- Bosch struggles to manage both professional and personal fallout, as an echo of his past helps him discover pivotal clues in the Waits case. As the stakes escalate, a restless Waits hatches a deadly plan.
- Bosch rides in the police car with Stokes, they arrive at the Station. Bosch tells Stokes not to talk to anyone, cuffs him to a table and has Officer Pierce guard the room. After rinsing his face with clean water, Back in the interrogation room with Stokes, Harry concedes Stokes did not shoot Officer Brasher, but then produces the old Delacroix photo of young skateboarders. Stokes says he can barely recall those years long ago.
In his garage, Raynard Waits practices with a burlap sack and taser setup for the passenger seat of his van.
Bosch is called out to talk to the SIU detectives but claims he needs time to sort out the details of what happened. The other cops say the Robbery Homicide Department will also be talking to Brasher.
Later, Bosch goes to the Hospital, he first stops in at Det. Moore, now in recovery, and the two men joke around. Next he sees Julia Brasher, on painkillers and listening to her music. She will be staying overnight as she hit her head but the bullet only left cracked ribs under her vest. Somewhat giddy, she is hoping for a medal as she has reported Stokes went for her gun and it went off. Harry tells her to think carefully before making any statements.
Waits' mother falls and can't get up, she blows her whistle and calls for David. Raynard hurries over and helps her to her feet.
Outside City Hall, the DA Rick O'Shea makes a statement endorsing the police and the Chief also makes a re-assuring prepared statement. Irving and his aide watch from a distance then walk away.
Bosch goes to see Lt Billets at her home, it is 24 Dec. He explains Brasher made a mistake in the garage and this will be her third Unsat. Billet understands but Brasher would also be filing a false report if it was covered up. She tells him to try and get Julia to change her statement.
Waits calls a Long Term Care Facility for his mother, she calls for him while watching TV. He mutes the TV when another Raynard Waits bulletin comes on, explains her special glasses won't be ready until Boxing Day. She is also reading a a French book, "brushing up". Raynard knows some French also.
Harry goes to Venice to see Julia. She offers him a coffee but he just wants to talk on the deck. He recounts a story of another cop who had made a mistake with cuffs and gun. Julia clues in and gets angry. Harry is firm that Stokes had two hands on the wall, she must change her statement. Julia is upset that he won't back her up.
Harry then gives his true statement to the investigators, that Stokes had both hands on the wall when the gun went off.
Waits makes sure his mother is sleeping comfortably in front of the TV. He leaves a gift under the small tree and ponders another Ch6 news report on himself. Driving, he spots a young man drinking booze on the street and pulls over. He shows the badge and orders the man into his van, to write a ticket. Waits flips the burlap sack over the man's head but before he can taser him a passing fire truck startles him. The man struggles and manages to escape, Waits drives off.
Christmas Day, Stokes is released from jail. Bosch is there and once again shows him the old photo. Stokes names the boys.
Raynard/David and his mother have a meal together, she is happy, Raynard is edgy. Bosch studies the Delacroix murder book in the deserted station. Cleaning up, Raynard says he's going out, his mother gets upset as they had been watching 'It's a Wonderful Life' on TV.
Irving meets Bosch at the Station. Bosch updates him on Brasher and why he released Stokes. Irving agrees and wants Bosch back on the Waits case, working independent of the Task Force, but also work on the Delacroix one too.
Harry goes to search Raynard Waits' apartment. It is clean, well organized and simple. On a bookshelf a photo book of skulls catches his interest. It is a French language book on the catacombs of Paris. Harry opens it and some photos of skulls and bones falls out.
For Christmas dinner Harry goes alone to a Chinese restaurant. After, his phone rings and Eleanor Wish is calling for Maddie. Harry apologizes to his daughter but his work is keeping him busy. He brings up an idea for her to come to LA to spend some time together, if her mother approves. He has to hang up as Waits calls his cell. Once again Waits taunts Bosch saying they are dogs from the same kennel and both kill people. Waits tosses his burner cell out his van window and drives off. Harry quickly gets the call traced as an exigent emergency. Arriving at the location a couple of other squad cars are there with a street kid who had picked up the phone.
Bosch shows Jerry Edgar the French skull book; another detective, Kiz Ryder, says there is no passport record on Waits.
Wait's mother notices she is out of Prednisone, she panics, whistling for David, sends him out to refill the prescription.
Harry meets Eleanor at a hotel; she is in LA for a card game. Wish gives him a gift from Maddie, a pocket notebook with a leather cover and her photo inside. Harry likes the gift. He then shows Wish the French book. Elisabeth figures Waits may be building his own catacomb. Also, she suggests the LAPD profilers come up with a script for Harry to follow next time Waits calls him.
Waits goes to the drug store wearing a hoodie, sunglasses, and cowboy hat. Standing in line, he sees a TV monitor show the bulletin and his photo; he decides to leave the pharmacy without the meds.
Edgar watches the video from the Waits factory visit; when Raynard mentions being put in a trunk, Harry in the next cubicle perks up. Harry then drives with Jerry to an orphan boys home, McLaren Youth Hall. The "trunk" is a punishment room. They request the files of every boy who came through from 1970 to 1990; there are 8000 files.
Waits returns home and observes his mother sleeping fitfully with an oxygen mask. He is deep in thought while cleaning up soiled tissues.
While others are loading a van with file boxes, Harry walks around the facility; this was where he lived as a youth. He has brief flashbacks and sees a solitary confinement room. The Headmaster claims they don't use it anymore, but Bosch had noticed a mattress and his anger flares. By the curb, Harry acknowledges a sad boy sitting at a window. He grabs a file from the 1978 box and puts it in his trunk; it is his own.
Waits' mother wakes up, Raynard is sitting beside her. He appears sad and says he hopes he wasn't a disappointment; she replies he wasn't and she has always appreciated when he came to them as a foster child. Raynard is gentle but then smothers her to death with a pillow.
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