One of Vanessa Cavanaugh's students commits what she taught to be a perfect murder. No evidence, no witnesses. After the murder confesses to Temple and Debreno his crime, he starts to play with Mannion, who can't seem to charge him since the confession wasn't recorded. Mannion is out to get him for the murder of the father of 3 children and ends up finding a way to link the suspect to the murder scene. Meanwhile, Parras works on a Jane Doe case and finds the victim's estranged mother; and Kendall finds it difficult to end her relationship with a married man.

While in L.A. Mannion unexpectedly meets up with Vanessa Cavanaugh and offers her a ride. Unfortunately the rental care is carjacked and the pair find themselves stranded in a deserted part of town after they get carjacked. Back in Washington, Deputy Mayor Lockhart asks Debreno to help her find a blackmailer who has a scandalous videotape that could destroy her career; Kendall is threatened by her ex-boyfriend; and Ella is offered a job by the mayor.

After a black prostitute is found murdered with the inscription ""Respect the Order"" attached to her body, Mannion and his team start a deep investigation that leads to a racial criminal who started serial killing African-Americans who were involved with white people. Meanwhile, Parras sees her father being arrested for requesting the services of a prostitute and has to face her own family problems. Temple helps a friend detox from heroine and Ella investigates a suspicious fire that could promote an officer – but ends up being the reason for his arrest.