Plot

Brenda investigates the murder of an off-duty L.A.P.D. officer, and Fritz pressures her for a decision.

An aerial view of a warehouse, zooming to reveal something is not right inside because flies are bountiful on the upper windows. A gurney is wheeled into the building, Central Division personnel crowd the area where Priority Homicide Division officers have to plead for cooperation. Chief Johnson arrives, confronts Commander Taylor; there is tension with Central Division police congregating outside. Taylor explains one of our own should be moved out of the building rather than lie dead with a scumbag criminal lying nearby. Brenda retorts politely, she needs to examine the victims first and she doesn't need the entire division present with their Captain; I don't need this crowd trying to bully me, they should go on about their business.

Entering the warehouse, Brenda is quietly informed by Gabriel that Daniels probably should not be part of this because she dated Martin; Brenda reposes, got it. Brenda asks who the other dead guy is? Lt. Flynn answers, Ze've Barak, a meth-dealer. Provenza informs the Chief, Barak killed his teen-age employees, two UCLA sophomores, shooting them to death in their apartment. Sanchez adds, Martin and his partner worked with an informant, the Captain of Central has his name vaulted in secret at LAPD.

Brenda asks where was Det. Martin's partner? Flynn says Martin was officially off duty. So, he met this guy alone without backup? Where did Detective Martin live? Daniels responds, Long Beach. How did they get in? Daniels answers, side door was unlocked and we found a key in Martin's pocket. All right then, thank you Detective; Brenda orders Daniels outside, she objects, but Brenda orders her out to keep Central Division at bay.

Brenda turns to Lieutenant Tao, what do we think happened here? His response, it looks like they fired at the same time. Brenda crouches to lift the cover from Tim Martin's body; Tao notes Tim Martin got it between the eyes. Brenda adds, this drug dealer had awfully good aim. Tao and Brenda agree from the insect larvae on the bodies, they both died Saturday morning. Requesting Flynn take the samples from SID to our lab; I want it done tonight. Lt. Tau I want a ballistics trajectory report from the morgue ASAP, please; let's see how this gunfight played out.

Lt. Provenza, sum it up on what we know so far. Brenda summarizes, alone, on his day off, Detective Martin enters an abandoned warehouse in downtown Los Angeles, thirty miles from his home, where Mr. Barak happens to enter the same warehouse, they both fire their weapons at the same time, they both drop dead where they stand. What do you say the chances of it happening like that? Provenza's response, apparently, one-hundred percent. Lt. Provenza, let's clear this place out as quickly and honorably as we can, thank you. Sgt. Gabriel hands Brenda a picture being circulated by Captain Leahy of Central Division. Officers present in the warehouse place their American flag pins on the cloth covering Detective Martin's body.

Brenda exits, having words with Captain Leahy about the flyer showing the informant's picture, ordering them all collected and brought to her asap. The meeting between the two is heated, a dislike of Brenda is obvious throughout Central Division. The men in blue pay their respect standing aside while saluting their fallen comrade as the gurney is wheeled. Brenda meets Martin's current partner, Detective Lawrence Xavier, who identifies the poster picture as the warehouse owner, having nothing to do with the killing of Barak. Chief Johnson responds to Captain Leahy's question of how could he help, considering the volatile nature of the Central Division police presence, collect all of these posters, and bring to me.

The Coroner's van has its back doors open for the gurney to receive Detective Martin's body, Lieutenant Provenza has shouted attention to those in blue, formation has commenced, police salutes are viewed from above as the slain officer is wheeled out to meet the vehicle. The camera pans the warehouse with an aerial shot of the Coroner-van, the blue line at the building entrance with the temporary barricades.

At HQ, Pope is yelling over his cell phone at his future ex-wife, he hangs up very irate as he storms into his office. He lights into Captain Leahy about circulating the posters and dismisses him; Brenda gets a taste of Pope's wrath. She responds with police officers are trained to fire their weapons in short bursts, Detective Martin put one shot into Barak's head. Pope shouts at Brenda, the informant was guaranteed anonymity. Pope remarks, you can release his name to one other member of your squad, that is it. When a police officer is killed, we expect closure quickly and completely; is that clear? Yes it is, Brenda answers, your attitude is a complete mystery.

Gabriel informs Brenda, Detective Xavier is in her office, but Lieutenant Tao is giving his presentation first. Tao starts by referencing the double homicide Detective Tim Martin was working, the bullets we pulled out of those college kids, they match Barak's gun. It seems like Martin fired first at about fifteen feet, his bullet grazes the top of Barak's heart, it shatters his spine and Barak falls dead. Brenda responds, so, Barak falls dead and his gun discharges? Tao reposes, no, couldn't have. Martin was shot from four feet away, the bullet was fired from a crouching position, not from the ground. So even if we suppose Martin fired walking towards the body, Barak would have been paralyzed; he couldn't have fired at all. Brenda remarks, Barak's gun definitely killed Detective Martin. Lt. Tao answers, it did. Brenda concludes, there was a third person in that warehouse. The entire squad stares at Tao's presentation on the murder-room screen, hearing the words from Chief Johnson concerning the additional person in the warehouse.

Brenda enters her office with Sgt. Gabriel present and begins speaking with Detective Xavier, reviewing the case Detective Martin was working with him. Ze've Barak killed two young men who were dealing ecstasy for him, then he had his cousin, Ari Cohen, drive him to the airport. Gabriel adds Ari Cohen had no idea Barak intended to kill anyone, therefore, in exchange for his testimony, Ari is offered immunity. Brenda asks Xavier, how do you know your informant didn't kill those men and blame it on Barak? Xavier informs the Chief Barak got cut during the deadly altercation with the two students. We had Ari travel to Vancouver to get DNA samples from his cousin Barak. The two samples brought back by Ari did not match each other. Mr. informant submitted DNA from two different people, they were males, relatives, but did not hit anything from our crime scene or database. Brenda injects, so, it looks like Barak's death is good for Ari, he doesn't have to testify, his cousin doesn't know he was a snitch and he got twenty-five thousand dollars, in cash.

Ari met regularly with the police at the warehouse? Whose idea was that? Xavier answers, Ari's. One of his friends wanted to sell it, so he paid Ari to show it. Brenda asks, did you have keys to the side door? No, Xavier responds. Why do you suppose Martin went there on his day off? Xavier answers, I don't know. Any reason Martin might go to the warehouse and not want you around? Xavier asserts himself by stating, look, I got into this late. Tim had been working with Detective Hubbard, they had been partners since the early nineties, but Hubbard took family leave because his wife died and his kid has cancer; we have only been partners two months. Standard procedure for persons from Central Division to meet with strangers on their days off? Your qualifying tests will reveal who is the better shot, you or Martin? Xavier is quick to respond, me.

Xavier continues, Linda called me because Martin had a date with her and he stood her up. Detective Martin was in the habit of not returning calls to the women he was seeing which was his way of winding things down with them. I went to Martin's place, no answer on Sunday, the mail was visible through the flap in the door. When Martin did not show on Monday, I went to Captain Leahy.

Brenda confides in Gabriel, for the time being Sergeant, the name Ari Cohen is our little secret. She says she will be back in an hour.

Fritz speaks to Brenda in her kitchen as she digs into the salad be bought for her, the escrow on my condo is about up so have you given any more thought to what we talked about before? Living together as full partners would give us a chance to see what that would be like. Brenda explains she has not been successful living with guys. The phone rings, it is Lt. Provenza, and Brenda promises she will be there in twenty minutes. Fritz asks, this reluctance of yours to decide, has it anything to do with what is going on with Pope? What's going on with Pope? His wife served him with divorce papers last Friday; you didn't know? Brenda answers no. Fritz responds by asking, what do you do for a living, again?

Brenda enters the squad room filled with Central Division officers verbally squaring off with Lieutenants Flynn and Provenza. Brenda thinks Gabriel has given up the name of the informant but he declares it is the guy from the poster, the owner of the warehouse, Michael Dietz, and he has been roughed up, too. Gabriel mentions newspapers were piled at Ari's home, no one has seen him in two weeks.

Will tells Brenda he can handle the matter with Dietz. Brenda tells Pope you look tired, why don't you go home and get some rest. Pope responds to Brenda, please, don't use the techniques you use in there on me. I'm not getting a divorce, Estelle is getting a divorce. She is seeing someone else, they are getting married; meaning no alimony. She doesn't want our kids because he doesn't want them. We can discuss it later, now we have a murdered officer to deal with and Central is going nuts. Brenda confides in Will, ballistics suggests there was someone else in that warehouse when Martin and Barak were killed. I really need to talk to this informant Ari. Pope asks, who was Martin's partner before Xavier? Brenda answers, Hubbard; he is on family leave; his ten-year-old boy has got bone marrow cancer, he's at the hospital twenty-four seven. Well, you know where to find him then.

Detective Hubbard sits, staring at his son propped and sleeping in his hospital bed. The three officers congregate outside Charlie's hospital room. Hubbard tells Brenda and Gabriel with his wife dying four years ago, his son Charlie deserves having one parent around. Gabriel cuts off Brenda, asking the detective how his son was doing. Hubbard explains bone marrow cancer is tough, an exact donor match is hard to find. Thank god my wife's parents have a lot of money. Hubbard says he was not a match. He mentions Charlie's web site, it has everyone he talks to, check it out, as he hands them each business cards.

Brenda laments, she is so sorry about his partner. Hubbard comments so unbelievable, I can't think of why Tim would go down there alone. Hubbard knew about the meeting with Ari, he helped set it up. Martin wanted me to go with him Saturday morning, because I handled Ari better; particularly with those screwed up DNA samples he brought back. Tim went there instead of me, because Charlie had a transfusion scheduled for that Saturday morning. Brenda inquires, did Ari say anything about bringing Barak? Hubbard shakes his head no. If we had known Barak was coming, we would have brought in surveillance, sharpshooters; that is a dangerous man.

Any idea why Tim would not want Xavier to go with him? Hubbard doesn't respond to Brenda's question because a nurse wheels in his son Charlie. Charlie leaves and Brenda asks again, if Tim didn't want Xavier to go along with him to the warehouse because it had something to do with Tim's girlfriend? Hubbard asks why would you think that? Brenda answers, well she called Xavier at home to find out why Tim stood her up and I was wondering how she got Xavier's home phone number. Hubbard responds, there was some overlap there between Tim and Xavier. Gabriel interjects do you mean Tim had moved in on Xavier's girlfriend, while Xavier was still dating her? Maybe, she didn't like Xavier as much as he thought, a guy has to come to terms with that sometimes. Brenda chimes in with, or not come to terms. Gabriel adds I can't believe Martin is still pulling that crap. Hubbard leans forward to Brenda, look I don't want to get Xavier in trouble. Brenda says she has to talk with this girl. She requests the girlfriend's full name from Detective Hubbard before they leave the hospital.

Brenda enters the interview room; Detective Daniels is watching in the media room with Julio and Buzz. Linda Salk is the girlfriend and Brenda interviews her with Gabriel in the room. Linda is visibly irritated being at HQ. If having a lawyer would make you feel more comfortable, you call one, we'll just wait. That's one nice thing about working for the government, you get paid for just being here. Brenda continues, there was a third person in that warehouse and we're trying to figure out who that might have been. You were the first person who reported Tim Martin missing and you are licensed to carry a handgun. Linda angrily responds, I carry a handgun because it is my constitutional right to do so. My ex is also a cop, and likes to drive by my house at midnight and flash his brights in my window. He even dropped by Tim's one night, drunk. Linda identifies her ex as Lawrence Xavier. Tim said he would put a stop to it. I only heard from Xavier one more time talking about how much money he spent dating me. I sent him a check for a thousand dollars, and he cashed it, too. Referring to Tim Martin, she says I pull down enough for both of us. I'm top salesperson for Suburban's in the southland, three years going. Brenda asks Linda, did Detective Martin ever mention his job, the Barak case, because he and Detective Xavier were working it together. Did he say he was meeting someone Saturday morning? Did he mention a name? Linda's response is there was an informant I wasn't supposed to know about, Ari. Gabriel asks, Ari Cohen? Linda answers, this Ari guy had gone to Vegas and Tim thought he was coming back. From the media room, Commander Taylor emphasizes, no one in here heard that name; cautioning all personnel. He is visibly upset hearing Linda Salk knew about the informant.

Detective Daniels wraps up a conversation with Brenda concerning dating Tim Martin. She leaves Brenda's officer as Gabriel enters. Gabriel informs Brenda, because Lieutenant Tao ran Ari's credit cards, we know exactly where he is staying in Vegas; we do not have any authority in Nevada. Brenda says I think we can talk him into a quick trip home. Tell me Detective, how did you know Detective Martin had a thing about women seeing other guys? Could it be you experienced some overlap with Martin as well. Gabriel responds, you know what? Martin couldn't have less interested in Daniels until I asked her out to dinner. We went out on two dates when suddenly he is all over her. I don't care about it anymore, it was years ago. Brenda retorts, the experience Daniels had on this case disqualified her from working the case but not you? Daniels had an intimate relationship with the man, I hardly knew him. You held back information Sergeant on Detective Martin's sexual habits, and as Xavier proves, Martin couldn't change. Brenda looks at Gabriel, that Martin never changed; oh Sergeant, it's key.

Brenda enters the murder room from her office, any news gentlemen? Lt. Flynn, okay, we got back the elimination samples on Barak and Martin from the warehouse. Commander Taylor, Barak's blood matches what we found at the Brentwood crime scene; we take that along with his gun and we could be pretty sure he did those kids. Brenda responds good, case closed, what's the problem? Provenza adds, the other elimination sample from the warehouse. Pope, it matches one of the samples we paid our informant twenty-five thousand dollars to bring back from Vancouver.

Brenda, Martin booked samples of his own DNA? Pope, and that of one of his relatives, I don't know if he swapped out samples with a relative or he ever even paid the guy. Taylor, I'm uncomfortable with you are both suggesting Martin had his hand in the till. This is a guy who was killed while trying to arrest a murderer. Brenda, well, we don't know that Commander, what we know for sure is someone else was there. Our informant is in Vegas, I am not saying bringing him back will make it safer, just the opposite maybe. Lieutenants Flynn and Provenza could go to Vegas tonight and bring our informant back in the morning. Gentlemen, when Ari gets here, I want Detective Xavier in the room with me. Brenda says she has to run an errand. Taylor stops her in the hallway. Chief Johnson, I just want make sure I understand why you are bringing Detective Xavier back in. Brenda, I want to question him. Why? I need more answers. Did you ever ask him where he was last Saturday morning? I looked into it, he was at home on the phone for two hours. Just because his line was busy, that doesn't mean he was on it. Taylor is adamant about not having Xavier appear again and possibly smearing Martin's character in view of what happened. The hallway conversation has a cold curt ending between the two.

Brenda is bedside with child-patient Charlie Hubbard, enter Detective Hubbard, beverages in hand, giving one to his son; they both exit his room, and Brenda asks for his help when Detective Xavier comes in tomorrow. Hubbard's reaction, I heard Xavier had an alibi. Brenda, it would fall apart in the dryer. Look, you are the only person who knows this case from front to back. Somebody is lying, and I think if I have you there, and Ari and Xavier don't know about it, somebody is going to trip up. Hubbard responds if I come downtown tomorrow, you try to arrest Xavier and you don't have him cold, I mean on ice, my whole division will turn against me. Brenda reacts, I won't get this conviction without your help Detective; Tim Martin was your friend. Hubbard replies, I certainly hope you know what you're doing, for both our sakes.

Brenda phones Lieutenant Tao, I need your help with that sample of DNA we haven't identified yet. Flynn and Provenza pick up Ari in a casino, bringing him back to Los Angeles.

Brenda at home gets coffee brought in by Fritz, talks to him about the murder of Martin and Barak, I think I know who did it, I'm trying to think through how Martin and Barak were murdered. Brenda borrows Fritz's gun, kneels to simulate how the murder went down in the warehouse via third party-shooter. That's how I shoot Barak with Martin's gun then I shoot Martin with Barak's. While kneeling Brenda simulates the murder where different guns are used for each killing.

Pope surprises Brenda saying Ari Cohen is here, Central Division is here in mass, not that I don't trust you. Brenda asks Tau for the results of the sample they discussed, he says he will bring it to Gabriel as soon as he gets it. A nervous Brenda mentions if you don't have it, I am up a creek. Tau responds, stall, I'll bring it in as soon as I get it. Tao provides her with two iced chocolate pastries; she inhales one before entering the media room.

Brenda enters the media crowded with Taylor, Captain Leahy, Detective Hubbard, Pope, Gabriel and of course Buzz. Leahy immediately delivers how Brenda is smearing Detective Xavier with this interview, and that is not the way we play ball. Brenda fits an earpiece and replies well Captain, if you don't like the way I'm doing things, you are welcome to take your balls and go straight home. I just want to say Detective Hubbard, everyone that cared about Detective Martin would appreciate what you're doing here today.

Brenda enters the interview room with Ari and Detective Xavier present. She begins with good morning Detective Xavier and, the allusive Mr. Cohen, here you are. Ari says he will plead the fifth, Brenda retorts, if you do plead the fifth, I'll arrest you for being an accomplice in a double homicide. Since someone is lying, I figured if I could get you and Mr. Cohen together, I would figure out the truth. You told me you had never been to Detective Martin's house and I have a witness who contradicts you. Xavier replies, well, she's a lying bitch. Brenda responds to Xavier, the kind of lying bitch that deserves to be harassed by a cop, that kind of bitch? Mr. Cohen, how well do you know Detective Xavier here? Were you in contact with him regularly? No. Xavier adds, I met him exactly one time.

Brenda is turning pages in her notebook while wearing an earpiece for Detective Hubbard to agree or disagree with the testimony. The conversation bounces from one participant to another. You went to Vancouver to get DNA samples, to whom did you give those samples? Ari answers, Detective Hubbard. Those samples turned out to be not of Barak, and we asked him to get more. My cousin was psycho, not an idiot. What did you expect me to do ask Barak to spit in a cup? Xavier shouts at Ari, you probably never went to see him in the first place. Ari shouts back, why did I call you on Wednesday and tell you he was coming to town?

Hubbard states, he never mentioned Barak was coming. Ari insists I called Detective Hubbard to arrange to meet at the warehouse Saturday morning. He asked about a meeting and I told him to call Tim. Xavier stands and shouts, Tim never mentioned it, and all this stuff about DNA happened before I was even on the case. So, what does it have to do with me? Brenda excuses herself and steps out of the interview room.

Brenda queries Detective Hubbard, I need your help getting these DNA results in order. Let's see if this is right, Barak's blood from the Brentwood crime scene, Barak's blood from the warehouse, a match. Martin's blood from the warehouse which happens to match up with one of the samples Ari brought back from Vancouver. The two DNA samples we thought were obtained from your informant, one was from Tim Martin and the other was from one of your male relatives. Which Lieutenant Tao has just identified as that from your son; or I guess I should say, Martin's son, by your wife? We matched it up against the online database which you posted looking for bone marrow. My guess is you did not know you were not Charlie's biological father until the doctors checked to see if you were a possible transplant candidate. Isn't that right? And so, you began to wonder who Charley's father really was, and you knew your partner, didn't you? You knew him very well. Martin never volunteered to have his own bone marrow tested, did he? We went on Charley's website where he thanks everyone that volunteered and Martin's name was not on it. I guess he was afraid you would find out the truth. It is pretty awful to care more about that, than to save his own son. So, when Ari came back from Vancouver with Barak's DNA, you switched them out, with samples you took from your partner and Charley, just to make sure you were right. I suppose to see if Martin would be a possible match for a transplant, but he wasn't.

Tao speaks, last Saturday morning when you said you went for a procedure in the hospital, the procedure was cancelled because the specialist got called away. When Charley came back to his room, he said you weren't there and you didn't come back for an hour and a half.

Hubbard is adamant, look, Tim shot Barak, the bullet was fired from his gun. Brenda retorts, Martin didn't have his gun, he had given it to you. Why would he do that? Because you asked him for it. Because you volunteered to go with him to the warehouse, because you were the partner he trusted and you really needed that gun didn't you? Detective Xavier and Ari are both telling the truth. You were the only one who knew it wasn't an informant that was about to walk through the door of that warehouse, but an armed psychopath.

My guess is you shot Barak as soon as you knew it was close enough to be a clean kill. And while Martin was freaking out demanding to know what you were doing, you told him to trust you. You walked over to Barak's body, you knelt down beside him, took his gun, and while Martin followed you, demanding an explanation, you shot him dead between the eyes. Isn't that right Detective?

Hubbard shakes his head no, and says nothing. By the way, does Charley know that Tim is his real father? I only ask because once you bring a lawyer into this, Tim's son will have to be disposed. Hubbard: screams, Tim's son? Brenda continues, I wonder what effect that will have on Charley's health. Hubbard repeats, Tim's son? Brenda retorts by looking Hubbard in the eyes, how do you suppose Charley's going to react knowing you gunned down his real father?

Hubbard responds, screaming at Brenda, where was the great Tim Martin when it mattered? Where was he when Charley's life was on the line? Brenda follows with I don't know Detective Hubbard, but I know where he is now. I saw his brain splattered all over the floor of an abandoned warehouse, his body was being eaten by flies; and I can't help but think, you may have overreacted.

Hubbard pleads, you can't tell Charlie. Brenda makes it clear, I can and I will. Commander Taylor consoles Hubbard, write it all down and we'll get you a deal from the D.A. Brenda adds, you can wear a bracelet and stay with Charley until his illness resolves itself. Gabriel hands Hubbard a clipboard with paper and a pen; he sits and begins to write.

In Pope's office, Pope asks Brenda to join him for a drink, she declines, she says she has plans with Fritz; sort of a celebration because he's moving in, next week.