The Lodger (2009)

Get back behind the line, please.
- Detective.
- Wilkenson, right?
- Yeah.
- Okay, what have we got?
Well, the techies are done,
so they covered her up.
This way.
- What?
- It's a hooker, sir.
It's pretty nasty.
- Any witnesses?
- No.
What's wrong with you?
Bill and I had a couple of drinks
after work last night.
Until 4:00 a. m.?
The victim was a young woman
in her thirties.
L.A. County Police are expected to
issue a statement here,
at the West Hollywood Sheriff's station,
in a few minutes.
But speculation is they believe the murders
may have been designed to imitate
those committed seven years ago
by Alonzo Rodriguez.
The murder weapon in use was a knife.
...knife...
...knife...
In July, after an extraordinarily short
appeals process,
Alonzo Rodriguez was executed
for brutally murdering two women
- in West Hollywood, both prostitutes.
- Oh, my God.
Detective!
Detective, do you have any indication
why the murderer would imitate
the Rodriguez case?
I'm not going to talk
about the Rodriguez case.
As far as I'm concerned,
this is an isolated incident.
Can you confirm that
the victim was a prostitute?
It does appear that the woman
was a prostitute,
but I'm afraid that's all I can say right now.
Detective Manning, one more question!
So, how much is left?
We have enough for this month.
Maybe two more payments.
Only three people have come
to look at it since May.
Drop the rent to 800.
Any more of
those effeminate fucking little knocks,
you're gonna get
some unwanted attention, Detective.
Who says it'll be unwanted?
- Oh, Jesus Christ.
- Hey, I asked for Palmdale,
but I guess LASD thought
I'd fit in better in West Hollywood.
Yeah, maybe outside the building.
- No wonder your last partner quit.
- Let's get something straight.
Can I use that word?
Somebody must have been fucking
brain dead to assign a rookie to this case.
- Look, I spent 14 months...
- I really don't give a fuck.
Just don't throw any of that shit in my face.
Man, you're worse than my dad.
This just came in.
Isn't that supposed to stay sealed?
Who else has seen this?
It's better to start up and dust down,
so the dust doesn't fly up into your face.
- Good.
- Watch this.
I can hear you, Ellen.
I'm going out.
Take your damn pills.
No one's gonna rent this place
if they think the landlady's a lunatic.
Well, what if the landlord is?
- Hello?
- Hi, hon. It's Dad.
- Hi, Daddy.
- Listen, darling,
I was thinking about visiting your mother.
No, you can't. Please.
Why not? She's allowed visitors, isn't she?
Because she's isn't ready to see you yet,
that's why.
- Did she tell you that?
- No, the doctor did.
What about you? Did the doctor say
anything about you staying away from me?
No, Dad. Look,
I'm just really focused on Mom right now.
- What about dinner?
- Dad, I've got midterms.
I've got a lab due on Thursday,
there's a paper due in a couple of weeks
- and it's just...
- No, no, no, I understand.
- I'm just really busy right now.
- Yeah. I know.
No, it's okay. I've got...
- Got a lot of work to do here, myself.
- I really gotta go.
- Sure.
- Maybe tomorrow.
Tomorrow. Okay.
Just a minute.
- Hello?
- I'm sorry,
I should have called first.
I was walking past,
- and I noticed your sign.
- Yes.
I've been looking for a quiet room,
and a guest house sounded lovely.
Come in.
Smells good.
So, have you just moved to L.A.?
Not really.
I'm just looking for something new.
You know, something to inspire me.
Oh, I'm sorry. It's this way.
Great.
You would be welcome to
use the kitchen on your own,
but the rent does include breakfast,
usually until about 9:00.
Or are you a late riser?
Yes, I'm afraid I am.
What is this, some kind of gang attack?
Not unless the others
just stood around and watched.
This was one guy,
and he was clearly copying Rodriguez.
It's identical. Look at this.
There are almost 40 separate incisions,
each with the same angle of entry,
- same tearing motion.
- Lefty?
He definitely used his left hand,
but each wound was created
with varying force.
My guess is
he was just trying to look like a lefty.
- Bastard did his homework.
- Yeah. Well, not completely.
The Rodriguez killings
were acts of sadistic violence,
where both victims died
after multiple wounds.
Presumably so that
he could watch them die slowly.
This one died immediately,
after the first incision to her throat.
He had a conscience?
Well, it depends on
what you call a conscience.
A case like this, actually,
you're casing
an entirely different psychological profile.
- Took pity on her, for Christ's sake.
- Wow. Real fucking sweetheart.
- Thank you, Sam.
- Hey...
I was sorry to hear about
all that with your wife.
- Is she doing any better?
- No.
What do you do? I mean, for work.
Oh, I write.
So, I must have complete quiet, and privacy.
I'd like to take it. Right away.
- But you haven't even asked the rent.
- Well, I'm sure it's fair.
I have a great sense of those I can trust.
I'm Malcolm Slaight.
I'm Ellen Bunting.
My husband, Joe, well, he works late...
It's important to me that
I would have the only key.
Oh, yes. Of course. Except for me.
But I can't be disturbed.
- You will talk to your husband. Not at all.
- Oh, he won't bother you.
Would $1,000 a month be acceptable?
With breakfast.
I almost forgot. About references...
I won't be needing those. Just privacy.
Thank you.
This is Miss Sally Harrison.
Or what's left of her.
Her body was found
at approximately 3:15 a. m. Last night
on the 8400 block of Sunset and Olive.
She was 23 years old, 5'3" tall,
Caucasian and a prostitute.
Thirty-nine separate knife wounds.
No witnesses,
no obvious suspects,
no motive.
Other than this bastard
is clearly copying Rodriguez's MO.
Okay. That's it.
Who are they?
Smith, LAPD.
And he brought the Feds.
They'll be all over us on this
after Chandler smoked them on Rodriguez.
- What are you doing?
- I told you not to disturb me.
I just thought you might like some tea.
I'm sorry. Just leave it there, please.
- What's wrong with them?
- They were all staring at me.
Following me.
Everywhere. It's a little unnerving.
- Oh, well, I'll have Joe come and take...
- No!
Please, we've already talked about this.
I don't want anyone else coming in here.
Ever.
- I'll bring them out.
- Well,
- do you need anything else?
- Just a little rest, I'm afraid.
Oh, and if you could pick up some things
for me at the market?
- That's way too much.
- Keep it, please.
Whatever you think, bread, cereal,
I'm not too particular.
Thank you.
About food.
I couldn't see his face.
It was raining, and he was running away.
He was wearing one of those long coats,
like Neo.
- What was the color of the coat?
- Purple, dickhead!
Have Jim come in here for a sketch.
We need height and build,
male with a long, dark coat.
- When Jim's done, let him go.
- Let him go?
Get anything else out of him, keep him.
Right.
- What...
- Fuck off! Can I go now, man?
This is really wonderful, honey.
I got it at the deli after class
about an hour ago.
Still good.
You put her there.
- Amanda, please don't say that.
- Ask her doctors.
You were obsessive
and relentlessly controlling.
Nothing she did was
ever good enough for you.
- You know, she told me even in bed...
- Stop it!
Honey, I know I could have
done things differently, but this is...
- There's more to this...
- You're to blame for this.
Amanda, that's not true.
I have a really early class tomorrow, so...
- Okay, I'll call you later.
- Bye.
What happened to the sign?
- I rented it.
- You rented it?
- He's already moved in.
- What?
A man. Malcolm something.
He's already given us
three months in advance.
And I didn't even have to lower the rate
because I could tell he really wanted it.
- I did include breakfast.
- That's from your family.
No, it isn't.
He's been busy back there
taking down all your mother's prints.
But don't... Don't go in there.
He only wants me to go back there.
Are you kidding?
Sure he's not some kind of wacko?
He's a bit eccentric.
Seems perfectly harmless.
Anyway, what choice do we have?
- Anything back from the techies?
- Not a lot.
Let's see, there was nothing
under the fingernails, no foreign fibers,
no signs of sexual activity.
He either surprised her or he knew her
because there are no signs of a struggle.
So, other than the pimp,
nobody saw anything.
Right in the middle of
fucking Sunset Boulevard.
- What about the letter?
- Well, there are a bunch of prints,
but they only match the people
who handled it before it got here.
The mail room, the post office,
and you, of course.
Nothing back yet on the paper
or the ink type.
That's it?
Well, we still have someone on the pimp,
but he's clean so far.
A clean pimp? Now there's an oxymoron.
Well, I doubt he's the killer.
Of course he's not the killer, you moron.
Now I know this is your first case
and you're trying real hard to impress
all your fucking friends,
but I really need you
to start finding me some suspects
and stop wasting my time
confirming the innocent ones.
Now whisper something to me, quick.
- I don't know what you...
- Yeah, that's a good idea.
I'll check up on that. Thank you.
Joe!
Joe!
Joe!
I picked the big bear
and you picked the little bear.
I'm sorry, mister,
but that is exactly the bear that you picked.
These are for you, are they not?
- I like those.
- I know you do.
Joe!
Joe!
You're still here? Didn't you hear me?
- What's that smell?
- Granola.
It's not for you.
- We got the late shift.
- Well, just don't wake the lodger.
And take your boots off
before you trudge drunkenly up the stairs.
I would like to get some sleep, too.
I'll do whatever I want.
Just take the medicine, Ellen, okay?
You following me, sweetheart?
What do you have, Sam?
All of her reproductive organs
were removed,
as if he were giving her a cesarean section.
Holy shit.
Better cover her up.
No. No, I'm okay.
There's more.
I was wrong. He's not imitating Rodriguez.
He is Rodriguez.
- Was she alive?
- Through the whole thing.
Everything's identical. Strong right hand,
successive three-quarter-inch incisions,
curved blade,
alternating left to right, then right to left.
Sorry, Chan.
I know this makes you look bad.
He's back.
Wait a minute.
You're telling me that this guy,
who killed these two hookers,
is the same guy that killed the two women
Rodriguez was executed for
seven years ago?
- I'm sure of it.
- That is impossible.
There was blood from both victims
in Rodriguez's apartment
and the murder weapon.
Well, somebody must have
framed Rodriguez
because it's the same handiwork.
I mean, exactly the same.
He's telling us it's him,
like a surgeon signing his name.
And another thing.
You know who he's imitating, don't you?
- Who?
- Thirty-nine incisions on the last one.
The whole body mutilation, prostitutes...
I should have seen it.
Fuck.
Who? Who is he imitating?
Jack the Ripper.
Another prostitute was brutally murdered
in West Hollywood last night.
Last night's violent murder here
on Sunset Boulevard is the second...
...second exact recreation
of the Jack the Ripper murders,
which occurred over 100 years ago.
News 15 sources believe
the LASD Coroner's Office
will shortly issue a report with evidence
that both women were cut exactly 39 times.
...killed at least 6 women in 1888,
was never caught.
You stay here, Timmy.
The violent murder of two women
in West Hollywood this week
seems to precisely mimic
the extraordinarily brutal crimes
committed by
Jack the Ripper, in London,
over 100 years ago.
Further, we are exploring the possibility
that these recent murders
may have been committed by
the same man who killed two women
in a similar fashion
on Sunset Boulevard seven years ago.
- Detective!
- Detective, over here!
- Just one question!
- Over here! Does this mean...
Is it possible Alonzo Rodriguez
was innocent of the two murders
for which you and the DA
had him executed?
In light of new evidence,
LASD has informed the mayor's office
that it intends to reopen the Rodriguez file.
Sir! Detective!
Detective! Question, one more question!
Detective Manning, please, over here!
Sir! Please, please, sir!
Tell Gregor to pull up anything he can
on Jack the Ripper.
Timeline, number of victims,
odd facts, anything.
This lunatic's not done yet.
- Where you going?
- Be back around 4:00.
Mr. Manning.
Hi, I'm Dr. Stevens.
I'd like to speak with you for a moment
before you see your wife.
She's making some progress, but still
experiences intense bouts of depression.
It's necessary for us to
have someone with her at all times.
Your daughter was adamant that
you not be allowed to visit.
Yeah, you people didn't seem
so excited about me being here either.
Well, that's more your daughter's
feeling right now than your wife's.
Or mine.
But just to be safe,
if she begins to get upset, even slightly,
I'm going to have the attending nurse
stop the visit immediately.
What do you people think I'm gonna do?
She's my wife, for Christ's sake.
Just don't expect too much,
she's extremely...
Are you gonna let me see her, or not?
Hello, Chandler.
Hi, Mags.
It's good to see you.
Yeah, I'm sure I look wonderful.
No, you look good.
I hope it's all right I came.
I suppose I'll always have this.
Why'd you do it, Mags?
You have to go.
- Mags, please.
- No, I can't. Please.
Nurse.
You have to leave now, Mr. Manning.
Please.
Now!
Oh, God!
No! Leave me alone!
Don't touch me!
Please!
Go! Go!
Leave me alone! No! Please, no!
I'd have come for that.
It was delicious.
Thank you.
Would you like some coffee?
That would be nice.
Where's your husband?
- He's at work.
- I thought he worked nights.
He leaves early.
He goes to the gym,
and then does who-knows-what beforehand.
And gets in at 3:00 a. m.?
You heard him.
That doesn't leave you
a lot of time together.
No.
Well, what time did you get in last night?
You must have been very quiet.
I'm sorry.
I know that's none of my business.
I'm afraid I have some work I need to do.
Thank you for the breakfast.
I'm glad you came over.
There's no damn way I'm handing this
over to the Feds. Or LAPD.
Look, it's too late, okay?
The Fed profiler is meeting with Sam now
- and they wanna see us at 3:00.
- Shit.
All right. We'll meet the profiler.
But when Smith comes,
you don't show him a fucking thing.
You got me? Not a fucking thing.
What are you doing?
I was trying to dry my trousers
and they caught fire.
You're welcome to use the dryer
in the house.
Well, these are lost now.
Think I might borrow one or two
of the things I saw in the closet?
Sure.
It seems your husband and I are a close fit.
So, he wants everything.
Who was killed, how many, when, how,
- police reports...
- From 1888?
Come on, you don't need me for this.
Everything on Jack the Ripper
is in the public record.
Why don't you just Google it?
Or go get the book
down at the Barnes & Noble?
Look, he wants it by 3:00, okay?
I mean, it beats me why you didn't
think it was the same guy all along.
- Going after whores, cutting them up...
- Find me the file number, would you?
All right, here it is.
Rolston, with an "O."
Well, two "O's. " 1422, aisle 14, second shelf.
So you fried the wrong guy?
That's a bummer, huh, Detective?
Fuck off.
- What the fuck are you doing?
- Why are you following me?
Fuck you, man!
Just making sure you had the files.
Get the fuck out of here.
You know your man Manning
was here today.
- You know, the cop on TV.
- Manning's here?
Just went out the back door.
Shit.
- Did he take anything?
- Said he couldn't find
what he wanted. Asshole.
I go back there to make sure he found
the files, bastard pulls a gun on me.
A gun? What file name did he want?
Rolston, with an "O."
Well, two "O's. "
What am I doing?
I forgot my bag.
Who were you expecting?
Sorry. Sorry I'm late.
Doctor's appointment.
So, Doc, what have we got?
How big, how old, Hispanic, White,
Asian, what?
Well, I can't give you specifics, Detective.
You know that.
Just a general profile.
And even there, we have to be careful
about making too many assumptions,
as your killer likely knows he's being
evaluated and will modify his behavior
to keep from giving away too much.
So what you're basically saying is
that he could be messing with us?
Yes, that's right.
Jesus Christ, could somebody
please tell me something we don't know?
Come on, Chandler.
Let's at least hear what she's got.
The precise replication
of the murders of Jack the Ripper
is clearly psychotic obsessive.
And we have to consider that
the comments made by Detective Manning
several years ago,
comparing Rodriguez to the Ripper,
- may well have triggered this obsession.
- Bullshit!
That was after
he'd cut two women to pieces.
What is this,
some kind of retroactive obsession?
She may be right, Chan.
Those first two murders
were all over the place.
They were cut up, but no real MO,
not like these ones.
Gee, thanks, Sam.
He's obviously extremely intelligent,
and from the way
the last victim was dissected,
it looks like he's had
some formal medical training.
What about motive?
Difficult. It could be a consequence
of any number of psychological factors,
psychosis, schizophrenia, bi-polar,
childhood trauma, sexual abuse.
A serial killer's motives, anger,
desire for revenge, whatever,
are almost always profoundly abstracted.
In this case, it's odd because,
while there's enormous sexual rage,
there isn't any actual sexual assault.
- Is that typical?
- Nothing's typical. It is unusual,
however, to find such a violent
manifestation of hyper-vigilant psychosis
directed at the opposing gender
without an autoerotic trigger.
It means he gets off on the killing.
And the chase, of course.
Not unlike the original Jack the Ripper.
What about the gap?
Why would he kill two women,
then disappear for seven years,
then start all over again?
Two, ten, twenty years,
sometimes they're able to stop altogether.
I imagine that, most of the time,
this guy appears normal,
like you and I. Has a job, goes to work,
maybe even has a family.
So, he just couldn't hold off anymore?
Possibly.
Or?
Or he wants to get back in the limelight
again, misses the cat and mouse.
But my guess is
he's fixated on you, Detective.
I think he wants to get closer, and is
leaving these Ripper clues on purpose.
That's where I would start.
Thought you might have
some scissors lying around.
Two-for-one tonight, hon.
- Piss off!
- You piss off, limp dick!
What about this guy?
He looks kind of cute.
Well?
Well, I think this is an exact re-creation
of the double Ripper murders
of Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes
on September 30, 1888.
You've been doing your homework.
The letter with the red ink
that we received three days ago?
That is word for word the same
as the "Dear Boss" letter
that the Ripper sent three days before
Stride and Eddowes were murdered.
- Got something here, Detective.
- I know.
- Looks like about a 10.
- Yeah.
Will you get these people the hell back?
I want a photograph of that.
Excuse me.
"Batty"? What does that mean?
I don't know,
but it sure as hell means something.
Hey, shouldn't we have forensics do that?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's been cut with scissors.
How did you know that was in there?
A piece of Catherine Eddowes' apron
was found on Goulston Street
the night of the double Ripper murders.
It had been used to scrawl
a message in blood, just like over there.
- And there was a witness.
- What?
The Eddowes murder.
There was a witness.
How tall was he?
Well, he was maybe about your height.
Was he White, Black, Hispanic?
I only saw him from behind.
It was just too dark.
But he was wearing a long, dark coat.
Oh, and he was carrying a small,
black
bag.
...over 100 years ago.
And speculation is growing
that this may in fact be
the same killer who murdered
two prostitutes on Sunset Boulevard
seven years ago.
Which would mean the L.A. County
Sheriff's Office and District Attorney
may have wrongly convicted
and executed Alonzo Rodriguez.
How many more innocent people
like Alonzo Rodriguez must die
before we realize that it's the death penalty
itself that's the mistake?
Right now, there are 600...
No, stay. Stay. It's a zoo out there.
...awaiting execution in California prisons,
140 of whom no longer even have
lawyers to represent them.
Now, do the math.
More innocent people will die
because of this archaic...
This guy is intentionally stoking up
the Latino community.
Things could get nasty for a while.
Yeah, but he's right. I missed something.
What?
Close the door.
What's this?
The Lusk letter?
The one that the Ripper sent to George Lusk
after the double murders
of Stride and Eddowes?
Did this just come in?
It was in the Rodriguez file.
Rodriguez?
- That was seven years ago.
- You remember what the Fed profiler said?
- Yeah.
- Well, she was right.
After we arrested Rodriguez,
I made some offhand comment to the press
about how we'd gotten rid
of a modern day Jack the Ripper.
A few days later, the letter arrived.
You know, strange shit comes in here
all the time. I just tossed it in the file.
I completely forgot about it, until
we received the "Dear Boss" letter last week.
Well, we don't know it's from the same guy.
No, I had it tested, outside.
Ink, paper, handwriting,
- it's all the same.
- You took something
out of Rodriguez's file, tested it,
and didn't tell anyone about it?
Jesus Christ, you are such a fucking rookie.
How long do you think it would take
for Smith and the Feds to move in here
once they found out
we'd missed key evidence
on the Rodriguez case? Take a look at this.
He's been matching the original Ripper
victim for victim.
Just Annie Chapman
and Mary Jane Kelly left.
If we don't catch this guy,
he's gonna kill two more women
and then what?
Disappear for another seven fucking years?
We got a week. Maybe two, and that's it!
You think Smith's gonna come in here
and help us catch this guy?
Hey, what's this?
It's the footprint from
the double murder scene.
It's a boot, actually.
Size 10. Made by Raptor Footwear
out of Washington State.
Rubber sole. You could find these
all over the place 10 years ago.
Tread's worn thin.
- Hello?
- Detective Manning,
- I have the Mayor for you.
- Hi, Bill.
I need you to come down to City Hall.
Yeah...
No, I'll be there.
...and that Detective Manning
drew his service revolver
and pointed it at the attendant
in a threatening manner
without provocation.
Further, Detective Manning has
systematically excluded
all outside agencies
from the information chain
in order to impede an independent review
of the case by the LAPD
and the FBI in particular.
Tell us what you took from Rodriguez's file.
All this is bullshit! Come on, Bill.
Can't you see Smith's just trying
to weasel his way into this?
What, you're gonna let him?
Threatening a co-worker
is hardly bullshit, Manning.
IA should have shut down
your antiquated cowboy crap years ago.
You're gonna have to
take some time off, Chandler.
Oh, so I guess you found
your scapegoat for this one, huh, Bill?
It is our decision, therefore,
that Detective Manning is hereby suspended
- pending psychological evaluation...
- Fuck this shit.
...and a more formal
and comprehensive review
of these charges by Internal Affairs.
Without pay.
Just a minute.
Room service.
Look at you.
I got mud on them last night,
walking across the garden.
I cleaned them in the sink, I'm sorry.
Those old things, who cares?
I recognize that shirt.
Yeah, it fits perfectly.
Well, if you don't need anything else...
There you are.
What are you doing back here?
I'm washing your boots.
Smith orchestrated this.
So what are you gonna do?
I don't know.
My daughter won't speak to me,
my wife can't speak to me.
Who knows,
maybe you and I should hang out
with some of your interior decorator friends.
You do need a break.
Not until I see this lunatic hang.
I thought you didn't believe
in the death penalty.
You've been watching too much TV.
Still meeting this Ripper author
with me tomorrow?
What, that guy? What's the point?
We know everything about
what Jack the Ripper did.
Names of victims, where, when, and how.
We don't know him,
who he was.
There is no him, Chandler.
The Ripper was never caught.
Yeah, but we know the names
of all the main suspects.
It's my guess this lunatic
is emulating one of them.
- What do I tell Smith?
- Nothing.
Shit.
You leaked it.
- Watch yourself, Detective.
- That footprint
was probably the only piece of information
the killer didn't know we had.
I mean, how else are we...
There are other factors
involved here, Wilkenson,
that you don't know about.
The city is in hysterics. The public wants to
know that we're making progress.
Are we trying to catch this guy,
or run a PR campaign?
Because the only progress I see is
towards more people getting killed.
It turns out I've made a great many mistakes.
Alonzo Rodriguez's execution
should never have happened.
Because the burden of proof in California
death penalty cases is too relaxed?
Not just California. Look.
How many convictions have been
overturned based on new DNA evidence?
Check it out. Manning's lost it.
It's not that I think serial killers
don't deserve to die...
The death penalty, it presupposes
the infallibility of a judicial system
where mistakes are made all the time,
and that means that
innocent people will continue to die.
Alonzo Rodriguez was one of them.
My part in that is something
I'm gonna have to live with for a long time.
Detective! Detective.
Rumor has it that you've been fired,
and that LAPD has taken over the case.
Is that true?
Things aren't always
as simple as they seem.
Joe, there's something odd
going on with Malcolm. I think he...
Wait, hold on. Who's Malcolm?
Our lodger.
All right, God damn it, please,
just cut the crap.
- No, Joe, listen.
- No, stop it! You listen.
There is no one back there.
Don't say that. You...
- Okay. All right. Get up.
- Listen, listen.
- Get up! I'm so sick of this!
- He's gone out!
- Come on, come on!
- No! Wait!
Promise me! Promise me you'll stop
this nonsense if there's no one there!
- He's out!
- Promise me!
- Yes.
- Say it! Say, "I promise. "
I promise.
Is anybody in there?
Is anyone in there?
No.
There's no one in there.
Joe!
It's Amanda. I'm not in.
Please leave a message.
Amanda, honey, hi, it's Dad.
Sorry I'm calling so late.
I hope you can call me back,
because I'd really love to see you.
I know I haven't been there much
for you or for your mother,
but I'm sure you know I went to the clinic
yesterday and saw Mom.
She wasn't too happy to see me,
but she looked good.
Well, I mean, it was good to see her.
Maybe we could
go over there together and...
Yeah, why the hell is Manning's name
on the suspect list?
When?
He steals evidence, and then
he asks you not to tell anyone? Why?
Tell him, Gregor.
After you left my desk,
Captain Smith and the IA guys came back,
and they made me show them
what I was doing.
Some of these sites you wouldn't believe.
This site, luskfromhell. Com,
it's named after the "From Hell" letter
that the Ripper sent to George Lusk in 1888,
along with half
of Catherine Eddowes' kidney.
He showed you the Lusk letter,
didn't he, Detective?
The one he took from the Rodriguez file?
Yeah, well, anyway,
Detective Manning was in the registry.
So what?
Look, Manning's theory is to try to find out
which of the original Ripper suspects
the killer is emulating.
And then, we'll be able
to predict his behavior.
So, digging through some obscure
Ripper sites is just good research.
That's exactly what I thought,
but then I also found Manning's footprint
in registries of some of the smaller,
more intensively violent sites,
where he had logged in using an alias.
Anyway, the weird thing is,
it turns out that Manning has been
a regular on a couple of these sites
since early '97.
That is about 18 months
before the first two murders.
The ones Rodriguez was framed for.
And that means that Manning has been
into this Ripper shit for years!
Yeah, but that doesn't make any sense.
Why wouldn't he have said anything?
Because he's a fucking lunatic, that's why!
We believe Manning constructed
the case against Rodriguez,
framing him for the first two murders
seven years ago.
We believe now that he's setting up
someone else to take the fall all over again.
We've done some digging into
Manning's past. He fits the profile exactly.
What profile? The lonely burned-out cop
with marital problems?
No, this is textbook.
In and out of foster homes as a kid,
troubled family life, suicidal wife,
depression, it's all there.
You just described half of L.A.,
for Christ's sake!
Look, there's not a chance in hell
Manning killed anyone.
If you are too close, Detective,
you need to tell me now.
What are we doing here?
I don't want Smith
seeing us meet with Lester.
Interesting.
Relax. He said 4:00. Give him a few minutes.
Look. Tell me, why did you want us
to assemble a file on Jack the Ripper
- if you know so much about him yourself?
- No, the file was for you.
The Tumblety case is interesting.
No one really knew he was a suspect
until about 10 years ago,
when a letter written
by a Scotland Yard Chief Inspector,
John Littlechild,
was discovered by a journalist,
when sealed documents were released
under the British Freedom
of Information Act.
He was an American
who lived in England for a short time,
his arrival in London neatly coinciding
with when the murders started
and his departure with
when they suddenly stopped.
The Tumblety theory holds
that no one knew he was a suspect
because certain members
of the police kept it quiet
and avoided releasing
any information on him
for fear he might flee,
which, of course, he did in the end anyway.
And how do the facts here point to him?
Well, they don't, really, except for
what your witness said about a black bag.
I remember reading somewhere
that Tumblety left behind a black bag.
At least, I think it was Tumblety.
I'll have to check my notes.
Yeah, so what have we got here?
Klosowski, the medical student,
Isenschmidt, the butcher,
Tumblety, the American. Which one is it?
Well, if you want one,
my guess is Isenschmidt, the butcher.
But I'd be careful about the obvious.
There's a reason
the Ripper was never caught.
And I doubt your killer is leaving behind
any clues he doesn't want to.
How long you been a Ripper expert?
A long time.
Why do you ask?
Jack the Ripper was
the personification of evil.
No motive, flauntingly violent, never caught.
Lago with a knife.
A fucking shadow lurking
in the darkest corner of the human mind.
How long?
He's the reason the police even exist.
Anyway, enough of the 20 questions.
Look, if we're gonna cover
all the names on this list,
we need to split up.
Why don't you drop me off?
No, no, no, no.
Let's just stay together, okay?
It's not that many names,
and besides, you're on suspension.
That's touching.
Sure, why not? Let's stick together.
Like Smith and Jones.
Thank you, ma'am.
Dead's a good alibi. Who's next?
All right, next. Joe Bunting.
Another one of those at the gym on Sunset
the night of the double murders.
Might explain the black bag.
Lives on 129 Whitechapel Street.
It's a pretty thin connection,
but Whitechapel is the 1.5 square mile area
on the East End of London
where all the Ripper murders took place.
It also happens to be
exactly the same size as West Hollywood.
- Mrs. Bunting?
- Yes?
Hi, I'm Detective Wilkenson, and this is...
I recognize you.
We'd like to come in
and ask a few questions
if you and your husband are available.
Well, he's not here,
and I just got my son down for a nap,
so Joe will be back later, in the morning,
if you'd like to come back then.
Ma'am, we won't be more
than a few minutes. Please.
Usually he gets off around 1:00,
but he doesn't always come straight home.
It would be helpful
if we could speak with him tonight.
Where is he?
He sometimes goes to the gym first,
with Bill.
They work together,
and it's near their building.
But it's too late.
They're probably at work by now.
What's the address?
19000 Sunset near Doheny.
He's a security guard.
- They both are.
- What's back there?
That's just an extra room where we store
some of my husband's old things.
- Anybody staying there?
- No.
Mind if we take a look?
No.
- Whose are these?
- Those are my husband's.
Well, thank you, Mrs. Bunting.
I'm sorry we troubled you.
Okay.
She's hiding something.
You notice the way she wouldn't look at us
when we went into the guest house?
Maybe she kicked her husband
out of the house.
Get a search warrant from Rollins.
I want to take a good look back there.
They're not gonna find anything.
They're not gonna find anything.
Were you and Bunting working last week,
the nights of March 14 and 17?
I don't know. Maybe.
What's all this?
You finish with him. I'll call you in an hour.
Where are you going?
Annie Chapman.
Same incisions.
Same body position, same everything.
And her uterus is missing.
Where have you been?
What's that supposed to mean?
You didn't go home, did you?
Most people with a bottle of red ink
would have it hidden away these days,
don't you think?
I don't know what you mean.
Come now, Ellen.
You must have read the papers.
- No, I...
- You can't just come in here
and start snooping around.
I wasn't. I wasn't.
I was just trying to clean behind the cabinet,
it must have tipped over.
No one will know.
Ellen, please.
I shouldn't have raised my voice, I'm sorry.
- No, no.
- I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have raised my voice.
Shit, man, don't do that!
I might have shot you.
Yeah, right. You're gonna have to
learn how to shoot first.
Where you been? The cops were here.
What'd you tell them?
Take it easy. Nothing.
They just asked about Ellen, what
we did last week, a bunch of stupid shit.
That's it?
They didn't ask about anything else?
Like what?
- It's gotta be here somewhere.
- Captain!
It looks like we found something.
Got him.
Call me the minute he shows up.
Shit!
You're leaving.
Tumblety.
Please.
No one has to know.
I'll do anything.
Hello?
I'm looking for Street Wilkenson. Is this...
Hey, Cat. It's okay, baby. I got it.
- Hi.
- Hi. Who's that?
- My wife.
- Your wife?
She's really been looking forward
to meeting you.
Here's me thinking I was being
so fucking open minded.
Yeah, right. What do you want? It's late.
It's not Isenschmidt. It's Tumblety.
Bunting is Tumblety, and that black bag
is in that guesthouse. I'm sure of it.
Chandler, there's still nothing
to connect any of this to Bunting.
We find that black bag, and there will be.
Let's go.
Wait, wait, wait. You mean right now?
Listen, this prick Smith has
been already through my apartment.
He's got two of LAPD's finest staked out,
waiting for me. We don't have much time.
Chandler, why do you care so much about
what Smith knows or doesn't know?
We're all after the same guy.
Well, since when have
you started defending Smith?
You told him?
- Hey, look, you can't just go over there.
- Bullshit!
This asshole has got one more murder,
- then he fucking disappears.
- Okay, just one second.
Let me get dressed.
We still have to call Smith.
The only prints I found
match those of a woman,
presumably the wife.
Same as those in the main house.
- That's it. I'll tell the Captain.
- Okay.
We're done here.
It's clean, no black bag, no prints.
Nobody's been back here, Chandler.
Let's go. Smith wants to talk to us.
No, there's something else.
They knew we were getting close.
Why else would they all leave
in the middle of the night?
I'm gonna take another look around.
Oh, what? You think I should go with you?
Just don't touch anything.
- Let's get everybody out of here.
- Okay. There's nothing.
- It's clean.
- Get someone in here to open this thing!
You fucking left him out there?
- It's stuck.
- Just open the damn thing!
Bingo.
- Jesus, God.
- Right.
No, you'd better do this.
I wouldn't want to taint anything.
Yeah, it's Smith.
Get a car over to 19000 Sunset.
There's a security guard there,
his name is Joe Bunting.
He works in the security booth.
No, no, no. Just hold him until I get there.
Get over to the lab right away.
Run them for prints
and against the ink
in both of the earlier letters.
Call me as soon as you get results.
I don't care what time it is.
Well, it looks like LAPD got their man.
- Hold out your hands.
- What for?
There's clearly been nobody living here,
and my guess is that
we won't find prints anywhere.
Will we, Manning?
Now hold out your hands.
I'll be there in 15 minutes.
Okay. Bye.
You have the right to remain silent.
- Anything you say can and will be used...
- What, you think I planted all of this?
You have the right to an attorney.
- Oh, don't fucking do this!
- Shut up, Manning. It's over!
When you get through here,
take him down to the station.
Do you understand these rights
as I have read them?
Excuse me. We're looking for Joe Bunting.
Tape it up. Get everybody out of there.
Yeah. Smith.
Bunting's gone AWOL, sir.
Nobody knows where he is.
Well, find him, God damn it!
- Hey, Amanda.
- Hey, Matt.
- Are you guys coming out later?
- No, I got a lab due tomorrow.
- That's a bummer.
- Yeah. Later.
See you.
- Everybody out.
- Take a look at this.
- I have to take you in.
- This is a map of London.
These red marks, they're the exact location
of all the Whitechapel murders in 1888.
George Yard, Buck's Row, Hanbury Street,
double murder at Mitre Square,
and the last murder at Miller's Court.
Now this is West Hollywood,
and the red marks are the locations
of all the Sunset murders over the last week.
- So?
- So, there's one too many.
- We've got a match.
- With what?
The red ink is a positive match
with the ink from the last letter,
and there are traces of blood
mixed in with it.
We've got a pair of Raptor boots
the exact same size as the footprint
and we're testing fibers
from some burned clothes
we found buried at the side of the house.
Yeah, I suppose you think
I planted all that, too.
- Thanks.
- See, this one... This one's new.
Oh, God! No!
Get me the fuck out of these things, now!
It's an apartment building, 19015 Sunset.
All right, what else do we have
on Mary Jane Kelly
other than she was the last victim?
She was butchered beyond recognition.
In her own room.
Answer, damn it!
- Which one?
- 221.
Amanda!
Hey, get out of there!
What the hell is going on?
- Who are you?
- Who are you?
I'm Amanda's father.
You know where she is?
Yeah, I just saw her
a couple of minutes ago.
- She was headed to the House of Blues.
- Shit!
- What about her? Is that her?
- Yeah, it is. Thank God!
Hey!
- Oh, Christ! No!
- Shit!
Amanda, get down! Police!
- Are you all right?
- I'm okay.
- Are you hurt?
- I'm okay.
Stay with her. I'll be back.
- I'll be back.
- No, don't...
- It's okay.
- He's headed back to the house.
- Don't!
- Stop! Police!
Requesting Code 3 back up.
Suspect heading to 129 Whitechapel Street.
Police. Come out!
Come out! It's over!
Shit.
Right here.
He's inside the house.
Give me that flashlight.
Go back. Go back around the front.
Oh, my God!
Drop it! Now!
What was that?
Oh, my God.
Oh, Jesus.
It's unbelievable.
It explains how she was able to
get so close to each of her victims.
She's advanced schizophrenic.
She never recovered from
a traumatic childbirth about 8 years ago.
Seems the OBGYN really messed things up,
and after two days of an intense labor,
finally does a cesarean,
but the baby is dead. Stillborn.
After the baby died, about 8 years ago,
the first wave of murders began.
Sometime after that,
to escape the horrors of her experience
and later her own brutally violent behavior,
she retreated into her imaginary world.
It's amazing, really.
She's an extraordinarily intelligent woman,
and she describes everything
in meticulous detail.
She talks mainly
about two imaginary characters.
Timmy, which is the name
of her stillborn son,
and a lodger, whom she invented recently,
a kind of romantic fantasy,
and also to complete the self-delusion
that she was not the person
imitating Jack the Ripper
and killing these young women.
It's all in her mind.
She believes that Timmy
and the lodger exist
in the same way
that she believes you and I exist.
So she's completely insane?
She simply invented a person
who was obsessed with Jack the Ripper
through whom she could literally
conduct exhaustive research
and act out these brutally savage crimes.
And you have to remember that
your evidence against Rodriguez
was always circumstantial.
She could never have done all of this
as Ellen.
- Captain, we're gonna bring her out, okay?
- Car's ready.
Thank you.
Don't worry. We'll look after Timmy for you.
Timmy?
Timmy died 7 years ago.
At 2:30 this morning, the LAPD and the FBI,
working with the L.A. County Sheriffs
here at the West Hollywood Station,
arrested Mrs. Ellen Bunting
at her house on Whitechapel Street
in West Hollywood.
Mrs. Bunting will shortly undergo
a complete psychological...
Why didn't you go with Smith?
You don't think it's her.
Hello?
I saw the sign out front,
about the room for rent?
Oh, yes, please. Come in.
So, did you just move to Santa Monica?
Not really, no.
I'm just looking for something new.
Something to inspire me.
Great. Let me show you around.