Eduardo, owner of the missing arm from the San Marcos house, was discovered to be alive and well. He refused to talk due to his diplomatic immunity. Edgar-veda's friend Cruz paid him off to make an arrest in the San Marcos case and told him about Hernan the undercover fed.
Ronnie confronted Shane about killing Lem and the blackmail journal he wrote about the Strike Team's exploits.
Shane got in bed with the Armenian mob. Kesahkian, the local boss, is dying in the hospital and has passed the family business to his daughter Garine. Shane offered to protect her from anyone who might be getting ideas about a hostile takeover.
Vic asked a murder victim's politically connected father to help out with his upcoming appeals hearing.
Vic meets Martin the politician in the city hall parking garage: "You're gonna have to fire your secretary. I don't think she's giving you my messages." Martin claims he needs to talk to a few more people for background information. Vic reminds Martin that he promised to keep him from being fired. Doesn't he want to keep his dead daughter's "drugging and whoring" out of the newspaper?
At the Barn, Edgar-veda is sitting in the clubhouse. He wants an update on the San Marcos murders. The councilman is accompanied by his friend Cruz the real-estate developer. Cruz has another lead for the police. Javier Rincon, current inmate in county jail, might've done it. However, Cruz won't reveal his source.
Ronnie pipes up that the Hispanic community either wants the crime solved or they don't. Vic is sure he would've heard if Javier was bragging about San Marcos. Claudette comes in and remarks to the politicians, "Don't remember you two being on the schedule." Cruz gives up his source as Cesar, a construction worker for his firm.
Vic tells Claudette about the tip, which is probably bullshit. "At least it's specific bullshit," says Kevin. Claudette wants them to look into it anyway and warns them not to have any more "secret powwows."
Shane expresses concern about Garine's latest request, which would take him "deeper into the belly of the Armenian beast than I ever intended." He wants a cut of the action and advises her to check into a motel before anyone finds out where she lives: "Gangs are gossip mills and rumors have a way of turning into fact." He warns, "You can't assassinate your way into filling Daddy's shoes."
Garine needs to make herself invaluable by being the mob crews' main source of income. Rezian, the port boss, is likely to be the one who tries to take her out.
Vic has learned Javier was sentenced to six months for aggravated assault, but only served one due to overcrowding at the jail. Ronnie is looking for Javier's parole officer. Vic asks Claudette for advice on the review panel. She wouldn't be too worried; things usually go his way. Vic knows the outcome is fixed. She insinuates Kevin misinterpreted what she told him, but adds, "You threw away your fair shot by taking so many crooked ones." Vic has one week left on the job or he can resign now.
Vic knows the quarterly crime statistics are due soon; he'll boost her numbers by solving the San Marcos murders, thereby saving the Barn from closure. He'd like to see her convince the review board that Vic is no longer needed.
At the construction site, Cesar claims he heard Javier brag about killing the people at the San Marcos house. Vic is curious how a Mexican got close enough to a Salvadoran to find out. Cesar says they both worked in the jail's cafeteria. Javier even mentioned having two partners.
When asked about motive, Cesar gets nervous and says he has to get back to work. Julien tells him to answer the question. Cesar doesn't get why he has to tell the story again; he told Cruz everything. He was afraid someone would ask him to take out Cesar while they were both still in jail. "It's not like he's your old lady or nothin'," Vic snarks, aware of Cesar's history of domestic violence.
Shane introduces Garine as the bookkeeper for his favorite Armenian bakery. Garine lies she discovered her boss's involvement with organized crime after noticing irregularities in the inventory. The bakery is nothing more than a front. Claudette asks the other woman to step out.
"Does she have any idea what her boss would do to her if he knew she was even here?" asks Claudette. Shane tells her about Rezian's crew rubber-stamping anything that comes through the port. She wonders why she has the feeling Shane is trying to get away from Vic. Because he knows he's marked for death?
Shane requests a warrant; Garine's records go back two years. Solving San Marcos is Claudette's priority. Shane is worried Garine might lose her nerve. Claudette agrees to let the Strike Team handle it, "but I don't wanna find her severed feet on my desk tomorrow morning."
Ronnie hasn't had any success getting in touch with Javier's parole officer. He and Vic step into the clubhouse just in time to hear Shane and Kevin discussing Rezian. Shane has an informant helping. "Can we save the wild stabs in the dark until after we've caught the machete-wielding psychos?" asks Vic.
Kevin thinks the Strike Team can handle two things at once. He wants Shane and Julien to work the docks; the rest of them will stay on San Marcos. Vic points out, "Ronnie will raise a lot fewer eyebrows in Little Armenia." He quietly tells Ronnie to find out what Shane is up to.
In the hallway, Shane chastises Kevin for letting Vic make him doubt himself: "You know what happens if Vic wins that appeals hearing? He waits about two seconds to reclaim his throne, gets you bounced outta here."
Before Vic gets a chance to chat up Garine in the observation room, Shane arrives to ask for her help translating Armenian. Vic goes back downstairs and opines to Ronnie that Garine is probably more than just an informant. Ronnie is sure Shane wouldn't be dumb enough to mess with Armenians after they all ripped off the money train a couple years back. "I never thought Shane would dig himself into such a hole with Antwon Mitchell that he'd become his bitch, but he did," Vic reminds him.
The Strike Team arrives at Javier's place, where a backyard party is in full swing. Vic asks for Javier; this is his last known address. Javier is grilling burgers and informs the detectives he was let off parole early for good behavior. He has papers to prove it. "Talk to my ass," he adds. Interesting invitation. Javier cranks up the boombox, so Vic hurls it against the garage.
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"What the hell was that?" Kevin demands as Julien takes Javier inside. Vic is sure Javier was seconds away from talking. Kevin doesn't want to play fast and loose on such an important case. Coerced confessions don't hold up in court and "some of us are gonna be here longer than a week."
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Shane sits on the edge of the desk. They know he's in tight with Rezian and that he rubber-stamps cargo. Should Shane call his friend at Homeland Security, the one who loves to "pull the Patriot Act out of his ass?" Ronnie suggests telling the Armenians where the information came from. "Now that's just plain mean," chides Shane.
The boss reports Rezian's ships have been coming in every day, usually around 3:00 in the afternoon. Ronnie makes himself comfortable at another desk, eager to hear more. "That's a waste of time. Not gonna let this piss-ant in the loop." Shane motions for Ronnie. He threatens to find the port boss somewhere without a camera if he tells Rezian they stopped by.
Kevin gives Javier a last chance to come clean and do his time in protective custody. Javier knows there's no such thing as a safe prison. Kevin and Vic leave to tell Claudette it's no dice. Claudette would rather have one of the three killers than none at all. Kevin is sure Orozco will testify. Vic thinks that'd be a mistake.
Have the other two forgotten about a certain one-armed Mexican with a briefcase of cash? Edgar-veda's friend's construction company has Mexican connections. Claudette raises an eyebrow: "Now there's a conspiracy?" Vic tells her that she's free to back Kevin's play, which comes with a risk of the other two killers striking again.
At the cage, Vic delivers a warning to Javier: "I can't drop you in Byz Land, but word that you're the killer is gonna hit the Mexican side of the street if it hasn't already." His best chance is letting Vic convince Santi of Javier's innocence. If Javier names the other killers, Vic will get him immunity.
Dutch sums up a crime scene: "Japanese-American male. Single hit to the head, bruise to the chin. Bit of a scuffle, but he didn't put up much of a fight." Tina leafs through a stack of computer printouts. It looks like the victim was trolling the Internet for sex and "maybe he invited the wrong person over for a quickie." In case there's any doubt about what kind of sex he was interested in, there's a prominently displayed black-and-white artsy photo of a man's ass on the wall.
Tina doesn't see signs of forced entry. "Not in the apartment, anyway," Billings jokes. Danny found an emergency contact card in the victim's wallet that lists his parents in Eagle Rock. When Tina sighs that she hates death notifications, Dutch offers to have Billings do it.
Billings protests that he doesn't want to have that conversation. What if the parents didn't know their son was gay? "I'm really gonna miss that Quick-Mealer," Dutch says pointedly. Billings asks to see the card.
Back at the station, Mr. Sensitivity gripes, "Mama-san bawled all over me." How dare she be upset about her child's murder? Dutch requests Billings read the Internet profile he left on the desk. Billings won't quit: "Have you ever seen a Japanese lady wail?" He thinks Danny or Tina should've told the mom.
"You know, I'm not gonna let you ruin my life over this vending machine." says Billings, even though he totally is. He reads off the paper Dutch handed him. "'Mason Heller. Film nut. Good guy looking for someone looking for something real." If that ain't a tongue twister and a half.
It seems Mason has called the victim several times over the past week. The final call was 10 PM last night and the coroner estimated time of death at just an hour later.
Dutch looks on jealously as Tina flirtily thanks Kevin for recommending a good Chinese restaurant. Danny informs Dutch that Mason lives blocks away from the victim. Tina wants to go back to the neighborhood and search for the murder weapon, even though they don't know what it was.
"Is this a Friday?" Mason asks, his face sweaty, "Feels like a Wednesday." Billings is curious how this relates to "you bashing in your lover's face." Dutch wants to hear more about Allen. Mason can talk or try to leave and be officially detained. What happened to his hand?
"Maybe you cut it flattening a guy's skull," Billings suggests. He calls the case a "homo version of the same old pathetic story." A guy falls hard for someone and can't deal with rejection. It's clearly a jab at Dutch and his pathetic crush on Tina.
Out in the hall, Dutch tells Billings not to use interrogations to work out his frustrations with him. "It's not my fault the guy's got one foot in a psych ward," says Billings. Dutch wants Billings to take a back seat because psychology isn't his strong suit. He twists the knife: "Got any crisp singles? I wanna get a Cup-a-Soup from one of your machines while they're still there."
At the dock, Shane tries to break the stony silence by complaining about gas prices. "You wanna chat up a buddy, go find one," Ronnie advises. Shane peeks through his binoculars and sees Rezian. He and Ronnie creep toward the tanker truck, guns at the ready. Shane asks if he needs to watch his back. Ronnie inquires, "Do I?"
Ronnie holds most of the Armenians at gunpoint while Shane tackles Rezian. He handcuffs him, saying he'll charge Rezian with murder if he mentions anything about the Iranian gas station. Rezian's people won't stand for this. Shane lets Rezian know Garine is in charge now.
Tina tells Dutch that she and Danny couldn't find the murder weapon despite searching every trash can. "You got these two beautiful women looking in trash cans?" asks Kevin. Tina shrugs that it's part of the job. Dutch lets out the fakest chuckle I've ever heard.
"You're my hero," Billings says in the kitchen. Kevin has no idea what he's talking about. Billings assumes that Kevin and Tina are an item. "I don't make a habit of banging chicks who know where to find me in the morning," says Kevin. Billings asks if Dutch has a shot; "he's been working that caring-mentor angle like there's no tomorrow." It's Kevin's loss.
Santi tells Vic there better be good news; Kevin and Julien listen in through Vic's wire. Vic says Javier is a poser and didn't do it. If Javier was behind San Marcos, he'd be in the house with them, courtesy of Vic. The detective is willing to give up the real killers to stop the gang war. Santi just has to declare a one-day-only ceasefire. Santi agrees, but after that, "someone's gonna pay. I don't give a shit who." "Feel safer now?" Kevin asks Javier.
At the Barn, Javier tells the captain that Javier named the other two killers. Vic asks why Javier committed the murders. Javier explains something big is about to happen, but he wasn't trusted with the details beyond Salvadorans being pissed at Mexicans. Guardo ordered the hits, but instructed Romero be left alive.
"So you just cut off his arm?" Ronnie asks. Vic is curious if Javier knows Edgar-veda's friend Cruz, but Javier doesn't.
In a corner, Ronnie tells Vic that Shane isn't being subtle about his new Armenian friends. (Was he ever)? And what exactly will happen if Santi doesn't get to execute street justice? (Pun very much intended). "Hell breaks loose," Vic replies simply. Unless, of course, they can find a way to satisfy both the police department and the Mexicans.
Elsewhere, Kevin pulls up in the van, looking angry: "Javier boned us." The suspect wasn't where he said they would be. The second guy was a no-show too, but "Ronnie sweet-talked the sister." The San Marcos killers are drinking at a bar up the street.
Vic orders the bar patrons to stay where they are. Kevin compares faces with the mugshots, but no one is a match. He turns on Ronnie: "Not such a sweet-talker after, huh?" Chill, he's Ronnie Gardocki, not Derek Morgan. Vic and Ronnie share a how-dare-he look.
Garine gets in Shane's car, worried that someone's in her father's house. She came over to start getting his affairs in order and sensed a presence. Shane thinks it'd be stupid if she wasn't paranoid. (And he would know a thing or two about that).
Shane sweeps the house, pausing to scratch the ears of the mobster's friendly kitty. The glass on the back door is broken. He hears a squeak and catches someone climbing in the bedroom window. Shane puts the Armenian on the floor, holding a gun to his neck. Shane informs him that his only chance to stay alive is partnering up with the new boss Garine.
Back in the car, Shane tells her the port was shut down pending an investigation of Rezian. "But [he's] gonna come back kickin' and screamin'." They need to find a way to keep him in prison. Garine won't make a credible witness when the defense finds out she's not a hapless little secretary who stumbled into illegal doings. However, Shane is sure he can find a way around her having to testify.
Vic and Ronnie open a shipping container and drag out two bound, gagged men. Longtime fans will recognize this little tableau from way back in Season One. They stuff the men in the van and drive out to Byz Lat turf. Santi will settle for them and go back for Javier later. A crowd of Byz Lats bodily drag the suspects from the van and begin to beat them without mercy. There's an occasional shout of "for San Marcos".
At the Barn, Vic meets with grieving dad Martin in the parking lot. The politician sighs that there's nothing he can do to help with Vic's hearing. Vic guesses it's time to air the dead daughter's dirty laundry. Rob knows Vic is bluffing; manipulating the facts of his daughter's case was unethical. Vic will get fired for that.
Vic chuckles he's been accused of worse. Ain't that the truth? Martin has tried to keep his part of the bargain, but Vic has "built a mountain of bad will too high to climb." He wishes Vic luck. After Martin leaves, Ronnie tells Vic two bodies were found in an alley.
Upstairs, Claudette shows the crime scene photos to the Strike Team. Vic tells her to look on the bright side. The bodies were found in Wilshire, meaning it's that division's homicide rate that goes up, and she still has a live killer. Claudette announces the San Marcos case is closed. Vic wants to find out who ordered the hits before they call it done. He's sure Cruz had something to do with it.
"It's not a crime to like someone," says Mason. Billings counters, "It is if they don't like ya back and ya kill 'em." Dutch has seen the phone records; Mason was harassing Allen. No forced entry points to Allen knowing his killer. Any alibi Mason has would be helpful. "I can't tell you anything," Mason says tearfully.
Downstairs, Dutch wonders why Mason hasn't asked for a lawyer or confessed. Billings shrugs, "You're the theorizer." And wannabe profiler. Billings strolls over to Tina to stir up more trouble; he thinks it's unfair Danny wouldn't let her talk to the killer. He lies that Dutch wanted to let Tina interrogate Mason, but Danny said Tina had no skills.
Billings bets that Danny is jealous, vying with the rookie for Kevin's affections: "Him thinking you're a screw-up makes you less of a threat." Dude, I think Danny learned her lesson about office romances a long time ago...
Billings lays it on thicker, saying Kevin is always staring at Tina. However, he's also seen Kevin "cozy up" to Danny. He asks Tina not to repeat any of this to Danny because she'll know who it came from.
Shane promises Garine she'll be safe in the clubhouse while he deals with Rezian. Meanwhile, Ronnie has discovered there's no record of Garine working at the bakery. Their accountant is Kesakhian's daughter Diro. Vic goes into the clubhouse and thanks Garine/Diro for helping make the bust.
He casually asks what brought her stateside. "Opportunity, the weather." she shrugs. Vic sees through that; he knows her dad is in the hospital. Where does she fit into the crime family? Diro gives a classic Mafia response, "My father's a businessman." She acts as his translator and bookkeeper.
Vic is sure Diro is a nice girl with good intentions. He advises her to find a police friend other than Shane. Vic tells her about Shane getting mixed up with Antwon Mitchell, which resulting in the death of a 14-year-old informant. Shane's still under investigation about the whole mess. Anyone he talks to is scrutinized. Vic gives Diro one of his own business cards.
Shane sees her hurrying out of the Barn and asks what's wrong. "That cop knows what's going on," she says. Shane tells her not to worry; Vic doesn't know anything. Diro will see Shane gets paid for his time, but their partnership is over.
Shane storms back to the clubhouse, demanding to know what Vic told his CI. "Told her to stay the hell away from you, same as I would any girl," his former best friend answers. Shane snaps, "She doesn't concern you!" Vic tells Shane his days of side action at the Barn are finished. "We don't need you dragging us into yet another Vendrell shit pile special," adds Ronnie.
Shane thinks their lives would go smoother if they left him alone. Vic intends to make Shane as miserable as he can until he retires. Shane basically says bring it on; years on the Strike Team has built up his tolerance. Vic wants Shane to leave Farmington and never come back.
Shane leans close, getting nasty: "What is it, five days and counting before that appeals panel shoves your badge up your ass, tells you to find greener pastures?" "I'm not going anywhere," says Vic. Shane knows better: "There's no trap door this time, Vic. They got you boxed in....I'll stop by and say hi when you start your security job in Northridge."
I don't know a lot about Los Angeles, but I'm guessing Northridge is a shitty part of town. During the Armenian bakery raid, the guys gave Lem a hard time about him having gone to college in Northridge.
Because Vic is being forced out, Shane has decided not to transfer after all. I'm sure Ronnie is thrilled about that.
Dutch brings something wrapped in plastic to the interrogation room. An anonymous citizen found the mystery object in the bed of his truck last night; said person lives a block from Allen. Billings knows Mason's fingerprints will be on it. Dutch puts in, "Judges are more likely to be lenient after you've confessed."
Mason asks if the detectives have heard of a rare disease called progeria. Mason's childhood friend Johnny had it; he died of a heart attack when the boys were 12. Mason remembers seeing the coroner carry Johnny out of his house on a gurney. "Do you wanna see Allen's body?" asks Dutch. Mason would rather stay.
Tina, wearing a low-cut pale yellow top, sits across from Kevin in the break room. Her favorite drink is a margarita on the rocks with salt; Kevin's is Jack Daniels, neat. If Tina has a really bad day, she gets a vodka martini. "Who says all cops are alcoholics, huh?" asks Billings, refilling his coffee cup. Tina thinks tonight calls for three martinis.
Javier leaps to his feet in the cage, begging Vic to get him out. "The deal was two-for-one, alive," Vic reminds him. The desk sergeant buzzes in Romero, the one-armed Mexican official. Upstairs, Vic requests Romero ID the guy who chopped his arm off. He won't cooperate until he gets his briefcase of money back.
"If somebody chopped my arm off, gettin' paid would be the last thing on my mind," says Vic. He checked into Romero's background and discovered he went to college with Edgar-veda's friend Cruz. "What does that have to do with my client?" demands Romero's Lawyer. Vic doesn't know...yet, but he plans to spend his remaining five days as a police officer finding out.
Billings sits outside Tina's house in his car. He watches as she goes inside with Kevin, then starts doing something with his phone.
At his desk, Dutch's phone rings. He updates Claudette on Allen's murder and suggests his partner go home. She looks tired. Just what every woman wants to hear. Dutch reads a text: "Eating dinner alone. Wanna come by?" Really, Billings? This high school bullshit is how you're gonna keep Dutch from blowing the whistle about your vending machines?
Vic makes another plea to Claudette. Farmington isn't the place for Kevin because "he's a sheep, not a shepherd." Vic just solved the San Marcos case, effectively saving the Barn. And now Claudette is gonna tell him that he doesn't belong here?
Claudette pulls the plug on any further digging. All the San Marcos killers had connections to Guardo, "who's either missing or dead." Finding out the truth isn't Vic's job anymore.
Downstairs, Vic runs into Edgar-veda. He promises to ruin Cruz as well as Edgar-veda's political career. Vic knows Edgar-veda revealed that Hernan was undercover ICE. All he needs is proof.
Dutch arrives at Tina's with a bottle of wine in hand. He has his hand up to knock on the door when he hears soulful R&B music, backed by Tina's moans. Instead of doing the rational thing (getting back in the car and leaving), Dutch peeks in Tina's living room. She and Kevin are enthusiastically having sex in a chair.
Tina is on top and doesn't notice Dutch, but Kevin does. Dutch Boy better run before Kevin kicks his ass. In his own car, Billings smirks triumphantly.
Corinne comes to the clubhouse with an armload of books. She has some suggestions for Vic's life after law enforcement. He could become a PI or an investigator for a law firm. Mackey, P.I. does have a nice ring to it. Corinne thinks he'd be good at it and is sorry about everything that's happened to Vic recently. When she leaves, he slams the books on a shelf.
"We have a problem," Cruz tells Edgar-veda. He heard Vic is being forced out. "That's been a long time coming," says Edgar-veda. Cruz asks if there's a way to stop it from happening. The community needs good cops "who understand our interests." Edgar-veda assures Cruz the city and police department are better off without Vic. Cruz hands over a check in an envelope, Edgar-veda's proceeds for the exploratory committee.
"If you don't confess, we're gonna arrest you solely on the evidence," Dutch says to Mason. Not admitting what he did is just delaying the inevitable. Through the interrogation room window, Dutch sees Tina walking around below. Mason explains that all he wanted was to love Allen and be loved back. Can he stay a little longer? "The second I leave here, my life is over," says Mason.
"Eat your breakfast," Dutch encourages, pointing to the untouched container of scrambled eggs and bacon. This reminds me of Kavanaugh offering ulcer-ravaged Lem a muffin.
Diro approaches her door with a gun in hand: "I told you, stay away." Shane pushes in. Diro knows people will be trying to steal the "family business" from her and refuses to keep hiding. Shane offers to protect her. She asks if Antwon thought he was being protected; Vic told her all about that.
Shane tells her Vic has been under IAD's microscope for years and won't be a cop much longer. What happened to Angie wasn't his fault. "[Vic'll] be reaching into your pocketbook by next week." "Like you?" asks Diro.
She can take care of herself. Shane disagrees. He saved her life and got Rezian locked up so Diro can assume her rightful throne as Armenian mob queen. Shane risked his own life and his job for her. Diro owes him.
When she tries to throw him out again, Shane drops a bombshell. Vic was behind the Armenian money train ripoff a few years back. (He conveniently leaves out his own role in the heist). Shane takes it a step further, lying through his teeth that Vic threatened him because he refused to participate.
"My father lost six months of profit from that," says Diro. Shane guesses she knows more about Daddy's business than she made out. The only way this can work is full disclosure on both sides. Whose side is Diro on? The mafia princess announces that Vic must be "dealt with."
At the construction site, Cruz congratulates Vic for solving the San Marcos case. "Thank you, but I'm not done," says Vic. Cruz suggests he stop turning over rocks. Vic won't until he see "what's crawling underneath."
Cruz promises to save Vic's job. Vic calls bullshit; a city controller couldn't and that guy owed Vic a huge debt. Cruz hands Vic an envelope. Inside is a picture of Edgar-veda being forced to give a thug named Juan oral sex. Cruz expresses disappointment in his friend: "Rather than be a man and stand up to his attackers, he gets on his knees and takes a man's dick in his mouth. Don't think that'll play too well with the voters."
Vic's jaw drops. He has unbelievable leverage now. Being Vic, he jokes that voters in West Hollywood won't mind homosexuality. Cruz invites Vic to use the picture how he sees fit as long as he never tells where it came from. In exchange for saving his job, Cruz wants Vic to stop digging. End of episode.
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