3.10: Frank's Best - Available!

[TVFan]

Recap Provided By Cellogal

December 1, 2001
A deli. Steve Tyrell’s “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” plays cheerfully as a couple of old biddies wait at the counter. The deli owner hands one of them a paper bag, saying he threw in a side of roasted peppers for her. She asks if Ricardo made them, and the owner turns to Ricardo, the Hispanic man working with him in the deli, and jokes that they’ll only eat Ricardo’s peppers, that they won’t eat his even if they’re free. Smiling, Ricardo apologizes to the owner, Frank, and they all enjoy a laugh as Frank hands the bag to his customer.

A couple of teenage boys come in, and Frank greets them. One of them calls Frank Dad, and the other one orders the boy, Tommy, to see if there’s any spicy meat sauce. Frank asks the two old biddies at his counter if he told them about the computer classes Tommy’s taking, and they’re appropriately impressed. Frank says Tommy’s only in high school, but is taking college classes, and says proudly that Tommy’s thinking ahead. “College level classes,” he says again, handing them another bag, and they agree that Tommy’s a smart boy. One of the biddies tells Frank her daughter has a friend he’ll like: a divorcee, but very slender. Frank demurs, saying he’s very busy, but the biddies cross themselves and say that Lydia, God rest her soul, has been gone over a year, and it’s time; Frank needs a wife. He wishes them a good day and shoos them out, and they harrumph good-naturedly and turn to leave.

Tommy, standing behind Frank, has overheard this exchange, and asks Frank why he doesn’t go on a date. “I’m busy, that’s why,” Frank responds. Tommy smiles, and Frank then bends down to pet a large dog, King, to whom he feeds scraps. Ricardo jokes that the dog is the wife, and Tommy chuckles. Frank responds to their lighthearted teasing with an equally jovial order for them to can it, and they all return to work.

Late at night, we see that the deli is empty, the cash register has been opened and the money removed, and Frank lies on the floor behind the counter in a pool of blood. An evidence box marked “DiCenzio, F. CLOSED,” is placed on the shelf in the warehouse.

Present Day

Courthouse steps. Lilly tells Scotty she heard a rumor that Kat Miller from Narcotics is coming to Homicide. Scotty asks her where she heard that, and Lil says she’s got sources. They’re interrupted by a harried-looking lawyer accompanied by a Hispanic man. She calls to the detectives and introduces herself as Gabby Weiss, Public Defender, whom Lil remembers from the Lopez case. Gabby introduces Lilly to Paolo Muñoz, who greets Lilly in Spanish and shakes her hand. Scotty echoes Paolo’s Spanish greeting, introducing himself as “Scott Valens” for some reason, and this throws me for a bit of a loop. I don’t think he’s ever referred to himself as anything but Scotty before. I can’t dwell on it, though, because Gabby’s busy explaining that Paolo’s brother, Ricardo, was convicted of robbing and killing his boss back in 2001, and Gabby says sadly that she represented him. Paolo protests that Ricardo didn’t do this crime, and that’s why he came here, to help. Scotty points out that the trial was four years ago, but Gabby says that it took Paolo that long to get through the post-9/11 customs maze. Lilly asks Paolo where he’s from. “El Salvador,” he answers, then explains that Ricardo had money when the police came, so they thought he’d robbed the deli. Scotty asks where Ricardo got the cash, and Paolo explains that Ricardo lived in a basement with six other men and held all his money on his body, since no other place was safe. Scotty and Lilly exchange a glance, and Paolo continues, saying Ricardo sent him a letter before Frank’s death saying Frank was scared. “Scared of what?” Scotty asks, but Paolo just shrugs. Gabby produces the letter, saying they didn’t have it at trial, but the letter says someone broke into Frank’s apartment before he was killed. Lilly asks Gabby if she followed up on it; she says she didn’t, then expresses her hope that they could take this over. Lilly’s stunned, saying it’s their job to put people in jail, not get them out. Gabby says that Ricardo was her first murder case, she was overwhelmed, and she really thinks she failed him. She says he deserves more this time; more than she can give him. Paolo appeals to Scotty, asking him in Spanish if he has brothers. Scotty translates for Lilly, then tells Paolo that he does. Oooh…back up. Scotty has brothers? Well, color me intrigued. Gabby tells Paolo that the detectives are busy, but Paolo protests that he knows Ricardo inside, same as Scotty knows his brothers, and he’s innocent. Paolo asks Scotty for help, and it’s clear that Scotty’s thinking about it. He glances at Lilly, she glances back, and then Scotty looks at Paolo and says they can try.

Credits.

Exterior, PPD. Vera and Jeffries head in, Vera chugging the last of his coffee. He tosses the cup in a trash can, then notices a stroller sitting there. The two of them have the best confused expressions I’ve seen in quite a while, then look around to see if they can spot who the baby belongs to. The baby, for his part, is lying in the stroller, happily sucking on his fingers. “What is this?” Vera asks Jeffries, and Jeffries returns his question by asking if the baby’s alone. “This baby belong to anybody?” Vera calls out, but doesn’t get an answer. Vera and Jeffries look around, then look at each other. Jeffries says hopefully that maybe someone went inside for a minute, but Vera demands to know who’d leave a baby sitting alone. Jeffries suggests that they talk to the desk, and opens the door for Vera, who’s pushing the stroller. The image of Nick Vera pushing a stroller is one that is absolutely making me laugh, and I’m glad I’m not drinking anything right now, or I’d totally need a new keyboard.

In the lobby, Vera gripes to the guard at the desk, Dubitsky, that some idiot left their kid just outside near the entrance. Dubitsky says the main elevator’s broken, and says maybe they didn’t want to lug it up the stairs. “It?” Vera repeats incredulously. “You mean the baby.” Jeffries tells Dubitsky to keep an eye on him until whoever parked him comes back, but Dubitsky’s not having any of this. He tells them not to make him the chump, but Jeffries, smoothly awesome as ever, is sure he’ll handle it just fine. Vera indignantly tells Dubitsky that when the parents do show up, he should tell them they’re lucky the guys didn’t call DHS. Wow…overprotective Vera. I’m lovin’ it. The baby looks up at Dubitsky and coos adorably, and Dubitsky rolls his eyes, clearly wondering exactly when baby-sitting got added to his job description.

Evidence warehouse. Stillman, Lilly, and Scotty are going through the evidence box and recapping the facts: Frank DiCenzio, 49, owner of the deli where Ricardo worked. Scotty says the cause of death is blunt force trauma; Lilly adds that there was some kind of adhesive residue in the wounds, and the weapon was a long, flat object, never recovered. Stillman says Ricardo Muñoz had no alibi, access to the deli, and about a thousand dollars on him when the police found him, which Lilly says was about the same amount they figured was missing from the till. Scotty argues that the guy couldn’t get a bank account and lived with six guys in tight quarters, so he kept the cash on him, sending it to his wife and kids every month. “Same as my granddad,” he adds, returning to the file. Stillman says the letter’s in Spanish, and Scotty explains that it says there was some kind of break-in at Frank’s apartment, and Ricardo thought Frank was in danger. Lilly asks if Frank ever reported the break-in, and Scotty says no, and he’s not sure why, but thinks Ricardo can tell them. Stillman asks Scotty if he thinks Ricardo was railroaded, and Scotty says taking away the robbery aspect makes the motive weak. Stillman and Lilly aren’t convinced, but Scotty’s fully on board, explaining that Frank was Ricardo’s meal ticket…an illegal immigrant, alone, no money, and he just thought they could give it another look. Stillman’s at least somewhat persuaded, suggesting that they see if they can get traction on this new information about the break-in at Frank’s, and Lilly says they’ll talk to Ricardo. Stillman warns Scotty that they’ll need something solid to keep going, and Scotty agrees readily. Stillman starts to leave, then tells them that there’s a new detective coming in today: Kat Miller from Narcotics. Scotty tosses Lilly a glance that says he’s impressed, and she shoots him a fabulous grin. Man, when those two smile at each other, it’s just magic.

Jail. Scotty asks Ricardo how he met Frank, and Frank replies that he came to Philly because he heard there were more jobs there than in New York, but for months, nothing, until he saw a help sign in Frank’s deli window. Lilly asks Ricardo how he and Frank got along, and Ricardo says first Frank was a good boss, then he was a good friend. Scotty asks if there were any fights between the two of them. “Never,” Ricardo answers, saying Frank always helped him, always listened to him, so why would he kill Frank? Lilly reminds Ricardo that his letter said Frank had a break-in right before he died, and Ricardo says it wasn’t just a break-in, it was an attack; he told the police, but no one cared about it. Scotty’s intrigued by Ricardo calling it an attack, and asks, “On who?” Ricardo says it was two weeks before Frank died.

Exterior, Frank’s deli, where we hear Three Doors Down’s “Be Like That.” Frank and Ricardo both have their arms full of grocery sacks as Frank locks up, and they head to the entrance to Frank’s apartment above the deli. Frank says he made too much food; he thought with the holidays coming up, they’d be busier. Ricardo says tomorrow will be better, then tells Frank that the pasta salad is bad: too much garlic. Frank points out cheerfully that Ricardo doesn’t know much about pasta salad, and they enter Frank’s place. He whistles for King, but the dog doesn’t come. Frank says King sleeps like an old man, and they set the bags on the table. Ricardo turns to leave, but Frank invites him to stay for dinner. Ricardo says he sees Frank all day, but Frank insists, inviting Ricardo to sit down, saying that Tommy’s in school at night, and it’d be nice to have company. Ricardo takes a seat, and Frank asks him how his family is, remembering that Ricardo called them today. Ricardo says his daughter is angry with him now, because he’s so far away. Frank says she’s too young to understand that everything they do is for their kids. Ricardo smiles, but Frank hears the soft whine of a dog in pain and is instantly worried. He heads down the hallway, followed closely by Ricardo, and finds King bleeding on the floor of his bedroom. Oh, snap. Frank is stunned, kneeling down and asking King what happened to him. Ricardo says King needs a hospital, and Frank agrees, saying he knows of an all-night vet nearby. Shocked, Frank asks who would have done this, and Ricardo offers to help him. They gingerly lift King off the floor, Frank speaking encouraging words to him.

Ricardo explains that when he told the police about it, they thought it was just a dog, but Frank thought it was someone trying to mess with him, to scare him. Scotty asks if Frank had any idea who, but Ricardo says Frank didn’t know. Lilly asks why Frank didn’t report it, and Ricardo says nothing was broken or missing in the apartment, and the door was locked. Scotty concludes that it wasn’t really a break-in; someone had a key. Ricardo nods. Lilly asks about Frank’s son, Tommy, and Ricardo says Frank told him somebody else got a key somehow. Lilly asks Ricardo what he thought, and Ricardo says Tommy was the only one he knew with a key. Scotty asks Ricardo what makes him think the events are connected. “Two bodies in two weeks? Beaten and beaten? Like someone cannot stop,” Ricardo replies.

Philly Italian Market. Tommy’s unloading vegetables from the back of a truck and telling Vera and Jeffries that his dad was practically the mayor of Oxford Circle, and everyone loved the guy. Jeffries asks Tommy if he was surprised when Ricardo was arrested, and Tommy says he was at first, since Frank was always good to him, and it makes him sick just thinking about it. He wonders aloud why they’re asking, and Vera tells him they may be reopening the case. Jeffries asks Tommy if he saw anything the night his father died, and Tommy says he didn’t; he was taking a junior college class. He says jokingly that it was supposed to help him career-wise. “See how much good that did me,” he remarks. Vera says they heard someone got into the apartment two weeks before Frank died and beat the dog up pretty bad, but Tommy says that’s got nothing to do with his dad. “Trust me,” he says. Vera asks him how he knows; he just does. Vera isn’t quite satisfied.

Vet’s office, waiting room, where “Silver Bells” by Vonda Shepard plays. An attractive woman with a daughter is expressing her gratitude for the all-night vet, explaining to Frank that her cat got out onto the third-floor balcony, and she didn’t think the cat would jump, and she didn’t jump: she fell. “How stupid does a cat have to be for that?” she asks. She then asks Frank what happened to his, and he tells her he thinks someone got into the apartment and went after King. “They hit the dog?” she asks incredulously. “Bad,” Frank replies, telling her that the vet’s operating on him now. As Tommy and his friend come in, the woman tells Frank she’s sorry. Tommy asks what happened, and Frank says King’s in pretty bad shape, and it’ll be a while before they know anything. Tommy says he can stay. “Oh, you gotta be kidding me,” his friend says, with an exasperated eye-roll. Frank asks Tommy why Stump is even here; Stump tells Tommy he thought they were going to hang after he saw his dad. Tommy protests that King’s in pretty bad shape, but Stump argues that that mutt got what he deserved. Wow. What a charmer. Frank demands to know what Stump just said, and Stump puts on his Parent Face and says, “Nothin’, Mr. DiCenzio. It’s all good.” Frank orders Stump to stay away from Tommy and King. Stump laughs, and Frank turns to Tommy, reminding the kid of his earlier instructions not to hang around with this punk. Stump looks at Tommy and nods toward the door; Tommy shrugs, and Stump calls him a wuss, then heads out.

Tommy says he hasn’t talked to Stump in years, and Vera can see why, saying the guy sounds a little psycho. Tommy says Frank always hated Stump; saying his mom was a druggie and his whole family was trouble. Jeffries says it sounds like Frank thought Stump beat the dog, and Tommy says Frank did think that, and the worst part is, he could have been right. Jeffries asks how Stump got into the apartment, and Tommy explains that he didn’t have a lot of friends after his mom died; that Stump was it. Tommy reluctantly admits to giving Stump a set of keys so he’d have a place to hang out in the afternoons. Vera asks why, and Tommy says it was so Stump could get girlfriends. “And your father always worked,” Jeffries concludes. Tommy protests vehemently that Stump was a messed-up dude, and maybe he hit the dog, but there was no way in hell he’d hurt Frank; he wouldn’t do that because he was Tommy’s friend.

Squad room. Stillman asks Lilly if Stump beat up the dog, and Lilly says it sounds like it, but Tommy was real insistent that Stump didn’t kill Frank. Jeffries thinks he was a little too insistent. Lilly theorizes that if Stump did it, Tommy might feel responsible, and that would be tough to face. Scotty comes up then, saying Nick “Stump” Finelli is just out of jail, with a rap sheet a mile long. Stillman looks at the file, pointing out the highlight of beating a neighbor with a baseball bat, and cites a string of other assaults dating back to December 2001. “Right after Frank’s murder,” Lilly realizes.

A bit later, Vera’s sitting at his desk when he hears a baby crying. He turns around to see Dubitsky pushing the stroller with one hand and carrying a grocery bag with the other. Dubitsky says he’s heading out, and no one claimed the kid. Vera asks how that’s possible. “Maybe ‘cause there’s so much good in the world?” Dubitsky suggests sarcastically. He sets the bag down on Vera’s desk, saying Annette from Records put it together and said to give it to Vera, then leaves. The baby continues crying, and Vera tries to shush him, then picks up the phone to call DHS.

Kat Miller comes in just then and reintroduces herself to Vera, who’s got the phone in one hand and is jiggling the stroller with the other. He says he’s a little busy. Heh. Miller picks up on this, and tells him that’s a cute kid he’s got. Hee. The look Vera gives her is absolutely priceless. She heads into Stillman’s office. To Vera’s credit, the stroller-jiggling seems to have worked, because the baby has, for the moment anyway, stopped crying.

Stillman’s office. Miller greets him, and he welcomes her. Glancing around, she notices that the dress code’s a step up from Narcotics, and surmises that she has some shopping to do. “Well, the clothes are more expensive, but the pay’s the same; welcome to Homicide,” Stillman says. Hee. Miller says that, on the plus side, there are the dead bodies. “And the long hours,” Stillman adds, saying he hopes she’s cleared her social calendar. Miller tells him, rather hesitantly, that there’s this thing she does Wednesdays at 7:00, and she can’t miss it. “Fair enough,” Stillman says, then hands her a form and tells her to find a pigeonhole and fill it out; it’s biographical information for personal records. She starts to leave, then turns and tells Stillman she’s real glad to be there, and thanks him. He smiles and nods.

Auto shop. Stump is working on a car as Jeffries and Lilly walk in, Jeffries coolly showing Stump his badge. Stump says he’s been straight since he got out of jail, and Jeffries isn’t impressed. “The whole two weeks, huh?” he says. Stump asks what he did to deserve a visit, and Lilly asks him if he remembers Tommy DiCenzio. Stump does, saying they met in a computer class for “JC retards.” Jeffries asks if Stump remembers the family dog, a big mutt, wouldn’t hurt a fly. Stump shakes his head, and Lilly continues, saying someone beat him up pretty bad, and they heard maybe it was Stump. Stump laughs, incredulous that they’re there about a dog, and asks, “What are you, the canine police?” Jeffries chuckles mirthlessly, then turns on a dime and asks Tommy where he was the night Frank was killed. Stump gets serious then, protesting that he was at class, and if they check it out, they’ll see for themselves. He goes on to say that even if he did hit that dog, he didn’t kill Frank. “That Spanish guy is upstate for that,” he says. Lilly and Jeffries exchange a glance, and Lil tells him that they’re taking another look at the case. Stump says that even if the guy didn’t do it with his own hands, that doesn’t mean he isn’t responsible. Jeffries asks what he means by that, and Stump says Ricardo brought some serious trouble into that deli; he saw it himself.

Exterior, Frank’s deli. Stump’s outside smoking as Frank takes out the trash. A guy approaches Frank and asks for Ricardo. Frank tells the guy, Felix, that Ricardo’s not there, and he said he’d pay him back, so lay off. Felix grabs Frank and says the day is long past, and he has to keep strict rules about that. Frank urges Felix to give Ricardo a break, saying he’s just trying to bring his family here. Felix says he’s a businessman, like Frank, that his business is “Felix’s Best,” and if Ricardo doesn’t pay soon, he’ll start giving out penalties; that’s how he keeps his business running. Frank doesn’t back down and threatens to call the cops and tell them what Felix does to these people. Felix tells Frank that if he does that, they’ll send Ricardo back to El Salvador. Frank says Felix is just low-life scum preying on other people’s predicaments. Felix is insulted, but Frank says he heard what Felix did to Ricardo’s roommate, knocking out his teeth, breaking his jaw, and Frank calls Felix a sick bastard. Felix grabs Frank and throws him to the ground, and says that if he doesn’t get his money, “there’s two of you I’m gonna take care of now.”

Stump is almost laughing at the retelling of this story. Lilly asks who Felix was, and Stump says he’d never seen him before, “but he was a badass, I’ll tell you that.” Jeffries asks if Stump ever told anyone about it, and Stump says he didn’t. He explains that Frank was always on his case back then, and he figured Frank deserved a little heat coming his way. Clearly bowled over by Stump’s undeniable charm, Lilly coolly tells him they’ll be in touch. “Well, I’ll be right here,” Stump says cheerfully, showing them his electronic ankle bracelet. “’Cause where else am I gonna go?”

Squad room. Stillman says Stump’s alibi cleared, and Vera explains that they checked the class records, and both he and Tommy were in class the night Frank was killed. Stillman asks if Felix was some kind of loan shark, and I’m really trying to pay attention to Scotty’s explanation, that Felix was one of several guys who helps illegals in the Latin community by giving them loans, but Vera’s getting a baby bottle ready, and I’m too busy giggling to really pay attention to Scotty at the moment. And he’s even speaking a little Spanish! Miller explains that some of them deal, too, and the bad ones use intimidation and violence. Stillman asks if they’ve tracked the guy down, and Vera says he made some calls, but no hits, since he’s guessing the name Felix is kinda common, then looks like he’s about to feed the baby, and for the life of me, I cannot stop giggling enough to pay attention to what Scotty and Miller are saying. The gist is that Miller thinks maybe they just troll the neighborhood, and Scotty thinks Paolo can help them. Anyway, Stillman tells Scotty to get Paolo to take him around, and Scotty glances at Vera, but Vera explains, a bit awkwardly, “I was thinkin’ I should…stay…keep an eye on the kid ‘till DHS gets here,” and I’m dissolving into giggles again. Scotty gives Vera a curious glance, and Vera explains indignantly that the last time he handed the kid off, Dubitsky gave him a stapler to play with, and now I’m just rolling. Scotty asks Miller if she wants to hit Francisville. “Let’s do it,” she says. They leave, and the baby looks up at Vera, which is all kinds of adorable, and then Vera smiles at the baby, which is even MORE adorable.

A bar in Francisville, where we’re serenaded by Azucar’s “La Calle.” Miller has fond memories of busting this place once. Paolo says Ricardo’s old neighbor will be here, and Scotty thinks he might run into some old neighbors of his own. Miller asks Scotty where his family is from, and Scotty explains that his dad’s Cuban, his mom’s Puerto Rican, and he grew up about half a mile from the bar. Paolo says Scotty’s family must be proud of him, and Scotty pauses for a minute, then says, “I guess so, yeah,” with a slight smile. Paolo goes over to a couple of guys, talks quietly to them for a while, then comes back and points out Felix to Scotty. Felix is holding court at the bar, but when Scotty approaches him, the guys Felix is talking to scatter like cockroaches. Scotty informs Felix that they have a few questions for him, and Felix tells them that they aren’t so good for business. “So talk fast,” Miller orders. Wow…I’m liking her. She asks Felix if he knows Ricardo Muñoz . Felix looks around blankly, and Scotty enlightens him that Ricardo was put away for murdering Frank DiCenzio, and Miller reminds Felix that Ricardo owed him some money. Felix magnanimously says that he likes to help sometimes, when he can; enrich his community to the best of his ability, but Scotty clearly isn’t buying what Felix is selling. Miller tells Felix that they heard Frank’s the one who tried to help Ricardo out, and Scotty adds that Felix wasn’t happy, and said he’d have to take care of two people. Miller points out that Frank being dead and Ricardo being in jail is, in fact, two people taken care of. Felix protests that Frank wasn’t a problem to him, but Frank and Ricardo busted up. “A bad divorce,” he says. When Scotty asks Felix how he knows that, Felix says he saw it with his own two eyes.

[TVFan]

Ricardo’s apartment. Felix and Ricardo are arguing in Spanish when there’s a knock at the door. Ricardo answers it to reveal Frank standing there. He hands Ricardo some keys and says he forgot them, and he’s supposed to open up tomorrow. Ricardo asks Frank if everything’s okay, and Frank says he just saw that Ricardo had the key to his apartment on his keyring, and asks him where he got it. Ricardo says Frank gave it to him when he started the job, but Frank disagrees, saying he gave Ricardo the key to the deli, but not the key to his home. Ricardo nervously protests that he doesn’t know how it got there, and Frank remembers that Ricardo took a long break the day King got hurt, then asks Ricardo if he came into his apartment. Ricardo denies it, then says he was with Frank when they found King. Frank’s unconvinced, remembering that Ricardo was in a hurry to leave his place that day, and that Ricardo’s always saying Frank should leave the dog at home, that King gets in the way. Ricardo argues that this is crazy, but Frank says they’re done, and fires him on the spot. Ricardo is incredulous, and Frank says he doesn’t even know who Ricardo is, then walks away.

“He fired Ricardo?” Scotty asks, and Felix confirms it. Miller asks if Ricardo said anything about how he got the key to Frank’s place; he didn’t, but then Felix says that two days later, he got the whole loan back, so he had no reason to bother anybody. “All worked out good for me,” he says. As they leave, Kat tells Scotty it sounds like Ricardo left out a major detail. Scotty asks Paolo if he knew Ricardo had been fired, he says he didn’t know.

Interview room. Oh, my goodness, y’all…Vera is snuggling with the baby, who’s sleeping on his shoulder. It’s the most adorable thing I think I’ve ever seen on this show. Words just do not describe it. Lilly comes in with a tender smile, and Vera explains that this is the only way he could get “this wack job” to go to sleep. Heh. Only Vera could refer to a baby as a wack job. Lilly quietly observes that the baby is sleeping pretty sound now, and Vera says she should have seen it: the later it got, the more energy the baby had. “It was nuts,” he says. Enter Lindsay, Lil’s friend from Child Services, who apologizes for not being able to come sooner, saying there was a group home crisis. Lilly tells Vera they found the mom, and Vera wonders where she’s been for the last 24 hours. Lindsay says the mom had a double shift at work and the sitter canceled, so she left him with her brother, whom Lilly says is “troubled” and dumped him on the way to a court appointment. “She gave her son to the head case?” Vera asks. Lindsay says they’ll investigate and make sure the home’s okay. “Hope so,” Vera says, as he reluctantly hands the baby to Lindsay, and almost looks like he might cry. Awwwww. Lilly smiles again and tells Vera it seems like he’s got a knack for that stuff, but he’s back to being the crusty codger we all know and love when he says he’s fried after only one night, and he’s glad he and Julie never had kids.

Jail. Scotty’s a little cranky, asking Ricardo why he didn’t say anything about getting fired; Ricardo says it wasn’t important, that Frank took him back the next day. Scotty asks about owing money to Felix, and him pushing Frank around, and Ricardo claims not to have known that Frank talked to Felix. Scotty asks Ricardo what else he left out that might make him look bad. “Nothing,” Ricardo says. Scotty asks him where he got the key to Frank’s house; Ricardo says he didn’t know that key was there. Scotty points out that Ricardo got pretty angry when Frank asked about it, and Ricardo says that Felix was threatening him, demanding money, and then Frank came and accused him. Ricardo says that he works hard, day after day, and it’s never enough. Scotty asks if that’s why Ricardo snapped and killed Frank; Ricardo insists that Frank took him back. Scotty asks how he got the money to pay Felix; Ricardo says Frank loaned it to him. Scotty asks for proof; Ricardo doesn’t have any. Scotty gripes then about coming all the way out there, and says, as he gets up to leave, that Ricardo’s just playing him. As he heads out, Ricardo protests that he didn’t put the key there, and Frank didn’t, either, so only one other person could have. By now, Scotty’s stopped and is listening again, and he realizes that Ricardo’s talking about Tommy.

Italian Market. Lilly and Jeffries tell Tommy they had a couple questions pop up that they thought he could help with, then ask him if he has any thoughts on how Ricardo got the key to Frank’s apartment. Tommy admits to putting it there, explaining that all these years, he thought Ricardo was the one who killed his dad, and he wouldn’t have done anything to help the guy, but now they’re saying he didn’t do it. Lilly asks him why he put the key there, and Tommy says it was when his dad was still obsessing over who hit the dog. Lilly surmises that Tommy knew it was Stump and was protecting his friend, but Tommy says it was more than that: he thought Ricardo was taking advantage of Frank, and Tommy wanted Ricardo fired. Lilly asks Tommy if he was watching out for Frank, and Tommy says nobody else was going to. Lil’s Voice Of Experience comes out then, and she says it’s not easy losing a parent and trying to take care of the one you’ve got left. Tommy says that, after his mom died, it was like Frank lost all his common sense. The detectives are curious about this, and Tommy says it was the people he picked. “Friends?” Jeffries asks. “Sorta,” Tommy says, mentioning one lady in particular, but says it’s not important. Jeffries suggests he let them decide that. Tommy says he was a little concerned about her and tried to open Frank’s eyes.

Frank’s bedroom. He’s listening to Don Omar’s “Reggaeton Latino” while getting dressed for a date, saying it’s been a while, and that perhaps he should have bought a new suit, as his pants got a little too small. Awwww. Tommy, standing in the doorway, laughs softly and says nobody wears suits anymore. “I wear suits,” Frank argues. “It’s respectful.” Wow, what a sweetie! He thinks for a moment, then suggests maybe a nice sports jacket; he’s got a navy blue one with nice buttons, and asks Tommy to see if it’s in the closet. Tommy asks if Frank’s date is the one the customer was talking about, and Frank says no, it’s the one from the vet, Antonia, who lives right around the corner. Tommy seems suspicious, and Frank asks if he knows her. Tommy thinks she might be married, since every time he sees her, she’s with “this big, bruiser-lookin’ guy.” Frank says she’s separated now, but Tommy points out that it must have just happened, and it’s pretty soon to be dating…for both of them. Frank protests that Tommy’s the one who said he should go on a date, but Tommy says he didn’t think Frank would do it, and says that Antonia is real loud and flashy, not like Mom. “No one’s gonna be like your mom,” Frank says softly. “She was one in a billion.” Frank admits to being too wrapped up in work since her death, and says he hasn’t been home enough. He apologizes and suggests that they start spending time together again, like the old days. Tommy suggests doing that father-son hockey league again, maybe, and Frank’s pleased. Tommy tells him to be careful, and Frank says not to worry about him; he’s fine.

Jeffries confirms that Frank and Antonia met at the vet’s office, and Lilly asks about the bruiser ex. Tommy says he was some sort of loony who stalked Antonia after the split, and they used to have these fights in the streets. Jeffries asks if Antonia and Frank dating riled up the crazy ex, and Tommy says something bad must have happened, because Frank was home half an hour after he left, but never said a word about it. Lil asks when Frank went on the date, and Tommy says it was a few days before he was killed.

Interview room. Vera tells Antonia that they asked around and heard her ex-husband wasn’t the nicest guy in the world, and Antonia says that’s the understatement of the century, then asks what Ray did this time. Vera says that’s what they’re there to figure out. Miller asks Antonia if Ray had a problem with her dating, and Antonia says he gave her a hard time, but he was the one who had two girlfriends before she packed up her last suitcase. She asks what this is about, and Miller asks if she remembers Frank DiCenzio. She does. Vera asks if Ray might have had a beef with Frank, considering her date, and Antonia says that if Ray heard about her date, he would have loved it, because it was a “total frickin’ disaster.” Been there.

Restaurant, where Natalie Merchant’s “Life Is Sweet” plays. Frank pulls out Antonia’s chair for her; she smiles and says he’s sweet. She asks how King’s doing, and Frank says he’s better, and got home a couple days ago. Antonia says her cat is also doing better, but is missing all her front teeth, which isn’t a pretty picture. Hmmm…is Lil looking for another cat? Because this one sounds right up her alley. Anyway, Antonia asks if his son is Tommy, and Frank confirms it. She muses about how hard it is being a single parent, saying Kaitlyn wears her down sometimes. Frank says his wife was the one who had to talk to Tommy; he tried, but he couldn’t hold the family together like she did. He tells her he’s going to do better, and Antonia says teenagers can be hard to handle. Frank says Tommy had a tough time this year, but he’s a good kid. Antonia says she thinks she should tell him something about Tommy’s friend Stump: Frank’s all ears, and asks if she knows Stump. She says she takes Kaitlyn to skate on Monday nights, and sees him and Tommy playing hockey. Frank’s confused, and Antonia goes on about how Stump races around the ice and bullies the smaller kids, but Frank’s still caught up with the whole hockey on Monday nights idea. He tells her she’s mixing him up with somebody else, because they have computer classes on Monday. Antonia’s not convinced, adding that she heard Stump stole money from the snack stand and beat up the kid who works there. Frank protests that Stump’s not that bad; Tommy wouldn’t put up with it. Antonia apologizes, then suggests that they forget it, saying it’s none of her business anyway. “Damn right it’s none of your business,” Frank says, adding that she doesn’t know what she’s talking about, then says he has to get out of there, throws some money on the table, and leaves.

Antonia explains that if her daughter was acting up out of her sight, she’d want to know, but guesses some people don’t want to hear about it. Vera asks if she saw Stump and Tommy every week; she did, saying that the kids were all scared of Stump. Behind the glass, Stillman surmises that Tommy and Stump could sneak out of class somehow, and Lilly points out that their alibi is now non-existent. Stillman asks if Tommy would protect Stump all these years, if Stump in fact killed Frank, and Lilly says he would if his life depended on it.

Interview room. Scotty tells Stump it must have felt pretty good, knocking off the snack shop and beating up that kid; Stump protests that they took $30, and it was no big deal. Scotty suggests that Stump felt like moving up and breaking into the deli. Jeffries continues, theorizing that he was just after the cash, but something went wrong; maybe Frank walked in. Stump reminds them that he had nothing to do with Frank and repeats his claim to have been at class that night. Scotty drops the bombshell that Stump wasn’t in class, he was playing hockey. Jeffries adds that the residue on Frank’s body matches sports tape, the kind you put on a hockey stick. Stump protests that this isn’t right, that he’s been getting back on track, and Scotty suggests that maybe Stump’s past is catching up with him. Stump says it’s not his past, it’s Tommy’s. Jeffries says it sounded like Tommy did whatever Stump said. Stump says everybody thought Tommy was the good guy, but he had a whole other side, and after his mom died, it was like a switch got flipped. Stump says Tommy could get crazy and have rage fits, then says that Tommy’s the one who beat up the kid at the snack stand, and scared him into keeping his mouth shut. Jeffries asks who killed Frank; Stump is silent. Jeffries orders him to stop protecting Tommy, since he’s no friend of Stump’s; he still doesn’t answer. Scotty asks what happened the night Frank was killed, and Stump finally says that they snuck out of class, grabbed some snacks and beers from the deli, and played a little hockey, but things didn’t go like they planned.

Deli. Tommy and Stump sneak in, and Tommy heads for the fridge. Stump realizes that Frank’s there, but Tommy says he can’t hear them, then removes a couple of six-packs and hands one to Stump. They start to leave, but Tommy suddenly stops Stump and heads over to the doorway by the kitchen, where he overhears Frank apologizing to Ricardo, telling him he’s been nothing but good for this place. Frank explains that he’s real emotional when it comes to King, since he got him when Lydia died. Ricardo smiles and tells Frank it’s okay. Frank suggests that maybe someday, he and Ricardo could be partners in the deli. Ricardo tells Frank he makes a good deli, and Ricardo’s proud to work there. As Stump decides to add a salami to the stolen booty, Frank explains that he thought this was going to be a family business, and that’s why he worked so hard; he thought that Tommy would be his partner one day, but now, he’s not so sure. He starts to tell Ricardo something he found out from the vet, but then says to forget it, that it doesn’t matter. Ricardo says Frank is like family to him, so it is family business, and Frank feels the same way, telling Ricardo he feels closer to him than his own kid. “Is that nuts or what?” he asks. Uh-oh. Tommy gets mad and storms out, taking the money out of the register as he goes. Stump laughs and gives Tommy a congratulatory pat on the back.

Scotty tries to wrap his mind around the fact that Tommy took the cash, and Jeffries asks what Frank found out from the vet. Stump isn’t sure, but thinks he might have learned that Tommy was the one who attacked King. Stump says that when Tommy got mad, it was like an explosion, citing how he beat up that snack shop kid. Jeffries asks what they did after they let the deli, and Stump says they just drank the beer; Tommy didn’t want to play hockey, he just went home all worked up. Stump says he never saw Frank again, and Scotty realizes that Stump’s been covering for Tommy ever since. Stump says he wasn’t covering for Tommy because of their friendship, he was covering for him because he didn’t want to end up like Frank.

Interview room. Lilly tells Tommy they’re hearing some things, and Tommy asks what things. Vera tells him they heard he was the one who beat up the family pet; Tommy says this is crazy. Lilly says it’s actually pretty normal, having all that anger build up, and Tommy protests that he wasn’t angry. Lilly says that he’s a stronger kid than she was, because after her dad left, she was mad all the time, mostly at her mom. Tommy says his dad tried his best, but Vera’s not so sure. Tommy asks what that’s supposed to mean, and Lilly says Vera’s right: Frank worked hard, took care of the deli, and was good to Ricardo, “but what about you?” she asks. Tommy reiterates that Frank tried, but Vera scoffs that Frank left him high and dry after his mom died. Lilly adds that all Frank cared about was himself. Tommy argues that he was just busy; they both were. “Too busy for his own son?” Lilly asks, and Vera says it sounds like Frank was a selfish little man who couldn’t take care of his own family. Tommy snaps then, insisting that Frank was a great guy, and the whole neighborhood loved him. Vera says that the measure of a man is his family, so Frank was a failure. Wow…is that a wee bit of Insightful Vera, or just a trick to get a confession? Tommy argues that Frank wasn’t a failure, that they didn’t know him, but Lilly insists that Frank abandoned Tommy, and he was just a kid. Tommy says Frank tried to help him; Lilly asks how: by ignoring him? She says if Frank loved Tommy, he’d pay attention, even get up in his face if he had to. Tommy says that’s exactly what he did. “So he confronted you; took you on,” Lilly concludes, and Tommy says this means Frank did pay attention. Lilly asks if that’s what got Frank killed, and Tommy freezes, then shakes his head. Lilly tells Tommy that grief can make you crazy…she knows. “But I’m the failure,” Tommy says. “Not Dad…me.”

Deli. Tommy comes in carrying his hockey equipment and drops his bag on the floor. Frank comes in from the back, telling Tommy that the beer’s gone and the whole register’s empty. “You must have known I’d see that,” he says. Tommy says it was Stump’s idea, and he told him not to. Frank asks if hockey on Mondays was Stump’s idea, too. Tommy’s stunned, and Frank says he knows Tommy’s been sneaking out of class. Tommy says it was one time, maybe two, and it’s no big deal. Frank adds that the vet called, and said that King would let Tommy touch him the day he visited. “You beat him up, didn’t you?” Frank asks; Tommy protests that he didn’t, pinning it on Stump. Frank says this is his fault, that he’s been a bad father; he didn’t reach out to Tommy enough. Tommy says it’s fine; Frank says it’s not, and thinks there’s something wrong with Tommy. Tommy argues that he lost his temper; that he made a sandwich and King grabbed it right off the table, and he didn’t mean to hurt him that bad. Frank protests that King was almost dead when they found him, and Tommy repeats, yelling this time, that he lost his temper. Frank says there are places where they help kids with Tommy’s kind of problems; that he’s had a hard year. Tommy’s incredulous that his dad wants to send him away to some school for freaks. Frank argues that it’s not for freaks, it’s a place where he can go to get better, and then he could come home, and they can work the deli together, have a future. Tommy protests that he’s got Stump here; Frank says it’d be good for the two of them to separate for a while. Tommy yells that this isn’t fair; Frank’s got everything here: the deli, the dog, Ricardo, and Tommy’s gonna have nothing. Frank tells him they have each other, and Tommy yells that he doesn’t care about that, and that Frank can’t do this to him, that he’s not going away. “You’re my son,” Frank says, “and you’ll do as I say.” Tommy says he won’t, and as Frank turns to walk away, Tommy picks up the hockey stick and hits Frank in the head with it. Frank falls, and Tommy keeps hitting him.

“Wherever You Will Go” by The Calling plays as Lilly escorts Tommy to jail and puts him in a cell.

Scotty leads Stump out of the squad room and to the elevator.
Antonia, her daughter, and their presumably disfigured cat cuddle on the couch, watching TV.

Miller looks on as Jeffries takes White-Out and erases Ricardo’s name from Frank’s homicide record, then re-types Tommy’s name over it.

Vera sits at his desk, filling out an application for adoption. Awwww.

A colorful sign in front of a restaurant proclaims the grand opening of the Muñoz Deli. Inside, Scotty’s shaking hands with Ricardo as kids swirl around them, and Ricardo proudly introduces a woman who seems to be his wife. She gives Scotty a hug, and then he introduces Stillman and greets Paolo. Ricardo’s wife motions for the detectives to take a seat, and then she hugs Ricardo. As Scotty and Stillman sit down, Ricardo sees Frank in the doorway, looking around the deli and smiling proudly.