Directed by Ernest R Dickerson
Written by Stephanie Sengupta
A couple found stabbed and burned in their apartment are identified as Colin and Geraldine, two British exchange students. Clues lead Lupo and Bernard to Wendy Teal, the girlfriend of the victims' neighbor, who was killed trying to save them from the fire. Wendy is severely mentally ill and was jealous of her boyfriend's crush on Geraldine, so she killed the victims during a psychotic episode. Connie becomes suspicious of Wendy's brother Dennis Teal, who's legally responsible for her. Wendy is jailed for breaking her bail conditions after Teal reveals that she hasn't been taking her medication. However, Connie finds out that Teal hasn't filled Wendy's prescriptions in several months.
Wendy commits suicide in jail, and Connie believes this was all part of Teal's plan. She finds out that Teal stole a valuable antique left to Wendy by their mother, and was going to sell it in London behind her back using Colin and Geraldine's address. He stopped filling her prescriptions in the knowledge that she would either get herself killed or locked up. The prosecutors agree to charge Teal with Colin and Geraldine's murders on the grounds of reckless indifference. In court, Teal denies withholding Wendy's medication and says that selling the antique in London was her own idea - she thought they could cheat their way out of paying the inheritance tax.
Cutter uses Teal's confession under oath as evidence beyond reasonable doubt: he and Wendy conspired to kill Colin and Geraldine in order to cover up the tax fraud. Teal said himself that Wendy was entirely coherent and reasonable, so she can legally be held as a co-conspirator. The jury finds him guilty and he accepts a deal for 20 years to life, the same sentence he wanted for Wendy. McCoy warns that Cutter didn't act in the interests of justice - publicly assassinating Wendy's character isn't avenging her.
This episode contains examples of:
- Bland-Name Product: A social media site called "Faceplace" features.
- Cain and Abel: Dennis Teal is the Cain to Wendy's Abel.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Wendy for Charlie Headland.
- Did Not Do the Bloody Research: In order to make Geraldine look bad to Charlie, Wendy wrote a fake blog as "Geraldine", detailing her supposed secret double life as a prostitute. Wendy's attempt to write like a British person comes across as this trope.
- Driven to Suicide: Wendy.
- Inheritance Murder: Teal's actions are a form of this.
- Insane Equals Violent: How the episode treats Wendy's illness.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: The victims were murdered because Wendy thought Charlie had bought flowers for Geraldine.
- The Ophelia: Wendy
- Opportunistic Bastard: Dennis Teal takes advantage of his sister's mental illness.
- They Know Too Much: Cutter's argument in court - Colin and Geraldine had found out their address was being used for tax fraud, so the Teals killed them to keep them quiet.
