JAG (1995–2005): Season 10, Episode 9 - The Man on the Bridge - full transcript
A Navy commander -- a second-generation expert in biological warfare -- disappears, leaving his car on a bridge near Hagerstown, Maryland; Harm and Mac investigate, as does the FBI. The circumstances suggest suicide; then attention turns to a former CIA agent, who appears to have murdered the father of the present victim; finally attention turns to the victim's supervisor and his wife. These last two have very curious backgrounds, but not everything is as it appears. Harm solves both the new case and an old one. Meanwhile, a woman Marine sergeant has filed a petition to allow women to compete with men in boxing so she can take part in an inter-service tournament. Bud supports and endorses her claim to the general, who fights her in a ring and agrees, having changed his mind as a result of the bout.
( indistinct radio transmission)
Doesn't look like our
driver drank enough
to be running into the
woods for a nature call.
I'm getting that feelin', Ray.
DISPATCHER: Unit
3-1-7, I ran that license.
Information's on
your screen. Over.
Roger that.
I got a service I.D.
Navy Commander Adam
Kohler, Maryland address.
Ed, hold it.
Dispatch computer
says the guy works
at the Navy Research
Center in Silver Spring.
Doing what?
He's the Chief Science Officer
of their Bio-Weapons
Defense Lab.
Biological weapons?
You mean like anthrax and stuff?
RABB: I knew the moment
I heard FBI was involved
we'd see some
unhealthy overkill.
MacKENZIE: If the Hazmat guys
can keep us from
walking out of here
covered in anthrax
spores, I'm all for it.
Hazmat just gave
us the all-clear.
You must be Rabb and MacKenzie.
In the flesh.
Barring any flesh-eating
bacteria, that is.
Special Agent Rod Benton.
You with FBI Missing Persons?
No, I work for
the Bureau's Anti-
Terrorism Task Force.
Ah, you must have called
the boys in the
beekeeping suits in, huh?
Yeah, I thought that
would be prudent.
Why, you got a problem
with that, Commander?
No, I'm just not used
to this kind of
excitement at 0500.
Is this the Commander's car?
Yeah.
When our missing
person happens to be
the Navy's number one
guy in bio-weapons research,
people tend to get
excited for good reason.
Commander Adam Kohler
possesses, shall we say,
expertise that could make him
a very valuable
target for our enemies.
You suspecting foul play?
Murder, kidnapping...
Both are possible.
Or it could be our guy
just crossed over
to the dark side
with a suitcase full of cash.
Well, since we're leaping,
has anyone considered
the possibility
that our guy jumped with
a suitcase full of troubles?
We're considering
everything, Commander.
And since bio-terrorism
may be involved,
we've gotten NCIS
to back off and let us
handle this our way.
You understand the FBI
has lead here, right?
Just so long as you understand
the danger of creating a
turf war by not cooperating.
( cell phone ringing)
Ah, love is in the air.
MAN: Sir.
I'll call you back.
BENTON: So you
two were first on site?
Yes, sir... a trucker delivering
to a local supermarket
saw the car
on the bridge around 2:00 AM.
On his return trip, it was
still there so he called it in.
What time was that?
0320, sir.
Any idea where the
commander was coming from?
This was under the seat.
It's a program for a
science conference
at the Westmont Hotel
in Washington last night.
He was one of the speakers.
Any idea where he was headed?
No, but he wasn't headed home.
Address is in the
opposite direction.
The wallet rules out robbery.
Excuse me, sir.
The shoes, hat, everything
laid out real methodical,
we've seen it before.
It's always a jumper.
We get four or five a year here.
MacKENZIE: You
find a suicide note?
OFFICER: They tend to
leave those at home, ma'am.
Well, it's not uncommon to
take your cover off in the car.
There's hardly a
mark on those shoes.
How do you know he didn't
just swap them out for another,
more comfortable
pair to drive in?
Your people check this out?
Looks like maybe another
vehicle was involved.
Yeah, my people are checking
to see if anyone
filed a police report
or called in some
kind of insurance claim.
Well, if there was
another vehicle,
he left the scene.
Maybe he got hit.
Stopped the car,
Kohler gets out to
check the damage.
There's traffic...
Maybe a big rig goes by.
( horn blowing)
MacKENZIE: Low
guard-rail, slick pavement,
in the darkness...
It's easy to see how he
could go over the side.
Excuse me, officer,
can I borrow your light?
Thank you.
Agent Benton,
can one of your men
retrieve this for us?
No problem.
Look, you tell a good
story, Commander,
but that flashlight could've
been here for weeks.
Running with your theory,
it's just as likely someone
forced him off the road.
Which takes us
back to your theory...
It wasn't accidental,
it was foul play.
If you guys really
want to file this away
as some kind of accidental death
so you can get back
to busting drunk sailors,
you go right ahead.
Look, Commander,
I don't buy accidents.
Especially when there's a chance
of a bio-terrorist threat
happening somewhere out there.
And time is not
a luxury we have.
MacKENZIE: The commander's
been missing nine hours, sir.
There are no reported sightings.
Divers downstream
haven't turned up
a body as of yet, sir.
The FBI's agreed to share phone
logs, credit cards, everything.
I know the Feds are
thinking terrorist plot.
What do you two think?
Well, we're still hoping
for the best, General.
Commander Kohler may
have simply walked away.
Maybe he turned up
at a police station...
After nine hours?
Well, it's a slim hope.
Slim hope on a crash
diet, Commander.
Family been notified?
Parents are deceased, General.
They've contacted a sister.
She was out of town,
returning today, sir.
Commander Kohler was last
seen representing the navy
at a science conference,
a couple hours before
he disappeared, sir.
The police have a program.
It lists all the attendees.
It gives us plenty of witnesses.
And plenty of suspects.
The key-note speaker
was a Dr. Morris Sperling,
the commander's boss
at the Navy Medical
Research Center.
He's coming in.
Good. Keep me apprised.
Aye, sir.
Yes, sir.
Just the man I wanted to see.
Where do you stand
on female personnel
fighting, Commander?
Oh, well, as you know, sir,
the Navy and Marine Corps
have divergent views
on women in combat, sir.
I'm not talking about combat,
I'm talking about
fighting, boxing.
Oh, uh, well,
that's different, sir.
I think. Um...
Oh. Thank you, sir.
The red button.
Um, I'm not sure
what I think, sir.
Good, you're a blank. Excellent.
I want you to review this.
Marine Sergeant Maria Hoyos
is petitioning the commandant
under Naval
Regulations, Article 11-50.
She wants Marine Corps
authorization to compete
for the Inter-Service
Boxing Championship.
She wants to fight with the men.
You're kidding, sir.
I'll get right on that, General.
Good.
Oh, uh, Commander,
just so you know, I
have very definite feelings
about whether women
should box with men.
Yes, sir.
MacKENZIE:
Commander Kohler worked
under you at NMRC, is
that right, Dr. Sperling?
Yes, on the Superbug Project.
He was been studying viruses...
Ebola, influenza, small pox.
He was testing ways to
combat biological attacks.
We understand from the FBI
that Commander Kohler
was a valuable asset.
That's an understatement.
He was the best.
He comes by it honestly.
His father was a Kingshaw
Research Prize winner,
and Adam was awarded the
very same honor last month.
Sounds like the
commander would be
a prize himself, for terrorists.
Well, if bio-terrorists
abducted Adam,
I think they'd be disappointed.
He worked only in
defensive research.
Couldn't knowing how to defend
against bio-terrorism help
the enemy build a better bug?
Possibly.
But from what you've told me,
I don't think it was our
enemies who took Adam.
What do you mean, Doctor?
Well, ever since I've known him,
Adam has shown a troubled side.
Troubled...
That's a polite
word for depressed.
Was Commander Kohler depressed?
Well, last night, at the
reception after the conference,
Adam joined my
wife and me for drinks.
He was behaving oddly.
Great speech tonight, son.
Everything okay, Adam?
I'm fine.
Sir.
Better than fine.
SPERLING: Sure you're okay?
I'm just a bit amped, Doctor.
You ever get that feeling
you're chasing
ghosts of the past?
MacKENZIE: What
do you think he meant?
I'm not sure.
Adam's never been the
easiest young man to talk to.
Was he capable of
committing suicide?
I think we all are, given
the right circumstance.
Is there anyone close
to the Commander?
Someone who might have
known what was going on with him?
He has a sister, but
they're not terribly close.
There is one person,
a Leena Kang.
She and Adam dated briefly,
until some months
ago... They broke up.
She's since married another man.
Do you know where
we can find her?
Yes, she works at the lab,
one cubicle over from Adam.
WOMAN: Commander Kohler and I
only dated for
about seven months.
We weren't exactly compatible.
We understand he
suffered bouts of depression.
When we were dating, Adam,
the commander,
definitely had moods.
How 'bout recently?
Don't know. We don't talk much.
We had a pretty bad break-up.
How did the commander
feel about you
turning around and
marrying another guy?
You mean did he and my
husband ever get into anything?
That not Adam's style.
Or my husband's.
No, the last time Adam and I
had any real communication
was an e-mail he sent
notifying me of his mom's death.
When did his mother die?
About five months
ago. She'd been ill.
Look, Adam was a nice guy,
but I never really
got to know him.
He was too distant.
You say "was."
Is there something
you know that we don't?
I know about Adam's father.
He was a scientist, too.
He worked in the
same field at Fort Detrick
in the early 70's.
Adam was obsessed with him.
He wanted to be like
him, but he was also afraid.
Of what?
Adam's father committed suicide
at about the same
age as Adam is now.
Rumor was he suffered
depression, like Adam.
How did his father
commit suicide?
He jumped.
From the 20th floor
of a New York hotel.
Right after attending
a science conference.
Freaky, huh?
Commander Kohler left
the hotel garage at midnight.
Car wasn't seen
again until 0200.
That's a two-hour window.
According to the
FBI, no one filed
an accident report or called
their insurance company.
Well, if he was in
a fender-bender,
the other driver left the scene.
Maybe with Kohler on board.
You buying into
Agent Benton's theory
of kidnapping now, Mac?
No, not necessarily.
Suicide still tops the list.
I can't find the trigger.
Family history of
depression and suicide...
Kohler showed the signs, Harm...
Isolation, inability to
sustain relationships...
That could be either one of us.
Even suicidal
people reach out...
make one final plea for help.
It's... about a 40-minute drive
from the hotel to the bridge.
MacKENZIE ( sighs): Maybe he took a
detour. We know he stopped for coffee.
RABB: What about his sister?
Sperling said
they weren't close.
Well, she's still family. He
may have reached out to her.
Here it is. Sarah McBride.
Divorced, two kids,
lives in Inwood.
Inwood?
That's along the
same route as the road
from the hotel to the bridge.
Sarah, it's Adam.
I'm sorry about
the bad connection.
I-I need to talk. I'm
ten minutes away.
If you're there, pick up, sis.
Sis, this can't wait. Call me.
( machine beeps)
You have any idea what
your brother was calling about?
No.
I mean, not exactly.
The last time Adam
and I really talked
was five months ago
at our mom's funeral.
He wasn't quite himself.
In what way?
He was agitated...
asking questions
about our-our dad's breakdown,
his symptoms, the depression.
I was older, so he
thought I'd remember.
Had he ever asked
about this before?
Not with the same urgency.
I know this stuff
runs in families,
so I was worried that
Adam was starting to head
down the same path.
Do you believe your
brother was capable
of committing suicide?
The signs say yes...
but my heart says no.
Maybe I just don't
want to believe
that all of this could
be happening again.
MAN: All right, stick
and move, come on!
Come on, let's see
some movement.
Let's go, pick it up, that's it.
There you go, there you go.
Good, good!
Stay with it.
Come on, let's see
some movement.
That's it, that's it.
Stick and move.
Pick up the pace, come on.
Excuse me, Master Sergeant.
Yes, sir.
I'm looking for Sergeant Hoyos?
Whoa!
( chuckling)
I think you just met
her, Commander. Break!
Sergeant Hoyos.
It's not complicated, sir.
I want a shot at the
Inter-Service Championship,
but the rules say I can't.
The only competition I can find
are female pros like Tiffany.
You're a JAG, sir. Is that fair?
Well, fair and the fairer sex
often don't mix, Sergeant.
What I'm saying is that
given the traditional concerns
about men and women
competing in sport,
it's going to be
an uphill battle.
Men and women compete
in lots of sports, sir:
archery, skeet-
shooting, equestrian.
I even read a story
about a female matador.
Those are all skill sports.
Boxing is a skill sport.
Okay, I will ensure
that your petition
gets to the commandant.
We'll see if he
makes an exception.
Respectfully, sir,
I don't want to be an exception.
There are lots of women in
the Armed Forces who can box.
I want this petition to mean
all of us have a
chance, Commander,
just like the men.
Kohler might've been depressed,
but I just don't think
he killed himself.
Now, we found an
e-mail over at his condo.
He booked a spring holiday
to Italy a few days ago.
Doesn't sound like a
man giving up on life.
So, if you thought someone was
after him, you must have a suspect.
Well, this witness at
the conference reported
seeing Kohler arguing
with a-a colleague,
some navy lieutenant,
Commander Paul O'Brien.
He wasn't on the attendee list.
No. He came as a guest.
Now, O'Brien is some
kind of molecular biologist.
He works over at the
Bio-Defense Lab with Kohler.
Did your witness hear what
they were arguing about?
Said something about
O'Brien being angry
about Kohler hogging
up all the research credit.
Angry enough to kill someone?
Well, maybe yes, maybe no.
Now, we checked
Kohler's lab computer.
Our techs found evidence
that someone broke
into his hard drive,
erased all his files.
Now, that-that
looks like sabotage.
MacKENZIE: You
think O'Brien did it?
Well, he and Kohler
shared a project password.
That gives him access, right?
None of this is
adding up to murder.
Oh, I'm getting
there, Commander.
I think you're going
to like this part.
Turns out your hunch
about that flashlight
panned out.
We found traces of blood
matching Kohler's DNA.
Could be the murder weapon.
Still doesn't tie Lieutenant
Commander O'Brien to a crime.
Yeah, well, this might.
It's a partial we got
off the flashlight handle.
Now, there's not enough
to run an AFIS search on it,
but if we have a
suspect to compare it to,
who knows?
Just have to rattle
the right cage.
We want to be in
on this interview.
Yeah, I thought you might,
so I had 'em put two
extra chairs in the room.
Of course I know
that Kohler's missing.
It's not exactly a state secret.
We have a eyewitness who saw you
and Kohler arguing
the night he went UA.
What was the little
disagreement about?
That's no secret, either.
Everybody knows about
the beef between us.
We don't.
It's about the Kingshaw Prize.
Kohler knows I
deserved a share of it.
I wanted him to admit it.
It was my research.
Our research.
You assisted. You compiled data.
Bull! You robbed me, Kohler.
Look, I'm in no mood
to quibble with you
over prizes, Paul.
I-I got other
matters on my mind.
"Other matters"? Like what?
I'm working on something...
an outside project.
Look, I-I don't have...
time for you now, Paul.
MacKENZIE: He
pissed you off, didn't he?
You bet, Colonel,
but I have nothing to
do with him going UA.
Just like you have nothing to do
with his hard drive
going UA, either?
O'BRIEN: That's right.
Geek law of the jungle:
"Delete unto others."
I never mess with a man's data.
Has your car been in
an accident recently?
No.
Great. You mind
if we take a look?
I have nothing to hide.
Oh, well,
that's-that's fantastic.
Since you're being
so cooperative here,
you mind if we compare
the prints in your
service record
with a print we found
at the crime scene?
Should I have a lawyer?
I, uh, met with
the sergeant, sir.
I forwarded her petition
to the commandant, and...
he rejected it, sir.
Not surprising.
No, sir.
So, that's the end of it.
Yes, sir.
No, I mean, no,
sir, uh, it's not.
I'd think the commandant would
be the final word, Commander.
Well, he is, General,
except that I know
you have a professional
relationship with him
from your time at the Pentagon.
Now, I don't know how you feel
about women in the ring, sir,
but I know your
opinion about equality.
I heard you speak at the
Senate Hearing Room,
defending the Constitution.
As it applied to
the Armed Forces.
Military men and women, General.
It applies in this case,
but the commandant
won't listen to me.
You're asking me
to use my influence?
Well, I know that you wanted
an unbiased advocate, sir.
I assumed that you
wanted me to fight
with both hands untied.
I want to meet
this sergeant, test her mettle.
She and I are going to have to
have a little give and take first.
Yes, sir.
( laughs)
A bellhop saw somebody
arguing with Kohler
outside the hotel
around midnight.
Unfortunately, he was too
far away to get a good look.
You think it was Lieutenant
Commander O'Brien?
Or somebody.
Who might've followed
him that night, stalked him.
Well, there's certainly enough
security cameras in the area.
Two hotels and a
bank on the corner.
Maybe one of them saw something.
Kohler's credit card statement.
He visited New York a month ago.
Now, he doesn't seem like
the type for a weekend getaway.
Maybe he went to meet someone.
Where are you going with this?
Kohler's comment that he was
working on an outside project.
Maybe there's more to that.
If O'Brien was telling the truth
and he didn't wipe
Kohler's hard drive,
there's only one
other possibility.
Kohler did it.
Yeah, but why?
He was covering up something.
Maybe Benton was right.
He sold out to our enemies,
and he staged a suicide
to cover his getaway.
It's nice to know you're willing
to give me some
credit, Commander.
Our tech guys have been
rebuilding Kohler's hard drive.
We've found reams
of bio-weapons data.
It is his area of expertise.
Not this stuff. Uh-uh.
Commander Kohler was
tasked with doing research
on bio-weapons defense.
This all relates to
weapons development.
Offensive technology.
You sure this just isn't
part of his research?
Dead sure, yeah.
All Cold War programs
relating to offensive technology
were banned in '72 by Nixon.
So why did Kohler have
that data on his hard drive?
I don't know...
but if he was working
on bio-technology
for offensive weapons,
he sure as hell wasn't
doing it for the navy.
RABB: Were you aware
that Kohler was working on
offensive weapons, Doctor?
No. All my people at the
Bio-Weapons Defense Lab
are tasked with
doing just that...
Defense research only.
You say all of this came
from Adam's computer?
Rebuilding his hard drive, yeah.
Yes, well... Adam's no spy.
Nor traitor.
How can you be so sure?
Because I know him,
and if he went missing
off of that bridge,
it's because
violence came to him
by someone's
hand, or by his own.
Well, this stuff just didn't
land on his computer.
How could it get there, Doctor?
This is odd.
This, uh, security stamp.
DOD stopped
using that years ago.
This is, uh, research
from our own archives.
These studies were conducted
over 30-some years ago,
before the ban.
At Fort Detrick.
The commander's
father worked there
around that time, didn't he?
( sighing): Mmm. About '72.
So, maybe these are his files.
Why would Kohler dig up
his father's
bio-weapons research
if it wasn't his area?
Do you have an
answer for us, Doctor?
Well, I hope I don't.
I've always wondered
how much Adam knew
about what
happened to his father.
Robert Kohler was
one of the best minds
in the field of bio-weapons
research around,
until he became
the subject of rumors
that he had passed
secrets to the Soviets.
Was there ever any evidence?
Not to my knowledge, no.
But there was an investigation?
Yes, the CIA conducted
a secret inquiry.
Hardly a secret, though.
Some say that's what pushed
Adam's father over the edge.
Caused him to take his own life.
Not that he had
done anything wrong,
but he just couldn't
live with the idea
of anyone believing that he had.
If the commander had
come to the same conclusion,
that his father had
been unfairly persecuted,
would he try to get even?
BENTON: So, what do we think...
Kohler downloaded his
pop's old files for kicks,
or he had some kind of a plan?
Feeling your father was
wronged by your own government
is a pretty strong
motive for revenge.
So, maybe Kohler sold
bio-secrets, but not for money.
Maybe that's what the
New York trip was about...
Setting up a deal.
Yeah, well, the
blood on that flashlight
says whatever deal he made,
it didn't go as he planned.
Do we really believe
Kohler's anger over what
happened to his father
could make him turn
against his country?
I can think of one
person that might know.
ROBERTS: General,
I'd like you to meet
Sergeant Maria Hoyos.
At ease, Sergeant.
Thank you, sir.
Looks like you
have a good reach.
You a southpaw?
Converted, sir.
How did you know?
I could tell.
How many fights?
24, General.
23 three-and-one, 20 knockouts.
Why are you here?
Sir?
Commander, I told you
I wanted to test the
sergeant's mettle.
This is a law office.
Uh, yes, sir, but I...
When I said I wanted
to have a little give-and-take
with Sergeant Hoyos,
I meant in the ring.
You mean... you and I, General?
You want to fight with men,
might as well start with me.
Be at Smith Gym, 1200.
I'll be the one with
the high-and-tight.
Bring your corner man.
SARAH McBRIDE:
No, that's impossible.
My brother would never threaten
the security of this country.
Like our dad, he
is a loyal American.
I take it, then, you're aware
of past rumors
about your father.
In my family, it was pretty
hard not to know, Colonel.
Did you ever discuss
it with your brother?
Adam had a hard time
accepting our dad's death.
He blamed the government
for what happened.
Pushing your father
toward suicide?
He was convinced the government
played a more active role.
Did you believe that?
I consider it a fairy-tale.
Just like your suggestion
that Adam would sell
bio-secrets to terrorists.
I'm afraid the evidence
says different...
The files on Adam's computer,
indications of a cover-up.
Last month, he made
a trip to New York.
We believe he may
have met someone.
I'm sure he did.
The Manhattan district attorney.
Adam wanted to have
our father's case reopened.
On what grounds?
At our mother's funeral,
Adam asked me to cosign an
order to exhume our dad's body.
With Mom gone, I guess
he thought it was okay.
Do you know the results?
He didn't tell me.
And I didn't ask.
You say your
brother was convinced
the government was
responsible for killing your father.
Did he ever mention
anyone specifically?
Just one person.
A CIA officer who
investigated the case.
Hank Olin.
HANK OLIN: I remember
the Kohler case.
It's been a while,
but espionage investigations
are hard to forget.
What can you tell us about it?
Not much beyond what you'd find
in a Freedom of
Information Act search.
What's this about?
Robert Kohler's son,
Commander Adam Kohler,
was looking into events
surrounding his father's death.
MacKENZIE: Before going missing
off a Maryland
bridge two nights ago.
( grunting): I'm
sorry to hear that.
We wondered if he
might have spoken to you
about your investigation
into his father.
No. I don't see why he would.
The case was open and shut.
You sound pretty certain,
despite the fact
your investigation
never turned up
any hard evidence.
What are you trying to say?
We spoke to the CIA.
They said you left the Company
less than five months
after the inquiry into Kohler.
MacKENZIE: No
offense, but going from
a spook chasing spies to a
P.I. chasing cheating housewives
seems like a serious come-down.
You will let me know
when you're actually
going to give offense,
won't you, Colonel?
I left the CIA because I saw
how the wind was blowing.
And it wasn't long before
the Church Commission
cut the Company off
at its knees, prevented us from
doing what needed to be done.
We were in a cold war.
And some of the
casualties were innocent.
Not Robert Kohler.
All I can tell you is this.
Information about U.S.
bio-weapons development
made it into the
hands of our enemies,
and Kohler was the
one who leaked it.
So, you did something about it.
I'm just wondering
how far you went.
Not as far as I'd have liked.
Because Kohler cheated
me out of the chance.
When he jumped
out that hotel window,
my case went right with him.
Ready to move up
in class, Sergeant?
I fought at 165.
I'm ready, sir.
Good. Don't hold back on
me because I'm a general.
Or a man.
No, sir, I won't.
Because if you do,
I'm going to order
Commander Roberts to bust you
for disrespecting
a general officer.
Understood, Commander?
Uh, yes, sir.
You didn't actually think I was
going to be throwing leather?
No, sir; not for an instant.
In the ring.
One, two, three. ( grunting)
Jab. ( grunting)
Jab hook. ( grunting)
Slip right hand. ( grunting)
Pretend I'm a Navy man
when you throw that
next combination.
One, two, three,
four. ( grunting)
( bell dings)
How do you feel?
Great, General. Outstanding.
You survived round one.
Two to go.
Sir? Let's go.
Yes, sir. Jab.
Double jab. ( grunting)
Jab right hand. ( grunting)
BENTON: We
checked out Lieutenant
Commander O'Brien's
car... There's no damage.
Now, he also consented
to a fingerprint check.
But it didn't match the partial
we had on the flashlight,
so, he's off the hook.
Now, Hank Olin's another matter.
Those are the autopsy findings
on Robert Kohler's exhumed body.
Contusion to the head
consistent with
blunt force trauma...
not a fall from a
20-story height.
Yeah, police missed that in '72.
Now, what they didn't miss,
was high levels of
Nembutol in Kohler's blood.
They just assumed at that
time that he was self-medicating.
You have a different theory?
The CIA Assassination Manual.
Commander Kohler
had this downloaded
from an anarchist's website.
Now, he highlighted this
how-to section on assassinations.
Now, this suggests
drugging the victim
before delivering
a blow to the head,
then tossing the body
from a high place...
Say, a bridge or a building...
To make it look like suicide.
Now, I talked to some of
my sources over at the CIA.
It turns out Olin was a
cowboy in the bad old days.
A killer.
So, you think he murdered
Robert Kohler 32 years ago?
Well, you said yourself
that he believed Kohler
was a traitor, right?
And we all know Olin
was a loose cannon.
Yeah. The question
is: Is he still?
We may have that answer soon.
Our tech guys found spyware
on Commander Kohler's computer.
Someone's been surveilling
his hard drive remotely.
If Olin knew the commander
was closing in on the truth...
That Olin killed his father...
That would be a strong
motive to silence him.
I don't think Commander
Kohler was pursuing
a bio-terrorist plot
against his country.
I think he was pursuing
his father's killer.
Look, Robert Kohler
committed suicide 32 years ago.
I had nothing to do with it.
Yeah, you know, right now
we're much more interested
in what happened 36 hours ago,
you know, on that
Maryland bridge.
I don't know
anything about that.
You know about this,
though, don't you?
Commander Kohler requested
an autopsy on his father's body.
Robert Kohler's death wasn't
a suicide; he was murdered.
RABB: A copy of this was found
on Commander Kohler's computer,
along with other evidence.
He was investigating
his father's death.
But I'm sure you know all that.
You planted spyware to
monitor what he was doing.
Spying on computers
is illegal, Agent.
I could lose my license.
You got away with
murder 32 years ago, Olin.
You won't this time.
We have the evidence.
MacKENZIE: You ran
Commander Kohler off the road.
We found signs of recent
damage to your car...
Damage that's been repaired.
Two weeks ago, I
got into an accident.
Ever drive in this city?
It's nuts.
I took care of it myself.
So what?
RABB: Somebody was
seen arguing with Kohler
outside the hotel the
night he disappeared.
There are security
cameras all over the streets.
We'll find the right one.
I've interrogated
enough suspects
to know when the man
on that side of the table
has nothing, Commander.
Stop wasting my time.
Traces of Commander
Kohler's blood
were found on the murder weapon
along with the
killer's fingerprint.
Who's wasting whose time?
Nice try.
If you had anything beyond
a fragmentary partial print,
we wouldn't be talking.
And if you need my fingerprint
records for comparison,
you're going to have to go
to court, Counselor.
You're a JAG.
That is your day job, right?
( playing "Away in
the Manger" on piano)
( laughter)
WOMAN: Give Daddy his presents.
BOY: This one?
( laughing)
That's right.
Give it to me, son.
Here, Daddy.
Open it.
WOMAN: Come on, honey, open it.
BOY: Merry Christmas.
Kohler family memories?
Yeah, the FBI found this tape
at Commander Kohler's condo.
Christmas, 1971.
I was about the same age
when my dad went
down over Vietnam.
So you know how he feels.
Well, I know how it feels
not to know what happened.
To want the answers.
You want to nail Hank Olin.
I want an answer.
We still don't have an I.D.
on the guy seen
arguing with Kohler
outside the hotel that night.
Still searching the security
cameras, but nothing so far.
What about the Hotel Saint Cyr?
Well, the cameras were
pointed in the wrong direction.
The bank on the corner?
Nothing from the ATMs,
and since it was Sunday,
the other cameras don't run.
They're only triggered
if there's a robbery.
Or a delivery.
I used to have a friend
who worked at a bank.
Armored cars deliver
cash Sunday night
for the start of business
Monday morning.
And the driveway's right there.
Well, if that's where the
money gets delivered,
there would be a camera.
Commander.
Your client's got a
decent jab, good left hook.
Yes, sir.
Footwork needs attention.
Let me tell you something...
She's got the goods.
Glad to hear it, General.
I put a call in to
the Commandant.
I plan to tell him,
if it were up to me,
I'd recommend giving
the sergeant a shot
at qualifying for the
Inter-Service Championship.
Really, General?
You sound surprised.
I guess I am, sir.
You thought I didn't think
women had a place
in the ring with men?
Yes, sir, I did.
Until today, you were right.
At ease, Commander.
AGENT BENTON: Our techs found
more research on Kohler's hard drive.
Old East German security files
referencing the
bio-weapons leak in '72.
I've got some translators
working on that right now.
What about the bank
security cameras?
Oh, you were right, Commander.
An armored truck dropped
off cash on Sunday night,
and that triggered off
several video cameras,
and that tape ran
for about 40 minutes.
What time was this?
11:30 to 12:10.
Well, that covers the argument
with our two mystery men.
Did the cameras get a look?
Yeah, a pretty good one.
The photo-geeks are
working on a high-rez.
How soon will they
have something?
Well, it looks like
soup right now.
Your guys get us a face?
Yeah.
The resolution may not
be what we hoped for.
What was the argument that night
with Commander Kohler about?
Well, Adam was upset that, uh,
the lab wasn't
getting more funding.
He held me responsible.
I mean, this is nothing.
Doesn't look like nothing to me.
BENTON: The commander told you
the night he
disappeared that he was
"chasing ghosts of the past."
I think we have a pretty
good idea what he meant.
I'm glad you do.
My husband and I
still don't have a clue.
Well, you should.
The ghosts he was
chasing were the two of you.
Commander, you're
speaking in code.
Well, let me break it for you.
One of the benefits
of the Berlin Wall
falling was the disclosure
of the East German
security files.
And from these files,
Commander Kohler pieced together
your wife's true identity.
She worked in the
West German embassy
in D.C. in '72.
Actually, she was a KGB agent
who was looking for a scientist
to date.
RABB: Secrets between lovers
helps keep the relationship going,
doesn't it?
MARTA: This is preposterous!
Under what rock did
you find this nonsense?
Actually, on Commander
Kohler's hard drive, ma'am.
That sound familiar, Doc?
'Cause we traced the spyware tap
on his computer back to you.
RABB: Bio-weapons
leak to the Soviets in '72
came from you,
not Robert Kohler.
He found you out,
you set him up,
and you and your
wife killed him.
MacKENZIE: Flash
forward to two nights ago.
Commander Kohler
confronted you for what you did.
You followed him, ran him
off the road, murdered him,
and then you staged
it to look like a suicide,
just like you did 32 years ago.
BENTON: Commander Kohler left us
your play book...
That little CIA
assassination manual,
ironically used by
the KGB, as well.
MacKENZIE: We found Nembutal
in your desk drawer, Doctor.
The FBI confirmed its presence
in the commander's
to-go cup of coffee.
How could I have
drugged his coffee?
RABB: You didn't.
You put it in his drink
at the hotel during
cocktail hour.
The traces we found
in the coffee are proof
it was in his saliva,
in his system.
BENTON: See, we
found the flashlight
at the crime scene with
the commander's blood on it,
and a partial thumbprint,
matching the one
in your security file.
Look, I lost that
flashlight weeks ago.
This is absurd!
I... I'm innocent!
MacKENZIE: Your car tells
a different story.
We found damage
matching the damage
on Commander Kohler's car.
Someone hit me
in the lab parking structure.
And didn't leave a note, right?
Right.
MARTA: This is a
complete fabrication.
I know how you people work.
You're no better than the Stasi.
Conviction by false witness.
We're not the Stasi, ma'am.
We don't plant evidence.
Surely you don't think I
would have murdered Adam?
Now, please, you
have to believe me.
We can't nail him for
the father's murder,
but we got him for the son's.
You're not so sure.
I'd like to take a...
another look at
Commander Kohler's car.
Okay. It's in the FBI impound.
That's not what
I'm talking about.
BENTON: We ran
the last few seconds
of Commander Kohler
leaving the hotel garage.
( beeps)
And my boys were able
to enhance that tape,
get you that image that
you were looking for.
Car was damaged
before Kohler left the hotel.
Sperling was telling the truth?
RABB: About the accident anyway.
We're gonna have to
let the Sperlings walk.
What are you talking about?
If we want to get to the bottom
of Commander
Kohler's disappearance,
it's the only way.
REPORTER ( on
television): Dr. Morris Sperling,
the Navy's Director of
Bio-Defense Research,
has been relieved of duty,
pending an inquiry into charges
of possible espionage
during the Cold War.
Authorities have
refused all comment,
and so far, the doctor has...
The FBI's got a tail on them.
They wired his car and home.
Any phone calls,
any conversations...
They'll hear every word.
I hope you two know
what you're doing.
Now who's the
one chasing ghosts?
I can't say it was a
pleasant surprise, Adam,
hearing your voice on the phone.
Feeling's mutual, Doctor.
Well, I've always appreciated
your attention to detail,
but never so much as I do now.
Well, when the subject's
worth it, you go the extra mile.
Leaving a trail of
evidence on your computer,
and making it look
like I was the one
who erased the past, and
even staging that argument
over funding
outside of the hotel
so you knew there'd be witnesses
that remembered we'd had words.
That's brilliant.
I learned the stagecraft
from you, Doctor.
And your lovely wife.
You damaged my car?
Hmm? Set it all up.
And then that night,
after you left the
hotel, you came here.
DR. SPERLING: You
applied all the right touches.
( Kohler sighs)
SPERLING: The accident scene.
The Nembutal in the coffee,
matching the vial you
planted in my desk.
I knew my flashlight
had gone missing.
I didn't remember how.
You had my prints.
You simply added a
sample of your own blood.
And even the staged suicide.
You knew the
investigation would continue.
That it would lead
back to your father
and to Marta and me.
I applaud the effort.
Except it didn't work.
I was hoping by now
that you'd be cashing
in your retirement
to buy a good lawyer.
With experience in
death penalty cases.
I think we're in enough trouble.
That would be your opinion.
You and your wife are
getting away with murder.
Twice.
I'm not wearing a wire,
if that's what you're
worried about.
Well, the thought
had occurred to me.
No cassette recorders, either.
It's just us.
On this bridge,
alone with the truth.
And what truth is that?
You murdered my father.
For once in your life, admit it.
Admit what you did, Doctor!
I know it's been
hard on you, Adam.
It's been hard on me, too.
You've become like a son to me.
Truly.
How dare you play
for my sympathy!
I don't expect
you to forgive me,
but you must understand this.
Your father was
a loyal American.
He had no choice but to expose
my treason, so Marta
and I had no choice.
You always have choice, Doctor.
( siren blips)
( brake squeaks)
I assume you heard
what you needed to hear.
RABB: We were listening in
on the Doctor's phone calls.
Thanks for the invitation.
I'm glad you could make it.
KOHLER: I figured that any man
who could follow the
trail back to this bridge
would have the patience to
wait till he'd heard a confession.
You didn't need a wire.
You knew they were
bugging our conversation.
We planted a device
on your car, Doc.
Good for a quarter-mile.
Even better in court.
I'm sorry, Adam.
Glad to have you back
with the living, Commander.
Thank you. Over here.
MacKENZIE: I hate to say it,
but you're still UA.
You're gonna have to
pay a price for justice.
It's worth it.
RABB: Well,
if you need a good
lawyer, my schedule's free.
Thanks, Commander.
32 years in search of an answer,
a chance to find some peace.
It feels good.
I know.
Doesn't look like our
driver drank enough
to be running into the
woods for a nature call.
I'm getting that feelin', Ray.
DISPATCHER: Unit
3-1-7, I ran that license.
Information's on
your screen. Over.
Roger that.
I got a service I.D.
Navy Commander Adam
Kohler, Maryland address.
Ed, hold it.
Dispatch computer
says the guy works
at the Navy Research
Center in Silver Spring.
Doing what?
He's the Chief Science Officer
of their Bio-Weapons
Defense Lab.
Biological weapons?
You mean like anthrax and stuff?
RABB: I knew the moment
I heard FBI was involved
we'd see some
unhealthy overkill.
MacKENZIE: If the Hazmat guys
can keep us from
walking out of here
covered in anthrax
spores, I'm all for it.
Hazmat just gave
us the all-clear.
You must be Rabb and MacKenzie.
In the flesh.
Barring any flesh-eating
bacteria, that is.
Special Agent Rod Benton.
You with FBI Missing Persons?
No, I work for
the Bureau's Anti-
Terrorism Task Force.
Ah, you must have called
the boys in the
beekeeping suits in, huh?
Yeah, I thought that
would be prudent.
Why, you got a problem
with that, Commander?
No, I'm just not used
to this kind of
excitement at 0500.
Is this the Commander's car?
Yeah.
When our missing
person happens to be
the Navy's number one
guy in bio-weapons research,
people tend to get
excited for good reason.
Commander Adam Kohler
possesses, shall we say,
expertise that could make him
a very valuable
target for our enemies.
You suspecting foul play?
Murder, kidnapping...
Both are possible.
Or it could be our guy
just crossed over
to the dark side
with a suitcase full of cash.
Well, since we're leaping,
has anyone considered
the possibility
that our guy jumped with
a suitcase full of troubles?
We're considering
everything, Commander.
And since bio-terrorism
may be involved,
we've gotten NCIS
to back off and let us
handle this our way.
You understand the FBI
has lead here, right?
Just so long as you understand
the danger of creating a
turf war by not cooperating.
( cell phone ringing)
Ah, love is in the air.
MAN: Sir.
I'll call you back.
BENTON: So you
two were first on site?
Yes, sir... a trucker delivering
to a local supermarket
saw the car
on the bridge around 2:00 AM.
On his return trip, it was
still there so he called it in.
What time was that?
0320, sir.
Any idea where the
commander was coming from?
This was under the seat.
It's a program for a
science conference
at the Westmont Hotel
in Washington last night.
He was one of the speakers.
Any idea where he was headed?
No, but he wasn't headed home.
Address is in the
opposite direction.
The wallet rules out robbery.
Excuse me, sir.
The shoes, hat, everything
laid out real methodical,
we've seen it before.
It's always a jumper.
We get four or five a year here.
MacKENZIE: You
find a suicide note?
OFFICER: They tend to
leave those at home, ma'am.
Well, it's not uncommon to
take your cover off in the car.
There's hardly a
mark on those shoes.
How do you know he didn't
just swap them out for another,
more comfortable
pair to drive in?
Your people check this out?
Looks like maybe another
vehicle was involved.
Yeah, my people are checking
to see if anyone
filed a police report
or called in some
kind of insurance claim.
Well, if there was
another vehicle,
he left the scene.
Maybe he got hit.
Stopped the car,
Kohler gets out to
check the damage.
There's traffic...
Maybe a big rig goes by.
( horn blowing)
MacKENZIE: Low
guard-rail, slick pavement,
in the darkness...
It's easy to see how he
could go over the side.
Excuse me, officer,
can I borrow your light?
Thank you.
Agent Benton,
can one of your men
retrieve this for us?
No problem.
Look, you tell a good
story, Commander,
but that flashlight could've
been here for weeks.
Running with your theory,
it's just as likely someone
forced him off the road.
Which takes us
back to your theory...
It wasn't accidental,
it was foul play.
If you guys really
want to file this away
as some kind of accidental death
so you can get back
to busting drunk sailors,
you go right ahead.
Look, Commander,
I don't buy accidents.
Especially when there's a chance
of a bio-terrorist threat
happening somewhere out there.
And time is not
a luxury we have.
MacKENZIE: The commander's
been missing nine hours, sir.
There are no reported sightings.
Divers downstream
haven't turned up
a body as of yet, sir.
The FBI's agreed to share phone
logs, credit cards, everything.
I know the Feds are
thinking terrorist plot.
What do you two think?
Well, we're still hoping
for the best, General.
Commander Kohler may
have simply walked away.
Maybe he turned up
at a police station...
After nine hours?
Well, it's a slim hope.
Slim hope on a crash
diet, Commander.
Family been notified?
Parents are deceased, General.
They've contacted a sister.
She was out of town,
returning today, sir.
Commander Kohler was last
seen representing the navy
at a science conference,
a couple hours before
he disappeared, sir.
The police have a program.
It lists all the attendees.
It gives us plenty of witnesses.
And plenty of suspects.
The key-note speaker
was a Dr. Morris Sperling,
the commander's boss
at the Navy Medical
Research Center.
He's coming in.
Good. Keep me apprised.
Aye, sir.
Yes, sir.
Just the man I wanted to see.
Where do you stand
on female personnel
fighting, Commander?
Oh, well, as you know, sir,
the Navy and Marine Corps
have divergent views
on women in combat, sir.
I'm not talking about combat,
I'm talking about
fighting, boxing.
Oh, uh, well,
that's different, sir.
I think. Um...
Oh. Thank you, sir.
The red button.
Um, I'm not sure
what I think, sir.
Good, you're a blank. Excellent.
I want you to review this.
Marine Sergeant Maria Hoyos
is petitioning the commandant
under Naval
Regulations, Article 11-50.
She wants Marine Corps
authorization to compete
for the Inter-Service
Boxing Championship.
She wants to fight with the men.
You're kidding, sir.
I'll get right on that, General.
Good.
Oh, uh, Commander,
just so you know, I
have very definite feelings
about whether women
should box with men.
Yes, sir.
MacKENZIE:
Commander Kohler worked
under you at NMRC, is
that right, Dr. Sperling?
Yes, on the Superbug Project.
He was been studying viruses...
Ebola, influenza, small pox.
He was testing ways to
combat biological attacks.
We understand from the FBI
that Commander Kohler
was a valuable asset.
That's an understatement.
He was the best.
He comes by it honestly.
His father was a Kingshaw
Research Prize winner,
and Adam was awarded the
very same honor last month.
Sounds like the
commander would be
a prize himself, for terrorists.
Well, if bio-terrorists
abducted Adam,
I think they'd be disappointed.
He worked only in
defensive research.
Couldn't knowing how to defend
against bio-terrorism help
the enemy build a better bug?
Possibly.
But from what you've told me,
I don't think it was our
enemies who took Adam.
What do you mean, Doctor?
Well, ever since I've known him,
Adam has shown a troubled side.
Troubled...
That's a polite
word for depressed.
Was Commander Kohler depressed?
Well, last night, at the
reception after the conference,
Adam joined my
wife and me for drinks.
He was behaving oddly.
Great speech tonight, son.
Everything okay, Adam?
I'm fine.
Sir.
Better than fine.
SPERLING: Sure you're okay?
I'm just a bit amped, Doctor.
You ever get that feeling
you're chasing
ghosts of the past?
MacKENZIE: What
do you think he meant?
I'm not sure.
Adam's never been the
easiest young man to talk to.
Was he capable of
committing suicide?
I think we all are, given
the right circumstance.
Is there anyone close
to the Commander?
Someone who might have
known what was going on with him?
He has a sister, but
they're not terribly close.
There is one person,
a Leena Kang.
She and Adam dated briefly,
until some months
ago... They broke up.
She's since married another man.
Do you know where
we can find her?
Yes, she works at the lab,
one cubicle over from Adam.
WOMAN: Commander Kohler and I
only dated for
about seven months.
We weren't exactly compatible.
We understand he
suffered bouts of depression.
When we were dating, Adam,
the commander,
definitely had moods.
How 'bout recently?
Don't know. We don't talk much.
We had a pretty bad break-up.
How did the commander
feel about you
turning around and
marrying another guy?
You mean did he and my
husband ever get into anything?
That not Adam's style.
Or my husband's.
No, the last time Adam and I
had any real communication
was an e-mail he sent
notifying me of his mom's death.
When did his mother die?
About five months
ago. She'd been ill.
Look, Adam was a nice guy,
but I never really
got to know him.
He was too distant.
You say "was."
Is there something
you know that we don't?
I know about Adam's father.
He was a scientist, too.
He worked in the
same field at Fort Detrick
in the early 70's.
Adam was obsessed with him.
He wanted to be like
him, but he was also afraid.
Of what?
Adam's father committed suicide
at about the same
age as Adam is now.
Rumor was he suffered
depression, like Adam.
How did his father
commit suicide?
He jumped.
From the 20th floor
of a New York hotel.
Right after attending
a science conference.
Freaky, huh?
Commander Kohler left
the hotel garage at midnight.
Car wasn't seen
again until 0200.
That's a two-hour window.
According to the
FBI, no one filed
an accident report or called
their insurance company.
Well, if he was in
a fender-bender,
the other driver left the scene.
Maybe with Kohler on board.
You buying into
Agent Benton's theory
of kidnapping now, Mac?
No, not necessarily.
Suicide still tops the list.
I can't find the trigger.
Family history of
depression and suicide...
Kohler showed the signs, Harm...
Isolation, inability to
sustain relationships...
That could be either one of us.
Even suicidal
people reach out...
make one final plea for help.
It's... about a 40-minute drive
from the hotel to the bridge.
MacKENZIE ( sighs): Maybe he took a
detour. We know he stopped for coffee.
RABB: What about his sister?
Sperling said
they weren't close.
Well, she's still family. He
may have reached out to her.
Here it is. Sarah McBride.
Divorced, two kids,
lives in Inwood.
Inwood?
That's along the
same route as the road
from the hotel to the bridge.
Sarah, it's Adam.
I'm sorry about
the bad connection.
I-I need to talk. I'm
ten minutes away.
If you're there, pick up, sis.
Sis, this can't wait. Call me.
( machine beeps)
You have any idea what
your brother was calling about?
No.
I mean, not exactly.
The last time Adam
and I really talked
was five months ago
at our mom's funeral.
He wasn't quite himself.
In what way?
He was agitated...
asking questions
about our-our dad's breakdown,
his symptoms, the depression.
I was older, so he
thought I'd remember.
Had he ever asked
about this before?
Not with the same urgency.
I know this stuff
runs in families,
so I was worried that
Adam was starting to head
down the same path.
Do you believe your
brother was capable
of committing suicide?
The signs say yes...
but my heart says no.
Maybe I just don't
want to believe
that all of this could
be happening again.
MAN: All right, stick
and move, come on!
Come on, let's see
some movement.
Let's go, pick it up, that's it.
There you go, there you go.
Good, good!
Stay with it.
Come on, let's see
some movement.
That's it, that's it.
Stick and move.
Pick up the pace, come on.
Excuse me, Master Sergeant.
Yes, sir.
I'm looking for Sergeant Hoyos?
Whoa!
( chuckling)
I think you just met
her, Commander. Break!
Sergeant Hoyos.
It's not complicated, sir.
I want a shot at the
Inter-Service Championship,
but the rules say I can't.
The only competition I can find
are female pros like Tiffany.
You're a JAG, sir. Is that fair?
Well, fair and the fairer sex
often don't mix, Sergeant.
What I'm saying is that
given the traditional concerns
about men and women
competing in sport,
it's going to be
an uphill battle.
Men and women compete
in lots of sports, sir:
archery, skeet-
shooting, equestrian.
I even read a story
about a female matador.
Those are all skill sports.
Boxing is a skill sport.
Okay, I will ensure
that your petition
gets to the commandant.
We'll see if he
makes an exception.
Respectfully, sir,
I don't want to be an exception.
There are lots of women in
the Armed Forces who can box.
I want this petition to mean
all of us have a
chance, Commander,
just like the men.
Kohler might've been depressed,
but I just don't think
he killed himself.
Now, we found an
e-mail over at his condo.
He booked a spring holiday
to Italy a few days ago.
Doesn't sound like a
man giving up on life.
So, if you thought someone was
after him, you must have a suspect.
Well, this witness at
the conference reported
seeing Kohler arguing
with a-a colleague,
some navy lieutenant,
Commander Paul O'Brien.
He wasn't on the attendee list.
No. He came as a guest.
Now, O'Brien is some
kind of molecular biologist.
He works over at the
Bio-Defense Lab with Kohler.
Did your witness hear what
they were arguing about?
Said something about
O'Brien being angry
about Kohler hogging
up all the research credit.
Angry enough to kill someone?
Well, maybe yes, maybe no.
Now, we checked
Kohler's lab computer.
Our techs found evidence
that someone broke
into his hard drive,
erased all his files.
Now, that-that
looks like sabotage.
MacKENZIE: You
think O'Brien did it?
Well, he and Kohler
shared a project password.
That gives him access, right?
None of this is
adding up to murder.
Oh, I'm getting
there, Commander.
I think you're going
to like this part.
Turns out your hunch
about that flashlight
panned out.
We found traces of blood
matching Kohler's DNA.
Could be the murder weapon.
Still doesn't tie Lieutenant
Commander O'Brien to a crime.
Yeah, well, this might.
It's a partial we got
off the flashlight handle.
Now, there's not enough
to run an AFIS search on it,
but if we have a
suspect to compare it to,
who knows?
Just have to rattle
the right cage.
We want to be in
on this interview.
Yeah, I thought you might,
so I had 'em put two
extra chairs in the room.
Of course I know
that Kohler's missing.
It's not exactly a state secret.
We have a eyewitness who saw you
and Kohler arguing
the night he went UA.
What was the little
disagreement about?
That's no secret, either.
Everybody knows about
the beef between us.
We don't.
It's about the Kingshaw Prize.
Kohler knows I
deserved a share of it.
I wanted him to admit it.
It was my research.
Our research.
You assisted. You compiled data.
Bull! You robbed me, Kohler.
Look, I'm in no mood
to quibble with you
over prizes, Paul.
I-I got other
matters on my mind.
"Other matters"? Like what?
I'm working on something...
an outside project.
Look, I-I don't have...
time for you now, Paul.
MacKENZIE: He
pissed you off, didn't he?
You bet, Colonel,
but I have nothing to
do with him going UA.
Just like you have nothing to do
with his hard drive
going UA, either?
O'BRIEN: That's right.
Geek law of the jungle:
"Delete unto others."
I never mess with a man's data.
Has your car been in
an accident recently?
No.
Great. You mind
if we take a look?
I have nothing to hide.
Oh, well,
that's-that's fantastic.
Since you're being
so cooperative here,
you mind if we compare
the prints in your
service record
with a print we found
at the crime scene?
Should I have a lawyer?
I, uh, met with
the sergeant, sir.
I forwarded her petition
to the commandant, and...
he rejected it, sir.
Not surprising.
No, sir.
So, that's the end of it.
Yes, sir.
No, I mean, no,
sir, uh, it's not.
I'd think the commandant would
be the final word, Commander.
Well, he is, General,
except that I know
you have a professional
relationship with him
from your time at the Pentagon.
Now, I don't know how you feel
about women in the ring, sir,
but I know your
opinion about equality.
I heard you speak at the
Senate Hearing Room,
defending the Constitution.
As it applied to
the Armed Forces.
Military men and women, General.
It applies in this case,
but the commandant
won't listen to me.
You're asking me
to use my influence?
Well, I know that you wanted
an unbiased advocate, sir.
I assumed that you
wanted me to fight
with both hands untied.
I want to meet
this sergeant, test her mettle.
She and I are going to have to
have a little give and take first.
Yes, sir.
( laughs)
A bellhop saw somebody
arguing with Kohler
outside the hotel
around midnight.
Unfortunately, he was too
far away to get a good look.
You think it was Lieutenant
Commander O'Brien?
Or somebody.
Who might've followed
him that night, stalked him.
Well, there's certainly enough
security cameras in the area.
Two hotels and a
bank on the corner.
Maybe one of them saw something.
Kohler's credit card statement.
He visited New York a month ago.
Now, he doesn't seem like
the type for a weekend getaway.
Maybe he went to meet someone.
Where are you going with this?
Kohler's comment that he was
working on an outside project.
Maybe there's more to that.
If O'Brien was telling the truth
and he didn't wipe
Kohler's hard drive,
there's only one
other possibility.
Kohler did it.
Yeah, but why?
He was covering up something.
Maybe Benton was right.
He sold out to our enemies,
and he staged a suicide
to cover his getaway.
It's nice to know you're willing
to give me some
credit, Commander.
Our tech guys have been
rebuilding Kohler's hard drive.
We've found reams
of bio-weapons data.
It is his area of expertise.
Not this stuff. Uh-uh.
Commander Kohler was
tasked with doing research
on bio-weapons defense.
This all relates to
weapons development.
Offensive technology.
You sure this just isn't
part of his research?
Dead sure, yeah.
All Cold War programs
relating to offensive technology
were banned in '72 by Nixon.
So why did Kohler have
that data on his hard drive?
I don't know...
but if he was working
on bio-technology
for offensive weapons,
he sure as hell wasn't
doing it for the navy.
RABB: Were you aware
that Kohler was working on
offensive weapons, Doctor?
No. All my people at the
Bio-Weapons Defense Lab
are tasked with
doing just that...
Defense research only.
You say all of this came
from Adam's computer?
Rebuilding his hard drive, yeah.
Yes, well... Adam's no spy.
Nor traitor.
How can you be so sure?
Because I know him,
and if he went missing
off of that bridge,
it's because
violence came to him
by someone's
hand, or by his own.
Well, this stuff just didn't
land on his computer.
How could it get there, Doctor?
This is odd.
This, uh, security stamp.
DOD stopped
using that years ago.
This is, uh, research
from our own archives.
These studies were conducted
over 30-some years ago,
before the ban.
At Fort Detrick.
The commander's
father worked there
around that time, didn't he?
( sighing): Mmm. About '72.
So, maybe these are his files.
Why would Kohler dig up
his father's
bio-weapons research
if it wasn't his area?
Do you have an
answer for us, Doctor?
Well, I hope I don't.
I've always wondered
how much Adam knew
about what
happened to his father.
Robert Kohler was
one of the best minds
in the field of bio-weapons
research around,
until he became
the subject of rumors
that he had passed
secrets to the Soviets.
Was there ever any evidence?
Not to my knowledge, no.
But there was an investigation?
Yes, the CIA conducted
a secret inquiry.
Hardly a secret, though.
Some say that's what pushed
Adam's father over the edge.
Caused him to take his own life.
Not that he had
done anything wrong,
but he just couldn't
live with the idea
of anyone believing that he had.
If the commander had
come to the same conclusion,
that his father had
been unfairly persecuted,
would he try to get even?
BENTON: So, what do we think...
Kohler downloaded his
pop's old files for kicks,
or he had some kind of a plan?
Feeling your father was
wronged by your own government
is a pretty strong
motive for revenge.
So, maybe Kohler sold
bio-secrets, but not for money.
Maybe that's what the
New York trip was about...
Setting up a deal.
Yeah, well, the
blood on that flashlight
says whatever deal he made,
it didn't go as he planned.
Do we really believe
Kohler's anger over what
happened to his father
could make him turn
against his country?
I can think of one
person that might know.
ROBERTS: General,
I'd like you to meet
Sergeant Maria Hoyos.
At ease, Sergeant.
Thank you, sir.
Looks like you
have a good reach.
You a southpaw?
Converted, sir.
How did you know?
I could tell.
How many fights?
24, General.
23 three-and-one, 20 knockouts.
Why are you here?
Sir?
Commander, I told you
I wanted to test the
sergeant's mettle.
This is a law office.
Uh, yes, sir, but I...
When I said I wanted
to have a little give-and-take
with Sergeant Hoyos,
I meant in the ring.
You mean... you and I, General?
You want to fight with men,
might as well start with me.
Be at Smith Gym, 1200.
I'll be the one with
the high-and-tight.
Bring your corner man.
SARAH McBRIDE:
No, that's impossible.
My brother would never threaten
the security of this country.
Like our dad, he
is a loyal American.
I take it, then, you're aware
of past rumors
about your father.
In my family, it was pretty
hard not to know, Colonel.
Did you ever discuss
it with your brother?
Adam had a hard time
accepting our dad's death.
He blamed the government
for what happened.
Pushing your father
toward suicide?
He was convinced the government
played a more active role.
Did you believe that?
I consider it a fairy-tale.
Just like your suggestion
that Adam would sell
bio-secrets to terrorists.
I'm afraid the evidence
says different...
The files on Adam's computer,
indications of a cover-up.
Last month, he made
a trip to New York.
We believe he may
have met someone.
I'm sure he did.
The Manhattan district attorney.
Adam wanted to have
our father's case reopened.
On what grounds?
At our mother's funeral,
Adam asked me to cosign an
order to exhume our dad's body.
With Mom gone, I guess
he thought it was okay.
Do you know the results?
He didn't tell me.
And I didn't ask.
You say your
brother was convinced
the government was
responsible for killing your father.
Did he ever mention
anyone specifically?
Just one person.
A CIA officer who
investigated the case.
Hank Olin.
HANK OLIN: I remember
the Kohler case.
It's been a while,
but espionage investigations
are hard to forget.
What can you tell us about it?
Not much beyond what you'd find
in a Freedom of
Information Act search.
What's this about?
Robert Kohler's son,
Commander Adam Kohler,
was looking into events
surrounding his father's death.
MacKENZIE: Before going missing
off a Maryland
bridge two nights ago.
( grunting): I'm
sorry to hear that.
We wondered if he
might have spoken to you
about your investigation
into his father.
No. I don't see why he would.
The case was open and shut.
You sound pretty certain,
despite the fact
your investigation
never turned up
any hard evidence.
What are you trying to say?
We spoke to the CIA.
They said you left the Company
less than five months
after the inquiry into Kohler.
MacKENZIE: No
offense, but going from
a spook chasing spies to a
P.I. chasing cheating housewives
seems like a serious come-down.
You will let me know
when you're actually
going to give offense,
won't you, Colonel?
I left the CIA because I saw
how the wind was blowing.
And it wasn't long before
the Church Commission
cut the Company off
at its knees, prevented us from
doing what needed to be done.
We were in a cold war.
And some of the
casualties were innocent.
Not Robert Kohler.
All I can tell you is this.
Information about U.S.
bio-weapons development
made it into the
hands of our enemies,
and Kohler was the
one who leaked it.
So, you did something about it.
I'm just wondering
how far you went.
Not as far as I'd have liked.
Because Kohler cheated
me out of the chance.
When he jumped
out that hotel window,
my case went right with him.
Ready to move up
in class, Sergeant?
I fought at 165.
I'm ready, sir.
Good. Don't hold back on
me because I'm a general.
Or a man.
No, sir, I won't.
Because if you do,
I'm going to order
Commander Roberts to bust you
for disrespecting
a general officer.
Understood, Commander?
Uh, yes, sir.
You didn't actually think I was
going to be throwing leather?
No, sir; not for an instant.
In the ring.
One, two, three. ( grunting)
Jab. ( grunting)
Jab hook. ( grunting)
Slip right hand. ( grunting)
Pretend I'm a Navy man
when you throw that
next combination.
One, two, three,
four. ( grunting)
( bell dings)
How do you feel?
Great, General. Outstanding.
You survived round one.
Two to go.
Sir? Let's go.
Yes, sir. Jab.
Double jab. ( grunting)
Jab right hand. ( grunting)
BENTON: We
checked out Lieutenant
Commander O'Brien's
car... There's no damage.
Now, he also consented
to a fingerprint check.
But it didn't match the partial
we had on the flashlight,
so, he's off the hook.
Now, Hank Olin's another matter.
Those are the autopsy findings
on Robert Kohler's exhumed body.
Contusion to the head
consistent with
blunt force trauma...
not a fall from a
20-story height.
Yeah, police missed that in '72.
Now, what they didn't miss,
was high levels of
Nembutol in Kohler's blood.
They just assumed at that
time that he was self-medicating.
You have a different theory?
The CIA Assassination Manual.
Commander Kohler
had this downloaded
from an anarchist's website.
Now, he highlighted this
how-to section on assassinations.
Now, this suggests
drugging the victim
before delivering
a blow to the head,
then tossing the body
from a high place...
Say, a bridge or a building...
To make it look like suicide.
Now, I talked to some of
my sources over at the CIA.
It turns out Olin was a
cowboy in the bad old days.
A killer.
So, you think he murdered
Robert Kohler 32 years ago?
Well, you said yourself
that he believed Kohler
was a traitor, right?
And we all know Olin
was a loose cannon.
Yeah. The question
is: Is he still?
We may have that answer soon.
Our tech guys found spyware
on Commander Kohler's computer.
Someone's been surveilling
his hard drive remotely.
If Olin knew the commander
was closing in on the truth...
That Olin killed his father...
That would be a strong
motive to silence him.
I don't think Commander
Kohler was pursuing
a bio-terrorist plot
against his country.
I think he was pursuing
his father's killer.
Look, Robert Kohler
committed suicide 32 years ago.
I had nothing to do with it.
Yeah, you know, right now
we're much more interested
in what happened 36 hours ago,
you know, on that
Maryland bridge.
I don't know
anything about that.
You know about this,
though, don't you?
Commander Kohler requested
an autopsy on his father's body.
Robert Kohler's death wasn't
a suicide; he was murdered.
RABB: A copy of this was found
on Commander Kohler's computer,
along with other evidence.
He was investigating
his father's death.
But I'm sure you know all that.
You planted spyware to
monitor what he was doing.
Spying on computers
is illegal, Agent.
I could lose my license.
You got away with
murder 32 years ago, Olin.
You won't this time.
We have the evidence.
MacKENZIE: You ran
Commander Kohler off the road.
We found signs of recent
damage to your car...
Damage that's been repaired.
Two weeks ago, I
got into an accident.
Ever drive in this city?
It's nuts.
I took care of it myself.
So what?
RABB: Somebody was
seen arguing with Kohler
outside the hotel the
night he disappeared.
There are security
cameras all over the streets.
We'll find the right one.
I've interrogated
enough suspects
to know when the man
on that side of the table
has nothing, Commander.
Stop wasting my time.
Traces of Commander
Kohler's blood
were found on the murder weapon
along with the
killer's fingerprint.
Who's wasting whose time?
Nice try.
If you had anything beyond
a fragmentary partial print,
we wouldn't be talking.
And if you need my fingerprint
records for comparison,
you're going to have to go
to court, Counselor.
You're a JAG.
That is your day job, right?
( playing "Away in
the Manger" on piano)
( laughter)
WOMAN: Give Daddy his presents.
BOY: This one?
( laughing)
That's right.
Give it to me, son.
Here, Daddy.
Open it.
WOMAN: Come on, honey, open it.
BOY: Merry Christmas.
Kohler family memories?
Yeah, the FBI found this tape
at Commander Kohler's condo.
Christmas, 1971.
I was about the same age
when my dad went
down over Vietnam.
So you know how he feels.
Well, I know how it feels
not to know what happened.
To want the answers.
You want to nail Hank Olin.
I want an answer.
We still don't have an I.D.
on the guy seen
arguing with Kohler
outside the hotel that night.
Still searching the security
cameras, but nothing so far.
What about the Hotel Saint Cyr?
Well, the cameras were
pointed in the wrong direction.
The bank on the corner?
Nothing from the ATMs,
and since it was Sunday,
the other cameras don't run.
They're only triggered
if there's a robbery.
Or a delivery.
I used to have a friend
who worked at a bank.
Armored cars deliver
cash Sunday night
for the start of business
Monday morning.
And the driveway's right there.
Well, if that's where the
money gets delivered,
there would be a camera.
Commander.
Your client's got a
decent jab, good left hook.
Yes, sir.
Footwork needs attention.
Let me tell you something...
She's got the goods.
Glad to hear it, General.
I put a call in to
the Commandant.
I plan to tell him,
if it were up to me,
I'd recommend giving
the sergeant a shot
at qualifying for the
Inter-Service Championship.
Really, General?
You sound surprised.
I guess I am, sir.
You thought I didn't think
women had a place
in the ring with men?
Yes, sir, I did.
Until today, you were right.
At ease, Commander.
AGENT BENTON: Our techs found
more research on Kohler's hard drive.
Old East German security files
referencing the
bio-weapons leak in '72.
I've got some translators
working on that right now.
What about the bank
security cameras?
Oh, you were right, Commander.
An armored truck dropped
off cash on Sunday night,
and that triggered off
several video cameras,
and that tape ran
for about 40 minutes.
What time was this?
11:30 to 12:10.
Well, that covers the argument
with our two mystery men.
Did the cameras get a look?
Yeah, a pretty good one.
The photo-geeks are
working on a high-rez.
How soon will they
have something?
Well, it looks like
soup right now.
Your guys get us a face?
Yeah.
The resolution may not
be what we hoped for.
What was the argument that night
with Commander Kohler about?
Well, Adam was upset that, uh,
the lab wasn't
getting more funding.
He held me responsible.
I mean, this is nothing.
Doesn't look like nothing to me.
BENTON: The commander told you
the night he
disappeared that he was
"chasing ghosts of the past."
I think we have a pretty
good idea what he meant.
I'm glad you do.
My husband and I
still don't have a clue.
Well, you should.
The ghosts he was
chasing were the two of you.
Commander, you're
speaking in code.
Well, let me break it for you.
One of the benefits
of the Berlin Wall
falling was the disclosure
of the East German
security files.
And from these files,
Commander Kohler pieced together
your wife's true identity.
She worked in the
West German embassy
in D.C. in '72.
Actually, she was a KGB agent
who was looking for a scientist
to date.
RABB: Secrets between lovers
helps keep the relationship going,
doesn't it?
MARTA: This is preposterous!
Under what rock did
you find this nonsense?
Actually, on Commander
Kohler's hard drive, ma'am.
That sound familiar, Doc?
'Cause we traced the spyware tap
on his computer back to you.
RABB: Bio-weapons
leak to the Soviets in '72
came from you,
not Robert Kohler.
He found you out,
you set him up,
and you and your
wife killed him.
MacKENZIE: Flash
forward to two nights ago.
Commander Kohler
confronted you for what you did.
You followed him, ran him
off the road, murdered him,
and then you staged
it to look like a suicide,
just like you did 32 years ago.
BENTON: Commander Kohler left us
your play book...
That little CIA
assassination manual,
ironically used by
the KGB, as well.
MacKENZIE: We found Nembutal
in your desk drawer, Doctor.
The FBI confirmed its presence
in the commander's
to-go cup of coffee.
How could I have
drugged his coffee?
RABB: You didn't.
You put it in his drink
at the hotel during
cocktail hour.
The traces we found
in the coffee are proof
it was in his saliva,
in his system.
BENTON: See, we
found the flashlight
at the crime scene with
the commander's blood on it,
and a partial thumbprint,
matching the one
in your security file.
Look, I lost that
flashlight weeks ago.
This is absurd!
I... I'm innocent!
MacKENZIE: Your car tells
a different story.
We found damage
matching the damage
on Commander Kohler's car.
Someone hit me
in the lab parking structure.
And didn't leave a note, right?
Right.
MARTA: This is a
complete fabrication.
I know how you people work.
You're no better than the Stasi.
Conviction by false witness.
We're not the Stasi, ma'am.
We don't plant evidence.
Surely you don't think I
would have murdered Adam?
Now, please, you
have to believe me.
We can't nail him for
the father's murder,
but we got him for the son's.
You're not so sure.
I'd like to take a...
another look at
Commander Kohler's car.
Okay. It's in the FBI impound.
That's not what
I'm talking about.
BENTON: We ran
the last few seconds
of Commander Kohler
leaving the hotel garage.
( beeps)
And my boys were able
to enhance that tape,
get you that image that
you were looking for.
Car was damaged
before Kohler left the hotel.
Sperling was telling the truth?
RABB: About the accident anyway.
We're gonna have to
let the Sperlings walk.
What are you talking about?
If we want to get to the bottom
of Commander
Kohler's disappearance,
it's the only way.
REPORTER ( on
television): Dr. Morris Sperling,
the Navy's Director of
Bio-Defense Research,
has been relieved of duty,
pending an inquiry into charges
of possible espionage
during the Cold War.
Authorities have
refused all comment,
and so far, the doctor has...
The FBI's got a tail on them.
They wired his car and home.
Any phone calls,
any conversations...
They'll hear every word.
I hope you two know
what you're doing.
Now who's the
one chasing ghosts?
I can't say it was a
pleasant surprise, Adam,
hearing your voice on the phone.
Feeling's mutual, Doctor.
Well, I've always appreciated
your attention to detail,
but never so much as I do now.
Well, when the subject's
worth it, you go the extra mile.
Leaving a trail of
evidence on your computer,
and making it look
like I was the one
who erased the past, and
even staging that argument
over funding
outside of the hotel
so you knew there'd be witnesses
that remembered we'd had words.
That's brilliant.
I learned the stagecraft
from you, Doctor.
And your lovely wife.
You damaged my car?
Hmm? Set it all up.
And then that night,
after you left the
hotel, you came here.
DR. SPERLING: You
applied all the right touches.
( Kohler sighs)
SPERLING: The accident scene.
The Nembutal in the coffee,
matching the vial you
planted in my desk.
I knew my flashlight
had gone missing.
I didn't remember how.
You had my prints.
You simply added a
sample of your own blood.
And even the staged suicide.
You knew the
investigation would continue.
That it would lead
back to your father
and to Marta and me.
I applaud the effort.
Except it didn't work.
I was hoping by now
that you'd be cashing
in your retirement
to buy a good lawyer.
With experience in
death penalty cases.
I think we're in enough trouble.
That would be your opinion.
You and your wife are
getting away with murder.
Twice.
I'm not wearing a wire,
if that's what you're
worried about.
Well, the thought
had occurred to me.
No cassette recorders, either.
It's just us.
On this bridge,
alone with the truth.
And what truth is that?
You murdered my father.
For once in your life, admit it.
Admit what you did, Doctor!
I know it's been
hard on you, Adam.
It's been hard on me, too.
You've become like a son to me.
Truly.
How dare you play
for my sympathy!
I don't expect
you to forgive me,
but you must understand this.
Your father was
a loyal American.
He had no choice but to expose
my treason, so Marta
and I had no choice.
You always have choice, Doctor.
( siren blips)
( brake squeaks)
I assume you heard
what you needed to hear.
RABB: We were listening in
on the Doctor's phone calls.
Thanks for the invitation.
I'm glad you could make it.
KOHLER: I figured that any man
who could follow the
trail back to this bridge
would have the patience to
wait till he'd heard a confession.
You didn't need a wire.
You knew they were
bugging our conversation.
We planted a device
on your car, Doc.
Good for a quarter-mile.
Even better in court.
I'm sorry, Adam.
Glad to have you back
with the living, Commander.
Thank you. Over here.
MacKENZIE: I hate to say it,
but you're still UA.
You're gonna have to
pay a price for justice.
It's worth it.
RABB: Well,
if you need a good
lawyer, my schedule's free.
Thanks, Commander.
32 years in search of an answer,
a chance to find some peace.
It feels good.
I know.