Episode 8 of The Lincoln Lawyer kicks off with Cherry, Mickey's contact, discovering that Glory Days has been hiding in Vegas, sneaking back to LA only occasionally to meet her clients. In lipstick, she leaves a cryptic message, "Raj Ecco on Beverly," prompting Cisco to embark on a mission to convince Raj to bring Glory back to the city. This revelation holds significant implications for the Jesus Menendez case, a plotline that could become pivotal later in the season.
In the courtroom, a new witness emerges from the press, Sonia Patel, who was close to Lara and spent considerable time with her and Trevor. It transpires that Trevor had cut Lara off from her friends, stifling her career and isolating her. Her final message to Sonia was an invitation for lunch, where she intended to reveal something crucial. Tragically, Sonia was killed before she could disclose what it was.
During the cross-examination, Mickey shrewdly manipulates Sonia's emails to Trevor, painting a picture of her as a career-hungry individual resentful of Trevor for not promoting her.
Next, Eric Loomis, a forensic technician specializing in gunshot residue, takes the stand. He insists that Trevor's hands and clothes were covered in residue, further strengthening the theory that he was the shooter. However, as Mickey delves into Loomis's past work, it becomes apparent that all his findings have been rigorously checked and approved by his supervisor, Dr. Tan, rendering Mickey's attempts at discrediting him futile.
Back in the office, Lorna offers Mickey words of encouragement, urging him to reexamine the evidence at hand. All signs point to the Temple Casino, and curiously, a billboard advertising Trevor's Nocturna game stands in the distance, its neon lights glinting ominously.
After a thorough inspection of the area and a careful review of the CCTV footage, Mickey's mind suddenly clicked, and he grasped what had been elusive before. The following day, Mr. Muniz, the videographer, was summoned to the courtroom. Muniz affirmed that he had captured footage of Trevor seated inside the patrol car, the same one Murray had witnessed in court the previous day. He further confirmed an incident that occurred around 2 am at Topanga State Park, which was intricately linked to the Eli Wyms case. Golantz was astonished by the connections, but for those who had followed the trail, the puzzle pieces were falling into place with precision.
Into the mix stepped Dennis Bryne, a mechanic tasked with maintaining the police vehicles. One of the SUVs, stationed outside Wyms' house, had sustained a bullet hit to its taillight that fateful night. The vehicle was hastily repaired and put back on the road within an hour, leaving the mechanics no time to clean it thoroughly. Mickey's intention became clearer with each passing revelation.
Recall the 90 rounds fired by Eli Wyms? That same patrol car, the one with Trevor Elliot seated inside at his home, could potentially be the link. As confirmed by the forensic scientist, the residue from gunshots could transfer onto a person's body—hands, clothes—after adhering to an object. This would indicate Trevor's innocence, his body covered in residue due to that very transference.
However, this alone was not enough to secure a conviction, and Mickey knew it. He brought Detective Kinder and Anton Shavar back to the courtroom, with the latter claiming his innocence despite footage from Cisco contradicting his story. Anton, now framed as the murderer, was enraged and lashed out at Mickey, accusing all lawyers of being the same. Adding further complexity to the situation, Trevor himself desired to take the witness stand and testify.
Meanwhile, Mags' case was gaining more clarity. Specifically, Aquino, the man from the flower shop, had been tracked down by the police within a quarter mile of the murder site, roadside. He appeared to be their shooter, but without solid evidence, the case remained tenuous, leaving Mags uneasy. She believed they needed to turn over Soto to strengthen their position.
That night, Mickey received a distressing message, compelling him to leave Trevor's compound and search for Izzy. She was in a vulnerable state, tears streaming down her face, having narrowly escaped a relapse into drug addiction. As he drove her home, the episode drew to a close, leaving the viewer with a sense of anticipation for what lay ahead.
