The rookie's, Tim, Talia and I are heading to the briefing room.
"Hey. Heard you're officially a cop now. Got hit with your first lawsuit." I say to John
"Oh, it's ridiculous. This guy says I dislocated his shoulder pushing past him in a pursuit. I-I don't think I even touched him. And now he wants fifty thousand to settle." John says
"Don't take it personally. Being sued's part of the job." Tim tells him
"It's why we're required to have liability insurance." I tell him
"Union assign a lawyer yet?" Tim asks
"Yeah. Some guy named Simon Parks." John says
"You're lucky. Guy's a legend." I tell him
"Saved my ass a couple times. He's a cranky old S. O. B., but he gets the job done. You've got nothing to worry about." Tim tells him
We enter the briefing room, where everyone seems to be looking up at the landing.
"What's going on?" John asks
"IA arrested Jenkins." Talia tells him while Jenkins is being escorted down the stairs by two officers
"The Robbery Homicide detective?" West asks
"Yeah." Tim says
"Why?" Lucy asks
Grey enters the room, followed by CMDR Percy West, and everyone moves to sit down.
"All right. Grab a seat." Grey says and sighs then continues talking "See, look, it's never a good day when one of your own gets arrested. I'm sure you have questions. Commander West from IA is here to answer. Commander?"
"Thank you, Sergeant. After an extensive investigation, we found clear evidence that, ten years ago, Detective Jenkins lied on the witness stand. Because of his lies, an innocent woman was convicted of murder in the first." Percy West tells us
"She's been in jail this whole time?" Lucy asks
"Yes. Samantha Bennett. She was released two days ago. In addition to charging Jenkins with perjury, we've placed him on the Brady List." Percy says
"Uh, what is the Brady List?" John asks
"Uh, it's a record of law enforcement officers who've withheld exculpatory evidence." Jackson tells John
"It's a list of dirty cops." Talia says
"IA has reviewed all of Jenkins' past convictions. Of them, three others were deemed suspect enough to warrant the release of those felons." Percy says
"But you're not sure those three are innocent." Tim says
"No, but their convictions were overturned." Percy says
"When this gets out, every lawyer in town is gonna want to get a Jenkins conviction overturned." I say
"That's tomorrow's problem. Today, protocol dictates that we make voluntary contact with these released felons. So, Lopez and West, you will talk to Samantha Bennett. Bradford, Chen, you got Max Kegel, who was doing 25 to life for drug trafficking. And, Bishop and Nolan, take Terry Wright, who was in for armed robbery and attempted murder. If you observe anything actionable, send it up to Major Crimes." Grey says assigning us to who we talk to
"And what if we don't see anything actionable?" Talia asks him
"Leave it alone. Observe, report. That's it. All right. Be safe out there." Grey says and me and Jackson go to talk to Samantha Bennett
****
When I walk in Percy is walking out.
"What was that about?" I ask Jackson
"Nothing. Hey, um, do you remember, uh, that felon Oscar from the prison bus crash?" Jackson asks
"Stole a car, tried to run us over? That Oscar?" I ask him
"Yeah. Um, when I was booking him, he told me some stories about my dad." Jackson says
"What kind of stories?" I ask him
"That he was my dad's CI back in the day. Said that my dad used to give him intel in exchange for turning a blind eye." Jackson said
"Lots of cops do that." I tell him
"Yeah, he also said that my dad planted a gun on him. Got him sent away for life." Jackson said
"Let me guess. Oscar insisted he was innocent." I say
"No. He said he was guilty, but no one could prove it. So my dad crossed the line." Jackson said
"I don't believe it. Your dad is the straightest arrow I've ever met besides you." I tell him
****
Jackson and I are walking into the courtyard.
"Samantha Bennett really took it in the teeth. Ten years for a crime she didn't commit. Barely a traffic ticket before she went inside. And her file says she has a kid. Child was only a year old when her mom went to prison." Jackson says
"Yeah. There's no way she comes out the same person. Prison hardens you." I tell him
A chair is hurled off the balcony and a man comes running down the stairs, with Samantha Bennett chasing him with a baseball bat.
"Where the hell are they?!" Samantha yells at him
"Somebody help!" The man says
"Where's my family?" Samantha asks
"Don't hurt me." The man tells her
"Where are they?" Samantha asks again
"Drop the bat!" I tell her
"No. It's not fair!" Samantha tells me
"Arrest her. She's crazy!" The man says
"Look, Samantha, please. Put down the bat. This isn't gonna help you." Jackson tells her
"Is that what you want? You want to help me? Like you helped me the ten years in jail? Like you helped to convince my husband that I was a murderer? You know what it feels like to have the person that you love turn against you, believe you're capable of the worst thing imaginable? Ten years, he never once brought my baby to visit me, said she was better off without me." Samantha says
"I know you're upset. I can only imagine what you've been through. But this man doesn't know where your family is." I tell her then turn to the man and ask "Do you?"
"Of course not! They moved out years ago." The man says
"I just - I just want to see my baby. I didn't know where else to go." Samantha says
"Samantha, you need to put the bat down." Jackson says and she sighs and drops the bad and Jackson moves to handcuff her
"Please don't send me back there. Please don't send me back there." Samantha says
"Look, I'm sorry." Jackson tells her
"Please." Samantha begs
****
Jackson is processing Samantha, who obviously knows the drill.
"Turn to - Okay." Jackson says and the camera shutter clicks and he then goes up to her and says "Come on."
He leads her to a holding cell.
"I'm never gonna find them." Samantha said her voice breaking
"Look, I'm - I'm sure someone knows where they are." Jackson tells her
"She probably hates me anyway." Samantha says
"Your daughter?" Jackson asks her
"I missed her whole life. The best I can hope is that Tom told her I was dead. Otherwise, I'm just mom the murderer." She says with a sigh before she started talking
"Yeah, but you're innocent, okay? And that will be all over the news now that Jenkins was arrested." Jackson tells her
"So is the fact that I'm back in jail. No, Tom is right. She's better off without me. I'm no good to anybody now." Samantha says and she leans forlornly against the wall as Jackson closes the door
"Don't say that." He says to Samantha and then turns to me and says "This isn't right."
"No, but our hands are tied." I tell him
"We have to be able to do something to help her." Jackson says
"This isn't just about her, is it?" I ask him
"Yeah. ... All right, and maybe my dad, too. A dirty cop ruined her life." Jackson says
"Look, let me think on Samantha, see if I can figure something out. But you need to get your head straight about your dad. Either go talk to him or let it go. What you can't do is let the doubt eat away at you." I tell him
3rd person point of view
"Hey." Grey says when he sees Percy
"Hey." percy says
"How's it going with Jenkins?" Grey asks
"Usual song and dance. He's crying conspiracy, coercion, trying to muddy the waters. I've been meaning to ask you, how's my boy doing?" Percy asks
"Well, you know. Standing tall some days, falling on his face others, like all rookies before him. Like us back in the day." Grey says and they both grin
"Yeah, but he's been acting a little strange the last few weeks. Standoffish. Something I should know?" Percy asks
"You'd have to ask him." Grey tells him
"Tell me about his T.O." Percy says
"Officer Lopez?" Grey asks
"Yeah." Percy says
"She's a good cop. Used to be a great detective until she became a TO for personal reasons." Grey tells him
"On paper, sure, but I'm asking about her instincts, her leadership skills, her ability to teach my son things he can't learn from his rook book." Percy says
"Percy, I'm not quite sure how to reply to that." Grey tells him
"See, this is specifically why I asked you to assign Officer Bradford to my son, not Lopez. He's a known entity, a cop's cop. With her, I'm wondering, does she truly have what Jackson needs?" Percy says
"Are you asking as head of Internal Affairs or a nervous father overstepping his bounds? Listen. I know you outrank me, but I'm gonna tell you exactly what I said when Jackson was assigned here: no special favors." Grey tells him
"Wa- Wade. I'm not asking for special favors -" Percy says but is interrupted by Grey
"That includes keeping tabs on him. Is that understood, Commander?" Grey asks
"It is, Sergeant." Percy says
"Excuse me." Grey says and walks off, leaving Percy looking worried
Sophia Lopez point of view
Wesley Evers is passing by the break room when he sees me getting some coffee. He goes in to chat with me.
"I was just about to call you." Wesley tells me
"Let me guess. You can't make dinner?" I ask him
"Sorry. One of my clients was put away by that Brady cop, Jenkins. I've got to go back through the case, see if anything shakes loose." He tells me
"Today must be like Christmas morning for defense attorneys." I say
"Yeah, except instead of presents, we have boxes of discovery to open. Um -" He wavers off leaning in, flirting with me
"Oh." I say
"Listen. Hey." Wesley says
"Yeah. Hi." I say with a smile and he is really close but I don't mind
"I, uh I have to go see -" Wesley says
"Mm-hmm?" I says
"- a client on Saturday, but I'll be back Sunday." Wesley says
"I'm on duty Sunday." I tell him and another cop enters heading for the coffee machine and Wesley backs off
"Right. Well, uh, nice to see you." Wesley says and exits hastily
"Yeah." I say then ask the other cop "How are you doing?"
"Mm." The cop says
"Good? Yep." I say and leave
****
Jackson and I have brought in a man with patterns marked on his face in black ink.
"Go ahead. Have a seat on the bench." Jackson tells the man
"Don't I get a lawyer?" Camel asks
"Did you want a lawyer?" Jackson asks
"Yeah. But you took all my money." Camel says
"Yeah, it was stolen money. You know, it doesn't matter, because your lawyer would be pro bono." West says and then looks at Camel's blank face and says "Free."
I glance through the window into the Bullpen and see Wesley.
"I've got just the guy for you." I tell him
****
Wesley and I are on opposite sides of the table. Camel is at one end of the table.
"Mr. Camel." I say
"It's just "Camel." You know, like Beyoncé or Post Malone." Camel says
"All right. Let's start somewhere simple. Why is there marker on your face?" I ask him
"So Petey wouldn't know it was me." Camel says
"That's Peter DiAmato, the cashier at the convenience store you robbed." I tell him
"Robbery? Wait a minute. My client was wielding a squirt gun hardly qualifies as a "threat of force."" Wesley says
"It looked real." I say
Me and Wesley are smirking at each other throughout this exchange. I slide my foot over to Wesley's and rub it a couple of times.
"It- It had Hawaiian Punch in it, which he drank repeatedly during the alleged incident." Wesley says
"And the theft of $20 from the register?" I ask
"Petey owed me that money." Camel says
"Sounds like a harmless prank, misunderstanding between friends." Wesley tells me
"Prank, huh?" I ask and pulled my foot away from Wesley
"Well, comedy is subjective." Wesley says
"Who keeps rubbing my foot?" Camel asks and I want to laugh but I hold in my laughter
"All right. Say I let him walk. What do I get?" I ask Wesley
****
Me and Wesley are making out in the supply closet
"I've got 15 minutes." I tell him
"Don't worry. I'm good under pressure." Wesley says
"Oh, good." i say
****
Me and Jackson meet up in the hallway and he does not have a happy face.
"Hey. Are you okay?" I ask Jackson
"Not really." Jackson says
"I'm sorry, but maybe this will cheer you up. Come on. I spoke to the building super about Samantha, told him everything she'd gone through. So he agreed to withdraw his complaint. She's free to go." I tell him
"That's great." Jackson says
****
Samantha Bennett is signing a form to get her personal items back.
"There's more. Mrs. Bennett?" I ask then look to the clerk "Can we get a minute?"
"Yeah." The Clerk says
"Thanks." I say, then turn to Samantha and start talking "I found your husband. I explained to him what happened, that you were innocent. It was a lot to process. Before you get your hopes up, he doesn't want you to know where he or your daughter are just yet. But I gave him this number, and I think he'll call once he wraps his head around the truth."
"Thank you. Thank you." She says to both me and Jackson
"You're welcome." I tell her