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Linden finds Skinner on her front steps; his wife has asked him to leave. He and Linden rekindle their affair. Holder attends Bullet’s funeral. He explains to Danette how Bullet tried her best to defend Kallie. Holder apologizes to Caroline, but is called away to a case.
At the prison, Henderson packs up Seward’s belongings, and runs into Becker cleaning out his locker. He’s got too much going on at home, he says, and warns Henderson not to become a prisoner to his job. Holder arrives at the crime scene, and Linden explains the victim will not be easy to identify. At the PD, Holder apologizes to Reddick, who has asked for a new partner, but has declined to file a complaint. Skinner reveals that the DA is filing charges for Joe Mills, and that he misses Linden as a partner. He wants to make plans for the weekend, but she is working the new case, and Holden interrupts: the coroner has info for them. On the way, Linden admits she and Skinner were involved while they were partners. Holden is not surprised. The coroner tells Holder and Linden that the female victim was shot and killed within 24 hours, and that she was missing a ring finger. Linden suggests the victim is Angie Gower. They argue over Joe Mills’s involvement. Holder doesn’t think Mills is responsible, and tells Linden she could be sending another innocent man to his death. Linden thinks a cop is involved.
The detectives go to speak to the first victim’s father, who mentions she was a drug addict. Holder finds a picture of Reddick with the victim; she was enrolled in a junior officer’s program. They discuss how Reddick was involved in all the cases. Outside, Linden spots a tree house, and recalls Seward’s tale of building a tree house for Adrian, outside the city limits. With a map, they find the second tree house, and the pond where the bodies were placed. They suss out that the killer was likely looking for Adrian when he murdered Trisha Seward. Adrian is stopped by an unknown driver, who he recognizes.
The detectives arrive at Adrian’s home; his adoptive mother is worried because he is missing. Skinner picks up his kid from ballet; she asks him if he loves ‘the woman from work’. He gets a call, and arrives at Adrian’s home, where Linden and Holder greet him with the possibility that Adrian has been kidnapped, and that they have the wrong man in jail, and that Reddick is the suspect. Skinner tells them to continue to search for Adrian, and he will handle the Reddick investigation. The detectives talk to Adrian’s neighbor, and check some nearby security camera footage. At the station, Internal Affairs is waiting for Holder.
Linden can’t reach Skinner by phone, so she goes to his house, where he is packing. His wife and daughter come in and become upset at seeing them together, but Linden then sees Kallie Leed’s ring on Skinner’s daughter’s finger, and deduces that he must be the killer. She takes his gun and forces him to take her to Adrian. Holder tells the IA agents to call Skinner, but is informed that Skinner filed the complaint. Holder convinces the IA that he has wired Reddick’s car to blow and that his phone is the detonator. Reddick arrives and Holder is released, and they go to find Adrian.
Skinner admits to Linden that he was the one that called IA on Holder. He talks about how the first victim was an accident, how she was supposed to be at a junior officer’s class and he found her high and walking the streets, so he took her to the woods and killed her, talking about the exhilaration of killing those no one cares about. Holder gets a possible address for Skinner’s current location. Linden and Skinner verbally spar more of his motivations, he eventually suggests that Linden knew him and loved him, that’s why she ended up in psychiatric care. Holder and Reddick look for Adrian. In the car, Skinner intimates that he has hidden many more bodies in the surrounding area, but remains silent about Kallie Leeds. When they stop, Skinner confesses to Bullet’s murder and for framing Joe Mills.
Holder arrives at the vacant cabin. Skinner implies that Adrian is in the trunk, but Reddick finds him at Trisha Seward’s grave. Skinner tells Linden that he lied and regrets killing Adrian. Linden shoots Skinner in the gut, leading Holder to her location, where he tells her that Adrian is still alive. Holder tries to talk her out of his, but eventually she shoots Skinner dead.
