Second Draft The Shephard/Robin Company ‘Warner Brothers TV/TNT July 22,2004 The Closer Pilot Script By James Duff

THE CLOSER ACT ONE FADE IN: EXT: HOLLYWOOD HILLS BUNGALOW (MR. COLLIER'S HOUSE) -- NIGHT A SWARM COF POLICE CARS and AN AMBULANCE huddle by the narrow curb outside A CUTE, COMPACT COTTAGE and its DETACHED GARAGE in an isolated corner of LAUREL CANYON. Lots of b.g. action. ELLEN (0.8.} But Dr. Collier would never, ever kill anyone. Never. EXT. ANOTHER PART OF THE FRONT YARD - NIGHT DETECTIVE LIEUTENANT ANDY FLYNN, handsome, in his forties, takes NOTES from a tearful woman in her early thirties. This is ELLEN PARKS. Ellen wears A GOLD CRUCIFIX around her neck. DET. FLYNN Uh-huh. Ellen? ELLEN Ellen Parks. DET. FLYNN b-a~r-k~s. And your relationship to Dr. Collier? ELLEN His secretary., He's not a medical doctor, you know. He’s a a highly respected mathematician. And he doesn’t go around killing people. FLYNN Yeah. Well, Ellen. There’s a dead woman on the floor of his master bedroom. And she’s got a big, big, big gunshot wound in her face. (looking up at ELLEN) S0 how do you think that happened if Dr. Collier didn’t kill her? E len tugs nervously on her crossg, but ssems befuddled. 3 CHNICIAN walks up beside them. FLYRN (CORT' D) You brought the keys to his garage? 1 B

ELLEN nods and hands THE KEYS off to FLYNN, who, in turn, passes them off to the TECHNICIAN, who disappears. FLYNN begins walking up the driveway and ELLEN follows him. The conversation never stops. FLYNN Any idea where your boss is now? ELLEN On vacation. In Hawaii. He...he stayed longer than he planned. As she speaks, FLYNN is joined by JOSEPH WATERS (another plainclothes detective, early fifties). WATERS Okay, Flynn. They’re ready. FLYNN So. Ellen. We’ll be back in a minute. All right? Ellen nods. Det. Waters and Det. Flynn leave her and head towards the bungalow’s front door. FLYNN (CONT’D) Got an I.D. on the victim? WATERS Several. Two driver's licenses. Two passports. All fakes. Good fakes though. Except the pictures have been cut out. They pass by the NERVOUS LATINA MAID weeping on the edge of the porch and pause to pick up PLASTIC GLOVES and PROTECTIVE MASKS from A BIG CARDBOARD BOX. Behind them, we see NUMEROUS TECHNICIANS and UNIFORMED OFFICERS moving in and out of the house, all with masks covering their faces. FLYNN Guess Collier didn’t tell his maid he was staying late at the luau. WATERS Well, who wants to come home from vacation and clean up s murder? MASTER BEDRCOM OF DR. COLLIER’'S HOUSE - NIGET Bright, bright light surrounds the unseen corpse, the effect of SEVERAL PORTABLE LAMPS clamped about the room. THREE SHEETS form a U, demarcating the area of the corpse.

Shadows move behind the tightly stretched linens. DR. GONZALES, mid-thirties, wearing plastic gloves, and a BULKY ROBE over his SHIRT, TIE AND SLACKS, steps into the frame. A MASK wrapped tightly around his face gives the grumpy pathologist the air of a mad scientist. He bends down so that we get a dismaying glimpse of the WOMAN'S SHATTERED FACE. DR. GONZALES Let’s hurry it along guys. I have a date and the clock is ticking. FLYNN and WATERS enter, masks also strapped around their faces. They look disgusted at the crime. FLYNN We really need these masks? DR. GONZALES I declared her dead from the foyer, but hey, you decide. She was naked like this when we got here. FLYNN That’s what they all say, Doc. Waters moves towards the closet and we GO WITH HIM as he opens the door. Empty except for a few women’s clothes. FLYNN bends down over the body. Waters looks in the bathroom. FLYNN (CONT’D) that's a shot to the face? DR. GONZALES Uh-huh. But that's not what killed her. I'd lift her head up and show you, but she’s been dead for two weeks now and stuff would fall out. Here’s the crder. Blunt force instrument blows to the back of the head. Four or five of them. I mean hard. Then the hair was cut off. Then her clothes were removed. Then while she was lying on the floor, somecne shot her in the face. BRENDA {(0.8.) (southern accent) Sounds like love. PLYNN and GONZALES look up towards the hallway to find...

o . .DEPUTY CHIEF BRENDA JEAN JOHNSON standing in the docrway. Barly forties, and wearing & businesslike skirt and blouse, her hair unflatteringly pressed to her head by the strap of her mask, BRENDA looks peculiarly out-of-place. Her manner is one of utter calm and her tone, courteous (despwte the rudeness with which she is treated). her stands DET. SGT. DAVID GABRRIEL, a clear-eyed, handsome, up- and-comer, early thirties. DR. GONZALES steps in front of the sheets and, behind him, we see DET. WATERS re-emerging from the bathroom, an open box of tampons in his hand (which he hands off to a nearby CSU TECHNICIAN, who dutifully bags and labels the find). DET. GABRIEL {introducing BRENDA) Dr. Gonzales, this is Deputy Chief Brenda Jean Johnson, head of cur new Priority Murder Squad. She’s...from Atlanta. DR. GONZALES Atlanta? BRENDA Nice to meet you, Doctor. GABRIEL You remember Lieutenants Flynn and Waters, don’t you, ma’am? BRENDA {stooping by the body) I do. Nice to see y'all again. Pardon me for just jumping in. Any sign of sexual assault, Doctor? Brenda pulls out a small flashlight from her pocket and closely examines the victim’s head. DR. GONZALES I won’t be doing a complete exam *til tomorrow. I'm just here to declare the victim dead and write it up as a homicide. Something a coroner’s attendant usually does, but some asshole at Parker Center insisted on a doctor. BRENDA Mm-hmm. That asshole was me. {as Gonzales reacts) See doctor? (MORE)

BRENDA {CONT'D) Just inside the ear canal and on the edge of the lobe: that’s not blood. It’s vomit. Caked. Dried. The killer threw up. Over there. To the right. See? The rug’s discolored. Brenda takes a breath, grimaces and removes her mask. The men exchange glances. Who is this woman? Brenda thinks through the smell, then bends down next the area she indicated and puts her nose in it. BRENDA (CONT’D) Someone used a detergent here. To clean up the vomit. (looking up, coughing) The mess seems to have come from the blows to the head. The gunshot came later. After all the blood had drained away. This crime doesn’t look premeditated to me. (she stands) Sorry to interrupt your evening, Doctor, but I'm going to have to ask you to expedite this autopsy. When the body’s ready, I'11 go with you to the morgue. Oh, and Detectives, if you could report on what you’ve found so far to Sgt. Gabriel here, I'd be very grateful. Brenda looks one last time at the victim, shakes her head and exits. Flynn glares after her. Gonzales practically hisses. GONZALES What the hell? FLYNN Uh - did I miss something? Are you people taking over? Is that it? GABRIEL Look. You think I was sitting at my desk tonight thinking up ways to piss you off? This comes directly from Assistant Chief Pope. FLYNN (storming past them) Pope.

EXT, PORCH - WIGHT Flynn tosses off his gloves and mask and hurls it next to the cardboard box. Waters and Gabriel do the same, albeit more calmly. As they discard their paraphernalia... FLYNN Priority Sguad? What makes this a priority? And who’s Miss Atlanta here trying to impress? She’s got six detectives working for her full- time. And she comes down here herself? In person? And orders us around? No. Flynn stalks off. Waters follows after him. Then Gabriel. EXT. DETACHED GARAGE AREA OF DR. COLLIER'S HOUSE - NIGHT Waters, Flynn and Gabriel catch up with Brenda, who's popping lemon drops in her mouth on her way to the garage. FLYNN Excuse me., Ms. Johnson. BRENDA (politely} Yes, Lieutenant? FLYNN I don‘t know who you think you are, but we were assigned this case by Captain Taylor. BRENDA There’s been a change of plans. Look. Since you’re feeling emotional about this, why don’t-- FLYNN I'm not feeling emotional. I don’t get emotional. I'm damn angry. BRENDA (a beat; still polite) Well, thanks for speaking your mind. Look. I hate to pull rank on my very first week, but I think it would be best if you handed over your notes to Sgt. Gabriel, tock a deap breath and went back to your car. 1 can get what I need from your partner here.

BRENDA turns from Flynn, as if he had ceased to exist, and gives her full attention to his flummoxed partner. BRENDA (CONT'D) Does your search warrant include the car and garage? FLYNN Hey, Gabriel. You might explain to Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson here that this house is a crime scene. {(handing over his notes) The maid found a body in the bedroom. In L.A., that’s probable cause and we don’t need a warrant. BRENDA (her patience wearing thin) The garage is not physically attached to the house. The car is inside the garage. You need a warrant to examine both. WATERS - This Collier guy murdered someone. He’'s a fugitive. BRENDA That might be, Det. Waters. But we still require the proper authorization to collect evidence, or everything you find can be challenged in court. So, I repeat. Do you have a warrant? Water’s silence) I'11 cake that as a no. {turning to Ellen; polite) You’re Dr. Collier’s secretary, yes? Did he give you permission to open his garage to strangers? ELLEN shakes her head. Brenda steps forward. As she speaks, the technicians slowly stop working and exchange glances. BRENDA D} Excuse me. Everyone. Could you step away from what doing and come cut of the garage. Thank vou. . WATERS {condescending) Look. It’s one house. {MORE}

oo WATERS The guy’s secretary offered to cpen the garage. No need to be a bitch about it. We’ll get it done the right-- BRENDA sorry, Detective, but if I liked being called a bitch to my face, I'd still be married. Brenda steps out of frame. Grim-faced, Waters tears sheets of paper from his notebook and hands them to Gabriel. WATERS Love this elite, little squad you guys are in. Lots of luck te you, too. Lots of luck. Waters hands Gabriel the pages and follows his partner into the dark. Gabriel, disturbed, moves towards Brenda. EXT. FRONT YARD - NIGHT Gabriel steps up beside Brenda, who is finishing up a phone call, Behind them, the body of the victim is carried out of Dr. COLLIER’s house by CORONER ATTENDANTS. BRENDA And see if the victim matches up against anyone declared missing over the last month. Thank you. Brenda flips her phone shut, drops it in her pocket and joins the body on its way to the ambulance. Gabriel catches up. As they Brenda appreciatively eyes one of the MORTUARY ATTENDANTS, then looks back at Gabriel, who's a little stunned by the nature of her split focus. Under the circumstances. BRENDA If the victim has these aliases, we can bet she has a record. Maybe I can get the F.B.I. to run her prints for us tomorrow. Also...the cleaning lady and his secretary had keys. Check them ocut. But gquietly. GABRIEL Excuse me, ma’am. Are you planning on conducting this investigation yourself? Personally? BRENDA Is that a problem?

GABRIEL Well, you have a whole sguad of experienced detectives working for you. And the truth is...you're still & little unfamiliar with how cur department works. BRENDA For example? GABRIEL Det. Flynn is a family friend. And I’ve worked with Det. Waters. They both have a lot of experience. And pride in their work. BRENDA Uh-~huh. Good. And? GABRIEL And you were...a little impatient with them just now. And you’re new. And, well, as they say in your part of the country, "You catch more flies with honey." You know? BRENDA {calm and courteous) I do know. And the next time I'm out hunting flies, Sgt. Gabriel, I'1l bear that in mind. Right now, though, I'm trying to catch a killer who shoots women in the face and leaves them lying naked on the floor with their hair cut off. And honey isn't the grease I need to move the machine. DR. GONZALES Body’s ready. Just waiting on you. BRENDA Charming as have been. I'11 have one of the officers here drive me to the morgue. {to herself) I don’t understand why her hair was cut What's that about? (te Gabriel} (MORE) The irritated medical examiner walks past her. As he

BRENDA (CONT'D) I'd feel betrer if you stayved te supervise until the warrant arrives. GABRIEL Yes, ma'am. Brenda walks off. Gabriel watches her go. TAYLOR (0.8.) She was ordering my boys around like they were janitors, INT. PARKER CENTER (LAPD HEADQUARTERS) - OFFICE RECEPTION -~ DAY TWO MEN move through the HUSTLING OFFICERS, past SECRETARIES at desks, ETC.. One is African American, mid-fifties, military bearing: this is the fuming CAPTAIN TAYLOR, head of the ROBBERY/HOMICIDE DIVISION. His companion, and the recipient of his bitter complaints, is ASSISTANT POLICE CHIEF HENRY POPE, late forties and businesslike. TAYLOR (imitating Brenda) “I want a warrant to look under the victim’s skirt, y'all.” (his own voice) Look, Pope. This idea that we need a specialized murder squad: expensive and redundant. POPE These were not objections I heard when the squad reported to you. TAYLOR When it reported to me, it wasn’'t undercutting my authority as Captain of the Robbery/Homicide Division. And to bring in this woman from Atlanta - and I heard she resigned out there after an ethics inquiry, and that’s never been addressed -~ this Southern belle - They reach POPE’s office and he pauses to take a report from his secretary, Linda, a young, businesslike working-Mom type. LINDA Mr. Pope, sir? The budget overruns in Vice. And the Chief called from his car.

LINDA (CONT'D) He’1ll be late and wants you to start without him. Morning Captain Taylor. POPE Thanks, Linda. As she walks off, POPE opens his office door and continues his conversation with Taylor while reading his notes. INT. POPE’S OFFICE - DAY Pope follows Taylor into his work space. POPE Listen Taylor. You've been handing these big cases off to the District Attorney’s office with less than compelling evidence. Robert Blake. Specter. We're heading back to 0.J. territory. These big defense attorneys are eating our lunch. And...so...the Priority Murder Squad is now a fact-of-life. TAYLOR Well, why is this case so important? Or are you telling me a geek like Collier’s a celebrity? Sighing, Pope closes the door to his cffice and begins searching his desk for papers. POPE Dr. Cellier is an encryptologist. Know what that is? TAYLOR Code stuff. POPE Computer code stuff. As in preventing illegal downloading of video and music files off the internet. He’s working on an anti- piracy program that his boss - Dr. Harlan Brown, by the way - third richest man in America? - I just mention that in passing ~ an anti- piracy computer program valued at around billion dollars.

@ TAYLOR The money isn‘t what’s missing. It’s & man. I can’t handle that? POPE A missing man who’s already represented by a team of six defense attorneys. Courtesy of his company. Look. We tried arranging this new squad your way. And due to the overzealousness of your handpicked lead detective, who lied on the stand, ocur first case ended with a twenty-five year LAPD veteran indicted for perjury. And now the murderer’s off doing interviews with Larry King. Pope finds what he needs and exits. Taylor follows him. INT. RECEPTION AREA - DAY ...past the office workers and towards the corridor. POPE This is not a judgement on your ability. It’s an acknowledgement that we - the department - need more specialization. Brenda is a C.I.A, trained interrogator with excellent references from the Atlanta police department. And a reputation for obtaining confessions that lead directly to courtroom convictions. INT. HALLWAY TO ELEVATOR - DAY Pope and Taylor continue their walk to the lift. PCOPE I saw her at work. And I'm telling you - she’s not Miss Congeniality, and I'm aware of that - but she’s a closer. {arriving at the elevator) And the Chief wants this to happen. And he’s given me responsibility for pulling it off. And I intend to do that. and I'm willing to demote or transfer anyone who gets in my way. Anyone. ™3

w TAYLOR People work all their lives to make Deputy Chief. I've given the LAPD thirty-one years. And she walks in here? From three thousand miles away? Not one day of experience on our beat. And now she outranks me? POPE You know the rules. She starts as a rookie officer or as a Deputy Chief. There’s nothing in between. The elevator door opens. Pope steps inside. Taylor hands him the manila folder he’s been carrying. TAYLOR . You might find this helpful, sir. When you're thinking of who you have transfer and demote to make your little murder squad work. Taylor turns and exits. Pope looks down at the folder as the doors close on him. INT. LOBBY OF MOTEL - EARLY MORNING Brenda eats from a low-fat yogurt container while staring through her translucent reflection at the tantalizing snacks in the vending machine. Fascinated, she turns sideways, critically inspecting her profile; then turns the other way. Her cell phone rings; she pulls it out of her pocket, checks the number and sighs heavily before answering it. BRENDA Hi, Mama...No, waiting for my ride. {picking up her briefcase) No, they gave me a car but I still don’t know my way around here yet...Well, it’s big. Spread out all over the place. One week isn’t hardly long enough to learn it. Beautiful. Sunny....Fine, but everyone here is so thin....Uh-huh. Thank-you, but not...Yes, just last night. My investigation. Yep...The same thing as always, Mother. Listen. You always ask that. And when I tell you, vou're always horrified. And it ends up being an argument about what I do for a living and it’s just too late go back and try the ballet.

Honk, honk. Brenda gazes out through the front door to see... ...Sgt. Gabriel, hopping out of the car and stepping round to open the passenger door of the car. EXT. FRONT OF HOTEL - MORNING As Brenda steps up to and inside the car... BRENDA I'm not mad, Mama. I just don't have time for a life discussion. ...No, tell Daddy I'11 call back. Mothexr? My ride is here...My ride is here. Ckay...You, too. Brenda pulls her dress inside as Gabriel - his face blank - shuts the door. INT. CAR - DAY Brenda examines FOLDERS open on her lap. GABRIEL Dr. Collier deleted his entire employment record. BRENDA So we have no picture of him and no fingerprints. GABRIEL Right. BRENDA What about the DMV? GARRIEL Never had a California license. BRENDA What about his company? They have cameras throughout their building. GABRIEL If you look on the bottom of Detective Garth's report... BRENDA They tape over everything after two weeks. Crapenzola. What about medical or dental records?

5 GABRIEL He listed himself as a Christian Scientist. So nothing. BRENDA (turning a page) Wait a minute. This can’t be right. The victim's prints are everywhere in house. And car. And his office, too? She was in his office? (turning a page) But Collier's prints are nowhere? How is this possible? {reaching the end) Where's the financial report? GABRIEL Can you wait until the banks open? BRENDA What about a portrait artist working with some of GABRIEL We'’re already doing that, ma’am. You might be surprised to hear it, but we were investigating murders in L.A. before you got here. Silence. Brenda glances over at Gabriel, who avoids returning her gaze; she resumes examining the files. BRENDA We need information off Dr. Collier's office computer. Access to his professional e-mail. And I'm sorry if you're tired, Sgt. GABRIEL I already asked for that stuff. His company won't cooperate. And I'm not tired. More silence. Brenda doesn’t know how to respond. INT. THE MUBDER ROCM -~ DAY DETECTIVES, A COUBLE OF SECRETARIES and THREE OR FOUR UNIFORMED OFFICERS go about their work in a LONG, RECTANGULAR ROOM 1it by UNFLATTERING FLUORESCENT LIGHTS. & CUBICLES denote small office areas. FOUR OR FIVE DOORS lead off to HALLWAYS, BATHROOMS and BRENDA’S OFFICE.

16. COMPUTERS and RETRO-OFFICE FURUNITURE ABOUND. A GIANT PLASTIC BULLETIN BOARD, on which one can write or post pictures or reports, etc. runs about half the length of one wall, fronting AN OPEN AREA around which Brenda’s team can occasionally gather. Brenda and Gabriel enter. Brenda heads straight for the door to her office, but is intercepted by a rotund, Cantonese- American, who pushes himself out of a RICKETY DESK CHAIR. This is DETECTIVE LIEUTENANT MIKE TAO, an L.A. native with a passion for local sports. THE WALLS OF TAQ’S CUBICLE are A SHRINE TO THE LAKERS, HIS WIFE AND FOUR CHILDREN. Though physically going to seed, his mind is still agile. BRENDA Det. Tao. How are you today? TAO Excuse me? I mean, fine. Sorry. Look. I was doing background on Dr. Collier and something odd came up with his Social Security number. Suddenly alert, Brenda strains to hear over the rumble of the room’s conversation. She gives up. BRENDA Could y‘all keep it down please? Just for a moment. Thank you. Folks exchange glances, but lower their voices. TAO Well, I used the Social Security number to, like, get to Collier’s early employment records. He had a part~time job frying taco shells when he was sixteen. Got me city, state, address, parents. And I talked to his mother this morning. And the boy with Elliot Collier’s name and Social Security number died when he was nineteen. Brenda listens, stunned, as she takes the report from Tao. BRENDA So who is this guy? (exiting into her office) Thank you, Det. Tac. Good work. People around the sqguad room watch Brenda exit.

GABRIEL Okay. I got an autopsy report we have to go over. Everyone. Garth? Can you hit the lights. INT. BRENDA'S QFFICE - DAY Brenda's work space has A LARGE GLASS WINDOW looking out over her squad. Exits lead off to a2 corridor and the Murder Room. There is nothing on the walls but A MIRROR; the DECOR is INSTITUTIONAL AND SPARTAN, but Brenda's work space still manages to be something of a mess. MAKE-UP, GUM WRAPPERS and the REMAINS OF A BRAND NAME DIET MEAL clutter her blotter. And Henry Pope sits opposite Brenda's desk, next to an EXTREMELY LARGE PURSE. Pope clutches the manila folder Taylor handed him a few minutes ago. As Brenda enters, he stands. BRENDA Hi, Henry. Oh. Oh. Don’'t look at all of this. That door isn’t locked? I didn’t lock it? POPE No. Sorry. I just kind of - barged in. How's it going here? Brenda grabs her huge purse off the sofa and begins sweeping stuff from her desk into its copious folds. The box £from which the diet meal appeared disappears in the trash. Some lipstick falls on the floor and she picks it up. As she cleans: through the window, we see most of the lights in the Murder Room go out. BRENDA Fine. Fine. Well. It’s a little -~ whoops - it’s not as straight forward as I would like. You have a pained look on your face. POPE (handing her the file) Yeah. Yeah. Take a look. INT., MURDER ROOM - DAY The sguad splits its focus betwsen GABRIEL's recitation of the autopsy, accompanied by A SLIDE SHOW, and their view of Pope and Brenda as they talk in her office.

@ GABRIEL The marks here, on the back of the victim’s head, came from two different objects. One smaller and cubelike with a density of granite. And the other-- INT. BRENDA'S OFFICE -~ DAY Brenda thumbs guickly through the contents of the file. Reluctantly, she puts on a pair of reading glasses. POPE Those are requests for transfer back to Robbery/Homicide. From every single member of your squad. Uniforms. Detectives. Everyone. Brenda glances out her window at the darkened... MURDER ROOM - DAY ...a5 Sgt. Gabriel displays more pictures from the pathologist's report. The squad looks away from Brenda’s -office as she glances out towards them. GABRIEL The victim was turning as the first blow landed. The others came after she had fallen, and in rapid succession, smashing the skull... INT. BRENDA'S OFFICE - DAY Brenda looks back at Pope; she straightens. POPE I'm pretty sure Captain Taylor put ‘them up to it. Everyone here was originally supposed to report to him. But, truthfully, we may have... vastly underestimated the institutional prejudice against having a murder squad operating outside the control of the Robbery/Homicide Division. And run by someone from outside the department. You’ll note the reguests are all dated last Wednesday. The day after you arrived. So. Sorry to have placed you in such an...awkward situation. (MORE)

POPE (CONT'D) And I‘d understand if you wanted to withdraw. Naturally, the department would put together a separation package for you. Pick up your relocation expenses and-- BRENDA Henry, I sold my house. I turned down a position in Homeland Security, which is no longer available. If I lose this job - after the ethics inguiry I was forced to undergo - my career is effectively over. Now. You brought me here to expedite these cases. And to close them. So if you’ll excuse me... Brenda moves to exit, then pauses and looks back at a troubled Pope with genuine ice in her eyes. BRENDA You know, right now they may dislike me just because I'm new. Or because I held a position above their old bess. But I want you to relax, Henry. Because once I roll up my sleeves and go to work, and they see me in action, why, they’ll have a whole list of other reasons to hate my guts. Feel better? She exits, cleosing her door harder than necessary. THE MURDER ROOM - DAY ...as Gabriel finishes his presentation. GABRIEL In addition, about nine~to-twelve years ago, the victim had a breast reduction surgery, as well as an i enhancement around the jawline, which made her face squarer. Indications are she also had a nose Brenda takes a moment to collect herself, then moves up to replace Sgt. Gabriel, who stands aside as Brenda the squad (which includes only one other woman: an attractive African~-BAmerican in her late twenties). As she speaks each of . her detectives’ names, she removes that person’s REQUEST FOR - A TRANSFER, and tosses it into the trash, calmly, but firmly.

BRENDA Which means she was serious about changing her appearance. So. What do we know about this crime? Really? Or the motive Dz. Collier had for committing it? Not much. We have a slug from a .44 Magnum, which Det. Provenza might walk over to Ballistics. See if the markings match up to a known criminal weapon. Det. Garth, if you could assemble Collier’s finances? There may be something there. Det. Sanchez and Det. Daniels, maybe you could join Det. Lieutenant Tao in putting together a more complete picture of this guy. And keep Sgt. Gabriel informed of your progress. And we need to focus on progress. Because all we have right now, lady and gentlemen, is a woman we can’t identify, murdered by a man who doesn’t exist. And off the stunned faces of the squad we slam to black. END OF BCT ONE

21. FADE IN: INT. HALIWAY IN PARKER CENTER - LATE MORNING DET. JULIOC SANCHEZ, a member of Brenda’s sguad, and a handsome, athletic young man, walks through the corrider accompanied by DET. IRENE DANIELS, an AFRICAN-AMERICAN woman who projects swift confidence and striking femininity. Sanchez carries an OFFICIAL FORM. DANIELS So. What do you think’s going to happen here? Is she gonna stay? SANCHEZ We did our bit. I say let the brass fight it out. Your shoes are hot. Make your legs look longer. DANIELS Yeah, your wife liked them, too. I711 send her a pair. Daniels walks away. Julic smiles to himself and knocks on the door to Brenda’s office. BRENDA (0.8.) Come in. INT. BRENDA'S OFFICE - DAY Sanchez enters to find Brenda listening to Dr. Collier’s confident boss, DR. HARLAN BROWN, dressed-down, late fifties and pompous, accompanied by an attorney, PHILLIP BANKS, early forties, slimy, and rich, rich, rich. Brenda nods at Sanchez; he takes a seat on the sofa. BANKS But allowing you entree to Dr. Brown’s computer systems gives you access to his company’s new encryption system. I can’t allow that. Besides, the idea that Dr. Collier committed this crime is ridiculous. BRENDA Where is your client then, Mr. Banks? Why did he delete his personnel records? His fingerprints? Why did he never check into his hotel in Hawaii?

BRENDA (CONT'D) Brown, who set up your company's internal security system, by the way? Or should I guess? DR. BROWN Dr. Collier. Security systems are his speciality. BRENDA and as of your company, were you responsible for hiring him? DR. BROWN Yes, and I'm very proud of that decision. Look. I know Elliot very well. He’s a little affected. A bit reclusive. But not a murderer. BRENDA What do you mean: affected? DR. BROWN Well. Like Steven Jobs - you know who he 1s, right? One of the inventors of Apple computers - Mr. Jobs always wears khakis and black turtlenecks to work. In the winter. Elliot copies him in that. I‘ve never seen him in anything else. And he’'s terrified of colds. Won't use the same bathroom as anyone Puts on plastic gloves before touching another person’s keyboard. BANKS Obsessive~compulsive behavior, yes, but it came with real genius, Ms. Johnson. The code he developed is possibly the most profitable innovation in internet technology since e-mail. One studio executive estimated its long-term revenue potential at half-a-trillion dollars at least. BRENDA Really? How much revenue will it generate if we never find this so- called Dr. Collier? If he just disappears. I reckon, under those sircumstances, your little encryption program’s probably worth, oh, air in &

BANKS What do you mean by so-called? BRENDA (handing BROWN a report) The man who worked for you using the name of Elliot Collier? He created that identity by stealing the Social Security number of a boy who died in 1989. The mother never £iled a death certificate with the federal government. So, Dr. Brown, the person who created your security system is an imposter. DR. BROWN {genuinely shaken) Are - are you sure about this? BRENDA Does this look like the place of your questions, Dr. Brown? Or mine? BANKS (haughty) Ms. Johnson, you’re new in town, And you may not realize this. But in addition to the fact that Dr. Brown’s company is the third largest software development firm in the world, my law firm, which represents him in this matter, includes some of the most important members of the Los Angeles Bar. The Mayor’s cousin is one of our senior partners. BRENDA Really? I'm fascinated. Leave your resume at the front desk, Mr. Banks, and get back to you. {to BROWN) Here’s an interesting guestion, Dr. Brown. How do you suppose the share value of your company will be affected when the world finds out the person whom you entrusted with your most valuable asset wasn’t who he said he was? DR. BROWHN It’s possible you made a mistake. 23

BRENDA What’s possible, sir, is that when I release information on this case to the press, I can speculate in front of every camera I can find, and to every reporter who calls me, about how your company, whose whole reason for existing is to make things more secure, could have been deceived - on a daily basis - by its most valuable employee. {to BANKS) Ch. And by the way? Just so we know each other better? During an arrest, I was once attacked by a man who’d bitten off the tongue of his own mother. He stabbed me three times with a pen knife before I was able to draw my revolver and shoot him in the head. So knowing you’re partners with the cousin of the Mayor of Los Angeles, Mr. Banks? That just doesn’t scare me so much. ‘She reaches out to Det. Sanchez, who locks impressed in spite of himself as he hands Brenda the form he’s been carrying. Brenda passes the form to a stunned Dr. Brown. BRENDA (CONT'D) I need you to sign the bottom of this waiver in order to search your company’ s computers and offices. Or I can call back this reporter from the Times. Entirely up to you. BANKS You don’t have to sign that. Dr., Brown is already affixing his signature as Banks speaks. INT. HALIWAY OUTSIDE BALLISTICS - EARLY AFTERNOON POPE walks up to find DET. SGT. GABRIEL and DET. LIEUTENANT PROVENZA, ancther member of Brenda’s sguad, and the oldest {early fifties with that lean and hungry look), in the middle of an argument with Captain Taylor cutside the dooxr to Ballistics. Other police officers and detectives mill about, passing in, out and by the argument.

TAYLOR PROVENZA She may have the right to Hey, you know what? I §86n push us aside, but you don't here too long to get.mlxed have the-- in this political shit. So I tell you what, Taylor. TAYLOR You’ll tell me what? PROVENZA Yeah, 1711 tell vou what. POPE What the hell is going on here? TAYLOR My men have cases been waiting - three or four weeks down here. And they push past ‘em? No, no, no. GABRIEL Sir, I requested & transfer yesterday back to-- POPE Okay, Gabriel. You can just shut the hell up. You wanted this job. You campaigned for it. You're working as adjutant to a Deputy Chief, allowing you to manage officers of a superior rank, and you pleaded with me to put you there. I still have your thank-you note. GABRIEL That was when I was reporting to Captain Taylor. And when—- POPE it locked like a great way to kick-start your career. GABRIEL That’s unfair, sir. And if that’s how you feel, maybe I should quit. POPE After we paid for your graduate degree in Public Administration? From USC? Gee, I wonder what kind of recommendation I would write you if you quit on us.

POPE (CONT'D) {in the young man's face} You and Provenza get your report? GABRIEL No, DPOPE Give me the slug and move on. Gabriel hands him the bagged bullet; he and Provenza start to exit. Provenza pauses and points a finger at Captain Taylor. PROVENZA You don't make this about us. You have a problem with Miss Arlanta, vou take it up with -- POPE {over him} Out, out, out. {back to TAYLOR as GABRIEL and PROVENZA exit) I'm trying to accommodate your concerns. I recognize that there are problems here - some traced directly back to you - but problems none~the-less. TAYLOR You haven't let me explain my side. POPE I'm not interested in your side, Taylor. This is a unified department here. The sides should be inside and outside. But you have no idea how hard we’re being pressed to find Collier. And if we don’t get him, someone’s going to be held accountable, all right? TAYLOR Yeah, and if Miss Atlanta crashes and burns, your whole idea of a specialized murder squad pretty shabby, doesn’t it? Inside. POPE Fair enocugh. But why don’t you just let Brenda have her way, all right? Because if this case has to craszh, wegll, don’t you think it would be better for everyone if we let her do that by herself?

TAYLOR I don't know what you're implying, sir, but I would never deliberately screw up a murder investigation. POPE Yeah. All right. So. To review. The rules are, the Priority Murder Squad goes first. Thus, the word priority. {holding up the slug) You have a problem with me cutting in line? TAYLOR at all, sir. Not at all. Taylor graciously motions Pope towards the door to ballistics. Pope enters and disappears. INT. MURDER ROOM - MID-AFTERNOON BRENDA receives a report from the Waspy, metrosexual Det. Garth, a formal man in his early thirties. Gabriel follows GARTH Dr. Collier was transferring nearly every dollar he made to different accounts connected to the victim's aliases. I mean Collier pays his mortgage, gas and electric, phone. (indicating a computer display) And the rest went mostly to the victim. Like here. Three days before he left. Collier wired everything he had left into two of the victim's bank accounts. BRENDA Was he a cosigner? Collier? GARTH No, ma'am. SGT. GABRIEL Sounds like blackmail. BRENDA Except...why would he transfer money to her, where he couldn't get to it, when he was planning on disappearing? [MORE}

BRENDA (CONT'D) That makes no sense at all. And why cut her hair off? And shoot her in the face? How does that connect to blackmail? {back to Garth) What did she spend the money on? GARTH Hardly anything. I have some receipts from a drug store, but it’s penny ante stuff, GABRIEL What expenses did she have? She’d taken over Collier's house. BRENDA Except no one in the neighborhood ever saw her. GABRIEL The house is off by itself. BRENDA {(frustrated] Someone must have noticed his car. Her fingerprints are all over it. She was driving it. Where was Collier living? What car was he driving? And where is he now? MIKE TAO sits with technicians looking over some of the downloaded material from DR. COLLIER'S computers. Hey! The doctor didn’t get xrid of everything. Brenda moves to TAO's station, where he pulls some printouts from the computer that TECHNICIANS are helping him pick over As he talks, Tao gestures with a doughnut he’s just taken from a box. Gabriel takes one, too. Brenda glances longingly at the box of doughnuts. TAC No one gets in or ocut of their area... (holding up a photograph} ...without a cornea scan. & beat. The people around the Murder Room laugh.

2%. Wow. And does the cornea have any identifying characteristics? Like a limp? Does it talk with an accent? Brenda picks up a doughnut and just holds it. TAC Make fun. But in the land of no I.D. and no murder weapon, and no witnesses, the right-eyed cornea is king. He’s our friend and I'm calling him Max. Oh. And then I have these. From Dr. Collier's e- mail account. TAO hands a large stack of print-outs to Brenda. BRENDA “Ellen, I cannot tell you how much last night meant. Just to hold your hand meant so much. But when your lips touched mine...” Brenda looks up at Mike, Garth, Gabriel, suddenly realizing she still has the doughnut in her hand. She starts to put it back in the box, but then scrunches up her face: unsanitary. The conversation never stops. BRENDA D) He and his secretary were doing it. (to TRO) Run her through the system and see what we have on Ellen Parks. With the little cross around her neck. She exits. With the doughnut. Gabriel follows her. INT. BRENDA'S OFFICE - DAY Brenda sets the printout down on her desk, puts the doughnut next to it, and thumbs through the files as she speaks. GABRIEL What if Ellen found her boss in his house with another woman? BRENDA And killed her in a jealous rage? Then why remove pictures from the passports? The driver’s licenses? Ho, 1t's more likely she helped him escape. But is she helping him now? (MORE}

30. BRENDA (CONT'D) beat; thinking) Does she know who he really is? And more importantly, where he is? Because if we don't find him.... GABRIEL Maybe Collier was planning on going off with this woman, and Ellen killed both of them. Brenda stares at Gabriel for a moment, suddenly struck by something he has said. Det. Provenza leans his head in. PROVENZA You wanted me? BRENDA What about the slug? Did you get anything from ballistics? PROVENZA Didn’t college boy here tell you? BRENDA Tell me what? PROVENZA (throwing his hands up) Hey! I'm not invelved. Ask him. Provenza walks off as Brenda looks to a sulky Gabriel. INT. PARKING GARAGE OF PARKER CENTER -~ NIGHT Pope strides toward his car, then suddenly slows, seeing Brenda sitting on his trunk waiting for him, wading through a thick sheaf of files. She looks up as he approaches. BRENDA Don't I even warrant a return call before you head home to the beautiful and lovely Estelle? POPE I was going to get back to you from the car. I have dinner plans. BRENDA Sounds vaguely familiar, doesn't it? Me, waliting to hear from vou. You off with your wife. POPE Different city.

And different wife. But still. The F.B.I. hasn’t gotten back to me on the victim’s prints. POPE That could take weeks. BRENDA Maybe not. I have some good friends there. But not hearing from them makes the ballistics report more important. So. How did your turf battle go? POPE I moved you to the head of the line and I made it clear that's where you beleong. {Brenda bows her head, disgusted) I just upheld your authority. You should be thanking nme. BRENDA You promised there wouldn't be any questions about my authority. Because women were treated so much better here than they are in the South. “We love diversity in L.A.” And every time I turn around, I'm having to remind people that I go first. It's made me really popular. POPE Well, why do you always push harder than necessary? What’s this slug got to do with anything? Really? BRENDA Because the more I find ocut about the victim, and the man calling himself Dr. Collier, the more they have in common. They lived together. They were both drop-out artists, obsessed with hiding their identities. And why do people do that, Henry? Mavbe because they're criminals. {as if to a child} The gun that fired the bullet we pulled out of the victim’s face?

32. BRENDA (CONT'D) That gun could have been used in _ ancther crime. One that Collier - or the victim - or both of them - changed their identities to escape. That slug could tell me who they are., Which might actually help me find Collier. Listen, Henry. Now is no time to go all wobbly on me, POPE Brenda, you have my total support. You know that. I just -- well - there’s a problem with your management style that I didn't anticipate. And I can’t change~-- BRENDA And you're the person I was depending on. POPE Wait a minute. Okay? It's it's - that suspiciousness and that - BRENDA I know what you're up to. You've always played both sides of the fence. I can just hear you with Taylor, doing your song and dance. "Back off. Let her take full responsibility.” You’re so obvious. POPE That's paranoia, Brenda. You know how much I admire you. You know. BRENDA Yes, that's the problem. I do know. {starting to walk off and wheeling back on him) You’ve led me on, Henry. Again. And now you're playing for time, which is what you've always done with women. And it's forgivable from a personal standpoint. Except this is my life you're screwing with. My life. I want that slug back. And I want that report. strides off, clutching her f£iles. POPE watches her ¢ exasperated. END OF BCT TWO

ACT THREER INT, INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT ELLEN sits at the table, waiting. She takes a tissue and wipes her eyes. INT. BALIWAY OUTSIDE INTERROGATION ROOM ~ NIGHT Brenda paces back-and-forth getting a report from Det. Daniels and Det. Sanchez while simultaneously examining Ellen’s record. Sanchez is now decidedly intimidated by Brenda, which Daniels finds amusing. SANCHEZ I think the secretary’s worried, but I just told her she might have info she didn’t know was important. BRENDA (reading) She’s a little Miss Goldilocks. Lives with her mother. Volunteers on weekends for work in her parish. Never married. One arrest. Oh, great. In front of a Planned Parenthood Clinic. Lovely. She leans over and looks through the glass at the tearful Ellen, then turns back Sanchez. BRENDA (CONT'D) Okay. You've been with her all day so you stay with me, but just smile and look reassuring. only going to test her tonight. Det. Gabriel, you can head on out. I’ll be driving myself to work from now on. Ask Officer Jackson for a lift. GABRIEL Excuse me. Ma’am? Brenda moves down the hallway with Gabriel. Daniels and Sanchez watch them, exchanging glances. GABRIEL (CONT'D) I should be in this interview. BRENDA I don’t need vou. GABRIEL Can I say something?

pe BRENDA Certainly. GABRIEL You’re taking this whole business about people asking to go back to Robbery/Homlcide way too personally. I mean, it’s just - nobody should come in the way you did. To our department. So there’s no reason to get, you know, even more formal. And more distant. And one more thing. Captain Taylor is - I know you'’ve had trouble with him - but he’s a great guy. I mean, he helped me get into USC. He's given me several terrific breaks. He's - not a jerk. Really. BRENDA Well. Thank you for that thoughtful analysis of my behavior, Sgt. Gabriel, but, firstly, I think I'm old enough to drive myself to work without being thought vindictive. GABRIEL Okay. Now wait a minute. BRENDA And as for Captain Taylor, I should probably explain that I do not form my relationships with other people based on how they’re treating you. That would be your mother, maybe. (deadly calm) Look. When I take something personally, I will let you know. You will not find out about my feelings via a third party, or a request for a transfer, because I will inform you in the instant. To your face. You worked late last night. That’s all. Go home and get some sleep. And I711 see you tomorrow. Bright~eyed and bushy- tailed. She leaves Gabriel locking after her, not sure what Which is, no doubt, what she intended.

L INT. MURDER ROOM - NIGHT The detectives and uniformed officers gather round to the broadcast of their chief’s first interrogation. The frontal view, however, is only of ELLEN, who sits opposite her guestioners. VOICE This is Januvary 10th, 2005 and it's 7:25 pm. I'm Deputy Chief Brenda Jean Johnson with Detective Julic Sanchez interviewing Ellen Parks. INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT Brenda rustles files in a friendly, secretarial manner. Ellen is nervous, shy and uncomfortable. Naive. BRENDA That's just the formal stuff we have to say before we ask you questions about Dr. Collier. Nothing serious. And thanks for staying late and helping us. (indicating ELLEN's necklace) I love that cross. ELLEN Oh, thanks. My mother gave it to me when I was thinking of becoming a nun. Years ago. Funny, really. She was s0 against it at the time. BRENDA My mother doesn’t like what I do for a living, either. ELLEN Mine's okay with my job. Now. BRENDA Your mother didn’t want you to be a nun? But she's a bit of a church activist. You were both arrested outside a Planned Parenthood-- ELLEN We're very Pro-Life. Yes. But. I . .there’s a difference between living by Church teachings ~ which we do - and withdrawing completely from the world.