Send In the "Barnstormers" (Episode 2.7)

Previously on: Dutch arrested husband and wife Bob and Marcy for the kidnap/torture/rape/eventual murder of their female neighbor. Several women were murdered at a private domestic violence shelter; Vic helped out shelter director Emma by letting her use a department safe house until the shelter was no longer a crime scene. He even brought her a donation of groceries. Julien is marrying his girlfriend Vanessa, who has no idea about his past history with men. Shane had sex in an interrogation room with a stripper named Tulips.  Vic planned to rip off the Armenian mob's money train as the Strike Team's big retirement score. He also burned the crap out of drug dealer Armadillo's face. In return, Armadillo greenlit the whole Strike Team.

The Strike Team is running a dress rehearsal for the money train heist. Lem adorably bops down the sidewalk singing "Rich Girl" under his breath.

On the roof, Vic levels a shooter's bead right into Lem's nest of blond hair. "Bang, you're dead," he whispers. He reminds him that the Armenians always keep shooters at 11:00. Lem thought it was 9:00. "That's why we're rehearsing," says Vic. The green dot is still hovering on Lem's shirt. "You mind getting that thing off me? Gives me the creeps," he says.

Shane is next to Vic taking pictures. Nobody will be in the bays where the vans pull in, which is where the two of them will be waiting. "Secrecy over muscle," says Vic, although with Lemming around, they sure have enough of the latter. Lem joins them on the roof. Ronnie shows up out of breath.

"You know this job depends on the four of us having our act together," Vic tells him. Ronnie's been driving in circles because he thought he was being followed by a Mexican. But who knows, maybe it was just a pizza delivery guy looking for the right address? "Stalked by cheese and sausage," Lem scoffs, even though his name is on the hit list too.

Vic asks if Ronnie's been sleeping enough. I'm pretty sure the answer is no. Ronnie says he's just being careful. Shane and Lem exchange a Ronnie's-a-big-ol'-scaredy-cat look. Now that the gang's all here, Vic wants to take it again from the top until they get it right. I'm surprised he hasn't made some remark to Lem about not giving away their position by singing.

Edgar-veda tells Dutch that Marcy took a plea deal; in exchange for testifying against hubby Bob, she only has to serve 8 years. He points out how bad it looks that they had the victim "alive in a car trunk in our own parking lot for hours" until Dutch released Bob and Marcy. After that, she died.

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Even though Dutch is far from my favorite character, I still feel bad that he's kind of being thrown under the bus. Dutch now has the fun job of taking Marcy's statement, then comparing it against the one she gave the D.A. and the facts in Dutch's case file. The chief isn't pleased; Edgar-veda is also worried about Dutch's job performance: "Claudette says you're moody, distracted." "She said that?" asks Dutch.

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Dutch needs to start closing his cases without incident. And the Strike Team doesn't need to do the same?

Vic is sound asleep when Doug the desk clerk knocks on his door. A couple down the hall is fighting again. We can hear a man's and woman's voice, words indistinct but obviously very pissed-off. Vic groans and rubs his eyes. "Aren't you gonna do something?" asks Doug. The woman screams and something shatters. "Want me to back ya up?" Doug asks eagerly. Vic says he's only done this 3,000 times.

Vic knocks on the couple's door, holding his badge up. The woman opens the door a crack. She has a bloody nose. Vic tells her that he's here about the noise. The woman gives him the old story about having the TV on too loud. Vic doesn't buy it and pushes his way in: "I wanna talk to the jackass who's beatin' on you. Is he still here?" The woman says they were just arguing.

Vic walks past an overturned table and the remains of a lamp. "I didn't call the police," the woman says shakily. Vic argues, "Yes, you did. Through my closed windows." She swears it won't happen again. Vic can't just lie there in bed and listen to her being abused. Either one of the couple is gonna move or she's gonna get some help. The woman says she can't afford to move and doesn't need help. Vic leads her out of the apartment.

Two prison guards bring Marcy into the Barn, wearing her finest orange jumpsuit and slip-on shoes. Dutch congratulates her on the plea bargain and adds that it's bullshit: "You deserve life, just like Bob." Why isn't this crazy bitch handcuffed to the table? Marcy needs to be honest or she'll lose the deal. Dutch clicks on a tape recorder and asks who put the peephole in the bathroom. Bob did. He liked how their neighbor Kayla looked and wanted to see her naked.

Bob liked having threesomes and Marcy wanted to please him, but Kayla wasn't interested. Marcy lured Kayla to their apartment one night. Bob was obsessed with Kayla, "thought she was so pretty." Dutch tells her, "Bob said it was your idea to cut off Kayla's arm." Marcy doesn't even try to deny it, just says, "After that, she wasn't so pretty."

Out in the parking lot, Vic is using rocks to demonstrate their strategy for the money train robbery. Him and Shane on the roof, Ronnie disarming some guy, and Lemming going for the truck. Hopefully, nobody will forget which rock they are. Ronnie thinks it's a bad idea to even talk about it when there are hits on them. It's an even worse idea to be talking about it in the parking lot of a police station.

Vic and Shane have a plan to tie up Armadillo and hide him somewhere, then leave his dead body in the getaway truck. The cops and Armenian mob will think the Torrucos were behind the robbery, but Vic has a problem. "Besides not knowing where Armadillo is?" asks Ronnie. Shane tells him to quit being a baby. Ronnie's response is close to what mine would be: "Excuse me for wanting to stay alive."

Vic is concerned about what they'll do with the money. Lem, sporting a Sopranos-esque track jacket, knows it's too much to spend right away. They'll have to launder it somehow. Shane offers that a friends of his just became a partner in a restaurant. Vic says that's exactly what IAD will check first; they can't do this alone. They need to bring in someone they can control, who'll be more scared of the Strike Team's wrath than going to prison.

Vic and Shane pay a visit to Leith, the late Tio's realtor. He claims he had no idea Tio dealt drugs out of his store, even though Tio paid for the building in cash. The realtor doesn't ask anyone where they get their money. Vic thinks he specializes in buying property for dealers, stash houses and the like. Leith's sales records tie him to 4 major dealers. "The only property you're gonna be sellin' now is bunk space in Pelican Bay," says Vic. Leith nervously asks what they want. "Real estate," answers Vic.

Emma tells Vic that the abuse victim will have to be waitlisted at another shelter. What about a hotel? She can't afford one. Emma might be able to double her up with someone. "Do and I'll owe you dinner," says Vic. It's not that simple, though. Battered women don't leave until they call Emma from the street or the ER. This one didn't even ask for help.

Dutch has turned off his tape recorder, but has some last questions for Marcy: Why? "It just kind of...happened," she says vaguely. Dutch asks why Marcy thought she could fool him. Does he really want an answer to that? "I just let you fool yourself," Marcy replies.

Dutch and Claudette have a new case: a woman strangled to death in a park. "You sure you want my help?" he asks. According to the captain, he's moody and distracted.

The abused woman is irritated and doesn't know why she's at the police station. Vic invites her to go home: "Next time Prince Charming starts using you for sparring practice, keep it down." Emma tries a softer approach; she knows how hard it is to leave home, but "sometimes staying away even one night makes him realize he crossed a line." If she doesn't leave now, she might not get another chance.

The woman mumbles that she doesn't have clothes or anything. Vic offers to go to her apartment and pick up whatever she needs. "I don't want you in my house," she protests. Vic grabs the keys anyway. Emma can't force her to get help. Vic tells Emma to keep working on her.

Emma says he doesn't know what he's talking about. Vic asks if 8 years as a patrolman "cleaning up messes like this" means nothing to her. Emma points out it's different to be the one on the receiving end. Vic plans to talk to the guy next time he hits his girlfriend: "It'll stop, trust me." Emma gets all high and mighty about how violence isn't the answer and men don't always know what's best.

In the park, a heavyset woman is lying facedown and shirtless. Julien exposits that some teenagers smoking weed found her. The victim's purse and wallet were left behind, so they've ID'ed her as Leah Madson. No prints or witnesses. Claudette examines the bra; it doesn't appear that it was removed forcibly, but the clasp is missing. To Dutch, it looks like rape/homicide. There's chocolate smeared on the bra and on the victim's fingers. Claudette thinks Leah knew her killer. "Guess I'm wrong again," says Dutch. Oh, stop.

Danny's been passed over for a promotion to senior lead officer, even though she was next in line. She bets the captain is gonna tell her it had nothing to do with the bogus complaints Yassirah filed. "Of course that's what it's about, but the brass will never admit it," says Edgar-veda. Danny just has to ride the rap, as they say.

Shane has a visitor: Tulips the bait-and-bash stripper. "It's the penis flytrap," Vic comments, "Hope you're not a daddy." They didn't use a condom, so that's a good possibility. Fortunately, Tulips just wants to tell Shane about her ex. They broke up because he was having sex with their neighbor while Tulips was working the pole. Said ex now sells prescription drugs to "illegals and grannies" and she's telling Shane as payback. "Still all class, huh?" he says.

"Are you still upset about what happened between us?" asks Tulips. No, I'm sure he's totally over the fact that your ex also bashed him in the head with a tire iron. He might have done worse if Lem and Ronnie hadn't been there to save his ass. Shane reminds her that she tried to blackmail him. Tulips tries flattery; she'd only trust a really good cop with this information. "Look around and take your pick. I'm not your guy," Shane tells her.

Vic asks why they're not following up on Tulips' information. "She's a lying whore," Shane answers, "I trusted her and she screwed me." From what Vic saw on CCTV, the "screwing was mutual."

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Shane doesn't want to be around her. Vic doesn't want to lose an easy case just because his best buddy got played like a fiddle. Shane finds Tulips at another detective's desk and tells the guy that he'll take care of it.

Claudette and Dutch sit down with Stu, a clinically obese man who immediately recognizes Leah's photo. Stu works at a rib restaurant and one of the waitresses set him up on a blind date with Leah. They met the night before at Leah's apartment. Stu claims he didn't stay because he wasn't attracted to her. Why waste everyone's time? He went home and watched TV. Stu lives by himself, making this a nonconfirmable alibi. Dutch will go talk to his coworkers "as long as I'm not too moody to change my mind or too distracted to lose my way."

Claudette power-walks upstairs and asks Edgar-veda why something she said in confidence keeps getting repeated back to her. She was concerned about Dutch as a person, not his effectiveness as a detective. Edgar-veda says the chief has been concerned since the whole Bob and Marcy incident, which also happened with Lanie in the building. He hasn't seen her in a few weeks and who knows who she's been talking to? "And how is Dutch supposed to get back on the horse when you cut him off at the knees?" asks Claudette. Edgar-veda hopes Dutch doesn't mess up again because "I can't protect him anymore." "Why? Too busy protecting Vic?" Claudette sasses.

Vic breaks into the abused woman's apartment and finds the boyfriend on the couch watching TV. Boyfriend offers up the "she's a lying bitch" defense. Vic says the woman blames herself. He goes in the bedroom and starts packing a suitcase. The guy thinks Vic is sleeping with his woman, then claims the women's clothes in the closet belong to his sister. He tries to grab Vic and Vic arrests him.

Julien and Vanessa enjoy a lunch of Chinese food at a cozy table for two...with handcuff rails. She plans to drop off Randall at Julien's later while she gets her dress fitted. Julien blurts out that his Thursday night prayer group isn't just a mens' Bible study; it's reorientation therapy. For some reason, Vanessa doesn't get it. Julien spells it out: He's made bad relationship choices in the past...choices involving men. Vanessa gets tearful and stands up to leave.

Julien grabs her and starts giving a "baby, please don't go" speech. He loves Vanessa and wants to start a family with her. He hasn't had sex with a man in months. Julien needs Vanessa and hopes she'll understand and forgive him. Vanessa pulls her wrist out of his grip, saying she needs time to think.

Battered Woman sees her boyfriend in handcuffs and cries, "You said you wouldn't arrest him!" Her boyfriend is on parole and will lose his job if she goes to jail, then she'll be homeless. "And you stay alive and I'll get some goddamn sleep," Vic sums up the win/win situation. Scumbag Woman Beater yells for her to call a bail bondsman.

"So you actually thought she wouldn't go back to him?" Emma asks Vic in the observation room, "Are you unromantic or just dumb?" Vic's just tired of hearing them fight, as I think any reasonable person would be. He can't know how hard it is for a woman to escape from an abusive situation; Emma liked bad boys until she didn't. Little does she know, they don't get much badder than Vic.

Battered Woman won't be ready for Emma until she hits rock bottom; she hasn't yet. "He touches her again, he's mine," says Vic. Emma thinks he hates anything he can't control; Vic shrugs that it's part of his dance.

Dutch tells Stu, "Your coworkers say you're a little obsessive about your weight." He's spent summers at fat farms (those were still a thing in '02?), tried dozens of diets, and different exercise regimes. So have lots of people. Stu has a juvenile record for aggravated assault on a female classmate named Susan. "That's what they called it. She just didn't want people to think she was a slut," says Stu.

Claudette lays out the story. Stu and friends were playing spin-the-bottle. On Susan's spin, the bottle pointed to Stu. She refused to kiss him and Stu was humiliated. "So 11 years later, I kill some chick?" he asks. Claudette goes on. Stu followed Susan home from school a few days after the party and ordered her to kiss him; when she refused again, Stu broke her nose. Stu is now the last person who saw Leah alive. "Except the killer," he retorts.

On their way downstairs, Claudette observes that Dutch was awfully quiet in the interrogation. Dutch found Stu hard to read. The next step is to search Stu's apartment.

Shane gives Tulips a phone. She's to tell Carl that Shane needs a buyer for some prescription drugs. Just get a time and place, then hang up. She does, but makes a point of leaning way over while making the call, practically flashing Shane.

Danny hasn't found the bra clasp. Dutch reminds them that finding it will nail Stu's ass to the wall. The kitchen is full of supplements and diet books. A candy bar is taped to the top shelf in the refrigerator. There are medieval fantasy posters all over the walls. Dutch thinks Stu has the makings of a serial killer and/or rapist. Leah is probably his first or second victim.

"This is a bunch of crap," Dutch trails off. He shouts again that they need to find the bra clasp. Claudette thinks they should go back to the Barn, try to make Stu confess. Dutch doesn't have anything to work with; he wants to go back to the park and see if he missed something.

Leith can get Shane and Vic some 10-acre lots in Castro Peaks. They'll have total control, but their names won't be on the paperwork. Leith usually takes a 5% commission. Vic suggests they make it 10% for the extra risk. "What extra risk?" Leith asks as Vic passes around beers. If Leith rats them out, they'll tell the drug dealers he does business with that he ratted them out. They toast their new partnership.

Stu knows they didn't find anything in his apartment. Dutch suggests he take a lie detector test. Stu refuses; he knows they're unreliable. They tell the captain how the investigation is going. Claudette doesn't have a theory, but Dutch does. Would he care to share it with the class? Stu has signs of predatory behavior and refused to take a lie detector test. In Dutch's opinion, nobody who's innocent would do that.

Vic wonders how they can talk Battered Woman into spending a night at the shelter. Emma has been known to use trickery, something Vic would never dream of doing. They tell Battered Woman that if she goes to a shelter, Dez won't have to go to jail. Supposedly, there's a new city law that suspected abusers have to be held overnight for the woman's safety. Battered Woman agrees to go with Emma tonight.

Shane meets Carl in a vacant lot, driving Tulips' sporty silver Pontiac. Not sure if it's the same actor as before, but Carl looks like a low-rent Brad Pitt circa 1988. Carl's new girlfriend is there too. Tulips cattily asks how much her boobs cost. Carl says they're real. "Is she legal?" asks Tulips. "Born in Inglewood, bitch," Carl replies. Tulips fires back: "I meant is she 18, stupid?" In the nearby stakeout car, Ronnie and Lem are getting a kick out of this.

Tulips announces that Shane is her new boyfriend and "It's a relief to not have to fake it anymore." Carl needs Viagra if Shane has it. "Yeah, you do," puts in Tulips.

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Carl also wants ecstacy. He's willing to pay $5,000 for both. Tulips wants her cut. Carl tells her to get it from Shane. Tulips gets pissed and starts yelling, "That wasn't the deal!" The menfolk exchange the drugs for cash. "If this stuff sucks, I'm coming after her," says Carl. Shane tells him, "Be my guest." Tulips says Shane doesn't mean it.

The marked patrol cars swoop in. Shane tells Carl to put his hands on his head and calls him "highlight boy." Lem puts the cuffs on. "You just got busted by my new big-dick boyfriend! How does it feel, you fag?" taunts Tulips. Shane shoves her back into the Pontiac.

In the breakroom, Dutch has a question for Vic. Did he ever know someone was guilty, but didn't have the evidence to prove it? Vic's probably lost track of the times. Dutch asks what he does about it. "You wearing a wire?" Vic chuckles. Dutch is tired of people getting away with murder. "Sometimes you gotta make the evidence fit the case if you know the guy did it," Vic says quietly.

Duly noted, Dutch drives back to Stu's apartment with a bra matching Leah's in his center console. He puts on rubber gloves, rips off the clasp, and puts it in his pocket. Dutch walks inside and tells Danny he's taking one last look around. He hides the clasp in one of Stu's jackets.

Outside, he asks Danny if she was thorough. Maybe she should do a final sweep: the trash cans, his clothes. He'll even sign her overtime slip. Dutch gets back into his car, barely making it halfway up the block before he stops hard enough to make the brakes squeal. He dashes back into Stu's apartment with the not entirely untrue excuse that he forgot something. Dutch may be desperate, but he's not stooping to Vic's level. He finds the bra clasp right where he left it and takes the candy bar from the fridge.

"We busted him, didn't we?" Tulips says excitedly. Shane knows this was all about her getting revenge on the guy who dumped her "for somebody hotter." Tulips is offended and asks if Shane thinks Carl's new girl really is hotter. Shane thinks Tulips uses people. "You're really upset with me," she says.

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Shane tells her to leave. Tulips rather disingenuously apologizes for hurting him. She keeps picking guys like Carl and would be better off with someone like him. Shane agrees with that assessment, "but you'll never know."

Tulips suggests they get out of here. Shane has to work 6 more hours. Tulips grabs his crotch, asking, "Don't you have to interrogate me or something?" Horndog Shane takes her upstairs, back to where the magic first happened. This time, he has the sense to toss her black shirt over the camera lens.

Dez has been bailed out and informed by Emma that his girlfriend isn't coming home with him: "She needs a break from your macho bullshit, so go hit somebody else tonight!" "You want some too, bitch?" Dez asks, grabbing Emma. When she pushes him away, Dez flips right over the balcony railing and lands in the squadroom below.

Cut to Dez being wheeled out by EMS and Emma being fingerprinted. Vic tells Edgar-veda that she was defending herself. Edgar-veda rants about the possible legal and civil liabilities. Vic doesn't want Emma put in the cage. "Then bail her out," Edgar-veda advises.

Dutch uncuffs Stu from the table and stands him up. They march down the hallway. "Bad mojo in there, I need a new room," Dutch explains to Claudette. Shane offers him the room where he and Tulips were just screwing. Dutch, try not to touch the table.

Once the door is closed, Dutch decides the best course of action is to start insulting Stu relentlessly. Stu couldn't take a lie detector if he wanted to because the wires wouldn't fit around him. He bets people don't call Stu fat to his face "even though they should." Dutch laughs and puffs out his pathetic pigeon chest.

The clasp on Leah's bra was broken, probably because Stu's "fat fingers weren't nimble enough to unclasp it." Said clasp must be somewhere in his house, car, or XXXL clothes. Who needs a polygraph when you have physical evidence? Picking up his jacket to head out, Dutch adds, "A jail cell feels small to someone my size." "He's going too far," Edgar-veda says in the observation room.

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Julien is playing tic-tac-toe with Randall when Vanessa arrives. She asks her son to go sit in the car with Grandma. Vanessa is upset that Julien didn't tell her sooner about his gay affairs, but believes him when he says he's straight now. She believes in the power of Jesus. "If you ever...feel like...you wanna be with a man again," Vanessa starts. Julien holds her hands, promising that won't happen. He'll make her and Randall happy.

Vanessa stands up and says, "Kiss me," more as an order than an impassioned request. Julien obliges. Vic sees them from across the room. When they finish kissing, Vanessa is a little out of breath. She best be off; there's a lot to do before the wedding. I'll bet, since it's supposed to be that weekend. She asks him not to keep her waiting at the altar.

As Vic goes to the snack machine, he more or less quotes Mark Harmon from Summer School: "Well, I'll be darned. You're a heterosexual." He puts out his hand and congratulates Julien.

Dutch continues to ridicule Stu: "When was the last time you saw your dick without using a mirror?" He chuckles about Stu getting set up on a blind date with Leah. Her friend was probably cute, so Stu must've expected a hottie. "You deserve better, right?" Dutch asks. Stu claims he gets better. Dutch calls bullshit: "Women won't sleep with you." Pot, meet kettle.

Stu must've figured a fat girl would be sexually easy, low self-esteem and all. The park is dark and private at night. Stu hated Leah because she was fat and couldn't stop eating; he also hated himself for not being able to control being horny. Dutch starts munching on the candy bar he swiped from Stu's fridge.

"The candy bar was the trigger," Dutch guesses. Stu wanted to get laid, but Leah was too obsessed with food. He strangled Leah "with the same bra your fat fingers were fumbling to get off of her." "That's not who I am," argues Stu. Dutch's phone rings and it's Claudette calling from the observation room. He hangs up and lies to Stu that the bra clasp was found.

"I'm not fat," says Stu quietly. Dutch is rolling his sleeves back down and not paying attention. Stu grabs him with an "I'll kill you too!" He wrestles Dutch to the ground and starts strangling him with his own tie, screaming in his face: "I'm gonna be thin!" Edgar-veda calls for help, but actually pulls Stu off Dutch.

Vic hands Ronnie a manila envelope of apparently incriminating photos he doesn't want lying around. He asks Ronnie to drop them by his place later. And while he's there, can he grab Vic's checkbook? He wants to give Connie a decent burial. Shane passes Ronnie and tells him to watch out: "I hear the Thai food delivery guys are packing heat."

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The other three have a conference in the clubhouse. "If he's freakin' out now, how's he gonna be when we take down the money train?" asks Lem. Interesting question coming from the guy who didn't want to do it in the first place. And what about "taking care" of Armadillo? Vic says they trust Ronnie every day on the job. Lem, usually the sweet one, replies, "That doesn't mean I trust him to sit on a few million for a year or two." "Money does strange things to people," notes Shane.

Vic asks how things went with Tulips. Shane says it was a clean bust. "Nice work," Vic tells him. Shane grins. Lem gets a giddy he-totally-tapped-that smirk on his face. Maybe he was watching the cameras before Claudette and the captain came in.

Claudette tells Dutch he did a good job. "Should've had more faith in me," he says. Edgar-veda compliments him too. Guys, stop inflating his head. Dutch demands more R-E-S-P-E-C-T: "I crack cases nobody else in this division can."

Vic tells Emma that she'll owe him $3,000 if she goes to Mexico and misses her court date. Unfortunately, Dez isn't seriously injured. Vic gets a call from Corinne; she excitedly says Matt wants to say hi to his daddy. When she puts the phone near Matt, he doesn't seem to know what to do. Corinne is clearly heartbroken and frustrated. Vic tells her it's okay.

"Your dog or your kid?" asks Emma. Vic replies that it was one of his three kids. He and his wife are separated. That doesn't seem to bother Emma, as they're furiously making out when they walk into Vic's crappy hotel room/apartment. Up against the wall, Vic pulls off Emma's shirt. He lays her down on the coffee table. Seriously, what is it with this show and table sex?

Suddenly, Vic whispers, "Wait." "What's that smell?" asks Emma. Vic notices photos are strewn across the floor. In the kitchen, the stove is on.

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Vic draws his gun and hisses for Emma to get down. He opens his bedroom door. Ronnie is lying on his side on the carpet, hands tied behind his back. Vic carefully rolls Ronnie over. There are fresh grill marks on his cheek. Oh dear God. Emma pops her head in. Understandably, she's horrified. Vic tells her to call an ambulance. "Vic," Ronnie croaks. The big fella looks like he might cry. I just might too! End of episode.

Hunting a "Homewrecker" (Episode 2.6)

Previously on: Corinne reminded Vic of his promise to move out and he made good on it. Julien announced he's getting married to the woman he's been dating for almost 2 months. Connie became a registered confidential informant (CI). Yassirah, the widow of the man Danny shot, has been harassing her; she even made a phone call to the station saying Danny's mother died.  Vic burned Armadillo's face and the Strike Team decided it's too risky to bring him in alive. When they went to Armadillo's house, he wasn't home.

Vic and Edgar-veda listen to the recorded conversation in which Armadillo tells Vic: "You've been greenlit." Edgar-veda wants to know when Vic was planning on telling him about this. Vic shrugs, "Cops get greenlit all the time. It's all talk. Nothing ever happens." The captain holds up a crime scene photo, pointing out that Armadillo had his own brother killed. He'd been an exception to the rule. On the bright side, the tape proves Armadillo is an accessory to murder and conspired to kill a police officer. They just have to find him.

Edgar-veda has been pressuring Vic to add a minority to the otherwise all-white Strike Team. He has a candidate he wants Vic to meet. How much do you want to bet this candidate is Latino? The captain unnecessarily adds, "Make sure you and your guys watch your backs."

In the clubhouse, Shane and Lem are playing darts. Lem, the friendliest of the bunch, is actually griping about Edgar-veda wanting to add someone else. Oh, it's because he thinks that means him, Shane, or Ronnie will be voted off the island. Vic says it just means the team will have 5 guys instead of 4.

Vic apologizes for the Armadillo situation. Ronnie talks semantics: "He said, 'You're greenlit.' Is that like 'you' in a plural sense or 'you' in a singular sense?" Shane and Lem glare. Ronnie says he was on the porch the whole time when Armadillo got burned; the guy never saw him. Vic promises they'll find Armadillo before he finds them.

That still leaves the Strike Team with the issue of a new guy. "Someone who doesn't understand how we do things could throw a wrench in how we do things" as Shane puts it. Vic won't bring on anyone who doesn't understand.

Danny asks Julien how the wedding planning is going. Hopefully, everything is done because the wedding is scheduled for the following weekend. She promises not to tell Vanessa about Julien's previous gay relationships because it's not her place. She warns that if Julien cheats with a guy or Vanessa hears about it from someone else, she'll be really hurt. They're dispatched to a 911 hang-up. Danny figures it's a "3-year-old who just learned how to use the speed dial."

Vic asks Gordie for a favor: Have someone tail Corinne and the kids 24/7. He's been greenlit by a Mexican drug lord and is concerned about their safety. But Corinne can't know she's being watched.

At the scene of the 911 hang-up, there's a broken window. The front door is hanging off the hinges. Danny spots a dead woman lying just inside the house, a crowbar next to her head. A surveillance camera has been smashed. A second dead woman has a pile of brochures scattered around her. Danny realizes they're in a battered women's shelter. Julien finds two more dead women; there's a fifth woman dead on the kitchen floor.

A sudden thump from upstairs attracts their attention. There's yet another woman's body at the top of the stairs. Danny hears crying behind a door. When she opens it, she finds a playroom full of kids. Varying ages but all quite young, all dressed in pajamas. Danny crouches to their level, whispering, "It's okay, come here."

At the Mackeys, Matt and Cassidy are arguing loudly and Vic is leaving with a packed bag. He asks if Corinne still locks up at night. As a cop's wife, she'd be very stupid not to. Vic announces he's having a new alarm system installed since he won't be living there anymore; it'll make him feel better about her and the kids being alone.

Dutch explains how the private domestic violence shelter works. When a woman decides to leave her abuser, she calls a 1-800 number, gets picked up, and brought to the house. The address is never released. Claudette sums it up, "Looks like the wrong person found it." The location of the crime means they have 6 ready-made suspects.

Claudette couldn't find any IDs in the house, but it's not uncommon for shelters like this to give women aliases and take their wallets. Dutch observes that the power was cut off and the closed-circuit videotape stolen, "more premeditated than blackout rage." The bodies are covered with yellow tarps. Danny and other officers carry the kids downstairs, shielding their faces with blankets. A child psychologist has promised to contact the department when the kids are able to answer questions.

Outside, a blonde woman is being restrained from entering. She identifies herself as Emma the shelter director and doesn't seem to understand why she can't go in. The yellow crime scene tape should be a pretty big hint. Vic warns her it's bad in the house. Emma was only gone a few hours to pick up donated clothes. She seems to have figured out what's going on because she asks tearily, "They're all dead?" Vic assures her that the kids aren't hurt, at least not physically.

Vic tells her they need help identifying the victims. The women and children's real names are kept on a password-protected computer. Only 2 people have access: Ms. Henry and Julie, both of whom were at the shelter when Emma left. Emma starts crying again and asks if all 7 women are dead. Vic only found 6 bodies.

At the Barn, Emma shows Vic a picture of the missing woman. She takes pictures when the women come to the shelter to document injuries caused by abuse. The missing woman arrived just today; she was a prostitute beaten by her pimp. Emma normally doesn't take in that sort, but the pimp had allegedly threatened to kill the girl if she went back to the streets. "You did the right thing helping her," says Vic, a great judge of right vs. wrong.

Emma frets that she has 2 more women arriving tomorrow and no place for them to go. Vic suggests contacting city shelters. "If the city had room for them, I wouldn't have needed to start my own shelter," Emma points out. Vic has been flipping through prostitute mugshots on the computer and Emma recognizes one of them. Vic tells a uniform to get the hooker's name and photo out to everyone.

Over at Dutch's desk, the department tech guy seems stumped by the password-protected laptop. Turns out he only knows Police Information Systems or PIS. "Piss?" Dutch says. The tech guy snits, "We don't call it that." Dutch won't be able to find suspects until he can get the real names of the women from the computer. "I'm not cleared to work on non-departmental computers," the guy informs Dutch. But since it's an emergency, he nervously agrees to break the rules.

Edgar-veda tells Danny that Yassirah filed another complaint against her. This time, she accused Danny of making threatening phone calls. Danny says all she did was tell Yassirah she knows what she's been doing and told her to stop. That sounds perfectly reasonable, much like what I would say if I were in her shoes. Edgar-veda hisses, "Just please tell me you did not call her from your house. There will be a record of it." Like there wouldn't be if she'd used a cell or the phone at the precinct? And also, wouldn't that mean there'd be records of Yassirah calling Danny?

Danny is upset and righteously so. Yassirah vandalized Danny's personal car and called the precinct pretending that Danny's mother died. Where does it end? The captain says they can't prove that. Danny's actions have now given Yassirah a case of her own for harassment.

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He orders Danny to make a formal apology. Do what now?

Dutch asks the stoned-looking PIS how he's doing with the laptop. "It's complicated," he slurs, which tells the detective absolutely nothing. Ronnie happens by. Dutch gripes, "Our piss guy's incontinent." Ronnie offers to lend a hand.

Emma has identified the missing prostitute as Dorea Pinchuk, who has 5 priors for solicitation. Dutch thinks that makes her a witness or a victim. Claudette has a much different theory: "Or an accomplice." Vic volunteers to find Dorea's pimp. In the clubhouse, he shows Dorea's mug shot to Connie, who claims not to recognize her. Vic asks her to find the pimp, a task I'm sure she'll undertake with subtlety.

Connie asks if a high-profile case like this is worth an extra reward. Vic will try to make this information count as 2 of her monthly tips. Connie was thinking more along the lines of monetary compensation. She's been saving up for another place to live; she wants to prove to the court she can take care of Brian, even though that ship has long since sailed. Out in the squadroom, Ronnie has managed to crack the password on the laptop.

Edgar-veda supervises a meeting between Yassirah, Danny, and Yassirah's Lawyer. Danny makes the standard speech about how she's sorry for any stress her actions may have caused and that she wrongly accused Yassirah. Everything about Yassirah's body language is ugly. Danny is obviously working not to convey her annoyance at being forced to apologize. Yassirah's Lawyer still intends to file a temporary restraining order against Danny, claiming Yassirah fears for her safety.

Vic and Shane roust Dorea's pimp at a sidewalk cafe. Pimp Daddy claims he hasn't seen Dorea in a week. Vic asks who bruised up Dorea's face. Pimp Daddy swears he never hits his "employees." A practical man, he adds, "They can't go down if their lips are busted up."

When a car full of Latino gangbangers approaches, Vic immediately tenses up and reaches for his holster. So does Shane. The car continues down the street without incident. Vic tells Pimp Daddy to let him know if Dorea contacts him, then Vic might change his mind about looking for the rest of his stable. He hands Pimp Daddy a card.

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According to shelter records, 3 women checked in with 5 children between them. Officers who searched the house only found 4 kids. The missing child is a 7-year-old boy, Dad's whereabouts unknown. The boy's 2-year-old sister was left behind. Vic, the voice of experience when it comes to parenting, points out that 2-year-olds are harder to travel with.

"Who's our father of the year and why would he take a hooker with him?" asks Claudette. That would be Mike Holden, a firefighter with 3 arrests for solicitation. You'd think that kind of conduct would cost him his job. Vic adds that Dorea lied about being attacked by her pimp; he hasn't seen her in a week: "How much you wanna bet we find her slidin' down our fireman's pole?"

The squadroom breaks out in scattered cheers and applause as Edgar-veda descends the stairs dressed in his uniform. "Brass finally get wise?" Vic jokes. Edgar-veda explains the new policy of captains going on patrol in uniform once a month to "keep it real." "Keepin' it real funny," Shane puts in. Vic would let Edgar-veda put his name in for the Strike Team, but it's competitive. Danny and Julien are the poor unfortunate souls who get to ride with the captain.

Their first case is the report of a stolen kid's bike: a black-and-yellow, 18-speed Street Jammer to be exact. The kid, a little Hispanic boy, had it locked in the yard even though Mom told him not to do that. "$300 and I just bought it 2 days ago," Mom adds. The kid's hanging his head sadly. Edgar-veda promises they'll try to get the bike back.

Emma comes to the Barn with the women who were due to check into her shelter. Vic hands over the keys to one of the city's safehouses. Emma worries about him getting into trouble. "It's as white as a lie gets," notes the resident liar. She can call Vic if she needs anything: "You're doin' a good thing for these women." "Someone did it for me once," Emma says.

Julien asks if the captain got his wedding invitation and how long Edgar-veda's been married. His 8th anniversary is coming up. Julien asks if the older man can offer any advice. Edgar-veda tells him to have no secrets: "The one thing that you think she can't possibly know about is the one thing that'll come back to haunt you."

They pull over a chubby black middle-school-ish boy who's riding a black-and-yellow Street Jammer. Edgar-veda observes that the bike looks a little small for him. He has a report of a stolen bike matching this description: "You may be young, but I will arrest you. Gimme the bike." Does the kid want to be taken in and booked? "Book you?" Julien mouths.

The kid gets off the bike and starts to walk home. "Don't let me catch you out here again," the captain warns. He and Julien load the bike into the squad car's trunk. Julien somewhat sarcastically remarks that Edgar-veda solved a case 2 hours into their shift. "Once you got it, you never lose it," brags Edgar-veda.

Vic hands Lem a stack of flyers with Dorea's picture on them. "$5 grand? That's like a hundred handjob reward," Lem remarks. And you know this how? Connie arrives to hassle Vic more about money. She gets her own stack of flyers, this set bearing Mike's photo. They think he's a regular john. Connie asks if the $5,000 will go to her. "No, it goes to whoever gives us direct information that leads to the arrest of the guy or the safe return of the kid," Vic corrects.

Claudette and Dutch interview Mike's friend Lou, who just happens to be a uniform cop. They were best men at each other's weddings. Lou was the arresting officer for Mike's solicitation charges plus a drunk and disorderly; all 4 cases were dropped later due to technicalities. Claudette says a cop helping out his friends like that might fly in Western Division, but not Farmington. Oh, really now?

Claudette lays out crime scene photos on the table: "6 women were murdered last night in a place their husbands shouldn't have been able to find them." Lou recognizes Mike's wife Julie. Claudette thinks Mike was responsible for this. His 7-year-old son was kidnapped from the women's shelter where he and Julie were staying. "Mike loved Julie. He wouldn't kill her," Lou insists.

Claudette knows that Mike beat his wife. Lou trots out the ever-popular the-bitch-had-it-coming defense: "It was never as black-and-white as Julie made it out to be." Claudette goes on: The shelter's address is unlisted, but the police know where it is. Lou told Mike where Julie was hiding and Mike sent Dorea over to make sure, then Mike murdered Julie and the other women.

Dutch asks where Mike is. Lou knows his law: "If I knew, that would make me an accomplice after the fact." He wants 20 minutes to think. Claudette says they don't have that kind of time. "Then I can't say anything," Lou says stubbornly. Claudette leaves with all the crime scene pictures, except the one of Julie's body.

Pimp Daddy found out that Fireman Mike had a thing for Dorea. Mike started off as a client and now they're dating off the books. Lem looks utterly bored by that detail. Dorea isn't returning Pimp Daddy's pages.

Julien and Edgar-veda go to drop off the recovered bike. The boy inspects the bike and pipes up that it's not his; he scratched his initials (J.D.) under the seat. They turn the bike over and sure enough, it's not there. Edgar-veda visibly deflates. "Can I keep it anyway?" the kid asks brightly. The captain is afraid not. Mother and son go back in the house. Edgar-veda can't believe it: "I just stole a kid's bike." And what did he just say to Danny about not jumping to conclusions?

Claudette checked Lou's bank records and saw he drew $400 today while on duty. She asks to see his wallet. Of course, there's no cash in it. They also know Lou got a call from a pay phone 10 minutes before the ATM visit. The money had to have been for Mike. Lou sighs: "I don't wanna lose my job."

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Claudette reminds him of the small matter of a child's life at stake. "You know how many of these things end in murder-suicide?" asks Dutch. Lou practically pouts that he's only 32 and nowhere near eligible for his pension. Claudette tries to appeal to any paternal instincts he may have: "You know Mike Jr.; you've been to his birthday parties." Lou doesn't want anything to happen to Mike Jr., but "I got my own kid to worry about."

On the balcony, Dutch is sure Lou won't talk unless they give him a reason. "He may not like being unemployed, but he'll like prison even less," says Claudette. Making a deal with Lou would take time they don't have. Dutch wants to give him a free pass for talking. "Just because he's a cop doesn't mean he gets a free pass," says Claudette, probably for Vic's benefit since he's standing right behind her. Vic, shockingly, agrees with Dutch.

Vic and Dutch go in and make a little chitchat about Lou's 3-year-old daughter. Vic understands Lou needs to keep providing for her, but Mike has his son with him and isn't in the best state of mind. "You think I don't know that?" asks Lou. Yes, and he obviously doesn't care.

Vic can tell Mike is jonesing for a cigarette. Why don't they just go down to motor pool and Lou can make an anonymous phone call to find out where Mike is? Lou is hesitant. Who's to say they won't file accessory charges after they find Mike? He wants to help, but just can't. Vic stands up: "You son of a bitch." This should make Lou worry. Vic gets louder; Lou knows where Mike is and only cares about his own ass.

Julien and Edgar-veda drive to a local basketball court. "It's the po-po who stole my bike," says the kid, "I told you I didn't steal it." Edgar-veda explains again about the stolen bike report and how the description matched. "My parents say that's racial profiling," says the boy. They instructed him to be polite and respectful if it happened, but get a badge number. He scrutinizes Edgar-veda's uniform: "Is that an 8 or a 3?"

Julien apologizes for the mix-up, adding, "It's his first day on the job; he's still learning." The captain glares. Fortunately, none of the kids seem to know which rank insignia is which. Julien will make sure it doesn't happen again. When the kids leave, the captain actually thanks the rookie for lying.

In the breakroom, Danny mentions hearing about the Strike Team opening. Shane gripes that the captain is shoving affirmative action down their throats, which isn't altogether untrue. Danny asks if any women are under consideration. "Yeah, we're bringin' in Batgirl and Charlie's Angels," Shane says sarcastically. Danny understands: "Someone like me could never run with the real cops, right?" Shane gets a deer-in-the-headlights look and backpedals that they're open to all viable candidates. Danny calls him an asshole. "I didn't know you were bein' serious," he lies.

Speaking of candidates, Vic has one on the couch. As can be expected from their totally unbiased captain, said candidate is Latino: Villanueva. He's done 3 years with vice and 1 with narcotics. No gang time, but he's a fast learner.

Before joining the police department, Villanueva was a Marine and did a tour in Bosnia. He credits the Corps for saving him from his hellraising ways with some much-needed discipline. A stickler to the book won't do well on the Strike Team, well, except Lem would like him.

Villanueva has a wife and a son who's almost 4. Vic thinks it's brave of him to apply for the Strike Team with loved ones at home. Villaneuva looks confused. Vic says casually, "We've pissed off a serious Mexican player. Whole team's been greenlit."

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Edgar-veda asks what Vic said to Villanueva that made him withdraw his application. The choices won't get much better than him. Stalling won't work: "We're gonna hire a minority and we're gonna do it soon." "Yes, Officer," Vic snarks.

Connie has information for Vic. A hooker named Carla and another girl have been picked up by the fireman a few times. But it wasn't for a threesome. Carla would babysit while Mike had sex with the other hooker, who is presumably Dorea. Carla wouldn't tell Vic herself because she doesn't trust cops. Vic says to have Connie call if Mike shows up wanting to "play nasty nanny."

Dorea doesn't own a car, at least not one that's registered. That means they're in Mike's car or they stole one. Claudette wants a list of every car stolen within a 5-mile radius of the women's shelter. Dutch suggests she take another crack at Lou. Claudette doesn't know what she's supposed to use for leverage. Dutch doesn't either. She agrees to go upstairs, even though she thinks it's a waste of time.

Shane and Lem approach the desk. Edgar-veda has been on the street 7 hours and hasn't made a single arrest. The captain claims he's working a robbery and it's progressing. "From the donut shop to the sports bar to the strip club," Shane guesses. Are you sure you're not just rattling off what you and Lem have been up to all day? "Cute," the captain smirks. Shane gets it: "The captain does not like excuses." In unison, he and Lem say, "He just likes results."

Julien asks who's doing the paperwork on the bike case. Edgar-veda will get to it tomorrow. Department policy says partners have to complete their reports the same day. Edgar-veda thinks he can let himself slide this one time.

Corinne calls Vic, asking why the new alarm system is so sophisticated: wired windows, automatic light timers, the works. It seems excessive. Is there something she needs to know? "Nothing you need to worry about," says Vic. Gordie the PI comes in to say he followed Corinne and the kids all day, no problems at all. 24-hour protection, however, is gonna cost Vic a lot. Gordie suggests just having someone watch the house at night. Vic doesn't want to take any chances.

Gordie gives him the good news that Corinne doesn't have a boyfriend..."at least not yet." If he so much as left to get milk, his own ex-wife would've been having sex with a stranger before he got to the store. Vic's phone rings again. Connie tells him she's with Mike Jr. She was hanging out with Carla when Dorea showed up looking for a babysitter. She gives Vic the address: "This'll get me the $5 grand, right?"

"Get the kid and get outta there now," Vic orders. Connie can't; she and Mike Jr. are in the bedroom. They have to go past Mike Sr. to get to the door. Vic asks if there's a window or a fire escape.

Mike Sr. opens the door, his belt still unbuckled. Connie pretends she's setting up her next date. "Well, you're still mine for another 20 minutes," Mike Sr. says as he hangs up the phone. She shouldn't worry; Mike Jr. can sleep through anything. He half-drags Connie out of the bedroom.

Vic and the boys show up with the Strike Team van, several squad cars close behind. Vic sends Ronnie to cover the back. Lem will go starboard, Shane to port. Hopefully one of the two knows the difference. Vic will approach Mike Sr. as soon as the snipers get here.

"You rang?"
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They hear sirens off in the distance. "We're supposed to be non-code," says Shane. Lem guesses EMS didn't get the memo. They scurry to their respective stairwells. Mike Sr. is at the window and sees all the activity in the courtyard. He accuses Connie (now down to her denim vest and matching black bra and panties) of calling the police. Vic reaches the window, draws his gun, and tells Mike Sr. to freeze.

Mike Sr. puts his gun to Connie's head. Vic warns that if he doesn't drop the gun, he might as well be shooting himself. Mike Sr. jams the gun into Connie's ribs. Vic shouts for everyone to back off. He wants to come in and talk. Vic even stupidly agrees to leave his gun out on the windowsill. Mike Sr. tells Vic to get rid of his backup gun too.

Dorea, braless with her skirt askew, opens the door. Mike Sr. barks at Vic to lock the door and shut the blinds. He's had it with Vic's Negotiator 101 crap. Vic tells Mike Sr. to kill him if he must, but let Connie and Mike Jr. go. Dorea's apparently on her own. Mike Sr. throws Connie across the room. He tells Vic to call the cops outside; they won't use tear gas or battering rams if they know one of their own is at risk. Outside, it's CHAOS (Captain Has Arrived On Scene).

Vic thinks Mike should let his son go; the kid's been through enough already. Mike Sr. loves him too much to lose him again so soon. Vic says, "He's not your son, not your property." Mike Sr. argues that Vic doesn't know anything about having kids. Like hell he doesn't and Vic says as much.

Vic tells Mike Sr. how Corinne made him leave and took their kids. Mike Sr. says women always take everything. "Except advice," Vic contributes. That's why Mike Sr. prefers prostitutes; at least you know what you're buying. Actually, you don't. They could have AIDS or some other STD or they could turn out to be a transsexual.

Vic feels abandoned and pissed-off. However, the latter seems to be a factory setting for him. Mike Sr. stammers, "I didn't want...I didn't mean..." I'm not sure if he's talking about beating Julie or murdering her and 5 other women. "You're not the only guy who's been used," says Vic. He misses his kids so much.

This is a great scene. Mike Sr. thinks Vic is making things up to establish a rapport and Vic is actually baring his soul. He gets louder and more insistent on that point: "You think I'm some kind of idiot you can't take seriously? This is how serious I am!" Without warning, he shoots Connie in the chest. She slides down the wall, leaving a trail of blood in her wake.

Dorea starts screaming. Jesus, that kid really can sleep through anything. "You didn't need to do that," Vic is on the verge of tears, "You stupid piece of shit!" Mike Jr.'s voice filters in from behind them, asking what's wrong. Mike Sr. shakily tells him to stay in the bedroom and shut up.

While Mike Sr. is distracted, Vic rips down the blinds and dives for cover. Sniper fire shatters the window. Mike Sr. is hit, also in the chest. Dorea shrieks again. Mike Sr. levels his gun at Vic. Shane shoots the fireman and kicks in the door. Vic checks Connie's pulse, but she's gone. He sits down heavily on the floor, practically shoulder-to-shoulder with her. Shane doesn't know what to say.

Two detectives from IAD tell Danny they want to search her car. They got an anonymous tip that she's been dealing pot out of it. Danny sighs: "I was involved in an on-duty shooting last month and that guy's wife has it out for me." The IAD detective is sure it's bogus, but there's a new policy to investigate every complaint made against an officer.

In the parking lot, IAD finds a large Ziploc bag of marijuana under the passenger seat of Danny's black Pontiac. "That's not mine," Danny says instantly. Yassirah must've hidden the drugs in the car when she vandalized it. IAD will look into her, but they'll also have questions for Danny. She knows her fingerprints won't be on the bag. Danny slams one of her car doors: "I just happen to keep my pot, all 4 ounces of it, in the back of an unlocked car in the middle of a police station?"

Claudette tells Lou that Mike's been shot and killed. Dutch lets him know that another woman was also murdered. "8 people dead, but you saved your job," Claudette says contemptuously. Lou protests that he didn't want anything bad to happen. Claudette tells him to get out of her sight.

At home, Vic fiddles with the alarm and says it's working. "It should. They told me it cost $2,000," says Corinne. Vic knows a guy who got him a better deal. She notices he keeps tugging at his jacket and asks if something is wrong. Vic shrugs that it's just work. Can she turn on the alarm when he leaves? He'll be over for dinner tomorrow.

Edgar-veda unloads a black-and-yellow Street Jammer from the trunk of his patrol car. The little Hispanic boy checks under the seat and declares excitedly, "They found it, Mama!" Julien gives the kid a helmet too, informing Mom it's state law. Mom thanks them as the kid pedals away. Edgar-veda is all "just doing our jobs, ma'am." Julien mutters he can't believe a kids' bike costs $300. "Lucky this uniform thing is only once a month. Any more crying kids, I'd be broke," says Edgar-veda.

Vic goes to the safe house with a delivery of groceries for Emma. He looks so nervous you'd think he was preparing for a first date. Emma opens the door and accepts the bag gratefully. She thinks maybe someday she'll understand the things people do to each other. Vic doubts it. Something seems to pass between them as they look at each other. End of episode.

Somebody's Been "Greenlit" (Episode 2.5)

Previously on: Connie, Vic's drugged out informant, tried unsuccessfully to detox and abandoned her son Brian. Julien started dating a woman he met on duty. Navaro and Armadillo Quintero are murdering their drug dealing competition in cold blood. Armadillo also raped two young girls. Vic tried to get Armadillo to go back to Mexico. When he wouldn't, Vic tried to persuade him by beating the hell out of him and burning his face on his own stove. Vic and Shane discovered the Armenian mob's money train.

Vic comes into the clubhouse, immediately locks both doors, and turns up the volume on their stereo. He and Shane fill the other two in on the diamond fencing operation and fooling the Armenians into thinking they killed a problem member by blowing a suicide victim's face off. "I can't believe we missed out on that," Lem says in uncharacteristically eager fashion. Vic tells them about stumbling across the money laundering ring. Lem thinks they're busting it and cheers, "Sweet!"

Vic goes on that the cash won't be going into the evidence lockup. Shane knows exactly where and when they ship the money to be laundered overseas. The Armenian money train will be the Strike Team's big retirement score. Lem is all "um, what?" "I told you he'd be speechless," Shane chuckles. Getting a little louder, Lem says, "You can't be serious."

Vic whispers that they have 2 months to plan the operation, rehearse it over and over. Lem is emphatic; he wants no part of this. Ripping off the Armenian mob is a thin step short of suicide. Not to mention that if they do pull it off, they'll be wanted by their own police department. Ronnie has a much different attitude.

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A knock on the door immediately shuts everyone up. A female uniform tells Vic that Connie is waiting in the lobby for him. When he goes to see what she wants, Connie is wearing baggy clothes and seems clean. She has a bandanna around her neck to cover up the scar from when a john knifed her. Connie wants to become a duly registered and paid CI. She hears things all the time and blends in with the criminal element. Can't argue with either statement.

Vic doesn't want her to put herself in harm's way. Never mind that she's done that 100 times over: trying to force herself to miscarry, doing crack, prostituting herself. "You know my resume. Who else is gonna give me a job?" Connie asks. She throws in a guilt trip. If Vic turns her down, she'll have to go back to hooking. Hooking will lead to her using again. And her old friend would be responsible for it. Connie also just heard about a teenager named Felipe who sells heroin to kids.

Vic pays a visit to a local middle school. He and Shane pull a kid named Enrique out of science class and into the principal's office.

A place Walton Goggins is now very familiar with.
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Shane knows the kid has been flashing thumbnail bags of heroin. He also knows it came from Felipe. "You got the wrong Enrique," the kid insists, like they've never heard that before. They can clear it up with a simple pat-down. "Up against the wall, Wrong Enrique," instructs Shane. The kid asks the principal if they can do that. Vic says yes, it's a public school.

Enrique reaches into his pocket and pulls out a few bags. He says he's not the only one with drugs. Felipe's been handing it out by the school's east gate. Free samples, just like all those 1980's PSAs warned you about.

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Outside Danny's house, her car is a mess. The windshield has a huge hole in it and the body's been unevenly splattered with bright yellow house paint. She's sure Yassirah did it. After all, the woman threatened her: "Justice will find you." Edgar-veda says he can't do anything because it's not his district; Danny needs to call the Hollywood precinct.

Danny knows full well nothing will come of that because she spends all day taking vandalism reports like this one. Edgar-veda reminds her of the importance of documenting the incident. The captain doesn't want to get on Danny's case, but his bosses have been asking for Julien's 6-month review. He needs it by the end of today.

At the middle school, Vic explains to the principal that he called in officers to search every student and locker. If a locker has been left open, it means drugs were found. The majority of the lockers on this floor are open. "I think you should start calling some parents," Vic advises the principal.

Shane is smoking in the boys' room while Vic uses the facilities. Shane can't believe Lem is being such a wimp about a little thing like ripping off the Armenian mob. Vic thinks Lem might have a point. Yes, please continue that thought process. Shane figures they can still pull off the job with 3 people; Lem won't care. Maybe not, but Vic does: "One guy knowing who isn't accountable isn't an option." They're a team.

On the school's front steps, Edgar-veda's city council opponent gives an impassioned speech to a crowd of reporters. One of them asks Edgar-veda for his opinion; he replies that he's here as a police officer. What looks like the entire student body is sitting on the floor of the gym. Vic fills the captain in about someone giving out free hits of pure heroin; if you smoke it or snort it, you'll get just as high as shooting up.

Edgar-veda thought Vic had a handle on drug activity in this neighborhood. Vic did, but then said handle was "burnt at the stake by Armadillo." Though he gave Tio a lot of slack, there were a lot of rules too, not dealing to kids being one. Edgar-veda wants this fixed without making arrangements with another drug dealer: "Crack down publicly and hard."

In a pool hall, a large group of Latino men are watching a soccer game on TV while they play. The Strike Team bursts in and herds everyone to their knees in the middle of the room. Vic heard they thought they could turn middle schoolers into clients. He picks up a pool cue and breaks it over his knee. Using one end of the stick, he smashes the jukebox and calls, "Nope! No heroin here!"

Lem has grabbed a pool cue of his own and is smacking the light fixtures. Shane pushes the TV off its shelf. Nothing falls out of it. Lem flips over a foosball table and reports, "Nothing here either, boss." Vic gestures to the suspects with his pool cue, designating them as 'A' or 'B.' He tells all the A's to stand up: "The next asshole I catch selling dope to kids, I'm gonna find a soft, dark place to jam this stick. Now get out."

Vic instructs the B's to stand up. Felipe, a skinny kid who's probably still in high school, tries to leave with the A's. Vic asks where Felipe thinks he's going: "You were handing out free samples at East Truman Middle School today, which makes you a special kinda B. My bitch."

Danny is on the street tending to what looks like the victims of a multi-car accident when Armadillo approaches. He asks if she works with Vic Mackey. "Maybe. Why?" says Danny. Armadillo acts like he's one of Vic's many unofficial informants. He has an important message to pass along: "The guy he's looking for isn't stopping. And I'm afraid if Vic isn't careful, he might start talking." Danny finds this very odd and wants Armadillo's name. He replies evasively, "Tell him about the face. He'll know."

Vic seems mildly impressed that someone Felipe's age is selling heroin. Felipe says he won't go to jail for it; after all, he's only 15. Vic laughs, "What fantasy world are you living in?" Minors can be charged as adults if the offense is serious enough and moving major weight in heroin qualifies. "But--but I'm a minor. I was told--" Felipe stammers. Vic shouts in his face, "You were told wrong!" Felipe immediately starts whimpering.

Shockingly, Vic tells the kid it's all right to cry. Everybody acts tough on the street, but reality sets in hard when you get caught. "I was just following orders," Felipe says like a good German, "You don't understand. You can't say no to him." The "him" in question is Armadillo. Felipe claims he's never met Armadillo; everything is done through his middleman Eduardo.

"Armadillo's back?" Edgar-veda asks in such a skeptical tone you'd think Vic had said "Voldemort." Vic explains the "hook 'em young" business model. Edgar-veda wants all hands on deck. "The last time you couldn't read between the lines, so let me draw you a clear picture." says Vic. He wants everyone, especially Claudette, to stay out of his way.

Armadillo is playing it smart by using minors to deal; they can't do prison time. Minors also can't be undercover CIs. Felipe can lead them to Eduardo, who in turn can lead them back to Armadillo. The captain reminds Vic that would be illegal. Vic insists it's more a gray area. "The last time you used a kid, Armadillo raped and tattooed her," says Edgar-veda. That was actually Dutch. He tells Vic to come up with another solution fast or he'll unleash the whole precinct.

Downstairs, Danny gives Vic the message. She describes his "informant's" face as being "all scarred up, like he'd been in some kind of fire or something." Vic instantly knows who she means. In the clubhouse, Shane exposits that Armadillo's declared war. If other cops bring Armadillo in, there's bound to be a complaint about the grill marks. The Strike Team has to find Armadillo: "He'll pull his gun, we'll have no choice." Ronnie thinks the drug lord should've gone back to Mexico like they told him.

Somebody is absent from this scene: Lem. "If he's not down with ripping off the money train, how the hell do you think he's gonna feel about this?" Shane asks. Vic has a solution: "Keep him away from the action, watching the door or somethin'." Lem walks in.

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Vic plays it off like they weren't just talking about him; he's been thinking about the best way to track down Armadillo.

A woman named Anne has come to the station to file a missing persons report on her elderly mother, Jeannie, who has Alzheimer's. Anne went out for an hour and the cleaning lady said she'd keep an eye on Mom. Claudette promises they'll find her. She asks if there's someplace Mom might go. Most of her friends are dead or have moved to nursing homes. There are no other relatives nearby and Anne is an only child.

Dutch has somewhat comforting news. Nobody matching Jeannie's description is in the morgue or any of the local hospitals. The police department is already printing up flyers. He and Claudette will oversee the search.

In the break room, Julien asks Danny if she has plans the next Sunday. He's getting married to Vanessa, the woman whose young son Julien let slide on a shoplifting charge. They've been seeing each other for 7 weeks. "Please tell me this is a joke," says Danny. Julien loves Vanessa and Vanessa loves him; he doesn't see any reason to wait. It's gonna be a small wedding and it's really important to him that Danny be there.

"Julien, you are gay," she says quietly. Julien argues that he was just "misguided." Danny has heard that sexual re-orientation therapy doesn't work. "That's just anti-religious propaganda," says Julien. He asks again if she'll be at the wedding.

At a bodega, the clerk tells Claudette that Jeannie walked in and tried to leave with 3 bags of candy. He told her she had to pay, but she was "out of it...loco." The clerk was worried about her, but didn't try to keep her in the store. As he justifiably puts it, "I'm gonna tackle some old lady?" And he called the police, didn't he?

Back at the Barn, Anne is familiar with the store Claudette is talking about. Jeannie had her first job there as a teenager, back when the place was a soda fountain. Claudette asks what else her mother did back then and finds Dutch at his desk. He just got back from buying a sandwich. Claudette mentions that they have a case and his break was 2 hours ago. "I was hungry," Dutch whines, "and I wouldn't exactly call this a case." A vulnerable adult is missing. What would you really consider it, then?

Claudette tells him about Jeannie going back to her former workplace. She could be on a journey to the past. "God knows how many defining moments she's had. She's an old white lady wandering around a mostly black and Hispanic neighborhood in pajamas and slippers. Someone's gonna call her in," says Dutch. Julien comes over to tell them Jeannie was spotted trying to get into a locked apartment on Chester Avenue about an hour ago. Claudette is sure it's someplace else Jeannie used to go.

Walking through the back hallway, Dutch gets body-checked by Shane. Shane doesn't seem to notice what he did. Dutch calls him out on his distinctively bad manners. Shane scoffs. "How funny would it be if I knocked those over-sized teeth out?" Dutch asks nastily.

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Vic tells his partner they've got more important things to do. Namely keeping their asses out of prison for aggravated assault, quite possibly attempted murder. Claudette asks Dutch what's gotten into him. Dutch has decided he won't take crap from people anymore.

"Hey, that's not my lawyer," Navaro says in the jail visitors' room. The guard sits him down with Vic anyway. Vic wants Navaro to tell his baby brother that there are gonna be new rules for him. One of these is not dealing drugs to kids. Navaro claims he doesn't talk to Armadillo anymore, which Vic knows is bullshit. The Quinteros are partners in their drug racket. "Armadillo doesn't like rules," says Navaro. No shit.

Vic gestures with his head to a One-Niner across the room. He's done the guy some favors. All Vic has to do is talk to him and Navaro will be greenlit. He said the thing! Navaro doesn't understand. Vic elaborates: "Means you'd be shanked in the shower, bleed out before the guards even know you're late for breakfast." If Armadillo threatens Vic or the Strike Team, Vic will call in his marker with the One-Niner.

Lem can't believe that Vic greenlit Navaro. Vic gets into semantics: "I only threatened to." They're hoping he'll contact Armadillo and they can find out where he's hiding. The county guards are monitoring the phones and will let the Strike Team listen in. Ronnie the resident tech guy will trace the calls. Doesn't the jail do that?

Lem wonders what'll happen if Armadillo does call and they bring him in: "What if he talks about...you know..." They're cops and Armadillo's a fugitive, plain and simple. Shane is confident he'll buy the greenlighting and keep his mouth shut to save Navaro. Yes, because you can trust a homicidal, drug-dealing rapist to have some sense of family honor.

On Chester Avenue, the apartment's tenant says Jeannie was jiggling his doorknob. She was asking for Earl. This prompts Dutch and Claudette have a sit-down with a gentleman about Jeannie's age. Dutch knows Earl used to live on Chester Avenue from 1946 to 1948.

Claudette asks if he remembers Jeannie Sutton. Earl says no. Claudette tries the maiden name: Russell. That one Earl recognizes; he dated her on and off for more than a year when he got back from World War II. They met at the soda shop where Jeannie worked. They haven't kept in touch, "but if she still looks as good as she used to," Earl wants her number. Claudette gives him the bad news that Jeannie has Alzheimer's and is missing. She asks Earl to call if Jeannie tries to contact him. Dutch gets a tip from a uniform that someone saw Jeannie in Echo Park.

Vic gives Connie a CI contract. She'd have to provide 4 tips a month that lead to arrests. In exchange, the department will pay her $2,000/month. Connie would also undergo mandatory drug tests. She gripes that she doesn't like peeing in a cup, but, really, does anybody? Connie asks when she'll get her first check. Vic says after her first tip. Connie protests that she already gave him one. "That was in good faith," Vic tells her. Connie quickly signs the contract.

On a playground, there's a body covered with a tarp lying on the sand. Edgar-veda explains a 3-year-old died after eating "candy" he found in his brother's backpack. A distraught boy is being comforted by his mother on a nearby bench. The kid already admitted to being given the drugs at school. Vic observes, "He's too young to go to Truman East." That's because he goes to South Torres Elementary.

"I'm sick of this. Whatever you're gonna do, do it quick," the captain tells the Strike Team. They already have. Edgar-veda tells them to do more. However, they still can't use Felipe as a CI.

Vic escorts Felipe to the precinct bathroom. "I can't go when someone's watching me," Felipe says nervously. Vic advises him to get used to it; the kid could do 20 years. He wants Felipe to do a good deed. It's illegal in California to use minors as undercover CIs, so they're gonna let him free but keep a tail on him. Felipe will reconnect with Eduardo and find out where Armadillo is.

At Echo Park, Jeannie is kneeling on the sidewalk being taunted by some teenage punks on skateboards. "Hey, who taught you you could treat an old woman like that, huh?" asks Dutch. I notice the tipster was wrong; Jeannie is wearing cotton pants and a blouse. The kid says Jeannie is crazy. She's been crawling around and clawing at the sidewalk. Claudette murmurs soothing words to the older woman and helps her stand up.

Vanessa comes to the breakroom and introduces herself to Danny. She's looking for Julien so they can pick out floral arrangements for the wedding. I can tell you that's usually a waste of time; both times my dad got married, he threw up his hands and said to the bride, "I don't care. Whatever you want." Danny congratulates her. Vanessa can't believe this has happened so fast; she's never met a man with as much integrity as Julien. She knows he'll be a great father to Randall. Julien comes in and hugs his fiancee. Danny asks to speak to him privately.

"My God, you haven't told her yet?" Danny asks when Vanessa leaves. Julien didn't think it was necessary; he's a straight man now. Danny thinks Vanessa has a right to know, especially since Julien will be part of Randall's life too. Julien asks, "So you tell every man you've been with about every shameful thing you've ever done?" Danny's jaw drops; she knows he's talking about her affair with Vic. "If you don't tell her before the wedding, I will," she threatens.

Felipe is walking down the street. Ronnie and Vic watch from a parked car. Ronnie asks what Vic will do with his cut of the money train, even though he probably already knows: pay Matt's tuition and start college funds for his daughters. Vic doesn't think it's a good idea to discuss the job openly. He radios that Felipe is going to a payphone.

The other half of the Strike Team watches from the van. Shane tries to assure Lem that the money train is a sure thing. Lem didn't become a cop to steal from the mob. "You get any softer, you're gonna start lactating," says Shane.

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If I were Lem, I'd be taking my foot off the dash and planting it halfway up Shane's rear end. But he's always been more of a lover than a fighter, except for that incident with Tigre's ex. (Though in fairness, that dude deserved it). Anyway, Lem argues that there was a point to all the other shady shit they've done. What good would this do? "Money in our pockets instead of those Balkan bastards," Shane replies.

"You think I'm doing this for me?" he goes on. Lem is literally biting his lip to keep himself from listing off all the times Shane's been a selfish asshole. Shane tries to make it sound altruistic: They'd be helping their boss get money to pay for Matt's doctor appointments and special schooling. "And the guy could be facing a divorce," Shane adds, "He needs this." You can see Lem's resolve crumble. Shane's a master manipulator.

In his office, Edgar-veda has lunch with Aurora. He's scheming up ways to turn stopping the school heroin pipeline into votes. Never mind he's not actually the one rousting dealers. He tells Aurora that Vic is in charge. "Can you trust him?" asks Aurora. Edgar-veda pretty much says no, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Now there are too many loose threads. "David, you're gonna win," she says. Edgar-veda frets that they'll both be embarrassed if he loses.

Aurora tells them that the only way that could happen is if he doesn't make every effort to keep the local schools safe. Their daughter will have to attend them one day. Like those two snobs wouldn't second mortgage the house to send her to a private school. Edgar-veda doesn't think he's doing a good job with that. "What's stopping you?" Aurora demands.

Edgar-veda assembles the troops. He wants a wide net: every school, every kid who got free samples, the gangbangers who are disgruntled about the Torruco consolidation. Anything could lead them to Armadillo. Claudette seems surprised that he's back in town. He's also the one dealing drugs to kids. The captain claims he didn't tell her because he just found out himself. He promises her the first shot at Armadillo; he and Vic won't interfere.

In the car, Vic gives Felipe instructions: Ask Eduardo for another batch of sample heroin and Vic will call Felipe's cell phone after 10 minutes. If he sees the drugs, Felipe is to "pick up and say something clever." Vic will keep calling until Felipe picks up, then the Strike Team will come in. They'll take everybody back to the Barn and let Felipe go.

"Cheers, little G," says Eduardo, giving Felipe a Corona. Add contributing to the delinquency of a minor to his charges. Felipe chugs half the beer, no doubt in a desperate attempt to settle his nerves. He tells Eduardo that kids are asking for more heroin. Eduardo eagerly reaches into a black duffel and plops a handful of thumbnail bags on the coffee table. He reminds Felipe the new price is $20 a bag. Eduardo has an associate bring out a paper bag for the heroin.

Felipe's phone rings. He answers with a charming "What, bitch? I told you not to call me." Eduardo praises Felipe for "setting the hos straight already." Felipe starts putting the drugs in the paper bag, a couple of tiny bags at a time. Eduardo looks at him suspiciously and grabs the phone. He punches the redial button.

The cavalry arrives, Ronnie and Vic through the front door and Lem and Shane from the back of the house. Eduardo hears Vic's phone ringing. "You're dead," he threatens Felipe. Eduardo gets a kick in the chest for that. Vic asks if Felipe is okay. "No, I'm dead," squeaks the terrified teen.

Edgar-veda summons Danny to his office. He tells her that he just got a call from a police officer in Maryland; Danny's mom has been killed in a car accident. Danny is stunned. Becoming a little girl again, she asks to call her dad. Edgar-veda steps out to get her some privacy. Danny dials the phone and says softly, "Dad? It's me."

Danny emerges from the office, extremely pissed off: "It was a prank! My mother's fine." She wants Yassirah's phone records subpoenaed; it had to have been her. Without luck, Edgar-veda tries to get her to calm down. "She destroys my car, then she tries to ruin my career and now it's my family?!" she shouts. Edgar-veda promises to take care of it.

Anne thanks Claudette and Dutch for finding her mother. But as usual, Dutch wants to get the last word in. He understands Jeannie going back to the old soda shop and Earl's house, but why a sidewalk in Echo Park? She would've been 17 or 18 when she dated Earl and the 1940's were very conservative times.

Dutch found an interesting article in the newspaper archives. November 18, 1947: A newborn baby boy was found smothered to death and buried in a shallow grave in that area of Echo Park  The city built a sidewalk over the spot, exactly where he and Claudette found Jeannie. Echo Park also happens to be 3 blocks from Earl's old apartment. "No," Anne says weakly, "That's impossible."

Vic takes Eduardo into the bedroom. He knows that he's spreading Armadillo's dope around the schools. Eduardo claims not to know who Armadillo is. Vic wraps a kitchen towel around his neck. Edgar-veda knocks on the door and he hurriedly lets go. The captain asks what's going on and Vic fills him in. Edgar-veda wants Eduardo brought to the Barn with the others. Vic's not done. "Hand him over," the captain repeats.

Vic and Edgar-veda step outside the bedroom. Vic was given the green light to get Armadillo and Eduardo is the last piece of the puzzle. The captain is upset about the underage CI whose cover is now blown. "We both knew that was a risk," says Vic. The captain needs to take it from here. "You want Armadillo or not?" Vic growls. Edgar-veda says, "Claudette and I will get him. She overheard. There's nothing I can do." They have to do this by the book now.

Julien finds Danny working out in the Barn's weight room. Edgar-veda told Julien that he passed his 6-month review, however, he needs to address his communication and stress management issues. Him and everybody else in that precinct. Danny reminds him that passing the review is the more important thing.

"This is because I didn't cover you on that shooting, isn't it?" asks Julien. She really didn't need his help at all because Zaide gave her no choice. Then Julien thinks it's because he's getting married or that Danny is taking out her frustrations about Yassirah on him.

"You are way past outta line," Danny warns. Julien yells that he deserved a better evaluation. Danny calmly says she could've been a lot harsher. The truth is Julien has a lot of bottled-up pressure about his sexuality and no release valve. He also can't communicate. Julien isn't "about to jeopardize the only good relationship I've ever had for something I'm not and never will be again." Danny can tell Vanessa if she wants. It'll be on her conscience.

Edgar-veda tells Eduardo they have enough evidence to get him the death penalty for the 3-year-old who overdosed. They're willing to take the death penalty off the table if he gives up Armadillo.

Connie comes in with a tip about a pimp who's getting his girls to rob their johns. Vic says she can give tips over the phone. Connie asks where her toddler son Brian is. Vic breaks it to her gently that she can't see him. Connie signed over her parental rights and Brian's been adopted. She starts to cry: "I gave him to you to take care of him for me." Like Corinne would've agreed to raise a stranger's child (no doubt with disabilities of his own from Connie's crack use) when she already has Matthew.

Vic should've known she'd get clean. He doesn't know what it's like to lose his kid. Actually, he does. "Please, Vic," she begs. He's sorry, but there's nothing he can do. Connie wants a cash advance on her latest tip. Vic gives it to her out of his own pocket.

In the clubhouse, Ronnie is listening in on the jail lines. Navaro hasn't made any calls. Vic isn't sure if Eduardo gave up Armadillo. He leaves and takes Felipe outside. Vic introduces him to Officer Carlton from the Lancaster gang unit. They got Felipe a spot in the Clean Slate program, which he assures the kid isn't like juvie. Felipe can get rid of the gang tats and come back a new man. Vic had to call in a lot of favors, so the kid better not screw this up.

"You killed your baby, didn't you?" Dutch asks Earl. Baby John Doe is buried in a section of unidentified graves at the county cemetery. The police will have him exhumed and use DNA to prove Earl was the father.

Claudette asks if Eduardo honestly believes Armadillo will reward his loyalty. When they arrest him, Armadillo will think it's because of Eduardo. Armadillo has a lot of friends in the prison system: "You're gonna end up burned to death in your cell." If he tells them where Armadillo is, they'll send him to Ossining, New York, far from the drug lord's reach. They hope.

Edgar-veda comes downstairs and tells Vic that Armadillo is hiding out in Inglewood.

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Vic is all "great, let me round up the team." Edgar-veda already called SWAT. Danny calls Vic over; she wants to "get together" tonight. Vic asks for a rain check. Not even 30 seconds after he says that, Danny gives him a classic breakup speech: "I don't think that I can do this anymore. This isn't working for me the way that it used to."

On her way out of the Barn, Anne practically scolds Dutch: "You're wrong. You don't know my mother." "I just wish you had a chance to know your brother," he retorts. Too far, Dutch, too far. When they're gone, Dutch starts rambling about how humanity is just a collection of "sociopathic little narcissists." (He'd be the expert on that subject). Everyone does whatever they want and will always save their own skin. "I can't even believe in an old woman who's too sick to feed herself."

Don't get Dutch wrong. He isn't sad or surprised: "It's just nature." People are animals and he's learning to be okay with it. Claudette is looking at her partner like he could use some couch time with the department shrink.

In the clubhouse, Ronnie is listening to Navaro's wiretapped conversation with Armadillo. He gives Vic the number Armadillo is calling from. The area code is 323 (Hollywood area); Inglewood's area code is 310. Eduardo played them. Vic sends Shane to get the right address.

Ronnie isn't sure what the Quintero brothers are talking about because they're speaking Spanish. The only word he could get out of it was "lawyer." Vic let somebody who doesn't speak the language keep tabs on a major Mexican drug lord's conversation?

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Lem wants to talk to Vic about the Armadillo situation: "We can't bring him in alive." Vic is like "oh, really now?" Lem doesn't particularly like the idea, but reasoning with Armadillo didn't work and jail won't stop him. Armadillo is bound to bring up what happened to his face. Lem is adamant that "I am not gonna lose my job so some kid-raping piece of shit can bargain down his sentence, make me his bunkmate." A very legitimate concern with his feathery blond hair, charming smile, and athletic build.

Vic asks if Shane knows yet. No, but he will. Shane comes in with the correct address. Ronnie will keep monitoring the phones. Lem is their wheel man. "Shouldn't we be taking two cars?" Shane asks quietly. Vic says Lem had a change of heart.

When the van gets close to Armadillo's house, Lem cuts off the headlights. Vic reports that Armadillo is still talking to Navaro. The first guy who gets a clean shot has to take it. Vic can hear music and carefully opens the front door. The house is virtually empty except for the stereo and some furniture.

A cordless phone handset (remember those?) is sitting on the kitchen table. Vic can hear choking sounds coming from it. "I hope you all made it," says Armadillo with silky menace. Vic says through his teeth, "Weren't you supposed to meet me here to suck my dick?" Armadillo wanted to talk to Vic one last time. Vic thinks he should talk to Navaro before he starts making threats. "I've already taken care of my brother," says Armadillo.

Cut to county lockup. Navaro is lying next to the phone bank, bleeding profusely from his chest.

"And now, you've been greenlit," Armadillo finishes. End of episode.