Motive Episode 4.09 Remains to Be Seen

A video game designer is murdered and the only evidence is a pool of blood and several motion capture recordings. After learning that Stoker will be staying with the department temporarily as a liaison agent, he and Angie help each other with their respective assignments.

Victim: Dave Briggs Jr., a video game designer

Killer: James Lennathen, an antique buyer

The Discovery: A giant pool of blood is found on a soundstage, but there's no sign of the body.

The Investigation: The victim was wearing a motion capture suit at the time of the attack - the dots show him getting his head chopped off. Then someone carried the head away. The murder weapon was a sword.

At the station, Det. Angie Flynn thinks her evening with Agent Stoker was a no-strings one night stand, but instead of getting on a plane for home, Stoker returns to the station with news he's just been appointed interim liaison to Interpol. Angie is totally fine with it. No really. It's cool. Honest. Stop asking!

At Briggs' apartment, there is a wall covered in ideas, news clippings and pictures. The victim’s father, Dave Briggs Sr., was a reporter who left his family 20 years ago. His son was trying to find him.

Angie and Det. Brian Lucas head to the apartment of a man whose name was on the wall, Darnell Murphy. They're greeted by a shotgun blast through the door. But after showing their badges, Murphy relaxes and realizes they're not there to kill him. He's on edge after Briggs Jr.'s death.

At the station, Murphy explains Briggs Sr. wrote about the mob and other touchy subjects.

Murphy connects them with Cal Sifton, the former newspaper editor. Sifton gives Angie Briggs Sr.'s notes and an expose he wrote that never ran because they couldn't confirm the source.

Angie goes home and cracks open a bottle. Stoker knocks on her door with Thai food but then assures her won't be a problem. Seriously. Everything is normal.

The Discovery, Part 2: Two teenagers find a decapitated head and body in the woods. A toy car was found on top of it. Rogers confirms the body is Dave Briggs Jr. He was found next to a set of skeletal remains belonging to a man in his late 20s to mid-30s who was also decapitated and also had a toy car on his chest. Betty confirms it's Dave Briggs Sr. They died from a similar murder weapon. Briggs Jr. had spores on him usually found in damp places, possibly from the canvas he was wrapped in.

The Investigation, continued: Angie calls in Stoker for help on the case. They home in on the receipt in Briggs Jr.'s wallet from Remains To Be Seen, an antique shop perfect for mold spores.

Angie visits the store and notices they sell a katana sword that could be the murder weapon. She brings in the co-owner, Heather, who mentions that her partner and fiance James was worried about someone named Briggs.

James denies knowing him, but Stoker thinks there something "off" about him. They're even more confused when James' says his alibi was eating dinner at a restaurant that was torn down a decade ago.

Stoker and Angie try to connect James to Briggs Sr. In Junior's things they find an old picture of Senior standing next to a Mustang and run the plates. It was registered to James Lennathen and his then-fiancee Summer Evans.

Angie talks to James again. He's confused and out of sorts and worried about Summer, who died years ago.

Background: Dave Briggs Jr. came into the antique store looking for inspiration for his video game design. James saw him and was concerned and began following him. James grew increasingly erratic and his personality changed. He became obsessed with toy cars and kept buying them. One day he came to Heather in a panic and said Dave Briggs was a threat and they had to get out of town.

The Motive: Angie calls for a social worker after talking to James and doctors identify his symptoms as early onset Alzheimer's disease. He confused Dave Briggs Jr. with his father, who convinced Summer to eavesdrop on criminals at the restaurant where she worked as his source for his article. She went missing, so James killed Senior and buried him in the woods. Decades later, as his symptoms progressed, he confused the two Briggses and thought Junior was his father and killed him in the same manner.

Tim Kelly Case: Staff Sgt. Oscar Vega tells Lucas that the prosecutor pulled the witness he set up. Chief Wells pays Vega a visit and chews him out - again - this time for warning the prosecutor that the witness might not be reliable. Dr. Betty Rogers is anxious about her testimony and practices it until she can explain her fingerprint technique in layman's terms. She feels good afterward and then gets a call from the prosecutor: Kelly was found guilty on all charges.

After rebuffing several invitations, Angie finally agrees to dinner with Stoker, since it seems like he's not going anywhere.