The Shield (2002–2008): Season 2, Episode 2 - Dead Soldiers - full transcript
An arson attack on a local drug dealer threatens to expose Vic's protection racket.
Sangre nuevo, homes.
Police. Hold it right there.
- Hands up. Against the car.
- Turn around.
- I didn't do nothing, man.
- Buenos noches, muchachas.
- Nice boa.
- S?.
New tags, new ink.
What's up with that, Chapa?
We're just changing brands.
Torrucos now.
- Torrucos now?
- Sim?n.
Armadillo's calling you guys?
Armadillo's bro looks good
behind bars, huh?
You tell him I called.
Someone torched
Tio's drug crib.
- What if our blow was in there?
- Then it's gone.
Hey, we got a lot of
bread tied up in that shipment.
You're so worried about your
goddamn money you don't get it.
This could open up
an investigation into Tio's business.
If we're not careful,
all roads are gonna lead back to us.
Go find Tio.
I'll take care of this.
- Let's just call Lem. I'll stay here and help.
- Did I ask for your help?
- Hey.
- Morning, gentlemen.
- Guess I missed the weenie roast.
- What happened?
Arson. Started on the first floor.
Then the whole place went up.
They were able
to determine that already?
Whoever set the fire didn't try to
hide it. Gas can out back.
- What brings you here?
- My case.
We found the same graffiti
as the necklace tire executions.
- Do we have a motive yet?
- That's not all we have.
- Huh? Is that a kid?
- Not exactly.
I'm shaking down
the new king cholo.
Armadillo. I gave my card to
a few of his recruits.
I guess they weren't kosher.
Armadillo's my case. He raped a 12-year-old
girl last night to cover the tire murders.
- He raped a kid?
Why isn't he in Central by now?
- Her brother's uncooperative.
I think he took her
back to Mexico.
No victim, no arrest.
- Why would he burn this building?
- I spoke to some of the locals.
It appears the owner
is a Theodore Osmond.
He's selling more than
comic books. Drug dealer.
Armadillo burns out his competition
and sends me a message.
- Me and my boys'll handle this.
- Hey, I'm just giving you
information. This is my case.
You see that little piggy
with my card spiked to its head?
This is gangland...
my domain.
- I'm already on it.
- Detective,
let me show you something.
Any reason why the two of you
shouldn't pair up together?
I just think it would make more sense
if I handled this on my own.
You're gonna see some kind of kicking
and screaming you didn't know existed...
- you try pulling me off this.
- You both want it.
It's big enough for the two of you.
Work it together.
- Fine.
- Great.
Whoa, hold.
Maybe the doorbell works.
- Armadillo.
- What's this about?
It's all about love, ese.
Come on, boys. Let's go for a walk.
You heard him. Let's go.
- Where were you...
- I was with some friends when the fire was set.
I'll give you their names.
You and your brother
are into a lot of things.
- Pimping drugs, consolidating chulitos.
- No, I'm not like my brother.
Navaro enjoys parties,
late nights.
I'm much more comfortable in bed
with a good book to read.
And a little girl to rape.
I have no outstanding warrants.
My visas are in perfect order.
There are no drugs, guns
or money in the house.
If you're such a good boy
then you do as I say.
Pack up your shit and get on the next
donkey back to home.
No.
I just got here.
I want to be
staying for a while, hmm?
Fine.
- Maybe you can stay at my house
for a little while.
- What's the charge?
I'll think of something on the way.
Anyone of you guys
not named Martinez?
This guy Perez, his license expired
eight months ago. I'm calling it in.
What's up with that, Xavier?
Lines too long at the D.M.V.?
Yeah, okay. This guy Xavier, man.
He's got an outstanding warrant
for aggravated assault.
Oh. Now we got you
for harboring a felon.
- For my wall, right next to your brother.
- Can I get a copy?
This guy's got a notorious reputation,
but his rap sheet's squeaky clean.
Unlike his brother, he's smart.
No mistakes so far.
- Good morning.
- Oh, morning.
Have you met our civilian auditor?
Claudette Wyms. Lanie Kellis.
- Hello.
- Hi. Another one?
Yeah. The brother of that Mexican
national. If anything, he's worse.
Wow. Oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to interrupt.
Oh, well, not at all.
I was just saying that...
unless we get this guy on something else,
the harboring charges won't hold him.
I know. So does he.
We have to find the guy who set
the fire, connect it to Armadillo...
then get him for the arson.
I want him
for more than that.
We'll start with the shop owner.
You know where I can find him?
- No.
- Really?
'Cause it says Theodore Osmond is registered
as one of your confidential informants.
Oh, Tio.
I haven't seen him in months.
Theodore Osmond? That's his real name?
I'll get the word out.
- Meantime, I'll have my guys
hunt down the firebug.
- Good.
I'd like to observe
Detective Mackey on this.
- Sure. Give us a chance to talk.
- Actually, I was just coming to get you.
- A city official has just been shot.
- Who?
I don't have all the details, but I'm sure
your people will want you down there.
- Dutch, you've met Lanie Kellis?
- Of course.
We've got a city official
shot at Benton and Hollis.
I need you
down there right away.
- Lanie's gonna ride along.
- Great.
About you,
not the city official.
- Do we know who the victim is?
- Uh, not yet.
- Okay. You ready? Let's go.
- Uh, I--
I guess so.
You have a connection with the drug
dealer whose place just got burnt down?
- Yeah.
- Jesus Christ.
I asked you if there was any reason
not to bring Claudette into this.
Hey, you're the politician. Learn
to read between the goddamn lines.
I told you I wanted
to handle this thing myself.
What does this mean for us?
It just means
I'll have to be careful.
Tio's laying low at his kid's
mom's place. He's spooked.
- How long you freezing us out?
- Until I can trust the three of you again.
- Look, I'm really sorry, boss.
- Me too.
- We made a mistake.
- Yeah, you did.
I need one of you to come with me.
I don't give a damn which one.
- You wanna go higher?
- No. No higher.
Okay.
All right. Come on.
Go inside
with your mom, baby.
Beautiful kid.
Hi. You okay?
No.
- A Mexican psycho torched
my goddamn building.
- Yeah, we saw.
What'd you lose?
I got lucky. Most of the product
was cut, bagged, and out.
I had some cash and
my records in the safe.
- What safe?
- What records?
- Accounts ledger...
income, expenses, you know.
- No, I don't know.
I'm running a business. I gotta know
what's coming in and going out.
Going out? Like payments to me?
My name is in that goddamn ledger?
It's in code, man.
I call you "Landlord."
Hey, you and your boys didn't have
a problem with the way I do business...
- when I damn near doubled your cut.
- Where's the safe?
Back room of the shop.
One of those corporate espionage deals.
You try to force it open,
it destroys the contents.
- All right, all right. I'll get the safe.
- And I'll get Armadillo.
- I want you to stay here and lay low.
- This can't go unanswered.
It won't. I need a couple
of your guys, names and numbers.
Guys that know
how to use a Zippo.
- Find out where the Torrucos are hanging.
- Want us to roust them?
No. Give them this address.
Tell them to burn it on my signal.
And just the building. No bodies.
I wanna send a message, not start a war.
You think you can handle that?
- It's locked.
- Have Lem pick you up.
Need to use my phone?
It's pretty quiet
for the shooting of a city official.
I figured there'd be some news crews,
at least one of the independents.
Ray, what do we know?
The victim was Helen Zamorski.
Shot three times in the back.
No witnesses. No weapon.
- Took her to Mission Cross.
- Helen Zamorski.
- Who is she?
- P.E.O.
- P.E.O.?
- Parking enforcement officer.
- A meter maid? You gotta be shitting me.
- This is her machine right here.
This is our city official?
Will you get your captain
on the phone for me, please?
Hey. Got a call from
the fire inspector.
The safe was in
the back of the shop.
Cocaine residue and scales
were found upstairs.
- That will give us probable cause
for the search and seizure.
- Nice work.
- Can't wait to see what's inside.
- That makes two of us.
- What do we have?
- The building's owner was definitely peddling.
He's M.I.A.,
but we found his safe.
Maybe there's something inside
to tie Armadillo to him.
Tio's no saint,
but he's the victim here.
We have to go after Armadillo.
Get whoever set that fire to roll on him.
I know Tio's your C.I.,
but Armadillo hit him for a reason.
Motive's a pretty good
starting point.
I'll get a warrant
to open the safe.
- I got a guy who can crack that.
- Great.
- Any luck finding Tio?
- We got a couple of leads.
- What do you got?
- An address in Colorado Springs.
- Where?
- She's staying with a Camille Briskin.
- Some chick she went to college with.
- My kids with her?
- I'm on the next flight.
- Uh...
I just talked to my guy there.
- She's packing up to go someplace.
- Packing?
- Did this guy spook her?
- No, look. I trust him.
Let him stay on her.
Look, you go there now...
she's liable to be someplace
else by the time you land.
Let's just see how it plays out.
All right.
- My mom's the one that called.
- Yeah? Is your mom around?
- Yeah.
- Ma'am, are you the one that called us?
- About apartment two.
- What's the problem?
- There's a terrorist in there.
- Terrorist?
- Tell them about the smells.
- Chemicals, like he's makin'
dirty bombs or something.
My babies sleep
on the other side of that wall.
Look. I'm trying to raise
two boys by myself.
- Now I gotta deal with these people?
- Okay. Fine. We'll check it out.
I should come with you.
No, ma'am.
You should stay right here.
- Mr. Al-Thani?
- Zayed, yes.
Zayed, I'm Officer Sofer.
This is Officer Lowe.
- Yes?
- We've received a complaint.
A complaint?
About me?
It's her. She told you I was
a terrorist, didn't she?
- Sir, if we could just come in...
- I did nothing wrong. You people
pick on me for no reason.
- Okay. Just let us come in,
take a quick look around.
- So.
I am a suspect
just because I am Arab?
No, sir. You're a suspect because 19 guys
who look like your twin brother...
killed 3,000 Americans.
Look, the easiest way for us to handle this is
just let us come in, take a look around.
Or we can file a report with the federal
government and let them check you out.
- God bless America.
- After you, sir.
My brother sends it
to me from home.
- I cannot control what they print.
- Where's home?
- Damascus.
- How long have you been in this country?
Five years.
I have a job.
I pay taxes.
My wife.
- What you making?
- Pickled fish.
Mmm.
Well, thank you.
We appreciate your cooperation.
So you will tell the black one
that I am no terrorist?
We'll tell her.
I found out where
Armadillo's boys are working from.
The old Sugar Cube Lounge on Juniper.
Salsa by night, distribution by day.
I doubt they have permits.
Go in. Tell them you're
with Alcohol Control. Close it down.
Have Tio's boys light it up
once it's all clear.
Hey, Vic. We got a positive I.D.
on Armadillo's fire starter.
- Ripley Verdugo. He's, uh, flame retarded.
- Bring him in.
Hey, Vic. Shane told me
about your family splittin'.
I'm really sorry, man.
Are you an idiot?
- Smith, you old drunk.
- Mackey, you bald bastard.
- What are you doing?
- Same old. You look good, man.
- How's the brood?
- They're good. So Shane
brought you up to speed?
Yeah. You need me
to open some safe?
Right. Only I need you
to go through the front lock.
The boys said it's a smart safe.
By going through the lock...
it'll trigger the acid
and destroy whatever's inside.
Oh. I get it.
Oh, Smith.
This is Detective Wyms.
- Smith the locksmith? That's convenient.
- Yeah, I get that.
- Looks like the Omni 600 series.
- Actually, it's the 700 series.
Right.
Hold on. The manufacturer said
you gotta go through the back to
disarm the destruct mechanism.
What the hell's going on, man? I thought
you'd worked on these things before.
Yeah, sorry.
I'll go through the back.
- Good catch.
- Yeah.
It would take more than a few bullets
to bring down Officer Zamorski.
Officer Zamorski?
She's a meter maid.
We're all officers here.
You know how much revenue
we bring in for this city?
If it wasn't for people like Helen
Zamorski risking her life every day...
you guys would be making
less than schoolteachers.
And we appreciate it.
This is awful.
Helen writes 30% above
her quota every month.
- Helen's electronic ticket book
was smashed to pieces.
- Animals.
- Restroom?
- Yeah, it's in the back.
I'd like to see who she
wrote tickets for today...
specifically the last ticket
she wrote before she was shot.
I'd also like names of people she's written large
numbers of tickets to over the last year.
I'll print them out.
Hey, uh...
who can I talk to
about a parking snafu?
- I got this $63 ticket.
- Ah, "No Parking 4:00 to 7:00."
Right. Yeah.
In front of the courthouse.
See, I was on the job.
I was testifying in a kiddie porn case.
We got the sick bastard, thank God.
But anyway, I got this ticket.
Aren't the police provided
parking off of Grand Avenue?
Yeah, but that's like
six blocks away.
I was running late for this, uh,
child pornography case.
Well, I guess you're gonna
have to challenge it in court.
Come on, a little help maybe.
One officer to another.
I don't fix parking tickets, sir.
And being a police officer
doesn't place you above the law.
- All set?
- Mm-hmm.
- This guy was quite the bookkeeper.
- Oh, yeah?
What's he got in there?
Nothing about Armadillo,
but look at this.
He was making monthly payments
to a landlord when he owns the building.
Well, maybe Armadillo's the landlord.
Tio got tired of shelling out.
- Fire was the payback.
- Black dealer, Latino boss man?
I doubt it. Besides, he was making payments
weeks before Armadillo crossed the border.
Oh.
Maybe this is the guy
Armadillo's trying to squeeze out.
- Your boys find Tio?
- Yeah.
- Well, good. Let's bring him in.
- It's not that easy.
Sure it is. Come on.
- I'll bring him out.
- I'll come with.
Uh... He's my C.I. I just bring
a stranger in there, it'll blow the trust.
You said you hadn't seen him in months. You
don't know how squirrelly this guy might be.
- You're not going in there without backup.
- Look.
Tio's still valuable
to me, all right?
Now wait here.
I'll handle this.
Something I should know
about you and this guy?
No. I'll be right out.
If you come in voluntarily, it'll look
like you've got nothing to hide.
- You gonna watch my back, right?
- Yeah. And you're gonna watch
mine. She wants Armadillo.
- Thinks grillin'you about the
landlord will lead to him.
- What do I tell her?
You're just another local shop owner
forced to pay protection money.
Choose your favorite
band of brothers.
- One-niners, The Monks, Jack-uzis, got it?
- Yeah, I'm good.
Yeah, so is Wyms.
You be careful.
I'm trying to lead her
down a different path.
Here's the guy you're gonna I.D.
I'm pretty sure
he's the firebug.
Now, you tell us that you saw him casing
the building last night before you left.
No problem. What are we doing
about hitting Armadillo?
We found out
where the Torrucos hang.
Your little friends are gonna rip
a three-alarmer through it tonight.
Vic.
- You get the plan?
- Yeah, I'm good.
Everything okay in here?
Sure. Everything's fine.
This is a list of your property.
I want you to take a look at it.
That the bitch
that burned my place up?
You're here to tell us
what you know.
- Hey, Vic.
- I'm in the middle of something.
- It's important.
- Give me a minute.
I'll start without you.
- What's up?
- My guy. Followed Corrine
to the Colorado Springs airport.
Airport? Where's she going?
Come on.
Where the hell
is she going?
- Who does she know in Phoenix?
- Phoenix?
- Mm-hmm.
- No clue. That's what
I'm paying you to find out.
- And I'm trying, Vic.
- Are the kids with her?
Just the baby. Cassidy and Matthew
are still with the friend.
And I got another guy
waiting for her on that end.
Phoenix?
- Look, I gotta go. Call me
as soon as you know something.
- All right. I will.
- What did I miss?
- Tio found our guy.
This is the dude. Couldn't
miss that inked baldhead.
Saw him hangin' out
in the back lot when I was leavin'.
- Ripley Verdugo. Seven priors, three for arson.
- Consider him picked up.
- You coming with?
- No, you go ahead and pick up the suspect.
I'm gonna have
a little talk with Tio.
Juice? Soda? A new distribution crib?
- I'm here to help, lady.
- Good.
Let's talk about
your record keeping.
There are some pretty
interesting things in this ledger.
I'll tell you what.
I've never seen Vic this pissed.
He's pissed about his kids.
It's classic displacement, man.
- It's classic replacement I'm worried about.
- Think he'll boot us?
Gimme a break.
- What would Vic be without us?
- Maybe we'll find out.
I'm not going back to Traffic.
Let's just do our jobs,
and do it well.
Oh, so now that plan
makes sense to you?
- Shut up.
- No, you shut up.
- Damn!
Put on a shirt, bitch.
Racked up quite
the parking portfolio, Barney.
- Thirteen hundred
and eighty-six dollars. Wow.
- Uh, yeah.
I get a lot on the job.
I lose track.
- What is your job?
- I'm a messenger.
- I gotta pay for any tickets I get.
- You got another one today.
Oh, yeah. So?
So the woman who wrote that ticket
was shot three times this morning.
She's gonna live,
but not like she used to.
- I'm sorry to hear that.
- She wrote you 34 tickets
in the last seven months.
- Maybe you're a little upset about that.
- Uh, yeah.
Yeah, I'm upset.
I don't have 1,300 bucks.
And I could lose my job.
But I didn't shoot her.
Where were you at 9:30?
I was, uh, in traffic
on my way to L.A.X.
- You fired a gun today, Barney?
- Of course not.
- You willing to take a G.S.R.?
- What is that?
Gunshot Residue Test.
Standard government test.
It detects whether you've
fired a gun recently.
Oh, yeah, sure.
If it'll help.
How does a novice comic book
merchant buy two buildings, cash?
Man, I can barely
cover my mortgage.
I'm smart with money.
If you're smart, how come you're
making payments to a landlord
when you don't have one?
Being a C.I.
isn't a "get out of jail free" card.
We found scales
and drug residue above your shop.
- I know you're dealing.
- Reality check.
My building getting smoked
makes me a victim.
I can get that stack of cash in the safe
and the dollar amounts in this ledger...
and have search warrants
for your home and other building.
What we find there
gonna make you a victim too?
Can I help you somehow?
Help me get
Armadillo, and I ignore this ledger.
That's Tio? He's the guy the Long Beach
sheriffs pulled over with your team.
Right.
- What else haven't you told me?
- Be quiet. I'm trying to listen.
How deep is your
relationship with this guy?
Deep enough.
- Can he hurt us?
- He won't.
- He can't or he won't?
- He won't.
We had a deal. You said
you were gonna clean up your act.
I'm in control.
I've got a watchdog in my house,
and now one of my best detectives...
is grilling the guy who can
blow the whistle on you.
Hey, how's she doing?
Aren't you working a case?
I got half an hour before
my next evil parking suspect shows up.
- We gotta stop this.
- Yeah, and we gotta be careful
the way we play Claudette.
Come on, greaseball.
Let's go.
Beauty.
- Firebug's here. Wanted to
give you the first crack at him.
- Thanks.
Let Tio stew.
I haven't finished with him yet.
Sure.
Look at my prayer mat.
I hang it here to dry.
And she had her dog rip it to pieces.
Anyone could have done that. If it's
so sacred, you shouldn't leave it out.
Somebody needs to put
that animal to sleep.
Is that what you're doing in there?
Cookin'up gas to put us all to sleep?
That's enough!
Look, you had us search his place,
and we did. He's not a terrorist.
Go back inside and restrain that dog
before I call animal control.
And you, stop egging her on.
Stop threatening her dog.
And stop acting
like such a victim.
Both of you go inside
and stay inside your own apartments.
You do not want us
coming back here again.
- You're learning.
- Good teacher.
Wanna tell me where you were
last night, Ripley?
I was home.
Jerkin' off into a sock.
You wanna see the evidence?
Have some manners
when you talk to me.
How long since you
looked like that?
The shaved head thing went out
like six months ago. Why?
- Jesus, I can't catch a goddamn break.
- What now?
- Tio I.D.'d a bald guy.
- Vic!
- Yeah?
- You care to tell me how our eyewitness Tio...
identified a thug from a year-old
police mug shot that only you and I had?
No clue, but I'm gonna
help you find out.
It's okay. You've done enough.
I'll get to the bottom of this.
You identified the right guy,
but the wrong hair.
Wrong hair? That's weird.
Now, you're gonna tell me why you lied
and who you're protecting, right now!
Tio will hold up.
He knows the drill.
You wanna put both our careers
in this guy's hands?
Why'd she do that?
Who are you paying
protection money to?
I saw who I saw.
What's your
connection to Mackey?
I'm just a C.I.
I tie that payout to a cop,
and I'll get you for racketeering.
You hitch that to the intent
to distribute charge...
and you won't see your
baby girl until she's 35.
- Now talk to me!
- Claudette, you got a second?
- Now?
- Yes.
A club on Juniper
just went up in flames.
F.D. says it looks like the same
arson M.O. as the comic book store.
- I want you down there.
- I'm in the middle of this.
- Questioning a witness can wait.
- He could be the key to getting Armadillo.
An hour ago it was your mandate.
Now you've got me chasing fire engines?
I have a civilian auditor
evaluating my every move.
You're the primary detective on
this case. I need you on scene.
- This isn't a discussion.
- What is it exactly?
The cop said this was about
that parking lady that was shot today?
That's right, Izzy. And the last ticket
she wrote before that happened was to you.
Which means you're either
a witness or a suspect.
- Take a seat.
- Well, I didn't see anything.
- I guess that makes you a suspect.
- A suspect?
Look, I take the tickets
'cause it's cheaper than the garage.
- Cheaper?
- The parking structure is 22 bucks for the day.
I usually get two,
maybe three $30 tickets a week.
110 versus 90.
I'm saving 20 taking the fines.
So you knew you were
gonna get the ticket?
- It's part of doing business.
- Are you willing to take
a Gunshot Residue Test?
- Will it cost me anything?
- Only if you're lying.
- Burn this. No more bookkeeping.
- Understood.
You're out of here. Lay low.
- Yeah?
- Corrine caught a connecting flight
in Phoenix.
She's due in Burbank
in 40 minutes.
- She's coming here? I should go...
- Let me tail her.
See what she's planning.
Be ready for my call.
Okay.
A high-level city official.
I know. I'm sorry. I didn't have a chance
to return your call.
Is there some reason you didn't want me
following Detective Mackey today?
- Of course not.
- Excuse me.
It was arson.
But it was Torruco base.
- Someone trying to pay back Armadillo.
- That was fast.
I'll see if Tio knows anything.
- We cut him loose.
- What?
Didn't have enough to hold him.
We had to release him and his property.
- The ledger?
- Yes.
What ledger?
Nothing important.
Three shots. The victim's book
was smashed to pieces.
- This was a rage crime. Try this.
- Nope.
- Mr. Thrifty knew he was getting the ticket.
- Mm-hmm.
- Mmm, it's homemade. Try it.
- Yeah?
Barney's just way too passive.
- Plus, they both willingly agreed to a G.S.R.
- So what are you gonna do now?
I'll take a look at other
crimes in the area this morning.
Make sure somebody wasn't trying
to avoid being put at the wrong
place at the right time.
- G.S.R. results came back
on Barney Plotkin. Positive.
- What?
Oh, the "way too passive" guy?
Let me see that.
Look out.
You failed the G.S.R., Barney.
Oh, really?
Can I take it again?
No. In ten minutes, I'll have
a search warrant for your car and home.
I'm gonna find the gun you used
to shoot Helen Zamorski.
- It's three inches.
- Excuse me?
My tire was in the red
three inches...
and she gave me a ticket.
She finds me every time.
I asked her nicely.
She just laughed.
Barney.
If you knew you shot her,
why did you agree to the residue test?
Well, if I didn't take it,
I'd look guilty.
And... And you said
it was a government test...
so I figured,
how reliable could it be?
I just got off the phone with the D.A.
They cut a deal with Ripley.
He confessed to the arson
and turned in two accomplices...
with the understanding that
the three of them will do time
together at Terminal Island.
This guy's taking over the
goddamn prisons, consolidating
his guys into one place.
The D.A. never
should've signed that.
And we can never charge
Armadillo with this crime.
And since we've got
nothing on the rape, he walks.
I'm afraid so.
You send me on a bogus run.
You cut loose the only lead I have.
And then you let this guy cut a deal that
buries my case. What the hell is going on?
- We want this as much as you do.
- We got three arsonists off the streets.
- That's a pretty good day.
- Save the statistic crowing
for your civilian auditor.
What happened here today
was bullshit!
I don't know exactly
what the puzzle looks like yet...
but the pieces I see
are pretty goddamn ugly.
I have never interfered
with how you run your team...
or how you run for office.
I get assigned a case.
I'm gonna find the truth.
And if I have to go
through both of you... I'll get it.
Dutch just got the meter maid shooter.
Is there a problem?
Just a little misunderstanding.
A difference of opinion. Keeps us all honest.
"Harboring a felon"?
Come on.
That's a stretch, even for this precinct.
- I'll be in touch.
- I know.
I'd rather it didn't
cover my window.
It wouldn't hurt you to look out and be
reminded of what country you're living in.
- I am reminded every time
I look at your ugly face.
- Hey, hey!
- This is my window, my property.
- Move back to your cave, Osama.
Why don't you go back to the jungle?
No job, raising fat, stupid children.
That's it!
- Sir, get back in the house.
- Back inside.
Talk about my boys like that,
and I'll cut your tongue out!
- Drop it!
- Don't you talk about my boys!
- You don't protect me. Allah protect me.
- Put down the gun!
- Drop the gun!
- I do nothing wrong.
- Drop the gun right now!
- I just don't want to be bothered
by her, him, or you.
Zayed. Zayed!
Zayed!
Where's your Allah now?
- Sounds like a clean shoot.
- I didn't have a choice.
C.I.I.D. will be here
to do follow up.
Fatality involved. Mandatory
downtime for the next two days.
Just take it easy, okay?
Call if you need anything.
Okay.
Everything seems
exceptionally calm.
No one seems too concerned
about a dead Arab, I guess.
How bad would this scene be for you if
the other neighbor were laying there dead?
People are still looking
for a reason to riot.
It would be very bad.
Is there someone I can call
for you? No one at all?
- What do you mean disappeared?
- I mean they're bone gone.
Three of my best dealers.
- You called?
- Callin', pagin', two-wayin'
They ain't answerin', man.
It's Armadillo. He's probably already
got tires around their goddamn necks.
All right, relax. Round up the rest
of your guys. Get them to lay low.
He's completely punking us, man.
- It's time to send his "cholo-ing" ass south.
- Yeah, like six feet south.
Hey, you relax too. Jesus Christ,
am I the only one thinking around here?
How did the arson go?
All smoke and mirrors.
Why so vague?
- You don't wanna know.
- Sure, I do.
You mean,
you don't wanna tell me.
And you think
you can't read women.
- You okay?
- Oh, yeah, fine. Thanks. Why?
Just... Nothing.
It was great spending time with you.
I hope I didn't make too many mistakes.
Not at all.
Thank you for all your time.
If you wanna talk some more,
maybe we could grab a meal sometime.
Dutch, hitting on me...
that is a mistake.
N-No. I meant if you wanted
to ask some more questions...
I've got a girlfriend.
Christ.
She made a stop
at the county courthouse.
Made copies of the kids'
birth certificates, came here.
- What, a P.I.?
- Yeah. A big one.
He played one season for the Rams.
Thinks he's Dick Butkus.
Jesus.
- Oh, God.
- Liman.
- Morgal.
- This is a confidential matter.
Yeah, a matter of betrayal.
She took his children away from him.
He's been looking for them
for over a month.
- Where are Cassidy and Matt?
- I'm not gonna do this.
- You don't have to answer him.
- Who the hell is this ape?
- Your children are where you can't hurt them.
Hur... What is he talking about?
Corrine.
I'm sorry.
I don't know what else to do.
- Let me do the talking, Corrine.
- Shut your mouth, you big, fat-necked prick.
- One more step and she
signs a restraining order.
- Stop it.
- Corrine!
- I'm scared for our kids.
'Cause of what happened with Gilroy?
That was a one-time thing.
- Let's go.
- Don't do this, Corrine.
- Sorry.
- Corrine, you're not gonna
at least talk to me?
It's not just Gilroy. It's all of it.
- Get out of my way!
- This is exactly the kind
of behavior I'm talking about.
- That's my daughter!
- No!
- Hey, no!
- That's enough, Morgal.
- The I.A.D. investigations.
The civil suits. The money
that mysteriously appears.
You got a lot to answer for.
You're investigating me?
Corrine. Corrine!
- I don't know what else to do.
- Corrine!
- Don't.
We'll get them back. Vic!
We'll get them back.
- What?
- Mackey! Mackey!
Tio?
- I asked you to leave.
- This is my house.
Unless you have a warrant,
you're breaking the law.
One of these laws?
I told you to leave.
Vic!
Vic!
You ready to go now, huh?
Vic, Jesus!
I don't have to leave.
You planning to leave?
You'll just have to kill me.
Tell me you're leaving. Say it!
Vic!
I wanna hear you say it.
Say it!
Vic! Vic, that's it!
Come on.
It's all over now.
- No!
- Take it easy.
Police. Hold it right there.
- Hands up. Against the car.
- Turn around.
- I didn't do nothing, man.
- Buenos noches, muchachas.
- Nice boa.
- S?.
New tags, new ink.
What's up with that, Chapa?
We're just changing brands.
Torrucos now.
- Torrucos now?
- Sim?n.
Armadillo's calling you guys?
Armadillo's bro looks good
behind bars, huh?
You tell him I called.
Someone torched
Tio's drug crib.
- What if our blow was in there?
- Then it's gone.
Hey, we got a lot of
bread tied up in that shipment.
You're so worried about your
goddamn money you don't get it.
This could open up
an investigation into Tio's business.
If we're not careful,
all roads are gonna lead back to us.
Go find Tio.
I'll take care of this.
- Let's just call Lem. I'll stay here and help.
- Did I ask for your help?
- Hey.
- Morning, gentlemen.
- Guess I missed the weenie roast.
- What happened?
Arson. Started on the first floor.
Then the whole place went up.
They were able
to determine that already?
Whoever set the fire didn't try to
hide it. Gas can out back.
- What brings you here?
- My case.
We found the same graffiti
as the necklace tire executions.
- Do we have a motive yet?
- That's not all we have.
- Huh? Is that a kid?
- Not exactly.
I'm shaking down
the new king cholo.
Armadillo. I gave my card to
a few of his recruits.
I guess they weren't kosher.
Armadillo's my case. He raped a 12-year-old
girl last night to cover the tire murders.
- He raped a kid?
Why isn't he in Central by now?
- Her brother's uncooperative.
I think he took her
back to Mexico.
No victim, no arrest.
- Why would he burn this building?
- I spoke to some of the locals.
It appears the owner
is a Theodore Osmond.
He's selling more than
comic books. Drug dealer.
Armadillo burns out his competition
and sends me a message.
- Me and my boys'll handle this.
- Hey, I'm just giving you
information. This is my case.
You see that little piggy
with my card spiked to its head?
This is gangland...
my domain.
- I'm already on it.
- Detective,
let me show you something.
Any reason why the two of you
shouldn't pair up together?
I just think it would make more sense
if I handled this on my own.
You're gonna see some kind of kicking
and screaming you didn't know existed...
- you try pulling me off this.
- You both want it.
It's big enough for the two of you.
Work it together.
- Fine.
- Great.
Whoa, hold.
Maybe the doorbell works.
- Armadillo.
- What's this about?
It's all about love, ese.
Come on, boys. Let's go for a walk.
You heard him. Let's go.
- Where were you...
- I was with some friends when the fire was set.
I'll give you their names.
You and your brother
are into a lot of things.
- Pimping drugs, consolidating chulitos.
- No, I'm not like my brother.
Navaro enjoys parties,
late nights.
I'm much more comfortable in bed
with a good book to read.
And a little girl to rape.
I have no outstanding warrants.
My visas are in perfect order.
There are no drugs, guns
or money in the house.
If you're such a good boy
then you do as I say.
Pack up your shit and get on the next
donkey back to home.
No.
I just got here.
I want to be
staying for a while, hmm?
Fine.
- Maybe you can stay at my house
for a little while.
- What's the charge?
I'll think of something on the way.
Anyone of you guys
not named Martinez?
This guy Perez, his license expired
eight months ago. I'm calling it in.
What's up with that, Xavier?
Lines too long at the D.M.V.?
Yeah, okay. This guy Xavier, man.
He's got an outstanding warrant
for aggravated assault.
Oh. Now we got you
for harboring a felon.
- For my wall, right next to your brother.
- Can I get a copy?
This guy's got a notorious reputation,
but his rap sheet's squeaky clean.
Unlike his brother, he's smart.
No mistakes so far.
- Good morning.
- Oh, morning.
Have you met our civilian auditor?
Claudette Wyms. Lanie Kellis.
- Hello.
- Hi. Another one?
Yeah. The brother of that Mexican
national. If anything, he's worse.
Wow. Oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to interrupt.
Oh, well, not at all.
I was just saying that...
unless we get this guy on something else,
the harboring charges won't hold him.
I know. So does he.
We have to find the guy who set
the fire, connect it to Armadillo...
then get him for the arson.
I want him
for more than that.
We'll start with the shop owner.
You know where I can find him?
- No.
- Really?
'Cause it says Theodore Osmond is registered
as one of your confidential informants.
Oh, Tio.
I haven't seen him in months.
Theodore Osmond? That's his real name?
I'll get the word out.
- Meantime, I'll have my guys
hunt down the firebug.
- Good.
I'd like to observe
Detective Mackey on this.
- Sure. Give us a chance to talk.
- Actually, I was just coming to get you.
- A city official has just been shot.
- Who?
I don't have all the details, but I'm sure
your people will want you down there.
- Dutch, you've met Lanie Kellis?
- Of course.
We've got a city official
shot at Benton and Hollis.
I need you
down there right away.
- Lanie's gonna ride along.
- Great.
About you,
not the city official.
- Do we know who the victim is?
- Uh, not yet.
- Okay. You ready? Let's go.
- Uh, I--
I guess so.
You have a connection with the drug
dealer whose place just got burnt down?
- Yeah.
- Jesus Christ.
I asked you if there was any reason
not to bring Claudette into this.
Hey, you're the politician. Learn
to read between the goddamn lines.
I told you I wanted
to handle this thing myself.
What does this mean for us?
It just means
I'll have to be careful.
Tio's laying low at his kid's
mom's place. He's spooked.
- How long you freezing us out?
- Until I can trust the three of you again.
- Look, I'm really sorry, boss.
- Me too.
- We made a mistake.
- Yeah, you did.
I need one of you to come with me.
I don't give a damn which one.
- You wanna go higher?
- No. No higher.
Okay.
All right. Come on.
Go inside
with your mom, baby.
Beautiful kid.
Hi. You okay?
No.
- A Mexican psycho torched
my goddamn building.
- Yeah, we saw.
What'd you lose?
I got lucky. Most of the product
was cut, bagged, and out.
I had some cash and
my records in the safe.
- What safe?
- What records?
- Accounts ledger...
income, expenses, you know.
- No, I don't know.
I'm running a business. I gotta know
what's coming in and going out.
Going out? Like payments to me?
My name is in that goddamn ledger?
It's in code, man.
I call you "Landlord."
Hey, you and your boys didn't have
a problem with the way I do business...
- when I damn near doubled your cut.
- Where's the safe?
Back room of the shop.
One of those corporate espionage deals.
You try to force it open,
it destroys the contents.
- All right, all right. I'll get the safe.
- And I'll get Armadillo.
- I want you to stay here and lay low.
- This can't go unanswered.
It won't. I need a couple
of your guys, names and numbers.
Guys that know
how to use a Zippo.
- Find out where the Torrucos are hanging.
- Want us to roust them?
No. Give them this address.
Tell them to burn it on my signal.
And just the building. No bodies.
I wanna send a message, not start a war.
You think you can handle that?
- It's locked.
- Have Lem pick you up.
Need to use my phone?
It's pretty quiet
for the shooting of a city official.
I figured there'd be some news crews,
at least one of the independents.
Ray, what do we know?
The victim was Helen Zamorski.
Shot three times in the back.
No witnesses. No weapon.
- Took her to Mission Cross.
- Helen Zamorski.
- Who is she?
- P.E.O.
- P.E.O.?
- Parking enforcement officer.
- A meter maid? You gotta be shitting me.
- This is her machine right here.
This is our city official?
Will you get your captain
on the phone for me, please?
Hey. Got a call from
the fire inspector.
The safe was in
the back of the shop.
Cocaine residue and scales
were found upstairs.
- That will give us probable cause
for the search and seizure.
- Nice work.
- Can't wait to see what's inside.
- That makes two of us.
- What do we have?
- The building's owner was definitely peddling.
He's M.I.A.,
but we found his safe.
Maybe there's something inside
to tie Armadillo to him.
Tio's no saint,
but he's the victim here.
We have to go after Armadillo.
Get whoever set that fire to roll on him.
I know Tio's your C.I.,
but Armadillo hit him for a reason.
Motive's a pretty good
starting point.
I'll get a warrant
to open the safe.
- I got a guy who can crack that.
- Great.
- Any luck finding Tio?
- We got a couple of leads.
- What do you got?
- An address in Colorado Springs.
- Where?
- She's staying with a Camille Briskin.
- Some chick she went to college with.
- My kids with her?
- I'm on the next flight.
- Uh...
I just talked to my guy there.
- She's packing up to go someplace.
- Packing?
- Did this guy spook her?
- No, look. I trust him.
Let him stay on her.
Look, you go there now...
she's liable to be someplace
else by the time you land.
Let's just see how it plays out.
All right.
- My mom's the one that called.
- Yeah? Is your mom around?
- Yeah.
- Ma'am, are you the one that called us?
- About apartment two.
- What's the problem?
- There's a terrorist in there.
- Terrorist?
- Tell them about the smells.
- Chemicals, like he's makin'
dirty bombs or something.
My babies sleep
on the other side of that wall.
Look. I'm trying to raise
two boys by myself.
- Now I gotta deal with these people?
- Okay. Fine. We'll check it out.
I should come with you.
No, ma'am.
You should stay right here.
- Mr. Al-Thani?
- Zayed, yes.
Zayed, I'm Officer Sofer.
This is Officer Lowe.
- Yes?
- We've received a complaint.
A complaint?
About me?
It's her. She told you I was
a terrorist, didn't she?
- Sir, if we could just come in...
- I did nothing wrong. You people
pick on me for no reason.
- Okay. Just let us come in,
take a quick look around.
- So.
I am a suspect
just because I am Arab?
No, sir. You're a suspect because 19 guys
who look like your twin brother...
killed 3,000 Americans.
Look, the easiest way for us to handle this is
just let us come in, take a look around.
Or we can file a report with the federal
government and let them check you out.
- God bless America.
- After you, sir.
My brother sends it
to me from home.
- I cannot control what they print.
- Where's home?
- Damascus.
- How long have you been in this country?
Five years.
I have a job.
I pay taxes.
My wife.
- What you making?
- Pickled fish.
Mmm.
Well, thank you.
We appreciate your cooperation.
So you will tell the black one
that I am no terrorist?
We'll tell her.
I found out where
Armadillo's boys are working from.
The old Sugar Cube Lounge on Juniper.
Salsa by night, distribution by day.
I doubt they have permits.
Go in. Tell them you're
with Alcohol Control. Close it down.
Have Tio's boys light it up
once it's all clear.
Hey, Vic. We got a positive I.D.
on Armadillo's fire starter.
- Ripley Verdugo. He's, uh, flame retarded.
- Bring him in.
Hey, Vic. Shane told me
about your family splittin'.
I'm really sorry, man.
Are you an idiot?
- Smith, you old drunk.
- Mackey, you bald bastard.
- What are you doing?
- Same old. You look good, man.
- How's the brood?
- They're good. So Shane
brought you up to speed?
Yeah. You need me
to open some safe?
Right. Only I need you
to go through the front lock.
The boys said it's a smart safe.
By going through the lock...
it'll trigger the acid
and destroy whatever's inside.
Oh. I get it.
Oh, Smith.
This is Detective Wyms.
- Smith the locksmith? That's convenient.
- Yeah, I get that.
- Looks like the Omni 600 series.
- Actually, it's the 700 series.
Right.
Hold on. The manufacturer said
you gotta go through the back to
disarm the destruct mechanism.
What the hell's going on, man? I thought
you'd worked on these things before.
Yeah, sorry.
I'll go through the back.
- Good catch.
- Yeah.
It would take more than a few bullets
to bring down Officer Zamorski.
Officer Zamorski?
She's a meter maid.
We're all officers here.
You know how much revenue
we bring in for this city?
If it wasn't for people like Helen
Zamorski risking her life every day...
you guys would be making
less than schoolteachers.
And we appreciate it.
This is awful.
Helen writes 30% above
her quota every month.
- Helen's electronic ticket book
was smashed to pieces.
- Animals.
- Restroom?
- Yeah, it's in the back.
I'd like to see who she
wrote tickets for today...
specifically the last ticket
she wrote before she was shot.
I'd also like names of people she's written large
numbers of tickets to over the last year.
I'll print them out.
Hey, uh...
who can I talk to
about a parking snafu?
- I got this $63 ticket.
- Ah, "No Parking 4:00 to 7:00."
Right. Yeah.
In front of the courthouse.
See, I was on the job.
I was testifying in a kiddie porn case.
We got the sick bastard, thank God.
But anyway, I got this ticket.
Aren't the police provided
parking off of Grand Avenue?
Yeah, but that's like
six blocks away.
I was running late for this, uh,
child pornography case.
Well, I guess you're gonna
have to challenge it in court.
Come on, a little help maybe.
One officer to another.
I don't fix parking tickets, sir.
And being a police officer
doesn't place you above the law.
- All set?
- Mm-hmm.
- This guy was quite the bookkeeper.
- Oh, yeah?
What's he got in there?
Nothing about Armadillo,
but look at this.
He was making monthly payments
to a landlord when he owns the building.
Well, maybe Armadillo's the landlord.
Tio got tired of shelling out.
- Fire was the payback.
- Black dealer, Latino boss man?
I doubt it. Besides, he was making payments
weeks before Armadillo crossed the border.
Oh.
Maybe this is the guy
Armadillo's trying to squeeze out.
- Your boys find Tio?
- Yeah.
- Well, good. Let's bring him in.
- It's not that easy.
Sure it is. Come on.
- I'll bring him out.
- I'll come with.
Uh... He's my C.I. I just bring
a stranger in there, it'll blow the trust.
You said you hadn't seen him in months. You
don't know how squirrelly this guy might be.
- You're not going in there without backup.
- Look.
Tio's still valuable
to me, all right?
Now wait here.
I'll handle this.
Something I should know
about you and this guy?
No. I'll be right out.
If you come in voluntarily, it'll look
like you've got nothing to hide.
- You gonna watch my back, right?
- Yeah. And you're gonna watch
mine. She wants Armadillo.
- Thinks grillin'you about the
landlord will lead to him.
- What do I tell her?
You're just another local shop owner
forced to pay protection money.
Choose your favorite
band of brothers.
- One-niners, The Monks, Jack-uzis, got it?
- Yeah, I'm good.
Yeah, so is Wyms.
You be careful.
I'm trying to lead her
down a different path.
Here's the guy you're gonna I.D.
I'm pretty sure
he's the firebug.
Now, you tell us that you saw him casing
the building last night before you left.
No problem. What are we doing
about hitting Armadillo?
We found out
where the Torrucos hang.
Your little friends are gonna rip
a three-alarmer through it tonight.
Vic.
- You get the plan?
- Yeah, I'm good.
Everything okay in here?
Sure. Everything's fine.
This is a list of your property.
I want you to take a look at it.
That the bitch
that burned my place up?
You're here to tell us
what you know.
- Hey, Vic.
- I'm in the middle of something.
- It's important.
- Give me a minute.
I'll start without you.
- What's up?
- My guy. Followed Corrine
to the Colorado Springs airport.
Airport? Where's she going?
Come on.
Where the hell
is she going?
- Who does she know in Phoenix?
- Phoenix?
- Mm-hmm.
- No clue. That's what
I'm paying you to find out.
- And I'm trying, Vic.
- Are the kids with her?
Just the baby. Cassidy and Matthew
are still with the friend.
And I got another guy
waiting for her on that end.
Phoenix?
- Look, I gotta go. Call me
as soon as you know something.
- All right. I will.
- What did I miss?
- Tio found our guy.
This is the dude. Couldn't
miss that inked baldhead.
Saw him hangin' out
in the back lot when I was leavin'.
- Ripley Verdugo. Seven priors, three for arson.
- Consider him picked up.
- You coming with?
- No, you go ahead and pick up the suspect.
I'm gonna have
a little talk with Tio.
Juice? Soda? A new distribution crib?
- I'm here to help, lady.
- Good.
Let's talk about
your record keeping.
There are some pretty
interesting things in this ledger.
I'll tell you what.
I've never seen Vic this pissed.
He's pissed about his kids.
It's classic displacement, man.
- It's classic replacement I'm worried about.
- Think he'll boot us?
Gimme a break.
- What would Vic be without us?
- Maybe we'll find out.
I'm not going back to Traffic.
Let's just do our jobs,
and do it well.
Oh, so now that plan
makes sense to you?
- Shut up.
- No, you shut up.
- Damn!
Put on a shirt, bitch.
Racked up quite
the parking portfolio, Barney.
- Thirteen hundred
and eighty-six dollars. Wow.
- Uh, yeah.
I get a lot on the job.
I lose track.
- What is your job?
- I'm a messenger.
- I gotta pay for any tickets I get.
- You got another one today.
Oh, yeah. So?
So the woman who wrote that ticket
was shot three times this morning.
She's gonna live,
but not like she used to.
- I'm sorry to hear that.
- She wrote you 34 tickets
in the last seven months.
- Maybe you're a little upset about that.
- Uh, yeah.
Yeah, I'm upset.
I don't have 1,300 bucks.
And I could lose my job.
But I didn't shoot her.
Where were you at 9:30?
I was, uh, in traffic
on my way to L.A.X.
- You fired a gun today, Barney?
- Of course not.
- You willing to take a G.S.R.?
- What is that?
Gunshot Residue Test.
Standard government test.
It detects whether you've
fired a gun recently.
Oh, yeah, sure.
If it'll help.
How does a novice comic book
merchant buy two buildings, cash?
Man, I can barely
cover my mortgage.
I'm smart with money.
If you're smart, how come you're
making payments to a landlord
when you don't have one?
Being a C.I.
isn't a "get out of jail free" card.
We found scales
and drug residue above your shop.
- I know you're dealing.
- Reality check.
My building getting smoked
makes me a victim.
I can get that stack of cash in the safe
and the dollar amounts in this ledger...
and have search warrants
for your home and other building.
What we find there
gonna make you a victim too?
Can I help you somehow?
Help me get
Armadillo, and I ignore this ledger.
That's Tio? He's the guy the Long Beach
sheriffs pulled over with your team.
Right.
- What else haven't you told me?
- Be quiet. I'm trying to listen.
How deep is your
relationship with this guy?
Deep enough.
- Can he hurt us?
- He won't.
- He can't or he won't?
- He won't.
We had a deal. You said
you were gonna clean up your act.
I'm in control.
I've got a watchdog in my house,
and now one of my best detectives...
is grilling the guy who can
blow the whistle on you.
Hey, how's she doing?
Aren't you working a case?
I got half an hour before
my next evil parking suspect shows up.
- We gotta stop this.
- Yeah, and we gotta be careful
the way we play Claudette.
Come on, greaseball.
Let's go.
Beauty.
- Firebug's here. Wanted to
give you the first crack at him.
- Thanks.
Let Tio stew.
I haven't finished with him yet.
Sure.
Look at my prayer mat.
I hang it here to dry.
And she had her dog rip it to pieces.
Anyone could have done that. If it's
so sacred, you shouldn't leave it out.
Somebody needs to put
that animal to sleep.
Is that what you're doing in there?
Cookin'up gas to put us all to sleep?
That's enough!
Look, you had us search his place,
and we did. He's not a terrorist.
Go back inside and restrain that dog
before I call animal control.
And you, stop egging her on.
Stop threatening her dog.
And stop acting
like such a victim.
Both of you go inside
and stay inside your own apartments.
You do not want us
coming back here again.
- You're learning.
- Good teacher.
Wanna tell me where you were
last night, Ripley?
I was home.
Jerkin' off into a sock.
You wanna see the evidence?
Have some manners
when you talk to me.
How long since you
looked like that?
The shaved head thing went out
like six months ago. Why?
- Jesus, I can't catch a goddamn break.
- What now?
- Tio I.D.'d a bald guy.
- Vic!
- Yeah?
- You care to tell me how our eyewitness Tio...
identified a thug from a year-old
police mug shot that only you and I had?
No clue, but I'm gonna
help you find out.
It's okay. You've done enough.
I'll get to the bottom of this.
You identified the right guy,
but the wrong hair.
Wrong hair? That's weird.
Now, you're gonna tell me why you lied
and who you're protecting, right now!
Tio will hold up.
He knows the drill.
You wanna put both our careers
in this guy's hands?
Why'd she do that?
Who are you paying
protection money to?
I saw who I saw.
What's your
connection to Mackey?
I'm just a C.I.
I tie that payout to a cop,
and I'll get you for racketeering.
You hitch that to the intent
to distribute charge...
and you won't see your
baby girl until she's 35.
- Now talk to me!
- Claudette, you got a second?
- Now?
- Yes.
A club on Juniper
just went up in flames.
F.D. says it looks like the same
arson M.O. as the comic book store.
- I want you down there.
- I'm in the middle of this.
- Questioning a witness can wait.
- He could be the key to getting Armadillo.
An hour ago it was your mandate.
Now you've got me chasing fire engines?
I have a civilian auditor
evaluating my every move.
You're the primary detective on
this case. I need you on scene.
- This isn't a discussion.
- What is it exactly?
The cop said this was about
that parking lady that was shot today?
That's right, Izzy. And the last ticket
she wrote before that happened was to you.
Which means you're either
a witness or a suspect.
- Take a seat.
- Well, I didn't see anything.
- I guess that makes you a suspect.
- A suspect?
Look, I take the tickets
'cause it's cheaper than the garage.
- Cheaper?
- The parking structure is 22 bucks for the day.
I usually get two,
maybe three $30 tickets a week.
110 versus 90.
I'm saving 20 taking the fines.
So you knew you were
gonna get the ticket?
- It's part of doing business.
- Are you willing to take
a Gunshot Residue Test?
- Will it cost me anything?
- Only if you're lying.
- Burn this. No more bookkeeping.
- Understood.
You're out of here. Lay low.
- Yeah?
- Corrine caught a connecting flight
in Phoenix.
She's due in Burbank
in 40 minutes.
- She's coming here? I should go...
- Let me tail her.
See what she's planning.
Be ready for my call.
Okay.
A high-level city official.
I know. I'm sorry. I didn't have a chance
to return your call.
Is there some reason you didn't want me
following Detective Mackey today?
- Of course not.
- Excuse me.
It was arson.
But it was Torruco base.
- Someone trying to pay back Armadillo.
- That was fast.
I'll see if Tio knows anything.
- We cut him loose.
- What?
Didn't have enough to hold him.
We had to release him and his property.
- The ledger?
- Yes.
What ledger?
Nothing important.
Three shots. The victim's book
was smashed to pieces.
- This was a rage crime. Try this.
- Nope.
- Mr. Thrifty knew he was getting the ticket.
- Mm-hmm.
- Mmm, it's homemade. Try it.
- Yeah?
Barney's just way too passive.
- Plus, they both willingly agreed to a G.S.R.
- So what are you gonna do now?
I'll take a look at other
crimes in the area this morning.
Make sure somebody wasn't trying
to avoid being put at the wrong
place at the right time.
- G.S.R. results came back
on Barney Plotkin. Positive.
- What?
Oh, the "way too passive" guy?
Let me see that.
Look out.
You failed the G.S.R., Barney.
Oh, really?
Can I take it again?
No. In ten minutes, I'll have
a search warrant for your car and home.
I'm gonna find the gun you used
to shoot Helen Zamorski.
- It's three inches.
- Excuse me?
My tire was in the red
three inches...
and she gave me a ticket.
She finds me every time.
I asked her nicely.
She just laughed.
Barney.
If you knew you shot her,
why did you agree to the residue test?
Well, if I didn't take it,
I'd look guilty.
And... And you said
it was a government test...
so I figured,
how reliable could it be?
I just got off the phone with the D.A.
They cut a deal with Ripley.
He confessed to the arson
and turned in two accomplices...
with the understanding that
the three of them will do time
together at Terminal Island.
This guy's taking over the
goddamn prisons, consolidating
his guys into one place.
The D.A. never
should've signed that.
And we can never charge
Armadillo with this crime.
And since we've got
nothing on the rape, he walks.
I'm afraid so.
You send me on a bogus run.
You cut loose the only lead I have.
And then you let this guy cut a deal that
buries my case. What the hell is going on?
- We want this as much as you do.
- We got three arsonists off the streets.
- That's a pretty good day.
- Save the statistic crowing
for your civilian auditor.
What happened here today
was bullshit!
I don't know exactly
what the puzzle looks like yet...
but the pieces I see
are pretty goddamn ugly.
I have never interfered
with how you run your team...
or how you run for office.
I get assigned a case.
I'm gonna find the truth.
And if I have to go
through both of you... I'll get it.
Dutch just got the meter maid shooter.
Is there a problem?
Just a little misunderstanding.
A difference of opinion. Keeps us all honest.
"Harboring a felon"?
Come on.
That's a stretch, even for this precinct.
- I'll be in touch.
- I know.
I'd rather it didn't
cover my window.
It wouldn't hurt you to look out and be
reminded of what country you're living in.
- I am reminded every time
I look at your ugly face.
- Hey, hey!
- This is my window, my property.
- Move back to your cave, Osama.
Why don't you go back to the jungle?
No job, raising fat, stupid children.
That's it!
- Sir, get back in the house.
- Back inside.
Talk about my boys like that,
and I'll cut your tongue out!
- Drop it!
- Don't you talk about my boys!
- You don't protect me. Allah protect me.
- Put down the gun!
- Drop the gun!
- I do nothing wrong.
- Drop the gun right now!
- I just don't want to be bothered
by her, him, or you.
Zayed. Zayed!
Zayed!
Where's your Allah now?
- Sounds like a clean shoot.
- I didn't have a choice.
C.I.I.D. will be here
to do follow up.
Fatality involved. Mandatory
downtime for the next two days.
Just take it easy, okay?
Call if you need anything.
Okay.
Everything seems
exceptionally calm.
No one seems too concerned
about a dead Arab, I guess.
How bad would this scene be for you if
the other neighbor were laying there dead?
People are still looking
for a reason to riot.
It would be very bad.
Is there someone I can call
for you? No one at all?
- What do you mean disappeared?
- I mean they're bone gone.
Three of my best dealers.
- You called?
- Callin', pagin', two-wayin'
They ain't answerin', man.
It's Armadillo. He's probably already
got tires around their goddamn necks.
All right, relax. Round up the rest
of your guys. Get them to lay low.
He's completely punking us, man.
- It's time to send his "cholo-ing" ass south.
- Yeah, like six feet south.
Hey, you relax too. Jesus Christ,
am I the only one thinking around here?
How did the arson go?
All smoke and mirrors.
Why so vague?
- You don't wanna know.
- Sure, I do.
You mean,
you don't wanna tell me.
And you think
you can't read women.
- You okay?
- Oh, yeah, fine. Thanks. Why?
Just... Nothing.
It was great spending time with you.
I hope I didn't make too many mistakes.
Not at all.
Thank you for all your time.
If you wanna talk some more,
maybe we could grab a meal sometime.
Dutch, hitting on me...
that is a mistake.
N-No. I meant if you wanted
to ask some more questions...
I've got a girlfriend.
Christ.
She made a stop
at the county courthouse.
Made copies of the kids'
birth certificates, came here.
- What, a P.I.?
- Yeah. A big one.
He played one season for the Rams.
Thinks he's Dick Butkus.
Jesus.
- Oh, God.
- Liman.
- Morgal.
- This is a confidential matter.
Yeah, a matter of betrayal.
She took his children away from him.
He's been looking for them
for over a month.
- Where are Cassidy and Matt?
- I'm not gonna do this.
- You don't have to answer him.
- Who the hell is this ape?
- Your children are where you can't hurt them.
Hur... What is he talking about?
Corrine.
I'm sorry.
I don't know what else to do.
- Let me do the talking, Corrine.
- Shut your mouth, you big, fat-necked prick.
- One more step and she
signs a restraining order.
- Stop it.
- Corrine!
- I'm scared for our kids.
'Cause of what happened with Gilroy?
That was a one-time thing.
- Let's go.
- Don't do this, Corrine.
- Sorry.
- Corrine, you're not gonna
at least talk to me?
It's not just Gilroy. It's all of it.
- Get out of my way!
- This is exactly the kind
of behavior I'm talking about.
- That's my daughter!
- No!
- Hey, no!
- That's enough, Morgal.
- The I.A.D. investigations.
The civil suits. The money
that mysteriously appears.
You got a lot to answer for.
You're investigating me?
Corrine. Corrine!
- I don't know what else to do.
- Corrine!
- Don't.
We'll get them back. Vic!
We'll get them back.
- What?
- Mackey! Mackey!
Tio?
- I asked you to leave.
- This is my house.
Unless you have a warrant,
you're breaking the law.
One of these laws?
I told you to leave.
Vic!
Vic!
You ready to go now, huh?
Vic, Jesus!
I don't have to leave.
You planning to leave?
You'll just have to kill me.
Tell me you're leaving. Say it!
Vic!
I wanna hear you say it.
Say it!
Vic! Vic, that's it!
Come on.
It's all over now.
- No!
- Take it easy.