01x04 - Against All Odds

[bunniefuu]

You gotta be kidding.

I'd be an idiot to take this deal.

Final offer.

It's not an offer, it's r*pe.

I'm doing you a favor.

Ah, to hell with you!

Gentlemen... To hell with both of you.

How dare you talk to us like that?

We pay your salary.

No, I'm a mediator, not a babysitter.

This deal could have saved both your companies.

You, you don't even have enough money to finish this building.

But you know what, I am... I am beyond caring.

By this time next week you'll both be bankrupt and you'll be somebody else's headache.

I am done.

Good luck to you both, gentlemen.

The audit?

No, I'm taking a bath on this.

Damn you.

Hey, counselor jackass!

Alright, we'll do it your way!

Why are you up and about?

Oh, I got bored.

Wanted to give my new knee a test drive.

Do you want me to bring these by later today?

No, no, no, I'm fine. Okay, thank you.

Are you sure?

If you're going to nag me, you'll have to marry me.

[Laughs]

Just lost his wife last year.

Poor guy lives all alone now.

It has its moments.

Except for the microwave pizza.

I'm kind of new to the neighborhood.

You ever try that Italian place over on third for dinner?

I'm usually home nights.

I've got to help my daughter with her homework.

Oh.

Okay, sure.

Will that be everything?

Uh... Lottery ticket.

$5.00 more for the mega bonus?

Why not? It'll keep the others in my car company.

[Punching cash register]

That'll be $16.35, please.

Whew.

Hey.

Didn't you wear that suit yesterday?

That's an astute observation, detective.

You didn't go home?

Why are you so fresh at 4:00 A.M.?

'Cause I know how to apply eyeliner and drive at the same time.

What do we got?

We have a 42-year-old male.

Shawn Mitchell.

s*ab wound in the abdomen.

They said the wife took a sleeping pill, woke up to the sound of breaking glass, came downstairs to find her husband dead.

Empty spot in the Kn*fe rack.

We're still looking.

Vega: We found a strip of torn leather that snagged on that back door.

Jacket?

No, looked like a piece of glove.

So no prints. Perfect.

You notice the scratches on the door?

Yeah, somebody jimmied their way in.

This party must have made quite a racket.

Well, the noise woke the wife up.

She's in the other room.

Bit of a mess right now.

What?

I know that tone of face.

What?

Nothing was stolen, except her purse.

TV, stereo, Rolex, all present and accounted for.

That's a hell of a lot of effort to go to to steal a purse containing...

$32, some credit cards and a cell phone.

Cell phone?

Yeah, we'll put a trace on that.

And by "we," I mean... Oh, right.

Uh, I'm on it.

Great.

[Sobbing in anguish]

[Echoes of screams, Kn*fe slashing]

[Gasping for breath]

[Distant sirens]

Just when I thought I was going to get a full night's sleep.

Aw, what happened to the fireman?

All spark and no flame.

That's too bad.

Got a prelim cause of death for you-- one s*ab wound.

Judging by the amount of blood in the kitchen, I'm guessing the blade nicked an artery.

I'll know more later, but the angle and depth of the wound could indicate a weak blow.

A woman?

Mm.

Hey!

We got a tracker on the phone.

Let's go.

[Tires squealing]

Police! Freeze!

Finders keepers.

[Siren wails]

Amy!

Do you know what time it is?

Where were you, mommy?

You go back to bed.

I had to go pee.

I looked in your room and you were gone.

Mommy had to run a quick errand.

I got scared.

I was gonna call dad.

[Sirens wail past outside]

I told you not to call your father without my permission.

I'm sorry.

Mommy's sorry.

I'm just tired.

Bitch.

Not much hope for forensics now.

Wife's phone, wallet, including cash and credit cards.

Some thief.

Why k*ll for a purse and then dump it?

I don't know, panic?

No, you don't believe that any more than I do.

I don't.

Bitch.

Yeah, I heard you the first time.

Where'd you get this?

Found it.

Where?

Wouldn't you like to know?

Sweetie, I know how this works.

You piss me off, so I haul you in, then you get a warm place to crash for the night.

Hey!

20 bucks.

10.

My kid cleaned me out.

Take it or leave it.

Okay.

You owe me the rest.

Deal.

Bastard.

[Slams door]

Get away from her.

Go easy.

Sweetie, go play in the living room.

Where's Mrs. Rinehart?

She fell down.

She fainted.

Low blood sugar.

Luckily, Amy called 911.

Baby, I'm so sorry.

Why didn't you call me?

I did.

Still forgetting to charge your phone?

You leave our daughter home alone with a complete stranger--

She's a neighbor.

Yeah, what if something more serious had happened--

You're not a part of our life anymore.

That was your decision.

Right, well, I divorced you, not her.

Hey, you can barely make ends meet here.

I'm just trying to help.

I don't want it, and I don't need it.

Then we'll continue talking through the lawyer.

I love you, honey.

Good night, dad.

[Engine roars to life]

♪

There.

There's where I found the bag.

Did you see who tossed it?

Nah.

These are wheelchair tracks in the mud.

Yeah... And these.

You see that?

Yeah. There's tire marks.

They're shallow.

I don't know, bald tires?

Let's see if we can get an impression.

[Sighs heavily]

Rusty scratches on the back door.

Forensics say it was probably cracked with a crowbar.

That's textbook B&E.

Yeah, so why leave this, then?

I could pay three months rent with that watch.

Maybe the k*ller freaked after the m*rder.

Might've heard the wife approaching.

Yeah, let's see if she's in any shape to talk yet.

Vega: The CSI guys will be leaving shortly.

We're sorry for your loss.

Wife: Shawn... was a good man.

I'm sure he was.

This was a thief, or a... A robber.

If Shawn hadn't come downstairs, then-- it was just odd that nothing was stolen except the purse.

Did anyone have a grudge against Shawn?

No.

No. No one would ever-- but somebody did.

I'm so sorry to do this to you, but we need to work fast.

So you came downstairs, you found Shawn.

Did you hear anything after that?

There was a sound, um... a-a lawn mower?

At 3:00 A.M.?

Muffler? Old car, maybe?

And through the front window, there was a red light.

One red light?

Moving away, and then it was just... gone.

I'm sorry, that's all I can remember.

Hey, what did you find out?

So much for the immediate neighbors.

Nobody saw or heard anything.

And they are really not happy with me for waking them up.

Yeah, well, someone ran out of this house after committing a messy, noisy m*rder.

Then they drove off in an older model car with a crappy muffler, busted tail light, bald tires.

Maybe.

Maybe sounds right.

We gotta go wider, let's canvas the neighborhood.

Coin toss for the coffee run?

Yes.

All right, call it.

Heads.

I am so sorry.

I will take a latte, please.

Quad Americano.

Five sugars.

It's gonna be one of those days.

[Shop bell jingles]

[Beeps off security alert]

[Trolley wheels squeaking]

[Shop bell jingles]

Hi.

We're not actually open for another few minutes.

Oh, that's okay, I'm not shopping, except for information.

That's a cute sweater.

There was a m*rder a couple blocks away, so we're checking in the neighborhood, seeing if anyone saw anything suspicious around 3:00 A.M.?

We're not open till 8:00.

9:00 on Sundays.

Oh.

You live in the neighborhood?

Mm-mm.

Okay, well, here's a picture of the guy who was k*lled.

You recognize him?

No.

Are you sure?

Might have been a customer?

Yeah... sorry.

All right.

Here's my business card.

If you think of anything, give me a call?

For sure.

Have a good day.

You son of a bitch! A subpoena?

No, no, not here. Not here.

She's my daughter.

Just keep your voice down.

You think you can take her away from me?

It's up to the court to decide, all right?

Why are you doing this?

I'm a manager here.

To get back at me?

I can book off days, I can work nights.

I can be there for her.

I am handling things fine!

You're never home.

Because I am working my ass off!

Then let me pay for a real babysitter, okay?

Not some old lady who has fainting spells.

Think you can erase what you did by throwing money at it?

That's not what this is.

It's Amy I'm thinking about.

And I'm not? She's fine.

She's a kid.

She's our kid, and she deserves more than what you can give her.

You're out of control.

I've got a business to run here.

I'm going to fight this.

You can't afford to.

Yeah, I know.

I was taken in by his calendar photo.

But give me a break.

Standing there in front of that shiny fire truck with those blue eyes, and those pecs... Ooh, what about Mr. November?

Hmm, thought about it, but I think Vega's more his type.

Oh, well, I'll be sure to pass that on.

See, here it is.

The celiac trunk was nicked.

It's the main artery of the stomach.

Yeah, that would account for all the blood.

You know what the sad thing is, a couple of millimeters to the right, the guy might've lived.

What about defensive wounds?

Hmm, just the usual superficial bruising consistent with a struggle.

No skin under the nails.

No one else's blood on him.

Did you find the m*rder w*apon?

No, but there's a chef's Kn*fe missing from the kitchen.

That tallies.

The blade, approximately seven inches long.

Due to the ragged nature of the entrance wound, at first, I thought it was serrated.

Or jostled during a struggle.

Or the k*ller had trembling hands.

Huh. So, frightened.

Didn't intend to k*ll?

Hmm.

[Cell phone blasts a novelty ringtone]

Manny keeps changing my cell phone ring.

He thinks it's funny.

Kids... glad I don't have any.

Flynn.

Seriously?

Okay, yeah, I'll be right there.

News?

Yeah, all bad.

Thanks, Betts.

See ya.

Where is she?

In the interview room.

Please tell me we had a good reason for bringing her in.

Would you believe a million of 'em?

Give the credit to eager beaver.

What is this?

Take a look.

An insurance policy on Shawn Mitchell?

Why wasn't this part of the rest of the financials?

It was just taken out last week, barely made it through the system.

So the grieving widow is now a millionaire.

This is the first time I've seen this.

Really? Wow.

This insurance policy payment is on your joint bank statement.

He never mentioned it to you?

Who actually reads their bank statements, do you?

I do.

I told you, I had no idea Shawn had taken out extra life insurance.

Well, even so, I'm still confused about these other amounts, you see?

Over the last few weeks, there's several withdrawals of $500.

And that adds up to quite a chunk of change.

Again, I don't know.

It wasn't me.

Did Shawn gamble?

You know, maybe he had a thing for the horses?

No. And before you ask, he didn't take dr*gs.

You read my mind.

None of this makes any sense.

That's what I think, too.

So you can see why we're struggling here.

I swear to you I don't know anything else.

We loved each other.

We were together since high school.

Why would Shawn keep secrets from me?

I thought you should take it easy on your knee.

What, you're my doctor now?

I can take 'em back.

[Laughs] I'm only joking.

Come in, come in, come in.

I got a hot pocket in the microwave.

You hungry?

No thanks.

You sure you're okay back there?

Yeah, I'm fine, Mr. Ashburn, you just rest.

Yeah, I'm just not buying the wife as guilty.

I mean, it's just not adding up.

I thought the forensics supported the idea of the female k*ller.

Yeah, but not this female.

Why would she k*ll her husband, steal her own purse, drive half a mile away, dump it, drive back, call 911.

Doesn't make sense.

[Brisk knock]

Hi.

Spill it, Skippy.

You tracked the money.

Those regular withdrawals from Mitchell's account?

His bookie or his pusher?

They went to a Martin Kane.

[Groans]

You know him?

He's a full-time slimeball part-time P.I.

This is just the break you've been looking for.

Husband suspects wife of fooling around.

Hires a P.I. to track her.

Catches her doing the nasty with some other dude.

She takes out a new insurance policy, but before her husband can sue for divorce, she pops him.

Cue a million dollar payday.

You want me to put a bow on it for you?

[Bangs sharply]

[Hammering at door]

[Wood frame splintering]

[Footsteps approach]

Hey, Marty, what are you watching?

Do you mind? I'm working.

Well, that is a cute couple.

Would you believe brother and sister?

Guy's wife hired me.

Suspected he was getting a little on the side, but not even I guessed this one.

I didn't think it was possible to have any less respect for you.

Oh, I'm crushed.

Now, do you mind?

Shawn Mitchell.

He hired you.

You owe me big time, Marty.

You're a vampire.

I've been called worse today, believe me.

I make one mistake two years ago.

You're never going to let me forget it.

Why did Mitchell hire you?

You're asking me to divulge privileged client information.

You're not a doctor, Marty.

You're barely a P.I.

Nice.

I'll do it.

Don't tell you haven't had that fantasy.

All right, all right.

I took a job keeping tabs on the wife.

Did he think she was cheating on him?

What? No.

He thought someone was going to k*ll her.

Who?

A client of his, Jack Carlin.

So, our victim was getting threats they'd go after his wife.

Did you get a name?

Yeah, Jack Carlin.

He's on his way up.

What time is it? Is it lunchtime?

Uh, it's 10:00.

I'm starving.

You need a coffee.

I need a coffee.

[Raps desk decisively]

What the hell?

Tell me I'm dreaming.

Uniform brought him in.

What did you do?

He got into a fight.

Broke a few items in a store.

Oh, my God. Are you okay?

I'm fine.

All right, then, come with me.

What the hell were you thinking?

You do not have the right to remain silent.

Spill it.

Look, I'm sorry.

Who started the fight?

He called crystal a slut.

Who did?

Oh, I see. Him.

And why is he not here?

He ran away.

Did you break any bones?

No.

How bad is the damage?

I told you, I'm fine.

To the store!

I don't know, the owner was screaming about a couple of grand or something.

[Sighing]

Oh, this is great, 'cause I didn't want to pay this month's rent anyway.

The store should have insurance, right?

I don't see what the big deal is--

Do you not see the g*n in my holster?

Hey, Manny, how you doing?

Excuse me.

Oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting?

Yeah, kind of.

Jack Carlin's here, with his attorney.

[Sighs]

You all right?

Yeah.

Mr. Mitchell recently negotiated a merger between your construction firm and a national competitor, correct?

So?

For the record, that's a "yes"?

Yes.

Even I can see by these numbers, you kind of got screwed in the deal.

For the record, define "screwed."

Looking past the mandated audit and the sale of assets on hand, there's a whale of a non-compete agreement.

Ouch.

Somebody bent over.

May I remind you, detectives, my client is here to be questioned, not insulted.

My bad.

I'm sorry.

But, Jack, you busted a few heads along the way to get what you want, right?

Allegedly.

Ventriloquism. That is a really neat trick.

Let's just take a little stroll down memory lane.

Extortion, attempted bribery of a civic official, aggravated as*ault.

None of which my client was ever convicted of.

So, you never threatened Mitchell's life?

Think carefully before you answer that.

[Muttering]

It's all right, yeah.

Maybe the deal wasn't the greatest, but in this economy, even I have to settle for what I can get.

So you didn't say, "If you don't make me happy, you and your family won't live to regret it."

Which, you know, aside from the lousy grammar, pretty much sounds like a death thr*at.

I don't know.

People say a lot of things.

Doesn't mean you have to take 'em literally.

Right?

Like when I say 15 to 20, it might actually be 12 to 15.

But what's a few years between friends, right?

All right, all right.

I might've said something like... threatening.

But I didn't k*ll anyone.

I'm a businessman, detective Flynn, I'm not a moron.

Well, you're taking this rather well.

Yeah, I am, aren't I?

That could be our k*ller walking out the door.

Yes, it could.

And you're all about a personal connection.

I am.

So, we're in agreement.

Well, even if I want to arrest him, we don't have enough to charge him.

You know, I can tell your heart's not in it.

Our victim was afraid for his wife's life, too, not just his own.

So, what are you saying, Mitchell's not the target, just friendly fire?

Well, I'm not saying, I'm just thinking out loud.

Was it a robbery gone bad?

Or was it a targeted hit?

Then why steal the purse?

Exactly.

Exactly what?

I don't know.

I got a match on the DNA from that glove fragment.

Looks like we got a new player in the game.

I put out an APB.

Unis have already spotted the car.

Hey, good work, Lucas.

Nice.

Um... excuse me?

Wh-what about your son?

Lock him up.

It'll teach him a lesson.

[Shop bell jingles]

Hey. Sarah, right?

Yeah.

So I checked out that Italian place.

It's pretty good, and they serve lunch.

I know you said you have to be home nights for your daughter.

I don't know.

Come on, you gotta eat sometime.

Today's not really a good day.

Oh, yeah?

I just had one of those, too.

Some idiot popped my car window.

Didn't even steal anything.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Hey, it's not your fault.

Point is, you can't let this stuff grind you down.

You know, it's never as bad as you think it is.

Yeah, well... It'll get better. It always does.

[Police siren wails]

Oh, my God.

What's going on?

[Shop bell jingles sharply]

Is that your car out there?

Yeah, is there some problem?

Are you Derek crane?

What's this about?

You're under arrest.

For what?

For the m*rder of Shawn Mitchell.

What?

Hi again.

[Engine rumbling]

Fresh patch job.

Whoa, you smell that?

What's that?

Cigarettes.

[Sighs longingly]

Those were the days.

I wouldn't know.

You never smoked?

Nope.

Never?

Negative.

Hmm.

Check the tail lights?

Yeah.

[Pumping brakes]

Yeah, they're working.

Tires aren't bald either.

Can't ever be easy.

Well, what were you expecting?

[Sighing] A bloody Kn*fe.

Bloody Kn*fe.

You were arrested four years ago for b&e and served eight months.

If my boss finds out about this, I'm screwed.

Lucky for you, you don't have to think about working for a living for a few years.

What do you think?

Well, repeat offender, this time m*rder, I'm guessing 12 to 15.

I told you, I don't know how my glove got there.

They were stolen from my car a couple nights ago.

Yeah, that's weird, 'cause I don't see a report of that crime.

Didn't you want insurance to pay for that?

I was gonna pay for the window myself.

Stay under the radar.

I've been clean for years.

I've got a steady job now.

Yeah, as a security guard.

[Chuckling] Oh, the irony.

You look a little shaky.

Does he seem shaky to you.

You want a cigarette?

Yeah, that'd be great.

Sorry, there's no smoking in here.

What else was stolen from your car?

Nothing.

Sorry?

Nothing.

Look, what do you want from me?

We want the truth.

Come on, Derek, work with us here.

You see how this looks.

A mysterious thief breaks into your car, leaves the CD player, doesn't go through your gym bag, leaves five bucks in quarters in your cup holder.

Man, I sure hope your alibi makes more sense.

By the way, your son is still in lock-up.

Uh-huh.

I just thought that I'd mention it to you because...

Yeah, you wait till you have kids of your own someday.

It's funny that you should say that because Mary and I have actually been--

No, no, see Europe first.

There he is.

Freeze it.

Can you fake that?

No, sir-ee.

The timecode is a burn-in, which is then synched with the master clock at the security company, which, in turn, is synched with the world time server--

So, no. - No.

Unless our boy can be two places at once, there's no way he m*rder*d Shawn.

What is it with this case?

Who breaks into a car and steals only the gloves?

Someone with very cold hands.

Unless they were after something else.

But nothing else was stolen.

Yeah, just like at the Mitchell house.

Exactly.

And we thought that m*rder was the result of a failed robbery.

No, no, no, you thought that m*rder was the result of a failed robbery.

What if it wasn't?

But it was.

A robbery, I mean.

No, I mean, what if they didn't fail?

What if the thief got exactly what they came for?

Hey, Lucas.

Hey.

Is Derek crane still in the building?

Just checked out.

Okay, get him on his cell phone 'cause I got one last question for him.

[Pricing g*n clicks and punches]

[Shop bell jingles]

Hey.

Good news.

That cute guy, Derek, not a k*ller.

Oh, good.

Were you two, uh...?

No, no.

Um, I have a young daughter.

It's a really crazy time for me right now.

Oh, I hear you.

I raised my kid by myself, too.

Hey, did Derek tell you his car got broken into a couple of nights ago?

I think he mentioned it.

Then there was that terrible m*rder last night.

It's so strange, 'cause it seems like such a nice neighborhood.

Yeah, well, sometimes, you just never know, I guess.

Are you any closer to catching the k*ller--

Oh, my God, I used to love this cereal when I was a kid.

It's full of sugar, it's crap, but they didn't care back then.

Sorry, you asked me something about the case.

You know what's weird?

The m*rder*d man's wife-- well, widow now-- she's a customer at your store, too.

Really?

Mm-hmm.

You probably know her.

God, small world.

I just hope we find that crowbar.

Crowbar?

Yeah, the one the k*ller used to break into the victim's house.

Amazing thing about forensics is we can track the scratches back to a specific crowbar, just like tracing b*ll*ts to a g*n.

Gotta love technology, right?

[Shop bell jingles]

Excuse me.

So I just got word she's on the move.

Unis got a tail on her.

I know you didn't have time to get a warrant for this.

I just used my charming smile.

Fair enough.

Deana Mitchell nine days ago.

Roll that back?

What's she buying, is that a lottery ticket?

Mm-hmm.

Find Derek.

Vega: Ange, he's buying a lottery ticket.

That's two for two.

We got her?

Make sure the unis hang back.

I don't want to spook her.

Done.

Now we're going to go get that.

I don't know what you're talking about.

I have to go home and make dinner.

Listen, Sarah.

I'm a single mom, too.

It's been a long day.

I'm exhausted, you're exhausted, so let's--let's talk this through, one mother to another, okay?

There's nowhere to run, Sarah.

I know you didn't mean to hurt anybody.

Things just got out of control, right?

Nobody was supposed to die.

You found out your store sold that winning lottery ticket.

And after a week when no one claimed the prize, you did what I did, you checked out the security footage.

You didn't have just one motive, you had seven million.

There were only three customers who paid the extra five bucks for the mega bonus that day.

I tried Mr. Ashburn first.

Ashburn calls: You sure you're okay back there?

Yeah, I'm fine, Mr. Ashburn.

You just rest.

But he wasn't the winner.

What about Derek?

How did you know he kept the lottery tickets in his car?

He mentioned it, joked about it.

[Thud]

[Engine rumbling]

Vega: Then you spotted the gloves.

Sarah: I was stupid.

I hadn't even thought about fingerprints.

I wiped down the car and took the gloves.

And you used them at your next stop?

Sarah: I needed to find out where she lived.

Sorry, can I see some I.D.?

It's a new store policy.

No problem.

[Footsteps approach]

Shawn Mitchell: Who's there?

[Sarah screams]

Mitchell shouts: What the hell are you doing?

[Groans in pain]

[Yelps]

Come here!

[Kick thuds]

[Vase shatters]

[Gasping for breath]

Wait... Hold on.

Okay, just calm down.

Listen, I know that you're upset, all right?

Just put the Kn*fe down.

I just want to talk to you.

Stay away from me.

Look, it's just a purse, okay?

It's not worth this, believe me.

Get out of my way.

[Sarah yelps]

[Grunting with struggle]

[Kn*fe slashes]

[Gasps]

Deana from upstairs: Shawn!

[Gasping in shock]

Shawn! What's going on?

[Breathing slows and stops]

Shawn!

What was that?

[Fabric catches and tears]

Shawn?

What's going on?

All that money.

I just didn't want to lose Amy.

Sarah, what did you do with the Kn*fe and the gloves?

[Giggles]

I threw them away, different parts of town.

And the lottery ticket?

She had the winner.

Didn't even check her numbers.

You didn't cash it.

I was afraid.

All the blood.

Seven million bucks.

What a waste.

[Sighing heavily]

I was in that cell for, like, hours.

Yeah, that was kind of the point.

Where the hell have you been?

Hey, you watch your mouth.

That store owner decided not to press charges, so you're free under my recognizance.

Lucky you.

My life sucks.

Someday, you'll understand, or you'll resent me for the next 40 years, then you'll just stick me in a home.

Now you're talking.

Look, I don't always know the right thing to do, but anything I do is done out of love because I want what's best for you, okay?

Even though you think I'm trying to k*ll all the joy in your young life.

So, two things.

One, I love you.

Two, no more destruction of private property.

I can't believe I even have to say that to you.

Yeah.

And I got you a part-time job.

You did what? What does it pay?

Nothing. It's community service, a condition of your release.

You know, having a cop for a mom is, you know, awesome.

I'm cooking tonight.

What do you want, Thai? Indian? Pizza?

[Elevator dings]

Yeah, pizza.