In the fourth episode of Dark Winds season 4, the assassin, Irene, sneaks into an LA office and steals some files. Before she departs, she leaves a spray-painted message on the wall: "The truth dies with me." She also kills the owner of the house, tying him up in his car and choking him with his car's exhaust fumes.
Meanwhile, Jim Chee is still nursing his injuries, but he refuses to go to the hospital for now. Instead, he patches himself up and heads outside, where despite the sunny weather, things are still frosty between him and Bern. Joe, now in LA, calls Emma to let her know he's in town. He didn't want to surprise her or blindside her with this news, but he reinforces that he's currently on a case. Emma offers a way in though, suggesting they head for lunch.
For now, Joe is busy looking for Billie with Bern and Jim. The latter decides to head out alone, as the trio decides to head over to the Indian Center for clues. However, this brings back memories for Jim, who has actually been here before when he was a kid with his mum.
Unfortunately, Joe and Bern don't have much luck, and they come across plenty of bureaucratic red tape when the cops refuse to budge or do them any favors without a warrant. However, they do get a lead thanks to Jim Chee. Out back with a bloody nose, he runs into a fellow Native by the name of Sonny Bear Heart. Apparently, he has an office just up the road and he offers Chee a job, encouraging him to come visit at Cliffside bar.
Chee notices that Sonny is wearing the same sort of ring as Albert, and although he hasn't mentioned Leroy Gorman, it seems like the perfect opportunity to bring it up casually. Chee wants to go it alone, knowing that if Joe or Bern arrive with him, it may spook the guy.
At the bustling bar, Jim strikes up a casual conversation with Sonny, dropping the names of Albert and Leroy like breadcrumbs. The guy certainly knows who they are, but he plays his cards close to his chest, offering Jim not only a place to crash but also a party. With Leroy's supposed arrival on the horizon, Chee updates the others as he casually brushes past their truck. However, as we soon see, Chee's gash is getting more pronounced, and so too is his mood towards Bern. When she tries to talk to him that afternoon, Chee gives her the cold shoulder, still seething that she's getting the promotion over him.
Joe heads to see Emma for lunch and confesses that he's retiring after this case. He also has a bag of tomatoes for her, plucked straight from the vine. While they're enjoying their meal, Emma gets a call and is forced to cut their lunch short as she's called back into the hospital.
Meanwhile, the assassin makes her way back to her heavily-guarded compound, where she's reunited with her grandfather. Here, we learn her actual name, as he seems to be slipping into dementia. He fires his gun at her, and Irene is forced to wrestle him to the ground and calm him down. He's paranoid and still living in the heart of the war. However, Irene isn't exactly completely sane either - she sticks a picture of Joe on her mirror and gazes at it fondly, touching her lips and smiling.
Irene arrives at the local prison to meet her boss, eager to present her work and request the usual payment. However, her boss is displeased with the way she's handled the situation. With Albert's death and Billie's relentless search for his brother across Los Angeles, he desires a swift resolution to the matter. The man's trial is looming, and he's uneasy with the number of loose ends she's left. Money seems to be off the table until she deals with Billie, leaving Irene feeling desperate.
That night, the lavish party commences, and Jim Chee makes an appearance, fulfilling his role. He encounters Sonny, who pressures him into taking drugs and drinking. However, this all happens as Billie also arrives at the party. Joe urges Bern to leave it to Chee, but she disregards his advice and decides to join the party herself, blending in with the crowd of pretty faces. As she begins to look around, Billie is approached by one of the girls and warned to leave.
Sonny and the other individuals at the party are not to be trifled with, as they belong to a dangerous gang. Moreover, with Irene hot on her heels, Billie needs to get out of town before she's killed. The girl escorts her out of the party, which is bad news given that both Bern and Chee are inside trying to find her. Joe is a sitting duck outside, and as he looks around, he realizes that there are cameras set up on tripods in the adjacent abandoned building. Something definitely feels off here, and it seems that someone else is staking out the area.
Inside the party, Chee is removed from the main hustle of people where Sonny questions him. Chee is completely disoriented, muttering about Leroy and spiraling out of control. He heads into the toilet and violently vomits. Bern notices him going in and how long he's been there and decides to follow. Chee is in a rough state and ends up hallucinating about vomiting blood everywhere. Bern appears and helps him out, but Sonny spies them leaving the party together.
As for Joe, he heads over alone to the lookout spot and is blindsided by a couple of men who beat him down.
