Original subtitles

Previously on "Major Crimes"...

So, how many threats related to the Phillip Stroh case are we talking about?

27 letters to date.

Five to me, the rest to Rusty.

We want to talk to you about all three ways

to deal with these threats.

No. We agreed on two.

- I figured out my option three. - What option three?

Catching this guy who's writing me all the letters.

You are not old enough to participate in a police action.

You cannot keep this kid locked in your condo forever.

And I've already spent a lot of time, like, blending in with crowds.

- Isn't that what undercover's all about? - You're not going undercover.

You're gonna be in plain sight all the time.

Lieutenant Cooper will be the S.I.S. Supervisor

on your operation.

And you will cooperate with me 1,000%.

This is your one and only safe zone.

We will catch the son of a bitch who's been threatening you.

Okay.

Major Crimes 02x18 Return To Sender, Part 1 Originally Aired January 6, 2014

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Yes?

Got a message for you.

Here's proof of who I am.

Yeah, okay.

Come in.

Lock the door behind you, please.

You got my money? The guy told me...

Yes, I know. $2,000. First $1,000 up front.

Second $1,000 after the message.

Have a seat on the couch, please.

This your gram's house, Holmes?

The first $1,000. Count it if you want.

==sync, correction by dcdah== for www.addic7ed.com

Put the cash back in the plastic baggie, please.

What's the matter? You afraid of germs?

I don't like mess.

What's Mr. Stroh want now?

Says you haven't scared the boy off with the letters.

Says you got one week to figure out

how to get rid of either him or the woman.

But they're both being watched all the time.

Yes, I know they're being watched.

Did Mr. Stroh tell you where I should acknowledge

receipt of this message?

What?

Where do I put my answer to Mr. Stroh?

Do you know?

Place called Edendale Park,

in the creek by the busted fountain.

All right.

Let me get you the rest of your money.

Yo, what up? This gonna take long?

You'll be on your way in just a few.

Tell me, did Phillip Stroh give you that message personally?

No, I ain't never met him myself.

Huh.

Well, then...

Unh!

Lucky you.

Sorry it's you instead of Stroh.

Kind of sorry.

Age 35, lived in Boyle Heights,

and... I'm going out on a limb here...

May have been involved in gangs.

Sir. You see the "E-R-G" on his neck there?

East river gangsters.

Why did he have to get dumped on city property?

Never mind.

What, Kendall? What? What? What?

Uh, time of death is screwy

because the body was in the water,

wrapped in that plastic.

Looks pretty fresh, though. Last night sometime?

Yeah, well, the park staff says gates are locked at 10:00 P.M.,

so before then, probably.

He's got three stab wounds...

Two in the chest, one in the neck.

Sir, these knots

tying the plastic together at both ends,

the drag marks to the creek,

the single set of footprints...

It looks like one person did all of this.

- Are there any defensive wounds? - No.

Jesus Chavez was released from County two days ago

after a month inside on a drug bust.

Previously arrested

for attempted murder, assault, gun charges.

Did nine years for armed robbery.

Oh, so this Jesus was not the son of God.

- Unlikely. - Okay.

Lieutenant Provenza, this plastic...

It looks like a couch cover.

You see the seams?

So, rolled up in a couch cover, dumped like this?

Does this feel like gangs to you?

No, sir. And those stab wounds...

What about them?

Gangs generally don't like knives...

Too up-close-and-personal.

But guns are noisy.

From the entry angle, I'd say your victim

was in a seated position,

struck from behind like this

with a seven-inch blade, partially double-sided

with one serrated edge,

with a big, big hilt.

Ready for the creepy part?

Oh, God.

This is not the first body I've seen like this.

What do you mean by, "Like this"?

I mean I had another victim in here

with the same puncture wounds from the same-sized blade,

wrapped in a plastic couch cover.

Guy's body came in last June. Here.

Name's Keith Mapleton.

According to his case file, did five months for robbery,

then he was found on a tennis court in the valley

stabbed to death and rolled in a plastic couch cover

two days after he was released from County jail.

Same as Jesus. How else are they connected?

Don't know, ma'am. This other victim, Mapleton...

He's got no gang affiliations, no drug busts, or D.U.I.s.

I ran down their jail-movement records...

Not a single cellmate in common.

What about Jesus and Mapleton's parole officers and lawyers?

No overlap.

Captain, when you have a minute.

Excuse me! We've got another victim.

I entered "plastic couch cover" into VICAP,

and it shot back a Mr. Russell Jackson.

Spent time in County for auto theft,

was released in August,

and found two days later on a beach in Ventura.

Why do we care about Ventura County?

Their bodies aren't our problem.

Well, they are if we're dealing with a serial killer.

Ventura County... That explains

why Morales didn't know about him.

Let me guess... Jackson was stabbed three times?

With a seven-inch, partially double-sided blade.

One serrated edge.

Okay, and all three victims spent time

in the LA County Jail. That can't be coincidence.

And the plastic couch covers...

get a manufacturer, see what we can learn.

I'm sorry, chief. You were saying?

I wanted to let you know

I just got off the phone with Lieutenant Cooper,

and he said they're working up files

on everyone they can identify in the park.

So far, no one with a criminal record's popped up.

See? He gets so lost in that game,

he doesn't even know the rest of the world exists.

You should be proud of him, captain.

I was proud of him before this.

Well... I'm around.

Let me know if there are any developments in your case.

I will.

Chief, if you could ask Lieutenant Cooper

if I might have sound in here, as well as v...

Sharon, you're lucky we have video.

Relax. The kid will be fine.

And in this case, eyes are better than ears.

Checkmate. He's won 42 of the last 45 games.

- Hmm. - Pretty good.

Hey. Anyone in front of me?

No. Have a seat.

I'm Rusty.

Bill.

Nice to meet you.

- You mind if we have a little music? - Unh-unh.

It helps me focus...

Especially when I'm playing in the top tier over here.

Damn it. Turn off the radio, asshole.

I can't see this guy's face.

He's a regular.

Been there maybe five times before.

Always has that radio.

S.I.S. probably has a file open on him already.

All right, kid, my boss could have my badge for this,

but you need to know... the way that you're sitting...

I can see your vest under your shirt.

Stay chill. Stay chill.

Thing is if our guy sees that you're wearing a vest,

he's gonna know something's up,

and the whole operation could be blown,

so just, uh, adjust your shirt

without making a big deal out of it. Just...

Let me know if anything changes.

Don't lean too far forward.

You might expose your wire.

The music keeps my boss from hearing me,

because blowing my cover to you... strictly off-limits.

But I just want to make sure

that you're clear on a few things.

While we're playing, let's just review orders.

So, what's the number-one rule whilst you're out here?

Always stay within the perimeter.

Good.

And you get home how?

Always the same route.

And you're followed all the way until...

Until I leave the garage of Sharon's building

and get in the elevator.

Perfect.

You're doing a fine job.

Look at that bishop.

Finish me off.

That's a checkmate.

Gina, Dennis, someone go exchange pieces

on number one's board.

Get me prints on that guy.

I want to know if he's got a record.

Please don't get me in trouble with my boss for helping you.

I'm just another guy you beat today. Right?

Right?

Right. Yeah.

And, um, thanks, man.

Just watch your vest. Just stay safe.

It's a good act, but she's hiding something.

Meet Monica Garcia. She's Jesus' baby mama.

She doesn't want to talk to us, ma'am,

so she's pretending nothing's wrong, but you can tell

she's worried why her boyfriend hasn't been home.

I put her in Interview 1.

She brought their baby and does not want to let her go. Excuse me.

Thank you.

I-I'm sorry. My focus is split.

Lieutenant Provenza, why don't you and Julio

take a run at Miss Garcia?

See if what she's hiding connects all of our victims.

Either of these men look familiar to you?

Monica, when's the last time you saw Jesus?

Late yesterday afternoon.

Did he go out?

Why? What are you trying to pin on him now?

- Rusty's on his way home? - Yes, ma'am.

Monica, nothing. We just need to know...

You cops just want to see Jesus the way he was,

but he changed.

He promised when he got out of County this time,

we're gonna start over.

We're gonna raise our baby somewhere safe.

Where was Jesus going yesterday?

To help a friend.

Has he called you since?

Well, maybe they had too good a time.

Jesus... he's really friendly, you know, underneath.

Whatever he done was for us.

Look, we're not trying to get Jesus in trouble, okay? We're trying...

Well, he didn't do nothing to make trouble, cop!

He's just trying to keep us safe.

Jesus... He makes us feel safer than you do.

Mm-hmm.

Miss Garcia...

We have some bad news.

Jesus was found murdered this morning in a park close to...

What? What?

Jesus was found murdered this morning in a park.

What? No.

No.

It's not true. No, it's... it's not true.

It... it is.

- I-I am sorry, ma'am. I am. - It's not true.

No, no. No. No.

Who did this?

Who did this terrible thing? Who did it? Who did it?

Monica, that's... that's the reason we brought you here.

W-we know that Jesus was trying to turn his life around.

But someone took advantage of him.

Monica, right now, you are the only person

who can help us find Jesus' killer.

Now, can you tell us anything about this...

this friend that he spent the evening with?

He said he had to give this guy a message.

Did he tell you what that message was?

No. No. No.

He said he was gonna get paid for it... $2,000.

T-that's a lot of money just to deliver a message.

Is there anything else?

Well, he had to bring this stuff with him... this...

To prove the message was real.

What did he bring?

A spiral notebook and a box of pencils.

Excuse me?

Yeah, he had me buy the stuff, the... the notebook.

It had to be this special brand... Commander.

The pencils... they were Red Wings.

I... I...

What the hell?

All these letters are written

on Commander paper with a number-one pencil.

The graphite is softer and darker,

and they're made by, among others,

a company called Red Wing.

So, our dead gangbanger and possibly two other convicts

were murdered by the same guy

who's been writing letters for Phillip Stroh?

But if it's not the same guy,

it's from the "Guinness Book of Coincidences."

There are no coincidences. This is our guy.

Stroh communicates with him through our victims.

But why dump the bodies in a public place?

It does increase the chances that Stroh will hear

about their deaths in prison. Wait a minute.

You think these guys were stabbed to death

as some kind of signal?

Possibly. Or they're just murdered

to remove witnesses linking Stroh to our letter writer.

Remember, Stroh isn't just a serial killer.

He's a great attorney, and he's leveraged

other criminals to help him out before.

Well, the good news is, if you're right,

we're getting closer to finding this guy.

Or he's getting closer to us.

FBI profile on our letter writer, ma'am.

Thank you, Julio. All right.

According to the Bureau's Behavioral Science Department,

the man we are looking for is most likely white...

early 30s, maybe immature, but a good planner...

systematic in his actions...

highly intelligent...

highly organized...

highly focused...

driven...

and compulsive.

He is unlikely to stop before he gets what he thinks he needs.

Gimlet on the rocks. Just the way you like it.

Thanks.

Grab yourself a beer if you want.

I'll take you up on that.

What are we drinking to?

I think I'm about a day, maybe two away

from finishing a big project I've been working on,

finally saying goodbye to someone who's been making my life miserable.

Yeah, good for you.

Mm.

So, um, is your boyfriend still out of town?

Maybe. Why?

You finally through leading me on?

Maybe.

If you don't mind coming over to my place once you close up.

I'd be through leading you on, yeah.

Completely through.

Well, about time.

Captain, I have expanded my team. All right?

I've got seven additional officers on this detail.

I've positioned Detective Sanchez

back in the sniper's hide over the park.

We have checked prints on every suspicious person we can't identify,

and so far no known criminal

has even come close to the kid.

We got this. Rusty's safe.

Along with video, I want sound in my electronics room,

or I will withdraw my consent.

- Sharon! - Captain, I'm not sure this is the time we...

This is not a negotiation, Lieutenant Cooper.

I want to hear what's going on.

Otherwise, this undercover operation will be suspended,

and we will go back to a much more visible security detail.

You do that, and the killer will definitely notice.

We're real close to catching him.

We're too close, lieutenant... too close.

This young man is not just bait.

He is...

He is my responsibility.

I will have sound, as well as picture,

or this is a no go.

The sound can only go one way.

There will be zero communication from your side of the mike.

Thank you. Please call Buzz. Let him know.

Sharon, I don't see what the big deal is.

I'm safer than the President of the United States.

I'm ready, lieutenant.

Number One is on his way down.

Roger that.

Number One is heading south on Sunset, approaching Alvarado.

63, why don't you pick him up there, and we'll drop off?

Copy that.

Number One's on the move.

Copy that.

Captain, I think we found a link between our three dead convicts.

Turns out each of them made a trip to the infirmary

days before their release.

Russell Jackson... a dislocated shoulder on August 11th.

Keith Mapleton... allergy attack on June 9th.

- Jesus Mario... - Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The point is we found this guy in County,

and... what's his name?

Florentino Reyes. Age 39.

He's been in jail for 18 months,

awaiting trial on a rape charge.

As a reward for good behavior on the inside,

he's been made an unrestricted-access prisoner.

Can't you just say "Trustee," Mike?

Anyway, for the past nine months,

he's been working in the infirmary as a janitor.

Now, I pulled the movement records on all three of these guys

and cross-checked them with Reyes.

Turns out he was present during each of their visits.

Great. So, can we link Reyes to Phillip Stroh?

Uh, no. Stroh never visited the infirmary?

Not while Reyes was there.

Okay, if Reyes is a trustee,

then he must have worked high power, where Stroh is kept.

Well, we checked on that, and it's a big, fat negative.

So Stroh never represented Reyes in any previous charge?

Reyes has only been arrested once before,

and it was pro-per then... Same as now.

Let's have D.D.A. Rios join us with his file

and get Mr. Reyes over here for a little chat.

Why you say all my rights again?

I don't got nothing to say. I be in jail already.

We have some questions that don't relate to the rape

for which you were originally arrested.

I don't rape nobody.

Me and girl... We have a fight.

But I never touch her. I be innocent.

Why you bring me here?

Do you recognize this man?

No. ¿por qué?

What about these two?

No. I don't know them.

They say they know me?

Well, they're not saying anything.

You want to know why?

Because they're dead, Reyes... murdered.

You sure you don't recognize them?

Is that it?

What now?

Now you sit here.

Clearly, it's all bullshit, but how do we get him to admit it?

These are seven motions filed by Mr. Reyes

in regards to his rape case.

Here's one challenging the validity of a witness I.D.,

another one requesting an evidentiary hearing.

They're all well-written

with boiler-plate legal language mixed in throughout,

and yet this guy can barely speak English.

Mm. If only we knew of a brilliant lawyer

with compromised ethics currently in County Lockup.

It's got to be Stroh writing these motions for him.

And in return, Reyes acts as a conduit for information.

Mm-hmm. Stroh gives him a message,

Reyes gives it to the convict,

the convict gives it to our letter writer.

And the dirtbag casserole is complete.

Yeah, but how do we prove it?

It's called an authorship attribution program.

You can download it for free on the Internet.

But before I explain what it is,

let me assure you that this is the short version.

Oh, boy.

Basically, the program compares texts.

It ranks words by their usage, particularly articles like "the"

and prepositions like "of" and "to"...

Words that might seem inconsequential

but, in fact, leave an authorial fingerprint on most any work.

So, by taking a sampling of legal motions written by Stroh

and comparing them to motions authored by Reyes...

You can prove Stroh wrote them.

According to the program,

it's a 96% probability.

Unfortunately, this will not be considered evidence in court.

We don't need it to be.

- Thank you, Mike. - Mm-hmm.

Andy.

Mr. Reyes, I'm Captain Sharon Raydor.

Thank you for your patience.

Can't go.

I've been looking through your case file,

and I noticed that you've chosen to represent yourself.

Sí. Is called "Proper."

Pro-per. That's right.

What... you go to law school, Reyes?

Sí. Sí. Many, many years.

Why don't you have a lawyer representing you?

Ah, no trust. Like cops. No.

I read in jail library... law books.

Could be the library is where he and Stroh communicate.

Well, I have one of your motions here

requesting a continuance, dated November 21, 2013.

It's very impressive work,

especially for someone who's self-taught like you are.

Gracias.

Could you read it for me?

N-no glasses. I no see good. Sorry.

Okay, well, then, could you tell me

what the term "without prejudice" means?

It's right here in the brief that you wrote.

What does it mean?

I no have to answer.

Hey. It's a very simple question.

You tell her what "without prejudice" means,

and you get to go back to your cell.

You didn't write these motions, did you, Mr. Reyes?

Por supuesto Los escribi, puta estupida...

Oh, come on. Knock it off.

- Who wrote these motions, sir? - Todo El día pero gasta su...

That's not gonna work! You hear me?

La biblioteca y lei a Los libros. Eso es todo.

Buzz, could you come in here, please?

Yo se que es difícil de creer,

pero te enfrentas a un mexicano inteligente.

Enough! Enough!

All right, let me explain something to you, Florentino.

Right now, you got it pretty easy.

You're a trustee in County.

You got a little freedom.

You're facing a rape charge which you may beat down with motions.

Hey. Hey. Listen to me.

But if you don't start answering our questions,

I am gonna lock you down so hard

that you're gonna beg to have a trial.

Do you understand?

And you can say goodbye to your trustee status...

And say hello to a triple-murder charge.

¿Qué? No mate a nadie...

"What? I didn't kill anybody."

You see, Mr. Reyes, we can continue in English or Spanish,

whatever you'd like.

Did Phillip Stroh write these motions for you?

He helps you with your case, and in return,

you help him with certain communication issues.

Is that right?

You're passing messages

that are getting people killed, Mr. Reyes.

I...

I did not know what was going to happen to them.

I swear.

Thank you.

When did you first meet Phillip Stroh?

A year ago.

I had a visitor.

A legal-aid person came to help with my case.

Stroh was sitting next to me, waiting for his attorney.

He knew I was trustee.

He said we could help each other,

but he could never talk to me again where people see.

So, how did you stay in touch?

By leaving notes inside books...

books in jail library.

Law books.

Yeah? Huh? What'd I say?

So, when did he ask you to pass the first message?

Uh, six months ago.

I checked the book we used.

I found an envelope. It was shut.

It had a note on it.

What'd the note say?

Mr. Stroh asked me to find someone

in the infirmary who was going free soon,

ask if they wanted to make $2,000 cash

when they got out.

$2,000 for what?

Deliver the message inside the envelope to someone.

Deliver to who? Where?

I don't know. I swear.

What was the address?

I don't know! It was all in the envelope.

I never opened envelope.

Look, Stroh said, "Never open envelope,"

or he'd stop helping me, okay?

So I never opened them.

Never.

Provenza.

Lieutenant. It's Dr. Morales.

Listen, Foothill Division just brought in a John Doe.

He's a perfect match to your other three murders.

Perfect match? W-what do you mean?

I mean it's the same blade, same everything,

right down to the plastic couch cover.

Detective Sanchez.

Julio, is everything okay?

Uh, yes, ma'am. I'm looking at the kid right now.

He's safe.

Okay. Good. Thank you.

You should know we have a fourth body, same as the others.

It's not Rusty, and it isn't going to be.

Right. Just please be careful.

Copy that. Don't worry, ma'am.

In fact, it looks like we're about to call it a day.

Yep. Great.

I am headed home to meet him right now.

Actually, it shouldn't be more than a few minutes.

I already scanned the victim's prints.

Just waiting for a hit, see if we can I.D. Him.

Thank you.

Guess where the body was dumped this time.

I don't know... uh, Santa Monica pier? Disneyland?

Deep in a remote canyon on the far side of the valley.

- Well, that doesn't fit the pattern. - Yeah.

I don't think the killer wanted us to find this one.

So, how come we did?

That's because our wackjob dumped this body

in the same area where a boy scout went missing yesterday.

And at 9:00 A.M. this morning,

a search team stumbled across victim four.

That's the hand of God.

Shame God didn't leave us the victim's I.D.

Don't need it. I've got a hit.

Victim's name is Gregory Boone... 27.

Picked up for a D.U.I. last year in Vegas,

where it looks like he lived.

Was there a conviction?

Um, no. No record. No jail time.

So, why is this one different?

Tao, we're... we're gonna need

a lot more information on Mr. Boone.

I'm already on it. Gonna have Vegas PD send a car

over to the address I have here, see what they can find out.

Hello?

Vegas PD said Gregory Boone no longer lives at that address,

but they spoke to a guy there... Boone's ex...

Said he moved to L.A. last year sometime.

Yes? Yeah, if you could give us the name, that'd be great.

The ex didn't have a forwarding address for Boone,

but he knows the name of the bar where he worked.

Excuse me? Altbar? A-l-t-b-a-r. Thank you.

Looking for one of your employees... Gregory Boone.

Great. Uh, I wonder, can you tell me where he lives?

No, the address.

He's a person of interest in a police investigation.

Okay, go ahead. Yeah.

Uh-huh.

- Oh, my God. - What is it?

Uh, thank you very much.

Lieutenant, what can I do for you?

Okay, Sharon, listen to me. That guy...

- Andy, what's wrong? - Yeah, yeah, the new victim...

He's not connected to Stroh. He's connected to you.

What?

He lives in your building. Apartment 321.

What are you...

Andy, call S.I.S.

- No, no, Sharon. Wait. - Do it now!

Damn it. Your battery went dead while we were in the park.

Look, we need to get off on the next floor.

We think the guy that we're looking for may be in the building.

What?

Everything's under control. We have a safe room.

But you need to come with me for the time being.

But what about Sharon? She's still upstairs.

We're handling her right now. She knows where you are.

This is almost over.

Okay, hold on.

Okay.

Does someone live here?

Have a seat on the couch. I need to radio our location.

- Let's go, let's go. - Right behind you.

What's with the plastic?

Is it to, like, keep stuff off the couch or something?

No, no.

The plastic...

Is to minimize my contact with blood.

Your what?

L.A.P.D.!

Help! Help! Help!

Sharon! Sharon, he's in there! Sharon, he went in there!

Get him away from the window!

I see him!

The suspect is in the open.

He is on foot, heading east.

We need a perimeter now. And get additional units rolling.

There was no sign of our killer anywhere.

And we got a three-block perimeter set up

around the building, but it doesn't look promising.

He could have slipped through early on.

Are we any closer to I.D.'ing him?

S.I.D. is processing every inch of that condo

for prints and DNA.

Now, we know he played chess with the kid yesterday,

but he was disguised, and he kept his head down a lot.

Rusty was too freaked out to really remember what the guy looked like.

We're sorting through all the photos and film from the park

to see if we have a good shot of his face.

But this dirtbag knew we were out there.

- I mean, he clearly knew. - How did he get to Rusty?

The killer was using his last victim's car

to get access to the garage and the poor guy's apartment.

My fault.

Rusty didn't stick to the plan, chief.

He talked to the guy about his security

and didn't tell us he'd done it.

This shouldn't have happened.

Okay, just so we're clear,

Rusty's involvement with this operation is over.

Of course it is.

Our only goal right now is finding this creep.

As for how all this affects the case against Phillip Stroh,

we have a plan.

Captain...

I suggest you alert Rusty

to the changes we've discussed

and implement those changes tonight.

Yes, sir.

Hey.

Hey.

Hey. Are you okay?

- Just a little shaky. - Mm.

But, um, never happier

to have so many police officers around me.

Hmm.

Rusty, I owe you an apology.

I went against my instincts.

No, no, I-I really, really messed up.

I never should have gone along with this entire operation.

I know I did. Sharon, let... let me finish, please.

I thought I-I had a handle on all this stuff,

but I-I didn't follow my orders,

and I almost got myself killed,

and... and from now on, whatever you want me to do,

whatever it is that I need to do,

Sharon, I promise you that I'll do it.

I'll just do it, because...

You saved me... again.

But it's not over yet.

Unfortunately, the guy who tried to kill you is still out there.

I know.

And I am happy that you promised to do what I say

and that you know it's for your own good.

But...

- Come on. Come on. - What...

Wait. Sharon, what's for my own good?

What are you doing?

What's going on?

Hello? Captain?

Down the hall, lieutenant!

Why is Lieutenant Provenza here?

Ah, good news.

Uh, since it's clear

that it's not as safe here as we would like,

until you testify in court, you're coming to live with me.

Wait. U-until I testify?

But that could be years from now.

Not anymore. Besides staying safe, you need to get ready.

Rusty, next week, you take the stand against Phillip Stroh.

==sync, correction by dcdah== for www.addic7ed.com

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