This week’s episode of Life is filled with brilliant people. I mean, one of the main characters commits a murder just to drum up some business in our so-so economy. Yeah, wish I was kidding. You know what, though? Even if they don’t have the smartest of criminals, they are enjoyable to watch.
A guy is found buried up to his neck with flower petals surrounding his head in the shape of a giant flower (his head would be the bulb). Kind of disturbing but what’s even more disturbing is the fact that in California, there was a serial killer, Johnny Hazlit, who used to leave flowers around his victims. He never turned them into flowers but he also died years ago so it’s obviously not him. Looks like Crews and Reese have to dig a little. Literally.
The guy was a Meals on Wheels driver and according to everyone he was a saint. Nobody had a bad thing to say about him but that’s usually how it is anyway. During their investigation, they visit a pair of roommates, Maude and Flint. Very strange people and they happen to live very close to the crime scene but Cruise and Reese can’t find anything on them. They decide to focus on who would want to emulate Johnny Hazlit.
There’s a museum in L.A. that only focuses on murderers. They have rooms set up how each murder was found and an entire section set up for Hazlit. They also have tons of research material. The two who own the museum, Tex and Squeaky. Nice, right? These two are definitely creepy but let Crews and Reese search through the Hazlit info they have which leads to quite a big discovery. Hazlit had eight wives and 43 kids. Each kid was given the last name of their mother to protect them and two such children are living right here in L.A. Their names just happen to be Maude and Flint. Knowing that these two have Hazlit blood running through their veins, Crews and Reese take them in for questioning.
They don’t have solid alibis but they also don’t seem like killers. After all, the only person who even knew they were Hazlits was Frank, the departed. Was he really the only one who knew? The press is all over the case now even though the LAPD hasn’t released anything about a Hazlit connection. While Tidwell is trying to assure them it’s a routine homicide, guess who comes strolling up talking about how Frank was killed and who Maude and Flint are but Squeaky and Tex. Squeaky also exposes Flint’s son, Clifton. When they’re questioned, they say they get their info from a leak at the LAPD and their alibi checks out. Although the auction they attended was packed so they easily could have snuck out. But still, they don’t have any connection to Frank.
Crews and Reese let them go just in time for Clifton to show up and punch Tex out for letting the world know he’s a Hazlit. Clifton didn’t have a great life before but he was happy enough. He had a girlfriend (who now denies she ever dated him) and he started his own limo business. Although now he’s living in his limo because he doesn’t want to go home to his dad. Next thing you know, Crews and Reese are called to the museum because there were shots fired. Tex is dead and Squeaky is crying in the corner. When Crews asked her if she saw anything, she said Johnny Hazlit did it. His gun was even lying next to the body. No, he didn’t come back from the dead. Some one’s lying.
Clifton is the first one that comes to mind but he has been staked out in his limo for days and a crowd of journalists can vouch for him. Maude and Flint didn’t do it so who would want them dead? Flint doesn’t work so he doesn’t have any enemies and Maude is too quiet to afford any. Wait, if Flint doesn’t work how does he have any money. Maybe he’s been living off the Hazlit name after all. He is very protective of his things and he won’t leave the house because he thinks people will steal stuff. Huh. And Squeaky and Tex were complaining how most murder artifacts go overseas. Time for Crews and Reese to rethink this.
Flint finally confesses that he was selling his father’s things in order to make a living and that Frank was helping him. When Frank found out the money was better overseas, a few locals, Squeaky and Tex included, got a little peeved. In order to get rid of Frank and build their business, Squeaky and Tex spent every last dime on one of Hazlit’s guns and then killed Frank to look like a Hazlit had done it. Once she killed Tex, who was weary of their shaky alibi, she was rolling in money. Too bad Crews and Reese are smarter than she is. Tsk, tsk. Don’t TV criminals ever learn?
In conspiracy news: Crews talked to Rayborn about his involvement in Crews’ conviction. The only thing Rayborn has to say is that an FBI guy, the one that told Charlie not to pursue Rayborn, was working for a criminal and couldn’t be trusted. When he gets home, he finds the guy in his house and Ted has been arrested for gun and drug possession. Guess he wasn’t playing around when he said there would be consequences. Okay. What I can’t figure is what this criminal has to do with Charlie and his friend’s murder? Why does that matter and is Rayborn giving this information to throw him off or to help him? So many questions I think I’ll go look at my own board and try and figure it out. Okay, who am I kidding…I totally need Charlie’s zen help to solve it all. Hopefully he does by the end of the season or it’s one day to long for me. We’ll see, I suppose.
