High Potential (2024) s01e11 Episode Script
The Sauna at the End of the Stairs
1
Bunny [BREATHING HEAVILY]
I want this on camera.
I have something important to say.
All right, Dad. I'm recording.
There's a secret
I've been keeping for ten years,
and I need to get it off my chest.
Dad.
Let me say this, Son.
It's time the truth came out.
Thanksgiving.
Ten years ago.
It was me.
[PANTING]
I killed Barry.
Grandpa. No.
When you all were in bed,
I waited for Barry at the top
of the basement stairs,
and I pushed him to his death.
And then, I moved his body
into the sauna,
hoping that it would all
be written off as an accident.
That's not true, darling.
It is true. And it's time I admit it.
[MORGAN] Morgan Gillory, LAPD.
[KARADEC SIGHS]
Freeze. Morgan Gillory, Major Crimes.
It worked. You're frozen.
Give me that. Where did you get this?
Checkout at the Dollar Store.
Turns out anyone can be a cop
if you wait in line long enough.
Chloe couldn't resist.
There should be a law
against these things.
That's what I was about to say.
It's an absolute outrage.
Why is Jon down here with Melon?
He never comes to this floor.
I have no idea.
[LIEUTENANT MELON] Top of
the morning to ya, Selena.
[SELENA] Melon, Detective Jon.
What can I do for you gentlemen?
[DETECTIVE JON] Celebrate with us.
We closed a cold case this morning.
- [SELENA] Which one?
- [LIEUTENANT MELON] We got a confession
on the Bucket Lane Murder.
[SELENA] Who confessed?
[LIEUTENANT MELON] The guy
Captain and I thought did it.
The old man came clean on his deathbed.
He brought champagne.
Maybe Lieutenant's getting promoted.
Mm-mmm. Melon wouldn't
ride along for that.
[DETECTIVE JON] This is a big win.
Some detectives never catch
their white whale.
[LIEUTENANT MELON] He's right.
Enjoy your champagne.
[CHAIR CLATTERS]
[SIGHS]
Who has the good scotch?
Morgan Gillory, Liquor Patrol.
- How did you get that back?
- They come in a two-pack.
Lieutenant, what was that about?
The Bucket Lane Murder.
George Donovan confessed
on his deathbed.
A decade later?
Bucket Lane Murder.
Sounds familiar,
but the details are fuzzy.
Morgan Gillory is fuzzy on the details?
It was in the news for months.
Were you living under a rock in 2014?
- [YOUNG AVA DRUMMING CONTINUOUSLY]
- Sorry. Sorry.
Ooh, whoops.
I would've killed
for a rock to live under.
It was murder in a mansion?
Or something about a sauna?
Melon and I were junior detectives.
He liked George for it.
I had reservations.
George beat the case.
But he confesses now?
Now I need to know the whole story.
Follow me.
Day after Thanksgiving 2014,
Heather Donovan's husband,
Barry Johnson,
was murdered in the family home.
The housekeeper found him in the sauna,
slow-cooked like Texas barbecue.
The family assumed
that Barry fell asleep
during his nightly shvitz.
But the autopsy revealed cause
of death to be a broken neck.
He was dead
before he went into the sauna.
Yeah, the theory was the killer
pushed Barry down the stairs,
breaking his neck,
then placed him in the sauna
to cover up the crime.
Hoping it'd be written off as
an intoxicated man passing out
and dehydrating in there.
Lenore, George's wife, said
she saw Barry heading
to the basement in his robe
shortly after midnight.
That's the last time
anyone saw him alive.
Everyone's in bed and claimed
not to have heard anything,
but a drop of Barry's blood was
found on one of George's shirts
stuffed in the laundry hamper.
This is why he ended up
in the defendant's chair.
I thought it was a weak case,
but the DA ran with it.
Ultimately,
there wasn't enough to convict
because of the coke dealer.
There's a coke dealer too?
Billy Ross.
He's dead now. He was pulled
over for running a stop sign
shortly after midnight in his gold 442,
five blocks from the murder.
And Barry had cocaine in his system.
The defense presented
this far-fetched theory
that Billy Ross broke into the house,
killed Barry
after a drug deal gone wrong
when we never found any proof
that Billy Ross was ever
even at the house.
George got off, but Melon always
believed he was the killer.
Why didn't you?
Gut instinct. It just didn't add up.
George was well-liked.
He never had any history of violence.
He was a philanthropist.
He was a bigwig
at the chamber of commerce.
He spearheaded that whole
affordable housing initiative.
So he didn't seem like a murderer.
That was part of it.
I also didn't buy
that a 70-something-year-old man
with a hip replacement could
carry Barry into the sauna.
Well, Barry was a little guy though.
Still.
So what's your gut say now?
The aftermath of the crime
has been brutal on the Donovans.
They used to be
the most well-respected family
in Beverly Hills
for their ties to politics
and a charity for domestic
violence victims in their name.
And suddenly overnight,
half of America believes one
of them has to be a murderer.
Now George confesses to the crime?
I think he did it to clear his family.
He wanted them to be able
to lead normal lives.
Who do you think did it?
I don't know.
Thank you for joining me
on this trip down memory lane.
Yeah.
Sure you don't want me
to track down that scotch?
No. But there's something
you can do for me.
Every cop has that one case they
can't get out of their head,
and this one's mine.
I regret not following my gut
ten years ago.
Why didn't you?
I let Melon talk me out
of going deeper on my hunch.
I felt like I had to toe the line,
be one of the boys
for the sake of my career.
I am embarrassed I let that happen.
Mind seeing
if there's something we missed?
On it, boss.
["DEAD OR ALIVE" PLAYING]
I could've caved ♪
I could've quit
and walked away ♪
I could've gave up but I won't
You got me tied up ♪
I shouldn't stay
I shouldn't fight another day ♪
I shouldn't play
your dirty games ♪
But I like them ♪
Oh, it's messed up beautiful ♪
But I can't let you go ♪
Oh, my darlin'
I can hear the danger callin'♪
And tonight I don't know
if we'll survive ♪
Oh, my darlin' ♪
Heard the warnings
but I'm all in ♪
Yeah, forever lay me down
by your side ♪
Dead or alive ♪
How do they keep
their backsplash so clean?
Stuck together Tied and bound ♪
Swear you're gonna
Bring me down ♪
I could've caved ♪
I could've quit
and walked away ♪
I could've gave up
but I won't ♪
Oh. Ooh. No, no. No, no.
Oh, my darlin'
I can hear the danger callin'♪
And tonight I don't know
if we'll survive ♪
Oh, my darlin' ♪
Heard the warnings
but I'm all in ♪
Dead or alive, dead or alive ♪
Yeah, forever lay me down
by your side ♪
Dead or alive, dead or alive ♪
Yeah, forever lay me down
by your side ♪
Dead or alive ♪
- [MUSIC STOPS]
- Yes.
Lieutenant,
you were right.
George Donovan did not push
his son-in-law down the stairs.
In fact, no one did.
First of all, Barry was not
killed on the basement stairs.
Barry was killed
in the common bathroom upstairs.
So what then?
The killer carried Barry's dead body
all the way down to the sauna?
Not exactly.
Let me take you back
to the Donovan mansion
the night of the murder.
We find the killer walking down
the upstairs hallway.
He or she passes the bathroom
and hears Barry showering inside.
Showering wasn't in the file.
Are Are you gonna
interrupt the whole time?
- I just got going.
- My bad.
The killer finds Barry
vulnerable in the shower.
He or she looks around
and spots a hair dryer and thinks,
"You know what can pass as
a heart attack in an autopsy?"
An electrocution.
So that's that for Barry.
But now
the electrical outlet's on fire.
[OUTLET CRACKLES, SIZZLES]
So the killer freaks
out 'cause, you know, flames.
[SIGHS] But mostly because now
there's evidence of a murder.
So, the wallpaper-covered
faceplate is scorched.
And that's not good, but it's
a problem for later because
First, it's time to move the body.
Now remember, the guy
only weighed about 150 pounds.
So
down the laundry chute he goes.
- The laundry chute?
- [MORGAN] Mm-hmm.
That's how he got down to the basement?
It sure is.
It's also how he broke his neck.
And it's how Barry's blood
ended up on George's shirt.
And then what?
Then the killer rolls
Barry's body to the sauna.
He carefully props him up,
places an empty wine bottle
next to him
and cooks him to perfection.
And that is
how Barry Johnson met his maker.
I get it. You're still processing.
It's okay. It's all very exciting.
Let me show you some evidence.
Every single inch of this house
was photographed.
Remember that scorched
wall plate I was talking about?
Right there.
Yeah, but it's not scorched though.
But it's plain.
All the other outlets
are covered in wallpaper.
There, there and there.
That means the killer
switched out the wallpaper plate
with the plain one
to hide the scorch marks.
I guarantee you, there's
scorching underneath that wall plate.
- There's just one problem.
- [SCOFFS] Ah, just one?
People don't get electrocuted
by hair dryers anymore.
- There are safety features now.
- That's true.
In 1990, the Consumer Product
Safety Commission
issued manufacturing
requirements for hair dryers,
including safeguards
against electrocution.
But look at their hair dryer.
This is a 1980s model Air Zan 1200.
Okay, but Lenore saw Barry
heading toward the basement
at midnight.
By stairs, not by laundry chute.
Lenore also admitted
to drinking a bunch of wine.
So maybe she didn't see
what she thought she saw.
Or maybe she's covering
for the real killer.
[OZ GRUNTS]
Ten years ago, Pacheco insisted
we only dig deep
into the family's alibis after midnight,
the time we thought Barry was killed.
But if he was murdered before midnight,
before anyone went to bed,
anyone of those family members
could be our killer.
Yeah.
We need to talk to 'em.
Daphne, Oz, hold down the fort
while we're gone.
Selena, if the captain finds out
you're reopening a closed case
behind his back,
that's how Jon got exiled to traffic.
Let me worry about that.
I spoke to Lenore Donovan.
Explained we had
a few loose ends to tie up
before we can officially close the case.
She said the housekeeper
will let us inside
while the family's out
scattering George's ashes.
Nice.
First, we need to pick up Ida Perp.
- Who's Ida Perp?
- [ELEVATOR BELL RINGS]
[SECRETARY] Yes.
Hi. I'd like to speak to your detectives
about the Bucket Lane Murder.
My name is Nedda Donovan,
and I've got a story to tell.
[FOUNTAIN WATER TRICKLING]
[DOORBELL CHIMES]
Oh. Hello.
I'm Lieutenant Soto.
This is Detective Karadec.
Hi. I'm Morgan, I'm the consultant.
This is Ida Perp.
She's faking this,
so he'll carry her. [CHUCKLES]
[SELENA] I believe you're expecting us.
[MORGAN] Yeah.
Can we see the bathroom, please?
The one upstairs with the laundry chute?
[HOUSEKEEPER SCOFFS]
- Thank you.
- Mm-hmm.
If your theory is correct,
we should find
Scorch marks?
Then the killer did switch the plate
to hide an electrical fire.
So where did that plate come from?
Well, if I had to guess, I'd say
the room Barry was staying in.
Look for a scorched face plate
covered in the same wallpaper
as the bathroom.
Hmm.
Look at this. Security cameras
all over the house.
Why wouldn't the footage
show up in the case file?
Yeah, the family said
the footage was deleted.
Little help?
[KARADEC GRUNTS] That's good.
[KARADEC] That's our plate.
Yes.
Good work, Morgan.
Come on, Ida. It's showtime.
- [SELENA THROUGH CHUTE] Ready!
- [MORGAN GRUNTS]
Oh, hello.
Make mama proud, okay? [GRUNTS]
[IDA PERP THUDDING]
That'd break a neck.
She was right.
Barry was killed in the shower
and thrown down the chute.
[MORGAN THROUGH CHUTE] Is Ida okay?
[KARADEC SIGHS]
Guys, this is a public building.
We're allowed to film here.
You're standing in the way
of journalism.
We are standing in the way of
murder porn.
Let's just call it what it is.
Look, your crew can film all they want,
but we're not speaking on camera.
[SCOFFS] We're a legit production, guys.
- See?
- Ken Burns could walk in here,
set all of his Emmys on the table,
and we're still not talking on camera.
I don't know who Ken Burns is.
But what if I told you
I know for a fact,
George's confession is a sham?
I'll talk to Soto.
So why did you agree
to do the documentary?
Sixteen years in that family,
and I have nothing to show for it
other than a destroyed reputation.
The Donovan prenup is criminal.
I tried to do right by them,
but enough is enough.
This is my story too.
I have a right to tell it
and sell it as I please.
I won't let them take away my moment.
Lieutenant says we already know
George's confession is a sham.
So how about you tell us
why you think George's
confession is bogus
out of the goodness of your heart.
You'll still screw the Donovans
over if you prove to the police
that the case isn't as closed as
the family would like it to be.
You can help us bring
Barry's real killer to justice.
Fine. George called me up
after he'd seen that I'd signed on
to participate in the
documentary a few weeks ago.
Begged me not to do it.
Said he wanted to spare
the family any more misery.
That was George. He hated
to see his people suffer.
He wouldn't have waited
ten years to confess
if he'd actually done it.
Okay.
If not George,
who do you think murdered Barry?
I don't know, but they would
all lie to protect each other.
You won't be able to break them.
[PHONE CHIMES]
[MORGAN] "Sauna at the End
of the Stairs"?
Mmm, I'd watch it.
One of the people
in this family is a murderer.
- We have to figure out who
- [MORGAN] Hmm.
Welcome. To what do we owe the pleasure?
Again, we're sorry for your loss.
Why are you here?
I mean, we-we literally just sprinkled
our dad's ashes off of Point Dume.
I-I told them they could come.
- [SIGHS]
- Well, as I said on the phone,
we just have a few follow-up questions
before we can officially close the case.
Make sure the confession wasn't coerced.
You think we had a gun to his head?
No. No, we just have some I's
to dot and some T's to cross.
I'm sure your dad's confession
came as quite a shock.
I doubt Dad meant to kill Barry.
Was there any sense of relief?
I mean, the media hasn't exactly
been kind to you, guys.
So at least now
all the speculation will stop.
The speculation that ruined our lives?
I mean, this whole thing
cost Clark a wife, me my career,
and Mom, you know, her place in society.
Cody was being recruited
by MIT before the murder.
My nephew's a genius.
Yeah. And now that genius washes dishes.
Heather had to move. Matty's
all over the murder blogs.
- Murder blogs?
- They call him "Matty the Baddie."
Well, I, for one, think
that your divorce was
the only upside of this whole thing.
Nedda's a piece of work.
Was there any friction between
Barry and George that night?
Well, there was one thing
by the pool before dinner.
You know, we were having some
lemonade by the pool with Dad
when, uh, Barry comes
out of the pool house,
all ring around the nosey.
He was coked up?
Yeah. And Dad just freaked out.
You know, he was yelling at Barry
for bringing drugs into the house.
Especially around
his no-good addict son. Mmm.
That's not what he thought,
Matty. My brother's in recovery.
Did Barry and George's fight by
the pool escalate any further?
They put aside their differences,
momentarily at least,
so we could have a nice dinner.
And was it nice?
Well, we tried.
[HEATHER] It started with another
family photo and then a toast.
- All right.
- To family,
looking after one another
in good times and bad.
And, of course,
Matty started drinking.
Is that a good idea, Son?
Come on, Dad. I can handle one drink.
It wasn't long before Barry
started offending everyone.
I suppose you can let 'em
make their own mistakes.
- They know you'll bail them out.
- And Dad got upset.
Says Mr. Father of the Year.
Cody had enough
and went upstairs.
You know what? I'm not hungry.
- And Matty let it out
- Please. Cody, stay.
that Barry and Clark
lost a lot of money.
I don't know if Dad can afford
to send me to rehab again, Barry.
Not after all that money
that he and Clark lost
investing in your friend's
failed company.
You invested our money in what?
How did George react when Matty
brought up the bad investment?
He really didn't have time to react,
because of
Heather's mishap.
- Oh, God.
- Oh, my God. Bunny, are you hurt?
Sorry, new here. Heather caught on fire?
We knew about that.
Melon didn't think
it was important enough
to even include in the case report.
We put it out right away. I was okay.
Just clumsy, as usual.
What happened after that?
Barry decided he'd had enough.
He headed upstairs.
And then we cleared the table
and set up the Monopoly board.
[HEATHER] Monopoly comes out.
Cody returned.
- Look who decided to show up.
- What's up, bud?
- He loves that game.
- Welcome back, Cody.
- I knew you couldn't resist.
- But then,
- Barry puts his TV on full blast.
- I'm the race car.
[THROUGH TV] I hope you die!
- What the hell is he watching up there?
- And Dad was not happy.
I'm going to kill that bastard.
George threatened to murder Barry?
Why sound surprised?
We sent you his confession.
Where was Nedda during all of this?
Probably checking her social media.
- Where was I?
- You just told us Heather caught on fire,
and then you needed
to check your Instagram.
Right. Yes.
That is why you do not wear
bell sleeves to dinner.
So we quickly tore off her wrap,
and that's when we saw the bruises.
[VOICEMAIL] This is Karadec.
Please leave a message.
- Karadec isn't picking up.
- Okay. Well, call Soto, then.
All right. [SIGHS]
[LINE DIALING]
What the hell is Nedda Donovan
doing here?
You're sure that's what she said, Oz?
Barry abused Heather?
Yeah, okay.
What?
Melon saw her?
Okay, bye.
[SELENA SIGHS]
The Donovans lied to us.
Barry was beating Heather.
They learned this when
they stripped off Heather's wrap
and discovered
she was covered in bruises.
That's a strong motive
for murder for any of 'em.
I can see why they kept it a secret.
[SELENA] And why that secret
would've ruined their charity.
Melon saw Nedda at the station.
Our time is running out.
Selena, maybe we should call
this off. You've gone rogue.
I don't wanna be answering
to Melon if you get reassigned.
I don't want that either.
So let's solve this case.
[KARADEC SCOFFS]
Was anyone planning on telling us
about the moment
during Thanksgiving dinner
when you learned
Barry was beating Heather?
Nedda.
It was a family matter.
And some things need to stay
in the family.
In a murder investigation?
Can we please not talk about this?
It'll be okay, Mom.
It was after Heather's sleeve
caught on fire.
- [SCREAMS, GRUNTS]
- [CLARK] We put out the fire,
and that's when we saw
what Barry was doing to her.
- We need to get this off you.
- No, Mom. I'm okay. I'm fine.
[LENORE] Honey.
- What happened?
- What the hell?
- You bastard.
- How dare you?
You think I did that?
[CLARK] Barry denied it
and stormed out.
I'm done here. I'm done.
Did anyone see Barry again after that?
I did.
[LENORE] I was having a glass
of wine while cleaning up
when he came down the stairs
in his robe
headed for the sauna.
How much did you have to drink?
I had some wine.
I can't remember how much.
Well, it's a good thing
Barry's already dead.
I'd like to murder him myself.
Assuming Morgan's theory is correct,
everyone but the killer probably
thinks Barry was still alive
- when Lenore says she saw him.
- Well, let's divide 'em up.
Get everyone's account of the
hours between dinner and midnight.
- Establish a time line.
- Yeah.
Okay.
So why don't you walk us through
what happened after dinner?
Heather couldn't sleep
in the same room as Barry.
George and Lenore
wouldn't have allowed it.
So I offered to go grab
her stuff from the room
while Lenore helped her
get into new clothes.
[NEDDA] Barry was watching TV
when I went to his room.
She needs her stuff.
- He flipped and threw it at me.
- Take it, okay?
Oh, my
- Take her crap. Take her crap. Okay.
- You're such an asshole, Barry.
That was the last time I ever saw him.
You understand why I have to ask
about the abuse?
Why didn't you go to the police?
I thought he'd change.
Plus, I was ashamed.
Is that why you never went
to the hospital?
I was a nurse before Cody was born.
I could deal with the injuries myself.
My aunt was a nurse.
She was always throwing out her back,
all that heavy lifting you have to do,
moving patients around.
They train nurses to do that,
don't they?
What are you trying to imply?
It's okay, honey.
Yes, that's part of the training.
And by then, Cody had hotels
on Boardwalk and Park Place.
He was dominating us as usual.
And that's when Barry switched
from a war movie
to a dirty movie.
[THROUGH TV]
Did someone order pizza?
Matty and Clark volunteered
to stop it.
Come on, Matty. Let's handle this.
And I asked them to grab the
Christmas decorations for me as well.
Did you hear the TV come back on again
after your sons went upstairs?
No, don't believe so.
- How long were they gone?
- 30 minutes or so.
Little wuss locked himself in,
but we got Barry to turn the TV
off after a few choice words.
So you threatened him?
We banged on his door a bit. That's all.
[STAMMERS] We didn't kill him,
if that's what you're asking.
I didn't even see him again.
Not alive at least.
After that, Matty and I headed
to the attic
for Mom's Christmas decorations.
How long were you upstairs?
Half hour, maybe.
Both of you?
I may have given Matty a little grief
for drinking in front of Dad.
At some point, he disappeared
and left me with all the
heavy boxes.
Matty left you alone
in the attic? For how long?
Fifteen minutes.
Maybe 20.
Matty and Clark were each alone
for enough time
to sneak off and murder Barry.
Mm-hmm. One of them could be our guy.
Or they were lying
about being in the attic,
and they both murdered him together.
[NEDDA] So going back to the attic.
Lenore knows the smell of fake
pine gives me a headache,
and yet she insists on lighting
those scented Christmas candles
every year for the ambience.
What does Lenore's candles
have to do with the murder?
If you'd let me finish.
So Lenore likes to light
her scented Christmas candles.
And I had to leave the house.
Get some fresh air.
[EXHALES HEAVILY]
And I saw Billy Ross
selling drugs to Matty.
So Ross did show up at the house
that night but not for Barry.
He came to see Matty.
Matty the Baddie.
A former drug addict who was
furious at his brother-in-law
and was getting coked up right
at the time of Barry's death.
Makes for a killer doc, huh?
All right. Thanks.
Daphne and Oz got some
interesting news from Nedda.
She says she saw Matty Donovan
meeting Billy Ross
in front of the house, when
he told us he was in the attic.
- He went to meet the coke dealer?
- Yep.
George's lawyers were right
about Ross coming to the house.
But there was no drug-deal-gone-wrong.
If Ross came to see Matty, he
had no motive for killing Barry.
Mmm. That probably explains
why Nedda didn't mention it at trial.
One more thing.
Daphne also said she just saw
Melon and the captain
leaving the station.
[SIGHS] If you have any ideas,
feel free to speak up.
Yes. I know. I don't.
Just give me a second.
I need to rewind a little bit.
There's just so many moving pieces.
Okay. We know that everyone was
together at dinner. Around 8:00.
Cody leaves when George
and Barry start fighting.
- I'm not hungry.
- Please. Cody, stay.
Barry leaves when everybody
calls him out
- for beating Heather.
- I'm done here. I'm done.
[MORGAN] Heather decides she
still wants to have family game night,
because moms hold on to
tradition like a life raft in a storm.
But first, Heather, Lenore and
Nedda go upstairs around 9:00.
Heather and Lenore go
into Lenore's room to change.
Nedda goes to grab Heather's
stuff from Barry's room
- Take her crap.
- You're such an asshole, Barry.
where she sees him alive
for the last time.
Lenore and Heather go back
downstairs to start game night.
Cody comes downstairs
from his room. Monopoly begins.
[CLOCK CHIMES]
Until Barry starts
blasting porn on his TV,
causing Matty and Clark to go
upstairs and bang on his door.
But then Barry turns the TV off,
so Matty and Clark instead
go up to the attic
to get Lenore's Christmas boxes.
That's when Matty leaves Clark
to go meet the coke dealer.
So Clark is alone in the attic.
Then both brothers reconvene
back downstairs
at the game board around the same time.
Monopoly ends.
Everybody goes to bed,
except for Lenore,
who finishes cleaning up
in the tea room.
Because, again, moms being moms.
And that's when she sees Barry
go down to the basement.
But we know Barry was killed upstairs,
and we know it wasn't Lenore,
Heather or Nedda
because Barry was alive
before Monopoly even began.
But then the porn turned off, what
[GRUNTS] Damn it.
[PACHECO] Please forgive
the intrusion
[SELENA] I hear Captain Pacheco.
No.
Whew.
[MORGAN STAMMERS, GRUNTS] Just
We were hoping to let you rest this day,
but I'm afraid I'm going to have to
[SELENA] Captain.
There you are. Would you excuse us?
Did you think I wasn't gonna
find out about this?
[SCOFFS] You put
this entire case at risk.
And the department.
What in God's name were you thinking?
And, Mrs. Donovan,
please, you have my utmost apologies
for this intrusion
on your day of mourning.
And, Lieutenant? This cleaning
lady experiment of yours
[LENORE ECHOING] And that's
when Barry switched
from a war movie
to a dirty movie.
- It's officially over.
- Captain, this experiment has been
- Lieutenant.
- Yeah.
I know who did it.
Captain Pacheco, when you investigated
Barry's death ten years ago,
you focused on the events
that happened after midnight, correct?
We knew the murder happened then.
Lenore saw Barry go
into the basement at midnight.
Right. So that would make
perfect sense, you know.
Unless Lenore was wrong.
- What?
- Are you saying my mother lied?
No. Absolutely not.
I'm asking what if Lenore
thought she saw Barry, right?
I mean, she admitted
to tipping back a few.
I know what I saw.
Barry passed me on his way
down to the basement.
Well, Barry's bathrobe
went down to the basement. Yes.
But Barry wasn't in it.
Because Barry was killed
before midnight upstairs.
Uh So-so let me get this straight.
You're saying the killer
murdered Barry somewhere else,
then dragged his body
from the second floor
to the basement
right past the entire family
playing Monopoly?
No. I'm saying the killer tossed
Barry's body
down the laundry chute,
breaking his neck
in the process.
- The laundry chute?
- What the hell?
What is going on?
No way a body fits down
that chute. There's no way.
Ida Perp did.
Ida Perp is not a living person.
And neither was Barry.
Because Cody electrocuted him
in the shower
before the family even began
playing Monopoly.
You knew what your dad was doing
to your mom. Kids always know.
You were just trying to protect
her any way you knew how.
- [CLARK] What are you saying?
- [MATTY] You need to leave, all right?
- Coming here making these accusations?
- Who do you think you are?
Please. Look, look. I don't
believe this any more than you do.
He was 15. You really think
a teenager could pull that off?
Cody wasn't a regular teenager.
He was a genius.
A kid that MIT was recruiting
as a sophomore.
And this very smart young man
knew that his father
was beating his mother.
So picture Cody knowing
what he knows about his dad.
He heads upstairs, fed up.
[MORGAN] Sometime later,
he hears Barry in the bathroom
and he gets an idea.
He realizes he has an opportunity
to end this abuse
once and for all.
[HAIR DRYER WHIRS]
He tosses the hair dryer
into the shower, killing Barry.
[HAIR DRYER CRACKLES, SIZZLES]
Now Cody's a smart kid.
He knows electrocutions can be
written off as heart attacks.
But he has an unforeseen
technical difficulty.
The outlet catches on fire.
So he has to come up
with a plan B on the fly.
He sends Barry's body
down the laundry chute.
He cleans up any evidence
of a fire.
And he goes downstairs and
joins game night, creating an alibi.
Then, at midnight,
when everyone else
but his grandmother is asleep,
Cody heads down to the
basement passing Lenore.
She sees the robe
and thinks that it's Barry.
In the basement,
Cody moves Barry's body
from the hamper into the sauna.
He wants to make it look
like it's an accident.
So he sets the wine bottle
he cranks up the thermostat
on the sauna
and he leaves the robe behind.
Cody had no idea that the fall
had broken his father's neck.
Or that Barry's blood got
onto his grandfather's shirt
in the hamper.
Who could blame you for any of this?
You knew your dad was hurting your mom.
You must've been terrified one
day he was gonna take it too far.
This is ludicrous.
My son is not a murderer.
He was playing Monopoly the whole night.
And Barry was still alive.
He was watching TV, remember?
And channels just don't change
on their own.
Channels don't.
But George and Lenore's televisions
use radio frequency remotes.
Meaning
Well, it depends what kind of
range you want for your remote.
Infrared remotes get
the job done for the most part
but require a direct line of
sight from the remote to the TV.
But if you wanna get a little
fancier, class up the joint a bit,
a radio frequency remote offers
greater flexibility and coverage.
[ANNOUNCER] Attention, shoppers.
Electronic
Simply put, you can control the
sources from any room in the house.
So, that is how Cody
made it sound like Barry was
still alive during Monopoly,
when he was
already dead in the hamper.
God. Is he watching porn up there?
Turning up the volume on
the porn, that was an accident.
He didn't want Matty and Clark
to go upstairs.
Again, on behalf
of the LAPD, I apologize
She's right.
I did it.
I killed Dad, Mom.
- It was me.
- What?
Wait. Don't say another word.
We want a lawyer.
- No, no. Let me say this.
- No.
Let me say this. Come on.
Mom, this secret has been
eating me alive.
I should've told the truth
a long time ago, and I tried.
When Grandpa was dying,
I told him what I did.
I said I wanted to come forward,
but he asked me to give it more thought.
A week later,
he makes that video confessing.
He was protecting me at
the cost of his own reputation.
Mom, I think about what I did every day.
I can't sleep. I can't focus.
I'm spiraling.
I don't feel like I deserve
any success in my life.
Maybe after I serve my time,
I can look at myself
in the mirror again.
No, no, no. No, I am sorry.
This is not your fault.
This is not his fault.
It's my fault. Please, blame me.
Cody will be tried as a minor.
He'll likely serve
less than three years.
[POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
[HEATHER SOBS]
[VEHICLE ENGINE REVS]
So, Captain.
What do you think of our
cleaning lady experiment now?
You did good work in there.
One thing, Selena.
Never go behind my back again.
Or you could say goodbye
to Major Crimes.
["TOUGH LOVE" PLAYING]
Morgan?
You continue to amaze me.
We're lucky to have you on the team.
Back at you, Lieutenant.
You risked your career to put
the right person behind bars.
Every cop has that one case.
With my hands
all over your heart?♪
How do we start healing ♪
If we can't keep out the dark?♪
- Good night, Morgan.
- Good night, Karadec.
Tough love? ♪
Do you want
to feel tough love?♪
This could be real tough love ♪
[MORGAN CHUCKLES]
Bunny [BREATHING HEAVILY]
I want this on camera.
I have something important to say.
All right, Dad. I'm recording.
There's a secret
I've been keeping for ten years,
and I need to get it off my chest.
Dad.
Let me say this, Son.
It's time the truth came out.
Thanksgiving.
Ten years ago.
It was me.
[PANTING]
I killed Barry.
Grandpa. No.
When you all were in bed,
I waited for Barry at the top
of the basement stairs,
and I pushed him to his death.
And then, I moved his body
into the sauna,
hoping that it would all
be written off as an accident.
That's not true, darling.
It is true. And it's time I admit it.
[MORGAN] Morgan Gillory, LAPD.
[KARADEC SIGHS]
Freeze. Morgan Gillory, Major Crimes.
It worked. You're frozen.
Give me that. Where did you get this?
Checkout at the Dollar Store.
Turns out anyone can be a cop
if you wait in line long enough.
Chloe couldn't resist.
There should be a law
against these things.
That's what I was about to say.
It's an absolute outrage.
Why is Jon down here with Melon?
He never comes to this floor.
I have no idea.
[LIEUTENANT MELON] Top of
the morning to ya, Selena.
[SELENA] Melon, Detective Jon.
What can I do for you gentlemen?
[DETECTIVE JON] Celebrate with us.
We closed a cold case this morning.
- [SELENA] Which one?
- [LIEUTENANT MELON] We got a confession
on the Bucket Lane Murder.
[SELENA] Who confessed?
[LIEUTENANT MELON] The guy
Captain and I thought did it.
The old man came clean on his deathbed.
He brought champagne.
Maybe Lieutenant's getting promoted.
Mm-mmm. Melon wouldn't
ride along for that.
[DETECTIVE JON] This is a big win.
Some detectives never catch
their white whale.
[LIEUTENANT MELON] He's right.
Enjoy your champagne.
[CHAIR CLATTERS]
[SIGHS]
Who has the good scotch?
Morgan Gillory, Liquor Patrol.
- How did you get that back?
- They come in a two-pack.
Lieutenant, what was that about?
The Bucket Lane Murder.
George Donovan confessed
on his deathbed.
A decade later?
Bucket Lane Murder.
Sounds familiar,
but the details are fuzzy.
Morgan Gillory is fuzzy on the details?
It was in the news for months.
Were you living under a rock in 2014?
- [YOUNG AVA DRUMMING CONTINUOUSLY]
- Sorry. Sorry.
Ooh, whoops.
I would've killed
for a rock to live under.
It was murder in a mansion?
Or something about a sauna?
Melon and I were junior detectives.
He liked George for it.
I had reservations.
George beat the case.
But he confesses now?
Now I need to know the whole story.
Follow me.
Day after Thanksgiving 2014,
Heather Donovan's husband,
Barry Johnson,
was murdered in the family home.
The housekeeper found him in the sauna,
slow-cooked like Texas barbecue.
The family assumed
that Barry fell asleep
during his nightly shvitz.
But the autopsy revealed cause
of death to be a broken neck.
He was dead
before he went into the sauna.
Yeah, the theory was the killer
pushed Barry down the stairs,
breaking his neck,
then placed him in the sauna
to cover up the crime.
Hoping it'd be written off as
an intoxicated man passing out
and dehydrating in there.
Lenore, George's wife, said
she saw Barry heading
to the basement in his robe
shortly after midnight.
That's the last time
anyone saw him alive.
Everyone's in bed and claimed
not to have heard anything,
but a drop of Barry's blood was
found on one of George's shirts
stuffed in the laundry hamper.
This is why he ended up
in the defendant's chair.
I thought it was a weak case,
but the DA ran with it.
Ultimately,
there wasn't enough to convict
because of the coke dealer.
There's a coke dealer too?
Billy Ross.
He's dead now. He was pulled
over for running a stop sign
shortly after midnight in his gold 442,
five blocks from the murder.
And Barry had cocaine in his system.
The defense presented
this far-fetched theory
that Billy Ross broke into the house,
killed Barry
after a drug deal gone wrong
when we never found any proof
that Billy Ross was ever
even at the house.
George got off, but Melon always
believed he was the killer.
Why didn't you?
Gut instinct. It just didn't add up.
George was well-liked.
He never had any history of violence.
He was a philanthropist.
He was a bigwig
at the chamber of commerce.
He spearheaded that whole
affordable housing initiative.
So he didn't seem like a murderer.
That was part of it.
I also didn't buy
that a 70-something-year-old man
with a hip replacement could
carry Barry into the sauna.
Well, Barry was a little guy though.
Still.
So what's your gut say now?
The aftermath of the crime
has been brutal on the Donovans.
They used to be
the most well-respected family
in Beverly Hills
for their ties to politics
and a charity for domestic
violence victims in their name.
And suddenly overnight,
half of America believes one
of them has to be a murderer.
Now George confesses to the crime?
I think he did it to clear his family.
He wanted them to be able
to lead normal lives.
Who do you think did it?
I don't know.
Thank you for joining me
on this trip down memory lane.
Yeah.
Sure you don't want me
to track down that scotch?
No. But there's something
you can do for me.
Every cop has that one case they
can't get out of their head,
and this one's mine.
I regret not following my gut
ten years ago.
Why didn't you?
I let Melon talk me out
of going deeper on my hunch.
I felt like I had to toe the line,
be one of the boys
for the sake of my career.
I am embarrassed I let that happen.
Mind seeing
if there's something we missed?
On it, boss.
["DEAD OR ALIVE" PLAYING]
I could've caved ♪
I could've quit
and walked away ♪
I could've gave up but I won't
You got me tied up ♪
I shouldn't stay
I shouldn't fight another day ♪
I shouldn't play
your dirty games ♪
But I like them ♪
Oh, it's messed up beautiful ♪
But I can't let you go ♪
Oh, my darlin'
I can hear the danger callin'♪
And tonight I don't know
if we'll survive ♪
Oh, my darlin' ♪
Heard the warnings
but I'm all in ♪
Yeah, forever lay me down
by your side ♪
Dead or alive ♪
How do they keep
their backsplash so clean?
Stuck together Tied and bound ♪
Swear you're gonna
Bring me down ♪
I could've caved ♪
I could've quit
and walked away ♪
I could've gave up
but I won't ♪
Oh. Ooh. No, no. No, no.
Oh, my darlin'
I can hear the danger callin'♪
And tonight I don't know
if we'll survive ♪
Oh, my darlin' ♪
Heard the warnings
but I'm all in ♪
Dead or alive, dead or alive ♪
Yeah, forever lay me down
by your side ♪
Dead or alive, dead or alive ♪
Yeah, forever lay me down
by your side ♪
Dead or alive ♪
- [MUSIC STOPS]
- Yes.
Lieutenant,
you were right.
George Donovan did not push
his son-in-law down the stairs.
In fact, no one did.
First of all, Barry was not
killed on the basement stairs.
Barry was killed
in the common bathroom upstairs.
So what then?
The killer carried Barry's dead body
all the way down to the sauna?
Not exactly.
Let me take you back
to the Donovan mansion
the night of the murder.
We find the killer walking down
the upstairs hallway.
He or she passes the bathroom
and hears Barry showering inside.
Showering wasn't in the file.
Are Are you gonna
interrupt the whole time?
- I just got going.
- My bad.
The killer finds Barry
vulnerable in the shower.
He or she looks around
and spots a hair dryer and thinks,
"You know what can pass as
a heart attack in an autopsy?"
An electrocution.
So that's that for Barry.
But now
the electrical outlet's on fire.
[OUTLET CRACKLES, SIZZLES]
So the killer freaks
out 'cause, you know, flames.
[SIGHS] But mostly because now
there's evidence of a murder.
So, the wallpaper-covered
faceplate is scorched.
And that's not good, but it's
a problem for later because
First, it's time to move the body.
Now remember, the guy
only weighed about 150 pounds.
So
down the laundry chute he goes.
- The laundry chute?
- [MORGAN] Mm-hmm.
That's how he got down to the basement?
It sure is.
It's also how he broke his neck.
And it's how Barry's blood
ended up on George's shirt.
And then what?
Then the killer rolls
Barry's body to the sauna.
He carefully props him up,
places an empty wine bottle
next to him
and cooks him to perfection.
And that is
how Barry Johnson met his maker.
I get it. You're still processing.
It's okay. It's all very exciting.
Let me show you some evidence.
Every single inch of this house
was photographed.
Remember that scorched
wall plate I was talking about?
Right there.
Yeah, but it's not scorched though.
But it's plain.
All the other outlets
are covered in wallpaper.
There, there and there.
That means the killer
switched out the wallpaper plate
with the plain one
to hide the scorch marks.
I guarantee you, there's
scorching underneath that wall plate.
- There's just one problem.
- [SCOFFS] Ah, just one?
People don't get electrocuted
by hair dryers anymore.
- There are safety features now.
- That's true.
In 1990, the Consumer Product
Safety Commission
issued manufacturing
requirements for hair dryers,
including safeguards
against electrocution.
But look at their hair dryer.
This is a 1980s model Air Zan 1200.
Okay, but Lenore saw Barry
heading toward the basement
at midnight.
By stairs, not by laundry chute.
Lenore also admitted
to drinking a bunch of wine.
So maybe she didn't see
what she thought she saw.
Or maybe she's covering
for the real killer.
[OZ GRUNTS]
Ten years ago, Pacheco insisted
we only dig deep
into the family's alibis after midnight,
the time we thought Barry was killed.
But if he was murdered before midnight,
before anyone went to bed,
anyone of those family members
could be our killer.
Yeah.
We need to talk to 'em.
Daphne, Oz, hold down the fort
while we're gone.
Selena, if the captain finds out
you're reopening a closed case
behind his back,
that's how Jon got exiled to traffic.
Let me worry about that.
I spoke to Lenore Donovan.
Explained we had
a few loose ends to tie up
before we can officially close the case.
She said the housekeeper
will let us inside
while the family's out
scattering George's ashes.
Nice.
First, we need to pick up Ida Perp.
- Who's Ida Perp?
- [ELEVATOR BELL RINGS]
[SECRETARY] Yes.
Hi. I'd like to speak to your detectives
about the Bucket Lane Murder.
My name is Nedda Donovan,
and I've got a story to tell.
[FOUNTAIN WATER TRICKLING]
[DOORBELL CHIMES]
Oh. Hello.
I'm Lieutenant Soto.
This is Detective Karadec.
Hi. I'm Morgan, I'm the consultant.
This is Ida Perp.
She's faking this,
so he'll carry her. [CHUCKLES]
[SELENA] I believe you're expecting us.
[MORGAN] Yeah.
Can we see the bathroom, please?
The one upstairs with the laundry chute?
[HOUSEKEEPER SCOFFS]
- Thank you.
- Mm-hmm.
If your theory is correct,
we should find
Scorch marks?
Then the killer did switch the plate
to hide an electrical fire.
So where did that plate come from?
Well, if I had to guess, I'd say
the room Barry was staying in.
Look for a scorched face plate
covered in the same wallpaper
as the bathroom.
Hmm.
Look at this. Security cameras
all over the house.
Why wouldn't the footage
show up in the case file?
Yeah, the family said
the footage was deleted.
Little help?
[KARADEC GRUNTS] That's good.
[KARADEC] That's our plate.
Yes.
Good work, Morgan.
Come on, Ida. It's showtime.
- [SELENA THROUGH CHUTE] Ready!
- [MORGAN GRUNTS]
Oh, hello.
Make mama proud, okay? [GRUNTS]
[IDA PERP THUDDING]
That'd break a neck.
She was right.
Barry was killed in the shower
and thrown down the chute.
[MORGAN THROUGH CHUTE] Is Ida okay?
[KARADEC SIGHS]
Guys, this is a public building.
We're allowed to film here.
You're standing in the way
of journalism.
We are standing in the way of
murder porn.
Let's just call it what it is.
Look, your crew can film all they want,
but we're not speaking on camera.
[SCOFFS] We're a legit production, guys.
- See?
- Ken Burns could walk in here,
set all of his Emmys on the table,
and we're still not talking on camera.
I don't know who Ken Burns is.
But what if I told you
I know for a fact,
George's confession is a sham?
I'll talk to Soto.
So why did you agree
to do the documentary?
Sixteen years in that family,
and I have nothing to show for it
other than a destroyed reputation.
The Donovan prenup is criminal.
I tried to do right by them,
but enough is enough.
This is my story too.
I have a right to tell it
and sell it as I please.
I won't let them take away my moment.
Lieutenant says we already know
George's confession is a sham.
So how about you tell us
why you think George's
confession is bogus
out of the goodness of your heart.
You'll still screw the Donovans
over if you prove to the police
that the case isn't as closed as
the family would like it to be.
You can help us bring
Barry's real killer to justice.
Fine. George called me up
after he'd seen that I'd signed on
to participate in the
documentary a few weeks ago.
Begged me not to do it.
Said he wanted to spare
the family any more misery.
That was George. He hated
to see his people suffer.
He wouldn't have waited
ten years to confess
if he'd actually done it.
Okay.
If not George,
who do you think murdered Barry?
I don't know, but they would
all lie to protect each other.
You won't be able to break them.
[PHONE CHIMES]
[MORGAN] "Sauna at the End
of the Stairs"?
Mmm, I'd watch it.
One of the people
in this family is a murderer.
- We have to figure out who
- [MORGAN] Hmm.
Welcome. To what do we owe the pleasure?
Again, we're sorry for your loss.
Why are you here?
I mean, we-we literally just sprinkled
our dad's ashes off of Point Dume.
I-I told them they could come.
- [SIGHS]
- Well, as I said on the phone,
we just have a few follow-up questions
before we can officially close the case.
Make sure the confession wasn't coerced.
You think we had a gun to his head?
No. No, we just have some I's
to dot and some T's to cross.
I'm sure your dad's confession
came as quite a shock.
I doubt Dad meant to kill Barry.
Was there any sense of relief?
I mean, the media hasn't exactly
been kind to you, guys.
So at least now
all the speculation will stop.
The speculation that ruined our lives?
I mean, this whole thing
cost Clark a wife, me my career,
and Mom, you know, her place in society.
Cody was being recruited
by MIT before the murder.
My nephew's a genius.
Yeah. And now that genius washes dishes.
Heather had to move. Matty's
all over the murder blogs.
- Murder blogs?
- They call him "Matty the Baddie."
Well, I, for one, think
that your divorce was
the only upside of this whole thing.
Nedda's a piece of work.
Was there any friction between
Barry and George that night?
Well, there was one thing
by the pool before dinner.
You know, we were having some
lemonade by the pool with Dad
when, uh, Barry comes
out of the pool house,
all ring around the nosey.
He was coked up?
Yeah. And Dad just freaked out.
You know, he was yelling at Barry
for bringing drugs into the house.
Especially around
his no-good addict son. Mmm.
That's not what he thought,
Matty. My brother's in recovery.
Did Barry and George's fight by
the pool escalate any further?
They put aside their differences,
momentarily at least,
so we could have a nice dinner.
And was it nice?
Well, we tried.
[HEATHER] It started with another
family photo and then a toast.
- All right.
- To family,
looking after one another
in good times and bad.
And, of course,
Matty started drinking.
Is that a good idea, Son?
Come on, Dad. I can handle one drink.
It wasn't long before Barry
started offending everyone.
I suppose you can let 'em
make their own mistakes.
- They know you'll bail them out.
- And Dad got upset.
Says Mr. Father of the Year.
Cody had enough
and went upstairs.
You know what? I'm not hungry.
- And Matty let it out
- Please. Cody, stay.
that Barry and Clark
lost a lot of money.
I don't know if Dad can afford
to send me to rehab again, Barry.
Not after all that money
that he and Clark lost
investing in your friend's
failed company.
You invested our money in what?
How did George react when Matty
brought up the bad investment?
He really didn't have time to react,
because of
Heather's mishap.
- Oh, God.
- Oh, my God. Bunny, are you hurt?
Sorry, new here. Heather caught on fire?
We knew about that.
Melon didn't think
it was important enough
to even include in the case report.
We put it out right away. I was okay.
Just clumsy, as usual.
What happened after that?
Barry decided he'd had enough.
He headed upstairs.
And then we cleared the table
and set up the Monopoly board.
[HEATHER] Monopoly comes out.
Cody returned.
- Look who decided to show up.
- What's up, bud?
- He loves that game.
- Welcome back, Cody.
- I knew you couldn't resist.
- But then,
- Barry puts his TV on full blast.
- I'm the race car.
[THROUGH TV] I hope you die!
- What the hell is he watching up there?
- And Dad was not happy.
I'm going to kill that bastard.
George threatened to murder Barry?
Why sound surprised?
We sent you his confession.
Where was Nedda during all of this?
Probably checking her social media.
- Where was I?
- You just told us Heather caught on fire,
and then you needed
to check your Instagram.
Right. Yes.
That is why you do not wear
bell sleeves to dinner.
So we quickly tore off her wrap,
and that's when we saw the bruises.
[VOICEMAIL] This is Karadec.
Please leave a message.
- Karadec isn't picking up.
- Okay. Well, call Soto, then.
All right. [SIGHS]
[LINE DIALING]
What the hell is Nedda Donovan
doing here?
You're sure that's what she said, Oz?
Barry abused Heather?
Yeah, okay.
What?
Melon saw her?
Okay, bye.
[SELENA SIGHS]
The Donovans lied to us.
Barry was beating Heather.
They learned this when
they stripped off Heather's wrap
and discovered
she was covered in bruises.
That's a strong motive
for murder for any of 'em.
I can see why they kept it a secret.
[SELENA] And why that secret
would've ruined their charity.
Melon saw Nedda at the station.
Our time is running out.
Selena, maybe we should call
this off. You've gone rogue.
I don't wanna be answering
to Melon if you get reassigned.
I don't want that either.
So let's solve this case.
[KARADEC SCOFFS]
Was anyone planning on telling us
about the moment
during Thanksgiving dinner
when you learned
Barry was beating Heather?
Nedda.
It was a family matter.
And some things need to stay
in the family.
In a murder investigation?
Can we please not talk about this?
It'll be okay, Mom.
It was after Heather's sleeve
caught on fire.
- [SCREAMS, GRUNTS]
- [CLARK] We put out the fire,
and that's when we saw
what Barry was doing to her.
- We need to get this off you.
- No, Mom. I'm okay. I'm fine.
[LENORE] Honey.
- What happened?
- What the hell?
- You bastard.
- How dare you?
You think I did that?
[CLARK] Barry denied it
and stormed out.
I'm done here. I'm done.
Did anyone see Barry again after that?
I did.
[LENORE] I was having a glass
of wine while cleaning up
when he came down the stairs
in his robe
headed for the sauna.
How much did you have to drink?
I had some wine.
I can't remember how much.
Well, it's a good thing
Barry's already dead.
I'd like to murder him myself.
Assuming Morgan's theory is correct,
everyone but the killer probably
thinks Barry was still alive
- when Lenore says she saw him.
- Well, let's divide 'em up.
Get everyone's account of the
hours between dinner and midnight.
- Establish a time line.
- Yeah.
Okay.
So why don't you walk us through
what happened after dinner?
Heather couldn't sleep
in the same room as Barry.
George and Lenore
wouldn't have allowed it.
So I offered to go grab
her stuff from the room
while Lenore helped her
get into new clothes.
[NEDDA] Barry was watching TV
when I went to his room.
She needs her stuff.
- He flipped and threw it at me.
- Take it, okay?
Oh, my
- Take her crap. Take her crap. Okay.
- You're such an asshole, Barry.
That was the last time I ever saw him.
You understand why I have to ask
about the abuse?
Why didn't you go to the police?
I thought he'd change.
Plus, I was ashamed.
Is that why you never went
to the hospital?
I was a nurse before Cody was born.
I could deal with the injuries myself.
My aunt was a nurse.
She was always throwing out her back,
all that heavy lifting you have to do,
moving patients around.
They train nurses to do that,
don't they?
What are you trying to imply?
It's okay, honey.
Yes, that's part of the training.
And by then, Cody had hotels
on Boardwalk and Park Place.
He was dominating us as usual.
And that's when Barry switched
from a war movie
to a dirty movie.
[THROUGH TV]
Did someone order pizza?
Matty and Clark volunteered
to stop it.
Come on, Matty. Let's handle this.
And I asked them to grab the
Christmas decorations for me as well.
Did you hear the TV come back on again
after your sons went upstairs?
No, don't believe so.
- How long were they gone?
- 30 minutes or so.
Little wuss locked himself in,
but we got Barry to turn the TV
off after a few choice words.
So you threatened him?
We banged on his door a bit. That's all.
[STAMMERS] We didn't kill him,
if that's what you're asking.
I didn't even see him again.
Not alive at least.
After that, Matty and I headed
to the attic
for Mom's Christmas decorations.
How long were you upstairs?
Half hour, maybe.
Both of you?
I may have given Matty a little grief
for drinking in front of Dad.
At some point, he disappeared
and left me with all the
heavy boxes.
Matty left you alone
in the attic? For how long?
Fifteen minutes.
Maybe 20.
Matty and Clark were each alone
for enough time
to sneak off and murder Barry.
Mm-hmm. One of them could be our guy.
Or they were lying
about being in the attic,
and they both murdered him together.
[NEDDA] So going back to the attic.
Lenore knows the smell of fake
pine gives me a headache,
and yet she insists on lighting
those scented Christmas candles
every year for the ambience.
What does Lenore's candles
have to do with the murder?
If you'd let me finish.
So Lenore likes to light
her scented Christmas candles.
And I had to leave the house.
Get some fresh air.
[EXHALES HEAVILY]
And I saw Billy Ross
selling drugs to Matty.
So Ross did show up at the house
that night but not for Barry.
He came to see Matty.
Matty the Baddie.
A former drug addict who was
furious at his brother-in-law
and was getting coked up right
at the time of Barry's death.
Makes for a killer doc, huh?
All right. Thanks.
Daphne and Oz got some
interesting news from Nedda.
She says she saw Matty Donovan
meeting Billy Ross
in front of the house, when
he told us he was in the attic.
- He went to meet the coke dealer?
- Yep.
George's lawyers were right
about Ross coming to the house.
But there was no drug-deal-gone-wrong.
If Ross came to see Matty, he
had no motive for killing Barry.
Mmm. That probably explains
why Nedda didn't mention it at trial.
One more thing.
Daphne also said she just saw
Melon and the captain
leaving the station.
[SIGHS] If you have any ideas,
feel free to speak up.
Yes. I know. I don't.
Just give me a second.
I need to rewind a little bit.
There's just so many moving pieces.
Okay. We know that everyone was
together at dinner. Around 8:00.
Cody leaves when George
and Barry start fighting.
- I'm not hungry.
- Please. Cody, stay.
Barry leaves when everybody
calls him out
- for beating Heather.
- I'm done here. I'm done.
[MORGAN] Heather decides she
still wants to have family game night,
because moms hold on to
tradition like a life raft in a storm.
But first, Heather, Lenore and
Nedda go upstairs around 9:00.
Heather and Lenore go
into Lenore's room to change.
Nedda goes to grab Heather's
stuff from Barry's room
- Take her crap.
- You're such an asshole, Barry.
where she sees him alive
for the last time.
Lenore and Heather go back
downstairs to start game night.
Cody comes downstairs
from his room. Monopoly begins.
[CLOCK CHIMES]
Until Barry starts
blasting porn on his TV,
causing Matty and Clark to go
upstairs and bang on his door.
But then Barry turns the TV off,
so Matty and Clark instead
go up to the attic
to get Lenore's Christmas boxes.
That's when Matty leaves Clark
to go meet the coke dealer.
So Clark is alone in the attic.
Then both brothers reconvene
back downstairs
at the game board around the same time.
Monopoly ends.
Everybody goes to bed,
except for Lenore,
who finishes cleaning up
in the tea room.
Because, again, moms being moms.
And that's when she sees Barry
go down to the basement.
But we know Barry was killed upstairs,
and we know it wasn't Lenore,
Heather or Nedda
because Barry was alive
before Monopoly even began.
But then the porn turned off, what
[GRUNTS] Damn it.
[PACHECO] Please forgive
the intrusion
[SELENA] I hear Captain Pacheco.
No.
Whew.
[MORGAN STAMMERS, GRUNTS] Just
We were hoping to let you rest this day,
but I'm afraid I'm going to have to
[SELENA] Captain.
There you are. Would you excuse us?
Did you think I wasn't gonna
find out about this?
[SCOFFS] You put
this entire case at risk.
And the department.
What in God's name were you thinking?
And, Mrs. Donovan,
please, you have my utmost apologies
for this intrusion
on your day of mourning.
And, Lieutenant? This cleaning
lady experiment of yours
[LENORE ECHOING] And that's
when Barry switched
from a war movie
to a dirty movie.
- It's officially over.
- Captain, this experiment has been
- Lieutenant.
- Yeah.
I know who did it.
Captain Pacheco, when you investigated
Barry's death ten years ago,
you focused on the events
that happened after midnight, correct?
We knew the murder happened then.
Lenore saw Barry go
into the basement at midnight.
Right. So that would make
perfect sense, you know.
Unless Lenore was wrong.
- What?
- Are you saying my mother lied?
No. Absolutely not.
I'm asking what if Lenore
thought she saw Barry, right?
I mean, she admitted
to tipping back a few.
I know what I saw.
Barry passed me on his way
down to the basement.
Well, Barry's bathrobe
went down to the basement. Yes.
But Barry wasn't in it.
Because Barry was killed
before midnight upstairs.
Uh So-so let me get this straight.
You're saying the killer
murdered Barry somewhere else,
then dragged his body
from the second floor
to the basement
right past the entire family
playing Monopoly?
No. I'm saying the killer tossed
Barry's body
down the laundry chute,
breaking his neck
in the process.
- The laundry chute?
- What the hell?
What is going on?
No way a body fits down
that chute. There's no way.
Ida Perp did.
Ida Perp is not a living person.
And neither was Barry.
Because Cody electrocuted him
in the shower
before the family even began
playing Monopoly.
You knew what your dad was doing
to your mom. Kids always know.
You were just trying to protect
her any way you knew how.
- [CLARK] What are you saying?
- [MATTY] You need to leave, all right?
- Coming here making these accusations?
- Who do you think you are?
Please. Look, look. I don't
believe this any more than you do.
He was 15. You really think
a teenager could pull that off?
Cody wasn't a regular teenager.
He was a genius.
A kid that MIT was recruiting
as a sophomore.
And this very smart young man
knew that his father
was beating his mother.
So picture Cody knowing
what he knows about his dad.
He heads upstairs, fed up.
[MORGAN] Sometime later,
he hears Barry in the bathroom
and he gets an idea.
He realizes he has an opportunity
to end this abuse
once and for all.
[HAIR DRYER WHIRS]
He tosses the hair dryer
into the shower, killing Barry.
[HAIR DRYER CRACKLES, SIZZLES]
Now Cody's a smart kid.
He knows electrocutions can be
written off as heart attacks.
But he has an unforeseen
technical difficulty.
The outlet catches on fire.
So he has to come up
with a plan B on the fly.
He sends Barry's body
down the laundry chute.
He cleans up any evidence
of a fire.
And he goes downstairs and
joins game night, creating an alibi.
Then, at midnight,
when everyone else
but his grandmother is asleep,
Cody heads down to the
basement passing Lenore.
She sees the robe
and thinks that it's Barry.
In the basement,
Cody moves Barry's body
from the hamper into the sauna.
He wants to make it look
like it's an accident.
So he sets the wine bottle
he cranks up the thermostat
on the sauna
and he leaves the robe behind.
Cody had no idea that the fall
had broken his father's neck.
Or that Barry's blood got
onto his grandfather's shirt
in the hamper.
Who could blame you for any of this?
You knew your dad was hurting your mom.
You must've been terrified one
day he was gonna take it too far.
This is ludicrous.
My son is not a murderer.
He was playing Monopoly the whole night.
And Barry was still alive.
He was watching TV, remember?
And channels just don't change
on their own.
Channels don't.
But George and Lenore's televisions
use radio frequency remotes.
Meaning
Well, it depends what kind of
range you want for your remote.
Infrared remotes get
the job done for the most part
but require a direct line of
sight from the remote to the TV.
But if you wanna get a little
fancier, class up the joint a bit,
a radio frequency remote offers
greater flexibility and coverage.
[ANNOUNCER] Attention, shoppers.
Electronic
Simply put, you can control the
sources from any room in the house.
So, that is how Cody
made it sound like Barry was
still alive during Monopoly,
when he was
already dead in the hamper.
God. Is he watching porn up there?
Turning up the volume on
the porn, that was an accident.
He didn't want Matty and Clark
to go upstairs.
Again, on behalf
of the LAPD, I apologize
She's right.
I did it.
I killed Dad, Mom.
- It was me.
- What?
Wait. Don't say another word.
We want a lawyer.
- No, no. Let me say this.
- No.
Let me say this. Come on.
Mom, this secret has been
eating me alive.
I should've told the truth
a long time ago, and I tried.
When Grandpa was dying,
I told him what I did.
I said I wanted to come forward,
but he asked me to give it more thought.
A week later,
he makes that video confessing.
He was protecting me at
the cost of his own reputation.
Mom, I think about what I did every day.
I can't sleep. I can't focus.
I'm spiraling.
I don't feel like I deserve
any success in my life.
Maybe after I serve my time,
I can look at myself
in the mirror again.
No, no, no. No, I am sorry.
This is not your fault.
This is not his fault.
It's my fault. Please, blame me.
Cody will be tried as a minor.
He'll likely serve
less than three years.
[POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
[HEATHER SOBS]
[VEHICLE ENGINE REVS]
So, Captain.
What do you think of our
cleaning lady experiment now?
You did good work in there.
One thing, Selena.
Never go behind my back again.
Or you could say goodbye
to Major Crimes.
["TOUGH LOVE" PLAYING]
Morgan?
You continue to amaze me.
We're lucky to have you on the team.
Back at you, Lieutenant.
You risked your career to put
the right person behind bars.
Every cop has that one case.
With my hands
all over your heart?♪
How do we start healing ♪
If we can't keep out the dark?♪
- Good night, Morgan.
- Good night, Karadec.
Tough love? ♪
Do you want
to feel tough love?♪
This could be real tough love ♪
[MORGAN CHUCKLES]