By DeAnn Welker
Ahmed's in critical condition, and Linden and Holder are essentially starting from scratch when we pick up. They sift through the evidence and Linden's careful to show viewers a key with an unusual chain that looks like a bird within a gold circle. They put calls out to local cab companies to find out if anyone picked Rosie up from Ahmed's after she dropped her books off that night. Holder lectures Linden about never leaving the office, so she does ... but she doesn't go home to Jack quite yet. First, she pays a visit to Richmond, to let him know that Ahmed is no longer a suspect, but he is in critical condition. They share a drink, but very few words other than for her to admit she was wrong. Oh, and in this show's typically subtle fashion, we find out Richmond made the shot because we see him set down a basketball on his way to answer the door when she arrives.
This Ahmed news is, of course, bad for the case but good for the campaign. Also bad for the Larsens, though, especially when Stan turns himself in. Linden and Holder decide it's time to look into his Polish mob ties, so she questions him in jail (though it doesn't amount to much other than her telling him she heard his 9-1-1 call about Ahmed, which seems to redeem him some in her eyes) while Holder questions a very fishy-acting Belko. He keeps his hand in his pocket the entire time, which we know is because he was part of the Ahmed beating. Soon, Linden and Holder find the cabbie who picked Rosie up. He checks his ledger and says he dropped her off at home. Then he gives them his security camera. They watch her arrive, and Holder notices a light in their house is on until she gets out of their car, when it goes off. Since the Larsens were out of town that weekend, it's pretty spooky. Linden questions Terry, who thinks Belko's a weirdo who has a key; Holder goes back to Belko, who is a weirdo who has a key. He was with his mom that night, though, he says. And his gross sexpot mom (who's 70) confirms this. But when they see his room, they notice pictures of the Larsen family all over the ceiling above his bed. Too creepy to be true, right?
They question Belko, and Linden's the one who's a hard-ass on him this time, until she softens and gets him to spill that he was in the house when she came home, but he hid because Mitch hates it when he goes in the house. He says he heard her in her room, and then on the phone to someone named "Adela." Which rings true to Linden, since she found the "Adela, Friday11:45" note in Rosie's textbook.
Meanwhile, someone sorting footage for Richmond's new campaign ads -- now that Ahmed's innocent, he's focusing on that and on cutting budgets for each city council member (not worried about burning bridges now that he looks like the good guy -- finds a shot of him shaking hands with Rosie Larsen. She shows Gwen and Jamie, who take the disc and ask campaign aide Valerie not to tell anyone else. She says she won't, then Jamie and Gwen decide not to even tell Richmond. He needs plausible deniability and needs to believe he's never met her (unless he has). In the end, Gwen stares at the paused shot of Rosie and Richmond shaking hands, Mitch finds out their entire $16,000 savings has been cleaned out but Stan's not around to ask about it, and Linden takes the Adela ferry to a casino that has the same symbol as the keychain in evidence. We must be getting close, right?
Previously on musical suspects: Richmond took a $5 million shot. Mitch ID'd the pink Grand Canyon T-shirt as Rosie's, then found Rosie's in the laundry. The key found on Rosie didn't fit her locker, so Holder suspected she had a secret lockbox somewhere. Linden found a note in Rosie's Quran that said, "Adela, Friday 11:45." Mitch guilted Stan into beating the crap out of Ahmed.
We open on a shot of broken glasses and a broken body lying in the rain. We pan up to the face to see it's Ahmed, looking as good as dead. Abrupt cut to Mitch leaving Stan yet another message urging him to call her back. He shows up then, and she says she's been calling and calling. Then she sees the blood all over his hands and even on his face. She shows him the pink Grand Canyon shirt she found in the laundry, meaning the shirt Ahmed has wasn't hers. Mitch is clearly regretting going Lady Macbeth on Stan.
SPD. Linden and Holder fill their boss in on the latest development: Muhammed and Ahmed are innocent of murder (though they kidnapped a girl, that's not really the business of this homicide team). Their boss says that's too bad since Ahmed's in critical condition after someone beat him half to death. Holder looks at Linden, who puts her face in her hands. Credits.
Stan watches Denny and Tommy sleep, as Mitch stands in the doorway watching him. He walks toward her, then right by her without speaking.
SPD. Holder looks defeated and gets up to leave, but Linden's not ready to do that. She starts throwing things around, and says she never should have talked to the Larsens about Ahmed. Holder says it's not her fault; he was a good suspect, since he lied to them several times and seemed shady. If he'd been straight, things would have been different. Linden points out that "different" in this case could mean he'd be in jail for kidnapping a minor. Holder says he feels bad about it, too, but he's not going to let himself lose sleep over it and Linden shouldn't either. He asks if she's coming. She says she is, and gets up to leave. But first she gets a call telling her that Stan Larsen turned himself in.
Stan gets patted down and felt up by a guy wearing blue rubber gloves. They fingerprint him, take his mug shot, and he changes into an orange jumpsuit. Then they shackle his feet like he's a hardened criminal and lead him to jail. Lights out. Man, that's depressing. Although, is it really any more depressing than the life he's been leading with Mitch?
Richmond's fancy apartment with lovely views of the Seattle skyline. Someone knocks at the door, giving him a chance to bounce his newly won basketball and set it aside (so he scored!) before answering. It's Linden, who apologizes for showing up so late, but his campaign (also working late, I guess) told her he'd gone home. He offers her a drink, which she refuses for about ten seconds then accepts. He asks what she's here for, and she tells him that Ahmed is no longer a suspect in the Rosie Larsen murder. Richmond knew Ahmed wasn't capable of it and asks if that's all. Linden tells him that Ahmed was beaten and is in critical condition. They share a mutual lack of envy for each other's jobs. He offers her another drink, but she says she just wanted him to know she was wrong and quickly walks out.
She heads to Reggie's boat, where Reggie's sitting outside. Linden asks why she's up so late, and Reggie tells Linden that she caught Jack and some of his hoodlum friends in the boat earlier that day with cigarettes and beer. When she kicked Jack's friends off the boat, Jack called her a stupid lesbo. Linden says he's so dead, but Reggie points out that Jack isn't the problem here. "Your 13-year-old son is clearly acting out and you're nowhere to be seen. It's not like I can call his dad." Linden agrees that she can't, because it's all on her. Then she tells Reggie she's going to make it a lot easier on her, and she huffily wakes Jack and storm to a cheap motel called the Happy Day Inn. Nice way to show Reggie how sorry she is for letting her kid run amok and be a little shit.
Day 10. Richmond gives a press conference about Ahmed -- whom he refused to call guilty -- being proved innocent. But, he says, unfortunately he's been the victim of vigilante justice and lies in a hospital room somewhere in critical condition. Richmond is determined to reopen the after-school program that Adams shut down and to rebuild those communities damaged by such vigilante justice. He says he'll be able to do both thanks to a generous donation. He sends a message to his fellow city council members: Stop using innocent schoolchildren as political pawns. Gwen and Jamie are totally happy with all of this. Jamie says it's "brilliant" because it fell into their laps. Richmond asks him to control his glee, considering someone almost died. Gwen says he's now the integrity candidate since he never turned his back on Ahmed. Richmond wants the attack ads pulled now, replaced with this new thing. One more thing: Richmond wants the city council members' budgets cut 10 percent each. Gwen and Jamie make sure he wants to burn those bridges. Richmond says they lit the match and showed him their true colors; now they'll see his.
Linden's in her office staring at the wall of photos from Rosie's movie. When Holder comes in for the day, she cuts straight to business, wondering where Rosie went from Ahmed's and how she got there. Holder's all, "Morning to you, too." He gives her a "breakfast of champions": maple bacon donut. She wonders if he isn't a vegan. He says he's a vegetarian, but "It's a donut." Good point. Holder thinks they need to pursue Stan's connections to the Polish mob, even though his connections aren't exactly murder (more gambling and small-time stuff). She holds up a gold key from evidence while they talk so we are sure to see the flowy bird inside a gold circle design. Then she tells Holder she'll talk to Stan about the Polish mob and he can talk to Belko, since it's all they've got. She jumps up and he tells her it's the last time he'll ever buy her breakfast. Why? I mean, she didn't thank him or anything but she wolfed it down so she must have appreciated it a little. What's he looking for? A kiss?
Jail. Linden's in the visiting room when an officer brings Stan in. She asks him about being an associated of Kovarsky. He says that was a long time ago and then stumbles over the part: "I was a different man back then." His stumbling is more like choking up, because he realizes maybe he isn't anymore. She asks if there's anyone from back then who might be seeking retribution. He doesn't say anything, so Linden softens. She tells him she heard the 9-1-1 call about Ahmed. "It was you. You called." Stan asks if he's... Linden says he's alive. For now.
Belko heads into work looking around suspiciously. He turns on some lights, which is when Holder comes in and tells him that the teacher might die, which won't be good news for Stan. Belko, with his hand firmly in his pocket and a mysterious book under his arm, says he doesn't know anything about it. He fills a coffee pot, makes coffee and ??? all with one hand in his pocket and the book under his arm. Holder grills him a little about Kovarsky, and Belko says Stan helped him get straight and he's never looked back. He says Stan doesn't associate with the old crowd, because he wouldn't do anything to mess with his family. Holder makes a vaguely threatening remark, but doesn't comment on or seem to notice Belko's only used one hand. He leaves, and Belko looks genuinely worried.
Courtroom. Stan's plea hearing. The charges are read, and Stan pleads guilty. His lawyer interjects that Stan's under duress and not rational. He whispers to Stan that if he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison, he should listen to him. The judge tells Stan she's going to defer to the lawyer. Terry and Mitch are in court, and Linden's there too, until her phone rings. It's someone letting her know that the cabbie that picked Rosie up from Ahmed's is in front of the federal building. She finds him, and he tells her why he remembered Rosie: She looked kind of like Alanis, only better-looking. He doesn't remember where he dropped her, or if she had a backpack or purse or anything. But he checks his ledger and offers the security camera if it hasn't been erased. He pulls the address from the ledger: "235 Ballard Ave. NW." Linden's shocked. "You sure? You took her home?" He doesn't know if it's home. He just knows that's where he took her.
A bunch of guys are at work at the Larsen business when Mitch finds Belko in the office and asks who they are. Belko says they're just guys they bring in from time to time. She says she's never seen them before. Is this important? I feel like it must be. Belko tells Mitch they have a problem and pulls out the book he'd been carrying under his arm. It's their client book, I guess, because he tells her they don't have the manpower for this big client they have. She tells him to call Ronnie and Jim. Belko says Stan doesn't like working with them, but she says to call them; Stan doesn't need to know.
SPD. Linden and Holder are watching the security cam footage of Rosie, which gives them their timeline: She was dropped off at 10:37 p.m. She looks happy and smiling, so wasn't worried. The play the episode again, and Holder wonders where the cab parked. She says it's in front of the house; he overshot the door by twenty or twenty-five feet. Holder notices the light is on in the Larsen apartment, which is weird since they were out of town that weekend. And when she gets out of the cab, the light in the house goes off. So someone was in the apartment. Holder gives Linden this half-laugh, half-smile that is really a perfect bit of acting, because it's one of those reactions you'd have if you were sort of creeped out but also excited at the prospect of getting closer to the answers.
Larsen home. Terry's making Denny and Tommy clean up before their mom gets home. She bribes them with ice cream, so they work. She notices a gerbil or something named Wookiee and asks if he's sleeping. The boys tell her that's what mom said, so she's like, "Uh, okay, we'll let him rest." Tommy asks why their dad's in jail, since he's not the bad guy; shouldn't the bad guy be in jail. Terry does her best, saying the world is screwed up and their dad is a great guy but sometimes you do what you think is right and it's not. The doorbell rings then. It's Linden and Holder, looking for Mitch. Linden heads up with Terry to ask her a few questions, and Holder goes off looking for Belko.
Linden asks Terry who, other than her, has keys to the house. She can't think of anyone but Belko. She says the guy practically lives here, because he has no life. "He's just always around like he thinks he's part of this family or something." She says she told Mitch it's not good that he hangs around the boys so much. She says it's not that she thinks he's a pervert, but he's weird. She compares his personality to the table, which is pretty awesome. Downstairs, Belko says he was home with Bev, which is what he calls his mom. He says he has keys, but he never goes into the house because Mitch would never allow that. He says he only goes into the garage, but he wasn't there that night. Outside, Holder and Linden compare notes; he noticed the shredded hand this time so is sure Belko was part of the Ahmed beat-down.
Belko's home. Linden and Holder are questioning a creepy old lady who says Belko was her "miracle baby." She had him later in life, and he's an only child. It was just the two of them. "He's my little man." She says he's always lived here, but that doesn't mean she's a nun if you know what she's saying. She flirts with Holder, which is gross. I mean, she's in her seventies, and pretty scruffy. She assures them Belko was here Friday night. She shows them his room, and says he's a "good little boy" who always makes his bed. They look around as she tells a story about throwing his cat away for peeing on the bed. Holder spots a collage of Larsen family photos on the ceiling above Belko's bed. His mom seems oblivious as Linden lays down on the bed to look at all the photos. It sure does scream serial killer to me.
And it was enough for them to question him, since they have him in a room now. They're all sweetness, thanking him for coming and giving him coffee. Holder asks about his hand, and Belko lies that he's always banging it on something. Holder pretends Stan turned on him, but Belko still doesn't break. He just says he got mad when he heard about what happened to Stan and hit a wall. They fill him in that Ahmed's innocent and now he might die. Holder says they really don't care if he beat up some teacher, since they're homicide detectives. But he'd like Belko to at least be honest with them. Belko finally admits he was with Stan last night, so Holder drops it and moves on now that they have trust. Belko looks like a scared puppy, which is pretty astonishing considering what a creeper he's seemed like the whole time.
Richmond HQ. A campaign ad named Valerie ("I hate Val") shows Gwen and Jamie some footage she found while going through tons of it to put together the new ad. It's very clearly of Rosie, all smiles, shaking Richmond's hand. Valerie tells them how ironic it is that she was found in his campaign car and here she is shaking his hand. Gwen and Jamie pretend they're not sure it's her and they take the disc, asking Valerie to keep this between them until they know more. She says she will. After she leaves, Jamie says they have to bury this and not even tell Richmond. He tells Gwen that Richmond needs to continue to believe he's never met her.
Belko's questioning. Linden's taken over now, asking him about the night of Rosie's death. He says he was at home with Bev, which opens the door for Linden to out-creeper Belko by telling him she sure hopes she looks as good in lingerie as Bev when she's 70. Through a wince, he says, "Yeah." And he adds that she wears that stuff all the time even though he asks her to put on clothes. Linden says it must have been tough to grow up with a mother like that; she asks if Bev made him watch or if he could just hear it through the walls. She doesn't blame him for thinking the Larsens are the perfect family and wanting to be one of them. She tells him they saw his bedroom, but the Larsens aren't his family. She asks if he liked to watch Rosie walk around half-naked. He winces some more and says that's disgusting. She plays out the night of Rosie's murder for him, saying he was there waiting to have her all to himself. He starts screaming and calls her a "dirty bitch." Then he starts sobbing. Linden touches his head and asks what he did. So he does: He was at the kitchen table that night, because he just liked to sit there in that house. But she came home that night. So he hid since Mitch doesn't like him being upstairs. He says he could hear here opening drawers and the closet and jangling keys. Then she went into Tommy and Denny's room. Holder asks if that's where he took her, but he swears he didn't. He stutters that she was on the phone with someone named Adela. "She said, 'Adela. I'll be there.' " He says she left then, and he never saw her again. Linden leaves, then Holder. On their way, Belko begs them not to tell Mitch he was upstairs. He just went, in one scene, from being the biggest freak on this show to sort of breaking my heart.
Mitch comes home right as the office phone is ringing. But no one's there to answer it, of course. She hollers for Belko, then answers it herself. Some lady asking for Stan tells Mitch she's from Tilden Mutual Bank and she wants to inform them that their account is overdrawn and their last check was returned for insufficient funds. Mitch wonders how that's possible, then tells her to just take from savings. The lady says that they have overdraft protection, so that's what would have happened, but they only have two dollars in their savings. Mitch can't believe that, because they are supposed to have $16,000. She thinks the lady is looking at the wrong account, but the lady suggests Mitch discuss this with her husband.
SPD. Linden shows Holder the Adela note again, and says she believes Belko and thinks Rosie left the house that night to meet someone named Adela. Holder reminds her that Rosie has no friends named Adela, and there's no in her school with that name. But Linden says there are forty-seven people with that name in the Seattle area. Holder tells her to send units to go talk to them, since he's been up for fifty hours straight. (Where did he go when he left last night, then came back with donuts, then?) She says they have to find this Adela person, but he gets up and leaves. He says he's going to sleep; "you should try it sometime."
Apparently she agrees, since she heads to her hotel. Rick's sitting in the hall outside her door. She invites him in, but he says he's good. They have a touching heart to heart about their relationship. He didn't return her calls because he knew what she was going to say. She tells him this isn't about them; it's about the girl. He says it's been over a week since they found her body, but Linden cuts him off: "I found her body." He tells her he knows where this is going, and there's always another case and another body. He says he's not going to end up in a hospital again (!) watching her stare at a blank wall. "I can't." He says he has three tickets on a midnight flight to Oakland tonight. When he asks if she knows if she's coming, she just cries and says, "I don't." He kisses her, then gets up and leaves. She cries a little more then goes inside to Jack, who's awake and waiting up. I don't know if he saw Rick or is just upset that his mom's never ever around. She tells him it's going to be okay, but he knows she's a liar, so he just turns his back to her and gets into bed.
No Day 11 marker, but Linden's running on what looks like the morning. It gets more and more intense as she runs faster and faster by the waterfront with a ship blowing its horn loudly nearby. She runs until she sees a ferry sign that says "Seattle-Kulamish." Two ferries are listed on it; one is called "Adela" and, sure enough, has an 11:45 p.m. departure. She runs on down to climb aboard the Adela that's at the dock now. Mitch goes through paperwork in her office, exasperated. Stan stares out a jail window. Gwen look at a frozen frame of Rosie and Richmond shaking hands. Linden heads out on the ferry, which approaches a giant sign for Wapi Eagle Casino with a symbol that matches Rosie's mysterious keychain. Bingo.
week: Lady Lola's back, and there are only three episodes left. Linden's still in her running clothes all episode, trying to get the casino to show them security camera footage, telling someone they know nothing about her or her son, looking solemnly at Jack, leading Holder somewhere that she knows Rosie went to, and then telling him that Jack didn't show up at school this morning.
DeAnn, a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon, believes Richmond's camp has to be deeply involved in Rosie's death.. You can contact her at twopmodmars@gmail.com.