Angie Tribeca wakes up at 4:45 in the morning, gets up, and exercises. She practices her knife-throwing and punching, and then pouts on her police equipment and leaves for work past her target providers.
The police are securing a crime scene when Angie arrives and the ME, Dr. Monica Scholls, tells her that an old woman was found lying dead on the street. She was either shot dead or smothered with a pillow: Monica isn’t sure which. The woman asks them to help her up, but they cover her over with a sheet.
At the station, Officer DJ Tanner comes over to Angie’s desk with his dog Hoffman. DJ says that Lieutenant Chet Atkins to see her, and warns that Chet doesn’t look happy. But then again, he never does. In Chet’s office, Chet introduces Angie to her new partner, Jay Geils. She insists that she doesn’t need or want a partner, but Chet tells her that she doesn’t have a choice and says that they have a case. The mayor is being blackmailed and they need to head down to City Hall.
As they drive to City Hall, Angie warns Jay that she doesn’t like partners and doesn’t want to hear about Jay’s personal issues. By the time they arrive, Angie is sharing her personal issues. Mayor Joe Perry explains that someone has compromising photos of him and opens his shirt to reveal his tattoos he got when he was young and stupid. The blackmailer wants $4,000 and he doesn’t have that kind of money. Only his wife, mistress, and nude art class know about his tattoos.
Angie and Jay go to the Perry home and Jay fights with the gardener while Angie talks to Mrs. Perry. The wife says that the tattoos are part of her husband’s past. Angie suggests that maybe Mrs. Perry is blackmailing her husband, and she says that she has access to all of her husband’s accounts. She insists that she doesn’t love her husband, but they have an arrangement to their mutual playthings. However, Mrs. Perry has no idea that her husband has a mistress.
Next, Angie and Jay head to the mistress’ home. The mistress, Monica Vivarquar, assures them that she knows the mayor intimately. Angie figures that she never had an affair with Perry, and Monica can’t describe the tattoos. Monica finally admits that she never had sex with Perry and the detectives leave. Outside, Angie figures that Perry has something to hide so he asked Monica to pose as his mistress to create a diversion from his real secret. They each remove their gum and kiss briefly, but Angie finally says that they could go.
At the morgue, Monica examines the blackmail note with Angie and Jay. The wheelchair-bound Dr. Edelweiss comes in and Monica shows him the notes. Edelweiss gets out of his wheelchair to come over and examine the note. He points out that the handwriting shows that the writers is in dire financial straits and is desperate enough to blackmail the mayor.
Later at the police gym, Angie and Jay are sparring and Angie figures that it isn’t the wife. She figures that they’re missing something and Jay agrees.
At Verdugo Valley College, Professor Everett Lamereau is conducting a nude drawing class when Angie and Jay come in to question him. He assures them that they treat their figure with the utmost respect, and tell him to stay in town. As they leave, both cops figure that they have to get close to Everett. A blonde nude model arrives and asks for directions, and Angie gets an idea.
Soon, Angie comes into the class wearing a blonde wig and removes her coat. Jay is in contact with her via wire, and Everett lectures the class on how the human body is a temple. He rants about people who defile their bodies with tattoos, Angie asks if he would ever blackmail someone with tattoos, and Everett figures that he would if he could make a cool $4,000. Angie removes her wig and puts him under arrest, but Everett grabs her coat and runs.
Jay goes after Everett while Angie staples together some paper to provide cover. She runs out to join the chase and brings Everett down with a backpack. They tell him that he’s going to the hell of minimum-security prison and have him handcuff himself.
Later at the station, Angie apologizes about blowing up at him about not wanting a partner. Jay assures her that it’s okay and invites her out for a drink, and they share an overly long laugh before she agrees. DJ comes over and says that Chet wants to see her, and Angie takes a rain check. As Jay goes, Angie assures him that she’s good with the partner thing.
Written by Gadfly on Jul 3, 2016