Key witness in a drug investigation is found dead after escaping from his court-mandated rehab program, and Backstrom must figure out how he escaped and who killed him. However, when the S.C.U. learns that the victim is member of a band and all his bandmates dislike him, they start to believe that the killer may be someone closer than they expected. Meanwhile, Backstrom has reason to believe that Valentine may be more than just his tenant.

When a young female sex surrogate is found dead in Portland's Rose Garden, the S.C.U. investigates what could be a crime of lust, rage, passion or possibly even love. Meanwhile, Backstrom receives very upsetting news about his mother.

Backstrom and the S.C.U. are plunged into the zany, provocative world of a performance art festival when one of the participating artists is found dead. Their investigation turns up a slew of potential killers, all of whom are creative types involved in the festival. In the process of solving the murder, Backstrom reveals a surprising appreciation for visual artwork, and a moment of passion between him and a fiery suspect turns into its own piece of performance art.