10 Most Shocking Moments Of True Detective Season 2 Episode 3

...and it's on fire! It's unlikely that Ray and Ani manage to simply stumble upon the vehicle, raising the distinct possibility that the murderer may be actively seeking out the detectives to toy with them. This would explain why Ray was kept alive after being ambushed, although the exact reason for this harassment looks nowhere near being uncovered.

Another possibility is that the car serves as a warning, just as the murder of Frank's henchman is some sort of message to him. Alternatively, it may have even been a coincidence - with the vehicle planted in front of a plausible suspect's house to frame the occupant, just as Ani and Ray were conducting their own investigations.

It certainly seems as though nobody wants the main characters to actually solve the Caspere case - including those on the right side of the law, who seem far more interested in bickering among themselves. Ray was even instructed earlier in the episode to pursue an unlikely line of inquiry, encouraged to pin the blame on a prostitute rather than digging deeper. The truth looks far shadier.