The Closer (2005–2012): Season 7, Episode 9 - Star Turn - full transcript

[SINGING] I never
crawled before I walked

And I was singing
before I talked

Nothing feels better
Than strumming my guitar

So I asked my daddy
"Will I be a star?"

Yesterday 43-year-old
Indiana native Bob Michaels...

set out on a hike in the Santa
Monica Mountains and never returned.

MISSY [SINGING]: I wanna
do more than settle for less

MAN: Hiking is
generally a safe activity.

But not out here alone at night
in the world's largest urban park.

The only clue to
Mr. Michaels' disappearance...

is this minivan, which brought
him, his wife and daughter...



a budding talent from Fort Wayne,
to Hollywood, chasing the dream.

A dream that rescuers here are trying
to stop from turning into a nightmare.

CALVIN: As the sun sets...

on the second day of rescue efforts
in the Santa Monica Mountains...

the mood amongst those searching
for Bob Michaels turns grim.

Back home in Fort Wayne,
Indiana, City of Churches...

Bob Michaels is a
community theater actor...

who, like many fathers, dreams his
daughter has the stuff to become a star.

And Extra has the music video
Missy Michaels recorded just last week.

Tragically, it now plays like a country
pop hymn to Missy's missing dad.

[SINGING] Please say yes

On day four of the
search for Bob Michaels...

criticism continues to
mount over what some say...

should have been an
easy rescue operation.



After federal, state
and city budget cuts...

the park service can
only operate on weekends.

They've had washouts and rock
slides all over the trail system...

making the job of everyone on
the team that much more difficult.

It's way too early to speculate
on the identity of the body.

The last thing the L.A.P.D. wants
to do after this five-day ordeal...

is to create unnecessary
grief for the Michaels family.

Chief Johnson, is this
a murder investigation?

[BRENDA SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

Well, the arrival of Major
Crimes from the L.A.P.D...

signals just how violent of an end
this is for another Hollywood dream...

as the man from the City of Churches
ends his life in the City of Angels.

And we're clear.

I guess we can, uh, send
the rattlesnake guy home.

Oh, for heaven's
sakes. What a circus.

- Where's the body?
- Right there.

Which patrol says is about
a hundred yards up this trail.

And then another 200
yards down and, splat.

- You mean he fell off a
cliff? TAO: Or got pushed.

Hard to say. Fire Department's
working on getting him up and out.

Special Agent Howard,
what are you doing here?

FRITZ: Oh, the trail I came down
belongs to the National Forest Service.

You're standing
on federal property.

Okay, so then why are we here?

Well, when Mr. Michaels fell,
he, uh, landed in a city canyon.

Mind if we head up the
mountain and take a peek?

Well, we're about to start
casting Mr. Michaels' footprints.

We could use some volunteers
to help carry up the plaster.

- Yeah, right.
- Chief Johnson, the Michaels family.

- They're here.
- Thank you.

Lieutenant, wanna carry plaster up the
mountain or talk to the family with me?

Bye, everyone.

[SIGHS]

Chief Johnson, Lieutenant
Provenza, this is Bob Michaels' family...

his wife, Beth, his daughter,
Missy, his father-in-law.

- I'm sorry, sir?
- Wes Durant, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Thank you. And this
is Bob's son, Tim.

- I wasn't aware Mr. Michaels had a son.
- He forgot about it too.

Not now, Dad. Please.

This man you found,
it's not Bob, is it?

We're not sure.

But this is so far from
where he left our car.

Fifteen miles.

How could he get this close
to a road and not make it out?

Yeah, it can't be Daddy.
He's too far from the car.

Mrs. Michaels, uh, your husband
spend a lot of time out in nature?

He took my Scout troop camping
at Pokagon State Park back home.

So he's an experienced
outdoorsman?

Well, he's not an expert.
He was just going for a walk.

Okay.

Ma'am, you told
the police earlier...

that the last time you saw your
husband, he was wearing a blue shirt?

Uh, a blue polo
with stripes, yeah.

TAYLOR: Well, one of the
rescuers found this on the body.

- Does this look familiar?
- Oh.

[FAMILY CRYING]

We only came out
here because of me.

It's my fault.

No. No, baby. Don't you think
that for one second, all right?

I should never have
let them leave Indiana.

Excuse me, Missy, the reporters
are asking for a statement.

You're not going anywhere.
Tell those reporters to go to hell.

You can go with them. We don't
need any Hollywood managers here.

Ma'am, we need some quiet
time now, away from here.

Um, of course. Why don't y'all relax in
one of our family rooms at the station?

- We can arrange a ride for you.
- We have a rental car.

Ah.

All right, then. Would you
please arrange an escort?

- Sure.
- I'm sorry.

I know it's a very difficult time.
But as soon as you're able...

we're going to need your
husband's medical and dental records.

WES: Here you go.

Right this way. Right this way.

FIREMAN: Three. Two. One. Clear.

Let's go.

MORALES: I don't
normally do house calls.

My boss didn't want the press to
get the information out before we did.

And, yuck.

Uh, multiple
fractures of the left leg.

Oh, that bone's sticking out a
little bit. Stay away from that.

Shattered pelvis, crushed ribs.

This guy didn't fall off
the mountain, he bounced.

And weird. His face is
sunburned, but the rest of him isn't.

Except for the
palms of his hands.

- Was the body in the shade?
- Under a lot of scrub brush.

MORALES: Body's cold but
still stiff. Very little decomp.

No bug larvae or
post-mortem animal bites.

I say he was down there overnight,
maybe 10, 12 hours at most.

Now, how did he manage to walk around
for five days in a polo shirt and shorts...

- and only get sunburned on his face?
- He had sunscreen on.

- Why are you still here?
- To determine what happened.

Guy's a jumper, right?

He was out here nearly a week
before taking the leap. Why the wait?

Maybe he, uh, stumbled
off the cliff in the dark.

Or he got so lost that he gave up all hope.
It's hard to think of this guy as a genius.

You have an important
settlement conference...

that could end this
multimillion-dollar lawsuit...

against the city, the
department, you, me.

If we go now, we can
hitch a ride on a chopper.

Now, hang on. This
redness is not from a sunburn.

[ALL YELLING]

- Out. Out. Everybody out. Now.
PROVENZA: What the hell is that?

[ALL YELLING AND COUGHING]

Don't rub. Don't rub.
You'll make it worse.

POPE: Brenda. What is it?

Pepper spray on the victim's
face. The water I used reactivated it.

Medic, pepper-spray wipes!

MEDIC: I got them.
- Pepper spray?

Who would pepper-spray him?

[ALL COUGHING]

BRENDA: These are the victim's
footprints, courtesy of the FBI.

Notice anything?

- Dragging his heels?
- No, it looks that way...

because he was pushed here,
where it says "edge of cliff."

[BRENDA SNIFFS]

- So he went off the cliff backwards?
- With a big shove and pepper spray.

What makes you so
sure he was pushed?

Because the FBI told me that all
the other footprints around his...

were brushed away.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Come in.

Good afternoon. Good to
see everyone in one place.

[BRENDA COUGHS]

We just passed
Goldman sitting outside.

Looking very smug.

- Is something wrong?
- It's pepper spray.

But no officer-involved
violence. No one was attacked.

- Yeah. Someone attacked Bob Michaels.
- Or maybe he sprayed himself...

trying to fend off a...
Whatever, a raccoon or a skunk.

RAYDOR: On the
subject of skunks...

Goldman's offer has already
been approved by the attorney.

It's our turn to take a look.

Goldman is gonna try to make this
settlement sound like a miracle cure.

Don't get too excited
when you hear it, okay?

- Okay. GAVIN & POPE: Okay.

POPE: Mr. Goldman,
come in, please.

[POPE COUGHS]

I think you've met everyone.

- Was it something I said?
- Heh.

- Pepper spray. Sorry we can't offer you any.
- Heh.

We're anxious to hear
about the settlement.

I have good news, followed
by even better news.

The Baylor family has agreed to lower
the claim from 20 million to $500,000.

I know.

Not every day you get a
97-and-a-half-percent discount.

That does sound like good news.

GAVIN: Mm-hm. Mm-hm.

- So, what's the better news?
- If you agree to the settlement...

the Baylor family will drop
their claim of wrongful death...

against Chief Johnson.

- In exchange for what?
- Sorry?

Well, you've made the sun
shine, now tell us about the rain.

There is some language...

which stipulates Deputy Chief
Johnson was unconcerned...

with Turell Baylor's welfare
when she dropped him off.

Hmm. Language
is a magical thing.

GOLDMAN: You will also note...

that I have significantly
lowered my contingency fees.

This has never been about
money. It's about righting a wrong.

And getting Mrs.
Baylor a new house...

so she's not forced to live where
her son was brutally murdered.

And this offer
does all of that...

without singling
anyone out for blame.

So read it. Please.

Every word. Under a microscope.

And you're welcome.

GAVIN: Thanks. We'll confer.

I was kind of hoping we
could settle this today.

Oh, sorry to
disappoint. Bye-bye.

Fine. I'll expect an answer by
midnight tomorrow. Chief Johnson.

POPE: I can see why
the city loves this offer.

I mean, 500 grand
instead of 20 million?

And no one is reassigned,
right? No one's culpable?

Still says I didn't care what
happened to Turell Baylor.

That's okay. Nobody cared
about him until he died.

- Gavin, what do you think?
- Well, the agreement appears reasonable.

I'm not gonna
pressure my client...

to sign a life-changing
document in the next five minutes.

POPE: Well, then allow me.

Let's get this suit over with and I'll
take us all out for a celebratory drink.

The motion for summary judgment
is set to be argued next week.

I can win it. I will win it.

This agreement
acknowledges as much.

Goldman is desperate. Why
would you wanna celebrate...

paying $500,000 for
something you could get for free?

What if you're wrong and the
judge decides to try this case?

Have you thought about what
might happen to your client?

I don't think about
anything else but my client.

Can you say the same?
No, didn't think so.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

- Yeah. Come in.
- Excuse me, chiefs.

Uh, the Michaels family is downstairs
crashing Taylor's press conference.

What? Oh.

MISSY [ON TV]:
Yeah, I just wanna say...

my video came out last week
and Daddy was really proud of it.

He wouldn't hurt himself.

It was an accident. He
did not jump off that cliff.

As Missy's manager, I
want everyone to know...

[ON TV] that we
will not stand by...

and allow the police or anyone
else dishonor Bob's memory...

by implying that
he killed himself.

[CELL PHONE RINGS ON TV]

Now, I wanna thank
the millions of people...

Commander, bring those
people up here right now, please.

Uh, Mr. Durant, where's
the rest of your family?

My granddaughter's manager,
that Bruno, wouldn't let them come.

- Why?
- They were late for another interview.

That idiot Bob spent every dime
they ever had trying to become famous.

Well, now he's finally the
star of his own TV show.

Your son-in-law wanted
to be famous too?

I thought it was your
granddaughter with the big dreams.

Uh-huh. Bob had his eye on
Hollywood since the day I met him.

A few years after he married my
daughter, I bought them a house...

thinking it might help him
put down roots, settle down.

He quit his job, shaved his head,
and did The King and Me in the park.

The King and I.

WES: When he
wasn't discovered...

because Hollywood doesn't send
talent scouts out to Fort Wayne...

he pushed Missy on the stage
and started living through her...

telling her she was
gonna be a star.

Mr. Durant, do
you have any idea...

why your son-in-law was
at the top of that mountain?

I don't know. Missy had
a tryout that afternoon.

It wasn't like him to
miss one of those things.

He never skipped
a single audition.

I do know he called and asked
for his old job back in Fort Wayne.

Boss said, "Nothing doing."

Maybe Bob woke up
the other morning...

realized he was out of
gas, and jumped ship.

Yeah. But he had
only been dead for...

Uh, commander, let's not upset
Mr. Durant with details like that.

I'm so sorry, sir. Um...

You were saying that you
thought that Bob killed himself?

Well, he wasn't exactly the
responsible type, you know.

When they came out here, he left
Timmy behind with us in Fort Wayne.

- Boy's in grade school.
- Your daughter disagree with that decision?

Beth never saw sense when it came
to Bob, ever since they did a play.

- Your daughter's an actor too?
- No. No. They're all, uh...

What do you call them? Amateurs.
Being taken advantage of by that Mexican.

Actually, chief, Bruno's
as American as they come.

He runs an online music-video
business aimed at Hollywood newcomers.

Yeah, well, whatever Bruno is...

he had Beth and Bob
thinking this video thing...

was gonna turn Missy
into the next Debbie Boone.

He's behind all of
this. You wait and see.

Talk to Bruno. He runs
the show around here.

The family appreciates everything
you've done in this terrible time.

Can't say that enough.

Well, thank you. Thank you,
and I sure do love that song.

[BRENDA CHUCKLES]

- Is it true you wrote it? What's it called?
- "Daddy Say Yes."

I wrote it. Thank you.
I'm glad you liked it.

Sunk a lot of money into that
video too, but Missy's worth it.

I'm sure. So, Mr. Perez, we're
investigating Mr. Michaels' death and...

I know. You have to start
admitting it was an accident...

instead of acting
like he offed himself.

Is that what we're doing?

Well, you're being very
tight with the details.

And in this new
media environment...

which is difficult to explain to someone
your age, Missy's about to become a star.

So going around saying
her dad jumped off a cliff...

because he gambled everything on
her and thought he lost, that's not good.

I totally get it looks better for
you guys to call it a suicide...

but why should
Missy be punished...

because it took you
five days to find him?

It's not her fault.

Well, Mr. Perez, we'd
love to change our tune...

but I can't do that without
talking to Missy and her mom.

- If you can arrange...
- Not today.

Booked them for an East Coast
morning show, middle of the night here.

And Missy's gonna have a hard
time as it is trying to get some sleep.

So I have to protect her.

Protect her by pushing her to do interviews
the day her father was found dead?

Well, America watched what
happened to Bob this week.

The whole country's in mourning.

You know who shows up
when people are in mourning?

- Police.
- You know who else shows up?

Lawyers.

- Heh.
- Okay.

Okay. You like
interviews? So do I.

When I step outside
and tell these reporters...

you and Missy are refusing
to cooperate with police...

in this investigation, they're gonna
jump to conclusions worse than suicide.

You feel me?

So, uh... So you only
wanna talk to the family?

Look, Bruno...

government regulations require that
Missy and her mom sign a statement...

saying that they believe that
Mr. Michaels' death was an accident.

Otherwise, it's
suicide. Understand?

Okay.

For Missy's next video, if you
can get me footage of Bob's body...

being lifted out by helicopter, I'll
have them here tomorrow morning.

- Done.
- Then we're on the same page.

Hey, really great
to meet you both.

- Did I give you my card?
- You did.

Awesome. Great.
Thank you for all you do.

[BRUNO LAUGHS]

- Take care. Bye-bye. Ha, ha.
- Bye-bye.

- Nice suit.
- Thank you.

[SIGHS]

- Government regulations?
- I'm sure they exist somewhere.

Look, if Bob Michaels
committed suicide...

why did he wander around
before taking the leap?

We're the only ones who know how
long Mr. Michaels was actually dead.

So let them think we're investigating
a suicide until we know better.

[KNOCKING]

Chief, I just spoke to Dr. Morales
about the stomach contents of our victim.

And, uh... Oh, Bruno
does bat mitzvahs?

[MUTTERS]

- Lieutenant?
- Huh? Oh, right. Yeah.

Mr. Michaels,
missing for five days...

had eaten some kind of
blue candy and a pizza.

So, what, he got lost on
Mount Pepperoni? Heh.

He wasn't lost.

He was never lost.

Uh, look, I want a full
financial on the family, please.

Find out everything you can
about Bruno and his slimy business.

Thank you.

You know, Bruno writes "Daddy
Say Yes." Daddy fakes disappearing.

Song becomes a hit. You
gotta admit, it's brilliant.

Except I seriously doubt
that Daddy said yes to dying.

Missy Michaels' single
"Daddy Say Yes"...

has broken into the top
ten music downloads...

following her father's
tragic accident.

A bit of comfort for the
folks gathering here...

in the Fort Wayne
theater community.

CROWD [SINGING ON TV]: Daddy

Ugh. Only a bit of comfort if you
believe Bob Michaels found a fresh pizza...

on a trail one hour before
he was pepper-sprayed...

and shoved off a cliff
by the invisible man.

So frustrating you
couldn't find the footprints.

There were too many feet
on the trail to tell who's who.

Somebody neatened up near
the edge of the cliff. It's not my fault.

Ugh. If I hear that song
again, I'm gonna jump off a cliff.

- You gotta admit, it's kind of catchy.
- So is the flu.

You should see the contract that
Bruno uses to fool these parents.

They pay $4000 for a
song and a music video...

but then he gets 80 percent of
the proceeds. It's a total scam.

Sounds kind of like this
blameless settlement offer.

- You really wanna sign this?
- I've read it over and over.

And I can't find
anything that locks me...

or the L.A.P.D into
liability for Turell's death.

Yeah. Well, how about:

"By releasing him in
hostile surroundings...

Deputy Chief Johnson
demonstrated...

a lack of professional concern
for the safety of the plaintiff's son."

Well, it doesn't say I arranged his
murder, which is what it used to say.

Besides, Gavin said it
was a reasonable offer.

You told me Gavin said:

"It appears to be a
reasonable offer." Appears.

Sometimes things are as they appear.
Life doesn't have to be so complicated.

I'm sorry, my name's
Fritz Howard. Who are you?

The person who could end
this civil suit for everybody.

Why don't we wait to see
what Gavin has to say?

I know what Gavin has to say.

He's certain he can win the
motion for summary judgment.

But it's not his life
on the line, it's mine.

And I want things
to go back to normal.

Right now.

You sure you can live with this?

I think I have to.

I'm getting ready for bed.

BRENDA: Straight to Chief
Pope, please. Thank you.

Hey, chief, I'm almost
finished. What do you think?

"Certificate of
Accidental Death."

You're right. That
font is really nice.

I also added a line so Bruno can
sign on as a third-party witness.

That'll make him feel
like he's still in charge.

- Heh.
- I have everyone's financial records.

Still don't know where Mr. Michaels
was hiding if he wasn't in the park.

But I found the pepper spray.

- You did?
- Bruno ordered it off the Internet...

two days after the
Michaels came to Hollywood.

- Probably bought it for himself.
- What makes you say that?

- Bruno's had five complaints against him.
- Uh, mad dads.

They don't like the way Bruno
behaved with their daughters.

- Any arrests?
- Girls wouldn't say anything against him.

Of course not. He was
gonna make them famous.

- When's the family getting here?
- Taylor's on his way up with them now.

- And Bruno. BRENDA: Okay.

Buzz, would you lower the
screen over the murder board?

- And where's that accidental death form?
- Hmm.

TAYLOR: And if I can get
your autograph right here.

You better watch out, young
lady, you're getting so famous...

I might be tempted
to sell that on eBay.

Shh.

- Very good. Now, one
last page. BRUNO: Hold on.

This is, uh... What do you call it?
The thing they say on television?

It's the Miranda requirement.

It states that you have
been advised of your rights.

Yeah, I can read. What's it for?

Oh, the state won't verify
the accidental death report...

without a waiver of
rights, Mr. Perez...

which means we won't be able
to release Mr. Michaels' body.

It's fine, we're signing it.

He's right. I wanna get Bob
home as soon as possible.

Oh, here you all are.

Why didn't you take them to my
conference room? It's so much bigger.

Oh, I didn't wanna bother
you with all the paperwork.

All right, then. Well, thank you so
much for coming in and taking care of this.

Again, I apologize for
how things turned out.

It's nobody's fault.

At least that's what
people keep telling me.

The only thing left is
the pathology time line.

- The what?
- Is that something about all the things...

that happened leading
up to when Daddy died?

Oh, somebody's
been watching CSI.

Exactly right, Missy.

We need to check what we
found against what you remember...

of the days leading up to
your father's disappearance.

You know what, Missy?

Why don't you, your mother
and your grandfather...

- follow Commander Taylor
here? BRUNO: Wait, wait, wait.

- What about me?
- Oh, Mr. Perez, I'm so sorry.

But the pathology time line
is strictly for immediate family.

I know that the Michaels think of
you that way, but the law does not.

Hey, you're handling
this like a pro.

Poppy and Mom wanna go
back to Fort Wayne tonight.

It's a short trip. We'll
work around it, okay?

Oh, Missy is so lucky to
have you looking out for her.

Ha, ha. Oh, stop. I just... I
just provide the opportunity.

The star turn is up to the
girl. I can't teach charisma.

But, you know, moms
and dads can be pushy.

- Like Bob.
- Yeah.

The big singing
expert from Indiana.

On top of taking Missy to
every audition I got for her...

making her so nervous, the guy
was an absolute zero on camera.

But that didn't stop him from wanting
to be in Missy's video. Whatever.

- I made it work with him.
- Like with all the other fathers?

- What other fathers? FLYNN:
The ones who called the L.A.P.D...

to complain about how you
handled their teenage girls.

How I handled them?

Parents want their little girls
to look like hoochy mamas.

I'm the one telling them
to keep their clothes on.

I'm protecting those girls.

Is that why you bought
the pepper spray?

That's so hilarious.

You know I bought pepper spray
because you're the police, right?

But you don't know the
first day Missy was in L.A...

- she got mugged.
- Really?

Beth and Bob drive
to Venice Beach.

And when they get there,
while Missy is walking...

some skater yanks her purse.

So I buy her a new bag...

put pepper spray in it to keep her
parents from running back to Indiana.

It's called producing.

Which is my job.

Now I'll leave you to do yours.

Oh. That is the best
idea you've had all day.

- Detective Sanchez?
- What do you think you're doing, huh?

You're under arrest for
the murder of Bob Michaels.

Murder? Heh. He wasn't murdered.

He fell. Look it up in the
dictionary, lady. He fell!

It was hard sometimes.
Daddy telling me one thing...

and then Bruno saying another,
my mom saying something else.

I'm so sorry, detective.

- But I need to look inside Missy's purse.
- Okay.

Let's see.

Wait a minute. What
are you looking for?

I'm looking for the pepper
spray that Bruno bought for you.

I'm not finding it.

Maybe I lost it.

Well, under the circumstances,
Missy, that is not a good answer.

LOPEZ: The arrest
of Bruno Perez...

manager of Internet
sensation Missy Michaels...

makes her father's
death seem even stranger.

Was his fall off a cliff...

a publicity stunt
gone terribly wrong?

- Yes? POPE: Yeah.

How come this Bruno character
announced his arrest to the press?

We give people their phone
calls. Who they call is up to them.

Maybe he thought
that if he acted rashly...

his problems would
magically disappear.

Like someone who signs
a settlement to a lawsuit...

- without talking to her attorney.
- How did you find out about that?

Yeah. I have to forward signed settlement
agreements to Professional Standards.

- Sorry.
- Chief, it is my job...

to review all legal agreements
concerning officer conduct.

And I refuse to
certify this document.

- Why?
- Because we need to determine...

if the term "professionally indifferent"
has broader legal implications.

Ugh. You'd think I'd be congratulated
for agreeing to fall on my sword.

With negligent homicide off the
table, it's really more like a pen knife.

Uh...

I wanna sign it.

Maybe tonight. We'll see.

Fine.

I tried.

You and I both know this
deal isn't getting any better.

There's something here we're
missing. I don't trust Goldman.

And when it comes to this
agreement, I don't trust you, either.

GABRIEL: Did Bruno ever instruct
you on how to use the pepper spray?

No, he just told me
to keep it in my purse.

Okay. I want you to try
to think of all the times...

you didn't have your purse
since you've been in Los Angeles.

- Why?
- Because, Missy...

that pepper spray Bruno bought you
ended up all over your father's face.

Oh, my gosh.

Bruno had my purse locked in his office
the whole time we worked on the video.

When you got it back, did you
notice if anything was missing?

No, I mean, I was having
too much fun singing.

BRENDA: What about your
daddy, was he having fun?

Yeah. He loved it.

But afterwards, I don't
know, something changed.

Changed in what way?

Like, out of the blue, he just skipped
my last audition to go on that hike.

And he never skipped
my auditions. Never.

Wait. Wait. If your father took
the minivan to go on his hike...

- how did you get to your audition?
- Mom took me in the rental car.

And then Bruno picked me
up and brought me home.

You had two vehicles that day?

The Michaels reserved their rental car
one week before Bob went on his hike.

We asked the family's credit card companies
to alert us of any unusual activities.

Guess what we found on one of
those days he was supposed to be lost.

How about a hotel
charge of $8.83...

for a box of blue gummy bears?

Good lord. Eight
dollars for gummy bears?

Must have paid for the room in
cash, which is why we didn't catch it.

But they had to leave a
credit card for incidentals.

Minibars. Gets you every time.

Wife follows husband up
the mountain in a rental...

they abandon their minivan...

she drives him back to the hotel in
the car for a five-day media blowout.

Starring Bob, Beth and Missy.

Where's that rental car? We
should check it for pepper spray.

- I'll check it.
- Thank you.

I hear someone has decided
they can act as their own lawyer.

Oh, no.

I'm just about to interview a suspect
and we don't have an appointment today.

Would you come with me, please,
and bring that credit card information?

Buzz, I want you, your
camera, and your best tripod.

Oh, wait, wait, wait. You're
still working on that case?

[SINGING] Daddy, say yes

[CHUCKLES]

- Yes.
- Oh, my God.

Is that not the worst video
ever? I've watched it 50 times.

Chief, do your work.

We'll wait for you in
your conference room.

Oh, no, no, no. If I'm off the clock, I
would really like to see these people.

- Can I watch your interview?
- As long as you're not charging me.

- Okay?
- Okay.

- Okay.
- Chief, where should I set this up?

Oh. I don't recognize
these charges.

We never paid for
a hotel anywhere.

Somebody must have
stolen our credit card number.

I'm sure the DNA test
from the hotel room...

will tell us if either
of you were there.

I mean, Bob could've
been there, I don't know.

Good God in heaven, Beth.

Okay, Mrs. Michaels.

Let's talk about something you do
know. Like why you rented a car...

a week before your daughter's audition
when you were running out of money.

Okay. Okay. I can explain that.

I mean, um, Bob decided that he had
to go back to his old job in Fort Wayne.

- Now, Beth...
- That is why he went on that hike.

To think about how he
could break the news to Missy.

The rental car was
for us after he left.

Mr. Durant, you told me that your
daughter was an amateur performer...

but she seems like
a professional to me.

When she just said that Bob
was going back to his old job?

That was so believable.

- What?
- Because Bob had no job to go back to.

- Isn't that right, Mr. Durant?
- Daddy.

And Missy told us that you
dropped her at her audition...

but that Bruno took her home.

Whatever this mess
is, keep Missy out of it.

I can understand why
you'd wanna do that.

Because your son-in-law's
disappearance was a giant publicity stunt.

Oh, no, no. There was no hoax.

Actually, there was. And it looks
to me like Missy was involved.

If she wasn't, you need to
clear that up once and for all.

How? How would I do that?

BRENDA: Mrs. Michaels...

this is the L.A.P.D.'s resident
media director, Buzz Watson.

BUZZ: How do you do?

Have a seat.

GABRIEL: Buzz is our liaison to the studios
and television stations in Hollywood.

He'll film your statement, make
sure that millions of people...

see you take full responsibility
for the publicity stunt...

and more importantly,
get Missy off the hook.

BRENDA [ON MONITOR]:
If you give us permission...

I can post your statement
on the L.A.P.D.'s website...

and add a link that lets people
click straight to your daughter's video.

All you need to
do is sign this form.

Something that Buzz requires.

And if you're okay with all that, the
news will run your story for weeks.

You can generate
that kind of press?

Why do you think
they call me Buzz?

Are we lit?

We're ready. Broadcast quality.

BRENDA: Great.

I don't know what to say.

BRENDA: Tell your story truthfully.
We'll be asking questions off camera.

I just want this to be as
much about you as possible.

Okay, everybody,
we're rolling. And action.

Um, ahem.

First, I want to apologize to everyone
who worked so hard to find Bob.

We were parents trying to
create a break for our daughter.

We knew if people could
hear her sing just once...

she'd be on her way.

And so we came up with a
plan to get everyone's attention.

Without Missy's knowledge...

Bob would pretend to be lost
in the Santa Monica Mountains...

while he was actually
hiding out in a hotel.

When it was time for
him to be rescued...

I'd pick him up and drop him
off at the entrance to the park.

This was a terrible
trick to play on all of you.

So let's talk about how you
intended Bob to be found.

Oh, uh... Oh, okay.
Wait. Wait. One second.

- Uh, you can cut around this, right?
- We can.

[SIGHS]

BETH [ON MONITOR]: Um,
when the moment came...

I followed our plan.

I went to pick him up in Burbank,
where he'd been all week.

But Bob panicked.

He showered to look
"better on camera."

Which was completely out
of character for someone...

who was supposed to have been
wandering around lost for so long.

And then when I finally got him up the
mountain, the real problem came out.

Bob was terrified people
wouldn't believe our story.

GABRIEL [ON MONITOR]: Okay.
Um, wait a minute, Mrs. Michaels.

We need you to be
completely truthful.

And we didn't find any evidence of Bob
being up on that mountain with anyone.

Well, I, uh...

I sort of covered up my footprints
on the way back down the hill...

because it needed to look like
Bob had been up there alone.

But the truth is, he refused.

Outright refused to walk
up that trail by himself.

Watching the news coverage
about what could go wrong...

in the mountains at night
scared the hell out of him.

And then he went wild.

Blaming me.

And then he pushed me.

In self-defense...

I pushed him back.

And he fell off the trail,
plummeting to his death.

Beautiful. And cut.

Mrs. Michaels, that was great.

Thank you.

You don't wanna do one
more take? Just for safety?

BUZZ: Can't get better than
that. BETH: I left out so much.

Like about Bob breaking down and
eating pizza just before I picked him up.

BRENDA: Oh, that's okay. You also
left out the part about the pepper spray.

- Excuse me? BRENDA:
You stole pepper spray...

from your daughter's
purse and brought it along...

when you took Bob
up to that mountain.

What makes you say that?

Well, pepper spray is an
enormously volatile, airborne weapon.

BRENDA: When you
took Bob up to that cliff...

the wind was gusting
up to 30 miles an hour.

- Was it really that windy?
- What am I, The Weather Channel?

BRENDA: We'll get a warrant
to search your clothes and shoes.

We'll find it there too.

- Is that true?
- Don't you represent her?

Of course it's not true.

So I... I brought pepper spray with
me. I don't see how that matters.

It indicates you thought your
husband would be a handful...

even before you
went to pick him up.

GABRIEL: It kind of
undercuts the whole idea...

that you went up on the mountain with
Bob and had a spontaneous argument.

All right, well, so I had a feeling
he might chicken out, and he did.

Look, I actually made him
sound a lot better than he was.

And you have no idea,
none, how jealous he was...

that Missy and me were
on television and he wasn't.

Speaking of which, how soon
will this video get out to the media?

Uh, ooh.

I'd say a year and a half-ish.

A year and a half? But you
said people would see me.

Oh, people will. Twelve jurors,
two alternates and a judge...

will hear you say on camera
that you brought pepper spray...

because you thought your
husband would chicken out.

- No, but he said cut.
- Still rolling.

GABRIEL: Beth Michaels,
you are under arrest...

for the murder of Bob Michaels.

No, wait a minute. I
signed an agreement.

Oh. Oh, this is what I think
you theater people call a prop.

- You lied to me.
- Welcome to Hollywood.

Let's go.

The way you led her
down the garden path...

just telling her what she
wanted to hear, so simple.

Well, when someone is guilty,
they're pretty easy to lead.

How right you are. That's why...

No... Hey, come on.
We need to discuss this.

No, we don't. That
settlement has one objective.

That is to get my client
to take responsibility...

in writing, for the
murder of Turell Baylor.

But they dropped the
wrongful death charges.

Nowhere does Goldman
promise not to refile...

the moment after you admit...

professional indifference to
the suspect's predicament.

- I knew it.
- Oh, my God.

Do you think he'd still
try to take me to court?

This is why he wanted us to check
out the offer with a microscope.

He wanted us to concentrate
on what was in the settlement...

not on what wasn't.

So let's say you hand the
document over to Goldman...

after you put away the
mother of Missy Michaels.

He could wave this agreement
around on television and say:

"Deputy Chief Brenda
Leigh Johnson...

has, in effect, taken responsibility
for a murder of her own."

How do you think the
press would play that?

Especially after you
ruined "Daddy Say Yes."

[DOOR OPENS]

The Michaels are walking the
press plank, if anyone's interested.

Oh, my God. You have to ask?

[CROWD CHATTERING ON TV]

MAN 1 [ON TV]: An absolutely
wild ride coming to an end today...

with Beth Michaels
being escorted away...

charged with
murdering her husband.

Let's see if we can get a statement
from that lovely girl over there.

WOMAN 1 [ON TV]: Will you
be staying to be with your mom?

WOMAN 2: Are your 15
minutes of fame finished?

MAN 2: What's your next project?

MAN 3: Any albums in the works?
MAN 4: When's your next single come out?

WOMAN 3: What do you
have to say to all your fans?

[REPORTERS CHATTERING]

I loved my daddy.

Oh, my God.

- [SINGING] Daddy, say yes
CHORUS [SINGING]: Daddy, say yes

You are so special,
you are so blessed

You taught me to
never settle for less

Oh, Daddy, you're the best

[English - US -SDH]