02x08 - Don't Look Back

[bunniefuu]

[DYNAMIC MUSIC]

♪

[TEXT ON SCREEN]

[BENNETT] It's not ideal,

but it's about liability.



- Nothing's changed.
- [BENNETT] With respect, Tess...

everything has changed.

I'm sorry. Who are you?

Detective Owen Cooper, from 14th.

Is it rude to offer you a handshake,

if you can't see my hand?

Am I sensing a romantic play at hand?

Mm-hmm.

[CLUNK, CLACK]

[♪♪♪]

[PANTING ANXIOUSLY]

[YELPS]



maybe you could call one.

Hi.

[ROCK RIFF PLAYS]

[JAKE, ON RADIO] You see his face

when you pointed out that shell casing?

[TESS] I mean, somebody had to!

- [JAKE LAUGHS]
- And then you're like...

"Hey, we still catalogue
all the evidence

at the crime scenes, right?"

[HONKS HORN]

Put your glasses on, dude!

[JAKE] Quit showin' off.

It's not the Indy 500.

Hey, you wanna get some chicken?

Chicken this late?

- [JAKE] Yeah, chicken's for closers.
- [LAUGHS]

[DISPATCH] Suspected robbery
in progress, 1176 Pinewood.

This is Pinewood. I'm already close.

You are a detective, remember?

A detective. Patrol can handle it.

- Homicide 7 responding.
- Oh, my god.

Advise, I'm in plain
clothes... one minute out.

Am I ordering you chicken, or not?

[TESS] You're not joining me, partner?

- I'm 15 out.
- 15?

I'm gonna have this
wrapped up in a bow by then.

[SIREN WAILING]

[TIRES SQUEALING]

[SIREN WAILING]



[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

♪ There's something in the shadows ♪

[BENNETT] Three years back...

what do you remember
about the Josh Baker case?

Everything.

Jake and I responded.

We'd wrapped a homicide nearby.

Uh, suspect bolted,

and a couple uniforms picked
him up 20 minutes later,

based on my description,
while I cleared the house.

- Anything else?
- Baker had priors...

petty theft, drug charges.

His DNA was found at the scene.

He was trying to rob the place
and the homeowners fought back.

The wife hid, husband was k*lled.

Attempted robbery,
manslaughter, open and shut.

Not anymore. Tommy
Linneman wants an appeal.

- [SUNNY] Who?
- Linneman?

That guy is an online
diploma in a polyester suit.

Regardless, he's looking to overturn.

- On what grounds?
- Fresh evidence motion.

Apparently, aspects of the original

police investigation are
being called into question.

You're set to appear at
the pre-hearing tomorrow.

The Judge'll decide if there
is enough to move forward.

Sir, this is a joke.

Linneman has a hard-on
for this department.

- He always has.
- Prepare yourself anyway.

Detective Cooper
transferred in from the 14th.

I've asked him to help out.

Prosecutor's snowed
under until the hearing,

and Owen studied law
before he joined the Force.

No! Sir, no. I don't need any help.

I remember every case I ever had,

and I can read a case
file same as anybody else.

[SUNNY] Mm, well, not exactly the same.

I just thought you could use an extra...

What, a "set of eyes"?

[KNOCKING]

... pair of hands.

Hey! I brought croissants.

You don't have any
gluten allergies, do you?

So, what, you're a lawyer now?

I was gonna be.

Uh, bar exam's pretty tough, though.

I don't do great on written tests.

I'm more of a tactile learner.

So you use an app to see, or... ?

Yeah. Something like that.

What, some little guy's
watching a video, describing

- all this to you, or... ?
- Why do I have to be a "little guy"?

- Or is it like a robot or A.I. or...
- Okay, she is a person,

and her name is Sunny.

That's very cool.

Hey, Sunny!

Mm! Tell him "hi" back.

She doesn't socialize
on the clock, okay?

[SUNNY] I don't?

Can I ask you another question?

Not if it's about my
eyes or how I do my job.

Got it. No small talk.

How 'bout this? This case is thin.

Baker was a client at the
widow's haircutting business,

which accounts for the DNA.

He had some priors,
sure... nothing violent.

Added to which, the widow
can't make a clear I.D.

Usually takes a lot
more to put someone away.

Baker was a known thief
who I saw fleeing the scene.

He's behind bars 'cause he did it.

And I'm not saying he didn't,

but this lawyer's gonna try
to poke every hole he can.

Bennett said you had some
issues with him in the past.

Yeah. The whole force has.

Linneman hates cops and loves attention.

[SIGHS] Oh. Why don't you
walk me through the night of?

Officers arriving on the scene...

they saw Baker too, or was it just you?

- Hey, you know what?
- What?

Your croissants are really stale,

and I need a coffee.

[♪♪♪]

[SNAPS] Okay, what?

I can feel your look
through my earpiece.

Nothing. I'm just... here to serve.

Anything you want to talk about?

Oof, yeah. We gotta up our coffee game.

This tastes like a
six-year-old made it.

Tess, the Baker case was with Jake,

and he's been undercover for a while.

It's okay to miss him.

There's my personal life,

and there's my job.

This is my job.

Right, and those two never cross over.

Speaking of...

you know, Owen's cute,

in a "golden retriever" kind of way.

So, is this a preemptive wall?

Cut off the cop-on-cop
action before it starts?

I'm not doing that again.

And hey! I can't exactly tell

if he's cute, now, can I?

Look, if I'm defensive,

it's because I don't
like make-work projects.

Innocent people don't
run from m*rder scenes.

I mean, I did.

[SIGHS]

That's not what I meant.

[TESS SIGHS HEAVILY]

Okay, I'm done for the day.

Let's just call it and
regroup in the morning.

Sure.

[DING]

[FIONA] Sunny?

I noticed we live in the same building,

but you requested an online session.

Do you want to talk about that?

It's no big deal.

I just don't... love going out.

You wrote "agoraphobia"
on your intake form.

[♪♪♪]

Did I? Huh...

What would you most like
to talk about today, Sunny?

[WORDS CATCH]

How subjective is visual memory?

Like, how often do we
see what we want to see,

as opposed to what's really there?

Mr. Linneman? You can begin.

Thank you, Your Honour.

Okay, you got this, Tess.

Detective Avery...

Uh, sorry. "Ms. Avery".

What is your current role with
the Metro Police Department?

I'm a consultant.

I work with Homicide and Major Crimes.

But 18 months ago, the
night of Mr. Baker's arrest,

- you were a detective, is that correct?
- It is.

[LINNEMAN] Would you
say you were a good cop?

[SCOFFS] What kind of question is that?

I'd say I was born for it.

And can you tell us what happened

during the call that led
to Mr. Baker's arrest?

I responded first to the scene.

I saw Mr. Baker fleeing the house,

where I subsequently
found Samuel Turner,

strangled and bludgeoned to death.

About 20 minutes later,

uniformed officers apprehended Mr. Baker

and placed him under arrest.

So, to clarify, Mr.
Baker was apprehended

based on the description you gave

of the person you saw
running from the house.

That's correct.

Could you describe that person for us?

Male, 5'10, medium build.

He was wearing a dark cap,
dark pants, latex gloves,

and a blue hoodie.

Okay. I see we've read the same report.

But, you know, Emily
Turner, the victim's widow,

couldn't positively identify Mr. Baker

as the man who broke into her home

and k*lled her husband,

even though he had been

a client in her home
haircutting business.

In fact,

she says the person she saw
was wearing a dark-green hoodie.

Mrs. Turner also said that
she hid when Mr. Baker...

The person you believe was Mr. Baker.

Mrs. Turner ran and hid,

so she didn't see anything.

Well, she saw a dark-green hoodie.

Is there a point you're
trying to circle, Mr. Linneman?

Yes, Your Honour. Yes. Yes, there is.

Ms. Avery,

you're clinically blind
now, is that right?

I mean, that's why you're
not a detective anymore?

Yes.

I...

gave up my badge
voluntarily about a year ago.

What is the name of your condition?

Leber's Neuropathy.

"Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy".

It's a degenerative loss of
retinal cells, Your Honour.

So, when exactly did your
vision start deteriorating?

Like I said,

I surrendered my badge...

That's not what I asked you.

When... did your vision
start deteriorating?

A doctor diagnosed me shortly before...

Again, not what I asked.

That's when it got bad
enough to call a doctor,

bad enough to quit the job

you claim you were "born for",

but when did your vision loss start?

I'm not sure.

You're "not sure".

I saw Mr. Baker flee the scene.

I know I did!

[ROARS] How?

If you're not even sure of
when your vision loss started,

how can we be sure it was good enough

to correctly identify the man
seen fleeing Ms. Turner's home

on the night in question?

Your Honour, this is
eyewitness testimony

from a police detective
who's losing her sight!

Are we really comfortable
saying this is enough

to put, and keep, a man in prison?

[SUNNY] Tess!

He's not just going after an appeal...

he's going after you.

- [SUNNY] There!
- Hey! Linneman!

Oh... slow down, slow
down. Let's strategize.

What, I beat you one too many times,

- so you want payback, is that it?
- You beat me?

This isn't a game, Avery.

I'm here to serve the
interest of my clients.

The judge said the case
has legs for an appeal.

This isn't about your clients.

- Your tone in there was brutal!
- My tone?

- What is this, etiquette class?
- You can't win in a fair fight,

so you want to infect this judge
with some half-baked theory...

It's called "reasonable doubt"!

Hey! How you doin'?

Owen Cooper. Nice to meet
you. Nice to meet you.

Tess, can I steal you away for a second?

This isn't about work, Tommy.

This is personal.

You got your ego bruised
one too many times,

and now you want to
throw this out on some...

The physical evidence
was circumstantial!

No m*rder weapon was ever found.

Now, you want to try to prove he did it

some other way, go ahead. Otherwise,

I'd hardly call the timeline
of your vision loss irrelevant.

My whole career,

you took every opportunity
to make me look foolish.

Is this personal? No.

I believe in justice,

which is exactly what I'm
pursuing for my client.

[♪♪♪]

Come on. Let's get outta here.

We... just got Baker's
phone records from prison.

Mostly calls with Linneman,

but there's also a series of letters.

Fan mail from some P.O. box...

you know, lonely heart-type things.

No signatures. Bad writing.

Second-grade prose.

We've got copies of everything.

[LEO] You know, speaking
of second-grade prose,

Baker checked out a book called
The Number Artist 28 times.

Trashy pulp best-seller.

Ugh, Leo is being such a snob.

That novel is great.

It's about this mysterious priest,

who basically uncovers...

I don't need a book report right now.

Fine.

Okay.

There's files to your left.

Can you get a little closer?

Ah. So, Baker refused
to speak to police.

Witnesses were
questioned the night of...

Emily Turner... the widow,

and...

"Tristan Marford," their neighbour.

Let's talk to the witnesses again.

They're coming in.

Great. Who wants to back me up?

[♪♪♪]

They're looking at you funny.

What?

I need you to take a backseat.

My entire reputation is at stake.

No way I'm letting anybody
else take the lead on this.

Excuse me? I'm not asking.

And there's a hell of
a lot more at stake here

than your reputation.

I'm getting serious pressure from above.

This case gets overturned,

and all your past
convictions get looked at.

It jeopardizes everything
you've ever touched,

not to mention your
current consulting role.

This could put a stain on
the entire police force.

I saw Baker that night! I know I did!

I was a good cop.

And you still are.

Badge or no badge.

But until this is over,
you're a liability.

Owen and Leo will talk to
the widow and the neighbour.

I need you to stay away from this.

We'll call you if we need you.

[♪♪♪]

But if you could just walk me through

what happened that night,

it would be extremely helpful.

The intruder just walked in.

Sam...

my husband...

must have left the door unlocked.

He was always doing that.

We used to fight about it.

Then we heard the door.

Sam told me to go into the bedroom.

That's when I heard fighting.

I tried to see what was happening,

but I couldn't tell who it was.

But you knew Baker's voice, though?

You'd cut his hair before, right?

Once or twice, but he was always quiet.

I've never heard him yell.

The neighbours said they
heard breaking glass.

No, I-I don't think so.

Uh, I don't know... it's all a blur.

Mm.

Honestly, I don't even
want to remember it anymore.

How was your relationship
with your husband?

Good... and bad.

But when it was good,
there was nothing better.

And when it wasn't?

I don't want to remember him that way.

I'm here because I want justice for him,

and now you're telling me

there's an innocent man behind bars,

and Sam's m*rder*r is
still out there somewhere?

No, no. No. We're not telling you that.

We just want to make sure

your husband's k*ller stays in prison,

where he belongs.

[SUNNY] How many different ways

can we go over the same evidence?

I mean, the truth is, without
your eyewitness testimony, then...

I know.

It's like a math equation
missing half the numbers.

I think they call that "algebra".

I know what I saw.

My vision was good that night.

I think Linneman is
trying to make me crazy.

Okay. So you saw the
guy bolt from the house,

- in the dark.
- Yeah!

But you also saw the front door open,

so you called out

your description to the uniforms,

and headed inside?

And then what?

They brought Baker back
based on your description

and you said... ?

"That's him. That's the guy."

Did you describe his face?

What? No, I...

He was running.

He looked right at me.

I don't know. How would
you describe it, Sunny?

Mm. Right.

You think I got the wrong guy.

No. No, that's not what I said.

They grabbed him based
on my description...

what if my description was wrong?

I said "blue hoodie".

[SUNNY] And Baker's was blue.

Emily Turner said it was green.

Well, Emily was hiding.

What if Linneman is right?

My vision loss was progressive...

is progressive.

This was before that, Tess.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Before I got my diagnosis,

I just tried to ignore
what was happening to me.

I made excuses, I
canceled my appointments,

I convinced myself I was fine,

until I couldn't.

That sounds hard.

What if that's what I
was doing that night?

Convincing myself it was
Baker, when it wasn't?

Because...

I wanted to win.

I wanted to be right.

No. No. You would not do that.

You would not make that mistake.

Listen, Tess.

We're going to figure this out.

Okay?

The way we always have... together.

I gotta go.

I gotta think.

***

we're teamed up a lot, and, um...

y-you know, before I started this job,

she may have messed up some paperwork,

and it could have consequences,

and she won't even talk about it.

Why do you think she won't talk?

Well, she's probably scared.

I mean, she could lose
her job. We both could.

Why would you lose your job
because your friend screwed up?

We're both sort of connected.

Tell me more about that.

You know, I was thinking

about what we were
discussing the other day...

about vision and memory.

So, it is possible

that you could see something
that you didn't really see?

Well, the hope is...

that we can trust our own experience...

but... yes, it is possible.

What do you think you saw?

Oh, not me. My-my friend.

Are we discussing you or someone else?

Someone else. I just told you that.

I know. I thought you w...

[INHALES SHARPLY]

To get something out of this,

you're gonna have to
put something into it.

Something real, about yourself,

otherwise, there's not much point.

[SCOFFING CHUCKLE]

Okay, that's blunt.

This is talk therapy.

Let's talk about something.

Let's talk about your agoraphobia.

Let's talk about your PTSD,

or at least why you don't
want to talk about it.

[♪♪♪]

[MUFFLED, DISTORTED SCREAMING]

Sunny?

[SLAM]

Maybe it was arrogant of me to think

I could ever even keep
this job, you know?

How am I gonna trust myself,

if I can't trust my own damn eyes?

But you've always been arrogant.

You know that.

You know, even back when
you could see perfectly,

even before you had a reason to be.

It's one of the things that
makes you so good at this, though.

Annoying, but good.

Well, thank you. I think.

- You're welcome.
- But come on, guys.

None of this matters if there is
a guilty man walking around there

somewhere, or an-an innocent
one who's locked up somewhere...

- [DRINK SPILLS]
- Ooh...

- Hey.
- Come on, Tess!

I taught you how to pour
a glass of beer on day one.

I'll find napkins.

I hope you don't mind me tagging along.

What? Come on. What
are you talking about?

You two are cute together.

What? What do you mean?

You think I can't tell a
cute couple when I hear one?

We're not a "couple" couple.

N-Not that I'm opposed!

- I...
- Oh?

We're... we're just
seeing how things go.

- Yeah, sure.
- Mm-hmm.

Yeah, one foot in front of the other.

Yeah, with a guide dog leading the way.

- Mm.
- Mm.

So, you had to defend your sight

in a court of law, to a judge,

and this jerk lawyer,

and whoever showed up to listen?

It completely sucked.

Being blind can suck.

I'm surprised to hear you say that.

I know I seem like a ray of sunshine...

"Cheerleader Mia...

champion of the visually impaired",

but, some days, being blind is hard.

Brave faces aside, this
world isn't made for us.

Right?

Crossing the roads, answering emails...

hell, even pouring a glass of beer...

it takes effort and concentration

that a sighted person will
never, ever have to understand,

and, sometimes... [DEEP BREATH]

... that effort can be exhausting.

But if you tell anyone,
if you say how hard it is,

you're a sad sack...

you can't do your job.

People think that
you're being difficult.

So yeah...

some days, being blind sucks.

But if anything's gonna to get better...

- and it will...
- [TESS SCOFFS]

... then we have to at
least acknowledge that.

- I...
- [MATT GRUNTS]

What did I miss?

Just girl talk.

Okay.

[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]

- [CANE CLACKS]
- Oh, hey!

The delivery guy let me
in... I hope that's okay.

- It's Owen... from work!
- [TESS SCOFFS]

Okay, look, you don't
need to say "from work".

- Right.
- And what are you doing here?

So, when I was ten years old,

my brother locked me in the basement

and turned out all the lights.

I-I was down there in the
dark for almost two hours,

so, w-what I'm trying to say is,

I know what you're going through.

That might be

the most ignorant thing I've ever heard.

Yeah, I know, I know, I'm just kidding.

I have no idea what
you're going through,

but this case is a mess,

and if we're gonna crack it open,

we don't have time for a pity party.

"We"?

Oh, yeah, I brought the files with me,

because we can't do it
at work 'cause of Bennett.

And... listen.

I promise, I'm not gonna
treat you differently

than anyone else.

[DEEP BREATH]

Well, I can't see, so you are gonna

have to treat me differently sometimes.

Okay.

Just like we're gonna have to
do things a little differently

if we're gonna crack this case, so...

- come on.
- Yes!

What about the two-year-old
door-cam footage?

Could be in the cloud.
What about the cloud?

Maybe Baker had bad eyes, too.

Maybe he knocked over
a giant potted plant

and that's what k*lled Sam.

Mm! "Mr. Magoo manslaughter"? I like it!

I'm runnin' on fumes here.

Me too. [SIGHS]

There's always an answer, though.

Hey, you know, I had this old case...

all these paintings got
stolen from this art gallery,

and there's no witnesses, no leads,

but these hidden messages
kept popping up in graffiti

around the city,

- and it led me to this priest...
- Oh, wait a second.

Isn't that the plot
to The Number Artist?

[SNICKERS] Yeah!

Yeah. I grabbed a copy

when I found out that
Baker was reading it.

Then you and Sunny
should start a book club.

- Mm.
- So...

the autopsy said

that the victim had bruises on his neck

consistent with strangulation
from behind. Right?

- Right.
- But the actual cause of death was listed as

"acute subdural hematoma",

caused by blunt-force trauma
to the front of the skull

by an object with three points.

Maybe it was a trident.

The k*ller could've been a merman!

- Hey, stand up.
- Hmm?

- Come here.
- 'Kay.

Uh, turn around.

Okay. So...

if I'm strangling somebody
from behind, right?

Mm-hmm.

Why the hell am I gonna stop

to hit him on the front of his head?

Maybe Sam fought back? Got away?

Okay, but...

there were no self-defense
wounds on Baker.

Nothing in the report,
nothing in those photos.

Maybe he...

knocked him out first,
and strangled him second?

So you strangle someone
who's already unconscious?

Right.

The more you look at it,
the more it falls apart.

Hey...

- Yeah?
- Hey, hey, hey. Wait.

What if we're looking at this wrong?

What if the second male voice

that the neighbour heard
wasn't from the victim?

What if it was an accomplice?

So the first guy...

strangles the vic from the back,

and then the second one
hits him from the front?

Mm-hmm.

And then Baker doesn't say anything

because he's covering for someone?

- Yes.
- I mean, it's not nothing.

We find that second guy,

we find our missing puzzle piece.

How did we not catch it
the first time around?

Probably 'cause you were
doing what most cops do...

focusing on what you could see,
instead of what you couldn't.

Stretch as deeply as you can,

release your breath.

Breathe in, for a count of one...

[CALL-INITIATING CHIME]

[RINGS]

Hey! What are we looking at?

Nothing.

I just called to apologize.

- Hello?
- Yeah. I'm-I'm... [LAUGHS]

I'm still here. I'm just absorbing.

Well, look, I shouldn't
have shut you out like that.

I guess sometimes it's just easier

to avoid things

rather than admit they're happening.

Yeah.

Okay. The truth is, I'm scared.

I mean...

if this case goes sideways,

my reputation is shot
and I lose my job, and...

without that, I'm not
sure I know who I am.

But it's a big deal for both of us...

I get that.

We both stand to lose
something here, so.

Thanks.

I appreciate that you said that.

Are you okay? This really
doesn't sound like you.

Been a weird couple of days.

Okay. Enough with the warm fuzzies.

Let's get to work.

Is that Owen asleep on your couch?

Oh, I really hope so. Hey!
Owen From Work, get up.

[GRUNTS]

We gotta make a house call.

We should get Leo in on this, too.

The wife was hiding, so
she didn't see anybody else,

but maybe she heard something.

- Maybe we can jog her memory.
- Yeah, or maybe the neighbour's.

What is she doing here?

- Whoa! Whoa. Relax.
- What?

We were doing some
extracurriculars last night...

- Oh?
- Not that.

We think that Baker had an accomplice.

Okay, listen.

The cause of death was a subdural
hematoma... blunt-force trauma

to the front of the head,

but the autopsy also said
that there was bruising

consistent with
strangulation from behind.

How do you hit someone
on the front of the head

while you're choking
them from the back...

- ergo, accomplice. It was Tess's idea.
- Thank you.

This isn't about Tess.
It's about all of us.

I mean, do you have any idea

how screwed we are,
if this thing goes bad?

- Whoa, Leo...
- Don't "Leo" me!

Bennett said you're off this,

so I'm not telling
you this as a friend...

I'm telling you this as a cop.

Turn your a*s around
and get back in the car.

[OWEN] Hey! Hey, hey, hey.

No. It's okay.

I trust you.

[OWEN] All right.

What's your problem, man?

[LEO] Let's go.

The night of the m*rder, you said

you heard two male
voices yelling next door.

Do you think the second one
could've been an accomplice?

Don't lead him!

He can lead me wherever he wants.

[CHUCKLES] Um...

I-I suppose it's possible.

Would that be helpful?

Sorry. W-What did you just say?

An "accomplice"?

Yes! Definitely.

[SUNNY] Half these prison letters

read like a child wrote them,

and the rest is bad poetry...

"A bird in two fists,
a cage in the other.

A heart beats 300 times a minute."

"Ribs keep themselves closed."

[TESS] What the hell does that mean?

I don't know.

Maybe it's like a magic-eye poster.

"Squint until you see the sailboat"?

Sorry. Bad analogy.

You said Baker was looking
into houses the night before.

Did you see anyone with him?

Yeah. I think so.

This is fun!

It's not supposed to be fun.

[TO SELF] "Merman."

[♪♪♪]

Oh...

you got a cigarette?

Oh, I deplore smoking. Always have.

Why do you have a glass
ashtray on your shelf,

with three points on it?

Okay. Heh. Um... look, that's not...

that's not what... um...

I found it in the bush that night...

- That night?
- ... And I just... took it.

I don't know why! The
police had found their man.

There's no harm in taking a souvenir.

Okay. Wait-wait-wait. Hey.

We... could put it back.

Pretend... you...

just found it.

Would that be helpful?

Owen, can I speak with you a second?

[HUSHED] This is a nightmare.

This guy will tell us anything.

He's not a witness...
he's an improv partner.

[QUIETLY] Yes, and he's got
a m*rder weapon on display,

like it's a bowling trophy.

At best, he's... not credible.

At worst, he's a suspect.

What do you wanna do here?

He's willing to help out?

Let's take him down to the station,

I'll call Forensics,

and see if he minds them
taking a look around.

Have fun.

Okay. So we still don't know
who's renting this P.O. box?

[TESS] No. We're trying to fast-track
a warrant with the post office,

but they're not really
big on expediting.

- [PHONE RINGS]
- Call from...

- [SIGHS]
- ... Superintendent Bennett.

Leo probably told on me.

Sir. Look, I know you said...

What?

Okay. Uh, yeah, we'll be right there.

[BEEP]

Well...

I probably just found
the missing m*rder weapon

and possibly the actual m*rder*r.

What? What'd I miss?

It's Baker.

He wants to talk to us.

- [DOOR BUZZES]
- [BAKER] I cased the house

while I was there getting haircuts.

Thought it'd be empty that night.

But that man...

if I wasn't high, I
wouldn't have strangled him.

Definitely wouldn't have hit
him with that ashtray after.

I never meant to k*ll anybody.

So you were working alone?

I was an addict!

No one would touch me.

This is on my head. All of it.

Two years inside, and
a chance at freedom.

Why tell us now?

Linneman just called me.

Told me it was looking good.

But... [LAUGHS]

... it doesn't feel good.

I haven't slept right
since this started.

I belong here.

I'm clean now.

I-I've been reading The
Bible, trying to get right.

If I were to go free on a lie,

I'm not sure I could live with myself.

[SUNNY] Well, that's it.

We won.

Yeah, so why don't I
feel like celebrating?

Because Baker was lying.

[SIGHS]

He was, wasn't he?

I mean, maybe not all the way, but...

he definitely wasn't
telling the whole truth.

Do you think it was the neighbour?

Nah. He's a fanboy, not a k*ller.

The wife?

[TESS] Maybe. Don't know yet.

Come on.

Have some bubbles.

I don't drink on the job.

It's 2025, no one
does. It's Sprite. Here.

Tess, the neighbour's DNA
was absent from the house.

He's the one who
called 9-1-1, remember?

It was Baker.

He just told us.

So stop picking the scab and take the W.

No. The math just doesn't
add up, and you know it.

Come on, be honest with me.
Does this feel good in your gut?

Who did it?

Who coerced my client?

This confession never
should've happened,

let alone without his lawyer present,

and if anyone in this room

has any real interest in justice,

you would've made an
actual case this time...

instead of strong-arming
a recovering addict

into betraying his own self-interest!

If your guy's so innocent,
how come he just confessed?

You want to play that?

Baker claims he's a man of faith now.

- Okay...
- It's all right.

[LINNEMAN] Well, he hasn't
met his prison pastor once...

not one time.

He keeps his mouth shut the whole trial,

through sentencing,

through two years of incarceration,

and he opens it now?

When he's on the verge of having
his entire conviction thrown out?

Explain that to me.

Maybe don't bully a guilty man

into leaving his
rehabilitation prematurely...

- how 'bout that?
- [CHUCKLES]

You people are... you're
really all the same, aren't you?

You have this big talk
about right and wrong,

but all you really care about

is making the red names black,

and you call that a win.

You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Bottoms up.

[♪♪♪]

***

Yeah, but he's got a point.

I mean, we closed this case

on a conveniently-timed confession,

not hard evidence.

Weren't we trying to
do better this time?

- Did you just say Linneman has a point?
- [LAUGHS]

What he has is an obsession
with jamming up the police

in general, and you in particular.

At this point, it's
bordering on a fetish.

- Forget him.
- Well, okay, but then what?

Just pack this thing away half-baked,

and get back to work?

We should talk about that.

In regards to your relationship
with the department,

moving forward,

we may have to make some adjustments.

What kind of adjustments?

Why don't you take a few weeks,
get some distance from this...

- I...
- We'll figure it out when you get back.

I think we could both
use some perspective.

[TESS] Maybe I'll go private.

We can spend our days
catching cheating spouses

and thieving employees.

Mm. "The private eye without the eyes."

Too much?

Nope. I can see the
business card already.

You know, Linneman's a lawyer.

His whole job is to plant
doubt and win arguments,

and he's good at it.

I'm sure we got the right guy.

I don't think Baker's wrong for this.

I just don't think we're
all the way right...

like we're missing something.

That puzzle piece.

[♪♪♪]

Excuse me. I'd like
to change destination.

[TEARFULLY] I can't do this.

I can't have any more police in my home.

I can't keep answering questions
about the worst day of my life.

I close my eyes and it's all I can see.

[TESS] I'm not police anymore.

I'm just a private consultant who wants

to see you and your husband
get the justice you deserve.

Is it true that you're blind?

I am now.

But I wasn't then.

Not when this happened.

All of Baker's priors

had him breaking into homes
when the owners were out.

But that night, he walked
through the front door

of a lit house with two people inside.

Does that seem strange at all to you?

Yeah. The whole thing was strange.

They said that he was on drugs.

It should never have happened.

If we had gone out
instead of staying home,

if Sam hadn't left the door unlocked...

if I had just tried to help him

instead of hiding in the bedroom.

What do you remember about Baker

from before that night?

I... cut his hair a couple times.

He didn't make much of an impression.

Not enough to I.D. him in a line-up.

I'm not great with faces.

Me neither.

I just hope that, now
that he's confessed,

we can put this all behind us...

again.

[PHONE RINGING]

[PHONE CONCIERGE] Call from Owen.

- Excuse me.
- Take it.

I'm just gonna clean this up.

Hey. What's up?

Listen, I thought about
what you were saying

about that wrong-in-your-stomach
feeling. I've got it, too.

What happened to taking the win?

Oh, I like sleeping at night.

I went back to talk to Baker again,

but he's back to his vow of silence.

The whole thing's bowling shoe-ugly.

Maybe he likes prison.

Yeah, or maybe he's
just trying to protect

whoever he's covering for.

Baker had a phone call today.

Now, they don't record or monitor them,

but the guard said it
took about 30 seconds,

and I don't think it was from Linneman.

[SUNNY] Hey, Tess!

There's a book on the
shelf to your left,

shoulder height.

Keep going...

stop.

[OWEN] Tess? You still there?

Talk to me.

Yeah, I'm just checking out a book.

- [OWEN] Now?
- [SUNNY] The Number Artist.

Looks pretty well-used.

[TESS] Feels like she
has a favourite page.

[SUNNY] There's writing in the margins.

W-Wait! Hang on.

Let me see what's on that page.

Some... instructions

for some kind of variation on a cipher

called The Caesar Shift.

[OWEN] Tess. Tess, talk to me.

Uh, something about a "Caesar Shift"?

[OWEN] Caesar Shift?

Why do I know this?

Baker's letters were in code.

The dates match

the ones in Emily's book.

They've been talking to each other!

They used the day of the month

to determine how many letters

of the alphabet you shift

to decode the first
letter of every word.

So, first letter...

"I...

I love you."

Second...

"Stay...

strong?"

Emily was the second man.

[OWEN] Tess! Get out
of there. Right now!

[GASPS]

Tess! Watch out!

[OWEN] Tess? Tess!

I'm on my way! Okay? I'm on my way!

[SUNNY] Tess, are you
okay? My camera's broken.

[WHISPERS] Yeah. Yeah, I'm all right.

Okay. I'm gonna stay quiet.

You listen for Emily,
and when she gets close,

you grab her and you don't let her go!

Stay sticky!

What?

It's what my combat teacher says...

just try to get her talking

and see if you can hear where she is.

Backup's on the way.

Okay. Okay.

[♪♪♪]

Hey, that was...

that was nice of Baker to confess...

and protect his secret sweetheart.

[♪♪♪]

So... so, what? You, uh...

you meet cutting his
hair, and you fall in love?

But you were afraid of your husband,

so you come up with a plan B?

That's first-degree m*rder, Emily.

That's the worst one, by the way.

[FLOORBOARD CREAKS]

[♪♪♪]

[SUNNY] Good. Draw her out.

[TESS] Emily, I can help you...

but you have to talk to me, first.

It was self-defense.

Sam came home early,

found us smoking in the kitchen.

If we didn't fight back,

it would've been me dead instead of him.

[TESS] Yeah. Yeah.

And, you know, then we
have Baker's latex gloves.

We're gonna have to explain those.

Neither of you had defensive wounds...

that one's gonna be tricky.

[♪♪♪]

You see, if I'm a prosecutor,

I'm gonna say you
surprised your husband.

But I can guide you.

We don't play this right,

you're gonna have all
the time in the world

to write each other letters.

You won't even need to use code.

[CREAKING]

[♪♪♪]

[GRUNTING]

[SUNNY] Tess!

- [GRUNTING]
- [BLOWS LANDING]

Tess! Just keep moving!

[GRUNTING INTENSELY]

[SUNNY] Stay wiggly!

[GASPING]

[GRUNTING]

[CRYING OUT]

[WHEEZING]

[OWEN] Tess!

You're under arrest for homicide

and aggravated as*ault.

[TESS COUGHS]

[OWEN] Tess...

are you okay?

[SIGHS]

It's Owen.

From work.

[TESS LAUGHS]

[SUNNY] Sorry for running
away the other day.

I guess being vulnerable
isn't my strong suit...

although my friend, Tess,
is even worse than I am,

so, if she can do it, so can I.

This is all confidential, right?

[FIONA] Absolutely.

My...

agoraphobia

began

after I was framed

for murdering my former professor,

who I was having an affair with,

which resulted in me fleeing Vancouver

and hiding in New York

under a false name,

using my estranged family's
generational wealth.

And at first, I tried
to ignore the situation

with a quickie marriage to
a man that I did not love,

but he grew tired

of my emotional distance

and "inability to go outside,"

so we got divorced.

Then I took a job helping
blind people online

and I got paired with an ex-cop,

and, together, we
started solving crimes,

and we got close enough

that I actually started
sharing things with her...

but, like I said, she's just
really not that great with feelings.

And then, the people
who k*lled my boyfriend

found me, and tried to k*ll me too,

but that cute concierge
from our building,

who I kind of have a thing with...

although...

maybe not anymore,

he helped me stop them.

But not before I shot a bald guy,

who was looking for something

that my dead boyfriend was hiding,

which turned out this
whole conspiracy thing,

I-I can't even get into it.

Anyway, blah-blah-blah...

there was sleepwalking,
and there was spying,

and I punched my concierge
friend in the face...

[LAUGHING] ... and
I accused my neighbour

of k*lling his wife,

but it turned out he was just sad.

Also, I think I had a weird
relationship with my mom, growing up.

Normal weird, not "icky" weird.

But I think it might have
something to do with all of this.

That...

feels like a good place to start.

[♪♪♪]

Okay. [SIGHING DEEPLY]

[LINNEMAN] Your Honour, in
light of the new evidence,

and the charges Ms. Turner now faces,

my client and I are respectfully
withdrawing our appeal.

- Nice work.
- [RELIEVED SIGH]

[BENNETT] How's the
Emily Turner case looking?

Open and shut.

Turner and Baker's letters
spell things out pretty clearly,

not to mention, she assaulted me.

So, Tommy came after the department,

and you gave him two
K*llers for the price of one.

How'd you do it?

A very smart friend helped us.

[CHUCKLES]

Oh, it's, uh, it's not me.

Th... That would be
weird, if I helped myself.

Well...

we're lucky to have you
and your friend around.

We'll see you at work tomorrow.

Not if she sees you first.

Sorry.

Linneman's out of the courtroom.



[TESS] Oh, wait a second.

- Oh, wait a second.
- [PAPER FLUTTERING]

Hmm. He really needs a new briefcase.

- Linneman?
- Oh, Tess.

- What are you doing?
- Hey.

Oh, hey.

What, you come to gloat?

Listen.

I think I've been kind of
a jerk to you in the past.

I was so caught up in
the wins and the losses,

that I couldn't see what
you were trying to do.

But I think I see it now.

I know you care about
your clients, Tommy,

and I know you're a good
lawyer... you always were.

Maybe you just got
better at what you do.

I know I have.

Truce?

That's very nice.

But I still don't trust you.

I'll be keeping my eye
on you, Tess Avery...

which is one more eye than you've got.

[TESS] Was that really necessary?

Wow. He really does hold
a grudge, doesn't he?

These things take time.

I was probably pretty arrogant
to him back in the day.

"In the day"?

Totally.

Yeah, well... after that slapdown,

he's definitely looking for round two.

[OWEN] Yeah.

- And I had his car towed.
- [TESS] What?

[OWEN] Well, he was parked
in an accessible spot.

[LAUGHING]

♪ There's something in the shadows ♪

♪ Ooh ♪

♪ Cuts you like an arrow ♪

♪ There's fire in your blood ♪

♪ Hanging from that hope ♪

♪ But everybody knows ♪

♪ There's something in the shadows ♪