A news show reports about a teen, Kevin Clark, who was kidnapped and held for $3 million. The ransom was paid but three years later he still has not been returned. A sighting has made people wonder if Kevin Clarke has been found.

Taylor says that ransom money showed up in Europe--this was kept out of the press. The cash is marked. Sharon says they must investigate the entire case, including FBI Agent Shay's profile. But Chief Taylor says Shay will be consulting.

Provenza and Flynn are not happy. Shay says it was his idea. Anyway he has run into Rusty in the elevator and wishes the FBI could use civilians. Shay also doesn't want to learn names because he can't remember.

Shay claims the parents are involved even though he said the opposite in his statements before. He claims that was said to mislead suspects. He also thinks it's suspicious that the parents didn't follow directions and that they are living the high life now, but were broke before.

Meanwhile, Rusty finds a location on his phone and tiptoes out with his computer.

Tao tries to one-up Shay with tech info from Badge of Justice. The team sets up a base on the studio. Shays and Provenza investigate while they do this.  Shay mistakes a prop for the real video projector.

Tao has footage of Clarke with his two friends in a restaurant three years ago. Shay shows a stolen car and how Kevin Clarke went to meet it. Driver couldn't be ID'd as there is no face in any of the footage. Clarke gets in and they drive away.

They speed up the footage to show Kevin's friends going across the street several times, and that they call and text. Then they got an Uber away from the restaurant. Shay and Sharon both think the kidnapping looks staged.

Rusty meets up with TJ, who says Rusty didn't answer his texts for four days. Rusty asks him if he can show up tomorrow at 4 to keep an eye out on things. TJ is annoyed because Rusty didn't call him back and doesn't buy it when Rusty says he was trying to protect TJ. He's hurt and feels stupid that he thought Rusty actually wanted to hang out with him. He tells him not to contact him again after he watches out for him tomorrow.

Kevin's friends don't know why they're being shown the video. Sharon says the boys didn't seem surprised, even when a fire truck went by, and that makes them think that they were told not to look at the kidnapping. Shay is angry Sharon brought up the ransom money. One of Kevin's friends says he has no time for this and leaves. Jamie confesses that the three boys were meant to sell some drugs and if they looked at the car maybe the drug dealer they were working with would see them. Shay interrupts, all crazy, to yell at Jamie for not telling him this two years ago.

Sykes has traced the ransom deposit to a local nightclub. Sanchez recognizes it as a strip club by the airport.  Sanchez says someone spending that type of money will be memorable. Sanchez wants to go by himself but is not allowed. Shay and Sharon have a showdown over the fact that the parents are coming to the station. Sharon tells him he'd better do things her way. She sends Tao to help the interrogation.

The parents are angry about the tabloid TV story that suggests that they helped kidnap their own son. Shay takes credit for Jamie's confession. The mother doesn't believe the kids were dealing drugs. Kevin had been sober for several months.

The parents have been dealing with their grief by traveling. They went to Brazil to search for Kevin. When Tao tries to ask about the strip club, Shay shuts him down, and then the parents get offended and leave when they find out about this question.

Sanchez gets an address from the club and calls it in to Sharon just then.

The LAPD goes to search the house. It belongs to a drug dealer. Shay is upset the name never came up. They break into the house and no one is there, but there is a stash spot inside the  wall.

Outside, the hot tub appears to have been moved. The cops dig underneath the new spot to find out what's there. They find Kevin Clarke's body with a bullet hole through the head. Provenza tells Tao not to let Shay wander too far away.

Rusty asks if Sharon will be at work later. Sharon asksTJ gives Rus about TJ. Rusty says it may be the last time and then tells Sharon he may need her later. 

ME goes over the body, and then says they aren't ruling out the parents. Shay tries to leave with the bullet and claims that the only way to stop him is arrest him. Provenza realizes that Shay's plan was to take over the case. Sharon is upset.

They go to Taylor and there is evidence Shays engaged in improper behavior during his career such as depositing $100,000 in his personal account and unauthorized trips to Brazil.

Michael Sparks has been dead a week and is in the morgue. He was killed by a bullet from the same unique weapon as Kevin Clarke.

Chief Taylor allows MCU to question Shay but because he is FBI he cannot be detained or arrested unless he confesses.

Shay accuses them of getting revenge by investigating his finances. Shay claims the money comes from a novel he wrote under a pen name based on the murder. Howard says his book doesn't have an ending. He is surprised that Sparks was also killed. He claims Mr. Clark has such a gun and therefore he's right that it was the parents and he wants to thank them for giving him the case. Sharon sends her people to pick up the Clarks before Shays can get to them.

TJ gives Rusty the silent treatment. Gustav comes in. Gustav seems to be surprised that Rusty is a journalist but eventually gives him permission to record him. He gives Rusty Alice's real name: Mariana Wallace. He tells Rusty that his father died when he was 15 and his mom hung out with some terrible guy so he ran away to the Army and they were all gone when he came back. He feels guilty about not staying to protect them.  He asks Rusty to let him see Mariana. Rusty asks him how he can know Gustav didn't abuse her. Gustav shows him his own burn marks and asks again to see Mariana. TJ leaves in the middle of this.

The Clarks are brought in and questioned about the gun. The parents are informed of the death. The father is extremely upset. The wife wants to know how they can help. She claims that they didn't realize the weapon was stolen til after the ransom. They think Kevin had the gun and that they were afraid to come forward because Shay suspected them.

Shay shows up demanding to arrest the Clarks. Sharon steps aside when he cannot be dissuaded. Sharon says they will continue notification process without him. Jamie and Daniel are told that Sparks is dead. Tao says that the friends are to be charged with double homicide because of Sparks and Clark's deaths. 

Danny says it's not a kidnapping because Kevin had the idea and planned the whole kidnapping to get even with his parents for not giving him money when he came out of rehab. Then he changed his mind. Kevin pulled a gun when they wouldn't let him go because they didn't want to go to jail. Mike killed Kevin during the struggle.

Dan and Jamie are told about the stash at Mike's.  Provenza has found the gun and Dan's. The boys fight over who was responsible. Sharon suggests the FBI be the one to prosecute this case. Meanwhile Shay is about to announce his arrest of the parents at a press conference.