- Brenda's investigation into the murder of a teenage prostitute puts her in the FBI's headlights, and in a possible conflict with Fritz.
- Deputy Chief Johnson's investigation into the murder of a teenage prostitute brings her into contact with a number of LA's VIPs. She's most interested, however, in the dead girl's boyfriend, Nikolai Koslov, the son of a local Russian mobster and heroin dealer. Koslov set the dead girl up in a beautiful house, but Brenda isn't convinced all is normal. She hits a formidable roadblock with Koslov's alibi for the night the girl was murdered: he was being questioned by the FBI. Fritz confirms he was there, and it's clear that the younger Koslov is informing on his father's operation, which the FBI has no intention of endangering with an investigation into a prostitute's murder. Brenda is appalled by the attitude of the men around her, but when she discovers another prostitute's murder from some months before with all the earmarks of the most recent case, she fears she has a budding serial killer on her hands about to escape justice.—garykmcd
- Brenda is looking for a corpse among the bags in the morgue storage, i.e. toe tag #2005-3290, a teen prostitute, murdered by stabbing, but with Gabriel's assistance, they find the body of the young victim, from the racks. The body has been there three days already, no name. Gabriel asks what makes a hooker so important and Brenda answers the client list is the factor moving it to Priority Homicide, which is why Brenda is searching for the body, not waiting for a morgue attendant. She makes a positive identification from the file and the face of the dead victim.
Captain Taylor argues with Brenda over the handling of the prostitute murder case and conversations center around the client list of notables. The teen prostitute was murdered, stabbed multiple times, and judging from the stab wounds, the M.E. identifies the killer as at least six feet tall because the victim is just shy of six feet; pictures of the dead girl indicate her assailant was ruthless, showed no mercy with multiple wounds. The stab wounds were caused by a six-inch serrated blade. Time of death estimated to be between eight PM and midnight. Brenda has her detective-staff look for leads, including suspect backgrounds, one of which is a friend of Pope's, named Danny Booth, and his fiancé. Brenda tells her officers the killer was likely a regular customer since there was no sign of a break-in, robbery or struggle. Gabriel reviews the killing with slides from the victim's web page, named Strawberry Lollipop, which is the only name known so far for the victim. The web-page calendar depicts March with a reduced list of clients, around twenty-five, presumably limited to her regulars. Brenda requests Lt. Provenza talk to any of her customers, should they happen to come in. Pope catches Brenda before she leaves, stating no feathers ruffled unless you think the suspects are guilty. The matter of interviewing Pope's friend Danny Booth, a regular-client, is mentioned with orders to have the interview at eight AM in Pope's office and off the books.
Brenda looks over the recent victim's house with Det. Daniels while Provenza interviews six-foot-suspects, including a judge, who was at dinner the night of the murder. A congressman client offered a tip to Provenza while being interviewed of possible contractors, since the victim was having her kitchen remodeled. Brenda eyes the blood-stained mattress, hears and sees the victim's cat. Daniels admires the granite countertops, stainless appliances and custom cabinets. Brenda pulls the local take-out menu from the refrigerator, calls the number for a to go order asking if her card or boyfriend's card is on file; it was the boyfriend.
The boyfriend-pimp Nik is called in for questioning, his rap sheet consists of an A&B charge he got dropped; he is the illegitimate son of the head of the Russian mob, Ivan Kozlov, known for heroin trafficking. Captain Taylor is the resident expert on the Russians, according to Flynn. Brenda declines hearing from Taylor, for now. Nik is not involved in the drug business and he waived his right to counsel, but he did say he was thirsty; Brenda brings him something to drink. Zoya Petrovna was the girl's name according to Nik, telling Brenda he was in the Federal Building for several hours while the murder was taking place. Nik is unaffected by the girl's death, showing no sympathy or remorse. Agent Fritz Howard stops at Brenda's hotel room to take her to dinner and confirms the whereabouts of Nik Kozlov in the FBI building for the evening into the morning, because he was told the same.
The next morning, Brenda talks to Danny Booth about a name he does not recognize of the woman he was spending two-thousand per week; Brenda comments that's is quite a lot on a Federal salary. That's enough, Mr. Booth, we'll meet again on more formal circumstances. That's all the questions for now, as she exits, followed by Pope, excusing his friend. Brenda says he is not innocent, and he works for Immigration & Customs Enforcement. The girl was eighteen, practically a child, and her name was Zoya Petrovna. Pope asks about Nik's alibi and Brenda says it was confirmed by the FBI. Flynn gives Brenda Zoya's phone records, showing conversations with Nik Kozlov and Nadia Orwell. Brenda orders background information on Booth's fiancé and Nadia Orwell from Provenza and Sanchez. Franny, from Taylor's office, provides Gabriel with data of a similar victim from six months ago.
Brenda sits in her car trying to eyeball Nadia, within time she comes toward her pushing a baby in a cart. Brenda visits with a reluctant Nadia to learn the connection among the mob, Booth and Zoya. Once she sees Zoya's murder picture, she becomes talkative, willing to give Brenda information. Nadia identifies Booth from a picture, saying all immigrant girls have to date him. She called him a sick pig as soon as she saw his picture. Immediately after getting off the plane, they meet Booth, who stamps their passports. Nadia Orwell was a former Russian prostitute who informs Brenda how corrupt the system is with the men running the outfit, starting with the immigration agent Booth. If Nadia gave the names of three aliens, she would be released from her obligations. Nadia got married and is free from the ring. She tells Brenda about Zoya wanting to stay in the U.S., get married with baby. Nik rejected that notion. Nikolai Kozlov, a pimp for the mob, related as a step-son of the head man. Nadia cries believing she betrayed Zoya in allowing her to come here, and Zoya not being able to return because Nik held her visa.
Gabriel shows Brenda a file of another stabbing victim, another Russian prostitute from months ago; there is no M.E. report with the file. The FBI visits the murder room demanding files be turned over now on Zoya. Brenda has to comply, except for the woman Gabriel found from the data search. Brenda tells Gabriel she finds it interesting that suddenly an eighteen-year-old Russian hooker becomes vital to our national security apparatus. Why the FBI suddenly wanted all the info on Zoya leaves Brenda curious, but they asked for Zoya, they got info on Zoya. They didn't ask for the woman Gabriel found with Franny's help, which Brenda opens the file, showing her morgue picture. Brenda and Gabriel visit a cemetery with unmarked graves looking for the match of the victim Gabriel found. She is identified as Vonya, the body is exhumed, as Brenda talks to the priest associated with the cemetery. He recognizes Booth's picture Brenda shows him. Brenda learns from the priest the exhumed woman was pregnant.
Brenda interviews Booth in an interview room, stating how he sleeps with every girl coming in from Russia, stamping their passports, taking money from the mob for each girl and with whom you have your choice to sleep with coming into this country. Booth says he might need an attorney, but Brenda says he doesn't need a lawyer, otherwise she will talk to his fiancé about what he has been doing with these girls. Brenda orders Booth to call the FBI, make an appointment to talk, telling them what you do for the Kozlov's. Brenda goes in place of Booth, directly to the same agents' office that took files from the LAPD. Brenda learns the FBI agents are holding information from her because of their investigation of the racketeering within the organization. Brenda explains to the FBI agents, Nik Kozlov was to be the father of a baby from another prostitute before she was murdered in the same fashion as Zoya. Brenda realizes then, the FBI is covering for Nik, because she asks if they might know where Nik was when Vonya was murdered. She purposely mixes dates of the murder, and the FBI response is the same, they have an excuse for Nik both times.
She is in the FBI parking lot ordering Gabriel to get Nik and his father in for questioning, when she meets Agent Howard. Brenda questions Fritz if he was lying before and he responds, I told you what they told me. Fritz acknowledges the giant RICO investigation going on, she balks at his excuse, saying Nik was never in custody, they wanted him to testify against his father, so they flipped him. Letting people kill teenage girls because they have connections to the mob is just wrong, Brenda walks away form Fritz in the Federal parking lot, he admitting what is going on here is morally reprehensible. I hope you're not mad at me in the morning, as she drives back to her office. Brenda tells Pope, I had Nik Kozlov ordered in here, arresting him for murder. Taylor says Andy Osterman is with Nik, one of the top mob attorneys, you won't get in a word. Brenda asks Taylor for any information he can provide on Nik's relations with his family. Taylor updates Brenda on Nik in front of Pope just before she goes into a meeting with him and his attorney. Taylor states, Nik is the son of his father's second mistress, an American girl, a pro, who went missing when Nik was four. Nik is not very high up the ladder in the organization, his legitimate brothers handle the heroin business; Nik just manages the ladies; Nik is the family pimp.
Brenda introduces herself to Nik's attorney, stating Nik and her are old friends, having met, talked beforehand, with Nik declining the presence of an attorney. Andy turns to Nik, asking if he was stupid. Nik claims he didn't do it, that is why the decline for counsel. Brenda shows him a picture of Vonya, killed by stabbing, same knife used to kill Zoya. Gabriel tells Andy, DNA tests prove she was the mother of Nik's unborn child. Brenda agrees it happens, claiming that is how Nik entered the world. Brenda also looks Nik in the eyes, explaining when his father passes, he will be shut out of the family business altogether, for being illegitimate; his step-brothers will inherit the business, as they are legitimate heirs. Tell me Nik, did what happened to your mom when you were a little boy, did that make you think whores were disposable? Nik lunges at Brenda. Andy Osterman holds him back in his seat. Since Nik won't tell me where he really was during the time of Vanya and Zoya's murders, perhaps Mr. Osterman you could tell me where you were? You are Nik's criminal attorney, right, for his whole family. So, were you with him last Friday when he was being questioned by the FBI, from seven PM until five in the morning? I can't imagine the FBI would question someone for ten hours without his attorney present or that Nik wouldn't have called for you under those circumstances. The FBI gives your client an alibi for these murders. Brenda to Osterman, can you help me with that? Andy says no, I don't think so, no. Brenda says well, I tried. You are free to go Nik, thank you. Osterman turns to Nik, come on Nik, it is time to go home. Brenda gets up, opens the door, turns to Nik, that's it, Nik, there's nothing more to do. Nik again lunges at Brenda, saying he wants to confess, I killed them. The officers move quickly to rescue Brenda from Nik's grasp, with his pleas of guilt, not wanting to go with his attorney. Brenda says I would like to help you Nik, but I just don't know who to believe, you or the FBI.
Brenda walks out of the interview room, down the corridor, Pope stops her asking, what did you just do? Brenda pulls both pictures of the slain girls from her purse, holding them up for Pope to see. Pope eyes the photos, turns, and walks away, while Brenda clutches the pictures, looking forlorn.
At her new home, Brenda answers the door. Fritz comes in, complementing her about the house, telling her Nik Kozlov was found murdered last night, had his throat slit. Brenda responds, so, the world is short another budding serial killer. Fritz says the Kozlov empire remains standing. Brenda says I have someone to replace Nik, meet Danny Booth, she holds a file up, and his fiancé. It was not my job to protect Nik Kozlov, it was my job to seek justice for those two teenage girls. Fritz takes Booth's file home with him while Brenda hears and sees the cat come into the living room. She is mad the animal was not removed prior to her moving in to Zoya's old place.
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