The Rookie

Previously on "The Rookie"...

Hey, Counselor. Harrison Novak.

They're all wrapped the same. They must be yours.

These aren't mine.

- Thanks for coming right over. - Yeah, of course.

It seems clear that we have

a second serial killer at large.

- And you are? - Her husband.

Oscar and Jason just escaped from prison.

Who's out there?

- Show me your hands. - Oh, my God. Don't shoot me.

I got a call from Detroit PD.

They pulled prints from a liquor store robbery

last night... Jason Wyler's.

Who are you?

I'm the man hunting your ex-husband.

- Ahh! - Malvado.

If you hear of Jason's whereabouts, let me know.

What's that?

Oh, a secret note from my secret lover.

Where do you find the energy?

I barely have the strength for one lover.

I know, I've been meaning to talk to you about

putting some more effort in.

That's fair.

- You working today? - Yep, and I see you're going in early.

Yeah, I'm going to talk to that, uh, detective in Detroit,

see if they have any updates on Jason.

Do you really believe

my psychotic ex-husband is on the run?

Well, it seems like it.

You can't be too careful.

I'm just happy to get some normalcy back in our lives,

where normalcy means, you know, double serial killers.

Well, on the bright side, at least one of them

- is already in custody. - Always the optimist.

It's my secret lover's favorite thing about me.

Well, see, that's what separates us.

I could never pick only one favorite thing.

Have a great day.

You too.

Oh, uh, Mrs. Richards?

- That's right. - Hi, I'm Lucy Chen.

Um, I was hoping to talk to you about

your former student, Seth Ridley.

I'm his training officer at the LAPD.

- Is he in trouble? - No, not at all.

I was just looking to get some clarity on some things,

and I thought the school guidance counselor

would be the best person to ask.

All right, then.

Well, better come in.

Thank you.

What about you?

Sorry. What?

She asked if you were feeling any more secure in the job.

Oh, totally, totally. I...

Not. Totally not.

I would...

Would you actually be able to put in

a good word for me with your roommate?

That would...

I would owe you, big-time.

Hey.

- Huh? - Think we'll be

end of shift by 8:00 tonight?

Ah, I-I mean, there's a serial killer on the loose.

I wouldn't expect to clock out on time.

There's got to be some kind of work-life balance

- eventually, though, right? - Not as a rookie.

I haven't been on a date in three months.

Why? What's at 8:00 p.m.?

He's got a long-distance love with the missus.

- Oh. - We ain't married, all right?

Just exclusive since high school.

Camilla's still in Texas,

looking for the right time to move out.

And live in your car.

I'll find a place before then.

She's my angel.

Got with me when I was gonna make football money

and stayed with me when I got hurt and lost it all.

She sacrificed a hell of a lot for me.

Oh, I mean, you must miss her so much.

Yeah. Yeah, I-I do.

All right.

Whoa!

Bad news...

Remy Darden succumbed to his injuries this morning.

So you're the only living witness.

Which means we have jack squat,

because the only description I can give of our serial killer

is white male, unknown age, somewhere near 6 feet,

and, somewhere around 175 pounds.

- But it's better than nothing. - Not by much.

Hey...

Brought you some fresh clothes,

in case you want to change after,

and the appropriate shoes to match.

- Always so thoughtful. - Ah, well-trained.

Are you okay?

My heart hurts.

So much pain before they died.

I knew in my mind such evil exists,

but, it always shocks my soul to see it.

- Good morning. - Oh, morning.

- How you feeling? - Fine, day off helped.

I wish I could say I found something helpful

in your absence, but I did not.

- No DNA? - The opposite... too much.

I found trace evidence of literally hundreds of people

contaminating both the murder lab

and the bodies of our serial killer's ten victims.

How is that possible?

Oh, he muddied the scene with a DNA buffet.

He literally collected medical waste...

Sharps, latex gloves, discarded bandages...

And he used them to corrupt everything that he touched.

That's kind of brilliant.

Uh, in a pure, evil way.

I mean, even if we can pull his DNA from a victim and match it,

any defense attorney with a pulse

will be able to prove reasonable doubt.

I'm afraid I have more troubling news.

The autopsies revealed that all but one of the victims

were infected with a variety of bloodborne illnesses

before he strangled them to death.

- From the used syringes? - Yeah.

He was literally using them like a science experiment.

But before you panic,

we found the needle he used on you and tested it.

I wouldn't say it was clean,

but there was nothing communicable within.

We'll get you regular testing for the next six months.

But if they didn't find anything in the needle,

you should be okay.

Okay.

But on the good news front,

most of the medical waste was generic,

found in every hospital and

doctor's office around the state,

except for these four syringes,

which are trial design,

only used at Saint Stephen Hospital.

You could have led with that.

He's an actor. He likes the drama.

Former actor.

And I like setting realistic expectations.

All right, so, just to be clear,

we're looking for a white male of indeterminate age,

height, weight,

with some form of connection

to Westview Psychiatric Institution

and Saint Stephen Hospital...

Places that employ and treat thousands of people a year.

Talk about setting expectations.

And here I was, feeling hopeful.

Sorry.

You know, I've been, uh, really studying my rook book.

I've been burning the midnight oil.

Miles and I are going to go to the range later on,

do some extra shooting.

I visited your high school this morning, Ridley.

Uh, that's cool.

Why?

Because I wanted some clarity

about your high school experience.

And?

Why don't you tell me, Ridley?

What, what exactly did I discover?

You found out that I was telling the truth

about my friend who OD'd...

And that she was not my girlfriend.

And I did go on a date with her

a couple months before Rory Hatcher's party.

And I did give her CPR,

but Rory Hatcher's dad actually saved her.

And?

And you discovered that I lied to you and Miles

about the girl who died in a car accident.

And she was not my girlfriend either.

I was actually a freshman when she was a senior,

and I've never met the girl.

Do you want to know why I lied?

I can figure that out for myself.

Well, what if I told you that I was ashamed of what I did

and that I have struggled in the past

using these half-truths to get me out of trouble?

I just... I've sworn to myself

that I wasn't going to be this guy anymore

when I joined the LAPD.

But then I threw up in a crime scene on day one,

and I panicked, and I should have owned up to my failures,

but I just, I...

I should have suffered the consequences.

What are the consequences?

I don't... I don't know yet.

We have an onsite incinerator in the basement.

It's where all of our medical waste is disposed.

- Who has access to it? - Custodial staff.