- Previously on "Tommy..." - I am Abigail Thomas,
- usually just "Tommy." - Attention!
Okay, guys, we're not gonna do that
all the time, or you're all gonna need knee replacements.
Are you the new security detail?
- Abnar Diaz. Who are you? - Ken Rosey.
I'm the speechwriter.
I will call my daughter.
She is a school psychologist, married.
My marriage is falling apart.
I want you to come stay with us.
I launched an investigation into a friend of the mayor's.
- LAPD! - Turn around!
Put your hands behind your back.
I'm trying to figure out this Arturo Lopez situation.
If you hear things from reporters,
- would you mind sharing? - Sure.
Arturo Lopez just got shanked
in county jail. He's dead.
A lot of people must be relieved;
Arturo knew where a ton of bodies were buried.
Sasha.
You look beautiful. Buddy, it's been too long.
- Where's Roni? - My lovely wife has a migraine.
She sends her best. Alex, congratulations.
Ah, yes. "Lifetime Achievement."
What kind of an award is that? What does it say?
"Please die"?
It says you've done great things.
Come on. Go get some champagne.
Nobody drinks in L.A. anymore.
Hey, you.
Mr. Mayor.
If you're here, I'm guessing that Tommy is not.
Surprised? Tommy's the shiny new thing in town,
which means stacks of invites.
She wants to represent, but doesn't think she has the time.
So here you are.
Here I am. Fourth party of the night.
I should be paid by the mile.
Mr. Mayor, time for a quick question?
- Uh, sure. - Great.
Bus bench litigator Arturo Lopez was controversial
even before his predilection for preteen women came to light.
Now L.A. is buzzing about his mysterious murder
in jail last week.
He was a major donor for your
political campaigns. Any comment on his death?
Shouldn't you be asking someone who she's wearing?
Are you refusing to comment?
- No, I'm... - Marisa, a sheriff's investigation
is currently underway, so the mayor can't comment,
as you know. Bye.
I also do weddings and bar mitzvahs.
Are you around this week?
In my office, where I always am.
I might call you. I have a thing,
maybe you can help with it.
- Maybe I can. - Yeah.
Of course, Mr. Shaw, no problem.
L.A.'s making you soft, yo.
Is this how they jog in Hicksville?
Don't make me hit you, Diaz. I'm too tired.
I still don't get it.
The department's making you certify that you're a cop?
"An officer candidate," me,
"must fulfill all department requirements for active duty,
uh, entrance exams, including a physical, marksmanship,
polygraph."
They tell you that before you get the job?
Oh, no, darling, after,
way after.
All right, got to stop.
I got to take a break.
I got to say, most cops your age...
would go into cardiac arrest just looking at that hill.
You got to stop with the age stuff, Diaz.
You're doing great.
- Thanks. - Mayor wants to see you.
- Race you to the car. - Yeah.
I'm gonna catch a cab.
Oh, boy.
Sorry for the early morning beck and call thing.
No paper cups anymore.
It's full-on Downton Abbey.
We have these metal K-cups at my daughter's house, reusable.
Green is good. Sit.
Mm.
- Alexander Shaw, do you know who he is? - No.
He's a movie producer. He made Shakespeare's Ghost.
The Red Legion?
I must've missed those. I don't get out much.
Okay. Uh, Shaw is also a friend.
Last night, he was attacked in his home.
He is on life support at Cedars.
I was at a party at his house
just a few hours before it happened.
I haven't seen the overnight reports yet,
but I'm sure a full investigation is underway.
I would appreciate it if you would go by the house
and talk to his wife.
Well, I'm sure the detectives will talk to her.
Not so much talk as reassure.
Let her know that you are gonna keep an eye on things.
I don't like to bigfoot my officers.
Tommy,
L.A. is a people town.
Can you have a town without people?
What I mean is, relationships are important,
particularly with the film industry that employs
600,000 people and contributes $150 billion to our economy.
Do I need to show you the sign on the hillside
with the big white letters?
You know, the one that's on all the postcards?
Okay. I'll talk to her.
Chief.
Adele Keaton. Plymouth Division.
Detective. Thanks for letting us come by.
- Diaz. He's with my detail. - Hey.
So we're gonna do our best not to get in your way.
The victim was found in his study.
- I guess you want to see it? - Sure.
The wife came in about 5:00 a.m.
and found Shaw unconscious on the floor, bleeding.
He'd been hit on the head with a heavy object,
the Admiral Award.
Brandenburg Film Festival. It's the grand prize.
- Any sign of a forced entry, robbery? - Nothing.
Shaw's body on the floor, the award next to him, that's it.
Hopefully, we get a good print.
Chief Thomas?
I'm Gemma, Sasha's assistant. She can see you now.
Oh, well, all right, lead the way.
Thank you for coming, Chief Thomas.
I appreciate it.
Yeah, I just wanted to reassure you
that, um, we're doing everything we can.
You're in excellent hands with Detective Keaton here.
Would anyone like some coffee, water, LaCroix?
- I'm good, thank you. - I'd have a LaCroix.
He's good. Thanks.
It was almost dawn before
everyone who was at the party left,
and then I went to look for Alex
in his study. With projects
filming on three different continents,
he's on conference calls at all hours.
So, um, that's when I went in...
I'm so... I'm sorry.
I am sure he's getting the best possible care.
How does this even happen?
I mean, what kind of person
comes into our home and does this?
Rest assured, we will find out.
Uh, one question. I noticed that
you have security cameras inside your house,
but there are none in your husband's study
or in the hallway leading to it. W-Why is that?
We have to deal with the press and the paparazzi a lot.
Alex has always cherished his privacy.
I wanted security.
We compromised.
Got it. Thank you.
The guest list has about 300 people
in and out of here last night,
plus caterers, plus valet, plus who knows.
Any idea who saw him last?
A waiter? Paul McCartney?
Could've been anybody. I mean, anybody.
My team's setting up interviews.
Meanwhile, I got to follow up with the caterer
and my partner's out with a torn ACL.
Do you want some help?
Diaz here claims he used to be a detective.
- Claims? - I-I have my doubts.
Thanks. I could use the help.
Anything else, uh, just let me know.
Do me a favor, keep an eye on the wife.
What're you doing here?
- The news about Shaw just broke. - And?
See for yourself.
Synced & corrected by -robtor- www.addic7ed.com
This Shaw thing is already a mess.
Couple of superhero-type actors were at the party.
Keaton asked them to come in for interviews,
but their manager is saying they can't
because they have to fly to Mexico City for a premiere.
All right, well, you can tell Batman and Jabba the Hutt
that, uh, we can have arrest warrants
waiting for them at the airport.
They're grounded until they talk to us.
You know Jabba the Hutt's not a superhero, right?
Yeah, don't care.
Morning, Chief. How was your run?
Ah, it was more of an optimistic jog.
Your breakfast called to say he'd be late.
Sheriff's office wants to talk to you
about the Lopez investigation, and you have range time at 1:00.
Also, Ken is in your office.
Okay.
Pop quiz, hotshot. You got a bomb on a bus.
Recertification?
Yeah, Ken's helping me prepare. Go ahead.
Okay, motor vehicle regulations.
How many cars are allowed to turn left on a yellow light?
Based on what I've seen here, ten.
I just got word Alexander Shaw
died at Cedars ten minutes ago.
Well, that's gonna jack things up.
All right, make sure Keaton and her team know.
Do you think you can get them to hold off
on releasing that information?
At least till the first round of interviews is done?
I'll see what I can do,
but somebody's probably
selling a picture of his corpse to TMZ right now.
Hey, Chief.
Hey. Everybody, this is my
former husband, Michael Welch.
Michael, uh, this is Donn Cooper,
- Chief of staff. - Good to meet you.
Blake Sullivan, our communications director.
- Hello. - Hi.
And, uh, Ken Rosey.
He is policy and speeches.
Um, I just have to say, I'm a, I'm, like,
a huge fan of Zombie Shift.
Well, thank you.
- Zombie Shift? - It's a streaming show.
He's a cop, but he's also a zombie.
It's really smart. It's like a metaphor
for rejuvenation and second chances.
That's what we tell ourselves while we're eating the brains.
Nice to meet you.
Okay.
Sorry, but do you mind saying it?
"You have the right to remain...
dead."
That was so cool.
I know it's late for breakfast, but we can have an early lunch.
I can give you, like, ten minutes, maybe 15.
And that would be our relationship in a nutshell.
More.
More, that's right.
That's right. Thanks.
Mmm. New York can have its bagels and slices.
Give me fresh-cut fruit with chili powder
and a whisper of lime juice.
Can't beat L.A.
How is it living at Kate's?
Didn't expect that.
You know, we're getting along, mostly.
Mm-hmm.
Every once in a while, she'll stop to remind me
of all the mistakes I've made, but other than that...
Things aren't great with her and Henry.
She talk to you about that?
No, we talk, but not about stuff like that.
- Hmm. - How bad is it?
He's living in the guest house.
Not good.
And she thinks you living there would help fix things?
She did invite me.
What can I do to help?
Well, we are all having dinner tonight... why don't you come by?
You can take the temperature, let me know what you think.
- Sure. - All right.
Mike.
Hey, how are you?
Kiley Mills, brilliant sports agent.
This is my former soul mate, Abigail Thomas.
- Right. - Feminist savior of the LAPD.
Is it Abigail? Abby?
- Uh, Tommy. Good to meet you. - You, too.
You like, uh, L.A. baseball?
I think I'd better learn.
It's kind of a religion to a lot of my guys.
Well, if you ever want to sit behind the dugout,
- just give me a call. - Might be an ethics thing.
I'm sort of held to a higher standard.
Aren't we all?
Uh, I'm off.
Seriously?
- That was just a chance meeting? - No comment.
Babe, that was just the first.
There's gonna be more.
You're famous now.
I had 35 servers work the Shaw party,
but it's like herding cats.
Everyone's a diva. Too stressed about callbacks
to carry a tray.
The robot future can't come fast enough for me.
We just need names and addresses.
I'm not gonna promise everyone's completely honest
about their information.
You notice any unusual behavior? Anybody nervous? Uncomfortable?
Nah. Couple of them brought headshots
to stick under Shaw's nose, but I put the kibosh on that.
Huh.
Somebody didn't finish their shift.
Maybe they forgot to sign out?
Doubt it. If you don't clock out, you don't get paid.
It's weird, because she asked for the shift.
You got a name?
Tara Owens?
Uh-huh.
I'm Detective Keaton
with the LAPD. This is Detective Diaz.
Mind if we come in?
? Taking aim at the shooting range ?
? But I hope your barrel's straight ?
? Take you and deceive you
? Yeah, they'll smile right to your face... ?
Oh. Hey.
Did you know that after 30 years,
Egyptian pharaohs had to prove their vigor
by publicly running around a track?
Oh, I got vigor. Them pharaohs ain't got nothing on me.
What happened if they couldn't?
Blood sacrifice.
Ah. The more things change...
You know you got this, right?
It's not like they're not gonna let you be chief.
? Try not to kill her... ?
Why don't I come by and help another time?
You seem to be enjoying yourself.
? There's no leaving Silvertown now... ?
Hey, Diaz, what's up?
Caterer gave us the name of the server
who left Shaw's party early.
- Tara Owens. - Yeah? You talk to her?
- Yeah. - And?
I know it usually doesn't happen like this,
but... she confessed.
This is Detective Adele Keaton, Plymouth Division, LAPD.
I'm interviewing Tara Owens.
It's 3:15 p.m.
Tara.
Can you repeat for me what you told me at your apartment?
About your encounter with Alexander Shaw last night?
My boss asked me to take a Scotch to the host.
He was in his office, study, whatever.
Mm-hmm.
When I went in,
he was at his desk working, I guess.
He said hello.
Asked if I was having any fun.
I did what you do; I smiled and nodded,
put the drink down.
That's when he came at me. I fought back.
- What exactly did he do? - He put his hand on my ass.
He tried to kiss me.
Can you tell me what happened next?
Tara?
Keaton keeps asking questions, but that's all she says.
Does she know Shaw's dead?
- No. - Why no lawyer?
- She waived her right to one. - Am I gonna be the one to say it?
I've had worse than that done to me
at a Coldplay concert. And I didn't kill the guy.
You're saying there's an acceptable level of sexual assault?
I'm saying that a hand
- on the ass is not a capital crime. - If it is,
I got a bunch of Dominican uncles gonna be in the ground.
She's a waitress. He's an incredibly powerful guy.
Do you really think that was gonna stop
with a hand on the ass?
What do you know about it?
When was the last time somebody put a hand on your ass?
Okay. I'm just saying,
she was defending herself.
Hello, Mr. Mayor.
I hear you have a suspect in custody.
Um, yes, a-a, uh, young woman from the waitstaff
- has confessed. - What's she saying?
That Shaw tried to touch her, uh, inappropriately.
Is she alleging some kind of assault?
Something like that.
Um, Tommy, I think that you know
that a charge like this can shred a person's reputation,
and Alexander Shaw isn't around to defend himself anymore.
Can you lock this down?
Yeah, as soon as we understand what happened.
Let me know when you do. Thank you.
I'm gonna go talk to her.
Ah, you sure about that?
Y-You jump into this, and suddenly,
people start digging through your personal matters.
I broke a guy's nose 'cause he tried to rape me.
It was ten years ago, and it's public knowledge.
And there'll be headlines again if you get into this.
I'm already in it.
And if I'm gonna be scrutinized,
I might as well get some answers.
Forensics came back.
Tara Owens' fingerprints were on the award.
Well, that's not exactly surprising.
She still doesn't know he's dead;
I'd like to keep it that way.
Chief, you can do whatever you want.
That's right, I can.
Speak your piece.
If you're here 'cause you think I'm not doing the job,
- I'd like to know. - No.
This is not about a lack of faith in your abilities.
It's about clarity.
I need to look her in the eye. That's all.
Hi, Tara. My name is Tommy.
I'm the new chief of police.
Uh, new to L.A.
Still trying to figure out how to go east from Santa Monica
- after 4:00. - You just don't.
Now, I know you've already gone through this,
but while it's still fresh in your mind,
why don't you walk me through what happened
at Mr. Shaw's party.
It doesn't matter.
- Do you want to go to prison? - No.
Well, then it does matter.
I took him a drink, he came at me, I fought back.
Was it violent? Because you say you fought back.
Hitting him with that award, that was, you know,
a big response.
People are gonna question whether it was warranted.
We fought. That's all I'm saying.
Why? What's he saying happened?
He's dead.
There's physical evidence tying you to the crime,
and you confessed.
So, what happens next is entirely up to you.
You can explain it a little more,
or you can leave things as they are.
Anything to say?
I'm glad he's dead.
And I want a lawyer.
I know. You didn't want to tell her Shaw's dead,
but I needed to see her reaction.
I hope it was worth it.
We're not gonna get anything more out of her now.
Well, what did you see when she heard?
- She did look surprised. - Yeah.
I don't think that's somebody who went in there to kill him.
Look, Chief. She said she wanted him dead.
No. She said she's glad he's dead. There's a difference.
Looking at this objectively, her story's shaky.
No witnesses, no sign of struggle.
No cameras, which suggests things went on in there
that Shaw didn't want recorded.
And so I have agreed to act
as counsel for Tara Owens.
Let me be clear.
Alexander Shaw attacked my client.
As they struggled, Mr. Shaw was injured
and later succumbed to those injuries.
Ms. Owens acted out of self-defense.
I have also been contacted by another woman
who was assaulted by Mr. Shaw. She's here now.
Bannon's smart.
She's resetting Shaw's image in the public mind.
I always heard he was a class act.
You hear rumors?
Never. I mean, everyone said he was one of the good guys.
H-He and his wife were always raising money
for women's causes.
What is it about Hollywood?
It's not just Hollywood.
My first job was in Covina.
PR firm.
I was an intern,
and my boss asked me to go to a conference.
It sounds stupid now, but I was thrilled.
And when I got to the hotel,
he walked up to me with one key in his hand
and said, "They only have one room left."
And he had this big grin on his face.
Like, "Won't this be fun?"
Like we were starring in some romantic comedy in his head.
What did you do?
Slept in the car.
Did you want to kill him?
No.
Maybe a little.
A lot of people think #MeToo has gone too far.
Flirting used to be okay. Now it's harassment.
Jokes used to be fun.
Now they're microaggressions.
I'll toe the line if you tell me where it is and stick to it.
It's not about a line. It's about respect.
It's about treating women as legitimate equals.
Now, those changes may be uncomfortable for you,
but trust me, it's been uncomfortable
on this side for a very long time.
Tough to be a dude at this table.
I'm getting some more wine.
- I like this music. - It's really nice.
- Old school. - Yeah, the resale place on Sunset
has these incredible LP dumps.
Lots of hidden gems.
Lot of hours wasted at the resale place on Sunset.
You used to like when I brought records home.
Sure. I just wish that, now that we have a daughter,
you'd spend more Saturday afternoons here
instead of dumpster diving for Coltrane.
I'm gonna go make some calls.
Enjoy the music.
It's gotten worse.
What do you think I should do? Should I say something?
To her? To him?
She asked you to be here, not give advice, right?
So be here.
What's up, Blake?
I just heard from a reporter.
Shaw's wife has called a press conference for tomorrow morning.
Jane Bannon is using
a #MeToo mob mentality to create a false narrative
and destroy my husband's reputation.
Tara Owens is lying.
Three years ago, before we were married,
my husband had a consensual relationship with her.
When he broke it off, she was not pleased.
There were harsh words and threats.
Two days ago, I believe she carried out those threats.
Keaton's been scrambling to verify
this relationship Shaw claims.
Uh, it looks like Tara and Shaw might have both worked
at a production company, uh, Highland Vista Films.
He was producing a movie. She was an assistant.
So they knew each other.
Sounds like it.
And get this, one of the servers at the party said she was
supposed to bring the drink to Shaw, but Tara asked to do it.
Two other servers confirmed.
Tara specifically asked to go into Shaw's study?
- Mm-hmm. - She didn't say anything about that.
Keaton's been trying to get an interview
with Tara's old boss, a guy named Gary Walker,
- but she's slammed. - All right. Tell her we'll take care of it.
Copy that.
After you drop me at City Hall,
go and talk to this guy at Highland Vista.
I'm on it.
Chief, you know Mrs. Moore.
This is Deputy D.A. Noah Hanson.
Pleasure.
So, I thought it would be good
if we could all get on the same page.
I saw this morning's press conference. I'm good.
Chief Thomas, I apologize
for speaking to the press before coming to you,
but I'm a publicist,
and I know a PR assault when I see one.
Jane Bannon has no defense for her client,
so she's targeting my husband in the media.
I couldn't stand for it.
What relationship did your husband have with Tara Owens?
He produced a movie for a company where she worked.
She was intensely interested in getting in front of him.
Unfortunately, he responded.
When he and I started to see one other,
he broke it off, and she didn't like it.
She made some ugly threats.
Do you have any evidence of this relationship or the threats?
Just what Alex told me.
You said you're a publicist, right?
Did you work for your husband?
Yes. That's how we met.
So his success was your success.
If, uh, his reputation came into question...
Okay. Hold on.
Are you seriously...?
Why is your chief of police treating me like a suspect?
I'm not his chief of police.
You, you, let's talk outside.
Buddy.
Alex and I raised $400,000 for you last cycle.
So, what? I'm your mayor?
I'm not just some grieving widow from Toluca Lake.
There's more than enough evidence
to prove premeditation. We're ready to file.
You're charging Tara with murder?
The only evidence of self-defense
is her own statement and we know that's misleading.
Meanwhile, the caterer said she requested the shift.
Her coworkers say she volunteered to take
the drink in, the wife says she threatened him.
That's all circumstantial at best.
No, it's not, because we know she killed him.
Tommy, we're all on the same team here.
Chief, you seem to be resisting a conclusion
everyone else is coming to logically.
With your own harassment history,
- maybe you're biased? - Uh, I'm not biased.
Noah,
I asked Tommy to get in close on this one.
That's just what she's doing.
Understood. I'm filing tonight.
Arraignment's tomorrow.
Is the D.A. under pressure to wrap this up
and clear Shaw's name?
'Cause that's what this feels like.
Alex and his wife
had a lot of friends.
They donated a lot of money.
Friendship, political pressure.
It can be hard to tell them apart.
Well, it's a people town.
Yeah, well, the Alex Shaw that I knew was a good man.
And if he is being slandered, I want that to stop. But...
if you want to check out this young woman's story,
I will handle Sasha.
Just hurry up?
Clock is ticking.
Yeah, Highland Vista does a lot
of foreign coproductions, lot of arthouse stuff.
Mr. Walker, these are some impressive films.
Oh. You a movie buff?
Huge. Zombie flicks, Kurosawa, Tarantino.
I'll watch anything.
The Red Legion. That was Alexander Shaw's, right?
Yeah. We were very lucky to team up with him.
We did a few more together.
It's hard to believe he's actually gone.
- And Tara Owens was your assistant. - Yep.
Were you aware of a relationship between the two of them?
Um, no, but that sort of thing really isn't my business.
I will tell you
that she was very quick to be wherever he was.
Helping out. At least for a while.
And then she wasn't.
- What do you mean? - She changed.
She got quiet... sort of an angry quiet... tried to avoid him.
And it started to affect her performance,
so I had to let her go.
- You fired her? - There are a lot of people
who want to work in this office, and I can't put up with
any subpar performance.
What can I tell you? It's a tough business.
My agent informed me that Mr. Shaw
had seen some of my television work
and that this was customary for-for Mr. Shaw
to meet with actors privately before auditioning them.
I didn't question this at the time
because Mr. Shaw had a reputation
for being highly involved with his movies.
The following week, I was flown to Toronto
where Mr. Shaw was finishing another project.
I was driven to the editing facility at around 8:00 p.m.
where I was surprised to find only Mr. Shaw and his assistant.
The director and editor, according to his assistant,
had gone home for the day.
Mr. Mayor.
Hi.
Sorry for, uh, all the secrecy.
I just wanted one moment of genuine privacy.
Uh, what's up?
I can count on you to be discreet, right?
Yes.
Let's say my wife and I were separating.
- You're leaving your wife? - No, I'm not leaving.
It's a mutual thing.
You're powerful. She's a decorator.
How it looks is how it is.
It-it needs to be handled delicately.
Yeah, see, this is why I need you.
My-my press guy has been divorced four times
and he's being sued by one of his own children.
Delicate's not really his thing.
Are you in a hurry?
You got a pregnant girlfriend waiting in the wings?
No, I'm not in a hurry.
Would, uh,
would Roni hold off announcing if you asked her?
Maybe, but she wouldn't be happy about it.
If you're asked to comment on Shaw,
pivot and have a distraction ready.
Wait two weeks on the separation announcement.
Slide it into a busy news cycle.
That's great. Thank you.
Are you really not worried about how Arturo's death
is gonna reflect on you?
I mean, you looked spooked when the reporter
- asked you about it. - No.
A-Arturo had his fingers in a lot of pies, no doubt,
but the investigation's gonna show he was killed
by a guy with tattoos on his knuckles.
I'm not worried.
Glad to hear it.
For you.
Um...
Wait, wait. Uh...
Don't you want to know why I'm leaving my wife?
It's none of my business.
Chief, just a reminder.
Recertification testing is tomorrow afternoon.
Yes, it is. And I will be ready.
Also, an assistant for someone named Kiley Mills called
wanting your personal address.
I explained it's protocol not to give it out.
She persisted.
Should I mention this to your security detail?
No, no. It's nothing to worry about.
It's just somebody I met.
Okay.
Boss. I spoke to a couple of people
at Highland Vista.
They pretty much said the same thing as Walker.
Not sure of a relationship,
but Tara did spend a lot of time around Shaw.
Until she didn't.
Well, could be an affair gone wrong.
Or something else.
You got that look.
- What look? - Like you know what's what
and you want the rest of the world to get with the program.
No, I don't know what's what. But I know who does.
Think she'll talk to you?
Well, let's find out.
We're clear on the ground rules for my client, Chief Thomas?
Queen for a day?
No statement taken will be used in the D.A.'s case in court.
Only by myself and my department to aid our investigation.
Okay. But I'm going to be in there the whole time.
And I will stop it if necessary.
Okay.
Thank you for agreeing to talk to me.
I'm not promising I'll answer any questions.
Okay. But you do know you're being charged with murder.
Yes.
I would really like to, uh,
understand what happened.
Did you have a romantic relationship with Alexander Shaw?
No.
Then what did happen with you and Shaw three years ago?
I don't want to talk about it.
I was assaulted once.
Uh, years ago, in New York.
My superior, uh, came into my hotel room.
Um...
You know, he...
wanted me to do what he wanted, uh, you know, be a "good cop."
Which, when you're a woman, means, uh, just take it.
You know, the jokes, the stares,
the brushing up against your body.
But this time he, uh, he wanted sex.
And my silence.
What did you do?
I broke his nose.
And I was not silent.
So then you, what,
spoke up and got justice?
It's that simple?
I did speak up, and no, no, it was not simple.
It was really hard because every time I told the story,
I-I felt like I had to convince the person I was talking to
that it was true.
You know, that it would actually...
that actually it happened.
They didn't want to believe me.
He was a respected, uh, powerful man.
And I... wasn't.
I won't do that to you. I am just here to listen.
When I heard Alex was producing a film
for the company, I was so excited.
I wanted to talk to him, pick his brain.
And he was nice.
He asked my opinion, he listened,
- he... - You liked him.
Yeah.
And then a couple weeks in he asked if I would
work at his house, which was not unusual.
And I was happy to help.
But when I got there, no one else was around.
Alex tried to kiss me.
He said he could help me if I helped him.
He held me down. He raped me.
What did you do?
I went home.
I was in shock.
The next day, I told my boss.
Gary was sympathetic.
Said he'd talk to Alex, that measures would be taken.
Two days later, he fired me.
Said Shaw had denied it,
and said that if I ever mentioned it to anybody,
I'd never work in film again.
Tell me what happened at the party.
I didn't know it was his party.
I just asked for a Tuesday shift.
When I saw Alex, I was terrified.
But I thought, "This is my chance
to face him, to show him I survived."
So I psyched myself up and asked to take him the drink.
He barely remembered me.
Or what he'd done.
Maybe he was drunk.
He grabbed my ass. He tried to kiss me.
He kept trying.
He held me down, like he did before.
I couldn't breathe, and all I kept thinking was
it's happening again.
It's happening, and nobody will believe me.
Women talk and talk
and tell their stories and nothing happens
because nobody believes them.
I do.
Hi, Gary.
I'm Chief Thomas of the LAPD.
- This is Detective Adele Keaton. - Hey.
How did you get past security?
Well, what can I say? Badges love badges.
What can I help you with?
Well, Detective Keaton here is leading the investigation
into the death of Alexander Shaw.
My colleague Detective Diaz spoke to you about Tara Owens,
- remember? - Yeah. Why?
Well, Tara just made a statement saying that Shaw
sexually assaulted her, she reported it to you,
she said that you said you would help her, and instead
you fired her.
And threatened her if she talked about it.
That is not at all what happened.
See, we thought you might say that,
which puts us in a classic "she said, he said" situation.
- I love those. - Unfortunately, Gary,
in this case you are the "he," not Alexander Shaw,
which means you will have to testify
under penalty of perjury
to what you said to Detective Diaz.
And if you're even a little bit nervous
about committing perjury, there is an alternative.
You can go on the record
with Detective Keaton right here and now and tell her everything
that happened three years ago.
Morning, Mrs. Moore. Counselor.
- Chief Thomas. - What's up, Chief?
You saw Tara's statement from last night?
Didn't convince me any more than the first.
We have another one from Gary Walker.
It confirms that Tara Owens told him
she'd been raped by Alexander Shaw.
It also states that you, Mrs. Moore, convinced him
to fire Tara and deny the report
in exchange for the opportunity
to work with your husband on future projects.
You've been protecting
his reputation for a while, haven't you?
That's conspiracy
and obstruction of justice, if you're interested.
It's also not true.
Read the statement, Counselor.
All rise.
Honorable Judge Joan Keyes presiding.
Okay. Good morning, everyone.
In the case of People v. Tara Owens,
- is the defense, ready? - We are, Your Honor.
The People?
Mr. Hanson? Sorry, Your Honor. Yes.
Will the defendant please rise?
Ms. Owens, in case number
12CA81217,
you're charged in count one
of the complaint with murder in the first degree.
Right. Well, how do you plead?
Your Honor, the People have received new information
pertaining to this case. May I approach the bench?
Please.
This new "cover-up" angle is a lot to process.
There's nothing to process.
Your Honor, Mr. Shaw raped my client once.
When he tried again, she defended herself.
This man's statement corroborates it.
I'm ready to draw up a motion to dismiss.
Mrs. Moore is still gonna take her on in civil court.
Which is not the court we're in today.
Mr. Hanson, how would the People like to proceed?
Your Honor, the People move to dismiss the charges
against Ms. Owens.
Ms. Owens, you're free to go.
Ms. Owens, are you surprised by the D.A.'s decision?
I'm relieved.
Hey, we need to get to Pomona for your recert
at 1:00 p.m. and the traffic gods are pissed.
Chief, good working with you.
- Yes. You, too. - Chop-chop.
Do you consider yourself a vigilante
- or a victim? - Neither.
Okay, let's go.
What about the other women you're representing?
...complicated case with a just result.
Mrs. Gray, you've been a vocal supporter
of women's rights. Any thoughts?
Assault victims are too often dismissed,
if not silenced outright. I understand that Ms. Owens
was very brave in telling her story.
In fact, Roni and I have decided to cosponsor a research grant
at the Hickman School for Social Justice
to study sexual harassment in the entertainment industry.
Hon?
See that?
That's my work.
Have you eaten?
- I offered. - I'm a grown woman. I can forage
- for my own food. - So, how'd you do?
I got through it.
- She did great. - She did better than great.
Just got the call. You posted the highest score
of any chief since the Korean War.
Congratulations. You're now a certified
member of the Los Angeles Police Department,
as well as its chief.
Who did better than me before the Korean War?
Oh, just take the victory lap, okay?
All right. Well, thank you, guys,
and I appreciate all your help.
Now, everybody, go home.
See you, boss. I'll be down at the car.
The first chief I worked for
got winded walking to the corner bar.
His marksmanship was crap,
but he passed.
The second had to take the written test three times.
You didn't need to worry. You had it in the bag.
Yeah, but those guys looked the part.
You get a pass for that.
I got to ace the written, I got to group my shots,
I got to execute a hostile arrest flawlessly,
or somebody's gonna say I don't belong here.
Hi.
Where is everybody?
Henry decided he had to go to Palo Alto
- for a while. - And Luna?
Dad took her and some friends for minigolf.
- So it's just us? - Yeah.
Want to watch some really stupid television with me?
That'd feel great right now.
Sure. I'm in.
Thanks.
Oh, and, uh, there's a package for you.
Ah,
guess she did get my address.
Who's Kiley Mills?
She's some... just someone I met.
Well,
she sent you a very large box,
which has been checked for ricin and bomb residue,
which will keep me awake if I think about it too much.
? Through times like these...
"Sometimes you dance backwards in heels.
Sometimes you got to punch someone in the nose."
? I-I-I pick four-leaf clovers