The brutal rape of a tourist in her hotel room may not have been a merely random attack, while PAA John faces his phobia of little people on a separate case from the same hotel. Meanwhile, Sorenson tries to ease the awkwardness with Andy over his relationship with Diane, who comes to a difficult decision of her own that devastates Danny.

A high school girl's secret essays could lead detectives to her killer, but Diane Russell finds the investigation of the girl's hidden life to be especially disturbing. In spite of his own personal pain, Sorenson shows compassion and patience to a mentally ill homeless man who witnessed a murder. Meanwhile, as Andy Sipowicz re-enters the dating world, he's confronted with one reality of single parenting: finding a babysitter.