for all of our living
expenses and then some.
And you still said no?
Yeah, I did.
And then he broke up with me.
Is there any other
reason why you said no?
It just doesn't feel right.
Is that a reason? And
also, there's just this...
Really loud voice
inside my head,
screaming, "don't do it."
Instinct.
Ask any cop.
Sometimes there's a...
A shiver runs up your spine,
and you have to
pay attention to that.
But I've never loved anyone
the way that I love Gus.
And the... the idea of
never seeing him again
makes me sick to
my stomach, and I...
Which is why, once you've
identified your instinct,
then you've gotta
try and figure out
where it came
from in the first place
and see if you can better
explain yourself to Gus.
[ Cellphone rings ]
[ Ring ]
Yes, Mike.
Sorry to interrupt
everyone's evening,
but when they opened up
this computer in the clean room,
they found about 200,000
things you should know about.
Well, it's hard to believe
this money doesn't
connect to the murder.
Well, if the killer knew it was
there, why leave it behind?
Well, we're not gonna find
out from the victim's computer.
Cyber crime was able to get it
to power on, but it's encrypted,
as are most of
these flash drives.
Look at this... A
wireless signal jammer.
This is illegal for any
civilian to own or operate.
A dozen loose keys?
None of which belong
to the victim's house.
Well, surely we can add
some more random items
to this collection...
A ball of string,
a bloody kazoo.
How do we connect this
money to our idiot roommate?
Sanchez: Well, Jacobs
repaired computers.
Maybe him and his
roommate wigged out
were stealing laptops
and cleaning out their
hard drives to sell them.
Or they were partners in an even
bigger cash business like drugs.
But all we found at the house
was a single ounce of pot.
And why would
wigged out kill Jacobs
but leave the
cash in the bathtub,
if he knew it was there?
Captain, we did find the
owner of this stolen laptop.
A Ms. Kelly coyle.
Now she agreed,
very reluctantly,
to pick up her
computer in the morning.
She agreed to come pick
up her stolen property?
And she insists she has no
time to talk about the theft.
Well, we'll see about that.
It's like I said,
I have two hours of film to
cut before an 11:00 A.M. mix,
and I'm already behind.
What exactly do
you do, Ms. Coyle?
I edit documentaries
and independent features.
Occasionally, I
work in unscripted.
"Unscripted"... another
term for "reality television."
Oh, my god.
I went to visit my parents
for the holiday weekend.
And when I came home,
my laptop was missing.
There had been
burglaries on my street,
but I thought my place was safe.
I just had a wireless alarm
installed by akv security.
What was the
company's explanation
for the alarm not
working, ma'am?
They labeled it...
Ms. Coyle's burglar alarm.
Is... is that what happened?
And used the wireless jammer
and a key to get past akv security.
Andy, please get
me akv on the phone,
and see if their management
would care to talk to us
about the victim.
And the best the two
police officers could do
when they took a
report was to say,
"your laptop's probably
already in Mexico."
And then a few days later, I
got an e-mail from someone
claiming they had found
my missing computer
and offering to return
it for a cash reward.
But you didn't
take 'em up on it?
I could buy three new laptops
for that amount of money.
If only I could've
pressed a button
and blown up he computer
while the guy was holding it.
Have you changed the
locks since the burglary?
I've been meaning to, but no.
Can I borrow your
house key, please?
[ Sighs ]
Mr. Ernst, we matched this key
that we found
Gavin Jacobs' house
to a residence where
he had recently installed
one of your alarms.
Now that customer, shortly
afterwards, had a laptop stolen.
We found a lot of
other keys in his house,
and we were wondering if any of
them belonged to the other homes
in which Gavin
Jacobs was employed.
We know nothing
about these keys.
Okay, buzz, now
you're gonna hear
why they didn't
contact the police.
But you let Jacobs go. Why?
Was he terminated for cause?
No. We reached a
settlement with Mr. Jacobs
where we both agreed not to
assume fault or responsibility.
Fault or responsibility
for what?
Nothing, really, just...
Potential flaws
in the installation
of a very few security systems.
And did this settlement include
not informing your
affected customers?
So you escaped liability
issues. Is that what we...
Oh, my gosh. They
let people get robbed
because they didn't
want to be sued?
And Jacobs knew akv
could be held accountable
for the robberies
he'd committed.
So Jacobs forced them to
pay him off and let him go.
He did the same kind
of thing to his roommate
over the burning man photos.
No, it made sense for us to
conclude Mr. Jacobs' services
with a settlement that kept
our customers from worrying
about one person's
speculative misbehavior.
Yeah, well, about this
settlement with Mr. Jacobs.
How much money we talking about?
In the neighborhood of $50,000.
That's nicer than
my neighborhood.
Ernst: And I'd appreciate
you not discussing any
of this with Mr. Jacobs.
Oh. Well, I think
we can manage that,
if you will give us a
list of all the customers
whose homes
Mr. Jacobs installed in.
It is entirely against
company policy. No.
Fine, we'll just
pass to the press
everything we already know
about Gavin's work with akv.
No, no, no. No, there has to be
some sort of compromise, yes?
There is. You give us the list
of all the homes where
Gavin was employed,
or you expect an avalanche of
subpoenas and search warrants
that'll disrupt your
business for months to come.
It's your choice.
Hey, if Jacobs had
the nerve to extort
a national security
company for a settlement...
Then maybe he wasn't just
grabbing people's laptops
and holding them for ransom.
He was taking data from their
computers and blackmailing them?
Yeah. Someone
took it very personally.
♪♪
Provenza: Wow.
I can't tell you
how refreshing it is
to see someone actually
writing a letter by hand.
[ Chuckles ] "Dear Gabe."
Gabe?
As in Gabe Jones,
the son of the guy
that we arrested for
killing your father?
Actually, yes, lieutenant.
And I'm also corresponding
with his mother.
And I don't need your input.
Well, here's my two cents...
If you want to lessen the
family's emotional crisis,
you can never go
wrong with a gift card.
Sharon: So?
This is it, captain.
Sykes: Everyone's
house Jacobs serviced
as an independent
contractor for akv.
Flynn: Lawyer, actress,
financial advisor.
It's like a game of clue.
To cracking the victim's
encrypted laptop?
Sorry, captain.
An 8-character password means
about 6.6 quadrillion
combinations.
I called my friends at jpl,
and they're trying to
brute force decrypt it
with a cray xe-6 supercomputer.
But even that will
take a long time.
Afternoon, all. Where are we?
Well, in addition
to the roommate
and a very busy film editor,
we've I.D.'D 11 other people
who may have had
motive for killing the victim.
13 possible suspects?
That's actually better for the
defense than the prosecution.
Well, they are a varied lot.
How many of them have
you had in the hot seat so far?
Just wigged out and our
film editor, Kelly coyle.
Well, she admitted she
wanted to murder the guy.
Yes, but she didn't care about
getting her computer back,
so probably not a
victim of blackmail.
Hobbs: Let's see how the rest of
these potential suspects pan out
after they've been fully vetted.
Winnie Davis. I
blame her for this.
Before we go
to all this trouble,
uh, what about the
roommate, Mr. Wigged out?
Now he was being blackmailed,
uh, with pictures
from... Burned up man.
[ Snorts ] It's... it's...
It's burning man, sir.
Whatever. The guy
is in a rock band.
Hobbs: I could maybe
justify arresting the roommate
if he and the victim
had been living together
as romantic partners,
or they had moved in together
and had a bad breakup.
[ Under breath ] Oh, god.
But they don't appear
to have been boyfriends.
And wigged out still
has that really good alibi.
Julio, where are we with
Mr. Cronin right now, anyway?
30 hours into his
2-day hold, ma'am.
Provenza: Since he's
between residences,
why not just keep him
where he is until tomorrow?
Well, in order to
justify that, lieutenant,
we need to find out
what these people do
and if they've been blackmailed.
I'm a lawyer, but don't
hold that against me, guys.
[ Chuckles ] Product liability
issues, nothing criminal.
You might recognize me.
I pop up here and
there on television.
My current book
series for young adults
is called "a world unraveling."
I represent L.A.'s
sixth district.
I'm a point guard.
My card says "private equity
advisor," but I'm also a cpa.
We consult for non-profits.
Mostly, I supervise custom
remodels of private homes.
Pediatrics and
adolescent medicine.
My diamonds are conflict-free.
It's important to my clientele.
Did you have any problems
after your security
system was installed?
If having a brand-new
computer disappear
is a problem, then yes.
I came in to find
all my devices gone.
I wasn't robbed,
but they did take sodas out of
my refrigerator without asking
and they left empty
pizza boxes on my deck.
Someone walked
off with my laptop.
My cellphone, my iPad...
my PC and about $600 in cash.
Robbery? Thank god, no.
Home security's a
huge concern for us.
Our collection of
depression glass...
It's priceless.
Two weeks after I put in the
alarm, my desktop went missing.
Though I could've left the
notebook at my ex's house.
But what are you
gonna do? Shit happens.
I have my health, right?
To the security
company and the LAPD?
You can't file an insurance
claim without a police report.
And I also complained to akv.
Since a cop hit on me,
I just don't bother
with you guys anymore.
I reported to akv, the police,
and my brother, the judge,
all of whom told
me to get over it.
I yelled at the alarm company.
Did they not tell
the police that?
I filed a report
with you people,
and then I canceled
my contract with akv.
I called the cops, and they
sent someone... Two days later.
The officer I spoke
to at Starbucks
said you guys'd never
find anything, so why call?
I've been robbed before.
The police don't care
about stolen laptops.
After your computer was stolen,
I imagine you
purchased a new one?
Yes, I did. Of course. Why?
And do you have a receipt
for this replacement laptop?
I don't care about
that paperwork shit.
You'd have to ask
my business manager.
But I had my patients' records
fully backed up at my office.
So I just transferred
them to my new PC.
It was a write-off.
And it's not like they got
the actual rocks, you know?
It's interesting. Uh...
None of your credit cards
reflect a laptop purchase.
You mind if we pop
over to your house
and take a look at that
brand-new computer of yours?
[ Sighs heavily ] I had
pictures on that laptop...
[ Voice breaks ] Of
my boyfriend and me.
Pictures he
promised to give back.
"He"? He the person
that was blackmailing you?
For how much?
$10,000. And he told
me if I called the police,
he'd post records proving
my surgery was really a...
A month of cocaine rehab.
And you were worried about
this information becoming public?
[ Sighs deeply ]
Parents are so overprotective
of kids these days
that hearing their pediatrician
was writing a few of
her own prescriptions
could have ended
my whole practice.
So you were lying about
selling conflict-free diamonds?
What do you want from me?
Conflict-free
diamonds are a myth.
I wanna charge 6
grand, you wanna pay 4.
That's a conflict, right?
I put 10 grand in an
envelope under a dumpster.
The next day, my laptop
came back in the mail.
I did look around
for the son of a bitch,
but I didn't see anyone.
Is this the person who
installed your security system?
No. I never make eye
contact with people like this.
Yeah, that's his
weird-ass face. Uh-huh.
Yes, it is.
I don't have any idea.
It was so long ago.
Of course, if you'd
killed your blackmailer,
you'd also deny knowing him.
But $50,000 from
the akv settlement,
another 40 grand
from extortions?
Still doesn't add up to
what Gavin was hiding.
Even if he kept the
entire amount in cash,
we'd still be short
about $110,000.
[ Door opens ]
Captain, we cracked the
passcode on the victim's laptop.
Oh.
Prepare yourselves.
♪♪
[ Telephone rings in distance ]
Now we know why all the
extra effort to protect his files.
Oh, my god.
How old are these girls?
11? 12?
Ye gods.
♪♪
Stop. Stop, Mike.
I've had enough.
Gavin has a ton of this
stuff on his hard drive.
Hobbs: Okay, first,
we should make sure
that neither the victim
nor his roommate
is depicted in any of
these videos or photos.
Or their clothes or furniture.
Mike, call the FBI, tell
them what we've got here,
and see if they
can help us clarify
where these pictures come from.
Did all this stuff
belong to the victim,
or someone he was blackmailing?
That's what we're going
to have to try and find out.
Hmm. Human beings.
What a species, huh?
♪♪
Flynn: I don't envy you.
Yeah. All right.
Well, thanks, Mike.
I'll see you tomorrow.
[ Cellphone beeps ]
He's sitting with
the FBI task force,
combing through their
database for similar material,
and they're only halfway done.
So far, no furniture or clothing
that match anything belonging
to Jacobs or wigged out.
Could someone
have killed the victim
for collecting child porn?
Most likely, Gavin found it
on one of the computers he stole
and is extorting the owner
for large sums of money.
Just possessing
that kind of trash,
you could end
your life in prison.
Okay, well, don't...
Don't get me wrong.
Those... pictures
and those videos,
they're beyond
disgusting, obviously.
But if the suspect
didn't make them...
No, no, no. It... it... It
doesn't work that way.
Trading in kiddie porn creates
a market to abuse more children.
And the problems don't
end with molestation.
Sexually assaulted children
usually take years to
process the experience.
And then the trauma
can be triggered again
by situations that,
emotionally, they feel as similar.
Emotionally similar.
Tao: Some of the photos and
videos are over a decade old.
The FBI just confirmed that
the photographs and videos
all originated from
multiple locations
and have been actively
traded for at least five years
by a child porn ring.
So we can feel confident
that Gavin Jacobs,
or someone he blackmailed,
did not create any of those images.
Well, they collected
them, though, ma'am.
And wigged out
teaches sixth grade.
Yeah, but why did wigged out
leave all that money behind?
Okay, let's say that you
have child pornography
on your laptop, and
your computer gets stolen.
Do you then report that theft?
I'm thinking not.
Well, three people said
they weren't burglarized...
The author and the couple
with the glass collection.
Yeah, it's hard to prove
that they were robbed
if they won't admit it.
All the people who lost their
computers replaced them.
But if someone bought, say,
a new laptop and didn't tell us,
chances are they were robbed.
I don't think I'll
need a lawyer.
I am on an incredibly
tight deadline, though.
Oh, we understand
deadlines, Mr. Lewis.
Um, this shouldn't take long.
Yesterday you told us
your home was not robbed.
Yes, that's true.
Well, could you explain
this, uh, purchase,
two weeks after
your akv home security
system was installed?
Yes. I bought a
new laptop computer.
Why?
Well, because it was old.
I couldn't even update the
operating system anymore,
so I-I went and got a new one.
And yet...
You de-authorized the
software on your old macbook
two days prior to your purchase.
Yes. Uh, it was because I was
running out to get the new one.
And then I had some car
trouble. Nothing unusual there.
Can you explain these many
cash withdrawals that you made
from your checking account
over the last six months?
And each just under
the federal reporting limit?
Withdrawn in
person, at your bank.
♪♪
Okay, listen, I haven't been
completely honest
with you, all right?
I... [ inhales deeply ]
My laptop was stolen,
and the thief, he
demanded a ransom.
And I know that by paying that
ransom, I committed a crime.
I didn't want to say that.
I'm sorry.
But your computer was returned?
Yes. Finally. Yes, it was.
Okay, Mr. Lewis, I want you
to listen to me very carefully.
While you're sitting
here talking with us,
at this moment,
we are executing a search
warrant on your home.
And we're looking
for your old macbook,
which you paid
someone to give back.
Sharon: And even if you
deleted the photos and videos
from that laptop,
we'll find them.
Hold... wait a minute now.
I think you have the wrong
idea about me. There's...
Dean, do you know what they
do to child molesters in prison?
I never touched any children!
[ Panting ]
I swear, okay.
Now I had nothing to do
with those pictures. I didn't...
[ Panting ] I swear.
I didn't take those photographs.
Everything that was on
my computer, that stuff, I...
I found. I just found.
It was posted on the web.
It was posted on the Internet.
To stumble across
molestation photos online.
Yeah, while booking
a trip to Thailand.
Did you pay the person
who posted this garbage
so that you could
own it yourself?
And then maybe trade the
images with other perverts?
Sharon: Regardless of how
you organized your collection,
someone stole it,
and you were paying
huge sums of money
to have it returned.
But you didn't get it
back right away, did you?
No, no, no, 'cause Jacobs
wanted more money.
And you paid it, didn't you?
Because what is the author
of young adult novels to do?
Sharon: My guess
is that you made
a detailed arrangement of
some kind for a final payment.
Yeah, you demanded
to see your computer
before you would cough
up any more money.
Is that it, Dean?
When Gavin Jacobs had
his throat cut with a box cutter,
your laptop was out on his desk.
And whoever grabbed it, they
didn't dump it in the bathtub
with the other computer stuff.
No, not your laptop.
They walked away with it. Now...
Who would have done that, Dean?
Provenza: Did
you take the laptop
home with you after the murder?
Are you sure that you got rid
of all the blood that was on it?
Sharon: And off your
clothes, out of your car?
Look...
Look, I think I'd like to
talk to my attorney now.
Sharon: Mm.
Well, that may
be your only hope.
[ Door opens ]
No way does that guy get a deal.
Julio, this isn't just about
putting one guy away for murder.
Any deal will include
his help in breaking up
the child porn ring
circulating this filth.
But, Lewis, he can't get
less than 25-to-life, right?
First, let's just see
what comes back
from the search of his house.
Tao: Blood, blood,
and more blood...
In your car, on clothes we
found in the trash near your house,
even blood in the
drains of your shower,
where I assume you
cleaned up afterwards.
So what? Everything
you've told me so far
sounds like my client must
have been acting in self-defense.
Nolan: Well, along with a lot
of computers and flash drives,
we found this
brand-new box cutter
in a bathtub of soapy water.
My client grabbed the
only weapon in the vicinity
to protect his life.
We also have this receipt
from an online hardware store
for a box cutter
exactly like that one
delivered to Dean's
home address.
Looks like intent to me.
So before the DNA
evidence comes back,
I'll give you two options
that will let us settle
this mess today,
but they're dependant
on establishing
Mr. Lewis did not personally
exploit any children.
I did not molest anybody.
No, I'm the victim here.
I was molested as a kid.
I didn't know how to
talk to anybody about it.
I-I tried to keep
this secret, but...
How do you tell someone that
you've been sexually abused?
Just stop.
I've been keeping
this in my whole life
because nobody wants to listen!
This is not the issue.
Try bringing it up.
This is what happens.
Dean, there are many
different professionals
who could help
you with all this,
but the d.A. Is not one of them.
Okay?
Andrea, you said there were
two options. Let's hear 'em.
Option one... Mr. Lewis
reveals exactly how he collected
these horrific
photos and videos.
Who he came into contact
with, how they communicated,
every single detail.
We want names, and
I mean a lot of them.
Right. And the second option is?
We arrest your client
for first-degree murder.
And we put this to a jury.
No, pass.
Pass on your way
to death row, asshole.
Provenza: Hey, just hold on.
We have one other point to
make with our trash collector here,
and I bet it works.
And if we accept neither?
Best of luck at trial, gilman.
I cannot wait for my
opening argument.
You don't have a very
sympathetic victim.
We thought you might say that.
So since you
brought up sympathy,
your client should
know that there are limits
to how well prison guards
can protect child molesters.
Sykes: Entering a
correctional facility
as someone who kept sexually
explicit images of children?
Certainly not
something I'd want to do.
Are we... Are we
blackmailing him?
Ironic.
But with Mr. Lewis, it
seems to be effective.
If we accept the
first option, you'll take
the child pornography
charges off the table?
Yes, if, as stated previously,
your client gives up
the other members
of this child pornography ring
and accepts 25 years to life
for the murder of Gavin Jacobs.
What? No, that's...
That's no deal.
No. You'll have to do better.
We can allow the jury to examine
your gallery of molested girls
while they deliberate whether
to give you life without parole.
I wouldn't
underestimate the impact
these photos and videos
will have on parents.
Mr. Gilman, maybe you
should look at the evidence,
judge for yourself how
12 impartial finders of fact
will respond to your client.
Tao: I'm gonna push "play."
You raise your hand
when you've seen enough.
♪♪
I have some movement.
[ Closes laptop ]
We agree to cooperate.
But I...
Take a second. Think about it.
How many more people
do you need to see this crap?
[ Crying ]
But I was molested, too.
I didn't know how
to talk about it.
Yeah, well, don't start now,
because where you're going,
you're gonna need to
keep your mouth shut.
You guarantee you can
Bury my client's association
with these... Materials?
They won't show up
anywhere on his record?
If he gives me names.
He absolutely has
to give me names
of everyone in
this child porn ring.
Bring me the paperwork.
Let's see if we can
wrap this up by tonight.
I don't wanna hear
any more of this.
Well, no one wants you in
there with the guy anyway.
Flynn: Yeah, you can help
provenza and me file the report.
It'll take hours.
And that means
you're free to go.
Andrea won't need
you anymore tonight.
Well, I might as
well wait for you.
Um, I don't really have
anywhere else to be.
I wonder if that's true.
[ Door closes ]
♪♪
[ Sighs ]
♪♪
[ Sighs ]
Is there somewhere
we could talk?
[ Sighs ]
[ Sighs ] Okay, okay. Um...
[ Inhales deeply,
exhales sharply ]
Look, I...
I know you think
that I don't love you,
but I do.
Yeah, just not
enough to live with me.
Gus...
Gus, please, listen.
I am a student
working as an intern.
All of the money that I
have comes from my mom.
I said that I don't
care about that.
I said that I'd pay for
everything. Come on.
No. No, I care, Gus. I do care.
Okay? I spent two
years of my life...
Letting other guys
pay for everything.
And... and maybe
that's made me difficult.
Or... or...
Hard to get along with.
And maybe you should
break up with me.
Maybe I'm not worth
all that extra bullshit.
But if I am ever gonna
feel good about myself,
I need to be able
to pay my own way.
Or, at least, my half.
Why didn't you say
all this to begin with?
I didn't know.
Or... or...
Or I didn't have the words.
Come on. I get a drink
at the end of my shift.
Let's, just, uh, sit down
and discuss all this.
Then, um...
We're not breaking up?
No.
No, I mean...
I mean, it blows that
we have to deal with this.
But I miss you so bad.
[ Chair scrapes floor ]
You know, sometimes, I think
the well is so deep around here
that human beings
can never touch bottom.
This place is more about
justice than about hope.
Mm. Hey, Lance Armstrong.
What's with the bike.
You got car trouble?
No, um, lieutenant,
I-I sold my prius.
Sold... why?
The insurance went up.
I'm trying to reduce my
carbon footprint a little.
Julio can pick me up most
days. And, uh, there's the Metro.
I see.
Does the Metro run all the
way to the home of bill Jones?
See you tomorrow,
lieutenant. Good night.
Sir, he's helping a
couple of needy kids.
He doesn't need to tell
us everything, you know?
Yeah.
Oh. [ Sighs ] 25
to life, as offered,
but it's taking a while.
He's trying to write out
his statement of facts,
but he keeps starting over.
Well, that's the curse of
having a novelist as a defendant.
"My murder," by Dean Lewis.
"Chapter one... to begin,
I was molested..."
25 to life, ma'am?
In exchange for 31 names,
e-mail accounts, phone numbers,
and I.P. Addresses that
the FBI will then follow up on.
Those 31 people could
lead to a thousand more.
Yeah, we've gotta grab these
opportunities when they occur.
Anyway, we're
almost done. [ Sighs ]
So... get ready to
transfer him to county.
See? The deal was well worth it.
But a thousand more
people like Dean Lewis?
Yeah. I don't know whether
to be encouraged or...
Nauseated.
[ Binder rings snap ]
Nothing says we
can't be both, sir.
♪♪
[ Police radio chatter ]
[ Indistinct conversations ]
[ Children speaking
indistinctly ]
[ Siren whoops ]
[ Radio chatter continues ]
Sykes.
What in the hell
are we doing here?
Uh, there's a murder?
In 30 years, I have never worked
a homicide in atwater village.
You know, this is
the mayberry of L.A.
[ Chuckles ] They don't
even have meter maids here.
They're called parking
enforcement, lieutenant.
Okay, I'm... I'm sorry.
Uh, why isn't the northeast
division handling this?
Yeah, they're in active
shooter training this morning.
They haven't even called...
Winnie Davis strikes
again. You see, Sykes?
This whole business of who
gets to be the assistant chief
is ruining our lives.
- Uh, where the hell do I go?
- Inside.
Oh.
[ Radio chatter continues ]
Winnie Davis. I should've known.
What the hell is
this? Akv security.
Some security.
Somebody's murdered inside.
Oh.
Hello.
Who's the victim?
Sykes: Uh, Gavin Jacobs, 26.
Some kind of a
one-man geek squad,
fixing people's
phones and computers.
You'll see his throat was
initially slashed over here.
Blood on the walls
moves to under the desk,
and then he crawls
out to the living room.
Well, we need to make
sure that all this blood
belongs to our
one-man geek squad
and not his killer.
How now, Mike tao?
Many power cords
leading nowhere.
Looks like a lot of
hardware's missing.
So maybe a robbery gone bad?
Well, there was no
sign of forced entry, but...
Buzz, blinds?
Ah.
These dust patterns
suggest a PC tower over there,
and a 17-inch macbook,
between 5 and 10 years old, here.
Really? You can tell the age
and make of a laptop from dust?
The 17-inch macbook
had a unique shape,
and it was only manufactured
between 2006 and 2012.
Buzz has one in his
car. We can verify...
Sorry, uh, I caught a ride
with Julio this morning.
Ah, well, Sanchez is here. Huh.
Where's Nolan?
To go take care
of something else.
"Something else"?
Isn't this enough?
All right, um, I saw two cameras
outside over the front door.
And this thing...
Isn't this a camera?
I checked. They're bogus.
They're not connected,
just like this one.
Yeah. I knew it was
too good to be true.
All right. Kendall?
Body's in full rigor.
I'd place time of death between
11:00 P.M. and midnight,
give or take.
Things just got stranger.
[ Police radio chatter ]
Provenza: Where are we going?
Sanchez: Talk to
our prime suspect.
Note the padlock on his door.
Meet the victim's
roommate, Jack cronin.
Called it in.
Lieutenant, I found this
wig in cronin's bedroom.
It's a little weird, sir.
So, uh, what is the
story on this cronin?
Well, he told officers that
he was getting ready to move
and was out all night
painting his new apartment.
Well... [ chuckles ] Convenient.
Came home around 7:00,
found the body, called 9-1-1.
He's been read his rights, sir.
Um, Mr. Cronin?
Lieutenant provenza.
I'm sorry to pester
you in this difficult time.
You shared this
house with the victim?
Not really shared,
just renting a room.
Two more days, and
I'd have been gone.
Now this.
Yeah. Now this.
Um, growing up, did you use
padlocks on your bedroom doors?
No. The locks went
up about a month ago,
when Gavin started, like,
you know, invading my space.
You and Gavin didn't get along?
Not since he started being,
like, a totally paranoid freak.
Sir, did you notice if the alarm
was on when you came home?
Oh, you mean
that sign out front?
Gavin stole that.
He said it was just as
good as real security.
Same with the fake cameras.
Now, this, uh...
This wig, does this
belong to you, sir?
I mean, leftover from Halloween?
I teach music to sixth
graders at ramsdell hall.
They won't allow me to
wear my hair below my collar.
Well, why don't you
just cut it off then?
I play in a rock band. Weekends.
This is... it's my look.
[ Police radio chatter ]
Okay, sir, we need you to
change out of your clothes,
put on these shoes
and these overalls...
and come downtown with us.
And we need to take the laptop
that we saw in your bedroom...
No, what? I'm not doing that!
Hey, I've seen "law & order."
You definitely
can't come in here
and take my computer
and phone without a warrant.
Ah. Nolan!
[ Under breath ] Where
the hell have you been?
Getting a warrant for
Mr. Cronin's phone and computer.
Why? You need me?
No.
But if you're doing something
useful, let somebody know.
You're not working
alone anymore.
You have a squad
here that you...
♪♪
[ Water draining ]
What kind of person
does something like this?!
[ Water continues draining ]
That is a state-of-the-art
quad-core security gateway,
tossed into a tub
of soapy water.
Not to mention three
laptops, a raid array,
countless numbers
of flash drives.
Ruined.
Well, at least we know
it wasn't a robbery, right?
Oh, my gosh.
Lieutenant, down here.
[ Water splashes ]
Provenza: Oh...
I believe that we just
found the murder weapon.
♪♪
Well, nothing's ever 100%,
but this box cutter
is virtually new.
And as detective
Nolan suggested,
very smartly, I think,
consistent with
the victim's wounds.
What else do we know
about this weapon, Wes?
It's a common
model, sold in almost
every hardware
store in the city.
Doctor, the left side
of the victim's face,
what happened there?
Fracturing of the skull's
sphenoid and parietal bones.
Or, in other words, your
victim's head was smashed in.
Before or after
his throat was cut?
After, as he was dying.
Sounds very personal.
Andy, what have you got?
Well, even though
Mr. I-wear-a-wig-to-work
deleted the texts from himself
and the victim on his cell,
he forgot that his phone was
backed up on his computer.
And I get why wiggy didn't want
anyone to read his messages.
♪♪
That's... [ scoffs
] That's not mine.
Really? The boxes were yours.
And these text messages
between you and the victim,
which you tried to get rid of
after you reported Gavin dead,
these text messages
are definitely yours.
Let me read one to you.
When you wrote, "this time,
you've really gone too far,
you effing bastard,"
what did you mean by that?
Lieutenant, we've checked
Mr. Wigged out's
shirt, jeans, and shoes.
No blood anywhere.
Well, maybe he
changed after the murder,
then dumped his
clothes someplace.
Set up a grid search
of the neighborhood.
Flynn: Go ahead.
[ Sighs deeply ] Okay.
Last summer, I went to
burning man with my band,
and... i got a little wild.
What do you
mean, "a little wild"?
I mean there were
pictures taken of me
that could end my
teaching career.
Gavin stole them and
threatened to post them online.
Well, why would he want
to threaten you like that?
He wanted more money for
rent. But for what I was paying him,
I could, like, live alone.
But if wigged out
committed the murder,
why did he call it in?
Well, he knew that we
would look at him first.
Something else odd.
Your phone was turned off
from 10:30 P.M. until
6:00 A.M. this morning.
- Why is that?
- Really?
I left my charger at home. I
was trying to save the battery.
Hey, does this mean
I'm not gonna get
my security deposit back?
I was really
counting on that cash.
[ Click ]
Well... [ sighs ]
They lived together.
There's not much remorse.
But how did your
suspect kill the victim,
cutting his throat,
smashing his head in,
without getting blood on him?
Flynn: We have text messages
where cronin
threatens to kill Gavin.
But what about the
before and after photos
he posted on
Instagram at 6 A.M...
[Snaps fingers ]
Uh, him trying to
establish an alibi?
Or, as his defense will say,
like a billion other people,
cronin just assumes
the world is fascinated
with the minutiae
of his everyday life.
Ma'am, wigged out could've
killed Gavin Jacobs last night,
changed his clothes,
left to go paint,
posted his pictures, came
back home, dialed 9-1-1.
Hobbs: Well...
unless you find
some of the blood...
Really know how
to talk about it yet.
Great place to
buy box cutters...
Did you tell Gus you didn't
wanna move in together?
Yeah, that's what I
can't really talk about.
Or hope he gets freaked out
and spontaneously confesses.
Okay.
How'd it go in the
clean room, Mike?
Did you find anything useful
in the damaged computers?
Uh, no data recovery yet.
But before he became
a one-man geek squad,
Gavin Jacobs worked as
an independent contractor
for akv security.
There was an akv sign
in front of his house.
And fake cameras.
Yeah, well, he may have been
something of a fraud himself.
I ran the serial
numbers on this laptop,
and it came back as stolen
from a house that our
dead computer specialist
helped burglar-proof
for akv security.
So Jacobs isn't
just a murder victim.
He was also a thief.
♪♪
I don't understand it.
I don't drink. I don't smoke.
I haven't had ice
cream in six years.
All I ever eat is
fish and vegetables.
How did I have a heart attack?
Eventually, you will
agree with me it was stress.
Stress? I-I don't
ever feel stress.
I mean, where would
the stress come from?
Well, obsessing over what
you're gonna eat could be stressful.
And, uh, I am pretty
certain that when people
move in together, sometimes
there is a little pressure.
Rusty? Dinner's still warm.
Rusty: Thanks. I'm not hungry.
Mm.
[ Lowered voice ] So, uh...
Did you get a chance
to say anything to him yet
about the stroh report?
At this point, it's
just conjecture.
You know what? Um, excuse me.
♪♪
Mm.
[ Knocks on door ]
What happened with Gus?
What happened?
[ Inhales deeply ]
I gave him all the reasons
why I thought it was a bad idea
for us to move in together.
I'm still in college. I
have law school after that.
It'll probably be years
before I get a real job.
And he broke up with you?
No. He didn't.
He gave me that
big smile of his,
like it's always
the best day ever,
and he... and he said that his
new promotion would let him pay
for all of our living
expenses and then some.
And you still said no?
Yeah, I did.
And then he broke up with me.
Is there any other
reason why you said no?
It just doesn't feel right.
Is that a reason? And
also, there's just this...
Really loud voice
inside my head,
screaming, "don't do it."
Instinct.
Ask any cop.
Sometimes there's a...
A shiver runs up your spine,
and you have to
pay attention to that.
But I've never loved anyone
the way that I love Gus.
And the... the idea of
never seeing him again
makes me sick to
my stomach, and I...
Which is why, once you've
identified your instinct,
then you've gotta
try and figure out
where it came
from in the first place
and see if you can better
explain yourself to Gus.
[ Cellphone rings ]
[ Ring ]
Yes, Mike.
Sorry to interrupt
everyone's evening,
but when they opened up
this computer in the clean room,
they found about 200,000
things you should know about.
Well, it's hard to believe
this money doesn't
connect to the murder.
Well, if the killer knew it was
there, why leave it behind?
Well, we're not gonna find
out from the victim's computer.
Cyber crime was able to get it
to power on, but it's encrypted,
as are most of
these flash drives.
Look at this... A
wireless signal jammer.
This is illegal for any
civilian to own or operate.
A dozen loose keys?
None of which belong
to the victim's house.
Well, surely we can add
some more random items
to this collection...
A ball of string,
a bloody kazoo.
How do we connect this
money to our idiot roommate?
Sanchez: Well, Jacobs
repaired computers.
Maybe him and his
roommate wigged out
were stealing laptops
and cleaning out their
hard drives to sell them.
Or they were partners in an even
bigger cash business like drugs.
But all we found at the house
was a single ounce of pot.
And why would
wigged out kill Jacobs
but leave the
cash in the bathtub,
if he knew it was there?
Captain, we did find the
owner of this stolen laptop.
A Ms. Kelly coyle.
Now she agreed,
very reluctantly,
to pick up her
computer in the morning.
She agreed to come pick
up her stolen property?
And she insists she has no
time to talk about the theft.
Well, we'll see about that.
It's like I said,
I have two hours of film to
cut before an 11:00 A.M. mix,
and I'm already behind.
What exactly do
you do, Ms. Coyle?
I edit documentaries
and independent features.
Occasionally, I
work in unscripted.
"Unscripted"... another
term for "reality television."
Oh, my god.
I went to visit my parents
for the holiday weekend.
And when I came home,
my laptop was missing.
There had been
burglaries on my street,
but I thought my place was safe.
I just had a wireless alarm
installed by akv security.
What was the
company's explanation
for the alarm not
working, ma'am?
They labeled it...
Ms. Coyle's burglar alarm.
Is... is that what happened?
And used the wireless jammer
and a key to get past akv security.
Andy, please get
me akv on the phone,
and see if their management
would care to talk to us
about the victim.
And the best the two
police officers could do
when they took a
report was to say,
"your laptop's probably
already in Mexico."
And then a few days later, I
got an e-mail from someone
claiming they had found
my missing computer
and offering to return
it for a cash reward.
But you didn't
take 'em up on it?
I could buy three new laptops
for that amount of money.
If only I could've
pressed a button
and blown up he computer
while the guy was holding it.
Have you changed the
locks since the burglary?
I've been meaning to, but no.
Can I borrow your
house key, please?
[ Sighs ]
Mr. Ernst, we matched this key
that we found
Gavin Jacobs' house
to a residence where
he had recently installed
one of your alarms.
Now that customer, shortly
afterwards, had a laptop stolen.
We found a lot of
other keys in his house,
and we were wondering if any of
them belonged to the other homes
in which Gavin
Jacobs was employed.
We know nothing
about these keys.
Okay, buzz, now
you're gonna hear
why they didn't
contact the police.
But you let Jacobs go. Why?
Was he terminated for cause?
No. We reached a
settlement with Mr. Jacobs
where we both agreed not to
assume fault or responsibility.
Fault or responsibility
for what?
Nothing, really, just...
Potential flaws
in the installation
of a very few security systems.
And did this settlement include
not informing your
affected customers?
So you escaped liability
issues. Is that what we...
Oh, my gosh. They
let people get robbed
because they didn't
want to be sued?
And Jacobs knew akv
could be held accountable
for the robberies
he'd committed.
So Jacobs forced them to
pay him off and let him go.
He did the same kind
of thing to his roommate
over the burning man photos.
No, it made sense for us to
conclude Mr. Jacobs' services
with a settlement that kept
our customers from worrying
about one person's
speculative misbehavior.
Yeah, well, about this
settlement with Mr. Jacobs.
How much money we talking about?
In the neighborhood of $50,000.
That's nicer than
my neighborhood.
Ernst: And I'd appreciate
you not discussing any
of this with Mr. Jacobs.
Oh. Well, I think
we can manage that,
if you will give us a
list of all the customers
whose homes
Mr. Jacobs installed in.
It is entirely against
company policy. No.
Fine, we'll just
pass to the press
everything we already know
about Gavin's work with akv.
No, no, no. No, there has to be
some sort of compromise, yes?
There is. You give us the list
of all the homes where
Gavin was employed,
or you expect an avalanche of
subpoenas and search warrants
that'll disrupt your
business for months to come.
It's your choice.
Hey, if Jacobs had
the nerve to extort
a national security
company for a settlement...
Then maybe he wasn't just
grabbing people's laptops
and holding them for ransom.
He was taking data from their
computers and blackmailing them?
Yeah. Someone
took it very personally.
♪♪
Provenza: Wow.
I can't tell you
how refreshing it is
to see someone actually
writing a letter by hand.
[ Chuckles ] "Dear Gabe."
Gabe?
As in Gabe Jones,
the son of the guy
that we arrested for
killing your father?
Actually, yes, lieutenant.
And I'm also corresponding
with his mother.
And I don't need your input.
Well, here's my two cents...
If you want to lessen the
family's emotional crisis,
you can never go
wrong with a gift card.
Sharon: So?
This is it, captain.
Sykes: Everyone's
house Jacobs serviced
as an independent
contractor for akv.
Flynn: Lawyer, actress,
financial advisor.
It's like a game of clue.
To cracking the victim's
encrypted laptop?
Sorry, captain.
An 8-character password means
about 6.6 quadrillion
combinations.
I called my friends at jpl,
and they're trying to
brute force decrypt it
with a cray xe-6 supercomputer.
But even that will
take a long time.
Afternoon, all. Where are we?
Well, in addition
to the roommate
and a very busy film editor,
we've I.D.'D 11 other people
who may have had
motive for killing the victim.
13 possible suspects?
That's actually better for the
defense than the prosecution.
Well, they are a varied lot.
How many of them have
you had in the hot seat so far?
Just wigged out and our
film editor, Kelly coyle.
Well, she admitted she
wanted to murder the guy.
Yes, but she didn't care about
getting her computer back,
so probably not a
victim of blackmail.
Hobbs: Let's see how the rest of
these potential suspects pan out
after they've been fully vetted.
Winnie Davis. I
blame her for this.
Before we go
to all this trouble,
uh, what about the
roommate, Mr. Wigged out?
Now he was being blackmailed,
uh, with pictures
from... Burned up man.
[ Snorts ] It's... it's...
It's burning man, sir.
Whatever. The guy
is in a rock band.
Hobbs: I could maybe
justify arresting the roommate
if he and the victim
had been living together
as romantic partners,
or they had moved in together
and had a bad breakup.
[ Under breath ] Oh, god.
But they don't appear
to have been boyfriends.
And wigged out still
has that really good alibi.
Julio, where are we with
Mr. Cronin right now, anyway?
30 hours into his
2-day hold, ma'am.
Provenza: Since he's
between residences,
why not just keep him
where he is until tomorrow?
Well, in order to
justify that, lieutenant,
we need to find out
what these people do
and if they've been blackmailed.
I'm a lawyer, but don't
hold that against me, guys.
[ Chuckles ] Product liability
issues, nothing criminal.
You might recognize me.
I pop up here and
there on television.
My current book
series for young adults
is called "a world unraveling."
I represent L.A.'s
sixth district.
I'm a point guard.
My card says "private equity
advisor," but I'm also a cpa.
We consult for non-profits.
Mostly, I supervise custom
remodels of private homes.
Pediatrics and
adolescent medicine.
My diamonds are conflict-free.
It's important to my clientele.
Did you have any problems
after your security
system was installed?
If having a brand-new
computer disappear
is a problem, then yes.
I came in to find
all my devices gone.
I wasn't robbed,
but they did take sodas out of
my refrigerator without asking
and they left empty
pizza boxes on my deck.
Someone walked
off with my laptop.
My cellphone, my iPad...
my PC and about $600 in cash.
Robbery? Thank god, no.
Home security's a
huge concern for us.
Our collection of
depression glass...
It's priceless.
Two weeks after I put in the
alarm, my desktop went missing.
Though I could've left the
notebook at my ex's house.
But what are you
gonna do? Shit happens.
I have my health, right?
To the security
company and the LAPD?
You can't file an insurance
claim without a police report.
And I also complained to akv.
Since a cop hit on me,
I just don't bother
with you guys anymore.
I reported to akv, the police,
and my brother, the judge,
all of whom told
me to get over it.
I yelled at the alarm company.
Did they not tell
the police that?
I filed a report
with you people,
and then I canceled
my contract with akv.
I called the cops, and they
sent someone... Two days later.
The officer I spoke
to at Starbucks
said you guys'd never
find anything, so why call?
I've been robbed before.
The police don't care
about stolen laptops.
After your computer was stolen,
I imagine you
purchased a new one?
Yes, I did. Of course. Why?
And do you have a receipt
for this replacement laptop?
I don't care about
that paperwork shit.
You'd have to ask
my business manager.
But I had my patients' records
fully backed up at my office.
So I just transferred
them to my new PC.
It was a write-off.
And it's not like they got
the actual rocks, you know?
It's interesting. Uh...
None of your credit cards
reflect a laptop purchase.
You mind if we pop
over to your house
and take a look at that
brand-new computer of yours?
[ Sighs heavily ] I had
pictures on that laptop...
[ Voice breaks ] Of
my boyfriend and me.
Pictures he
promised to give back.
"He"? He the person
that was blackmailing you?
For how much?
$10,000. And he told
me if I called the police,
he'd post records proving
my surgery was really a...
A month of cocaine rehab.
And you were worried about
this information becoming public?
[ Sighs deeply ]
Parents are so overprotective
of kids these days
that hearing their pediatrician
was writing a few of
her own prescriptions
could have ended
my whole practice.
So you were lying about
selling conflict-free diamonds?
What do you want from me?
Conflict-free
diamonds are a myth.
I wanna charge 6
grand, you wanna pay 4.
That's a conflict, right?
I put 10 grand in an
envelope under a dumpster.
The next day, my laptop
came back in the mail.
I did look around
for the son of a bitch,
but I didn't see anyone.
Is this the person who
installed your security system?
No. I never make eye
contact with people like this.
Yeah, that's his
weird-ass face. Uh-huh.
Yes, it is.
I don't have any idea.
It was so long ago.
Of course, if you'd
killed your blackmailer,
you'd also deny knowing him.
But $50,000 from
the akv settlement,
another 40 grand
from extortions?
Still doesn't add up to
what Gavin was hiding.
Even if he kept the
entire amount in cash,
we'd still be short
about $110,000.
[ Door opens ]
Captain, we cracked the
passcode on the victim's laptop.
Oh.
Prepare yourselves.
♪♪
[ Telephone rings in distance ]
Now we know why all the
extra effort to protect his files.
Oh, my god.
How old are these girls?
11? 12?
Ye gods.
♪♪
Stop. Stop, Mike.
I've had enough.
Gavin has a ton of this
stuff on his hard drive.
Hobbs: Okay, first,
we should make sure
that neither the victim
nor his roommate
is depicted in any of
these videos or photos.
Or their clothes or furniture.
Mike, call the FBI, tell
them what we've got here,
and see if they
can help us clarify
where these pictures come from.
Did all this stuff
belong to the victim,
or someone he was blackmailing?
That's what we're going
to have to try and find out.
Hmm. Human beings.
What a species, huh?
♪♪
Flynn: I don't envy you.
Yeah. All right.
Well, thanks, Mike.
I'll see you tomorrow.
[ Cellphone beeps ]
He's sitting with
the FBI task force,
combing through their
database for similar material,
and they're only halfway done.
So far, no furniture or clothing
that match anything belonging
to Jacobs or wigged out.
Could someone
have killed the victim
for collecting child porn?
Most likely, Gavin found it
on one of the computers he stole
and is extorting the owner
for large sums of money.
Just possessing
that kind of trash,
you could end
your life in prison.
Okay, well, don't...
Don't get me wrong.
Those... pictures
and those videos,
they're beyond
disgusting, obviously.
But if the suspect
didn't make them...
No, no, no. It... it... It
doesn't work that way.
Trading in kiddie porn creates
a market to abuse more children.
And the problems don't
end with molestation.
Sexually assaulted children
usually take years to
process the experience.
And then the trauma
can be triggered again
by situations that,
emotionally, they feel as similar.
Emotionally similar.
Tao: Some of the photos and
videos are over a decade old.
The FBI just confirmed that
the photographs and videos
all originated from
multiple locations
and have been actively
traded for at least five years
by a child porn ring.
So we can feel confident
that Gavin Jacobs,
or someone he blackmailed,
did not create any of those images.
Well, they collected
them, though, ma'am.
And wigged out
teaches sixth grade.
Yeah, but why did wigged out
leave all that money behind?
Okay, let's say that you
have child pornography
on your laptop, and
your computer gets stolen.
Do you then report that theft?
I'm thinking not.
Well, three people said
they weren't burglarized...
The author and the couple
with the glass collection.
Yeah, it's hard to prove
that they were robbed
if they won't admit it.
All the people who lost their
computers replaced them.
But if someone bought, say,
a new laptop and didn't tell us,
chances are they were robbed.
I don't think I'll
need a lawyer.
I am on an incredibly
tight deadline, though.
Oh, we understand
deadlines, Mr. Lewis.
Um, this shouldn't take long.
Yesterday you told us
your home was not robbed.
Yes, that's true.
Well, could you explain
this, uh, purchase,
two weeks after
your akv home security
system was installed?
Yes. I bought a
new laptop computer.
Why?
Well, because it was old.
I couldn't even update the
operating system anymore,
so I-I went and got a new one.
And yet...
You de-authorized the
software on your old macbook
two days prior to your purchase.
Yes. Uh, it was because I was
running out to get the new one.
And then I had some car
trouble. Nothing unusual there.
Can you explain these many
cash withdrawals that you made
from your checking account
over the last six months?
And each just under
the federal reporting limit?
Withdrawn in
person, at your bank.
♪♪
Okay, listen, I haven't been
completely honest
with you, all right?
I... [ inhales deeply ]
My laptop was stolen,
and the thief, he
demanded a ransom.
And I know that by paying that
ransom, I committed a crime.
I didn't want to say that.
I'm sorry.
But your computer was returned?
Yes. Finally. Yes, it was.
Okay, Mr. Lewis, I want you
to listen to me very carefully.
While you're sitting
here talking with us,
at this moment,
we are executing a search
warrant on your home.
And we're looking
for your old macbook,
which you paid
someone to give back.
Sharon: And even if you
deleted the photos and videos
from that laptop,
we'll find them.
Hold... wait a minute now.
I think you have the wrong
idea about me. There's...
Dean, do you know what they
do to child molesters in prison?
I never touched any children!
[ Panting ]
I swear, okay.
Now I had nothing to do
with those pictures. I didn't...
[ Panting ] I swear.
I didn't take those photographs.
Everything that was on
my computer, that stuff, I...
I found. I just found.
It was posted on the web.
It was posted on the Internet.
To stumble across
molestation photos online.
Yeah, while booking
a trip to Thailand.
Did you pay the person
who posted this garbage
so that you could
own it yourself?
And then maybe trade the
images with other perverts?
Sharon: Regardless of how
you organized your collection,
someone stole it,
and you were paying
huge sums of money
to have it returned.
But you didn't get it
back right away, did you?
No, no, no, 'cause Jacobs
wanted more money.
And you paid it, didn't you?
Because what is the author
of young adult novels to do?
Sharon: My guess
is that you made
a detailed arrangement of
some kind for a final payment.
Yeah, you demanded
to see your computer
before you would cough
up any more money.
Is that it, Dean?
When Gavin Jacobs had
his throat cut with a box cutter,
your laptop was out on his desk.
And whoever grabbed it, they
didn't dump it in the bathtub
with the other computer stuff.
No, not your laptop.
They walked away with it. Now...
Who would have done that, Dean?
Provenza: Did
you take the laptop
home with you after the murder?
Are you sure that you got rid
of all the blood that was on it?
Sharon: And off your
clothes, out of your car?
Look...
Look, I think I'd like to
talk to my attorney now.
Sharon: Mm.
Well, that may
be your only hope.
[ Door opens ]
No way does that guy get a deal.
Julio, this isn't just about
putting one guy away for murder.
Any deal will include
his help in breaking up
the child porn ring
circulating this filth.
But, Lewis, he can't get
less than 25-to-life, right?
First, let's just see
what comes back
from the search of his house.
Tao: Blood, blood,
and more blood...
In your car, on clothes we
found in the trash near your house,
even blood in the
drains of your shower,
where I assume you
cleaned up afterwards.
So what? Everything
you've told me so far
sounds like my client must
have been acting in self-defense.
Nolan: Well, along with a lot
of computers and flash drives,
we found this
brand-new box cutter
in a bathtub of soapy water.
My client grabbed the
only weapon in the vicinity
to protect his life.
We also have this receipt
from an online hardware store
for a box cutter
exactly like that one
delivered to Dean's
home address.
Looks like intent to me.
So before the DNA
evidence comes back,
I'll give you two options
that will let us settle
this mess today,
but they're dependant
on establishing
Mr. Lewis did not personally
exploit any children.
I did not molest anybody.
No, I'm the victim here.
I was molested as a kid.
I didn't know how to
talk to anybody about it.
I-I tried to keep
this secret, but...
How do you tell someone that
you've been sexually abused?
Just stop.
I've been keeping
this in my whole life
because nobody wants to listen!
This is not the issue.
Try bringing it up.
This is what happens.
Dean, there are many
different professionals
who could help
you with all this,
but the d.A. Is not one of them.
Okay?
Andrea, you said there were
two options. Let's hear 'em.
Option one... Mr. Lewis
reveals exactly how he collected
these horrific
photos and videos.
Who he came into contact
with, how they communicated,
every single detail.
We want names, and
I mean a lot of them.
Right. And the second option is?
We arrest your client
for first-degree murder.
And we put this to a jury.
No, pass.
Pass on your way
to death row, asshole.
Provenza: Hey, just hold on.
We have one other point to
make with our trash collector here,
and I bet it works.
And if we accept neither?
Best of luck at trial, gilman.
I cannot wait for my
opening argument.
You don't have a very
sympathetic victim.
We thought you might say that.
So since you
brought up sympathy,
your client should
know that there are limits
to how well prison guards
can protect child molesters.
Sykes: Entering a
correctional facility
as someone who kept sexually
explicit images of children?
Certainly not
something I'd want to do.
Are we... Are we
blackmailing him?
Ironic.
But with Mr. Lewis, it
seems to be effective.
If we accept the
first option, you'll take
the child pornography
charges off the table?
Yes, if, as stated previously,
your client gives up
the other members
of this child pornography ring
and accepts 25 years to life
for the murder of Gavin Jacobs.
What? No, that's...
That's no deal.
No. You'll have to do better.
We can allow the jury to examine
your gallery of molested girls
while they deliberate whether
to give you life without parole.
I wouldn't
underestimate the impact
these photos and videos
will have on parents.
Mr. Gilman, maybe you
should look at the evidence,
judge for yourself how
12 impartial finders of fact
will respond to your client.
Tao: I'm gonna push "play."
You raise your hand
when you've seen enough.
♪♪
I have some movement.
[ Closes laptop ]
We agree to cooperate.
But I...
Take a second. Think about it.
How many more people
do you need to see this crap?
[ Crying ]
But I was molested, too.
I didn't know how
to talk about it.
Yeah, well, don't start now,
because where you're going,
you're gonna need to
keep your mouth shut.
You guarantee you can
Bury my client's association
with these... Materials?
They won't show up
anywhere on his record?
If he gives me names.
He absolutely has
to give me names
of everyone in
this child porn ring.
Bring me the paperwork.
Let's see if we can
wrap this up by tonight.
I don't wanna hear
any more of this.
Well, no one wants you in
there with the guy anyway.
Flynn: Yeah, you can help
provenza and me file the report.
It'll take hours.
And that means
you're free to go.
Andrea won't need
you anymore tonight.
Well, I might as
well wait for you.
Um, I don't really have
anywhere else to be.
I wonder if that's true.
[ Door closes ]
♪♪
[ Sighs ]
♪♪
[ Sighs ]
Is there somewhere
we could talk?
[ Sighs ]
[ Sighs ] Okay, okay. Um...
[ Inhales deeply,
exhales sharply ]
Look, I...
I know you think
that I don't love you,
but I do.
Yeah, just not
enough to live with me.
Gus...
Gus, please, listen.
I am a student
working as an intern.
All of the money that I
have comes from my mom.
I said that I don't
care about that.
I said that I'd pay for
everything. Come on.
No. No, I care, Gus. I do care.
Okay? I spent two
years of my life...
Letting other guys
pay for everything.
And... and maybe
that's made me difficult.
Or... or...
Hard to get along with.
And maybe you should
break up with me.
Maybe I'm not worth
all that extra bullshit.
But if I am ever gonna
feel good about myself,
I need to be able
to pay my own way.
Or, at least, my half.
Why didn't you say
all this to begin with?
I didn't know.
Or... or...
Or I didn't have the words.
Come on. I get a drink
at the end of my shift.
Let's, just, uh, sit down
and discuss all this.
Then, um...
We're not breaking up?
No.
No, I mean...
I mean, it blows that
we have to deal with this.
But I miss you so bad.
[ Chair scrapes floor ]
You know, sometimes, I think
the well is so deep around here
that human beings
can never touch bottom.
This place is more about
justice than about hope.
Mm. Hey, Lance Armstrong.
What's with the bike.
You got car trouble?
No, um, lieutenant,
I-I sold my prius.
Sold... why?
The insurance went up.
I'm trying to reduce my
carbon footprint a little.
Julio can pick me up most
days. And, uh, there's the Metro.
I see.
Does the Metro run all the
way to the home of bill Jones?
See you tomorrow,
lieutenant. Good night.
Sir, he's helping a
couple of needy kids.
He doesn't need to tell
us everything, you know?
Yeah.
Oh. [ Sighs ] 25
to life, as offered,
but it's taking a while.
He's trying to write out
his statement of facts,
but he keeps starting over.
Well, that's the curse of
having a novelist as a defendant.
"My murder," by Dean Lewis.
"Chapter one... to begin,
I was molested..."
25 to life, ma'am?
In exchange for 31 names,
e-mail accounts, phone numbers,
and I.P. Addresses that
the FBI will then follow up on.
Those 31 people could
lead to a thousand more.
Yeah, we've gotta grab these
opportunities when they occur.
Anyway, we're
almost done. [ Sighs ]
So... get ready to
transfer him to county.
See? The deal was well worth it.
But a thousand more
people like Dean Lewis?
Yeah. I don't know whether
to be encouraged or...
Nauseated.
[ Binder rings snap ]
Nothing says we
can't be both, sir.
♪♪