| Cause of Death episode | |
|---|---|
| Tough Love Volume 2, Episode 1 | |
| |
| Air date | December 17, 2010 |
| Volume 2 guide [v] | |
December 17, 2010 - February 4, 2011
1. Tough Love | |
| ← Previous Volume 1: The Maskmaker |
Next → Volume 3: The Hunter |
Tough Love is the first chapter of Volume 2: The Connoisseur. It aired on December 17, 2010.
Synopsis[]
Mal and Natara investigate the mystery behind the Maskmaker's accomplice... But a shocking new murder stands in their way.
Plot[]
In Golden Gate Park, Emile Schulleman walks with his date Sandi Demme, boasting of his winnings at the racetrack. They go to a secluded area and begin kissing, but Demme receives a phone call from her brother and steps away to take the call. While waiting for Demme, Schulleman is suddenly approached by a dark-haired man, who beats him to death with a tire iron.
Detective Ken Greene picks up Mal Fallon from his two-week stay at the hospital and drives to the police station, where Fallon is greeted by great applause. Agent Natara Williams tells him that she has one month to finish the investigation of Eric Mills' benefactor, but so far little came out of the research into Mills' past. Captain Maria Yeong assigns Fallon to a murder at Golden Gate park. Williams wants Fallon to help her with the benefactor investigation, but agrees with Yeong that the murder case should be solved first.
During the drive to Golden Gate Park, Williams receives a phone call from her mother, who tells her that her sister, Neha, hasn't talked to any family members for two days. Williams says that it's nothing to worry about since Neha has often cut contact with family for weeks while partying.
At the park, the victim, identified as Emile Schulleman, is found face-down and floating in the pond, with his wallet, class ring, phone, and loafers all missing. Fallon examines the body and notices an inconsistency: bruises all over the face and ribs, a messy, emotional beating, but a clean slash at the throat. Williams theorizes that the victim was already dead and the slash was made to throw law enforcement off. They are approached by the SFPD's new Forensic Specialist, Kai Kalaba, who says the victim was alive while he was being beaten and while his throat was slit. He also points out that the slit on the throat was done by a left-handed person and that the dirt on the victim's arms meant that he was killed in the park and then dragged into the pond. Captain Yeong then calls and says that witnesses recall Schulleman leaving a dive bar with a blonde woman, and cops had picked up a woman who fit the description. She claims to have made out with Schulleman in the park when she lost him.
After returning to the precinct, Fallon and Williams interview to woman, Sandi Demme. Demme says that she met Schulleman at the bar and they went to the park, where she had to take a call and lost him, but Williams believes she is lying. Initially, Demme maintains her story, but when the detectives point out inconsistencies in her story, she confesses the truth. A man, Vincent Scalleti, was angry at Schulleman and offered to her $100 to lure Schulleman into the park. She then demands an immunity form before offering more information.
Fallon and Williams arrive at Scalleti's apartment, where he about to leave in his car. Scalletti spots them and tries to escape to the rooftops, but the detectives run him down. When Scalleti tries to fight back with a lead pipe, Fallon breaks his jaw. As he is handcuffed Scalleti confesses to the crime and profusely asks for jail. Fallon notices that Scalleti seems too eager for jail time, and that he was right-handed when he attacked. Williams believes that he is giving a false confession to cover someone else up.
Back at the precinct, Demme is signing the immunity forms when Fallon and Williams burst in with Scalleti handcuffed. Scalleti starts apologizing to Demme, who tells him to shut up. Fallon sees that she is signing the papers with her left hand and accuses her of luring the men she meets at bars. Scalleti and Demme start arguing and are arrested and escorted away. Yeong approaches and congratulates the two before giving Williams a folder, the files for the Millbrook Mental Institute where Mills had gone. Williams opens it to see that someone had blacked out most of the files, including details on Mills' therapist, medications, diagnosis, and reason of release. She tells Fallon that Millbrook was involved with the Second Chance Initiative for the mentally ill, a program run by Senator Jake Collins.
Meanwhile, in a dark room, Nena Mansingh, is held hostage. A Russian man forces her to call her mother and leave a message, saying that she is fine and won't be heard from for another two weeks.
Bonus Scene[]
District Attorney Oscar Santos is introduced. He will be prosecuting Sandi Demme. Demme tells how she met Scalleti and that the two mug drunk men all of the time in secluded areas. She also says that Scalleti was disgusted by the way Schulleman was touching her and how he kept bragging so the two decided to lure him into the park. Scalleti only wanted to beat him but it went too far and he knew that the man was going to die soon so he stopped. Demme then took over and slashed his throat, finishing him off. She then suggests that she had done the same to other men.
Trivia[]
- If the player fails the investigation and lets Sandi get away, but still gets a score of 80 or higher, the bonus scene will stay play out as if Sandi was arrested.