[game announcer on TV] Coming out of the two-minute warning,
a little heated on the sideline.
[color commentator] And for good reason. They don't make this stop,
there's no hope in the second half.
[announcer] Fourth and one at the line of scrimmage, four wide out.
[color commentator] I think they're going for another touchdown.
[announcer] Quarterback drops back, lobs it into the end zone...
He's got it!
-Yes! Yes! -[cheering]
Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.
I told you. I...
-Mwah. Gimme some. -[Onika] Uh, now you...
-You see that, John? -Yeah.
The fire doesn't have to go out once you get married.
That's just a show they do.
They barely even talk when people ain't around.
I'm not gonna argue with that.
-Mm... -That's nasty. -Oh...
-We're gonna powder our noses. -[Onika] Yes.
-Yes, we will. -[Maria and Sampson] Mm-hmm.
[Sampson chuckles]
You seriously need to tone it down when Onika's here.
Hey, doesn't matter what I do.
It's what you're not doing that's buying you all...
[gunshot]
[panicked shouting]
[man] Stay down. Stay down.
[woman] Get down. Get down.
[screaming]
[sobbing]
No, no, no. Come on. Come on.
Come on. Stay back here. Stay back here.
[Cross] No, no, no.
No, no.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
No, no, Maria.
It's me. It's-it's me. It's okay. It's okay. It's gonna be okay.
Hey, hey, hey. It's me. I'm here.
I'm here, sweetie. Sweetie, I am here.
Look at me.
Look...
[dramatic music plays]
Maria...
No.
Please don't go.
[♪ Chaka Khan: "Love Me Still"]
♪ I love you now ♪
♪ Do you love me still? ♪♪
-[Miller] All night long. -[Hardy] You sure? You do look like shit.
[Miller] I'll be heading home in about 30 minutes.
[Akbar] You know you're looking at life in prison, right?
-[Miller] For what? -[Hardy] Killing your pregnant wife.
[Miller] You just don't get it.
[Akbar] All right, help me understand.
Your wife's dead, the unborn child murdered.
Murdered?
Some would call that a late-term abortion.
She was carrying a bastardized crime
against humanity.
Bastardized, huh? That what you call it?
That's why you killed your wife?
I never said I killed her. I'm just not sad about it.
Is there a doctor on the way?
I requested medical attention.
[Hardy chuckles] You don't need no doctor, man.
You're not hurt. Nobody touched you.
No, not hurt. Sick.
I got a terrible case of life's fitful fever.
Either way, you're running out of time.
'Cause once the request is made, you have three hours
to take me to a doctor, or bring one to me.
That is in your manual, Akbar.
Did you, uh, read your manual?
Do you even know how to read?
You should probably watch your mouth.
Does your boy know how to read?
Fuck it. What the fuck is wrong with you?!
Who you calling "boy"?!
-Get the fuck off me, man! -[Miller laughs]
Are you stupid?
-You heard what he said to me, right? -Doesn't matter.
You cannot lay hands on him.
Without a confession, we don't have shit.
-Then we don't have shit. -He's right, Massey.
We've been going at this guy for hours.
-He's never gonna give it up. -[Cross] He already did.
You just didn't hear it.
He's all yours.
-Hello, Richard. -You the doctor?
Uh, technically, yes.
PhD. Psychology.
Do you know what they call a Black man with a PhD?
[laughs]
I know what you can call me.
Detective Alex Cross.
Okay. Let's see how long you last.
You ever hear the phrase "free chicken"?
It's a military term about an objective you can take
without having to work for it.
Like you.
Go ask the last monkey who was in here
about your free chicken.
You think you're smarter than Detective Akbar, don't you?
Check the tapes.
You think you're smarter than me.
Well, that goes without saying.
It's just, uh, it's a matter of genetics.
Oh, right. Genetics.
Same reason my dick is bigger than yours.
-What did he just say? -[Richard] What did you say?
My penis is larger than yours.
Goes without saying, right?
Get your dick out of my fuckin' face.
You see how easy that was?
I see your kind in here, like, four, five--
My kind?
Yeah. Racist asshole thinks he's the smartest guy in the room.
I use some variation of "my dick's bigger than yours"
to get in your head. It works every time.
Free chicken.
I didn't fall for anything.
No? You sure?
Your eyes tightened. Your neck's flushed.
Even now you're gritting your teeth.
Those are all tells.
Any nigga with a PhD in psychology would know that.
Oh, you thought you were special.
You're not in my head, boy,
and you're not getting a confession.
Oh, I'm definitely living rent-free.
And you already confessed.
I'm just amusing myself right now.
I didn't say anything.
Yeah, you did.
"Life's fitful fever."
Yeah, I caught that.
It's Macbeth, right?
The affliction caused by the burden of guilt.
You said that's what's making you sick.
That's a confession, on tape.
Free chicken.
Well, good luck getting a conviction with that.
[Cross] I already checked with the D.A. She's ready to file. And, hey,
this is D.C., slim.
You might not even see your arraignment.
Not without protective custody.
[chuckles]
Oh, um, did you want to talk about PC?
Like...
-[♪ Rick Ross: "Hustlin'"] -♪ Every day I'm hustlin' ♪
♪ Hustlin', hust-hustlin' ♪
♪ Hustlin' ♪
♪ Who you suckers think ♪
♪ You're trippin' with, yes ♪
♪ I'm the boss, seven forty-five ♪
♪ White on white, that's Rick Ross ♪
♪ I cut 'em wide, I cut 'em long ♪
♪ I cut 'em fat, I keep 'em coming back ♪
♪ We keep 'em coming back ♪
♪ I'm into distribution ♪
♪ I'm like Atlantic ♪
♪ I got them pretty things flyin' 'cross the Atlantic ♪
♪ I know Pablo, Pablo ♪
♪ Noriega, the real Noriega ♪
♪ He owe me a hundred favors ♪
♪ Every day I'm hustlin' ♪
♪ E-Every day I'm hustlin' ♪
♪ Every day I'm hustlin', every day I'm hustlin' ♪
♪ Every day I'm hustlin', every day I'm, every day I'm ♪♪
♪ ♪
[heavy door unlocks]
[man moaning]
[door slams, locks]
[man moaning softly]
[ominous music plays]
♪ ♪
[man groans]
-[♪ Bantana: "They Can't Control Us"] -♪ Really don't deal on the streets ♪
[kids shouting, laughing]
♪ Let's go, let's go ♪
♪ They try and crack down on me ♪
♪ Wanna suppress a dawg ♪
♪ Heard about the numbers I put up ♪
♪ But I ain't pressed at all ♪
♪ Police trying to monetize my life...
Holy shit.
♪ Knock me down, but I'm still standing tall ♪
♪ Can't be restricted, I be way too influential...
[protesters] Justice for Emir, justice for Emir...
[chanting continues]
Justice for Emir!
Chief Anderson, what's the status of the Emir Goodspeed case?
He was murdered. Bitch, do your goddamn job.
[Anderson] Get me Lieutenant Massey.
[indistinct chatter]
Hey, Massey wants to see you guys.
We heard.
Did you hear Anderson's with her?
Didn't think so. Oh, and Cross,
your secret admirer strikes again.
Mmm!
[both laugh]
We need you guys to take over the Emir Goodspeed case.
Found dead in his car four days ago.
Apparent overdose, but we need to check the boxes
from top to bottom on this one.
Are you giving me a new case?
[Anderson] Yeah, I heard about you requesting leave.
That's going to have to wait.
Goodspeed was leading the "defund the police" charge,
and now folks are talking he was targeted,
maybe even by cops.
It's total conspiracy bullshit,
but of course it's getting traction.
Can we get more light in here?
Oh, migraine.
You can't take pills for that?
No. Baby doc says I'm high risk.
I have to stay all natural.
Okay, well, if I'm reading this right,
Goodspeed was a gangbanging ex-con with prior drug offenses.
I mean, that is who they're fussing about?
No, they're fussing about a former gangbanger
turned community activist
who was on the front lines fighting to make his city better.
[scoffs] What, by getting our budget cut in half?
[Massey] Let's just focus on the case.
I'm gonna get Vega and De Lackner
-to get you guys up to speed. -[Anderson] Good.
And we're doing a press conference in an hour.
Cross, I want you there.
Talk about how we'll leave no stone unturned.
I'm not doing that.
-Sorry, excuse me? -I'm not a publicity stunt.
You want some dark-skinned cover,
there's plenty of us in the squad.
Well, you're the only one I know who gets recognized on the street.
You've got a face people trust,
and we need that right now.
I'll help you clear your case, but I'm not giving any speeches on it.
I don't have any details yet, and we don't know
if the police didn't do this.
Fine, no speech.
Just be there.
Stand in the back and look pretty.
And Black.
[Vega] Emir Goodspeed was found dead in his car.
Syringe in the floor well, bag of meth in the cup holder.
No other fingerprints, no sign of struggle.
Pockets turned out. No wallet, no money, no phone.
Figure somebody, probably homeless,
came along after the fact and picked him clean.
-Autopsy? -[Vega] Scheduled for tomorrow.
Prelim tox confirms he had enough meth in his veins
to get the whole hood high.
Is there any reason to believe this is anything
-other than an overdose? -[Massey] No. Uh-uh.
This is not about doing some Sherlock shit.
This is about getting his family to understand
-and accept the truth. -Did you talk to the family?
-Are you serious right now? -Yeah. What did they say?
Short answer, "Fuck the police."
♪ Two strikes, turn that pussy to a sacrifice ♪
♪ Slash and gut the gar, ash the blunt and park ♪
♪ Roll the window down, and ask the price ♪
♪ I've always hated flashing lights, I'd rather grab the mask and knife...
[muffled music continues]
[Cross] Malika, can we talk?
Chief Anderson sent the "Tom Squad" to see if we'll quiet down?
That's not fair, Malika.
You know I always rooted for your brother.
So your boss didn't send you?
Yeah, that's what I thought.
[Sampson] You want to do this here or inside?
[Malika] Y'all had to cut his hair off, too?
Killing him wasn't enough?
I don't know what you mean.
Emir had a full head of beautiful locks.
When they found him, they were shaved off.
That is some biblical disrespect.
Made him look like just another hood nigga who died doing hood shit.
Malika!
Y'all do this. I'm not doing it.
[siren wailing in distance]
[Sampson] This isn't easy for any of us, but we're just trying to help.
You want to help? Call the DOJ.
We need an independent investigation.
Do you really think the police department killed your brother?
-Or are you just fundraising? -It ain't a stretch.
Look at all the Ferguson activists who turned up dead.
And what about Keenan Anderson?
His cousin was one of the founders of BLM.
Tyre Nichols, Sandra Bland.
Y'all been doing this.
Shit, we could take it all the way back to Fred Hampton.
So there's no chance this is what it looks like? O.D.
My brother smoked weed every now and then.
He wasn't doing no hard drugs.
-As far as you know. -As far as anybody knows.
Because it's the truth.
Tavio, right?
You family?
I might as well be. And Emir didn't relapse.
Everybody in the streets knew if they served him,
-they was gonna have to see me. -You know if Emir really wanted drugs,
-he could have got 'em. -But meth?
Emir has type 2 diabetes, Detective.
Meth doesn't mix with the meds he was on.
That shit would have put him in a coma, and he knew that.
None of this makes sense.
I know this isn't easy to talk about,
but were there any mood swings, any signs of depression?
You see what I'm talking about?!
This some bullshit.
I'm gonna need you to calm down.
Nobody wants you here.
And no one's counting on you to bring justice for him, either.
Did Emir have beef with anybody else?
Besides the police.
The whole city
loved my brother.
[kettle whistling]
I remember you standing up for Emir in court.
Back when he was a troublemaker named Kenny.
[chuckles]
I could tell he had a good heart.
-You got kids? -Two.
A boy and a girl.
I pray you never have to bury one.
I lost my wife Maria a little over a year ago.
Um, I know it's not the same, but...
but I bet it's close.
You can brace yourself for the worst parts,
but it's the little things that catch you off guard
and take your breath away.
Walk in the bathroom and see his toothbrush.
Open up the refrigerator and see all that turkey bacon.
[chuckles]
I'm guessing that came with the name change, huh?
Yeah. Boy came home from prison talking about
we couldn't keep no more pork in the house.
[both laugh]
I told him if it was between him and bacon...
he had to go.
[both laugh]
That boy called my bluff,
and now I got a refrigerator full...
[crying]
[gentle music plays]
Please,
find out what happened to my baby.
I promise.
She's doing better than me.
Something ever happened to you, I wouldn't be able to walk,
let alone talk to somebody.
-Come on, Nan. -I'm telling the truth.
What if I died?
Damon. Don't even say that out loud, boy.
Here, baby. Have fun tonight.
Thanks, Nan.
All right, sweetie.
Uh, Jannie,
girl, you better go on and eat up.
You know you can't run on an empty stomach.
I don't even want to go tonight.
Can I just miss one time?
Oh, sure, baby, yeah, you can skip.
But you know, if you don't go to practice,
you don't get to run at the meet.
Coach Washington never said that.
Lots of people miss.
It's not up to Coach Washington.
That's my rule. All right?
-[Nan laughing] -All right?
We gonna be up there. You gonna... [grunts] run.
Me and Nan out there with pom-poms.
Jannie! Jannie! Jannie!
[indistinct chatter]
[intriguing music plays]
I'm sorry I'm late. I, uh...
Don't talk. You're just eye candy.
[chuckles]
Come on, come on.
Let's go.
[dog barking nearby]
Okay.
[engine starts]
[atmospheric music plays]
[lock clicking]
♪ ♪
[jazz music playing]
[indistinct chatter, laughter]
Saint Elle, you look incredible.
And it's so good to see you.
We're breaking six figures for your foundation tonight, I promise.
Alex, this is Ed Ramsey.
He's a huge supporter of The Somewhere Foundation.
Hey.
-Ed, this is-- -Oh, I know who you are.
I am a huge fan, Detective Cross.
I followed the Gary Soneji case
like one of my own kids had been taken.
-Wish we could have saved them both. -Of course.
But imagine how many more would have been killed
had you not been there to stop that psycho.
Oh, and I heard on the news that they put you on the Goodspeed case.
That's great. That one really hits home.
Did you know Emir?
No, I didn't, but I do know what it's like
to lose a family member and not get answers.
My, uh...
My mother was killed when I was in college.
Oh, my God, Ed, I-I didn't know.
It's okay. It was years ago.
But we never did find out who or why.
Well, we don't know if Emir's death was foul play.
Of course. I don't need to add fuel to any conspiracy theory.
I just...
-I just hope that family gets closure. -[woman over P.A.] Please take your seats.
-The auction is about to begin. -Alex, a lot of people
in this town owe me favors, and I enjoy calling them in.
Plus I throw the city's best party every year.
Elle's already on the guest list, so--
-Let's see if he lasts that long. -[Ramsey laughs]
Well, if you ever need anything, please.
Thank you.
Appreciate that, Ed.
[whispers] Have fun.
If I last?
[dog barking]
[suspenseful music plays]
[door opens]
[Nana Mama] Okay, come on.
Get in there and get those shoes.
And you better pray we ain't late.
Don't I always say, keep your stuff in your bag,
so you don't have to go looking when it's time to leave.
♪ ♪
[creaking]
Hmm.
"VP, Interior Decoration" has a nice ring to it.
For the Armada Hotels?
Okay, so you're just gonna piss on everything I say?
Sorry, Mom.
I just...
I didn't think I'd be here at 32.
Be glad you have a job.
I ordered 400 plastic ficus trees this morning.
-[laughs] -[barista] Shannon?
-You said Shannon, right? -Yeah.
That's me. Thank you.
I want to do a double shot of espresso.
Actually, let's make that triple shot of espresso.
-Got that, dude? -Oh, take this.
You only have, uh, one size? You don't have a large? Bro?
[customer] Hello?
Hey, what's up, fellas?
I heard they threw the hot potato on your lap.
Yeah, we need to get this buttoned up soon as possible.
You got something for us?
Well, not much to add to the prelims.
Likely an overdose. Also, I can tell
he died shortly after eating, which is why I don't think
it was a suicide.
Last meal was practically intact.
Had some mashed potatoes, pork chops,
asparagus.
Finished it off with some dessert.
Chocolate cupcake, extra sprinkles.
Matter of fact, if you look closely, you can still see
-some of the sprinkles floating around in there. -Ooh!
You all right there, big fella?
Fucking Jando, man.
You do that shit on purpose, man.
[stammers] You know you like sprinkles.
-[instinct chatter] -[clippers buzzing]
♪ I feel like bustin' loose ♪
♪ Bustin' loose now...
What's going on with you, O.G.?
Bobby Trey, let me hit those fries.
Aw, you got 'em sloppy?
That's your fault, Shorty.
You D.C.-ass niggas should have never put me on mumbo.
Now I'm saucing everything. [laughs]
[phone chimes]
♪ I feel like bustin' loose ♪
♪ Give me the bridge now, give me the bridge now ♪
♪ I feel like bustin' loose...
You gonna have to clean me up later, Shorty.
Got me a little youngin to tend to.
You feel me? [laughs]
Holla at your dawg.
[Anderson] You catch the protesters outside?
Everywhere I go.
Goodspeed's sister is trying to make this national news.
I got interview requests from... who?
20/20, 48 Hours, TruTV, Dateline.
Damn. Lester Holt pushing up?
He is.
So what am I telling him?
Accidental overdose or suicide?
I think he was murdered.
Oh, F me in the A.
You're here to ruin my day.
Okay, let's hear it.
Start with the fact that Emir knew mixing meth with his medication would kill him.
A'ight? He wouldn't take it by accident.
-Well, it sounds like a suicide. -No, no.
See, they found another baggie of meth in the cup holder.
If you know one dose will kill you, why buy two?
You liked this kid, right?
Yeah, I did. Why?
Well, it might explain why you're working so hard to avoid the obvious.
I mean, who cares how many baggies?
Okay, fine. You know what? Fine.
Put all that aside. Here's what makes me think
that something else is really going on.
Emir was a Muslim convert.
He didn't eat pork.
Didn't even allow it in the house.
But the M.E. says it was the last thing he ate.
That's your red flag? [scoffs] The kid was shooting drugs.
You don't think he might sneak some pork?
Here's the psychology behind religious conversion.
Those who convert later in life, they get to pick and choose
the rules and rituals that they follow.
It's what helps them mix the new religion with their old life.
-Yeah, you're making my point here. -There's a catch.
The rules they do choose to follow?
They're fanatics. They don't break those.
Not for anything.
A'ight? Emir would never voluntarily eat pork.
What, are you saying that somebody
force-fed Goodspeed and then killed him?
Absolutely.
[scoffs] Jesus, Cross.
Not every case you work is Silence of the Lambs.
Are you on board with this?
It's his theory.
I told him he could make his case direct to you.
You're awful quiet, Sampson. What do you think?
30 years knowing Cross, 15 working cases with him.
I learned to trust his gut.
Yeah, I bet you learned to have his back, too.
-You asked me what I think. -All right.
You want more?
-No, I definitely do not want m-- -Here.
[Cross] This is Emir a week before he died.
Locks, full beard.
That's how they found him. Clean shaven.
He would've never done that by choice either.
Well, we can't know what was in his mind.
See, I'm more concerned
with what was going through the mind of his killer.
We're talking about someone who not only needs to kill,
but has to do so in a very specific way.
Whoever murdered Emir had to change him
into someone else first. Why?
You keep saying murder,
but that is not on the menu.
You have two options, accident or suicide.
Chief.
Are you trying to solve a crime or a P.R. problem?
All right. I'll give you 48 hours to put some proof behind this.
[suspenseful music plays]
♪ ♪
[Cross] We're talking about somebody
who not only needs to kill,
but has to do so in a very specific way.
[Sampson] Is there any reason to believe this is anything
-other than an overdose? -[Jando] He died shortly after eating,
which is why I don't think it was a suicide.
[Malika] Emir had a full head of beautiful locks.
When they found him, they were shaved off.
[Cross] Whoever murdered Emir had to change him
into someone else first. Why?
[protesters] Justice for Emir!
[Sampson] Ooh.
[chuckles] Uh-huh.
Look who got flowers again.
Mr. Popularity.
That's twice in one week.
Stepping it up.
[chuckles]
"Thank you for making our world a better place."
Still no name, though. I wonder how she look.
Come on, bro, that shit is creepy.
Not if she bad.
How do you know it's a she?
-That's a good point, Vega. -[chuckles]
You just opened up a whole new angle to this shit.
-I wonder how he look. -[both laugh]
-You-you got jokes? -[Sampson] You know...
You remember that girl Trisha decided you were her soulmate,
-you remember that? -No.
What happened then, Vega, huh? What happened?
I'm pretty sure big man was so scared,
-he got a restraining order. -You were scared.
[Vega laughs]
Emir's phone records.
Last call was to a burner.
Salerno says it'll take a couple weeks to find out
who it's linked to, if they even can.
Mm, no, we don't have that kind of time.
I'll see if I can get Kayla to do us a favor.
[Vega] Lot of artwork for an overdose.
Oh, yeah, this is how real detectives work.
Eat a dick.
-[Sampson] She cut your ass up. -It's like, it's like, aggressive.
-She just... [exhales] -[phone buzzing]
-Hot breath, too. -[laughs]
What's up, Nana Mama?
[Nana Mama] The school just called.
[knock on door]
[Brock] Dr. Cross.
-How you doing, Mr. Brock? -[Brock] Good.
Have a seat.
Where'd you get that?
[Brock] Look, I know a lot
of our emails go straight to people's spam,
but this has been policy for months now.
No Redskins paraphernalia on campus.
Damon.
Where did you get that?
Home.
In our house?
[Brock] Now, look,
usually, this wouldn't be a huge deal,
but Damon here refused to take it off.
Wait, where exactly in the house?
Mom's closet.
-[gunshot] -[Brock] Oh.
That belonged to Mrs. Cross?
Give it to me.
[Brock] Listen, knowing that changes things a bit.
-Actually, a lot. -You have a plastic bag I can use?
[Cross] Maria was wearing that the day that she was killed,
but she didn't have it on when they took her away,
and it was never recovered at the scene.
You think Maria's killer snuck in your house,
put this in Maria's closet for Damon to find?
How else could it get there?
You know how that sound?
Yes.
-What do you want me to do? -Give it to Quincy.
Have him check to see if there's anything on there
-we can get DNA from. -You don't need me for that.
If I do it,
it'll become a thing. You know that.
You're the reason for that.
Okay. [scoffs] There it is.
See, I knew you was gonna do this.
-You want to blame me. -Blame?
You reported me, John. Cost me my job.
Sugar, it's temporary.
Believe me, I wasn't trying to get Massey to take your badge.
You knew something would happen.
-I got a six-month suspension. -I thought they'd make you
see a shrink.
-Look, I'm trying to help, man. -You want to help?
Take that to Q.
[gasps]
Whoa.
What are you doing?
Turn this into the Big Brother house? [chuckles]
You know I don't like that kind of stuff.
All right, look, look, we'll-we'll keep all the cameras
on the outside. I'm just being safe.
Oh, yeah, well, I'd rather have a dog in the yard
and a bat by the bed, but...
if that's what makes you feel better.
Yeah.
I spoke to John.
The man can't keep a secret.
Oh, don't blame him.
If it's in there, I'll dig it out.
You know that.
[drill whirring]
So, uh...
you really think someone was in the house?
I think so.
And you didn't want to say nothing?
I got enough people thinking I'm crazy.
Oh, no, baby.
You got enough people who love you.
That's what you got. [chuckles]
♪ La-di-da, la-di-da-da...
[quiet chatter]
Hello.
Where you going after this?
You tell me.
This fancy's for you.
-Hmm. -I'm recruiting.
Oh?
Little birdie said you're taking a leave from Metro.
[chuckles]
Damn, D.C. grapevine is undefeated.
My bosses wanted me to dangle a raise
and a life of adventure with the FBI's Forensic Psychology Unit.
Adventure sounds like travel. Pass.
All right, I want to stay close to Damon and Jannie.
Kids gotta eat.
How you gonna feed them?
Well, a few security firms reached out.
I got a little notoriety. I guess that's one thing
I can thank Gary Soneji for.
That's funny. I was right there with you
side by side on that case, and you're a national hero,
and nobody knows who I am. See how that works?
I'd trade places with you in a heartbeat.
So, listen.
You been following the Goodspeed case?
Just what's on the news.
You guys think it's an overdose.
Not anymore.
It's looking like murder.
We're hoping that this number is linked to the killer.
-It's a burner. -Mm.
Now, my folks are telling me
it'd take a couple weeks to get an ID.
I was hoping you could speed that up.
Ah.
I mean, I could. Not without breaking some rules, though.
If you've been watching the news, then you know
how important it is for us to get this wrapped up.
And what do I get?
Well, what do you want?
You know, it would have been much quicker for you
to just email me.
It's a lot harder to say no in person.
Stay by your phone.
[tense music plays]
♪ ♪
Bobby. Come on over.
What you need, man?
Hey, Chris.
Somebody's been harassing a client of mine.
Hoping you can run a tag for me.
Yeah, sure thing.
How's civilian life treating you?
-Like a baby treats a diaper. -[Chris laughs]
That's nasty.
You nasty.
Here we go.
-[R&B music playing] -[quiet chatter]
There he is.
Now we can eat.
Grab your drinks, follow me.
Okay.
-Hey. -Hmm?
Uh...
[speaks quietly]
Did you talk to Quincy?
Sugar, look. Let me ask you a question.
Maria had at least a dozen scarves like the one Damon found, right?
John, you're talking to me about the last day
that I saw my wife alive.
I remember all of it. Every detail.
I wouldn't send you on a wild-goose chase.
I think you're desperate for answers you might not get.
We might never find out who killed Maria, or why.
Don't you fucking say that, John. You don't know that.
I'm trying to manage expectations, sugar. All right?
The last time you chased a ghost down a rabbit hole,
I had to stop you from putting a bullet in an innocent man's head.
I didn't pull the trigger, did I?
What if I hadn't gotten there?
Look, you need to deal with losing Maria.
Hey, dealing with the grief and wanting to find Maria's killer
are two different things.
-I've dealt with the loss. -Really? How?
Come on, how?
You ain't talked to your best friend about it.
You won't go see a professional.
-Calm your-- -You been see--
You been treating yourself, Dr. Cross?
'Cause my boy Alex would say that's a terrible idea.
Everything okay?
Yeah.
Yeah. I'm starving. Let's eat.
-Hmm? -Oh, no, yeah.
[quiet chatter]
[Elle] No, Jared's a broker.
He's doing a financial literacy module at the academy.
Can you call my mom?
Her 401(k) lost 50,000 in two weeks.
-She's freaking out. -That's everybody right now.
Jared's phone pings 24/7.
I had to make him leave it in the car.
Yeah, so if anyone's noticing the tremors,
that's from the withdrawal.
[laughter]
[Vivian] Okay, so when you have a nervous client,
what do you tell them?
[Jared] They bought a stock, not a lottery ticket.
You can't just scratch it and get a million dollars.
If you're thinking of investing,
-I've got some-- -Please don't do business.
I'm just saying now is a good time.
170 grand in student loans?
I don't think I'll be in the market anytime soon.
What do you do, Alex?
I'm a detective.
Oh, like Easy Rawlins.
[laughter]
Nah, like Metro PD. Homicide.
You mean you're a cop.
Him and me.
We grew up together and joined the force together.
[chuckles] Can't say I saw that one coming.
How's that work for you, Miss "Defund the Police"?
Nobody wants to defund the police.
No, John, some people do.
Actually, a lot of us.
[Sampson] And then what?
And then we get peace officers.
Not military forces.
And money where it should be.
In schools, social services.
[Vangie] Mental health.
[Jared] Yeah, I don't understand how a Black man
can be a cop these days.
I mean, I'm sorry, but I would feel like
I was selling out my own people.
Oh, so you about the people? [chuckles]
Where you live? Georgetown?
Kalorama.
-Kalorama. -Oh.
A lot of us in that neighborhood?
Doing yard work and cleaning houses, that's about it.
-[laughs] -So I gotta be broke
to have a valid point of view?
Now, me and Sampson, we grew up in the Southeast.
We still live there. Just fine being a part of the community.
Because for us it's not just dinner party chatter.
Guys, look, we don't have to agree on everything, right?
[Jared] That sounds mighty progressive of you, Alex.
The problem is, one of these days
you're gonna find yourself lined up against some activists
protesting peacefully, fighting for justice
for people that look just like you.
And your boss is gonna order you to get those niggas.
And even if you don't want to, you'll do it.
Like a good little boy.
Maybe it's already happened.
Hey, my man, you like hypotheticals?
How about you're at a dinner party talking shit...
Okay, baby, let's--
No, no, it's just a hypothetical, Elle. It's hypothetical.
And you say the wrong thing to the wrong one,
and he beats your ass, truly.
You're gonna want to call somebody.
Who would that be?
Is that what you do when you're losing an argument, Officer?
Threaten to kick somebody's ass?
I could only imagine the people that resisted--
-[Sampson] Alex! -[Vivian] Jesus.
[Sampson] Stop.
That's enough. That's enough!
What's up?!
Come on. Let's just go. Let's just go. Alex!
Damn. Let's go.
That was my great-great-grandmother's crystal.
Elle, please don't make this bigger than it is. Uh--
You made this bigger. You made this huge.
Is this what John was talking about, why you need to
-go sit down with a professional? -Hey.
I'm not getting into that. No.
Why not?
-I don't deserve it? -No.
I don't want to put that on you.
We are sweeping up the pieces of my family's history.
-I said I'm sorry. -Alex!
-I said-- -Alex!
I am looking at a man I care deeply for,
who I can tell is in trouble, and I just want to know why.
Okay, you know what?
I want to be here for you.
[sniffles]
Alex, I want to know.
[sighs]
Okay.
I, uh...
I-I got this piece in me, Elle.
It's...
It's been there since I was pushing back
on bullies in grade school, you know.
Shit, when I, when I was a-a cadet, almost got me
kicked out of the Academy.
Two different shrinks, they flagged my psych eval,
said I had this, uh...
hero complex.
So, imagine you have
this compulsion to protect.
Uh... you can't turn it off.
It's-it's rooted in every part of your life.
Therapist, cop, husband, father. You know, it's...
And then, one day...
one-one day your wife's in danger.
She's the love of your life.
She's the, the one person above all that you want to protect,
and you can't.
You're too late.
I heard her scream. Elle, I watched her bleed out.
I couldn't save her.
Alex, you cannot blame yourself for--
Oh, I can, I can. I do.
I always will. I always will.
Elle, talking to somebody is not gonna help.
You see, I already know they can't fix me.
[somber music playing]
Alex, you can't give up.
You need to find a way through this.
And it's not for me.
It's not even for you.
It's for those kids.
It's for your kids.
[lively jazz piano music playing]
Get up.
♪ ♪
Can you stop now?
You know the rule on church day.
Takes two kisses.
-[resumes playing piano] -Janelle, hurry up!
[kisses]
Y'all come on and get some of this breakfast.
Come on. Come on.
Hey, little man. Come here.
Look, man, I'm sorry for yelling at you
about your mom's scarf.
You didn't deserve that.
That's okay.
I get mad about her being gone sometimes, too.
[♪ Alexis Joi: "The River"]
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
♪ Make your way ♪
♪ To the river, amen ♪
♪ Make your way to the river ♪
♪ Amen ♪
♪ He is down by the river ♪
♪ Make your way to the river ♪
♪ Bring your lame to the river ♪
♪ Amen ♪
♪ Make your way ♪
♪ To the river, amen ♪
♪ Make ♪
♪ Make your way to the river ♪
♪ Amen ♪
♪ A-A ♪
♪ Amen ♪♪
[music playing indistinctly in background]
[chuckles]
Go on, go on. Oh, don't stop. You were doing good.
What, you still recruiting?
Oh, no, no. You missed that chance.
-Did I? -Mm-hmm.
-Ah. -Plus I'm not sure
you'd pass the fitness.
-Okay. -[laughs]
But I do have something for you.
That burner phone that you've been chasing
was purchased at a car wash in Hillcrest Heights.
Were you able to get a name?
I got better than that.
They have more cameras than the White House.
-His name is Tavio Lemmons. -Hmm.
A shot caller from Mayfair.
Yep. I know exactly who he is.
Got a pretty good idea where I can find him later, too.
Thanks, Kayla. Look, I owe you.
Oh, you'll make it up to me.
-[♪ Backyard Band: "Tokyo Spinach"] -♪ They want that To, they want that To-To-To ♪
♪ They want that Tokyo spinach ♪
♪ Uh, she want that Tokyo spinach ♪
♪ I got 'em lookin' for my Tokyo spinach ♪
♪ Hey, hey, my Tokyo spinach ♪
♪ I got 'em lookin' for my Tokyo spinach ♪
♪ Tokyo, hey, my Tokyo...
Remember, if you see Tavio,
keep it friendly. We just want to talk.
♪ Tokyo spinach ♪
♪ Hey, hey, my Tokyo spinach ♪
♪ You know she's lookin' for that Tokyo spinach ♪
♪ Hey, hey, the Tokyo spinach ♪
♪ I got 'em lookin' for my Tokyo spinach ♪
♪ Hey, no, hey, no, not givin' Tokyo...
[rapping indistinctly]
♪ My Tokyo spinach...
Okay, it's him.
Copy that. We'll make contact.
[somber music playing]
Tavio, we need to talk.
About what?
Emir's last phone call.
We know it was to you.
-[Cross] Yep. -[Sampson] Running!
[crowd clamoring]
[tires screeching]
[energetic music playing]
Tavio!
[Tavio] I'm over this shit!
Stairs. Hallway. Go.
-[woman screaming] -Get up!
-He's got a hostage. -[Sampson] On you.
Drop the gun, Tavio.
I didn't kill Emir, all right?
-I swear. -[Cross] Okay.
-Let's talk about it. -Ain't nothing to talk about.
-Get the fuck out. -That ain't gonna happen.
-I'll peace her right now. -Help, please! Please help!
-No, no. -[Cross] Don't do that.
You don't have to do that. We just have questions.
I'm not saying shit.
I ain't saying shit unless I got a lawyer right here next to me.
[Cross] That's perfect.
That's all we want is a chance to talk.
But you have to let her go first.
I can't.
[crying] Please.
[Cross] Come on, man.
There's not a lot of good options here, Tavio.
Let us help you.
Tavio, you know us.
Tavio.
[hostage whimpers]
[footfalls receding rapidly]
Put your hands behind your back.
-Fuck the police! -Let him go.
[crowd shouting angrily]
[gunshot]
[panicked shouting]
Came from the right. Came from the right.
[shouting continues]
[man] Get down! Get down!
[woman sobbing]
[officer] [over radio] Shots fired, shots fired.
Let me tell you about Chief Anderson's working theory
she wants to float to the press.
All right.
Tavio Lemmons was shot in retaliation for killing Emir.
N-No. There's no way.
Tavio knew something, but he didn't do it.
That's what I told her. The "Justice for Emir" crowd
is blaming us for two killings now,
so Chief Anderson wants to spin it.
The only way to spin this
is to find the real killer.
So sorry to hear about Tavio's death.
It's a shame our city can't get a handle
on this violence, but I have to ask,
did our troubles go with him?
Unless there's a loose end you ain't told me about.
-But don't get sloppy again. -Sloppy?
[Bobby] The deal was for you to stick to people
nobody cares about.
The whole town loved Emir.
Now his sister running around with a megaphone.
[chuckles]
I don't like being lectured.
Then don't put us at risk.
Don't worry, Bobby, I'm not at risk.
[chuckles]
I'm inevitable.
[chuckles]
[Sampson] Easy does it.
Ooh. [grunts]
-No, no. -Dang.
-[door opens] -Come on. -Just... Easy. Ah, again.
Daddy's here.
Hey.
-[gasps] -Damn!
Look like you got back from a tour in Afghanistan.
Come through with a box of District Doughnuts,
you might as well be Santa Claus.
Boy, you did not wash your hands.
Why don't y'all eat those in the kitchen?
-Okay. -Go on.
-You good? -Yeah.
Heard back from Quincy.
He ran some hairs and fibers from that scarf?
Now most of them were Maria's.
But one definitely was not.
One long strand of Caucasian hair.
When can we get a DNA profile?
Couple weeks, but here's the thing.
The hair was tied to the scarf.
Not tangled.
Somebody knotted that hair to a thread on the scarf.
They wanted it to be found.
[doorbell rings]
[ominous music playing]
-[car door closes] -Hey, yo!
[engine starts]
Yo, hey! Hey, hold on.
Hey, who sent the flowers?
I don't know. I just deliver.
[door closes]
Sugar, you need to see this.
[phone buzzing]
Hello.
[woman] Would you like to know what her last words were?
Who is this?
I'm sure you know everything about her.
Favorite food, favorite color,
song.
You could probably tell me her proudest moment
and her deepest fear.
But you don't know the last thing
your wife said before she died.
Would you like to?
Who is this?
Where are you?
We'll meet soon enough.
[line beeps]
[dramatic music playing]
[Cross] Remember what Coach Keller said about taking hits when we started boxing?
[siren wailing]
It's the ones you don't see coming...
...that really hurt.
[woman screams]
If you don't spill what's in your head right now...
[Cross] Emir Goodspeed was murdered by a serial killer.
[judge] Then why does the coroner's report say
"accidental overdose"?
That was decided before I was put
on the case.
Our killer kept a scrapbook of their work.
Serial killers on one side and victims who look like them on the other.
And he needs one more victim to complete whatever work he's doing.
[Ramsey] Now, how could he
have known that?
That boy pretty good at guessing, if you haven't heard.
[Cross] Someone from my past is out to get me.
[distorted voice] Jannie, did you see the numbers I added to your hopscotch?
[intense music playing]
It's on me to keep this family safe.
♪ ♪
[Sampson] You're not managing very well.
I had to put flowers
on your wife's grave today.
[Cross] She was the mother of my kids.
You don't know what that feels like.
[Nana Mama] All that grief
he held down turned to rage.
[Kayla] Working on yourself
is overrated, trust me.
[Elle] Alex,
what is going on?
You think you can stop him?
I know I can.
[judge] Have you always been
-this good? -Ah, you know.
[Ramsey] You will all be there to witness the moment...
-[screams] -[Cross] Don't move!
...everything changes.
♪ ♪
[♪ E.M. Lourde: "A Hero's Journey"]
♪ Day and night a lonely stoner frees his mind from worry ♪
♪ We done been through hell together ♪
♪ Holdin' hands in purgatory ♪
♪ Heaven called and told a story that I wrote inside my notebook ♪
♪ Death Note shinigami, kamikaze, never try to play me ♪
♪ I was down, they did me dirty, bitch, I made it from the mud ♪
♪ Yeah, they woke me up too early on this journey for my love ♪
♪ Pray my angels have me covered so my hands ain't covered in blood ♪
♪ Feel like O.J. with the glove, it's a jungle where I'm from ♪
♪ Yeah, my Pumas covered in mud, I got demons fallin' in love ♪
♪ I ain't prayed since Kimson died, now I got Jesus callin' me up ♪
♪ Lord forgive me for my sinning, now I want to join the club ♪
♪ Said I never gave a fuck, UFO come beam me up ♪
♪ Show me signs and wonders, I got thunder in my voice ♪
♪ I ain't know I had a choice ♪
♪ Guess I never had no voice ♪
[woman] You can do whatever you want to do in this world!
Put your mind to it, put your grind to it,
and you can do it.
Don't let nobody, nothing distract you
from the grind-time prime time.
♪ Loving the view ♪
♪ Do what I like ♪
♪ Lost in the mood ♪
♪ Straight through the night ♪
♪ I got a type ♪
♪ I need a muse ♪
♪ I need a wife ♪
♪ Straight through the night ♪♪