Prime Suspect Episode 1.09 Gone to Pieces

It's night, and Duffy's on the scene of a messy hit-and-run. His attention is on directions for a model boat, rather than the giant puddle of blood he just walked into. While berating the uniformed officer on scene, Duffy pulls a bloody wallet off the soupy dead guy, Michael Bachman, and learns his only witness is a wino, passed out in the alley.

This case stinks of unsolvable... The next morning, Jane's trying to distract Matt from building out Owen's new bedroom when she steps on a nail. Ardor cooled and fully frustrated, she heads to work, where Evrard lectures her about her control issues, which she denies. It's not long before Duffy's buttering Jane up, trying to dump his unsolvable case in her lap. Luckily, Sweeney's on hand to break up what quickly becomes an argument, dividing the work between them. Limping, Jane proceeds to a remote alley to check out the car that killed Bachman, a burned-out Mustang, registered to a woman named Erica Weidner, aka Bambi Lustyleather, who works at a local strip bar.

After her shift on the pole, Bambi tells Jane that she reported her Mustang stolen last night. Jorge the parking lot guy made her leave her keys in the car, and he was having a drink at the bar when it disappeared; so he doesn't know what happened. Jane's just leaving when another stripper, Traci Madonna, runs after her. Does Jane remember busting her a few years ago when she worked vice? Jane does remember Joyce, who claims Jane changed her life forever by advising her to get off the street. She even worked out a whole new name for herself. Duffy lights up when his dead partner's wife Marie and her kids Jack and Rose stop by the precinct. Duffy shows Marie the tiny steering wheel for the boat he's building Jack, and he got a ham for Sunday. Marie begs off; she's visiting her parents in Rochester for the weekend. It's just been easier up there since her husband died. Although Marie seems less than thrilled by Duffy's attention, she caves, inviting him to come over with his ham on Sunday.

Jane drops a charred gearshift on Duffy's desk, reporting that Erica's alibi is rock solid. Now Jane's going to resume her own case work, while the medical examiner works on identifying the deceased. Duffy's pleased to report that Jane will be taking over his case per Sweeney, as it seems he's been called in for a random drug test. But Jane's not to worry; Duffy's body is a temple. Evrard breaks up the fight, asking Jane to check out reports of shots fired. A search of the crappy apartment in question quickly yields a .32, a holster, a wallet, healthy snacks - and a dead guy in the bathroom. Rick Kantor has been shot twice in the chest, once in the neck. Further exploration of Rick's wallet reveals he's an escort service rep, vice president of the website Tops and Tails and a talent scout for Studded Pickle Productions. Jane recalls that Studded Pickle belongs to slippery porn director King Dickens, whom she used to run into all the time when she worked vice.

Jane and Evrard proceed to King Dickens' office. He did know Rick Kantor. When Evrard asks if King knows anyone who'd want to kill Rick, King walks them onto a set where a porn shoot is in progress, featuring his screechy wife Montana Ride. King tells Montana to sit down, then delivers the news that her boyfriend Rick was murdered last night. Montana leans over and pukes, grossing out an already queasy Jane. King's just happy they got it all on camera. It's not long before Jane and Evrard lead King and Montana through the bullpen. Augie's thrilled to recognize his favorite movie star and is hoping he can get in on the interrogation. Jane lets him at it and proceeds to the bathroom, where she's surprised by slick ADA John Bullock. Jane continues with her business, as does Bullock, who asks for a favor. He's got a grand jury case on Friday, and their mutual friend, a detective on the case, just passed a kidney stone, so he's out. Bullock's hoping Jane will fill in, but she has no interest whatsoever.

Jane and Evrard question King, who maintains his innocence, while Augie and Calderon chat with Montana, who complains that business is rough. That's why she got together with Rick Kantor, for financial security. Tops and Tails was their business, a "self-determining" porn site. They "borrowed" their seed money, and they might have borrowed it from King. Learning this, Jane and Evrard tell King that Montana thinks he killed Rick, but King continues to stand firm in his own porny way, completely disgusting Jane. Meanwhile, Duffy introduces himself to Matt and Owen, who're waiting for Jane to go to dinner. Suddenly, everyone converges in the bullpen, and King tries to strangle Montana. Jane immediately slams King into her desk, thoroughly impressing Owen.

After dinner, Jane returns to work with a doggie bag to find Duffy building his model boat. What are the chances of getting into Bachman's apartment? Duffy claims Bachman's keys were pretty much fused into his pelvis, and he couldn't find next of kin. When Jane comments on the boat, Duffy explains that he's making it because his best friend Keating is dead and can't make it himself. It's now Duffy's responsibility to make sure little Jack grows up to be a great man, just like his father. Duffy and Keating were going to take their pensions and buy a boat together. That would've been great, but now this model boat is all Duffy has. Jane better watch it with Owen; he's got a lot going for him, and Jane should try not to ruin it. Later, Evrard helps Jane sort out all the paperwork that got knocked off her desk when she threw King onto it. That's when Jane makes a breakthrough. Bachman was carrying a card for Tops and Tails in his wallet - so both dead guys knew each other. Jane smiles sardonically, reminding Duffy that he gave her the hit-and-run case...

The next day, the detectives gather in Sweeney's office to review both cases. They know Kantor is a pimp, who supplied actors for the movies of King Dickens, their prime suspect. And Bachman ties into Tops and Tails, the internet business Kantor started with Dickens' wife. Sweeney wants Jane to put Dickens at the strip club on the night of the murder. Jane gets a bright idea and calls Bullock to a meeting on the court house steps. She'll do his grand jury testimony, if he'll expedite a warrant on Bachman's apartment - along with a steak dinner and at least four whiskeys. Right now, she's got to go talk to strippers. By the time Jane and Evrard get to the strip club, Augie and Calderon are already there, showing off for the ladies. Luckily Duffy's on the ball. Everyone who works at the club knows King, but they all say he wasn't there on the night in question, nor does he show up on video. Nevertheless, Duffy still likes him as their prime suspect. Surprised to learn waitress Jodi's been out sick, Jane asks for her home address.

Jane and Evrard stop by Jodi's meager apartment, where she's busy making dinner for her two kids. Why has she been out sick since Jane last stopped by the club? Jodi claims she had "a thing," and no, she doesn't know King Dickens, nor whether any of the girls she works with are "acting" in his movies. She doesn't know anyone or anything; she's just scraping by, trying to raise her kids. After going through Bachman's apartment, Augie and Calderon return to the precinct with his laptop. Jane empties a bag of King Dickens' porn DVDs on a very delighted Augie's desk. He needs to watch them all and look for Jodi. Jane knows she's lying about knowing King, but she needs to find out why so she can prove it. And it may well take Augie all night to find out...

By the next morning, Augie decides that human beings are disgusting - he hates sex. Duffy and Jane are just starting to snipe at each other when Calderon interrupts. He's found a trailer for "MILF Masters" on Bachman's laptop. He's pretty sure it's Jodi, but her face isn't quite visible. Promising there's plenty more on Bachman's laptop, Calderon brings up a list, and Jane notices the name Traci Madonna. Based on the way Joyce created her porn name, Jane puts a name together for Jodi, and Calderon gets a hit. This video is different, not porny. King narrates as Bachman shoots the video - and there's Jodi, clearly a novice. King directs her to get on her hands and knees, then whips her with his belt so hard she screams, repeatedly begging him to stop. It's not long before Jodi's down at the station watching the same video, tears rolling down her cheeks. She admits that on the night in question, Bachman, not King, was at the strip club.

Jane sends Calderon out of the room and lights a cigarette for Jodi, who claims she only did the video because she needs the money so badly. King sent Bachman to the club - he was after Jodi's daughter Sheena, who's only 14. When Jane asks why Jodi didn't run, Jodi explains. Where was she gonna go? Somewhere else where she wouldn't have the job she has now? Jodi admits she killed both Bachman and Kantor. She didn't want to kill anyone; she just wanted to keep her kids safe. Hysterical, she asks Jane what will happen to her kids once she's arrested. Jane tells Jodi a story. She knew a woman who was arrested for murder, but she didn't get convicted. This woman was so terrified for the safety of her children that she snapped, lost her grip on reality. She didn't know right from wrong and couldn't remember what she'd actually done. If that's what's happening to Jodi, she needs to be sure. Oh, and this woman also had a great public defender named Hynes. Jodi thanks Jane, who pretends she doesn't know what Jody's talking about.

Duffy and Jane drive though the city at night, and the mood in the car is strained. Calderon told Duffy about the video on Bachman's computer, which clearly pointed to Jodi, who then mysteriously lawyered up. Duffy may not know the details, but why would Jane do that? They're cops; they shouldn't be able to decide what happens after they make an arrest. Jane claims Jodi just got a more even playing field - the game hasn't even started yet. Both Jane and Duffy grimly enjoy arresting King for his participation in the S&M tapes. King's confident he'll beat any charge, that is until Bullock shows up, with news that the abuse captured on Jodi's video constitutes coercion and negates any modicum of consent. Duffy can't help but slam King's head into the door frame on the way out.

Later, Sweeney calls Duffy into his office. What happened with the case? Did Jane muck it up? Duffy claims that Jodi lawyered up. It happens. And would he say so if it didn't? Sweeney switches subjects. He had a chat with Marie Keating. Duffy's been a rock for her, but... it's hard for her to tell him how she needs things to be now. She wants to move upstate near her parents so she has more of a support system. Duffy's going to have to let her go. Crushed and choking back his emotion, Duffy leaves the office to find Jane looking at him. She clearly heard the whole thing. Jane heads for the fridge to get her doggie bag. When she returns to her desk, she finds Duffy's model boat, stuck with a post-it that says, "For Owen."