Major Crimes (2012–2018): Season 6, Episode 11 - By Any Means: Part 2 - full transcript
Unable to locate Philip Stroh the Major Crimes division searches for answers in his distant past. The squad struggles with Assistant Chief Mason. Rusty becomes frustrated with his forced proximity to Gus.
Previously on "major crimes"...
I hope you
never have to see this,
but in case I'm not there,
I want you to protect
yourself against Phillip stroh.
Less than 24 hours ago,
Emma told me that
she thought Phillip stroh
was back in Los Angeles,
and now she's dead.
As the police were
checking out the gate
to Emma's backyard, I
had a sniffy in my pocket,
giving me their
contacts and the picture
they were anxious
for me to text them,
infected all their
devices with malware,
and now I have autonomous
control of their cells.
Score!
They're
practically staring at us. Look.
Our investigation
of Emma's death
led us directly to the
murder of Jim bechtel.
But what's the connection
between a retired
real-estate developer
and the drowning
of a prosecutor?
We found a divorce
filing from the 1980s
between a Jim bechtel
and a Gwendolyn bechtel,
who claimed as her
dependent Phillip stroh.
I need to take
off for a few days.
Get ready for a quick exit.
Don't worry. I
have this. I hope so.
Half the fee depends
on you finding my mother
before they do. Don't worry.
I have one of the best police
departments on earth helping me.
That's excellent work.
We'll figure out what to
do after stroh's in custody.
Or dead at my feet.
Dead at your feet
would be kind of perfect.
Have we made
any progress at all?
Well, Jim bechtel's
daughter, Tammy,
has flown in from Charlotte
to make arrangements
for her father's funeral.
Now, I expect her here any
minute, and she should help.
In the meantime, we
have been concentrating
on Gwendolyn bechtel. Mike.
If Gwendolyn really
is stroh's mother,
that could be a
partial explanation
of why he's come back.
Maybe he just wanted
to say "farewell"
to dear old mom before
he kicked the bucket.
Or take her with
him when he goes.
Uh, one hitch...
We're still trying to confirm
the checked medical
records belonged to stroh.
I'm having a bit of trouble
contacting the Interpol
officer who called Emma.
Yeah. Buzz?
Well, our traces
on Gwen bechtel's
social security number
are complicated.
I'll say. Well, there's
no death certificate, sir,
but Gwendolyn
stroh/bechtel's social
hasn't been used since 1992.
There are no credit
checks, no tax filings,
nothing... she just disappeared.
Just thinking out loud,
but if stroh's mother had
been living in the L.A. area,
couldn't stroh have
just killed her years ago?
Seriously? You bloody idiot.
If stroh
already murdered his mom,
why would be
hunting for her now?
Exactly. Oh, good point.
And you're in charge? God.
Okay, so, you can change
your social security number.
No, that's not the
problem. Uh, yes, sir,
but the new number
would be cross-referenced
with the old number by
the internal revenue service.
So if we search for
one, we find the other.
Unless...
Unless she had her new
social security number sealed.
In my reserve detective
training, I'm told that
this type of secrecy is
for witness protection.
You're in reserve detective
training? That's a thing?
And no one outside the
social security administration
would have her new identity,
not even law enforcement.
Not even law enforcement?
Oh, my god, that's ridic...
Make a call or something!
Well, if stroh
were my son and I was rich,
I don't think I'd want
him to find me either.
Well, if you're on the right
track, and that's a big "if,"
Gwen's new number would
only exist on a hard copy
in the social security
headquarters in Maryland.
Really? Maryland?
I see. Okay.
You lot run around
following the rules.
I'll go... This way.
Let's see who gets
to mama stroh first.
A hard
copy in Maryland, sir?
Even if we were able
to get a search warrant,
it could take weeks to find it.
Uh, I might have a
workaround, Julio.
What about
the social security office
where she filed for the change?
The social security
administration
has over a
thousand field offices.
How are you gonna figure
out which one to search?
Excuse me. Cami,
could you review for us what we
know about Gwendolyn pre-1992?
Mm-hmm. A social security
number can tell a pretty good story
of a person's life, especially
if you can find a credit report
to go with it.
Let's do this, Julio.
Gwendolyn hope Lyle, born in
Philadelphia, pa, July 18, 1947.
Attended penn for two years,
her dad was rich, rich, rich,
and she worked at one of his
travel agencies every summer.
In 1967, when she was only 20,
Gwendolyn married
Tyler Tate stroh,
a 28-year-old executive
also employed by
her father's company.
Gwen gave birth to her
precious son, Phillip, in 1969.
Oh, my god. You
people are more boring
than watching televised snooker.
Her father died, she
sold the business,
divorced her husband, and
bought an amazing home
in chagrin falls, Ohio...
What?! "An amazing home"?
What are you, a bloody
estate agent now?
Why can't you people
treat this like an emergency?
Do you have a
higher gear than sloth?
Glacial, perhaps?
A year later, she
married Jim bechtel.
May he rest in peace.
I wonder where his daughter is.
She should be here by now.
Oh, but
way back then, sir,
Tammy moved with her father
and new stepmother to bel air
in 1985 without Phillip,
who was left behind to attend
some fancy boarding school.
Bet there's a
lot more to that story.
Of course there's
more to the story.
But none of it leads
to mama stroh.
Gwen and Jim filed their
taxes jointly in California
only once before
divorcing in 1986,
and then eventually, Gwen
just disappears in 1992.
On December 11, 1992.
If you can't be helpful,
at least be precise.
Ella, wake up!
Get naked! Come on.
So, stroh's mother
abandoned him?
Looks like it.
Tammy bechtel's on the elevator.
Uh, Amy, would you
give me a hand, please?
Lieutenant provenza?
Ah, that's me, and
this is detective Sykes.
Thank you for coming, Tammy.
So sorry about what
happened to your father.
We know
this is a difficult time.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, boo-hoo.
Thank you.
So, you're considering
Phillip as a suspect?
Does that seem likely to you?
Not really.
He and daddy didn't
get along very well,
but we were only a serious
part of his life for a few years,
and that was decades ago.
I don't really remember
that much about Phillip,
and I can't imagine he recalls
that much about me, either.
Then again, Phillip was strange.
Understatement of the century.
You are aware
that your ex-stepbrother
is a serial killer.
The FBI came to my
house five years ago
and told me about all the
women that Phillip had murdered.
I was just shocked.
But in retrospect,
there were signs,
things that I now know are
markers for people like him.
What signs?
Oh, he tried to set our house
on fire a couple of times.
My dog disappeared one
day, it never came back.
He pushed me off the
slide in our backyard.
Those aren't signs.
Those are billboards.
How could they not know
something was wrong with the kid?
It's hard to give
up on your child.
But now that I have
girls of my own, I...
Well, so,
your father got very upset.
What about your
stepmother, Gwen?
Daddy and Gwen,
they fought over Phillip constantly.
It got better when he
went to boarding school,
but then they would
just argue about
whether or not he should
come home for Christmas
or what to do with Phillip once
we moved to L.A., but they...
Like I said, more to the story.
Did all the quarreling
stop once you got to California?
For a while, and then
about a year later,
they got into a fight
that lasted for weeks.
I woke up in the middle
of the night hearing...
Hearing daddy screaming.
And Gwen packed up
and left the next day.
Did you ever see Phillip again?
No. Once Phillip moved to L.A.,
he would contact
dad occasionally.
Actually, he hounded daddy.
He demanded to know
where his mother had gone.
So stunning, really.
She fought so hard
to keep her son,
and then she just abandoned him.
Did you ever see or
speak to Gwen again?
No. Not after she disappeared.
Damn it. I did try
to look her up once.
I wanted to send
her a thank-you note.
I couldn't find her
in the phone book,
and that was pretty much
all we had to go on back then.
Phone books?
Travel agencies? Oy.
Can we go
back just one second?
You just said that
you wanted to give
Gwendolyn a thank you note.
What for?
I graduated from
high school in '95
and an envelope
arrived in the mail
with a sweet note from Gwen
and $10,000 cash.
Wow.
From your ex-stepmother
Whom you hadn't
seen since you were...
9 years old. It was
obscenely generous,
but no return address.
What about a postmark?
Yes, Pasadena, but I don't
think she actually lived there,
'cause my father went looking
through all the property records
where she could've bought a home
and he couldn't find anything.
Why would he do that?
Oh, my dad...
For all his success, he
was a fairly simple guy.
He loved what he loved.
He loved me, his business,
the sea...
And he loved Gwen.
I think finding out that
she could've been...
I'm looking to see if there's
a social security office
in Pasadena.
Bechtel didn't find her,
and he was a
real-estate developer.
Gwen changed her name.
Bechtel was looking
for the wrong person.
She was in Pasadena during '95.
Maybe that's where
she started over.
But please don't get me
wrong. I... my dad was happy.
Criminal
intelligence could check that
faster than you guys.
Tell the lieutenant
I'm giving it a go.
Never, ever get over.
Thank you,
Tammy. Thank you very much.
You've been very helpful.
Detective Sykes, would
you please assist her
with a statement?
Andy, hey! What
are you doing here?
There's no reason
you can't stay at home.
I promised Sharon
that I would protect the kids,
and I can't do that sitting at
home feeling sorry for myself.
Look, how I deal with
this crap is not up to you.
Ah. You're sure?
I'm sure.
Okay.
Is, uh, Nolan still
on an assignment?
Uh, yeah, yeah.
♪♪
Ah, good, good.
So, it would
appear that our chief
is finally gonna help
us out for a change.
So we still have to
prepare searches
for every social
security office...
Bad news, lieutenant.
I found her first.
Oh! Enjoy your game
of musical chairs.
Et cetera...
Andy, um,
do you remember that we... well,
you were picking
me up to go home?
Yeah. I'll go home...
Once stroh is dead.
I wish you luck
with that, lieutenant.
In the meantime...
I'll give Gwendolyn
your regards.
♪♪
All right, lieutenant.
C.i. Confirmed Pasadena's
social security office
has some sealed files
dated from mid-December 1992.
That's Gwendolyn
stroh. Sykes, Sanchez.
But to get a name, birth date,
and her new number,
I need a warrant,
and I don't think we
have enough to ask
the federal government
for declaratory relief.
How about protecting
the life of the record holder
from one of the most dangerous
serial killers in the world?
Her name appears
on a list of searches
that includes eight other
people that have either died
or been murdered in
the last 11 months, sir.
Okay.
I can try.
Uh, chief? If I might
make a suggestion,
try to be a little
more enthusiastic
with our federal friends
and put some urgency into it?
We need to find
this woman alive.
Thank you, lieutenant,
for your guidance.
Are you trying to lose
command of our division, sir?
No, Sykes.
I'm trying to stop
stroh once and for all.
Now, if Mason feels
comfortable telling me
what my job is all day long,
I can do the same for him.
Oh, Gus. Rusty can't leave.
I was just telling him that,
lieutenant. One second.
I... as long as
Andy wants to stay,
I need to wait for an
escort back to the condo.
I'll get someone
up here in a minute.
Here, I'll call now.
Okay, well, I was off today.
I made you some caldo de res.
It's my grandmother's recipe.
I put some brown rice in...
What? What is it?
That's... that's Phillip stroh?
Yeah. Yeah, why?
I saw him.
What? I saw him.
Where? At the restaurant.
When? When did you see him?
I-I waited on him.
He was my customer
the... the night Sharon died.
Did you guys talk? Yeah,
I thought maybe he
was hitting on me a little.
He asked if I had a boyfriend.
And what did you say?
Well, that...
I was trying to work things
out, that I wasn't sure.
But he... he... He
asked a little bit
about what my boyfriend was
like, but maybe it wasn't him.
This guy had a beard.
The guy we saw from
the red-light camera
in palm Springs had a beard.
It's stroh. Yeah, now
we have an eyewitness.
One second, one second. Gus...
Do you recall how he paid you?
Did he give you a credit card?
No, I didn't pick up the check.
I-I got a text from
rusty about Sharon
around 9:30, and I left
for the hospital right then.
Uh, but I can call and ask Manny
and find out if he
used a credit card.
Gus, does the restaurant
have security cameras?
Uh, yes. Not at the
parking lot or the valet,
but at the bar and
at the entrance.
Hey, Manny, hey, this is...
This is lieutenant provenza,
Los Angeles police department.
Now, Manny, I want
you to listen closely
and do exactly
what I tell you to.
Come on, Karl.
I have someone else
coming in 10 minutes.
Ella, you're breaking my heart.
It's not my fault.
You were late.
Okay. I'll tell you the truth.
I was with another woman.
How dare you.
Don't worry, it was
my boss's mum.
Just had to check on her,
make sure she was all right.
And was she?
Uh, she was so-so.
But, more importantly,
she's also incredibly rich.
So this job may turn
out very well for us.
Hmm. No wonder
you're in a good mood.
Oh, yes.
We are one little
power-of-attorney issue
from a brand-new life.
Mm-hmm.
I am serious, Ella.
I can come out of this with
a lot of cash, maybe millions.
Sounds like you're talking
about robbing the old lady.
I don't think she's
long for this world,
but no, I'm not gonna Rob her.
She obviously doesn't have
control of her money anyway.
Some guy named hunt
sanford is signing the checks.
Doesn't sound like you're
planning anything very nice.
Listen, Ella.
No one is gonna hurt
that old lady, okay?
But the world's full
of not-nice things.
I mean, your parents
were not very nice,
my parents were not very nice,
and who stuck up for us, huh?
Who bothered to make sure
we were safe and looked after?
Nobody. Hey.
Some people get born
with a lot of chances,
and some people don't have any.
Well, which category
do you think we fit into?
And... and if we want
a chance ourselves
at a life worth living,
we either have to grab chances
from other people or go without.
How much money will you have?
A least a million
and possibly a lot,
lot more than that.
Look, Ella, once I have it,
uh, I'm gonna have to leave in
a hurry, and I can't come back.
So if you won't come with
me, I'll never see you again.
Don't choose this.
This is a dead end.
There are an awful lot of
bad people out there, Ella,
and I can take care of you.
I can.
You're very sweet, Karl,
but for now, you have to go.
Promise you'll think
about coming with me?
I promise, but bye, seriously.
Uh, Karl?
Sorry.
I love you.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
You've been wanting
evidence of Phillip stroh here in L.A.
Not only do we now
have an eyewitness,
we're about to show
you Phillip stroh himself
in L.A. on video from
security cameras.
They serve crow
at this restaurant?
I may need some.
Chief, that is a
terrific thing to say.
I myself always, always
own up to my mistakes.
Or I get a divorce.
Buzz?
Yes, um...
Gus said stroh was
seated about 8:00 P.M.,
so I will fast-forward the
video from around 7:30.
♪♪
Wait, wait, what was that?
♪♪
The time code jumped
ahead about 45 seconds.
Oh, no. Uh, keep
going, buzz. Keep going.
Someone's edited the footage.
Where'd this video come from?
Assurance digital security,
a surveillance company used
by lots of small businesses, sir.
Secure servers,
24-hour monitoring,
virtually unhackable.
Fast-forward an hour, buzz,
to when he might have left.
♪♪
So much for proof.
This is proof, chief.
Stroh is playing a
game, to keep us...
Do you really believe he has
this level of hacking ability?
I can't justify
adding security detail
to this young man based
on... chief, Gus got closer
to Phillip stroh than anyone
in the last three years.
We are spread very thin.
Consider how it
will look, lieutenant,
if after your first week of
commanding major crimes,
your expenses doubled.
Well, think about your
homicide statistics, sir,
if Gustavo Wallace ends up dead.
Yeah, and while I'm doing that,
here's somebody else
you'll probably tell me
needs 24-hour protection.
And that would be who?
Your warrant was approved
by the social security
administration.
I have the name and
address for the woman
who used to be Gwendolyn stroh
in San Marino, right
next door to Pasadena.
Well, what's her name?
Good evening. I'm
lieutenant Michael tao, l.A.P.D.
You are Abigail
atwood, I presume?
We're sorry to disturb
you past 9:00 P.M...
You're not disturbing me,
lieutenant, but I'm Julia.
Abigail is my boss.
Well, I take care
of her. May I help...
Uh, I'm sorry to
interrupt you, Julia,
but it is very important
we speak with Ms. Atwood
and we ask her a few questions.
Well, I-I don't think
now's a very good time.
Mrs. Atwood has a lot... our search
warrant says this is the perfect time.
Step aside, ma'am.
All I meant was that
nighttime is trickier for
Mrs. Atwood's dementia.
And she's already had
one new visitor today,
and that sort of thing
takes it out of her.
A new... Someone
was here before us?
This morning.
She almost never has company,
but I think he said he
was from her old church,
and he just wanted
to... was this him?
No, no, this was a younger man.
Scott.
I-I didn't see him leave,
and last I checked,
she was asleep,
so I just assumed
that he scooted out.
Hold on.
♪♪
Ms. Atwood?
Ms. Atwood?
Gwen.
Did you say "Gwen"?
Ms. Atwood, I'm
detective Amy Sykes.
I'm with the Los Angeles
police department.
The police?
Oh, no. Yes, ma'am.
We have some questions
about your son, Phillip.
Oh... you found her, didn't you?
I knew you would one day.
Found who?
Who did we find, ma'am?
Mary Wellington.
You found Mary Wellington.
♪♪
Her name
wasn't on the list of searches,
but we are trying to find out
who Mary Wellington might be.
We can try asking Gwendolyn
again later this morning,
when her caretaker
says she's more with it.
And who visited
Gwendolyn's house yesterday?
Another man, but not stroh.
The nurse said he might've been
barely 20, he looked so young.
Unfortunately, Gwendolyn,
aka Mrs. Atwood,
has staff around day and
night, so no security cameras.
Now, stroh is known to work
with younger accomplices,
and if this accomplice
knows where Gwendolyn is,
stroh does, too. Which means...
We need to replace the patrol
officers you left at her house
with around-the-clock
undercover surveillance.
Lieutenant, you're killing me.
Well, we can't bring her
here. She's not well enough.
I understand, but we are
running out of qualified officers
to provide this level
of... boss, please.
Look at it this way... stroh
was searching for his mother.
He even added
cities to her first name
because it's a little unusual,
and he didn't know
where she was.
Think of how much trouble
we went through to find her,
and somehow, stroh
was ahead of us.
But how? Who is
taking care of Gwen,
and who's paying the bills...
The Abigail atwood foundation?
We're trying hard to
find out who's running it,
but all of her caregivers signed
confidentiality agreements,
and we have no criminal
cause to ask them to break them.
So you're telling me I have to
pay for another security detail,
is that it? No, h-hey,
I'm not the kind of guy who just
bothers you with problems.
I also offer solutions.
Now, we can save a
serious amount of money
if rusty and Gus are under
the protection of a single team.
Wait, what? Gus
can stay at the condo.
That's not a bad idea. I've
already cleared it with Flynn,
and it's no hardship
on them. They're dating.
No, we're not. No,
we're not dating.
Well, you bat for the
same team, anyway.
Might as well share a dugout.
We can't compel you to agree,
but it would be a huge help.
Okay, uh, look. I just worry
that we're not... Uh...
Okay. All right, if Andy says it's
okay... look, I-If you don't want me to...
I said it's okay. I said it's fine,
Gus. Maybe I don't need security.
Stroh said that he
might run into you again.
You need security. Whatever.
Thank you.
It'll only be until this stroh
business is cleared up.
How long is that gonna take? Well,
if my experience is any indication,
about six years.
It all
happened a long time ago,
but there is a Mary
Wellington with a connection
to Gwendolyn stroh. Buzz?
In 1985, at the age of 16,
Mary Wellington went missing
from chagrin falls,
Ohio.
That's where Gwendolyn
stroh moved with Phillip
after divorcing his father.
And Mary was never found.
We received the open
missing persons file
from chagrin falls, but
there's not much there.
30-years cold. Can't
imagine there would be.
And you'll notice there's
no mention of Phillip stroh
or the bechtels. Sanchez:
But Mary and Phillip
went to the same
school and lived
less than two miles apart, sir.
So this girl could
be victim zero.
I guess his thing for blondes
started at a young age.
Her parents, they gave up
the search after four years.
Hunt sanford, hunt sanford. God,
you guys are so far behind
me, you'll never catch up.
But a local news station,
they played this video
every year on her birthday
until 1992, just in case.
Buzz?
Dad, I'm trying to practice.
People will be
watching you at the recital, too.
Besides, I want you to remember
this moment when you're older.
Now I have to start all over.
♪♪
So, what does Gwendolyn
stroh know about this girl,
and how do we
get her to tell us?
Yeah. Yeah, all I need
is for you to keep focused
on Mary Wellington
for another two days,
while I concentrate
on the hunt for hunt.
I have a suggestion.
Half my work in missing persons
was related to silver alerts...
Elderly people who walk
out of assisted-living centers
and into the blue, and I know
a specialist who can help us.
It's hard for someone with
memory issues to stay on track,
so it's important
not to interrupt them.
You sure you're the
right person for this, cami?
Why do people keep
saying I interrupt them?
It's so irritating. Really?
And I'll have to avoid
asking her a lot of specifics.
But specifics are all
we're after, doctor.
Having her recall how she
felt will unlock more memories
than discussing times and dates.
Dr. Joe, just to remember,
this is not a privileged
conversation.
You're gonna have a detective
and a camera with
you today at all times.
She played at church, too.
Youth sundays, evening services.
She was an accomplished girl.
It's a shame what
happened to her.
Can you tell us how
she went missing?
It must've been upsetting...
Hearing about that.
From the time he could walk,
I knew I would have
trouble with Phillip.
He was smart... too smart.
We couldn't find a crib
that would contain him.
He was an escape artist.
And then, as he got older, he...
Did other things.
But Mary Wellington,
who would ever suspect
something like that?
It must have
affected you deeply...
when it happened.
I don't know how I felt, really.
When Phillip first
came to me about it,
he was extremely upset.
How do you know that?
For the longest time,
all he could say was,
"I messed up, mom.
I messed up.
Messed up.
I really messed up."
I don't know what to do.
Just tell me what
happened, Phillip.
We'll figure it out.
You know Mary Wellington,
the girl who plays
with the youth choir?
Well, her mom didn't come
pick her up from school, so I...
So... so I decided
to walk her home,
and she started
calling me names.
Names like what?
Never mind. Uh,
I'll call her parents,
and I'm sure that
they'll understand.
No. No, she... I...
I told her off myself,
and she hit me.
She hit me several times.
She hit
me several times.
And what did you do?
Um, mom...
You have to believe me.
I was defending myself.
Defending myself.
And a shiver went up my spine,
because I didn't believe him.
But I acted like I did
so he would tell me everything.
And then...
He showed me everything, too.
I knew instantly that
Mary had done nothing
to upset Phillip except...
Probably scream.
Oh, the fire.
I stood there, wondering,
"how will I manage this?"
And then I decided
the damage was done.
What do you mean by that?
Well, Mary was already
dead, wasn't she?
Punishing Phillip
for the rest of his life,
that wasn't going
to bring her back.
And he was only 16.
Disposing of her body
must have been stressful.
Yes.
But...
My husband was a
real-estate developer.
♪♪
His company was about
to pour the foundation
for a house 10 miles away.
He had driven me past
it a few days before.
I was not sure
that it would work.
But the house went
up, and after a while,
I stopped thinking about it.
Weren't you afraid that
Phillip would be investigated?
No.
Phillip must've chosen
her very carefully.
They weren't friends.
He never talked to
her in front of anyone.
He waited a
distance from school.
No one saw them together.
The only person who
ever asked about it was Jim.
My husband, yes.
Once it was on the news,
Jim became suspicious.
He asked Phillip if he
had seen Mary that day.
Phillip did not look
even slightly guilty.
I suppose that should've
alarmed me, but...
I felt relieved.
Except for the fire.
♪♪
Is that when you sent
Phillip to boarding school?
Yes, that's why I
agreed to it finally...
An all-boys boarding school.
And then, Jim's business
took us to California,
and I agreed, for
Tammy's sake...
To leave Phillip behind.
But it was hard.
It was very hard letting
go like that, very hard.
Maybe it's better her
memory is slipping.
I wouldn't want
to remember that.
Bought us a house in bel air,
and Jim and I were
happy for a while,
until he found out that I
wasn't flying back east
to see my family, but to
visit Phillip at his school.
We ended up divorcing,
and then, a few years later...
What?
There was a fire at the house
where we had buried Mary.
I was afraid they would find her
and that we would be arrested.
And also I-I read some
news stories from Ann arbor,
where Phillip was
going to law school.
Two girls went
missing, both blond.
I knew it was Phillip.
One of his professors
was very suspicious.
And I had met another
man who I loved,
and I decided that
Jim had been right.
I went to visit
Phillip one last time
to see if I could fix things.
Fix things how?
I set Phillip up with money...
Quite a lot of money, really...
In case he needed to
get out of the country.
And then, I left him.
I changed my name.
I didn't tell him "goodbye."
Wow. No wonder he
hates women so much.
The only one he ever
trusted abandoned him.
Could be why stroh came
to L.A. to practice law.
He wanted to locate his mom.
It goes with what
Tammy bechtel told us.
I supposed that's how you
found out. Oh, never mind.
It doesn't matter anymore.
I've tried to solve too
many problems with money.
I deserve to be arrested.
May I bring some of
my scrapbooks with me
and my nightgowns?
This... this will do for court,
but I shouldn't
like to sleep in it.
And that's it. I'd
say unbalanced,
the dementia
might be convenient,
but it's also real.
Guilt can do strange
things to people.
Tell me about it.
Uh, I found a house
inside the 10-mile radius
that Gwen mentioned
had a bad fire mid-1992.
A lot of damage, but
the homeowners rebuilt.
Chagrin falls p.D. Is
seeing if it might be the home
where they buried Mary's body.
I just got off the phone
with the chief in Ann arbor.
He's having his
missing persons division
pull all unresolved
cases from the '90s,
particularly those of
young, blond females.
Well, I guess
we're about to find out
if Gwen's story holds water.
Yeah, but all of
this... Mary Wellington,
the girls from the '90s...
I'm not saying it's unimportant,
but it's just catching up
with Phillip stroh's past.
It's not catching up with him.
Look, I vote that
we leave the old lady
in the home under surveillance,
and if stroh is
hunting for her...
I hope you're not talking
about my mother that way.
Sorry, who are you?
Hunt sanford, and
Abigail atwood,
the lady you spent
all day getting upset,
she's my mother.
What the... Oh,
you're kidding me!
And now she's
chattering some nonsense
about fires and murder?
Whoa, stop right there, sir.
Abigail atwood
doesn't have any kids.
She moved in with my
father when I was only 3.
She took care of me
then. I take care of her now,
which is why
you're gonna explain
why you upset her so much.
That's not fair!
I was on the verge
of finding him myself,
and he just pops
into your office?
You lucky assholes.
Well, now we're dead even again.
Okay, hunt sanford.
The race reboots like this.
♪♪
Don't go feeling
sorry for the guy.
Yeah, stroh's mom
left him, maybe.
But she also set him
up with a ton of cash,
and if he hadn't
been such a freak...
It's just... It's
a little weird.
The parallels... His
mom abandons him,
he looks for her in Los Angeles,
oh, and he goes to law school.
Does that sound familiar?
Did you miss the
part where stroh killed
three women before he got here?
I mean, unless there's
a lot you're not telling us.
All right, it's... It's
just like mom said.
The more that I relate to
stroh, the better I seem to...
Uh... never mind.
Um, mom also said that
whatever it is that made stroh
move to Los Angeles
in the first place
might be what
would bring him back.
Again, his mother.
Yeah, but why is
he looking for her?
And what does
she have to do with
all of these other
people that he's killed?
That's a good question, kid,
and I wish Sharon
were around to answer it,
but I'm gonna give it
a go, not you, okay?
Okay, then.
Well, then, what now?
Do I just stay here forever?
Well, I'll get you both an
escort back to the condo,
but you're gonna
have to go together.
And you can't split up.
Sorry.
You hear that?
We can't split up.
You're taking what
you were told the wrong way.
Look, anything my mother
told you, anything, it's all fantasy.
We don't think so.
She describe a crime
committed 30 years ago,
and her story matches
up with the facts.
30 years ago. Are you serious?
Go talk to her tomorrow.
She won't remember you.
Half the time, she
thinks I'm my father.
He's been dead for seven years.
Why do you still
take care of her
if your dad passed so long ago?
She doesn't have anybody else,
and it doesn't matter
that she and my father
were never
married. She's family.
Sure you're not
sticking around for an inheritance?
She has a lot of money.
Not as much as I do.
Look, if it weren't
for me, my mother
would have nothing at all.
Her finances were a wreck.
She was sending money
all over the damn world.
Everyone... everyone...
was taking advantage of her.
Well, what do you expect?
She's rich, old,
and out of her mind.
Yeah, everybody, except you.
I work hard to keep
my mother stable,
and I just left her
muttering in a corner
about some girl playing a
piano and a son she never had.
Well, see, actually, she
does have another son.
What?
I knew I would have
trouble with Phillip.
He was smart, too smart.
Even as a baby, we
couldn't find a cr...
You're right in a way.
Abigail doesn't have a son,
but Gwendolyn stroh does,
and that was your mother's name
before she changed her identity.
She changed her what?
See, look at the legal work.
Abigail atwood used
to be Gwendolyn stroh,
mother of Phillip stroh.
Phillip stroh,
the serial killer?
Yeah, I feel bad for him.
That's a lot to take in at once.
Gwendolyn told
us Phillip killed a girl
named Mary Wellington
and confessed to
helping him cover it up.
She's confused. Mary Wellington
probably doesn't even exist.
Here is a newspaper article
on Mary's disappearance.
And this contains a summary
of Phillip stroh's
crimes against humanity
for your perusal.
Take time to absorb it.
We'll be back.
It's inside the radius
described by Gwen.
The house almost burned
to the ground mid-1992.
The chagrin falls police
department found something
on the ground-penetrating
radar, sir.
They're digging. Homeowners
aren't too happy about it.
We just hope that
Gwendolyn's memory served
and they're not busting
up the wrong house.
And the two girls that Gwen
mentioned in Ann arbor?
Any merit to that? Emily west,
Donna Anderson went
missing in August and November
of 1992, respectively.
Never found.
Gwendolyn's stepson?
He's going over
material we left...
Yes, please, give me
everything you know about
Mr. Power of attorney for
the Abigail atwood foundation.
He's trying to come to
terms with the fact that he shares
a mother with a serial killer.
We need to set up hunt and
Gwendolyn with protection.
Lieutenant... Uh, look.
Don't forget that
two-for-the-price-of-one deal.
Lieutenant...
Look, I just want to stop
stroh from killing someone
else off of that hit list.
Lieutenant. What is it, buzz?
Mr. Sanford is about to...
Excuse me!
My mom really gave
birth to this monster?
And that monster might
be coming after her,
which is why...
We need to arrange protection
for you and for your mom.
Forgive me if I pass.
I just read about how
you let a known serial killer
murder a judge and walk
away in broad daylight.
It says in here the d.A.
You think Phillip
murdered had bodyguards.
From the district attorney's
office, not the l.A.P.D.
I already have my
own security detail,
also surveillance everywhere,
covering every single one...
Surveillance everywhere?
What kind of surveillance?
That's what i'm
trying to tell you.
All of my businesses and
properties have cameras,
including Abigail's home, so
we won't be needing your help.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Cameras?
Oh, bloody hell.
Oh, shit, what kind of cameras?
They store locally on
sd cards in the camera...
Locally. Shit, shit! Locally!
Well, the staff
at your mother's house
said there were no cameras.
Because those
cameras aren't placed
to monitor them.
Only in her bedroom, actually.
Ever hear of elder abuse?
I was having trouble... your
mother had another visitor yesterday,
someone who claimed
he was from her church,
but who we think
works with stroh.
If we can have patrol
collect those sd cards...
And the ones from
your properties as well.
We need to make
sure that you're not
being stalked by the same guy.
Sure. Fat lot of good it's
gonna do you, but sure.
This won't be
like the restaurant, chief.
Cameras that don't
stream aren't hackable.
No, buzz Watson.
No, they're not.
If we get some
decent video of him,
we can run it through
facial recognition.
This is marked
"Abigail's bedroom,"
and we know he visited with her.
Oh, damn it, no. All this way...
Buzz, put it on the
big thingy, please.
The big thingy? The
big thingy's mine!
So, what time should I start at?
Okay, buzz, yeah,
yeah, yeah. Yes, yes, yes.
Stall for me.
Her nurse said he
came around 11:00.
Come on, come on,
come one, come on.
♪♪
Let's go, dirt bag.
Turn around so we
can see your face.
Let me fast-forward a little.
Here we go...
No, stop, stop,
stop, no, no, no!
Oh, god, no.
♪♪
Oh.
He looks a little familiar.
Buzz. Buzz. Try it again.
What is that?
More importantly...
Who is that?
That's no one,
lieutenant geezer.
Oh, I'm done.
I'm sorry about what Phillip
stroh's gonna do to hunt.
It's not my fault, really.
Not my fault.
Not my fault.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
I hope you
never have to see this,
but in case I'm not there,
I want you to protect
yourself against Phillip stroh.
Less than 24 hours ago,
Emma told me that
she thought Phillip stroh
was back in Los Angeles,
and now she's dead.
As the police were
checking out the gate
to Emma's backyard, I
had a sniffy in my pocket,
giving me their
contacts and the picture
they were anxious
for me to text them,
infected all their
devices with malware,
and now I have autonomous
control of their cells.
Score!
They're
practically staring at us. Look.
Our investigation
of Emma's death
led us directly to the
murder of Jim bechtel.
But what's the connection
between a retired
real-estate developer
and the drowning
of a prosecutor?
We found a divorce
filing from the 1980s
between a Jim bechtel
and a Gwendolyn bechtel,
who claimed as her
dependent Phillip stroh.
I need to take
off for a few days.
Get ready for a quick exit.
Don't worry. I
have this. I hope so.
Half the fee depends
on you finding my mother
before they do. Don't worry.
I have one of the best police
departments on earth helping me.
That's excellent work.
We'll figure out what to
do after stroh's in custody.
Or dead at my feet.
Dead at your feet
would be kind of perfect.
Have we made
any progress at all?
Well, Jim bechtel's
daughter, Tammy,
has flown in from Charlotte
to make arrangements
for her father's funeral.
Now, I expect her here any
minute, and she should help.
In the meantime, we
have been concentrating
on Gwendolyn bechtel. Mike.
If Gwendolyn really
is stroh's mother,
that could be a
partial explanation
of why he's come back.
Maybe he just wanted
to say "farewell"
to dear old mom before
he kicked the bucket.
Or take her with
him when he goes.
Uh, one hitch...
We're still trying to confirm
the checked medical
records belonged to stroh.
I'm having a bit of trouble
contacting the Interpol
officer who called Emma.
Yeah. Buzz?
Well, our traces
on Gwen bechtel's
social security number
are complicated.
I'll say. Well, there's
no death certificate, sir,
but Gwendolyn
stroh/bechtel's social
hasn't been used since 1992.
There are no credit
checks, no tax filings,
nothing... she just disappeared.
Just thinking out loud,
but if stroh's mother had
been living in the L.A. area,
couldn't stroh have
just killed her years ago?
Seriously? You bloody idiot.
If stroh
already murdered his mom,
why would be
hunting for her now?
Exactly. Oh, good point.
And you're in charge? God.
Okay, so, you can change
your social security number.
No, that's not the
problem. Uh, yes, sir,
but the new number
would be cross-referenced
with the old number by
the internal revenue service.
So if we search for
one, we find the other.
Unless...
Unless she had her new
social security number sealed.
In my reserve detective
training, I'm told that
this type of secrecy is
for witness protection.
You're in reserve detective
training? That's a thing?
And no one outside the
social security administration
would have her new identity,
not even law enforcement.
Not even law enforcement?
Oh, my god, that's ridic...
Make a call or something!
Well, if stroh
were my son and I was rich,
I don't think I'd want
him to find me either.
Well, if you're on the right
track, and that's a big "if,"
Gwen's new number would
only exist on a hard copy
in the social security
headquarters in Maryland.
Really? Maryland?
I see. Okay.
You lot run around
following the rules.
I'll go... This way.
Let's see who gets
to mama stroh first.
A hard
copy in Maryland, sir?
Even if we were able
to get a search warrant,
it could take weeks to find it.
Uh, I might have a
workaround, Julio.
What about
the social security office
where she filed for the change?
The social security
administration
has over a
thousand field offices.
How are you gonna figure
out which one to search?
Excuse me. Cami,
could you review for us what we
know about Gwendolyn pre-1992?
Mm-hmm. A social security
number can tell a pretty good story
of a person's life, especially
if you can find a credit report
to go with it.
Let's do this, Julio.
Gwendolyn hope Lyle, born in
Philadelphia, pa, July 18, 1947.
Attended penn for two years,
her dad was rich, rich, rich,
and she worked at one of his
travel agencies every summer.
In 1967, when she was only 20,
Gwendolyn married
Tyler Tate stroh,
a 28-year-old executive
also employed by
her father's company.
Gwen gave birth to her
precious son, Phillip, in 1969.
Oh, my god. You
people are more boring
than watching televised snooker.
Her father died, she
sold the business,
divorced her husband, and
bought an amazing home
in chagrin falls, Ohio...
What?! "An amazing home"?
What are you, a bloody
estate agent now?
Why can't you people
treat this like an emergency?
Do you have a
higher gear than sloth?
Glacial, perhaps?
A year later, she
married Jim bechtel.
May he rest in peace.
I wonder where his daughter is.
She should be here by now.
Oh, but
way back then, sir,
Tammy moved with her father
and new stepmother to bel air
in 1985 without Phillip,
who was left behind to attend
some fancy boarding school.
Bet there's a
lot more to that story.
Of course there's
more to the story.
But none of it leads
to mama stroh.
Gwen and Jim filed their
taxes jointly in California
only once before
divorcing in 1986,
and then eventually, Gwen
just disappears in 1992.
On December 11, 1992.
If you can't be helpful,
at least be precise.
Ella, wake up!
Get naked! Come on.
So, stroh's mother
abandoned him?
Looks like it.
Tammy bechtel's on the elevator.
Uh, Amy, would you
give me a hand, please?
Lieutenant provenza?
Ah, that's me, and
this is detective Sykes.
Thank you for coming, Tammy.
So sorry about what
happened to your father.
We know
this is a difficult time.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, boo-hoo.
Thank you.
So, you're considering
Phillip as a suspect?
Does that seem likely to you?
Not really.
He and daddy didn't
get along very well,
but we were only a serious
part of his life for a few years,
and that was decades ago.
I don't really remember
that much about Phillip,
and I can't imagine he recalls
that much about me, either.
Then again, Phillip was strange.
Understatement of the century.
You are aware
that your ex-stepbrother
is a serial killer.
The FBI came to my
house five years ago
and told me about all the
women that Phillip had murdered.
I was just shocked.
But in retrospect,
there were signs,
things that I now know are
markers for people like him.
What signs?
Oh, he tried to set our house
on fire a couple of times.
My dog disappeared one
day, it never came back.
He pushed me off the
slide in our backyard.
Those aren't signs.
Those are billboards.
How could they not know
something was wrong with the kid?
It's hard to give
up on your child.
But now that I have
girls of my own, I...
Well, so,
your father got very upset.
What about your
stepmother, Gwen?
Daddy and Gwen,
they fought over Phillip constantly.
It got better when he
went to boarding school,
but then they would
just argue about
whether or not he should
come home for Christmas
or what to do with Phillip once
we moved to L.A., but they...
Like I said, more to the story.
Did all the quarreling
stop once you got to California?
For a while, and then
about a year later,
they got into a fight
that lasted for weeks.
I woke up in the middle
of the night hearing...
Hearing daddy screaming.
And Gwen packed up
and left the next day.
Did you ever see Phillip again?
No. Once Phillip moved to L.A.,
he would contact
dad occasionally.
Actually, he hounded daddy.
He demanded to know
where his mother had gone.
So stunning, really.
She fought so hard
to keep her son,
and then she just abandoned him.
Did you ever see or
speak to Gwen again?
No. Not after she disappeared.
Damn it. I did try
to look her up once.
I wanted to send
her a thank-you note.
I couldn't find her
in the phone book,
and that was pretty much
all we had to go on back then.
Phone books?
Travel agencies? Oy.
Can we go
back just one second?
You just said that
you wanted to give
Gwendolyn a thank you note.
What for?
I graduated from
high school in '95
and an envelope
arrived in the mail
with a sweet note from Gwen
and $10,000 cash.
Wow.
From your ex-stepmother
Whom you hadn't
seen since you were...
9 years old. It was
obscenely generous,
but no return address.
What about a postmark?
Yes, Pasadena, but I don't
think she actually lived there,
'cause my father went looking
through all the property records
where she could've bought a home
and he couldn't find anything.
Why would he do that?
Oh, my dad...
For all his success, he
was a fairly simple guy.
He loved what he loved.
He loved me, his business,
the sea...
And he loved Gwen.
I think finding out that
she could've been...
I'm looking to see if there's
a social security office
in Pasadena.
Bechtel didn't find her,
and he was a
real-estate developer.
Gwen changed her name.
Bechtel was looking
for the wrong person.
She was in Pasadena during '95.
Maybe that's where
she started over.
But please don't get me
wrong. I... my dad was happy.
Criminal
intelligence could check that
faster than you guys.
Tell the lieutenant
I'm giving it a go.
Never, ever get over.
Thank you,
Tammy. Thank you very much.
You've been very helpful.
Detective Sykes, would
you please assist her
with a statement?
Andy, hey! What
are you doing here?
There's no reason
you can't stay at home.
I promised Sharon
that I would protect the kids,
and I can't do that sitting at
home feeling sorry for myself.
Look, how I deal with
this crap is not up to you.
Ah. You're sure?
I'm sure.
Okay.
Is, uh, Nolan still
on an assignment?
Uh, yeah, yeah.
♪♪
Ah, good, good.
So, it would
appear that our chief
is finally gonna help
us out for a change.
So we still have to
prepare searches
for every social
security office...
Bad news, lieutenant.
I found her first.
Oh! Enjoy your game
of musical chairs.
Et cetera...
Andy, um,
do you remember that we... well,
you were picking
me up to go home?
Yeah. I'll go home...
Once stroh is dead.
I wish you luck
with that, lieutenant.
In the meantime...
I'll give Gwendolyn
your regards.
♪♪
All right, lieutenant.
C.i. Confirmed Pasadena's
social security office
has some sealed files
dated from mid-December 1992.
That's Gwendolyn
stroh. Sykes, Sanchez.
But to get a name, birth date,
and her new number,
I need a warrant,
and I don't think we
have enough to ask
the federal government
for declaratory relief.
How about protecting
the life of the record holder
from one of the most dangerous
serial killers in the world?
Her name appears
on a list of searches
that includes eight other
people that have either died
or been murdered in
the last 11 months, sir.
Okay.
I can try.
Uh, chief? If I might
make a suggestion,
try to be a little
more enthusiastic
with our federal friends
and put some urgency into it?
We need to find
this woman alive.
Thank you, lieutenant,
for your guidance.
Are you trying to lose
command of our division, sir?
No, Sykes.
I'm trying to stop
stroh once and for all.
Now, if Mason feels
comfortable telling me
what my job is all day long,
I can do the same for him.
Oh, Gus. Rusty can't leave.
I was just telling him that,
lieutenant. One second.
I... as long as
Andy wants to stay,
I need to wait for an
escort back to the condo.
I'll get someone
up here in a minute.
Here, I'll call now.
Okay, well, I was off today.
I made you some caldo de res.
It's my grandmother's recipe.
I put some brown rice in...
What? What is it?
That's... that's Phillip stroh?
Yeah. Yeah, why?
I saw him.
What? I saw him.
Where? At the restaurant.
When? When did you see him?
I-I waited on him.
He was my customer
the... the night Sharon died.
Did you guys talk? Yeah,
I thought maybe he
was hitting on me a little.
He asked if I had a boyfriend.
And what did you say?
Well, that...
I was trying to work things
out, that I wasn't sure.
But he... he... He
asked a little bit
about what my boyfriend was
like, but maybe it wasn't him.
This guy had a beard.
The guy we saw from
the red-light camera
in palm Springs had a beard.
It's stroh. Yeah, now
we have an eyewitness.
One second, one second. Gus...
Do you recall how he paid you?
Did he give you a credit card?
No, I didn't pick up the check.
I-I got a text from
rusty about Sharon
around 9:30, and I left
for the hospital right then.
Uh, but I can call and ask Manny
and find out if he
used a credit card.
Gus, does the restaurant
have security cameras?
Uh, yes. Not at the
parking lot or the valet,
but at the bar and
at the entrance.
Hey, Manny, hey, this is...
This is lieutenant provenza,
Los Angeles police department.
Now, Manny, I want
you to listen closely
and do exactly
what I tell you to.
Come on, Karl.
I have someone else
coming in 10 minutes.
Ella, you're breaking my heart.
It's not my fault.
You were late.
Okay. I'll tell you the truth.
I was with another woman.
How dare you.
Don't worry, it was
my boss's mum.
Just had to check on her,
make sure she was all right.
And was she?
Uh, she was so-so.
But, more importantly,
she's also incredibly rich.
So this job may turn
out very well for us.
Hmm. No wonder
you're in a good mood.
Oh, yes.
We are one little
power-of-attorney issue
from a brand-new life.
Mm-hmm.
I am serious, Ella.
I can come out of this with
a lot of cash, maybe millions.
Sounds like you're talking
about robbing the old lady.
I don't think she's
long for this world,
but no, I'm not gonna Rob her.
She obviously doesn't have
control of her money anyway.
Some guy named hunt
sanford is signing the checks.
Doesn't sound like you're
planning anything very nice.
Listen, Ella.
No one is gonna hurt
that old lady, okay?
But the world's full
of not-nice things.
I mean, your parents
were not very nice,
my parents were not very nice,
and who stuck up for us, huh?
Who bothered to make sure
we were safe and looked after?
Nobody. Hey.
Some people get born
with a lot of chances,
and some people don't have any.
Well, which category
do you think we fit into?
And... and if we want
a chance ourselves
at a life worth living,
we either have to grab chances
from other people or go without.
How much money will you have?
A least a million
and possibly a lot,
lot more than that.
Look, Ella, once I have it,
uh, I'm gonna have to leave in
a hurry, and I can't come back.
So if you won't come with
me, I'll never see you again.
Don't choose this.
This is a dead end.
There are an awful lot of
bad people out there, Ella,
and I can take care of you.
I can.
You're very sweet, Karl,
but for now, you have to go.
Promise you'll think
about coming with me?
I promise, but bye, seriously.
Uh, Karl?
Sorry.
I love you.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
You've been wanting
evidence of Phillip stroh here in L.A.
Not only do we now
have an eyewitness,
we're about to show
you Phillip stroh himself
in L.A. on video from
security cameras.
They serve crow
at this restaurant?
I may need some.
Chief, that is a
terrific thing to say.
I myself always, always
own up to my mistakes.
Or I get a divorce.
Buzz?
Yes, um...
Gus said stroh was
seated about 8:00 P.M.,
so I will fast-forward the
video from around 7:30.
♪♪
Wait, wait, what was that?
♪♪
The time code jumped
ahead about 45 seconds.
Oh, no. Uh, keep
going, buzz. Keep going.
Someone's edited the footage.
Where'd this video come from?
Assurance digital security,
a surveillance company used
by lots of small businesses, sir.
Secure servers,
24-hour monitoring,
virtually unhackable.
Fast-forward an hour, buzz,
to when he might have left.
♪♪
So much for proof.
This is proof, chief.
Stroh is playing a
game, to keep us...
Do you really believe he has
this level of hacking ability?
I can't justify
adding security detail
to this young man based
on... chief, Gus got closer
to Phillip stroh than anyone
in the last three years.
We are spread very thin.
Consider how it
will look, lieutenant,
if after your first week of
commanding major crimes,
your expenses doubled.
Well, think about your
homicide statistics, sir,
if Gustavo Wallace ends up dead.
Yeah, and while I'm doing that,
here's somebody else
you'll probably tell me
needs 24-hour protection.
And that would be who?
Your warrant was approved
by the social security
administration.
I have the name and
address for the woman
who used to be Gwendolyn stroh
in San Marino, right
next door to Pasadena.
Well, what's her name?
Good evening. I'm
lieutenant Michael tao, l.A.P.D.
You are Abigail
atwood, I presume?
We're sorry to disturb
you past 9:00 P.M...
You're not disturbing me,
lieutenant, but I'm Julia.
Abigail is my boss.
Well, I take care
of her. May I help...
Uh, I'm sorry to
interrupt you, Julia,
but it is very important
we speak with Ms. Atwood
and we ask her a few questions.
Well, I-I don't think
now's a very good time.
Mrs. Atwood has a lot... our search
warrant says this is the perfect time.
Step aside, ma'am.
All I meant was that
nighttime is trickier for
Mrs. Atwood's dementia.
And she's already had
one new visitor today,
and that sort of thing
takes it out of her.
A new... Someone
was here before us?
This morning.
She almost never has company,
but I think he said he
was from her old church,
and he just wanted
to... was this him?
No, no, this was a younger man.
Scott.
I-I didn't see him leave,
and last I checked,
she was asleep,
so I just assumed
that he scooted out.
Hold on.
♪♪
Ms. Atwood?
Ms. Atwood?
Gwen.
Did you say "Gwen"?
Ms. Atwood, I'm
detective Amy Sykes.
I'm with the Los Angeles
police department.
The police?
Oh, no. Yes, ma'am.
We have some questions
about your son, Phillip.
Oh... you found her, didn't you?
I knew you would one day.
Found who?
Who did we find, ma'am?
Mary Wellington.
You found Mary Wellington.
♪♪
Her name
wasn't on the list of searches,
but we are trying to find out
who Mary Wellington might be.
We can try asking Gwendolyn
again later this morning,
when her caretaker
says she's more with it.
And who visited
Gwendolyn's house yesterday?
Another man, but not stroh.
The nurse said he might've been
barely 20, he looked so young.
Unfortunately, Gwendolyn,
aka Mrs. Atwood,
has staff around day and
night, so no security cameras.
Now, stroh is known to work
with younger accomplices,
and if this accomplice
knows where Gwendolyn is,
stroh does, too. Which means...
We need to replace the patrol
officers you left at her house
with around-the-clock
undercover surveillance.
Lieutenant, you're killing me.
Well, we can't bring her
here. She's not well enough.
I understand, but we are
running out of qualified officers
to provide this level
of... boss, please.
Look at it this way... stroh
was searching for his mother.
He even added
cities to her first name
because it's a little unusual,
and he didn't know
where she was.
Think of how much trouble
we went through to find her,
and somehow, stroh
was ahead of us.
But how? Who is
taking care of Gwen,
and who's paying the bills...
The Abigail atwood foundation?
We're trying hard to
find out who's running it,
but all of her caregivers signed
confidentiality agreements,
and we have no criminal
cause to ask them to break them.
So you're telling me I have to
pay for another security detail,
is that it? No, h-hey,
I'm not the kind of guy who just
bothers you with problems.
I also offer solutions.
Now, we can save a
serious amount of money
if rusty and Gus are under
the protection of a single team.
Wait, what? Gus
can stay at the condo.
That's not a bad idea. I've
already cleared it with Flynn,
and it's no hardship
on them. They're dating.
No, we're not. No,
we're not dating.
Well, you bat for the
same team, anyway.
Might as well share a dugout.
We can't compel you to agree,
but it would be a huge help.
Okay, uh, look. I just worry
that we're not... Uh...
Okay. All right, if Andy says it's
okay... look, I-If you don't want me to...
I said it's okay. I said it's fine,
Gus. Maybe I don't need security.
Stroh said that he
might run into you again.
You need security. Whatever.
Thank you.
It'll only be until this stroh
business is cleared up.
How long is that gonna take? Well,
if my experience is any indication,
about six years.
It all
happened a long time ago,
but there is a Mary
Wellington with a connection
to Gwendolyn stroh. Buzz?
In 1985, at the age of 16,
Mary Wellington went missing
from chagrin falls,
Ohio.
That's where Gwendolyn
stroh moved with Phillip
after divorcing his father.
And Mary was never found.
We received the open
missing persons file
from chagrin falls, but
there's not much there.
30-years cold. Can't
imagine there would be.
And you'll notice there's
no mention of Phillip stroh
or the bechtels. Sanchez:
But Mary and Phillip
went to the same
school and lived
less than two miles apart, sir.
So this girl could
be victim zero.
I guess his thing for blondes
started at a young age.
Her parents, they gave up
the search after four years.
Hunt sanford, hunt sanford. God,
you guys are so far behind
me, you'll never catch up.
But a local news station,
they played this video
every year on her birthday
until 1992, just in case.
Buzz?
Dad, I'm trying to practice.
People will be
watching you at the recital, too.
Besides, I want you to remember
this moment when you're older.
Now I have to start all over.
♪♪
So, what does Gwendolyn
stroh know about this girl,
and how do we
get her to tell us?
Yeah. Yeah, all I need
is for you to keep focused
on Mary Wellington
for another two days,
while I concentrate
on the hunt for hunt.
I have a suggestion.
Half my work in missing persons
was related to silver alerts...
Elderly people who walk
out of assisted-living centers
and into the blue, and I know
a specialist who can help us.
It's hard for someone with
memory issues to stay on track,
so it's important
not to interrupt them.
You sure you're the
right person for this, cami?
Why do people keep
saying I interrupt them?
It's so irritating. Really?
And I'll have to avoid
asking her a lot of specifics.
But specifics are all
we're after, doctor.
Having her recall how she
felt will unlock more memories
than discussing times and dates.
Dr. Joe, just to remember,
this is not a privileged
conversation.
You're gonna have a detective
and a camera with
you today at all times.
She played at church, too.
Youth sundays, evening services.
She was an accomplished girl.
It's a shame what
happened to her.
Can you tell us how
she went missing?
It must've been upsetting...
Hearing about that.
From the time he could walk,
I knew I would have
trouble with Phillip.
He was smart... too smart.
We couldn't find a crib
that would contain him.
He was an escape artist.
And then, as he got older, he...
Did other things.
But Mary Wellington,
who would ever suspect
something like that?
It must have
affected you deeply...
when it happened.
I don't know how I felt, really.
When Phillip first
came to me about it,
he was extremely upset.
How do you know that?
For the longest time,
all he could say was,
"I messed up, mom.
I messed up.
Messed up.
I really messed up."
I don't know what to do.
Just tell me what
happened, Phillip.
We'll figure it out.
You know Mary Wellington,
the girl who plays
with the youth choir?
Well, her mom didn't come
pick her up from school, so I...
So... so I decided
to walk her home,
and she started
calling me names.
Names like what?
Never mind. Uh,
I'll call her parents,
and I'm sure that
they'll understand.
No. No, she... I...
I told her off myself,
and she hit me.
She hit me several times.
She hit
me several times.
And what did you do?
Um, mom...
You have to believe me.
I was defending myself.
Defending myself.
And a shiver went up my spine,
because I didn't believe him.
But I acted like I did
so he would tell me everything.
And then...
He showed me everything, too.
I knew instantly that
Mary had done nothing
to upset Phillip except...
Probably scream.
Oh, the fire.
I stood there, wondering,
"how will I manage this?"
And then I decided
the damage was done.
What do you mean by that?
Well, Mary was already
dead, wasn't she?
Punishing Phillip
for the rest of his life,
that wasn't going
to bring her back.
And he was only 16.
Disposing of her body
must have been stressful.
Yes.
But...
My husband was a
real-estate developer.
♪♪
His company was about
to pour the foundation
for a house 10 miles away.
He had driven me past
it a few days before.
I was not sure
that it would work.
But the house went
up, and after a while,
I stopped thinking about it.
Weren't you afraid that
Phillip would be investigated?
No.
Phillip must've chosen
her very carefully.
They weren't friends.
He never talked to
her in front of anyone.
He waited a
distance from school.
No one saw them together.
The only person who
ever asked about it was Jim.
My husband, yes.
Once it was on the news,
Jim became suspicious.
He asked Phillip if he
had seen Mary that day.
Phillip did not look
even slightly guilty.
I suppose that should've
alarmed me, but...
I felt relieved.
Except for the fire.
♪♪
Is that when you sent
Phillip to boarding school?
Yes, that's why I
agreed to it finally...
An all-boys boarding school.
And then, Jim's business
took us to California,
and I agreed, for
Tammy's sake...
To leave Phillip behind.
But it was hard.
It was very hard letting
go like that, very hard.
Maybe it's better her
memory is slipping.
I wouldn't want
to remember that.
Bought us a house in bel air,
and Jim and I were
happy for a while,
until he found out that I
wasn't flying back east
to see my family, but to
visit Phillip at his school.
We ended up divorcing,
and then, a few years later...
What?
There was a fire at the house
where we had buried Mary.
I was afraid they would find her
and that we would be arrested.
And also I-I read some
news stories from Ann arbor,
where Phillip was
going to law school.
Two girls went
missing, both blond.
I knew it was Phillip.
One of his professors
was very suspicious.
And I had met another
man who I loved,
and I decided that
Jim had been right.
I went to visit
Phillip one last time
to see if I could fix things.
Fix things how?
I set Phillip up with money...
Quite a lot of money, really...
In case he needed to
get out of the country.
And then, I left him.
I changed my name.
I didn't tell him "goodbye."
Wow. No wonder he
hates women so much.
The only one he ever
trusted abandoned him.
Could be why stroh came
to L.A. to practice law.
He wanted to locate his mom.
It goes with what
Tammy bechtel told us.
I supposed that's how you
found out. Oh, never mind.
It doesn't matter anymore.
I've tried to solve too
many problems with money.
I deserve to be arrested.
May I bring some of
my scrapbooks with me
and my nightgowns?
This... this will do for court,
but I shouldn't
like to sleep in it.
And that's it. I'd
say unbalanced,
the dementia
might be convenient,
but it's also real.
Guilt can do strange
things to people.
Tell me about it.
Uh, I found a house
inside the 10-mile radius
that Gwen mentioned
had a bad fire mid-1992.
A lot of damage, but
the homeowners rebuilt.
Chagrin falls p.D. Is
seeing if it might be the home
where they buried Mary's body.
I just got off the phone
with the chief in Ann arbor.
He's having his
missing persons division
pull all unresolved
cases from the '90s,
particularly those of
young, blond females.
Well, I guess
we're about to find out
if Gwen's story holds water.
Yeah, but all of
this... Mary Wellington,
the girls from the '90s...
I'm not saying it's unimportant,
but it's just catching up
with Phillip stroh's past.
It's not catching up with him.
Look, I vote that
we leave the old lady
in the home under surveillance,
and if stroh is
hunting for her...
I hope you're not talking
about my mother that way.
Sorry, who are you?
Hunt sanford, and
Abigail atwood,
the lady you spent
all day getting upset,
she's my mother.
What the... Oh,
you're kidding me!
And now she's
chattering some nonsense
about fires and murder?
Whoa, stop right there, sir.
Abigail atwood
doesn't have any kids.
She moved in with my
father when I was only 3.
She took care of me
then. I take care of her now,
which is why
you're gonna explain
why you upset her so much.
That's not fair!
I was on the verge
of finding him myself,
and he just pops
into your office?
You lucky assholes.
Well, now we're dead even again.
Okay, hunt sanford.
The race reboots like this.
♪♪
Don't go feeling
sorry for the guy.
Yeah, stroh's mom
left him, maybe.
But she also set him
up with a ton of cash,
and if he hadn't
been such a freak...
It's just... It's
a little weird.
The parallels... His
mom abandons him,
he looks for her in Los Angeles,
oh, and he goes to law school.
Does that sound familiar?
Did you miss the
part where stroh killed
three women before he got here?
I mean, unless there's
a lot you're not telling us.
All right, it's... It's
just like mom said.
The more that I relate to
stroh, the better I seem to...
Uh... never mind.
Um, mom also said that
whatever it is that made stroh
move to Los Angeles
in the first place
might be what
would bring him back.
Again, his mother.
Yeah, but why is
he looking for her?
And what does
she have to do with
all of these other
people that he's killed?
That's a good question, kid,
and I wish Sharon
were around to answer it,
but I'm gonna give it
a go, not you, okay?
Okay, then.
Well, then, what now?
Do I just stay here forever?
Well, I'll get you both an
escort back to the condo,
but you're gonna
have to go together.
And you can't split up.
Sorry.
You hear that?
We can't split up.
You're taking what
you were told the wrong way.
Look, anything my mother
told you, anything, it's all fantasy.
We don't think so.
She describe a crime
committed 30 years ago,
and her story matches
up with the facts.
30 years ago. Are you serious?
Go talk to her tomorrow.
She won't remember you.
Half the time, she
thinks I'm my father.
He's been dead for seven years.
Why do you still
take care of her
if your dad passed so long ago?
She doesn't have anybody else,
and it doesn't matter
that she and my father
were never
married. She's family.
Sure you're not
sticking around for an inheritance?
She has a lot of money.
Not as much as I do.
Look, if it weren't
for me, my mother
would have nothing at all.
Her finances were a wreck.
She was sending money
all over the damn world.
Everyone... everyone...
was taking advantage of her.
Well, what do you expect?
She's rich, old,
and out of her mind.
Yeah, everybody, except you.
I work hard to keep
my mother stable,
and I just left her
muttering in a corner
about some girl playing a
piano and a son she never had.
Well, see, actually, she
does have another son.
What?
I knew I would have
trouble with Phillip.
He was smart, too smart.
Even as a baby, we
couldn't find a cr...
You're right in a way.
Abigail doesn't have a son,
but Gwendolyn stroh does,
and that was your mother's name
before she changed her identity.
She changed her what?
See, look at the legal work.
Abigail atwood used
to be Gwendolyn stroh,
mother of Phillip stroh.
Phillip stroh,
the serial killer?
Yeah, I feel bad for him.
That's a lot to take in at once.
Gwendolyn told
us Phillip killed a girl
named Mary Wellington
and confessed to
helping him cover it up.
She's confused. Mary Wellington
probably doesn't even exist.
Here is a newspaper article
on Mary's disappearance.
And this contains a summary
of Phillip stroh's
crimes against humanity
for your perusal.
Take time to absorb it.
We'll be back.
It's inside the radius
described by Gwen.
The house almost burned
to the ground mid-1992.
The chagrin falls police
department found something
on the ground-penetrating
radar, sir.
They're digging. Homeowners
aren't too happy about it.
We just hope that
Gwendolyn's memory served
and they're not busting
up the wrong house.
And the two girls that Gwen
mentioned in Ann arbor?
Any merit to that? Emily west,
Donna Anderson went
missing in August and November
of 1992, respectively.
Never found.
Gwendolyn's stepson?
He's going over
material we left...
Yes, please, give me
everything you know about
Mr. Power of attorney for
the Abigail atwood foundation.
He's trying to come to
terms with the fact that he shares
a mother with a serial killer.
We need to set up hunt and
Gwendolyn with protection.
Lieutenant... Uh, look.
Don't forget that
two-for-the-price-of-one deal.
Lieutenant...
Look, I just want to stop
stroh from killing someone
else off of that hit list.
Lieutenant. What is it, buzz?
Mr. Sanford is about to...
Excuse me!
My mom really gave
birth to this monster?
And that monster might
be coming after her,
which is why...
We need to arrange protection
for you and for your mom.
Forgive me if I pass.
I just read about how
you let a known serial killer
murder a judge and walk
away in broad daylight.
It says in here the d.A.
You think Phillip
murdered had bodyguards.
From the district attorney's
office, not the l.A.P.D.
I already have my
own security detail,
also surveillance everywhere,
covering every single one...
Surveillance everywhere?
What kind of surveillance?
That's what i'm
trying to tell you.
All of my businesses and
properties have cameras,
including Abigail's home, so
we won't be needing your help.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Cameras?
Oh, bloody hell.
Oh, shit, what kind of cameras?
They store locally on
sd cards in the camera...
Locally. Shit, shit! Locally!
Well, the staff
at your mother's house
said there were no cameras.
Because those
cameras aren't placed
to monitor them.
Only in her bedroom, actually.
Ever hear of elder abuse?
I was having trouble... your
mother had another visitor yesterday,
someone who claimed
he was from her church,
but who we think
works with stroh.
If we can have patrol
collect those sd cards...
And the ones from
your properties as well.
We need to make
sure that you're not
being stalked by the same guy.
Sure. Fat lot of good it's
gonna do you, but sure.
This won't be
like the restaurant, chief.
Cameras that don't
stream aren't hackable.
No, buzz Watson.
No, they're not.
If we get some
decent video of him,
we can run it through
facial recognition.
This is marked
"Abigail's bedroom,"
and we know he visited with her.
Oh, damn it, no. All this way...
Buzz, put it on the
big thingy, please.
The big thingy? The
big thingy's mine!
So, what time should I start at?
Okay, buzz, yeah,
yeah, yeah. Yes, yes, yes.
Stall for me.
Her nurse said he
came around 11:00.
Come on, come on,
come one, come on.
♪♪
Let's go, dirt bag.
Turn around so we
can see your face.
Let me fast-forward a little.
Here we go...
No, stop, stop,
stop, no, no, no!
Oh, god, no.
♪♪
Oh.
He looks a little familiar.
Buzz. Buzz. Try it again.
What is that?
More importantly...
Who is that?
That's no one,
lieutenant geezer.
Oh, I'm done.
I'm sorry about what Phillip
stroh's gonna do to hunt.
It's not my fault, really.
Not my fault.
Not my fault.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪