Ballard (2025) s01e01 Episode Script
Library of Lost Souls
1
[pants]
[panting]
Stop! LAPD!
- [grunts]
- [shouts in Hindi]
[grunts]
- Down, lady.
- [exclaims, screams]
[suspect grunts]
- Stay down.
- [grunting]
- Stay, stay.
- [breathes shakily]
You okay?
- [panting] Yeah, I'm fine.
- [suspect grunts, groans]
Windel here's gonna need a doctor though.
- [grunts]
- [radio chatter]
- 4-King-80, we need an RA. My location.
- [Windel groans]
Black, male, conscious
and, uh… [panting] …breathing.
[operator on radio] Copy, 4-King.
RA to your location.
Jesus, Ballard.
[panting]
I thought… [grunts] …cold cases
were gonna be safer.
[panting]
Yeah, well, I think that may have been
some wishful thinking.
Honey, you didn't have to wait.
Oh, just got out of my interview
five minutes ago.
Plus, you're my ride.
Ah. [chuckles]
How'd it go?
[clicks tongue] Prelim should
show my actions were within policy,
but I gotta sit for a psych eval
before I head in.
[sighs]
It's worth it,
knowing we got Windel dead to rights.
Agreed.
Just, uh, watch your back.
[inhales sharply]
The two guys who grilled me
asked a lot of questions about you
in a digging-for-dirt kinda way.
Good to know.
Breakfast of champions?
Maybe not, but we took on a whole lot
of bad business last night.
A little good won't kill me.
["Weary" playing]
[sighs]
You know, most cops would take
the day off after the night you had.
[scoffs] You're still getting to know me.
[song continues]
Oh.
- You gave us a scare.
- Oh.
Colleen's been mainlining local news
since she got in this morning.
I'm a worrywart.
Well, at least Windel is off the street.
Yeah.
I mean, I wish it didn't take ten years,
but yeah.
[sighs]
Our first closed case.
[stammers] I was gonna make a cake, but
I didn't know if anyone was gluten-free.
Gluten-free is not a real thing, Colleen.
Uh, I'm pretty sure it is.
And you know the case
isn't actually closed, right?
It's just up to the courts now.
Well, someone's cranky.
Anyway, it doesn't matter.
Here.
Detective, the honors.
I-I cleared the shelves.
Figured we should have a special place.
[Ballard grunts]
[sighs]
Martina, where are the boxes
I brought from Property yesterday?
- [stammers] They were there. I didn't--
- Just taking a peek.
Not much to see really.
Question. Out of all the cases,
the thousands of cases to choose from,
why this one?
You're welcome to find one
to work on your own.
I'm just saying, it's got none of
the things that make it simple to close.
No DNA, no prints, no ID.
Just a body in the mountains
with a bullet in the head.
Cases like that tend
to fall through the cracks.
That's why you gotta open 'em up
and give them a fair shake.
Even if there's nothing simple about 'em.
I'm just asking the hard questions.
It seems like our, uh, resources
would be better served
by solving crimes against
the actual citizens of LA. Hmm?
This is weird.
What's that?
The other reason I want this case.
This is from a bus station in San Diego.
One of the last places
John Doe was seen alive.
That's him.
[gasps]
That baby was never found.
[Colleen] And what did
the investigating officer say?
[Ballard] IO is ducking my calls,
and I'm anxious to get some context
because the book just seems off.
- Like something's missing.
- [Colleen] Hmm.
[Pearlman] This way.
Councilman Pearlman.
A word in your office, Detective.
You've been at it two weeks,
and already I'm getting heat.
This is about last night.
This is about
the officer-involved shooting
that's all over the news.
Well, I certainly wasn't looking
to get shot at,
but aren't we missing the headline here?
We got a murderer off the street.
The point is, we'd like you to make
headlines that are less controversial.
To that end,
the primary focus of this unit
remains the murder of Councilman's sister.
- Which we are working.
- [stammers] Really?
Because it looks like
a study hall out there.
Pick up the pace.
I am trying, but big surprise,
people don't really like working for free.
All these applicants,
they're weirdos and wannabe podcasters.
With more money,
I could bring in a second sworn officer.
There is no more money.
Well then, I'm stretched thin.
The rest are reserves and volunteers.
I can only ask so much.
- You question Brian Richmond yet?
- Not yet.
I want something more actionable
before I do.
He was the number one suspect in '01.
Ex-boyfriend with a broken heart.
He killed her.
Sounds pretty actionable to me.
Look, I don't wanna burn him
until we know for sure.
I've asked Latent Prints
for everything we have.
I am reinterviewing every witness.
- We just need more time.
- [Pearlman] More time.
Man, do you know
how infuriating it is to hear that?
We have to go.
[sighs]
I heard from friends on the force
you weren't much of a team player.
I'm hoping you see this as an opportunity
to prove them wrong.
Just so we're absolutely clear,
this is your last stop.
If you don't close Sarah's case,
all of this goes away.
And you're done.
You good?
Yeah.
Keep up the good work.
Stop by any time.
I'll walk you guys out.
He kinda seems like a jerk.
I bet he's an Aries.
And Rawls is friends with him?
Yeah. They go way back.
- High school, I think.
- Mmm.
Pearlman put him here
to keep an eye on me.
[sighs] I knew it. Classic Aries.
Let me show you something.
Jake made me copies of their home videos.
Oh, gosh.
This one was the last one taken of Sarah.
Two weeks before she died.
[Pearlman] I can't believe
the DMV actually gave you a license.
I'm serious.
You're like a public safety hazard.
Says the guy with three speeding tickets.
[Pearlman] I got you something.
Figured you could keep it
in your glove box until you get accepted.
Aw.
You just don't want me
to follow you to Fullerton.
[Pearlman] Come on. You can't have
a Fullerton diploma
hanging on your wall
when you're big in politics.
Listen,
I do have one piece of real advice.
Don't ever forget.
The brake is the one on the left.
[scoffs] You suck.
[Pearlman] Watch out, Los Angeles.
Oh, it reminds me of my kids.
So sad.
Jake's the one who found her.
You've seen the crime scene photos.
That's how he remembers her,
not like this.
This is the reason why he pushes so hard.
He needs answers.
Hey, did you, um, hear back
from that IO on the John Doe case?
Nothing yet.
[sighs] I'm tired of waiting for her
to get back to me.
I'll call you later.
[dance music playing]
- [Ballard] Excuse me.
- [patrons chattering]
Zamira Parker working tonight?
Thank you.
Zamira Parker? Detective Renée Ballard.
I've been trying to
track you down all day.
I have some questions for you about
a John Doe case you worked in 2020.
Sorry. Not interested.
Yeah. I kinda got that message
when you didn't return my calls.
Care to tell me why?
'Cause LAPD's in my rearview,
and I'm not looking back.
- Besides, that case wasn't going nowhere.
- Is that why your book is so thin?
Bitch, I did my job.
There was a baby.
A critical missing you left out there.
I tried, but no one saw it as a priority.
I do. I'm reopening it.
You want a cookie?
In your chrono,
you listed four trips to that motel.
You left something out.
What makes you say that?
What was it? Did something happen?
You wanna know what I left out?
Somebody at the LAPD
was covering something up.
Things didn't square up.
We found a John Doe in the foothills,
and I tracked him back to this flophouse.
- This random--
- The Sunbeam.
That's the one.
I start talking to this guy. This burnout.
He don't know anything about
the John Doe or the baby,
but he tells me about an altercation
that happens the night before.
You didn't put anything
about this in your murder book.
He said people were yelling
in the parking lot.
He goes out there,
and he sees the motel manager
getting into it with some woman.
Black-and-white shows up.
Hauls the lady off.
Not unusual in a place like that.
- When I started--
- Hey, Z. It's crowded out here.
We gotta open up.
I need five minutes.
When I start asking the manager
about the altercation,
he gets real uncooperative.
So I head back to the barn,
and I start looking up all the 911 calls,
any record of a roll-out.
Nothing.
Nothing in the sergeant's log?
That's what I'm saying.
Someone buried that 911 call
and the roll-out.
Now, who would wanna do that?
That's why it's not in the book.
If you suspect that the cops
were involved, why not try to prove it?
Uh-huh.
'Cause calling the LAPD out on their shit
always goes so well.
Besides, I wasn't there much longer
after that.
I quit, like a week or two later.
Only thing I regret
is leaving them cases behind.
You want another shot at it?
The John Doe case.
Assuming you can keep your suspicions
about the department on the down-low.
There's a reason
I'm not a cop anymore, Detective.
I'm not asking you
to put the uniform back on.
All right, just look at the evidence.
We could really use your take.
[clicks tongue]
I don't know.
Okay.
You know, that baby
would probably be six years old.
Think about it.
[partner] Thinking about bringing her on?
It crossed my mind.
I'd have to reel her in slow.
Oh, we're getting a fridge tomorrow.
So this Parker give you any idea why
she flamed out of RHD after six months?
She did not. [clears throat]
Probably drugs, right? Booze?
Let's just wait and see.
She might not even show up.
Detective, that jewelry store homicide,
I think I have a new approach.
It's 80 degrees in here. [sighs]
I swear to God, this thing is useless.
[Colleen] I'm setting up eBay alerts
for the items that were stolen.
Over 300 pieces, so it'll take a while,
but if anything matches up,
I'll get notified.
Didn't that go down in, like, '09?
[Colleen] '07. Why?
And you think the killer's just now
trying to unload those goods?
Well, no.
But it could give us something
to trace back.
I have a really good feeling about this.
Whoa. It's like a library in here.
Parker.
Glad you could make it in.
I call it the Library of Lost Souls.
Zamira Parker, meet Colleen Hatteras.
- She's one of my volunteers.
- Hi.
I met her last year when she came to RHD
with a theory on a case.
Nobody wanted to listen to her
because she doesn't have
a law enforcement background.
Former soccer mom.
Current empty nester. [chuckles]
[Ballard] But her theory got us our guy.
And this is Thomas Laffont.
My first partner after I made detective.
He retired a few years ago,
but I pulled him back in as a reserve.
[Parker] I remember your name.
I was only in RHD for a few months,
but the guys would not stop talking
about your interviews.
Just a few months, huh?
Ted Rawls.
Pleasure.
Ted's a local business owner.
Private security,
but I've been a reserve for 12 years.
Councilman Pearlman thought
Ballard could use a little help down here.
[chuckles] Okay.
You going in the field today?
I wasn't planning to. Why?
A lot of hardware for a guy riding a desk.
It's like you're about to go to battle.
Parker was the IO on the John Doe case
we just pulled.
Thought I could use her input.
I'm just looking at evidence.
I'm not here to knock on any doors.
Copy that. Well, everything we have
is here and on the board.
[Parker] You know,
I called this the Santa Muerte case
after that figurine we found
in his bedroom at The Sunbeam?
I wondered what that was.
[Parker] Santa Muerte is a folk saint
out of Mexico.
A lot of immigrants carry them.
They think they offer protection.
Didn't much help here.
[Ballard] Is that how you figured
our John Doe was undocumented?
Yeah, I mean,
there wasn't a ton of detail.
And the department
was focused on other cases.
Makes sense. The killer's probably
already back across the border.
Martina Castro, meet Zamira Parker.
Martina is our intern
with an eye towards law school.
She's trying to get this place organized.
Is that from Latent Prints?
All they've got
on the Sarah Pearlman crime scene.
Thank you.
Now, this one I've heard of.
Yeah, Councilman Pearlman's sister
is why this unit's up and running
in the first place.
This is footage from the scene.
[Parker] It's like a time capsule.
They're all like that.
We get to go back and forth,
but the families, somehow,
they're always stuck back there.
[Parker sighs]
Sixteen. Strangled the night
before her Sadie Hawkins dance.
Oh, what? Is that--
Her retainer, yeah.
She lost it during the struggle.
You got the palm print.
What palm print?
It's from the window
that the killer climbed out of.
I've been trying to track it down
- for a week.
- Oh.
- It's a miracle it still exists.
- Yeah.
Looks like it was a waste of time.
It's too smeared to be usable.
I'm not thinking about the print.
Uh, I'm thinking about
the tape used to lift it.
There's a chance that it grabbed some DNA
the killer left behind.
- That's smart.
- That's what I said.
Touch DNA has come a long way
since the early aughts.
2001, you said?
[Ballard] Yeah.
[sighs] The dusting powder tends
to absorb oil,
and 24 years later,
sample's gonna be pretty degraded.
But you'll take a look at it?
Sure, just don't get your hopes up.
What kind of timeline you thinking?
Thirty days, minimum. Get used to 60.
Sixty?
This is for the Pearlman case.
You know, the councilman.
You run the cold case unit?
Yeah.
I'll move it to the front of the line.
[Ballard] I'm sure the councilman
will really appreciate it.
I'm not doing it for the councilman.
You're Detective Ballard, right?
I heard about what you did last year.
Thought it was brave.
[music playing in distance]
Hey, baby girl.
How you doing?
[kisses]
Come on.
Lola, come on.
Jesus, Tutu.
You're gonna bust an eardrum in here.
The Menace had his workers there again.
Nothing but hammers and handsaws all day.
Driving me nuts.
Uh, grab me a Phillips-head.
Where is it?
I don't know. Look around.
Check the drawers.
It's got a blue handle.
You know, we could just buy a new vacuum.
[groans] Why are you laying
a beating on my kitchen?
[grunting] Yeah.
[sighs] What's wrong with you?
Nothing.
Oh, right. Perfect place for that.
You need to call
that lifeguard friend of yours.
What's his name? Aaron?
You're always more relaxed
after a night at his place.
Tutu.
What?
A roll in the hay always did it for me.
Ugh. Still does.
You know what, let's not, okay?
Thanks. [sighs]
Maybe you ought to let him
take you to dinner for once.
Get to know him a little.
Lord knows
the only people you ever get close to
are those poor dead souls
in the cases you work.
Oh, well, that explains
why I'm so close to you.
You're halfway
in the grave already, Grandma.
Ha!
[Ballard chuckles]
You know that "nothing"
that was bothering you earlier?
It have anything to do
with that business last year?
A woman at the lab brought it up.
Do I need to have words
with this lab lady?
[chuckles] No.
She meant well.
It's just that any time someone
mentions it,
I feel like I'm right back there.
[breathes deeply, clears throat]
Like, I can't get free from it.
[sighs]
["Vibrations" playing]
- [sighs]
- [music stops]
Thank you.
- Can I help you?
- Spencer, right?
Remember me?
I worked a murder back in 2020.
Mexican guy. Had a baby.
Traced his last known whereabouts
back to this charming place.
Zamira Parker.
Robbery Homicide?
Ringing any bells?
Yeah, I can see
how we all might blend together.
Record like yours,
you've probably seen a lot of cops.
Grand theft, assault…
What do you want?
I'm curious to see if anybody
came around looking for him.
You're asking about someone who died,
what, five years ago?
No wonder you people
got such a stellar rep.
I got nothing.
Now, could you vacate?
Cops ain't good for business.
[phone rings]
RHD, how can I help you?
Olivas, I think this one's for you.
Line one.
[sighs]
Detective Olivas, Robbery Homicide.
How can I help you?
[caller] Um, is Detective Parker there?
- Zamira Parker?
- [caller] Yes.
I'm sorry. She doesn't work here anymore.
- But I'm happy to help you with whatever--
- [line clicks, beeps]
Hello?
Hello?
So you get the same stuff you did
when you were actually on the job?
Yeah, pretty much.
Get to carry a gun, badge,
check out equipment, drive a city ride.
Sorry those perks
don't apply to the interns.
Oh, I'm mostly here
for the college credit. [chuckles]
Uh- huh. What kind of law
are you interested in?
Maybe corporate law or finance.
And you chose this internship?
Well, I figured at one of those big firms
I probably would've just spent
the whole semester restocking coffee pods.
- Mmm.
- [Ballard] Morning.
Any news from the lab?
She told you it would be a long shot.
Hmm. We got a fridge.
Yeah.
Starting to feel
like a real unit around here.
Colleen, that's evidence.
It doesn't belong on your desk.
I'm sorry, it's just…
[stammers] I get some weird energy
off of it.
Weird energy? What does that mean?
You know, uh, like…
like a sense of things.
Thought it'd be good to keep it close by
while I work the case.
Can I see you in my office, please?
Close the door.
Please don't tell me
you think you're psychic. [sighs]
[stammers] I have intuitions. I… I know
things about people. Like an empath.
[sighs] Oh, my God.
Is that a problem?
I thought it could be useful if I--
Imagine this jewelry store case
goes to trial.
If a defense attorney got wind of this,
they would eviscerate you on the stand.
[sighs]
You do good work, Colleen.
I just don't want it undermined
by anything.
[stammers] I understand.
I'll just… I'll keep this to myself.
- Thank you. Yep.
- And I'll put the…
[Ballard sighs]
- Parker, good morning.
- Yeah, hey.
I'm about to head to that motel.
The Sunbeam.
Anything I should know?
Um, actually, I just stopped by there.
Oh, really?
And here I thought
we weren't knocking on doors.
Yeah, uh, listen.
Going back to that place,
it just reminded me, um…
This thing dried up, like, five years ago.
What do you think
we're gonna get from it now?
Well, I don't know.
Past is always present.
But if no one cares enough to dig,
then it just stays buried.
I don't think this is me anymore.
You know, maybe it never was.
What if you're wrong?
You did go to that motel.
So you do care.
Look, just give me a day of your time.
Maybe two.
[sighs] One day.
[phone ringing]
Detective Ballard.
Hey, Darcy.
Long shot paid off.
- The lab got DNA off that print tape.
- You're kidding.
The killer's DNA's been there
this whole time.
[sighs] I know.
Now we need to find a profile
to compare it to.
- You still got a line on the ex-boyfriend?
- Brian Richmond?
Pearlman sure thinks he's our guy.
[Laffont] Good luck
getting a warrant for his DNA.
Even back then,
they didn't have enough probable cause.
Oh, I'll get it some other way.
[seagulls squawking]
[phone ringing]
[groans]
Nelson. I was just about to call.
I heard you're running some DNA tests.
Something about a palm print.
Yeah, we found a palm print
in the case file.
[Nelson] Does it match Richmond?
Well, it's impossible to say right now.
[Nelson] Look, I don't want to hear
about this through the grapevine.
I want to hear it from you.
Yeah, understood. We should have
something meaningful any minute now.
You'll be the first to know.
Fantastic.
[sighs] Sorry, baby. It's not your fault.
[metal music playing]
[machine buzzing]
Don will be with you in a minute.
Take a look around.
Thanks.
Is this your stuff?
Brian, is that your name?
Yeah.
Do you mind giving me a quote on a piece?
Kind of on a roll here.
Uh, but Don can help you out.
He knows my price.
Give me a minute.
House of Ink.
Yo, Brian, it's for you.
[Brian sighs]
Sorry.
It's Brian.
Uh, yeah. Let me check.
I got time Thursday.
Friday? Sorry, I heard you wrong.
Yeah, I'll do Friday. Yeah.
Hey, I'm-I'm double parked.
I'm gonna check on my car.
I can spot you cops a mile away.
Police already ruined my life with this.
Leave me alone.
Hey. Looking for Cold Cases.
- [officer] Uh, someone call you a pass?
- Afraid not.
Figured I could just stop by.
Haven't been out here
since I was a recruit.
Sure don't miss that rope climb.
You're Olivas. RHD?
You addressed my academy class
about proper evidence collection.
[chuckles]
Job can't always be sexy.
- [officer] Stairs on the left.
- Appreciate you.
- [Olivas clears throat]
- Oh.
Hey, there. Uh, Zamira Parker around?
She just stepped out.
She should be right back.
Thomas Laffont.
Robert.
You are Mr. RHD.
[stammers] And your name was?
Colleen Hatteras. I-I'm a volunteer.
Got a lot of admiration
for people like you.
Oh.
[stammers] There she is.
Parker and I were partners for a bit.
You wouldn't believe
who they got me rolling with now.
Pietras. Dude with the floss?
Olivas.
What are you doing here?
A woman called down to RHD earlier,
asked for Parker.
When I told her she no longer
worked there, lady hung up on me.
Call came from a motel tied to a case
that we worked on back in the day.
The Sunbeam. Remember that dump?
Anyway, I asked around,
heard that Parker was dipping her toe
down here with you.
Case is cold, isn't it?
Sadly, yeah.
But if it's something that
you might take a look at,
I am more than willing to help out.
You probably have enough on your plate.
Fair point.
Anyway, glad I came down.
Wanted to see your whole operation.
Well, now you've seen it.
Thanks for stopping by.
It's good to see you folks. Laffont.
Feel free to just call next time.
[sighs] Ballard, come on.
Ain't it time we bury the hatchet?
Oh, I plan on burying it.
In your goddamn back.
Always a pleasure.
[Aaron] You were looking pretty good
out there.
[Ballard chuckles]
- Passed up some nice sets though.
- Yeah.
I got some things on my mind.
Sometimes it's just nice to sit out there,
you know?
I got coffee if you wanna talk?
I gotta go meet someone.
Rain check?
Anytime.
I'll call you.
I'll answer.
Come on, baby girl.
Let's go.
[Ballard] Thanks for meeting me.
You know, I remember when you joined up.
It was encouraging to see another woman
climb the ranks like you did.
Why you charming me?
I'm hoping that whatever made you leave,
you'll put it behind you,
'cause I think you'd be a great addition
to my team.
You know, me and my brothers,
we was always told
to watch out for the cops.
It was always us against them.
So when I went into the Academy,
everybody thought I was out of my mind.
Lost a lot of friends.
Mama started looking at me funny, it was…
But I thought I could make it better
for all of 'em.
[Ballard] Didn't work out that way.
[sighs] No, it did not.
Then I meet you, and I think,
maybe, I don't know, like,
I could finally do some good.
But getting involved with this case again,
working with the LAPD again, it just…
it just reminded me
why I left it all behind.
Why did you leave?
A lot of hypocrisy.
Lot of assholes.
A lot of victims too.
But, yeah,
the assholes are definitely a thing.
How do you think I ended up
heading the Cold Case unit?
I tried to call one of those assholes out,
department sided with him
and then I got booted.
What better way
to keep the troublesome woman quiet
than to silo her
in the ass-end of the LAPD?
Bottom line is,
I think they wanted me to quit.
But that's not happening.
This asshole you keep talking about,
was it Olivas?
You know, I'll tell you something.
It's actually why
I pulled the John Doe case.
No better way to stick it to the guy
than to solve the case he couldn't, right?
Why don't you do it with me?
Officially join the unit.
I know you wanna go by that
motel after what Olivas said.
Look, I have a stack of résumés
on my desk,
a bunch of people who think
it'd be neat to solve a crime.
But they're tourists.
I want you.
What do you say?
Okay.
Hell with it, I'm in.
[radio chatter]
[in Spanish] Excuse me.
What happened?
Yulia is dead.
Someone killed her.
Yulia?
She works here?
[sobs] She's a cleaning woman like me.
[speaks Spanish]
[in English] Oh, my God.
[line ringing]
- [Ballard] Detective Ballard.
- Renée, it's Darcy.
Even though you weren't able to get
any DNA off Brian Richmond,
I went ahead and ran that Touch DNA
from the palm print through CODIS.
And I got a case-to-case hit.
No shit.
Sarah Pearlman's killer left DNA behind
at another crime scene.
Yeah, it's another murder too.
A woman named Laura Wilson. Back in '08.
We might have a goddamn serial killer
on our hands.
Wow.
You don't see many books this clean.
Who was the investigator?
[sighs] You gotta be kidding me.
[sighs]
Harry fucking Bosch.
Here we go.
I do wonder if running cold cases
is secondary trauma.
It's a position you were forced into
because your brother's in blue
turned their backs on you.
Why are we catching a fresh one?
You missed the part where she said
Yulia might be tied to the John Doe?
Where'd you get the gun?
Street guys call him Montana.
He was definitely a cop.
Gonna be near impossible
investigating potential corruption.
[moans]
Everyone is mad at the LAPD…
- [groans, grunts]
- Stay down.
…And I'm the punching bag.
I would kill for the experience
you're getting in Cold Cases.
[Ballard] The killer is out there
right now, and he could still be active.
He's methodical.
He's not choosing these women randomly.
There's just something we're not seeing.
You assured me that my sister's case--
Your sister is not more or less important
than any of my victims.
[captain] Homicide has more
resources for something this size.
We have 14 victims now.
That's 14 families waiting for answers.
You have 72 hours.
Why the hell is it always two steps back?
- This is sick.
- And it stops here.
I struggled to stay.
Then why did you? When you knew what
your so-called brothers were capable of?
[Grandaddy Parker] Because
someone has to watch the watchman.
- [grunts]
- [Ballard screaming]
[pants]
[panting]
Stop! LAPD!
- [grunts]
- [shouts in Hindi]
[grunts]
- Down, lady.
- [exclaims, screams]
[suspect grunts]
- Stay down.
- [grunting]
- Stay, stay.
- [breathes shakily]
You okay?
- [panting] Yeah, I'm fine.
- [suspect grunts, groans]
Windel here's gonna need a doctor though.
- [grunts]
- [radio chatter]
- 4-King-80, we need an RA. My location.
- [Windel groans]
Black, male, conscious
and, uh… [panting] …breathing.
[operator on radio] Copy, 4-King.
RA to your location.
Jesus, Ballard.
[panting]
I thought… [grunts] …cold cases
were gonna be safer.
[panting]
Yeah, well, I think that may have been
some wishful thinking.
Honey, you didn't have to wait.
Oh, just got out of my interview
five minutes ago.
Plus, you're my ride.
Ah. [chuckles]
How'd it go?
[clicks tongue] Prelim should
show my actions were within policy,
but I gotta sit for a psych eval
before I head in.
[sighs]
It's worth it,
knowing we got Windel dead to rights.
Agreed.
Just, uh, watch your back.
[inhales sharply]
The two guys who grilled me
asked a lot of questions about you
in a digging-for-dirt kinda way.
Good to know.
Breakfast of champions?
Maybe not, but we took on a whole lot
of bad business last night.
A little good won't kill me.
["Weary" playing]
[sighs]
You know, most cops would take
the day off after the night you had.
[scoffs] You're still getting to know me.
[song continues]
Oh.
- You gave us a scare.
- Oh.
Colleen's been mainlining local news
since she got in this morning.
I'm a worrywart.
Well, at least Windel is off the street.
Yeah.
I mean, I wish it didn't take ten years,
but yeah.
[sighs]
Our first closed case.
[stammers] I was gonna make a cake, but
I didn't know if anyone was gluten-free.
Gluten-free is not a real thing, Colleen.
Uh, I'm pretty sure it is.
And you know the case
isn't actually closed, right?
It's just up to the courts now.
Well, someone's cranky.
Anyway, it doesn't matter.
Here.
Detective, the honors.
I-I cleared the shelves.
Figured we should have a special place.
[Ballard grunts]
[sighs]
Martina, where are the boxes
I brought from Property yesterday?
- [stammers] They were there. I didn't--
- Just taking a peek.
Not much to see really.
Question. Out of all the cases,
the thousands of cases to choose from,
why this one?
You're welcome to find one
to work on your own.
I'm just saying, it's got none of
the things that make it simple to close.
No DNA, no prints, no ID.
Just a body in the mountains
with a bullet in the head.
Cases like that tend
to fall through the cracks.
That's why you gotta open 'em up
and give them a fair shake.
Even if there's nothing simple about 'em.
I'm just asking the hard questions.
It seems like our, uh, resources
would be better served
by solving crimes against
the actual citizens of LA. Hmm?
This is weird.
What's that?
The other reason I want this case.
This is from a bus station in San Diego.
One of the last places
John Doe was seen alive.
That's him.
[gasps]
That baby was never found.
[Colleen] And what did
the investigating officer say?
[Ballard] IO is ducking my calls,
and I'm anxious to get some context
because the book just seems off.
- Like something's missing.
- [Colleen] Hmm.
[Pearlman] This way.
Councilman Pearlman.
A word in your office, Detective.
You've been at it two weeks,
and already I'm getting heat.
This is about last night.
This is about
the officer-involved shooting
that's all over the news.
Well, I certainly wasn't looking
to get shot at,
but aren't we missing the headline here?
We got a murderer off the street.
The point is, we'd like you to make
headlines that are less controversial.
To that end,
the primary focus of this unit
remains the murder of Councilman's sister.
- Which we are working.
- [stammers] Really?
Because it looks like
a study hall out there.
Pick up the pace.
I am trying, but big surprise,
people don't really like working for free.
All these applicants,
they're weirdos and wannabe podcasters.
With more money,
I could bring in a second sworn officer.
There is no more money.
Well then, I'm stretched thin.
The rest are reserves and volunteers.
I can only ask so much.
- You question Brian Richmond yet?
- Not yet.
I want something more actionable
before I do.
He was the number one suspect in '01.
Ex-boyfriend with a broken heart.
He killed her.
Sounds pretty actionable to me.
Look, I don't wanna burn him
until we know for sure.
I've asked Latent Prints
for everything we have.
I am reinterviewing every witness.
- We just need more time.
- [Pearlman] More time.
Man, do you know
how infuriating it is to hear that?
We have to go.
[sighs]
I heard from friends on the force
you weren't much of a team player.
I'm hoping you see this as an opportunity
to prove them wrong.
Just so we're absolutely clear,
this is your last stop.
If you don't close Sarah's case,
all of this goes away.
And you're done.
You good?
Yeah.
Keep up the good work.
Stop by any time.
I'll walk you guys out.
He kinda seems like a jerk.
I bet he's an Aries.
And Rawls is friends with him?
Yeah. They go way back.
- High school, I think.
- Mmm.
Pearlman put him here
to keep an eye on me.
[sighs] I knew it. Classic Aries.
Let me show you something.
Jake made me copies of their home videos.
Oh, gosh.
This one was the last one taken of Sarah.
Two weeks before she died.
[Pearlman] I can't believe
the DMV actually gave you a license.
I'm serious.
You're like a public safety hazard.
Says the guy with three speeding tickets.
[Pearlman] I got you something.
Figured you could keep it
in your glove box until you get accepted.
Aw.
You just don't want me
to follow you to Fullerton.
[Pearlman] Come on. You can't have
a Fullerton diploma
hanging on your wall
when you're big in politics.
Listen,
I do have one piece of real advice.
Don't ever forget.
The brake is the one on the left.
[scoffs] You suck.
[Pearlman] Watch out, Los Angeles.
Oh, it reminds me of my kids.
So sad.
Jake's the one who found her.
You've seen the crime scene photos.
That's how he remembers her,
not like this.
This is the reason why he pushes so hard.
He needs answers.
Hey, did you, um, hear back
from that IO on the John Doe case?
Nothing yet.
[sighs] I'm tired of waiting for her
to get back to me.
I'll call you later.
[dance music playing]
- [Ballard] Excuse me.
- [patrons chattering]
Zamira Parker working tonight?
Thank you.
Zamira Parker? Detective Renée Ballard.
I've been trying to
track you down all day.
I have some questions for you about
a John Doe case you worked in 2020.
Sorry. Not interested.
Yeah. I kinda got that message
when you didn't return my calls.
Care to tell me why?
'Cause LAPD's in my rearview,
and I'm not looking back.
- Besides, that case wasn't going nowhere.
- Is that why your book is so thin?
Bitch, I did my job.
There was a baby.
A critical missing you left out there.
I tried, but no one saw it as a priority.
I do. I'm reopening it.
You want a cookie?
In your chrono,
you listed four trips to that motel.
You left something out.
What makes you say that?
What was it? Did something happen?
You wanna know what I left out?
Somebody at the LAPD
was covering something up.
Things didn't square up.
We found a John Doe in the foothills,
and I tracked him back to this flophouse.
- This random--
- The Sunbeam.
That's the one.
I start talking to this guy. This burnout.
He don't know anything about
the John Doe or the baby,
but he tells me about an altercation
that happens the night before.
You didn't put anything
about this in your murder book.
He said people were yelling
in the parking lot.
He goes out there,
and he sees the motel manager
getting into it with some woman.
Black-and-white shows up.
Hauls the lady off.
Not unusual in a place like that.
- When I started--
- Hey, Z. It's crowded out here.
We gotta open up.
I need five minutes.
When I start asking the manager
about the altercation,
he gets real uncooperative.
So I head back to the barn,
and I start looking up all the 911 calls,
any record of a roll-out.
Nothing.
Nothing in the sergeant's log?
That's what I'm saying.
Someone buried that 911 call
and the roll-out.
Now, who would wanna do that?
That's why it's not in the book.
If you suspect that the cops
were involved, why not try to prove it?
Uh-huh.
'Cause calling the LAPD out on their shit
always goes so well.
Besides, I wasn't there much longer
after that.
I quit, like a week or two later.
Only thing I regret
is leaving them cases behind.
You want another shot at it?
The John Doe case.
Assuming you can keep your suspicions
about the department on the down-low.
There's a reason
I'm not a cop anymore, Detective.
I'm not asking you
to put the uniform back on.
All right, just look at the evidence.
We could really use your take.
[clicks tongue]
I don't know.
Okay.
You know, that baby
would probably be six years old.
Think about it.
[partner] Thinking about bringing her on?
It crossed my mind.
I'd have to reel her in slow.
Oh, we're getting a fridge tomorrow.
So this Parker give you any idea why
she flamed out of RHD after six months?
She did not. [clears throat]
Probably drugs, right? Booze?
Let's just wait and see.
She might not even show up.
Detective, that jewelry store homicide,
I think I have a new approach.
It's 80 degrees in here. [sighs]
I swear to God, this thing is useless.
[Colleen] I'm setting up eBay alerts
for the items that were stolen.
Over 300 pieces, so it'll take a while,
but if anything matches up,
I'll get notified.
Didn't that go down in, like, '09?
[Colleen] '07. Why?
And you think the killer's just now
trying to unload those goods?
Well, no.
But it could give us something
to trace back.
I have a really good feeling about this.
Whoa. It's like a library in here.
Parker.
Glad you could make it in.
I call it the Library of Lost Souls.
Zamira Parker, meet Colleen Hatteras.
- She's one of my volunteers.
- Hi.
I met her last year when she came to RHD
with a theory on a case.
Nobody wanted to listen to her
because she doesn't have
a law enforcement background.
Former soccer mom.
Current empty nester. [chuckles]
[Ballard] But her theory got us our guy.
And this is Thomas Laffont.
My first partner after I made detective.
He retired a few years ago,
but I pulled him back in as a reserve.
[Parker] I remember your name.
I was only in RHD for a few months,
but the guys would not stop talking
about your interviews.
Just a few months, huh?
Ted Rawls.
Pleasure.
Ted's a local business owner.
Private security,
but I've been a reserve for 12 years.
Councilman Pearlman thought
Ballard could use a little help down here.
[chuckles] Okay.
You going in the field today?
I wasn't planning to. Why?
A lot of hardware for a guy riding a desk.
It's like you're about to go to battle.
Parker was the IO on the John Doe case
we just pulled.
Thought I could use her input.
I'm just looking at evidence.
I'm not here to knock on any doors.
Copy that. Well, everything we have
is here and on the board.
[Parker] You know,
I called this the Santa Muerte case
after that figurine we found
in his bedroom at The Sunbeam?
I wondered what that was.
[Parker] Santa Muerte is a folk saint
out of Mexico.
A lot of immigrants carry them.
They think they offer protection.
Didn't much help here.
[Ballard] Is that how you figured
our John Doe was undocumented?
Yeah, I mean,
there wasn't a ton of detail.
And the department
was focused on other cases.
Makes sense. The killer's probably
already back across the border.
Martina Castro, meet Zamira Parker.
Martina is our intern
with an eye towards law school.
She's trying to get this place organized.
Is that from Latent Prints?
All they've got
on the Sarah Pearlman crime scene.
Thank you.
Now, this one I've heard of.
Yeah, Councilman Pearlman's sister
is why this unit's up and running
in the first place.
This is footage from the scene.
[Parker] It's like a time capsule.
They're all like that.
We get to go back and forth,
but the families, somehow,
they're always stuck back there.
[Parker sighs]
Sixteen. Strangled the night
before her Sadie Hawkins dance.
Oh, what? Is that--
Her retainer, yeah.
She lost it during the struggle.
You got the palm print.
What palm print?
It's from the window
that the killer climbed out of.
I've been trying to track it down
- for a week.
- Oh.
- It's a miracle it still exists.
- Yeah.
Looks like it was a waste of time.
It's too smeared to be usable.
I'm not thinking about the print.
Uh, I'm thinking about
the tape used to lift it.
There's a chance that it grabbed some DNA
the killer left behind.
- That's smart.
- That's what I said.
Touch DNA has come a long way
since the early aughts.
2001, you said?
[Ballard] Yeah.
[sighs] The dusting powder tends
to absorb oil,
and 24 years later,
sample's gonna be pretty degraded.
But you'll take a look at it?
Sure, just don't get your hopes up.
What kind of timeline you thinking?
Thirty days, minimum. Get used to 60.
Sixty?
This is for the Pearlman case.
You know, the councilman.
You run the cold case unit?
Yeah.
I'll move it to the front of the line.
[Ballard] I'm sure the councilman
will really appreciate it.
I'm not doing it for the councilman.
You're Detective Ballard, right?
I heard about what you did last year.
Thought it was brave.
[music playing in distance]
Hey, baby girl.
How you doing?
[kisses]
Come on.
Lola, come on.
Jesus, Tutu.
You're gonna bust an eardrum in here.
The Menace had his workers there again.
Nothing but hammers and handsaws all day.
Driving me nuts.
Uh, grab me a Phillips-head.
Where is it?
I don't know. Look around.
Check the drawers.
It's got a blue handle.
You know, we could just buy a new vacuum.
[groans] Why are you laying
a beating on my kitchen?
[grunting] Yeah.
[sighs] What's wrong with you?
Nothing.
Oh, right. Perfect place for that.
You need to call
that lifeguard friend of yours.
What's his name? Aaron?
You're always more relaxed
after a night at his place.
Tutu.
What?
A roll in the hay always did it for me.
Ugh. Still does.
You know what, let's not, okay?
Thanks. [sighs]
Maybe you ought to let him
take you to dinner for once.
Get to know him a little.
Lord knows
the only people you ever get close to
are those poor dead souls
in the cases you work.
Oh, well, that explains
why I'm so close to you.
You're halfway
in the grave already, Grandma.
Ha!
[Ballard chuckles]
You know that "nothing"
that was bothering you earlier?
It have anything to do
with that business last year?
A woman at the lab brought it up.
Do I need to have words
with this lab lady?
[chuckles] No.
She meant well.
It's just that any time someone
mentions it,
I feel like I'm right back there.
[breathes deeply, clears throat]
Like, I can't get free from it.
[sighs]
["Vibrations" playing]
- [sighs]
- [music stops]
Thank you.
- Can I help you?
- Spencer, right?
Remember me?
I worked a murder back in 2020.
Mexican guy. Had a baby.
Traced his last known whereabouts
back to this charming place.
Zamira Parker.
Robbery Homicide?
Ringing any bells?
Yeah, I can see
how we all might blend together.
Record like yours,
you've probably seen a lot of cops.
Grand theft, assault…
What do you want?
I'm curious to see if anybody
came around looking for him.
You're asking about someone who died,
what, five years ago?
No wonder you people
got such a stellar rep.
I got nothing.
Now, could you vacate?
Cops ain't good for business.
[phone rings]
RHD, how can I help you?
Olivas, I think this one's for you.
Line one.
[sighs]
Detective Olivas, Robbery Homicide.
How can I help you?
[caller] Um, is Detective Parker there?
- Zamira Parker?
- [caller] Yes.
I'm sorry. She doesn't work here anymore.
- But I'm happy to help you with whatever--
- [line clicks, beeps]
Hello?
Hello?
So you get the same stuff you did
when you were actually on the job?
Yeah, pretty much.
Get to carry a gun, badge,
check out equipment, drive a city ride.
Sorry those perks
don't apply to the interns.
Oh, I'm mostly here
for the college credit. [chuckles]
Uh- huh. What kind of law
are you interested in?
Maybe corporate law or finance.
And you chose this internship?
Well, I figured at one of those big firms
I probably would've just spent
the whole semester restocking coffee pods.
- Mmm.
- [Ballard] Morning.
Any news from the lab?
She told you it would be a long shot.
Hmm. We got a fridge.
Yeah.
Starting to feel
like a real unit around here.
Colleen, that's evidence.
It doesn't belong on your desk.
I'm sorry, it's just…
[stammers] I get some weird energy
off of it.
Weird energy? What does that mean?
You know, uh, like…
like a sense of things.
Thought it'd be good to keep it close by
while I work the case.
Can I see you in my office, please?
Close the door.
Please don't tell me
you think you're psychic. [sighs]
[stammers] I have intuitions. I… I know
things about people. Like an empath.
[sighs] Oh, my God.
Is that a problem?
I thought it could be useful if I--
Imagine this jewelry store case
goes to trial.
If a defense attorney got wind of this,
they would eviscerate you on the stand.
[sighs]
You do good work, Colleen.
I just don't want it undermined
by anything.
[stammers] I understand.
I'll just… I'll keep this to myself.
- Thank you. Yep.
- And I'll put the…
[Ballard sighs]
- Parker, good morning.
- Yeah, hey.
I'm about to head to that motel.
The Sunbeam.
Anything I should know?
Um, actually, I just stopped by there.
Oh, really?
And here I thought
we weren't knocking on doors.
Yeah, uh, listen.
Going back to that place,
it just reminded me, um…
This thing dried up, like, five years ago.
What do you think
we're gonna get from it now?
Well, I don't know.
Past is always present.
But if no one cares enough to dig,
then it just stays buried.
I don't think this is me anymore.
You know, maybe it never was.
What if you're wrong?
You did go to that motel.
So you do care.
Look, just give me a day of your time.
Maybe two.
[sighs] One day.
[phone ringing]
Detective Ballard.
Hey, Darcy.
Long shot paid off.
- The lab got DNA off that print tape.
- You're kidding.
The killer's DNA's been there
this whole time.
[sighs] I know.
Now we need to find a profile
to compare it to.
- You still got a line on the ex-boyfriend?
- Brian Richmond?
Pearlman sure thinks he's our guy.
[Laffont] Good luck
getting a warrant for his DNA.
Even back then,
they didn't have enough probable cause.
Oh, I'll get it some other way.
[seagulls squawking]
[phone ringing]
[groans]
Nelson. I was just about to call.
I heard you're running some DNA tests.
Something about a palm print.
Yeah, we found a palm print
in the case file.
[Nelson] Does it match Richmond?
Well, it's impossible to say right now.
[Nelson] Look, I don't want to hear
about this through the grapevine.
I want to hear it from you.
Yeah, understood. We should have
something meaningful any minute now.
You'll be the first to know.
Fantastic.
[sighs] Sorry, baby. It's not your fault.
[metal music playing]
[machine buzzing]
Don will be with you in a minute.
Take a look around.
Thanks.
Is this your stuff?
Brian, is that your name?
Yeah.
Do you mind giving me a quote on a piece?
Kind of on a roll here.
Uh, but Don can help you out.
He knows my price.
Give me a minute.
House of Ink.
Yo, Brian, it's for you.
[Brian sighs]
Sorry.
It's Brian.
Uh, yeah. Let me check.
I got time Thursday.
Friday? Sorry, I heard you wrong.
Yeah, I'll do Friday. Yeah.
Hey, I'm-I'm double parked.
I'm gonna check on my car.
I can spot you cops a mile away.
Police already ruined my life with this.
Leave me alone.
Hey. Looking for Cold Cases.
- [officer] Uh, someone call you a pass?
- Afraid not.
Figured I could just stop by.
Haven't been out here
since I was a recruit.
Sure don't miss that rope climb.
You're Olivas. RHD?
You addressed my academy class
about proper evidence collection.
[chuckles]
Job can't always be sexy.
- [officer] Stairs on the left.
- Appreciate you.
- [Olivas clears throat]
- Oh.
Hey, there. Uh, Zamira Parker around?
She just stepped out.
She should be right back.
Thomas Laffont.
Robert.
You are Mr. RHD.
[stammers] And your name was?
Colleen Hatteras. I-I'm a volunteer.
Got a lot of admiration
for people like you.
Oh.
[stammers] There she is.
Parker and I were partners for a bit.
You wouldn't believe
who they got me rolling with now.
Pietras. Dude with the floss?
Olivas.
What are you doing here?
A woman called down to RHD earlier,
asked for Parker.
When I told her she no longer
worked there, lady hung up on me.
Call came from a motel tied to a case
that we worked on back in the day.
The Sunbeam. Remember that dump?
Anyway, I asked around,
heard that Parker was dipping her toe
down here with you.
Case is cold, isn't it?
Sadly, yeah.
But if it's something that
you might take a look at,
I am more than willing to help out.
You probably have enough on your plate.
Fair point.
Anyway, glad I came down.
Wanted to see your whole operation.
Well, now you've seen it.
Thanks for stopping by.
It's good to see you folks. Laffont.
Feel free to just call next time.
[sighs] Ballard, come on.
Ain't it time we bury the hatchet?
Oh, I plan on burying it.
In your goddamn back.
Always a pleasure.
[Aaron] You were looking pretty good
out there.
[Ballard chuckles]
- Passed up some nice sets though.
- Yeah.
I got some things on my mind.
Sometimes it's just nice to sit out there,
you know?
I got coffee if you wanna talk?
I gotta go meet someone.
Rain check?
Anytime.
I'll call you.
I'll answer.
Come on, baby girl.
Let's go.
[Ballard] Thanks for meeting me.
You know, I remember when you joined up.
It was encouraging to see another woman
climb the ranks like you did.
Why you charming me?
I'm hoping that whatever made you leave,
you'll put it behind you,
'cause I think you'd be a great addition
to my team.
You know, me and my brothers,
we was always told
to watch out for the cops.
It was always us against them.
So when I went into the Academy,
everybody thought I was out of my mind.
Lost a lot of friends.
Mama started looking at me funny, it was…
But I thought I could make it better
for all of 'em.
[Ballard] Didn't work out that way.
[sighs] No, it did not.
Then I meet you, and I think,
maybe, I don't know, like,
I could finally do some good.
But getting involved with this case again,
working with the LAPD again, it just…
it just reminded me
why I left it all behind.
Why did you leave?
A lot of hypocrisy.
Lot of assholes.
A lot of victims too.
But, yeah,
the assholes are definitely a thing.
How do you think I ended up
heading the Cold Case unit?
I tried to call one of those assholes out,
department sided with him
and then I got booted.
What better way
to keep the troublesome woman quiet
than to silo her
in the ass-end of the LAPD?
Bottom line is,
I think they wanted me to quit.
But that's not happening.
This asshole you keep talking about,
was it Olivas?
You know, I'll tell you something.
It's actually why
I pulled the John Doe case.
No better way to stick it to the guy
than to solve the case he couldn't, right?
Why don't you do it with me?
Officially join the unit.
I know you wanna go by that
motel after what Olivas said.
Look, I have a stack of résumés
on my desk,
a bunch of people who think
it'd be neat to solve a crime.
But they're tourists.
I want you.
What do you say?
Okay.
Hell with it, I'm in.
[radio chatter]
[in Spanish] Excuse me.
What happened?
Yulia is dead.
Someone killed her.
Yulia?
She works here?
[sobs] She's a cleaning woman like me.
[speaks Spanish]
[in English] Oh, my God.
[line ringing]
- [Ballard] Detective Ballard.
- Renée, it's Darcy.
Even though you weren't able to get
any DNA off Brian Richmond,
I went ahead and ran that Touch DNA
from the palm print through CODIS.
And I got a case-to-case hit.
No shit.
Sarah Pearlman's killer left DNA behind
at another crime scene.
Yeah, it's another murder too.
A woman named Laura Wilson. Back in '08.
We might have a goddamn serial killer
on our hands.
Wow.
You don't see many books this clean.
Who was the investigator?
[sighs] You gotta be kidding me.
[sighs]
Harry fucking Bosch.
Here we go.
I do wonder if running cold cases
is secondary trauma.
It's a position you were forced into
because your brother's in blue
turned their backs on you.
Why are we catching a fresh one?
You missed the part where she said
Yulia might be tied to the John Doe?
Where'd you get the gun?
Street guys call him Montana.
He was definitely a cop.
Gonna be near impossible
investigating potential corruption.
[moans]
Everyone is mad at the LAPD…
- [groans, grunts]
- Stay down.
…And I'm the punching bag.
I would kill for the experience
you're getting in Cold Cases.
[Ballard] The killer is out there
right now, and he could still be active.
He's methodical.
He's not choosing these women randomly.
There's just something we're not seeing.
You assured me that my sister's case--
Your sister is not more or less important
than any of my victims.
[captain] Homicide has more
resources for something this size.
We have 14 victims now.
That's 14 families waiting for answers.
You have 72 hours.
Why the hell is it always two steps back?
- This is sick.
- And it stops here.
I struggled to stay.
Then why did you? When you knew what
your so-called brothers were capable of?
[Grandaddy Parker] Because
someone has to watch the watchman.
- [grunts]
- [Ballard screaming]