NCIS (2003–…): Season 15, Episode 5 - Fake It 'Til You Make It - full transcript

WOMAN:
Okay, everybody, here we go.

Meeting time.

Melissa, whenever
you're ready to start.

(exhales)

My sponsor says that
this program is simple.

"Just let go and let God."

But since she's not
here this morning,

I'll have to be honest
and tell you

that I have no idea
what that means.

(laughter)

You know, when I let go,
it usually involves

a bottle of Jack
and a jail cell.

God has yet
to bail me out.

But I'm sober today,
a month and some change...

(chuckles)

And I owe it all
to the people that I've

met in these rooms.

(applause)

Clay?

Would you like to share?

(clears throat)

Pass.

Hey.

Hey.

Great share today.

Oh. Thanks.

You know, I've been
coming to this meeting

for over a month,
and I don't think

I've heard you share
even once.

I'm not judging,
by the way.

You learn as much
from others.

Well, I got
some good news

I think you're
gonna like.

I finally did it.
I dumped my boyfriend.

I packed a bag and I-I
bailed late last night.

And I'm officially homeless.

(chuckles softly)

Sometimes homeless is
an upgrade.

He was about to do
something really stupid,

and he thought I'd
go along with it.

He thought wrong.

Good for you.

He didn't take it too well.

Well, that's not
your concern, is it?

He made it my concern.

Why don't you just
finally turn

that bastard in, Melissa?

I can't do that.

Well, at least let me have
a little word to the bloke.

It's over, Clay.

Now I got to run.

I've got a friend
who's picking me up.

She's taking me
apartment hunting

before I head to work.
(chuckles)

No, no, let go of me!

(screams)

Melissa!

Melissa!

*

Rough morning, McGee?

Terrible.

It's Delilah, isn't it?

She's leaving you
for somebody else?

No, Delilah is not leaving me.
Not yet, at least.

She may run for the hills
when she sees this.

Whoa!

(Torres laughing)

Wow. Where-Where'd
you find this?

It was in my in-box
this morning.

Came from a fake e-mail account.

Hmm. That is one
perfectly coiffed

perm you got there, McGee.

It's just a thing of beauty.

Forget the hair, someone
turned me into a damn meme.

I got memed.
What the hell's a meme?

Oh, they're basically
shared images

on social networks,

and the funniest photos
get shared the most.

The more you know,

the less you understand.

McGEE:
Boss, I never meant

for this photo
to ever be seen,

let alone turned
into a meme.

I can see why, McGee.

Hey, you're late--
you better have a good excuse.

I just watched one of my friends

get snatched
off the damn street.

Where?
Across from the navy yard

outside St. Peter's.

I phoned Metro
and made a statement,

but there wasn't much I could do

because it all happened
so quickly.

You get a make on the car?

Nissan Altima, black.

I didn't get eyes on the plate.

You said the victim's a friend?

Melissa's a good mate of mine.

Last name?
I wish I knew.

I've got a pretty good idea
who did it, though.

Her ex.

There a history of abuse?

I knew she needed me.

I could have saved her.

You still can.

It doesn't fall under
NCIS jurisdiction, Gibbs.

And you don't care.

That's good to know.

So, I took the liberty
of texting

a selfie of Melissa and me
down to Abby.

She's running it through
facial recognition as we speak.

Go.

Uh, Clay, wait up.

Don't you think
it's kind of strange

not to know
your friend's last name?

I think it's a little strange

to go to church
on Tuesday mornings.

Well...

Might be a British thing.

Still no match?
Uh, no.

And I don't expect one
anytime soon.

I mean, I am fishing
in a vast ocean here.

Well, how do we make
the ocean a pond?

By only searching

Web sites and networks

that are connected to Melissa.

Like, what type of work
does she do?

She's a secretary.

Works for the
government, I think.

Well, a government job
in D.C., imagine that.

And she talks a lot about
her childhood dachshund,

uh, Theodore.

Does Theodore have
a Facebook page?

No, he's a dog, Abby.
No thumbs.

Owners who build pages
about their pets

are, like,
a dime a dozen.

You got to get
with the times, Clay.

I know she likes to play

old-school arcade games,
like Ms. Pac-Man.

She rides a bike
at the weekend,

even joined some club.

Like a Hells Angels-type club?

No, like a ten-speed-type club.

Oh, too bad. I was
picturing little Theodore

in, like, a tiny,
badass leather vest.

Okay, I got a match.

REEVES: That's her.
Melissa Goodman.

I'll see what
I can find on her.

Hey, can I ask you
a question?

And-and you don't have
to answer.

Are you a, um...

a friend of Bill's?

Yes.

I knew it.

I mean, church
on a Tuesday morning.

Most priests aren't
even that godly.

Does anyone else know?

Just Bishop.

We traveled through
Scotland together last year,

and she'd see me go off
to these meetings.

Well, if you ever
need to talk, the...

Sciutos descend
from a long line

of over-indulgers.

I know what a struggle it is.

And I'm really proud of you.

Uh, Melissa Goodman's
apartment is co-leased

with an Edward Holdren.

REEVES:
Has to be the boyfriend.

BISHOP:
He drives a black Altima

and is a civilian engineer

who works for the Office
of Naval Intelligence...

REEVES:
Thanks, Abby.

We have the address
for Melissa's apartment

in Anacostia.

Up until yesterday, she lived
there with her boyfriend,

who works for the ONI.

File's been flagged.
Flagged for what?

That's a good question.
Bishop, take Reeves.

Check out her place.

Nick, come on.
Let's go.

REDDING:
Doing everything I can.

Yeah, I know.
(knock on door)

I'll call you back.

Captain Redding?

Special Agents Gibbs

and Torres, NCIS.

We're looking
for Edward Holdren.

Well, join the club.

I was just about to call NCIS.

Eddie Holdren's
a chief engineer

on one of our
classified projects.

He's been U.A.
for the last two days.

Well, that explains why
his file was flagged.

This isn't just about his
little disappearing act.

Would you shut that?

He has a laptop,
and it is loaded

with some of our
most sensitive intel.

Concerning what?

Sorry, that's "need to know."

I gave some thought
to becoming a cop.

It wasn't in the
cards, though.

You want to know why?
Mm.

I've got flat feet.

Okay, here we are, this is
Melissa and Eddie's place.

Before I let you in, can you
clue me in on what you're...?

Can you step away
from the door?
(sighing): All right.

Thank you.

REEVES:
NCIS!

(pulls back curtain)

Clear.
Clear.

Well... it seems like
he left in a hurry.

The place is a mess.

Newspaper's two days old.

BISHOP: Melissa and Eddie
in happier times.

I've got something.
Hmm?

Broken lamp.

Eddie threw it at Melissa

during a fight last week.

She shared about it
the next day.

Looks like blood.

REEVES:
Found some more.

(sighs)

Melissa needed me.

(sighs)
And I dropped the ball.

(dog barking)

Will you look at this moron?

Hey.

Don't you think it's time you
told Gibbs how you know Melissa?

I mean, now that this is
officially our case?

Our case, my life.
Yeah, but

what are you afraid of, Clay?
I mean, you really think Gibbs,

or anyone else
for that matter,

is gonna judge you?

Can you, um, get those to Abby?

Where are you going?

We're gonna need
all the help we can get.

(clears throat)

Agent Sloane?
Yep?

Clayton Reeves, MI6.

Well, hello there,
Clayton Reeves, MI6,

What can I do for you?

I want some advice.

We're investigating
an abduction.

Victim, Melissa Goodman.

Suspect, Eddie Holdren.
Only witness, you.

I just filled her in
on the case.

He asked me to build
a profile of Eddie Holdren.

Great.
And I told him

it would take me some time,

which, unfortunately,
you don't have.

First 24 hours
in an abduction is critical.

I know. We don't
even have a lead

on where Holdren's
taken Melissa.

You'll find one--
that's what you do best.

Let me worry about the mindset
of her boyfriend--

that's what I do best.

You know, I still can't believe
I let this happen.

She's your friend.

Keep your focus.

Keep your emotions out of it.

It's not your fault.

I know.

You say that, but I don't think

you completely believe it,
do you?

Hey, was Melissa pretty open
with you about things?

Yes.

Was there anyone else

she might have been
more open with?

I think so.

GIBBS:
Her sponsor?

Gibbs, I was gonna...
Reeves, go.

Still no transactions on Melissa
or Eddie Holdren's credit cards.

I tried triangulating
their locations again,

but both their cell
phones are shut off.

Abby said the blood we found
in the apartment is a match

for Melissa.
Apartment's clear,

no sign of the ONI laptop
Holdren stole.

Can I help you?

You know, Bishop,
a wise man once said,

"Do not keep secrets from people

who make a living
being human lie detectors."

You just made that up.

Well, even if I did, a, a wise
man could have said that.

Honesty is the cornerstone
of any great team.

Don't you think,
Bishop?
I honestly wish you two

would just man up
and say what's on your minds.

All right, Reeves.
We don't think he's telling

the full story
about this morning.

And we don't think
he's the only one

playing fast and loose
with the truth.

You guys think I'm lying to you?
We think that if there was

an honest police force,
you'd be the chief.

Yeah, but you haven't even
questioned Reeves' story once.

And you know
what I think?

I think that you don't need
to ask questions,

because you already know
the answers.

I mean, come on, he doesn't know
his friend's last name?

And who goes to church
on Tuesdays?

An alcoholic.

I was there for a
12-step meeting.

That's how I
know Melissa.

We're both in recovery.

Gibbs figured it out.

What took you two so long?

It's not a big deal, Clay.

Why didn't you just tell us?

It's not something
I like to talk about.

So I don't.

Well, I respect that.

And you.

Me, too,

Clay.

Yeah, I was telling McGee

we should just mind
our own business.

Need to take a ride.

You sure we're gonna find
Melissa's sponsor here?

Her name's Nancy D.

Her home group throws
a social here once a week.

Melissa wouldn't miss it.

Hey, uh,

are all these people
really sober?

Yes, Nick.

It's a sober party.

It's a sober party.

Isn't that an oxymoron?

I party sober
all the time.

Here comes Scrabble night.

Yeah, once a week Delilah
and I get together

with some couples, do
competitive Scrabble.

It's so crazy, we
stick to Diet Cokes.

Dude.

This is you, right?

It is you.

Ah, looks like
you chopped your lettuce.

That's a
shame, man.

What, my meme has
over 120,000 shares?

Why are you smiling?
Huh?

I'm not.

Nancy D?

Yes.

Officer Reeves, NCIS.

I need to talk
about one of your sponsees.

Melissa Goodman.

Oh, God, did something happen?
She usually checks in at night,

but I haven't heard from her
in a couple of days.

She's been abducted.

What?

When?

Earlier this morning,
after our step-study
meeting at St. Peter's.

You were there?
Melissa's a friend.

Was it Eddie?

I knew something like this
was gonna happen.

I begged Melissa
to break up with him,

but she just...

she couldn't do it.

The more that he
would hit her,

the more she would
cover for him.

Last week she had to hide out
at his cabin

for a couple of days
just waiting for her
bruises to heal.

What cabin?

What the hell is this?

Can't be good.
Black Altima.

That's the car that I saw.

Federal agents!

He killed her.

Clay?

(gasps)

(Melissa sobbing)

I killed him.

I had to.

(takes deep breath)

I can't stop shaking.

Here, you want some water?

How about a vodka neat?

How about a double?

Just some recovery humor.

Thank God the girl
made it out alive.

Must've put up
a hell of a fight.

Any leads on the stolen laptop?

Yeah, we're working on it, Leon.

Well, work faster--
the undersecretary of the Navy

just called to read me in
on Holdren's project.

His team was
working on...

Airtime Delta.

That's the DoD's latest
unmanned aerial vehicle.

That laptop houses
the operating system
and the design plans.

Well, yeah,
that's definitely a problem.
(phone rings)

Yeah, it's Gibbs.

I'm on my way.

Palmer.

How you doing?
Good. How we doing here?

(crying):
I can't believe Eddie's dead.

I know you think I'm crazy,

but I loved him.

Leaving Eddie was
the hardest thing

I've ever done.

How long were you two together?

Two long years...

for Eddie.

(sniffles)

He saw me at my worst.

When-when I'd pass out
in-in-in the kitchen,

he would pick me up
and he would bring me to bed.

And... when
I was sick,

he'd hold my hair back,

It was Eddie
who got me sober.

Only you could do that.

Eddie knew I was sick,

and-and he-he refused
to give up on me.

(sniffles)
He believed in me.

He beat you.

You leaving him

was the best decision
you ever made.

I didn't leave him
because we fought, Clay.

You know how I said

he was planning on doing
something stupid?

E-Eddie's team,

they created some
groundbreaking drone,

and Eddie thought it was, like,

a good opportunity
to take the intel

and sell it
to the highest bidder.

And he thought you'd
go along with it.

I flipped out.
I-I told him, I told him,

I want no part of this.

And I left
but I think he panicked.

He must have thought that
I wanted to turn him in or...

The next morning he...

he grabbed me...

and he, he drove us straight
to the cabin.

How'd you get the gun
away from him?

He was wobbling and s-slurring

like, like he'd been drinking.

And I knew why.

He needed the liquid courage
to kill you.

When he made his move...

I made mine.

And we-we fell to the ground,

and we wrestled
for a bit, and then...

Bam. (sobs)

The gun just went off.

Okay, listen.
Okay, listen, Melissa.

You're doing great, okay?
We're nearly done here.

I just need you to
help us figure out

where Eddie has stashed
the stolen laptop.

Do you think you can
do that for me?

I'm sorry, Clay.

I-I don't think I can.

I told you everything I know.

VANCE:
Well, I've seen
that look before.

Talk to me, Jack.

Intensive, sustained fear

is often directly tethered

to the suppression
of relevant memories.

Are you saying

that she might
know more than she realizes?

Given the profound trauma
that she endured,

it's only
reasonable to assume

that her fear of
Eddie is paralyzing.

Was paralyzing.
Eddie's dead.

She should know that,
she killed him.

Yes, and on a
cerebral level,

she is aware that he's
no longer a threat,

but in order to access
those suppressed memories,

she needs to feel it, too.

So what exactly
are you suggesting?

It was a quick,
clean death.

Single shot.

Bullet through the heart.

But, judging by the
skinned knuckles,

the scraped knees,
the claw marks on his neck,

I would say that the fight
that preceded the death

was no holds barred.

Down and dirty.
Got a tox report?

Abby just sent it down,
so I'm still reviewing it,

but Eddie Holdren
had 80 milligrams

of the opioid oxycodone

in his system.
That a lot?

Gibbs, even if he
was a heavy user,

and there's no indication that
he was, that would be enough

to severely effect
his equilibrium.

Probably made it
much easier for his victim

to wrestle the gun
away from him.

Dr. Palmer.

Do you mind giving us a moment
with the deceased, please?

Do I mind,
Agent Gibbs?

No.

No, I don't mind.

(whispers):
Well, this is, uh, different.

Yeah, well,

new agents means new ideas.

It's okay, he can't
hurt you anymore.

All right.

I'm so sorry, Eddie.

I want you to know,

I'll always remember
the good times.

But no matter what,
I'll never forget the bad ones.

Hey. It's hard.

Why did you stay?

I thought...

if I tried hard enough,
I could help him.

Help him how?

I guess, help him

to control his temper,

but...

he'd just control me more.

He was so insecure.

He'd freak out
if I didn't answer my phone

by the second ring.

I know the type.

MELISSA:
And it only got worse.

He started tagging along
on my bike club.

Wanted to keep an eye on who

I was talking to.

So he was pretty obsessive.

MELISSA:
Humiliating.

I tried to sneak out
last weekend.

Without him.

And when I got to our
storage unit to get my bike,

he'd changed the lock.

Why would he change the lock?

Figured he just... did not want
me to go to my bike club.

Hey.

Here you go.

Let me just give you
a second alone.

Or maybe he was hiding
something?

You get that?

Well, if someone wanted
to hide a laptop,

this would be a prime spot.

Hey.

You okay?

You've only said, like,

two words since
we left the office.

Yeah, I'm fine.
Are you upset your
anonymity was broken?

Because nobody judges you.
I mean,

who would,
considering...
Considering what?

You know, just,
what you've been through.

Oh, you mean foster care?

You think that's why

I'm an alcoholic?
That is not
what I said.

I was only acknowledging
the fact

that, you know,
you-you've, you've been

through a lot.

But you know what?
I don't know, Clay.

I don't know because
you're so damn bottled up,

you won't tell me, so...

Tell you what?

About the late night
beatings from Daddy Dearest?

Clay...
Or how about
the cigarettes

that used to get
put out on my body?

What do you want
to know exactly?

Why didn't someone help you?

Like, move you to a new family?

This was the new family.

I... I-I can't imagine
how you must feel.

But...

we're all as sick
as our secrets, Clay, and...

we all need
someone to talk to.

Even you.

I'm just saying I'm-I'm here
for you if you need me.

I know that, Ellie.

(sighs)

Well, that's odd.
Hmm?

The Christmas decorations
are on top of the Easter box.

The Easter box should've been
put away last.

And why is the Christmas box
the only one taped shut?

Probably because of this.

I'll get it to Abby.

Surprise.

I just thought
I'd check in on you.

I could use the company.

Did you guys find
what you were looking for?

Possibly.

I got some good
news for you.

We just got word back from the
Virginia state police captain.

You're in the clear.

Remember what
they say.

Pain is a touchstone
for spiritual growth.

If God brings you to it,
He will bring you through it.

There is no chemical solution
for a spiritual problem.

Just keep first things first...

And this, too,

shall pass.
(laughs)

(chuckles)

When I was new, all
these damn clichés

would drive me crazy.

Five years later,
they all make sense.

You gonna be okay?

Yeah, I think so.

There's this meditation meeting
around the corner.

If you want to go with.

That's so sweet.

(clicks tongue)

Got to finish up these pies

before the women's
meeting tonight.

It's a potluck.

What kind of pies?

Chicken pot.

It's my family's special recipe.

The ladies love them.

Not just the ladies.

Us men have to eat, too,
you know.

And nothing tastes
better than free food.

You could stop by, if you want.

For some reason,
I don't think

the girls are gonna
kick you out.

(both laugh)

(sighs)

Hang in there.

BISHOP:
Holdren's drone is
dubbed "Airtime."

But he'd obviously have
to be pretty stupid

to not disguise the
name of the file.

Well, when it comes
to stupidity,

I would not
underestimate this guy.

Yeah, Abby's right. This guy did
steal classified Navy material,

and confessed to his
battered girlfriend.

ABBY:
Keeping that in mind,

where's the most obvious place
to hide a metadata file?

The cache.
The cache.

McGEE:
Well, this is definitely
the stolen ONI file,

but where's the
schematics and software?

There's only headers left.

All the data's
been transferred.

Well, let's hope Holdren
didn't have a chance to sell it.

VANCE:
Clock's ticking, Gibbs.

We need to recover the stolen
software while we still can.

Running through all
of Holdren's contacts,

building a list
of possible buyers.

Situation's even worse
than the Navy led us to believe.

I thought we were
all on the same side.

The project is need-to-know

because of the potential
implications.

Navy's plan was for Airtime
to eventually replace

their entire fleet of UAVs.

If this intel lands
in the wrong hands,

every drone
that's currently in the air

will soon be grounded.

It's really nice of them
to let us know.

Since it's on us
to find the damn thing.

BISHOP: Eddie may not
have had many friends,

but he had a lot of associates.

Several dozen had contact
with him just last week.

Could any of them be,
uh, any possible buyers?

Well, it's gonna take us time
to tick all these names

off the list.
GIBBS:
Well, then stop wasting it.

I need a lead now!

What?

Hello, folks.

I had a thought.

Permission to come aboard?

So you're searching
for potential buyers

by probing Eddie's cell phone

and e-mail, correct?

BISHOP: Along with
all his landline calls,

credit card records
and online search history.

That's a hell of a paper trail.

And a whole lot of ground
to cover.

Especially if you consider
that the best criminals

don't leave trails.
McGEE: Eddie Holdren
hardly seems

like a seasoned criminal.

No.

But anyone looking to buy

stolen Navy software
probably is.

Exactly. They'd make sure there
was nothing on Eddie's records

that could lead us to them.

Well, if we nix
Eddie's paper trail,

then what do you suggest
we follow?

His footprints.

Not digital, but physical.

We shift our focus
to his real life movements.

I know who can help with that.
Melissa.

Gibbs, I'm pretty sure
I know where I can find her.

Yeah, let's go.

(drawer closes)

Hey, new game plan,
less paper cuts.

You're welcome to the bullpen
anytime, Agent Sloane.

You can call me Jack.

Thanks, Nick.

Oh, come on,
you got to be kidding me.

Something wrong, McGee?

You tell me.

Oh, yeah.
Wow.

Um, McGee got memed.

He's a McMeme.

That's really unfortunate.

Well, he hasn't even
noticed the worst part.

What?
60,000 more shares?

(Torres laughs)
Welcome to NCIS.

(both laugh)

Especially what she
said at the end.

Oh, when she said thanks, thank
you to all those nice people.

I know.

It was good.
I'm glad we came.

Clay.

Hey.

What are you doing here?

We came for the free food.

Oh.

I don't believe we've met.

Special Agent Gibbs.

I bet you are.
Oh, my God.

Nancy, please.

Okay, okay, I'm-I'm going.

Lord, have mercy.

(laughs)
That's so embarrassing.

With her as my sponsor, it's
a miracle I've stayed sober.

I took my 30-day chip last week.

I know it doesn't probably sound
like such a big deal...

It does to me.

You doing a 30 in 30?

30 meetings in 30 days?

Sponsor's orders.

Are you in the program,
Agent Gibbs?

No. No, a friend.

Well, I know you didn't come
all this way to bum a free meal.

How can I help you?

Did you notice any changes

in Eddie's routine recently?

No. He was always either
at home with me or at work.

Are you sure?

There was one night,
a couple weeks ago,

he was acting kind of strange.

Strange how?
I caught him
sneaking out

in the middle of the night.

He said he had to go
back to the office

to catch up on some work, but...

You didn't believe him?

I wasn't sure what to believe.

The thought even crossed my mind

that he might've been
cheating on me.

Especially since his phone
was turned off.

Okay. Anything?

Nope, not yet.

Are you sure
extracting these locations

is even possible, Abby?

Have a little faith, Reeves.

Aha! Ha!

Not my first day.

And we're lucky
that Eddie Holdren's

ride came equipped
with EDR.

Event Data Recorder.

This baby recorded everywhere
the car went.

It's a comprehensive,
time-stamped

log of all of his travels.
REEVES: Punch up

all his destinations
from two weeks ago.

McGEE:
Two minutes, three tops.

Hey, uh, did either of you know
Gibbs has a friend in recovery?

Gibbs has friends?

Well, at least one.

Must be a close mate, too.

'Cause Gibbs
was well-versed.

He even knows the lingo.

Well, did he say who it is?

Right, anonymous.

Okay, eyes on
the prize, McGee.

You're moving slower
than a herd full of snails

traveling through peanut butter.

Okay, let me just bypass
this final

finicky little firewall,
and there we go.

REEVES: Nice work.
Can you confine

the search to show
only trips made between

midnight and 5:00 a.m.?

McGEE:
Only one.

Two Saturdays ago, he drove to
976 Rosewood Drive at 2:17 a.m.

It's in Alexandria.

ABBY:
Four Score Café?

The food can't be so good that
he's driving all the way

across town
in the middle of the night.

Maybe it was a late-night
meeting with his buyer.

Let's see if there's
video surveillance.

REEVES: Surprised how many
people are still coming in

after 2:00 a.m.

Sunday morning.

Bars just closed.

Can't go to the after-party

without getting yourself
some chicken and waffles.

That's just irresponsible, man.

McGEE: Well, there's our
boy Eddie, right on time.

TORRES:
Why is he not going in?

He's waiting on the buyer.

McGEE: Wait, that's Nancy,
Melissa's sponsor.

TORRES:
What is Nancy doing

meeting Eddie at
2:00 in the morning?

Good question.

What's this all about?

The software you helped steal.

It belongs to the Navy.
They'd like it back.

I've never stolen anything
in my life.

Call Melissa, she'll tell you
how ridiculous this is.

You sure you want us to do that?

'Cause if we call her,

we're gonna have to tell her
about your

late-night rendezvous
with Eddie.

Eddie? Melissa's boyfriend?

I would never do that.

She's my sponsee.
That relationship is sacred.

Besides,
I've never even met Eddie.

Well, I'd say Melissa
needs a new sponsor.

Well, why is that?

Last I checked, sponsors are
still allowed to date.

You said you and Eddie
never met.

Because we haven't.

That's you with Eddie.

Melissa's boyfriend.

No, this is me with Austin.

My boyfriend.

We met on an online dating site
a couple months ago.

(clears throat)

(quietly):
Oh, my God.

Does Melissa know?

(sighs)

Palmer, you called me.

Yeah, like,
15 minutes ago.

Could've been less.

Uh, not that there's
a specific amount of time

for you to respond when I call
with something urgent.

But...
Do you got something?

God, I hope so.

Uh, Abby and I revisited
Holdren's test results.

We found that the oxycodone
had metabolized

in an abnormal fashion.
Abnormal how?

Well, the drug's
chemical compound

had already been altered
prior to coming into contact

with the hydrochloric acid
in his stomach.

So, after further testing,
Abby and I concluded

that the oxycodone had been
altered by a very specific acid

typically found
in cayenne pepper.

So, Eddie either mixed the drug
with his own food or...

He was drugged.

McGEE:
Drugged by who?

Melissa?

I mean, she...

she was the only one
that was with him.

She said so herself.

Yeah, it's difficult
to drug someone

when you've got a gun
pointed to your head.

Besides,
I watched Eddie kidnap her.

No, you saw
someone kidnap her.

Don't tell me you believe
this rubbish, too, McGee?

TORRES:
Hey, listen,

I understand that
she's your friend,

all right,
but this is a theory.

It's not rubbish.

Stop arguing.

Start digging.

I didn't know we stopped.

I completed my profile
on Eddie Holdren.

To my surprise,
there was no evidence

of trauma in his adolescence.

No history of abuse.

Prior to Melissa, his
relationships with women

were not only cordial,
but loving.

I actually spoke to
his college girlfriend,

who refused to believe that
Eddie would ever be capable

of violence against anyone.

People change.
SLOANE: True,

but a radical shift in psyche
almost always occurs

as the result of a traumatic
event in one's formative years.

Holdren had none.
Doesn't mean

he's not the monster
Melissa says.

It's possible...

but not probable.

When we factor in the
credibility of our source,

everything we've been told
about Eddie and his temper

comes from the same person,
Melissa Goodman.

You saying she's a liar, yeah?

SLOANE:
When my profile on Eddie

didn't match the picture
that Melissa painted,

I focused my attention on her
and I'm sorry to say, Reeves,

what I found was
a cunning, vindictive

narcissist.

She checked all the boxes

for antisocial personality
disorder, Gibbs.

She also had motive.

She found out that Eddie
was cheating on her.

And this would've been
her chance to get revenge on him

and make a small fortune
doing it.

Yeah, by stealing intel
from Eddie's laptop

and selling it
to the highest bidder.

All theory, no real
evidence here.

Yeah, Bishop.

Yeah.

I'll be right up.

Melissa Goodman.

I want to know everything
there is about her.

Keep digging.

Found the laptop,
but the design plans

and operating system data
for Airtime were removed.

I can't believe how far
this has gone.

With Holdren going missing

to being accused of kidnapping
and then turning up dead.

Captain Redding.

Gibbs.
What do we have?

Picked up chatter
on the Dark Web.

Airtime is being put up for sale
to the highest bidder.

With Holdren dead,
then who's doing this?

I think we may have an idea.

We do?

Yeah, Dark Web.

How do we know
they really have it?

They offered a preview,
a few lines of coding.

We analyzed it.

Unfortunately, it's ours.

Torres, I got
something here.

Oh, good, 'cause I got nothing.

The day before Melissa Goodman
was abducted,

she transferred $10,000
to an Andrew Lewis.

Ten grand?

That's interesting.

What's really interesting
is when I tracked his address

through his bank account,

he lives in the same building
as Melissa.

TORRES:
Really?

Why are you looking
at that twit?

What, you know him?
Yeah,

that's the manager of
Melissa's apartment building.

He was snooping around when
Bishop and I was having a look.

Why would she give him
ten grand?

Who knows? Maybe she was
prepaying her rent.

Come on, Reeves.

McGEE: Jimmy, hey,
you got something?
JIMMY: Yes.

I just catalogued
Eddie Holdren's stomach content

and found out what dish the
cayenne pepper was sprinkled on

to drug him...

His last meal:
chicken pot pie.

REEVES:
Pot pies.

Something we should know,
Reeves?

Hey.

No, I'm still waiting
for the buyer.

I'll call you back in a few.

Okay.

(beeps)

Hello, Melissa.

Clay.
(chuckles nervously)

What a surprise.

What are you, uh,
waiting on a date?

No, no, God,
it's way too soon for that.

I, uh, waiting for a friend
for dinner.

Might as well keep each other
company while we wait, eh?

(chuckles)

(sighs)

Something wrong?

No, of course not.

Would you excuse me for a second
while I make a phone call?

Sure.

(dialing)

(phone ringing)

Hello, Melissa.

Calling your buyer?

You set me up?

Please,

take a seat.

I said sit down!

We know you transferred ten
grand to your building manager's

checking account the day before
you were supposably kidnapped.

You paid him
to fake the kidnapping.

In fact,

you've been
faking a lot of things.

(sniffs)

Whiskey and Coke.

You didn't come
into the program for help.

You joined because you found out

your boyfriend
was cheating on you.

He got what he deserved.

You asked Nancy
to be your sponsor

because you found out
she was the other woman.

And you targeted me
for your insurance policy.

Who better to corroborate
your story than a fed?

See, I was your key witness.

(sighs) And now
I'm your worst nightmare.

On your feet.
Let's go.

Hey, you want a to-go cup
for that cocktail?

Liquor is not
quite the same

where we're taking you.

Probably because they
make it in a toilet.

TORRES: Still trying to
figure out who memed you, bud?

Nope. Put all my
hacking skills to work,

and I am proud to say,
I now know exactly

who it was.

BISHOP: Torres.
What?

I didn't even know
what a meme was

until McGee's extremely
humiliating experience.

No, it wasn't Torres.

Not unless he posted it from
the Bastille quarter in Paris

earlier this week.

Ol' Paree, huh?

Mysterious.

Hey, who memed you, buddy?

Someone who is about to be
very, very sorry.

'Cause when you mess
with the bull...

...you get the horns.

Oh... my God.

Tony?

TORRES:
Who's Tony?

An old friend.

TORRES:
What, you were friends

with the bass player
from Flock of Seagulls?

(whistles)

Got a lot to catch up on, Gibbs.

MAN:
So, I sat down last night

and wrote a thorough inventory
for the first time

since I was a newcomer, and,

(laughs):
I got to tell you, I mean...

Rachel?

REEVES:
Clay.

Alcoholic.

(sighs)

I've been coming
to this meeting for months.

All you know about
me is my name.

And my disease.

A good friend recently told me

that we're as sick
as our secrets.

And I think she's right.

And I'm sick of paying
for other people's sins.

My name is Clayton Dante Reeves.

And I have a story to tell.

Captioning sponsored by
CBS