Plot

Brenda works with a retired detective on a case involving an accused killer who is murdered, but they clash because Brenda wants to find the killer's killer while the detective is more concerned about closure for the killer's victims.

Brenda and the team are on the job when a body is found in Elysian Park. The dead man was obviously dragged behind a vehicle, and there is evidence he was tortured in other ways. Andy Flynn recognizes him as a suspect in a murder case from the 1990s. They were sure he had killed two girls, but their bodies were never found and they couldn't get the necessary evidence against him. The investigation was led by a now retired detective, Joey Olin, who is more than happy to help out on the case that he devoted so much time to without a satisfactory result. Since his retirement, he's kept in touch with the dead girls' families, phoning them on the anniversary of their disappearance and generally keeping an eye on the situation. He proves to be somewhat disruptive in the investigation, however, when he informs the families of events before Brenda is ready.—garykmcd

Brenda sleeps on her couch. She wakes up enough to go into the bedroom. As she closing her bathroom window she notices the screen is torn. She hears a noise. She grabs her gun. She goes cautiously into the living room, where she sees a broken bowl on the floor. She picks up the phone. She tells Gabriel to send units to her house. It's Stroh (the rapist defense lawyer who got away) - he's there. She sees a hooded man running towards her. Panic sets in.

She wakes up. Gabriel is calling to tell her about the body they found.

At the hillside scene, she learns about the male victim in his late 40s, shot twice in the head. There are treadmarks from an SUV or a truck. She asks Gabriel to pull some more files. He knows she's still on the Stroh case.

Flynn comes down the hillside, trying to brief Brenda. He's upset. Gabriel tells her the body is pretty awful. It is. The victim is a bloody pulp. His legs are ground to the bone - probably pulled behind a car. He died between 1 and 4 a.m.

It's Howard Greeson. The name means something to Flynn - he killed two girls in the '90s, but they couldn't prove it. The lead detective was Joey O, retired. Flynn suddenly seems cheerier about the nasty body.

In the morgue, the coroner tells them the body has broken ribs, snapped wrists, dislocated shoulders, a busted femur and shattered hip. In other words, he was dragged behind a car.

He was also beaten while he was still alive. And, for added weirdness, the drag wounds aren't fresh: he was dragged two nights ago. The killer waited 24 hours to kill him. The coroner assumes he was given pain killers to keep him quiet.

Flynn suggests they say he dragged himself, a suicide. Tao reports nothing weird on the hillside.

Commander Taylor is bringing up Joey O. Provenza is thrilled. O wrote him up for using curse words, which Provenza finds "bulls---."

Joey Olin (Tom Skerritt) comes up. Someone notices he's lost weight. He brought his own file on Greeson's alleged victims, including his fiance, Diana. Then there was Katie West, who moved in with him later with her six year old daughter. They never could find the bodies.

Joey asks where they found the bodies. Elysian Park. The same place they thought the bodies were buried.

Brenda calls for the cadaver dogs.

Back at the park, Provenza asks how O's wife is. He's divorced. Provenza mentions that he's dating someone, she's 29.

The dog starts barking. They find what looks like a body in a trash bag. And another nearby. They were recently dug up.

O asks that they not disturb the bags to check for prints. It looks like Greeson was tortured for the location of the bodies, then shot twice in the head and his wallet left so he could be easily ID'd.

Brenda and Fritz have some light dinner conversation at home, discussing murderers. She tells him they found Greeson's girlfriend at home with a black eye. She doesn't know who could have gone after him, except maybe the families of the dead girls. Speaking of family, Brenda's mom has called again, wanting to know when her niece can visit. He tells her she needs to make time for her family. The comment is loaded with "let's have a baby now" subtext.

Brenda's phone rings. It's Provenza, telling her the girl's families are there. She's not happy to hear Joey O made notifications to their families. "You see what I mean," she tells Fritz, "this is what happens when I leave the office."

She goes in to work. Diana Clarkson's dad Jake and sister Amy are there along with Katie West's brother Todd and daughter Jena. And Greeson's girlfriend Kim is in interview 1.

Brenda pulls Joey O aside. She wants to know who gave him the authority to notify the families. She says they don't have official IDs yet. He says he has relationships with the families, but she informs him it's her case. He says maybe she's never had a case like this that stays with you. She flashes back to more of the Stroh case, the one that's been eating at her. Then O mentions the DA. She's not happy he talked to him.

She tells him the way to close his case is to close hers. She wants to know who of the families is capable of something like this. O says they're not suspects. Fine, she'll start with him. He has a sidearm, right?

When Flynn tries to stop her from going on, she shoots him down with a death glare.

The .25 automatic that killed Gresson is probably his own gun, he was a security guard. Olin suggests she contact Vegas, where he was living. He suggests she look there.

Sanchez reports that Greeson's girlfriend was upset about his death, but didn't cry. Flynn says he'll find something to hold her on.

Pope shows up. He tells her to focus on the fact they're close to solving two cold cases.

They talk to the families. Pope mentions three investigations. Todd, a victim's sister, is appalled that they're wasting time investigating Greeson's murder. Sanchez brings Kim Sherman, the victim's girlfriend, through. She recognizes Todd and says he came to their house. Todd says he told her the truth about what Howard did. Flynn sees an opening. "So tell me, when a classy dame like you is dating a double murder, how many dinners does he have to buy you before he gets to smack you around?" he says.

She smacks him, hard. And that's assault on a police officer. They can hold her.

"You're welcome," he tells Brenda.

Brenda asks Todd about his visit to Howard's house. He starts to answer, but Joey interrupts. Todd asks for a lawyer. So does Jena. And then so do the other family members. The dad says he's calling a press conference, even after Pope tries to talk him out of it.

When they leave, Brenda tells Tao to bag the families' cups for prints and called Ricardo Ramos, ubiquitous reporter, about the press conference.

Brenda lets Olin know they'll be taking his case from there.

The next day, Brenda and Sanchez talk to Kim Sherman. She says Todd West showed up at their house a couple times, telling stories about what Howard did.

She says Todd yelled at "Howie" and punched him and Howie had to pull a gun to get him to back off. Howie was angry after. Sanchez wants to know about the missing truck and gun that was supposed to be at her house. She says she hasn't seen either since last week. She asked him about the dead girls and the way he looked at her, she thought he was going to kill her. It was the first time he hit her.

She thinks he might have been at a bar in Culver City.

Later, Brenda and Pope chat with Ricardo, who tells them he got alibis from the families. But he's only sharing if he gets to talk to Joey O. He says his initial check shows all the alibis hold up except Todd's. He mentions that Todd and Katie West (the victim) were twins.

Out following up in Culver City, Tao and Gabriel find a green truck on the street. The keys are in the ignition and there's a shovel and steel cable in the back, gun in front. And, by the way, the cab seat is absolutely covered in blood.

At the office, the coroner positively IDs the bodies as the two victims. And he found high levels of morphine in Greeson's system. "Good call, doctor," Brenda tells him. "Yes," he says, "it was."

Tao reports the casings from the crime scene match Greeson's gun and prints pulled from his truck match Todd's. Brenda wants him brought him. Provenza reminds her he has a lawyer. She glares at Olin then tells him to arrest him, then.

In her office, Olin tries again to tell her Todd's not a murderer. He thinks Howard knew whoever he went with that night at the bar because no one saw a fight.

Fine, she tells him, he can just wait while Todd sits in jail for two years awaiting trial before he closes his last case. Or, he can have Todd come in without a lawyer. She asks him how badly he wants to close his case, because it's not going to happen until she finds out who killed Howard Greeson.

Flynn brings Todd in and sits him in the hall next to Joey, who suggests he sit down with Brenda and tell her the truth. He says if Todd tries to duck behind a lawyer, it'll just make things worse. Flynn watches the exchange and tells Olin he's doing the right thing. Olin says he feels sick.

Olin watches with Buzz and the gang in the interview room as Brenda sits down with Todd.

She tells him there's a lot of evidence against him, including a shaky alibi and his prints on the victim's truck. He admits he wanted him dead, but he wanted to find his sister more. The prints are probably from when he went to Howard's house.

Brenda looks at the crime scene photos. She asks if he knows anyone who takes or has access to morphine. Todd says no.

Todd admits going to Howard's house. Brenda asks why now. He got tired of waiting. Since Joe's retired, no one's done anything. Brenda asks him why Joe wasn't doing it anymore. Todd pauses then says he wants his lawyer back.

Brenda goes into the interview room and talks to Olin. She noticed Todd said he wanted to see his sister again, but the person who dug up the bodies was looking more for the scene of a double murder than his sister.

Flynn goes on alert as Brenda notes that he knew Howard and Howard might have gone with him willingly. "So tell me, detective, how much more time do you have?" she asks him.

She couldn't understand why someone would do something like this now, but if you factor in the weight loss and the prostate he told Tao he had removed and the queasy stomach due to what she assumes is the morphine he's taking, she figures he's dying of cancer.

He has three to six months he says. Brenda asks Flynn to read him his rights. He doesn't. Olin waives his rights.

Brenda asks him how, as a decorated member of the law enforcement community, how could he do something like this? "The Make-A-Wish Foundation refused to do it for me," he says. Then he says he didn't want to die without getting those girls justice. He tells her she might understand some day. And anyway, now that her case is closed, they can close his, right?

Just as long as he has proof Greeson lead him to the girls. Olin recorded the whole thing, he admits it all. But it's not for the faint of heart. He says he drove to the desert, hooked him to his truck and drove all night.

Olin puts his head in his hands, sick.

Flynn visits Brenda in her office. He's wondering, Olin doesn't have much time left, and some might say what he did was justified... could she talk to the DA? But she asks what if he has a list with a few more scores to settle. She asks him to book the audio into evidence, she doesn't want to listen to it. Neither does he.

Brenda opens her desk drawer and sees a picture of Stroh.

At home, she finds Fritz in bed. He says her mom called again. He thinks it's too late to call back, but Brenda does anyway. She checks the lock in the bathroom as she talks to her mom, telling her she misses her.