01x20 - Keratin and Kissy Face

[bunniefuu]

(birds chirping)

(The Outfield's "Your Love" plays)

Somebody, help!

Help!

♪ Josie's on a vacation far away ♪

Somebody, help!

♪ Come around and talk it over ♪

I'm not gonna say anything, I swear!

♪ So many things that I wanna say ♪
♪ You know I like my girls a little bit older ♪
♪ I just wanna use your love ♪
♪ Tonight ♪

(music fades, stops)

(breathing heavily)

Somebody, help!

♪ I ain't got many friends to talk to ♪

Help me!

♪ No one's around when I'm in trouble ♪

Help! Somebody, help!

Aah!

(music fades)

(eerie scream)

(inhales sharply)

(bell dings)

Hi. I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time.

It's about this girl.

Her name was Kelly Downs.

Well, don't you look amazing.

Well, thank you for the compliment.

You get to go to a fancy French dinner with a gorgeous woman, and we just...

Get to attend a forensic enrichment seminar with another gorgeous woman and a cerebral but sexy pathologist?

Me.

It was Mitchie's idea.

But don't worry, girls.

I got you taken care of.

Oh, whoa!

Oh. Chez Phillippe?!

Tart, crème brulée, coq au vin.

We can't be bought with food.

Baby, stop coq-au-vin-blocking.

Wait. This one's a...

A femur.

Have fun. Play nice.

Oh, yeah. All right, mm-hmm.

(cellphone rings, beeps)

Hey, sweetheart.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down.

(siren wailing)

(indistinct conversations)

Rosie.

Hey, Villa, thanks for showing up so fast.

How's Erica?

(sighs) Debriefing with the chief of surgery.

She's pretty shaken.

I'm sure.

m*rder victim ends up on your table, it can rattle you.

Yeah. Said she never gets used to losing a patient, especially one so young who fought so hard.

Poor girl got stabbed seven times.

Did they I.D. the victim yet?

No, but before she d*ed, she said a name... "Kelly."

Erica thought that might be her name.

Or the name of her k*ller.

Whoever she is, if that name means something, we'll figure it out.

I'm gonna go talk to Erica, get her statement.

I am sorry about my penmanship.

I usually am more elegant with my hands.

I'm not always this sloppy. I'm easy.

I-I mean, I-I make it look easy.

Not really.

(chuckles nervously)

(exhales sharply)

What... was that?

An incredibly delectable piece of man-meat that strutted his stuff right through my office.

So, what's the problem?

All you got to do is you sprinkle some of that Anita magic onto the next conversation, and you're golden.

I mean, it's... Rosie, it's not that easy.

I mean, what we do... our back-and-forth... that's just for sport.

But when Anita really likes somebody...

Okay, well, when you're ready to make your next move, just text me, and I'll give you a pep talk because we can't have what just happened ever happen again.

You are so good to me.

Well, anything for sweet Anita.

And since I am scratching your back, why don't you return the favor and keep me in the loop on this body?

I have a personal connection to the case.

You don't mind, do you?

Mind?

I would never turn down any ruddle time.

More what?

Ruddle... "Rosie cuddles."

Okay, that is a phrase that we are going to just slide into the drawer and forget about.

Judging by the callous on her ring finger, she's married.

Husband and family probably wondering where she is, hoping she's not here like this.

Definitely mold.

And the dirt under her fingernails is a sign that she didn't have regular access to clean water.

But she was a fighter.

Erica told me she couldn't believe how long she held on.

Brave until the bitter end.

He left one thing out... she's a career criminal.

Name's Stephanie Grant. Ran her prints.

Apparently this woman never met a law she wouldn't break.

I'm heading over to her last known address right now.

You coming?

Man, what do you think?

Yep. Black mold.

And the rest of this place is looking very dirty.

Sounds an awful lot like your profile of the victim.

Well, you know, I don't like to point out stuff like that, but since you did... (siren wailing) I point out there are times when it's not fun to be right.

This is one of those times.

No bueno.

Well, my mom's not here, so that's one in the plus column.

She and Cap are really getting on my nerves.

You know I haven't been home in two days?

I sleep, I shower, I'm up and out before sunrise.

Villa, you know, you can't avoid going home, okay?

It's actually kind of weird.

And it's also unhealthy for your soul.

I have a bunch of t*nk tops in my trunk.

I'm good for a while.

Yeah, okay. Yeah, I'm sure you do.

Listen, now that, you know, you've convinced yourself that you're good, can we maybe talk about me for a minute?

Yes, let's put a pin in this m*rder investigation and talk all things Rosie.

This is not a Rosie thing, okay?

This is...

I'm talking about me, Erica, the future.

Oh, you mean the future Erica who's mad at Rosie for not solving the case of the victim on her table because he distracted me with questions that should be happening in another place, at another time?

You know, Villa, it's the way you say things sometimes that's not great.

(cellphone vibrating)

What are you doing?

Shh, shh, shh.

You hear that?

Let's see.

(vibrating continues)

Jackpot.

Nice work, partner.

Oh, it looks like Stephanie... or should I say Julie?... has an appointment tomorrow to do some bad things.

Get your big-boy pants on, Rosie. We're going on a raid.

I was born to raid.

S01E20 Keratin and Kissy Face All right, listen up.

We don't know what we're walking into here.

This girl's rap sheet reads like hall-of-fame credentials... armed robbery, possession with intent, as*ault.

Everyone needs to be ready and in communication at all times.

And let's try our best to get everyone out alive and unharmed.

One of those people might have a clue as to who k*lled our girl.

Or someone in here did her in.

sn*pers in position?

sn*per: Affirmative.

Copy.

All right, we're on a raid.

Hey, Cap, what do I do?

Stay in the van. Try not to get k*lled.

Uh, wait. Villa, you said that we were going on a raid.

I slipped up and got caught in the moment, and that moment is gone.

But what if something happens and you guys need me, okay?

Does anybody here know how to make occlusive dressing out of a driver's license? I don't think so.

Besides, you know, I have this vest on, and I should be okay.

Yeah, because no one gets sh*t in the face.

Actually, you know, you guys mind if I keep this in case we make raids part of the regular rotation?

This is your first and last raid.

You know, Villa, you might want to see how I raid before you make that decision.

Okay, Rosie stays stapled in the seat.

If he tries to move, you got my permission to sh**t him anywhere belt to chin.

Belt... Oh, you mean not... not in the face, though, right, Cap?

Belt to chin 'cause that hits my vest, the vest I got on.

(door slams)

Cap! Not in the face!

(box thuds)

(indistinct conversations)

Let's go! Ship leaves in an hour! Come on!

Man 1: Back and to the right.

Man 2: Come on.

We're good.

All right. All right. You heard him.

Let's get it done. Let's get out of here.

We got them. Everybody move now.

Villa: Drop your weapons now!

All right, get down!

Police!

Get down on your knees!

All right, all right!

Get down! Get down!

Drop the phone.

Right there, right here.

All right.

See that, Villa?

Villa: Huh?

Smooth as a baby's tookus.

We'll all be home for dinner.

(engine starts)

Bogey at my 12:00, weapons ready!

(g*nshots)

Aah!

Ugh!

Hold your fire! Hold fire!

All right, full sweep!

All right, spread it out!

Hey, now was that necessary?

Any other surprises?

All clear!

I'm guessing they don't have permits for these.

All right, let's walk it out, boys! Walk it out!

Let's start recovery and collection!

Man: Copy that!

Mitchie: And finally, when determining homicidal strangulation, one must never forget to examine the... anyone...

Ooh, I know this one. (clears throat)

.. but Pippy?

(clears throat)

Yes, Pippy?

The hyoid bone for fractures.

Except?

If the victim is an adolescent because the bone is still malleable.

What?

Another gold star for Pippy. Are we done now?

Why? Are you in a hurry to go smoke in the girls bathroom?

It's okay. I'm gonna get through to you, Tara.

You're like the Matt Damon to my Robin Williams... or the Lou Diamond Phillips to my Edward James Olmos.

You stand... me deliver.

Who are these people?

I'm not a troubled teenager.

I'm a DNA expert fluent in biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology.

I can extract a DNA profile, okay, from a piece of hair this big from just a few keratinocytes, okay?

Back at the FBI... heard of it?... they called me the "keratin queen."

Yeah, they did. Damn.

Rebellious TMI is hot.

Did that turn you on?

A little bit.

Okay.

Hey, can I talk to you for a second?

Mnh-mnh.

See, babe, that's what happens when you rebel... you get things like detention.

(chuckles)

Look, I-I just get really anxious when I don't have a dead body to lay my hands on.

That didn't sound right.

Me being here is like trying to fit this gigantic, odd-shaped peg...

Uh-huh.

Into just the tightest little... This is also awful.

Why did I even...

That was much, much more disturbing...

Yeah.

That analogy.

Look, I'm just trying to contribute, okay, to... to pull my own weight.

And if you're not into that, then I'll stop.

Great.

Class dismissed forever.

Let's go, Gregory.

(chuckles)

Hey, Phil Avanzato on the case.

Rosie.

Okay.

You just keep doing your thing, man.

I just want to say that Anita is an incredible girl, a real spark plug, in case you're curious.

I'm curious... Do you use those handcuffs on your dates, mami?

All right, you're first. Come on.

(chuckles) Ow!

Yeah?

You think you're a tough guy talking to me like that?

Let's see how you do without the bars here to protect you.

Relax. Relax, all right?

I'm a cop... Vladimir Dominguez, A*F.

Vladimir? Really? You're a cop?

That's the best you could come up with?

No, but I'm not lying.

What do you want, a code word or something?

You want to prove you're a cop?

Then explain what you were doing out there.

Hell no.

Look, lady, I don't know you, and I don't trust you.

So, just go get Detective Hornstock for me, please.

It's Captain Hornstock now.

Ira made captain?

(exhales sharply)

Wow.

So, uh, why am I still cuffed?

To keep us safe.

I mean, otherwise, you can att*ck us, which, I mean, if you did, I'd be fine, but...

Speaking of safety, did you... did you keep that vest?

Oh, you mean the raid swag.

Um, well, that's the stuff that you get to take home once the raid is done, right?

We take home criminals. That's our raid swag.

You better give us back that vest.

Oh, come on, Villa. Now, did I ask you to return the autopsy swag?

No. Did I?

(police radio chatter)

Uh, yeah, this reminds me of when I was a kid.

What are you doing with the damn walkie?

Who is this guy?

(door opens)

One of Miami's finest...

Thanks, Captain.

Pains in the ass.

(door closes)

(fingers snap)

Almost didn't recognize you without the sideburns and the plaid.

It's been a long time, Ira.

So, what's so hush-hush you couldn't talk to my detective?

Look, I'm sorry.

I've been undercover for a long time.

It's hard to know who to trust.

And I'm this close to taking down the whole ring.

So, now you tell me what a homicide unit wants with my A*F operation.

Our victim.

Was she part of your investigation?

Yes.

How long were you tracking her?

I wasn't tracking her.

I was working with her.

She was a cop.

Agent Tiffany Lee... one of the best in the field.

She had a gift. She was one of those people.

You ever train somebody and you... you're thinking the whole time one day you're gonna be working for them?

Yes, I have.

That was Tiffany.

(cellphone vibrates)

Can we see your case file?

Maybe we can cross-reference that with what we've got, find a connection.

I'm sorry.

As long as the investigation is opened, I can't give you that.

(cellphone vibrates)

It's Anita.

Rosie, come on.

Oh. I'm sorry, Captain.

It's Anita. She wants you to respond.

Did she send you the same things?

All right, enough, okay?

From now on, my office is a no-phone zone.

You got it?

Uh, could you guys excuse me for a minute, please?

(door opens)

(door closes)

Cream, two sugars, right?

You don't have to make an excuse to go outside of the room and talk about me, Ira.

I appreciate that.

(indistinct conversations)

Look, Cap, I know he's your friend and all, but...

He's hiding something.

One of youse goes down, God forbid, I'm doing everything I can to find the guy who did it.

But he's in there with no ideas.

A world full of criminals, and no one seems the least bit suspicious to him?

Really? His girl's perfect? Come on.

Also weird that he mentioned keeping his operation going.

Agent's m*rder*d in the field, operation is suspended.

That's protocol.

Anita I.D.'d the m*rder w*apon.

Standard government-issue A*F tactical Kn*fe, the kind used by all A*F agents.

Including Dominguez.

And the victim.

Then what do we do?

We cut him loose, we work on getting more evidence, and we keep our eyes on him.

I'll look into possible suspects in the g*n-trafficking ring and check their whereabouts the night of the m*rder.

Well, any new leads, you keep me posted.

You get all your stuff back from evidence?

Yeah. I was traveling light. You know how it is.

What about your Kn*fe?

Guess I lost it in the raid.

Well, that's a shame.

Well, I'll have some of my guys double back.

Maybe we'll find it.

Sounds good.

Oh, Skip, I'm sorry.

Son of a bitch.

Your wife was my best officer.

You k*lled my wife.

Hey, hey, hey!

You k*lled her! You k*lled her!

I did everything I could to keep her safe!

Vlad, Vlad, we got this. Go.

(birds chirping)

(air hisses, drill whirs)

Ohh.

(air hisses)

Mitchie, you sure you're gonna be able to put that thing back together?

Oh, uh, yeah. Of course, yeah.

I just... You know, I just needed to... check the fluids and, uh, lubricate the spro... the... the sprockets and the seals.

Oh, the seals, yeah.

Yeah, so...

What are you doing?

I've been thinking. I-I was too harsh before.

Maybe learning my way around a bone could be fun.

Wait. That didn't sound right.

It sounded great.

Mitchie, you don't need to try so hard.

Am I trying too hard?

Uh, yeah.

Trust me. I know. You know, I do the same thing.

Rosie hand-picked me from the FBI, and I still thought I wasn't good enough, you know?

I felt I had to over-deliver every single day just to impress him.

You know, I'm so glad to hear you say that because I-I feel like... I feel like we have a lot in common, and I just didn't know how to calibrate that.

I didn't know how to...

What... What do... What do you mean?

Well, I just mean that we're a lot alike, you know?

You're an overachiever, an underdog, an outsider, a...

I'm... not an outsider.

Well, no, I'm not saying that like it's a bad thing.

We could be a couple outsiders together.

I'm very much a part of this family.

I'm engaged to Pippy.

I'm practically a Rosewood, so...

Okay, but your last name is Izikoff.

"Izn't" it?

Wow. You really know everything, don't you?

I don't know everything.

I'm just awkward.

I'm just awkward.

You are.

(door closes)

Boy, I thought we were bonding.

She just went right into the elevator.

She didn't even stop.

I'm not gonna able to put that back together.

(indistinct conversations)

(sniffles)

I just can't believe she's gone.

When was the last time you saw her?

A month ago. She snuck out.

She took a bus. She met me in Fort Lauderdale.

She's so careful, you know?

You trace the plates on a bus, it just takes you right back to the station.

Or was careful.

Did Dominguez know about this field trip?

Yes.

He knew exactly how bad she wanted to get out.

She said this is the most dangerous job she'd ever worked.

We were gonna move.

We were gonna start over, start a new life... start a family.

I wish I would have forced her, you know?

Maybe we wouldn't even be sitting here if I had.

There was no changing her. Trust me.

And you have to know that she knew how much you cared about her.

And... And that love... that helped her accomplish everything she set out to do.

(sniffles) Thank you for saying that.

Skip, my... my girlfriend was the doctor who operated on Tiffany, and she mentioned that Tiffany said a name before she d*ed.

Uh, a name?

Kelly. That mean anything to you?

Ah, "Kelly"...

Um, I-I don't think so.

But [sniffles] when you're married to an undercover cop for 13 years, there's a lot of stuff you don't know.

I understand.

But, uh, if that name rings a bell, I'm here.

Just let us know if there's anything else we can do for you.

Thanks.

(door opens, closes)

You okay?

You show up to this job every day knowing you're putting your life on the line, but you never think for a second it's gonna be one of your own that gets you.

You think Dominguez k*lled her?

I don't know, but I think he knows what happened.

You want to tell me why you didn't mention Tiffany ran off to see her husband?

(sighs) I don't know what you're talking about.

Don't do that, Vlad, all right?

It's just you and me in here.

Let's not play the game.

Look, I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to question her integrity as an officer.

But when I first found out, I told Tiffany that it was best to step away completely than to compromise her mission.

She apologized, but she wanted to see the mission through.

Which is why you're about to make the biggest mistake of your career.

You and me, we're a lot alike, okay?

If someone k*lled one of my guys, I'm gonna find out who did it and make them pay.

But if you do that, if you cross that line, you're no better than them.

Rotting away in a cell for a m*rder you can't take back?

Let me do this one for you.

Let me catch this guy. Let me make it right.

Mnh. I don't think this opens her front door.

Maybe that's the key to all of Tiffany's secrets.

And this might be a good place to start looking.

Wait. She was living over on Glades, right?

So...

We check the bus depot on 14th.

What? Anita's not above taking the bus.

I sure hope we find the guy who did this.

Woman: 75 Miami to Orlando.

This was her safe house.

There's a 30-minute delay...

Who are these people?

15 Miami...

There's nothing in here about g*ns.

There's only one number saved in here.

(keypad beeps)

(ringing)

(cellphone vibrating)

Hello?

Tiffany.

What happened to you? I was worried.

This is Detective Annalise Villa. Who's this?

Detective Frank Escajeda, Cold Case Division.

Is Tiffany okay?

No. She's not.

I mean, I knew something was wrong when she didn't return my phone calls, but...

All right, start from the beginning.

Tiffany was helping you with a cold case off the books, unrelated to A*F.

I didn't even know she was a cop.

She reached out to me with some intel on a 12-year-old m*rder... this girl right here, Kelly Downs, 18 years old.

"Kelly"... Tiffany's last word.

Why would an A*F agent deep in cover take the time to work on a cold case?

Maybe they're related?

Someone Tiffany's going after now did the cold-case m*rder then?

I mean, I'd be very curious to find out what Dominguez was working 12 years ago.

Okay, how about, from now on, we don't pretend there's only two people in the room?

I mean, that could be fun for everybody, right?

Maybe.

Tiffany was stabbed seven times with a tactical Kn*fe given to every A*F agent on duty.

We think her handler might be involved.

Well, if he was involved back then, we'll know soon.

I had Kelly's body exhumed.

It'll be here by the end of the day.

I'll reroute that body to Magic City.

Is that a strip club?

It's my lab.

I'll make sure I find everything I can on her body.

I'm sure you will.

And I'll finish what Tiffany started.

You guys gonna play nice?

Oh, yeah.

I'll think about it.

Kelly Downs... She went missing 12 years ago.

After about a month, the cops found her body in a shallow grave, blunt-force trauma to the head.

They thought it was a robbery gone wrong, and no evidence was ever found to point to a k*ller.

12 years without justice.

It's up to us to bring peace to her family.

Yes. 12 years underground. There's not much left.

Good thing you aced Mitchie's honors bone class.

(chuckles) More like A.P. bone-ology.

(high-pitched voice) Ga-goo! (chuckles)

Didn't see you there.

Mnh.

He's... He's everywhere. Um, baby, listen.

I know he's super annoying, okay?

But whatever issue you have with Mitchie, you got to drop it, okay? Give him a chance, all right?

He's Rosie's boy. We got to like him 'cause he's here to stay.

Is there a problem?

Huh?

Kelly's not gonna examine herself.

No. No, no, no, there's no problem.

No.

Let's do this.

I'm working.

(speaking indistinctly)

Okay, I get it.

You're excited to have a lead, but you don't meet her?

You just take her word that she can be trusted?

That's the thing... most of these cases just sit there collecting dust.

I mean, a lead... any lead... is worth chasing after.

We did meet, actually, once.

I had a feeling she knew something else about Kelly Downs' death that she wasn't telling me, but I didn't want to press and spook her, so I just went through all the original witness lists and met with everybody I could track down.

(indistinct conversations)

(inhales sharply)

So, why would a homicide detective from Long Island come all the way to Miami to work in a basement?

I grew up in Miami.

It was just time to move back.

But come on. Cold case?

You look like you could be on a recruitment poster.

(laughs)

You think so? With this mug?

Relax. I'm not trying to flatter you.

Flatter, flirt.

If I'm the recruitment poster, you're the whole damn campaign.

Okay, so, she wasn't pregnant, had never given birth, judging from the...

Skeletal indicators on her pubic bone.

You were paying attention.

I was gonna say medical records, but okay.

You guys, what does the hyoid bone fracture look like again?

Exactly like that.

Fracture suggests she was strangled.

But the original autopsy cited blunt-force trauma as the cause of death.

Yes, but manual strangulation doesn't always leave visible marks.

Especially after a month of decomposition.

Manual strangulation.

It's personal.

Maybe it wasn't random.

Maybe it was someone she knew.

Listen, you guys keep working and let me know what you find.

Pip, good job.

Thank you.

Hey, Villa, we just found something very interesting.

I think Kelly knew her k*ller.

I got Kelly a job hosting here after she graduated.

I thought it would be a good way to help her save before she went off to college.

Did she like working here?

She loved it.

Honestly, at the time, I was a single mom working two jobs, and there were a lot of things I missed while she was growing up.

Having her here and working together, it was a great way to make up for lost time.

This place would have been hers if...

Well, K-Kelly could have done anything she wanted.

I'm sorry. If you need a minute...

No.

Please, I-I... I want to help.

Well, do you know this girl?

Was she a friend?

No, I-I don't know her.

Okay. And him?

What about him? Did he come around often?

I've never seen this man.

(sighs)

I'm sorry. I-I wish I had more...

No. It's... It's okay. You were great.

If it's all right with you, maybe we could look at Kelly's belongings.

Anything you still have of hers could be of help to us.

You can look at everything.

I haven't touched her room since she d*ed.

You'd think after all this time, this would be easier.

It's... It's okay.

Uh, we can take it from here.

Thank you.

(sighs)

Ohh.

When I was her age, all I had was a bed and a window I would sneak out of at night to go dancing.

Yeah? What was his name?

Manolo Rivera. Oof. He had moves.

(scoffs) Manolo.

Wait.

If... If we think our k*ller knew her, then maybe it was...

A crush gone wrong.

Kid falls hard, guy isn't having it.

Wouldn't be the first.

You know, this is cute, this little back-and-forth you guys got going on.

Do you guys paint each other's nails?

Talk about relationships, too?

No, "Rosilla" doesn't do relationship talk.

Is that... Is that both you guys' names combined into one?

Yeah. That was a fail, wasn't it?

Yeah, that's not cool.

Not cool, right?

No.

Oh, okay, I see how this is.

You feel bad, want the new kid to fit in, so you g*ng up on the popular guy. I get it.

A-And in this fantasy, you're the popular guy?

Yeah, okay, whatever. You know you want to eat at my table.

Guys, this is fun.

How long does he normally keep this little bit going for, though? (sighs)

Don't even want to know.

Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'd be really into it if you put those glasses on, bro.

Costumes mean commitment.

Last time I checked, teddy bears don't wear corrective lenses.

Could it be Kelly's?

No. Kelly didn't wear glasses.

I'll go get the case files and see who those glasses belong to.

I'll take these to be dusted for prints.

My table.

Whatever.

(knock on door)

Hey, Anita, any updates?

Are you working a case, or are you working Officer Avanzato?

Get an ambulance now!

Did you see who att*cked you?

No. All I remember is waking up to you kissing me aggressively on the mouth.

It was CPR, Anita.

Don't step on my silver lining.

Listen, you have a concussion.

But luckily the X-rays show no sign of a skull fracture or swelling.

I must have a guardian angel.

Do you know who did this?

Whoever he was, he's smart.

He wore a hoodie, knew exactly where the cameras were and how to avoid them, which allowed him to get in and out basically undetected.

It looks like he took some evidence from a case you were working on.

Rosie, my hand won't stop shaking.

What if it's nerve damage?

What if this is permanent?

No, no, you're gonna be fine.

(gasping)

What if I can't go to work?

Listen to me.

We're gonna find out who did this.

And I promise you, you will be back in that lab and ready to ruddle in no time.

(exhales sharply) Okay?

(inhales sharply)

(sighs)

How's your friend?

Pretty rough, but she'll live.

Her att*ck, it's related to Kelly and Tiffany, isn't it?

You have a better theory?

I stirred up the hornet's nest here.

This one's on me.

Whoever k*lled these two women thought he could cover his ass by stealing evidence.

Yeah, well, he was wrong.

Look, maybe we can use this to flush out the k*ller.

He knows we're close. He's got to be nervous.

Hey, come on. Snap out of it.

(fingers snap)

Grab your suspect list. Let's go rattle some cages.

Let's go.

Yes, ma'am.

(Pell's "Queso" playing)

And you don't remember anything else from that night?

Just the smell.

The pond out the back of the bar had the sweetest smell.

Okay.

♪ I got that mula mula ♪

Just been so long since I worked there.

But if you wanted to hang out after my shift and grab a drink, it could jog my memory.

I'm good.

♪ Smooth ♪
♪ Blame it on the Jame-O, I really don't know why I called ♪
♪ Why you call her? ♪
♪ I said I really don't know why I called ♪
♪ Why you call her? ♪
♪ I said I really don't know why I called ♪
♪ Why you call her? ♪
♪ 'Cause I got everything that I want ♪

(cellphone dinging)

Please tell me you found something.

Ira: We got a hit on those glasses you brought in.

You're never gonna believe who they belong to.

♪ I said I really don't know why I called ♪
♪ Why you call her? ♪
♪ 'Cause I got everything that I want ♪
♪ I got, I got, I got ♪

(bell dings)

(birds chirping)

Skip: Oh, hey, man. How's it going? What are you doing here?

You sure I can't get you something more than just water?

No, that's not even necessary.

I mean, you drove all the way out here.

It's the least I can do.

Sure.

There you go.

Thanks.

You're welcome.

I love your taste in glasses.

I wear the same ones, but I lost mine.

Yeah, yeah.

You know, what I started doing is I started buying discount, you know, in bulk.

That way, when you eventually do lose a pair, you got one on standby.

I probably got three pairs lying around the house.

Now, that's a good call 'cause you never know when you have to do some reading, right? Exactly. Yeah.

You never know when you're gonna have to read something.

You know, I've been meaning to ask you... how'd you get your nickname, Skip?

Sorry?

Your real name is Charles, right?

Went by that 12 years ago when you were hanging out at Dos Toros?

Dos Toros?

I think you have me confused with somebody else.

Nah, I don't think so.

I got to say, I'm pretty impressed, too.

Yeah. I mean, 12 years is a long time to get away with m*rder.

See, my guess is you had an affair with Kelly.

She's barely 18.

Poor girl thought you were gonna be together forever, and when you disagreed, she threatened to spill it to your wife... Tiffany.

And you being the monster that you are, you k*lled her.

Years later, Tiffany finds out what you did, wants to put you away for it.

And then you k*ll her, too.

So, I guess I was close.

Too close.

(shell casing drops)

Sorry about this.

You seem like a pretty nice guy.

Aah!

(grunting)

Hear a buzzing?

'Cause I just ruptured your eardrums.

Ugh.

(grunts)

Your rib cage just took a b*ating.

But I kept those sh*ts real low.

A break in one of your top three ribs would rupture your aorta, and we don't want that.

No, no. See, I'm here to punish you, not k*ll you.

Let me ask you a question, Skip.

What kind of parasite lays his hands on a lady?

That's right. That's right.

Aah!

There's no correct answer for that one.

So, this one's for Kelly.

Ohh!

For Tiffany.

Ugh! Aah!

And this one's for sweet Anita, you son of a bitch.

(indistinct talking)

I got it.

What the hell happened?

This coward sh*t me.

(handcuffs clicking, Skip coughing)

Raid swag.

Saves lives.

(police radio chatter)

His g*n's under this chair.

So, the husband did it?

He knew his wife had called Escajeda.

He thought if he stole her phone from your lab, we'd never connect him to any of it.

And when he couldn't get it from us, he came back later to steal it.

Now, that's some next-level nonsense.

Are you feeling okay?

Better and bolder.

Life is too short to not go for what you want.

(knock on door)

(gasps)

I figured you could use a little passion... flowers.

Thank you.

I do need some passion, and you giving it to me.

Thank you.

Um, hello? Can I have a little space, please?

Thank you.

So, how you holding up?

Fine, but since I did survive a near-death experience today, I was hoping that you would accompany me to lifeguard station number 42.

8:00 p.m. tonight, you, me, and the clear night sky.

Escajeda!

Teamwork makes the dream work.

Well, if your dream is solving cold-case murders, which in your case, it is.

Mm. See?

That's the kind of positive affirmation you miss out on when you work in a basement.

And this is the kind of excitement you miss out on when you want two doors and a backseat.

This a '99?

You know your bikes.

Well, you know, if it's cool and you can ride it, I've looked into it.

Never know when I might want to change it up.

Oh, you finally gonna listen to me and rid yourself of that bumblebee?

Oh, no. I'll be living off the sweet nectar as long as she'll let me, okay? Thank you.

Again, you two with the bits. I love it.

Anyways, I was hoping, if you're done, maybe we can combine paperwork for both cases.

I mean, unless I'm interrupting something.

Oh, no, not at all. You guys go ahead and do your thing.

Villa, cuatro dos?

It's "cuarenta y dos."

"To-may-toe," "tah-mah-tay."

Meet you back at the station?

Be home before curfew.

Actually, uh, I was kind of hoping we could grab drinks at this cool bar I found.

I mean, it's kind of a hole in the wall over on Poe Avenue, but it's got good drinks, you know, good beers, jukebox.

Oh, wait. Wait. You talking about Off Limits?

That's my spot.

Well, now it's my spot. (chuckles)

And if you get me drunk enough, maybe I might even tell you how I went from being the face of the homicide department to the keeper of the cold-case files.

You don't really need my help with the paperwork, do you?

I just thought we had a nice connection.

You're good people, Escajeda.

I just don't think I can give you that.

Really don't think I can give anyone that right now.

The thing is...

No, look, hey, no need.

I get it.

You don't have to explain yourself to me.

All right, Villa, have a nice day.

How many tours did you do?

My brother's on his third.

That's one too many for me.

Well, if the lavender oil in your pocket and the melatonin on your desk ever stops working and you need someone to talk to...

I thought you said no to drinks?

They really helped me with a lot of my stuff, having a sibling over there.

Yeah. Thanks.

I'll think about it.

If you change your mind about those drinks, you know where to find me.

Just hit "B" on the elevator.

(chuckles)

Ah, Gregory... you are looking especially thin.

Greg...

So, um...

Hey. I owe you an explanation for earlier.

You really hit a nerve with the whole, you know, outsider thing.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

No, no. I was...

My mom showed up, and she presented this whole "walk away for a ton of cash" scenario.

I don't want to get into it.

Anyway, um, I wouldn't start planning who's gonna play you in the next inspirational movie, um, but... nice work, teach.

You... Yeah, well... you know, I-I stood, and, uh... and Pippy delivered.

She delivered. Right.

Yeah.

(both chuckle)

And obviously it would be Chris Pratt.

Yes. Yes. Quite the uplifting narrative.

And as annoyingly upbeat as you are, I think you're fitting right in.

Really?

Rosie loves you. Pippy loves you.

I'm super impressed, so...

(grunts)

I know. (laughs)

I'm sorry.

You just scared me.

I know. I know.

It's just, like, I know you think it's lame that I care so much about what you guys think, but it's...

No. Do you think that I think that it's lame?

No, no, no. I-I get it.

And I actually... I think it's really, really endearing.

Yeah.

You know?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Really.

What are you... doing there?

What are you doing? Oh, my God.

That... Are you crazy?

(door opens)

Am I?

Oh, wow.

So, what are we learning now?

(birds chirping)

We caught him, Tiffany.

Now you've both found peace.

(sighs)

(indistinct conversations)

Why haven't we ever done this before?

Well, if you look in your drawer of rain checks, my invite's in there somewhere.

(sighs) I'm sorry I do that.

It's just...

It's completely okay.

I come here a lot, especially after a case like today.

It reminds me of what the world has to offer.

Look. It's the Big Dipper.

There's Orion's Belt.

See those stars over there?

That's Berenice's Hair. She's an Egyptian queen.

She gave her hair to a goddess for her husband's safety... not to bore you.

(chuckles) A lock of hair for a husband.

I wish it were that easy.

Ah, you know, Villa, I'm on a train and I don't think it's stopping.

I'm not sure how I feel about that.

So, what do you think?

(sighs heavily)

How would I have any idea what the right thing is for you two?

Because you're one of my best friends.

And, good or bad, you're my first call, so...

Look, I knew from the second I spoke to Eddie that he was it for me.

I can't really explain why.

It was just... a feeling... a feeling so incredible that I spent...

I spent the rest of our time together chasing after it, savoring every moment.

And each day, I'd wake up happy and excited knowing I was gonna feel that... that thing again.

When you know you've found your person, it's... it's exhilarating.

And if you think Erica is that one for you... that special person... you got to go for it.

And I'll be here with you every step of the way.

(sighs)

(both laugh)

I'm gonna push you off.

I'm gonna push you off.

Ah, no, hey...