NCIS (2003–…): Season 15, Episode 21 - One Step Forward - full transcript

["Teardrop Valley"
by The Lonesome Drifter playing]

♪ Well, today
hard luck has found me... ♪

GUARD:
You're not on the list,

I can't let you in.But it's not about me.

I need to talk
to someone about her.

Look, I'm not gonna let
you just pass me off...

Ma'am, I need you
to calm down.I've been calm!

For a year, while police sat

on their asses!Okay, we're done.
You need to go.

I'm not going anywhere
until someone listens to me.GUARD: Ma'am, step back.

No, I'm not leaving. No.I said step back.

Ma'am.
Get off me.

[grunting]

Hey.
WOMAN:
Let me go!

[gasping]

Hey!

Aah!We've got it handled,
Agent Gibbs.

You work here?
You NCIS?

Enough! Let's go!

Look at that photo.

Look at her face.
She was murdered.

She was a veteran.
You owe her justice!

Get off me!

♪

Yes, the situation was contained
at the front gate.

It was an isolated incident
with no connection

to the lockdown we had
last month.

Okay, appreciate it.

No comment at this time.
Thank you.

That is three reporters in
the last eight minutes. You?

One reporter, Homeland,

and Agent Wright
from the REACT team.

Yes, I'll hold again.
No problem.

BISHOP:
Who do you have, SECNAV?

Oh, no, I'm making a reservation
at The Cooler.

The Cooler?
Like, the restaurant

where everything's made of ice?

It's like a five-star meal
in a five-star igloo.

Oh, there's no way
you're getting in there.

I heard Oprah's
in town this week--

even she can't get a table.
Special Agent McGee.

Uh, hold on, you're ignoring

all other calls
you're getting right now?

B, relax.

Hello.

Before they put me on hold,

I forwarded all my calls
to Reeves.

Are you kidding me, bro?

My phone has been
ringing double-time.

Sucks to be you, baby.
Hello.

NCIS, Special Agent
Nick Torres.

I'd like a table
for two, please.

[phone beeping]

Hello?
Hello?

You hung up on them.

Not everything's
about you, mate.

It's not?Yeah, that's right.

No new developments to speak of.

You guys, it is a madhouse
down there.

There's a line
of news vans

right outside the gate.

Hello? Yes, uh...

No, no, no, don't
put me on hold. Oh...

And music.

Wait, what's going on
around here?

Ooh, is Oprah touring
the navy yard?

No, no, there was an arrest
at the front gate this morning.

What happened?We don't have full details yet--
still waiting

on an update from Gibbs.

Who is she?

My mother.
Retired navy.

Name?

Chief Petty Officer
Mae Carter.

And you are...

Sara Carter.

This isn't about me.

You punch a guard
at the navy yard gate,

it becomes about you.

My mother was a master-at-arms/
command investigator.

Did three tours
in the Middle East.

This one was Kuwait.
Desert Storm.

She left her kid and ran
straight into a war zone.

Same as every man
she served with.

Just like me.

I left my daughter.

Desert Storm.

Guards found this in your
bag when they searched it.

That your mom, too?

It was taken
26 years later.

It's a self-portrait.

She took it a week
before she died.

All right.

All right, I'm listening.

She was shot and killed by
an intruder in her own house.

Virginia State Police
did nothing.

They let it go unsolved
for a year.

Yeah, well, getting yourself
arrested isn't gonna help.

I don't need a lecture.

I need you
to take this case.

See, I don't like
that word "need."

Come on with the dancing.
Okay?

You don't get to sit
on that side of the table

and make demands.

Well, I'm making them!

My mom gave 20 years of her life
to serve this country.

You say you're a vet,
you know what that means.

You kick me out of here,
I'll camp out at the front gate.

Hell, I'll find your front door.

I need you to take this case
and solve it.

For her.

NEWSMAN:
This morning's disturbance

was caused by a woman
identified as

28-year-old Sara Carter.

Carter was reportedly there
to demand that NCIS

solve the murder of her mother.

And thanks to cell phone video

taken by an onlooker
at the scene,

we have a pretty good idea
of what happened

when Carter's appeal went awry.

She's got a heck of a left.

Really fast.
So?

SECNAV has asked me
to draft a press release.

Let me guess.

"We'll support
the Virginia State Police

"in every way possible

"to solve the murder
of Mae Carter.

"However, this case does not
fall under the jurisdiction

of NCIS."

Once again. Say that slowly
so I can type it.

Are you sure this is
the best route, Leon?

You said it yourself--
murder of a veteran off-base.

It's not our case.

Sure, but what
about principle?

Is that even a thing anymore?

I did some digging
on the daughter,

Sara Carter.

Not only was her mom a vet,

so was her grandmother,
and so is Sara.

She was an individual
augmentee in Afghanistan.

Recipient of the Purple Heart.

She suffered
a broken clavicle

and a traumatic
brain injury

from a roadside bomb.

A kindred spirit,
but still it's not our case.

Taking the case, Leon.

Gibbs, come on in.

Police had their shot.

We've got more resources.
We've got a better team.

And her mother,
I understand her

without even reading
a report.

Cell phone videos
of this gate incident

have gone viral.

People are gonna
scrutinize and demonize

until Mae Carter's
killer is found.

If we take this on, we could be
setting up this agency

for a PR nightmare.

We're not gonna fail, Leon.

All right, I'll let them know.
Thanks.

That was Detective Olson
from Virginia State PD.

He's giving us
the Mae Carter case.

You talk to him?Yeah. He sent over

his electronic files
about 15 minutes ago.

Yeah, he said he was
more than willing.

He's pulling up
the evidence for us now.

Why be so willing
to hand over a case?

'Cause normal people like
to work less.

We are not normal
people, Torres.

Give me an update.
Let's go.

As a master-at-arms/
command investigator,

CPO Mae Carter handled
POWs during wartime

and investigated
non-felony crimes during peace.

BISHOP:
She retired at 38

and started a second career
as an assistant

parole officer in the Virginia
Department of Corrections.

McGEE:
One year ago, she was

shot and killed
in her home

in what appeared to be
a robbery gone bad.

Detective Olson said that
her house went into foreclosure

right after that.

TORRES: The new owner
tore it down to rebuild.

Yeah, so no going back
to the crime scene.

Suspects?One primary.

A guy named Robert Flynn.

BISHOP: He was convicted
of attempted burglary.

That happened on the same block
a few days before the murder.

Flynn served six months
for that crime,

but there was never
enough evidence

to charge him with the murder
of Mae Carter.

Torres, coordinate with Olson.
Transfer of evidence.

Bishop, loop in Abby.

McGee, you and me.All right.

Robert the robber.

I already tracked down
his location

for the rest
of the afternoon.

[laughter]

FLYNN:
I'm telling you, it's true.

I am going for
the easiest target

every single time.

Now, remember,
for somebody like me,

it's all about
opportunity.

So, keep your doors locked,

keep your eyes open,

and keep your valuables with you
at all times,

or else I'm gonna be
stealing 'em

as you walk out of this room.

[laughter]

I'm kidding, of course.

Thank you guys so much.

That's all the time that I got.

I really appreciate it.[applause]

Keep it real.

Mr. Flynn, NCIS.

FLYNN:
Let me guess.

You're here about Mae Carter?

The daughter has
her 15 minutes,

you got reporters
and the navy cops calling.

But tell you what.

See that beautiful lady
right there in the blue?

I just gave her an interview.

If I were you, I'd go
talk to her, ask her

if you could see it.

That way you could
save me some time,

I could get all this cleaned up.
[chuckles]No.

Okay. Somebody came in hot.
[laughs]

But look,

I was a burglar, not a murderer.

And, as you can see,
now I'm neither-- I'm reformed.

The judge forced you
to do these talks

as part of your parole.

And I'm embracing 'em, bro.

Mae Carter.
Talk.

Yeah, look, it was, um...

it was the middle
of a heat wave.

I didn't have air in my car,

so I only ended up
casing her street

for about an hour.

I tried to hit a house
down the block,

and I got caught.

That's it.
That's as close

as I ever got to Mae Carter.

You never entered her house?

Nah, man, she had
lawn ornaments.

That means there ain't nothing
worth nothing in there.

[chuckling]:
If you know what I mean.

Yeah, yeah, I did, uh...

I did hear some yelling, though.

Coming from her house?

Yeah, yeah.
I couldn't, uh...

couldn't make out the words,

but it sounded like a couple
of females

who were pretty pissed off
at each other.

You tell that to the detective
on the case?

What, Olson?
Oh, yeah, yeah.

Me and him go way back,
like car seats.

We got a special bond.
He, uh...

he's the first cop
that ever arrested me, so...

Good luck, guys.

Tell you what,
if I wasn't knee-deep

in a triple homicide,
I'd buy you a drink

for taking this beast
off my hands.

Well, do you have
a minute to chat?

Uh, 30 seconds
would be better.

Robert Flynn.
You like him for this?

At first, yeah.

But I could never
find anything solid

tying him to the murder.

And the Carter place was tossed.

No valuables were taken.

You think it was staged?

The victim could have been
the target all along.

I went down that road,
hit a dead end.

And when I followed up
on the fight

that Flynn told me about,

three neighbors confirmed
there was arguing

the entire week
leading up to the murder.

Arguing between who?

Between Mae Carter
and her daughter.

Sara?
Yeah.

She admitted to living
with her mother at the time,

but she claims
she can't remember

what the fights were about.Hard to believe.

Well, when I first
got this case,

I felt like I was staring
into a can of worms.

The only person I ever
found that had a true beef

with Mae Carter
was her daughter.

All right, we'll be in touch.

Yeah, you know
where to find me.

ABBY:
Okay, let's see

what's in this one.

The bullets
that killed Mae Carter.

A pair
of nine millimeters, check.

And the clothes she was
wearing when she was murdered.

Yep, they're all here.

JIMMY: Did you guys see
these crime scene photos?

See, the-the autopsy report said
that Mae fell onto her stomach

when she was shot, but the
police report said she was found

on her side.

Why would the killer
have moved her?

[computer chimes]

Is the answer
coming in already?

What? I just got an e-mail

saying that I was
randomly selected

to have dinner for two

at The Cooler this weekend.

Yes! I'm in.

What? No, no, no.

I-I already know
what I'm gonna order.

They serve this gourmet soup,
and there is

this pumpkin chowder, Abbs,
that is supposed to be amazing.

You know, I think I might
give it to Al, the janitor.

His wife's been in the hospital,

and they could probably use
a pick-me-up.

No joke, Abby,

you are like an angel in
platform shoes, you know that?

Oh, oh, hey, it says here that
this offer is non-transferrable.

That means, Abby,
you have to go.

You have to take
one of us with you.

Well, you can leave me
out of it.

I don't really fancy soup.

Hey, Abbs. Ladies'
night in an igloo?

Huh?

Wait a minute.
Guys, look at this.

They're credit card bills,
all in Sara Carter's name,

and they're all past due.

So, she was fighting
with her mother,

and thousands of
dollars in debt.

Failed to mention it
to any of us.

Think she was hiding something?

One way to find out.

I'll send you her address?

All right, picture this:

you and me,
subterranean coworkers

dining on ice chairs.

It feels so right.

That's not her name. You sure
this is the right house?

Well, it has to be.
This is the address she gave us.

Hey, there she is.

Ms. Carter.

Who are you?

NCIS.

Oh, you're working
with Agent Gibbs?

Yes.Did you find
something?

Do you have a suspect?

Actually want to ask
you a few questions,

if you don't mind
coming with us.

Yeah, I mind, I've got my kid.

Look, some issues
have come up,

and we need some clarification.

Well, can it wait
until tomorrow

when he's in school?

Uh, no, it can't.

Where are you going, Sara?

I'm not going anywhere.

Your car is packed.

You were fighting with your
mother before she was killed,

and now you're about
to skip town?

I said I'm not going anywhere.

This is everything you have,
isn't it?

Your mother's house

went into foreclosure, and...

...this car's
where you've been living.

Thank you. Hey, Leon.

I just got off the phone with
a reporter named Diane Boyle.

She's the newest member
of this TV news magazine,

Profile 360.

Yeah. Saw her when we went
to question Robert Flynn.

She's doing a piece on the case?Mm-hmm.

She's turning over
every rock she can find

on the murder
of Mae Carter. In fact,

she's got witnesses saying
that NCIS was hostile

with Mae's daughter
in the street.

Hey, Leon,

I don't care what kind
of BS she's got.

My only concern is justice

for Mae Carter, that's it.

Bear in mind, Gibbs,
when the world is watching,

"no comment"
can only play for so long.

Okay, guys, you're both right.

Can we just please move on?

The daughter, Sara Carter.

That address she gave
us, it's not hers.

The family that lives there
lets her use their shower.

SLOANE:
The traumatic brain injury

that Sara suffered
in Afghanistan

resulted in migraines

and trouble
concentrating.

Hard to hold down a job.

SLOANE: Which contributed
to her homelessness.

This is not a unique case,
as we all know.

Yeah. I know the numbers.

The-the numbers are wrong, Leon,

that's the point.

Women are the fastest
growing segment

of the homeless vet population.

And-and women aren't
the vets that are standing

on the side
of the road

with a cardboard sign.

They don't live in the streets
or shelters.

It is safer to sleep in a car
or on someone's couch

if you have kids.

Exactly.

It's like they're invisible.

They're not even counted.

So there are not enough
resources to help, I know.

But our case isunique,
Agent Sloane.

Living situation aside,

Sara Carter is looking
like a suspect.

Does the TBI affect her memory?

Nothing in her charts
would suggest that, no.

So there's no way she can't
recall a week-long argument

leading up to the murder
of her mother.

Find out what she's hiding.

Sara Carter is waiting
in the conference room.

I'll get her son settled
somewhere and meet you in there.

I'd like to go with you
to talk to her.

Too many people, her
guard will go up.

Gibbs, we're not done here!

Hey. That's not
your call to make.

You know about the volunteer
work I've been doing.

Yeah. Charity for homeless vets.

Let me talk to Sara.

I can benefit
this investigation.

Okay, Reeves, you take my place.

Thank you.

You report back to me.

Where'd they take Theo?

Uh, he's just down the hall
with Agent Bishop.

Please, have a seat.

I don't know
what you want from me.

Uh, do you remember stuff
you said a year ago?

If it was one of the last things
I said to my mom, yeah.

Sara, we know that
you were in debt.

Did you ask
your mom for money?

The sooner you talk to us, the
sooner you and your son can go.

[sighs]

I-I didn't want my mom
to bail me out.

Uh, she loved
taking pictures.

So she cashed in her 401K
to start a photography studio.

When she found out
how much I owed,

she used the money
to pay for my bills instead.

[exhales]

So that's why you were arguing.

Yeah.

Why didn't you tell
Detective Olson?

I was ashamed.

And it had nothing to do
with her murder anyway.

I mean, that detective

was looking in all
the wrong places.

And so you came to us
because you wanted

to take care of your mom
the way she took care of you.

She did more than that.

She took care of Theo.

When I deployed,
she kept my baby safe and fed,

she sang to him,

she let him know he was loved,

so I could complete
my mission.

You know, she did
that for me.

Now I'm going to do this
for her.

Sara,

you can't help anybody
if you don't help yourself.

There's an organization
called Final Salute.

[sighs]And they have
a house

for female vets and their kids.

Look, I already told you...

You could stay there

until you get back on your feet.

We're not homeless.

Okay? As soon as this is over,

Theo and I are gonna go live
with my aunt in Texas, okay?

It's pre-paid.

I've programmed in
my number.

Just in case
you change your mind.

Can we go get Theo now?

Absolutely.

McGEE:
Morning, Abby.

Get ready, 'cause I've
got a surprise for you.

Is it something to keep me warm

while I'm having dinner
at The Cooler?

Faux-fur skull earmuffs,
check 'em out.

Thank you.

You can put them here
on the table

with the scarf from Torres

and the leg warmers from Bishop

and the soup spoon from Jimmy.

Have you picked a plus one yet?

No. I just want to make sure
that I choose the person

who really deserves

a fantastic night.

Abby, I have known
and adored you longer

than any of these people.

I know, McGee.

And I'm factoring that into
my dinner companion algorithm.

Okay.

Meanwhile, I found out

why Mae's body was moved.

She was turned onto her side
so the killer could

get something out
of her front pocket.

These the jeans
she was wearing?

Yes. And I found
traces of paper here.

McGEE:
What are those markings?

Carbon black dye

number 28.

Because of the extreme heat
we were having,

some of the ink
from the paper transferred

onto the inside of the pocket.

And you enhanced it.

ABBY: Enhanced it,
unscrambled it and flipped it,

and I could see that it's a list

of alphanumeric characters,

all beginning
with the letters "GC."

Which means...?

They're tracking numbers

from a shipping company
called Global Courier.

It's possible the killer
was looking

for some kind of package.

Were you able to find
any full numbers?

I got one, and I
texted it to you.

Wow, thanks, Abbs.

By the way, those earmuffs?

Velvet lined.

WOMAN [over P.A.]:
We need a forklift
at the loading dock, please.

Yep, this is definitely one
of our tracking numbers.

What was it for?

We don't know
the contents,

but it was
a six-by-nine envelope bag

sent from Veteran Alpha Care.

The mail order pharmacy.

Yeah, that's the one.

Let me see.

The recipient was Earl Kraft
in Arlington.

Package was delivered?

February of last year.

No, I take that back.

It was initially marked
as delivered, but the recipient

later reported
it stolen.

Earl...?Earl Kraft.

I can write down his address,
if that helps.

Boss?

Hey.

You following us?Start rolling.

You're with NCIS...I asked you a question.

My name is Diane Boyle,
and we're here...

Yeah, yeah,
I know who you are.

Put that away.How do you
respond to claims

that your agency was mistreating

the victim's daughter?Put it down. What?

I said put it down!

Do you have any new suspects
on the murder of Mae Carter?

Mr. Gunderson, do these people
have your permission

to be on the property?

N-No, they do not.

I'm not gonna ask you again.

All right, let's go-- okay.Get out of here.

BISHOP:
Earl Kraft

is an Army vet who was receiving
prescription painkillers

from a mail order V.A. pharmacy.

Did you talk to him?

He died of a heart attack
about two months ago.

According to the report he
filed, he believed his pills

were stolen out of his mailbox.

Give me a timeline.

Theft happened a month
before Mae Carter was murdered.

So it's possible
she got his tracking number

and stole his pills.

TORRES: It's funny, that
picture makes her look

like a good citizen, but...

Well, original case file shows
that she used her credit card

to buy gas a few hours
before she died.

That gas station
is in a bad neighborhood.

We're talking
about Mad Maxbad.

Hey, you talking about
the gas station bit?

Yeah.

Well, for that,
I have something.

Traffic cam footage.

You got to come closer, bro.

No, Torres, your massive
head is... it's in the way.

Can you just...? Thank you.

The traffic cam
only took a picture

because the car in front was
speeding through a red light.

That's Mae's car in back,

parked half a mile
from the gas station.

We don't know how long
she stayed,

we don't know where she went.

Anything else in the area?

There's a hostel on the
corner, and that's it, really.

Why would she have stopped there

the day she was murdered?

Torres, Reeves, go.

Bishop, other traffic cams.

McGee, get Detective
Olson on the phone.

Find out if any of this
means anything to him.

They put me on hold for, like,
an hour, and then they tell me

that I can't get a table
till next year.

But Abby's got to
take me, right?

I mean, I deserve
a fantastic night.

Yeah, I'm sure you do, mate.

What's your problem?

What's my problem?

Sara Carter doesn't have
an aunt who lives in Texas.

I've seen this a dozen times.

She needs help, but she's
scared that if she admits

she's homeless, they'll take
her son away from her.

That's heavy, man.

Yeah.

You know, I have
heavy thoughts, too.

Weightlifting fantasies
don't count, mate.

They don't?

Hey. NCIS.

You, too?

I'm MI6, actually.MI6.

That's dope, dude, you got
the accent and everything.

All right, all right.

You recognize her?

Hmm, no.

Why, should I?

About a year ago,
she was in the neighborhood,

parked on the corner.

Well, that's kind of a stretch,
isn't it?

TORRES:
Listen,

how many beds
you have open tonight?

Uh, I don't really do math.

I just give people a bed
if I got one.

Perfect. Then you won't mind
if we have a look around?

No, do your thing.

I got this!

No, I got this!

Hey!
[bystanders gasp]

[grunts]

Come on.

Go back, Clay,
I'm faster than you.

MAN:
Hey!
[car horn honks]

REEVES: Get over yourself,
bruv, I'm just jogging.

TORRES:
How funny, so am I.

[workers muttering]

[grunting]

Nick, out my bloody way!

[grunts]
Really?

[Reeves mutters]

Clay, stop!

[bystanders screaming]

WOMAN:
Oh, my God.

Name was Jax Wesley.

He owned the hostel?
Yeah.

TORRES: This guy must've
had a lot of practice

running away from cops.

He was quick.

What about the
woman who hit him?

She was lucky.

Just a few
scratches.

Wrong time, wrong place.Hmm.

Could happen to the best of us.

Yep.

You know what? This body
needs to be covered.

I'm gonna text Jimmy,
see how far away he is.

Copy.

Hey.

Yo.
You all right, man?

Yeah.

You know, you never want
to see these things happen,

even if the guy's
running away from you.

Listen.

You pulled me back

when that truck hit.

What?

You think I was trying
to save your life?

What, you weren't?

No, man, I just-- I just can't
stand seeing you ahead of me.

Oh, hey, and, Reeves?

The only reason why you won
is because I pulled my hammy.

[chuckles]

So, what are we looking for?

Well, Reeves said, once
they headed behind the desk,

the guy ran.

Hollow?
Mm-hmm.

GIBBS:
Or you could push right here.

My bad.

This is more than a hostel.

BISHOP:
Yeah, one-stop shop

for all your illegal
prescription drug needs.

Nine-mill.

Same as the bullets
used to kill Mae Carter.

Get it to Abby for ballistics.

OLSON:
Agent Gibbs?Yeah.

Detective Olson.

Nice to meet you in person.

Yeah. Same.

Torres caught me up to speed.

I ran the name Jax Wesley
through our system.

Narcotics had a file on him.

Find any prescription
drugs here?

Oh, yeah.

Wow.

The guy wasn't kidding around.

Narcotics was onto him
for the last two months,

but they were keeping their
distance, trying to get an ID

on his supplier.

They come up with anything?No.

You think his supplier
could've been Mae Carter?

From me?

She doesn't seem the type.

Well, as far
as I can see,

the tracking numbers
you found in Mae Carter's pocket

could've been pills she stole,
brought here to sell.

Or, possible,

she was coming here to buy more.

That's not my mom.

She wasn't stealing
anyone's pills.

She wouldn't steal anything.

We took this case out of
respect for your mother.

That hasn't changed.

SLOANE:
Sara, we looked into her past.

In 1998, she was hospitalized.

She overdosed
on antidepressants.

Yeah, my father couldn't handle
her being away on deployment.

He left us.

You're accusing her.

Desert Storm,

guys were always looking
for trophies

to smuggle back.

Weapons, knives.

I took a can
of Iraqi shoe polish.

[both chuckle]

Made me think that we all...
polish our boots the same way.

Me... the enemy...
the guy next to me.

So what?

And your mother, too.

Oh, you think you know
my mom because,

what, we're all the same?

No.

Not the same.

We're all human.

When she got out
of that hospital,

she picked herself up

and went straight
to rehab.

Okay? My mother was not
stealing anything.

And she damn sure

wasn't taking anything either.

She stayed sober
until the day she died.

Wait, wait.
Excuse me, Sara, Sara?

Wait, wait, wait.

At least take
some food for Theo.

Look, I'm late.

I got to pick him up
from school.

Please.

You said you were going
to do right by my mom.

Now all you're doing
is dragging her through the mud.

[door opens, bell jingles]

DIANE:
Next week, on Profile 360,

Sara Carter packed up her life,
putting off a cross-country move

to find justice for her mother.

My mom loved taking photos.

Look, I'm only talking to you
so people know she mattered.

Okay? So they can't just throw
her to the side.

DIANE: We'll take you
through all the drama.

I said, put it down!

DIANE: Okay. All right.
All right, let's go.GIBBS: Get out of here!

Camera adds ten pounds
to his temper.

You want to make it 20?

Gibbs!

[whispers]:
God, he's really quiet.

DIANE:
All that and more next week...

So glad you're here.

Take a peek here at Jax Wesley.

Now, what you're looking at

are massive injuries
from the truck hit.

[phone chimes]

That it?

It's Abby. Ballistics came back.

Jax's gun was
the one used

to kill Mae Carter.

Well, we've got
our killer right here.

Mae Carter,
what about her tox screen?

Police dropped the ball.

They never did one on Mae
the time of the murder.

So, if she had relapsed,

we'll never know for sure.

[quietly]:
Yeah.

[bell dings]

Ladies and gentlemen,
are you ready?

Made from scratch with our own
brilliant hands, of course,

say hello to the monster pizzas.

[applause][laughs]

WOMAN:
Well, make sure you save
yourself a piece.

It's called the Final Salute
HOME program.

All the residents are homeless
women vets and their kids.

So, this is what you were
collecting donations for?

Yeah.

Started volunteering

as part of my recovery.

See, a difference
between me and Sara,

she has a load
of pictures of her mom.

And, uh, I've only got the one.

Aw, is that you?

I was three years old
when she died.

One of the only things
I know about her

is that
she was homeless.

Well, we were homeless together.

So you volunteer to honor her.

Yeah, it's like, uh, when I'm
here, I can see her, in a way.

And I figured, when I'm retired,

I'd start a charity of my
own and name it after her.

But I think my, uh,
volunteer work is best kept

to making pizza.
[chuckles]

Why?

Because Sara didn't
accept your help?

I mean, you can't
give up on her.

I'm not. That's why I wanted you
to see this place,

so you could talk to her.

Me?Abby, you've got the biggest
heart I've ever seen.

If anyone can convince Sara
to take help, it's you.

I'm not doing it.

Please, Abby.

Sara doesn't trust me.

You don't need me.

Everything that this place
stands for,

this is you, Clay.

And you can't expect

Sara to let her guard down

if you don't
let your guard down.

[phone ringing]

Yeah.

This is Reeves.

THEO:
Is this the police guy?

Theo?

My mom needs help.

[grunting]

Theo, where are you?THEO: We're at the place

where we parked our car.

Please, come. Please!I'm on my way, Theo!

[grunting]

[dogs barking]

Mom!

[grunting]

[both scream]

[both grunting]

[siren wailing]

[crying]

[car door shuts]

[engine starts]

It's okay. It's okay.

We were coming
back from dinner.

We saw him going
through our car.

I mean, the guy wasn't leaving.

I fought him until he ran off.

You weren't able
to describe him, huh?

He was wearing a mask.

Well, it sounds like
he might have been looking

for something in your car.

Our stuff isn't
worth taking.

You said the guy that
killed my mom was dead.

Then who did this to us?

[knocking on door]Come in.

Hey.
Reeves.

There he is.

My friend Abby
asked me

to come and get you.

That toy rocket ship
that was in your car,

she fixed it.

Actually, Abby asked me
to bring him down.

Oh, she did?
Yup.

Come on, Theo. Abby's so fun.

Mind your manners, baby.

Are you all right?

I want you to know that
I'm not just some...

You know, I have a job,
clean houses.

I've been applying for
everything else I can find.

You know, I'm trying
to be a good mom, you know?

I'm trying.

You know,

my mother, she was, um...

She was someone
who needed help, too.

I mean, she wasn't
perfect, but...

I love her for who
she was trying to be.

Look, I'm scared

that the second I say
I need help,

they're gonna take him
away from me.

I know you are, Sara.

But you can trust me.

Okay, there's something
I need to tell you.

I didn't want to say it.

A couple of weeks
before my mom died,

my own pills went missing.

Prescription?

I take tramadol for my migraines
from the TBI.

And I need those pills.

So when they didn't
show up in the mail,

you know, I got
so worked up.

My mom said she was gonna call
the insurance company for me.

You think she was back to using?

Think she stole my pills, too?

Boss, Mae Carter
didn't steal anything.

We talked
to the insurance company.

They had a record
of when Mae called

about Sara's
missing pills.

Mae asked them to e-mail
the tracking numbers

to Sara's account in
the insurance portal.

But they screwed up.

They sent her a list
of tracking numbers of all

the missing packages recorded
over the last year.

Mae was a command investigator.
She knew how to dig.

Boss, she was
single-handedly

unraveling a
prescription drug ring.

She wasn't going
to Jax for herself.

She was tailing
the person

who was stealing
the pills.Jax's supplier.

So the supplier is the only one
left in the equation,

has to be the one
who attacked Sara.

Right, but what was he
looking for in her car?

And how'd he even know
it was there?

Bishop, get Abby.

Hmm.

McGee, pull up that
TV video thing.

Oh, you mean "When
Gibbs Attacks"? [chuckles]

I'm sorry, that's-that's
what McGee calls it.

GIBBS:
Fast-forward.

Slow it down.

Freeze it right there.
Zoom in.

Uh, that's Jax Wesley.

Outside his hostel.

Who is he talking to?

ABBY:
Who is who talking to?

I'm like a step behind here,

and it's making my brain
feel really weird.

Abbs, we're looking
for a picture.

McGEE:
And we only have a partial;
we need the full image.

Yeah, I just sent you
the freeze-frame.

No worries because
I have all the contents

of Sara's car categorized,

and the picture
you are looking for

is...

here.

McGee.

Boss, right behind you.

Um, what just happened? Anyone?

You got to check that
with the office.

Head back down
there, let me know.

Okay?

Hey, there. You're back.

So what can I
help you with?

BISHOP: Mae Carter realized
her list of missing packages

all went through your warehouse.

She showed up
asking questions.

And she suspected that
you were stealing packages

from your own
warehouse.

She followed you

and watched you sell pills
to your buyer Jax.

[scoffs]

BISHOP:
You saw her there.

You even saw her snap
a couple pictures.

So you had Jax kill her

and destroy the pictures.

But when he tossed her house...

[winces]

...he didn't find the pictures.

Which was okay until
you saw one resurface

in the
Profile 360promo.

Then you went looking for
it in Sara Carter's car.

She fought you off
and, uh... [chuckles]

...she kicked your ass.

You know, that cut
looks good on you.

I give it three seconds
before he lawyers up.

I want a lawyer.

Thank you very much.

I'll give SECNAV the good news.

And I'll assure her
there won't be any

future installments
of "When Gibbs Attacks."

Hmm.

So this all started
with a mother

trying to take away
her daughter's pain.

Sounds about right.

What about Sara?

You know she doesn't really
have an aunt in Texas.

Reeves is handling it.

He's really coming
into his own, isn't he?

♪ We were born
into a world on fire... ♪

You staying for dinner?

Um, I can't tonight.

In fact, I should, uh,
I should really get going.

Listen.

I don't want to get
all sappy, but...

thank you.

For seeing who I'm trying to be.

Your mum would be proud.

♪ You're always there
for me... ♪

So would yours.

♪ You clear the air I breathe

♪ You make me feel at home

♪ You, you make me feel
at home ♪

♪ This love, it grows

♪ No matter where we go

♪ You, you make me feel
at home ♪

♪ We have known this world
at times apart ♪

♪ When you're alone,
the feeling never ends ♪

♪ Your heart is all I need

♪ I'm drawn to everything

♪ 'Cause you make me feel
at home... ♪

ABBY: McGee, I had five
different kinds of soups,

and I feel like a...

like a rainbow
inside an icicle.

McGEE:
Rubbing it in.

I'm not trying to rub it in.
I'm just being honest.

That cold felt amazing!

And now I officially
like soup!

[both laugh]

Okay, listen, you can
cry to us later.

Good night, Abbs.

I love you.

Abby, cheers to you.

For what?

Choosing me to
come with you,

and for convincing me
to talk to Sara.

I told you,
you didn't need me.

Come on, Abby,
everybody needs you.

You're our angel in platforms.
[chuckles]

Spare some change?

Oh, yeah, man,
absolutely.

Of course.Just give me the whole thing.

Listen, mate.

You, too.
Give me your wallet now.

Okay, no problem, man.

Um, you know what,
maybe if-if we could talk,

then, um, I could help you.

You think you're better than me?

Look, just
take it, yeah?

You want to help me?

Look, just take it
and go, yeah?

You want to help me? Say it.
You want to help me?

Yes, I want to help you.

You can't.
Stop!

[gunshot]

Captioning sponsored by
CBS