- Brenda's investigation into the rape and murder of a young girl begins to affect her emotions, and in order to close the case she makes an unlikely deal.
- Chief Johnson puts on her latex gloves, points to the scrape of her leg, referring to a girl pulled from the water run-off in L.A. EMT's are in full force helping to gurney the victim out of the drink into an awaiting ambulance. They are mindful the Chief has a job to do as well, where Brenda points to an indentation on her cheek, indicating she was struck. Brenda surmises she probably was not killed here, the victim's underwear is missing, could you get her to the morgue please. I want to notify the parents before the press does.
At the mother's home, Brenda informs her of the body recovery, the mother is hysterical with the news. The man standing next to the mother is her cousin, Alejandro, gardener for the same family-employer. Brenda and Sanchez listen to the mother's cries.
Dr. Crippen, Medical Examiner, estimates the time of death to 46-52 hours based on the time in the water and the amount of decomposition; Brenda confirms the time span between two and eight PM on Monday. Crippen begins with the rape kit exam, Brenda is obligated to observe, she soon has to leave the autopsy room and sit in the hallway. Dr. Crippen sits with her after he has completed the autopsy. The camera shot shows the marked abrasion on her cheek. Blunt force trauma to the head is the cause of death, the blow so strong it broke her neck, the lungs were empty, she died before she hit the water. The bruise on her was caused after death, there was sexual assault, a lot of ripping, a lot of tearing, she was a virgin. The DNA was washed away by the river water, there is nothing to collect for evidence. There was no evidence of torture, whatever happened to her she did not hurt for very long.
Det. Gabriel enters the Phillips house, employment home of Carmen Alvarez and her slain daughter, Marta. Mrs. Phillips assures Brenda that Marta and her mother were treated like family, asking what kind of monster would do this to a sweet girl like Marta? Hart Phillips comes into the kitchen area, reintroduces himself to Brenda, saying he has to leave, but they can talk later, as he has an appointment he has to attend. Austin Phillips, the son, describes a person of interest in the area, seen always carrying a camera, average height, dark hair and average weight.
Chief Johnson invites Austin and his mom to HQ to look at some photos of known sex-offenders in the area. Austin recognizes a picture, asking who he is. Brenda and Gabriel dispatch themselves to the house of Wayne Mathers, he answers the door, they enter, are introduced to Vera Mathers, Wayne's mother, who doesn't like the intrusion and suspicion from the LAPD. Wayne asks if he could change his shirt before they go downtown with pictures he has taken. Brenda sends Det. Gabriel out the back to watch so Wayne does not leave by the window, while Vera Mathews coughs repeatedly, smoking a cigarette and using an inhaler. Brenda asks Vera if she was home last Monday between two and eight PM, when a gunshot rings out from the bedroom. Wayne has shot himself dead on his bedroom floor. Gabriel calls for assistance, grabbing the weapon from Wayne's bloodied hand.
Brenda is in the murder room declaring she wants to know if Marta was the only child Wayne was able to find, in view of the many illegal children in L.A. Lt. Provenza comments on not being able interview the dead Mr. Mathers for a confession. Chief Johnson responds to the lieutenant's snide comment by informing all of the two-hundred-fifty-seven or more twelve-to-thirteen-year-old missing Latina girls. Illegals are prime targets for child molesters, Brenda wants to know if Marta was the only one Wayne managed to find. Brenda also would like to know how Marta got into that river. Brenda asks Gabriel to assemble a crew to dig up Wayne's backyard looking for any more victims. She also wants to know how Marta got that bruise on her cheek. She sends Provenza to Marta's school to talk to her teachers, to find out who her friends were. Chief Johnson requests, let's see if we can figure out how and when Wayne grabbed her; the choice of victim in this case is usually based on availability. Lt. Tao to look at Wayne's computer and Det. Sanchez to run photos by Marta's family. I want to go to sleep at night knowing we buried the killer and not his crimes.
Brenda and Sanchez are interviewing Alejandro trying to get a handle on the identity of Marta's killer. She places pictures of men in front of him seeking recognition. He does not ID any and claims it was his fault she was killed. He asserts it was he who brought up Carmen and Marta from Mexico, acting through a coyote and paying the $2,600 cost for each. Sanchez knows he is lying; the money is too much for him to have. Sanchez yells at him, he doesn't get a lawyer, illegals are not entitled to counsel. Brenda pleads with Alejandro for any information he can provide regarding the rape, beating, and dumping of Marta Alvarez into the river. Brenda advises Det. Sanchez about his temper, she wants to find out all she can these people, not scare them away. She sends the detective on a mission to find all he can about Alejandro.
Lt. Provenza meets Brenda in the hallway having nothing to report from the school but he has delivered Vera Mathers to her office. Brenda puts out Vera's cigarette, no smoking in her office. Vera says her son was a drunk, he didn't take pictures of human beings, he took pictures of flowers in parks and gardens. Too often he would be found with his pants down, having to pee, passed out in a park full of little kids; he was arrested and charged with the wrong crime, she insists her son was not a sex-offender. Wayne would never hurt a kid. She shouts disparaging remarks about the ethnicity looking at the picture of Marta. Vera blames Brenda for the death of Wayne.
Chief Johnson inquires who was aware of Carmen's weekly schedule? Carmen Alvarez answers very few people knew as she packed her daughter's belongings. Brenda learns firsthand Marta received good grades at school, evidenced by an A graded paper. Brenda admires Marta's work when she learns Mrs. Phillips returned the backpack to Carmen saying Marta forgot it at their house. Marta's backpack and notebook contained a handout Brenda holds in her hand dated the same day Marta disappeared. Brenda asks Carmen if she could borrow the school items, promising to return them. The expression on Brenda's face when she sees the date of the handout signals an alarm in her head.
At HQ, Brenda goes through the school items informing Det. Gabriel the Phillips' house could be the crime scene, requesting him to alert Mrs. Phillips of that fact, also Chief Johnson has Sgt. Gabriel get Wayne Mathers' photographs from SID, immediately. Lt. Tao requests Lt. Provenza's help him look at the photos. Mrs. Phillips is startled someone could have been in her house and taken Marta. Brenda asks if they could look around, getting her to sign a consent form. Austin Phillips takes a call from his father explaining the police are at the house. Lieutenants Provenza and Tao show each other pictures of flowers from Wayne's collection. Hart Phillips dismisses the police revoking the signed consent form. Provenza shows a photo with the date and time indicating the same hours the little girl was killed. Brenda is calling a judge for a warrant to enter the Phillip's house and search the premises. Det. Sanchez is putting a warrant out for Alejandro and Provenza calls Brenda with the photo find. Brenda asks Lt. Tao if the time, date could have been tampered with on Wayne's camera. Sanchez tells Brenda Alejandro has left the area, probably returned to Mexico, and Carmen has returned to Mexico. Hart Phillips is seen through their home glass doors, conferring with his wife and son, when Brenda informs him of the warrant she just received to search his house. He requests Chief Johnson for a place to talk; they head downtown while Mrs. Phillips and her son say they refuse to stay in the house. Brenda informs them their cars are staying pending investigation, Leslie and Austin leave indicating they will ask the neighbor for transportation, while SID searches.
Brenda meets Pope in the hallway learning Hart Phillips is waiting for his attorney who claims he is close; she is mad attorney Banks has taken so long to get his client's interview, certainly delaying the interview for a lame reason. Hart begins his story while constantly looking at his watch and asserting he was having an affair with Marta, particularly over the last two weeks. His story becomes harder to accept when claiming he dumped the body in the river. He states he paid Alejandro to bring Marta and her mother back from Mexico, like he did with the former housekeeper who got pregnant. He continues to fabricate his story by saying he panicked when Marta pulled away from him and slipped on the steps, justifying why he did not call the police or an ambulance. He wrapped her in a blanket, put her in his car and dumped her body in the river, thinking she would just float away. Brenda says the autopsy report said she regained consciousness when she hit the water. Hart says he could hear her screams but couldn't get to her before she hit the water. Brenda stands, leans over to Banks, shouting at him if he knowingly delayed getting to the interview, he is in trouble. He turns to Hart asking what that was all about? Brenda runs into the media room telling Pope that Marta was dead before she hit the water, indicating the story she just listened to was just that, a story to gain time for the real criminal to escape. She gets on her phone to Sgt. Gabriel to locate Austin Phillips. Brenda shouts to Pope, he kept us waiting in order to let his son Austin escape.
Lt. Tao informs Brenda Leslie Phillips has left for the border, first in her neighbor's car to the airport, then in a rental car via San Diego. Sgt. Gabriel brings back evidence Austin went on line to find registered sex-offenders, choosing Wayne Mathers, shown on Austin's laptop. Austin had Wayne picked out before LAPD arrived on the scene at the house. The police also found a car jack in Austin's car matching the scar left on Marta's face. Back in the interview room, Banks gets the brunt of Brenda's ire, stating he gave Hart need time to compose himself. Brenda corrects him, you mean time to compose a false confession. She shows Hart the picture of Marta, while he sets his terms for Austin to come back to the U.S. Brenda does not agree to his plan. Brenda to Hart, if I were you Mr. Phillips, I would spend little less time worrying about your son and spend time what I am going to do with you, as she firmly closes the interview room door.
Chief Johnson sits at Pope's desk telling him Leslie Phillips used her credit card to check in at a resort in Ensenada. Brenda requests Pope's help in getting to force a confession from Austin. Pope questions her uncanny ability where Brenda says he doesn't have the faith in her abilities as much as she does in her own. Getting a seventeen-year-old to confess to life imprisonment as opposed to life on the beach seems impossible but he is willing to let her try and hands her two bottles of Cuervo Gold as persuasion for the Federales. Brenda says the Mexican police have a better record with the FBI than the LAPD. Pope understands she is travelling with Agent Howard to Mexico, no escort required.
Brenda enters a room with Agent Howard, Austin Phillips and two Federales. Brenda introduces Austin to Agent Fritz Howard of the FBI. Austin asks for his lawyer. Brenda explains he is not entitled to legal counsel nor does he have the right to remain silent because he is not in the United States anymore. Brenda asks Austin to come with them back to the U.S., Agent Howard affirms he will charge Leslie Phillips with crimes keeping her in a Mexican prison for three years, surviving that, she will be transferred to an American prison where she will spend the next fifteen years. Brenda says your father will be charged with aiding his mother in helping you to escape to Mexico. Austin refuses to leave Mexico under any circumstances, even though Chief Johnson and Agent Howard state the money he thought was accessible isn't, your credit cards are frozen, there is no ATM access. No cash, no parents, no allowance, no hotel, there is a significant difference between visiting the beach and living on one. Austin shouts he is not leaving no matter what you say, referring to Brenda's deal.
Brenda bluffs a proposal with Fritz about letting the parents go free if Austin details what happened at his home with Marta. Brenda turns to Austin declaring freedom for his parents if he tells what happened. Austin asks then you'll unfreeze their assets? Brenda responds yes I will unfreeze their assets, but I want to hear the truth. Austin talks about Marta's behavior toward him, their getting to together in his father's study when his parents weren't home. I told her this is what meant to be my girlfriend, she went really quiet, running away, she fell down the stairs; it was an accident. Brenda interrupts saying it was no accident you went online to find a sex-offender pedophile you could blame. It is not an accident that Wayne Mathers is now dead because you did not want to be accused again for rape, it was no accident you dumped the body of the girl in the L.A. River. We found her DNA in the trunk of your car, I have evidence to prove it. Austin shouts at Chief Johnson, good for you, now you can leave. Brenda comes back with now you can stay.
Brenda shows an attending Federalé a birth certificate of the victim, Marta Alvarez, proving she was born in Mexico. Just your bad luck, I guess, because you sought sanctuary in the country of your victim. Brenda iterates to Austin Phillips, since you killed a Mexican national you can be tried here for your crime, the police don't like when a naturalized citizen, particularly a minor, is murdered, especially by someone outside of their country. Austin is led out screaming for his mother while she is restrained outside in the hallway.
Brenda uncaps the tequila bottle chugging a few ounces, Fritz says he guesses he is driving. They decide to stay the night. Sgt. Gabriel is shown herding Kitty's kittens, mentioning the Chief can relax, he will handle the home front.
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