Justin Burnside, performing the autopsy of Cindy Strauss,
27-year-old Caucasian female.
This postmortem examination will be performed
under the authorization
of the office of the chief medical examiner,
state of California,
code 27491,
possible homicide.
You know, they say a person's relationships
are, perhaps,
the best measure of their worth.
You know, the friends that they choose
and the people they share their hearts with.
In the case of my sister,
never have words been so true.
There's a flat, round scar
on the lower aspect of the left buttock,
approximately one inch in diameter.
Oh!
Hello.
Displaced, modified,
ring-type basal skull fracture
with lacerations on the base of the brain,
protrusion of the cervical vertebrae column
into the cranial vault.
From the anatomic findings and pertinent history,
I ascribe the manner of death
to acute, unnatural, traumatic
cervical injury.
The manner of death is deemed homicide.
The first time I saw her
was 2001,
new year's Eve.
I was at a party, just minding my own business,
and this light caught my eye.
And...
She was radiant,
glowing, almost.
And it wasn't about how she looked.
She looked good. She looked real good.
It came from someplace deeper.
There was an inner beauty.
It was her generous soul.
I hadn't said anything to her, but I knew...
I knew that I could love her.
It was biological.
People say everything happens for a reason.
I don't believe that.
I think it's something that we tell ourselves
during times that don't make much sense.
There's no reason for this, but, uh,
I guess it can't be avoided.
We had a good time, Em.
Oh, no.
Amending and expanding my ruling.
Make that a double homicide.
Victim was approximately 2 months pregnant.
Look, there's no doubt, it's been a violent month,
but all indications are that this is
a cyclical uptick and not a long-term trend.
We'll get through this.
This city's resilient.
Madame D.A.,
how can you say this city is safe
when you have 46 unsolved murders this year?
Your clearance rate for 2014 is on pace for an all-time low.
Last I checked, Liz, it was only June.
D.A. Perez, Cindy Strauss,
the dead stewardess for Erich Blunt.
Flight attendant.
Right. Have you ruled that case?
We have. It's been ruled a homicide.
Is it true that Ms. Strauss
was romantically involved with Erich Blunt?
The city of San Francisco is not going to deal
in rumor or innuendo.
A young woman is dead.
But I promise you,
the homicide unit will move through this investigation
as quickly as possible.
They'll get to the bottom of this.
I guarantee it.
You hear that? She guarantees it.
Is it campaign season already?
Oh, it's always campaign season.
Oh. Especially for Jackie Perez.
All right, let's just focus on Strauss, please.
I'm still thinking about Kevin Neyers.
Seriously?
Think about it... Two crimes, one week,
both related to Blunt.
We should pull on that thread.
Why? So our case against Walton unravels?
We made a solid arrest, Chris Walton.
We don't have the bandwidth to second-guess.
Drop it.
All right, just appease me.
Let's go over it one more time.
All right, fine. So if Erich Blunt
killed Kevin Neyers, how do you explain
the fact that he was in L.A. the night of the murder?
45 minutes for the flight,
you got an hour for the killing.
2.5 hours... 3, max... Door-to-door.
Right, but, Terry, everybody says
he was in L.A., including Salter.
There's no record of his plane coming and going.
You can't sneak around in a 737.
Well, maybe Erich Blunt hired Chris Walton.
We looked into that.
We checked Walton's financials.
There's no record of any payoff.
When you asked him if he knew Blunt,
he clearly had no clue.
And, even if he was lying,
which he wasn't, why would he
eat a murder charge to protect Blunt?
If he knew anything about it,
he would've folded like a cheap tent.
Don't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
I'm just saying... Two murders, one common denominator. Coincidence?
Maybe this time, yeah.
No. No such thing as coincidence.
God, sometimes you are so annoying.
No, just thorough.
Bob Groff.
I'm your court-appointed lawyer.
I've spoken with
the assistant district attorney.
Where'd you go to school?
Stanford. Let's discuss your case.
You went to Stanford and now you're
a public defender? What happened?
Heh. This murder charge is pretty sticky.
Three eyewitnesses, fingerprints, Fentanyl.
It's not going away.
So what's the plan?
Let's take it to trial, Stanford.
Uh, no. No, that's a bad idea.
You'd lose a trial. But,
the Prosecution's case is a golf course...
No weapon, no motive, shaky time line,
juvenile eyewitnesses...
It's full of holes. Plus, you're lucky...
No one seems to give a shit about Neyers,
his body hasn't even been claimed,
and no one seems to care about you.
You're not a priority, which means
you are flying under the radar.
It is your lucky day.
Now, they have offered you a sweetheart deal,
Mr. Walton, and you should take it.
Admit you shot him, and they'll get rid
of the murder charge entirely,
knock it down to voluntary manslaughter.
That's six years, and, with
prison overcrowding, it's easy time.
You blink and you'll be out.
I need to think about it.
Okay. Fine.
Just know that this offer goes away
at the end of business today
and, if you turn it down, they will come after you
for the full ride, for murder one.
Thank you.
Violating section 187
of the Penal Code, a felony.
Accused of willfully, unlawfully,
and with malice aforethought,
murdering Kevin Neyers, a human being.
I understand that there is a change of plea
and a negotiated disposition. Is that correct?
- Yes, Your Honor. - Correct.
He took a deal?
Mrs. Lopez, will you please state
the terms of the proposed sentence?
Voluntary manslaughter in accordance with
CPC sections 192 and 193.
Mr. Groff, do you concur
with the terms of the plea as stated?
Yes, Your Honor.
Mr. Walton, do you understand
what these attorneys have said?
Yes, ma'am.
Is that what you're prepared to do?
Yes, ma'am.
I shot him.
Order!
Amend the record.
I don't need you guys. You can jet.
Mr. Walton, one thing at a time, please.
Before I take your plea and sentence you,
you must give up certain constitutional...
You still think we got the wrong guy?
And statutory rights before this court,
including the right to a jury trial.
Do you understand?
Yes, ma'am.
The carbon-molecule lenses are pretty crazy.
They make the rendering so fluid.
Yeah?
Don't tell me. Show me.
Freaky.
Good freaky?
Oh, yeah.
Freaky is good.
Ivana, the bay should be darker.
This is San Fran, not the Caribbean.
Ali, color-correct the water for me.
Try value at 3+, chroma at l2,
and a hue at pl.
You forgot the bridge.
Oops, sorry.
Cool! Let me see my avatar again.
You look like Abraham,
staring down from the mountaintop.
Good.
That's exactly what we're selling.
In my world, you get to play God.
The 3-axis gyroscope
makes the proximity modules just pop.
I know.
Google's going to shit their pants.
Yeah.
- Erich, time to go. - Okay.
Good work, everyone.
Homicide wants to talk to you about Cindy.
I told them you were not available.
Why? I've got nothing to hide.
SFPD has a huge hard-on for you.
They're fishing and you're...
I'm a big fish in a small pond, yeah, I know.
More like a whale in a puddle.
It's time to zip lips and lawyer up.
David, I...
No, no, you need a criminal attorney.
I set up a meeting with Warren Daniels.
Warren Daniels?
You're overreacting.
My mama always told me, "hope for the best,
but prepare for the worst."
Who's doing the intro, again?
Larry Zimmerman from Nasdaq.
Right.
What am I supposed to say?
Just thank the troops, thank the investors,
"God bless America," short and sweet,
and let's get out of here.
Your visionary, your founder, your leader,
Erich Blunt!
Thank you.
Hello, San Francisco!
Hello, nation!
Are you ready?!
Let's go!
Whoo! Thank you!
What did Blunt's lawyer say?
Verbatim?
That he likes Sushi,
but hates fishing expeditions.
No dice.
This is Cindy Strauss's ex-husband?
Estranged, yeah.
Mark Strauss. Pretty decent résumé...
Petty theft, public intoxication,
assault, disorderly.
It's your average angry Caucasian.
She filed a domestic-violence charge
against him, dropped it,
and then took out a restraining order.
Which he regularly broke. His pickup truck
was spotted at her complex
the night before she was killed.
According to Burnside, it was the same night
she got that bruise on her cheek.
So why isn't he in custody?
We're working on it.
We checked his phone... Home, office...
But he's laying low, off the grid.
That's a letter from his health insurance,
outlining his prescription drug coverage.
I'm assuming this just fell out of his mailbox
when you were at his apartment.
Yeah, it was weird. Lucky, I guess.
He gets it filled at this pharmacy
in Chinatown once a month, religiously.
He's eligible for a refill on the 20th.
That's tomorrow.
Yeah.
What's he on?
60 milligrams of Adderall.
A day.
Is that a lot?
Not if you're planning on walking to St. Louis.
Terry?
Two o'clock.
Front door. 10 seconds.
Navarro, flank left.
Molky, center field.
Look alive, y'all.
Hey, um,
sorry, do you have the time, by any chance?
Yeah.
10:15.
Thanks.
Damn, you're a dime, baby.
What's your name?
My name's SFPD, baby.
Hey!
Stop!
Hey!
I didn't do nothing!
Then why were you running?
You got him, Molky?
All right.
Hey, I'm bleeding! Police brutality!
- Yeah, yeah. Come on. - I need those.
You've embarrassed yourself enough already.
Let's go.
You know what you are, Mark?
You're a day off.
You're a walk in the park.
Your truck was spotted right outside her house
the night before she was killed.
All the neighbors heard you arguing like dogs.
And then, the history
that you have with this woman.
Excuse me, your wife.
Two counts of domestic violence,
multiple violations of her restraining order,
and a slew of additional violent crimes
on your record. I mean, damn,
I might be able to get home tonight
in time for the game.
You got it all wrong.
I got it all wrong?
That's right.
You better do better than that.
Or you're going to end up lying on your back
with a needle sticking out your arm.
I didn't kill her, man!
Alley-oop.
Hi.
You okay?
Ahem, yeah.
I didn't kill her.
I swear, I didn't.
Yeah, I was at her house the night before,
but not the night that she was killed.
All right? I mean, I got an alibi.
I was at the pub all night.
I promise.
And, as for the night before,
I mean, she called me, okay?
All upset and shit, crying, because she
had just gotten fired, begging me to come over.
So I did. I went over there
and there was nothing to it, you know? It was on the level.
I didn't violate her order.
She asked me for help.
Sure enough, when I get there,
she's all crazy-emotional, you know?
Like I always told her
she couldn't trust that asshole Blunt.
You can't trust a man with soft hands.
Huh.
But she was all wasted and belligerent
and didn't like me calling her out
on her bullshit, so she hauled up
and slapped me across the face.
And you hit her back.
Self-defense, plain and simple.
Right.
It was an accident.
It was heat of the moment.
My emotions got the best of me.
What about the next night,
when she was killed?
I was down at Joni's Tavern,
by Candlestick
You know, 3rd and Gilman. I was there all night.
Ask the barman, the bouncer.
There was half a dozen guys there who'll back me up.
I am telling you i did not kill her.
I loved her.
She was my girl.
Come on, Hildy, DNA.
You know what, mark?
I actually believe you.
You do?
Yeah, I do.
Thank God, 'cause it's the truth.
Mmm.
Ooh, that's good.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Wait. Where are you going?
I'm just the water girl.
So... so what happens now?!
Wait...
Thanks.
That guy's a few fries short of a happy meal, huh?
He's not a killer, though. Well, we'll see.
Molk, head down to Joni's Tavern
and check out his alibi.
There's got to be physical evidence...
Credit card receipts, security cameras, all right?
Navarro, take the sample to the lab.
Tell them it jumps to the front of the line.
Hey, um, did we do something wrong?
No. I want you two focused on Blunt.
Good job this morning.
Get some rest.
That was a first.
Okay. Grab some dinner?
I can't. I got a date.
Hmm. Who's this week's lucky contestant?
Stewart Hornady.
I'm sorry, did you say "Stewart Horny"?
Well, one can only hope, right?
Excuse me?
Relax. I'm not that easy.
It was pretty sweet, but only in retrospect,
because I was able to work my way out of it,
you know.
So what happened is I drilled down into
these small startups, I found a trend,
I took a bet, I took 50 grand
and I turned it into 7 million.
I did all of this by the time I was 27.
But that, you know, that was just act one
for Stewart Hornady. See I was
massively over leveraged, having stockpiled
all my money into this one company, Levitcorp.
I went from plus 7
to minus 10 overnight. I owed $10 million.
You have never lived until you owe the banks
that kind of cheddar.
I'm going to tell you something...
No matter how much money I ever make,
I will never feel richer than I did
March 30, 2007,
the day I got back to zero.
Whoo!
That was a great story.
Your profile says
you work for the city. What do you do?
Uh, I'm a cop.
SFPD.
Homicide inspector.
Oh.
Is that a problem?
So do you like carry a gun?
Always. Part of the job.
Oh. Where is it?
It's in my purse.
Can I see it?
Sure.
If you commit a crime.
Oh, hey!
Yeah, come in.
Hey.
I just got an email from United.
My flight's already delayed an hour.
All right, that's cool. We'll stop and get
some breakfast on the way to the airport.
Back to reality, I guess.
Yeah.
I just miss her so much, Terry.
Me too.
I don't want to be alone.
- Oh, hot dog. - Cheese dog.
Yeah, U.S. Air Force.
That's how they roll.
Oh! Ohh.
She was a sweet gal. She really was.
Were you two close?
On a professional level.
You get to know
your crew very well in this business... All the time
you spend together on the road, you know?
But I maintain certain boundaries because,
at the end of the day, they've got a serious job
to perform and I'm the boss.
Right. When was the last time you spoke with her?
In person?
When we got back from L.A.
Sent me a text the following evening,
about 9:00 P.M.
When she didn't show up, I knew something was wrong.
Was this the text that was sent?
"Erich and I spoke.
Everything's cool. See you tomorrow."
Yeah, that's it. That's it.
I really hope I don't get you guys sick.
This bug is nasty.
She said "everything's cool."
What happened?
They got into a scrape on the plane,
coming from L.A.
Erich was in a foul mood
after his deposition and, apparently,
Cindy was pouring him a glass of wine,
we hit some turbulence over Fresno,
and sh
and, I mean, he went ape-shit.
Screamed that she's an idiot,
he tore off his shirt,
threw it in her face, fired her.
And so she came up to the front,
crying, and I calmed her down.
Were they sleeping together?
Uh...
I don't know. I really don't know.
He, uh...
If I had to guess,
yes,
but she never said anything
to me about it. I got to get
another tissue. Excuse me.
Please.
You know what? We can finish this
when he's feeling better.
That's a good idea, yeah. He needs his rest.
- Thank you for the coffee. - Honey, is there any kleenex?
Go ahead. We'll show ourselves out.
That's fine.
This is just an introduction, right?
Right.
He's aware of your situation.
If nothing else, chalk it up
to free advice from one of the best
trial lawyers on the planet.
The planet?
That's a bit hyperbolic.
Well, let me put it this way...
Had Daniels been defending Jesus
in front of Pontius Pilate,
worst-case scenario, he would've gotten
his charges knocked down from king of the Jews
to disorderly conduct, with credit
for time served in the lion's den,
maybe some community service.
Cheer up some blind orphans,
counsel a couple whores, fill up all
the soldiers' canteens with water
and presto, vino,
Jesus walks.
You are so going to hell.
Warren Daniels.
Right.
He thinks I should hire you.
Straight to business.
I like it.
Tell me why I need your services.
You guys asked for this meeting, not me.
I'm not an expert,
but I'm pretty sure hiring you
will make it look like I have
something to hide, which I don't.
That's exactly why you should hire me.
I'm not going to hide behind some lawyer.
No disrespect, but I fully intend
to cooperate with the police.
How can they arrest me, when I had nothing
to do with this girl's death?
That's the second time you've said that.
You don't believe me?
What I believe doesn't matter.
In a case like this, given your stature,
the presumption is guilt,
not innocence.
Cindy was a good lady,
an excellent flight attendant.
He was banging her, just...
Naturally.
I cared about her.
I want the killer brought to justice,
as much as anyone.
I'm not hiring a lawyer, Mr. Daniels.
It's premature and it sends the wrong message.
Sorry to waste your time.
Call me, when you change your mind.
Out of the blue?
Yeah, yeah, he just
called us from downstairs.
That's his lawyer, David Hertzberg.
What's their game?
Well, let's go find out.
What, no "hello,
how you doing? Thanks for coming down"?
Tactics.
They're reading you.
They're waiting for you to talk.
They know you have something to say and,
when you do say it, you'll naturally
make eye contact with one of them.
That's the one you trust.
Based on that,
they will know which roles to play
in this little chess game.
Please tell me he's full of shit.
He is. But I got to say,
that's actually pretty good-quality shit.
And there it is. He trusts the woman.
I am shocked.
What can we do for you, Mr. Blunt?
Honestly, I've been devastated
by Cindy's death.
She was a good employee, a friend.
I hear you think it was a homicide.
Yeah. Somebody snapped her neck
and then threw her down a flight of stairs.
What can I do to help?
Were you romantically involved with Ms. Strauss
at the time of her death?
I'm sorry, that's fishing.
15 yards and loss of down.
Yeah, we were seeing each other.
I tried to keep it private,
given that she worked for me.
But I don't regret our relationship.
She was a wonderful girl.
When was the last time you saw her?
On my plane, coming back from L.A.
Anything happen on that flight?
Anything out of the ordinary?
Erich.
We heard you had a fight.
It was nothing.
We heard it got physical.
That's ridiculous.
Who told you that?
Did you yell at her?
Y-you don't have to answer this, Erich.
I raised my voice,
all right? I was upset.
It was out of line.
But it wasn't physical.
Okay, we were told that you verbally assaulted her
and threw a projectile in her face.
Erich, they are not your pals.
They are going to use everything you say in here
against you. They'll twist it,
they will build an entirely new narrative
that has nothing to do with the truth.
As your lawyer, I strongly advise you
not to say another word.
I didn't kill her,
David.
I have nothing to hide.
If you're not interested in my counsel,
then perhaps I should leave.
Suit yourself.
Okay.
Ahem.
Where were we?
Ah, yes, the projectile,
otherwise known as my t-shirt.
She accidentally spilled wine on me
and I tossed her my shirt
to put in the laundry.
As for raising my voice,
I called her the next day to apologize.
She was super cool about it.
Total team player.
What time did you call her to apologize?
Around 7:00 P.M.
I was on my way home from the office.
She said she'd be there the next morning
for our flight to New York.
So where were you the night she was killed?
I was at home.
Ivana came over around 9:00 P.M.
Ivana West, my CTO.
We were working late.
She was showing me one of the latest prototypes
for one of our new products.
And what time did she leave?
Around 2:00 A.M.?
She rode her bike over, so,
I had Jimmy Salter drop her off home.
He can confirm the exact timings.
Did you have sex with Ivana that night?
Excuse me?
We're just trying to establish
whether or not you sleep with all
of your female employees,
or if you thought Cindy was special.
Cindy was definitely special.
Excuse me.
Chess, right?
Good.
Because I do trust you more.
Then tell me about Cindy.
Tell me about the sex.
What is it you'd like to know?
Did she like it rough?
Did she like you to dominate her?
You're kind of turning me on, Inspector.
Did she like it when you choked her?
Sorry.
I don't kiss and tell.
When was the last time you had sex with her?
About a week ago, in L.A.
Was that the trip that she spilled the wine on you?
No, it wasn't.
It was during the tech conference.
I got everyone rooms at the chateau.
She was with me in my bungalow all night.
That was the same night
that your father was murdered, right?
If you say so.
By the way, I heard you made
an arrest in that case.
Congratulations.
You know, it's funny,
all these people around you,
just kind of dropping like flies.
Do you really expect us to believe
it's all just
coincidence?
It's just bad luck.
I don't believe in luck.
Theoretically, neither do I.
But I don't know how else to explain it.
You could
you killed her.
Hertzberg was right.
You see a guy like me,
you don't see a human,
you see a career opportunity,
a way to get that promotion,
maybe a book deal, a gig on cable TV.
You want to be famous?
You want to give the people a circus?
Go ahead, put your tophat on,
charge me with murder.
I'll give you a show.
I will eviscerate your case,
piece by piece.
I will put this whole building on trial, from the D.A.
to the doorman.
I will embarrass you and I will win.
Because I'm smarter than you
and I have more capital at my disposal,
more resources than this entire city.
And I just happen to be innocent.
Get a life.
So Ivana West said she met Blunt at around 9:00 P.M.
And was with him the entire night
and then Jimmy Salter confirmed
that he gave her a ride home at 2:00 A.M.
So we've got nothing. Is that about right?
Our best hope is finding a DNA match.
For what, the paternity of the dead fetus?
What's that going to get us, an angry dad?
Possible motive.
And there's also a more important,
oh, yeah, we just zeroed in on this this morning.
So apparently, at the time of death, the victim had
a recent deposit of seminal fluid
in her gingiva and epiglottis.
In other words, she blew a guy.
Yeah, correct, which is pretty much a smoking gun.
I mean, heh, as it were.
See, in order for the deposit to have been found,
she couldn't have brushed her teeth or washed her mouth
or had a drink, and even then the saliva
would've naturally cleared the semen out
after 15 minutes or 30 minutes...
I mean, maybe 45, at an outer extreme.
Unless she had defective salivary glands,
but there's no evidence of that, so...
Meaning he was in her apartment
within 45 minutes of time of death.
More like 15, realistically.
All we need is a DNA match.
The blowjob killer.
Goddamn, the press is going to eat this up.
Of the main suspects, you have
DNA samples on all of them?
All except for Blunt.
All right. Well, go get it.
Whatever it takes.
Yes, ma'am.
You know that girl down in parking?
Which one was that, the blonde?
Yeah, she's pretty wild.
I thought she was straight.
Oh, no, she's flexible.
She's hot as shit.
Ridiculous. She's like 21, though.
Nothing wrong with that.
Mulligan.
Um, yeah, no, yeah, I can do drinks.
I know it, uh-huh.
Sure. I'll meet you there.
♪ the extraction of pleasure ♪
- Hey. - Hi.
What you doing?
Not tonight, okay? I got to go.
I want to learn.
I know you do, but tonight is not the night.
I'm going to teach you when you get
a little bit older, all right?
Mwah.
Hey.
Hey. Uh, sorry I'm late.
I was having coffee with my sponsor
and lost track of time.
Louise, come on!
Okay, okay, I'm packing my bag!
Daddy!
Hey, there, Sugar Bear.
Look at you.
Look at you-o...
All right, call me tonight before you go to bed, okay?
She'll be fine. All right.
Right?
Bag.
Got it.
Have fun. Later, gator.
Hasta la pasta. Love you, mom.
Love you, too.
Ugh!
You look beautiful.
Hey.
I'm surprised you came.
I was about to say the same thing to you.
Listen, I'm sorry about the way I acted earlier.
I lost my cool.
I actually thought it was a pretty great speech.
Thanks.
So...
Champagne.
Thank you.
Sir.
Thanks.
Cheers.
I love this city.
It's like a diamond...
So many facets,
beautiful from so many angles.
The way the bay lurks
at the end of every street.
I was hoping you'd like this spot.
I do.
Life really is strange.
It's the strange parts
that make it interesting, right?
It's funny,
you know so much about me,
about my adoption and, well, everything.
I don't know anything about you.
What do you want to know?
Where'd you grow up?
Right here, in the city.
- You never left? - Nope.
What'd your parents do?
Uh, my mom was a nurse and my dad was a cop.
Huh. Brothers and sisters?
Two brothers, both cops.
One is an MP, military police, in Coronado, and the other one's in Vice.
- Drugs and prostitutes? - Yeah, something like that.
You haven't asked me
a single question about the case tonight.
I'm off-duty.
So you can come back to my place?
I can't.
I, uh, I got to go pick up my daughter.
- Daughter? - Louise.
Don't tell me you're married.
Not anymore, no.
What happened?
Life. You want to walk me to my car?
Sure.
I don't know what I expected this to be,
but it was actually kind of fun.
Yeah, I agree.
You know, I had nothing to do
with Cindy's death.
All I know is, right now, I'm off-duty.
I bet you're wearing a wire.
Excuse me?
I bet you're wearing a wire.
Really?
Uh-huh.
Pat me down.
Go on.
Told you.
Thanks for dinner.