05x01 - Present Tense

[bunniefuu]

[Laughing] Stop.

Gabe!

[Laughs]

[Indistinct conversations]

Mom, stop! [Laughs]

Say hi! [Laughs]

Thank you for coming.

Thank you, thank you. We are going to find her.

♪

First place. That's right, first-place swimmer.

Ta-da!

Oderno: She hasn't even been gone 48 hours yet.

Watch Command didn't take the report seriously because just eight months ago, Amanda ran away from home after having an argument with her parents.

Let me guess. The fight was over a boyfriend?

Oh, you must be psychic.

Yeah. Parents don't like the age difference.

Gabe Young is a graduating senior, and Amanda, she just turned 16 today.

Yeah. Well, let's hold off lighting the candles on her cake for a minute, okay?

And the boyfriend is where?

Oderno: Uh, supposed to be camping in Joshua Tree this weekend with friends.

Joshua Tree?

Yep.

Did you check to see if he's actually there?

That's where the phone showed up when I pinged it, and Watch Command figured, based on her history, Amanda was probably with him.

Oh. So, as always, when it comes to this part of the town, the police are very late.

Jane Wolf, meet Lieutenant Provenza, Detective Sykes, and Detective Oderno.

Jane runs Care First, where Amanda volunteers helping homeless people.

When she disappeared Friday night, Care First brought together our staff and clients and kids from Amanda's school to help her parents do a grid search of the area she was last seen since you people can't be bothered.

One of Care First's clients discovered what appears to be evidence in this dumpster over here.

What's going on, Tao?

Tao: We have a purse identified as Amanda's.

Her cell... ‭turned off, battery removed.

Sanchez: Plus Amanda's Care First volunteer badge.

Lanyard's torn, sir.

And those are the, uh, hygiene packets that Amanda was passing out when she went missing.

15-year-old girl approaching strange homeless men at night in downtown L.A.

Not by herself.

Gabe, her boyfriend, was helping her, till they had an argument about him missing her birthday for some camping trip.

And you know about this argument how?

Jenny Stratton, my Outreach Supervisor.

I make sure all teenage volunteers work in tandem with adult employees.

Friday night, Amanda and her boyfriend were out with David and Tucker here.

We passed out the hygiene packets, and we videoed ‭all the people getting help.

We post all our video to the Care First website after.

To encourage donors, you know?

Anyway, uh, the last thing I sh*t Friday night was, uh...

[Chuckles] No problem.

Now can we go?

You're not driving me anywhere.

Mandy, I'm only out here because of you, and now you're starting all your typical little-girl bullsh...

I stopped filming when I realized it was a personal conversation.

Conversation or a fight?

Only an argument, really.

It ended fast, ‭and Amanda just kind of ran off.

Alone?

Uh, I guess Gabe followed her for a bit.

We thought, you know, they'd either make up or Amanda would come back and ask for a lift.

Oh, one of you guys sometimes takes her back to her house?

She's been a little on the outs with her parents.

She doesn't like to call them.

It's no biggie for us, though.

Yeah, never a big deal when grown men drive teenage girls home.

Buzz: Mind if I download video off your cells?

Unless you want us to get a warrant, in which case, we take your phones and get them back to you when we can.

Oderno.

Yes, sir?

Contact the local authorities in Joshua Tree.

Have them trace Gabe Young's phone to his location.

Sykes, interview our young witnesses here, and then contact Gabe Young's parents.

Uh, now, Amanda's mother and father are where?

In my office. They've done nothing wrong except...

Flynn, I want Mr. and Mrs. Pond downtown right now.

And, oh, oh, thank you. Thank you, Ms. Wolf.

You've been very helpful!

So, um, uh, Jenny, where is the homeless man that found Amanda's stuff?

We're handling this for him.

The Admiral's nervous about dealing with police.

Um, maybe I can help him with that.

This way, ma'am.

We should check all of Amanda's social media platforms.

And it would be great if we could access this phone.

Well, she's only turning 16.

Maybe her parents have her password.

It's, uh...

9-5-6-6.

We [sighs] check her cell on a regular basis because we pay for it, and because that horrible boy once sent her a text that...

[Sniffles] My God.

Finding her phone, that's...

That's bad, isn't it? Is it bad?

Did she take her phone with her when she ran away a couple months ago?

No, but this, it's different.

Something is... It's wrong.

Have you located her boyfriend yet... Gabe?

We're working on it, Dr. Pond.

I just have a few more questions.

Great.

Rather than looking for my daughter, let's just sit here and chat.

Other than the argument you had with Amanda about her boyfriend... He turned 18, by the way. Last April.

So if he's...

If he's been intimate with my daughter since then, that's statutory r*pe.

Okay. We'll look into that.

But aside from Gabe Young, did Amanda have any other issues with you or your wife?

Sure.

Bella's a doctor. I'm an architect.

Never mind that we were buying her a car for her birthday.

We were a part of the evil 1%.

To make us a little nuts, she started volunteering to help all those... vagrants.

Did one of those homeless men hurt my little girl?

Does that seem more likely to you than Amanda running away with her boyfriend?

I have no idea.

For the first time in a year, I'm actually hoping that she's with this Gabe kid.

I mean, 'cause what's the alternative, right?

My God.

You don't think that Amanda's...

Is that why we're here instead of Missing Persons?

You think that Amanda's...

No!

No. No.

Oh, my God.

Please let her be at Joshua Tree.

Please.

[Crying] Please.

Please!

Provenza: There's really not much here to go on, but I had Cold Cases send up the records of your father and your uncle's m*rder investigation.

It's been 30 years, though, so...

Thank you, Lieutenant.

I know how long it's been.

[Door beeps]

So, what's going on in... in whatever we end up calling this place?

Tao: This monitor has Amanda Pond's Facebook page.

She hasn't posted since last Thursday.

We're also running video from the subway system through facial-recognition software.

And so far, nothing's showing Amanda entering or leaving any station.

Lots of cool stuff on the way. What do you think?

Uh, I think I feel like one of the dinosaurs watching the meteor from afar.

[Door beeps, opens]

Julio found our homeless guy.

The Admiral: There is no true one way forward.

No, we... we blend our lives together because privacy...

Flynn: Looks bad for the girl.

She didn't Uber, she didn't get a cab, and she wasn't robbed.

And if she's not with this boyfriend...

Um, if we get out of here tonight, you want to stop and get some dinner?

Something we need to talk about.

Oh.

Nothing too serious.

Hold that thought, sir, one second.

Captain, Lieutenants, meet The Admiral, who located Amanda's purse and phone, ma'am.

Glad to work with you, Captain. Long live the resistance.

Report... I found the girl's bag while dumpster-diving because that's where the messages are.

He cried. He didn't mean it.

They say you hurt those you love?

Designated heartbreak.

You saw who dumped her bag? ‭No.

But I am a vigilant soldier and recognized her belongings.

And she [clicks tongue] a lovely princess, so kind, she invited me to stay at her house, especially when it rained.

Amanda invited you to her house?

Many times, but it was indefensible by land.

Look, Captain, I've divulged all I can.

Is there a, um, service reward of any kind?

How about a sandwich and a shower?

I can't shower, but who says no to a sandwich?

Tuna melt, perhaps? Monte Cristo?

Ooh, pimento cheese on rye... grilled.

Oh, my gosh. Amy?

Um, according to his mom, Gabe is an angel... wouldn't hurt a fly.

Charles Manson's mom said the same thing.

For what it's worth, Gabe has no record, and he's been texting Amanda from Joshua Tree.

Tao: No, he hasn't.

Park rangers just located our happy campers.

Seems like Gabe handed his phone off to friends while he drove off to party in Tijuana.

Looks like he's having fun in Mexico.

Fortunately for us, on this photo posted by someone else's phone, he tagged all his bros.

Two of them have their location services on.

We know exactly where they are.

Let's put an end to this little fiesta.

Lieutenant Provenza, alert the FBI.

We may have an international fugitive on our hands.

♪

But also, if I moved to Silverlake, I would take 40 minutes off my commute.

I know, but selling your house?

It's not just about being closer to you.

I'd be nearer to my daughter and her step-sons.

Look, I know that we have been taking things very slow.

Any slower and we'd come to a dead stop.

Sharon, look, I understand that moving in together is a big deal and that you would like some time to alert your children.

Oh, hello.

One down. Two to go.

Rusty, I thought you were off to Palm Springs with Gus.

Yeah, well, that's not happening anymore.

Why?

It... It's ridiculous.

Uh, we were at the Grove.

We were shopping for these... these hiking boots that he wanted, and then suddenly... he's holding my hand... in public.

And so I pulled my hand away, then I don't know what happened.

He just got really mad and he walked off and then I-I went after him for a second because he doesn't have a car, and now he's not returning my text messages, so...

But why did you pull your hand away?

Why did I pull...

Because, Mom, I-I was extremely uncomfortable.

What? You're gonna say I'm wrong?

No, but which feeling is worse...

Gus holding your hand or you sitting here alone without him?

Okay.

All right.

Well, this... this summer has just been great.

My relationship is in crisis, I finally have the perfect story for my next "Identity," but Buzz won't cooperate, and now I'm missing out on Palm Springs and...

I'm probably ruining your evening together.

No, no. Not at all.

I am... I am so sorry.

No, I just... Pretend I'm not even here.

Um, have a nice night. Excuse me.

Hey, nice haircut.

[Sighs]

He doesn't like it.

[Door closes]

I worry that Rusty and Gus found each other too soon.

Well, you can't time love.

Your table awaits, my dear.

I mean, a person might walk away from their boyfriend, but they just don't disappear.

Well, maybe Gus took a bus to Palm Springs.

Or he just went home.

But where did Amanda go?

Provenza: She didn't make it to Mexico.

Or, at least, the Federales didn't find her when they turned Gabe and his crew over to the FBI.

What's his timeline... Gabe?

Gabe Young crossed into Tijuana at 2:00 a.m.

Saturday morning with a group of friends.

Border Patrol had video. There was no sign of Amanda.

Gabe and his buds partied until they were all picked up by the Mexican authorities.

His pals are in the conference room sleeping off monster hangovers.

Tao: Our print shed just got the car Gabe and his friends took to Mexico.

So far no trace evidence of blood, but they did find Adderall, so we have that.

Illegally acquired dr*gs... better than nothing.

Lieutenant, Julio, interview 2.

Uh, Lieutenant?

Would you mind looking through the old m*rder book on my father and uncle?

I think there may be some stuff missing.

Shouldn't be.

Put her down. Let me check.

Thanks.

[Door opens]

Oh, I'm sorry. Did we scare you?

Wake up, Mr. Young.

Dude, oh, God, that was, like, so unnecessary.

[Chuckling] Well, we agree with you.

Um, let's skip the formalities, shall we?

You've already been read your rights.

We just want to know ‭where we can find Amanda Pond.

How the hell should I know?

Well, she's your girlfriend, right?

I mean, you were with her Friday night.

Yeah, but I bailed. I went down to TJ.

I've been there all weekend.

I have witnesses.

Why does everyone keep, like, asking me where Amanda is?

'Cause she's been, like, missing since Friday night, last seen, like, arguing with you.

You were seen, like, following her.

And then you lied to your parents about where you were and ran off to Mexico.

Look, dude...

He's not a dude. He's a lieutenant.

I'm a detective.

We work for the L.A.P.D. and we need to establish some hard facts, and we're having trouble doing that because you're such a liar.

I'm not a liar.

You lied about going to Joshua Tree.

Yeah, I lied to my parents. That doesn't even count.

I don't know anything about where Amanda went.

And I couldn't really check in on her when I was in Mexico, because I didn't have my phone.

You keep playing this game.

Oh, my God! ‭Dude, I'm telling you...

Hey. Lieutenant.

Detective.

And we know that you fought with Amanda.

[Scoffs] We didn't fight.

We have it on video, Gabe.

That was... Come on.

Yes, yes, we fought, and she was mad about how I was going to go to Joshua Tree instead of her birthday party.

Oh, uh, didn't you just say you only lied to your parents?

You didn't go to Joshua Tree.

Your phone went to Joshua Tree.

You gave it to a friend, and then you ran off to Mexico, which is where criminals go when they want to hide.

I didn't run off.

I gave my phone to my friend because my mom can check where I'm at online.

And I didn't want her to know I was in TJ.

God!

Is that where Amanda is?

Did you take her body to Mexico?

Her body?

What?

Her... body?

[Vomits]

Creative stalling?

It looks a little less thought-out than that.

Yes, Buzz Watson, Major Crimes.

Can we have building maintenance up here, please?

Thanks.

You think you feel bad now?

Wait till you hear what the homeless man who saw the two of you fight told us.

"We only hurt the ones we love."

And then we throw ‭their purses and their phones... into dumpsters.

What are you guys talking about?

Admiral of the fleet.

Do you mean, uh, one of those homeless guys that Amanda lets stay at their house?

Stay at her house?

Careful, Gabe.

We can check that out with her parents.

If they don't back you up...

The Admiral did say he'd been invited to stay at her house.

He also said he worked for the resistance.

Dr. and Mr. Pond never mentioned anything like this.

Gabe: It's, uh, not the house they're living now.

It's their other house.

Uh, I don't remember the address exactly, but I know how to get there.

Their other house. Damn it!

Amy. ‭I'll pull their property records.

Andy, get signed consent forms from the Ponds allowing us to search everything they own, rent, or lease.

On my way.

Since you don't remember the address, why don't you draw us a map?

[Rock music blaring]

Darren Pond bought this house in '92, moved out in '99, kept it as a rental property ever since, but it's been supposedly vacant for the past 10 months.

Doesn't sound vacant.

Julio, take the back.

Okay, uh, uh, Sykes, you and Oderno...

What?

Oh, hey!

[Chuckling] Hey, uh, how are you?

I hope you don't mind.

We were just gonna do a standard safety check on the...

L.A.P.D.! Stop where you are!

No, Buzz, no. No, you stay right here, Buzz.

Mike, Mike.

Schwartz, get in your car and go after them, huh?

♪ Now you say I got a loose wire ♪
♪ I got a loose wire ♪

L.A.P.D. Hope you're all decent.

Provenza: Kick it in.

L.A.P.D. Don't move.

Hang on! Hang on, don't k*ll me!

Don't k*ll me.

Amanda?! Amanda Pond?!

I ain't armed. Don't k*ll me.

Amanda? Amanda?

Amanda Pond!

Amanda?

[Tires screech, horn blares]

♪ I got a loose wire ♪
♪ My mama don't see it ♪

Aah!

♪ She don't see it ♪

[Tires screech]

♪ She don't see it ♪
♪ No, no, she don't see it ♪

[Horn blares]

♪ No, she don't see it ♪
♪ No, no, she don't see it ♪

Sanchez: Lieutenant!

I found this ‭on the side of the house... her, uh, hygiene packet.

Buzz, give me your camera.

Amanda! Amanda!

Amanda!

Take this.

[Grunting]

Damn it! I can't get in this way!

Tao: Yes, Lieutenant Mike Tao, Major Crimes.

Roll paramedics to 4032 Devon Drive, Westwood.

While you're at it, Mike, call the coroner.

Might as well get it all done at once.

Have you tried calling the motel that you and Gus were going to stay in?

Oh, my God. He better not be there.

If he checked into Palm Springs by himself, then I am checking out.

Well, more often than not, when someone runs away, they end up going home.

I can't just stop by his apartment, Mom.

Isn't that, like, stalking?

Well, you could slip a note under his door.

That's a little bit better than texting.

A note saying what?

I don't know.

Honey, you will think of something.

Sorry. Got to go.

Bye.

Provenza: Well, this is a little hard to explain.

Of the three homeless men that Amanda was apparently letting stay here, one ran from us, got hit by a car, and he's in the hospital with Sykes.

One's too high to help.

And the last one over here is having something of a nervous breakdown.

But he swears Amanda ‭gave him access to this house?

Uh, yes, ma'am.

And he's got a key, but also an alibi, as did the guy who was running away.

All the people living here were working night shifts at jobs arranged for them through Care First, ma'am.

I have Oderno asking Ms. Wolf, you know, all background information she can provide on them.

And what about Amanda's parents?

What do you want to do about them?

At the moment, nothing.

This is the entrance to the basement.

Maybe it was used as a speakeasy back in the '20s, but for some reason, they tried to cover it up.

Kendall, anything else down there other than her body?

An I.D.? A w*apon?

No, just some old toys that have been down there for a long time.

On the body, no signs of a struggle and no drag marks.

She wasn't k*lled here.

She wasn't shoved under the house from the outside, either.

Well, this trapdoor ‭has to be the access point, but it was covered up.

So whoever put Amanda's body down there knew about this space and knew that it was safe to enter this house at night.

Time of death?

Rigor's gone, complete lividity, minor decomp, so anywhere from late Friday night or early Saturday morning.

Petechiae and massive bruising, but no ligature marks.

There's only a tiny trickle of blood coming from her right nostril, but otherwise...

Oh, wait.

What's that?

Dr. Morales: Someone performed a tracheotomy.

Only semi-successful.

Obviously.

She was strangled, and then the k*ller tried to revive her?

Technically strangled. Her windpipe was crushed.

From the bruising, I'd say smashed in with bare hands.

Signs of sexual as*ault?

No.

But her ribs are cracked like someone gave her CPR.

So, what? The k*ller had a case of, uh, instant regret?

Or some stranger came along and tried to revive her.

And then took her body to a house belonging to her parents and then dumped Amanda in a secret room underneath the hidden trapdoor?

I-I don't know how this information fits in with your established pattern of facts.

I am just telling you that someone realized the girl needed an alternate path to breathe and tried to create it.

Doctor, if there's a tracheotomy and CPR, did someone also do mouth-to-mouth?

Ah. Well, they may have.

Oh, wow.

What?

Her mouth has been swabbed.

Okay. We're looking for someone who could perform an emergency tracheotomy and also knows how we test for DNA.

Her mother is a doctor.

Detective Sanchez, it is time to do our notification.

And please tell the Ponds we will want to talk to them again tomorrow.

Provenza: Her parents don't need to be suspects.

Doesn't everything we've already learned tell us that lover-boy Gabe fought with his girlfriend, Amanda, and then smashed her in the windpipe, dumped her body at her childhood home, you know, just to give a good what-for to her mom and dad.

But does he know ‭how to perform a tracheotomy?

All right, well, none of the guys Amanda was helping is a vet, so no obvious emergency medical training.

And our runner was only wanted for passing a worthless check.

$90. Guess he took that more seriously than we did.

So, we're back to the mom. She's a doctor.

She and the husband forgot to tell us about their other house.

And they were pushing the boyfriend at us really hard.

Mike? Anything?

Maybe.

All these toys come from the crawl space in the Ponds' home long before Amanda was even born.

It doesn't look like ‭the k*ller touched any of them.

And this Game Boy...

I don't know who owned it, but I did find a good thumbprint inside the lid of the battery case.

And?

And it's from a guy named Ethan Yum.

Went to prison a few years ago for illegal sale of firearms.

Passed through Care First on his way back to his downtown apartment.

Before that, Mr. Yum was a county lifeguard for 12 years, so he would have ‭emergency medical training.

Plus, a bonus arrest ‭for sexual battery of a minor while she was his foster child.

Sounds like an ideal guardian.

Provenza: May I suggest, Captain, that since he has a history of mishandling weapons, that we wait to invite Mr. Yum for a visit until he's outside of his apartment?

Agreed. And no one fight Mr. Yum.

If he's going to exhibit signs of a struggle, we want it to be from Amanda, not from any of us.

♪

[Knocks on door]

Hey.

Hey.

I'm sorry, too.

Uh, not for getting mad, but I... I walked away, and I should have stayed there and had it out with you right then and there.

Okay, okay, so, is that what we're about to do right now?

Are we just gonna have it out?

N-No. No.

You wrote a great apology.

You drove across town. You slipped it under my door.

It just shows what kind of a guy you are.

It's just kind of hard to read that you're still so freaked out about being gay.

That... That is not what I said... at all.

It is.

It is.

It is.

But...

I really missed you.

Well, I-I really missed you, too.

But let's... let's... not go beyond saying that it... that we feel anything more than that.

Okay? Please.

Okay. I won't say it.

Hey, uh, you think your mom would mind if I, uh...

Gus, I-I can't wake her up to ask if you can spend the night.

No, no, no, no, no.

She has overnight company a lot.

Yeah, but she also pays the mortgage.

That is a conversation that I don't even know how to begin.

Okay.

How about we get a bite to eat?

At 1:00 in the morning?

You have someplace else to be?

Palm springs.

Tao: Mr. Yum finally ‭stepped out of his apartment.

We're heading him into number 1 right now.

You need any help with that?

No, I'm good.

Did you figure out what was missing from the m*rder book on my father and uncle?

Oh, um, just a few pictures of the crime scene before the bodies were taken away, a few autopsy photos.

You don't need them to review the investigation.

Oh, I'm... I'm not just reviewing the investigation, Lieutenant.

I'd like to find a way to reopen the case.

But where did those photos go?

Who gave you the m*rder book?

Flynn: He didn't resist or invoke.

Yeah, but he didn't seem surprised to find us standing around his car, either.

Can't we remove all those volunteers in the hall?

Ms. Wolf would only replace them with journalists.

Ethan: That girl who reported me for trying to have sex with her?

Wanted to ruin my life because I wouldn't let her stay out all night.

And then in court, she took the whole thing back, crying.

Lying slut.

She was your foster daughter.

Eh, there was a reason somebody threw that kid away.

The money from the state hadn't have been so good, I would have thrown her away, too.

I've heard of people like you.

Becoming foster parents to put extra change in your pocket.

Listen, everybody's got their reasons.

And, yes, the money don't hurt.

And by the way, what was I being paid for?

To take care of a bunch of needy brats.

Yeah, well maybe you got even with those little brats last Friday night.

Sykes: Your print was found on this Game Boy next to the dead body of a 16-year-old girl.

Does that look familiar to you?

Wow. Sure. There was one of these around.

Kid brought it in. Think his name was Kevin.

Game Boy was a gift from the dead dad.

Then it turned into this whole thing because, uh, one of the other foster kids stole it from him when the county moved him out.

Kevin cried...

Mike, can you put a battery in this, see if it works?

It's old. But I can try.

[Chuckles] What, you want to play a game?

No. I want to check the scores.

DTY. Why is DTY important to you?

Sharon: My oldest son had one of these, and there is a space where you can type in the top three highest scores.

And on this device, the initials DTY occupy all three spaces.

Tao: DTY is probably the person who had the Game Boy the longest.

And it was found in your basement, near Amanda's body.

Does any part of this story sound familiar to you?

Darren: [Sighs] Yes.

Um, uh, years and years ago, we had a, um, foster child.

A boy.

Came to us when he was almost 6, and stayed till he was 10.

He even called us Mom and Dad.

We loved him.

Went through nearly the whole adoption process, but, uh, we called it off before...

God, I...

What happened?

I got pregnant, which we'd given up on.

So, suddenly we were having a baby of our own.

And this boy you loved... called you Mom and Dad... you just send him back to County?

Huh.

The adoption process was only three-quarters of the way done.

And unfortunately, they don't give you a lot of time to say goodbye.

We followed Children's Services policy, and we packed his stuff when he was at school.

And when he got home, we gave him a hug, and they drove him away.

We forgot about his toys in the basement.

And then we thought sending them on would be...

It was very, very upsetting to all of us.

We, uh, ended up moving into a new house ourselves.

Starting over.

You hid the door to your own basement in your own house because...?

Basement wasn't up to code.

We didn't have the money to fix it, so we just sealed it up as best we could and ended up renting it.

Until about 10 months ago.

We were planning to remodel and sell it to pay for Amanda's education.

May I ask you, why are you dragging this all back up again?

Because of where the k*ller left your daughter's body.

Okay.

This foster boy that you gave back, were his initials DTY?

Yes.

Dawson Tucker Yale.

Did you say Tucker?

Yeah.

That name mean something?

Yes.

It's on a consent form from a cellphone I downloaded at the crime scene.

[Door opens]

May I have your attention, please.

We have an important announcement.

Ms. Wolf will, uh, make an announcement.

[Clears throat]

Everyone, the, um, Ponds would like to share a few words of thanks to you all.

Oh, my God.

Tucker, is that you?

Hi, Mom.

Dad.

I thought you'd never recognize me.

You can prove premeditation?

Provenza: He knew where to put Amanda's body because he had lived in the house.

He knew Amanda ‭had homeless men staying there who were gone at night because he helped them get jobs.

He knew about the fight with Gabe.

But he had no idea Amanda was gonna walk away from her boyfriend and ask him for a ride home.

In advance.

Therefore, not planned.

How about this, then, Amala?

Your client tells us the whole miserable story, and if it suggests manslaughter, then okay.

If not, you withdraw the statement, and I'll see you in court, where we could end up discussing how Tucker here might look with a needle in his arm.

Fine.

Everything he says after this moment is purely hypothetical and cannot be used against him.

We speculate, nothing more.

Tucker, did you k*ll Amanda Pond in retaliation ‭against your foster parents?

No, I didn't.

Look, I admit to being scared after they sent me away.

I was hurt. I cried for months.

And after they let me go, I was shifted to eight different homes, some of them not so nice.

Some not-so-nice things happened, okay?

So I became a m*rder*r. Come on.

How many versions of this story have we heard before?

I worked my way through school, graduating magna cum laude, and, until last August, I went to the Keck School of Medicine at USC.

There's our tracheotomy.

You said "went." Is that past tense?

They expelled me. For plagiarism.

[Scoffs]

I forgot to properly footnote some sources.

It was an honest mistake.

When was that?

Last October.

A couple months later, I went back to Care First for a job.

Social work.

I thought I could figure things out.

You went back to Care First. You were there before?

[Chuckles] A lot of people don't know this, but at the age of 18, the foster system is done with kids.

If your guardians are nice, they'll keep you around till you get a job, go to college.

But...

That didn't really work out for me, so I ended up living at Care First as a client.

And when I screwed up my life, I went back for a job.

Hobbs: Do you assert your presence at Care First had nothing to do with Amanda's work there as a volunteer?

She never even stepped foot into that shelter until after I'd been there for two months.

I didn't even know who Amanda was until after her...

Till after her father came and picked her up one day.

My father.

My dad.

You know, he didn't even recognize me?

[Chuckles]

Mom came, too, a couple times.

She blew right past me.

And, yeah, I gave her a ride home a couple times...

Amanda.

I'd listen to her complain about how awful her parents were all the way to the driveway of her house, her really big, really nice house with a big yard and a little doggy in the window.

The other house that you had lived in with the Ponds, you knew Amanda had homeless men staying there, as well.

Yes. Yeah.

She tried to hide it from her parents, but I knew.

People on the waiting list of Care First could get to sleep in my bedroom, but not me.

Tucker, you had driven Amanda home before without incident.

What happened last Friday?

She wanted me to drive her to her boyfriend's house to apologize.

Instead of going home.

I tried to talk her out of it.

Why would she not want to go home, you know?

Why wouldn't she want to go home to that... beautiful house, parents who loved her?

They chose her instead of me.

So, no, I was taking her back to them.

And when she saw that I was trying to drive her back to the house, she started yelling.

She...

[Sobs]

I just wanted her to go home.

She tried to get out of the car, and, uh... that's when things got out of hand.

And after things got out of hand?

I tried to save her.

I did.

But I couldn't.

I couldn't save her.

[Sighs]

Guess he's the type who holds onto things.

Maybe because no one held onto him.

Provenza: When young Mr. Tucker stops crying, it's going to be 11 years for manslaughter, 8 years for kidnapping.

Consecutive. No parole.

What the hell are you doing in my chair?

Rusty: I-I need... I need your advice.

My advice is, get out of my chair.

Okay. Look, uh, I have a problem.

No, you have no problems.

That girl up there? She had problems.

You have challenges.

Excuse me.

Lieutenant, I think you took some photos out of the m*rder book before you gave it to me.

And I'd like them back.

No. You wouldn't.

I would, though.

Buzz, it's not necessary.

Please. I can handle it.

I can.

I was just thinking of you.

And I appreciate that, sir. I do.

[Drawer closes]

And your challenge is...?

I-I want my next "Identity" to be about how a traumatic event in childhood can affect a person's whole life and how they deal with it when they grow up.

And... And Buzz's story would be perfect.

But he doesn't want me to tell it.

Give him a second, and then go over there and... ask him how he is.

So, how long does it take to get approved to be a foster parent?

What? Uh, why?

Are... Are you thinking of doing that?

Yeah, why not, Sykes? There's an obvious need.

Ye Gods.

Single. Male. g*ns at home.

History of anger management.

Well, I've had lots of therapy, Tao.

And I've got to be better than Mr. Yum-Yum, yeah?

Well, I guess you couldn't be any worse.

Hey.

What are you doin'g?

Looking pictures of my father.

And.?

Its, not just I remember him.

How would you like to be remembered.?

I know its feels like spend a long time coming.

But before you, ah...

...put a sell sign on your house. and moving to some place in Silver Lake...

Maybe we just discuss, alternatives.

Well, you got no arguments beyond that.

Ok.

It's a, ahm.

What others alternatives are in moving in together right away?

Well, whatever discuss it over dinner.

I mean, I want to ask you wait another hour But, ah, after we order?

Oh, I think that fore.